Annie Wiggins Brown, or Anne Brown (August 9, 1912 – March 13, 2009) was an American soprano and actress. She was in many stage plays. She was the first person to play the role of Bess in the opera stage play Peggy and Bess. She was also a radio performer and musician. Other notable plays included Mamba's Daughters and Pins and Needles.

Brown was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but later moved to Oslo, Norway. She died at 96.

American stage actors
Actors from Baltimore
1912 births
2009 deaths
Sopranos

Anne Brown


Incantesimo (English: Enchantment) is a long-running Italian drama series, originally broadcast on the RAI network from 1998 to 2008. It is mainly set in a hospital called Clinica Life in Rome, Italy, and revolves around the lives of the staff that works in it. It is known for having different lead actors who play a different story in almost every of its ten seasons.

Production and release
Incantesimo originally premiered in June 1998, on the Italian Rai 2 channel as an alternative prime time programming to the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was running at the same time on Rai 1. The plot is written by popular Italian writer Maria Venturi. Gianni Lepre directed the series. The main characters are played by Agnese Nano, Vanni Corbellini and Giovanni Guidelli. The actress Daniela Poggi, who plays the malicious Cristina Ansaldi – one of the most notable characters – was personally called by Gianni Lepre to join the cast as he thought she's perfect for the role.

Surprisingly, the first season was very successful, attracting more than 4 million viewers during the broadcasting of its 10 episodes.

In Romania, the series was broadcast on TVR Timişoara

Main cast

 Agnese Nano: Barbara Nardi
 Vanni Corbellini: Thomas Berger
 Giovanni Guidelli: Roberto Ansaldi
 Paola Pitagora: Giovanna Medici
 Delia Boccardo: Tilly Nardi
 Giuseppe Pambieri: Diego Olivares
 Paolo Malco: Giuseppe Ansaldi
 Daniela Poggi: Cristina Ansaldi
 Linda Batista: Denise Nascimento
 Guia Jelo: Costanza De Nittis
 Ray Lovelock: Hans Rudolph
 Warner Bentivegna: Emilio Dupré
 Caterina Vertova: Myriam Santi
 Kaspar Capparoni: Max Rudolph
 Patrizia La Fonte: Olga Sciarra
 Valentina Chico: Caterina Masi
 Alessio Boni: Marco Oberon
 Hélène Nardini: Rita Oberon
 Vanessa Gravina: Paola Dupré
 Giorgio Borghetti: Michele Massa
 Barbara Livi: Martina Morante
 Lorenzo Flaherty: Andrea Bini
 Antonia Liskova: Laura Gellini
 Lorenzo Ciompi: Luca Biagi
 Samuela Sardo: Giulia Donati
 Walter Nudo: Antonio Corradi
 Sonia Aquino: Rossella Natoli
 Alessandra Acciai: Cora Torrini
 Paolo Lanza: Oscar Sensi
 Orso Maria Guerrini: Ivano Nardi
 Ramona Badescu: Sonya Laris
 Nina Soldano: Luciana Galli
 Angiola Baggi: Anna Danesi
 Roberto Alpi: Giulio De Biase
 Emilio Bonucci: Carlo Giudici
 Luigi Maria Burruano: Vittorio Ajello
 Micaela Esdra: Rosalba Baroni
 Elisabetta Pellini: Dori/Lara Baroni
 Anna Melato: Franca Melli
 Giampiero Bianchi: Guido Morante
 Marzia Ubaldi: Amalia Forti
 Stefania Casini: Carla Ferrini
 Nino Castelnuovo: Ernesto Longhi
 Mirca Viola: Luisa Donati
 Laura Chiatti: Stella Loti
 Benedetta Massola: Ludovica Segre
 Carlotta Miti: Sara Segre
 Ivana Monti: Liliana Donati
 Giacomo Piperno: Renato Corradi
 Erika Blanc: Eleonora Loti
 Benedetta Gargari: Giada Donati
 Luigi Diberti: Edoardo De Nittis
 Eleonora Brigliadori: Viviana Costantini
 Corinne Cléry: Viola Dessi
 Paolo Ferrari: Luciano Mauri
 Ivo Garrani: Umberto Curti

References

RAI original programming
Italian medical television series
1998 Italian television series debuts
2008 Italian television series endings
1990s Italian drama television series
2000s Italian drama television series
Television shows set in Rome

Incantesimo


Events
 Nizami Ganjavi completes Eskandar Nameh, The Romance of Alexander the Great
 Peter of Blois resigns as Dean of St Peter's Collegiate Church

Births

Deaths
 Hammad al-Harrani (born unknown), Muslim scholar, poet, merchant and traveler
 Alain de Lille (born 1128), French theologian and poet, writing in Latin
 Eugenius of Palermo (born 1130), amiratus (admiral), translator, and poet
 Gaucelm Faidit (born 1170), Occitan troubadour (approx.)
 Jakuren (born 1139), Japanese Buddhist priest and poet

13th-century poetry
Poetry

1202 in poetry


Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man is a book written by Mary L. Trump, the niece of Donald Trump. It is a "tell-all" book, which means it is a biography about Donald Trump written without his permission. The Trump family filed a lawsuit against the book by saying it violated a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). An NDA means that a person cannot reveal confidential information to the public. However, they could not stop the book from being published on July 14, 2020.

Background
Mary Trump is a psychologist who works with patients. She has done research on victims of stalking and on schizophrenia. She is the daughter of Fred Trump, Jr. and granddaughter of Fred Trump.

In 1999, Mary and her brother Fred III went to court because they didn't agree with the conditions in Fred Sr.'s will. They said that Fred Sr.'s other children influenced him so that the will would not give them as much money as they think they deserved. Because they went to trial, the family cut off both of them from health insurance, which put Fred's son, who had epilepsy, in great danger. The lawsuit was settled and they got their insurance back.

After her uncle became president, there were questions about whether or not he paid his fair share in taxes. Mary gave The New York Times a box of financial documents that proved that he did not and that he was engaged in fraud.

Summary
This book is chronological. That means it is organized by time. Mary doesn't diagnose Donald with any specific disorders. Instead she uses psychology to analyze parts of his history to give suggestions on what might be wrong with him.

Part One: The Cruelty is the Point
This part of the book describes Fred Trump as a sociopath who uses others to help himself. Donald learns from Fred how to not show feelings of weakness nor how to be kind to others. This is in contrast to Fred Jr., who was constantly scolded for not learning to be a cruel person like Fred Sr. Because of this training, Donald fails to learn about all the possible feelings that people experience. To the relief of his mother, he is sent to military school.

Part Two: The Wrong Side of the Tracks
In Part 2, Donald becomes a businessman. However, Fred Sr. puts Donald as the public face of the family business while he takes care of much of the actual business. Fred Jr. chooses to leave the family business and become a pilot. He is rejected by his family for this choice, which leads to him becoming an alcoholic and the end of his pilot career and his marriage. He died of a heart attack at a hospital while Donald was at a movie theater.

Part Three: Smoke and Mirrors
This part of the books talks about how Donald is not a good businessman. The only reason he is not allowed to fail is because his businesses partners won't let him; him failing makes them look bad. At one point, he has to negotiate with creditors so that he can get an allowance of $450,000 per month.

The family cuts her and her brother out of Fred's will. She, her brother, and her brother's son lose their health insurance. They settle when she allows the rest of the family to buy out her share of a corporation at a price lower than what it should be.

Part Four: The Worst Investment Ever Made
Here, Mary talks about Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. She uses her psychologist knowledge to show how he used his worst traits to his own advantage. She says that Donald is able to be manipulated by others who recognize his weaknesses.

Claims

Mary Trump makes some claims in the book. She says that:
 according to the documents she gave to The New York Times, Donald Trump engaged in fraud and transferred $413 million from his father's businesses to his own during the 1990s.
 Donald paid someone else to take the SAT college entrance exam for him.
 Donald disrespected Fred Sr. when he was suffering from Alzheimer's.
 Donald Trump is an atheist.

Release
The book was supposed to be published by Simon & Schuster on August 11, 2020. However, they moved the publication date to July 14 because so many people wanted to read it.

Donald Trump said that Mary signed a "very powerful" agreement that "covers everything," so she was "not allowed to write a book."

Robert Trump, one of Mary's uncles, sued on June 23 to stop the book from being published. A judge in the Queens County Surrogate Court (a court that handles wills) dismissed the case. Trump then took the case to a state court. On June 30, a judge there ordered that the book not be published until a hearing was held on July 10. On July 1, another more powerful judge reversed that order and allowed Simon & Schuster to publish the book. On July 2, Mary Trump made an affidavit saying that she was not bound by the NDA because the agreement was fraudulent.

