title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: From the late 1960s onward, many of the Yale School of critics describe the poem as a reworking of John Milton's poetic diction, but, they argued, that poem revealed that Keats lacked the ability of Milton as a poet. The critics, Harold Bloom (1965), Leslie Brisman (1973), Paul Fry (1980), John Hollander (1981) and Cynthia Chase (1985), all focused on the poem with Milton as a progenitor to "Ode to a Nightingale" while ignoring other possibilities, including Shakespeare who was emphasised as being the source of many of Keats's phrases. Responding to the claims about Milton and Keats's shortcomings, critics like R. S. White (1981) and Willard Spiegelman (1983) used the Shakespearean echoes to argue for a multiplicity of sources for the poem to claim that Keats was not trying to respond just to Milton or escape from his shadow. Instead, "Ode to a Nightingale" was an original poem, as White claimed, "The poem is richly saturated in Shakespeare, yet the assimilations are so profound that the Ode is finally original, and wholly Keatsian". Similarly, Spiegelman claimed that Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" had "flavored and ripened the later poem". This was followed in 1986 by Jonathan Bate claiming that Keats was "left enriched by the voice of Shakespeare, the 'immortal bird'".


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: Focusing on the quality of the poem, Stuart Sperry, argued in 1973, "'Ode to a Nightingale' is the supreme expression in all Keats's poetry of the impulse to imaginative escape that flies in the face of the knowledge of human limitation, the impulse fully expressed in 'Away! away! for I "will" fly to thee.'" Wolf Hirst, in 1981, described the poem as "justly celebrated" and claimed that "Since this movement into an eternal realm of song is one of the most magnificent in literature, the poet's return to actuality is all the more shattering." Helen Vendler continued the earlier view that the poem was artificial but added that the poem was an attempt to be aesthetic and spontaneous that was later dropped. In 1983, she argued, "In its absence of conclusiveness and its abandonment to reverie, the poem appeals to readers who prize it as the most personal, the most apparently spontaneous, the most immediately beautiful, and the most confessional of Keats's odes. I believe that the 'events' of the ode, as it unfolds in time, have more logic, however, than is usually granted them, and that they are best seen in relation to Keats's pursuit of the idea of music as a nonrepresentational art."


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: In a review of contemporary criticism of "Ode to a Nightingale" in 1998, James O'Rouke claimed that "To judge from the volume, the variety, and the polemical force of the modern critical responses engendered, there have been few moments in English poetic history as baffling as Keats's repetition of the word 'forlorn'". When referring to the reliance of the ideas of John Dryden and William Hazlitt within the poem, Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, in 1999, argued "whose notion of poetry as a 'movement' from personal consciousness to an awareness of suffering humanity it perfectly illustrates."


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: Settings of the ode began to emerge at the end of the 19th century. The earliest comprised only the second half of the eighth stanza, beginning "Adieu, adieu! They plaintive anthem fades". This was included in the cantata "The Swan and the Skylark" by Arthur Goring Thomas, which was orchestrated after the composer's suicide by Charles Villiers Stanford and first performed in 1894.


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: The length of Keats' poem lent itself to more ambitious choral treatment by later composers, including Richard Henry Walthew's setting for baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1897), and Ernest Walker's, published in 1908 and performed the following year. Later in the 20th century came Valentyn Silvestrov's cantata for soprano, piano and chamber orchestra, a 1973 setting in three movements of a Russian translation by Yevgeny Vitkovsky (1950-2020); and in the 21st century Will Todd's Choral Symphony 4 for choir and orchestra was commissioned by the Hertfordshire Chorus and first performed in 2011.


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: The ode was also set as an art song by such British composers as Cecil Forsyth, for baritone and piano or small orchestra (published 1894); Hamilton Harty, for soprano and orchestra, first performed in 1907; and Eric Fogg, for baritone, string quartet and harp, first performed in 1926. There have also been American settings, such as that by George Antheil for flute, viola and piano to accompany a recitation of the poem (1950), as well as others by Reginald Chauncey Robbins (1871 - 1955), for bass or baritone and piano (published 1922), and by Stephen Douglas Burton for coloratura soprano, flute, harp, and strings (published 1963).


title: Ode to a Nightingale

text: More recently, Geoffrey Gordon published a setting for chamber choir and solo cello in 2017; Ben Moore's followed in 2018 in a specially commissioned work for baritone and piano, and there was an Australian performance of Michael Dooley's setting for soprano in 2020.


title: Live Through This

text: Live Through This is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on April 12, 1994, by DGC Records. Recorded in late 1993, it departed from the band's unpolished hardcore aesthetics to more refined melodies and song structure. Frontwoman Courtney Love said that she wanted the record to be "shocking to the people who think that we don't have a soft edge", but maintain a harsh sensibility. The album was produced by Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie and mixed by Scott Litt and J Mascis. The lyrics and packaging reflect Love's thematic preoccupations with beauty, and motifs of milk, motherhood, anti-elitism, and violence against women, while Love derived the album title from a quote in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).


title: Live Through This

text: "Live Through This" was met with critical acclaim, and charted in nine countries before going multi-platinum in the US in December 1994. Despite this, it was also the subject of some public discussion regarding unsubstantiated rumors that Love's husband, Kurt Cobain—who died by suicide one week before the album's release—helped ghostwrite the album. This claim has been disputed by the band members, producers, as well as music biographers, though the band confirmed that Cobain sang additional backing vocals on two tracks during a visit to the studio. It was also the only Hole album to feature bassist Kristen Pfaff, and the final album to be released during her lifetime, as she died two months after the album's release.


title: Live Through This

text: In critical circles, "Live Through This" is considered a contemporary classic, and was included in "Rolling Stone"s 2020 updated list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time at number 106. It has also been featured on the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" and on "NME"'s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, where it ranked at the 84. As of 2010, it has sold over 1.6 million copies in the US.


title: Live Through This

text: Hole released their debut studio album, "Pretty on the Inside", in 1991. Despite moderate sales, the album was a critical success among English and American press. In March 1992, following the album tour, drummer Caroline Rue and bassist Jill Emery left the band due to artistic differences. In April 1992, vocalist Courtney Love and guitarist Eric Erlandson arranged auditions for a drummer at the Jabberjaw in Los Angeles and recruited drummer Patty Schemel. Following the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Love, Erlandson, and Schemel relocated to a Carnation, Washington home owned by Love and her husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, and began rehearsing and writing new material. "We had been going more pop, less journal-entry noise stuff," said Erlandson. Love said: "I was very competitive with Kurt because I wanted more melody. But I already wanted that before "Live Through This"."


title: Live Through This

text: Originally signed to Caroline Records in the United States and City Slang in Europe, Hole began record deal negotiations with Geffen Records in early 1992. In February 1992, they signed a seven-album deal with Geffen subsidiary DGC Records, reportedly with "an advance of a million dollars and a royalty rate considerably higher than Nirvana's". On November 8, 1992, Hole recorded "Beautiful Son", "20 Years in the Dakota" and "Old Age" at Word of Mouth Recording in Seattle with producer Jack Endino. The songs were released in April 1993 as Hole's fourth single on the City Slang label. On January 21, 1993, Love and Schemel recorded five demos at BMG Ariola Ltda. in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Produced by Craig Montgomery, the session had originally been scheduled as a demo session for Nirvana, who were recording material for their upcoming studio album "In Utero" (1993). During breaks in Nirvana's session, Love and Schemel recorded a number of songs later featured on "Live Through This", including "Miss World", "She Walks on Me", "I Think That I Would Die" and "Softer, Softest".


title: Live Through This

text: In 1993, the band recruited former Janitor Joe bassist Kristen Pfaff, also an accomplished cellist and music student. Erlandson said of Pfaff's membership: "That's when we took off, all of a sudden we became a real band." After a brief tour of the United Kingdom in mid-1993, the band sent a series of demos to the record label. "When we got the "Live Through This" demos, I realized very quickly that Hole had gotten a new rhythm section," said producer Sean Slade. "It was much more musical."


title: Live Through This

text: The recording sessions for "Live Through This" began on October 8, 1993, at Triclops Sound Studios in Marietta, Georgia. The studio was booked at the recommendation of the Smashing Pumpkins, who had recorded their second studio album, "Siamese Dream" (1993) there. Hole hired the producers Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade, as Love and Cobain enjoyed their work with Radiohead on their 1993 album "Pablo Honey". Erlandson recalled that Hole continued to write material throughout the recording sessions over the ensuing weeks: "We never finished writing; we were writing the whole time, trying to come up with more and more songs because even though it looked like we had a good, solid album, we knew we were missing some pieces. We were still writing intensely and frantically putting songs together. It wasn't like, "Oh we have these 12 songs, they're done, and we're going to go in and record now.""


title: Live Through This

text: The first week of recording was spent recording basic tracks, including drums, bass, scratch guitars, and scratch vocals. After basic tracks were completed, Love's husband, Cobain, visited the band in-studio before Nirvana were set to tour to promote "In Utero". While there, the band invited Cobain to sing backing vocals on several tracks, which he initially refused, due to being unfamiliar with the material. When Cobain asked, "how can I sing on it if I haven't heard it?", Love answered by encouraging him to "just sing off the top of [his] head". Cobain is known to have provided backing vocals to "Asking for It" and "Softer, Softest", however Kolderie has said Cobain "sang on about five or so [tracks in total], probably "Violet", "Miss World" and "Doll Parts", I can't remember any of the others." After taking a break for dinner, the session devolved into a "formless jam" with Cobain on drums, Love and Erlandson on guitars and producer Sean Slade on bass.


