title: Mica

text: Wet-ground mica, which retains the brilliance of its cleavage faces, is used primarily in pearlescent paints by the automotive industry. Many metallic-looking pigments are composed of a substrate of mica coated with another mineral, usually titanium dioxide (TiO). The resultant pigment produces a reflective color depending on the thickness of the coating. These products are used to produce automobile paint, shimmery plastic containers, high-quality inks used in advertising and security applications. In the cosmetics industry, its reflective and refractive properties make mica an important ingredient in blushes, eye liner, eye shadow, foundation, hair and body glitter, lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, moisturizing lotions, and nail polish. Some brands of toothpaste include powdered white mica. This acts as a mild abrasive to aid polishing of the tooth surface, and also adds a cosmetically pleasing, glittery shimmer to the paste. Mica is added to latex balloons to provide a colored shiny surface.


title: Mica

text: Muscovite and phlogopite splittings can be fabricated into various built-up mica products. Produced by mechanized or hand setting of overlapping splittings and alternate layers of binders and splittings, built-up mica is used primarily as an electrical insulation material. Mica insulation is used in high-temperature and fire-resistant power cables in aluminium plants, blast furnaces, critical wiring circuits (for example, defense systems, fire and security alarm systems, and surveillance systems), heaters and boilers, lumber kilns, metal smelters, and tanks and furnace wiring. Specific high-temperature mica-insulated wire and cable is rated to work for up to 15 minutes in molten aluminium, glass, and steel. Major products are bonding materials; flexible, heater, molding, and segment plates; mica paper; and tape.


title: Mica

text: Flexible plate is used in electric motor and generator armatures, field coil insulation, and magnet and commutator core insulation. Mica consumption in flexible plate was about 21 tonnes in 2008 in the US. Heater plate is used where high-temperature insulation is required. Molding plate is sheet mica from which V-rings are cut and stamped for use in insulating the copper segments from the steel shaft ends of a commutator. Molding plate is also fabricated into tubes and rings for insulation in armatures, motor starters, and transformers. Segment plate acts as insulation between the copper commutator segments of direct-current universal motors and generators. Phlogopite built-up mica is preferred because it wears at the same rate as the copper segments. Although muscovite has a greater resistance to wear, it causes uneven ridges that may interfere with the operation of a motor or generator. Consumption of segment plate was about 149 t in 2008 in the US. Some types of built-up mica have the bonded splittings reinforced with cloth, glass, linen, muslin, plastic, silk, or special paper. These products are very flexible and are produced in wide, continuous sheets that are either shipped, rolled, or cut into ribbons or tapes, or trimmed to specified dimensions. Built-up mica products may also be corrugated or reinforced by multiple layering. In 2008, about 351 t of built-up mica was consumed in the US, mostly for molding plates (19%) and segment plates (42%).


title: Mica

text: Technical grade sheet mica is used in electrical components, electronics, in atomic force microscopy and as window sheets. Other uses include diaphragms for oxygen-breathing equipment, marker dials for navigation compasses, optical filters, pyrometers, thermal regulators, stove and kerosene heater windows, radiation aperture covers for microwave ovens, and micathermic heater elements. Mica is birefringent and is therefore commonly used to make quarter and half wave plates. Specialized applications for sheet mica are found in aerospace components in air-, ground-, and sea-launched missile systems, laser devices, medical electronics and radar systems. Mica is mechanically stable in micrometer-thin sheets which are relatively transparent to radiation (such as alpha particles) while being impervious to most gases. It is therefore used as a window on radiation detectors such as Geiger–Müller tubes.


title: Mica

text: In 2008, mica splittings represented the largest part of the sheet mica industry in the United States. Consumption of muscovite and phlogopite splittings was about 308 t in 2008. Muscovite splittings from India accounted for essentially all US consumption. The remainder was primarily imported from Madagascar.


title: Mica

text: Small squared pieces of sheet mica are also used in the traditional Japanese "Kōdō" ceremony to burn incense: A burning piece of coal is placed inside a cone made of white ash. The sheet of mica is placed on top, acting as a separator between the heat source and the incense, in order to spread the fragrance without burning it.


title: Mica

text: Sheet mica is used principally in the electronic and electrical industries. Its usefulness in these applications is derived from its unique electrical and thermal properties and its mechanical properties, which allow it to be cut, punched, stamped, and machined to close tolerances. Specifically, mica is unusual in that it is a good electrical insulator at the same time as being a good thermal conductor. The leading use of block mica is as an electrical insulator in electronic equipment. High-quality block mica is processed to line the gauge glasses of high-pressure steam boilers because of its flexibility, transparency, and resistance to heat and chemical attack. Only high-quality muscovite film mica, which is variously called India ruby mica or ruby muscovite mica, is used as a dielectric in capacitors. The highest quality mica film is used to manufacture capacitors for calibration standards. The next lower grade is used in transmitting capacitors. Receiving capacitors use a slightly lower grade of high-quality muscovite.


title: Mica

text: Mica sheets are used to provide structure for heating wire (such as in Kanthal or Nichrome) in heating elements and can withstand up to .


title: Mica

text: Single ended self-starting lamps are insulated with a mica disc and contained in a borosilicate glass gas discharge tube (arc tube) and a metal cap. They include the sodium-vapor lamp that is the gas-discharge lamp in street lighting.


title: Mica

text: Another use of mica is as a substrate in the production of ultraflat, thin-film surfaces, e.g. gold surfaces. Although the deposited film surface is still rough due to deposition kinetics, the back side of the film at the mica-film interface is ultraflat once the film is removed from the substrate. Freshly-cleaved mica surfaces have been used as clean imaging substrates in atomic force microscopy, enabling for example the imaging of bismuth films, plasma glycoproteins, membrane bilayers, and DNA molecules.


title: Mica

text: Thin transparent sheets of mica were used for peepholes in boilers, lanterns, stoves, and kerosene heaters because they were less likely to shatter than glass when exposed to extreme temperature gradients. Such peepholes were also fitted in horse-drawn carriages and early 20th-century cars, where they were called "isinglass curtains".


title: Mica

text: The word "mica" is derived from the Latin word ', meaning "a crumb", and probably influenced by ', to glitter.


title: Mica

text: Human use of mica dates back to prehistoric times. Mica was known to ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Chinese civilizations, as well as the Aztec civilization of the New World.


title: Mica

text: The earliest use of mica has been found in cave paintings created during the Upper Paleolithic period (40,000 BC to 10,000 BC). The first hues were red (iron oxide, hematite, or red ochre) and black (manganese dioxide, pyrolusite), though black from juniper or pine carbons has also been discovered. White from kaolin or mica was used occasionally.


title: Mica

text: A few kilometers northeast of Mexico City stands the ancient site of Teotihuacan. The most striking structure of Teotihuacan is the towering Pyramid of the Sun. The pyramid contained considerable amounts of mica in layers up to thick.


title: Mica

text: Natural mica was and still is used by the Taos and Picuris Pueblos Indians in north-central New Mexico to make pottery. The pottery is made from weathered Precambrian mica schist, and has flecks of mica throughout the vessels. Tewa Pueblo pottery is made by coating the clay with mica to provide a dense, glittery micaceous finish over the entire object.


title: Mica

text: Mica flakes (called "abrak" in Urdu and written as ابرک) are also used in Pakistan to embellish women's summer clothes, especially "dupattas" (long light-weight scarves, often colorful and matching the dress). Thin mica flakes are added to a hot starch water solution, and the "dupatta" is dipped in this water mixture for 3–5 minutes. Then it is hung to air dry.


title: Mica

text: Throughout the ages, fine powders of mica have been used for various purposes, including decorations. Powdered mica glitter is used to decorate traditional water clay pots in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; it is also used on traditional Pueblo pottery, though not restricted to use on water pots in this case. The "gulal" and "abir" (colored powders) used by North Indian Hindus during the festive season of Holi contain fine crystals of mica to create a sparkling effect. The majestic Padmanabhapuram Palace, from Trivandrum in India, has colored mica windows.


title: Mica

text: Mica powder is also used as a decoration in traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking, as when applied to wet ink with gelatin as thickener using "kirazuri" technique and allowed to dry, it sparkles and reflects light. Earlier examples are found among paper decorations, with the height as the Nishi Honganji 36 Poets Collection, codices of illuminated manuscripts in and after ACE 1112. For metallic glitter, "Ukiyo-e" prints employed very thick solution either with or without color pigments stenciled on hairpins, sword blades or fish scales on .


title: Mica

text: The soil around Nishio in central Japan is rich in mica deposits, which was already mined in the Nara period. Yatsuomote ware is a type of local Japanese pottery from there. After an incident at Mount Yatsuomote a small bell was offered to soothe the "kami". Katō Kumazō started a local tradition where small ceramic zodiac bells (きらら鈴) were made out of local mica kneaded into the clay, and after burning in the kiln the bell would make a pleasing sound when rung.


title: Mica

text: Ayurveda, the Hindu system of ancient medicine prevalent in India, includes the purification and processing of mica in preparing Abhraka bhasma, which is claimed as a treatment for diseases of the respiratory and digestive tracts.


title: Mica

text: Mica dust in the workplace is regarded as a hazardous substance for respiratory exposure above certain concentrations.


title: Mica

text: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the legal limit (permissible exposure limit) for mica exposure in the workplace as 20 million parts per cubic foot (706,720,000 parts per cubic meter) over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has set a recommended exposure limit (REL) of 3 mg/m respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday. At levels of 1,500 mg/m, mica is immediately dangerous to life and health.


