Caravelli (born Claude Vasori; 12 September 1930, Paris, France – 1 April 2019, Cannet, France) was a French orchestra leader, composer and arranger of orchestral music.

Biography
The son of an Italian father and a French mother, Vasori was initially instructed in music by his mother in piano and voicing/harmony at seven years old, and later, when he was thirteen he began to attend the Paris Conservatoire. At twenty he was professionally touring, accompanying singers on piano, and at 26 years old he started as an orchestra conductor.

Vasori took his stage name in 1956 from the newly introduced twin-jet Caravelle from Caravelle Aerospatiale. This plane was the first jet created for the short-haul market. The first Caravelle entered service for Air France on May 9, 1959. He made it more Italianate in honor of his father's origins, changing the last letter: "CARAVELLI et son Violons Magiques/& his Magnificent Strings".

In 1959 with the help of the French jazz musician Ray Ventura, he obtained a contract to form his own orchestra oriented to popular music. He signed a contract with the French record label Versailles. His first album Dance Party was recorded. Under licenses these early recordings were released internationally (20th Century Records in the USA, Ariel in Argentina, Fermata in Brasil, and Discophon in Spain). In 1962, he composed Et Satan conduit le bal original soundtrack under his real name, French film starred by young Catherine Deneuve. In 1963, he composed "Accroche-toi Caroline!" which was used by the BBC as the theme to the Vision On television series.

The Versailles label was acquired by Columbia Records in 1964. The wider distribution of their product led to gold records in France, Japan, Israel and South America. In Brazil his first released CBS album was titled Voyage Musical, in Argentina Merci Cherie.

With his orchestra he also made recordings with Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet (La mer/Beyond the sea) among other singers. In 1970 he composed the music for the film L'Homme Qui Vient De La Nuit, starred by Ivan Rebroff, and in the same period recorded an album in USA. His first Japan Live Concert is recorded in 1972 by CBS.

In 1973, one of his own compositions was included in the Frank Sinatra album Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back: "Laisse moi le temps" / "Let Me Try Again", original French lyrics by Michel Jourdan, English lyrics by Paul Anka. This song was previously presented in competition at the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar, Chile, by singer Romuald representing France and obtaining the second prize (a Chile song was the winner), although it was considered the best song by critics and people. Making a delayed justice, a few years ago, it was proclaimed the Best Song in the history of this Festival, in its 41st Anniversary, something unusual for a non-first prize in any song contest. This song was also covered by Raymond Lefevre.

In 1978, he composed and recorded the title song of "Goldorak et les 2 Mazingers", for the Japan anime/cartoon. In 1981 he toured the Soviet Union with his orchestra performing in Riga and Moscow with great success (all concerts were sold out). The summer of following year, he returned to the country, this time to make a record for the Melodiya label with Russians musicians and female singers (in his style without lyrics). This record In Moscow included 12 tracks, the majority written by young pop Russian composers, with a couple of traditional tunes. Two of the pieces were recorded in Paris with his own orchestra. In 1983 Caravelli plays Seiko Matsuda was recorded in Japan.

In the middle 1980s, in order to update his sound he used rhythm arrangements by his son Patrick Vasori (born c.1950) using musicians such as Gilles Gambus and Serge Planchon, who also played keyboards with the orchestra. In November and December 2006, he recorded an album titled A New Day Has Come with his Grand Orchestre in Brussels, Belgium, for Reader's Digest.

Japan being a country in which he has a following, Caravelli is one of the few Western artists who have been invited to conduct the Japanese TV Network's NHK Orchestra, In November 2001, he was touring Japan with an orchestra composed of 32 musicians (tour N° 7 ), invited by the Sony Foundation (the previous tour was in 1996). At this time, Sony Music Japan assembled a 2-CD set Caravelli plays Michel Polnareff and ABBA, being the first (Polnareff) a selection from 1960 and 1970 albums (including his cover of "Love Me, Please Love Me") and the second (ABBA) a selection from 1970's recordings. In December 2003, he toured Japan again; the six concerts were sold out.

He died on 1 April 2019, at the age of 88.

References

1930 births
2019 deaths
Easy listening musicians
French male conductors (music)
20th-century French conductors (music)
French composers
French male composers
French music arrangers
French people of Italian descent
Columbia Records artists
21st-century French conductors (music)
20th-century French male musicians
21st-century French male musicians
Musicians from Paris

Caravelli


Shadow at the Water's Edge is the 23rd installment in the Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game series by Her Interactive. The game is available for play on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X platforms. It has an ESRB rating of E10+ for moments of mild violence and disturbing imagery. Players take on the first-person view of fictional amateur sleuth Nancy Drew and must solve the mystery through interrogation of suspects, solving puzzles, and discovering clues. There are two levels of gameplay, Junior and Senior detective modes, each offering a different difficulty level of puzzles and hints, however neither of these changes affect the actual plot of the game. The game is loosely based on two books, Tour of Danger (1992) and The Thirteenth Pearl (1979).

Plot

Nancy Drew travels as an English teacher to Kyoto, Japan with friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne as a reward for solving the preceding mystery (Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister). Once she arrives at her Ryokan, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. Strange events, supposedly caused by a woman who died there mysteriously, are scaring away guests. One by one, the guests leave the Ryokan Hiei until Nancy is left only with the secretive family that owns the inn. Unable to resist a mystery, Nancy works to discover who, or what is haunting the inn.

Characters

 Nancy Drew (Lani Minella) – Nancy is an 18-year-old amateur detective from the fictional town of River Heights in the United States. She is the only playable character in the game, which means the player must solve the mystery from her perspective.
 Miwako Shimizu (Mikano Fukaya) – Miwako is the receptionist at the Ryokan Hiei. She is devoted to the Ryokan and her family heritage, although, being the youngest daughter in the Shimizu family, she is not going to inherit the inn. She is a very shy, polite, and delicate person, unlike her sister Yumi. She is very upset when she hears anything about her dead mother, Kasumi. Her traditional views create tension between her and her older sister Yumi and her boyfriend Rentaro.
 Yumi Shimizu (Kira Lauren) – Yumi is the oldest daughter in the Shimizu family who runs a bento stand called Happy Bento in the inner city of Kyoto. As the eldest daughter, she is, by tradition, to inherit her family's Ryokan, although she prefers to live in the city. She has a very strained relationship with her family, due in part to her unconventional views and overbearing personality. Miwako considers her a brat, but Yumi thinks Miwako needs to have more fun.
 Rentaro Aihara (Marc Biagi) – Longtime friend and neighbor of the Shimizu's, Rentaro is also Miwako's boyfriend and the Ryokan's handyman. He is into electronics, and bought a robotic cat, Suki, for Miwako. His goofy and quirky personality sometimes annoys the Shimizus, but for the most part, they get along well. Rentaro is a friendly but eccentric person. He dreams of one day moving to the city with Miwako, but Miwako feels too tied to the inn to move.
 Takae Nagai (Waylayn Sharples) – Takae is Miwako and Yumi's grandmother. Having grown up and lived in the Ryokan her whole life, Takae has seen many things happen there, including the accidental death of her daughter, Kasumi. Still, she insists on following tradition, even if it's against both of her granddaughter's wishes. She believes Yumi should move back in order to take over the Ryokan.

Additional voice work was performed by Chris Maxfield, Naoko Nibu-Butler, Akika Tanaka, Adrienne Maclain, and Sana Watterson.

Release

The game was officially released on October 19, 2010, though pre-orders began on September 20, 2010. Special editions of the game, which included bonus avatar outfits, games, commands for Suki, and outtakes, were sent out to those who pre-ordered the game directly from Her Interactive. Leading up to the game release, Her Interactive released a demo, a fictional blog for one of the game's characters, Yumi, and a micro-site featuring John Grey from Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon.

Reception

Lieren Teeling of Adrenaline Vault rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "Shadow at the Water's Edge is a good game with a fascinating horror story to enjoy, but the need to solve large number puzzles could make the game less appealing to some people."  Ryan Casey of Just Adventure rated it A− and wrote, "It shows a lot of effort, especially with thoughtful puzzles instead of chores, but maintains the elements that have made its most successful predecessors so praiseworthy."  Erin Bell of Gamezebo rated it 4/5 stars and wrote that the game is fun and educational, but some players may be frustrated by the challenging puzzles that can not be skipped.  Heidi Fournier of Adventure Gamers rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "While not the best of the series, Shadow at the Water's Edge is still a solid Nancy Drew entry that takes decent advantage of its exotic location."

References

2010 video games
Detective video games
Video games based on Nancy Drew
Point-and-click adventure games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Kevin Manthei
Windows games
MacOS games
Video games set in Kyoto
Her Interactive games
Single-player video games
North America-exclusive video games

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge


Laurent Fels, PhD in French literature, is a writer and high school teacher in Luxembourg and is a member of the research centre 'Écritures' of the Université de Lorraine.  He was born in Esch-sur-Alzette.  He is the founder and editor of the magazine Les Cahiers de poésie.

His work earned him a seat in the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

He is also a devoted reader of philosophers of the Far East and continues his poetic quest in an ontological approach.
Author of 17 books, his work has been crowned by the Grand Prix de Littérature from the National Academy of Metz in 2007.

Laurent Fels is also a member and scientific collaborator in numerous literary institutions.
He has been a member of the European Academy of Poetry since April 2009.

His works have been translated into German, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Roman, Uzbek and Chinese.

