Feilong (; lit. "flying dragon") is a legendary creature that flies among clouds in Chinese mythology. Feilong is a proper name, and is often used as a title for other ideas and objects.

Word
The Chinese dragon name feilong combines fei  or  "fly; flying; hover; flutter" and long  or  "dragon". This loanword  is pronounced as Japanese hiryū (), Korean biryong (), and Vietnamese philong. The inverted Longfei  was an era name (396–399 CE) during the Later Liang Dynasty.

The (121 CE) Shuowen Jiezi, the first Chinese character dictionary, uses feilong to define da  (written with 2   dragons) "flying dragon; appearance of a dragon in flight".

Early references
Chinese classic texts frequently mention feilong  "flying dragons". The examples below are roughly arranged in chronological order, although some heterogeneous texts are of uncertain dates.

Yijing
The (5th–3rd centuries BCE) Yijing "Book of Changes" first uses feilong to symbolize a daren  "great person; accomplished person". Qian  "The Creative", the first hexagram, says, "Nine in the fifth place means: Flying dragons in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man." The "Commentary on the Decision" (), explains, "Because the holy man is clear as to the end and the beginning, as to the way in which each of the six stages completes itself in its own time, he mounts on them toward heaven as though on six dragons." And the "Commentary on the Images" (), says, "'Flying dragon in the heavens.' This shows the great man at work."

Many later texts, such as the Zuozhuan, Shiji, and Hanshu histories, quote this "Flying dragons in the heavens" from the Yijing.

Hanfeizi
The (3rd century BCE) Hanfeizi (,) quotes Shen Dao contrasting feilong  with tengshe  "ascending/floating snake" to explain the Legalist concept of shi  "political power; strategic advantage".
Shen Tzu said: "The flying dragon mounts the clouds and the t'eng snake wanders in the mists. But when the clouds dissipate and the mists clear, the dragon and the snake become the same as the earthworm and the large-winged black ant because they have lost that on which they ride. Where men of superior character are subjugated by inferior men, it is because their authority is lacking and their position is low. Where the inferior are subjugated by the superior, it is because the authority of the latter is considerable and their position is high.
Ames notes this Shen Dao quotation "is very close both in wording and in substance to" the Shenzi () fragment, and "indeed, it could conceivably be an expansion and elaboration on it."

Lüshi Chunqiu
The (c. 3rd century BCE) encyclopedic Lüshi Chunqiu ( "Music of the Ancients",) uses Feilong  "Flying Dragon" as the name of a music master for the legendary ruler Zhuanxu
The Sovereign Zhuanxu was born at Ruo River and lived at Kongsang. Then he ascended to become a Sovereign who was truly a match for Heaven. When the winds true to the eight directions circulated, they made sounds like hya-hya, tsied-tsied, and tsyang-tsyang. The Sovereign Zhuanxu, being fond of these sounds, ordered Feilong to compose music in imitation of the Eight Winds, naming them "Supporting the Clouds" and using them in the worship of the Supreme Sovereign. He then ordered the [] water-lizard to lead them as singing master, so the water-lizard reclined and, using his tail to beat his belly, made the sound bung-bung.

Zhuangzi

The (3rd–2nd centuries BC) Daoist Zhuangzi (1) describes a shenren  "holy person" riding a feilong
He said that there is a Holy Man living on faraway Ku-she Mountain, with skin like ice or snow, and gentle and shy like a young girl. He doesn't eat the five grains, but sucks the wind, drinks the dew, climbs up on the clouds and mist, rides a flying dragon, and wanders beyond the Four Seas. By concentrating his spirit, he can protect creatures from sickness and plague and make the harvest plentiful.

Chuci
The (3rd–2nd centuries BCE) Chuci uses feilong in two poems. The Li Sao  "On Encountering Trouble" says,
Harness winged dragons to be my coursers; Let my chariot be of fine work of jade and ivory! How can I live with men whose hearts are strangers to me? I am going a far journey to be away from them.
The "Goddess of the Xiang"  mentions feilong twice.
North I go, drawn by my flying dragon, Steering my course to the Dong-ting lake: My sail is of fig-leaves, melilotus my rigging, An iris my flag-pole, my banner of orchids. Gazing at the distant Cen-yang mooring, I waft my magic across the Great River. ... The stream runs fast through the stony shallow, And my flying dragon wings swiftly above it. The pain is more lasting if loving is faithless: She broke her tryst; she told me she had not time.

Huainanzi
The (2nd century BCE) Huainanzi uses feilong in two chapters.

"Evolution of Animals and Plants" (,) mentions feilong with yujia  "winged excellence", fenghuang  "phoenix", and luan  "a legendary phoenix-like bird; simurgh".
Winged Excellence gave birth to Flying Dragon. Flying Dragon gave birth to the phoenix (fenghuang). The phoenix gave birth to the simurgh (luan). The simurgh gave birth to ordinary birds. Feathered creatures in general are born from ordinary birds.
Edward H. Schafer first translated luan as simurgh "a giant winged creature in Persian mythology".

"Generalship and the Prevention of Anarchy" (,) describes Daoist movement with the animal metaphors of luan, qilin (instead of yujia), fenghuang, and feilong.
The movements of the Tao-inspired are like a spirit's emergence and a demon's action, unexpected and sudden, like the sudden shining of the stars and their sinking into darkness again; like the rising of the fabulous bird Luan, and the excitation of the Lin, like the flight of the phoenix or the ascension of the dragon.

Baopuzi
The (c. 320 CE) Daoist Baopuzi by Ge Hong mentions Feilong  "flying dragon" and uses it as a graphic variant for the draconic mountain spirit Feifei  "fly fly".

Feilong occurs describing a Daoist xian  "transcendent; immortal" (6), "When my eyes have square pupils and my ears grow from the top of my head; when, driving a flying dragon and riding a cloud of good fortune, I shall mount above the darted lightning and reach Lighted-from-below, how will you be able to interrogate me? If you see me, you will then cry out that it is a heaven or an earth deity, or a strange sort of man. It will never occur to you to say that I am something produced by mere study!"

Feifei occurs with kui  "a one-legged demon" in a list of shanxiao  "mountain spirits" (l7), "Another is like a dragon, variegated in color and with red horns, the name being Fei-fei. Whenever one of these appears, shout its name, and it will not dare harm you."

Other texts
Feilong occurs in many additional contexts. Carr cites two examples. The Xijingfu  "Western Metropolis Rhapsody", by Zhang Heng (78–139 CE), used feilong as an alternate name for the mythical bird called longque  "dragon sparrow". Bicheng  "Collection of Notes", by Jiao Hong  (1540–1620 CE), described the feilong as having "a dragon's head, phoenix's tail, and multicolored patterns", and equated it with the wind god Feilian .

Proper names

Feilong, Hiryū, and Flying Dragon commonly occur in names.

Chinese Feilong (flying dragon) is also used to name:
Feilong, a jumping kick in martial arts
, a British-built gunboat in the Guangdong Fleet
Fei Long (FL), a family of Silkworm missiles (e.g., the C-101)
Fei-Long, a video game character in the Street Fighter series
Fei Long, a tribe in Survivor: China television series
FEILONG, call sign of China Flying Dragon Aviation
Fei lung maang jeung () or Dragons Forever, a Hong Kong action cinema
Yang Feilong (), a 3rd-century ruler of Chouchi
Fu Feilong (), a 4th-century deputy of Fu Pi
Ling Fei-long (), a character in the Dragon Fist manga
Liu Fei Long (), a character in Target in the Finder manga

Japanese Hiryū (flying dragon) names:
Hiryū, a Japanese aircraft carrier
Hiryū, a type of Mitsubishi Ki-67 medium bomber
Hiryū, a chess piece in Dai shogi
Hiryū no ken () Flying Dragon, a video game
Hiryū002, a train in The Galaxy Railways anime series
Strider Hiryu, a video game character
There is a minor My Hero Academia (a manga and anime) character named Hiryu Rin. He is from China and his Chinese name is Feilong Lin.

English has additional Feilong "Flying Dragon" names.
Feilongus, a genus of pterosaurs
Feilongshania, a genus of trilobites
Flying dragon or Draco volans, a species of Agaminae gliding lizards
Flying Dragon, a sculpture by Alexander Calder

References

Footnotes

Chinese dragons
Mythological monsters


The First National Bank of Florida is a bank headquartered in Milton, Florida, with branches in Pensacola, Pace, Navarre and Destin. It is not to be confused with the First National Bank of Miami which became Southeast Banking Corporation which later failed in 1992.

References

External links
 First National Bank of Florida home page

Banks based in Florida


Uncial 0157 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 1007 (in the Soden numbering), is a Greek uncial manuscript of the New Testament, dated palaeographically to the 7th century (or 8th century).

Description

The codex contains a small part of the First Epistle of John 2:7-13, on one a fragmentary parchment leaf ([21.5] cm by 28.4 cm). The text is written in two columns per page, 21 lines per page, in uncial letters.

The Greek text of this codex is unknown. Kurt Aland did not place it in any of Categories of New Testament manuscripts.

It is dated by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research to the 7th or 8th century.

The codex used to be held in Qubbat al-Khazna in Damascus. The present location of the codex is unknown. The manuscript is not accessible.

See also

 List of New Testament uncials
 Textual criticism

References

Greek New Testament uncials
7th-century biblical manuscripts
Lost biblical manuscripts


Jess M. Stairs (born June 5, 1942) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 59th District from 1977 to 2008.

Biography
In 2002, Stairs was a candidate to replace John E. Barley as Majority Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, eventually losing to Dave Argall. In an open letter to the House Caucus announcing his candidacy, Stairs criticized Barley's dual positions as both chair of the House Republican Campaign Committee and chair of the Appropriations Committee. He expressed his desire to work with John Perzel, saying that "John Perzel is a city fellow and fights like an alley cat. I will join him as a country boy and fight like a barn cat."

He retired prior to the 2008 election, and was succeeded by Republican Mike Reese.

Stairs and his wife live in Acme, Pennsylvania and have two children.

References

External links
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Jess Stairs official PA House website (archived)
Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus - Representative Jess Stairs official caucus website (archived)
Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart

1942 births
Living people
People from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania State University alumni


The Missouri Gaming Commission regulates riverboat casinos, charitable bingo, and fantasy sports contests in Missouri. It is headquartered in Jefferson City.

History
The Missouri Gaming Commission was established in 1993 to regulate excursion gambling boats. The Commission's role is to ensure the legality of licensed gaming operations, and to also ensure games are conducted fairly, according to their rules and with full disclosure. The Gaming Commission is overseen by five commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate. The Missouri Gaming Commission is operated daily by an appointed executive director. There have been seven executive directors in the history of the MGC.

There are 13 riverboat gaming casinos in Missouri. The industry employs nearly 10,000 people with an annual payroll of $320 million.

The Missouri Gaming Commission is a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

On July 17, 2023, Jan Zimmerman became its first female to chair the commission.

