title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: The Titans then took on the New York Giants. Johnson had 125 yards on 32 carries. He would next have yet another 100 yard game against the Dallas Cowboys gaining 131 yards on 19 carries along with two touchdowns one of which ended up being the game winner with 3:28 left. In the next game, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 111 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. On November 14, against the Miami Dolphins, he had 117 rushing yard and a rushing touchdown. In the next game, a 19–16 loss to the Washington Redskins, he had 130 rushing yards. After dreadful performances against the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, Johnson bounced back to rush for 110 yard and one touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 15, in the second game against the Houston Texans, he had 130 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 31–17 victory. Overall, he finished the 2010 season with 1,364 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. On January 14, 2011, Johnson was selected to the 2011 Pro Bowl, his third in three years.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: During the summer training camp prior to the 2011 season, Johnson initially did not show up to camp, pending contract negotiations. Johnson felt he was due a considerably larger sum of money. As the leading rusher since 2008 (4,598 yards) he was set to make $1.065 million in 2011, under existing contract terms (approximately 10% of the money paid to the second-place rusher for the same period). On September 1, Johnson became the highest paid running back in the NFL, agreeing to a four-year, $53.5 million contract extension through to the 2016 season, including $30 million guaranteed, with the Titans, ending his holdout.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: In early November, a report surfaced that Johnson could be released by the Titans prior to the fifth day of the 2012 league year, which begins every March. At the time of the report, Johnson was having the worst season of his career with just 302 rushing yards and one touchdown on 107 carries through the season's first seven games. Johnson's contract calls for an $8 million salary in 2012 that became guaranteed in March; he also will receive a guaranteed salary of $9 million since the fifth day of the 2013 league year passed. If the Titans had released Johnson prior the March 2012 deadline, they would have saved $17 million and Johnson would have become a free agent. On November 13, he had 130 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. Two weeks later, he had 190 rushing yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. in the next game, against the Buffalo Bills, he had 153 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: During the 2011 season, Johnson struggled throughout the season under offensive coordinator Chris Palmer. However, he still finished with 1,047 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. After a frustrating season, Johnson elected to participate in the Titans' off-season training program in preparation for the 2012 season.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: After participating in the Titans' summer training camp prior to the 2012 season, Johnson initially struggled during his first two games of the 2012 season gaining just 21 yards on a total of 19 rushing attempts, highlighted by an 11 carry, 4-yard effort against the New England Patriots. During recent interviews, Johnson appeared to be frustrated with the new direction Titan's offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is running, electing to bring a more run-and-shoot offensive scheme to the Titans and not focusing on establishing the rushing attack. Palmer was fired later on in the season. In Week 4, he finally showed his abilities with 25 carries for 141 yards, but Tennessee still lost 38-14 to the Houston Texans. He followed that up with only 24 yards on 15 carries against the Minnesota Vikings. On "Thursday Night Football", he ran for 91 yards on 19 carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 26-23 victory. He followed that up with a great game against the Buffalo Bills in which he ran for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 18 carries. With an 83-yard touchdown, Johnson broke an NFL record with his fourth rushing touchdown of 80 yards or more. The Titans won the game 35-34. He then ran for 99 yards on 21 carries in an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts, 19-13. He got off to a relatively slow start against the Chicago Bears, fumbling twice. In the fourth quarter, he ran for an 80-yard touchdown, extending his record with his fifth 80-yard touchdowns. He finished with 16 carries for 141 yards, but the Titans still lost 51-20. In the next game, he ran for 126 yards on 23 carries and a 17-yard touchdown ending the Miami Dolphins streak of 22 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. He then ran for 80 yards on 21 carries against the Jacksonville Jaguars, however the Titans lost 24-19. In the next week against the Houston Texans, he got a 26-yard run on Tennessee's opening drive but finished with only 51 yards on 13 carries. After the game, he said he was frustrated with the lack of carries. In week 14 against the Colts, he struggled to get anything going only running for 44 yards on 19 carries. In week 15 on "Monday Night Football", Johnson had a franchise-record 94-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career and the second longest in "Monday Night Football" history. He finished with 122 yards on 21 carries. The Titans beat the New York Jets 14-10. Overall, he finished the 2012 season with 1,243 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: Johnson started the 2013 season with 25 carries for 70 yards in a 16–9 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. On November 3, against the St. Louis Rams, he had 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On November 14, he had 86 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts. In the regular season finale against the Houston Texans, he had 127 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 16–10 victory. He rushed for 1,077 yards on 279 carries with six touchdowns in 16 games. The 2013 season was less productive statistically for Johnson than any other year of his career up to that point.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: Johnson agreed to a three-year contract worth $9 million per year with the New York Jets on April 16, 2014. Johnson finished the 2014 season with 153 carries for a career-low 663 yards and one touchdown.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: The Jets declined the second year of Johnson's contract on February 15, 2015, making him a free agent in the 2015 offseason.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: On August 17, 2015, Johnson agreed to a one-year, $2.56 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Johnson was having a great season and was in the top three in rushing yards for more than half of the season, looking like his great past performance in Tennessee. Some of his notable games included a 110-yard, two-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers and 122 yards, and on October 26, a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. On November 29, 2015, Johnson suffered a fractured tibia during the Week 12 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. He was then placed on the injured reserve with a designation to return list on December 1, 2015. Johnson finished the 2015 regular season with 196 carries for 814 yards and three touchdowns, along with being named a Pro Bowl alternate.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: Johnson re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year, $3 million contract on March 17, 2016. The emergence of David Johnson as a star running back for the Cardinals limited Chris Johnson's use. On October 4, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. He finished the season with 95 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 25 carries.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: On July 20, 2017, the Cardinals re-signed Johnson on a one-year contract. He was released on September 1, 2017. On September 12, 2017, Johnson re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: Johnson was released by the team on October 10, 2017. He had played in four games in the 2017 season and had 114 rushing yards on 45 carries.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: Before the 2013 NFL season, Johnson participated in the National Geographic's "Man v. Cheetah" documentary. On the show Johnson raced a cheetah on a 220-foot-long course with a wall separating them. The cheetah won.


title: Chris Johnson (running back)

text: In the early morning of March 8, 2015, Johnson was shot in the shoulder during a drive-by in Orlando, Florida in which the driver of the vehicle, Dreekius Oricko Johnson, was killed. Reggie Johnson, who also was in the car, sustained injuries to the shoulder, leg, and hand.


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Kathleen Wilhoite (born June 29, 1964) is an American actress and musician. She made her feature film debut in "Private School" (1983) before having a leading role in "Murphy's Law" (1986), followed by supporting parts in "Witchboard" (also 1986), "Crossing Delancey" (1988), "Road House" (1989), and "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992). She also had notable guest-starring roles on several series during this time, including "Twin Peaks" (1990).


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Beginning in 1994, Wilhoite appeared as Chloe Lewis in a recurring guest-starring role on the series "ER", and voiced the role of the titular character on the ABC animated series "Pepper Ann" (1997–2000). Other notable film roles during the 1990s include the science fiction thriller "Fire in the Sky" (1993), and the survival film "The Edge" (1997).


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: In 2003, she was cast in a recurring role as Liz Danes on "Gilmore Girls", and has subsequently had guest-starring roles on "Criminal Minds" (2008), "Grey's Anatomy" (2009), and "Jane the Virgin" (2015). In 2019, Wilhoite guest-starred on an episode of the Netflix series "The OA".


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Kathleen Wilhoite was born June 29, 1964 in Santa Barbara, California. She began acting in theatrical productions as a child with the Santa Barbara Youth Theatre. She attended the University of Southern California before studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles.


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Wilhoite made her film debut in "Private School" (1983), and the same year appeared in the television film "Quarterback Princess". She subsequently had guest roles on the television series "The Jeffersons" and "Cagney & Lacey" (both 1985). In 1986, she had a lead role in the film "Murphy's Law", directed by J. Lee Thompson, as well as a supporting part as a psychic in the supernatural horror film "Witchboard".


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Wilhoite starred in two theatrical productions for New York City's Second Stage Theater in 1987: "Division Street" and "Moonchildren". For her performance in the latter, critic Frank Rich of "The New York Times" praised her "frisky comic style" and likened her to "Shirley MacLaine in that star's earliest show-biz incarnation." Wilhoite also provided the voice of Cathy Andrews in the CBS animated TV special "Cathy" (1987) based on the comic strips by Cathy Guisewite which the show won a primetime Emmy for outstanding animated program, and its two sequels; "Cathy's Last Resort" (1988) and "Cathy's Valentine" (1989). This was followed by supporting film roles in "Angel Heart" (1987), the comedy "Crossing Delancey" (1988), and a lead role in the British-set horror film "Dream Demon" (also 1988), opposite Jemma Redgrave. Next, Wilhoite appeared in the Patrick Swayze-starring "Road House" (1989), Curtis Hanson's neo-noir "Bad Influence" (1990), and the drama "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992). She also appeared on television, portraying a resident of the titular town in David Lynch's series "Twin Peaks" in 1990.


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Between 1993 and 1994, Wilhoite appeared in the seventh and eight seasons of "L.A. Law" as Rosalie Hendrickson Stulwicz. Beginning in 1994, she was cast in a recurring guest role as Chloe Lewis on "ER", a role she continued to play for the following eight years. In 1995, she won a Q Award for her performance on the series, in the category of Outstanding Specialty Player by the Viewers for Quality Television. In film, Wilhoite portrayed the wife of a man who experiences alien abduction in "Fire in the Sky" (1993), followed by supporting parts in the drama "Color of Night" (1994) and the survival thriller "The Edge" (1997), starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Wilhoite provided the voice of the titular character of the Disney animated series "Pepper Ann", a role she began in 1997 and portrayed until the series' conclusion in 2000. In 2000, she appeared in several feature films, including the dark comedies "Nurse Betty" and "Drowning Mona", as well as the drama "Pay It Forward".


