title: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

paragraphs: Sioux Falls (pronounced "sue falls") is a city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It is the largest city in the state; 153,888 people lived there at the 2010 census. The city is in the eastern part of South Dakota. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County, where most of the city is located. The southern part of the city is in Lincoln County. Sioux Falls became a city in 1876. The city is built around the Big Sioux River, and it gets its name from a set of waterfalls along the river that are located in a park in the city.

paragraphs: Sioux Falls is home to four major sports teams. The Sioux Falls Skyforce play basketball in the NBA Development League, the Sioux Falls Canaries play baseball in the American Association, the Sioux Falls Stampede play ice hockey in the United States Hockey League, and the Sioux Falls Storm play American football in the Indoor Football League.

paragraphs: Two major Interstate highways go through Sioux Falls. Interstate 90 goes from east to west, and Interstate 29 goes from north to south. Sioux Falls also has a shorter route, Interstate 229, that serves the eastern part of the city and connects Interstate 90 to Interstate 29. The city is also home to the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, which has flights to many big cities across the country.


title: Christopher Eccleston

paragraphs: Christopher Eccleston (born 16 February 1964) is an English actor. He played the Ninth Doctor on "Doctor Who" in 2005. Before playing the doctor, he played the Son of God in "The Second Coming". He has acted in movies, such as "Let Him Have It", "Shallow Grave", and "Gone in 60 Seconds".


title: Deliverance

paragraphs: Deliverance is a 1972 American crime drama movie made by Warner Bros.. It was directed by John Boorman and stars Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, and Jon Voight. It was based on a book written in 1970 by James Dickey, who also wrote the screenplay and had a small part in the movie. It is set in rural northern Georgia. Four men from Atlanta take a trip in a canoe. Two of them are raped by sadistic local men; the victims take revenge on their attackers.

paragraphs: "Deliverance" got good reviews from critics and is widely considered one of the best films of 1972.


title: The Adventures of Robin Hood

paragraphs: The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 swashbuckler movie. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. It was shot in Technicolor. The movie stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains. The story is based on the traditional tales of Robin Hood. It is the third of eight movies Flynn and De Havilland made together. The movie won three minor Academy Awards. In 1995, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.


title: Speed (movie)

paragraphs: Speed is a 1994 American action-thriller movie set in Los Angeles, California. It stars Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, and Dennis Hopper. It is about a police officer (Reeves) who has to stop a extortionist (Hopper), who has put a bomb on a city bus. The movie was a box office success in many countries.


title: Ares

paragraphs: Ares is a god in Greek mythology. He is the god of savage war and bloodlust, and represents the untamed, wild aspects of conflict. He is one of the Twelve Olympians. His parents are Zeus and Hera. He had a twin sister called Eris. Neither parent liked him. He is considered murderous and bloody. In the Trojan War, he fought on the side of the Trojans. He had six children with Aphrodite. His homeland is Thrace.

paragraphs: Ares' name is believed to be derived from the Greek word ἀρή ("arē"), the Ionic form of the Doric ἀρά ("ara"), which translates to "bane" or "ruin".


title: Anna Kavan

paragraphs: Anna Kavan (born 10 April 1901 as Helen Emily Woods, died 1968) was an English writer.

paragraphs: Her early work, comprising six novels, gave little indication of the style and content of her writing after 1939. The change of her name to Anna Kavan in 1940 signalled an experimental form, focussed on the 'nocturnal language' of dreams and addiction.

paragraphs: "I Am Lazarus" is a collection of short stories that address the disturbing unreality of mental illness, particularly as a result of [war-related] post traumatic stress disorder.

paragraphs: Kavan travelled extensively during the Second World War, spending 22 months in New Zealand. That country's proximity to Antarctica informed her writing of "Ice".

paragraphs: Kavan's biographical details have until recently been vague and sketchy, but recent discoveries of letters and unpublished manuscripts have shed revealing light on her life and times. Dr Jennifer Sturm of Auckland University has made a recent study of Kavan's writing, and has unearthed significant validation of her biographical details. Kavan is currently enjoying something of a belated interest. London publishers Peter Owen Publishers have for many years flown the Kavan flag and continue to do so, with the recent re-release of "Ice" and a forthcoming publication of "Guilty", a new posthumous release of Kavan's work.


title: Voodoo

paragraphs: The word voodoo, which has many different names and spellings (like "vodun, vodou, voudou, vudu, vodoun, vowdown, vooodooo, vundun") is the name of a West African animist, spiritual folkway. Some class it as a religion. However, voodoo is more a way of life. It is a supernatural ancestral connection, passed from generation to generation by word of mouth (oral tradition), rituals and spiritual practices. Voodoo has variations from tribe to tribe. Religion, on the other hand, is based on formal organization, myths and dogma in texts, buildings constructed for worship, and a hierarchy of ordained leaders.

paragraphs: Voodoo is animism or spiritism. That is, all aspects of the natural world are seen as having spiritual identity immune to physical death. Animism includes belief in a person's spirit surviving the death of the body. Ancestors' 'spirits' are called upon for inspiration, protection or other influences over the material world. The roots of voodoo in the Americas come from the Fon, Ewe, and Yoruba people of Africa.. The word vodún is the Fon-Ewe word for spirit.

paragraphs: In voodoo many gods and spirits are prayed to or called on. Both spirits of nature and of dead people are important. The spirits of family members who have died are especially important. Voodoo often has rituals with music and dancing. Drums are used to make most of this music. In voodoo people often believe that a spirit is in their body and controlling the body. Having a spirit come into is wanted, and important. This spirit can speak for the gods or dead people you love, and can also help to heal or do magic.

paragraphs: Another word for voodoo is "vodu", used in Haiti where the creole language is based on French language. African voodoo often has animal sacrifice (the animal is killed for the spirits), but this is not common in Haiti. Voodoo in Haiti and America has also added some Catholic ideas that were not known in African voodoo. The use of Catholic saints/iconography may have developed as a means of adaptation, and survival, but also as a safety precaution.

paragraphs: Voodoo is an important religion in Haiti. When Haiti beat the French in a war and became its own country, the people of Haiti believed that voodoo had helped them win. Also, in Haiti there are both good priests and "dark" sorcerers (called bokor). The bokor acts like a kind of religious policeman, and may curse bad people.

paragraphs: Voodoo originally entered the United States via immigrants from Africa and Haiti such as Marie LaVeau, "the voodoo queen of New Orleans". Marie was a pacifist and known for healing people. Though unprecedented, the local Catholic priest let Marie practice Voodoo in the Catholic Church, and as a result, she became famous, leading (along with others) many in Louisiana to believe in Voodoo.

paragraphs: Like many other religions and practices, people learn about voodoo and hoodoo through movies and TV shows, where it has gained the popularity it has today as a form of entertainment. Hoodoo was showcased in the 2005 horror-suspense movie, The Skeleton Key, starring Kate Hudson (correctly emphasizing that it was hoodoo that was being used), and in the 2009 Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

paragraphs: <br>Zombies are a large part of popular horror culture, and they originated in voodoo folklore from the original word, “nbzambi”, which refers to the primary sprit and/or to one’s soul. The 2009 release of Zombieland and the 2004 movie Shaun of the Dead are both horror-comedies.

paragraphs: Just as there is Christian music, there is music that came from voodoo rituals, which influenced jazz, and many of the original jazz players are rumored to have had a connection to voodoo in some way, including Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. Storyville, a district in New Orleans, was a place where, at night, Jazz was played and hoodoo was sold. There, jazz thrived and pulsed with the voices and instruments of Jelly Roll, Sweet Emma Barrett, and many others.

paragraphs: There are many songs and albums that reference voodoo and/or hoodoo, either in the title ("Hoodoo" by Muse )

paragraphs: or in the actual song, such as in David Bowie's song "Magic Dance", with the lyric, ""You remind me of the babe./ What babe?/ The babe with the power. /What power?/ The power of the hoodoo. /Hoodoo? /You do. /Do what? /Remind me of the babe!"". Another example is Rob Zombie who started the band White Zombie.

paragraphs: Loa (spirits of Voodoo) are depicted in Zadie Smith's 2005 novel "On Beauty". Loa also appear in Terry Pratchett's book "Witches Abroad" (1991). A powerful voodoo woman in novel "Witches Abroad" is named Erzulie Gogol. Baron Samedi (as the head of the Ghede family of Loa) is mentioned in the second novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series of stories "Live and Let Die." In the short story "Kum Ogun" by Jorge Amado, or the 2nd part of the novel "Shepherds of the night" (1964), is one of the title characters – Loa Ogun. The character Galeb from "Tales of Monkey Island" was based on Loa Papa Legba. Papa Legba, Erzulie, Ogun, Ghede and other popular Loa together with the adepts of Voodoo are depicted in Andrei Gusev's 2020 novel "Our Wild Sex in Malindi".


title: Mercury (mythology)

paragraphs: Mercury (Latin: "Mercurius") is the god of trade, commerce, financial gain, messages/communication, travelers and boundaries, trickery, merchants and thieves in Ancient Roman religion and myth. Son of Jupiter and Maia, Mercury was a major god in Roman state religion, being a member of the Dii Consentes, the principal group of ancient Roman deities. The Roman counterpart to Hermes, the god is depicted as holding a caduceus in his left hand. The planet Mercury and the element are named after him.


title: Medusa

paragraphs: Medusa is a character in Greek mythology. Her story has been told and retold by ancient and modern storytellers, writers, and artists.

paragraphs: The Latin poet Ovid writes in Book IV of his "Metamorphoses" that Poseidon had raped Medusa in the temple of Athena. The goddess was outraged, and changed Medusa into a monster with snakes for hair.

paragraphs: Medusa has been depicted in the visual arts for centuries. Many interpretations surround the myth, including one by Sigmund Freud. For the ancients, an image of Medusa's head was a device for averting evil. This image was called a Gorgoneion. The Gorgoneion was very scary and made all the children cry, but worked only against Medusa and not her sisters.

paragraphs: Medusa was one of three sisters. They were known as The Gorgons. Medusa's sisters were Stheno and Euryale. Medusa was mortal, but her sisters were immortal. They were all children of the sea deities, Phorkys and his sister Keto. Before they were monsters, all three sisters were beautiful young women, particularly Medusa; however, she was a priestess in the temple of Athena and was bound by a vow of celibacy.