Disputes with Highway Patrol
On April 3, 2020, David Grothaus, the then-Executive Director, announced he would resign over a dispute with the state's highway patrol concerning the use of patrol officers at casinos. Grothaus sought to replace the officers with lower-paid MGC employees, which was resisted by both the patrol and the commission. A few weeks later, commissioner Dan Finney asked state auditor Nicole Galloway to conduct an audit of the agency. Finney cited his agreement with Grothaus's proposal as a motivating factor, arguing the commission was spending far more than it needed to.

Further controversy around the highway patrol's work with the commission arose when the commission authorized an investigation into its licensing practices in April 2020. An unknown whistleblower alleged that commission employees had altered or omitted material found in highway patrol reports on each of the state's 13 casinos. The commission paid the law firm of Graves Garrett $400,000 to conduct the investigation, which concluded in early 2021. The commission refused to make the report public, citing attorney-client privilege, which the Columbia Daily Tribune called a violation of the state's Sunshine Law. (The commission asserted the report fell under an exemption to the law). Commission member Dan Finney later claimed that the cost of the report was unnecessary and accused the commission's chairman, Mike Leara, of creating false charges.

References

External links

Missouri Gaming Commission blog
Publications by or about the Missouri Gaming Commission at Internet Archive.

Gaming Commission
Gambling regulators in the United States
Government agencies established in 1993
1993 establishments in Missouri


Impiety is a Singaporean black metal band, formed in early 1990 by Shyaithan (vocals/guitar/bass) and drummer Necro-Angelfornicator. They are notable for being one of the first metal, extreme metal bands to emerge from Singapore.

Biography
Impiety was originally formed in January 1990 by guitarist/bassist/vocalist Shyaithan and drummer Necro-Angelfornicator, originally heavily influenced by the likes of Hellhammer, Sarcófago, Possessed,  Destruction, Bathory, Angelcorpse and early Morbid Angel. The two recorded a rehearsal demo/promo in early 1991, but this was never officially released. After a few line-up changes, the band (now consisting of Shyaithan with guitarist Xxxul and drummer Iblyss) recorded its first official demo, in the form of 1992's Ceremonial Necrochrist Redesecration, which made a name for the band amongst underground tape-traders. Xxxul left Impiety in 1993, to be replaced by Iblyss' brother Leprophiliac Rex on guitars. This new trio signed to Shivadarshana Records, and recorded their first 7-inch single, Salve the Goat... Iblis Excelsi in 1993, which proved to be a great improvement in both sound and execution; the single was later licensed to the American label Fudgeworthy, who pressed it onto marbel vinyl.

Following the release of Salve the Goat..., Impiety once again underwent a line-up change, bolstering their sound with the addition of Almarhum Abyydos taking over all lead and rhythm guitars, Rex moving to bass and Shyaithan performing vocals. They recorded their debut album, Asateerul Awaleen, once again for Shivadarshana, in 1994. Despite its raw production, the album received positive reviews within the metal press. A five-song MCD, Funeralight, was also recorded for release in early 1997, but as Shivadarshana had folded the EP only saw the light as a limited edition cassette through the Malaysian label Ultra-Hingax, until Agonia's 2007 re-release. Shortly afterwards, Iblyss and Abyydos left the group, Abyydos to fulfill his national service requirements, and Shyaithan recruited new members for live shows in early 1997.

This new line-up, consisting of Shyaithan (vocals), guitarist Fyraun 95 and ex-Libation drummer Dajjal Yang Maseh Dara (with session bassist, Abattory's Kravnos), recorded Impiety's breakthrough album, Skullfucking Armageddon, in 1999. A considerable improvement over previous efforts, the record was initially released through Dies Irae Records, but subsequently through the cult French label Drakkar and Germany's Iron Pegasus Records, the latter on limited edition vinyl and picture disc. Dajjal left the band shortly after the recording to join death metal act Abattoir, in turn to be replaced on drums by ex-Abhorer and Abattoir member Dagoth. Around this time, the band also released a split 7-inch EP with Paul Ledney's US group Profanatica, through US label Samhain Records.

In 2000, further line-up changes were to trouble the band when Fyraun 95 left the band, allegedly imprisoned for two years for possession of heroin prior to a planned Asian and European tour. However, with the addition of former guitarist Xxxul and new bassist Demonomancer, Impiety undertook their Asian Hell tour and the four-date European mini-tour Skullfucking Euro Armageddon 2000 over the summer. Two months after returning to Singapore, drummer Dagoth left the band to join Demonification and was replaced by Fauzzt (of Hail), before Impiety returned to Europe for the 15-date, six country Skullfucking Euro Battlestorms 2000 tour, courtesy of Drakkar (who re-released the album to coincide with the tour). The tour was successful and led to the band signing a three-album deal with French label Osmose in 2001, though both Xxxul and Demonomancer left following the tour.

Impiety recorded their third album, Kaos Kommand 696, in three weeks during July 2002 at Berno Studios in Sweden. The recording line-up consisted of Shyaithan (bass/vocals), Fauzzt (drums) and the returning Fyraun (guitar). Extensive touring followed, particularly in South-East Asia, including such festivals as the Annual God Beheading Live Ritual (Bangkok, Thailand), Formoz Open Air Festival (Taiwan) and the Under the Black Sun festival in Germany. Both Fauzzt and Fyraun left in December 2003, and the decision was made to leave Osmose. Shyaithan set up an international line-up by recruiting the Mexican musicians Oscar Garcia (Hacavitz drummer) and Antimo Buonnao (Blood Reaping and Hacavitz lead guitarist) to the Impiety fold in 2004. The band also signed a two album deal with Polish label Agonia around the same time. The new line-up recorded three songs at Ambox Studios in Querétaro, Mexico, that were released as Impiety's half of the Two Majesties split EP with Thai act Surrender of Divinity (Unholy Horde Records, 2004).

In 2004, Impiety released a new album, Paramount Evil. Due to depiction of Auschwitz and the practices of Josef Mengele in the lyrics of the song Carbonized in the album, Impiety was accused of supporting Nazism and anti-Semitism. Shyaithan denied all allegations and clarified that they are anti-religion instead.

After the recruitment of Blood Reaping's Eduardo Guevara, Impiety recorded the eight tracks of their fourth album, Paramount Evil, at Ambox Studios in 2004. Reception was again positive and further touring ensued, including the nine-date Mexican Assault Tour in August 2004 and a five-date Asian Desecration Tour during December 2004 – January 2005. Following the cancellation of a number of European tours in 2004 and 2005, Shyaithan was forced to call an end to his Mexican alliance in mid-2006 owing to the costs associated with the large distances prohibiting rehearsing, recording and playing live. A new Asian line-up consisting of Shyaithan, Arbitrary Element's Tremor (drums), Dusk's Iron Shaikh (bass) and Absence of the Sacred's Mike Priest (guitars) was brought together and resulted in the Tormentors of Tijuana live album on Japan's cult Heavy Metal Super Star Records (2007) and the studio effort Formidonis Nex Cultus, once again for Agonia.

In 2008, Impiety released the 18 Atomic Years – Satanniversary double CD through Pulverised and double LP through Agonia. This was followed by an Impiety/Abhorrence split 7-inch EP, featuring exclusive tracks. Later in 2008, a new 5 track MCD entitled Dominator was released. The band headlined its own 23 date European tour soon after.

The sixth album Terroreign was released in 2009, featuring Rangel Arroyo of Abhorrence of guitar. In February 2010 a new EP called Goatfather was released via Basement Records. The months after, a tour of 22 dates followed throughout Europe accompanied by Swedish black metal band Setherial. In the meantime, HMSS released a second live LP, Tormentors of Nagoya, which was recorded a few months before. Later, the band announced a seventh album entitled Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny, featuring Fabio Zperandio as a special guest on guitar solos; the album was released on 24 January 2011. The band released their next studio album, Ravage & Conquer, in 2012.

Impiety released their first studio album in eight years, Versus All Gods, on January 20, 2020. They are currently working on a follow-up album, scheduled to be released in 2023 via Listenable Records.

Line-up

Current line-up
 Shyaithan (1990–present; vocals, bass) (formerly guitar)
 Iszar – (2017–present; guitars)
 Nizam Aziz – (2012–present; guitars)
 Dizazter – (2011–present; drums)

Former members
Guitar:
 Xxxul (1991–1993; 2000)
 Leprophiliac Rex (1993–1994; also of Libation)
 Al-Marhum Abyydos (1994–1997)
 Fyraun (1997–2000, 2002–2003; also of Profancer, Sadiztik Impaler, Xasthur (Sgp))
 Antimo Buonnano (2004–2006; also of Blood Reaping, Demonized (Mex), Disgorge (Mex), Domain (Mex), Hacavitz, Profanator, Ravager)
 Eduardo Guevara (2004–2006; also of Blood Reaping, Cenotaph (Mex), Hacavitz, Raped God 666, Rapture (Mex))
 Mike Priest (2007–2008; also of Absence of the Sacred)
 Itaru Sayashi (2009–2010; also of Cohol)
 Rangel Arroyo (2008–2009, 2009–2010; also of Abhorrence (Bra))
 Eskathon – (2010–2011)
 Guh Lu – (2010–2012)
 Deimos – (2011; also Livyatan)

Bass:
 Leprophiliac Rex (1994–1997; also of Libation)
 Kravnos (session, 1999; also of Abattory)
 Demonomancer (2000–2007; also of Balberith)
 Iron Shaikh (2007; also of Dusk (Pak), Northern Alliance)
 Guh Lu (2012)

Drums:
 Necro-Angelfornicator (1990–1991)
 Iblyss (1991–1997; also of Abhorer, As Sahar)
 Dajjal (1997–1999; also of Abattory)
 Dagoth (1999–2000; also of Abattory, Abhorer, Profancer, Xasthur (Sgp))
 Fauzzt (2000–2003; also of As Sahar, Chaos Regal, Hail, Kibosh, Sibyl Kismet, Meltingsnow, Rejex)
 Tremor (2007–2009; also of Arbitrary Element, Battlestorm, Bunuh, Cardiac Necropsy, Dusk (Pak), Ilemauzar, Sihir, Soul Devour, Wormrot, Zushakon)
 Akihiro Tsunoda (2009–2010; also of Woundeep)
 Oscar Garcia (2004–2006, 2007, 2009–2010; also of Demonized (Mex), Domain (Mex), Hacavitz, Ravager)
 Andrea Janko (2010)
 Atum (2010–2011)
 Maelstrom (2011)
 Disaster (2011 – )

Discography

Demos
 Rehearsal Demo (demo, 1991)
 Ceremonial Necrochrist Redesecration (demo, 1992)

