The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League (NFL) as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the only time in the Tom Coughlin era. Despite a franchise best 11–1 start and clinching the number 1 seed for the first time in eight years, the Giants lost four of their last five games, including their first playoff game against the Eagles, ending their season. The Giants were the only NFC team from the 2007 playoffs to qualify for the 2008 playoffs.

The 2008 season was the first and only time in franchise history the Giants qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. This was also the first time that the Giants made the playoffs the year after making the Super Bowl, after missing the playoffs in 1987 (following win in Super Bowl XXI), 1991 (following win in Super Bowl XXV), and 2001 (following loss in Super Bowl XXXV).

The 2008 Giants led the NFL in rushing and set a franchise record with 2,518 rushing yards. Their running attack was headlined by the trio of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw, respectively nicknamed "Earth, Wind, and Fire." The Giants became the fifth team in NFL history with two players to rush for more than 1,000 yards: Jacobs (1,089) and Ward (1,025). Ward signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the season while Jacobs and Bradshaw won another Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011.

Offseason

Player and personnel moves

Releases and injuries
On February 29, the first day of free-agency, Giants free agent linebacker Kawika Mitchell left the team to join the Buffalo Bills, safety Gibril Wilson went to the Oakland Raiders, and linebacker Reggie Torbor joined the Miami Dolphins.

On March 14, free agent defensive tackle William Joseph departed to join Wilson with the Raiders.

On April 10, defensive tackle Manuel Wright was released.

On June 9, 15-year veteran, and seven-time Pro-Bowler, Michael Strahan retired and joined the Fox NFL broadcasting team.

On August 26, undrafted rookie free-agent Terrance Stringer was waived.

Draft Class

NOTES:
The Giants move up one overall position in the first round due to the forfeiture of the New England Patriots first round draft pick.
Giants traded RB Ryan Grant to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a sixth round pick.
Giants traded their 7th round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Placekicker Lawrence Tynes in the previous season.

Staff

Final roster

2008 season

Preseason schedule

Regular season
The Giants began their title defense in the traditional NFL Kickoff game like previous champions when they played the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium. Traditionally, this game is usually played on the first Thursday following Labor Day in the United States. This day fell on September 4 in 2008.

On March 26, the NFL, NBC, and the Republican National Committee agreed in principle to move the kickoff time of the opener to 7:00 pm EDT instead of 8:30 pm EDT to accommodate the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Standings

Week 1: vs. Washington Redskins
NFL Kickoff game

With their Super Bowl championship title to defend, the Giants began their season in the annual kickoff game against their NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins.  In the first quarter, New York got a fast start as Super Bowl XLII MVP QB Eli Manning capped off the game's opening drive with a 1-yard TD run.  Later in the quarter, kicker John Carney managed to get  a 24-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the G-Men increased their lead with Carney nailing a 25-yard and a 47-yard field goal.  Near the end of the half, the Redskins managed to get on the board as QB Jason Campbell completed a 12-yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss. New York's defense stiffened in the second half and allowed them to hold on for the victory.

With the win, not only did the Giants begin their season at 1–0, they also became the 9th-straight defending Super Bowl champion to win their season opener.

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

Coming off their divisional home win over the Redskins, the Giants flew to the Edward Jones Dome for a Week 2 duel with the St. Louis Rams.  In the first quarter, the G-Men drew first blood with QB Eli Manning completing a 33-yard TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress.  In the second quarter, the teams traded 2 field goals, and the Giants led 13-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter, New York increased its lead with Manning completing a 10-yard TD pass to WR Amani Toomer.  In the fourth quarter, the Rams tried to rally as QB Marc Bulger completed a 45-yard TD pass to WR Torry Holt.  Afterwards, the Big Blue pulled away with Manning's 18-yard TD pass to RB Ahmad Bradshaw, DE Justin Tuck's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Bradshaw's 31-yard TD run.

With the win, not only did the Giants improve to 2–0, but they also picked up their 12th consecutive road win.

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Coming off their road win over the Rams, the Giants went home for a Week 3 interconference duel with the Cincinnati Bengals.  In the first quarter, the G-Men trailed early as Bengals kicker Shayne Graham kicked a 22-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, New York responded with RB Brandon Jacobs getting a 1-yard TD run.  Cincinnati replied with RB Chris Perry getting a 25-yard TD run, yet the Giants managed to tie the game with kicker John Carney getting a 24-yard field goal.  The Bengals ended the first half with Graham's 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Big Blue responded with Carney's 46-yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, the Giants took the lead with Carney kicking a 26-yard field goal.  Cincinnati took the lead again with QB Carson Palmer completing a 17-yard TD pass to WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  New York reclaimed the lead with QB Eli Manning completing a 4-yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss on 3rd and Goal, yet the Bengals tied the game with Graham's 21-yard field goal as time expired.  In overtime, after exchanging punts, Manning led the Giants on a 6 play, 66-yard game winning drive, with Carney kicking a 22-yard field goal.

With the win, the Giants entered the bye week at 3–0.

Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Coming off their bye week, the Giants stayed at home for a Week 5 duel with the Seattle Seahawks.  The game was notable for the fact that WR Plaxico Burress was suspended for this game, due to a minor internal conflict.

In the first quarter, the Giants drew first blood as QB Eli Manning completed a 32-yard TD to WR Domenik Hixon.  The Seahawks responded with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 30-yard field goal.  Afterwards, New York increased its lead with RB Brandon Jacobs getting a 3-yard TD run.  In the second quarter, the Giants continued its run with kicker John Carney getting a 29-yard field goal, Jacobs getting a 1-yard TD run, and Carney kicking a 33-yard field goal.  Seattle closed the half with Mare making a 29-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Giants continued their victory march as Manning completed a 23-yard TD pass to WR Sinorice Moss, along with Carney nailing a 35-yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, New York completed its domination as backup QB David Carr completed a 5-yard TD pass to Moss.

The Giants racked up 523 yards in total offense, their most since collecting 524 yards against Green Bay on January 6, 2002, and limited Seattle to 187.

With their eighth-straight win, the Giants acquired their first 4–0 start since the franchise's Super Bowl XXV championship run of 1990.

The 38-point differential win marked New York's largest regular-season margin of victory since 1972.  The Giants also led the NFL in point differential with +78 in four games.  The second best point differential belonged to the Tennessee Titans, with +59, in five games.

Week 6: at Cleveland Browns

Coming off their dominating home win over the Seahawks, the Giants flew to Cleveland Browns Stadium for a Week 6 interconference duel with the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Also the first time Tom Coughlin returned to Cleveland since the 2001 Bottlegate incident.

In the first quarter, New York trailed early as Browns kicker Phil Dawson got a 28-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Giants took the lead as RB Brandon Jacobs got a 7-yard TD run.  Cleveland regained the lead as RB Jamal Lewis got a 4-yard TD run, along with QB Derek Anderson completing a 22-yard TD pass to TE Darnell Dinkins.  The Giants closed out the half with QB Eli Manning completing a 3-yard TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress.

In the third quarter, the Browns added on to their lead as Dawson nailed a 26-yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, Cleveland pulled away as Anderson completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards and CB Eric Wright returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown.

With the loss, not only did the Giants fall to 4–1, but their 12-game road winning streak was snapped.

Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Hoping to rebound from their Monday Night road loss to the Browns, the Giants went home for a Week 7 duel with the San Francisco 49ers.  In the first quarter, New York drew first blood as RB Brandon Jacobs got a 26-yard TD run.  The 49ers responded with kicker Joe Nedney getting a 40-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the G-Men increased their lead as Jacobs got a 2-yard TD run.  San Francisco answered with QB J.T. O'Sullivan completing a 30-yard TD pass to WR Josh Morgan.  The Giants would close out the half with kicker John Carney getting a 21-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, New York added onto their lead as QB Eli Manning completed a 6-yard TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress.  The 49ers would reply as CB Nate Clements returned a blocked field goal 74 yards for a touchdown.  In the fourth quarter, the G-Men pulled away as Carney nailed a 48-yard field goal, along with DE Justin Tuck forcing an O'Sulivan fumble that would roll towards the 49ers' endzone, causing Morgan to kick the ball out of the back of the endzone, giving New York a safety.

With the win, the Giants improved to 5–1.

Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off their home win over the 49ers, the Giants flew to Heinz Field for a Week 8 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  In the first quarter, New York trailed early as Steelers RB Mewelde Moore got a 32-yard TD run.  The G-Men would respond with kicker John Carney getting a 26-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Giants took the lead as Carney got a 35-yard and a 25-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Pittsburgh regained the lead with QB Ben Roethlisberger completing a 65-yard TD pass to WR Nate Washington.  In the fourth quarter, New York pulled within two points as Carney nailed a 24-yard field goal.  Afterwards, the Giants tied the game as LB James Harrison (who took over the Steelers' long snapper position after their normal long snapper Greg Warren was injured during the game) accidentally snapped the ball high over punter Mitch Berger and it rolled into the back of the endzone for a safety.  Afterwards, New York finished its rally as QB Eli Manning completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss.

With the win, the Giants improved to 6–1.

Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Coming off their huge road win over the Steelers, the Giants went home for a Week 9 NFC East duel against the rival Dallas Cowboys.  In the first quarter, the G-Men drew first blood as QB Eli Manning completed a 13-yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss and a 5-yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith.  In the second quarter, the Cowboys responded with CB Mike Jenkins returning an interception 23 yards for a touchdown.  New York would end the half with Manning completing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Amani Toomer.

In the third quarter, the Giants increased their lead as RB Brandon Jacobs got a 12-yard TD run.  In the fourth quarter, Dallas tried to rally as QB Brooks Bollinger completed an 8-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens.  Afterwards, New York pulled away as RB Derrick Ward got a 17-yard TD run.

With the win, the Giants improved to 7–1.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Coming off their home win over the Cowboys, the Giants flew to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 10 NFC East duel with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.  In the first quarter, New York trailed early as Eagles WR DeSean Jackson got a 9-yard TD run.  The Giants responded with QB Eli Manning completing a 17-yard TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress, along with kicker John Carney getting a 27-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Giants increased their lead as Manning completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss.  Philadelphia responded with QB Donovan McNabb completing a 10-yard TD pass to WR Jason Avant.  New York answered right back as Carney got a 26-yard field goal.  The Eagles would close out the half as kicker David Akers got a 29-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Philadelphia took the lead as McNabb completed a 7-yard TD pass to WR Hank Baskett.  The Giants replied with RB Brandon Jacobs getting a 3-yard TD run.  New York increased their lead as Carney nailed a 28-yard field goal, along with Jacobs getting another 3-yard TD run (with a failed 2-point conversion).  The Eagles tried to come back as McNabb completed a 2-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Curtis. Big Blue's defense managed to prevent any possible comeback, preserving the lead.

With the win, the Giants improved to 8–1.

