List A cricket (also known as List A) is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the number of overs in an innings per team ranges from forty to sixty, as well as some international matches involving nations who have not achieved official ODI status. Together with first-class and Twenty20 cricket, List A is one of the three major forms of cricket recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In November 2021, the ICC retrospectively applied List A status to women's cricket, aligning it with the men's game.

References

Cricket

List A


Arcanum (also known as Arcanum Divinae) is an encyclical issued on February 10, 1880 by Pope Leo XIII, on the topic of Christian marriage.

The encyclical was considered the forerunner to Pope Pius XI's 1930 Casti connubii and Pope Paul VI's 1968 Humanae vitae. Arcanum outlines the rule of marriage in the late 19th century, and goes through those actions which weaken the marriage sacrament, such as polygamy and divorce.  The encyclical also posits the Church as a protector of marriage, rather than one interfering in the marital relationship.

Summary
Pope Leo XIII began Arcanum by recalling the history of marriage, established in the Old Testament when God created man and woman:

"We record what is to all known, and cannot be doubted by any, that God, on the sixth day of creation, having made man from the slime of the earth, and having breathed into his face the breath of life, gave him a companion, whom He miraculously took from the side of Adam when he was locked in sleep."

According to Leo, the institution of marriage was corrupted over the years by Gentiles and the Jewish nation. Polygamy and divorce both became accepted practice such as men being allowed to violate their vows by having sexual relations outside of marriage. Parents were also allowed to buy and sell marriageable girls.

The Excellence of Marriage

Leo stated in the Arcanum that all of these practices were condemned by Christ who raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament,.

"By the command of Christ, it not only looks to the propagation of the human race, but to the bringing forth of children for the Church...."

"The Church, always and everywhere, has so used her power with reference to the marriages of Christians that men have seen clearly how it belongs to her as of native right; not being made hers by any human grant, but given divinely to her by the will of her Founder."″That the judgment of the Council of Jerusalem reprobated licentious and free love,(20) we all know; as also that the incestuous Corinthian was condemned by the authority of blessed Paul.(21) Again, in the very beginning of the Christian Church were repulsed and defeated, with the like unremitting determination, the efforts of many who aimed at the destruction of Christian marriage, such as the Gnostics, Manichaeans, and Montanists; and in our own time Mormons, St. Simonians, phalansterians, and communists″"Not only...was marriage instituted for the propagation of the human race, but also that the lives of husbands and wives might be made better and happier."

Almost since its inception, the Church had been at odds with the State about the sanctity of marriage. Leo believed that the civil institution of marriage cannot replace the sacrament of marriage as so many of his contemporaries thought it could. The placing of marriage under the state as just another civil, contractual institution appeared to be a part of the on-going secular movement by the Freemasons and Socialists of Leo's time. "...in Christian marriage the contract is inseparable from the sacrament, and that, for this reason, the contract cannot be true and legitimate without being a sacrament as well.

Treating marriage as just another contractual event opened the door for the reckless enablement of divorce. According to the modernists, what was needed was for Christianity "to introduce a more humane code sanctioning divorce.

THE EVILS OF DIVORCE

The evils from divorce were many according to Leo in Arcanum:

• Matrimonial contracts are by it made variable; mutual kindness is weakened;• Deplorable inducements to unfaithfulness are supplied;• Harm is done to the education of children;• Occasion is afforded for the breaking up of homes;• The seeds of dissension are sown among families;• The dignity of womanhood is lessened and brought low, and women run the risk of being deserted after having ministered to the pleasures of men....The Romans of old are said to have shrunk with horror from the first example of divorce.  Due to marriage's relation to the circumstances of life, marriage was something "about which the State rightly makes strict inquiry and justly promulgates decrees."  In spite of that state's interest in marriage, marriage had a spiritual side and Leo saw that many of his predecessors had to stand up to the princes and emperors of their times who tried to relax the bonds of marriage:... the decrees of Nicholas I against Lothair; of Urban II and Paschal II against Philip I of France; of Celestine III and Innocent III against Alphonsus of Leon and Philip II of France; of Clement VII and Paul III against Henry VIII; and, lastly, of Pius VII, that holy and courageous pontiff, against Napoleon I, at the height of his prosperity and in the fullness of his power.Mixed Marriages

Though later Popes would place conditions on mixed marriages, during the 19th Century, those marriages, per Leo, were considered part of the on-going rationalist attack on this  sacrament:Care also must be taken that they do not easily enter into marriage with those who are not Catholics; for, when minds do not agree as to the observances of religion, it is scarcely possible to hope for agreement in other things. ...they give occasion to forbidden association and communion in religious matters; endanger the faith of the Catholic partner; are a hindrance to the proper education of the children; and often lead to a mixing up of truth and falsehood, and to the belief that all religions are equally good.

Summary of Arcanum from The Catholic EncyclopediaArcanum'' taught that since family life is the germ of society, and marriage is the basis of family life, the healthy condition of civil no less than of religious society depends on the inviolability of the marriage contract.

The argument of the encyclical runs as follows: The mission of Christ was to restore man in the supernatural order. That should benefit man also in the natural order; first, the individual; and then, as a consequence, human society. Having laid down this principle, the encyclical deals with Christian marriage which sanctifies the family, i.e. the unit of society.

The divinely instituted marriage contract initially had two properties: unity and indissolubility. Through human weakness and willfulness it was corrupted in the course of time; polygamy destroyed its unity, and divorce its indissolubility. Christ restored the original idea of human marriage, and to sanctify more thoroughly this institution He raised the marriage contract to the dignity of a sacrament. Mutual rights and duties were secured to husband and wife; mutual rights and duties between parents and children were also asserted: to the former, authority to govern and the duty of training; to the latter, the right to parental care and the duty of reverence.

Christ instituted his church to continue his mission to men. The church has always asserted the unity and indissolubility of marriage, the rights and duties of husband, wife, and children. She has also maintained that, the natural contract in marriage having been raised to the dignity of a sacrament, these two are henceforth one and the same thing so that there cannot be a marriage contract amongst Christians which is not a sacrament.

Hence, while admitting the right of civil authority to regulate the civil concerns and consequences of marriage, the church has always claimed exclusive authority over the marriage contract and its essentials, since it is a sacrament. The encyclical shows by the light of history that for centuries the church exercised authority, and the civil power admitted that authority. But human weakness and willfulness began to throw off the bridle of Christian discipline in family life; civil rulers began to disown the authority of the church over the marriage tie; and rationalism sought to sustain them by establishing the principle that the marriage contract is not a sacrament at all, or at least that the natural contract and the sacrament are separable and distinct things. Hence arose the idea of the dissolubility of marriage and divorce, superseding the unity and indissolubility of the marriage bond.

The encyclical points to the consequences of that departure in the breaking up of family life, and its evil effects on society at large. It points out as a consequence, that the church, in asserting its authority over the marriage contract, has shown itself not the enemy but the best friend of the civil power and the guardian of civil society.

In conclusion, the encyclical commissions all bishops to oppose civil marriage, and it warns the faithful against the dangers of mixed marriages.

See also

List of encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII
Christian views on marriage

References

Footnotes

Bibliography
  Acta Sanctae Sedis (Rome, 1880), XII, 385-405, tr.; WYNNE, Great Encyclicals of Leo XIII (New York, 1903), 58-82; and EYRE, The Pope and the People (London, 1895), 176-206. An excellent commentary is that of Msgr. JAMES CORCORAN, in Amer. Cath. Quar. Review (Philadelphia, 1880), V, 302-32.

Further reading

 Full text of the Arcanum Letter, New Advent.org, 2007.
 Arcanum Divinae, Vatican web site.

1880 in Christianity
1880 works
Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII
February 1880 events
Marriage in the Catholic Church

Arcanum (encyclical)


Giuseppe Cei (January 25, 1889 – March 28, 1911) was an Italian aviation pioneer.

He was born in Càscina, Tuscany, and showed a precocious talent for mechanics from a very early age. He also obtained good results as a fencer, winning the sabre prize in the International Contest held at Milano in 1908.

In late 1909, he moved to Paris, France. He studied in the Roche School for Aeronautics and Mechanic Constructions, graduating in engineering. In the same period he started to fly planes at the Issy-les-Moulineaux airfield.

On January 1, 1911 he received the 35th piloting license in Italy. Later his aerobatic performances in Paris, riding a Farman biplane, led the French President Armand Fallières to declare him Le roi de l'air ("The King of the Air").

Cei died on March 28 of that year when his plane crashed on Rotschild Island near Puteaux. His funeral was attended by a large crowd in Paris. Later his body was buried in his native city.

External links
Page at EarlyAviatiors.com

1889 births
1911 deaths
People from the Province of Pisa
Aviation pioneers
20th-century Italian engineers
Italian male fencers
Italian expatriates in France

Giuseppe Cei


Shiva's Headband (or Shiva's Head Band), was an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Austin, Texas, United States, in 1967.  Original members included fiddler Spencer Perskin and his wife Susan, keyboardist Shawn Siegel, guitarists Kenny Parker and Bob Tom Reed and drummer Jerry Barnett. The group was the house band at the Vulcan Gas Company, a late 1960s Austin nightclub. The band is credited with a significant role in the founding of the Armadillo World Headquarters. The band's first royalty check opened the club and hired Eddie Wilson as manager. Shiva's Headband was also the first band to perform there.  Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the band played with touring acts such as Spirit, Steppenwolf, ZZ Top, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat and Steve Miller. Austin psychedelic bands contemporary to Shiva's Headband included The 13th Floor Elevators and The Conqueroo.

Shiva's Headband's Capitol Records debut album, Take Me To The Mountains, produced by bandleader Spencer Perskin with Fred Catero, became the first record released nationally by an Austin-based rock band. The album cover featured artwork by Jim Franklin.  In 1973, the band had an onscreen performance in the film, The Thief Who Came to Dinner, a Houston-based production that starred Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset.

