The siege of Lamitan took place on 2 June 2001 when members of the Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf entered the city of Lamitan, one of two Christian settlements in the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan in the Philippines. They took over a church and a hospital and held priests, medical staff and patients hostage. Government forces surrounded the Muslim extremists, preventing their escape. However, the Abu Sayyaf group managed to break out of the cordon by using their hostages as human shields.

Background

On 27 May 2001, members of the Abu Sayyaf group abducted 20 hostages, including three US citizens, from the Dos Palmas resort in Honda Bay, Palawan. The hostages were then taken across the Sulu Sea, back into Abu Sayyaf territory in Mindanao. The next day, then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared an "all-out-war" against the extremist group. Military operations geared towards pursuing the Abu Sayyaf and recovering the hostages were intensified.

The siege
At 4:00 in the morning of 2 June 2001, the Abu Sayyaf entered Lamitan, Basilan with their hostages. They took over the Dr. Jose Torres Memorial Hospital and the St. Peter's Church compound. The group's leader, identified as Abu Suleiman, claimed that his unit was a "suicide squad" and that they were holding 200 hostages; government forces however, belied the claim and stated that the extremists only had twenty hostages under their control. Suleiman demanded that the military cease their pursuit operations, if not, he threatened to execute the hostages.

Government forces surrounded the hospital and church complex and called on the Abu Sayyaf to surrender. In order to keep the soldiers at bay, the extremists deployed snipers from the rooftops. Witnesses reported that helicopter gunships and soldiers responded with rocket and machine gun fire right into the compound. As the fighting progressed, four hostages were able to escape their captors.

As darkness fell, the Abu Sayyaf managed to escape from the compound, taking with them the remaining eleven of the original twenty hostages from Dos Palmas, and an additional five captives from the hospital, including nurse Ediborah Yap. Five other hostages managed to escape during the confusion of the night-time withdrawal, as the Abu Sayyaf covered their escape with a heavy volume of gunfire and used children and hostages as human shields.

Aftermath
After the Lamitan siege, the Abu Sayyaf captured additional hostages, including plantation workers from Lantawan, Basilan. In subsequent months, some of the hostages were either freed or managed to escape. One of the three Americans, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded. The remaining Americans, husband and wife Martin and Gracia Burnham, continued to be held by the Abu Sayyaf until 7 June 2002, when government troops finally caught up with the Muslim extremists. In the subsequent gun battle, Martin Burnham and nurse Ediborah Yap were killed. Gracia Burnham was rescued, although she sustained wounds.

In 2004, fourteen jailed Abu Sayyaf members, as well as three of their comrades who escaped from custody were sentenced to death for their part in the Lamitan siege. In 2014, another Abu Sayyaf member, Nasser Usman, was arrested for his role in the Lamitan siege as well as his participation in the 1995 Ipil massacre.

Controversy

A subsequent congressional investigation found "strong circumstantial evidence" of collusion between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Abu Sayyaf. It recommended that Jovenal Narcise, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, the Philippine Army unit that responded to the Abu Sayyaf attack, be subjected to a court martial. Narcise and other military officers, however, were cleared of any liability for the Abu Sayyaf's escape during a pre-trial investigation.

The parish priest of Lamitan, Cirilo Nacorda, himself a victim of kidnapping before by the Abu Sayyaf, claimed that the military commanders connived with the Abu Sayyaf, allowing the extremists to escape in exchange for part of the ransom paid for the freedom of some of the Dos Palmas hostages.

Narcise and his immediate superior, commander of the 1st Infantry Division Romeo Dominguez, were relieved from their posts.

See also
Dos Palmas kidnappings

References

2001 crimes in the Philippines
Abu Sayyaf attacks
History of Basilan
Hostage taking in the Philippines
Islamic terrorist incidents in 2001
Kidnappings in the Philippines
Moro conflict
Terrorist incidents in the Philippines in 2001
Islamist attacks on churches

Siege of Lamitan


ABI gene family member 3 (ABI3) also known as new molecule including SH3 (Nesh) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ABI3 gene.

Function

This gene encodes a member of an adaptor protein family. Members of this family encode proteins containing a homeobox homology domain, proline rich region and Src-homology 3 (SH3) domain. The encoded protein inhibits ectopic metastasis of tumor cells as well as cell migration. This may be accomplished through interaction with p21-activated kinases.

References

External links

Further reading

ABI gene family member 3


Vishwanath Patekar (born January 1, 1951), better known as Nana Patekar, is an Indian philanthropist, writer, flim actor and film maker, who primarily working in Hindi and Marathi cinema industry. He began his career acting debut in Bollywood with the drama named Gaman (1978). In late 1980s, he starring as a gangster in Parinda (1989), for which he won the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Subsequently, Patekar starred in and received critical acclaim for his performance in several commercially successful films of the 1990s, including including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Angaar (1992), Tirangaa (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Agni Sakshi (1996), Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) etc. In the early 2000s, he received praise for his performances in Shakti: The Power (2002) and Apaharan (2005). For his contribution of the field of arts, Patekar was awarded the Padma Shri award in 2013.

Sources

1951 births
Living people
Indian movie actors
Indian philanthropists
Marathi people

Nana Patekar


Chalk heath is a rare habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, formed of a paradoxical mixture of shallow-rooted calcifuge ("calcium-hating") and deeper-rooted calcicole ("calcium-loving") plants, growing on a thin layer of acidic soil over an alkaline substrate.  Chalk heath is intermediate between two much more widespread habitats, chalk grassland and heathland.

Ecology
Chalk heath occurs where a thin layer of acidic soil (often loess or sand) overlies a basic (alkaline) one, such as chalk.  Shallow-rooted plants grow only in the acidic soil (typically a few centimetres thick), and so these are species characteristic of acidic habitats.  Deeper-rooted plants can reach the underlying alkaline substrate, and so these include species characteristic of alkaline habitats.  Plants also occur which are able to tolerate both acidic and basic conditions.  There are no plants restricted entirely to chalk heath, and the animals are also those characteristic of chalk grassland and heathland.  The vegetation structure of chalk heath resembles grass heath, being short grassy vegetation with heather growing up through it, with some scattered heather bushes.

Chalk heath often occurs at the tops of slopes, at the thin margins of acidic deposits which often cap the flatter tops of chalk hills.  It usually gives way to chalk grassland on lower slopes where these deposits have been eroded away, and often to heathland on the hilltops where the acidic deposits are thicker.  Chalk heath tends to occur as narrow strips and scattered fragments, being limited to places where the conditions are exactly right for its development and survival.

Chalk heath is a grazing habitat, created and maintained by livestock (usually sheep and cattle) and rabbits.

Vegetation
Chalk heath in southern Britain includes calcicoles such as salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor), dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris) and common milkwort (Polygala vulgaris), and calcifuges such as bell heather (Erica cinerea), ling heather (Calluna vulgaris), heath grass (Danthonia decumbens), sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and betony (Stachys officinalis).  It also includes plants which can tolerate both acidic and basic conditions, such as common bent (Agrostis capillaris), wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia) and sometimes juniper (Juniperus communis).

Conservation
Chalk heath has suffered a parallel decline to those of heathland and chalk grassland, but because of the scattered and fragmented distribution of suitable soil conditions it has declined even more than those habitats.  Many examples have disappeared due to agricultural improvement, or to a lack of grazing management, which leads to replacement by species-poor scrub and woodland.  Chalk heath is especially sensitive to soil disturbance such as ploughing, which mixes the thin layer of acidic soil with the chalk beneath.

Example locations
Headley Heath in Surrey, England.  Small areas of chalk heath surrounding a larger plateau of heathland.
Lullington Heath in East Sussex, England.  Relatively large areas of chalk heath with some chalk grassland.
Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve, in West Sussex, England.  Small areas of chalk heath at the top of a steep chalk escarpment.
Porton Down, in Wiltshire, England.  Chalk heath surrounded by extensive chalk grassland.

See also
 Alvar
 Calcareous grassland
 Edaphic
 Gypcrust
 Gypsum flora of Nova Scotia
 Rendzina

References

Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Habitats
Heaths
Land management
Cultural landscapes

Chalk heath


Nimal Mendis (1934–2015) was a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter, and was one of a handful of Sri Lankan musicians to appear on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops (1968). Mendis was a longstanding member of the Performing Rights Society and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society of Great Britain.

Mendis was discovered in the late 1950s by Radio Ceylon, which dominated the airwaves in South Asia in the era. The station backed Mendis' songs from the outset, including "Kandyan Express", turning them into hits in South Asia: so much so that listeners from all over the Indian sub-continent wrote in to Radio Ceylon requesting his songs.

Mendis had been involved with music from his early childhood, and has lived for many years in London travelling often to Sri Lanka. He has also lived at Le Paradis in the Charente, the South West of France, for five years with his wife Ranjani. Mendis was married to Ranjani for 33 years until her death in 2010, and has one son, Paulmarie, with whom Mendis ran Mediaeye Productions.

The devastation of the 2004 tsunami moved Mendis, leading him to compose a song to aid the victims. This was recorded in Australia, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, and was commended by the British Parliament in early day motion 638, sponsored by MP Linda Perham.

Biography

Early years: 1950s–1960s

Mendis has 22 songs published in Britain and has written music for films in Sri Lanka. "Kiss Kiss Kiss" was Mendis's first song that was recorded in Britain and sung by Mary Marshall on the Columbia label. "Kandyan Express", "Cherry Blossom Tree", "Oh My Lover", "Butterfly in the Rain", "Champagne Blues", and "Goodnight Kisses "' were number-one hits in Sri Lanka in the late fifties.

"Kandyan Dance", an instrumental, was his second piece in the West. Recorded by Friedel Berlipp and his Orchestra in Germany it went on to be number two on Radio Luxembourg. It was also released in the United States. Black Pearls & Green Diamonds has eight of Mendis's songs on an LP for Decca by One Two and Three, a folk group in Britain. This album is now a collectors item.

