title: Alex Plante

paragraphs: Alexandre "Alex" Plante (born May 9, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers 15th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in 2009–10. He is the son of former professional defenceman Cam Plante, while his brother, Tyler, is a goaltender in the Florida Panthers organization.

paragraphs: Plante played junior hockey for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Hitmen selected him with their second round pick, 21st overall, in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft. He established himself as a regular on Calgary's blue line in 2005–06, playing in 54 games. He appeared in 58 more in 2006–07 and attracted greater attention from NHL scouts in the 2007 playoffs, scoring 11 points in 13 games. As a result, the Edmonton Oilers selected him 15th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, a higher position than he was initially expected to go. Several injuries limited Plante to 36 games in 2007–08 and he failed to report to Calgary's training camp prior to the 2008–09 WHL season, claiming that the team had treated him poorly the previous year. While he initially demanded a trade out of Calgary, Plante ultimately recanted and returned to the Hitmen early in the season. He rebounded from his "nightmare season" in 2007–08 to rank among the leaders of the Hitmen defence with 45 points in the regular season and another 15 in the playoffs before Calgary was upset in the league championship series by the Kelowna Rockets.

paragraphs: The Oilers signed Plante to a three-year contract following the season. He began his professional career in 2009–10 with Edmonton's top minor league affiliate, the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (AHL). Several injuries on Edmonton's defence led the Oilers to recall Plante, and he made his NHL debut on February 1, 2010 against the Carolina Hurricanes and recorded an assist. He was returned to Springfield as injured players returned to the Oilers' lineup.


title: Xcrosscheckx

paragraphs: xCrosscheckx is a straight edge hardcore band from Germany.

paragraphs: xCrosscheckx was formed by vocalist Kalle in 2002. The other members are Koppman on drums, Marcia on bass and Litz on guitar. This line-up existed since forming the band till October 2007 consistently. In October 2007 Marcia left the band and was substituted through Benjamin. The band plays all the time uncompromising old school hardcore like Slapshot or 7 Seconds. Since the band started they played a lot of shows with famous bands like Real McKenzies, Dritte Wahl or SS-Kaliert. In October / November 2008 xCrosscheckx played a 2 weeks tour in south-east Asia.

paragraphs: In March 2011 Koppman and Litz leave the Band and was replaced by Tapsig and Butcher.


title: Phan Thanh Giản

paragraphs: Phan Thanh Giản or Phan Thanh Jan(潘淸簡, 1796 - 1867) was a Vietnamese politician, diplomat and historian. He was Vietnam's diplomat in France, the war.


title: Silversun Pickups

paragraphs: Silversun Pickups is an American indie band from Los Angeles, California. Silversun Pickups has four members in the band; the current band members are Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Joe Lester, Christopher Guanlao.

paragraphs: The band was formed by four friends and was originally called, A Couple of Couples but was changed to Silversun Pickups because it was an off licence across from the Silverlake Lounge and near their house at Sunset and Silverlake Blvds in Los Angeles. The band currently has Brian Aubert on Vocals and guitar, Nikki Monninger on bass and vocals, Chris Guanlao on drums and Joe Lester on keyboards, samples and sound manipulation.

paragraphs: So far as of 2011, Silversun Pickups has released 4 EPs and two albums.


title: Tube worm

paragraphs: A tube worm is a worm-like sessile invertebrate which anchors its tail to an underwater surface. It creates a mineral tube around its body, and can withdraw the body into it.


title: Kraken

paragraphs: Kraken are legendary sea monsters of gargantuan size, said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. The sheer size and fearsome appearance attributed to the beasts have made them common ocean-dwelling monsters in various fictional works.

paragraphs: The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid that are variously estimated to grow to 13–15 m (40–50 ft) in length, including the tentacles.


title: Leviathan

paragraphs: Leviathan (, "twisted, coiled"), is a monster mentioned in the Bible. In Satanism Leviathan is believed to be one of the princes of Hell. The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature. In classical literature (such as the novel "Moby-Dick") it refers to great whales, and in Modern Hebrew, it means simply "whale."


title: K-line

paragraphs: A k-line or kill line is an IRC term. When a user is k-lined, he or she is banned from a certain server, either for some time or forever. When the user is banned they are not allowed to join that server again and have to join another one to get back onto IRC. This is recorded as a line in the server's IRC file which has the letter "K" at the beginning. This is where "K-line" comes from.


title: Coinage metal

paragraphs: A Group 11 element is one in the series of elements in group 11 (IUPAC style) in the periodic table, consisting of transition metals which are the traditional coinage metals of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au). Roentgenium (Rg) belongs to this group of elements based on its electronic configuration, but it is a short-lived transactinide with a 22.8 seconds half-life that has only been observed in laboratory conditions. The name "coinage metals" is often used in casual speech to refer to these elements, but various cultures have used many other metals in coinage including aluminium, lead, nickel, stainless steel, and zinc.

paragraphs: All the elements of the group except Roentgenium have been known since prehistoric times, as all of them occur in metallic form in nature and no extraction metallurgy has to be used to produce them.

paragraphs: Like other groups, the members of this family show patterns in its electron configuration, especially the outermost shells resulting in trends in chemical behavior:

paragraphs: They are all relatively inert, corrosion-resistant metals. Copper and gold are colored.

paragraphs: These elements have low electrical resistivity so they are used for wiring. Copper is the cheapest and most widely used. Bond wires for integrated circuits are usually gold. Silver and silver plated copper wiring are found in some special applications.

paragraphs: These metals, especially silver, have unusual properties that make them essential for industrial applications outside of their monetary or decorative value. They are all excellent conductors of electricity. The most conductive of all metals are silver, copper and gold in that order. Silver is also the most thermally conductive element, and the most light reflecting element. Silver also has the unusual property that the tarnish that forms on silver is still highly electrically conductive.

paragraphs: Copper is used extensively in electrical wiring and circuitry. Gold contacts are sometimes found in precision equipment for their ability to remain corrosion-free. Silver is used widely in mission-critical applications as electrical contacts, and is also used in photography (because silver nitrate reverts to metal on exposure to light), agriculture, medicine, audiophile and scientific applications.

paragraphs: Gold, silver, and copper are quite soft metals and so are easily damaged in daily use as coins. Precious metal may also be easily abraded and worn away through use. In their numismatic functions these metals must be alloyed with other metals to afford coins greater durability. The alloying with other metals makes the resulting coins harder, less likely to become deformed and more resistant to wear.

paragraphs: Gold coins: Gold coins are typically produced as 90% gold (e.g. with pre-1933 US coins), or 22 carat (92%) gold (e.g. current collectible coins and Krugerrands), with copper and silver making up the remaining weight in each case. Bullion gold coins are being produced with up to 99.999% gold (in the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf series).

paragraphs: Silver coins: Silver coins are typically produced as either 90% silver - in the case of pre 1965 US minted coins (which were circulated in many countries), or sterling silver (92.5%) coins for pre-1920 British Commonwealth and other silver coinage, with copper making up the remaining weight in each case.

paragraphs: Copper coins: Copper coins are often of quite high purity, around 97%, and are usually alloyed with small amounts of zinc and tin.

paragraphs: Inflation has caused the face value of coins to fall below the hard currency value of the historically used metals. This had led to most modern coins being made of base metals - copper nickel (around 80:20, silver in color) is popular as are nickel-brass (copper (75), nickel (5) and zinc (20), gold in color), manganese-brass (copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel), bronze, or simple plated steel.


title: Shadow cabinet

paragraphs: A shadow cabinet is a term which applies in some parliamentary democracies based on the UK parliamentary tradition. It is a group of politicians who hold a political position in their party, but whose party is not in government (that is, an opposition party). A member of the shadow cabinet is a shadow minister. The leader of a shadow cabinet is called the Leader of the Opposition. The term is of United Kingdom origin, and is used by some members of the Commonwealth. Some elements are found in other democratic systems of government.

paragraphs: Each minister of a Cabinet has a corresponding shadow minister. The shadow minister may provide alternative policies to the minister in the government. The two of them may debate on issues relating to their area of jurisdiction. For example, the British "Shadow Secretary of State for Health" often replies to the Secretary of State for Health.

paragraphs: The current UK Shadow Cabinet is made up of members of the Labour Party. The term refers only to the party in opposition which has the most seats of the opposition parties.


title: Smartphone

paragraphs: A smartphone is a mobile phone that can do more than other phones. They work as a computer but are mobile devices small enough to fit in a user's hand.

paragraphs: Another way to think of them is that they are PDAs that can make voice calls like any other mobile phone. Older phones also used computer technology, but lacked many of the parts of a computer that were too big to fit into a phone. Modern phone makers have been able to use smaller parts. Most smartphones are also GPS receivers and digital cameras.

paragraphs: Because smartphones are small computers, they run an operating system that is often common between devices to ensure compatibility. The majority of smartphones run on Apple iOS or Google Android but others use Windows Phone or BlackBerry OS. Most can do multitasking, running more than one program which helps the user do things quicker and easier. Users can get more programs, called mobile apps, from the manufacturer's app store, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play which can help them complete special tasks.

paragraphs: Data communication has become faster. Smart phones can send and receive data much faster than older phones. The industry uses different standards to label the data transmission rates. 2G was introduced in 1991. 2G means "2nd Generation". 2G phones transmit data at about the same speed as a 56kbit/s (kilobits per second) dial-up modem would get.

paragraphs: 3G was introduced in the early 2000s. Depending on where they are, 3G phones vary in speed between about 200kbit/s to 14Mbit/s (megabits per second). This is comparable to a DSL or low end cable modem speed. Most smart phones use 3G technology to make them fast enough to practically use internet and other data features. Faster 4G networks operate in many places, with speeds estimated as fast as 100Mbit/s to 1Gbit/s (gigabit per second). This is as fast as some computer networks that use ethernet. Many smart phones introduced after 2010 use 4G technology including LTE, ae later, even faster version. 5G was introduced in a few places in 2019.


