A Cloud in Trousers (Облако в штанах, Oblako v shtanakh) is a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky written in 1914 and first published in 1915 by Osip Brik.

Originally titled The 13th Apostle (but renamed at the advice of a censor) Mayakovsky's first major poem was written from the vantage point of a spurned lover, depicting the heated subjects of love, revolution, religion and art, taking the poet's stylistic choices to a new extreme, linking irregular lines of declamatory language with surprising rhymes. It is considered to be a turning point in his work and one of the cornerstones of the Russian Futurist poetry.

Background
The subject of Mayakovsky's unrequited love was Maria Denisova whom he met in Odessa during the Futurists' 1913 tour. Born in 1894 in Kharkov to a poor peasant family, Maria at the time resided with the family of her sister (whose husband Filippov was an affluent man) and was an art school student, learning sculpture. Vasily Kamensky described Denisova as "a girl of a rare combination of qualities: good looks, sharp intellect, strong affection for all things new, modern and revolutionary."

Maria's sister Yekaterina Denisova, who ran a domestic literary salon, invited the three now famous young Futurist poets, Mayakovsky, Burlyuk and Kamensky, to their house. Prior to this Maria and Vladimir met three weeks earlier at the Mir Iskusstva exhibition, but that was a fleeting acquaintance. Mayakovsky fell in love instantly and gave her the nickname Gioconda, in reference to the Mona Lisa.

The intensity of Mayakovsky's passion was unbearable. According to Kamensky, he  suffered immensely and was hectically rushing things, caring not for what he thought to be the girl's indecisiveness and fussiness. It looked as if he completely misunderstood the situation: Maria (unlike her sister) was just not impressed either by the Futurists, or by Mayakovsky. Indecisive she was anything but; "on the contrary, her later life proved to be the chain of extraordinary events, triggered by most daring, reckless decisions", according to biographer Mikhaylov.

In the mid-1910s Maria Denisova lived in Switzerland with her first husband, then, as the latter moved to England, returned to the Soviet Russia. She fought in the Russian Civil War and married the Red Army general Efim Shchadenko whom she divorced in the late 1920s. Denisova became an established Soviet monumentalist sculptor, one of her better known works being "The Poet" (1927), Mayakovsky's head set in plaster. In the late 1930s she fell into obscurity and stopped seeing friends, one of her two daughters, Alice, having fled to England. Denisova committed suicide in 1944 by jumping from the tenth floor.

History
Mayakovsky started working on the poem (which he said was born "as a letter, while on a train") in early 1914. He finished it in July 1915, in Kuokkala. Speaking at the Krasnaya Presnya Komsomol Palace in 1930, Mayakovsky remembered: "It started as a letter in 1913/14 and was first called "The Thirteenth Apostle". As I came to see the censors, one of them asked me: Dreaming of doing a forced labour, eh? 'By no means, I said, no such plans at all.' So they erased six pages, as well as the title. Then, there's the question about where the title has come from. Once somebody asked me how could I combine lyricism with  coarseness. I replied: 'Simple: you want me rabid, I'll be it. Want me mild, and I'm not a man, a cloud in trousers.'"

The first extracts from the poem (part of the Prologue and Part 4) appeared in the Strelets (Sagittarius) compilation in February 1915. Several stanzas were published as extensive quotes in Zhurnal Zhurnalov (The Journals' Journal) by Mayakovsky himself in his article "On the Many Mayakovskys". In February 1915 at the Strelets-related party in the Stray Dog artistic basement featured Mayakovsky reciting fragments of it to the audience, Maxim Gorky among the guests. In July 1915 he read some of it to Gorky personally.

"Travelled to Mustamyaki. M.Gorky [was here]. Read him the Cloud's fragments. So moved to tears Gorky was as to soak my vest. The degree to which I upset him made me almost proud. It was only later that I learned he'd been sobbing this way upon every poetical vest coming his way", Mayakovsky wrote in his autobiography. According to actress Maria Andreyeva, Gorky (who hated the Futurists) admired Mayakovsky. Still, he was taken aback by "the extreme loudness" of his poetic voice. "Once he told him, 'Look, here's just [your] sunrise, and there you are, running out wild to give this enormous yell. How are you to keep it up? The day is long, and there is a lot for you to live through."

Publications
Initially none of the publishers wanted to have anything to do with the poem. Finally published in September 1915 by Osip Brik (who also financed the publication) it came out severely cut. "The Cloud turned to be a cirrus one, censors blew it through. Some six pages amounted to mere dots", Mayakovsky wrote in his I, Myself autobiography. As with the Vladimir Mayakovsky, most targeted were the religion-related images.

In 1916 the poem was included into the Simple as Mooing compilation, published by the Gorky-led Parus (The Sail) publishing house. Cuts here were less drastic but there were some. On 17 March 1917 Mayakovsky published in Novy Satyricons No.11 issue the full versions of Parts 2 and 3 of the poem (75 lines in all), under the title "Reinstate" (Восстанавливаю).

For the first time the whole uncensored text of the poem was published in early 1918 by the Moscow company Asis (abbreviation of Ассоциация  социалистического  искусства, The Association of Socialist Art). In a foreword Mayakovsky wrote: "I consider A Cloud in Pants (the original title, "The Thirteenth Apostle", was banned by censors, but I'd rather not go back to it: got used to this one) a canon of contemporary art. 'Damn your love,' 'Damn your art,' 'Damn your regime,' 'Damn your religion' – [such are] the four cries of the four parts."

Synopsis
Structurally, the poem is closer to diptych.  In Part I the protagonist is waiting for his love, Maria, in a hotel.  She finally appears and informs him of her engagement.  He remains visibly unperturbed, but internally suffers an explosion of destructive emotions and furious metaphors:

Now I'll go and play.

The fiery curve of my brow flawless.

A house that was destroyed by flame

Is sometimes occupied by the homeless.

Parts II and III contain brutal attacks on the contemporary poetry, praises of the Man who "holds the conveyors of the world in the palm of his hand", and prophesizes the revolution and the emergence of the new, freed mankind.  The protagonist, a self-defined "preaching, thrashing Zarathustra", sees himself as a new man–God and enters the "tongueless streets" to pronounce his own Sermon on the Mount.

Where the human eye fails in confusion,

The hungry hordes loom:

Wearing the crown of thorns of revolutions

Year 16 brings doom.

Part IV sees the protagonist's return to being tormented by unrequited love, which eventually brings him to the act of Deicide, as he blames God for creating an unhappy world, where unanswered love is possible:

Almighty, you gave us an assortment:

A head and a pair of hands to exist.

Why couldn't you make it so, without torment,

We could kiss, kiss, and kiss?!"

He sees Love in the modern world as doomed, being destroyed by art, religion and the society itself.

The theme of madness that first appeared in Part III ("The thought of psychiatric wards came and curtained my brain in despair" and "This is all madness.  Nothing with happen.") develops into a mental breakdown of the protagonist in the Finale, which is followed by emotional exhaustion and silence.

Notes

References

1915 poems
Poetry by Vladimir Mayakovsky
Futurist literature

A Cloud in Trousers


The Tanami Desert is a desert in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is rocky with small hills, an arid and isolated area that was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century. It is crossed by the Tanami Track. The explorer John McDouall Stuart made repeated attempts to cross the desert in the 1860's while trying to reach the Victoria River. He was unable to find water.

Under the name Tanami, it is one of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) regions. The desert is uniquely "one of the most important biological areas to be found in Australia particularly as it provides refuge for several of Australia's rare and endangered species."

The species that are found include:
Western Chestnut Mouse (Pseudomys nanus)
Little Native Mouse (Pseudomys delicatulus)
Long-tailed Planigale (Planigale ingrami)

Significant bird species include:
Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos)
Australian Painted Snipe (Rostratula australis)
Freckled duck (Stictonetta naevosa)

Indigenous people
The Tanami Desert is home to the Kukatja and Walpiri people. The Tjurabalan live at the edge of the desert.

References

 Kelly, Kieran, (2003)  Tanami : on foot across Australia's desert heart Sydney : Pan Macmillan Australia, 2003.
 Thackway, R and I D Cresswell (1995) An interim biogeographic regionalisation for Australia : a framework for setting priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program Version 4.0 Canberra : Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Reserve Systems Unit, 1995.

Other websites
 http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/environment/conservation/pdf/43_swtanami.pdf
 http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/series/paper4/tan.html Australian government paper on environmental conditions.

Deserts of Australia

Tanami Desert


Riviera nay mean:

The French Riviera (Côte d'Azur; Occitan: Còsta d'Azur) is on the Mediterranean coastline.
Riviera District, Ticino, Switzerland.
Italian Riviera
On the Riviera is a 1951 American musical comedy movie
Cannero Riviera in the Italian region of Piedmont.
Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district) in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.
Riviera Beach, Florida
The Night Riviera is a sleeper train operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two sleeper trains on the railway in Great Britain
La Riviera in Sacramento County, California.
The Rivieras was a US rock and roll group.

Riviera


The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, often simply called the "Old Courthouse," was once the center of Vanderburgh County, Indiana government. Construction started in the spring of 1888 and was completed in November 1890. The building was ready to be occupied by the county government in early 1891.  It sits in the heart of downtown Evansville.

The building was designed by architect Henry W. Wolters of Louisville, Kentucky and constructed by the Charles Pearce & Company of Indianapolis. The 19th century German Beaux-Arts architecture masterpiece cost $379,450 to build. The Old Courthouse occupies an entire city block, bounded by Court, Fourth, Vine and Fifth Streets, with each side being encrusted with sculptures and stone carvings in Indiana limestone.  The fourteen main statues of human figures are the work of Franz Engelsmann, who studied under the great German masters before setting up his studio in Chicago.  In addition, carvings of vegetables, fruits, and flowers indigenous to the area adorn the capitals of the forty-eight pairs of pilasters around the entire building.