EPs
 Salve The Goat...Iblis Exelsi (EP, Shivadarshana Records, 1993)
 Funeralight (EP, Ultra-Hingax, 1997; reissued by Agonia Records, 2006)
 Unholy Masters of Darkness (split 7-inch EP with Profanatica, Samhain Records, 1999)
 Two Majesties: An Arrogant Alliance of Satan's Extreme Elite (split 7-inch EP with Surrender of Divinity, Unholy Horde Records, 2004)
 Two Barbarians (split 7-inch EP with Abhorrence, Agonia Records, 2008)
 Dominator (EP, Pulverised Records, 2008)
 Goatfather (EP, Basement Records, 2010)
 Advent of ... (EP, Pulverised Records, 2011)

Albums
  Asateerul Awaleen  (LP, Shivardarshana Records, 1996; reissued by Agonia Records, 2004)
  Skullfucking Armageddon  (LP, Dies Irae Records, 1999; reissued by Drakkar, 2000)
 Kaos Kommand 696 (LP, Osmose, 2002)
 Paramount Evil (LP, Agonia Records, 2004)
  Tormentors of Tijuana  (live LP, Heavy Metal Super Star Records, 2007)
  Formidonis Nex Cultus  (LP, Agonia Records, 2007)
  18 Atomic Years Satanniversary  (compilation double LP, Agonia / Pulverised Records, 2008)
 Terroreign (LP, Agonia Records, 2009)
  Tormentors of Nagoya  (live LP, Heavy Metal Super Star Records, 2010)
 Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny (LP, Agonia Records, 2011)
  Ravage & Conquer (LP, Agonia Records, 2012)
 Versus All Gods (LP, Evil Dead Production, 2020)

References

External links

 Impiety at Agonia Records
 Impiety at Osmose Productions

Black metal musical groups
Death metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1990
1990 establishments in Singapore
Singaporean heavy metal musical groups
Thrash metal musical groups
Musical quartets


Paul Shipokosa Mashatile (born 21 October 1961) is a South African politician who is the 9th and current deputy president of South Africa. He became deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC) in December 2022. Before his election to that position, he was ANC treasurer-general from December 2017 and acting ANC secretary-general from January 2022.

Formerly an anti-apartheid activist in the United Democratic Front, Mashatile was a member of President Jacob Zuma's first cabinet, serving as Minister of Arts and Culture from 2010 to 2014. Before that, he was briefly premier of Gauteng province from 2008 to 2009. Between 1996 and 2008, and later between 2014 and 2018, he held several ministerial portfolios in the Gauteng provincial government. He remains especially influential in Gauteng, his home province, where he was also ANC Provincial Chairperson between 2007 and 2017.

Early life and activism
Mashatile was born on 21 October 1961 in Gerhardsville, in what is now the municipality of Tshwane, in the Gauteng province. His mother was Marriam Nomvula Mashatile (b. 1937–1938, d. 2020). She was a domestic worker. Mashatile's father was a lay priest.

While a student, Mashatile began his political career as an anti-apartheid activist in Alexandra, Gauteng, alongside Obed Bapala and others. He was a member of the Congress of South African Students and co-founded the Alexandra Youth Congress, becoming the latter's inaugural president in 1983. In the same year, he represented the Alexandra Youth Congress at the launch of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Cape Town, and two years later he succeeded Valli Moosa as UDF regional secretary for Southern Transvaal, a position which he held until the UDF was dissolved in 1991. Later in 1985, under the prevailing state of emergency, he was arrested for his political activism, and he was detained without trial until 1989.

Rise in Gauteng
When the apartheid government unbanned the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) in 1990, Mashatile was recruited to the interim leadership corps of both organisations and tasked with helping establish their new legal structures inside the country and especially in the PWV region that later became Gauteng, then led by trade unionist Kgalema Motlanthe. Observers have viewed this period as instrumental in solidifying Mashatile's support base and influence in the region. He was appointed interim regional secretary of the SACP in 1990, and was in charge of the ANC's political education programme in the region between 1991 and 1992. In 1992, he was elected Provincial Secretary of the Gauteng ANC, in which capacity he worked alongside Provincial Chairperson Tokyo Sexwale.

Provincial government
In South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, he was elected to the Gauteng provincial legislature and became leader of the house. Two years later, Mashatile joined the provincial cabinet, where he served for the next 13 years, initially as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Transport and Public Works (1996–1998) and then as MEC for Safety and Security (1998–1999). Under Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, he occupied high-profile portfolios as MEC for Human Settlements (1999–2004) and for Finance and Economic Affairs (2004–2008). He was a close ally of Shilowa, viewed as the latter's right-hand man and protégé. As Finance MEC, he was closely involved in planning the Gautrain rapid-transit project, and also formulated and established the Gauteng Shared Services Centre, which centralised the budget allocations of provincial departments and which has been criticised as inefficient and vulnerable to corrupt abuses.

Provincial ANC
Over the same period, Mashatile ascended the ranks of the Gauteng ANC. He remained Provincial Secretary until 1998, when he was elected Deputy Provincial Chairperson under new Provincial Chairperson Mathole Motshekga. Mashatile was viewed as an opponent of Motshekga in ensuing years, during which the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee became divided over Motshekga's leadership, leading in 2000 to its dissolution by the ANC's National Executive Committee. In 2001, when the provincial party elected a new leadership, Mashatile was viewed as a possible successor to Motshekga, but ultimately stood for re-election to the deputy chairmanship and lost against Angie Motshekga, wife of Mathole. In 2004, he again contested the deputy chairmanship and was again beaten by Motshekga. However, he remained an ordinary member of the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee. He also remained a member of the SACP until at least 2007.

ANC Gauteng Chairperson

Election: 2007
At the provincial ANC's next elective conference in 2007, Mashatile launched a bid for the provincial chairmanship, the most senior position in the provincial party, running against fellow MECs Angie Motshekga and Nomvula Mokonyane. Motshekga was viewed as his primary competitor; the Mail & Guardian said that he represented "seniority" while Motshekga represented "those seeking a change of blood in the leadership". Another central issue in the campaign was the respective stance of the contestants on the question of leadership succession in the national ANC, which had grown heated in the run-up to the party's 52nd National Conference, to be held in Polokwane in December 2007. Mashatile was widely rumoured to support neither of the two main candidates – incumbent ANC President Thabo Mbeki and incumbent ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma – but rather to support the underdog candidacy of Tokyo Sexwale. By contrast, his opponent in the provincial race, Motshekga, publicly supported Zuma, as did the ANC Youth League, which had nominated Mashatile for the provincial chair.

At the conference, which opened in Midrand on 7 October 2007, outgoing Provincial Chairperson Shilowa declined a nomination to stand for re-election; he was rumoured to support Mashatile's bid to succeed him. On the same day, Mashatile was elected ANC Provincial Chairperson, with Mokonyane as his deputy.

In his closing address to the conference, Mashatile told attendees that "In Gauteng there is no individual position, there is no Paul Mashatile position on who we will elect to the national leadership" in December, promising that the provincial party would enter into collective discussions to formulate a unified position. The province ultimately favoured Zuma in the nominations phase, and analyst Aubrey Matshiqi estimated that its support was divided between Mbeki and Zuma at the conference itself.

Premier of Gauteng: 2008–2009
On 7 October 2008, Mashatile was elected Gauteng Premier, replacing Shilowa, who had resigned in protest against the ANC's decision to remove President Thabo Mbeki from office. However, Mashatile served as Premier for less than a year. On 6 May 2009, pursuant to the 2009 general election, he was replaced as Premier by his deputy in the ANC, Nomvula Mokonyane, and was appointed to the relatively junior position of Deputy Minister for Arts and Culture under newly elected President Jacob Zuma. This was viewed as a "slap in the face" for Mashatile, given his popularity in the province and ANC norms about reserving premierships for provincial party chairpersons. In subsequent months, the Sowetan reported that Mashatile faced division inside the provincial ANC, with some groups aligned to Mokonyane or the Motshekgas.

Minister of Arts and Culture: 2010–2014
Mokonyane was also presumed to be the national ANC leadership's preferred candidate for ANC provincial chairperson, but at the elective conference of the Gauteng ANC in May 2010, Mashatile prevailed decisively, winning re-election by 531 votes to Mokonyane's 356. In the aftermath of the vote, in what was viewed as an assertion of dominance over Mokonyane's office, the newly elected ANC provincial executive instructed Mokonyane to reshuffle her cabinet to elevate three of Mashatile's allies: Lebogang Maile, Ntombi Mekgwe, and Humphrey Mmemezi. Also in the aftermath, on 31 October 2010, Zuma announced Mashatile's promotion to Minister of Arts and Culture. Mashatile was sworn into the National Assembly in order to take up the position.

Bid for ANC Treasury: 2012
By mid-2012, there were reports that Mashatile was using his influence within the party to lobby for Zuma's deposition and possibly for his own elevation to a national leadership position. The Gauteng ANC, and Mashatile personally, publicly supported leadership change in the ANC ahead of the 53rd National Conference of the ANC in December 2012. At the conference, Mashatile stood for national Treasurer General on a slate aligned to presidential challenger Kgalema Motlanthe. Like Motlanthe, he lost the vote resoundingly, and Zweli Mkhize was appointed Treasurer General by 2,988 votes to his 961. He also failed to gain enough votes to win election to the party's National Executive Committee, although he remained an ex officio member of the committee in his capacity as Provincial Chairperson.

Pursuant to the 2014 elections, Zuma was re-elected as national president and sacked Mashatile from his second-term cabinet. Mashatile retreated to the backbenches of the National Assembly, where he served as chair of the appropriations committee. He was also re-elected, unopposed, as ANC Gauteng Chairperson in October 2014. He left the national legislature in February 2016, when he was appointed MEC for Human Settlements and Cooperative Governance in the cabinet of Gauteng Premier David Makhura, a close ally. He served in the provincial cabinet until early 2018, when he took up the full-time party position of ANC Treasurer General. In the interim, he remained a fairly staunch opponent of Zuma: after the 2016 Constitutional Court judgement on Zuma's misconduct in the Nkandla saga, Mashatile spearheaded the Gauteng ANC's call for Zuma to step down, a call he later repeated in the week before Zuma was recalled by the ANC.

In the national ANC

ANC Treasurer General: 2017–2022
On 18 December 2017, Mashatile was elected Treasurer General of the ANC at the latter's 54th National Conference, which also marked the end of Zuma's term as party president. Mashatile won 2,517 votes, against 2,178 for Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. He ran on the slate of winning presidential candidate Cyril Ramaphosa, and reportedly partnered with David Mabuza in negotiating access to that slate. Some commentators have said that Mashatile had a long-running and instrumental role in engineering Ramaphosa's ascent.

The Treasurer General position was a full-time post based out of the ANC's headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. In January 2022, with Secretary General Ace Magashule on suspension and Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte on sick leave, Mashatile was appointed acting ANC Secretary General; he continued in the position after Duarte's death in July.

ANC Deputy President: 2022–
On 19 December 2022 at the ANC's 55th National Conference, Mashatile was elected ANC Deputy President, serving under Ramaphosa. By mid-2022 he was widely expected to contest for one of the party's top leadership positions, possibly even the presidency. He emerged as a frontrunner for the deputy presidency during the nominations phase: he was the favoured candidate of branches in seven of the party's nine provinces, with the exception of the Eastern Cape, which favoured Oscar Mabuyane, and Mpumalanga, which favoured Ronald Lamola. At the conference, he earned just over 50% of the vote, receiving 2,178 votes against Mabuyane's 1,858 and Lamola's 315.

Controversies

"Alex mafia"
Mashatile has frequently been identified as a leading member of the so-called "Alex mafia" – a term whose use was banned in the Gauteng legislature in 2010, and which refers to a network of politicians and businesspeople with personal ties originating in Alexandra township's anti-apartheid movement. Other putative members of the "mafia" include Nkenke Kekana and Mike Maile, the brother of Gauteng politician Lebogang Maile. In 2006, the Mail & Guardian reported that such ties might have led Mashatile to acquire shares in a software company with state contracts, possibly creating a conflict of interest. The Gauteng Integrity Commissioner, Jules Browde, cleared Mashatile of any impropriety in December that year, finding that Mashatile had never exercised his share option and had declared the shares erroneously.

Restaurant expenses
In June 2006, Mashatile, then Finance MEC, caused a minor scandal when he spent R96,000, charged to his government credit card, on a single dinner for government employees at an upmarket French restaurant in Sandton. The Star newspaper reported that Mashatile had incurred more than R250,000 in "entertainment" expenses between February and June of that year. Two months later, Mashatile hosted another government dinner at the same restaurant, at a higher cost of R108,000, and his spokesperson inflamed the scandal by falsely denying the reports. In an ensuing investigation, the Gauteng Integrity Commissioner again cleared Mashatile, this time of allegations that he had misused his government credit card or fraudulently under-reported his expenditures.

Alexandra Renewal Project
Ahead of the 2019 general election, controversy arose around claims that the Gauteng government had wasted – or its politicians pilfered – R1.3 billion in funds intended for the Alexandra Renewal Project, a welfare scheme coordinated by Mashatile's department during his first term as Human Settlements MEC (1999–2004). In the course of a joint inquiry by the Public Protector and South African Human Rights Commission, Mashatile and other officials denied that any such amount had gone missing or been allocated in the first place. Mashatile filed a R2-million defamation lawsuit against opposition party the Economic Freedom Fighters and two of its leaders, Julius Malema and Mandisa Mashego, after they implied that he had been involved in corruption in administering the Alexandra Renewal Project.

Personal life
Mashatile has two sons and two daughters. His wife, Manzi Ellen Mashatile, died in July 2020. In November 2020, he launched the Manzi Mashatile Foundation to promote educational programmes in her memory.

References

External links
 Manzi Mashatile Foundation
 Official profile as Gauteng Premier
 Profile at South African History Online
 Paul Shipokosa Mashatile at Who's Who Southern Africa

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1961 births
Living people
South African Communist Party politicians
African National Congress politicians
Premiers of Gauteng
Deputy presidents of South Africa
Arts and culture ministers of South Africa
People from Pretoria
Tsonga people
Members of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
Members of the National Assembly of South Africa


Eugene George Ammann, Jr. (born January 30, 1949 in Decatur, Georgia or New York) was a pitcher who is most notable for winning the 1970 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award while a junior at Florida State University (FSU). He is one of two players from Florida State University to win that award. The other is Marshall McDougall.

In 1968, he went 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA. He went 11-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 1969. His 1970 collegiate was perhaps one of the best ever in NCAA history. He won 15 games and lost none for a record of 15-0, and his ERA was 0.66, the lowest all-time in a single season. He had a string of 41 scoreless innings, and another string of 29 scoreless innings. Furthermore, he also holds the record for most shutouts in a season, with eight. At one point, he threw a no-hitter. He also holds the record for lowest ERA in a career, posting a career 1.45 ERA while attending FSU. Overall, his career record at FSU was 31-2.

Prior to pitching collegiately, he attended Lakeside High School.

Ammann was drafted twice. The first time, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 55th round of the 1967 draft. He chose not to sign. After being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the third round of the 1970 draft, he did sign. He played professionally for five seasons, never reaching the majors.

In his first professional season (1970), he played for the Jacksonville Suns, going 1-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 11 games. From 1971 to 1973, he played for the Evansville Triplets. In 1971, he went 6-10 with a 3.79 ERA in 25 games. In 1972, he went 9-10 with a 3.92 ERA in 30 games. Finally, in 1973, he went 8-8 with a 5.68 ERA in 26 games. In 1974, he played for the Hankyu Braves in Japan. He appeared in only one game, after which he was released; a report noted a lack of a fastball as the reason for his lack of success.

In 1991, he was inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame.

References

External links

Japan Baseball Daily
Florida State University
Biography

Florida State Seminoles baseball players
1949 births
College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners
Living people
Hankyu Braves players
American expatriate baseball players in Japan


Stuart William Oliver (born 2 July 1963 in Hexham) is a British auto racing driver, who races in Truck Racing, where he has won many titles. He drives the Kelsa Truck Products Volvo Trucks RH13 in both the British Truck Racing Championship and the FIA European Truck Championship, for Team Oliver Racing.

Racing career

Truck Racing

He first entered the British Championship in 1998, finishing the season third on points and winning the title of Professional Driver of the Year. A year later in 1995, he was Truck racing champion, going on to dominate the championship in the following seasons. He was champion again in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2004 he also won the FIA European Truck Championship.

2011 Stuart Oliver joins Truck Race Team Allgäuer based in Weiler, Austria to compete in the FIA European Truck Championship.

BTCC

For 2008 he raced in saloon cars, in the British Touring Car Championship in-between truck events when there was no fixture clash. He raced in a Lexus IS200 and a SEAT Toledo Cupra for BTC Racing, but the car was both uncompetitive and unreliable, and he only drove in the first part of the season with no points.

T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship

At the inaugural T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship held by Tata Motors at the Buddh International Circuit in India, Stuart Oliver was crowned the first ever champion after winning both races on the single race day of the weekend long event. Stuart stated "It was an amazing experience. The track is beautiful and trucks were performing great. I am thrilled to have won the first ever truck racing championship in India, among the enthusiastic crowd who were cheering each time we drove past the grand stand. I see a lot of potential of this sport here and would love to come back and race again".

The T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship comprised two races, a 5-lap Sprint Race and a 15-lap Main Race, with the Champion Award granted to the winning driver on the basis of combined points from both the races. The Team Championship was awarded on the basis of the combined scores of the two drivers of the respective teams from both the races.

All the 12 Tata Prima trucks were Indian but were heavily modified, capable of putting out 370 hp and reaching a top speed of 110 km per hour (limited by FIA) driven by experienced drivers from BTRC.

Stuart also won the 2015 Edition of T1 Racing for Castrol VECTON.

Top Gear

It has been rumoured that Stuart Oliver appeared as the 'Rig Stig' on Top Gear Series 12, Episode 1. The episode saw the £5000 Lorry Challenge where the first event was to powerslide a lorry, with Oliver's own racing truck being used as a demonstration of this.

He has appeared on an episode on Top Gear (2002 TV series) driving a fuel truck in a race comprising airport vehicles.

Racing record

Complete British Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position - 1 point awarded in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap - 1 point awarded all races) (* signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap - 1 point awarded all races)

References

External links
Official Site

British Touring Car Championship drivers
Living people
1963 births


Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It was also known as Blackpool Municipal Airport, and was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in 1947. The site is now used by Blackpool Zoo.

Early history
Despite the existence of the Squires Gate site, now Blackpool Airport, which had been used intermittently for flying since October 1909, Blackpool Corporation decided in 1928 to build a new airfield close to Stanley Park. The aerodrome was located  east south east of North Pier at an elevation of  above sea level.

It occupied  of a  site acquired by the corporation for aviation and sports use under the Blackpool Improvement Act 1928. The aerodrome was completed, licensed and opened for use in August 1929. After the erection in early 1931 of a hangar and a clubhouse and offices with an observation/control tower on top, the aerodrome was officially opened on 2 June 1931 by the prime minister Ramsay MacDonald. The all-grass airfield's surface was small, with the longest landing run available (NW/SE) being  in length.

Early operations

For the first few years the airfield was used aircraft owned by private individuals and flying clubs. These were housed in an art deco hangar and terminal building, parts of which still survive in use within Blackpool Zoo. On 15 June 1932, T. Neville Stack departed from the aerodrome at the controls of Spartan Mailplane G-ABLI on the first leg of a flight to Karachi, India, carrying two passengers. After being named Blackpool, the aircraft was given a civic send-off and reached Drigh Road aerodrome 5 days 23 hours 50 minutes later.

A public Air Pageant was held at Stanley Park on 26 June 1932. Another public event was held on 7 September 1935 during which Alan Cobhams National Aviation Day Circus performed. Pleasure flights were available to the public, but tragedy ensued when an Avro 504 biplane of Air Travel Ltd collided over the outskirts of Blackpool, with Cobham's Westland Wessex monoplane. The pilot and two sisters from Blackpool were killed in the Avro, but the pilot of the Wessex skillfully brought his aircraft and four passengers to a non-fatal crash-landing.

Inter-war airline operations

United Airways Ltd

The first scheduled air services from Stanley Park Aerodrome were operated by the short-lived United Airways to Hall Caine Airport, Isle of Man, during the summer of 1935 using eight-seat de Havilland Dragons. During summer 1935, United Airways flew an ex Imperial Airways Armstrong Whitworth Argosy G-AACJ on pleasure flights from the airfield and on occasion, when passenger numbers warranted, to the Isle of Man (Hall Caine). The Argosy was a large three-engined 20-seat biplane airliner, which had been built in 1929.

Whitehall Securities Corporation, owners of United Airways and their sister airline Spartan Air Lines began to build on their fledgling operation, introducing a schedule from London (Heston Aerodrome) via Stanley Park Aerodrome, Hall Caine and then onwards to Dublin (Collinstown).

Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services (RAS) had operated schedules from Squires Gate from April 1935, but their flights moved to Stanley Park Aerodrome on 1 June 1937. From 26 September 1937, RAS operations from Blackpool were transferred to Isle of Man Air Services (IoMAS) and these continued until the outbreak of World War II, again operated by Dragon Rapides. Some RAS/IoMAS scheduled flights from Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man continued from Stanley Park Aerodrome to Speke Airport, Liverpool and Manchester's Barton Aerodrome.

The scheduled services through Stanley Park Aerodrome were not resumed after the war, the now larger Squires Gate airfield again being used.

Operations in World War II
The airfield was requisitioned at the start of the war and was initially used by the Royal Air Force No.3 School of Technical Training, which used various types of grounded aircraft, including Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, which were dispersed around the airfield boundary.

Vickers-Armstrongs (VA) established a major aircraft shadow factory at Squires Gate in 1940 for the production of large numbers of Vickers Wellington medium bombers. Vickers took over most of the existing facilities at Stanley Park Aerodrome and used them, and five newly erected temporary Bellman hangars, to house a secondary assembly line. Because of the airfield's short grass runways, the Wellingtons landed at the larger Squires Gate facility after their maiden flights. A total of 2,584 Wellingtons were completed at the two Blackpool aerodromes between September 1940 and summer 1945.

Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) established an aircraft repair line at Stanley Park Aerodrome which overhauled Bristol Beaufighters for return to service with the RAF. Later, some Hawker Hurricanes were flown in and reduced to scrap metal. No.181 Gliding School RAF used Kirby Cadet gliders at Stanley Park Aerodrome between 1943 and 1947 to train air cadets.

Postwar activities

A limited amount of charter flying was performed from Stanley Park Aerodrome during early 1946 by LAC using de Havilland Dragon Rapide biplane airliners. However, the airline transferred to the better facilities at Squires Gate and flying from Stanley Park Aerodrome ceased in 1947.

However, although seemingly undocumented, the airfield was busy after that date. The 1952 Aerial Survey of the UK shows the runways still visible and numerous aircraft around the hangars waiting to be scrapped. There are at least 35 folded wing Seafires visible with 13 dispersal stains showing where aircraft have been removed for scrapping. In addition there are around 30 Spitfires/Seafires and at least 6 other aircraft to be seen in the photograph.

Until 1970, the site was used to stage the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show. In that year, the site was acquired for the construction of Blackpool Zoo, which opened to the public in 1972. Several extra large buildings were erected, with the pre-war aerodrome terminal building and hangar and three wartime hangars also being utilised by the zoo.

References

Bibliography

Airports in Lancashire
Defunct airports in England
Buildings and structures in Blackpool


Private Lives is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin. The screenplay by Hanns Kräly and Richard Schayer is based on the 1930 play Private Lives by Noël Coward.

Plot
Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne, divorced after a tempestuous marriage, are dismayed to discover they both have opted to honeymoon with their new spouses at the same hotel on the French Riviera. Elyot finds his bride Sybil's questions about Amanda annoying, while Amanda wishes her new husband Victor would stop referring to Elyot every chance he gets. When Elyot discovers Amanda on the terrace their adjoining suites share, he insists he and Sybil immediately depart for Paris, the same plan Amanda proposes to Victor. The two ex-spouses quarrel with their new mates, both of whom set off in search of peace and quiet.

Left to reminisce, Elyot and Amanda rekindle their relationship with a kiss and make a pact to put an end to any verbal battles when either one utters the name "Solomon Isaacs." The two then abandon and flee to St. Moritz, but before long they begin a spat that evolves into a major fight about a phonograph record, which Amanda breaks over Elyot's head, an action that leads to total destruction of their hotel room. Rushing out, Amanda meets Victor and Sybil, who have tracked down the prodigal duo, and everyone becomes involved in the dispute. Things finally calm down, and the two couples meet for breakfast the next day, but when Victor and Sybil begin to fight, Elyot and Amanda walk out and depart the resort by train.

Cast
 Norma Shearer as Amanda Prynne
 Robert Montgomery as Elyot Chase
 Reginald Denny as Victor Prynne
 Una Merkel as Sibyl Chase
 Jean Hersholt as Oscar
 George Davis as Bell Hop

Production
When Noël Coward's play proved to be a hit both in London and on Broadway, MGM executive Irving Thalberg bought the rights for a film adaptation starring his wife, Norma Shearer. Coward was uncertain if Shearer was capable of handling the sophisticated dialogue of his comedy of manners, but the actress confidently proclaimed, "I don't care what he thinks - he thinks in theater terms - I think in film terms. It doesn't seem to occur to Mr. Coward that we both may turn out to be right!" She personally suggested Robert Montgomery, who already had appeared in three films opposite her, for her co-star.

The studio filmed a performance of the play with Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, which the director and cast closely followed. According to Coward biographer Cole Lesley, the playwright was pleased with the outcome and described the leading performers as "perfectly charming." The film's critical acclaim and financial success proved instrumental in helping Coward sell the film rights to several other plays.

Exteriors were filmed in Franklin Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains and Glacier National Park, Montana. The song "Someday I'll Find You" sung by Shearer and frequently heard as an underscore on the soundtrack, was written by Coward.

Critical reception
Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times called the film "a swift and witty picture" and "one of the most intelligent comedies that has come to the screen." He added, "Sidney Franklin's direction is excellent and Norma Shearer as Amanda Prynne gives an alert, sharp portrayal . . . Robert Montgomery struggles with matters at the outset, but he soon succeeds in doing well enough with his rôle . . . Una Merkel and Reginald Denny both deserve a great deal of credit for their work."

References

External links

1931 films
1931 romantic comedy films
Films about honeymoons
Films set on the French Riviera
American romantic comedy films
American films based on plays
American black-and-white films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films directed by Sidney Franklin
Comedy of remarriage films
Films produced by Irving Thalberg
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
Films with screenplays by Richard Schayer
English-language romantic comedy films


"Planets of the Universe" is a song by American singer/songwriter Stevie Nicks. The song was first recorded as a demo during the recording sessions for the 1977 Fleetwood Mac album, Rumours, and this demo was included on the 2-disc Rumours expanded re-release in 2004. The song earned Nicks a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

In 2001, Nicks released an edited version of the song (omitting almost 2 minutes of material) on her solo album Trouble in Shangri-La, having recorded a completely new full-length version in 2000.

"Planets of the Universe" was a number-one hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in August 2001.

The song was featured on the tv show Charmed.

Track listing
The song was released on 2 CD singles, one of which was a 6-track maxi-single with dance remixes and the full-length, unedited 2000 version. A double 12-inch vinyl set was also issued as a limited edition in the US and featured the track listing of the CD maxi-single. Both physical CD singles and the 12-inch vinyl release are no longer available from Reprise Records.

2-track single
 "Planets of the Universe" (Radio Edit) – 4:21
 "Planets of the Universe" (Album Version) – 4:46

6-track maxi-single / Double 12-inch vinyl
 "Planets of the Universe" (Tracy Young Club Mix) – 10:27
 "Planets of the Universe" (Tracy Young Universal Dub) – 8:08
 "Planets of the Universe" (Illicit Club Mix) – 7:49
 "Planets of the Universe" (Illicit Vocal Dub) – 7:32
 "Planets of the Universe" (Illicit Vocal Dub Instrumental) – 7:27
 "Planets of the Universe" (Extended Album Version) – 6:35

Note: The 'Extended Album Version' is a misnomer, as it is actually the full-length, unedited, newly recorded, 2000 version, including extra lyrics and coda, previously only demoed in the 1976 Rumours sessions with Fleetwood Mac.

Personnel
Stevie Nicks – vocals, keyboards, percussion
Sharon Celani – backing vocals
Lori Nicks – backing vocals
Steve Ferrone – drums
John Shanks – guitars, bass

Charts

See also
 List of number-one dance singles of 2001 (U.S.)

References

 https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=stevie+nicks+planets+of+the+universe&x=17&y=19 (Deleted CD single)

2001 singles
Stevie Nicks songs
Songs written by Stevie Nicks
Song recordings produced by John Shanks
2000 songs
Reprise Records singles


The Class T 3s of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways were tank locomotives for duties on local and branch lines. They were broadly similar to the Prussian T 3. In terms of performance they were no different from the Oldenburg T 2; but the T 3 had a lower axle load and a somewhat higher adhesive weight of 4.4 tonnes.

12 locomotives were delivered by Hanomag between 1898 and 1901. In 1909 another three engines were supplied, that were only intended for shunting duties. They had a grate area of 1.0 m2, a heating area of 57.2 m2 and were not fitted with Heberlein brakes.

In 1925 the Deutsche Reichsbahn took over all 15 locomotives, grouped them into DRG Class 98.2 and gave them numbers 98 201 to 98 215. They were retired by 1926.

In 1945 the former 98 210 was taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (GDR) as a works engine and was given the number 89 7577. It was retired in 1961.

See also
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways
List of Oldenburg locomotives and railbuses
Länderbahnen

References

0-6-0T locomotives
T 3
Railway locomotives introduced in 1898
Hanomag locomotives
Standard gauge locomotives of Germany
C n2t locomotives


The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a performing arts venue located at 777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida neighboring the Sarasota Bay. The main theater of the  facility contains 1,741 seats.

History
The initial construction of the 1,736-seat hall was partly funded by a bequest from local residents Lewis and Eugenia van Wezel, who donated $400,000 of the total construction cost of $2.5 million.

The architectural design was carried out by William Wesley Peters, of Taliesin Associated Architects, who used seashells as inspiration for the design.

The purple and lavender color scheme was suggested by Frank Lloyd Wright's widow, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright.

The Henry C. Beck Company was general contractor for construction of the hall.

Foundation Controversy
The Van Wezel Foundation was formed in 1987 to support the operations of the performing hall. Then in 2019, the foundation changed its name to the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc. In addition to supporting the arts education initiatives, the foundation is also raising funds to construct a new performing arts center.

While continuing to operate under its old "Van Wezel" name, the new foundation actively promoted the new hall while denigrating the still functioning hall. This campaign was considered deceptive by the namesake Van Wezel family resulting in a cease and desist request.

References

External links
 Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Concert halls in Florida
Buildings and structures in Sarasota, Florida
Tourist attractions in Sarasota County, Florida
Theatres in Florida
Theatres completed in 1969


MiQuale Maurice Lewis (born June 8, 1987) is a former college football running back at Ball State University Cardinals. As a junior, Lewis rushed for 1,701 yards and scored 22 touchdowns to help Ball State accumulate a 12-2 record and earn a berth in the 2009 GMAC Bowl.

College career
Lewis ran for 3,748 yards while a member of the Ball State Cardinals football team.

Professional career
Lewis decided to put his National Football League dreams on hold during the 2011 NFL Lockout.

See also
 List of college football yearly rushing leaders

References

External links
 Profile BallStateSports.com
 Statistics ESPN.com

1987 births
Living people
Ball State Cardinals football players
American football running backs


The Lusignan massacre refers to the murder of eleven residents of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, Guyana, on 26 January 2008. The victims were murdered by a group led by Rondell "Fineman" Rawlins.  After carrying out another massacre when they attacked the town of Bartica, Essequibo, and murdered 12 people, Rawlins and many of the other suspected gang members were later killed by Guyanese security forces. This massacre was part of a series of murders which appeared to have begun with the murder of a prison officer, Troy Williams, during the Mash Day Prison break on 23 February 2003.

Events
On the morning of Saturday, 26 January 2008, gunmen stormed into the small village of Lusignan, Guyana, and murdered eleven people, including five children and six adults. Five families were affected by the massacre. The gunmen armed with shotguns and AK-47s entered Lusignan around 2:00am and invaded the homes of five Lusignan families. Within 20 minutes eleven people were murdered. The victims were: Clarence Thomas, 48; Vanessa Thomas, 12; Ron Thomas, 11; Mohandan Goordat, 32; Seegopaul Harilall, 10; Seegobin Harilall, 4; Dhanwajie Ramsingh, 52; Seecharran Rooplall, 56; Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shaleem Baksh, 52. Several of the murdered children were found dead while still in their beds. Survivors of the attack were Arjune Bhim, 11, Roberto Thomas and Howard Thomas. Both Roberto and Howard, who sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, have successfully recovered.

Aftermath

As the country experienced nationwide mourning, East Coast residents held protests along the East Coast corridor, where they burned tires and damaged state infrastructure. Residents reported that they had made several attempts to contact the Vigilance Police Station during the siege, but the police did not respond promptly, and arrived at the crime scene long after the gunmen had escaped. Angry residents staged protests to vent their disappointment with the country's fractured national security and were also incensed when government officials visited Lusignan.

Mastermind and motive

The former soldier, Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins, who  claimed responsibility for the massacre, was initially wanted for the April 2006 assassination of the Agriculture Minister, Satyadeow Sawh.

Rawlins' girlfriend, nineteen-year-old Tenisha Morgan, vanished on 18 January 2008, while on her way to a city hospital to deliver her baby. Rawlins believed that his girlfriend was kidnapped by law enforcement officials in an effort to force Rawlins to turn himself in, although the Joint Services have repeatedly denied this claim. Rawlins telephoned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) a few days after her disappearance, and warned them to turn over his girlfriend to him or face the consequences. His voice was positively identified by the police.

Following the Lusignan Massacre, a man claiming to be Rawlins contacted the local newspaper Kaieteur News by phone. He claimed responsibility for the Lusignan killings, but declared that he was not the mastermind behind the slaying of the Minister for Agriculture in 2006. Rawlins further warned that he would repeat a mass killing in Guyana if his girlfriend was not returned to him alive and well.

This threat was realized less than one month after the Lusignan Massacre, with another bloodbath in the mining town of Bartica, during which the town was under siege for approximately one hour. In that incident, thirteen people were murdered, including three policemen, while seven others sustained multiple gunshot wounds. As a result of the Bartica murders the reward for Rawlins was increased, from 5 million dollars to 50 million dollars, as public and international demands for justice increased.

Operation “Restore Order”

Two days after the Lusignan Massacre, the Joint Services launched Operation Restore Order, headed by the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene. The operation was launched with the intention of capturing and disabling criminal gangs, and restoring law and order to the country. Sea, land and air resources were mobilized in an effort to capture the killers.

On Wednesday, 30 January 2008, members of the Joint Services were engaged in a shoot-out in the vicinity of Pond Dam, Buxton when around ten gunmen shot at, and threw grenades at, the Joint Service ranks. The shootout resulted in the death of two armed men. The two dead were identified as Vibert Leroy Harris (a.k.a. Bolo), of Friendship, East Coast Demerara, and Troy St. John (a.k.a. John Eye). St. John was believed to be Rawlins’ second in command.

During Operation Restore Order, the Joint Services cleared a section of the backlands of Buxton to prevent the criminals from escaping into the fields. They discovered the skeletal remains of one man who had been missing since 2007. The Joint Services also recovered several AK-47 rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition for various weapons, and military fatigues, among other items, during raids in Buxton.

The operation was extended to other towns and villages in Guyana following the second massacre at Bartica.

Condemnation of the attack

The Lusignan massacre was condemned by many factions of the Guyanese community as well as by various international bodies. All the Guyanese political parties and religious bodies unreservedly condemned the Lusignan massacre and called for an end to the brutal crimes. The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) issued a statement in which they strongly condemned “the brutal and cold blooded” murder of the eleven people at Lusignan, and said the attack on the Police Headquarters which preceded the slayings was “a well coordinated and centrally directed terrorist attack”.

Controversy

Various controversies have surrounded the motives of the Lusignan massacre, and the national response to the capture of the criminals.

The President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, refused to hold consultations on the country's crime situation with the main opposition leader, Robert Corbin. The president declared that he would not discuss the matter unless the opposition leader admitted that the community of Buxton was a safe-haven for criminals. The opposition leader said that he would not single out Buxton, as criminals could be found all over the country. Following the second massacre in Bartica, the President did later meet with all national stakeholders, parliamentary political parties and religious bodies on Wednesday, 20 February 2008.

As part of Operation Restore Order, the Joint Services conducted various search exercises in the homes of Buxtonians. Many residents complained that their household items were unnecessarily damaged beyond repair. There were also claims of unnecessary force used during the detainment of suspects from the village. The Joint Services subsequently said that all items damaged during the search exercises would be replaced or compensated for.

Operation Restore Order saw the clearing of the Buxton backlands, so as to prevent criminals from using the backlands to evade law enforcement. This affected the livelihood of Buxton farmers, as their cash crop farms were cleared. The government of Guyana subsequently set up a compensation scheme in order to assess the claims of destroyed farms and supply monetary compensation for all losses.

Tenisha Morgan, who was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, allegedly contacted her mother, Waple Morgan, while still missing. Her mother reportedly said she received a phone call from the young woman, who said she did not know where she was, but she was walking along a dam. She also reportedly said that the baby, a girl, was sick, and that they had no food. A massive search was launched for the missing woman and her baby, but neither were found. Police investigations found inconsistencies in Waple Morgan's report, and that she had changed her story of how she came to receive the phone call. This cast doubt on her reliability but, nonetheless, the police continued to search for the missing pair.

Rawlins' death

The search for Rawlins came to an end on 28 August 2008, when police caught up with Rawlins at one of his hideouts near the capital Georgetown. Police shot and killed Rawlins and two other gang members in the shoot-out that followed.

See also
 List of massacres in Guyana
 Rondell Rawlins

References

External links
 News reports and information on the Lusignan Massacre

Massacres in Guyana
Mass murder in 2008
2008 in Guyana


Estadio Alfredo Ramos is a football stadium in Agronomía, Buenos Aires, Argentina.  It is the home ground of Comunicaciones.  The stadium holds 3,500 people and was opened on 29 September 1962.

Its name is a heartfelt tribute to Alfredo Ramos, who was president of the Club for 14 years.

External links
Image of the stadium

Football venues in Argentina
Sports venues in Buenos Aires


On a Sensual Note (OASN) is the first collegiate a cappella singing ensemble of American University, welcome to male-identifying individuals as well as non-binary folk. Founded in the fall of 1996, OASN is the university's oldest a cappella ensemble. The ensemble performs regularly at campus events, tours and visits other schools and participates in regional festivals. OASN's most popular events include its biannual end-of-semester concerts in the Kay Spiritual Life Center, a tradition which has been mirrored by newer performing ensembles. OASN is the only collegiate a cappella group at American University to go on a Spring Break Tour to a specific destination, commonly on the East Coast; recent destinations include: New Orleans, LA, Miami, FL, Savannah, GA, and Charlotte, NC.

History

The Early Years
In the fall of 1996, Jay Criscuolo and Jay Rao arrived as freshman at American University, each with a desire to participate in the collegiate legacy of men’s a cappella. Upon learning that there were no a cappella groups at AU, both independently began a search to find members to start a group. Eventually, they found each other. In their early months of searching, the group grew to only six members. It was not until the spring of 1998 that the group of six, under the name “Tastes Like Chicken”, got its first gig.

The Present
Since its beginning, the group has established themselves as one of the most well-known a cappella groups in the D.C. area, performing at many prominent venues in the city and surrounding area. OASN has released eight albums and has taken multiple tours up and down the eastern seaboard. OASN has recently finished production of their eighth album entitled "128" which pays homage to their longtime rehearsal room, Katzen Arts Center at American University Room 128. The group plans on having the album complete by Fall of 2017. Since the group went virtual due to COVID-19 in March of 2020, the group has expanded and is back to performing in-person in the hope to perform at venues across the District in the near future.

Notable Performances
The group's most notable performance came on January 28, 2008 when the campaign of then U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama asked OASN to open for a rally at AU where Obama was endorsed by Senator Ted Kennedy. The ensemble learned Obama's campaign theme song, Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (1970), but was forced offstage after a teleprompter was kicked during their performance.

Since then, the group has performed at The White House, the Embassy of Singapore, Disney World, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and for the U.S Secretary of Labor.

Most recently, the group performed on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert in March 2023. The group performed Fireflies by Owl City with Ethan Kauffman as the soloist.

Discography

Albums
Aural Pleasure (2001)
Back to the Drawing Board (2002)
The On a Sensual Note (2004)
New Ties, Old Guys (2006)
On a Sensual Night (2008)
Spare Change (2009)
Guys in Ties (2014)
128 (2023)

See also
American University
List of collegiate a cappella groups in the United States
Collegiate A Cappella

References

External links

American University
Musical groups established in 1996
Collegiate a cappella groups


The kkStB 99 was a class of  locomotives operated by the Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways (kaiserlich-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen), or k.k.StB, for duties on secondary routes (Nebenbahnen) and branch lines (Lokalbahnen).

History
In 1897 the delivery of the kkStB 99 series began. It fulfilled the requirements placed on it for a  engine and, with good coal it even reached 400 PS. By 1908 69 units had been built and, between 1903 and 1907 another 5 units went to the NÖLB as Class 2, which were deployed to the Korneuburg - Hohenau Lokalbahn. The kkStB engines were to be found in the Karlsbad, Laibach and Knittelfeld areas. Five 99s were employed on the Vienna suburban lines in charge of light trains. Of note was the use of the Karlsbad locomotives on the inclines of the Schlackenwerth–Joachimsthal Lokalbahn with its inclines of up to 50 per mille (5% or 1:20).

Between 1908 and 1913, 20 locomotives of the 199 series were built, an evolutionary development, that had a greater water capacity and could carry more coal. These engines worked the lines Bolzano-Meran, Krems-Mauthausen and on the changeover (Wechselstrecke) of the Aspangbahn. The same type was also built in nine examples for the NÖLB as class 102 and they were employed on the Freiland–Türnitz line (c.f. Leobersdorfer Bahn).

After World War I, Italy was given eight engines (FS Class 876 and 877), Yugoslavia 11 and Czechoslovakia 34 units of these classes. 34 locomotives remained with the BBÖ and retained their kkStB numbers. In 1923 in the wake of nationalisation the locomotives of the NÖLB went into the BBÖ, where they were given numbers 99.70–74 (ex-class 2) and 199.21–29 (ex-class 102).

In the inter-war years, these locomotives were mainly employed on the secondary lines of Wels, Bad Radkersburg and Pöchlarn, but also on many other branch lines. On being taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1938 the locomotives in class 99 were allocated the numbers 98.1301–1324, and the class 199s the numbers 98.1352–1374.

In 1953 the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) took over fifteen 99s as ÖBB 91 and nine 199s as ÖBB 91.1.  The last two digits of the serial numbers remained the same as with the BBÖ. In 1960 they began to concentrate the classes, so that the majority of locomotives were to be found in Neustadt and Mürzzuschlag. By 1968 all bar 3 locomotives had been retired.

The last area of operations for these 3 locomotives was the Mürzzuschlag - Neuberg branch line.  In 1972 they, too, were withdrawn.

See also
 Deutsche Reichsbahn
 List of DRG locomotives and railbuses

References

990
2-6-0T locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1897
Standard gauge locomotives of Austria
Standard gauge locomotives of Italy
Standard gauge locomotives of Czechoslovakia
Standard gauge locomotives of Germany
1′C n2vt locomotives


Papyrus 98 (in the Gregory–Aland numbering), designated by 𝔓98, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Book of Revelation. The manuscript palaeographically had been assigned to years 150–250.

Description

The surviving text of Revelation includes verses 1:13–2:1 in a fragmentary condition. The script is well-formed and large. It was formed in a scroll. The biblical text is on the side verso. On the recto is another documentary text dated to the end of the 1st century or the beginning of the 2nd century. Side verso of the scroll was used for the biblical text at the end of the 2nd century.

It has an error of dittography in the first line – περι̣εζωσμμ̣εν̣ον instead of περιεζωσμενον.

Text
It is still not placed in any of Aland's Categories of New Testament manuscripts. "The text shows several differences from that printed in Nestle–Aland 27th".

[Recto]
περ]ι̣εζωσμμ̣εν̣[ον προς τοις μαστοις ζωνην
χρυ]σεν [1:14] και η κ̣ε[φαλη αυτου και αι τριχες λευκαι
ως] εριον λευκον [ως χιων και οι οφθαλμοι αυτου ως
φλ]οξ πυρος [1:15] και [οι ποδες αυτου ομοιοι χαλκολιβανω
ως] εν καμινω πε[πυρωμενης και η φωνη αυτου ως
φωνη υδατων π̣[ολλων [1:16] και εχων εν τη δεξια χειρι
αυτου αστερες [ζ̅ και εκ του στοματος αυτου ρομ
φαια διστομος ο[ξεια εκπορευομενη και η οψις αυ
το̣υ ως ο η̣λ̣ιος φ[αινει εν τη δυναμει αυτου [1:17] και οτε ει
δ̣ο̣ν̣ αυτον ε[π]εσα [προς τους ποδας αυτου ως νεκρος
και εθηκε̣ τ̣η̣ν̣ [δεξιαν αυτου επ εμε λεγων
μη φοβ̣[ο]υ̣ ε̣γ̣ω̣ [ειμι ο πρωτος και ο εσχατος [1:18] και εγε
νομεν̣ ν̣εκ̣ρ̣ο̣[ς και ιδου ζων ειμι εις τους αιωνας
τ̣ω̣ν̣ α̣ι̣ω̣ν̣ω̣ν̣ [και εχω τας κλεις του θανατου και
του α̣δ̣ο̣υ̣ [1:19] γ̣ρ̣α̣ψ̣ο̣ν̣ [ουν α ειδες και α εισιν και α μελλει
γε̣ν̣ε̣[σ]θ̣α̣ι̣ [μετα ταυτα [1:20] το μυστηριον των ζ̅
α̣στερ̣ω̣ν̣ [ους ειδες επι της δεξιας μου και τας
ζ̅ λυχνει[α]ς [τας χρυσας οι ζ̅ αστερες αγγελοι των
ζ̅ εκκλησ̣ι̣ω̣ν̣ ε̣ι[σιν και αι λυχνιαι αι ζ̅ ζ̅ εκκλεσιαι
εισ]ι̣[ν [2:1] τω αγγελω της εν εφεσω εκκλησιας γραψον ταδε λεγ
ε̣ι̣ [ο κρατων τους ζ̅ αστερας εν τη δεξια αυτου ο

In Rev 1:18 it lacks the phrase  as Latin Codex Gigas and some manuscripts of Vulgate. It is the only Greek manuscript not containing this phrase.

History

The manuscript was probably written in Egypt.

The first publisher was Wagner in 1971, who did not know that it was a biblical text. Hagedorn discovered that it was the text of Rev. 1:13–2:1.

 Present location
The manuscript is currently housed at the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale (P. IFAO inv. 237b [+a]) at Cairo.

See also

 List of New Testament papyri

References

Further reading
 D. Hagedorn, P.IFAO II 31: Johannesapokalypse 1,13-20, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 92 (1992), pp. 243–247.

 Peter Malik, Another Look at P.IFAO II 31 (𝔓98): An Updated Transcription and Textual Analysis "Novum Testamentum" 58 (2016), p. 204–217.

Image
 Image from 𝔓98

New Testament papyri
2nd-century biblical manuscripts
Early Greek manuscripts of the New Testament
Book of Revelation papyri


The 1998 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held November 3, 1998. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wendell Ford decided to retire, instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican U.S. Representative Jim Bunning narrowly won the open seat, defeating Democratic U.S. Representative Scotty Baesler. This was the first open Senate seat since 1972. By a margin of 0.59%, this election was the second-closest race of the 1998 Senate election cycle, behind only the election in Nevada.

Democratic primary

Candidates
 Scotty Baesler, U.S. Representative
 Jim Brown
 Steve Henry, Lieutenant Governor
 Charlie Owen, businessman
 Ken Buchanan Thompson
 David L. Williams, member of the Kentucky Senate

Results

Republican primary

Candidates
 Jim Bunning, U.S. Representative
 Barry Metcalf, State Senator

Results

General election

Candidates
 Scotty Baesler (D), U.S. Representative
 Jim Bunning (R), U.S. Representative

Results

See also
 1998 United States Senate elections

References

United States Senate
Kentucky
1998


"Oh What a World" is a song written and performed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It was released as the second single from Wainwright's third studio album, Want One (2003), released digitally via iTunes and 7digital in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2004. Promotional copies were also distributed to radio stations in an attempt to increase awareness of the song and album. The song includes several arrangements from Maurice Ravel's Boléro.

"Oh What a World" also appears on Rufus Wainwright: Live at the Fillmore, the bonus DVD that accompanies Want Two (2004), the repackaged double album released in the UK simply titled Want, and the 2005 compilation album Acoustic 05.

The song contains an interpolation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, which premiered in 1928.

Track listing
UK digital single
"Oh What a World"

UK promotional CD
"Oh What a World" (album version)
"Oh What a World" (radio edit)

Personnel

 Rufus Wainwright – voice, orchestral arrangements
 Marius de Vries – piano, programming, orchestral arrangements
 Joy Smith – harp
 Nick Hitchens – tuba
 Isobel Griffiths – orchestra contractor
 Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
 Alexis Smith – programming
 Simon C Clarke – alto sax, baritone sax, flute, alto flute, piccolo
 Tim Sanders – tenor sax
 Roddy Lorimer – trumpet
 Paul Spong – trumpet
 Annie Whitehead – trombone
 Dave Stewart – bass trombone
 Maxim Moston – orchestral arrangements
 Chris Elliott – orchestral arrangements

Television performances
The Frank Skinner Show - November 4, 2004

Live performances
Nobel Banquet - December 10, 2022

References

2003 songs
2004 singles
DreamWorks Records singles
Popular songs based on classical music
Rufus Wainwright songs
Song recordings produced by Marius de Vries
Songs written by Rufus Wainwright


A Chalcidian helmet or Chalcidian type helmet was a helmet made of bronze and worn by ancient warriors of the Hellenic world, especially popular in Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries BC.  The helmet was also worn extensively in the Greek (southern) parts of Italy in the same period.

Terminology
The helmet is so-called because it was first, and is most commonly, depicted on pottery once thought to derive from the Euboean city of Chalcis.  In fact, it is not known whether the helmet originated in Chalcis; indeed, it is not even known whether the pottery in question was Chalcidian.

Description

The helmet appears to have been a development of the Corinthian helmet, its improvements in design giving the wearer better hearing and vision, resulting in a lighter and less bulky helmet.

It consisted of a hemispherical dome, and below that, generally inset from the top dome, a pair of cheek pieces and a neck guard, with a substantial loop on either side for the wearer's ears.  In the front, between the two cheek pieces, was a small nasal bar to protect the wearer's nose. The helmet could be entirely one piece, or the cheek pieces could be attached separately by hinges, which eased construction and made putting the helmet on easier.  In Italy, the helmet with fixed cheek pieces is referred to as Chalcidian, its variant with hinged cheek pieces is called a Lucanian helmet because it was widely used in Lucania.

The helmet would commonly have a hole pierced on each cheek piece or elsewhere in order to accept an inner lining which was made of leather.  Adornments such as combs and other protuberances were usually placed on the top of the helmet.

Usage
By the time of Alexander the Great, the helmet was still worn by armoured soldiers, especially hoplites, the spear-armed heavy infantrymen (other than those of the Spartans, who instead wore the much plainer pilos helmet).  It is likely that some of the Macedonian soldiers who ruled the rest of Greece and went on to forge a substantial Hellenistic empire also wore the Chalcidian helmet.  The helmet is thought to have developed in turn into the Attic helmet, which is iconic of classical soldiers.

Sources

Helle W. Horsnaes The Cultural Development in North Western Lucania C. 600-273 BC. L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2002.
. Greek Hoplite, 480-323 BC: 480-323 BC.  Osprey Publishing, 2000.

External links

Ancient Greek helmets
Ancient Euboea
Ancient Chalcidice


Ash Grove is an 18th-century plantation house in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.  In 1790, Bryan Fairfax built Ash Grove on Leesburg Pike, two miles west of present-day Tysons Corner, for his son Thomas Fairfax.

Ash Grove is said to have been named for an older Fairfax family house in England.  In his later years, Thomas  bought Vaucluse Plantation, near Alexandria, Virginia, and bestowed Ash Grove upon his second son, Henry.  He married Caroline Herbert of Maryland, and they had several children, and operated a boarding school for young ladies.

Captain Henry Fairfax died during the Mexican–American War, at Saltillo, Mexico, on August 14, 1847. The property was purchased by James Sherman on June 20, 1851.

Descendants on occasion relate some interesting family lore of American Civil War events when the neighborhood was a "no man's land."

James Sherman died in spring 1865, and left the property to his son, Franklin Sherman (February 11, 1843 - April 9, 1915),  Lieutenant in the 10th Michigan Cavalry.  He returned after the Civil War to farm, was Sheriff, member of the Board of Supervisors, and School Board.  (A Fairfax County Elementary School is named for him.)  The property passed to Wells Alvord Sherman, and then Wilson C Sherman.

The house was purchased from the Sherman family in 1997, and dedicated as a Fairfax County, Virginia, park.

See also
Historic houses in Virginia

References

External links
 GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ASH GROVE HISTORIC SITE, Fairfax County Park Authority

Houses in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax family residences
Plantation houses in Virginia
Georgian architecture in Virginia
Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia
Houses completed in 1790


Soibahadine Ibrahim Ramadani (; born 5 March 1949) is a French and Mahoran politician and formerly a member of the Senate of France, representing the island of Mayotte.

He is a member of The Republicans and before that, its predecessor the Union for a Popular Movement. From 2 April 2015 until 1 July 2021, he is the President of the Departmental Council of Mayotte, the deliberative assembly for the Overseas Department and Region of Mayotte.

References
Page on the Senate website

1949 births
Living people
Presidents of the Departmental Council of Mayotte
Members of the Departmental Council of Mayotte
Mayotte politicians
French senators of the Fifth Republic
Mayotte people
Union for a Popular Movement politicians
Senators of Mayotte


The M143 bomblet was a biological cluster bomb sub-munition developed by the United States during the 1960s. The spherical bomblet was the biological version of the Sarin-filled M139 chemical bomblet.

History
The M143 bomblet was produced at the peak of U.S. biological delivery systems development during the 1960s. Essentially a biological version of the M139 bomblet, the M143 was smaller than the M139. The Sergeant missile system utilized the M143 in its M210 warhead, which could hold 720 individual bomblets. If that system released the bomblets at an altitude of , the weapon could attain a coverage area of 60 square miles.

Specifications
The M143 was a spherical bomblet that had a diameter of 8.6 centimeters (cm). Designed to carry a liquid biological agent, the M143 carried a 0.5 gram explosive charge meant to disseminate the agent upon impact. Eight percent of the liquid released from the M143 was in the form of an inhalable aerosol. When filled, the bomblet had a mass of .34 kg and 190 milliliters (ml) of liquid agent could contain 6x1012 anthrax spores. Given the lethality of even a small amount of biological agent, the amount of anthrax contained in the bomblet would be the equivalent of 300 million lethal doses.

Tests involving the M143
The M143 bomblet was used in multiple biological weapons effectiveness tests by the U.S. Army. Two tests, collectively dubbed "Yellow Leaf" sought to test the M143 and biological agents in a jungle environment. Tests planned for the Panama Canal Zone utilizing tiara as a simulant could not be completed because of "international considerations", and an alternate test site was found in Hawaii at the Ōlaʻa Forest, southwest of Hilo. The goals of the Yellow Leaf tests were to learn the effectiveness of the M143 in a jungle environment, the area of coverage for a U.S. Navy MISTEYE I weapons system Sergeant missile biological warhead over a jungle. The Panama tests took place in February 1964 and the Hawaii tests, utilizing the simulant Bacillus globigii, took place from April-May 1966.

Other tests, known as "Red Cloud", took place from November 1966-February 1967 in the Tanana Valley near Fort Greely, Alaska. The main goal of Red Cloud was to obtain data on Francisella tularensis and its decay rate as well as its animal infectivity data.  The tests involved M143 bomblets being dropped from a tower-mounted gun into a wintertime spruce forest.  E26 and M32 dissemination devices were also used. The tests disseminated the following biological agents or simulants: F. tularensis (both wet and dry variants), B. globigii, Serratia marcescens, and Escherichia coli. Both Red Cloud and Yellow Leaf were overseen by the U.S. Army's Deseret Test Center, and were part of Project 112.

See also
E120 bomblet
M134 bomblet

References

Biological weapon delivery systems
Submunitions
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s


Uncertainty is a 2008 indie crime drama  thriller film written, produced, and directed by U.S. independent filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lynn Collins. It was first released at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

Distribution rights were acquired by IFC Films and it received limited release on November 13, 2009. It was simultaneously made available to cable viewers via video on demand.

The film was shot in HD on the Arriflex D-20.

Plot
Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kate (Lynn Collins) are a young couple who have been together ten months. Kate is 11 weeks pregnant. They can't make up their minds where to go on the Fourth of July, or whether to have the baby, so they decide to flip a coin. After Bobby flips the coin, they both run off Brooklyn Bridge in opposite directions. From that moment on two separate storylines are followed.

One storyline takes place in Brooklyn, where Bobby and Kate decide to go visit Kate's family. On the way they pick up a stray dog, whose owner they try to locate. Kate's family has its share of family drama, with an uncle who is institutionalized and suffers from memory loss, a brother who died five years earlier, and a sister who is taking a year off before going to college, much to her mother's dismay.

The other storyline takes place in Manhattan (beginning in Chinatown), where Bobby and Kate find a cellphone belonging to a criminal who values it at $500,000. They try to set up an exchange, but after narrowly escaping pursuit from a killer, Bobby throws the cellphone onto a passing boat.

Both storylines end the next day on a bridge, with the lines "What do you want to do now? / What do we do now? I don't know. I guess we just keep going".

The storylines are also set apart by colors of vehicles and Bobby and Kate's clothing. In the Manhattan/Chinatown storyline, they both wear easily recognizable yellow, a dress for her and a T-shirt for him, and take a yellow cab, while in the Brooklyn storyline, they are dressed in more subtle shades of green and Kate is driving her green car. In the first scene on the bridge, Kate wears the yellow dress from the Manhattan story, while Bobby wears the outfit he'll wear in Brooklyn.

Cast
 Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Bobby Thompson
 Lynn Collins as Kate Montero
Brooklyn/Queens
 Assumpta Serna as Silvia Montero
 Olivia Thirlby as Sophie Montero
 Louis Arcella as Diego (Kate's uncle)
 Nelson Landrieu as Felix Montero
 Manoel Felciano as Greg Montero

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 50% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10. On Metacritic the film has a score of 45% based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine called it "Half formulaic and half simply unimaginative."

References

External links

 Production blog by filmmakers
 Article from Filmmaker Magazine

2008 films
2000s English-language films
American independent films
2008 crime drama films
American crime drama films
2008 independent films
2000s American films


All Star United is the debut album of the band of the same name. The album was released in 1997. The song, "Beautiful Thing", was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 movie Saved!.

Track listing
 "La La Land"
 "Bright Red Carpet"
 "Angels"
 "Drive"
 "Torn"
 "Smash Hit"
 "Savior of My Universe"
 "Beautiful Thing"
 "Tenderness"
 "Lullaby"

References

1997 debut albums
All Star United albums


Servpro is a franchisor of fire and water cleanup and restoration franchises in the United States and Canada. The franchise system provides localized services as well as large-scale disaster recovery. It is headquartered in Gallatin, Tennessee.

History
Ted and Doris Isaacson launched Servpro Industries in 1967 as a painting business in Sacramento, California. With a background in cleaning and restoration, they transformed the company into a franchisor of cleanup and restoration specialists. After selling its first franchise in 1969, Servpro continued to grow, acquiring the Bristol-Myers Domesticare Division and its 175 franchises in 1979, and developing a highly regarded national franchise.

Servpro relocated the corporate headquarters from Sacramento to Gallatin, Tennessee in 1988. At the time of the relocation, Servpro consisted of 647 franchises. The company sold its 1,000th franchise in 2000.

To accommodate their growth, the Servpro headquarters moved to a facility of  in 2005, which was expanded to  in 2014. In 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2019, The Tennessean listed Servpro as one of Tennessee's top workplaces.

Servpro consists of 2.000 franchises in the United States and Canada (as of 2023).

In March 2019, The Blackstone Group acquired a majority stake in Servpro Industries, LLC, for an amount reportedly exceeding US$1 billion according to the Wall Street Journal. The Isaacson family reinvested and maintains minority ownership. Sue Steen (former CEO) and Randy Isaacson (former President) retired, and Rick Isaacson was promoted from EVP to Chief Executive Officer of SERVPRO. Rick Forster was promoted to President. John Sooker was promoted from National Accounts Division Manager to COO & EVP. Matt Preston was promoted to Chief Legal Officer & VP. Jeff Fields remained CIO and became VP. Todd Lindsey has been added to the team as Chief Financial Officer.

Services
Servpro provides residential and commercial water, fire, mold cleanup, and restoration services. Specialty services are provided by many franchises, such as biohazard cleanup, document restoration, electronics restoration, dry cleaning, and reconstruction.

Large-scale disaster recovery
Despite the franchise structure of numerous relatively small entities, Servpro has the capacity and organizational competence to respond to large-scale disasters, including major corporate and government contracts after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008. Servpro was contracted for drainage and restoration by government, commercial entities and numerous households after the 2010 Tennessee floods. Similarly, Servpro was involved in restoration and reconstruction after Superstorm Sandy.

See also
 First Responder Bowl

References

External links

Franchises
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Richard Ari'ihau Tuheiava (born 28 February 1974) is a French Polynesian lawyer and politician. He represented French Polynesia in the Senate of France from 2008 to 2014, sitting with the Socialist Party. He is now a Member of the Assembly of French Polynesia and a member of Tavini Huiraatira.

Early life
Tuheiava was born in Papeete and grew up in Raiatea and Moorea. He was educated at Lycée Paul-Gauguin before studying economics at the University of French Polynesia, graduating in 1993. He moved to Aix-en-Provence in France to study law, and in 1997 gained his legal degree. He returned to Tahiti in 1998, where he worked as a lawyer. He is a member of the Human Rights League, and served as president of the Junior Economic Chamber.

Political career
In March 2008 he was elected a municipal councilor for Arue on the Union For Democracy (UPLD) list. In July 2008 he joined Tavini Huiraatira. In August 2008 he was chosen as the UPLD's candidate in the 2008 French Senate election, running on a joint opposition ticket with Tahoera'a Huiraatira leader Gaston Flosse. He was elected in the first round with 361 votes, becoming the youngest person elected to the French Senate. In the Senate he sat with the Socialist Party. Shortly after being elected he criticised the French government's plans for a nuclear compensation law as being aimed at evading responsibility. He repeated the criticism in 2010, pointing out that the law excluded compensation for contaminated land and failed to meet the needs and expectations of test victims. In May 2010 he complained to the French Prime Minister about the exclusion of a Tahitian delegation from a United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization meeting in New Caledonia. He later denounced the colonisation of French Polynesia by France and called the colonial era a dark period of humanity's history. In 2011 he called for France's nuclear compensation law to be amended to return the test sites of Moruroa and Fangataufa to French Polynesia. His bill to return the atolls was passed by the Senate in 2012, but had not yet been debated by the French National Assembly by the time it was meant to take effect in 2014. He contested the 2014 French Senate election for the UPLD, but lost to Vincent Dubois in the first round. Following the nullification of the 2014 Senate election he contested the resulting by-election, but was unsuccessful.

He was elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia on the UPLD list at the 2013 French Polynesian legislative election. He stood as a Tavini candidate in French Polynesia's 1st constituency at the 2017 French legislative election, but was eliminated in the first round. He was re-elected to the Assembly as a Tavini candidate in the 2018 election.

Controversy
In November 2009 he was banned from practicing law for two years for taking money from clients without doing any work. The decision was upheld by the Court of Cassation in 2012.

In March 2012 he was charged with forgery over legal work he had done between 2006 and 2009. He denounced the charges as "a political move guided by Paris". The charges were dismissed in August 2012.

References

1974 births
Living people
People from Papeete
University of French Polynesia alumni
French Polynesian lawyers
French senators of the Fifth Republic
French Polynesian politicians
Socialist Party (France) politicians
Senators of French Polynesia
Members of the Assembly of French Polynesia
Tavini Huiraatira politicians
French lawyers