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: In the early 2000s, Wilhoite guest-starred on several series, including a voice role in "Family Guy" (2001), "24" (2002) and "Will & Grace" (2003). Beginning in late 2003, Wilhoite guest-starred in a recurring role on the series "Gilmore Girls", portraying Liz Danes, the mother of Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia).


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: In May 2006, Wilhoite wrote and performed a one-woman show, "Stop Yellin"', directed by Kathy Najimy. The show consisted of autobiographical monologues and performances of songs from her albums.. She subsequently had a supporting part in the comedy "King of California" (2007), starring Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood. Guest-starring television credits in the late 2000s included "Criminal Minds" (2008) and "Grey's Anatomy" (2009).


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Wilhoite has also narrated a number of audiobooks, including Maria Semple's "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" and "Today Will Be Different".


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: In 2013, Wilhoite had a supporting part in the romantic comedy "Crazy Kind of Love", followed by a central role in the independent drama "A Sort of Homecoming" (2015). Also in 2015, she guest-starred on the comedy series "Jane the Virgin", followed by a guest role on the fantasy series "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World" in 2018. Beginning in 2018, she provided the voice of Sue Peltzer in the Cartoon Network animated series "Summer Camp Island", and in 2019 had a guest-starring role on the Netflix series "The OA".


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: As a musician, Wilhoite released two albums, "Pitch Like a Girl" (1997, Daves' Record Company) and "Shiva" (2000, Ruby Ray Records). Her songs have been in such films as "Murphy's Law" (1986), which she also starred in; her songs have also appeared in "Roadhouse" (1989), "Valerie Flake" (1999), "East of A" (2000), and "Touched by an Angel" (2000), as well as on the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". ("Wish We Never Met" from "Pitch Like a Girl" appeared in the season three episode "Consequences".)


title: Kathleen Wilhoite

text: Wilhoite married musician David Harte in 1997, with whom she has two children; a son, James, and a daughter, Ruby. In the early 2010s, Wilhoite and Harte adopted a son named Adu from Ethiopia.


title: Mawlid

text: Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi (, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronunciations; sometimes , ) is the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which is commemorated in Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. 12th Rabi' al-awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while most Shia scholars regard 17th Rabi' al-awwal as the accepted date, though not all Shias consider it to be this date. It is also called Maouloud in West Africa.


title: Mawlid

text: The history of this celebration goes back to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi‘un began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honour Muhammad were recited and sung to the crowds. It has been said that the first Muslim ruler to officially celebrate the birth of Muhammad in an impressive ceremony was Muzaffar al-Din Gökböri (d. 630/1233). The Ottomans declared it an official holiday in 1588,


title: Mawlid

text: The term "Mawlid" is also used in some parts of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.


title: Mawlid

text: Most denominations of Islam approve of the commemoration of Muhammad's birthday; however, with the emergence of Wahhabism-Salafism, Deobandism, Ahl-i Hadith and the Ahmadiyya, many Muslims began to disapprove its commemoration, considering it an illicit religious innovation (bid'ah or bidat). "Mawlid" is recognized as a national holiday in most of the Muslim-majority countries of the world with the exception of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Some non-Muslim majority countries with large Muslim populations such as Ethiopia, India, and Tanzania, etc., also recognise it as a public holiday.


title: Mawlid

text: Mawlid is derived from the Arabic root word , meaning "to give birth, bear a child, descendant". In contemporary usage, Mawlid refers to the observance of the birthday of Muhammad.


title: Mawlid

text: Along with being referred to as the celebration of the birth of Muhammad, the term Mawlid refers to the 'text especially composed for and recited at Muhammad's nativity celebration' or "a text recited or sung on that day".


title: Mawlid

text: According to the majority of Sunni Muslims and some Shi'as, Muhammad was born on the 12th of Rabi' al-awwal. Many Twelver Shia Muslims on the other hand assert that Muhammad was born on the 17th of Rabi' al-awwal. It stands as a matter of ikhtilaf or disagreement since some Shiite scholars such as Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, Ibn Babawayh, and Zayn al-Din al-Juba'i al'Amili have affirmed the date of the 12th of Rabi' al-Awal. Nonetheless, others contend that the date of Muhammad's birth is unknown and is not definitively recorded in the Islamic traditions. The issue of the correct date of the Mawlid is recorded by Ibn Khallikan as constituting the first proven disagreement concerning the celebration.


title: Mawlid

text: In early days of Islam, observation of Muhammad's birth as a holy day was usually arranged privately and later was an increased number of visitors to the Mawlid house that was open for the whole day specifically for this celebration.


title: Mawlid

text: The early celebrations, included elements of Sufic influence, with animal sacrifices and torchlight processions along with public sermons and a feast. The celebrations occurred during the day, in contrast to modern day observances, with the ruler playing a key role in the ceremonies. Emphasis was given to the "Ahl al-Bayt" with presentation of sermons and recitations of the Qur'an.


title: Mawlid

text: The exact origins of the Mawlid is difficult to trace. According to "Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God", the significance of the event was established when Muhammad fasted on Monday, citing the reason for this was his birth on that day, and when Umar took into consideration Muhammad's birth as a possible starting time for the Islamic calendar. According to "Festivals in World Religions", the Mawlid was first introduced by the Abbasids in Baghdad. It has been suggested that the Mawlid was first formalized by Al-Khayzuran of the Abbasids. Ibn Jubayr, in 1183, writes that Muhammad's birthday was celebrated every Monday of Rabi' al-awwal at his birthplace, which had been converted into a place of devotion under the Abbasids.


title: Mawlid

text: According to the hypothesis of Nico Kaptein of Leiden University, the Mawlid was initiated by the Fatimids. It has been stated, "The idea that the celebration of the "mawlid" originated with the Fatimid dynasty has today been almost universally accepted among both religious polemicists and secular scholars." Annemarie Schimmel also says that the tendency to celebrate the memory of the Prophet's birthday on a larger and more festive scale emerged first in Egypt during the Fatimids. The Egyptian historian Maqrizi (d. 1442) describes one such celebration held in 1122 as an occasion in which mainly scholars and religious establishment participated. They listened to sermons, distributed sweets, particularly honey, the Prophet's favourite and the poor received alms. This Shia origin is frequently noted by those Sunnis who oppose Mawlid. According to "Encyclopædia Britannica," however, what the Fatimids did was simply a procession of court officials, which did not involve the public but was restricted to the court of the Fatimid caliph. Therefore, it has been concluded that the first Mawlid celebration which was a public festival was started by Sunnis in 1207 by Muẓaffar al-Dīn Gökburi.


title: Mawlid

text: It has been suggested that the celebration was introduced into the city Ceuta by Abu al-Abbas al-Azafi as a way of strengthening the Muslim community and to counteract Christian festivals.


title: Mawlid

text: In 1207, Muẓaffar al-Dīn Gökburi started the first annual public festival of the Mawlid in Erbil (modern day Iraq). Gökböri was the brother-in-law of Saladin and soon the festival began to spread across the Muslim world. Since Saladin and Gokburi were both Sufis the festival became increasingly popular among Sufi devotees which remains so till this day.


title: Mawlid

text: Mawlid is celebrated in almost all Islamic countries, and in other countries that have a significant Muslim population, such as Ethiopia, India, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Nigeria,cote dlvore, Sri Lanka, France, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Iran, Maldives, Morocco, Jordan, Libya, Russia and Canada. The only exceptions are Qatar and Saudi Arabia where it is not an official public holiday and is forbidden. Hari Maulaud Nabi is a public holiday in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. However, In the last decades of the late 20th century there has been a trend to "forbid or discredit" Mawlid in the Sunni Muslim world.


title: Mawlid

text: In Turkey, Mawlid is widely celebrated. It is referred to as "Mevlid Kandili" in Turkish, which means "the candle feast for the Prophet's birthday". Traditional poems regarding Muhammad's life are recited both in public mosques and at home in the evening. The most celebrated of these is the Mawlid of Süleyman Çelebi. Plenty of other mawlids were written in Ottoman times.


title: Mawlid

text: Often organized in some countries by the Sufi orders, Mawlid is celebrated in a carnival manner, large street processions are held and homes or mosques are decorated. Charity and food is distributed, and stories about the life of Muhammad are narrated with recitation of poetry by children. Scholars and poets celebrate by reciting Qaṣīda al-Burda Sharif, the famous poem by 13th-century Arabic Sufi Busiri. A general Mawlid appears as "a chaotic, incoherent spectacle, where numerous events happen simultaneously, all held together only by the common festive time and space". These celebrations are often considered an expression of the Sufi concept of the pre-existence of Muhammad. However, the main significance of these festivities is expression of love for Muhammad.


title: Mawlid

text: The first Sunni mawlid celebration that we have a detailed description of was sponsored by Muzaffar al-Din Kokburi and included the slaughtering of thousands of animals for a banquet which is believed to have cost 300,000 dirhams. The presence of guests and the distribution of monetary gifts at "mawlid" festivals had an important social function as they symbolized “concretizing ties of patronage and dramatizing the benevolence of the ruler” and also held religious significance, as "issues of spending and feeding were pivotal both to the religious and social function of the celebration." Early "fatwas" and criticisms of the "mawlid" have taken issue with the “possibility of coerced giving” as hosts often took monetary contributions from their guests for festival costs.