paragraphs: Any man or animal who looked directly upon her was turned to stone.

paragraphs: The hero Perseus beheaded Medusa by viewing her reflection in his burnished shield. After using the dreadful head to defeat his enemies, he presented it to Athena and she put it on her shield.

paragraphs: Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon at the time of her death. Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a golden giant, sprang from her blood.

paragraphs: Medusa was a subject for ancient vase painters, mosaicists, and sculptors. She appears on the breastplate of Alexander the Great in the Alexander Mosaic at the House of the Faun in Pompeii, Italy (about 200 BC).

paragraphs: A Roman copy of Phidias' "Medusa" (left) is held in the Glyptothek in Munich, Germany.

paragraphs: Among the Renaissance depictions are the sculpture "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" by Benvenuto Cellini (1554) and the oil painting "Medusa" by Caravaggio (1597).

paragraphs: Baroque depictions include "Head of Medusa" by Peter Paul Rubens (1618); the marble bust "Medusa" by Bernini (1630s); and "Perseus Turning Phineus and his Followers to Stone", an oil painting by Luca Giordano from the (early 1680s).

paragraphs: Romantic and modern depictions include "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" by Antonio Canova (1801) and "Perseus", a sculpture by Salvador Dalí. Twentieth century artists whno tackled the Medusa theme include Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, Pablo Picasso, Pierre et Gilles, and Auguste Rodin.


title: Lilo & Stitch: The Series

paragraphs: Lilo & Stitch: The Series is a Disney Channel animated television series based on the 2002 movie, "Lilo & Stitch". It follows "Stitch! The Movie", which was a pilot to the series. As with the first movie, it stars Daveigh Chase as Lilo Pelekai and Chris Sanders as her alien friend Stitch. In the show, they try to find Stitch's alien cousins and the job each cousin is perfect for.


title: Olga Bondarenko

paragraphs: Olga Bondarenko (maiden name Krentser, born 2 June 1960 in Slavgorod, Altai Krai, Russia) is a long-distance runner. Running for the U.S.S.R., she won the 10,000 metre race at the 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 3,000 metre race at the 1986 European Championships. Earlier she had set a world record for the 10,000 m event, at 31 minutes, 13.78 seconds, in Kiev in 1984. Her first world-class gold medal was a first-place finish in the 5,000 m race at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow. She competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.


title: Hephaestus

paragraphs: Hephaestus (, "Hēphaistos") is the Greek god of fire, metalworking, craftsmen, sculpture, metallurgy and volcanoes. His parents were Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus was the blacksmith of the gods. He was married to the goddess Aphrodite, who cheated on him with his brother Ares. His symbols were a smith's hammer, an anvil, and a pair of tongs. The donkey was his sacred animal. The god Vulcan is his Roman equivalent.

paragraphs: When Hephaestus was born, he was ugly and weak, with a broken foot. Hera did not like the way he looked and threw him off her castle which was on top of the clouds. Hephaestus fell for one day and one night before falling into the sea. The sea animals rescued him and took him to an island called Lemnos. There Hephaestus built his forge underneath a volcano. He collected precious metals, pearls and pieces of coral to fashion extraordinary jewelry. Hephaestus built little robots of gold to help him get around. Hephaestus even worked with the Cyclopes (one eyed creatures). To impress the gods and goddesses, he made a set of golden thrones for them.

paragraphs: Hera realized her mistake of throwing Hephaestus off Mount Olympus and wanted Hephaestus back. Hephaestus politely refused, saying that he was quite happy where he was. Hephaestus denied because he knew that the only reason that Hera wanted him back, was because he could make her items. He then set to work and fashioned a beautiful golden throne and sent it to Hera as a ‘thank you, but not really, gift.’ Hera felt delighted by his present. The instant she sat on it, golden ropes and chains flew out and tied her into the chair.

paragraphs: Hephaestus was still very angry with Hera because she threw him off Mount Olympus just because he was a little deformed. Hera was trapped on the throne three whole days without being able to eat or sleep. Everyone tried to free Hera from the great trap, but Hephaestus’ design was so clever that none of the gods could detach the ropes. So, Zeus sent his son Ares, god of war, to bring Hephaestus back to let Hera loose. Hephaestus made Ares run away by throwing firebrands at him, and Ares made a shameful retreat. Zeus used trickery next and sent Dionysus, the god of wine, to get Hephaestus drunk. Hephaestus was not a regular drinker, and Hephaestus got drunk very quickly. Soon Dionysus was making his proud return to Mount Olympus, with drunk Hephaestus on the back of a mule. Hephaestus still refused to let his mother out. Zeus offered him Aphrodite (the goddess of beauty) as a wife if he let his mother out. Hephaestus agreed to his offer and finally freed Hera. He moved back to the forges because he did not like the busy life of the palace. Although, he still refused to forgive Hera.

paragraphs: Hera felt very guilty and gave him loads of supplies, materials, tools, and helpers for his workshop. Hephaestus made the best weapons, jewelry, and armor. Some of his greatest creations ever were the silver bows and arrows of Artemis and Apollo as well as Apollo’s golden chariot. He also made the shield of Achilles, Athena's spear, and Hercules' breastplate. In addition to this he made the scepter of Zeus and the battle armor of the Olympian armies. He also made all of the gods and goddesses palaces (with help from Athena) and their unbreakable locks. On top of all this, Hephaestus was and is still credited with the invention of the three-legged stool and the world’s first robots. His helpers included a complete set of life size golden maids who helped around the house.

paragraphs: Hephaestus married Aphrodite. When Aphrodite emerged from the sea (created by the sperm of the severed member of Uranus,) Zeus feared that the gods would battle over her hand in marriage, so Zeus arranged that Aphrodite would marry Hephaestus if he let his mother out of the golden throne. Hephaestus gave Aphrodite his best creations and even gave her a magic girdle that made her irresistible to men. However, Aphrodite did not love him as she was married against her will and she didn't like Hephaestus' looks. She spent most of her time with Ares.

paragraphs: It is said that when his wife, Aphrodite, does something unfaithful, he smashes some of his materials through rage and makes the volcano he lives under erupt. One time, Hephaestus caught Aphrodite and Ares on a bed while they Aphrodite and Ares were making love. Hephaestus out of rage, trapped them on the bed and sent them to Mount Olympus to be ridiculed and laughed at by the other gods.

paragraphs: Hephaestus was well liked by all of the Olympians. He was not involved in their plots. Hephaestus preferred to be alone in his workshop. Hephaestus was also worshiped by the Greeks because he proved that those who labor are also noble. Hephaestus reminds us of the value and dangers of losing our selves in work.


title: Vulcan (mythology)

paragraphs: Vulcan is the god of fire in Roman mythology. His Greek equivalent is the god Hephaestus. He is the son of Jupiter and Juno, and the husband of Venus.

paragraphs: Vulcan was born extremely ugly. His mother, Juno, tried to throw him off a cliff, but failed to kill her son. Instead, she put him in a volcano and told him to stay there for most of his young life. Little did she know that her young boy would grow to be a very talented blacksmith for all the gods and goddesses of Olympus.

paragraphs: Vulcan made thrones for the other gods to sit on in Mount Etna. Through his identification with the Hephaestus of Greek mythology, he came to be considered as the manufacturer of art, arms, iron, jewelry and armor for various gods and heroes, including the thunderbolts of Jupiter. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and husband of Maia and Venus. His smithy was believed to be underneath Mount Etna in Sicily.

paragraphs: Vulcan had a happy childhood with dolphins as his playmates and pearls as his toys. Late in his childhood, he found the remains of a fisherman's fire on the beach and became fascinated with an unextinguished coal, still red-hot and glowing.

paragraphs: Vulcan carefully shut this precious coal in a clam shell and took it back to his underwater grotto and made a fire with it. On the first day after, Vulcan stared at this fire for hours on end. On the second day, he discovered that when he made the fire hotter with bellows, certain stones sweated iron, silver or gold. On the third day he beat the cooled metal into shapes: bracelets, chains, swords and shields. Vulcan made pearl-handled knives and spoons for his foster mother, he made a silver chariot for himself, and bridles so that seahorses could transport him quickly. He even made slave-girls of gold to wait on him and do his bidding. From then on, Vulcan and Thetis lived like royalty.

paragraphs: Later, Thetis left her underwater grotto to attend a dinner party on Mount Olympus wearing a beautiful necklace of silver and sapphires, which Vulcan had made for her. Juno admired the necklace and asked as to where she could get one. Thetis became flustered causing Juno to become suspicious and, at last, the queen god discovered the truth: the baby she had once rejected had grown into a talented blacksmith.

paragraphs: Juno was furious and demanded that Vulcan return home, a demand that he refused. However he did send Juno a beautifully constructed chair made of silver and gold, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Juno was delighted with this gift but, as soon as she sat in it her weight triggered hidden springs and metal bands sprung forth to hold her fast. The more she shrieked and struggled the more firmly the mechanical throne gripped her; the chair was a cleverly designed trap.

paragraphs: For three days Juno sat fuming, still trapped in Vulcan's chair, she could not sleep, she could not stretch, she could not eat. It was Jupiter who finally saved the day, he promised that if Vulcan released Juno he would give him a wife, Venus the goddess of love and beauty. Vulcan agreed and married Venus. He later built a smithy under Mount Etna on the island of Sicily. It was said that whenever Venus is unfaithful, Vulcan grows angry and beats the red-hot metal with such a force that sparks and smoke rise up from the top of the mountain, to create a volcanic eruption.

paragraphs: According to Virgil, Vulcan was the father of Caeculus.[12]

paragraphs: To punish mankind for stealing the secrets of fire, Jupiter ordered the other gods to make a poisoned gift for man. Vulcan's contribution to the beautiful and foolish Pandora was to mould her from clay and to give her form. He also made the thrones for the other gods on Mount Olympus.

paragraphs: Vulcan's oldest shrine in Rome, called the "Volcanal", was in the Roman Forum. It was said to have been built during the Roman Kingdom by Titus Tatius, the Sabine co-king, in the eighth century BC. The Etruscan haruspices thought a temple of Vulcan should be outside the city, and the Volcanal may originally have been on or outside the city limits before they expanded to include the Capitoline Hill. Vulcan also had a temple on the Campus Marius.