Selection of works
 2005: Voyage au bout de l'étoile (Poems)
 2005: Paroles Oubliées (Poems)
 2005: Dire l'Indicible / Das Unsagbare in Worte fassen (Poems in French and German)
 2005: Le Cycle du Verbe / Wortzyklus (Poems in French and German)
 2005: Îles enchantées (Poems)
 2006: Comme un sourire / Wie ein Lächeln (Poems in French, Arabic and German)
 2007: Intermittences / Intermitente / Intervalle (Poems in French, Roman and German)
 2007: La dernière tombe restera ouverte (Poems)
 2008: Ourganos (Esoteric poems)
 2008: Nielles (Poems)
 2009: Arcendrile suivi de Nielles (Poems)
 2010: À contre-jour (Poems)
 2012: Regards de soie (Poems in French, English and Chinese)
 2014: Elfenbeintestament (Poems in German)
 2015: Cyclamen (Poems in French)

References

External links

Luxembourgian writers in French
Living people
People from Esch-sur-Alzette
Year of birth missing (living people)

Laurent Fels


Gino Cappello (; 2 June 1920 – 28 March 1990) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker.

Club career
A native of Padua, Cappello began his career with Padova. After spending two seasons with the club in Serie B, he landed in Serie A with Milan in 1940. In the three seasons at Milan he was always the second leading scorer and unfortunately Milan was not a major title-contender at the time. After the war he went to Bologna where he played for ten straight seasons. He scored 80 goals in 245 games leaving a mark on the fans not to be forgotten. In his last two seasons he played for Novara in Serie B. In 1958, when he was still playing with Novara, he decided to retire having reached the age of forty.

International career
Cappello debuted for the Italy national team on 22 May 1949 in a 3–1 win against Austria. He was one of four players to play both games at the 1950 World Cup. Four years later he was also called up to the national team for the 1954 World Cup, where he wore the number 10 shirt, becoming the first Italian player to wear the iconic jersey in a World Cup as it was the first tournament which required players to wear numbers on their shirts. He played his last game for Italy in a 4–1 win against Belgium during the tournament.

Style of play
Despite not initially having the best technique as a youngster, Cappello later developed into a highly skilful and creative forward, who was known for his feints, close control and dribbling skills, as well as his poor work-rate and inconsistency. Initially an advanced playmaker or second striker, Cappello was capable of playing anywhere along the front-line, on either wing or even in the centre. An instinctive and opportunistic player, with an eye for goal, he naturally adapted to the centre forward position; his main characteristic was to become completely separated from the game for long periods, only to suddenly pull off a crucial assist or the winning goal with one of his only shots or touches of the match. Both genius and dissolute, Gino Cappello was also known for his difficult character and lack of discipline, and obtained two lifetime bans throughout his career; one of those was given in 1952, as Cappello had punched a referee during a summer game. He served 12 months of the suspension before being absolved.

References

External links
Gino Cappello Profile at Magliarossonera.it

1920 births
1990 deaths
Footballers from Padua
Italian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Calcio Padova players
AC Milan players
Bologna FC 1909 players
Novara FC players
Serie A players
Serie B players
Italy men's international footballers
1950 FIFA World Cup players
1954 FIFA World Cup players
Italy men's B international footballers

Gino Cappello


Eleanor Phelps (September 8, 1907 – September 29, 2001) was an American theater, film, radio, and television actress. She appeared in 17 Broadway theater productions.

Before going off to Vassar for college, Phelps attended Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore along with future actresses Margaret Barker and Mildred Natwick. In college she was a student of Hallie Flanagan at the Vassar Experimental Theatre  and aspired to become a Broadway performer. Her father opposed her desire to appear on stage but her mom assisted her by introducing her to actor George Arliss. She visited Arliss at his elegant Beekman Place (Manhattan) apartment and he also tried to discourage Phelps from acting.

She joined the University Players Guild for its first season of summer stock in West Falmouth on Cape Cod in 1928 along with Henry Fonda, Joshua Logan, Bretaigne Windust, Charles Leatherbee, Myron McCormick, Kent Smith, and others. On July 29, 1928, Broadway producer Winthrop Ames traveled from New York to Cape Cod specifically to see Phelps in the dress rehearsal for the University Players production of The Jest, a 1919 Broadway comedy by Sem Benelli.  Perhaps his trip was occasioned at the suggestion of George Arliss who had starred as Shylock in Ames's Broadway production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice during the Broadway season just ended. In any event, Ames offered Phelps the role of Jessica in the post-Broadway national tour of Merchant of Venice.  At the end of the University Players 1928 summer season, Phelps left Cape Cod to join Arliss and company and never returned to Falmouth. She loved more than anything being in a play by Mister Shakespeare.

Phelps appeared in motion pictures in the early 1930s with roles in The Run Around (1932), The Count of Monte Cristo (1934),
and Cleopatra (1934).

She believed that some of the best acting was in soap operas. On radio, Phelps starred in Life and Love of Dr. Susan on CBS beginning February 13, 1939. The story dealt with "the career of a young widow who decides to carry on her medical research after the death of her husband." Phelps participated in both soaps and made-for-television productions.
Among these are Cinderella (1957), Hallmark Hall of Fame (1961), The Catholic Hour (1967), The Secret Storm (1954),
Somerset (1975), Threesome (1984), and Kate & Allie (1989). She played a very rich lady, Grace Tyrrell, on The Secret Storm, from 1970 to 1973. She once did a commercial for Hershey in which she played an elegant lady getting in an elevator with a cow.

Among her passions was Latin America and wearing the bright colors and Aztec designs which reflected her interest.

Personal life
Phelps married actor Alden Chase, but the marriage was annulled in October 1935.

Death
Phelps died in September 2001 in New York City.

Filmography

See also
The Shopping Bag Lady

References

Further reading
 Fresno, California Bee, Where Fifty Million Dollars Works For $7.50 A Day, August 12, 1934, Page 36.
 The Frederick, Maryland News, Personalities, The Best Drama Teacher Is The Audience, March 21, 1973, Page 6.
 Houghton, Norris, But Not Forgotten: The Adventure of the University Players, William Sloane Associates (New York 1951).

External links

1907 births
2001 deaths
American stage actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
Actresses from Baltimore
Vassar College alumni
Bryn Mawr School people
20th-century American actresses

Eleanor Phelps


Focaccia (Italian pronunciation: [foˈkattʃa]; Ligurian: fugassa [fyˈɡassa]) is a type of flatbread. It is cooked in the oven. Its style and texture is similar to the pizza dough. Focaccia may be used as a side to many meals. It can also be used as a base for sandwich bread.

Types

 Focaccia al rosmarino (focaccia with rosemary) is a common focaccia style. It may be served as an antipasto, appetizer, table bread, or snack.

 Focaccia alla salvia (focaccia with sage), which is prepared by simply changing rosemary with sage.

References

Italian food
Breads

Focaccia


Double-layer capacitance is the storing of electrical energy by means of the electrical double layer effect.

Double layer capacitance is when an electrode and a liquid solution are touching each other, causing the charges to line up and allowing electricity to be stored there.  The double layer is created when the electrode's surface is charged through the application of electricity. This causes oppositely charged molecules to be attracted to the surface (since opposites attract). This first layer is well attached to the electrode surface, causing it to be semi-permanent. The second layer (with opposite charge) is held by this first layer, making it less attached to the electrode than the first layer. These two layers are separated by a single atomic layer of uncharged molecules in the solution. These alternating layers of charges have the ability to store electrical energy, in a way that depends on the amount of electricity initially applied to the electrode.  Once this charge is stored in the device, the source of electricity can be removed and the circuit can still be powered from this stored electricity contained in this device, until it is used up.

The amount of electric charge stored in double-layer capacitance is linearly proportional to the applied voltage. It depends mainly on the electrode surface. The unit of capacitance is the farad.

Capacitance Basics
A capacitor is a very common electrical circuit device that can store electrical energy as charge. It works based on the idea that you can have a separation between two conductive plates and store a charge on the surface of these plates.  However, if too much electricity is stored in the plates, it can jump across the gap causing less energy to be stored. The amount of charge stored in the capacitor can be increased by putting a dielectric material between the plates; air plays this role if no other material is present. This helps to prevent the charge from crossing the gap between the two electrodes, which allows more charge to be stored in this manner.

Capacitance in Solution
By using a solution instead of the dielectric material, more energy can be stored within the device.  When the capacitor becomes charged, the positively charged molecules in the solution become attracted to the negatively charged electrode (and opposite for the positively charged electrode). These positively charged molecules then become attached to the surface of the electrode, and pull in negatively charged molecules from the solution to form a spherical shape; however, these molecules are not attached as strongly.  These two layers in the solution prevent the similar charges from pushing each other apart as much leading to an increase in the amount of charge the device can store.  In experiments, it has been seen that there is a voltage drop across this layer, which works in the same way as a capacitor.  This led to the first use of the term "electrical double layer" in the 1850s by Helmholtz and later being changed to "electrical double layer capacitance" (EDLC).  Since this double layer capacitance happens at both electrodes, the theoretical capacitance of the entire device can be raised substantially.  However, there are several other factors which can come into play, causing the actual capacitance of the device to not see as much benefit as expected.

Double Layer Capacitance Applications
When the double layer capacitance idea is used to create a device, they are sometimes called "ultracapacitors" because they store energy by separating the charges (like a capacitor but capable of storing more energy), instead of using a chemical reaction to store electricity.  This means that the devices can work correctly for a much longer period of time and charging a device like this takes less time than charging a traditional battery. However, the solution will dry up over time, causing the device to eventually fail.  Currently there are several devices that use this technology, including:  wireless modems, GPS devices, CMOS computer chips, solar battery operated chips, windmills, electric cars, and power tools.
The electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) has the ability to power a device for longer than a traditional capacitor, but cannot give as much instant energy as the traditional capacitor, which can discharge all at once.  Rechargeable batteries can power a device for longer than the EDLC per charge, but cannot deliver as much instant energy.

References

Storage
Electromagnetism

Double-layer capacitance


Godfrey Charles Joseph Isaacs (22 July 1866 – 17 April 1925) was a British businessman, and brother of the politician Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading.

He was born in England and educated at the Leibniz University Hannover and Free University of Brussels. He then entered his father's firm of fruit and ship brokers. In 1910 he became Managing Director of Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company.

He was involved in the Marconi scandal of 1912, when several British politicians were accused of "insider trading" when they acquired shares in the American subsidiary of the Marconi Company; the parent company was expected to get a contract from the British Government.

