Joseph John Aiuppa (December 1, 1907 – February 22, 1997), also known as "Joey O'Brien" and "Joey Doves", was a Chicago mobster who became a leader of the Chicago Outfit from 1971 until his skimming conviction in 1986.

Early career
Joseph Aiuppa was born in Melrose Park, Illinois, the eldest son of Simone (Sam) Aiuppa (1883-1934) and Rosalia (Rose) Marie Greco (1886-1968), Sicilian immigrants from Lascari, Province of Palermo, Sicily.

During the 1920s, former boxer Aiuppa rose through the ranks of the Chicago Outfit, beginning as a driver for higher ranking Outfit leaders such as Tony Accardo.

He graduated to operate several gambling establishments in Cicero, Illinois. These clubs included bookmaking establishments and underground casinos with secret entrances. In the early 1930s, Aiuppa managed Taylor & Company, ostensibly a furniture manufacturer though in actuality a front for manufacturing illegal slot machines. Aiuppa was a charter member of Local 450 Union for Hotel and Restaurant Employees. A member of the Capone Mob, Aiuppa also had connections to John Dillinger and the Karpis Gangs. In 1935, Chicago crime files indicated Aiuppa as a trigger man and expert bank robber for Claude Maddox.

Beginning in the late 1940s and well into the 1960s, Aiuppa was in charge of the Cicero district of the Outfit. The Cicero district was the highest-earning neighborhood for decades, going back to Al Capone, who headquartered out of this area while he was in command. Aiuppa eventually owned or operated several establishments in Cicero, collectively called the Strip. This was the original "strip" before the mob-controlled casino strip in Las Vegas. Aiuppa operated handbooks at 4835, 4811, and 4818 Cermak Road in Cicero, IL. The various clubs located on Cicero Avenue were the Frolics, the Towne Hotel, the 411 Club, and a few others. Prostitution, slot machines, and various gaming activities occurred inside these nightclubs.

Aiuppa also owned it for many years and eventually sold the Navajo Hills golf course outside suburban Chicago. This was one of his many real-estate dealings that he made money on with his personal take and share of running the most powerful and successful Outfit neighborhood for decades. Aiuppa operated his real estate holdings under "Rosemar Realty", named after his mother, Rose Marie. From time to time, Aiuppa also put cars or small real estate in her name, as he would rarely keep any assets in his name except for the home in which he resided in Oak Brook, Illinois. He also used other relatives, including brothers and later nephews, to hold title to his many constantly changing real-estate assets in and around the Chicago area.

"Joey O'Brien" and "Joey Doves"
For almost 40 years, Aiuppa's original nickname was his old boxing name, "Joey O'Brien", often abbreviated in mob circles to just "O'Brien" or "Joey O." Irish boxers got paid more on the fight card in those days so Aiuppa chose an Irish name to fight under. This was one of his last known jobs before he started as a driver for the Outfit.

In a move reminiscent of Al Capone's prosecution for tax evasion, Aiuppa was convicted in 1966 for the unlawful possession and transportation of mourning doves across state lines. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, possessing more than 24 doves per person is illegal outside of hunting season. In September 1962, as part of Robert F. Kennedy's crackdown on the Chicago Outfit, FBI agents in Kansas searching Aiuppa's car discovered 563 frozen doves. Following a series of appeals, Aiuppa was eventually sentenced in August 1966 and received a three-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. As a result, Aiuppa gained various nicknames like "Joey Doves", "Joey the Doves", "Doves", and "Mourning Doves".

Leadership
Joey Aiuppa gained control of the Chicago Outfit after the death of Sam Giancana, who had strong support from Paul Ricca and Tony Accardo. Aiuppa became the boss in 1971 after Felix Anthony "Milwaukee Phil" Alderisio was sent to prison. Under the leadership of Aiuppa, the Chicago Outfit grew stronger ties to its Las Vegas Casinos. Eventually, he became one of several de facto leaders running The Outfit in Chicago. Following his indictment and subsequent imprisonment, Joseph Ferriola ran the Outfit from 1985 until 1988. Aiuppa's chauffeur driver and protégé, Samuel Carlisi, took over leadership operations shortly after.

Sometime following the murder of Giancana, Aiuppa bought a house in Palm Springs, California, as had several other Chicago mobsters.

Conviction and retaliation
In 1986, Aiuppa was convicted of skimming profits from Las Vegas casinos and received 28 years in prison. In 1986, Jackie Cerone took over control after the semi-retirements of Accardo and Aiuppa as leaders of the Chicago Outfit. The convictions of five mob ties to skimming $2 million from Las Vegas Casinos evolved with Joseph Agosto from the Kansas City crime family testifying against the bosses. Among the few that were imprisoned included Aiuppa, Carl DeLuna, Angelo J. LaPietra, and Jackie Cerone. LaPietra was a top enforcer for Aiuppa in the Chicago Outfit and early years in Cicero crime operations. From prison, Aiuppa chose John "No Nose" DiFronzo to run criminal operations in Chicago's western suburbs over acting boss Ferriola. In June 1986, Tony "the Ant" Spilotro and his brother Michael were beaten to death in Bensenville, Illinois, and buried in a cornfield in Enos, Indiana, five miles from Aiuppa property near Morocco, Indiana. Nicholas Calabrese, a member of the Outfit, testified that both Spilotro brothers were killed in a home in Bensenville, Illinois and then buried in the cornfields in Indiana. Calabrese is known to be the first made-man to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His nephew, Frank Calabrese Jr., was also an informant for the FBI. Calabrese Jr. is the son of notorious mobster Frank Calabrese Sr. However, in a 2010 interview with Maxim magazine, while promoting the opening of the Las Vegas Mob Experience at the Tropicana Hotel, Tony Spilotro's son Vincent claimed that the real target was his uncle Michael, and Tony was killed to prevent any revenge.

Release from prison and death
Serving nearly 10 years of his sentence, on January 19, 1996, Aiuppa was released from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Federal Medical Center at Rochester, Minnesota. On February 22, 1997, Aiuppa died at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois. He was buried in Hillside, Illinois at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Aiuppa's nephew Sam Aiuppa is a member of the IATSE Projectionists Local 110 union and does not share how he became part of the union. Sam Giancana's nephew, Andrew Giancana, was on the board for the IATSE. The IATSE Projectionists Local 110 in Chicago was once widely believed to be one of America's most mobbed-up locals.

Filmography
The film Casino, directed by Martin Scorsese in 1995, is based on the Chicago Outfit ties to the Las Vegas Casino industry. The events that occur in the movie are based on the relationship between the associates of the Chicago Mob and Las Vegas businessman Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. The character of Remo Gaggi, played by Pasquale Cajano, is based on Aiuppa. Other portrayals include Robert De Niro as main character Sam "Ace" Rothstein, based on Rosenthal, and Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro, based on Chicago enforcer Anthony Spilotro.

References

External links
 FBI files on Joseph Aiuppa

1907 births
1997 deaths
20th-century American criminals
American male criminals
Chicago Outfit bosses
American gangsters of Sicilian descent
People from Palm Springs, California
People from Melrose Park, Illinois
American prisoners and detainees

Joey Aiuppa


The ICAR - Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, often abbreviated as ICAR - CTCRI, is a constituent institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the only research organization in the world dedicated solely to the research on tropical tuber crops. The Institute established in 1963 with its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala has with an area of 48.19 hectares. The headquarters of ICAR - CTCRI is located at Sreekaryam at a distance 12 km away from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and 10 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station as well as Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram. The Institute has a regional centre at Bhubaneswar, Orissa established in 1976   with an area of 20 hectares located 8 km from Bhubaneswar Airport and 7 km from Bhubaneswar railway station to cater the needs of Eastern India.

Research
Research on tropical tuber crops is the primary mandate of CTCRI. Each division of CTCRI concentrate its research programmes on separate aspects of tuber crops. Crop improvement division focus its activities on collection germplasm of different tuber crops from different parts of the world and conserving it in field gene bank as well as in vitro. Development of new varieties of tuber crops with higher yield and other attributes suitable for industrial applications as well as for food purpose is another important activity of this division. Crop production division is engaged in developing new agro techniques for tropical tuber crops in different agro climatic regions. Crop protection division develop strategies and products for managing pests and diseases affecting tropical tuber crops. Crop utilization division concentrates its activities on value addition and post harvest processing of tropical tuber crops. Section of Extension and social sciences is involved in transferring the technologies developed by CTCRI to its clienteles.

References

Research institutes in Thiruvananthapuram
Biological research institutes
Research institutes established in 1963
1963 establishments in Kerala

Central Tuber Crops Research Institute


Akvavit or aquavit (; also akevitt in Norwegian; aquavit in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. Akvavit is distilled from grain or potatoes, and is flavoured with a variety of herbs. It is also popular in Northern Germany.

Akvavit gets its distinctive flavour from spices and herbs, and the dominant flavour must (according to the European Union) come from a distillate of caraway and/or dill seed. It typically contains 40% alcohol by volume or 80 proof (U.S.) The EU has established a minimum of 37.5% ABV for akvavit to be named as such.

Etymology
The word aquavit derives from the Latin aqua vitae, "water of life." Compare the words whisky or whiskey, from Gaelic uisce beatha, which has the same meaning. Likewise, clear fruit brandy is called eau de vie (French for "water of life").

Drinking culture
Akvavit is an important part of Nordic drinking culture, where it is often drunk during festive gatherings, such as Christmas dinners and the Midsummer celebration, and as an aperitif. In Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany aquavit is chilled and often drunk in a single gulp from a small shot glass. This is usually attributed to tradition. It is not generally chilled in Norway, but enjoyed slowly. In Sweden commonly the aquavit is consumed immediately following a song, called a snapsvisa. The most well-known song is "Helan Går". In Finland and Sweden, aquavit consumed from a shot glass is also commonly associated with crayfish parties, which are traditionally held during late August. In Denmark aquavit is called snaps or akvavit, and is primarily consumed in December during Christmas lunches or around Easter during Easter lunches. It is consumed year round though, mainly for lunches of traditional Danish dishes where beer is also always on the table. In Norway, where most aquavit is matured in oak casks, the drink is served at room temperature in tulip-shaped glasses. Aquavit arguably complements beer well, and its consumption is very often preceded by a swig of beer.