paragraphs: The Romans identified Vulcan with the Greek smith-god Hephaestus and he became associated like his Greek counterpart with the use of fire in metalworking. A fragment of a Greek pot showing Hephaestus found at the Volcanal has been dated to the 6th century BC, suggesting they were already associated. However, Vulcan had a stronger association than Hephaestus with fire's destructiveness, and his worshippers wanted to encourage the god to avert harmful fires.

paragraphs: His festival, the Vulcanalia, was celebrated on August 23, when the summer heat made a fire hazard. The people made bonfires, and threw live fish or small animals into the fires as animal sacrifice. Vulcan was among the gods placated after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. Also because of that fire, Domitian (emperor 81–96) established a new altar to Vulcan on the Quirinal Hill. A red bull-calf and red boar were added to the sacrifices made on the Vulcanalia, at least in that part of town.


title: Tyche (planet)

paragraphs: Tyche is the nickname given to a possible gas giant planet in the Solar System's Oort cloud. It is one of several proposed planets beyond Neptune. Tyche was first proposed in 1999 by astronomer John Matese of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

paragraphs: Matese and Daniel Whitmire say that the points of origin for long-period comets gives a pattern that suggests Tyche's existence. They noted that Tyche, if it exists, should be seen in the archive of data that was collected by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Infrared telescope. However, several astronomers disagree that Tyche exists. In 2014 NASA announced that WISE had not found such a planet.

paragraphs: Tyche is in the Nickelodeon TV show The Fairly OddParents. It is also called "Yugopotamia" and is where the character Mark Chang is from.


title: Fortuna (mythology)

paragraphs: Fortuna was the goddess of fortune, luck and fate in Roman mythology. Fortuna could bestow good or bad luck onto people. She was sometimes represented veiled and blind. She was a daughter of Jupiter and like him, she could also be bountiful and generous to everybody.


title: Demeter

paragraphs: Demeter (Attic Greek: Δημήτηρ, "Dēmḗtēr"; Doric: Δαμάτηρ, "Dāmā́tēr") is the goddess of the harvest and agriculture in ancient Greek religion and myth, one of the Twelve Olympians. The elder sister of Zeus, Demeter presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. She served as the patron goddess of farmers, and was believed to have taught men how to reap and cultivate the harvest. By Zeus, she is the mother of Persephone, the wife of Hades and queen of the underworld. Both she and Persephone were central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, a series of festivals held in honor of the two goddesses in the region of Attica. Her symbols were the scythe, cornucopia, wheat, bread and harvest grains, and the pig and snake were her sacred animals. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.

paragraphs: In Greek Mythology, Demeter's daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and made her bride. Demeter grieved the loss of her daughter, bringing on a long famine. Eventually an accord was met by which Persephone would spend part of the year underground, and the rest above ground with her mother. This cycle is the Mythological explanation for the seasons.


title: Ceres

paragraphs: In Roman religion and myth, Ceres (Latin: "Cerēs") is the goddess of agriculture, especially the growing of grains and cereals, fertility and motherly relationships. The Roman counterpart of Demeter, Ceres was the central deity of the Plebeian or Aventine Triad, comprised of her, Liber and Libera. She was the mother of Proserpine, who was married to Pluto, the god of the underworld. At Roman weddings, a boy carried the torch of Ceres to light the way to marital happiness. The dwarf planet Ceres is named for her.


title: Roman mythology

paragraphs: Roman mythology is a huge collection of stories, started in Ancient Rome, about the beginning of the world, and the lives and adventures the many Roman gods, goddesses, and heroes. Each god, each goddess had a cult to take care of their temples or other holy places.

paragraphs: The myths of the Ancient Romans are often called "Greco-Roman". Originally they were similar to the Greek mythology of the Ancient Greeks, and later the Romans added Greek stories for their Roman gods, so they became even more similar.

paragraphs: The gods and goddesses in these stories have lots of magic powers. They can make themselves invisible to humans and move to any place in a very short time. They can change people into animals or animals into people. They have no disease and can only be hurt by very unusual causes. This is called being immortal; they can never die.


title: Ancient history

paragraphs: Ancient history is all the events we know about between the invention of writing and the start of the Middle Ages. Writing is one of the greatest inventions of the human species. It was invented after the Neolithic revolution in which people settled in small towns and started agriculture. Writing dates from about 3,300 BC, which is over 5000 years ago, in the Middle East. The first people to use writing were the Sumerians and the Ancient Egyptians.

paragraphs: Before writing, the only things we have are the tools and monuments made by earlier people. This is studied by archaeology rather than history. The period of ancient history ends with the early Middle Ages.

paragraphs: Finding facts about ancient history is difficult because people wrote less in those times and much of what they did write has been lost. There were very few copies made because there was no printing. What people wrote they wrote by hand. More people could read and write in Ancient Rome than in other places but much of what they wrote is now lost. Historians also look at things that were made and used in ancient history to learn more about it.

paragraphs: Archaeology is looking at things that were made or used in the past to learn about that time. Things like clay pots, solid tools, and metal weapons can stay the same during a long time. Things like paper, wood, and cloth can be easily broken, burnt or damaged.

paragraphs: Some ancient things found using archaeology are:

paragraphs: Primary sources are written by people who lived in ancient times. They tell us most of what we know about ancient history. But people in ancient history may have believed different things from each other. They may also be wrong.

paragraphs: Some famous people who wrote in ancient history are:

paragraphs: Herodotus, Josephus, Livy, Polybius, Suetonius, Tacitus, Thucydides and Sima Qian.


title: Andrzej Sapkowski

paragraphs: Andrzej Sapkowski (born June 21, 1948 in Łódź) is a well-known Polish fantasy writer. He is probably one of the most popular Polish writers today. His best known work is The Witcher ("Wiedźmin") Saga (takes place in a fictional universe). Before starting his career in the late 1980s, he worked in foreign trade.


title: Staten Island

paragraphs: Staten Island is a borough of New York City. Fewer than half a million people live there, the smallest population of any of the five boroughs. Three bridges connect Staten Island to New Jersey, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects to Brooklyn. A passenger railroad runs along the south shore to the northeast end of the island, which is called Saint George. The borough has the same boundaries as the county Richmond County.

paragraphs: The free Staten Island Ferry carries 21 million passengers each year the five miles (eight km) across New York Harbor between Saint George and Manhattan. Nine ferry boats provide the service which began in the 1700s.


title: Borough

paragraphs: A borough is an administrative division in many countries. It is a kind of local government.

paragraphs: The term borough can means a self-governing township.

paragraphs: In medieval times, boroughs were settlements with some self-government. Boroughs were particularly common in England, Germany and Scotland. In medieval England, boroughs had also the right to elect members of parliament. ("The Borough" in Southwark, London is thought to have been the original 'borough' of which all others come from.)

paragraphs: Usually a borough is a single town with its own local government.

paragraphs: But in some cities it is a sub-division of the city (e.g. London, New York City, Toronto, Montreal). In such cases the borough will normally have either limited powers delegated to it by the city's local government or no powers at all. At certain times London has had no overall city government and London boroughs were the main unit of local government for Londoners.

paragraphs: In other places, such as Alaska, a borough does not mean a single township, but a whole region - in other words, it is similar to a county. In Australia borough can mean a town and its surrounding area, e.g. the Borough of Queenscliffe.

paragraphs: Boroughs exist in United Kingdom, more specifically in England and Northern Ireland, in the Canadian province of Quebec, in some states of the United States, in Israel, and formerly they also existed in New Zealand.

paragraphs: At the end of a word, -borough (or -brough) is found in the name of many towns and cities in England; in southern England it is usually spelt -bury. The suffix -bury is also used in the New England region of the United States, while -burg (or -burgh) is more common in Scotland and the American South and West.


title: Echo (mythology)

paragraphs: Echo was a nymph in Greek mythology, and an Oread (a mountain nymph). She was very beautiful, but loved her own voice.

paragraphs: According to "Ovid", Echo once had the job of distracting Hera from Zeus having relationships with other women. She did this by leading Hera away and flattering her. When Hera found out she was very angry with Echo. She put a curse on her that meant that she could only speak the last words of other people after she had heard them. It is due to this story that we get the meaning behind the word "echo".

paragraphs: After she was cursed, Echo fell in love with Narcissus. Narcissus was very handsome and anybody who saw him always fell in love with him. However, Narcissus had no heart and could not fall in love with anybody. Echo could not speak to Narcissus but wanted to be able to see him. She therefore followed him everywhere, but made sure that he could not see her.

paragraphs: Narcissus got lost and called out ""Is anyone here?"". Echo said back ""Here, here, here."" Narcissus then asked Echo to come out of her hiding place. Echo did so and then told Narcissus that she loved him by hand movements. Narcissus, who was angry that so many people loved him, told Echo that he did not love her.

paragraphs: Echo was very upset and prayed to Aphrodite for death. Aphrodite granted Echo's wish, but she liked Echo's voice so much she kept it alive.

paragraphs: Narcissus also rejected Echo and broke her heart. She then went and haunted valleys and mountainous areas where echoes are able to be heard in all hollow places of the earth.

paragraphs: This is a different story about Echo's death. Echo was a very good dancer and singer, but did not like the love of any man. This caused another god, called Pan, to become angry. He had Echo killed and split into pieces. These pieces were spread about the world, but were collected up by Gaia. Echo's voice was not collected, so it remains all over the world and still says the last words that other people have said. In some versions of the story, Echo and Pan have a child who was called Iambe.


title: Helios

paragraphs: Helios (, "Hēlios"; Ἠέλιος in Homeric Greek) is the god of the Sun in Greek mythology. He is often thought to be the personification of the Sun itself. He is the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. He is the brother of Selene, goddess of the Moon, and Eos, goddess of the dawn. During the Hellenistic period, particularly the 3rd Century BCE, he became more and more identified with Apollo, the god of light, music and prophecy. Helios' equivalent in Roman mythology was Sol.


title: Bia

paragraphs: Bia is the goddess of force in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Styx and Pallas, and also the sister of Nike, Cratos, and Zelus. She and her brothers and sister were the friends of Zeus and were always with him.


title: Zelus

paragraphs: Zelus (, "zeal") is the god of dedication and emulation in Greek mythology. He is the son of Styx and Pallas, and also the brother of Nike, Cratos, and Bia. He and his brothers and sister were the friends of Zeus and were always with him. He was a constant companion of Zeus and personified zeal.