Before the courthouse was built, the site was a basin where canal boats on the Wabash and Erie Canal would deliver cargo and turn around for the return trip north. After the advent of the railroads and the canal's abandonment, the site was filled in and the courthouse was constructed upon it.

A tunnel runs beneath Vine Street connecting the Old Courthouse to the Old Vanderburgh County Jail.

Architecture

The tower

The bell tower rises above the Old Courthouse to a height of  The first level of the tower is enclosed with windows which allow sunlight to enter.  The next level is open and houses the  Old Courthouse bell.  The bell, manufactured by McShane Bell Foundry located in Baltimore, Maryland, has tolled at the Old Courthouse since August 20, 1890.  The next level is enclosed and houses only the pulleys and inner workings of the clock.  The four faces of the clock, each measuring  in diameter with one facing each side of the building, are found on the final level of the tower.  Finally, found on this level of the tower is a suspended staircase which winds to the top of the copper-clad central dome of the Old Courthouse; the base of the cupola sits atop the dome.

Court Street entrance
Protecting the Court Street entryway to the Old Courthouse is a great eagle with its wings widespread perched upon a shield, denoting not only the national emblem but a standard of the ancient Romans.  Directly below the eagle are large Roman numerals carved into the limestone, showing the date when construction began.  Facing the Old Courthouse, to the left sits the Goddess of Manufacturing and Industry who holds a hammer in her right hand, which rests upon an anvil, and the cogwheel of industry in her left.  To her left side sits a locomotive depicting the mode of transportation prevalent at the time. To the right sits the Goddess of Agriculture resting her left hand on a plow and surrounded by symbols of the farm: a sheaf of grain, a hamper of vegetables, and a bee hive. Above the arches of the doorway proper are two cherubs. The one on the left is female as it is holding a nest, thus the care giver; the one on the right is male, holding a bow and quiver, hence the hunter.

Fourth Street entrance
High above the Fourth Street entryway to the Old Courthouse sits a grouping of three statues thought to represent the quest for knowledge and truth. The central figure wears a crown and holds a crusader's sword in her left hand while decidedly posturing her right hand on her leg. To her left is the only male statue on the building; he rests his right arm on a stack of books and holds in his left hand a tablet. To the right of the central figure is a statue who holds a torch in her right hand and rests her left arm also on a stack of books. Directly below this grouping is a carving of the Seal of the State of Indiana, depicting a wooded scene with a hunter and buffalo and encircled with giant oak leaves symbolizing distinction. Above the arches of the doorway proper are two muses, or Greek goddesses. Depicted to preside over music, the one on the left holds a harp in her right hand; depicted to preside over painting, the one on the right displays a palette in her left hand.

Fifth Street entrance
Similar to Fourth Street, a grouping of three statues thought to represent justice is found above the Fifth Street entryway to the Old Courthouse. The central figure holds the scales of justice in her left hand, with a staff in her right hand. The symbolism of the three raised fingers at the top of her staff as well as the serpent intertwined in her hair is unclear. The statue on the left holds a tablet in her left hand while the statue on the right holds a torch in her right hand. Directly below this grouping again is found the Seal of the State of Indiana, and there are muses above the doorway arches. The one on the left holds a mallet in her left hand and a bust in her right hand, presiding over sculpture. The one on the right holds a book in her left hand, presiding over literature. Although it does not date back to 1890, the revolving door for entering the Fifth Street side of the building is one of the oldest revolving doors remaining in use in Evansville.

Vine Street entrance
There are some noticeable similarities between the Vine Street entryway of the Old Courthouse and the Court Street side. The American eagle again perches atop this side of the building, and the Roman numerals reading 1888 are again found below the eagle. However, the goddesses on this side of the building are different from those sculpted on Court Street. Facing the building, to the left sits the Goddess of Commerce and River Trade whose left hand rests on the prow of a boat, a chain and an anchor. She is surrounded by symbols of the late 19th century riverfront such as bales, barrels, and crates. To the right sits the Goddess of Learning with scrolls at her feet and a tablet in her right hand. Another similarity to Court Street is found above the arches to the doorway proper with the cherubs representing male and female being sculpted again. However, their positions have been reversed with the male being on the left and the female on the right side of the arches.

Notes

References

External links

Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
Government buildings completed in 1890
Towers completed in 1890
Vanderburgh County Courthouse, Old
Buildings and structures in Evansville, Indiana
National Register of Historic Places in Evansville, Indiana
Bell towers in the United States
Clock towers in Indiana
Beaux-Arts architecture in Indiana

Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse


The Dragon Murder Case (first published in 1934) is a novel in a series by S. S. Van Dine about fictional detective Philo Vance. It was also adapted to a film version in 1934, starring Warren William as Vance.

Plot

A guest at an estate in northern Manhattan (Inwood Hill Park) dives into the swimming pool and disappears.  His murder brings up references to a mythological dragon which is said to prey on the imprudent, but Philo Vance uses his knowledge of both dragons and criminals to demonstrate whodunit.

Background

The estate in the novel was based on Tryon Hall, built in 1907 by C. K. G. Billings, a retired president of the Chicago Coke and Gas Company. In 1917 he sold the mansion to John D. Rockefeller Jr. The mansion burned down in 1926, and Rockefeller developed the property, and others, into Fort Tryon Park, which he then donated to New York City.

Literary significance and criticism
The Dragon Murder Case is the seventh novel featuring Van Dine's Philo Vance character. Some critics saw this as marking a significant change in the series, including crime novelist Julian Symons who wrote, "The decline in the last six Vance books is so steep that the critic who called the ninth of them 'one more stitch in his literary shroud' was not overstating the case." Further unfavorable critiques from culture historian Jacques Barzun noted, "The estate and its denizens are meant to be as picturesque as the persons and the plot, but all succeed only in being as egregious and improbable as Philo Vance and his antics.  This tale is one of the author's worst ..."

References

External links

 The text of the novel is available from Project Gutenberg, Australia

1934 American novels
American novels adapted into films
Novels by S. S. Van Dine
Novels set in New York City
Philo Vance novels
Novels about dragons

The Dragon Murder Case


Anthony Doran (born April 1946) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a full-forward for the Wexford senior team. Doran won an All-Ireland title both for his county and club.

Born in Boolavogue, County Wexford, Doran first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Wexford minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He joined the senior panel during the 1964–65 National League. Doran went on to play a key part for the team over the next two decades, and won one All-Ireland medal, four Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.

As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Doran won seven Railway Cup medals. At club level he is a one-time All-Ireland medallist with Buffer's Alley. In addition to this he also won three Leinster medals and twelve championship medals in a career that spanned thirty years.

Doran's career tally of 41 goals and 57 points marks him out as Wexford's second highest championship scorer of all-time.

Throughout his inter-county career, Doran made 40 championship appearances for Wexford. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1984 championship.

His brother, Colm, also enjoyed a lengthy career with Wexford.

Doran has been voted on to teams made up of the sport's greats, and was chosen at full-forward on the All-Ireland club hurling silver jubilee team in 1996, before later claiming the same position on a specially-chosen greatest ever Wexford side in 2002.

Playing career

Club

Doran began his club career playing at underage levels with Moonageer-Boolavogue, before later joining the Buffer's Alley in the late sixties.

In 1968 Doran won his first championship medal following a defeat of Faythe Harriers. It was the club's first ever championship title.

After surrendering their championship crown in 1969, Buffer's Alley reclaimed the title in 1970. It was Doran's second championship medal.

Buffer's Alley quickly became one of the dominant forces in club hurling in Wexford. After a defeat in the championship decider in 1973, the club went on to claim back-to-back titles in 1975 and 1976.

After a period of uncertainty Buffer's Alley bounced back in 1982 to begin a remarkable run of success. Defeats of Oulart-the Ballagh, St. Martin's and Faythe Harriers (twice) secured four successive championships. These wins brought Doran's medal tally to an impressive eight. The last of these victories was converted into provincial success, with Doran collecting a Leinster medal following a 3–9 to 0–7 defeat of Kinnitty. Buffer's Alley later faced Kilruane MacDonaghs in the All-Ireland decider on 16 March 1986. A close game developed, however, five rallying points from Jim Williams helped Kilruane to a narrow 1–15 to 2–10 victory.

Doran won a ninth championship medal in 1988 as Buffer's Alley put a halt to Rathnure's quest for a third successive title. He later collected a second Leinster medal as Ballyhale Shamrocks were defeated by 1–12 to 1–9. O'Donovan Rossa provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 17 March 1989. Rossa's five-point lead was hauled back with a Séamus O'Leary goal while Henry Butler was the hero in goal. A 2–12 to 0–12 victory gave 42-year-old Doran an All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship medal.

A tenth championship medal was collected by Doran in 1989, before later claiming his eleventh and twelfth titles with back-to-back victories in 1991 and 1992. The latter victory was later converted into a third Leinster medal following a 2–13 t 0–13 defeat of St. Rynagh's.

Doran retired from club hurling in 1993 following a junior championship final.

Inter-county

Doran joined the Wexford minor hurling team as a seventeen-year-old in 1963. He won a Leinster medal that year following a high-scoring 6–10 to 6–8 defeat of nine-in-a-row chasing Kilkenny team. The subsequent All-Ireland decider against Limerick was also a high-scoring affair, however, 6–12 to 5–9 victory gave Doran an All-Ireland medal.

