An airline meal, airline food, or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by specialist airline catering services and are normally served to passengers using an airline service trolley.

These meals vary widely in quality and quantity across different airline companies and classes of travel. They range from a simple snack or beverage in short-haul economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in a first class long-haul flight. The types of food offered also vary widely from country to country, and often incorporate elements of local cuisine, sometimes both from the origin and destination countries. When ticket prices were regulated in the American domestic market, food was the primary means by which airlines differentiated themselves.

History

1920s: Unheated meals in the early days

Daimler Airway pioneered the service of light refreshments. Their flight attendant, also known as the cabin boy, would procure food from the local markets before preparing and serving them in lunch boxes. Planes would often have to land at destinations even where no passengers were boarding or disembarking, just so that passengers could have their meals while the plane was being refuelled. At this early stage of aircraft meal service, the only heated refreshments were coffee and tea.

The first airline meals were served by Handley Page Transport, an airline company founded in 1919, to serve the London–Paris route in October of that year. Passengers could choose from a selection of sandwiches and fruit. In-flight menus were not often changed, as the low frequency of air travel meant that passengers would be less likely to notice the similarity of food served.

Only chewing gum was served on the inaugural Pan Am flight in 1929, in order to prevent airsickness. Flights in this era of air travel were extremely noisy and uncomfortable, with passengers often anxious about flying for the first time.

In the late 1920s, Western Air Express was one of the first airlines to serve in-flight meals in the United States, beginning with flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Food served included fried chicken, cake, fruits and sandwiches. Mealtimes served as a distraction from the unpleasant flight experience and helped ease nerves.

1930s: Romanticising in-flight dining
Dining areas got increasingly spacious, providing passengers with the freedom to move around and mingle while having their meals and for that reason, the 1930s were described as the "most romantic" era of air travel. Aircraft lounges were elaborately designed, accompanied with posh chinaware and white tablecloths.

United Airlines set up the first dedicated in-flight catering kitchen. Based in Oakland, California, this initiative provided passengers with a choice of either scrambled eggs or fried chicken as the main course. At the same time, improvements in flight technologies and aircraft capabilities posed a new set of problems for meal service. Flying at higher altitudes meant that eggs took a longer time to cook, and bread would spoil much faster.

Pan Am is known to be the first airline to heat food in-flight, on board a Sikorsky S-42. The delivery of bigger aircraft like the Boeing 247s and Douglas DC-3s meant more space for hot stoves and fridges to be fitted on board. Such an upgrade of the flight experience was a way to differentiate themselves from competitors.

1940s: Rise of the pre-packed meal
New aircraft built after the end of World War II were more advanced than those of the early 1940s, but food heating and service technology had not quite caught up. However, passengers came to expect food to be served on almost every flight, even on ultra short-haul ones between nearby cities. One Eastern Airline flight crew recalled having to serve sandwiches and drinks within the twenty-minute flight between Washington DC to Richmond, Virginia.

WWII US Navy veteran and founder of the W. L. Maxson Corporation William Maxson introduced the idea of heating up frozen food in-flight, parallel to the post-war surge in the development of refrigerators. His famous 'sky plate' was first meant as an option for naval troops to have hot meals, but soon found its way into Pan Am as a legitimate way of serving pre-made food. Pan-Am started serving pre-made frozen meals, similar to the meal choices on board modern-day commercial flights. The service of frozen food was well-received and encouraged by airline management, since it greatly reduced the problem of food wastage when flights were cancelled.

In 1946, the number of flyers increased to the point where flight attendants had to serve twice the number of passengers in two-thirds the amount of time. There was increasing pressure to serve food fast during meal service as flight times gradually became shorter. Passengers were expected to consume their meals quickly, especially when tray tables had to be stowed for landing.

1950s: Class differentiation and the flight attendant as familiar icon
The cabin galley began to take shape and passengers came to expect their meals to be served from the back of the aircraft. Newer jetliners had at least three galleys, with at least one serving each travel class. Airlines would sometimes whip up special menus if the occasion called for it. When the British royal family came to Australia in 1954, Qantas passengers could tuck into fish topped with hollandaise sauce and lamb cutlets paired with potatoes.

In 1958, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) officially recognised economy as a distinct travel class. This gave rise to what is known as the 'sandwich war', where IATA issued an agreement with airlines that they were only allowed to serve simple and low-cost food in economy class. European and North American airlines interpreted this ruling differently, with the former serving conventional sandwiches, while the latter group of airlines whipping up appetisers featuring asparagus and ox tongue. After rounds of meetings and negotiations, IATA ruled that sandwiches should not be overly elaborate, and should look more like what airlines in the US serve. Eventually, airlines did begin serving higher-quality food to economy class passengers due to increased competition.

The 1950s was also a decade where the female flight attendant began to be seen as an icon of air travel, particularly through the imagery of flight attendants as 'waitresses in the air'. Japan Airlines (JAL) would serve American food with Japanese twists on board their Tokyo-San Francisco route. The decision to serve meals consisting of roast potatoes and pineapple salad instead of Japanese staples like rice was made by JAL's upper management in order to cater to the tastes of foreign passengers.

1960s: Rapid industrialisation
As jets began to fly at higher altitudes, in-flight meal caterers had to curb the problem of decreased taste bud sensitivity amongst passengers. The low humidity in cabins would affect passengers' sense of smell, thus affecting ability to taste. Thus, menus with stronger tasting food and beverages had to be devised and served. Cheaper wines were found to be tastier than more expensive varieties when consumed at cruising altitude.

Cathay Pacific was one of the first international airlines to pivot from solely serving traditional cuisines, which were long seen as comfort food for the stress and unfamiliarity of travel. The airline had shark fin soup, kangaroo tail soup and even flaming baked Alaska on its menu. Aviation observers note that Cathay might have had the liberty to make this decision due to its non-membership in the IATA. Regardless, the Hong Kong carrier has since stopped serving and shipping shark fin on board their flights.

In 1969, the Boeing 747 jetliner was introduced to commercial aviation. 362 passengers were serviced by a total of six galleys. Rolling carts also made their maiden appearance— and although these carts were first thought to increase the efficiency of meal service, the increased number of passengers meant that there was no significant decrease in meal service times.

Rapid industrialisation also forced airlines to come up with strategies to serve the most number of passengers in the shortest possible time. Economy classes across the board switched from glassware to plastic to minimise the need for washing and cleaning, while smaller, bite-size food like sandwiches were frequently served so that passengers would finish their meals quicker.

1970s: Budget offerings, celebrity chefs and transnational foodways
In the 1970s business class started to be seen as a travel class of its own, with airlines often adopting unique sets of cutlery and plating services to distinguish it from economy class. At the same time, budget airlines began to increase in popularity as a low-cost travel option. Meals were usually not served unless pre-ordered and paid for, although packets of peanuts would usually be distributed to passengers. Southwest Airlines started this practice of serving peanuts mid-flight, although the budget carrier removed this option in 2018, after concerns over peanuts being an allergen surfaced.

Air France and British Airways were well known for their lavish first class offerings, with caviar, foie gras and champagnes being the norm to be served. These food items would also later be served on board the Concorde. The Concorde retained its luxurious menu till her standing down from service in 2003, maintaining a menu which included lobster and truffles.
The spread of transitional trade enabled in-flight caterers to streamline their food production facilities. Ingredients from different parts of the world would be flown into a centralised kitchen for cooking and packing, then transported to another city and loaded on board an outbound flight. Pan Am was one such airline, with kitchens in resource-rich cities like New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo.

In 1973, French airline Union de Transports Aeriens became the first air carrier to engage a chef to improve their in-flight menu. French chef Raymond Oliver was tasked by the airline to overhaul their menus in light of the altered taste buds at high altitudes. Oliver increased the amount of salt, sugar and oil used in their recipes, resulting in an almost immediate improvement in taste.

1980s–present: Ongoing security and cost issues
High air travel demand has meant that airlines have been forced to find new ways to cut costs. In 1987, Robert L. Crandall, the president and chairman of American Airlines reportedly saved the company up to $40,000 a year just by removing a single olive from their first class meals.

In 2006, a plot to set off explosives on board ten transatlantic flights using homemade explosives was uncovered. This led to liquids measuring more than 100 ml being banned from all flights, forcing passengers to purchase pricier beverages at the airport and on board the aircraft.

In 2016, British Airways scrapped the service of the second meal in premium economy and economy class for all short-haul flights. Passengers had to make do with snacks or purchase an extra meal should they get hungry.

International airlines have been working with celebrity or Michelin-star chefs to further elevate the mid-air dining experience. Examples include American Airlines' partnership with restaurateur and judge on the Food Network cooking game show Chopped Maneet Chauhanon their first and business class menus, and Singapore Airlines' Book the Cook, where passengers flying in the premium classes have the option to choose their meals from selections created by the airline's panel of chefs.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw in-flight dining become an experience of nostalgia, as people bought set meals to dine on the ground. In 2020, Singapore Airlines hosted diners on their grounded A380s, as part of the "Discover Your Singapore Airlines: Restaurant A380 @ Changi" experience. Tickets sold out within 30 minutes of its launch.

Contents

The type of food varies depending upon the airline company and class of travel. Meals may be served on one tray or in multiple courses with no tray and with a tablecloth, metal cutlery, and glassware (generally in first and business classes). Often the food is reflective of the culture of the country the airline is based in or the country that the airplane is destined for (e.g. Indian, Japanese, Chinese, or Western meals).

The airline dinner typically includes meat (most commonly chicken or beef), fish, or pasta; a salad or vegetable; a small bread roll (with butter); and a dessert. Condiments (typically salt, pepper, and sugar) are supplied in small sachets or shakers.

