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= = = Critical reception = = =
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Calling the song " a decidedly <unk> duet " , Alex Needham of New Musical Express said that " She sings about boys , he sings about girls . A simple concept , but an effective one , resulting in Britney ’ s best single [ in ] ages . " David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said that The Neptunes ' productions on the album , " I 'm a Slave 4 U " and " Boys " " swaddle her in writhing , kick @-@ the @-@ can beats , but never have a groove and a verse been so betrayed by a limp chorus . " Nicki Tranter of PopMatters said that the remainder of the album was " tried and tested " dance @-@ pop , noting " Boys " and " Cinderella " revisiting " old Britney territory exploring predictable issues including her love being irreplaceable , her use of the dance floor as an appropriate courting place , and her much @-@ loved girl @-@ ness . " Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it a " popping , Janet @-@ esque groove . " Yale Daily News writer Catherine Halaby considered the song " an envelope @-@ pushing ( when you consider her claims of wholesomeness ) smutfest . "
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= = = Chart performance = = =
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The song failed to make much of an impact in the United States , only appearing on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart , where it appeared at number 22 . " Boys " is so far Britney Spears least successful single in the U.S. It appeared on the Billboard Pop Songs chart at number 32 . In Canada , on the Canadian Singles Chart , the song performed better , reaching number 21 . " Boys " fared better internationally , appearing in the top 20 in several markets in which it charted . On the UK Singles Chart , the song peaked at number seven . It also peaked in the top ten of the Irish Singles Chart and both the Belgian Flanders and Wallonia Ultratop charts . On the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia , the song spent 12 weeks on the chart , peaking at number 14 . " Boys " would go on to be certified Gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association . Furthermore , it peaked in the top 20 of the charts in Germany , Austria , Switzerland , Sweden , Finland , and Denmark .
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= = Music video = =
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The music video for " Boys " was directed by Dave Meyers . In the video , a man DJ Qualls , tries to get into a castle which is hosting a party being attended by Spears . When the security guards refuse to grant him access , he begins to scream for Spears . As the music starts , Spears , readying herself for the party in one of the castle 's towers , is dancing with a group of women . The scene shifts to a castle courtyard , where Spears and a man are sit at opposite ends of a long table . Following this , Spears walks around a pool , in which she sees a man ( Justin Bruening ) swimming . As they begin to interact with each other , Pharrell is at the bar with a woman . Spears walks over to him and they begin to talk . Following this , Spears dances with a group of people , including Mike Myers as Austin Powers . Actors Jason Priestley , Justin Bruening and Taye Diggs also make cameo appearances in the video . Its choreography was favorably likened to Janet Jackson . The video was nominated for at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Video from a Film , but lost to Eminem 's " Lose Yourself . "
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= = Live performances = =
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Spears performed " Boys " on multiple occasions . She performed the song on February 10 , 2002 at the 2002 NBA All @-@ Star Game . She also performed it on the twenty @-@ seventh season of Saturday Night Live on February 2 , 2002 . She performed the song as a mash @-@ up with " I 'm a Slave 4 U " on her ABC special , In the Zone , to promote her fourth album In the Zone . In the United Kingdom , Spears performed the song on CD : UK . On the 2001 Dream Within a Dream Tour , Spears performed it wearing a tank @-@ top and suspenders . In the tour 's extension in 2002 , she replaced the original version with the remix on the tour .
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On The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004 , it featured male dancers pushing her while she was standing in luggage carts . During her performance of the song on The Circus Starring Britney Spears , the singer performed wearing a military costume , while surrounded by her dancers , some of them riding bicycles . The rendition was described as a " Rhythm Nation @-@ like military stomp . " On 2011 's Femme Fatale Tour , Spears wears a golden cape for a snake charming number of the song . Spears included " Boys " on the setlist of her 2013 @-@ 15 Las Vegas residency , Britney : Piece of Me . During this performance , she and her dancers wear neon outfits . Sophie Schillaci from MTV considered the performance " crowd @-@ pleasing " .