Two years later in 1965 Doran was a key member of the Wexford under-21 team. A 7–9 to 1–5 trouncing of Dublin gave him his first Leinster medal in that grade. Reigning champions Tipperary were the opponents in the subsequent All-Ireland final, however, a 3–7 to 1–4 victory gave Doran an All-Ireland medal.

Wexford retained their provincial crown in 1966, with Doran collecting a second Leinster medal following a 7–10 to 2–8 demolition of Laois. The subsequent All-Ireland decider saw Cork providing the opposition. After a high-scoring hour of hurling Wexford scored 5–6 to Cork's 3–12 resulting in a draw. The replay was also a close affair with the sides finishing level again at 4–9 apiece. A third game produced the eventual winner as Wexford were defeated by 9–9 to 5–9.

By this stage Doran had already joined the Wexford senior team. He claimed his first silverware with a National Hurling League medal in 1967 following a 3–10 to 1–9 defeat of Kilkenny. Doran made his championship debut on 25 June 1967 in a 6–10 to 1–6 Leinster semi-final defeat of Laois.

Doran won his first Leinster medal in the senior grade in 1968 following a 3–13 to 4–9 defeat of reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny. This victory allowed Wexford to advance to an All-Ireland final against Tipperary, the outstanding team of the decade, on 1 September 1968. All was going to plan for Tipperary as they took a 1–11 to 1–3 lead at half-time. In one of the great All-Ireland comebacks, Doran got Wexford back on track with a goal six minutes after the interval. Three more goals followed from Paul Lynch, Jack Berry and Doran again. Late goals from Michael "Babs" Keating and Seán McLoughlin for Tipp failed to stem the tide as Wexford secured a 5–8 to 3–12 victory. It was Doran's first All-Ireland medal.

After surrendering their championship titles in 1969, Wexford regrouped the following year. A 4–16 to 3–14 defeat of old rivals Kilkenny in the very first 80-minute championship game gave Doran a second Leinster medal. Wexford subsequently faced Cork in the All-Ireland decider on 6 September 1970. A record 64-point scoreline and eleven goals were produced in a sometimes ill-tempered and disappointing contest. Doran top scored for Wexford with two goals, however, the day belonged to Eddie O'Brien who scored a hat-trick of goals for Cork from his hand. A remarkable 6–21 to 5–10 score line gave Cork the victory.

Doran won a second National League medal in 1973 following a 4–13 to 3–7 defeat of Limerick.

After a five-year period of Kilkenny dominance Wexford broke through in 1976. A 2–20 to 1–6 trouncing gave Doran, who was now captain of the team, a third Leinster medal. Cork provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 5 September 1976. Wexford got off to a strong start and were 2–2 to no score ahead after just six minutes. Wexford had a two-point lead with ten minutes to go, however, three points from Jimmy Barry-Murphy, two from Pat Moylan and a kicked effort from Ray Cummins gave Cork a 2–21 to 4–11 victory. In spite of this defeat Doran was later presented with his sole All-Star as well as being named Texaco Hurler of the Year.

Doran was Wexford captain again in 1977 as he collected his fourth Leinster medal following a 3–17 to 3–14 defeat of Kilkenny. The All-Ireland final on 4 September 1977 was a repeat of the previous year, with Cork providing the opposition once again. Seánie O'Leary score the decisive goal for Cork as the game entered the last quarter, while Martin Coleman brought off a match-winning save from Christy Keogh to foil the Wexford comeback. A 1–17 to 3–8 defeat was Doran's lot as he endured a second successive year as the All-Ireland runner-up captain.

Wexford went into decline following this defeat as Kilkenny and Offaly emerged as the dominant teams in Leinster. Doran played his last game for Wexford in a 1–15 to 2–11 Leinster decider defeat by Offaly on 8 July 1984. He retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.

Inter-provincial

Doran was also picked for the Leinster inter-provincial team on many occasions between 1968 and 1979.

Between 1971 and 1975 Leinster enjoyed their greatest ever period of success. Five consecutive defeats of fierce rivals Munster, with Doran at full-forward, gave him his first five Railway Cup medals.

After a brief hiatus in 1976, Doran collected his sixth Railway Cup medal in 1977 following a 2–17 to 1–13 defeat of Munster once again.

Doran won his seventh and final Railway Cup medal in 1979, as Connacht were bested by 1–13 to 1–9.

Career statistics

Honours

Team

Buffer's Alley
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (1): 1989
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (3): 1985, 1988, 1992
Wexford Senior Club Hurling Championship (12): 1968, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992

Wexford
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1968
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (4): 1968, 1970, 1976 (c), 1977 (c)
National Hurling League (2): 1966–67, 1972–73
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 1965
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 1965, 1966
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1963
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1963

Leinster
Railway Cup (7): 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979

Individual

Honours
Texaco Hurler of the Year (1): 1976
All-Star (1): 1976
Cú Chulainn Award (1): 1967
GAA Hall of Fame Inductee: 2016
The 125 greatest stars of the GAA: No. 48
Greatest Wexford Team: Full-forward
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Silver Jubilee Team: Full-forward
In May 2020, the Irish Independent named Doran at number nineteen in its "Top 20 hurlers in Ireland over the past 50 years".

References

1946 births
Living people
Buffer's Alley hurlers
Wexford inter-county hurlers
Leinster inter-provincial hurlers
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners

Tony Doran


Ashridge Commons and Woods is a 640.1 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. It is located in Little Gaddesden, and is part of the National Trust Ashridge Estate in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This site is mainly semi-natural vegetation, with has extensive areas of woodland, grass and scrub. There are many species of breeding birds, including some which are rare nationally, such as firecrests. Other species which are locally rare are common redstart, nightingale and wood warbler. There are a number of small ponds which support populations of amphibians and invertebrates.

The entrance to the Ashridge Estate is in Moneybury Hill, Ringshall.

See also
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Buckinghamshire
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire

References

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Buckinghamshire
National Trust properties in Hertfordshire
National Trust properties in Buckinghamshire
Dacorum
Forests and woodlands of Buckinghamshire
Ashridge

Ashridge Commons and Woods


Cryolophosaurus is a theropod dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic period. It is the only theropod to be found in Antarctica. Cryolophosaurus was discovered in the Jurassic Hanson Formation in the Transantarctic Mountains. The find of this dinosaur was significant because it proves that the dinosaurs lived on all  continents and that high latitude climates were tolerated by dinosaurs at that time.

Cryolophosaurus is also significant because it is the oldest known tetanuran from any continent: it is the only one from the early Jurassic.

Cryolophosaurus had a large crest on the top of the skull, above the eyes. It extends upwards from the skull.

Cryolophosaurus was found about  from the South Pole but then it was about  or so farther north. Also found were the remains of Glacialisaurus (a large basal sauropodomorph), a crow-sized pterosaur, synapsids, and another unknown theropod. There are also the remains of many plant genera around the same age as fossils of Cryolophosaurus, proving that dense plant matter had once grown on Antarctica's surface before it drifted southward.

References

Tetanurans

Cryolophosaurus


The Mark I Mini (1959–1967) was the first version of British Motor Corporation's Mini. It is characterised by its sliding windows, external door hinges and "moustache" grille. In the United Kingdom the Mark I was produced between 1959 and 1967, with production in Australia continuing until 1970. The Mini Mark I was sold under both Austin and Morris marque names.

Design

Designed as project ADO15 (Austin Drawing Office 15), the first models were marketed with the names Austin Seven (often written as SE7EN) and Morris Mini-Minor in England. Until 1962, they appeared as the Austin 850 and Morris 850 in some export markets. The production model differed from the original prototype (affectionately named "The Orange Box" because of its colour) due to the addition of a modified front subframe, on which the engine was mounted, and by the engine being mounted with the carburettor at the back, rather than at the front, as in the prototype, to reduce wear on the gearbox.

The proposed engine size was originally 948 cc as used in the Morris Minor and Austin A35. However, Leonard Lord, chairman of BMC thought that the  top speed was excessive and thus reduced the engine size to 848 cc to gain a more manageable speed (for the time) of . Issigonis' suspension featured the use of rubber cones as springs: the spring rate of rubber changes with compression, allowing the suspension to adapt to passenger load variations (a full passenger load could actually double the tiny vehicle's gross weight). A conventional suspension would have required an increase in height to the design. This unique design was adapted from Issigonis's home-built racer and built for the Mini by Alex Moulton.

The Mini was a genuine four seater. This was possible within such a small bodyshell because the engine was mounted transversely, driving the front wheels via a gearbox which was uniquely incorporated into the sump of the engine. Engine and gearbox thus shared the same oil, which was a significant piece of design in response to the 1956 Suez crisis and the fears of future oil shortages. The overall width of the vehicle was reduced, because there was no need to accommodate a separate gearbox across the width of the car and because there was no transmission tunnel in the floorplan of the Mini, there was more space that could be used to accommodate the passengers thus compensating for the reduced width. Overall length was minimized because of the Mini's two-box design, comprising only a passenger compartment and the engine compartment. There was no third box providing a separate luggage compartment (i.e. a boot) and that inevitably compromised luggage space. To offset that problem, large bins beside each of the four seats provided some useful interior storage and a centrally located instrument binnacle allowed the dashboard to be opened up for storage too. The requirement for storage bins in the front doors effectively determined that the Mini should have sliding windows rather than wind-up windows. The tiny  wheels helped to reduce the intrusion of wheel arches into the interior of the vehicle and allowed a modest amount of additional luggage space in a "boot" area behind the rear seats. Overall the Mini represents some very clever packaging.