In 1999, long-time bandleader Spencer Perskin was voted " Austin's Old hippie" at Eeyore's Birthday Party, an annual Austin rite of spring. In 2005, Perkins released the recording, Magic Feather, again with artwork by Jim Franklin.  The band still performs in Austin, using the name Shiva's Headband Experience.

Select discography

Singles
"Kaleidoscoptic" / "There's No Tears", Sonobeat Records, 1968 (unreleased test pressing)
"Kaleidescoptic" (sic) / "Song For Peace", Ignite Records, 1968
"Take Me To The Mountains" / "Lose The Blues", Armadillo Records, 1970
"Country Boy" / "Such A Joy", Armadillo Music, 1971
"Don't Blame Me" / "Extension", Armadillo Records, 1976

Albums
Take Me to the Mountains, Capitol Records, 1969
Coming to a Head, Armadillo Records, 1971
Psychedelic Yesterday, Ape Records, 1977
In the Primo of Life, Moontower Sounds, 1983

Compilations
Shiva's Headband Classics, Vol.1: Down In Texas, Moontower Sounds, 1996
The Singles Collection, Bluethroat Records, 2011
Shiva's Headband Classics, Vol.2: The Temple Of Rock And Roll, 2003

Filmography
The Thief Who Came to Dinner, directed by Bud Yorkin, 1973

See also
Music of Austin

References

External links
Official Shiva's Headband website
Shiva's Headband fansite
Photos of Shiva's Headband
Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle article
"Psychedelic Blues Pioneer Spencer Perskin of Shivas Headband" by Thorne Dreyer, The Rag Blog, May 30, 2012. Includes podcast of Dreyer's May 5, 2012, Rag Radio interview with Spencer Perskin, Susan Perskin, and Shawn Siegel—with performance. (57:19)

Psychedelic rock music groups from Texas

Shiva's Headband


Edmund William Samuel (November 27, 1857 – March 7, 1930) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Edmund W. Samuel was born in Blaenavon, Wales.  He immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in Ashland, Pennsylvania, in 1859.  He was engaged in coal mining. He learned the drug business and began the study of medicine.  He graduated from the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia in 1880 and commenced practice in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.  He served as school director of Mount Carmel from 1890 to 1894.

Samuel was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-ninth Congress.  He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1906 and for election in 1908.  He resumed the practice of medicine in Mount Carmel and served as president and general manager of the Shamokin-Mount Carmel Transit Co. from 1908 to 1924.  He retired in 1925 and moved to Brooklyn, New York.  He died in Mount Carmel in 1930.  He was buried in the Mount Carmel Cemetery.

Sources

The Political Graveyard

Samuel, Edmund W.
Samuel, Edmund W.
People from Blaenavon
Samuel, Edmund W.
Thomas Jefferson University alumni
Physicians from Pennsylvania
People from Ashland, Pennsylvania
People from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania

Edmund W. Samuel


The Armstrong Memorial Building is a historic municipal building at 3 North Lowell Road in Windham, New Hampshire. Built in 1899, it was the town's first purpose-built library building, a role it played until 1997. It now houses the town museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Description and history
The Armstrong Memorial Building is located in the town center of Windham, a cluster of municipal, civic, and religious buildings near the junction of New Hampshire Route 111 and North Lowell Road. It stands on the northwest side of North Lowell Road, sharing a drive with the old town hall and a public works garage. It is a single-story structure, with a fieldstone exterior and hip roof. The roof has exposed rafter ends in the eaves, and small hip-roof dormers on the front face. Windows consist of bands of casement windows with diamond lights. At the center of the front is the main entrance, sheltered by a project gabled portico supported by square stone columns.

Windham's early library, founded in the 18th century, was a subscription-based project shared with the neighboring town of Salem. Its first free public library was established in 1874 with funding from Windham native Colonel Thomas Nesmith which operated out of the town hall. In 1897, another Windham resident, George Washington Armstrong, donated funds for construction of a library building. This building was completed in 1899, designed by Windham architect William Weare Dinsmoor and built by mason Loren Emerson Bailey. The library remained here until 1997, when it moved to a modern facility on nearby Fellows Road.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire

References

Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
Library buildings completed in 1899
Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Libraries in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
1899 establishments in New Hampshire
National Register of Historic Places in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Windham, New Hampshire
Museums in Rockingham County, New Hampshire
History museums in New Hampshire

Armstrong Memorial Building


Bernadette O'Farrell (30 January 1924 – 26 September 1999) was an Irish actress. She was born in Birr, County Offaly, Irish Free State. She was married to the film writer, director and producer Frank Launder from 1950 until his death in 1997. They had two daughters together.

She is best known for playing Maid Marian in the 1950s TV version of The Adventures of Robin Hood. She left the show in 1957, after 78 episodes, to avoid type-casting, and was replaced by Patricia Driscoll.

She played an English mistress, Miss Harper, in The Happiest Days of Your Life (1949), Jessie Bond in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) and Peg Curtis in the boxing film The Square Ring (1953). She retired from acting in 1959 to live on a farm in Buckinghamshire, England. Later, O'Farrell and Launder moved to Monaco.  Her last film appearance was in The Wildcats of St. Trinian's (1980).

Filmography

References

External links

1924 births
1999 deaths
20th-century Irish actresses
Irish expatriates in Monaco
Irish film actresses
Actors from County Offaly
People from Birr, County Offaly

Bernadette O'Farrell


In mathematics, particularly in set theory, Fodor's lemma states the following:

If  is a regular, uncountable cardinal,  is a stationary subset of , and  is regressive (that is,  for any , ) then there is some  and some stationary  such that  for any . In modern parlance, the nonstationary ideal is normal.

The lemma was first proved by the Hungarian set theorist, Géza Fodor in 1956.  It is sometimes also called "The Pressing Down Lemma".

Proof

We can assume that  (by removing 0, if necessary).
If Fodor's lemma is false, for every  there is some club set  such that . Let . The club sets are closed under diagonal intersection, so  is also club and therefore there is some . Then  for each , and so there can be no  such that , so , a contradiction.

Fodor's lemma also holds for Thomas Jech's notion of stationary sets as well as for the general notion of stationary set.

Fodor's lemma for trees

Another related statement, also known as Fodor's lemma (or Pressing-Down-lemma), is the following:

For every non-special tree  and regressive mapping  (that is, , with respect to the order on , for every ), there is a non-special subtree  on which  is constant.

References

 G. Fodor, Eine Bemerkung zur Theorie der regressiven Funktionen, Acta Sci. Math. Szeged, 17(1956), 139-142 .
 Karel Hrbacek & Thomas Jech, Introduction to Set Theory, 3rd edition, Chapter 11, Section 3.
 Mark Howard, Applications of Fodor's Lemma to Vaught's Conjecture. Ann. Pure and Appl. Logic 42(1): 1-19 (1989).
 Simon Thomas, The Automorphism Tower Problem. PostScript file at
 S. Todorcevic, Combinatorial dichotomies in set theory. pdf at

Articles containing proofs
Lemmas in set theory

Fodor's lemma


Myanmar has been under the rule of repressive authoritarian military regimes since 1962. After the 1974 Socialist constitution was suspended in 1988, constitutional protection of religious freedom has not existed, after the bloody suppression of the 8888 Uprising. The authorities generally permitted most adherents of registered religious groups to worship as they choose; however, the government imposed restrictions on certain religious activities and is accused of abusing the right to freedom of religion.

Basic facts

Myanmar has a population of approximately 54.5 million in 2023. The 2014 census noted that 88% were Buddhist, 6% were Christian, 4.3% were Muslim, 1% were Animist and 0.5% were Hindu. However, the large movement of  Rohingyas in 2017 has halved the number of Muslims in the country.

Accusations

The government is accused of actively promoting Theravada Buddhism (practised by 90% of the population) over other religions, particularly among members of ethnic minorities. Christian and Islamic groups continued to have trouble obtaining permission to repair existing places of worship or build new ones. Anti-Muslim violence continued, as did the close monitoring of Muslim activities. Although there were no new reports of forced conversions of non-Buddhists, the government applied pressure on students and poor youth to convert to Buddhism. Adherence or conversion to Buddhism is generally a prerequisite for promotion to senior government and military ranks.

Evangelism is banned, although Sunday schools and church activities are not affected.

Religious demography

The popular form of Buddhism in Myanmar is Theravada Buddhism with a mixture of astrology, numerology, fortune-telling, and veneration of indigenous pre-Buddhist era deities called "nats". Buddhist monks, including novices, number more than 400,000 and depend on the laity for their material needs, including clothing and daily donations of food. A small population of Buddhist nuns also exist. The principal minority religious groups include Christian groups (mostly Baptists (~70%) and Roman Catholics (~25%), and a small number of Anglicans, and an array of other Protestant denominations), Muslims (mostly Sunni), Hindus, and practitioners of traditional Chinese and indigenous religions. According to official statistics, almost 90 percent of the population practice Buddhism, 6 percent practice Christianity, and 4 percent practice Islam. The US government claims that the numbers might be distorted in favor of Buddhists, however, this cannot be verified. There is also a tiny Jewish community in Yangon, of about 25 adherents and a synagogue, but there is no resident rabbi to conduct services.

The country is ethnically diverse, with some correlation between ethnicity and religion. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion among the majority Burman ethnic group and among the Shan, Arakanese, and Mon ethnic minorities of the eastern, western, and southern regions. Christianity is the dominant religion among the Chin ethnic group of the Western region and has some adherents amongst the Kachin and Naga ethnic groups, whom continue to practice traditional indigenous religions. Christianity is also practised widely among the Karen and Karenni ethnic groups of the southern and eastern regions, although many Karen and Karenni are Buddhist. In addition, some ethnic Indians are Christian. Hinduism is practised chiefly by Burmese of Indian origin, who are concentrated in major cities and in the south central region. Islam is practised widely in Rakhine State, where it is the dominant religion of the Rohingya minority, and in Rangoon, Ayeyarwady, Magway, and Mandalay Divisions. Some Burmans, Indians, and ethnic Bengalis also practice Islam. Chinese ethnic minorities generally practice traditional Chinese religions. Traditional indigenous beliefs are practised widely among smaller ethnic groups in the highland regions. Practices drawn from those indigenous beliefs persist widely in popular Buddhist rituals, especially in rural areas.