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= = Usage in media = =
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The song has been performed in a mash up with Justin Bieber 's " Boyfriend " by Kevin McHale and Darren Criss ( respectively as their characters Artie Abrams and Blaine Anderson ) in the musical TV series Glee in the second episode of season four , " Britney 2 @.@ 0 " ( aired on September 20 , 2012 ) , which is also the show 's second tribute episode to Britney Spears .
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= = Track listings = =
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= = Charts and certifications = =
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= = Release history = =
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= Klein Bikes =
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Klein Bikes was a bicycle company founded by Gary Klein that pioneered the use of large diameter aluminum alloy tubes for greater stiffness and lower weight .
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Klein produced his first bicycle frames whilst a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 1970s , and full production runs of frames began in the 1980s . In 1995 the company was purchased by the Trek Bicycle Corporation , and the original Klein factory at Chehalis closed in 2002 as production moved to the Trek headquarters at Waterloo . Widespread distribution in the United States stopped in 2007 , and ceased altogether in the rest of the world in 2009 .
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= = History = =
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Gary Klein , born ( 1952 @-@ 06 @-@ 09 ) June 9 , 1952 , attended the University of California at Davis before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) . During the Independent Activities Period in 1973 , a group of students including Klein worked together under Professor Buckley to produce an aluminum framed bicycle . After analysing a number of contemporary steel frames , and examining ones that had broken in use , they were able to determine the stresses placed on a bicycle frame . Faced with limited available types of aluminum alloy tubing , the students chose to construct frames from 6061 aluminium alloy seamless drawn tube ; alternatives such as the stronger <unk> aluminum alloy were discarded because of the tubing dimensions .
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After graduating from MIT in 1974 with a degree in chemical engineering , Klein took a business course for entrepreneurs . As a keen road racer , in 1975 , he started a business project with three other people and built a limited run of aluminum alloy framed bikes at the MIT Innovation Center , using a US $ 20 @,@ 000 grant provided by MIT and US $ 1 @,@ 000 of capital from each partner . The prototypes , with larger diameter tubes and thinner walls than those produced in 1973 , were displayed at the International cycle show in New York in the February of 1975 .
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The next year , he relocated to some disused buildings on his parents ' farm in San Martin , California that had previously been used for dehydrating prunes . In 1977 , he patented use of large diameter aluminum alloy tubes to increase stiffness , and in 1980 , he moved from San Jose , California , to Chehalis , Washington . He started production runs of road bicycles in the early 1980s and mountain bikes in the mid 1980s .
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Whilst Klein 's use of aluminium for a bicycle frames was not entirely novel , his use of large diameter tubes was . Aluminium alloys have a Young 's modulus around a third that of steel , but with thicker tubes he was able to make a bicycle that weighed around 15 % less than a conventional model .
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In 1995 , Trek bought Klein bikes , after Klein found it hard to compete without the sales network of a larger company in place .
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At its peak , around 250 people worked at the Chehalis plant , but operation gradually moved to the main Trek factory in Wisconsin . In 2001 , a workforce of around 70 people produced 15 @,@ 000 to 20 @,@ 000 frames a year . In 2002 , all production moved to the Trek headquarters at Waterloo , Wisconsin . Bikes were still sold under the Klein name until around 2009 in Japan , but widespread distribution ceased circa 2007 in the United States .
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A green Klein mountain bike can be seen hanging on the wall in Jerry Seinfeld 's apartment in the television show Seinfeld .
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= = Innovations = =
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Some off @-@ road models featured two designs of one @-@ piece welded stem @-@ bar combination , marketed as " Mission Control " ( MC ) , that eliminated clamping bolts and excess material . The original version , <unk> , used a quill stem and required a 1 inch ( 25 mm ) threaded steerer . MC2 used a <unk> tightening against a collet that sat between the fork steerer and the stem , and a special eight pointed wrench was required to remove it . The steerer had to be cut to the correct length in order to adjust the height of the stem . <unk> was a third version that was only the stem , thus the handlebar was not welded .