title: Mica

text: Some lightweight aggregates, such as diatomite, perlite, and vermiculite, may be substituted for ground mica when used as filler. Ground synthetic "fluorophlogopite", a fluorine-rich mica, may replace natural ground mica for uses that require thermal and electrical properties of mica. Many materials can be substituted for mica in numerous electrical, electronic, and insulation uses. Substitutes include acrylate polymers, cellulose acetate, fiberglass, fishpaper, nylon, phenolics, polycarbonate, polyester, styrene, vinyl-PVC, and vulcanized fiber. Mica paper made from scrap mica can be substituted for sheet mica in electrical and insulation applications.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: John Allen Muhammad (born Williams; December 31, 1960 – November 10, 2009) was an American convicted murderer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He, along with his partner and accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo (aged 17), a native of Kingston, Jamaica, carried out the D.C. sniper attacks of October 2002, killing 10 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert citizens. Although the actions of the two individuals were classified by the media as psychopathy attributable to serial killer characteristics, whether or not their psychopathy meets this classification or as a spree killer is debated by researchers.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Born as John Allen Williams, Muhammad joined the Nation of Islam in 1987 and later changed his surname to Muhammad. At Muhammad's trial, the prosecutor claimed that the attacks were part of a plot to kill his ex-wife and regain custody of his children, but the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support this argument.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: His trial for one of the murders (of Dean Harold Meyers in Prince William County, Virginia) began in October 2003, and the following month he was found guilty of capital murder. Four months later he was sentenced to death. While awaiting execution in Virginia, in August 2005, he was extradited to Maryland to face some of the charges there. He was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder on May 30, 2006. Upon completion of the trial activity in Maryland, Muhammad was returned to Virginia's death row pending an agreement with another state or the District of Columbia seeking to try him. He was not tried on additional charges in other Virginia jurisdictions and faced potential trials in three other states and the District of Columbia involving other murders and attempted murders. All appeals of his conviction for killing Meyers had been made and rejected. Appeals for Muhammad's other trials remained pending at the time of his execution.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad was executed by lethal injection on November 10, 2009, at 9:06 p.m. EST at the Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt, Virginia, and was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m. EST. Muhammad declined to make a final statement.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Born John Allen Williams in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Ernest and Eva Williams, he and his family moved to New Orleans when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; she died when he was three years old. After his mother's death, his father left. Williams was mainly raised by his maternal grandfather and an aunt.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In 1987, at the age of 27, he joined the Nation of Islam. As a member of the Nation of Islam, Muhammad helped provide security for the "Million Man March" in 1995. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has publicly distanced himself and his organization from Muhammad's crimes.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad kidnapped his children and took them to Antigua around 1999, apparently engaging in credit card and immigration document fraud. It was during this time that he became close with Lee Boyd Malvo, a Jamaican child who later acted as Muhammad's partner in the killings.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Williams changed his name to John Allen Muhammad in October 2001. After his arrest, authorities also claimed that Muhammad admitted that he admired and modeled himself after Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and approved of the September 11 attacks. Malvo testified that Muhammad had indoctrinated him into believing that the proceeds of an extortion attempt would be used to establish "a camp in Canada where homeless children would be trained as terrorists."


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad was twice divorced; his second ex-wife, Mildred Muhammad, sought and was granted a restraining order, alleging abuse. Muhammad was arrested on federal charges of violating the restraining order by possessing a weapon. Under federal law, those with restraining orders are prohibited from purchasing or possessing guns, as per the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Defense attorneys in the Malvo trial and prosecutors in Muhammad's trial argued that the ultimate goal of the Beltway sniper murders was to kill Mildred in order to regain custody of his three children.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In August 1978, Muhammad enlisted in the Louisiana Army National Guard at Baton Rouge as a combat engineer. He transferred to the Regular Army on November 6, 1985, and was trained as a mechanic, truck driver and specialist metalworker. He qualified with the Army's standard rifle, the M16, earning the Expert Rifleman's Badge. This is the Army's highest of three levels of basic rifle marksmanship for a soldier.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad's first tour was with the 15th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis in 1985. In 1991, he served in the Gulf War with a company that dismantled Iraqi chemical warfare rockets, service for which he received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait). In 1992, he was at Fort Ord, California, with the 13th Engineers and in 1993 was back at Fort Lewis with the 14th Engineer Battalion.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of sergeant on April 24, 1994, after 16 years of service. He received the following awards: Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Ribbon, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon and Army Achievement Medal.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Police followed a lead in which Muhammad or Malvo left a note at one of the shootings to tell the police to investigate a liquor store robbery-murder that had occurred in Montgomery, Alabama. Investigators responding to that crime scene found one of the suspects had dropped a magazine with his fingerprints on it; these were subsequently identified as belonging to Malvo, whose prints were on file with the INS and who was known to associate with Muhammad. They had lived together for around a year in Tacoma, Washington, where Malvo used the alias John Lee Malvo.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad's identification led to the discovery that he had purchased a former police car, a blue Chevrolet Caprice, in New Jersey on September 11, 2002. A lookout broadcast to the public on that vehicle resulted in the arrest of Muhammad and Malvo when the car was spotted parked at an Interstate 70 rest stop in Myersville, Maryland.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On October 24, 2002, Muhammad was captured in Maryland, where most of the attacks and murders took place. Although Maryland sought to bring him to trial, United States attorney general John Ashcroft reassigned the case to the jurisdiction of Paul Ebert, the Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County, Virginia. Virginia was viewed as more likely to impose a death sentence, which was borne out by the Virginia and Maryland verdicts. Virginia also allowed the death penalty for juveniles.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In October 2003, Muhammad went on trial for the murder of Dean Meyers. The crime had occurred in Prince William County, near the city of Manassas, Virginia. The trial had been moved from Prince William County to Virginia Beach, approximately 200 miles away. Muhammad was granted the right to represent himself in his defense and dismissed his legal counsel, though he immediately switched back to having legal representation after his opening argument. He was charged with murder, terrorism, conspiracy and the illegal use of a firearm and faced a possible death sentence.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Prosecutors said the shootings were part of a plot to extort $10 million from local and state governments. The prosecution said that they would make the case for 16 shootings allegedly involving Muhammad. The terrorism charge against Muhammad required prosecutors to prove he committed at least two shootings in a three-year period.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: The prosecution called more than 130 witnesses and introduced more than 400 pieces of evidence intended to prove that Muhammad undertook the murders and ordered Malvo to help carry it out. Evidence included a rifle found in Muhammad's car that was linked by ballistics tests to eight of the 10 killings in the Washington area and two others in Louisiana and Alabama; the car, which was modified so that a sniper could shoot from inside the trunk; and a laptop computer, also found in the car, that contained maps with icons pinpointing shooting scenes. Witness accounts put Muhammad across the street from one shooting and his car near the scene of several others. There was also a recorded phone call to a police hotline in which a man, his voice identified by a detective as Muhammad's, demanded money in exchange for stopping the shootings.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad's defense asked the court to drop the capital murder charges because there was no direct evidence. Malvo's fingerprints were on the Bushmaster rifle found in Muhammad's car and DNA from Muhammad was discovered on the rifle, but the defense contended that Muhammad could not be put to death under Virginia's "trigger-man law" unless he actually pulled the trigger to kill Meyers, and nobody testified that they saw him do so.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On November 17, 2003, Muhammad was convicted of all four counts in the indictment against him: capital murder for the shooting of Meyers; capital murder under Virginia's antiterrorism statute for homicide committed with an intent to terrorize the government or the public at large; conspiracy to commit murder; and the illegal use of a firearm. In the penalty phase of the trial, the jury, after five hours of deliberation over two days, unanimously recommended that Muhammad be sentenced to death. On March 9, 2004, a Virginia judge agreed with the jury's recommendation and sentenced John Allen Muhammad to death.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On April 22, 2005, the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed his death penalty, stating that Muhammad could be sentenced to death because the murder was part of an act of terrorism. The court also rejected an argument by defense lawyers that he could not be sentenced to death because he was not the triggerman in the killings. Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald W. Lemons said at the time, "With calculation, extensive planning, premeditation and ruthless disregard for life, Muhammad carried out his cruel scheme of terror."


