Gabriel Téllez ( 24 March 1583 20 February 1648), better known as Tirso de Molina, was a Spanish Baroque dramatist, poet and Roman Catholic monk. He is primarily known for writing The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest, the play from which the popular character of Don Juan originates. His work is also of particular significance due to the abundance of female protagonists, as well as the exploration of sexual issues.

Life and career
He was born in Madrid. He studied at Alcalá de Henares, joined the mendicant Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy on 4 November 1600, and entered the Monastery of San Antolín at Guadalajara, Spain on 21 January 1601. He had been ordained a priest by 1610.

He had been writing plays for ten years when he was sent by his superiors on a mission to the West Indies in 1615; residing in Santo Domingo from 1616 to 1618 and returning to Europe in 1618, he resided at the Mercedarian monastery in Madrid, took part in the proceedings of the Academia poetica de Madrid, founded by Sebastián Francisco de Medrano, competed in the literary tournaments then in vogue, and wrote copiously for the stage.

His first publication, the incomplete Cigarrales de Toledo (licensed in 1621, but not published till 1624), is a miscellany of short tales, novellas, verses and three plays. One of the novellas, Los tres maridos burlados, probably derived from Francesco Cieco da Ferrara's Mambriano, and the play entitled El vergonzoso en palacio reveal his wit and ingenuity. The preface to the Cigarrales de Toledo states that Tirso de Molina had already written three hundred plays, and at this period of his career he was second only to Lope de Vega in popularity. (Tirso de Molina was one of Lope's most ardent followers.)

He showed hostility to culteranismo in the Cigarrales de Toledo, and made numerous enemies by his attacks on the new school in such pieces as Amar por arte mayor and La celosa de si misma. The realistic character of some of his productions gave his rivals an excuse to denounce him as a corrupter of public morals to the council of Castile in 1625, and, though no legal action was taken against him, he appears to have been reprimanded privately. In 1626 it was thought advisable to transfer him to Salamanca, and Tirso de Molina left Madrid determined to write no more for the stage. Though one of his plays, La huerta de San Juan, is dated 1626, there is no proof that it was begun after his departure from Madrid, and he seems to have written nothing for eight years.

He had not lost his interest in the theatre, and published twelve representative pieces as the first part of his dramatic works (1626). This was a formal protest against the weakness of those who had been persuaded to drive him out. On the other hand, he worked zealously on behalf of his order, and rose to an important position; he became superior of the monastery at Trujillo in 1626, was elected later to the posts of reader in theology and definidor general, and in May 1632 was appointed chronicler of the Order of Mercy. His Deleitar aprovechando (1635) is a devout counterpart of the Cigarrales de Toledo, much inferior to its predecessor in interest; a sequel was promised to this collection of pious tales, pious lyrics, and autos, but, as in the case of the Cigarrales de Toledo, the continuation never appeared.

Twelve plays constitute the third part of his dramatic works which was published (before the second) in 1634, supposedly edited by the writer's nephew, "Francisco Lucas de Ávila", possibly a cover identity for himself. The second part (1635), the printing of which was paid for by the confraternity of St Jerome, contains four plays by Tirso de Molina, and eight written by him in collaboration with other dramatists; one of these collaborators was Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, but Tirso de Molina was the predominant spirit in these literary partnerships. The fourth and fifth parts of his dramatic works (1635 and 1636) each contain twelve plays; the haste with which these five volumes were issued indicates the author's desire to save some part of his work from destruction, and the appearance of his "nephew"'s name on the title-pages of the last four volumes indicates his desire to avoid conflict with the authorities. A sixth volume of dramatic pieces, consisting of light comedies, was announced; but the project was abandoned. That dramatic composition still entertained the scanty leisure of Tirso's old age is shown by the fact that the fragmentary autograph copy of Las quinas de Portugal is dated 8 March 1638, but his active career as a dramatist ended two years earlier. He was absorbed by other duties. As official chronicler of his order, he compiled the elaborate Historia de la Merced (his religious order), which occupied him till 24 December 1639 and was not published until 1973. As a tribute to the count de Sastago, who had accepted the dedication of the fourth part of the plays, and who had probably helped to defray the publishing expenses, Tirso de Molina is said to have compiled the Genealogía de la casa de Sastago (1640), but the ascription of this genealogical work is disputed. On 29 September 1645 Tirso de Molina became superior of the monastery at Soria, where he died.

It is only within the last century that it has become possible to give an outline of his life and only a fraction of his plays have been preserved. The earliest of his extant pieces is dated 1605 and bears no sign of immaturity; in 1624 he had written three hundred plays, and in 1634 he stated that he had composed four hundred within the previous twenty years; of this immense production not more than eighty plays, are in existence. Tirso de Molina is universally known as the author of The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest, the piece in which Don Juan is first presented on the stage; but El Burlador de Sevilla represents only one aspect of his genius. No less remarkable than his representation of perverse depravity in El Burlador de Sevilla is his dramatic treatment of a philosophical enigma in El Condenado por desconfiado, but El Burlador de Sevilla and El Condenado por desconfiado are thought by scholars such as Fernando Cantalapiedra or Alfredo Rodriguez to have been written by Andrés de Claramonte. Though manifestly attracted by exceptional cases, by every kind of moral aberration, by the infamous and the terrible, his range is virtually unlimited. He reveals himself as a master of historical interpretation in Prudence in Woman; his sympathetic, malicious wit finds dramatic expression in El vergonzoso en palacio and Don Gil of the Green Breeches, and the fine divination of feminine character in Averígüelo Vargas and La villana de Vallecas (The Peasant Woman of Vallecas) is incomparable.

Tirso de Molina has neither Lope de Vega's inventive resource, nor his infinite seduction; he has neither Pedro Calderón de la Barca's idealistic visions, nor his golden music; but he exceeds Lope in massive intellectual power and in artistic self-restraint, and he exceeds Calderón in humour, in creative faculty, and in dramatic intuition. That his reputation extended beyond the Pyrenees in his own lifetime may be gathered from the fact that James Shirley's Opportunity is derived from El Castigo del penséque; but he was neglected in Spain itself during the long period of Calderón's supremacy, and his name was almost forgotten till the end of the 18th century, when some of his pieces were timidly recast by Dionisio Solis and later by Juan Carretero.

The renaissance of his fame, however, dates from 1839–1842, when an incomplete but serviceable edition of his plays was published by Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch. He is now accepted as among the greatest dramatists of Spain.

In 2012, Tirso's Condenado por Desconfiado was performed as Damned by Despair at the Olivier Theatre in London, in a new version by Frank McGuinness.

Bibliography
Tirso De Molina Bedrageren Fra Sevilla Og Stengæsten [El Burlador De Sevilla Y Convidado De Piedra]
Comedias escogidas
Comedias
El Teatro del Maestro Tirso de Molina
Tirso de Molina; investigaciones bio-bibliográficos
Estudios de critica literaria
Discurso ante la Real Academía española
El Condenado por desconfiado and "Mas sobre las fuentes del condenado por desconfiado"
Etudes sur l'Espagne

References

Attribution:

Spanish male dramatists and playwrights
1570s births
1648 deaths
Writers from Madrid
Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy
People from Madrid
17th-century Spanish dramatists and playwrights
Spanish Roman Catholic priests
17th-century male writers
Baroque writers
Spanish writers

Tirso de Molina


Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who creates choreographies by practising the art of choreography, a process known as choreographing. It most commonly refers to dance choreography.

In dance, choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. Dance choreography is sometimes called dance composition. Aspects of dance choreography include the compositional use of organic unity, rhythmic or non-rhythmic articulation, theme and variation, and repetition. The choreographic process may employ improvisation for the purpose of developing innovative movement ideas. In general, choreography is used to design dances that are intended to be performed as concert dance.

The art of choreography involves the specification of human movement and form in terms of space, shape, time and energy, typically within an emotional or non-literal context. Movement language is taken from the dance techniques of ballet, contemporary dance, jazz dance, hip hop dance, folk dance, techno, K-pop, religious dance, pedestrian movement, or combinations of these.

Etymology and history

The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance, see choreia) and "γραφή" (writing). It first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s, and "choreographer" was first used as a credit for George Balanchine in the Broadway show On Your Toes in 1936.  Before this, stage credits and movie credits used phrases such as "ensembles staged by", "dances staged by", or simply "dances by" to denote the choreographer.

In Renaissance Italy, dance masters created movements for social dances which were taught, while staged ballets were created in a similar way. In 16th century France, French court dances were developed in an artistic pattern. In the 17th and 18th centuries, social dance became more separated from theatrical dance performances. During this time the word choreography was applied to the written record of dances, which later became known as dance notation, with the meaning of choreography shifting to its current use as the composition of a sequence of movements making up a dance performance.

The ballet master or choreographer during this time became the "arranger of dance as a theatrical art", with one well-known master being of the late 18th century being Jean-Georges Noverre, with others following and developing techniques for specific types of dance, including Gasparo Angiolini, Jean Dauberval, Charles Didelot, and Salvatore Viganò. Ballet eventually developed its own vocabulary in the 19th century, and romantic ballet choreographers included   Carlo Blasis, August Bournonville, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa.

Modern dance brought a new, more naturalistic style of choreography, including by Russian choreographer Michel Fokine (1880-1942) and Isadora Duncan (1878-1927), and since then styles have varied between realistic representation and abstraction. Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, and Sir Frederick Ashton were all influential choreographers of classical or abstract dance, but Balanchine and Ashton, along with Martha Graham, Leonide Massine, Jerome Robbins and others also created representational works. Isadora Duncan loved natural movement and improvisation. The work of Alvin Ailey (1931-1989), an African-American dancer, choreographer, and activist, spanned many styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, modern dance, and theatre.

Dance choreography techniques
Dances are designed by applying one or both of these fundamental choreographic methods:
 Improvisation, in which a choreographer provides dancers with a score (i.e., generalized directives) that serves as guidelines for improvised movement and form. For example, a score might direct one dancer to withdraw from another dancer, who in turn is directed to avoid the withdrawal, or it might specify a sequence of movements that are to be executed in an improvised manner over the course of a musical phrase, as in contra dance choreography. Improvisational scores typically offer wide latitude for personal interpretation by the dancer.
 Planned choreography, in which a choreographer dictates motion and form in detail, leaving little or no opportunity for the dancer to exercise personal interpretation.

Several underlying techniques are commonly used in choreography for two or more dancers:
 Mirroring - facing each other and doing the same
 Retrograde - performing a sequence of moves in reverse order
 Canon - people performing the same move one after the other
 Levels - people higher and lower in a dance
 Shadowing - standing one behind the other and performing the same moves
 Unison - two or more people doing a range of moves at the same time

Movements may be characterized by dynamics, such as fast, slow, hard, soft, long, and short.

Choreography today
Today, the main rules for choreography are that it must impose some kind of order on the performance, within the three dimensions of space as well the fourth dimension of time and the capabilities of the human body.

In the performing arts, choreography applies to human movement and form. In dance, choreography is also known as dance choreography or dance composition. Choreography is also used in a variety of other fields, including opera,
cheerleading,  theatre, marching band, synchronized swimming, cinematography, ice skating, gymnastics, fashion shows,   show choir,  cardistry, video game production, and animated art.

Competitions

The International Choreographic Competition Hannover, Hanover, Germany, is the longest-running choreography competition in the world (started ), organised by the Ballett Gesellschaft Hannover e.V. It took place online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, returning to the stage at the Theater am Aegi in 2022. Gregor Zöllig, head choreographer of dance at the Staatstheater Braunschweig was appointed artistic director of the competition in 2020. The main conditions of entry are that entrants must be under 40 years of age, and professionally trained. The competition has been run in collaboration with the Tanja Liedtke Foundation since her death in 2008, and from 2021 a new production prize has been awarded by the foundation, to complement the five other production awards. The 2021 and 2022 awards were presented by Marco Goecke, then director of ballet at the Staatstheater Hannover.

There are a number of other international choreography competitions, mostly focused on modern dance. These include:
Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, Beijing, China
Contemporary Dance Platform, Cyprus, Greece
Copenhagen International Choreography Competition, Copenhagen, Denmark (CICC), founded in 2008, annual
Helsinki Ballet Competition, Choreography Award, Helsinki, Finland
International Choreographic Competition, Rome, Italy
Moscow Ballet Competition and Contest for Choreographers, Moscow, Russia
New Adventures Choreographer Award, London, UK
Prix de la Danse de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition, Brussels, Belgium
Varna International Ballet Competition, Choreography Award, Varna, Bulgaria

The International Online Dance Competition (IODC) was introduced in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a Grand Prix worth .

Copyright Protection of Choreography

Section 102(a)(4) of the Copyright Act provides protection in "choreographic works" that were created after January 1, 1978, and are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Under copyright law, choreography is "the composition and arrangement of a related series of dance movements and patterns organized into a coherent whole." Choreography consisting of ordinary motor activities, social dances, commonplace movements or gestures, or athletic movements may lack a sufficient amount of authorship to qualify for copyright protection.

A recent lawsuit was brought by professional dancer and choreographer Kyle Hanagami, who sued Epic Games, alleging that the video game developer copied a portion of Hanagami's copyrighted dance moves in the popular game Fortnite. Hanagami published a YouTube video in 2017 featuring a dance he choreographed to the song "How Long" by Charlie Puth, and Hanagami claimed that Fortnight's "It's Complicated" "emote" copied a portion of his "How High" choreography. Hanagami's asserted claims for direct and contributory copyright infringement and unfair competition. Fortnite-maker Epic Games ultimately won dismissal of the copyright claims after the district court concluded that his two-second, four-beat sequence of dance steps was not protectable under copyright law.

See also
 Ballet master
 Contact improvisation
 Dance improvisation
Film editing
List of choreographers
List of dance awards#Choreography
Movement director
 Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
Lists and categories
 :Category:Ballet choreographers
 List of choreographers

References

Further reading
 Blom, L, A. and Tarin Chaplin, L. (1989) The Intimate Act of Choreography. Dance Books. .
 Ellfeldt, L. (1998) A Primer for Choreographers . Waveland Press. .
 Minton, S, C. (1997) Choreography: A Basic Approach Using Improvisation. Human Kinetics . .
 Tufnell, M. and Vaughan, D. (1999) Body Space Image : Notes Toward Improvisation and Performance. Princeton Book Co. .
 Smith-Autard, J, M. (2000) Dance Composition. Routledge. .

External links

Performing arts

Choreography


The Hon. Anchitell Grey (c. 1624 – 8 July 1702) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1665 and 1695. Although he spoke rarely, he kept a detailed diary of proceedings in the House of Commons, summarising the speeches he heard.  The diary, published in the 18th century, is the main surviving record for the debates in Parliament in most of the period that it covers.

Biography

Grey was the second son of Henry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford and his wife Lady Anne Cecil, daughter of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter. He was the younger brother of Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby.

He was likely educated at home as little is known about his education. He married Anne, daughter and co-heir of Sir Henry Willoughby, 1st Baronet. Anne was the widow of  Sir Thomas Aston, 1st Baronet. Anne inherited her father's estate at Risley Hall in Derbyshire and brought Grey connections that likely led to his early appointments to local office.

Grey served as a commissioner for assessment in Derbyshire in 1657, and was appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1657–58. A Royalist, in 1659, he was arrested for supporting his brother-in-law Sir George Booth's uprising against the Rump Parliament.

After the Restoration, Grey was elected Member of Parliament for Derby in 1665 in the Cavalier Parliament. He was re-elected MP for Derby in 1679 for the First and Second Exclusion Parliaments and again in 1681. In 1689 he was elected MP for Derby again and sat until 1695.

Begun in 1667, Grey's parliamentary diary continued through 25 April 1694. Originally lost, Grey's manuscript Debates of the House of Commons from 1667 to 1694 was first published in 10 volumes in 1763 after it was found,  and republished most recently in 2007.

Grey died of cancer of the mouth at Risley Hall in the summer of 1702, and was buried next to Anne, who had died in 1688. He and Anne had a son, Willoughby (died 1701), and a daughter, Elizabeth (died 1721). Both his children died unmarried. His daughter was a benefactor to three schools at Risley founded by her ancestor, Sir Michael Willoughby.

References

External links
 Debates of the House of Commons from 1667 to 1694: the 18th-century edition of Grey's diary. Full-text available on British History Online.

1624 births
1702 deaths
People from Risley, Derbyshire
High Sheriffs of Nottinghamshire
English MPs 1661–1679
English MPs 1679
English MPs 1680–1681
English MPs 1681
English MPs 1689–1690
English MPs 1690–1695
Members of the Parliament of England for Derby
Younger sons of earls

Anchitell Grey


Sonata Mulattica : A Life in Five Movements and a Short Play is a collection of poems by U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove, published in 2009, about the life of George Bridgetower. Bridgetower was a biracial (Afro-Caribbean, Polish, German) musician who was friends with Beethoven. Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata was originally dedicated to Bridgetower, and was originally entitled "Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer [Bridgetower], gran pazzo e compositore mulattico" (Mulatto Sonata composed for the mulatto Brischdauer, big wild mulatto composer)

Dove said that she relied on documents such as the diary of Charlotte Papendiek, lady-in-waiting to the wife of George III, and whose husband Christopher Papendiek was one of the king's court musicians and helped to arrange concerts for Bridgetower. However, as not much information is available about Bridgetower's life, or details regarding the incident regarding the Sonata, Dove's work is mostly her own imagined version of events.

The book consists of five "movements", each a group of poems about a particular theme, as well as a short play.

Critical reception
Publishers Weekly reviewed Sonata Mulattica as "a heterogeneous profusion of short poems, some almost prosy, some glittering in their technique" and "...those who loved her early work may think this book too long: few, though, will doubt the seriousness of her effort, her interest at once in the history of classical music and the changing meanings of race."

The New York Times quotes Africlassical.com creator William Zwick who says "Dove does a wonderful job of humanizing the story"

The New Yorker said, "[...] stuffed with historical and musical arcana. Yet the book remains highly accessible, reading much like a historical novel. Dove is fascinated by Bridgetower's life as a black musician and occasionally implies parallels with the world of jazz and rap, but the issue of race does not predominate. She is concerned equally with the status of musicians in a world of precarious patronage." The New Yorker also listed the work as part of their 2009 "A Year's Reading" list.

The Los Angeles Times said it was a "masterful collection"

The American Library Association listed the work as part of their "Booklist Editor's Choice" for 2009, and described the work as "a mischievous and sensuous cycle of linked poems that explores genius and power, class and race."

Jillian Wilson, a poet and professor at Kent State University, says that Dove did particularly well with converting all of the history in this book and adding her own twist to it.

Film
Sonata Mulattica is being produced as a documentary film by  Spark Media, Stone Soup Productions, and the Fetzer Institute. It will incorporate elements from the book and Rita Dove's life, and parallel Bridgetower's life with that of contemporary black musician Joshua Coyne. The project was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. John Williams and Joshua Coyne will provide additional music for the film.

References

External links
 Website of the film adaptation
 Website of Sonata Mulattica Review

American poetry collections
Documentaries about music
Spark Media

Sonata Mulattica


An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are run and how their results are decided. They are used in politics to elect national and local governments. Elections also happen in businesses, and other sorts of  organisations. These rules usually govern voting,  when elections happen, who can vote, who can be a candidate, how the votes are counted, how votes decide the election, limits on campaign spending, and other things that can affect the result.

There are many different electoral systems. Sometimes different systems are used in different sorts of elections in the same country.

Voters may vote directly for candidates or their votes may elect an electoral college where their representatives may run a further election. Areas may be divided into constituencies with one or more representatives in each. Voters may vote directly for individual candidates or for a list of candidates.

The most common systems are first-past-the-post voting, multiple non-transferable vote,  the two-round (runoff) system, party-list proportional representation and ranked or preferential voting as used in single-winner Instant-runoff voting or multi-winner Single transferable voting.

Different voting systems may effect the results, and they may be changed to benefit those in power.

References

Elections

Electoral system


Rogers Lehew (July 30, 1928 – March 16, 2021) was an American and Canadian football executive.  He served as the general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1965 to 1974.  He went on to become vice president and assistant general manager of the Detroit Lions.

Lehew graduated from the University of Tulsa, where he played for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. After a stint in the air force, he returned to his alma mater and coached its football and baseball teams. He started working for the Stampeders in 1960 and was appointed general manager at the end of 1964.  During Lehew's nine-season tenure, the franchise won the 1971 Grey Cup. He subsequently moved to the Lions in 1974, before retiring as an executive four years later and returning to Calgary.

Early life
Lehew was born in Corsicana, Texas, on July 30, 1928.  He studied at the University of Tulsa, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in 1950.  During his time there, he played on the American football and baseball teams, and lettered four and three times, respectively.  He was a guard for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 1946 until 1949.  He became one of only two players to qualify for the varsity football team as a true freshman, and contributed to the team's 9–1 record during his first season.  In his final year, he was appointed team captain and honored as its best lineman.  He led the team to one of their most notable upsets that same year, with their victory over Villanova.

Lehew first stint in coaching came with a high school football team in Tulsa, Oklahoma, overseeing their perfect season in 1950.  He concurrently undertook postgraduate studies and earned a master's degree in educational administration in 1951.  He joined the United States Air Force that same year and played on its football team at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, until 1952.   Upon completing his military service, Lehew returned to Tulsa and worked as an assistant football coach at his alma mater in 1953, as well as its head baseball coach.  He served in those capacities for two seasons.

Career
Lehew was invited to the Calgary Stampeders training camp in 1959 as a guest coach.  He joined the Canadian Football League (CFL) franchise on a permanent basis the following season, working as coordinator of minor football development and as an assistant to the general manager.  He was subsequently promoted to general manager in November 1964, succeeding Jim Finks.  Lehew was responsible for signing players like Wayne Harris, Herm Harrison, John Helton, Jerry Keeling, Earl Lunsford, Don Luzzi, Larry Robinson, and Harvey Wylie (all of whom were elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame), and for turning the Stampeders into a competitive team.  During his tenure, the Stampeders made three appearances in Grey Cup games and won the championship in 1971, the franchise's second Grey Cup.  He was influential in starting the team tradition of featuring a horse at the sidelines during games at McMahon Stadium.  This was the precursor to Quick Six the Touchdown Horse.  He also created the Presidents' Ring in 1967, to honour the player who "best demonstrates excellence on and off the field as voted by the players".  He oversaw the inclusion of the white horse to Stampeders helmets.

Lehew left the Stampeders in 1974.  He proceeded to serve as the vice president and assistant general manager of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from that year until 1978. He was inducted into the Tulsa Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He was subsequently honoured by the Stampeders on their Wall of Fame in 2004.

Personal life
Lehew was married to Joann until her death.  Together, they had three children: Garry, Lora, and Larry.

After Lehew stopped working as a football executive in 1978, he returned to Calgary. He was subsequently employed at an oil patch until his retirement in 1997, and also engaged in other business interests. He died on March 16, 2021, in Calgary at the age of 92.

References

1928 births
2021 deaths
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football players
Tulsa Golden Hurricane baseball players
Tulsa Golden Hurricane baseball coaches
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football coaches
Calgary Stampeders coaches
Calgary Stampeders general managers
Detroit Lions executives

Rogers Lehew


Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, mainland Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea. In terms of number of species, they are by far the largest group of salamanders.

Biology

Adult lungless salamanders have four limbs, with four toes on the fore limbs, and usually with five on the hind limbs. Within many species, mating and reproduction occur solely on land. Accordingly, many species also lack an aquatic larval stage, a phenomenon known as direct development in which the offspring hatch as fully-formed, miniature adults. Direct development is correlated with changes in the developmental characteristics of plethodontids compared to other families of salamanders including increases in egg size and duration of embryonic development. Additionally, the evolutionary loss of the aquatic larval stage is related to a diminishing dependence on aquatic habitats for reproduction. The lift of this constraint allowed widespread colonization and diversification within a broad number of terrestrial habitats which is a testament to the high success and proliferation of Plethodontidae.

Many species have a projectile tongue and hyoid apparatus, which they can fire almost a body length at high speed to capture prey.

Measured in individual numbers, they are very successful animals where they occur. In some places, they make up the dominant biomass of vertebrates. An estimated 1.88 billion individuals of the southern redback salamander inhabit just one district of Mark Twain National Forest alone, about 1,400 tons of biomass. Due to their modest size and low metabolism, they are able to feed on prey such as springtails, which are usually too small for other terrestrial vertebrates. This gives them access to a whole ecological niche with minimal competition from other groups.

Courtship and mating
Plethodontids exhibit highly stereotyped and complex mating behaviors and courtship rituals that are not present in any other salamander family. Mating behavior tends to be uniform among all plethodontids and typically involves a tail-straddle walk in which the female orients her head at the base of the male's tail while also straddling the tail with her body. The male will twist his body around and deposit a sperm capsule, known as the spermatophore, on the substrate in front of the female's snout. As the male leads the female over the spermatophore with his tail, the female lowers her cloaca onto the spermatophore and lodges the sperm mass inside while leaving the base of the spermatophore on the ground.

Within many species of plethodontidae, the courtship ritual is often accompanied by transfer of male pheromones during the tail-straddling walk. During the breeding period, males will grow enlarged anterior teeth used to scratch the female's skin on her head as a part of the courtship ritual. Subsequently, the male will rub pheromones onto the abraded spot which are secreted from a pad of tissue called the mental gland located underneath the male's chin.

Courtship pheromones greatly increase male mating success for a variety of reasons. Overall, the pheromone secretions increase female receptivity to courtship and sperm transfer. This not only increases the likelihood of successful mating with a specific female, but also shortens the duration of courtship which is important because it minimizes the chance of the male being interrupted by other competing males.

In scientific literature discussing the variations between the mental glands of plethodontid salamanders, it was discovered that male plethodontids had minor variations in height  and diameter of the simple tubular glands, and major variation was found in the diameter of the secretory granules. This is attributed to the fact that males can mate throughout all months of the year, while females oviposit seasonally.

Respiration
A number of features distinguish the plethodontids from other salamanders. Most significantly, they lack lungs, conducting respiration through their skin, and the tissues lining their mouths. Some species of cave salamanders are neotenic, and keep their larval gills even as adults. Gills are absent in all other adult plethodontids.

Plethodontid salamanders are almost entirely reliant on cutaneous respiration. Approximately 83%–93% of oxygen uptake is through this method. Plethodontid salamander respiration rates are constrained by their SA:V, and higher SA:Vs are correlated to warmer, wetter climates.

Plethodontids are constantly exposed to air or water, which allows for constant gas exchange that is not limited by ventilation. Oxygen uptake is identical in water and air, assuming the partial pressure of oxygen is the same. Oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood are mixed together in the venous system, which causes the partial pressure of oxygen within cardiac blood to typically be low.

Plethodontids can tolerate hypoxia for prolonged periods by reducing their metabolic rate instead of by relying on anaerobic cutaneous respiration, as initially theorized.

Plethodontids have been observed to develop rudimentary lungs as embryos. The lung rudiment develops similarly to that of non-plethodontid salamanders for the first three weeks of development and then begins to regress through apoptosis.

Chemoreception
Another distinctive feature is the presence of a vertical slit between the nostril and upper lip, known as the "nasolabial groove". The groove is lined with glands, and enhances the salamander's chemoreception which is correlated with a higher degree of olfactory lobe and nasal mucous membrane development in plethodontids. The presence of this specialized structure is likely related to the absence of lungs in these salamanders. Though some lunged salamanders do exhibit similar structures, they are reduced in size and are not arranged near the nostrils (i.e. nares) in the same fashion as plethodontids. Due to the fact that plethodontids cannot generate air pressure via expulsion of air from the lungs and through the nares, they are presented with the challenge of removing water and debris from the nasal passages which has the potential to significantly limit olfactory processes. As such, the nasolabial grooves are structured in a way that maximizes drainage from the nose. The groove is deeper and more narrow directly around the nares and the orifices of the glands are slightly elevated both of which aid in the gravitational flow of fluid from the nares and nasal depression. Additionally, the nasolabial glands around the margins of the nares secrete a fatty film which further encourages the removal of water from the nasal passages due to differences in polarity between water and the lipid secretions.

Evolutionary history
Plethodontidae are estimated to have split from their sister group Amphiumidae around the K-Pg boundary, and to have diversified during the Paleogene. The origin region of the family is North America, with oldest of the European members of the family known from the Middle Miocene of Slovakia.

Subfamilies and genera
The family Plethodontidae consists of two extant subfamilies and about 506 to 510 species divided among these genera, making up the majority of known salamander species:

Following a major revision in 2006, the genus Haideotriton was found to be a synonym of Eurycea, while the genus Lineatriton were made synonyms of Pseudoeurycea.

Conservation status

References

External links
 Tree of Life: Plethodontidae
 Caudata Culture Species Database - Plethodontidae

Salamandroidea
Amphibian families
Extant Miocene first appearances
Taxa named by John Edward Gray

Plethodontidae


Đắk Lắk (or Daklak; , formerly Darlac) is a central mountainous province in the Central Highlands region, the Central of Vietnam. It borders Gia Lai to the north, Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa to the east, Lâm Đồng and Đắk Nông to the south, and Mondulkiri of Cambodia to the west.

Đăk Lăk is home to quite a few indigenous ethnic minorities, such as the Rade, the Jarai and the Mnong, among others.

Etymology
The name comes from the Mnong (a Mon-Khmer language) word dak Lak (which would sound rather like "Đác Lác" in Vietnamese), literally "Lak Lake", the largest freshwater lake in the province. The word dak means "water" or "lake", and is a cognate of the Vietnamese nước/nác ("water"). The official spelling in Vietnamese is Đắk Lắk, despite the fact that the original Mnong word contains long "a" sounds rather than short "ă" sounds. Some other spellings such as Dak Lak, Daklak, Đăk Lăk, Đắc Lắc, and Darlac (in older French texts), among others, have also been used. The Daklak Guest House, for example, inconsistently uses Daklak and Đắk Lắk. Linguist Nguyễn Minh Hoạt has argued that a sensible spelling would be Dak Lăk, based on the ground that lak means dermatophytosis in Rade (an unrelated language of the Austronesian family), while at the same time citing the Mnong origin as the basis for the dak part of the spelling. The derivative Đắk Nông province appears to have been named after this province, by replacing Lắk with Nông for "Mnong".

History
The area now known as Đắk Lắk was originally controlled by the Kingdom of Champa. When Champa was conquered and annexed by Vietnam in the 15th century, Đắk Lắk was brought under loose Vietnamese rule. Later, in 1540, a noble named Bùi Tá Hán was appointed by the Vietnamese authorities to direct the settlement of the area by ethnic Vietnamese, bringing the highlands under more effective Vietnamese control. Military outposts were established in the area to guard against possible aggression from the west. Later, when Vietnam was occupied by the French, the French established a large number of plantations in the area. Resistance to French rule was strong in Đắk Lắk, with various minority tribes leading a number of significant rebellions. The most notable was a 23-year campaign led by N'Trang Lơng, a M'Nông tribal leader. Later, Đắk Lắk was part of South Vietnam, and saw considerable action in the Vietnam War.