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Klein held a patent ( US <unk> ) for an improved method of routing cables through the frame of a bicycle , that reduced aerodynamic drag and stress on the frame . The front and rear derailleur cables were routed through the down tube , and the rear brake cable through the top tube , although some models changed in 2002 to top tube cable routing for greater harmonisation with Shimano components .
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In the 2002 model year , Klein replaced 6061 aluminium alloy with a new alloy called ZR 9000 , that used zirconium in place of chromium ; the new alloy had not been assigned an industry number and it was named after the unused 9000 series . Advertised improvements included a 190 grams ( 6 @.@ 7 oz ) decrease in weight per frame and a fatigue life five times longer than the 2001 model year frames .
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= = Techniques = =
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Klein bicycles were famous for their paintwork , and offered a large number of custom colours and patterns . The paint used was a <unk> enamel non @-@ metallic paint that cost up to US $ 1 @,@ 800 per gallon . The Klein logo was <unk> into the frame by painting the frame in the colour of the logo , then applying a mask and painting the pattern .
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Beginning with the MC2 frames , Klein used " Gradient tubing " , where the wall thickness varied along the length and diameter of the tube . Highly manipulated <unk> on mountain bikes allowed a tighter rear triangle to accommodate large off @-@ road tyres , and facilitated efficient transfer of power .
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<unk> aluminium needed heat treating to restore strength lost in welding . After the treatment , frames were required to be aligned to within 0 @.@ 004 inches ( 0 @.@ 10 mm ) on all alignment surfaces , and were then machined to within 0 @.@ 0002 inches ( 0 @.@ 0051 mm ) .
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= = Models = =
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Klein produced both mountain bikes and road bikes .
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Models are sourced from the official catalogue for that particular year . Years marked in red are incomplete due to a lack of reliable source information .
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= = Sponsored teams = =
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Klein made custom bikes for San Francisco 's Lombardi team which were ridden in 2001 . German cycling team Gerolsteiner rode Klein Quantum frames before 2003 , when Gerolsteiner changed their bike sponsor to Wilier Triestina . For the 2004 season , Klein sponsored the <unk> Joe 's cycling team .
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= <unk> electric ray =
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The onefin electric ray or Cape numbfish ( Narke capensis ) is a common but little @-@ known species of electric ray in the family <unk> , native to South Africa and Namibia . It is a benthic fish found in shallow coastal bays over sandy or muddy bottoms . This small species reaches 38 cm ( 15 in ) in length , and has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc and a short , muscular tail that supports a large caudal fin . It can be identified by its single dorsal fin , which is located over the large pelvic fins . Its dorsal coloration is yellowish to dusky brown .
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Like other members of its family , the onefin electric ray can defend itself with a strong electric shock produced from a pair of kidney @-@ shaped electric organs beside its head . It feeds mainly on polychaete worms , and likely gives birth to live young . The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) presently lacks enough information to assess the conservation status of this species . It is often caught incidentally by bottom trawl fisheries off South Africa , and may also be impacted by pollution from coastal development .
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= = Taxonomy = =
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The onefin electric ray was described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789 , in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae . Gmelin 's name for the species was printed as Raja capensis in some copies of the book , and as Raja <unk> in others . The original spelling was probably <unk> , which modern taxonomists regard as a typesetting error as the etymology of capensis ( " of the Cape [ of Good Hope ] " ) is far more reasonable . Later sources have consistently used capensis , though to officially fix the specific epithet under that spelling would require a decision by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN ) . Gmelin did not refer to any type specimens . In 1826 , German naturalist Johann Jakob <unk> created the new genus Narke for this species , separating it from the other electric rays known at the time on the basis of its curved back and single dorsal fin . Later , more species were assigned to Narke .
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= = Description = =
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The pectoral fin disc of the onefin electric ray is wider than long and almost circular in shape . The two large , kidney @-@ shaped electric organs are visible beneath the skin on either side of the head . The eyes are small and protruding ; the larger spiracles lie closely behind and have three small finger @-@ like projections on their rims . The nostrils are placed rather close together , and between them is a long skirt @-@ like flap of skin that reaches the mouth . The small and protrusible mouth is nearly straight and surrounded by prominent furrows . The teeth are tiny and pointed . There are five pairs of small gill slits on the underside of the disc .
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The large and broad pelvic fins have convex margins and originate beneath the pectoral fins . Adult males have stubby claspers . There is a single rounded dorsal fin positioned over the pelvic fins . The short and thick tail has a skin fold running along either side and terminates in a large triangular caudal fin with rounded corners , which is almost symmetrical above and below . The soft skin is completely devoid of dermal denticles . This species varies from yellowish brown to dusky brown above ; parts of the tail 's upper surface are yellowish . The underside is white to yellow with brown fin margins . It grows up to 38 cm ( 15 in ) long and 26 cm ( 10 in ) across , though individuals of this size are rare .
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= = Distribution and habitat = =
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The onefin electric ray is common off the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa . Its range extends to central Namibia , with a single specimen recorded from <unk> Bay and a second unconfirmed sighting from Walvis Bay . A historical record of this species from Madagascar may be a misidentification . Bottom @-@ dwelling in nature , the onefin electric ray mainly inhabits bays with sandy or muddy bottoms . It is most often found in waters shallower than 50 – 100 m ( 160 – 330 ft ) , though it has been recorded from as deep as 183 m ( 600 ft ) .
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= = Biology and ecology = =
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Relative to its small size , the onefin electric ray can deliver an extremely powerful electric shock to defend itself against predators , which include the broadnose sevengill shark ( Notorynchus cepedianus ) . It propels itself using its muscular tail rather than its pectoral fins . The diet of this species consists mainly of polychaete worms . The reproductive biology of the onefin electric ray has not been documented ; presumably it is viviparous like other electric rays . Males mature sexually at somewhere between 11 and 17 cm ( 4 @.@ 3 and 6 @.@ 7 in ) long , while females mature at around 16 cm ( 6 @.@ 3 in ) long .
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= = Human interactions = =
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The shock produced by the onefin electric ray can be painful , but is not substantially dangerous to humans . Though not utilized economically , this ray is frequently caught as bycatch in bottom trawls in South African waters . Because of its inshore habits , it may also be negatively affected by water pollution from coastal development . The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) has listed this species as Data Deficient due to lack of specific data , while noting that its vulnerability to fishing and habitat degradation may merit concern .
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= Anarky =
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Anarky is a fictional character , appearing in comic books published by DC Comics . Co @-@ created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle , he first appeared in Detective Comics No. 608 ( November 1989 ) , as an adversary of Batman . Introduced as Lonnie Machin , a child prodigy with knowledge of radical philosophy and driven to overthrow governments to improve social conditions , stories revolving around Anarky often focus on political and philosophical themes . The character , who is named after the philosophy of anarchism , primarily espouses anti @-@ statism ; however , multiple social issues have been addressed through the character , including environmentalism , antimilitarism , economic inequality , and political corruption . Inspired by multiple sources , early stories featuring the character often included homages to political and philosophical books , and referenced anarchist philosophers and theorists . The inspiration for the creation of the character and its early development was based in Grant 's personal interest in anti @-@ authoritarian philosophy and politics . However , when Grant himself transitioned to the philosophy of Neo @-@ Tech , developed by Frank R. Wallace , he shifted the focus of Anarky from a vehicle for socialist and populist philosophy , to rationalist , atheist , and free market thinking .
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Originally intended to only be used in the debut story in which he appeared , Grant decided to continue using Anarky as a sporadically recurring character throughout the early 1990s , following positive reception by readers and Dennis O 'Neil . The character experienced a brief surge in media exposure during the late 1990s when Norm Breyfogle convinced Grant to produce a limited series based on the character . The 1997 spin @-@ off series , Anarky , was received with positive reviews and sales , and later declared by Grant to be among his " career highlights " . Batman : Anarky , a trade paperback collection of stories featuring the character , soon followed . This popular acclaim culminated , however , in a financially and critically unsuccessful ongoing solo series . The 1999 Anarky series , in which even Grant has expressed his distaste , was quickly canceled after eight issues .
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