Production
Akvavit must be distilled from an agricultural base, most commonly  grain or potatoes. Similarly to gin it is flavored with botanicals.  The dominant flavors must be caraway or dill, sometimes both. Swedish Akvavit must also contain fennel in order to be labeled as such. Other common botanicals include: cardamom, cumin, anise, coriander.
The Danish distillery Aalborg makes an akvavit distilled with amber which imparts a pine-like citrusy note. The Aalborg brand is now produced in Norway by Arcus Group.

The recipes and flavours differ between brands, with each brand's unique characteristics coming from distillation methods and supporting botanicals in their blends. Un-aged Akvavit is clear while aged Akvavit typically has a pale straw to golden hue depending on how long it has been aged in oak casks (most common in Norway) or the amount of colorant used. Normally, a darker color suggests a higher age or the use of young casks, though artificial caramel colouring and infusing fruits or botanicals for color and flavor is permitted before bottling. Clear akvavit is often called taffel, meaning table aquavit. Taffel aquavit is typically aged in old casks that do not colour the finished spirit or it is not aged at all.

Origin and traditional variants

The earliest known reference to "aquavit" is found in a 1531 letter from the Danish Lord of Bergenshus castle, Eske Bille to Olav Engelbrektsson, the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Norway. The letter, dated April 13, accompanying a package, offers the archbishop "some water which is called Aqua Vite and is a help for all sort of illness which a man can have both internally and externally".

While this claim for the medicinal properties of the drink may be rather inflated, aquavit is popularly believed to ease the digestion of rich foods. In Denmark, it is traditionally associated with Christmas and Easter lunches. In Norway, it is drunk at celebrations, particularly Christmas, Easter or May 17 (Norwegian Constitution Day). In Sweden, it is a staple of the traditional midsummer celebrations dinner, usually drunk while singing one of many drinking songs. It is usually drunk as snaps during meals, especially during the appetizer course – along with pickled herring, crayfish, lutefisk or smoked fish. In this regard, it is popularly quipped that aquavit helps the fish swim down to the stomach.

It is also a regular on the traditional Norwegian Christmas meals, including roasted rib of pork and rib of lamb (pinnekjøtt). The spices and the alcohol are said to help digest the meal, which is very rich in fat.

Among the most important brands are Løiten, Lysholm, Opland and Simers from Norway, Aalborg and Brøndum from Denmark and O.P. Anderson from Sweden. While the Danish and Swedish variants are normally very light in colour, most of the Norwegian brands are matured in oak casks for at least six months, and for some brands even as long as 12 years, making them generally darker in colour. While members of all three nations can be found to claim that "their" style of aquavit is the best as a matter of national pride, Swedish akvavit is typically the most renowned around the world, specifically so in the culinary scene. Whilst the Norwegian akevitt tend to have, if not the most distinctive character, then at least the most overpowering flavour and deepest colour due to the aging process.

Peculiar to the Norwegian tradition are Linje Aquavits (such as "Løiten Linie" and "Lysholm Linie"). Linje Aquavit is named after the tradition of sending oak barrels of aquavit with ships from Norway to Australia and back again, thereby passing the equator ("linje") twice before being bottled. The constant movement, high humidity and fluctuating temperature cause the spirit to extract more flavour and contributes to accelerated maturation.

Norwegian aquavit distillers Anora (former Arcus) has carried out a test where they tried to emulate the rocking of the casks aboard the "Linje" ships while the oak barrels were subjected to the weather elements as they would aboard a ship. The finished product was, according to Anora, far from the taste that a proper linje aquavit should have.

Therefore, to this day boats loaded with "Linie Aquavit" set sail from Norway to Australia and back again before they are bottled and sold as part of the Norwegian Christmas traditions but also enjoyed all year round.

Outside the Nordic countries
Aquavit was seldom produced outside of the Nordic countries but that began to change dramatically starting around 2010, especially in the United States, particularly in areas that have a larger concentrations of people with Nordic heritage. An exception, however, is Northern Germany, and in particular the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, which was part of Denmark until the 19th century (see: History of Schleswig-Holstein) and still has a notable Danish minority. Among the most important German brands are Bommerlunder from Flensburg, Kieler Sprotte from Kiel and Malteserkreuz. The latter brand has been produced in Berlin since 1924 by a subsidiary of Sweden's Vin & Sprit AB (now Pernod Ricard), the producer of many Swedish akvavits, and can be considered a German imitation of the Nordic aquavits, since it is based on an original Danish recipe. Brands from Schleswig-Holstein, however, often have a long history, comparable to their Nordic counterparts. Bommerlunder, for instance, has been made since 1760. Aquavit is also an important part of the traditional cuisine of Schleswig-Holstein. German aquavit is virtually always distilled from fermented grain, and generally has an alcohol content of 38%  by volume, marginally less than Scandinavian aquavits.

Psychopomp Microdistillery in Bristol, England, started producing an aquavit (termed 'Aqvavit' due to EU regulations) in 2017. In Canada aquavit is produced by Crosscut Distillery Sudbury, Confluence Distillery, Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, Island Spirits Distillery, Long Table Distillery, Spirit of York Distillery Co. in Toronto, Ontario, Newfoundland Distillery Co. in Clarke's Beach, Newfoundland, Compass Distillers in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Sheringham Distillery on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Many distilleries in the United States produce aquavit, especially in parts of the country with high populations of people of Nordic heritage. Examples include:  Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Illinois, Oregon, New Hampshire and Washington. The Midwest States in particular do quite well for the category and have produced numerous internationally acclaimed /award-winning brands.
See List of Akvavit Producers in the United States for brand names and distilleries.

Spellings

 Danish: Akvavit, Snaps, Brændevin or Dram
 Norwegian: Akevitt, Brennevin or Dram
 Swedish: Akvavit, Snaps or Kryddat brännvin
 Dutch: Aquavit
 English: Aquavit or Akvavit
 Faroese: Akvavitt
 Estonian: Akvaviit
 Finnish: Akvaviitti
 French: Aquavit
 German: Aquavit, Kö(ö)m
 Icelandic: Ákavíti
 Italian:  Acquavite
 Polish: Okowita
 Portuguese: Aquavit
 Ukraine: Оковита

See also

 Brännvin, a more general term that includes unflavoured brands
 Poitín, an Irish distilled spirit occupying a similar place in the culture

References

External links
 Norway's message in a bottle
 Rituals: A Pour. A Staredown. A Civilized Bonding.

Danish distilled drinks
Norwegian distilled drinks
Swedish distilled drinks

Akvavit


The Fred Baldwin Memorial Home was built in 1910 and endowed by Emily and Henry Perrine Baldwin to provide housing for elderly Hawaiian and haole men. It is named for their son Fred Baldwin (1881-1905). Its architect was H. L. Kerr, who had earlier designed the Old Wailuku Courthouse. In 2011, it was restored by Xorin Balbes to operate as an educational retreat named Lumeria Maui. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 1 December 2011.

History
Fred Chambers Baldwin, one of eight children of Emily and Henry P. Baldwin, had graduated from Yale University in 1903, then returned to Maui and to manage Ha'ikū and Grove ranches. He died at age 24 while visiting relatives in New York, after falling ill and undergoing surgery for appendicitis. Fred was "handsome and charismatic," the most popular of his siblings, and had aspired to manage Haleakala Ranch. Many people lined the roads as his coffin was carried from Kahului Harbor up to the family home at Olinda.

Many of the early residents were veterans of World War I and are buried in nearby Makawao Cemetery. During World War II, they were moved to the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina and the facility was converted to a military hospital until war's end. For most of its existence, from 1911 to 1958, the home was run by Ethel Baldwin, the wife of Fred's brother Henry Alexander Baldwin, and their daughter Frances, who married J. Walter Cameron of Maui Pineapple Company.

After 1958, the buildings provided dormitory space for Maunaolu Seminary. Then Maui Land & Pineapple Company bought the property and housed summer workers there from 1982 until the 1990s. After that, the buildings remained unused until 2009, when they were purchased by SoulSpace Ranch, who undertook the renovation.

Architecture
In 1910–1911, Kahului Railroad Company construction crews built the original five buildings in a U-shaped plan around a central lawn and landscape garden. The wooden buildings reflect a primarily American Craftsman style, but with some Neo-classical and vernacular Japanese details. Although the buildings had fallen into disuse, the 2010-2011 renovation was able to preserve much of the original structure and detail.

References

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii
American Craftsman architecture in Hawaii
National Register of Historic Places in Maui County, Hawaii
Hawaii Register of Historic Places
Neoclassical architecture in Hawaii
1910 establishments in Hawaii
Houses completed in 1910

Fred C. Baldwin Memorial Home


The Studio Boat (Le Bateau-atelier) is a painting done in the impressionist style in 1876 by the French artist Claude Monet. The work was executed en plein air in oil on canvas with a size of 72 by 60 cm and currently belongs in the collection of the Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia.

Monet bought the old fishing boat in 1872 soon after moving to Argenteuil. In his own words he said "a fair wind had brought me just enough money in one go to buy a boat and have a wooden cabin built on it just big enough to set up an easel". The floating studio enable him to paint views from the River Seine in the Argenteuil district  that were otherwise inaccessible, commencing with a series of paintings of the sailing boats at Petit-Gennevilliers.

Monet lived by his beloved Seine throughout his life and painted his studio boat on several occasions, both at Argenteuil and at Giverny, where he later lived. He was also pictured by his friend and protégé Édouard Manet working on the boat in 1874 in the company of his wife Camille.

Gallery

See also
List of paintings by Claude Monet
Claude Monet Painting in his Studio, 1874 painting of Monet in his boat

References

Paintings by Claude Monet
1876 paintings
Collection of the Barnes Foundation
Maritime paintings
Rivers in art
River Seine

The Studio Boat (Le Bateau-atelier)


Max Steel: Countdown is a 2006 computer-animated science fiction action film based on the TV series and action figure line of the same name. It is the sequel to Max Steel: Forces of Nature (2005) and the third film overall in the Max Steel direct-to-video film series.