title: Mawlid

text: Jurists often conceptualized the observance of the Prophet's birthday as a “form of reciprocation for God’s bestowal of the Prophet Muhammad” as a way of justifying celebrations. According to this thought, the bestowal of such a gift required thanks, which came in the form of the celebration of the "mawlid". Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (1392 CE) and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalini (1449 CE) both expressed such ideas, specifically referencing the hadith about the Jews and the fast of ‘Ashura’, but broadening the conception of “thanks to God” to multiple forms of worship including prostration, fasting, almsgiving, and Qur’anic recitation. The only limitation Ibn Hajar places on forms of celebration is that they must be neutral under Shari’a.<


title: Mawlid

text: During Pakistan's Mawlid, the day starts with a 31-gun salute in federal capital and a 21-gun salute at the provincial capitals and religious hymns are sung during the day.


title: Mawlid

text: In many parts of Indonesia, the celebration of the "Mawlid al-nabi" "seems to surpass in importance, liveliness, and splendour" the two official Islamic holidays of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.


title: Mawlid

text: In Qayrawan, Tunisia, Muslims sing and chant hymns of praise to Muhammad, welcoming him in honor of his birth. Also, generally in Tunisia, people usually prepare Assidat Zgougou to celebrate the Mawlid.


title: Mawlid

text: Among non-Muslim countries, India is noted for its Mawlid festivities. The relics of Muhammad are displayed after the morning prayers in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir at the Hazratbal Shrine, where night-long prayers are also held. Hyderabad Telangana is noted for its grand milad festivities Religious meetings, night-long prayers, rallies, parades and decorations are made throughout the city.


title: Mawlid

text: Along with being referred to as the celebration of the birth of Muhammad, the term Mawlid also refers to the 'text especially composed for and recited at Muhammad's nativity celebration' or "a text recited or sung on that day". Such poems have been written in many languages, including Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish. These texts contain stories of the life of Muhammad,


title: Mawlid

text: These text are only part of the ceremonies. There are many different ways that people celebrate Mawlid, depending on where they are from. There appears to be a cultural influence upon what kind of festivities are a part of the Mawlid celebration. In Indonesia, it is common the congregation recite Simthud Durar, especially among Arab Indonesians.


title: Mawlid

text: Among Muslim scholars, the legality of Mawlid "has been the subject of intense debate" and has been described as "perhaps one of the most polemical discussions in Islamic law". Traditionally, most Sunni and nearly all of the Shia scholars have approved the celebration of Mawlid, while Salafi, Deobandi and Ahmadiyya scholars oppose the celebration. In the past, the Mawlid was thought of as a bidah. Saudi Arabia currently forbids the celebration of the Mawlid.


title: Mawlid

text: Examples of historic Sunni scholars who permitted the Mawlid include the Shafi'i scholar Al-Suyuti (d 911 A.H.). He was a scholar who wrote a fatwa on the Mawlid, which became one of the most important texts on this issue. Although he became famous outside of Egypt, he was caught in conflicts in Egypt his entire life. For example, he believed that he was the most important scholar of his time, and that he should be regarded as a mujtahid (a scholar who independently interprets and develops the Law) and later as a mujaddid (a scholar who appears at end of a century to restore Islam). These claims made him the most controversial person of his time. However, his fatwa may have received widespread approval and may not have provoked any conflicts.


title: Mawlid

text: He stated that:"My answer is that the legal status of the observance of the Mawlid – as long as it just consists of a meeting together by the people, a recitation of apposite parts of the Qur'an, the recounting of transmitted accounts of the beginning of (the biography of) the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – and the wonders that took place during his birth, all of which is then followed by a banquet that is served to them and from which they eat-is a good innovation (bid'a hasana), for which one is rewarded because of the esteem shown for the position of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – that is implicit in it, and because of the expression of joy and happiness on his – may God bless him and grant him peace – noble birth."Al-Suyuti thought that the Mawlid could be based on the fact that the Prophet performed the sacrifice for his own birth after his calling to be the Prophet. He said that Abu Lahab, who he called an unbeliever, had been condemned by what was revealed in the Qu’ran but was rewarded in the fire “for the joy he showed on the night of the birth of the Prophet” by releasing from slavery Thuwayba when she had informed him of the birth of the Prophet. Therefore, he talked about what would happen to a Muslim who rejoiced in his birth and loved him.


title: Mawlid

text: In response to al-Fakihani, al-Suyuti said a few things. He said that "because a matter is not known it does not necessarily follow that the matter does not exist nor ever has existed." He also said that a “learned and judicious ruler introduced it,” in responding to al-Fakihani's statement that "on the contrary, it is a bida that was introduced by idlers... nor the pious scholars..." Al-Suyuti also said in response to “Nor is it meritorious, because the essence of the meritorious is what the Law demands,” that “the demands of meritorious are sometimes based on a text and sometimes on reasoning by analogy.” Al-Suyuti said that bidas are not restricted to forbidden or reprehensible, but also to the permitted, meritorious, or compulsory categories in response to al-Fakihani's statement that “according to the consensus of the Muslims innovation in religion is not permitted.” In response to al-Fakihani's statement that “This, not withstanding the fact that the month in which he… is born namely Rabi'I, is exactly the same as the one in which he died. Therefore joy and happiness in this month are not any more appropriate than sadness in this month,”> al-Suyuti said that “birth is the greatest benefaction which has ever befallen us, but his death the greatest calamity that has been visited upon us.” He said that the Law allows expression of gratitude for benefactions, and that the Prophet had prescribed the sacrifice after the birth of a child because this would express gratitude and happiness for the newborn. Indeed, al-Suyuti said that the principles of the Law say it is right to express happiness at the Prophet's birth.


title: Mawlid

text: The Shafi'i scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d 852 A.H.) too approved of the Mawlid and states that:"As for what is performed on the day of the Mawlid, one should limit oneself to what expresses thanks to God, such as the things that have already been mentioned: [Qur'anic] recitation, serving food, alms-giving, and recitation of praise [poems] about the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – and asceticism which motivate people to perform good deeds and act in view of the next world."


title: Mawlid

text: The Damascene Shafi'i scholar Abu Shama (died 1268) (who was a teacher of Imam al-Nawawi (d 676 A.H.)) also supports the celebration of the Mawlid. The Maliki scholar Ibn al-Hajj (d 737 A.H.) also spoke positively of the observance of the Mawlid in his book "al-Madhkal". Al-Hajj addresses his thoughts on the paradoxical problem of misguided Mawlid observance when he says:


title: Mawlid

text: " This is a night of exceeding virtue and what follows from an increase in virtue is an increase in the thanks that it merits through the performance of acts of obedience and the like. [However], some people, instead of increasing thanks, have increased innovations on it."


title: Mawlid

text: Likewise, the Shafi'i Egyptian scholar Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 A.H.) was an avid supporter of the Mawlid and wrote a text in praise of it. This was supported and commented on by the Egyptian scholar and former head of Al-Azhar University Ibrahim al-Bajuri and by the Hanafi Syrian Mufti Ibn Abidin. Another Hanafi Mufti Ali al-Qari (d. 1014 A.H.) too supported the celebration of the Mawlid and wrote a text on the subject as did the Moroccan Maliki scholar Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Kattānī (d. 1345 A.H.). Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833 A.H.), a Syrian Shafi'i scholar considers the celebration of the Mawlid to be a means of gaining Paradise.


title: Mawlid

text: In the Muslim world, the majority of Sunni Islamic scholars are in favor of the Mawlid. Examples include the former Grand Mufi of Al-Azhar University Ali Gomaa, Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki of Saudi Arabia, Yusuf al-Qaradawi the primary scholar of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Habib Ali al-Jifri, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy of Syria, president of the Heritage and History Committee of the United Arab Emirates Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Khazraji and Zaid Shakir, all of whom subscribe to Sunni Islam, have given their approval for the observance of Mawlid.


title: Mawlid

text: Ibn Taymiyya's position on the Mawlid has been described as "paradoxical" and "complex" by some academics. He ruled that it was a reprehensible (makrūh) devotional innovation and criticised those who celebrated the Mawlid out of a desire to imitate the Christian celebration of Jesus's birthday. At the same time, he recognised that some observe Muhammad's birthday out of a desire to show their love and reverence of him and thus deserve a great reward for their good intentions. The Salafi writer Hamid al-Fiqi (d. 1959) criticised Ibn Taymiyya for holding this view and stating that "How can they receive a reward for this when they are opposing the guidance of God's Messenger (pbuh)?".