Mendis appeared on the popular BBC television music programme Top of the Pops with his singing partner Sandra Edema in 1968 as guest artists with his song "Feel like a Clown". The B-side of the record "Rainbow Land" was the A-side in the States and today (2013), it has become a collector's item in the Psychedelic Rock community in the west. They were also featured with the song on Beat Club in Germany that year. Eugene Wright, bass player with the original Dave Brubeck Quartet, arranged and recorded five of Mendis's songs with only him playing bass. He also arranged and produced one other song, "Singing Fish", with electric guitar, bass, and piano. They were sung by Sandra Edema.

1970s
Mendis recorded a number of songs in London, mostly of a spiritual nature. He also made a twenty-minute audio documentary on the Way of the Cross called The Passion Report; another audio documentary called Ferryman focused on the tea estate-worker and the farmer in Sri Lanka, tracing their history from the British colonial period. He also wrote Bread of Life for the Eucharistic Congress in Sri Lanka.

Mendis has written several memorable songs for Sri Lankan films, most notably "Master Sir" for the film Kalu Diya Dhahara ("A column of black water"), where Neela Wickramasinghe performed it over the title sequence. "Master Sir" is about colonial Sri Lanka, narrating a story about the dignity of labour- a story about social justice. The song was recorded both in English (by Mendis and Sandra Edema) and Sinhala (by Neville Fernando; lyrics translated to Sinhala by Karunaratne Abeysekera). The song has remained a hit in Sri Lanka for over thirty years, mostly as a result of Neela Wickramasinghe's popularized version based on the musical arrangement of the English version (time signature, riffs etc.).

His composition Ganga Addara ("By the Banks of the River"), translated into Sinhala by Augustus Vinayagaratnam, and sung by Vijaya Kumaranatunga, for the film of the same name (directed by Sumitra Peiris), is also popular. The hit Ran Tikiri Sina was written for the same film and sung by Victor Silva and Nirasha Perera. In 2013 a new version of the song Ganga Addara was sung by Surendra Perera and used as the theme song for a teledrama series of the same name. "Upul Nuwan" was another classic composed for the 1978 Lester James Peiris film White Flowers for the Dead.

1980s
In the 1980s, Mendis went into the production of documentary films with his wife- their son Paulmarie, deft with computers and editing visuals, assisted them. He was only seven years old when he accompanied his parents filming in the war zones of the North and East of Sri Lanka. Mendis also did a stageshow It's What I Am with Sri Lankan musicians; the highlight was the song "July '83", based on the ethnic riots of that year. He also made two audio cassettes, one for Air Lanka- A Taste of Paradise, and the other for the Ceylon Tourist Board- Pilgrim Places of Sri Lanka.

1990s–2015
The Mendis family formed their own enterprise, Mediaeye Music Lanka (PVT) Ltd., which released an audio documentary, War is my Country, in 2000, tracing the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka up to 1994.  This CD contained archive material over a period of seventeen years with narration, interviews with political and other personalities, songs and poems.

Together with his son, Paulmarie, Mendis continued to compile songs, audio documentaries and film material on CD and DVD. Through Mediaeye, they worked closely with various large organisations in Sri Lanka, working on projects such as Sirasa Superstar (Sri Lanka's equivalent of American Idol/Xfactor) and interacting with many young artists in the country. In 2009 they completed a ten-minute piece for Sri Lankan Airlines showcasing the company's new uniforms; this, as well as one of Mendis' songs "And A Star" by Generation 4 (four of the Sirasa Superstars), which was used by the airline as a boarding video in 2011 and again during Christmas 2013.

Mendis wrote three songs for Sumitra Peries' film "Vaishnavee" as well as the background score, which was arranged and produced by Paulmarie.

In 2013 he wrote the first ever Sinhala blues song, "Girls", which  was sung by Amila Sandaruwan. It was translated into Sinhala by Duminda Allahendra who has also translated some of Mendis's new material. The music video for the song was produced by the students of the Digital Film Institute of Sri Lanka.

Mendis died on 16 April 2015 at a private hospital in Malabe, Colombo, at the age of 81.

Television documentaries
Dawn of Terror, Mendis' first documentary, focused on the country's ethnic conflict, and is regarded an anti-war film. It was made for the Centre for Society and Religion in Sri Lanka and despite being produced on VHS was taken for distribution by Concord Video and Film in the UK.

Shattered Pearl spotlighted women affected by the war in Sri Lanka and the "right to life" was made for Channel 4 television in London. It was a major film by Sri Lankans on British TV at the time. It has been shown in many parts of the world.

Three Women Speak Out was made for "Article 19" in Britain, on the freedom of opinion and expression. Mediaeye also edited Z for Zero Concern on homeless children in London for the Children's Society.

Water Water Everywhere, filmed in Bangladesh, is on women and water-management, made for CAFOD.

Blessed Are the Poor compares poverty in Britain and South India and the positive effort people make to change their lives.  This documentary was made for the Methodist International.

Mediaeye has also served as researchers for three major British TV productions. Three of their documentaries were at the Monticatini Film Festival in Italy: Shattered Pearl, Seyllan to Paradise, and Stop Killing Start Singing (which was based on three songs). It was the first time that Sinhala songs were featured as a documentary.

See also
List of Nimal Mendis songs
List of Sri Lankan musicians
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Vernon Corea

References

External links
British Parliament Early Day Motion, Open Every Door, the song for Autism
Sunday Island, Nanda Wanasundara Remembrance article on Nimal Mendis' wife RANJANI MENDIS

-British Politicians Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Menzies Campbell given Song for Autism
 Nimal Mendis Autism Song for Autism Speaks UK
 Daily News Sri Lanka: Nimal Mendis composes tsunami song by Ivan Corea
 Two tsunami songs mentioned in the British parliament with kudos to Nimal Mendis by Nan

English people of Sri Lankan descent
1934 births
2015 deaths
Sri Lankan singer-songwriters
Sri Lankan male singer-songwriters
Sri Lankan Roman Catholics
Sinhalese singers
Alumni of Royal College, Colombo
Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia

Nimal Mendis


Kenji Gerardo Fujimori Higuchi (born 19 May 1980), popularly known as Kenji, is a Peruvian businessman, Fujimorist politician and a former congressman representing Lima from 2011 until he was suspended from congressional duty in June 2018 in aftermath of the Kenjivideos scandal. He is the son of former President Alberto Fujimori and former First Lady and congresswoman Susana Higuchi. He has three siblings: Hiro Alberto, Sachi Marcela and Keiko Fujimori. In the 2011 elections, he ran for Congress in the constituency of Lima, under the Force 2011, a political party led by his sister Keiko, being the most voted congressman in 2011. In the 2016 elections, he was re-elected for a second term to Congress, once again representing the same constituency, under the Popular Force, as he received a high number of votes and being the most voted congressman in 2016. In June 2018, following to the "Kenjivideos" scandal, Congress suspended Kenji and two other congressmen of his party for allegations of crimes of influence peddling and bribery.

Early life
Kenji Fujimori was born on 19 May 1980 to Japanese Peruvian engineers, Alberto Fujimori, at the time dean of the science faculty of the National Agrarian University in Lima, and later President of Peru, and Susana Higuchi. He has three elder siblings. His father won the 1990 presidential elections, in 1992, he suspended the constitution and neutralized the Congress and the opposition. Kenji's mother soon disagreed with her husband, and they divorced in 1994. After this, Kenji's 19-year-old sister Keiko was named "First Lady of Peru". His father, Alberto Fujimori resigned in 2000 after a massive corruption scandal and went to exile in Japan. He was arrested in Chile in 2005, and was extradited to Peru to face trial and was sentenced to jail terms in 2007 and 2009.

Education
From 1999 to 2004, Kenji Fujimori studied agronomics at Kansas State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. Since 2008, he has been the general manager of a Lima private security and surveillance company. In March 2009, he founded his own enterprise, offering "independent services". Moreover, he holds executive positions in three other companies.

References

1980 births
Living people
Peruvian politicians
Kansas State University alumni

Kenji Fujimori


The Italian School of Archaeology at Athens (; ) is one of the 19 foreign archaeological institutes headquartered in Athens, Greece, with branch offices in Crete, Limnos and Rome.

Following earlier Italian research in Greece (as an archaeological "expedition" or "mission"), the School was established in 1909. The School operates a sizeable library in Athens. It has conducted archaeological surveys in Aigialeia (Arcadia) and Thouria (Messenia), and excavations on Lemnos at Poliochne, Hephaistia, and Chloe, as well as on Crete, at the Minoan Palace at Phaistos and the nearby Minoan town of Agia Triada, and also in the Archaic through Roman city of Gortyn.

References

Bibliography
E. Korka et al. (eds.): Foreign Archaeological Schools in Greece, 160 Years, Athens, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 2006.

External links
SAIA website

1909 establishments in Greece
Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Greece
Greece–Italy relations
Universities and colleges established in 1909

Italian School of Archaeology at Athens


X-radiation is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays are waves of X-radiation. They have a shorter wavelength, and therefore more energy, than ultraviolet radiation. X-rays have a much shorter wavelength than visible light (the light that we can see). Radiation with shorter wavelengths (more energy) than the X-ray is called Gamma radiation (γ-rays). These are all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The wavelength of X-rays covers a wide range. Most X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometres. This corresponds with frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz (3×1016 Hz to 3×1019 Hz) and energies in the range 100 eV to 100 keV.

X-rays can go through many solid materials. For this reason, taking photograms with X-rays is used in medicine in order to see bones and other things inside the body. Sometimes the term "X-ray" means these pictures instead of the radiation that makes them.

What these images show will depend on three things: Rayleigh scattering,  Compton scattering and photoabsorption. The images show bone because it is dense enough that X-rays are not able to pass through it. Instead, the X-rays are either absorbed or scattered. The images do not show skin and muscle, however, because these tissues are transparent enough for the X-rays to pass through them without being absorbed too much. To detect tumors, other imaging devices are used; such as magnetic resonance imaging. A computed tomography scanner combines an X-ray machine and computer to construct a three dimensional (3D) picture. This has some ability to see other things besides bone.

X-rays are made by hitting metal with fast-moving electrons. They are photons, tiny packets of energy that can move atoms and change chemicals in the body. They are ionizing radiation but the things they do depend on the wavelength of the X-rays (or how much energy they have). X-rays with smaller energies ("soft" x-rays) cause the photoelectric effect. Mid-level energies cause Compton scattering. High-level energies ("hard" X-rays) cause pair production. X-rays used for making pictures of people have low to medium energy. Radiation therapy that treats cancer uses Compton scattering and sometimes Pair production.

There are small amounts of X-rays in the air. Like other energy in the air, X-rays can change living cells. Exposing the human body to high doses of X-rays for a long time is dangerous. It can cause cancer. However, cancer cells are hurt more easily, so X-rays are sometimes used to kill them.

Related pages
 X-ray crystallography
 Interventional Radiology

References

Medical procedures
Light
Electromagnetic radiation
Medical imaging

X-ray


A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar is the only English translation of Amadou Hampate Ba's book Vie en enseignement de Tierno Bokar, le sage de Bandiagara (The Life and Education of Tierno Bokar, the Sage of Bandiagara), originally written in French. This book describes the life of Tierno Bokar, a Malian Sufi who preached a message of religious tolerance. It was adapted into a play directed by Peter Brook titled Tierno Bokar.

Malian literature
Books of Islamic biography
2008 non-fiction books

A Spirit of Tolerance


Some authors have argued that use of costume in Athenian tragedy was standardized for the genre. This is said to have consisted of a full-length or short tunic, a cloak and soft leather boots, and may have been derived from the robes of Dionysian priests or invented by Aeschylus. Brockett, however, disputes this, arguing that the evidence we have is based on archaeological remains, some few references in the texts, and the writings of later authors. As far as the vase paintings are concerned, most of these are dated later than the 5th century BCE and their relationship with theatrical practice is unclear. One of the earliest examples is a red-figure vase painting c. 500-490 BCE that shows a tragic chorus invoking a ghost, on a crater (bowl) in the Antikenmuseum in Basle.

The tragic actors were certainly heavily disguised. This had a religious purpose, for the actor was supposed to give up his identity in order to let another speak and act through him. Indeed, the dramas were performed in honour of Dionysus, the God of Ecstasy, which means "standing outside oneself". Actors therefore had to renounce their individuality. The actors thought that the mask itself contained the character and are said to have prayed before putting on their masks. The costume was probably an elaborately-decorated version of everyday clothing worn in the 5th century BCE. The garments included:

 chiton (robe or tunic)
 chlaina (overgarment)
 chlamys (short cloak)
 kothurnus (short lace-up boots)
 himation (overgarment)
 peplos (cloak).

The chiton worn by the actors differed from that worn in everyday life because it incorporated sleeves, which were coloured and patterned. The sleeves may in fact have been part of an undergarment. Long white sleeves were worn by the (male) actors for female roles, and indeed, in vase paintings females are usually painted with lighter skin.

The costumes worn for the performances of Alcestis, for example, were iconographic, and symbolised the opposition of light and dark. In the play, life is evoked as the act of seeing the sun. Death – the son of Night in Greek mythology - wears a black peplos and black wings. Apollo wears white, representing the sun. Admetus contrasts the black of the funeral procession with the white of the funeral procession. The corpse of Alcestis is dressed as a bride, in accordance with Greek tradition and Herakles wears a bearskin and carries a club.

The costumes worn gave the audience an immediate sense of character-type, gender, age, social status and class.

Around the time of Aeschylus, the boots or buskins worn by the actors were flat. The actors had the same "status" as the chorus. In the 3rd century BCE, the actors were raised to the status of heroes and "platform" soles began to be used, together with a head-dress called an onkos. The raised soles may have induced a stylised way of walking, suited to the rhythm of tragic verse, and the onkos made the actors taller, enhancing visibility. Their bodies were padded so that they did not look too slim. However, some authors believe that this happened later than the 3rd century BCE. It is also thought that the "teetering gait" is a misapprehension.

The masks were the most striking feature of the costume worn by the Athenian actors. Facial expression was lost anyway due to the huge size of the Greek theatres, but the masks were also a means of blotting out expression, so visual meaning was expressed by the entire body. The actors were seen as silhouettes, or integral bodies, rather than faces. The masks themselves were made of stiffened linen, thin clay, cork or wood, and covered the whole head and had hair.

Attempts have been made in modern times to investigate the use of masks in Athenian tragedy through practice research. These explorations conclude that masks may lead to a more demonstrative style of acting, with declamatory delivery of the lines substituted for intimacy. They also found that the mask could impede the projection of sound. The Greeks are said to have overcome this in various ways. Initially, the mouth apertures were small, but later this became a "wide-open" mouth. Some authors believe that the mouth was shaped like a "mouth-trumpet" and had an amplifying effect. Certainly, the use of a mask covering the whole produces an enhanced resonating effect, which serves dramatic delivery.

Performances therefore had to be more physical. Peter Arnott states that the Greeks thought good acting and a good voice were synonymous. This was achieved through athletic training, voice exercises and diet.

Experiments have shown that unaccustomed actors suffer disorientation and restriction when masked. The Greeks countered this through a vocabulary of gesture known as  (gesticulation). Aristotle says that in his day excessive gestures were used – leading to overacting – compared with the older tradition.

Masks can also be used as a dramatic tool, e.g. lowering the masks shows reflection, raising the mask shows a challenge or superiority. The Greeks called these physical stances schemata (forms).

Silent masks were used to great effect, particularly on child actors, expressing powerlessness, bewilderment, vulnerability, etc.

The use of masks enabled the three speaking actors to portray up to eight or nine characters, through multiple role-playing. The same character could therefore be played by different actors, and transitions within a character would be portrayed by the use of different masks.

The wide variety of masks used is attested by Pollux, a rhetorician writing in 2nd century CE, in his Onomastikon. He lists 30 different male masks (old age with white or grey hair, the tyrant with thick black hair, a fair, pale masks indicating sorrow or sickness, a boastful soldier, a rustic, servants, a cook, etc.) and 17 female masks (fat and thin old women, two matrons, one virgin, a bawd, a mistress, three courtesans, a lady's maid, etc.).

References

Sources
 Taylor, David. The Greek and Roman Stage (Bristol Classical Press, 1999).
 Simon, Erika . The Ancient Theatre (Taylor & Francis, 1982).
 Webster, T.B.L. Greek Theatre Production (Methuen young books; 2nd ed., 1970)
 Brockett, Oscar. History of the Theatre (Pearson, 2008)
 Arnott, P. Introduction to the Greek Theatre (Papermac, 1971).
 McDonald, Marianne &  Walton, J. Michael. The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Theatre (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
 Rehm, Rush. Greek Tragic Theatre (Routledge, 1994).
 McLeish, Kenneth & Griffiths, Trevor R. A Guide to Greek Theatre and Drama (Methuen, 2003).
 Wiles, David. Tragedy in Athens(Cambridge University Press, 1999)
 Laver, James. Costume in the Theatre(Harrap, 1964)

Costume
Athenian tragedy
Greek clothing
Ancient Greek plays
Ancient Greek tragedies

Use of costume in Athenian tragedy


Mission specialist (MS) was a specific position held by certain NASA astronauts who were tasked with conducting a range of scientific, medical, or engineering experiments during a spaceflight mission. These specialists were usually assigned to a specific field of expertise that was related to the goals of the particular mission they were assigned to.

Mission specialists were highly trained individuals who underwent extensive training in preparation for their missions. They were required to have a broad range of skills, including knowledge of science and engineering, as well as experience in operating complex equipment in a zero-gravity environment.

During a mission, mission specialists were responsible for conducting experiments, operating equipment, and performing spacewalks to repair or maintain equipment outside the spacecraft. They also played a critical role in ensuring the safety of the crew by monitoring the spacecraft's systems and responding to emergencies as needed.

The role of mission specialist was an important one in the Space Shuttle program, as they were instrumental in the success of the program's many scientific and engineering missions. Many of the advances in science and technology that were made during this period were made possible by the hard work and dedication of the mission specialists who worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of what was possible in space.

References

Astronauts

Mission specialist


Lucius Fufius was a Roman orator, who was an elder contemporary of Cicero. In 98 BC he accused Manius Aquillius of extortion during the consulship of Aquillius in Sicily in 101 BC. The accused, defended by Marcus Antonius Orator, was acquitted. Lucius Fufius had a quarrelsome personality with passionate oratory, which he retained into extreme old age until his voice was almost gone.

References

Ancient Roman rhetoricians
Fufii
1st-century BC Romans

Lucius Fufius


Mezőnagymihály is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary. The village built at the side of Kácsi-Sályi stream in the plain, the third of the grounds was wetland.

History
From its first mention in the 14th century the village's name has been written Nagmihal, Nagy Mighali or Nagymyha.
During the Turkish occupation of Hungary the town was destroyed several times. The citizens escaped to the swamp next to the village. In the flat area the following 23 hamlets are part of the settlement: Almási, Dobozi, Eperjes, Egyes, Farkas, Fáy, Fenduda, Gólyás, Gyékényes, Kisgólyás, Kisecsér, Kenyérváró, Kuper, Mák, Nagyecsér, Nagyház, Pillantó, Salamon, Sezárk, Szilvási, Szomolló, Telek, Teper és Zsindelyes. The Roman Catholic Church built in 1896 named by Saint Anne.

External links
 Official homepage of Mezőnagymihály

References

Populated places in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County

Mezőnagymihály


gThumb is a free and open-source image viewer and image organizer with options to edit images. It is designed to have a clean and simple user interface and follows GNOME HIG, it integrates well with the GNOME desktop environment.

Features
gThumb allows the filesystem to be browsed for images. They can be organized into catalogs, or viewed as a slideshow. Folders and catalogs can be bookmarked, and comments can be added to images.

Via gPhoto it can also acquire data directly from digital cameras.

gThumb offers a certain range of image editing operations suited for digital photography, such as the change of image hue, saturation, lightness, contrast or the adjustment of colors and sharpness. It can also crop, scale and rotate images by 90° or custom angles, and it features a red-eye effect removal function. Manipulated images can be saved in the formats JPEG, PNG, TIFF, .tga, avif, heif and WebP.

gThumb can export web-based photograph albums with various theme templates. These albums can be uploaded to a website, providing a very simple mechanism for publishing collections of photos on the web.

gThumb also includes many basic features such as copying, moving, deleting or duplicating images, printing, zooming, format transcoding, and batch renaming.

Dependencies
gThumb only requires glib (>= 2.36.0), gtk (>= 3.16), gthread, gmodule and gio-unix. Libraries that are not mandatory but possible include exiv2, libjpeg, LibTIFF, LibRaw, and JPEG XL's libjxl.

History
The first public version was 0.2 in 2001.

It was originally based on GQView. Starting from version 2.12.0 gThumb allows users to export images to various websites. Version 3.0.0 is based on GTK version 3, and supports high quality SVG zoom.

Gallery

See also

 Comparison of image viewers
 Eye of GNOME
 Darktable
 digiKam

Further reading

References

External links

Free image organizers
Free image viewers
Free photo software
Free software programmed in C
GNOME Applications
Graphics software that uses GTK
Linux image viewers
Photo software for Linux

GThumb


Kafouri () is a prestigious neighbourhood located in Khartoum North, Khartoum State, Sudan. It is situated to the north of Khartoum city, the capital of Sudan. Kafouri was once a large farming area owned by a Lebanese trader named Aziz Kafouri, hence the name of the neighbourhood. It is known for its significance in the region and its proximity to Khartoum International Airport. However, it has also been a site of conflict and heavy fire due to fighting between rival forces in Sudan in 2023.

Location
Kafouri neighbourhood is bounded to the west by the industrial zone, Kober (home of Kobar Prison), and al-Waha, and to the east by Hilla Coco Farms, to the north by the extension of the Ezba, and to the south by Kassala Street. Kafouri is divided into squares starting from square one up to 12.

History

During Anglo-Egyptian occupation of Sudan
This area was named after Aziz Kafouri, who was born in Beirut. He traveled to Khartoum in the year 1899 after he was able to bring in shipments of wood, iron, and building materials for the purpose of rehabilitating the city of Khartoum after it had been devastated by the Mahdist War. At the beginning of his life in Sudan, Aziz Kafouri settled in the national capital, Omdurman, like some of the Syrians, Yemenis, and Jews who came to Sudan.

An English company declared bankruptcy due to the heavy losses it incurred in an attempt to irrigate and reclaim a thousand acres of land east of the Khartoum Bahri station, as the land was not ready for agriculture and the canals turned white due to the density of salt water. Aziz Kafouri took over this project at a low price and carried out complex and expensive agricultural operations. He worked for many years to wash salts from the land, organize irrigation and farming operations.

In 1922, when the establishment of the Gezira Scheme was announced as the largest irrigated project in the world; Aziz Kafouri doubled the area of his farm by purchasing  of good land located between the cities of  and al-Musallamiyah. However, the land was included in the Gezira Scheme, which prompted Kafouri to request the Anglo-Egyptian occupation of Sudan government to grant him an extension to his farm in Khartoum North towards al-Kadro, instead of financial compensation for the lands. The government agreed to the proposal. Aziz Kfoury cultivated about one thousand to two thousand acres of cotton annually until 1929, when the great depression occurred.

After that, there was a shift to wheat cultivation, followed by a gradual shift to raising dairy cattle. It flourished under the management of Aziz son's, Gabriel, and developed into a unique institution that supplied about 2,000 customers with milk and those who needed it throughout the triangular capital. It contained more than two thousand livestock, and milk operations involving 480 cows.

In 1981, the government issued a decision to convert the  farm into distinctive residential lands. However, over the past 35 years, only about 50 acres were gradually converted into residential lands. The proposed new city planning process has been included in the ranks of major operations, as the area to be planned exceeds the area of the original Khartoum 1, Khartoum 2, Khartoum 3 and Emtidad Nasser. It was completed in five months and culminated in the signing of an agreement on 22 May 1981. It was followed by surveys in the years 1982/1983.

Modern era
During the 2021 Sudanese coup d'état, on 26 October, Abdalla Hamdok, along with his wife, returned to his home in the Kafouri after being arrested as the start of the coup on 25 October. Hamdok's release followed international condemnation of the coup and calls for the military to release all the detained government officials. He was subjected to house arrest.

At start of the 2023 war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces in April, locals mentioned a resurgence in fighting near Kafouri neighborhood. In Kafouri, much of the fighting came from Sudanese air force bombing RSF targets in the neighborhood. By 1 May, SAF continued their bombing campaign in Kafouri, and bombed Bahri's al-Inqaz street.

Landmarks

 Diamond Lounge
 Sana Mall
 Al-Safwa Cars

Mosques
 Al-Noor Islamic Complex
 Abdul Qader Al-Fadni Mosque
 Martyr Othman Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir Mosque
 Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr Al Thani Mosque

Schools

 Mauhib schools
 Oasis schools
 Turkish schools

Hospitals
 Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr Al Thani Medical Centre

References

External links

Populated places in Khartoum State
Khartoum North

Kafouri


A software development folder or file is a physical or virtual container for software project artifacts, including: requirements, plans, designs, source code, test plans and results, problem reports, reviews, notes, and other artifacts of the development process.

Typically, an SDF is hierarchically organized by project phase, artifact type, and/or project team.

All or parts of SDF content are typically 'managed'. That is, access and changes are controlled. For electronic media repositories, this control is often facilitated using a configuration management tool such as CVS or IBM Rational ClearCase, in conjunction with a change management process.

IEEE/EIA guide 12207.1, 'Software life cycle processes - Life cycle data', provides a robust description of the artifacts that would typically be stored in a Software Development Folder.

Originally, the SDF was a binder or collection of binders containing these records, but the term and concept have been adopted widely, and evolved to include both physical and electronic media, and less centralized repositories. As such, the SDF is often represented as an index with references to its constituent repositories.

See also
Deliverable
Configuration management
Software development
Software developer
Software development effort estimation
Software development process

Software project management

Software development folder


Josef Pieper (; 4 May 1904 – 6 November 1997) was a German Catholic philosopher and an important figure in the resurgence of interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas in early-to-mid 20th-century philosophy. Among his most notable works are The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance; Leisure, the Basis of Culture; and Guide to Thomas Aquinas (published in England as Introduction to Thomas Aquinas).

Life and career
Pieper studied philosophy, law and sociology at the universities of Berlin and Münster. After working as a sociologist and freelance writer, he became ordinary professor of philosophical anthropology at the University of Münster, and taught there from 1950 to 1976. As professor emeritus, he continued to provide lectures until 1996. With his wife Hildegard, he translated C.S. Lewis's The Problem of Pain into German (Über den Schmerz, 1954) with an afterword, "On Simplicity of Language in Philosophy". A symposium to celebrate his 90th birthday was held in Münster in May 1994, with the papers read there published as Aufklärung durch Tradition ("Enlightenment through Tradition") in 1995. In 2010, a symposium was held in Paderborn on "Josef Pieper's and C. S. Lewis's View of Man", with papers published in Wahrheit und Selbstüberschreitung ("Truth and Self-Transcendence").

Philosophy
His views are rooted primarily in the Scholasticism of Thomas Aquinas and in the teachings of Plato. In 60 years of creative work as a philosopher and writer, Pieper explicated the wisdom tradition of the West in clear language, and identified its enduring relevance.

Legacy
Recent champions of Pieper's philosophy in the English-speaking world include James V. Schall, S.J., professor of political philosophy at Georgetown University, Joseph T. Lienhard, S.J., professor of theology at Fordham University, Steven Cortright at St. Mary's College of California, Francis Grabowski, professor of English at Rogers State University, and from within the Muslim community, Hamza Yusuf of Zaytuna College, Berkeley, California.

The philosopher Kurt Flasch sees Pieper's 1934 writing as support for National Socialist social policy. However, Flasch qualifies that Pieper's attempts to act as a "bridge builder" between Catholicism and the Nazi state are visible "only in his world of thought of the years 1933 and 1934". In the early phase of the Nazi regime, Pieper "[clarified] the ethically correct intention of National Socialism and [...] explained to hesitant Catholics the parallel social teaching of the encyclical Quadragesimo of 1929" and thus at his place of work in Münster in community with the aforementioned scholars served to "talk the Münster Catholics out of their distance from National Socialism". Pieper agreed with Schmaus and Lortz that "Hitler and the Pope [...] had the same main enemies", namely "liberalism on the right, this hereditary evil of modernity which underlies the current crisis, and Bolshevism on the left, before Hitler saved us". "He, Pieper, proves to the Catholic Christians that Hitler's and the Pope's goals are identical." Pieper's book, Das Arbeitsrecht des Neuen Reiches und die Enzyklika Quadragesimo anno ("The Labor Law of the New Reich and the Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno") (1934), says: "The very far-reaching, in individual points astonishing correspondences between the model of the encyclical and the socio-political goals and realizations of the National Socialist state should be clarified so emphatically, so that the Catholic Christians outside the bridge that connects the ideas of Christian social teaching with National Socialist social policy, the core of the domestic policy of the Third Reich." Hans Maier wrote in a review that Flasch, in his writing on Pieper, refutes the assumption that Pieper was a "pioneer of National Socialism". Pieper gave the Third Reich "no impetus, no suggestions", but was initially deceived by Nazi attempts to hide the criminal character of that state.

However, immediately after the publication of the book Das Arbeitsrecht des Neuen Reiches und die Enzyklika Quadragesimo, Pieper recognized his mistake and asked the publisher on 21 July 1934 and again on 22 September 22, to refrain from a new edition. According to Hans Maier, Pieper quickly distanced himself from Das Arbeitsrecht and his positive assessment of Nazi social policy. In his work on the cardinal virtue of bravery, also published in 1934, Pieper, referring to the situation in Germany, was already warning of a "destructive counterattack of […] irrationalism" that "declares war on the primacy of […] the Spirit itself." Pieper also criticized the "conversion of society into a community" operated by the Nazis. Because of the increasingly visible rejection of Nazism in his writings, Pieper was eventually banned from publishing. The philosopher Fernando Inciarte therefore classifies Pieper as an opponent of National Socialism, who, however, did not cross the line into open resistance and therefore "never claimed the honor of being considered an opposition member". However, Pieper's writings have been shown to have influenced members of the opposition such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Awards
In 1981 Pieper received the Balzan Prize in Philosophy; in 1987 he was awarded the State Prize of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. In 1990, he received the Ehrenring of the Görres-Gesellschaft.

Select publications in English
 Leisure, the Basis of Culture. Translated by Alexander Dru. With an introduction by T. S. Eliot. London: Faber and Faber, 1952. (Originally Muße und Kult. München:Kösel-Verlag, 1948). New translation by Gerald Malsbary. South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1998. .
 The End of Time: A Meditation on the Philosophy of History. Translated by Michael Bullock. New York:Pantheon Books, 1954. (Originally Uber das Ende der Zeit). Reprinted New York: Octagon Books, 1982. . Reprinted San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1999. .
 The Silence of St. Thomas. Translated by Daniel O'Connor. London: Faber & Faber, 1957. .
 Happiness and Contemplation. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Pantheon, 1958. Reprinted, with an introduction by Ralph McInerny. South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1998. .
 The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance. Notre Dame, Ind., 1966. . Translations originally published separately, Fortitude and Temperance translated by Daniel F. Coogan (1954); Justice translated by Lawrence E. Lynch (1955); and Prudence translated by Richard and Clara Winston (1959).
 Scholasticism: Personalities and Problems of Medieval Philosophy. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Pantheon Press, 1960. Reissued South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 2001. .
 Guide to Thomas Aquinas. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Pantheon Books, 1962. (Originally Hinführung zu Thomas von Aquin.) Publication in England as Introduction to Thomas Aquinas. London: Faber and Faber, 1962. Reissued San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1991.
 Enthusiasm and Divine Madness. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964. (Originally Begeisterung und Göttlicher Wahnsinn). Reissued South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 2000.
 In Tune with the World: A Theory of Festivity. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1965. (Originally Zustimmung zur Welt). Reissued South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 1999.
 Death and Immortality. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Herder & Herder; London: Burns & Oates, 1969. (Originally Tod und Unsterblichkeit. Munich: Kösel-Verlag, 1968.). Reissued South Bend: St. Augustine's Press, 2000.
 Hope and History. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Herder & Herder; London: Burns & Oates, 1969. .
 On Hope. Translated by Mary Frances McCarthy. (Originally Über die Hoffnung). San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1986. .
 What is a Feast? Waterloo: North Waterloo Academic Press, 1987. .
 No One Could Have Known: An Autobiography – the Early Years 1904-1945. Translated by Graham Harrison. (Originally Noch wusste es Niemand). San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1987. .
 In Defense of Philosophy: Classical wisdom stands up to modern challenges. Translated by Lothar Krauth. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992.  (Originally Verteidigungsrede für die Philosophie. Munich: Kösel-Verlag, 1966).
 Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation. Translated by Lothar Krauth. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1990.  (Originally Nur der Liebende Singt, 1988).

 In Search of the Sacred: Contributions to An Answer, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1991.
 Josef Pieper: An Anthology, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989. A translation of Josef Pieper: Lesebuch; second edition, Munich: Kösel-Verlag, 1984. First edition 1981.
 The Concept of Sin (2001), translated by Edward T. Oakes SJ (originally: Über den Begriff der Sünde, Munich 1977), South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine's Press.
 Abuse Of Language, Abuse Of Power. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992.
Leisure, the Basis of Culture and The Philosophical Act. Translated by Alexander Dru. With an introduction by James V. Schall, SJ. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2009. 143pp.
Tradition: Concept and Claim. Translated by E. Christian Kopff, St. Augustine Press, 2010.
 The Christian Idea of Man. Translated by Dan Farrelly. South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine's Press, 2011. . (Originally "Über das christliche Menschenbild". Munich: Kösel-Verlag).
Not Yet the Twilight: An Autobiography: 1945-1964. South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine's Press, 2017.
A Journey to Point Omega: Autobiography from 1964. Translated by Dan Farrelly. South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine's Press, 2020.

See also

References

 This text contains elements translated from the German Wikipedia article.

External links

"A Philosopher of Virtue", obituary by Gilbert Meilaender in First Things, Apr. 1998
"Josef Pieper: leisure and its discontents", by Roger Kimball in The New Criterion, Jan. 1999
Course syllabus from Baylor University
Summaries of the Writings of Josef Pieper
Josef Pieper Arbeitsstelle (available in english) with extensive bibliography

1904 births
1997 deaths
People from Rheine
People from the Province of Westphalia
German Roman Catholics
Catholic philosophers
English–German translators
20th-century translators
Academic staff of the University of Münster
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Critics of work and the work ethic

Josef Pieper


Malmeneich is a village in Hesse, Germany. It belongs to the municipality of Elz. The postal code for Malmeneich is 65604 and its dialing code is 06433. 345 people live in the village.

Geography and Climate
Malmeneich is in the Westerwald. The average elevation is 250m above sea level. The highest point is in the forest and is 292m high. The average temperature is 9,9°C. The village get between 700-720mm of rain each year. Though this seems moderate, temperatures can vary between -20°C and 35°C.

Malmeneich and the media
There was an entry about Malmeneich on the Hessian television in 2002. This was for a project of hr3 which aimed to report about Hessian villages with less than 1000 people living in them.

Every year Malmeneich is mentioned in the regional newspaper because of the "Malmeneicher Kirmes".

At the European elections in 2005, a citizen of Malmeneich was caught after voting five times. He got judged and this crime went through the regional media.

Other websites
 Traveljournals.net Information on Malmeneich
 Official website of the municipality of Elz

Villages in Hesse

Malmeneich


USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams that officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the country, in accordance with the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. The national headquarters of USA Swimming is located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

History
USA Swimming was originally called United States Swimming (USS) upon its departure from the AAU. Thus, there are several terms used to describe the organization at different times. These terms are: USA Swimming, USA-S, United States Swimming, USS, and US Swimming. Prior to the existence of USS, the AAU, or the Amateur Athletic Union, served as the governing body for swimming and other sports across the country.

Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was the official organization responsible for the running of all amateur sports in the United States, established in 1888. The AAU was officially charged with the organization and operation of many sports in the US.  During this time, swimming was one of the committees in the organization and was not an independent governing body.

The Amateur Sports Act of 1978 enabled the governance of sports in the US by organizations other than the AAU.  This act made each sport set up its own national governing body (NGB). Each of these governing bodies would be part of the United States Olympic Committee, but would not be run by the committee. Thus, United States Swimming was born. From 1978 to 1980, the official responsibilities of governing the sport were transferred from the AAU Swimming Committee to the new United States Swimming.  Bill Lippman, the last head of the Swimming Committee, and Ross Wales, the first president of United States Swimming, worked together to ease the transition. This process was made more interesting because the United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics and, during this time, the leadership of the sport was in flux.

The AAU still holds several aquatic events, but it is no longer the official governing body of the sport.

Presidents

 Bill Lippman – Last Head of swimming committee in the AAU
 Ross Wales (1980–1984) – First standalone president of USA Swimming
 Sandra Baldwin (1984–1986)
 Carol Zaleski (1986–1990, 1994–1998)
 Bill Maxson (1990–1994)
 Dale Neuburger (1998–2002)
 Ron Van Pool (2002–2006)
 Jim Wood (2006–2010)
 Bruce Stratton (2010–2014)
 Jim Sheehan (2014–2018)
 Bob Vincent (2018)
 Tim Hinchey (2017—2025)

Chief executives
 Ray Essick (1980–1997)
 Chuck Wielgus (1997–2017)
 Tim Hinchey (2017–2025)

Location
When it was part of the AAU to 1981, USA Swimming had its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1981, USA Swimming moved to its present-day location in Colorado Springs.  At the time of the 1981 move, it had four staff members.

In 1997, work was completed on the official USA Swimming Headquarters, which is currently the official home of USA Swimming.

Through the national headquarters, the organization provides various programs and services to its members, supporters, affiliates and the interested public.  This includes educational programs, fund-raising activities, general information, publications, resources, and sports medicine programs, all relating to the sport of swimming.

Organizational structure
There are several parts and levels that make up USA Swimming.  There is the national governing body (national) level, the zone (regional) level, and the local swimming committee (local/state) level.

The national governing body
The national governing body (NGB) of United States Swimming is an extension of the United States Olympic Committee.  While all of the separate swim teams, LSC's, and Zones do not officially make up the NGB, they are all members and are subject to the laws of the NGB.

The NGB is made up of both staff members of USA Swimming and volunteer members of the board.  The office of the President is the head of the board and is responsible for the overall direction of USA Swimming.  The chief executive is the head of the staff located at the national headquarters in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center.  The chief executive is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization at the national level.

The NGB is responsible for nearly all aspects of USA Swimming, and swimming in the United States in general.  Its most important responsibility is to set the rules for the sport in the United States.  These rules are guided by the international governing body for aquatic sports (FINA).  FINA makes the rules that are to be followed at all international level meets.  USA Swimming follows accordingly to make the rules of USA Swimming match the rules of FINA; however, it does not have to.  In theory, an NGB could make its rules whatever it wanted and have all national level meets and below follow those rules, but it would not have jurisdiction over international level meets held within the borders of the United States, and such a meet would have to follow FINA rules.

The Local Swimming Committee
The Local Swimming Committee (LSC) is the local level of USA Swimming.  Each LSC is a separate entity, with each being an individual member of USA Swimming, although all act on behalf of USA Swimming on the local level.  LSCs are the local administrative organization responsible for the registration, support and governance of the USA Swimming member swim clubs in their designated region. Over 3100 swim clubs across the US are registered with USA Swimming through their respective LSCs.

The LSC gives USA Swimming sanctions to swimming meets in their area.  A sanction from the LSC allows the meet to be run under USA Swimming rules.  The LSC is responsible for enforcing these rules at the meet.  The LSC does this by training officials for the meet.  These officials are typically parents of swimmers and volunteers.  The technical swimming rules for USA Swimming are the same for all LSCs as mandated by USA Swimming.  This allows an official in one LSC to officiate in another LSC without having to learn a new set of rules.  This is able to be done because while each LSC may have its own set of rules they are not different regarding the actual strokes.

An LSC is typically responsible for an entire state; however, several bigger states (e.g. California, Texas, Pennsylvania, among others) have multiple LSCs within their boundaries. The size of the LSCs is supposed to be roughly the same and allow for easier travel between meets. The result is that while borders tend to follow state borders, this is not a rule. There are currently 59 LSCs in the country.

Meets
There are several different types and levels of meets, all but the very top level directed by individual clubs and the Local Swimming Committee.  The following is a list of the types of meets, listed from lowest and most common level to highest and least common level.

Dual Meet, Double Dual, Triangular, Quadrangular, etc.
A dual meet is a meet where each individual event is ranked based on how individual swimmers on a team swim.  It is generally limited to 2 teams, but different variations can have more.  In a dual meet, there is almost always a limit to the number of events that a certain person can swim, usually four, and to the number of swimmers that a certain team can enter.  meet entries close up when the maximum number of people have entered.  Generally, there is only 1 heat in each event and each team alternates lanes so that each team swims in half the pool, regardless of how fast each swimmer is.  While this style of meet is generally uncommon for individual USA Swimming clubs, it is by far the most common of high school (NFHS) swimming, YMCA swimming, college (NCAA) swimming, and summer league swimming.  Meets of this variety are almost always a low level meet because entry time standards are almost never applied to enter the meet.  It can, however, be rather high level when both teams involved are very fast and have exclusively high level swimmers, as is the case with college swimming.

Invitational Meet
An invitational meet is a meet with many more teams and swimmers than a dual meet.  The term "Invitational" comes from the fact that for a team to attend this type of meet, a team had to be invited to attend from the host team, but now is a general catch-all term for this style of meet (although there are still occasional invitation-only meets.)  Meets of this variety generally have hundreds of swimmers, many teams, and many different events.  Within the definition of an invitational meet, there are dozens of different styles of scoring and placing but the standard method is described here.  All levels of swimming use invitational style meets at least once during their season (usually as a championship meet of all the clubs in a league), but the clubs of USA Swimming use this meet almost exclusively since there are very few leagues in USA Swimming and it acts as one giant league itself.  Most meets of this style have no limits as to the number of swimmers that a team can enter, and only limit the number of times a swimmer can swim in order to make the flow of the meet manageable.  Meets of this style can be at any level of swimming since all of the higher level meets use this style of meet with just more restrictive rules applied. Meets of this style usually do not have entry time standards, but can have them to either reduce the size of the meet, or raise the competition level.

LSC Championships
Each Local Swimming Committee (LSC) is mandated to have a season ending championships twice a year for both Age Group (younger) and Senior (no age requirement) swimmers.  Most LSC's split these up into two separate meets.  The meet style is an invitational meet open only to club teams within the LSC.  Almost universally, entry time standards are applied so that only the top level swimmer of the LSC can attend; only a few of the smaller LSCs do not have a time standard. Each LSC sets their own time standards (due to LSC size differences), so the competition level of the meet is not exactly the same across the country.  Normally, this style meet is a prelim/final format. Common age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15 and over, also known as seniors.

Zone/Sectional Championship
As stated before, there are four zones and 59 LSCs in the country.  While the LSC championship is a high level meet, the Zone/Sectional Championships are even higher.  These meets are also of the invitational format, but the entry time standards are even higher so that only the fastest swimmers of Zones qualify.  Zone and Sectional meets are of the same competition level, but serve different purposes.  Zone meets are for age group swimmers and Sectional meets are for Senior swimmers.  While the intention is to have one champion for the whole Zone, this is generally not possible because to have a meet of that high of a competition level, there would be very little difference between this level and the next level, so the entry times can only be made so fast.  Thus, there are sometimes too many swimmers qualifying for this meet to have only a single meet in a Zone.  Currently, the Central States Zone is the only one that has more than one Zone Championship meet (Age Group swimmers), and all four zones have multiple Sectional Championships (Senior swimmers).  After Zone meets for age group swimmers some may qualify for Junior Nationals.

Pro Swim Series
The Pro Swim Series (PSS), formally known as the Speedo Grand Prix, is a series of 7 meets held throughout the season. Held in either Short Course Yards (SCY) or long Course Meters (LCM). Swimmers race in both Olympic and non-Olympic distances, but only receive points for Olympic distances. First place receives 5 points and $1,000. Second place receives 3 points and $600. Third place receives 1 point and $200. The swimmer that accumulates the most points by the end of the series, wins a $10,000 bonus. Any swimmer of any nationality can compete in the PSS but are not eligible to some of the prizes. In 2017 the title sponsor of the PSS, Arena, did not want to be the title rights holder anymore, so TYR took over as title sponsor starting in 2018.

National Championship/US Open
There is only 1 National Championship meet at the conclusion of each season across the country. The National Championships are also of the invitational meet format and offer extremely high level competition.  Only a very small percentage of people who ever swim will make it to this high a level of competition.  This meet is generally used to determine the US National Team for various international level meets each year, but is not used to determine the US Olympic Team.  Currently, there are 2 National Championships each year, but the Spring Championships have traditionally been of a significantly lower level of competition than the Summer Championships.  This is because the Spring Championships are so close to NCAA Championships and the fact that Spring Championships are rarely used as a selection meet for national teams.

In many other sports, the National Championship of the sport is known as the "US Open" and while swimming did have a very high national level meet by that name each year, it was just a high level meet and not a national championship meet.  This specific meet was ended in 2006 and was replaced with a reformulated Spring/Winter National Championship.  Since there is no "US Open" meet of the old format, the National Championships (specifically Summer '08) have begun to be called the "US Open" to bring it in line with the nomenclature of other sports

US Olympic Trials
The Olympic Trials are held once every 4 years.  Since this meet offers such a coveted prize (a spot on the US Olympic Team) it never fails to attract the absolute fastest in the sport of swimming in the United States.  Because of this, the entry time standards are even faster than the National Championships.  However, even though this is a faster meet and would actually offer a truer indication of who is the fastest swimmer in the United States, the winner of each event in this meet is not officially considered a National Champion and this meet is NOT held in place of the National Championships every 4 years (although the Nationals are generally not held when the Olympic Trials occur, or other selection trials).  However, for 2008, the winners of the Olympic Trials were indeed officially be a National Champion with the trials meet taking the place of the National Championship meet for 2008.  It is unclear if this will continue for future trials.  Unlike all other US Swimming meets, United States citizenship is required to compete at this meet since only United States citizens are allowed to represent the United States at the Olympics.  The Olympic Trials are also under unique requirements made by the USOC.

Olympic Team members determined at the US Olympic Trials attend training camps at various locations across the United States, such as the 2016 US Olympic Training Camp at Northside Swim Center in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2021, USA Swimming debuted a two wave structure for the 2020 US Olympic Trials in response to social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was broken into two meets, called Wave I and Wave II, which were held at different dates at the same venue in June 2021. Selected qualifiers from Wave I advanced to Wave II. The 2020 US Olympic swim team was selected from Wave II participants.

International Team Trials (non-Olympics)
Trials meets are also held for the World Championships, Pan American Games and World University Games, typically at a national championship meet. The 2022 International Team Trials is one such meet, from which teams for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships were selected, that is to be held as a stand-alone meet, separate from the year's National Championships.

National age group records
USA Swimming maintains a list of current records for American swimmers ages 18 years old and younger called National Age Group (NAG) records. The records are the fastest swims by an American swimmer for the specified age group, gender, and event. NAG records are maintained for short course yards and long course meters. For both distances the age group breakdown for individual events is the same for boys and girls: 10 & under, 11–12, 13–14, 15–16, and 17–18 year olds. NAG records for relays cover one age group, 15–18 year olds, and include girls, boys, and mixed relay records.

Online resources

YouTube channel
USA Swimming started a YouTube channel on September 21, 2009 where it publishes a variety of swimming-centric videos covering topics such as races, athlete reactions, and training pointers. Occasionally it features athletes providing a glimpse into their daily training and nutrition routines, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also produces a series entitled "Off the Blocks", which features various high-profile swimmers and coaches opening up about different aspects of their training and racing.

Awards

Golden Goggle Awards

Each year USA Swimming honors United States swimmers and coaches and their accomplishments for the year through a handful of awards called the Golden Goggle Awards, colloquially known as the Golden Goggles, which span categories such as male or female swimmer of the year, coach of the year, and relay performance of the year. USA Swimming commenced holding an annual awards ceremony to give the recipients their awards in November of 2004 in New York City. The Golden Goggle Awards have received recognition on the international level, by organizations such as Reuters, FINA, and the International Olympic Committee (via Olympics.com), at the national level, including by NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated, and at the local level in print newspapers such as The Seattle Times and Kitsap Sun.

Pettigrew and Athlete of the Year awards
In addition to the Golden Goggle Awards, USA Swimming awards an annual Pettigrew Award, an award made in honor of Kenneth J. Pettigrew and awarded to various positions including officials and referees, and an annual Athlete of the Year award, an award "given to the individual with the most outstanding year of swimming performances", which were both handed out at the annual business meeting starting in 2021. Prior to 2021, the awards were handed out at various organizational events including the United States Aquatic Sports Convention.

Coach of the Year award
The coach of the year award began in 1996 with its first winner being Murray Stephens from North Baltimore swimming. There are also awards for the developmental coach of the year and the ASCA (American Swim Coach Association) award. Eddie Reese of the University of Texas at Austin currently holds the most coach of the year awards at 19. The Coach of the year award is an award given out based on nominations from the community.

Controversy
As with several other U.S. sports governing bodies, USA Swimming dealt with accusations of sexual abuse, resulting in several lawsuits and prompting changes in U.S. federal law.

Several high-profile coaches were banned for life a couple of decades after their alleged abuses took place. In 2012, USA Swimming banned Rick Curl, and the Curl-Burke Swim Club was rebranded the Nation's Capital Swim Club, which at the time served 2,000 swimmers in the D.C. metro area. In 2013, former Olympic team coach Mitch Ivey was banned as the result of allegations dating back to the 1970s.

In 2018, an investigation by the Orange County Register found hundreds of swimmers whose claims of sexual abuse had allegedly been mishandled or ignored by USA Swimming. In 2020, six swimmers sued USA Swimming, accusing former executive director Chuck Wielgus and other officials at the national, state and club level of failing to address behavior by Ivey, former U.S. national team director Everett Uchiyama and former coach Andy King, the latter of whom was serving 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to 20 child molestation charges.

American activists also blocked Wielgus from being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2014. Wielgus died in 2017.

See also
 United States Aquatic Sports
 FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation)
 Swimming pool#Competition pools
 Swimming (sport)#Swimwear
 U.S. Masters Swimming

References

Further reading

External links

Swimming
+
Sports rules and regulations
Organizations based in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sports in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sports organizations established in 1980
1980 establishments in the United States

USA Swimming


Raymond Lee Sadler (born September 19, 1980 in Clifton, Texas) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball in 2005 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sadler bats and throws right-handed, is  tall, and weighs . His cousin Donnie Sadler, has also played Major League Baseball.

Professional career
Sadler played baseball at Clifton High School, and in 1999 the Chicago Cubs selected him with the 920th pick of the June draft, as part of the 30th round. The Cubs did so with the intention of treating him as a "draft and follow" player, and he signed with the Cubs after 2 seasons at Hill College, a junior college in Hillsboro, Texas.

Sadler was traded from the Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 17, 2003, in a deadline deal for Randall Simon. When outfielder Craig Wilson injured a tendon in his hand on May 8, 2005, the Pirates turned to Sadler as an emergency replacement, purchasing his contract from the Altoona Curve. He had no time to prepare, but reported immediately to the Pirates' clubhouse, where he was mistaken for a construction worker by surprised manager Lloyd McClendon. Sadler made his major league debut that night, and three days later, he collected his first major league hit: a home run to left field against Giants starter Noah Lowry.

After playing three games in left field, Sadler was optioned back down to the minors on May 13, and he was designated for assignment on September 16. This was the first outright assignment of Sadler's career, so he remained with the Pirates organization after clearing waivers. After the 2006 season, Sadler was acquired by the Houston Astros organization. He played the entire 2007 season as a member of the Corpus Christi Hooks, Houston's AA affiliate, leading the team in home runs and runs batted in while earning Team MVP honors. In 2008, Sadler split time between Corpus Christi and the Triple-A Round Rock Express in the Astros' system.

Sadler became a free agent at the end of the 2008 season and signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in December. On August 6, 2009 Sadler was released by the Rays, and signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros two days later. He became a free agent again after the season, and in 2010 signed with the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League. He played for the club in the 2011 season as well.

Sadler played for the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball in 2012. In 2013, Sadler played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes and T-Bones of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Sadler played for the Goldeyes and T-Bones during the 2014 season as well and played for the Sussex County Miners in 2015.

References

External links

1980 births
African-American baseball players
Altoona Curve players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Arizona League Cubs players
Baseball players from Texas
Caffe Danesi Nettuno players
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Caribes de Anzoátegui players
Corpus Christi Hooks players
Daytona Cubs players
Durham Bulls players
American expatriate baseball players in Italy
Hill College Rebels baseball players
Indianapolis Indians players
Kansas City T-Bones players
Lansing Lugnuts players
Living people
Major League Baseball left fielders
People from Clifton, Texas
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Round Rock Express players
Sussex County Miners players
Venados de Mazatlán players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players
Winnipeg Goldeyes players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people

Ray Sadler


The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage is the first in the series of children's novels the Five Find-Outers by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1943 and continues to be frequently reissued.

Plot summary
The novel centres on the mystery of who could have set fire to Mr Hick's cottage. The five children, Larry and Daisy Daykin, Pip and Bets Hilton, and newcomer Frederick Algernon Trotteville (later nicknamed Fatty from his initials), meet at the scene of the fire and end up solving the mystery together.

Their suspects include an old tramp, a dismissed servant, a hostile colleague, and the cook. They find certain clues: Broken-down nettles in a ditch, a footprint in a grassy field, and Hawker Tempest planes (which Mr. Hick mentions "flew over" the other day).

The children realise that as Mr Hick claims to have been in the London train when the cottage was burnt, but by his own report he saw the planes which flew over the village at the same time, he is contradicting himself. Fatty finds out that the cottage and the burnt papers Mr Hick describes as 'most important' were insured. The children deduce that Mr Hick burnt his own cottage for the insurance money. The book also introduces Inspector Jenks, who turns out to help the children and becomes a good friend of theirs.

Characters
Mrs. Minns - The housekeeper of Mr. Hick, who suffers from rheumatism
Clear-Orf (Mr. Goon) - The policeman of Peterswood
Mr. Horace Peeks - A former employee of Mr. Hicks, sacked for wearing Mr Hick's clothes while Mr Hick was out and a suspect of burning down the cottage
Mr. Smellie - A learned scholar and former friend of Mr. Hick's. Also a suspect. Is obsessed with papers and documents like Mr Hick
Miss Miggle - A kindly and gentle employee of Mr. Smellie
Hannah  - The sister of Mrs. Minns who smells the fire before Mrs Minns even notices it
Lily - An employee of Mr. Hick's and also reveals to be secretly dating Horace Peeks, as her father will not allow her to even walk with him
Inspector Jenks - A good friend of the Five Find-Outers and an inspector of police, always making Mr Goon nervous even though he is an extremely cheerful, kind and gentle man
Mrs. Hilton - Pip and Bets' strict mother
Mr.Hick
The Five-Find Outers

References

External links

Enid Blyton Society page
Summary and review of The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage

1943 British novels
Novels by Enid Blyton
Methuen Publishing books
1943 children's books

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage


Labor intensity is the relative proportion of labor (compared to capital) used in any given process. Its inverse is capital intensity.

Labor intensity has been declining since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s, while its inverse, capital intensity, has increased nearly exponentially since the latter half of the 20th century.

Labor-intensive industries

A labor-intensive industry requires large amounts of manual labor to produce its goods or services. In such industries, labor costs are more of a concern than capital costs. Labor intensity is measured by its proportion to the amount of capital to produce goods or services. The higher the labor cost, the more labor intense is the business. Labor cost can vary because businesses can add or subtract workers based on business needs. When it comes to controlling expenses, labor intensive businesses have an advantage over those that are capital intensive and require a large investment in capital equipment, such as the automobile industry. When it comes to include economy of scale, labor intensive industries deal with many challenges: they cannot pay individual workers less by hiring more workers.

A labor-intensive industry can be particularly vulnerable to of high inflation, because workers may well demand pay increases, as the inflation lowers the value of their earnings.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the major part of the workforce was employed in agriculture. Producing food was very labor-intensive. Advances in technology have often increased worker productivity, so that some industries are less labor-intensive, but some industries, such as mining and agriculture, astill quite labor-intensive.

Some labor-intensive sectors:
 Nursing
 Textiles
 Agriculture: fruit picking is often done by hand as it is difficult for machines to pick, for example, strawberries or apples from trees.
 Teaching
 Mining
 Niche products — If a company specializes in a niche market, there will be less scope for economies of scale and lower fixed costs. In this case, we tend to see higher labor-intensive production. Pottery is an example of a niche product.

The role in the economy

For underdeveloped and developing economies, a labor-intensive industry structure can be a better option than a capital-intensive one for quick economic development. For countries which are not wealthy and generate low levels of income, labor-intensive industries can bring economic growth and prosperity. In most cases, these low income countries suffer from lack of capital but have an abundant labor force, such as some African countries. The use of such an abundant labor force may lead to industrial growth.

China has a large workforce, and manufacturing industries contribute about 35 per cent to the country's gross domestic product. The country has also become one of the world's leading manufacturing bases, with leading suppliers of products such as household electric appliances, garments, toys, shoes and light industrial products.

Supply of highly skilled labor to any industry can boost the industry growth rate. In this way, underdeveloped countries can improve their industrial economy without heavy capital investment.

Moreover, exportation of the products manufactured by labor-intensive industries can strengthen the export base of a developing country. These exports help the economies by earning foreign exchange, which can be used to import essential goods and services.

Measurement

There are more than one way to measure labor intensity:

 Labor-capital ratio: the relationship between employment and capital stock. This ratio indicates the relative use of factors in an activity and the extent to which it is labor-intensive compared to capital-intensive.
 The ratio between employment and value added, which indicates the labor intensity of production. This measure indicates the extent to which an activity absorbs labor for each unit of value added.

These two measures are different ways of measuring labor intensity, Neither is superior in itself, the choice of measure depends on the specific issue of interest.

However these two measures have limited value: they only measure direct labor intensity and they exclude the extent to which sectors are linked to another sector of the economy. For instance, a given sector may itself not be particularly labor-intensive, but it might utilize (as inputs) the output of other sectors that are highly labor-intensive.

A solution could be to consider employment multipliers by sector.

Employment multipliers essentially indicate what increase (decrease) in economy-wide jobs could be associated with a given increase (decrease) in final output of a sector.

References

Intensity

Labor intensity


is a jetski racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube in late 2001. It is the sequel to the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Wave Race 64, and the third in the series that started with the 1992 Game Boy game Wave Race.

Gameplay

Championship mode
Players begin by selecting a character to use for the entire championship. Following this, the player is shown the courses on which they can race and a weather forecast for each day of the circuit. The more difficult the circuit, the more races (and thus days) the player must complete. Players can select the order in which they wish to race the courses. This decision can be affected by aforementioned forecast. If players find a certain course to be more difficult when it is raining, they can elect to play that course on a day which is forecast to be sunny.

After the selection of a course, gameplay begins.  Players begin in a field of eight racers. Position at the beginning of a race is determined by your finish in the previous race, e.g. a player finishing third in one race will begin in the third position before the starting line of the following race. In the first race, players begin in eighth. As the player waits for the race to begin, a stoplight changes from red to yellow to green, indicating the start of the race. For pressing the accelerator exactly as the light turns green, the player will receive a turbo, which can be activated at the player's whim and which significantly boosts the speed of the player's craft for a short time.

The player then begins to navigate the course. In every course, buoys are set up in two colors: red and yellow. Red buoys are supposed to be passed on the right; yellow buoys on the left. Passing buoys correctly builds up the player's turbo meter. Other than the method mentioned above, which only works at the very beginning of a race, turbos can only be acquired by correctly navigating five of these buoys or by performing a stunt. Each stunt, unlike each buoy, fills from one-fifth to three-fifths of the meter depending on the stunt. Incorrectly passing a buoy results in the loss of any built-up turbo stages. This leads to some degree of strategy. For example, a player might build up a turbo, then use it to cut off a buoy placed in an awkward manner, or one off a distance to the side, thus eliminating much of the time that would have been used to get to and correctly pass that buoy.

There are other, smaller red buoys which mark the boundaries of each course. Staying outside of them for too long results in a disqualification.

During the race, the player is often bombarded (depending on weather conditions) with waves and rain which can force an inexperienced player off-course, or into obstacles or other riders. Successful navigation of these waves is essential. This is where the game's uniqueness in the genre comes to light. Waves are completely random and are affected by the weather, making for a different experience from that of most other games in the racing genre, such as the PlayStation 2's Splashdown. Every race consists of three laps. Often during a race, shortcuts will be revealed as the player passes each lap. Spotting these shortcuts as they appear can be essential to victory.

At the end of each race, the player is awarded points proportional to the place in which they finished. A player needs a certain point total at the end of each race in order to advance to the next day. If this total is not reached, the player must begin the circuit again.

Victory comes when the player finishes first, second, or third overall in total points at the end of the circuit. For the expert circuit, the player must finish first for all weather conditions in time attack mode.

Other modes
Time Attack: The player selects an unlocked course and races alone. The object is not to win, but rather to finish in as fast a time as possible.
Stunt Mode: The goal of this mode is to achieve high scores by performing stunts that are performed by executing certain button combinations. Stunts can also be executed in any other mode, and can be used to build up one's turbo meter.
Multiplayer: For up to four players. Championship Mode and Stunt Mode may be played in this fashion.
Free Roam: Allows the player to roam freely through any unlocked course, with no time limit or other racers.

Characters
There are eight characters in Blue Storm, three of them from the previous game, two newcomers, and some of the rest from 1080° Snowboarding. Each character is rated on a scale of 1–6 in five different categories which affect that character's performance, with six being the best. Each character also has his or her own crew chief, which is nothing more than a voice offering encouragement and advice to the player:
 Ryota Hayami (age: 23 from Japan) is the most balanced character, good for beginners and experts alike. Ryota Hayami is also a returning character from Wave Race 64. Akari Hayami is his younger sister.
 David Mariner (age: 37 from the USA) has high top speed and a strong grip, but is very difficult to maneuver and has slow acceleration. He is best for experienced players. He is also a returning character from Wave Race 64
 Akari Hayami (age: 21 from Japan) has a low top speed and a weak grip, but high acceleration and maneuvering, making her recommended for beginners. She was not originally from Wave Race 64, but rather from 1080° Snowboarding. Ryota Hayami is her older brother.
 Nigel Carver (age: 28 from Great Britain) is one of the heavier character, but he is easy enough to control.
 Ayumi Stewart (age: 26 from the USA) is a fairly balanced character, good for beginners to experts. She is also a returning character from Wave Race 64.
 Rob Haywood (age: 24 from the USA) is a heavy character, similar to David Mariner in terms of strengths and weaknesses, best for the more experienced players. He was originally from 1080° Snowboarding.
 Ricky Winterborn (age: 18 from Canada) is similar to Akari Hayami, but more stunt-oriented. He was originally from 1080° Snowboarding.
 Serena Del Mar (age: 19 from Brazil) is not particularly heavy, but she is challenging enough to control and is more directed towards advanced players.

Reception

Blue Storm received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. The game was praised for its water effects, weather effects, and physics. The weather effects in the game, most people agreed, were outstanding. They caused wave height to vary and often came on slowly, or would let up surprisingly in the middle of a race. The weather also affected course layout, adding to the game's variety. Physics in the game were unmatched by any other water-based game at the time.  Waves that varied in height and intensity, wakes from other riders and more all attributed to the overall feel of the game and was usually mentioned as one of the games positives.

Most negative criticism centered around a few factors: difficulty, graphics, and similarity to Wave Race 64. The difficulty of the game was mostly to the controls, which were more twitchy and required a delicate touch on the control stick and proper use of the GameCube controller's L and R buttons. The control system in Wave Race 64, by contrast, was slower and smoother and as a result, less demanding. Graphically, the game was flagged for having decidedly low poly visuals, with uninspired art and character design. Some of Wave Race: Blue Storm'''s courses were criticized  for being copies or re-designs of courses from Wave Race 64, and as such, the game felt overly-familiar. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one nine, one eight, and one seven for a total of 32 out of 40.Blue Storm sold 62,003 units in Japan, and was the third best selling launch title for the GameCube in North America, behind Luigi's Mansion and Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader.

The game won the award for "Best In-Game Water" at GameSpots Best and Worst of 2001 Awards, and was nominated for the "Best Driving Game" award, which went to Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.

See also
 Splashdown''

Notes

References

External links
 Wave Race: Blue Storm at Nintendo.com (archives of the original at the Internet Archive)

2001 video games
Arctic in fiction
GameCube games
GameCube-only games
Nintendo Software Technology games
Personal watercraft racing video games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games set in North America
Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto
Video games scored by James Phillipsen
Multiplayer and single-player video games

Wave Race: Blue Storm


The Little Thief () is a 1988 French drama directed by Claude Miller. It is based upon an unfinished script by François Truffaut. Truffaut died before being able to direct the film himself. The film had 1,834,940 admissions in France. Set in the French countryside after the end of World War II, it tells the story of a 15-year-old girl abandoned by her parents, who is looking for love and independence but succumbs to stealing and sleeping with men.

Plot
Janine lives with her uncle and aunt, who have little sympathy for her as her mother left her to go with a lover to Italy and she never knew her father. She dreams of luxury, stealing American cigarettes and expensive underwear from shops. When found out, she leaves to become a live-in maid for the Longuets, a rich and friendly young couple. Tired after a long day's work, in the cinema she falls asleep on the shoulder of Michel, a married man in his forties keen on poetry and music. They start an affair, but he also tries to improve her culture and encourages her to study shorthand-typing.

At her course she sees a young intruder robbing the office, but does not inform on him. This is Raoul, who waits outside for her and they too start an affair. He wants money to buy a motor bike for racing, and Janine supplies it by robbing her employers and their guests during a dinner party. The two young criminals go on the run, ending up living rough beside the sea. There Janine is arrested, and sent to a school for young offenders. She and another girl escape, but Janine is now wanted and has nowhere to go. She is also pregnant. After making an appointment with an illegal abortionist, in the cinema she sees a newsreel of soldiers off to the war in Indochina. Among them is Raoul, so she does not keep the appointment and an end caption says that her baby was coming on well.

Cast
 Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine Castang
 Didier Bezace as Michel Davenne
 Simon de La Brosse as Raoul
 Clotilde de Bayser as Severine Longuet
 Raoul Billerey as Oncle André Rouleau
 Chantal Banlier as Tante Léa
 Nathalie Cardone as Mauricette
 Renée Faure as Mère Busato
 Chantal Neuwirth as The farmer
 Catherine Arditi as School director
 Dominique Besnehard
 Jacky Nercessian

Release
The Little Thief was released in 1988 in France.

References

External links

1989 films
1989 drama films
French drama films
1980s French-language films
Films directed by Claude Miller
Films with screenplays by François Truffaut
Films produced by Claude Berri
Films set in 1950
Teenage pregnancy in film
Juvenile sexuality in films
1980s French films

The Little Thief


The Western Australian Party (WAP) was an Australian political party that operated in 1906. It was a liberal party which wanted to protect the rights of Western Australians and oppose the Labour Party. Its supporters came from the Protectionist Party and the Anti-Socialist Party. John Forrest, a minister in Alfred Deakin's government, became leader the party. Candidates were selected for all electorates in the 1906 federal election. By the time the election was held, support for the party had ceased. Forrest was elected, but not as a WAP member. However, the party did elect one member, William Hedges, as the member for Fremantle. He was a member of the WAP, although he sat as an independent and, like Forrest, joined the Commonwealth Liberal Party when it began in 1909.

The party policies were explained in a 12-point program. Many of these were to promote the interests of Western Australia as a member of the new Australian federation. This included keeping as much government revenue as possible. It also included items important to Western Australia such as coastal defence, and building a railway to the eastern states. It also wanted to introduce deciaml currency, and metric weights and measures.

References

Political parties in Western Australia
1906 establishments in Australia

Western Australian Party