Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American former naval officer and politician who served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998, and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000. He grew up in a political family; his father, Roy Blunt, has served in a variety of political offices, including as Missouri secretary of state and congressman, and in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2023.

A Republican, Matt Blunt was elected governor on November 2, 2004, carrying 101 of Missouri's 114 counties.  At age 33, he became the second-youngest person ever elected to that office after Kit Bond. Blunt did not seek a second term as governor, announcing his decision on January 22, 2008, in an address to Missourians, which surprised many supporters and staff.

After working as a consultant, Blunt was hired as the president of the American Automotive Policy Council in 2011, representing the auto lobby in Washington, D.C.

Early life and education
Born in 1970 in Greene County, Missouri, Blunt is the son of politician Roy Blunt and his first wife Roseann Ray Blunt. The senior Blunt was first elected to office in 1984 as Secretary of State for Missouri. He was elected as US Representative in 1997 and as U.S. Senator (R-Missouri) in 2010. After graduating from Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City, Missouri, Matt Blunt was accepted into the United States Naval Academy, where he received a bachelor's degree in history in 1993.

Blunt and his wife Melanie were married in May 1997. The couple has two sons, William Branch Blunt, born on March 9, 2005, and Brooks Anderson Blunt, born on January 1, 2010. Blunt is a member of the State Historical Society of Missouri, the American Legion, and the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Naval career
As an officer in the United States Navy, Blunt served as an engineering officer aboard the USS Jack Williams and as the navigator and administrative officer on the destroyer USS Peterson.

His active duty service included participation in Operation Uphold Democracy, involving the United Nations blockade of Haiti, missions to interdict drug traffic off the South American coast, and on duties involved in the interdiction of Cuban migrants in 1994. During his Naval career, Blunt received numerous commendations, including four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals. He entered the Navy Reserve.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Blunt was called back into active naval service, after he had been elected to the office of Secretary of State for Missouri. He completed a six-month tour of duty in Great Britain during Operation Enduring Freedom, during which time he continued to work full-time for the state as well. He was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve.

Early political career
In 1998, Blunt was elected as a Republican to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent the 139th legislative district for a two-year term. In 2000, he was elected Missouri Secretary of State; although only a first-term state representative, Blunt defeated the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, Steve Gaw. Blunt was the only Republican elected to statewide office in Missouri in 2000.

In the general election on November 7, 2000, Blunt defeated Democratic opponent Steve Gaw with 51.4% of the vote, to Gaw's 45.1%. Blunt was 29 on election day, 30 at the time he assumed office, making him the youngest ever to win statewide office in Missouri. His father had been elected to the same office at age 34.

As Secretary of State, Blunt promoted a state election reform bill in 2002, which won support of the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic House. In 2004, Blunt required all electronic voting machines purchased by the state to produce a voter-verified paper ballot.

Governor of Missouri

2004 election

Blunt faced only token opposition in the Republican primary, which he won with 534,393 votes (68.28%). In the general election, he faced Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill, who had defeated incumbent Governor Bob Holden in the Democratic primary.

The first of two debates between Blunt and McCaskill was held on 18 October where McCaskill compared her experience to Blunt's inexperience; while Blunt said that McCaskill would not support the Marriage protection amendment to the State Constitution. In the two debates Blunt described himself as bringing change to Missouri  and was assisted by President George W. Bush during the campaign. McCaskill kept her distance from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry due to Bush's lead in Missouri.

In the end Blunt narrowly defeated McCaskill with surveys showing his conservative stance on social issues and the strong showing of President Bush in Missouri helped him to victory. Blunt obtained strong leads in the rural parts of the state which was sufficient to overcome McCaskill's leads in St. Louis and Jackson County. Blunt defeated McCaskill by 1,382,419 votes (50.83%) to 1,301,442 (47.85%) and thus became Missouri's second-youngest Governor.

Tenure

When Blunt took office on January 10, 2005, it was the first time in Missouri since 1921 that a Republican held the Governor's office with Republican majorities in both houses of the State Legislature. Blunt and his allies in the Missouri General Assembly moved quickly to enact legislation that they said would create a positive business climate in the state and result in job growth.

With legislative support, Blunt claimed in 2009 that he had enacted almost all of his policy proposals.  Among the legislation passed were tort reform measures that overhauled the state's legal system, and changes in the state's workers compensation laws.

Blunt's first year in office was difficult, and he was criticized by both the right and the left. In February 2006, a poll conducted by SurveyUSA showed him with a 33% job approval rating, the fifth lowest of any governor in the nation. His approval among Republicans polled was 62%, but his rating among Democrats was only 12%. This was one of the greatest partisan divides of any governor.

In September 2009, the state insurance agency issued a report showing medical malpractice claims in Missouri at a 30-year low in 2008, believed to result from Blunt's restriction of injury settlements under tort reform in 2005. "...Missouri's medical malpractice insurers made a profit for the fifth straight year in 2008. It also shows an increase in the number of medical providers getting insurance through nonprofit coalitions."

Fiscal policy
Blunt believed he had to reduce spending to deal with what he described as a state financial crisis. He trimmed state spending in order to keep the budget balanced without raising taxes. Particularly controversial were provisions reducing coverage of programs created by state legislation to provide a social net, especially to families.

Two years later, with an election almost a year away, Governor Blunt implemented the MO HealthNet Initiative, Senate Bill SB577. This was intended to offer residents more choices and rewards for healthy behavior. Some citizens were deemed qualified again for Medicaid coverage.

In July 2007, Blunt signed an executive order launching the Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP), which provides Missourians with free, immediate, online information about how the state spends taxpayer money.

Blunt signed into law tax cuts. Blunt created the Quality Jobs program, an initiative has been expanded by his successor, Governor Jay Nixon.

In 2005, Blunt and the Republican-controlled Missouri General Assembly enacted an overhaul of the state workers' compensation system, making it more difficult for employees to obtain workers' compensation benefits. The overhaul was supported by business interests and opposed by labor unions. Also in 2005, Blunt signed into law "tort reform" legislation that limited the damages that juries could award in medical malpractice, placed a cap on punitive damages, lowered the maximum amount that juries could award in non-economic damages, and repealed Missouri's shared liability law. In 2012, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the cap on medical malpractice damages, ruling that the measure infringed "on the jury's constitutionally protected purpose of determining the amount of damages sustained by an injured party."

Legislative initiatives
Blunt provided annual increases in state funding for K-12 education, signed legislation authorizing $335 million for college construction, expanded college scholarships, and enacted a new school funding method. Blunt proposed selling Missouri's student loan agency, known as MOHELA, and using the proceeds to pay for endowments and new construction for the state's public universities. In the area of elementary and secondary education, Blunt has proposed that school districts be required to spend at least 65% of their budgets on student instruction. After the proposal was criticized, Blunt suggested that the 65% threshold should be a goal, rather than a mandate.

Blunt signed bills to expand Missouri's right-to-carry firearms. At the NRA's annual meeting, held in St. Louis in 2007, Blunt signed legislation prohibiting the seizure of firearms during declared states of emergency.

Blunt opposed abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother. He supported measures to prevent the ban on research regarding somatic cell nuclear transfer.  There were efforts to pass such a ban in the Missouri General Assembly during the 2005 session. Disagreements among Republicans over the stem cell issue held up efforts to pass restrictions on abortion, such as a 24-hour waiting period, and a restriction on helping minors cross state lines to avoid Missouri's parental consent requirement. In September 2005, Blunt called a special session of the General Assembly specifically to address abortion. The General Assembly passed the above-noted restrictions, and Blunt signed them into law. Blunt supported measures that would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception, in contrast to Illinois, which enacted legislation requiring pharmacies as public businesses to fill such prescriptions.

In 2005, Blunt signed legislation to limit sales of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine products, the key ingredients needed to make methamphetamine.  In the 2006 legislative session, Blunt's stated priorities included enacting a version of "Jessica's Law," requiring a minimum 25-year sentence for child sex offenders, as one of his legislative priorities.  In 2008, Blunt signed legislation requiring ignition interlocks for drunk drivers who commit two or more drunk driving offenses.  He signed legislation to lower the legal intoxication limit for boaters from .10 to .08 percent.

Blunt ended localities' reliance on requiring many victims of sexual assault or rape to pay for their own forensic examinations; he secured $2.8 million in the state budget to pay for the rape kits.  Blunt secured funding which led to the creation of the new Springfield Crime Lab.

Blunt signed an immigration bill prohibiting "sanctuary cities" in Missouri; requiring verification of legal employment status for public employees through E-verify; allowing cancellation of state contracts for contractors that hire illegal immigrants; requiring public agencies to verify the legal status of applicants before providing welfare benefits; criminalizing the transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitative purposes; and enacting provisions to punish employers who willfully hire illegal immigrants.

In 2006, Blunt signed legislation requiring gasoline sold in Missouri to contain 10% ethanol. Blunt has supported the development of biomass, biofuels, wind power and solar energy as alternative energy sources. Air quality continues to be a problem for the state, which has a high rate of air pollution due to burning of coal.

In his 2008 State of the State address, Blunt proposed a one-week state sales tax exemption on Energy Star-certified new appliances.  Missouri became the fourth state in the nation to enact such a tax break.  Also in 2008, Blunt and Arkansas Democratic Governor Mike Beebe signed an historic bi-state water quality agreement to protect watersheds and aquifers that cross state lines.

Executive actions
Blunt issued Executive Orders and programs to encourage university cooperation, tax relief, research funds and seed capital for "life science" start-up firms, and an innovative program to reward insurance companies and other large institutional investors for investing in funds that hold biotech stocks.