title: Live Through This

text: Musician Dana Kletter was asked to sing backing vocals on the record, and appears on seven songs, including "Violet", "Miss World", "Asking for It", "Doll Parts", "Softer, Softest", and "She Walks on Me". Producer Slade said, "I think one of the reasons that "Doll Parts" might have been a hit is that harmony Dana does on the "You will ache like I ache" part, it's almost like an Appalachian close harmony against what Courtney is doing. It's very melancholic." Slade and Paul Koderie avoided doubling Love's vocals, as they felt it "took the fierceness away". Certain imperfections were also left in the final mixes, including Love's voice cracking in "Doll Parts", which Geffen executives had originally requested be removed.


title: Live Through This

text: According to Schemel, during the sessions an employee at Triclops Sound Studios offered them "an abundance of crystal meth". Schemel, her brother Larry Schemel and bassist Pfaff would get high during the recording. "Miss World" was one of the songs Schemel and Pfaff recorded while high and Schemel has said "that song was recorded a bit altered". Producer Sean Slade recalled the studio sessions, stating that the basic tracks had been completed within five days, and also recalled that Pfaff's bass lines were completed on the basic tracks: "This has never happened on an album that we've done in all these years — every single bass track on "Live Through This" was from the basic tracks. There was no bass overdubs because there was no need to because they were perfect." Love completed between ten and twelve tracks of vocals for each song, which were then arranged by Slade and Kolderie. The band finished recording on October 31, after which production and mixing lasted an additional nineteen days. The album was mixed chiefly by Scott Litt in Los Angeles and Seattle, although J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. mixed the track "Gutless" in New York City.


title: Live Through This

text: "Live Through This" marked a departure from the band's noise rock roots toward a more radio-friendly rock format. Love had sought a more mellow sound for "Live Through This", stating: "I want this record to be shocking to the people who don't think we have a soft edge, and at the same time, [to know] that we haven't lost our very, very hard edge." The resulting music was starkly less aggressive than the band's former work, blending more structured melodies and smoother arrangements with heavy guitar riffs. "During the tour for "Pretty on the Inside", we had been going more pop, less journal-entry noise stuff," recalled Erlandson. "The whole industry was going, like, "Look, you can be melodic and punky and be successful!" We never said, "Let's do this, let's copy this formula." It was natural."


title: Live Through This

text: Consequently, "Live Through This" featured a mixture of songwriting techniques, including use of power chords as well as arpeggios, and occasional use of keyboards. Musically, the album's content ranged from heavier rock tracks such as "Plump" and "Violet" (noted by "Rolling Stone" for its "startling gunshot-guitar chorus") to slower and more mellow rock ballads, such as "Doll Parts" and "Softer, Softest", which featured the use of twelve-string electro-acoustic guitars and more stripped-down progressions and strumming.


title: Live Through This

text: A great deal of the songs on the album were written over a two-year period by Love, Erlandson, and Schemel, in both Los Angeles as well as in a makeshift studio Love had set up at her and Cobain's secluded home in Carnation, Washington. Love also stated that "half the fucking songs were written in the studio." According to Love, the songwriting process for the album was "really easy": "We started at [defunct L.A. punk club] Jabberjaw. I wrote "Violet" there. Then we moved to Seattle in the middle of that. "Miss World" was written in Seattle, if I remember correctly... We had this great rehearsal space [in Seattle]: It was just perfect, up on Capitol Hill, near the Urban Outfitters. Everyone got really close. There was just a great flow." Love also stated that she had been listening to The Breeders, Pixies, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Joy Division while recording the album, and that their work served as primary influences on her at the time.


title: Live Through This

text: The album features one cover song, "Credit in the Straight World" by Welsh post-punk band Young Marble Giants; the band's frontman, Stuart Moxham reportedly "hated" Hole's version of the song, saying they had turned it into a "pornographic Led Zeppelin track".


title: Live Through This

text: Though several lyrics featured on "Live Through This" make direct references to Love's personal life, when reflecting on writing them, she felt the record was "not as personal" as the band's previous work: "You know, when women say, "Well, I play music, and it's cathartic," that applies to me to a degree, but I just wanted to write a good rock record. I would love to write a couple of great rock songs in my life, like Chrissie Hynde did. If you write something that will transcend a long period of time and make people feel a certain way, there's really nothing like that." Recurrent themes noted on the record by critics and journalists include those of motherhood, depression, body image, child abuse, and elitism, as well as motifs of milk, pregnancy, and suicide.


title: Live Through This

text: The album's opening track, "Violet", was inspired by Love's relationship with Billy Corgan, while songs like "Plump", "Miss World", and "I Think That I Would Die" contain the repeated themes of motherhood and post-partum depression. "I Think That I Would Die" makes specific references to the custody battle which Love and husband Cobain had endured over their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, in 1992; according to Love, the line "She says, 'I am not a feminist'" in the song was directly quoted from a Julia Roberts interview that she had read. "Asking for It" was inspired by an occurrence at a 1991 concert when Hole was touring with Mudhoney, in which Love was assaulted and had her clothes ripped off of her while crowdsurfing, leaving her entirely naked, and was written entirely during the album's recording sessions. "Doll Parts", the album's most successful single, was written by Love in music executive Joyce Linehan's apartment in Boston, Massachusetts in 1991, and was inspired by Love's insecurity of Cobain's romantic interest in her.


title: Live Through This

text: Love also drew on other filmic and literary influences while writing the album's lyrics: The phrase "live through this" in "Asking for It", which later became the album title, is derived from a quote in "Gone with the Wind" (1939), and the phrase "kill-me pills" references poet Anne Sexton, who, after overdosing on barbiturates and pentobarbital, called the drugs "kill-me pills". The refrain in "Plump" in which Love sings, "I'm eating you. I'm overfed" also bears similarity to a line from Sexton's poem "The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator", which reads: "They are eating each other. They are overfed."


title: Live Through This

text: A song entitled "Rock Star" was originally slated to close the album, but a last-minute decision was made to replace the track with "Olympia". Since the artwork had already been printed, however, the title of "Rock Star" remained and was also used for further releases. The track lyrically mocks the riot grrrl music scene of the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, criticizing "the hive mind of the Olympia scenester...  nonconformist outsiders... [who] ended up in a culture of homogeneous punk conformity." Alternate mixes of the song that later were released as B-sides included even more satirical lyrics, such as "we took punk rock, and we got a grade."


title: Live Through This

text: Fashion model Leilani Bishop is shown on the cover of the album, shot by photographer Ellen von Unwerth, dressed in beauty pageant attire with a tiara and a bouquet of flowers, with mascara running down her eyes in tears of joy. Love stated in an interview that she "wanted to capture the look on a woman's face as she's being crowned...  this sort of ecstatic, blue eyeliner running, kind of 'I am, I am—I won! I have hemorrhoid cream under my eyes and adhesive tape on my butt, and I had to scratch and claw and fuck my way up, but I won Miss Congeniality!'" The band logo introduced on the front cover of the album shares stylistic similarity to the contemporary Mattel Barbie logo.


title: Live Through This

text: The back cover of the album features a family photo of Courtney Love during her childhood in Springfield, Oregon, with the individual track listings appearing to the right, printed on embossing tape. Music scholar Ronald Lankford commented on the contrast between the images on the front and back cover, interpreting the back image of Love as symbolizing the "antithesis of the contest winner on the cover. The young girl, then, seems to represent femininity in its natural state, before the fall of adolescence."


title: Live Through This

text: "Live Through This" was released on April 12, 1994, by DGC Records on compact disc and cassette in North America. Overseas, the album received a short-lived LP pressing by City Slang on a standard black vinyl and a limited white vinyl. The album was dedicated to the memory of Joe Cole, a roadie for Black Flag and the Rollins Band who was shot to death in a December 1991 robbery after attending a Hole concert at the Whisky a Go Go.


title: Live Through This

text: The album debuted on the U.S. "Billboard 200" at number 55, eventually peaking at number 52 in January 1995 during its 68-week stay. In December 1994, the record went gold, having sold a total of 500,000 copies, and went platinum six months later for having sold one million copies. As of 2010, the album had sold more than 1.6 million copies in the United States and has well over 2 million worldwide. It has also achieved platinum status in Canada and Australia.


title: Live Through This

text: In June 1994, just before Hole was scheduled to embark on an international tour to support the album, bassist Pfaff was found dead in her Seattle apartment of a heroin overdose. The tour was subsequently postponed until the end of the summer, after which Melissa Auf der Maur, a Canadian bassist from Montreal, was hired to join the band and accompany them on tour.


title: Live Through This

text: Four singles were released from the album and three promotional videos were shot, for "Miss World" (still with Kristen Pfaff), "Doll Parts" (with L7's bassist Jennifer Finch replacing her) and "Violet" (already with Melissa Auf der Maur). "Softer, Softest" was also released as a single, and Hole's performance of this song at their MTV Unplugged session was used as a promotional video.


title: Live Through This

text: Following the album's release, rumors began circulating alleging that Love's recently deceased husband, Cobain, had ghostwritten some of the songs. Although these rumors circulated for years to follow, multiple songs on "Live Through This" had been written and performed during Hole's "Pretty on the Inside" tour: Both "Violet" and "Doll Parts", among other tracks, were written in 1991 during the release of "Pretty on the Inside". The first studio recordings of the songs took place during a BBC Radio broadcast for John Peel in 1991, in between US and European tours to promote "Pretty on the Inside"; these recordings would later appear on the group's 1995 EP "Ask for It".


title: Live Through This

text: In a 2006 "Time" magazine piece, it was noted that "[the rumors] started immediately that it was Cobain, not his wife, Courtney Love, who wrote the majority of these churningly catchy songs. Forget that there's no proof, that their marriage was collaborative and that it's a nasty thing to say, "Live Through This" is clearly a woman's work [and is] far more swaggering than any album any grunge man ever came up with. When Love sings, "I went to school in Olympia / Where everyone's the same," it's obvious she thinks she's not, and that she's right." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the main reason "Live Through This" marked a drastic sonic departure from "Pretty on the Inside" (a reason cited in arguments that it had been ghostwritten) is "Love's desire to compete in the same commercial alternative rock arena as her husband... while [Cobain having ghostwritten] is unlikely, there's no denying that his patented stop-start dynamics, barre chords, and punk-pop melodies provide the blueprint for "Live Through This". Love adds her signature rage and feminist rhetoric to the formula."