He retired from the Marconi Company in November 1924, and died in 1925 aged only 58, which the Times obituary attributed to overwork.

Family
He married Lea Constance Perelli, they had two sons, Marcel Godfrey (born 1893) and Dennys Godfrey (born 1896).
Marcel Godfrey Isaacs married Marie Louise Cattier, daughter of prominent Belgian banker and philanthropist Félicien Cattier, who was also his business associate.

References
Who Was Who, 1925
"Obituary" in The Times, London of 18 April 1925 p 12.
 :fr:Félicien Cattier
 http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/25th-april-1925/24/obituary

1866 births
1925 deaths
British telecommunications industry businesspeople
British Jews

Godfrey Isaacs


Aappilattoq Island (old spelling: Augpilagtoq) is an uninhabited island in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of two islands of the same name in the Upernavik Archipelago.

Geography
Aappilattoq Island is located in Tasiusaq Bay, in the north-central part of Upernavik Archipelago, in the inner band of uninhabited islands. The island is separated from Anarusuk Island in the east by a small Ikerasaarsuk channel. The inner waterways of Tasiusaq Bay separate it from Nuuluk Island and Saattorsuaq Island in the north, and from Tasiusaq Island in the south.

The highest point on the island is an unnamed peak of  in the central part of the island. The coastline of the island is undeveloped.

References

Uninhabited islands of Greenland
Tasiusaq Bay
Islands of the Upernavik Archipelago

Aappilattoq Island (Tasiusaq Bay)


Pietro di Francesco degli Orioli (approx. 1458–1496) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period.

Biography
Pietro Orioli was born in Siena in Tuscany. The art of Siena has previously been celebrated primarily for its late medieval masters such as Duccio, Simone Martini, as well as Ambrogio  and Pietro Lorenzetti; Orioli arose in the next century, and the art in Siena of this period has been generally overshadowed by the art of Florentine masters of the Quattrocento.

In 1458 the Sienese cardinal Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini was elected as Pope Pius II. The period between this date and the end of the Sienese republic in 1558 saw the development of a unique style of art from the city state, showing tendencies towards some of the more ethereal properties of the golden age of Sienese art rather than the studied realism and veneration of classical aesthetics and principles which drove many artists within the more celebrated centres of Florence, Rome and Venice.  The artistic development along the line of more international Gothic styles would have meant that these more famous artistic schools would probably have considered contemporary Sienese art somewhat archaic and unfashionable.

Orioli had a relatively short artistic career (he died aged 37, and was only active independently from 1480), but his work is nonetheless important in the context of Sienese art. He was a pupil of the painter Matteo di Giovanni who was very much a product of the quattrocento Sienese school. He is also known to have worked with the celebrated Francesco di Giorgio, a painter, sculptor and former pupil of probably the most famous Sienese sculptor of the period Il Vecchietta. It is therefore possible to deduce that Orioli was active within a circle of quintessentially Sienese artists.

His first documented work is Christ Washing the Feet of the Apostles (1489), found in the Baptistry in Siena. Other important works include Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome and a Female Saint  (c. 1490), a Nativity (c. 1494–96), and an Adoration of the Shepherds dating to the last part of his career.

Stylistically, Orioli's work seems to related be to that of his Florentine contemporary, Botticelli. His painting can similarly be described as 'non-realist'. He uses pale hatching unrelated to the landscape or architecture to reinforce the contours of his figures in a way that is similar to Botticelli's St Zenobius panels in the National Gallery, London. Botticelli in fact uses this device later than Orioli, suggesting that either the two knew each other, or Botticelli regarded the Sienese artist very highly. Orioli's works, though very much a part of his city's artistic school, also show some more Florentine traits. His figures have a characteristically Sienese mystical quality, but also show a careful adherence to the rules of human anatomy and perspective. This can be seen most obviously in his c.1493 work Sulpitia. This was part of a series of panels, the others being Judith by Matteo di Giovanni, Artemisia by the Master of the story of Griselda and Claudia Quinta by Neroccio di Landi and the Master of the Story of Griselda (all Sienese). Whilst the latter paintings show varying degrees of success in presenting their characters realistically on painted plinths, Orioli's stands much more believably. Furthermore, when seen together Orioli's figure has a dramatic, fulsome quality, with a naturalistic pose compared to the other figures which are demonstrably within the Gothic tradition of awkward, stylised poses.

Orioli was stylistic similar to the contemporaries operating within his home city, as well as being related to the highly celebrated Florentine Botticelli, who he may have influenced. His work differs from that of some of his kinsmen, however, in showing what would have been seen by those outside Siena as a more modern approach. Among his followers would be Pietro di Domenico Petrini.

References

Footnotes

1450s births
1496 deaths
15th-century Italian painters
Italian male painters
Italian Renaissance painters
Painters from Siena

Pietro di Francesco degli Orioli


The Sentencia Arbitral de Guadalupe (Arbitral Decision of Guadalupe) was a legal decree delivered by King Ferdinand II of Aragon at the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe in Extremadura, Spain on 21 April 1486 to free the Catalan remensa peasants who were subjects of the lord of the manor and tied to his lands and subject to numerous onerous fees and maltreatment under the so-called evil customs (mals usos).

Objective
The objective of the decree was to solve the conflicts between the remensa peasants and their lords, conflicts that had motivated the two wars of the Remences. Negotiations for drafting the decree were very difficult. The king himself became directly involved and was an effective negotiator, at least in the economic sphere.
Finally, King Ferdinand dictated the Sentencia Arbitral that allowed the end of the evil customs in exchange for a payment (not only for the "mal ús" remença), and postponed the conflict that had lasted more than four centuries between lords and peasants.

In exchange for a payment of 60 sous per farmstead, the right to mistreat peasants and many other minor statutory abuses were abolished. Peasants retained the usufruct of the farm, but had to pay homage to the lord and pay emphyteutic and feudal fees, albeit with irrational amounts, more to mark who was really in charge than for economic benefit. The upshot was that the abolition of the feudal system for which the peasants were fighting, was converted only into the possibility of freeing themselves from the evil customs, or "malae consuetudines", as people called it at that time.

Signing on behalf of the peasants was Francesc de Verntallat along with 18 syndicates, including Llorenç Espígol of Sant Feliu de Pallerols.

Repression
Even so, there was still repression: peasants were obliged to return all the castles that they had won from the lords, and pay 6,000 pounds compensation to the lords. While it is true that King Ferdinand freed some detainees, he also confiscated property or sterilized the land of others, or executed them.

The decree meant the beginning of a new phase in the Principality of Catalonia: the right to freely contract emphyteutic agreements, which led to general prosperity in the Catalonian countryside. By the 15th century, Catalan peasants already had a level of personal freedom that the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe was not to know before the 18th or 19th century.

See also
 War of the Remences
 Catalan Civil War

References

Peace treaties of Spain
Crown of Aragon
Principality of Catalonia
Feudalism
Medieval Spain
Military history of Catalonia
Feudal duties

Sentencia Arbitral de Guadalupe


The environmental effects of shipping include air pollution, water pollution, acoustic, and oil pollution. Ships are responsible for more than 18% of nitrogen oxides pollution, and  3% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Although ships are the most energy-efficient method to move a given mass of cargo a given distance, the sheer size of the industry means that it has a significant effect on the environment. The annual increasing amount of shipping overwhelms gains in efficiency, such as from slow-steaming. The growth in tonne-kilometers of sea shipment has averaged 4 percent yearly since the 1990s, and it has grown by a factor of 5 since the 1970s.

The fact that shipping enjoys substantial tax privileges has contributed to the growing emissions.

Ballast water

Ballast water discharges by ships can have a negative impact on the marine environment. Cruise ships, large tankers, and bulk cargo carriers use a huge amount of ballast water, which is often taken on in the coastal waters in one region after ships discharge wastewater or unload cargo, and discharged at the next port of call, wherever more cargo is loaded. Ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria. These materials often include non-native, nuisance, invasive, exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystems along with serious human health problems.

Sound pollution
Noise pollution caused by shipping and other human enterprises has increased in recent history. The noise produced by ships can travel long distances, and marine species who may rely on sound for their orientation, communication, and feeding, can be harmed by this sound pollution.

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species has identified ocean noise as a potential threat to marine life. The disruption of whales' ability to communicate with one another is an extreme threat and is affecting their ability to survive. According to a Discovery Channel article on Sonic Sea Journeys Deep into the Ocean over the last century, extremely loud noise from commercial ships, oil and gas exploration, naval sonar exercises and other sources has transformed the ocean's delicate acoustic habitat, challenging the ability of whales and other marine life to prosper and ultimately to survive. Whales are starting to react to this in ways that are life-threatening. Kenneth C. Balcomb, a whale researcher and a former U.S Navy officer states that the day 15 March 2000, is the day of infamy. Although sonar helps to protect us, it is destroying marine life. According to IFAW Animal Rescue Program Director Katie Moore, "There's different ways that sounds can affect animals. There's that underlying ambient noise level that's rising, and rising, and rising that interferes with communication and their movement patterns. And then there's the more acute kind of traumatic impact of sound, that's causing physical damage or a really strong behavioral response. It's fight or flight".

Wildlife collisions

Marine mammals, such as whales and manatees, risk being struck by ships, causing injury and death. For example, a collision with a ship traveling at only 15 knots has a 79% chance of being lethal to a whale. Ship collisions may be one of the leading causes of population decline for whale sharks.

One notable example of the impact of ship collisions is the endangered North Atlantic right whale, of which 400 or fewer remain. The greatest danger to the North Atlantic right whale is injury sustained from ship strikes. Between 1970 and 1999, 35.5% of recorded deaths were attributed to collisions. From 1999 to 2003, incidents of mortality and serious injury attributed to ship strikes averaged one per year. From 2004 to 2006, that number increased to 2.6. Deaths from collisions has become an extinction threat. The United States' National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) introduced vessel speed restrictions to reduce ship collisions with North Atlantic right whales in 2008, which expired in 2013. However, in 2017 an unprecedented mortality event occurred, resulting in the deaths of 17 North Atlantic right whales caused primarily from ship-strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.