title: Mnemosyne

paragraphs: Mnemosyne is the Titan of memory in Greek mythology. Her parents are Gaia and Uranos. With Zeus her children are the nine Muses. Her patron symbol is a mask and she is often seen wearing one. Her patron animal is the partridge.


title: Harmonia

paragraphs: Harmonia (; ) is the goddess of harmony and concord in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. She is the opposite of Eris, goddess of strife and discord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia.

paragraphs: Harmonia is the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. Her children are Ino, Polydorus, Autonoe, Agaue and Semele with Kadmos. As goddess of harmony, she is the opposite of Eris, the goddess of strife and discord.


title: President Pro Tempore of the Senate

paragraphs: The President "pro tempore" ( or ), or president pro tem, of the United States Senate is the longest serving Senator from the majority political party in the United States Senate. According to the Constitution, this is the fourth highest office in the United States. It is the third in the U.S. Presidential line of succession (behind the Vice President and the Speaker of the House). Many state senates also use the office of President pro tem.

paragraphs: Officially the Vice President is the person in charge of the Senate, but they are not a Senator. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is the President pro tempore. When the Vice President cannot be in charge, the President pro tempore is in charge of the Senate. Many people still think of the President pro tempore as "de facto" president of the Senate. Benjamin Wade was only one vote away from becoming the President of the United States due to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. No president pro tempore has taken over the presidency as of March 2020.

paragraphs: Probably the most famous Presidents pro tempore were John Langdon (first in this office), David Rice Atchison (D-MO), Benjamin Wade (R-OH), Arthur Vandenberg (R-MI), Carl Hayden (D-AZ) Richard Russell, Jr. (D-GA), Strom Thurmond (R-SC), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

paragraphs: When Senator Hubert Humphrey, a former Vice President of the United States, was seriously ill, the Senate showed its respect for him by creating the office of Deputy President Pro tempore for any former President or Vice President who is elected to the Senate. No Vice-President since Humphrey has done this.

paragraphs: Since 2001, the honorary title of president pro tempore emeritus has been given to a Senator of the minority party who has previously served as president pro tempore. The position has been held by:


title: David Tennant

paragraphs: David John Tennant (né McDonald; 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is most known for playing the Tenth Doctor on "Doctor Who" from 2005 to 2010 and as Giacomo Casanova in the television series "Casanova".

paragraphs: In 2011, Tennant had a daughter with Georgia Moffett. Later that year he adopted Moffett's son. The couple married in December 2011. In May 2013, the couple had a son. In November 2015, the couple had a daughter.


title: American Broadcasting Company

paragraphs: The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. Along with CBS, NBC and Fox, it is one of the country's four major television networks. The network is owned by The Walt Disney Company following the acquisition of Disney Channel's consumer business.


title: Fox Broadcasting Company

paragraphs: Fox (styled as FOX) is an American television network. Along with ABC, CBS, and NBC, it is one of the country's four major television networks. It is owned by Fox Entertainment Group.


title: ABC

paragraphs: ABC are the first three letters in the Latin alphabet.


title: Papua New Guinea

paragraphs: Papua New Guinea is an island country located on the Pacific Ocean. It is the east half of New Guinea island, plus some nearby islands. The capital city of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby. The population of Papua New Guinea are mostly the Indigenous peoples of the island.

paragraphs: The island is in both Australasia and Oceania, which are two different terms for the continent of islands in the Pacific area. It borders Indonesia to the west and near Australia to the south.

paragraphs: Papua New Guinea is divided into four regions. These regions are important for government, commercial, sporting and other activities.

paragraphs: The nation has 20 province-level divisions: eighteen, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the National Capital District. Each province is divided into one or more districts. The districts are divided into one or more Local Level Government areas.

paragraphs: The province-level divisions are as follows:

paragraphs: Parliament has approved two additional provinces by 2012: Hela Province, which will be part of the current Southern Highlands Province, and Jiwaka Province, which will be formed by dividing Western Highlands Province.


title: Strom Thurmond

paragraphs: James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 - June 26, 2003) was an American politician. He was the oldest serving member of the United States Senate to date and the only senator to reach 100 while in office. He was also Governor of his home state South Carolina and a Presidential candidate. He was a lawyer.

paragraphs: Thurmond spent more than 70 years of his life on public career. Before World War II he served as state senator and judge. During war he served in the US Army in Europe and briefly in Asia. In 1960 he was promoted to the rank of major general.

paragraphs: Thurmond was born on December 5, 1902 in Edgefield, South Carolina. He studied at Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina. Thurmond graduated in 1923. He was married to Jean Crouch from 1947 until they divorced in 1960. Then he was married to Nancy Moore from 1968 until his death in 2003. He had five children.

paragraphs: From 1947 to 1951 he served as Governor of South Carolina (as a Democrat). During 1948 U.S. Presidential Election he became the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party faction called "Dixiecrat" (States Rights Democrat, mostly from the South) - people who supported racial segregation and opposed civil rights laws. Thurmond and his Vice Presidential candidate, Mississippi Governor Fielding Lewis Wright finished the race in 3rd (behind Harry Truman and Thomas E. Dewey) with 39 electoral votes and they carried 4 states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and, of course, Thurmond's home state).

paragraphs: He was elected, as first write-in candidate for major national office, to the Senate in 1954. He was reelected for his first full term in 1956 and served until January 2003. He was originally a Democrat, but in 1964 he openly supported Barry Goldwater's presidential bid and became a Republican.

paragraphs: As the longest serving Republican he was President pro tempore of the United States Senate for three occasions (1981-1987, 1995-2001, and January 2001-June 2001), when Republican gained a majority. After Democrats took over the control of the Senate in June 2001 Thurmond became first honorary "president pro tempore emeritus".

paragraphs: Thurmond turned 100 years old on December 5, 2002, while still in office, the oldest person ever to serve in the U.S. Senate.

paragraphs: Started his career as opponent of racial integration, in his later years Thurmond supported desegregation.

paragraphs: His longtime Senate rival, Robert Byrd of West Virginia surpassed Thurmond's record of length of senatorial service in 2006. Byrd died in 2010.

paragraphs: After Thurmond's death in 2003, an attorney for his family confirmed that in 1925, when he was 22, Thurmond fathered a mixed-race daughter, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, with his family's housekeeper, Cassie Butler, then 16 years old. Thurmond paid for the girl's college education and provided other support. Washington-Williams died in February 2013 at the age of 87.

paragraphs: Thurmond died in his sleep on June 26, 2003, at 9:45 p.m. of heart failure at a hospital in Edgefield, South Carolina. He was 100 years old. Then-Senator Joe Biden delivered a eulogy, and later to the family burial plot in Willowbrook Cemetery in Edgefield, where he was buried.


title: Roman Forum

paragraphs: The Roman Forum is an area of the city of Rome which the ancient city developed around. It is the place where commerce, business, cult, and the administration of justice took place.

paragraphs: It was for centuries the centre of Roman public life. It was the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches. It was also the heart of commerce. Here statues and monuments mark the city's great men. It has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history.

paragraphs: The Forum is in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. Today it is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and excavations. It has 4.5 million sightseers each year.

paragraphs: The Roman Forum is famous for the number of buildings and other ancient ruins that it contains. These include:


title: Playwright

paragraphs: A playwright is a person who writes plays for the stage. Because the name of such a text is "drama", another word for this person is dramatist. Sometimes, dramas are written to be read and not played. In that case, they are called "closet dramas".

paragraphs: The word "wright" does not come from write. It is an ancient English term for a builder. For example, a "wheelwright" makes wheels. In a similar way, a playwright makes plays. When the term was first used, it was meant as an insult. Today it has lost this meaning.

paragraphs: The first playwrights in Western literature whose plays still exist were the Ancient Greeks. They were written around the 5th century BC. These playwrights are important as they wrote in a way that is still used by modern playwrights. Important among them are Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes.

paragraphs: The most famous playwright may be William Shakespeare. A lot of later work is based on his tragedies and comedies. For example, "Kiss Me, Kate" is based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", and his "Romeo and Juliet" has been made again many times. Tom Stoppard created the play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" in 1966 which is a modern adaptation of "Hamlet".

paragraphs: Modern playwrights are usually less famous than past playwrights. Since television and movies were invented, theater has become less popular. Because it is less popular, not as many tickets are sold now, and producers often do not have enough money to make plays, and many playwrights are not known.


title: Iambe

paragraphs: Iambe was the goddess of rhyme and merriment in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Pan and Echo.

paragraphs: Iambe is said to have created the iambic pentameter verse pattern in poetry. This is a metered verse with two different sounds, and it was named after Iambe. The iambic pentameter verse is used by many poets, one of which is William Shakespeare.

paragraphs: In the myth, Demeter, was sad about losing her daughter, Persephone. It was only Iambe who was able to make Demeter laugh. She did this by using poetry and wit to cheer Demeter up. When Demeter was not sad any more, the earth became fertile again. Iambe then became Demeter's first priestess.


title: Triangle (instrument)

paragraphs: The triangle is a musical instrument with three sides and curved corners. There is always one corner where the sides do not join. This makes it possible for the instrument to vibrate.

paragraphs: The player holds a small piece of string or leather from which the triangle is hanging, and he makes a sound by hitting the triangle with a triangle beater. In orchestras, where the percussionist may be playing several percussion instruments, the triangle may hang from a stand so that the player can move quickly to another instrument.

paragraphs: Triangles come in different sizes. Smaller ones will sound higher than larger ones.

paragraphs: The triangle can always be heard clearly above the sound of the orchestra or band.


title: Bernie Little

paragraphs: Bernie Little ("born" in McComb, Ohio on circa 1926 - "died" April 25, 2003) was the most successful owner in Unlimited Hydroplane racing history. His "Miss Budweiser" team won 134 of the 354 hydroplane races they entered. They won the high points championship 22 years in 40 years of competition, and the Gold Cup 14 times.

paragraphs: Little's team is also known for making an enclosed driver's seat to improve driver safety, after driver Dean Chenoweth was killed in a crash during a race in 1982.

paragraphs: His team employed some of the biggest names in their field, including designer Ron Jones, and driver Chip Hanauer who won more Gold Cup races than any other driver. He is second only to Bill Muncey in total races won.