title: Michelle Malkin

paragraphs: Michelle Malkin (Born October 20, 1970) is a conservative blogger, political commentator and author. She runs a weekly syndicated column. Her weekly syndicated column is in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs. Malkin has written four books published by Regnery Publishing.


title: Dodge Ram Van

paragraphs: The Dodge B-Series were a series of passenger or cargo vans which began around 1971 and ended in 2003. These vans were full sized. They had the names of Sportsman for the passenger van. The cargo vans were named Dodge Tradesman. This was before 1979, beginning in which year these vehicles were renamed Dodge Ram. The vehicles were marketed under Dodge. The B-Series vans were discontinued in June 2003 and replaced with the Dodge Sprinter, a rebadged Mercedes which was already on sale since 2002.


title: Lincoln Town Car

paragraphs: The Lincoln Town Car was an American made full size sedan. It was begun in 1979. However, the Town Car name was first used on the Lincoln Continental vehicles starting in 1959 and ending in 1979. In 1979 linclon used the Town Car name on the Continental[Continental Town car] and as its own model[Lincoln Town Car]. In 1980 the Linclon was redesigned in 1980. The new body style was in production from 1980 to 1989 in Their 1990 it got a complete redesign and a new powere plant. In 1998 the Town Car got a rounder more sleek design. In 2003 the panter platform got new rack and pinion steering along with a slight redesign wich lasted till its end in 2011. The Lincoln Town Car was distributed by The Ford Motor Company, Ford's Lincoln (automobile) division. This car was the most used limousine in the United States and in Canada. The cars are sometimes used as taxis. They were used as hurses. The Lincoln Town Car was discontinued in 2011.


title: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

paragraphs: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is a studio album by Iron Maiden. It went on sale on 11 April 1988.

paragraphs: It is a concept album, and talks about the idea that a seventh son of a seventh son has special powers. The album was the most popular one in th eUnited Kingdom when it went on sale.

paragraphs: The album got good reviews. One person who reviewed it said that "ranks among [Iron Maiden's] best work."


title: Candida albicans

paragraphs: Candida albicans is a yeast which causes oral and genital infections in humans. The infection is candidiasis, better known as "thrush". It is treated with antimycotics (anti-fungal drugs).

paragraphs: "C. albicans" biofilms readily form on the surface of medical devices. Hospital-related infections in patients are a major health concern.

paragraphs: "C. albicans" is among the gut flora, the many organisms that live in the human mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Under normal circumstances, it lives in 80% of the human population with no harmful effects, although overgrowth results in candidiasis.


title: America's Got Talent

paragraphs: America's Got Talent (sometimes abbreviated as AGT) is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British ""Got Talent" series" franchise. It began in June 21, 2006. It features singers, dancers, magicians and other talents from America to compete for a contract and $1,000,000 and as a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip since season 3.


title: Stained glass

paragraphs: Stained glass is glass coloured by adding metallic salts when it is made. The coloured glass is made into stained glass windows. Small pieces of glass are arranged to form patterns or pictures. The glass is held together by strips of lead and supported by a rigid frame.

paragraphs: Painted details and yellow stain are often used to improve the design. The term stained glass is also applied to windows in which the colours have been painted onto the glass and then fused to the glass in a kiln.

paragraphs: Stained glass is much used in Christian art but other themes are not rare. It is still popular today, and often called art glass. It is often used in luxury homes and commercial buildings.

paragraphs: Some colours are added to stained glass by the salts of:


title: Shutter Island (movie)

paragraphs: Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller movie directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio, based on novel "Dennis Levane".

paragraphs: The movie cost about $80 million to make. Worldwide, it had a total gross profit of $294,803,014.


title: Chevrolet Caprice

paragraphs: Chevrolet Caprice and Caprice Classic are fully sized vehicles produced by General Motors. The vehicles were first produced around 1965. The cars were discontinued in the United States during 1996, though they returned for 2011. These cars are used as police vehicles or as taxis in many countries.


title: Euston Road

paragraphs: Euston Road is the main east/west road in the north central London.

paragraphs: A number of railway stations are on the Euston Road including Marylebone station, Baker Street tube station, Great Portland Street tube station, Euston railway station, Euston tube station, Euston Square tube station, King's Cross station, St Pancras station and King's Cross St Pancras tube station.

paragraphs: It is also the home of the British Library, the Friend's Meeting House (a place of worship for Quakers) and various buildings associated with University College London.

paragraphs: Euston Road is connected to Marylebone Road, Baker Street, Tottenham Court Road, Pentonville Road and many other roads.


title: Calvin cycle

paragraphs: The Calvin cycle (also known as the Benson-Calvin cycle) is the set of chemical reactions that take place in chloroplasts during photosynthesis.

paragraphs: The cycle is light-independent because it takes place after the energy has been captured from sunlight.

paragraphs: The Calvin cycle is named after Melvin C. Calvin, who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for finding it in 1961. Calvin and his colleagues, Andrew Benson and , did the work at the University of California, Berkeley.

paragraphs: Using the radioactive carbon-14 isotope as a tracer, Calvin, Andrew Benson and their team mapped the complete route that carbon travels through a plant during photosynthesis. They traced the carbon-14 from soaking up its atmospheric carbon dioxide to its conversion into carbohydrates and other organic compounds. The single-celled algae "Chlorulla" was used to trace the carbon-14.

paragraphs: The Calvin group showed that sunlight acts on the chlorophyll in a plant to fuel the manufacture of organic compounds, not directly on carbon dioxide as previously believed.

paragraphs: 1. Grab: A five-carbon carbon catcher called RuBP (Ribulose bisphosphate) catches one molecule of carbon dioxide and forms a six-carbon molecule.

paragraphs: 2. Split: the enzyme RuBisCO (with the energy of ATP and NADPH molecules) breaks the six-carbon molecule into two equal parts.

paragraphs: 3. Leave: A trio of carbons leave and become sugar. The other trio moves on to the next step.

paragraphs: 4. Switch: Using ATP and NADPH, the three carbon molecule is changed into a five carbon molecule.

paragraphs: The carbohydrate products of the Calvin cycle are three-carbon sugar phosphate molecules, or 'glucose triose phosphates' (G3P). Each step of the cycle has its own enzyme which speeds up the reaction.


title: Political machine

paragraphs: A political machine (sometimes called just machine in politics) is a political organization in which a person or small group with authority that has enough votes or is popular enough to have control over political administration or any type of government in a city, county, or state. The term "political machine" has been used mostly since the 19th century in the United States, used to describe machines like Tamanny Hall who stayed in control mostly because of the large support from the immigrants in Manhattan during the 19th century.


title: Hall & Oates

paragraphs: Hall & Oates is an American musical group. The members are Daryl Hall and John Oates. They came from Philadelphia. Their greatest fame was from the late 1970s to mid 1980s. During this time they had many hit songs. They faded from view in 1990, but the duo are still performing together.


title: Duke of Normandy

paragraphs: The title Duke of Normandy was given to the rulers of the duchy of Normandy. This fief was created in 911 by Charles the Simple King of France for Rollo, a leader of Northmen. In 1066 the seventh duke, William II, became King William I of England. The title of Duke of Normandy was held by the Kings of England until Henry III gave up the title by treaty in 1259. King John had lost mainland Normandy in 1204, and kept only the Channel Islands. Today the Channel Islands are a British Crown dependency.

paragraphs: In 1660 when King Charles II was restored to the throne, the King of France, Louis XIV, created Charles' brother James Duke of Normandy, probably as a show of support for monarchy and to stop Charles claiming the title himself.


title: Fernando Wood

paragraphs: Fernando Wood (14 June 1812 – 14 February, 1881) was an American politician of the Democratic Party from Pennsylvania. He served as the Mayor of New York City twice (1855 – 1857, 1860 – 1862), United States Representative three times (1841–1843, 1863–1865, and 1867–1881) and as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th United States Congress (1877–1881). He was head of the political machine Tammany Hall. In 1854 he was elected Mayor of New York City and took office in 1855. He ran again in 1856, but lost to Daniel F. Tiemann, who was mayor from 1857 to 1859. Wood was re-elected in 1860 and took office again that year, for the last time. After being a mayor, Wood returned to the United States Congress. He died at the age of 68.


title: Terry Branstad

paragraphs: Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is an American politician. He was the United States Ambassador to China from May 24, 2017 to October 4, 2020. He was the 42nd Governor of Iowa from in January 14, 2011 until his resignation on May 24, 2017. Branstad was the 39th governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999 and President of Des Moines University from 2003 to 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party and was the longest-serving governor in Iowa or American history.

paragraphs: In 2010, he won a three-way primary election to run as the Republican candidate for governor. He ran against incumbent Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, and four third party candidates in the November 2, 2010 general election. He won the general election in November, defeating Culver by 52.9% to 43.1%.

paragraphs: Branstad started the 2010 race with a lead in both the primary and general elections. He won the Republican primary with 50.4% of the vote, 9.5% ahead of the next candidate.

paragraphs: On December 14, 2015, Branstad became the longest serving governor in American history.

paragraphs: In December 2016, Branstad was nominated by President-elect of the United States Donald Trump to become the United States Ambassador to China. Branstad was confirmed by the Senate on May 22, 2017, and was succeeded as Governor of Iowa by Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds after he resigns to take up the ambassadorship. He resigned in October 2020.

paragraphs: Branstad's family were Norwegian-American Lutheran farmers who lived in Leland, Iowa. Branstad graduated from the University of Iowa and earned a law degree from Drake University Law School. He served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971 and earned the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service. In 1989, he was named an honorary member of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at Iowa State University.

paragraphs: Branstad served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 and served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1979 to 1983, when he was elected Governor of Iowa.

paragraphs: When he became governor at age 36, Branstad was the youngest governor in Iowa's history and when he left office, he was Iowa's longest-serving governor. He served as chair of the National Governors Association during 1989–1990, and was chair of the Midwestern Governors Association. In 1997, he chaired the Education Commission of the States, the Republican Governors Association, and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. Honor doctor of University of Northern Iowa.

paragraphs: After Branstad's term as governor ended in 1999, he founded Branstad and Associates, LLC and was also a partner in the firm of Kaufman, Pattee, Branstad & Miller, and a financial advisor for Robert W. Baird and Co.