Performance

An Austin de luxe saloon was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1959. It had a top speed of  and could accelerate from 0– in 27.1 seconds. A fuel consumption of  was recorded. The test car cost £537 including taxes of £158.

Cooper and Cooper S

Issigonis' friend John Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car Company and Formula One Manufacturers Champion in 1959 and 1960, saw the potential of the little car, and after some experimentation and testing, the two men collaborated to create a nimble, economical, and inexpensive car. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in September 1961.

The original  engine from the Morris Mini-Minor was increased to , boosting power from  to . The car featured a tuned engine, twin HS2 SU carburettors, and  disc brakes, a first at the time in a small car. 1,000 of this iteration were commissioned by management, intended for and designed to meet the homologation rules of Group 2 rally racing. The 997 engine was replaced by a shorter stroke  unit in 1964. By the time production of the Cooper model ended in 1967, 12,274 of these popular cars had been sold to the public. A more powerful Mini Cooper, dubbed the "S", was developed in tandem and released in 1963. Featuring a  engine and larger disc brakes, 4,030 Cooper S's were produced and sold until the 1071 model was deleted in August 1964. Cooper also produced two models specifically for circuit racing, rated at  and a , both of which were also offered to the public. The smaller engine model was purely to homologate for racing in sub-1000cc capacity classes, only 961 were built with 970 cc engines and the model was discontinued in April 1965. The  engined models continued through the Mk2 Mini, finally being killed off in 1971 in the Mk3 bodyshell.

The Cooper S version was also used by some British police departments and the Australian Traffic police as a plainclothes car. The engine was a  BMC A-series Inline-4 OHV 2 valves per cylinder, producing a maximum power of  @ 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of  @ 3000 rpm.

Upgrades

The suspension in all UK models was replaced by a Hydrolastic system in 1964. The new suspension created a softer ride, but it also increased weight and production cost; in 1969 the original rubber suspension reappeared except on 1275 GT, Clubman and Cooper S models. Many other production changes occurred over the life of the Mark I Mini.

In Australia, 1965 saw the release of the redesigned Australian Morris Mini Deluxe. The new model featured redesigned doors with conventional interior handles and wind up windows (with quarter vents), hydrolastic suspension, key operated starter, a remote gearshift mechanism (like the Cooper) and the engine was upgraded to the 998 cc version. Production of the Australian Morris Mini Deluxe continued until 1969 when it was replaced with another Australian only model, the Mini K the "K" stands for Kangaroo. The K received the more powerful 1098 cc engine (from the Morris 1100) as well as 4-speed synchromesh transmission and upgraded instruments. It was claimed that the Mini K was produced with 80% local content. Both of the Australia only round-nosed minis were based on the UK Mark I Mini with the production changes from the Mark II Mini never being used in Australia. Production of the round-nosed mini in Australia halted in 1970 with the release of the new Mini Clubman. The Australian Mini Clubman utilised the same locally designed wind up windows and exterior door hinges as the Morris Mini Deluxe. The Australian Mini had wind up windows many years before their British counterparts.

Mark I Mini production changes for UK built cars
Chassis numbers for production changes are given in italics, where necessary in the format Austin/Morris

1959

26 August 1959 - 101 - The first Mini launched, the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor
 August - 4232/4093 - Split radiator cowl
 August - 5488/5537 - Pivoting quadrant on radius arm for handbrake cable
 August - 10151/11670 - Castor angle changed from 1.5 to 3 degrees
 December - Interior trim changes for the Austin Seven

1960

 January - 10502 - Modified window catches
 February - 14215 - Morris Only. Improved trim, Improved dampers, fuel tank drain plug, modified window catches
 March - 19126 - First Countryman
 April - 26590/24831 - Drive shafts modified
 May - Mini van announced
 September - 19101 - Wood framing available on Countryman/Traveller
 October - 58698 - Austin Seven upgraded to Feb Morris spec
 Late 1960 - Recessed panels around front and rear screens introduced

1961

Sep 1961 - Mini Cooper launched
Late 1961 - Riveted wheels replaced with welded

1962

01/01/1962 - Austin Seven rebadged Austin Mini, metal oil filler cap replaced with plastic

1963

May 1963 - Chrome window catches and 10 hole runners replaced with plastic catches and 2 hole runners
June 1963 - Upper seat belt mounts in the B-pillar lowered 4.5"

1964

Jul 1964 - 'Cutout' front panel added
Sep 1964 - Courtesy light switches added to A-panel
Sep 1964 - Hydrolastic suspension introduced
Oct 1964 - Seat mounting brackets gained 3-point adjustments

1965
Oct 1965 - In 1965 an AP (Automotive Products) four-speed automatic transmission as an alternative, amazingly, it was little bigger than the original unit and so was able to occupy the same space. As a motoring program from the time reported "you can still change the gears manually or you can put the lever into the bottom of the gate and car changes itself. BMC call it the his or hers system, for equal appeal for men or women drivers it's the first automatic transmission ever offered on such a small car."

1966

Jan 1966 - Safety boss added to external door handles

1967

Oct 1967 - Mark I replaced by Mark II

Production date stamps

Certain components fitted to Mark I cars were stamped with the date on which they were made.  This is in the format of month/year, like 1/62 for January 1962. These dates can be useful for working out the age of a specific car, or for judging how original it is. The following components are known to be date stamped in this manner:

See also
 Mini - For details of this and other Mini models

References

External links

BMC vehicles
Mini vehicles
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Coupés
1960s cars

Mini (Mark I)


An Outcast of the Islands is the second novel by Joseph Conrad. It was published in 1896. It was based on Conrad's experience working on a steamer (ship), the Vigar.

The novel tells about the fall of Peter Willems. He is a bad man, and has a bad reputation. On the run from a scandal in Makassar, he finds a place to hide in a hidden native village. However, he betrays the people who are helping him, because of lust for the tribal chief's daughter. The story features the character Tom Lingard, who Conrad uses lots, and also appears in Almayer's Folly (1895) and The Rescue (1920). It shares other characters with those novels.

This novel was made into a movie in 1952 by director Carol Reed, starring Trevor Howard as Willems, Ralph Richardson as Lingard, Robert Morley, and Wendy Hiller.

The work was quoted in T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men: "Life is very long.".

1890s books
English novels
Works by Joseph Conrad

An Outcast of the Islands


Andreas Josef Maurer (7 September 1919 – 25 October 2010) was an Austrian politician (ÖVP) and farmers' advocate who served as governor of Lower Austria from 1966 to 1981.

Early life

Maurer was born in Trautmannsdorf an der Leitha in Lower Austria, and was raised on his parents' farm. From 1925 to 1933 he attended school in Trautmannsdorf, and afterwards attended agricultural technical school in Bruck an der Leitha.

He was a soldier in the Wehrmacht from 1940 to 1945, and married Hermine Berger in 1944.

Political career

From 1946, Maurer was politically active as a farmers' representative, and then entered local politics, serving on the Trautmannsdorf city council from 1951 to 1956. In 1959 he was elected to the Landtag of Lower Austria, where he served until 1964. From 1964 to 1966 he was an official (Landesrat) in the provincial government of Lower Austria, as well as President of the Austrian Farmers' Federation. From 1970 to 1989 he was chairman of the Lower Austrian Farmers' Federation.

From 24 November 1966 to 22 January 1981, Maurer was the Landeshauptmann (Governor) of Lower Austria. During this lengthy term, he oversaw development of the state's road system, as well as a general process of modernization. His government enacted compulsory education, a regional planning law, a nature protection law, and a new state constitution.

References

1919 births
2010 deaths
Governors of Lower Austria (after 1918)
Mayors of places in Austria
People from Bruck an der Leitha District
Austrian prisoners of war

Andreas Maurer (Austrian politician)


Great Lakes Areas of Concern are designated geographic areas within the Great Lakes Basin that show severe environmental degradation. There are a total of 43 areas of concern within the Great Lakes, 26 being in the United States, 12 in Canada, and five shared by the two countries.

The Great Lakes, the largest system of fresh water lakes in the world, are shared by the United States and Canada. They make up 95% of the surface freshwater in the contiguous United States and have 10,000 miles of coastline (including connecting channels, mainland and islands)—more than the contiguous United States' Pacific and Atlantic coastlines combined. The lakes are a system of transport and shipping, as well as a place of recreation.

Description of an area of concern
An area of concern must have at least "one beneficial use impairment which means that it has undergone a change in its chemical, physical, or biological integrity of a water body."  These include:
restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
tainting of fish and wildlife flavor
degradation of fish and wildlife populations
fish tumors or other deformities
bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems
degradation of benthos
restrictions on dredging activities
eutrophication or undesirable algae
drinking water restrictions, or taste and odor problems
beach closings
degradation of aesthetics
added costs to agriculture or industry
degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton
loss of fish and wildlife habitat

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada more specifically defines Areas of Concern as "geographic areas that fail to meet the general or specific objectives of the agreement where such failure has caused or is likely to cause impairment of beneficial use of the area's ability to support aquatic life." The U.S.-Canada Water Quality Agreement holds the committee and regulations that decide whether an area should be considered an area of concern.  The goal of the agreement is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem through a concerted set of interventions that are targeted at the aforementioned Areas of Concern. Because each waterway has a unique set of characteristics that have contributed to its ecological impairment, a Remedial Action Plan has been developed to identify the causes of impairment which will be used to guide local actions that will restore the individual waterways. The goal of each Remedial Action Plan is to bring about the delisting of the waterway from the list of Areas of Concern

Since its original passage in 1972, the GLWQA has been amended multiple times to include preventative action towards current anthropogenic stressors. In particular, the latest amendment to the agreement was in 2012 where preventative measures were added to address issues that have arisen since the last amendment in 1987. Furthermore, this amendment resulted in the invitation of additional organizations to participate in policy formation and remediation. Primarily run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Great Lakes Committee Members have added indigenous representatives and local public government organizations. Thus, any form of remedial action takes into account the local communities' perspectives. This governing body is also known as the Binational Executive Committee (BEC), which meets at least twice a year to establish priorities and review progress. Under the GLWQA, various action plans have been established to target specific lakes. For example, the 2012 amendment resulted in the creation of GLWQA Nutrients Annex Subcommittee that will help target the algal bloom in Lake Erie. Overall, the General Lakes Water Agreement is a dynamic piece of legislature that will continue to address ever-changing priorities and values.