paragraphs: Little has been inducted into the Unlimited Hydroplane Hall of Fame, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Chenoweth, Hanauer, and another driver for Little, Tom D'Eath, are also in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.


title: Perseus

paragraphs: Perseus () is a hero in Greek mythology. He is the legendary founder of Mycenae and is most famous for killing the Gorgon Medusa. He is a demigod, the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Danaë. With his wife, the Ethiopian princess Andromeda, his children are the sons Perses, Alkaios, Sthenelos, Elektryon, and the daughter Gorgophone. Perseus is also the great-grandfather of Herakles, as well as his half-brother.

paragraphs: King Akrisios of Argos was told by an oracle that he would be killed by his grandchild. Because of that he put his daughter Danaë in a tower where no one was allowed to enter, so she could not have a child. But the god Zeus could enter in the form of a golden rain, and with him her child was Perseus.

paragraphs: Akrisios then put Danaë and her baby Perseus in a box and threw it into the sea. But Zeus tells the sea-god Poseidon to help them, and so Danaë and her son come to the island Seriphos. There they are found by Diktys, who lets them live with him.

paragraphs: A long time after that, the grown up Perseus takes part in some funeral games. During the games Perseus throws a discus, which accidentally hits Akrisios. Akrisios is killed by it: he was killed by his grandchild, like the oracle's prophecy said.

paragraphs: Perseus was sent to retreive Medusa's head by King Polydectes, who wanted him dead so he could marry his mother. To do this, he was advised by Athena to seek the Gray sisters, who told him how to fight Medusa when he stole their eye. Hermes lent Perseus winged sandals, Hades lent him his helm of darkness (which makes the wearer invisible), and Athena lent him a shield which he could see Medusa's reflection in, since whoever looked her in the eye would turn to stone. With all these magic items, Perseus was able to cut off Medusa's head. On the way back home, he fights a sea monster to save Andromeda, who is chained to a cliff as a sacrifice, and marries her.


title: Niccolò Paganini

paragraphs: Niccolò Paganini (27 October 1782 - 27 May 1840) was a Italian composer and violin player. He is believed to be one of the best violinists who ever lived. He was born in Genoa, Italy and died in Nice, France.

paragraphs: Paganini was the perfect virtuoso during his time although many other violinists slowly approach and some appear to be as virtuosic as him too. He was said to be a show off during his time and many wanted to challenge his violin skills. Paganini once broke all of the strings on his violin except the G-string and played a piece just on one string to show how good he was. He was the master of violin technique and invented many new techniques such as ricochet bowing, flying staccatos, left hand pizzicato, etc. His 24 caprices are his most famous compositions. Paganini was good friends with Franz Liszt who was also an equally magnificent virtuoso, only that he played the piano. They both came together and composed the etude "La campanella", also known as "the clock" in English.


title: Samer Kamal

paragraphs: Samer Kamal is a Jordanian athlete. He won the bronze medal in Taekwondo (a form of martial arts) in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He was the first Jordanian athlete to get a medal for Jordan in the Olympics in Seoul. This gave many Jordanians pride in this achievement durings the 1980s.

paragraphs: Samer Kamal holds 9th Dan Chung Do Kawan and 8th Dan Kukkiwon Black Belt in Taekwondo since 2012, a 1st Class international referee since 1997 and an international trainer since 1990. He was given the Independence Badge of Honor (4th Degree) by His Majesty the late King Hussein Ben Talal in 1988 and was chosen seventh best Jordanian athlete for the century in 1999.

paragraphs: Samer pursued his undergraduate higher education in Business Administration and Philosophy from the University of Jordan. He then received a graduate degree in Management Science from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

paragraphs: • 1st Class World Taekwondo Federation International Referee since 1999

paragraphs: • Chairman of the Arab Referee Committee from the year 1997 until 1999

paragraphs: • Chairman of the Jordanian Referee Committee for the years 91,92,94,96, and 97

paragraphs: Samer began his sports career as a marketing manager at a Jordanian-based sports marketing company. He took the experience he gained there to Qatar where he became a general manager. He was responsible for the starting a sports marketing company with the purpose of promoting sports in Jordan and the region. Soon after, Samer decided to start his own sports marketing company “SportUpJordan” to promote local athletes. Within a year, he was able to get sponsors for champion Jordanian athletes. He started the largest and only bilingual online sports business. He made an attractive product that was acquired by Maktoob Inc., an Arabic internet service provider.

paragraphs: His sports experience let him expand internationally. Samer was named the director of business development at Right To Play in Canada, that uses sport programs to help children who live in poverty and disadvantage communities to play sports and games. He helped raise funds to the organization.

paragraphs: Staying active in Taekwondo, Samer opened Champions Taekwondo Center in the year 1990, his first Taekwondo school in Jordan.

paragraphs: The year 2012 was the year Samer has gotten his 8th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. 2012 also marked the opening of Champions Martial Arts Taekwondo Center in Mississauga, Canada. A year after, a 3rd branch was announced open also in Erindale, Mississauga, Canada.

paragraphs: With all his experiences, discipline, leadership and practice, today Samer has help developed Taekwondo and martial arts in the world and has promoted more than 2000 black belt students worldwide.

paragraphs: Other than at work, Samer is active in many sports communities. In 2009, he was named an executive board member of the World Olympians Association (WOA). In November 2011, Samer become president of Asian Olympians Association (AOA).

paragraphs: Samer Kamal competed in the following International Taekwondo Championships:


title: Violet (plant)

paragraphs: The violet is a genus of flowering plants. The common blue violet ("Viola sororia") is the state flower of the U.S. state of Illinois. There is also a famous poem that refers to violets. It goes "Roses are red, violets are blue", and then the poet adds his or her own lines to it. It is also February's birth flower.

paragraphs: Some "Viola" species are perennial plants, some are annual plants, and a few are small shrubs. Many species, varieties and cultivars are grown in gardens for their flowers.

paragraphs: In horticulture, the term pansy is used for the multi-coloured cultivars often used in bedding by professional gardeners. The terms 'viola' and 'violet' are normally used for small-flowered annuals or perennials, and the wild species.


title: Winnie the Pooh

paragraphs: Winnie the Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear. He was created by A. A. Milne. He is based on a stuffed toy that belonged to Milne's son, Christopher Robin Milne. The toy was named after "Winnipeg" ("Winnie" for short), who was a black bear at the London Zoo, and "Pooh", which was a nickname Milne and his son had given to a swan. The first book was published in 1926. Other books were published later. Walt Disney made a series of cartoons based on the books. The Walt Disney Company still owns the character.

paragraphs: Pooh is a small yellow bear. He is nearly tall. He wears an old red t-shirt. His favorite food is honey. The first thing he says when he gets up in the morning is "What's for breakfast?". He invented the game "Poohsticks".

paragraphs: Pooh has several friends. Their names are Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, Owl, Gopher, and Christopher Robin. Piglet is a small timid pig. Eeyore is an old grey donkey. Tigger is an energetic tiger. Rabbit is a kind-hearted rabbit. Kanga is a female kangaroo. Roo is Kanga's son.

paragraphs: The first book, "Winnie-the-Pooh", was published on October 15, 1926 by Methuen & Company. The second book was "The House at Pooh Corner", which was published on October 11, 1928. The poetry book "When We Were Very Young" was published in 1924 and "Now We Are Six" was published in 1927. "Return to Hundred Acre Wood" was written by David Benedictus and published on October 5, 2009. "" was published in 2016 to mark the 90th anniversary of the first Winnie-the-Pooh book.

paragraphs: There have been quite a few series created by Walt Disney based on these books. The stories are translated into many languages.

paragraphs: A Disney movie about Pooh, "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", was made in March 1977. "Winnie the Pooh" was made in July 2011. A live-action movie directed by Marc Forster and based on A. A. Milne's books, entitled "Christopher Robin", was released in 2018.


title: 960s

paragraphs: Below are some of the events that happened from 960 to 969.


title: Aleksander Kwasniewski

paragraphs: Aleksander Kwaśniewski (; born 15 November 1954) is a Polish politician. He served as President for two terms (1995-2000 and 2000-2005). He was, before being elected first time, member of the Democratic Left Alliance, but after assumed duties he became an independent. Before 1989 he was a member of Polish United Workers Party (communist). He was preceded by Lech Wałęsa and succeeded by Lech Kaczyński.

paragraphs: He was born in Białogard in Northwest Poland. Before became a politician, he was a journalist. Before became President, he was minister and deputy to the Sejm. In the late 1980s, he participated in the Polish Round Table Agreement.

paragraphs: In 1995 election, he won in the second round, but five years later he won in the first round.


title: Viola sororia

paragraphs: Viola sororia, also known as Viola papilionacea, common blue violet, common meadow violet, and purple violet is a species of violet. It is a perennial flowering plant that lives in most of eastern North America.

paragraphs: The common blue violet is the state flower of the U.S. states of Rhode Island, Illinois, and New Jersey.

paragraphs: In developed areas it is often said to be a weed because it grows well in lawns.


title: NAND gate

paragraphs: A NAND gate is a logic gate used to build digital logic circuits.

paragraphs: It is a combination of an AND and NOT gate.

paragraphs: The NAND gate is a “universal gate”, that means all other types of logic gates can be obtained by wiring exclusively one or more NAND gates in a particular manner.

paragraphs: Given two inputs, A and B, A NAND B will be true if at most one of A and B is true.

paragraphs: In other words, A NAND B is false if both A and B are true, and true otherwise.

paragraphs: There are three symbols for drawing NAND gates in electrical circuit schematics:

paragraphs: the "distinctive shape" symbol, the “military” symbol, and the “rectangular” symbol.

paragraphs: For more information see logic gate symbols.

paragraphs: Since a NAND gate is a universal gate, microprocessors can be built using this type of gate only.


title: Under the Rainbow

paragraphs: Under the Rainbow is a 1981 comedy film starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Eve Arden, and Billy Barty.

paragraphs: The plot is loosely based on the gathering of little people in a Hollywood hotel, to audition for roles as "munchkins" in the movie "The Wizard of Oz". The movie also has nobility, assassins, spies, and tourists.

paragraphs: The movie was nominated for Razzie Awards for Worst Musical Score and Worst Supporting Actor (Billy Barty).