paragraphs: In August 2003, Branstad became the president of Des Moines University. On October 16, 2009, he said that he was leaving Des Moines University to run for governor again.

paragraphs: In 2001, Branstad was appointed by President George W. Bush to chair the President's Commission for Excellence in Special Education. This group's goal was to make a plan to improve the educational performance of students with disabilities. After finishing that work with the commission in 2003, he was asked to serve as a member of the National Advisory Council for Positive Action for Teen Health, or PATH. The Council's goal is to detect adolescent mental illness.

paragraphs: Branstad is or was on the boards of the Conmed Health Management Inc, American Future Fund, Iowa Health System, Liberty Bank, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Living History Farms.

paragraphs: On August 2, 2009, the "Des Moines Register" reported that Branstad might run for the Republican nomination for governor. On October 7, 2009, Branstad filed papers to run for governor in the 2010 election. According to a poll taken in September 2009 by "The Des Moines Register", he had a 70% positive rating from Iowans compared to Governor Chet Culver's rating of 50%.

paragraphs: On June 8, 2010, Branstad won the Republican primary election in Iowa; on January 2, 2010, he won the general election.

paragraphs: On December 8, 2016, Branstad accepted President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of him for the post of United States Ambassador to China (PRC).

paragraphs: Branstad was confirmed by the United States Senate on a 83-12 vote on May 22, 2017, and was succeeded as Governor of Iowa by Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds once he resigned to take up the ambassadorship.

paragraphs: Branstad announced his resignation on September 15, 2020. He left the ambassadorship on October 4, 2020.


title: Ford Expedition

paragraphs: The Ford Expedition is a full sized SUV that can carry up to nine people. This SUV debuted around 1997 as a replacement for Ford Bronco. The vehicle is used by EMS, by law enforcement and by fire department agencies.


title: Chironex fleckeri

paragraphs: Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as sea wasp, is a well-known, lethal, venomous species of Box jellyfish. It lives in coastal waters from northern Australia and New Guinea north to the Philippines and Vietnam. Humans can easily be killed by its sting. It is considered the most lethal jellyfish in the world because of the numerous incidents resulting in injury or death to humans.


title: 2010–2011 Queensland floods

paragraphs: The 2010–11 Queensland floods were a series of floods in Australia which began in December 2010 and ended in January 2011. The majority of the floods were in Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The rain also caused floods further south in central and western Victoria. at lest 90 towns flooded. A huge area of Queensland, the size of Texas and France combined, was flooded. The floods forced thousands of people to leave their homes. At least 70 towns In Queensland and over 200,000 people were affected. Three-quarters of the state of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone. The 2010–2011 floods have killed 35 (not 30) people across Queensland since November and 14 are still missing. More than 20 people have died in flash floods between Brisbane and Toowoomba.

paragraphs: The floods were caused by heavy rain from tropical cyclone "Tasha" that joined with a trough during a La Niña event. La Niña is an unusual weather pattern, which brings wet weather to eastern Australia. The 2010 La Niña was the strongest since 1973. This caused heavy rainfall across Queensland. December 2010 was the wettest on record, with 107 places getting their highest rainfalls ever. The state average rainfall level of 404.7mm was much bigger the old record of 369mm set in 1975. 2010 was also recorded as the state's wettest spring since 1900 and the Australia's third wettest year. Flooding started across parts of the state in early December. On 28 December a monsoonal trough crossed the coast from the Coral Sea, bringing very heavy rain from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gold Coast.

paragraphs: About 300 roads were closed, including nine major highways. Many places, including Condamine and Chinchilla were flooded several times. Coal railway lines were closed and many mine sites flooded. The floods have caused fruit and vegetable prices to rise as crops have been destroyed. The wet conditions have also led to a large number of snakes seeking safety on the higher ground or in houses with people. Saltwater crocodiles and sharks were seen in some flooded areas of towns.

paragraphs: The flooding forced 8,000 people to leave Theodore and other towns. The military transported people by helicopter to an evacuation centre at Moura. The total evacuation of a Queensland town had never happened before.

paragraphs: Emerald was cut-off by road on 29 December as the Nogoa River rose. The next day, the river level rose above the 2008 flood peak level of . At the peak of the flooding, 80% of the town was flooded, the worst the town ever experienced. 1,200 people from Emerald were listed as evacuees.

paragraphs: Rockhampton had nearly a week to get ready for the flood peak from the Fitzroy River, which flows through the centre of the city. The airport was closed on 1 January. A metal flood barrier was set up to protect the buildings. An evacuation centre was set up at the Central Queensland University. The Bruce Highway leading south out of Rockhampton was closed to traffic. The river reached just short the of the predicted maximum.

paragraphs: The Port of Gladstone cut back its coal exports because the coal piles at the port were too wet and further coal deliveries could not be made by rail. The Goonyella railway line which is used by a number of coal mines in the Bowen Basin was closed for one week and shipments of grain were also stopped.

paragraphs: The towns of Gayndah and Mundubbera when the Burnett River flooded on 28–29 December. The river peaked at at Mundubbera. This was the highest river height since 1942 and flooded more than 20 houses. Downstream at Gayndah, the river peaked at with floodwaters reaching two houses. Both towns were isolated for several days and there was major disruption to the drinking water supply and local agricultural production.

paragraphs: Bundaberg had its worst flooding in 40 years, after the Burnett River flooded the city. Floodwater forced 300 households to leave their homes .

paragraphs: Chinchilla and Jericho were also flooded. At least 40 people were evacuated from Chinchilla.

paragraphs: Flooding in Dalby was the worst since 1981. The town's water purification system was flooded, resulting in water restrictions that have not helped clean-up efforts. 112500 litres of water were transported to the town of 14,000 residents. Warwick was isolated when all roads into the town were cut-off.

paragraphs: The Condamine River reached on 30 December, its highest level ever recorded. People were forced to leave Condamine on 30 December.

paragraphs: Floodwaters are passing downstream along the Balonne River and towards the towns of Surat and St George. The river is expected to peak at at Surat and at St George. The New South Wales towns of Angledoo, Goodoga and Weilmoringle are expected to be isolated when floodwaters from the Balonne reach the Culgoa and Bokhara Rivers.

paragraphs: More rain on 9–10 January saw floodwaters again threaten Chinchilla and Condamine with Chinchilla residents again asked to leave.

paragraphs: The Macintyre River, which forms part of the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland, began to threaten the town of Goondiwindi on 13 January. The town is protected by a levee, but the local hospital and aged care home have been evacuated and an evacuation centre established.

paragraphs: Heavy rain in the Mary River area on 8–9 January 2011 lead to flooding at Maryborough and Gympie. The Mary River at Maryborough was expected to initially peak at at midday 9 January with some houses and businesses flooded. A second peak is expected to arrive from rain falling upstream later that day. At Gympie, the Mary River is expected to peak at , possibly increasing to —over the major flood level—if rain continues to fall.

paragraphs: The city of Toowoomba, in the Darling Downs, was hit by flash flooding after more than of rain fell in 36 hours to 10 January 2011. This event caused four deaths in a matter of hours. Toowoomba is located on the Great Dividing Range, some above sea level. A three-week period where it had rained on all but three days had left the soil around Toowoomba very wet. When a line of storms hit the city on 10 January, the heavy rain rapidly ran off down gullies and streets. The central business district of the city sits in a small valley where East Creek and West Creek meet to form Gowrie Creek. With so much water the creeks burst their banks, pushing a devastating wall of water through the city centre.

paragraphs: Nearby Gatton saw people leave their homes as the Lockyer Creek rose to a record height of , higher than the previous record set in the 1893 Queensland floods. The flood passed through the Lockyer Valley town of Withcott, where the force of the water pushed cars into shops and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. The scene was described by an onlooker as "like Cyclone Tracy has gone through it ... If you dropped an atom bomb on it, you couldn't tell the difference." Grantham was also hit hard by the flooding rains. Houses were left crumpled by what Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh described as an "inland tsunami". According to local media, the flood waters had reached a height of by the time it struck Grantham. Nine people died, and 66 reported missing. The body of one victim washed away at Grantham was found downstream. The Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson warned that some bodies may never be found.

paragraphs: On 11 January 2011 at around 2:30 pm EST, the Brisbane River broke its banks leading to evacuations in the Brisbane CBD and the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and West End. An evacuation centre was set up at the RNA Showgrounds in Bowen Hills. According to media, people living in 2100 Brisbane streets had been told to leave before the arrival of floods, which struck the city on 12 January. Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman stated than about 20,000 homes would be affected when the river peaks on 14 January Newman also stated that the Brisbane River transport system had been "substantially destroyed".

paragraphs: On 13 January the Brisbane River did not reach anticipated heights but still 20,000 houses in Brisbane were flooded. Some of the Brisbane neighbourhoods worst affected by the floods include St Lucia, West End, Rocklea and Graceville. The floods have damaged some of Brisbane's icons. The Brisbane Riverwalk—a floating walkway over the Brisbane River linking the inner city neighbourhoods of Fortitude Valley and New Farm broke up. One section formed a "floating missile" that threatened the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges. The largest part of the floating boardwalk was safely guided under the bridge by a tugboat and past other infrastructure before being safely secured. Brisbane's major Association football and Rugby league venue, Suncorp Stadium filled with water up to deep, reaching the third or fourth row of seats.

paragraphs: With the flood peaking at 4.46 m in Brisbane, the floods were the sixth highest in the city's history. Parts of the western suburbs of Brisbane were cut off for three days. People in suburbs including Bellbowrie, Moggill and Pullenvale were running low on food and other items when Moggill Road was cut until the Australian Army was able to reach the area on 15 January with much needed supplies.

paragraphs: The Bremer River at Ipswich— west of Brisbane—reached a height of on 12 January, flooding the central business district and at least 3,000 houses. One third of the city was said to be underwater and over 1100 people had taken shelter at evacuation centres. At nearby Marburg, a 4-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters when he fell from a rescue boat. A man in his 50s died when he accidentally drove into floodwaters in the Ipswich suburb of Wulkuraka. The worst affected areas of Ipswich were the suburbs of Goodna and Gailes.

