The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. Development began in 1946; the weapon was first tested in 1949. The missile entered service with the USAF in 1956.

Produced in both heat-seeking and radar-guided versions, the missile served during the Vietnam War with USAF McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II units. Designed to shoot down slow bombers with limited maneuverability, it was ineffective against maneuverable fighters over Vietnam. Lacking proximity fusing, the missile would detonate only if a direct hit was scored. Only five kills were recorded.

With the AIM-4's poor kill record rendering the F-4 ineffective at air-to-air combat, the fighters were modified to carry the USN-designed AIM-9 Sidewinder missile instead, which was already carried on USN and USMC F-4 Phantom II and F-8 Crusader jet fighters. The Sidewinder was much more effective and improved versions continue to serve the armed forces of the United States and numerous allied nations to this day.

Development

Defensive concept
Development of a guided air-to-air missile began in 1946. Hughes Aircraft was awarded a contract for a subsonic missile under the project designation MX-798, which soon gave way to the supersonic MX-904 in 1947.

The original purpose of the weapon was as a self-defense weapon for bomber aircraft, which would carry a magazine of three missiles in the rear fuselage, and fire them through a long tube that led through the area that normally held the tail turret. In the case of the B-52, the missile contained a tuner for the bomber's A-3 rear-facing radar, and would follow the signal being reflected off the target aircraft using a semi-active radar homing (SARH) system.

Anti-bomber development
At the same time that the original MX-798 had been released, a specification for a forward-firing missile for fighter aircraft had been released as MX-799. This had progressed to the point of testing prototype rounds, as the AAM-A-1 Firebird, when its subsonic speed and manual guidance were realized to be serious problems.

The project was cancelled, and the recently released MX-904 was redirected to replace Firebird in the anti-bomber role. At this stage the weapon was still designed to be fired out of a tube, now leading from a weapon bay behind the nose-mounted radar with the launch tube exiting below the radar antenna. Instead of a magazine with multiple missiles, three missiles were placed in the tube tip-to-tail.

Housing in a tube presented several problems, but primary among them was that there was no way for the missile's seeker to lock-on before launch. The original concept would be firing against interceptor aircraft that were slowly approaching the B-52 and would be somewhere fairly close to directly behind the aircraft. In the case of a fighter, the target might not be so conveniently located, and with no way to know if it could see the target while inside the tube, this meant it might never lock-on properly.

Eventually, it was decided to abandon the tube-launched concept and mount the missile on the wings or in weapon bays that would point the missile at the target prior to launch. This change also allowed the seeker to use infrared homing as well as SARH. Interchangeable seekers were developed, allowing an aircraft to carry either type, or both. Additionally, freed from the tube, the missile's wings were allowed to grow larger and took on the long delta form that it and its various descendants would carry into the 2000s.

Testing and service

The first test firings took place in 1949, at which time it was designated AAM-A-2 and given the popular name Falcon. A brief policy of assigning fighter and bomber designations to missiles led it to be redesignated F-98 in 1951. In 1955, the policy changed again, and the missile was again redesignated GAR-1.

The initial GAR-1 and GAR-2 models entered service in 1956. It armed the Northrop F-89 Scorpion, McDonnell F-101B Voodoo and Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. The only other users were Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, whose CF-101 Voodoo, Saab 35 Draken and Dassault Mirage IIIS carried the Falcon. Canada also hoped to use them on the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow interceptor; however, this was never realized because of the Arrow's cancellation.

Fighters carrying the Falcon were often designed with internal weapons bays for carrying this missile. The Scorpion carried them on wingtip pods, while the Delta Dagger and Delta Dart had belly bays with a trapeze mechanism to move them into the airstream for launch. The F-101B had an unusual bay arrangement where two were stored externally, and then the bay door would rotate to expose two more missiles. It is likely the General Dynamics F-111's internal bay would have accommodated the missile as well, but by the time of service the Air Force had already dropped the Falcon for use against fighters, as well as the idea of using the F-111 as an air combat fighter.

The GAR-1 had semi-active radar homing (SARH), giving a range of about . About 4,000 missiles were produced. It was replaced in production by the GAR-1D (later AIM-4A), with larger control surfaces. About 12,000 of this variant were produced, the major production version of the SARH Falcon.

The GAR-2 (later AIM-4B) was a heat-seeker, generally limited to rear-aspect engagements, but with the advantage of being a 'fire and forget' weapon. As would also be Soviet practice, it was common to fire the weapon in salvos of both types to increase the chances of a hit (a heat-seeking missile fired first, followed moments later by a radar-guided missile). The GAR-2 was about 1.5 in (40 mm) longer and 16 lb (7 kg) heavier than its SARH counterpart. Its range was similar. It was replaced in production by the GAR-2A (later AIM-4C), with a more sensitive infrared seeker. A total of about 26,000 of the infrared-homing Falcons were built.

All of the early Falcons had a small 7.6 lb (3.4 kg) warhead, limiting their lethal radius. Also limiting them tactically was that Falcon lacked a proximity fuze: the fuzing for the missile was in the leading edges of the wings, requiring a direct hit to detonate.

In 1958, Hughes introduced a slightly enlarged version of the Falcon, initially dubbed Super Falcon, with a more powerful, longer-burning rocket engine, increasing speed and range. It had a larger warhead (28.7 lb / 13 kg) and better guidance systems. The SARH versions were GAR-3 (AIM-4E) and the improved GAR-3A (AIM-4F). The infrared version was the GAR-4A (AIM-4G). About 2,700 SARH missiles and 3,400 IR Super Falcons were produced, replacing most earlier versions of the weapon in service.

The Falcon was redesignated AIM-4 in September 1962.

The final version of the original Falcon was the GAR-2B (later AIM-4D), which entered service in 1963. This was intended as a fighter combat weapon, combining the lighter, smaller airframe of the earlier GAR-1/GAR-2 weapon with the improved IR seeker of the GAR-4A/AIM-4G.

An effort to address the limitations of AIM-4D led to the development in 1970 of the XAIM-4H, which had a laser proximity fuze, new warhead, and better maneuverability. It was cancelled the following year without entering service.

A larger version of the Falcon carrying a 0.25-kiloton nuclear warhead was developed as the GAR-11 (later designated the AIM-26 Falcon), while a long-range version was developed for the North American XF-108 Rapier and Lockheed YF-12 interceptors as the GAR-9 (later AIM-47 Falcon).

Operational history
The Air Force deployed AIM-4 in May 1967 during the Vietnam War on the new F-4D Phantom II, which carried it on the inner wing pylons and was not wired to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The missile's combat performance was very poor. The Falcon, already operational on Air Defense Command aircraft, was designed to be used against bombers, and its slow seeker cooling times (as much as six or seven seconds to obtain a lock on a target) rendered it largely ineffective against maneuvering fighters. Moreover, it could be cooled only once. Limited coolant supply meant that once cooled, the missile would expend its supply of liquid nitrogen in two minutes, rendering it useless on the rail. The missile also had a small warhead, and lacked proximity fusing. As a result, only five kills were scored, all with the AIM-4D version. (The Falcon was also experimentally fired by the F-102 Delta Dagger against ground targets at night using its infrared seeker.)

The weapon was unpopular with pilots from the onset and was supplemented or partially withdrawn in 1969, to be replaced in the F-4D by the Sidewinder after retrofitting the proper wiring. Colonel Robin Olds, USAF, commanding the F-4D-equipped 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, was an outspoken critic of the missile and said of it:
By the beginning of June, we all hated the new AIM-4 Falcon missiles. I loathed the damned useless things. I wanted my Sidewinders back. In two missions I had fired seven or eight of the bloody things and not one guided. They were worse than I had anticipated. Sometimes they refused to launch; sometimes they just cruised off into the blue without guiding. In the thick of an engagement with my head twisting and turning, trying to keep track of friend and foe, I'd forget which of the four I had (already) selected and couldn't tell which of the remaining was perking and which head was already expiring on its launch rail. Twice upon returning to base I had the tech rep go over the switchology and firing sequences. We never discovered I was doing anything wrong.

Colonel Olds became exasperated with the Falcon's poor combat performance. He ordered his entire fighter wing to rewire the F-4Ds to carry more reliable AIM-9 Sidewinders. Although it was an unauthorized field modification, the entire air force eventually followed his example.

Vietnam War: U.S. AIM-4 Falcon Air to Air Victories
Used from 1965 through 1972 in Vietnam, Falcons achieved their only kills during Operation Rolling Thunder (1965–68) during which time only 5 successful hits were scored from 54 launchings during aerial combat.

The AIM-4 was also produced as the HM-55S (radar-guided) for the Swiss Air Force for use on the Dassault Mirage IIIS, and license-manufactured in Sweden for the Swedish Air Force (as the Rb 28) to equip the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen. The seeker of the missile was also redesigned.

The AIM-4F/AIM-4G Super Falcon remained in USAF and ANG service, primarily with Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors, until the final retirement of the F-106 in 1988. These aircraft had been designed to carry the weapon and could not be easily converted to carry larger weapons like the AIM-9 Sidewinder or AIM-7 Sparrow, which were much longer.

Operators

Former operators

Royal Canadian Air Force
Canadian Forces

Finnish Air Force – (Swedish-built missiles)

Hellenic Air Force

Swedish Air Force – (Licence built by SAAB)

Swiss Air Force

Turkish Air Force

United States Air Force

Specifications (GAR-1D/ -2B / AIM-4C/D)

Length:  /
Wingspan:
Diameter:
Weight:  /
Speed: Mach 3
Range
Guidance: semi-active radar homing / rear-aspect infrared homing
Warhead:  high explosive

See also
Related Development:
AIM-26 Falcon
AIM-47 Falcon
AIM-54 Phoenix

References

Notes

Bibliography

The history of the Falcon missile, and its various configurations, is examined in Gart, Jason H. "Electronics and Aerospace Industry in Cold War Arizona, 1945-1968: Motorola, Hughes Aircraft, Goodyear Aircraft." Phd diss., Arizona State University, 2006.
Leighton, David, ""The History of the Hughes Missile Plant in Tucson, 1947-1960," Private Publication, 2015
McCarthy Jr. Donald J. MiG Killers, A Chronology of U.S. Air Victories in Vietnam 1965-1973. 2009, Specialty Press. .
Michel III, Marshall L.  Clashes, Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965-1972. 1997, Naval Institute Press. .

Cold War air-to-air missiles of the United States
Military equipment introduced in the 1950s

AIM-4 Falcon


Brandon Green (born September 5, 1980) is a former American football defensive end. He was selected out of Rice University by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the 3rd pick of the 6th round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

Early years
Green was a four-year starter at Industrial High School in Vanderbilt, Texas. As a senior, earned first-team Class 3A all-state, all-district, and All-county honors at tight end. Also made 43 tackles and forced three fumbles. Was a two-year captain and helped team to a 41–5 record in four years, capturing three district titles.

College career
Green is Rice's career sack leader with 25.0. He finished Owls' career with 209 tackles (138 solo), eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and four passes defensed in 44 games. Earned First-team All-WAC  as senior, starting every game and registered 71 tackles, 13 for losses, and eight sacks and also forced five fumbles and returned an interception 13-yards for a touchdown. As junior, earned First-team All-WAC honors, while starting every game. Won Joe Lipscomb Award as school's top true freshman player. Played in all 11 games.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars
He was selected  by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. In 2003 Green missed his rookie season with Jaguars after suffering patella fracture in practice (9/17). Was inactive for first two
weeks of season prior to injury. In 2004, he made NFL debut at Tennessee (9/26) tallying one solo tackle. Had one quarterback pressure versus Kansas City (10/24) re-aggravating patella injury and placed on injured reserve (10/26).

St. Louis Rams
In 2005, he was signed by the Rams and he made first career sack on Titans' QB Steve McNair versus Tennessee (9/25), adding three tackles. Notched four tackles, one special teams tackle, and 1.0 sack versus Jacksonville (10/30). He ended the season with 32 tackles and 3 sacks and one forced fumble. In 2006, he played in 13 games making first start week 13 versus Arizonza. Green totaled 30 tackles with half of a sack, a pass defensed and one special teams tackle.

Seattle Seahawks
In 2007 Green was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent.

References

External links
Brandon Green at ESPN.com

1980 births
American football defensive ends
Living people
Rice Owls football players
Jacksonville Jaguars draft picks
Jacksonville Jaguars players
St. Louis Rams players
Seattle Seahawks players
Players of American football from Victoria, Texas
People with type 1 diabetes

Brandon Green


Netanya railway station (, Taḥanat HaRakevet Netanya) is an Israel Railways passenger station located in the city of Netanya and serves the city, with its large North industrial zone, as well as other small communities in the area.

Location
The station is situated on the North-South coastal line and is located in the western part of Netanya, 500 meters southeast of the Netanya Interchange where the Coastal Highway (Highway 2) meets Route 57. Its address is 5 HaRakevet Street (, The Railway Street). The station is one of three railway stations serving the central portion of the Sharon plain, the others being Netanya Sapir railway station in the South industrial zone, and Beit Yehoshua railway station further south.

History
In 1993 Israel Railways introduced the concept of regional rail by inaugurating the Netanya – Tel Aviv Suburban Service. Netanya was the northern terminus of the suburban trains as well as continuing to be a stop on the Haifa – Tel Aviv Inter-City Service.

When Israel Railways reorganized the suburban service in the late 1990s the line was extended to Binyamina and Netanya railway station lost its terminus status (except for rush hours, when an additional train leaves the station for Tel Aviv and the southern suburbs). As part of the same reorganization it was decided that Inter-City trains would, in most cases, skip the station in order to reduce travel time between the two large metropolises of Haifa and Tel Aviv. The same rule was applied on all intermediate stations between Tel Aviv University railway station and Binyamina railway station, except for some late-night and early morning trains.

Design
The station consists of a side platform and an island platform, numbered 1 to 3 from west to east. Between the side platform and the island platform there are two parallel rail tracks, and an additional track to the east of  platform 3, there are several additional free tacks to the east of the station in use by freight trains.

The station hall is located to the west of the rail tracks. The two platforms are interconnected by a pedestrian tunnel. Parking lots are located on both sides of the station.

Platform 1 is used for northbound suburban trains, platform 2 for southbound suburban trains. Platform 3 is used during the rush hour by the suburban trains that use the stations as a terminus.

Train service
Netanya railway station is a station on the Tel Aviv suburban line (Binyamina/Netanya–Tel Aviv–Rehovot/Ashkelon Suburban Service). Almost all Inter-City trains pass through this station without stopping, except on the weekends. The station is situated between Hadera Ma'arav (West) railway station to the north and Netanya Sapir to the south.

Suburban Service:
On weekdays the station is served by 38 southbound and 35 northbound suburban trains. First train departs at 06:36 and last train arrives at 21:31.
On Fridays and holiday eves the station is served by 5 southbound and 6 northbound suburban trains. First train departs at 10:52 and last train arrives at 14:55.
Inter-City Service:
On weekdays the station is served by 6 early morning southbound trains (02:11–06:22), 3 early morning northbound trains (04:24–06:03) and 5 late night northbound trains (20:12–00:07).
On Fridays and holiday eves the station is served by 18 southbound and 11 northbound trains. First train departs at 02:11 and last train arrives at 14:23.
On Saturdays and holiday the station is served by 6 southbound and 5 northbound trains. First train departs at 19:38 and last train arrives at 21:27.

Station layout
Platform numbers increase in a West-to-East direction

Ridership

Public transport connections
Netanya railway station is located in a fairly remote location, accessible mainly by private cars, buses, taxis or Sherut Taxis (share taxis).

Bus lines

Local lines
These lines are operated by Egged Ta'avura.
5: Netanya Central bus station–Netanya railway station.  An express service to the Central bus station. Operated also on non peak hours.
14:  Netanya railway station–Pituah via Center neighborhoods. Peak hours only.
16:  Netanya railway station–Center neighborhoods via Kiryat Sanz. Peak hours only.
20:  Netanya railway station–Kiryat HaSharon. Peak hours only. Departs from the east entrance.
25:  Netanya railway station–Ein HaThelet. Peak hours only.

Regional lines
There are some bus lines to nearby towns. These lines are operated by Kavim.

Sherut Taxi
There is one Sherut Taxi line.
79: Rassco neighborhood–Netanya railway station, operated by Shay-Li Taxis.

Facilities
Payphone
Ticket cashier
Ticket machine
Buffet
Parking lot
Toilet
Taxi station

References

External links
Israel Railways website

Railway stations in Central District (Israel)
Netanya

Netanya railway station


The Lunar Society was an important club in the Midlands of 18th century England. It was a dinner club, and a learned society. Its members were industrialists and inventors, natural philosophers (scientists), and other intellectuals. They met regularly in Birmingham and elsewhere from 1765 to 1813.

The name arose because the society met during the full moon. The extra light made the journey home easier and safer in the absence of street lighting. The members cheerfully referred to themselves as "lunarticks", a pun on lunatics. Venues included Erasmus Darwin's home in Lichfield, Matthew Boulton's home, Soho House, and Great Barr Hall.

It leading members were Matthew Boulton, Erasmus Darwin, Thomas Day, Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Samuel Galton, Jr., James Keir, Joseph Priestley, William Small, Jonathan Stokes, James Watt, Josiah Wedgwood, John Whitehurst and William Withering. Other great men of the day visited, or corresponded with, the Society. It had no formal membership list, and was flexible in its arrangements. Anyone could be invited.

The club was seriously affected by the Priestly Riots of July 1791, which started in Birmingham, and spread. Some of the Society were personally attacked; Priestley's house was burned to the ground. The causes of the riots are not entirely clear, but for sure the rioters were against "freethinkers and dissenters". They were stirred up by being told that the dissenters were in favour of the French Revolution.

References

Organisations based in Birmingham

Lunar Society of Birmingham


Roulette is a 2011 American independent thriller–drama film written and directed by Erik Kristopher Myers. The story centers on three characters (Mike Baldwin, Ali Lukowski, and Will Haza) troubled by their pasts and gambling with their lives through a game of Russian roulette, only to find that their lives are connected through overlapping events that have consequently brought them together.

Roulette was filmed in and around Baltimore, Maryland, and has received notable attention from the local filmmaking industry, local and regional media outlets, and film critics. In particular, the film's gruesome ending depicting the murder of a newborn child, caused controversy among viewers.

Plot
The story of Roulette centers on three characters: Dean Jensen (Mike Baldwin), Richard Kessler (Will Haza), and Sunshine 'Sunny' Howard (Ali Lukowski). The three characters all suffer from suicidal thoughts brought on by depression and past events, later discovered to be connected through a network of gradually revealed ties. Meeting in a group therapy session, the three decide to ditch the group and retreat to Dean's house where they subsequently engage in a dangerous and dramatic game of Russian Roulette. As the film progresses, the viewer is introduced to each character's backstory, bringing to light the reasons for their depression, the actions that brought them together, and the unforeseen connections between them.

Dean Jensen (Mike Baldwin) begins his story as a healthy, young construction worker and landscaper. After marrying his loving and lustful girlfriend Zoe (Michelle Murad) he begins to have medical problems that cannot be explained. He is forced to stop working, and is stricken to a wheelchair. Zoe is then forced to take care of him and lead a life that she did not intend. Through Dean's worsening condition, their relationship is strained and consequently ended, ushering Dean into his depression.

Richard Kessler (Will Haza) begins the movie as a hard-working professional with a drinking problem and a strained marriage. Upon being passed-up for a promotion, he spirals into a self-destructive cycle of heavy drinking, late nights at the bar, anger, and depression. After he no longer has his job and his wife leaves him, Richard loses all control and ruins not only his own life, but the life of another.

Sunshine 'Sunny' Howard (Ali Lukowski) is a sheltered young woman raised in the shadow of her devoutly Christian father's lifestyle. Upon meeting Leon (Jan-David Soutar) in the library, she begins a sexual and sinful relationship that she keeps hidden from her father. As their relationship continues, Sunny becomes pregnant, and thus is turned into the exact target of her earlier conservative Christian anti-abortion beliefs. When Sunny decides she doesn't want to keep the baby a dramatic scene unfolds.

Cast
 Mike Baldwin as Dean Jensen
 Will Haza as Richard Kessler
 Ali Lukowski as Sunshine Howard
 Michelle Allegra Murad as Zoe Clarke
 Taylor Lee Hitaffer as Anna Kessler
 Jan-David Soutar as Leon Carmichel
 Troy Russell as John Tokaz
 Frank B. Moorman as Clarence Howard
 Brian St. August as Dr. Klein
 George Stover as Dr. Temple
 Leanna Chamish as Dr. Penny
 Mark Kilbane as Glenn Beach
 Jenna St. John as Rachel the Bar Girl
 Mary Jane Oelke as Fundie Tract Handler
 Frank Lama as the Bartender
Seth Kozak as Support Group Member
 Amy Freedman as Tracy Adler

Screenplay
The script for Roulette was completed in three weeks during the summer of 2008. Myers had no idea where the story was going or how it would end. "I just sat down and took an adventure and let the characters make their own decisions, many of which were as surprising to me as to those who have seen the film. I never plot. I simply lay out sign posts and tell my characters, 'Here's where Act One ends, and here's where Act Two ends. You have this many pages, and you'd better make sure you make some major life decisions at these predetermined points. Now entertain me.' It's sort of like playing God that way. Occasionally you throw a temptation or irreconcilable situation their way, but mostly you sit back and watch them dig their own graves."

Production

Filming
Roulette was filmed in Maryland, including Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Monkton, and Towson.

Initial filming took place between August and December 2008. The volunteer cast and crew were graduates of Towson University or were referred by associates. Equipment was borrowed and cast and crew were packing their own lunches. "We were attempting to push the limits of resources and experience", said Myers. Myers was facing a lay-off from his job and his wife was driving a car that was nearly dead, and the film was paid for on credit cards.

Nearly a quarter of the film had to be reshot during the winter of 2009–2010 due to a legal entanglement with an actress who was replaced by Michelle Murad. It took six months to reshoot the twenty-five minutes due to the need for specific weather so that the overlapping storylines made chronological sense. In one case, a specific restaurant needed to be secured for a second time  and filled with extras to reshoot, among other sequences, a single shot in the bar that featured the character and would be re-edited into footage filmed more than a year earlier.

The "Baby Scene" that ends the film was shot and edited as a stylistic homage to Psycho, and also to rival the "crucifix masturbation" in The Exorcist.

Post-production
The film was edited by Erik Kristopher Myers.

The post-production of "Roulette" was plagued by audio mixing issues, pushing back the initial screening of the film. The color correction was coordinated by Myers to produce different moods between leading character story lines and varying scenes.

"Again, no money, piecemeal equipment and a lot of coffee," Myers said. "There were literally no days off. No birthdays, holidays. Still I pushed on, somewhat obsessively."

Sound was eventually completed by Studio Unknown in 2011.

Scoring
The original score for the film was written and recorded by Dan Schepleng, and supervised by Erik Kristopher Myers.

Release
Roulette was initially screened in rough cut form at the Charles Theater in Baltimore in November 2010. The screening was as jinxed as the production, due to technical issues.

The film was released on home media and streaming services in the fall of 2013, selling out on Amazon.com within twenty-four hours. It reached number 18 on the iTunes UK charts for independent films in January 2014.

Reception
Ain't It Cool News lauded the film, saying, "Roulette really shocked me by the time it was through. It's an impressive early effort from a filmmaker who I hope continues to grow and evolve, gaining more experience and some more talented actors to work with on his next venture. As is, Roulette is a film that shocked and surprised me, holding my attention until the last second and making me replay scenes in my head to make sure they all fit. The film deals with everything from abortion to infidelity to AIDS to alcoholism, and a crate load of other baggage—enough for a hospital full of patients—and while this might feel like a lot of stuff to carry for the three leads, Myers' tight script and tense directing makes it all work. If you're looking for impressive storytelling, Roulette has it big time."

The Los Angeles Times called it "a complicated, Rubik's Cube of a movie, not to mention a remarkably assured first effort", while Cary Conley of Rogue Cinema said, "I would be surprised if I saw any other film in 2013 that comes close to the emotional impact that Roulette has."

Captainhowdy.com stated that Roulette is Erik Kristopher Myers' "filmmaking soul laid bare for all to see should they have the mind and stomach to." Way Too Indie says, "The pacing of the film is superb and really allows the director to tease the viewer with only pieces of the story to keep the suspense at a high level." The film was also reviewed in April 2013 by The After Movie Diner podcast program, Episode 78 – Back to Baltimore, where Baltimore filmmaking was discussed, with a focus on Roulette.

Awards
2011 World Music & Independent Film Festival – Best Director (DMV) – Erik Kristopher Myers
2011 World Music & Independent Film Festival – Best Actor (DMV) – Will Haza
2011 World Music & Independent Film Festival – Best Actress (DMV) – Ali Lukowski
2012 Hot Media International Film Festival – Best Drama Feature Film
2012 Hot Media International Film Festival – Best Director – Erik Kristopher Myers
2012 Hot Media International Film Festival – Best Screenplay – Erik Kristopher Myers
2012 Hot Media International Film Festival – Best Actress – Ali Lukowski
2012 World Music & Independent Film Festival - Best Film
2013 Marina del Ray Film Festival - Official Selection
2014 Vegas Cinefest - Official Selection
2014 Indie Capitol Awards - Best Editing - Erik Kristopher Myers
2014 Indie Capitol Awards - Best Film

References

External links

American independent films
2011 thriller films
American thriller films
2011 films
Films shot in Baltimore
2011 drama films
2011 independent films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films

Roulette (2011 film)


Jaroslav Skála (25 May 1916 – 26 November 2007) was a Czech psychiatrist, fighter against alcoholism, and inventor of the sobering-up station.

Life
Skála was born in Plzeň, Bohemia, when it was part of Austria-Hungary. He studied under Charles University's medical faculty in Prague, as well as at the institute of physical training and sport. He graduated from the institute in 1939, but was unable to graduate from the university until 1946 because the German occupation of Czechoslovakia closed all Czechoslovak universities during World War II.

Skála wanted to work at an internal clinic and later at the institute of physical training medicine, but he was rejected. He took up work at the Psychiatric Clinic in Prague. Later in 1946, Skála was sent to an international conference about alcoholism in Brussels, an event which determined his later steps in medicine. He established KLUS, an alcohol rehabilitation group,  and cooperated with the United States' Alcoholics Anonymous. However, events in Czechoslovakia in 1948 broke all links to the west.

Skála moved from Prague's psychiatric clinic to a new building near the church of Saint Apollinaris. He organized a new anti-alcoholism department, which he headed until his retirement in 1982.

In 1951, Skála invented a sobering-up station, the first facility of this kind in the world. He engaged in research and cure of toxicomania, drug addiction, and alcoholism. He also practiced psychotherapy and family therapy. In 1956, he established a 'section for questions about alcoholism' and headed it until 1981. In 1993, he was a co-founder of the 'society for habit-forming diseases'. In 1991, he was a co-founder of Prague's University of Psychosocial Studies and became its chancellor.

Since 1968, Skála founded over 20 training communities that help people to find a new way in life. He emphasized sports in his studies and in his life. Since 1932, he was an active sportsman and actively attend Sokol.

Skála became one of the most important people of Czechoslovak psychiatry. His methods were the base for two films, Ikarův pád (Fall of Icarus) and Tažní ptáci (Ductile Birds). In 2002 Skála received the medal of merit for his lifetime work from the Czech Republic's president, Václav Havel.

Skála died in 2007 by natural causes at the age of 91.

References

External links
 Our Family
 Czech Broadcast Radio
 Doctor's marathon

1916 births
2007 deaths
Czech psychiatrists
Researchers in alcohol abuse
Charles University alumni
Academic staff of Charles University
Physicians from Plzeň
Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic)
Czechoslovak physicians

Jaroslav Skála


Enid Luff (21 February 1935 – 19 February 2022) was a Welsh musician, music educator, and composer.

Biography
Luff was born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and trained as a pianist. She was educated at the University of Wales and Cambridge and graduated with a Master of Arts degree. She took time out from her career for a family, and then studied piano at Royal Northern College. A Welsh Arts Council Bursary allowed her to study with Elizabeth Lutyens, Anthony Payne and Franco Donatoni.

After ending her musical studies, Luff lived and worked for many years in London and Birmingham, where she taught at the University School of Continuing Studies. She founded a music publishing firm with composer Julia Usher called Primavera. Luff now resides and composes in Cardiff. Luff died 19 February 2022.

Works
Luff has composed a large number of works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and voice.  Selected works include:

1986: Piano Sonata: "Storm Tide"
1989: Sleep, Sleep, February (Fl,Ob,Cl,Pno) a meditative piece
1992: Listening for the Roar of the Sun. (Solo oboe, Dancer, speaker, Slides)
1997: The Glass Wall (three dancers, solo Cello, and electronic tape)
1997: Studies for the Glass Wall (for solo cello)
1999: Telyneg (Lyric for Oboe and harp)

Discography
 Ariel Composers of Wales, Catherine Handley, flute, and Andrew Wilson-Dickson, piano. Cyfansoddwyr Cymru (2009)
The Music of Enid Luff Contemporary chamber music. Ty Cerdd.

References

1935 births
2022 deaths
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
Women classical composers
Welsh classical composers
20th-century British composers
20th-century women composers
21st-century women composers
People from Ebbw Vale

Enid Luff


The A20 is a road in County Down in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast to Newtownards and on to Portaferry.

Beginning as the Newtownards Road at the junction of Bridge End close to Belfast city centre, the road runs in an easterly direction through east Belfast. The early parts of the road are mainly working-class Protestant districts with strong links to the nearby Harland & Wolff shipyard. After the junction of the Holywood Road, it becomes the Upper Newtownards Road and enters the middle-class areas of Ballyhackamore, Knock and Stormont, where it passes the Parliament Buildings.

After leaving Belfast and passing through Dundonald, the road becomes a dual carriageway, passing through a mainly agricultural area before arriving in Newtownards.

After Newtownards, the road follows the Strangford Lough shore to Portaferry, close to the end of the Ards Peninsula. Here, a ferry service is available to Strangford. In Portaferry the road joins the A2 coast road.

External links
www.wesleyjohnston.com

Roads in Belfast
Roads in Northern Ireland
Roads in County Down

A20 road (Northern Ireland)


Echinocereus reichenbachii (commonly known as lace or hedgehog cactus) is a perennial plant and shrub in the cactus family. The species is native to the Chihuahuan Desert and parts of northern Mexico and the southern United States, where they grow at elevations up to . This cactus earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

E. reichenbachii is one of the smaller Echinocereus species. They reach  tall and  wide. Plants are solitary or clustered in as many as 12, with erect stems that have 10 to 19 ribs. The stems are dark green and often obscured by the spines, which range from tan, brown, black, or pink, and the tips are usually darker than the shaft. The areoles are elliptical or oval, with seven to 36 spines each. The purple or pink flowers bloom in early May to late June, growing to approximately  by . E. reichenbachii are cold and heat tolerant, and prefer dry, well-drained soils near rock outcroppings.

Taxonomy
The scientific name, Echinocereus, comes from the Greek , meaning hedgehog, and , the Latin term for wax paper. The specific epithet honors the German botanist Ludwig Reichenbach. Common names include Lace hedgehog cactus, Lace cactus, Lace hedgehog, Purple candle, and Órgano-pequeño de colores.

In 1843, German botanist Carl Adolf Terscheck named a specimen of cactus collected in Mexico Echinocactus reichenbachii, but his description was incomplete and proved unhelpful to later scholars. During the years 1848 to 1856, George Engelmann made extensive studies of a plant he named Echinocereus caespitosus. Prior to this Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck referred to plants in European collections as Echinopsis pectinate var. reichenbachiana, and he later discussed the possibility with Engelmann that these two plants were one and the same.

Despite the early indication of a naming error, Engelmann's binomial was used to describe the plant until 1893, when F.A. Haage Jr. changed Terscheck's Echinocactus reichenbachii to Echinocereus reichenbachii, which Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose later adopted. This broke with the long-standing botanical tradition to use the earliest known name, but because Terscheck's description was lacking and possibly referred to as many as a dozen species, his binomial was supplanted by Haage's.

Variations and subspecies
Variations of Echinocereus reichenbachii include E. reichenbachii var. albertii, E. reichenbachii var. fitchii, E. reichenbachii var. albispinus, E. reichenbachii subsp. armatus, E. reichenbachii subsp. burrensis, and E. reichenbachii subsp. fitchii. Direct children include E. reichenbachii var. baileyi, E. reichenbachii var. perbellus, and E. reichenbachii var. reichenbachii.

E. reichenbachii var. albertii (commonly called the Black Lace cactus) is a federally listed endangered species of the United States that is endemic to Texas. It has been listed as endangered since 1979. Populations of E. reichenbachii var. albertii are found near the Kleberg, Jim Wells, and Refugio counties of south Texas. Destruction of habitat, over-collecting, and livestock grazing have all contributed to its endangered status.

Description

Echinocereus reichenbachii is a perennial plant and shrub. It is one of the smaller Echinocereus species. Immature specimens are spherical, and as they grow they become cylindrical. Plants are solitary or multi-branched in clusters of as many as twelve, with erect stems with 10 to 19 slightly undulate ribs. They reach  tall and  wide. The stems are dark green and obscured by the spines, especially when the plant is dehydrated. Areoles are elliptical or oval. They are spaced  apart, with 15 to 36 spines each. The spines are tan, to brown, black, purplish black, or pink, and the tips are usually darker than the shaft. The central spines tend to be the darkest. There are up to 7 central spines per areole; they are  long.

Plants flower in early May and late June, and they fruit 6 to 10 weeks after flowering. Flowers open for just one day, but anthesis is usually staggered so plants have blooming flowers for a full week; buds are covered in white wool that hides the fruit as it develops. The flower's inner tepals are silvery pink or magenta; the outer portions are white, crimson, green, or multicolored. They are approximately  by , and the flower tubes are  by . The tube hairs are  long, and the nectar chamber is  deep. Flowers have 30 to 50 petals each, which are ragged or notched. Pistils are multi-lobed and green, and stamens are cream-colored or yellow. Fruits are various shades of green and  long.

Native habitat
E. reichenbachii native habitat includes the entirety of the Chihuahuan Desert and its nearby grasslands, as well as in woodlands of oak and juniper. They grown at elevations up to . In the United States, E. reichenbachii is native to Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nebraska. They are also found in Kansas and Oklahoma. The variety found in Oklahoma, E. reichenbachii baileyi, have especially long "bristlelike" spines. E. reichenbachii is native to the northern Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

Cultivation and propagation
E. reichenbachii prefer full sun and require little water. They thrive in dry, well-drained, gravelly, clay, and loam soils, and near rock outcroppings. They are cold and heat tolerant, and grow well under glass. They are drought resistant, but susceptible to mealybugs and scale insects.

Propagation is facilitated by seeds collected as the fruits begin to dry. The species is used in commercial landscaping as ornamental features, particularly in desert environments. Plants are considered deer resistant. E. reichenbachii earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Gallery

References

Bibliography

External links

reichenbachii
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Cacti of the United States
Cacti of Mexico
Plants described in 1840

Echinocereus reichenbachii


Dmytro Oleksiyovych Zhyvytskyi (; born on 17 September 1982), is a Ukrainian politician, entrepreneur, public figure, and civil servant who was the Governor of Sumy Oblast from 25 June 2021 until 24 January 2023. He was previously the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

He had already served as Governor of Sumy Oblast in 2020.

Biography

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi was born in Sumy on 17 September 1982.

From 1999 to 2004, he studied at the Sumy State University, Faculty of Engineering, specialty: equipment of chemical productions and enterprises of building materials, specialization: machines and devices of chemical and gas-oil refining productions. He received a master's degree and a diploma with honors.

From September 2001 to February 2002, he worked at the Sumchanka-Tepigtar LLC, with the production of corrugated cardboard.

Between August 2002 and April 2005, he worked at the Suminaftoprodukt Open Joint Stock Company. At the same time, he was the Deputy Technical Director for Operation and Repair of Oil Bases and Gas Stations.

In 2004, he defended a research paper  with honors on "Analysis of methods of utilization of vapors of light petroleum products during storage at oil depots." He developed an ejection unit for the absorption of gasoline vapors during storage at oil depots.

From April 2005 to July 2005, he worked at OJSC "SMNVO them. Frunze », as a design engineer of the special design bureau of turbochargers, at the department of gas pumping units.

From December 2005 to April 2016, he became an individual entrepreneur, at Engineering and Technical Center "Modern Security Technologies", selling installation and maintenance of automation and technical means of protection.

From November to December 2006, he was part of the School of Leaders in Warsaw.

In May 2008, he was an intern in the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, studying of the interaction of the Swedish legislature with other public authorities and the public.

In 2010, 2012 and 2014, he was part of the internship in the Chamber of Commerce of the canton of Ticino ("Camera di commercio") in Lugano, Switzerland.

In 2013, he was at TUV Rheinland AkademieGmbH, in which he was part of the management training program of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology of Germany (language of instruction and internship in English) in Cologne.

From July to October 2014, he was at the School of Political Leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries, between Kyiv and Warsaw. As the instruction is spoken in English, as part of the training, he took an internship in the Parliament and the Office of the President of Poland, participated in the OSCE conference.

From 2015 to 2016. he was the President of the NGO "Urban Development Agency", in Sumy, developing Sumy of a development strategy.

From May to September 2015, he was in  Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (kmbs) - "School of Mayors", internship in the municipalities of Polish cities: Krakow, Lublin, Poznan at the invitation of the Association of Polish Cities.

Between April 2016 and September 2019, Zhyvytskyi was part of the Sumy Regional State Administration, as a Deputy Chairman - Chief of Staff, and a member of the Council of Entrepreneurs at the Sumy Regional State Administration. He was the general manager of the Sumy Regional State Administration, communication with high-level public authorities, organization of working trips of the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine, improvement of public administration, prevention of corruption, information policy, public relations, housing and communal services, energy saving, promotion and tourism, internal audit, agro-industrial complex, ecology and nature management, operation of fuel and energy complex.

In September 2016, he was a participant of the 13th annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy in Kyiv.

From February to March 2017, he was at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School (kmbs), where he participated in the project "DevelopUkraine", was trained at the "School of Cluster Development" and LevelUp, and received a certificate of a cluster manager.

From 2018 to 2019, he studied at the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, specialty: "Public Administration". He received a master's degree.

From September 2019 to March 2020, Zhyvytskyi was the First Deputy Minister Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, addressing the issues of regional development, housing and communal services, energy efficiency, state property management. From the Government of Ukraine he was the national coordinator of international projects and MFI projects (Danube Transnational Program, World Bank, European Investment Bank), carried out general project management, was responsible for organizing, controlling and monitoring project implementation activities.

On 13 March 2020, Zhyvytskyi was appointed Governor of Sumy Oblast.

He was succeeded by Roman Hryschenko on 11 March.

On 23 September 2020, Zhyvytskyi was appointed Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

On 25 June 2021, Zhyvytskyi was appointed as the Governor of Sumy Oblast again. He was removed from this position on 24 January 2023.

Personal life

Zhyvytsky is married to Darya Zhivitska. She is engaged in entrepreneurial activity. Since March 2020, its main activities are other types of retail trade outside stores.

The couple has two daughters: Solomiya and Miroslava.

References

1982 births
Living people
Politicians from Sumy
Governors of Sumy Oblast
Sumy State University alumni
National Academy of State Administration alumni
Recipients of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class
Recipients of the Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
People of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
21st-century Ukrainian politicians

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi


David Lloyd Vitty (born 24 April 1974) is a British radio presenter. He worked alongside Chris Moyles at BBC Radio 1, having originally been a broadcast assistant on Moyles' early morning show.  He became the show's head writer and 'Director of Comedy' and moved with Moyles to the drivetime slot, and then to Radio 1 Breakfast, during which time the programme was known as The Chris Moyles Show. In total, he spent 14 years from 1998 to 2012 working alongside Moyles.

Vitty has also presented other shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as some presenting work on television, including Channel 4's Coach Trip. He is a former contestant on Dancing on Ice.

Background
David was educated at Glenealy Junior School and Bedford School, the name 'Comedy Dave' came from when he ran the tuck shop in the school hall and would regularly tell jokes in order to make more sales, many included impersonations of the teachers accents.  After school, Vitty studied Radio Production at college, but never had any ambitions to be on-air. He began working as a copywriter and then moved onto becoming a "tech op" for Radio 1 on 5 December 1996. In 1997, he then met Chris Moyles – they got on well with each other and Moyles invited Vitty to work with him on his early morning show. When Moyles transferred to drive time in 1998, Vitty went with him and became "Comedy Dave" after comedian Lee Hurst asked Vitty on the show who he was, he said "Super Dave" to which Hurst sarcastically responded "Comedy Dave more like" in reference to his formative years nickname.

On 22 April 2011, Vitty and his wife, Jayne Sharp announced they were to split.

Vitty is a fan of Everton F.C. as his father and other family members from the Prenton area were also a fans of the club

The Chris Moyles Show
Vitty's regular daily contribution to The Chris Moyles Show was the "Tedious Link" (which launched September 2002 – a parody of Jo Whiley's now-defunct "Tenuous Link"), a collection of loosely connected information, where one fact lead into another by way of juxtaposition, which then eventually lead into the title of a song (or the musicians responsible for it), often a "classic" or memorable tune, which was usually played at precisely 9am, preceded by the Greenwich time pips. Once the song had been played he was questioned by listeners and the rest of the crew about the validity of the information given out during the "Tedious Link" (the theme tune from Treasure Hunt is usually played in the background). The theme music from the TV comedy show Bottom was used as the "bed" (underlying music) for the feature but for January 2009 Chris Moyles unveiled a new purpose-written jingle and music.

Around 9:05am, Vitty sang "Let's get ready to ramble", signifying the start of the feature "Half-Time in the Show", holding onto the last syllable for a good ten to twenty seconds, in the style of Michael Buffer. This feature was dropped on the show's return for the new year in January 2009.

It was announced on the show on 11 July 2012 that Chris Moyles would be leaving the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in September 2012. Moyles went on to play Herod in a UK tour of the Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar in September – October 2012.  It was unclear what activities Vitty would move on to, but on this show Moyles simply said "We're off.." implying that the whole team was leaving.

Vitty did not return when The Chris Moyles Show did in September 2015 on Radio X, as he is currently running a production company, called Stripey Horse.

Marathon broadcast for Comic Relief

Moyles announced in February 2011 that both he and Vitty would, in aid of Comic Relief, attempt to present Radio 1's Longest Show Ever with Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave for Comic Relief, a record previously held by Simon Mayo. The show began at 6:30am on Wednesday 16 March and at 7:31pm on Thursday 17th Moyles and Vitty reached the 37-hour mark which gained them the record for the Longest Radio Show in BBC Radio 1 history. They continued to broadcast and at 8.30am Friday 18th broke the Guinness World Records' record for the 'Longest Marathon Radio DJ (Team) Show'. By the end of the show at 10.30am, they had set a new record of 52 hours and raised £2.4 million for Comic Relief 2011 via online and SMS donations.

Subsequently, the total raised has increased to £2,821,831 and with an audience of 2.84 million, it was the most popular live BBC Red Button radio feature ever. 3.8 Million people watched on the Radio 1 Website.

Other radio work

On 5 January 2013 Vitty made his debut on BBC Three Counties Radio presenting Saturday Breakfast for two weeks.

In 2018, Vitty returned to early morning on the new "Hits Radio", presenting alongside Gethin Jones & Gemma Atkinson. It was announced on 30 May 2019 that Vitty and Jones would leave the station, with Atkinson moving to the Drivetime show after her maternity leave.

Stripey Horse

In 2014 Vitty set-up a production company called Stripey Horse along with Nic Franklin, Luke Hammersley and Nicola Martin.

Bands
Vitty was part of the comedy folk band Folk Face with Dominic Byrne who is the newsreader on The Chris Moyles Show.

Dancing on Ice

Vitty appeared on the 6th series of Dancing on Ice with British adagio ice skater Frankie Poultney. He was knocked out in the skate-off on Sunday 13 February 2011.

Other work

Vitty has co-presented cover shows on Radio 1 entitled Chappers and Dave, with the ex- The Scott Mills Show sidekick Mark Chapman. On 30 December 2006, on the "Celebrity Couples Edition" of The Weakest Link, Chapman and Vitty won, beating the Chuckle Brothers in the final round. They both toured student unions across the UK regularly on their 'Chappers and Dave World Tour', and raised money for both Comic Relief and Sport Relief by visiting football stadiums across the UK.

On 28 February 2007, Vitty appeared in an edition of Ready Steady Cook, beating radio colleague, and former band member of Folk Face, Dominic Byrne. He previously presented a programme called Shed Sports 1 on Nuts TV and co-presented on UK Play's The Chris Moyles Show.

Vitty appeared on BBC game show, Hole in the Wall in an episode aired on 26 September 2009. He failed to get through any of the holes except for the very first.

On 29 December 2009, Vitty appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, raising money for Cancer Research UK. He finished third overall on 17 points after the general knowledge round, having recovered from scoring 6 points on the first round answering questions about British motorways.

Between 2010 and 2012, David provided the narration for Channel 4 series Coach Trip for a total of four series. He also occasionally featured in the weekly Moan-In section of Richard Bacon's programme on BBC Radio 5 Live and has co-presented the football phone-in 6-0-6, also on 5 Live.

In 2020, Vitty started co-hosting Fuelling Around, a motoring podcast with British Touring Car Championship driver Jason Plato. With almost 65,000 listens across podcast platforms and YouTube, the show received a five-star rating on Apple where it was ranked the number one automotive podcast. It was confirmed on 30 March 2021, that the chat-show style offering would be returning for a second series. He hosted a first live show  with an appearance from Bradley Walsh marking the start of a third series in November 2021.

References

External links

 Profile on ChrisMoyles.Net

1974 births
British radio DJs
British people of Hong Kong descent
Living people
People educated at Bedford School
People educated at Glenealy School
Alumni of the University of Chester
Hong Kong people of British descent

David Vitty


Farid F. Abraham (born May 5, 1937) is an American scientist.

He has  pioneered new methods of using computer modeling in the fields of fracture mechanics, membrane dynamics and phase transformation behavior of matter. He has written two textbooks and over 200 papers published in international journals. He won the Aneesur Rahman Prize in Computational Physics, which is the highest prize given by the American Physical Society.

Biography
Abraham is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and received both his B.S. (1959) and Ph.D. (1962) degrees in physics from the University of Arizona. He spent two postdoctoral years (1962–63) at the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago and two years as a research scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  in California.  He joined IBM in 1966 as a staff member at its Palo Alto Scientific Center. In 1971, he was named the first Consulting Professor at Stanford University and developed a graduate course in computational applied science in its Materials Science Department. In 1972, he moved to the IBM Research Division's San Jose Research Laboratory, known since 1985 as the Almaden Research Center. During 1994, he held the Sandoval Vallarta Chair at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City.

For the period of 1995 to 2003, he was awarded several computer grants at the National Science Foundation Computational Centers and Department of Defence Grand Challenge Grants at the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC). He has been awarded several IBM Outstanding Technical Achievement Awards. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and, in 1998/99, was an American Physical Society Centennial Speaker. He was the Chair of the American Physical Society's Division of Computational Physics in 2000-2001. He was elected the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award for Senior Scientists. In March 2004, he received the Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics from the American Physical Society. Retiring from IBM in 2004, he joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a Senior Scientist and was named the Graham-Perdue Visiting Professor at The University of Georgia. In 2010, he retired from LLNL. For over four decades he has pursued a wide range of computational physics applications, mainly in condensed matter physics and chemical physics.

Bibliography
Abraham, Farid F., and Tiller, William A. (1972)  An Introduction to Computer Simulation in Applied Science. New York: Plenum Press.
Abraham, Farid F. (1974) Homogeneous Nucleation Theory, New York: Academic Press

Living people
University of Arizona alumni
1937 births
Place of birth missing (living people)
American scientists
Computational physicists
IBM employees
Humboldt Research Award recipients
Fellows of the American Physical Society

Farid F. Abraham


Eric Trolle (or Erik Arvidsson) (c. 1460–1530) was elected regent of Sweden in 1512, during the era of Kalmar Union. He was Justiciar of Närke and a Lord High Councillor of Sweden from 1487.

Biography
Eric Arvidsson was born around 1460 into an important family of high nobility and was apparently aiming at a clerical career. Eric's parents were lord Arvid Birgersson Trolle (died 1505) and his first wife Kerstin Jonsdotter (Gädda). His father had connected him to the powerful family Thott by marrying Beata Ivarsdotter Tott (died 1487) as his second wife in 1466. His last stepmother was his father's third wife Brita Turesdotter Bielke.

Eric studied at the University of Rostock and University of Cologne, had positions as Canon in Uppsala and Linköping but was never ordained. Eric was elected Regent (riksföreståndare) at the meeting of the High Council of Sweden in 1512 upon the death of regent Svante Nilsson, Lord of Ekesiö, but never actually took office, being superseded by Svante's son, the young Sten Sture the Younger.

He married in 1487 the wealthy Ingeborg Philipsdatter (Thott) (died 1495), his stepmother's first cousin, as his first wife and settled on her manor Ekholmen Castle (Ekholmens slott) in Uppland. His second wife, from about 1512, was Karin Eriksdotter Gyllenstierna, much his junior, who survived until around 1562. She was a great-granddaughter of King Charles VIII of Sweden. Eric Trolle's son Gustav Trolle (1488–1535) became Archbishop of Uppsala and leader of the Church of Sweden.

Wives
 Ingeborg Filipsdotter Tott (married at Fållnäs 30 September 1487, drowned 1495 in Lake Mälaren)
 Karin Eriksdotter Gyllenstierna (married about 1512, died about or before 12 March 1562)

Children

First marriage
 Gustaf Eriksson Trolle, christened 25 September 1488, died July 1535 a prisoner at Gottorp castle, archbishop
 Ermegård Eriksdotter, drowned in lake Mälaren 1495
 Kristina Eriksdotter, drowned in lake Mälaren 1495
 Erik Eriksson, lived 1511

Second marriage
 Beata Eriksdotter Trolle, died 13 April 1591 at Steninge, married 1538 Gabriel Kristiernsson Oxenstierna, who became 1st Baron of Mörby and Steninge (died 1585)
 Ingeborg Eriksdotter Trolle, died 1590, married 13 January 1544 Niels Eriksen Ryning, Lord of Lagnoe and Gimmersta (died 1578)

either first or second marriage:
 Joakim Eriksson Trolle

References

1460s births
1530 deaths
15th-century Swedish people
16th-century Swedish people
16th-century regents
Lawspeakers
Regents of Sweden
Swedish nobility
University of Rostock alumni
University of Cologne alumni

Eric Trolle


Scott Monroe Sterling (March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987), known by the stage name DJ Scott La Rock, was an American hip-hop disc jockey and music producer from the Bronx, New York. He was a founding member of the East Coast hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. He was also known for his association with the rapper KRS-One who was a member of Boogie Down Productions.

Sterling's death in August 1987 is said to be the first murder of a major hip hop artist.

Early life

Scott Sterling was born on March 2, 1962, in the Bronx, New York City. His parents separated when he was four years old, so he was raised by his mother, Carolyn Morant, a municipal employee. They moved from Queens, New York City, to the Bronx: first Morrisania and then Morris Heights.

He excelled in both academics and sports at Our Saviour Lutheran High School, graduating in 1980. He attended Castleton State College in Vermont and earned a varsity letter in basketball there.

Career
La Rock returned to New York City in hopes of finding work and making inroads to the music industry. Through a connection of his mother's, La Rock landed a job as a social worker at Franklin Armory Men's Shelter on 166th Street in the Bronx. At night, though, he spun records at the hip hop hot spot the Broadway Repertoire Theatre.

During his time as a social worker, La Rock met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at Franklin Men's Shelter where KRS resided. The pair formed Boogie Down Productions (BDP) with DJ Derrick "D-Nice" Jones, a cousin of the shelter's security guard, Floyd Payne. The group's 1987 debut album, Criminal Minded, is considered a hip hop classic.

Shooting
On August 27, 1987, D-Nice was assaulted by men upset that he had been talking to one of their ex-girlfriends. D-Nice asked La Rock to help defuse the situation. Later that day, La Rock, Scotty "Manager Moe" Morris, DJ McBooo, D-Nice and BDP bodyguard Darrell rode a Jeep CJ-7 to the Highbridge Homes Projects building on University Avenue in the South Bronx. As they were leaving, bullets were fired through the side and top of the Jeep. La Rock struck his head on the dashboard, not realizing at the time he had been struck by a bullet in the back of his head. He was driven to Lincoln Hospital. He was conscious as he was wheeled into the emergency department, telling doctors he was feeling cold and tired. He died in the operating room.

Two men were arrested and charged with La Rock's murder, but they were acquitted at the trial.

Discography
 Criminal Minded (1987)
 By All Means Necessary (1988) (La Rock was killed during the making of this album)
 Man & His Music (Remixes from Around the World) (1997)
 Best of B-Boy Records (2001)

See also
 List of murdered hip hop musicians

References

1962 births
1987 murders in the United States
African-American rappers
American hip hop DJs
Rappers from the Bronx
Deaths by firearm in the Bronx
Castleton State College alumni
East Coast hip hop musicians
American hip hop record producers
African-American record producers
American murder victims
20th-century American businesspeople
American social workers
People murdered in New York City
Male murder victims
20th-century American rappers
Record producers from New York (state)
Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
1987 deaths
20th-century African-American musicians

Scott La Rock


The Carabineers (; 1963) was the fifth narrative feature film by French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard.

Plot
Les Carabiniers (1963) tells the story of two poor men called to serve in battle, lured by promises of the world's riches. Ulysses (Marino Mase) and Michelangelo (Albert Juross) receive letters from the king of their fictional country that allow them to have complete freedom from consequence while fighting in the war, in return for anything they desire—swimming pools, Maseratis, women—at the enemy's expense.

Their wives, Venus and Cleopatra (Catherine Ribeiro and Genevieve Galea) encourage them to fight when they hear about the riches.  They leave and cross the battlefields and villages, destroying and pillaging as they wish. The pair's exploits are recounted through postcards sent to their wives, telling tales of the horrors of battle. The previously idealistic idea that the men have of war disintegrates, as they are still poor and now wounded. They return home with a suitcase full of postcards of the splendors of the world that they have fought for, and are told by army officials that they must wait until the war ends to receive their pay.

One day, the sky explodes with sparks, and the couples race into town, believing that the war has ended. Ulysses and Michelangelo are informed by their superiors that their king has lost the war, and that all of the war criminals must be punished. The two men are then shot for their crimes.

Critical responses
Writing about the film in Harpers Magazine in 1969, the critic Pauline Kael declared it, "hell to watch for the first hour...exciting to think about after because its one good sequence, the long picture-postcard sequence near the end, is so incredible and so brilliantly prolonged. The picture has been crawling and stumbling along and then it climbs a high wire and walks it and keeps walking it until we're almost dizzy from admiration. The tight rope is rarely stretched so high in movies..."

In popular culture
The renowned author and critic Susan Sontag referenced the film in her 1977 collection of essays On Photography. With respect to the "two sluggish lumpen-peasants" returning home bearing postcards of the treasures of the world instead of tangible treasure, Sontag noted that "Godard's gag vividly parodies the equivocal magic of the photographic image."

References

External links

1963 films
French war comedy-drama films
1960s French-language films
Films directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Anti-war films
Films set in a fictional country
Films produced by Carlo Ponti
1960s political films
1963 war films
1960s French films

The Carabineers


The Ananke group is a group of moons of Jupiter. They are retrograde non-spherical moons that follow similar orbits to Ananke and may have a common origin.

Their semi-major axes (distances from Jupiter) range between 19,300,000 and 22,700,000 km, their inclinations between 145.7° and 154.8°, and their orbital eccentricities between 0.02 and 0.28.

The core members include (from biggest to smallest):
Ananke
Praxidike
Iocaste
Harpalyke
Thyone
Euanthe
Euporie

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names ending in -e for all retrograde moons, including this group's members.

Origin
The Ananke group is believed to have been formed when an asteroid was captured by Jupiter and broken apart by a collision.

Based on the sizes of the moons, the original asteroid may have been about 28 km in diameter. Since this value is near the approximate diameter of Ananke itself, it is likely the parent body was not heavily disrupted.

Three of the moons of the family (Harpalyke, Praxidike and Iocaste) display similar grey colours while Ananke itself is on the boundary between grey and light red.

References

Jupiter's moons

Ananke group


A Beautiful Friendship is a 2011 young adult science fiction novel by American author David Weber. Set in the fictional Honorverse, the book serves as a prequel to the main Honor Harrington series, which takes place hundreds of years later in the fictional timeline.

It features Stephanie Harrington, an ancestor of the main character Honor Harrington who has been mentioned a number of times. The book is in fact based on a short story of the same name first published in 1998 as part of the anthology More Than Honor.

Plot summary
In the early 37th century, the Harrington family moves from the planet Meyerdahl to the newly founded Star Kingdom of Manticore. Their eleven-year-old daughter, Stephanie, is unhappy with this change as their new home, the planet Sphinx, seems to have little to offer, especially with seasons lasting much longer than the Earth's. However, she changes her mind when the hunt for an unknown force that keeps stealing celery from the colonists' greenhouses leads her to an encounter with a new sentient species: a treecat, a six-limbed arboreal mammal going (unknown to Stephanie) by the name of Climbs Quickly. The two beings instantly share a physic connection that future generations will come to call "bonding." This empathic/telepathic linking is involuntary and nearly instantaneous; like love at first sight. Climbs Quickly runs away back to his clan in the forest, which are revealed to be sentient beings that communicate through telepathy. Despite their sentience, they are still at the civilized level of hunter-gatherers, with no advanced machinery and only the early beginnings of agriculture. They are wary of revealing themselves to humans, which they realize are much more technologically advanced, but cannot be understood due to their lack of telepathic ability. Stephanie goes hang gliding several days later, unknown to her parents, as her way of scouting out the vast forest where she suspects Climbs Quickly lives. They sense each other and Climbs Quickly realizes that she is tracking him through their bond. He runs away from his clan's home in an attempt to prevent its discovery by humans. Stephanie crash-lands, caught by a storm, and Climbs Quickly realizes their bond compels him to protect her. They are approached by a hunting hexapuma, a six-legged puma native to the planet. Climbs Quickly calls for aid from his clan, which could overpower the hexapuma through sheer numbers, but he realizes that they will arrive too late. He fights the hexapuma and is stunned, and Stephanie rises to defend him despite her injuries. She buys enough time for the clan to arrive, and the clan literally rips the hexapuma to pieces. Her father arrives soon after, having tracked her wristband, and he takes both her and Climbs Quickly to heal and recover at their estate.

Two years later the bond between Climbs Quickly, named Lionheart by humans, and Stephanie has increased so they can understand their emotion and general meanings, despite a lack of clear language. Due to the discovery of the sentient animals, many scientists have arrived to study them, and they constantly pester Stephanie for information. Stephanie attends an event hosted by the mayor of her town in an effort to acclimatize her neighbors to her bond, but Trudy and several other immature children consider him a pet and almost anger Stephanie into a fight. Lionheart calms Stephanie, and they depart peacefully. It is revealed that only one other live human, Dr. Scott MacDallan, has bonded with a treecat, whom he addresses as Fisher. Stephanie and MacDallan arrange to meet, and they discuss the intrusion of scientists and public opinion regarding treecats. They agree to only disclose limited information to scientists, in fear that the treecats could be eradicated, much like previous sentient beings found by other humans on other planets. Stephanie is introduced to friends of MacDallan, and she begins creating a group of allies around her who understand and support treecats. Several days later Tennessee Bolgeo, an agent for Ustinov's Exotic Pets, Inc. arrives on the planet, looking to capture treecats in order to sell as exotic pets. He masquerades as a scientist researching treecats and looks into the range of their telepathic ability in order to decide how to best capture them alive. He develops small devices that sedate treecats once luring them in with celery, which treecats find amazingly delicious. He captures three and heads out to pick up a fourth caught in the forest. Meanwhile, in the forest, the trap is found and Climbs Quickly and Stephanie goes to investigate along with several clan members. They examine the trap, and Stephanie calls for help from Scott and his friends. Before they arrive, Bolgeo comes to collect the treecat and is apprehended by the treecats and Stephanie. He and his accomplices are imprisoned as punishment for poaching, and the book closes with Stephanie being accepted as a probationary ranger to guard the treecat population.

Background
The short story "A Beautiful Friendship" was originally published in 1998, after Stephanie Harrington and her treecat Lionheart had already been mentioned in passing in the main series of novels.

The novel is split into two parts, the first of which, Unexpected Meetings, encompasses chapters 1 to 12 and is largely identical to the short story, adding only details like a number of dates. The second part, With Friends Like These..., tells an entirely new story taking place several months later.

Reception

David Weber's first venture into young adult fiction was received with mixed reviews. Publishers Weekly considered the story to be one for fans rather than teenage readers. Liz Bourke, writing for Tor.com, felt the story disjointed and a pair of novellas and, compared to other examples of the genre, lacking a compelling adolescent voice.

Other reviews

 Review by Carolyn Cushman (2011) in Locus, #606 July 2011
 Review by Don Sakers (2011) in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, October 2011
 Review by Dan'l Danehy-Oakes (2011) in The New York Review of Science Fiction, December 2011

References

External links
 A 16-page study guide for teachers: http://www.baen.com/ya_guides/beautifulfriendship_teachersguide.pdf
 An Interview of DW: https://web.archive.org/web/20120412043434/http://baen.com/Interviews/intweber2.asp.
 The Baen web page had a free story which included these three links:
 Sphinx Immigration Packet: https://web.archive.org/web/20111006061349/http://baen.com/immigration-packet.html,
 SFS Biology Database: https://web.archive.org/web/20111006061919/http://baen.com/biology-database.html and
 SFS Advisories: https://web.archive.org/web/20111006061912/http://baen.com/sfs-advisories.html.

Baen Books books
2011 science fiction novels
American science fiction novels
Novels by David Weber
Honorverse books
2011 American novels
Children's science fiction novels
Novels set on fictional planets

A Beautiful Friendship (novel)


A Winter Haunting is a 2002 horror novel by American writer Dan Simmons.  It was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy novel in 2003.

Plot
Dale Stewart, a character from Summer of Night, has ruined his life. A fifty-one-year-old college professor and writer, he left his spouse for a young co-ed and the co-ed has left him.

He returns to Elm Haven, Illinois, where the events of Summer of Night took place. Dale is remembering these events as more pleasant than what actually happened. He will soon recall the truth and also must deal with current-day Neo-Nazis.

References

External links
 A Winter Haunting at Worlds Without End

2002 American novels
American horror novels
Novels by Dan Simmons

A Winter Haunting