Other laws and policies
The United States and Canada and the states that border the Great Lakes have all created several laws, policies, and commissions to try to keep the Great Lakes healthy and un-polluted.  In 1909 the Boundary Waters Treaty was put into place to control the water quality in the Boundary Waters that border both the U.S. and Canada.  They created the International Joint Commission to deal with the duties of the new treaty.  With the realization of the sea lamprey explosion in the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was created to control the situation.  In 1994 the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Basin was suggested as a good faith agreement.  This was an agreement to use the ecosystem as a method of management for the Great Lakes.  The Air Quality Agreement was put into place to help protect the health of not only the ecosystems of the Great Lakes but the citizens who live around them as well.  It limits the amount of toxic chemicals that are given off.  Another policy that was put into place in response to the toxic chemicals in the area of the Great Lakes occurred in 1997.  The Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy was developed to control the persistent toxic substances that bioaccumulate such as DDT, PCBs, mercury and dioxins.  These toxins stay in ecosystems for long after they are exposed and they can cause serious damage to the plant and animal life."

Threats

Invasive species
One of the major problems is the number of non-native species that are taking over the lakes. Approximately every eight months a new species enters the Great Lakes, severely disrupting the ecosystems in the area. New animals or insects coming into or leaving an ecosystem can be just as damaging as pollution.

A major food source for most fish in Lake Michigan had been Diporeia shrimp that have been drastically decreased by an infestation of zebra mussels. The Diporeia shrimp have declined from over 10,000 per square meter to virtually zero on the lake bottom because of these zebra mussels. In Lake Michigan the decrease in Diporeia numbers is extreme at 94% killed over the past ten years. Its neighbor, Lake Huron is down 57% in its Diporeia population in just the past three years. There are many examples of this problem in each of the Great Lakes, as well.

The Great Lakes have been damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. Some of these species include the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife. Invasive plants include purple loosestrife and Eurasian watermilfoil. As well as throwing off the habitats of native species and the food web of the ecosystem, invasive species also threaten human health and have a major negative impact on the Great Lakes economy by damaging fisheries, agricultural industries, and tourism.

Point-source pollution
Point-source pollution occurs when pollutants enter a waterway directly. This could be from such causes as waste being dumped into a waterway. In the past, lakes and other waterways were used as a place to dump waste because it was thought that water could dilute anything, whereas more recent studies have shown this to be extremely incorrect. After several hundreds of years of constant dumping, many waterways have become contaminated with toxic chemicals and human waste.

Nonpoint-source pollution
Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that occurs when runoff from streets, lawns, farms, and other areas carries toxins, chemicals, and eroded soil into nearby lakes, rivers, and oceans causing pollution and buildup of sediment. Nonpoint source pollution is said to be the most problematic and hardest to reverse of the types of pollution because it is so hard to regulate and pinpoint where it originates. Many experts agree that nonpoint source pollution is the biggest concern facing the Great Lakes. With the increase of urbanization, a toll has been taken on the lakes in these areas. Lakes that once had stable ecosystems with the appropriate amount of plant life are now full of massive amounts of plants and algae that have been fed by excess fertilizer from lawns and farms, killing off many species of fish and other water life.

Atmospheric pollution
Atmospheric pollution is pollution that falls from the sky and comes to rest back on earth in the water table and in the lakes and oceans. This air pollution usually comes from smoke and chemicals being thrown into the air from smoke stacks. One of the most troubling facts about atmospheric pollution is that it usually falls hundreds of miles away from its source and therefore is difficult to track and locate, but it is a major contributor to the pollution of not only the Great Lakes but all over the world. Pollution from one country can be hurting another. The best-known type of atmospheric pollution is acid rain. Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere. These substances rise very high into the air, they can then mix with and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to create pollutants known as acid rain. The effects of acid rain are mostly seen in aquatic ecosystems. As the rain flows through the soil, the acidic water can drain away aluminum from the soil and them flow into streams and lakes. As more acid is released into the environment, more aluminum is also released. There are some plants and animals that are able to tolerate acid rain and moderate amounts of aluminum, but others are not as tolerant and will start to die off as the pH decreases. One of the biggest contributors to acid rain is the burning of coal and fossil fuels.

List of areas of concern

As of August 2021, nine areas of concern have been fully restored and delisted. These include:

 Oswego River (2006)
 Presque Isle Bay (2013)
 Deer Lake (2014)
 White Lake (2014)
 Lower Menominee (2020)
 Ashtabula River (2021)
 Collingwood Harbour (1994)
 Severn Sound (2002)
 Wheatley Harbour (2010)

Additionally, eight areas of concern in the United States and two in Canada have completed restoration efforts and are awaiting final delisting.

See also

Clean Water Act
Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan (ECCSCM)
Lists of invasive species
Water pollution

Notes

References
What Can You Do?; Water Pollution Guide. April 2007.

External links

great-lakes.net
umich.edu
greatlakesdirectory.org

Environmental issues in Canada
Environmental issues in the United States
Great Lakes
Water supply and sanitation in the United States

Great Lakes Areas of Concern


Activating transcription factor 6, also known as ATF6, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the ATF6  gene and is involved in the unfolded protein response.

Function

ATF6 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-regulated transmembrane transcription factor that activates the transcription of ER molecules. Accumulation of misfolded proteins in the Endoplasmic Reticulum results in the proteolytic cleavage of ATF6.  The cytosolic portion of ATF6 will move to the nucleus and act as a transcription factor to cause the transcription of ER chaperones.

See also
 Activating transcription factor

Interactions
ATF6 has been shown to interact with YY1 and Serum response factor.

References

Further reading

External links

Transcription factors

ATF6


Line, stylised as LINE, is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices opereated by LY Corporation. Line users exchange: texts, images, video and audio and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. In addition, Line is a platform providing various services including: digital wallet as Line Pay, news stream as LINE Today, video on demand as Line TV and digital comic distribution as Line Manga and Line Webtoon.

Line was launched in Japan in June 2011 by NHN Japan, a subsidiary of Naver Corporation. Because it was tailored to Japanese consumers' tastes and offered free smartphone calls as well as texting, with the help of a massive marketing campaign it quickly outpaced its existing rival KakaoTalk for the Japanese market. It reached 100 million users within 18 months and 200 million users six months later. Line became Japan's largest social network in 2013, with more than 300 million users. By February 2015 it had 600 million users.

In March 2021, SoftBank Group affiliate and Yahoo! Japan operator Z Holdings completed a merger with Line Corporation. Under the new structure, A Holdings, a subsidiary of SoftBank Corporation and Naver Corporation, will own 65.3% of Z Holdings, which will operate Line and Yahoo! Japan. Line is the most popular messaging application in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

History
In South Korea, the home of NHN Japan's parent company Naver Corporation, Naver had launched a messaging app called Naver Talk for the South Korean market in February 2011. However, rival Korean company Kakao had first-mover advantage with its KakaoTalk app launched in March 2010 and easily dominated the Korean market by March 2012.

Naver/NHN co-founder and chairman Lee Hae-Jin and a team of engineers were in Japan when the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck in March 2011. Naver/NHN had been in Japan for ten years, trying to build a Japanese search and portal business, since NHN's other international ventures had stagnated. The earthquake and tsunami left millions without power and phone lines and SMS networks were overwhelmed. Since Wi-Fi and some 3G remained largely usable, many people turned to KakaoTalk, which was just beginning to gain a foothold in Japan. Lee was inspired to launch a messaging and chat app in the wake of the disaster and his NHN Japan team was testing a beta version of an app accessible on smartphones, tablet and PC, which would work on data network and provide continuous and free instant messaging and calling service, within two months. The app was launched as Line in June 2011.

Because Naver/NHN had a far superior cultural knowledge of what Japanese users wanted, and a much larger corporate marketing budget, Line quickly surpassed KakaoTalk in Japan. Line also offers free voice calls and, since Japan's telecoms make customers pay for both SMSs and smartphone calls, this feature, which KakaoTalk did not have, was a major selling point.

The app proved hugely popular, and by late October 2011, Line experienced an unexpected server overload. To improve scalability to accommodate its exponential rise in new users, NHN Japan chose HBase as the primary storage for user profiles, contacts and groups. In December 2011, Naver announced that Naver Talk would be merged into Line, effective early 2012.

In July 2012, NHN Japan announced the new Line features Home and Timeline. The features allowed users to share recent personal developments to a community of contacts in real-time, similar to the status updates in social networking services such as Facebook. On April 1, 2013, Naver's Japanese branch name was changed from NHN Japan to Line Corporation.

