The Invisible Man is an 1897 novel by H. G. Wells.

The Invisible Man or Invisible Men or variation, may also refer to:

 Invisible person, a science fiction concept

Literature
Griffin (The Invisible Man), the title character in Wells' novel
Invisible Man, a 1952 novel by Ralph Ellison
"The Invisible Man", a short story by G. K. Chesterton
The invisible man : the life and liberties of H.G. Wells a biography of Wells by Michael Coren
 A Láthatatlan Ember (The Invisible Man) or Slave of the Huns, a 1901 Hungarian novel by Géza Gárdonyi
 The Invisible Woman

Movies
 The Invisible Man (1933 movie), a 1933 movie based on the original story starring Claude Rains
The Invisible Man Returns, a 1940 movie starring Vincent Price
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, a 1951 movie starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
 The Invisible Man (1984 movie), a Soviet movie version
 Hollow Man, a 2000 movie version starring Kevin Bacon
 The Invisible Man (2020 movie), a modern version of both the novel by H. G. Wells and the 1933 movie of the same name

Music
The Invisible Man (album), a 2001 album by Mark Eitzel
The Invisible Man, the English name of Michael Cretu's 1985 album
"The Invisible Man" (Queen song), a 1989 song by Queen
"The Invisible Man", a song by Elvis Costello and the Attractions from the 1983 album Punch the Clock
"The Invisible Man", a song by Marillion from the 2004 album Marbles
"Invisible Man" (98 Degrees song), a 1997 song by 98 Degrees
"Invisible Man", a song by The Breeders from the 1993 album Last Splash
"Invisible Man", a song by Theory of a Deadman from the 2002 album Theory of Deadman
"Invisible Man", a song by The Third Rail from the 1967 album Id Music
 The Invisible Men, songwriting and producer trio of Jason Pebworth, George Astasio and Jon Shave
 Invisible Men (1983 album) by Anthony Phillips

Other uses
 The Invisible Man (painting), a 1933 oil on canvas work by Salvador Dalí

The Invisible Man (disambiguation)


Denis Rimovich Khismatullin (, born 28 December 1984) is a Russian chess grandmaster. He is the first grandmaster from Bashkiria. Khismatullin competed in the FIDE World Cup in 2013 and 2015.

Chess career
Born in Neftekamsk, Khismatullin lives in Ufa, and studied at the Ufa Oil University.

Khismatullin won the silver medal at the Under 16 event of the World Youth Chess Championships in 2000. In 2011 he tied for 4th–10th with Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Gata Kamsky, Rauf Mamedov, Ivan Cheparinov, Maxim Rodshtein and Yu Yangyi in the Aeroflot Open in Moscow. He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011, where he was eliminated in the first round by Mikhail Kobalia.
In 2013 Khismatullin tied for 1st–11th with Pavel Eljanov, Dmitry Kokarev, Alexander Areshchenko, Maxim Matlakov, Oleg Korneev, Dragan Solak, Vadim Zvjaginsev, Sanan Sjugirov, Ivan Bukavshin and Ildar Khairullin in the Chigorin Memorial in Saint Petersburg. He has also served as Dmitry Jakovenko's second.

In December 2013, he won the 8th Ugra Governor's Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk. In January 2014, Khismatullin won a friendly eight-game match with Salem A. R. Saleh by 7–1. Soon after, in the same month, he won the Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial in Taganrog. These latter three achievements enabled him to cross the 2700 Elo rating mark in the March 2014 FIDE rating list. He finished third in the Superfinal of the 2014 Russian Chess Championship behind Igor Lysyj and Dmitry Jakovenko respectively.

Khismatullin tied for 2nd–4th place with David Navara and Mateusz Bartel, finishing fourth on tiebreak, in the 2015 European Individual Chess Championship, held in Jerusalem. This result qualified him for the Chess World Cup 2015, where he was eliminated in the first round by Alexander Areshchenko. That same year Khismatullin won the Rashid Nezhmetdinov Memorial tournament in Kazan.

In December 2015 he won the Russian Rapid Grand Prix in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Notable game

Denis Khismatullin vs Pavel Eljanov, 2015 European Individual Chess Championship, round 10:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2 Re8 6. a3 Bf8 7. Ng3 d5 8. Be2 a6 9. O-O c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Bf3 Be6 13. b4 Bd6 14. Bb2 Be5 15. Na4 Bxb2 16. Nxb2 Nc6 17. Nd3 Qb6 18. Rc1 a5 19. Rb1 axb4 20. axb4 Rad8 21. b5 Na5 22. Ne2 Ne4 23. Ndf4 Nc4 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Nd4 Bc8 26. Rc1 Ne5 27. Qb3 Qh6 28. Rc5 b6 29. Rd5 Bb7 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. Rd1 Qg5 32. Kf1 g6 33. h3 Nd3 34. Nc6 Bxc6 35. bxc6 Qc5 36. Qa4 Kg7 37. Qa1+ Kg8 38. Qa4 Rd6 39. Qa8+ Kg7 40. Qa1+ Kh6 41. Nxd3 exd3 42. Qh8 Qc2 43. Qf8+ Kg5 44. Kg1 Qxd1+ 45. Kh2 Rxc6 46. Qe7+ Kh6 47. Qf8+ Kg5 48. Qxf7 Rf6 49. f4+ Kh6 50. Qxf6 Qe2 51. Qf8+ Kh5 52. Qg7 h6 53. Qe5+ Kh4 54. Qf6+ Kh5 55. f5 gxf5 56. Qxf5+ Kh4 57. Qg6 1-0

References

External links
Denis Khismatullin chess games at 365Chess.com

1984 births
Living people
Chess grandmasters
Russian chess players
People from Neftekamsk

Denis Khismatullin


Sharon Rene Brown (born September 1, 1943) is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 1961 becoming the first Miss USA titleholder in history to win the pageant's Photogenic Award.

Early life
Brown is originally from rural Waterproof in southern Tensas Parish in eastern Louisiana. She moved to Minden, the seat of government of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, in the summer of 1961 with her parents. Her father, Roy L. Brown (1921–1978) is interred at the Minden Cemetery.
Her mother, Pauline "Polly" Craft-Brown (1921-2010) is interred at Mulhearn Cemetery, Hwy. 80, Monroe, LA.  She has twin brothers, Gary Lemoyne (1948-2006) and Larry Roy Brown (born 1948), and a younger brother, Joe Michael Brown (1956).
Her grandparents were James Corbett Craft (1882 - 1974) and Lula Maranda Prine-Craft (1899-2000) both interred in the same cemetery as Polly.

Brown attended Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish. She won the title of Miss Waterproof 1961 and was also Miss Louisiana Tech that year. She was a freshman at Louisiana Tech during the 1960–1961 school year. She was a high school cheerleader from 1958 to 1960.

Miss USA
After winning the Miss Louisiana USA crown representing Minden, Brown captured the Miss USA crown, becoming the first Miss USA winner to obtain both the Photogenic award and Miss USA title. She was eighteen years old at the time and went on to place as fourth runner-up in Miss Universe 1961.

Celebrating Louisiana's second representative to achieve the title of Miss USA, Minden proclaimed July 25, 1961, as Sharon Brown Day. She was honored with a parade, a 23-jewel wrist watch, and a $500 money order.

After Miss USA
After her Miss USA tenure ended, she pursued a free-lance modeling and television career in New York City.

In 1962, she was selected Queen of the 28th annual Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. She  appeared on Bob Hope's NBC television program.

In 1978, she was living in Chicago, Illinois.

References

External links

Miss USA official website

1943 births
American cheerleaders
Living people
Louisiana Tech University alumni
Miss Photogenic at Miss USA
Miss Universe 1961 contestants
Miss USA 1960s delegates
Miss USA winners
Actresses from Chicago
People from Minden, Louisiana
People from Waterproof, Louisiana

Sharon Brown (Miss USA)


Fritiof Stig Sjöstrand (5 November 1912 – 6 April 2011) was a Swedish physician and histologist born in Stockholm. He started his medical education at Karolinska Institutet in 1933, where he received his Ph.D. Karolinska Institutet in 1944. Sjöstrand worked as an assistant at the department of pharmacology, where he first had used polarization microscopy, he first heard about the new method of electron microscopy in 1938, within which he would become a pioneer. Manne Siegbahn at the Nobel Institute for Physics had planned to build an electron microscope in Sweden, and Sjöstrand got involved in the project to explore its use in medical research. The main challenge was to produce sufficiently thin samples, and Sjöstrand's method for producing ultrathin tissue samples was published in Nature in 1943. However, it seemed that research based on electron microscopy would be too time-consuming for a Ph.D. thesis, so his 1944 thesis was based on fluorescence spectroscopy. In 1947-1948, he received a scholarship to further study electron microscopy at  Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Biology. Back in Sweden, he received funding to build up an electron microscopy research laboratory. In 1959, Sjöstrand was both offered a position as professor of histology at Karolinska Institutet, and as professor at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He chose UCLA, because conditions for research and funding were better there.

Sjöstrand founded the Journal of Ultrastructure Research in 1957. Since 1990, the journal has been called the Journal of Structural Biology.

Sjöstrand died on 6 April 2011, at the age of 98.

In the recognition of Fritiof Sjöstrand's contribution to the development of electron microscopy, the Annual Sjöstrand Lecture series was set up in 2018 in Sweden. A holder of the lectureship also spends time with students and postdocs at SciLifeLab. The Inaugural Lecture was given by Venki Ramakrishnan at the Karolinska Institute. The 2019 lecture was given by Jennifer Doudna. The 2021 lecture will be given by Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz.

References
 In Memoriam

1912 births
2011 deaths
Swedish pathologists
Swedish biologists
Histologists
Karolinska Institute alumni
Academic staff of the Karolinska Institute
University of California, Los Angeles faculty
Swedish expatriates in the United States

Fritiof S. Sjöstrand


The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is a scientific research institute dedicated to study of the solar system, its formation, evolution, and current state. The Institute is part of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and is supported by the Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Located at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard in Houston, Texas, the LPI is an intellectual leader in lunar and planetary science. The Institute serves as a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data while facilitating the community's access to NASA astromaterials samples and facilities; engages and excites the public about space science; and invests in the development of future generations of scientists. The LPI sponsors and organizes several workshops and conferences throughout the year, including the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) held in March in the Houston area.