Atmospheric pollution
Exhaust gases from ships are a significant source of air pollution, both for conventional pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Conventional pollutants

Air pollution from ships is generated by diesel engines that burn high sulfur content fuel oil, also known as bunker oil, producing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate, in addition to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons which again leads to the formation of aerosols and secondary chemicals reactions including formations of HCHO, Ozone etc. in the atmosphere. Diesel exhaust has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a likely human carcinogen. The agency recognizes that these emissions from marine diesel engines contribute to ozone and carbon monoxide nonattainment (i.e., failure to meet air quality standards), as well as adverse health effects associated with ambient concentrations of particulate matter and visibility, haze, acid deposition, and eutrophication and nitrification of water. EPA estimates that large marine diesel engines accounted for about 1.6 percent of mobile source nitrogen oxide emissions and 2.8 percent of mobile source particulate emissions in the United States in 2000. Contributions of marine diesel engines can be higher on a port-specific basis. Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a standard for defining diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents.  As of 2006, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in Europe and North America is of a ULSD type.  However, bunker oil is still available, and large marine engines are able to switch between the two types simply by opening and closing the respective valves from two different on-board fuel tanks.

In 2016, the IMO adopted new sulfur-emissions regulations for implementation by larger ships beginning in January 2020.

Of total global air emissions, marine shipping accounts for 18 to 30 percent of the nitrogen oxides and 9% of the sulfur oxides. Sulfur in the air creates acid rain which damages crops and buildings. When inhaled, sulfur is known to cause respiratory problems and even increases the risk of a heart attack. According to Irene Blooming, a spokeswoman for the European environmental coalition Seas at Risk, the fuel used in oil tankers and container ships is high in sulfur and cheaper to buy compared to the fuel used for domestic land use. "A ship lets out around 50 times more sulfur than a lorry per tonne of cargo carried."

Cities in the United States like Long Beach, Los Angeles, Houston, Galveston, and Pittsburgh see some of the heaviest shipping traffic, which has left local officials desperately trying to clean up the air. Increasing trade between the United States and China is helping to increase the number of vessels navigating the Pacific and is exacerbating multiple environmental problems. To maintain the level of growth China is experiencing, large amounts of grain are being shipped to China. The numbers of shipments are expected to continue increasing.

In contrast to sulfur emissions (which depend on the fuel used), nitrous oxide emissions are primarily a function of combustion temperature. As air contains over 70% nitrogen by volume, some of it will react with oxygen during combustion. Given that those reactions are endothermic, a higher amount of nitrous oxides will be produced at higher combustion temperatures. However, other pollutants, particularly unburned or partially burnt hydrocarbons (also known as hyperfine particulates or soot), will be more common at lower combustion temperatures, so there is a trade-off between nitrogen oxides and soot.

Other than replacing ambient air with pure oxygen or some other oxidizing agent, the only ways to significantly reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions are via passing flue gasses through a catalytic converter and/or diesel exhaust fluid treatment, whereby an aqueous solution of urea reacts with the nitrous oxides in the flue gas to produce nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water. However, both those options add cost and weight. Furthermore, the urea in diesel exhaust fluid is usually derived from fossil fuels, and therefore it is not carbon neutral.

A third option entails the use of wet scrubbers that essentially spray seawater through the exhaust column as it is pumped through a chamber.  Depending on the detailed engineering-design attributes of the wet scrubber, these devices can wash out the sulfur oxides, soot and nitrogen oxides from the engine exhaust, thus leaving a sludge that contains soot and various acidic compounds (or neutralized compounds, if alkaline substances are mixed in with the scrubbing liquid beforehand).  This material can then be either treated via an on-board device (closed-loop system), or it can simply be dumped overboard (open-loop system).  The discharged material can be harmful to marine life, especially in nearshore settings.

In a recent study, the future of ship emissions has been investigated and reported that the growth of carbon dioxide emissions do not change with most common alternatives such as Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) or liquified natural gas (LNG) as well as growing volume of methane emission due to methane slip through the LNG supply-chain. Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide per unit volume, and is only slowly broken down in the environment by various chemical, photochemical and biological processes.

In inland-waters-based applications where sulfur cannot (fully) be removed from the fuel before combustion (desulfurization), flue gas scrubbing is commonly employed. However, this would add weight and cost on ships and produce a further waste stream (usually calcium sulfate if flue gases are scrubbed by being passed through calcium hydroxide solution) which would have to be disposed of, adding yet further cost. In addition, calcium hydroxide commonly being produced by calcination of calcium carbonate releases yet more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. While this stream is comparatively small in relation to carbon-dioxide emissions caused by combustion of fossil fuels, it needs to be taken into account as well, as part of a complete life-cycle assessment.

Localized air pollution

One source of environmental stresses on maritime vessels recently has come from states and localities, as they assess the contribution of commercial marine vessels to regional air quality problems when ships are docked at port. For instance, large marine diesel engines are believed to contribute 7 percent of mobile source nitrogen oxide emissions in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. Ships can also have a significant impact in areas without large commercial ports: they contribute about 37 percent of total area nitrogen oxide emissions in the Santa Barbara, California area, and that percentage is expected to increase to 61 percent by 2015. Again, there is little cruise-industry specific data on this issue. They comprise only a small fraction of the world shipping fleet, but cruise ship emissions may exert significant impacts on a local scale in specific coastal areas that are visited repeatedly. Shipboard incinerators also burn large volumes of garbage, plastics, and other waste, producing ash that must be disposed of. Incinerators may release toxic emissions as well.

In 2005, MARPOL Annex VI came into force to combat this problem. As such cruise ships now employ CCTV monitoring on the smokestacks as well as recorded measuring via opacity meter while some are also using clean burning gas turbines for electrical loads and propulsion in sensitive areas.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Maritime transport accounts for 3.5% to 4% of all greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide. According to the World Bank, in 2022, the shipping industry's 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions make it "the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter worldwide, ranking between Japan and Germany."

Although the industry was not a focus of attention of the Paris Climate Accord signed in 2016, the United Nations and the IMO have discussed CO2 emissions goals and limits. The First Intersessional Meeting of the IMO Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions took place in Oslo, Norway on 23–27 June 2008. It was tasked with developing the technical basis for the reduction mechanisms that may form part of a future IMO regime to control greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, and a draft of the actual reduction mechanisms themselves, for further consideration by the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). In 2018, the industry discussed in London placing limits to cut levels from a benchmark of 2008 carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by the year 2050. Some methods of reducing emissions of the industry include lowering speeds of shipping (which can be potentially problematic for perishable goods) as well as changes to fuel standards. In 2019, international shipping organizations, including the International Chamber of Shipping, proposed creating a $5 billion fund to support the research and technology necessary to cut GHG emissions.

Decarbonization of shipping

Oil spills
Most commonly associated with ship pollution are oil spills. While less frequent than the pollution that occurs from daily operations, oil spills have devastating effects. While being toxic to marine life, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the components in crude oil, are very difficult to clean up, and last for years in the sediment and marine environment. Marine species constantly exposed to PAHs can exhibit developmental problems, susceptibility to disease, and abnormal reproductive cycles. One of the more widely known spills was the Exxon Valdez incident in Alaska. The ship ran aground and dumped a massive amount of oil into the ocean in March 1989. Despite efforts of scientists, managers and volunteers, over 400,000 seabirds, about 1,000 sea otters, and immense numbers of fish were killed.

Wastewater

Blackwater is sewage, wastewater from toilets and medical facilities, which can contain harmful bacteria, pathogens, viruses, intestinal parasites, and harmful nutrients. Discharges of untreated or inadequately treated sewage can cause bacterial and viral contamination of fisheries and shellfish beds, producing risks to public health. Nutrients in sewage, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, promote excessive algal blooms, which consumes oxygen in the water and can lead to fish kills and destruction of other aquatic life.

Greywater is wastewater from the sinks, showers, galleys, laundry, and cleaning activities aboard a ship. It can contain a variety of pollutant substances, including fecal coliforms, detergents, oil and grease, metals, organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, nutrients, food waste, medical and dental waste. Sampling done by EPA and the state of Alaska found that untreated greywater from cruise ships can contain pollutants at variable strengths and that it can contain levels of fecal coliform bacteria several times greater than is typically found in untreated domestic wastewater. Greywater has potential to cause adverse environmental effects because of concentrations of nutrients and other oxygen-demanding materials, in particular. Greywater is typically the largest source of liquid waste generated by cruise ships (90 to 95 percent of the total). Estimates of greywater range from 110 to 320 liters per day per person, or 330,000 to 960,000 liters per day for a 3,000-person cruise ship.

A large cruise ship (3,000 passengers and crew) generates an estimated 55,000 to 110,000 liters per day of blackwater waste. The cruise line industry dumps  of greywater and  of blackwater into the sea every day.

MARPOL annex IV was brought into force September 2003 strictly limiting untreated waste discharge. Modern cruise ships are most commonly installed with a membrane bioreactor type treatment plant for all blackwater and greywater, such as G&O, Zenon or Rochem bioreactors which produce near drinkable quality effluent to be re-used in the machinery spaces as technical water.