title: Mawlid

text: Taj al-Din al-Fakihani (d. 1331), an Egyptian Maliki, considered Mawlid to be a blameworthy innovation that was either makruh or haram. Al-Fakihani said that there was no basis of this in the Book of God, nor in the Sunnah of the Prophet, and that there was no observance of it on authority of scholars of the umma. He said that it was a “bida that was introduced by idlers, and a delight to which gluttons abandon themselves.” He mentioned how the five legal categories included whether it is compulsory, meritorious, permitted, reprehensible, or forbidden. He said it was not compulsory, meritorious, or permitted, and therefore it was reprehensible or forbidden. He said that it was reprehensible when a person observed at their own expense without doing more at the gathering than to eat and abstain from doing anything sinful. The second condition of the category of forbidden, according to al-Fakihani, was when committing of transgressions entered into the practice, such as “singing–with full bellies–accompanied by instruments of idleness like drums and reed flutes, with the meeting of men with young boys and male persons with attractive women–either mixing with them or guarding them–, just like dancing by swinging and swaying, wallowing in lust and forgetting of the Day of Doom.” He also said, “And likewise the women, when they come together and there lend their high voices during the reciting with sighing and singing and thereby during the declaiming and reciting disobey the law and neglect His word: ‘Verily, your Lord is on a watchtower’ (Sura 89:14).” He further said, “Nobody with civilized and courteous manners approves of this. It is only pleasing to people whose hearts are dead and do not contain few sins and offenses.” Finally, he said that the month where the Prophet was born was also the month in which he died, and so implied that joy and happiness in that month are not more appropriate than sadness in that month.


title: Mawlid

text: Fellow Egyptian Maliki Ibn al-Haj al-Abdari also considered Mawlid as a blameworthy innovation that was either makruh or haram, who added that the celebration was never practiced by the Salaf. However Ibn al-Haj affirms the auspicious qualities of the month of the Mawlid in the most effusive terms and considers Muhammad's date of birth as a particularly blessed time of the year. The Maliki scholar Al-Shatibi considered Mawlid an illegitimate innovation. The Andalusian jurist Abu 'Abd Allah al-Haffar (d. 1408) opposed Mawlid, noting that had the Sahaba celebrated it then its exact date would not be a matter of uncertainty. The former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, along with Hammud ibn 'Abd Allah al-Tuwayjiri (d. 1992), another Saudi scholar, in their opposition also argued that there were many worthy occasions in Muhammad's life which he never commemorated, such as the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an, the Night Journey and the hijra.


title: Mawlid

text: In 1934, the minister of education in Egypt criticized the "useless stories" which filled Mawlid poetry, as he believed these were incompatible with a modern and scientific viewpoint that represented Muhammad on a more sober level. Similar criticism arose in 1982 when a chairman of the Mecca-based Orthodox Muslim Organization "Rabita" declared celebrations of Mawlid an "evil innovation."


title: Mawlid

text: While the Ahmadiyya deem the perpetual commemoration of Muhammad's life as highly desirable and consider the remembrance of him as a source of blessings, they condemn the common, traditional practices associated with the Mawlid as blameworthy innovations, Gatherings limited to the recounting of Muhammad's life and character and the recitation of poetry eulogising him, whether held on a specific date of Rabi' al-awwal or in any other month, are deemed permissible. Formal gatherings called "Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi" commemorating Muhammad's life and legacy, rather than specifically his birth, are frequently held by Ahmadis and are often oriented towards both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences. These gatherings could be held in the month of the Mawlid but are promoted often throughout the year.


title: Mawlid

text: Ibn al-Hajj praised carrying out ceremonies and expression of gratitude during the festival, but rejected the forbidden and objectionable matters that took place at it. He objected to certain things, such as singers performing to the accompaniment of percussion instruments, pointing to their blameworthiness. He asked about what connections there might have been between percussion instruments and the month of Prophet's birthday. However, he said that it was right to honor and distinguish the birthday because it showed respect for the month. He also said that excellence lied in devotional acts. Therefore, al-Hajj said that “the respect of this noble month should consist of additional righteous works, the giving of alms and other pious deeds. If anybody is not able to do so, let him then in any case avoid what is forbidden and reprehensible out of respect for this noble month.” He said that even though the Quran might be recited, the people actually were “longing for the most skilled adepts of folly and stimulating means to entertain the people,” and said that this was “perverse.” Therefore, he did not condemn the Mawlid, but only “the forbidden and objectionable things which the Mawlid brings in its wake.” He did not disapprove of preparing a banquet and inviting people to participate. In addition, Ibn al-Hajj also said that people observed the Mawlid not just from reasons of respect but also because they wanted to get back the silver they had given on other joyous occasions and festivals, and said that there were “evil aspects” attached to this.


title: Mawlid

text: Skaykh al-Islam, Abu I-Fadl ibn Hajar, who was “the (greatest) hafiz of this time,” said that the legal status of the Mawlid was that it was a bida, which was not transmitted on the authority of one of the pious ancestors. However, he said that it comprised both good things, as well as the reverse, and that if one strove for good things in practicing it and evaded bad things, the Mawlid was a good innovation, and if not, then not. He said that the coming of the Prophet was a good benefaction, and said that only the day ought to be observed. He said that “it is necessary that one restricts oneself to that which expresses gratitude to God… namely by reciting the Quran, the giving of a banquet, almsgiving, declamations of some songs of praise for the Prophet and some ascetic songs of praise, which stimulate the hearts to do good and to make efforts to strive for the Hereafter.” He also said that the “sama and the entertainment and the like” may have been in line with the joyous nature of the day, but said that “what is forbidden or reprehensible, is, of course, prohibited. The same holds true for what is contrary to that which is regarded as the most appropriate."


title: Mawlid

text: In some countries, such as Egypt and Sudan, Mawlid is used as a generic term for the celebration of birthdays of local Sufi saints and not only restricted to the observance of the birth of Muhammad. Around 3,000 Mawlid celebrations are held each year. These festivals attract an international audience, with the largest one in Egypt attracting up to three million people honouring Ahmad al-Badawi, a local 13th-century Sufi saint.


title: Holomorphic function

text: In mathematics, a holomorphic function is a complex-valued function of one or more complex variables that is complex differentiable in a neighbourhood of each point in a domain in complex coordinate space . The existence of a complex derivative in a neighbourhood is a very strong condition: it implies that a holomorphic function is infinitely differentiable and locally equal to its own Taylor series ("analytic"). Holomorphic functions are the central objects of study in complex analysis.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Though the term "analytic function" is often used interchangeably with "holomorphic function", the word "analytic" is defined in a broader sense to denote any function (real, complex, or of more general type) that can be written as a convergent power series in a neighbourhood of each point in its domain. That all holomorphic functions are complex analytic functions, and vice versa, is a major theorem in complex analysis.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Holomorphic functions are also sometimes referred to as "regular functions". A holomorphic function whose domain is the whole complex plane is called an entire function. The phrase "holomorphic at a point " means not just differentiable at , but differentiable everywhere within some neighbourhood of in the complex plane.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Given a complex-valued function of a single complex variable, the derivative of at a point in its domain is defined as the limit


title: Holomorphic function

text: This is the same definition as for the derivative of a real function, except that all quantities are complex. In particular, the limit is taken as the complex number tends to , and this means that the same value is obtained for any sequence of complex values for that tends to . If the limit exists, is said complex differentiable at . This concept of complex differentiability shares several properties with real differentiability: it is linear and obeys the product rule, quotient rule, and chain rule.


title: Holomorphic function

text: A function is holomorphic on an open set if it is "complex differentiable" at "every" point of . A function is "holomorphic" at a point if it is holomorphic on some neighbourhood of . A function is "holomorphic" on some non-open set if it is holomorphic at every point of .


title: Holomorphic function

text: A function may be complex differentiable at a point but not holomorphic at this point. For example, the function is not complex differentiable at , but is complex differentiable elsewhere. So, it is "not" holomorphic at .


title: Holomorphic function

text: The relationship between real differentiability and complex differentiability is the following: If a complex function is holomorphic, then and have first partial derivatives with respect to and , and satisfy the Cauchy–Riemann equations:


title: Holomorphic function

text: If continuity is not given, the converse is not necessarily true. A simple converse is that if and have "continuous" first partial derivatives and satisfy the Cauchy–Riemann equations, then is holomorphic. A more satisfying converse, which is much harder to prove, is the Looman–Menchoff theorem: if is continuous, and have first partial derivatives (but not necessarily continuous), and they satisfy the Cauchy–Riemann equations, then is holomorphic.


title: Holomorphic function

text: The term "holomorphic" was introduced in 1875 by Charles Briot and Jean-Claude Bouquet, two of Augustin-Louis Cauchy's students, and derives from the Greek ὅλος ("hólos") meaning "whole", and μορφή ("morphḗ") meaning "form" or "appearance" or "type", in contrast to the term "meromorphic" derived from μέρος ("méros") meaning "part". A holomorphic function resembles an entire function ("whole") in a domain of the complex plane while a meromorphic function (defined to mean holomorphic except at certain isolated poles), resembles a rational fraction ("part") of entire functions in a domain of the complex plane. Cauchy had instead used the term "synectic".


title: Holomorphic function

text: Today, the term "holomorphic function" is sometimes preferred to "analytic function". An important result in complex analysis is that every holomorphic function is complex analytic, a fact that does not follow obviously from the definitions. The term "analytic" is however also in wide use.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Because complex differentiation is linear and obeys the product, quotient, and chain rules, the sums, products and compositions of holomorphic functions are holomorphic, and the quotient of two holomorphic functions is holomorphic wherever the denominator is not zero. That is, if functions and are holomorphic in a domain , then so are , , , and . Furthermore, is holomorphic if has no zeros in , or is meromorphic otherwise.