History
In his March 1968 speech at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the formation of the Lunar Science Institute (LSI).

"We will welcome here all who are interested in the sciences of space. We will strengthen the cooperation between NASA and our universities. And we will set new patterns of scientific cooperation which will have profound effects on man's knowledge of his universe."
-- President Lyndon B. Johnson, March 1, 1968

"The institute will provide a base for outside scientists, encouraging them to visit the Manned Spacecraft Center and use its laboratories, lunar photographs, and (ultimately) its rock samples. LSI is viewed as a major potential stimulus to lunar science at MSC and elsewhere."

This announcement was the culmination of meetings and events involving NASA, the National Academy of Sciences, Universities Research Association (a university consortium founded to run what became Fermilab) and several major universities. Initially operated by the National Academy of Sciences, USRA, a newly-formed university consortium, took over the management of the Lunar Science Institute on December 11, 1969.

William W. Rubey was appointed the first director of the Lunar Science Institute. Rubey led the institute through the transition to the new management operation under USRA. A program of visiting university-based scientists was established, the first symposium was organized, and the first lecture of the LSI seminar series was presented.  The Lunar Science Institute was formally dedicated on January 4, 1970, at the former West Mansion on NASA Road 1 near the Manned Spacecraft Center.

Thomas R. McGetchin was appointed director in 1977. Under his leadership, McGetchin expanded the focus of the Lunar Science Institute to include the study of the entire Solar System, and the name was changed to the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

In 1991, under the leadership of David C. Black, the LPI moved into a new facility. This new building combined several USRA divisions and operations into one location.  The building, dedicated in January 1992, provided more office, meeting, computer and library space and improved USRA-Houston operations.

Science

General focus
Research topics of the LPI include the formation and evolution of the solar system, petrology and geochemistry of planetary materials and volatiles, planetary interiors, volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, and planetary sample science.  Research interests range from Mercury to Pluto and the icy moons of the solar system.

The LPI serves a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts. Resident scientists provide planetary science expertise necessary for the LPI to achieve its goals and maintain their scientific proficiency through peer-reviewed activities. The research carried out at the LPI supports NASA's efforts to explore the solar system.

The Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, a collaborative effort of the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the Johnson Space Center and an integral part of the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) (formerly the NASA Lunar Science Institute), was established in 2009. The Center is designed to develop a core, multi-institutional lunar science program, provide scientific and technical expertise to NASA, support the development of a lunar science community, and develop lunar science education and outreach programs.

Analysis groups
The LPI provides support for a number of NASA's community analysis groups, including:

Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) - responsible for the collection, curation, and analysis of extraterrestrial samples

Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) - responsible for analyzing scientific, technical, commercial, and operational issues associated with lunar exploration in response to requests by NASA

Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) - responsible for providing science input for planning and prioritizing future Mars exploration activities for the next several decades

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) - responsible for identifying the scientific priorities and pathways for exploration in the outer solar system

Optimizing Science and Exploration Working Group (OSEWG) - responsible for guiding exploration and science investigations during lunar sortie and outpost missions, with extensibility to future Mars missions

Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) - responsible for identifying scientific priorities and opportunities for the exploration of asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, small satellites, and trans-Neptunian objects and for providing scientific input on the utility of asteroids and comets in support of human space activities

Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) - responsible for identifying scientific priorities and strategy for the exploration of Venus

Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team  (MAPSIT) - ensuring that planetary data are usable for any purpose, now and in the future

Summer intern programs
The LPI hosts a Summer Intern Program providing undergraduates an opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research in the planetary sciences. LPI Summer Interns work one-on-one with scientists at the LPI or at the Johnson Space Center to complete research projects of current interest. The Summer Intern Program allows participants to experience a real research environment, to learn from leading planetary scientists, and to preview careers in research.

From 2008 through 2013, the LPI also hosted a Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program designed to evaluate possible landing sites for robotic and human exploration missions. Interns worked with LPI scientific staff and other collaborators. The program was open to graduate students in geology, planetary science, and related fields, and undergraduates with at least 50 semester hours of credit. In 2015, a new Exploration Science Summer Intern Program was established, building on the success of the previous program, but with a broader scope that includes both the Moon and near-Earth asteroids.

Meetings

The LPI organizes and sponsors a number of planetary science workshops and conferences throughout the year in both domestic and international locations, including the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC). This important five-day meeting held in the Houston area in March brings together international specialists in petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, geology, and astronomy to present scientific findings in planetary science. The LPSC dates back to the days of the Apollo program and the early meetings focusing on the study of the lunar samples. After over 50 years, this conference continues to thrive, drawing planetary scientists and researchers from around the world.

Publications

The LPI has collaborated on a number of publications in the prestigious Space Science Series of the University of Arizona Press, including Asteroids III (), Comets II (), Europa (), Meteorites and the Early Solar System II (), Origin of the Earth and Moon (), Protostars and Planets V (), The Solar System Beyond Neptune (), Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets (), and The Pluto System After New Horizons (). The LPI also publishes a large number of planetary science workshop and meeting documents every year. From March 1974 through July 2023, the LPI published the quarterly newsletter, the Lunar Science Information Bulletin, which later became the Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin. Since June 2014, eighteen lunar and planetary science books, most published by LPI such as Traces of Catastrophe and Lunar Stratigraphy and Sedimentology,  have been digitized and made available online.

Scientist engagement and public outreach

The LPI has a long tradition of space science education and public outreach through a number of programs and resources. This effort serves a wide variety of audiences, including informal educators, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students, and the public in informal venues and on local, regional, and national levels.

These programs and resources include the following:

Professional Development - a series of seminars and workshops on topics like communication, networking, career exploration, and more

Explore - a program designed to bring space science into libraries and informal learning environments

Planetary Science News for Students - information and resources for students and early-career researchers in planetary science

Planetary ReaCH - a program that enhances the ability of the planetary science and astrobiology community, aka "Content Heroes," to engage Black and Latinx youth and their families

VIRTEX - a program connecting Boys & Girls Clubs with researchers who study unique extreme environments

Cosmic Explorations: A Speakers Series - a series of free public lectures presented by international experts in space science (past lectures are made available online at the LPI website)

Library
The LPI library contains more than 63,000 cataloged books, documents, maps, films and videos, and print and electronic journals and newsletters. The subject emphasis of the collection is planetary science and geology, with limited collection development extending into the secondary support field of computer science remote sensing. There is an ongoing effort to scan and make available to the scientific community and the general public a number of out-of-print planetary science books, NASA documents and images, and related works. (These publications are copyright-free or made available with permission.)

This collection was a NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility (RPIF) and includes photographs, maps, and other data from planetary missions including Apollo, Lunar Orbiter, Clementine, Mars Pathfinder, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Magellan, Galileo, and Mars Global Surveyor.

Directors of the LPI

 William Walden Rubey (1968-1971)
 Joseph W. Chamberlain (1971-1973)
 David W. Strangway (1973)
 James W. Head (1973-1974)
 Robert O. Pepin (1974-1977)
 Thomas R. McGetchin (1977-1979)
 John R. Sevier (1979)
 Roger J. Phillips (1979-1982)
Kevin C. Burke (1982-1988)
 David C. Black (1988-2002)
 Arch M. Reid (2002)
 Stephen J. Mackwell (2002–2016)
 Louise Prockter (2016–2020)
 Lisa Gaddis (2020–present)

References

Research institutes in Texas
NASA groups, organizations, and centers
Organizations based in Houston
Lunar and Planetary Institute

Lunar and Planetary Institute


Walter Fitz-Alan Stewart (July 11, 1885 – February 9, 1956) was a farmer, fox rancher and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He represented 1st Queens in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1928 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1957 as a Liberal.

He was born in Strathgartney, Prince Edward Island, the son of Robert Bruce Stewart and Anne Warburton, and was educated at the Ontario Agricultural College. In 1933, he married Marian, the daughter of Walter Lea. Stewart was speaker in 1931 and again from 1940 to 1944. He was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1931. Stewart served in the province's Executive Council as Minister of Agriculture in 1944 and as Minister of Welfare and Labour from 1956 to 1957. He died in office at the age of 70.

References

Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island Liberal Party MLAs
1885 births
1956 deaths

W. F. Alan Stewart


Estelle Denis (born 6 December 1976) is a French journalist and television presenter.

Early life and education
Estelle Denis was born in Paris but spent her childhood in Le Coudray-Montceaux, a town in the department of Essonne.

In 1994, she obtained her high school final exam and then studied at the CELSA Paris. In 1996, she studied journalism in Bordeaux. After two years of training and an internship at France Inter, she is hired by France 2 for the 1998 Football World Cup. The same year, she became a journalist for the sports channel Infosport+.

Career
She began her career as a television presenter in 1999, and then presented in 2001 20 h Foot and Prolongations on TPS Star. In 2002, she started presenting the first direct programs of the Ligue 1 commented by Jean-Philippe Goron and Raymond Domenech who were then replaced by Christophe Josse and Jean-Luc Arribart in 2004. That same year, she joined the team of presenters of Téléfoot on TF1 and On refait le match on RTL.

In 2005, the channel M6 suggested her to present the new soccer program 100% Foot. She hosted with the same team 100% Coupe du monde, a talk-show about the events during the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany. In 2006, she hosted Le Tournoi des as on Paris Première, a poker tournament that opposed celebrities and professionals of the game. In 2007, she appeared in the series Off Prime with the Belgian presenter and comedian Virginie Efira, portraying her own role.

Since February 2008, she presents 100% Mag on M6, a daily program about celebrities and subjects about society.

In June 2009, she finished in 203rd place in the World Series of Poker Main Event, winning $37,000 in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world.

In 2010, she presented with Jérôme Anthony and Camille Combal the program Nouvelle Star, ça continue, broadcast just after the primes of the reality program Nouvelle Star.