Line became Japan's largest social network by the end of 2013, with more than 300 million registrants worldwide, of which more than 50 million users were within Japan. In October 2014, Line announced that it had attracted 560 million users worldwide with 170 million active user accounts. In February 2015, it announced the 600 million users mark had been passed and 700 million were expected by the end of the year.

Line was originally developed as a mobile application for Android and IOS smartphones. The service has since expanded to: BlackBerry OS (August 2012), Nokia Asha (Asia and Oceania, March 2013), Windows Phone (July 2013), Firefox OS (February 2014), IPadOS (October 2014) and as a Chrome Browser Application (via the Chrome Web Store). The application also exists in versions for laptop and desktop computers using the Microsoft Windows and MacOS platforms..

In July 2016, Line Corporation held IPOs on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

In late December 2020, Line Corporation delisted from both the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in advance of its absorption-type merger agreement with Z Holdings.

On March 1, 2021, Line Corporation merged with Yahoo! Japan, which has been operated by Z Holdings, a SoftBank Group subsidiary. Under the new structure, Naver Corporation (Line's former parent company) and SoftBank Corp (the wireless carrier unit of SoftBank Group). Each one hold 50% stakes in a new company named A Holdings Corp., which holds a majority stake in Z Holdings, which now operates Line and Yahoo! Japan. Upon integrating the two businesses and creating further platforms, the merged company aims to compete with the U.S. tech giants: Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple and the Chinese tech giants Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, as well as the Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten. The merger also gives Z Holdings three additional Asian markets where Line is popular: Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia.

Market share
Line began in Spring 2011 as a communication system for NHN Japan employees. It then saw explosive growth when released to the public in June of that year. By 18 January 2013, Line had been downloaded 100 million times worldwide. The number expanded to 140 million by early July 2013 and to 200 million by July 21. As of June 2016, Japan claimed 68 million users while Thailand had 33 million. As of February 2014, Indonesia had 20 million users, Taiwan 17 million, while India and Spain had 16 million each. NHN representatives announced plans to reach 300 million by further expansion in East Asia, Spain and Chile. In April 2014, Naver announced that Line had reached 400 million worldwide users and by 2017 this had grown to 700 million.

Features
Line is an application that works on multiple platforms and has access via multiple personal computers (Microsoft Windows or MacOS). The application will also give an option of address book syncing. This application also has a feature to add friends through the use of QR codes by Line ID and by shaking phones simultaneously. The application has a direct pop-out message box for reading and replying to make it easy for users to communicate. It also can share photos, videos and music with other users, send the current or any specific: locations, voice audios, emojis, stickers and emoticons to friends. Users can see a real-time confirmation when messages are sent and received or use a hidden chat feature, which can hide and delete a chat history (from both involved devices and Line servers) after a time set by the user.

The application also makes free voice and video calls. Users can also chat and share media in a group by creating and joining groups that have up to 500 people. Chats also provide bulletin boards on which users can post, like and comment. This application also has timeline and homepage features that allow users to post pictures, text and stickers on their homepages. Users can also change their Line theme to the theme Line provides in the theme shop for free or users can buy other famous cartoon characters they like. Line also has a feature, called a Snap movie, that users can use to record a stop-motion video and add in provided background music.

In January 2015, Line Taxi was released in Tokyo as a competitor to Uber. Line launched a new android app called "Popcorn buzz" in June 2015. The app facilitates group calls with up to 200 members. In June a new Emoji keyboard was also released for IOS devices, which provides a Line-like experience with the possibility to add stickers. In September 2015 a new Android launcher was released on the Google Play Store, helping the company to promote its own services through the new user interface.

Official channels
Line includes a feature known as "official channels" which allows companies, especially news media outlets, publications and other mass media companies to offer an official channel which users can join and thereby receive regular updates, published articles or news updates from companies or news outlets.

Stickers
Line features a Sticker Shop where users are able to purchase virtual stickers depicting original and well-known characters. The stickers are used during chat sessions between users and act as large emoji. Users can purchase stickers as gifts, with many stickers available as free downloads, depending on country availability. Purchased stickers are attached to an account and can be used on other platforms. New sticker sets are released weekly. Line's message stickers feature original characters as well as a number of popular manga, anime and gaming characters, movie tie-ins and characters from Disney properties such as Pixar. Some sticker sets, such as those that celebrate special events like the 2012 Summer Olympics, are released for only a limited time. Other sticker sets could also be used to benefit the greater good, known as Charity Stickers. For example, in 2016, Line released "Support Kumamoto" Charity Stickers to provide aid to victims of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. All proceeds earned from the sales of these stickers were to be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society to provide financial support and aid for the victims.

The original default characters and stickers, known as Line Friends, were created by Kang Byeongmok, also known as "Mogi", in 2011.

There are over 1 billion stickers sent by worldwide users on a daily basis.  The popular characters Milk & Mocha began as stickers on Line in Indonesia.

Games
NHN Japan created Line Games in 2011. Only those with a Line application account can install and play the games. Players can connect with friends, send and accept items and earn friend points. The game range includes: puzzles, match-three, side-scroller, musical performance, simulation, battle and spot-the-difference games. In September 2013, Line Corporation announced its games had been downloaded 200 million times worldwide.

On July 10, 2017, Line Games acquired NextFloor Corporation, developers of Dragon Flight and Destiny Child. On January 5, 2017, LINE Games was announced as the publisher for Hundred Soul (formerly known as Project 100) by Hound 13.

On December 12, 2018, Line Games held a media event called LPG (Line Games-Play-Game) to introduce its games for 2019. Mobile games announced include: Exos Heroes (by OOZOO), Ravenix: The Card Master (also by OOZOO), Dark Summoners (by SkeinGlobe), Project PK (by Rock Square) and Super String (by Factorial Games). Project NM by Space Dive was also announced for PC. Games to be released on mobile and PC include: Project NL (by MeerKat Games) and Uncharted Waters Origins (by Line Games and Koei Tecmo).

On 10 Jul 2019, Nintendo released Dr. Mario World co-developed by Line Games. On July 18, 2019, First Summoner developed by SkeinGlobe was released.

Line Pay
Line introduced Line Pay worldwide on December 16, 2014. The service allows users to request and send money from users in their contact list and make mobile payments in store. The service has since expanded to allow other features such as offline wire transfers when making purchases and ATM transactions like depositing and withdrawing money. Unlike other Line services, Line Pay is offered worldwide through the Line app.

Line Taxi
Line Taxi was launched in January 2015 in partnership with Nihon Kotsu, a local taxi service in Japan. Just like Line Pay, Line Taxi is not offered as a separate app but rather through the Line app where users can request a taxi and automatically pay for it when they connect their account to Line Pay.

Line Wow
Announced alongside Line Pay and Line Taxi, a service that allows users to instantly access delivery services for registered food or products and services.

Line Today
A news hub integrated in the Line app.

Line Shopping
A referral program for online shopping. Customers get extra discount or earn Line Points by purchasing through the Line Shopping service.

Line Gift
A gift sending services on Line. Customers can send gift via Line.

Line Doctor
A matching platform for finding doctors online.

Line Lite

In 2015, a lower-overhead Android app was released for emerging markets called Line Lite. This supports messages and calls but not themes or timeline.

It became available worldwide in August 2015.

In January 2022 Line announced the discontinuation of Line Lite, taking effect on the 28th February 2022.

Limitations
Line accounts can be accessed on only one mobile device (running the app version) or one personal computer (running the version for these). Additional mobile devices can install the app but require different mobile numbers or e-mail addresses for the Line account.

If "Line Lite" for Android was installed and activated, the user was told they will be "logged out of the normal Line". This message did not make clear that it was impossible to log back in to the normal Line, which would delete all history data when next launched. Line Lite has now been discontinued.

Security
In August 2013, it was possible to intercept a Line chat session at the network level using packet capture software and to reconstruct it on a PC. Messages were sent in cleartext to Line's server when on cellular data but encrypted when using Wi-Fi most of the time.

Until February 2016, it was also possible to "clone" an iPhone from a backup and then use the "cloned" iPhone to access the same Line account as used by the original iPhone. This loophole was widely rumored (but never proven) to have been used to intercept Line messages between the popular Japanese television personality Becky and her married romantic partner Enon Kawatani; the intercepted messages were published in the magazine Shukan Bunshun and led to the temporary suspension of Becky's television career.

In July 2016, Line Corporation turned on end-to-end encryption by default for all Line users. It had earlier been available as an opt-in feature since October 2015. The app uses the ECDH protocol for client-to-client encryption. In August 2016, Line expanded its end-to-end encryption to also encompass its group chats, voice calls and video calls.

In March 2021, the Japanese government announced that it would investigate Line after reports that it let Chinese system-maintenance engineers in Shanghai access Japanese users' data without informing them, beginning in August 2018. Four Chinese engineers in a Shanghai-based affiliate that Line subcontracted to develop AI accessed the messages stored in the Japanese computer system and personal information of Line users, such as: name, phone number, email address and Line ID. Photos and video footage posted by Japanese users were also stored on a server in South Korea. Line stated in March 2021 that it had since blocked access to user data at the Chinese affiliate and that it would revise its privacy policy and make it more explicit. Line had been used by the Japanese government and local governments to notify residents about developments in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. In response to the reports of security issues, the national government and many local governments halted their usage of Line in late March 2021. In April 2021 the government ordered Line to take measures to properly protect customers' information and to report improvement measures within a month. Line also relocated image and other data stored in South Korea to Japan. As of November 2021, the Tokyo metropolitan government offers proof of COVID-19 vaccinations through the Line app, with expansion planned for other prefectures.