Blunt has promoted Missouri as a potential hotspot for bioscience. He was criticized for limiting science funding for research related to stem cells; this was considered to discourage the science community at large from working in the state. In 2005 Governor Blunt created the Missouri Life Sciences Trust Fund, to accept transfers of monies from the Tobacco Settlement fund and apply them to biotech efforts.  In January 2006 Gov. Blunt created the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative (LCDI), designed to spread biotechnology across the State. The LCDI is funded by the Missouri higher-education learning assistance fund (MOHELA).

Alleged misuse of state offices
In August 2007, a reporter for the Springfield News-Leader filed to gain access to emails by Ed Martin, Blunt's Chief of Staff, under the state's Sunshine Law. He was investigating whether Martin had used his office to try to influence anti-abortion groups in relation to opposition to state Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat. Nixon was expected to run against Blunt in the 2008 gubernatorial election. Martin responded on September 4 that he had no such emails, but the reporter later said someone gave him a copy of one, showing that Martin's claim was false.

At the same time, "Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer insisted to reporters that 'there is no statute or case that requires the state to retain individual's e-mails as a public record.' Blunt himself told reporters that his staffers would not be required to save e-mails for three years," although this was "widely understood to be state law" (known as the Sunshine Law). It was later revealed that Scott Eckersley, a deputy chief counsel, provided copies of language in the state employees' handbook to general counsel Henry Herschel on September 10 about this state requirement to save such materials. Eckersley was soon locked out of his office by order of Martin.

On September 28, 2007, the governor's office fired Eckersley, a political appointee. It distributed packets of emails and documents to four major newspapers in Missouri to support its claims that the attorney had made inappropriate use of a state computer. Eckersley said he was terminated for other reasons, related to trying to ensure employees complied with the state's email retention policy under its Sunshine Law. In the first known "whistleblower" case against the Missouri state government, Eckersley filed suit for wrongful termination and defamation of character against Blunt and his senior appointees.

Due to concerns expressed to his office in November 2007 that there were actions underway to overwrite email tapes and the Governor's Office was not complying with the Sunshine Law, AG Jay Nixon appointed special investigators on November 15 to study what was taking place. Nixon's team had to go to court in the spring of 2008 to get a ruling on whether the governor's office was required to comply with their requests for information, at the expense of the state. Through various legal maneuverings, the court ruled in favor of the investigation, appointing two Special Attorneys General to lead it. The governor never was deposed. Eventually the completion of the investigation was extended to February 2009 because of the volume of materials that needed to be reviewed. The Kansas City Star, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Associated Press filed petitions in August 2008 as intervening plaintiffs to gain preliminary and injunctive relief, declaratory judgment that the emails were public records under the state Sunshine Law, and access to the emails under discussion.

Martin resigned in November 2007 as chief of staff, without explanation. Blunt's General Counsel Henry Herschel left soon after. On January 22, 2008, Blunt surprised voters, "staffers and supporters" by announcing he would not run for another term, although he reportedly already had millions of dollars in a war chest for his upcoming campaign. More than a year later and after Blunt had left office, "An investigation by state officials later found that the governor's office failed to properly disclose Mr. Martin's emails." This investigation, which cost the state $2 million, found that Martin had illegally destroyed some emails, in violation of the state's open government or Sunshine Law. It also found he had used his office to influence outside groups against opponents of Blunt.

After a year-long legal effort, in November 2008, the Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post Dispatch reported having gained access to 60,000 pages of Blunt administration emails. Their analysis showed that Ed Martin, former chief of staff to Blunt, had used his state office to try to influence outside political groups, among other internal problems. In addition to trying to encourage opposition to AG Jay Nixon, Martin worked with political groups to oppose the appointment of Patricia Breckenridge to an open seat on the Missouri Supreme Court. (Blunt has supported her and she later gained the seat.)

On May 22, 2009, the Missouri Attorney General's office announced that Eckersley's lawsuit against Blunt and others had been settled for $500,000.

Favorability
His approval ratings gradually rose during his term in office. A February – March 2008, poll by the Republican polling firm American Viewpoint showed Blunt with an approval rating of 57%.  On January 22, 2008, Blunt surprised the GOP when he announced he would not run for re-election.  Polls showed that he was running behind the presumptive Democratic nominee, Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Other activities
As Governor, Blunt was a member of the National Governors Association, Southern Governors' Association, and the Republican Governors Association.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Missouri National Guard, Governor Blunt visited Missouri National guard troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, and on the Mexican border.

Because he had been called for active duty while serving as Secretary of State, Blunt's office responded to questions about what would happen if the governor were called to service. In accordance with Pentagon regulations and the Missouri Constitution, if Blunt was called for military duty while Governor, he would have been required to either transfer his gubernatorial powers to Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, or resign from the Naval Reserve.

Career after governorship
Prior to his appointment as president of the American Automotive Policy Council in 2011, Blunt served as a member of the board of Copart, an auto salvage company in Fairfield, California; an advisor for Solamere Capital, a suburban Boston private equity firm started by Tagg Romney; a consultant for Cassidy & Associates, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm, and a partner with The Ashcroft Group, the Washington, D.C., and St. Louis-based consulting firm founded by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.  Blunt has continued to advocate for greater transparency in government spending, state and national lawsuit reform and improving public education.

Blunt has been critical of cuts to education funding, arguing that they will erode Missouri's future. He wrote, "States will either be welfare states that protect welfare programs, or they will be education states that prepare for the future." He has also questioned the proposal to cut state scholarship funding for private colleges, writing in an op-ed, "I have been surprised to see those private schools and their students become a scapegoat as the state cuts education funding and scholarships."

President of the American Automotive Policy Council
In February 2011, Matt Blunt was selected as president of the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC). The AAPC is a policy association created by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. The council, is a bipartisan 501(c)6 based in Washington, D.C., and its mission is to promote the unique and significant economic contribution of the U.S.-based auto companies to the American economy. Blunt's leadership at one of the United States' top automobile and component-producing states is a major reason he was chosen to lead the policy initiatives of General Motors, Ford, Chrysler.

References

External links

Government website
Governor Matt Blunt-President-American Automotive Policy Council
Special Investigators C.E. Fisher and E.S. Wilhoit, Report of Investigation: Of the Practices and Policies of the Office of Governor Matt Blunt for the Identification and Retention of Public Records and Response to Requests for Public Records, 13 February 2009, State of Missouri
Governor Matt Blunt official campaign site
Legislation sponsored by Representative Matt Blunt
1999 2000
MAP Missouri Accountability Portal

1970 births
Living people
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
Jefferson City High School alumni
Republican Party governors of Missouri
Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives
Politicians from Springfield, Missouri
Secretaries of State of Missouri
Southern Baptists
United States Naval Academy alumni
United States Navy officers
United States Navy engineering officers
Blunt family

Matt Blunt


The Petermann Aboriginal Land Trust is a land trust for a large block of land in the southwest corner of the Northern Territory, Australia. It was created by law in July 1978. The block of land (called Northern Territory Portion 1634) covers an area of . It makes up most of the area of the old Petermann Reserve (1920–1977). The land's traditional owners are mostly Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Luritja people. This includes residents of Kaltukatjara and over 50 family outstations.

The block held by the Petermann ALT is surrounded by other Aboriginal land blocks on all sides. It borders the Ngaanyatjarra Lands to the west (in Western Australia), the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands to the south (in South Australia), Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust to the north, and Katiti and Urrampinyi Iltjiltajarri Aboriginal Land Trusts to the east.

History
In March 1920, an area of land in the southwest corner of the Northern Territory was made into an aboriginal reservation, called the Petermann Reserve. It was meant to be a temporary refuge (safe place) for the Aboriginal families living in the area, many of whom were still living traditional, nomadic lifestyles. It bordered other large reserves created in Western Australia and South Australia, and together the area was known as the Central Australian Aboriginal Reserve. In 1940, the Petermann Reserve was made smaller, to allow people to look for gold. It was made smaller again in 1958, when the government excised the area around Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa to create the Ayers Rock–Mt Olga National Park.

In 1976, the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, which allowed for Aboriginal communities to be granted freehold title to land if they could show that they lived on the land for many years. Section 4 of the act gave the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs the power to establish Aboriginal Land Trusts to look after the title. The trusts would be established by publishing notices in the government gazette. In 1977, the old Petermann Reserve land was transferred to the Petermann Land Trust and to other Aboriginal land-owning corporations. The boundaries of the Petermann trust were first described in the Gazette on 21 July 1978. They were later made into law by Act No. 109 of 1985, which went into effect on 16 October 1985.

References

Aboriginal Land Trusts
Northern Territory
Pitjantjatjara
1978 establishments in Australia

Petermann Aboriginal Land Trust


Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday is a role-playing video game set in the Buck Rogers XXVC universe. It was published in 1990 by Strategic Simulations for MS-DOS, Commodore 64, and Amiga. A Sega Genesis version was released in 1991. Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is the 1992 sequel.

Plot

The game centers around a longstanding war between the Earth-based New Earth Organization (NEO), and the Mars-based Russo-American Mercantile (RAM). The militaristic and dictatorial RAM, backed by a powerful army of genetically engineered soldiers, has been laying siege to Earth for years. NEO, effectively an organized resistance movement, is forced to operate out of secret bases on the surface of Earth and in orbit in its uphill battle for human freedom.