title: Live Through This

text: Love made several responses to the songwriting allegations, first in 1998: "All this time I have never addressed this. But here I am finally saying for the very first time that Kurt did not [write] "Live Through This". I mean for fuck's sake, his skills were much better than mine at the timethe songs would have been much better. That's the first thing." Love later addressed the issue, stating: "I wanted to be better than Kurt. I was really competing with Kurt. And that's why it always offends me when people would say, "Oh, he wrote "Live Through This"." I'd be proud as hell to say that he wrote something on it, but I wouldn't let him. It was too Yoko [Ono] for me. It's like, "No fucking way, man! I've got a good band, I don't fucking need your help." Drummer Patty Schemel, a longtime friend of Cobain's, also denied this, commenting in 2011: "There is that myth that Kurt wrote a lot of our songs— it's not true. Eric [Erlandson] and Courtney wrote "Live Through This"." Although the band members denied Cobain's involvement in the songwriting, they have openly stated that Cobain was briefly in the studio and performed uncredited backup vocals with Kristen Pfaff on two of the tracks: "Asking for It", and "Softer, Softest". Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross conducted interviews with everyone associated with the making of the record, and found that all parties agreed that Love and Erlandson wrote the songs.


title: Live Through This

text: The album's liner notes collectively credit Hole as the sole composers of the album, aside from two tracks: "I Think That I Would Die", on which Kat Bjelland served as a co-writer, and "Credit in the Straight World", a Young Marble Giants cover written by Stuart Moxham. However, according to the BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) repertoire, the songwriting credits of the majority of the album's tracks belong solely to Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson, while "Doll Parts" is credited to Love alone.


title: Live Through This

text: "Live Through This" was lauded by music critics and rock periodicals in 1994, and was included in various annual best-of lists: It was ranked the number one album of 1994 by critics in "Rolling Stone", "Spin", the "Los Angeles Times", and the "Village Voice's" annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll. It was also named among the best five albums of the year by several Canadian publications, including the "Edmonton Journal" and the "Toronto Star".


title: Live Through This

text: In their review, "Rolling Stone" noted that "Love delivers punk not only as insinuating as Nirvana's but as corrosive as the Sex Pistols'. More significantly, "Live Through This" may be the most potent blast of female insurgency ever committed to tape." "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a B+ rating, saying, "What "Live Through This" makes perfectly clear, though, is that Love is a greater star. She has charisma and attitude to burn, and she knows it." "NME" called the album "a personal but secretive thrash-pop opera of urban nihilism and passionate dumbthinks", and "Melody Maker" called it "the high watermark of the genre that survived the crass label of 'foxcore'..."


title: Live Through This

text: In "The Village Voice", Robert Christgau noted the album's less caustic sound but praised Love's songwriting: "Punk aesthetic or no punk aesthetic, Courtney Love's songs wouldn't be compromised and might be deepened by steeper momentum and more articulate guitar noise. But they prevail anyway. Their focus is sexual exploitation, and not just by the media, evil straights, and male predators of every cultural orientation. She's also exploited by Courtney Love, and not only does she know it, she thinks about it."


title: Live Through This

text: "Musician Magazine" wrote, "[Kurt] Cobain's much-discussed, little heard other half finally gets the chance to escape gossip-column purgatory and succeeds with flying colors... Courtney Love's foul, funny eloquence...cuts through all the bullshit with a mighty flourish." This sentiment was reassessed in a 2008 BBC review of the album, which stated, "In 1994 and the years that followed, tragedy and controversy seemed to overshadow everything Courtney Love touched. Thankfully, with every year that passes, it becomes easier to put the record's emotional baggage to one side and appraise it on the strength of its songs."


title: Live Through This

text: "Since "Pretty on the Inside", Courtney has learnt the art of writing a decent pop hook," observed "Select"'s Clark Collis. "Disgorging your cathartic trauma in the studio is an admirable pastime but, if you really want to compete with Corgan, Vedder or even Cobain, then the Top 40 is still where it's at." "Spin" reviewed "Live Through This" very favorably with a 9/10 rating, noting, "Love rode her band's gargantuan riffs through a shy loner's air-guitar fantasy: rock stardom as revenge upon the entire human race."


title: Live Through This

text: AllMusic praised the "raw pain" of the lyrics and described the album as an attempt to "compete in the commercial alternative rock arena", stating that notwithstanding the lyrical rawness, ""Live Through This" rarely sounds raw because of the shiny production and the carefully considered dynamics. Despite this flaw, the album retains its power because it was one of the few records patterned on "Nevermind" that gets the formula right, with a set of gripping hooks and melodies that retain their power even if they follow the predictable grunge pattern." John Peel listed it among his top twenty favorite albums of all time in 1997.


title: Live Through This

text: In 2003, "Rolling Stone" included "Live Through This" in its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, ranking it at number 466, with the ranking climbing slightly to number 460 in the 2012 revision. For the 2020 reboot of the list, the album's ranking shot all the way up to number 106. It was also included in "Time" magazine's All-"Time" 100 Albums list, as well as the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" (2006). "NME" declared "Live Through This" the 84th greatest album of all time in its list of 500 albums, released in 2013.


title: Live Through This

text: In May 2014, "Loudwire" placed "Live Through This" at number seven on its "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1994" list. The album was also ranked at number 15 in "Guitar World" magazine's "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list. "Spin" named "Live Through This" 6 on their list "Spin: Top 90 Albums of the 90's" and 19 on their list "Spin 100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005". The album is ranked number 980 in the "All-Time Top 1000 Albums" (3rd. edition, 2000). In 2019, "Rolling Stone" ranked the album at number four on its list of the 50 greatest grunge albums.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The Alfa Romeo 4C (Type 960) is a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo. Unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the 4C was initially only available as a coupé, with a spider body style coming a few years later in 2015. The name "4C" refers to the four-cylinder engine.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is a two-seater, rear-wheel drive coupé with technology and materials derived from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, with a 1750 cc turbo petrol engine with direct injection, the "Alfa TCT" twin dry clutch transmission, and the Alfa DNA dynamic control selector.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C concept version was unveiled in the 81st Geneva Motor Show in March 2011, followed by the Mille Miglia 2011 parade, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011, 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: It was displayed for the first time outside in Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2012. Compared to the production version, it is very similar, with the biggest differences being front lights, side vents and mirrors.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept was voted the 'Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year' award by the readers of German magazine "Auto Bild", and won the Auto Bild Design Award 2011. It was awarded the "Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes" by referendum of the public in Villa d'Este.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The production car was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, followed by 2013 Essen 'Techno Classica', Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013, Moscow Raceway, 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: As part of the Alfa Romeo 4C launch, Alfa Romeo Style Centre and Compagnia Ducale designed a 4C IFD (Innovative Frame Design) Bicycle, inspired by the Alfa Romeo 4C coupé. The vehicle went on sale in December 2013 and marketed in Europe, Asia and America.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: Production of the 4C began May 2013 at Maserati's plant in Modena, with an expected production of up to 2500 units per year. It was the first mass-produced Alfa Romeo model to be sold in the US market since 1995 when the 164 sedan stopped being sold in the US.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: Production of the Alfa Romeo 4C was originally estimated to be over 1000 units per year, with an upper limit of 3500 units per year, depending on the quantity of carbon fiber chassis that can be built by the supplier Adler Plastic. Within the 3,500-unit quota, 1,000 units are earmarked for Europe.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: Delivery of the European Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition took place at Balocco (Vercelli, Italy) Test Centre. In 2018, the 4C coupe was discontinued for the North American market. The 4C Spider, however continued to be sold there for model year 2019 and model year 2020. In other markets, such as Australia and Japan, both the coupe and Spider continued. In late 2020, a new tribute-edition named the "4C Spider" "33 Stradale Tributo" was announced.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The chassis is composed of a central carbon fiber tub, with aluminium subframes front and rear. The carbon fiber tub is produced by TTA (Tecno Tessile Adler) in Airola, as a joint venture between Adler Plastic and Lavorazione Materiali Compositi. The carbon fiber components that make up the chassis are cut using CNC technology.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The entire carbon-fiber monocoque chassis ("tub") of the car weighs . Front and rear aluminium subframes combine with the tub, roof reinforcements and engine mounting to comprise the 4C chassis giving the vehicle a total chassis weight of and a total vehicle curb weight of just . The 4C has a single carbon fiber body, similar to the body of many supercars. The outer body is made of a composite material (SMC for Sheet Moulding Compound) which is 20% lighter than steel. The stability is comparable to steel and better than aluminium.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C employs double wishbone suspensions at the front and MacPherson struts at the rear. The resultant weight distribution is 38% on the front and 62% on the rear axle. Wheels and tires have different diameters and widths front and rear: 205/45 R17 front and 235/40 R18 back as standard, with optional 205/40 R18 and 235/35 R19. Both wheel options come equipped with Pirelli P Zero tires. The 4C uses vented disc brakes on all wheels; Brembo on the front and on the rear. The car can stop from in 36 meters. To save weight and increase steering feel, the 4C has no power steering. Its center of gravity height, at off the ground, is lower than that of the Lotus Elise.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C uses a new all-aluminium 1.75 L (1,742 cc) inline 4 cylinder turbocharged engine producing at 6000 rpm. The engine has been designed for minimum weight. The engine's combined fuel consumption .