Status of religious freedom up to 2009

Restrictions on religious freedom

The Government continued to show preference for Theravada Buddhism while controlling the organisation and restricting the activities and expression of the Buddhist clergy (Sangha), although some monks have resisted such control. Based on the 1990 Sangha Organization Law, the Government banned any organisation of Buddhist monks other than the nine state-recognized monastic orders. These nine orders submit to the authority of the SMNC, the members of which are indirectly elected by monks. Violations of this ban are punishable by immediate public defrocking, and often by criminal penalties.

There are reports that the ITBMU, while in principle open to the public, accepted only candidates who were approved by government authorities or recommended by a senior, progovernment Buddhist abbot.

The Government infiltrated or monitored the meetings and activities of virtually all organisations, including religious organisations, subjecting all media, including religious publications, and on occasion sermons, to control and censorship.

During the reporting period, the Government harassed a group of Buddhist worshippers who visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon every Tuesday, the day of the week that Aung San Suu Kyi was born, to pray at the Tuesday pillar for her release and the release of all political prisoners in the country.

Authorities frequently refused to approve requests for gatherings to celebrate traditional Christian and Islamic holidays and restricted the number of Muslims that could gather in one place.
On 22 March 2007, authorities detained Htin Kyaw, when he publicly protested the denial of his religious freedom to become a monk. Htin Kyaw had participated in earlier demonstrations against deteriorating economic and social conditions. Rangoon authorities then enforced a 1995 prohibition against any opposition political party member from being ordained as a monk or religious leader and forbade the abbot of a monastery in North Okkalapa in Rangoon to ordain Htin Kyaw.

On 23 January 2007, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) released a report that documented the Government's restrictions, discrimination, and persecution against Christians in the country for more than a decade. Subsequently, the Ministry of Religious Affairs pressured religious organisations in the country to publish statements in government-controlled media denying they had any connection with CSW or to condemn the report, and to reject the idea that religious discrimination existed in the country.

Government authorities continued to prohibit Christian clergy from proselytising in some areas. Christian groups reported that several times during the period covered by this report, local authorities denied applications for residency permits of known Christian ministers attempting to move into a new township. The groups indicated this was not a widespread practice, but depended on the individual community and local council. In some instances, local authorities reportedly confiscated National Identity Cards of new converts to Christianity. Despite this, Christian groups reported that church membership grew, even in predominantly Buddhist regions of the country.

During the reporting period, authorities in the Rangoon area closed several house churches because they did not have proper authorisation to hold religious meetings. Other Rangoon home churches remained operational only after paying bribes to local officials. At the same time, the authorities made it difficult, although not impossible, to obtain approval for the construction of "authorized" churches.

In August 2006 NaSaKa, the Government's border security force, ordered eight Rohingya Muslim communities in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State to close their religious centres, including 5 mosques, 4 madrassahs, 18 moqtobs (premadrassahs), and 3 hafez khanas (Qur'an reciting centres). Later, local authorities allowed two madrassahs to reopen.

The Religious Affairs Ministry has stipulated in the past that permission to construct new religious buildings "depends upon the population of the location;" however, there appeared to be no correlation between the construction of pagodas and the demand for additional places of Buddhist worship. In most regions of the country, Christian and Islamic groups that sought to build small places of worship on side streets or other inconspicuous locations were able to do so only with informal approval from local authorities; however, informal approval from local authorities created a tenuous legal situation. When local authorities or conditions have changed, informal approvals for construction have been rescinded abruptly and construction halted. In some cases, authorities demolished existing church buildings.

The Myanmar Institute of Theology (MIT) in Insein Township, Rangoon is the premier seminary for Baptists throughout the country. To accommodate a rapidly increasing enrolment, MIT raised funds to build a new classroom building and purchase building supplies. At the last minute, government officials refused to grant a building permit. However, newly built churches are evident in several parts of the state. In Rangoon, Mandalay, and elsewhere, authorities allowed construction of new community centres by various Christian groups only if they agreed not to hold services there or erect Christian signs.

It remained extremely difficult for Muslims to get permission to repair existing mosques, although internal renovations were allowed in some cases. In some parts of Rakhine State, authorities cordoned off mosques and forbade Muslims to worship in them.

State censorship authorities continued to enforce special restrictions on local publication of the Bible, the Qur'an, and Christian and Islamic publications in general. The most onerous restriction was a list of more than 100 prohibited words that the censors would not allow in Christian or Islamic literature because they are "indigenous terms" or derived from the Pali language long used in Buddhist literature. Many of these words have been used and accepted by some of the country's Christian and Islamic groups since the colonial period. Organizations that translate and publish non-Buddhist religious texts were appealing these restrictions. In addition, censors have sometimes objected to passages of the Old Testament and the Qur'an that they believe approve the use of violence against nonbelievers. There have been no reports of arrests or prosecutions for possession of any traditional religious literature in recent years.

Authorities also restricted the quantity of bibles and Qur'ans brought into the country. During the reporting period, however, individuals continued to carry Bibles and Qur'ans into the country in small quantities for personal use. There were no reports that authorities intercepted or confiscated Qur'ans at border entry points, but religious leaders complained that postal workers steal them to sell on the black market.

In general, the Government has not allowed permanent foreign religious missions to operate in the country since the mid-1960s, when it expelled nearly all foreign missionaries and nationalised all private schools and hospitals. Christian groups have brought in foreign clergy and religious workers for visits as tourists, but they have been careful to ensure that the Government did not perceive their activities as proselytising. Some Christian theological seminaries also continued to operate, as did several Bible schools and madrassahs. The Government has allowed some members of foreign religious groups, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), to enter the country to provide humanitarian assistance or English language training to government officials. Some of these groups did not register with the Myanmar Council of Churches, but were able to conduct religious services without government interference.

The Government sometimes expedited its burdensome passport issuance procedures for Muslims making the Hajj or Buddhists going on pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, India, although it limited the number of pilgrims. In 2006 government officials allowed approximately 3,000 Muslims to participate in the Hajj. Government and private travel agencies processed approximately 2,500 Buddhist pilgrims to travel to Bodhgaya in India.

Non-Buddhists continued to experience employment discrimination at upper levels of the public sector. Few have ever been promoted to the level of Director General or higher. There were no non-Buddhists who held flag rank in the armed forces, although a few Christians reportedly achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. The Central Executive Committee of the largest opposition group - the National League for Democracy - also included no non-Buddhists, although individual members from most religious groups in the country supported the party. The Government discouraged Muslims from enlisting in the military, and Christian or Muslim military officers who aspired for promotion beyond the rank of major were encouraged by their superiors to convert to Buddhism. Some Muslims who wished to join the military reportedly had to list "Buddhist" as their religion on their application, though they were not required to convert.

Rohingya Muslims

Rohingya Muslims, although essentially treated as illegal foreigners, were not issued Foreigner Registration Cards. Instead, the Government gave some of them "Temporary Registration Cards" (TRC). UNHCR estimated that only 650,000 of the approximately 800,000 Rohingyas possessed TRCs. Authorities have insisted that Muslim men applying for TRCs submit photos without beards. The authorities did not allow government employees of the Islamic faith, including village headmen, to grow beards, and dismissed some who already had beards. The authorities also did not consider many non-Rohingya Muslims to be citizens. In order for these Muslims to receive National Registration Cards and passports, they must pay large bribes. Ethnic Burman Muslims pay less than Muslims from ethnic minority groups (primary those of Indian or Bengali descent).

In 2006 a prominent Muslim religious organisation asked the Rakhine State Peace and Development Council Chairman, the Regional Military Commander, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs to lift marriage restrictions for Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State. At the end of the reporting period, they had yet to receive a response.

In Rangoon, Muslims can usually obtain birth certificates for newborns, but local authorities refused to allow them to place the names of the babies on their household registers.

Authorities generally did not grant permission to Rohingya or Muslim Arakanese to travel from their hometowns for any purpose; however, permission was sometimes obtainable through bribery. Non-Arakanese Muslims were given more freedom to travel; however, they were also required to seek permission, which was usually granted after a bribe is paid. Muslims residing in Rangoon could visit beach resort areas in Thandwe, Rakhine State, but could not return to Rangoon without the signature of the Regional Military Commander. Those with money were able to bribe local officials to return. Muslims residing outside of Rakhine State often were barred from return travel to their homes if they visit other parts of Rakhine State.

Rohingyas did not have access to state-run schools beyond primary education and were unable to obtain employment in any civil service positions. Muslim students from Rakhine State who completed high school were not granted permits to travel outside the state to attend college or university. In lieu of a diploma, Rohingya high school graduates received a sheet of paper that stated they would receive a diploma upon presentation of a citizenship card; however, Rohingyas can never obtain such a card.

Many of the approximately 25,000 Rohingya Muslims remaining in refugee camps in Bangladesh refused to return because they feared human rights abuses, including religious persecution.

In 2017, the military carried out a crackdown on Rohingya people in Rakhine State; in 2022, the US Secretary of State determined that members of the Burmese military had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people. An estimated 1.6 million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, Thailand and India; by the end of 2022, the UNHCR reported that approximately 148,000 Rohingya were being held in displacement camps in the country.

Abuses of religious freedom
Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), was in prison or house arrest from 2003 to 2010. When she was arrested, several monks in her convoy were also attacked. Buddhists who travelled to pagodas to pray for her release were also arrested.

There followed many arrests of clergy, including Abbot Wila Tha and his assistant Than Kakesa from the Buddhist monastery of U Shwe Maw village, Taungup Township, and Yeh Zaw, a member of the Phawkkan Evangelical Church who written a letter to the regime leader urging him to end the persecution of his church. There were also reports of buildings being confiscated or being used instead for Buddhist purposes.

