Early life.

Thuận was born in Huế in 1928, the son of Nguyễn Văn Ấm and Elizabeth Ngô Đình Thị Hiệp, daughter of Ngô Đình Khả. He joined the seminary at An Ninh as a teenager, and was ordained a priest on 11 June 1953, by Monsignor Jean-Baptiste Urrutia. After six years of further studies in Rome, he was appointed in 1959–1967 as a faculty member and rector of the Seminary of Hoan Thiện, Huế.

Episcopal career.

He was appointed Bishop of Nha Trang on 13 April 1967 and received episcopal consecration on 4 June 1967 at Huế from Angelo Palmas, Apostolic Delegate to Viêt Nam (and later Nuncio to Colombia and to Canada), assisted by Bishops Philippe Nguyễn Kim Dien, Apostolic Administrator, "sede plena", of Huế, and Jean-Baptiste Urrutia, titular archbishop of Carpato. On 24 April 1975, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Saigon. Six days later, Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army, and Thuận, targeted for his faith as well as his family connections to Ngô Đình Diệm, was detained by the communist government of Vietnam in a re-education camp for 13 years, nine in solitary confinement.  In prison, he smuggled out messages to his people on scraps of paper. The brief reflections, copied by hand and circulated within the Vietnamese community, have been printed in the book, "The Road of Hope". Through a network of influential Overseas Vietnamese, including dignitaries, like his former classmate Monsignor Trần Văn Hoài, "The Road of Hope" was distributed worldwide. Another book, "Prayers of Hope", contains his prayers written in prison. The bishop fashioned a tiny Bible out of scraps of paper. Sympathetic guards smuggled in a piece of wood and some wire from which he crafted a small crucifix.

In exile.

On 21 November 1988, Thuận was released by the communist government but kept under house arrest in the archbishop's house in Hanoi, impeded from returning to his see, Hồ Chí Minh City. He was allowed to visit Rome in 1991 but not to return. The following year, he was given a post at the International Catholic Commission for Migration in Geneva, Switzerland. On 24 November 1994, he was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and at the same time resigned from his post of Coadjutor Archbishop of Sai Gon. As President of the Pontifical Council, he handled issues such as Third World debt. In 1995, he was appointed Postulator of the Cause of Beatification of Brother Nguyễn Tan Văn, also known as Marcel Van. On 21 February 2001, Thuận was created a Cardinal Deacon of "Santa Maria della Scala". He died of cancer in a clinic in Rome, Italy, on 16 September 2002, at the age of 74.

Legacy.

On 16 September 2007, the fifth anniversary of the cardinal's death, the Roman Catholic Church began the beatification process for Thuận.  Pope Benedict XVI expressed "profound joy" at news of the official opening of the beatification cause. Roman Catholics in Vietnam also positively received the news on beatification process opening for the cardinal. In the words of a catechist from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hồ Chí Minh City, "Nguyễn Văn Thuận is an example of holiness for Vietnamese Catholics and for the entire world."  In his 2007 encyclical, "Spe Salvi", Benedict XVI referred to Thuận's "Prayers of Hope", saying:  During thirteen years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope—to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude.  Dr. Waldery Hilgeman is Postulator of the Cause for Thuận's canonization.

Phanxicô Xaviê Nguyễn Văn Thuận or Francis-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận (; 17 April 1928 – 16 September 2002), was a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was a nephew of South Vietnam's first president, Ngô Đình Diệm, and of Archbishop Ngô Đình Thục.


Queenship.

Following the death of his wife, Isabella I, in 1504, Ferdinand had to yield the government of Castile to his son-in-law Philip of Burgundy (1478–1506), who assumed power in the name of his wife Joanna (1479–1555), Isabella's heiress. Ferdinand objected to Philip's policies and to prevent Philip from gaining Aragon through Joanna, he sought to have a male heir with a new wife. A new male heir would displace Joanna (and by extension her husband) from the line of succession. He negotiated with King Louis XII of France for a marriage, hoping to gain accession to the throne of Navarre. At the Treaty of Blois, Louis agreed to have his niece Germaine of Foix marry Ferdinand; Germaine was Louis' niece (daughter of his sister) and Ferdinand's grandniece (granddaughter of his half-sister). Louis XII also ceded in the treaty his weak claim to the Kingdom of Naples (already controlled by Aragon) and Kingdom of Jerusalem (controlled by neither) to his niece, conditional on a male child being produced. The marriage, between Ferdinand (aged 54) and Germaine (aged 18), took place in March 1506. A short truce and brief alliance between the two kings resulted, despite several wars before and after the Treaty.  In 1506 Philip of Burgundy died and Ferdinand became regent of Castile for his mentally unstable daughter Joanna. Ferdinand and Germaine did have a son, John, Prince of Girona on 3 May 1509, but he died shortly after birth. Despite the use of love potions, they did not have another. If John had lived, then the Crown of Aragon would have split from the Crown of Castile once again (after being semi-unified by Ferdinand and Isabella's marriage). This included Aragon, Valencia, Majorca, and Catalonia in Spain, and the Kingdom of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia in the Italian peninsula and the Tyrrhenian Sea. With Juan's death, both Castile and Aragon would eventually go to Ferdinand and Isabella's daughter Joanna.  Ferdinand's diplomatic deviousness and off-and-on alliances with France infuriated Henry VIII of England (born 1491, reigned 1509–1547), married to Ferdinand and Isabella's youngest daughter, Catherine of Aragon (1485–1536). Seeing this match devalued, Henry in 1514 forced his sister Mary (1496–1533) into a loveless marriage with Louis XII to spite Ferdinand. Louis XII died the next year.

Death of Ferdinand and Succession of Charles V.

Ferdinand died after two years of health problems in 1516, leaving Germaine a widow. Ferdinand's successors were Joanna and her son Charles V. Ferdinand did, however, leave Germaine a yearly income of 50,000 gold florins, and exhorted his grandson Charles V in his last letter not to abandon her.  In 1517, Charles V moved from the Netherlands to Castile as the new King of Castile and Aragon. Germaine moved from Aragon to Castile to join his court as well, where the 17-year-old king took well to his 29-year-old stepgrandmother. He organized several tournaments and banquets in her honor. On 20 August 1518, Germaine gave birth in Valencia to a daughter, Isabel. It is widely speculated among historians that Charles V was Isabel's father; Germaine refers to her in her will as the "Infanta Isabel", a title that would usually only be given to the daughter of a King.  Charles V, Germaine, and Charles V's sister Eleanor moved from Castile to Aragon in 1519, where he would be formally sworn in as King of Aragon. He would spend a year in Aragon, negotiating with its parliament and managing affairs. While in Barcelona, Charles V arranged for Germaine to marry the margrave Johann of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a landless cadet and cousin of Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg. Germaine left Spain to travel with Charles V to Germany, where she was married.

Vicereine of Valencia.

In 1523 Charles V appointed the couple jointly viceroys of Valencia. There Germaine, recently returned to Spain, dealt with the fallout of the Revolt of the Brotherhoods by the Valencian guilds ("Germanies"). Germaine favored harsh treatment of the "agermanats"; she is thought to have signed the death warrants of 100 former rebels personally, and sources indicate that as many as 800 executions may have occurred in total. This undid the more lenient policy of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, who had favored reconciliation with the rebels. In December 1524, Germaine signed a pardon that officially ended the persecution of all former participants in the rebellion. However, fines imposed on the guilds and guild-aligned cities as punishment would take many years to be repaid.  It is maintained by Valencian historians that the fact that Germaine moved her court to Valencia was the first step in the degradation of social prestige of the Valencian language in the Kingdom of Valencia, as the higher classes started favouring Castilian/Spanish over their native language to please her.  Next year after Johann's death in 1525, Germaine married Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria, a son of King Frederick IV of Naples (1496–1501) by his second wife Isabella del Balzo. The two continued as viceroys of Valencia and were patrons of the arts and music. Germaine also encouraged the slow integration of Valencia with Castilian-dominated Spain as a whole.  Germaine died on 15 October 1536 in Liria, probably due to obesity related edema, and was interred in the Monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes. The Duke of Calabria continued in office until his death in 1550.

Germaine of Foix (; ; 1488 – 15 October 1536) was queen consort of Aragon as the second wife of Ferdinand II of Aragon, whom she married in 1506 after the death of his first wife, Isabella I of Castile in 1504.


Etymology.

There are three different explanations for the name Agaléga. One hypothesis is that the Portuguese explorer, Dom Pedro Mascarenhas, named Agaléga and the island of Sainte Marie (off the east coast of Madagascar) in honor of his two sailboats, the "Galega" and the "Santa Maria" in 1512, when he discovered Mauritius and Réunion Island.  Another, more probable explanation relates to the Galician explorer João da Nova, who discovered the islands in 1501 while working for the Portuguese. João was popularly known by his sailors as "João Galego", according to Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès' "Les Nouvelles Annales de Voyage" (Volume 38, page 88). "Galego" is the Galician/Portuguese word for someone from Galicia, North West Spain, and "Agalega", is derived from the feminine version of this ("a" is the feminine article in Galician/Portuguese, and Galician "illa" for "island" is feminine, so "a [illa] galega" would mean "the Galician [Island]").  A further idea comes from a story in Sir Robert Scott's book "Limuria: The Lesser Dependencies of Mauritius", where he describes the 1509 discovery of the Islands by the Portuguese mariner Diogo Lopes de Sequeira. According to this version, Diogo named the Islands Baixas da Gale, with the "da Gale" referring to putative gale-force winds hypothetically modelling the coasts of both islands. Scott suggests that maps of the region represented the islands initially as Gale, metamorphosing into Galera, Galega and finally Agalega.

History.