Caterers usually produce alternative meals for passengers with restrictive diets. These must usually be ordered at least 24 hours in advance, sometimes when buying the ticket. Some of the more common examples include:
 Cultural diets, such as Turkish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Indian style.
 Infant and baby meals. Some airlines also offer children's meals, containing foods that children will enjoy such as baked beans, mini-hamburgers, and hot dogs.
 Medical diets, including low/high fiber, low fat/cholesterol, diabetic, peanut free, non-lactose, low salt/sodium, low-purine, low-calorie, low-protein, bland (non-spicy), and gluten-free meals.
 Religious diets, including kosher, halal, and Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain vegetarian.
 Vegetarian meals, typically further defined as either lacto-ovo or vegan meals. These meals may follow a particular cuisine such as Asian cuisine or Western cuisine.

Halal food
For several Islamic and Middle Eastern airlines, in accordance with Islamic customs, all classes and dishes on the plane are served a Muslim meal with Halal certification – without pork and alcohol. While Emirates, Etihad Airways, Oman Air, and Qatar Airways provide bottles of wine to non-Muslim passengers, the cabin crew does not deliver alcoholic beverages lest they violate Islamic customs unless those non-Muslim passengers specifically request it. Turkish Airlines does not serve any meals with pork or lard, but especially during international flights, alcoholic beverages are served upon request. Because Iran and Saudi Arabia apply strict Sharia regulations, those countries' airlines, e.g. Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saudia, do not deliver pork or alcoholic beverages, and all airlines flying to or from Iran or Saudi Arabia are prohibited from serving either. However, Garuda Indonesia serves alcoholic beverages (whiskey, beer, champagne, and wine) upon request.

Kosher food

In the case of Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia, and Israir, all meals served are kosher-certified by Rabbis. Even at destinations outside Israel, sky chefs must be supervised by rabbis to make kosher meals and load their planes. Many other airlines also supply kosher-certified meals, which they buy in from outside certified providers and are supplied to the passengers sealed. These may contain food in double-wrapped foil containers which can be heated up in the plane oven, alongside non-kosher food, without breaking the appropriate dietary laws.

Cutlery and tableware
Before the September 11, 2001 attacks, first class passengers were often provided with full sets of metal cutlery. Afterward, common household items were evaluated more closely for their potential use as weapons on aircraft, and both first class and coach class passengers were restricted to plastic utensils. Some airlines switched from metal to all-plastic or plastic-handled cutlery during the SARS outbreak in 2003, since the SARS virus transfers from person to person easily, and plastic cutlery can be thrown away after use. Many airlines later switched back to metal cutlery. However, some airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines continue to use metal utensils even in economy class as of 2019. However after the COVID-19 pandemic majority of airlines are back to using mostly plastic cutlery.

Some airlines also made the switch to plastic cutlery in economy class to recover costs resulting from passenger theft, of which metal cutlery tends to be a common item targeted.

In May 2010, concerns were raised in Australia and New Zealand over their respective flag carriers, Qantas and Air New Zealand, reusing their plastic cutlery for international flights between 10 and 30 times before replacement. Both airlines cited cost saving, international quarantine, and environmental as the reasons for the choice. Both have also said that the plastic cutlery is commercially washed and sterilized before reuse. Reusing plastic tablewares though is a regular practice among many airliners and food caterers.

For cleanliness, most meals come with a napkin and a moist towelette. First and business class passengers are often provided with hot towels.

Breakfast

During morning flights a cooked breakfast or smaller continental-style may be served. On long-haul flights (and short/medium haul flights within Asia) breakfast normally includes an entrée of pancakes or eggs, traditional fried breakfast foods such as sausages and grilled tomatoes, and often muffins or pastries, fruits, and breakfast cereal on the side. On shorter flights a continental-style breakfast, generally including a miniature box of breakfast cereal, fruits and either a muffin, pastry, or bagel. Coffee and tea are offered as well, and sometimes hot chocolate.

Cost

Food on board a flight is usually free on full-service Asian airlines and almost all long-distance flights, while they might cost extra on low-cost airlines or short-haul European full-service airline flights. Quality may also fluctuate due to shifts in the economics of the airline industry.

On long-haul international flights in first class and business class, most Asian and European airlines serve gourmet meals, while legacy carriers based in the US tend to serve multicourse meals including a cocktail snack, appetizer, soup, salad, entrée (chicken, beef, fish, or pasta), cheeses with fruit, and ice cream. Some long-haul flights in first and business class offer such delicacies as caviar, champagne, and sorbet (intermezzo).

The cost and availability of meals on US airlines has changed considerably in recent years, as financial pressures have forced some airlines to either begin charging for meals, or abandon them altogether in favor of small snacks, as in the case of Southwest Airlines. Eliminating free pretzels saved Northwest $2 million annually. Nowadays, the main US legacy carriers (American, Delta, and United) have discontinued full meal service in economy class on short-haul US domestic and North American flights, while retaining it on most intercontinental routes; and at least one European carrier, Icelandair, follows this policy on intercontinental runs as well.

As of 2018, all four major U.S. legacy airlines now offer free snacks on board in economy class. United re-introduced free snacks in February 2016. From April 2016, American fully restored free snacks on all domestic flights in economy class. Free meals will also be available on certain domestic routes. Delta and Southwest have already been offering free snacks for years.

Air China has reported that each domestic flight's meal requires RMB50 (US$7.30) while international flights require RMB70 (US$10). However, this figure varies from airline to airline, as some have reported costs to be as low as US$3.50. Air China is also minimizing costs by loading only 95% of all meals to reduce leftovers and storing non-perishable foods for emergencies.

In 1958 Pan Am and several European airlines entered into a legal dispute over whether certain airline food sandwiches counted as a "meal".

Preparation

Meals must generally be prepared on the ground before takeoff. Guillaume de Syon, a history professor at Albright College who wrote about the history of airline meals,  said that higher altitudes alter the taste of the food and the function of the taste buds; according to de Syon the food may taste "dry and flavorless" as a result of the pressurization and passengers, feeling thirsty due to pressurization, may drink alcohol when they ought to drink water. Tests have shown that the perception of saltiness and sweetness drops 30% at high altitudes. The low humidity in airline cabins also dries out the nose which decreases olfactory sensors which are essential for tasting flavor in dishes.

Food safety is paramount in the airline catering industry. A case of mass food poisoning amongst the passengers on an airliner could have disastrous consequences. For example, on February 14, 1992, shrimp tainted with cholera was served on Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 386. An elderly passenger died and other passengers fell ill. For this reason catering firms and airlines have worked together to provide a set of industry guidelines specific to the needs of airline catering. The World Food Safety Guidelines for Airline Catering is offered free of charge by the International Flight Service Association.

See also

 Bento and Ekiben
 Dnata
 Do & Co
 Gate Gourmet
 Kosher airline meal
 LSG Sky Chefs
 Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS)
 TV dinner

References

Works cited

External links

 Airline menus from 1929 to the present at Northwestern University

Airline catering
In-flight passenger facilities
Serving and dining

Airline meal


Vesuvius plc is a British engineered ceramics company headquartered in London whose products are used by steelmakers and foundries as well as in the glass and solar energy industries. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The company was founded by Isaac Cookson in 1704 as a collection of metal and glass businesses on Tyneside. In 1851 the Company diversified into lead manufacturing. In 1924 it merged with Lock Lancaster and W.W. & R. Johnson & Sons to form Associated Lead Manufacturers. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1930. In 1966 it was renamed Lead Industries Group and in 1979 it acquired the A.J. Oster Company, a non-ferrous metal producer. In 1982 it changed its name again to Cookson Group (reflecting the name of the company's founder) and in 1987 it bought the Vesuvius Crucible Company, a ceramics supplier.

Sir Robert Malpas was Chairman of the Group from 1991 to 1998, simultaneously serving as Co-Chairman of Eurotunnel from 1996 to 1998. In 2005 the Cookson Group chose to focus on high technology products and emerging markets. In 2008 it went on to acquire Foseco, a supplier to the foundry and steel industries. In December 2012 Cookson Group changed its name to Vesuvius, the former performance materials division was demerged to form a new company called Alent and the name Cookson ceased to be used.

Operations
The Company's operations are formed into four activities: Steel Flow Control, Foundry Technologies, Advanced Refractories and Precious Metals Processing.

References

External links
Official site
Yahoo profile

Engineering companies of the United Kingdom
Manufacturing companies based in London
Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
Companies established in the 18th century
Companies established in 1704
1704 establishments in England
Manufacturing companies established in 1704

Vesuvius plc


Pinewood Lake is a natural lake located northwest of  tall Mischa Hill in the Nichols Farms Historic District section of Trumbull, Connecticut.

Pinewood Lake Association
Pinewood Lake and its facilities are the center of a private recreational community with no public access. In addition to the lake, Pinewood Lake Association maintains a clubhouse, several boat racks, two dams, a common access beach and several access parcels interspersed between houses that border the lake.

History
The Pinewood Lake area was the home of Mischa, a member of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. The natural lake was later called Old Farm Pond by the English who settled the area in the 17th century. Old Farm Pond was about 1150 feet long and 775 feet at its widest part, tapering to points at both ends. This pond was fed by Booth Hill Brook and Bears Den Brook, which joined about 1550 feet above the pond.

Pine Brook Country Club
Benjamin Plotkin purchased Pinewood Lake and the surrounding acreage and built an auditorium with a revolving stage, forty cabins and incorporated as the Pine Brook Country Club in 1930. Plotkin's dream was to market the club as a summer resort for people to stay and enjoy theatrical productions. Pine Brook is best known for becoming the summer home of the most important experiment in the history of American theatre. The Group Theatre (New York) was formed in New York City by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. The group was made up of actors, directors, playwrights and producers and gathered at Pine Brook during the summer of 1936. The group produced works by the most important American playwrights of the time on real life subject matter which changed stage and film forever. Some of the artists who summered at Pine Brook Lake were Elia Kazan, Harry Morgan, John Garfield, Frances Farmer, Will Geer, Howard Da Silva, Clifford Odets, Lee J. Cobb and Irwin Shaw. In 1944, Pine Brook Country Club was sold, reorganized and chartered as the Pinewood Lake Association.

