Robin Alexander Edward Shroot (born 26 March 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently works at the academy of Rosenborg Kvinner.

Shroot started his career at Wimbledon as an eight-year-old, progressing through the club's youth system before being released at 16. He then spent time at Staines Town's academy, laying a peripheral first-team role during the 2005–06 campaign. In September 2006, Shroot joined AFC Wimbledon, again making a sporadic number of appearances throughout the 2006–07 season. In November 2007, he was loaned out to Harrow Borough on an initial one-month loan deal, later extended to three months. He returned to his parent club in January 2008, playing a part in the side that earned promotion to the Conference South. Shroot signed for Harrow on non-contract terms in September 2008 after failing to agree a contract at AFC Wimbledon.

After impressing during the first half of the 2008–09 campaign, Shroot attracted interest from Birmingham City, and signed a -year contract with the club in January 2009. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham City in the FA Cup third round match against Wolverhampton Wanderers shortly after signing for the club. It was to be Shroot's only first-team appearance for the club. He was loaned out on three separate occasions during his time at Birmingham; to Walsall, Burton Albion and Cheltenham Town respectively. Shroot was released by Birmingham City when his contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season. In July 2011, Shroot signed for League One club Stevenage on a two-year contract following a successful trial. He has also represented Northern Ireland at under-21 level.

Club career

Non-league football

Shroot was born in London. He began his football career as an eight-year-old with Wimbledon, remaining with the club until released at 16.
He then joined Staines Town's academy, which operated in association with Kingston College. He scored the only goal in the 2006 Middlesex Premier Cup final, the first time the club had reached the final,
and contributed to the side reaching the Southern Youth League championship play-off and (as Kingston College) the final of the English Schools' Football Association U-18 Colleges' Trophy.
Shroot never played for Staines' Isthmian League Premier Division team, though he was an occasional unused substitute, and scored in the final as the club won the Southern Combination Cup, a first-team competition.

In September 2006, Shroot joined AFC Wimbledon, also of the Isthmian League Premier. The club described him as a "skilful ball-playing winger who likes to take on opponents and deliver telling crosses". He made his league debut, showing "plenty of promise" as he played the first 65 minutes of the 2–1 win at Ashford Town (Middlesex) on 26 September 2006.
In the 2006–07 season he made two starts and five substitute appearances in the league without scoring.
In November 2007, Shroot joined Harrow Borough, also of the Isthmian League Premier, on loan, initially for a month. He made his debut on 10 November 2007 in a 2–1 defeat at Margate.
His spell with Harrow was extended to three months, though disrupted by injury,
and brought him six league goals from ten games. Shroot finished the 2007–08 season with another six league goals for AFC Wimbledon from five starts and seven substitute appearances, contributing to the club's promotion to the Conference South. Shroot's contract expired at the end of that season. The club made him an offer which he chose not to accept, so he became available for transfer;
manager Terry Brown felt that the player's representatives did not want him to stay with the club.

Under the Bosman ruling, because of the player's age, compensation would be payable when he signed a contract with another club,
but he would be allowed to play on non-contract terms, and in September 2008 he rejoined Harrow Borough on such a basis, with a view to regaining fitness following a summer operation.
At Harrow he was reunited with player-coach Jamie Lawrence, with whom he had worked for three years at Lawrence's Tooting academy for semi-professional footballers.
Though he failed to score in his first four games back with Harrow, he followed up with nine goals in eight league games, performances which attracted interest from potential purchasers and attention from opposition defenders alike.

Birmingham City

In mid-December 2008, Shroot had a trial with Football League Championship club Birmingham City; he trained with the first-team group and scored in a friendly against Cheltenham Town.
Harrow manager, former Birmingham player David Howell, was unhappy about the motives of the player's agent, suggesting he wanted "to put Robin out there for the highest bidder".
Nevertheless, Shroot joined Birmingham on 2 January 2009, signing a -year contract with a one-year option, for what was described as a "nominal" fee.

Shroot made his first-team debut on 13 January 2009, playing the whole of the FA Cup third round defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In March 2009, he joined League One club Walsall on loan for one month with a view to gaining first-team experience in League football.
He made his debut in the Football League as a second-half substitute in Walsall's 2–0 defeat at Southend United.
The good form of Walsall's other wide players meant Shroot was unable to force his way into the starting eleven, so he returned from the loan spell a week before it was due to end, making five substitute appearances.

Shroot joined Burton Albion on a season-long loan on 1 July 2009, though Birmingham retained the option to recall him in the January 2010 transfer window.
He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the season, playing the first 67 minutes of a 3–1 defeat away to Shrewsbury Town.
The player returned to Birmingham when the loan was terminated prematurely "in the best interests of both parties" on 6 October 2009, though formally he remained a Burton player until the transfer window opened in January 2010.

The player signed for League Two club Cheltenham Town on loan at the start of the 2010–11 season, initially on an emergency basis to ensure his availability for the opening match of the season, with the intention of extending the loan until January 2011.
He was named among the substitutes as Cheltenham drew at Gillingham, but did not make an appearance.
Shroot scored his first Football League goal against Accrington Stanley in October,
and went on to make 11 appearances for Cheltenham in all competitions. Although keen to extend the loan,
he returned to Birmingham in January 2011,
and was released when his contract expired at the end of the season.

Stevenage
In July 2011, Shroot had a trial at League One club Stevenage, during which he scored the only goal of the game in Stevenage's 1–0 win against a Fulham XI side, coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute and scoring ten minutes later. The trial proved successful, and he signed a two-year contract with the club on 26 July. Shroot made his Stevenage debut in the club's first game of the 2011–12 campaign, playing 71 minutes in a 0–0 home draw with Exeter City. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 victory over Stourbridge in the FA Cup on 3 December, scoring the final goal of the game in injury-time. Shroot's first league goal for Stevenage followed later on in the month, on 26 December, in the club's 6–1 away win at Colchester United. He scored the first goal of the match after just nine minutes, latching onto Chris Beardsley's cross to score from six yards out. He went on to score twice within the space of a week in March 2012, scoring two late equalising goals in games against Huddersfield Town and Exeter City respectively. Shroot scored four times in 34 appearances during his first season with the club.

Ahead of the 2012–13 campaign, Shroot scored ten times in pre-season, including six in two matches during the club's tour of Ireland in July 2012. He began the season by coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 draw with Carlisle United, scoring Stevenage's equaliser with just two minutes remaining. Shroot then went on to score in four consecutive games throughout September 2012, despite predominantly featuring as a substitute. His form during the period reportedly attracted the interest of SPL side Celtic. He scored his sixth goal of the season in the club's 2–1 away win over Notts County on 2 October, again coming on as a substitute and scoring the winning goal in injury-time. In November 2012, Stevenage released a statement announcing they had rejected Shroot's request to be made available for loan – stating the player had not been selected in the club's previous four games and consequently requested the loan move. Shroot denied that he had requested a loan move, and in December 2012, he signed a two-year contract extension with Stevenage, keeping him contracted to the club until 2015. Shroot scored in Stevenage's 2–1 home defeat to Crawley Town on 15 December, just two days after signing a new contract. He was stretchered off in Stevenage's 1–0 home win over Hartlepool United on 1 April 2013, after suffering an ankle injury that ultimately ended his season prematurely. He made 29 appearances in all competitions during the campaign, 15 of which as a substitute, scoring seven times.

Ahead of the 2013–14 campaign, Shroot scored twice in seven friendly matches in a 5–2 win over Mansfield Town and another in a 5–0 win at Hitchin Town. Having been included for the first three matches, mostly twice as a substitute, Shroot made an assist for James Dunne "when he squared the ball to Dunne" to score the finisher, giving Stevenage their first win of the season, in a 1–0 win over Notts County. However, Shroot first team opportunities has become increasingly limited after not featuring in a match or the substitute bench. This just came when Shroot made a lazy back pass, allowing Leon Clarke to score in a 1–0 loss against Coventry City. To add an insult to an injury, Stevenage winless run was extended to six games. For the second time in 12 months, Shroot was placed on the transfer list, like he requested. In the January transfer window, the club expected Shroot, along with other transfer-listed players, to be sold following teammate Luke Freeman is on his way out. Shortly after the announcement, reports in Norway stated Shroot went on trial with a Norwegian club, which believed to be Sarpsborg 08.

On 27 March 2014, it was announced on the Stevenage website that Shroot had left the club by mutual consent and is intend to join a new club in Norway.

IL Hødd
The following day, 28 March 2014, Shroot signed a one-year contract with Norwegian 1. Divisjon side IL Hødd.

Despite missing some of the season through injury Shroot scored 16 goals in 23 games (including 3 hat tricks) and was their top scorer for the season and the second highest scorer in the League.

Shroot signed for Sogndal who had been relegated to Division 1 during the close season. In his first League game Shroot opened the scoring for his new team who went on to win 3–1.

On 30 November 2017, Nashville SC announced Shroot as one of the club's first 4 signings.

On 19 February 2019, it was announced that Shroot had rejoined Hødd, now of the 2. Divisjon, on a two-year deal.

On 1 September 2020, Shroot joined fellow 2. Divisjon side Brattvåg on loan for the rest of the season.

Coaching career
Ahead of the 2020 season, he was employed by Hødd outside his playing capacities, as manager of Hødd's women's team. After finishing his contract with Hødd, Shroot joined Rosenborg Kvinner as academy development manager.

International career
Shroot qualifies to play international football for Northern Ireland because his grandmother is from that country. While still a youngster at Wimbledon, he wrote to then manager Lawrie Sanchez to tell him his international ambitions lay with Northern Ireland. He was capped at under-19 and under-20 level, and featured in the starting XI for Northern Ireland Under-19s in all three of their matches in the 2007 Milk Cup Elite Section. With a 2–2 draw against Turkey and a 3–2 win over Chile Under-19s, Northern Ireland qualified for the final. However, they fell at the final hurdle and were defeated 4–1 by Israel.
Shroot's debut for the under-21s came in November 2008 when he played the first half of a 3–1 defeat of their Scottish counterparts,
and he went on to win four caps at that level.

Personal life
Shroot was born to a Jewish father from London's East End. He was educated at Alleyn's School in Dulwich, south London, achieving "good GCSE and A-Level results". He played non-league cricket for the Alleyn Ad hoc XI, many of whose players are former pupils of the school.
Before his move to Birmingham, he had coached at a South London junior football club, Balham Blazers, and managed their under-13 side.
He intended to maintain his involvement with the club when his Birmingham commitments permitted. In 2012, Shroot told The Jewish Chronicle that he would like to represent the United Kingdom at the Maccabiah Games.

In September 2013, Shroot began to write his own column in The Comet.

Honours
Staines Town
 Southern Youth League (East): 2006
 Middlesex Premier Cup: 2006
 Southern Combination Cup: 2006

AFC Wimbledon
 Isthmian League Premier Division runners-up: 2008

Career statistics

A.  The "League" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the Isthmian League and the Football League.
B.  The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals (including those as a substitute) in the FA Trophy, Football League Trophy, play-offs and play-off to Tippeligaen.

References

External links

Living people
1988 births
Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland men's under-21 international footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Wimbledon F.C. players
Staines Town F.C. players
AFC Wimbledon players
Harrow Borough F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Walsall F.C. players
Burton Albion F.C. players
Cheltenham Town F.C. players
Stevenage F.C. players
IL Hødd players
Sogndal Fotball players
Viking FK players
Nashville SC (2018–19) players
Isthmian League players
English Football League players
Norwegian First Division players
Eliteserien players
People educated at Alleyn's School
Footballers from Hammersmith
English people of Jewish descent
Expatriate men's footballers in Norway
British expatriate sportspeople in Norway
Expatriate football managers in Norway
Brattvåg IL players

Robin Shroot


Save, SAVE, or Saved may refer to:

Places
Save (Garonne), a river in southern France
Save River (Africa), a river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
Sava, a river in Eastern Europe also known as Save
Savè, Benin, a commune and city
Save, Rwanda, a settlement
Säve, a locality in Göteborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden
Säve Airport
 Esquel Airport (ICAO airport code: SAVE; IATA airport code: EQS), Esquel, Chubut Province, Argentina

Organizations, groups, companies
Spirit Airlines (NASDAQ stockticker: SAVE), a U.S. airline

Charities
Society Against Violence in Education, a non-profit organization working against ragging in India
Save Britain's Heritage (SAVE), a historic building conservation group in the United Kingdom

In technology
Saved game, saved progress of a player in a video game
Computer files are "saved" to achieve persistence

In media and entertainment

Music
Saved (Bob Dylan album), 1980, or the song
Saved (Now, Now album), 2018
Saved! (Kristin Hayter album), 2023, released under the pseudonym Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
Saves (EP), a 2001 EP by Pist.On
"Saved" (Leiber and Stoller song), a song performed by LaVern Baker and Elvis Presley
"Saved." (Maaya Sakamoto song), a song by Maaya Sakamoto
"Saved" (Swans song), 1989
"Saved" (Ty Dolla Sign song), a song by American singer Ty Dolla Sign
"Saved", a song by Kutless from Kutless
"Saved", a song by Labi Siffre from Crying Laughing Loving Lying
"Saved", a song by Snoop Dogg from Bible of Love
"Save", a song by the Rocket Summer from the album Do You Feel
"Save", a song by Tyler Joseph

Screen and stage
Saved (play), a 1965 play by Edward Bond
Saved (TV series), a 2006 television drama
Saved!, a 2004 film
Saved (2009 film), an Australian telemovie
Saved (musical), a musical based on the 2004 film Saved!
Salvados, a news show on Spanish TV

In sports
Save (baseball), when a pitcher finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances
Save (goaltender), when a goalie prevents a goal
Save, a slang term for sacrifice (bridge), a bid made in the hope than the resulting penalty is less than opponents would score by making their contract

Other uses
Salvation, being saved or protected from harm or being saved or delivered from some dire situation
 European Union SAVE Programme on energy conservation
 SAVE-study, a survey about the saving behaviour of German households
 Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, a program for government and tribal agencies in the United States to verify immigration documents and status of individuals
 Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2014, a US bill on pornography

See also

Saving

Save


A Mud Agitator is used in surface mud systems to suspend solids and maintain homogeneous mixture throughout the system. A mechanical agitator is driven by an explosion-proof motor, coupled to a gear box that drives the impeller shaft. The impellers (turbines) transform mechanical power into fluid circulation or agitation. The objective is to obtain a uniform suspension of all solids.

Types of Agitator Mounting
Horizontally mounted agitator
Vertically mounted agitator

Types of agitating shaft seal
Mechanical seal
Packing seal

Types of Agitator Impellers

Radial Flow Impeller.  Figure 1  shows a radial flow created by the impellers wherein the circulation is predominantly horizontal.
Axial Flow Impellers. Figure 2 shows an axial flow created by the impellers wherein the circulation is predominantly axial fluid movement.

Types of Impeller Blades
Flat blade impeller
Canted blade impeller
Contour blade impeller

Notes

Drilling fluid

Mud agitator


John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Ferrell is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. He has earned four Emmy Awards and in 2011 was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2015, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the best comedian in British GQ.

Ferrell first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he performed from 1995 to 2002, and has subsequently starred in a string of comedy films. Ferrell is considered a member of the "Frat Pack", a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors who emerged in the late 1990s and the 2000s, including Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, Paul Rudd, and brothers Owen and Luke Wilson. He founded the comedy website Funny or Die in 2007 with his former writing partner Adam McKay.

He starred in comedy films such as Elf (2003), Anchorman (2004), Kicking & Screaming (2005), Talladega Nights (2006), Blades of Glory (2007), Step Brothers (2008), The Other Guys (2010), Get Hard (2015), and Barbie (2023). Ferrell has also taken dramatic roles in Stranger than Fiction (2006), Everything Must Go (2010), and Downhill (2020). He has voiced roles in Curious George (2006), Megamind (2010) and The Lego Movie film franchise (2014–2019).

He has received four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work as a producer on the HBO drama series Succession (2019–2023) and for the ABC specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2019–2022). He also produced the TruTV series I'm Sorry (2017–2019), the Netflix series Dead to Me (2019–2022), and the Comedy Central series Drunk History (2013–2019). For his work on Broadway he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event for his satirical portrayal as George W. Bush in You're Welcome America (2009).

Early life and education
Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California, to Betty Kay (née Overman; born 1940), a teacher who taught at Old Mill School elementary school and Santa Ana College, and Roy Lee Ferrell Jr. (born 1941), who played saxophone and keyboards for the Righteous Brothers. His parents were both natives of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. They moved to California in 1964. Ferrell's ancestry includes English, German, and Irish. As an infant Ferrell suffered from pyloric stenosis and had a pyloromyotomy to correct the condition. He has a younger brother, Patrick.

When he was eight years old, his parents divorced. Ferrell said of the divorce: "I was the type of kid who would say, 'Hey, look at the bright side! We'll have two Christmases'." The divorce was amicable, and both parents were committed to their children. The biggest problem was his father's line of work. As a person in show business, his paychecks were never steady, and he traveled from home for months at a time. Growing up in this environment made Ferrell not want to go into show business and instead have a steady job.

Ferrell first attended school at Culverdale Elementary and later attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, both in Irvine. He attended University High School in Irvine, and was a kicker for the school's varsity football team. He was also on the soccer team and captain of the basketball team, as well as serving on the student council. Ferrell called third grade "a pivotal year." He realized he could make his classmates laugh if he pretended to smash his head against the wall, or if he tripped and fell on purpose, and said it was a great way to make friends. He said the dullness of Irvine contributed to the growth of his humor:

In his senior year of high school, Ferrell and a friend would perform comedy skits over the school's intercom system, with cooperation from the principal; the two had to write their own material. Ferrell also performed comedic skits in the school's talent shows. He was voted "Best Personality" by his classmates. He enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he studied sports broadcasting and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. In college, he was known for a few pranks. On occasion, he would dress in a janitor's outfit and stroll into his friends' classes. He was also known for streaking around campus with a few other people from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Ferrell earned an internship at a local television station in the sports department, but he did not enjoy the work.

After graduating with a B.A. degree in sports information in 1990, he knew he did not want to do broadcasting. He took up a job as a hotel valet where, on his second day, he tore a baggage rack off the top of a van by trying to drive it under a low beam. He also worked as a teller at Wells Fargo, but came up short $300 the first day and $280 the second; he was not stealing the money, but was just careless and error-prone. In 1991, encouraged by his mother to pursue something he liked, Ferrell moved to Los Angeles. He successfully auditioned for the comedy group The Groundlings where he spent time developing his improvisation skills.

Career

1994–2001: Saturday Night Live
Before joining The Groundlings, Ferrell's attempts at standup comedy had little success. He started in the advanced classes and grew to love improvisation. He realized he also liked to impersonate people, and one of his favorites was Harry Caray, the Hall of Fame baseball announcer. Soon he began to create original characters, and by 1994 he had joined The Groundlings. With fellow Groundlings member Chris Kattan, he created the Butabi Brothers, who go out to dance clubs to try to pick up women but are constantly rejected. While taking classes, Ferrell got a job at an auction house via his friend Viveca Paulin. The job was ideal as it was flexible enough for him to audition and go to rehearsals while also being employed. By 1995 he was receiving small roles, including appearances in TV series Grace Under Fire and Living Single, low-budget films such as A Bucket of Blood, as well as commercials. One winter, he served as a mall Santa Claus.

After SNL's decline in popularity in 1994–1995, and in need of new cast members for the next season, a producer saw The Groundlings and asked Ferrell, Kattan, and Cheri Oteri to audition for SNL's main producer, Lorne Michaels. Ferrell joined Saturday Night Live in 1995 and left in 2002 after a seven-year tenure. He has hosted the show five times, thereby becoming a member of the show's Five Timers Club.

During his time on SNL, Ferrell made a name for himself with his impersonations, which included US President George W. Bush, Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray, singer Robert Goulet (crooning a cappella pieces of music by Sisqó, Baha Men, and The Notorious B.I.G.), singer Neil Diamond, Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton (who favored Ferrell's impersonation), Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, United States Attorney General Janet Reno, convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, game show host Alex Trebek, fictitious private detective John Shaft, professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, US Vice President Al Gore, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and Cuban President Fidel Castro.

His original characters included Morning Latte co-host Tom Wilkins, Mister Ed the Horse's twin brother Ned, fictional Blue Öyster Cult member Gene Frenkle (physically modeled after the band's vocalist Eric Bloom), music teacher Marty Culp, cheerleader Craig Buchanan, Dale Sturtevant from Dissing Your Dog, Hank of the Bill Brasky Buddies, David Leary from Dog Show, angry and inattentive Dr. Beaman and night clubber Steve Butabi in sketches that were turned into a feature film in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury. Although a one-shot character, one of Ferrell's most memorable SNL characters is Dale McGrew, a "highly patriotic" office worker who comes to work wearing a half t-shirt and short shorts that Ferrell improvised into a thong just before the skit aired live, leading to genuine laughter from the cast and guest host Seann William Scott. Ferrell became the highest paid cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2001 with a season salary of $350,000. Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live as a guest host on May 14, 2005; May 16, 2009; May 12, 2012; January 27, 2018, and November 23, 2019. For the first two hosting appearances, he reprised his role as Alex Trebek in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches. On the May 14 appearance, Ferrell reprised his role as Robert Goulet in a fake commercial advertising a series of ringtones and, during the performance of the song "Little Sister" by musical guests Queens of the Stone Age, Ferrell came on stage playing the cowbell.

2002–2010: Film stardom

During his time on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell appeared in several movies: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Superstar (1999), The Ladies Man (2000), Dick (1999), Drowning Mona (2000), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), and Zoolander (2001). His first starring role after his departure from Saturday Night Live was as Frank "The Tank" Richard in Old School (2003). The film "belongs to Mr. Ferrell," declared The New York Times, which described how he "uses his hilarious, anxious zealotry to sell the part." Old School was a success and Ferrell received an MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Comedic Performance.

The title role in Elf (2003) followed, as did another MTV Movie Awards nomination. Ferrell continued to land comedy roles in 2004 and 2005 in films such as Melinda and Melinda, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Starsky & Hutch earning himself a place among Hollywood's Frat Pack. In 2005, Ferrell earned . In 2006, Ferrell starred in Stranger Than Fiction and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Both received critical and box office success. Ferrell's performance in Stranger Than Fiction introduced audiences to the dramatic potential of Ferrell's acting talents, while Talladega Nights was his highest grossing live-action opening as of 2010 at $47 million. On , 2006, The Magazine named Ferrell as one of its three actors of the year in their 2006 year in review issue. A sequel to Anchorman, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, was released in 2013.

In 2008, Ferrell starred in the movie Step Brothers with John C. Reilly. The movie also starred Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Mary Steenburgen, and Richard Jenkins. It was directed by frequent Ferrell collaborator Adam McKay, who was also a co-writer of the movie. The movie earned $128 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews but has since become a cult classic. Chris Hewitt of Empire praised the chemistry of two leads writing, "Ferrell and Reilly are a superb double-act, Reilly's cockiness meshing well with Ferrell's puppy dog innocence. They're fine separately, but when the two are together, be it during an extended fight scene with a bunch of kids, or a demented sleepwalking sequence, the movie is a blast."

Ferrell is also known for his promotional appearances including acting as part of a pre-game video package for the Rose Bowl along with University of Texas at Austin alum Matthew McConaughey. Ferrell sang a song at the ESPY Awards in 2006 about Lance Armstrong and Neil Armstrong. He and John C. Reilly performed a spot during the 2008 ESPY Awards within which they made demands in order for them to appear at the ESPYs, such as asking Portland Trail Blazers' center Greg Oden to tuck them in at night and tell them stories of the old times or to bring back the Cold War so the Olympics can be interesting again. Ferrell has worked as a voice actor in several animated television programs and films, including his portrayal of Bob Oblong, a 1950s-style father with no arms or legs, in the short-lived animated television series The Oblongs which ran on The WB and Adult Swim.

He has had several guest appearances on Family Guy where he played the Black Knight in "Mr. Saturday Knight," as well as Fat Greek Guy and Miles "Chatterbox" Musket in Fifteen Minutes of Shame. He had a recurring cameo role as Bitch Hunter in the sitcom 30 Rock. Ferrell also starred as Ted (a.k.a. The Man in the Yellow Hat) in the film Curious George and guest voiced on an episode of the FOX sitcom King of the Hill as a politically correct soccer coach. He voiced the title character in the 2010 DreamWorks Animation feature film Megamind (replacing both Robert Downey Jr., who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, and Ben Stiller, who also turned down the role and was instead cast in a minor role as Bernard the curator) as well as President Business in The Lego Movie, released in 2014. He reprised the latter role in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, released in 2019.

Ferrell has presented numerous times at the Academy Awards. He sang a humorous song "Get Off the Stage" with Jack Black in 2004 and sang a song about comedies being snubbed by the voters in favor of dramas John C. Reilly and Jack Black in 2007. Ferrell made his Broadway debut taking on departing U.S. President George W. Bush in a one-man show called You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush. The show started performances on , 2009, in previews—Bush's final day in office—at the Cort Theatre and opened officially on . The limited engagement played through , 2009.

In May 2009, it was announced that Ferrell was in talks to star in a feature film, Neighborhood Watch (later The Watch), a comedy about an urbanite who moves to the suburbs and uncovers a conspiracy. In negotiations to direct was David Dobkin, who gave Ferrell a cameo in Wedding Crashers. In August 2009, Ferrell decided not to do the film.
Ferrell starred in the feature film Land of the Lost (2009). It was a commercial and critical flop, earning  on opening weekend—about two-thirds of what the studio expected. In 2010, he was the executive producer and star of The Other Guys, a buddy cop film which also has an ensemble cast including Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson. The film was a commercial success earning over $140 million and was positively reviewed by critics.

2011–2019: Career expansion

Ferrell appeared in the 2011 music video for "Make Some Noise" by the Beastie Boys, in the front of a limo playing a cowbell. He stars in Casa de Mi Padre, a telenovela spoof comedy set in a ranch with Mexican stars Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. The movie is told in melodramatic telenovela form and features English-language subtitles. He starred alongside Zach Galifianakis in the 2012 political comedy The Campaign, which garnered mediocre reviews and grossed $104 million against a budget of $95 million. Also in 2012, he appeared in the comedy Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie and starred as Armando Álvarez in the Spanish-language comedy Casa de Mi Padre which was directed by frequent collaborator Matt Piedmont.

In a 2014 poll taken as part of a commemorative SNL feature on Grantland, Ferrell was voted the best Saturday Night Live cast member of all time. On December 12, 2015, Ferrell appeared in the cold open of the show in character as George W. Bush. He reprised this role when he returned as host in 2018.

Ferrell and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who have had a long-running joke feud over their similar appearance appeared on the May 22, 2014 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a charity drum-off battle. Despite Smith clearly giving the better performance, Ferrell was named the winner and awarded a giant gold cowbell. Both were joined by Smith's Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates for a performance of "Don't Fear the Reaper," with Ferrell playing cowbell. On June 10, 2014, Ferrell and Smith challenged Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich to a drum-off with Ferrell, saying Ulrich looks "eerily similar" to the two of them. Ulrich accepted the challenge two days later.

In 2015, he starred in the buddy comedy Get Hard and the comedy Daddy's Home, with the latter reuniting him and The Other Guys co-star Mark Wahlberg. He reprised his role, Jacobim Mugatu, in the Zoolander sequel, Zoolander 2 (2016).

His film projects include the comedy-drama Zeroville (2016), based on the novel of the same name; and portraying director Russ Meyer in Russ and Roger Go Beyond (2017), a comedic biopic documenting the making of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, which was written by film critic Roger Ebert (played by Josh Gad).

In February 2019, Ferrell launched The Ron Burgundy Podcast  in collaboration with the iHeart Radio Podcast Network.  The show was originally slated for two seasons of twelve episodes each. In 2022, the podcast was renewed for a fifth live season. In October 2019, Ferrell partnered with iHeart Radio to launch his own podcast network, the Big Money Players Network. The partnership deal included 10 scripted and unscripted comedy podcasts set to be released over a two-year period.

2020–present
In 2020 Ferrell starred alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the remake of the 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure, entitled Downhill which was directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. That same year he starred in the musical comedy film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga with Rachel McAdams. The following year he starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy film Spirited (2022) with Ryan Reynolds. He also served as the film's producer. The next year he played the CEO of Mattel in Greta Gerwig's comedy film Barbie (2023) starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Creating and producing
In April 2007, Ferrell and Adam McKay launched "Funny or Die", a streaming video website where short comedy films are uploaded and voted on by users. One of the featured shorts, The Landlord, stars Ferrell as a man harassed for the rent by his landlady, a swearing, beer-loving, two-year-old girl, played by McKay's own daughter, Pearl. Child psychologists have criticized Ferrell and the McKay family for child exploitation, to which McKay responded, "Fortunately she is in this great stage now where she repeats anything you say to her and then forgets it right away, which is key. She has not said the 'B-word' since we shot the thing."
They followed with the release of a video entitled "Good Cop, Baby Cop" which also starred baby Pearl; the end of the video stated that this would be her final appearance and wished her a happy "baby retirement".