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: Italian car magazine Quattroruote published the lap time of 4C around Nürburgring. It lapped the ring in 8:04.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C is equipped with a six speed Alfa TCT Dual Dry Clutch Transmission, and can be operated via gearshift paddles on the steering wheel. It also has an Alfa 'DNA' dynamic control selector which controls the behavior of engine, brakes, throttle response, suspension and gearbox. In addition to the modes already seen in Giulietta, the 4C has a new "Race" mode.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The U.S. version of the 4C was introduced in the 2014 New York International Auto Show with the first 100 4C's being shipped to the U.S. early July, with a total of 850 being shipped by the end of 2014. The U.S. model includes extra bracing and strengthening required to meet U.S. crash regulations (including aluminium inserts in the carbon fiber chassis), resulting in of weight increase. This version also has new headlamps similar to those seen before in the 4C Spider version.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: In 2018, the 4C coupe was discontinued for the North American market due to US DOT NHTSA FMVSS 226 Ejection Mitigation. The regulation called for a progressive compliance date based on volume and, due to low volume, the 4C was allowed to continue until the last compliance date of 9/1/2017, thus all 2018 4C coupes in North America have build dates of 8/2017 or earlier. The 4C Spider, however continued to be sold in North America for model year 2019 and model year 2020.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The Spider version of the 4C was previewed showing a pre-production prototype at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Sharing its engine with the Coupé version, the 4C Spider has different external parts such as the headlights, exhaust and engine hood, as well as a different roof section that features a removable roof panel. The North American spec 4C reflects a weight difference of only (2,465 lbs vs. 2,487 lbs) for the Spider variant. Top speed is quoted at and acceleration from 0 to at 4.5 seconds.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C Launch Edition was a limited and numbered edition, unveiled at the vehicle's launch at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle came in a choice of four paint colors (Rosso Alfa, Rosso Competizione tri-coat, Madreperla White tri-coat or Carrara White matte). 500 examples were reserved for Europe/ROW, 500 for North America, 88 for Australia (Rosso Alfa and Madreperla White only), 200 to Japan and 100 for the Middle East. Note that the original press release cited 500 for North America, 400 Europe, and 100 ROW; however, the plaques on actual cars suggest that more were built and are the numbers referenced above.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: Distinguishing features of the Launch Edition were carbon fiber trim (including headlight housings, spoiler and door mirror caps), rear aluminium extractor with dark finishing, Bi-LED headlights, dark painted 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloy wheels, additional air intakes on the front fascia, red brake calipers, racing exhaust system, BMC air cleaner, specific calibration for shock absorbers and rear anti-roll bar, leather/fabric sports seats with parts in Alcantara and a numbered plaque. Alfa Red colored cars got matching red stitching on the steering wheel, handbrake, mats, handles and sports seats.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C Competizione is a limited edition version of the 4C introduced in the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, finished in matte Vesuvio Grey, with carbon details on the roof, rear spoiler, mirror caps, side air vents and headlight moulding. The run reportedly consisted of 108 units. The Japanese market received 25 units, and 10 units were assigned to Australia. The US-market received no Competizione editions.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: In 2020 Alfa added 16 units for North America (15 in USA and 1 in Canada), thus the number of 4C Italias globally is believed to be 124. This limited version has Misano Blue Metallic paint; and front air intake and rear diffuser finished in Piano Black. A special Spider Italia emblem adorns the rear fenders, and the design features the Italian flag. The inside has an aluminium 4C Spider Italia plaque on the center console.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: It is a tribute to the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and limited to 33 cars for North America. Of the 33 North American cars, 22 were allocated to US dealers, 10 were allocated to Canadian dealers, and one, #33/33, was to be given to an FCA executive based on an internal application process - internal dealer documents called this the "Mike Manley" car. Australia received 15 Tributos while Japan received 50 cars. Note that in Australia and Japan the Tributo was available in both Coupe and Spider configurations.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo features exclusive Rosso Villa d’Este tri-coat paint, gray-gold wheels, and a two-tone "tobacco" (brown) leather and black micro-fiber interior. In a first for Alfa Romeo, the 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo also features a red carbon fiber tub. It also includes a unique numbered plaque, and a book detailing the 4C and 33 Stradale. Since the 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo was meant to be an expression of the best of a 4C, it included all available options, such as the Akropovic exhaust, carbon fiber halo, Club Italia flag mirrors, and race-tuned suspension as standard.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: On September 12, 2013, an Alfa Romeo 4C (with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tires) driven by Horst von Saurma completed the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in 8 minutes 4 seconds.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The Alfa Romeo 4C has been used as the official safety car of the SBK Superbike World Championship since the 2013 season, except at Laguna Seca, where another FCA product, the Dodge Challenger, is used, owing to FCA traditionally giving the Dodge brand exposure since the Alfa Romeo was not available in the United States at the time.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: A private tuning and racing firm, Picchio S.p.a., created a limited production race prepared Alfa Romeo 4C. The Alfa Romeo 4C Picchio is powered by a new 4-cylinder turbo 1750 cc engine with 600 horsepower (CV) and equipped with a Hewland sequential semi automatic gearbox operated with steering wheel controls and suspension redesigned for use with Pirelli PZero 13 inch tires. The car is fully race prepared with FIA certificate and contains the mandatory roll cage, cut-off switches, and with all interior removed except for a new bucket seat and race harness.


title: Alfa Romeo 4C

text: The prototype of this car is being used in Italian Hillclimb events, though customers can specify to have their own car built to order at a price of 296,000 euros.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Enrique Mari Bacay Gil V (; born March 30, 1992) is a Filipino actor, dancer, and commercial model. Gil has appeared in various films and television shows such as "Mula Sa Puso", "Budoy", "Princess and I", "Muling Buksan Ang Puso" and "She's the One". He is best known for his role as Alexander "Xander" Grande III in the television series "Forevermore" in 2014–15, alongside Liza Soberano. Since then, he has starred in the films "Just The Way You Are" (2015), "Everyday I Love You" (2015), "Dukot" (2016), "My Ex and Whys" (2017), "Seven Sundays" (2017), and "Alone/Together" (2019); and the television series "Dolce Amore" (2016), "Bagani" (2018), and "Make It With You" (2020).


title: Enrique Gil

text: Enrique Mari Bacay Gil V was born on March 30, 1992, in Cebu City, Philippines. He is the second son of Enrique Amadeo Gil III and Barbara Anne Bacay. His father is Filipino of Spanish descent, while his mother is Filipino with Spanish, German, and Swiss ancestry. He has an older brother named Enrique Javier (Javy) and a younger sister named Diandra Frances (Andie). His parents used to work as crew for Philippine Airlines. He is also related to Dingdong Dantes.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Gil finished grade school at the Montessori De Manila in March 2004, a private institute inside the BF Executive Village ("Venice Street") in Las Piñas, and secondary school at the Manresa School in Parañaque in March 2008. He went to San Beda College Alabang to pursue a degree in Information Technology, but put his studies on hold to focus on his acting career. In 2016, he started attending a Business Management Program at the Southville International School in BF International, Las Piñas.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Gil started acting in 2008. He was 16 years old when his mother made him join "My Talent" summer workshops headed by Trumpets Playshop founder and STAGES president Audie Gemora, to overcome his shyness. They eventually pushed him to audition for Star Magic. Before being introduced to the media as a member of the Star Magic Circle Batch 16, he appeared in a series of TV commercials, including a Lewis and Pearl's advertisement, alongside Coleen Garcia. He landed his first television role in the action-drama series "Pieta" where he played the character Harold. Before "Pieta", he had a cameo appearance in "I Love Betty La Fea" as one of the "Eco-models."


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2009, during the taping of "Pieta", his mother convinced him to audition for the sitcom "George and Cecil". As soon as head writer and director Jose Javier Reyes saw Gil, he immediately cast him to be on the show. Later he was cast in the indie film "Pitas" as a brother of the lead character played by Kristel Moreno.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2010, he co-starred in the indie war film "Diego and His Brothers". He joined "ASAP XV" as one of Star Magic's "Gigger Boys" in April, and in May, co-starred in the teleserye "Rosalka", in which he played Andrew. He was originally set to appear in "Kokey @ Ako", but his character was written off in favor of Jason Francisco. In October, he was given the role of Joco, the younger brother of Paolo Barredo (Gerald Anderson), in the film "Till My Heartaches End." He got his first hosting stint in the ABS-CBN teen variety show "Shoutout!". This was revamped and renamed to "Shoutout!: Level Up", but the show was eventually cancelled due to poor ratings.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2011, Gil finally nabbed his first lead role as Michael Miranda — originally played by Diether Ocampo — in the 2011 remake of "Mula Sa Puso". He next played Jim in the 10th episode of "Your Song Presents: Kim". The same year, he played Troy Cabrera in "Good Vibes". Gil admitted, during the "Good Vibes" press conference, that he was set to appear in the ABS-CBN's remake of "María la del Barrio" but had to turn down the role due to conflicting schedules. He replaced Albie Casiño in the Star Cinema film "Way Back Home" — the film debut of Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes. It was succeeded by his stint as Benjamin “BJ” Maniego in "Budoy". He was featured in Zia Quizon's music video debut entitled "Ako Na Lang".


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2012, he starred as Dasho Jao Rinpoche in "Princess and I", which became one of the most popular shows on ABS-CBN. He was also cast in the film "The Reunion", a Filipino teen romantic comedy film directed by Frasco Mortiz. He was included in "Amorosa", his first horror film. Later in the year, he appeared in "The Strangers", one of the official entries for the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival. This was his first MMFF film.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In February 2013, he was featured in Myrtle Sarrosa's "Mr. Kupido" music video. He also portrayed Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on "Maalaala Mo Kaya". Following this, he appeared in a number of new projects such as "Muling Buksan Ang Puso" series, alongside Julia Montes and Enchong Dee.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In October 2013, he starred in the film "She's The One" with Bea Alonzo and Dingdong Dantes, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination in the FAMAS Awards. Many considered this his breakthrough film as an actor. The film earned 12 million pesos on its first day and grossed 135 million pesos on its fifth week.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Gil further gained attention for his dancing skills through his signature moves to the song "Teach Me How to Dougie" and “Gentleman.” He released a debut dance album under Star Records entitled "King of the Gil" which reached Gold status. Later in the year, Gil held his first headlining sold-out dance concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with special guests Angel Locsin, Vice Ganda, Kim Chiu, Kathryn Bernardo, Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario, Arron Villaflor, Rayver Cruz, Martin del Rosario, Arjo Atayde, Ejay Falcon, gloc-9, Young JV, G-force, The Streetboys, and Julia Montes. Before proving his dancing prowess in the "King of the Gil" concert, Gil made his debut on radio drama "Dear M.O.R. Special" on My Only Radio (MOR) 101.9 For Life! and MOR TV. He portrayed Carlo, a hopeless romantic guy who gives everything to his liberated and dominant girlfriend Lois, played by FM radio's first-ever roving DJ and "Darling ng Masa" Eva Ronda.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2014, he replaced Kiko Estrada in the fantasy series "Mirabella" — the debut project of Julia Barretto. On February 26, the wattpad author HaveYouSeenThisGirL admitted via Twitter that Gil was really supposed to be in the film adaptation of "Diary ng Panget" but refused to say why it didn't push through. On March 1, Gil launched his single "Do The Moves" with Sarah Geronimo and apl.de.ap. Its youth-oriented music video was released on March 8. On March 16, Gil confirmed that he would be part of the film "The Trial" as Martin, the best friend of Ronald (John Lloyd Cruz). On May 18, Gil was named the "Most Promising Male Star of the Year" at the 45th Box Office Entertainment Awards. On June 25, Star Cinema announced that Gil alongside Liza Soberano would lead the film adaptation of Kimberly Joy Villanueva's novel "The Bet". On August 21, Gil took part in ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra's debut album "Decades of OPM" together with Abra, doing their version of "Totoy Bibo."


title: Enrique Gil

text: In October 2014, he played the lead role as the rebellious hotel company heir Alexander "Xander" Grande III, who falls in love with Maria Agnes Calay, played by Soberano in the hit romantic comedy television series "Forevermore", which marked a significant turning point in Gil's career. The series finale scored a 39.3 percent rating, the highest recorded national TV rating on Philippine television in 2015.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In June 2015, following the success of "Forevermore" and his tandem with actress Soberano, they starred in a movie based on the Wattpad book "The Bet". The film adaptation, initially titled as the same name as its source material was renamed "Just The Way You Are". Later that year, Gil starred in his follow-up movie with Soberano in the romantic film "Everyday I Love You" with Gerald Anderson, directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar. Gil plays Ethan, who falls in love with Bacolod lass Audrey (Soberano), who is in a relationship with Tristan (Anderson). Both 2015 films were box office successes. On December 1, 2015, Gil received a star at the Philippine Walk of Fame at Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In February 2016, Gil and Soberano returned to prime time with the romantic drama "Dolce Amore", in which he played the role of Simon Vicente "TenTen" Ibarra, a poor and hardworking Manila boy who will do anything for his family. In July 2016, Gil was the lead actor in the action film "Dukot", which was based on a real kidnapping incident in the country. It was helmed by director Paul Soriano and was co-produced by Star Cinema. He won "Best Actor" in Gawad PASADO Awards for his acting performance.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2017, Gil starred in the romantic comedy drama film "My Ex and Whys" opposite Liza Soberano, directed by Cathy Garcia Molina, who had previously worked with them in the romantic comedy television series "Forevermore". The film was released in February 2017, grossing ₱31.5 million on its first day and won him the GMMSF Box-Office Entertainment Award for Box Office King. The same year, he took the role Dex in the family comedy-drama film "Seven Sundays" alongside Aga Muhlach, Ronaldo Valdez, Cristine Reyes, and Dingdong Dantes. Both films made the Top 10 List of highest-grossing Filipino films in 2017.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2018, he was cast in the role of Lakas, a warrior in the television drama and fantasy series "Bagani". The show debuted at number 1 in its time slot, and consistently ranked ahead of its competition during its five-month run.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2019, Gil and Soberano starred in the romantic drama film, "Alone/Together", written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone. In the film, Gil played Rafael "Raf" Toledo, a University of Santo Tomas - Biology student and an avid fan of The Eraserheads turned doctor five years later. The film made the Top 10 List of highest-grossing Filipino films in 2019.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2020, Gil appeared with Soberano in "Make It With You" as Gabriel "Gabo" Villarica, a lost soul who finds himself in the small Eastern European country of Croatia. He took a break from acting during the COVID-19 pandemic, but decided to make a return to acting in 2022.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In 2013, Gil joined the PETA campaign "Free Mali" to transfer her from the Manila Zoo to Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand. Mali is the only captive elephant in the Philippines and has been in captivity for the majority of her life, alone, in a tiny enclosure, and in need of proper care. In the same year, Gil donated part of the proceeds of his "King of the Gil" concert to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Super Typhoon Yolanda. In 2015, Gil alongside the cast of Forevermore participated in "Hoops for Hope: A Charity Basketball Game", a project organized by the Bakhita Canossa Foundation to sustain the construction of houses for the Yolanda victims at Brgy. But, Salcedo, Eastern Samar. In July 2021, Gil and Soberano held a virtual fan meet to raise funds for Save the Children, a non-profit organization that advocates for children’s rights and provides support for children in need.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Gil released his own fragrance line in collaboration with the fragrance brand in the Philippines, "HKT Fragrances". His debut perfume collection have four scents. The men's line includes "BMF" and "Blaze", while the women's variants are called "Meow" and "Malibu". In an official online launch event held on July 19, 2020 via HKT Productions YouTube Channel, Gil revealed details about how he personally produced and conceptualized the product alongside his sister Diandra Gil. The inspiration came from his father who loves wearing and buying perfumes. Gil said, "I also remember "yun lagi yung pasalubong niya" for my mom so it's something I grew up with and more than that, I like treating myself. Those little things, treating your senses. People sometimes forget that you got to smell good, and "ang daming pabango na ang mamahal". I wanna bring back that in people "na" you have to smell good and feel good about yourself." Portion of the brand's sales will go to "Shop & Share", a non-profit organization which aims to help underprivileged Filipinos get tested for COVID-19.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In February 2021, Gil launched "HKT Essentials" with Soberano. The alcohol brand was described as having a "baby powder scent and being gentle on the hands even if it is 70 percent ethyl alcohol." Portion of the brand’s sales will go to "Save the Children", as well as a relief program for barangay-level health workers.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In January 2022, Gil shared on his Instagram story that he sold one of his house projects in BF Homes Parañaque. This was through his real estate developing business called "Gil Side Homes". In an interview with "PEP.ph" back in December 2019, Gil revealed that he has been into buying and selling of houses with his mother Barbara Anne Bacay.


title: Enrique Gil

text: In February 2019, he and his frequent on-screen partner Liza Soberano publicly confirmed they had been a couple since October 24, 2014. Fans of the couple unofficially named a star after them in 2016.


title: Enrique Gil

text: Theme song for "She's The One" Together with Sarah Geronimo and Apl.de.ap. The single is for an endorsement. Together with Liza Soberano. The single is for ABS-CBN's 2015 summer station ID. with Liza Soberano, Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Bamboo Mañalac, and Elha Nympha


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: Stephanie St. Clair (December 24, 1897 in Guadalupe West Indies(French Caribbean) – December 1969) was a prominent black woman of African descent and racketeer who ran numerous enterprises in Harlem, New York, in the early 20th century. St. Clair resisted the Mafia's interests for several years after Prohibition ended; she became a local legend for her public denunciations of corrupt police and for resisting Mafia control. She ran a successful numbers game in Harlem and was an activist for the black community. Her nicknames included: "Queenie," "Madame Queen," "Madame St. Clair" and "Queen of the Policy Rackets".


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: Stephanie St. Clair was born of African descent in the West Indies to a single mother, Félicienne, who worked hard to send her daughter to school. According to St. Clair's 1924 Declaration of Intention, she gave Moule Grandterre, French West Indies (present-day Guadeloupe, West Indies) as her place of birth, not Martinique as has usually been cited.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: When St. Clair turned 15, her mother became very ill and she had to leave school. She managed to save some money and, after the death of her mother, finally left Guadeloupe for Montreal, likely coming as part of the 1910-1911 Caribbean Domestic Scheme, which brought domestic workers to Quebec.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: She immigrated to the United States from Montreal, arriving in New York in 1912. She used the long voyage and subsequent quarantine to learn English. In Harlem she fell in love with a small-time crook, Duke, who soon tried to prostitute her but was shot in a fight between gangs. After four months, she decided to start her own business, selling controlled drugs with the help of her new boyfriend, Ed. Much of this speculation about St. Clair's early life is derived from a biographical novel, "Madame St-Clair, Reine de Harlem", by Martinican author Raphaël Confiant (available in English translation as "Madam St. Clair, Queen of Harlem").


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: After a few months, she had made $30,000 and told Ed she wanted to leave him and start her own business. Ed tried to strangle her and she pushed him away with such force that he cracked his skull against a table and died. For months afterwards, she employed her own men, bribed policemen, and on April 12, 1917, invested $10,000 of her own money in a clandestine lottery game in Harlem. As a result of her success running one of the leading numbers games in the city, she became known throughout Manhattan as "Queenie", but Harlem residents referred to her as "Madame St. Clair".


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: St. Clair was involved in policy banking, which was a mixture of investing, gambling, and playing the lottery. Many banks at this time would not accept black customers, so they were not able to invest legally. Policy banking wasn't technically legal, but it was one of the few options offered to black Harlem residents who wished to invest their money. It was also a predominantly Black industry which allowed many bankers to have a sense of urgency that would not be possible in white-dominated fields. In this way, St. Clair used the underground economy in Harlem to address race politics.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: At this time, the numbers game in Harlem was male-dominated and St. Clair was one of the only women involved. She helped the black community in Harlem by providing many with jobs such as numbers runners. She also helped her community by donating money to programs that promoted racial progress. Because of her success in the numbers game, she lived a lavish life making over $20,000 a year in the 1920s.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: St. Clair was known to put out ads in the local newspapers educating the Harlem community about their legal rights, advocating for voting rights, and calling out police brutality against the black community. Several times she complained to local authorities about harassment by the police. When they paid no heed, she ran advertisements in Harlem newspapers, accusing senior police officers of corruption.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: The police responded by arresting her on a trumped-up charge and she spent eight months in a workhouse. In response, she testified to the Seabury Commission about the kickbacks she had paid police officers and those who had participated in the Harlem numbers game. The Commission subsequently fired more than a dozen police officers.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: After the end of Prohibition, Jewish and Italian-American crime families saw a decrease in profits and decided to move in on the Harlem gambling scene. Bronx-based mob boss Dutch Schultz, was the first to move in, beating and killing numbers operators who would not pay him protection.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: St. Clair and her chief enforcer Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson refused to pay protection to Schultz, despite the violence and intimidation by police they faced. St. Clair responded by attacking the storefronts of businesses that ran Dutch Schultz's betting operations and tipping off the police about him. This resulted in the police raiding his house, arresting more than a dozen of his employees and seizing approximately $12 million (about $190.6 million in 2021 currency). St. Clair never submitted to Dutch Schultz, unlike many others in Harlem.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: After St. Clair's struggles with Schultz, she had to become legitimate and stay away from the police, so she passed on her criminal business to "Bumpy" Johnson. Eventually her former enforcer negotiated with Lucky Luciano, and Lucky took over Schultz's spots, with a percentage going to "Bumpy". The Italians then had to go to "Bumpy" first if they had any problems in Harlem.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: Luciano realized that the struggle with the Five Families was hurting their business, so Schultz was assassinated in 1935 on the orders of The Commission. Although St. Clair was not involved with his murder, she was remembered for sending an infamous telegram to his bed that stated “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” The telegram reportedly made headlines across the nation. By the 1940s, "Bumpy" Johnson had become the reigning king in Harlem, while St. Clair became less and less involved in the numbers game.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: After St. Clair retired from the numbers game, she started a new era of her life as an advocate for political reform. In the late 1930s, she met her husband, Sufi Abdul Hamid, known as the "Black Hitler" for his anti-Semitic, Nazi-fashion of activism. Hamid was a militant activist and was the leader of an Islamic Buddhist cult. St. Clair and Hamid's marriage went downhill quickly when he allegedly had an affair with a black fortune teller known as "Fu Futtam" (Hamid went on to marry Futtam, whose real name was Dorothy Matthews, in April 1938, and they founded a Buddhist temple together).


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: The marriage officially ended in January 1938 when St. Clair shot Hamid during a fight over his relationship with Futtam and was sentenced to two to ten years at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York. After she was released from prison in the early 1940s, St. Clair lived a secluded life and was reported as having successfully transitioned from underworld figure to a legitimate “prosperous business woman.” She continued to write columns in the local newspaper about discrimination, police brutality, illegal search raids, and other issues facing the Black community.


title: Stephanie St. Clair

text: St. Clair died quietly and still wealthy in 1969, shortly before her 73rd birthday. "Bumpy" Johnson, who had come back to live with her and to write poetry, had died one year earlier. However, her purported death was not mentioned in any newspaper of the era.


title: Barbell

text: A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end.


title: Barbell

text: Barbells range in length from to above , although bars longer than are used primarily by powerlifters and are not commonplace. The central portion of the bar varies in diameter from 25 millimetres (0.98 in) to 50 millimetres (1.96 in) (e.g., Apollon's Axle), and is often engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters maintain a solid grip. Weight plates slide onto the outer portions of the bar to increase or decrease the desired total weight. Collars are used to prevent plates from moving outward unevenly so that the lifter does not experience uneven force.


title: Barbell

text: The barbell is the longer version of the dumbbell that is used for free weight training and competitive sports, such as powerlifting, Olympic weight lifting, and CrossFit. Many exercises can be done using the barbell, such as bicep curl, bench press, Olympic weightlifting, overhead press, deadlift, and squat. Olympic barbells are usually an estimated weight of . Many fitness categories use the barbell for different reasons, for example, powerlifters use the barbell to perform compound exercise movements.


title: Barbell

text: A men's Olympic bar is a metal bar that is long and weighs . The outer ends are in diameter, while the grip section is in diameter, and in length. The bars have grip marks spaced apart to allow intuitive grip width measurement. It is the standard used in competitive weightlifting where men and women compete at the highest level - the Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games, World Championships, and the Olympics. Bars of this kind must have suitable "whip" (ability to store elastic energy) and sleeves which rotate smoothly, as well as the capacity to withstand dropped lifts from overhead.


title: Barbell

text: A women's Olympic bar is similar to the men's bar, but is shorter - - and lighter - - with a smaller grip section diameter (). Also in contrast to the men's bar, the women's bar does not sport a center knurl.


title: Barbell

text: Weight plates used in Olympic lifting, which are often termed "bumper" plates, need to be able to be safely dropped from above head height and as such are coated in solid rubber. General strength training or powerlifting plates are made from cast iron and are considerably cheaper.


title: Barbell

text: Presently, Olympic plates of or more are in diameter. versions also exist of the lighter and plates to accommodate the proper starting position for beginner athletes. These can be aluminium or plastic and may have rubber edges.


title: Barbell

text: As a general rule, powerlifting requires use of stiffer bars to better accommodate the heavier weights being used in the sport. The deadlift barbell is usually the longest, thinnest and the most flexible, thus allowing more weight to be lifted. Powerlifting barbells use simpler, more robust bushings because they do not need to rotate as fast as Olympic weightlifting barbells. Sometimes the sleeves of powerlifting bars are also extended. Additionally, powerlifting bars have their grip marks spaced closer, at . This closer spacing is used to check legal grip width in the bench press. Powerlifting utilizes the same bar for both male and female competitors.


title: Barbell

text: The International Powerlifting Federation requires using strictly the same kind of bar on all lifts, being between and in diameter, not more than in overall length, and between and between the inner faces of the collars. Another visual difference from typical Olympic bar or International Paralympic Committee approved one is that the IPF bar's knurling shall not be covered by chrome. Stating that bar should weigh with collars on, effectively permits use of bars only, because


title: Barbell

text: The total weight of the barbell varies based on the type and number of plates loaded onto the ends of the bar and the lift being performed, and easily can be or more with squat dedicated bar (which itself can weigh up to and have up to grip section diameter).


title: Barbell

text: Additionally, differently coloured plates are or were used outside of IWF sanctioned competition, most prominently in powerlifting.


title: Barbell

text: Powerlifting plates in contrast to Olympic lifting ones are usually thinner (to accommodate more plates on bar) and as they are not meant to be dropped, do not need to utilize additional coating.


title: Barbell

text: Black polyurethane coated plates were introduced by Eleiko in International Paralympic Committee sanctioned London 2012 Paralympic Games. Apart from them and record discs, IPC approved set uses the same plates as the IWF one.


title: Barbell

text: Technically, and smaller plates can be of any colour in IPF approved sets, although only colours listed above were used for them by few certified manufacturers.


title: Barbell

text: Most "Olympic" bars one can see in commercial gyms, although superficially similar to real Olympic bars to the untrained eye, do not share International Weightlifting Federation or powerlifting essential characteristics. They are just generic strength training bars, with wide variations in markings, grip section diameter, and exact weight.


title: Barbell

text: Weight plates used outside of competition need not conform to IWF or powerlifting specifications, and can be of any colour. Kraiburg bumper plates are rated in pounds, and one notch lighter than expected, regarding their traditional place in colour code: red plates are , blue ones , etc.


title: Barbell

text: Standard collars can be of any material, usually metal, and they can weigh up to each for both men and women.


title: Barbell

text: Typical Olympic bar with a pair of collars, the plates not counted, can weigh as much as for men and for women depending on the collars.


title: Barbell

text: This barbell was produced by the company Berg in 1910, but designed by Veltum. This was a major turning point in Olympic lifting as the barbell was able to revolve easily during the lift. After the Olympic games in 1928 Amsterdam, the barbells began to become popularized and many companies started to copy the barbell. The Berg barbell and copies of it were spread through many gyms around the world mainly from the 1960s to the 1970s because of the rise of the new barbell.


title: Barbell

text: "Standard" or more commonly "One Inch" or "1 inch" barbells are characterised by a bar that is very approximately one inch (25.4mm) in diameter along the whole of its length, with a commensurate sized centre hole in the weight plate.


title: Barbell

text: Despite the "Standard" name they come in a wide range of sizes that can have little in common with one another, and usually range from 25mm (0.98in) to 29mm (1.14 in) in diameter in varying lengths and other dimensions. In contrast with the rotating sleeves and uniform sizes of Olympic bars, which mount plates with a fixed size centre hole; the ends of standard bars do not rotate, and commonly mount plates with centre hole diameters of 27 millimetre (1.06 in) thru to 31 millimetre (1.14 in). This variation may prove very problematic if plates are mixed and matched. As plates with smaller holes may not fit the larger diameter "standard" bars. Gauging this by eye is very difficult, so taking the bar (or a micrometer gauge) to check that new plates will fit an existing bar is essential. Alternatively a larger hole plate may rattle or spin on the smaller diameter "standard" bars unless very securely collared. Small circular spring clamp collars are most often used to secure the weights though more permanent fixings are available. Other variations include spinlock end bars with screw on nut collars and many others.


title: Barbell

text: The thickness of the grip section is most commonly in the United States or in Europe, but can be thicker or thinner, depending on quality. Neither bar weight nor length is standardized like men's or women's Olympic bars, and can range from to . They are rarely rated for more than of loading. The bar itself can weigh anything from 4kg to 10kg


title: Barbell

text: The main advantages of "Standard" or "One Inch" barbells and weight plates are that they are often easier to store and take up less room; the bars may come apart into two or three sections, weigh less, may also be convertible to dumbbells, and are usually much less expensive than Olympic weights for those on a budget. Weight plates come in cast iron, or coated cast iron, tri grip, or far thicker and cheaper vinyl filled with concrete.


title: Barbell

text: Dumbbells are the equivalent of one-handed barbells, with a gripping surface approximately and a total length that rarely exceeds . Adjustable dumbbells are the most prominent use of "standard" weight plates (those having a to center hole). Some dumbbell sets come with an attaching bar to convert the pair to a single barbell.


title: Barbell

text: Originally known as a Dymeck curling bar after its inventor Lewis G. Dymeck, the EZ ("easy") curl bar is a variant of the barbell that is often used for biceps curls, upright rows, and lying triceps extensions. The curved profile of the bar in the grip region allows the user's wrists and forearms to take a more neutral, less supinated position. This reduces the risk of repetitive stress injury in these exercises. However, when performing the biceps curl, using an EZ curl bar prevents full contraction of the biceps-which can only occur with the wrist fully supinated-and thus may prove a less effective exercise.


title: Barbell

text: Primarily found in gyms, these are usually fairly short bars with weights already attached and welded to the bar, and in some cases, a covering of plastic/rubber around the plates. A typical gym might carry a range of fixed barbells from 5 kilos (11 lb) to around 50 kilos (110 lb). They are handy as they take less space than full-length bars and are useful for many exercises where less weight is required. They can also provide an easier starting point for beginners before moving on to using the full olympic bars. In addition, they provide for speedy transitions between various weights if one is doing multiple weights in quick succession.


title: Barbell

text: These specialty items are designed to challenge the grip. They're used in strongman competitions for the deadlift and overhead presses, such as Apollon's Axle. Recently, even such exotic as diameter bars appeared, however their practicality could be disputable. They are made in China, and can weigh up to .


title: Barbell

text: Similar in function to an EZ curl bar, the triceps bar consists of two parallel handles mounted in a cage. It is used to perform triceps extensions and hammer curls.


title: Barbell

text: A hexagon-shaped bar in the middle of which the user stands and grasps the bar, via side handles, with a neutral grip. The use of trap bars places the center of gravity closer to the lifter. Trap bars are used primarily for performing deadlifts and shrugs.


title: Barbell

text: A bar with a camber in the middle, two handles and padding. The safety squat bar may help to avoid causing or aggravating injury while squatting.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: The historic Buddha () or Gautama Buddha, is considered the ninth avatar among the ten major avatars of the god Vishnu, in Vaishnava tradition.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: The Buddha has been a formative force in the origins of Hinduism. Regional Hindu texts over the centuries have presented a spectrum of views on Buddhism, possibly reflecting the competition between Buddhism and the Brahmanical traditions. In contemporary Hinduism, the Buddha is revered by Hindus who usually consider "Buddhism to be another form of Hinduism". Similarly, other Hindus reject the identification of Gautama Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu, referring to the texts of the Puranas and identifying the two as different individuals.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: The Buddha was integrated into Vaishnavism through its mythology in the Vaishnava Puranas, where the Buddha is adopted as the ninth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Agni Purana, Vishnu assumed this incarnation on earth due to the daityas defeating the devas in their battles. In order to restore the natural order, he deluded the asuras with his teachings. This caused them to abandon the path established by the Vedas and convert to Buddhism, causing them to be devoid of dharma. This caused them to become "dasyus" at the end of the Kali Yuga, causing them to be cast off to hell, devoid of good conduct. Furthermore, it causes the age to be characterised by the intermixture of the varnas and domination by the Mlecchas, barbarian and foreign forces. Subsequently, according to tradition, it became the responsibility of Adi Shankaracharya and future Vaishnava acharyas to re-establish theism.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: The adoption of the Buddha in texts relating to Hindu gods, and of Hindu gods in Buddhist texts, is difficult to place chronologically. According to Doniger, the myth of the Buddha avatar first appeared in the pre-Gupta period, when orthodox Brahminism was threatened by the rise of Buddhism and Jainism, and by foreign invaders. According to Doniger, "Hindus came to regard the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu between A.D. 450 and the sixth century," first appearing in the Vishnu Purana (400-500 CE). According to John Holt, "The replacement of the Buddha as the "cosmic person" within the mythic ideology of Indian kingship [...] occurred at about the same time the Buddha was incorporated and subordinated within the Brahmanical cult of Visnu."


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Another important scripture that mentions him as an avatar is Parashara's "Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra" (2:1-5/7).


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu is part of a cosmic cycle, in which the "dharma" is destroyed in the Kali Yuga, and then restored again in the Satya Yuga, when Vishnu incarnates as Kalki. The "Bhavishya Purana" incorporates historical facts about dynastical lineages, stating the following:


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Some pre-13th-century Hindu texts, such as the Bhagavata Purana, portray the Buddha as born to lead the asuras, who oppressed the people, away from the Vedic rituals, which they were not worthy to perform. "Bhagavata Purana" 1.3.24:


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: In the Skanda Purana, the Buddha is stated to be one of the incarnations of Vasudeva, and begin enchanting the universe, causing righteousness to dissipate and immorality to prevail:


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: His father is usually called Śuddhodhana, which is consistent with the Buddhist tradition, while in a few places the Buddha's father is named Añjana or Jina. This is due to the fact that in some texts both Buddhism and Jainism are used by Vishnu to mislead the demons, and a confusion of names and doctrines appears, when the Buddha is called the son of Jina, mistakingly mimicking Buddhist texts which refer to the Buddha as Jina (conqueror), a term more often used in Jainism.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Other texts portray him in a more positive way, as born to stop all killing of animals. Only a few statements mention the worship of Buddha, e.g. the "Varahapurana" states that one desirous of beauty should worship him, Some pre-14th-century Hindu temples include Buddha reliefs with the same reverence they show for other avatars of Vishnu, but though an avatar of Vishnu, the Buddha is rarely worshipped like Krishna and Rama in Hinduism.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: The adoption of Buddha may also have been a way to assimilate positive aspects of Buddhism into the fold of Hinduism. According to Wendy Doniger, "Helmuth von Glasenapp attributed these developments to a Hindu desire to absorb Buddhism in a peaceful manner, both to win Buddhists to Vaishnavism and also to account for the fact that such a significant heresy could exist in India."


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: According to Donald Swearer, the understanding of Buddha in Hinduism is a part of his wider and diverse influences. Even within Buddhism, states Swearer, Buddha and his ideas are conceptualized differently between Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, Japanese and other traditions. Similarly, in various traditions of Hinduism (and elsewhere), Buddha is accepted and interpreted in different ways.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Much like Hinduism's adoption of the Buddha as an avatar, Buddhism legends too adopted Krishna in their Jataka tales, claiming Krishna (Vishnu avatar) to be a character whom Buddha met and taught in his previous births. According to Alf Hiltebeitel and other scholars, some of the stories in Buddha-related Jataka tales found in Pali texts seem slanderous distortions of Hindu legends, but these may reflect the ancient local traditions and the complexities of early interaction between the two Indian religions.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: While the Buddhist Jataka texts co-opt Krishna-Vasudeva and make him a student of the Buddha in his previous life, the Hindu texts co-opt the Buddha and make him an avatar of Vishnu.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Buddhists traditionally do not accept the Buddha to be a Vishnu avatar. B. R. Ambedkar, the Dalit leader who in 1935 declared his intention to convert from Hinduism to Buddhism and converted about 20 years later, rejected the belief that Buddha was an incarnation of Vishnu.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Some contemporary Hindus also reject the identification of Gautama Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu, referring to the texts of the Puranas. Gurus of the Gaudiya Vaishnava theology argue that in Bhagavata Purana (1.3.24), "son of Ajana," refers to the Vishnu avatar born to Ajana (c.1800 BCE, according to Stephen Knapp) while Gautama was born to Maya and Śuddodhana. They further argue that epithets for the Buddha like Sugata Buddha and Adi Buddha refer to the Vishnu avatar, not to Gautama Buddha, based on Amarakosha and other Buddhist texts.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: In 1999, Śaṅkarācārya of Kanchi, Śrī Jayendra Sarasvatī had released a joint statement with Vipassanācharya S. N. Goenka and declared that:in order to foster friendlier ties between the two communities [the Vedic and Śramaṇa traditions] we decide that whatever has happened in the past (cannot be undone, but) should be forgotten and such beliefs [on the Buddha being an avatāra of Vishnu] should not be propagated. Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Swami Shri Nischalanada Saraswati, too has stated that the Buddha avatar of Vishnu and Gautama Buddha were different persons.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Buddha is considered a holy being and revered as one who was awakened in India. Outside India, some contemporary Hindus revere the Buddha along with other gods during their festivals.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Prominent modern proponents of Hinduism, such as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Swami Vivekananda, consider the Buddha as an example of the same universal truth that underlies religions. A number of revolutionary figures in modern Hinduism, including Mahatma Gandhi, have been inspired by the life and teachings of the Buddha and many of his attempted reforms. Steven Collins sees such Hindu claims regarding Buddhism as part of an effort - itself a reaction to Christian proselytizing efforts in India - to show that "all religions are one", and that Hinduism is uniquely valuable because it alone recognizes this fact.


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: Some Hindus usually consider "Buddhism to be another form of Hinduism." Various scholars in India, Sri Lanka and outside South Asia state that the colonial era and contemporary attempts to assimilate Buddha into the Hindu fold are a nationalistic political agenda, where "the Buddha has been reclaimed triumphantly as a symbol of indigenous nationalist understandings of India's history and culture".


title: Gautama Buddha in Hinduism

text: According to Lars Tore Flåten, Hindu perceptions, particularly in the literature by Hindu nationalists, are that "Buddha did not break away from the spiritual ideas of his age and country," claiming that scholars such as Hermann Oldenberg (1854-1920), Thomas Rhys Davids (1843-1922) and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) state there is much in common between "Buddhism and the contemporary Hinduism." Yet, in present-day scholarly consensus, Buddhism is considered to be very different from pre-Buddhist Indian religion.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. A sequel to Lee's "The Best Man" (1999), it stars Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun and Melissa De Sousa, all reprising their roles from the previous film. Along with Lee, the film was produced by Sean Daniel.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Highly anticipated, the project was announced in October 2011 and principal photography began in April 2013 in Toronto, Ontario. "The Best Man Holiday" was released on November 15, 2013 by Universal Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, Lee's direction and the dramatic elements, with some criticism aimed at the screenplay. It was a commercial success, grossing $71 million worldwide on a production budget of $17 million.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: The film received multiple accolades and nominations, including being nominated four times at the 45th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Chestnut and Howard) and Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Lee).


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Mia Sullivan, Lance's wife, has invited the old gang for Christmas: Harper Stewart and his pregnant wife Robyn, Julian "Murch" Murchison and wife Candace Sparks, her best friend Jordan Armstrong and boyfriend Brian McDonald, Quentin "Q" Spivey, and Shelby Taylor.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Shelby is on the hit "The Real Housewives" TV show franchise, and now a prominent reality television star. Q is a successful brand manager, heavily connected to prominent celebrities.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Years after his debut novel, Harper has writer's block and financial difficulties as he was let go from NYU, as well as Robyn has difficulty in conceiving. His agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend Lance, poised to retire from football. Though on speaking terms, Lance keeps him at a distance. Harper reluctantly agrees to do it, but in secret.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: The Murch family now includes two girls and Julian runs a renowned school with former stripper Candace as his head of admissions. His main donor abruptly pulls his funding from the school when he learns of Candace's past. Then Julian finds a YouTube video of her stripping and accepting money for sex at a fraternity party, which he shows Q.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: All arrive, the first time together in 14 years. At dinnertime, as the friends catch up, old tensions resurface.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: As Brian leaves for his family's annual Christmas gathering in Vermont, Jordan tells him that, while she loves him, she does not need him. He retorts that 'Everybody needs somebody'.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: One evening the gang has a good time, with the men dancing and lip-syncing to "Can You Stand the Rain" which Mia sees has worked to patch up old wounds between Lance and Harper. Another night Harper finds Mia downstairs vomiting blood, so she admits her terminal cancer diagnosis and asks him to help Lance accept it.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: At breakfast the next morning, Q and Shelby accidentally switch phones and she finds Candace's video. She tries to coerce Julian into resuming their relationship but he refuses. Soon afterwards, Candace confronts Shelby, leading to a physical altercation after which Candace leaves with the kids. Later, she returns and reconciles with Julian.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: The ladies are preparing for a spa day when Mia collapses. This forces Harper to tell everyone about Mia's condition and everyone is supportive.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: While Harper is wrapping the children's Christmas gifts, Lance approaches him and they reminisce about their college days, seemingly reconciling. The next day, as the gang volunteers at a shelter, Lance finds Harper's iPad and journal in Mia's purse, and a mock book cover for his unauthorized biography on the tablet.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Lance angrily confronts Harper, telling him to stay away from him and his family, 'forever'. Mia unsuccessfully tries to calm him down. He takes her home, leaving Q and Harper behind where Harper finally breaks down and admits the truth of his financial situation. After giving humble words of comfort to Harper, Q vows to take care of his debts as a friendly favor.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Lance is still heated over the biography when Mia challenges him to face reality. The longtime feud between the two men is due to a her fling with Harper (see The Best Man), which she knew would hurt Lance. Mia then takes off her wig, forcing him to also acknowledge the severity of her condition.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Christmas Day is Lance's big game. Brian returns and apologizes to Jordan. After Lance's troublesome first half, Mia calls him. This inspires him to break the all-time rushing record. The men then hurry home to Mia who, shortly after, succumbs to the cancer.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: At the memorial service, Harper delivers a heartfelt eulogy. Lance later thanks his friend and in the conversation affirms, 'But God is always there when we need him.' Harper is encouraged: 'That is why you will always be the better man.'


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: All reconcile and Q and Shelby face their incompatibility. She gives Julian $2 million to cover the lost funding with no strings attached. Later, Jordan's boyfriend Brian promises to help through his contacts.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Robyn's water breaks so Lance, Harper, and Candace try to rush her to the hospital but get stuck in traffic; so Lance delivers Harper's baby in the backseat of the SUV. The healthy baby girl is named Mia.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: Ten months later, Harper and Lance are closer than ever and Harper has written Lance's biography, "God, Family and Football". When Lance visits Harper and Robyn in NYC, Q calls to announce his anticipated marriage but jokes that Harper had better not have slept with his bride.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: In October 2011, it was announced that a sequel to the 1999 film "The Best Man" was in development. On February 22, 2013, it was announced that the film would be titled "The Best Man Holiday".


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: In March 2013, Terrence Howard revealed details about the film, saying: "I think it's going to be amazing film and I get teary-eyed thinking about it because there's some tragedy in it. That's all I'll say...[Director and screenwriter] Malcolm Lee showed us what intelligent young black people were capable of in "The Best Man I", but "The Best Man II", it shows where people go, whether they're doing the right thing or the wrong thing, and how much we need each other within our community."


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: "The Best Man Holiday" debuted with a $10.7 million Friday total, notably beating "" for the top box office spot of that day. "The Best Man Holiday" did even better the next day earning $12.4 million on Saturday. It then went on to be the number two film of the weekend, taking in close to $30.6 million.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: , the film holds approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, ""The Best Man Holiday" manages honest laughs out of broad humor, and affects convincing drama from a deeply conventional plot." Metacritic gives the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: "The Washington Post"s Ann Hornaday gave it 2.5 stars, saying the "[s]equel is both a romp and a tearjerker... Like a long-lost soap opera emerging from a Rip Van Winkle–length hiatus, 'The Best Man Holiday' has lost none of its often baggy, saggy melodrama; luckily, when things get too soppy, Howard can be depended on for crude one-liners that land with all the more finesse thanks to his smoky, slightly stoned delivery. ...And 'The Best Man Holiday' has clearly caught up with the times, with one plot point revolving around social media run amok, off-handedly invoking everyone from Barack Obama (natch) to Melissa Harris-Perry, Olivia Pope and Robin Thicke".


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: The film's soundtrack includes songs by R. Kelly, Jordin Sparks, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Ne-Yo, Marsha Ambrosius, John Legend, Emeli Sandé, and more.


title: The Best Man Holiday

text: In February 2021, Peacock gave a limited series order to a follow-up consisting of ten episodes. "" is created by Lee and Dayna Lynne North, who also serve as executive producers. Chestnut, Diggs, Hall, Howard, Lathan, Long, Perrineau and De Sousa are set to reprise their roles. The 8-episode series is scheduled to premiere on December 22, 2022.


title: Real estate agent

text: A real estate agent or broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agents are licensed by the state to negotiate sales agreements and manage the documentation required for closing real estate transactions. Buyers and sellers are generally advised to consult a licensed real estate professional for a written definition of an individual state's laws of agency. Many states require written disclosures to be signed by all parties outlining the duties and obligations.


title: Real estate agent

text: A real estate broker typically receives a real estate commission for successfully completing a sale. Across the U.S, this commission can generally range between 5-6% of the property's sale price for a full service broker but this percentage varies by state and even region. This commission can be divided up with other participating real estate brokers or agents. Flat-fee brokers and fee-for-service brokers can charge significantly less depending on the type of services offered.


title: Real estate agent

text: To become licensed in the United States, real estate brokers and salespersons are authorized by each state, not by the federal government. Each state has a real estate commission (governing body) who monitors and licenses real estate brokers and agents. For example, some states only allow lawyers to create documentation to transfer real property, while other states also allow the licensed real estate agent to do so. Most states require that an applicant must attend a pre-license course with a minimum number of classroom hours to study real estate law before taking the state licensing exam. Such education is often provided by real-estate firms or by education companies, either of which is typically licensed to teach such courses within their respective states. The courses are designed to prepare the new licensee primarily for the legal aspects of the practice of transferring real estate and to pass the state licensing exam. Some states, like Massachusetts, require as little as 40-hours classroom time to get licensed. Others, like California, mandate over 100 hours. Many states allow candidates to take the pre-licensing class virtually. Candidates must subsequently pass the state exam for a real estate agent's license.


title: Real estate agent

text: Upon passing, the new licensee must place their license with an established real-estate firm and must work under a broker's license. Typically, there may be multiple licensees holding broker's licenses within a firm, but only one broker, the principal one, manages the firm itself. That individual is then legally responsible for all licensees held under their license.


title: Real estate agent

text: In most jurisdictions in the United States, a person must have a license to perform licensed activities, and these activities are defined within the statutes of each state. The main feature of the requirement for having a license to perform those activities is the work done "for compensation". Hence, hypothetically, if a person wants to help a friend out in either selling or buying a property, and no compensation of any kind is expected in return, then a license is not needed to perform all the work. However, since most people would expect to be compensated for their efforts and skills, a license would be required by law before a person may receive remuneration for services rendered as a real estate broker or agent. Unlicensed activity is illegal and the state real estate commission has the authority to fine people who are acting as real estate licensees, but buyers and sellers acting as principals in the sale or purchase of real estate are usually not required to be licensed. It is important to note that in some states, lawyers handle real estate sales for compensation without being licensed as brokers or agents. However, even lawyers can only perform real estate activities that are incidental to their original work as a lawyer. It cannot be the case that a lawyer can become a seller's selling agent if that is all the service that is being requested by the client. Lawyers would still need to be licensed as a broker if they wish to perform licensed activities. Nevertheless, lawyers do get a break in the minimum education requirements (for example, 90 hours in Illinois).