Nickel silver, maillechort, German silver, argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, or alpacca is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver does not contain the element silver. It is named for its silvery appearance, which can make it attractive as a cheaper and more durable substitute. It is also well suited for being plated with silver.

A naturally occurring ore composition in China was smelted into the alloy known as  or  () ("white copper" or cupronickel). The name "German Silver" refers to the artificial recreation of the natural ore composition by German metallurgists. All modern, commercially important, nickel silvers (such as those standardized under ASTM B122) contain significant amounts of zinc and are sometimes considered a subset of brass.

History

Nickel silver was first used in China, where it was smelted from readily available unprocessed ore. During the Qing dynasty, it was "smuggled into various parts of the East Indies", despite a government ban on the export of nickel silver. It became known in the West from imported wares called  (Mandarin) or  (Cantonese) (白 銅, literally "white copper"), for which the silvery metal colour was used to imitate sterling silver. According to Berthold Laufer, it was identical to khar sini, one of the seven metals recognized by Jābir ibn Hayyān.

In Europe, consequently, it was at first called , which is about the way  is pronounced in the Cantonese dialect. The earliest European mention of  occurs in the year 1597. From then until the end of the eighteenth century there are references to it as having been exported from Canton to Europe.

German artificial recreation of the natural  ore composition, however, began to appear from about 1750 onward. In 1770, the Suhl metalworks were able to produce a similar alloy. In 1823, a German competition was held to perfect the production process: the goal was to develop an alloy that possessed the closest visual similarity to silver. The brothers Henniger in Berlin and Ernst August Geitner in Schneeberg independently achieved this goal. The manufacturer Berndorf named the trademark brand Alpacca, which became widely known in northern Europe for nickel silver. In 1830, the German process of manufacture was introduced into England, while exports of  from China gradually stopped. In 1832, a form of German silver was also developed in Birmingham, England.

After the modern process for the production of electroplated nickel silver was patented in 1840 by George Richards Elkington and his cousin Henry Elkington in Birmingham, the development of electroplating caused nickel silver to become widely used. It formed an ideal, strong and bright substrate for the plating process. It was also used unplated in applications such as cutlery.

Uses

Nickel silver first became popular as a base metal for silver-plated cutlery and other silverware, notably the electroplated wares called EPNS (electroplated nickel silver). It is used in zippers, costume jewelry, for making musical instruments (e.g., flutes, clarinets), and is preferred for the track in electric model railway layouts, as its oxide is conductive. Better quality keys and lock cylinder pins are made of nickel silver for durability under heavy use. The alloy has been widely used in the production of coins (e.g. Portuguese escudo and the former GDR marks). Its industrial and technical uses include marine fittings and plumbing fixtures for its corrosion resistance, and heating coils for its high electrical resistance.

In the nineteenth century, particularly after 1868, North American Plains Indian metalsmiths were able to easily acquire sheets of German silver. They used them to cut, stamp, and cold hammer a wide range of accessories and also horse gear. Presently, Plains metalsmiths use German silver for pendants, pectorals, bracelets, armbands, hair plates, conchas (oval decorative plates for belts), earrings, belt buckles, necktie slides, stickpins, dush-tuhs, and tiaras. Nickel silver is the metal of choice among contemporary Kiowa and Pawnee in Oklahoma.  Many of the metal fittings on modern higher-end equine harness and tack are of nickel silver.

Early in the twentieth century, German silver was used by automobile manufacturers before the advent of steel sheet metal. For example, the famous Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost of 1907.  After about 1920, it became widely used for pocketknife bolsters, due to its machinability and corrosion resistance.  Prior to this, the most common metal was iron.

Musical instruments, including the flute, saxophone, trumpet, and French horn, can be made of nickel silver. Many professional-level French horns are entirely made of nickel silver. Some saxophone manufacturers, such as Keilwerth, offer saxophones made of nickel silver (Shadow model); these are far rarer than traditional lacquered brass saxophones. Student-level flutes and piccolos are also made of silver-plated nickel silver, although upper-level models are likely to use sterling silver. Nickel silver produces a bright and powerful sound quality; an additional benefit is that the metal is harder and more corrosion resistant than brass. Because of its hardness, it is used for most clarinet, flute, oboe and similar wind instrument keys, normally silver-plated. It is used to produce the tubes (called staples) onto which oboe reeds are tied.

Many parts of brass instruments are made of nickel silver, such as tubes, braces or valve mechanism. Trombone slides of many manufacturers offer a lightweight nickel silver (LT slide) option for faster slide action and weight balance. The material was used in the construction of the National tricone resophonic guitar. The frets of guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and related string instruments are typically nickel silver. Nickel silver is sometimes used as ornamentation on the great highland bagpipe.

Nickel silver is also used in artworks. The Dutch sculptor Willem Lenssinck has made several pieces from German silver. Outdoors art made from this material easily withstands all kinds of weather.

Fraudulent uses
Counterfeiters have used nickel silver to produce coins and medallions purporting to be silver rounds, generally in an attempt to trick unsuspecting buyers into paying prices based on the spot price of silver. The metal has also been used to produce counterfeit Morgan dollars.

Nickel silver fraud has included the production of replica bullion bars, marked "nickel silver" or "German silver", in weights of . They are sold without notification that they contain no elemental silver.

Toxicity

According to the Merck Manual, prolonged contact of copper alloys with acidic food or beverages (including boiling milk) can leach out the copper and cause toxicity. Long-term, low doses can lead to cirrhosis.  It is also the case that many people have allergic reactions to nickel, causing a weeping rash that will not heal as long as the metal is in contact with the skin.

See also
 Argentium sterling silver – sounds similar to "argentan" but is a very different precious white metal (Argentium Sterling = 92.5% silver + 7.5% copper and germanium) which remains untarnished much longer than plain Sterling
 Britannia silver (95.833% silver, the rest usually being copper)
 Britannia metal (approx. 93% tin, 5% antimony, and 2% copper)
 Cupronickel
 Sheffield plate

References

External links

 Silver's Sterling Qualities

Chinese inventions
Copper alloys
Nickel alloys
Economy of the Qing dynasty
Silver

Nickel silver


Mark Arm (born Mark Thomas McLaughlin; February 21, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. His former group, Green River, was one of the first grunge bands, along with Malfunkshun, Soundgarden, Skin Yard, the U-Men, and others. He is also the manager of the Sub Pop warehouse and previously worked at Fantagraphics Books.

Early life
Arm was born February 21, 1962, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and was raised in Kirkland, Washington. As a child, he was a member of Boy Scouts of America. He graduated from Bellevue Christian High School in Bellevue, Washington.

In 1985, Arm earned an English degree with an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Washington.

Early career
Arm first entered the Seattle rock scene in 1980, when he formed a band while still in high school, called "Mr. Epp and the Calculations" with singer Jo Smitty, and Peter Wick, who wrote and recorded their first song,"The Pigeon in the Fountain bed," which caused local radio DJ Stephen Rabow to declare them, "The worst band in the world." The band played its first show in 1981, opening for the band Student Nurse. In 1982 they released a 7-inch EP entitled "Mohawk Man", produced by Johnny Rubato (of Rubato Records, a local used record shop for more than 30 years). The next year they added a second guitarist, Steve Turner, and released a cassette described on the lyric sheet as a "combination of art and hardcore."  The cassette featured one side of live recordings and a flip-side of studio recordings and experimental sounds; a sonic amalgamy described in a 1984 issue of Revenge Against Boredom 'zine (produced by notable skateboarding historian Jocko Weyland), as "45 or so minutes of Pillow Fights, Jokes, some songs, preachers' garbled talking. And you get to find out what you get if you give up your personality."

Mr. Epp and the Calculations also played with Ten Minute Warning and the Dead Kennedys at the Eagles Auditorium in April.  The band came to an end the following year.

After Mr. Epp and the Calculations ended, Mark Arm and Steve Turner (who had become close friends) joined the band Limp Richerds for a few weeks. Afterward, Arm and Turner took on future Pearl Jam members Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, as well as Alex Vincent, to form the band Green River. Green River released two EPs and a full length album before disbanding. Steve Turner left the band to finish college, and Arm was forced to find a new band again. After Turner returned from schooling, they resumed their Green River side project, The Thrown Ups.

Mudhoney
Arm and Turner took on drummer Dan Peters, and bassist Matt Lukin, formerly of Melvins. The new band renamed themselves Mudhoney. In 1988, Sub Pop released Mudhoney's first single, "Touch Me I'm Sick". After extensive touring and an EP album, Mudhoney released their self-titled full length debut in 1989. Their next album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge came out soon after, just before the explosion of grunge spearheaded by Nirvana's seminal Nevermind. At the time, Sub Pop, their record label, was "on the verge of bankruptcy, having trouble paying its flagship band, severely delaying the release of the album to July 1991." In 1992, they signed to a major record label, Reprise and released Piece of Cake. The album did not sell well, due to a combination of the band's uncompromising sound and an oversaturation of the genre; according to Stephen Turner, the album references "how easily things had come to them...the songs were kinda half-baked... and Mark wasn't at his best."

Although they never achieved the fame of some of their contemporaries, Arm and Mudhoney have made significant contributions to grunge music. Mudhoney is one of the few grunge bands that continue to release albums; in 2002 they released Since We've Become Translucent, The Lucky Ones followed in May 2008, Vanishing Point came in April 2013, and, most recently, Digital Garbage came out in September 2018. All of these releases have been on the Sub Pop record label.

Solo and side projects
Arm released "The Freewheelin' Mark Arm", a solo single in 1990.

He was a singer and guitarist for the group Bloodloss and singer for the Seattle supergroup The Monkeywrench. Monkeywrench members include Arm, Turner, Tim Kerr (Lord Hi Fixers, Big Boys, Poison 13), Tom Price (Gas Huffer) and Martin Bland (Bloodloss). He has also made guest appearances on several albums, most notably on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap.

In 1998, he made an appearance on the motion picture soundtrack for the film Velvet Goldmine with Ron Asheton, Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, and Steve Shelley under the name Wylde Ratttz.

In 1999, he recorded the vocals for the song "I Need Somebody", a cover of the song by The Stooges, featured on Nebula's first album, To the Center.