Reception
Most people said good things about the book. They were impressed with how she used her psychology knowledge to tell a story about her family.

One man, Chris Taylor, said she did not write a good book because she made a lot of big claims and contradicted herself.

References

American literature
Donald Trump

Too Much and Never Enough


A Furby (plural Furbys or Furbies, according to Tiger Electronics.) is a popular electronic toy or robot, more specifically, a hamster/owl-like creature made by Tiger Electronics, which went through a time of being the "must-have" toy following its launch in the winter holiday season of 1998, with continuing sales until 2000. Furbies sold 1.8 million units in 1998, 14 million units in 1999, and altogether in its three best years of original production, Furby sold over 40 million units, and its speaking capabilities were translated into 24 languages. A video game of the Furbies was released in 1998 by Hasbro Interactive with many activities. Furbies were the first successful attempt to produce and sell a programmed robot. In 2005, new Furbies were released, with voice-recognition and more complex facial movements, among many other changes and improvements. There was a common mistake best that they repeated words that were said around them. This belief most likely came from the fact that it is possible to have the Furby say certain pre-programmed words or phrases more often by petting it whenever it said these words. As a result of this myth, several intelligence agencies banned them from their offices.

History

Birth of the Furby
David Hampton and Caleb Chung created the Furby in about nine months (in addition to an additional nine months spent designing the toy). That was the amount of time between Tiger Electronics showing an interest in his interactive creatures, during which Roger Schiffman bought the rights to it, and the time they hit store shelves. Furby's first public appearance was at the International Toy Fair in 1998. Furbys originally retailed for about US$35, and upon release Furbys flew off the shelves in toyshops. The demand for these toys during the 1998 holiday season drove the resale price over US$100 and sometimes as high as several hundred dollars. Furbies sold for over US$300 in newspapers and in auctions. Nicknames were given to them, and sellers gave values to them. Some people continue to call their Furbies by the terms 'wedding Furby', 'tuxedo Furby', 'snowball Furby', 'biker Furby', and others. All, of course, were named rare by sellers, because they were so hard to find at the time. In a sure display of the demand for even one Furby, some sellers at the time scammed people out of a lot of money, without even having first given them a Furby. Parent battles, arguments, and fights grew higher at the popularity of them, and when retail supplies ran out, parents turned to the Internet, where Furbies could be purchased for two, three, or more multiples of their retail price. This action led to many parents ending up on eBay.

2005 revival
In 2005 Furbies were re-introduced with the release of the new Emoto-Tronic Furby. The highly growing emotional realism of the Emoto-Tronic Furby has given birth to a number of Furby-like special interest groups. These communities want to bring features of the Furby experience into human society. The most visible of these groups include Furbish-to-English translators and Furby adoption agencies.

2012 revival
On April 12, 2012, it was announced that Hasbro would be making a new line of Furbies. The new line was released in September 2012. As of December 2012 there were sixteen colors: Teal, white, black, purple, tangerine-tango, yellow, aqua, navy blue, plum, pink, pink/teal, orange/blue, black/pink, blue/yellow, teal/purple, and gray/teal.
Furbies were one of the eleven toys named the top toys for Christmas 2013 by the Toy Retailers Association at the DreamToys Convention where they unveil their predictions for the most popular holiday toys annually.

Furby types

Classic Furbies
The original Furbies were 6 inches (15 cm) tall. The main reason for their popularity was because of their apparent "intelligence", reflected in their ability to develop language skills. Furbies can communicate with one another via an infrared port located between their eyes.
A simple electric motor and a system of cameras and gears close the Furby's eyes and mouth, raise its ears, and lift it off the ground in a faux display of mobility. The originals are still popular with many hackers as they can be dissected and made or changed to do other interesting things, including being able to say something insulting or humorous, like Shut up. In particular, they can made be to do things with their advanced audio capabilities and various sensory interfaces.

Other Furbies

Furby Babies
In 1999, the Furby Babies line was introduced. Furby Babies are smaller than the original, have higher voices, and cannot dance, but switch to speaking English more quickly. They also have bigger vocabulary, and different "Easter Eggs" and "games" built into them. Baby furbies come in 24 different colors. All with white eye lashes, six different eyecolors.

Furby Friends
Book Furbies were also released, including an interactive Furby-like Gizmo, from the movie Gremlins, a Furby-like  Interactive Yoda based on the Star Wars character, and a Furby-like Interactive E.T. from the movie of the same name. Another 'friend of furby', called Shelby, is similar to Furby, but looks like a clam, has lots of improvement in memory, and has a different personality; it was released in 2001 and can communicate with the original Furbies and Furby Babies. They also have sensors that can sense loud sounds, they can sense being upside down (they say things like "Shiver me timbers" and "Walk the plank", in the style of a pirate ship captain, when you leave them upside-down for a long period of time), and they laugh when you "tickle" them (their antennae - or "tennies", as they like to call them). They also purr when you "pet" them. You can feed them by sticking your finger in their mouth. Similarly, Shelbys do not have their own names, unlike the classic Furbies. Shelbys are also capable of knowing if it is talking to a Furby or another Shelby, saying phrases such as "Where's Furby?" - though they cannot tell the difference between a Furby and a Furby Baby - they just think it's a Furby. In addition to English, Shelbys also know some Furbish words and also have their own language called "Shelbish."
  some Holiday furbies are limited edition, they were made in 2001

Emoto-Tronic Furby
The latest kinds of Furby were released in August 2005. Larger than the other ones, the new Furbies have been upgraded with a more emotional face and a voice recognition system, letting them communicate with humans. Unlike the Furbies originally released, just one order is necessary to make them 'sleep', and they have an off switch. They can communicate with other types of Emoto-tronic Furbies, though to a smaller amont than the communication between original Furbies, and they cannot themselves communicate with the original Furbies. They also do not have light sensors and basic motion sensors. These Furbies, according to the story they come packed with, are from Furby Island.

Emoto-Tronic Furby Babies
In 2006, a new version of Furby baby was released, with most notable features being the new look and a more "Baby-ish" appearance in contrast to the Emoto-Tronic Furby adult. They also have considerably less features than the "adult" Furby, with a very limited vocabulary and a lower level of interactivity. Another notable feature of the 2006 Emoto-Tronic Baby Furby is the movable "legs", which unfurl when Furby baby is awakened.

Emoto-Tronic Funky Furbies
The Funky Furbies were released in August 2006 outside the United States. They are limited to three color combinations (pink and yellow; purple and green; blue and purple), they can sing three new songs and dance. They can be taught dance routines and remember them.

2012 Furbies
A new Furby was released in the fall of 2012. It has more expressive LCD eyes, a wider range of motions, its own iOS and Android app, and the ability to adapt its personality in reaction to user behavior. The on-off switch is replaced with a reset button; the Furby turns itself off after one minute of inactivity.

Furby Party Rockers
A series of toys called Furby Party Rockers was released in addition to the 2012 Furbies.

Those feature pre-programmed personalities that differ between the various models.

Instead of the screens that the full-size Furbies feature, their eyes are made out of transparent plastic with a backing that has a static pattern printed.

The eyes have an LED backlight and the printed image is stereoscopic so that it changes depending on the viewing angle. The Party Rockers don't have any moving parts.

Furby Boom
In summer of 2013, about a year after the 2012 Furby came out, a new Furby was released with new different colors and new Personalities. It has a brand-new iOS and Android app, called Furby BOOM!, with many new features.

Furblings (toy version)
In June 2014, a toy version of the Furblings from the Furby BOOM! app was released along with a Golden limited time one. It can communicate with Furby Booms, and can be used with the app too.

Furby Boom Crystal
The release for Christmas 2014 is called the Furby Boom Crystal series, with a redesign of the ears, face and feet and new bright neon fur. The iOS and Android apps have also been redesigned.

Furby Boom Crystal Furblings
In early 2015, a toy version of the Furby Boom Crystal Furblings from the app was released. Like the other Furblings, it can communicate with Furby Boom Crystals, and be used with the app.

Furbacca
In June 2015, a Furby that resembles Chewbacca from Star Wars was released. It is similar to the Furby Boom because it can hatch Furblings with the same app and more. It is known as the Wookie Furby and the new Furby Friend.

Furby Connect
In 2016 another new Furby with more expressive eyes and movements was released, along with an app containing a whole world of Furblings for it to interact with. The Furby Connect has a translucent plastic joystick on its head which lights up different colors when toggled and is used to control games played with Furblings in the app. Unlike the 2012 Furby and Furby Boom, the Furby Connect does not change personalities. However it can sing songs that it "learns" from the app.