paragraphs: In South East Queensland, the Wivenhoe Dam filled to a level equivalent to 191% of its supply capacity on 11 January 2011. Brisbane experienced its wettest December since 1859. Wyaralong Dam, near Beaudesert, had recently been completed and is receiving praise for reducing flooding in downstream Logan, having exceeded 80% of its capacity.

paragraphs: In North Queensland, the town of Ingham became isolated as the Herbert River peaked. Homes at Babinda, and Gordonvale were flooded.

paragraphs: As of 14 January 2011, the floods have led to 30 deaths, 15 of which are from the Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley area. Another 14 people are listed as missing, after the flash flood struck Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley, Brisbane and Ipswich.

paragraphs: The first death was reported on 20 November 2010, when a woman drowned in her vehicle near Dysart. In the following weeks, five others also drowned in their cars.

paragraphs: Nine people drowned after being caught directly by the flowing waters. and thirteen people died in other circumstances.

paragraphs: The following list shows how, where, and when many of the deaths happened.

paragraphs: Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard visited flooded areas on 31 December. The Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II, sent her expressions of concern and sympathy for the victims of the floods to her representative in Queensland, Governor Penelope Wensley. The Queen later gave money to her Queensland premier's flood relief appeal, as did her son, Prince Charles.

paragraphs: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer my condolences for the loss of life and damage in Queensland caused by the recent flooding." U.S. President Barack Obama said he was ready to help.

paragraphs: John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, held a telephone call with Gillard. She thanked New Zealand for its help. Auckland, a sister city of Brisbane offered its help, with Auckland Mayor Len Brown sending Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman a message of support.

paragraphs: Major General Michael Slater was put in charge a civilian recovery task force.

paragraphs: The Australian Defence Force's contribution to flood relief efforts was named Operation Queensland Flood Assist. The ADF established Joint Task Force 637, based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, for operational command of on 1 January 2011.

paragraphs: Food supplies have not been able to reach northern Queensland and have been transported to Townsville by ship.

paragraphs: About 35 State Emergency Service workers from New South Wales and 20 from Victoria were used to provide a rest for tired staff and volunteers. A national appeal was set up on 29 December, with the state and federal governments giving A$1 million each.

paragraphs: Small businesses and farmers in 13 local government areas can get grants of up to A$25,000 to pay for costs from damage caused by the floods. National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements were made available to a total of 31 local government areas across Queensland.

paragraphs: New Zealand, one of Australia's closest allies, said they would be sending two fifteen member civil defence teams to assist in flood rescue efforts. New Zealand will also send a number of New Zealand Defence Force soldiers, mainly engineers, as well as New Zealand Police and New Zealand Fire Service firefighters. A New Zealand Red Cross team was also dispatched.

paragraphs: On 17 January 2011, Anna Bligh said a Commission of Inquiry would look at the floods. The commission will investigate all the things that caused the floods, what the government did during the floods, and what things need to be changed in future. The final report is due in one year.

paragraphs: On 9 January, the "Flood Relief Appeal: Australia Unites" telethon broadcast by the Nine Network from Brisbane's Suncorp Piazza raised more than A$10 million in aid.

paragraphs: At the Twenty20 cricket match between Australia and England in Adelaide on 12 January, both teams gave part of their match fees to help the victims and A$28,450 was collected from the crowds.

paragraphs: On 16 January, the day before the 2011 Australian Open, a number of players took part in the "Rally for Relief". This was held at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and 15,000 people went to see it and raised A$750,000. The Seven Network showed the games on television. Players who took part included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick.


title: Ford Flex

paragraphs: The Ford Flex is a full size crossover which is manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Its styling was based on the concept of the Ford Fairlane. The vehicle made its debut in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show. It replaced the Ford Freestar as well as Ford Taurus X and began sales in June 2008 as a 2009 model. It was facelifted for the 2013 model year and ended production in 2019.


title: Rod Blagojevich

paragraphs: Rod R. Blagojevich (born December 10, 1956) was 40th Governor of Illinois beginning January 13, 2003 and ending January 29, 2009. He succeeded George Ryan, who would also be arrested for non-related charges. Blagojevich was the first Governor of Illinois to be impeached while in office and the first Democratic politician in over 25 years to face such charges. In February 2020, President Donald Trump ended Blagojevich's prison sentence four years earlier.

paragraphs: Blagojevich was born in Chicago, Illinois, the second of four children. His father, Radislav, was an immigrant steel plant laborer from a village near Kragujevac, Serbia. Blagojevich graduated from Chicago's Foreman High School after transferring from Lane Technical High School. He began boxing at a young age.

paragraphs: During 2002, Blagojevich campaigned for his party's nomination to become governor. Blagojevich won a close primary campaign against former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris and Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas, who ran well in the suburban collar counties of Chicago. Blagojevich finished strongly in Southern Illinois, winning 55% of the primary vote downstate, enough to win a primary victory by a thin margin.

paragraphs: In the general election, Blagojevich defeated Topinka and the Green Party's Rich Whitney, outspending Topinka $27 million to $6 million. He attempted to tie Topinka to former Republican governor George Ryan's corruption. Blagojevich won re-election.

paragraphs: He was arrested in December of 2008 on federal corruption charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Blagojevich was later impeached during January 2009, convicted and removed from office on January 29, 2009. On December 7, 2011, Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. He is held at Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood in Jefferson County, Colorado.

paragraphs: On May 31, 2018, President Donald Trump, soon after having pardoned commentator Dinesh D'Souza, told reporters that he was considering reducing Blagojevich's sentence (without pardoning him). Trump called Blagojevich's 14-year sentence "unfair", saying that Blagojevich's statements about enriching himself were "stupid", but also the sort of thing "that many other politicians say".

paragraphs: President Donald Trump commuted his sentence on February 18, 2020, ending his sentence four years early.

paragraphs: Blagojevich has been married to Patricia Mell Blagojevich. They have two children. His family owns a home in Ravenswood, Chicago, but live in Jefferson County, Colorado because of Blagojevich's prison stay.


title: The Prodigy

paragraphs: The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group. It was by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, as well as other acts, members of the Prodigy have been said as founders of the big beat genre which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. They have sold over 25 million records worldwide. They named the band after the synthesizer, Moog Prodigy.


title: Daintree Rainforest

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest in Queensland, Australia. At around 1200 square kilometres the Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian mainland.It is named after Richard Daintree, an Australian geologist and photographer

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest is a main part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest meets all four natural criteria on the "Criteria for Selection to be a World Heritage Site". It is one of only twelve natural World Heritage Sites worldwide that meet all four criteria. The Daintree area is adjacent to another World Heritage site, the Great Barrier Reef. This makes it the only place in the world where two natural World Heritage Sites meet.

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest contains 30% of the frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. 18% of bird species in the country can be found in this area. There are also over 12,000 species of insects. All of this diversity is contained within an area that takes up 0.2% of Australia.

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest is extremely ancient; it is thought to be over one hundred and thirty-five million years old. About 430 species of birds live among the trees. The primitive flowering plants "Austrobaileya scandens" and "Idiospermum australiense" are also endemic to the Daintree.

paragraphs: The forest is north of Mossman, Queensland, on the coast, north of Cairns in the tropical far north of Australia. Named after Richard Daintree, part of the forest is protected by the Daintree National Park and drained by the Daintree River.

paragraphs: The Daintree Rainforest is loosely defined as the area between the Mossman Gorge and the Bloomfield River. The roads north of the Daintree River wind through areas of lush forest, and have been designed to minimize impacts on the forest.

paragraphs: The Daintree Region is home to a number of rare and endangered species, including the southern cassowary and Bennett's tree-kangaroo. Other animals include the saltwater crocodile and the musky rat-kangaroo.

paragraphs: The rainforest also holds many ancient plants which have survived from the southern supercontinent Gondwana.


title: Rotes Rathaus

paragraphs: The Red City Hall () is the town hall of Berlin, in the Mitte borough on Rathausstraße near Alexanderplatz. It is the home to the governing mayor and the government (the Senate of Berlin) of the Federal state of Berlin. The landmark building got its name from the red clinker bricks with which it is covered.

paragraphs: The Rathaus was built between 1861 and 1869 in the style of the north Italian High Renaissance by Hermann Friedrich Waesemann. It was modelled on the Old Town Hall of Toruń, now in Poland, while the architecture of the tower is reminiscent of the cathedral tower of Notre-Dame of Laon in France. It replaced several individual buildings dating from the Middle Ages and now fills an entire city block.

paragraphs: The building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II and rebuilt to the original plans between 1951 and 1956. The "Neues Stadthaus", which survived the bombing and had been the head office of the Berlin city fire insurance company in Parochialstraße was the temporary city hall for the post-war city government for all four sectors of Berlin until September 1948. Following that time, it housed only those of the Soviet sector. The reconstructed Rotes Rathaus, then in the Soviet sector, served as the town hall of East Berlin, while the Rathaus Schöneberg in Schöneberg borough was seat of the West Berlin Senate. After German reunification, the administration of reunified Berlin officially moved into the Rotes Rathaus on 1 October 1991.


title: Gondwana Rainforests

paragraphs: The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, formerly known as the 'Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves', are the most extensive area of subtropical rainforest in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

paragraphs: The area includes 50 separate reserves covering . It is around the New South Wales–Queensland border.

paragraphs: The Gondwana Rainforests are so-called because the fossil record indicates that when Gondwana existed it was covered by rainforests containing the same kinds of species that are living today. The number of visitors to the reserve is about 2 million per year.


title: Unter den Linden

paragraphs: Unter den Linden ("under the linden trees") is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden (lime in British English) trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall in the middle of the road

paragraphs: Unter den Linden runs east–west from the site of the former Stadtschloss royal palace at the Lustgarten park, where the demolished Palast der Republik used to be, to Pariser Platz and Brandenburg Gate. Eastward the boulevard crosses the river Spree near the Dom (Berlin Cathedral) and continues as Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. The western continuation behind Brandenburg Gate is Straße des 17. Juni. Major north–south streets crossing Unter den Linden are Friedrichstraße and Wilhelmstrasse.