Solid waste
Solid waste generated on a ship includes glass, paper, cardboard, aluminium and steel cans, and plastics. It can be either non-hazardous or hazardous in nature. Solid waste that enters the ocean may become marine debris, and can then pose a threat to marine organisms, humans, coastal communities, and industries that utilize marine waters. Cruise ships typically manage solid waste by a combination of source reduction, waste minimization, and recycling. However, as much as 75 percent of solid waste is incinerated on board, and the ash typically is discharged at sea, although some is landed ashore for disposal or recycling. Marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, and birds can be injured or killed from entanglement with plastics and other solid waste that may be released or disposed off of cruise ships. On average, each cruise ship passenger generates at least two pounds of non-hazardous solid waste per day. With large cruise ships carrying several thousand passengers, the amount of waste generated in a day can be massive. For a large cruise ship, about 8 tons of solid waste are generated during a one-week cruise. It has been estimated that 24% of the solid waste generated by vessels worldwide (by weight) comes from cruise ships. Most cruise ship garbage is treated on board (incinerated, pulped, or ground up) for discharge overboard. When garbage must be off-loaded (for example, because glass and aluminium cannot be incinerated), cruise ships can put a strain on port reception facilities, which are rarely adequate to the task of serving a large passenger vessel.

Bilge water
On a ship, oil often leaks from engine and machinery spaces or from engine maintenance activities and mixes with water in the bilge, the lowest part of the hull of the ship. Though bilge water is filtered and cleaned before being discharged, oil in even minute concentrations can kill fish or have various sub-lethal chronic effects. Bilge water also may contain solid wastes and pollutants containing high levels of oxygen-demanding material, oil and other chemicals. A typically large cruise ship will generate an average of 8 tonnes of oily bilge water for each 24 hours of operation. To maintain ship stability and eliminate potentially hazardous conditions from oil vapors in these areas, the bilge spaces need to be flushed and periodically pumped dry. However, before a bilge can be cleared out and the water discharged, the oil that has been accumulated needs to be extracted from the bilge water, after which the extracted oil can be reused, incinerated, and/or offloaded in port. If a separator, which is normally used to extract the oil, is faulty or is deliberately bypassed, untreated oily bilge water could be discharged directly into the ocean, where it can damage marine life.

Some shipping companies, including large cruise shipping lines, have sometimes violated regulations by illegally bypassing the onboard oily water separator and discharging untreated oily wastewater. In the US these violations by means of a so-called "magic pipe" have been prosecuted and resulted in large fines, but in other countries enforcement has been mixed.

International regulation

Some of the major international efforts in the form of treaties are the Marine Pollution Treaty, Honolulu, which deals with regulating marine pollution from ships, and the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, which deals with marine species and pollution. Maritime governance from the 1950s up to the 1980s has been characterized by intergovernmental decision-making centralized around the IMO. However, this picture has been changing since the 1980s when regional initiatives in the EU and its member states began to play a larger role, partly due to an increasing dissatisfaction with the lacking regulation and enforcement efforts of the IMO. This has led to a new synergy developing between the EU and the IMO and other regional actors, broadly characterized as a polycentric mode of governance. The polycentric synergy of the EU and IMO has largely been driven by the active and leading role taken by the EU in both implementing and influencing IMO conventions. Four regional initiatives in this context are notable: "the use of special areas in IMO Conventions, the adoption of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control, the development of the European Union shipping policy domain and the emergence of market-based initiatives by ports and cargo-owners".

While plenty of local and international regulations have been introduced throughout maritime history, much of the current regulations are considered inadequate. "In general, the treaties tend to emphasize the technical features of safety and pollution control measures without going to the root causes of sub-standard shipping, the absence of incentives for compliance and the lack of enforceability of measures." Where polycentric governance relies on positive relationships between major actors and conventions, one of the largest barriers to an effective environmental regulation of shipping arises from negative relationships between major actors and conventions, where ambiguous or overlapping jurisdictions result in a range of different issues such as a lack of effective enforcement and monitoring, inconsistent and unclear standards, and inadequate supervision resulting in blind spots in the high seas.

Effective regulation of international shipping thus requires more international coordination. If states regulate emissions unilaterally, this leads to an overall increase in net emissions, whereas coordinated and uniform regulation between states reduces net emissions. However, varying patterns of governance are still seen across different ports with the same uniform regulation underscoring the need for policy to also take local and sectoral factors into account, perhaps through tailor-made adaptation measures. The effectiveness of uniform regulation also depends on the use of MRV&E systems, which denote "technologies, policies and administrative processes that monitor, report, verify and enforce compliance with the regulations''. The current enforcement of regulations is lacking, and efforts need to be made to both "strengthen supervision and law enforcement and establish a global monitoring system". The most common problems encountered with international shipping arise from paperwork errors and customs brokers not having the proper information about the items. Cruise ships, for example, are exempt from regulation under the US discharge permit system (NPDES, under the Clean Water Act) that requires compliance with technology-based standards. In the Caribbean, many ports lack proper waste disposal facilities, and many ships dump their waste at sea Due to complexities of shipping trade and the difficulties involved in regulating this business, a comprehensive and generally acceptable regulatory framework on corporate responsibility for reducing GHG emissions is unlikely to be achieved soon. As in the case of negotiations around taxation of shipping fuels, international agreement around uniform regulation has not been reached, resulting instead in a deadlock. Overlaps of decision-making authority between central institutions can pose similar barriers, if central norm conflicts between them are large enough – as in the case of competing principles guiding the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the IMO. The UNFCCC is guided by the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) which holds that since developed countries proportionately have contributed the most in terms of GHG emissions, they also take the largest responsibility for addressing the reduction of these emissions. The IMO in contrast is guided by principles of "non-discrimination and equal treatment and No More Favourable Treatment (NMFT) to all ships irrespective of their flag". This has led to a conflict between central interests, since developed states support the NMFT principle, while developing states support the CBDR principle. The effect of this conflict is that we are left with no clear principle around which to regulate resulting in impeding the "legislation efficiency and consensus".

A 2016 journal article recommends that under current circumstances, it is necessary for states, the shipping industry and global organizations to explore and discuss market-based mechanisms (MBMs) for vessel-sourced GHG emissions reduction. MBMs are part of a broader category of mechanisms working through economic incentives "that provide motivation for the adoption of less environmentally damaging practices", the second most common being "infrastructure investments and informative policies". The most prominent and promising use of economic incentives are market-based measures (MBMs). The two main types of MBMs used are emission trading schemes and fuel levies. Both work through putting a price on GHG emissions providing economic incentives for taxed actors to improve their energy efficiency. However, these improvements are also accompanied by a short-term decline in industry profit. Some argue that the current use of MBMs in the EU Emission Trading Scheme could serve as a window of opportunity to reduce GHG emissions in the shipping sector without placing an unnecessarily high burden on the shipping sector. The challenges standing in the way of this – the "allocation of emissions, carbon leakage, permit allocation, treatment of the great variety in ship type, size and usage, and transaction cost" – are however hard to overcome without global market-based economies. Others incentive-based schemes for achieving decarbonization include pricing schemes or the incentivization of "front-runner ships that implement decarbonization technologies beyond regulations". However, evaluation of current the incentive schemes reveals that the schemes are onerous and only taken up by shipping enterprises or ports to a limited degree. Further, these incentive schemes are not specifically focused on a reduction in GHG emissions and thus do not support decarbonization.

Further, these approaches are not without their critics. Lars Stemmler is critical towards the attitude that both environmental and social consequences of climate change can be mitigated through "ever more efficiencies in shipping". Jason Monios similarly argues that the shipping sector generally operate by a business-as-usual logic based on assumptions of uninterrupted growth where actors must only address "incremental challenges that can be adapted to in a piecemeal fashion". However, the consequences of climate change might instead take place on a disruptive and uncontrollable level, "bringing starvation, destruction, migration disease and war" necessitating much more radical action. While Monios argues that the shipping industry has started to use the rhetoric of a logic of sustainability, the actions of shipping actors are still largely determined by the dominant business-as-usual logic, which block attempts at regulation from the IMO and leads to a loss of trust in and legitimacy of the system. Lastly, When MBMs become the primary means of addressing climate change at sea, Monios argues, this business-as-usual logic is strengthened, since they crowd out non-market norms and render invisible governance alternatives such as direct regulation and supply-side approaches.

Issues by region

Asia

European Union
 Cruise ship pollution in Europe
 EU Reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions from the shipping sector
 EU Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF)
 EC-IMO Energy Efficiency Project.  The 4-year project aims to establish Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres in 5 regions: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.  Through technical assistance and capacity-building, the centres will promote the uptake of low carbon technologies and operations in maritime transport in the less developed countries in the respective region.  This will also support the implementation of the internationally agreed energy efficiency rules and standards (EEDI and SEEMP).
 MRV Monitoring, reporting and verification of CO2 emissions from large ships using EU ports

United Kingdom
 Merchant Shipping Act 1995
 Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Act 2006

United States
It is expected that, (from 2004) "...shipping traffic to and from the United States is projected to double by 2020." However, many shipping companies and port operators in North America (Canada and the United States) have adopted the Green Marine Environmental Program to limit operational impacts on the environment.

 Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships
 American Bureau of Shipping
 Cruise ship pollution in the United States
 National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan
 Oil Pollution Act of 1990
 Regulation of ship pollution in the United States

See also

 Bottom paint
 Classification society (technical standards NGO)
 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter
 Environmental impact of transport
 Environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef
 International Association of Classification Societies
 List of environmental issues
 Marine debris
 Marine fuel management
 Mobility transition
 North Pacific Gyre
 Oil spill
 Particle (ecology)
 Shipping route
 Tributyltin
 Zero emission vehicle

References

Further reading

External links
Maritime International Secretariat Services - Shipping Industry Guidance on Environmental Compliance
GloBallast partnership (IMO)
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 - IMO
Cruise Ship Pollution Overview - Oceana
Ecological facts on ballast water
CO2 emissions calculator for transporting cargo by sea
The Global MTCC Network

Ocean pollution

de:Umweltschutz in der Seeschifffahrt

Environmental effects of shipping


M.D., Ph.D. (May 15, 1922 – January 11, 2013) was a pioneer in the development of laboratory animals with the aim of assuring reproducibility of experimental results in medical research. He was Director of the Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), Japan

Development of Comprehensive Animal Experimentation Systems
His most important achievement to date is the establishment of comprehensive animal experimentation systems using strictly defined laboratory animals to assure reproducibility of experimental results in medical research. Before his concepts were applied, it was generally considered to be very difficult or even impossible to obtain reproducible results in medical research using laboratory animals, mainly due to the traditional consensus that the animals are living organisms with individual differences. He has completely changed this out-dated paradigm in medical research by establishing comprehensive animal experimentation systems.