In September 2012, she left M6 and 100% Mag to join TF1 and present a weekly program. She began on 19 January 2013 with Samedi Soir on Chante, a new program dedicated for the first episode to the repertoire of Jean-Jacques Goldman. On 8 February, she returned on TF1 to co-host a new game show title Splash : le grand plongeon (French version of Celebrity Splash!) with Julie Taton and Gérard Vivès. On 8 March, she participated at the game show Le Grand Concours des animateurs on TF1 and won the contest.

Personal life
Denis was preiously married to French footballer and manager Raymond Domenech, whom she met at the studios of channel Infosport+. Domenech proposed to Denis on live television on 17 June 2008, after France's elimination from UEFA Euro 2008. The couple have two children, a daughter born in 2004 and a son born in 2007. The couple separated in 2020.

Denis is now in a relationship with sailor Marc Thiercelin.

References

External links

Profile of Estelle Denis on the official website of M6

1976 births
Journalists from Paris
French women journalists
French television presenters
French women television presenters
Living people

Estelle Denis


Dick Allen (21 March 1944 – 6 February 2007) was a film editor who worked both as a freelancer and for the BBC. During his career he received two British Academy awards (BAFTA) for best film editor; one for his work on the TV film adaptation Hotel du Lac, and the other on the TV mini series Portrait of a Marriage.

Biography
Dick Allen (christened Richard Allen), was born in London, England, and grew up in nearby Surrey. He attended Ardingly College in West Sussex, before taking an apprenticeship at aeronautical manufacturer Vickers at their base in Brooklands near Weybridge. He joined the BBC in 1964 after he was recommended by a friend, and stayed in their employment for 28 years, first in the film library and eventually as a film editor. By 1973, he was a film editor in his own right, in demand for his services. He worked on some of the corporations major documentary series, such as David Attenborough's The Tribal Eye, as well as dramas and comedies of the 1970s and 1980s.

He received two BAFTA awards, the first in 1986 for his work on Hotel du Lac, and then again in 1991 for Portrait of a Marriage. He left the BBC in the same year but continued to work until the birth of his son in 1994 when he gave up editing to be a father. He also had two children from his first marriage; a daughter in 1969 and a son in 1971. He died in 2007 at the age of 62.

References

1944 births
2007 deaths
People educated at Ardingly College
British film editors

Dick Allen (film editor)


Ralf Örjan Valter Ramberg ( Rahmberg; born 26 February 1948) is a Swedish actor born in Örgryte, Gothenburg.

Biography
Örjan Ramberg started his acting career in musicals with leading parts in the original Swedish stagings of Hair (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1972; opposite, among others, Agnetha Fältskog (later of ABBA) as Mary Magdalene). He was later educated in the dramatic arts at Sweden's National Academy of Dramatic Art (in Sweden colloquially known as "Scenskolan") in Malmö, 1974–1977. Since 1978, he has been part of Sweden's Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) ensemble.

In 1969, he recorded a single, "Balladen om killen", produced by Göran Lagerberg, which became a minor hit on Tio i Topp, reaching number 13.

Acting work
On stage, Örjan Ramberg has had both leading and supporting parts: in Nathanael West's En kall miljon (A Cool Million), Ben Jonson's Alkemisten, Marivaux's Paradisbarn, Bulgakov's Mästaren och Margarita, Lars Norén's Natten är dagens mor, Margaretha Garpe's Till Julia, Lessing's Emilio Gallotti, in the stage adaptation of Astrid Lindgren's Emil i Lönneberga (children's theatre production), Shepard's En riktig västern, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Sommar (Summer) written and directed by Lars Norén, Beaumarchais' Figaros Bröllop (The Marriage of Figaro), Federico García Lorca's Blodsbröllop (Blood Wedding), Shakespeare's Lika för lika (Measure for Measure), Euripides' Medea (directed by Lennart Hjulström), Shakespeare's Så tuktas en argbigga (The Taming of the Shrew) children's play Mio, min Mio (based on the novel by Astrid Lindgren) and in Alfred de Musset's Lek ej med kärleken (On ne badine pas avec l'amour ), among others.

In the 2000s, he has collaborated on stage with directors Ingmar Bergman and John Caird in particular. He portrayed Johansson in Strindberg's classic The Ghost Sonata, directed by Bergman in 2000, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Caird in 2000, The Emcee in the musical Cabaret (2001), Malvolio in Twelfth Night (Caird), Ibsen's Gengångare (Ghosts), (directed by Bergman; 2002) and the leading role in Molière's  (The Imaginary Invalid) in 2003.

He appeared as Charles Condomine in Noël Coward's Min fru går igen (Blithe Spirit) (2005), in the co-Nordic production of the Sami staging of Ibsen's Kungsämnena (The Pretenders) and in Shakespeare's Macbeth (directed by Staffan Valdemar Holm) spring/autumn 2006.

On film and TV, he has appeared sporadically for example as the investigating photographer Harry Friberg in the Stieg Trenter-crime films for television () in 1987, as Chief Editor Schyman in Colin Nutley's thriller  (aka Deadline/The Bomber), based on the book by Liza Marklund, and his recent supporting part as the bar pianist in TV-series  (The Furniture Salesman's Daughter) (2006).

In 1994 Ramberg was awarded the Golden Mask (which is the Swedish equivalent to the Tony Award/s) for Best Actor for his portrayal of Murphy in the stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (at Folkan 1993/94) and in 2001 he received the prestigious Eugene O'Neill Award.

On 3 February 2007, John Caird's production of Strindberg's The Dance of Death premiered at the Royal Dramatic Theatre with Ramberg in the lead as The Captain (with both original parts of the play performed together; Dödsdansen I-II).

In the spring of 2008, he appeared as King Claudius in Staffan Valdemar Holm's production of Hamlet by Shakespeare (original cast), and in the spring of 2009 in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

His work there was discontinued by Dramaten in the end of March 2019 following demonstrations triggered by a Sveriges Television documentary Josefin Nilsson – Love me for who I am which, without mentioning him by name,<ref>https://www.svt.se/kultur/producenten-josefins-historia-har-varit-fokus</ 28 June 2019 (Swedish)</ref> revealed his physical and mental aggression, including death threats, against deceased ex-partner Josefin Nilsson.

Personal life
Besides Nilsson, in the mid-1970s and 1980s Ramberg was the love partner of Swedish actress and Royal Dramatic Theatre colleague Lena Olin with whom he has a son. In the 1980s-1990s he also lived with actress Ewa Fröling with whom he has daughter Tilde Fröling.

Selected filmography
 2008 – Häxdansen (SVT, mini series)
 2006 – Den enskilde medborgaren
 2006 – Möbelhandlarens dotter (TV-series)
 2003 – Paradiset
 2001 – Sprängaren
 1996 – Gökboet (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) (TV-theatre)
 1996 – Nu är pappa trött igen
 1994 – Stockholm Marathon
 1993 – Sökarna
 1986 – Älska mej
 1985 – Falsk som vatten
 1985 – Svindlande affärer
 1979 – Repmånad eller Hur man gör pojkar av män
 1987 – Träff i helfigur
 1987 – I dag röd
 1987 – Lysande landning
 1977 – Jack

Stage work at Dramaten
Örjan Ramberg's stage credits at the Royal Dramatic Theatre can be found here (info from "Rollboken" – Dramaten.se).

References

External links
Publicity photo at Dramaten.se

1948 births
Living people
Swedish male actors
Eugene O'Neill Award winners
Litteris et Artibus recipients

Örjan Ramberg


The Flairs (or Flares) were an American doo-wop group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry (writer of 'Louie Louie') and Cornell Gunter, who would go on to be a member of the Coasters.

The group debuted on Flair Records which it was named after in 1953. In 1956, a new Flairs group was formed and they joined ABC Records. After they went to Loma Records and became known as the Ermines. After another lineup change they became known as the Flares.

Career

The Debonaires/Flairs
Formed at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, the group was originally called the Debonaires. The members included Arthur Lee Maye, Pete Fox, Obediah Jessie, Joe Winslow, and A.V. Odom. Winslow dropped out, leaving the group a quartet. Bass man Odom was out soon after, and was replaced by Richard Berry. Maye began putting baseball ahead of singing (he would later be a professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Braves), and the group brought in Beverly Thompson to replace him. Cornell Gunter, who had recently left the earliest lineup of the Platters, came in to make the group a quintet. Their first recording "I Had A Love" was released as by The Hollywood Blue Jays in 1953 on John Dolphin's label Recorded In Hollywood. Dolphin released another single by a different group called the Five Hollywood Blue Jays around the same time. The Debonaires made a handful of recordings on the label with no real success.

In 1953, the group signed to Flair Records, a subsidiary of Modern Records, owned by the Bihari brothers. At this point, the Debonaires changed their name to the Flairs. Although named after the label, they had little success there. They recorded several singles through 1953, beginning with "I Had a Love". The next was "Rabbit On A Log", which was credited to the Hunters, to avoid competition with "I Had A Love." More singles followed into 1954 including "Baby Wants"/"You Were Untrue" with Ike Turner on guitar. Thompson left in the summer of 1954. The group performed as a quartet, and brought in Charles Jackson as a fifth member on recordings.

The Flairs performed at the famed tenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on June 20, 1954. They performed along with Ruth Brown, Count Basie and his Orchestra, Lamp Lighters, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Christine Kittrell, and Perez Prado and his Orchestra.

Shortly after Thompson's departure, Berry left as well. He had been working with Arthur Lee Maye's new group, the Crowns, as well as his own second group, the Dreamers. This caused friction in the Flairs. His replacement was Randy Jones (who also did some bass spots with the Crowns). The group continued recording, with one of their singles, "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me", being credited to the Chimes. Jackson left to join the Chimes at this time, and Jones left to fill the bass spot in the Penguins. Gunter, Jessie, and Fox continued as the Jac-O-Lacs, recording for Tampa Records. The group broke up at this point. Jessie recorded one more Jac-O-Lacs single, "Mary Lou", backed by the Cadets. He got to know this group and, when a baritone was needed a few years later, recommended fellow Flair Pete Fox for the job. Jessie continued as a soloist.