There continued to be credible reports from diverse regions of the country that government officials compelled persons, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, especially in rural areas, to contribute money, food, or materials to state-sponsored projects to build, renovate, or maintain Buddhist religious shrines or monuments. The Government denied that it used coercion and called these contributions "voluntary donations" consistent with Buddhist ideas of making merit. In April 2006 authorities in Lashio reportedly tried to coerce merchants to contribute large sums to construct a Buddhist shrine. Christian merchants refused to participate and the funds raised were well below the authorities' target.

Forced religious conversion
Muslim and Christian community leaders reported that during the period covered by this report, authorities had moved away from a campaign of forced conversion to Buddhism and instead focused on enticing non-Buddhists to convert to Buddhism by offering charity or bribery. Conversion of non-Buddhists, coerced or otherwise, is part of a longstanding government campaign to "Burmanize" ethnic minority regions. This campaign has coincided with increased military presence and pressure. In 2005 there was a single, unverified report of forced conversion at gunpoint in Chin State; however, Christian groups reported that such violent cases were less frequent than in earlier years. In September 2006 Chin sources reported that 15 students withdrew from a government-operated hostel for girls in Matupi, Chin State, after formerly voluntary Buddhist evening prayers became compulsory for all the hostel residents. Although the girls received free school fees, food, and accommodation, they complained they felt pressured to become Buddhist. Also in many state schools of Burma, students are to recite Buddhist prayers every morning. In Kanpetlet, Chin State, NaTaLa operated a school exclusively for Buddhist students and guaranteed them government jobs after graduation. Christian children had to agree to convert to Buddhism if they wanted to attend this school.

There were no reports of forced religious conversion of minor US citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the refusal to allow such citizens to return to the United States.

Societal abuses and discrimination

Preferential treatment for Buddhists and widespread prejudice against ethnic Indians, particularly ethnic Rohingya Muslims, were key sources of social tensions between the Buddhist majority and Christian and Muslim minorities.

During this time there were reports of violent clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in Magway Division, Shwe Settaw, Chauk, Salin and Kyauk Pyu.

Since 1994, when Buddhist members split away from the KNU (Karen National Union) to organise the pro-government Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), there have been armed conflicts between the DKBA and the predominantly Christian antigovernment KNU. Although the DKBA reportedly includes some Christians and there are some Buddhists in the KNU, the armed conflict between the two Karen groups has had strong religious overtones. There were also unverified reports that DKBA authorities continued to expel villagers who converted to Christianity.

During the reporting period, a Burmese language document surfaced titled, "Program to Eliminate Christianity." The document suggested 17 points for countering Christianity in the country; however, the source of the document was unknown and several grammatical errors raised questions about its authenticity. There was no definite evidence to link the document to the Government.

2021 military coup
Aung San Suu Kyi became State Counsellor (Prime Minister) on March 30th 2016. On February 1, 2021, she was arrested and deposed by the military, along with other members of the National League for Democracy party. At this time the country came under military rule and the military cracked down on protestors, activists and journalists. In less than 2 years, 15,500 people were arrested and reports of torture were widespread.

Freedom of religion in the 2020s

In 2019, the USCIRF reported, "the Burmese government continued to commit widespread and egregious religious freedom violations, particularly against Rohingya Muslims." The report noted operations in Rakhine State that led to the large-scale displacement of Rohingya, with 910,000 civilians in Bangladeshi refugee camps, including Muslims, Christians, and Hindus and 120,000 in Myanmar camps.

In 2020, Freedom House rated Burma's religious freedom as 1 out of 4, noting that the constitution provides for freedom of religion and recognises Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and animism. However, some anti-Muslim hate speech and discrimination has been amplified by social media, state institutions and mainstream news websites. The governmont also, in practice, interferes with religious groups and discriminates against minority groups through actions such as refusing permission for gatherings, restricting proselytisation and allowing the Anti-Muslim Ma Ba Tha organisation to establish "Muslim-free" villages.

In March 2023, Christian Solidarity Worldwide noted the arrests of 20,000 people since the coup, the displacement of 1.3 million people and the destruction of churches, temples and mosques.

See also

 Religion in Burma
 Human rights in Burma

References

 United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Burma: International Religious Freedom Report 2007. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Myanmar
Human rights in Myanmar
Religion in Myanmar

Freedom of religion in Myanmar


Celestino Cavedoni (18 May 1795 at Levizzano-Rangone, near Modena – 26 November 1865 in Modena) was an Italian ecclesiastic, archeologist, and numismatist.

He pursued his theological studies in the diocesan seminary, and from 1816 to 1821 distinguished himself in the study of archeologist and the Greek and Hebrew languages at the University of Bologna. He was then appointed custodian of the Numismatical Museum of Modena, and received a position in the City Library, of which he became librarian in 1847. From 1830 to 1863 he held the chair of hermeneutics at the University of Modena.

Cavedoni was a corresponding member of the commission created by Napoleon III to edit the works of Count Bartolomeo Borghesi, to which collection he contributed numerous scientific notes. Among his numismatic works may be mentioned Saggio di osservazioni sulle medaglie di famiglie romane (1829); Carellii nummorum Italiæ Veteris tabulæ (Leipzig, 1850); and Numismatica Biblica (Modena, 1850; German tr. by Werlhof, Hanover, 1855–56). Cavedoni contributed numerous historical and archæological papers to the Annali and the Bullettino of the Archæological Institute of Rome and to other Italian publications. In religious polemics he wrote a critique of Ernest Renan's Life of Jesus, Confutazione dei principali errori di Ernesto Renan nella sua Vie de Jésus (Modena, 1863), which passed through four editions in several months.

References

Attribution
  Cites as sources:
 BERTAUX, in La Grande Encyclopédie, IX, 967;
 HURTER, Nomenclator (Innsbruck 1895), III, 1024–25.

1795 births
1865 deaths
Italian numismatists
Italian archaeologists

Celestino Cavedoni


The Triumph of the Rat is a 1926 British silent film drama, directed by Graham Cutts for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Ivor Novello, Isabel Jeans and Nina Vanna.

Background
The film is the second in a trilogy featuring Novello as Pierre Boucheron (The Rat), following the popular success of the previous year's The Rat. Both films were based on plays cowrittened by Ivor Novello, Graham Cutts, Constance Collier and Reginald Fogwell. Jeans also returned to reprise her role from the first film, as did Marie Ault and Julie Suedo. A notable absence is the character of Odile, a central figure in The Rat as played by Mae Marsh. At the end of the previous film Pierre had seemingly rejected the lure of life in high society as represented by the Jeans character of Zélie, and he and Odile had finally realised the depth of their love for each other. However The Triumph of the Rat finds him back with Zélie, and not only does Odile not appear in the film, but not even a passing mention is made as to what might have happened in the interim to cause her to disappear so completely from Pierre's life. This reportedly puzzled contemporary audiences, and while some later observers have theorised that The Triumph of the Rat is meant to present an alternative reality in which Pierre chose Zélie over Odile at the end of the original film, there is no evidence that anything so sophisticated was ever the intention.

Plot
The film opens with Pierre comfortably ensconced as the kept man of his old sparring-partner Zélie, who has apparently made good on her previous claims that she could transform him from a criminal ruffian into a gentleman accepted by the upper echelons of Parisian society. While he appears to relish his new-found social status, Zélie attempts to keep him on a tight rein by constantly reminding him that just as she pulled him up from the gutter, so can she send him back there if he displeases her.

While mixing in rarefied social circles, Pierre develops an admiration for the titled Madeleine de l'Orme (Vanna), which does not go unnoticed by Zélie. She taunts him that while he may have piqued her interest, a true member of the aristocracy will always be out of his reach. He assures her that if he sets his mind to it, he will be able to hook Madeleine. Zélie challenges him to prove it. He sets about wooing Madeleine, and Zélie gradually realises to her horror that he is doing it in earnest rather than just to prove a point, and moreover is succeeding rather well. Carrying through her previous warnings, she takes her revenge and Pierre finds himself consigned back to his old haunt, the sordid White Coffin Club. There he is greeted warmly by his old colleague Mou-Mou (Suedo). However things have changed while he has been away and he is no longer ruler of the White Coffin roost. He is challenged to a knife fight which, unthinkably, he loses. In his shame he feels he can no longer show his face in the White Coffin, and spirals ever deeper into despair and destitution until he is finally reduced to scavenging among stray dogs for discarded scraps of food.

Cast
 Ivor Novello as Pierre Boucheron
 Isabel Jeans as Zélie de Chaumet
 Nina Vanna as Madeleine de l'Orme
 Marie Ault as Mère Colline
 Julie Suedo as Mou Mou
 Lewin Mannering as Comte Henri Mercereau
 Adeline Hayden Coffin as Duchesse de l'Orme
 Charles Dormer as René Duval

References

External links

 The Triumph of the Rat at BFI Film & TV Database

1926 films
1926 drama films
British silent feature films
Films directed by Graham Cutts
Gainsborough Pictures films
British black-and-white films
Films set in Paris
1920s British films
Silent British drama films

The Triumph of the Rat


The Advaita Guru-Paramparā ("Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism") is the traditional lineage (parampara) of divine, Vedic and historical teachers of Advaita Vedanta. It begins with the Daiva-paramparā, the gods; followed by the Ṛṣi-paramparā, the Vedic seers; and then the Mānava-paramparā, with the historical teachers Gaudapada and Shankara, and four of Shankara's pupils. Of the five contemporary acharyas, the heads of the five Advaita mathas, four acharyas trace their lineage to those four pupils and one to Adi Shankara himself.

From mediaeval times, Advaita Vedanta influenced other Indian religions as well, and since the 19th century it came to be regarded as the central philosophy of Indian religion. Several Neo-Vedanta movements and teachers, most notably the Ramakrishna Order, trace their roots to Advaita Vedanta, while the Inchegeri Sampradaya (Nisargadatta Maharaj) and Ramana Maharshi are popularly considered as Advaita Vedanta, though rooted in respectively the Nath and Tamil folk Saivite religion.

Advaita Vedanta and paramparā
Advaita Vedanta is an Indian religious tradition of textual exegesis and yogic praxis, which states that the knowledge of the unity of Atman and Brahman is liberating. It is based on the textual exegesis of the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. It traces its roots back to Vedic times, as described in the Advaita Guru Paramparā, the Advaita version of the Guru–shishya tradition. Historically, Adi Shankara is regarded as its most influential teacher. This influence goes back to medieval times, when Advaita Vedanta came to be regarded as the central philosophy of the post-Vedic religions, and its philosophy influenced several Indian religious traditions.

In several Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the Gods and to the Rishis who saw the Vedas. The successive rishis and teachers of various Indian traditions are honoured in Guru-paramparās, lists of teachers in the Guru–shishya traditions.

Deva, Rsi and Manav Paramparā
The current Acharyas, the heads of the four maṭhas set up by Adi Shankara, trace their authority back to the four main disciples of Shankara. Each of the heads of these four maṭhas takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after Adi Shankara.

Deva, Rsi and Manav Paramparā

The Advaita guru-paramparā (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the mythological time of the Daiva-paramparā, followed by the vedic seers of the Ṛṣi-paramparā, and the Mānava-paramparā of historical times and personalities:
Daiva-paramparā
 Nārāyaṇa
 Padmabhuva (Brahmā)
Ṛṣi-paramparā
 Vaśiṣṭha
 Śakti
 Parāśara
 Vyāsa
 Śuka
'Mānava-paramparā
 Gauḍapāda
 Govinda bhagavatpāda
 Śankara bhagavatpāda, and then Shankara's four disciples
 Padmapāda
 Hastāmalaka
 Toṭaka
 Vārtikakāra (Sureśvara) and others

Each Yuga has its own gurus or Acharyas:
 In the Satya or Krata Yuga: Lord Narayana and Lord Brahma.
 In the Treta Yuga: Vasishta Maharishi, Śakti Maharṣi and Parashara Maharishi.
 In the Dvapara Yuga: Veda Vyasa and Sri Shuka Acharya
 In the Kali Yuga: Sri Gaudapada Acharya, Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya, Shri Shankarāchārya, and the subsequent lineage.

Another famous sloka lists the essential Advaita Guru parampara as follows:
Sada Shiva Samarambham
Sankaracharya Madhyamam
Asmat aacharya Paryantham
Vande Guru Paramparaa

Which translates as :
Beginning with lord Sadashiva,
With Sankaracharya in the middle,
And till my acharya,
I bow to the tradition of teachers

Jagadgurus of the four Advaita Mathas

According to tradition, Sankara organised a section of the Ēkadaṇḍisannyāsins into the Dashanami Sampradaya, establishing four mathas in north, west, east, and south India, to facilitate the teaching of Advaita Vedanta, and maintain the dharma. He entrusted his four disciples to each of these four mathas. Some of the famous and current Mathadhipatis titled 'Sankaracharyas' are listed below:
 Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswami, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham    (1865–1912); initiated many into Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy including Sacchidanandendra Saraswati- founder of Adhyatma Prakashana Karyalaya; known as "Abhinava Shankara" because of his many tours around Bharatvarsha spreading the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and Hindu Dharma
Sri Chandrashekhara Bharathi Mahaswami, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham (1912–1954).
Sri Abhinavavidya Tirtha Mahaswamiji, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham (1954–1989); A great Yogi and master of scriptures. In His many tours of Bharatvarsha and also Nepal He established many maths, shrines and temples.
Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswami, Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham (1989- ); A sage and present Jagadguru of Shringeri Peetha, Sringeri, Karnataka.
 Jyotir Math
 Swaroopanand Saraswati
 Govardhan Peetham
 Kalika Pitha
 Moolamnaya Sarvajya Peetam - Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
 68th Acharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam - Pujyashree Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
 69th Acharya - Pujyashree Jayendra Saraswathi
 70th Acharya - Pujyashree Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati

Acharyas known from literary sources

Ancient Acharyas
 Yajnavalkya: taught Brahmavidya to his wife Maitreyi, which is recorded in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad.
 Uddalaka: taught Brahmavidya to his son Svetaketu in Chandogya Upanishad.

Pre-Badarayana Acharyas
Works of these Advaita Acharyas are not available now, but were quoted by Badarayana:
 Badari (referred to in Br. Su. I.2.30, III.1.1, IV.3.7, IV.4.10)
 Audulomi (referred to in Br. Su. I.3.21, III.4.45, IV.4.6)
 Kasakrtsna (referred to in Br. Su. I.4.220
 Asmarathya (referred to in Br. Su. I.2.29, I.4.20)
 Atreya (referred to in Br. Su. III.4.4)
 Karsajini (referred to in Br. Su. III.1.9)
 Badarayana, author of Brahmasutra, containing 555 sutras, that reconciles the apparent ambiguity of the Upanishads.

Post-Badrayana Acharyas
Works of the following Acharyas are available and are still being taught and studied:
 Bodhayana (pre-Sankara) (Bodhayana-vrtti)
 Brahmanandin (Vakyakara) (Commentary on Chandogyopanishad)
 Dravidacharya (Commentary on Brhadaranyakopanishad)
 Sundarapandya (Vartikakara) (Vartika on Sariraka-Mimamsa)
 Bhartrprapanca
 Gaudapada (700–780 approx.) (Karika on Mandukyopanishad)
 Govinda bhagavatpāda (750–850 approx.) (Brahmasiddhi)
 Śankara bhagavatpāda (Adi Shankara) (788–820) (Commentary on the Prasthana-traya and Upadesha-Sahasri)

Post-Sankara Acharyas
 Sureswara (8th century), also known as Vartikakara. (Vartika on Sankara's Taittiriyopanishad-Bhashya, Brhadaranyakopanishad-Bhashyam, Naishkarmyasiddhi, Manasollasa)
 Padmapada (8th century) (Pancapadika)
 Hastamalaka (8th century) (Hastamalakiyam)
 Vacaspati Mishra (841–900) (Bhamati, a Tika on Brahmasutra-Sankara-Bhashyam))
 Sarvajnatma Muni (850–950) (Sankshepa-Sariraka)
 Sriharsha (1169–1225) (Khandana-khanda-khadya)
 Prakasatma Yati (AD 1200) (Pancapadika-Vivarana)
 Citsukha (AD 1220) (Citsukhi)
 Ananda Giri - also known as the Tikakara. (Tikas on almost all the Bhashyas of Sankara. It is said nobody knows the mind of Sankara, better than Ananda Giri.)
 Vimuktatma (AD 1200) (Ishtasiddhi)
 Amalananda (AD 1247) (Vedanta-Kalpataru, a commentary on Bhamati of Vacaspati Misra)
 Bĥaratī Tīrtha (1328-1380), the teacher of Vidyaranya  (Dŗg-Dŗśya-Viveka)
 Vidyaranya (1350–1386) (Pancadasi)
 Sadananda Yogindra (mid 15th century) (Vedantasara, the most popular introductory text in Advaita Vedanta)
 Dharmaraja Adhvarindra (1550–1650) (Vedanta-Paribhasha, an epistemological work on Advaita Vedanta)
 Nrsimha Ashrama (1500–1600)
 Madhusudana Saraswati (1565–1650) (Advaita-siddhi)
 Appaya Dikshita (AD 1603) (Parimala, Siddhanta-lesa-sangraha)
 Lakshmidhara Kavi (Advaita-Makaranda)

Neo-Vedanta

While strictly speaking only members of the Dashanami Sampradaya belong to the Advaita Guru Paramparā, Advaita Vedanta has attracted popular recognition since the 19th century, and Neo-Vedanta movements have developed with roots in, of similarities with, the Advaita tradition.

Ramakrishna Order
 Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
 Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, wrote books on four Hindu Yogas: Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga and Raja Yoga. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda contains a complete collection of transcribed lectures. He spoke at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.
Disciples of Ramakrishna

Mata Amritanandamayi Math
Mata Amritanandamayi Math, founded by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi devi follows Advaita philosophy and traditions. The sanyasis are initiated in the Puri order of Dashanami Sampradaya. According to the tradition set forth by Adi Shankaracharya, the Puri Sannyasa tradition is characterised by the following – formal allegiance to the Shringeri Math

 First Acharya (teacher) - Sureśvaracharya
 Sampradaya (customs) - Bhurivara Sampradaya
 Kshetra (Temple) – Rameswaram
 Deva (God) –  Adi Varaha Swamy (The incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar)
 Devi (Goddess) – Kamakshi
 Veda – Yajurveda
 Upanishad – Kaṭhopaniṣad
 Mahavakya (statement revealing the nature of Absolute Reality ) – Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi
 Tirtha (Holy River) – Tungabhadra River
 Gotra (descent or lineage) – Bhaveshavar Rishi

Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri was the first to be initiated as Sanyasin by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi devi in this order. Swami Amritatmananda Puri, Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri, Swami Pranavamritananda Puri, Swamini Krishnamrita Prana and Swami Poornamritananda Puri are other few notable sanyasis initiated in this order.

Divine Life Society, Chinmaya Mission, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

 Swami Tapovan Maharaj (1889–1957): A Virakta mahatma, Guru of Swami Chinmayananda post the latter's Sanyas Deeksha by Swami Sivananda
 Swami Sivananda (1887–1963): Hindu Saint who founded the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India. Author of more than 300 works of theology and philosophy. According to his disciples, achieved Moksha upon death. Bestowed sanyasa upon
Swami Krishnananda (1922–2001), Hindu saint who was the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India from 1958 to 2001. Foremost disciple of Swami Sivananda. Author of more than 200 works of theology and philosophy. According to disciples, achieved Moksha upon death.
 Swami Chinmayananda (1916–1993), (1916–1993), Sannyas diksha bestowed by Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh. Disciples founded the Chinmaya Mission; 'Chinmaya' means "pure consciousness.".
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, (1930–2015) Founder of 'Arsha Vidya' tradition. He has set up Gurukulams in Rishikesh, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Saylorsburg (USA), has taught ten long-term courses in Advaita Vedanta, and has initiated more than 200 disciples into Sannyasa, among them being; Swami Paramarthananda and Swami Tattvavidananda. The advaita teacher and author Sri Vasudevacharya is also a disciple.
 Swami Chidananda (1916–2008)
 Swami Shantananda Saraswati (1934-2005)

Other teachers
 Mannargudi Raju Sastri (1815–1903), Formed 'The Advaita Sabha' for propagating the tenets of the Advaita faith.
 Sri Narayana Guru (1856–1928)- Vedic scholar, mystic philosopher, prolific poet and social reformer, from the present-day Kerala.
 Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950) Bengali philosopher-sage who synthesized Advaita thought with Western philosophical theories of evolution.
 Tibbetibaba (-d.1930) - Hindu Bengali Saint whose life was based on both Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana principles.
 Swami Atmananda (1883–1959) lived in Kerala.
 Prajnanapada (1891–1974), disciple of Niralamba Swami and a great exponent of Advaita philosophy. He was in charge of Channa Ashram in West Bengal, India.
 Bhagawan Nityananda (1897?–1961) was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Koyilandy (Pandalayini), Kerala, South India. His teachings are simple and on the nonduality.
 Swami Karpatri (1905–1980), a well-known sannyasi of Varanasi
 Swami Parthasarathy (1927- ), Popularly referred to as 'Swamiji', Parthasarathy is known as the modern exponent of Vedanta. He has written 10 books in all, including commentaries on Bhagavad Gita, Atmabodha, Bhaja Govindam and many other books. His ashram is situated around 100 km from Mumbai in the hills of Malavli, near Lonavla.
 G. Balakrishnan Nair Vedanta scholar, Sanskrit academician, philosopher, author and interpreter of the scriptures and Vedanta.
 Vagbhatananda Kunjikkannan (1885-1939).  intellectual figure, Social Reformer and Advaitin.

Advaita Vedanta interpreted

Inchegeri Sampradaya

The Inchegeri Sampradaya is rooted in the Nath-tradition, but is popularly regarded as Advaita Vedanta.

Siddharameshwar Maharaj
Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897–1981) - A 20th-century master of Advaita from Mumbai, I Am That (1973, collected talks)
 Ramesh Balsekar (1917–2009)

Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi underwent a profound religious experience when he was 16, whereafter he left home to become a sanyassin. While his own (spare) writings reveal his Tamil Saivite background, devotees with a Brahmon and/or Neo-Vedanta background have interpreted him in an Advaita Vedanta framework. His popularisation in the west was initially aided by a Theosophical framework, while his devotee Poonja spawned the Neo-Advaita movement, which was also influenced by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

 Shri Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) the silent sage of Tamil Nadu who had a profound realization of nonduality.
 Sri H.W.L. Poonja (1910–1997), or Papaji. Devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi, he denied being part of any formal tradition, and remained always available, welcoming newcomers to his home and satsangs.

See also

 List of teachers of Vedanta
 List of Hindus

Notes

References

Sources

Hindu philosophical concepts
Advaitin philosophers
Schools and traditions in ancient Indian philosophy
Lists of Hindu religious leaders
Advaita Vedanta
Hinduism-related lists

Advaita Guru Paramparā


Tuatara is the name of two different characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

Fictional character biography

Jeremy Wakefield
Tuatara's first appearance took place in Super Friends #8 (November 1977), which is set outside the mainstream DC Comics continuity. Jeremy Wakefield is a young New Zealander who can see through time with the help of a third eye. He explained that with two eyes, we can see three dimensions and with three eyes through four dimensions. The fourth dimension is time. He thus named himself after the tuatara, a reptile with a parietal eye or "third eye". In his first mission he helped the Red Tornado dismantle a bomb in the Prehistoric Era. After aiding the Super Friends fight against a time menace, Tuatura becomes a member of the Global Guardians.

Tuatara's first mainstream appearance was in Justice League International #12 (April 1988). A few years later, the Global Guardians are all brainwashed into service under the Queen Bee of Bialya. Tuatara, Rising Sun and Wild Huntsman are sent off on specific missions to attack Nazi strongholds and Justice League members. Tuatara is sent to attack a Neo-Nazi fringe group based in Dover, England. The Justice League members Metamorpho, Elongated Man and Flash were traveling to the site on a ferry when they encounter Tuatara. He had sneaked aboard the ferry itself. The battle, which takes place mostly underwater, is ended when he is wrapped up in the Elongated Man's body. He is taken to the surface, calls the League members 'Nazis' and soon falls into a coma.

He is taken care of at an Australian medical facility, paid for by the Justice League. A little bit before he was to move to the Justice League International embassy medical ward, the Queen Bee sends a signal to awaken him. He vanishes, which angers his Australian friend, the Tasmanian Devil. He returns to Bialya, along with Rising Sun and Wild Huntsman, who had awakened at the same time as he. All three are duly brainwashed. Tuatara and his friends escape this brainwashing after several battles with the Justice League and with other Guardians.

All is not well. The new ruler of Bialya, President Harjavti, is just as dangerous and deadly as the Queen Bee. Rising Sun has left for Japan and Owlwoman has vanished. Unknown to them, Tuatara and his remaining friends are in constant danger, as Harjavti struggles to keep control of the team. Owlwoman eventually hunts down Doctor Mist and the original Jack O'Lantern.

With his assistance, the Guardians escape from under the thumb of Bialya.

Tuatara's last appearance was in Justice League Quarterly #17 (winter 1994). The Guardians are now based out of a South Pacific island and Tuatara is not doing well at all. He comes to believe he is going insane as a result of losing control of his precognition powers.

His friends, scattered across the world, are attacked by Fain Y'onia. Godiva and Impala lose their powers. Olympian is badly injured. Bushmaster is outright killed as a result of his confrontation.

Those able to fight gather in the Arizona desert. When Fain attempts to attack Owlwoman, they ambush him. This attempt does not go well. Thunderlord is killed and Tuatara takes a blow to the face. The Wild Huntsman takes Fain out of this reality.

Due to his injuries, Tuatara falls into a coma. His medical care is supervised by the former Guardians member Seraph.

Tuatara II
A second Tuatara appears as an associate of the Silicon Syndicate. He is a villain with reptilian powers.

Powers and abilities
Tuatara is a mutant born with three eyes. This enables him to see into the past and future, allowing him to prevent events before they occur, and also assists him in hand-to-hand combat.

References

External links
 Tuatara I at DC Comics Wiki
 Tuatara II at DC Comics Wiki

DC Comics metahumans
DC Comics superheroes
Comics characters introduced in 1977
Fictional New Zealand people

Tuatara (character)


Watermelon rind preserves are made by boiling chunks of watermelon rind with sugar and other ingredients. The mixture is then canned in glass jars. According to some recipes, the rind is pared to only the white portion, strips or cubes of which are soaked overnight in a solution of lime or salt and water, then rinsed. It is then boiled, combined with sugar and flavorings such as ginger and lemon, and cooked until the rind is clear.

In the United States, these preserves are typical of Southern cuisine. A Serbian variety is called slatko od lubenice.

See also
Fruit preserves
 List of melon dishes

References

Condiments
Watermelons
Cuisine of the Southern United States
Serbian cuisine
Melon dishes

Watermelon rind preserves


A semantic broker is a computer service that automatically provides semantic mapper services.  A semantic broker is frequently part of a semantic middleware system that leverage semantic equivalence statements. To qualify as a semantic broker product a system must be able to automatically extract data from a message and use semantic equivalence statements to transform this into another namespace.

See also
 Intelligent agent

Information systems
Semantic Web

Semantic broker


"New Light" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released as the lead single from his eighth studio album Sob Rock on May 10, 2018 and was released to Hot AC and Triple A radio on June 18, 2018. It was written and produced by Mayer and No I.D.

Release and promotion
Mayer took to Instagram to tease new music, saying "Summer bop drop imminent" on May 8, 2018 and announced the release of the new single "New Light" on May 9. The next day, Mayer premiered the song on Apple Music's Beats 1 radio with Zane Lowe.

Music video
On May 23, Mayer shared the trailer for the song's music video. The video directed by Fatal Farm premiered on May 24 and Mayer joked about it on Instagram, saying, "I needed to make a video for 'New Light' but nobody could agree on a budget, so I went to a place downtown and made this with a company that usually does birthday and Bar Mitzvah videos."

The tongue-in-cheek video opens with Mayer standing in front of the green screen wearing pajamas and a Moon hoodie from the Japanese brand Kapital, saying, "I'm John Mayer and I'm ready to be a star." It then features Mayer dancing, playing the guitar and waving to fake zebras at various green screen locations, from the cheap apartment kitchen to the Egyptian pyramids. It ends with Mayer blowing a kiss to the audience.

Critical reception
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jon Blisten from Rolling Stone said the song crafted "a steady groove reminiscent of Eighties blue-eyed soul and tinged with disco guitars" and praised Mayer's "cheeky and earnest" lyrics. Billboard ranked "New Light" 27th in their list "The 50 Best Songs of 2018 (So Far)" published in June, calling the song "a sublimely silky pastel palette of keyboard twinkles and polished guitar licks that sounds like it was recorded in the clouds of John's Paradise Valley LP cover." Complex ranked the song 31st in their "The Best Songs of 2018" mid-year list. Their review by Matt Welty said "Mayer put out a legitimate banger in 'New Light,' an '80s-inspired track that still has the introspective side we've come to know and love from the singer/songwriter," stating they see the song "cross over beyond his traditional fan base."

Commercial performance
The song debuted at number 38 on Billboard Hot Rock Songs. Following its first full week of digital sales and streaming, it jumped to number 7 on Hot Rock Songs and opened at number 5 on Bubbling Under Hot 100. After officially impacting Hot Adult Contemporary radio, it debuted at number 39 on Adult Top 40 chart. In Mexico, the song reached number 1 and was the second best selling-single of 2018.

Remix
The Zookëper remix of "New Light" was released on August 9, 2018.

Personnel
 John Mayer – vocals, guitar
 Pino Palladino – bass
 Aaron Sterling – drums

Production
 John Mayer – producer
 No I.D. – producer
 Chad Franscoviak – recording engineer
 Martin Pradler – digital editor
 Spike Stent – mixing engineer
 Randy Merrill – mastering engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

2018 singles
2018 songs
John Mayer songs
Songs written by John Mayer
Songs written by No I.D.
Song recordings produced by No I.D.

New Light (song)


British Railways (BR) Standard Class 7 (also known as Britannia class), number 70000 Britannia is a preserved steam locomotive, owned by the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust.

British Railways
Britannia was built at Crewe, completed on 2 January 1951. It was the first British Railways standard locomotive to be built and the first of 55 locomotives of the Britannia class. The locomotive was named at a ceremony at Marylebone Station by the then Minister for Transport Alfred Barnes on 30 January 1951.

The BR Locomotive Naming Committee were determined not to use names already in use on other locomotives. They tried to observe this by not selecting the name Britannia for use on 70000 because it was already in use on one of the ex-LMS Jubilee Class locomotives, specifically No. 45700 but Robert Riddles overruled them and the Jubilee had to be renamed to Amethyst.

Britannia was initially based at Stratford (30A) in order to work East Anglian expresses to Norwich and Great Yarmouth, but was also particularly associated with the Hook Continental boat train to Harwich. Subsequently, the loco was based at Norwich Thorpe (w/e 31 January 1959) and March (June 1961) before spending the remainder of its career on the London Midland Region: Willesden (1A) (w/e 30 March 1963), Crewe North (5A) (w/e 25 May 1963), Crewe South (5B) (w/e 19 May 1965) and finally Newton Heath (9D) (w/e 5 March 1966) from where it was withdrawn w/e 28 May 1966.

The locomotive pulled the funeral train of King George VI from King's Lynn, Norfolk to London following his death in February 1952 at Sandringham House, Norfolk. For this task, Britannia had its cab roof painted white, as was the custom with royal locomotives (B2 61617 Ford Castle, which pulled the train from Wolferton Station to King's Lynn, was similarly liveried). Britannia has also worn the white roof in preservation.

Britannia was withdrawn in May 1966, after 15 years of service.

Preservation

Initially destined for the National Railway Museum because of its cultural significance, it was stored. However, due to her prototype design and construction differences, the NRM chose standard sibling 70013 Oliver Cromwell, instead. Britannia was eventually bought by Britannia Locomotive Company Ltd.

After a series of moves, she arrived on the Severn Valley Railway in April 1971 for restoration to working order. The locomotive was first steamed in May 1978 and was ceremonially renamed by Robert Riddles in the same month. However she was little used on the SVR due to the axle weight being too heavy for the railway at that time. With the society wishing to make more use of the locomotive, she was moved to the European gauge Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough, where she was also fitted with an air-brake compressor, and was based there from 1980 to 2000. Britannia made her return to the main line on 27 July 1991, successfully working enthusiast trips until 1997, and was featured in an episode of London's Burning.

With an expired mainline boiler certificate, due to the high cost of refurbishment, the locomotive was sold to Pete Waterman in 2000. Stored at Waterman's workshops at the Crewe Heritage Centre, after initial assessment the amount of work resulted in Waterman selling her to Jeremy Hosking. The locomotive underwent restoration at Crewe which involved a newly refurbished cab, a new smoke box and major work on the boiler; replacement steel sides, new crown stays, new front section barrel section, new steel and copper tubeplate, repairs and patches to door plate and major work to copper firebox.

Transferred to the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust (RSL&GT), the locomotive was returned to main line operational condition in 2011, initially out shopped in its prototype black British Railways livery (where it did not have nameplates fitted, as was thus known by railway convention as 70000). After a running-in period, in 2012 the locomotive was repainted in British Railways Brunswick Green, but with an early BR crest (unlike her sister 70013 Oliver Cromwell which carries BR's Late Crest). On 24 January 2012, the loco hauled the Royal Train with Prince Charles on board to , where he rededicated the locomotive. For the trip the loco again had a painted white cab roof, removed after the engine's appearance at the West Somerset Railway's Spring Gala.

Following repairs in 2018 after a vibration problem was discovered in 2015, the engine was moved to the Severn Valley Railway which included an appearance at the railway's autumn steam gala. Following the gala the engine was returned to Crewe and following a mainline test run the engine was given a repaint of its BR green which included replacement of the early crest for the later version.

On 22 August 2023, while hauling a Steam Dreams circular tour around the Surrey Hills. Shortly after passing through Chilworth, 70000 suffered a catastrophic failure of its right side crosshead which fractured into two pieces. Following isolation of the third rail and a block being placed on the running lines, an inspection on the severity of the damage was made. Under darkness the main right side connecting rod had to be removed and then 70000 was towed behind a diesel and its train back to London Victoria via Guildford. Following further assessment for damage 70000 was taken back to Crewe by road for repairs to be undertook.

References

External links
 70000 Britannia - Icons Of Steam Official Webpage

7 70000
4-6-2 locomotives
Individual locomotives of Great Britain
Railway locomotives introduced in 1951
Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain

BR Standard Class 7 70000 Britannia


...Of Nightmares is the second EP by alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves, released on September 4, 2015, through To the Stars. The EP is a companion piece to the novel written by Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young, Poet Anderson... Of Nightmares, which is a part of the Poet Anderson franchise, also including The Dream Walker.

Production
The band released the track "Into the Night" on August 21, 2015 on Rolling Stone magazine's website. Tom DeLonge said about the track, "'Into the Night' is about walking the person you love through a nightmare, I believe that we all encounter those we love in our dreams all of the time."  On September 3, 2015 they released the track "Home" on Billboard.

DeLonge said about the EP, "When we thought about, 'How would the music work with (the novel)?,' it was best for us to do something that was just very left of center, an art project in and of its own and something that was totally experimental for us. I think there's, like, one normal song on the EP; the rest of it was meant to just be really pushing the envelope, something that is unorthodox, at least for Angels & Airwaves. These are not songs I wrote in my living room and said, 'Let's go in and record these verses and choruses.' We didn't do it that way."

Unlike previous albums from the band, The Dream Walker does not feature any electronic interludes. The band wanted the four tracks on the EP to serve as the missing interludes.

Track listing

References

Angels & Airwaves albums
2015 EPs

...Of Nightmares


Philo (formerly Tivli) is an American internet television company currently based in San Francisco, California, that was first founded at Harvard University in 2010 by Tuan Ho and Nicholas Krasney. Investors in the company include HBO, Andrew McCollum, and Mark Cuban. The company and its service is named in honor of one of the pioneering engineers of television, Philo T. Farnsworth. , their OTT streaming television service has over 800,000 subscribers.

History

Early history (2010–2016)
Philo was originally founded in 2010 as Tivli by Tuan Ho and Nicholas Krasney at Harvard University. It began as an experimental dorm-room streaming project using aluminium foil as a makeshift receiving antenna to "pick up (Boston area) TV signals and deliver them wirelessly to their laptops via a jerry-rigged server". At its launch, the project was intended to be a way to provide a streaming TV service to Harvard University students living on campus. When the service first launched in 2011, a quarter of the Harvard resident population registered for it within the first few weeks of the service.

In 2011, Tivli joined the Harvard Innovation Lab (iLab) as the first company in residence, before finally moving into their own office in Harvard Square in 2013. In 2012, Christopher Thorpe joined as CEO to build out Philo's original university IPTV service. From the earliest days, Philo had aspirations to launch a nationwide streaming TV service, starting in universities. After launching services at Harvard, Philo quickly added additional universities such as Stanford University, Yale University, Texas A&M University, and Brown University. In 2013, Philo announced a strategic partnership with HBO to provide the HBO GO service to universities. By September 2015, the service was available in 42 universities.

In July 2013, the venture raised a $6.3 million round led by Patrick Chung at venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates. Among the Series A investors, were Mark Cuban from Radical Investments LP, HBO, Ari Emanuel from Endeavor, and Rho Capital Partners. The same year the company was rebranded as Philo, from its former name, Tivli.

In 2014, Andrew McCollum, a founding member of Facebook, succeeded Christopher Thorpe as CEO to further expand Philo beyond providing university IPTV services and launch a direct-to-consumer over-the-top streaming service called Philo. After securing their Series B round in 2015, Philo relocated to San Francisco, California.

In June 2015, Philo raised $10 million in a Series B round led by New Enterprise Associates, with joint investment from HBO, Rho Ventures, Xfund, CBC New Media Group, as well as Andrew McCollum.

Recent history (2017–present)
Philo launched its OTT streaming television service in the United States on November 14, 2017. The service is available via TVs, digital media players, computers, tablets, and phones. The service includes channels from A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, Inc. (prior to its 2022 merger with WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery), and Viacom (prior to its 2019 reunion with CBS Corporation to form ViacomCBS, now known as Paramount Global), all of which also became joint owners of the service with a combined $25 million investment before this launch.

The service has no local television stations or sports networks, though it does offer news services through BBC World News (which is distributed by AMC) and financial news channel Cheddar, along with the national feed of the AccuWeather Network.

In October 2018, Philo added Hallmark Channel and its sister channels, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama.

In February 2020, Google Fiber announced it would no longer offer television packages to new subscribers. It backed YouTube TV and fuboTV at the time and added the $20 package of Philo's 61 channels as an option. Adding Philo to the list of Google Fiber was described as a way to help the virtual MVPD "keep its growth streak going" without the burden of retransmission consent negotiations and fees needed to run a pay television service. At the time, Philo had 750,000 subscribers and the service said that over the year it had grown by 300%. Philo then added Epix and Starz as premium add-ons in June of the same year, along with TV Everywhere credentials to their websites and access to their video-on-demand libraries.

On March 29, 2021, T-Mobile announced a partnership with Philo to offer a discount on the service when bundled with its wireless plans. September 8 saw the debut of a "Movies & More" add-on package, which includes Sony Movies, Reelz, HDNet Movies, MGM HD and Cinémoi. Philo would be a launch partner of Comcast's revival of G4, launching the network on November 16. GAC Media channels, GAC Living and GAC Family, were added to the service at the start of December 2021.