title: Gilli-danda

paragraphs: Gilli "िगल्ली" -danda "डन्डा" is a game played by children in India and Pakistan. It is usually played by using a small round stick, about as long as a baseball or cricket bat. This is the "danda". There is another smaller stick, round in the middle and tapering towards the ends. This is the "gilli". The game gilli-danda is similar to cricket. It is also believed to be origin of cricket.

paragraphs: To play the game, one team uses the "danda" to hit one of the tapered ends of the "gilli" with force. This causes the "gilli" to flip through the air. While the "gilli" is airborne, the opposing team's hitter attempts to smack it like one would as if playing cricket. The one who hits the "gilli" the farthest will wins. It is played with two teams. One side pitches the "gilli" using the big "danda" (not the bare hands), to the other team's hitter. The hitter, using his "danda" then hits the "gilli". In the course of the play, if the "gilli" is caught, then those players who pitched with the big "danda" to the hitter, are out of the game. It was most popularly played around 1970 to 1980 throughout India and Pakistan.


title: Southern United States

paragraphs: The Southern United States (also known as The Southern States or "The South" among Americans) is a term for the Southeastern part of the United States. All Confederate States were in the South, but not all Southern States joined the Confederacy. The States farthest to the south are called the "Deep South". Even though Arizona, New Mexico and southern California are geographically southern parts of United States, they are usually classified as the Southwestern United States and not the South.

paragraphs: Most of the South is a land of long, hot summers. Winters are mostly short and cool. There is much rainfall. This combination gives the South a long growing season. Important crops include cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and peaches.

paragraphs: The States that make up "The South" are usually considered to be:

paragraphs: Border States are also sometimes called Southern:

paragraphs: The cuisine of the Southern United States is distinct from other regions.

paragraphs: Except for Florida and Texas, most of the South did not have as many immigrants arriving from other countries as the rest of the United States did, in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the people in the South are of English, Scottish, or Irish ancestry, or the descendants of African-American slaves. Some Southerners identify themselves as being of "American" ancestry.


title: Hick

paragraphs: A hick is a term for an American stereotype, which is also used in Canada to a lesser degree. It is a term for people who live in rural areas, especially on farms and ranches and is usually meant as an insult and considered offensive to most people. It is mostly used to describe people in the south-central United States, including Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.

paragraphs: Other forms of the word 'hick' are 'redneck', 'yokel', 'hillbilly', and 'hayseed'.


title: Greenhouse gas

paragraphs: Greenhouse gases reflect heat radiation that the Earth emits, and stop it from being lost into space. This makes the Earth hotter than it would be without greenhouse gases. This is called the "greenhouse effect".

paragraphs: Most greenhouse gases are natural - water vapor is the most common, and causes most of the greenhouse effect on Earth. Other greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbon and ozone.

paragraphs: Without greenhouse gases, the earth would be on average 33 degrees Celsius colder. Life as we know it would probably not be possible on Earth, for heat is important for life. Natural emissions of greenhouse gases vary. For example, the great volcanic eruptions that created the Siberian Traps a quarter billion years ago may have released enough gases to partly cause the Permian–Triassic extinction event which killed most life on Earth.

paragraphs: However, humans are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. This is making the planet's average temperature rise by increasing the greenhouse effect. The most important greenhouse gas that humans add to the atmosphere is carbon dioxide, which is now about 0.04% of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is released when people burn fossil fuels, like oil, coal, and natural gas. Carbon dioxide emissions come mostly from transportation, energy and industries. The biggest is burning fossil fuels to make heat and electricity: but if we look at where the electricity is used the biggest is industry. The Food and Agriculture Organization said emissions associated with livestock added up to 7.1 gigatonnes (GT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO-eq) per year – or 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse releases. This is more than the 13% that comes from global transport (including all cars and planes) each year.

paragraphs: Water vapour is the most abundant of these gases, and it reacts to climate change. In other words, when the atmosphere is warm, there is more water vapour. Thus there is a higher possibility of clouds and precipitation.

paragraphs: In addition to burning fossil fuels, human beings reduce the planets absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by cutting down trees. We also add methane to the atmosphere by raising cattle and other farm animals, such as geese, turkeys, pigs, chickens, and sheep. Scientists have shown that producing 1 kg of beef results in more CO emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home. Additionally, human activity adds water vapor to the atmosphere through increased evaporation by the use of cooling towers in thermal cycle power plants or creation of artificial lakes. These activities contribute to global warming.


title: Omaha hold'em

paragraphs: Omaha Hold 'Em is a poker game, similar to Texas Hold 'Em. In Omaha, each player is given four cards. Then there is a round of betting. Then three community cards are placed on the table. Another round of betting is after that. Then a fourth community card is put down. After this, there is another round of betting. Then there is the final community card put down, there is a last round of betting, and each player uses exactly two cards from the hand and three from the table to form a five-card poker hand. Whoever has the best hand wins all the money put in the middle during betting.

paragraphs: Omaha can also be played as Omaha Hi Lo, where the best hand and the lowest hand splits the pot.

paragraphs: The low hand's cards have to be 8 or lower .


title: Leverkusen

paragraphs: Leverkusen is a city near Cologne at the river Rhine in Germany. As of October 2005, about 162,000 people lived there.


title: Tocotronic

paragraphs: Tocotronic is a German indie rock band. They were founded in 1993 in Hamburg.


title: Bolesław Prus

paragraphs: Bolesław Prus (pen name of Aleksander Głowacki; August 20, 1847 - May 19, 1912) was a Polish writer.

paragraphs: He was born in Hrubieszów and died in Warsaw. As a 15-year-old high-school student, he fought in Poland's January 1863 Uprising.

paragraphs: Prus is best known for his novels, "Lalka" (The Doll) and the historical novel "Faraon" (Pharaoh). He also wrote "Anielka," "Placówka" (The Outpost), "Emancypantki" (The New Woman), and many other stories and novels. He was an advocate of Positivist philosophy and social progressivism.

paragraphs: Prus is regarded as one of the greatest Polish writers, and one of the world's most prominent.


title: Wayne Mixson

paragraphs: John Wayne Mixson (June 16, 1922 – July 8, 2020) was an American politician. He was born in New Brockton, Alabama, but was raised in Jackson County, Florida. He was a democrat.

paragraphs: He served in Florida's House of Representatives. In 1978 he was elected a lieutenant governor (deputy governor) to governor Bob Graham. They were reelected in 1982. Mixson served as lieutenant governor from 1979 to 1987. During his second term he was also state Secretary of Commerce. In 1987, Graham resigned from office to become U.S. Senator. Mixson was sworn in as governor for three days, from January 3 to January 6, when governor-elect Bob Martinez (Rep.) took over.

paragraphs: During the 2004 presidential election, Mixson crossed party lines to endorse the re-election of President George W. Bush.

paragraphs: Mixson died on July 8, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida at the age of 98.


title: Neustadt an der Weinstrasse

paragraphs: Neustadt an der Weinstraße is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It has about 54,000 people. The main parts of the town's economy are tourism and winegrowing. Every year the town is the location of the German wine harvest festival with the election of the Gerrman wine queen.

paragraphs: Neustadt have two on-ramps (North and South) of the highway A 65.

paragraphs: Except for the central station, the town have a second railroad station (Böbig) and a third (South).

paragraphs: Neustadt is the seat of the Hornbach Holding AG and Team Rosberg.


title: Reubin Askew

paragraphs: Reubin O'Donovan Askew (September 11, 1928 - March 13, 2014) was a American politician. He is a democrat from Florida. He was born in Muskogee (Oklahoma), but since 1937 he lived in Florida. He was a lawyer. He served both in US Army and US Air Force.

paragraphs: Askew was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He studied at Florida State University and at University of Florida Levin College of Law. Askew married Donna Lou Harper in August 1956.

paragraphs: Prior to becoming governor, Askew served as state representative (1959-1963) and state senator (1963-1970). For a year (1969-1970) he was president pro tempore of this body.

paragraphs: He was elected governor in the same year and assumed duties in January 1971. He was one of the first southern governors (alongside Jimmy Carter of Georgia) yo openly support desegregation. In 1972 then-democratic Presidential nominee, senator George McGovern of South Dakota offered him vice presidency, but Askew declined it. McGovern lost to Richard Nixon.

paragraphs: Askew was reelected in 1974 and served until early 1979. After leaving office he was, for two years, United States Trade Representative under President Carter.

paragraphs: In 1984 he ran for President, but was defeated in the primary.

paragraphs: Askew had two children; one son and one daughter. Askew lived in Tallahassee, Florida.

paragraphs: Askew died at the age of 85 on March 13, 2014 at his Tallahassee home, after a recent stroke.

paragraphs: He was regarded by many (including Harvard Scholars) as one of the best U.S. governors in the 20th Century.


title: Trabant

paragraphs: The Trabant (or "Trabi") was a series of cars built in the German Democratic Republic. When the first cars were released, people saw them as being innovative. The cars were also easy on fuel, they did not need much fuel. Trabant had a two-stroke engine. The outside of the Trabant was not made with steel or iron, because the German Democratic Republic did not want to import steel and iron for the cars, because that would have been too expensive. Instead, the Trabant was made of Duroplast, a special kind of plastic, made by mixing formica and bakelite, and made stronger with fibres of cotton. They could afford some steel from Russia, and this was used for the engine and the floor, and to give the plastic strength. After the Berlin Wall was opened the Trabant did not sell as much as before, because the people wanted bigger cars that they could get after the wall was opened. Trabants can still be found in East Europe, for example in Hungary.

paragraphs: The Trabant was a small car, good for driving in the city. The two-stroke engine created lots of air pollution, but because of the plastic body, it was stronger and safer than western cars of the same time. It was famous for being better in a crash test than a VW Polo.

paragraphs: Between 1957 and 1990, about 3 million Trabants were built. As of January 2005, about 67.000 such cars were still registered.


title: Lindsay Lohan

paragraphs: Lindsay Dee Lohan (born July 02, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She has acted in several movies, including "The Parent Trap", "Life-Size", "Get A Clue", "Freaky Friday", "Mean Girls", "Confessions of a Drama Queen", "Herbie Fully Loaded", "Just My Luck", "Georgia Rule" and "Labor Pains". Early life. Lindsay Lohan was born on July 02, 1986, in The Bronx borough of New York City, and grew up in Merrick and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, New York. She is the eldest child of Dina and Michael Lohan.