The Ermines/second Flairs
With Fox joining the Cadets and Jessie recording solo (as Young Jessie), Cornell Gunter formed a new group, the Ermines, with new members George Hollis, Thomas Miller, and his cousin, Kenneth Byley. After a brief stint with Loma Records, they signed up with manager Buck Ram, and moved to ABC-Paramount Records, taking the name the Flairs. After recording for ABC a short time, they moved to Modern, then to Aladdin Records. Old Ermine's tracks continued to be released by Loma. Also, during this time, they frequently backed up Gunter's sister, Shirley Gunter.

Gunter was out in late 1957, and was replaced by Vince Weaver. The group recorded into the summer of 1958 for Ram's Antler Records. Later that year, Weaver and Byley both left the group. The Cadets were again associated with the Flairs—they had just split, and ex-Cadets Willie Davis and Aaron Collins joined the Flairs. Former Flair Pete Fox was also a member of the Cadets when they split, and he did not join the Flairs. The fourth Cadet, Will "Dub" Jones, filled one of two recent vacancies in the Coasters, the other being filled by recent Flair departee Cornell Gunter.

The Flares/Peppers
Miller, Hollis, Davis, and Collins recorded only briefly as the Flairs, before changing their name to the Flares in 1959. Buck Ram had actually proposed a different name, the Peppers. After a two-year break, the Flares began to record again. By this time, however, both of the former Cadets had left, and the group was now Miller, Hollis, Eddie King, Robbie Robinson, and Beverly Harris. This lineup recorded for Felsted Records. Then the lineup returned to Miller, Hollis, Willie Davis, and Aaron Collins (possibly featuring Harris). They recorded as Bennie Bunn and the Cadets for Sherwood Records in 1960.

At that time, Hollis left and was replaced by a former Flair, Randy Jones and Patience Valentine was added as a fifth member. Once again as the Flares, the group recorded for Jan-Lar Records. The group's lineup shifted rapidly at this point- later, Davis was out and Hollis was in. Then, Jones and Valentine were out, and Davis and Collin's sister Rose Collins were in. Rose was only in shortly, then she and Aaron's sister Betty Collins. Then, Davis was out again, replaced by the returning Vince Weaver for a short time, before Davis returned.

As the Flares, their biggest hit was the 1961 release "Foot Stompin' Part 1", which hit #20 on the Black Singles chart and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1961, the group took Buck Ram's previous suggestion and recorded as the Peppers for Ensign Records. Then it was back to the Flares for Ram's Press Records. They alternated between the Peppers and the Flares through 1964. At that point, the group split.

Discography

Singles

The Hollywood Blue Jays

 1953: "I Had A Love" / "Tell Me You Love Me" (Recorded In Hollywood 396)

The Flairs

 1953: "I Had A Love" / "She Wants To Rock" (Flair 1012)
 1953: "Tell Me You Love Me" / "You Should Care For Me" (Flair 1019)
 1953: "Baby Wants" / "You Were Untrue" (Flair 1041)
 1954: "Getting High" / "Love Me Girl" (Flair 1028)
 1954: "This Is The Night For Love" / "Let's Make With Some Love" (Flair 1044)
 1954: "I'll Never Let You Go" / "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Chill Me" (Flair 1056)
 1955: "She Loves To Dance" / "My Darling, My Sweet" (Flair 1067)
 1955: Shirley Gunter and The Flairs – "How Can I Tell You" / "Ipsy Opsie Ooh" (Flair 1076)
 1956: Shirley Gunter and The Flairs – "Headin' Home" / "I Want You" (Modern 989)
 1956: Shirley Gunter and The Flairs – "Fortune In Love" / "I Just Got Rid Of A Heartache" (Modern 1001)
 1956: Fatso Theus and The Flairs – "Be Cool My Heart" (Aladdin 3324)
 1956: "Aladdin's Lamp" / "Steppin' Out" (ABC-Paramount 9740)
 1957: "I'd Climb The Hills And Mountains" / "Swing Pretty Mama" (Antler 4005)
 1959: "The Sheik Of Araby" / "Adorable" (Barclay 60165)

The Hunters

 1953: "Rabbit on the Log" / "Down at Hayden" (Flair 1017)

The Chimes

 1954: "My Heart's Crying For You" / "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me" (Flair 1051)

Cornel Gunter and The Ermines

 1955: "True Love" / "Peek, Peek-A-Boo" (Loma 701)
 1956: "Muchacha, Muchacha" / "Keep Me Alive" (Loma 704)
 1956: "One Thing For Me" / "I'm Sad" (Loma 705)

Bennie Bunn and the Cadets

 1960: "You Must Be An Angel" / "I'm Looking For A Job" (Sherwood 211)

The Flares

 1960: "Hotcha Cha-Cha Brown" / "Loving You" (Felsted 8604-V)
 1960: "Jump And Bump" / "What Do You Want If You Don't Want Love" (Felsted 8607-V)
1961: "Foot Stomping Pt. 1" / "Foot Stomping Pt. 2" (The Ramrocks) (Felsted 8624) –  peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100/ #20 R&B
 1961: "Foot Stomping" / "Hotcha Cha-Cha Brown" (London HLU 9441)
 1962: "Doing The Hully Gully" / "Truck and Trailer" (Press 2802)
 1962: "Mad House" / "Make It Be Me" (Press 2803)
 1962: "Rock and Roll Heaven Pt. 1" / "Rock and Roll Heaven Pt. 2" (Press 2800)
 1963: "Do It With Me" / "Yon He Go" (Press 2807)
 1963: "Hand Clappin'" / "Shimmy And Stomp" (Press 2808)
 1963: "The Monkey Walk" / "Do It If You Wanna' (Press 2810)
 1964: Cookie Jackson and The Flares – "I Didn't Lose A Doggone Thing" / "Write A Song About Me" (Press 2814)

The Peppers

 1961: "One More Chance" / "A Place In My Heart" (Ensign 1706)
 1963: "It Wouldn't Be The Same" / "Little Piece Of Paper" (Press 2809)

Album appearances

 1989: R&B Confidential No.1 - The Flair Label (Ace Records)
 1991: Juke Box R&B (Ace Records)
 1999: Buck Ram's Doo Wop (Ace Records)
 2004: Shirley Gunter – Oop Shoop (The Flair And Modern Recordings 1953-1957) (Ace Records)
 2010: Ike Turner – That Kat Sure Could Play! The Singles 1951-1957 (Secret Records Limited)
 2013: Dust My Rhythm & Blues - The Flair Records R&B Story 1953-55 (Ace Records)
 2016: Richard Berry – Louie, Louie: 1953-1962 (Real Gone)

References

External links
Marv Goldberg's R&B notebooks - The Flairs
The Flairs on AllMusic
Article on Randy Jones

Doo-wop groups
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Musical groups established in 1952
Recorded In Hollywood artists
Flair Records artists
Modern Records artists
Aladdin Records artists
ABC Records artists
Barclay Records artists
Loma Records artists
1952 establishments in California

The Flairs


Cock o' the Walk is a Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. It was released in 1935.

Plot

The titular Cock comes home, a boxing champion laden with golden trophies, and the birds of the fowl run to greet him with a Busby Berkley-esque display. A pretty young Hen is being courted by a young Rooster who gives a crow after a kiss, but her head is turned by the strong, charismatic and confident Cock. They go into a dance with each other, that gets some other types of bird involved into dancing too. The Rooster, furious at his love interest getting taken, challenges the Cock to a fight, and is being soundly beaten until the Hen discovers a photograph of the Cock with a plump hen and multiple chicks, on which is written 'To our Daddy'. She then shoves the paper and slaps the Cock's face for being a cheater, then rushes over to the beaten Rooster. Trying to revive him, she kisses the Rooster, who is so exhilarated by the experience that he gives a mighty crow and roar and beats the Cock without effort, making the Cock land on one of his trophies unconscious. The Rooster and the Hen reconcile with a dance, then after another passionate kiss, the rooster gives another crow.

Home media
The short was released on December 19, 2006, on Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies, Volume Two.

References

External links

1935 films
1935 short films
1935 animated films
1930s Disney animated short films
Silly Symphonies
Films directed by Ben Sharpsteen
Films produced by Walt Disney
Animated films about chickens
Cockfighting in film
Films set on farms
Animated films without speech
American animated short films

Cock o' the Walk (1935 film)


When looking at a technical system, a single point of failure is a component that will stop the whole system from working if it fails. Systems that are built for high availability or reliability usually are designed to avoid single point of failures. This is usually done by adding redundancy, which is more than one thing that can do the same work.

Systems theory
Control engineering

Single point of failure


Mamonas is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.  As of 2020 the population was 6,554 in a total area of 290 km².  The elevation is 681 meters.  It became a municipality in 1993.  The postal code (CEP) is 39516-000.

The municipality contains part of the  Caminho dos Gerais State Park, created in 2007.
Mamonas is part of the statistical microregion of Janaúba.  It is connected by poor roads to the regional center of Janaúba to the south.
Neighboring municipalities are:  Espinosa, Monte Azul, and Gameleiras.

With irrigation Jaíba has managed to produce a range of agricultural products.   The main economic activities are cattle raising (12,000 head in 2006) and farming with production of cotton, citrus fruits, beans (1,220 ha.), corn (4,600 ha.), and sorghum.  In 2006 there were 1,205 rural producers with a total area of 15,958 hectares.  Cropland made up 1,800 hectares and natural pasture 10,000 hectares.  There were only 5 tractors.  In the urban area there were no financial institutions as of 2006.  There were 240 automobiles, giving a ratio of about one automobile for every 30 inhabitants.  The Gross Domestic Product was R$ 15,529,000 (2005). Health care was provided by 4 public health clinics.  There were no hospitals (2005).

Municipal Human Development Index
MHDI: .620 (2000)
State ranking: 805 out of 853 municipalities as of 2000
National ranking: 4,296 out of 5,138 municipalities as of 2000
Life expectancy: 64.9
Literacy rate: 64.2
Combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrollment ratio: .716
Per capita income (monthly): R$92.57 (For the complete list see Frigoletto)

See also
List of municipalities in Minas Gerais

References

IBGE

Municipalities in Minas Gerais

Mamonas


Austin Lake is a lake located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At its longest, it is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long. On average, it is about 5 feet deep. It has a maximum depth of 11 feet. A boat launch is allowed if you pay $6 to local authorities. All watercraft are allowed. No alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Lakes of the United States
Geography of Michigan

Austin Lake


Mermaiding (also referred to as artistic mermaiding, mermaidry, or artistic mermaid performance) is the practice of wearing, and often swimming in, a costume mermaid tail.