A sequel, titled Max Steel: Dark Rival, was released in October 2007.

Plot
Max Steel and Dr. Roberto "'Berto" Martinez, working for the global anti-terrorist organization N-Tek, have finally managed to locate their former enemy Psycho's base. Once inside, Max finds a device called the "Imploder": A machine that condenses all surrounding matter into a miniature black hole. Before Max can retrieve the machine, he's ambushed by hundreds of androids. A battle ensues, but 'Berto manages to remotely shut the androids down, saving Max's life.

After returning to N-Tek's new base, 'Berto tells Max of his new nano-probes he's working on, which are stronger and more durable. However, he hasn't been able to find a sustainable energy source. Later, Max takes a small leave and goes for some fun sporting with his former partner, Kat Ryan. During this, 'Berto finds a possible way to complete his nano-probe project by using Max's natural adrenaline to power his nano-probes.

Overnight, Elementor, now only able to survive in a gas-like form, invades N-Tek and possesses the body of the base's boss and Max's adoptive father, Jefferson Smith. In an attempt to reconstitute his physical form, he plans to use a transfasik generator. Max and Kat arrive at N-Tek during this, and they, along with 'Berto, head to the transfasik generator and discover what is happening. 'Berto reverses the power, hoping to reverse the process and break up the elements. However, it forces Elementor to copy and divide himself into five bodies: Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Metal. During this, Max is accidentally hit by some of the negative energy, shorting out his nano-probes, while Kat is hit by a piece of Elementium, leaving her poisoned. The Elementors attack and severely injure Max before escaping. 'Berto uses his new nano-probes in an attempt to save Max's life, which works, leaving Max much stronger than he was before.

The Elementors, each with a mind of their own, begin an attempt to take over the Earth by merging with the planet, which will kill every single living being in hours. Max tricks Elementor into following him, managing to reunite the Elementors in a desert wasteland, where 'Berto has reconstructed the Imploder to only affect Elementium. The process combines the Elementors and nukes the creature, stripping him of all the isotopes in his body, leaving him in his original Bio-Con clone state. The explosion also takes the Elementium out of Kat's body, saving her life. With Elementor weakened, the team manage to capture and imprison him.

Cast
 Christian Campbell as Max Steel
 Scott McNeil as Elementor and Jefferson Smith
 Alessandro Juliani as 'Berto
 Lisa Ann Beley as Kat and the N-Tek computer voice
 Michael Donovan as Dr. Hershnev
 Brian Drummond as Psycho and  Psycho-bots

External links
Official site

2006 direct-to-video films
2006 animated films
Canadian direct-to-video films
American direct-to-video films
American animated science fiction films
Direct-to-video animated films
Films based on television series
Max Steel
Films based on Mattel toys
Mainframe Studios films
2000s American animated films
2006 films
2000s English-language films
2000s Canadian films

Max Steel: Countdown


, known in North America as R-Type Command, is a turn-based strategy/tactical role-playing game released in 2007 in Japan, and 2008 in North America and Europe for PlayStation Portable. The main part of the game consists of two consecutive campaigns, in which the player controls first the forces of Earth, then the Bydo Empire. The gameplay is structured as a typical mission-based tactical role-playing game, but retains many of the specific traits of the R-Type series. The game also supports multiplayer combat via Wi-Fi.

The game received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate, was released in 2009 exclusively in Japan. A remake of both games, R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos, is in development at Granzella. It's set to be released in 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay
R-Type Tactics has 58 levels, through which the player navigates an army of R-Type space fighters and support units, fighting the enemy forces of the Bydo.

The side-scrolling nature of the R-Type series is preserved in R-Type Tactics. Most levels are structured as in a side-scrolling shooter, with the player's units and the objective on opposite sides of the field. Units cannot change facing, which has an important impact on gameplay, as certain attacks can only be performed in one direction. Like other turn-based strategy games, the playing field is also divided into hexagons with varying effects.

Units
R-Type Tactics features the opposing armies of the Earth Space Corps and the Bydo. The player can access more than 100 different units, including many of the R-series fighters from the other R-Type games. Each fighter has unique abilities such as sub-space movement and a distinct set of attacks. During the game, the player acquires abilities enabling new units and upgrades to existing units to be purchased for his army. Furthermore, new units can be acquired by capturing certain objectives in levels, such as derelict space stations and starbases.

Support units range from large carrier ships to maintenance units as well as the Force units, well known from other games in the R-Type series.

Force units can either be controlled separately or they can be attached to the R-series fighters. Attached Forces function as a unidirectional shield while providing the fighter with stronger attacks. When not attached, a Force is an independent unit that can be used as a tank.

As in other R-Type titles, the TP-02C POW armor functions as a supply unit. It is also used for capturing in-game locations such as space stations.

The Rr2o-3 has a similar function to the TP-02C but has the added ability to repair friendly units or to mine asteroids for minerals called Solonium, Etherium, and Bydogen which are needed in the production of new units, especially Forces. Certain units on the human side can also extract Bydogen from Bydo units.

Plot
The game's narrative is viewed from the perspective of the player-character, who's an officer in Earth's defense forces, called the Space Corps, in the year MC 0065. Various entries in a journal also flesh out the plot.
Space Corps
In the initial single-player campaign, the player is freshly commissioned into the Space Corps, which is steadily losing engagements against an alien race called the Bydo. After completing initial training, the player is ordered to investigate an outpost in Mars that has reportedly lost contact. As the Space Corps fleet advances outside the Solar System, the player is able to recruit more pilots. Through a warp-gate station outside Pluto, the player's fleet travels through a hyperspace warp called the Tesseract to the Bydo's star system.

In the final battle located in the Bydo homeworld, the player encounters remains of Space Corps ships that were defeated in previous campaigns. The player eventually defeats the Bydo's core but it is a Pyrrhic victory, as the core opens a black hole that grapples the entire fleet and assimilates them in a large surge of slime. Completing this campaign would unlock the Bydo campaign.

Bydo Empire
As the Bydo campaign begins, the player-character awakens from a deep slumber, now absorbed as one of the aliens. As he fights his way out of the Bydo star system, this time against his old comrades in the Space Corps, he begins to further understand the origins of the Bydo.

However, despite fighting all the way to Earth and defeating the Space Corps' home defense forces, the player-character is forced to admit that even if he or she is from Earth, the fact that he is in a Bydo fleet drives home the reality that he is no longer welcome. The ending video shows the Bydo forces escaping Earth in the midst of a fierce Space Corps counterattack.

Release

Demo version
A demo version was included with Famitsu PSP Vol.8. It includes Mission A-1, A-2, B stages. In addition, a demo is available for download on the NTSC-U region on the PlayStation Network.

Full version
The Japanese version of the game, R-Type Tactics, was released on September 26, 2007.

Pre-orders for the North American version of the game featured a small black pre-painted gashapon model of the R-9A Arrowhead fighter which required some assembly. Made by gashapon company Yujin, the kit had the fighter itself, the Force system and bits, plus a display stand.

Toys
Toy manufacturer A-Label also released standard and black versions of the R-9A Arrowhead as part of its "Madou Gokin" line. Only 2,000 copies of the standard version were produced, while a Benables custom red version is also available. An Rwf-9D Shooting Star fighter was released in March 2011.

Reception

The game received above-average reviews. At the high end, Destructoid gave the game an 85% score, stating that the learning curve is not that steep and the various R-type homages are a plus, while the loss of a reconnaissance unit could make or break the game. GameSpot's 7.0 rating was attributed to the game offering a chance to play massive fleets but the loading times and the repetitive cutscenes were a drag.

Sequel
A sequel, R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate was released for the PSP and PSPgo on December 10, 2009 in Japan in both retail and download forms.

References

External links
Atlus R-Type Command Website (English)

2007 video games
Atlus games
Irem games
PlayStation Portable games
PlayStation Portable-only games
R-Type
Science fiction video games
Turn-based tactics video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games set in the 22nd century
Video game spin-offs
Rising Star Games games

R-Type Tactics


The 1996 Quebec student protests were a result of an increase in post-secondary tuition fees.  Between the early 1980s and 1990s, average Canadian university tuition fees more than doubled.
Before this time, there had been talk of eliminating tuition fees altogether.  In 1976, the Canadian government signed the United Nations'  International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.  This promised free education at all levels.
However, in 1995, the Liberal Government announced a $7 billion funding cut to provincial programs, which includes tuition.  Between this time, it was decided by Canadian government and education officials that free education was not feasible, and that to provide free education would mean providing nothing else for its citizens.
In 1996, it was announced that over a period of four years, tuition was going to be raised $280 from its current $500 rate.  Students organized themselves into student unions, and fought against this increase by protesting in the streets.  There were also several 'walk-outs' performed by high school students.
As a result of these protests, the tuition freeze remained in effect.  However, a $500 penalty was placed on students who failed more than five classes.

See also
2005 Quebec student protests
2012 Quebec student protests

Student protests, 1996 Quebec
Student strikes
Student protests in Canada
1996 protests
1996 in Quebec
1996 in education

1996 Quebec student protests


The splittail  (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus), also called Sacramento splittail, is a cyprinid fish native to the low-elevation waters of the Central Valley in California. It was first described by William O. Ayres in 1854. It is the sole living member of its genus, the Clear Lake splittail P. ciscoides having become extinct in the 1970s.

The distinctive feature of the splittail is the larger upper lobe of the tail fin. It also has tiny barbels at the corners of the mouth. The dorsal fin has 9-10 rays, while the pectoral fins have 16-19 rays, the pelvic fin 8-9 rays, and the anal fin 7-9 rays. Color is silver on the sides, with a dusky olive gray on the back; during the breeding season the fins pick up a red-orange tinge, and the males become darker and develop white tubercles on the head and at the bases of the fins.

They feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and detritus, generally in areas of low to moderate current. In Suisun Bay, opossum shrimp (mostly Neomysis mercedis), amphipods such as Corophium, and copepods are favorite foods, while in the Sacramento Delta they eat clams, crustaceans, and insect larvae. During periods of high water levels (February/March), splittails will move into flooded areas to look for earthworms. The Sacramento splittail utilizes floodplain habitat for feeding and spawning, and depends upon floodplain habitat for spawning..

Range
Their range is the lower-elevation waters of the Central Valley, extending to San Francisco Bay. Although once found as far north as Redding, they are now only rarely seen in the upper Sacramento River. They were once caught from southern San Francisco Bay and in Coyote Creek (Santa Clara County), but are now restricted to the Sacramento Delta, Suisun Bay, and the lower parts of Sonoma Creek, Petaluma River and Napa River. They are tolerant of moderate levels of salinity and/or alkalinity.

Status
Splittail were reclassified as a species of special concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on September 22, 2003 from their prior classification as threatened due to litigation. In 2010, the FWS found that the splittail did not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act. The Central Valley's system of sloughs and backwaters maintained by annual flooding has greatly changed. The cause of the decline of this species is under investigation. IUCN previously classified the splittail as endangered, but the status was downgraded to least concern in 2013.

References

 Peter B. Moyle, Inland Fishes of California (University of California Press, 2002), pp. 146–150

Pogonichthys
Endemic fauna of California
Fish of the Western United States
Freshwater fish of the United States
Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
Fish described in 1854

Sacramento splittail


A raft guide is a trained professional capable of leading commercial while water rafting trips. Most raft guides are employed by commercial outfitters who run either multi or single day trips.

Training
Typically first year raft guides are required to undergo a training program often run by the company or a professional guide training school before beginning to guide commercial trips.  This training utilizes classroom and on-river experience to train students in rigging and maneuvering vessels; river flow and hazards; scouting and running rapids; and river rescue and emergency procedures. Trainees are generally required to have a minimum of Basic First Aid and CPR certifications. Professional river guides often have additional advanced certifications such as International Rafting Federation-GTE, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue, White Water Rescue or Emergency Medical Technician. River rafting is an adventure sport in which expeditions are taken down rivers. Raft guides are also usually required to obtain a food handlers license, as preparing food is a large component of being a guide.

Training may include such skills as:
 Teamwork and leadership skills
 Safety on the river - hand signals
 Boating gear and equipment
 Commercial river operations
 Customer service - safety talks and guide "chatter"
 Whitewater paddling techniques
 River etiquette guidelines
 Problems, emergencies, advanced river rescues
 Knots and riggings
 Natural and the local history of the river
 Meal Preparation

Description
A typical raft guide is usually in his or her twenties, but can range in age from late teens to late sixties. The majority of raft guides are seasonal employees and work during the spring and summer months when rivers are flowing at their best levels.  However during the seasonal winter months, some raft guides will continue to work by traveling to countries with warmer climates where commercial rafting exists.

A raft guide's primary job is to navigate an inflatable raft with passengers (crew) down a river in a safe and enjoyable manner.  This requires that they continually assess and manage risks during the trip.  A skilled raft guide is able to recognize river features and understand their effects on a raft, and what is required to navigate among or around these features with passengers. On rapids where the potential risk of injury is high, it is the guides responsibility to keep the raft from overturning (flipping) or passengers from falling overboard.

An important part of the job is delivering the "Safety Talk".  Before a trip, raft guides brief customers on potential hazards they may face on the water.  Every raft guide has their own delivery style. Some safety talks include a lot of corny jokes (summer teeth) and others explain the dangers of the river in detail (foot entrapment). Most rookie guides will listen to veteran guides' talks and take bits and pieces of each to create their own.  A good safety talk should cover equipment (PFD, paddle, helmet), how to self-rescue in event of a swim, how to pull people back into the boat, and learning hand signals.  Guides will also go over what to do in the event of a flip, wrap, or strainer.  These three main hazards are very important to know in order to stay safe.  Safety talks can also include discussions such as "Leave No Trace", and plants and animals to watch out for.

Types of guiding
Oar Guiding is where the guide maneuvers the raft with oars from either the stern or middle of the raft. On multi-day trips it is common to have a center oar rig where clients do not paddle, and where gear is stored. Guides oar guiding will use techniques such as 'walking the oars' through flat sections or 'holding a star' when stern rigged through large waves. Oar Guides generally have more control over their raft than paddle guides, but oar rigged rafts are dangerous when flipping and hard to re-right making them less versatile in big water rafting. Oar boats are often rigged to carry all of the gear for a trip.  Oars are typically made of wood, but sometimes plastic.

Paddle Guiding is the most common type of high adventure guiding where the guide sits in the stern of the boat with a one bladed guide stick (paddle). Using draws, prys, the guide can influence the direction of the boat, along with using different paddling commands for their crew. Paddle guiding is the most fun form of rafting.  Guests usually enjoy paddle guiding the most as they feel like they really have control over what is going on in the boat.

Bow Guiding is where two guides are in the boat, one in the stern and one in the bow. This can be done in a stern rigged boat, or a raft where both guides are paddle guiding. It is usually only done over short stretches of whitewater that require a lot of maneuvering for safe passage. Bow guides use techniques such as 'spearing' through large waves, and bow draws to quickly change the direction of the boat. Unlike stern guides the bow guide will never pry with their paddle, instead they will change the orientation of their hands to maintain a power grip in both directions.

Compensation
Guide compensation can vary a great deal by type and length of the trip. In North America guides are typically paid by the day.  They are also known to receive gratuities from their clients and the summation of a trip.

References

External links
 Salary.Com Dream Job: White Water Raft Guide
 Information and Resources for Raft Guides
 New York Times article on Whitewater School

Jobs
Rafting
Guides

Raft guide


Anconodon is an extinct genus of mammal from the Paleocene of North America, and thus lived just after the "age of the dinosaurs". It was a member of the extinct order Multituberculata within the suborder Cimolodonta and possibly the family Cimolodontidae.

The genus Anconodon was named by G. L. Jepsen in 1940. It is also known as Ectopodon  (Russell 1967); Ectypodus (partly); Liotomus (partly); and Ptilodus (partly).

Species
The species Anconodon cochranensis was named by Russell in 1929 and Van Valen and Sloan in 1966. It has also been known as A. russelli (Simpson 1935; Jepsen 1940); Ectopodon  cochranensis (Russel 1967); Ectypodus cochranensis (Simpson 1937a); Ectypodus russelli (Simpson 1935d); Liotomus russelli; and Ptilodus cochranensis (Russell 1929). Fossil remains have been found in the Tiffanian (Middle-Upper Paleocene)-age strata of Alberta (Canada) and Montana and Wyoming (United States). It has been cited as a descendant of A. gidleyi. The holotype is in the University of Alberta collection. The body mass has been estimated to be about 55 g, the weight of two standard mice.

The species Anconodon gidleyi was named by Simpson G.G. in 1935 and Jepsen G.L. in 1940. It has also been known as A. gibleyi and Ptilodus ?gidleyi (Simpson 1935d). Fossil remains have been found in the Torrejonian (Middle-Upper Paleocene)-age strata of the Gidley Quarry in Montana and in Wyoming, New Mexico and Alberta. This species is cited as a possible descendant of Cimolodon nitidus.

The species: Anconodon lewisi was named by Sloan R.E. in 1987. Fossil remains were discovered in the Middle-Upper Paleocene-age strata of Keefer Hill in Wyoming and Douglass Quarry in Montana. The holotype is from Wyoming.

References
 Simpson (1935), "New Paleocene mammals from the Fort Union of Montana". Proc. US Nation. Museum 83, p. 221-244.
 Jepsen (1940), "Paleocene faunas of the Polecat Bench formation, Park County, Wyoming". Pro. Amer. Philos. Soc 83, p. 217-340, 21 figs., 5pls.
 Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
 Much of this information has been derived from  MESOZOIC MAMMALS: Ptilodontoidea, an Internet directory.

Ptilodontoids
Paleocene mammals
Paleocene genus extinctions
Extinct mammals of North America
Prehistoric mammal genera

Anconodon


John Robert McLean (January 1, 1906 – October 9, 1964) was a merchant and political figure on Prince Edward Island. He represented 1st Kings in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1940 to 1943, from 1947 to 1951 and from 1959 to 1964 as a Progressive Conservative.

He was born in Souris, Prince Edward Island, the son of Harry Daniel McLean and Annie Mitchell, and the grandson of John McLean. He was educated at the Pictou Academy. In 1936, he married Marjorie Robina McBeath. He worked at a bank for several years before becoming president of the family business. McLean was defeated by Herbert Acorn when he ran for a seat in the provincial assembly in 1939; he was elected to the provincial assembly in a 1940 by-election held following Acorn's death. He was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1943, 1951 and 1955. McLean served as speaker for the assembly from 1959 until his death in office at the Prince Edward Island Hospital in Charlottetown at the age of 58.

References

1906 births
1964 deaths
Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island MLAs

John R. McLean (Canadian politician)


Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay who co-wrote the film with Will Ferrell. It features Ferrell as the titular Ricky Bobby, an immature yet successful NASCAR driver. The film also features John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, and Amy Adams in supporting roles. NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. appear in cameos, as do broadcasting teams from NASCAR on Fox (Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip, and Dick Berggren) and NASCAR on NBC (Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr., and Benny Parsons).

The film was released theatrically on August 4, 2006, through Sony Pictures to critical and commercial success, grossing $163.4 million worldwide on a $72 million budget.

Plot
In rural North Carolina, Ricky Bobby is born in the backseat of a speeding car when his father, Reese, accidentally misses the turnoff for the hospital. Ricky sees his father only once after that, at age 10, at school. During this encounter, Reese tells Ricky, "If you ain't first, you're last", advice which Ricky takes to heart. Fifteen years later, Ricky works on the pit crew of Dennit Racing driver Terry Cheveaux. When last-placed Cheveaux decides to take a bathroom break, Ricky replaces him and finishes third. Larry Dennit Sr. gives Ricky a permanent seat and he quickly rises to be one of NASCAR's most successful drivers. He meets his future wife Carley when she flashes her breasts after one of his wins.