title: Holomorphic function

text: If one identifies with the real plane , then the holomorphic functions coincide with those functions of two real variables with continuous first derivatives which solve the Cauchy–Riemann equations, a set of two partial differential equations.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Every holomorphic function can be separated into its real and imaginary parts , and each of these is a harmonic function on (each satisfies Laplace's equation ), with the harmonic conjugate of . Conversely, every harmonic function on a simply connected domain is the real part of a holomorphic function: If is the harmonic conjugate of , unique up to a constant, then is holomorphic.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Cauchy's integral theorem implies that the contour integral of every holomorphic function along a loop vanishes:


title: Holomorphic function

text: Here is a rectifiable path in a simply connected complex domain whose start point is equal to its end point, and is a holomorphic function.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Cauchy's integral formula states that every function holomorphic inside a disk is completely determined by its values on the disk's boundary. Furthermore: Suppose is a complex domain, is a holomorphic function and the closed disk is completely contained in . Let be the circle forming the boundary of . Then for every in the interior of :


title: Holomorphic function

text: In regions where the first derivative is not zero, holomorphic functions are conformal: they preserve angles and the shape (but not size) of small figures.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Every holomorphic function is analytic. That is, a holomorphic function has derivatives of every order at each point in its domain, and it coincides with its own Taylor series at in a neighbourhood of . In fact, coincides with its Taylor series at in any disk centred at that point and lying within the domain of the function.


title: Holomorphic function

text: From an algebraic point of view, the set of holomorphic functions on an open set is a commutative ring and a complex vector space. Additionally, the set of holomorphic functions in an open set is an integral domain if and only if the open set is connected. In fact, it is a locally convex topological vector space, with the seminorms being the suprema on compact subsets.


title: Holomorphic function

text: From a geometric perspective, a function is holomorphic at if and only if its exterior derivative in a neighbourhood of is equal to for some continuous function . It follows from


title: Holomorphic function

text: that is also proportional to , implying that the derivative is itself holomorphic and thus that is infinitely differentiable. Similarly, implies that any function that is holomorphic on the simply connected region is also integrable on .


title: Holomorphic function

text: All polynomial functions in with complex coefficients are entire functions (holomorphic in the whole complex plane ), and so are the exponential function and the trigonometric functions formula_10 and formula_11 (cf. Euler's formula). The principal branch of the complex logarithm function is holomorphic on the domain The square root function can be defined as formula_12 and is therefore holomorphic wherever the logarithm is. The reciprocal function is holomorphic on (The reciprocal function, and any other rational function, is meromorphic on .)


title: Holomorphic function

text: As a consequence of the Cauchy–Riemann equations, any real-valued holomorphic function must be constant. Therefore, the absolute value , the argument , the real part and the imaginary part are not holomorphic. Another typical example of a continuous function which is not holomorphic is the complex conjugate (The complex conjugate is antiholomorphic.)


title: Holomorphic function

text: The definition of a holomorphic function generalizes to several complex variables in a straightforward way. Let to be polydisk and also, denote an open subset of , and let . The function is analytic at a point in if there exists an open neighbourhood of in which is equal to a convergent power series in complex variables. Define to be holomorphic if it is analytic at each point in its domain. Osgood's lemma shows (using the multivariate Cauchy integral formula) that, for a continuous function , this is equivalent to being holomorphic in each variable separately (meaning that if any coordinates are fixed, then the restriction of is a holomorphic function of the remaining coordinate). The much deeper Hartogs' theorem proves that the continuity assumption is unnecessary: is holomorphic if and only if it is holomorphic in each variable separately.


title: Holomorphic function

text: More generally, a function of several complex variables that is square integrable over every compact subset of its domain is analytic if and only if it satisfies the Cauchy–Riemann equations in the sense of distributions.


title: Holomorphic function

text: Functions of several complex variables are in some basic ways more complicated than functions of a single complex variable. For example, the region of convergence of a power series is not necessarily an open ball; these regions are logarithmically-convex Reinhardt domains, the simplest example of which is a polydisk. However, they also come with some fundamental restrictions. Unlike functions of a single complex variable, the possible domains on which there are holomorphic functions that cannot be extended to larger domains are highly limited. Such a set is called a domain of holomorphy.


title: Holomorphic function

text: A complex differential -form is holomorphic if and only if its antiholomorphic Dolbeault derivative is zero, .


title: Holomorphic function

text: The concept of a holomorphic function can be extended to the infinite-dimensional spaces of functional analysis. For instance, the Fréchet or Gateaux derivative can be used to define a notion of a holomorphic function on a Banach space over the field of complex numbers.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: The Secret Life of Bees is a 2008 American drama film adapted from the 2001 novel of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd. Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, and Paul Bettany, the film was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Will Smith, with Jada Pinkett Smith as the executive producer.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: "The Secret Life of Bees" is noted for Queen Latifah's critically acclaimed performance as August Boatwright. The film was released in the United States on October 17, 2008, and in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2008.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: In 1964 South Carolina, Lily lives on a peach orchard with her abusive, widowed father T. Ray. 10 years earlier, the four-year-old Lily accidentally shot her mother as she was attempting to leave T. Ray. In the present day, her 14th birthday is approaching, and she celebrates the signing of the Civil Rights Act with her father’s Black hired help, Rosaleen. On the night before her birthday, Lily sneaks away into a nearby cornfield where she has secretly buried a few mementos of her mother, including a jar labeled “Black Madonna Honey, Tiburon, SC.” She places the picture of her mother on her stomach to feel closer to her as she lays back in the cornfield. She suddenly hears T. Ray calling for her and quickly buries her mothers belongings and tries to quickly button her shirt. She is caught hastily buttoning her shirt by T. Ray who assumes she was out there with a boy and punishes her by having her kneel on a pile of grits for an hour.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: On her birthday, Rosaleen takes Lily into town under the pretense of Lily getting measured for a bra, but also to give Rosaleen the opportunity to register to vote. The pair encounter a group of racists who beat Rosaleen after she stands her ground against their intimidation, and she is arrested. T. Ray retrieves Lily and takes her back home, but she runs away and breaks Rosaleen out of the hospital, where she’s being treated for her wounds while she awaits jail. They head for Tiburon, with Lily hoping to figure out more about her mother’s past.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: It takes two days for Lily and Rosaleen to reach Tiburon and find their way to the home of August Boatwright and her sisters May and June. August has used her skills as a beekeeper to build a successful business. Despite the unlikeliness of Lily's lies about hers and Rosaleen’s circumstances, and June’s suspicions, August takes them in, agreeing to trade room and board for their labor. Lily becomes an apprentice beekeeper and later discovers May's “wailing wall”, tucked full of little notes about events that have distressed the brittle and sensitive May, as well as May’s twin sister April, who died in childhood. She also learns about August’s leadership of a small group of women who pray to the life-size statue of a Black Madonna in the Boatwright’s living room for guidance.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: In time Lily grows close to Zach, the teenage son of one member in the prayer group and August's assistant beekeeper/godson. Lily and Zach try to watch a movie together, but when they disregard racial barriers, sitting together in the "colored" section, gets Zach kidnapped by a group of townspeople. June and August hide the news from May to try and protect her, but Zach's mother reveals the news to her accidentally. Out of grief, May drowns herself to escape the pain of feeling the world's hatred, though in her suicide note she predicts Zach will be returned alive, and he is found the next day.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: With May's funeral comes some reconciliation and truth. June agrees to wed her long-time boyfriend who she had previously repeatedly rejected. Rosaleen is asked to be part of the household family, and August says they will call her July. Lily, who already believes she killed her mother, now blames herself for Zach's kidnapping and May's death. She has a breakdown, convinced her mother didn’t want her, feeling unloved and unlovable, and resigns herself to leave before she causes any more harm. Before she’s able to go, August challenges her outlook, and tells Lily about her mother, whom August cared for as a child in Virginia and later sheltered from the abuse of T. Ray.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: Meanwhile, T. Ray has figured out where Lily is by using a map she had pinned on her bedroom wall. He comes to Tiburon to take Lily home with him. However, Lily refuses to leave, and August, June, and Rosaleen form a phalanx of support. Lily confronts T. Ray about her mother, and he reveals he lied to her; her mother really did come back for her. With angry reluctance, T. Ray leaves her to be raised by the Boatwrights.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: Early in the film's development, David Gordon Green was set to direct the film and Focus Features was going to distribute it.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: Production began on January 7, 2008, in Lumberton, North Carolina, and Watha, North Carolina and ended a few months later. The film was screened in September 2008 at the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival, and had an October 17, 2008, theatrical release.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: Rotten Tomatoes reported the film has an approval of 59% based on 139 reviews, with an average rating of 5.94/10. The site's critics consensus reads: ""The Secret Life of Bees" has charm, but is largely too maudlin and sticky-sweet." Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: Writing in "The New York Times", reviewer A. O. Scott thought the film to be "a familiar and tired fable". Roger Ebert found the film "enchanting" and gave it 3.5/4 stars.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: The film was 3 at the North American box office for its opening weekend with $10.5 million. It later went on to gross $40 million worldwide.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: The movie won the awards for "Favorite Movie Drama" and "Favorite Independent Movie" at the 35th People's Choice Awards.


title: The Secret Life of Bees (film)

text: The film received seven NAACP Image Award nominations, which include Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning), Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Nate Parker), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and Sophie Okonedo). The movie won the Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Electrical discharge machining (EDM), also known as spark machining, spark eroding, die sinking, wire burning or wire erosion, is a metal