In February 2022, Philo reached an agreement with entertainment company, Kin, to bring over 65 hours of programming to its platforms along with producing Philo's first original series, Boss Moves with Rasheeda. Later in the year, Philo added around a half-dozen channels operated by Weigel Broadcasting, including MeTV, Decades and Story Television. In October 2022, Philo added FETV to its base subscription package and Family Movie Classics to the "Movies & More" add-on package.

In May 2023, Philo expanded its "free TV" lineup with nine new channels: The Bob Ross Channel, Comedy Dynamics, Cowboy Way, Drag Race Universe, FailArmy, Outside TV, People are Awesome, the Pet Collective and Screambox. Despite being listed in the "free TV" section of Philo's electronic program guide, the channels can't be accessed unless a user signs up for Philo's $25 a month package.

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Companies based in San Francisco
Internet television streaming services
American companies established in 2009
Internet properties established in 2009
2009 establishments in Massachusetts
Paramount Streaming
Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiaries
AMC Networks
A&E Networks

Philo (company)


The Akron Civic Theatre (originally the Loew's Theatre) is a theater in Akron, Ohio. It is one of only five remaining atmospheric theatres designed by John Eberson in the United States and is an excellent example of the great movie palaces of the 1920s. The Akron Civic Theatre is the last remaining theater of 11 opened by Marcus Loew, founder of the Loew's theater chain. The Civic is located on South Main Street in Akron and can seat 3,000 people. The theater has been exhibiting shows and special events for  years.

History
The theater began as a planned project to be known as "The Hippodrome," commissioned by Akron dance hall owner L. Oscar Beck. Beck envisioned a 3,000-seat theater with thirty stores and restaurants lining its arcade. He began construction on the Hippodrome's lobby in 1919, but by 1921, the project was bankrupt. The lobby stood alone, with its theater end boarded-up, for a decade. In 1925 Marcus Loew visited Akron and chose the Hippodrome Theatre site for the creation of a new theater. He purchased the abandoned lobby and nearby land at a Sheriff's auction for $143,000.

The theater was designed by the famous theater architect John Eberson. The auditorium of Akron's Loew's Theatre was designed to resemble a night in an open-air Moorish garden. Twinkling stars and drifting clouds travel across the domed ceiling. Located on Akron's Main Street, the theater's entrance lobby extends over the Ohio and Erie Canal. The theater has a small multi-colored terra cotta façade dominated by a large marquee. The interior of the entrance and lobby is designed to resemble a Moorish castle with Mediterranean decor, complete with medieval style carvings, authentic European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures. A grand full-sized Wurlitzer Theatre organ hidden beneath the stage rises to the stage level on a special lift.

Many significant events have occurred over the years for the Civic. In 1964 the Kelly Operating Company leased the theater, only to be bought out soon after by the Akron Jaycees. The Women's Guild purchased and brought live theater back. In 1984 the Civic had a lien placed on them by the IRS because they were $650,000 in debt. The following year Clarence Randall, retired CEO of M. O'Neil Co., was brought in to eliminate the debt. After the renovation in 2002, the Civic celebrated its reopening with comedian Tim Conway. Then in 2004 the Civic celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Akron's Devo played there in 1979, The Pretenders (with Akron's Chrissie Hynde) played there in 2000, The Black Keys played there in 2007, and Warrant (with members from Akron) played there in 2017.

Renovation
In June 2001, the Akron Civic Theatre closed its doors for the most expensive and extensive renovation in its seventy-two year history. The renovation cost just over $19 million, which included additional restroom facilities, new concession stands, and expansion of the lobbies. The renovation allowed for the Civic to better serve customers with special needs by adding more handicapped seating and a new elevator. To bring the theatre up to new standards, the dressing rooms were all redone, and the stage was expanded from twenty-six feet to forty feet. Also added to the Civic was a freight elevator, a new loading dock, and a cross-over space behind the stage's back wall.

Other improvements included updating the sound system, HVAC, roof exterior, electrical service, and modernizing the plumbing.

Following its re-opening in November 2002, the new Civic, along with its partner The University of Akron's E. J. Thomas Hall, continued to play a significant leadership role in downtown revitalization. In May 2003, the Civic began a partnership with the City of Akron to program and operate Lock 3 Live!, a new outdoor performance venue featuring more than 80 events and attractions scheduled between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The Women's Guild
Formed in 1966, members of the Women's Guild have participated as ushers, performed chores, sold concessions, sponsored fundraisers, and managed boutiques. In 1965, the Civic was being threatened to be turned into a parking lot, when the Akron Jaycees launched a fund-raiser and bought the Akron Civic for $60,000. Following this purchase, Marjorie Schmidt held a meeting at her house to create an organized structure to help keep the Civic in order. Once the Guild officially began, over 180 women became a part of it. Wives of politicians, attorneys, business executives and doctors were a part of the roster. One popular name was Ruth Oenslager, the widow of George Oenslager, a chemist for B.F. Goodrich. She pitched in $22,000 to help save the Civic from becoming a parking lot.

For advertising, the women wrote to celebrities, wanting them to come perform at their theater. The women were able to sponsor Helen Hayes, who subsequently was the "First Lady of American Theater". The event provided the Civic with $6,500, allowing for the payment for the mortgage. New shows were able to be put on display at the theater, including Fiddler on the Roof, Mame, Cactus Flower, The Apple Tree and Man of La Mancha. Other celebrities who have performed at the Civic include Mickey Rooney, Barbara Eden, Louis Armstrong, Vincent Price, Robert Goulet, Loni Anderson and Tony Randall.

Perhaps the largest moneymaker of all was the investment the women made in 1975: a concession stand behind the grand lobby. These investments provided the customers with popcorn, candy, pop, and other refreshments, which in turn helped bolster the income for the theater.
Through the years, the Women's Guild has donated over $200,000 and held fundraisers which have helped pay for items such as stage curtains and a new movie screen.

References

Buildings and structures in Akron, Ohio
Loew's Theatres buildings and structures
Atmospheric theatres
John Eberson buildings
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio

Akron Civic Theatre


Eoin Young (1939 – 5 September 2014) was a New Zealand-born motoring journalist. He was an Autocar columnist for some 30 years starting in 1967. In 2003, he authored Forza Amon!, a biography of Chris Amon. He wrote columns and articles for many publications including Cars for the Connoisseur (UK), Victory Lane (USA), NZ Classic Car (New Zealand) and Am Klassiek (the Netherlands). He also wrote for the web-based motor sport magazine pitpass.com.

He returned to New Zealand and became ill in July 2014. He died on 5 September 2014, aged 75.

References

1939 births
2014 deaths
New Zealand writers

Eoin Young


Loveman's of Alabama was a Birmingham, Alabama-based chain of department stores with locations across Alabama. It adopted this name to distinguish it from Loveman's department stores operating in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in Nashville, Tennessee.

History
The store was founded in 1887, as A.B. Loveman's Dry Goods Emporium at 1915 Second Avenue by Adolph Bernard Loveman. Moses V. Joseph of Selma, Alabama, soon joined the company and it was renamed Loveman & Joseph. In 1889, the company became Loveman, Joseph & Loeb with the addition of Emil Loeb.

Loveman's primary location was built in 1890, at 200 19th Street on the corner of 3rd Avenue North. The store was expanded in 1899. By 1911, Loveman's was known as the largest, most magnificent department store south of the Ohio River. In 1917, an add-on known as the Loveman's annex was built between the main building and the Alabama Theatre.

In 1923, Loveman, Joseph & Loeb, along with B. Lowenstein, Inc., of Memphis, Tennessee, and Maison Blanche Co., of New Orleans, Louisiana, were the first three department stores of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based City Stores Company syndicate.

The department store was destroyed in a massive fire on March 10, 1934, although the exterior of the annex survived. The store reopened within a few weeks at a temporary location while a new Loveman's building was built on the site of the fire. The new Loveman's building was completed in 1935. There was a clock on corner of the new building, facing the 19th Street/3rd Avenue intersection, which was a popular local landmark. The new department store was one of the first in the nation to be air conditioned, and the first in Alabama to feature an escalator.

Loveman's opened its first suburban branch store in Montgomery's Normandale Shopping Center in 1954. In 1966, a store came inline in Huntsville's The Mall. The first Metro Birmingham branch was dedicated, in 1969, at Bessemer's West Lake Mall. Branch stores followed at Fairfield's Western Hills Mall (1970) and Birmingham's Century Plaza (1976).

City Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 1979, forcing liquidation of the chain and closing of the flagship downtown store in April 1980. The downtown Loveman's building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1983. It now houses the McWane Science Center.

References

Further reading
The Liebman-Loveman Family, Loveman Merchants Page 1 (retrieved Aug 30, 2008).
 Loveman's. In BhamWiki, part of the "Project to Document the Birmingham District" (retrieved Aug 30, 2008)
Kuhl, Earl D., editor (1934) "Illustrated Souvenir: Birmingham's $3,000,000 Fire, March 10, 1934." Birmingham: Birmingham Firemen's Relief Association. - accessed at Birmingham Public Library Archives Digital Collections, February 22, 2007
 White, Marjorie Longenecker, ed. (1980) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide, second edition. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.

External links
Birmingham Rewound - Photographs of Loveman's downtown Birmingham store and opening of Century Plaza store (retrieved Aug 29, 2008).
Archiplanet.org National Register of Historic Places entry (retrieved Aug 30, 2008)
Loveman, Joseph and Loeb Department Store (Birmingham, Ala.). (1936). In Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections. retrieved Aug 30, 2008.

Defunct retail companies of the United States
Companies based in Birmingham, Alabama
Defunct companies based in Alabama
Retail companies established in 1887
1887 establishments in Alabama
Retail companies disestablished in 1980
1980 disestablishments in Alabama
Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1979

Loveman's of Alabama