On 12 April 2021, Line suffered a large-scale crash in Taiwan. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Roman Matovsky hacked the company's servers because of a personal conflict with the company. He wrote about it on his personal blog shortly after the platform's services resumed, asserting why and what he claimed happened and additionally left comments consistent with this in his social network profiles, which he subsequently removed the next day.

More than 70,000 LINE Pay users in Taiwan have been affected by a leak of transaction information during the period from December 26, 2020, to April 2, 2021.

Censorship
Line suppressed content in China to conform with government censorship. Analysis by Citizen Lab showed that accounts registered with Chinese phone numbers download a list of banned words that cannot be sent or received through Line.

Line publicly confirmed the practice in December 2013. However, by 2014, access to Line chat servers has been entirely blocked by the Great Firewall, while the company still makes revenue in China from brick-and-mortar stores.

In Indonesia, Line has responded to pressure from the Indonesian Communication and Information Ministry to remove emojis and stickers it believes make reference to homosexuality, for example the emoji "two men holding hands". Line issued a public statement on the issue: "Line regrets the incidents of some stickers which are considered sensitive by many people. We ask for your understanding because at the moment we are working on this issue to remove the stickers".

In Thailand, Line is suspected of responding to pressure from the Thai government and, after previously approving 'Red Buffalo' stickers, which had been used to refer to the Red Shirts political faction, including by the Red Shirts themselves, removed the stickers.

In Russia, on 28 April 2017, Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, placed LINE on a banned list. Telecommunications companies appear to have taken steps in May to progressively block access to LINE and other services using smartphones. The Russian Internet Regulation Law obliges social network operators to store personal information of their Russian customers in the country and submit it if requested by the authorities; LINE is believed to have been found to be in breach of this provision. According to reports, BBM, Imo.im and Vchat have been newly added to the list of banned services, in addition to LINE. On 3 May 2017 access to Line chat servers was entirely blocked by the Roskomnadzor and the Line servers were added to the Unified Register of Banned Sites, after which Russian users began to experience problems receiving and sending messages.

In popular culture
On November 20, 2012, Line was shown in Far East Movement's music video, featuring Sidney Samson, for the song "Change Your Life". DJ Virman is seen chatting with Sidney Samson at the middle of the music video.

On December 16, 2012, the Line application was shown in American rap artist Big Sean's music video for the song "Guap".

On May 16, 2014, Warner Music Italy released the music video for Italian singer Annalisa's "Sento solo il presente", in which the recording artist is seen using the Line application at the beginning of the video.

Since Line has become ubiquitous in Japan, its usage is depicted with relative frequency in anime, dramas, and other pop culture. For example, in the 2017 anime Tsuki ga Kirei, the Line app is the protagonists' main way of communication.

Related products

Line Friends

Line Friends are featured characters that are shown in stickers of the application. They include Brown, Cony, Sally, James, Moon, Boss, Jessica, Edward, Leonard, Choco, Pangyo and Rangers. Two anime series, Line Offline and Line Town, were produced in 2013, picturing the Line Friends as employees for the fictional Line Corporation.

Line Man
On-demand assistant for food and messenger delivery services in Bangkok.

Line TV

A video on demand service operating in Taiwan and Thailand.

Stores
There are physical stores in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, U.S. and a Korean online store to purchase Line Friends merchandise. Occasionally, Line will have pop-up or temporary stores globally.

See also

 Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients
Comparison of instant messaging protocols
Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients
Comparison of LAN messengers
Comparison of VoIP software
List of SIP software
List of video telecommunication services and product brands

References

External links

Android (operating system) software
IOS software
Mobile payments
BlackBerry software
SoftBank Group
Symbian software
Instant messaging clients
Cross-platform software
Communication software
VoIP software
Windows Phone software
2011 software
Universal Windows Platform apps

Line (software)


Luis Eduardo Garzón (nicknamed "Lucho") (born February 11, 1951 in Bogotá) is the former Mayor of Bogotá (2004–2007), a left-wing Colombian political activist and a former union leader. He  is a former member of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA). In 2009 Garzón joined forces with former Mayors Enrique Peñalosa and Antanas Mockus to re-found the Green Party, an eco-oriented political movement.

Political career

Presidential Candidate
Considered by some analysts as an idiosyncratic and charismatic speaker, "Lucho" Garzón has been one of the most visible critics of President Álvaro Uribe's government, running against him on a shoe-string budget in the 2002 presidential race and finally making third place with 680,245 votes (6.16% of the voter turnout).

Garzón has expressed his interest in running once again for the Colombian presidential office in the future, after his first failed attempt.

A run in the 2006 elections was ruled out as Garzón would have had to resign his post early in 2005 to be considered eligible and at the time of this writing, Antonio Navarro had already been chosen as the Independent Democratic Pole's (PDI) official pre-candidate but Carlos Gaviria became the PDA official candidate.

Mayor of Bogotá
Garzón defeated Juan Lozano, the candidate favored by president Uribe and also by influential media groups as El Tiempo in Bogotá, in the mayoral elections in October 2003. Garzón's low budget campaign received a major boost when his candidacy was endorsed by the more leftwing sectors of the Liberal party, in particular those close to then senator Piedad Córdoba.

During his tenure as mayor, Garzón was popular amongst the people of Bogotá as reflected in polls, in spite of confronting such difficult issues as the use of public space, the teething problems faced by the TransMilenio mass-transport system, and how to deal with ex-combatants from Colombia's armed conflict who had been settled in Bogotá as part of a central government rehabilitation program (eventually, Garzón and Uribe jointly decided to change some aspects of the program, after a bomb exploded near one of the shelters for former irregular fighters).

In the meantime, despite several disagreements, Garzón has managed to achieve a degree of cohabitation with the central government, cooperating on several local issues without compromising his own principles. For supporters and opponents alike, one of the most striking feature of Lucho's administration so far has been its emphasis on social programs such as Bogotá sin hambre ("Bogotá without hunger") and Bogotá sin indiferencia ("Bogotá without indifference"), and in general his general efforts to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of Bogotá's most deprived areas, as well as increasing their involvement in decision making at the level of local government.

Towards the end of 2005, Garzón has had a recent conflict with his own party, the PDA, in Bogotá's city council due to his support for a proposed increase in the city's "valorization tax", in order to finance existing and future infrastructure and development projects. Most PDA and Radical Change councilmen oppose this measure as contrary to Garzón's "no new taxes" campaign pledge, while Garzón himself and councilmen affiliated with former mayor Enrique Peñalosa consider it necessary. The tax was approved during a September 29 city council vote, by a margin of four votes (24 against 20).

External links
Rumbo a las elecciones

1951 births
Living people
Mayors of Bogotá
Free University of Colombia alumni
Green Alliance (Colombia) politicians
Independent Democratic Pole politicians
Politicians from Bogotá

Luis Eduardo Garzón


Yonhy Lescano Ancieta (born 15 February 1959) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. He is a member of the Popular Action party. He was a Congressman between 2001 until the dissolution of the Congress by Martín Vizcarra in 2019.

From 2009 to 2011, he was the Popular Action party's national secretary-general.

Lescano was the Popular Action Party nominee for President of Peru in the 2021 election, but lost in the first round of the election.

Education
From 1976 to 1980, Yonhy Lescano studied law at the Catholic University of Santa María in Arequipa. From 1984 to 2001, he worked as an independent lawyer in his own town in Puno. Additionally, he was a professor, lecturing law at the National University of the Altiplano (UNA) in Puno, from 1985 to 2001.

Political career
In the 2000 elections, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress under Luis Castañeda's National Solidarity.

Congressman
In the 2001 elections, he was elected as Congressman to represent the Puno Region, on the list of the centrist Popular Action. He was re-elected in the 2006 elections, on the joint Center Front coalition list which grouped the AP, We Are Peru and the National Coordinators of Independents, and in the 2011 elections on the list of the Possible Peru Alliancelist, this time for the constituency of Lima, and in the 2016 elections for a final term, leaving office in 2019 in aftermath of the dissolution of the Congress by Martín Vizcarra. Lescano was one of the Congressmen who were in favor of the dissolution.

References

1959 births
Living people
Peruvian politicians
Puno Region

Yonhy Lescano


Brigadier General Luis Padial (February 6, 1832 – March 5, 1879), was a soldier, politician and one of the most important figures who was responsible for the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.

Early years
Padial, (birth name: Luis Padial y Vizcarrondo ), was born into a well-to-do family from  San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico. He received his primary and secondary education in some of the city's best private schools. After he graduated from superior school (another name for high school), his parents sent him off to Toledo, Spain, where he was to prepare himself to become a career soldier.

Military career
Padial attended the Military Academy of Toledo and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Spanish Army upon his graduation. He was stationed in Puerto Rico in 1863, when a pro-independence rebellion occurred in the Dominican Republic. Padial's battalion was deployed with the intention of "squashing" the rebellion. He was badly wounded in a skirmish and was sent back to Puerto Rico to recover from his wounds. Padial had been a witness of the cruel treatment that the Dominicans had suffered in the hands of the Spaniards and became convinced that their quest for independence was a noble and just one. After he recovered from his wounds, Padial became an active and outspoken person on behalf of the cause of the Dominican Republic.  This led to his deportation from Puerto Rico by orders of the Spanish Governor of the island, General Messina, in December 1864.

Padial went to Spain and joined the liberals, who wanted to overthrow the Spanish Monarchy of Queen Isabella II and establish a republic.  The rebels were under the command of General Primm.  Padial organized an attack from Portugal in 1866 and another from France in 1867.  In 1868, the Spanish Monarchy was overthrown and a republic was established. Padial was named Brigadier General of the Battalion of Madrid.