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: fabrication process whereby a desired shape is obtained by using electrical discharges (sparks). Material is removed from the work piece by a series of rapidly recurring current discharges between two electrodes, separated by a dielectric liquid and subject to an electric voltage. One of the electrodes is called the tool-electrode, or simply the or , while the other is called the workpiece-electrode, or . The process depends upon the tool and work piece not making physical contact.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: When the voltage between the two electrodes is increased, the intensity of the electric field in the volume between the electrodes becomes greater, causing dielectric break down of the liquid, and produces an electric arc. As a result, material is removed from the electrodes. Once the current stops (or is stopped, depending on the type of generator), new liquid dielectric is conveyed into the inter-electrode volume, enabling the solid particles (debris) to be carried away and the insulating properties of the dielectric to be restored. Adding new liquid dielectric in the inter-electrode volume is commonly referred to as . After a current flow, the voltage between the electrodes is restored to what it was before the breakdown, so that a new liquid dielectric breakdown can occur to repeat the cycle.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The erosive effect of electrical discharges was first noted in 1770 by English physicist Joseph Priestley.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Two Soviet scientists, B. R. Lazarenko and N. I. Lazarenko, were tasked in 1943 to investigate ways of preventing the erosion of tungsten electrical contacts due to sparking. They failed in this task but found that the erosion was more precisely controlled if the electrodes were immersed in a dielectric fluid. This led them to invent an EDM machine used for working difficult-to-machine materials such as tungsten. The Lazarenkos' machine is known as an R-C-type machine, after the resistor–capacitor circuit (RC circuit) used to charge the electrodes.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Simultaneously but independently, an American team, Harold Stark, Victor Harding, and Jack Beaver, developed an EDM machine for removing broken drills and taps from aluminium castings. Initially constructing their machines from under-powered electric-etching tools, they were not very successful. But more powerful sparking units, combined with automatic spark repetition and fluid replacement with an electromagnetic interrupter arrangement produced practical machines. Stark, Harding, and Beaver's machines were able to produce 60 sparks per second. Later machines based on their design used vacuum tube circuits that were able to produce thousands of sparks per second, significantly increasing the speed of cutting.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The wire-cut type of machine arose in the 1960s for making tools (dies) from hardened steel. The tool electrode in wire EDM is simply a wire. To avoid the erosion of the wire causing it to break, the wire is wound between two spools so that the active part of the wire is constantly changing. The earliest numerical controlled (NC) machines were conversions of punched-tape vertical milling machines. The first commercially available NC machine built as a wire-cut EDM machine was manufactured in the USSR in 1967. Machines that could optically follow lines on a master drawing were developed by David H. Dulebohn's group in the 1960s at Andrew Engineering Company for milling and grinding machines. Master drawings were later produced by computer numerical controlled (CNC) plotters for greater accuracy. A wire-cut EDM machine using the CNC drawing plotter and optical line follower techniques was produced in 1974. Dulebohn later used the same plotter CNC program to directly control the EDM machine, and the first CNC EDM machine was produced in 1976.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Commercial wire EDM capability and use has advanced substantially during recent decades. Feed rates have increased and surface finish can be finely controlled.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Electrical discharge machining is a machining method primarily used for hard metals or those that would be very difficult to machine with traditional techniques. EDM typically works with materials that are electrically conductive, although methods have also been proposed for using EDM to machine insulating ceramics. EDM can cut intricate contours or cavities in pre-hardened steel without the need for heat treatment to soften and re-harden them. This method can be used with any other metal or metal alloy such as titanium, hastelloy, kovar, and inconel. Also, applications of this process to shape polycrystalline diamond tools have been reported.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: EDM is often included in the "non-traditional" or "non-conventional" group of machining methods together with processes such as electrochemical machining (ECM), water jet cutting (WJ, AWJ), laser cutting and opposite to the "conventional" group (turning, milling, grinding, drilling and any other process whose material removal mechanism is essentially based on mechanical forces).


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Ideally, EDM can be seen as a series of breakdown and restoration of the liquid dielectric in-between the electrodes. However, caution should be exerted in considering such a statement because it is an idealized model of the process, introduced to describe the fundamental ideas underlying the process. Yet, any practical application involves many aspects that may also need to be considered. For instance, the removal of the debris from the inter-electrode volume is likely to be always partial. Thus the electrical properties of the dielectric in the inter-electrodes volume can be different from their nominal values and can even vary with time. The inter-electrode distance, often also referred to as spark-gap, is the result of the control algorithms of the specific machine used. The control of such a distance appears logically to be central to this process. Also, not all of the current between the dielectric is of the ideal type described above: the spark-gap can be short-circuited by the debris. The control system of the electrode may fail to react quickly enough to prevent the two electrodes (tool and workpiece) from coming into contact, with a consequent short circuit. This is unwanted because a short circuit contributes to material removal differently from the ideal case. The flushing action can be inadequate to restore the insulating properties of the dielectric so that the current always happens in the point of the inter-electrode volume (this is referred to as arcing), with a consequent unwanted change of shape (damage) of the tool-electrode and workpiece. Ultimately, a description of this process in a suitable way for the specific purpose at hand is what makes the EDM area such a rich field for further investigation and research.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: To obtain a specific geometry, the EDM tool is guided along the desired path very close to the work; ideally it should not touch the workpiece, although in reality this may happen due to the performance of the specific motion control in use. In this way, a large number of current discharges (colloquially also called sparks) happen, each contributing to the removal of material from both tool and workpiece, where small craters are formed. The size of the craters is a function of the technological parameters set for the specific job at hand. They can be with typical dimensions ranging from the nanoscale (in micro-EDM operations) to some hundreds of micrometers in roughing conditions.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The presence of these small craters on the tool results in the gradual erosion of the electrode. This erosion of the tool-electrode is also referred to as wear. Strategies are needed to counteract the detrimental effect of the wear on the geometry of the workpiece. One possibility is that of continuously replacing the tool-electrode during a machining operation. This is what happens if a continuously replaced wire is used as electrode. In this case, the correspondent EDM process is also called wire EDM. The tool-electrode can also be used in such a way that only a small portion of it is actually engaged in the machining process and this portion is changed on a regular basis. This is, for instance, the case when using a rotating disk as a tool-electrode. The corresponding process is often also referred to as EDM grinding.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: A further strategy consists in using a set of electrodes with different sizes and shapes during the same EDM operation. This is often referred to as multiple electrode strategy, and is most common when the tool electrode replicates in negative the wanted shape and is advanced towards the blank along a single direction, usually the vertical direction (i.e. z-axis). This resembles the sink of the tool into the dielectric liquid in which the workpiece is immersed, so, not surprisingly, it is often referred to as die-sinking EDM (also called conventional EDM and ram EDM). The corresponding machines are often called sinker EDM. Usually, the electrodes of this type have quite complex forms. If the final geometry is obtained using a usually simple-shaped electrode which is moved along several directions and is possibly also subject to rotations, often the term EDM milling is used.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: In any case, the severity of the wear is strictly dependent on the technological parameters used in the operation (for instance: polarity, maximum current, open circuit voltage). For example, in micro-EDM, also known as μ-EDM, these parameters are usually set at values which generates severe wear. Therefore, wear is a major problem in that area.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The problem of wear to graphite electrodes is being addressed. In one approach, a digital generator, controllable within milliseconds, reverses polarity as electro-erosion takes place. That produces an effect similar to electroplating that continuously deposits the eroded graphite back on the electrode. In another method, a so-called "Zero Wear" circuit reduces how often the discharge starts and stops, keeping it on for as long a time as possible.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Difficulties have been encountered in the definition of the technological parameters that drive the process.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Two broad categories of generators, also known as power supplies, are in use on EDM machines commercially available: the group based on RC circuits and the group based on transistor controlled pulses.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: In both categories, the primary parameters at setup are the current and frequency delivered. In RC circuits, however, little control is expected over the time duration of the discharge, which is likely to depend on the actual spark-gap conditions (size and pollution) at the moment of the discharge. Also, the open circuit voltage (i.e. the voltage between the electrodes when the dielectric is not yet broken) can be identified as steady state voltage of the RC circuit.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: In generators based on transistor control, the user is usually able to deliver a train of pulses of voltage to the electrodes. Each pulse can be controlled in shape, for instance, quasi-rectangular. In particular, the time between two consecutive pulses and the duration of each pulse can be set. The amplitude of each pulse constitutes the open circuit voltage. Thus, the maximum duration of discharge is equal to the duration of a pulse of voltage in the train. Two pulses of current are then expected not to occur for a duration equal or larger than the time interval between two consecutive pulses of voltage.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The maximum current during a discharge that the generator delivers can also be controlled. Because other sorts of generators may also be used by different machine builders, the parameters that may actually be set on a particular machine will depend on the generator manufacturer. The details of the generators and control systems on their machines are not always easily available to their user. This is a barrier to describing unequivocally the technological parameters of the EDM process. Moreover, the parameters affecting the phenomena occurring between tool and electrode are also related to the controller of the motion of the electrodes.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: A framework to define and measure the electrical parameters during an EDM operation directly on inter-electrode volume with an oscilloscope external to the machine has been recently proposed by Ferri "et al." These authors conducted their research in the field of μ-EDM, but the same approach can be used in any EDM operation. This would enable the user to estimate directly the electrical parameters that affect their operations without relying upon machine manufacturer's claims. When machining different materials in the same setup conditions, the actual electrical parameters of the process are significantly different.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The first serious attempt at providing a physical explanation of the material removal during electric discharge machining is perhaps that of Van Dijck. Van Dijck presented a thermal model together with a computational simulation to explain the phenomena between the electrodes during electric discharge machining. However, as Van Dijck himself admitted in his study, the number of assumptions made to overcome the lack of experimental data at that time was quite significant.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Further models of what occurs during electric discharge machining in terms of heat transfer were developed in the late eighties and early nineties. It resulted in three scholarly papers: the first presenting a thermal model of material removal on the cathode, the second presenting a thermal model for the erosion occurring on the anode and the third introducing a model describing the plasma channel formed during the passage of the discharge current through the dielectric liquid. Validation of these models is supported by experimental data provided by AGIE.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: These models give the most authoritative support for the claim that EDM is a thermal process, removing material from the two electrodes because of melting or vaporization, along with pressure dynamics established in the spark-gap by the collapsing of the plasma channel. However, for small discharge energies the models are inadequate to explain the experimental data. All these models hinge on a number of assumptions from such disparate research areas as submarine explosions, discharges in gases, and failure of transformers, so it is not surprising that alternative models have been proposed more recently in the literature trying to explain the EDM process.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Among these, the model from Singh and Ghosh reconnects the removal of material from the electrode to the presence of an electrical force on the surface of the electrode that could mechanically remove material and create the craters. This would be possible because the material on the surface has altered mechanical properties due to an increased temperature caused by the passage of electric current. The authors' simulations showed how they might explain EDM better than a thermal model (melting or evaporation), especially for small discharge energies, which are typically used in μ-EDM and in finishing operations.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Given the many available models, it appears that the material removal mechanism in EDM is not yet well understood and that further investigation is necessary to clarify it, especially considering the lack of experimental scientific evidence to build and validate the current EDM models. This explains an increased current research effort in related experimental techniques.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Sinker EDM, also called ram EDM, cavity type EDM or volume EDM, consists of an electrode and workpiece submerged in an insulating liquid such as, more typically, oil or, less frequently, other dielectric fluids. The electrode and workpiece are connected to a suitable power supply. The power supply generates an electrical potential between the two parts. As the electrode approaches the workpiece, dielectric breakdown occurs in the fluid, forming a plasma channel, and a small spark jumps.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: These sparks usually strike one at a time, because it is very unlikely that different locations in the inter-electrode space have the identical local electrical characteristics which would enable a spark to occur simultaneously in all such locations. These sparks happen in huge numbers at seemingly random locations between the electrode and the workpiece. As the base metal is eroded, and the spark gap subsequently increased, the electrode is lowered automatically by the machine so that the process can continue uninterrupted. Several hundred thousand sparks occur per second, with the actual duty cycle carefully controlled by the setup parameters. These controlling cycles are sometimes known as "on time" and "off time", which are more formally defined in the literature.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The on time setting determines the length or duration of the spark. Hence, a longer on time produces a deeper cavity from each spark, creating a rougher finish on the workpiece. The reverse is true for a shorter on time. Off time is the period of time between sparks. Although not directly affecting the machining of the part, the off time allows the flushing of dielectric fluid through a nozzle to clean out the eroded debris. Insufficient debris removal can cause repeated strikes in the same location which can lead to a short circuit. Modern controllers monitor the characteristics of the arcs and can alter parameters in microseconds to compensate. The typical part geometry is a complex 3D shape, often with small or odd shaped angles. Vertical, orbital, vectorial, directional, helical, conical, rotational, spin and indexing machining cycles are also used.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: In "wire electrical discharge machining" (WEDM), also known as "wire-cut EDM" and "wire cutting", a thin single-strand metal wire, usually brass, is fed through the workpiece, submerged in a tank of dielectric fluid, typically deionized water. Wire-cut EDM is typically used to cut plates as thick as 300mm and to make punches, tools, and dies from hard metals that are difficult to machine with other methods.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The wire, which is constantly fed from a spool, is held between upper and lower diamond guides which is centered in a water nozzle head. The guides, usually CNC-controlled, move in the "x"–"y" plane. On most machines, the upper guide can also move independently in the "z"–"u"–"v" axis, giving rise to the ability to cut tapered and transitioning shapes (circle on the bottom, square at the top for example). The upper guide can control axis movements in the GCode standard, "x"–"y"–"u"–"v"–"i"–"j"–"k"–"l"–. This allows the wire-cut EDM to be programmed to cut very intricate and delicate shapes.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The upper and lower diamond guides are usually accurate to , and can have a cutting path or "kerf" as small as using Ø wire, though the average cutting kerf that achieves the best economic cost and machining time is using Ø brass wire. The reason that the cutting width is greater than the width of the wire is because sparking occurs from the sides of the wire to the work piece, causing erosion. This "overcut" is necessary, for many applications it is adequately predictable and therefore can be compensated for (for instance in micro-EDM this is not often the case). Spools of wire are long — an 8 kg spool of 0.25 mm wire is just over 19 kilometers in length. Wire diameter can be as small as and the geometry precision is not far from ± .


