title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Although the Muslim army had the best of the early encounters, indiscipline on the part of tactically placed archers led to a tactical defeat for the Muslim army, with 75 Muslims killed. However, the Meccans failed to achieve their goal of destroying the Muslims completely. The Meccans did not occupy the town and withdrew to Mecca, since they were unable to attack Muhammad's position again, owing to military losses, low morale and the possibility of Muslim resistance in the town. There was also hope that Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy leading a group of Muslims in Medina could be won over by diplomacy. Following the defeat, Muhammad's detractors in Medina said that if the victory at Badr was proof of the genuineness of his mission, then the defeat at Uhud was proof that his mission was not genuine. Muhammad subsequently delivered Qur'anic verses 133-135 and 160-162 from the Al-i-Imran sura indicating that the loss, however, was partly a punishment for disobedience and partly a test for steadfastness.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: In the battle of Uhud, the Meccans had collected all the available men from the Quraysh and the neighboring tribes friendly to them but had not succeeded in destroying the Muslim community. In order to raise a more powerful army, Abu Sufyan attracted the support of the great nomadic tribes to the north and east of Medina, using propaganda about Muhammad's weakness, promises of treasure, memories of the prestige of Quraysh and straight bribes.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Muhammad's policy in the next two years after the battle of Uhud was to prevent as best he could the formation of alliances against him. Whenever alliances of tribesmen against Medina were formed, he sent out an expedition to break it up. When Muhammad heard of men massing with hostile intentions against Medina, he reacted with severity. One example is the assassination of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, a member of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir who had gone to Mecca and written poems that had helped rouse the Meccans' grief, anger and desire for revenge after the battle of Badr (see the main article for other reasons for killing of Ka'b given in the historiographical sources). Around a year later, Muhammad expelled the Jewish Banu Nadir from Medina.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Muhammad's attempts to prevent formation of confederation against him were not successful, although he was able to augment his own forces and keep many tribes from joining the confederation.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Abu Sufyan, the military leader of the Quraysh, with the help of Banu Nadir, had mustered a force numbering 10,000 men. Muhammad was able to prepare a force of about 3,000 men. He had however adopted a new form of defense, unknown in Arabia at that time: Muslims had dug trenches wherever Medina lay open to cavalry attack. The idea is credited to a Persian convert to Islam, Salman. The siege of Medina began on 31 March 627 and lasted for two weeks. Abu Sufyan's troops were unprepared for the fortifications they were confronted with, and after an ineffectual siege, the coalition decided to go home. The Qur'an discusses this battle in verses 9-27 of sura 33, Al-Ahzab.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: During the Battle of the Trench, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza who were located at the south of Medina were charged with treachery. After the retreat of the coalition, Muslims besieged Banu Qurayza, the remaining major Jewish tribe in Medina. The Banu Qurayza surrendered and all the men, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were beheaded, while all the women and children were enslaved. In dealing with Muhammad's treatment of the Jews of Medina, aside from political explanations, Arab historians and biographers have explained it as "the punishment of the Medina Jews, who were invited to convert and refused, perfectly exemplify the Quran's tales of what happened to those who rejected the prophets of old." F.E. Peters, a western scholar of Islam, states that Muhammad's treatment of Jews of Medina was essentially political being prompted by what Muhammad read as treasonous and not some transgression of the law of God. Peters adds that Muhammad was possibly emboldened by his military successes and also wanted to push his advantage. Economical motivations according to Peters also existed since the poorness of the Meccan migrants was a source of concern for Muhammad. Peters argues that Muhammad's treatment of the Jews of Medina was "quite extraordinary", "matched by nothing in the Qur'an", and is "quite at odds with Muhammad's treatment of the Jews he encountered outside Medina." According to Welch, Muhammad's treatment of the three major Jewish tribes brought Muhammad closer to his goal of organizing a community strictly on a religious basis. He adds that some Jews from other families were, however, allowed to remain in Medina.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: In the siege of Medina, the Meccans had exerted their utmost strength towards the destruction of the Muslim community. Their failure resulted in a significant loss of prestige; their trade with Syria was gone. Following the battle of trench, Muhammad made two expeditions to the north which ended without any fighting. While returning from one of these two expeditions (or some years earlier according to other early accounts), an accusation of adultery was made against Aisha, Muhammad's wife. Aisha was exonerated from the accusations when Muhammad announced that he had received a revelation, verse 4 in the An-Nur sura, confirming Aisha's innocence and directing that charges of adultery be supported by four eyewitnesses.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Although Qur'anic verses had been received from God commanding the Hajj, the Muslims had not performed it due to the enmity of the Quraysh. In the month of Shawwal 628, Muhammad ordered his followers to obtain sacrificial animals and to make preparations for a pilgrimage ("umrah") to Mecca, saying that God had promised him the fulfillment of this goal in a vision where he was shaving his head after the completion of the Hajj. According to Lewis, Muhammad felt strong enough to attempt an attack on Mecca, but on the way it became clear that the attempt was premature and the expedition was converted into a peaceful pilgrimage. Andrae disagrees, writing that the Muslim state of "ihram" (which restricted their freedom of action) and the paucity of arms carried indicated that the pilgrimage was always intended to be pacific. Most Islamic scholars agree with Andrae's view. Upon hearing of the approaching 1,400 Muslims, the Quraysh sent out a force of 200 cavalry to halt them. Muhammad evaded them by taking a more difficult route, thereby reaching al-Hudaybiyya, just outside Mecca. According to Watt, although Muhammad's decision to make the pilgrimage was based on his dream, he was at the same time demonstrating to the pagan Meccans that Islam does not threaten the prestige of their sanctuary, and that Islam was an Arabian religion.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Negotiations commenced with emissaries going to and from Mecca. While these continued, rumors spread that one of the Muslim negotiators, Uthman ibn Affan, had been killed by the Quraysh. Muhammad responded by calling upon the pilgrims to make a pledge not to flee (or to stick with Muhammad, whatever decision he made) if the situation descended into war with Mecca. This pledge became known as the "Pledge of Good Pleasure" (, ) or the "Pledge of the Tree." News of Uthman's safety, however, allowed for negotiations to continue, and the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, scheduled to last ten years was eventually signed between the Muslims and the Quraysh. The main points of treaty were the following:


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Many Muslims were not satisfied with the terms of the treaty. However, the Qur'anic sura Al-Fath (The Victory) assured the Muslims that the expedition from which they were now returning must be considered a victorious one. It was only later that Muhammad's followers would realise the benefit behind this treaty. These benefits, according to Welch, included the inducing of the Meccans to recognise Muhammad as an equal; a cessation of military activity posing well for the future; and gaining the admiration of Meccans who were impressed by the incorporation of the pilgrimage rituals.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: After signing the truce, Muhammad made an expedition against the Jewish oasis of Khaybar. The explanation given by western scholars of Islam for this attack ranges from the presence of the Banu Nadir in Khaybar, who were inciting hostilities along with neighboring Arab tribes against Muhammad, to deflecting from what appeared to some Muslims as the inconclusive result of the truce of Hudaybiyya, increasing Muhammad's prestige among his followers and capturing booty. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad also sent letters to many rulers of the world, asking them to convert to Islam (the exact date are given variously in the sources). Hence he sent messengers (with letters) to Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire (the eastern Roman Empire), Khosrau of Persia, the chief of Yemen and to some others. Most critical scholars doubt this tradition, however. In the years following the truce of Hudaybiyya, Muhammad sent his forces against the Arabs of Mu'tah on Byzantine soil in Transjordania since according to the tradition, they had murdered Muhammad's envoy." Muslims were defeated in this battle.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: In Ramadan 8 AH (around October 629), Muhammad left for Mecca with approximately 10,000 of his "sahaba" aiming to capture the city from the Quraysh following a violation of the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah by the Banu Bakr, who were allies of the Quraysh, after they attacked the Banū Khuzaʽah, allies of the Muslims. The Treaty had called for a 10-year truce and ceasefire between the Muslims, the Quraysh and their respective allies. Muhammad arrived at Mecca a week from his departure, dividing the army into four regiments, each entering Mecca from one point of entry. The conquest was largely bloodless and the Quraysh eventually surrendered without putting up a fight.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Following the Conquest of Mecca, Muhammad was informed of a military threat from the confederate tribes of Hawazin who were readying an army twice as strong as Muhammad and the "sahaba". They were joined by the Thaqif inhabiting in the city of Ta’if who had adopted an anti-Meccan policy due to the decline of the prestige of Meccans. Both tribes were subsequently defeated in the Battle of Hunayn. Muhammad subsequently launched an expedition against the Byzantine Empire and their Ghassanid allies in the north in the Expedition of Tabuk. Although Muhammad did not make contact with hostile forces at Tabuk, he received the submission of some of the local chiefs of the region. Following this expedition, the Banu Thaqif and other Bedouins submitted to Muhammad in order to be safe from attack and to benefit from the bounty of the wars.