Environment
Pinewood Lake is fed by three streams that bring sediment, chemical pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrates from fertilizer, and biological pollutants such as E. coli from humans. The lake is dredged periodically to reduce silt and to slow the natural tendency of the lake to fill in and become a meadow. The waters are home to endemic species of snails, leeches and insects.  Hardy fish such as sunnies and perch survive year-round. Other fish such as trout and bass are stocked each spring. Intrusive organisms are a constant concern. Over the years the lake has seen waves algae and of water weeds like Valisineria. Changes in climate, runoff chemicals, silt levels and other large scale environmental factors and non-migratory Geese make it a dynamic challenge to keep the lake clear for swimming and boating. The lake is largely able to dilute, buffer and cleanse itself, and through careful practices designed and implemented by the Lake Water Quality Committee, the water is safe for enjoyment. As of 2006, there have been no appearances of zebra mussels.

Governance
Pinewood Lake Association is registered as an operating company in the State of Connecticut. Business activities are managed by a board of governors consisting of owner members elected from the various properties that are eligible for owner membership status within the association.

Notes

Trumbull, Connecticut
History of theatre
Lakes of Fairfield County, Connecticut
Lakes of Connecticut

Pinewood Lake


Thorolf Rafto (July 6, 1922 – November 4, 1986) was a human rights activist and professor in Economic History at the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen, Norway. The Rafto Foundation for Human Rights was established in gratitude for his efforts and inspiration.

Personal life
Thorolf Rafto was born in Bergen, Norway.  His father, Robert Rafto was an Olympic gymnast and the winner of the Norwegian decathlon championships in 1918. In his younger days Rafto competed on national level in athletics, and won the Norwegian championships in decathlon in 1947. During World War II, Thorolf Rafto fled to Britain and served with the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Back in Bergen after the war, he earned university degrees in Languages and History. In 1950, at the age of 28, Rafto married Helga Hatletvedt with whom, he had four children. In 1956, Thorolf Rafto became a lecturer at the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen.

Activism
His involvement in political activism in Eastern Europe started with the Prague Spring of 1968. Later in his life, Rafto got, particularly, supportive of the liberal ideas of the Czechoslovak reformists such as Alexander Dubček and Jiří Hájek. In 1973, Rafto travelled to Odessa, where he witnessed the persecution of intellectuals and Soviet Jewish refuseniks, who had applied for emigration to Israel. On the return from the Soviet Union, Rafto wrote an article criticizing internal Soviet politics in Italy's Corriere della Sera, that later was published in Norway and Denmark.  In 1979, Rafto traveled again to Prague to hold a lecture for students excluded from the universities for political reasons. He was abused and later imprisoned by the security police which may have caused him lasting health damage. In 1981, Rafto made several trips to Poland to work closer with labour organisations there. By 1985 his health was weakening. In 1986, Thorolf Rafto died at 64 years of age.

Rafto Foundation and  Rafto Prize
After the death of Thorolf Rafto, his friends and colleagues agreed to establish the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights  (Raftostiftelsen) which would continue  Rafto's work on a promotion of freedom of speech and political expression in Eastern Europe. It was also decided to introduce the Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize (Raftoprisen) for human right activists.

The fall of the Iron Curtain and the consequential democratization of Eastern European states caused reconsider of the mission of the foundation. It also opened new possibilities to work with other geographical regions in a promotion of human rights.  The initial idea of the Rafto Prize is to provide a basic informative platform for the laureates that would help to receive further attention from the international media and support from political and non-political organisations.

By awarding the Rafto Prize, the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights seeks to bring attention to independent voices that due to oppressive and corrupt regimes are not always heard. In 1990, the Rafto Prize was awarded to a Burmese democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi who in the following year 1991 received the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. Four Rafto Laureates have subsequently received further international assistance and were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Aung San Suu Kyi, José Ramos-Horta, Kim Dae-jung and Shirin Ebadi were awarded the Rafto Prize prior to the Nobel Peace Prize.

References

Other sources
Per Egil Hegge (2016) Fear Shall Not Triumph: The Rafto Prize - 30th Anniversary   (Bergen: Fagbokforlaget)
Atle M. Skjærstad (2016) Uværet som aldri stilnet (Bergen: Vigmostad & Bjørke AS)

External links
Rafto Prize website

1922 births
1986 deaths
University of Oslo alumni
Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel of World War II
Norwegian activists
Norwegian decathletes
Academic staff of the Norwegian School of Economics
20th-century  Norwegian economists
Norwegian human rights activists
Norwegian expatriates in the United Kingdom

Thorolf Rafto


The Wilcox Silver Plate Co. (1867-c. 1980) was formed in Meriden, Connecticut. From 1865 to 1867, it was known as the Wilcox Brittania Co. In 1898, the company was acquired by the International Silver Company, headquartered in Meriden. After the acquisition, the Wilcox Silver Plate Co. brand continued until at least c. 1980.

Wilcox Silver Plate Co. designs are in several museum collections including the Art Institute of Chicago; British Museum in London; Brooklyn Museum; Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI; Dallas Museum of Art; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Newark Museum, NJ; New Orleans Museum of Art; Philadelphia Museum of Art, St. Louis Art Museum; Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach; and Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT.

Over the years, Wilcox Silver Plate Co. designs have been exhibited in several museum exhibitions in the United States and beyond since at least 1934. In 2005–07, designs were included in the touring exhibition Modernism in American Silver: 20th-Century Design, organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, which also travelled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

One of the most exhibited Wilcox Silver Plate Co. / International Silver Company designs is the space-age looking urn designed by Eliel Saarinen (1934). The urn was exhibited in St. Louis Modern (2015–16) and Cranbrook Goes to the Movies: Films and Their Objects, 1925–1975 (2014–15).

On June 11, 2014, a Paul Lobel-design tea set for Wilcox Silver Plate Co. sold for US$377,000 at auction at Sotheby's in New York.

References

1865 establishments in Connecticut
Companies based in New Haven County, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Defunct manufacturing companies based in Connecticut

Wilcox Silver Plate Co.


Jean-Marie Pirot (December 26, 1926 – August 23, 2018), popularly known as Arcabas (a name given to him by his pupils), was a French contemporary sacred artist.

Pirot was born in Trémery. He studied in the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris and taught in the École des Beaux-Arts of Grenoble. He became known for his works in Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse church.
From 1969 to 1972, he was appointed guest artist by the Canadian government, and was a professor of the University of Ottawa, where he created "l'atelier collectif expérimental".

Later, back in France, he founded the atelier "Éloge de la Main". He received several demands from the French government and religious institutions. His works can be found in France, Germany, Mexico, Canada and the USA. He last lived in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, in Isère.

He used several techniques: sculpture, engraving, tapestry, mosaic or cabinet work, but specially painting. He also worked for theater making scenery and costumes.

His works were usually inspired by stories of the Bible.

External links
 Site officiel de l'artiste
 Musée départemental d'art sacré contemporain : pour un aperçu de l'église Saint-Hugues de Chartreuse.

1926 births
2018 deaths
20th-century French painters
21st-century French painters
French male painters
People from Moselle (department)

Arcabas


James Becket is a writer and filmmaker who currently uses documentary film to address issues of social justice and the environment. Previously he wrote, directed, and produced  independent feature films and, as a journalist and human-rights  lawyer, he reported on and engaged with important political events and social problems in Europe and Latin America.

Education

B.A. Williams College (Highest Honors). Becket graduated from Harvard Law School in 1962. Instituto de Economia, University of Chile (Fulbright Scholar), Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland.

Biography

Journalist

In the 1960s Becket began writing as a foreign correspondent from Europe, Latin America and Africa. His reports and articles appeared amongst others in The New Republic, The Nation, the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, Journal de Genève etc.  He also contributed to scholarly journals on issues of land reform, economic development, and international human rights law.

Human Rights Lawyer and the Greek Dictatorship

In April 1967 a junta of Greek Colonels  seized power in Greece. Becket and his Greek wife, Maria Becket became active in the resistance and the international movement to restore democracy in Greece. Amnesty International sent Becket and barrister Anthony Marreco  to Athens to investigate alleged human rights violations. Their Report which emphasized the regime's use of torture based on first hand testimony was widely reported in global media. Three Scandinavian countries brought the Greek Case before the European Commission of Human Rights Becket wrote Barbarism in Greece documenting torture and continued writing articles, appearing on television such as the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in the conflict with the regime over public opinion. When the European Commission was to hold hearings in Strasbourg, the Beckets organized the escapes of torture victims from Greece who gave first hand testimony to the commission. Becket also appeared as a witness. The violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting torture  proved to be a key issue in the commission's decision to condemn the dictatorship leading to its exit from the Council of Europe. Becket was declared persona non grata by the Greek regime.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

From 1974 to 1981 Becket served as UNHCR's Director of Public Information during a period "characterized by a considerable increase in the scale and scope of the work of UNHCR." He acted as the spokesperson for the organization and produced news stories and documentaries on the major refugee stories of the day including the Vietnamese boat people, Cambodian refugees fleeing genocide, African refugees fleeing wars and apartheid.