A new party joins the ranks of a desperate NEO. After an introductory briefing, the NEO facility is attacked by RAM rocketships and troop transports. The party successfully locates and activates the anti-aircraft defenses of the NEO base, foiling the RAM attack. Now considered valuable NEO operatives, the party is summoned to NEO's headquarters called Salvation III. For their first mission as a discrete unit, the party is assigned a small shuttlepod and instructed to sweep the nearby area. During the patrol, a derelict and abandoned spacecraft is discovered and the party investigates. The presence of a parasitic infection has killed the crew and infected the party members. Also the place is infested with genetically engineered monsters called Gennies. The sole survivor of the ship's original crew, an artificial intelligence (or DP, digital personality) agent named Scot.DOS living in the ship's computers. After getting cured of the parasite, the party rids the gennie infestation and is able to save the ship which they use as their own called Maelstrom Rider and they return to base.

The party is given some leads pointing them towards the Ceres asteroid in the asteroid belt that encompasses the inner solar system planets featured in the game. A RAM base on the asteroid is awaiting the arrival of the pirate "Talon", who has been sent to rescue the staff from the base due to a series of experimental gennies that have escaped and overrun the base. The team can bluff their way in and claim to have been sent on Talons behalf. In the depths of the base the team discovers that the scientists were attempting to replicate the ECG's first encountered upon the Maelstrom Rider, in addition to working on an unusually powerful laser. After their mission on Ceres, the party's ship is unavoidably crippled, boarded, and captured by space pirates. The party meets another prisoner, Buck Rogers, and manage to overthrow their captors. Buck returns with the party to Salvation and assists them in their escape.

Following this, the player is sent on a mission to Mars itself, to infiltrate the RAM base, Gradivus Mons. On Mars, the player meets the Desert Runners. Prior to the meeting, the player becomes aware of an impending RAM attack on the natives' city, but is unable to earn their trust before the attack begins. After repelling the attack, the party earns the trust and respect of the Desert Runners, and their leader, Tuskon, helps the party infiltrate Gradivus Mons and destroy the Doomsday Laser prototype along with the entire base. Clues uncovered on Mars then lead the team to Venus where RAM has constructed another base and convinced the local population of Lowlanders, to construct components for a super weapon. The player finds that the Lowlander village has been destroyed by RAM troops and only a few Lowlanders survive who assist the team in infiltrating the base and halting further attacks on the Lowlander population.

Ultimately, the party discovers RAM, along with the corrupt Mercurian government, is building its ultimate weapon, the eponymous Doomsday Laser, in orbit of the planet Mercury with aspirations of destroying Earth entirely. After managing to land on Mariposa Three, an orbital city near Mercury, the party makes its way through a military complex and fights through a series of increasingly difficult battles. Finally finding themselves at the command center for the Doomsday Laser itself, the members of the party successfully destroy the weapon and manage to escape the massive explosion. The defeat severely damages RAM's ability to make war with Earth. NEO is, for the moment, victorious.

Gameplay
At the beginning of the game the player creates a party of six characters from a choice of five classes (Rocketjock, Warrior, Medic, Rogue, and Engineer) and six races (Human, Desert Runner, Tinker, Venusian, Martian, and Mercurian).

The game has five view modes:
 Solar System View: The map shows the positions on the inner planets and major asteroids from an "overhead" perspective. The player's spaceship can be moved around in relation to the planets. Ship-to-ship combat is started from this view.
 Overworld view: This is another overhead view, where the player can move the party around on the surface of a planet. Land combat can be started from this view.
 Adventuring view: This is a 3D view that shows the party's environment form their perspective. Land combat can be started from this view.
 Land combat: This is an overhead isometric view of the area that the party is in. Individual characters, NPCs, and enemies are displayed in scale.
 Ship-to-Ship combat: The player sees the enemy space ship. Controls are limited to menus at the bottom of the screen.

Ports
Most versions of the game display the Adventuring view from the point of view of the party (i.e. the display is first-person), and have a simple text menu for spaceports.

The Sega Genesis version of the game shows the Adventuring view as an isometric view of the area indicating the characters behind the party leader (i.e. the display is third-person), and uses the Adventuring view in spaceports. Most of the text is replaced by icons.

The available races and classes are also more limited on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis version. The player may only select from Human, Desert Runner, and Tinker as races, and may select only Warrior, Rocketjock, Medic, or Rogue as a character class. There are also significantly fewer skills and equipment types available to players as compared to the PC version. In addition to this there is a reduced selection of weapons and ammunition is no longer required for weapons.

Release
Strategic Simulations started up a trivia contest on the Computer Gaming World magazine, consisting of 3 questions about the game. The reader had to answer the questions and send the answers along with some preference details to Strategic Simulations. The first 20 winners won a copy of the game (in their choice of computer format), a board game version of the video game from TSR, a comic module and a T-shirt (in their specified size).

Reception

SSI sold 51,528 copies of Countdown to Doomsday. At the time, Brian Walker of Strategy Plus wrote that the game "sold like there was no tomorrow", despite receiving "some pretty indifferent reviews".

Scorpia of Computer Gaming World in 1991 called the story "very satisfying" and the game "fun to play". She concluded that Buck Rogers was "good, light adventuring and a nice change of pace from the fantasy line". In 1993, she called it "a surprisingly enjoyable little game" and "a quick-playing game, but fun nonetheless". In 1991, Dragon gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.

Strategy Pluss Theo Clarke found Countdown to Doomsdays engine and mechanics dated, noting that its graphics, limited on-screen text and statistics-heavy gameplay were "far behind" the advances of Ultima VI and other games. He argued that its literal interpretation of AD&D mechanics was "sluggish and artificial", and hoped that the game would spawn a Buck Rogers module for tabletop gaming, so that players could "enjoy the inventive plot without the intrusion of the obstructive computer mechanism".

MegaTech magazine praised the absorbing gameplay. Mega placed the game at #39 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.

Reviews
 White Wolf #24 (Dec./Jan., 1990)

References

External links

1990 video games
Amiga games
Buck Rogers
Commodore 64 games
DOS games
Gold Box
Role-playing video games
Sega Genesis games
Strategic Simulations games
Tactical role-playing video games
Video games based on tabletop role-playing games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games with gender-selectable protagonists
Video games set in the 25th century
Video games with oblique graphics

Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday


Cordieria ovalis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Borsoniidae.

Description
The size of the shell attains 13 mm, its width 9 mm.

(Original description) The small, oval shall has a short spire  consisting of 4 rapidly diminishing whorls. The outline of the whorls is slightly convex. The oval aperture measures rather less than half the length of the shell. The outer lip is thick, the inner lip is not callous. The columella shows 3 distinct folds. The aperture is obtuse anteriorly. Each whorl has about 15 radial costae slightly raised and continuous from suture to suture. These costae are turned slightly backward. A number of sharp spiral threads, which, however, are interrupted, on the costae. The suture is impressed and not bordered. On the body whorl the costae decrease anteriorly, and are not distinct on the base. Many of the spiral threads, however, continue into the aperture. This shell, owing to the coarseness of its sculpture, has a somewhat rude appearance, and is very characteristic. The holotype is kept at the Wanganui Museum.

Distribution
This marine species is endemic for New Zealand.

References

ovalis
Gastropods of New Zealand
Gastropods described in 1917

Cordieria ovalis


The Earth's crust is the Earth's hard outer layer. It is less than 1% of Earth's volume. The crust is made up of different types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.

Below the crust is the mantle. The crust and the upper mantle make up the lithosphere. The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates that can move.

The crust is of two different types. One is the continental crust (under the land) and the other is the oceanic crust (under the ocean).
The continental crust is thicker, 30 km (20 mi) to 50 km (30 mi) thick. It is mostly made of less dense, more felsic rocks, such as granite.
 The oceanic crust is thinner, 5 km (3 mi) to 10 km (6 mi) thick. It is made of denser, more mafic rocks, such as basalt.

The temperature of the crust increases with depth because of geothermal energy. Where the crust meets the mantle the temperatures can be between 200 °C (392 °F) to 400 °C (752 °F). The crust is the coldest layer because it is exposed to the atmosphere.

Composition

Igneous rocks make up over 90% of Earth's crust by volume.p47 This is not noticeable because they are mostly covered by sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.

A single family of silicates, the feldspars, account for about half of the material in the crust (60% by weight), and quartz is a sizeable proportion of the rest. Other common minerals are mica and hornblende.

Only 8% of Earth's crust is non-silicate minerals, and this includes carbonates, sulfides, chlorides and oxides.

Formation of the crust
Earth's mantle and crust formed about 100 million years after the formation of the planet, about 4.6 billion years ago. At first the crust was very thin, and was probably changed often as the tectonic plates shifted around a lot more than they do now. The crust would have been destroyed many times by asteroids hitting Earth, which was much more common in the Late Heavy Bombardment.

The oldest oceanic basalt crust today is only about 200 million years. Most of the continental crust is much older. The oldest continental crustal rocks on Earth are cratons between 3.7 and 4.28 billion years old. These have been found in the Narryer Gneiss Terrane in Western Australia, in the Acasta Gneiss in the Northwest Territories on the Canadian Shield, and on the Fennoscandian Shield. A few zircons at least 4.3 billion years old have been found in the Narryer Gneiss Terrane in Western Australia.

The average age of Earth's continental crust is about 2.0 billion years. Most crustal rocks formed before 2.5 billion years ago are in cratons. Such old continental crust and the mantle below it are less dense than other places in the Earth. These are not easily destroyed when the plates shift. The making of new continental crust is linked to times of major orogeny or mountain building. This happens at the same time as the formation of the supercontinents such as Rodinia, Pangaea and Gondwana. The crust forms in part by the coming together of island arcs including granite and metamorphic fold belts. They are kept together partly by the subduction of the mantle below the crust, which makes a mantle on which the crust can float.