Week 11: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Coming off their divisional road win over the Eagles, the Giants went home for a Week 11 interconference duel with the Baltimore Ravens.  In the first quarter, the G-Men drew first blood as RB Brandon Jacobs got two 1-yard TD runs (with a failed PAT on the latter).  In the second quarter, New York increased their lead as QB Eli Manning completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Darcy Johnson.  The Ravens would respond with kicker Matt Stover getting a 38-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Baltimore tried to rally as QB Joe Flacco completed a 10-yard TD pass to FB Le'Ron McClain.  The Giants would answer with CB Aaron Ross returning an interception 50 yards for a touchdown.  In the fourth quarter, New York pulled away as kicker Lawrence Tynes nailed a 19-yard field goal.

With the win, the Giants improved to 9–1.

Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

Coming off their home win over the Ravens, the Giants flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 12 duel with the Arizona Cardinals.  In the first quarter, New York trailed early as Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers got a 34-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Giants responded with RB Derrick Ward getting a 1-yard TD run.  Arizona would answer with RB Tim Hightower getting a 4-yard TD run (with a failed extra-point attempt).  New York replied with kicker John Carney getting a 33-yard field goal, yet the Cardinals got the lead again as Rackers made a 20-yard field goal.  The Giants would regain the lead prior to halftime as QB Eli Manning completed a 12-yard TD pass to WR Amani Toomer.

In the third quarter, the G-Men increased their lead as Manning completed a 2-yard TD pass to FB Madison Hedgecock.  Arizona would answer with Hightower's 1-yard TD run.  In the fourth quarter, New York greatly increased their lead as Manning completed a 10-yard TD pass to TE Kevin Boss. Following an interception by Terrell Thomas, John Carney got a 27-yard field goal.  Arizona would respond with QB Kurt Warner completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin, yet the Giants answered with Carney getting a 33-yard field goal.  The Cardinals tried to come back as Rackers nailed a 44-yard field goal.  Fortunately, New York recovered the following onside kick and prevailed.

With the win, the Giants improved to 10–1.

Plaxico Burress shooting
On Friday, November 28, 2008, Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right thigh in a New York City nightclub when his gun, tucked in the waistband of his sweatpants, began sliding down his leg. The injury was not life-threatening and he was released from an area hospital the next afternoon. The following Monday, Burress turned himself in to police to face charges of criminal possession of a handgun. Burress had an expired concealed carry (CCW) license from Florida, but no New York license.

On December 2, 2008, Burress posted bail of $100,000.  He was scheduled to return to court on March 31, 2009, to enter a plea.  Later in the day, Burress reported to Giants Stadium as per team policy for injured but active players, and was told he would be suspended without pay.

Burress would later be released by the Giants on April 3, 2009.

Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins

Coming off their road win over the Cardinals, the Giants flew to Fedex Field for a Week 13 NFC East rematch with the Washington Redskins.  In the first quarter, New York scored first as QB Eli Manning completed a 40-yard TD pass to WR Amani Toomer, along with kicker John Carney getting a 31-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Giants increased their lead as Carney got a 38-yard field goal.  The Redskins would close out the half with WR Devin Thomas getting a 29-yard TD run.

In the third quarter, New York began to pull away as RB Brandon Jacobs got a 1-yard TD run.  In the fourth quarter, the Giants sealed the deal with Carney connecting on a 39-yard field goal.

With the season-sweep, the Giants improved to 11–1, exceeding the 1986 and 1990 teams (both started 10–2 and eventually won the Super Bowl) for the best 12-game record in franchise history.

Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia would score first in the game with a 51-yard David Akers field goal. Then in the second quarter, the Eagles Brian Westbrook scored on a 30-yard touchdown run that gave Philadelphia a 10–0 lead. With 7 seconds left in the 1st half, the Eagles attempted to go up 13–0 with a field goal, instead, the kick was blocked and returned 71 yards by Kevin Dockery for a Giants touchdown. That cut the lead to 10–7.

Early in the third quarter, Donovan McNabb found Brian Westbrook for a 40-yard Eagles touchdown that increased their lead to 17–7. Philadelphia would score again in the 3rd with a 34-yard field goal by David Akers. The Giants would score on a 1-yard pass from Eli Manning to Darcy Johnson with 20 seconds left in the game, but couldn't recover an onside kick and the Eagles won the game.

Despite falling to 11–2, the Giants clinched the NFC East title when the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20–13.

Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys

The second-to-last NFL game ever to be played at Texas Stadium was a defensive struggle that featured the Giants' weakest offensive showing of the year. Brandon Jacobs was sidelined with a knee injury, crippling New York's running game; Derrick Ward started in his place.

The Cowboys scored first, on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Patrick Crayton early in the second quarter. The Giants answered with a 34-yard John Carney field goal on the ensuing drive. The next scoring came in the fourth quarter, when Romo threw fullback Deon Anderson his first career touchdown. On the Cowboys' next drive, deep in their own territory, Mathias Kiwanuka sacked Romo and forced a fumble in the end zone, which resulted in a safety. But the Giants could only put up another field goal, and Tashard Choice's 38-yard touchdown run with 2:24 to play sealed the victory for the Cowboys. Eli Manning was sacked a season-high eight times to Romo's four.

The Giants had now lost two consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 1–2 of 2007, and fell to 11–3.

Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers

The Giants snapped their two-game losing streak and clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs by defeating the Panthers. With the loss Carolina failed to clinch the NFC South. The Giants had already clinched a first round bye by virtue of Minnesota's loss to Atlanta earlier in the day.

New York won the toss and scored on their opening drive on a 32-yard John Carney field goal. Carolina responded by scoring a touchdown on their first drive, a thirteen-yard run by DeAngelo Williams.

The Giants scored on their second drive as well, going 74 yards in 13 plays and ending with a Brandon Jacobs touchdown from the Carolina 2. The Panthers responded with another Williams touchdown run, this time five yards, and a 14–10 lead. After forcing the Giants to punt Carolina scored again, as Williams scored his third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. The drive went four plays for 65 yards, 60 of which came on a deep pass from Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad. Williams' touchdown came two plays after Steve Smith appeared to have scored on a short pass, but a replay challenge was upheld.

After the teams traded punts the Giants scored with 0:55 remaining in the half as Carney added his second field goal of the game. Then on their second drive of the second half, Eli Manning threw a short touchdown to Kevin Boss to cut the deficit to 21–20 with 1:07 remaining in the third quarter. Carolina scored on their very next drive, with Williams scoring for the fourth time on a thirty-yard run.

New York tied the game with 3:24 remaining as Jacobs scored on a one-yard touchdown run, after starting the drive in Panther territory. The Giants converted the two-point conversion on a pass from Manning to Domenik Hixon. Carolina then drove down the field and faced fourth and five from the Giants 32-yard line, but John Kasay missed the potential game-winning field goal from 50 yards out.

On their second possession of the overtime period the Giants started at their own 13-yard line. On the first play of the drive Derrick Ward ran for 51 yards and pushed the ball into Carolina territory. Ward added a fourteen-yard run two plays later and a seventeen-yard run the play following that, pushing his rushing total to 215 yards (a career-high) and leaving the Giants two yards from the endzone. On the next play Jacobs scored on a run, his third score of the game, and New York won the game.

The Giants rushed for 301 yards in the game compared to 158 for the Panthers. Jacobs added 87 yards to Ward's 215. Williams rushed for 108 yards on 24 carries, including his four touchdowns. Delhomme finished 11–19 for 185 yards and Manning 17–27 for 181 and a touchdown.

Ward's 14.3-yard rushing average was a single game Giants record. Manning became the first Giants quarterback to throw at least 3,000 passing yards in a season for four consecutive seasons.

While the gametime temperature was 34°, the wind chill being -28 made the game feel like it was only 6° at kickoff. Both teams emphasized their running games, 7 of the 8 touchdowns scored were on the ground.

Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings

The Giants lost their final game of the 2008 regular season in Minneapolis, their first loss to the Vikings in the Metrodome since the 2001 season. Minnesota clinched the NFC North division crown with the win. New York rested most of their starters in the second half and Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss, Aaron Ross, and Barry Cofield were held out of the game due to injuries.

After a scoreless first quarter the Vikings jumped out to a 10–0 lead early in the second quarter, with a Ryan Longwell field goal and a 67-yard touchdown run by Adrian Peterson coming 3:27 apart. Three field goals by John Carney cut the Vikings' lead to 10–9 at the half.

The Giants took their first lead in the third quarter as David Carr hit Domenik Hixon for a 23-yard touchdown pass and extended the lead to nine with 11:25 remaining in the game as Carney added his fourth field goal. Minnesota scored a touchdown on a long pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Bernard Berrian on their next drive, cutting the Giants lead to 19–17. The Giants then had a chance to extend the lead and force Minnesota to score a touchdown to win, but Carney missed from 48 yards with 3:17 to go. Jackson then led the Vikings into field goal range and Longwell hit from 50 yards out to win the game as time expired.

Eli Manning, who started for the Giants but was pulled in the third quarter, led the team with 119 yards passing on 11-for-19, and Carr added 110 yards on 8-for-11. Halfback Derrick Ward rushed for 77 yards on 15 carries, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the season (1,025), joining Jacobs in the 1,000-yard club and making the Giants the fourth team in NFL history (joining the 1971 Dolphins, 1976 Steelers, and 1985 Browns) with two 1,000-yard running backs.

Transactions

September
1 – Signed defensive end Jerome McDougle
1 – Signed defensive tackle Jeremy Clark to practice squad
1 – Signed defensive end Wallace Gilberry to practice squad
1 – Signed offensive tackle Na'Shan Goddard to practice squad
1 – Signed wide receiver Marcus Monk to practice squad
1 – Signed cornerback Geoffrey Pope to practice squad
1 – Signed offensive guard Kurt Quarterman to practice squad
1 – Signed quarterback Andre Woodson to practice squad
1 – Signed corerback Rashad Barksdale (Chiefs) to practice squad
1 – Placed defensive tackle Rodney Leisle on waivers
2 – Placed defensive tackle Rodney Leisle on reserve/injured
2 – Signed tight end Eric Butler to practice squad
2 – Released cornerback Geoffrey Pope from practice squad
8 – Signed wide receiver Taye Biddle (Detroit) to practice squad
8 – Released wide receiver Marcus Monk from practice squad
11 – Signed defensive tackle Leger Douzable (Vikings) to practice squad
11 – Released offensive guard Kurt Quarterman from practice squad
23 – Released tight end Eric Butler from practice squad
24 – Suspended wide receiver Plaxico Burress for 2 weeks
24 – Activated wide receiver Taye Biddle from practice squad
24 – Signed wide receiver John Broussard to practice squad

October
7 – Placed wide receiver Taye Biddle on waivers
7 – Released John Broussard from practice squad
9 – Signed wide receiver Taye Biddle to practice squad
21 – Signed offensive tackle Cliff Louis to practice squad
21 – Released cornerback Rashad Barksdale from practice squad
23 – Signed cornerback Rashad Barksdale to practice squad
23 – Released quarterback Andre Woodson from practice squad
27 – Signed quarterback Andre Woodson to practice squad
27 – Released offensive tackle Cliff Louis from practice squad

November
5 – Signed offensive tackle Cliff Louis to practice squad
5 – Released defensive end Wallace Gilberry from practice squad
29 – Placed safety Sammy Knight on injured reserve
29 – Activated defensive tackle Jeremy Clark from practice squad

December
2 – Signed safety Travonti Johnson to practice squad
3 – Suspended wide receiver Plaxico Burress for rest of season
3 – Activated defensive tackle Leger Douzable from practice squad
3 – Offensive tackle Na'Shan Goddard claimed by Seattle Seahawks
3 – Signed offensive guard Mike Fladell to practice squad
3 – Signed wide receiver Micah Rucker (Chiefs) to practice squad
16 – Placed running back Reuben Droughns on injured reserve
16 – Signed wide receiver Derek Hagan (Dolphins)
17 – Placed linebacker Jonathan Goff on injured reserve
17 – Signed linebacker Edmond Miles (Dolphins)
29 – Wide receiver Plaxico Burress's suspension lifted, placed on reserve/injured
30 – Placed cornerback Sam Madison on injured reserve
30 – Activated cornerback Rashad Barksdale from practice squad
30 – Signed linebacker Rich Scanlon
30 – Placed linebacker Edmond Miles on waivers
31 – Signed wide receiver Paul Raymond (Lions) to practice squad

Playoffs

NFC Divisional Round: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Entering the postseason as the NFC's top seed, the Giants began their postseason run at home in the NFC Divisional round against their NFC East rival, the #6 Philadelphia Eagles, in Round 3 of 2008's series.

New York got the early first quarter lead as kicker John Carney got a 22-yard field goal.  The Eagles would respond with quarterback Donovan McNabb getting a 1-yard touchdown run.  The Giants would answer in the second quarter as the defense forced McNabb into an intentional grounding penalty from his own endzone, giving them a safety.  Afterwards, Carney would give New York the lead with a 34-yard field goal.  However, Philadelphia would get the halftime lead as kicker David Akers got a 25-yard field goal.

The Giants would regain the lead in the third quarter as Carney made a 36-yard field goal, but the Eagles got the lead again as Akers kicked a 35-yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia took control as McNabb completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Celek, followed by Akers nailing a 20-yard field goal.  New York tried to rally, but the Eagles' defense would shut down any last attempt at a comeback.

With the loss, the Giants' season ended with an overall record of 12–5. This would be the final playoff game at Giants Stadium, as the Giants would move to New Meadowlands Stadium in 2010 after missing the playoffs in 2009. The Philadelphia Eagles became the first, and ultimately only, team to beat the Giants twice in the same season in Giants Stadium – the Giants were 7–2 at home this season and both losses were to the Eagles. It was also the first game in NFL history with a final score of 23–11.

Statistics

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Defensive

Kicking

Punting

See also
List of New York Giants seasons

References

New York Giants
New York Giants seasons
NFC East championship seasons
New York Giants season
21st century in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Meadowlands Sports Complex


The Sawtooth Range is a jagged snow-capped mountain range on central Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. It lies between the Fosheim Peninsula and the Wolf Valley. The Sawtooth Range is a subrange of the Arctic Cordillera.
It also runs through a Canadian Forces Station, called Eureka, a base used to study atmospheric changes.

Geology
Widespread clastic deposits,  long, on the eastern side of the Sawtooth Range are the result of debris flows and slushflows.

See also
List of mountain ranges

References

External links
Outcrop. • A-river section east of Mount Bridgman, eastern slopes of Sawtooth Range, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island

Arctic Cordillera
Mountain ranges of Qikiqtaaluk Region


John Christopher Casey JP (born 30 June 1964) is an Australian journalist and sports broadcaster. With a media career spanning three decades he is a versatile and respected host and play-by-play commentator who was the first person ever seen live on Australian pay television when it commenced in 1995.

Early life and education
John was born in the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales. He was educated at Burke Ward Primary School and Broken Hill High School, earning the vice-presidency of the Student Representative Council at the latter institution.
While a student he led the school band, was an athletics champion and helped NSW win a national schoolboys Australian football title in the 1979 Shell Cup

Career as a journalist
John started writing for the Barrier Daily Truth newspaper as an 18-year-old in 1981 and upon completion of his cadetship moved to Melbourne and joined The Sun News-Pictorial where, as a general news reporter, he wrote numerous front-page stories. In 1985 John joined The News in Adelaide as a sports journalist and combined this role with duties for the Sunday Mail where he was chief racing sub-editor.

Electronic media
After seven years service with newspapers in three states, John then began his television career as an on-camera sports presenter with SAS-10 (later to become SAS-7). As well as reading the weekend sports news, he also honed his skills as a commentator on national tennis telecasts and hosted the National Basketball League coverage.

During this time he also presented sports breaks for radio stations 5KA and 5AA.

In 1990–91 John became the first ever sports journalist contracted to Channel 7's London bureau and covered events such as Wimbledon tennis, British Open golf at St Andrews, FA Cup Finals, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Formula One and Susie Maroney's epic English Channel swim.

On his return to Australia in 1992, John moved to Sydney and took up a position as senior reporter with Channel 7's national prime time sports program "Seasons" while also reading news on 11AM and the weekend sports breaks for ATN-7. During this time his on the road assignments included the 1993 World Cup soccer qualifier in Argentina and the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada.

Pay television
Having gathered experience with Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting in London John was recruited to help launch pay television in Australia (Galaxy), which debuted in 1995 with the Premier Sports Network. Television legend Ron Casey (no relation) was to have been the first person seen live on Australian pay-TV, but a technical breakdown prevented this and it was left to John to utter the first words live to camera

Fox Sports
As the longest serving on-air personality at Fox Sports Australia, John has commentated on a wide range of events from AFL, NRL, world record swims from Ian Thorpe and Susie O'Neill, world title fights involving Kostya Tszyu and Anthony Mundine, PGA golf tour, Wimbledon and US Open tennis as well as national titles in athletics and hockey. However, he is best known for his work on National Basketball League telecasts which he has hosted since 1995, leading the play-by-play commentary in almost 1000 NBL and WNBL games combined.

John also called basketball at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, including Australia's quarter-final win over Italy. Basketball was one of three sports John called at the Olympics, along with football and boxing.

Studio shows he has hosted for Fox Sports include Main Game and The Back Page.

John also commentated the National League Indoor Cricket tournament in 2002 and 2003, which was played at Knox Indoor Sports in Victoria.

Print media
John worked briefly for the Sunraysia Daily in Mildura, Victoria in 2010, before returning to his hometown of Broken Hill to take on the role of general manager and Managing Editor of the Barrier Daily Truth.

Favorite phrase
'Bangiddy bang bang bang”

Other
 1983 appointed by His Excellency the Governor as a Justice of the Peace for the State of New South Wales.
 1989 part of the team led by Stewart Ginn which won the South Australian Open pro-am golf title.
 1991 elected councillor for Albert Park Ward of Woodville City Council, South Australia.
 1992 Named "Best Sportscaster" in the Better Hearing Australia Clear Speech Awards. He was also named by Cleo magazine as one of the 50 most eligible bachelors in Australia.

References

External links
 Starting 5 – Fox Sports

1964 births
Basketball announcers
People from Broken Hill, New South Wales
Living people
Olympic Games broadcasters
Australian tennis commentators
Golf writers and broadcasters
Boxing commentators
Australian sports journalists


The name of London is derived from a word first attested, in Latinised form, as Londinium. By the first century CE, this was a commercial centre in Roman Britain.

The etymology of the name is uncertain. There is a long history of mythicising etymologies, such as the twelfth-century Historia Regum Britanniae asserting that the city's name is derived from the name of King Lund who once controlled the city. However, in recent times a series of alternative theories have also been proposed. As of 2017, the trend in scholarly publications supports derivation from a Brittonic form *Londonjon.

Attested forms
Richard Coates, in the 1998 article where he published his own theory of the etymology, lists all the known occurrences of the name up to around the year 900, in Greek, Latin, British and Anglo-Saxon. Most of the older sources begin with Londin- (Λονδίνιον, Londino, Londinium etc.), though there are some in Lundin-. Later examples are mostly Lundon- or London-, and all the Anglo-Saxon examples have Lunden- with various terminations. He observes that the modern spelling with <o> derives from a medieval writing habit of avoiding <u> between letters composed of minims.

The earliest written mention of London occurs in a letter discovered in London in 2016. Dated AD 65–80, it reads Londinio Mogontio which translates to "In London, to Mogontius". Mogontio, Mogontiacum is also the Celtic name of the German city Mainz.

Phonology
Coates (1998) asserts that "It is quite clear that these vowel letters in the earliest forms [viz., Londinium, Lundinium], both <o> and <u>, represent phonemically long vowel sounds". He observes that the ending in Latin sources before 600 is always -inium, which points to a British double termination -in-jo-n.

However, it has long been observed that the proposed Common Brittonic name *Londinjon cannot give either the known Anglo-Saxon form Lunden, or the Welsh form . Following regular sound changes in the two languages, the Welsh name would have been *Lunnen or similar, and Old English would be *Lynden via i-mutation.

Coates (1998) tentatively accepts the argument by Jackson (1938) that the British form was -on-jo-n, with the change to -inium unexplained. Coates speculates further that the first -i- could have arisen by metathesis of the -i- in the last syllable of his own suggested etymon (see below).

Peter Schrijver (2013) by way of explaining the medieval forms  Lunden and Llundein considers two possibilities:
 In the local dialect of Lowland British Celtic, which later became extinct, -ond- became -und- regularly, and -ī- became -ei-, leading to Lundeinjon, later Lundein. The Welsh and English forms were then borrowed from this. This hypothesis requires that the Latin form have a long ī: Londīnium.
 The early British Latin dialect probably developed similarly as the dialect of Gaul (the ancestor of Old French). In particular, Latin stressed short i developed first into close-mid , then diphthongised to . The combination -ond- also developed regularly into -und- in pre-Old French. Thus, he concludes, the remaining Romans of Britain would have pronounced the name as Lundeiniu, later Lundein, from which the Welsh and English forms were then borrowed. This hypothesis requires that the Latin form have a short i: Londinium.

Schrijver therefore concludes that the name of Londinium underwent phonological changes in a local dialect (either British Celtic or British Latin) and that the recorded medieval forms in Welsh and Anglo-Saxon would have been derived from that dialectal pronunciation.

Proposed etymologies

Celtic
Coates says (p. 211) that "The earliest non-mythic speculation ... centred on the possibility of deriving London from Welsh , supposedly 'lake fort'. But  derives from British *lind-, which is incompatible with all the early attestations. Another suggestion, published in The Geographical Journal in 1899, is that the area of London was previously settled by Belgae who named their outposts after townships in Gallia Belgica. Some of these Belgic toponyms have been attributed to the namesake of London including Limé, Douvrend, and Londinières.

H. D'Arbois de Jubainville suggested in 1899 that the name meant Londino's fortress. But Coates argues that there is no such personal name recorded, and that D'Arbois' suggested etymology for it (from Celtic *londo-, 'fierce') would have a short vowel. Coates notes that this theory was repeated by linguists up to the 1960s, and more recently still in less specialist works. It was revived in 2013 by Peter Schrijver, who suggested that the sense of the proto-Indo-European root *lendh- ('sink, cause to sink'), which gave rise to the Celtic noun *londos ('a subduing'), survived in Celtic. Combined with the Celtic suffix *-injo- (used to form singular nouns from collective ones), this could explain a Celtic form *londinjon 'place that floods (periodically, tidally)'. This, in Schrijver's reading, would more readily explain all the Latin, Welsh, and English forms. Similar approaches to Schrijver's have been taken by Theodora Bynon, who in 2016 supported a similar Celtic etymology, while demonstrating that the place-name was borrowed into the West Germanic ancestor-language of Old English, not into Old English itself.

Coates (1998) proposes a Common Brittonic form of either *Lōondonjon or *Lōnidonjon, which would have become *Lūndonjon and hence Lūndein or Lūndyn. An advantage of the form *Lōnidonjon is that it could account for Latin Londinium by metathesis to *Lōnodinjon. The etymology of this *Lōondonjon would however lie in pre-Celtic Old European hydronymy, from a hydronym *Plowonida, which would have been applied to the Thames where it becomes too wide to ford, in the vicinity of London. The settlement on its banks would then be named from the hydronym with the suffix -on-jon, giving *Plowonidonjon and Insular Celtic *Lowonidonjon. According to this approach, the name of the river itself would be derived from the Indo-European roots *plew- "to flow, swim; boat" and  *nejd- "to flow", found in various river names around Europe.  Coates does admit that compound names are comparatively rare for rivers in the Indo-European area, but they are not entirely unknown. Lacey Wallace describes the derivation as "somewhat tenuous".

Non-Celtic
Among the first scientific explanations was one by Giovanni Alessio in 1951. He proposed a Ligurian rather than a Celtic origin, with a root *lond-/lont- meaning 'mud' or 'marsh'. Coates' major criticisms are that this does not have the required long vowel (an alternative form Alessio proposes, *lōna, has the long vowel, but lacks the required consonant), and that there is no evidence of Ligurian in Britain.

Jean-Gabriel Gigot in a 1974 article discusses the toponym of Saint-Martin-de-Londres, a commune in the French Hérault département. Gigot derives this Londres from a Germanic root  *lohna, and argues that the British toponym may also be from that source. But a Germanic etymology is rejected by most specialists.

Historical and popular suggestions
The earliest account of the toponym's derivation can be attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth. In Historia Regum Britanniae, the name is described as originating from King Lud, who seized the city Trinovantum and ordered it to be renamed in his honour as Kaerlud. This eventually developed into Karelundein and then London. However, Geoffrey's work contains many fanciful suppositions about place-name derivation and the suggestion has no basis in linguistics.

Other fanciful theories over the years have been:
 William Camden reportedly suggested that the name might come from Brythonic lhwn (modern Welsh ), meaning "grove", and "town". Thus, giving the origin as Lhwn Town, translating to "city in the grove".
 John Jackson, writing in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1792, challenges the Llyn din theory (see below) on geographical grounds, and suggests instead a derivation from  – presumably intended as 'valley city'.
 Some British Israelites claimed that the Anglo-Saxons, assumed to be descendants of the Tribe of Dan, named their settlement lan-dan, meaning "abode of Dan" in Hebrew.
 An unsigned article in The Cambro Briton for 1821 supports the suggestion of Luna din ('moon fortress'), and also mentions in passing the possibility of Llong din ('ship fortress').
 Several theories were discussed in the pages of Notes and Queries on 27 December 1851, including Luandun (supposedly "city of the moon", a reference to the temple of Diana supposed to have stood on the site of St Paul's Cathedral), and Lan Dian or Llan Dian ("temple of Diana"). Another correspondent dismissed these, and reiterated the common Llyn din theory.
 In The Cymry of '76 (1855), Alexander Jones says that the Welsh name derives from Llyn Dain, meaning 'pool of the Thames'.
 An 1887 Handbook for Travellers asserts that "The etymology of London is the same as that of Lincoln" (Latin ).
 Edward P. Cheney, in his 1904 book A Short History of England (p. 18), attributes the origin of the name to dun: "Elevated and easily defensible spots were chosen [in pre-Roman times], earthworks thrown up, always in a circular form, and palisades placed upon these. Such a fortification was called a dun, and London and the names of many other places still preserve that termination in varying forms."
 A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare (1918) mentions a variant on Geoffrey's suggestion being Lud's town, although refutes it saying that the origin of the name was most likely Saxon.

References

Culture in London
London
Social history of London
London


Plants

Angiosperms

Arthropods

Arachnids

Newly named crustaceans

Conodont paleozoology
Willi Ziegler and Charles A. Sandberg described the conodont genus Alternognathus.

Archosauromorphs

Newly named archosauromorphs

Newly named dinosaurs
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Newly named birds

Pterosaurs

References

Paleontology


Plants

Conifers

Angiosperms

Arthropods

Insects

Fish

Cartilaginous fish

Research
 Duffin & Ward (1983) erect the family Anachronistidae for their new genus Anachronistes, which would later become a junior synonym of Cooleyella.

New taxa

Archosauromorphs

Newly named dinosaurs
Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.

Newly named birds

Pterosaurs

New taxa

References

Paleontology
Paleontology 3


Abar Radi or Akbar Rādi (; 2 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Iranian playwright. He completed his studies at the University of Tehran in social sciences. He published his first story, Rain, in 1959.

Melody of a Rainy City, The Descent, The Fishermen, Death in Autumn, From behind the Glasses, The Glorious Smile of Mr. Gil, and Beneath the Saqqakhaneh Passage are among his well-known works.

The 68-year-old playwright whose works have been compared with those of Anton Chekhov and Henrik Ibsen died in a Tehran hospital on December 26, 2007.

Life
Radi was born to a middle-class family and was raised in the city of Rasht, where he lived the first eleven years of his life until his father, the owner of a confectionery factory, went bankrupt. Consequently, the family moved to Tehran in 1948, where he attended Lycée Razi (see FRANCE xv. FRENCH SCHOOLS IN PERSIA) in 1951, graduating in 1959. After completing a yearlong course in teachers’ training, he was employed by the Ministry of Education in 1962. He received his bachelor's degree from the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Tehran's Faculty of Letters and Humanities in 1964, and stayed on to continue his graduate studies in the same discipline, but he dropped out before completing his master's degree. In 1976 he started teaching playwriting in the Moʾassesa-ye morabbiyān-e omur-e honari (Institute for training art instructors) affiliated to the Ministry of Education, from which he retired in 1994. He began teaching playwriting as a free-lance lecturer in the University of Tehran in 1996, a position that he held until 1998. He married Ḥamideh ʿAnqāʾ in 1965. They had two sons, Āryā (1966) and Āraš (1971).

In 1954, Radi was introduced to the works of Sadeq Hedayat, the prominent storywriter, and wrote his first novella, Muš-e mordeh (The dead mouse), which was published in the Kayhan newspaper in 1956, and in the same year won the first prize in the competition for fiction writing, established by Eṭṭelāʿāt-e javānān, an offshoot of Eṭṭelāʿāt which was published for the youth (Šarifi, p. 673).  A staging of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's (1828-1906) A Doll's House in 1957 in Tehran, as he acknowledged later, was a turning point in his literary career. “I would have never become a playwright had I not seen that play.” (ʿAnqāʾ, personal notes; Oskuʾi, p. 281) Rowzaneh-ye ābi (The blue outlet, Tehran, 1962; Figure 2, Figure 3) and Oful (The decline, Tehran, 1964), Radi's first two plays, written after experiencing Ibsen, garnered critical appreciation from Šāhin Sarkisiyān, the acclaimed director, as “an innovative step in dramatic literature (Raḥmati and Dowlatābādi, p. 121). A family saga, Rowzaneh-ye ābi, revolves around incessant conflicts between a father and his four young children, who stand against his traditional beliefs. The mother supports her children and forces the father out of the house. “The credo propounded in Radi's works,” as noted by Moḥammad Čarmšir, “does not belong just to a sole character, but to all characters, as well as the audience” (Ṭālebi, p. 91).

In the following years many of Radi's works of fiction, including “Jāddeh” (The road), “Suʾ-e tafāhom” (Misunderstanding), and “Kučeh” (The alley), were published in major periodicals. His plays Moḥāq (The waning, Tehran, 1965), Mosāferān (The travelers, Tehran, 1966), Marg dar pāʾiz (Death in autumn, Tehran, 1967), and Az pošt-e šišehā (From behind the glasses, Tehran, 1967), all were released as television productions, directed by ʿAbbās Javānmard in 1967.

Az pošt-e šišehā, a play in four acts, tells the story of two couples, depicting the adverse conditions surrounding the lives of intellectuals, then a major issue of concern in Iran. The confined living room of one of the couples that live in solitude structurally and thematically mirrors the outside world, which the other couple represents. It earned the praise of a critic as “a play with which everybody would sympathize and relate with his entire being” (Bayżāʾi, p. 371). Jalāl Āl-e Aḥmad, however, did not concur with what he held as Radi's portrayal of the play's main character as a rowšanfekr-e pizori “false intellectual” (Asadi, 2005, p. 109). Mostafa Abdollahi revived “From behind the glasses” at Sangalaj theater in 2009.

By technical focus on spatial dynamics and staging, Radi turned his plays into a forum in which the intimate relationships of emotionally diverse individuals were displayed, and private fates mirrored societal tensions. “The spatial dimension became a central factor for Radi in his playwriting. He understood that the conception of the stage as a room had come to dominate modern drama as a result of the focus on the individual and his intimate relationships” (Zahedi, 2006, pp. 112–13).

In spite of Radi's frequent assertions that he avoided political themes, he was almost constantly engaged with the idea of democracy and freedom in his plays. Ṣayyādān (Fishermen, 1969), in which a group of fishermen rise up against a large fishing firm, offers a rewarding example on the revolutionary impact of his works.

In 1971, he published a series of articles called “Nāmehā-ye hamšahri” (The letters from a citizen) in the literary monthly Negin, founded and edited by Maḥmud ʿEnāyat. A collected volume of these letters was published in 1977 under the same title. It was banned with the outbreak of the unrest caused by the imminence of the Islamic Revolution in 1978.