One of the factors that affects the reproducibility of the results of animal experiments is the proximate environment in which the experiment is performed including the temperature and humidity of the animal room, the size of cages and caretakers. The concept of the dramatype, which refers to the effects of the proximate environment on the phenotype, was introduced. Russell and Burch proposed the term "dramatype" in 1959 from the standpoint of animal welfare (Reduction), but Dr. Nomura developed this concept to promote the importance of control of the environment to assure reproducibility of the results of animal experiments.

Based on such systems, he has established international research collaborations to develop three animal models:
Transgenic Polio Mice - Widely used in polio vaccine neurovirulence testing as a replacement for monkeys. (Approved by World Health Organization in March 2003 )
Trangenic rasH2 Mice - Shortening of the carcinogenicity test period in drug development from two years to six months. (Approved by FDA, NTP, and EU in 2003)
NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2Rγnull Mice (NOG Mice) - New generation of extremely immunodeficient mice that are the best candidate for humanized mice to date.

Application of animal ethics in CIEA
CIEA has developed animal experimentation systems based on the concept "scientific animal experiments with reproducible results can not be achieved unless the experiments are performed ethically with the animals maintained in a normal state." To this end, the 3R (Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research) principle proposed by Russell and Burch in 1959 was adopted.

By using animals under strict quality control and controlling the environment so that the animals are not subjected to stress, it is possible to reduce the number of animals used in experiments (Reduction among the 3Rs).  It is also possible to prevent infections such as mouse hepatitis or Sendai virus through periodic monitoring of the microbiological status of animals for early diagnosis and quality assurance and to minimize discomfort of the animals (Refinement).

These policies are intended to maintain the animals in a normal state by minimizing stress.  If the animals are not maintained in a normal state, reproducibility of results of experiments on animals as "living measuring instruments" cannot be assured.

A system has been established in which mice with the human polio virus receptor introduced (polio mice) replace monkeys, which are closest to humans, used in neurovirulence testing of live polio vaccine (Replacement). The number of animals used can also be reduced by using mice subject to stricter quality control than monkeys.

"Replacement" refers to a "switch to research not using animals" but a "switch to a method not using phylogenetically higher animals such as monkeys" is a method of natural protection.  Using this alternative we succeeded in reducing the zoonotic risks for investigators (Refinement).

Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA)
Dr. Nomura is currently Director of the Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Japan, that he founded in 1952, to improve the level of medical research.

Biography
 2006–present: Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA) Chairman of the Board
 1999–present: Councilor, The Japan Society for Organ Preservation and Medical Biology
 1997-2003: Chairman, International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) Monitoring & Reference Centre Program
 1997: Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science (JALAS) Honorary Member
 1995: President, JALAS 42nd General Meeting at Yokohama, Japan
 1995-2003: ICLAS Vice President
 1988: ICLAS Honorary Member
 1986: President, 15th Annual Meeting of JALAS
 1982-1998: Chairman, National Committee on Laboratory Animal Science, Science Council of Japan
 1981–present: Visiting Professor, Keio University School of Medicine
 1980–present: Chairman (Japan), US-Japan Meeting on Laboratory Animal Science
 1972-1979: ICLAS Treasurer
 1972-2003: ICLA, ICLAS National Member (Science Council of Japan)
 1971: ICLA, Secretary-General, Asian Pacific Meeting on Laboratory Animal Science
 1970-1972: ICLA Scientific Member (Japan Experimental Animal Research Association)
 1966–present: CIEA Director
 1957-1997: Member of Board of Directors, JALAS
 1956: Doctor of Medical Science
 1952: Established CIEA
 1945-1954: Institute of Infectious Diseases, University of Tokyo, Japan
 1945: Graduated from Keio University School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine

Awards
 2005: Marie Coates Award, ICLAS
 2001: Degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Honoris Causa, Mahidol University Council, Thailand
 2000: Special Recognition Award, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (practical development of TgPVR21 mice)
 1998: The Order of the Sacred Treasure Gold and Silver Star, Japanese Government
 1998: Special Recognition Award, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S.A. (practical development of TgrasH2 mice)
 1997: Person of Cultural Merit, Japanese Government
 1993: Eiji Yoshikawa Cultural Award, Japan
 1988: Mühlbock Memorial Award, ICLAS
 1984: The Medal of Honor with a Purple Ribbon, Japanese Government
 1975: The Highest Achievement Award, Japan Medical Association
 1965: The First KOJIMA Memorial Award, Japan

External links
 Central Institute for Experimental Animals website

References

2013 deaths
Japanese scientists
1922 births
Keio University alumni

Tatsuji Nomura


Vaitheeswaran Koil is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Shiva, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanathar or Vaitheeswaran meaning the "God of healing" and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. Vaitheeswaran is a Tamil derivative from vaidya (Doctor) and Ishvara (God/Master).  The presiding deity is Sri vaidyanathan, facing towards West whereas East side is the common one. He is the God of Healing.  When pronouncing in Tamil, it sounds like "vaideeswaran". It is one of the nine Navagraha (nine planets) temples and is associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka).

The village is also known for palm leaf astrology called Naadi astrology in Tamil.  It is located 7 kilometers from Sirkazhi, 235 kilometers from Chennai, 27 km from Chidambaram, 110 km from Thanjavur and 16 km from Mayiladuthurai.

The holy waters of the Siddhamirtham tank within the temple complex contains nectar, and a holy dip is believed to cure all diseases.

The temple is revered by the Tevaram hymns of 7th-century Saiva nayanars - Tamil saint poets and is also classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam (temple revered by the nayanars).

Legend

During the Ramayana period, Rama, Lakshmana and Saptarishi have worshipped the deity in this place.   There is a pond at this temple called Jatayu  (pot of Jatayu having holy ash of Vibhuti).  One of the nine planets, Angaraka (Mars), suffered from leprosy and was cured by Vaidhyanathaswamy and from then on it is treated as one of the Navagraha Temples for planet Angaraka. Parvati, the consort of Shiva, asked her son, Subramanya to appear with one face from his regular appearance of six faces.  When he did so, she was pleased and presented him with vel (a weapon) to slay the demons. Subramanya overcame the asura Surapadman (a demon) and in the war, his army was severely injured.  Shiva came out as the healer Vaitheeswaran and cured the wounds. As per another legend, Shiva came as Vaidya, a doctor, and cured the leprosy of a staunch devotee named Angahara. Jatayu, Muruga and Surya were all believed to have worshipped Shiva here. Murugan obtained a Vel trident at this place and is called Selvamuthu Kumaran. As per popular legend, 'Pul' (Jatayu), 'Irukku' (Irukkuvedam)', 'Vel' (representing Muruga) and 'Ooor' (place) worshipped in the place and hence it came to be known as 'Pullirukavelur'.

History

The temple received contributions from various rulers of the region like Vikrama Chola, Vira Rajendra Pandya, Achuthappa Nayak (1560 - 1614 AD) and Maratha prince Thulaja. The temple has five inscriptions mainly belonging to the period of Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 CE).  The inscription on the steps of Subramanya shrine records the shutter of the sluice at Sattainathapuram measures 35 inches in length and 8 inches in breadth.  The one on the right of the temple tank indicates the tank, Nachiyar shrine, and its hall were completely renovated when Kanderayar was governing the Sigali Simai, and during the management of the temple by Muthukumaraswami Tambiran, a disciple of Sivagnanadesikar-Sambandar of the Dharmapuram Adheenam.  On the wall of the second precinct, the inscriptions state that the courtyard of Thayalnayagi shrine, the sacred steps and Tattisuri hall were built during Tamil year 4868 corresponding to 1689 CE.  On the floor near accountant's seat registers a deed granted by Sankarabaragiri Rengopanditar by Ambalavanatambiran, an agent of the temple.  The Easter gateway inscription indicates the gift of taxes from Manipallam in Tiruvalipparu. The temple is maintained by Dharmapuram Adheenam, a Saivite mutt or monastic institution located in the town of Mayiladuthurai, India. As of 1987, there were a total of 27 Shiva temples under the control of the adheenam.

Architecture
Vaitheeswarankoil is located  from Mayavaram and  from Thanjavur on the Thanjavur - Chidambaram highway. The temple is located between Sirkali to Mayiladuthurai State Highway. Frequent bus services are operated by Tamil Nadu government. There is a Railway station which is located between Chennai to Mayiladuthurai railway road. Karaikal is the nearest proposal airport located around 40 kilometer from temple. The temple has a five-tiered gopuram (temple tower), two inner gopurams and large precincts. The central shrine is that of Vaitheeswaran present as lingam in the inner most sanctum. The first precinct around the sanctum has the metal image of Subramanya, worshipped here as Muthukumara Swamy.  The other metal images in the sanctum are of Nataraja, Somaskanda, Angaraka and stone sculptures of Durga, Dakshinamoorthy, Surya (Sun god), Jatayu, Sampati. The shrine of Thaiyalnayaki in the second precinct facing south houses the image of Thiyalnayagi sported in standing posture with the medicinal oil to cure the diseases. The large precinct also has a small shrine to Dhanvantari and shrine of Angaraka in stone sculpture. The southern gateway from this precinct leads to the temple tank and directly faces the Thaiyalnayaki shrine. The Sthala Vriksha (temple tree) is margosa (Azadirachta indica, neem tree), believed to possesses medicinal properties, is present near the eastern gateway. The eastern gateway also has the shrine of Adi (original) temple that has a smaller replica of the main shrines. There is a fine metal image of Gangavisarjanar inside the temple. The shrine of Angaragan (Mars) is present near the Eastern gateway in the third precinct.

Worship and festivals

Devotees take a holy dip in the temple tank before worshipping Vaitheeswaran in the temple.  It is also a local belief that dissolving jaggery (Tamil:vellam) in the waters cures skin diseases.  Tonsure ceremony of getting children shaved for the first time to promote proper growth is a very common practise.  Mavilaku ma (lighting lamp in rice cakes) is a form of worship practised.  The practise of jamming salt and pepper in front of the temple mast and the pot near the temple tank is also followed.  Unlike other temples in South India, where each shrine has a priest, each priest in the temple associates themselves with the devotees and perform worship on their behalf.
The holy soil rounded with ash (called Thiruchandu Urundai) is treated as medicine and believed to cure all the diseases.  Another medicine given is chandan (sandalwood powder) with saffron.  It is a practice to purchase silver-plated images of body parts to put in the Hundi (vessel for offering) to fix ailments one might be having. The Veeraraghavaswamy temple at Thiruvallur is considered the Vaishnavite temple equivalent of healing abilities of the presiding deity to that of the Saivite Vaitheeswaran Kovil. Brahmotsavam (annual festival) is celebrated during the Tamil calendar months of Pankuni and Thai (January–February). Karthigai festival during November is also celebrated with pomp and glory. Kantha Sashti, a festive occasion for Subramanya, is celebrated in the shrine of Muthukumaraswamy.

Navagraha temple

The temple is one of the nine Navagraha temples of Tamil Nadu and is a part of the popular Navagraha pilgrimage in the state - it houses the image of Angaraka (Mars). The planets are believed to influence the horoscope computed based on time of one's birth and subsequently influence the course of life. Each of the planets are believed to move from a star to another during a predefined period and thus sway over an individual's fortunes. The Navagrahas, as per Hindu customs, are believed to provide both good and bad effects for any individual and the bad effects are mitigated by prayers. As in other Navagraha temples, the common worship practises of the devotees include offering of cloth, grains, flowers and jewels specific to the planet deity. Lighting a set of lamps is also commonly followed in the temple. As per local legend, Shiva was doing penance at mount Meru when a drop of water fell from his forehead which turned into a beautiful child. Bhoomidevi brought up the child, who went on to become a staunch devotee of Shiva. Pleased by the devotion, Shiva turned him to a planet. Based on his colour, Angaraka (Mars) is usually clad with red coloured cloth. Vaitheeswaran is believed to preside over Angarakan in the temple. Along with Angarakan, Sambathi, Jatayu and Surya deva are believed to have worshipped Vaitheeswaran at this temple.

Nadi astrology
Nadi astrology ('நாடி ஜோதிடம்' in Tamil), () is a form of Hindu astrology practiced around the temple. It is based on the belief that the past, present and the future lives of all humans were foreseen by Hindu sages in ancient time.  The texts are mainly written in Vatteluttu, which is an ancient Tamil script. There are different schools of thought as to the author of these leaves. They are believed to be written  by a Tamil sage called Agathiyar who is said to have had divine revelations. These Nadi leaves were initially stored in the premises of Tanjore Saraswati Mahal Library of Tamil Nadu. The British rulers later showed interest in the Nadi leaves concerned with herbs and medicine and future prediction, but left most of the leaves to their loyal people. Some leaves got destroyed and the remaining were auctioned during the British rule. These leaves were obtained and possessed by the families of astrologers in Vaitheeswaran temple and was passed down the years from one generation to the other.

Religious importance

The temple is revered by Tevaram hymns of saint poets Thirunavukkarasar and sambandar belonging to the 7th century.  The poets name the towns where they found the temple in their hymns and Pullirukkuvelur finds a mention in their verses, corresponding to the temple.  The hymns appear to recognise the function of the mantras (sacred text) as invocation of Shiva.  In addition the hymns from Thirunavukkarasar likens Shiva to luminous objects - a flame, a pearl, a diamond and pure gold.  He also indicates wasting lot of days not worshipping Shiva at this temple.
"வெள்ளெ ருக்கர வம்விர வுஞ்சடைப்
 புள்ளி ருக்குவே ளூரரன் பொற்கழல்
 உள்ளிருக்கு முணர்ச்சியில் லாதவர்
 நள்ளி ருப்பர் நரகக் குழியிலே."
translating to
Those who have no perception of the golden feet of deity in Puḷḷirukku Vēḷūr on whose matted hairs cobra and white yarcum flowers are mingled, staying in their minds. will be in the centre of the hollow of the hell.

Notes

References

External links

Shiva temples in Mayiladuthurai district
Padal Petra Stalam
Navagraha temples in Tamil Nadu
Dravidian architecture
Chola architecture

Vaitheeswaran Koil


Commandos is the special forces formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. Commandos are tasked with infiltrating behind enemy lines by raiding and reconnaissance operations using airborne raids, helicopter assault and sea landings. The formation is made up of only one battalion, the 1st Commando Battalion (1 CDO BN), and is based in Hendon Camp.

History

The Commandos formation traces its origin to 1967 when two officers, Major Clarence Tan and Major James Chia, were tasked with recruiting eligible candidates from any unit within the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to form an elite unit. On 1 December 1969, ten officers and 20 men, all regulars, came together to form a unit called the Regular Battalion. Captain Tham Chee Onn was initially the acting commanding officer until Major Clarence Tan subsequently joined the unit, became its commanding officer, and established a training programme for the unit. A second recruitment drive was launched in early 1970 to increase the number of officers in the unit.

On 3 May 1971, the battalion introduced the red beret for its soldiers, and it was renamed 1st Commando Battalion (1 CDO BN) on 16 July 1971. The battalion had only one company at the time. After the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) allowed Full-Time National Servicemen (NSFs) to join the 1 CDO BN in 1972, a second company was formed on 15 January 1973 from the first batch of conscripts enlisted in the Commandos. From July 1973 to January 1975, three more companies were created. In April 1975, 1 CDO BN was restructured and placed under the command of the 3rd Division (3 DIV). In 1977, 1 CDO BN and two Guards battalions came under the command of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade (7 SIB), and  they received the state and regimental colours on 22 January 1977 from Minister for Defence Goh Keng Swee.

On 1 July 1980, 1 CDO BN was placed under the command of HQ Infantry. On 1 October that year, the School of Commando Training was established to take charge of 1 CDO BN. Brigadier-General Tan Chin Tiong, acting Chief of the General Staff, presented the 1 CDO BN with its current formation logo, which incorporates a winged stiletto denoting their airborne status, as well as the formation's motto, "For Honour and Glory". On 17 December 1984, the first company, which used to comprise only regulars, started taking in conscripts and training for long-range reconnaissance patrol and divisional disruptive operations. In December 1986, a new Commando tradition started when a stiletto (Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife) was presented to every Commando of the second company during the ceremony when they received their red berets. Since then, every Commando has received a stiletto after completing two years of service in the battalion.

In 1989, HQ Commandos was established and it received its state and formation colours from President Wee Kim Wee on 20 October 1991. On 27 January 1994, Lieutenant-General Ng Jui Ping, Chief of Defence Force, officially opened Hendon Camp, which has since been the base of the Commando formation. Since 1992, the 1 CDO BN has organised an annual Commando Skills-at-Arms Meet, involving the Commandos competing in various skills such as marksmanship, demolition and completion of the standard obstacle course in full battle order.

In 2005, a sixth company was formed in the 1 CDO BN. It was reported that some Commandos had been deployed to the War in Afghanistan as part of the SAF's Operation Blue Ridge between 2007 and 2013.

Selection and training
The selection process for Commandos is stringent. Potential candidates are screened during the pre-National Service check-up before they enlist in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Shortlisted candidates undergo further tests, security clearance checks, among other things, as well as a panel interview, before they are directly enlisted into one of the 1st Commando Battalion's companies.

Basic Military Training
All newly enlisted recruits undergo Basic Military Training (BMT) at the Commando Training Institute in Pasir Ris Camp. Upon completing BMT, they proceed for vocational training in specific roles, such as signaller, combat medic, weapons specialist, sniper, small boat operator, and demolition expert. Outstanding trainees who have demonstrated leadership potential may be sent for further training to be specialists or officers.

Basic Airborne Course
All trainees need to pass the Basic Airborne Course conducted by the Parachute Training Wing to earn the parachutist badge. After completing the basic airborne course, trainees undergo company-level training at Hendon Camp and an overseas training course in Brunei. To mark the end of nine months of training, they go for a  route march before attending a ceremony in Hendon Camp to receive their red berets. The Commandos will continue training extensively in battalion-level operations, rappelling, fast-roping, small boat operations, and other advanced tactics.

Commando reservists are routinely called up for in-camp training after completing their full-time national service and are required to achieve standards higher than their non-Commando counterparts when they take the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) every year.

School of Commandos
The School of Commandos has two training wings: the Commando Training Wing which conducts the "Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course" (SAF RC) and the Parachute Training Wing which conducts the "Basic Airborne Course" (BAC).

The Commando Training Wing, established in 1974, conducts the Commando Section Leaders' Course, the Commando Small Boat Operators' Course, the Commando Officer Conversion Course, and the Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course. The Commando Section Leaders' Course trains selected Commandos to become specialists,  serving as section leaders. The best performing trainees are selected to undergo further training at the Officer Cadet School (OCS) at the SAFTI Military Institute. After they are commissioned, they return to the Commando Training Wing to attend the Commando Officer Conversion Course to be trained as platoon commanders.

Singapore Armed Forces Ranger Course (SAF RC), 65 day long, is toughest small unit leadership course with intense combat leadership training focused on the small-unit-tactics. First conducted in 1978, it is now conducted annually at Pasir Ris Camp with a limited number of slots open for application to not only Commandos, but also eligible regulars from other formations. Commando regulars have to enrol in the course and, upon completion of the course, they may be recommended to attend the United States Army's Ranger School.