Ricky persuades Dennit to field a second team for his best friend, Cal Naughton Jr., and they become an unstoppable duo using their "Shake and Bake" slingshot technique on the track. Ricky's newfound arrogance, however, aggravates Dennit's alienated son, who retaliates by adding talented, openly gay French Formula One driver Jean Girard to the team. Girard not only taunts Ricky, but outperforms him and becomes the team's top driver. Desperate to beat Girard, Ricky crashes at Lowe's Motor Speedway and is hospitalized. Fearful of wrecking again, his performance drastically declines and Dennit subsequently fires him. Carley leaves him for Cal, who still considers Ricky his best friend, but Ricky insists that their friendship is over.

Ricky and his two unruly sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, move in with Ricky's mother Lucy, who is determined to reform the boys. Ricky takes a job as a pizza delivery man, but when he loses his driver's license, he is reduced to delivering pizza by bus or by bicycle. When his life hits rock bottom, Reese returns and uses unorthodox methods (such as putting a live cougar in his car) to help Ricky regain his confidence. But after causing trouble at an Applebee's restaurant, Reese abandons the family again. Before he does, he refutes his quote, "If you ain't first, you're last", that has steered Ricky's life. Reese confesses that he was high (on drugs) when he said it, and that it does not make sense. Ricky's former assistant, Susan, persuades him to return to NASCAR. They quickly develop a romantic relationship when Ricky takes Susan's advice and races at Talladega Superspeedway. Before the race, Ricky meets with Girard, who admits he came to America hoping to lose to a superior driver so he can retire. At the speedway, Ricky makes amends with Cal, while reuniting with his pit crew. With no sponsors, Ricky's car is painted with a cougar and the word "ME" to build his own self-confidence.

During the race, after Ricky climbs from last to second behind Girard, Cal uses their slingshot technique to help Ricky pass Girard. In the final laps, however, Dennit orders the driver of Ricky's former car to take Ricky out, but he causes a massive wreck that eliminates everyone except Ricky and Girard. On the last lap, Ricky and Girard collide, wrecking their cars. They hastily exit their vehicles and run towards the finish line. Ricky dives across the line first, but both drivers are disqualified for exiting their cars. As Cal takes the checkered flag, Girard offers Ricky a handshake, but Ricky responds by kissing him on the lips. Carley asks Ricky to move back in and start over, but he chooses to stay with Susan instead. In the parking lot, Reese congratulates Ricky, who declares that it was no longer about winning, since he has a family who loves him no matter where he finishes. Ricky, his family and Susan leave to go to Applebee's.

In a post credits scene, Lucy is shown reading a story to Walker and Texas Ranger, both having been fully rehabilitated by her and who are now polite, respectful children.

Cast

 Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver who only believes in winning throughout his career. He originally drove the #26 Laughing Clown Malt Liquor car until it became sponsored by Wonder Bread and Powerade during his soar to the top of NASCAR and the #62 ME car at the Talladega 500 at the end of the movie.
 Jake Johnson as 5-year-old Ricky.
 Luke Bigham as 10-year-old Ricky.
 John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton Jr., Bobby's best friend and teammate. He drives the #47 Old Spice car.
 Austin Grimm as 10-year-old Cal.
 Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard, an openly gay French Formula One driver, Gregory's husband and Bobby's archrival. Girard's dream is to move to Stockholm and design a currency for use by dogs and cats. He is described as talented, eccentric and dominating in the Formula One circuit in a SPEED broadcast segment. While challenging Bobby, Girard drives the #55 Perrier car.
 Michael Clarke Duncan as Lucius Washington, Ricky's crew chief and close friend. After Ricky's firing, he and the pit crew started a car wash, where they had a hard time adjusting to the career change. They eventually return as the pit crew of Ricky's ME car.
 Leslie Bibb as Carley Bobby, Ricky's former wife and currently Cal's wife after she fears Ricky will not successfully return to NASCAR.
 Gary Cole as Reese Bobby, Ricky's father.
 Jane Lynch as Lucy Bobby, Ricky's mother.
 Andy Richter as Gregory, Girard's husband and a world-class trainer of German shepherds.
 Amy Adams as Susan, Ricky's assistant and eventual love interest.
 Houston Tumlin and Grayson Russell as Walker and Texas Ranger Bobby, Ricky's two sons.
 Adam McKay (the film's director) as Terry Cheveaux, an apathetic driver who is replaced by Bobby at the beginning of the film.
 David Koechner, Ian Roberts and Jack McBrayer as Hershell, Kyle and Glenn, Bobby's three pit crew members. They join Lucius at the car wash before returning to be Ricky's pit crew. Though Glenn was initially claimed to have died while working on the car, he is revealed to still be alive, and had pretend to die as extra motivation for Ricky to win.
 Pat Hingle as Larry Dennit Sr., original owner of Bobby's team, Dennit Racing who considers Ricky to be a son. After retiring, his son, Larry Dennit Jr., takes over the team halfway through Bobby's career.
 Greg Germann as Larry Dennit Jr., the current owner of Dennit Racing, who is concerned only with season point totals and winning sponsors, and dislikes Ricky and his antics.
 Molly Shannon as Mrs. Dennit, the younger Dennit's alcoholic wife.
 Ted Manson as Chip, Bobby's elderly, long-suffering former father-in-law.
 Rob Riggle as Jack Telmont, the Speed Channel commentator.
 Dale Earnhardt Jr. as one of Bobby's fans. He also appears in a deleted scene at the garage in Talladega.
 Jamie McMurray loses to Ricky at Texas Motor Speedway while driving the No. 42 Home123 car when Ricky wins by driving in reverse.
 C.J. Dornberger plays fictional Brian Wavecrest who replaces Bobby in the 26 car at the end of the film after being driven by the No. 86.
 Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds, Fox NASCAR commentators.
 Dick Berggren, a Fox NASCAR field reporter, seen interviewing Ricky in pit lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
 Bill Weber, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach Jr., NASCAR on NBC commentators.
 Elvis Costello and Mos Def, guests at Girard's party (Girard claimed they were not them).
 Bob Jenkins and Rick Benjamin, Speed journalists.
 Jack Blessing as Jarvis, Cal's crew chief.
 Greg Biffle, in a Special Feature but not credited.
 Frank Welker as vocal sounds of the Cougar.
 The broadcaster and various real-life NASCAR drivers and/or their cars from the 2005 racing season can also be seen, including:
Drivers: Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, J. J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Boris Said, Tony Raines, Mike Wallace, Kerry Earnhardt, Jeff Green

Cars only: Casey Mears, Jeremy Mayfield, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Travis Kvapil, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Mike Bliss, Scott Wimmer, Jamie McMurray, Rusty Wallace, Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Ryan Newman, Scott Riggs, Joe Nemechek, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Burton, Ken Schrader, Kevin Lepage, Mike Skinner, Kenny Wallace, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Hermie Sadler, Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Petty, and Johnny Sauter.

Production

Development
McKay and Ferrell first discussed a comedic film about a NASCAR driver while Ferrell was making Elf. Shortly after that film had wrapped, co-producer Jimmy Miller invited them to a NASCAR race in Fontana, California, after which McKay and Ferrell began writing the script. They presented the idea to studios using only a six-word pitch: "Will Ferrell as a NASCAR driver". Studios responded enthusiastically to the pitch largely due to Ferrell's recent commercial success as a comedic leading man in films like Elf, Old School and Anchorman. After a bidding war, the rights were won by Sony Pictures. McKay and Ferrell knew that in order to make the film they envisioned they would need cooperation from NASCAR. After meeting with the filmmakers, NASCAR agreed to provide assistance for the film's production. McKay and Ferrell sought to make a film that individuals involved with NASCAR would enjoy in the same way that people in the television news industry enjoyed Anchorman. Ferrell stated, "We were real adamant up front that our goal wasn't to make fun of NASCAR. We wanted to have fun with NASCAR." Despite NASCAR's involvement, many teams and drivers were reluctant to participate largely due to the negative feelings they had for the 1990 film Days of Thunder. Only two drivers ended up making cameos in the film: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray. During development, the film's title changed from Talladega Nights to High, Wide and Handsome before eventually reverting to the original title.

Filming
With the exception of one week of shooting at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, the entire film was filmed in North Carolina with the majority of filming occurring in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. Many of the racing scenes were filmed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and Rockingham Speedway also known as The Rock. Various other scenes were filmed in the Gaston County, North Carolina area, including the Pizza Delivery, DMV Driving Test, and Church Choir scenes. The Pizza Delivery sequence began in Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina and concluded at the Midtown Motor Inn in Gastonia, North Carolina. Both the DMV Driving Test and the Church Choir scenes were filmed on the campus of First Baptist Church in Cramerton, North Carolina. Scenes at The Pit Stop, the bar the characters frequent and Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard first meet were filmed in a recently closed sports bar in Charlotte. The scenes for the Bobby residence were filmed at a mansion near Lake Norman.

McKay was adamant about wanting to incorporate stunts in the movie, and even had Ferrell and Reilly take driving classes at the Richard Petty Driving Experience with Ferrell later stating that he was "terrified" while driving the cars. Andy Hillenburg's Fast Track Enterprises and K4 Motorsports combined to provide race cars, hauler transportation and stunt coordination. Previously, the companies had assisted in promotion for Herbie: Fully Loaded, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, and other stock car racing films. Within Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, K4 Motorsports created custom wrapping for specific race cars, notably Bobby's "ME" car.

Reception

Box office

The film grossed US$47 million in its first week, and was the  1 film at the box office, making it at the time, the largest opening weekend of Ferrell's career, before being passed by 2014's The Lego Movie. The film grossed $148.2 million in the US and Canada, and $15.1 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $163 million making it Ferrell's fourth highest-grossing film behind The Lego Movie, Elf and Anchorman 2 and McKay's highest-grossing film behind Anchorman 2 and The Other Guys.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 6.51/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though it occasionally stalls, Talladega Nights mix of satire, clever gags, and excellent ensemble performances put it squarely in the winner's circle." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A+ to F.