paragraphs: Unter den Linden at the heart of the historic section of Berlin developed from a bridle path laid out by Elector John George of Brandenburg in the 16th century to reach his hunting grounds in the Tiergarten. It was replaced by a boulevard of linden trees planted in 1647, stretching from the city palace to the gates of the city, by order of the “Great Elector” Frederick William. While the western part of the boulevard retained its character, the area around present-day Bebelplatz was changed after the Thirty Years' War and fortified. There are no trees.

paragraphs: By the 19th century, as Berlin grew and expanded to the west, Unter den Linden became the best-known and grandest street in Berlin. In 1851 the famous equestrian (horse-riding) statue of King Frederick the Great, designed by Christian Daniel Rauch, was put up on the centre strip. In the course of the building of the Nord-Süd-Tunnel for the Berlin S-Bahn in 1934/35 most of the linden trees were cut down and during the last days of World War II the remaining trees were destroyed or cut down for firewood. The present-day linden were replanted in the 1950s, they are affected by air pollution as well as by soil contamination.

paragraphs: Since 1937, the numbering has started at the "Schlossbrücke" (Palace Bridge), connecting Unter den Linden with the Lustgarten and Museum Island. The disputed replica of the Alte Kommandantur is No. 1, vis-à-vis the Zeughaus arsenal, the oldest building on Unter den Linden, built between 1695 and 1706, today the seat of the "Deutsches Historisches Museum" (No. 2). Buildings along the street include (from east to west) the Kronprinzenpalais (former palace of the Hohenzollern crown princes, No. 3), the Neue Wache war memorial built in 1817 (No. 4), considered by many to be Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s masterpiece. Furthermore, on Bebelplatz the Berlin State Opera (No. 7), coloquially called "Lindenoper", St. Hedwig's Cathedral and the "Altes Palais" (No. 9), favoured residence of Emperor Wilhelm I; in the north the main building of the Humboldt University (No. 6) and House I of the Berlin State Library (No. 8). On the western end are the Russian Embassy (former Soviet Embassy, No. 63-65) the Hungarian Embassy (No. 76) at the corner of Wilhelmstrasse and finally the Hotel Adlon (No. 77) at the corner of Pariser Platz, which has been completely rebuilt on the site of the prewar hotel. Well-known statues of Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt in front of the university as well as of the Prussian generals Scharnhorst and Bülow also adorn the street.


Baja California


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Chihuahua


title: Chihuahua Municipality

paragraphs: Chihuahua is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat is the state capital, the city of Chihuahua.

paragraphs: As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 758,791, with 748,551 in the municipal seat. It covers an area of .


title: Chihuahua City

paragraphs: The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is also the seat of Chihuahua Municipality. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent "maquiladoras".


title: Bridle path

paragraphs: A bridle path is a pathway or trail between two places. It is designed for people riding horses, but can also be used by people walking. A footpath is a track between two places designed only for people walking.


title: Frederick II of Prussia

paragraphs: Frederick II (; 24 January 1712 – 17 August 1786) was a King in Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. As a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV Margrave of Brandenburg. He was also the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel. Victorious in war, he became known as Frederick the Great () and was nicknamed "der alte Fritz" ("Old Fritz").

paragraphs: When he was young, Frederick was mostly interested in music and philosophy and not military affairs. Frederick tried to escape from his strict father, Frederick William I, with childhood friend, Hans Hermann von Katte. When they were captured Frederick was forced to watch von Kattel's execution. Many historians consider him to be bisexual and perhaps possibly celibate in his later life. After the death of Frederick William I in 1740, Frederick the Great only attended his wife with formal visits once a year.

paragraphs: Shortly after becoming King in Prussia, he attacked Austria and claimed Silesia during the Silesian Wars. Near the end of his life, Frederick united most of his separated parts of his kingdom through the First Partition of Poland.

paragraphs: For years Frederick exchanged letters with Voltaire. He modernized the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service and promoted religious tolerance. Frederick patronized the arts and philosophers, and wrote flute music. Frederick is buried at his favorite residence, Sanssouci in Potsdam. Because he died childless, Frederick was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick William II of Prussia, son of his brother, Prince Augustus William of Prussia.

paragraphs: In 1732, Queen Sophia Dorothea tried to arrange a dual marriage of Frederick and his sister Wilhelmina with Amelia and Frederick, the children of her brother, King George II of Great Britain. Fearing an alliance between Prussia and Great Britain, Field Marshal von Seckendorff, the Austrian ambassador in Berlin, bribed Field Marshal von Grumbkow, the Prussian Minister of War, and Benjamin Reichenbach, Prussian ambassador in London. They pair discreetly slandered the British and Prussian courts in the eyes of the two kings. Angered by the idea of the marriage Frederick William made impossible demands to the British, such as Prussia acquiring Jülich and Berg, leading to the collapse of the marriage proposal.

paragraphs: After von Kattel died Frederick was granted a royal pardon and released from his cell on 18 November, but he was not given back his military rank. Instead of returning to Berlin, however, he was forced to stay in Küstrin and began learning statecraft and administration for the War and Estates Departments on 20 November. Tensions eased slightly when Frederick William visited Küstrin a year later, and Frederick was allowed to visit Berlin on the occasion of his sister Wilhelmina's marriage to Margrave Frederick of Bayreuth on 20 November 1731. The crown prince returned to Berlin after finally being released from Küstrin on 26 February 1732.

paragraphs: Frederick William considered marrying Frederick to Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the niece of Empress Anna of Russia, but this plan was opposed by Prince Eugene of Savoy. Frederick himself proposed marrying Maria Theresa of Austria in return for renouncing the succession. Instead, Eugene persuaded Frederick William, through Seckendorff, that the crown prince marry Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern, a Protestant relative of the Austrian Habsburgs. Although Frederick wrote to his sister that, "There can be neither love nor friendship between us," and he considered suicide, he went along with the wedding on 12 June 1733. He had little in common with his bride and resented the political marriage as an example of the Austrian interference which had plagued Prussia since 1701. Once Frederick secured the throne in 1740, he would not let Elisabeth visit his court in Potsdam, and instead gave her Schönhausen Palace and apartments at the Berliner Stadtschloss. Frederick bestowed the title of the heir to the throne, "Prince of Prussia", on his brother Augustus William; despite this, his wife remained devoted to him.

paragraphs: Frederick was given back a rank in the Prussian Army as Colonel of the Regiment von der Goltz, stationed near Nauen and Neuruppin. When Prussia gave troops to help Austria during the War of the Polish Succession, Frederick studied under Prince Eugene of Savoy during the campaign against France on the Rhine. Frederick William, weakened by gout brought about by the campaign, gave Frederick Schloss Rheinsberg in Rheinsberg, north of Neuruppin. In Rheinsberg, Frederick assembled a small number of musicians, actors and other artists. He spent his time reading, watching dramatic plays, making and listening to music, and regarded this time as one of the happiest of his life. Frederick formed the "Bayard Order" to discuss warfare with his friends; Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué was made the grand master of the gatherings.

paragraphs: The works of Niccolò Machiavelli, such as "The Prince", were considered a guideline for the behaviour of a king in Frederick's age. In 1739, Frederick finished his "Anti-Machiavel", which put another point of view. It was published anonymously in 1740, but Voltaire distributed it in Amsterdam.

paragraphs: Frederick's years dedicated to the arts instead of politics ended upon the 1740 death of Frederick William and his inheritance of the Kingdom of Prussia.

paragraphs: When Frederick ascended the throne as "King in Prussia" in 1740, Prussia consisted of scattered territories, including Cleves, Mark, and Ravensberg in the west of the Holy Roman Empire; Brandenburg, Hither Pomerania, and Farther Pomerania in the east of the Empire; and the former Duchy of Prussia, outside of the Empire bordering the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was titled "King in Prussia" because this was only part of historic Prussia; he was to declare himself "King of Prussia" after acquiring most of the rest in 1772.

paragraphs: Frederick's goal was to modernize and unite his vulnerably disconnected lands; toward this end, he fought wars mainly against Austria, whose Habsburg dynasty reigned as Holy Roman Emperors, almost continuously from the 15th century until 1806. Frederick established Prussia as the fifth and smallest European great power by using the resources his frugal father had cultivated.

paragraphs: The First Silesian War (1740–1742), part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), resulted in Frederick conquering the Polish part of Silesia. Austria attempted to recover Silesia in the Second Silesian War (1744–1745), but Frederick was victorious again and forced Austria to stick to the previous peace terms. Prussian possession of Silesia gave the kingdom control over the Oder River.

paragraphs: Habsburg Austria and Bourbon France, traditional enemies, allied together in the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756 following the collapse of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. Frederick swiftly made an alliance with Great Britain at the Convention of Westminster. As neighboring countries began conspiring against him, Frederick was determined to strike first. On 29 August 1756 his well-prepared army crossed the frontier and invaded Saxony, thus beginning the Seven Years' War which lasted until 1763. He faced widespread criticism for his attack on neutral Saxony and for his forcible incorporation of the Saxon forces into the Prussian army following the Siege of Pirna in October 1756.

paragraphs: Facing a coalition which included Austria, France, Russia, Saxony, and Sweden, and having only Great Britain and Hanover as his allies, Frederick narrowly kept Prussia in the war despite having his territories frequently invaded.

paragraphs: The sudden death of Empress Elizabeth of Russia put her pro-Prussian nephew Peter III in power. This led to the collapse of the anti-Prussian coalition. Although Frederick did not gain any territory in the ensuing Treaty of Hubertusburg, he was able to keep Silesia. Prussia became popular in many German-speaking territories.

paragraphs: Late in his life Frederick also involved Prussia in the smaller War of the Bavarian Succession in 1778, in which he stopped Austrian attempts to exchange the Austrian Netherlands for Bavaria. When Emperor Joseph II| tried the scheme again in 1784, Frederick created the "Fürstenbund", making Germans see him as a defender of German liberties, in contrast to his earlier role of attacking the imperial Habsburgs.