paragraphs: Lohan's parents are Dina Lohan and Michael Lohan, both of whom are of Irish and Italian descent. She has a sister named Ali Lohan. Lindsay Dee Lohan was born in The Bronx borough of New York City, on July 02,1986, to Dina Lohan and Michael Lohan. She began her career at age three as a Ford model, and also made appearances in over sixty television commercials, including spots for The Gap, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Jell-O (opposite Bill Cosby). Lohan made her acting debut in 1996 as the third actress to play Ali Fowler in the television drama Another World (1964). Shortly afterward she was hand-picked by Oscar-nominated writer Nancy Meyers as estranged twin sisters in an adaptation by Walt Disney Pictures of a novel by Erich Kästner, which marked Meyers' directorial debut. Lohan's first feature film, The Parent Trap (1998), a remake of The Parent Trap (1961), was a modest commercial success, earning her widespread critical acclaim and a Young Artist award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film, as well as Blockbuster Entertainment and YoungStar award nominations.After signing a three-movie contract with Disney, she returned to the small screen to star in the made-for-TV movies The Wonderful World of Disney: Life-Size (2000) (opposite Tyra Banks) and Get a Clue (2002) (opposite Bug Hall). She also appeared as Rose in the pilot episode of the short-lived comedy series Bette (2000), which starred Bette Midler. In June 2001 Lohan took a brief hiatus from acting. Her music career was launched over a year later, when Estefan Enterprises made a five-album production deal with her in September 2002, and she signed a recording contract with the reactivated Casablanca Records.

paragraphs: The movies "Parent Trap" and "Mean Girls" made Lohan popular in the United States. They also showed her talent in singing. She plays the guitar and has done many singing parts.

paragraphs: She first sang in the soundtrack of the movie "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen".

paragraphs: In 2004, she released her first album named "Speak". In 2005, her second album, "A Little More Personal (RAW)" was released. Now, in recent years she has been working on a new album with Ne-Yo, Snoop Dogg, Timbaland. This album was released at the end of 2008.

paragraphs: Between 2008 and 2009 Lohan dated Samantha Ronson. However, Lohan now identifies as heterosexual. She had a miscarriage in 2013.

paragraphs: In May 2011, Lohan was convicted of misdemeanor theft of a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in Venice Beach.


title: Postum

paragraphs: Postum is a drink first made by C. W. Post in 1895. It is a powder substitute for coffee that is mixed with water. The ingredients are wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and corn dextrin.

paragraphs: It is advertised as a healthier choice of drink than coffee.


title: Brok

paragraphs: Brok nad Bugiem (English: "Brok near Bug") is a small town in Mazowsze Voivodship, Poland. Brok is in Ostrowian County (head town of this region is Ostrów Mazowiecka). Brok is one of the smallest places in Europe with town status (since 1500).

paragraphs: Brok is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful places in this part of Poland. This is a tourist town near two rivers: Bug and one also named Brok.


title: Herb Alpert

paragraphs: Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician. He is known for his trumpet playing with his group, Tijuana Brass. He is also the co-founder and one of the heads of A&M Records.


title: Teddy bear

paragraphs: A teddy bear is a type of toy that looks like a bear. The teddy bear is normally a cub or baby bear. In Russia, bears were used as children's toys for many years before they became popular in the United States. The teddy bear in Russia has been the subject of folklore or stories for many years. Teddy bears are often toys for children they are also used to comfort people and also to teach.

paragraphs: A teddy bear is a popular and well-known toy. It may often have human-like features. They are usually small and soft. Teddy Bears are found all over the world. Early 20th century teddy bears were made from mohair, the hair of goats. Now they are usually made from synthetic fabrics.

paragraphs: There are many stories about how the Teddy Bear got its name. It may be a myth but the teddy bear is said to be named after Theodore Roosevelt, a hunter who disliked being called "Teddy". Roosevelt was the 26th and youngest President of the United States. He was president from 1901–1909. Friends of the president gave him the nickname "Teddy".

paragraphs: The most told story happened in November 1902. President Roosevelt was in Mississippi for a bear hunt. He and other men went out hunting for bear on horseback. The President and the men had hunting dogs to help find the bears. The dogs ran off following the scent of the bears. When the men could no longer hear the dogs, they turned around and went back to their camp, When they got to camp a bear was there. Everyone at the camp wanted President Roosevelt to shoot the bear. He would not do it or let anyone else do it.

paragraphs: British soldiers in World War I, wore fur coats that they called Teddys. The American soldiers also wore a one piece fur overall they called a teddy. Women's nightgowns have also been nicknamed "Teddy" because they are comfortable.

paragraphs: The teddy bear has been a mascot and a companion for many adults. Olympic Long Jump Gold Medal winner Randy Wililams 1972 pictured on Life magazine with a teddy bear at the Munich games. The bear was giving to him by an ex-girlfriend.

paragraphs: While playing baseball with the San Francisco Giants, Ron Bryant was nicknamed "Bear" for always taking his teddy bear everywhere with him. After playing for the Giants, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. While he was playing with the Cubs, Bryant bought a bear from a girl on the street. He took the bear to the game and they won that day. After that, he brought the bear with him to all the games. The teddy bear was even fitted with a baseball uniform with Bryant's number.

paragraphs: Adults often collect "Cherished Teddies". They are figurines of teddy bears. They are considered knick knacks. Only a limited number from each mold is produced. Some are more rare, or uncommon than others. The less made of a particular one, the more valuable they are.

paragraphs: Beanie Baby bears are of the most popular in Beanie Baby collections. "Princess Diana" bear honors the late Princess of Wales. Her bear is of royal purple color with two flowers on its heart. Accessories for the bear such as a copy of Princess Di's actual license, a crown, and royal cape can be purchased to enhance the royal bear. Some bears that were defective in production are considered to have the highest worth, since limited amounts were effected. Collectors search for the defective ones to have the most unique collection. Just as with "Cherished Teddies" the less available ones are worth the most amount of money. The TY tags on the ears of the bears condition also attributes to their value. Children have a tendency to rip off these tags making the collectibles an everyday toy.

paragraphs: The teddy bear is used in children's classrooms. According to "The Much Maligned Teddy Bear" teddy bears comfort and support children. The teddy bear is also used to teach children about different places. In story, the bear does traveling and sends postcards to the readers, which helps children learn. A child can learn a lot through teddy bears. There are books, logos that teach and comfort children. The teddy bear books help children learn to read and are also fond memories for parents and grandparents.

paragraphs: Law enforcement in America gives children in tramatic experiences teddy bears for comfort. Several agencies provide the bears the children going through crisis. The bears are donated by citizens to help children deal with transition from their homes to foster care or when a parent is arrested for disobeying the law and is taken to jail. Firemen also hand out bears to children victims of fire.


title: Hangul

paragraphs: Hangeul () (formerly Hangul 한굴) is the alphabet (or alphabetic syllabary) used for the Korean language.

paragraphs: It was made by Sejong the Great, the 4th King of the Joseon Dynasty in 1443. It is still being used now. When Hangeul was spreading, King Sejong published "Hunminjeong'eum Haeryebon" (훈민정음 해례본). It was picked as the 'Memory of the World' by UNESCO in 1997.

paragraphs: In this book, the design ideas of Hangeul and information about its use were written down in detail. The book "Hunminjeong'eum Haeryebon" states the two design ideas of Hangeul. The first one is that the consonants of Hangeul look like vocal organs. The second one is that the vowels of Hangeul are based on Cheonji'in (천지인). Cheonji'in refers to the three elements of philosophy which are sky (천), earth (지) and human (인). Because of these ideas, Hangeul is well known for being easy to learn.

paragraphs: Although it was only used by the lower classes at first, Hangeul became the official writing script of Korea in the late 19th century. Today it is the most used writing system of both North Korea and South Korea. North Korea abolished the use of Hanja, and today North Koreans write only in Hangeul. In South Korea, people write mostly in Hangeul, but sometimes Hanja is still used.

paragraphs: Vowels are letters like A, E, O and so on

paragraphs: There are 21 letters for vowels in Hangul.

paragraphs: Those with two small lines are pronounced with an extra "y" first.

paragraphs:
Consonants are letters like B, G, L, M, N, S and so on.
There are 14 simple consonants: ㄱㄴㄷㄹㅁㅂㅅㅇㅈㅊㅋㅌㅍㅎ
They can be written two next to each other. Meaning:

paragraphs: The consonants and vowels are combined into blocks of syllables. A syllable means one vowel and a few consonants, like "han" and "geul".

paragraphs: The blocks look like these examples: 서울 한글 평양


title: Lincoln Chafee

paragraphs: Lincoln Davenport Chafee (born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was the Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. Before becoming governor, he was a junior U.S. Senator of Rhode Island from 1999 to 2007.

paragraphs: In 2016, he made a brief and unsuccessful bid for President of the United States in the 2016 Democratic primaries. In January 2020, Chafee announced he would run again, but this time for the Libertarian nomination. He ended his second campaign in April 2020.

paragraphs: Chafee was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His father, John Chafee, was also a Senator from Rhode Island and member of the liberal wing of the Republican Party. His mother was Virginia Coates. Chafee was raised in Warwick, Rhode Island. He studied at Brown University and at Montana State University.

paragraphs: Chafee entered politics in 1985 as a delegate to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention. A year later, he was elected to the Warwick City Council, where he served until his election as Warwick's mayor in 1992, a post he held until his 1999 appointment to the U.S. Senate.

paragraphs: After his father died in office, Chafee was appointed to fill his vacancy. He was elected to his first full term in 2000.

paragraphs: He was a very liberal Republican senator. He is strongly pro-choice and supports gay rights and gun control. He was the only Republican senator in 2002 to voted against war in Iraq. He was the only Republican United States senator to vote against authorizing the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

paragraphs: In 2004, he did not endorse the reelection of President George W. Bush, and urged other Republicans to write-in in the November election George H. W. Bush, not his son. In January 2006, he was also the only Republican senator to vote against Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court.

paragraphs: He was defeated for re-election in the Senate in 2006 by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

paragraphs: Chafee was elected as Governor of Rhode Island in 2010. He was sworn in on January 4, 2011. He became the first Independent to serve as Governor of Rhode Island since John Collins in 1790.