In the beginning of the twentieth century mermaiding was sometimes referred to as water ballet, but it is not currently a term that is commonly used. Mermaiding should not be confused with modern synchronized swimming, although there can be some overlap if a mermaid performance troupe is performing a synchronized routine.

It is difficult to determine exactly where the term "mermaiding" was coined; but some of the first professional freelance mermaids appeared on the world scene around 2004, Hannah Mermaid, Mahina Mermaid, and Mermaid Linden, who were all playing with the term. A little later on, the term was brought to a wider use and community by Iona the Mermaid, co-founder of MerNetwork.com. Newer professional mermaids like the famous Mermaid Elle have made mermaiding more popular and mainstream by performing at celebrity events and featured on TV, music videos and magazines.

Mermaiding is both a profession and a hobby. Professional mermaids will often swim in live, filmed, or photographed productions or shows and can be hired for special events. Nonprofessional enthusiasts swim in tails at their local pools if the pool allows it, lakes, rivers, and seashores, or take part in mermaid-themed photo shoots, birthday parties, or mermaid meetings with other Mers. Mermaiding is popular with all ages and genders. Mermaiding practitioners are sometimes called mermaids, professional mermaids, or occasionally, water ballerinas. Within the community, mermaid or merfolk can be shortened to "mer." Mermaiding is often seen as a form of extreme cosplay due to the nature of crafting the tails and other prosthetics used by practitioners. There are several tail-making companies supplying the community with everything from fabric tails to full SFX prostheses costing thousands of dollars.

History

Annette Kellerman
Annette Marie Sarah Kellerman (6 July 1886 – 6 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville star, film actress and writer. She was one of the first women to wear a one-piece bathing costume, instead of the then-accepted pantaloons, and inspired others to follow her example. In 1902, Kellerman decided to take her swimming seriously and subsequently won the ladies' 100 yards and mile championships of New South Wales in the record times of 1 minute, 22 seconds and 33 minutes, 49 seconds respectively. In that same year, her parents decided to move to Melbourne, and she was enrolled at Mentone Girls' Grammar School where her mother had accepted a music teaching position. During her time at school, Kellerman gave exhibitions of swimming and diving at the main Melbourne baths, performed a mermaid act at Princes Court entertainment centre and did two shows a day swimming with fish in a glass tank at the Exhibition Aquarium.

In June–July 1903 Kellermann performed sensational high dives in the Coogee scene of Bland Holt's spectacular, The Breaking of the Drought, at the Melbourne Theatre Royal. She is often credited with inventing the sport of synchronized swimming after her 1907 performance of the first water ballet in a glass tank at the New York Hippodrome. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The majority of Kellerman's films had themes of aquatic adventure. She performed her own stunts including diving from ninety-two feet into the sea and sixty feet into a pool of crocodiles. Many times she would play mermaids named Annette or variations of her own name. Her "fairy tale films", as she called them, started with The Mermaid (1911), in which she was the first actress to wear a swimmable mermaid costume on film. She designed her own mermaid swimming costumes and sometimes made them herself. Similar designs are still used by The Weeki Wachee Springs Mermaids, including her aquatic fairy costume first introduced in Queen of the Sea (1918).

Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams (8 August 1921 – 6 June 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, she joined Billy Rose's Aquacade, where she took on the role vacated by Eleanor Holm after the show's move from New York City to San Francisco. While in the city, she spent five months swimming alongside Olympic gold medal winner and Tarzan star, Johnny Weissmuller. Williams caught the attention of MGM scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, alongside Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and future five-time co-star Van Johnson in A Guy Named Joe, Williams made a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as "aquamusicals", which featured elaborate performances with synchronized swimming and diving. In 1952, Williams appeared in her only biographical role, as Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman in Million Dollar Mermaid, which went on to become her nickname while at MGM. Williams left MGM in 1956 and appeared in a handful of unsuccessful feature films, followed by several extremely popular water-themed television specials, including one from Cypress Gardens, Florida.

Many of her MGM films, such as Million Dollar Mermaid and Jupiter's Darling, contained elaborately staged synchronized swimming scenes, with considerable risk to Williams. She broke her neck filming a 115 ft dive off a tower during a climactic musical number for the film Million Dollar Mermaid and was in a body cast for seven months. She subsequently recovered, although she continued to suffer headaches as a result of the accident. Her many hours spent submerged in a studio tank resulted in ruptured eardrums numerous times. She also nearly drowned after not being able to find the trap door in the ceiling of a tank. The walls and ceiling were painted black and the trap door blended in. Williams was pulled out only because a member of the crew realized the door was not opening.

Weeki Wachee Mermaids
Located an hour north of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, Weeki Wachee Springs has hosted a mermaid show since 1947. Swimmers, trained by Newton Perry, performed synchronised ballet in the natural springs at the site. The resort was purchased and promoted by the American Broadcasting Co. (ABC) in 1959.

In 2008, Weeki Wachee Springs was incorporated into the State of Florida Park system.

Film

Miranda is a 1948 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin and written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the play of the same name from which the film was adapted. Denis Waldock provided additional dialogue. A light comedy, the film is about a beautiful and playful mermaid played by Glynis Johns and her effect on Griffith Jones. Googie Withers and Margaret Rutherford are also featured in the film. Glynis Johns and Margaret Rutherford reprised their roles in the 1954 sequel, Mad About Men. Miranda is the story of a fisherman who brings home a mermaid disguised as an invalid in a wheelchair. Her flirting causes some chaos and eventually she returns to the sea.

Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit in the UK) is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical musical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman, played by Esther Williams. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a screenplay by Everett Freeman. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch, the cinematography by George J. Folsey and the choreography by Busby Berkeley. "Million Dollar Mermaid" not only became Esther Williams' nickname around Hollywood, but it became the title of her autobiography (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999), co-written with Digby Diehl. Williams has often called this her favorite film.

Cinema and television post-1980

For simplicity's sake, this section focuses on film and shows with live-action swimmers and tails as the main characters. For an exhaustive list of mermaids in media, please see Mermaids in popular culture.

Cinema

Splash (1984): starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, Hannah played a mermaid who falls in love with a human. She could walk on dry land in human form, but her legs changed into a fish tail whenever she got wet. Much of the movie revolves around her humorous attempts to conceal her true identity from her lover. A made-for-television sequel, Splash, Too, followed in 1988, starring Amy Yasbeck and Todd Waring. Immensely popular, the film precipitated a surge in popularity of mermaids in general and mermaiding in particular, as it inspired many people to buy tails and get into the water.

Daryl Hannah's mermaid tail was designed and created by Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Robert Short. The tail was fully functional. Hannah swam with the mermaid tail so fast that her safety team could not keep pace with her. According to the DVD documentary, Hannah had been swimming "mermaid" style with her legs bound together since she was a child, due to her fascination with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" story. However, by the standards of swimmable mermaid tails, the exceptionally detailed film tail was difficult to remove. For the sake of efficiency, Hannah at first kept it on while the cast had lunch. In the documentary contained on the 20th-anniversary Splash! DVD, Tom Hanks recalled how the other cast members would drop French fries over the side of the tank to her as though she were a trained sea mammal, for she could not leave the water while her legs were "shrink-wrapped."

Mermaid Got Married (1994): this Hong Kong romantic-comedy tells the story of a school teacher who falls in love with a mermaid who'd rescued him as a young boy. The film stars Asian cinema idols Ekin Cheng, Christy Chung, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. The film is loosely based on Splash.

The Thirteenth Year (1999): a teen learns that his birth mother is a mermaid after he begins to grow fins and slimy scales on his thirteenth birthday.

Mermaids (2003): this 2003 television film was directed by Ian Barry and stars Serah D'Laine, Nikita Ager and Australian model Erika Heynatz as a trio of mermaid sisters who band together to avenge their father's death. The film is also known in other languages as Sereias (Brazil), Três Sereias (Portugal), Mermaids – Las sirenas (Spain), Oi treis gorgones (Greece), Seireenisiskokset (Finland), Sirènes (France), and Sirenas (Argentina). Some of the tails used in the production have been sold to professional mermaids.

Aquamarine (2006): the title character is a mermaid (Sara Paxton) who is washed ashore after a violent storm. She decides to search for true love on land, and makes two good friends (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Emma Roberts) along the way. The film, loosely based on a children's book of the same name by Alice Hoffman, and directed by American director Elizabeth Allen, was filmed in Queensland, Australia. There were three different tails used in the production, including an animatronic model that was operated remotely. At least one of the others was a fully swimmable tail worn by the actress.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011): during his search for the Fountain of Youth, Jack Sparrow encounters several mermaids. This film is included in this list because, like Splash, it accounted for an increase in mermaid popularity upon its release, and includes a central mermaid character. However, no actual tails were used during filming; they were added during the editing process with CGI. On Stranger Tides employed 1,112 shots of computer-generated imagery, which were done by ten visual effects companies. Cinesite visual effects supervisor Simon Stanley-Clamp claimed that the most difficult part was doing the effects in 3D: "Rotoscoping is tricky. Cleaning up plates is double the work, and tracking has to be spot on." The lead companies, with over 300 effects each, were Industrial Light & Magic—responsible for, among others, the mermaids and most water effects—and Moving Picture Company, who created digital ships and environment extensions, such as changing weather and designing cliffs and waterfalls. Filming the mermaids involved eight model-actresses, who portrayed them outside the water, as well as 22 synchronized swimming athletes and a group of stuntwomen, both of whom wore motion capture suits to be later replaced by digital mermaids. Mermaid corpses were depicted by plaster models. The design tried to avoid the traditional representations of mermaids in paintings and literature, instead going for a scaly body with a translucent membrane inspired by both jellyfish and the fabric employed in ballet tutus. To make the mermaids more menacing underwater, the faces of the actresses had some digital touch-ups on the underwater scenes, adding sharper teeth and a shimmery fish scale quality on the skin.

H2O: Just Add Water (2006): this TV series involves three teenage girls who, after encountering a mysterious island grotto, transform into mermaids whenever water touches any part of their bodies. A spin-off series, Mako: Island of Secrets, was released on 26 July 2013. Three different types of mermaid tails are used on the show: custom-fitted tails that the girls swim in, a "floppy tail" used for stationary shots, and a "hard tail" for stunts. The custom costumes took six months to build, with the tails and tops made from body casts and comprising individually hand-crafted scales. The finished product weighs between . Inside the tail are leg straps where the girls are strapped up and then zipped up. Once in costume, the girls have to be lifted into the water. Attempts were made to minimise the on-screen visibility of the zips on the tails, such as adding extra scales and crafting a ridge of material around the length of the zip. The tail fin itself was designed with a foot pedal to assist the actresses with swimming. This, along with the fin, adds some  to the length of the costume.

In May 2023, Netflix released a documentary series titled MerPeople, which depicted the experiences of mermaids in the United States, some historically prominent and some still gaining traction in the community. The series mostly focused on the Mertailor, the Blixunami, Mermaid Sparkles, Morgana Alba, Chè Monique, and the Red River Merman.   The miniseries covered the mermaids' personal lives, careers as performers, and participation in Virgin Voyages' King and Queen of the Sea pageant.

Dyesebel is a mermaid character based on graphic novelist Mars Ravelo's creation in GMA Network in the Philippines. The story was adapted into five films and a spin-off between 1953 and 1996.

Professional mermaids
Mermaid Linden, Hannah Mermaid,  (aka Mermaid Grace), Katrin Gray (aka Mermaid Kat), Elle Jimenez (aka Mermaid Elle) and Medusirena (aka Medusirena Marina)  are six of the most successful mermaid performers in the world. Today, many mermaid performers work at aquariums, casinos, or tourist attractions professionally. Some freedivers wear mermaid tails to add novelty to the water sport.

Although the vast majority of mers swim in their tails, a small handful of members of the mermaiding subculture do not actually swim. These mers might wear tails to raise awareness for ocean conservation issues, dry land cosplay, or as character performers at children's parties. This does not preclude them from being active in the wider community.

In many countries people can now join mermaid swimming classes, where they learn how to swim in mermaid tails. The Mermaid Kat Academy was the world's first mermaid school that made mermaiding accessible to everyone and opened in August 2012. Shortly after that the Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy and several other mermaid schools opened around the world.

Equipment
The basic structure of the tail is that of a sleeve or tube that encompasses the legs from ankle to waist, enclosing fins or a monofin that is strapped to and extends from the wearer's feet. The stiff fin provides structure for the fluke as well as propulsion during swimming.

Materials
Tails can be made out of almost any material, from fabric to platinum cure silicone, and are priced accordingly, from $100 to several thousand dollars. Several tailmaking companies are currently operating, in addition to a vibrant "do it yourself" scene. Secondhand tails are frequently sold privately or through sites such as eBay.

Fabric: Due to their great elasticity and strength, lycra and spandex are the first choice in material for fabric tails. Fabric tails are recommended for beginners and children, as they are relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, and allow for growth. They hug the body closely without being too restrictive. Fabric tails come in a wide range of colors and patterns, and can be customized with paint. Other fabrics are often added to the tails in strategic locations for added flair; for instance, chiffon (fabric) is sometimes sewn onto the ends of flukes to give a greater impression of flow, or onto the hip area as decorative pectoral fins.
Neoprene: Neoprene or polychloroprene are synthetic rubbers produced by the polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene exhibits good chemical stability, and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range. It is used in a wide variety of applications, such as laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces, electrical insulation, liquid and sheet applied elastomeric membranes or flashings, and wetsuits. It is a popular material for tails due in part to its thickness, which creates a smooth line, rendering the tail more lifelike; it is also waterproof and fairly durable. Like fabric, neoprene can be painted and customized. It is often used as the base for sequin tails due to its strength.
Sequin tails: In this variation on fabric and neoprene tails, individual sequins are sewn onto a tail for decoration. Occasionally, sequins are sewn onto only a few areas to serve as a highlight; more commonly, they are sewn over the entire tail, and provide all of the tail's color and patterning. Sequin tails are time-intensive to create, as each sequin must be sewn on by hand, and as a result these tails can be quite expensive. Variation is nearly unlimited due to the amounts and types of sequins available on the market.
Latex tails: Molded latex is sometimes used as a tail material. It can be molded into scale shapes, and gives a more lifelike impression than fabric, particularly when poured or otherwise affixed onto a neoprene backing. Some of the earliest tails available on the market were made of the same type of latex used in latex clothing, however, these tails went out of production when the company owner died. The material has very little elasticity, which renders the tail difficult to get on and off. Many mermaids cannot use latex due to allergies, and mermaids who specialize in children's parties or other events where a tail may be touched often stay away from this material for that same reason.
During the later part of the 2000s and up through about 2012–2013, partial tin-cure latex or tin-cure silicone spread over a neoprene or neoprin base became popular, due to the increased realism of the tails and the relatively low cost of materials (tin-cure tails generally retail around US$300–600). This proved problematic, however, as tin-cure silicones and latexes are not skin-safe materials. Effects over overexposure include "skin, respiratory, kidney and liver damage. Repeated or prolonged contact with the preparation may cause removal of natural fat from the skin resulting in non-allergic contact dermatitis and absorption through the skin. Prolonged and repeated skin contact may cause irritation and possibly dermatitis. Prolonged, repeated, or high exposures may cause weakness and depression of the central nervous system." Some of these ailments have been recorded by mermaids who have tails containing tin-cure materials, although this evidence is anecdotal. Tin-cure tails also degrade with prolonged exposure to water; the silicone becomes soft and white while peeling away from the neoprene on which it rests. It is currently advised that those who are considering making or purchasing tin-cure tails do so with extreme caution and at their own risk. Tin-cure tails have historically not been allowed in aquariums featuring live fish or other sea life, due to the chemicals leaching from the tail into the water and causing potential harm to the aquarium's ecosystem.

Silicone tails: Currently, silicone rubber tails (also known as platinum-cure silicone tails and Dragonskin silicone tails, after a silicone brand name) are the most popular and most expensive tails on the market. In addition to being relatively lifelike and durable, silicone tails are skin-safe and inert in most environments once cured. Neutral buoyancy in the water allows for ease of sinking and natural-looking swimming, although they are quite heavy (25–60 lbs) out of the water. Colors and patterns are only limited by the designer's imagination, and if produced properly, paint or pigment does not chip off the tail. The material has excellent elasticity, allowing relative ease in getting in and out of the tail, and fitting snugly once on. Silicone is slip-resistant and grips the skin, which results in less tail slip or gapping during vigorous swimming. It is rare to find silicone tails for less than US$1000, even used, and their prices increase with the amount of extra detail, color, and number of fins added. Silicone tails can costs many thousands of dollars. Due to the expense and heavier weight involved, platinum-cure silicone tails are not recommended for beginners.
Urethane tails: Urethane, a type of synthetic rubber, is a relatively durable material, and with proper care can last for years without need of repair. Currently, the only tailmaker working in urethane is Thom Shouse, owner of Mermaid Rentals and member of the original SFX team that created the tail for Splash. It is thought that he uses a urethane-latex mix, although he has never released his formula to the public.
Blankets: Over the past several years mermaid tail blankets have become popular. General they are made of specially woven and shaped knitted fabrics, but can also be found in polyester fleece fabrics. They are generally open at the back so that when tucked around the legs they give the illusion that the wearer has a tail. They are not meant to get wet and are not really used for character parties or cosplay. Patterns are available so that knitters and crafters can make their own.

Monofins
A monofin is a type of swimfin typically used in underwater sports such as finswimming, free-diving and underwater orienteering, in recreational freediving, and even sometimes just for fun. It consists of a single surface attached to footpockets for both of the diver's feet. They have become popular with the mermaiding community due to excellent propulsion during swimming and their realistically mermaidish silhouette. Monofins can be made of glass fiber or carbon fiber. The swimmer's muscle power, swimming style, and the type of aquatic activity the monofin is used for determines the choice of size, stiffness, and materials.

Monofins are carefully chosen when a tail is commissioned, taking into account the swimmer's ability, location of use, and desired look in the water. For instance, a large, stiff fiberglass monofin will serve a mermaid well in strong ocean currents, giving them speed and strength in the water. A mermaid who will be performing in a glass tank may choose a smaller, more flexible, plastic model, which imparts agility and graceful flow rather than strong propulsion. Some mermaids prefer to sand, cut, or otherwise alter their monofins into a preferred shape to suit their individual purposes; others prefer to create their monofins from scratch rather than purchase or alter an already existing model.

For safety reasons, it is recommended that beginners not create their own monofins from scratch. Some materials that have been used in monofins, such as acrylic or plexiglas, have shattered under hydraulic stress and have caused severe injury and could result in drowning. Plastic polycarbonate is also not recommended, as it will crack and snap under pressure, rendering the monofin useless and dangerous.

Safety concerns

Children
The practice of mermaiding, especially by young children, has also raised safety concerns about how wearing and swimming in a tail may actually make it harder for children to swim and/or easier to drown, especially when they are not highly experienced swimmers. In 2015, a YouTube video surfaced in which a mother had to come over and rescue her daughter, who was drowning in a backyard pool after trying to do a flip while wearing a mermaid tail. Even as the video, which had gone viral, made efforts to express that mermaid tails can still be fun to play in with proper safety and supervision, various swimming pools in several countries, including Australian YMCA pools, began banning the tails around that time and in the years to come.

The bans did not come without criticism. Some contended that it would be better to emphasize safety and supervision while using the tails, rather than banning them outright. A few others suggested that having mermaiders pass swim tests would also be a viable alternative to bans.

Professionals
Professional mermaids also encounter safety risks. In general, they must contend with having only a limited amount of oxygen to swim and stay underwater, as they traditionally eschew scuba equipment. Tank performers have found ways to overcome this issue, such as using air tubes installed in certain areas of the tank to receive a fresh burst of oxygen without having to resurface. Another way to cope with the limited oxygen involves stationing scuba divers in the tank where the mermaid performs and have them bring the mermaid fresh air whenever they request it with a gesture, although this method requires careful vigilance and attention. Failure to recognize the need for air can prove life-threatening for the performer, with at least one report of a mermaid nearly asphyxiating during a performance when divers missed her requests for air.