Basic Airborne Course (BAC) covers the static line jumps. The Parachute Training Wing was established in 1974 as the Parachute Training School and started out with instructors trained in the United States and New Zealand. It completed training the first batch of Commandos on 19 October 1974 and subsequently started taking in non-Commando trainees as well. It conducts the Basic Airborne Course for about 120 to 160 trainees per class, as well as more advanced courses such as the Parachute Jump Instructor Course and the Military Free Fall Course.

Known Operations
Laju ferry hijacking
On 1 January 1974, four terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Japanese Red Army attacked an oil refinery on Pulau Bukom and hijacked the ferry Laju and took five hostages. After negotiations with the Singapore Government, the terrorists freed the hostages on 8 February 1974 and boarded a flight to Kuwait. They were escorted by 13 men, of which four were Commandos.

Operation Thunderstorm
On 8 May 1975, the Commandos and the Navy stormed several vessels carrying Vietnamese refugees intruding into Singapore waters. They kept watch on the refugees and the crews until they were resupplied and escorted out of Singapore about two days later.

Operation Thunderbolt
On 26 March 1991, Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by four Pakistani militants, who took all 129 people on board hostage. When the plane landed at Changi Airport, an unknown number of Commandos from the Special Operations Force (SOF) stormed the plane, killed the four hijackers and freed the hostages within five minutes. The Commandos were awarded the Medal of Valour for their achievement.

United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
Commandos were deployed as peacekeepers alongside Super Puma helicopters.

Operation Blue Heron
Commandos were deployed as peacekeepers to East Timor from May 2001 to November 2002 while having small arms.

Operation Blue Orchid
Commandos deployed to Iraq from 2002 to 2008 to protect Singaporean Air Force aircraft and crew providing humanitarian relief and transporting essential supplies.

Operation Flying Eagle
Commandos were deployed in Aceh to ensure safety of SAF forces providing humanitarian relief.

Operation Blue Ridge
Commandos were deployed alongside regular SAF forces from 2007 to 2013 for protection and support operations.

Accidents and controversies
The Commandos have won the Singapore Armed Forces' annual Best Combat Unit competition many times since 1969. However, in 2003, 1 CDO BN was barred from the competition after it was found guilty of doctoring score-keeping records and fitness test results.

Serious accidents during training are rare and were hardly, or probably never, publicised in the media until 2003, when the Singapore Armed Forces' standards of safety in training came under increased scrutiny following the deaths of some servicemen during training.

On 21 August 2003, a Guardsman, Second Sergeant Hu Enhuai, died during a combat survival training course conducted by the Commandos. Four Commandos were charged in court a year later for carrying out the "dunking" procedure deemed inappropriate for training purposes. On 3 September 2003, another Guardsman, Second Sergeant Rajagopal Thirukumaran, died after a run during the selection process for the Ranger Course conducted by the Commando Training Wing.

On 15 June 2005, Second Sergeant Ong Jia Hui, a member of the Maritime Counter-Terrorism Group, drowned during training at Changi Naval Base. On 13 July 2005, First Sergeant Shiva s/o Mohan fell from 20 metres above the ground while rappelling from a helicopter and was pronounced dead in hospital about two hours later.

On 20 June 2006, Lieutenant Lionel Lin died after encountering difficulties while training at the swimming pool in Hendon Camp.

On 13 March 2010, First Sergeant Woo Teng Hai was accidentally shot by a villager during overseas training in Thailand. He was flown back to Singapore on the same day and was discharged from hospital by the end of that month.

Equipment
The following is a list of equipment known to be used by the Commandos:

References

Works cited

1969 establishments in Singapore
Formations of the Singapore Army
Special forces of Singapore
Commando units and formations

Commandos (Singapore Army)


"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" is a song written by Geoffry Morris for the American band The Barbarians. It was released as the group's second single, and was the first and most successful tune for the Barbarians to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox.

Following the group's unsuccessful debut, "Hey Little Bird", The Barbarians had their breakthrough with an appearance, alongside other musical artists such as The Rolling Stones and The Supremes, on The T.A.M.I. Show. In order to take advantage of their exposure, the band recorded "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" with the B-side, "Take It or Leave It". Guitarist Geoffry Morris, who had recently joined the band, was responsible for the arrangements. The song reflected the social commentary of the period, specifically around what distinguishes a male from a female. The lyrics express both sides' opposing views on issues like hair length or how a person dresses. The band members themselves grew their hair long and wore unusual clothing. Jerry Causi, as lead vocalist, initiates call and response with Bruce Benson and Jeff Morris on backing vocals. There is also mockery toward bands from England with lyrics like "You're either a girl, or you come from Liverpool", and more specifically "You can dance like a female monkey, but sink like a stone...yeah a rolling stone", a direct reference to The Rolling Stones. The song ends with a brief R&B-influenced guitar solo before fading out.

"Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl", with its B-side "Take It or Leave It", was released in September 1965 on the Laurie label. It peaked at number 55 nationally, and stayed on the charts for six weeks. The song was also featured on the group's debut album of the same name, as the opening track. Despite the publicity following their modest hit, the album failed to chart. The song has been included on several compilations thereafter, most prominently the 1998 reissue of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968.

Releases

Singles/EPs
 "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" b/w "Take It or Leave It" – Laurie Records, #LR 3308, 1965
 Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl EP – Disques Vouge, #INT 18027, 1965
 "Little Bit O' Soul" b/w "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" – Laurie Records, #LDG 113, 1978 (A-side features The Music Explosion)

Albums/Compilations
 Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl – 1965
 Nuggets, Vol. 1: The Hits – 1986
 Classic Old and Gold – 1987
 Nuggets: Even More Nuggets – 1989
 Classic Rock: Rock Renaissance, Vol. 3 – 1990
 Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 – 1998 (reissue)
 The Laurie Records Story, Vol. 1 – 2003
 Absolutely the Best of the Sixties, Vol. 2'' – 2004

References

1965 singles
1965 songs
Laurie Records singles

Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl


A nest is a place animals live or raise offspring.

Nest may also refer to:

 Bird nests in particular

Places
 Nest Lake, a lake in Minnesota, US
 Nest Island, an island in Nunavut, Canada

People
 Nest ferch Cadell, mother of Rhodri the Great, King of Wales
 Nest ferch Rhys, daughter of the last King of South Wales
 Nest, daughter of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar

Entertainment
 Nest Family Entertainment, an animation studio
 Nest (album), a music album by the Odds
 Nest (band), a Finnish band
 NEST, a fictional organization in the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
 NESTS, a fictional organization from The King of Fighters
 Nest (magazine), a magazine published from 1997 to 2004
 Nest, a 2022 short film directed by Hlynur Pálmason

Organizations
 Google Nest (formerly Nest Labs), an American manufacturer of smart home products
 Near East School of Theology
 Northland Emergency Services Trust
 Nuclear Emergency Support Team

Science and technology
 Google Nest, a smart home control system (and its derivatives)
 Nest algebra, a mathematical concept
 Nest (histopathology), a microscopic pattern of cells
 Nest (protein structural motif)
 NEST (software), a simulation software for neuronal networks

Other
 National Employment Savings Trust, the UK's default workplace pension scheme
 National Entrance Screening Test, an entrance exam in India
 Nest Learning Thermostat, an electronic, programmable, and self-learning Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat
 Nest (horse), an American thoroughbred horse

See also
 NEST+m, New Explorations into Science, Technology, and Math School
 Nesting (disambiguation)
 Nestling
 Nested
 The Nest (disambiguation)
 NEST (disambiguation)

Nest (disambiguation)


Between 1956 and 1965 Radio Free Scotland (RFS) broadcast through the PAL audio channel of BBC television (then on VHF) after God Save the Queen finished in the evening, and, later on, on 262 metres medium wave on the radio.

The station was the initiative of David Rollo, an electrical engineer who served as the Scottish National Party (SNP)'s treasurer and head of broadcasting.  He built a transmitter in the Townhead Cafe in Kirkintilloch with Alvaro Rossi.

The first broadcast interrupted a BBC newscast when viewers in Perth were told to stay tuned following sign off. This "pirate" radio transmission opened with the provocative statement: "This is Radio Free Scotland proclaiming to the nation that the fight for independence is on in earnest". This roving station was heard for almost a month in Glasgow, Ayrshire and Perth. The Scottish National Party (SNP) announced official backing for Radio Free Scotland because of the government ban on broadcasts by the Scottish and Welsh nationalists on the BBC.

The BBC later paid for the right to re-broadcast some RFS material and the SNP and Plaid Cymru gained the right, as other parties already had, to time on mainstream broadcasters.

Leading figures in Radio Free Scotland included "Controller General", Gordon Wilson, who later became an MP (1974–1987) and was Chairman (Convener) of the SNP from 1979 to 1990. Douglas Henderson, also later an MP, was "Director of Programmes" between 1963 and 1965. Scotland's oldest woman when she died, Annie Knight, hosted the station in her living room during 1962.

Gordon Wilson has written a book about the station, Pirates of the Air.

Radio Free Scotland was reborn online in 2007 after the blessing of William Wolfe and others from the original station was given to Presenter "Pax". The station was presented for the first run by Pax himself with occasional guests providing music and opinion relevant to Scottish independence. Every show still starts with opening words from the original broadcasts.

Pax was diagnosed with cancer and went through several treatments for it and the show went off air for a while. After successful treatment the show was back on, this time with co-host Norrie and the double act was born. In late 2014 Pax was diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder presenting as the main symptom. His treatment continues.

In 2013 the show was revamped again to include regular guests Nick Durie and Gordon S. Kerman giving their own views and insights along Yes Scotland Edinburgh  Pentlands co-ordinator Simon Hayter giving monthly updates both nationally and regionally for the Yes Scotland campaign.

The station has an account on Facebook, although it has been inactive since December 2014.

References

External links

Details of book launch of Pirates of the Air - http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Pirates-of-the-Caledonian-Uncovering.6842505.jp
Radio Free Scotland Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Radio.Free.Scotland

Radio stations in Scotland
Scottish independence
Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom
Scottish National Party
Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom
Radio stations established in 1956
Radio stations disestablished in 1965

Radio Free Scotland