Abolitionist
He returned to the island and in 1869 was elected to represent Puerto Rico in the Spanish Courts. On November 13, 1869, Padial sent a letter to the Minister of the Overseas Department, Segismundo Moret, to consider granting Puerto Rico more autonomy and to abolish slavery in Puerto Rico using Canada as a model.

On November 19, 1872, Padial together with Roman Baldorioty de Castro, Julio Vizcarrondo and Minister Segismundo Moret, presented a second proposal for the abolition of slavery.  On March 22, 1873, the Spanish Government approved the proposal which became known as the Moret Law.

Later years
In 1874, Padial went into a self-imposed exile in Switzerland, when the Spanish Monarchy returned to power. Padial returned to Spain in January 1879 and died on March 5, 1879, in Madrid.

Notes

See also

List of Puerto Ricans
List of Puerto Rican military personnel

References

External links
El Nuevo Dia

1832 births
1879 deaths
Puerto Rican Army personnel
Puerto Rican abolitionists
Military personnel from San Juan, Puerto Rico
19th-century Puerto Rican people
Puerto Rican military officers

Luis Padial


Daens  is a 1992 Belgian period drama film directed by Stijn Coninx, after a novel by Louis Paul Boon. This 1992 drama starring Jan Decleir, Gérard Desarthe, Antje de Boeck and Michael Pas, tells the true story of Adolf Daens, a Catholic priest in Aalst who strives to improve the miserable working conditions in the local factories. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1992.

In 2008 the film's screenplay was adapted into a stage musical.

Plot
It's 1890. Priest Adolf Daens returns to his hometown, the Belgian municipality Aalst, after a dispute with bishop Antoon Stillemans. Daens moves in with his brother Pieter, publisher of the local newspaper "Land Van Aelst".

Daens is upset when he hears about the bad work conditions in the textile industry. Workmen are abused and exploited by the rich directors only for their own profit. To gain more profit, the companies have just decided to fire all men. They are replaced by women as their wages are much lower. Children need to work day and night, fall asleep and are flattened under the mechanical looms. Industrial accidents happen continuously and the management takes no action.

A new catastrophe will soon happen: Stephane Borremans is about to fire 50% of his employees. His action is supported by Charles Woeste, a foreman of the Catholic-Party fraction in the Chamber of Representatives. Daens resists and wants to stop the atrocity. Pieter helps him in his task by publishing the misbehaviours in the textile industry in his newspaper. Daens becomes a pulpit and, later on, also a member of the Chamber of Representatives.

Nette Scholliers is the eldest daughter of a Catholic family. She is just 17. As her parents have been made redundant, she is the only one who is earning some money to support her whole family. As soon as she hears about Daens's plans, she supports him. Daens is even supported by the liberal party and the socialist party. Jan, a socialist, falls in love with Nette and both start a forbidden romance.

Daens starts to doubt whether he can really change the bad circumstances. Furthermore, as he chooses the side of the poor people, he gets into a conflict with the rich directors, the Catholic party and even the Catholic church. Father Daens is a thorn in their side as he has become a symbol in the hardline freedom struggle of the workmen.

Woeste sets up a plot in which he even involves the Holy See. Daens is summoned by Pope Leo XIII and is put before a dilemma: either he stays a priest or he becomes a politician. Daens just neglects the warnings and continues both of his activities. This leads to his compulsory defrocking.

Eventually, Daens convinces the Belgian politicians that work conditions must improve and workmen must have more rights. Thanks to this action, the directors are forced to invest in better work conditions and to assume a greater responsibility in the prevention of accidents.

Cast
 Jan Decleir – Adolf Daens
 Gérard Desarthe – Charles Woeste
 Antje de Boeck – Nette Scholliers
 Michael Pas – Jan De Meeter
 Karel Baetens – Jefke
 Julien Schoenaerts – Bishop Stillemans
 Wim Meuwissen – Pieter Daens
 Brit Alen – Louise Daens
 Johan Leysen – Schmitt
 Idwig Stéphane – Eugene Borremans
 Jappe Claes – Ponnet
 Frank Vercruyssen – Louis Scholliers
 Matthias Schoenaerts – Wannes Scholliers
 Bart Geyskens – schoolboy

Awards and nominations

See also
 List of submissions to the 65th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
 List of Belgian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

External links

Films directed by Stijn Coninx
1993 films
1990s Dutch-language films
1990s French-language films
Latin-language films
1990s historical drama films
Belgian historical drama films
Belgian biographical drama films
Films set in Belgium
Films set in the 1890s
Films set in the 1900s
Films set in the Victorian era
Films based on Belgian novels
Films shot in Brussels
Films shot in Ghent
1990s biographical drama films
Films adapted into plays
Cultural depictions of Belgian men
Cultural depictions of religious leaders
Cultural depictions of activists
Cultural depictions of politicians
Works about the Industrial Revolution
1992 drama films
1992 films
1993 drama films

Daens (film)


Brantham is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. It is located close to the River Stour and the border with Essex, around  north of Manningtree, and around  southwest of Ipswich.

History
The name Brantham is of Old English origin - Brant for 'hill' and ham 'village' — hence, 'village on the hill'.  Another possible translation may be 'burnt village', a name given after a Viking invasion coming up from the River Stour.  Evidence of the village's Saxon heritage can be found in the form of some ninety silver coins from the time of Edward the Elder (899-924) in what has become known as the Brantham Hoard, found in the village in 2003.

Brantham is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday book as having 38 households and under the lordship of Aelfric of Weinhou.  Until 1887 the local economy was almost entirely agricultural. This changed in 1887 when British Xylonite Ltd. purchased the  Brooklands Farm and built their factory, which was later renamed BX Plastics. There was insufficient accommodation available locally for the workforce, so the company also built Brantham New Village, consisting of about 60 new houses.

Recreation
Brantham Leisure Centre is a community-interest company providing venues for football, bowls, netball, cricket, and tennis, plus bar and function facilities.

The village's football club, Brantham Athletic, competes in the Premier Division of the Eastern Counties League.

Residents participate in a variety of recurring charitable events, including an annual Guy Fawkes Night fireworks event.

Historical buildings and notable former residents

Brantham's parish church of St. Michael and All Angels dates back to the 14th century, although it is believed a religious building has been on the site for over 1,000 years.  The church also has connections with Dodnash Priory (founded in 1188).  When the priory was dissolved at the time of the Reformation, it is thought that some of the priory's medieval glass was fitted in one of the south facing nave windows.  The church underwent extensive repairs in 2004 after fundraising efforts and a £23,000 grant from the UK National Lottery.

St Michael's owns one of only two known religious paintings by John Constable.  "Christ blessing the children" was presented to the church by the artist himself in 1805.  A reproduction hangs on display in the church today but the original is kept at the Ipswich Museum.  Brantham is generally acknowledged, along with Flatford, Dedham and East Bergholt, to be part of "Constable Country".  The artist chose a cottage in the village overlooking the Stour as a subject to one of his sketches 'Fisherman's cottage in Brantham with a view of Mistley Hall' in 1796. The drawing, which is in the V&A museum in London is one of the earliest dated drawings by Constable of which the whereabouts are now known.

The Tudor didactic poet Thomas Tusser settled at Katwade (now Cattawade) and is believed to have written his most famous work A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie at Brantham Hall. The lord of the manor of Brantham in the 15th century was 'shire knight of Suffolk' Sir John Braham (d.1420).

The village's oldest pub, the Brantham Bull, is a 16th-century grade 2 listed building.  Some of the beams from the building are thought to have come from the wreckage of the Spanish Armada, and over the centuries the building has also been used as a court house and a prison. Witchfinder general Matthew Hopkins, once hanged a lady by the name of Nancy on the green outside the front of the building.  A passage used by smugglers used to run from the pub's cellar out to the River Stour.

Transport
Brantham is about half a mile from Manningtree station. A long railway cutting runs past the village. At one point near Brantham Bull, it is the deepest railway cutting in Suffolk. There was once a siding to Marsh Farm, where fresh fruit and vegetables were loaded for London, and a siding going into the old BX Plastics factory (now derelict) for loading and unloading materials. The former was disused by the end of the 1930s. The BX siding was active until the early 1960s for coal deliveries.

Greater Anglia planned to open a train depot on the site a former Imperial Chemical Industries factory.  However the project was put on hold after the council raised concerns about the time that a nearby level crossing would be blocked for.

Other Notable Buildings
There is a Catholic church (The Holy Family) on Brantham Hill.

There is a Methodist church situated in Gravel Pit Lane.

A small parade of commercial buildings are present on Birch Drive, including a Co-Operative store, a cafe, and a hairdressers.

Brooklands Community Primary School (Early years to year 6) is on Brooklands Road in the village, with a catchment area of the entire village and some outlying areas. It is part of the Orwell Multi Academy Trust.

Notable residents
Humphrey Wingfield (>1481-1545), lawyer and Speaker of the House of Commons of England between 1533 and 1536
Robert Wingfield (c. 1513 - c. 1561), historian and devout Catholic supporter of Mary Tudor
William Gurdon (1804–1884), first-class cricketer and recorder of Bury St Edmunds c. 1840–60 and a judge of the county court of Essex 1847–71.
William Cooke (1821–1894), Church of England clergyman, hymn-writer, and translator who was curate at Brantham
Basil Acres (1926–2000), professional footballer of the 1950s, who played at full back for Ipswich Town F.C.

References

External links

Brantham Vision of Britain

Villages in Suffolk
Civil parishes in Suffolk
Babergh District

Brantham