Robert Koehler of Variety wrote: "Simultaneously teasing and loving a subject doesn't make for easy comedy, but writer-star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam McKay pull it off with good-ol'-boy good nature in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Koehler was surprised by the racing aspects of the film, and praised McKay's direction and Oliver Wood cinematography, saying "he gets the grit, heat and feel of NASCAR racetracks with a near-documentary sensibility." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly found the film increasingly uneven as it progressed but praised the racing sequences: "The races are scorchingly shot, and they lend the movie a zest that was missing from Anchorman."
Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "From its pitch-perfect title through just about every detail, this sendup of sports-triumph movies maintains the right parodic pitch, if not always the highest mph on the laugh speedometer."
British magazine Total Film gave it a perfect five-star rating, with the following verdict: "Forget the recent blips; Ferrell is back in freewheeling form. More than just the year's funniest film, Talladega Nights is one of the best films of the year." Automotive journalist Leo Parente said, "the most accurate racing film ever, trust me," while emphasizing that he was not being sarcastic.

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan cited the film as a personal favorite of his, calling it "great".

Promotional
V8 Supercars team Britek Motorsport incorporated the Talladega Nights logo into the paint scheme of their Ford Falcon BAs for the 2006 Sandown 500 and the 2006 Bathurst 1000.

Accolades

Home media

The Blu-ray version was released on November 17, 2006. Standard DVD and PSP UMD were released on December 12, 2006. When viewing, the opening menu gives viewers choices for Super Speedway (with footage of the film used as introductions for special features, scene selection, etc.) or Short Track (without video introductions). The film is presented on standard DVD in four different configurations, giving consumers the choice between either theatrical or unrated versions and anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 aspect ratio) or pan and scan presentations. As for the audio, each standard DVD carries Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French with optional English and French subtitles.

Extras for the standard DVD editions include a retrospective "25 Years Later" commentary track featuring most of the main cast, deleted and extended scenes along with bonus race footage, features, interviews with Bobby, Naughton, and Carley, a gag reel, a 'line-o-rama' feature with alternate dialogue from the film, and DVD-ROM content. The unrated disc contains additional deleted scenes ("Cal Calls Ricky" and "What'd You Do Today?"), an interview with Girard and Gregory, and commercials. The "Unrated & Uncut" DVD omits two scenes that were in theaters: Bobby, as a child, steals his mother's station wagon and the happenings of Bobby's pit crew. The scenes are not present in the deleted scenes either.

The Blu-ray release is available on a dual-layer disc with the majority of features presented in high definition. These include: nine deleted/extended scenes, three interviews, gag reel, line-o-rama, bonus race footage, Bobby & Naughton's Commercials, Bobby & Naughton's public service announcements, Walker & Texas Ranger, Will Ferrell Returns to Talladega and a theatrical trailer. Three non-high definition extras include: Daytona 500 Spot, NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup Spot, and Sirius and NASCAR Spot. In terms of technical aspects, this edition carries the unrated cut and presents the film with a widescreen transfer at its 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio and includes Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French and an uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio track in English, along with English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and Thai subtitles.

The first one million 60GB and 20GB PlayStation 3 units included a free Blu-ray copy of the film.

In October 2016, the film was re-released on Blu-Ray to coincide with its 10th anniversary. The 2-disc set includes all new bonus features, as well as both versions of the film, marking the theatrical version's first time on Blu-Ray disc.

Real-world homage
On the final lap of the 2009 Aaron's 499 (one of two Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway), Carl Edwards crashed after Brad Keselowski made contact with his car on the final lap. His car turned backwards, went airborne, bounced off and crushed Ryan Newman's hood, flew into the catch fence, and came to a stop on the track apron. At this point, his car was just beyond the pit-road exit, as Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line. Edwards climbed out of his car and jogged to the finish line. He received a standing ovation from the crowd. Fox play-by-play commentator Mike Joy commented on how it was "shades of Ricky Bobby." Although Edwards did cross the finish line but on his feet, he was still handed a DNF since his car did not cross the line and Edwards finished in 24th. Edwards was later asked about this on Larry King Live; he responded, "I'm kind of a Will Ferrell fan. He did that at the end of Talladega Nights."

At the 2012 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Kurt Busch's unsponsored No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet Impala used Ricky Bobby's "ME" paint scheme. Busch and his team were heard reciting movie lines over the team radio. He was running up front when contact from behind sent him spinning, he went on to finish 20th. In October 2013, Busch's No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet was sponsored by Wonder Bread for the 2013 Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega. Its paint scheme was based on Ricky's original No. 26. He finished 18th in the race.

During qualifying at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel and his race engineer Guillaume "Rocky" Rocquelin made reference to the movie over team radio when Vettel posted the fastest lap and gained pole position. The pair referenced the movie in saying "shake and bake" over the team radio, the same phrase used by Bobby and Naughton.

During his victory lap and postrace interview following the 2021 Quaker State 400, driver Kurt Busch exclaimed "Shake and Bake!" in reference to his teammate Ross Chastain, who assisted Busch in holding off his brother Kyle Busch for the victory.

For the 2023 YellaWood 500 at Talladega, the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford Mustang GT of Chase Briscoe sported Cal Naughton Jr.'s Old Spice paint scheme while the No. 41 Mustang of Ryan Preece used Ricky Bobby's Wonder Bread paint scheme.

References

External links

 Counting Down: Talladega Nights Car Auction! (Featuring the makes and models of the cars)
 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby at Sony Pictures
 Everything You Need to Know About Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Movie (2006) at Movie Insider
 If You Ain't First, You're Last!: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Talladega Nights at Screenrant

2006 films
2006 comedy films
2000s English-language films
2000s sports comedy films
2006 LGBT-related films
American auto racing films
American LGBT-related films
American sports comedy films
American satirical films
Apatow Productions films
Columbia Pictures films
Films directed by Adam McKay
Films produced by Judd Apatow
Films scored by Alex Wurman
Films set in Alabama
Films set in North Carolina
Films set in Texas
Films shot in North Carolina
Films with screenplays by Adam McKay
Films with screenplays by Will Ferrell
LGBT-related sports comedy films
Midlife crisis films
NASCAR mass media
Relativity Media films
2000s American films


Sõnumileht was an Estonian tabloid newspaper between 1995 and 2000. The newspaper was published in the Estonian language, and was one of the country's most popular tabloid-style productions. It was first published in 1995. At first it was a quality newspaper. In 1998 after the Norwegian media group Schibsted bought a stake it moved to being a tabloid. In 1999, Sõnumileht had a daily circulation of around 30,000, making it Estonia's sixth largest circulation at the time.

Sõnumileht was maintaining serious press imago until 1998 while being run by editor-in-chief Mark Luik. Under the pressure of new owners it turned the course to yellow media in October 1998 with successful launch campaign. Around the same time Mart Luik resigned, new editor-in-chief was 25 years old sports journalist Urmo Soonvald.

It was in competition with Estonia's other tabloid newspaper Õhtuleht and this led in the summer of 1999 to a price war between the two newspapers. One result of this was that tabloid newspapers became very popular with Estonians and circulation of both newspapers increased.

On 3 July 2000, the two rival newspapers merged to form SL Õhtuleht.

External links
 Eesti Meedia (parent company website)

1995 establishments in Estonia
2000 disestablishments in Estonia
Defunct newspapers published in Estonia
Estonian-language newspapers
Mass media in Tallinn
Newspapers established in 1995
Publications disestablished in 2000

Sõnumileht


In mathematics, a group is called elementary amenable if it can be built up from finite groups and abelian groups by a sequence of simple operations that result in amenable groups when applied to amenable groups.  Since finite groups and abelian groups are amenable, every elementary amenable group is amenable - however, the converse is not true.

Formally, the class of elementary amenable groups is the smallest subclass of the class of all groups that satisfies the following conditions:
it contains all finite and all abelian groups
if G is in the subclass and H is isomorphic to G, then H is in the subclass
it is closed under the operations of taking subgroups, forming quotients, and forming extensions
it is closed under directed unions.

The Tits alternative implies that any amenable linear group is locally virtually solvable; hence, for linear groups, amenability and elementary amenability coincide.

References

Infinite group theory
Properties of groups

Elementary amenable group


On the Road Again is the third solo album by Roy Wood. The album was released only due to the intervention of Warner Bros. boss Mo Ostin. Still, it was only released in the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. The album includes guest appearances from Carl Wayne, Andy Fairweather-Low and John Bonham.

Two singles were released from the album: The title track (with Wizzard's "Saxmaniacs", an instrumental from the then-unreleased album Main Street, on the b-side) and "Keep Your Hands on the Wheel" (with Wizzo Band's "Giant Footsteps", from their only album Super Active Wizzo, on the B-side). "Dancing at the Rainbow's End" was also released as a single, but credited to Wizzo Band.

Track listing
"(We're) On the Road Again" – 4:22
"Wings over the Sea" – 3:11
"Keep Your Hands on the Wheel (Said Marie to the Driver)" – 4:16
"Colourful Lady" – 5:06
"Road Rocket" – 3:27
"Backtown Sinner" – 4:12
"Jimmy Lad" – 4:28
"Dancin' at the Rainbow's End" – 3:35
"Another Night" – 3:23
"Way Beyond the Rain" – 5:33

References

1979 albums
Albums produced by Roy Wood
Warner Records albums
Albums recorded at Rockfield Studios

On the Road Again (Roy Wood album)


The Lanchester Eighteen at first known as the 15/18 was announced at the beginning of October 1931. Quite unlike any previous Lanchester it was their first new car following BSA's takeover of The Lanchester Motor Company Limited in January 1931. A medium sized car was a new departure for Lanchester.

The intention was to extend the BSA group's range of cars into a new price level by offering a car of moderate size and price providing economies by virtue of design and workmanship. This was the first medium sized car to be offered with the Daimler fluid flywheel and Wilson half-automatically changing gearbox which was separately mounted.

Design
George Lanchester played a considerable part in development of this car in collaboration with L H Pomeroy. Their original concept had been a fairly small car but one still redolent of Lanchester luxury selling for about £850. In the end the standard saloon was priced at £565.

The clutch used to engage top gear gave considerable trouble in early production cars and twice had to be replaced with redesigned versions. The (then) advanced pushrod overhead valve gear proved a success and was used in later Daimlers beginning with the Fifteen which was given a similar engine.

Specification
Further detail

Engine
Carburettor is mounted on the off side (right)
Inlet manifold is circular, has four branches and is held above and to the centre of the 3-branch exhaust manifold
Crankshaft and camshaft run in seven and six bearings respectively
Timing by chain at the back of the engine
Valves have single springs, pushrods are on the nearside (left), the rocker cover is easily removed by hand
Lubrication is fully forced and the gear type oil pump is driven vertically in tandem with the ignition distributor from a single skew gear on the camshaft
All the oil passes through a felt flter which can be detached externally
The film(sic) radiator has a honeycomb front and a fan and impeller are combined and driven by belt from the front end of the camshaft. The radiator is enclosed with a separate shell. There is no thermostat device (15/18)
Dynamo is mounted on the front end of the crankshaft

Mechanical fuel pump
Automatic and hand control for the coil ignition

A redesigned engine of 2390 cc was announced on 21 September 1934 for the Olympia Show

Transmission
The fluid flywheel transmits power through a short splined metal universally-jointed shaft to the separately mounted Wilson epicyclic gearbox
Four forward speeds
Propeller shaft is open, back axle has half-floating underslung worm drive

Chassis
The frame has cruciform bracing in the middle and lattice type stiffening on the inside of all channel members at vital points giving strength with weight reduction.
Steering by cam gear, the column is adjustable for rake
Lockheed hydraulic brakes and a vacuum servo are fitted to all four wheels and a handbrake is fitted on the transmission behind the gearbox
Brake drums are almost entirely carried within the plane of the wheels and the springs a set closer to the wheels
Springs are half-elliptical and have gaiters and hydraulic shock absorbers with silent-bloc bushes for the shackles
Front springs are shackled forward to harmonize the motion with the steering link, back springs are underhung
Wire wheels carry 5.25 by 18inch tyres
12-volt electrical system
Changes for the Eighteen:
Front half-elliptical springs are of low periodicity type with radius rod controlled front axle and a harmonic stabilising front bumper
The four-wheel brakes are mechanical and the pull-up hand lever works the brakes at the back

Performance
On Autocar road test published in April 1932 the testers obtained a properly timed maximum speed of 71.43 mph.

Comfortable amenities
Said The Times' motoring correspondent—The four/five seater standard saloon has three armrests in the back seat and the front adjustable bucket seats have recesses in their backs for additional toe room for rear passengers. The four doors open wide down to the running boards and the glasses in them can be wound down fully in front (the driver's has a quick-action handle) and three-quarters of the way in the rear doors. The rear-most quarter-lights are fixed. A cupboard with a door is provided either side of the grouped instruments and there is a flap pocket in each rear door. Traps are fitted in the back floorboard for access to the tools, the battery and the oil tank of the hydraulic braking system. The spare wheel and tyre are in the well on the off-side front wing. The windscreen opens fully and the wipers are electrically operated. Safety glass is provided throughout. The coachwork sits low being built outside and below the top of the frame and attached by metal holders with rubber.

Prices
chassis £435
six-light saloon £565
four-light saloon £565
sports saloon £675
town carriage £795

Bigger engine for 1936
An increase of engine size from 2390 cc to 2565 cc was announced on 14 August 1935.

Facelift for 1937
The new frontal design used on the group's other cars has been employed on the Eighteen. As an alternative to independent front suspension the front beam axle is now controlled by parallel links.

The wheelbase has been reduced 1 inch to 9'6" =  and the track increased 4 inches to 4'8" = .

The manufacturer now estimates the fuel consumption to be 18 mpg

New for 1938
While the engine and chassis were only altered in detail completely new coachwork was announced in August 1937. It included a luggage boot at the back and the door or lid forms a baggage platform. The seating and upholstery were redesigned.

References

External links

18
Cars introduced in 1931
1930s cars

Lanchester Eighteen 15/18


Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 8 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites.  They include some of the most primitive known meteorites. The C chondrites represent only a small proportion (4.6%) of meteorite falls.

Some famous carbonaceous chondrites are: Allende, Murchison, Orgueil, Ivuna, Murray, Tagish Lake, Sutter's Mill and Winchcombe.

General description
C chondrites contain a high proportion of carbon (up to 3%), which is in the form of graphite, carbonates and organic compounds, including amino acids.  In addition, they contain water and minerals that have been modified by the influence of water.

The carbonaceous chondrites were not exposed to higher temperatures, so that they are hardly changed by thermal processes. Some carbonaceous chondrites, such as the Allende meteorite, contain calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). These are compounds that emerged early from the primeval solar nebula, condensed out and represent the oldest minerals formed in the Solar System .

Some primitive carbonaceous chondrites, such as the CM chondrite Murchison, contain presolar minerals, including moissanite (natural silicon carbide) and tiny nanometer-sized diamonds that apparently were not formed in our solar system. These presolar minerals were probably formed during the explosion of a nearby supernova or in the vicinity of a pulsating red giant (more precisely: a so-called AGB star) before they got into the cloud of matter from which the Solar System was formed. Such star explosions release pressure waves that can condense clouds of matter in their surroundings, leading to the formation of new ones, stars and planetary systems.

Another carbonaceous chondrite, the Flensburg meteorite (2019), provides evidence of the earliest known occurrence of liquid water in the young Solar System to date.

Composition and classification

Carbonaceous chondrites are grouped according to distinctive compositions thought to reflect the type of parent body from which they originated. These C chondrite groups are now each named with a standard two-letter CX designation, where C stands for "carbonaceous" (other types of chondrites do not begin with this letter) plus a capital letter in the spot X, which is very often the first letter of the name of a prominent meteorite—often the first to be discovered—in the group. Such meteorites are often named for the place where they fell, thus giving no clue as to the physical nature of the group. Group CH, where H is for "high metal" is so far the only exception. See below for name derivations of each group.

Several groups of carbonaceous chondrites, notably the CM and CI groups, contain high percentages (3% to 22%) of water, as well as organic compounds. They are composed mainly of silicates, oxides and sulfides, with the minerals olivine and serpentine being characteristic. The presence of volatile organic chemicals and water indicates that they have not undergone significant heating (>200 °C) since they were formed, and their compositions are considered to be close to that of the solar nebula from which the Solar System condensed. Other groups of C chondrites, e.g., CO, CV, and CK chondrites, are relatively poor in volatile compounds, and some of these have experienced significant heating on their parent asteroids.

CI group
This group, named after the Ivuna meteorite (Tanzania), have chemical compositions that are close to that measured in the solar photosphere (aside from gaseous elements, and elements such as lithium which are underrepresented in the Sun's photosphere by comparison to their abundance in CI chondrites). In this sense, they are chemically the most primitive known meteorites.

CI chondrites typically contain a high proportion of water (up to 22%), and organic matter in the form of amino acids and PAHs. Aqueous alteration promotes a composition of hydrous phyllosilicates, magnetite, and olivine crystals occurring in a black matrix, and a possible lack of chondrules. It is thought they have not been heated above , indicating that they condensed in the cooler outer portion of the solar nebula.

Five CI chondrites have been observed to fall: Ivuna, Orgueil, Alais, Tonk, and Revelstoke. Four others have been found by Japanese field parties in Antarctica. In general, the extreme fragility of CI chondrites causes them to be highly susceptible to terrestrial weathering, and they do not survive on Earth's surface for long after they fall.

CV group

This group takes its name from Vigarano (Italy). Most of these chondrites belong to the petrologic type 3.

CV chondrites observed falls:
Allende
Bali
Bukhara
Grosnaja
Kaba
Mokoia
Vigarano

CM group

The group takes its name from Mighei (Ukraine), but the most famous member is the extensively studied Murchison meteorite. Many falls of this type have been observed and CM chondrites are known to contain a rich mix of complex organic compounds such as amino-acids and purine/pyrimidine nucleobases.
CM chondrite famous falls:
Murchison
Sutter's Mill
Aguas Zarcas
Jbilet Winselwan
Winchcombe meteorite

CR group
The group takes its name from Renazzo (Italy). The best parent body candidate is 2 Pallas.

CR chondrites observed falls:
Al Rais
Kaidun
Renazzo

Other famous CR chondrites:
Dar al Gani 574
El Djouf 001
Northwest Africa 801

CH group
"H" stands for "high metal" because CH chondrites may contain up to as much as 40% of metal. That makes them one of the most metal-rich of any of the chondrite groups, second only to the CB chondrites and some ungrouped chondrites such as NWA 12273. The first meteorite discovered was ALH 85085. Chemically, these chondrites are closely related to CR and CB groups. All specimens of this group belong only to petrologic types 2 or 3.

CB group

The group takes its name from the most representative member: Bencubbin (Australia). Although these chondrites contain over 50% nickel-iron metal, they are not classified as mesosiderites because their mineralogical and chemical properties are strongly associated with CR chondrites.

CK group
This group takes its name from Karoonda (Australia). These chondrites are closely related to the CO and CV groups.

CO group
The group takes its name from Ornans (France). The chondrule size is only about 0.15 mm on average. They are all of petrologic type 3.

Famous CO chondrite falls:
Ornans
Kainsaz
Warrenton
Moss

Famous finds:
Dar al Gani 749

CL group
Officially recognized in 2022 after minimum specimens (five) described. CL chondrites, named after type specimen(s) Loongana, are chondrite-rich, metal-rich, and volatile-poor.

C ungrouped
The most famous members:
Tagish Lake
Tarda

Organic matter

Most of the organic carbon in CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites is an insoluble complex material.  That is similar to the description for kerogen.  A kerogen-like material is also in the ALH84001 Martian meteorite (an achondrite).

The CM meteorite Murchison has over 96 extraterrestrial amino acids and other compounds including carboxylic acids, hydroxy carboxylic acids, sulphonic and phosphonic acids, aliphatic, aromatic and polar hydrocarbons, fullerenes, heterocycles, carbonyl compounds, alcohols, amines and amides.

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids
Amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites have important implications for theories describing the delivery of organic compounds to the early Earth and the subsequent development of life. Shortly after its fall and recovery in Australia in 1969, the Murchison meteorite was found to host five protein amino acids (glycine, alanine, valine, proline, and glutamic acid) in addition to 12 non-proteinogenic amino acids including α-aminoisobutyric acid and isovaline, which are rare on Earth. Since then, the number of characterized amino acids in the Murchison meteorite has risen to 96, including 12 of the 20 common biological amino acids, along with hundreds more that have been detected, but remain uncharacterized. While the abundance of amino acids present in terrestrial soils presents a potential source of contamination, most of the amino acids characterized in Murchison are terrestrially rare or absent.

Amino acids may be structurally chiral, meaning that they have two possible non-superimposable mirror image structures, termed enantiomers. Conventionally, these are referred to as left-handed (L) and right-handed (D) by analogy with glyceraldehyde. Living beings use L-amino acids, although there is no apparent reason why one enantiomer is favoured over the other as they behave equivalently in biological systems. In contrast with terrestrial biology, early laboratory studies, including the famous Miller-Urey Experiment, have shown that amino acids may form under a range of possible abiotic conditions with equal (racemic) mixtures of D- and L-enantiomers. Thus, the ratios between enantiomers for a given amino acid may discriminate between biotic and abiotic formation mechanisms. In the first characterization of amino acids in Murchison, all chiral examples were present in racemic mixtures indicating an abiotic origin. This is consistent with proposed sythetic pathways, as the formation of isovaline and other α-dialkyl amino acids in CM chondrites has been attributed to the Strecker synthesis which produces racemic mixtures of enantiomers.

Ehrenfreund et al. (2001) found that amino acids in CI chondrites Ivuna and Orgueil were present at much lower concentrations than in CM chondrites (~30%), and that they had a distinct composition high in β-alanine, glycine, γ-ABA, and β-ABA but low in α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) and isovaline. This implies that they had formed by a different synthetic pathway, and on a different parent body from the CM chondrites.

Enantiomeric excesses observed in extraterrestrial amino acids
More recently, amino acids from several carbonaceous chondrites have been identified with significant L-enantiomeric excesses. L-excesses from 3 – 15% in several non-protein α-dialkyl amino acids have been found in the Murchison and Murray meteorites. Their extraterrestrial origin is indicated by their absence in biological systems and significant heavy isotope enrichments in 13C and deuterium compared to terrestrial values. Further characterization of L-isovaline excesses up to 20.5% in a range of carbonaceous chondrite groups have supported a hypothesis that increasing hydrothermal alteration of the host meteorite correlates with increasing observed L-enantiomeric excess. Large L-excesses for α-H amino acids have also been reported, but these are more problematic due to the potential for terrestrial contamination. The ungrouped C2 chondrite Tagish Lake has L-aspartic acid excesses up to ~60%, with carbon isotope measurements indicating an extraterrestrial origin due to significant enrichments in 13C. In Tagish Lake, proteinogenic amino acids show both significant L-excesses, and racemic mixtures: glutamic acid, serine, and threonine were found to have ~50 – 99% L-excesses, while alanine was racemic.

It has been proposed that extraterrestrial amino acid L-excesses observed in carbonaceous chondrites are a result of differences in the crystallization behaviour of the enantiomers. Circularly polarized ultraviolet light has been shown to generate L-excesses in crystallizing amino acids for experimental conditions mimicking alteration on asteroids, and this is thought to be the dominant extraterrestrial source of chiral symmetry breaking (i.e., the favouring of one enantiomer over another). It is notable that only excesses of the L-enantiomer have been observed in extraterrestrial amino acids, suggesting that the abiotic process responsible for enantiomeric enrichments may be the original source of the L-amino acid selectivity currently observed in terrestrial life.

Implications for extraterrestrial biosignatures
NASA have proposed a "Ladder of Life Detection" threshold of >20% enantiomeric excess in amino acids to distinguish extraterrestrial biosignatures. But, as previously mentioned, recent studies of carbonaceous chondrites and complementary experimental investigations have demonstrated that even larger enantiomeric excesses may be produced by abiotic pathways. To identify chiral asymmetry (enantiomeric excess) of biological origin, Glavin et al. (2020) emphasize three criteria that must be met: chiral asymmetry, light 13C isotopic composition, and simplified distribution of structural isomers. If a distribution of amino acids in an extraterrestrial sample is found to be chirally asymmetric, display structural isomeric preference, and carry 13C, 15N, and D depletions relative to associated inorganic material, a compelling case may be made for its biological origin. With the current interest in sample return missions from carbonaceous asteroids (e.g., OSIRIS-REx) and Mars headed by NASA and other space agencies , the subsequent analysis of returned samples devoid of terrestrial contamination will provide the best opportunity to discover potential biosignatures in our Solar System.

See also
 Glossary of meteoritics
 List of meteorite minerals

References

Carbonaceous chondrites at The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight

External links

Carbonaceous Chondrite Images from Meteorites Australia - Meteorites.com.au

Carbonaceous chondrite


Manuel Yrigoyen Diez-Canseco (1873 in Lima, Peru – May 25, 1933 in Lima, Peru) was a Peruvian politician in the early 20th century. He was the mayor of Lima, from 1919 to 1920, congressman and president of the National Club.

He was son of the former prime minister Manuel Yrigoyen Arias and Mercedes Diez-Canseco Olazabal.

1873 births
1933 deaths
Mayors of Lima
Peruvian people of Basque descent
Peruvian people of Spanish descent

Manuel Yrigoyen Diez Canseco


A retirement home is a place where old people live together. Sometimes, these places are known as  old people's homes or old age homes. In many ways these homes are like hotels: Each resident has a room or suite, with its own bathroom. In some cases, there are rooms for couples. Like in a hotel there's staff who prepares the meals, the residents usually eat together.

Such homes are for elderly people who have special needs. Some of these people need help with everyday tasks, such as washing themselves in the morning, or changing from one set of clothes to another. Many of the people in these homes suffer from age-related diseases, which makes it very hard or impossible for them to live alone, without help.

Putting someone in a retirement home is expensive: the price charged usually depends on the level of help the person needs. Very often, relatives care for the people, before they are sent to retirement homes. Only when the burden becomes too big are people sent to retirement homes. Nursing homes are very similar, but there are for those people who need a lot of medical attention.

Many of the people in retirement homes suffer from age-related diseases, such as dementia.

Care
Old age

Retirement home


Lloyd Colquitt Glenn (November 21, 1909 – May 23, 1985) was an American R&B pianist, bandleader and arranger, who was a pioneer of the "West Coast" blues style.

Career
Born in San Antonio, Texas, from the late 1920s, Glenn played with various jazz bands in the Dallas and San Antonio areas, first recording in 1936 with Don Albert's Orchestra. He moved to California in 1941, joining the Walter Johnson trio in 1944, and finding employment as a session musician and arranger.  He accompanied T-Bone Walker on his 1947 hit "Call It Stormy Monday", and later the same year made his own first solo records, billed as Lloyd Glenn and His Joymakers.

In 1949 he joined Swing Time Records as A&R man, and recorded a number of hits with Lowell Fulson, including "Everyday I Have the Blues" and the #1 R&B hit "Blue Shadows".  He also had major R&B hits of his own, with "Old Time Shuffle Blues" (#3 U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1950) being followed by "Chica Boo", which also made #1 on the R&B chart in June 1951.  At the same time, he continued to perform as pianist in Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band.  Glenn left Ory in 1953, about the same time that he was contracted to Aladdin Records, where he both produced and played on, B.B. King's 1960 album, My Kind of Blues.

He continued working through the 1960s, as both a session musician with King, Walker and others, and as a recording artist in his own right. Towards the end of his career he played at clubs in Los Angeles, performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and toured with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Big Joe Turner, and his musician son, Lloyd Glenn Jr.

Glenn died in Los Angeles, California of a heart attack in May 1985.

Discography

With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
The "Clean" Machine (Muse, 1978)
With T-Bone Walker
Stormy Monday Blues (BluesWay, 1968)

References

External links
[  Allmusic.com biography]

1909 births
1985 deaths
Musicians from San Antonio
African-American pianists
American rhythm and blues musicians
American blues pianists
American male pianists
Record producers from Texas
Imperial Records artists
RPM Records (United States) artists
West Coast blues musicians
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American pianists
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century African-American musicians

Lloyd Glenn


GD 61 is a white dwarf star. It is 150 light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus.
 The star has a planetary system. It may once have been a main sequence star of spectral type A0V with around three times the mass of the Sun. It has aged and passed through a red giant phase. What was left is a dense hot remnant. This remnant has around 70% of the Sun's mass and a surface temperature of 17280 K. It is thought to be around 600 million years old. This age includes both its life as a main sequence star, and as a white dwarf stellar remnant. It has an apparent magnitude of 14.8. GD 61 was first noted as a potential degenerate star in 1965. This was done in a survey of white dwarf suspects by astronomers from the Lowell Observatory in Arizona.

An asteroid in the system was detected in 2013 that contains water. This was the first finding of solid or liquid water on an extrasolar body. The asteroid, the first extrasolar asteroid detected, is 26% water by mass, close to the water content of Ceres. This means that a planet, with a rocky surface similar to Earth's, may have existed in the past. The asteroid could be an artifact from this period. It is now possibly part of a debris field from that planet's breakup. Such a planet would have had both a rocky surface and water. These are two key ingredients for life. The researchers used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope to determine what it is made of. The elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen were detected. These are all components of rocky planets. However, the amount of oxygen is much higher than what was expected. There was also less carbon than expected. This meant there was one possible reason for the extra oxygen. There had to be water there.

Related pages
24 Themis, the first Solar System asteroid found to have liquid water

References

Stars

GD 61