Mermaids also incur various health risks while immersed in water. Without swim caps, mermaids fully expose their ears to water, subjecting them to ear pain and infection. The water they swim in may also contain bacteria that subjects them to waterborne illnesses and infections. Other potential minor health issues that mermaids can experience include foot blisters that occur as their tightly packed feet rub against the insides of the tail costume, muscle cramps in the legs from strenuous swimming movements in the tail costume, red eyes caused by continual exposure to chlorine in swimming pool water, along with cold and flu-like symptoms and minor respiratory problems induced from being in cold water. Mermaids who wear latex tin-cure tails are also subject to several toxic health effects that the chemicals of such material impart (see above).

Mermaids who swim in the open ocean can have their safety jeopardized if they get too close to particular sea animals. For instance, a mermaid who gets up close to a whale would be at risk of being struck hard and seriously injured by even the slightest of the whale's movements. Although there are no reports of mermaids getting attacked or bitten by sharks, two mermaids have recounted colliding with one. A few others have recalled getting stung by venomous jellyfish.  Despite these dangers, Hannah Mermaid herself has experience being able to fearlessly swim around great white sharks in full costume without a heavy-duty cage by maintaining high situational awareness and caution, determined to not let them challenge her dream while also expressing high respect for these predators and demonstrating how they are not eager to hunt anything like her.

See also
Sip 'n Dip Lounge
Weeki Wachee, Florida
Mermaid
Mermaid hall
Synchronized swimming
Freediving
The Blixunami

References

External links

 Professional Mermaid Nina
 Professional Mermaid Linden
 Professional Real-Life Mermaid Melissa
 Professional Mermaid Tails

 Business Week article on professional mermaids
 Huffington Post Interview with a Professional Mermaid
 Oprah on Mission of Mermaids
 MerNetwork
 A guide for children on how to become a mermaid

Water sports
Cosplay
Mermaids in popular culture

Mermaiding


Aleš Brichta (born 9 August 1959 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech heavy metal singer, songwriter, and artist. He is a founding member of the band Arakain, which he left in 2002. He now plays with Aleš Brichta Project.

Biography
In 1982, together with guitarist Jiří Urban and drummer Miroslav Nedvěd, Brichta founded the heavy metal band Arakain, which went on to become one of the most seminal metal bands in Czech history. Brichta recorded eleven albums with the rockers, but departed in 2002.
In 2005, he founded his own group, ABBAND (Aleš Brichta Band), in which he was joined by former collaborators Mirek Mach (Arakain) and Karel Adam. They released four studio albums between 2006 and 2010.

In 1992, Brichta won the Černá vrána (black crow) rock/metal poll as best guitarist, together with Vitacit guitarist Miloš "Dodo" Doležal, Törr bassist Vlasta Henych, and prolific drummer Štěpán Smetáček. The poll was intended to put together a group which would bring to life the music of Jiří Schelinger, who had died in 1981. The supergroup was called Zemětřesení (Earthquake), and they released a self-titled album in 1993.

In 2008, Brichta was inducted into the Beatová síň slávy, the Czech version of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On Brichta's 50th birthday in 2009, a number of Czech and Slovak musicians collaborated on a tribute album, titled AB 50 - A Tribute to Aleš Brichta.

Aleš Brichta Band underwent a complete personnel change in 2011, leaving its namesake as the sole remaining member. The group returned with a new album in 2013, however, this time under the moniker Aleš Brichta Project. The band has released two studio albums to date.

Apart from playing with a number of different groups and projects over the years, Brichta has also led a solo career, releasing seven studio albums between 1994 and 2014.

Personal life
Brichta has two children from his first marriage, a son, Aleš Jr., and daughter Michaela. On 16 June 2016, he married for the second time, wedding his 33-year-old Polish partner Joanna.

Brichta has spoken at far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party rallies.
On 1 July 2015, he took part in a march against immigration and refugee quotas, calling for a departure from the EU.

Trivia
Aleš Brichta is related to Russian war painter Vasily Vereshchagin (1842–1904), whose painting The Apotheosis of War is used on the cover of the 1999 Arakain album Farao.

Discography

Solo
Studio albums
 Růže pro Algernon (1994)
 Ráno ve dveřích Armády spásy (1996)
 Hledač pokladů (1998)
 American Bull (2001)
 Anděl posledního soudu (2003)
 Legendy 2 (2004)
 Papírovej drak (2014 - credited as Aleš Brichta Trio)

Compilations
 Dívka s perlami ve vlasech - Best Of (2000)
 American Bull - New Edition (2002)
 Best Of: Beatová síň slávy (2008)

DVDs
 Aleš Brichta 12x (2001)

with Arakain
Studio albums
 Thrash The Trash (1990)
 Schizofrenie (1991)
 Black Jack (1992)
 Salto Mortale (1993)
 Thrash! (1994)
 Legendy (1995)
 S.O.S. (1996)
 Apage Satanas (1998)
 Farao (1999)
 Forrest Gump (2001)
 Archeology (2002)

with Grizzly
 !New Spirit! (2003)

Aleš Brichta Band
Studio albums
 Divadlo snů (2006)
 Nech si to projít hlavou (2007)
 Deratizer (2009)
 Grizzly (2010)

Compilations and live albums
 Best Of: Beatová síň slávy (2008)
 50 - Tesla Arena - True Live (2009)

Aleš Brichta Project
 Údolí sviní (2013)
 Anebo taky datel (2015)

Other projects
 Zemětřesení (1993)
 Hattrick (2000)
 Zemětřesení - Live (2001)
 Hattrick I+II (2004)

References

External links

Living people
1959 births
Czech musicians
Czech people of Russian descent

Aleš Brichta


Fred H. Caplan (December 3, 1914 – March 4, 2004) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia from 1962 to 1980.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Caplan graduated from West Virginia University and the University of Richmond School of Law. He served in the United States Army in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Afterwards, he entered private practice in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in association with his brother Howard. Caplan was twice elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, and also served as an assistant attorney general and as chair of the Public Service Commission before being appointed to a seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals vacated by the death of Leslie E. Given. After retiring from the court, Caplan served for a time as chair of the West Virginia Ethics Commission.

Caplan died in an Asheville hospital at the age of 89.

References

1914 births
2004 deaths
People from Asheville, North Carolina
West Virginia University alumni
University of Richmond School of Law alumni
Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American judges
 20th-century American Jews

Fred H. Caplan


Thomas v. Winchester, 6 N.Y. 397 (1852), which established the "imminent danger to human life" doctrine, was at the head of the cases in assaulting the protective wall of privity in the tort field. Subsequent examples include: MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co., Goldberg v. Kollsman Instrument Corp., and finally, Judge Jones's landmark holding in Codling v. Paglia, in which the Court demolished what was left of the privity barrier in tort cases by adopting the doctrine of strict products liability.

In Thomas v. Winchester, the Court, departing from the old common law rule in Winterbottom v. Wright, held that a commercial packager of a poison falsely labeled as harmless medicine, who sold it to a druggist who, in turn, sold it to the plaintiff who then ingested it should be liable for her acute distress. The Court found a way around the lack of privity between the consumer and the packager by adopting the rule that a party who puts falsely labeled poison into the market and thus "puts human life in imminent danger" should respond in damages to the ultimate consumer.

See also
Privity of contract
Loop v. Litchfield
Losee v. Clute

References

New York (state) state case law
Product liability case law
United States tort case law
Law articles needing an infobox

Thomas v. Winchester


The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), founded in 2010, is a (DOE) Energy Innovation Hub whose primary mission is to find a cost-effective method to produce fuels using only sunlight, water, and carbon-dioxide. The program has a budget of $122M over five years, subject to Congressional appropriation.

The Director of JCAP is Professor Harry Atwater of Caltech and its two main centers are located at the California Institute of Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In addition, JCAP has partners from Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of California at Irvine, the University of California at San Diego, and Stanford Linear Accelerator. In addition, JCAP also serves as a hub for other solar fuels research teams across the United States, including 20 DOE Energy Frontier Research Center.

In Obama's 2011 State of the Union address, he mentioned the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. Specifically, he said, "We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund the Apollo projects of our time. At the California Institute of Technology, they're developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars".

See also
 Artificial Photosynthesis

References

External links

 DOE website about JCAP
 JCAP Official Website

United States Department of Energy
Hydrogen production
Photochemistry
Renewable energy technology
2010 establishments in California


Al-'Askar () was the capital of Egypt from 750–868, when Egypt was a province of the Abbasid Caliphate.

History

Background
After the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641, Fustat was established, just north of Coptic Cairo and the regional capital of Egypt was moved from Alexandria to the new city on the eastern side of the Nile.

Abbasid regional capital (750-868)
The Rashiduns were followed by the Umayyads, who ruled until they were overthrown by the Abbasids in 750, when the Umayyad regional capital of Fustat was replaced with an Abbasid city slightly north of it, al-'Askar. Its full name was . Intended primarily as a city large enough to house an army, it was laid out in a grid pattern that could be easily subdivided into separate sections for various groups, such as merchants and officers.

The peak of the Abbasid dynasty occurred during the reign of Harun al Rashid (r. 786-809), along with increased taxes on the Egyptians, who rose up in a peasant revolt in 832 during the time of Caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813-833).

Local Egyptian governors gained increasing autonomy, and in 870, governor Ahmad ibn Tulun declared Egypt's independence (though still nominally under the rule of the Abbasid Caliph). As a symbol of this independence, in 868 ibn Tulun founded yet another capital, al-Qatta'i, slightly further north of al-'Askar.

After 868
Al-'Askar, Fusṭāṭ, and, after the 1168 fire that destroyed old Fustat, nearby al-Qāhirah (Cairo) became capitals of Egypt, the latter keeping this position to this day. Cairo's boundaries grew to eventually encompass the three earlier capitals of al-Fusṭāṭ, al-Qatta'i and al-'Askar, the remnants of which can today be seen in "Old Cairo" in the southern part of the city.