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The wire-cut process uses water as its dielectric fluid, controlling its resistivity and other electrical properties with filters and PID controlled de-ionizer units. The water flushes the cut debris away from the cutting zone. Flushing is an important factor in determining the maximum feed rate for a given material thickness.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Along with tighter tolerances, multi axis EDM wire-cutting machining centers have added features such as multi heads for cutting two parts at the same time, controls for preventing wire breakage, automatic self-threading features in case of wire breakage, and programmable machining strategies to optimize the operation.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Wire-cutting EDM is commonly used when low residual stresses are desired, because it does not require high cutting forces for removal of material. If the energy/power per pulse is relatively low (as in finishing operations), little change in the mechanical properties of a material is expected due to these low residual stresses, although material that hasn't been stress-relieved can distort in the machining process.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The work piece may undergo a significant thermal cycle, its severity depending on the technological parameters used. Such thermal cycles may cause formation of a recast layer on the part and residual tensile stresses on the work piece. If machining takes place after heat treatment, dimensional accuracy will not be affected by heat treat distortion.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Fast hole drilling EDM was designed for producing fast, accurate, small, and deep holes. It is conceptually akin to sinker EDM but the electrode is a rotating tube conveying a pressurized jet of dielectric fluid. It can make a hole an inch deep in about a minute and is a good way to machine holes in materials too hard for twist-drill machining. This EDM drilling type is used largely in the aerospace industry, producing cooling holes into aero blades and other components. It is also used to drill holes in industrial gas turbine blades, in molds and dies, and in bearings.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: The EDM process is most widely used by the mold-making, tool, and die industries, but is becoming a common method of making prototype and production parts, especially in the aerospace, automobile and electronics industries in which production quantities are relatively low. In sinker EDM, a graphite, copper tungsten, or pure copper electrode is machined into the desired (negative) shape and fed into the workpiece on the end of a vertical ram.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: For the creation of dies for producing jewelry and badges, or blanking and piercing (through use of a pancake die) by the coinage (stamping) process, the positive master may be made from sterling silver, since (with appropriate machine settings) the master is significantly eroded and is used only once. The resultant negative die is then hardened and used in a drop hammer to produce stamped flats from cutout sheet blanks of bronze, silver, or low proof gold alloy. For badges these flats may be further shaped to a curved surface by another die. This type of EDM is usually performed submerged in an oil-based dielectric. The finished object may be further refined by hard (glass) or soft (paint) enameling, or electroplated with pure gold or nickel. Softer materials such as silver may be hand engraved as a refinement.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: On wire-cut EDM machines, small hole drilling EDM is used to make a through hole in a workpiece through which to thread the wire for the wire-cut EDM operation. A separate EDM head specifically for small hole drilling is mounted on a wire-cut machine and allows large hardened plates to have finished parts eroded from them as needed and without pre-drilling.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Small hole EDM is used to drill rows of holes into the leading and trailing edges of turbine blades used in jet engines. Gas flow through these small holes allows the engines to use higher temperatures than otherwise possible. The high-temperature, very hard, single crystal alloys employed in these blades makes conventional machining of these holes with high aspect ratio extremely difficult, if not impossible.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Small hole EDM is also used to create microscopic orifices for fuel system components, spinnerets for synthetic fibers such as rayon, and other applications.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: There are also stand-alone small hole drilling EDM machines with an "x"–"y" axis also known as a super drill or "hole popper" that can machine blind or through holes. EDM drills bore holes with a long brass or copper tube electrode that rotates in a chuck with a constant flow of distilled or deionized water flowing through the electrode as a flushing agent and dielectric. The electrode tubes operate like the wire in wire-cut EDM machines, having a spark gap and wear rate. Some small-hole drilling EDMs are able to drill through 100 mm of soft or hardened steel in less than 10 seconds, averaging 50% to 80% wear rate. Holes of 0.3 mm to 6.1 mm can be achieved in this drilling operation. Brass electrodes are easier to machine but are not recommended for wire-cut operations due to eroded brass particles causing "brass on brass" wire breakage, therefore copper is recommended.


title: Electrical discharge machining

text: Several manufacturers produce EDM machines for the specific purpose of removing broken cutting tools and fasteners from work pieces. In this application, the process is termed "metal disintegration machining" or MDM. The metal disintegration process removes only the center of the broken tool or fastener, leaving the hole intact and allowing a part to be reclaimed.


title: Neutering

text: Neutering, from the Latin "neuter" ('of neither sex'), is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. Colloquially, both terms are often referred to as fixing. In male horses, castrating is referred to as "gelding". An animal that has not been neutered is sometimes referred to as "entire" or "intact".


title: Neutering

text: Neutering is the most common method for animal sterilization. Humane societies, animal shelters, and rescue groups urge pet owners to have their pets neutered to prevent the births of unwanted litters, which contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted animals in the rescue system. Many countries require that all adopted cats and dogs be sterilized before going to their new homes.


title: Neutering

text: Spaying is the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus in female animals. It is commonly performed as a method of birth control and behavior modification.