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In May 2005, Maryland and Virginia reached an agreement to allow his extradition to face Maryland charges. He was held at the maximum security Sussex I State Prison near Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia, which houses Virginia's male death row inmates. In August 2005, while awaiting execution in Virginia, he was extradited to Montgomery County, Maryland to face charges there.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On May 30, 2006, a Maryland jury found Muhammad guilty of six counts of murder. He was sentenced to six consecutive life terms without possibility of parole on June 1, 2006. Neither Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana nor Washington (state) moved to try Muhammad, given his death sentence for murder in Virginia. In 2006, Malvo confessed that the pair also killed 14 victims in California, Arizona, and Texas.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On May 6, 2008, it was revealed that Muhammad asked prosecutors in a letter to help him end legal appeals of his conviction and death sentence "so that you can murder this innocent black man." An appeal filed by Muhammad's defense lawyers in April 2008 cited evidence of brain damage that would render Muhammad incompetent to make legal decisions and that he should not have been allowed to represent himself at his Virginia trial.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On September 16, 2009, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Mary Grace O'Brien set Muhammad's execution date for November 10, 2009. On November 9, 2009, Muhammad's petition for review of his death sentence was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice John Paul Stevens, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, wrote a separate opinion stating that Virginia's rush to set an execution date "highlights once again the perversity of executing inmates before their appeals process has been fully concluded" while noting that they concurred with the decision that the appeal ought not be heard.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In 2003, Malvo and Muhammad were named in a civil lawsuit by the Legal Action Project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence on behalf of two of their victims who were seriously wounded and the families of some of those murdered. Although Malvo and Muhammad were each believed to be indigent, co-defendants Bull's Eye Shooter Supply and Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. contributed to a landmark $2.5 million out-of-court settlement in late 2004.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: In Muhammad's May 2006 trial in Montgomery County, Maryland, Malvo, who was sentenced to a term of life without parole for his role in the shootings, confessed to a more detailed version of the pair's plans. After psychological counseling, he admitted that he was lying at the earlier Virginia trial when he admitted to being the trigger man for every shooting. He said he lied to save Muhammad from a death penalty sentence. Malvo believed that he would not face the death penalty because he was a minor. In two days of testimony, Malvo outlined detailed aspects of all the shootings.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Part of his testimony concerned Muhammad's complete plan with three phases in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. Phase one consisted of meticulously planning, mapping and practicing their locations around the D.C. area so after each shooting they could quickly leave the area on a predetermined path and continue to the next location. Muhammad's goal in phase one was to kill six white people a day for 30 days. Malvo described how phase one did not go as planned due to heavy traffic and the lack of a clear shot or getaway routes.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Phase two was meant to be undertaken in Baltimore, but was never carried out. It was to begin with the killing of a pregnant woman by a shot to the abdomen. The next step was to have been the killing of a Baltimore City police officer and, at the officer's funeral, to detonate improvised explosive devices that contained shrapnel to kill police officers attending the funeral.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Phase three was to begin during phase two. It was to extort millions of dollars from the United States government. The money would be used to pay for travel to Canada, stopping en route at YMCAs and orphanages to recruit impressionable young boys with no parents or guidance. Once he recruited a large number of young boys and arrived in Canada, Muhammad would train the boys with weapons and send them across the United States to carry out mass shootings as he had done in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: On November 10, 2009, hours before Muhammad's scheduled execution, pleas for clemency made by his attorneys were denied by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Under Virginia law, a defendant convicted of capital murder is allowed to choose the method by which he or she will be put to death—either lethal injection or electrocution. As Muhammad declined to select a method, by law the method of lethal injection was selected for him. He was offered a selection of a last meal, which he accepted. Muhammad's last meal consisted of chicken, red sauce and cake.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad declined to make a final statement and his execution began at 9 p.m. EST at the Greensville Correctional Center, Greensville County, near Jarratt, Virginia. The lethal injection process began at 9:06 p.m. EST. Muhammad was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m. EST.


title: John Allen Muhammad

text: Muhammad is portrayed by Bobby Hosea in the 2003 film "", by Ken Foree in the 2010 film "D.C. Sniper" and by Isaiah Washington in the 2013 film "Blue Caprice".


title: Molly McCann

text: Molly McCann (born 4 May 1990) is an English mixed martial artist. She is a former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion and currently competes in the women’s flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann was born in Liverpool on 4 May 1990. Her father was absent and mother had substance abuse problems, so she was partially raised by her aunt. She grew up in Liverpool's Norris Green area with two sisters. Initially she trained in karate, kickboxing, and Thai boxing before starting boxing around the age of 12. She then played football for five years before starting MMA training in 2013. Despite a life-long affinity with Everton, McCann played for Liverpool, until an ankle ligament injury brought about her football retirement. Upon signing 16-year-old McCann in 2006, Liverpool manager Keith "Cliffy" Cliffe described her as a promising midfielder who liked to push forward. She graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in sports development and physical education.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann fought most of her early MMA career in Liverpool. In her early years as a fighter, she supported herself by working at Subway, which earned her the nickname "Meatball Molly". She fought for the MMA promotion Shock N' Awe, where she won the vacant Shock N' Awe Flyweight Championship and also defended it once. McCann also won the vacant Cage Warriors Fighting Championship Women's Flyweight Championship in 2018 against Bryony Tyrell. After competing on the regional circuit, she amassed a record of 7–1 before signing with the UFC.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann made her UFC debut on 27 May 2018, against Gillian Robertson at . At the weigh-ins, she weighed in at 127 pounds, a single pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126. She was fined 20% of her purse, which went to Robertson. She lost the fight via a rear-naked choke in round two.


title: Molly McCann

text: Her second fight came on 15 March 2019, facing Priscila Cachoeira at . She won the fight via unanimous decision.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann faced Ariane Lipski on 22 June 2019 at . She won the fight via unanimous decision. Shortly after the fight, McCann signed a new four-fight contract with the UFC.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann faced Diana Belbiţă on 18 October 2019 at UFC on ESPN 6. She won the fight via unanimous decision.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann was scheduled to face Ashlee Evans-Smith on 21 March 2020 at . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed. Instead McCann faced Taila Santos on 16 July 2020 at . She lost the fight via unanimous decision.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann faced Ji Yeon Kim on 4 September 2021 at UFC Fight Night 191. She won the fight via unanimous decision. The back-and-forth bout won both contestants the "Fight of the Night" bonus award.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann faced Luana Carolina on 19 March 2022 at UFC Fight Night 204. She won the fight via knockout after landing a "Hellbow" - or spinning back elbow - in round three. With this win, she received the "Performance of the Night" award.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann faced Hannah Goldy on 23 July 2022 at UFC Fight Night 208. She won the fight via technical knockout. This win earned her the "Performance of the Night" award.


title: Molly McCann

text: As the first bout of her new eight-fight contract, McCann faced Erin Blanchfield on 12 November 2022 at UFC 281. She lost the fight via a kimura submission in the first round.


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann struggled with her sexuality in her youth. She came out publicly as lesbian at 25 after stating, "I absolutely ran from it until the wheels fell off, until I couldn’t run no more."


title: Molly McCann

text: McCann is a close friend of fellow Liverpudlian mixed martial artist Paddy Pimblett and a supporter of Everton and Celtic. She describes herself as a socialist and a Labour supporter. She is an opponent of the Conservative Party, due to her opinion that they had a negative effect on Liverpool and the working class in general, and on 23 July 2022, she led the crowd at the O2 Arena in a chant of "fuck the tories".


title: Red-light district

text: A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particularly associated with female street prostitution, though in some cities, these areas may coincide with spaces of male prostitution and gay venues. Areas in many big cities around the world have acquired an international reputation as red-light districts.


title: Red-light district

text: Red-light districts are mentioned in the 1882 minutes of a Woman's Christian Temperance Union meeting in the United States. The "Oxford English Dictionary" records the earliest known appearance of the term "red light district" in print as an 1894 article from the "Sandusky Register", a newspaper in Sandusky, Ohio.


title: Red-light district

text: Author Paul Wellman suggests that this and other terms associated with the American Old West originated in Dodge City, Kansas, home to a well-known prostitution district during the 19th century, which included the Red Light House saloon. This has not been proven, but the Dodge City use was likely responsible for the term's pervasiveness. A widespread folk etymology claims that early railroad workers took red lanterns with them when they visited brothels so their crew could find them in the event of an emergency. However, folklorist Barbara Mikkelson regards this as unfounded.


title: Red-light district

text: A more plausible explanation might originate from the time when sailors came back from sea to Amsterdam (ca. 1650): Women working as prostitutes, deprived from proper hygiene and running fresh water, carrying red lanterns — with their color camouflaging boils, zits, inequalities in the face and on the skin — made clear they were available as women of pleasure. Sailors, finally getting their relative royal pay, having been at sea for quite some time and looking for relief could so easily spot who would be available. In a later stage the red lanterns evolved into red lights at brothels. Since this was close to the main harbour, this district became known as the red-light district:


title: Red-light district

text: One of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is , literally meaning "red-line". Japanese police drew a red line on maps to indicate the boundaries of legal red-light districts. In Japanese, the term , literally meaning "blue-line", also exists, indicating an illegal district.


title: Red-light district

text: In the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term "sporting district" became popular for legal red-light districts. Municipal governments typically defined such districts explicitly to contain and regulate prostitution.


title: Red-light district

text: Some red-light districts (such as De Wallen, Netherlands, or Reeperbahn, Germany) are places which are officially designated by authorities for legal and regulated prostitution. Often, these red-light districts were formed by authorities to help regulate prostitution and other related activities, such that they were confined to a single area.


title: Red-light district

text: Some red-light districts (such as those in The Hague) are under video surveillance. This can help counter illegal forms of prostitution (such as child prostitution), in these areas that do allow regular prostitution to occur.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Opel Astra is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) developed and produced by the German automaker Opel since 1991, currently at its sixth generation. It was first launched in September 1991 as a direct replacement to the Opel Kadett. , the car slots between the smaller Corsa supermini and the larger Insignia large family car.


title: Opel Astra

text: Initially, the Astra was available in hatchback, saloon, and estate (station wagon; known as the Astra Caravan, later the Sports Tourer) forms. A panel van (sedan delivery; Astravan) and a convertible (Astra Cabrio) also appeared in the early 1990s. These body styles were later followed by a coupé (the Astra GTC) in 2004, and the sporty Astra OPC appeared in 2005. The Twin Top retractable hardtop convertible replaced the soft top convertible in 2006, while the Caravan was renamed to Astra Sports Tourer since 2009.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra is branded the Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom. It was rebadged and sold as the Saturn Astra in North America between 2008 and 2009, as the Buick Excelle XT from 2009 until 2015 and as the Buick Verano/Hatchback GS in China from 2015 until 2021. The Holden Astra was discontinued in Australia and New Zealand in 2009, and was replaced by the locally assembled Holden Cruze. It briefly returned to the Australian market in 2012, for the first time badged as an Opel, but was discontinued after Opel withdrew from the country a year later. In 2015, Opel reintroduced the Astra GTC and Astra VXR to Australia and New Zealand in 2015, again bearing the Holden badge. Between 2017 and 2019, the Astra nameplate was also used for the Holden version of the Cruze sedan.


title: Opel Astra

text: After Opel was sold by General Motors to PSA Group, the Astra K continued to be produced under license until it was replaced by the Astra L. Developed by PSA Group, the Astra L was released after the merger of the company to form Stellantis.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra nameplate originates from Vauxhall, which had manufactured and marketed earlier generations of the Opel Kadett (the Kadett D (1979–1984) and Kadett E (1984–1991)) as the Vauxhall Astra. Subsequent GM Europe policy standardised model nomenclature in the early 1990s, whereby model names were the same in all markets regardless of the marque they were sold under.