In 2000, Arm, Turner, Peters, Scott McCaughey, Tom Price and Bill Henderson recorded the album "The New Original Sonic Sound" under the band name The New Strychnines. they recorded a compilation of 16 songs by the legendary mid-1960's Seattle garage band The Sonics. The album was released by Book Records.

In 2004, he toured with MC5, standing in for the late Rob Tyner on vocals.

In 2013, he contributed vocals on The Scientists' cover version of "Set It on Fire" from Melvins' album Everybody Loves Sausages.

Personal life

Mark Arm lives in Seattle with his wife Emily Rieman and their little dogs.

References

Further reading
 Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life, (USA: Little Brown, 2001, ) has a chapter on Mudhoney.

External links
 Mark Arm interview on theskinny.co.uk (February 2006)
 Long 2008 interview with the Washington Post's Express

1962 births
American male singers
American rock singers
American rock guitarists
Green River (band) members
Grunge musicians
Living people
Mudhoney members
Musicians from Seattle
American male guitarists
Rhythm guitarists
Guitarists from Washington (state)
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni

Mark Arm


The Ahom (Pron: , Assamese আহোম, Tai/Thai อาหม, people of Assam) are the descendants of the ethnic Tai people that accompanied the Tai prince Sukaphaa into the Brahmaputra valley in 1220 and ruled the area for six centuries. Sukaphaa and his followers established the Ahom kingdom (1228–1826) and the Ahom dynasty ruled and expanded the kingdom until the British gained control of the region through the Treaty of Yandabo upon winning the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826.

The modern Ahom people and their culture are a syncretic blend of the original Tai culture, the indigenous Tibeto-Burmans and Hinduism.  Many of the Tai followers of Sukaphaa were unaccompanied males who subsequently married into the local communities.  Some ethnic groups, including the Tibeto-Burman speaking Borahi people, were completely subsumed into the Ahom community.  Members of other communities, based on their allegiance to the Ahom kingdom or the usefulness of their talents, were accepted as Ahoms. Gradually, the Indo-Aryan Assamese language replaced the Ahom language as the Ahoms converted to Hinduism and other aspects of Indian culture though one-third of the Ahom population still follow Tai original religion, Furalung. The Ahom language, till a few years ago was known by approximately 400-500 members of the Ahom priestly class. Deeply concern about the Ahom language, Tai Ahom organisations are now trying to revive Tai Ahom language again among masses of Tai Ahom people by establishing various Tai schools in Upper Assam. Many institutes like P.K.Buragohain Institute for Tai and South East Asian Studies,Guwahati,Central Tai Academy,Patsaku,etc. have come up in recent days. In coming days more Tai schools are planned to be established across Assam

Starting in the late 20th and continuing into the early 21st century, there has been renewed interest among the Ahoms in their culture and language leading to increased study and attempts at revival. The 1901 census of India enumerated approximately 179,000 people identifying as Ahom. The latest available census records slightly over 2 million Ahom individuals however, estimates of the total number of people descended from the original Tai-Ahom settlers are as high as eight million.

History

In the early 13th century, Mong Mao was a small kingdom of Tai people, related to the Shan, in present day Yunnan Province, China. In 1228, Sukaphaa, a prince of Mong Mao began his journey with about 9000 followers, mostly men. He crossed the Patkai hills and reached the Brahmaputra valley in 1228.  He moved from place to place, searching for a seat.  He decided not to attack the Morans and Borahis but befriend them instead.  His followers, much depleted from the original 9000, married into the Borahi and the Moran ethnic groups. The Borahis, a Tibeto-Burman people, were subsumed into the Ahom fold, though the Moran maintained their independent ethnicity.  Sukaphaa finally established his capital at Charaideo near present-day Sivasagar in 1253 and began the task of state formation.

The Ahom kingdom then consolidated its power, building their kingdom for the next 600 years.  The first major expansion was at the cost of the Sutiya kingdom, which was partially annexed in 1523 under King Suhungmung.  The expansion's success was not only a result of Ahom military prowess, but also of changes in the Ahom social and political outlook.  Suhungmung was the first Ahom king to adopt a Hindu name: Swarga Narayan.  The Sutiya region was placed under the Sadiyakhowa Gohain a new position that was created.  In 1536 the Dimasa Kacharis, known to Ahoms as "Timisa", were uprooted from their capital at Dimapur.  Thus by the middle of the 16th century, the Ahoms were in control of all of present day eastern Assam.  The late 17th century saw another expansion of Ahom territory. After the 1682 Battle of Itakhuli, that marked the end of the Ahom-Mughal conflicts, much of the control of Koch Hajo fell into the hands of the Ahoms. By bringing the various tribal groups and regions under one ruler and one governing polity the Ahoms are considered the architects of modern Assam.

Ahom power declined in the latter half of the 18th century.  The capital city was taken for a short period during the Moamoria rebellion.  In the first part of the 19th century, the Burmese army invaded their kingdom, uprooted their capital and set up a puppet Ahom king.  The Burmese were defeated by the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War resulting in the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, which paved the way for the British to convert the Ahom kingdom into a principality and which marked the end of the Ahom rule. Assam was then annexed by British India, becoming a province and then a state as the Ahom identity gradually became Assamese. The Ahoms have revived their original Thai language, and culture.

Culture

Funerary rites

One of the important customs among the Ahoms is that the dead body is not burnt but kept in a box. This is called "Maidam". It is mentioned in history that Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha who was influenced by Hinduism gave the direction that the dead bodies should be cremated and not buried. He also ordered that the death ceremony should be done in the Brahmanical style by calling in a Maithil Brahmin priest and the traditional Deodhai priest.

Ancestor worship

The Tai Ahoms worship their deceased forefathers as they are the guardian deities of the house holders. They believe that their ancestors must be duly worshipped so that they being satisfied keep them safe. There is a saying among them that "Neither the wall nor the roof, no other gods can protect the house holders, if the god of the household do not. Neither the serpent bites, nor the tiger eats, even the god of death is afraid when the household deads protect,"

The Tai Ahoms worship their ancestors individually by the family as well as community. The Tai Ahom priestly families worship their dead ancestors in the occasion of marriage, festivals like Bihu, before and after harvesting, feast of new paddy, birth and death ceremonies etc.

The Tai Ahoms believe that after death a person becomes a Dam>Phi or god who goes to reside in the heaven in the same way as he was in his earthly life. He is worshipped and propitiated as a god with the offerings made by the descendants but not as a revengeful ghost.

The Tai Ahoms offer every new first seasonal crops, vegetables and fruits to the ancestors and they could take these only after offering these to their ancestor gods. It should be noted here that the priestly families worship their ancestors in a very clear way making different grades to each kind of Dam. These are Ghai Dam, Chi Ren Dam, Na Dam and Jokorua Dam.

Ghai Dam: 'Ghai' means 'main' and 'Dam' means 'Dead', hence Ghai Dam means dead grandparents of the living house holder.

Chi Ren Dam: 'Chi' means 'four', 'ren' means a 'house'. Thus 'Chi Ren Dam' means the fourth generation of the dead parents of the dead grandfather of the living house holders.

Jokorua Dam : The word 'Jokorua' is used in a collective sense to mean all the dead ones who died without having a male child, who died in childhood, who died without getting married and also who died with physical and mental abnormality. This kind of Dam is propitiated in the house of the elder one of the living generation.

Na Dam: 'Na' means 'new'. The recent dead in the household, whether the head of the family or his wife or his parents, is called Na Dam.

All these kinds of Dams are altogether called Griha Dam. But the Jokorua Dam is not included in the Griha Dam. On the other Tai Ahom people worship their dead ancestors annually.

The Ahom people
The Tai Ahoms who came into Assam followed their traditional religion and spoke the Tai language.  They were a very small group numerically and after the first generation, the group was a mixture of the Tai and the local population.  Over time the Ahom state adopted the Assamese language. Except for some special offices (the king and the raj mantris), other positions are open to members of all tribes and religion.  They kept good records, and are known for their chronicles, called Buranjis.

One of its greatest achievements was the stemming of Mughal expansionism.  In the celebrated battle of Saraighat, the Ahom general Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughal forces on the outskirts of present day Guwahati in 1671.

The Ahom Rule

The Ahoms established their kingdom in Assam under King Sukaphaa in 1228. They ruled till 1826. Sukaphaa was very humble and he befriended with the local tribes Moranis and the Borahis. The Ahoms were Indo-Tibetan people. His followers originally later married into the Morani and Borahi peoples. King Suhungmung adopted the Hindu name 'Swarga Narayan' and later all the Ahom kings were called Swargadeo (lord of the heavens) in the Assamese language. The Ahom kings were called Chao-pha in the Tai language. The coronation ceremony of the Ahom kings was known as Singarigharutha. The Ahoms prevented Mughal expansion in Assam. The Ahom power came nearly to an end because of the civil wars which led their resources to an end. The Burmese then invaded Assam and forced the King to leave the Kingdom and set up a Puppet King. The Burmese were then defeated by the British in the first Anglo-Burmese war and Assam came under the British Domination. The Ahom people are now in the Assamese society.

Ahom people today

The Tai-Ahom were historically seen as "Assamese" people. The term "ethnic Assamese" is now associated by the Indian government with the Assamese-speaking people of the Brahmaputra valley (see Assamese people). According to Anthony Van Nostrand Diller, possibly eight million speakers of Assamese can claim genetic descent from the Ahomese.  However, historian Yasmin Saikia argues that in pre-colonial times, the Ahoms were not an ethnic community, but were a relatively open status group. Any community coming into the socio-economic fold of the Ahom state could claim the Ahom status with active consent of the king.

Tai Ahom were historically seen as Tai people who migrated to Brahmaputra valley from Mongmao,present day Yunnan Province of China in 1228 AD.Tai Ahoms ruled Brahmaputra Valley for 598 years,i.e.,(1228 AD-1826 AD).Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha was the founder of Ahom Kingdom.The Tibeto Burmans gave the name "Ahom" to the Tai(Shans)and gradually Tais(Shans)were known as Ahoms.With the passage of time,Tai Ahoms though stop using Tai language and following Tai culture but at present Tai Ahoms are again reviving their old Tai language,culture.Ahom people are found mostly in Upper Assam districts of Golaghat,Jorhat,Sibsagar,Dibrugarh,Tinsukia,Lakhimpur,Dhemaji.Tai Ahoms are also found in large numbers in Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh.Tai Ahom people are though majority converted Hindus but still they didn't leave their old ancestor animist religion,Furalung.Apart from Hindus,Ahoms follow Christianity,Buddhism and Furalung.Mohung,Changbun,Moplong are the three priestly clans of Ahoms which have still preserved the old rituals of Ahoms.

See also
 Ahom language
 Ahom Dynasty
 Burmese invasion of Assam
 Ahom history
 Battle of Saraighat
 Singarigharutha
 Kingdom of Pong
 All Tai Ahom Students Union
 Indo-Mongoloid people of Assam

Notes

External references
 Gogoi, N. K. (2006). Continuity and change among the Ahom. New Delhi: Concept Pub. Co. ISBN 81-8069-281-7
 Phukon, G. (1998). State of Tai culture among the Ahoms. [Assam, India?]: G. Phukon.

History of Assam
Kshatriya communities
Assamese nationalism
Tai history
Tai peoples
Social groups of Assam
Ahom kingdom

!Main category

တႆးဢႃႇႁူမ်ႇ


Renee "Jia-Wei" Chen is a Taiwanese singer and songwriter. Renee first gained recognition when she won fourth place in the 2001 New Talent Singing Awards. Although she ultimately did not win the competition, record companies noticed that Renee's voice stood out aside from being the only contestant to sing, dance and choreograph her own performance with fellow stage performers.  Given her young age (15 at the time) combined with an evident talent for performing, an artist management agency approached her the following day with a contract, which eventually led to her debut release, through Warner Music in November 2003.

Renee's music has been influenced by genres ranging from pop, hip-hop, soul, and R'n'B. She is renowned for her East-meets-West style and mostly known for her third single, which continues to be a popular selection at KTV venues and singing competitions.  In November 2008, after a five-year absence, Renee released her long-awaited second album titled, which simultaneously ended an idol-like era in her career and opened new doors for her as an individual artist.

Renee currently resides in Taipei, Taiwan and tours throughout Asia. Aside from her musical endeavors, she is an active online community member through websites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Pixnet, which hosts her weekly radio show.  She is also a vegetarian and a spokesperson for animal rights in Taiwan.

Early life

Born in Taipei, Renee is the youngest of two children. She has one elder brother, Gary, who is also a musician. Her parents divorced when she was young, and Renee moved at the age of five with her mother and brother to Los Angeles. She went through school while experimenting with her singing voice, and followed her passion for music by entering several local singing contests. She attended Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California.  Later on during her junior year, Renee was scouted by an artist management agency after placing fourth in the 2001 New Talent Singing Awards.  Following negotiations with her mother, she made the ultimate decision to drop out of Arcadia High and committed to preparing for her debut, as proposed by her management, under the condition that also required her to attend home school, which is how she eventually obtained her high school degree at the age of seventeen.

Album Debut

Renee moved to Taiwan in 2002 which proved to be a unique experience after being away for 12 years.  Her company arranged a rigorous training schedule which she followed for one year before her debut.  She was forced to sleep in the management conference room for over a year before earning enough money to pay for her own apartment.  She was often asked to perform background harmonies and choreograph dance routines for fellow artists, which she did, often for no pay.  It was during this time that Renee would learn to push herself to be responsible and stay prepared for the opportunities ahead.

Renee eventually signed a record deal with Warner Music. She made her debut on November 6, 2003, with "Who's Renee".  To accompany her debut were endorsements with Far East Tone, a major phone carrier in Taiwan, which launched a campaign together with her first single, "Feel Good".  Her debut received critical acclaim and Warner Music continued to release singles from the album, attracting endorsements from Nike, DaDa, Niessing Jewelry, Kiehl's and many others including collaborations with the Department of Public Transportation.  Her first public performance was at the Beijing Warner Music 10th anniversary concert in front 80,000 people.  "Who's Renee" was an up-tempo, Hip-Hop/RnB album that displayed Renee's versatility both as a singer and dancer, but also helped introduce a new generation of westernized pop to the Chinese market.  Renee was nominated for Best New Artist in the 2004 Golden Melody Awards, the youngest artist (18 years old) in the history of the awards to be nominated in that category, which was won by JJ Lin.

Absence And Comeback
Following the success of "Who's Renee", her management quickly arranged for a second release.  This sparked a difference in opinion between Renee and her company on the direction of her music career.  Although the album was eventually completed, it was never released and Renee returned to Los Angeles to wait the remainder of her contract, ending the relationship with both Warner Music and her management.

Following a 3-year absence, Renee returned to Taiwan in 2006 to restart her music career.  She appeared as a guest in Leehom Wang's music video "Cockney Girl" which caught the attention of Sony Music Entertainment.  Sony executives later arranged for a meeting where she revealed over forty demos compiled over the course of her absence.  They immediately drafted a contract and signed her on the same day.

"Miracle" was released on November 6, 2008, which was also the 5th anniversary to the release of "Who's Renee".  It was met with mostly positive reviews and ultimately helped revive her image as a capable artist.  Far East Tone launched a follow-up campaign together with her first single from the album "愛的奇蹟" which was followed by "幸福導航" and "Shopping" with much fanfare.

Discography

Warner Music releases
 November 2003: "Who's Renee"
 January 2004: Warner 10th Anniversary Concert (CD+DVD)
 October 2004: "鬥魚 II" Original Soundtrack
 August 2007: "幸福的天空" (VA)
Sony Music releases
 November 2008: "Miracle"

References

External links

 Renee's blog on Pixnet
 Renee on Alive Not Dead
 Renee Chen artist page on Sony Music

1985 births
Living people
Musicians from Los Angeles
Musicians from Taipei
New Talent Singing Awards contestants
Taiwanese emigrants to the United States
Taiwanese Mandopop singer-songwriters
21st-century Taiwanese singers
21st-century Taiwanese women singers
Arcadia High School (California) alumni

Renée Chen


Benito Jacovitti (; March 19, 1923 – December 3, 1997) was an Italian comics artist.

Biography
Benito Jacovitti was born in Termoli, Molise. He was still a kid when he started drawing on the pavement of the village's streets. The son of a railwayman, Benito entered Macerata's art school at age 11, graduating to Firenze's art institute five years later. Here he received the nickname lisca di pesce ("fishbone") because of his thin figure, that he will use as his signature during his career.

In 1939 Jacovitti started working for the Florentine satirical magazine Il Brivido and, a year later, he began an almost 30 years long collaboration with Il Vittorioso, a Catholic comic magazine targeted at teenagers and young adults that only published Italian artists. There he created several characters: Pippo, Pertica e Palla, Oreste il guastafeste, Chicchiricchì, Cip l'arcipoliziotto and his nemesis Zagar, Giacinto corsaro dipinto, Jack Mandolino, La signora Carlomagno, adaptations of classic like Ali Baba and Don Quixote, and parodies of famous comics like L'onorevole Tarzan and Il mago Mandrago. During this period, he also contributed cartoons to the satirical weekly Il Travaso delle idee.

Starting from 1949, Jacovitti produced a series of cartoons for school diaries, named I Diari Vitt (short for Vittorioso) and published by A.V.E. These books made him a household name among kids and parents, and he kept producing them until 1980.

In 1956 he began working for the newspaper Il Giorno, then owned by Enrico Mattei, where he created his best known character, the cowboy Cocco Bill, as well as the private eye Tom Ficcanaso.

Ten years later Jacovitti left Il Giorno to join the glorious Il Corriere dei Piccoli, then the most popular weekly publication for kids, for which he renewed old characters as Cip l'Arcipoliziotto and Zagar, and created new ones as Zorry Kid, Tarallino Tarallà and others.

In 1973 he published the controversial Gionni Peppe on the left-wing oriented magazine Linus, followed in 1981 by Joe Balordo.

Jacovitti's unique artstyle is immediately appealing to both kids and adults: his characters sport huge noses and feet, his pages are chock full of details and all sort of objects and weird creatures born from his untamed creativity (like his salami, often drawn with little legs or smiley faces). While most of his production was geared toward humour and parody, Jacovitti did not shy away from more controversial material like the erotic book Kamasultra (based on the Kama Sutra) and political cartoons.

During his career, Jacovitti created more than 60 characters and produced around 150 books, making him one of the most prolific and original artists in comic book history.

References

External links

 Cocco Bill and other characters bibliography
 article from Lambiek Comiclopedia

1923 births
1997 deaths
People from the Province of Campobasso
Italian comics artists
Italian comics writers
Italian erotic artists
Italian editorial cartoonists
Italian parodists

Benito Jacovitti


Ox Mountain () is a story by the Chinese philosopher Mencius.  In his time this mountain was in very bad shape, and everybody knew how it looked. Here is the story:

Mencius said, "The woods on Ox Mountain were once beautiful! On account of its being on the edge of a large country, it had been attacked with axes and hatchets, and then how could it remain beautiful? The refreshing breezes of day and night, and the moisture provided by rain and fog, did not fail to give rise to sprouts of vegetation. But cows and sheep have been repeatedly pastured there, and for that reason it has remained desolate. People observe its denuded state and assume that it never had any good resources.  But how could this state be the true nature of this mountain?" — Mencius, 6A:8

Mencius argued that "bad" human natures were produced just as the bad condition of Ox Mountain had been produced, so the answer to "bad" humans was to protect and nurture them from birth. He also thought that punishment does not do much good. It does not cure the root of the problem.

Chinese literature
4th-century BC works

Ox Mountain


Fundamentalism ke dher matlab hoe sake hae. Iske 20th century ke suruu me United States ke Protestant log ke bola jaawat rahaa. Ii logan ke kuchh well defined values rahaa jon ki modern value se different rahaa. Ii logan ke khatir faith (the Bible) khaas chij rahaa.

References

Bahaari jorr
Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and Atheist Fundamentalism by Simon Watson, published in Anthropoetics XV,2 Spring 2010
Shared Insights: Women's Rights Activists Define Religious Fundamentalisms
The Appeal-and Peril-of Fundamentalism   by Dr. Bert B. Beach
The Fundamentals
Thoughts on "Religious Fundamentalism" Identity
International Coalition Against Political Islam
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
No to Political Islam
Psychological Issues of Former Members of Restrictive Religious Groups by Jim Moyers, MA, MFT; originally written for psychotherapists working with ex-fundamentalists
Q & A on Islamic Fundamentalism
www.blessedquietness.com a conservative Christian website, maintained by Steve van Natten
Women Against Fundamentalism (UK)
The Rise of Religious Violence
Yahya Abdul Rahman's Take On Fundamentalists And Fundamentalism
Roots of Fundamentalism Found, Harvard University, November 7, 2007.
 The Fundamentalist Distortion of the Islamic Message by Syed Manzar Abbas Saidi, published in Athena Intelligence Journal
 Fundamentalism linked to intimate partner violence

Fundamentalism


The Captain Andrew Offutt Monument in Ryder Cemetery in eastern Lebanon, Kentucky, off US-68, is a monument on the National Register of Historic Places.  It honors Captain Andrew Offutt (November 9, 1837 – October 7, 1921) who served as a Union officer in the 5th Kentucky Cavalry during the American Civil War, participating in General William Tecumseh Sherman's March.  It is speculated that he must have seen his actions during the war as his greatest life's act, as he lived for 56 years after the war, yet his family chose to depict him in his Union Army uniform.

The monument features a marble statue of Captain Andrew Offutt atop a granite base.  Offutt is seen in Union officer uniform, wearing a kepi hat and tunic length coat, with a sword extending downward.  On both sides of Offutt's grave are two other veterans of the War, one of whom was a Confederate who rode with John Hunt Morgan, Doctor W. W. Cleaver.

On July 17, 1997, the Captain Andrew Offutt Monument was one of sixty different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. It is one of the few monuments dedicated for a Union soldier/unit.  In fact, except for the Union Monument in Vanceburg, it is the only one to express strong sentiment for the Union cause, and this was only reflected by the monument mentioning Offutt's actions with General William T. Sherman.

References

Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS
National Register of Historic Places in Marion County, Kentucky
Union (American Civil War) monuments and memorials in Kentucky
Outdoor sculptures in Kentucky
1921 sculptures
Marble sculptures in Kentucky
1921 establishments in Kentucky
Lebanon, Kentucky

Captain Andrew Offutt Monument


Thaddeus Francis Boleslaw Wasielewski (December 2, 1904 – April 25, 1976) was an American lawyer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who spent six years as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district.

Background
Wasielewski was born in Milwaukee, son of Dr. Frank S. and Felicia H. (Baranowski) Wasielewski. He attended SS. Cyril and Methodius Parochial School and South Division High School, and received degrees from the University of Michigan (B.A., 1927) and from Marquette University Law School (J.D., 1931) and practiced law in Milwaukee. On 28 October 1939, he married Stephanie M. Gorak, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gorak of Milwaukee. He was active in many local Polish-American organizations and would make campaign speeches both in English and in the Polish language.

Congress
In 1938, Wasielewski unseated incumbent Congressman Raymond Joseph Cannon in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, but was narrowly defeated in turn by a former incumbent, Republican John Schafer, with 33,559 votes (31.40%), to Schafer's 34,196 (32.00%), Progressive Paul Gauer's 30,817 (28.84%), 7,498 votes (7.02%) for Cannon (who ran as an independent) and 794 votes (0.74%) for a Union Party candidate.

Wasielewski was again nominated in 1940, and this time was elected to the 77th Congress. Wasielewski was an interventionist (supported American entry into World War II) in a largely isolationist state. He voted in favor of both the 1941 Lend Lease Act to send more military aid to Great Britain, and the 1944 Lend Lease Act as well. He served as part of the 77th, 78th and 79th Congresses. He lost the Democratic nomination in 1946 to Edmund Bobrowicz (he was accused of voting for anti-labor legislation), then ran unsuccessfully for his seat as an independent when accusations surfaced that Bobrowicz was a Communist Party member. As a result, they both lost to Republican John C. Brophy, who drew 49,144 votes to Bobrowicz' 44,398, Wasielewski's 38.502, and Socialist George Helberg's 2,470.

After Congress
Wasielewski returned to private life, although he served as a delegate to the 1948 Democratic National Convention and would make one more unsuccessful try for the Democratic nomination in 1950, losing 27,717 to 10,692 in an effort to unseat incumbent Clement Zablocki. He practiced law until his death in 1976.

His papers are owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and are housed in the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's Golda Meir Library Archives Department, in the Milwaukee Area Research Center.

References

External links

1904 births
1976 deaths
American politicians of Polish descent
Marquette University Law School alumni
Politicians from Milwaukee
University of Michigan alumni
Wisconsin lawyers
South Division High School alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin
20th-century American politicians
Catholics from Wisconsin
20th-century American lawyers

Thaddeus Wasielewski


Bit, byte, gebissen was a German radio program. It was the first program on computer topics, produced by the Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting). Bit, byte, gebissen was broadcast from October 1985 to September 1993.

The idea was of the radio program was born out of the boom of home computers and video game consoles starting to fascinate youngsters at the beginning of the 1980s. Another successful program on computer topics for adolescent radio listeners was Chippie from the Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Broadcasting), starting in 1990.

External links
Die Zündfunk-Hall-of-Fame: Das erste Computermagazin

1985 radio programme debuts
1993 radio programme endings
German talk radio programs
Science radio programmes
Bayerischer Rundfunk

Bit, byte, gebissen


Flemming Kofod-Svendsen (born 21 March 1944 in Aakirkeby) is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church of Denmark (parish priest in Birkerød 1976-2011) and a Danish politician representing the Christian People's Party.

Biography
Kofod-Svendsen was party leader from 1979 till 1990, when he was succeeded by Jann Sjursen. He was a member of parliament from 1984 till 1993 and from 1998 till 2001.
During his leadership the party participated in the first two coalition governments of the conservative prime minister Poul Schlüter from 1982 till 1987 and from 1987 till 1988. In the first term the Christian People's Party provided the minister of Environmental Affairs in the person of Christian Christensen, he was also minister for Nordic Affairs. In the second term Christensen stayed and Fleming Kofod-Svendsen also entered the government, as Minister of Housing. In 1993 Fleming Kofod-Svendsen and Jann Sjursen became ministers in the 1993-1994 government of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. Kofod-Svendsen was Minister of Housing and of Nordic Affairs in this government.

References

1944 births
Living people
People from Bornholm
Danish Lutherans
Members of the Folketing
Karlsmose
Government ministers of Denmark
Leaders of the Christian Democrats (Denmark)

Flemming Kofod-Svendsen


In astronomy, geology, and paleontology, bya is an acronym for 'billion years ago'. This abbreviation is commonly used to show the length of time before the present or "B.P." (before AD 1950). Specifically, one bya is equal to 109 years ago.

Bya is traditionally written in lower case (small letters). It is often replaced in scientific literature by a term based on Latin: Ga (gigaannum).

Units of time

Bya (unit)


Rab geranylgeranyltransferase also known as (protein) geranylgeranyltransferase II is one of the three prenyltransferases. It transfers (usually) two geranylgeranyl groups to the cystein(s) at the C-terminus of Rab proteins.

geranylgeranyl diphosphate + protein-cysteine  S-geranylgeranyl-Cys-protein + diphosphate

The C-terminus of Rab proteins varies in length and sequence and is referred to as hypervariable. Thus Rab proteins do not have a consensus sequence, such as the CAAX box, which the Rab geranylgeranyltransferase can recognise. Instead Rab proteins are bound by the Rab escort protein (REP) over a more conserved region of the Rab protein and then presented to the Rab geranylgeranyltransferase.

Once Rab proteins are prenylated, the lipid anchor(s) ensure that Rabs are no longer soluble. REP therefore plays an important role in binding and solubilising the geranylgeranyl groups and delivers the Rab protein to the relevant cell membrane.

Reaction
Rab geranylgeranyltransferase (RabGGTase; enzyme commission code EC 18.104.22.168) is classified as a transferase enzyme; specifically, it is in the protein prenyltransferase family along with two other enzymes (protein farnesyltransferase and protein geranylgeranyltransferase type-I). The reaction catalyzed by RabGGTase is summarized as follows:

 geranylgeranyl diphosphate + protein-cysteine = S-geranylgeranyl-protein + diphosphate

This reaction is essential in the control of membrane docking and fusion. Studies of mice have shown that Rab GGTase genes are expressed in all major adult organs, as well as in some embryonic units, including the spinal cord and liver (Chinpaisal).

Rab geranylgeranyltransferase's "outsourcing" of specificity (using REP to interact with the Rab proteins it prenylates, as mentioned above) is unique among prenyltransferases. Rab GGTase is "responsible for the largest number of individual protein prenylation events in the cell," probably due to this ability to interact with many different Rab proteins (it can prenylate any sequence containing a cysteine residue).

In vitro studies have shown that Rab GGTase can be inhibited by nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate drugs such as risedronate; however, the effects of such drugs seem to be much more limited in vivo (Coxon).

Structure

RabGGTase is a heterodimer composed of alpha and beta subunits that are encoded by the RABGGTA and RABGGTB genes, respectively. The structure of rat RabGGTase has been determined by X-ray diffraction (see image to the left) to a resolution of 1.80 Å. RabGGTase's secondary structure is largely composed of alpha helices; the alpha subunit is 74% helical with no beta sheets, while the beta subunit is 51% helical and 5% beta sheet. There are 28 alpha helices total (15 in the alpha subunit and 13 in the beta subunit) and 15 very short (no more than 4 residues) beta sheets. Functional RabGGTase binds three metal ions as ligands: two calcium ions (Ca2+) and a zinc ion (Zn2+), all of which interact with the beta subunit.

See also
 Farnesyltransferase
 Geranylgeranyltransferase type 1 – also referred to as Geranylgeranyltranferase 1 or just Geranylgeranyltranferase
 Prenylation

References

 Coxon, Fraser P., Frank H. Ebetino, Emilie H. Mules, Miguel C. Seabra, Charles E. McKenna and Michael J. Rogers. Phosphonocarboxylate inhibitors of Rabnext term geranylgeranyl transferase disrupt the prenylation and membrane localization of previous termRabnext term proteins in osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo. Bone Vol. 37, Iss. 3. Sept. 2005, p. 349-358.
 Chinpaisal, Chatchai, Chih-Hao Lee and Li-Na Wei. Studies of the mouse Rabnext term geranylgeranyl transferase β subunit: gene structure, expression and regulation . Gene Vol. 184, Iss. 2 Jan. 1997, p. 237-43.

 Sinnott, M. (Ed.), Comprehensive Biological Catalysis. A Mechanistic Reference, vol. 1, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1998, p. 31-118.

External links

EC 2.5.1

Rab geranylgeranyltransferase


The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed free trade agreement drafted 5 October 2015 between several Pacific Rim countries. It is about many different matters of economic policy. Among other things, the TPP seeks to lower trade barriers such as tariffs, establish a common framework for intellectual property, enforce standards for labour law and environmental law, and establish an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

References

Trade

Trans-Pacific Partnership


Aleksander Wolszczan  (born 29 April 1946) is a Polish astronomer. He is the co-discoverer of the first confirmed extrasolar planets and pulsar planets.

Early life and education

Wolszczan was born on 29 April 1946 in Szczecinek located in present-day West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland; in the 1950s his family moved to Szczecin. His father Jerzy Wolszczan taught economics at former Szczecin Polytechnic (currently West Pomeranian University of Technology) and his mother, Zofia, worked for the Polish Writers' Union. His early interest in astronomy was inspired by his father who told him stories and myths connected with stellar constellations. As a seven-year-old he already learned the basics of astronomy. He observed the night sky using a small telescope he constructed himself. He graduated from Stefan Czarniecki VI High School in Szczecin.

Scientific career
Wolszczan sat for an M.Sc. in 1969 and a Ph.D. in 1975 at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland. Between 1969 and 1973 he worked at the Department of Radioastronomy of the Institute of Astronomy. In 1973, as a senior assistant, he moved to Bonn for training at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. From 1979 to 1982 he worked at the Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Toruń, and in 1982 he moved to the United States to work at Cornell University and Princeton. Later he became an astronomy professor at Pennsylvania State University. From 1994 to 2008, he was also professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University. He is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Working with Dale Frail, Wolszczan carried out astronomical observations from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico that led them to the discovery of the pulsar PSR B1257+12 in 1990. In 1992 they showed that the pulsar was orbited by two planets, whose masses were initially assessed at 3.4 and 2.8 times Earth's mass. The radii of their orbits are 0.36 and 0.47 AU respectively. This was the first confirmed discovery of planets outside the Solar System (as of 2 June 2021, 4,401 such planets were known). Wolszczan announced his findings in 1992 during the Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Atlanta. Two years later he published the results of his discovery and was chosen by the journal Nature as the author of one of 15 fundamental discoveries in the field of physics. Despite some initial misgivings by several experts, today his discovery is regarded as fully substantiated. Astronomer Bohdan Paczyński called it "the greatest discovery by a Polish astronomer since Copernicus." In 1998, Astronomy magazine included his discovery among The 25 Greatest Astronomical Findings of All Time. At the Arecibo Observatory, Wolszczan also collaborated with Joseph H. Taylor Jr and conducted research on millisecond pulsars.

In 2003 Maciej Konacki and Wolszczan determined the orbital inclinations of the two pulsar planets, showing that the actual masses were approximately 3.9 and 4.3 Earth masses respectively.

In 2007, Wolszczan was also part of a Polish team of astronomers led by Andrzej Niedzielski that found yet another planet outside the Solar System, HD 17092 b, orbiting star HD 17092.

In 2012, Matthew Route and Wolszczan detected bursts of radio waves emitted from 2MASS J10475385+2124234 using Arecibo Observatory.  This T6.5 brown dwarf has a temperature of 800-900 K, making it the coolest known radio-emitting substellar object.  Its magnetic field is stronger than 1.7 kG.  In 2016, the team discovered the most rapidly rotating brown dwarf, the T6 WISEPC J112254.73+255021.5.  Its rotation period may be as little as 17 minutes. In 2017, he was awarded the Bohdan Paczyński Medal conferred by the Polish Astronomical Society.

Wolszczan is a member of many scientific associations which include: the Polish Academy of Sciences, American Astronomical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, International Union of Radio Science, International Astronomical Union, and Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America.

Recognition
In 1992 Wolszczan won the Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science. In 1996, he was awarded the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize by the American Astronomical Society, and in 1997 Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski presented him with the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for outstanding contributions to Polish science. In 2002, he appeared on a Polish postage stamp (as part of a series of 16 stamps, titled "Polish Millennium," which summarizes the last 1,000 years of history, culture, and science in Poland).

In 2006, Wolszczan officially became an honorary citizen of Szczecin. In 2007, Jan Sosiński directed a documentary film on the life and scientific work of Wolszczan entitled Gwiazdor - Aleksander Wolszczan.

He was elected a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society in 2020.

Controversy
In 2008 Gazeta Prawna disclosed that from 1973 until 1988 Wolszczan was an informant (codenamed "Lange") for the Polish communist-era Służba Bezpieczeństwa. He confirmed this, but stressed that he was passing only unimportant information, usually publicly known, and that he did not harm anybody. The resulting controversy in Polish media resulted in his resignation from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. He continues teaching and researching at Penn State.

See also
Timeline of Polish science and technology
Bohdan Paczyński
Andrzej Udalski
OGLE
List of Poles

Notes

References
 Wolszczan, A., and D.A. Frail. A planetary system around the millisecond pulsar PSR 1257+12. Nature 355(6356):145-7, January 9, 1992.
 Wolszczan, A. Confirmation of Earth-mass planets orbiting the millisecond pulsar PSR B1257+12. Science 264(5158):538-42, 22 April 1994.
 Konacki, M. and Wolszczan, A. Masses and Orbital Inclinations of Planets in the PSR B1257+12 System Astrophysical Journal, Volume 591, Issue 2, pp. L147-L150, 2003.

External links
 Earth Sized Planets Confirmed
 Planet Orbiting a Giant Red Star Discovered with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

1946 births
Living people
People from Szczecinek
20th-century Polish astronomers
Radio astronomers
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń alumni
Pennsylvania State University faculty
Cornell University faculty
Winners of the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize
Discoverers of exoplanets
Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta
21st-century Polish astronomers
Fellows of the American Astronomical Society

Aleksander Wolszczan


The Art of the Faker is an influential 1959 book on art forgery by Frank Arnau.

Editions and translations
1959 Kunst der Fälscher - Fälscher der Kunst. 3000 Jahre Betrug mit Antiquitäten. (Original German edition)
1960 L'Art des faussaires et les faussaires de l'art (French translation by Édith Vincent)
1960 Arte della falsificazione, falsificazione dell'arte (Italian translation by Piero Bernardini, published in Milan)
1961 The art of the faker: three thousand years of deception in art and antiques (English translation by J. Maxwell Brownjohn, published in London)
1961 El Arte De Falsificar El Arte : Tres Mil Años De Fraudes En El Comercio De Antigüedades (Spanish translation by Juan Godó Costa, published in Barcelona)

See also
Alceo Dossena

External links
Two snipped previews at google books The art of the faker: three thousand years of deception and Three thousand years of deception in art and antiques

German non-fiction books
Art forgery
1959 non-fiction books

The Art of the Faker


Mental distress or psychological distress encompasses the symptoms and experiences of a person's internal life that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary. Mental distress can potentially lead to a change of behavior, affect a person's emotions in a negative way, and affect their relationships with the people around them.

Certain traumatic life experiences (such as bereavement, stress, lack of sleep, use of drugs, assault, abuse, or accidents) can induce mental distress. Those who are members of vulnerable populations might experience discrimination that places them at increased risk for experiencing mental distress as well. This may be something which resolves without further medical intervention, though people who endure such symptoms longer term are more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness. This definition is not without controversy as some mental health practitioners would use the terms "mental distress" and "mental disorder" interchangeably. Some users of mental health services prefer the term "mental distress" in describing their experience as they feel it better captures that sense of the unique and personal nature of their experience, while also making it easier to relate to, since everyone experiences distress at different times. The term also fits better with the social model of disability.

Differences from mental disorder
Some psychiatrists may use these two terms "mental distress" and "mental disorder" interchangeably. However, it can be argued that there are fundamental variations between mental distress and mental disorder. "Mental distress" has a wider scope than the related term "mental illness", which refers to a specific set of medically defined conditions. A person in mental distress may exhibit some of the broader symptoms described in psychiatry, without actually being 'ill' in a medical sense. People with mental distress may also exhibit temporary symptoms on a daily basis, while patients diagnosed with mental disorder may potentially have to be treated by a psychiatrist.

Types
The following are types of major mental distress:
 Anxiety disorder
 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
 Depression
 Bipolar disorder
 Schizophrenia

Symptoms and causes
The symptoms for mental distress include a wide range of physical to mental conditions. Physical symptoms may include sleep disturbance, anorexia (lack of appetite), loss of menstruation for women, headaches, chronic pain, and fatigue. Mental conditions may include difficulty in anger management, compulsive/obsessive behavior, a significant change in social behavior, a diminished sexual desire, and mood swings.

Minor mental distress cases are caused by stress in daily problems, such as forgetting your car keys or being late for an event. However, the major types of mental distress (see section above) can be caused by other important factors. It is important to distinguish between Chemical imbalances in the brain is one of the causes that happen when there is a disequilibrium of chemicals inside the brain's neural pathways, that can lead to irrational decisions and emotional pain. For example, when your brain lacks serotonin, a chemical primary in regulating a brain's functioning, this deficiency of serotonin can lead to depression, appetite changes, aggression, and anxiety. A second cause for mental distress can be exposure to severely distressing experiences, such as life-threatening situations and experiences. A third cause, although in very rare cases, can be inheritance. Some research has shown that very few people may have the genetics for the potential to develop mental distress. However, there are many factors that must be accounted for. Mental distress is not a contagious disease that can be caught like the common cold. Mental distress is a psychological condition.

In the United States

African-Americans
The social disparities associated with mental health in the Black community have remained constant over time. According to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 30% more likely than European Americans to report serious psychological distress. Moreover, Black people are more likely to have Major Depressive Disorder, and communicate higher instances of intense symptoms/disability. For this reason, researchers have attempted to examine the sociological causes and systemic inequalities which contribute to these disparities in order to highlight issues for further investigation.  Nonetheless, much of the research on the mental well-being of Black people are unable to separate race, culture, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or behavioural and biological factors. According to Hunter and Schmidt (2010), there are three distinct beliefs embraced by Black people which speak to their socio-cultural experience in the United States: racism, stigma associated with mental illness, and the importance of physical health. African Americans are less likely to report depression due to heavy social stigma within their community and culture. All of these social aspects of mental health can create a lot of distress. Therefore, discrimination within the healthcare community and larger society, attitudes related to mental health, and general physical health contribute largely to the mental well-being of Black people.

There are also disparities with mental health when it comes to Black women. One of the reasons why Black women tend to hesitate when it comes to mental health support and treatment is the aura of the Strong Black Woman schema or S.B.W. According to Watson and Hunter, Various scholars have traced the origins of the S.B.W. race-gender schema to slavery and have suggested that the schema persists because of the struggles that African-American women continue to experience, such as financial hardship, racism, and sexism. Watson and Hunter state that due to the Strong Black Woman schema, Black women have a tendency to handle tough and difficult situations alone.

African-American youth
Comparable to their adult counterparts, Black adolescents experience mental health disparities. The primary reasons for this have been stipulated to be discrimination, inadequate treatment, and underutilization of mental health services, though Black youth have been shown to have higher self-esteem than their white counterparts. Similarly, children of immigrants, or second-generation Americans, often encounter barriers to optimal mental well-being. Discrimination and its effects on mental health are evident in adolescents' ability to achieve in school and overall self-esteem. Researchers are unable to pinpoint exact causes for Black teenagers' underutilization of mental health services.  One study attributed this to using alternative methods of support instead of formal treatments. Moreover, Black youth used other means of support, such as peers and spiritual leaders. This demonstrates that Black teens are uncomfortable disclosing personal matters to formal supports. It is difficult to decipher if this is cultural or a youth-related issue, as most teens do not choose to access formal supports for their mental health needs.

Common stigma among immigrants

"Mental health stigma, particularly personal stigma, is important because those who hold stigma beliefs are less willing to obtain the needed treatment (1-9). Often due to stigma, individuals will avoid treatment until the disorder is nearly incapacitating. This avoidance is particularly pronounced in members of ethnic minority groups because they are less likely to seek mental health treatment than those of European Americans [e.g., Ref. (4, 10–12)]. Expressly, Immigrants who hold personal stigma against mental illness are less likely to seek treatment. Its often that immigrants feel stigmatized because they're already undocumented which makes them feel embarrassed, causing them to refrain from treatment.

Demographic and societal factors
There has been a history of disparity and exclusion in regards to the treatment of Black Americans which consists of slavery, imprisonment in the criminal justice system, the inability to vote, marry, attend school, or own property amongst other factors. These factors have attributed to the increase of mental distress in the Black community and due to the lack of resources afforded/known in the community also leads to a lack of resources and treatments available for members of the community to seek and receive some for of help.

LGBTQ+ Community
Those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community have a higher risk of experiencing mental distress, most likely as a result of continued discrimination and victimization. Members of this population are often confronted with derogatory and hateful comments (physically and/or through social media). This discrimination has the potential of affecting their feelings of self-worth and confidence, leading to anxiety, depression, and even suicidality. It is for this reason that members of the LGBTQ+ community may experience higher rates of mental distress than their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. Along with the increased risk of experiencing mental distress, members of this community may refrain from seeking mental health care due to past discrimination by medical professionals. In addition to the lack of knowledge and research with this population, this group is marginalized due to the lack of funding as most of the funds go to campaigns for the younger LGBTQ+ population.

A study published in 2021 found that "LGBTQ+ students experienced more bullying and psychological distress".

References

Further reading

External links
Mental Distress Changes

Psychological stress

Mental distress


Lasovians (Lasovian dialect: Lesioki)are a subethnic group of the Polish nation, who reside in Lesser Poland, at the confluence of the Vistula and the San rivers, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, southeastern Poland. They are descended from various ethnic groups, which settled in the dense Sandomierz Forest across centuries, with a dominant Polish element. The Lasowiacy were formed as a separate subethnic group in the late 19th and early 20th century. They use their own dialect, which belongs to Lesser Polish dialect cluster of the Polish language. Like most Poles, the Lasowiacy are Roman Catholics.

Area
The area inhabited by the Lasowiacy ranges from Sandomierz and Nisko in the north, to Głogów Małopolski, Leżajsk,  and Ropczyce. According to Polish ethnographer Franciszek Kotula, their territory is much wider, reaching to Tarnogród, Janów Lubelski and Biłgoraj.

Origins
The Lasowiacy were formed as a separate subethnic group in the 19th century. Sandomierz Forest, one of the largest forests in southern Poland, was for centuries sparsely inhabited. In the mid-14th century, King Kazimierz Wielki established several towns located on the edge of the forest. In the 16th century, settlers from Mazovia began to arrive here, founding several villages (e.g. Mazury). Furthermore, in the 16th and 17th centuries, upon royal orders, the forest was settled by prisoners of war from several countries, such as Swedish Empire, Crimean Khanate, Turkish Empire, Muscovy, Rus', Grand Duchy of Lithuania Wallachia, as well as German mercenaries, who served in different armies.

In the late 18th century, southern Lesser Poland and neighboring Red Ruthenia were annexed by the Habsburg Empire, as the newly created province of Galicia. Soon, first German-speaking settlers came to the Sandomierz Forest, during the action initiated by Emperor Joseph II. Furthermore, after the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the border between Austria and Russian Empire was established along the Vistula. As a result, inhabitants of the forest were for 100 years separated from Sandomierzanie, another local subethnic group, named after the town of Sandomierz, which deepened their isolation.

Language
The Lasowiacy dialect (Polish gwara lasowiacka or gwara lasowska) belongs to the Lesser Poland dialect of the Polish language. Since the forest was settled by the Mazovians, the Lasowiacy dialect has several features of the Masovian dialect, such as mazurzenie. Melchior Wańkowicz in his 1939 book Sztafeta gives an interesting example of the Lasowiacy dialect. In 1938, he went to the Lasowiacy village of Pławo, where a brand new industrial town of Stalowa Wola was being built. Wańkowicz talked to local residents, writing in the book: "The people in this village call themselves Lasowiacy, speaking a funny accent, which sounds like a mix of Goral dialect, and the language of Kurpie".

Activities of the Lasowiacy
Since bulk of the Lasowiacy inhabited the extensive forest, they supported themselves by forestry, with such activities, as hunting, honey making, tar making and production of charcoal. There also were skilled artisans – carpenters, coopers, pot makers, wicker workers, and weavers. Since parts of the forest were cleared and turned into farmfields, several kinds of cereal and vegetables are cultivated here. Local soil, however, is not fertile, allowing for cultivation of potatoes, beetroots, rye and oat.

Houses and clothes
The Lasowiacy used to live in log cabins, with a number of them making hamlets, located in the woods. Their clothes were made of linen, with most popular colors white, black and red. The open-air museum in Kolbuszowa (formerly known as Regional Museum of the Lasowiacy) features several original examples of the Lasowiacy culture. In 1956, Dancing Ensemble Lasowiacy was created in Stalowa Wola.

Notes

References

External links
 Webpage of the Lasowiacy Ensemble from Stalowa Wola
 Lasowiacy dialect of the Polish language
 Lasowiacy at the webpage of the Center of Civic Education

See also
 Lesser Poland

Polish traditions
Podkarpackie Voivodeship
Culture of Poland
Ethnic groups in Poland
Lesser Poland

Lasovians


The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) at Geneva, Ontario County, New York State, is an agricultural experiment station operated by the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. In August 2018, the station was rebranded as Cornell AgriTech, but its official name remains unchanged.

The Station is the sixth oldest institution of its kind in the country.

History

The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station was established by an Act of the New York State Legislature on June 26, 1880. More than 100 locations were considered, but a 125-acre parcel in Geneva was eventually chosen. In 1882, the State purchased the land, an Italianate villa, and all outbuildings from Nehemiah and Louisa Denton for $25,000. The villa was converted into the Station headquarters, now known as Parrott Hall. The new institution became operative on March 1, 1882. It would become known colloquially as the Geneva Experiment Station.

An 1883 Report of the Board of Control of the NYSAES to the New York State Assembly stated that there were immediate and dire threats State agricultural output caused by insect pests, bovine diseases, drought, soil nutrient exhaustion, and outward labor migration, and that an organization dedicated to staving off these threats was needed.

Originally, farmers wanted the station to serve as a model farm. However, the first director, E. Lewis Sturtevant, immediately established the policy that the station was to conduct agricultural science research and to establish experimental plots, both of which would have little resemblance to commercial agriculture. Nevertheless, the primary mission of the Station has always been to serve those who produce and consume New York's agricultural products.

In its early days, Station scientists, who were few in number, concentrated their efforts on dairy, horticulture, and evaluation of varieties of vegetables and field crops. In 1887, the program was broadened to include work on beef cattle, swine, and evaluation of fruit varieties. During this period, the station also began playing its continuing active role in the state's agricultural law enforcement program. Still later, research activities were added in the fields of bacteriology, dairy science, fruit horticulture, chemistry, plant pathology, and insect and mite species.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a fundamental philosophy was developed regarding activities of the station that is still, basically, in effect today. This philosophy stated that research done at the station should be conducted on principles underlying agricultural practices and, further, that agricultural research should be the full-time responsibility of the staff without it having to also play a teaching role. This was a marked departure from the role played by staff at other agricultural experiment stations throughout the country.

Originally an independent unit of the state, the Station became part of Cornell University in 1923. Research was expanded to include studies on canning crops, nursery plants, and disease and insect pests of rubes. At the end of World War II, all animal research was moved to the Ithaca campus of Cornell University and the Geneva Station became a true horticultural research institute. Since then, it has been the center for research in New York on the production, protection, and utilization of fruit and vegetable crops, an industry that is today valued in excess of $2 billion.

Campus

The station has expanded from the original 125 acres, mansion and outbuildings to an 850-acre complex containing more than 20 major buildings. There are 700 acres are devoted to test plots, orchards, and vineyards, and 65,000 square feet of greenhouse space. New York State funded a $6.7 million construction project to renovate the Food Science Laboratory in 2007, with work completed by 2009.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plant Genetic Resources Unit, which collects and does research on seeds for food plants, is also located on the Geneva campus.

The station has two outlying substations: the Hudson Valley Laboratory in Highland, and the Cornell Lake Erie Research & Extension Laboratory in Portland.

Research and publications
Although an experiment station with a strong emphasis on applied research, the station also maintains a balance of basic research to serve as a foundation for future research applicable to New York agriculture. As of 2006, there were 350 employees working on approximately 230 different projects. Of those employees, 56 were professors.

Shortly after Station opened, Emmet S. Goff (1853–1902) became its first horticulturalist. His work on apple varieties, begun in 1883, produced a collection of research on apples and crabapples that was, at the time, the "most noteworthy collection of its kind", containing over 700 named varieties of apples and crabapples. Apple breeding efforts at the Station have led to the development of the Cortland, Empire, Jonagold, Jonamac and Macoun apples.

From 1900 to 1925, the Station published a series of seven monographs on hardy fruits that were well adapted to northern climes as part of their annual report. The publications began with the two-volume Apples of New York, a 1905 report written by Station horticulturalist Spencer Ambrose Beach. The series was continued by Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick, who released six volumes on grapes, plums, cherries, peaches, pears and small fruits over a period of eighteen years. The Station's series on the fruits of New York was, and remains today, a highly respected publication. A circular released July 1932 to commemorate  Station's fiftieth year noted the "exhaustive monographs on the hardy fruits" and stated that the texts were, by that time, "accepted universally as standard treatises on the subject." The Fruits of New York series was the highlight of a 2018 exhibition by the New York State Library.

In 2006, the Station developed three new wine grapes: 'Noiret', 'Corot noir' and 'Valvin Muscat'

Cornell's School of Integrative Plant Science contains the only horticulture program offered in any Ivy League school.

Operations
Prior to the early 2000s, most of the money for agricultural research at the Station was provided by state and federal governments.  The Station's 2007–2008 total budget was approximately $25.1 million; $11.8 million funded through the State University of New York base budget, $6.4 million from Cornell general purpose funds, $5.5 million in grants and contracts, and $1.1 million in Federal appropriations.  As the station's research program has matured and expanded, the financial support base has been increasingly augmented by funds from foundations, industry, grower and food processor organizations, and by individuals.

References

External links
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva
NYSAES Hudson Valley Laboratory, Highland
Cornell Vineyard Laboratory , Fredonia
USDA Geneva Website

Agricultural Experiment Station
Agriculture in New York (state)
Food science institutes
New York (state) wine
Education in Ontario County, New York
Buildings and structures in Ontario County, New York
Agricultural research institutes in the United States
Agricultural research stations


A red-light district is a part of an urban area where sex work is concentrated. Sex work in red-light districts is either legal or illegal, but tolerated. In the world there are many red-light districts, the most famous probably being the red-light district in Amsterdam, De Wallen. In the red-light district, sex workers are often helped and protected, and every month doctors visit them. Condoms are given to the sex worker so they do not catch any sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). In some red-light districts, sex workers pay taxes, as in the red-light district of Amsterdam. In other red light districts, sex workers do not pay taxes, because there they are illegal and often are put on the street with violence. In some parts of Africa there are villages of sex workers where they live and work, because they are not accepted by the people of other villages.

Related pages
 List of red-light districts

Red-light district


Mary Ann Duff (born Mary Ann Dyke; 1794 – 5 September 1857) was an English tragedienne, in her time regarded as the greatest upon the American stage. She was born in London, England, and died in New York City, United States.

Biography
Mary Ann Dyke and her younger sisters Elizabeth and Ann were all born in London. Their father was an Englishman, employed in the service of the British East India Company, and he died abroad while they were children. Their mother prepared them for the stage under James Harvey D'Egville, a ballet-master of the King's Theatre, London.

Early career
The Dyke sisters made their first appearance in 1809, at a Dublin theatre and were described as "remarkable for their beauty and winning disposition." While Mary was performing in Dublin, she met Irish poet Thomas Moore who proposed to her but was rejected as Mary had already formed an attachment to the man who became her husband. Moore turned his attention to her sister Elizabeth whom he married soon after. Mary Ann married in her sixteenth year John R. Duff (1787–1831), an Irish actor. (The youngest sister Ann married William Murray, the brother of Harriet Murray), but died soon after the marriage.) John Duff had been a classmate of Moore at Trinity College, where he had read law, but was drawn to the stage. He was seen in Dublin by actor Thomas Apthorpe Cooper who recommended him to Powell and Dickson of the Boston Theatre. He was immediately engaged and he and Mary, barely sixteen, moved to America in 1810. In 1817, John became a partner in the Boston Theatre but relinquished his share after three years.

American career
Mary Ann Duff first appeared in Boston as Juliet on 31 December 1810 with her husband as Romeo. The part of Mercutio was played by John Bernard. Although one critic remarked on her attractiveness, he felt that her youth made her lack experience and conception.

Her next performance was on 3 January 1811, where she played Lady Anne in Richard III with George Frederick Cooke in the title rôle. She followed it with Lady Rodolpha Lumbercourt to his Sir Pertinax MacSycophant in Charles Macklin's Man of the World; Charlotte to his Sir Archy MacSarcasm in Love a la Mode by the same author; and Lady Percy to his Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1. Other roles she played at this time were Miranda, with her husband as Marplot, in The Busy Bodie by Susanna Centlivre; and Eliza Ratcliff, with John Bernard as Sheva, in The Jew by Richard Cumberland. She also appeared in the pantomimes Oscar and Malvina by William Reeve, in which she also danced; and Brazen Mask by James Hewitt. On 29 April 1811 the Duffs appeared at a benefit in which Mary danced a solo while her husband performed in The Three and the Deuce by Prince Hoare. The latter was so popular that he would go on to repeat this triple-role performance more than eighty times over the course of his career. Mary's first season in Boston ended with her playing Victoria in Hannah Cowley's A Bold Stroke for a Husband.

In July, the company made its annual migration to Providence, Rhode Island. Ellen Darley (née Westwray) retired as leading "juvenile lady"; as a result, Mary stepped up and succeeded to most of her characters.

Other tragic rôles included Ophelia, Desdemona, and Lady Macbeth.  In 1821, also in Boston, she played Hermione in The Distrest Mother, by Ambrose Philips, an adaptation of Racine's Andromaque. So powerful was her performance that Edmund Kean feared it might be forgotten that he was the "star."  She first appeared in New York City in 1823, as Hermione, to the Orestes of the elder Booth.

In 1828, she played at Drury Lane, London, but soon returned to America where Mr. Duff died in 1831.  He had been for some time in poor health and had declined in professional popularity, while his wife, at first viewed as inferior to him in ability, had surpassed and eclipsed him.  After her husband's death, Mary had a hard struggle with poverty, as she was the mother of ten children and actors, even of the best order, were poorly paid in those days.  In 1826, in New York, Mr. and Mrs. Duff received jointly, during ten weeks, a salary of only $55 a week, together with the net proceeds of one benefit.  In 1835, she played for the last time in New York and was married to Joel G. Sevier, of New Orleans in 1836.  Her farewell to the stage in 1838 occurred there.

Final years
She lived in New Orleans, renounced the Stage, left the Catholic faith, and became a Methodist.  For many years her life was devoted to works of piety and benevolence.  About 1854, the once great and renowned actress, took up her abode with her youngest daughter, Mrs. I. Reillieux, at 36 West Ninth Street, New York City, where, on 5 September 1857, she died.  Although she suffered from cancer, the immediate cause of death was an internal haemorrhage.

An article in The Philadelphia Sunday Mercury, 9 August 1874, written by James Rees, relates the strange circumstances of her burial.  According to that authority, the body of Mrs. Duff-Sevier was laid in the receiving tomb at Greenwood, 6 September 1857, and shortly afterward that of her daughter, Mrs. Reillieux, was likewise laid there; but on 15 April 1858, both those bodies were thence removed and were finally buried in the same grave, which is No. 805, in Lot 8,999, in that part of the cemetery known as "The Hill of Graves," – the certificate describing them as "Mrs. Matilda I. Reillieux & Co."  The grave was then marked with a headstone, inscribed with the words, "My Mother and Grandmother."  There seems to have been a purpose to conceal the identity of Mrs. Sevier with Mrs. Duff, and to hide the fact that the mother of Mrs. Reillieux had ever been on the stage, – but the grave of the actress was finally discovered and restored.

References

Bibliography
 The Wallet of Time

Actresses from London
English stage actresses
British expatriate actresses in the United States
1794 births
1857 deaths
19th-century British actresses
British stage actresses
English Methodists
Converts to Methodism from Roman Catholicism

Mary Ann Duff


Prague International Jazz Festival () is a traditional jazz festival held annually in Reduta Jazz Club, in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2014 the festival celebrates its anniversary - 50 years from its establishment in 1964. Prague's festival belongs to the most traditional jazz festivals.

History of festival
The festival is the oldest music festival in the Czech Republic and also one of the oldest and most traditional ones in Europe. Prague International Jazz Festival became a tradition for Autumn as an equivalent to the Prague Spring International Music Festival of classical music, which is traditional for the first part of the year. During the previous years have the oragenizers focused more on the traditional jazz, but more recently they have been aiming for the variety in this music genre.

Legends of festival
During the past volumes of the festival the audience could have seen jazz legends such as Mr. Acker Bilk & his Bristol Paramount Jazz Band (1964 & 1982), Duke Ellington Orchestra (1968), Count Basie Orchestra & Oscar Peterson & Big Joe Turner (1974), Benny Goodman (1976), Didier Lockwood (1984), Stéphane Grappelli (1988), B.B. King (1990), Chick Corea Elektric Band (1991), Dave Brubeck Quartet (1996), Tony Bennett & Ralph Sharon Trio (1997), New York Voices (1998), Mal Waldron and Albert Mangelsdorff (2001), Rhoda Scott (2006), Boris Kozlov (2013).

See also
 Designblok

References

External links
Prague International Jazz Festival Official Site

Jazz festivals in the Czech Republic
Music in Prague
Recurring events established in 1964
Festivals in Prague
Music festivals established in 1964

Prague International Jazz Festival


The Xiluodu Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River in China. It is near the town of Xiluohu in Yunnan Province. One of the largest of its kind in the world, construction began in 2005 and the dam was put into use in 2013.
Hydropower
Dams in Asia
Yunnan

Xiluodu Dam


Pindamonhangaba is a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is located in the Paraíba valley, between the two most active production regions in the country, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

This place name comes from the Old Tupi language meaning where hooks are made or, according to a different meanings, where the river bends.

Other websites

Cities in São Paulo (state)

Pindamonhangaba


The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in January 27, 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 350 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and four other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; radio programs; films; books; DVDs; maps; and interactive media. National Geographic has funded more than 8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy.

Description
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow rectangular border, which became famous while appearing around each front page of the society's magazine.
Non-profit organizations of Washington, D.C.
1888 establishments in the United States
Scientific organizations based in the United States

National Geographic Society


The Mycological Society of America (MSA) is a learned society that serves as the professional organization of mycologists in the U.S. and Canada. It was founded in 1932. The Society's constitution states that "The purpose of the Society is to promote and advance the science of mycology and to foster and encourage research and education in mycology in all its aspects."  Members of the MSA meet annually to exchange information and build understanding of fungi.

Publications

Mycologia is the official scholarly journal of the Mycological Society of America. Six issues are published each year; members receive a subscription as a benefit of membership. Both members and non-members are invited to submit scholarly manuscripts for publication.  Mycologia issues are available to subscribers online as well as in print.

Inoculum is the Society's bimonthly newsletter. Though published in print through 2006,  Inoculum is published online only and is freely accessible through the MSA website.

The Mycological Society of America also publishes Mycologia Memoirs, an occasional series of scholarly monographs on aspects of fungal biology.

Membership

In 2006, MSA membership included about 1190 members drawn from 51 different countries. The society's constitution states that "Membership in the Society shall be open to persons or organizations who share the stated purposes of the Society." Members are eligible for many different annual awards that recognize scholarship, pedagogy, and research potential. The Mycological Society of America may bestow honorary membership on particularly distinguished mycologists who reside outside North America.

Honorary members
1951, Ernst A Gäumann, Switzerland d.1963 – Mycologia 57:1-5, 1965
1955, Franz Petrak, Austria d.1973
1965, G.C. Ainsworth, United Kingdom d.1998 – Mycologia 91(4): 714, 1999; J.A. von Arx, Netherlands d.1988; C.T. Ingold, United Kingdom; Grace M. Waterhouse, United Kingdom d.1996
1966 Lilian E. Hawker, United Kingdom d.1991; J.A. Nannfeldt, Sweden d.1985 – Mycologia 78: 692-693, 1986
1973, M.B. Ellis, United Kingdom d.1996; Roger Heim, France d.1979 – Mycologia 72:1063-1064, 1980; Keisuke Tubaki, Japan
1983, R.W.G. Dennis, United Kingdom d.2003; R. Kühner, France d.1996 – Mycologia 91(4): 707, 1999; Emil Müller, Switzerland; C. V. Subramanian, India
1985, John Webster, United Kingdom
1987, Colin Booth, United Kingdom; Gastón Guzmán, Mexico; Meinhard Moser, Austria d.2002 - Inoculum 53(6):14. 2002.
1988, Leif Ryvarden, Norway
1989, Nils Fries, Sweden d.1994 – Inoculum 46(3): 3, 1995.
1992, E.J.H. Corner, United Kingdom d.1996 – Mycologia 90(4): 732, 1998; Vera Holubová-Jechová, Czech Republic d.1993 – Ceská Mykologie 47(1): 83, 1993.
1993, Lennart Holm, Sweden; Erast Parmasto, Estonia; Josef Poelt, Austria d.1995 – Inoculum 46(3): 3, 1995; Jorge E. Wright, Argentina
1994, David L. Hawksworth, United Kingdom; Brian C. Sutton, United Kingdom; Joseph Wessels, Netherlands
1995, Karl Esser, Germany
1996, Junta Sugiyama, Japan; Anthony P.J. Trinci, United Kingdom
1997, Walter Gams, Netherlands
1998, Ludmila Marvanová, Czech Republic; Roy Watling, United Kingdom
2000, David J. Read, United Kingdom
2001, Birgitt Nordbring-Hertz, Sweden; John Pitt, Australia
2002, Ove E. Eriksson, Sweden
2003, Jeremy Burdon, Australia; Tsuguo Hongo, Japan; Egon Horak, Switzerland
2004, Rob Samson, The Netherlands
2005, Franz Oberwinkler, Germany
2006, Michael Wingfield, South Africa
2007, Jan Stenlid, Sweden
2008, Angela Restrepo, Colombia; Gioconda San-Blas, Venezuela

See also
 North American Mycological Association, MSA's sister society for amateur mycologists

External links
 Official webpage of the Mycological Society of America
 Mycologia, the scholarly journal of the MSA

References

Mycology organizations
Professional associations based in the United States
Learned societies of the United States
Natural Science Collections Alliance members
1932 establishments in the United States
Scientific organizations established in 1932

Mycological Society of America


The Fresh Democratic Party is a liberal political party in Nigeria. FRESH is an acronym, Faith, Responsibility, Equality, Security and Hope. The founder and presidential aspirant (2007) is Reverend Chris Okotie. The party believes in the unity and diversity of the Nigerian nation; the sanctity and collective will of the Nigerian people; the right of the Nigerian to good, accountable and compassionate leadership; and that federalism is the most effective form of co-existence in Nigeria.

A 50-page 2007 voters' guide, Who Deserves Your Vote, was criticised as being a medium to campaign for Okotie because it supports "a God fearing man of God as the true president that will take Nigeria to its next level". The author, Afo O Temienor, has stated that he has no personal relationship with Okotie, disputing claims that he is silently campaigning for him, "I am not campaigning for any single individual via my book, I am only trying to sharpen the discernment of the average voter to vote wisely. That does not mean I don't have a candidate of choice which dramatically turns out to be reverend Chris Okotie.  In fact I intend to work with FRESH Party because I believe in his vision, but once again I didn't write my book because of him".

External links
FRESH official site
Liberal parties in Nigeria
Political parties in Nigeria
2007 establishments in Nigeria
Political parties established in 2007

Fresh Democratic Party


"A' Is for A-l-i-v-e" is the first episode and premiere of the fourth season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, and is the 72nd episode overall, which aired on ABC Family on June 11, 2013. The episode was written and directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, marking the second episode King has directed for the TV series.

In the episode, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer try to find answers by questioning Mona about her knowledge of "A", in addition the Liars deal with different personal problems which they are facing. As they try to find out if Alison really is alive, Wilden's body is discovered which leads the new police officer Holbrook to investigate the case. to Meanwhile, Jessica DiLaurentis moves back to Rosewood, which begins to concern the girls.

A' Is for A-l-i-v-e" was watched by 2.97 million viewers and garnered a 1.3 rating, up from the previous episode, the third-season finale, and up 15 per cent from the third-season premiere a year ago. The episode was met with positive reviews from television critics as many was pleased with the improvement of the show and the answers of questions which many were wondering about. Many also agreed that the premiere reminded critics of the first season.

Plot
The contents of the trunk of Wilden's car is revealed to be a pig's corpse. The girls flee the scene, with Mona removing the disk showing footage of Ashley running over Wilden. In an attempt to earn some of their trust, Mona reveals a bunch of secrets to the PLLs. The next morning, the girls discover Wilden dead in the street by the church surrounded by coroners. It is revealed that Wilden was one of two people who wore the Queen of Hearts costume on the Halloween train. Mona says the other was Melissa but the computer is hacked and wiped before she can prove it. Mona is now "A"'s target along with the rest of the Liars.

Jessica DiLaurentis returns to Rosewood, but her intentions are unclear. Toby receives a text from "A" asking for the "A" van in exchange for information about his mother's death. "A" plants Ashley's cell phone in Wilden's casket, which Spencer and Mona retrieve based on a tip from "A." At Wilden's funeral, a mysterious woman dressed in a black veil appears and the PLLs meet Detective Gabriel Holbrook who is investigating the murders of Detective Wilden and Garrett Reynolds. The Liars and Mona then receive a text message from "A," which reveals that she was present the night they found Wilden's car and caught a video of it.

The Black Widow, the woman dressed in a black veil, is revealed to be on the "A" team and is seen in the RV placing a doll of Mona up with the five Liars. She then lifts up her veil, revealing that she is wearing the Alison mask that Red Coat wears but now half burned.

Production
The episode was written and directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, making it the second episode which she has directed. The title of the episode was announced on March 5, 2013, by Entertainment Online. In addition, it was announced that Marion, Toby's mother, would be introduced in the season premiere. The episode featured the songs "Kill Of The Night" by Gin Wigmore, "Whispers" by Dave Baxter, "If I Lose Myself" by OneRepublic, "Hurricane" by Ms Mr, "Bodies" by The Duke Spirit and "The Devil Within" by Digital Daggers. The episode focuses on the Liars trying to figure out what happened at the Lodge and to get answers from Mona regarding "A". It focuses on Hanna becoming friends with Mona again, Emily's focus on getting into colleges, Aria dealing with the aftermath of breaking up with Ezra and Spencer trying to solve what happened at the Lodge. It also includes Jessica DiLaurentis, Alison's mother, moving back to Rosewood.

On October 4, 2012, ABC Family renewed the series for a fourth season. On January 17, 2013, it was announced that the fourth season would start airing on June 11, 2013. Filming for the premiere began on March 11, 2013. On March 21, 2013, it was announced that Sean Faris would join the show and would be playing Pennsylvania state police officer Gabriel Holbrook.

References

External links

2013 American television episodes
Pretty Little Liars episodes
Television episodes about funerals

'A' Is for A-l-i-v-e


Lao Zi (老子 Lǎozi, jiske Lao Tsu bhi likha jaawe hae) ek famous Chinese philosopher rahaa. Uu ek book Tao Te Ching (道德經) ke bhi likhis rahaa. Ii book ke anusar, Tao ("the Way") badle nai hae aur "universal truth" hae.

Duusra websites

 Article by Bing YeYoung "The Shamanic Orgins of Laozi and Confucius"
 True Tao Home Page: articles, stories focused on practical applications of Tao teachings.
 A reconstructed portrait of Laozi, based on historical sources, in a contemporary style.
 Lao Tzu Page  that provides teachings on Laozi, his life and philosophical concepts.
 A collection of resources on Laozi by Patrick Jennings: Critical Thinkers: Lao Tse & Daoism.
 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
 老子 Lǎozĭ 道德經 Dàodéjīng - 拼音 Pīnyīn + 王弼 WángBì + 馬王堆 Mǎwángduī + 郭店 Guōdiàn

Philosophers
China ke log

Laozi