References

Structure of the Earth

Earth's crust


Yitzchak Blazer (Hebrew: יצחק בלאזר) (1837–1907) was an early important leader of the Musar movement.

He is also sometimes referred to as Rav Itzele Peterburger due to his position as Chief Rabbi of St. Petersburg at a time when it was the capital of Russia.

Background
Rav Yitzchak Blazer was a student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Musar movement, under whose direction, despite his relatively young age (25) he was appointed Chief Rabbi of St. Petersburg.

Accomplishments
Among Blazer's accomplishments, in addition to his own authorship of Pri Yitzchak,  a halakhic responsa text, was the publishing of many of Salanter's letters in Or Yisrael ("The Light of Israel"), as well as articles on Musar, Teshuvah, and the life of his teacher, Rav Yisrael Salanter.  He also authored Kochvei Ohr.

From 1880 to approximately 1891, he served as the head of the Kovno Kollel in Kaunas, Lithuania, which was founded by Salanter.  Under Blazer's direction, the kollel came to be "considered by its contemporaries as a bastion of the Mussar movement," a Jewish ethical movement based in Lithuania within the Russian Empire, and was attacked by the Musar movement's opponents.

He later joined Nosson Tzvi Finkel in leading the Slabodka Yeshiva.

Rabbi Yosef Yozel Horwitz was one of the primary pupils of Rabbi Blazer.

Later years
In 1904 he emigrated to Jerusalem, where Rav Shmuel Salant was Chief Rabbi; during Rav Itzele's last three years they worked together on several communal and charitable projects. Rav Blazer died on 11 Av 5667 (1907).

Personal Anivus
In keeping with his teacher's ideas and ideals, his acts of personal Anivus (humility) included:
 worked as a painter until stopped by Rav Salanter.
 worked as a clerk during his last three years of life, rather than take communal funds.
 wrote that he was not to be given a formal eulogy.

References

External links
 R' Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff on Yitzchak Blazer

1907 deaths
19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire
Musar movement
1837 births
Rabbis from Kaunas

Yitzchak Blazer


Hyperlipidemia is abnormally high levels of any or all lipids (e.g. fats, triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids) or lipoproteins in the blood. The term hyperlipidemia refers to the laboratory finding itself and is also used as an umbrella term covering any of various acquired or genetic disorders that result in that finding. Hyperlipidemia represents a subset of dyslipidemia and a superset of hypercholesterolemia. Hyperlipidemia is usually chronic and requires ongoing  medication to control blood lipid levels.

Lipids (water-insoluble molecules) are transported in a protein capsule. The size of that capsule, or lipoprotein, determines its density. The lipoprotein density and type of apolipoproteins it contains determines the fate of the particle and its influence on metabolism.

Hyperlipidemias are divided into primary and secondary subtypes. Primary hyperlipidemia is usually due to genetic causes (such as a mutation in a receptor protein), while secondary hyperlipidemia arises due to other underlying causes such as diabetes. Lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities are common in the general population and are regarded as modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease due to their influence on atherosclerosis. In addition, some forms may predispose to acute pancreatitis.

Classification
Hyperlipidemias may basically be classified as either familial (also called primary) when caused by specific genetic abnormalities or acquired (also called secondary) when resulting from another underlying disorder that leads to alterations in plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Also, hyperlipidemia may be idiopathic, that is, without a known cause.

Hyperlipidemias are also classified according to which types of lipids are elevated, that is hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia or both in combined hyperlipidemia. Elevated levels of Lipoprotein(a) may also be classified as a form of hyperlipidemia.

Familial (primary)
Familial hyperlipidemias are classified according to the Fredrickson classification, which is based on the pattern of lipoproteins on electrophoresis or ultracentrifugation. It was later adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). It does not directly account for HDL, and it does not distinguish among the different genes that may be partially responsible for some of these conditions.

Type I

Type I hyperlipoproteinemia exists in several forms:
 Lipoprotein lipase deficiency (type Ia), due to a deficiency of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) or altered apolipoprotein C2, resulting in elevated chylomicrons, the particles that transfer fatty acids from the digestive tract to the liver
 Familial apoprotein CII deficiency (type Ib), a condition caused by a lack of lipoprotein lipase activator.
 Chylomicronemia due to circulating inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase (type Ic)

Type I hyperlipoproteinemia usually presents in childhood with eruptive xanthomata and abdominal colic. Complications include retinal vein occlusion, acute pancreatitis, steatosis, and organomegaly, and lipemia retinalis.

Type II
Hyperlipoproteinemia type II is further classified into types IIa and IIb, depending mainly on whether elevation in the triglyceride level occurs in addition to LDL cholesterol.

Type IIa

This may be sporadic (due to dietary factors), polygenic, or truly familial as a result of a mutation either in the LDL receptor gene on chromosome 19 (0.2% of the population) or the ApoB gene (0.2%). The familial form is characterized by tendon xanthoma, xanthelasma, and premature cardiovascular disease.  The incidence of this disease is about one in 500 for heterozygotes, and one in 1,000,000 for homozygotes.

HLPIIa is a rare genetic disorder characterized by increased levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood due to the lack of uptake (no Apo B receptors) of LDL particles. This pathology, however, is the second-most common disorder of the various hyperlipoproteinemias, with individuals with a heterozygotic predisposition of one in every 500 and individuals with homozygotic predisposition of one in every million. These individuals may present with a unique set of physical characteristics such as xanthelasmas (yellow deposits of fat underneath the skin often presenting in the nasal portion of the eye), tendon and tuberous xanthomas, arcus juvenilis (the graying of the eye often characterized in older individuals), arterial bruits, claudication, and of course atherosclerosis. Laboratory findings for these individuals are significant for total serum cholesterol levels two to three times greater than normal, as well as increased LDL cholesterol, but their triglycerides and VLDL values fall in the normal ranges.

To manage persons with HLPIIa, drastic measures may need to be taken, especially if their HDL cholesterol levels are less than 30 mg/dL and their LDL levels are greater than 160 mg/dL. A proper diet for these individuals requires a decrease in total fat to less than 30% of total calories with a ratio of monounsaturated:polyunsaturated:saturated fat of 1:1:1. Cholesterol should be reduced to less than 300 mg/day, thus the avoidance of animal products and to increase fiber intake to more than 20 g/day with 6g of soluble fiber/day. Exercise should be promoted, as it can increase HDL. The overall prognosis for these individuals is in the worst-case scenario if uncontrolled and untreated individuals may die before the age of 20, but if one seeks a prudent diet with correct medical intervention, the individual may see an increased incidence of xanthomas with each decade, and Achilles tendinitis and accelerated atherosclerosis will occur.

Type IIb
The high VLDL levels are due to overproduction of substrates, including triglycerides, acetyl-CoA, and an increase in B-100 synthesis. They may also be caused by the decreased clearance of LDL. Prevalence in the population is 10%.
 Familial combined hyperlipoproteinemia (FCH)
 Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (often called Cholesteryl ester storage disease)
 Secondary combined hyperlipoproteinemia (usually in the context of metabolic syndrome, for which it is a diagnostic criterion)

Type III
This form is due to high chylomicrons and IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein). Also known as broad beta disease or dysbetalipoproteinemia, the most common cause for this form is the presence of ApoE E2/E2 genotype. It is due to cholesterol-rich VLDL (β-VLDL). Its prevalence has been estimated to be approximately 1 in 10,000.

It is associated with hypercholesterolemia (typically 8–12 mmol/L), hypertriglyceridemia (typically 5–20 mmol/L), a normal ApoB concentration, and two types of skin signs (palmar xanthomata or orange discoloration of skin creases, and tuberoeruptive xanthomata on the elbows and knees). It is characterized by the early onset of cardiovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease. Remnant hyperlipidemia occurs as a result of abnormal function of the ApoE receptor, which is normally required for clearance of chylomicron remnants and IDL from the circulation. The receptor defect causes levels of chylomicron remnants and IDL to be higher than normal in the blood stream. The receptor defect is an autosomal recessive mutation or polymorphism.

Type IV
Familial hypertriglyceridemia is an autosomal dominant condition occurring in approximately 1% of the population.

This form is due to high triglyceride level. Other lipoprotein levels are normal or increased a little.

Treatment include diet control, fibrates and niacins. Statins are not better than fibrates when lowering triglyceride levels.

Type V
Hyperlipoproteinemia type V, also known as mixed hyperlipoproteinemia familial or mixed hyperlipidemia, is very similar to type I, but with high VLDL in addition to chylomicrons.

It is also associated with glucose intolerance and hyperuricemia.

In medicine, combined hyperlipidemia (or -aemia) (also known as "multiple-type hyperlipoproteinemia") is a commonly occurring form of hypercholesterolemia (elevated cholesterol levels) characterized by increased LDL and triglyceride concentrations, often accompanied by decreased HDL. On lipoprotein electrophoresis (a test now rarely performed) it shows as a hyperlipoproteinemia type IIB. It is the most common inherited lipid disorder, occurring in about one in 200 persons. In fact, almost one in five individuals who develop coronary heart disease before the age of 60 has this disorder.
The elevated triglyceride levels (>5 mmol/L) are generally due to an increase in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), a class of lipoprotein prone to cause atherosclerosis.

Both conditions are treated with fibrate drugs, which act on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), specifically PPARα, to decrease free fatty acid production.
Statin drugs, especially the synthetic statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) can decrease LDL levels by increasing hepatic reuptake of LDL due to increased LDL-receptor expression.