paragraphs: In 2012, he served as co-chair of Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Since then, he was a Democrat.

paragraphs: On May 1, 2013, Chafee signed a bill that legalized same-sex marriage in Rhode Island.

paragraphs: Chafee has shown some willingness to deviate from strict "War on Drugs" policies, in favor of alternative approaches to America's drug-crime problem.

paragraphs: On September 4, 2013, Chafee announced that he would not run for re-election as Governor of Rhode Island after months of low-approval ratings from the public and by election officials.

paragraphs: On April 9, 2015, Chafee announced that he had formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential candidacy for President of the United States as a Democrat in 2016. He formally declared his candidacy on June 3, 2015.

paragraphs: Following a widely panned debate performance, poor polling numbers, and a poor fundraising campaign, Lincoln Chafee announced on October 23 that he would be suspending his campaign.

paragraphs: On March 11, 2019, Chafee officially switched from the Democratic to Libertarian Party, stating that, "It's what I've always been — fiscally conservative and socially liberal."

paragraphs: In August 2019, Chafee said that he'd "be open" to running for president as a Libertarian.

paragraphs: On January 5, 2020, Chaffee formally filed to run for the Libertarian nomination. He is scheduled to make a formal campaign announcement on January 8 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He ended his campaign on April 5, 2020 after failing to win any of the primary contests.

paragraphs: Chafee married Stephanie Chafee in January 1990. They have three children. He now lives in Teton Village, Wyoming.


title: Sascha Fischer

paragraphs: Sascha Fischer (born 24 December 1970 in Stuttgart) is a German rugby player. He started with volleyball, then he began to play rugby for DSV 1878 Hannover (Lower Saxony). Right now he is playing in France as a pro for C.A. Périgueux-Dordogne. With his former team, C.S. Bourgoin-Jallieu, he took part at Heineken Cup. He is 6 feet, 8 inches tall (2.08 meters) and one of the tallest rugby players in Europe. He is a 27 time national player for Germany. He is a very aggressive player and with his height, he can overlook the whole rugby field.


title: Bob Graham

paragraphs: Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham (born November 9, 1936) is a retired American politician. He was a well known member of the Democratic Party.

paragraphs: Graham has never lost an election. His career started with being a state legislator (Representative 1966-1969, and Senator 1971-1979).

paragraphs: In 1978 he was elected Governor of Florida. His Lt. Governor was Wayne Mixson. Graham was reelected in 1982, when he won 65% over a Republican candidate, Skip Bafalis.

paragraphs: He was a popular Governor. He did much to protect the environment. He also oversaw restart of state executions (as first time since 1964), when 16 people were electrocuted. The first of them, John Spenkelink, was the first to die in the electric chair since 1966 in the United States. He was the second to be executed since 1967 (after Gary Gilmore in Utah in January 1977).

paragraphs: Graham was elected to the United States Senate in 1986, defeating sitting Senator Paula Hawkins. He served as Senator from 1985 to 2005, when he retired. He resigned from governorship on January 3, 1985, three days before the swearing-in of the governor-elect, Republican Robert Martinez. For this time Mixson assumed his duties, making him the shortest serving governor in Florida history.

paragraphs: From 2001 to 2003 Graham was a chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

paragraphs: In early 2003 he decided to run for President but, after poor results in an opinion polls, he resigned and later supported John Kerry, who won the Democratic nomination. He was regarded as possible Kerry Vice Presidential candidate, but Kerry chose John Edwards.

paragraphs: Graham voted in 2002 against intervention in Iraq.


title: Americans

paragraphs: Americans are citizens of the United States. They are of many different ethnic groups and religions, due to immigration from all over the world. With this in mind, Americans usually embrace both their ethnic and/or cultural background along with their U.S. nationality at the same time.

paragraphs: Also, there are other groups that did not immigrate to the United States but became American because of American expansion in the late 19th century. These groups are people from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. The Philippines is now an independent country.

paragraphs: In addition to the United States, Americans and people of American descent can be found around the world. Three to seven million Americans are estimated to be living outside the United States.

paragraphs: Most Americans are of European descent. The number of Latin Americans and Asians is more than ever. About 13% of Americans are of African descent. People from many cultures, religions and ethnic groups live in the U.S. This is why the United States is called the "Melting Pot".

paragraphs: The United States is a diverse country. Six races are officially recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes: White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander.

paragraphs: The current population of Americans in the U.S. is over 320 million people as of 2015.


title: Ohio Wesleyan University

paragraphs: Ohio Wesleyan University is a private university in Delaware, Ohio and a member of the Five Colleges of Ohio. Wesleyan was founded in September 1844.


title: Lakshmi

paragraphs: Lakshmi is the goddess of money, wisdom and good luck in Hinduism. Most Hindus pray to her on Diwali, which is a festival in India.

paragraphs: Lakshmi has four arms, fair skin and sits on a lotus flower and is normally surrounded by elephants. She is covered in jewellery.

paragraphs: She also has several avatars (means a god coming to the earth in the form of a human being or in any other form). Her husband is the Hindu god Vishnu but her other avatars are usually married to Vishnu's avatars:


title: Ancient Australia

paragraphs: Ancient Australia (also called the Prehistory of Australia), covers the time from when the first humans came to Australia to the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788.

paragraphs: Aboriginal artefacts on Rottnest Island have been dated from 6,500 to more than 30,000 years ago. However, more recent evidence suggests human occupation by or even before 50,000 years ago.

paragraphs: During the Pleistocene period, sea levels were much lower than they are today. This would have made migration from Asia to Australia much easier than it is now. However several long sea crossings would still have had to be made. These crossings would have included distances of 90100 km of open sea. It is not known what kind of boat would have been used for these crossings, but they were probably a raft made from bamboo. These first Australians were the world's first ocean travellers.

paragraphs: The land bridge between Australia and New Guinea was blocked by rising sea levels about 8,000 years ago. The people of Australia and New Guinea are closely related by DNA. DNA evidence shows that the Australian Aborigines belong to the modern humans who left Africa between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago. Research shows that the Australian Aborigines were part of a group that left Africa 24,000 years before the groups that settled in Europe and Asia. This makes them one of the oldest indigenous peoples outside Africa. The DNA also shows that most migration to Australia stopped about 50,000 years ago, and the people here developed in isolation to the rest of the world. Whilst there there is an absence of empirical evidence that demonstrates a continuity of culture as opposed to a continuity of presence, the Australian Aboriginal population is likely one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. Many Aboriginal stories from northern Australia say that the people came to Australia from across the sea.

paragraphs: It is not known what the first Australians looked like. The oldest place where humans lived in Australia dates to 55,000 years ago, the Malakunanja II rock shelter in the Northern Territory. The earliest human remains in Australia, found at Lake Mungo in New South Wales, are 15,000 years younger. The bones of people born from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago, show they were more robust, and were more physically varied than later people. Several important archaeological sites reveal information about the life of these people. These sites include Lake Mungo, Kow Swamp, Coobool Creek, Talgai, and Keilor.

paragraphs: The first Australians had dark skin and black hair. Most of them were hunter-gatherers, hunting animals and collecting plants to eat. They were nomadic people moving from place to place in search of seasonal foods.

paragraphs: They developed into different ethnic groups and each group had its own language and traditions. In 1788 it is estimated that there were about 500 separate language groups in Australia. Each of these language groups was made up of many smaller groupings. These smaller groups often combined for ceremonial and trade activities. Because they were all different, it is difficult to make general claims about Aboriginal traditions and beliefs.

paragraphs: Archaeologists have found that fires increased with the arrival of people. Hunter-gatherers use fire as a tool to drive game, to produce new growth to attract animals, and to clear scrub. Dense forests became more open forest, and open forest became grassland. Species that could survive fire began to take over: in particular, eucalyptus, acacia, and grasses.

paragraphs: The changes to the fauna were even more dramatic. Megafauna, species much larger than humans, disappeared, as well as many of the smaller species. About 60 different vertebrates became extinct, including the Diprotodon family (very large marsupials that looked rather like hippos), several large flightless birds, meat eating kangaroos, a five-metre lizard and Meiolania, a tortoise the size of a small car.

paragraphs: The direct cause of the mass extinctions of the megafauna is uncertain. It may have been fire, hunting, climate change, or a combination of all. Without large herbivores to eat the vegetation, the extra fuel made fires burn hotter, further changing the landscape.

paragraphs: In the period from 18,000 to 15,000 years ago, Australia became dryer, with lower temperatures and less rainfall. Between 16,000 and 14,000 years ago the sea levels rose quickly. One scientist has estimated sea levels rose 50 feet in 300 years. At the end of the Pleistocene, about 13,000 years ago, rising sea levels cut the land access across the Torres Strait to New Guinea, the Bass Strait between Victoria and Tasmania, and to Kangaroo Island.

paragraphs: The Tasmanian Aborigines were cut off from the rest of Australia. By 9,000 years ago there were no longer people living on the small islands in Bass Strait or Kangaroo Island.

paragraphs: Studies of language and genes shows that there has been long-term contact between Australians in the far north and the people of modern-day New Guinea and the islands. This seems to have been mainly trade with a little intermarriage. Macassan praus are also recorded in the Aboriginal stories from Broome to the Gulf of Carpentaria. There were some semi-permanent settlements established, and cases of Aboriginal settlers finding a home in Indonesia.

paragraphs: The Aboriginal people did not develop writing but they painted pictures on rocks and bark. They also scratched or carved designs into rocks. They used paint that they made from crushed rocks and water in colours like brown, red, orange, and yellow. Many ancient cave paintings have been all over Australia. As the paints made form crushed rock and clay are not organic, it is not possible to use carbon dating to date these pictures. Some paintings have been found showing megafauna that became extinct over 40,000 years ago. These paintings may be the oldest known paintings in the world. Another site in Arnhem Land has charcoal drawings that have been radiocarbon-dated at 28,000 years old.

paragraphs: Aboriginal people had a strong spirituality. They believed that everything had come from the Dreamtime and that the earth was sacred. They believed that ancestor spirits such as the Rainbow Serpent had made the world and everything in it. The laws and customs of the Dreamtime are passed on from parents to children. They have complex ritual songs and dances which are performed at corroborees.