title: Neutering

text: In non-human animals, the technical term is an ovo-hysterectomy or ovariohysterectomy; while in humans, this is called a hystero-oophorectomy. One form of spaying is to remove only the ovaries (oophorectomy or ovariectomy), which is mainly done in cats and young dogs. Another, less commonly performed method is an "ovary-sparing spay" in which the uterus is removed but one (or both) ovaries are left. A complete ovariohysterectomy may involve removal of the ovaries, uterus, oviducts, and uterine horns.


title: Neutering

text: The surgery can be performed using a traditional open approach or by laparoscopic "keyhole" surgery. Open surgery is more widely available, as laparoscopic surgical equipment costs are expensive. Traditional open surgery is usually performed through a ventral midline incision below the umbilicus. The incision size varies depending upon the surgeon and the size of the animal. The uterine horns are identified and the ovaries are found by following the horns to their ends.


title: Neutering

text: There is a ligament that attaches the ovaries to the body wall, which may need to be broken down so the ovaries can be identified. The ovarian arteries are then ligated with resorbable suture material and then the arteries transected. The uterine body (which is very short in litter-bearing species) and related arteries are also tied off just in front of the cervix (leaving the cervix as a natural barrier). The entire uterus and ovaries are then removed. The abdomen is checked for bleeding and then closed with a three-layer closure. The linea alba and then the subcutaneous layer are closed with resorbable suture material. The skin is then stapled, sutured, or glued closed. For suturing the feline linea alba, the most appropriate suture bite and stitch interval size was suggested to be 5 mm.


title: Neutering

text: Laparoscopic surgery is performed using a camera and instruments placed through small incisions (ports) in the body wall. The patient is under anaesthesia and lying on the back. The incisions are between and the number varies according to the equipment and technique used. The surgeon watches on a screen during the operation. The first port is made just behind the umbilicus and the camera is inserted. The abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas to create a space in which to operate. A second port is introduced a few centimeters in front of the navel and a long grasping instrument called a Babcock forceps is inserted. The surgeon finds the ovary with the instrument and uses it to suspend the ovary from a needle placed through the abdominal wall. This lifts the ovary and uterus safely away from other organs. The surgeon then removes the grasping instrument and replaces it with an instrument that cauterizes and cuts tissue. This instrument uses electricity to heat the blood vessels to seal them and to cut them. No sutures are placed inside. The ovary is separated from the uterus and round ligament. The cautery instrument is removed and replaced by the grasping instrument, which is used to pull the ovary out through the small abdominal incision (port). This is repeated on the other side and the small holes are closed with a few sutures. Another method uses ligatures and even the uterus is removed. In female dogs only removing the ovaries and not the uterus is not state of the art because this way the risk of pyometra persists.


title: Neutering

text: The benefits of laparoscopic surgery are less pain, faster recovery, and smaller wounds to heal. A study has shown that patients are 70% more active in the first three days post-surgery compared to open surgery. The reason open surgery is more painful is that larger incisions are required, and the ovary needs to be pulled out of the body, which stretches and tears tissue in the abdomen (it is not uncommon for patients to react under anaesthesia by breathing faster at this point).


title: Neutering

text: Spaying in female dogs removes the production of progesterone, which is a natural calming hormone and a serotonin uplifter. Spaying may therefore escalate any observable aggressive behaviour, either to humans or other dogs.


title: Neutering

text: The risk of infections, bleeding, ruptures, inflammation and reactions to the drugs given to the animal as part of the procedure are all possibilities that should be considered.


title: Neutering

text: In male animals, castration involves the removal of the testes (testicles), and is commonly practiced on both household pets (for birth control and behaviour modification) and on livestock (for birth control, as well as to improve commercial value). Often the term "neuter[ing]" is used to specifically mean castration, e.g. in phrases like "spay and neuter".


title: Neutering

text: Vasectomy: In a more delicate procedure than castration, the vasa deferentia – ducts that run from the testes to the penis – are cut then tied or sealed, to prevent sperm from entering into the urethra. Failure rates are insignificantly small. Breeders routinely have this procedure carried out on male ferrets and sheep to manipulate the estrus cycles of in-contact females. It is uncommon in other animal species. Because a vasectomy is usually a more expensive procedure, among pet-keepers it is more often performed on show animals, to cosmetically preserve their appearance (though depending upon the fancier organization, the procedure may invalidate the animal's candidacy for certain awards, or relegate it to a non-pedigree, generic "household pet" competition division, just as with full castration).


title: Neutering

text: Tubal ligation: Snipping and tying of fallopian tubes as a sterilization measure can be performed on female cats, dogs, and other species; it is essentially the female equivalent of vasectomy, but a more invasive procedure. Risk of unwanted pregnancies is insignificantly small. Only a few veterinarians perform the procedure.


title: Neutering

text: Like other forms of neutering, vasectomy and tubal ligation eliminate the ability to produce offspring. They differ from neutering in that they leave the animal's levels and patterns of sex hormone unchanged. Both sexes will retain their normal reproductive behavior, and other than birth control, none of the advantages and disadvantages listed above apply. This method is favored by some people who seek minimal infringement on the natural state of companion animals to achieve the desired reduction of unwanted births of cats and dogs.


title: Neutering

text: "" is breeders' informal term for surgical techniques by which male livestock, such as bulls, retain their full libido (and related effects like sex pheromones that would be lost through castration), but are rendered incapable of copulation. This is done to stimulate and identify estrous females without the risk of transmitting venereal diseases or causing a pregnancy by a male other than the one intended for selective breeding. Animals altered for this purpose are referred to as teasers (teaser bulls, etc.), or gomers. Several methods are used. Penile translocation surgically alters the penis to point far enough away from its normal direction that it cannot manage vaginal penetration. Penile fixation permanently attaches the penis to the abdomen so that it cannot be lowered for penetration. Penectomy is the partial or complete removal of the penis.


title: Neutering

text: Early-age neutering, also known as pediatric spaying or prepubertal gonadectomy, is the removal of the ovaries or testes before the onset of puberty. It is used mainly in animal sheltering and rescue where puppies and kittens can be neutered before being adopted out, eliminating non-compliance with sterilization agreement, which is typically above 40%. The American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association support the procedure for population control, provided that the veterinarian uses their best knowledge when making the decision about the age at neutering. A task force recommends that cats are spayed–neutered prior to 5 months of age.


title: Neutering

text: While the age-unrelated risks and benefits cited above also apply to early-age neutering, various studies have indicated that the procedure is safe and not associated with increased mortality or serious health and behavioral problems when compared to conventional age neutering. Anesthesia recovery in young animals is usually more rapid and there are fewer complications. One study found that in female dogs there is an increasing risk of urinary incontinence the earlier the procedure is carried out; the study recommended that female dogs be spayed no earlier than 3 to 4 months of age. A later study comparing female dogs spayed between 4 and 6 months and after 6 months showed no increased risk.


title: Neutering

text: One study showed the incidence of hip dysplasia increased to 6.7% for dogs neutered before 5.5 months compared to 4.7% for dogs neutered after 5.5 months, although the cases associated with early age neutering seems to be of a less severe form. There was no association between age of neutering and arthritis or long-bone fractures. Another study showed no correlation between age of neutering and musculoskeletal problems. A study of large breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture associated early-age neutering with the development of an excessive tibial plateau angle.


title: Neutering

text: Of particular note are two recent studies from Lynette Hart's lab at UC Davis. The first study from 2013, published in a well-known interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal demonstrated "no cases of CCL (cruciate ligament tear) diagnosed in intact males or females, but in early-neutered males and females the occurrences were 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Almost 10 percent of early-neutered males were diagnosed with LSA (lymphosarcoma), 3 times more than intact males. The percentage of HSA (hemangiosarcoma) cases in late-neutered females (about 8 percent) was 4 times more than intact and early-neutered females. There were no cases of MCT (mast cell tumor) in intact females, but the occurrence was nearly 6 percent in late-neutered females".


title: Neutering

text: The second study from 2014 highlighted significant difference in closely related breeds (retrievers), suggesting that inter-breed variability is quite high and that sweeping legal measures and surgical mandates are not the best solutions to canine welfare and health. Specifically the study states: "In Labrador Retrievers, where about 5 percent of gonadally intact males and females had one or more joint disorders, neutering at 6 months doubled the incidence of one or more joint disorders in both sexes. In male and female Golden Retrievers, with the same 5 percent rate of joint disorders in intact dogs, neutering at 6 months increased the incidence of a joint disorder to 4–5 times that of intact dogs. The incidence of one or more cancers in female Labrador Retrievers increased slightly above the 3 percent level of intact females with neutering. In contrast, in female Golden Retrievers, with the same 3 percent rate of one or more cancers in intact females, neutering at all periods through 8 years of age increased the rate of at least one of the cancers by 3–4 times. In male Golden and Labrador Retrievers neutering had relatively minor effects in increasing the occurrence of cancers."


title: Neutering

text: In terms of behavior in dogs, separation anxiety, aggression, escape behavior and inappropriate elimination are reduced while noise phobia and sexual behavior was increased. In males with aggression issues, earlier neutering may increase barking. In cats, asthma, gingivitis, and hyperactivity were decreased, while shyness was increased. In male cats, occurrence of abscesses, aggression toward veterinarians, sexual behaviors, and urine spraying was decreased, while hiding was increased.


title: Neutering

text: Besides being a birth control method, and being convenient to many owners, castrating/spaying has the following health benefits: