Kimberly Crest House and Gardens is a French château-style Victorian mansion located in Redlands, California. The property is a registered California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
The house was built in 1897 for Mrs Cornelia A. Hill, one of the pioneers of Redlands. In 1905, John Alfred Kimberly, a co-founder of the Kimberly-Clark paper company, purchased the home to escape the Wisconsin winters, giving the family name to the property. When the Kimberly family purchased the property in 1905, Mrs Kimberly had the Italian gardens installed on the property. The family celebrated the holidays at the property with a  magnolia tree adorned with 6000 watts of light. The Kimberly family continued to live in the home until the death in 1979 of Mary Kimberly Shirk, the widowed daughter of John Alfred Kimberly.

Before her death, Mrs Shirk challenged the city of Redlands to raise the funds to purchase  of the property around the home and turn it into a botanical park. If the funds were raised, she promised to bequeath the mansion and the estate of  immediately around it to the city. The city raised the funds, and the surrounding grounds became known as Prospect Park. At her death, Mrs Shirk left the home to "the people of Redlands" and, using the proceeds from the sale to the city of the Prospect Park property, established the Kimberly-Shirk Association, which continues to care for the home today.

Prior to the conversion to a museum, the mansion served as one of the filming locations for the 1981 movie Hell Night, starring Linda Blair. In the film, tunnels were depicted, but the house and the estate have no such feature. Later, the grounds served as the setting of Fleetwood Mac's Big Love video. Shots depicting the inside of the home were filmed on a sound stage.

Architecture
The three-story Victorian mansion was designed in the Châteauesque style by Oliver Perry Dennis and Lyman Farwell, a Los Angeles-based partnership. The building contains over  of floor space. A near replica, now known as The Magic Castle, was designed by the same architects and erected in Hollywood in 1909.

Gardens
The gardens that surround Kimberly Crest are exquisite examples of the Italian style favored by Victorian homeowners at the turn of the 20th century. Mr Kimberly had the current gardens created in 1909, complete with statuary and koi ponds. Today the gardens are honorary members of the Inland Koi Society, which now maintains the lily ponds.

The mansion today
The Kimberly-Shirk Association has maintained the property since 1981 and continues the legacy of Mrs Shirk's involvement in civic events. Kimberly Crest is open to the public for tours and can also be booked for weddings and private events. Tours are Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Tours are available every half hour with the last tour taking off at 3:30 pm.

See also
California Historical Landmarks in San Bernardino County, California

Gallery

References

External links

 Kimberly Crest House and Gardens – Official website

Houses in San Bernardino County, California
Historic house museums in California
Museums in San Bernardino County, California
Buildings and structures in Redlands, California
California Historical Landmarks
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
National Register of Historic Places in San Bernardino County, California
Houses completed in 1897
Châteauesque architecture in the United States
Renaissance Revival architecture in California
Victorian architecture in California
History of Redlands, California


Lussac may refer to the following places in France:

Lussac, Charente, a commune in the department of Charente
Lussac, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime
Lussac, Gironde, a commune in the department of Gironde
Lussac-les-Châteaux, a commune in the department of Vienne
Lussac-les-Églises, a commune in the department of Haute-Vienne


"You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)" is a 1979 punk rock song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones. Written in the summer of 1979 by the band's main songwriter, John O'Neill, the single was released on 9 October that year and reached number 32 in the UK charts. The song was performed live on Top of the Pops on 15 November 1979.

"You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)" was one of only two singles released by the Undertones not to be included on any of their albums at the time of their original release (the other single being "Beautiful Friend"). However, the song was included as a bonus track on the 1994 CD version of the band's second album, Hypnotised, and the 2000 Castle Music re-release of their eponymous debut LP. In addition, the song has been included on several 'Best Of' Undertones compilation albums.

Background
The song was the fifth single released by the Undertones. According to bassist Michael Bradley, when John O'Neill first demonstrated this song to his bandmates, "our jaws dropped to the ground. It was brilliant". The band first played the song live at Oscar's Disco in Derry in the late summer of 1979, prior to its release as a single.

Sleeve artwork
The artwork for the single sleeve depicts the record's Sire catalogue number (4024) in sans-serif font upon the front sleeve. The rear of the sleeve is plain white with a die-cut centre displaying the label of the vinyl single. No text is displayed upon the A-side of the label, which instead depicts a combination of an image of the band members taken by photographer Jill Furmanovsky earlier in 1979.

Track listing

 "Let's Talk About Girls" is a cover of a 1967 song by The Chocolate Watch Band, taken from the 1972 Nuggets compilation LP.

References

External links
 You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?) lyrics
 The Undertones official website

1979 singles
1979 songs
Sire Records singles
Songs written by John O'Neill (guitarist)
The Undertones songs


Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Melpomene after the Muse of Tragedy in ancient Greek mythology.

  was a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate captured in 1794 and sold in 1815 after service in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
 HMS Melpomene (1815) was a 38-gun French frigate launched in 1812 that the Royal Navy captured in 1815 and sold in 1821.
  was a screw frigate launched in 1857 and sold in 1875.
  was a  light cruiser launched in 1888 and sold in 1905.
 HMS Melpomene was an  protected cruiser launched in 1891 as . She was renamed HMS Melpomone in 1910 and was sold in 1913.
  was a , built for the Greek Navy as the Samos. She was purchased in 1914 and launched in 1915. She was broken up in 1921.
 HMS Melpomene was a minelayer, formerly the monitor  launched in 1915. She was renamed HMS Melpomene in 1922 and HMS Menelaus in 1940, being broken up in 1948.

See also
 was a French destroyer seized in 1940, operated by the Free French Naval Forces between 1940 and 1942, and by the Royal Navy from 1942 until 1946, when she was returned to the French Navy.

References

Royal Navy ship names


"The Clockwork Atom Bomb" is a 2005 science fiction short story by British writer Dominic Green. It was first published in Interzone.

Plot summary

Mativi is a weapons inspector for the United Nations, whose mission to Kinshasa is hindered by the local residents' insistence that his actions will disrupt their economy.

Reception

"The Clockwork Atom Bomb" won the 2005 Interzone readers' poll as the most popular story of the year, and was a finalist for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. It was also included in the 23rd edition of The Year's Best Science Fiction, a collection of outstanding science fiction short stories edited by Gardner Dozois.

References

Science fiction short stories
2005 short stories
Works originally published in Interzone (magazine)
2000s science fiction works


San Jose Villa de Allende is a town and municipal seat of the municipality of Villa de Allende.  It is the fifth largest town in the municipality.  It is located 70 kilometers to the west of the city of Toluca. Villa de Allende was named in honor of Ignacio Allende, a hero of the Mexican War of Independence.

The town
The town had a population of 1,169 as of the 2005 census and an elevation of 2,380 meters above sea level.

Early human inhabitation of the area is evidenced by archeological finds such as ceramics and arrowheads, as well as stone walls with bas relief carvings.  Most of these are found in the nearby settlement of San Cayetano.

The village was founded by the Mazahuas, with a name meaning "beautiful place" in that language.  They arrived around the 7th century AD, and were under the domination of the Chichimecas.  After Aztec domination, its name was changed to 'Malacatepec', meaning "spindle hill". After the arrival of the Spaniards, the town fought with the Aztecs but the area was subdued by Gonzalo de Sandoval in 1521. Evangelization of the area was accomplished by friars from the Franciscan monastery at Toluca, who gave the town the name of San José Malacatepec in 1542 and built the temple of San José in 1554.  The village gained town status in 1778 when it had a population of 6,138. From colonial times to the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, the Mazahuas of the area were often subjected to being slaves or near-slaves to the colonial authorities, mostly working forcibly at the nearby haciendas of La Gavia, Sabana del Rosario, Salitre de Urendis and San Bartolo. This led the populace to embrace the arrival of José María Morelos y Pavón in the area and join the rebellion.

The town's bullring was built in 1945, made of adobe and wooden beams and was remodeled in 1981. The current municipal palace was constructed in 1960.

The town's church is noted for its gilded wood altar on which is an urn with the ashes of the church's founders. Above this is an oval portrait of the Virgin of Guadalupe which has survived in excellent condition for over three centuries. It also has a number of notable oil paintings with religious themes.

The municipality
As municipal seat, San José Villa de Allende is the governing authority for the following communities: El Aventurero, Batán Chico, Berros, Bosencheve, Buenavista Veintitrés (Agua Zarca), Cabecera de Indígenas (Barrio de la Cabecera), Cerro de Guadalupe, El Salitre del Cerro, Cuesta del Carmen, Las Dalias (San Miguel), Filiberto Gómez, El Jacal, Loma de Juárez, Sabana del Madroño (El Madroño), Mesas de San Martín, Mesas de Zacango (Zacango), Sabana de la Peña (La Peña), La Piedra, Sabana del Refugio, Ejido la Sabana de San Jerónimo, Sabana del Rosario (San Miguel), Sabana Taborda Primera Sección, San Cayetano (Barrio de Santiago), San Felipe Santiago, San Francisco de Asís, San Ildefonso, San Isidro, San Jerónimo Totoltepec, San Juan Buenavista (Lodo Prieto), San Miguel, San Pablo Malacatepec, Santa María (Santa María de las Delicias), Santa Teresa, Barrio de Santiago (Ejido de Santiago), Soledad del Salitre (El Salitre), Vare Chiquichuca, Sabana Taborda Segunda Sección, Macia (Ejido de Macia), El Clarín (La Mesa del Clarín), Lengua de Vaca (El Puerto), Las Mesas de San Jerónimo, Barrio de San Juan, Las Casitas, Loma de San Pablo, Manzana de Cashte, Sabana de San Jerónimo, Santa Cruz (La Rinconada), El Chirimoyo, Los Hoyos (Manzana los Hoyos), Potrero, Colchones, San Miguel la Máquina, Santa Cruz, El Cinco (Ejido Barrio de Santiago el Cinco), Ejido de San Martín, Buenavista, Chiquichuca (Barrio Chiquichuca), Loma Bonita, Barrio el Boncho, Casa Blanca, Barrio Chichicaishle, Barrio la Joya, Manzana la Pera, Mesas de San Juan Buenavista, La Peña, Barrio los Pozos, El Puerto, Rancho Morelos, Barrio el Salto and Barrio los Tules.  the total municipal population was 41,938 in 2005.

The municipality was created in 1878. It extends 318.80 km2, encompassing terrain that varies in altitude between 2,380 and 3,200 meters above sea level. It has two notable peaks called the "Cerro del Pelón" and the "Cerro del Zapatero". It has four principal rivers called the La Asunción, San José, Los Berros and El Salitre, as well as 18 streams and ravines. It has two bodies of water called the Laguna Seca and the Laguna Verde, which are reservoirs for Mexico City and Toluca.

The municipality has been known for its abundant forests, even though they have suffered from bad logging practices in the first part of the 20th century by foreign companies such as The Suchit Timber Company as well as national ones like Forestal de México.

By far the primary economic activity here is agriculture with almost 70% of the municipalities land dedicated to it. Various crops such as corn, wheat, potatoes, fava beans, peas, barley, oats, avocados, pears and walnuts. While some agriculture activity occurs year-round through irrigation, most occurs in the summer during the rainy season. Livestock consists primarily of cattle with significant numbers of horses, poultry, rabbits and bees. Industry is limited to textiles, blacksmithing and food processing. Tourism consists of visitors to the monarch butterfly sanctuary, located partially in the municipality as well as Bosencheve National Park.

References

Municipalities of the State of Mexico
Populated places in the State of Mexico


The AR-M1, also known as AK-47M1, is a Bulgarian assault rifle designed primarily for export. It is a modernized Bulgarian derivative of the AKK, which itself is based on the Soviet AK-47 (specifically Type 3). The AR-M1 can be chambered for both the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39mm cartridges.

History

During the 1950s, the Bulgarian People's Army was equipped primarily with AK-47s imported from the Soviet Union. However, by the early 1960s, the Bulgarian government became interested in producing the AK-47 domestically. Assembly of AK-47s, initially from imported Soviet parts, began at the state arsenal in Kazanlak. By the mid 1960s, the Kazanlak facility was equipped to begin licensed production of the weapon type and its associated parts. Kalashnikov rifles assembled and later manufactured in Kazanlak received the designation AKK. A derivative with a folding stock was also produced under license as the AKKS.

After the dissolution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in the early 1990s, the Kazanlak factory became a joint-stock company known as Arsenal AD. Arsenal offered several modernized variants of the AKK for export, which were rebranded as the AR series. The AR pattern rifles are basically AKKs with different furniture and a few unique features, such as polymer stocks and handguards, as well as several external parts copied directly from the AK-74 including new flash hiders, sights, gas blocks, bayonet mountings and bayonets. Their receivers are milled, rather than stamped, unlike other modernized AK derivatives, and are virtually indistinguishable from those of the early Type 3 pattern Soviet AK. A derivative of the AKKS is also offered for export as the ARF.

Versions
The -F model features a folding stock.
 AR-M1 / AR-M1F - improved AK-47 copy with an AK-74 front sight base, flash suppressor, black polymer stock set, luminous spots on the iron sights and a rail for mounting optics. Chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39mm.
 AR-M2 / AR-M2F - improved AK-47 copy like the AR-M1/AR-M1F, but with a shortened barrel, AKS-74U front sight base and muzzle booster/flash suppressor hybrid.
 AR-M4SF - extremely short development of the AKSU  with red dot sight, provision to mount a night vision or laser sight. Chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39mm.
 AR-M7F - improved AK-47 copy like the AR-M1, but with an AK-101-style folding stock.
 AR-M9 / AR-M9F - improved AK-47 copy like the AR-M1/AR-M1F, features a thumb-operable fire selector and a different style polymer stock set.
 AR / AR-F - improved AK-47 copies with black polymer lining and optional luminous sights.

Users

 : 3500 5.45 AR-M1 rifles imported
 : 5.56 AR-M4SF used by the Police

 : AR-M1F used by Tontaipur.
 : 751 5.56mm AR-M1F rifles, also AR-M1s

 : 11th Lightning Battalion uses AR-M9s
 : AR-M1's used by the Police of North Macedonia.
 : Philippine Army confirmed use of AR-M52F assault rifle from Bulgaria during 125th founding anniversary on 23 March 2022, used by First Special Forces Regiment.
 : Arsenal AR
 : Used by DANAB Brigade.
 : AR-M9s
 : AR-M2 supplied to training forces in the
 : AR-M9s
 : AR-M1's used by US Army OPFOR.
 : AR-M9s

Non-state actors

References

5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
7.62×39mm assault rifles
Firearms of Bulgaria
Kalashnikov derivatives


WHEN (620 kHz "Power 620") is a commercial AM radio station in Syracuse, New York.  WHEN airs an urban adult contemporary radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.  The station carries "The Steve Harvey Morning Show" and the "Keith Sweat Hotel," which are syndicated by iHeart subsidiary Premiere Networks.  The offices and studios are on Plum Street in Syracuse.

WHEN is powered at 5,000 watts by day, using a non-directional antenna.  To avoid interfering with other stations on AM 620, WHEN reduces power at night to 1,000 watts and uses a directional antenna.  The transmitter is off Old Liverpool Road in Liverpool.  Programming is also heard on 50 watt FM translator W269DT at 101.7 MHz.  It is also simulcast on the HD radio subchannel of WSYR-FM-HD2 at 106.9 MHz.

History

WAGE
WHEN first signed on in 1941 as a 1,000-watt daytimer, started by local real estate agent Frank Revoir, under the call sign WAGE.  At first it operated as a Mutual Broadcasting System network affiliate.  Then it carried the NBC Blue Network and stayed with that service when it became ABC.

By the mid 1940s, WAGE got permission to broadcast at 1,000 watts around the clock.  Daytime power was increased to its present 5,000 watts in 1949, while remaining at 1,000 watts at night.

Switch to WHEN
In 1954, the station was acquired by the Meredith Corporation, founder of WHEN-TV, the city's first television station, which had signed on in 1948.  AM 620 became WHEN, sharing the television station's call letters.  WHEN became an affiliate of CBS Radio News and began airing middle of the road music with a sizable news staff. This was part of a five-station agreement that also saw KCMO-AM-TV and WOW-AM-TV to switch network affiliations to CBS, as a compensation for Phoenix station KPHO to lose its CBS network affiliation.

In the 1970s, the station became famous for playing a jingle during the testing of the Emergency Broadcast System, a practice that was outlawed by the Federal Communications Commission by the end of the decade. This jingle version was spoofed by the band Negativland in the song "It's All In Your Head FM." The producer of the song was Jerry Moss.

1970s and 1980s
During the 1970s and 1980s, WHEN became a dominant station in the Syracuse metropolitan area, once again affiliating with ABC for world and national news. Under the ownership first of Meredith Corporation and then of the Roy H. Park organization (Park Communications), WHEN regularly topped the ratings in prime 18-49 demographic by offering a full-service personality adult contemporary format with a 24-hour-a-day, 7 day a week newsroom operation.

WHEN was one of the pioneer adult contemporary stations in the country during the early 1970s. It was aimed specifically at young adult listeners who had grown up with the first generation of rock music and still enjoyed upbeat contemporary songs, but had begun to regard most top 40 stations as too juvenile in their presentation.  The station blended an adult presentation with up-tempo music and full service information elements, serving as a model for other stations seeking a similar audience, along with format pioneers like WGAR in Cleveland, WGR in Buffalo and WNBC in New York City. The formula kept WHEN a market leader for a decade and a half, until late in the 1980s when many music listeners began moving to FM. A retro website that documents "62 WHEN," its programs, promotions and personalities during the late 1970s and into the 1980s, can be found at 62WHEN.com

Sports talk
In the early 1990s, WHEN changed to a talk and sports format.  In addition to daytime talk shows, the station featured play-by-play of Buffalo Bills football, Syracuse Chiefs minor league baseball and Syracuse Crunch AHL hockey.

In 1999, the station was bought by Clear Channel Communications, a forerunner of current owner iHeartMedia.  Clear Channel also owned WHEN's chief news/talk competitor WSYR, so WHEN became an all-sports station, allowing WSYR to concentrate on local news and talk programming.   WHEN kept its schedule of Bills, Chiefs and Crunch play by play, and aired syndicated sports shows.

Power 620
On December 22, 2010, WHEN changed its format to urban adult contemporary, branded as "Power 620." The format change preceded abandonment of the format on co-owned WPHR-FM, which switched to a simulcast of WSYR (570 AM) on the FM band to fill in areas in Syracuse's western, southern and eastern suburbs where WSYR's AM directional signal pattern provides poor coverage.

The station uses the slogan "Central New York's Only R&B."  An FM translator at 101.7 MHz was added to broadcast WHEN programming on the FM dial in Syracuse and its adjacent suburbs.

References

External links

HEN
Radio stations established in 1941
1941 establishments in New York (state)
Urban adult contemporary radio stations in the United States
IHeartMedia radio stations


Randall Ignatius Atcher (December 7, 1918 - October 9, 2002) was a Louisville, Kentucky, radio and television personality.

Atcher was born in modern-day Ft Knox, Kentucky, and by the age of 15 was an accomplished and favorite entertainer. Atcher played guitar, mandolin, banjo, double bass and harmonica and was often heard with his musical "Atcher Family" on WHAS AM radio in Louisville. By the 1950s, Atcher was a popular entertainer in Louisville, performing (and starring) on over 22 programs a week. Atcher died on October 9, 2002, in Louisville.