Filmmaking

In 1981 Becket moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career. His first film was in 1971 in Chile producing the political film Que Hacer with a group of radical Chileans and Americans during the Salvador Allende election. The film put its actors in real life election situations including speaking with Allende in character. The film received mixed reviews and was in numerous film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival. The 1973 coup overthrowing Allende sent the Chileans who worked on the film into exile or to their death. Working with UNHCR, he made a number of documentaries on refugees, including one on Chilean refugees. His writing of screenplays enabled him to expand into directing and producing and his international experience led him to direct movies with progressive political content in Chile (Southern Cross), Thailand (Natural Causes), Nicaragua, Sudan, and Jordan (Sanctuary).

In television, he directed two After School Specials dealing with such themes as child sexual abuse. He also wrote episodes for Miami Vice and Crime Story. In 1999 he created Becket Films and began producing documentary films on health and ecology. In the health field Becket produced films on childhood epilepsy  (his young daughter suffered from epilepsy) and stroke recovery. He produced a series of eight films on ship-borne symposia that brought together religious leaders and scientists, long estranged, to find common ground on the issue of the environment. Each symposium, under the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 'The Green Patriarch', traveled seven bodies of water in ecological jeopardy ranging from the Amazon to the Arctic to the Adriatic. Becket's most recent efforts include Sons of Africa (2014) where the sons of two bitter enemies scale Kilimanjaro on a Peace Climb and The Seeds of Vandana Shiva (2020) recounting the life story of the Indian eco-activist, Dr. Vandana Shiva.

Feature films

 Que Hacer? (1972) Co-filmmaker, Lobo Films (Directors' Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival, Critics' Award, Mannheim).
 Ulterior Motives (1991), Writer/Director, (Thomas Ian Griffith, Ken Howard, Mary Page Keller), Den Pictures,
 Natural Causes (1994), Director, (Linda Purl, Will Patton, Ali MacGraw), (Pacific Rim .Best Foreign Film, Houston Film Festival)
 The Best Revenge (1995) Writer/Director, (Carlos Riccelli, Robert Pine), Becket Films. (Winner Best Feature, Breckenridge Film Festival)
 Plato's Run (1996), Writer/Director, (Roy Scheider, Gary Busey), NuImage Films.
 Southern Cross (1999), Writer/Director/Producer, (Malcolm McDowell, Esai Morales, Michael Ironside), Bon Films.
 Junior Pilot (2006), Writer/Director, (Mark Dacascos, Eric Roberts, Larry Miller), Green Communications.

Television
 Je Suis un Refugie (1979) Writer/Director, UNHCR, First Prize Cork Film Festival
 Sanctuary,(1982) Writer/Director, PBS, Cindy Awards, Best in Festival awards
 Crime Story (1988) Writer, Going Home  27 February 1988
 Miami Vice (1988) Writer, Heart of Night 31 August 1988
 Big Boys Don't Cry (1992) Director, CBS Schoolbreak Special, Churchill Films, Humanitas Award
 Fast Forward (1994) Director, ABC Afterschool Special, Wild Films, Humanitas Award
 Guns in School (1993) Director, PSA, George Foster Peabody Award.

Screenplays

Becket has written thirty screenplays of which ten have been produced.

Documentaries

The Aegean: The Apocalypse, (1995) Producer/Director, RSE.
The Adriatic: A Sea at Risk, A Unity of Purpose (1998), Producer/Director, RSE.
El Misterio del Capital de los Indigenas Amazonicas, (2002), ILD,
The Baltic: A Sea in Peril, (2003) Producer/Director, RSE.
The Amazon: The End of Infinity (2004),Producer/Director, RSE.
Childhood Epilepsy 'What you need to know'. (2005)
Diagnosis Epilepsy: Now what? (2006) Winner 2007 Telly Award
The Arctic: The Consequences of Human Folly, (2006), Producer/Director, RSE.
The Green Patriarch, (2008) Producer/Director, RSE, 2008
Stroke Recovery: Taking Back Our Lives, (2010) Producer/Director, Becket Films.
The Mississippi: At The Tipping Point (2011) Producer/Director, RSE, 2011
Sons of Africa,(2014) Producer/Director, Journeyman Pictures. Winner Best Doc, Seattle Independent Film Festival, Borrego Springs Festival
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva (2020), Producer/Director with Camilla Denton, Becket Films

Books

 (1969) Barbarism in Greece Walker and Company (also translated and published in Swedish, Italian, Greek, and Turkish)
 (1973) (with Elise Smith) First Amnesty International Report on Torture, Duckworth's,
 (1998) Inca Gold  Bantam
 (1992) Murder on the Tour de France  Bantam

Selected articles

(14 May1962) "Report from a Troubled Colony" The New Republic

(16 May1964) "Autogestion: Algeria's Socialist Experiment" The Economic Weekly,

(23 May 1964) "Algeria's War Orphans" Christian Science Monitor

(19 July1966) "Suez, dix ans apres, Les consequences de la nationalisation" Journal de Genève

(29 December 1967) "Chile's Mini-Revolution" Commonweal

(27 May 1968) "Torture in Democracy's Homeland" Christianity and Crisis

(March 1968) "The Real Latin America (photographic essay)" Renewal

( March, 1968) "How I Became National Champion: Letter from Bolivia" Skiing

(6 January1969) "Greek Junta on Trial" The Nation

April 1970 pp 44–49) "Inquisition Greek style" Ramparts Magazine

(4 August 1972) "Torture as an Institution" New York Times

(March 1978)  "The Subjective Camera as Leading Character" American Cinematographer

Notes and references

External links

20th-century American journalists
21st-century American journalists
American male journalists
American political writers
Journalists from New York City
1936 births
Williams College alumni
Harvard Law School alumni
Living people
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies alumni

James Becket


Pegging is an anal sex act in which a woman penetrates a man's anus with a strap-on dildo.

Naming
The neologism "pegging" was popularized due to the sex education movie Bend Over Boyfriend released in 1998. After, it became the winning entry in a contest for the "Savage Love" sex advice column, held by Dan Savage in 2001 upon observing that except for the phrase "Strap On Sex" used by Queen and her partner Robert in their national lecture series (Robert was the original Bend Over Boyfriend at the Good Vibrations lectures), the concept lacked a common name and there was no dictionary entry for the act. Other words include "buggery" or "sodomy", but these refer to anal sex in general. "Strap-on sex" can be used for vaginal or anal intercourse between people of any gender using a strap-on, and is thus less precise than pegging. Some queer people prefer "strap-on sex" instead of "pegging" because they feel the latter is too hetero and cis centric.

Beckett and Miller use "pegger" and "peggee" to refer to the person penetrating and the person being penetrated; "top" and "bottom" are also used.

Method
Pegging is penetrative sex with a strap-on dildo, usually anal penetration. It is usually defined as a heterosexual practice in which a woman penetrates the anus of a man. The woman uses a strap-on dildo, often a silicone phallus, attached with a harness, or a strapless dildo (that also penetrates the pegger). Lubricant is also used.

According to Tristan Taormino, gender and gender roles play an important part in pegging. Pegging reverses traditional cisgender heterosexual gender roles in sexual practices: the man is penetrated by the woman, becoming passive rather than active.

In popular culture

According to Beckett and Miller (2022), most popular representations of pegging are derogatory, negative or even amounting to sexual assault.

Long before the term was coined as such, the 1970 film Myra Breckinridge, based on the novel by Gore Vidal, depicted the first known pegging scene on screen. The first explicit pegging scene is believed to be the 1976 pornographic film The Opening of Misty Beethoven. Marquis de Sade describes a pegging act in his 1795 book Philosophy in the Bedroom. There is a depiction of pegging in the William S. Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch. The dildo used in the scene is called a Steely Dan III, and is the source from which the musical group Steely Dan takes its name. Bend Over Boyfriend (1998) is based on a series of lectures and workshops by Robert Lawrence and Carol Queen. Bend Over Boyfriend originally inspired Dan Savage to call the act "BOBing" but his readers subsequently voted on the winning term, "pegging".

Since the coinage of "pegging", it was featured in the TV show Weeds, on the episode "Crush Girl Love Panic" (2006). Here, pegging appears to be non-consensual and is played as a joke towards the male character being forced into anal sex. In the episode "Knockoffs" of the TV series Broad City, Abbi Abrams pegs Jeremy Santos on his request. In the 2016 film Deadpool, Wade Wilson is pegged by his girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle on International Women's Day. In the episode "To Peg Or Not To Peg" of the TV Series The Bold Type, Kat pegs Cody.

References

Bibliography

Further reading
 Blue, Violet (2007) The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Strap-On Sex. Cleis Press.
 Taormino, Tristan (2006) [1997] The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women. Cleis Press

Anal eroticism
BDSM terminology
Sexual acts
Dan Savage
2001 neologisms

Pegging (sexual practice)


T. Edward (Ted) Vives originated the FSU Seminole War Chant in 1985, a trombonist and composer, is the musical director of the Los Alamos Community Winds.

Originally from Auburn, Alabama, Dr. Vives began music studies at the age of 4, taking piano and theory lessons from Edgar and Dorothy Glyde. His musical interests changed to trombone performance and composition upon entering the public school system. Vives holds bachelor's degrees in both composition and music education from Florida State University where he studied with John Boda, Roy Johnson, and Charles Carter. He also holds a Masters of Music in Composition and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Florida where he studied with Budd Udell and John D. White.

He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Service Fraternity (Gamma Nu chapter, Florida State University) Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, (Epsilon Iota chapter, Florida State University) and Tau Beta Sigma (honorary member, Alpha Omega chapter, Florida State University) and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

He has taught in the public schools in Florida and has served as a clinician at band and music camps in many states. His marching and concert band arrangements have been performed nationwide. In 2003 and 2010 he was selected as the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico's (Music Teachers National Association State Affiliate) Commissioned Composer.