title: Opel Astra

text: As of 2021, there have been six generations of the Astra (or eleven generations of the Kadett/Astra family as a whole). In a fashion typical for Opel, they are designated with subsequent letters of the Latin alphabet. Opel's official convention is that the Astra is a logical continuation of the Kadett lineage, thus, the first generation of Opel Astra as the "Astra F" (the last Opel Kadett was the Kadett E). The usual convention would have started with "Astra A", if the Astra had been considered a separate model. Models sold as Vauxhall, Holden, or Chevrolet have different generation designations reflecting the history of those nameplates in their home markets and their naming conventions.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra F debuted in September 1991. With the Kadett E's successor, Opel adopted the Astra nameplate, which was already used by Vauxhall for the Kadett D and E (see Vauxhall Astra). It was offered as a three- or five-door hatchback, a saloon (sedan), and an estate (wagon) known as the Caravan and available with five doors only, bringing Opel's run of three-door wagons to an end at long last. A cabriolet was also offered, designed, and built by Bertone in Italy. While the Astra F finished production in Germany in 1998, Polish-built Astras remained on offer in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey, with the name Opel Astra Classic from 1998 to 2002.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra F consisted of two main revisions and was revised in 1995, with the launch of Opel's new Ecotec engine.


title: Opel Astra

text: Aside from the South Africa-only 200t S, the lead model was the GSi – a 2.0-litre 16V fuel injected model with , available as a three-door only. It also featured a sports body kit and widened front seats in the interior. However, this was substituted in 1995 and was renamed as "SPORT", although only a limited number were produced and the body kit was removed also and it could be selected with the lower-powered, but more modern 'Ecotec' version, the X20XEV (136 hp, 100 kW) parallel with the C20XE. In Europe from 1994 all Astra models were offered with the 2.0 L 16V Ecotec X20XEV parallel with the 2.0 L 8V (C20NE) engine, but the three-door and station wagon models could be selected with the 151 hp (110 kW) C20XE engine. Some Astra models had a 1.6 L engine with 83 hp.


title: Opel Astra

text: After the Astra F was replaced by the new generation Astra G in 1998, the so-called "REDTOP" C20XE engine was also taken out of production.


title: Opel Astra

text: The model was also launched in South Africa in 1991, where it was produced under licence by Delta. The "Kadett" name was retained for the hatchback Astras until 1999. The sedan and station wagon models were offered under the Astra name. The Kadett and Astra in South Africa won the title of 'Car of the Year' in two consecutive years (1994 and 1995) even though they were versions of the same car. South African nomenclature was denoted in centilitres, so the Astra and Kadett ranges featured 140, 160i, 180i and 200i models. The South African lineup included a unique variant with a turbocharged C20LET engine called the Opel Kadett 200t S. The 200t S was built by Delta Motor Corporation and faster than the then-current BMW M3 in a quarter-mile drag race. The "t" stands for the turbocharger. The engine was sourced from the 4x4 Opel Calibra and Opel Vectra and converted from a six-speed, four-wheel drive transmission (Getrag F28) to front-wheel drive only.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Opel Astra also became available in Australasia badged as a Holden, first in New Zealand in 1995, and then Australia in 1996. These models were imported from the UK. The Holden Astra name had previously been used on rebadged Nissan Pulsar models from 1984 to 1989.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Opel Astra's first generation was exported to Brazil from December 1994 as the Chevrolet Astra, possibly because of a lowering of import tariffs. General Motors do Brasil sent the 2.0-litre, 115 bhp engines to Belgium, whence the completed cars took their way to Brazil. In February 1996 the Brazilian government again changed the import tariff, from 20 to 70% - making the car prohibitively expensive and leading to its cancellation after just over a year on the market. Instead, the locally built Kadett was updated. The second-generation Astra was manufactured in Brazil.


title: Opel Astra

text: Beginning in March 1995, the Astra sedan was assembled in Indonesia where it was marketed as the Opel Optima. The renaming was done as the name was already used by Astra International, a local automotive company and an assembler/distributor of several competing car brands. In India the Opel Astra was assembled for the local market in a joint venture with the Birla Companies, beginning in 1996. Indian production ended in 2002.


title: Opel Astra

text: The first-generation Chevrolet Astra in Brazil had a Vauxhall-style front grille featuring a "V", containing the Chevrolet badge.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra G was launched in Europe in 1998. It was available as a three or five-door hatchback, four-door saloon, five-door estate (in Opel tradition, known as a "Caravan") and two special versions from 2000: the Astra Coupé and the Astra Cabrio, both of them designed and built by Bertone. The Astra G saw the introduction of a natural gas-powered engine. Its chassis was tuned by Lotus and formed the base of a 7-seater compact MPV, the Opel Zafira, which was co-developed by Porsche. Approximately 90,000 coupés were produced.


title: Opel Astra

text: The manufacturing of the Astra saloon and Caravan continued at Opel's Gliwice plant in Poland after the debut of the next-generation Astra H, with the older model being branded as Astra Classic in a similar fashion to its predecessor, catering to the lower end of the market. This car was offered in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey with the name Astra Classic II from 2004 to the end of 2009. Apart from European markets, these models were also sold in Australia and New Zealand as the Holden Astra Classic, until they were replaced by the Holden Viva (built-in South Korea) in 2006.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra G was built as Chevrolet Astra in Brazil. It was facelifted in 2003 and was sold in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and other Latin American markets until 2011. The GM Brazilian 2.0 8V inline-four engine which equips the Astra has the "flex-power" technology, that allows the car to run on both petrol and alcohol fuels, providing 128/140 hp (G/A) at 5200 rpm.


title: Opel Astra

text: A taxi version of the Brazilian sourced model, powered with gasoline 2.0-litre engine was sold in Chile as the Chevy Urban.


title: Opel Astra

text: In 2004, GM's Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ launched the 4-door version of the Astra G as the Chevrolet Viva. It was sold through Chevrolet dealers in Russia, while Opel dealers were selling the newer Opel Astra H. Sales were poor from the start due to high pricing: the only version launched was equipped with a 1.8L engine with an above-average trim level, placing the Viva's price above the Toyota Corolla. A project costing $340 million was selling less than a thousand cars annually (801 cars in 2007); rumours of shutting down Chevy Viva production circulated as early as summer of 2005. GM-AvtoVAZ shut down small-scale production of the Viva in March 2008.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra G series Coupé was used for the silhouette racing cars in the DTM series. These DTM racing cars are purpose-built race cars with barely any parts taken from the road cars except for lights and door handles. The car's bodywork featured gull-wing doors that were each supported by two gas struts. The racing cars were powered by 4.0L V8 engines with nearly . Opel did poorly during several seasons of DTM as only Manuel Reuter placed significantly in the championship once, taking second in the inaugural season in 2000 before withdrawing at the end of 2005, but the car was also used to win the 24h Nürburgring in 2003.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra Xtreme, a concept car presented at the 2001 Geneva motor show, was a single-production V8-powered Astra based on the G-series Astra DTM. Like the DTM racing car, it featured a V8 engine, producing , gull-wing doors supported by gas struts, carbon fiber panels, and race-specification interior with five-point seatbelts.


title: Opel Astra

text: The season of 2005 also joined the history of Stock Car. In addition to the category becoming multi - the first time the Mitsubishi Lancer ran alongside the Chevrolet Astra, on 30 October 2005, 40 cars with Stock Car V8 engines performed an unprecedented race outside of Brazil worth points for the championship. It was a round to the side of TC 2000, the main category of Argentina and in July had run in Curitiba (Autodromo Internacional de Curitiba). The Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez got a crowd of 70,000 people. Giuliano Losacco was the winner, with Mateus Greipel second and Luciano Burti third.


title: Opel Astra

text: The engine was a V8 Chevrolet 350 imported from the United States by JL, similar to that used in Busch Series, the second category of NASCAR, equal and limited to . The automaker GM was now sponsoring the category, providing the fairing of the Astra, making room for other manufacturers to enter the category with a low investment.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra H was launched in March 2004 as a five-door hatchback, whilst a five-door estate launched late 2004 and a sporty three-door hatchback, designated the GTC (Gran Tourismo Compact) for European markets, Sport Hatch in the UK and the Coupé in Australia, launched in 2005. The GTC has the option of a windscreen called "panoramic windscreen" (unique for a production car at the time of its launch) which extends into the roof area. Based on an updated version of GM's T platform, its size was increased compared to the previous version. Production came until the end of 2009, excepting the TwinTop which continued to be manufactured until November 2010.


title: Opel Astra

text: The ageing Vectra B was replaced in Brazil with a sedan version of the Astra H, named Chevrolet Vectra, until it was replaced by the Chevrolet Cruze in 2009. The model was matched with the other models offered in Brazil. This version was offered as an Opel in some Eurasian markets in 2006, following a debut at the international auto show in Istanbul, Turkey, including Ireland in 2008. This was manufactured in Gliwice, Poland. Also in 2006, the Astravan, a 3-door van variant of the estate, was launched. In September 2007, a version of the 5-door Astra was launched in Brazil, marketed as Chevrolet Vectra GT to differentiate from the already existing Astra, which was replaced by the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback in 2011.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Opel Astra was revised in January 2007, with the introduction of different colors of the posterior lighthouses and a new front.


title: Opel Astra

text: GM Russia launched SKD assembly of Astra on a temporary production site near Saint Petersburg in February 2008, with a potential capacity of 25,000 vehicles annually.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Chevrolet Astra was withdrawn from Mexico in 2008 as a result of the withdrawal of Opel products from the brand, replaced by the Chevrolet Cruze sedan for the 2010 model year.


title: Opel Astra

text: A first for any major European car is the availability of digital radio on some versions of the new Astra, while for the Astra product class first are electronically controlled chassis (IDS+) and AFL (Adaptive Forward Lighting).


title: Opel Astra

text: The Opel Astra Classic III from Bochum was offered for sale as a 5-door hatchback and estate in some Eastern European markets.


title: Opel Astra

text: At the end of 2012, the Astravan was replaced by the new Opel Combo D (where the production of the Astra H had already ended).


title: Opel Astra

text: During 2005, Opel introduced the OPC version of the Astra GTC (sold as the Astra VXR in the UK) which is powered by an updated version of the 2.0 L turbo Family II engine (Z20 LEH) producing 240 PS (177 kW, 237 bhp) and of torque. Standard features of the OPC version include sports bodykit and recaro interior, a six-speed manual gearbox, xenon headlamps and 18-inch alloy wheels amongst others.


title: Opel Astra

text: This vehicle was sold until late 2009 in Australia and New Zealand by Holden Special Vehicles as the HSV VXR. HSV VXRs but it never offered a sedan in the UK and Australia are sold as standard with full leather trim, climate control, 6 disc CD and 19-inch alloy wheels. HSV VXRs were badged as per the UK Vauxhall Spec models but without the usual rear boot badge. The sedan was discontinued in Australia and United Kingdom in 2003. Inside the Opel Blitz appears on the steering wheel with an OPC dashboard. The Astra OPC was also sold as the Chevrolet Astra OPC in Chile.


title: Opel Astra

text: In 2006, the Astra TwinTop arrived. (The "TwinTop" name also applies to the smaller Tigra and refers to a retractable hardtop convertible version of the car, shared with the Pontiac G6.) The Astra TwinTop has a three-part folding metal roof which sits in the upper half of the boot space, leaving considerable luggage space below it. Still marketed as a four-seater, the rear seating space is smaller than other Astra models. The TwinTop was available in three trim levels with a range of engines in each, including a 2.0 L turbo and the 1.9 CDTI diesel in form.


title: Opel Astra

text: Launched in January 2007, Australian-market TwinTops came with the Z22YH 2.2 L direct-injection engine with a choice of 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission which was unique to Australia.


title: Opel Astra

text: The TwinTop was discontinued in November 2010 along with the 3-door GTC, thus replaced by the soft-top surface Opel Cascada.


title: Opel Astra

text: In Brazil, Chevrolet Vectra (Astra H) substituted the Chevrolet Astra on Stock Car. The V8 is still the same, apart from that now they use Ethanol instead of Petrol.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Saturn Astra was marketed in North America both the U.S and Canada after debuting at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. Superseding the Ion, the Astra was a captive import, based on the Opel Astra, manufactured in Antwerp, Belgium.


title: Opel Astra

text: Available in three and five-door hatchback body styles, sales began on 2 January 2008 with a single engine, a 1.8 L U18XER inline-4-cylinder gasoline engine with variable-valve technology producing — available five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission.


title: Opel Astra

text: The XE base trim level was offered on the five-door hatchback and included steel wheels with plastic covers. The XR trim level was the only trim level for the 3-door and was available on five-door models — and included alloy wheels; enhanced seat bolsters, driver lumbar and seat height adjusters; 17-inch alloy ten-spoke wheels and P225/45R17 all-season performance tires; easy Entry front sliding seats (3 door model) and enhanced instrument gauges.


title: Opel Astra

text: Standard equipment included air conditioning (XR trim); cruise control; driver information center including audio, time and outside temperature display; power door locks with central locking feature and remote keyless entry; courtesy lighting and dual reading lamps in front and rear; cloth front bucket reclining seats with adjustable active head restraints; easy entry front sliding seats (3 door); rear 60/40-split flat-folding seat with adjustable and removable head restraints and retractable; dual cupholders, driver 4-way and passenger 2-way manually adjustable seats; three-spoke steering wheel with rake and telescoping steering column; steering wheel-mounted audio and Driver Information Center controls; overhead sunglass storage; front seat illuminated vanity mirrors; power windows with express-Down; front console with cupholder and 12-volt power outlet; power-adjustable, manual folding, heated side mirrors; and rain sensing front intermittent windshield wipers.


title: Opel Astra

text: An optional "Premium Trim Package" for XR models included leather seating surfaces, vinyl door trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel, driver manual lumbar seat adjuster, heated front seats, and interior ambient LED lighting. For 2008, an optional "Sport Handling Package" included stability control (marketed as StabiliTrak), lowered sport suspension, and quick-ratio power steering. This package was made standard on the 2009 3-door. A panoramic sunroof was available on 5-door models.


title: Opel Astra

text: In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests the Astra earned a "Good" overall score in frontal impacts, while in side impacts it received a "Marginal" overall rating. Front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags were standard.


title: Opel Astra

text: General Motors predicted sales of between 30,000 and 40,000 vehicles a year in the United States. Sales were slow, due initially to a large glut of unsold Ions and later the uncertainty surrounding the Saturn brand's future. In 2008 only 11,968 were sold in the US and in 2009 this fell to 6,298. In Canada the sales of the Saturn Astra was up to 11,605 in total between 2007 and 2010.


title: Opel Astra

text: With a large number of unsold cars remaining on dealer lots, GM announced it would end import of the Astra. In June 2009, GM announced its intention to sell the Saturn Corporation to Penske Automotive Group. This never was concluded and in 2010 General Motors discontinued the Saturn brand.


title: Opel Astra

text: The successor to the Saturn Astra in the North American General Motors lineup was the Buick Verano, introduced for the 2012 model year. The Verano is derived from the succeeding Astra J.


title: Opel Astra

text: Engines were available with 5- and 6-speed manual transmission, "Easytronic" automated manual gearbox with 5-speeds, and also 4- and 6-speed automatic transmission. In the beginning there were petrol 1.4 90 PS, 1.6 105 PS, 1.8 125 PS and new 2.0 Turbo engine with two versions: 170 PS and 200 PS. Diesel lineup were 1.3 CDTI with 90 PS, 1.7 CDTI with 80 PS, 100 PS, and 1.9 CDTI engines with 120 and 150 PS. During production some engine got more power like 1.6, 1.8, 1.7, 1.9 and 2.0 Turbo with 240 PS was introduced in 2005 in OPC/VXR version. 1.3 CDTI 90 PS was introduced in 2005 and he replaces 1.7 CDTI with 80 PS.


title: Opel Astra

text: After restyle at end of 2006 / beginning of 2007, new engines were introduced: 1.6 Turbo engine with 180 PS which replace 2.0 Turbo with 170, and 1.7 CDTI with 125 PS.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra J is based on the General Motors' Delta II platform, debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany and went on sale in November 2009 as a 2010 model while the 2009 model year was entirely skipped. The car has taken most of its styling from the new Opel Insignia, with many of the higher options fitted as standard. Full production came on line at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port Plant at the end of September 2009. Deliveries began in December 2009. Originally referred to as the "Astra I", it received the "Astra J" name instead to avoid confusing the letter I for the number 1.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra was developed at Opel's 'International Technical Development Center' (ITDC) in Rüsselsheim and continues Opel's design language, ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’ first introduced on the Insignia. The Astra features a torsion beam rear suspension with Watt's link. Infotainment and car navigation systems are supplied by Bosch.


title: Opel Astra

text: The station wagon version of the Astra - dubbed the 'Sports Tourer' by Opel, debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and went on sale shortly afterwards, with a starting price of £16,575 for the ES version, then Exclusiv, SRI and SE versions, with the SE costing from £20,345. This is cheaper than the previous estate, but has more standard equipment. The adoption of the "Sports Tourer" name finally brought to an end Opel's traditional "Caravan" designation for its station wagon derivatives.


title: Opel Astra

text: The pre-facelift Astra J was briefly sold in Australia under the Opel brand, with its introduction into the Australian market in 2012. However, the Opel brand and nameplate subsequently pulled out of the Australian market in 2013 due to poor sales, and later versions of the Astra J, namely the OPC and GTC variant, were sold under the Holden brand name from 2013 onwards.


title: Opel Astra

text: Shanghai GM launched the Chinese version of the Opel Astra hatchback, which is badged as the Buick Excelle XT. This car went on sale in January 2010. Three engines were announced: Ecotec D-VVT 1.6 L, 1.8 L and 1.6 L Turbo.


title: Opel Astra

text: The saloon version of the Astra was first presented at the 2012 Moscow International Automobile Salon. The 4-door saloon has a number of names depending on market: Buick Excelle GT in China, Buick Verano in North America and Opel Astra sedan/saloon elsewhere. This version is not sold in the United Kingdom, although it is available in some other right hand drive markets, such as Ireland (as the: Astra Saloon), Malta, and South Africa. Production for the saloon version continued until 2018 after the Astra K was released to supply several markets where saloons are popular, including Turkey.


title: Opel Astra

text: A 3-door version dubbed Astra GTC was introduced in July 2011. Externally, it retains very few design elements of the old 5-door model. It has a sportier appearance, with a much more 'sculpted' chassis. It features a HiPerStrut front suspension from the Opel Insignia OPC which helps alleviate torque steering. A Watt's linkage is present in the rear suspension, to minimize lateral movement of the axle. The wheelbase is enhanced to accommodate wider low-profile tyres. Similarly to the Astra H GTC, a 'panoramic windscreen' option is available. The Astra GTC was awarded a 5 star rating for its performance under Euro NCAP safety tests. In late 2013, a new 1.6 Turbo EcoTec engine with 200PS output replaced the older 180PS engine of the same capacity, meaning the 1.6 Turbo replaces the BiTurbo Diesel as the fastest non-OPC model in the range.


title: Opel Astra

text: The GTC is built in Gliwice, Poland, with a range of models & petrol and diesel engines. In the UK, the GTC includes the SRi and VXR models. Production continued alongside the Astra K when it was introduced in 2015, and concurrently dropped the Astra moniker for simply GTC. In 2018, the model was discontinued.


title: Opel Astra

text: There are three models of the GTC, Sport, the SRi, Limited Edition, and the VXR model. Available colours are Power red (Solid), the "Brilliant" colours are Summit white & Flaming yellow, The Metallic colours are Granite grey, Deep sky blue, Carbon flash, Sovereign silver & Flip chip silver, The Pearlescent colours are Emerald green & Asteroid grey. The VXR also has Flash blue.


title: Opel Astra

text: The OPC trim of the Astra GTC has been available since 2012. This car features a turbocharged 2.0 L direct injection engine with a power of and torque of , HiPerStrut front suspension, a mechanical limited slip differential, an electronically controlled "FlexRide" active suspension, and Recaro-style sport seats, OPC badge on gear knob, steering wheel, and on instrument dials and different and distinctive front and rear bumper, rear standard spoiler as well as optional OPC spoiler compared to GTC version. It comes with 19 inch alloy rims as standard and optional 20-inch alloy rims which are lighter than those 19-inch. The 0 to time is 6 seconds and top speed is limited to .


title: Opel Astra

text: This generation Astra was not available as the commercial version Astravan. But in The Netherlands, the Astra Sports Tourer was available as Astravan at special order.


title: Opel Astra

text: The only optional available automatic transmission is the 6-speed with active select mode, which can be ordered for the 1.4 turbo, 1.6, 1.6 turbo and 2.0 CDTI depending on region. From 2011, Start/Stop was introduced in certain countries on some models, and from 2012 an overboost function was added to the 1.4 turbo. [Engines with (S/S) are in bold in column]. The engines are Family 0/Family 1/Ecotec/MGE (petrol), and MultiJet/Circle L/GM MDE (diesel).


title: Opel Astra

text: In February 2014, Opel introduced its all-new engine - GM Medium Diesel engine, the so-called "whisper diesel" 1.6 CDTI engine with 136 PS, and later with 110 PS.


title: Opel Astra

text: In June 2012, a facelift was announced. Visual changes occurred at the front and back of the hatchback and sports tourer. This included revised bumpers and grills and very minor changes to the headlights. The rear lights were also revised, and had an overall darker appearance, the registration-plate recess of the five-door model was re-designed, and the Sports Tourer (estate body) and 5-door hatchback model received new-style bumpers with chrome trim. New colors were introduced, such as Sculpture Bronze, Phantom Grey and Deep Sky metallic, plus others which were available as extra-cost options. The updated Astra also received some assistance systems such as the "Eye" front camera with enhanced traffic-sign assistant (TSA II), lane-departure warning (LDW), following-distance indication (FDI) and forward-collision alert (FCA); also available are a rear-view camera, advanced park assist and side-blind-spot alert. A saloon variant was introduced, but only to a very few markets. Engine-wise, the 195-PS 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI from the Insignia became available from autumn 2012, and a new 1.6 L 170 PS turbocharged SIDI Ecotec direct injection unit from the new "MGE" engine family was added in early 2013.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra K is smaller (5 cm), and lighter (up to 200 kg) compared to Astra J. Although it is smaller on the outside, Opel claims it is bigger on the inside than the previous Astra J. Depending on the model and trim level it is up to 200 kilograms - at the very least 120 kilograms - lighter than its predecessor. The completely new vehicle architecture plays a major role in the weight reduction. Every component was checked for compact design and lightweight materials. The bodyshell weight alone was reduced by 20 percent from 357 to 280 kilograms. Additional, chassis-related measures resulted in another 50 kilograms of weight reduction; these include high-strength and ultra-high-strength low-weight steels, compact subframes as well as weight reductions to the front and rear axle. Rear suspension is torsion beam (only with Watts linkage on top engines), and MacPherson struts at the front.


title: Opel Astra

text: Available engines are 1.0 3-cylinder, 1.4 4-cylinder petrol engines and 1.6-litre diesels. It will be available with new full-LED front light techniques, A screen in the dash which connect to Android or iPhone comes as standard. This system is already available, in both the Corsa E and Adam.


title: Opel Astra

text: Engines are available with the 5-speed or 6-speed manual transmission, and the newly developed 5-speed "EasyTronic 3.0" automated manual, which is only available for the 1.0T SIDI engine. The only other available automatic transmission, at the beginning of production, is the 6-speed with active select mode, which can be ordered in late 2015, for the 1.4 SIDI Turbo with 150 PS, and 1.6 CDTI with 136 PS. Buyers can choose the Start/Stop system for all engines as an extra feature, except the 1.0T which will have system as standard.


title: Opel Astra

text: All engines are new and recently developed by Opel - 1.0T SIDI, 1.4T SIDI (which sees its debut in the Astra K in 2015) and the naturally aspirated version of it (which will be available later in 2015), and the so-called "Whisper diesel" 1.6 CDTI. All turbocharged petrol engines use the Direct Injection Fuel system.


title: Opel Astra

text: Opel are offering the ecoFLEX range for 1.0T, 1.4T and 1.6 CDTI engines which have same amount of power, but less CO-emissions (g/km) and lower fuel consumption. The entire ecoFLEX range have Start/Stop as standard, low rolling resistance tyres and aerodynamic tweaks for reduced drag for lower CO-emissions. The 1.4T SIDI ecoFLEX version have less torque, rated at at 2.000-4.000 rpm.


title: Opel Astra

text: In 2019 Opel announced the move to the new GM E-Turbo 1.2-liter, "1.4-liter" (actually a 1.3-liter) three-cylinder gasoline engines, and 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesels.


title: Opel Astra

text: A facelift of Opel Astra K released around the summer of 2019. Changes were minimal, both inside and outside; however the facelifted Astra sports a new front grille, new rear lights, as well as a new windscreen wiper mechanism, where both wipers are individually controlled as opposed to a linked setup as before.


title: Opel Astra

text: The sixth generation Astra was unveiled on 13 July 2021 and it went on sale on 12 November 2021. As the first Astra developed by PSA Group, it based on the third-generation of the EMP2 platform which made its wheelbase grow by . Launched ten months after the merger of FCA and PSA to form Stellantis, the vehicle has been offered as a hybrid for the first time and will unveil a 180-horsepower engine. The 225 horsepower version, taken from the Peugeot 508 and Peugeot 3008, will also be available on the GT version.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra Coupé in BTC-T form was dominant in the British Touring Car Championship from 2001 until 2004, and it continued to compete in the series until 2006.


title: Opel Astra

text: In 2002, 2003 and 2006, three different drivers were European Rallycross Champions in the Division 2 driving Astras. The 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 runners-up also raced in that car. Christian Ledesma was 2004 TC 2000 champion with an Astra and Matías Rossi took that title in 2006 and 2007.


title: Opel Astra

text: A rally version of the Astra was built to the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup. The car finished second in class on the 1998 Rally of Great Britain, and claimed the British Rally Championship for manufacturers in 2000.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Astra has been used in the shape of silhouette racing cars as well. It was featured in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters from 2000 to 2003 (Manuel Reuter was runner-up in 2000) and overall winner of the 2003 Nürburgring 24h race and the Stock Car Brasil from 2004 to 2008 (Giuliano Losacco won the tournament in 2004 and 2005). In 2009, the Astra G body was replaced Stock Car Brasil by a Vectra, which is in fact the same as the Astra H.


title: Opel Astra

text: The car has also been raced in the Russian Touring Car Championship, the 2004 European Touring Car Championship season, the 2006 Swedish Touring Car Championship season, the 2008 European Touring Car Cup and the 2013 European Rallycross Championship season.


title: Opel Astra

text: In Brazil, Chevrolet Astra as launched at 1994 as 1995 model only in 5-door hatchback and station wagon body styles. It was available only in the GLS trim level with a 2.0-liter, eight-valve multipoint fuel injection engine with a power of . The plan was to replace the Chevrolet Kadett, an Opel Kadett E built locally, but an increase in taxes for import cars (from 35 to 70 percent) made General Motors of Brazil stop importing the model for the 1996 model year. The Chevrolet Astra only returned in 1998, in second generation and built locally. Initially, it only came in 3-door hatchback and 4-door sedan body styles, and GL and GLS trim levels. The engine options were a 1.8 liter with and a 2.0 liter with , both with 8 valves. Later models received the option of a 2,0 liter 16 valve engine, initially with a power of and later yet with .


title: Opel Astra

text: In 2003 the Astra range received an exterior facelift, with a 5-door hatchback completing the range. The 1.8 liter engine was discontinued, with a 2.0 liter flexfuel (ethanol and gasoline) being launched for the 2004 model year. The 2.0 FlexFuel power was depending on the fuel used; later this changed to . A GSI 2.0 16V was launched with the 2003 facelift and produced until 2005. The range did not change much until its discontinuation in 2011, being in effect replaced by the Chevrolet Sonic and Cobalt.


title: Opel Astra

text: In Chile, the Astra was sold under the Opel brand until 1997 (replacing the Kadett); beginning in 1999 the second generation was imported from Brazil under the Chevrolet brand. The third generation was again imported from Europe in and in 2017 it returned to be sold under Opel brand.


title: Opel Astra

text: The Chevrolet Vectra is a rebadged version of the Opel Astra H, sold in Brazil and Argentina between 2006 and 2011. It shared the powertrain and the platform with the Astra G, except when equipped with the 2.4 engine, and it was inserted above the Astra in both markets. It was replaced by the flagship versions of the Chevrolet Cruze.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Margaret Debay Rogers (born April 25, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Maryland. Her big break came when her song "Alaska" was played to Pharrell Williams during a master class at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2019. She graduated from Harvard Divinity School in May 2022.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Maggie Rogers grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland along the banks of the Miles River in Easton, Talbot County, Maryland. Her father is a now-retired Ford Motor Company dealer and her mother, a former nurse, is now an end-of-life doula. She began playing harp at age seven and loved the music of Gustav Holst and Antonio Vivaldi. Her mother would play neo-soul artists such as Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. By the time she was in middle school, Rogers had added piano and guitar to her repertoire and began songwriting in eighth grade. For high school, she graduated from St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. At school, she played harp in the orchestra, sang in the choir, joined a jazz band, learned banjo and became interested in folk music, and taught herself how to program. She also spent many summers during her formative years at a rural camp in Maine.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: The summer after her junior year in high school, Rogers attended a Berklee College of Music program and won the program's songwriting contest, which spurred her to focus on writing. During her high school senior year, she recorded what became her first album, "The Echo" (2012). Rogers included her demos as part of her application to New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. She secured admission and started in 2012.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: At NYU, Rogers considered a career in music journalism, and in her first year, Rogers interned for music journalist Lizzy Goodman for whom she transcribed and edited hundreds of hours of interviews with major musicians and journalists, which would be later compiled into Goodman's 2017 book "Meet Me in the Bathroom".


title: Maggie Rogers

text: She formed a band called Del Water Gap with a singer-songwriter S. Holden Jaffe. The reason they split was because they both wanted to explore more of their solo work. Their song called "New Song" appears on "" (2020).


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers released another folk album, "Blood Ballet" (2014), during her second year at the school. Folk blog EarToTheGround Music explained that the album "...begs for listeners to confront deep personal emotions."


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers studied abroad in France while at NYU and after friends convinced her to go clubbing while they were in Berlin, her eyes opened to a new genre and she discovered a love for dance music. When she returned home, Rogers was ready to make new music and merge her folk style with electronic production.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: In 2016, after two years of writer's block, Rogers wrote "Alaska", a song she wrote in fifteen minutes about a National Outdoor Leadership School course. She played the song for Pharrell Williams in a master class he taught at her school, and a video of a visibly moved Williams listening to the song went viral that June, resulting in millions of views as well as hundreds of thousands of plays of "The Echo" and "Blood Ballet".


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers graduated from New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in May 2016 with a degree in music engineering and production and English.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: In September 2021, it became publicly known that Rogers had started graduate school at Harvard Divinity School, where she is, according to her own tweet, "studying the spirituality of public gatherings and the ethics of power in pop culture." In May 2022, she turned in her Master's thesis and passed with distinction.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: After the Pharrell video went viral, several different record labels tried to sign Rogers. She ended up negotiating a recording contract with Capitol Records where "she licenses her music to them through her own imprint, Debay Sounds." As a result, she has more control over her sound and image than many artists at a similar place in their music careers.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers' EP, "Now That the Light Is Fading", was released on February 17, 2017. She released her major-label debut studio album, "Heard It in a Past Life," on January 18, 2019. The album debuted at No. 2 on the US "Billboard" 200.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: In April 2019, Rogers covered the Taylor Swift song "Tim McGraw" as a Spotify Single. She told "Rolling Stone", "This song so distinctly belongs to one of — I think, personally — the greatest living songwriters."


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers made her television debut on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on February 15, 2017, "Saturday Night Live" debut on November 3, 2018, and "Today Show" debut on July 12, 2019.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers cites Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and Björk as her musical inspirations, while prominent singers Brandi Carlile and Sharon Van Etten — whom she calls her "musical big sisters" — have become mentors.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: She guested with Dead & Company, a rock band consisting of former Grateful Dead members, performing cover versions of the latter's "Friend of the Devil" and the Band's "The Weight" on November 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers performed during the 2020 Democratic National Convention, appearing remotely from Scarborough, Maine due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. She was introduced by Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and 2020 US Senate candidate from Maine Sara Gideon.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: On November 13, 2020, Rogers collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers on a cover version of the Goo Goo Dolls' 1998 single "Iris", which Bridgers said she would make if Donald Trump lost the 2020 United States elections. The song was released as a one-day exclusive on Bandcamp and was downloaded 28,000 times, with all proceeds going to Fair Fight Action. Despite only being available for purchase for one day, the song debuted at number one on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 57 on the "Billboard" Hot 200, making it both artists' first entry on the latter chart. The song also charted in Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: On December 18, 2020, Rogers released "" via her label Debay Sounds. The album is a compilation of songs she wrote and recorded in the past ten years of her recording career. Some of the songs are from her first two independently released albums: "The Echo" (2012) and "Blood Ballet" (2014). Other songs are from her previously unreleased 2016 rock EP and a band she was previously in with Holden Jaffe, Del Water Gap. The album was released along with a deluxe version in which Rogers provides an auditory commentary talking through each stage of her music career that the songs in that section reflect.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: On March 30, 2022, Rogers announced her second studio album, "Surrender", which was released on July 29, 2022. It was supported by the singles "That's Where I Am", "Want Want", and "Horses". The album features a couple of contributions from notable singers. The track "Shatter" features Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine providing additional vocals and playing tambourine, and "I've Got a Friend" features Clairo and Claud speaking.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers has performed at numerous festivals around the United States such as Coachella, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, SXSW, Boston Calling, Outside Lands, Firefly, and Shaky Knees.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: She has also played at festivals internationally, including Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England; Rock Werchter in Werchter, Belgium; Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Canada; Latitude Festival in Henham Park, UK; Citadel Festival in London; Down the Rabbit Hole in Ewijk, Netherlands; and Splendour in the Grass Festival in Byron Bay, New South Wales; and at the Main Square Festival in Arras, France.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers has synesthesia, a benign condition where two or more senses are perceived at once. In her case, she is able to perceive colors as a response to hearing music.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Her song "Give a Little" was penned on the same day the National School Walkout demanded congressional action on gun control. She was inspired by the activism of students across the nation, and wrote "Give a Little" about empathy and unity.


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers also supports organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood by donating proceeds from merchandise and shows. In an interview, she said that "Planned Parenthood is something that's really important to me. I am proudly, loudly and distinctly pro-choice. I just don't believe that the government should have a say in what a woman's relationship with her doctor is. But I also just think that I am a woman, and I am an artist, and I'm also a businesswoman, and on stage I'm an athlete. And having access to sexual and reproductive health is key for me running my life. It's important that women all over have access to that, because it also affords them access to opportunities."


title: Maggie Rogers

text: Rogers performed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She later endorsed Sara Gideon, who introduced her performance, in the 2020 United States Senate election in Maine.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych (, "Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь"; c. 95815 July 1015), also known as Vladimir the Great or Volodymyr the Great, was Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev, and ruler of Kievan Rus' from 980 to 1015.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Vladimir's father was Prince Sviatoslav I of Kiev of the Rurikid dynasty. After the death of his father in 972, Vladimir, who was then prince of Novgorod, was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976 after his brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg of Drelinia, becoming the sole ruler of Rus'. In Sweden, with the help of his relative Ladejarl Håkon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, he assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated the Rus realm from modern-day Belarus, Russia and Ukraine to the Baltic Sea and had solidified the frontiers against incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes and Eastern nomads. Originally a follower of Slavic paganism, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988 and Christianized the Kievan Rus'. Due to this act, which fundamentally altered the historical trajectory of the Rus' and led to his declaration as a saint in both Western Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Vladimir is thus also known as Saint Vladimir or Saint Volodymyr.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Born in 958, Vladimir was the natural son and youngest son of Sviatoslav I of Kiev by his housekeeper Malusha. Malusha is described in the Norse sagas as a prophetess who lived to the age of 100 and was brought from her cave to the palace to predict the future. Malusha's brother Dobrynya was Vladimir's tutor and most trusted advisor. Hagiographic tradition of dubious authenticity also connects his childhood with the name of his grandmother, Olga of Kiev, who was Christian and governed the capital during Sviatoslav's frequent military campaigns.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Transferring his capital to Pereyaslavets in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of Novgorod the Great but gave Kiev to his legitimate son Yaropolk. After Sviatoslav's death at the hands of the Pechenegs in 972, a fratricidal war erupted in 976 between Yaropolk and his younger brother Oleg, ruler of the Drevlians. In 977, Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, collecting as many Norse warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod. On his return the next year, he marched against Yaropolk. On his way to Kiev he sent ambassadors to Rogvolod (Norse: Ragnvald), prince of Polotsk, to sue for the hand of his daughter Rogneda (Norse: Ragnhild). The high-born princess refused to affiance herself to the son of a bondswoman (and was betrothed to Yaropolk), so Vladimir attacked Polotsk, took Ragnhild by force, and put her parents to the sword. Polotsk was a key fortress on the way to Kiev, and capturing Polotsk and Smolensk facilitated the taking of Kiev in 978, where he slew Yaropolk by treachery and was proclaimed knyaz of all Kievan Rus.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Vladimir continued to expand his territories beyond his father's extensive domain. In 981, he seized the Cherven towns from the Poles; in 981–982, he suppressed a Vyatichi rebellion; in 983, he subdued the Yatvingians; in 984, he conquered the Radimichs; and in 985, he conducted a military campaign against the Volga Bulgars, planting numerous fortresses and colonies on his way.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Although Christianity had spread in the region under Oleg's rule, Vladimir had remained a thoroughgoing pagan, taking eight hundred concubines (along with numerous wives) and erecting pagan statues and shrines to gods.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: He may have attempted to reform Slavic paganism in an attempt to identify himself with the various gods worshipped by his subjects. He built a pagan temple on a hill in Kiev dedicated to six gods: Perun—the god of thunder and war, a god favored by members of the prince’s druzhina (military retinue)"; Slav gods Stribog and Dazhd'bog; Mokosh—a goddess representing Mother Nature "worshipped by Finnish tribes"; Khors and Simargl, "both of which had Iranian origins, were included, probably to appeal to the Poliane."