As with the Mascarene islands, they may have been known to Arab and Malay sailors, although no written records have been found to confirm this. Agalega, or Galega, was examined by Captain Briggs of HMS Clorinde, on the 12th of January, 1811, who seems to have fixed its situation correctly, which was previously not well ascertained. The landing was found difficult on account of the heavy surf, the island being surrounded by a reef. A person who formerly had commanded a French privateer, was at this time settled on the island, having under him a colony of negroes (sic), who cultivated part of the ground with maize and wheat.  The first settlement on the islands was founded by M. de Rosemond. Upon his arrival in August 1808, he discovered the bodies of two castaways and a bottle containing notes written by one of them, the privateer Robert Dufour. The only mountain on the islands, Montagne d'Emmerez (in reality no more than a hill), derives its name from the second wrecked sailor, Adelaide d'Emmerez, a Mauritian.  Economic, infrastructural and political development of the islands didn't begin until the arrival of Auguste Le Duc in 1827, a French administrator sent by M. Barbé to organise production of coconut oil and copra. There still exists a number of historical monuments dating from the period 1827 to 1846, made by slaves: the village Vingt-Cinq (named after the 25 lashes that were given to rebellious slaves), the Slave Dungeons, an Oil Mill, a cemetery for Blacks and a cemetery for Whites, among others. Auguste Le Duc also began construction of a bridge between the two islands, although it was swept away by severe weather.  Father Victor Malaval brought the Catholic Church to the islands in 1897 as the first missionary. An improvised chapel was built on the South Island.  The origin of inhabitants has been highly influenced by the political situation in the world in the nineteenth century (Mauritius, which passed to the English in 1810, the abolition of the slave trade, abolition of slavery in 1835, and the arrival of unskilled Asian labourers. The slaves themselves were of Malagasy origin, or from Madras in India, while some were freed from slaving ships while others were from the trading ports of the Comoros Islands.  Legends such as "Calèche Blanc" and "Princesse Malgache" are part of the folklore of the islands, as well as the coded language of "Madam langaz Seret" which has come down from the time of slaves. This language is a mixture of French and Mauritian Creole where every syllable is doubled with the first consonants replaced by the "g" (e.g. "Français" becomes "frangrançaisgais"). The origin and purpose of this language remains unclear.  Today, the population consists of around 300 people, known locally as Agaléens, who speak Creole. Catholicism is the dominant religion.

Geography.

North Island is long and wide while South Island is long and wide. The total area of both islands is. The soil is likely coral. The culmination is at the top of the hill Emmer on the island in the north. The climate is hot and humid and the average annual temperature is, ranging from a minimum of and a maximum of. April is the hottest month of the year. The tropical climate is conducive to the development of mangrove and coconut trees that cover the two islets.

Economy.

Agaléga is managed by a company of the State of Mauritius, the Outer Island Development Company (OIDC), a company which develops remote islands. The company delegates a Resident Manager, a kind of steward, who is the supreme authority on the two islets. The economy of the archipelago is based primarily on the exportation of coconut oil.

Infrastructure.

Most homes are in the main villages of Vingt-Cinq and Les Fourchettes on the North Island, and St. Rita on the South Island. The road connecting the different localities is sandy and coral. The North Island is home to an airstrip, a government primary school "Jacques Le Chartier", the police station, the weather station, the central telecommunications office (Mauritius Telecom) and the health service. There is no running water on the island. Drinking water comes from rainwater collected by gutters. Water for other uses is sourced from wells. Electricity is supplied by generators running on diesel, with supply limited to certain hours. The company that manages the remote islands, such as Agaléga and St Brandon, is working on a project to ensure power supply to these islands, via submarine connection.  Agaléga is connected to Mauritius by air and sea. The airstrip on the island in the north allows takeoff and landing of small aircraft. There is no functional port on the islands, only a pier at St James Anchorage on the island's north. Vessels of the Mauritius Shipping Corporation (the Pride Mauritius and the Mauritius Trochetia) cast anchor about from this place, in the deep sea, during refueling.  The health service is provided by a health officer and a midwife. Doctors from Mauritius make short tours throughout the year. The Agaléens also receive a visit from a magistrate during the year.  For education, there is a primary school for the young, but pupils then continue their education in secondary schools in Mauritius.  India plans to develop strategic assets in this island. India signed an MoU with Mauritius for setting up and upgrading infrastructure for improving sea and air connectivity for Agalega which will go a long way in ameliorating the condition of the inhabitants of this remote island. These facilities are also expected to enhance the capabilities of the Mauritian defense forces in safeguarding their interests in the island.

Agaléga () are two outer islands of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean, about north of Mauritius island. The population of the islands as at July 2011 was estimated at 300. The islands have a total area of. The North island is long and wide, while the South island is long and wide. The North Island is home to the islands' airstrip and the capital Vingt Cinq. The islands are known for their coconuts, the production of which is their main industry, and for the Agalega day gecko.


Maria Josepha of Saxony, Dauphine of France

Childhood.

Maria Josepha was born on 4 November 1731 in Dresden Castle to Augustus III, Prince-Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and Maria Josepha of Austria. Maria Josepha was the ninth of sixteen children and the fifth daughter.  Dauphin Louis, eldest son of King Louis XV of France, was widowed on 22 July 1746 when his wife, Maria Teresa Rafaela, died giving birth to their only child, a daughter named after herself. King Ferdinand VI of Spain, Maria Teresa Rafaela's half-brother, had offered the Dauphin another Spanish princess, Maria Antonietta. Instead, the King of France and his all-powerful mistress Madame de Pompadour wanted to open up diplomatic channels.  The marriage between Maria Josepha and the Dauphin had first been suggested by her uncle Maurice de Saxe. Louis XV and his mistress were convinced that the marriage would be advantageous to French foreign affairs. France and Saxony had been on opposing sides in the recent War of the Austrian Succession and thus the marriage between the Saxon princess and the Dauphin would form a new alliance between the two nations. There was one problem with the suggested bride: Maria Josepha's grandfather Augustus II of Poland had deposed Stanisław I Leszczyński from the Polish throne. Leszczyński was the father of Maria Leszczyńska, Louis XV's wife and mother of the Dauphin. The marriage was said to have humiliated the simple-living Queen, even though she and Maria Josepha would later get on well.  Other proposals came from Savoy in the form of Princess Eleonora of Savoy or her sister Maria Luisa of Savoy. Both were refused. Despite the disapproval of the Queen, Maria Josepha married the Dauphin on 9 February 1747.

Dauphine.

Prior to the marriage, tradition demanded that the bride wear a bracelet which had a picture of her father on it; the Queen seeing the Dauphine asked to see the bracelet. The witty Maria Josepha then revealing the bracelet to the Queen showed a portrait of the Queen's father. The Dauphine said that the portrait represented the fact that the Duke of Lorraine was Maria Josepha's grandfather by marriage. The Queen and the court were strongly impressed by the tact of this girl of 15 years. The Dauphine was also very close to her father-in-law Louis XV.  At the time of the marriage, the Dauphin was still grieving for his Spanish wife. This grief was very public on the part of the Dauphin but Maria Josepha was praised greatly for her conquering the heart of the Dauphin "bit by bit". Despite Maria Josepha being the patient wife, the Dauphin's grief worsened in April 1748 when his only child with the Infanta died at the age of two. The Dauphin was deeply affected by the child's death. Maria Josepha later commissioned a painting (now lost) of her stepdaughter to be left over her cradle.  The new Dauphine was very grateful to Madame de Pompadour for helping arrange her marriage, and always maintained a good relationship with the royal mistress.  Like her husband, Maria Josepha was very devout. Together with her mother-in-law, she formed a counterbalance to the libertine behaviour of her father-in-law and his court. The couple were not fond of the various entertainments held at Versailles every week, preferring to stay in their apartments which can still be seen on the ground floor of Versailles overlooking the "Orangerie".  The couple's first child was a daughter, born in 1750 on the feast day of Saint Zephyrinus and named Marie Zéphyrine. The birth was greeted with much joy by her parents even though Louis XV had been disappointed the child was not a male. She died in 1755. Their second child, Louis, was born on 15 September 1751. The royal couple concentrated so much time and energy on their eldest son that their other children suffered from neglect. He died on 22 March 1761 after having fallen from a toy horse. He started limping and a tumour began to grow on his hip. This was operated on, but he never recovered the use of his legs. The couple's second son, Xavier, was born in 1753, and died a year later. As a result, their third son, Louis Auguste, born on 23 August 1754, became second in line to the French throne after his father.  Thanks to Maria Josepha's close relationship with the King and the Dauphin, the relationship between father and son was soon repaired. The Dauphin was at the center of the "Dévots", a group of religious-minded men who hoped to gain power when he succeeded to the throne. They were against the way Louis XV openly had affairs at court in blatant view of the Queen. Naturally they were not popular with Louis XV.  Her father-in-law named his loving daughter-in-law "la triste Pepa"; in 1756, Frederick II of Prussia invaded her native Saxony and that started the Seven Years' War, which France later joined. Politically reserved, she exerted herself only once, in 1762, in vain, for the preservation of the Society of Jesus in France. The Society had been dissolved by order of the Parlement of Paris, inspired by Jansenist magistrates, against the will of the King.

Later life.

The death of her husband, on 20 December 1765, dealt Maria Josepha a devastating blow from which she never recovered, sinking into a deep depression which lasted till her own death 15 months later. To save her the torment of remaining with memories of her dead husband, Louis XV re-arranged the allocation of apartments within Versailles, so that Maria Josepha moved out of the apartments that she had shared with her husband and into the apartments of Madame de Pompadour, who had died in 1764. There, the king visited her more than he had in the past, paid her many kind attentions, and discussed with her the possible wedding of her son, the new dauphin. Maria Josepha was not pleased with the idea of her eldest son marrying a daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, in whose favour Maria Josepha's own mother (a cousin of Maria Theresa) had been disinherited.  Soon, Maria Josepha's health declined. She died on 13 March 1767 of tuberculosis, and was buried in the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne in Sens. The marriage of her son, the future Louis XVl, with Maria Theresa's daughter Marie Antoinette was celebrated three years later.

Maria Josepha of Saxony (Maria Josepha Karolina Eleonore Franziska Xaveria; 4 November 1731 – 13 March 1767) was a Dauphine of France from the age of fifteen through her marriage to Louis de France, the son and heir of Louis XV. Marie Josèphe was the mother of three kings of France, including Louis XVI, as well as Madame Élisabeth.


Biological, ecological and biochemical properties.

The genus "Onobrychis" comprises 54 different species of which "O. viciifolia" is of greatest agronomic importance. Two different agricultural types of "O. viciifolia" are known. The single-cut type is characterized by a vegetative regrowth after cutting and its origin is in Europe. A generative regrowth after cutting is typical for the second or the double-cut type. Originated in the Middle East the double-cut type grows larger than the single-cut type. Compared to other forage legumes both types are weak in competition and their regrowth after mowing is considered to be low. Also the yields of common sainfoin are significantly lower than those of alfalfa and clover.  In terms of symbiotic nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere, common sainfoin is not as specific as other legumes. A relatively broad range of rhizobia genera is able to colonize the roots of "O. viciifolia". The common sainfoin is an open pollinating plant, mainly pollinated by nectar feeding insects. Therefore, "O. viciifolia" is a promising crop to enhance biodiversity within agro-ecosystems. This pollination biology leads to certain difficulties in breeding programs resulting in a low number of registered cultivars. The leaves of common sainfoin contain high levels of condensed tannins. This content can be more than five times higher than in clover species or alfalfa.

Beneficial aspects in animal production.

An animal diet containing common sainfoin is able to reduce nematode (e.g. "Haemonchus contortus") parasitism in ruminant’s guts. Due to the high levels of condensed tannins, the fecundity of nematodes and the number of their eggs in the ruminant’s digestive system are reduced. Especially in goat and sheep production systems feeding of "O. viciifolia" is a promising alternative or complement to synthetic drugs. Besides these anthelmintic properties diets containing common sainfoin can lead to increasing daily weight gains of small ruminants. Also milk quantity and quality of these animals are not negatively affected by "O. viciifolia" intake. Furthermore, various studies showed that the voluntary intake of sainfoin was comparable or even higher than the intake of alfalfa or clover species.

Cultivation of "O. viciifolia".

To reach high levels of condensed tannins common sainfoin should be sown in pure culture. Due to its low competitiveness, weed infestation has to be controlled, especially in the first year. Normally fertilizer applications are not needed to reach satisfying yields. Nevertheless, slurry or phosphate applications can promote initial growth. Pests and diseases are almost never a serious problem. Frost and drought tolerance of common sainfoin is higher than in other forage legumes such as alfalfa or different clover species. In contrast "O. viciifolia" is much more intolerant to water logging than other forage legumes. Therefore, clayey soils with a bad drainage should be avoided. Also acidic soils are not appropriate for the cultivation of common sainfoin.  Seedbed preparation and sowing procedure are done in a similar manner and with the same machinery as for cereal cultivation. Around 800 seeds per square meter should be sown on a weed free seedbed between spring and late summer. In the year of establishment common sainfoin can be cut twice a year. Afterwards up to four cuts per growing season are possible. Careful moving is important to minimize disintegration losses. Common sainfoin can be stored and fed to animals in the form of hay, pellets or silage.

Onobrychis viciifolia, also known as O. sativa or common sainfoin has been an important forage legume in temperate regions until the 1950s. During the Green Revolution it was replaced by high yielding alfalfa and clover species. Due to its anthelmintic properties the common sainfoin is a natural alternative to drugs to control nematode parasitism in the guts of small ruminants. This is the main reason why "O. viciifolia" came back to the scientific agenda during the last years.


Playing career.

Amateur.

As a youth, LaBarbera played in the 1993 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Langley, British Columbia.  LaBarbera played major junior ice hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) primarily with the Portland Winter Hawks for four seasons and briefly with the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 66th overall.

Professional.

New York Rangers (2000-2005).

LaBarbera saw his first NHL action with the New York Rangers in his first season out of junior in relief of Kirk McLean, his childhood hero, on October 14, 2000. He recorded two saves in ten minutes of play in an 8–6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent his first four seasons with the Rangers' organization, however, in the minor leagues with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL and the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). The 2003–04 season brought an increase in playing time for LaBarbera with the Rangers. In the midst of a spectacular season with the Wolf Pack, which culminated in a Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP and an Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as top goaltender, he was called up to the Rangers and played in four games that season. LaBarbera recorded a 1–2–0 record, 4.85 goals against average (GAA) and a.824 save percentage during his brief stint. His lone NHL victory that season, the first of his career, was a 3–2 win over the Washington Capitals on March 5, 2004.  Continuing to play with the Wolf Pack during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, LaBarbera earned the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the League.

Los Angeles Kings (2005-2008).

Despite another successful season in the AHL, the Rangers did not re-sign LaBarbera, presumably due to the Rangers' deep depth in goal, with standout draft picks Henrik Lundqvist and Al Montoya in the team's pipeline. Instead, he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in the off-season.  LaBarbera's first full season in the NHL was spent backing-up Kings starting goaltender Mathieu Garon. He got off to a quick start with the Kings, going undefeated in his first seven starts. LaBarbera earned his first career NHL shutout on April 17, 2006, blanking the San Jose Sharks in a 4–0 victory. In 2006–07, LaBarbera played for the Kings' minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, in the AHL. Despite injuries to Kings goaltenders Mathieu Garon and Dan Cloutier during the season, the Kings were hesitant to recall LaBarbera because he was waiver eligible, which required him to clear waivers in order to be recalled and demoted, making it likely that he would be claimed by another team. LaBarbara completed the season with the Monarchs and earned the second Harry Holmes Memorial Award and Aldege Bastien Memorial Award of his AHL career. In the off-season, LaBarbera re-signed with the Kings to a two-year contract on July 3, 2007. LaBarbera earned more playing time in 2007–08, appearing in a career-high 45 games with a 3.00 GAA and a.910 save percentage.

Vancouver Canucks (2008-2009).

The following season, on December 30, 2008, LaBarbera was traded to his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in 2009, a trade resulting in the emergence of rookie goaltender Jonathan Quick. The Canucks dealt for LaBarbera in light of injuries to Roberto Luongo and backup Curtis Sanford. LaBarbara earned his first win with the Canucks in his club debut, making 31 saves in a 2–1 victory over the Nashville Predators on January 1, 2009.

Phoenix Coyotes (2009-2013).

LaBarbera was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract by the Phoenix Coyotes to back-up Coyotes starter Ilya Bryzgalov on July 1, 2009. LaBarbara compiled a total record of 15–11–4 in his first two seasons in Phoenix. On June 6, 2011, he was re-signed by the Coyotes to another two-year contract.

Edmonton Oilers (2013).

On July 5, 2013, during the free agency period of 2013, LaBarbera signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers. He competed with Richard Bachman to be the backup to starter Devan Dubnyk. After Bachman was injured, then sent down to Edmonton's AHL affiliate, LaBarbera won the backup job in Edmonton.

Chicago Blackhawks (2013-2014).

On December 14, 2013, LaBarbera was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. LaBarbera never appeared in a game for the Blackhawks. Instead, he went (15-15-2) with the Rockford Icehogs, the team's AHL affiliate.

Anaheim Ducks (2014-2015).

On July 1, 2014, the Anaheim Ducks signed LaBarbera as a free agent to a one-year, $750,000 contract. He attended the Ducks' training camp before ultimately being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, after clearing waivers.

Philadelphia Flyers (2015-2016).

On July 2, 2015, LaBarbera signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He never appeared for the Flyers, but rather spent the entire season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  On July 19, 2016, LaBarbera announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons, in accepting a role in the Western Hockey League as the goaltending coach of the Calgary Hitmen.

Personal life.

LaBarbera and his wife Kodette are the parents of two sons, Ryder and Easton. Ryder was diagnosed with autism. Kodette starred in the Canadian W Network TV show "Hockey Wives" and talked about her son's autism treatment program in Calgary, Alberta.

Antonio Jason LaBarbera (born January 18, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).


History.

Stateful firewall technology was introduced by Check Point Software with the FireWall-1 product in 1994.  Before the development of stateful firewalls, firewalls were "stateless". A stateless firewall treats each network frame or packet individually. Such packet filters operate at the OSI Network Layer (layer 3) and function more efficiently because they only look at the header part of a packet. They do not keep track of the packet context such as the nature of the traffic. Such a firewall has no way of knowing if any given packet is part of an existing connection, is trying to establish a new connection or is just a rogue packet. Modern firewalls are connection-aware (or state-aware), offering network administrators finer-grained control of network traffic.  The classic example of a network operation that may fail with a stateless firewall is the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). By design, such protocols need to be able to open connections to arbitrary high ports to function properly. Since a stateless firewall has no way of knowing that the packet destined to the protected network (to some host's destination port 4970, for example) is part of a legitimate FTP session, it will drop the packet. Stateful firewalls with application inspection solve this problem by maintaining a table of open connections, inspecting the payload of some packets and intelligently associating new connection requests with existing legitimate connections.  Early attempts at producing firewalls operated at the application layer, which is the very top of the seven-layer OSI model. This method required exorbitant amounts of computing power and is not commonly used in modern implementations.

Description.

A stateful firewall keeps track of the state of network connections (such as TCP streams or UDP communication) and is able to hold significant attributes of each connection in memory. These attributes are collectively known as the state of the connection and may include such details as the IP addresses and ports involved in the connection and the sequence numbers of the packets traversing the connection. Stateful inspection monitors incoming and outgoing packets over time, as well as the state of the connection, and stores the data in dynamic state tables. This cumulative data is evaluated so that filtering decisions would not only be based on administrator-defined rules, but also on context that has been built by previous connections as well as previous packets belonging to the same connection.  The most CPU intensive checking is performed at the time of setup of the connection. Entries are created only for TCP connections or UDP streams that satisfy a defined security policy. After that, all packets (for that session) are processed rapidly because it is simple and fast to determine whether it belongs to an existing, pre-screened session. Packets associated with these sessions are permitted to pass through the firewall. Sessions that do not match any policy are denied, as packets that do not match an existing table entry.  In order to prevent the state table from filling up, sessions will time out if no traffic has passed for a certain period. These stale connections are removed from the state table. Many applications, therefore, send keepalive messages periodically in order to stop a firewall from dropping the connection during periods of no user-activity, though some firewalls can be instructed to send these messages for applications.  Depending on the connection protocol, maintaining a connection's state is more or less complex for the firewall. For example, TCP is inherently a stateful protocol as connections are established with a three-way handshake ("SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK") and ended with a "FIN, FIN-ACK, ACK" exchange. This means that all packets with "SYN" in their header received by the firewall are interpreted to open new connections. If the service requested by the client is available on the server, it will respond with a "SYN-ACK" packet which the firewall will also track. Once the firewall receives the client's "ACK" response, it transfers the connection to the "ESTABLISHED" state as the connection has been authenticated bidirectionally. This allows tracking of future packets through the established connection. Simultaneously, the firewall drops all packets which are not associated with an existing connection recorded in its state table (or "SYN" packets), preventing unsolicited connections with the protected machine by black hat hacking.  Other connection protocols, namely UDP and ICMP, are not based on bidirectional connections like TCP, making a stateful firewall somewhat less secure. In order to track a connection state in these cases, a firewall must transfer sessions to the ESTABLISHED state after seeing the first valid packet. It can then only track the connection through addresses and ports of the following packets' source and destination. Unlike TCP connections, which can be closed by a "FIN, ACK" exchange, these connectionless protocols allow a session to end only by time-out. This, for example, enables UDP hole punching.  By keeping track of the connection state, stateful firewalls provide added efficiency in terms of packet inspection. This is because for existing connections the firewall need only check the state table, instead of checking the packet against the firewall's rule set, which can be extensive. Additionally, in the case of a match with the state table, the firewall does not need to perform deep packet inspection.

Application-level filters.

Packet filtering alone is not regarded as providing enough protection. In order to effectively block peer-to-peer-related network traffic, what is needed is a firewall that does "application filtering", which can be regarded as an extension to stateful packet inspection. Stateful packet inspection can determine what type of protocol is being sent over each port, but application-level filters look at what a protocol is being used for. For example, an application-level filter might be able to tell the difference between HTTP traffic used to access a Web page and HTTP traffic used for file sharing, whereas a firewall that is only performing packet filtering would treat all HTTP traffic equally.  Application layer firewalls are generally slower than stateful inspection. Application-layer firewalls are sometimes implemented using application proxies. Two TCP connections are established: one between the packet source and the firewall, another between the firewall and the packet destination. Application proxies intercept arriving packets on behalf of the destination, examine application payload, and then relay permitted packets to the destination. Suspicious data is dropped and the client and server never communicate directly with each other. Proxies necessarily involve more protocol stack overhead than inspecting packets at the network layer. Furthermore, because a unique proxy is required for each application, proxy firewalls can be less flexible and slower to upgrade than stateful inspection firewalls. Nevertheless, because application-level proxies are application-aware, the proxies can more easily handle complex protocols like H.323 or SIP, which are used for videoconferencing and VoIP (Voice over IP).

Pitfalls.

There is a risk that vulnerabilities in individual protocol decoders could allow an attacker to gain control over the firewall. This concern highlights the need to keep firewall software updated.  Some stateful firewalls also raise the possibility that individual hosts can be tricked into soliciting outside connections. This possibility can only be completely eliminated by auditing the host software. Some firewalls can be defeated in this way by simply viewing a web page (either with JavaScript enabled or after clicking on a button).

In computing, a stateful firewall is a network firewall that tracks the operating state and characteristics of network connections traversing it. The firewall is configured to distinguish legitimate network packets for different types of connections. Only packets matching a known active connection are allowed to pass the firewall. In contrast, a stateless firewall does not take context into account when determining whether to allow or block packets.


Background.

Nordahl Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of Peter Lexau Grieg (1864–1924) and Helga Vollan (1869–1946). He was the brother of Norwegian publisher Harald Grieg (1894–1972) and was distantly related to composer Edvard Grieg. In 1940, he married actress Gerd Egede-Nissen (1895–1988).  He studied at the Royal Frederick University (now the University of Oslo) and spent time travelling abroad, sometimes as a tourist and sometimes as a sailor. Receiving the 1924 Norway Scholarship, Grieg spent a year at Wadham College at Oxford, England, studying history and literature. At least one of Grieg's poems, "Kapellet i Wadham College" was inspired by his stay there, where he was a contemporary of Cecil Day-Lewis.

Career.

Poet, playwright and journalist.

Grieg debuted in 1922 with his first book of poetry "Omkring Kap det gode Haab", based on his seagoing experiences - as was "Skibet gaar videre" (1924). The latter book aroused controversy for its exposure of sailors' harsh living and working conditions.  Grieg spent 1927 as a newspaper correspondent in China, where he witnessed firsthand the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communists. The same year Grieg's plays "En ung manns Kjaerlighet" and "Barabbas" were produced. The latter was a modern revolutionary interpretation of New Testament character Barabbas. The 1929 poetry collection "Norge i våre hjerter" expressed deep love for his country and his people in their poverty and misery and attracted critical acclaim.  His 1935 play "Vår ære og vår makt" depicted the lives of Norwegian sailors during World War I in which Norway remained neutral and traded with both sides. The work was an attack on the shipping industry's exploitation of seafarers. From 1936 to 1937, Grieg published the magazine "Veien Frem", which initially succeeded in attracting prominent writers, but as the magazine adopted an increasingly Stalinist position relating to the Moscow Trials, most of them severed ties with it and it ceased publication.  His 1937 dramatic play "Nederlaget" was about the Paris Commune. The Spanish Civil War was the subject of "Spansk sommer" (1937) and partly also of "Ung må verden ennu være", whose plot shifts between Spain and the Soviet Union. The war also inspired the 1936 poem "Til ungdommen", one of his most well-known works, which was set to music in 1952 by Danish composer Otto Mortensen and was performed on numerous occasions (see Til ungdommen).

Communism.

Compassion for the poor and exploited led Grieg to join the Norwegian Communist Party. From 1933 to 1935, he lived in the Soviet Union, where he was officially invited to study the techniques of Soviet stage and film. On returning to Norway, he became an ardent supporter of Joseph Stalin's policies, and became the chairman of the Friends of the Soviet Union (1935–1940). In 1937, he famously wrote a defence of the Moscow Trials, attacking Norwegian authors who had criticized them. His novel "Ung må verden ennu være" was also a defence of Stalin and the Moscow Trials. In many articles, he criticized the supporters of Leon Trotsky, who lived in Norway from 1937 to 1939.

World War II.

The outbreak of World War II, and especially the German invasion and occupation of Norway, led Grieg to oppose Stalin's policies. In 1939, the Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany and, until the 1941 Nazi invasion, instructed Communists worldwide to regard the ongoing war as an "Imperialist" war in which they should not take part. Grieg was a staunch anti-Nazi and Norwegian patriot and committed himself in 1940 to the struggle against the Nazi occupation. In the winter of 1939-40, Grieg served in the Norwegian Army in Finnmark on neutrality guard during the Russo-Finnish Winter War. In 1940, after serving during the Norwegian Campaign against German forces, he escaped to the United Kingdom aboard the same vessel that carried the Norwegian Royal family and the National Gold reserves.

War correspondent.

Once in Britain, Grieg served the Norwegian government in exile, and participated in making patriotic radio programs. He was commissioned in the Norwegian Armed Forces and served as a war correspondent. His work involved visiting and reporting on Norwegian units around Britain. He met Norwegian servicemen on duty in Iceland and other remote outposts. In the summer of 1942 Grieg spent several weeks on the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen in the North Atlantic during which time he wrote the poem "Øya i Ishavet". As with other war correspondents, he joined operational missions over occupied Europe. In the course of one of these he lost his life, carrying the rank of captain.

Final mission.

On the night of 2–3 December 1943, Grieg was one of several observers for an Allied air raid on Berlin. He was attached to 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which was based at RAF Binbrook. Grieg joined the crew of a Lancaster Mk.III (serial number "LM316", squadron code "AR-H2") captained by Flying Officer A. R. Mitchell, RAAF. Berlin was well-defended. It lay in the east of the country, requiring crews to test the limits of their fuel supply and of their own endurance.  The long journey took them over the ranges of many night fighters. 460 Sqn lost five aircraft that night—one of them was "LM316." 37 airmen had been on board these aircraft, but only eight survived. They spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. None of the eight survivors came from "LM316". In addition to Grieg, the seven crew members (four Australians and three Britons) were killed in the crash. Grieg was neither the only correspondent shot down that night, nor the only Norwegian.  Grieg's burial place went unrecorded after the crash. In the early 2000s, the grave was believed to be located under a highway between Potsdam and Berlin. A new theory emerged in 2013, when journalist Asbjørn Svarstad stated that he believed that Grieg had been first buried in Berlin in 1944, and then exhumed and reburied at the Berlin Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Heerstraße in 1949. In response to the new information, the leader of the Norwegian Socialist Left Party, Audun Lysbakken, declared that Grieg should be exhumed and reburied in Bergen, Norway.

Legacy.

Grieg became a hero in Norway because of his resistance to the Nazi Occupation. Grieg is still popular in Norway, especially for his anti-fascist poetry. The pre-war controversies in which he was involved were overshadowed by his war record.  Grieg was a friend of English novelist Graham Greene, who wrote about various aspects of Grieg's life and wartime career in his 1980 biographical work "Ways of Escape". The two met when Grieg turned up unannounced at Greene's cottage at Chipping Campden in 1931.  In 1945, a collection of his war poems, "Friheten" was published and remained a best-selling Norwegian poetry collection.  In 1957, a statue of Grieg by Roar Bjorg (1912-1984) was unveiled at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen.  In 1990, the musical "Nordahl Grieg i våre hjerter" written by Erling Gjelsvik with music by Knut Skodvin, debuted in Bergen.  In 2003, a memorial stone was unveiled at the site () where Nordahl Grieg died in Kleinmachnow.  In 2010, Nordahl Grieg videregående skole in Rådal was opened in the Rådal neighborhood of Bergen.

Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg (1 November 1902 – 2 December 1943) was a Norwegian poet, novelist, dramatist, journalist and political activist. He was a popular author and a controversial public figure. He served in World War II as a war correspondent and was killed while on a bombing mission to Berlin.


Life and career.

Kogan was born to a Ukrainian Jewish family in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for violin playing, his family moved to Moscow, where he was able to further his studies. From age ten he studied there with the noted violin pedagogue Abram Yampolsky. In 1934, Jascha Heifetz played concerts in Moscow. "I attended every one," Kogan later said, "and can remember until now every note he played. He was the ideal artist for me." When Kogan was 12, Jacques Thibaud was in Moscow and heard him play. The French virtuoso predicted a great future for Kogan.  Kogan studied at the Central Music School in Moscow (1934–43), then at the Moscow Conservatory (1943–48), where he studied as a postgraduate (1948–51).  At the age of 17, and while still a student, he performed throughout the USSR. He was co-winner of the first prize at the World Youth Festival in Prague. In 1951, Kogan won first prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels with a dazzling performance of Paganini's first concerto that included an outstanding interpretation of Sauret's cadenza.  His official debut was in 1941, playing the Brahms Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.  His international solo tours took him to Paris and London in 1955, and then South America and the United States in the following years. Kogan had a repertoire of over 18 concerti and a number of concerti by modern composers were dedicated to him.  In 1952, Kogan began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory, and in 1980 he was invited to teach at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy.  Kogan, a brilliant and compelling violinist excelled in both the concerto repertoire and in chamber music, shunned publicity. His career was always overshadowed by that of David Oistrakh, who was strongly promoted by the Soviet authorities. Like Oistrakh, Kogan made a few studio recordings in the West, mostly for EMI. The bulk of his recordings were made in the Soviet Union, however, and their availability outside that country was very rare until the release of the Brilliant box set "Historic Russian Archives Leonid Kogan Edition"  Kogan was made an Honoured Artist in 1955 and a People's Artist of the USSR in 1964. He received the Lenin Prize in 1965.  Kogan married Elizabeth Gilels (sister of pianist Emil Gilels), also a concert violinist. His son, Pavel Kogan (b. 1952) became a famous violinist and conductor. His daughter, Nina Kogan (b. 1954), is a concert pianist and became the accompanist and sonata partner of her father at an early age.  Kogan was Jewish.  Kogan died of a heart attack in the city of Mytishchi, while travelling by train between Moscow and Yaroslavl to a concert he was to perform with his son. Two days before, he had played the Beethoven Violin Concerto in Vienna. He was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery.  Many speculate that Kogan played on all steel strings, though there is not an outright confirmation. While his close associates indicate he played on gut strings with a steel 'e', it is most likely that he used different combinations over the course of his career.

Instruments.

Kogan used two Guarneri del Gesù violins: the 1726 ex-Colin and the 1733 ex-Burmester. He used French bows by Dominique Peccatte. Kogan never actually owned these instruments; they were provided on loan from the Soviet government. Today they are worth more than US$4 million.

Recordings.

Kogan formed a Trio with pianist Gilels and cellist Rostropovich. Their recordings include Beethoven's "Archduke Trio", the Schumann D minor, the Tchaikovsky, the Saint-Saëns, the Brahms Horn Trio with Yakov Shapiro (horn), and the Fauré C minor Quartet with Rudolf Barshai (viola). Kogan later formed another Trio with the conductor Svetlanov on piano and cellist Luzanov. Kogan was the first Soviet violinist to play and record Berg's Violin concerto. He also made a famous recording of Khachaturian's violin concerto with Pierre Monteux and the Boston Symphony Orchestra for RCA Victor (his America debut recording), a version still considered the most exciting reading of the work. Kogan recorded violin concerti by other Soviet composers, including the two by Tikhon Khrennikov. With Karl Richter Kogan recorded J.S Bach's 6 Violin Sonatas in 1972.  There are more than 30 albums of his performances on the Arlecchino label. In 2006, EMI France issued a 4-CD box set ("Les Introuvables de Leonid Kogan") containing his concerto recordings for that label, all digitally remastered the same year.  The EMI Kogan recordings from 1950s and 1960s used to belong to Columbia, who released about five stereo recordings of Kogan in the vinyl record period: Beethoven "Violin Concerto" (SAX 2386), Brahms "Violin Concerto" (SAX 2307), Tchaikovsky "Violin Concerto" (SAX 2323), Lalo "Symphonie espagnole" (SAX 2329) and Leclar/Telemann/Ysaye "Sonatas for duo Violins" (SAX 2531). Nowadays, these Kogan records are among the most sought-after records for classical vinyl collectors. For example, the price of the Beethoven "Violin Concerto" (SAX2386) record soars up to 10,000 dollars in eBay auctions.

Leonid Borisovich Kogan (; ; 14 November 1924 – 17 December 1982) was a preeminent Soviet violinist during the 20th century. Many consider him to be among the greatest violinists of the 20th century. In particular, he is considered to have been one of the greatest representatives of the Soviet School of violin playing.


Career.

2006–2008: "Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live".

Lil Scrappy released his debut album "Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live" on May 5, 2006 on BME Recordings/Reprise Records/G-Unit Records South now Cashville Records. The album features appearances by Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon, Lloyd, Young Buck, 50 Cent, E-40, Olivia, Young Dro, and Bohagon. It was produced by Lil Jon and 50 Cent. The first single "Money in the Bank" features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. "Money in the Bank" peaked at number 28 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart trajectory, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S. as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called "Gangsta Gangsta" and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from "Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live" and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ.  J-Bo, Lil Jon, and Too Short made cameo appearances in the video, which premiered January 25, 2007, on BET's 106 & Park as a New Joint. The song also received significant airplay on various urban stations.  In late 2008 Lil Scrappy announced that his second studio album would not be released under G-Unit Records or another former label BME Records. Lil Scrappy's second album, "Prince of the South", was released on May 13, 2008 through Real Talk Entertainment.

2009–2012: "Tha GruStle".

In early 2009 Lil Scrappy announced that he had signed with Ludacris label DTP for his second studio album, "Tha Grustle," and that the album would be distributed through Def Jam. Also in 2009 Lil Scrappy appeared in the motion picture "Just Another Day" the tale of the brutal realities of rap music, Scrappy plays a character named Jay. Lil Scrappy's second independent album, "Prince of the South 2", was released on October 19, 2010, through Real Talk Entertainment just like his first independent album. On On September 8, 2009, Lil Scrappy released the first single from the album entitled "Addicted To Money" but it failed to reach the Billboard charts so it was dubbed as a promo single. Then on September 28, 2010, Lil Scrappy released the first album from the single"Bad (That's Her)" which featured Stuey Rock but it also failed to reach the Billboard charts so it was dubbed as a promo single.  On November 2, 2011, after the album never saw an official release, Lil Scrappy announced that the album would be released in early 2012. Lil Scrappy also announced that he and DTP had parted ways and that his G's Up imprint has partnered with S-Line, a company owned by Lil Scrappy's manager Kevin Clark. G's Up/S-Line has embarked in a joint venture with Bonzi Records, a label owned by producer J. Wells and will be distributed by Fontana/Universal. The official first single from the album will be "Helicopter" that features 2 Chainz and Twista. The music video premiered on MTV Jams, and was directed by Edgar Esteves. Lil Scrappy appears on VH1 "". After a long-awaited release "Tha Grustle" was finally released on June 26, 2012. The second single from the album is entitled "No Love" featuring upcoming singer Toccara the official music video for it has already gained 100,000 views on YouTube of its first week.

2012–present: "".

Since 2012, Lil Scrappy has appeared on seven seasons of "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta" and "". His earnings have been reported at $200k per season. In 2015 Lil Scrappy began touring with his indie label Grustle Gang.

Personal life.

Lil Scrappy married Adizia "Bambi" Benson on September 8, 2017. Their son Breland was born September 21, 2018. Lil Scrappy also has a daughter named Emani, from a past relationship with Erica Dixon.

Darryl Kevin Richardson (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper and record producer.


History.

A feudal family originally from Ton, Trentino, formerly an Italian speaking part of Tyrol, today part of the Trentino province of Italy, the male line traces back to Manfreinus of Tunno in 1187. In 1469 they became hereditary Cup-bearers of the Prince-bishopric of Trento and in 1558 of the Prince-bishopric of Brixen.  All males of the family were granted the title of Baron in 1604, and Counts of the Holy Roman Empire ("Reichsgraf") in 1629. The title of Prince was conferred upon the head of the family, along with the style of Durchlaucht "(Serene Highness)", in the Austrian Empire in 1911. They were hereditary members of the Austrian House of Lords, in right of possession of the entailed lordship of Tetschen since 1879.  In 1621 the family acquired The Chateau at Klášterec nad Ohří, Bohemia, in 1629, expropriated in 1946, in the second half of the 17th century (German: Tetschen), then the family's main seat until it was sold in 1932. Later they also acquired Choltice Castle and Benátky nad Jizerou Castle, and several palaces in Prague.

Notable family members.

Friedrich von Thun und Hohenstein.

Of the three sons of Count Franz Anton (1786–1873) and his wife Countess Theresia Anna Maria (née von Brühl), the eldest, (1810–1881), entered the diplomatic service. After holding other posts he was in 1850 appointed president of the restored German Diet at Frankfurt, where he represented the anti-Prussian policy of Prince Felix Schwarzenberg, and often came into conflict with Prince Bismarck, who was the Prussian envoy. He was afterwards ambassador at Berlin and St. Petersburg. After his retirement in 1863 from the public service in the Bohemian "Landtag" and the Austrian "Reichsrat" he supported the federal policy of his brother Leo. In 1879 he was made a hereditary member of the Upper House. In this position he was, on his death 24 September 1881, succeeded by his eldest son Franz (born 1847).

Maria Wilhelmine von Thun und Hohenstein.

Countess Maria Wilhelmine von Thun und Hohenstein, née Countess von Ulfeldt was a Viennese aristocrat of the 18th century. She was the hostess of a musically and intellectually outstanding salon, and a patroness of music, notably that of Mozart and Beethoven.

Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein.

Count Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein (1811–1888) was a leading Austrian statesman who was later a minister in the cabinets of Schwarzenberg and Bach.

Franz Anton von Thun und Hohenstein.

Count Franz Anton von Thun und Hohenstein, (1847–1916) was an Austro-Hungarian nobleman and statesman. He was Governor of his native Bohemia from 1889 to 1896 and again from 1911 to 1915. He was elevated to princely rank by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 19 July 1911. Leaving no sons, he was succeeded in the princely title by his brother Jaroslav (1864-1929).

Galeazzo von Thun und Hohenstein.

Fra' Galeazzo von Thun und Hohenstein (1850–1931) was the 75th Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1905 to 1931.

Róża Maria von Thun und Hohenstein.

Róża Maria Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein ("née" Woźniakowska, born 13 April 1954), usually shortened to "Róża Thun", married Franz Graf von Thun und Hohenstein in 1981. She is a European Parliament Member (MEP) from Poland since 2009.

The Thun und Hohenstein family, also known as "Thun-Hohenstein", belonged to the historical Austrian and Bohemian nobility. One branch of the family lived at Děčín (Tetschen), Bohemia, for more than 200 years.


Other techniques to analyze odors.

In all industries, odor assessment is usually performed by human sensory analysis, by chemosensors, or by gas chromatography. The latter technique gives information about volatile organic compounds but the correlation between analytical results and mean odor perception is not direct due to potential interactions between several odorous components.  In the Wasp Hound odor detector, the mechanical element is a video camera and the biological element is five parasitic wasps who have been conditioned to swarm in response to the presence of a specific chemical.

History.

Scientist Alexander Graham Bell popularized the notion that it was difficult to measure a smell, and in 1914 said the following:  In the decades since Bell made this observation, no such science of odor materialised, and it was not until the 1950s and beyond that any real progress was made.

Working principle.

The electronic nose was developed in order to mimic human olfaction that functions as a non-separative mechanism: i.e. an odor / flavor is perceived as a global fingerprint. Essentially the instrument consists of head space sampling, sensor array, and pattern recognition modules, to generate signal pattern that are used for characterizing odors.  Electronic noses include three major parts: a sample delivery system, a detection system, a computing system.  The sample delivery system enables the generation of the headspace (volatile compounds) of a sample, which is the fraction analyzed. The system then injects this headspace into the detection system of the electronic nose. The sample delivery system is essential to guarantee constant operating conditions.  The detection system, which consists of a sensor set, is the "reactive" part of the instrument. When in contact with volatile compounds, the sensors react, which means they experience a change of electrical properties.  In most electronic noses, each sensor is sensitive to all volatile molecules but each in their specific way. However, in bio-electronic noses, receptor proteins which respond to specific odor molecules are used. Most electronic noses use sensor arrays that react to volatile compounds on contact: the adsorption of volatile compounds on the sensor surface causes a physical change of the sensor. A specific response is recorded by the electronic interface transforming the signal into a digital value. Recorded data are then computed based on statistical models.  Bio-electronic noses use olfactory receptors - proteins cloned from biological organisms, e.g. humans, that bind to specific odor molecules. One group has developed a bio-electronic nose that mimics the signaling systems used by the human nose to perceive odors at a very high sensitivity: femtomolar concentrations.  The more commonly used sensors for electronic noses include  Some devices combine multiple sensor types in a single device, for example polymer coated QCMs. The independent information leads to vastly more sensitive and efficient devices.  In recent years, other types of electronic noses have been developed that utilize mass spectrometry or ultra-fast gas chromatography as a detection system.  The computing system works to combine the responses of all of the sensors, which represents the input for the data treatment. This part of the instrument performs global fingerprint analysis and provides results and representations that can be easily interpreted. Moreover, the electronic nose results can be correlated to those obtained from other techniques (sensory panel, GC, GC/MS). Many of the data interpretation systems are used for the analysis of results. These systems include artificial neural network (ANN), fuzzy logic, pattern recognition modules, etc. Artificial intelligence, included artificial neural network (ANN), is a key technique for the environmental odour management.

Performing an analysis.

As a first step, an electronic nose needs to be trained with qualified samples so as to build a database of reference. Then the instrument can recognize new samples by comparing a volatile compound's fingerprint to those contained in its database. Thus they can perform qualitative or quantitative analysis. This however may also provide a problem as many odors are made up of multiple different molecules, which may be wrongly interpreted by the device as it will register them as different compounds, resulting in incorrect or inaccurate results depending on the primary function of a nose. The example of e-nose dataset is also available. This dataset can be used as a reference for e-nose signal processing, notably for meat quality studies. The two main objectives of this dataset are multiclass beef classification and microbial population prediction by regression.

Applications.

Electronic nose instruments are used by research and development laboratories, quality control laboratories and process & production departments for various purposes:

In environmental monitoring.

Various application notes describe analysis in areas such as flavor and fragrance, food and beverage, packaging, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumes, and chemical companies. More recently they can also address public concerns in terms of olfactive nuisance monitoring with networks of on-field devices. Since emission rates on a site can be extremely variable for some sources, the electronic nose can provide a tool to track fluctuations and trends and assess the situation in real time. It improves understanding of critical sources, leading to pro-active odor management. Real time modeling will present the current situation, allowing the operator to understand which periods and conditions are putting the facility at risk. Also, existing commercial systems can be programmed to have active alerts based on set points (odor concentration modeled at receptors/alert points or odor concentration at a nose/source) to initiate appropriate actions.

Examples.

BreathBase Solution  Breathomix B.V. is an innovative Dutch medtech startup focusing on improving healthcare and reducing costs. Their BreathBase Solution comprises an eNose, a platform that transfers high-quality breath measurements to the generation and validation of diagnostic models, and a clinically validated breath database that serves as a reference for new patients. Their solution is able to discriminate between COPD patients that develop lung cancer within a year and those who don't. These results show that eNose assessment may detect early stages of lung cancer and may therefore be of value in the screening of patients with COPD.  They also used their solution to phenotype asthma and COPD patients. Phenotyping a combined sample of asthma and COPD patients using the eNose provided validated clusters that were not determined by diagnosis, but rather by clinical/inflammatory characteristics. The eNose identified systemic neutrophilia and/or eosinophilia in a dose-dependent manner. Cyranose  The Cyranose 320 is a handheld "electronic nose" developed by Cyrano Sciences of Pasadena, California in 2000. Cyrano Sciences was founded in 1997, 9 years after the concept of an "electronic nose" based on using multiple semi-selective sensors combined with electronic computation was first proposed by Gardner and Bartlett. The Cyranose 320 is based on sensor research performed by Professor Nathan Lewis of the California Institute of Technology. Applications researched using the Cyranose 320 include the detection of COPD, and other medical conditions as well as industrial applications generally related to quality control or contamination detection. The Cyranose 320 is still being manufactured in the USA by Sensigent LLC, the successor company to Cyrano Sciences.

An electronic nose is a device intended to detect odors or flavors. Over the last decades, "electronic sensing" or "e-sensing" technologies have undergone important developments from a technical and commercial point of view. The expression "electronic sensing" refers to the capability of reproducing human senses using sensor arrays and pattern recognition systems. Since 1982, research has been conducted to develop technologies, commonly referred to as electronic noses, that could detect and recognize odors and flavors. The stages of the recognition process are similar to human olfaction and are performed for identification, comparison, quantification and other applications, including data storage and retrieval. However, hedonic evaluation is a specificity of the human nose given that it is related to subjective opinions. These devices have undergone much development and are now used to fulfill industrial needs.


Presentation.

Diogenes syndrome is a disorder that involves hoarding of rubbish and severe self-neglect. In addition, the syndrome is characterized by domestic squalor, syllogomania, social alienation, and refusal of help. It has been shown that the syndrome is caused as a reaction to stress that was experienced by the patient. The time span in which the syndrome develops is undefined, though it is most accurately distinguished as a reaction to stress that occurs late in life.  In most instances, patients were observed to have an abnormal possessiveness and patterns of compilation in a disordered manner. These symptoms suggest damage to the prefrontal areas of the brain, due to its relation to decision making. In contrast, there have also been cases where the hoarded objects were arranged in a methodical manner, which may suggest a cause other than brain damage.  Although most patients have been observed to come from homes with poor conditions, and many had been faced with poverty for a long period of time, these similarities are not considered a definite cause to the syndrome. Research showed that some of the participants with the condition had solid family backgrounds as well as successful professional lives. Half of the patients were of higher intelligence level. This indicates the "Diogenes syndrome" does not exclusively affect those experiencing poverty or those who had traumatic childhood experiences.  The severe neglect that they bring on themselves usually results in physical collapse or mental breakdown. Most individuals who suffer from the syndrome do not get identified until they face this stage of collapse, due to their predilection to refuse help from others.  The patients are generally highly intelligent, and the personality traits that can be seen frequently in patients diagnosed with Diogenes syndrome are aggressiveness, stubbornness, suspicion of others, unpredictable mood swings, emotional instability and deformed perception of reality. Secondary DS is related to mental disorders. The direct relation of the patients' personalities to the syndrome is unclear, though the similarities in character suggest potential avenues for investigation.

Diagnosis.

Individuals suffering from Diogenes syndrome generally display signs of collectionism, hoarding, or compulsive disorder. Individuals who have suffered damage to the brain, particularly the frontal lobe, may be at more risk to developing the syndrome. The frontal lobes are of particular interest, because they are known to be involved in higher order cognitive processes, such as reasoning, decision-making and conflict monitoring. Diogenes Syndrome tends to occur among the elderly. The behavioural patterns that is usually reflected by those living with this disorder are suffering from significant functional problem that is correlated with morbidity and mortality.

Management.

It is ethically difficult when it comes to dealing with diagnosed patients, for many of them deny their poor conditions and refuse to accept treatment. The main objectives of the doctors are to help improve the patient’s lifestyle and wellbeing, so health care professionals must decide whether or not to force treatment onto their patient.  In some cases, especially those including the inability to move, patients have to consent to help, since they cannot manage to look after themselves. Hospitals or nursing homes are often considered the best treatment under those conditions.  When under care, patients must be treated in a way in which they can learn to trust the health care professionals. In order to do this, the patients should be restricted in the number of visitors they are allowed, and be limited to 1 nurse or social worker. Some patients respond better to psychotherapy, while others to behavioral treatment or terminal care.  Results after hospitalization tend to be poor. Research on the mortality rate during hospitalization has shown that approximately half the patients die while in the hospital. A quarter of the patients are sent back home, while the other quarter are placed in long-term residential care. Patients under care in hospitals and nursing homes often slide back into relapse or face death.  There are other approaches to improve the patient’s condition. Day care facilities have often been successful with maturing the patient’s physical and emotional state, as well as helping them with socialization. Other methods include services inside the patient’s home, such as the delivery of food.

History.

The origin of the syndrome is unknown, although the term “Diogenes” was coined by A. N. G. Clarke et al. in the mid‐1970s and has been commonly used since then. Diogenes syndrome was acknowledged more prominently as a media phenomenon in popular media rather than medical literature. The primary description of this syndrome has only been mentioned recently by geriatricians and psychiatrists.

Diogenes syndrome, also known as senile squalor syndrome, is a disorder characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, social withdrawal, apathy, compulsive hoarding of garbage or animals, plus lack of shame. Sufferers may also display symptoms of catatonia.


Early life.

Josef Smrkovský was born into a farmer's family in Velenka, in the Kingdom of Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). As an adult, he began working as a baker and soon became a secretary of the Red Trade Union (1930–32) and was involved in the communist movement. He joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) in 1933 and went to study at a political school in the Soviet Union. When he returned, Smrkovský began to work as a secretary of the KSČ in Brno (1937–38).

World War II.

During the Second World War, Smrkovský worked for the illegal communist resistance to Nazi occupation and eventually became a member of the central committee. In May 1945, as a member of the Czech National Council, he negotiated an agreement for the Nazi units in Prague to surrender. He is notorious (and often quoted) for preventing the US Army from liberating Prague via Plzeň – a claim he himself made publicly in the 1960s.

Victorious February and political imprisonment.

Although the Czech National Council was dissolved and its members unpopular with Soviet authorities, Smrkovský was co-opted into the presidium of the Central Committee of the KSČ. He worked as a chairman of the Land Property Fund, and in 1946 was elected as a member of the National Assembly. During the government crisis in February 1948, he served as a commander of the Lidové milice (People's Militias) and helped support the successful communist coup d'état. He then found work in the Ministry of Agriculture.  In 1951, Smrkovský was suddenly arrested and condemned to life imprisonment for cooperation with a "conspiring centre" around Rudolf Slánský. He was released in 1955 and considered fully rehabilitated in 1963.

Prague Spring.

After his release from prison, Smrkovský worked as a head of an agricultural cooperative (JZD Pavlovice). In 1963, he was assigned to work in various lower ministries, finally becoming Minister of Forestry and the Water System.  Smrkovský contributed to the reform movement of 1968 in a peculiar way. Not only did he support the removal of Antonín Novotný from his post as Communist Party leader, but Smrkovský's public announcement ("What Lies Ahead") at the end of January 1968 demonstrated the real impact of Alexander Dubček's election as First Secretary. Smrkovský was designated chairman of the National Assembly in April 1968, and as a talented speaker became (together with Dubček) one of the most popular politicians of the era. He was in favour of democratic reforms but maintained communist ideology, and continued to support the leading role of the KSČ in the state.

Soviet occupation.

"If someone thinks we are manoeuvred by the Soviets they are badly off base," said Smrkovský in the summer of 1968. His assessment proved incorrect. The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia took only one day. Smrkovský and the other leading exponents of reform were deported to Moscow where they were instructed to sign the so-called Moscow Protocol (only František Kriegel refused). Upon his return, Smrkovský tried unsuccessfully to keep the Stalinist wing from taking control. He was demoted at the request of Gustáv Husák, suspended from KSČ, and widely denounced. In 1971 he took part in the birthday celebration of Bohumil Hrabal. He died in 1974, and was buried under police control. The obituary letter sent by Dubček to Smrkovský's relatives was published in Italian daily "Giorni - Vie Nuove" and reprinted in "Le Monde" or "New York Herald Tribune".

Josef Smrkovský (26 February 1911 – 15 January 1974) was a Czechoslovak politician and a member of the Communist Party reform wing during the 1968 Prague Spring.


Biography.

Aleksandr Grin was born Aleksandr Stepanovich Grinevsky () in a suburb of Vyatka in 1880, the son of the Pole Stefan Hryniewski (russianized as Stefan Grinevsky), deported after the January Uprising of 1863, and a Russian nurse Anna Lyapkova. In 1896, after graduating from a school in Vyatka, Grinevsky went to Odessa and lived the life of a vagabond. He worked as a sailor, gold miner, construction worker, but often found himself without a job and sustained himself by begging and thanks to money sent to him by his father.  After joining the Russian army, he became a member of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party, was arrested, and spent time in jail for "revolutionary propaganda". His first short story was published in a newspaper in 1906. In the same year he was arrested in Saint Petersburg and sentenced to four years of exile in a remote area of Tobolsk Governorate. However, very soon after arriving to Tobolsk, Grin escaped and returned to Petersburg to live illegally. He was again arrested in 1910 and sent to live in Arkhangelsk Governorate. In a small village called Kegostrov, Grin and his first wife Vera Pavlovna Abramova (whom he married in 1910) lived from 1910 to 1912.  In 1912, he returned to Saint Petersburg and divorced his wife. At that time, Grin published mostly short stories; most of his larger works were written after the October revolution and enjoyed significant popularity in the first half of the 1920s. In 1921, he married. In 1924, they moved to Feodosiya to live near the sea. In his late days, Grin's romantic visions were in stark conflict with the mainstream Soviet literature; publishers in Moscow and Leningrad refused to consider his romantic writings, and Grin and his wife lived in extreme poverty. Grin suffered from alcoholism and tuberculosis which eventually ruined his health. He died of stomach cancer in 1932 in Stary Krym.  In his book "Sculpting in Time", filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky describes how Grin, when dying of hunger, "went off into the mountains with a home-made bow and arrow to shoot some sort of game." He offers Grin as an example of a poet in the deepest sense: one with "an awareness of the world, a particular way of relating to reality... a philosophy to guide a man throughout his life."

Works.

Most of Alexander Grin's writings bear no direct relation to the reality of Imperial and Soviet Russia that he lived in. The setting of most of his novels and short stories is an unnamed land by the sea, apparently far from Europe but with all characters being Western European in name and appearance. Even his literary pseudonym (Grin) is a de-Russified form of his real last name (Grinevsky).  Described by some critics as "adolescent fiction", Grin's works have many things in common with the reality of the early 20th century (such as automobiles and banks). Populated by sea captains, sailors, scientists, travelers, criminals, extravagant aristocrats, childlike girls, elegant villains, and strong-spirited heroes who always stay true to their dreams, Grin's world is often referred to as Grinlandia by fans. Some of his novels contain an element of magic – not as an established part of his world, but always as a miracle that changes the lives of those who encounter it.

Bibliography.

The most notable of his novels include:

Aleksandr Stepanovich Grinevsky (better known by his pen name, Aleksandr Grin,, 23 August 1880 – 8 July 1932) was a Russian writer, notable for his romantic novels and short stories, mostly set in an unnamed fantasy land with a European or Latin American flavor (Grin's fans often refer to this land as Grinlandia). Most of his writings deal with sea, adventures, and love.


History.

Mango was founded by Spanish-Jewish immigrants, Isak Andic and his brother Nahman Andic, in 1984.  Mango has Women's, Men's and Kids' collection.  Mango's first website was created in 1995 and in year 2000, it opened its first online store. H. E. by Mango is a men's line created in 2008, and renamed Mango Man in 2014. Football legend Zinedine Zidane has become the new face of the Mango Man campaign.  Mango has over 16,000 employees, 1,850 of whom work at the Hangar Design Centre and at its Headquarters in Palau Solità i Plegamans (Barcelona). Mango's biggest market is Spain but Istanbul, Turkey, has the largest number of Mango stores.  From Fall 2011, Kate Moss was Mango's muse. She first appeared in a video featuring Terry Richardson who shot the whole campaign and directed the commercial. Moss was replaced by Australian model Miranda Kerr.  In April 2011, Letizia, Princess of Asturias visited the company headquarters wearing a Mango outfit.  In 2015 Mango had revenue of 2.327 billion euros with EBITDA of 170 million euros.

Controversies.

Bangladesh building collapse.

On 24 April 2013, the eight-story "Rana Plaza" commercial building collapsed in Savar, a sub-district near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. At least 1,127 people died and over 2,438 were injured. The factory housed a number of separate garment factories employing around 5,000 people, several shops, and a bank and manufactured apparel for brands including the Benetton Group, Joe Fresh, The Children's Place, Primark, Monsoon, and DressBarn. Of the 29 brands identified as having sourced products from the Rana Plaza factories, only 9 attended meetings held in November 2013 to agree a proposal on compensation to the victims. Several companies refused to sign including Walmart, Carrefour, Bonmarché, Mango, Auchan and Kik. The agreement was signed by Primark, Loblaw, Bonmarche and El Corte Ingles.

Velvetine handbag lawsuit.

In 2010, the French division of Mango got sued by Anne-Cécile Couétil, creator of the brand Velvetine, who argued that "Mango" copied two models of her handbags. Despite an attempt of protection via the INPI and similarities between her products and the ones of Mango, the creator lost the lawsuit. She was ordered to pay €6,000 to Mango. On her blog, Couétil claimed she wanted to lodge an appeal. Several bloggers were surprised by the judicial decision saying it's unfair. The brand Mango reacted on Facebook via its official fanpage and answered also on the creator's blog.

Punto Fa, S.L., trading as Mango, is a Spanish clothing design and manufacturing company, founded in Barcelona, (Spain) by brothers Isak Andic and Nahman Andic.


History.

In 1986, Beny Alagem, Larry Metz and a group of other Israeli investors bought the American former radio and television set brand from Teledyne and resurrected it as a manufacturer of low-cost personal computers. Their computers were among the first IBM PC compatibles sold in retail chains such as Sears.  According to "Fortune" magazine, Packard Bell sometimes benefited from misplaced name recognition, with consumers (especially first-time computer buyers) and even some salespeople erroneously associating the company with others of a similar name, such as Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Bell, and Bell Laboratories. The confusion was further facilitated by Packard Bell's then-current slogan, "America grew up listening to us. It still does." The company also sold nearly identical systems under different names, making comparison difficult. Aside from low price and brand confusion, Packard Bell's success in number of units sold may have come from two areas of innovation: 1) branding and industrial design, provided by the San Francisco offices of frog design; and 2) its boot-up shell Packard Bell Navigator, created by The Pixel Company in Seattle. They targeted a huge section of consumers who were inexperienced using computers. Frog design gave the look of quality and utilized innovations such as color-coding cable connectors, while Navigator provided the ability for users to launch installed programs by clicking on-screen buttons, and then later a house metaphor. During this phase, returns dropped from 19% to 10%, and sales grew exponentially.  In late 1995 to early 1996 Microsoft forced boot-up shells off OEM computers by updating its Microsoft Windows distribution agreement (OPK 2) and Packard Bell, without a clear on-shelf differentiator, saw sales begin to decrease. Also in 1995, Compaq sued Packard Bell for not disclosing that Packard Bell computers incorporated used parts. This practice was, in fact, widespread in the computer industry, including Compaq itself. However, unlike its rival companies, Packard Bell was judged not to have advertised the practice sufficiently in its warranties (Compaq, for instance, disclosed it in the warranty statement).  In 1995, Packard Bell acquired Zenith Data Systems from Groupe Bull in a deal which saw Groupe Bull and NEC taking a larger stake in Packard Bell to create a $4.5 billion company. The company then became integrated with NEC Computers. Its 15% market share made it the largest PC manufacturer, in terms of units shipped, in the United States. However, Compaq overtook it in retail sales in mid-1996, and cemented its lead the next year with the release of a $999 PC in March 1997.  Packard Bell posted losses totaling more than $1 billion in 1997 and 1998. In the U.S., price pressure from Compaq and, later, eMachines, along with continued poor showings in consumer satisfaction surveys made it difficult for the company to remain profitable and led to Alagem's departure in 1998. In 1999, NEC began withdrawing the Packard Bell name from the U.S. market, while keeping it in Europe, where the brand was untainted by allegations of sub-standard quality.

Sponsorship.

From 1996 until 2000, when Strongbow took over the contract, Packard Bell sponsored English football club Leeds United.  From 2009 to 2010, the name Packard Bell has been seen on the FIAT Yamaha MotoGP racebike of World Champion Valentino Rossi of Italy. Packard Bell also dropped their sponsorship from the 4Kings professional electronic sports team.

US Relaunch.

In August 2015, JMM Lee Properties purchased the North American trademark for Packard Bell from Acer with plans to reintroduce the brand. Later in January 2008, Southern Telecom purchased the trademark from JMM Lee Properties to relaunch the brand.  On October 14, 2016, PBX Holdings acquired the United States Packard Bell trademark and began manufacturing Packard Bell products in 2017. In June 2017, JCPenney revealed that they would begin selling a line of Packard Bell laptops as part of their expansion into the dormitory market. PBX is set to expand the brand into home automation and gaming accessories with product launches set for the holiday 2018 season.

Packard Bell is a Dutch-based computer manufacturing company and subsidiary of Acer. The brand name originally belonged to an American radio set manufacturer, Packard Bell Corporation, founded by Herbert "Herb" A. Bell and Leon S. Packard in 1933. In 1986, Israeli investors bought the brand from Teledyne, in order to name their newly formed personal computer manufacturing company producing discount computers in the United States and Canada. In the late 1990s, Packard Bell became a subsidiary of NEC. In 2000, Packard Bell stopped its North American operations and became a leading brand in the European PC markets. In 2008 it was acquired by the Taiwanese consumer electronic firm Acer in the aftermath of its takeover of Gateway, Inc. Gateway products are now sold in the Americas and Asia, while Packard Bell products are sold in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.


Early life and French Revolutionary Wars.

The son of a wax-maker, Louis enlisted in the Gardes Françaises in February 1781, at age 22. He rose to the rank of Corporal before leaving the service in 1787. With the outbreak of the French Revolution, Louis volunteered for the Garde Nationale of Paris in September 1789. He was elected lieutenant-colonel of the 9e Battalion de Paris in September 1792, leading that battalion on the German frontier under the Army of the Moselle until wounded in the left leg on 16 December 1793.  Returning to action as colonel of the 181e Demi-Brigade in March 1794, Friant took part in the great victory of Fleurus (a stone's throw from the future battlefield of Ligny/St-Amand) on 26 June 1794. He was briefly acting-commander of a brigade (July 1794) and a division (August 1794). He served at the sieges of Maastricht (October 1794) and Luxemburg (April 1795). He was promoted to Général de Brigade on 13 June 1795.  After a period as Military Governor of Luxemburg, Friant served with the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse in 1796 along the Rhine. In January 1797 he joined Bernadotte's Division of the Army of Italy. He served at the Battle of the Tagliamento (16 March 1797), and assumed command of the 5th Brigade, 3rd Division (30e and 55e Ligne) from June 1797.

Napoleonic Wars.

Egypt.

Friant commanded the 2nd Brigade (61e and 88e Ligne) of General Desaix's division in Egypt, taking part in the Battle of the Pyramids (21 July 1798), and in Desaix's brilliant campaign in Upper Egypt. He was provisionally promoted to Général de Division on 4 September 1799, and succeeded Desaix as commander in Upper Egypt after Desaix departed to play his decisive but fatal part in the Marengo campaign. Friant took a lead role in the suppression of the great revolt in Cairo in March–April 1800. Confirmed in the rank of Général de Division and named Governor of Alexandria in September 1800, he fought the British at the Second Battle of Aboukir (8 March 1801), and defended Alexandria through August 1801.  Repatriated with the remnants of the Army of the Orient, Friant served as an inspector-general of infantry in 1801–03 before joining the Corps of his brother-in-law Davout at the Camp of Bruges. There, he molded the 2ème Division, III Corps into "what arguably became the finest line division on the face of the earth" (Bowden, Napoleon and Austerlitz).

High days of the Empire.

In the Ulm-Austerlitz campaign of 1805, Friant's Division earned a reputation for rapid and effective marching. This quality was put to excellent use when the Division was summoned from Vienna to reinforce the Grande Armée at Austerlitz, marching 70 miles in 46 hours and arriving just in time to counterattack the Allies at Telnice and Sokolnice on the morning of 2 December 1805. In the ferocious fighting along the Goldbach stream, Friant had three horses killed under him.  Friant was awarded the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor on 27 December 1805. In the 1806 campaign, at the Battle of Auerstädt (14 October 1806) in which Davout's III Corps of 26,000 men faced and defeated the Prussian main body of 63,000, Friant's Division advanced on the right, turning the Prussian left flank. The infantry of Friant and Gudin, standing in square, withstood and shattered a massive cavalry attack led by Blücher himself.  In the Polish campaign, Friant's Division fought successfully at the forcing of the Ukra River on 24 December 1806. At the Battle of Eylau, Friant's Division arrived to reinforce the French right on the morning of 8 February 1807, helping to turn a near-defeat into a stalemate. Friant suffered a gunshot wound to his right side at Eylau.  Friant was named Comte de l'Empire on 5 October 1808.  In the 1809 campaign, Friant's Division fought with distinction at Teugen-Hausen (19 April), Abensberg (21 April), Eckmühl (22 April), and Ratisbon (23 April). At the Battle of Wagram on 6 July 1809, Friant was wounded in the shoulder by a shell fragment during the successful storming of the Square Tower at Markgrafneusiedl.

Russia, Germany, France.

In the Russian campaign of 1812, Friant commanded the 2e Division of Davout's I Corps. In August 1812, after General Dorsenne's death, he was nominated as commander of the Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde. Friant remained at the head of his Division. He was wounded at the Battle of Smolensk (17 August) and severely wounded during the capture of Semenovskaya village at the Battle of Borodino (7 September 1812). Incapacitated and left behind at Gzhatsk, he was still there with his wounds unhealed when the retreating army returned to Gzhatsk at the end of October.  Friant returned to France to recover from his wounds in January 1813. He returned to the front in June 1813, commanding the Old Guard Division at the Battles of Dresden (26 August), Leipzig (16–19 October), and Hanau (30 October 1813).  In the 1814 campaign in France, Friant and his 1st Division of the Old Guard fought a successful defensive action against Gyulai's Austrians at Bar-sur-Aube on 24 January. Friant took part in Napoleon's surprise counter-offensive against Blücher's Army of Silesia, gaining victories at Montmirail (11 February), Château-Thierry (12 February), and Vauchamps (14 February 1814). Friant's Old Guard was the core and reserve of the Emperor's masse de manoeuvre. They were committed to battle in the bloody and indecisive clash at Craonne (7 March 1814), the reverse at Laon (9–10 March), the recapture of Reims (13 March), and the defeat at Arcis-sur-Aube, (20 March).

Waterloo and final years.

During Napoleon's exile, Friant was retained as commander of the grenadiers à pied de France. In the campaign of the Hundred Days, he was Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde. His men made the final assault on Ligny as darkness fell on 16 June 1815. On 18 June, at Waterloo Friant led his Old Guard Grenadiers in the final, fateful attack on the Allied center, where he was wounded yet again.  Friant retired in September 1815. He died on 24 June 1829, aged 70.

Louis Friant (18 September 1758 – 24 June 1829) was born in the village of Morlancourt, 8 km south of Albert near the river Somme.