He is the winner of the 2011 American Prize in Composition (Choral Division);

Dr. Vives' compositions and arrangements are published by Manduca Music Publications and Survives Music. He performs as principal trombone with both the Los Alamos Symphony and the Santa Fe Community Orchestra.
Additionally, he teaches low brass instruments privately.

Works

Orchestra

Introduction and Overture (From Palms to Poplars) (2002)
Symphony No. 1 (2005)
Tombeé de la Nuit (2005
Absence (2005)
Wedding Suite (2006)
Children's Suite (2007)
Fanfare de melodías populares de Nuevo México (2009)
Kilmartin Glen - A Sculpture in Stones (2009)

Concert band

Hilltopper Zia March (2000)
...and they pealed more loud and deep. (2003) Winner of the 2003 North Cheshire Concert Band Composition Competition;
For the Fair and the Brave (2004)
The Los Alamos Firefighters March (2011)
N.B.I. (2012)
...and they named it Trinity (2013)

Vocal, Choral, and Opera

Riddles (1993) Opera based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
Borean Visions (1995) for Concert Band and Chorus
Verbum Continuum (1997) for Soprano, Alto Saxophone, and Piano
Reflections of '63 (1997) for Tenor, Trumpet, Violoncello, Guitar, and Percussion
Circaré (1998)
Vigil Mass for the Risen Lord (2002, rev. 2012)
Lux Aeterna (2008) Runner-up in the 2009 Sacra Profana Choral Composition Competition
Castrovalva (2009)
The Soldier (2011)
elegy (2012)
Nursery Rhymes (2012)
Premonition (2012)

Chamber music

Woodwind Quintet No. 1 (Four for Five) (1994)
Delineations (1998) for Trombone and Piano
Brass Quintet (2002)
Elan con Brio (2003) for Bassoon, Trombone, and Piano Duo
Undisonus Praeconare (2003) for Brass Ensemble
Episode an Ailes (2006) for Flute Choir
Fete (2009) for Piano Duo
The Music Lesson (2010) for Soprano, 2 Trombones, and Piano
Bittersweet Covenant (2011) for Alto Saxophone, String Quartet, and Piano

External links
http://www.survivesmusic.net
http://www.lacw.org

References

American classical trombonists
Male trombonists
People from Auburn, Alabama
Living people
Auburn High School (Alabama) alumni
Florida State University alumni
University of Florida alumni
21st-century classical trombonists
21st-century American male musicians
Year of birth missing (living people)

T. Edward Vives


Firmin Didot (; 14 April 176424 April 1836) was a French printer, engraver, and type founder.

Early life
Firmin Didot was born in Paris into a family of printers founded by François Didot, the father of 11 children. Firmin was one of his grandchildren. The family's paper manufactory was located at Essonnes, a town c. 30 km southeast of Paris near Corbeil, which had notable paper factories.

Work
Didot invented the word "stereotype", which in printing refers to the metal printing plate created for the actual printing of pages (as opposed to printing pages directly with movable type), and used the process extensively, revolutionizing the book trade by his cheap editions. His manufactory was a place of pilgrimage for the printers of the world.

He first used the process in his edition of Callet's Tables of Logarithms (1795), in which he secured an accuracy till then unattainable. He published stereotyped editions of French, English and Italian classics at a very low price.
At the 1798 Exposition des produits de l'industrie française Pierre and Firmin Didot and Louis Etienne Herhan won an honorable distinction, the highest award, for their "Superb edition of Virgil with characters and ink of their manufacture; a stereotype plate, and an in-12 edition of the works of Virgil and Lafontaine with these characters."

Didot was appointed by Napoleon as the director of the Imprimerie Impériale typefoundry.

He was also the author of two tragedies  La Reine de Portugal and La Mort d'Annibal  and he wrote metrical translations from Virgil, Tyrtaeus and Theocritus.

Legacy
France is indebted to the Didot family for the publication of the Biographie Nationale, and Belgium is also indebted for the establishment of her Royal Press. Relatives of Firmin Didot include François Ambroise Didot (1730–1804); Pierre François Didot (1732–95); Henri Didot (1765–1862); and Pierre Didot (1760–1853).

Essai sur la Typographie by a member of the Didot family was published at Paris in 1852.

Along with Giambattista Bodoni of Italy, Firmin Didot is credited with establishing the use of the Didone or "Modern" style of serif typefaces. The types that Didot used are characterized by extreme contrast in thick strokes and thin strokes, by the use of hairline serifs and by the vertical stress of the letters. Many fonts today are available based on Firmin Didot's typefaces, and are often called Didot as a result.

References

External links
Blog post from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1764 births
1836 deaths
Deputies of Eure-et-Loir
Businesspeople from Paris
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
French printers
French typographers and type designers
19th-century French people

Firmin Didot


The Long Island AVA is an American Viticultural Area encompassing Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York, including the smaller offshore islands in those counties.  The AVA was established in 2001, over 15 years after two smaller AVAs were created at the eastern end of Long Island.  The Long Island AVA designation was promoted as a benefit for some wineries located just outside the two smaller AVAs and for wineries that wanted to create wines that use blends from vineyards in different parts of the island. It was also developed and promoted as a consumer protection of the Long Island name, as AVAs require that at least 85% of the fruit used in the designated wine is grown within the borders of the region. The "Long Island" AVA was authored by veteran Long Island winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich who also authored "The Hamptons, Long Island" and "North Fork of Long Island" AVAs in the mid-1980s.

Vineyards on Long Island benefit from the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and Peconic Bay on the local climate. The region is located in hardiness zones 7a and 7b.

References

External links
Long Island Wineries

American Viticultural Areas
AVA
Geography of Nassau County, New York
New York (state) wine
Geography of Suffolk County, New York
2001 establishments in New York (state)

Long Island AVA


The Titanic Historical Society, Inc. (THS) is a non-profit organization founded on  whose purpose is the preservation of the history of the famous ocean liner RMS Titanic, which sank in 1912, in one of the greatest maritime disasters in history.

The Society publishes a quarterly online magazine, The Titanic Commutator, and operates a museum in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, featuring artifacts donated by Titanic survivors and other memorabilia collected by founder Edward S. Kamuda. A highlight for the Society members is an annual convention where experts present in-depth information about various aspects of the Titanic catastrophe and memorabilia is available.

Founding and development
Headquartered in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts (United States), the group was formed on July 7, 1963, by Edward S. Kamuda and five others as the Titanic Enthusiasts of America. Besides Kamuda as President, the other founding officers were: Joseph Carvalho - Vice President, Bob Gibbons - Treasurer, Frank Casilio - Secretary, and John Eaton - Historian. In 1968, membership numbered 125 persons, ranging in age from teenagers to almost 90 years of age. Many became interested in the fabled ship after reading of her disastrous fate in Walter Lord's book, A Night to Remember. Membership grew slowly in the early years, reportedly  a decade later in 1973. By 1977, the organization had adopted its current name and membership had increased to 1,476 persons, along with  survivors of the disaster. Twenty years later in 1997, the Society had grown to 5,000 members.

For many years, the remaining survivors of the Titanics ill-fated maiden voyage were honored guests at the society's conventions. In 1992, the Society commemorated the 80th anniversary of the disaster in Boston, Massachusetts. The event brought together several living survivors, including Eva Hart, Louise Pope, Michel Marcel Navratil, and Beatrice Sandstrom, who enthralled those in attendance with their vivid first-person accounts of the night the Titanic foundered in the north Atlantic Ocean. Walter Lord, author of his seminal Titanic work, A Night to Remember, was another featured guest. Other presenters at Society conventions include artist Ken Marshall and Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreckage of Titanic in 1985.

Current activities
Principal activities of the Titanic Historical Society include:
Quarterly publication of an online magazine, The Titanic Commutator.
The Titanic Museum in Indian Orchard featuring an extensive collection of artifacts donated by Titanic survivors, called by the Tampa Tribune: "... the largest collection of non-salvaged Titanic artifacts and memorabilia in the world".
An annual membership convention where experts present in-depth information about various aspects of the Titanic catastrophe and memorabilia is available.

The Society also endeavors to preserve the history of other ocean liners, especially the Titanics sister ships, the White Star Line's  and  (which sank after hitting an enemy mine in World War I), and the Cunard ship . The society also publishes articles about various other famous ships, such as the  and , in The Titanic Commutator.

The media frequently seeks comment and advice when Titanic is in the news. On the 75th anniversary of her sinking, the Society's then-President Haas explained the public's ongoing fascination with the disaster: "We admire the great display of courage and heroism — latent qualities in people not often seen in this hurry-up world". Both Kamuda and Society Historian Don Lynch appeared in the acclaimed television documentary, Titanic: The Complete Story, produced by A&E Television Networks in 1994. In 1997, the Society participated in the filming of James Cameron's hit film Titanic and some members appeared on-screen as extras.

Although the Society supports exploration of the Titanic wreck site, it opposes salvage of items from the ship, stating in a 2005 Commutator issue, "the wreck is a gravesite to those that died that night and should be treated as a memorial" to the lives lost. Both the Titanic Historical Society and the Titanic International Society, formed in 1989 by former Titanic Historical Society officers Charles Haas and John Eaton, participate with the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Ice Patrol in the annual April 15th wreath-drop ceremony over the Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic now rests.

Titanic Museum
The Society maintains the Titanic Museum in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, featuring an extensive collection of artifacts donated by Titanic survivors. Started by Ed Kamuda, it has been called by the Tampa Tribune: "... the largest collection of non-salvaged Titanic artifacts and memorabilia in the world".

The Titanic Commutator magazine

Since its founding in 1963, the Society has regularly distributed a journal to members, The Titanic Commutator. Initially a mimeographed newsletter sent to 200 subscribers, the publication steadily increased in scope and depth over the years, eventually printed quarterly as a full-color illustrated magazine of some 50 pages, reporting on Titanic research and passenger stories, along with other notable ships from the "Golden Age" of transatlantic steamship travel. At the time of the production of James Cameron's film, Titanic, the Commutator provided extensive, behind-the-scenes coverage of set construction and details not shown in the final movie release. Following the February–April 2020 issue, the Society discontinued the print edition of the Commutator, although an online version continues to be available behind a paywall to members. Kamuda's widow, Karen, continues as editor.

See also
Titanic International Society

References

External links
 Titanic Historical Society – official website

Titanic Historical Society
Maritime museums in Massachusetts
Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts
History museums in Massachusetts

Titanic Historical Society


Fregenae (), was a maritime town of ancient Etruria, situated between Alsium and the mouth of the Tiber. The modern Fregene is an Italian hamlet (frazione) of Fiumicino, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. As of 2012 its population was of 6,445.

History

Ancient Fregenae
Livy mentions Fregenae among the coloniae maritimae (xxxvi. 3); and there is every reason to suppose that it was established at the same time with Alsium, in 245 BCE, and that we should read Fregenae for Fregellae in Velleius Paterculus, where he speaks of the foundation of these two colonies.  This is confirmed by the Epitome of the 19th book of Livy, where, though Alsium is not mentioned, the foundation of Fregenae is coupled with that of Brundusium, which Velleius refers to the following year.  No subsequent notice of it occurs in history: its marshy and unhealthy situation probably prevented its rising to prosperity; and, after the construction of the Portus Augusti on the right bank of the Tiber, it seems to have gradually sunk into insignificance. Hence, though its name is found in Strabo, Pliny, and the Itineraries, it is not noticed by Rutilius in his description of the coast of Etruria, and no ruins now mark the site. But the distances given in the Itinerary of 9 M.P. from Alsium, and the same from Portus Augusti at the mouth of the Tiber, enable us to fix its position with certainty at a spot now called Fregene in the comune of Fiumicino.

Modern Fregene
The modern town was created in 1928 as part of a large drainage project along the coasts of Lazio, near Maccarese, to create a sea resort. From the 1970s Fregene grew as part of the urban expansion of Rome metropolitan area. Until 1992 It was part of the municipality of Rome, when Fiumicino was created as an independent municipality.

Geography
Fregene is located on Tyrrhenian coast, 31 km in north of Fiumicino, near its international airport and the villages of Maccarese, Focene and Passo Oscuro. It is 24 km far from Ladispoli, 42 from Rome and 55 from Civitavecchia. Nearest railway station is Maccarese-Fregene on Rome-Pisa line.

See also
Arrone River
Rome-Fiumicino Airport

References

External links

Coloniae (Roman)
Etruscan sites
Fregene
Fiumicino
245 BC
240s BC establishments
Etruscan cities
Destroyed populated places
Former populated places in Italy

Fregenae


She is a 1965 British adventure film made by Hammer Film Productions in CinemaScope, based on the 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard. It was directed by Robert Day and stars Ursula Andress, Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, John Richardson, Rosenda Monteros, and Christopher Lee. The film was an international success and led to a 1968 sequel, The Vengeance of She, with Olinka Berova in the title role.

Plot
After receiving honorable discharges from the British Army in Palestine in 1918, Professor Holly, young Leo Vincey and their orderly Job embark on an expedition into a previously unexplored region of central-east Africa. They discover the lost city of Kuma after Leo receives a mysterious map revealing the city's whereabouts.

This lost realm is ruled by Ayesha, who is also known as "She-Who-Waits" and "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed." Ayesha is a beautiful, immortal queen, who believes Leo is the reincarnation of her former lover, the priest Kallikratees, whom she had killed two thousand years before when she found him in the intimate embrace of another woman. It was she, who met with Leo in Palestine, giving him the map to Kuma, and urging him to travel there. Leo is filled with a dogged determination to do so as he sees visions of Ayesha beckoning to him with outstretched arms.

After Leo has recovered from the journey to Kuma, Ayesha persuades him to bathe in the ceremonial fire that she had bathed in 2,000 years before by which she gained her immortality. One can bathe in the flame only when it has turned blue, which it does rarely for short periods of time when astronomical events coincide. Leo would then himself become immortal.

Meanwhile, Ayesha's army is attacked by her enslaved tribesmen, the Amahagger, who live outside Kuma. Ready to rebel against the queen's cruel tyranny they are incited to revolt by their leader, Haumeid, a citizen of Kuma, whose daughter Ustane dared to fall in love with Leo while nursing him back to health after his perilous journey to the city. The queen in jealousy has her cremated alive in the open molten lava pit before her throne. Her ashes are poured out in front of her outraged father, who cries out to the Amahagger for revenge. Although poorly equipped the Amahagger overcome Ayesha's army.

Leo himself is about to enter the blue ceremonial fire when Billali, Ayesha's high priest, demands to be allowed to enter it to gain immortality as well since he has served the queen unselfishly for many years. He is refused, so he pushes Leo aside in a scuffle that leaves Leo knocked out, opening his way to enter the blue flames. Ayesha kills him with a javelin to prevent this.

To overcome Leo's reluctance Ayesha takes him by the hand and leads him into the blue fire. Upon entering, Leo becomes immortal, but Ayesha's immortality is taken away, and she ages 2,000 years in minutes, dies, and crumbles into dust. Holly and Job have managed to get to Leo through the uprising, and Holly urges him to go once again into the fire to remove his immortality since a second time into the flames would do this as it had done to Ayesha. Unfortunately, the flame turns yellow again barring entry. The film ends with a despondent Leo vowing to wait for the fire to turn blue again that he might end the prospect of spending an eternity alone.

Cast
 Ursula Andress as Ayesha
 Peter Cushing as Holly
 Bernard Cribbins as Job
 John Richardson as Leo Vincey
 Rosenda Monteros as Ustane
 Christopher Lee as Billali
 André Morell as Haumeid
 Princess Soraya as Soraya

As of 2022, Ursula Andress is the last surviving leading cast member.

Production

The re-filming of the H. Rider Haggard novel – which had been filmed previously in 1908, 1911, 1916, 1917, 1925 and 1935 – was the idea of Kenneth Hyman of Seven Arts Productions, who had a long-running relationship with Hammer Film Productions. Anthony Hinds commissioned a script from John Temple-Smith, and the lead role was assigned to Ursula Andress, known at that time for her role in the James Bond film Dr. No. She would thus become the first Hammer film to be built around a female star.

Hammer pitched the project to Disney, who turned it down. Hinds then arranged for Berkley Mather to write a script, but the project was turned down again by Universal, and then by Joseph E. Levine and American International Pictures. Hinds passed it over to Michael Carreras who got David T. Chantler to rewrite the script. Carreras succeeded in getting the film financed through MGM, with triple the usual budget for a Hammer film.

The film was announced in May 1964. Although Seven Arts had helped finance several Hammer films, this was the first one they had produced together.

John Richardson was cast after being spotted by Ray Stark of Seven Arts.

Principal photography commenced in southern Israel's Negev Desert on 24 August 1964, with scenes also shot at MGM's Elstree Studios near London when Hammer's Bray Studios proved to be too small for the project. It was the most expensive film Hammer had made up until that time, but on release, it was a hit both in North America and in Europe.

Although the studio was pleased with the look of Ursula Andress in the film – as lit by Harry Waxman and costumed by Carl Toms and Roy Ashton – they found her Swiss-German accent to be offputting, and had her entire part re-dubbed by an actress Nikki van der Zyl, who had dubbed her in Dr. No.

Critical reception
The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote of the film: "It lacks style, sophistication, humour, sense, and above all, a reason for being, since it isn't even as good (excepting that it is in colour) as the last remake of She done with Helen Gahagan in 1935". The British listings magazine, the Radio Times, gave the film three out of a possible five stars, observing that Ursula Andress "acquits herself better than you might expect", and concluding that "The African backdrops are easily matched by Swiss-born Andress's own brand of exotic beauty and, while there's plenty to criticise, there's also much to enjoy."

See also
 She (1984 film)
 The Vengeance of She

References

External links

1965 films
1960s fantasy adventure films
British fantasy adventure films
Films directed by Robert Day
Films based on She
Films based on fantasy novels
Films scored by James Bernard
Films set in Africa
Films shot in Israel
Hammer Film Productions films
Films set in 1918
Films set in deserts
Films produced by Aida Young
Films shot at MGM-British Studios
Films shot at Associated British Studios
1960s English-language films
1960s British films

She (1965 film)


In Spanish-speaking cultures, a verbena is an agricultural show, modest amusement park, or dance party, especially one held at night. An old tradition, they usually take place after dark in summer. Nowadays, some major cities, such as Barcelona, host "permanent" verbenas (revetlla in Catalan), but these have less tradition character than those that appear for only a few days each year.

A large contemporary verbena features mechanical amusement rides, sideshow attractions, and usually some sort of gambling. Typical verbena food includes churros, ham, cheese, marzipan, candied egg yolks ("yemas"), candied quince ("membrillo"), and sugared fruits—though in recent years, modern junk foods have found their way into the mix. There are always alcoholic beverages—usually Spanish wine, sangría and lager beer.

There is usually music and dancing, either organized or spontaneously. In recent years, verbenas have incorporated recorded popular music, rock music, and even karaoke, but in Andalusia and even beyond, flamenco and other traditional music still dominate verbenas. When the musicians take a break, a runner carrying fireworks (toro de fuego) may dash into the crowd.

The word verbena comes without alteration from Latin. The term originally referred to the plant verbena, from which the term for a fair derives.

Artistic representation
One of the most famous zarzuela (Spanish operetta) pieces in the género chico ("smaller genre") is La Verbena de la Paloma ("The Fair of the Dove"), set at a verbena on the night of the Virgin of the Paloma, August 14; it was also made into a 1963 movie.

There is a 1939 film called Verbena Tragica (also known as Tragic Festival).

The song "Verbena de San Cayetano" celebrates a verbena in Madrid.

See also
 Patronal festival
 Sagra (festival)

References

Festivals in Spain
Culture of Spain

Verbena (fair)


Austin Merrill Mecklem (1890–1951)  was an American artist. He did mural projects for the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression era before settling down in the artist colony at Woodstock, New York. One of his works, Old Town in Alaska, is in the Wrangell, Alaska post office.

Mecklem's work is in the permanent collections of the Speed Memorial Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, the Binghamton (N.Y.) Museum of Fine Arts in Binghamton, New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the Museum of Modern Art, both in New York City and the Smithsonian.

Personal life
Mecklem was born in Colfax, Washington on December 17, 1890. (He later often gave his birth year as 1894, but the earlier date has been confirmed by a family record and by a signed, witnessed 1926 application by Mecklem to the Navy for adjustment to compensation for his naval reserve service.) Mecklem was a son of Archibald McDanel Mecklem and Laura Isobelle Smith. One of Austin's brothers was Llewellyn Guy "L. G." Mecklem (1882-1973), daredevil aerialist and racecar driver, who made the first powered flight over Seattle, in a hydrogen-filled airship, in 1908.

During World War I Mecklem joined the United States Navy and served on the USS Brooklyn (ACR-3). Soon after the war ended, the Brooklyn headed to Vladivostok, Russia to support the American Expeditionary Force, Siberia. On a document he filed with the Navy, Mecklem stated that he served in Vladivostok for "about 7 months in the harbor about 2 months of which were shore duty." After leaving the Navy, Mecklem then moved to New York City and studied at the Art Students League with Kenneth Hayes Miller and Boardman Robinson. In 1926, he traveled to France, Holland, Belgium and England.

Mecklem married Hannah Small about 1923. The couple lived in the Maverick "art colony" in Woodstock, New York, then moved to Portland, Oregon, where Mecklem taught painting and had his first solo show, at the Portland Art Museum in 1928. Austin and Hannah traveled to Europe in 1929, and resided in New York City for a time. Hannah Small became romantically involved with the painter Eugene Ludins, and eventually Small and Mecklem divorced, after which Small married Ludins.

Mecklem married Marianne Appel in 1937. They lived at the Maverick colony in Woodstock in a cabin. Mecklem died on October 7, 1951. Austin and Marianne had two children, Sarah Greer Mecklem and Margaret Merrill Mecklem. After Austin's death, Marianne moved, with her daughters, to New York City, where she worked as a puppet designer, and authored and illustrated children's books; she later worked for Jim Henson. In 1960, she married Carl Harms, an actor, puppeteer, and board member of Actors Equity.

References

1890 births
1951 deaths
American muralists
University of Washington alumni
San Francisco Art Institute alumni
People from Colfax, Washington
Art Students League of New York alumni
20th-century American artists
American male artists
United States Navy personnel of World War I
Federal Art Project artists
American military personnel of the Russian Civil War
Section of Painting and Sculpture artists

Austin Mecklem


Pantelis Pantelidis (; 23 November 1983 – 18 February 2016) was a Greek singer, songwriter and lyricist. He died on 18 February 2016 in a car crash.

Biography

Born on November 23, 1983, Pantelis Pantelidis grew up in Nea Ionia, a small suburb of Athens. His mother's family is from Agrinio in Greece. His father's family comes from the Isparta area in Asia Minor.

Pantelidis worked in the Hellenic Navy as a non-commissioned officer, but abandoned the career to pursue his music. Pantelidis was a self-taught musician and became well known through his music videos on YouTube. After his fame hit, Pantelidis continued his career in discography. He released four albums with great commercial success. Pantelidis collaborated with numerous Greek artists such as Vasilis Karras, Despina Vandi and others. He won three awards at the MAD Video Music Awards, an annual award show in Greece. He won his first award in 2013 as "best new artist," 2015 as "best Greek male singer," and "best Greek Male Singer" again in 2016, after his death. His close family and friends accepted the award on his behalf.

Pantelidis died on 18 February 2016 in a car accident on Vouliagmenis Avenue, Athens.

On February 18, 2017, one year after his death, an unpublished demo song was released Karavia Sto Vitho.

On October 27, 2017, Tha Zo, another unpublished song of the artist was released. It was written and composed by Pantelis Pantelidis and sung by Amaryllis. Within a month, it received 3,000,000 views.

On December 1, 2017, Na Se Kala, his final unpublished song was released. Within one month, it had been viewed 6.000.000+ times.

YouTube success

From a young age, Pantelis Pantelidis began writing his own songs. When filming them, he began sending the videos to close friends and family, who then posted them on YouTube. In 2012, Pantelis released a video singing his original song, Den Tairiazete Sou Lew, accompanied by his self-taught acoustic guitar playing. The video received instant hype and reached over 1 million views in a short period of time. The video led to a contract with a popular Greek Record company. In 2012, his debut album went double-platinum. In the Autumn of 2013, he won the MAD Video Music Award for Best New Artist.

Death
On 18 February 2016, Pantelidis died in Athens in a car crash. He was 32 years old. There is much speculation however as to who was driving the vehicle. The collision occurred on Vouliagmenis Avenue, a Mercedes W164 ML 63 AMG, just one day before he was set to perform at a well-known Athens night club with Despoina Vandi and Kostas Martakis.

In the car with him were two women, one of them being Mina Arnaouti. The second woman was Froso Kyriakou; both survived with serious injuries. Arnaouti posted photos of the crash afterwards showing a body in the driver's seat.

In later a genetic evaluation, Giorgos Fitsialos, doctor of Molecular Genetics and one of the many experts investigating the case, found in two of the samples taken from the vehicle's steering wheel mixed genetic profiles of at least two persons, one of whom was Pantelis Pantelidis. The case is still being investigated.

After his death, two of his songs reached the #1 spot on the Billboard chart "Greece Digital Songs". The two songs being "Ta Shinia Sou" and "Pino Apo 'Ki Psila Gia Sena". On June 25, Pantelidis' single was released. The single consisted of one unpublished song and one song available on videoclip, though it was planned to be on the CD. The song Thimamai in YouTube reached over 30,000,000 views. On December 14, 2016, Pantelidis' pre-recorded song "Alli Mia Efkeria" was released via artist's official YouTube channel. The video gained over 1.1 million views within the two days of its release. After four weeks, the video reached more than 20,000,000 views.

Discography

Studio albums
Alkoolikes oi Nyxtes (2012)
Ouranio toxo pou tou Lypane dyo Xromata (2013)
Panselinos kai kati A' Meros Eis-Pnoi (2014)
Panselinos kai kati B' Meros Ek-Pnoi (2015)

CD singles
I agapi einai thyella -with Vasilis Karras Paola Foka-(2012)
Gia Ton Idio Anthropo Milame -with Vasilis Karras-(2012)
Tis Kardias mou to grammeno (2015)
Thimamai (2016)
Alli Mia Efkeria (2016)
Karavia Ston Vytho + Alli mia efkeria (2017)
Kako skyli (Valentino Remix) (2017)
Na 'sai kala  (2017)

Compilations
2 Nea Tragoudia Ginetai+Alkoolikes oi nyxtes (2013)
Panselinos kai kati Eis-pnoi + Ek-pnoi (2015)
Gia panta (Best of) (2016)

Posthumous releases

The first song after his death was released on June 26, 2016. It is called Thimamai (Θυμάμαι, I remember) and on YouTube it reached 33,000,000+ views.

On December 14, 2016, Alli mia eykeria (Άλλη μια Ευκαιρία, One more chance) was released. A video clip was also created for this song including unpublished footage of Pantelis Pantelidis. The song on YouTube reached 26,000,000+ views.

On February 18, 2017, one year after his death, Karavia Sto Vitho was released and reached 16,000,000+ views within one month. (Currently 17,000,000)

On October 27, 2017, Tha zo (Θα ζω, I'll live) was released, written by Pandelis Pandelidis and sung by Amarrilis. Within one month, the video received 3,500,000+ views.

On December 1, 2017, Na se kala (Να 'σαι καλά, Be well) was release. The video received 8,500,000 views after a month. (Currently 9,000,000)

On May 25, 2018 , the song Pali Pali (Πάλι Πάλι, Again again) was released. 10 days after release the video received 2.000.000+ views. 1 Month after its release it had 8,500,000+ views. (Currently 9,300,000)

On December 20, 2018 , the song Kane ta panta apopse (Κάνε τα πάντα απόψε, Do everything tonight) was released. 5 days after release the video received 500,000+ views. (Currently 4,500,000)

On December 20, 2018 , the song Ax kai na'ksera pou na'sai (Αχ και να 'ξερα που να 'σαι, Oh if I just knew where you are) was released. 5 days after release the video received 700.000+ views. (Currently 2,400,000)

Awards

Songs given to other artists
Though Pantelis Pantelidis was a talent in song-writing he did not give away songs to just anybody. He had in plan to share some of his songs but due to his death he only was able to share with the world via other artists the following songs:

Xeirotera by Eleni Xatzidou
Tora sernese by Paola
Diatages by Amarillis
O kainourios erotas sou by Eirini Papadopoulou
Narkopedio I zoi moy by Giannis ploutarxos

Songs to be released
Pantelis Pantelidis wrote many songs. However, most of them are just found on YouTube in live versions or as a guitar version, like the "Den teriazetai sou leo", which made him popular in the first place.