Biography
Randy Atcher was the fifth child of Mary Agnes (née Ray) and George Christopher Atcher. Soon after his birth, the family farm was taken as part of the Fort Knox reservation, and his family moved to North Dakota, and then back to Kentucky when he was twelve. Atcher's father was a Kentucky State Champion old-time fiddler.

Atcher quickly became an accomplished and favorite entertainer. In 1934, at the age of 15, he was listed as the "Yodeling Wonder" during a concert he performed with his brother Bob Atcher at Hustonville (Kentucky) High School.

Atcher played guitar, mandolin, banjo, double bass and harmonica and was often heard with his musical "Atcher Family" on WHAS AM radio in Louisville. The family was first broadcast in 1932 on Louisville's WLAP AM radio station and then began a two and a half-year run on WHAS AM that ended in 1936.

Atcher became a prolific entertainer at WHAS Radio and TV in Louisville. In 1959, at 12:15pm each day, he hosted a show called Randy Sings Ballads. At 1:00pm, Randy and the Red River Ramblers performed an hour show. His children's show T-Bar-V Ranch aired every day at 4:00pm. On Saturdays, Atcher did the WHAS Old Kentucky Barn Dance that aired Saturdays from 6:00pm to 7:00pm and the Country Record Shop show from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Atcher's popular barn dance show was also a featured attraction for two Saturday nights at the Kentucky State Fair.

Early career
Atcher originally performed with musician members of his family. A 1935 newspaper article listed "Bob Atcher, the 'Mountain Minstrel', Randall Atcher, the 'Laughing Yodeler', Dad, the 'Kentucky Fiddling Champion' and Francis, the 'Old Grin Boy'" on April 15, 1935, at Moreland High School in Danville, Kentucky and broadcast on WHAS AM radio. Readers were told they would "laugh 'till your sides ache'".

Interrupted college
Atcher attended the Western Kentucky Teachers College in 1936. The "radio yodeler from West Point" won the position of vice-president of the freshman class. The Ohio River flood of 1937 washed the Atcher family home at West Point away, and Atcher withdrew from the college, helping to rebuild the family home. He did not return to college, having decided to continue in entertainment.

Return to broadcasting
Later in 1937, Atcher joined the hillbilly radio troupe "Uncle Henry and His Kentucky Mountaineers". In 1938, he joined "Sunshine Sue and Her Rock Creek Rangers", playing guitar and singing on WHAS AM radio. While a member of that troupe, Atcher also played the rube comedic character "Lemuel Q. Splutterfluss". In 1939 the group moved to WMOX AM in St. Louis.

In 1938, he left Louisville for Chicago and put a band together there. He won slots performing on WJJD and WBBM and became a local star; he also recorded occasionally with his older brother, Bob Atcher.

In 1941, Atcher joined his brother Bob and Bob's wife Laurena Applegate, known as "Bonnie Blue Eyes" as "The Western Trio" on Ben Bernie's Just Entertainment program. The program aired on Louisville's WHAS AM radio station Mondays through Fridays at 4:45 pm.

Military service
Atcher stepped away from WJJD AM in Chicago and enlisted as a Private in the United States Army Air Forces, saying "We were with Ben Bernie's old orchestra on a tour at the time of Pearl Harbor. My birthday is December 7, so it's easy to remember. And I quit the troupe that night and came home and enlisted in the Air Force. When I went in the Air Force... I decided that I probably wouldn't go back into music when I got out of the service. But after four and a half years it was just so natural to go back to the entertaining that that's what I did." Atcher mustered out having earned the rank of Major in the US Army Air Forces.

Later career
Upon discharge from the Army, Atcher initially returned to WHAS AM radio as a performer on their Old Kentucky Barn Dance. Atcher signed a solo recording contract with MGM Records and also recorded many songs with his brother Bob for Columbia Records.

Atcher was heard and seen multiple times per day and per week with many different radio and later television shows. Atcher also performed at many local venues, singing and playing western music. In 1949, he appeared nightly at the Silver Creek Country Club in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Radio career
In 1946, Atcher was hired as station musical director, helping sign WFRP AM radio on the air in Savannah, Georgia. In 1947, Atcher returned to Louisville, where he and his Swinging Cowboys band were heard nightly on WHAS AM radio as well as every Sunday morning 7:15 am on a WHAS AM radio show entitled "Camp Meeting Singers.

Atcher left WHAS AM, moving in April, 1948 to WGRC AM. By December, 1948, Atcher had hired on as a booth announcer and singing talent on two music shows broadcast on Louisville's WKLO AM radio. He also worked there as a disk jockey hosting his country music themed "Randy A Show". His shift featured country music, from 8am until 12 Noon, Monday through Friday.

WHAS AM approached Atcher with a job offer. Atcher asked WKLO to pay him what they were paying another announcer, Foster Brooks. Atcher knew WKLO was paying Brooks' both  a salary as well as paying his alimony. WKLO refused Atcher's request and Atcher went to WHAS AM.

In 1950 through 1951, Atcher was a performer on the WHAS AM radio program "Circle Star Ranch".

Television career
Atcher was a popular entertainer in Louisville. "At one time on WHAS, counting radio and television, we were doing 22 programs a week. I did three radio programs daily and on Friday night the Old Kentucky Barn Dance program on radio and then we did T-Bar-V Ranch five days a week and Hayloft Hoedown, so we kept busy."

T-Bar-V Ranch
Atcher appeared on WHAS TV's first television broadcast day in Louisville on March 27, 1950. During the station's first program, Atcher previewed his concept for a locally produced children's show T-Bar-V Ranch. The next Monday, Atcher started his half-hour children's program. T-Bar-V Ranch aired at 4:00pm for almost 25 years, five days a week. Atcher said "At the time it (T-Bar-V Ranch) went off the air, it was the longest-running show with the same talent in the country." It is estimated over 135,000 children had their birthdays celebrated during the show's broadcast run.

Atcher was the star of the show, and his sidekick, "Cactus" (played by Tom Brooks), brother of actor and comedian Foster Brooks), sang songs, performed skits, and gave parenting tips and advice to their children audience.

Atcher wrote the theme song for the show. The lyrics included advice that urged his young viewers to "Brush your teeth each morning / Get lots of sleep at night / Mind your mom and daddy / 'Cause they know what is right."

In 1950, Atcher formed a new band, the Red River Rangers, who performed on every T-Bar-V Ranch show.  The Red River Ramblers band included George Workman on bass, Shorty Chesser on guitar, Bernie Smith on guitar and banjo, Sleepy Marlin on fiddle, and Tiny Thomale on piano. The band also performed live at local state fairs and events.

In 1953, White Castle began advertising its hamburgers through the show, the first of several companies who contracted product placement.

Speaking of T-Bar-V Ranch'''s reach, Atcher said "One of the things that I will always remember is in 1966 the State Department asked me to take some of our entertainers and entertain the troops in Santo Domingo and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ...we were in this, I think, a soccer stadium – it was a huge stadium – and we had arranged the program so that I would go out by myself to start and then bring each one of them out after I had sung a few songs. I walked out on the stage and a voice from way back in the crowd said, 'Well, I'll be damned, T-Bar-V Ranch time.' That was a real highlight to have that happen that far away."

The show ran until 1970, when it was abruptly cancelled.

Hayloft Hoedown
Atcher starred in Hayloft Hoedown, a weekly, Friday evening country music variety show that premiered on WHAS TV in June, 1951. Atcher was joined by his sidekick Tom "Cactus" Brooks and the Red River Ramblers. The show aired until 1971.

Songwriting career
Atcher wrote over 450 songs. Atcher also wrote the theme song for WHAS TV's T-Bar-V Ranch. When the show first went on the air its theme song was "I Love the Prairie Country," a song by the Sons of the Pioneers. It was replaced by Atcher's original theme song a few years later.

Originally, Atcher sang the traditional "Happy Birthday" song on "T-Bar-V", paying ASCAP for each singing of it. Atcher wrote his own birthday song for the program and the station did not have to pay for each performance of the new song.

Many of Atcher's songs were used on the WHAS-TV programs. Hayloft Hoedown was always closed with a gospel hymn and Atcher's song The Golden Key was the most requested of those hymns. Hayloft Hoedown also had a goodnight song at the end of the program. "The parents used to tell me that their children would begin to cry when that song started because it meant they had to go to bed," Atcher read the words to the song:The time has come to say goodnight, Goodnight, goodnight. But we'll be here next Saturday, until then, goodnight.

Costume
Atcher wore a custom "Nudie" suit, made by the famous country-western tailor, Nudie Cohn. Atcher's suit is on display in the Kentucky Historical Society's permanent exhibit.

Community service
Atcher narrated over 600 non-fiction books over a 40-year period for Louisville's American Printing House for the Blind.
 Atcher was a favorite regular performer on the annual Louisville fund-raising telethon WHAS Crusade for Children.

Death and burial
Atcher died of lung cancer on October 9, 2002, at the Hospice & Palliative Care unit at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville. His body was buried at Evergreen Mausoleum in Louisville, Kentucky.

Publications
Atcher was the subject of a biography edited by Wade Hall and Greg Swem entitled A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music''.  The book was produced from a series of nine recordings of Atcher's memoirs taped in 1969 through 2002 and transcribed by Hall and Swem.

Awards
• 2019 Gold Circle Honoree, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Ohio Valley Chapter

• 1994 Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year, The American Federation for the Blind, New York, New York

• 1989 Musician of the Year, Louisville Federation of Musicians

References

External links

American country singer-songwriters
Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky
1918 births
2002 deaths
20th-century American singer-songwriters
Country musicians from Kentucky
Singer-songwriters from Kentucky


The Nuntași is a river in Constanța County, Romania. Near the village Nuntași it flows into Lake Nuntași, which is connected with Lake Sinoe, a lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is  and its basin size is .

References

Rivers of Constanța County
Rivers of Romania
0Nuntasi


Marans is a type of chicken.

Marans also refers to:

Marans, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime, France
Marans, Maine-et-Loire, a former commune in the department of Maine-et-Loire, France

See also
 Maran (disambiguation)


Marans () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes), southwestern France.

It is connected to La Rochelle by the Canal de Marans à La Rochelle. The inhabitants of Marans are known as marandais.

Marans is the most northern town in Charente-Maritime, and is sometimes considered to be the "gateway to Aunis", the former province in which it has always belonged since its creation.

Marans is a pleasant town on the river Sèvre niortaise which is a fishing port and a busy tourist trap.  Being located north of La Rochelle, it has close relations with the latter to which it has much to owe for its rapid urban and economic growth.

History

Toponymy
The etymology of Marans is believed to be from the Latin, mare ante which means before the sea.

Middle ages
From the 7th century, monks settled in the Gulf, which had been drained by numerous canals.

In the 10th century, the first castle was built after the barbarian attacks. By the 11th century, a small market town had gathered around the castle and the priory of Saint-Étienne, depending on the Maillezais Cathedral. The octagonal bell-tower dates back to the 14th century. The priory was pillaged during the French Wars of Religion, and the rebuilding started in 1605.

In the 13th century, as well as the 16th century, the Benedictine monks would drain out the land by digging canals. The development of these lands greatly contributed to the enrichment of the town. During the reign of Henry IV of France, Dutch specialists helped in the work of the lands.

In 1307, the castle could hold 2000 soldiers and 300 to 400 horses in case of danger.

Religious wars
In 1589, Henry IV captured Marans after a 4-day siege. It was then used as a place of safety for the Protestants.

Between 1627 and 1628, during the Siege of La Rochelle, Louis XIII of France stayed at Marans. Cardinal Richelieu reassured the castle for fear of occupation by the reformed troops after the departure of the royal guards. The last towers were demolished in the 18th century.

In 1659, the Sire of Breuil, count of Marans, donated part of his castle for the building of a Capuchin convent.

The port for a long time specialised in the trade of grains, the Sèvre Niortaise being just as navigable as Niort at that time.

Marans was famous until the early twentieth century for the red bean of Marans and its fairs in honour of these specially local beans.

Marans is also famous as the home of the Marans chicken. Marans chickens are famous as the layers of the darkest shell color of all chickens. This breed was originally developed in Southwest France between the 12th to the 14th century. The present form of this chicken was refined during the 19th century in the village of Marans. While fairly common in France, this breed is rare in America. Marans chickens lay exceptional eating gourmet eggs that are highly prized by chefs around the world.

French Revolution to Contemporary France
The first municipal council (conseil municipal) was elected February 3, 1790. The temple at Saint-Étienne was made into a "Temple of Reason". In the 19th Century, the commune didn't want to begin conservation work (Mayor's letter of 1845 to the Prefect). In 1885, the municipal council decided to build a new church, and consequently the community started the clearing of the ruins of the priory in Saint-Étienne, keeping only the clocktower which had been decreed a historical monument in 1921.

Population

See also
Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

 official site

Communes of Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement of La Rochelle
Canton of Marans
Aunis


Mazerolles may refer to the following places in France:

Mazerolles, Charente, a commune in the department of Charente
Mazerolles, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime
Mazerolles, Landes, a commune in the department of Landes
Mazerolles, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Mazerolles, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées
Mazerolles, Vienne, a commune in the department of Vienne
Mazerolles-du-Razès, a commune in the department of Aude
Mazerolles-le-Salin, a commune in the department of Doubs


The Governor's Trophy was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the most outstanding defenseman as judged by league coaches. It was first awarded in 1965, and renamed the Larry D. Gordon Trophy in 1999. It was awarded 38 times, to 33 different players;  Jim Burton was a three-time recipient,

Winners

Notes

References

External links
 Governor's Trophy www.hockeydb.com
 Larry D. Gordon Trophy www.hockeydb.com
 Larry D. Gordon Trophy www.azhockey.com

International Hockey League (1945–2001) trophies


Mazerolles () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

Population

See also
 Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

Communes of Charente-Maritime


Esat Bicurri was a Kosovar Albanian singer of popular music. He was executed by Serbian forces during the Kosovo War in 1999. His corpse was found and reburied in 2004.

The Ministry of Culture of Kosovo charted the creation of a National Prize named after Esat Bicurri for excellence in music and popular urban music.

References

External links
A collection of Esat Bicurri's songs in mp3 and wma
Esat Bicurri - E kujtoj atë takim (video)

20th-century births
1999 deaths
Kosovan singers
Kosovan murder victims
People murdered in Kosovo
Kosovo Albanians
Yugoslav male singers
Year of birth missing
1999 murders in Serbia
1999 crimes in Kosovo
1990s murders in Kosovo


The Internet in Botswana is used by about 28.4% of the population. This is slightly lower than the figure of 28.6% for Africa as a whole in 2015.

Statistics

 Internet top-level domain: .bw
 Internet users:
323,368 users, 15% of the population (2013).
 241,272 users, 148th in the world; 11.5% of the population, 166th in the world (2012);
 120,000 users, 154th in the world (2009);
   80,000 users (2007).

 Internet broadband:
 16,407 fixed broadband subscriptions, 134th in the world; 0.8% of the population, 143rd in the world;
 348,124 wireless broadband subscriptions, 102nd in the world; 16.6% of the population, 76th in the world.
 The average internet subscription costs $60.72, 108th in the world.
 Internet hosts:
 1,806 hosts (2012);
 6,374 hosts (2008).
 Internet IPv4 addresses: 100,096 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 47.7 addresses per 1000 people (2012).
 Internet Service Providers:
 53 ISPs (2020);
 11 ISPs (2001);
   2 ISPs (1999).

ADSL

Botswana Telecom rolled out ADSL in early 2006. Current residential ADSL offerings include speeds from 512 kbit/s to 4096 kbit/s with prices from 292 to 863 BWP (~32 to ~97 US$).

ADSL has been introduced in the following areas:
Gaborone, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Molepolole, Phakalane, Francistown, Lobatse, Palapye, Maun, Kasane, Selibe-Phikwe, Letlhakane, Jwaneng, and Orapa.

Internet censorship and surveillance

There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms.
The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and press and the government generally respects these rights. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, correspondence, or browsing pornographic websites, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.

See also

 Botswana
 Botswana Internet Exchange
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
 Media of Botswana
 Telecommunications in Botswana

References

External links
 Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA).
 "Botswana", Africa south of the Sahara: Selected Internet resources, Stanford University Libraries.
 "Computer and Internet Use Among Families: A Case of Botswana", Rama Srivastava and Ishaan Srivastava, BVICAM’S International Journal of Information Technology (New Delhi, 2008).


Hippobromus pauciflorus (Afrikaans: Baster-perdepis = False horse urine), commonly known as false horsewood, is a small South African semi-deciduous tree occurring on the margins of forest, stream banks and in scrub forest. Frequently growing as a tall, slender sapling and accordingly prized as wattle for hut-building. Leaves 75 mm to 150 mm long, paripinnate with some 5 pairs of leaflets which are extremely variable in shape, wedge-shaped at the base, entire, dentate or deeply lobed, sessile and winged on the rachis between leaflets. Panicles up to 75 mm long and many-flowered. Fruits are about 8 mm in diameter, black, pulpy and unpalatable. All parts of the tree have an unpleasant odour when bruised. Fourcade describes the wood as "very heavy and hard, very strong, moderately elastic, close-grained ... heartwood brown, sapwood white, tinged with brown, used for wagon-work and other purposes. The wood and leaves contain a strongly scented resinous and oily substance, which renders them readily inflammable." This tree is found along the east coast from the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu Natal, Eswatini and further inland through the Transvaal up to the Soutpansberg.

It is one of the few trees on which the larva of the Swallow-tail butterfly (Papilio demoleus) will feed other than species of citrus belonging to Rutaceae. The name 'Hippobromus' is Greek for 'smelling of horse urine', which it closely resembles. The specific name is Latin for 'few-flowered'. It belongs to the family Sapindaceae, closely related to Rutaceae, together with over 100 other genera such as Sapindus, Litchi, Koelreuteria, Dodonaea and Blighia.

References
The Forests and Forest Flora of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope by Thomas Robertson Sim (1907)

External links

Sapindaceae


Graz is composed of 17 districts, which, like Vienna, are numbered for the sake of convenience although they all have their own names. Legally, they are not really districts, but rather Katastralgemeinden.


Mosnac may refer to the following places in France:

Mosnac, Charente, a commune in the department of Charente
Mosnac, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime


Linden Cullen is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Duncan Pow. He made his first appearance in the series ten episode "Stolen", broadcast on 15 January 2008. The character was the head of Holby City Hospital's surgical admissions ward. He was killed off at the end of the twelfth series on 12 October 2010.

Creation
It was first announced on 6 November 2007 that actor Duncan Pow had been cast in the role of Linden, when series producer Diana Kyle described the new character as "dishy...good-looking and sexy". In the context of the show, Linden was introduced as the new head of the hospital's Acute Assessment Unit, a position which had been filled on a temporary basis by Lola Griffin (Sharon D. Clarke) since the departure of the department's former head, consultant Abra Durant (Adrian Edmondson), at the end of the show's ninth series.

Interviewed a year after his casting was announced, Pow commented on his time on Holby City so far: "I don't think I've ever enjoyed a job as much. It is a pleasure to get up every morning and spend my days working at Holby. From the producers, writers and production staff through to the crew and the cast, everyone is lovely to work with and the atmosphere is always positive and good fun. What more could I wish for? I'm getting paid to do something I love [...] Linden is a very complex character to play and getting your teeth into him has been a dream, any actor would relish the opportunity, I just feel lucky and privileged that it was me that was given the chance".

Development
Pow explained of his character: "Linden has demons and I really enjoy examining where his pain derives from and how it manifests itself in his day to day life. I guess for Linden he is living a life that he hasn't chosen for himself, he has great faith in God and when Olivia died I think that that was when he chose the path he walks every day. I think if I had lived Linden's life I would have renounced God, not been able to accept what had happened. It would have driven me mad or to drink probably. But Linden made his choice then, to keep his Faith, to put his Faith in God and to try and spend his life doing good in the knowledge that God has a purpose for him. I think we have all experienced loss at some point in our lives and how we cope with that loss, defines us. Exploring that in Linden has been emotional but gratifying". Asked to describe the similarities and differences between his own personality and Linden's, Pow replied: "I work incredibly hard at my job, as does Linden. He punishes himself for mistakes, as do I. I guess in many ways we share the same work ethos and the same guilt complex. The similarities end there though."

Pow has commented that his favourite scenes as Linden are those revolving around Olivia and Holly. Asked whether he felt Linden could ever fall in love again, Pow commented: "I think Linden has the potential, very much, to love again. I think Linden was a wonderful husband and father. I'm sure that Olivia, Linden and Holly laughed together all the time. I think that their life was one of love, joy and family. I think that is why it is so hard for him to carry what he has lost every single day. I think there are things with Holly he needs to resolve before he can move on from Olivia. But I think he has feelings for someone that have awoken something inside him and I think that what happens in the future with Linden, and in his love life, will show the viewers more facets of his personality, but I also think it will show you that Linden deserves to fall in love again. There is a good human being with a big heart wasting away on his own. I think he could make someone's life really special and I hope that one day he gets the chance to."

In January 2010, Pow told the producers that he wanted to leave the show and they opted to kill Linden off. Pow commented, "I've never been killed before, so it's exciting!". Producer Myar Craig-Brown stated the team wanted "a climatic end" to series twelve, so Linden was killed during the last episode. Craig-Brown said it was a sad decision to end a character's life. Linden's exit storyline saw him intervene when violent drug addict Monty Richards (Nick Fearn) attacked Linden's former lover Faye Morton (Patsy Kensit). As Linden helped Faye, Monty struck him on the head with a vodka bottle. Pow told Katy Moon of Inside Soap, "The scriptwriters basically said, 'He lived his life by the bottle, so let's kill him off using one.' These guys are very good at what they do, and you take what you get and make it as real as possible. So it's the end for Linden, I'm afraid." Pow admitted that he would not miss playing Linden, as he struggled to shake him off when he went home. He branded the character "a miserable sod" and added that he was looking forward to not having him in his head any more.

Storylines
Linden's arrival at Holby City Hospital in episode "Stolen" surprises staff with the announcement that the Acute Assessment Unit is to be transformed into a surgical admissions ward. Staff nurse Donna Jackson quickly develops a crush on him, but a brief lunch date in episode "Final Cut" proves them to be incompatible. Linden quickly develops a reputation as a maverick, irritating both Lola Griffin and Mark Williams by performing surgical procedures in the treatment bay, which is not yet ready for use as a theatre. Maddy Young is intrigued by Linden's refusal to treat one specific patient, believing his reticence to stem from his Catholic faith and his assumption the patient has just undergone an abortion, when in fact she has miscarried. When the patient later dies, Linden is forced to admit to Maddy that his actions towards her were driven by her strong resemblance to his deceased wife, Olivia.

In episode "New Lands, New Beginnings", Linden travels to Cape Town, South Africa, with Registrar Joseph Byrne, to track down missing Ward Sister Faye Morton. Linden develops feelings for Faye, and admits in confessional to feeling he has betrayed Olivia. He reveals that Olivia was killed in a car crash, for which he blames himself, and that his daughter Holly reminds him of Olivia to the extent that he cannot bear to see her, so is being raised by Olivia's parents instead of him.

Episode "Only Believe" sees Linden suspended after the death of a patient on his operating table. It is several weeks before he is cleared of negligence, with Maddy illegally obtaining samples from the deceased patient for testing in order to prove his innocence. In the interim, Linden becomes deeply involved with a pair of Korean asylum seekers, the Tans, one of whom is pregnant with conjoined twins. As the couple are Christian, he feels compelled by his faith to help them, and becomes embroiled in their plight to the extent that he is not allowed to assist in the twins' eventual separation operation because of his over-involvement. He aids hospital Chief Executive Officer Jayne Grayson in defending the procedure to the national press, helping to secure funding for the operation from the British government, and is relieved when the procedure proves successful and both twins survive. Linden later saves the life of Jayne's son Christian, successfully reviving him when the boy is retrieved from a river, having been submerged for over six hours. As a result, he proposes a trial of the flash cooling technique he utilized to the hospital board, but is disappointed when they refuse to fast-track the trial through the testing stages.

Linden confesses his love for Faye shortly after she marries Joseph. They kiss, but Faye immediately regrets it and tells Linden she is committed to Joseph. Faye's son Archie later dies, and Linden supports her through her bereavement. In late 2009, Holly arrives at the hospital having run away from her grandparents. She moves in with Linden, but their relationship remains strained until Holly is hit by a car and Linden saves her life, using the same procedure he attempted unsuccessfully on Olivia. When Faye and Joseph separate, she and Linden begin a relationship. Faye discovers that she is pregnant with Joseph's baby, but Linden promises to support her and they become briefly engaged. Linden's Christian principles are tested when Faye cites their infidelity as the reason for her impending divorce. He becomes concerned that Faye may be a pathological liar, and terminates their engagement. Faye is later attacked by a heroin-addicted patient. Linden attempts to defend her, but is hit in the head with a glass bottle and dies.

Reception
In 2009, Linden was voted Holby City fans' "Favourite Newcomer of Series 10", receiving 58.5% of the vote. Pow commented on his character's popularity and award win: "I try not to think too much about Linden and how he is viewed by fans. I think it's great that you guys voted Linden as Best Newcomer and that he has been well received but I guess the fact he has a fan base is down to Tony McHale, Diana Kyle and the writing team coming up with such an interesting character and Tony, Diana, Liz Stoll and Julia Crampsie for giving me the opportunity to play him". Discussing the feedback he receives from viewers about Linden, Pow explained that people "like his honesty and dedication to others", commenting that: "he's quite selfless, I guess, and that is an incredibly endearing quality".

In September 2008, the Daily Mirror Jane Simon wrote critically of the character, stating: "Holby has developed an unpleasant rash of annoyingly wet and whispering male docs. Elliot, Linden, Joseph - you daren't let any of them out in the rain in case they dissolve." The two-part episode which saw the climax of Linden's involvement with the Tans and their conjoined twins proved popular with critics, and was selected as a televisual "Pick of the Day" by the Western Mail, the Daily Record, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the Sunday Mercury, the Daily Mirror, the Birmingham Mail, and the Liverpool Echo.

References

External links
Linden Cullen at BBC Online

Holby City characters
Television characters introduced in 2008
Fictional surgeons
British male characters in television


6398 Timhunter, provisional designation , is a stony Phocaea asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 10 February 1991, by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker, in collaboration with Canadian astronomer David H. Levy at Palomar Observatory in California, United States. It was named for American amateur astronomer Tim Hunter.

Classification an orbit

The stony S-type asteroid is a member of the Phocaea family (), a relatively small group of asteroids with similar orbital characteristics. Timhunter orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,310 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 24° with respect to the ecliptic. It was first identified as  at Goethe Link Observatory in 1955, extending the body's observation arc by 36 years prior to its official discovery observation at Palomar.

Lightcurves

In March 2009, a rotational lightcurve of Timhunter was obtained from photometric observations by astronomer Petr Pravec at the Ondřejov Observatory in the Czech Republic. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 14.55 hours with a brightness variation of 0.29 magnitude (). One month later, another lightcurve was obtained by French amateur astronomers David Romeuf, Maurice Audejean and René Roy, which gave an alternative period solution of 7.1074 hours with an amplitude of 0.32 magnitude ().

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Timhunter measures 5.20 and 5.528 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.333 and 0.27. respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.23 – derived from 25 Phocaea, the Phocaea family's namesake – and calculates a diameter of 5.79 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 13.4.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Tim Hunter, an American radiologist and amateur astronomer. Together with David Crawford he co-founded the non-profit International Dark-Sky Association with the aim to preserve and protect Earth's night sky from light pollution. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1996 ().

Notes

References

External links
 Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info )
 Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
 Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
 Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (5001)-(10000) – Minor Planet Center

006398
Discoveries by Carolyn S. Shoemaker
Discoveries by Eugene Merle Shoemaker
Discoveries by David H. Levy
Named minor planets
19910210


Mosnac () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

Geography
The village lies on the left bank of the Seugne, which forms all of the commune's northeastern border.

Population

See also
 Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

Communes of Charente-Maritime


The Ironman Award was awarded annually since 1989 by the International Hockey League to the player who played in all his team's games while displaying outstanding offensive and defensive abilities.

Winners

References
Ironman Award www.hockeydb.com

International Hockey League (1945–2001) trophies


Internet use in Algeria increased from 150,000 users in 2006 to approximately 18,583,000 in 2015, with a penetration rate of 46% of the population, In 2008, the government set aside €100 million to provide internet to every high school in the country but we saw nothing at all. The country is also modernising its internet network by installing optical fiber cables, and multi-service access nodes (MSANs) all across the country. The main internet service provider is Algérie Télécom, currently state owned but slated for privatization. In Algeria government regulations permit controls on internet access and monitoring of content.  ISPs are responsible for the sites they host, and are required to take “all necessary steps to ensure constant surveillance” of content to prevent access to “material contrary to public order and morality.” These laws are often used against journalists and to prevent antigovernmental activism.

Internet penetration and ISPs
Over the past decade, the number of Internet users in Algeria has greatly increased, from 150,000 users in 2006 to approximately 18,583,000 in 2015, with a penetration rate of 46% of the population, due to the increase of internet speeds and lowering of tariffs, as well as the introduction of new telecommunication technologies such as 3G and 4G LTE.

To improve the information and communications technology penetration rate, the government has started a number of initiatives, including its approval in January 2008 of a €100 million plan to implement Internet networks in every high school in the country. The country is also modernising its internet network by installing optical fiber cables, and multi-service access nodes (MSANs) all across the country.

Algeria’s main operator of Internet services and fixed and mobile telephone services is Algérie Télécom. The company has been slated for privatization, but the process has been repeatedly delayed. The firm’s chief executive said in 2008 that the company will be ready for privatization by 2011.

Algérie Télécom launched an LTE network in 2014, making Algeria the first country in North Africa to have such a network.

In 2015, Algérie Télécom launched the WICI service in multiple Algerian cities, which grants the public access to outdoor Wi-Fi.

Legal and regulatory frameworks

Government regulations permit controls on Internet access and monitoring of content. In July 2006, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika pardoned all journalists convicted of defamation offenses, a move welcomed by local journalists, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). However, both the IFJ and RSF demanded long term reforms to protect press freedom, including abolishing the country's defamation laws which, in addition to government dominance over broadcasting, economic constraints, and journalists' lack of access to official information, restrict freedom of expression in Algeria. In addition, in January 2008 the government reinforced its surveillance of the press by placing state-owned printing companies, which print half of Algeria’s privately owned newspapers, under direct government control.

Algerian authorities continue to ignore journalists' repeated calls for revision of the press law to eliminate prison sentences for offenses from the press. Blogger Abd el Salam Baroudy, administrator of the Bilad Telmesan blog, was charged with criminal defamation for criticizing a government official on his blog in June 2007.

In May 2008 the government introduced a new cyber-crime bill amid reports that government websites receive about 4,000 hacking attempts per month and that websites of financial institutions are also targeted by hackers. The bill criminalized online activities such as hacking, stealing of personal data, promoting terrorism and crimes online, blackmailing, and copyright infringement. The bill was followed in May 2009 by the creation of a new national security service focused on cyber-crime; police officers were also given explicit permission to “break into, inspect and control” Internet cafés in the interest of preventing terrorist activities.

In 2005 the Algerian government began allowing ISPs to use Voice-over Internet protocol for international calls. State-own telecoms company Algeria Telecom Satellite (ATS) launched VoIP and GPS in September 2008.

Surveillance and filtering

Article 14 of ministerial decree no 98-257 of August 25, 199824 makes ISPs responsible for the sites they host, and requires them to take “all necessary steps to ensure constant surveillance” of content to prevent access to “material contrary to public order and morality.” In 2004, journalists reported that it could take up to two days to receive their e-mails; they believed the government is spying on them.

Algerian security forces started raiding Internet cafés and checking the browsing history of Internet users after terrorist attacks hit the country in April 2007. In April 2008, the security forces increased their monitoring and surveillance efforts in these cafés to stop their use for terrorist activities. In addition, Internet cafés are now required to collect names and ID numbers of their customers and report this information together with any suspicious activities to the police.

In March 2008, the Algerian government ordered domestic mobile phone companies to stop selling anonymous mobile phones and SIM cards. This call was prompted by concerns that mobile phones were used in terrorist attacks in the country.

OpenNet Initiative testing found no evidence that the government filters Internet sites. However, the Algerian security forces blocked access to the website of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in October 2007 after there were reports that the organization used the website to recruit minors and to publish its press releases and videos related to terror attacks in Algeria.

The government’s primary forms of control appear to be the access controls and content monitoring regulations already noted.

See also
 Terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Algeria
 Media of Algeria

References

 OpenNet Initiative profile of Algeria, August 6, 2009, published under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

External links
 Algérie Télécom (in French)

Communications in Algeria


Pérignac may refer to the following places in France:

Pérignac, Charente, a commune in the department of Charente
Pérignac, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the department of Charente-Maritime


Pérignac () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

Population

See also
 Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

Communes of Charente-Maritime


Balbridie is the site of a Neolithic long house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the south bank of the River Dee, east of Banchory. The site is one of the earliest known permanent Neolithic settlements in Scotland, dating from 3400 to 4000 BC. This is the largest Neolithic long house to be excavated in Britain. In a European context, Whittle has indicated the rarity of such large Neolithic timber houses, citing Balbridie, a hall in Cambridgeshire, and Fengate as a small set of such finds.

Neolithic features found in a later excavation at Dreghorn included post holes indicating a large rectangular structure comparable to Balbridie.

In 2022, a study of nitrogen content ancient grain at the site by the University of Stavanger and Durham University published in the journal Antiquity revealed details of neolithic farming techniques at the site suggesting that manure was not used in the area because of the quality of its soil.

Discovery
The Balbridie site was discovered in 1976 by aerial photography carried out by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The unusually dry summer revealed previously undetected cropmarks suggesting a very large structure. Subsequent archaeological work on site allowed the conceptual reconstruction of an enormous timber structure including the identification of large timber postholes.

Relationship to other very early features
The vicinity of Balbridie includes a number of other notable archaeological features including the Neolithic site of Bucharn.  Watt has pointed out that this local area attracted an unusual density of very early settlement in Scotland. Balbridie is not only close to the River Dee but also to the Elsick Mounth trackway, the route of early crossings inland through the lower Grampian Mountains.

See also
Coy Burn

References
Notes

Bibliography

4th-millennium BC architecture in Scotland
Populated places established in the 4th millennium BC
Neolithic Scotland
Neolithic settlements
Former populated places in Scotland
1976 in Scotland
4th-millennium BC establishments
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Aberdeenshire


The IHL Man of the Year was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the player who displays the most charitable and educational leadership in the community. The award was awarded from 1993 to 2001, also known as the I. John Snider, II Trophy.

Winners

References
IHL Man of the Year www.hockeydb.com

International Hockey League (1945–2001) trophies


The Săcele is a river in Constanța County, Romania. Near the village Traian it flows into Lake Tuzla, which is connected with Lake Sinoe, a lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is  and its basin size is .

References

Rivers of Constanța County
Rivers of Romania
0Sacele


Saw, also known as Saw: The Video Game, is a survival horror video game that was developed by Zombie Studios and published by Konami for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The game was released on October 6, 2009, in North America and later that year in other regions. The Microsoft Windows version was released on October 22, 2009. Part of the Saw film franchise, the game is set between the first and second films.

In Saw, the Jigsaw Killer has healed Detective David Tapp from his gunshot wound, and places him in an abandoned insane asylum to teach him a lesson in life appreciation. Obsessed, Tapp traverses the asylum and gathers clues along the way in hopes of apprehending Jigsaw. As he progresses through the asylum, he encounters several people with connections to him, whom he must save. The asylum also has inhabitants who are in games of their own, ordered to kill Tapp. Along the way, Tapp uncovers the origins of Jigsaw and the motives behind his tests. The development team brought in the Saw creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell to help with the storyline and create new trap designs for the game.

Upon release, Saw received mixed reviews. It was praised for the storyline and multiple endings, as well as the immersive environment that is true to the Saw film series. The controls and combat system, however, were panned by critics. Since Konami purchased the publishing rights after former publisher Brash Entertainment went bankrupt, Konami had a significant input on the games' final outcome. They stated that they had plans to make Saw their next big franchise as well as a spiritual successor to their other survival horror series, Silent Hill. A sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood, was released on multiple platforms on October 19, 2010.

Gameplay
Saw is primarily a third-person survival horror game with elements of the action genre.  The player controls David Tapp, a former detective trapped in an abandoned asylum filled with Jigsaw traps. The primary goal of the game is to traverse the asylum and survive traps in order to escape. Tapp has several abilities in the game, such as the ability to search things like toilets and corpses to find items such as weapons, health, or clues he can use to fulfill his objectives. Items such as case files and cassette tapes are found hidden around the asylum, and provide additional information about the asylum's past and give background information about certain victims.

The game's combat system allows the character to block, counter-attack, and perform attacks to fend off enemies. There are over eighteen different weapons available to players, including lead pipes, mop handles, firearms, and explosives. Certain weapons may also be used for other purposes, such as cutting open a body to search inside, or breaking down a molding wall to reveal hidden paths. Weapons in the game deplete upon use in real time until they are rendered unusable. As a way to avoid combat, Tapp has the ability to rearm or place certain traps after activating them. For example, he can electrify water puddles or create and place explosive mines on one of "Jigsaw's Worktables". Tapp's health bar, once depleted, can only be restored by bandages or hypodermic needles, which can be stored in an inventory of items. When Tapp is losing health, the environment slowly fades to black-and-white until Tapp heals himself or dies.

At certain points in the game, the player will be joined by AI teammates that help Tapp. There are many points in the game where multiple paths are available that can be taken to avoid certain areas or uncover hidden items. Lighting plays a dynamic role in the game. While Tapp begins with a lighter, other light sources such as flashlights or camera flashes can be found later in the game. Minigames are a major part of the game. These include a searching game in which an X-ray view is used to avoid dangers like razors or syringes, and a game that involves grabbing a key before a "Pain meter" fills and wounds Tapp. Other puzzle minigames include powering fuse boxes, placing rotating gears in a box, and aligning steam valves. Doors rigged with shotguns attached to pulleys are in place all around the asylum. When the player encounters one of these doors, they must press a randomly assigned button before the pulley falls too far, or the gun will discharge. There are puzzles called "environmental traps", in which Tapp must use different elements in the environment, use the in-game camera, or go to certain locations to accomplish a task.

Synopsis

Setting
Saw, like its film predecessors, is set in the fictional Saw universe in an unnamed city in the United States. The overlying storyline follows that of a man named John Kramer. According to the backstory in the film Saw IV, John encountered a series of events, including the loss of his unborn child, his diagnosis of an inoperable frontal lobe tumor, his divorce from his wife, and a suicide attempt that caused him to begin testing other people's will to live. These tests, which ironically killed many of his victims, and the fact that he symbolically carved a puzzle piece out of the flesh of his victims, soon earned him the alias "The Jigsaw Killer" from newspaper reporter Oswald McGullicuty. Due to the chronology of Saw, Jigsaw is still alive and his apprentice Amanda is still assumed to be a victim rather than an accomplice.

In Saw, Jigsaw has just concluded the bathroom trap of Lawrence Gordon and Adam Stanheight, an incident that occurred at the end of the first film. David Tapp, a police officer who had his throat damaged by Jigsaw's knife and was later shot in the chest by a suspect named Zep Hindle, has been healed and is brought to Whitehurst insane asylum, an abandoned sanitarium with a reputation for medieval tactics and frequent patient abuse. The asylum has many areas, most of which contain a key trap scene for Tapp to solve. A large part of the asylum consists of cells that were at one time used to hold the criminally insane. Jigsaw placed traps all around the asylum to continue his tests of will for Detective Tapp and his apprentice, Amanda Young, who monitors Tapp as the story progresses.

Characters

Saw revolves around the Jigsaw Killer and his test subject Detective David Tapp, the games' protagonist. Jigsaw, a serial killer who is determined to spend the remainder of his life making people appreciate their lives, gives clues to Tapp as he progresses through the game. Clues are usually delivered by Jigsaw's puppet Billy. Tapp is a veteran detective for the local police force who was recently discharged for mental instability after the loss of his partner, Steven Sing, an event which led him to develop an obsession with catching Jigsaw. Throughout the game, Jigsaw attempts to teach Tapp to let go of his obsession and focus on survival.

In addition to Tapp and Jigsaw, there are six main characters who Tapp must save throughout the game. Amanda Young is a drug user who is secretly Jigsaw's apprentice. Jennings Foster is a corrupt CSI who framed an innocent citizen for a hit and run he committed. Melissa Sing is the wife of Tapp's former partner, Detective Steven Sing. She blames Tapp for her husband's death and has since become a neglectful parent to her son. Oswald McGullicuty is a newspaper reporter who coined the name "Jigsaw Killer" and accused Tapp of being Jigsaw. Obi is an arsonist who seeks a test from Jigsaw to give his life a purpose. Jeff Ridenhour is the second survivor of Jigsaw's games, and has become suicidal after Tapp interrogated him relentlessly about Jigsaw.

There are also minor characters spread around the asylum. Most of these people have instructions to kill Tapp and obtain a key placed inside his chest by Jigsaw to free themselves. Some of the attackers have a "reverse bear trap", and some have a "Venus flytrap". Others are equipped with new, unique traps, and some have no traps at all. While not an attacker, a masked figure called "Pighead" is the antagonist. Pighead pursues Tapp around the asylum and watches over Tapp's game as per Jigsaw's instructions. At the end of the game, Pighead becomes the only boss battle.

Plot
The story centers on the kidnapping of David Tapp by the Jigsaw Killer. During the first Saw film, Tapp witnessed his longtime friend and partner, Detective Steven Sing, fall victim to one of Jigsaw's traps. This left Tapp mentally unstable and he was soon discharged from the police force. Later, Tapp was shot in the chest by Zep Hindle after chasing him in pursuit of Jigsaw. Jigsaw had Tapp healed and concealed a key in his chest. Tapp was then placed in an abandoned insane asylum. Tapp wakes up in a bathroom with the reverse bear trap on him. He quickly pulls it off and ventures into the rest of the asylum. He is led to a medical wing by another victim of Jigsaw, only to be betrayed by the man. Tapp learns that he is being hunted by other victims in the asylum who need the key inside his chest to escape their own games. In the medical wing, Jigsaw informs Tapp that there is a woman trapped in the area who needs Tapp's help to survive. He quickly deciphers that it is Amanda Young, whom Tapp interviewed after she survived her first test. He saves Amanda, and she follows Tapp until a mysterious figure called Pighead captures her to fake her escape; she is actually Jigsaw's secret apprentice.

Tapp is forced to move further into the asylum, where he is captured by Pighead and is placed in the shotgun collar, which is later used in Saw III. Still in the trap, Tapp finds a second victim who is being held by Jigsaw. The victim, Jennings Foster, blames Tapp for being in his trap and thus harbors hatred for him. Tapp finds Jennings in a pendulum trap similar to the one used in Saw V. Tapp releases Jennings, who quickly runs away, believing that Tapp would get him killed if he stayed with him. Tapp moves on to find the next victim left behind by Jigsaw. He traverses the asylum and is led to the grave of his former partner Detective Sing. It is there that Tapp discovers that Jigsaw has captured Melissa Sing, Detective Sing's widow. She has become a neglectful parent and is convinced that it is Tapp's fault that her husband was killed. Melissa is found in an iron maiden-esque trap with spinning blades that will mangle her body should the device close on her. Jigsaw informs her that Tapp did not call for backup when searching Jigsaw's lair and that every one of the traps there could have been easily avoided by using standard police procedure, which makes Tapp responsible for his partner's death. After Tapp saves Melissa, she tells him Jigsaw gave her the option to leave Tapp, so she quickly runs away.

Tapp is beginning to learn that these people all have a dark connection to him. He proceeds to the offices of the building and finds Oswald McGullicuty in the next Jigsaw trap. Jigsaw felt that Oswald was perverting his message, and so he was placed into a folding table trap, which will snap his body in half if Tapp fails to save him. Tapp saves Oswald, but he is swiftly killed by a compacting metal slab before either have a chance to react.

Jigsaw then leads Tapp to the asylum's crematorium, where he informs Tapp that some people actually desire his tests, much to Tapp's surprise. At the crematorium is Obi, an arsonist who had put advertisements in the newspaper seeking for Jigsaw to test him. Tapp saves him from a burning furnace, but Obi is still frustrated because he wanted to survive his own test. Feeling that Tapp is throwing away a gift from Jigsaw, Obi runs away. Tapp then ventures through a theater, where he finds evidence that a former Jigsaw victim is being held there. He soon finds that it is Jeff Ridenhour, the man who was saved by Sing while he and Tapp were in Jigsaw's lair. Jeff has since become suicidal from Tapp's incessant questioning, and has been re-captured by Jigsaw. Tapp saves Jeff from a wall of spikes. Jeff is still frustrated, so he runs away, wounded. As this was the last victim in the asylum, Tapp is free to pursue Jigsaw, but encounters Pighead again. Jigsaw informs Tapp that Pighead wishes to surpass Jigsaw and sabotage Tapp's game, so he must be stopped. Tapp confronts and kills Pighead in order to get a key to proceed, to which Jigsaw rhetorically asks Tapp if he is a murderer.

Finale
Tapp heads to the asylum's library, where Jigsaw confronts him in person to present his final choice to conclude his test. Tapp chases Jigsaw, to no avail, but manages to recover the final choice key. At this point, there are two possible endings. Tapp returns to the library, where he must choose between "Freedom", which would simply allow Tapp to leave without catching Jigsaw, and "Truth", in which Jigsaw promises Tapp that his obsession to catch Jigsaw will be satisfied, but at a cost.

If the player chooses the Freedom door, Tapp escapes from the asylum, freeing the rest of the people trapped inside. Tapp returns to his apartment and reviews newspaper clippings which label him a hero by those who survived their tests in the asylum. Despite this, Tapp cannot overcome his obsession with Jigsaw and eventually commits suicide in his apartment, leaving Jigsaw free to conduct the rest of the tests as shown in the rest of the Saw films. The game's sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood, contains newspaper clippings documenting Tapp's escape and subsequent suicide, confirming that this ending is canon to the franchise.

If the player chooses the Truth door, Tapp pursues a mysterious cloaked figure whom he believes to be Jigsaw. After catching and brutally beating the figure, Tapp realizes that it is actually Melissa Sing. A tape found on Melissa explains that Jigsaw had put her in charge of keeping Tapp alive and making sure he followed the rules of Jigsaw's game after Tapp rescued her. Jigsaw had kidnapped her son and had Pighead sew her mouth shut to avoid her spoiling Tapp's test. Attempting to run away from Tapp, Melissa desperately charges through a nearby door rigged with a shotgun, which kills her in the same way as her late husband, Steven Sing. Tapp suffers a mental breakdown as a result of her death and is placed in a functional asylum where he still believes he is playing Jigsaw's games.

Development
Prior to the release of Saw III, Twisted Pictures and Brash Entertainment announced they were planning to create a game based on the Saw property. Although no release was confirmed, they stated that the game would most likely release alongside Saw IV. Originally, Brash Entertainment was going to develop the game and co-publish it with Twisted Pictures, the producers of all of the Saw films. The game's plot was originally to follow that of the first Saw film, with the player assuming control of various characters in Jigsaw's traps, but this was later changed as development progressed.

After the initial announcement, there were no updates from Brash Entertainment. The only form of news came from a teaser site for the game, which was removed as the game moved further into production. The game resurfaced at the Game Developers Conference 2008, on January 22, where a teaser trailer was played. The trailer showed franchise staple Billy the Puppet preaching to reporters about their wasted lives. Brash Entertainment confirmed that Zombie Studios had taken over development of the game, and Brash Entertainment would publish. The trailer briefly showed some gameplay elements from one of the traps featured in the game. After the trailer, Brash Entertainment confirmed that the game would utilize the Unreal Engine 3 and be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows platforms. A poster for the game which depicted an amorphous gamepad in a pool of blood was released soon after at the 2008 Comic Con convention. The tagline "Dying To Play?" was coined by Brash Entertainment for the poster. The development team brought in James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the creators of the first Saw film, to design new traps and help with the storyline for the game.

On November 14, 2008, Brash Entertainment held a press conference announcing that they would be ceasing operations due to financial difficulties. Since Brash Entertainment was publishing the game with Twisted Pictures, the game itself may have been left in "possible state of limbo". Considering that the game was far into production, the owners of the Saw brand, Lionsgate considered publishing the game themselves. The idea was soon rejected, as Lionsgate is primarily a film company and has no experience in the video game industry.  Konami picked the game up for distribution/development on February 6, 2009, after almost four months of uncertainty regarding the game's fate. The game, now under control of Konami, was redesigned to be a spiritual successor to Konami's other survival horror franchise, Silent Hill. While key elements were retained, Konami did have a large influence in the development of the game. The only cast member to reprise their role from the films was Tobin Bell as the Jigsaw Killer. Other cast members were replaced with other actors prominent in the video game voice-over industry. Earl Alexander replaced Danny Glover as the voice of protagonist David Tapp. Instead of actress Shawnee Smith, Jen Taylor voiced Amanda Young. Other cast members include David Scully as Oswald McGullicuty and Kahn Doan as new character Melissa Sing. Konami plans to use Saw for its visual intensity rather than traditional psychological terror.

Mod support
The PC version of Saw includes the Unreal Editor, which allows a user to create additional levels and modifications for the game. In order to launch it, SawGame.exe must be run with "editor" command-line parameter. There is only one released mod, Truth, where the player controls Melissa Sing. The mod continues the game's story after the Truth ending.

Marketing and release

To advertise the game, Konami released a series of screenshots and viral videos prior to release. The screenshots depicted different areas of the asylum and victims in their traps. The videos demonstrated the first hour or so of the game and included certain gameplay elements. While a few of the videos are inaccurate due to the developer making dramatic changes to the environment and gameplay, they still maintained the general roots of the game and the storyline.

On August 8, 2009, the Konami website had lost the entire section on Saw, including screenshots and information. The site was soon restored within a few days with updated information, including the official ESRB rating of Mature 17+ for blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, and strong language. Other ratings were released later from the BBFC and the ACB, which gave Saw an 18 and a MA15+ rating respectively. The game has a PEGI rating of 18, citing violence and bad language.

The game was originally intended to include an online multi-player offering, but that was later canceled. Since the game was in early development stages at the time, no further details were released. On September 17, 2009, Konami released the full list of Xbox Live achievements for the Xbox 360 version of the game. The game was released in North America on October 6, 2009, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with other countries and the Microsoft Windows platforms being released at later times in 2009. The Microsoft Windows version, which was released on October 22, 2009, was originally intended to be released exclusively through Valve's Steam digital distribution service; this was later corrected when Konami announced that Saw would also be available through another online distributor, Direct2Drive.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the game is an original score composed by Alex Guilbert. The theme for Saw, a series of plunking piano keys joined by a bass drum and violins, can be heard during the menu screen and the end credits. At some points during the game, a quick tempo score similar to the opening piano track is used to increase suspense during trap and puzzle sequences. A high-pitched tune can be heard during slower parts of the game, which was used to make these parts more ominous. Variations or mixes of these tracks occur throughout the game. The game utilizes a minimalist approach to music, with most of the ambient sound being provided by other victims, screaming or taunting protagonist David Tapp. Because the tracks were meant for a video game, there are no vocals; the tracks are much shorter than typical songs and are more abundant.

The game is the first piece of digital Saw media not to feature the series' staple "Hello Zepp" theme, a piece composed by Charlie Clouser and traditionally used in every Saw film. Because of this, the music for the game is often miscredited to Clouser, even though it was clarified as early as 2008 that Guilbert would be composing, with no mention of Clouser.

The soundtrack includes three bonus tracks, which extend the total length from 1:08:04 to 1:08:43. These appear on the bonus features of the game, which include the Saw VI CGI trailer and the E3 2009 demo.

Reception

Critical reception

Saw received mixed reviews. The Xbox 360 version of the game currently holds an average score of 59 percent on the game aggregator Metacritic, based on 35 reviews; the PlayStation 3 version has 59 percent from 36 reviews. On another aggregator site, GameRankings, the Xbox 360 version has a 60.89 percent score based on 27 reviews, while the PlayStation 3 has 58.57 percent from 23 reviews. The PC version holds a lower score of 44.33 percent, based solely on three reviews. Although the game was nearly universally praised for the storyline and the two endings the game presented and critics consistently mentioned the immersive atmosphere and environment as being true to the Saw series, the quality level of puzzles were mixed, depending on the reviewer. The controls in general were not well received by many, and worse the combat system was panned by nearly every reviewer.

Official Xbox Magazine gave the game a 4.5 out of a possible 10, stating, "Whether you're swinging a pipe or a scalpel, the controls never feel responsive, and rotten collision detection will drive you mad before Jigsaw's twisted games even have the chance." Writing for IGN, David Clayman gave Saw a 7.5 out of a possible ten, earning it a rating of "Good". Clayman praised the unique take on the survival horror franchise and the omnipresence of Jigsaw, but criticized the repetitive puzzles and the flawed combat system. Clayman even called the combat the Achilles' heel of the game. He went on to say: Overall, Saw is a welcome entry in the horror genre that provides a good dosage of thrills. Depending on your tolerance for repetition, it's a good way to test your nerves and scare yourself silly during a dark and stormy night.

While reviewing the game, many critics pointed out the quality of Guilbert's soundtrack. Eric Qualls praised the soundtrack, calling it a high point of the game. He stated that "The same sound effects and similar music and everything just sounds right". Qualls went on to compliment Tobin Bell's voice as a good addition to the music and the environment. Reviewer Kadath Bird noted the absence of the Hello Zepp theme, though the review did not comment on the soundtrack itself.

While Saw received mixed reviews, a general consensus among reviewers was that fans of the film series would enjoy it. Reviewer for Xbox 360 Achievements Alan Pettit wrote that while he enjoyed the game, it was not an outstanding title. Pettit commented that the game suffered due to the choice of Zombie Studios as the developer and that the franchise could be successful if a sequel was made with changes in developer and budget. Although he claimed it was repetitive, Pettit mentioned that "If there was only one thing the game did well, I'd say the puzzles that are put before you are excellently constructed, well thought out and best of all, difficult enough that you may not get it on your first attempt." The resulting score from Pettit's review was a 74 out of 100.

Controversy
Akin to the films, the Saw video game has been the subject of much controversy, often being classified as "torture porn" by its critics. Its violence and visual intensity sparked many allegations that the main goal of the game is to mutilate characters simply for the sake of doing so. It was compared to games such as Grand Theft Auto IV, MadWorld, and Manhunt, but contrasted for the claim that the aforementioned games' violence served a somewhat humorous purpose or had some type of moral reprieve. William Usher of Cinema Blend wrote that Saw pushed controversial boundaries and called it a "tutorial for sadists to get pleasure from". Usher said that the lack of a moral message makes it even more controversial.

The game contains one scene that allows players to cut open bodies and sift through their insides to retrieve a key. This area was a particular focus for critics, chief among them being Cinema Blend. It was stated that this scenario was "sick" and "tasteless". Konami had already received indefinite BBFC and ESRB ratings, so the game was released in all regions without any censorship. Robert Workman of Game Daily agreed with the sentiment that moral messages presented an issue to the game and included it in the "top ten controversial games of 2009." Mac World writer Chris Holt showed surprise that Konami would choose to release Saw but refuse to publish Six Days in Fallujah due to controversial factors. Konami later stated that this was because the events that took place in Fallujah were real events that could cause offense to some while Saw was entirely fictional.

Despite the controversy surrounding the game, it was approved for release in Germany and Australia, countries that are known to ban explicit video games. Producer John Williamson stated in an interview, "I thought, just based on everything I always read online, that it would never get through, but it went through on the first pass." Williamson attempted to justify the release of the game by noting the intellectual elements of both the game and the film franchise. He pointed out: I think they reviewed the game based on everything that was in it, not just on a couple of minutes of it, just like the Saw movies themselves aren't really pure torture porn. If you pay attention, there's actually usually a big twist in them. He went on to comment that the Saw films would not continue to appeal to fans if they were stereotypical torture porn.

Sequel

On April 9, 2010, Konami announced Saw II: Flesh & Blood and released a teaser trailer. The sequel is set between the first game and second film. The protagonist is David Tapp's estranged son Michael, who seeks the cause of his father's death, which leads him into conflict with the Jigsaw Killer and the second Pighead. It was released in October 2010 to coincide with the release of Saw 3D, the seventh film in the series.

References

External links
 Publisher's official website
 Developer's official website

2009 video games
Action-adventure games
Android (operating system) games
Detective video games
2000s horror video games
Konami games
PlayStation 3 games
Saw (franchise) video games
Survival video games
Unreal Engine games
Video games based on films
Video games developed in the United States
Video games set in abandoned buildings and structures
Video games set in psychiatric hospitals
Windows games
Linux games
Xbox 360 games
Zombie Studios games
Obscenity controversies in video games
Single-player video games
Video games featuring black protagonists


Rouffiac () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

Population

See also
 Communes of the Charente-Maritime department

References

External links

Communes of Charente-Maritime