References

External links
Map

Askar, al-
Former populated places in Egypt
Populated places established in the 8th century
Populated places disestablished in the 9th century
Former capitals of Egypt

Al-Askar


The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded on December 18, 1964, it calls itself the oldest ongoing conservative lobbying organization in the U.S. The ACU is concerned with issues such as personal liberty or freedom, foreign policy, and traditional values, which they define as foundations of conservatism.

Its chairman, Matt Schlapp, is being sued for battery and defamation for an alleged sexual assault, by a male aide to then-Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

Activities
The ACU comprises three entities: The American Conservative Union, a 501(c)(4) organization which conducts lobbying; The American Conservative Union Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization best known for hosting the Conservative Political Action Conference; and The American Conservative Union Political Action Committee, a PAC that formally endorses and funds conservative candidates for federal and state level offices.

Congressional ratings
Dating back to 1971, ACU has implemented its own scoring system which annually rates politicians on their conservatism. While the scorecard was novel to conservatism, Americans for Democratic Action has utilized a liberal rubric for liberalism since 1947.

Each publication of Congressional and State Ratings contains a statement from Chairman Matt Schlapp about the philosophy guiding the ratings as one of conservatism: "We begin with our philosophy (conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person) and then apply our understanding of government (its essential role is to defend life, liberty, and property)."

Unlike other congressional ratings that take positions on pending legislation, ACU Foundation rates votes already cast by lawmakers. Each rating provides a conservative interpretation of an official's view of governance. As one spokesperson for the ACU once noted, "clear-cut distinctions between liberals and conservatives [occur] if you have Crane, Ashbrook, and Kemp go a certain way and Burton goes the other".

The ACU annually rates politicians according to how they vote on key issues, providing a numerical indicator of how much the lawmakers agreed with conservative ideals. They use this rating system as a point of accountability for politicians, comparing their political rhetoric to their voting records to assess their conservativeness. Politicians are given a percentile rating, anyone with a rating of over 80% is considered to be an "ACU Conservative". These scores are often used in political science research, in news stories and in election campaigns.

Conservative Political Action Conference

ACU's most well-known event is the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual event organized by the ACU foundation. CPAC has an annual attendance of thousands.  Speakers regularly include sitting and former presidents and other famous conservatives. CPAC 2017 featured President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Governors Matt Bevin (R-KY), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Doug Ducey (R-AZ), and Scott Walker (R-WI) and executive branch officials (EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos).

American Conservative Union Foundation
The ACU Foundation's purpose is to educate the public on conservative principles and currently has five "policy centers" which focus on different political areas. There is the Center for Arts and Culture, the Center for Human Dignity, the Center for Statesmanship & Diplomacy, the Center for 21st Century Property Rights, and the Center for Criminal Justice Reform (CCJR). These policy centers are mainly blogs which post articles regarding their topic area. The most extensive of these is the CCJR, who advocate for conservative criminal justice reform through advising governmental officials, media advocacy, and testifying as expert witnesses at governmental hearings. The CCJR focuses on two main policy areas: preventing civil asset forfeiture and increasing mental health facilities within the criminal justice system. The CCJR works with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Prison Fellow Ministries in the Right on Crime campaign, and offers a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference each year.

History

Founding
The American Conservative Union was one of many conservative organizations formed in the 1960s as part of the resurgence of conservatism. As conservative activist M. Stanton Evans predicted, "Historians may well record the decade of the 1960s as the era in which conservatism, as a viable political force, finally came into its own." During a time of increasing polarization between liberals and conservatives, activists began to build a well-organized conservative movement, forming organizations such as Young Americans for Freedom and the ACU. During this era, conservative groups focused less on direct action and more on long term planning and sought to gain positions in public office.

The ACU was founded in December 1964 in response to the predominance of liberalism in America as evidenced by the defeat of Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign. Founders included Frank S. Meyer, William F Buckley Jr, and Robert E. Bauman, who organized the first meeting. In the initial meetings, a 50-member board of directors was appointed, whose members included Lammot Copeland, Peter O'Donnell, John A. Howard, Donald C. Bruce, and John Dos Passos. Membership grew to 7,000 within 9 months, and 45,000 by the end of 1972.

As part of ACU's mission to unite conservatives, William F. Buckley and Robert Bauman led an initiative to declare ACU's views of the John Birch Society. ACU's founding documents state that,

Conservatives' view of the Birchers became a national storyline when Buckley continued to criticize the Birchers in his National Review column.

Foreign policy influence
The ACU spent roughly $1.4 million opposing the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties in 1977. They used a mass mailing campaign, sending out around 2.4 million letters. This brought in roughly $15,000 a day in support of conservative candidates who opposed the treaties. They also produced a thirty-minute-long television ad which aired on 150 television station in eighteen states, and took out newspaper ads in thirty states, encouraging citizens to write to their senators to oppose the treaties.  The ACU also helped to fund a "truth squad," formed by Senator Paul Laxalt, whose purpose was to "focus renewed public interest in the treaties" and pressure senators to vote against the treaties. Gary Jarmin, who was at the time Legislator of the ACU, stated that the Panama Canal Treaties were "a good issue for the conservative movement. It's not just the issue itself we're fighting for. This is an excellent opportunity to seize control of the Republican Party." Even so, the two treaties were signed September 7, 1977, ratified by the Panamanian election of October 23, 1977, and approved (68-32) by the U. S. Senate on March 16, 1978 and  April 18, 1978.

In 1980, the ACU estimated that it would cost roughly $1.8 million to defeat SALT II; together with other conservative groups, SALT opponents outspent supporters 15:1. Having found the technique of mass mailing to be successful during other campaigns, the ACU used this same technique to oppose SALT II, reaching roughly 500,000 people with this strategy. Additionally, they produced a half-hour-long anti-SALT television program called Soviet Might/American Myth: The United States in Retreat, which was aired on 200 television stations around the country.

In 1985, the ACU sent out roughly 100,000 pieces of mail in support of Nicaraguan contra aid in 1985. They also escorted Nicaraguan refugees around Capitol Hill in order to persuade undecided politicians to support Reagan's contra aid request.

Leadership
Founding members include: William F. Buckley, Jr. Rep. Donald Bruce (R.-Ind.), Rep. John Ashbrook (R.-Ohio), Rep. Katherine St. George (R.-N.Y.), William A. Rusher, Frank Meyer, Thomas S. Winter, John A. Howard and L. Brent Bozell. Donald Bruce served as the first chairman from 1964 to 1966, succeeded by John Ashbrook from 1966 to 1971.

M. Stanton Evans then served six years from 1971 to 1977, succeeded by a two-year term served by Philip Crane from 1977 to 1979. Mickey Edwards served as chairman from 1979 to 1983.

David Keene was chairman from 1984 until 2011, succeeded by Al Cardenas, who served until 2014.

Cardenas was succeeded by the ninth and current chairman, Matt Schlapp, who has previously served as George W. Bush's political director.

Lobbying in the 21st century
According to OpenSecrets, the American Conservative Union spent roughly $20,000 on lobbying in 2001, $400,000 in 2003, and $1,100,000 in 2005. They did not spend any money on lobbying in 2004. In the years since Schlapp was elected chairman ACU, the organization has spent $120,000 on lobbying.

Recurring lobbyists are Lorenz Hart and Amir Iljazi.

Controversies

FedEx
In 2009, the ACU offered FedEx requested and solicited payment of fees totaling $3.4 million for e-mail and other services for "an aggressive grass-roots campaign" to stop a legislative provision being considered by the U.S. Senate. The letter said the ACU's campaign could include "Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU's Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU's Board of Directors."

Two weeks later, Keene and leaders of five other conservative organizations issued a letter saying that FedEx was mischaracterizing the legislative situation and was unfairly trying to tap into public resentment against federal bailouts to attack its competition. The letter included, at its top, logos from the ACU and the other organizations. Whitfield said that Keene had endorsed the second letter as an individual, even though the letter bore the logo of the ACU. The ACU then issued a press release saying that permission to use the logo had not been given by the ACU, and that the ACU continued to stand with the policy supported by FedEx.

Embezzlement
Diana Hubbard Carr, the ACU's former administrative director and ex-wife of David Keene, pleaded guilty in June 2011 to embezzling between $120,000 and $400,000 from 2006 to 2009, during her time as bookkeeper for the group.

References

External links
 Official website
 ACU Organizational Profile – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute)
 ACU Foundation Organizational Profile – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute)

1964 establishments in the United States
Conservative organizations in the United States
Organizations based in Virginia
Organizations established in 1964
Political organizations based in the United States

American Conservative Union


Spirituality is a name given to matters of the spirit. These can be any kind of meaningful personal activity or peaceful experience. There is not one agreed upon way to explain what happens. It is a concept so people can see and understand it in different ways. Some people believe spirituality is a part of religion. Others who are not religious, still seek and have spiritual experiences.

Matters of the spirit

"Matters of the spirit" may include the meaning in a person's life (or in all life), and how to find and improve on it. They may also include someone's search for God, the supernatural, a divine influence in their lives, or information about the afterlife, and how to best deal with each. "Matters of the spirit" may also include how to live among others as a group, or in a certain environment.

"Spiritual, but not religious"
Some who do not believe in an organized religion may still be interested in the "spirits" of humanity or of nature and live a certain way, or worship ancestors or creation because it gives them a sense of happiness to do so. This is referred to as spiritual but not religious.

Another common usage refers to people who ascribe to ideals "greater than themselves." For many, this leads to a pursuit of some form of enlightenment, often through meditation, yoga, philosophy or, in some cases, a study of Metaphysics.

Many philosophers work to find answers to spiritual questions, although some may deny the existence of a 'god' or any supernatural influences. Throughout the world however, philosophers have often had ideas about spirituality. The following are a few 20th century examples:

Arne Naess - the founder of deep ecology
Gregory Bateson - philosopher
Jiddu Krishnamurti - renowned Indian thinker
Osho/Shri Rashneesh - Indian scholar who, while a critic of religion, worked to create a new spiritual movement
Felicitas Goodman - researched the subject of trance

Related pages
 List of religions and spiritual traditions
 Mysticism
 Piety

References

Other websites

Spirituality

Spirituality