Even though nothing has been announced yet about the following songs, those are the top that are found in more than 1 version on the internet and people many times asked to be found and song either by other singers or remake the original videos if found and cover with music to be released.

Ase me na nioso tin anapnoi sou
Athina
Egina Skia
Ego eimai edo
Irtha ego na ta gamiso ola
Katexomena
Kai egw sta matia sou miden
Ligo xrono zitises
Me eixes mprosta sou
Mixani tou xronou
Monos moy
O alitis sou
O trelos
Prokalese me
Sagineytiki agapi
Simadia sto laimo sou
Sou egine to s'agapo

and more...

References

External links

1983 births
2016 deaths
21st-century Greek male singers
Greek male singer-songwriters
Greek singer-songwriters
Hellenic Navy officers
Male singer-songwriters
Musicians from Athens
Road incident deaths in Greece

Pantelis Pantelidis


Bryan Charles Kocis (May 28, 1962 – January 24, 2007), also known as Bryan Phillips, was a director of gay pornographic films and founder of Cobra Video, a gay porn film studio. Kocis was murdered at his Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, home on January 24, 2007; arson was used in an attempt to disguise the circumstances of his death. Two escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes, were charged and convicted for Kocis' murder and subsequently given a sentence of life imprisonment without any possibility of parole.

Early life
Bryan Charles Kocis was raised in Larksville, Pennsylvania, the first son of Michael and Joyce Kocis. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, after which he worked as a medical photographer for a local eye doctor.

Career
After he left the medical photography business, he tried several business ventures, all of which failed. In 2001, he was involved in a cellular phone venture. After being charged with sexual assault on a 15-year-old boy, he was removed as a partner in that venture, and established Cobra Video, also in 2001.  Later that year, Kocis filed for bankruptcy in federal court.  Kocis created two legal entities with the name "Cobra Video LLC": one in Pennsylvania in 2002, the other in Delaware in 2005.

Cobra competed in the market niche of low-budget, Barely Legal-style bareback films.  The company was dedicated to "Capturing the Erotic Essence of Youth" by producing pornographic movies of young men who looked as if they could be adolescents having sex without condoms.

In the five years after, between his bankruptcy and his death, Kocis' Cobra Video did very well financially.  At the time of his death, Kocis had amassed personal possessions which included a Maserati convertible, a BMW sport utility vehicle and an Aston Martin car.  In addition to his Dallas Township home, Kocis owned two adjacent Rice Township parcels of land, valued at over $400,000, with no mortgages.

Controversies

Allegations of sexual abuse of a child
In 2002, police found a videotape of Bryan Kocis, then 39, and a 15-year-old male in his home. Kocis pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a child. He was charged with child pornography, and transportation of a minor for sexual purposes. Since the boy had lied about his age Kocis was given a probation sentence.

In 2006 a judge, Michael Conahan, signed paperwork changing Kocis' charge from sex assault to corruption of minors. Kocis' former attorney, Al Flora, said the change was made because the original charge of sexual assault of a child was a mistake and that, "We didn't realize there was an error until 2006." As a result of that change, Kocis was not required to be registered as a Megan's Law offender.  Conahan later pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges in relation to the infamous "Kids for Cash" scandal, and is serving 17.5 years in prison.

Brent Corrigan
Beginning in  early 2004, Kocis cast Sean Lockhart, in Cobra's Every Poolboy's Dream under the stage name "Brent Corrigan". He starred in several more films in that year, notably Schoolboy Crush in 2004, in Bareboned Twinks and Casting Couch 4 in 2005, and other releases in 2006. On September 13, 2005, Corrigan's attorney announced that Corrigan was underaged when he filmed scenes for Cobra Video, and had used a fake ID to participate in those scenes. Cobra denied that it was ever aware of such allegations and publicly stated that it had copies of Corrigan's identity documents claiming a birth year of 1985. A civil lawsuit between the two parties began soon after.

Kocis denied the allegations and began a counter-suit for copyright infringement, for the unauthorized use of Cobra's "Brent Corrigan" name.  A final hearing in the matter was scheduled for February 21, 2007.

In 2005 and 2006, Cobra removed six of the titles which featured Lockhart from store shelves, although they cited no reason for the removal.

Death
Kocis was found dead on January 24, 2007, at the age of 44, after a fire at his Dallas Township, Pennsylvania, home. According to the investigating coroner, Kocis was stabbed 28 times and his throat was cut, nearly decapitating him. His body was left in the house before it was set on fire. Officials had to use dental records to identify Kocis because his body was burned beyond recognition.

On May 15, 2007, two Virginia Beach escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes, were arrested and charged with Kocis' murder. Police arrested the pair after discovering evidence on Kocis' computer, which had survived the fire.

On December 8, 2008, Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, theft, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and criminal conspiracy, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.  Cuadra pleaded not guilty and went to trial on February 24, 2009. He was found guilty of all charges.  On March 16, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On April 7, 2009, Cuadra appealed his life sentence.

Popular culture
Bryan Kocis' lawsuit against Sean Lockhart and the claim by Luzerne County (Pennsylvania) prosecutors during Harlow Cuadra's murder trial that Lockhart was "contractually bound" to perform sex acts for money for Bryan Kocis' Cobra Video company led to on-going public discussion about the legality of adult industry contracts and revealed why the adult entertainment industry in North America is concentrated in the State of California.

Cobra Killer: Gay Porn Murder, was written by authors Andrew E. Stoner and Peter A. Conway, was about Bryan Kocis' murder, and the trials of Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes. Cobra Killer was published by Magnus Books on June 19, 2012.

Based on the book, the film King Cobra premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, with Christian Slater playing Bryan Kocis.

A new play by Bill Crouch about Bryan Kocis' death, entitled Cruel Men: In the Lion's Den,  is currently being workshopped in New York City.

Partial videography
 Every Poolboy's Dream, 2004 (Cobra Video)
 Schoolboy Crush, 2004 (Cobra Video)
 Bareboned Twinks, 2005 (Cobra Video)
 Casting Couch 4, 2005 (Cobra Video)

The previous four titles were voluntarily removed from circulation due to Corrigan's underage dispute. They have remained for sale on internet auction sites.
 Cream BBoys, 2006 (Cobra Video)
 Naughty Boy's Toys, 2006 (Cobra Video)
 Brent Corrigan: Fuck Me Raw, 2006 (Cobra Video)
 Take It Like a Bitch Boy, 2006 (Cobra Video)

References

External links

 Cobra Video's corporate web site
 Cobra Killer: Book about Bryan Kocis Murder
 Book: Kids For Cash by William Ecenbarger describes Luzerne County Pennsylvania as "a culture of corruption"

1962 births
2007 deaths
People from Larksville, Pennsylvania
American pornographers
American LGBT film directors
American pornographic film directors
American pornographic film producers
American murder victims
Directors of gay pornographic films
People murdered in Pennsylvania
Deaths by stabbing in Pennsylvania
Film directors from Pennsylvania
2007 murders in the United States
Violence against LGBT people
Rochester Institute of Technology alumni
20th-century American LGBT people
21st-century American LGBT people

Bryan Kocis


William Julius Harris (February 3, 1868April 18, 1932) was a United States senator from the state of Georgia. He was a great-grandson of Charles Hooks, who had been a Representative from North Carolina, and son-in-law of Joseph Wheeler, Confederate General and Representative from Alabama.

Early life
Harris was born in Cedartown in Polk County, Georgia, and attended the common schools. He graduated from the University of Georgia at Athens in 1890.

He married Julia Knox Hull Wheeler (November 27, 1870 - January 6, 1959), daughter of Joseph Wheeler.

Career
He engaged in the general insurance business and banking at Cedartown, Georgia. He served as private secretary to U.S. Senator Alexander S. Clay from 1904 to 1909.

Entering politics, Harris was elected as a Democrat to the Georgia Senate in 1911 and 1912. From 1913 to 1915 he served as appointed Director of the United States Census Bureau; he also served as Acting Secretary of the Department of Commerce from 1913 to 1915. In 1915 he resigned when he was appointed as a member of the Federal Trade Commission.

He was chairman of the FTC 1917-1918. In 1918, he was elected as a Democrat to the US Senate, and reelected in 1924 and 1930. He served in total from March 4, 1919 until his death. While in the Senate, Harris was a member of the National Forest Reservation Commission from 1929 to 1932.

He died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C. Funeral services were held in the Chamber of the United States Senate. His interment was in Greenwood Cemetery in Cedartown.

After Harris' death in 1932, the governor of Georgia, Richard Russell, Jr., declared a special election for September of that year to fill the vacant seat. Russell declared his own candidacy and won the election to replace Harris.

See also
 List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)

References

Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, 2002, Robert A. Caro, p. 174

External links

1868 births
1932 deaths
Directors of the United States Census Bureau
Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators
University of Georgia alumni
Democratic Party United States senators from Georgia (U.S. state)
People from Cedartown, Georgia
United States Census Bureau people
State political party chairs of Georgia (U.S. state)
Woodrow Wilson administration personnel

William J. Harris


The Aurora (supposedly called the SR-91 Aurora) is a possible surveillance aircraft. No one knows if it ever existed. Supposedly, it was meant for trying out hypersonic flight, or speeds above 5 times the speed of sound. The name "Aurora" was used for the aircraft because in 1985, it appeared on an American military funding list. It might have been to replace the SR-71 Blackbird.

Aurora sightings

In 1989, a man named Chris Gibson was working on an oil rig when he saw a KC-135 Stratotanker, two F-111 Aardvarks, and a triangle-shaped craft refueling. He did not know what it was. During 1991 in Southern California, there were a lot of sonic booms being heard. There was also a pulse coming out of the engine. The most recent sighting was in 2006.

Related pages
Unidentified flying object

References

Individual aircraft

Aurora (aircraft)