paragraphs: Frederick frequently led his military forces personally and had six horses shot from under him during battle. Frederick is often admired as one of the greatest tactical geniuses of all time, especially for his usage of the oblique order of battle. Even more important were his operational successes, especially preventing the unification of numerically superior opposing armies and being at the right place at the right time to keep enemy armies out of Prussian core territory. In a letter to his mother Maria Theresa, the Austrian co-ruler Emperor Joseph II wrote,

paragraphs: Frederick transformed Prussia from a European backwater into an economically strong and politically reformed state. His conquest of Silesia, which provided Prussia's new industries with raw materials, helped boost industrial production and development, and he protected these industries with high tariffs and a minimum of restrictions on internal domestic trade. The modernizing mechanisms and technology of the state also enabled Frederick, in 1747, to undertake a massive six-year drainage and "reclamation" program in the country's northern marsh-land. This rationalist-mided program, which Frederick saw as the "taming" and "conquering" of "useless" and "barbarous" nature, created roughly 150,000 acres of arable farmland, but also eliminated vast swaths of natural habitat, destroyed the region's biodiversity, and displaced numerous indigenous communities. With the help of French experts, Frederick also reorganized Prussia's taxation policy, implementing a system of indirect taxation, which was more lucrative than the previous policy of direct taxation. Frederick also commissioned the eminent Prussian merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky to help promote trade. Gotzkowsky directed Frederick to reform the Prussian system of toll levies and import restrictions, and to construct a major a silk factory in an effort to compete with the French silk trade. In 1763, when Gotzkowsky went bankrupt during an Amsterdam-based financial crisis, Frederick took over a porcelain factory of his.

paragraphs: Frederick also presided over national currency reform during his reign. The effects of the Seven Years' War and the acquisition of Silesia had transformed the economy, depreciating the national currency and leading to high nation-wide inflation. The Prussian Mint Edict of May 1763 revalued the national currency, stabilizing the rates of highly depreciated coinage and mandating that the payments of taxes be in currency of prewar value. Other European rulers soon undertook similar monetary reforms, which helped to lower region-wide prices.

paragraphs: Frederick also presided over other important modernization efforts in Prussia, including the establishment of a modern governmental bureaucracy, the cultivation of one of Europe's most highly-regarded educational systems, and the abolition torture and corporal punishment.

paragraphs: After the acquisition of Royal Prussia (West Prussia) in 1772, Frederick also changed his title from the "King "in" Prussia," which had been the royal title used since the coronation of Frederick I, to the "King "of" Prussia," underscoring the increasing prominence of his state and his own importance as a ruler.

paragraphs: Frederick was generally a champion of religious tolerance, including accepting Jesuits, fleeing the suppression of Pope Clement XIV, as teachers in Silesia, Warmia, and the Netze District. He was interested in attracting many skills to his country, whether from Jesuit teachers, Huguenot citizens, or Jewish merchants and bankers, particularly from Spain. He wanted development throughout the country. As an example of this practical-minded but not fully unprejudiced tolerance, Frederick wrote in his "Testament politique" that:

paragraphs: Jews on the Polish border were therefore encouraged to perform all the trade they could and received all the protection and support from the king as any other Prussian citizen. The success in integrating the Jews into those areas of society that Frederick encouraged them in can be seen by the role played by Gerson von Bleichröder in financing Bismarck's efforts to reunite Germany.

paragraphs: As under Frederick much wasteland was made arable Prussia was looking for new colonists. Frederick repeatedly emphasized that nationality and religion were of no concern to him.

paragraphs: Frederick had famous buildings constructed in his capital, Berlin, most of which still exist today, such as the Berlin State Opera, the Royal Library (today the State Library Berlin), St. Hedwig's Cathedral, and Prince Henry's Palace (now the site of Humboldt University). However, the king preferred spending his time in his summer residence Potsdam, where he built the palace of Sanssouci, the most important work of Northern German rococo. Sanssouci, which translates from French as "carefree" or "without worry", was a refuge for Frederick. "Frederician Rococo" developed under Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff.

paragraphs: Near the end of his life Frederick spent more and more time alone. His circle of friends at Sanssouci gradually died off without replacements, and Frederick became increasingly critical and arbitrary, to the frustration of the civil service and officer corps. The people of Berlin always cheered the king when he returned to the city from provincial tours or military reviews, but Frederick took no pleasure from his popularity with the common folk, preferring instead the company of his pet Italian greyhounds, whom he referred to as his 'marquises de Pompadour' as a jibe at Madame de Pompadour. Frederick died in an armchair in his study in the palace of Sanssouci on 17 August 1786.

paragraphs: Frederick had wished to be buried next to his greyhounds on the vineyard terrace on the side of the corps de logis of Sanssouci. His nephew and successor Frederick William II instead ordered the body be entombed next to his father in the church of the Potsdam garrison. Near the end of World War II, Adolf Hitler ordered the coffins of Frederick and Frederick William I, as well as those of Paul von Hindenburg and his wife, transferred first to an underground bunker near Berlin, then hidden in a salt mine close to the town of Bernrode, Germany, to protect them from destruction. The US Army discovered the four coffins on 27 April 1945, behind a 6-foot-thick (1.8 m) masonry wall deep within the mine, and moved them to the basement of Marburg Castle, a collection point for recovered Nazi "treasure". As part of a secret project dubbed "Operation Bodysnatch", the US Army relocated both kings first to the Elisabeth Church of Marburg and then on to Burg Hohenzollern close to the town of Hechingen. After German reunification, the body of Frederick William was entombed in the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum in Sanssouci's Church of Peace.

paragraphs: On the 205th anniversary of his death, on 17 August 1991, Frederick's casket lay in state in the court of honor of Sanssouci, covered by a Prussian flag and escorted by a Bundeswehr guard of honour. After nightfall, Frederick's body was finally laid to rest on the terrace of the vineyard of Sanssouci, according to his last will without pomp and at night ("... Im übrigen will ich, was meine Person anbetrifft, in Sanssouci beigesetzt werden, ohne Prunk, ohne Pomp und bei Nacht..." (1757)).

paragraphs: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is named after the King of Prussia Inn, itself named in honor of Frederick.

paragraphs: Prussia Street in Dublin, Ireland, is named after Frederick the Great.

paragraphs: "The Great King" () is a 1942 German drama movie directed by Veit Harlan and starring Otto Gebühr. It depicts the life of Frederick the Great. It received the rare "movie of the Nation" distinction. Otto Gebühr also played the King in many other movies.

paragraphs: In the 2004 German movie "Der Untergang", Adolf Hitler is shown sitting in a dark room forlornly gazing at a painting of Frederick, possibly a reference to the dictator's fading hopes for another Miracle of the House of Brandenburg.

paragraphs: In the 1970 movie "Patton", General Patton incorrectly cites Frederick the Great as saying, "L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!" ("Audacity, audacity — always audacity!")

paragraphs: Although Frederick is never seen on screen, he is mentioned several times in Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie "Barry Lyndon". In the movie, he is referred to as "The great and illustrious Frederick" and his army is both praised and criticized. For example, a quote from the film: "During the five years which the war had now lasted, the great and illustrious Frederick had so exhausted the males of his kingdom that he had to employ scores of recruiters who hesitated no crime, including kidnapping, to keep supplied those brilliant regiments of his with food for powder."


title: Gabrielle Giffords

paragraphs: Gabrielle Giffords is an American politician. She was born June 8, 1970. She is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. She was badly injured January 8, 2011, during a shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Giffords was shot in the head at very close range, but survived. She was holding a meeting around the parking lot of a supermarket when the shooting happened.

paragraphs: Since 2007, she has been married to astronaut Mark Kelly.


title: King in Prussia

paragraphs: King in Prussia was the title used by the rulers of Prussia from 1702 to 1772.

paragraphs: The rulers, who were also Princes and Margraves of Brandenberg wanted to be Kings, but knew that the Holy Roman Emperor would not allow them the title.

paragraphs: In return for support in the War of the Spanish Succession Emperor Leopold I allowed Frederick to call himself King in Prussia. The Duchy of Prussia was outside the Empire, and he was only regarded as King outside the Empire.

paragraphs: In 1772 Frederick II annexed most of Poland and decided to call himself King of Prussia. The Holy Roman Emperor was not as strong as they had been, and in 1806 the Empire ceased to exist.


title: Tabasco pepper

paragraphs: The tabasco pepper is a variety of chili pepper species "Capsicum frutescens". It is best known through its use in Tabasco sauce, followed by "peppered vinegar".


title: Tabasco sauce

paragraphs: Tabasco sauce is the brand name for a hot sauce produced by US-based McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana. Tabasco sauce is made from tabasco peppers ("Capsicum frutescens" var. "tabasco"), vinegar, and salt, and aged in white oak barrels for three years. It has a hot, spicy flavor.


Tabasco


title: Kansas–Nebraska Act

paragraphs: The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 made the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing the states to vote on whether slavery was legal or not. This law cancelled the Missouri Compromise, which declared that slavery was not legal in those areas. It was passed on May 30, 1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act angered many in the North who considered the Missouri Compromise to be a long-standing agreement. In the pro-slavery South it was strongly supported. After the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed in to settle Kansas to affect the outcome of the first election held there after the law went into effect. Pro-slavery settlers carried the election but were charged with fraud by anti-slavery settlers, and the results were not accepted by them. This made the population skyrocket, and also caused Kansas to gain the nickname "Bloody Kansas" because people were constantly fighting over this issue.


title: King of Prussia

paragraphs: King of Prussia was the title Frederick the Great started using in 1772 after he got part of the Kingdom of Poland.

paragraphs: Before this he had called himself King in Prussia.

paragraphs: The rulers of Berlin kept using the title after they also became German Emperors, up until Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated (resigned) in 1918.


Guerrero


title: Guerrero Municipality, Chihuahua

paragraphs: Guerrero is a one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Vicente Guerrero (aka Ciudad Guerrero). The municipality covers an area of 5,603.6 km².


title: Guerrero Municipality, Coahuila

paragraphs: Guerrero is a one of the 38 municipalities of Coahuila, in north-eastern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Guerrero. The municipality covers an area of 3,219.7 km² and is located on the international border between Mexico and the USA, here formed by the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande), adjacent to the U.S. state of Texas.


title: Guerrero Municipality, Tamaulipas

paragraphs: Guerrero is a municipality in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.


title: 2006–07 Chicago Blackhawks season

paragraphs: The 2006–07 Chicago Blackhawks season was the Hawks' 81st season.

paragraphs: "Final regular season standings for the 2006–07 NHL season."

paragraphs: Chicago's picks at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, British Columbia.


title: Kathie Lee Gifford

paragraphs: Kathie Lee Gifford (born August 16, 1953) is an American talk show host, singer and actress. She is best known for hosting "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" from 1985-2000 with Regis Philbin. She later co-hosted the fourth hour of NBC's "Today" show. She has received 11 Daytime Emmy nominations. She won her first Daytime Emmy in 2010 as part of the cast in "The Today Show".

paragraphs: Before she hosted talk shows, Gifford's first television appearance was Tom Kennedy's singer/sidekick on "Name That Tune", from 1974-1978.

paragraphs: She also appeared in television advertisements for Carnival Cruise Lines since 1984.

paragraphs: Kathie Lee Gifford was born in Paris, France. Her birth name is Kathryn Lee Epstein. She is the daughter of Joan (née Cuttell; born January 20, 1930), a singer, and Aaron Epstein (March 19, 1924 – November 19, 2002), a musician and former U.S. Navy officer. Aaron Epstein was stationed with his family in France when Gifford was born. Gifford grew up in Bowie, Maryland, and attended Bowie High School. When she was in high school, Gifford was a singer in a folk group, "Pennsylvania Next Right," which performed frequently at school assemblies. As a senior in high school she dated and went to the prom with Michael Bray. After her graduation in high school, Gifford attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Oral Roberts University she studied drama and music.

paragraphs: Gifford's paternal grandfather was of Russian Jewish descent and her paternal grandmother was of Native American ancestry. Her mother was a relative of Rudyard Kipling, was of French Canadian, English and German descent and was raised in a snake handler family. After seeing the Billy Graham produced film, "The Restless Ones" at age 12, Gifford became a born-again Christian. She told Larry King, "I was raised with many Jewish traditions and raised to be very grateful for my Jewish heritage." Her brother, Rev. David Paul Epstein, is an evangelical Baptist preacher and pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in New York City.

paragraphs: Gifford represented Maryland in America's Junior Miss Pageant in 1970.

paragraphs: During one summer in the early 1970s, she was a live-in secretary/babysitter for Anita Bryant at her home in Miami. Gifford's career took off in the 1970s (during her first marriage to Christian composer, arranger, producer and publisher Paul Johnson) as a vocalist on the game show "Name That Tune" with Tom Kennedy (she performed the "sing a tune" segment as Kathie Lee Johnson). In 1978, she joined the cast of the short-lived "Hee Haw" spinoff, "Hee Haw Honeys".

paragraphs: After she was divorced from Johnson in 1983, Gifford met sports commentator Frank Gifford (born August 16, 1930) during an episode of ABC's "Good Morning America"; they both married in 1986. By that time she was several months into her most famous television role, as a full-time morning talk show personality. On June 24, 1985, she replaced Ann Abernathy as co-host of "The Morning Show" on WABC-TV with Regis Philbin. The program went into national broadcast in 1988 as "Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee", and Gifford became well-known across the country. In the 1990s, millions of morning-TV viewers watched her descriptions of life at home with her husband and their two children. She appeared as a spokesperson for Slim Fast diet shakes after her son, Cody, was born. She also was a celebrity of Carnival Cruises in the late 1980s and early 1990s, singing "If my friends could see me now!" Gifford left Live with Regis and Kathie Lee on 2000 after 15 years to focus on spending time with family and continue her singing career.

paragraphs: In 1996 the National Labor Committee, a human rights group, reported that sweatshop labor was being used to make clothes for the Kathie Lee line, sold at Walmart. The group reported that a worker in Honduras smuggled a piece of clothing out of the factory, which had a Kathie Lee label on it. One of the workers, Wendy Diaz, came to the United States to testify about the conditions under which she worked. Diaz commented, "I wish I could talk to [Kathie Lee]. If she's good, she will help us."

paragraphs: Labor activist, Charles Kernaghan, spoke on media. He accused Gifford of being responsible for the sweatshop management activity. Gifford addressed Kernaghan's allegations on the air during "Live", explaining that she was not involved with hands-on project management in factories.

paragraphs: Gifford later contacted Federal authorities to investigate the issue and worked with U.S. Federal legislative and executive branch agencies to support and enact laws to protect children against sweat shop conditions. She met with President Bill Clinton at the White House in order to support of the government's initiatives to counter international sweatshop abuses.

paragraphs: On March 31, 2008, NBC announced that Gifford was to join its morning show, "Today", as co-host of the fourth hour, alongside Hoda Kotb. This marked her return to morning television; in many markets, she now airs directly after her old show, now called "Live! with Kelly and Michael". Because the fourth hour of "Today" airs live at 10:00am ET, and "Live! with Kelly and Michael" airs live at 9:00am ET, Gifford's hour does not compete directly with her former show in most markets. Kotb and Gifford replaced Ann Curry and Natalie Morales.

paragraphs: She started hosting "Today" on April 7, 2008 with Hoda Kotb.


title: Prince-elector

paragraphs: Prince-electors were the group of rulers of German countries which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. In English they were usually called "Electors" and included the Elector of Brandenburg, who also began ruling as King of Prussia, and the Electors of Hanover, who were also kings of Great Britain after 1714.


title: Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg

paragraphs: In 1692 the Duke of Hanover was made an Elector of the Holy Roman Emperor. After then the Dukes were usually called Electors of Hanover, .

paragraphs: Queen Anne of England and Great Britain had no children, Sophia-Dorothea was chosen as her protestant heir. When Anne died in 1714, Sophia Dorothea's son the Elector of Hanover became King George I of Great Britain.


title: Mantis shrimp

paragraphs: Mantis shrimps are crustacean stomatopods.

paragraphs: They are not actually shrimps, but members of the order Stomatopoda. There are about 400 species.

paragraphs: They are predators which kill their prey by hitting them at high speed.

paragraphs: They hold their body in a manner like that of a praying mantis, and have large, complex eyes. Some species can be 30 cm long.

paragraphs: They are highly coloured, and live in shallow tropical and subtropical habitats such as coral reefs.

paragraphs: Each species has one of these two methods of attack

paragraphs: Both types strike by rapidly unfolding and swinging their claws at the prey, and can cause serious damage on victims larger than themselves.

paragraphs: In smashers, these two weapons are employed with blinding quickness, and hit their prey with the speed of a bullet. This is one of the fastest responses known to man.

paragraphs: Smashers use this ability to attack snails, crabs, molluscs and rock oysters; their blunt clubs enabling them to crack the shells of their prey into pieces. Spearers, on the other hand, prefer the meat of softer animals, like fish, which their barbed claws can more easily slice and snag.

paragraphs: Because they strike so rapidly, they generate cavitation bubbles between the appendage and the striking surface. The collapse of these bubbles hits their prey in addition to the impact of the appendage against the striking surface.

paragraphs: This means that the prey is hit twice by a single strike; first by the claw and then by the collapsing cavitation bubbles that immediately follow. Even if the initial strike misses the prey, the resulting shock wave can be enough to kill or stun the prey.

paragraphs: Their eyes are mounted on mobile stalks and constantly move about independently of each other. They are considered to be the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom.

paragraphs: The mantis shrimp has such good eyes it can perceive both polarized light, and colour vision outside the normal visual spectrum.

paragraphs: Some species have at least 16 different photoreceptor types, 12 of them for colour analysis in the different wavelengths (including four which are sensitive to ultraviolet light) and four of them for analysing polarised light. By comparison, humans have only four visual pigments, three dedicated to see colour.

paragraphs: The eyes of mantis shrimp may recognize different types of coral, prey species (which are often transparent or semi-transparent), or predators, such as barracuda, which have shimmering scales.

paragraphs: Also, the manner in which mantis shrimp hunt (very rapid movements of the claws) may require very accurate ranging information, which would require accurate depth perception.

paragraphs: During mating rituals, mantis shrimp actively fluoresce, and the wavelength of this fluorescence matches the wavelengths detected by their eye pigments.

paragraphs: Females are only fertile during certain phases of the tidal cycle; the ability to perceive the phase of the moon may therefore help prevent wasted mating efforts. It may also give mantis shrimp information about the size of the tide, which is important for species living in shallow water near the shore.


title: KFC

paragraphs: KFC (abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a chain of fast food restaurants known for their fried chicken. It was started by Colonel Sanders in Corbin, Kentucky in 1952. They are now all over the world. They not only sell chicken, but also other food like salads and french fries. KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's second-largest restaurant chain after McDonald's, with almost 20,000 locations globally in 123 countries and territories as of December 2015.

paragraphs: KFC is well known for their "finger lickin' good" slogan. It was first used, along with others, beginning in 1956. It is the current slogan.

paragraphs: Other early slogans included "North America's Hospitality Dish" (1956–1966) and "We fix Sunday dinner seven nights a week" from 1957 until 1968. The two slogans were phased out in favor of the "finger lickin' good" slogan. It was trademarked in 1956.

paragraphs: After a local KFC TV ad showed an employee licking his fingers in the background, a viewer phoned the station to complain. The main actor in the ad answered back: "Well, it's finger lickin' good." The phrase was adopted nationally by the company in the 1960s. It became one of the best-known slogans of the twentieth century.

paragraphs: When the trademark expired in the United States in 2006, it was replaced with "Follow your taste" until 2010. In 2011, the "finger lickin' good" slogan was dropped in favor of "So good", to be used around the world. The meaning was supposed to include employees and service, as well as food.

paragraphs: The slogan "Nobody does chicken like KFC" was first started by KFC Australia in 1998. It is still used by KFC in some worldwide markets.

paragraphs: KFC has been criticised on different issues. Greenpeace accused KFC of destroying the Amazon Rainforest. This is because KFC bought their soy they use for chicken food from Cargill. The soy has been traced back to the European KFC. Cargill has reportedly been exporting soy illegally for several years. The Greenpeace organization researched the issue and brought it to the attention of the parent company YUM! Brands, Inc. The parent company denied the illegal operation, and said that their supply of soy is grown in parts of Brazil. Greenpeace has called on KFC to stop purchasing soy from Cargill, to avoid contributing to the destruction of the Amazon.

paragraphs: Since 2003, animal rights and welfare organizations, led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have been protesting KFC’s treatment of the animals used for its products. These groups claim that the recommendations of the KFC Animal Welfare Advisory Council have been ignored. Adele Douglass, a former member of the council, said in an SEC filing reported on by the Chicago Times, that KFC "never had any meetings. They never asked any advice, and then they touted to the press that they had this animal-welfare advisory committee. I felt like I was being used."

paragraphs: KFC responded by saying the chickens used in its products are bought from suppliers like Perdue Farms, Tyson Foods, and Pilgrim's Pride, and that these suppliers are routinely monitored for animal welfare violations. Several PETA undercover investigations and videos of these and other KFC suppliers purport to show chickens being beaten, ripped apart, and thrown against walls contradict KFC’s claims. PETA has criticised some of the practices of chicken breeders, such as beak trimming and overcrowding, but KFC says its suppliers meets UK legal requirements. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recommends a maximum stocking density of 34 kg—around 30 chickens—per square metre, and say that in circumstances where beak trimming needs to be carried out to prevent the birds injuring each other, only one third of the beak should be trimmed "measured from the tip towards the entrance of the nostrils". PETA states that they have held more than 12,000 demonstrations at KFC outlets since 2003 because of this alleged mistreatment of chickens by KFC suppliers.

paragraphs: In June 2008, KFC Canada agreed to PETA's demands for better welfare standards, including favoring suppliers who use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) of chickens, and other welfare standards as well as introducing a vegan sandwich at 65% of its outlets. PETA has called off its campaign against KFC Canada, but continues to demonstrate against KFC elsewhere in the world.


title: Cytoplasm

paragraphs: The cytoplasm (also known as cytosol) is the protoplasm of a cell outside the cell nucleus. It is the jelly-like material plus the organelles outside the nucleus, and inside the cell membrane.

paragraphs: Many important functions of a cell take place in organelles, which are like bits of machinery for doing many jobs. The cytoplasm is highly structured: it is not some kind of soup, even though it is made out of 7580% water.

paragraphs: The cytosol contains a complex mixture of cytoskeleton filaments, including the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. It includes dissolved molecules, and water that fills much of the cell. Due to this network of fibres, membranes and the many dissolved macromolecules such as proteins, the cytosol does not act like a simple liquid. The main function of the cytoplasm is to hold the organelles in place.


title: Crusades

paragraphs: The Crusades were a group of wars over religious views between the Christian and Muslim populations of Europe and West Asia. It started mainly due to a fight for areas thought to be Holy Land. Both Muslims and Christians considered the same lands holy for reasons like Jesus' resurrections and Muhammad visiting there. The eight big crusade expeditions occurred during 1096 to 1291. The Holy Land was still in a place that is very important for the three major monotheistic religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. There are many important religious sites in the Holy Land. This is the land now called Israel.

paragraphs: Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and other religious sites fell under the control of Muslims during the Caliphate of Omar.

paragraphs: There were many different crusades. The most important and biggest Crusades took place from the 11th century to the 13th century. There were 9 large crusades during this time. They are numbered 1 through 9. There were also many smaller Crusades. Some crusades were even within Europe (for example, in Germany, Austria and Scandinavia). The smaller Crusades continued to the 16th century, until the Renaissance and Reformation.

paragraphs: The word "Crusade" is related to the word "Cross", and means a Christian holy war. There is also the Arabic word "Jihad", which means to strive and struggle by Muslims. All sides (Christians, Muslims, and Jews) believed very much in their religions. They also had political reasons for war.

paragraphs: Alexius I was a ruler of the Byzantine Empire. When Alexius called for help to defend his empire against the Seljuk Turks in 1095, Pope Urban II asked all Christians to join a war against the Turks. The Pope told Christians that fighting the war would repay God for their sins and that if they died on a crusade they would go straight to heaven. The Christian soldiers were called "crusaders". The Christian armies marched to Jerusalem, attacking several cities on their way. In 1099 they won the battle for Jerusalem. As a result of the First Crusade, four crusader states were created. These were the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

paragraphs: After some years of peace, Bernard of Clairvaux called for a new crusade when the town of Edessa was attacked by the Turks. French and German armies marched to the Holy Land in 1147, but were defeated. On the way, the Crusaders helped the Portuguese capture Lisbon from Al-Andalus as part of the Reconquista.

paragraphs: In 1187, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem. Pope Gregory VIII called for a new crusade, led by several of Europe's kings: Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. Frederick drowned in Cilicia in 1190. The Crusaders re-established the Kingdom of Jerusalem in Acre. Richard defeated Saladin at Arsuf and Jaffa but lacked the men needed to attempt recapturing Jerusalem. Richard and Saladin made a truce that let the Christians travel safely through Jerusalem. Afterward Richard left in 1192. On Richard's way home, his ship was wrecked, leading him to Austria. In Austria his enemy Duke Leopold captured him, and Richard was ransomed.

paragraphs: The Fourth Crusade was started by Pope Innocent III in 1202, with the idea to attack the Holy Land through Egypt. The Venetians changed this crusade, and went to the Christian city of Constantinople, where they attempted to place a Byzantine exile on the throne. After a series of misunderstandings and outbreaks of violence, the city was sacked in 1204.

paragraphs: The Albigensian Crusade was started in 1209 to eliminate the Cathars of southern France.

paragraphs: The Children's Crusade is a crusade of 1212. An outburst of the old popular enthusiasm led a gathering of children in France and Germany. A boy, from either France or Germany, said that Jesus had visited him, and told him to peacefully convert Muslims to Christianity. Following this vision, many children formed bands, and marched to Italy. There, they were put onto ships which either capsized in a storm, or which went to Morocco. Most of the children either starved to death or were sold into slavery.

paragraphs: In the first movement, Nicholas, a shepherd from Germany, led a group across the Alps and into Italy in the early spring of 1212. About 7,000 arrived in Genoa in late August. However, their plans did not bear fruit when the waters failed to part as promised and the band broke up. Some left for home, others may have gone to Rome, while still others may have travelled down the Rhône to Marseille where they were probably sold into slavery. Few returned home and none reached the Holy Land.

paragraphs: The second movement was led by a "shepherd boy" named Stephen de Cloyes near the village of Châteaudun. In June of that year, the boy said that he had a letter for the king of France from Jesus. He could gather a crowd of over 30,000 and went to Saint-Denis. There he was seen to work miracles. On the orders of Philip II, on the advice of the University of Paris, the crowd was sent home, and most of them went. None of the contemporary sources mentions plans of the crowd to go to Jerusalem.

paragraphs: Later chroniclers elaborated on these events. Recent research suggests those taking part were not children, at least not the very young. In the early 1200s, bands of wandering poor started cropping up throughout Europe. These were people displaced by economic changes at the time which forced many poor peasants in northern France and Germany to sell their land. These bands were referred to as "pueri" (Latin for "boys") in a condescending manner, in much the same way that people from rural areas in the United States are called "country boys."

paragraphs: In 1212, a young French "puer" named Stephen and a German "puer" named Nicholas separately began claiming that they had each had similar visions of Jesus. This resulted in these bands of roving poor being united into a religious protest movement which transformed this forced wandering into a religious journey. The "pueri" marched, following the Cross. They associated themselves with Jesus's biblical journey. This, however, was not a prelude to a holy war.

paragraphs: At that time, chronicles were mostly kept by the Catholic Church. They were written in Latin.

paragraphs: Thirty years later, chroniclers read the accounts of these processions and translated "pueri" as "children" without understanding the usage. So, the Children's Crusade was born. The resulting story illustrates how ingrained the concept of Crusading was in the people of that time— the chroniclers assumed that the pueri must have been Crusaders. In their innocence, they returned to the foundations of crusading characteristic of Peter the Hermit, and met the same sort of tragic fate.

paragraphs: According to Matthew Paris, one of the leaders of the Children's Crusade became "Le Maître de Hongrie," the leader of the Shepherds' Crusade in 1251.

paragraphs: During 1213, Pope Gregory IX pushed Frederick II into leading the Fifth Crusade.

paragraphs: The Church tried another crusade to attack the Holy Land. A crusading force from Hungary, Austria, and Bavaria captured Damietta, a city in Egypt, in 1219. The crusaders had to surrender, due to losing the battle for Cairo.

paragraphs: In 1228, Emperor Frederick II set sail from Brindisi for Syria. He did this after the Pope excommunicated him. By talking to the Turks he had success, and Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem was given to the Crusaders for ten years without fighting. This was the first major crusade not initiated by the Papacy, a trend that was to continue for the rest of the century. This crusade only lasted for a year, from 1228-1229.

paragraphs: The Templars argued with Egypt in 1243. In 1244, Egypt attacked Jerusalem. Louis IX of France started a crusade against Egypt from 1248 to 1254. It was a failure, and Louis spent much of the crusade living in the city of Acre. In the midst of this crusade was the first in 1251.

paragraphs: The Eighth Crusade was organized by Louis IX of France in 1270, to help the Crusader states in Syria. However, the crusade got as far as Tunis, where Louis died a month later.

paragraphs: Before he was the king, Edward I of England started a crusade in 1271. He retired the following year after a truce.

paragraphs: In time, the people went on Crusades for other purposes. The Crusades ended two centuries after they had begun, achieving mixed results. The crusades ended with the Mamluk Fall of Acre in 1291. (the link is not yet started).