Unclassified familial forms
These unclassified forms are extremely rare:
 Hyperalphalipoproteinemia
 Polygenic hypercholesterolemia

Acquired (secondary)
Acquired hyperlipidemias (also called secondary dyslipoproteinemias) often mimic primary forms of hyperlipidemia and can have similar consequences. They may result in increased risk of premature atherosclerosis or, when associated with marked hypertriglyceridemia, may lead to pancreatitis and other complications of the chylomicronemia syndrome. The most common causes of acquired hyperlipidemia are:
 Diabetes mellitus
 Use of drugs such as thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, and estrogens

Other conditions leading to acquired hyperlipidemia include:
 Hypothyroidism
 Kidney failure
 Nephrotic syndrome
 Alcohol consumption
 Some rare endocrine disorders and metabolic disorders
Treatment of the underlying condition, when possible, or discontinuation of the offending drugs usually leads to an improvement in the hyperlipidemia.

Another acquired cause of hyperlipidemia, although not always included in this category, is postprandial hyperlipidemia, a normal increase following ingestion of food.

Presentation

Relation to cardiovascular disease
Hyperlipidemia predisposes a person to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the accumulation of lipids, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous plaques within the walls of arteries. This accumulation narrows the blood vessel and reduces blood flow and oxygen to muscles of the heart. Over time fatty deposits can build up, hardening and narrowing the arteries until organs and tissues don't receive enough blood to properly function.  If arteries that supply the heart with blood are affected, a person might have angina (chest pain). Complete blockage of the artery causes infarction of the myocardial cells, also known as heart attack. Fatty buildup in the arteries can also lead to stroke, if a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.

Screening
Adults 20 years and older should have the cholesterol checked every four to six years. Serum level of  Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) Cholesterol, and triglycerides are commonly tested in primary care setting using a lipid panel. Quantitative levels of lipoproteins and triglycerides contribute toward cardiovascular disease risk stratification via models/calculators such as Framingham Risk Score, ACC/AHA Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Estimator, and/or Reynolds Risk Scores. These models/calculators may also take into account of family history (heart disease and/or high blood cholesterol), age, gender, Body-Mass-Index, medical history (diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease), high sensitivity CRP levels, coronary artery calcium score, and ankle-brachial index. The cardiovascular stratification further determines what medical intervention may be necessary to decrease the risk of future cardiovascular disease.

Total cholesterol
The combined quantity of LDL and HDL. A total cholesterol of higher than 240 mg/dL is abnormal, but medical intervention is determined by the breakdown of LDL and HDL levels.

LDL cholesterol
LDL, commonly known as "bad cholesterol", is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol particles throughout the body, and can build up in the walls of the arteries, making them hard and narrow. LDL cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but eating a diet high in saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol can increase LDL levels. Elevated LDL levels are associated with diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and atherosclerosis. In a fasting lipid panel, a LDL greater than 160 mg/dL is abnormal.

HDL cholesterol

HDL, also known as "good cholesterol", is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver and then removes the cholesterol from the body. It can be affected by acquired or genetic factors, including tobacco use, obesity, inactivity, hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes, high carbohydrate diet, medication side effects (beta-blockers, androgenic steroids, corticosteroids, progestogens, thiazide diuretics, retinoic acid derivatives, oral estrogens, etc.) and genetic abnormalities (mutations ApoA-I, LCAT, ABC1). Low level is defined as less than 40 mg/dL.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and/or metabolic syndrome. Food intake prior to testing may cause elevated levels, up to 20%. Normal level is defined as less than 150 mg/dL. Borderline high is defined as 150 to 199 mg/dL. High level is between 200 and 499 mg/dL. Greater than 500 mg/dL is defined as very high, and is associated with pancreatitis and requires medical treatment.

Screening age
Health organizations does not have a consensus on the age to begin screening for hyperlipidemia. The CDC recommends cholesterol screenings once between ages 9 and 11, once again between 17 and 21, and every 4 to 6 years in adulthood. Doctors may recommend more frequent screenings for people with a family history of early heart attacks, heart disease, or if a child has obesity or diabetes. USPSTF recommends men older than 35 and women older than 45 to be screened. NCE-ATP III recommends all adults older than 20 to be screened as it may lead potential lifestyle modification that can reduce risks of other diseases.  However, screening should be done for those with known CHD or risk-equivalent conditions (e.g. Acute Coronary Syndrome, history of heart attacks, Stable or Unstable angina, Transient ischemic attacks, Peripheral arterial disease of atherosclerotic origins, coronary or other arterial revascularization).

Screening frequency
Adults 20 years and older should have the cholesterol checked every four to six years, and most screening guidelines recommends testing every 5 years. USPSTF recommends increased frequency for people with elevated risk of CHD, which may be determined using cardiovascular disease risk scores.

Management

Management of hyperlipidemia includes maintenance of a normal body weight, increased physical activity, and decreased consumption of refined carbohydrates and simple sugars. Prescription drugs may be used to treat some people having significant risk factors, such as cardiovascular disease, LDL cholesterol greater than 190 mg/dL or diabetes. Common medication therapy is a statin.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

Competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, such as lovastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin, inhibit the synthesis of mevalonate, a precursor molecule to cholesterol. This medication class is especially effective at decreasing elevated LDL cholesterol. Major side effects include elevated transaminases and myopathy.

Fibric acid derivatives

Fibric acid derivatives, such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate, function by increasing the lipolysis in adipose tissue via activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α. They decrease VLDL – very low density lipoprotein – and LDL in some people.  Major side effects include rashes, GI upset, myopathy, or increased transaminases.

Niacin

Niacin, or vitamin B3 has a mechanism of action that is poorly understood, however it has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase HDL cholesterol.  The most common side effect is flushing secondary to skin vasodilation. This effect is mediated by prostaglandins and can be decreased by taking concurrent aspirin.

Bile acid binding resins

Bile acid binding resins, such as colestipol, cholestyramine, and colesevelam, function by binding bile acids, increasing their excretion. They are useful for decreasing LDL cholesterol. The most common side effects include bloating and diarrhea.

Sterol absorption inhibitors

Inhibitors of intestinal sterol absorption, such as ezetimibe, function by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the GI tract by targeting NPC1L1, a transport protein in the gastrointestinal wall. This results in decreased LDL cholesterol.

Prevention
Quitting smoking, lowering intake of saturated fat and alcohol, losing excess body weight, and eating a low-salt diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help reduce blood cholesterol.

See also
 List of xanthoma variants associated with hyperlipoproteinemia subtypes
 Combined hyperlipidemia

References

External links

Lipid disorders

Hyperlipidemia


Spaceport Sweden is a company that plans to make Kiruna the primary European Spaceport for personal suborbital spaceflight for space tourism, research, education, and a hub for cross-industry innovation. Spaceport Sweden is built by the Swedish Space Corporation.

Located in Kiruna, in Swedish Lapland, Spaceport Sweden is being developed at Kiruna Airport which will be a hybrid for air and space travel as well as learning adventures, education and research.

Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Communication Maud Olofsson inaugurated the project as a national initiative in 2007. The current CEO of the spaceport is Karin Nilsdotter.

History

The official inauguration of the company was made on 26 January 2007 and the company started off by signing an agreement with Virgin Galactic. The agreement stated that the two would be working together towards an operational agreement whereby Spaceport Sweden would be the first spaceport outside the United States which Virgin Galactic could use for flight campaigns.

On 3 April 2008, a press conference was held in Kiruna, and a number of astronauts in training were presented to the press, but details of an agreement, if any, were not released.

In February 2012, Spaceport Sweden hoped to have operational flights of SpaceShipTwo by 2015.

In 2012, Spaceport Sweden launched an initiative to offer learning adventures and spaceflight preparation providing the opportunity to explore more about the aurora borealis through northern light flights in Kiruna. Further, in collaboration with QinetiQ, a 2-day spaceflight preparation program is provided using a long-arm centrifuge and hypobaric chamber to simulate and prepare for the upcoming spaceflights.

In 2013, Spaceport Sweden initiated a limited offering of weightless flight experiences, in collaboration with AirZeroG and Novespace in France, to private individuals using a specially outfitted Airbus A300 capable of simulating a short-duration zero-gravity environment.

In 2015 Spaceport Sweden won a Kiruna Lapland Award for the efforts to establish commercial spaceflight in Kiruna, in Swedish Lapland.

See also
List of Spaceports
Virgin Galactic
Space tourism
Suborbital spaceflight

Notes

External links

Sweden
Kiruna
Scaled Composites
Virgin Galactic
Swedish companies established in 2007

Spaceport Sweden


The Alderney concentration camps were built and operated by Nazi Germany during its World War II occupation of the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands were the only British Commonwealth soil to be occupied by the Nazis. The Nazis built four concentration camps on Alderney Island, subcamps of the Neuengamme camp outside Hamburg. They were named after the Frisian Islands: Lager Norderney, Lager Borkum, Lager Sylt and Lager Helgoland. The Nazi Organisation Todt operated each subcamp and used forced labour to build bunkers, gun emplacements, air-raid shelters, and concrete fortifications. The camps started working in January 1942 and had a total inmate population of about 6,000.

The Borkum and Helgoland camps were "volunteer" (Hilfswillige) labour camps and the labourers in those camps were treated harshly but a little bit better than the inmates at the Sylt and Norderney camps. The prisoners in Lager Sylt and Lager Norderney were slave labourers forced to build the many military fortifications and installations throughout Alderney. Sylt camp held Jewish enforced labourers. Norderney camp housed European (usually Eastern but including Spaniard) and Russian enforced labourers. Lager Borkum was used for German technicians and "volunteers" from different countries of Europe. Lager Helgoland was filled with Russian Organisation Todt workers.

In 1942, Lager Norderney, containing Russian and Polish POWs, and Lager Sylt, holding Jews, were placed under the control of the SS Hauptsturmführer Max List. Over 700 of the inmates lost their lives before the camps were closed and the remaining inmates transferred to Nazi Germany in 1944.

War crime trials
After World War II, a court-martial case was prepared against ex-SS Hauptsturmführer Max List, citing atrocities on Alderney. However, he did not stand trial, and is believed to have lived near Hamburg until his death in the 1980s.

Notes

Nazi concentration camps on Alderney

Alderney camps


Evidence Aid is an international platform that was formed out of the need to deliver time sensitive access to systematic reviews for use in the event of disasters and other humanitarian emergencies. The method of using systematic reviews (a collection of available evidence on any given topic) is to provide evidence for use by policy makers, clinicians, regulators, and even the general public who benefit when these materials are easy to understand and are accessible. The vision of Evidence Aid is to create and satisfy an increasing demand for evidence to improve the impact of humanitarian aid by stimulating the use of an evidence-based approach. Evidence Aid was founded in 2004. It is currently a project that is housed by the Cochrane Collaboration and Queen's University Belfast. Evidence Aid was established by several members of the international Cochrane Collaboration following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Evidence Aid was formed to provide systematic reviews on the effects of interventions and actions of relevance prior to, in the course of and during the aftermath of disasters or other humanitarian emergencies, in order to improve health-related outcomes; their aim is to work with those who need and use this evidence (those preparing for and responding to disasters and humanitarian emergencies – policy-makers, guideline developers, trainers, as well as aid agencies and independent consultants), as well as working with researchers and publishers to facilitate freely accessible materials to meet the information needs for those facing humanitarian emergencies and disasters. Evidence Aid works in collaboration with other organizations including Public Health England; Red Cross Flanders, International Rescue Committee; Centers for Disease Control; Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine; and the University of Oxford.

Purpose
Evidence Aid's purpose is to create and satisfy an increasing demand for evidence to improve the impact of humanitarian aid by stimulating the use of an evidence-based approach.

Evidence Aid collates knowledge from systematic reviews to provide a portal of resources for decision-makers. The systematic reviews seek to highlight which interventions work, which do not work, which need more research, and which, no matter how well meaning, might be harmful. Those in need have the right to receive humanitarian aid that has been proven to be effective and not harmful. With an increasing demand for "value for money", proof of impact and effectiveness in the provision of humanitarian aid it is essential to ensure that decisions and activities are evidence-based. They keep this information up to date where it can serve as a provision to other agencies, planning groups and first responders in, disasters, humanitarian crises or major healthcare emergencies.

The objectives of Evidence Aid are to:
 Establish and increase an evidence-based approach towards humanitarian action
 Uphold and promote the value of evidence in health outcomes across sectors
 Identify the gaps in evidence for humanitarian aid and build the resources and network to address them
 Raise the capacity and commitment of those who guide the humanitarian sector to implement an evidence-based approach

Evidence Aid also provides collections of evidence which are topic specific, such as collections for Ebola, the Health of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe, Windstorms and Earthquakes. These collections contain evidence-based guidelines, randomised controlled trials, and other useful information.

Resources

Team

Evidence Aid's office is based with the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (Oxford, UK) and it also has a desk in Cochrane (London, UK). The core team of four are based in two different locations. Mike Clarke, who founded the initiative and is now the Chair of the Board of Trustees and Research Director, is a professor at Queen's University and also has a position at the Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin. Jeroen Jansen, Evidence Aid's first Director, is based in London and Oxford overseeing the day-to-day management and activities of Evidence Aid, and Claire Allen, Operations Manager, who works from home in Weymouth, UK, channels the integration with the world in need and brings the project and research together to facilitate evidence-based aid when nations are at their most vulnerable. They are supported by Jane Higgins, part-time Office Administrator, based in Oxford, UK. The impact of Evidence Aid is currently undergoing impact evaluation by Dominic Mellon, a Public Health Specialty Registrar based in Bristol, UK, as part of a PhD research project supervised by Mike Clarke at Queen's.

In addition to the core team, Evidence Aid is supported by volunteers who work in various aspects of public health, humanitarian relief, and systematic reviews, where they collaborate from multiple locations around the world. Evidence Aid welcomes volunteers who are self-motivated and who can be flexible about the tasks assigned to them. Evidence Aid, as a Charity, registered with the Charity Commission in the UK also has a Board of Trustees which comprises Professor Mike Clarke (Chair), Dr Phil Davies, Lady Deborah Dixon (Treasurer), Mr Michael Stone, and Mrs Sue Wolstenholme.

Special Resources

Evidence Aid seeks to bring together systematic reviews of relevance to disasters, humanitarian crises, and major healthcare emergencies, in a single online resource where they can be accessed free of charge and are available to anyone. Though information on best practice and low-cost interventions may be known in the medical, scientific or academic communities, this same information may not be available or easily found by communities or countries in crisis. Evidence Aid and its volunteers search the literature identifying relevant systematic reviews and works with others to produce short evidence summaries so that the information can be easily understood and applied by end users, in this case, those who have suffered as a result of disasters or those facing or who are experiencing humanitarian crises. The organization then uploads them to the searchable resource page where they are offered for the use of all. Additional resources are added as the needs are identified. For example, "Landslides: A draft chapter from the upcoming book Koenig and Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practice, 2nd Edition" was made available as free access for Evidence Aid.

Separately, Evidence Aid has partnered with Cochrane to co-ordinate and administer four special collections covering: flooding and poor water sanitation; earthquakes; burns; and posttraumatic stress disorder. The Cochrane Collaboration participated in the production of these collections and they are housed on The Cochrane Library.

Urgent response

Evidence Aid is able to provide a response to disasters and humanitarian emergencies, examples as follows:
 Through its resources, it provides an urgent response to the evidence needs that arise pre, during and post event. Prior to the disaster, during and in the short-term after the event, Evidence Aid can bundle together very brief summaries of the findings of systematic reviews of relevance to, for example, the impact of windstorms depending on the nature of the event being responded to.
 Evidence Aid works with partners to provide a context-specific resource for the evidence needs that arise during the subsequent weeks and months. This is critical because no disaster will be identical and the needs of the people and nations can change over time and context. It is possible to continue to learn from each disaster in order to adapt useful and relevant problem-solving strategies to meet the current needs. As information about what works best is shared the resources should also be useful as part of the planning for disaster risk reduction and alleviating the impact of a disaster. For an example, see the response to Ebola and the European migrant crisis.
 Gathering information about the need for evidence and to seek to ensure that this need is met through up-to-date systematic reviews of the relevant research. Systematic Reviews are identified and included in the Evidence Aid resources. Evidence Aid works with volunteers and authors of systematic reviews to produce short summaries of each systematic review to help decision-makers to decide whether reading the full review is useful for their area of focus in the disaster.

Financial support

In addition to core staff and volunteer support, Evidence Aid has traditionally been financed by philanthropic organisations including, but not restricted to the McCall MacBain Foundation, the C&A FoundatioN, Wiley, and the Unorthodox Prize. Evidence Aid works to provide optimal evidence that is location specific.

Policy setting

Evidence Aid has developed recommendations on evidence in humanitarian assistance which identify critical research needs and prioritizes them.

Evidence Aid was awarded funds by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) for a scoping study, "What evidence is available and what is required, in humanitarian assistance?" in 2014. This report was published to coincide with the anniversary of the 2004 tsunami. The aim of the study was to provide an independent analysis of the evidence base of evaluations in humanitarian assistance. It identifies areas where there are key gaps and where there is a need to prioritize rigorous evidence on issues that are most important and valuable. Evidence Aid worked with 3ie, the Karolinska Institutet, and Monash University to develop a working paper. The first scoping paper is "What evidence is available and what is required in humanitarian assistance?"

The scope of this research goes beyond the question of impact evaluation, key recommendations were made to move the provision of evidence forward in the sector, including:
 The case for evidence: agreement from policy makers on the need for an evidence base;
 Priorities for evidence: a suggested framework;
 Improved accessibility to evidence: through a one–stop portal and better classification; and
 Common guidelines and standards: through templates and standards for data collection. Medical Rehabilitation in Natural Disasters: A Systematic Review looks at how rehabilitation can be managed in the course of a natural disaster where functional resources, skilled health care personnel and equipment may be limited

Evidence Aid works with partners, contributors, and volunteers from multiple nations to achieve its aim of providing people and organizations with the knowledge tools they need to make well-informed decisions and choices in their efforts to improve health, increase the quality of life and reduce human errors in disaster management following disasters, humanitarian crises, and major healthcare emergencies.

Setting priorities

Evidence Aid helped set priorities for the Humanitarian Evidence Programme by the identification and prioritization of themes to meet the top 30 research needs for the sector for health outcomes in humanitarian response, this strategy is one way they can work with communities to ascertain what evidence is needed. This exercise is being co-ordinated by the Feinstein International Centre at Tufts University and Oxfam.