His play Labḵand-e bāšokuh-e Āqā-ye Gil (The glorious smile of Mr. Gil), in which Jamileh Šeiḵi and Moḥammad ʿAli Kešāvarz appeared at the leading roles, was staged at Sanglaj Theatre in 1971 (Oskuʾi, p. 304). It deals with the bleak and hollow relationships among the members of a paranoid, aristocratic family. “As the relationships between the members of Gil family are brought under focus, the transition from feudalism to technocracy accompanied by some kind of sadomasochism is also brought to life in the context of the play” (Qāderi, p. 582). A series of Radi's articles called Dasti az dur (A hand from afar) was published by Raz Publishers In 1973.

Radi's fascinating use of language in Dar meh beḵˇān (Sing in the mist, Tehran, 1975) highlights the splendor of Persian poetry and its mythopoetic overtones. In his play Monji dar ṣobḥ-e namnāk (Savior in a misty morning, Tehran, 1987), Radi scrutinizes the inevitability of a vague destiny as well as the idea of a lost identity, as the play carries burden of the writer's dreams and expectations (Bahrāmi, p. 80). In Pellekān (The Stairs, 1982), Radi designs a pent, angular world on the basis of five metaphoric stairways made out of human bones on which the protagonist, ascends to fulfill his Machiavellian ambitions. Through ascending each step, he descends more to the abyss of a world deprived of justice and human values. Tāngo-ye toḵm-e morq-e dāq (The tango of the hot egg, 1984), the revised version of a play which was published as Erṯieh-ye Irāni in 1968, and Āhesteh bā gol-e sorḵ (Tender with the red rose), appeared in 1984, followed by the publication of Monji dar ṣobḥ-e namnāk (The savior in a wet morning) in 1987 (Figure 4).

In his historical play Bāḡ-e šabnamā-ye mā (Our shining garden, Tehran, 1999), Radi exposes the dictatorial nature of the government in the guise of a semi-documentary, and incarnates the concept of unrestrained political power in the grotesque figure of a king who repeatedly contradicts himself. In the second act, Radi introduces Baqqāl-bāzi dar ḥożur (baqqāl-bāzi in the presence [of the king]), an offshoot of the traditional, improvised popular comedy known as Baqqāl-bāzi, which is performed as a play within the play. In weaving this traditional dramatic piece into the heart of his drama, Radi employs the method of alienation by making the king laugh at what he himself does along with the audience.

He completed Bu-ye bārān laṭif ast (The smell of the rain is mild) in 1997, and Āmiz Qalamdun in 1998. Melodi-e šahr-e bārāni (The melody of the rainy city), and a series of articles called Ensān-e riḵteh  (The broken man), as well as Ḵānumeh o mahtābi, one of the plays most admired by Radi himself, were published from 2000 to 2003. Radi has earned the praise of critics as “a distinguished playwright” (Šarifi, P. 673–74) and a writer whose incorporation of colloquial Persian in his works has contributed to the preservation of the dialects of the northern provinces (Ghanoonparvar, p. 531).

Radi's complete works were published in four volumes called Ru-ye ṣaḥneh-ye ābi (On the blue stage, 2003; Figure 5). He remained a prolific writer through the final years of his life. In 2004, he published the plays Šab be ḵeyr Jenāb-e Kont (Good night, my count), Pāʾin-e goḏar-e Saqqā-ḵāneh (Beneath the Saqqa-khaneh passage), and Cactus. Radi finished writing his last play, Ahanghā-ye šokolāti (Chocolate songs) amidst a year-long battle with cancer, to which he succumbed on 12 December 2007. The Radi Foundation was established, through his wife, Ḥamideh ʿAnqā's enterprise, with the collaboration of the municipality in Tehran in 2009.

Šenāḵt-nāmeh-ye Akbar Rādi (Akbar Radi: life and work), edited by Farāmarz Ṭālebi, was published in 2004, and Akbar Radi's Award was introduced in the same year by the University Theatre Festival in Tehran. Bešnow az ney, an extensive interview with Radi by Malek Ebrāhim Amiri, was published in 1991. The revised version of the book with addition of the author's comments was published as Mokālemāt (Conversations, Tehran, 2000).

Bibliography:

Selected plays of Akbar Radi.

Āhesteh bā gol-e sorḵ (Peaceful with the Rose), Tehran, 1989.

Āmiz Qalamdun, Tehran, 1998.

Az pošt-e šišehā (From Behind the Windows), Tehran, 1967.

Bāq-e šabnamā-ye mā, Tehran, 1999.

Bu-ye bārān laṭif-ast (The Scent of Rain is Elegant), Tehran, 1997.

Cactus, Tehran, 2004.

Erṯieh-ye Irāni (Iranian Heritage), Tehran, 1968.

Hamlet bā sālād-e faṣl (Hamlet with Season Salad), Tehran, 1978

Ḵānumeh o mahtābi, Tehran, 2003.

Labḵand-e bāšokuh-e Āqā-ye Gil, Tehran, 1973.

Marg dar pāʾiz, Tehran, 1970.

Melodi-e šahr-e bārāni, Tehran, 2003.

Monji dar ṣobḥ-e namnāk, Tehran, 1987.

Moḥāq, Tehran, 1963.

Mosāferān, Tehran, 1966.

Oful, Tehran, 1964.

Pellekān, Tehran, 1989.

Rowzaneh-ye ābi, Tehran, 1962.

Ru-ye ṣaḥneh-ye ābi (complete works in 4 volumes), Tehran, 2003.

Šab be ḵeyr Jenāb-e Kont, Tehran, 2004.

Ṣayyādān, Tehran, 1969.

Šab ru-y-e sangfarš-e ḵis, Tehran, 1999.

Tāngo-ye toḵm-e morḡ-e dāq, Tehran, 2001.

Works Translated into English
Radi's play called From Behind the Windows was translated into English by well-known Iranian writer and translator, Reza Shirmarz.

References

External links
Akbar Radi on Encyclopædia Iranica
Akbar Radi on Open Library
 Akbar Radi Passed away BBC
Iran theater, some portraits of Akbar Radi, by Reza Moatarian

Iranian screenwriters
Iranian dramatists and playwrights
1939 births
2007 deaths
People from Gilan Province
20th-century dramatists and playwrights
20th-century screenwriters
Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Tehran alumni


The Hartz Mountains are a mountain range on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Sirmilik National Park which is Baffin Island's northernmost national park. It makes up part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain system.

See also
List of mountain ranges

References

Mountain ranges of Qikiqtaaluk Region
Arctic Cordillera


Elsa Wiezell (November 19, 1926 – August 23, 2014) was a Paraguayan poet and teacher. Her work also includes paintings that reside in art galleries and cultural centers of Asunción. She was born in Asunción, Paraguay, daughter of Julia Apezteguía and Rubén Wiezell, of Swedish descent.

Childhood and youth
She spent her childhood surrounded by her family, playing games and pranks with her siblings Genoveva and Nills in the once quiet streets of Zeballos Cué. They moved later and definitively to Asunción. She completed her primary studies in Asuncion at the International School.

In her youth, her inclination towards poetry was evident, and she began her first literary works at that time. Entranced in her thoughts, she always searched for places of self-discovery. This took her to the college studies at the National University of Asuncion, where she finished her studies with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and literature in 1950.

Career
After graduating, she taught Secondary Level psychology courses at the Benjamin Aceval School in Asunción. She was also in charge of the psychology class at the University of Columbia.

Committed to the diffusion of arts and culture within Paraguay, she founded such institutions as the Modern Art Museum, the journal The Feminist (for which she was chief editor), and the Belle Arts School, serving as director from 1965 to 1977.

Awards
Throughout her career, Elsa Wiezell has been internationally acclaimed and rewarded (even more than in her own native Paraguay) and is considered by many critics and academic scholars to be amongst the most important and influential Spanish-language poets of her time. Many scholars study her work, including Charles Richard Carlisle (Professor of Spanish Literature at Southwest Texas University in Texas, United States), Carlos Sabat Ercasty Carlos Sabat Ercasty and Norma Suiffet (Professor of Literature at Institute of Superior Studies in Uruguay and Specialist in Spanish Philosophy at the University of Salamanca, Spain).

Style
In her work can be perceived a placid poetic style. Her loose verses give the sensation of peaceful freedom and smooth movement. Her style is rich in literary language.

The inspiration and subjects of her works are almost tangible. Water is a recurrent subject, and she also refers to loneliness and to the dreams that usually clash with a reality manifested, for example, as "painful destiny of the body at the earth...". Carlos Sabat Ercasty has written, "The work of Elsa Wiezell is beautiful and dignified, predetermined by a noble double heroism, marching high and sustaining flight..."

Family

She was married to Vicente Ferrer Espínola, and had three children: Lourdes, Armando and Patricia.

References

 Wiezell, Elsa "Tren del agua" ("Train of the Water"). Imprenta Salesiana. 1996. Asuncion.

External links
 Los Poetas
 El Poder De La Palabra

1926 births
2014 deaths
Paraguayan feminists
Paraguayan people of Basque descent
Paraguayan people of Swedish descent
Paraguayan women painters
Paraguayan women poets
People from Asunción
Universidad Nacional de Asunción alumni
20th-century Paraguayan painters
20th-century Paraguayan poets
21st-century Paraguayan poets
20th-century Paraguayan women writers
21st-century Paraguayan women writers
20th-century women artists
21st-century women artists


CyberCode is a visual tagging system based on a 2D barcode technology. Designed to be read by low-cost CMOS or CCD cameras common in mobile devices, it can also be used to determine the 3D position of the tagged object as well as its ID number.

A CyberCode tag is a 2D barcode symbology designed to be read from many angles.  A computer with attached camera can locate the tag and decode the data within the 2D barcode.  Visual fiduciary markers surrounding the barcode allow the computer to quickly locate the tag within the field of view of the camera. Additionally, the design of the CyberCode tag allows the computer to track position and orientation in three dimensions.

These features allow the tags to be used for augmented reality applications.  CyberCode tags affixed to real-world objects would allow the user to view the world through the camera and have the computer overlay additional information over the display.  The information encoded in the barcode identifies the object, and because of the tag's design, the computer can detect the orientation of the object relative to the viewer.

The main limitation of CyberCode is its extremely limited capacity.  Holding only 24 data bits plus 7 error correction bits (or 48+14 in a double-sized variant), the number of objects it can identify is limited.

Examples
In the video game "Eye of Judgment", CyberCode tags are printed on collectible cards.  The surface where the cards are played is situated in front of a camera and the image is shown on the screen.  When cards are placed in front of a camera, the computer displays a 3D model over the image of the card.  As the card is moved and rotated on the playing surface, the computer can re-orient the 3D model to the new position of the card.

Some other, hypothetical examples include:
 A CyberCode tag is printed next to each diagram in an anatomy textbook. A student, equipped with a video-enabled phone or computer can quickly bring up a 3D version of the diagram on the computer and rotate and zoom to get a better view.
 An auto mechanic, equipped with video goggles could look at an engine and have diagnostic information overlain on the actual engine he is working on.
 CyberCode tags placed on products in a store would allow a shopper with a camera-equipped phone or PDA to quickly reference additional information such as videos of the product in use or consumer reviews.
 CyberCode tags in print advertisements could allow readers to quickly bookmark the manufacturer's website without the need to type the address into the computer.

See also
mobile tagging

References

External links
Matrix: A Realtime Object Identification and Registration Method for Augmented Reality - Developer Jun Rekimoto's page on CyberCode

Barcodes
Automatic identification and data capture


Mamara may refer to:
Mamara, a language also known as Minyanka
mamara, the Hindi name for a type of puffed rice
Mamara, Peru, a town in Apurímac region in Peru.


Mayo High School for Math, Science, and Technology is a magnet high school located in Darlington, South Carolina. The school educates about 340 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Darlington County School District.

History
Mayo High School was built around 1950 as an African-American school. It was named for Dr. Amory Dwight Mayo, a minister and educator.

At the order of a judge to become desegregated, Mayo was renovated and became a magnet school in 1996. It was named for Dr. Dwight Mayo, an educator.

Mayo High School earned a silver medal in the U.S. News/School Matters Best High Schools rankings. Their most recent award is being recognized as a Palmetto's Finest School.

References

Schools in Darlington County, South Carolina
Public high schools in South Carolina
Magnet schools in South Carolina
Darlington, South Carolina


Rogues in the House is a 1976 collection of two fantasy short stories written by Robert E. Howard featuring his sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian.  The book was published in 1976 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. as volume VI of their deluxe Conan set.  The title story originally appeared in the magazine Weird Tales in 1934.

Contents
 "Rogues in the House"
 "The Frost-Giant's Daughter"

References

1976 short story collections
Fantasy short story collections
Conan the Barbarian books
Donald M. Grant, Publisher books


Goalpokhar I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Islampur subdivision of Uttar Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

History
Historically the western frontier of ancient Pundravardhana kingdom, bordering ancient Anga of Mahabharat fame, the Dinajpur area remained somewhat obscure in the major empires that held sway over the region and beyond till the rise of the Dinajpur Raj during the Mughal period. Some areas later forming a part of Uttar Dinajpur were parts of kingdoms in Nepal. Dinajpur district was constituted by the British in 1786, with a portion of the estate of Dinajpur Raj. Subsequent to the Permanent Settlement in 1793, the semi-independent Dinajpur Raj was further broken down and some of its tracts were transferred to the neighbouring British districts of Purnea, Malda, Rajshahi and Bogra. In 1947, the Radcliffe Line placed the Sadar and Thakurgaon subdivisions of Dinajpur district in East Pakistan. The Balurghat subdivision of Dinajpur district was reconstituted as West Dinajpur district in West Bengal.  Raiganj subdivision was formed in 1948.

In order to restore territorial links between northern and southern parts of West Bengal which had been snapped during the partition of Bengal, and on the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission a portion of the erstwhile Kishanganj subdivision comprising Goalpokhar, Islampur and Chopra thanas (police stations) and parts of Thakurganj thana, along with the adjacent parts of the erstwhile Gopalpur thana in Katihar subdivision were transferred from Purnea district in Bihar to West Bengal in 1956, and were formally incorporated into Raiganj subdivision in West Dinajpur. The township of Kishanganj and its entire municipal boundary remained within Bihar. Islampur subdivision was formed in March 1959. At the same time, the portion of Chopra PS lying to the north of the Mahananda river covering an area that now comprises Bidhannagar-1 gram panchayat, Bidhannagar-2 GP, Chathat-Bansgaon GP and the southern half of Phansidewa-Bansgaon Kismat GP in Darjeeling district, was transferred from West Dinajpur to the jurisdiction of Phansidewa PS in Darjeling district. With the introduction of the Community Development Programme in 1960–61, community development blocks were set up in West Dinajpur district.

In 1992, West Dinajpur district was bifurcated and Uttar Dinajpur district was established.

Geography
Goalpokhar is located at .

Uttar Dinajpur district has a flat topography and slopes gently from north to south. All rivers flow in that direction. Except for the eastern fringes of Chopra CD Block, most of the district is a part of the catchment area of the Mahanada and also a part of the larger Barind Tract The soil is composed of different varieties of alluvium.  The main rivers are: Nagar, Mahananda, Kulik, Gamari, Chhiramati (Srimati) and Tangon. The rivers have little water in the dry season but with heavy rains, during monsoon, overflow the banks. The Nagar river flows along the international border with Bangladesh on the east of Goalpohar I CD Block. The Sartano river flows through the CD Block and Sudana river on the eastern part.

There is one river flowing from north to south in the eastern border of Goalpokhar I block and that river acts as the natural border between West Bengal of India and Bangladesh. The BSF has done much fencing alongside the river. Because of this fencing, a huge area of cultivable land has fallen on the other side of the river which is not accessible to the farmers of this region and it causes lot of trouble to the farmers because it is almost as if they have lost their cultivable lands because of the fencing by the BSF.

Goalpokhar I CD Block is bounded by Islampur CD Block on the north, Baliadangi, Ranisankail and Haripur Upazilas in Thakurgaon District of Bangladesh on the east, Karandighi CD Block on the south and Goalpokhar II CD Block and Kishanganj CD Block in Kishanganj district of Bihar on the west.

Approximately 206 km of the India-Bangladesh border is in Uttar Dinajpur district. It covers the eastern boundary of the district. On the western side Uttar Dinajpur district has 227 km boundary with Bihar.

Goalpokhar I CD Block has an area of 365.11 km2.It has 1 panchayat samity, 14 gram panchayats, 204 gram sansads (village councils), 153 mouzas and 144 inhabited villages. Goalpokhar police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at PO Panjipara, Goalpokhar.

Uttar Dinajpur district is one of the smaller districts in the state and stands 15th in terms of area (3,140.00 km2) in the state.

Gram panchayats of Goalpokhar I block/ panchayat samiti are: Dharampur I, Dharampur II, Goagaon I, Goagaon II, Goalpokher, Goti, Jaingaon, Khagore, Lodhan, Mahua, Panjipara, Pokharia, Sahapur I. Sahapur II.

Demographics

Population
As per the 2011 Census of India, Goalpokhar I CD Block had a total population of 326,120, of which 320,121 were rural and 5,939 were urban. There were 169,954 (52%) males and 156,166 (48%) females. Population below 6 years was 61,875. Scheduled Castes numbered 43,442 (13.32%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 12,595 (3.86%).

As per 2001 census, Goalpokhar I block had a total population of 245,603, out of which 126,706 were males and 118,897 were females. Goalpokhar I block registered a population growth of 26.56 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 28.72 per cent.

The only census town in Goalpokhar I CD Block was (2011 population in brackets): Hanskunda (5,939).

Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Goalpokhar I CD Block were (2011 population in brackets): Majlishpur (7,802),  Churakuti (5,257), Panjipara (12,376), Teliapokhar (5,362), Majhok (4,709), Pokharia (5,541), Mahua (16,080), Jaingaon (10,866), Chhota Patna (4,186), Khargar (5,422), Raypur (4,433), Dharampur (5,255), Bara Singhanath (5,464), Angarbhasa (4,208), Athiala (5,887), Goalpokhar (4,500), Babhanbari (4,088), Goalin (6,623), Debiganj (6,457), Agoi (4,308) and Sholpara (4,045).

Other villages in Goalpokhar I CD Block included (2011 population in brackets): Goagaon (2,150) and Lodhan (3,955).

Decadal Population Growth Rate (%)

Note: The CD Block data for 1971–1981, 1981-1991 and 1991-2001 is for Goalpokhar PS covering both Goalpokhar I and Goalpokhar II blocks

The decadal growth of population in Goalpokhar CD Block in 2001-2011 was 31.88%. The decadal growth of population in Goalpokhar PS  in 1991-2001 was 30.19%, in 1981-91 was 27.06% and in 1971-81 was 33.39%. The decadal growth rate of population in Uttar Dinajpur district was as follows:  30.2% in 1971–81, 34.0% in 1981–91, 28.7% in 1991-2001 and 23.2% in 2001–11. The decadal growth rate for West Bengal was 13.93% in 2001–2011, 17.77% in 1991–2001. 24.73% in 1981-1991 and 23.17% in 1971–1981.

Uttar Dinajpur district has the highest decadal population growth rate in West Bengal with a figure of 23.2% for the decade 2001-2011 and is much higher than the state average of 13.8%.

According to the Human Development Report for Uttar Dinajpur district, population growth in the area that later became Uttar Dinajpur district was low in the pre-independence era and started picking up with the waves of East Bengali refugees coming in from erstwhile East Pakistan. Despite the formation of an international border in 1947, none of the PS areas in the area which later formed Islampur SD showed much increase in settlement density between 1941 and 1951, and accelerated settlement only came into evidence in this region after 1961, following their transfer from Bihar to West Bengal. Thus, as population growth in the Uttar Dinajpur region accelerated considerably under the impetus of partition migration after 1951, the Islampur SD areas offered additional living space, easing the overall migration pressure on the region.

The Human Development Report analyses, “A spurt in population growth rates first became evident between 1951-1961, and was further magnified between 1971-81 after the creation of Bangladesh when population growth in most districts bordering the Bangladesh-West Bengal frontier showed similar escalation. However, after 1981, when population growth in most other West Bengal districts had tapered off, growth rates in Uttar Dinajpur again showed a fresh spurt. Thus, no deceleration in population growth rates occurred in the district until after 1991… In addition to Hindu and tribal migrants from across the international border, a sizeable number of migrant Muslims have also settled in the district, mainly driven by economic reasons… migrants from other states comprised 23% of the total migrants residing in Uttar Dinajpur.” The large number of migrants from other states is mainly from the neighbouring areas in Bihar.

A study by North Bengal University has observed that “Immigrants from East Pakistan/Bangladesh have arrived in Uttar Dinajpur in almost equal numbers before and after 1971.” The Human Development Report opines, “The overall post-Partition impact on the rates of demographic growth has been particularly strong in all North Bengal districts. Despite its smaller relative size, the region has received more migration in pro rata terms than the West Bengal districts lying south of the Ganga.”

Literacy
As per the 2011 census, the total number of literates in Goalpokhar I CD Block was 111,662 (42.26% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 67,441 (48.80% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 44,221 (35.08% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 13.72%.

The literacy rate in Uttar Dinajpur district at 60.13% in 2011, up from 47.89% in 2001, was the lowest amongst all districts of West Bengal. The highest literacy rate amongst the districts of West Bengal was that of Purba Medinipur district at 87.66% in 2011.

According to the Human Development Report for Uttar Dinajpur district,  “Goalpokhar-1, Goalpokhar-2, Karandighi and Islampur blocks in that order stood at the very bottom of the literacy scale in the state. This pooling of illiteracy within Islampur SD also led to the low ranking of Uttar Dinajpur at 494th position out of 595 Indian districts in terms of literacy rates in 2001, despite which its rank had improved considerably in relative terms from the 523rd rank it had occupied in 1991.”

The five blocks transferred from the state of Bihar to form a new subdivision in West Dinajpur in 1959 had until 1956 been part of the Kishanganj region which is still characterised by a low overall literacy rate of 31 percent in 2006–07, against which the corresponding rate for Uttar Dinajpur as a whole is a literacy rate of 48 percent... “Like Kishanganj which is now a full-fledged Bihar district, Islampur SD too has a largely rural profile, a large Muslim population and deep concentration of rural poverty”... Persisting regional disparities in access to education and infrastructure, rather than the response and enthusiasm of the local people are largely responsible for making Uttar Dinajpur the least literate district in West Bengal. “Thus, a major challenge facing the district relates to the improvement of educational attainments of the weaker social sections and women, especially among the Muslim community which has a dominant presence in the Islampur SD region… A huge gulf separates the Muslim literacy rate of 36 percent in Uttar Dinajpur from the Muslim literacy rate of 58 percent achieved by West Bengal as a whole.”

See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate

See also - Literacy in Bihar

Language and religion

In the 2011 census, Muslims numbered 251,965 and formed 77.26% of the population in Goalpokhar I CD Block. Hindus numbered 72,892 and formed 22.35% of the population. Christians numbered 676 and formed 0.21% of the population. Others numbered 587 and formed 0.18% of the population. In Goalpokhar I and Goalpokhar II CD Blocks taken together, as per the District Statistical Handbook for Uttar Dinajpur, while the proportion of Muslims increased from 67.71% in 1991 to 68.82% in 2001, the proportion of Hindus declined from 31.69% in 1991 to 30.19% in 2001.

In the 2011 census, Uttar Dinajpur district had 1,501,170 Muslims who formed 49.92% of the population, 1,482,943 Hindus who formed 49.31% of the population, 16,702 Christians who formed 0.56% of the population and 6,319 persons belonging to other religions who formed 0.23% of the population. While the proportion of Muslim population in the district increased from 45.3% in 1991 to 49.9% in 2011, the proportion of Hindu population declined from 54.2% in 1991 to 49.2% in 2011.

In 2001, Bengali was the mother-tongue of 66.8% of the population of Uttar Dinajpur district, followed by Surajpuri (11.7%), Urdu (9.8%), Hindi (4.0%), Santali (4.0%), Telugu (0.4%), Kurukh/Oraon (0.3%), Bhojpuri (0.3%), Sadan/ Sadri (0.1%), Nepali (0.1%) and Maithili (0.1%). Other languages spoken were: Rajbansi, Oriya, Marwari and Munda. The proportion of population having Bengali as their mother tongue increased from 72.2% in 1961 to 76.5% in 1991 and then dropped to 66.8% in 2001. The proportion of population having Surajpuri as their mother tongue increased from 3.3% in 1991 to 11.7% in 2001. The proportion of population having Urdu as their mother tongue decreased from 10.1% in 1961 to 6.0% in 1971 and then increased to 9.8% in 2001. Information about mother-tongue is available only at the district level and above. In the District Census Handbook for Uttar Dinajpur district covering 2011 census, the mother-tongue information is provided for the period 1961 to 2001.

The Human Development Report for Uttar Dinajpur describes the Islampur subdivision as “a region where Urdu and Hindi are widely
spoken as a first language because of the prior transfer of this territory to West Bengal from Bihar”

As per the West Bengal Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2012, which came into force from December 2012, Urdu was given the status of official language in areas, such as subdivisions and blocks, having more than 10% Urdu speaking population. In Uttar Dinajpur district, Goalpokhar I and II blocks, Islampur block and Islampur municipality were identified as fulfilling the norms set In 2014, Calcutta High Court, in an order, included Dalkhola municipality in the list.

Rural poverty
As per the Rural Household Survey conducted in 2002, 59.2% of the rural families in Goalpokhar I CD Block belonged to the BPL category, against 46.7% of rural families in Uttar Dinajpur district being in the BPL category.  As per the Human Development Report for Uttar Dinajpur district, “The two Goalpokhar blocks are placed in the least favourable positions in Uttar Dinajpur, both because of low levels of human development and high concentration of exclusion and human poverty. Goalpokhar-1 nevertheless does better than Itahar in terms of Human Poverty Index (HPI). Goalpokhar-2, on the other hand, is incontrovertibly the least developed block of Uttar Dinajpur district, with the lowest levels of human development and the highest concentration of human poverty”.

Economy

Livelihood

In Goalpokhar I CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators numbered 31,366 and formed 31.10%, agricultural labourers numbered 47,488 and formed  47.08%, household industry workers numbered 3,744 and formed 3.71% and other workers numbered  18,236 and formed 18.11%. Total workers numbered 100,866 and formed 30.93% of the total population, and non-workers numbered 225,254 and formed 69.07% of the population.

Note: In the census records a person is considered a cultivator, if the person is engaged in cultivation/ supervision of land owned by self/government/institution. When a person who works on another person's land for wages in cash or kind or share, is regarded as an agricultural labourer. Household industry is defined as an industry conducted by one or more members of the family within the household or village, and one that does not qualify for registration as a factory under the Factories Act. Other workers are persons engaged in some economic activity other than cultivators, agricultural labourers and household workers.  It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on.

Infrastructure
There are 144 inhabited villages in Goalpokhar I CD Block. All 144 villages (100%) have power supply. All 104 villages (100%) have drinking water supply. 28 villages (19.44%) have post offices. 119 villages (82.64%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 59 villages (40.97%) have a pucca (paved) approach road and 49 villages (34.03%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 4 villages (2.78%) have agricultural credit societies. 8 villages (5.56%) have banks.

Agriculture
“With its distinctive physiographic and agroclimatic features, the Dinajpur region has been a bread-basket area of Bengal for many centuries, growing multiple varieties of fine and coarse rice in vast quantities, along with major economic crops like jute. The livelihood profile of Uttar Dinajpur district has evolved in association with these old agricultural patterns, and more than two-thirds of its active workforce still draws livelihoods directly from agriculture and related occupations.”

Agricultural potential has been uneven across Uttar Dinajpur based on soil conditions and irrigation potential. This has generated considerable internal migration within the district, as areas with higher agricultural potential and higher labour demand has attracted large number of people. The impact of land reforms has also varied. As the Islampur subdivision blocks evolved initially under the Bihar administration, the land estates were larger in size and the extent of land acquired under ceiling laws were higher. The cultivator population in Islampur subdivision was also thinner. Such conditions have been favourable for migrants. The movement of people from agricultural activities to non-agricultural activities has been low in Uttar Dinajpur district except for some pockets.

Goalpokhar I CD Block had 159 fertiliser depots, 19 seed stores and 81 fair price shops in 2013–14.

In 2013–14, Goalpokhar I CD Block produced 47,362 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop from 21,766 hectares, 9,794 tonnes of Boro paddy (spring crop) from 4,217 hectares, 160 tonne of Aus paddy (summer crop) from 90 hectares, 13,807 tonnes of wheat from 5,925 hectares, 6,017 tonnes of maize from 2,471 hectares, 62,316 tonnes of jute from 5,386 hectares and 32,756 tonnes of potatoes from 1,480 hectares. It also produced pulses and oilseeds.

In 2013–14, the total area irrigated in Goalpokhar I CD Block was 319 hectares, out of which 79 hectares were irrigated by river lift irrigation and 240 hectares by deep tube wells.

Craft based activities
“More than eleven hundred rural households across the district are engaged in traditional crafts based industries, among which dhokra, mat making, terracotta, village pottery and bamboo craft in the Goalpokhar-1 and Kaliaganj regions are notable.”

Banking
In 2012–13, Goalpokhar I CD Block had offices of five commercial banks and four gramin banks.

Backward Regions Grant Fund
Uttar Dinajpur district is listed as a backward region and receives financial support from the Backward Regions Grant Fund.  The fund, created by the Government of India, is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. As of 2012, 272 districts across the country were listed under this scheme. The list includes 11 districts of West Bengal.

Transport

Goalpokhar I CD Block has 5 originating/ terminating bus routes. The nearest railway station is 20 km from CD Block headquarters

The Howrah–New Jalpaiguri line passes through Goalpokhar I CD Block and there are stations at Ikarchala and Panjipara railway station. In the early 1960s, when Farakka Barrage was being  constructed, a far reaching change was made. Indian Railways constructed a new broad-gauge rail link from south Bengal to connect North Bengal.

National Highway 27 passes through Goalpokhar I CD Block.

Education
In 2012–13, Goalpokhar I CD Block had 121 primary schools with 30,965 students, 16 middle schools with 4,862 students, 7 high schools with 2,192 students and 7 higher secondary schools with 14,459 students. Goalpokhar I CD Block had  522 institutions for special and non-formal education with 50,429 students.

As per the 2011 census, in Golpokhar CD Block, amongst the 144 inhabited villages, 14 villages did not have a school, 91 villages had 1 or more  primary schools, 38 villages had at least 1 primary and 1 middle school and 15 villages had at least 1 middle and 1 secondary school.

The mid-day meal programme for rural school children was launched in 2005 in Uttar Dinajpur district. As on 30 April 2015, 602,557 children in 3,006 schools were covered under this programme.

Shree Agrasen Mahavidyalaya was established in 1995 at Dalkhola (outside the CD block).

Healthcare
In 2013, Goalpokhar I CD Block had 1 block primary health centre and 1 primary health centre, with total 40 beds and 4 doctors (excluding private bodies). It had 40 family welfare subcentres. 4,762 patients were treated indoor and 202,752 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD Block.

Lodhan rural hospital at PO Goalpokhar (with 30 beds) is the main medical facility in Goalpokhar I CD block. There is a  primary health centre at Goagaon (with 10 beds).

External links

References

Community development blocks in Uttar Dinajpur district


William Ryan (21 September 1921 – 2 January 1994) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician from County Tipperary. He was a senator from 1961 to 1989.

Born in Kilfeacle, County Tipperary, Ryan was elected in 1961 to the 10th Seanad on the Agricultural Panel. He was re-elected eight times, until he stood down at the 1989 election to the 19th Seanad.

Ryan also stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate for Dáil Éireann in the Tipperary South constituency at three  successive general elections: 1965, 1969, 1973. He was unsuccessful on each occasion.

References

1921 births
1994 deaths
Fianna Fáil senators
Members of the 10th Seanad
Members of the 11th Seanad
Members of the 12th Seanad
Members of the 13th Seanad
Members of the 14th Seanad
Members of the 15th Seanad
Members of the 16th Seanad
Members of the 17th Seanad
Members of the 18th Seanad
Politicians from County Tipperary
20th-century Irish farmers
Fianna Fáil candidates in Dáil elections
Agricultural Panel senators


Lee Williams (born 27 October 1986 in Pontyberem, Wales) is a Welsh rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half for the Scarlets and Wales Sevens, although he played on the wing during the Scarlets' injury crisis in 2008–09.

Williams signed for the Scarlets on a professional development contract in March 2006, having previously played for his hometown club, Pontyberem RFC, and UWIC RFC. Williams attended UWIC, studying for a Business Studies degree.

He was selected in the Wales Sevens squad for 2012-13

References

1986 births
Living people
Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players for Wales
Llanelli RFC players
Rugby sevens players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Rugby sevens players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Rugby union players from Carmarthenshire
Rugby union scrum-halves
Scarlets players
Welsh rugby union players


The Grinnell Range is a mountain range on northwestern Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. It is one of the northernmost mountain ranges in the world forming part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain system.

See also
List of mountain ranges

References

Arctic Cordillera
Mountain ranges of Qikiqtaaluk Region


The aviation transponder interrogation modes are the standard formats of pulsed sequences from an interrogating Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) or similar Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. The reply format is usually referred to as a "code" from a transponder, which is used to determine detailed information from a suitably equipped aircraft.

In its simplest form, a "Mode" or interrogation type is generally determined by pulse spacing between two or more interrogation pulses. Various modes exist from Mode 1 to 5 for military use, to Mode A, B, C and D, and Mode S for civilian use.

Interrogation modes
Several different RF communication protocols have been standardized for aviation transponders:

Mode A and Mode C are implemented using air traffic control radar beacon system as the physical layer, whereas Mode S is implemented as a standalone backwards-compatible protocol. ADS-B can operate using Mode S-ES or Universal Access Transceiver as its transport layer:

Mode A
When the transponder receives an interrogation request, it broadcasts the configured transponder code (or "squawk code"). This is referred to as "Mode 3A" or more commonly, Mode A. A separate type of response called "Ident" can be initiated from the airplane by pressing a button on the transponder control panel.

Mode A with Mode C
A Mode A transponder code response can be augmented by a pressure altitude response, which is then referred to as Mode C operation. Pressure altitude is obtained from an altitude encoder, either a separate self-contained unit mounted in the aircraft or an integral part of the transponder. The altitude information is passed to the transponder using a modified form of the modified Gray code called a Gillham code.

Mode A and C responses are used to help air traffic controllers identify a particular aircraft's position and altitude on a radar screen, in order to maintain separation.

Mode S

Another mode called Mode S (Select) is designed to help avoiding overinterrogation of the transponder (having many radars in busy areas) and to allow automatic collision avoidance. Mode S transponders are compatible with Mode A and Mode C Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) systems.  This is the type of transponder that is used for TCAS or ACAS II (Airborne Collision Avoidance System) functions, and is required to implement the extended squitter broadcast, one means of participating in ADS-B systems. A TCAS-equipped aircraft must have a Mode S transponder, but not all Mode S transponders include TCAS. Likewise, a Mode S transponder is required to implement 1090ES extended squitter ADS-B Out, but there are other ways to implement ADS-B Out (in the U.S. and China.) The format of Mode S messages is documented in ICAO Doc 9688, Manual on Mode S Specific Services.

Mode S features
Upon interrogation, Mode S transponders transmit information about the aircraft to the SSR system, to TCAS receivers on board aircraft and to the ADS-B SSR system. This information includes the call sign of the aircraft and/or the aircraft's permanent ICAO 24-bit address (which is represented for human interface purposes as six hexadecimal characters.)  One of the hidden features of Mode S transponders is that they are backwards compatible; an aircraft equipped with a Mode S transponder can still be used to send replies to Mode A or C interrogations. This feature can be activated by a specific type of interrogation sequence called inter-mode.

ICAO 24-bit address
Mode S equipped aircraft are assigned a unique ICAO 24-bit address or (informally) Mode-S "hex code" upon national registration and this address becomes a part of the aircraft's Certificate of Registration.  Normally, the address is never changed, however, the transponders are reprogrammable and, occasionally, are moved from one aircraft to another (presumably for operational or cost purposes), either by maintenance or by changing the appropriate entry in the aircraft's Flight management system.

There are 16,777,214 (224-2) unique ICAO 24-bit addresses (hex codes) available.  The ICAO 24-bit address can be represented in three digital formats: hexadecimal, octal, and binary. These addresses are used to provide a unique identity normally allocated to an individual aircraft or registration.

As an example, following is the ICAO 24-bit address assigned to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the registration N905NA:
 Hexadecimal: AC82EC
 Octal: 53101354
 Binary: 101011001000001011101100 (Note: occasionally, spaces are added for visual clarity, thus 1010 1100 1000 0010 1110 1100 {Hex big endian} and 001 101 110 100 000 100 110 101 {Octal little endian})
 Decimal: 11305708
These are all the same 24-bit address of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, represented in different numeral systems (see above).

Issues with Mode S transponders
An issue with Mode S transponders arises when pilots enter the wrong flight identity code into the Mode S transponder.  In this case, the capabilities of ACAS II and Mode S SSR can be degraded.

Extended squitter

In 2009 the ICAO published an "extended" form of Mode S with more message formats to use with ADS-B; it was further refined in 2012. Countries implementing ADS-B can require the use of either the extended squitter mode of a suitably-equipped Mode S transponder, or the UAT transponder on 978 MHz.

See also
Identification friend or foe

References

Radar
Microwave technology
Measuring instruments
Navigational equipment
Air traffic control


Khudafarin Bridges or Khoda Afarin Bridges (, ), are two arch bridges located at the border of Azerbaijan and Iran connecting the northern and southern banks of the Aras River.

History
Communication between the Caucasus and the historical Iranian region Azerbaijan has long been hampered by the Aras River. Therefore, bridges have been built over it since ancient times. The Khudafarin bridge is strategically important and is considered one of the historical main points of contact between the Caucasus and Iranian Azerbaijan. This bridge has also been called the "Khosrow Bridge" and "Aras Bridge" in chronicles. The bridge is first attested in the first half of the 14th-century, in the Nuzhat al-Qulub by the Iranian geographer Hamdallah Mustawfi. The origin of the bridge's name has been the subject of several stories, most of which are mixed with mythology. According to the 18th-century Iranian historian Mohammad Kazem Marvi, the bridge is known as "Khudafarin" ("God created") because during the Ilkhanate era (1256–1335), fruitless efforts were made to build the bridge, until one day, the bridge suddenly appeared, being created by the unseen.

The bridge's history and date cannot be precisely confirmed because it was destroyed numerous times throughout history and lacks any stone inscriptions or architectural inscriptions. There has likely been a bridge across the Aras River in this vicinity for a long time. Some historians consider the bridge to have existed since the era of the pre-Islamic Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), during the reign of Cyrus the Great (), to allow him to cross into the Caucasus. They base their argument on the Achaemenid era's advancement and growth in road building as well as their campaigns throughout the Caucasus. Other historians consider the bridge that the Shaddadid ruler Abu'l-Aswar Shavur ibn Fadl () erected in 1027 over the Aras River during his march to the Caucasus to be the Khudafarin bridge. Others consider the bridge's architectural design to date back to the era of the Seljuk Empire (1037–1194).

According to Hamdallah Mustawfi, the bridge was built by Bukayr ibn Abdallah, one of the Arab commanders who led the conquest of Iranian Azerbaijan (Adurbadagan) during the rise of Islam. The Iranian historian Hassan Mousavizadeh considers this unlikely, stating that the Arabs did not have experience with bridge building at the time. He states that, based on the available evidence, the bridge predates Islam and was present throughout the era of the Sasanian Empire (224–651). From the rise of Islam until the end of the Russo-Iranian War of 1826–1828, the bridge was the scene of several fights and conflicts.

The Khodafarin bridge is frequently cited in accounts of the events of the Russo-Iranian wars of 1804–1813 and 1828.  This bridge was used as a staging area for military operations and a means of transportation during two wars, and it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In 1805, the Qajar shah (king) of Iran, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar () discovered that the Karabakh khan Ibrahim Khalil Khan had defected from the Iranian government and joined the Russian forces.

He therefore dispatched the crown prince Abbas Mirza and the latters deputy Mirza Bozorg Qa'em-Maqam to bring Ibrahim Khalil Khan under control. The Russian general Pavel Tsitsianov deployed some troops to stop Abbas Mirza's soldiers from advancing at the base of the Khudafarin bridge in an effort to aid Ibrahim Khalil Khan. However, Abbas Mirza's forces eventually overcame the Russians and took control of the Shusha fortress, Ibrahim Khalil Khan's government headquarters.

Today, there are two bridges called in the vicinity, a small and a big one. The engineering and architectural features of these two bridges differ from one another. The age of little bridge is unknown, although most scholars have suggested that it dates to the Safavid era (1501–1736). These two bridges are currently closed on both sides of Iran's and Azerbaijan's borders.

Researches
The first description of the 15-span bridge was given in the work "the Art of Iran" published in 1938 under the editorship of A. Pope. The work also includes a schematic drawing of the bridge.

A. Sadikhzade was the first Azerbaijani scientist to study the bridges on the spot and perform their visual measurements, publishing the results of research in 1963 in the "History of Azerbaijani architecture".

A detailed study of the remains of the bridges and their measurements was made in 1974.

Construction

The bridges are located at a distance of 800 m from each other.

The 11-span bridge is called "Synyg korpu" ("broken bridge").

Architects used river cobblestone (breakwaters and arches) and square baked brick (parapet of the upper part) to build the 15-span bridge.

Only natural rock outcrops were used as bridge abutments. The bridge spans have different sizes. Following the terrain structure, the bridge is not straight in the plan, but has a certain curvature.

The length of the 15-span bridge is about 200 meters, width – 4.5 m.  The highest point of the bridge is 10 m above the water level. The breakwaters protecting the bridge abutments are triangular in plan and are built of river cobblestone. On the reverse side, the breakwaters have a semicircular shape.

Abutments of the 11-span bridge were also built of rock outcrops. In the middle part of the river, the spans are longer and, consequently, higher, and closer to the banks, the spans are smaller in both width and height. The total length of this bridge is 130 m, width – 6 m, maximum height – 12 m above the water.

The binding solution of the 15-span bridge was made of clay with an admixture of milk.

See also
Khoda Afarin Dam
List of bridges in Azerbaijan

References

Sources

Bridges in Azerbaijan
Buildings and structures in East Azerbaijan Province
Bridges in Iran
Khoda Afarin County