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Open abuse of the deities that most people in Rus' revered triggered widespread indignation. A mob killed the Christian Fyodor and his son Ioann (later, after the overall Christianisation of Kievan Rus', people came to regard these two as the first Christian martyrs in Rus', and the Orthodox Church set a day to commemorate them, 25 July). Immediately after the murder of Fyodor and Ioann, early medieval Rus' saw persecutions against Christians, many of whom escaped or concealed their belief.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: However, Prince Vladimir mused over the incident long after, and not least for political considerations. According to the early Slavic chronicle, the "Tale of Bygone Years", which describes life in Kievan Rus' up to the year 1110, he sent his envoys throughout the world to assess first-hand the major religions of the time: Islam, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Byzantine Orthodoxy. They were most impressed with their visit to Constantinople, saying, "We knew not whether we were in Heaven or on Earth… We only know that God dwells there among the people, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations."


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The "Primary Chronicle" reports that in the year 987, after consultation with his boyars, Vladimir the Great sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring nations whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. The result is described by the chronicler Nestor. He reported that Islam was undesirable due to its prohibition of alcoholic beverages and pork. Vladimir remarked on the occasion: "Drinking is the joy of all Rus'. We cannot exist without that pleasure." Ukrainian and Russian sources also describe Vladimir consulting with Jewish envoys and questioning them about their religion, but ultimately rejecting it as well, saying that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence that they had been abandoned by God.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: His emissaries also visited pre-schism Latin Rite Christian and Eastern Rite Christian missionaries. Ultimately Vladimir settled on Eastern Christianity. In the churches of the Germans his emissaries saw no beauty; but at Constantinople, where the full festival ritual of the Byzantine Church was set in motion to impress them, they found their ideal: "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth", they reported, describing a majestic Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, "nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it." Vladimir was impressed by this account of his envoys.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: In 988, having taken the town of Chersonesos in Crimea, he boldly negotiated for the hand of emperor Basil II's sister, Anna. Never before had a Byzantine imperial princess, and one "born in the purple" at that, married a barbarian, as matrimonial offers of French kings and German emperors had been peremptorily rejected. In short, to marry the 27-year-old princess to a pagan Slav seemed impossible. Vladimir was baptized at Chersonesos, however, taking the Christian name of Basil out of compliment to his imperial brother-in-law; the sacrament was followed by his wedding to Anna. Returning to Kiev in triumph, he destroyed pagan monuments and established many churches, starting with a church dedicated to St. Basil, and the Church of the Tithes (989).


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Arab sources, both Muslim and Christian, present a different story of Vladimir's conversion. Yahya of Antioch, al-Rudhrawari, al-Makin, al-Dimashqi, and ibn al-Athir all give essentially the same account. In 987, Bardas Sclerus and Bardas Phocas revolted against the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Both rebels briefly joined forces, but then Bardas Phocas proclaimed himself emperor on 14 September 987. Basil II turned to the Kievan Rus' for assistance, even though they were considered enemies at that time. Vladimir agreed, in exchange for a marital tie; he also agreed to accept Christianity as his religion and to Christianize his people. When the wedding arrangements were settled, Vladimir dispatched 6,000 troops to the Byzantine Empire, and they helped to put down the revolt.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: Vladimir then formed a great council out of his boyars and set his twelve sons over his subject principalities. According to the Primary Chronicle, he founded the city of Belgorod in 991. In 992, he went on a campaign against the Croats, most likely the White Croats that lived on the border of modern Ukraine. This campaign was cut short by the attacks of the Pechenegs on and around Kiev.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: In his later years he lived in a relative peace with his other neighbors: Bolesław I of Poland, Stephen I of Hungary, and Andrikh the Czech (a questionable character mentioned in A Tale of the Bygone Years). After Anna's death, he married again, likely to a granddaughter of Otto the Great.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: In 1014, his son Yaroslav the Wise stopped paying tribute. Vladimir decided to chastise the insolence of his son and began gathering troops against him. Vladimir fell ill, however, most likely of old age, and died at Berestove, near modern-day Kiev. The various parts of his dismembered body were distributed among his numerous sacred foundations and were venerated as relics.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: During his Christian reign, Vladimir lived the teachings of the Bible through acts of charity. He would hand out food and drink to the less fortunate, and made an effort to go out to the people who could not reach him. His work was based on the impulse to help one's neighbors by sharing the burden of carrying their cross. He founded numerous churches, including the (Church, or Cathedral, of the Tithes) (989), established schools, protected the poor and introduced ecclesiastical courts. He lived mostly at peace with his neighbors, the incursions of the Pechenegs alone disturbing his tranquility.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: He introduced the Byzantine law code into his territories following his conversion but reformed some of its harsher elements; he notably abolished the death penalty along with judicial torture and mutilation.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The fate of all Vladimir's daughters, whose number is around nine, is uncertain. His wives, concubines, and their children were as follows:


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Rite Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches celebrate the feast day of St. Vladimir on 15/28 July.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The town Volodymyr in north-western Ukraine was founded by Vladimir and is named after him. The foundation of another town, Vladimir in Russia, is usually attributed to Vladimir Monomakh. However some researchers argue that it was also founded by Vladimir the Great.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: St Volodymyr's Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in Kyiv, is dedicated to Vladimir the Great, as was originally the Kyiv University. The Imperial Russian Order of St. Vladimir and Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in the United States are also named after him.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The memory of Vladimir was also kept alive by innumerable Russian folk ballads and legends, which refer to him as "Krasno Solnyshko" ("the Fair Sun", or "the Red Sun"; "Красно Солнышко" in Russian). The Varangian period of Eastern Slavic history ceases with Vladimir, and the Christian period begins.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: The appropriation of Kievan Rus' as part of national history has also been a topic of contention in Ukrainophile vs. Russophile schools of historiography since the Soviet era. Today, he is regarded as a symbol in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.


title: Vladimir the Great

text: All branches of the economy prospered under him. He minted coins and regulated foreign affairs with other countries, such as trade, bringing in Greek wines, Baghdad spices, and Arabian horses for the markets of Kiev.


title: Management information system

text: A management information system (MIS) is an information system used for decision-making, and for the coordination, control, analysis, and visualization of information in an organization. The study of the management information systems involves people, processes and technology in an organizational context.


title: Management information system

text: In a corporate setting, the ultimate goal of using management information system is to increase the value and profits of the business.


title: Management information system

text: While it can be contested that the history of management information system dates as far back as companies using ledgers to keep track of accounting, the modern history of MIS can be divided into five "eras" originally identified by Kenneth C. Laudon and Jane Laudon in their seminal textbook "Management Information Systems."


title: Management information system

text: The "first era" (mainframe and minicomputer computing) was ruled by IBM and their mainframe computers for which they supplied both the hardware and software. These computers would often take up whole rooms and require teams to run them. As technology advanced, these computers were able to handle greater capacities and therefore reduce their cost. Smaller, more affordable minicomputers allowed larger businesses to run their own computing centers in-house / on-site / on-premises.


title: Management information system

text: The "second era" (personal computers) began in 1965 as microprocessors started to compete with mainframes and minicomputers and accelerated the process of decentralizing computing power from large data centers to smaller offices. In the late 1970s, minicomputer technology gave way to personal computers and relatively low-cost computers were becoming mass market commodities, allowing businesses to provide their employees access to computing power that ten years before would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. This proliferation of computers created a ready market for interconnecting networks and the popularization of the Internet. (The first microprocessor—a four-bit device intended for a programmable calculator—was introduced in 1971, and microprocessor-based systems were not readily available for several years. The MITS Altair 8800 was the first commonly known microprocessor-based system, followed closely by the Apple I and II. It is arguable that the microprocessor-based system did not make significant inroads into minicomputer use until 1979, when VisiCalc prompted record sales of the Apple II on which it ran. The IBM PC introduced in 1981 was more broadly palatable to business, but its limitations gated its ability to challenge minicomputer systems until perhaps the late 1980s to early 1990s.)


title: Management information system

text: The "third era" (client/server networks) arose as technological complexity increased, costs decreased, and the end-user (now the ordinary employee) required a system to share information with other employees within an enterprise. Computers on a common network shared information on a server. This lets thousands and even millions of people access data simultaneously on networks referred to as Intranets.


title: Management information system

text: The "fourth era" (enterprise computing) enabled by high speed networks, consolidated the original department specific software applications into integrated software platforms referred to as enterprise software. This new platform tied all aspects of the business enterprise together offering rich information access encompassing the complete management structure.


title: Management information system

text: The terms management information system (MIS), Information management system (IMS), information system (IS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), computer science, electrical computer engineering, and information technology management (IT) are often confused. MIS is a hierarchical subset of information systems. MIS are more organization-focused narrowing in on leveraging information technology to increase business value. Computer science is more software-focused dealing with the applications that may be used in MIS. Electrical computer engineering is product-focused mainly dealing with the hardware architecture behind computer systems. ERP software is a subset of MIS and IT management refers to the technical management of an IT department which may include MIS.


title: Management information system

text: A career in MIS focuses on understanding and projecting the practical use of management information systems. It studies the interaction, organization and processes among technology, people and information to solve problems.


title: Management information system

text: While management information systems can be used by any or every level of management, the decision of which systems to implement generally falls upon the chief information officers (CIO) and chief technology officers (CTO). These officers are generally responsible for the overall technology strategy of an organization including evaluating how new technology can help their organization. They act as decision-makers in the implementation process of new MIS.