International aid contributions

In supporting this mission, Evidence Aid has undertaken the following activities:
 One of Evidence Aid's first projects was to inform psychiatrists and psychotherapists responding to the Indian Ocean tsunami that counsellors should not use 'brief debriefing' (a single-session counselling service designed to prevent psychological trauma) as a means of preventing PTSD, given Cochrane Review evidence that this intervention is not effective, and, if anything, might be harmful. This decision not only led to better health for the affected population but also saved resources that were used in the deployment of more effective interventions.
 Within 24 hours of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Evidence Aid provided the World Health Organization (WHO) with a comprehensive list of effective and efficient interventions for wound management, mental health, and infectious diseases. Evidence Aid worked with the WHO again in late 2010 to identify reviews that could assist with the widespread floods in Pakistan.
 On the day of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, Evidence Aid provided access to its online resources via The Cochrane Library, which were subsequently translated into Japanese. Evidence Aid was approached by the WHO to assist with the drafting of new public health guidelines for large-scale radiation emergencies.
 Following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Evidence Aid packaged together a new set of relevant resources within 48 hours, providing responders in the Philippines with information on the health problems they might encounter. The link to the resources was promoted actively to those responding to the typhoon, both on the ground and at policy level, including those coordinating the United Nations and WHO responses. Evidence Aid compiled resources to supply guidance for ways that those on the ground could increase ways to provide effective care in the aftermath of the tragedy.
 Evidence Aid worked with various individuals to create a resource for those responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in the latter half of 2014. It pulled together a multitude of freely accessible resource sites into a single resource, and identified both ongoing and published systematic reviews relevant to Ebola.
 Wiley-Blackwell along with Cochrane and working with Evidence Aid, released resources and a call for disaster relief collaboration on the Nepal Earthquake Evidence Aid page. The National Library of Medicine has partnered with publishers to deliver temporary free access to major biomedical publications for healthcare professionals responding to the earthquake in Nepal. Access is available at NLM Emergency Access Initiative: User Login
 In 2016, Evidence Aid partnered with Cochrane and MSF to respond to the European migrant crisis by collating information for a collection titled the Health of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe. Cochrane also collated their own reviews which resides alongside the Collection.
 A delicate concern for consideration and balance in Humanitarian aid settings is how to make aid flexible enough to meet individual needs and yet structured enough to reduce fraudulent use of limited disaster relief funds. Three recent studies explore the effects unconditional cash transfers for assistance in humanitarian disasters have on the use of health services and health outcomes for individuals in low- and middle-income countries. The studies found that although early in the disaster benefits are present, additional high-quality evidence is needed to inform best practice and policy for unconditional cash transfers in terms of timing and distribution.
 Malaria in endemic countries is a threat in disasters as stagnant water and people crowded in temporary housing can increase malaria risk. Evidence Aid has provided a free collection of references and evidence-based guidance on how to treat malaria and control malaria across geographical areas, diverse populations and in different conditions

Raising awareness

Evidence Aid has raised the profile of evidence-based actions in the humanitarian sector through international conferences in Oxford in 2011 with the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Brussels in 2012 with the Belgian Red Cross–Flanders, at which Herman van Rompuy, the President of the European Council in 2012 said "Evidence Aid has provided governments, agencies, NGOs, and individuals with the most reliable information in order to take the right choices in difficult circumstances… the work you are doing is important for mankind", and a priority setting meeting in London in 2013. In addition, and in partnership with the South Asian Cochrane Centre, Evidence Aid offered its third conference in 2014 in Hyderabad, India – fitting since responding to the Indian Ocean tsunami was the inspiration for the founding of Evidence Aid. Evidence Aid works with a number of organizations in different capacities. Caroline Fiennes, a blogger at Third Sector, wrote about using evidence in dealing with humanitarian crises in a post, "In the decade since the Asian tsunami, we're marshalling the evidence with far better effect."

World hunger

In low and middle-income countries, research has found that providing additional food to children aged three months to five years may result in modest gains in weight and height, and haemoglobin. Food supplementation resulted in positive impacts on psycho-motor development. However evidence on mental development was mixed. Disasters, war and famine increase risk for food shortages and decreased family incomes both during the disaster and in the aftermath therefore getting food to children and vulnerable populations in safe, effective and efficient ways is an important priority in crisis relief.

Malnutrition contributed to the deaths of more than three million children in 2011. Malnutrition leads to higher infection risks, plus it impairs physical and mental development making the undernourished child more susceptible to chronic disease in adulthood. A Cochrane systematic review pointed out that evidence about the effectiveness of nutrition interventions for young children, is fundamentally important. The Evidence Aid summary points to troubling news about the treatment of children in the home when food is scarce. The review found food was commonly redistributed within the family; when feeding was home-delivered, children benefited from only 36% of the energy given in the supplement. However, when the supplementary food was given in day care centers or feeding compounds, leakage was reduced; children took in 85% of the energy provided in the supplement. Supplementary food was more effective for younger children (under two years old) and for those who were poorer or less well-nourished. Quality supervision within feeding programs was found to result in a greater proportion of required daily food for energy. These discrepancies were less common in high-income countries, where two studies found no benefits for growth.

Refugee resettlement
The arrival in a host country is not always the refuge of safety the displaced person hopes for. During the passage they face the challenges of substandard shelter and sanitation, and dangerously long waits for food and water through treacherous weather and with disease ridden companions. Many including the children will witness the death, abuse and torture of fellow travelers and family members. This leaves the refugees vulnerable to mental health disorders including PTSD and depression, vaccine-preventable disease, skin disease such as Impetigo, Scabies and Cellulitis, Tuberculosis, snake and insect bite, malaria and they may also be exposed to violence and sexual abuse.

This presents numerous challenges for the host countries as the conditions may not be common to their population, the refugees are unable to communicate in the host country language and their customs and culture may be at odds with the values commonly understood and practiced. Many displaced persons fear forced repatriation or detention and they are unable to navigate the bureaucracy around the local or national health care culture. This presents a public health issue as chronic health issues or respiratory infections including TB are untreated. The pregnant women may have had no prenatal care and the conflict and persecution they flee from may take its toll on their mental health. Evidence Aid has made evidence available to assist regulators, clinicians, and organizations to increase the ability of host nations to assist refugees settled or in flight. This initiative is a collaboration between Cochrane, Wiley, Kevin Pottie, Leo Ho and Evidence Aid and incorporates the contributions of many volunteers and experts in health.

Cochrane Podcasts
Cochrane does a  series of podcasts on migrant health which are useful for health care professionals and the public

Awarded "Unorthodox Prize 2013"

In September 2013, Evidence Aid received the "Unorthodox Prize 2013". It was one of 250 international submissions. Billions of dollars are spent annually on international humanitarian responses, yet aid budgets are not keeping pace with the increasing frequency and severity of disasters. There is also a movement to professionalize the field. Evidence Aid plays a role in this by: conducting systematic evidence reviews to identify optimal interventions and; providing this information in an easily accessible format to decision-makers and front-line relief workers. Evidence Aid bases their resources on epidemiological and evidence-based information (via systematic reviews) to meet the needs of the populations addressed.

References

Further reading
 Second Evidence Aid Conference: Prioritizing Evidence in Disaster Aid
 Optimal Evidence in Difficult Settings: Improving Health Interventions and Decision Making in Disasters

Systematic Reviews

 Fazel M, Wheeler J, Danesh J. Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review. Lancet 2005 Apr 9-15;365(9467):1309-1314 Full Access via Evidence Aid
 Hadgkiss EJ, Renzaho AMN. The physical health status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum seekers residing in the community: a systematic review of the literature. Australian Health Review 2014 May;38(2):142-159 (open access)

 M. Fazel, R. Reed, C. Panter-Brick, A. Stein. Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in high-income countries: risk and protective factors The Lancet 2011 379(9812):266-282. Full Access via Evidence Aid
 R. Reed, M. Fazel, L. Jones, C. Panter-Brick, A. Stein. Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in low and middle-income countries: risk and protective factors The Lancet 2011 379(9812):250-265. Full Access via Evidence Aid

External links

Useful Guidelines
 Evidence-based clinical guidelines for immigrants and refugees (Canada)
 Evidence-Based Preventative Care Checklist For New Immigrants and Refugees (CCSIR)
 Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases. Diagnosis, management and prevention of infections in recently arrived refugees
 Infectious Disease Assessment for Migrants (Irish guidelines)
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for pre-departure and post-arrival medical screening and treatment of U.S.-bound refugees
 Public Health England – GOV.UK  – Migrant health guide: countries A to Z
 Public Health England – GOV.UK – Communicable diseases: migrant health guide
 Public Health England – GOV.UK – Non-communicable health concerns: migrant health guide

Development charities based in the United Kingdom
Disaster management
International responses to natural disasters
2004 establishments in England
International medical and health organizations
Health campaigns
Health research
Health in Oxfordshire
Organisations based in Oxford
Organizations established in 2004

Evidence Aid


Primula suffrutescens is a species of primrose known by the common name Sierra primrose.

Description
With a matlike form of a thick, woody base covered in the dried remnants of previous seasons' herbage, Primula suffrutescens is a subshrub growing from a sturdy anchoring rhizome. The green leaves occur in several rosettes on the woody base. The hairless leaves are spoon-shaped with jagged, toothed tips and measure up to 3.5 centimetres long.

From the rosettes arise inflorescences on peduncles up to 12 centimeters tall. The showy inflorescence is an umbel of several flowers with tubular yellow throats and flat magenta corollas with five jagged or notch-tipped lobes. The fruit is a capsule.

Distribution and habitat
It is endemic to California, where it grows in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Ranges. It grows in rock cracks, blooming in July and August.

External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - Primula suffrutescens
Primula suffrutescens - Photo gallery

suffrutescens
Endemic flora of California
Flora of the Klamath Mountains
Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Primula suffrutescens


Adrián Eduardo Barilari (born November 11, 1959) is an Argentine singer best known as the vocalist of the heavy metal and hard rock band Rata Blanca.  He also has his own solo band.

Biography
Barilari was involved with music from an early age as his uncle was executor of bandoneon and tango singer, and  taught him to sing when he was 4 or 5 years old.  Soon his mother began taking him to television show to sing in front of cameras, at only 7 or 8 years old.  At 13 he began composing his first songs and his mother inspired him to study the accordion, but he ended up learning to play the guitar.

His first bands were named Topos Urbanos, Cobalto, Vietnam, and Dias de Gloria.

Career

Rata Blanca (1989 - 1993)
It was then that the singer Saúl Blanch left Rata Blanca, and the group began searching for new singer. Although Barilari intended to continue in Dias de Gloria, his own colleagues urged him to bring it into the band.
After his admission to the impressive success achieved Magos, espadas y rosas (Wizards, Swords and Roses), and was even present at the stadium of Velez Sarsfield as a major group. However, success began to wane after Guerrero del Arcoiris (Rainbow Warrior), as well as relations among the members. Still out on tour and in 1992 edited En Vivo en Buenos Aires (with Bach Soloists Chamber Orchestra), it would not be released until 1996. Finally, with the release of mini album El Libro Oculto (Book of the Occult), and to the wishes of Walter Giardino to bring the band to a heavier style, Adrian left the band to not agree with the new direction set by the guitarist.

Alianza (1994 - 2000)
With the keyboardist Hugo Bistolfi, who also left Rata Blanca, form Alianza, with many musicians sessions, which were the only members permanently was Barilari and Bistolfi. The duo explore ballads sound with more keyboard presence than Rata Blanca. Alianza did not have much impact in Argentina, but in other Latin American countries. They edited three albums Sueños del Mundo (1994), Alianza (1997), and Huellas (1999).

Rata Blanca (2000 - Present)
On September 2, 2000 announced in Bolivia to build again soon called Rata Blanca and her partner in Alianza for holding back the band on keyboards. Left for a Latin American tour and closed on 19 December at the Teatro Coliseo. Days later, Alianza presented in Acatraz.
Rata Blanca already back to life, edited Grandes Canciones, a compilation with some of the most classical of the group, including an acoustic version of "Mujer Amante" with the current formation. Subsequently, released El Camino del Fuego who was the sequel to Temple, but with the new formation of Rata Blanca. Also released two singles from the latter, the first was titled Highway on fire with the songs "Master of the Highway", "Back Home", "Fire dance (a instrumental of Temple).
In 2003 edited "Poder Vivo". In 2005 he edited La llave de la puerta secreta a disc inspired by the book The Da Vinci Code and in 2008 released his latest album El Reino Olvidado always remained in force in the scene in Argentina. El Reino Olvidado  was also edited in English as The Forgotten Kingdom but Barilari refuse to record this version, finally Doogie White (Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) record the album.

Barilari (2001 - Present)
Besides his work in Rata Blanca, Adrián Barilari begin a solo career as a side project, he recorded an EP with four tracks ahead of the main cd "Barilari". " Barilari, and released as an album, with the participation of distinguished musicians from Stratovarius, Jens Johansson on keyboards, who also contributed string arrangements, guitars Emppu Vuorinen, Jukka Nevalainen on drums and Sami Vänskä on bass (all except the last, Members of Nightwish, Vänskä and is not). In guitars, in addition, the Argentine Daniel Telis and Gonzalo Ledesma. The album was recorded in Finland, Sweden, Germany and Argentina and has a string section recorded in Germany. The compositions are borne by Adrian Gonzalo Ledesma and Daniel Telis, Jens Johansson and Emppu Vuorinen. It highlights the cover of the classic Rainbow, "Stargazer", in a brilliant adaptation to Castilian. The album was mixed by Mikko Karmila and mastered by Mika Jussila in the legendary Finnvox Studios in Finland where today produces much of the heavy rock worldwide. Then released a live DVD, and recently edited covers CD called Canciones Doradas. In 2009 Adrian brings to light the third disc Abuso de Poder, this is a very powerful and dark album, this album was released via internet by page dontpaymusic.com in early June, the first cut is the song that gives title track.

Influence and Technique

One could mention as his main influences include Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan although some style Barilari treated with singers more cutting power and lyrical as Michael Kiske, Tobias Sammet and Bruce Dickinson.

Likewise, in his 20-year career he has also been the inspiration for many artists who today belong to outstanding Hispanic bands. Until the time of admission to Rata Blanca in the late '80s, had not appeared on the scene arguably Argentina and throughout Latin America also a vocalist of heavy metal and hard rock with the technical quality and influence classic hit which he learned in those years, so it may be cited as the spearhead of the genre. Holder of a record and a unique flow and an ability to reach very high tones with complete ease and pitch and also able to interpret from an epic theme to a ballad or rocker has kept intact his voice to today as also his popularity.

Discography

With Rata Blanca
 Magos, espadas y rosas (1990)
 Guerrero del Arco Iris (1991)
 El Libro Oculto (1993)
 En Vivo en Buenos Aires (1992/1996)
 Grandes Canciones (2000)
 El Camino del Fuego (2002)
 Poder Vivo (2003)
 La Llave de la Puerta Secreta (2005)
 El Reino Olvidado (2008)
 Tormenta Eléctrica (2015)

With Alianza
 Sueños del Mundo  (1994)
 Alianza  (1997)
 Huellas (1999)

Soloist
 Barilari  (2003)
 Canciones Doradas (2007)
 Abuso de Poder (2009)
 4 (2012)
 Infierock (2019)

Collaborations
 Azeroth (2000)
 Magika: "La Fuerza Que Nace" (2001)
 La Leyenda Continua: Tribute to Rata Blanca (2001)
 Dragonfly: "Domine" (2002)
 Larga Vida al... Volumen Brutal: Tribute to Barón Rojo (2002)
 Blind Guardian: A Night at the Opera "La Cosecha del Dolor" (2002)
 Agamez: "Batalla Solar" (2007)
 Hugo Bistolfi: "Viaje al Cosmos" (2009)

References

 https://web.archive.org/web/20120913104300/http://www.rataweb.com.ar/

Argentine heavy metal singers
1959 births
Living people
Argentine people of Italian descent
20th-century Argentine male singers
Rata Blanca members
21st-century Argentine male singers

Adrián Barilari


Gilbert Kalish (born July 2, 1935) is an American pianist.

He was born in New York and studied with Leonard Shure, Julius Hereford and Isabelle Vengerova.  He was a founding member of the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a pioneering new music group that flourished during the 1960s and '70s.  He was a pianist of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players from 1969 to 1998.

He is noted for his partnerships with other artists, particularly his thirty-year collaboration with mezzo-soprano Jan DeGaetani, but also including cellists Timothy Eddy and Joel Krosnick, and soprano Dawn Upshaw.

Kalish is Leading Professor and Head of Performance Activities at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. From 1968 to 1997, he was a faculty member of the Tanglewood Music Center and served as the "Chairman of the Faculty" at Tanglewood from 1985 to 1997. He has also served on the faculties of the Banff Centre and the Steans Institute at Ravinia, and is renowned for his master class presentations.

Kalish has a large discography, encompassing classical repertory, 20th-century masterworks and new compositions.  These include his solo recordings of Charles Ives' Concord Sonata and sonatas of Joseph Haydn, vocal music with Jan DeGaetani and landmarks of the 20th century by composers such as Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Ralph Shapey and Arnold Schoenberg. He made the world premiere recordings of Charles Ives' Largo for Violin and Piano, In Re Con Moto et al., Largo Risoluto No. 1 & 2, A Set of Three Short Pieces, and songs The All-Enduring, The Innate, and Song (She is not fair). Kalish appeared on Charles Schwartz's 1979 jazz symphony Mother__! Mother__!! with Clark Terry and Zoot Sims.

Kalish has given many first performances, and has had many works written for him.  He gave the first solo piano recital in the newly renovated Miller Theatre at Columbia University.  He has received many honours, including three Grammy Award nominations.  In 1995, he was presented with the Paul Fromm Award by the University of Chicago Music Department for distinguished service to the music of our time.

Notes

References
Stony Brook: Gilbert Kalish
Gilbert Kalish interview, July 15, 1999

American classical pianists
American male classical pianists
Jewish classical pianists
Arabesque Records artists
Living people
1935 births
Musicians from New York City
Stony Brook University faculty
20th-century American pianists
Classical musicians from New York (state)
21st-century classical pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American pianists

Gilbert Kalish


A fore-and-aft rig is a sailing rig that mainly has sails that are set along the line of the keel instead of perpendicular to it. Such sails are described as fore-and-aft rigged.

History
Two of the earliest fore-and-aft rigged sailing designs were the Chinese junk and the triangular lateen sails of the Egyptian Feluccas and dhows. The lateen sail was used by Greek ships as early as the 9th century. By the 11th century the fore-and-aft rig began to be used in the Italian city-states and the Mediterranean Sea. The generally gentle climate made its use practical. There seems to be no record of when it was first used in Northern Europe. The square rigged sails came first in the North. The Vikings used square rigged sails which became popular in Britain and Northern Europe. They certainly had seen its use in the course of trade and during the Crusades. The Renaissance changed this. Slowly the fore-and-aft rig came into common use on rivers and in estuaries in Britain, Northern France, and the Low Countries. The square rig remained standard for the harsher conditions of the open North Sea as well as for transatlantic sailing. The lateen sail was more maneuverable and faster, while the square rig was clumsy but seaworthy.

Related pages
 Square rig

References

Other websites
 The Rigging of a Sailing Ship
 fore and aft; YouTube
 The Physics of Sailing; YouTube

Sailing
Boats

Fore-and-aft rig