title: Muhammad in Medina

text: Following the Conquest of Mecca and these events, Muhammad would perform the Farewell Pilgrimage and return to Medina, where he would fall ill for several days with a headache and weakness. He died on Monday, June 8, 632, in the city, being buried where the home of his wife Aisha had been. It has since been modified several times and is now enclosed under the Green Dome within Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: On May 11, 2011, six-year-old American boy Timmothy James Pitzen () was dropped off at school in Aurora by his father James Pitzen. He was picked up shortly after by his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, who took him on a three-day trip to various amusement and water parks. Fry-Pitzen's body was subsequently found in a motel room in the city of Rockford, Illinois, having died by suicide, with a note stating that Timmothy was safe, but would never be found.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: Timmothy Pitzen was born in Aurora, Illinois, on October 18, 2004, as the only child of James Pitzen and Amy Joan Marie Fry-Pitzen. On May 11, 2011, Timmothy's father dropped him off at his kindergarten class at Greenman Elementary School. His mother checked him out of class between 8:10 and 8:15 AM CDT, citing a non-existent family emergency. She dropped her vehicle off at a repair shop at 10:00 AM. An employee of the shop drove Fry-Pitzen and her son to the Brookfield Zoo. They returned and retrieved their vehicle at 3:00 PM, and drove to the KeyLime Cove Resort in Gurnee, where they spent the night. On May 12, 2011, the pair drove to Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and were spotted on security footage in the checkout line at 10:00 AM the next day. Pitzen has not been seen since.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: Between 12:00p.m. and 1:30p.m. on May 13, 2011, Fry-Pitzen telephoned several family members, including her mother and brother-in-law, telling them that she and Timmothy were safe and not in any danger. Cell phone records indicated the calls were made from an area northwest of Sterling, Illinois, near Route 40. Fry-Pitzen failed to contact her husband, however, who had been attempting to locate the pair after being notified by his son's school that he was not present when he arrived to pick him up at the end of the school day on May 11. Timmothy was heard in the background during the calls, saying that he was hungry.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: At 7:25p.m. May 13, 2011, Fry-Pitzen was seen, alone, on security cameras at a Family Dollar store in Winnebago, Illinois, where she purchased a pen, notepaper and envelopes. At 8:00p.m., she was sighted at a Sullivan's Food store in Winnebago, again unaccompanied. At 11:15p.m., she checked into the Rockford Inn at Rockford, Illinois, where sometime that night or the next morning, she took her own life by slashing her wrists and neck and overdosing on antihistamines. At 12:30p.m. on May 14, 2011, her body was found by a hotel maid along with a note. In the note, Fry-Pitzen apologized for the mess she had created, and explained that Timmothy would never be found, but was safe with people who would care for him.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: Police found that the knife Fry-Pitzen had used to kill herself contained only her blood, but that "a concerning amount" of blood found in her car belonged to her son Timmothy. However, a family member later revealed that the stains were likely caused by a nosebleed Timmothy had suffered in the car earlier that month. It was also noted that Fry-Pitzen's cell phone was missing. An examination of her vehicle revealed that it had been parked in a grassy area, possibly near a stream, but close to a highway. In 2013, Fry-Pitzen's cell phone was located beside Route 78, but the discovery did not bring any new evidence. Fry-Pitzen's cellular phone was discovered "alongside the road on Illinois Route 78 north of Mount Carroll, Illinois, according to police."


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: The Pitzen case was broadcast on the American television series "Live PD" on August 25, 2018, with guest Angeline Hartmann of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showing viewers an age progression photograph of Timmothy at age 13, and on the HLN investigative series "Real Life Nightmare" (episode "You'll Never Find Him") first airing on December 6th, 2020.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: On April 3, 2019, local residents in Newport, Kentucky called the police to report a teenager wandering the streets after running across a bridge over the Ohio River. When police found the shaken and distraught boy, he told them he was Timmothy. The next day, the Louisville office of the FBI revealed via Twitter that the boy in their custody was not Timmothy. Aurora Police spokesman Sgt. Bill Rowley said, "Although we are disappointed that this turned out to be a hoax, we remain diligent in our search for Timmothy, as our missing person's case remains unsolved."


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: The man who claimed to be Pitzen was found to be 23-year-old Brian Michael Rini. He was released from Belmont Correctional Institution in Ohio less than a month prior to his claim, after serving about fourteen months on charges of burglary and vandalism out of Medina County. He had a history of mental illness and had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and bipolar disorder, according to his brother.


title: Disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen

text: In 2020, Rini was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft related to the hoax.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The Pretender is an American action drama television series created by Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle, that aired on NBC from September 19, 1996, to May 13, 2000.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The series follows Jarod, a young man who is a "Pretender", a genius impostor able to quickly master the complex skill sets necessary to impersonate a member of any profession. After being kidnapped as a child by The Centre, a sinister think tank located in the fictional Blue Cove, Delaware, who exploited his Pretender abilities, Jarod escapes as an adult and goes on the run. He is chased by a trio of Centre agents—Miss Parker (the daughter of a pivotal figure within The Centre), Sydney (a Centre psychologist who raised Jarod) and Broots (a Centre computer expert). In each episode, Jarod assumes a new professional identity (e.g., doctor, lawyer, soldier, pilot) to investigate a crime framed on someone else, and deliver justice to the actual culprits. In the meantime, Jarod searches for his origins, and leads Miss Parker, Sydney and Broots on a chase to discover the dark secrets of The Centre, including how they are involved in the death of Miss Parker's mother.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The series was inspired by serial impostor Ferdinand Waldo Demara. A part of the network's Saturday night lineup, NBC cancelled the series after four seasons. TNT ordered two sequel television films that aired in 2001—"The Pretender 2001" and "". In 2013, creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle began updating the story with a book series and graphic novels; the first, "", was published on October 7.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) is a child prodigy who is abducted at a young age and raised in a think tank called the Centre, based in the fictional town of Blue Cove, Delaware. Told that his parents have died, Jarod is assigned to the care of a man named Sydney (Patrick Bauchau), a psychiatrist working for the Centre. During Jarod's youth, Sydney mentors the boy and regularly coaches him through complex simulations designed to exploit his intellect for real life application. But as an adult, Jarod discovers that the Centre is using data gathered from his responses for nefarious purposes, such as illegal black ops and engineering the deaths of others. Feeling responsible, Jarod escapes the Centre. Soon afterward, he discovers that the people whom he had long believed to be his parents actually were not, as Jarod has an anomaly in his blood that a father or mother would share — which neither of his supposed parents do.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The Centre assigns a team to recapture Jarod, consisting of Sydney, computer expert Broots (Jon Gries), and "Miss Parker" (Andrea Parker), a dogged and formidable operative who was raised in the Centre and knew Jarod as a child. Though she is no longer an active field operative, she is "recalled from Corporate" during the pilot episode and put in charge of Jarod's recapture; in exchange, she would get to leave The Centre. While Sydney feels loyalty to Jarod and wishes his safe return, Miss Parker is under orders to "preferably" bring him in alive and will not hesitate to use deadly force. Fearing for Jarod's safety, Sydney at times undermines Miss Parker and will directly prevent her from using lethal methods to prevent Jarod's continued evasion of his pursuers. In the pilot, Parker questions Sydney's commitment to the Centre, telling him he can be a scientist for the Centre or "mommy" to Jarod, but not both.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Despite The Centre's resources, Jarod often stays a step or two ahead of his pursuers. While tracking down clues to his past and his parents, Jarod also targets criminals who have gone unpunished or undetected by the law. Through assumed identities (which involve different surnames, but always "Jarod" as a first name), he uncovers the truth about these crimes, and lures the perpetrators into staged set-ups that emulate the harm they have done to others, and forces them to confess their crimes. At times, he leaves Miss Parker and Sydney deliberate clues ("breadcrumbs") that point to the criminals he is targeting and why. During his adventures, Jarod also discovers the joys of the childhood he was denied while being raised in isolation — such as bubblegum, ice cream, a Slinky, and Silly Putty — that are often used in these traps. Meanwhile, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots learn more about The Centre's dark secrets, and how the institution was involved in the death of Miss Parker's mother.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Though Jarod learns more about his family, there are still unanswered questions when the series ends after four seasons. The series finale closed with both characters being nearby an exploding bomb. The ending did not reveal whether Jarod and/or Miss Parker survived the blast. The next year, the telemovie "The Pretender 2001" picked up directly from this cliffhanger, leading into Jarod's next adventure.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Loyalty is a recurring theme in the series. During the first season, Jarod sends Miss Parker evidence that she too has been manipulated by the organization, which is led by her father ("Mr. Parker"). Miss Parker discovers that she has been lied to about her mother's death, and The Centre was actually involved in her death (which she had been told was suicide). Although her loyalty wavers on her quest for answers, and some specific periods – most notably during early season two, when her father disappears and is replaced by Mr. Lyle and Brigitte – it never completely falters.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Similarly, Sydney's loyalty to The Centre wavers upon its actions. Having raised Jarod, Sydney feels a unique bond to Jarod, and is unwilling to harm him to recapture him. This rift increases when he discovers truths about what the organization – specifically Mr. Raines – has done to Jarod, other Pretender children, and his twin brother, Jacob, who is his only family.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Having been kidnapped as a young child and raised in The Centre, Jarod has little memory of his life before being taken by The Centre. He yearns to find the identity The Centre kept him from having, and to reunite with his family. Similarly, Miss Parker struggles with her identity throughout the series, after The Centre's dark secrets affect her own family, such as learning she has a twin brother, and the circumstances surrounding death of her mother.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: She learns from Jarod that she was lied to about how her mother Catherine Parker had died. Further revelations are made concerning Miss Parker's origins and her brother. This puts her in a parallel to Jarod's quest of discovery, and at times her loyalty wavers, though it never falters. When she and Jarod do share a romantic moment, Jarod questions if this will change things and Miss Parker replies it will not. "You run, I chase."


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The pilot was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building used as "The Centre" in transition sequences is the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant. Following the pilot, the series moved production to Los Angeles.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: After the series was cancelled in May 2000, a fan campaign for the series to continue prompted negotiations involving the show's creators and both NBC and TNT. In October 2000, TNT greenlit two television films – "The Pretender 2001" and "" – which aired on TNT in January and December 2001, respectively. However, both movies ended with an unresolved cliffhanger, and TNT opted not to order any more movies.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The creators of the show, Steven Mitchell and Craig van Sickle stated in an interview on the French DVD of the telemovies that an ending was written for the series; they just needed financing to create it. In a September 2007 interview on the miniseries "Tin Man", Mitchell and van Sickle noted that fans were still requesting an ending and that it would happen "soon" due to a relationship with "Strange Highway" Entertainment. They also noted that the story line would continue digitally on the web. On May 21, 2008, van Sickle again expressed interest in having a final episode or film to finish the series, and asked fans to continue to be patient until it happens.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: On July 8, 2013, it was announced through The Pretender Creators Facebook page that the series would be reborn. On July 19, the producers stated in an interview that they planned graphic novels and then a mini-series/movies.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: The first Pretender novel, "", was released on September 22, 2013, in eBook and paperback through Amazon. The second Pretender novel, "Saving Luke", was released on May 12, 2014, in eBook and paperback, also through Amazon.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released all 4 seasons on DVD in Region 1 between 2005–2006. They also released the two "Pretender" movies together as a set on March 13, 2007. All 4 seasons were re-released on May 26, 2009, with new packaging.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: All episodes from the first two seasons are available for purchase online through Amazon.com's video on demand service.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Thrillogy was a short lived sci-fi/action programming block on NBC's Saturday night that debuted in Fall of 1996 with three action/sci-fi series: "Dark Skies", "The Pretender", and "Profiler". When "Dark Skies" was cancelled before the 1996–97 television season was over, NBC attempted to keep the Thrillogy block intact for the 1997–98 season by inserting the new series "Sleepwalkers". However, the series was cancelled after the airing of only two episodes, and NBC dropped the Thrillogy marketing. "The Pretender" and "Profiler" continued airing together on Saturday nights, earning respectable ratings for NBC.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: At the midseason point of the 1999–2000 season, NBC reintroduced the Thrillogy lineup with the addition of paranormal series "The Others". However, NBC cancelled the entire lineup at the end of the season. The Thrillogy concept aired for less than the equivalent of two full seasons over a four season period.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Michael T. Weiss portrayed Jarod on the TV series "Profiler" during an NBC crossover event. The first half of the plot unfolded on "The Pretender" (season 3, episode 19 "End Game"), in which two lead characters from "Profiler", Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (Ally Walker) and Bailey Malone (Robert Davi) guest-starred. The conclusion takes place in an episode of "Profiler" (season 3, episode 19 "Grand Master") in which Weiss guest starred; Jarod's alias at the time is Jarod Doyle, a police officer.


title: The Pretender (TV series)

text: Two additional crossovers took place the following season; Walker departed from the series, and was replaced with new profiler Rachel Burke (Jamie Luner). The first crossover takes place on "The Pretender" (season 4, episode 10 "Spin Doctor") and concludes on "Profiler" (season 4, episode 10 "Clean Sweep"), where Jarod had a short lived romance with Burke. Weiss later appeared as Jarod on another episode of "Profiler" (season 4, episode 18 "Pianissimo"); however, "The Pretender" did not air another crossover episode.


title: Bad Genius

text: Bad Genius, known in Thai as Chalard Games Goeng (), is a 2017 Thai heist thriller film produced by Jor Kwang Films and distributed by GDH 559. It was directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya, and stars Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying in her feature film debut as Lynn, a straight-A student who devises an exams-cheating scheme which eventually rises to international levels.


title: Bad Genius

text: Inspired by real-life news of students cheating on the SAT, the film transplants the heist structure to a school-exams setting, and features themes of class inequality as well as teenage social issues. The young main cast consists of relative newcomers Chanon Santinatornkul, Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Eisaya Hosuwan as Lynn's classmates Bank, Pat and Grace, while Thaneth Warakulnukroh plays Lynn's father. Filming took place on location in Thailand and Australia.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" was released on 3 May 2017, placing first at the Thai box office for two weeks and earning over 100 million baht (US$3 million), the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017. Overseas, it broke Thai film earning records in several Asian countries, including China, where it grossed over $30 million, making it the most internationally successful Thai film ever. Critics praised the film for its engaging storytelling despite the mundane setting, as well as the acting, especially Chutimon's. The film won a record-breaking twelve categories at the 27th Suphannahong National Film Awards, as well as multiple awards on the international festival circuit.


title: Bad Genius

text: Lynn, a top secondary school student living with her father, is accepted into a prestigious school, earning a scholarship for her academic achievements. There, she is befriended by the good-natured but academically challenged Grace. Lynn begins to help Grace cheat in exams after finding out that their teacher has been leaking questions in private tutoring sessions. She is then approached by Grace's rich boyfriend Pat, who offers payment in exchange for also helping him and his friends. Although at first reluctant, Lynn agrees when she finds out that the school, despite her scholarship, collected extra fees from her father, who earns a modest income as a teacher. She devises a system of hand signals, based on certain piano pieces, and uses them to send answers during exams. Her base of clients eventually grows. However, her cheating is inadvertently revealed by Bank, another top student. She is reprimanded by her father, and also by the school, which suspends her scholarship and revokes her chance to apply for an international scholarship at university level.


title: Bad Genius

text: Lynn returns to cheating when Pat and Grace ask her to help them with the STIC—an international standardised test for university admissions—a scheme which will earn them millions of baht. However, Lynn tells them that she can only do it with the help of Bank, who would never consider such dishonesty. Later, though, Bank, who is from a poor family and is staking his future on the same university scholarship, is attacked by thugs in the street and misses the scholarship exam. Lynn then approaches him with the offer and Bank reluctantly agrees. Together, they make preparations for the final operation. Lynn and Bank will fly to Australia in order to get a head start on the exams—which are held globally on the same day—and send back answers for Pat and Grace to distribute to their clients. However, on the eve of their flight, Pat lets slip that it was he who ordered the thugs to beat up Bank, in order to force him to join their scheme. Enraged, Bank attacks Pat and leaves. Lynn, shocked at the revelation, begins reconsidering her actions. However, Bank returns to confront Lynn and tells her to finish what she started.


title: Bad Genius

text: In Sydney, Lynn and Bank complete the first sections of the test according to plan, but Bank is overcome by anxiety and gets caught. Lynn struggles to memorise the final section herself, but finally pulls through. She is pursued by the test administrator after feigning illness by forcing herself to be sick and leaving the test centre early, but is released when Bank denies knowing her. Returning home, Lynn finds that their scheme was a great success, but, broken by the experience, turns her back on her co-conspirators and rejects her share of the money. Some time later, she is approached by Bank, who has invested his share in revamping his mother's laundry business. Bank invites Lynn to start another scheme, this time with a much wider client base—those taking the national GAT/PAT university entrance exams. When she turns him down, Bank threatens to expose the whole affair and that she was the mastermind behind the scheme. Lynn then tells him that she has made her choice, deciding to come clean, tearfully confessing to her father, who comforts her and helps her redeem herself by submitting a formal confession to the STIC organisation.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" was produced by Jira Maligool and Vanridee Pongsittisak, executives and veteran producers at GDH (previously GTH). Jira came up with the film's premise when he heard on the news that SAT scores were being cancelled in China due to a cheating scandal. The producers then invited Nattawut Poonpiriya to direct the film. Nattawut had previously directed the company's 2012 psychological thriller "Countdown", and the producers believed his abilities would lend themselves to developing "Bad Genius" as a heist film. Nattawut was immediately intrigued, and agreed to direct the project, which was developed under the working title "2B Come Won" (a reference to the 2B pencils used to fill in test choices).


title: Bad Genius

text: Nattawut wrote the script together with Tanida Hantaweewatana and Vasudhorn Piyaromna, researching the format details of current standardised tests, as well as actual methods of exam cheating from the news. The script took about years to complete. The story was developed as a Hollywood-style heist/caper thriller, but the writers made efforts to ground it in a context that would still be relatable to a Thai audience. A major challenge, according to Nattawut, was telling the story of students taking exams—"perhaps the most boring activity on earth"—in a compelling manner. The film's secondary theme, that of the characters' contrasting social backgrounds, emerged during the writing process.


title: Bad Genius

text: The film's main cast was relatively inexperienced—none of the four young main actors had had film roles in a major studio production prior to 2017. Lead actress Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, a fashion model, made her film acting debut as Lynn. Chanon Santinatornkul played the role of Bank, and Pat and Grace were played by Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Eisaya Hosuwan, respectively. (Teeradon and Eisaya had past TV acting experience, and Chanon had appeared in a few indie films as well.) According to Nattawut, casting for the four main actors took a long time before arriving at the four final choices, who were virtually perfect fits for their roles. He was so impressed with their work that he allowed them considerable room for improvisation during filming. The chemistry underlying Lynn and Bank's relationship, for example, was unscripted, and part of Pat's sales pitch speech was ad-libbed by Teeradon.


title: Bad Genius

text: The only veteran actor in a major role was Thaneth Warakulnukroh, who played Lynn's father. Primarily a singer and songwriter, Thaneth had been absent from acting for over thirty years when Nattawut came across a magazine interview of him, and invited him to cast for the role. Nattawut noted that Thaneth's performance led him to modify the script and make the father less controlling, resulting in a more profound father-daughter relationship.


title: Bad Genius

text: The cast underwent acting workshops for a couple of months before filming commenced. Romchat Tanalappipat served as acting coach, and worked with the actors before and during filming. Special preparations by the actors include Chutimon practising writing with her left hand, as her character is left-handed, and Chanon memorising the value of pi to beyond the 30th digit.


title: Bad Genius

text: Most of the filming took place in Thailand, while approximately 30 percent, by Nattawut's estimate, was shot on location in Sydney, Australia. Some ten crew members flew to Australia from Thailand, while most of the Sydney filming unit was sourced locally. Filming in Sydney was subject to many more restrictions than in Thailand, including strictly limited shooting times. A particularly challenging scene to film was a chase sequence shot at the underground section of Redfern railway station, which had to be fitted into the trains' normal running schedule.


title: Bad Genius

text: Nattawut had, since his early advertising work, frequently collaborated with cinematographer Phaklao Jiraungkoonkun. According to Phaklao, while most of "Bad Genius" shots were designed in advance, some were improvised and designed on set. Others, like the mid-story exam sequence, necessitated advance detailed storyboarding and blocking. Nattawut also noted the challenge posed by the exam scenes, as the mundane action forced him to rely on the camerawork to convey suspense; the mid-story scene in particular comprised 200 shots for four pages of screenplay. Compared to his earlier work on "Countdown", Nattawut says he learned to accept more input from the cast and crew instead of strictly trying to fulfil his visions. He found that asking Phaklao for opinions on shots led to better results, and editor Chonlasit Upanigkit also helped with his keen sense during post-production.


title: Bad Genius

text: Stylistically, Nattawut says he was inspired partly by 1970s thrillers such as "The Conversation", "The Parallax View" and "All the President's Men", leading him to mix in a certain retro/vintage style in "Bad Genius". Stills from "The Godfather" were used as a colour palette reference during post-production work with Kantana Post Production. Nattawut also used 2011's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" as a reference. The retro style was also factored in the costume design, according to costume designer Pawaret Wongaram, who was also familiar with Nattawut from their work in advertising and joined "Bad Genius" as her first feature film. The score was composed by Hualampong Riddim's Vichaya Vatanasapt, who employed gradually intensifying cyclical elements to help build suspense.


title: Bad Genius

text: The film was officially announced by GDH at a press event on 20 April 2017, along with the release of its theme song "Mong Chan Tee" (, which translates as "Look at Me"). Performed by Suthita Chanachaisuwan, the song is a rearrangement of the song "Why Can't You See" by Thai indie pop band Fwends, with new lyrics by Apiwat Eurthavornsuk.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" premiered in Thailand on 3 May 2017 at 20:00, in early preview screenings prior to its full release the following day. It earned positive responses from viewers. The film was shown on 216 screens, earning 44.15 million baht (US$1.3 million) over its opening weekend and placing first at Thailand's box office for two consecutive weeks. It passed 100 million baht—a success benchmark for Thai films—on 20 May, and by the end of its theatrical run on 14 June, had earned 112.15 million baht ($3.3 million), making it the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017.


title: Bad Genius

text: The film was released internationally throughout East and Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. It placed first at Hong Kong's box office on its opening weekend, while in Taiwan and Malaysia, the film opened to limited screens but rapidly gained popularity by online word-of-mouth, also rising to the top of the box office in Taiwan. It broke records for highest-grossing Thai film in Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.


title: Bad Genius

text: The film opened in mainland China on 13 October 2017, a rare occurrence of a Thai film securing a wide release, unedited, in the country. It placed second at the Chinese box office and sixth globally (third excluding the US and Canada) during the weekend of 13–15 October. After seventeen days, it had earned at least $36.5 million, the highest gross ever of any Thai—or Southeast Asian—film in any overseas market. It was a huge success for Chinese distributor Hengye Pictures, who acquired the rights for flat fee of $3.3 million. The film earned a worldwide cumulative gross of $42.35 million as of 22 October, according to Comscore.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius"s international success has been compared to that of several popular Thai films during the early 2000s, including "Ong-Bak", whose previous overseas record was surpassed by "Bad Genius" soon after its China release. However, the "Bangkok Post"s film editor Kong Rithdee noted that "Bad Genius" appeared to be an isolated case, as wider government support of the creative industry was still lacking. Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, GDH's senior director of international business affairs, attributed the film's success (despite the unconventional genre for Thai cinema) to its mainstream story, as well as the region's shared competitive academic culture, which made the film relatable to a wider Asian audience. Although Yongyoot said that the studio's films catered first and foremost to the Thai audience, and that international sales were seen as a bonus, GDH CEO Jina Osothsilp later commented that the company was working to expand its presence in the international market, and that "Bad Genius"s success in China served as an important milestone in that mission.


title: Bad Genius

text: On the festival circuit, "Bad Genius" was screened as the opening feature of the 16th New York Asian Film Festival on 30 June 2017; it was the first Southeast Asian film chosen to open the event. The film was also screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, the New Zealand International Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest in Austin, as well as the Vancouver, BFI London, Hawaii, San Diego Asian, Toronto Reel Asian, Leeds, Luang Prabang, and Toronto


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" was released on DVD on 16 November 2017 (after a delay from a previously announced 21 September release date), with a special edition available via pre-order. It was made available online via the iTunes Store and HOOQ the same day. The film was released on Netflix on 1 June 2018. A novelisation, written by Jidanun Lueangpiansamut and published by Jamsai Publishing, was released on 12 June 2018, and a soundtrack album of the film score was released as a set of vinyl records on 11 July 2019.


title: Bad Genius

text: Multiple remakes of the film have been announced. A Bollywood version, to be supervised by Neeraj Pandey and co-produced by Reliance Entertainment, Plan C Studios and Azure Entertainment, was revealed in June 2018. Erik Feig and Patrick Wachsberger announced in May 2019 that they were producing an American version; production has been scheduled for summer 2022 with Julius Onah as director. A TV series adaptation by GDH, aimed at the Thai and Chinese market and titled "", was announced in June 2019 and was broadcast from 3 August to 8 September 2020 on One 31 and through Tencent's WeTV streaming service. It stars Plearnpichaya Komalarajun, Jinjett Wattanasin, Sawanya Paisarnpayak and Paris Intarakomalyasut, and is directed by Pat Boonnitipat.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" was well received by critics in Thailand, who praised its concept and design, which tackled a familiar, mundane subject and turned it into an exciting caper thriller—a first for Thai cinema. The "Bangkok Post" Kong observed, "An academic test is the most boring activity on earth. The film's conceit is to turn it into a gladiatorial ring, a place of risk, wit and sublime deception ... and against the odds it works." According to Nation TV's Natthapong Okapanom, ""Bad Genius" is a work of craft that will help raise Thai cinema to another level of diversity."


title: Bad Genius

text: "Manager" Aphinan Bunrueangphanao commended the acting, especially Chutimon's, Thaneth's and Chanon's, predicting multiple wins for the upcoming awards season, while magazine's Phanuphan Veeravaphusit noted of the production: "Due credit must be given to ... the photography, with its unfamiliar-yet-meaningful angles, and shots taken to second-by-second detail, which, combined with the fast-paced editing, add to the suspense, stirring the viewers' emotions throughout the entire story." Phanuphan, as well as reviewers for Sanook and Post Today, also took note of the film's subtle critique of Thai society's inequality issues and problems with its education system, although he found the character's motivations for their actions in the end to be inadequately explained. Similarly, the "Bangkok Post" Kong found fault with the somewhat moralizing ending, but also noted that by then the film had already successfully entertained the audience.


title: Bad Genius

text: Among international critics, "Bad Genius" has an approval rating of 100% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on twenty-one reviews, with an average rating of 8.06/10. Reviewing the film for "The Hollywood Reporter", Clarence Tsui wrote, ""Bad Genius" scores high marks as a ceaselessly entertaining thriller that cedes little ground to the cheap comedy and sentimentality of recent Thai hits." And according to "Variety"s Maggie Lee, ""Bad Genius" deserves full marks for a whip-smart script that makes answering multiple-choice questions as nail-biting and entertaining as "Ocean's Eleven"." There were also mixed opinions regarding the ending. While Sarah Ward wrote in "Screen" that "the feature never shouts its message, nor lets it get in the way of its lively heist-like action," the "South China Morning Post"s Ben Sin commented, "It's an odd narrative departure [... which] gives the impression that Thailand's film censorship system is as strict with moral guidelines as is its mainland Chinese counterpart."


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" dominated the 2017 Thai film awards season. At the 27th Suphannahong National Film Awards, held on 11 March 2018, the film won a record-breaking twelve categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as Best Actor and Best Actress. It also set a record for number of nominations received (sixteen nominations in fifteen categories, i.e. every category except Best Original Song). At the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, the film received eleven nominations in ten (out of thirteen) categories, tying in number of nominations with indie film "ThaiBan The Series", and won nine, including all five main categories. "Bad Genius" was also nominated for Best Screenplay at the 12th Asian Film Awards, where Chutimon won Best Newcomer. The film was one of the four finalists considered by the National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations for Thailand's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not chosen, in favour of 2016's "By the Time It Gets Dark".


title: Bad Genius

text: The film also won several awards on the festival circuit. It won the Best Feature award at the New York Asian Film Festival, and lead actress Chutimon received the festival's "Screen International" Rising Star Asia award at the film's screening. Competition jury Kristina Winters spoke of the film, "["Bad Genius"] re-envisions the heist movie with grades instead of gold and proves that commercial films can still be innovative and remind us why we love movies. With a complex plot, relentless pacing, driven editing, and strong performances, it makes test-taking exciting and had us on the edge of our seats." The film also won awards at the Fantasia Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.


title: Bad Genius

text: "Bad Genius" was registered as a national heritage film by the Thai Film Archive in its eighth annual listing, announced on 4 October 2018.


title: Skandha

text: ' (Sanskrit) or ' (Pāḷi) means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings". In Buddhism, it refers to the five aggregates of clinging (), the five material and mental factors that take part in the rise of craving and clinging. They are also explained as the five factors that constitute and explain a sentient being’s person and personality, but this is a later interpretation in response to sarvastivadin essentialism.


title: Skandha

text: In the Theravada tradition, suffering arises when one identifies with or clings to the aggregates. This suffering is extinguished by relinquishing attachments to aggregates. The Mahayana tradition asserts that the nature of all aggregates is intrinsically empty of independent existence.


title: Skandha

text: () is a Sanskrit word that means "multitude, quantity, aggregate", generally in the context of body, trunk, stem, empirically observed gross object or anything of bulk verifiable with senses. The term appears in the Vedic literature.


title: Skandha

text: The Pali equivalent word (sometimes spelled ) appears extensively in the Pali canon where, state Rhys Davids and William Stede, it means "bulk of the body, aggregate, heap, material collected into bulk" in one context, "all that is comprised under, groupings" in some contexts, and particularly as "the elements or substrata of sensory existence, sensorial aggregates which condition the appearance of life in any form". Paul Williams et al. translate as "heap, aggregate", stating it refers to the explanation of the psychophysical makeup of any being.


title: Skandha

text: Johannes Bronkhorst renders as "aggregates." Damien Keown and Charles Prebish state that is in Tibetan, and the terms mean "collections or aggregates or bundles."


title: Skandha

text: The five aggregates are often interpreted in the later tradition as an explanation of the constituents of person and personality, and "the list of aggregates became extremely important for the later development of the teaching." According to this interpretation, in each "skandha" – body, sensations, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness – there is emptiness and no substance.


title: Skandha

text: According to Damien Keown and Charles Prebish, "skandha" in the context of canonical Buddhism asserts that "the notion of a self is unnecessarily superimposed upon five skandha" of a phenomenon or a living being. The "skandha" doctrine, states Matthew MacKenzie, is a form of anti-realism about everyday reality including persons, and presents an alternative to "substantialist views of the self". It is a Buddhist reductionism of everything perceived, each person and personality as an "aggregate, heap" of composite entities without essence.


title: Skandha

text: According to Harvey, the five skandhas give rise to a sense of personality, but are "dukkha", impermanent, and without an enduring self or essence. Each aggregate is an object of grasping (clinging), at the root of self-identification as "I, me, myself". According to Harvey, realizing the real nature of "skandhas", both in terms of impermanence and non-self, is necessary for nirvana. This 'emptiness from personality' can be found in descriptions of the enlightened, perfected state of "Arhat" and "Tathagata", where there is no longer any identification with the five skandhas.


title: Skandha

text: This 'no essence' view has been a source of sustained questions, major disagreements and commentaries since ancient times, by non-Buddhist Indian religions, as well as within Buddhist traditions. The use of the "skandhas" concept to explain the self is unique to Buddhism among major Indian religions, and must be seen in the contexts of polemics about the Sarvastivada teachings that "phenomena" or its constituents are real. It contrasts with the premise of Hinduism and Jainism that a living being has an eternal soul or metaphysical self.


title: Skandha

text: David Kalupahana further explains that the individual is considered unreal but the "skandha" are considered real in some early Buddhist texts, but the "skandha" too are considered unreal and nonsubstantial in numerous other Buddhist Nikaya and Āgama texts.


title: Skandha

text: According to Thanissaro, the Buddha never tried to define what a "person" is, though scholars tend to approach the skandhas as a description of the constituents of the person. He adds that almost any Buddhist meditation teacher explains it that way, as even Buddhist commentaries from about 1st century CE onwards have done. In Thanissaro's view, this is incorrect, and he suggests that "skandha" should be viewed as activities, which cause suffering, but whose unwholesome workings can be interrupted.


title: Skandha

text: Rupert Gethin also notes that the five skandhas are not merely "the Buddhist analysis of man," but "five aspects of an individual being's experience of the world [...] encompassing both grasping and all that is grasped."


title: Skandha

text: Boisvert states that "many scholars have referred to the five aggregates in their works on Buddhism, [but] none have thoroughly explained their respective functions." According to Boisvert, the five aggregates and dependent origination are closely related, explaining the process which binds us to "samsara". Boisvert notes that the "pancha-upadanakkhanda" does not incorporate all human experience. "Vedana" may transform into either "niramisa" or "nekkhamma-sita vedana", "vedana" which is not harmful, or into "amisa" or "gehasita vedana", a "type of sensation [which] may act as an agent bringing about the future arising of craving and aversion." This is determined by "sanna". According to Boisvert, "not all "sanna" belong to the "sanna-skandha"." The wholesome "sanna" recognise the three marks of existence ("dukkha", "anatta", "anicca"), and do not belong to the "sanna-skandha". Unwholesome "sanna" is not "conducive to insight," and without proper "sanna", the "person is likely to generate craving, clinging and becoming." As with "sanna", "not all "sankhara" belong to the "sankharaskandha"", since not all "sankhara" produce future effects.


title: Skandha

text: According to Johannes Bronkhorst, the notion that the five aggregates are not self has to be viewed in light of debates about "liberating knowledge," the knowledge of Atman which was deemed liberating by the Vedic traditions. Bronkhorst notes that "knowledge of the self plays no useful role on the Buddha’s path to liberation." What is important is not to grasp at the forms, sounds, odors, flavors, objects, and mental properties which are perceived with the six sense organs (these include mind as the sixth sense organ). The insight that the aggregates are not self aids in letting go of this grasping.


title: Skandha

text: Miri Albahari also objects to the usual understanding of the skandhas as denoting the absence of any "self." Albahari has argued that the "khandhas" do not necessarily constitute the entirety of the human experience, and that the Hindu concept of Ātman (eternal soul) is not explicitly negated by Pāli Canon. According to Albani, "anattā is best understood as a practical strategy rather than as a metaphysical doctrine." To Albahari, "Nibbāna" is an ever-present part of human nature, which is gradually "uncovered" by the cessation of ignorance.


title: Skandha

text: The Early Buddhist schools developed detailed analyses and overviews of the teachings found in the sutras, called Abhidharma. Each school developed its own Abhidharma. The best-known nowadays is the Theravāda Abhidhamma, but the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma was historically very influential, and has been preserved partly in the Chinese Āgama.


title: Skandha

text: The internal and external sense bases together form the "six sense bases." In this description, found in texts such as "Salayatana samyutta", the coming together of an object and a sense-organ results in the arising of the corresponding consciousness.


title: Skandha

text: According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the Theravada tradition teaches that the six sense bases accommodate "all the factors of existence", it is "the all", and "apart from which nothing at all exists," and "are empty of a self and of what belongs to the self".


title: Skandha

text: The suttas themselves don't describe this as an alternative of the skandhas; it is in the Abhidhamma, striving to "a single all-inclusive system" that the five aggregates and the six sense bases are explicitly connected:


title: Skandha

text: Bodhi states the six sense bases is a "vertical" view of human experiences while the aggregates is a "horizontal" (temporal) view. The Theravada Buddhist meditation practice on sense bases is aimed at both removing distorted cognitions such as those influenced by cravings, conceits and opinions, as well as "uprooting all conceivings in all its guises".


title: Skandha

text: The eighteen dhātus – Six External Bases, Six Internal Bases, and Six Consciousnesses – function through the five aggregates. These dhātus can be arranged into six triads, each triad composed of a sense object, a sense organ, and sense consciousness.


title: Skandha

text: The Abhidhamma and post-canonical Pali texts create a meta-scheme for the Sutta Pitaka's conceptions of aggregates, sense bases and dhattus (elements). This meta-scheme is known as the four "paramatthas" or ultimate realities, three conditioned, one unconditioned:


title: Skandha

text: The Twelve Nidanas is a linear list of twelve elements from the Buddhist teachings which arise depending on the preceding link. While this list may be interpreted as describing the processes which give rise to rebirth, in essence it describes the arising of "dukkha" as a psychological process, without the involvement of an atman. Scholars regard it to be a later synthesis of several older lists. The first four links may be a mockery of the Vedic-Brahmanic cosmogony, as described in the "Hymn of Creation" of Veda X, 129 and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. These were integrated with a branched list which describe the conditioning of mental processes, akin to the five skandhas. Eventually, this branched list developed into the standard twelvefold chain as a linear list.


title: Skandha

text: According to Boisvert, "the function of each of the aggregates, in their respective order, can be directly correlated with the


title: Skandha

text: theory of dependent origination - especially with the eight middle links." Four of the five aggregates are explicitly mentioned in the following sequence, yet in a different order than the list of aggregates, which concludes with "":


title: Skandha

text: The interplay between the five-aggregate model of immediate causation and the twelve-nidana model of requisite conditioning is evident, for instance underlining the seminal role that mental formations have in both the origination and cessation of suffering.


title: Skandha

text: Mindfulness is thought to be applied to four "upassanā" (domains or bases), "constantly watching sensory experience in order to prevent the arising of cravings which would power future experience into rebirths," which also overlap with the skandhas. The four domains are:


title: Skandha

text: According to Grzegorz Polak, the four "upassanā" have been misunderstood by the developing Buddhist tradition, including Theravada, to refer to four different foundations. According to Polak, the four "upassanā" do not refer to four different foundations of which one should be aware, but are an alternate description of the "jhanas", describing how the "samskharas" are tranquilized:


title: Skandha

text: The Mahayana developed out of the traditional schools, introducing new texts and putting other emphases in the teachings, especially sunyata and the Bodhisattva-ideal.


title: Skandha

text: The Prajnaparamita-teachings developed from the first century BCE onward. It emphasises the "emptiness" of everything that exists. This means that there are no eternally existing "essences", since everything is dependently originated. The skandhas too are dependently originated, and lack any substantial existence. According to Red Pine, the Prajnaparamita texts are a historical "reaction" to some early Buddhist Abhidhammas. Specifically, it is a response to Sarvastivada teachings that "phenomena" or its constituents are real. The prajnaparamita notion of "emptiness" is also consistent with the Theravada Abhidhamma.


title: Skandha

text: This is formulated in the Heart Sutra. The Sanskrit version of the "Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra" ("Heart Sutra"), which may have been composed in China from Sanskrit texts, and later back-translated into Sanskrit, states that the five skandhas are empty of self-existence,


title: Skandha

text: The Madhyamaka-school elaborates on the notion of the Middle Way. Its basic text is the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, written by Nagarjuna, who refuted the Sarvastivada conception of reality, which reifies dhammas. The simultaneous non-reification of the self and reification of the skandhas has been viewed by some Buddhist thinkers as highly problematic.


title: Skandha

text: The Yogacara-school further analysed the workings of the mind, elaborated on the concept of nama-rupa and the five skandhas, and developed the notion of the Eight Consciousnesses.


title: Skandha

text: Sunyata, in Chinese texts, is "wu", "nothingness". In these texts, the relation between absolute and relative was a central topic in understanding the Buddhist teachings. The aggregates convey the relative (or conventional) experience of the world by an individual, although Absolute truth is realized through them. Commenting on the Heart Sutra, D.T. Suzuki notes:


title: Skandha

text: The Tathāgatagarbha Sutras, treating the idea of the Buddha-nature, developed in India but played a prominent role in China. The tathagatagarbha-sutras, on occasion, speak of the ineffable skandhas of the Buddha (beyond the nature of worldly skandhas and beyond worldly understanding). In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra the Buddha tells of how the Buddha's skandhas are in fact eternal and unchanging. The Buddha's skandhas are said to be incomprehensible to unawakened vision.


title: Skandha

text: The Vajrayana tradition further develops the aggregates in terms of mahamudra epistemology and tantric reifications.


title: Skandha

text: Referring to mahamudra teachings, Chogyam Trungpa identifies the form aggregate as the "solidification" of ignorance (Pali, "avijjā"; Skt., "avidyā"), allowing one to have the illusion of "possessing" ever dynamic and spacious wisdom (Pali, "vijjā"; Skt. "vidyā"), and thus being the basis for the creation of a dualistic relationship between "self" and "other."


title: Skandha

text: According to Trungpa Rinpoche, the five skandhas are "a set of Buddhist concepts which describe experience as a five-step process" and that "the whole development of the five skandhas...is an attempt on our part to shield ourselves from the truth of our insubstantiality," while "the practice of meditation is to see the transparency of this shield."


title: Clam chowder

text: Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. Other vegetables are not typically used. It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ease of harvesting them. Clam chowder is usually served with saltine crackers or small, hexagonal oyster crackers.


title: Clam chowder

text: The dish originated in the Northeastern United States, but is now commonly served in restaurants throughout the country. Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, which includes milk or cream, Manhattan or "red" clam chowder, which includes tomatoes, and Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, which omits both.


title: Clam chowder

text: Canned clam chowder, both national brands and regional specialty brands may be purchased at food stores.


title: Clam chowder

text: Early documentation of "clam chowder" as we know it today did not contain milk and was thickened during cooking using crackers or stale bread. The first recipe for Manhattan clam chowder, with tomatoes and no milk, was published before 1919, and the current name is attested in 1934.


title: Clam chowder

text: As recipes for clam chowder spread throughout the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, many regionally developed variants have arisen.


title: Clam chowder

text: Manhattan clam chowder has a red, tomato-based broth and unlike New England clam chowder there is no milk or cream. Manhattan-style chowder also usually contains other vegetables, such as celery and carrots to create a mirepoix. Thyme is often used as an optional seasoning.


title: Clam chowder

text: Many sources attribute its creation to Rhode Island's Portuguese fishing communities who were known both for their traditional tomato-based stews and for their frequent travels to New York City's Fulton Fish Market during the mid-1800s. While Rhode Island clam chowder is clear, it was relatively common in Rhode Island for some cooks to add tomato sauce to their chowder. In Rhode Island this style chowder is also frequently referred to as "Rocky Point Clam Chowder" as it was a popular menu item at the Rocky Point Amusement Park Shore Dinner Hall since the park opened in 1847.


title: Clam chowder

text: This chowder was at times called by various names including "Clam Chowder - Coney Island Style" (1893). Manhattan clam chowder is included in Victor Hirtzler's "Hotel St. Francis Cookbook" (1919) and "The Delmonico Cook Book" (1890) as "clam chowder". The "Manhattan" name is first attested in a 1934 cookbook.


title: Clam chowder

text: New England clam chowder, occasionally referred to as Boston or Boston-style clam chowder, is a milk or cream-based chowder, and is often of a thicker consistency than other regional styles. It is commonly made with milk, butter, potatoes, salt pork, onion, and clams. Flour or, historically, crushed hard tack may be added as a thickener.


title: Clam chowder

text: New England clam chowder is usually accompanied by oyster crackers. Crackers may be crushed and mixed into the soup for thickener, or used as a garnish.


title: Clam chowder

text: Rhode Island clam chowder is made with clear broth, and contains no dairy or tomatoes. It is common in southeastern Rhode Island through eastern Connecticut. In Rhode Island, it is sometimes called "South County Style" referring to Washington County, where it apparently originated.


title: Clam chowder

text: Long Island clam chowder is part New England-style and part Manhattan-style, making it a pinkish creamy tomato clam chowder. The name is intended as humorous: Long Island is between Manhattan and New England. The two parent chowders are typically cooked separately before being poured in the same bowl. This variant is popular in many small restaurants across Suffolk County, New York.


title: Penghu

text: The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: "Phîⁿ-ô͘"  or "Phêⁿ-ô͘" ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, covering an area of . The largest city is Magong, located on the largest island, which is also named Magong.


title: Penghu

text: The Penghu islands were mentioned during the Tang dynasty and were inhabited by Chinese people by the Song dynasty, during which it was attached to Jinjiang County. It was formally incorporated as an administrative unit of China under the jurisdiction of Tong'an County of Jiangzhe Province in 1281 during the Yuan dynasty. It continued to be governed by Chinese dynasties with brief European occupations until it was ceded to the Japanese Empire in 1895. After World War II, Penghu has been governed by the Republic of China. The archipelago collectively forms of Taiwan and is the smallest county of Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: The "Penghu" islands were mentioned in a series of poems during the Tang dynasty (618–907). During the Song dynasty (960–1279), it was mentioned that during the Tang period, "Pinghu" barbarians from beyond Quanzhou laid siege to Fuzhou, now the capital of Fujian Province. In 1171, the poet Lou Yue described a place across the sea from Quanzhou, identified as Penghu, that had thousands of sandbars called "Pinghu" (flat lake) because of the "encircling shape of its inner coastline". Song sources describe migrants from Fujian cultivating land on Pinghu. In 1225, the Song historian Zhao Rukuo called the islands attached to Jinjiang County "Penghu". In 1227, Wang Xiangzhi described Penghu as a group of 36 islands in an "outlying region" which took three days to reach by sailing from Jinjiang. In the Southern Min language, both Pinghu and Penghu are pronounced similarly, and scholars in Taiwan believe them to be the same place. In Southern Min it is pronounced "Phêⁿ-ô·".


title: Penghu

text: According to official "Penghu County Chronicle", Penghu's original name had been "Pinghu"(平湖), but as "Ping"(平) sounded similar to "Peng"(彭) in Hokkien, "Pinghu"(平湖) was also written as "Penghu"(彭湖), and ultimately upon consensus, it is written as "Penghu"(澎湖).


title: Penghu

text: The name "Pescadores" comes from the Portuguese name "Ilhas dos Pescadores" ("Fishermen Islands"). The European Portuguese pronunciation is but, in English, it is typically closer to . The islands have also been called "Pehoe" from the Minnan name "Phêⁿ-ô·".


title: Penghu

text: Penghu 1, a fossil jaw (mandible) dating to the late Pleistocene that belonged to a member of an extinct hominin species, was discovered in the Pescadores Channel around 2008.


title: Penghu

text: Finds of fine red cord-marked pottery at Guoye, Huxi, indicate that Penghu was visited by Austronesians from southwestern Taiwan around 5,000 years ago, though not settled permanently.


title: Penghu

text: Han Chinese from southern Fujian began to establish fishing communities on the islands in the 9th and 10th centuries, and representatives were intermittently stationed there by the Southern Song and Yuan governments from around 1170. Chinese fishermen had settled on the Penghu Islands by 1171, when a group of "Bisheye" bandits with dark skin speaking a foreign language landed on Penghu and plundered the fields planted by Chinese migrants. The Song government sent soldiers after them and from that time on, Song patrols regularly visited Penghu in the spring and summer. A local official, Wang Dayou, had houses built on Penghu and stationed troops there to prevent depredations from the Bisheye. Coins dating to the Xining (1068-1077) and Zhenghe (1111-1117) reign periods as well as many Song pottery and porcelain shards have been unearthed in Penghu.


title: Penghu

text: In 1225, the "Book of Barbarian Nations" anecdotally indicated that Penghu was attached to Jinjiang, Quanzhou Prefecture.


title: Penghu

text: In November 1281, the Yuan dynasty under Emperor Shizu officially established the "Penghu Patrol and Inspection Agency" under the jurisdiction of Tong'an County, incorporating Penghu into China's borders 403 years earlier than Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: In the 15th century, the Ming ordered the evacuation of the islands as part of their maritime ban. When these restrictions were removed in the late 16th century, legal fishing communities, most of which hailed from Tong'an County, were re-established on the islands. These fishermen worshiped at the Mazu Temple that gave Magong its name and themselves gave rise to the Portuguese and English name "Pescadores". The Ming established a permanent military presence starting in 1597.


title: Penghu

text: At this time, the Dutch East India Company was trying to force China to open a port in Fujian to Dutch trade and expel the Portuguese from Macau. When the Dutch were defeated by the Portuguese at the Battle of Macau in 1622, they seized Penghu, built a fort there, and threatened raids on Chinese ports and shipping unless the Chinese allowed trading with them on Penghu and that China not trade with Manila. In response, the Chinese governor of Fujian demanded that the Dutch withdraw from Penghu to Taiwan, where the Chinese would permit them to engage in trade. The Dutch continued to raid the Fujian coast between October 1622 and January 1624 to force their demands, but were unsuccessful. In 1624, the new governor of Fujian sent a fleet of 40–50 warships with 5,000 troops to Penghu and expelled the Dutch, who moved to Fort Zeelandia on Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: For a period in the mid-17th century, Taiwan and the archipelago were ruled by the Kingdom of Tungning under the Zheng family, which was overthrown by the Qing dynasty in 1683 after the Battle of Penghu. Military personnel were stationed on Penghu afterwards. Penghu became a sub-prefecture of Taiwan Prefecture, Fujian Province, during the Qing period.


title: Penghu

text: The Penghu archipelago was captured by the French in March 1885, in the closing weeks of the Sino-French War, and evacuated four months later. The Pescadores Campaign was the last campaign of Admiral Amédée Courbet, whose naval victories during the war had made him a national hero in France. Courbet was among several French soldiers and sailors who succumbed to cholera during the French occupation of Penghu. He died aboard his flagship "Bayard" in Makung harbour on 11 June 1885.


title: Penghu

text: Towards the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, having defeated the Qing in northern China, Japan sought to ensure that it obtained Penghu and Taiwan in the final settlement. In March 1895, the Japanese defeated the Chinese garrison on the islands and occupied Makung. The Japanese occupation of Penghu, with its fine harbor, gave the Imperial Japanese Navy an advanced base from which their short-range coal-burning ships could control the Taiwan Straits and thus prevent more Chinese troops from being sent to Taiwan. This action persuaded the Chinese negotiators at Shimonoseki that Japan was determined to annex Taiwan, and, after Penghu, Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula had been ceded to Japan in the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Shimonoseki in April, helped to ensure the success of the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in May.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu County was then called the Hōko Prefecture by the Japanese government of Taiwan. During World War II, Makō (Makung) was a major base for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the embarkation point for the invasion of the Philippines.


title: Penghu

text: In the Cairo Declaration of 1943, the United States, the United Kingdom and China stated it to be their purpose that "all the territories that Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Formosa and The Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China". On 26 July 1945, the three governments issued the Potsdam Declaration, declaring that "the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out". However, the United States and the United Kingdom have regarded the aforementioned documents as merely wartime statements of intention with no binding force in law.


title: Penghu

text: Following the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur issued General Order No. 1, which directed Japanese forces to surrender to the Allied Powers and facilitate the occupation of Japanese territories by the Allied Powers. The Office of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers ordered Japanese forces in China and Taiwan to surrender to Chiang Kai-shek, who the Allied Powers delegated to accept the surrender. On 25 October 1945, Governor-General Rikichi Andō handed over the administration of Taiwan and the Penghu islands to the head of the Taiwan Investigation Commission, Chen Yi.


title: Penghu

text: The Republic of China and Japan signed the Treaty of Taipei on April 28, 1952, and the treaty came into force on August 5, which is considered by some as giving a legal support to the Republic of China's claim to Taiwan as "de jure" territory. The treaty stipulates that all treaties, conventions, and agreements between China and Japan prior to 9 December 1941 were null and void, which according to Hungdah Chiu, abolishes the Treaty of Shimonoseki ceding Taiwan to Japan. In the 1956 "Japan v. Lai Chin Jung" case, it was stated that Taiwan and the Penghu islands came to belong to the ROC on the date the Treaty of Taipei came into force.


title: Penghu

text: However, in 1954, the United States denied that the sovereignty over Taiwan and the Penghu islands had been settled by the Treaty of Taipei. In the following year, the United States also stated its position that Taiwan and Penghu were handed over to the Allied Powers, and that the Republic of China was merely asked to administer these territories for the Allied Powers pending a final decision as to their ownership.


title: Penghu

text: Boat people fleeing Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s who were rescued by Taiwan's ships in the South China Sea were sent to Penghu.


title: Penghu

text: On 25 May 2002, China Airlines Flight 611, a Boeing 747-200 aircraft flying from Taipei to Hong Kong, disintegrated and exploded over the Islands. The wreckage slammed into the Taiwan Strait, a couple of miles off the coast. All 225 passengers and crew on board were killed.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu County has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cwa), bordering on a regular humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).


title: Penghu

text: Penghu is the remnant of a Miocene aged shield volcano, the stratigraphy of the island is dominated by two to four layers of basalt interbedded with sandstone and mudstone deposited in shallow marine conditions.


title: Penghu

text: In Penghu, the native language is Taiwanese Hokkien, with Tong'an dialect being the most prevalent speech.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu County is administered by Penghu County Government headed by Magistrate Lai Feng-wei of the Kuomintang and headquartered at the Penghu County Hall.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu County is divided into one city and five rural townships. It is further divided into 97 villages. Like Lienchiang County, Penghu County has no urban townships. The county seat is located at Magong City where it houses the Penghu County Hall and Penghu County Council.


title: Penghu

text: The main islands of Magong City/Huxi Township, Baisha Township, and Xiyu Township are the three most populous islands and are connected via bridges. Two shorter bridges connect Huxi and Baisha. The Penghu Great Bridge connecting Baisha and Xiyu is the longest bridge in Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: The county elects a single representative to the Legislative Yuan. In the 2016 Republic of China legislative election, this seat was won by the Democratic Progressive Party with 55.4% of the vote.


title: Penghu

text: Despite the controversy over the political status of Taiwan, both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China agree that Penghu is a county in (their own respective) "Taiwan Province" (Taiwan Province, Republic of China and Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China). However, geographically, the island of Taiwan does not include Penghu, although it is closer to Taiwan than mainland China. Thus, Penghu is listed separately from "Taiwan" in some contexts, e.g. the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu (the official WTO name for the Republic of China) and in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the Cairo Declaration, and the Treaty of San Francisco.


title: Penghu

text: Due to its restricted geography, fisheries have been the main industry for Penghu. The Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau of the Penghu County Government governs matters related to agriculture and fisheries in Penghu. In 2016, the bureau placed a ban on the harvesting of sea urchins due to their declining population. However, the ban was lifted in 2017 but catches are limited only to those species larger than in diameter.


title: Penghu

text: Education-related matters in Penghu County are administered under the Education Department of the Penghu County Government. The county houses the National Penghu University of Science and Technology.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu is powered by the Chienshan Power Plant, a 140 MW diesel-fired power plant commissioned in 2001, and the Hujing Power Plant on Table Island. On 24 December 2010, the Taiwan-Penghu Undersea Cable Project of Taipower was approved by the Executive Yuan to connect the electrical grid in Taiwan Island to Penghu.


title: Penghu

text: Under a wind power development project approved in 2002 by the Executive Yuan, the ROC government plans to set up a total of 200 wind turbines in Penghu within 10 years. However, only 14 turbines have been set up . On 1 October 2015, Taipower announced the construction of another 11 new wind turbines across the island, of which six will be constructed in Huxi Township and five in Baisha Township.


title: Penghu

text: The current total desalination capacity of the county to provide clean water to its residents is 15,500 m per day. To reduce its groundwater use, in November 2015 the county secured a contract of building an additional desalination plant with 4,000 m capacity per day, construction of which is expected to be completed by May 2018.


title: Penghu

text: The Penghu National Scenic Area was established in the early 1990s, comprising most of the islands and islets of the archipelago. Tourism has since become one of the main sources of income of the county.


title: Penghu

text: Historical sites include Central Street, Erdai Art Hall, Tianhou Temple, Four-eyed Well, Penghu Reclamation Hall, Qimei Lighthouse, Xiyu Eastern Fort, Jinguitou Fortress and Xiyu Western Fort. Museums in the county are Chuwan Crab Museum, Ocean Resources Museum, Chang Yu-sheng Memorial Museum and Penghu Living Museum. Other attractions in the county include the Double-Heart of Stacked Stones, Fenggui Cave, Little Taiwan, Whale Cave, Xiaomen Geology Gallery and South Penghu Marine National Park.


title: Penghu

text: Since 1 January 2015, tourists from Mainland China can directly apply for the Exit & Entry Permit upon arrival in Penghu. This privilege also applies to Kinmen and the Matsu Islands as a means to boost tourism in the outlying islands of Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: As a lightly populated outlying island, Penghu lends itself to being used as a trans-shipment hub for drug smuggling into Taiwan from China and the Philippines. Beginning in 2016, the area became the focus of a major drug trafficking crackdown by the Taiwanese police.


title: Penghu

text: In 2016, Chou Meng-hsiang (周盟翔), chief prosecutor of the Penghu District Prosecutors Office, "led an investigation team in Taiwan, including officers from the Coast Guard Administration, in a bid to bring (a) drug trafficking ring to justice." A joint investigation with Philippine and Chinese authorities spanning one and a half years resulted in the seizure of "22.6 kilograms of amphetamine, 11.4 kilograms of ephedrine, and about 40 kilograms of calcium chloride" with an estimated value of NT$123 million. Eight suspects were arrested in Cagayan, a small island in northern Philippines, but no Taiwanese nationals were charged in relation to the importation scheme.


title: Penghu

text: In 2017, media reported "the biggest-ever haul of drugs in the county's history" when 506 kg of ephedrine was seized from a Chinese fishing boat off Penghu "as part of an ongoing crackdown on the area drug trade". Ephedrine smuggling has increased in recent years as it has a similar structure to amphetamines and can be easily converted into methamphetamine. According to a Focus Taiwan report, "(It) can then be sold for ten times the price, in this case that would be more than NT$1 billion (US$33.33 million)."


title: Penghu

text: Despite the size of the drug seizure, only the five crew members of the Chinese fishing boat were detained in the operation, with authorities "unable to find the Taiwanese ship which should have turned up to take delivery of the drugs". It was unclear from media reports how the Taiwanese side of the smuggling operation knew to abort the rendezvous. The suppliers of the shipment also evaded capture. It was believed the drugs were destined to be transported from Penghu for distribution on Taiwan.


title: Penghu

text: Penghu is served by Penghu Airport in Magong City and Qimei Airport in Cimei Township. Both airports opened in 1977. Daily Air operates flights between Penghu to Kaohsiung.


title: Penghu

text: The county has Magong Harbor and Longmen Jianshan Pier. Magong Harbor hosts ferry connections with Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi and Kinmen.


title: Doug Savant

text: Douglas Peter Savant (born June 21, 1964) is an American actor, known for his roles as Matt Fielding in the Fox prime time soap opera "Melrose Place" (1992–97), Tom Scavo in ABC comedy-drama "Desperate Housewives" (2004–12), and as Sgt. O'Neal in "Godzilla" (1998).


title: Doug Savant

text: Savant was born and raised in Burbank, California. He attended University of California, Los Angeles.


title: Doug Savant

text: Savant began his career appearing in teen comedy films "Secret Admirer" and "Teen Wolf" in 1985, and the following year appeared in horror film "Trick or Treat". From 1986 to 1987, he had a recurring role as a younger version of Mac McKenzie (played by Kevin Dobson) in the CBS prime time soap opera "Knots Landing". He was paired with future "Desperate Housewives" co-star Nicollette Sheridan, who played a younger version of the Anne Matheson character portrayed by Michelle Phillips. In 1988, he co-starred in erotic thriller film "Masquerade" alongside Rob Lowe and Kim Cattrall


title: Doug Savant

text: From 1992 to 1997, Savant starred as Matt Fielding in the Fox prime time soap opera "Melrose Place", a role that was notable for being one of the first mainstream openly gay characters on television. However, his role was censored greatly by the network - notably a kiss between Matt and guest star Ty Miller during the season two finale was edited out at the last minute by FOX. Savant left the series after five seasons and, a year later, his character was killed off-screen in a car crash. In 1998, he appeared in monster film "Godzilla" playing Sgt. O'Neal, and the following years had guest-starring roles on "The Outer Limits", "Profiler", "Firefly", "JAG", "Nip/Tuck", "NYPD Blue", and "". In 2004, he had a four-episode arc on "24".


title: Doug Savant

text: In 2004, Savant was cast as Tom Scavo in the ABC comedy-drama series, "Desperate Housewives". In the first season (2004–05), Tom was originally credited as a recurring role throughout Season 1, but became credited as a series regular in Season 2. Married to Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), he was out of town regularly on business. Viewer response to Savant and his character led the producers to contract him as a series regular from season two onwards, and Tom and Lynette were portrayed as the most stable couple on the series. The series ended in 2012, and the following years, Savant had guest-starring roles in a number of shows, including "Hot in Cleveland", "Criminal Minds", "9-1-1" and "NCIS".


title: Doug Savant

text: In May 1998, he married his "Melrose Place" co-star Laura Leighton. They have two children together: Jack (born October 10, 2000) and Lucy (born June 9, 2005). Savant also has two children from a previous marriage whom Leighton helped raise, Arianna (born January 17, 1992) and Madeline (born July 20, 1993).


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S/A ("Azul Brazilian Airlines"; or simply Azul) is a Brazilian carrier based in Barueri, a suburb of São Paulo. The company's business model is to stimulate demand by providing frequent and affordable air service to underserved markets throughout Brazil. The company was named Azul ("Blue" in Portuguese) after a naming contest in 2008, where "Samba" was the other popular name. It was established on May 5, 2008 by Brazilian-born David Neeleman (founder of American low-cost airline JetBlue), with a fleet of 76 Embraer 195 jets. The airline began service on December 15, 2008.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: According to the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), between January and December 2019 Azul had 23.5% of the domestic and 5.0% of the international market shares in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), making it the third largest domestic and second largest international airline in Brazil.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S.A. was the fourth airline launched by JetBlue founder David Neeleman (after Morris Air, WestJet and jetBlue). Azul inaugurated services in the Brazilian domestic market on December 15, 2008 between Campinas and 3 cities: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Porto Alegre. It launched operations with three Embraer 195 and two Embraer 190 aircraft. Another three aircraft were added in January 2009 to introduce nonstop service from Campinas to both Vitória and Curitiba.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: On May 28, 2012, Azul announced the acquisition of TRIP Linhas Aéreas, the largest regional carrier in Brazil. Azul and Trip started comprehensive code-sharing operations on December 2, 2012, with all flights carrying only the IATA code of Azul. On March 6, 2013 Brazilian authorities gave the final approval for the merger with a few restrictions related to code-sharing with TAM Airlines and slot use at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport. On May 6, 2014 the merger process was completed with the final approval from Brazilian authorities. That day the brand TRIP ceased to exist and all TRIP assets were transferred to Azul.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: While the airline is not currently a full member in an airline alliance, it signed a codeshare agreement with Star Alliance airline United Airlines in January 2014, which made it possible for MileagePlus members to earn points when flying with Azul beginning April 1, 2014. Since 2015, Azul is also an equal partner in a Brazilian-Portuguese joint venture that is the majority owner of TAP Air Portugal, another Star Alliance member.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: In December 2014, Azul started its first scheduled international flights; to Fort Lauderdale on December 2 and Orlando on December 15, both in the United States.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: In early 2015 it was announced that Azul had signed a purchase agreement for 35 Airbus A320neo aircraft. It was also to lease a further 28 of the aircraft type. In mid-2015, Azul finalised a deal for 30 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft (including 20 options) first announced at the 2014 Farnborough International Air Show. The first delivery was scheduled for 2020.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: On November 24, 2015 it was announced that the Chinese HNA Group, owner of Hainan Airlines, would invest US$450 million in Azul, becoming its largest single shareholder. This follows the US$100 million investment of United Airlines closed in June 2015.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: Azul signed a non-binding deal to buy Avianca Brasil's assets on 11 March 2019, calling for the rehiring of all Avianca Brazil's staff and the merger between the two carriers, with Azul as the surviving brand.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: On 14 January 2020 Azul Brazilian Airlines signed an agreement to purchase TwoFlex. On March 27, 2020 the Brazilian regulatory bodies gave the nihil obstat to the purchase and sale of flights started on April 14, 2020. TwoFlex operates as a feeder airline to Azul.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: Azul and Azul Conecta serve 158 destinations in Brazil, Portugal, the United States, and Uruguay plus some other additional locations by means of dedicated executive bus services to the nearest airports.


title: Azul Brazilian Airlines

text: TudoAzul is the frequent flyer program for Azul. Members accumulate points based on the airfare paid rather than on miles flown.


title: Vanessa Marshall

text: Vanessa Marshall (born October 19, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.) is an American voice and television actress who is most active in films, cartoons and video games. She is the daughter of actress Joan Van Ark and reporter John Marshall.


title: Vanessa Marshall

text: Prior to her career as a voice actor, Marshall attended Princeton University, majoring in English. She then attended graduate school at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, attaining a masters in acting and learning different dialects, which Marshall credits for helping her in her voiceover career. She started voice acting after being discovered by a voice acting agent during a solo performance, where she was playing 15 different characters.


title: Vanessa Marshall

text: Marshall was married to voice-over artist and rapper Andrew Kishino from 2001 to 2007. During their marriage, they founded Marsh-Kish Productions, a voice-over production company; she decided to keep the company name as the two remained "the best of friends" after their divorce. Both have appeared as main characters in "The Spectacular Spider-Man". Her acting in this has been compared to that of her mother in the 1970s "Spider-Woman" series.


title: Serialization

text: In computing, serialization (or serialisation) is the process of translating a data structure or object state into a format that can be stored (e.g. files in secondary storage devices, data buffers in primary storage devices) or transmitted (e.g. data streams over computer networks) and reconstructed later (possibly in a different computer environment). When the resulting series of bits is reread according to the serialization format, it can be used to create a semantically identical clone of the original object. For many complex objects, such as those that make extensive use of references, this process is not straightforward. Serialization of object-oriented objects does not include any of their associated methods with which they were previously linked.


title: Serialization

text: This process of serializing an object is also called marshalling an object in some situations. The opposite operation, extracting a data structure from a series of bytes, is deserialization, (also called unserialization or unmarshalling).


title: Serialization

text: For some of these features to be useful, architecture independence must be maintained. For example, for maximal use of distribution, a computer running on a different hardware architecture should be able to reliably reconstruct a serialized data stream, regardless of endianness. This means that the simpler and faster procedure of directly copying the memory layout of the data structure cannot work reliably for all architectures. Serializing the data structure in an architecture-independent format means preventing the problems of byte ordering, memory layout, or simply different ways of representing data structures in different programming languages.


title: Serialization

text: Inherent to any serialization scheme is that, because the encoding of the data is by definition serial, extracting one part of the serialized data structure requires that the entire object be read from start to end, and reconstructed. In many applications, this linearity is an asset, because it enables simple, common I/O interfaces to be utilized to hold and pass on the state of an object. In applications where higher performance is an issue, it can make sense to expend more effort to deal with a more complex, non-linear storage organization.


title: Serialization

text: Even on a single machine, primitive pointer objects are too fragile to save because the objects to which they point may be reloaded to a different location in memory. To deal with this, the serialization process includes a step called "unswizzling" or "pointer unswizzling", where direct pointer references are converted to references based on name or position. The deserialization process includes an inverse step called "pointer swizzling".


title: Serialization

text: Since both serializing and deserializing can be driven from common code (for example, the "Serialize" function in Microsoft Foundation Classes), it is possible for the common code to do both at the same time, and thus, 1) detect differences between the objects being serialized and their prior copies, and 2) provide the input for the next such detection. It is not necessary to actually build the prior copy because differences can be detected on the fly, a technique called differential execution. This is useful in the programming of user interfaces whose contents are time-varying — graphical objects can be created, removed, altered, or made to handle input events without necessarily having to write separate code to do those things.


title: Serialization

text: Serialization breaks the opacity of an abstract data type by potentially exposing private implementation details. Trivial implementations which serialize all data members may violate encapsulation.


title: Serialization

text: To discourage competitors from making compatible products, publishers of proprietary software often keep the details of their programs' serialization formats a trade secret. Some deliberately obfuscate or even encrypt the serialized data. Yet, interoperability requires that applications be able to understand each other's serialization formats. Therefore, remote method call architectures such as CORBA define their serialization formats in detail.


title: Serialization

text: Many institutions, such as archives and libraries, attempt to future proof their backup archives—in particular, database dumps—by storing them in some relatively human-readable serialized format.


title: Serialization

text: The Xerox Network Systems Courier technology in the early 1980s influenced the first widely adopted standard. Sun Microsystems published the External Data Representation (XDR) in 1987. XDR is an open format, and standardized as STD 67 (RFC 4506).