Furbish-English dictionary
Furbish is the language which is spoken by the Furbies. It is similar to English with a different grammar structure. A newly bought Furby starts out speaking entirely Furbish, the unique language with short words, simple syllables, and various other sounds, that all Furbies use, but are programmed to speak less Furbish as they learn more English as they "grow". Throughout a Furby's lifetime, it gradually learns English words and phrases, which it begins to speak in place of Furbish. The more English they learn, the more they "grow", making them more muture. The Furbish phrase "WHOA! Me deep sleep!" would translate into English as "Whoa! I slept for a long time!"

These are common Furbish pharses.
 wee-tah-kah-loo-loo: Tell me a joke
 wee-tah-kah-wee-loo: Tell me a story
 wee-tee-kah-wah-tee: Sing me a song
 u-nye-loo-lay-doo?: Do you want to play?
 u-nye-ay-tay-doo?: Are you hungry?
 u-nye-boh-doo?: How are you?
 u-nye-way-loh-nee-way: Go to sleep now
 u-nye-noh-lah: Show me a dance

Furbies may say these Furbish words:
 doo?: What? (Furbies say this when called)
 doo-dah: Yes (Furbies say this in response to a command before doing it)
 boo: No (Furbies say this when they do not want to carry out a command)
 yoo?: Why will you not play with me today? (This usually means the Furby is upset)

References

Other websites
BBC H2G2: Furbies
Hasbro Furby Care Guide
An explanation of the Furbish language
Adopt a Furby - Resource site for originalFurbies

Toys

Furby


The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) is a United Kingdom government policy which was published as a white paper on 15 December 2005. The purpose of the DIS is stated to be to ensure that the UK armed forces are provided with the equipment they require, on time, and at best value for money. This is achieved through the maintenance of sovereign capabilities, i.e. the capabilities of UK companies in key defence areas.

The DIS is structured into three parts. Part A outlines the strategy, part B reviews the UK defence industry, and part C describes the implications of the DIS and how it is to be implemented.

The DIS builds upon the Defence Industrial Policy published in 2002 and the Strategic Defence Review of 1998. UK defence procurement was radically changed by the government of Margaret Thatcher - cost plus contracts and "national champions" were abandoned in favour of competitive tendering. This made the UK defence procurement market the most open in the world and in contrast to the European continent and America. The DIS reverts to the concept of "national champions" to maintain vital capabilities, as identified by the Ministry of Defence "to maintain appropriate sovereignty and thereby protect UK national security." The Defence Industries Council warned in 2004 that the continuation of a totally "open market" approach would see the UK "lose almost completely the strong industrial base that has supplied our armed forces.  UK sovereignty could be threatened."

The DIS has been widely seen as confirming BAE Systems as the UK's "national champion". Of the key industrial capabilities which must be maintained several are dominated by BAE, including naval vessels and submarines, armoured fighting vehicles (over 95% of the UK's AFVs are BAE products), fixed-wing aircraft, general munitions (with the exception of certain "niche capabilities abroad") and Network Enabled Capability (defined as C4ISTAR in the DIS). After the publication of the DIS BAE Systems CEO Mike Turner said "If we didn't have the DIS and our profitability and the terms of trade had stayed as they were... then there had to be a question mark about our future in the U.K."

The year after the release of the DIS the government released the Defence Technology Strategy which takes forward some of the themes introduced in the DIS. This document discusses where science and technology research should focus on to deliver the capabilities identified in the DIS. An updated version of the DTS is expected to be published by the Defence Technology Innovation Centre (DTIC) in 2008.

Follow-on strategies
After the following coalition government came to power, it initiated the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 and later published a white paper titled "National security through technology" in 2012. The following government initiated the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 then held a consultation on a "Defence industrial policy" in 2016.

References

External links
Defence industrial strategy : defence white paper 2005

2005 documents
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
United Kingdom defence procurement
2005 in the United Kingdom
Defence white papers
2005 in military history
2005 in British politics
21st-century military history of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom industrial planning policy

Defence Industrial Strategy


Summary
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the EU agency working to improve the skills and employability of people in partner countries outside the EU. The ETF does not itself train or qualify people. It helps countries and institutions outside the EU to develop skills.

The agency gives advice and support on vocational education and training (VET) policy, programmes, and practice to governments, social partners, and training providers in countries ranging from Morocco to Kazakhstan and from Belarus to Jordan [link to list below].

The ETF is based in Torino, Italy. It is primarily funded from the EU budget with an annual allocation (2023) of around €22.6M.

Approximately 130 staff work at the ETF offices. They represent most EU member states and some of the non-EU partner countries.

History
A blueprint for the ETF was made immediately following the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall in 1989. The plan for its establishment was originally part of a two-pronged European plan to support people development in the hectic transition period of central and eastern Europe in the 1990s. The TEMPUS programme would support higher education development, while the European Training Foundation would support technical and vocational education and training. Money for both was earmarked in the fund for the PHARE programme.

The Tempus Programme got off the ground in Poland and Hungary almost immediately, but the launch of the ETF got caught up in the decentralisation process that was underway to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

It took until 1995 for the ETF to get established in Torino. By that time, the Soviet Union had disintegrated into 14 independent countries, the European Economic Community had become the European Union and association agreements had already been signed with Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechia and Slovakia. From the outset, therefore, a considerable part of the work of the ETF would be to prepare the ever-growing list of candidate countries for meeting the EU accession requirements.

In September 1998, the European Commission asked the ETF to manage the Special Preparatory Programme for the European Social Fund (SPP-ESF). The project formed part of a PHARE package of €60 million support funds that would help prospective EU member states in central and eastern Europe to develop the necessary institutions for dealing with the legal environment of the EU and to prepare for access to the EU Structural Funds.

Over the years, the focus of the work of the ETF has shifted from technical assistance to policy advice. The geographical scope of the ETF was extended with the Balkan countries that emerged from the disintegrated Yugoslavia, as well as North Africa, the near Middle East and the former Soviet states in central Asia.

Torino Process
Fifteen years of networking activities of the ETF eventually led, in 2010,  to the launch of the Torino Process, a biennial reporting exercise through which countries share their progress in training for skills. The Torino process has elements of competition as well as mutual learning – what the ETF refers to as policy learning – and has stood the test of time since its inception.

ETF work on green skills
In recent years, one of the thrusts of the ETF's work has been skills for the green transition.

The ETF's annual Green Skills Awards3 were launched in 2021 to provide ideas and inspiration supporting the reform of education and training for a greener future. The awards showcase examples of tried and tested methods from all over the globe as well as innovative approaches to skills development that support the green transition.

In the first edition of the Green Skills Award, there were 134 applications from 39 countries. More than 23,000 members of the public participated in the online public vote to decide the winner.

ETF support to skills for the digital age
Another focal area is training for a digital world. The ETF uses EU templates, such as SELFIE4, which is a free tool that can be customised to help schools assess their level of digital learning. Developing the digital competences of teachers and trainers through their continuous professional development is another important part of this process.

The ETF works with policymakers in partner countries to ensure a coherent policy framework for enhancing digital skills for inclusion. Monitoring activities, such as the Torino Process, help countries to invest in areas that most need development.

ETF support to Ukraine
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ETF has used its longstanding and extensive contacts in Kyiv and other communities to support the skill challenges of the war.

Within weeks of the February 2024 invasion, the ETF had set up a Ukrainian Resource Hub. Designed to help often traumatised refugees find their way in host countries across Europe, more than 16,000 people have accessed the site's advice and links.

The hub, which features links to language training, advice on accessing education and training, and how to get Ukrainian qualifications and experience recognised or validated in the EU, is open to both Ukrainian visitors and employers, officials and others from EU member states seeking information on how they can help Ukrainians, or what they can expect when engaging with Ukrainians in education, training and employment.

Current list of ETF partner countries
Albania
Algeria
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Egypt
Georgia
Israel
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Libya
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
North Macedonia
Palestine
Serbia
Syria
Tajikistan
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan

The ETF also works in sub-Saharan Africa on some very specific activities.

ETF directors since 1995
Peter de Rooij (NL, 1994-2004)
Muriel Dunbar, (UK, 2004-2009)
Madlen Serban, (RO, 2009-2017)
Cesare Onestini (IT, 2017-2022)
Xavier Matheu (interim) (ES, 2022-2023)
Pilvi Torsti (FI, 2023- )

External links
European Training Foundation
Description of the ETF on the EU website
The Torino Process
ETF Ukrainian Resource Hub
Open Space (community of people interested in learning and skills)
Copenhagen Process
ETF Green Skills Awards
The SELFIE Tool
How the European Union works

Main source and further reading
The European Training Foundation 1994–2019

References

1990 in the European Economic Community
Agencies of the European Union
Government agencies established in 1990
Organisations based in Turin
Vocational education in Europe

European Training Foundation


Alimentary toxic aleukia is a mycotoxin-induced condition characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, leukopenia (aleukia), hemorrhaging, skin inflammation, and sometimes death. Alimentary toxic aleukia almost always refers to the human condition associated with presence of T-2 Toxin.

Signs and symptoms
Alimentary toxic aleukia manifests in inflammation of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, a severe progressive leukopenia, anemia, and an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Subsequently petechial hemorrhages of both the skin and mucosa as well as enlarged lymph nodes are seen. Symptoms of the respiratory system include bronchopneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhages, sepsis, and lung abscesses. Vomiting, bloody stools, lassitude, and incoordination are also observed. The severity of the disease and its course was determined by the quantity of the toxin and the various reactive properties of various tissues and organs to the toxin.

There are four stages of ATA. The first stage is acute intoxication. The leukopenia stage is the next. The third stage is distinguished by distinct clinical symptoms (anginal-hemorrhagic stage), and the fourth by recovery and possible complications.

Stage One
Local and systemic symptoms can appear immediately or several hours after consuming a meal prepared with the toxic wintered grain. Local symptoms include a bitter taste in the mouth, which leads to a complete loss of taste, tongue numbness or swelling, a burning sensation in the mouth, and pain when swallowing. If no more hazardous grain was consumed, the foregoing symptoms subsided within 2 or 3 days, but they resurfaced as soon as the patient resumed consumption of this grain. Toxemia manifested as weakness, malaise, rheumatic-like pain, hyperhidrosis, a condition similar to alcohol intoxication, and insomnia. These symptoms typically go away in 3 to 5 days.

There were isolated cases of acute food poisoning resulting in acute esophagitis, gastritis, or gastroenteritis, with hypersalivation, nausea, vomiting, esophageal and stomach pain, diarrhea, and fevers of up to 39 degrees. Giddiness, headache, mydriasis, tachycardia, cyanosis, limb coldness, and convulsions were also reported. There were also hemorrhagic diathesis with cutaneous and mucosal hemorrhages and epistaxis. In such circumstances, the blood count can indicate hematopoiesis alterations as quickly as 1-4 days; this was followed by neutropenia and relative lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and some erythrocyte sedimentation rate acceleration.

Stage Two
With the subsequent ingesting of the toxic grain, the disease advances and enters the second stage within a few days. Because there is no habituation to the harmful substance, local symptoms may reoccur. The duration of the ATA leukopenia stage could vary from 2-3 weeks to 6-8 weeks and even 3-4 months. Clinically, the leukopenia stage manifests as symptoms of the central and vegetative nervous systems. Patients reported fatigue, apathy, vertigo, headache, and poor sleep. The patients' skin would appear pale, and dry, and the symptoms of late dermographism mydriasis would be clearly visible. The patients showed a petechial rash towards the end of the leukopenia stage. The petechial patches were initially quite little, but as the disease advanced, they grew in size. When the leukopenia stage was treated promptly and adequately, it was often followed by recovery.

Stage Three
Acute symptoms such as rash, hemorrhages, necrotic angina, high temperature, and tachycardia mark the third ATA stage. The leukocyte count continues to fall. Bleeding time increases, and the coagulability of the blood is delayed. Hemorrhages occur in the nose, pharynx, esophagus, gut, kidney, bladder, and uterus. Hemorrhages can be severe and difficult to control, resulting in significant blood loss and even death. Patients develop angina several days following the formation of the petechial rash, which in severe cases might be necrotic or gangrenous. The tonsils completely decomposed, followed by acute edema of the laryngeal vestibule and blockage within 3-8 days with necrotic masses and blood clots. Asphyxia and aphonia ensued, and many people died as a result. The gangrenous process progressed to the soft palate, gums, tongue, lips, cheeks, and nasal cavity, resulting in tooth loss and cheek perforation. These symptoms were particularly prevalent in individuals who had an imbalanced diet and in children. Severe anginal symptoms were followed by an increase in hemorrhagic diathesis. Acute hepatitis typically manifests itself during the third ATA stage. The liver would become slightly enlarged, while the spleen would remain normal. There was microhematuria and, on rare occasions, hematuria. Even in the most severe cases, significant improvements and even recovery within 1-2 weeks was feasible. Heart paralysis, uncontrollable hemorrhages, suffocation, pneumonia with pulmonary abscesses, and gangrene all contributed to death.

Stage Four
When pathogenetic therapy was administered, the condition advanced to the fourth stage, which lasted 10-14 days. The necrotic fool began to mend and hemorrhages stopped during this pealed; a reduction of fever showed recovery from acute toxemia. However, lingering toxic symptoms (tachycardia, hypotension, apical systolic murmur, left heart dilatation, dyspnea, weakness, vertigo, gastritis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, central and vegetative nervous system problems) persisted for an extended period of time.

Treatment
At the early stages of the condition, therapeutic measures include excluding various wintered grain products and flour from the diet and monitoring erythrocyte, platelet, and leukocyte differential counts. In the second stage, therapeutic interventions include balanced nutrition, which includes biologically beneficial proteins and Vitamins such as ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B, folacin, and vitamin E.

When the condition reaches the third stage, the patient is immediately hospitalized and placed on a balanced diet. Early prescription or large doses of sulfamide compounds and adequate antibiotics were required, as well as the use of general and hemopoiesis-stimulated blood transfusion and autohemotherapy, the administration of hemostatic, detoxicating, and cardiovascular activity-stimulating agents, and the local treatment of necrotic foci.

In the fourth stage, medical treatments would be focused on increasing the body's response capacity through general bracing and hemopoiesis stimulation, as well as eradicating toxic residual effects with detoxication medications.

History
Alimentary toxic aleukia was first characterized in the early 20th century after affecting a large population in the Orenburg Oblast of the former USSR in 1933 and during World War II. The sick people had eaten overwintered grain colonized with Fusarium sporotrichioides and Fusarium poae.

References

Blood disorders

Alimentary toxic aleukia


Mobile Premier League (MPL) is an Indian online gaming platform. It is based in Bengaluru, India.
Founded in 2018 by Srinivas Kiran and Shubham Malhotra, the company currently offers 60 games in categories such as fantasy sports, sports games, puzzle, casual and board games. MPL offers fantasy cricket, football, and basketball leagues and has partnerships with major sports leagues such as the NBA and Pro Kabaddi League.

History
MPL was founded by Sai Srinivas Kiran and Shubham Malhotra in 2018, initially offering puzzle games and casual games and expanding to fantasy sports the following year.  The company connects game publishers with users via its app platform. In 2021, the company bought over GamingMonk, an esports community platform.

The company currently offers 60 games in categories such as fantasy sports, sports games, puzzle, casual and board games. Given that certain games are banned in certain jurisdictions, the company has had to alter its offerings based on the users region. It employs over 800 people spread across offices in Bengaluru, Pune, Singapore and New York.  The company claims to have over 90 million registered users on its platform.

Geographic presence
MPL began as a mobile gaming application in India. In it expanded to Indonesia, its second country market in 2019.
In 2021, the company entered a third country when it launched operations in USA. In 2022, the company bought out GameDuell, a games studio based in Berlin thus giving it an entry into the European market.

As a part of cutbacks in 2022, the company announced it would exit the Indonesian market amongst other measures.

Partnerships and brand ambassador
In 2019, the company became a broadcast partner for the Indian Premier League. It also signed up cricketer Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador. In 2020, the company became sponsors for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

A subsidiary of the online gaming platform, MPL Sports Apparel & Accessories was the official kit sponsor of the Indian Men's Cricket Team, Indian Women's Cricket Team, and Indian Under-19 Cricket Team from November 2020 till December 2022.

In 2021, MPL Sports Foundation was announced as the principal sponsor of the Indian contingent participating in the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2022 Asian Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games under a partnership with the Indian Olympic Association.

Funding
MPL counts Sequoia Capital, Go Ventures, RTP Global, Go-Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures, Play Ventures, Base Partners, Telstra Ventures, Founders Circle Capital, and Times Internet amongst its investors. In 2021, it became India's second gaming unicorn when it raised funding in its Series E round at a valuation of $2.3 billion from Legatum Capital, RTP Global, Go-Ventures, Play Ventures, Base Partners, Founders Circle Capital and existing investors.

References

Fantasy sports websites
Companies based in Bangalore

Mobile Premier League


Abell 2142 is a huge, X-ray luminous galaxy cluster in the constellation Corona Borealis. It is the result of an ongoing merger between two galaxy clusters.

The combined cluster is six million light years across, contains hundreds of galaxies and enough gas to make a thousand more. It is "one of the most massive objects in the universe".

X-ray image
The image on the right was taken in 1999 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory's 0.3-10.0 keV Advanced Imaging Spectrometer, and covers an area of 7.5 x 7.2 arc minutes. It shows a colossal cosmic "weather system" produced by the collision of two giant clusters of galaxies. For the first time, the pressure fronts in the system have been traced in detai. They show a bright, but relatively cool 50 million degree Celsius central region (white) embedded in large elongated cloud of 70 million degree Celsius gas (magenta), all of which is boiling in a faint "atmosphere" of 100 million degree Celsius gas (faint magenta and dark blue). The bright source in the upper left is an active galaxy in the cluster.

Quick facts
Abell 2142 is part of the Abell catalogue of rich clusters of galaxies originally published by UCLA astronomer George O. Abell (19271983) in 1958. It has a heliocentric redshift of 0.0909 (meaning it is moving away from us at 27,250 km/s) and a visual magnitude of 16.0. It is about 1.2 billion light years (380 megaparsecs) away.

References

Galaxy clusters

Abell 2142


"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" is a song by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, from his album Magic.

Matched with a pop-oriented melody, Springsteen's full-throated singing, and a pop-orchestral arrangement, the lyric portrays a series of warm small-town vignettes:

Frankie's Diner, an old friend on the edge of town,
The neon sign spinning round,
Like a cross over the lost and found.
Fluorescent lights flicker over Pop's Grill,
Shaniqua brings the coffee and asks "Fill?"
and says, "Penny for your thoughts now my boy, Bill"

"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" has been cited as a singularly "breezy" song on the album, though A. O. Scott of The New York Times notes: "Not that 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes' is untouched by melancholy. Its narrator, after all, stands and watches as the girls of the title 'pass me by.'"  Jay Lustig of The Star-Ledger writes that the song "unfolds gradually and at its own eccentric pace, with the music, and Springsteen's vocals, getting progressively more intense." At the 51st Grammy Awards, the song was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, winning the former.

Releases
It was released for iTunes digital download on January 15, 2008, as a single-like "bundle" consisting of two audio tracks and an accompanying video.  As such the "Winter Mix" of the song was presented, which featured a single not doubled Springsteen vocal track, some added or enhanced percussion parts, and similar small changes. In addition to the Winter Mix, a live version was included. The release achieved minor chart success, reaching positions 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, 67 on the Pop 100, and 62 on Hot Digital Songs.  It also hit 27 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts.

The music video for the song (entitled "Girls in Their Summer Clothes (Winter Mix)") was directed by Mark Pellington.  Filmed on the Jersey Shore on a cold winter day, it showed girls and women of various ages, interspersed with shots of Springsteen strumming his vintage Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. The backing E Street Band was not shown. Parts of the video mirrored the song's imagery, especially the diner scene.

Live performances
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" was regularly featured on the 2007–2008 Magic Tour, often as the first encore song, although it suffered being dropped during a number of shows in early portions of 2008.  One such first leg of tour performance was recorded and included in the January 2008 digital download bundle.

Although the song's lush pop-orchestral production approach was extended on many of the tracks of Springsteen's 2009 album Working on a Dream, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" was little played on Springsteen and the E Street Band's associated Working on a Dream Tour.

Grammy nominations and award
In typically delayed fashion, the song garnered two nominations for the Grammy Awards of 2009: Best Rock Song and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.  It won the first, but lost the second to John Mayer's "Gravity".  Springsteen subsequently confessed that he had not been tracking this closely: "I didn't even know I was up for a Grammy! I opened the newspaper on Monday and saw that I had won, and thought, 'Well, that's great!'"

Track listing
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (Winter Mix) - 4:20
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (Live) - 5:17
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (Video) - 4:21

References

2007 songs
2008 singles
Bruce Springsteen songs
Songs written by Bruce Springsteen
Song recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer)
Columbia Records singles
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
Music videos directed by Mark Pellington

Girls in Their Summer Clothes


Reconciliation (originally named Reunion) is  a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos.

Originally created in 1977 and entitled Reunion, it depicted a man and woman embracing each other ]. In May 1998 it was presented  to University of Bradford as a memorial to the University's first Vice-Chancellor Professor Ted Edwards. De Vasconcellos said:
"The sculpture was originally conceived in the aftermath of the War. Europe was in shock, people were stunned. I read in a newspaper about a woman who crossed Europe on foot to find her husband, and I was so moved that I made the sculpture. Then I thought that it wasn't only about the reunion of two people but hopefully a reunion of nations which had been fighting."

Later it was taken for repairs to the sculptor's workshop, and renamed Reconciliation upon the request of the  Peace Studies Department of the University.  It was unveiled for the second time, under the new name, on de Vasconcellos 90th birthday, October 26, 1994.

In 1995 (to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II) bronze casts of this sculpture  (as Reconciliation) were placed in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and in the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan. An additional cast can be found in the Stormont Estate in Belfast. To mark the opening of the rebuilt German Reichstag (parliament building) and to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1999, another cast was placed as part of the Chapel of Reconciliation in Berlin.

References

Monuments and memorials in West Yorkshire
Monuments and memorials in Japan
Monuments and memorials in Germany
Monuments and memorials in Northern Ireland
Monuments and memorials in the West Midlands (county)
Peace monuments and memorials
Sculptures of men in England
Sculptures of women in England
Statues
Coventry Cathedral
Sculptures of women in Japan
Sculptures of women in Northern Ireland
Sculptures of women in Germany
Sculptures of men in Japan
Sculptures of men in Northern Ireland
Sculptures of men in Germany

Reconciliation (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture)


Kalantaka or Kalinjar (Sanskrit: कालान्तक, ender of time) is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the Conqueror of Time and Death, itself personified by the god Yama. He is depicted as defeating or killing Yama when the latter comes to take the life of Shiva's devotee Markandeya. Shiva is often depicted as dancing on Death, personified by Yama. This incident is believed as happened at Triprangode, Tirur, Malappuram district, Kerala where the Kalasamharamurthy Temple is situated. Another chief temple dedicated to Kalantaka is situated at Thirukkadavoor, Tamil Nadu of South India, however the Kalantaka icon is found sculpted in many Shiva temples in the South.

Etymology and Other Names
The word Kalantaka means "He who ends time". The name is derived from two Sanskrit words- kala (काल) which means "time" and antaka (अन्तक) which means "He who ends". His other names are-
 Kalakala (कालकाल) - the person who is death of death or we can say that the person who can kill the death.
 Kalasamhara (कालसंहार) - slayer of Death.
 Kalari (कालारि) - foe of Death.
 Kalahara (कालहार) - one who destroys Death.
 Kalahari (कालहारी) - one who takes away Death.
 Markandeyanugraha (मार्कण्डेयानुग्रह) - bestowing grace upon Markandeya.
 Mrityunjaya (मृत्युञ्जय) - he who won over Death.
The suffix "murti" meaning image or icon may be added to these names e.g. Kalarimurti, Kalaharamurti or Kalantakamurti.

Legend and its message

The legend of Shiva as Markandeya's saviour is an important one on salvation in Tamil Shaivism (sect dedicated to Shiva). The following tale is from the Thirukkadavoor shrine, which is dedicated to Kalantaka. The sage Mrikandu prayed to Shiva at Vilvavanam for a son. Shiva offered him a choice: a virtuous son who would live 16 years, or 100 long-lived, foolish sons. Mrikandu chose the former and accordingly had a son, whom he named Markandeya. As Markandeya neared the end of his fifteenth year, the god Brahma taught him a mantra named Mahamrityunjaya Mantra (means "the great death-conquering" mantra- Sanskrit) that conquered death and blessed him with long life. As per Brahma's advice, Markandeya prayed to Shiva, worshipping the linga (Shiva's aniconic symbol) south of Vilvavanam, later identified with the present Thirukkadavoor. The gods pleaded with Shiva to extend Markandeya's life and Shiva consented.

As per his destiny, the messengers of Yama came to take away Markandeya's soul, but failed to approach him as he ceaselessly repeated Shiva's name. Yama came himself to take Markandeya's soul and told Markandeya to stop his worship and come with him as per his fate. Markandeya refused, warning Yama that he was committing an offence against Shiva. Yama, however, proclaimed that not even Shiva could stop him. The wrathful Yama assumed a fearsome form and threw his noose to capture Markandeya, who hugged the linga tightly. When the noose touched the linga, Shiva emerged from it in all his wrath and struck Yama with his Trishula and kicked his chest, killing the Lord of Death.

Sages, gods and other beings appeared to praise Shiva, who blessed Markandeya to remain a youth of 16 for seven kalpas (aeons). As no one remained in the world to make beings die, the Earth became burdened by evil beings. The Earth, the gods, and Markandeya invoked Shiva to revive Yama. Once again, Shiva touched Yama with his foot, bringing him back to life. A sequel from Thiruvanmiyur to this tale narrates how Shiva resurrected Yama on the request of the gods and Yama worshiped Shiva at Thiruvanmiyur to atone for his sin. The Thirukkadavoor and Thiruvanmiyur shrine legends narrate how Yama promises never to touch Shiva's devotees. Shiva's devotees on death are directly taken to Mount Kailash, Shiva's abode, on death and not to Yama's hell.

The legend establishes that the true devotee achieves freedom from death and samsara by worship of Shiva. It also demonstrates that egoism and pride (here of Yama) are always humbled. The superiority of Shiva and his victory over his own nature – Shiva is himself identified with death – is also ascertained. The legend of Thirukkadavoor lays down the foundation rules of Shiva

Adoration
Shiva's portrayal as Kalantaka is popular in South India, but restricted mainly to this region. A relief of Kalantaka in Chidambaram Temple has been turned into a shrine and is offered special worship on Kartik Poornima, the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. The Shiva temple at Thirukkadavoor near Mayiladuthurai is considered as the place where Shiva defeated Death in Tamil tradition. Thirukkadavoor or Thirukadaiyur or Tirukkatavur or Tirukkadavur or Katavur (as named in Tevaram) is one of the Atta-virattam, the eight sites of the heroic acts of Shiva.

In Tamil Tevaram poetry, Shiva's feet as often praised as the ones who kicked Death, alluding to the Kalantaka legend. In the Tevaram, Campantar sings how Shiva helped the devotee who served him by kicking Death and decreed that Death shall not touch his devotee. Appar  narrates how Markandeya worshipped Shiva at Thirukkadavoor with devotion and the Lord appeared to save him from Death.

However, as belief from Kerala, Triprangode Siva Temple in Kerala is credited as the place of Shiva's victory over Death.

Iconography

The description of Kalantaka is found in Agamic texts. The right foot should be rested on a lotus-pedestal (padma-pitha) and the left leg lifted to kick Yama, just touching his chest. The leg positions are reversed in some textual descriptions. Sometimes, Shiva is depicted as rising from the linga that Markandeya is worshipping and his right leg is buried in the linga while the left one raised to strike Yama. Shiva, depicted red in anger, should have a third eye on the forehead, a jatamukuta (a crown of matted hair), lateral tusks and four or eight arms.

In the four-armed form, one of the right hands holding a Trishula should be raised pointing to Yama or sometimes even piercing his torso or neck, while other right hand should hold in a parashu or be in varada mudra (boon-giving gesture). The left hands should be held in vismaya mudra (hand gesture of astonishment) and suchi mudra (needle gesture). In the eight-armed form, the right arms hold a trishula, parashu, vajra and khadga (sword). The left arms hold a khetaka (shield), pasha (noose) and in vismaya and suchi mudras. Sometimes, he may even hold a kapala or a mriga.

Yama is often depicted as bowing to Shiva with folded hands and holding a noose in between them. He is depicted trembling with fear, with legs wide apart suggesting that he is trying to steady himself after being kicked by Shiva. Another configuration portrays him lying fainted on the ground after being kicked by Shiva. Shiva may be depicted as standing or dancing on the fallen Yama. Yama is sometimes mistaken as an apasmara (a dwarf) in this configuration and the image as that of Shiva as Nataraja, the Lord of Dance who is depicted trampling the apasmara.

Markandeya is usually depicted as terrified by the sight of Yama. Seated near the linga, he worships it with flowers or bows the rising Shiva, his saviour. Markandeya may be also depicted hugging the linga or just standing in a corner with folded hands.

See also
Yamāntaka is the "lord of death" deity of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Notes

References
 The Dance of Siva: Religion, Art and Poetry in South India; David Smith; Cambridge University Press. ; 0 521 52865 8

 Poems to  Śiva: the hymns of the Tamil saints By Indira Viswanathan Peterson;Motilal Banarsidass Publ; 81-208-0784-7

Forms of Shiva

Kalantaka


Andrea Kremer (born February 25, 1959) is a multi-Emmy Award-winning American television sports journalist. She currently calls Thursday Night Football games for Amazon Prime Video making sports history, along with Hannah Storm, by becoming the first all-women booth to call any major men's team sport, not just football. Kremer is also Chief Correspondent for the NFL Network and previously led the network's coverage and in-depth reporting on health and safety. Her other current roles include correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel as well as co-host of We Need To Talk, the first ever all-female nationally televised weekly sports show on CBS. Until the 2011 season, she worked as a sideline reporter for NBC on the network's coverage of Sunday Night Football.

In 2018, Kremer received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. She has covered more than 25 Super Bowls, the NBA Finals and All-Star Game, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and League Championship Series, college football bowl games, NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals, the NCAA men's basketball tournament, U.S Olympic basketball trials, 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials, and the PGA Championship.

Early life and career
Kremer was born February 25, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Friends Select School in Pennsylvania and then became a student at the University of Pennsylvania. While at the University of Pennsylvania, Kremer became a member of the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma and pursued her passion for ballet, performing with the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company.

Kremer began her career in 1982 as the sports editor of the Main Line Chronicle in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, the state's largest weekly newspaper. Upon completing a story on NFL Films, the television production arm of the National Football League, Kremer's mother urged her to apply for a position.

She left the Chronicle in 1984 to join NFL Films as its first female producer. Her first assignment was working on the HBO program Inside the NFL. Kremer worked until 1989 as a producer, director, and on-air personality for This is the NFL. She produced a "The All-Pro Dream Team," "All the Best", and "Gift of Grab". She received an Emmy Award nomination in 1986 for writing and editing the NFL Films special "Autumn Ritual." While at NFL Films, she served as contributing reporter to the Philadelphia Eagles Pre-Game Show on WIP-AM

Professional career
In 1989, she became ESPN's first female correspondent. She served as their Chicago-based correspondent, then moved to Los Angeles to work as correspondent in 1994. At ESPN she worked on SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, and Outside the Lines, in addition to pieces on ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, and ESPNEWS. She moderated roundtable discussion and conducted interviews as a substitute host for Up Close. Many of her stories addressed topics such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and drug abuse.

Kremer left ESPN in 2006 to become a sideline reporter for NBC Sunday Night Football and to contribute to the studio program Football Night in America.

She was a reporter on NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. During her time in Beijing, she reported on swimming, diving, and Michael Phelps's pursuit of eight gold medals. During the swimming events of the 2012 Olympics, she reported on the competition between Phelps and Ryan Lochte and on Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time. In 2010, she concentrated her Olympic coverage on speed skating in Vancouver.

She served as the sideline reporter for Super Bowl XLIII in February 2009. In 2011, she left Sunday Night Football and was replaced by Michele Tafoya.

Kremer has been a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel since 2007, having contributed a host of critically acclaimed profiles and features to the Emmy Award-winning newsmagazine show. Her 2016 investigation into sexual assault in Bikram Yoga, which was named as one of the ten most shocking stories of the year by Metro. During her time at Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, she interviewed Robert Kraft, Kobe Bryant, Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Phil Jackson, Lane Kiffin, Barrett Robbins, DeMaurice Smith, Bill Parcells, Joakim Noah, Jim Harbaugh, and John Harbaugh.

Kremer became a regular contributor to NFL Magazine with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason. The magazine folded after four issues.

In 2012, Kremer joined NFL Network as a Chief Correspondent and led the network's coverage and in-depth reporting on health and safety. She reported on defensive back Darrelle Revis return from an ACL injury. She interviewed Johnny Jolly during his prison sentence for drug abuse charges and return to the field with the Green Bay Packers. She also did a story on Laurent Robinson's concussion.

In 2014, Kremer joined the team of We Need to Talk, the first all-female nationally televised weekly sports show. Airing in prime time, the weekly show featured a rotating group of female panelists discussing all topics and news in sports. At the conclusion of the program's inaugural season, the show won a Gracie Grand Award for On Air Talent: Sports Program.

Kremer, along with Hannah Storm, made sports history by becoming the first all-women booth to call an NFL game. They called their first game on September 27, 2018, and called a total of 11 Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime Video during the 2018-2019 NFL season.

Awards and honors
Kremer was named the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, presented annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recognizing longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football. She was presented with the award at the 2018 Enshrinement Ceremony on Saturday, August 4 in the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Kremer has received two Emmy Awards in her career (2001, 2005). In 2012, she was given a Peabody Award for her story on the abuse of the drug Toradol. She was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame at the end of 2017. In 2014, she was the first inductee into the Cynopsis Sports Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sports industry. She was presented with the PRISM Award in 2005 for her story on NFL defensive player Dexter Manley's substance abuse and addiction. In 2001, she was named one of the "Most Influential" moms in the country by Working Mother magazine. She was cited "Best Female" sportscaster in POV magazine in a September 1997 poll.

Kremer was named "the best TV interviewer in the business of covering the NFL" by the Los Angeles Times. TV Guide named "among TV's best sports correspondents" whose work is "distinguished by her eagerness to calmly ask tough questions and her refusal to pursue the same old story." In addition, she was listed as one of the "10 greatest female sportscasters of all time" by The Matador Sports.

Personal life
Kremer teaches "The Art of the Interview", a course of her own design, in the School of Journalism at Boston University. In 2015, she was appointed Andrew R. Lack Fellow  at Boston University. She has lectured at Stanford, Winthrop, DePaul, and Endicott College.

Kremer has spoken at events for Amarantus Bioscience, Citi, Goldman Sachs, First Republic Bank, Fidelity, NFL All-Access, The Boston Group, and the Philadelphia Eagles. She supports the charities the Brain Tumor Society, Best Buddies, Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, the Marvin Lewis Community Fund, and Right to Play.

Kremer is married to University of Massachusetts Boston archaeologist John Steinberg.

References

External links

1959 births
Living people
American ballerinas
American reporters and correspondents
American television sports announcers
National Football League announcers
NFL Network people
Olympic Games broadcasters
Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award recipients
Sports Emmy Award winners
Television personalities from Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania alumni
Women sports announcers
Friends Select School alumni
21st-century American women

Andrea Kremer


Athos is a 1994 album by Stephan Micus that was released on ECM.

Based on a three-day visit to Mount Athos, Micus tries to capture his experiences with the Greek Orthodox liturgy he experienced in the monasteries there, framing it with pieces that evoke his emotions at going to and leaving the isolated peninsula. Between them he recreates the liturgical experience of the services during his stay, in six alternating pieces of night and day.

As in his other works, Micus uses a combination of traditional instruments from various cultures to capture the feel of the monastery. These include: the sattar (a bowed 10-string instrument used by the Uyghur), the shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute), the suling (a reed flute from Bali), the ney (a Middle Eastern flute), and 22 flowerpots, filled with water, which he plays with his hands and with mallets. These instruments are only used in the pieces representing the days on Mount Athos.

To emulate the Greek Orthodox tradition of not using musical instruments in their services, his pieces devoted to the nights are performed by a 22-man choir singing prayers to the Virgin Mary.

Track listing
 "On the Way"
 "The First Night"
 "The First Day"
 "The Second Night"
 "The Second Day"
 "The Third Night"
 "The Third Day"
 "On the Way Back"

References

ECM Records albums
Stephan Micus albums
1994 albums

Athos (album)


WebSTAR was a web server application for the classic Mac OS. It supported the common gateway interface (CGI) and its own AppleEvents-based W*API for plug-in support, as well as SSL and similar technologies used in most early web servers. Unlike most servers of the era, WebSTAR was very Mac-like in terms of installation and maintenance, using a number of AppleEvents-based MacOS programs for most tasks. WebSTAR was also part of Apple's Internet Server Solution, a package of internet server software and certain models of PowerMac machines. One popular use of WebSTAR was in combination with FileMaker to make simple database-driven online applications.

The product traces its roots to the earlier MacHTTP, released as shareware by Chuck Shotton in 1993. StarNine licensed MacHTTP and released the greatly upgraded WebSTAR in 1995. StarNine was purchased by Quarterdeck Office Systems shortly after the release, and along with many upgrades to WebSTAR the company also released Quarterdeck Mail for the Mac, and a little-known Microsoft Windows version of WebSTAR that quickly disappeared. Quarterdeck sold the entire StarNine division to a holding company in 1998, who sold it in turn to ACI in 2000. They released a Carbon version for Mac OS X in 2001, which added the ability to directly run Unix-based CGIs.

After several more releases, ACI (now known as 4D Inc.) sold the line to Kerio Technologies in 2006. The entire line is now dormant.

References

Web server software
Classic Mac OS software

WebSTAR


Haw flakes () are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn. The pale/dark pink candy is usually formed into discs two millimeters thick, and packaged in cylindrical stacks with label art resemblant of Chinese fireworks. The sweet and tangy snack is usually served to guests along with tea or as a treat for children. Some Chinese people take the flakes with bitter Chinese herbal medicine.

Variety

Gourmet haw flakes are also available at specialty Chinese markets in the West.  Gourmet haw flakes tend to be larger than the regular Shandong haw flakes (gourmet haw flakes are about 35–40 mm in diameter where as the Shandong haw flakes are about 25 mm in diameter).

Low sugar and additive-free haw flakes aimed towards the health conscious are readily available in China but less so in the West. They will vary from pale beige to reddish brown in color.

Regulation
Haw flakes have been seized on several occasions by the United States Food and Drug Administration for containing Ponceau 4R (E124, Acid Red 18), an unapproved artificial coloring. Ponceau 4R is used in Europe, Asia and Australia but is not approved by the US FDA.

Currently, certain brands of haw flakes contain Allura Red AC (FD& C #40) as the red coloring. In Europe, Allura Red AC is not recommended for consumption by children. The food coloring was previously banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, and Switzerland.

See also
Tanghulu

References

External links
 Cardhouse.com - Package Design 19 (Haw Flakes)
 Description of Haw Flakes

Confectionery
Hong Kong cuisine
Shandong cuisine

Haw flakes


Object Lisp was a computer programming language, a dialect of the Lisp language. It was an object-oriented extension for the Lisp dialect Lisp Machine Lisp, designed by Lisp Machines, Inc. Object Lisp was also an early example of prototype-based programming.

It was seen as a competitor to other object-oriented extensions to Lisp at around the same time such as Flavors, in use by Symbolics, Common Objects developed by Hewlett-Packard, and CommonLoops, in use by Xerox.

Object Lisp was also used in early versions of Macintosh Common Lisp. There, the user interface toolkit was written using Object Lisp.

References

14 December 1985 net.lang.lisp USENET post about the Common Lisp meeting in Boston, 9-11 December 1985, which discusses Object Lisp
"ObjectLISP User Manual", G. Drescher, LMI 1985

Object-oriented programming languages
Lisp programming language family

Object Lisp


Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat in 1526. In this Babur used the Rumi (Ottoman) device of lashing a large number of carts to form a defending wall with breastwork in between to rest guns (Tughlama system of welfare). His artillery was led by Ustad Ali and Mustafa. It marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This was one of the earliest battles involving gun powder firearms and field artillery.

The Mughal forces of Babur, the Timurid ruler of Kabulistan, defeated the much larger ruling army of Ibrahim Lodi, Sultan of Delhi. The battle was fought on 21 April near the small village of Panipat, in the present day Indian state of Haryana, an area that has been the site of a number of decisive battles for the control of Northern India since the twelfth century.

The use of guns by troops of Babur helped them claim victory in the battle. The Lodi troops were lagging in terms of artillery skills and the sound emitted by canons frightened the war elephants of Lodi.

References

1526
Battles involving India
Delhi Sultanate
16th century in India
Mughal Empire

First battle of Panipat


{{Infobox artist
| name          = Emil Nolde
| image         = WP Emil Nolde.jpg
| image_size    = 200px
| caption       = Nolde in 1929
| birth_name    = Hans Emil Hansen
| birth_date    =
| birth_place   = Nolde, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
| death_date    =
| death_place   = Seebüll, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany
| nationality   = German Danish
| known_for     = Painting, printmaking
| training      =
| movement      = Expressionism
| notable_works = {{Nowrap|Lesende junge Frau (1906)  Blumengarten (ohne Figur) (1908)  Blumengarten (Utenwarf) (1917)  Blumen und Wolken (1933)}}
| patrons       =
| awards        =
| signature     = Nolde autograph.png
}}

Emil Nolde (born Hans Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early 20th century to explore color. He is known for his brushwork and expressive choice of colors. Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work, giving a luminous quality to otherwise somber tones. His watercolors include vivid, brooding storm-scapes and brilliant florals.

Nolde's intense preoccupation with the subject of flowers reflected his interest in the art of Vincent van Gogh.

Even though his art was included in the Entartete Kunst exhibition of 1937, Nolde was a racist, anti-semite and a staunch supporter of Nazi Germany.

Biography
Emil Nolde was born as Hans Emil Hansen, near the village of Nolde (since 1920 part of the municipality of Burkal in Southern Jutland, Denmark), in the Prussian Duchy of Schleswig. He grew up on a farm. His parents, devout Protestants, were Danish and Frisian peasants. He realized his unsuitability for farm life, and that he and his three brothers were not at all alike. Between 1884 and 1891, he studied to become a woodcarver and illustrator in Flensburg, and worked in furniture factories as a young adult. He spent his years of travel in Munich, Karlsruhe and Berlin.

In 1889, he gained entrance into the School of Applied Arts in Karlsruhe. He was a drawing instructor at the school of the Museum of Industrial and Applied Arts (Industrie- und Gewerbemuseum; today the Textilmuseum, or Textile Museum) in St. Gallen, Switzerland, from 1892 to 1898. He eventually left this job to finally pursue his dream of becoming an independent artist. As a child he had loved to paint and draw, but he was already 31 by the time he pursued this new career. When he was rejected by the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1898, he spent the next three years taking private painting classes, visiting Paris, and becoming familiar with the contemporary impressionist scene that was popular at this time. He married Danish actress Ada Vilstrup in 1902, and moved to Berlin, where he would meet collector Gustav Schiefler and artist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, both of whom would advocate his work later in life. From that year, he called himself after his birthplace.

He became a member of the revolutionary expressionist group Die Brücke (The Bridge), of Dresden, in 1906, upon the group's invitation. This association lasted only until the end of the following year. He was a member of the Berlin Secession from 1908 to 1910, but was then excluded owing to a disagreement with the leadership. He exhibited with Kandinsky's Munich-based group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in 1912; by this time he had achieved some fame, and was able to support himself through his art.

Nolde was a supporter of the National Socialist German Workers' Party from the early 1920s, having become a member of its Danish section. He expressed anti-semitic, negative opinions about Jewish artists, and considered Expressionism to be a distinctively Germanic style. This view was shared by some other members of the Nazi party, notably Joseph Goebbels and Fritz Hippler.

However, Adolf Hitler rejected all forms of modernism as "degenerate art", and the Nazi regime officially condemned Nolde's work. Until that time he had been held in great esteem in Germany. A total of 1,052 of his works were removed from museums, more than those of any other artist. Some were included in the Entartete Kunst exhibition of 1937, despite his protests, including (later) a personal appeal to Nazi Gauleiter Baldur von Schirach in Vienna. He was not allowed to paint—even in private—after 1941. Nevertheless, during this period he created hundreds of watercolors, which he hid. He called them the "Unpainted Pictures".

In 1942, Nolde wrote:

There is silver blue, sky blue and thunder blue. Every color holds within it a soul, which makes me happy or repels me, and which acts as a stimulus. To a person who has no art in him, colors are colors, tones tones...and that is all. All their consequences for the human spirit, which range between heaven to hell, just go unnoticed.

After World War II, Nolde was once again honoured, receiving the Pour le Mérite.

While acknowledging his success as a brilliant colourist, greater awareness of Nolde's commitment to Nazism and a discussion of the relationship between his politics, denunciation of non-Jewish adversaries as Jews, and his art is considered in more recent scholarship. A recent exhibition (Emile Nolde: A German Legend, The Artist during the Nazi Regime, Berlin National Gallery, 2019) examined Nolde's self-professed Nazi leanings, and the tendency of postwar art historians to downplay them.

He died in Seebüll, now part of Neukirchen, in 1956. The Nolde Stiftung Seebüll was created the same year and opened a museum dedicated to his life and work in 1957.

Apart from paintings, Nolde's work includes many prints, often in color, and watercolor paintings of varied subjects (landscapes, religious images, flowers, stormy seas and scenes from Berlin nightlife). A famous series of paintings covers the German New Guinea Expedition, visiting the South Seas, Moscow, Siberia, Korea, Japan, and China. The Schiefler catalogue raisonné of his prints describes 231 etchings, 197 woodcuts, 83 lithographs, and four hectographs.

Religious motifs
Although religious images make up a relatively small part of Nolde's artistic oeuvre, he considered some to be "milestones" with respect to his progression as an artist.

Nolde, who grew up a farmer's son in a small, religious community near the German-Danish border, was left with lasting impressions of Judeo-Christian stories after reading the Bible in its entirety. In his early religious works (1900–1904), he was unable to solidify his own style and distinguish himself from several role models, Jean-François Millet and Honoré Daumier.

1906 was a turning point for Nolde when he shifted from an impressionistic style to a depiction of religious themes that emphasized the emotion of the moment, use of bright colors and only two dimensions of representation. This new devotion to religious artwork was hastened by a near death experience in 1909 after drinking poisoned water at the age of 42.
After 1911 Nolde's religious treatments—now including etchings—became darker and more ominous in tone than his previous works. Even his wife, Ada, was unnerved by his bold vision. In response to his nine-part The Life of Christ, she wrote in a letter: "For the first few days I was only able to take a furtive peek now and then, so strong was the effect."Ada Nolde to Luise Schiefler, February 1912, Archiv der Nolde Stiftung Seebüll

Paintings

Major works
Nolde's work is exhibited at major museums around the world, including Portrait of a Young Woman and a Child, Portrait of a Man (c. 1926), and Portrait of a Young Girl (1913–1914) at the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia; and Prophet (1921) and Young Couple (1913) at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City.  His most important print, The Prophet (1912), is an icon of 20th-century art.

Among his most important oils are Lesende junge Frau (1906), Blumengarten (ohne Figur) (1908), and Blumen und Wolken (1933).

Other important works:
 Lesende junge frau, 1906, oil on canvas, Kunsthalle Kiel
 Blumengarten (ohne Figur), 1908, oil on canvas, Sotheby's purchaser 8 February 2012
 Anna Wieds Garten, 1907, oil on canvas, Private Collection
 Steigende Wolken, 1927, oil on canvas, Karl-Ernst-Osthaus-Museum, Hagen
 Grosse Sonnenblumen, 1928, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
 Blumen und Wolken, 1933, oil on canvas, Museum Sprengel, Hanover

In recent years, Nolde's paintings have achieved prices of several million US dollars, in auctions conducted by the leading international auction houses. On 8 February 2012, Blumengarten (ohne Figur) was sold by Sotheby's in London for US$3,272,673.

Nazi-looted art
Nolde's work has become the focus of renewed attention after a painting entitled Blumengarten (Utenwarf) from 1917, which now hangs in the art museum Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden, and has been valued at US$4 million, was discovered to have been looted from Otto Nathan Deutsch, a German-Jewish refugee whose heirs, including a Holocaust survivor, are asking for its return. The Swedish government decided in 2007 that the museum must settle with the heirs. Deutsch was forced to flee Germany before World War II and left for Amsterdam in late 1938 or early 1939. The painting was sold to the Swedish museum at an auction in Switzerland, where it had resurfaced in 1967.

In 2015, Nolde's Maiwiese (Maienwiese) [Meadow in May], 1915, (Inv. Nr. 94) was restituted by the Lentos Art Museum in Linz to the heirs of Dr. Otto Siegfried Julius.

In 2000 the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum Foundation, Duisburg rejected a restitution request from the family of the Breslau (Wroclaw) collector Dr. Ismar Littmann for Nolde's painting Buchsbaumgarten (Boxtree Garden).

See also
 Sunflowers''
 Unpainted Paintings

References

External links

Emil Nolde Selection from Museumsportal Schleswig-Holstein.
Available Works & Biography Galerie Ludorff, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Emil Nolde Foundation, Seebüll, Germany.

Emil Nolde
1867 births
1956 deaths
People from Aabenraa Municipality
People from the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
German Expressionist painters
German people of Danish descent
Modern painters
19th-century German painters
19th-century German male artists
German male painters
20th-century German painters
20th-century German male artists
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)
Académie Julian alumni
20th-century German printmakers
Nazi Party members

Emil Nolde