Until recently, Đắk Nông was a part of Đắk Lắk, but is now a separate Province.

A chronology of key events

End of the 19th century: Đắk Lắk belonged to Kon Tum, part of Vietnam
22 November 1904: Đắk Lắk province was created and administered by Annam
9 February 1913: Đắk Lắk province again part of Kon Tum
2 July 1923: a new Đắk Lắk was formed. It only had villages.
1931: it consisted of 5 provinces: Buôn Ma Thuột, Buôn Hồ, Đắk Song, Lak, M'Đrăk
2 July 1958: Đắk Lắk (Darlac) is composed of Buôn Ma Thuột, Lạc Thiện, M'Đrăk, Đắk Song, Buôn Hồ
23 January 1959: Quảng Đức province was created with the separation of Đăk Song. Part of M'Đrăk district was added to Khánh Hòa Province
20 December 1963: Phước An District was formed, with the capital at Phước Trạch, then later to Thuận Hiếu on 1 September 1965.
1976: new Đắk Lắk was formed from Đắk Lắk and Quảng Đức.
26 November 2003: Đắk Lắk was dissolved again into Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông.

Geography
Đắk Lắk is based around the Đắk Lắk Plateau, around six hundred metres above sea level.

About 60 km south of Buôn Ma Thuột is Lak Lake. Overlooking the lake is the old summer residence of Emperor Bảo Đại which has been renovated into a hotel. Surrounding the lake is Jun Village, home of the Jun people. The villagers have a peculiar form of fishing where they attach metal rods to a car battery and run the rods through the water, zapping and stunning the fish, and then collecting them to keep in a tank at the village until they are needed.

Administrative divisions
Đắk Lắk is subdivided into 15 district-level sub-divisions:

They are further subdivided into 12 commune-level towns (or townlets), 152 communes, and 20 wards.

Economy

Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy. Recently, there have been efforts to harness the province's considerable potential for hydroelectric generation.
The Jun people take advantage of the small tourist trade that passes through, giving elephant rides through the village and across the lake.

References

In the Media
The Girl from Dak Lak

External links
Official website

Provinces of Vietnam

Đắk Lắk province


Jordi Magem Badals (born August 24, 1967 in Barcelona) is a Spanish chess Grandmaster.

Chess career

In 1981 Magem Badals won the Catalan Junior Chess Championship. In 1983, he won the Catalan and Spanish youth chess championships.

Magem Badals won the Spanish Chess Championship in 1990, ahead of IM Marcelino Sion Castro. He has been runner-up on three other occasions, in 1986 behind Ángel Martín González, in 1993 behind Lluis Comas Fabregó and in 1997 behind Pablo San Segundo Carrillo. He has won the Catalan Chess Championship twice, in 2008 and 2010, and was runner-up in 2009.

Magem Badals played in the FIDE World Chess Championship 1999 knockout matches in Las Vegas, United States, but was eliminated in round 3 by Judit Polgár.

Magem Badals represented Spain in seven Chess Olympiads in Novi Sad 1990, Moscow 1994, Yerevan 1996, Elista 1998, Istanbul 2000, Bled 2002 and Khanty-Mansiysk 2010. His best result was in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 where he scored 6/9 and finished 7th on board 4. He also represented Spain in the European Team Chess Championship three times, in Debrecen 1992, Pula 1997 and Batumi 1999.

References

External links

Spanish chess players
Chess grandmasters
Chess Olympiad competitors
Sportspeople from Barcelona
1967 births
Living people

Jordi Magem Badals


The Romancing Star () is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Wong Jing and starring Chow Yun-fat, Eric Tsang, Natalis Chan, Stanley Fung and Maggie Cheung. The film was followed by two sequels The Romancing Star II, released in the following year and The Romancing Star III, released the year after.

Plot
Fred (Chow Yun-fat), a vulgar car repairer, works at a garage together with his two close buddies  Tony (Natalis Chan) and Silver (Eric Tsang). The boss of the garage, Ken (Stanley Fung) puts his friendship with the three in priority, ultimately, despite his calculating, harsh, picky and dingy personality. Both Tony and Silver couldn't put up with the snobbish mother of Fred's girlfriend, Ah Man (Sharla Cheung) thus stirring up troubles on the occasion of her birthday banquet forcing Fred breakup with Ah Man. In order to recover the heartbreak of Fred, Ken decided to cheer him up by joining a tour to Penang, where they came across two beautiful girls, Maggie (Maggie Cheung) and Agnes (Agnes Cheung), strolling leisurely on the beach as if they were very wealthy. Since then they decided on courtship. They played a poker game to decide who's to who. As fate would've decided,
winner Fred has chosen Maggie to be his sole target. By the rules of the game, Ken, Tony and Silver have to compete and see who, in the end, will win the heart of Agnes. Maggie and Fred still keep in contact with each other following their return from the trip. One night, Fred decided to invite Maggie to a ball, where she was instantly attracted by a wealthy bachelor called Chiu Ting-sin (Stuart Ong). Fred couldn't tolerate with Chiu's inappropriate acts towards Maggie and he deliberately tricks him, causing the two to incur hatred at each other. To take revenge on Fred, Chiu hired Maggie and Agnes for commercial shootings, and sent his car to the garage where Fred works, thus to expose his real identity as a car repairer to Maggie. Deceived by Fred, Maggie bursted away in a fit of anger and sadness. Chiu was preparing to throw an in-house party to welcome Maggie and Agnes as his guests, but then, he was having a hidden agenda. Fred and his friends were accused of storing drugs and were prisoned. After learning about the intention Chiu is attempting, he and the friends underwent a plan to sneak into the house party and rescue Maggie and Agnes. When Maggie finds out that Chiu actually has an ulterior motive for her, she broke up with him and accepted Fred's confession and apology, as a result, Maggie and Fred got married.

Cast
Chow Yun-fat as Fred Wong Yat-fat
Eric Tsang as Silver / Ugly
Natalis Chan as Tony / Traffic Light
Stanley Fung as Ken Lau Ting-kin
Maggie Cheung as Maggie Tung Man-yuk
Agnes Cheung as Agnes Lee Man-chi
Stuart Ong as Chiu Ting-sin
Sharla Cheung as Man
Wong San as Mr. Due
Leung San as Mrs. Due
Keung Chung-ping as Chiu Ting-sin's Sifu (cameo)
Charlie Cho as One of Mr. Chiu's Employee (cameo)
Anthony Chan as One of Mr. Chiu's Employee (cameo)
Carol Cheng as Susan (cameo)
Philip Chan as Kenny
Wong Jing as Tour guide
Wong Tin-lam as Maggie's father
Soh Hang-suen as Maggie's mother
Ha Kwok-wing as One of Mr Chiu's Guards
Thomas Sin as One of Mr Chiu's Guards
Maria Cordero as orange dance contestant
Sandy Chan Pui-shan 陳佩珊 as Chu
Leung Hak-shun as Chu's father
Cheung Kwok-wah as masked stripper
Seung Koon-yuk as Mrs. Kam
Wang Han-chen as street vendor
Chan Wai-yue as orange dance contestant
Anna Kamiyama as waits for boyfriend with Ferrari
Shing Fuk-n as A Better Tomorrow ending extra
Shing Fui-On as A Better Tomorrow ending extra
Ng Kwok-kin as policeman
Yat-oon Chai as policeman
Cheung Yuen-wah as Ferrari Wong
Mau Kin-tak as Ferrari's boyfriend / Tourist
Che Hung as toilet attendant
Ho Chi-moon as Mr. Due's banquet guest
Chin Tsi-ang as mahjong player
Sherman Wong as Ho/ Traffic policeman

Box office
The film grossed HK$21,720,626 at the Hong Kong box office during its theatrical run from 25 June to 8 July 1987 in Hong Kong.

See also
Chow Yun-fat filmography
Wong Jing filmography

External links

The Romancing Star at Hong Kong Cinemagic

1987 films
1987 romantic comedy films
Hong Kong romantic comedy films
1980s Cantonese-language films
Films directed by Wong Jing
Films set in Hong Kong
Films shot in Hong Kong
1980s Hong Kong films

The Romancing Star


Batmania is a term coined by Billy Joe (Biljo) White in the early 1960s and the title of his influential fanzine dedicated to the DC comic book character Batman. The name is "almost certainly" a nod to the then-prominent term "Beatlemania" used to describe the impact of the Beatles in popular culture.  When White first published Batmania, interest in the Batman character was at a low point; however, due to changes credited largely to DC editor Julie Schwartz, comic sales improved and the character built a wave of popularity that led to the 1966 Batman television series.  White and his fanzine were credited with helping to focus the energy of the dedicated fans during this time.

The term "Batmania" was used extensively — and without apparent awareness of White's publication — in the popular press to describe the high level of interest surrounding the premiere of the 1960s TV Show and was revived in media references to levels of interest displayed around the premiere of the 1989 Batman film (e.g., People Magazine, July 1989). The term has become a colloquialism used to describe fan interest in Batman and merchandise associated with the character.

In addition to White's fanzine, the Batmania title has specifically been used as the name of several books written by James Van Hise on the history of the Batman character and associated merchandise, a series of documentaries about the 1960s Batman TV series, an album of music "Inspired By The Batman TV Series" released in 1997, and assorted other Batman-related media projects.

Fanzine
{{Infobox magazine
| title              = Batmania (later Beyond the Clock)'
| image_file         =
| image_size         =
| image_caption      =
| editor             = Biljo White (1964–1967)Rich Morrissey (1967–1978)
| editor_title       =
| previous_editor =
| frequency          =
| category           = history, criticism, interviews
| total_circulation  = 1,000
| circulation_year   = 1967
| company            =
| publisher          =
| based = Columbia, Missouri
| firstdate          =
|lastdate = 1978
| finalnumber = 23
| country            = United States
| language           = English
| website            =
| issn               =
}}

Publication history
First published in July 1964, Batmania was a comics fanzine published by Billy Joe "Biljo" White, produced for "Batmanians" as the unofficial "fanzine for Batman fans." Appearing under the motto "For Batman, we accept nothing as impossible," White's fanzine was released a year after sales on the two Batman titles – Batman and Detective Comics (DC Comics) – had "dipped alarmingly." With editor Julius Schwartz replacing Jack Schiff, and "assign[ing] his favorite writer, John Broome, to raise the level of the stories, and his most popular artist, Carmine Infantino, to upgrade the visuals," White's fanzine helped revive interest in the character. Schwartz returned the character to his roots, removing much of the "gimmickry" and members of the then so-called Bat-family – Batwoman, Batgirl (Betty Kane), Ace the Bathound and Bat-Mite in particular – for a "new look" debut of mid-1964 with Detective Comics #327 (May 1964) and Batman #164 (June 1964), a mere matter of months before White's fanzine debuted.

The title – "no doubt inspired by the Beatlemania that had swept the U.S. earlier in the year" – released by long-term Batman fan and firefighter White from his home in Columbia, Missouri, swiftly became one of comics fandom's most important fanzines.Bails, Jerry G., "America's Four-color Pastime..." in the guidebook to COMICS FANDOM (Bill Spicer, Summer 1965) White was himself an "aspiring artist showing considerable potential," who had once written to Batman-creator Bob Kane and produced a regular cartoon during World War II called "The New Bunch." Involved in comics fandom from its earliest days, White contributed to issues of Komix Illustrated, Masquerader, Star-Studded Comics and Alter Ego (A/E), among others. (When Roy Thomas took over A/E, White "served as art editor".)Batmania had the tacit approval of DC, after White sent a copy of his first issue to renowned fan-friendly editor Julius Schwartz, who liked it, and even gave it a plug in the pages of Batman #169, causing the membership of the fledgling "Batmanians" group to grow "nearly 1,000-strong". The first issue, published in 1964, was in such demand that White:
"kept printing up more and more copies, until the ditto masters gave out – and I still couldn't satisfy all the requests. It convinced me more than ever that there was a large body of fans who enjoyed the adventures of Batman and Robin as much as I did."

Content
The pages of the fanzine provided, wrote fan historian Bill Schelly for Roy Thomas' Alter Ego revival from TwoMorrows Publishing:
"features which both entertained and educated readers on aspects of the Dynamic Duo's career in the late 1930s. (The 25 annuals and giants of the 1960s generally reached only a few years into Batman's past for their reprints.) Beginning in issue #2, the first of two landmark articles called "Batman before Robin" appeared, recounting what Batman was like in the year before he adopted Dick Grayson as his ward."

As the 1960s reprints of Golden Age Batman stories did not stretch back to his very beginnings, these articles were crucial in educating new Batman fans about the history of the character — including his (short-lived) early tendencies to both use a gun and kill various of his foes. Batmania also provided a forum for fans to hold forth on topics related to the character in a section called "The Batmanians Speak." Fan Richard Kyle, who coined the phrase "graphic story"/"graphic novel" was one who debated the pros and cons of the "new look" (including the iconic yellow-encircled Bat logo on the costume's chest), alongside key fellow fandom individuals such as Ron Foss - and in the first annual Batmania poll, 90% of respondents said that they preferred the new look.Batmania also included advertisements and checklists, occasional non-Batman features, and revealed to fandom the existence of Rutland, Vermont's Halloween Parade, which Tom Fagan led in Batman-garb; the parade — and Fagan — would later feature in several in-comics storylines, most notably in those written by long-term fan Roy Thomas.Gafford, Carl "Once Upon a Halloween..." in Roy Thomas (ed.) Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2001), pp. 78-81

Batman creation controversy
Schelly writes that one "key reason for the formation of comics fandom was to provide collectors with data about their favorite comic books. Who were the artists? The writers? For the most part, no one knew, until the information was gradually ferreted out by tenacious fans." Bill Finger's rare appearance at the 1965 New York Comicon began to shed light on his immense contributions to the character of Batman, and his role in scripting – and co-creating – most of the key aspects of the strip, including the character itself. This appearance led Jerry Bails to write in CAPA-alpha #12 (Sep 1965) about "The Silent Legend Behind the Batman!", namely Finger. Describing Kane's hiring of Finger and likely becoming the first source to state that Finger "put words in the mouth of the Guardian of Gotham," Bails attributed the status of co-creator of Batman to Finger. This led to a "lengthy retort" from Bob Kane himself appearing in the Batmania fanzine, "written just days after seeing the Bails piece," but unprinted until the 1967 Batmania Annual (issue #17), publication delayed because Finger had communicated to Tom Fagan that he and Kane were intending to talk things through prior to the letter's publication.

Bob Kane's creation assertion
Kane's 6-page letter (reprinted by Roy Thomas in the pages of Alter Ego, as published by TwoMorrows Publishing)"The Bob Kane Letter" in Roy Thomas (ed.) Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2001), pp. 70-72 was written on September 14, 1965, and after congratulating White on Batmania aims to rebut the various "myths" surrounding the creation of Batman. Opening his attempts to "explode the myths" about the creation of Batman, Kane writes:
"I, Bob Kane, am the sole creator of "Batman." I created "Batman" in 1939 . . . and I signed the first strip.."
The letter sparked a debate among comics fandom over the contributions made by Kane, Finger and Jerry Robinson (among others), a debate that continues to the present day. The letter itself, while much less charitable towards Finger than Kane would later be, appears carefully worded to rebut "the impression that he [Finger] and not myself [Kane] created the "Batman," as well as Robin[, etc.]" rather than to address Bails' issue of co-creatorship. Part of Kane's logic hinges on Finger's signature/by-line not appearing on the strip, even though such anonymity and relinquishing of credit was commonplace in the comics industry of the 1930s and 1940s. Kane further threatens legal action against Jerry Bails, asserting that, while Finger "was influential . . . in shaping up the strip", the idea was conceived solely by him prior to bringing Finger in to script the work, and therefore was created solely by him. Batmania – and other forums – have since debated whether the "influential" assistance of Finger was deserving of more credit than Kane was – at the time – willing to apportion him.

TV NewsBatmania was perfectly poised to receive the news in 1965 that a television series was being produced about Batman, and "January 12th, 1966, fans across the country gathered at their TVs" to watch the first episode of the Adam West and Burt Ward-starring Batman series. Soon after:

CirculationBatmania eventually rose to a circulation of c. 1000 copies, all produced on a mimeograph machine by White, and purchased by Batmanians from all over the world "in such Far Eastern countries as Australia, Thailand, and India, through England and Italy and so on," while "Batmania material... [was] reprinted in both England and Italy."

After "the 1967 Batmania Annual (#17), White ceased publication to take a well-deserved break," although the fanzine and name did not cease. Moving "from mimeograph to professional photo-offset printing," it was continued by Rich Morrissey for a further six issues until 1978, before DC "withdrew its permission to use the title," whereupon "it ran still more issues under the name Behind the Clock (sic), an allusion to the entrance to the Batcave." Beyond the Clock was edited by J. R. Sams, and co-edited by Morrissey.

Legacy
With Batmanias's first issue cited by "the father of comics fandom" Jerry Bails as one of the "major events" in comics fandom, Schelly concurred 30+ years later, writing that:

Books

The title Batmania was used in the late 1980s and early 1990s in a series of three books written by James Van Hise which detailed the history of the Batman character.

The first volume was released in 1989 to tie-in with the release of Tim Burton's Batman film, and featured interviews, articles about the then-upcoming revival/reunion of the 1966 Batman TV series cast in syndication repeats and newly filmed material, articles on the Batmobile and pages on various Batman-related collectibles. It was edited by Hal Schuster (formerly of New Media Publishing), as one of many books published by him on popular culture under various book imprints.

A second volume followed three years later, just prior to the release of Batman Returns, similarly featuring articles and interviews, as well as details on the Batman serials of the 1940s, the comics, the TV series and the 1989 film.

A third volume, collecting material from the first two books, was published in 1995.Batmania (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1989) Batmania II (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1992) Batmania III (Pioneer Books, Inc., 1995)

Documentaries

The late-1980s/early 1990s revivals/reunions of cast members from the 1966 Batman TV series (itself in large part inspired by the big screen reappearance of the caped crusader in Tim Burton's 1989 film) spawned several documentaries, two of which were released on VHS using variations of the series' "Holy" catchphrase and the term "Batmania". These served both as retrospectives on Batman (and mostly the TV series) as well as acting as trailers for the upcoming films.

A separate "Batmania"-entitled VHS documentary was released by Anchor Bay in September, 1989 for much the same purpose.

"Batmania" entitled VHS releases include:Batmania from comics to screen: The real story of the super hero (Anchor Bay, Sep 1989, directed by James Gordon)Holy Batmania! (United American Video, Nov 1989)Holy Batmania 2! (United American Video, 1992)

In 2004, Image Entertainment released a DVD entitled Holy Batmania!, which included four documentaries: on the 1966 show, on Adam West, on Cesar Romero and on Julie Newmar. Culled largely from the earlier VHS releases (minus material retrospectively having clearance problems — most notably that featuring Yvonne Craig's Batgirl character), the re-release was designed in part to tie-into the hype and Bat-releases surrounding the then-upcoming Batman Begins movie.

Album

In July 1997, in part to tie in with the theatrical release of the live-action Batman and Robin film, and in part the debut of The New Batman/Superman Adventures TV series, Varèse Sarabande released an album entitled Batmania, featuring "Songs Inspired By The Batman'' TV Series," consisting in large part of songs by various cast members. Burt Ward's "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (a collaboration with Frank Zappa) was notable by its absence.

Track listing
 "Batman Theme" – Neal Hefti
 "The Story Of Batman" – Adam West
 "The Capture" – Burgess Meredith
 "Batman To The Rescue" – LaVern Baker
 "Batman Theme" – Al Hirt
 "Ratman And Bobin In The Clipper Caper" – The Brothers Four
 "Batman A Go Go" – Combo Kings
 "Miranda" – Adam West
 "That Man" – Peggy Lee
 "Batman Theme" – Davie Allan & The Arrows
 "The Joker Is Wild" – Jan & Dean
 "The Riddler" – Frank Gorshin
 "The Escape" – Burgess Meredith
 "Batman And Robin" – Adam West
 "Batman Theme" – Joel McNeely/Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus

References

External links
Read or download complete issues of the Batmania fanzine at ComicBookPlus.com

Batman in other media
Batman (TV series)
Batman (1989 film series)
Comics zines
Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States
Magazines about comics
Magazines established in 1964
Magazines disestablished in 1978
Science fiction magazines established in the 1960s
Science fiction fanzines

Batmania


Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane  (9 April 1851 – 19 October 1922), styled Lord Glenorchy between 1862 and 1871 and known as The Earl of Breadalbane and Holland between 1871 and 1885, was a Scottish nobleman and Liberal politician.

Background and education
Campbell was born at Fermoy, County Cork, the eldest son of John Campbell, 6th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, by Mary Theresa, daughter of John Edwards, of Dublin. He was educated at St Andrews. After his father succeeded in the earldom of Breadalbane and Holland in 1862, Campbell became known by the courtesy title Lord Glenorchy. until he succeeded his father in the earldom in 1871.

Military and political career
Breadalbane served as a lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from 1873 to 1874. He was later in the Shropshire Yeomanry, entering as Sub-Lieutenant in 1877, being promoted to lieutenant in 1882, retiring as captain in 1887. From 1897 to 1910 he was Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Highland Cyclist Battalion, of which he became Honorary Colonel in 1913, and was appointed an Aide-de-Camp for volunteers to King Edward VII with the substantive rank of colonel in January 1903.

As his earldom was a Scottish peerage it did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, in 1873 he was created Baron Breadalbane, of Kenmure in the County of Perth, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him a seat in the House of Lords. That same year he was appointed a Lord-in-waiting in the Liberal administration of William Ewart Gladstone. The Liberals fell from power in 1874 but returned to office in 1880, when Breadalbane was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Treasurer of the Household by Gladstone, a post he held until 1885. The latter year he was created Earl of Ormelie, in the County of Caithness, and Marquess of Breadalbane, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Lord Breadalbane did not serve in Gladstone's brief 1886 administration, but once again held office as Lord Steward of the Household from 1892 to 1895, firstly under Gladstone and from 1894 under the premiership of Lord Rosebery. In 1894 he was appointed a Knight of the Garter. He also served as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1893, 1894 and 1895 and as Lord Lieutenant of Argyllshire from 1914 until 1922 and was the last holder of the office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, which he held from 1907 until his death in 1922 in Glasgow.

He was a Knight of the Order of the Seraphim of Sweden and a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (KStJ), in which capacity he represented King Edward VII during the dedication in June 1902 of the restored chapel at Marienburg Castle, originally the seat of the Teutonic Order. He was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society, and was also a Brigadier-General of the Royal Company of Archers.

Personal life
Lord Breadalbane married Lady Alma Imogen Carlotta Leonore Graham, the youngest daughter of James Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose, in 1872. They had no children. He died at the Central Station Hotel in Glasgow in October 1922, aged 71, and was buried at Finlarig.

The barony of Breadalbane, earldom of Ormelie and marquessate of Breadalbane became extinct on his death, while he was succeeded in his Scottish titles by his nephew Iain. Lady Breadalbane died in May 1932, aged 77.

References

External links

1851 births
Alumni of the University of St Andrews
1922 deaths
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Knights of the Garter
Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers
Liberal Party (UK) Lords-in-Waiting
Lord-Lieutenants of Argyllshire
Treasurers of the Household
Shropshire Yeomanry officers
Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Directors of the Caledonian Railway
Members of the Royal Company of Archers
Gavin
Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria


Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.

Plot
As Christmas draws near, Quentin Collins issues an arcane invitation into the unknown. Meanwhile, as children are reported missing across Collinsport, the festive season brings Collinwood new terrors, when a persuasive spirit seeks to divide and conquer...

Cast
Quentin Collins – David Selby
Angelique – Lara Parker
Willie Loomis – John Karlen
Maggie Evans – Kathryn Leigh Scott
Barnabas Collins – Andrew Collins
The Visitor/Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes – Toby Longworth
The Child – Thomas Grant
Grandmother – Rita Davies

External links
- Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence

Christmas Presence
2007 audio plays
Works by Scott Handcock

Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence


Reiszorhinus is an extinct genus of Early Permian captorhinid known from the United States. The type species is Reiszorhinus olsoni. Fossils have been found from the Waggoner Ranch Formation in north-central Texas. It is distinguishable by its recurved teeth and extremely large Meckelian foramen on the inner surface of the lower jaw. It has been considered a primitive member of its family because it has a single tooth along the margins of the jaws. While most single-tooth-rowed captorhinids are small, Reiszorhinus is relatively large. However, Reiszorhinus differs from other large captorhinids in that the cheek region is not wide and expanded.

Reiszorhinus olsoni was first named in 2010. Specimens belonging to the species were previously misidentified as those of the similar captorhinid Labidosaurus hamatus. Reiszorhinus is one of the most basal captorhinids, along with the genera Romeria, Concordia, and Protocaptorhinus.

References

Fossils of the United States
Permian reptiles of North America
Fossil taxa described in 2010
Captorhinids
Prehistoric reptile genera

Reiszorhinus


The Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (etit) is a department of the Technische Universität Darmstadt. It was the first faculty of electrical engineering in the world and offered the first course of study in electrical engineering.

As of 2018, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology is one of the largest electrical engineering departments in Germany, with 29 professorships, around 250 scientific staff and around 2,400 students in 10 study courses.

The history of the department is shaped by pioneers. Among the well-known graduates are for example John Tu, Kurt Heinrich Debus and Gerhard M. Sessler.

History
In 1882, the electrical engineering pioneer and physicist Erasmus Kittler was appointed to the world's first chair of electrical engineering. One year later, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering was founded at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and the world's first degree course in electrical engineering was offered. Among Kittler's first students were Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky, the inventor of three-phase electric power and three-phase motor, which lead to the Second Industrial Revolution, and Carl Hering, known for Hering's experiment.

In 1899, the Electrotechnical Association was founded at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. Many companies emerged from this association.

In 1907, Rudolf Goldschmidt developed the Goldschmidt alternator, which enabled the first radio transmission line between the USA and Germany. Later, he invented several inventions together with Albert Einstein, including hearing aids and loudspeakers. They received the patent for the construction of a loudspeaker in 1933.

After Kittler retired from teaching in 1914, the Technische Universität Darmstadt awarded him an honorary doctorate and appointed Waldemar Petersen as his successor. Peterson established high voltage technology and invented a compensator for residual current in case of unintentional earth faults of an outer conductor, which is exhibited in the German Museum in Munich today. Later he became Director of AEG.

In 1930, Hans Busch was appointed professor at the newly established Institute of Communications Engineering. He founded modern electron optics, thus laying the foundations for the electron microscope.

Under the Nazi regime, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Technische Universität Darmstadt were brought into line with the National Socialist dictatorship from 1933 to 1945. Under the impressions of the Bombing of Darmstadt in World War II one year later, the first International Conference on Engineering Education was held at TU Darmstadt, at which all participants in research and teaching committed themselves solely to peaceful purposes.

In 1952, Karl Küpfmüller was appointed. He founded the system theory of electrical message transmission and thus made a significant contribution to the development of long-distance telephone traffic. In 1924 he established a relationship between the bandwidth and the duration of oscillation of signals, which later became known as Küpfmüller's uncertainty principle.

From 1962 until 1974, Kurt H. Debus was the first director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center. During this time he was responsible for the launch of the Apollo program including the six Moon landings, Apollo 11 to Apollo 17. Apollo 13 was aborted prematurely. Under his leadership the following missions were accomplished: 1961 Alan Shepard, first American in space, 1962 John Glenn, first American to orbit the Earth, 1969 Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon, and the 1973 launch of the Skylab space laboratory.
Robert Piloty, who was appointed to the field of message processing in 1964, had a great influence on the development of data technology and the establishment of computer science as an independent discipline. In 1968, Robert Piloty and Winfried Oppelt initiated the first computer science course in Germany at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
In 1969, graduates of TH Darmstadt founded Software AG. Today it is one of the largest IT companies in Europe. Among the founders were Peter Pagé, electrical engineering graduate, and Peter Schnell, graduate of mathematics and physics. Schnell was chairman of Software AG for many years and today, with his Software AG Foundation, is one of the largest donors in Germany. One year later, billionaire John Tu completed his electrical engineering studies. He later founded Kingston Technology.

In 1971, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering was divided into three departments: Electrical Power Engineering, Communications Engineering and Control and Data Engineering.

In 1975, Gerhard Sessler, the developer of the foil electret microphone, was appointed to the Chair of Electroacoustics. He developed the silicon microphone at the department in 1983. Gerhard Sessler is included in the National Hall of Fame of the USA and received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2010.

In 1990, 1991 and 1992 the electric vehicle "Pinky" developed at TU Darmstadt won the Tour de Sol, the world championship for solar vehicles. Pinky is exhibited in the German Museum in Munich. The working group later developed into the Academic Solar Technology Group Akasol. Many companies came from Akasol, including the company of the same name Akasol AG. In 1996, the first chair for renewable energies in Germany was established at the university and is occupied by Thomas Hartkopf. Hartkopf and his team developed the energy systems of the solar houses, that won the Solar Decathlon in 2007 and 2009.

In 1998, Werner Langheinrich and Ottmar Kindl developed the technology for cameras in the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). One year later, M. Anders, Egon Christian Andresen and Andreas Binder developed the linear power train of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).

In 2003, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology awarded Rolf Isermann, professor at TU Darmstadt, to the Top Ten of Emerging Technologies because his developments will have an enduring effect on the world.

In 2013, Germany's first chair for bio-inspired communication systems was established at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and in 2017, the medical engineering course was established in cooperation with the Department of Medicine of the Goethe University Frankfurt.

Research
The research profile of the etit department covers established research areas such as automation technology, microwave technology, communications technology, theoretical electrical engineering, data technology, microelectronics and electrical power engineering.

In addition, there are three main areas of research in the department:

Mechatronics, Automation & Sensors
The research focus is concerned with the investigation of the control of technical processes, the characterization and application of mechatronic systems and the necessary sensor technology for the acquisition of physical quantities. It includes the fields of automation technology, mechatronics, microtechnology and electromechanical systems, measurement and sensor technology as well as lighting technology. The research focus is characterized by cooperation with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Semiconductor Technology in connection with microtechnically manufactured sensor systems.

Electrical Power Systems
The research focus Electrical Power Systems focuses on the generation, distribution and application of electrical energy.

Information & Communication Technology
The main research area Information & Communication Technology deals with system theory, the characterization of electronic devices and networks and all relevant applications in the field of information transmission and processing. It covers the fields of data technology, high-frequency and communications engineering as well as photonics.

External links
 Website of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

References

Technische Universität Darmstadt

Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of TU Darmstadt


The Swan Silvertones are an American gospel music group that first achieved popularity in the 1940s and 1950s under the leadership of Claude Jeter. Jeter formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while he was working as a coal miner in West Virginia, United States. After moving to Knoxville, Tennessee and obtaining their own radio show, the group changed its name to the Silvertone Singers in order to avoid confusion with another ensemble known as the "Four Kings of Harmony." They added the name Swan shortly thereafter, since Swan Bakeries sponsored their show. Their wide exposure through radio brought them a contract in 1946 with King Records.

Career
At this early stage, the Silvertones already embodied an amalgam of two styles: the close barbershop harmony that they had featured when starting out in West Virginia, and virtuoso leads supplied by Jeter and Solomon Womack. The group later lost Womack, but added Paul Owens in 1952 and Louis Johnson in 1955. Claude Jeter performed as lead singer on "Mary Don't You Weep".

The group recorded for Specialty Records from 1951 to 1955, when it switched to Vee-Jay Records. They recorded one album with HOB Records after Vee-Jay shut down in 1965, at which point Jeter left the group for the ministry. They recorded an additional 11 albums with HOB Records and 1 LP on Peacock Records in 1973 before signing with Savoy Records and recording 7 more albums. In 2009, a revamped line-up released the compact disc Need More Love thru CD Baby.

When interviewed by Dick Cavett in April 1970, Paul Simon credited the group with inspiring him to write the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water, specifically Jeter's line in one song: "I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust in my name"—with Simon confessing: "I guess I stole it.' John Fogerty's goal for the line, "Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river," in the song "Proud Mary" was to evoke male gospel harmonies, as exemplified by groups such as the Swan Silvertones, the Sensational Nightingales, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.

The Swan Silvertones were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

In January 2011, the Swan Silvertones were nominated for the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Gospel category for Need More Love.

Suggested reading
Zolten, Jerry, Great God A' Mighty!:The Dixie Hummingbirds – Celebrating The Rise Of Soul Gospel Music, Oxford University Press, 2003, .

See also
Five Blind Boys of Alabama

References

External links
'The Swan Silvertones' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
 'The Swan Silvertones' Pittsburgh Music History

American gospel musical groups
Savoy Records artists
Specialty Records artists
Vee-Jay Records artists
Musical groups established in 1938

Swan Silvertones


Brykill Farm, originally just Brykill, is  a family-owned organic grass-fed beef ranch located on Bruynswick Road (Ulster County Route 7) in Gardiner, New York, United States. Formerly a country estate, its  have a panoramic view of the Shawangunks to the west.

First built as a small settler's home in 1724 and used as a court during the mid-19th century, it was expanded considerably in 1927 in a sympathetic style and material. In 1983 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It has been a ranch, with cottages for weekend visitors, since 2000.

History

The land where Brykill now stands was first granted to Gertrude Bruyn in 1694 by William III and Mary II, hence the name Bruynswick for the area. Later grants followed, and in 1720 an Isaac Smedes bought the land. Four years later he built a small stone house, the first of several structures that would be merged into today's main house. In 1736 he expanded it to the size of the main block.

From Smedes the house would pass into the hands of various members of the locally prominent Jansen and Hasbrouck families, remaining mostly unchanged. During the latter's ownership, around 1850, the large dining room may have been used as a local courtroom. The waterside gazebo was added in 1890.

In 1926, William Bruyn, a descendant of the original landowners, purchased the property for use as a country estate. He retained Kingston architectural firm Halvorsen and Teller to expand the property in a manner that preserved and reinforced its original aesthetics. This entailed adding onto the main block and connecting its components, and building the service complex.

References

External links
Brykill Farm website

Ranches in the United States
Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
Houses in Ulster County, New York
National Register of Historic Places in Ulster County, New York
Houses completed in 1724
Houses completed in 1927
Gardiner, New York
Stone houses in New York (state)
1724 establishments in the Province of New York

Brykill Farm


Alfred Werner (12 December 1866 – 15 November 1919) was a Swiss chemist who was a student at ETH Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for proposing the octahedral configuration of transition metal complexes. Werner developed the basis for modern coordination chemistry. He was the first inorganic chemist to win the Nobel Prize, and the only one prior to 1973.

Biography
Werner was born in 1866 in Mulhouse, Alsace (which was then part of France, but which was annexed by Germany in 1871). He was raised as Roman Catholic. He was the fourth and last child of Jean-Adam Werner, a foundry worker, and his second wife, Salomé Jeanette Werner, who originated from a wealthy family. He went to Switzerland to study chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute (polytechnikum) in Zurich. Still, since this institute was not empowered to grant doctorates until 1909, Werner received a doctorate formally from the University of Zürich in 1890. After postdoctoral study in Paris, he returned to the Swiss Federal Institute to teach (1892). In 1893 he moved to the University of Zurich, where he became a professor in 1895. In 1894 he became a Swiss citizen.

In his last year, he suffered from a general, progressive, degenerative arteriosclerosis, especially of the brain, aggravated by years of excessive drinking and overwork. He died in a psychiatric hospital in Zurich.

Werner died on 15 November 1919 of arteriosclerosis in Zürich at the age of 52.

Research

Coordination chemistry
In 1893, Werner was the first to propose correct structures for coordination compounds containing complex ions, in which a central transition metal atom is surrounded by neutral or anionic ligands.

For example, it was known that cobalt forms a "complex" hexamine cobalt (III) chloride, with formula CoCl3•6NH3, but the nature of the association indicated by the dot was mysterious. Werner proposed the structure [Co(NH3)6]Cl3, with the Co3+ ion surrounded by six NH3 at the vertices of an octahedron. The three Cl− are dissociated as free ions, which Werner confirmed by measuring the conductivity of the compound in an aqueous solution, and also by chloride anion analysis using precipitation with silver nitrate. Later, magnetic susceptibility analysis was also used to confirm Werner's proposal for the chemical nature of CoCl3•6NH3.

For complexes with more than one type of ligand, Werner succeeded in explaining the number of isomers observed. For example, he explained the existence of two tetramine isomers, "Co(NH3)4Cl3", one green and one purple. Werner proposed that these are two geometric isomers of formula [Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl, with one Cl− ion dissociated as confirmed by conductivity measurements. The Co atom is surrounded by four NH3 and two Cl ligands at the vertices of an octahedron. The green isomer is "trans" with the two Cl ligands at opposite vertices, and the purple is "cis" with the two Cl at adjacent vertices.

Werner also prepared complexes with optical isomers, and in 1914 he reported the first synthetic chiral compound lacking carbon, known as hexol with formula [Co(Co(NH3)4(OH)2)3]Br6.

Nature of valence
Before Werner, chemists defined the valence of an element as the number of its bonds without distinguishing different types of bonds. However, in complexes such as [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 for example, Werner considered that the Co-Cl bonds correspond to a "primary" valence of 3 at long distance, while the Co-NH3 bonds which correspond to a "secondary" or weaker valence of 6 at shorter length. This secondary valence of 6 he referred to as the coordination number which he defined as the number of molecules (here of NH3) directly linked to the central metal atom. In other complexes, he found coordination numbers of 4 or 8.

On these views, and other similar views, in 1904 Richard Abegg formulated what is now known as Abegg's rule which states that the difference between the maximum positive and negative valence of an element is frequently eight. This rule was used later in 1916 when Gilbert N. Lewis formulated the "octet rule" in his cubical atom theory.

In modern terminology, Werner's primary valence corresponds to the oxidation state, and his secondary valence is called coordination number. The Co-Cl bonds (in the above example) are now classed as ionic, and each Co-N bond is a coordinate covalent bond between the Lewis acid Co3+ and the Lewis base NH3.

Works
 Lehrbuch der Stereochemie  . Fischer, Jena 1904 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf

References

External links
  including the Nobel Lecture, 11 December 1913 On the Constitution and Configuration of Higher-Order Compounds
 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1913 - short article about his work on the linkage of atoms in molecules by which he has thrown new light on earlier investigations and opened up new fields of research, especially in inorganic chemistry.

1866 births
1919 deaths
Scientists from Mulhouse
Inorganic chemists
Nobel laureates in Chemistry
Swiss Nobel laureates
ETH Zurich alumni
Academic staff of the University of Zurich
Swiss chemists
People involved with the periodic table
French emigrants
Immigrants to Switzerland

Alfred Werner


Gustavo Cárdenas Ávila, also known as Jan (born April 30, 1974 in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico) is a Mexican pop singer and actor, who had success as a pop-ballad singer in the 1990s and later became a screen and stage actor.

Early life
His parents are Gustavo Cardenas and Aurora Avila. He has an older sister named Aurora.

Career
He started his career in 1997 when he was discovered by Raul Velasco and was given the opportunity to sing in the dominical show Siempre en Domingo.

Jan recorded his first album in 1997, simply named also "Jan", it contained the pop-ballad Chiara, which became a strong hit in the same year on the charts in Ibero-America, although the theme did not have a promotional video; the single was presented on Siempre en Domingo for the world. The song talks about a loved one who died due to terminal disease.

Soon he was given the opportunity to act in the soap opera Soñadoras. He also participated in Dkda, Mi destino eres tu, La intrusa, navidad sin fin, Niña Amada Mía, Amarte es mi Pecado, Rubí, Apuesta por un amor, Alborada, Peregrina, and Heridas de Amor. Recently (2007) Destilando Amor as Patricio with Eduardo Yáñez, Angélica Rivera and Sergio Sendel. Also he has participated as host for Univision in several occasions, Desfile de las Rosas 2001, Primer Festival del Mariachi, Premios Juventud 2006, and several appearances in Premio Lo Nuestro. And with Televisa he hosted Celebremos Mexico: hecho en mexico.

Television
 Corazón Indomable (2013)
 Como dice el dicho (2012).... Ponce
 Rafaela (2011).... Rene Echeverria
 Destilando amor (2007).... Patricio Iturbe
 Heridas de Amor (2006).... Luciano Sartori
 Alborada (2005).... Santiago de Corsa
 Peregrina (2005).... Él mismo
 Apuesta por un amor (2004).... Dr. Felipe Calzada
 Rubí (2004).... Marco
 Amarte es mi pecado (2004).... Roberto Peña
 Niña amada mía (2003).... Mauricio Barocio
 Amigas y rivales (2001).... Julio
 Navidad sin fin (2001) (mini).... Rodito
 La intrusa (2001).... Johnny
 Mi destino eres tú (2000).... Fernando Rivadeniera del Encino
 DKDA: Sueños de juventud (1999-2000).... Rodrigo Arias
 Soñadoras (1998-1999).... Gerardo Rinalde

References

External links
Official Website

1974 births
Living people
Male actors from Guanajuato
Singers from Guanajuato
People from Celaya
20th-century Mexican male actors
21st-century Mexican male actors
21st-century Mexican singers
21st-century Mexican male singers

Gustavo Cárdenas Ávila


Brandon Auret (born 27 December 1972) is a South African actor known for his role as Leon du Plessis in the SABC3 soap opera Isidingo.

Early life
Auret was born 27 December 1972 in the South African city of Johannesburg.  He currently resides in Gauteng, South Africa.

Acting career
Auret played the role of Leon du Plessis from 1998 to 2005. After leaving this soap opera he starred in the GO/M-Net dramatic series Angel's Song as William.  This role was from 2006 through 2007. His other television acting credits include: Zet, Egoli, SOS, Laugh Out Loud, One Way, Wild at Heart and Tshisa.

Auret also appears in the South African movie District 9.

His stage credits include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sleeping Beauty, The Buddy Holly Story, Alladin, The Doo-Wah Boys, Summer Holiday, Forever Young, Jukebox Hero, Debbie Does Dallas, Khalushi and Strictly Come Party.

Auret is a co-owner and producer of the broadcast media and film production company A Breed Apart Pictures.

Filmography

References

External links

1972 births
Living people
Male actors from Johannesburg
South African male film actors
South African male television actors

Brandon Auret


Fort de Champigny was built following the Franco-Prussian War to defend Paris.  Located to the southeast of Paris in Chennevières-sur-Marne, the fort was part of an outer ring of fortifications built in response to improvements in the range and effectiveness of artillery since the construction of the Thiers fortifications of the 1840s. It was built in accordance with improved principles of fortification developed for the Séré de Rivières system.

The Fort de Champigny was built between 1878 and 1880 on an area of eight hectares at a location that had been used by the Prussians to bombard Paris in the 1870 war.  The site controlled movement on the Paris-Troyes railway line at Champigny-sur-Marne. The four-sided fort is surrounded by a ditch and a counterscarp. The fort encloses a paved court surrounded by quarters for 388 men. Water was supplied by cisterns. The fort was initially armed with 34 guns.

The fort was modernized in 1911, with additional fortifications in concrete, including two observation turrets in the fort's caponiers with machine guns. In 1914 the fort contained no more than ten guns on the rampart and ten on the caponiers. During the First World War the fort fired on the Plateau d'Avron with ten guns of 12 and 15 cm caliber. In 1939 and 1940 the fort was used for anti-aircraft artillery. The fort's caserne was burned in July 1944.

The Fort de Champigny was taken out of military service in 1965. It was placed on the Supplemental Inventory of the Monuments Historiques in 1979. It has been under restoration since 1984, and is to serve as a youth center.

See also
 Fortifications of Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries

References

External links
 Fort at Champigny-sur-Marne at Chemins de mémoire

Fortifications of Paris
Séré de Rivières system
Buildings and structures in Val-de-Marne

Fort de Champigny


Melih Cevdet Anday (13 March 1915 – 28 November 2002) was a Turkish writer whose poetry stands outside the traditional literary movements. He also wrote in many other genres which, over six and a half decades, included eleven collections of poems, eight plays, eight novels, fifteen collections of essays, several of which won major literary awards. He also translated several books from diverse languages into Turkish.

Biography
Melih Cevdet Anday was born in Istanbul in 1915 and lived there until his parents moved to Ankara in 1931. He graduated from Gazi High School and for a while began studying sociology in Belgium on a State Railways scholarship but had to return home in 1940 after the German invasion. Between 1942–51 he worked as a publication consultant for the Ministry of Education in Ankara and then as a city librarian. During this time he began his career as a journalist for several newspapers. After 1954, he worked as a teacher for the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. Between 1964 and 1969, Anday served on Turkish Radio Television's Board of Directors. After he retired from his position in the Conservatory in 1977, Anday was assigned to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris as Cultural Attaché until recalled after a change of Government.

Literary career
As a poet, Anday was one of the leaders of the Garip movement, which also included Orhan Veli and Oktay Rifat. According to the preface of their joint collection, published in 1941, poetry should abandon the formalism and rhetorical classical style of previous centuries, making itself simple, colloquial, and matter of fact—an artless art designed to serve the common people.

However, present there even then was an uneasy acknowledgement of French Surrealism, and Anday was eventually to change his engaged style to a cerebral neo-surrealism as he cautiously navigated beyond the difficult political waters of his country. This culminated in what was regarded at the time as his masterwork, the four-sectioned long poem "Ulysses Bound" (Kolları Bağlı Odysseus) of 1963. In this he deploys an original rhetoric of his own:
A slow world, in progress, with no memory
Visible only to the eye before there was an eye
Where nameless beings were advancing among other beings
Trees grew before trees were
And a star in the temple of the clouds
Opened wide the unharvested sky
To the bloody dawn of the epochs before there was reason.

Other sectioned poems of some length were to follow, including "On the Nomad Sea" (Göçebe Denizin Üstünde, 1970) and "A poem in the manner of Karacaoğlan" (Karacaoğlan'ın Bir Şiiri Üzerine Çeşitlemeler'de). But there were also many short poems of disarming simplicity such as "Sun" (I was just about to speak/ When suddenly the sun came out) and "Seagull" (Seagull, capital letter/ Scribbled by a child) whose thoughtful qualities journey beyond his earlier manner.

From henceforth his varied work began to earn Anday official recognition. In particular his play Mikado'nun Çöpleri (The Mikado Game) earned him several awards: Most Successful Playwright of the 1967–1968 Drama Season; the İlhan İskender Prize; Ankara Art Lovers Foundation for the Best Playwright in 1971–1972. Another play, Ölümsüzler ya da Bir Cinayetin Söylencesi (The Immortals or the Legend of a Murder) won the Enka Art Prize in 1980. His poetry collection Teknenin Ölümü (Death of the Boat) won the 1978 Sedat Simavi Foundation Literature Prize, and Ölümsüzlük Ardında Gılgamış (Gilgamesh Beyond Death) gained the 1981 Türkiye İş Bankası Prize. In 1971 UNESCO honoured him among other outstanding European authors. He also received the TÜYAP Honour Prize for 1991 and the 2000 Aydın Doğan Foundation's Literature Award.

In 1994 the sculptor Metin Yurdanur cast a seated statue of him in bronze which is now sited in the park named after him at Ören on the Gulf of Gökova.
Later in 1998 Yurdanur again sculpted him for a monument in the Şairler Sofası Park.

Bibliography

Poetry
 Garip (Odd, 1941) with Orhan Veli and Oktay Rifat
 Rahatı Kaçan Ağaç (The Disturbed Tree, 1946)
 Telgrafhane (Telegram Office, 1952)
 Yan Yana (Side by side, 1956)
 Kolları bağlı Odysseus (Odysseus Bound, 1963)
 Göçebe Denizin Üstünde (On the Nomad Sea, 1970)
 Teknenin Ölümü (The death of a Boat, 1975)
 Sözcükler (Words, 1978)
 Ölümsüzlük Ardında Gılgamış (Gilgamesh Beyond Death, 1981)
 Güneşte (In the Sun, 1989)
 Yağmurun Altında (Under the Rain, 1995)
 Seçme Şiirler (Selected Poetry, 1997).

Novels
 Aylaklar (The Vagabonds, 1965)
 Gizli Emir (The Secret Command, 1970)
 İsa'nın Güncesi (The Diary of Christ, 1974)
 Raziye (1975)
 Yağmurlu Sokak (Rainy Street, 1991),
 Meryem Gibi (Like Mary, 1991)
 Birbirimizi Anlayamayız (We Cannot Understand Each Other, 1992).

Plays
 İçerdekiler (Insiders, 1965)
 Mikado'nun Çöpleri (The Mikado Game, 1967)
 Dört Oyun (Four Plays: Tomorrow in a Different Grove, Beware of the Dog, The Dead Want to Speak, and Inspectors,1972)
 Ölümsüzler (The Immortals: Complete Plays 1 and 2, 1981)

Essays
 Doğu-Batı (East-West, 1961)
 Konuşarak (Speaking, 1964)
 Gelişen Komedya (Developing Comedy, 1965)
 Yeni Tanrılar (The New Gods, 1974)
 Sosyalist Bir Dünya (A Socialist World, 1975)
 Dilimiz Üstüne Konuşmalar (Discussions about our Language, 1975)
 Maddecilik ve Ülkücülük (Materialism and Idealism, 1977)
 Yasak (The Ban, 1978)
 Paris Yazıları (Paris Writings, 1982)
 Açıklığa Doğru (Towards Openness, 1984)
 Sevişmenin Güdüklüğü ve Yüceliği (On the Deficiency and Loftiness of Love-Making, 1990)
 Yiten Söz (The Vanishing Word, 1992)
 Aldanma ki (Don't Be Fooled, 1992)
 İmge Ormanları (The Forests of Images, 1994)
 Geleceği Yaşamak (Living the Future, 1994)

Memoir
 Sovyet Rusya, Azerbaycan, Özbekistan, Bulgaristan, Macaristan (Soviet Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Hungary, 1965)

Translations into European languages
Anday's works have been translated into Russian, German, Hungarian, Romanian, French and English. Book-length translations include the novel Aylaklar into Bulgarian (Sofia 1966) and poetry selections into French: Ulysse Bras Attachés et autres poèmes, (Poésie-Club UNESCO, Paris, 1970) and Offrandes 1946–1989 (Editions UNESCO, 1998). US selections of poetry include On The Nomad Sea, (Geronimo Books, New York, 1974); Rain One Step Away, (Charioteer Press, Washington, DC, 1980); Silent Stones: Selected Poems of Melih Cevdet Anday (Northfield: Talisman House, 2017). The last of these, translated by poets Sidney Wade and Efe Murad, was winner of the 2015 Meral Divitçi Prize.

Sources

1.M.C.ANDAY. "EI" Magazine of European Art Center (EUARCE) of Greece, 8st issue 1994, p.11 & 38-39

See also
 Garip Movement
 List of contemporary Turkish poets

References

External links
"A poem in the manner of Karacaoğlan", translations by Sidney Wade and Efe Murad in "Asymptote" sections 1 and 4; sections 6-8
"Voice", a translation by Sidney Wade and Efe Murad in "Guernica"
 "Garip: A Turkish Poetry Manifesto", a translation by Sidney Wade and Efe Murad in "Critical Flame" The Critical Flame
 8 poems
 Eight poems in A Brave New Quest: 100 Modern Turkish Poems, Syracuse University Press 2006
 "Silent Stones: Selected Poems of Melih Cevdet Anday",

1915 births
2002 deaths
Writers from Istanbul
Turkish poets
20th-century poets
Cultural attachés

Melih Cevdet Anday