In September 2008, Ferrell released another video entitled "Will Ferrell Answers Internet Questions" where he takes some pressing questions and comments from his fans. Another Ferrell appearance on "Funny or Die" is in the video called "Green Team", featuring also McKay and John C. Reilly. It shows militant ecologic activists terrorizing the crew on a filming set.

Ferrell co-produced (with Adam McKay) an HBO show starring Danny McBride called Eastbound & Down. He also had a recurring role as car dealer Ashley Schaeffer.

Ferrell was one of the executive producers of The Chris Gethard Show, which aired on Fusion from 2015 to 2016 and on truTV from 2017 to 2018.

Ferrell is one of the executive producers of Dead to Me (2019–2022), which stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini.

In 2019, Ferrell ended his personal and professional relationship with Adam McKay and closed their production company, Gary Sanchez Productions. It was later revealed the reason for the split was due to the fact that McKay cast John C. Reily as Jerry Buss on the show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, a role that Ferrell wanted, without letting Ferrell know.

Personal life
In August 2000, Ferrell married Swedish actress Viveca Paulin, whom he met in 1995 at an acting class. They live in New York City and Orange County, California, and have three sons, born in 2004, 2006, and 2010.

At USC, Ferrell was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and is now an active alumnus. Ferrell has worked with former head coach Pete Carroll to do motivational stunts for the players during the season.

Ferrell has run multiple marathons, including the Boston, New York, and the Stockholm marathons. He also raises money for charity, including his Scholarships for Cancer Survivors campaign, through a micro-donations fundraising platform.

In 2007, Autograph magazine named Ferrell the worst celebrity autographer. Its editor stated: "What's so frustrating about Will Ferrell being the worst autograph signer this past year is that he used to be so nice to fans and collectors and a great signer. What makes him so bad is that he'll taunt people asking for his autograph." In response, Ferrell stated: "I don't know how I got on the list. I sign a lot of autographs." He has, however, admitted to taunting autograph-seekers: "I do. I really do. I'm like, 'How badly do you want this autograph?' 'Are you sure?' 'You say you're my biggest fan, really, prove it.' I'll do things like that. They have to earn it."

Ferrell had noted that, though he was well known for his SNL impersonation of President George W. Bush, he chose, for both professional and political reasons, not to meet the president on several occasions. Unlike his SNL predecessor Dana Carvey's famous relationship with George H. W. Bush, Ferrell has said: "I declined, partly out of comedic purposes, because when I was on the show Saturday Night Live at the time, it didn't make sense to really meet the people that you play, for fear of them influencing you. And then the other side of it is, from a political standpoint, I don't want to meet that guy."

Ferrell appeared on an episode of Man vs. Wildin which he traveled throughout the tundras of Sweden with the show's host, Bear Grylls. In the episode, Ferrell came across various unique situations e.g., eating the eye of a reindeer).

In August 2012, while in Australia promoting The Campaign, Ferrell made a guest appearance on the Network 10 live panel news/comedy show The Project. He found himself speaking via video link to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, during which they had a humorous conversation about hairdressing. Ferrell supported Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election and met him (along with his wife, Michelle) in 2011. In February 2013, Ferrell endorsed Eric Garcetti for mayor of Los Angeles.

On January 7, 2016, it was announced that Ferrell would become a part-owner of Los Angeles FC, a Major League Soccer team set to begin playing in 2018, as one of several celebrity co-owners of the team (including Mia Hamm and Magic Johnson).

On May 12, 2017, Ferrell was awarded an honorary D.H.L. degree by the University of Southern California.

On April 13, 2018, Ferrell was involved in a serious two-car collision in California. The SUV he was a passenger in flipped over during the crash. Ferrell was one of three passengers in the car. He was seen talking on his cellphone while being loaded into an ambulance. Ferrell, along with another passenger, was unhurt in the accident; two others were injured. He was released from the hospital shortly after said to be "doing fine."

Sports
Baseball

On May 6, 2010, at a Minor League Baseball game at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, Ferrell was introduced between innings as a Venezuelan pitcher for the Round Rock Express named "Billy Ray 'RoJo' Johnson". Wearing a false mustache and carrying a bag of beer cans to the mound, Ferrell threw one pitch and was ejected after a staged fight and chase with an opposing batter. He revealed himself to the fans when his moustache fell off during the chase. A video of the skit went viral. The appearance was cooked up by Ferrell and the Express, who sent out a press release announcing Johnson's "signing" to promote a charity golf outing the following day at a nearby country club.

Ferrell played in five games of Major League Baseball spring training on March 12, 2015, for ten different Cactus League teams as a promotion for a Funny or Die charity special. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and the San Francisco Giants, playing all ten positions (including designated hitter). According to Baseball-Reference, Ferrell faced and retired one batter – pitching on behalf of the Dodgers and ending with a 0.00 earned run average. The memorabilia from his one-day professional baseball career was sold and the proceeds donated to two cancer charities. Ferrell went 0–2 with two strikeouts that day but managed to foul off a  fastball from the Giants' Jean Machi.

Soccer

Ferrell took part in Soccer Aid 2012. In 2016, he became a part-owner of Los Angeles FC, which competes in Major League Soccer. When asked about why he became a co-owner Ferrell said "I don't really have a side per se until LAFC get started and that will definitely be, obviously, my team. But I just enough watching the fact that it's played all over the world. So many amazing players and so many top flight leagues. And hopefully MLS can be on par, eventually, with the European leagues."

Filmography

Awards and honours

Over his career Ferrell has received various awards nominations including sixteen Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning three awards, one for Succession (2020), and twice for Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2019, 2020).
Ferrell received two Golden Globe Award nominations for his comedian performances in The Producers (2005), and Stranger than Fiction (2006). He also received a Tony Award nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event for You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush (2009).

Ferrell also has received various honors including the James Joyce Award from the University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society in recognition for "excelling in his field" in 2008. In 2011 he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Ferrell received the prize at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where he was honored by fellow comedians and collaborators Conan O'Brien, John C. Reilly, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Adam McKay, Tim Meadows, Matthew Broderick, and Ed Asner. In 2015, Ferrell received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in motion pictures.

In 2022, Los Angeles F.C. of Major League Soccer (MLS) – of which Ferrell is part owner – won the MLS Cup, thus giving him an MLS championship to his credit.

References

Sources

External links

Will Ferrell page on Funny Or Die

1967 births
Living people
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
American comedy writers
American film producers
American impressionists (entertainers)
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
American male television writers
American male voice actors
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American sketch comedians
American soccer chairmen and investors
American television producers
American television writers
Comedians from California
Film producers from California
Frat Pack
Funny or Die
Male actors from Orange County, California
Mark Twain Prize recipients
People from Irvine, California
Screenwriters from California
Television producers from California
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism alumni
University High School (Irvine, California) alumni

Will Ferrell


Dalia Stasevska (born 30 December 1984) is a Finnish conductor. She is currently the principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

Biography
Born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, Stasevska and her family subsequently moved to Tallinn, and later to Finland when she was five.  Her family lived in Helsinki for a year, and then moved to Tampere. As a youth, Stasevska learnt the violin, and later formally studied violin and composition at the Tampere Conservatory.  She continued her musical studies in violin and viola at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.  In her 20s she developed a new interest in conducting, and pawned her violin to finance education in conducting.  Stasevska studied conducting at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, where her teachers included Jorma Panula, and at the Sibelius Academy, where her teachers included Leif Segerstam.  She earned a diploma from the Sibelius Academy in 2012.

From 2010 to 2015, Stasevska was artistic director of the Kamarikesä Festival.  From 2014 to 2016 she was an assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi at the Orchestre de Paris and in 2015 first guest-conducted the Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonia Lahti).  On 10 December 2018, she conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony 2018, the second female conductor ever to conduct the orchestra at the Prize Award Ceremony.

Stasevska made her UK guest-conducting debut in 2018 with the orchestra of Opera North. In May 2018 she first guest-conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra at a Maida Vale studio concert.  On the basis of this appearance, in January 2019, the BBC SO announced the appointment of Stasevska as its next principal guest conductor, effective July 2019.  Stasevska is the first female conductor ever to be named principal guest conductor of the BBC SO, and the second female conductor to have a titled post with a BBC orchestra.  She made her public debut with the BBC SO at The Proms in July 2019. She conducted the Last Night of The Proms in September 2020, under social distancing conditions and without an audience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second female conductor to conduct the Last Night and the third Last Night to feature a female conductor.  In July 2021 she conducted the First Night of The Proms, the second female conductor ever to conduct the First Night. She was scheduled for the Last Night 2022 but 48 hours prior it was cancelled, due to the death of Elizabeth II (thus de facto ending the 2022 Proms on 8 September). Stasevska again conducted the First Night in 2023.

In May 2020, Sinfonia Lahti announced the appointment of Stasevska as its next chief conductor, effective from the 2021–2022 season, with an initial contract of three seasons.   This appointment marks her first chief conductor post.  Stasevska is the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.  In March 2023, Sinfonia Lahti announced an extension of Stasevska's contract through 31 July 2025.

Stasevska is married to the Finnish musician and composer Lauri Porra, the bassist for Stratovarius and the great-grandson of Jean Sibelius.  In November 2020, the Royal Philharmonic Society announced Stasevska as the recipient of its 2020 Conductor Award.

References

Further reading

External links

 Harrison Parrott agency page on Dalia Stasevska

1984 births
Living people
Finnish women conductors (music)
Finnish women musicians
21st-century Finnish musicians
21st-century women musicians
21st-century conductors (music)
Ukrainian emigrants to Finland
Musicians from Kyiv
Musicians from Tampere
Sibelius Academy alumni
Finnish people of Ukrainian descent
Ukrainian emigrants

Dalia Stasevska


Detritivores are animals that eat dead plants and animals. They also eat waste from other animals. They help to break down dead things and turn them into soil. This helps plants to grow. Detritivores are important for the environment. Some examples of detritivores are earthworms, millipedes, and woodlice, they live in the soil and eat dead leaves and other things. In the ocean, there are also detritivores like crabs and sea cucumbers, they eat dead things on the bottom of the ocean.

Difference from Decomposers
Detritivores are different from decomposers. Decomposers are things like bacteria and fungi. They break down dead things by absorbing them. Detritivores eat the dead things and break them down inside their bodies.

Importance
Detritivores are important for recycling nutrients in the environment. Detritivores also play an important role in food webs. They eat dead things and turn them into nutrients for plants. Then, herbivores eat the plants and get energy from them. Carnivores eat the herbivores and get energy from them. This is how energy flows through a food web. They also help to keep the soil healthy and help to clean up dead things, so they don't spread disease.

Eating Habits
Detritivores also have different ways of finding food. Some, like earthworms, use their sense of touch to find food in the soil. Others, like crabs, use their sense of smell to find food in the water.

Detritivores have different ways of eating dead things. Earthworms swallow the dead things whole. Others, like millipedes, have special mouthparts to chew the dead things. Some detritivores, like woodlice, can even eat cellulose, which is a tough part of plants.

Reference
[1] Merriam-Webster (n.d.). Detritivore Definition & Meaning. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detritivore

[2] BD Editors. (2019, March 27). Detritivore - Definition, Function and Examples | Biology Dictionary. Biology Dictionary. https://biologydictionary.net/detritivore/

[3] Kanchwala, H. (2019, March 23). Detritivore: Definition, Function and Examples. Science ABC. https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animals/what-are-detritivores.html

[4] Detritivore | Definition, Role, & Examples. (n.d.). Tutors.com. https://tutors.com/lesson/detritivore-definition-examples

Animals by eating behaviors

Detritivore


Kaji Khalak family is a noble group of four families that served the senior most state affairs in the Kingdom of Nepal. These families belonged to Kshatriya varna and were member of Kshetri caste within the Khas group. The primary four families who were granted the hereditary title of Kaji were - Thapa, Pande, Basnet and Kunwar. These four families were the apex of noble families in the court of Hindu Shah dynasty of Gorkha. Besides them the family of noble Bhandaris led by Jasvanta Bhandari, Parath Bhandari, Gagan Singh Bhandari, etc were minor members of the Kshetri Kaji group.

Thapas

Thapa Kajis are the age old warriors and administrators who served in the Shah court. These consists of Bhimsen Thapa and Amar Simha Thapa family that came from Gorkha and various families of Kshetri Thapa came to serve the nation. They were added lately in comparison to Pandes. But, rightfully Thapa Kshetris served the nation vigorously to rise through the ranks. They are credited to defending their motherland in the Anglo-Nepalese War.

Pandes

Pande Kajis are the group of warriors and administrators who served Gorkha Kingdom from its origin. There were many Pande courtiers serving long generations in the Gorkha Kingdom since 1559. Bangshidhar Kalu Pande (1713-1757) was selected as Kaji (Chief Minister) of Gorkha under King Prithvi Narayan Shah, after he received popular mandate from the residents of Gorkha. Pande family was tied maritally with Basnyat family. King Prithvi Narayan Shah conducted marriage between Kalu Pande's only daughter Chitra Devi Pande and Shivaram Singh Basnyat's second son Kehar Singh Basnyat. Pande Kajis led by Kalu Pande with support from Basnyat Kajis sacked petty Nepalese principalities one after one. Kalu Pande died at Battle of Kirtipur. Pande factions was led by his eldest son Bangsha Raj Pande, who later went on to became Dewan Kaji (Chief Minister) of Kingdom of Nepal. He annexed many principalities. He was killed due to palace conspiracy on 1785. Pande Kajis ran and dominated the Nepalese administration till the death of the Mul Kaji (Chief Minister) Damodar Pande, who happens to be the third and youngest son of Kaji Kalu Pande. After he was given death penalty on 1804, Pande Kajis was pushed out of the central power by the Thapa Kajis.

Basnyats

The Basnyat Kaji family was established by leading military commander Shivaram Singh Basnyat who was of Shreepali clan. He was a prominent courtier of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. The third son of Senapati Shivaram, Abhiman Singh Basnyat became the Mul Kaji (Chief Minister) of Kingdom of Nepal. His nephew Kirtiman Singh Basnyat, eldest child of marital ties between Basnyats and Pandes, became Mul Kaji (Chief Minister) of Nepal on 1794. He was regularly dominated by his maternal uncle Damodar Pande on court politics. After death of Kirtiman Singh, his brother briefly controlled the office of Mul Kaji. Basnyats were completely out of central power after that and supported Pandes due to their previous marital ties.

Kunwars

Kunwars were initiated in the Darbar politics through influential Sardar Ramkrishna Kunwar. A branch of Kunwars led by Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar, renamed themselves as Rana after 1848.

Sundry Kaji families

Bhandaris
There were many Bhandari nobles; Parath, Gagan Singh, Jashwanta. Gagan Singh Bhandari was influential Kaji during 1845-46. He had 7 battalions under his control before his murder by Jung Bahadur Kunwar .

Bistas
Gajabal and Atibal Bista were Bharadars in the Kingdom of Nepal.

References

History of Nepal

Kaji Khalak family


The Stanwell Creek railway viaduct is a heritage-listed railway bridge on the Illawarra railway line at Stanwell Park, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the New South Wales Government Railways and built in 1920 by day labour. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History
The original Illawarra Railway of the 1880s had a difficult transition from the high country near the top of the Illawarra escarpment down to the coastal plain north of Wollongong. It involved steep grades and eight tunnels between Waterfall and Scarborough. The worst was the "suffocating" Otford railway tunnel, the steepest and longest, which emerged into the lower levels of the Stanwell Park amphitheatre.

Plans began around 1910 for duplicating the line with deviations to ease grades and to bypass the old single line tunnels. The section from Waterfall to Helensburgh was completed in 1914, then to Otford in 1915 and on to Coalcliff in 1920. The last section stayed much higher up in the Stanwell Park amphitheatre hence its crossing high above Stanwell Creek.

Plans for the tall, double track, brick arch viaduct were ready in 1917 and work began the next year. It was a remarkable effort to complete this major structure in a little over two years.

Brick arches were the automatic choice because steel was unavailable due to World War I and the State Brickworks at Homebush was in full production. It was still part of the "brick arch era" 1910-24.

It has been estimated that the total number of bricks used in the massive tall piers, the tallest  high, and the eight arches was around three million, enough to build about 150 brick houses.

The viaduct remained in good condition until 1985 when the arches were found to be on the verge of collapse, at which time remedial work was undertaken.

Description
Located  from Central station, the bridge consists of a curved brick arch viaduct consisting of eight  clear spans on tall brick piers.

It was reported to currently be in a stable condition as at 17 March 2006.

Major modifications (mainly internal) and the loss of arch span 6, all necessary to save the structure from collapse, have compromised the integrity of the viaduct. However, if long term stability is confirmed, the Rail Authority may consider rebuilding arch span 6.

Modifications and dates
In late 1985, some of the brick arches were on the verge of collapse caused by ground movements associated with the Escarpment and coal mining. The problem was arrested but span 6 was demolished and replaced by a "floating" steel girder so the remaining two parts of the brick arch viaduct could be monitored and plans made for repairs.

In 1992 repairs began under single line working. The closed track was taken up and all material on top of the arches removed then replaced by concrete with embedded layers of reinforcing mesh. Arch action was essentially eliminated.

The track was replaced on a waterproof base and the process repeated for the other track. Work was completed in October 1993 but the steel girder in span 6 remains while long-term monitoring continues.

Heritage listing
This viaduct is one of the most impressive bridge structures in Australia. Its significance to New South Wales is due to it being a major item of infrastructure for the historically important duplication of the Illawarra Railway, its imposing stature high above the creek bed (albeit hidden by trees and bush, its contribution to the enormous social and commercial benefits that railway duplication brought to the Wollongong and Illawarra Regions and the technical skills of building it "up there" and to suit a sharp radius curve. It was the crowning achievement of the "brick arch era" 1910-24 of railway construction in New South Wales. It is the only one of its type and scale in Australia and retains its significance even though emergency work to save it, compromised its integrity.

Stanwell Park Rail Viaduct over Stanwell Creek was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.

The Stanwell Creek railway viaduct was the major bridge of the duplication and deviations works on the Illawarra Line 1910-20 between Waterfall and Scarborough. At Stanwell Park, the work kept the new double track line high up in the natural amphitheatre which in turn required a high level crossing of Stanwell Creek.

The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The structure is one of the most impressive bridge structures in Australia, eight brick arches sweeping round a sharp railway curve atop brick piers that reach  above the creek bed.

Unfortunately, the view has been lost by the uncontrolled growth of trees and bushland. Only archival photographs give justice to this imposing work.

The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

The duplication and deviation work on the Illawarra Railway brought enormous social and commercial benefits to the Illawarra Region, which were only achieved through major engineering works such as the Stanwell Creek Viaduct and the five new double-track tunnels.

The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

Constructing the high level Stanwell Creek Viaduct involved two important technical items, building it  above the creek bed and laying the bricks for the arches on a sharp railway curve.

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

This is only brick arch viaduct of its type and size in Australia.

The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.

The viaduct is an excellent example of brick arch construction with the added challenges of height and curvature.

See also

List of railway bridges in New South Wales
 Historic bridges of New South Wales

References

Bibliography

Attribution

External links

1920 establishments in Australia
Arch bridges in Australia
Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register
Brick bridges
Bridges completed in 1920
New South Wales Heritage Database
New South Wales State Heritage Register
Railway bridges in New South Wales
Buildings and structures in Wollongong
Viaducts in Australia

Stanwell Creek railway viaduct


Memories: The Best Of Elaine Paige is a compilation album by Elaine Paige, released in 1987, on the Warner Music label.

This album covers Elaine Paige's career at WEA from 1981 up until 1986, with tracks from all of her five albums recorded for the label. Most notable is the inclusion of one track that was previously unreleased "On My Own", from the musical Les Misérables which was produced by Tony Visconti. The album charted in 1988 at number 14 in the UK albums chart.

Track listing
 "Memory" - 4.09 (Andrew Lloyd Webber/T.S. Eliot/Trevor Nunn)
 "I Don't Know How to Love Him" - 3.50 (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice)
 "Love Hurts" - 4.59 (Boudleaux Bryant)
 "The Second Time (Theme from Bilitis)" - 4.06 (Francis Lai/Tim Rice)
 "The Windmills of Your Mind" - 3.15 (Michel Legrand/Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman)
 "Tomorrow" - 2.42 (Martin Charnin/Charles Strouse)
 "On My Own" - 3.48 (Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel, Trevor Nunn) (Previously unreleased recording)
 "I Know Him So Well" (Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, Bjorn Ulvaeus)
 "The Way We Were" - 4.00 (Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman/Marvin Hamlisch)
 "The Rose" - 3.45 (Amanda McBroom)
 "Walking in the Air" - 3.29 (Howard Blake)
 "If You Don't Want My Love" - 3.35 (Phil Spector/John Prine)
 "For You" - 4.00 (Judie Tzuke/Mike Paxman)
 "Missing" - 3.55 (Vangelis/Tim Rice)
 "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" - 3.23 (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice)
 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - 5.38 (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice)

Certifications and sales

References

Elaine Paige albums
Albums produced by Tony Visconti
Warner Music Group compilation albums

Memories: The Best of Elaine Paige


Southwest Technical Products Corporation, or SWTPC, was an American producer of electronic kits, and later complete computer systems.  It was incorporated in 1967 in San Antonio, Texas, succeeding the Daniel E. Meyer Company. In 1990, SWTPC became Point Systems, before ceasing a few years later.

History
In the 1960s, many hobbyist electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics and Radio-Electronics published construction articles, for many of which the author would arrange for a company to provide a kit of parts to build the project. Daniel Meyer published several popular projects and successfully sold parts kits. He soon started selling kits for other authors such as Don Lancaster and Louis Garner. Between 1967 and 1971, SWTPC sold kits for over 50 Popular Electronics articles. Most of these kits were intended for audio use, such as hi-fi, utility amplifiers, and test equipment such as a function generator based on the Intersil ICL8038.

Many of these early kits used analog electronics technology, since digital technology was not yet affordable for most hobbyists. Some of the kits took advantage of new integrated circuits to allow low-cost construction of projects. For example, the new Signetics NE565 phase-locked loop chip was the core of a subsidiary communications authority (SCA) decoder board, which could be built and added to an FM radio to demodulate special programming (often, background music) not previously available to the general public. FCC regulations did not ban reception or decoding of radio transmissions, but SCA demodulation had previously required complex and expensive circuitry. Another popular new integrated circuit was the Signetics NE555, a versatile and low-cost timing oscillator chip, which was used in signal generators and simple timers. In 1972, SWTPC had a large enough collection of kits to justify printing a 32-page catalog.

In January 1975, SWTPC introduced a computer terminal kit, the "TV Typewriter", or CT-1024. By November 1975, they were delivering complete computer kits based on Motorola MPUs. They were very successful for the next 5 or so years and grew to over 100 employees.

As the new market evolved rapidly, most of the companies that were selling a computer kit in 1975 were out of business by 1978. Around 1987, SWTPC moved to selling point of sale computer systems, eventually changing its name to Point Systems. This new company lasted only a few years.

Microcomputer pioneers

When microprocessors (CPU chips) became available, SWTPC became one of the first suppliers of microcomputers to the general public, focusing on designs using the Motorola 6800 and, later, the 6809 CPUs. The first such microcomputer introduced by the company, in November 1975, was the SWTPC 6800, which is also the progenitor of the widely used SS-50 bus.

Many of SWTPC's products, including the 6800 microcomputer, were available in kit form. SWTPC also designed and supplied computer terminals, chassis, processor cards, memory cards, motherboards, I/O cards, disk drive systems, and tape storage systems. From the older "TV Typewriter" design a video terminal had evolved the CT-64 terminal system, which was an essential part of many early SWTPC systems. Later a more intelligent version of this terminal, the CT-82, was introduced, and a graphical terminal the GT-6144 Graphics Terminal. Still later a SS-50 bus plug-in board, the "Data Systems 68 6845 Video Display Board" was introduced, and a keyboard could be connected to this board. With this solution an external terminal was no longer needed.

SWTPC's SS-50 backplane bus was also supported or used by other manufacturers: (Midwest Scientific, Smoke Signal Broadcasting, Gimix, Helix, Tano, Percom Data, Safetran), etc. It was extended to the SS-64 (for the 68000 CPU) by Helix. SWTPC also designed one of the first affordable printers available for microcomputer users; it was based on a receipt printer mechanism.

Technical Systems Consultants, first of West Lafayette, Indiana (ex Purdue University) and later of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the foremost supplier of software for SWTPC compatible hardware. Their software included operating systems (Flex, mini-FLEX, FLEX09, and UniFLEX) and various languages (several BASIC variants, FORTRAN, Pascal, C, assemblers, etc.) and other applications. Other software, from third parties, included Introl's C compiler,  Omegasoft's Pascal compiler, the Lucidata Pascal system (from Cambridge, UK), and assorted spread sheets and text processors. By about 1980, TSC had developed a Unix-like multi-user, multi-programming operating system (UniFlex), for 6809 systems with DMA 8" floppy disks and extended memory. Several of TSC's languages were ported to the UniFlex, as was the Lucidata Pascal system.

SWTPC's software catalog included the TSC software, and software from many other sources (including SWTPC itself). Much of it was also available in source code, at a higher price.

Inspired by People's Computer Company's call for Tiny BASICs, Robert Uiterwyk wrote the MICRO BASIC 1.3 interpreter for the SWTPC 6800, which SWTPC published in the June 1976 issue of the SWTPC newsletter. Uiterwyk had handwritten the language on a legal tablet. He later expanded the language to 4K, adding support for floating-point arithmetic; this implementation was unique among BASIC interpreters by using Binary Coded Decimal to nine digits of precision, with a range up to 1099. An 8K version added string variables and trigonometry functions. Both the 4K and 8K versions were sold by SWTPC. In January 1978, Uiterwyk sold the rights of the source code to Motorola.

Product gallery

References

External links
SWTPC product history website – By Bill Dawson and Michael Holley;
DeRamp SWTPC 6800 Pages, including a lot of information from Michael Holley and a mirror of Michael Holly's site above.
SWTPC page at Old Computer Museum
SWTPC M6800 at PC-History.org
SWTPC M6800 specs and pictures at Erik Klein's computer page
 Flex User Group Home pages sponsored by Micheal Evenson
 6800/6809 Flex Emulator for x86 based Microsoft operating systems
Exorsim Open source 6800 Flex (and Motorola EXORciser) Emulator for Linux/Cygwin

American companies established in 1967
American companies disestablished in 1990
Companies based in San Antonio
Computer companies established in 1967
Computer companies disestablished in 1990
Defunct companies based in Texas
Defunct computer companies of the United States
Defunct computer hardware companies
Early microcomputers
Electronic kit manufacturers
Electronics companies of the United States

SWTPC


Phongyibyan (; also spelt pongyibyan or phongyibyan pwe) is a Burmese language term for the ceremonial cremation of high-ranking Buddhist monks, in particular monks from Myanmar's largest Buddhist order, the Thudhamma Nikaya.

Regional observances

Phongyibyan is widely observed by Buddhists throughout Myanmar, including the Bamar, Mon, Rakhine, and Shan peoples. Similarly elaborate cremation ceremonies, congruous with those in Myanmar, are also held by the Northern Thai people. Among the Shan and Lanna peoples, the ceremony is known as poy law (ပွႆးလေႃ or ปอยล้อ), which literally means "ceremony of the cart," whereby poy is a Burmese loanword meaning "festival" or "ceremony" (cf. Poy Sang Long).

Timing

The ceremonial cremation does not necessarily occur immediately after a monk's death. In Northern Thailand, they are typically held between December and March; and in Myanmar, these ceremonies are not held during the Vassa (Buddhist lent). The ceremony typically lasts between 3 and 7 days, depending on the ability of worshippers to organize and finance the ceremonies.

Ceremonial rituals
Some rites have parallels to accounts of the Buddha's own funeral found in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. An elaborate set of ceremonies, including staged plays, ritual performances, and construction of temporary pyre structures, constitute the cremation. Immediately after the monk's death, the body is embalmed. After the cremation, the remains are collected and housed in a reliquary.

A temporary mortuary chapel called neibban kyaung (နိဗ္ဗာန်ကျောင်း), with a multi-tiered pyatthat roof, is constructed to house the coffin. The monk may lie in state for several months, while donations are gathered to fund the cremation ceremonies. A massive funerary pyre tower called laungdaik (လောင်တိုက်), representing Mount Meru, along with numerous subsidiary towers, is also constructed by specialist bamboo artisans called sat-hsaya (စပ်ဆရာ).

Ceremonial crematory hearses are often constructed for the cremation, often featuring mythical animals. These hearses or floats are used to transport the coffin to the funerary pyre. The Burmese use hearses featuring hamsa. While the Shan construct hearses featuring the karaweik (a mythical bird), their Northern Thai counterparts build hearses featuring the nok hatsadiling (นกหัสดีลิงค์), a mythical elephant-headed bird. The pyre is often ignited using rockets or fireworks.

Another important ritual during the phongyibyan is a tug-of-war of the funerary pyres, called lun hswe (လွန်ဆွဲ) in Burmese, and lak prasat (ลากปราสาท, lit. "pulling of the prasat") in Thai. This tug-of-war is believed to generate merit. The Rakhine people perform the tala aka (တလားအက) during the cremation ceremony, whereby around two dozen men carry the bedecked coffin using a bamboo frame, while dancing in unison to the tune of a Burmese hsaing waing orchestra.

A staged play called eiyin (ဧယင်), which reflects the pain of the living mourning the departed and combines the Buddhist concept of rebirth and the monk's virtues and life, is performed from the moment the coffin leaves the monastery to the time of cremation. These performances are held during the daytime, generally held in temporary gilt pavilions called san kyaung (စံကျောင်း), which are erected in the monastery grounds or the village squares. Controversy has surrounded the expenses  involved in financing such expensive ceremonies.

Gallery

References

See also
Buddhism in Burma
Buddhist funeral

Buddhist rituals
Buddhism in Myanmar
Funerals
Cremation
Religion and death
Northern Thai culture

Phongyibyan


Elio Battaglia (born 3 November 1933 in Palermo), is an Italian baritone, singing teacher, and author and lecturer in music. He was the founder and director of the course entitled, Il Lied Tedesco ("German Song"), which ran in Acquasparta, Italy, from 1973 to 2005, and then in Turin from 2007 to 2008.

Early life and education
Born in Palermo, Italy, Battaglia was educated at the schools of Adami Corradetti and Erik Werba, before earning a diploma in singing from the Benedetto Marcello conservatoire in Venice. He then went on to study for a Doctorate in Lieder and Oratorio from University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

Career
Battaglia is best renowned as a singing teacher, of opera, oratorio and art song, and was the first Italian teacher to specialise in German Lieder. In 2004, he gave master classes at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, hosted by Marilyn Horne. Across Europe, his master classes have been hosted by institutions including the Accademia Musicale Pescarese since 1984 and the Mozarteum since 1993. Between 1967 and 1997, he taught singing at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica Giuseppe Verdi in Turin.

He has given advanced master classes and courses in universities and conservatoires internationally, including in the United States, the former USSR, China, Japan, Korea and Europe. In Italy he has organised and held advanced vocal courses and seminars in Turin, (Teatro Regio, Conservatorio G.Verdi), Sienna (Accademia Chigiana), Parma (Festival Verdi), Rome (Università La Sapienza), Tolentino (Teatro Vaccaj), Napoli (Conservatorio S.Pietro a Majella), Catania (Istituto Bellini), and Milan (Conservatorio G.Verdi). He is often invited to sit on judging panels in international competitions such as the Hugo Wolf International Lied Competition in Vienna, Austria and Stuttgart, Germany, and was, in 2005, the jury chairman for the 2005 Renata Tebaldi Competition in San Marino.

As an author, he has written many essays and articles regarding vocal art and has edited the new teachers' edition of The Practical Method of Italian Singing by Nicola Vaccai. He also edited an Anthology of the German Lieder.

Battaglia is often considered to be a world leader in singing teaching and an expert regarding the works of Hugo Wolf. Italian music critic and author Massimo Mila (who writes for La Stampa and l'Unità) wrote of Maestro Battaglia: "...thanks to his passionate teaching style and large numbers of resident students, he has almost turned the Turin Conservatory into a branch office of the Vienna University of Music and Dramatic Art."

Battaglia's teaching was so influential that for the 1991–1992 opera season's opening night at Teatro Regio in Torino, conductor Maurizio Benini cast Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel entirely from Battaglia's studio of singers. No event like this had ever happened before in Italy.

In 1987, he was awarded the Hugo Wolf Medal from the International Hugo Wolf Society of Vienna for his artistic achievements.

Sources
Bach-cantatas.com, Elio Battaglia (Baritone)
The Lieder Sound Archive, Elio Battaglia – baritono (in Italian)

References

Living people
Academic staff of Turin Conservatory
Italian operatic baritones
Musicians from Palermo
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni
Voice teachers
1933 births

Elio Battaglia


Pedro Miguel da Câmara Pinheiro (born 17 February 1977) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a midfielder.

Football career
Pinheiro was born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District. After beginning professionally with local S.C. Dragões Sandinenses, he made his Primeira Liga debuts with Barcelos-based Gil Vicente FC, spending the following campaign with A.D. Ovarense in the second division.

After three seasons with G.D. Estoril Praia, Pinheiro moved to C.F. Os Belenenses: regularly used in his first year, he only appeared in 11 games in the second. Subsequently, he would be essential in C.D. Trofense's first ever top level promotion, scoring six goals while playing in all 30 matches.

In June 2009, utility player Pinheiro returned to division two, signing with C.D. Feirense. Regularly used in his debut season, he only featured in seven contests in the following as the Santa Maria da Feira club returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, being released shortly after at the age of 34 and resuming his career in the regional leagues.

External links

1977 births
Living people
Footballers from Vila Nova de Gaia
Portuguese men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Primeira Liga players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Segunda Divisão players
CD Candal players
S.C. Dragões Sandinenses players
Gil Vicente F.C. players
A.D. Ovarense players
G.D. Estoril Praia players
C.F. Os Belenenses players
C.D. Trofense players
C.D. Feirense players
S.C. Salgueiros players
S.C. Coimbrões players

Pedro Pinheiro


Jared Blake is an American country music singer who resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He became known to a wider audience as a contestant on the first season of The Voice, reaching the Top 4 on Blake Shelton's team.

In June 2012, Blake signed a recording contract with Skiddco Music producer Skidd Mills. The first single "Countryfied" from the upcoming debut album, written by Blake, Mills, and Carl Bell (Fuel), was released to radio and iTunes on June 24, 2013. It debuted at No. 79 on the MusicRow Country Breakout chart on December 12, 2013 and peaked at No. 66. Blake's second single "Stomp" was released on June 20, 2014 and the 6 song EP Til Morning Light was released on September 30, 2014. The official music video for "Stomp" was released on October 13, 2014 and reached No. 76 on the MusicRow Country Breakout chart.

Early life
Jared Blake was born in Star City, Arkansas. He wrote his first song when he was five, but started his musical career at about 13 or 14 learning piano and acoustic guitar. In middle school, Jared decided to join the school's choir. His teacher used classical choral training methods, and Jared went on to be selected by the statewide all-region choir. In 1993 Jared entered his first competitions at the Malvern Brick Fest taking second place and also placed at the Lincoln County Fair youth talent competition. In subsequent years Jared won 1st place in the Lincoln County vocal competition and other state and regional talent shows. After coming second to a guy at Country Showdown who got three extra bonus points for writing his own material, Jared began writing his own songs for the competitions, and pinpointed his career decision to become a professional songwriter as well as a singer.

Career

Jared was signed to a publishing contract with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2006, ending in 2010. Blake worked four jobs at times, owning a decorative concrete business, writing songs for Sony/ATV and Love Monkey Music (Bob DiPiero), singing demos, and pushing his own music by playing in bars to support his family.

In 2011, he appeared on the debut season of the hit television show The Voice (U.S. season 1); a singing competition which aired on NBC. Jared was the final selection to complete Team Blake, coached by Blake Shelton. His singing performances included a solo of "Good Girls Go Bad" (Cobra Starship), a solo of "Not Ready to Make Nice" (Dixie Chicks) reaching No.23 on iTunes charts, a battle round performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell), a Team Blake group performance of "This Love" (Maroon 5) with Shelton, Dia Frampton, Xenia Martinez, and Patrick Thomas, and a solo of "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon) reaching No.16 on iTunes charts.

In November 2011 Jared released his first single titled "Don't Mind", and the video was released in February 2012. Jared Blake's single 'Don't Mind' won a spot in WKDQ Country Whuppin' Hall of Fame by defeating Scotty McCreery "Water Tower Town", Montgomery Gentry "So Called Life", Randy Houser "How Country Feels", LoCash Cowboys "C-O-U-N-T-R-Y", and his "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton's "Over".

Jared Blake is currently managed by Cory Gierman, also known as one of the Godfathers of MuzikMafia.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links
 Official music video for "Stomp" on YouTube
 Official music video for "Don't Mind" on YouTube
 Official music video for "Countryfied" on YouTube
 ITunes Music Chart Archive

Living people
American male singer-songwriters
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Star City, Arkansas
American country singer-songwriters
The Voice (franchise) contestants
Singer-songwriters from Arkansas
Country musicians from Arkansas
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singer-songwriters

Jared Blake


George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the Theaterherzog (theatre duke).

Family and early life
George was the only son of Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and his wife Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel. His birth on 2 April 1826 was met with great relief as the succession to the duchy was in jeopardy due to a lack of male heirs in the family. George remained an only child for seventeen years, until the birth of his sister Princess Augusta in 1843.

George spent his first few years under the supervision of his parents and grandmother the Dowager Duchess Luise Eleonore. It was the latter who instilled upon Georg the patriotic virtues of his heritage, as well as the sense of duty needed to rule a duchy.

In 1862, his only sister married Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg, a younger son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. They would be the parents of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
George succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen on 20 September 1866, when Bernhard was forced to abdicate in favor of his son following the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. In opposition to his father, George had sided with the Prussians during the war and was rewarded with a position of Lieutenant General of the Prussian army. The young duke was familiar enough with Prussian politics to regard their attitudes as impractical. During the Franco-Prussian War, George led two regiments of soldiers from Meiningen and had the honor of capturing the first French flags at the Battle of Froeschweiler. Notably, he fought in nearly every battle during the war. Georg was a member of Wilhelm I's staff when he entered Paris and remained a friend of the Emperor until the latter's death in 1888.

Marriages

First

George was married firstly in Charlottenburg on 18 May 1850 to the Princess Charlotte of Prussia. She was the eldest daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, and was a granddaughter of both Frederick William III of Prussia and William I of the Netherlands.

They had four children:
Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1 April 1851 – 16 January 1928). he married Princess Charlotte of Prussia on 18 February 1878. They had one daughter, Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen.
Prince Georg Albrecht (12 April 1852 – 27 January 1855). died at two years old.
Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (23 September 1853 – 22 February 1923).
unnamed son (29 – 30 March 1855). died at a day old.

Although couple had a short engagement, it was a love match. Among the wedding gifts was an opulent old villa on Lake Como from her mother Marianne. It was renamed the Villa Carlotta in the bride's honor. They spent the next five years in Berlin and Potsdam but returned to Meiningen for the birth of their children.

On 27 January 1855, their second son Georg died. Charlotte would follow him two months later, dying in childbirth and leaving George inconsolable. He succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in 1866, eleven years after Charlotte's death.

Second

Despite his recent widowhood, George went on a search for a new wife, if only to provide a mother for his two young children. George met his second cousin Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg while he was on his way to Italy; they became engaged almost at once. She was a niece of Queen Victoria, being a daughter of Victoria's half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen and her husband Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. On 23 October 1858, they married at Langenburg.

George and Feodora had three sons:

Prince Ernst Bernhard of Saxe-Meiningen (27 September 1859 – 29 December 1941) he married Katharina Jensen on 20 September 1892. They have six children.
Prince Frederick Johann of Saxe-Meiningen (12 October 1861 – 23 August 1914) he married Countess Adelaide of Lippe-Biesterfeld on 24 April 1889. They have six children.
Prince Viktor of Saxe-Meiningen (14 – 17 May 1865).

Their marriage was unhappy however. George had never become reconciled to Charlotte's death and Feodora was not temperamentally suited for the life she was expected to lead. She had no intellectual or artistic attainments; even worse, she had no interest in developing any. Despite this fact, George attempted to educate her, as he was a great lover of the arts, especially theater. Her mother approved, stating it was "very sensible of him indeed to arrange for his bride to be much occupied with lessons, to take drawing lessons, and to hear lectures on history". Georg soon realized however that she would never be as witty and clever as Charlotte. After the death of their third son, Feodora stayed away from Meiningen for as much as decently possible. In 1866, he succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, making her "Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen".

Feodora contracted scarlet fever in January 1872, and died the following month. Despite the many differences between them, George had remained fond of her; when she became sick, he was genuinely distraught and sent telegrams to her parents twice daily.

Third

He was married thirdly and unequally in Liebenstein on 18 March 1873 to Ellen Franz, a former actress. She was given her own style, being known as Helene, "Baroness von Holdburg" shortly before their wedding and after their marriage.

This marriage was morganatic, and greatly angered Kaiser Wilhelm. George in turn became increasingly angry and defensive at anyone who failed to recognize his wife and treat her as an equal. Most Germans supported George's decision to marry, but Wilhelm felt particularly upset because George's first wife had been a kinswoman of his. Wilhelm was not the only one who objected to the marriage; George's father ex-Duke Bernhard was equally angry and threatened to appeal directly to the people with the mistaken view that they would support his opinion. Officials and ministers of the Saxe-Meiningen court also objected to the match.  Many resigned their offices and their wives openly insulted Ellen. The army also refused to salute her, further angering Duke George. He sent an emissary to Berlin with a complaint to Wilhelm, who responded by ordering that all officers must in the future salute Ellen as Baroness von Heldburg. She was never styled as "Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen" like his second wife.

The couple had no children. Well loved by the people, she and Duke George created and developed the progressive Meiningen Theater.

Relationship to theatre and music

Meiningen Ensemble
After the Franco-Prussian War, George devoted himself to theatre. He was one of the greatest intellectuals among the higher nobility during the German Empire. He is particularly known for developing the Meiningen Ensemble using his court theatre. Using his knowledge of art history and his drawing skills, he designed highly detailed, historically accurate scenery, costumes, and properties. In addition, he choreographed large crowd scenes that stunned audiences across Europe. He and his ensemble toured Europe extensively, and had a profound effect on theatre production across the continent. There is no doubt that Realism saw the development of the director as a separate entity, someone with an eye to oversee, someone responsible for the overall conception, interpretation, style and detail of the theatrical performance. The Meiningen Ensemble from its roots in the late 1830s under the directorships of Georg II and Ludwig Chronegk, proceeded to develop a theatre company bereft of theatre-managers and the star system. A system centered on realistic acting and staging and well-developed 'unified' productions. The Ensemble which began as a court theatre but started touring in 1874, used detailed research of people, locations, costumes and set, along with highly choreographed and individually detailed crowd scenes, to create productions which were esthetically unified and realistic in their presentations.

In an article for the Deutsche Bühne, the Duke outlined his principles for directing a play, the most important were the creation of a Stage Picture (the pictorial effect created by the synthesis of the actors with the set and props), historical exactitude in the mise en scene, an acting style which used Precise Gestural and Vocal Imitation, the use of Period or Authentic Clothing and Costumes and the use of Group Orchestration by precise planning and direction of all group and crowd scenes

The initial aim of the Meiningen Ensemble was to create, within the context of an ensemble, historical exactitude of the mise en scene. The Meiningen company sought to create the illusion of natural space within the confines of the proscenium arch. Duke George was concerned mainly with creating a naturalistic illusory atmosphere where the actor could establish or re-create authenticity in performance. Chronegk and the Duke prepared sketches and diagrams showing actors how to walk and move in period clothing to achieve a naturalistic feel to stage characterization. The Meiningen productions influenced playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, actors like Henry Irving and directors like Antoine and Stanislavsky.

The conventions of realism for the Meiningen seemed to create the means by which a theatre artist creates the illusion of everyday life. They saw that art should copy science by depicting life 'as it is' without direct comment, interpretation and the structural edifice of the well made play. The Duke believed that a lifelike reality was achieved on stage through a careful study of the play and showing this in stage movement, composition and stage business. His major contribution to the stage was not just his use of realistic settings and costumes but in the way he tried to use and integrate performers as part of the mise en scene. The use of costume did not merely reflect historical accuracy but attempted to help actors perform in a style and mode which integrated with other elements. He demanded that all the actors were at most rehearsals and he carefully worked out the actions of even everyone in crowd scenes. Individual members of crowds and main actors alike were expected to provide specific research and character analysis related to the events depicted on stage. He was known for his great vision and memory and he often worked without a prompt book or script, working from his head and using a runner to ferry his ideas to his assistant Chronegk. Because his work toured extensively from 1874 to 1890, Meiningen's unified productions had a great impact on the theatre world.  He is widely considered the theatre's first Modern director.

Meiningen Court Orchestra
The Duke was also the patron of one of Europe's leading orchestras, the Meiningen Court Orchestra. The orchestra attained its distinction after the Duke hired the conductor Hans von Bülow in 1880. Bülow instituted stringent rehearsal methods and, with the Duke's agreement, hired eight musicians, raising its membership to 44. He offered the orchestra as a trial ensemble to Johannes Brahms, who was to try out his Second Piano Concerto and Third Symphony with the orchestra and premiered his Fourth Symphony there, conducting it himself. A dispute with Brahms over who was to conduct the premiere of his Fourth Symphony in Frankfurt led Bülow to resign (he was scheduled to premiere it there, but Brahms pre-empted him by conducting it with a local orchestra). Bülow was succeeded briefly by his 20-year-old assistant Richard Strauss, who resigned after a month, and then by Fritz Steinbach. Steinbach championed the music of Brahms, instituting Brahms Festivals in 1895 and 1897 in Meiningen with the composer present. A private concert by the Meiningen Court Orchestra and Steinbach for Brahms in 1891 led the composer to notice the artistry of the ensemble's first clarinetist, Richard Mühlfeld; Brahms promised to compose music for Mühlfeld, and did indeed compose his Clarinet Trio, Clarinet Quintet, and two Clarinet Sonatas. In 1897 the Duke undertook the construction of a Brahms monument in Meiningen's English gardens, sculpted by Adolf von Hildebrand.

Later life
In his later life, George suffered from acute deafness and retired from active life. He had been fond of hunting and traveling, and was a collector of antiques and manuscripts. He died on 25 June 1914 at Bad Wildungen and was succeeded by his eldest son Bernhard.

George is buried at , next to his third wife.

Honours
    Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, April 1844; Joint Grand Master, 20 September 1866
 : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Falcon, 23 September 1845
 : Knight of the Order of the Rue Crown, 1845
  Kingdom of Prussia:
 Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, 25 December 1849; with Collar, 1854
 Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, 11 March 1878
 : Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order, 1858
 : Grand Cross of the House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis, with Crown in Gold, 14 October 1862
  Duchy of Anhalt: Grand Cross of the House Order of Albert the Bear, 15 December 1865
 : Grand Cross of the Order of the Württemberg Crown, 1866
 : Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation,  18 April 1869
   Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1870
 : Knight of the Order of St. Hubert, 1888

Ancestry

See also
 Schloss and park Altenstein

References

Sources

External links

1826 births
1914 deaths
People from Meiningen
House of Saxe-Meiningen
Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen
German people of the Franco-Prussian War
19th-century German people
Princes of Saxe-Meiningen
19th-century theatre
Generals of Infantry (Prussia)
Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary
Military personnel from Thuringia

George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen