text: C.J. Reamon has three convictions related to illegal firearms or airport security, including being caught for lying about his criminal record when he was employed in security work at Norfolk International Airport (discovered during a "sting" investigation), and an incident in August 2006 when he was caught carrying a loaded .357 SIG Glock into the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport terminal. In February 2007, "C.J." Reamon and Vick were together when Vick was charged with a minor fishing boat sticker violation in Norfolk's Western Branch Reservoir by a Virginia game warden.


title: Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation

text: ESPN reported that, very shortly after the initial raid in late April, Vick "threw Taylor off the Surry property" and listed it with real estate agents for sale. The property includes a large brick house painted white, a small swimming pool, and a basketball court. Four outbuildings painted black are located in the woods. It was reported by the local news media as under a sales contract for approximately 50% of its assessed value within a day or so of listing. However, according to published reports, as of July 6 no transfer papers had been filed with the county clerk where deeds are recorded.


text: During the subsequent weeks, Surry County Sheriff Harold D. Brown and Commonwealth's Attorney (local prosecutor) Gerald G. Poindexter repeatedly responded to media inquiries with assurances that they were proceeding carefully with the investigation and any prosecutions and that anyone "whoever they are" who evidence indicates had acted unlawfully will be charged. According to the Code of Virginia (3.1-796.124), illegal activities relating to dog fighting (or supporting it) are felony offenses under Virginia laws. Other Virginia criminal statutes also prohibit gambling, which has also been alleged against Vick by an ESPN source who claimed to have seen Vick bet as much as $40,000 on the outcome of a single dog fight. On May 31, when asked by a news reporter for WAVY-TV whether there was evidence that placed Vick at dog fights, Poindexter replied "Yes".


text: On June 7, Boddie, who had recently moved from Surry County to Newport News, conducted interviews with news reporters from local television stations and the Newport News "Daily Press" newspaper in front of the nightclub in Hampton where one of his arrests had taken place. He alleged a conspiracy by authorities dating from 2001, claiming the amount of marijuana he admits having on April 20 was not justification for the search warrant of his Surry County residence, an opinion local prosecutors from several different jurisdictions took strong objection to, according to the "Daily Press" on June 8. Boddie accused authorities of being dishonest regarding the quantity of drugs he had and whether he was in possession of a firearm when arrested on April 20, claiming that the authorities will do anything to make "[him] and [his] peeps [people] look bad".


text: Following weeks of increasing reports in the news media of Vick’s involvement and new evidence and witnesses reportedly coming forward to authorities, according to "USA Today", on June 7, federal authorities, assisted by the Virginia State Police, revealed their own investigation, and began an additional search of the property. Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Poindexter told "USA Today" that an official of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of the Inspector General, notifying him by telephone about 3 PM EDT on June 7, also advised him that the local authorities loved what he did, but were free to continue their own ongoing investigation. News media reports on WAVY-TV at 11 PM that evening placed Poindexter at the Vick home and property, apparently observing the search. Federal authorities, assisted by Virginia State Police, conducted an additional search on July 6, as reported by multiple news media sources. Federal and state police officials had not issued any public statements as of that time.


text: Documents filed in federal court in Richmond on July 2 and obtained by the Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act outline an extensive multi-state dog fighting enterprise named "Bad Newz Kennels" which was allegedly operating from the Vick property since at least 2002. For the events, participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas and other states. At least three people are expected to be indicted. On July 7, the "Free-Lance Star" newspaper based in Fredericksburg, Virginia noted that on Vick's website, he lists his birthplace as Newport News, "a.k.a. BadNews". The same day, "The Atlanta Constitution" noted that the Urban Dictionary lists "Bad Newz" as the street name for Newport News. WAVY-TV (Portsmouth, Virginia) posted a copy of one of the federal court document from July 2, and has made it available online at WAVY-TV online copy of a July 2 document obtained under a Freedom of Information request about the "Bad Newz Kennels" interstate dog fighting investigation.


text: The federal court filings of July 2 alleged that Vick's property was used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture". A source close to the investigation told ESPN's Len Pasquarelli that the events of Friday [July 6] were "very helpful in the overall and ongoing investigation into an alleged dogfighting ring at that property. ... Remember, this is an investigation into what has been considered an enterprise involving many people ... From our standpoint, it never has focused on an individual and it still doesn't."


text: On July 17, a federal grand jury indicted Vick and 3 others on multiple counts, stating that Vick and three other men spent six years "knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting in an animal fighting venture". Almost immediately, speculation began regarding Vick's future in the NFL.


text: The grand jury also charged the men with establishing a kennel to represent dogfighting competitions, purchase and train pitbulls in dogfighting competitions and "destroying or otherwise disposing of dogs not selected to stay with the ongoing animal fighting venture". The case was assigned to Henry E. Hudson in the U.S. District Court in Richmond.


text: According to an ESPN attorney, a new "tough" federal law passed by the U.S. Congress in April 2007 and signed by President George W. Bush on May 3, 2007 was being used in many ongoing investigations of dog fighting around the country. However, Vick and his codefendants were charged under the older laws, which carry lower penalties. Vick and his codefendants each faced $350,000 in fines and six years in prison if convicted of the federal charges. (On the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charges, he faced a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The dogfighting charges carried a possible sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both.)


text: The "Virginian-Pilot" reported that the other three men indicted were longtime associates of property-owner Vick, who was also known to members of the alleged conspiracy as "Ookie" according to the federal indictment.


text: On July 26, all four pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against them during a hearing before Judge Hudson at the Lewis F. Powell Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, and a trial date was set for November 26. "USA Today" reported that all four defendants were released without bond, but among the pre-trial conditions imposed on Vick by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in a separate hearing held the same day was that he surrender any dog breeding or kennel licenses he may have. All four defendants were required to be under active supervision of the court, surrender their passports, refrain from travel outside their immediate area without prior approval, and stay away from dogs, guns, and each other. Peace, Phillips and Taylor were required to undergo random drug tests, but not Vick, as he had no prior convictions at the time. Peace and Phillips were also required to submit to electronic monitoring via ankle bracelets. Taylor was ordered to undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment.


text: Federal prosecutors announced plans to file a superseding indictment by the end of August. According to a representative of the U.S. District Court, a superseding indictment could mean new charges and possibly new defendants in the case. ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson predicted that, given the reputation of Richmond's federal prosecutors, he Vick would face more federal charges. Munson also believes that the threat of a superseding indictment is intended to make the defendants plead guilty and cooperate with the government.


text: The two hearings took a total of 25 minutes, which is typical for a court popularly known as "the rocket docket" for the speed with which proceedings are conducted. It was unclear whether the same bail arrangements would also apply to additional federal charges, should any result from the superseding indictment anticipated next month, or whether additional state charges would violate the terms of the bail.


text: Afterwards, Vick issued a prepared statement through his lawyer, his first public comment since the indictment, in which he proclaimed his innocence, but apologized to his mother and his teammates. The terms of his bail theoretically left Vick free to play until the trial, provided he got permission from the court to travel outside the immediate area of his primary residence. However, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stated that Vick had to give up any thoughts of playing until the case is resolved.


text: On July 30, Tony Taylor entered a guilty plea before Judge Henry E. Hudson at the U.S. District Court in Richmond. Taylor, 34, said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his cooperation with the government. The "Roanoke Times" reported that Judge Hudson asked Taylor: "You're pleading guilty and taking your chances, right?" and "You have agreed to cooperate fully with the United States, is that right?" Taylor responded to each question, "Yes." Hudson set sentencing for December 14.


text: According to "The Washington Post", in the "Summary of the Facts" filed along with the plea and signed by Taylor, he admitted that he helped start "Bad Newz Kennels" with Vick and two other co-defendants in 2001 and participated fully in the enterprise before leaving in September 2004 after a disagreement with Phillips "and others".


text: Taylor's statement says the dogfighting ring's operations and gambling money "were almost exclusively funded by Vick". It also says Vick paid more than $30,000 to purchase the property near Smithfield, Virginia, where the house and outbuildings for training fighting dogs were built as the home of Bad Newz Kennels.


text: The Norfolk "Virginian-Pilot" newspaper noted that Taylor's plea document described eight matches that he says Vick attended or sponsored between late 2002 and 2004, with dogs named Jane, Big Boy, Zebro, Magic, Tiny and Too Short. The group put the name "Bad Newz Kennels" to the operation in early 2002, according to the document. "At one point, the defendants obtained shirts and headbands representing and promoting their affiliation with 'Bad Newz Kennels, the summary says.


text: The newspaper made a copy of the entire 13-page "Summary of Facts" submitted with Taylor's plea and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The specific language that Vick provided almost all the funds and participated in the "ongoing criminal enterprise" in the plea documents fueled speculation by legal experts that Vick would face federal racketeering charges under the powerful Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. There had already been talk that the government might seek a RICO indictment, based on the specific "continuing criminal enterprise" language in the original indictment and in Taylor's plea agreement. A key element of proving racketeering is the existence of a "criminal enterprise", and gambling is an indictable offense under RICO. RICO is relatively easy to prove in court, as it focuses on patterns of criminal behavior. If Vick had been charged under RICO, he would have faced penalties of up to 20 years in prison and pay treble damages.


text: By August 13, Vick's other two co-defendants, Peace and Phillips, had also agreed to also plead guilty under their own plea agreements, they were due in judge Hudson's court in consecutive hearings on August 17.


text: News media reported widely that Vick had been given until that date (August 17) to decide whether to seek a plea bargain; otherwise he would face a superseding indictment that would include at least two more federal charges. According to one of his public relations specialists, Vick was weighing all of his options with his legal team.


text: The "Richmond Times-Dispatch" reported on August 15 that a federal grand jury in Richmond was to begin hearing new allegations against Vick stemming from the dogfighting case beginning the week of August 20. Munson suggested that Peace and Phillips' guilty pleas put Vick in a "legal checkmate", as their testimony, added to the other five potential witnesses the prosecutors already had, made it very difficult for Vick's legal team to establish reasonable doubt in court.


text: According to the "Journal-Constitution", Vick's legal team began talks with federal prosecutors regarding a possible plea agreement soon after Vick's co-defendants pleaded guilty. A spokesman for Vick's legal team said that the co-defendants' pleas took them by surprise.


text: ESPN reported that another sticking point in the plea negotiations was the wording of the allocution Vick would have to make. He would have to make a detailed statement as to the extent of his involvement in the operation, such as the specific methods he used to kill the dogs.


text: On August 17, Peace and Phillips appeared before Judge Hudson at the U.S. District Court in Richmond. They entered their guilty pleas, plea agreements, and related statement of facts documentation. They also agreed to testify if the government requested it from them. Phillips' bail was revoked due to failing a drug test.


text: Peace and Phillips were told that because of the "victimization and execution of pit bull dogs" described in court filings, "upward departure" from the sentencing guidelines is "necessary in this case". The aggravating factors will be taken into consideration at sentencing, which means they could face harsher punishments at their sentencing on November 30.


text: The documents filed with the court and obtained by the news media under the provisions of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act provided confirmation of portions of that contained in Taylor's earlier plea agreement and also gave more detail of co-defendant Vick's roles. Copies were made available by the "Newport News Daily Press" at:


text: Co-defendant Quanis Phillips was incarcerated earlier after his August 17 plea hearing because he had failed drug tests with monitoring equipment and regulations already in place.


text: On August 20, 2007 Vick pleaded guilty to the federal felony dogfighting conspiracy charge. Vick's lawyer Billy Martin released this statement:


text: On August 24, 2007 it was announced that Vick had signed a plea agreement and issued a statement admitting his participation and funding of the dogfighting ring, but maintaining that he did not place any bets or take any prize money.


text: Details of Vick's plea agreement were made available when filed with the court on August 24. "USA Today" made copies available over the Internet in PDF files at:


text: On August 27, Vick appeared before Judge Hudson and submitted the guilty plea. In the scheduled December 10 sentencing, Vick faced a maximum of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Prosecutors asked Hudson to sentence Vick to 12–18 months if Vick cooperated with the government as he had agreed to do in the terms of the original plea agreement. The terms of the plea agreement include a clause in which Vick forfeits his right to appeal any sentence imposed upon him. Though prosecutors asked for a lower-end sentence for Vick, Hudson could still increase the sentence up to the maximum limits; Hudson had informed two co-defendants that the brutality warranted exceeding the guidelines in their cases.


text: A significant portion of the plea agreement involved Vick cooperating with federal authorities pursuing other dog fighting cases and a complete allocution on his role in the Bad Newz Kennels, including detailing his role in the killing of dogs after the fights. The allocution proved to be a "sticking point," as both federal prosecutors and FBI agents reported that Vick was giving contradictory statements about how dogs were killed, what his role in the killings were, how many dogs were killed, and other details. According to reporters who spoke to Hudson after the sentencing, Vick's pre-sentencing behavior, especially during an FBI polygraph administered in October 2007 which showed that Vick was being deceptive when asked direct questions about killing dogs, was a factor in selecting the length of the sentence.


text: On November 30, Peace and Phillips were sentenced by Judge Hudson to 18 and 21 months in federal prison respectively. The punishments were higher than recommended by federal prosecutors, and included three years of supervised probation following their release from prison. Taylor is also due to be sentenced on December 10, but, like Peace and Phillips, had agreed to testify against Vick at trial before he also accepted a plea agreement.


text: News media reported that statements re the November 30 hearing made it clearer that co-defendant Tony Taylor led Bad Newz Kennels. He guided others who were newcomers to the dogfighting underworld, according to arguments presented in U.S. District Court during the sentencing hearings. An attorney for Phillips argued before Judge Hudson that Taylor was known as "the dog man" as "an experienced dogfighter and trainer."


text: At the time of the November 30 hearings for Peace and Phillips, Vick was being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia awaiting sentencing on the federal convictions and his April 2, 2008 trial on the Virginia state charges.


text: Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison on the federal charges on December 10, 2007. Tony Taylor, who was the first to plead guilty, received a sentence of 60 days in jail on December 14, 2007, which was within the sentencing guidelines for no more than 6 months in prison. Allen, who sold some of the dogs used in the operation, received probation on January 25, 2008.


text: Taylor was released from federal prison on March 20, 2008, with 9 days of time off for good behavior.


text: The property used in the operation, 1915 Moonlight Road, has been purchased by Dogs Deserve Better, Inc., and is a dog rehabilitation center for chained and penned canines. It is known as the Good Newz Rehab Center, playing on the former tenant's name.


text: As of August 18, possible additional state charges were still under investigation. Part-time Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter and Sheriff Harold D. Brown in the county had been criticized for slowness, particularly by the investigative news reports of WAVY-TV, the NBC affiliate in Hampton Roads. In response, they have indicated "doing it right" was more a priority than speed, and that they are continuing to cooperate with federal authorities.


text: According to an ESPN attorney, under Virginia law, Vick can be prosecuted if the authorities can show that he was "aware" of dogfighting activities on his property. According to that attorney, "If it is proved that the fighting took place, it will be difficult for Vick to persuade anyone that he didn't know about it." According to other news media reports, Surry County investigators have spoken to as many as 30 people. In June, Sheriff's Department Deputy W.R. Brinkman, the lead local investigator, said he had "more people to talk to." Sheriff Harold D. Brown stated in an interview published on June 28 ..."we need to find out, if he's one of the big players or not."


text: Following the federal indictments of July 17, local authorities in Surry County said they could possibly prosecute different crimes than those charged in the federal indictment. Poindexter and Brown said they are continuing to cooperate with federal authorities. Both Brown and Poindexter told news media that they were taken aback by the level of detail in the indictments, especially mention of dogs allegedly being executed by hanging, drowning and electrocution. "That's revealing to me. I didn't know anything about that," said Poindexter, according to the "Richmond Times-Dispatch".


text: Although the federal investigation and charges placed drew most publicity in July and August, 2007, the local investigation and consideration of charges under violations of state laws were also continuing. Plea bargains with federal prosecutors would have no official standing in the local case. Double jeopardy concepts would not apply to state and federal overlapping cases. The county grand jury would be the group which would typically consider felony indictments presented by a local prosecutor under state laws.


text: On July 24, Brown stated that he felt certain state indictments for additional charges in Virginia would be returned by a local grand jury during session which begins September 25. However, no individuals have been named as target(s) to date. Until August 17, there had also been no indication of how many charges might be presented to the grand jury in Surry County. Over 50 dogs were seized, in addition to carcasses recovered, and a number of the interstate fight events, all with attendant gambling activities, were allegedly hosted at Vick's Surry County estate.


text: On August 17, Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter told WVEC-TV that the admissions contained in the federal plea agreements filed by Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips were "a road map to indictments in Surry County." The plea agreements implicate all four men, Peace, Phillips, Taylor and Vick in both dog fighting and the killing of dogs. It had been noted in earlier media reports that one of the agreements states that eight dogs were killed jointly by Peace, Phillips and Vick in April 2007 (prior to the April 25 search).


text: Poindexter told the WVEC news reporter that he's looking at two felony counts: dogfighting and killing of a companion animal. The maximum sentence in Virginia for each charge is five years. "We believed we had evidence and this is the first time someone's admitted to it. It's sad and outrageous. It's gruesome." he added. It was also not clear whether any state prison sentence(s) would be allowed run concurrently with any federal time, or would be served consecutively. ESPN reported on August 18 that Vick could face up to 40 years in prison under state laws.


text: Following guilty pleas in the federal case, Vick, Taylor, Peace, and Phillips were indicted on state felony charges relating to dog fighting under state laws by after indictments were returned by a local grand jury in Surry County, Virginia in September, 2007.


text: Vick faced two felony counts under state laws and his jury trial in Surry County Circuit Court was to have begun on April 2, 2008. The maximum penalty if convicted on the state charges would be 10 years in prison. His co-defendants were also assigned trial dates. Purnell Peace was scheduled to face a jury trial March 5, 2008, as was Quanis Phillips, but did not ask for a jury trial. Tony Taylor, currently not in custody, was to have been tried on May 7. The trials of all four, however, were pushed back until Vick, Peace, and Philips were released from prison, because of costs associated with transportation to Virginia state courts (Taylor's trial is also delayed until the other defendants have finished their prison terms).


text: Vick, the last to plead guilty to federal charges, pleaded guilty to state charges on November 25, 2008, paying a $2,500 fine as a result and court fees. The fine would only be paid if Vick fails to stay out of trouble for four years.


text: Michael Vick pleaded guilty to dog fighting on November 25, 2008 and received a three-year suspended sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,636.97. Pernell Peace pleaded guilty to dog fighting on March 24, 2009 and received a three-year suspended sentence. Anthony "Tony" Taylor pleaded guilty to dog fighting on March 24, 2009 and received a two-year suspended sentence. Quantis Phillips pleaded guilty to dog fighting on May 6, 2009 and received a three-year suspended sentence.


text: As of October 2, 2007, the 49 dogs which were seized in April remained in animal shelters in Hampton Roads and central Virginia. An ASPCA evaluation showed that one animal, identified as #2621, was aggressive to the point the evaluation could not be completed and had a history of biting people; U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson ordered that it be euthanized. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond announced in court filings that the other 48 canines may be safe enough to place in the community with strict conditions.


text: On October 16, Hudson acted on a government motion requesting animal law expert Rebecca J. Huss, who is a Professor of Law at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana, to serve as the guardian-special master to oversee the possible placement of the 48 dogs, or their euthanasia. The judge also granted a request by the U.S. attorney's office that each of the pit bulls be spayed or neutered and have microchips implanted. In a statement released by Valparaiso University, she said: "As someone whose academic endeavors focus on the legal status and value of animals in our lives, I am honored to represent the interests of those at the heart of this case, the dogs."


text: In November 2007, Vick was observed to be liquidating some of his real estate assets, notably the dog-fighting estate property near Smithfield, Virginia and one of his multimillion-dollar homes which are located in Suffolk, Virginia, near Atlanta, Georgia, and the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida. ESPN reported on October 20 that the one near Atlanta was listed for sale at a $4.5 million asking price. At the request of federal authorities before his sentencing in federal court, he agreed to deposit nearly $1 million in an escrow account with attorneys for use to reimburse costs of caring for the confiscated dogs, most of which are now being offered for adoption on a selective basis under supervision of a court-appointed specialist. Experts say some of the animals will require individual care for the rest of their lives.


text: On July 8, 2008 an article was published by "The Washington Post" reporting on the status of the dogs. At the time of the article, two of the seized dogs had been euthanized - one for aggression, as mentioned previously, and one due to health problems. Of the 47 remaining dogs, 22 were sent to an animal sanctuary at the Best Friends Animal Society in Utah because of aggression toward other dogs, and 25 were placed in foster care. Several of the latter have been adopted. The dogs and therapists were featured in a "DogTown" episode entitled "DogTown: Saving the Michael Vick Dogs" on the National Geographic Channel. The newspaper again profiled the dogs in September 2019. The article revealed that 11 of the dogs were still alive and how the dogfighting investigation was a watershed moment for animal welfare.


text: A program on WHYY in September 2010 covered the disposition of the Michael Vick dogs. One of the participants in the program was Jim Gorant who has written a book about the dogs called "The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption".


text: In December 2021, Frodo, the last of the 47 dogs rescued from Vick’s dogfighting operation died at the age of 15, only a few days after the death of another dog, Jonny Justice.


text: Numerous athletes generated additional controversy by making public comments supporting and defending Vick. Stephon Marbury, a point guard for the New York Knicks, called dogfighting a sport and compared it to hunting and said that a similar reaction does not occur when other animals die. Roy Jones Jr., a prominent boxer, stated, "really two dogs fighting can happen in anyone's backyard or on the street. It happened in my backyard, two of my dogs fought and one died." Clinton Portis, a star running back on the Washington Redskins, stated, "I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog. If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their own business." Deion Sanders, a former star football and baseball player and current commentator for CBS Sports, stated, "Why are we indicting him? Was he the ringleader? Is he the big fish? Or is there someone else? The fights allegedly occurred at a property that he purchased for a family member. They apparently found carcasses on the property, but I must ask you again, is he the ringleader? This situation reminds me of a scene in the movie "New Jack City" when drug dealer Nino Brown is on the witness stand and eloquently says, 'This thing is bigger than me.' Are we using Vick to get to the ringleader? Are we using him to bring an end to dogfighting in the United States? The only thing I can gather from this situation is that we're using Vick."


text: During the furor arising around the Bad Newz Kennels investigation and prosecutions, even such diverse notables as hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and the Reverend Al Sharpton joined with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in calling for strong stands against animal cruelty, jointly stating:


text: Major League Baseball pitcher Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox commented that he hoped Vick would get injured after he was reinstated to football. Buehrle, an animal rights activist, told MLB.com "he had a great year and a great comeback, but there were times where we watched the game, and I know it's bad to say, but there were times where we hope he gets hurt...everything you've done to these dogs, something bad needs to happen to these guys."


text: Companies employing Vick for endorsements and producing or selling Vick-related products reacted to the negative publicity soon after the federal indictments. According to the "Norfolk Virginian-Pilot", Nike was Vick's biggest endorsement deal. The company initially announced in July that it had "suspended Michael Vick's contract without pay, and will not sell any more Michael Vick product at Nike owned retail at this time", although the company said it had not terminated the contract, apparently waiting for a guilty plea or a conviction to do so, as animal-rights activists had urged the company to do. However, Nike also announced it was suspending the release of the Zoom Vick V, a new line of shoes. On August 24, hours after details of Vick's guilty plea and statement of facts were made public, Nike announced it was completely terminating its relationship with him. Adidas announced its Reebok division would stop selling Vick football jerseys. The NFL said it had pulled all Vick-related items from NFLShop.com. Trading card companies including Donruss and Upper Deck soon followed with similar actions. St. Louis-based sporting goods manufacturer Rawlings, which used Vick's likeness to sell merchandise and modeled a football using his name, ended its relationship. The same day, "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reported that Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority stores have also stopped selling Vick-related goods.


text: Some fans of the Atlanta Falcons donated their Vick-related jerseys and shirts to the Atlanta Humane Society for use as animal bedding and cleaning rags. Others produced dog chew toys in Vick's effigy.


text: In 2014 Nike re-signed Michael Vick to an endorsement deal, and in early 2015 Vick confirmed reports that his signature line of Nike sneakers would be returning.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: Duke of Buccleuch (pronounced ), formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and second suo jure for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch. Monmouth, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II was attainted after rebelling against his uncle James II and VII, but his wife's title was unaffected and passed on to their descendants, who have successively borne the surnames "Scott", "Montagu-Scott", "Montagu Douglas Scott" and "Scott" again. In 1810, the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch inherited the Dukedom of Queensberry, also in the Peerage of Scotland, thus separating that title from the Marquessate of Queensberry.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The substantial origin of the ducal house of the Scotts of Buccleuch dates back to the large grants of lands in Scotland to Sir Walter Scott of Kirkurd and Buccleuch, a border chief, by James II, in consequence of the fall of William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas (1452), but the family traced their descent back to a Sir Richard le Scott (1240–1285). Sir Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch (died 1552) distinguished himself at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (1547). His great-grandson Sir Walter was created Lord Scott of Buccleuch in 1606.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: Other subsidiary titles associated with the Dukedom of Buccleuch are: Earl of Buccleuch (1619), Earl of Dalkeith (1663) and Lord Scott of Whitchester and Eskdaill (1619) (all in the Peerage of Scotland). The Duke also holds the two subsidiary titles of the attainted Dukedom of Monmouth, namely Earl of Doncaster (1663) and Baron Scott of Tindale (1663) (both in the Peerage of England), and several subsidiary titles associated with the Dukedom of Queensberry, namely Marquess of Dumfriesshire (1683), Earl of Drumlanrig and Sanquhar (1682), Viscount of Nith, Tortholwald and Ross (1682) and Lord Douglas of Kilmount, Middlebie and Dornock (1682) (all in the Peerage of Scotland). The Earldom of Doncaster and Barony of Scott of Tindale had been forfeit at the time of the first Duke's attainder, but the titles were restored to the 2nd Duke of Buccleuch in 1742. Until 1835, the Dukes also held lands in the West Riding of Yorkshire and the ancient title of Lord of Bowland. The Duke of Buccleuch is the hereditary chief of Clan Scott. The holder is one of only five people in the UK to hold two or more different dukedoms, the others being the Duke of Cornwall, Rothesay, and Cambridge (all currently held by The Prince of Wales), the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, the Duke of Argyll (who holds two dukedoms named Argyll), and the Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Gordon.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The courtesy title used by the Duke's eldest son and heir is "Earl of Dalkeith"; and that of Lord Dalkeith's eldest son and heir is "Lord Eskdaill".


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The novelist Sir Walter Scott, Bart., was directly descended of the Lords of Buccleuch. His family history, fancifully interpreted, is the main subject of much of "The Lay of the Last Minstrel".


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The current Duke of Buccleuch, Richard Scott, the 10th Duke, is one of the largest private landowners in Scotland with some 200,000 acres (over 80,000 hectares) and chairman of the Buccleuch Group, a holding company with interests in commercial property, rural affairs, food, and beverages. The title originally comes from a holding in the Scottish Borders, near Selkirk.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The family seats are Bowhill House, three miles from Selkirk, representing the Scott line; Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, representing the Douglas line; and Boughton House in Northamptonshire, England, representing the Montagu line. These three houses are still lived in by the family and are also open to the public. The family also owns Dalkeith Palace in Midlothian, which is let, and has owned several other country houses and castles in the past. Its historic London residence was Montagu House, Whitehall, now demolished and replaced by the Ministry of Defence.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: William Montagu Douglas Scott, The Earl of Dalkeith, who became the 7th Duke of Buccleuch was elected President of St. Andrew's Ambulance Association in 1908. The Presidency of the Association (now St Andrew's First Aid) has been held by the Buccleuch family from that date.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: Most of the Dukes of Buccleuch (the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th) are buried in the Buccleuch Memorial Chapel in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Dalkeith, Midlothian. The 2nd Duke (died 1751) is buried in Eton College Chapel. The most recent Dukes (the 8th and 9th) are buried among the ruins of Melrose Abbey in Melrose.


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The heir apparent is the present holder's son Walter John Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, Earl of Dalkeith (b. 1984)<br>


title: Duke of Buccleuch

text: The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son, Willoughby Ralph Montagu Douglas Scott, Lord Eskdaill (b. 2016)


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol, also known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), is used as a medication to treat constipation in children and adults. It is also used to empty the bowels before a colonoscopy. It is taken by mouth. Benefits usually occur within three days. Generally it is only recommended for up to two weeks. It is also used as an excipient.


title: Macrogol

text: Side effects may include increased bowel gas, abdominal pain, and nausea. Rare but serious side effects may include an abnormal heartbeat, seizures, and kidney problems. Use appears to be safe during pregnancy. It is classified as an osmotic laxative. It works by increasing the amount of water in the stool.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol came into use as a bowel prep in 1980 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1999. It is available as a generic medication and over the counter. In 2020, it was the 226th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2million prescriptions. Typically it is formulated together with electrolytes.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol 3350, often in combination with electrolytes, is used for short-term relief of constipation as well as for long-term use in constipation of various causes, including in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease patients (an often-overlooked non-motor symptom) as well as constipation caused by pharmaceutical drugs such as opioids and anticholinergics. Whole bowel irrigation with macrogol is part of the bowel preparation before surgery or colonoscopy. Limited data also support its use for the treatment of fecal impaction.


title: Macrogol

text: A 2007 comparison showed that people with constipation had a better response to macrogol than to tegaserod. Popular types include: macrogol 3350, macrogol 4000, and macrogol 6000. The number represents the average molecular mass. Combining different molecular masses provides some control over the consistency.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical products. Lower-molecular-weight variants are used as solvents in oral liquids and soft capsules, whereas solid variants are used as ointment bases, tablet binders, film coatings, and lubricants.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogols are also attached to biopharmaceutical drugs to slow down their degradation in the human body and increase their duration of action, as well as to reduce immunogenicity. This process is called PEGylation.


title: Macrogol

text: Contraindications for macrogol taken orally as a laxative are intestinal perforation, bowel obstruction, ileus, inflammatory bowel diseases, and toxic megacolon.


title: Macrogol

text: Allergy to macrogol is rare, and usually appears as an allergy to an increasing number of seemingly unrelated products, including cosmetics, drugs that use it as an excipient, and peri-procedural substances such as ultrasound gel.


title: Macrogol

text: Oral macrogol is generally well tolerated. Possible side effects include headache, bloating, nausea, allergies, and electrolyte imbalance, mainly hypokalaemia (low blood potassium levels) and hyperkalaemia (high blood potassium levels). Hyperkalaemia is not an effect of macrogol itself but of potassium salts which are usually part of macrogol formulations. With excessive use, it can cause diarrhea.


title: Macrogol

text: The interaction potential is low. Absorption of other pharmaceutical drugs can be reduced because oral macrogol accelerates intestinal passage, but this is seldom clinically relevant. For antiepileptic drugs, such a mechanism has been described in rare cases.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol is an osmotically acting laxative; that is, an inert substance that passes through the gut without being absorbed into the body. It relieves constipation because it causes water to be retained in the bowel instead of being absorbed into the body. This increases the water content and volume of the stools in the bowel, making them softer and easier to pass, as well as improving gut motility.


title: Macrogol

text: Macrogol is sold as a non-prescription preparation in the form of powder. When sold for gut cleansing (and as a laxative), it is usually in combination with salts such as sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and potassium chloride to help mitigate the possibility of electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Brand names include SoftLax, Purelax, MiraLax, Laxido, Glycoprep, CosmoCol, Movicol, Cololyt, Osmolax, and others.


title: Macrogol

text: It is dissolved in water to create a clear and odorless solution which is then drunk. While most consumers find the taste of macrogol itself to be very mild and unobjectionable, the electrolytes contained in formulations for purging and cleansing give the solution an extremely salty and bitter taste.


title: Macrogol

text: Polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution is a prescription product sold under various brand names including Colyte, Gavilyte, Golytely, Nulytely, Moviprep, and Trilyte.


title: Macrogol

text: When attached to various biopharmaceutical medications (which are proteins), macrogol results in a slowed clearance of the carried protein from the blood. This makes for a longer-acting medicinal effect and reduces toxicity, and it allows for longer dosing intervals. It also reduces the proteins' immunogenicity. Examples for PEGylated proteins include peginterferon alfa-2a and -2b, which are used to treat hepatitis C, pegfilgrastim, which is used to treat neutropenia, and pegloticase for the treatment of gout.


title: FYI

text: "FYI" is commonly used in email, instant messaging and other messages to indicate an informational message, with an intent to communicate to the receiver that they may be interested in the given topic, but does not suggest any action or require a response. It is also commonly used in informal and business spoken conversations.


title: FYI

text: Among Internet Standards, FYIs are a subset of the Request for Comments (RFC) series. The FYI series of notes is designed to provide Internet users with a central repository of information about any topics which relate to the Internet. FYIs topics may range from historical memos on "Why it was done that way" to answers to commonly asked operational questions.


title: Semi-trailer

text: A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer; a tractor-trailer.


title: Semi-trailer

text: A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a tractor unit, or a detachable front-axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer. The other portion of the semi-trailer's weight is semi-supported (half-supported) by its own wheels, which only support the rear of the semi-trailer. A semi-trailer is normally equipped with landing gear (legs which can be lowered) to support it when it is uncoupled. Many semi-trailers have wheels that are capable of being totally dismounted and are also relocatable (repositionable) to better distribute load to bearing wheel weight factors. Semi-trailers are more popular for transport than full trailers, which have both front and rear axles. Ease of backing is cited as one of the semi's chief advantages. A road tractor coupled to a semi-trailer is often called a semi-trailer truck or "semi" in North America and Australia, and an articulated lorry or "artic" in the UK.


title: Semi-trailer

text: Semi-trailers with two trailer units are called B-doubles (Australian English) or tandem tractor-trailers, tandem rigs, or doubles (American English). Other terms used are "B-train" or (when there are three or more trailers) "road train". A double-trailer combination is possible with the use of a dolly, or "converter dolly" (Australian and American English), essentially one to three additional axles placed under the front of a second semi-trailer. The first semi-trailer is connected to the power unit using the tractor's fifth wheel coupling while the converter dolly, already attached to the second semi-trailer, is connected to the first semi-trailer with a drawbar. In Australian English, the tractor unit is called a "prime-mover", and the combination of a prime-mover and trailer is known as a "semi-trailer", "semi" or single. Some popular manufacturers are Kenworth, Freightliner, Peterbilt, and Mack


title: Semi-trailer

text: Road tractors and semi-trailers are responsible for carrying a large proportion of cargo. With 1,170,117 million tonne-kilometers transported this way in the European Union, including the UK, road tractors and semi-trailers are 77.6% of the total tonne-kilometers transported in 2015, according to Eurostat.


title: Semi-trailer

text: In road haulage, semi-trailers predominate over full trailers because of their flexibility. The trailers can be coupled and uncoupled quickly, allowing them to be shunted for loading and to be trucked between depots. If a power unit fails, another tractor can replace it without disturbing the cargo.


title: Semi-trailer

text: Compared with a full trailer, a semi-trailer attached to a tractor unit is easier to reverse, since it has only one turning point (the coupling), whereas a full trailer has two turning points (the coupling and the drawbar attachment). Special tractors are known as shunt trucks or shuttle trucks can easily maneuver semi-trailers at a depot or loading and unloading ferries. These tractors may lift the coupling so the trailer legs clear the ground.


title: Semi-trailer

text: A rigid truck and full trailer are articulated inside the cargo area length, so a semi-trailer can have a longer continuous cargo area. Because of this, a semi-trailer can haul longer objects, (logs, pipe, beams, railway track). This depends on the legislation; in some European countries, a full trailer can be as long as a semi-trailer. However, since a rigid truck is longer than a semi-tractor, this increases the overall length of the combination, making it less maneuverable.


title: Semi-trailer

text: For heavy haulage or for increased manoeuvrability, some semi-trailers are fitted with rear-wheel steering, controlled electro-hydraulically.


title: Semi-trailer

text: The wheels on all or some of the rear axles may be turned through different angles to enable tighter cornering, or through the same angle (so-called 'crab' steering) to move the rear of the trailer laterally.


title: Semi-trailer

text: The two types of couplings are fifth-wheel coupling and automatic. In some applications, no separable coupling is fitted, and the trailer is bolted to the tractor unit, using a bearing, and rocker feet as are used under a fifth wheel skid plate.


title: Semi-trailer

text: The towing vehicle has a wide coupling plate known as a fifth-wheel coupling bolted onto its chassis, on which the semi-trailer rests and pivots. As the tractor reverses under the trailer, a kingpin under the front of the trailer slides into a slot in the skid plate, and the jaws of the fifth wheel close onto it. The driver has to raise the trailer legs manually and couple the airbrake lines and electrical cables. Some low-set trailers such as lowboys/low-loaders and car transporters have electrically powered landing gear due to the necessarily low clearance prohibiting conventional landing gear.


title: Semi-trailer

text: Many years ago, automatic couplings predominated, but have not been used now for around 50 years. Automatic couplings were generally used for payloads of or less, e.g. on the Scammell Mechanical Horse. The Scammell coupler was initially very popular and fitted to many other makes of trucks.


title: Semi-trailer

text: No coupling plate is used on the tractor; a turntable is permanently fixed to the underside of the trailer. This locks to the chassis of the tractor. When the tractor reverses under the trailer, its legs rise, and the brake and electrical connections are made automatically. Almost the entire coupling and uncoupling procedure is operated by the driver from inside the cab, except that he or she has to descend to release (or apply) the trailer parking brake.


title: Semi-trailer

text: Common widths are , and . Generally speaking, most North American type trailers use two axles with dual-tire hubs totaling 8 wheels, while most European type trailers use three axles with single-tire hubs totaling 6 wheels, with one of the axles being able to be lifted for lighter loads and saving on tire, brake, and axle wear. Nearly all sufficiently tall modern trailers are equipped with a rear underride guard to prevent cars from passing beyond the rear edge of the trailer, and most also have side underride guards for the same reason. There are also other smaller differences with regards to kingpin depth, lighting, door locks, et cetera, though most purpose-built tractor trucks can carry most types of trailer regardless of which continent it was built on and the differences therein.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: Azhagiya Tamil Magan ( Adorable Tamil son) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by Bharathan, written by S. K. Jeeva and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars actor Vijay in a dual role for the first time in his career as an MBA student and a money-minded, womanizing look-alike while Shriya Saran, Namitha, and N. Santhanam play in supporting roles. With cinematography by K. Balasubramaniam and editing by Anthony, the film's score and the soundtrack are composed by A. R. Rahman. The film revolves around an excelling athlete who has the ability to predict future events. With his unique ability, he identifies several tragic future events, including the attempted murder of his lover by a look-alike.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The film was released on the 8th of November 2007 and distributed worldwide by Pyramid Saimira, it became a above average success domestically. The film entered the Top ten Asian film Box office charts in Malaysia and declared a hit in Malaysia. In 2021, The film had a limited re-release in Kerala.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: Gurumoorthy aka Guru is an athlete and business management student. Abhinaya is the daughter of a business baron. They meet and fall in love.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The film goes on to show how the lovers manage to get the permission of their parents. In the meantime, a different dimension in the tale is revealed while the romantic drama is unfolding. Guru visualizes some bizarre scenes inside his mind. The scenes are disturbing; and worse, they become true in real life.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: A psychiatrist confirms that it is Extra Sensory Perception power and says that the imageries visualized by Guru would actually happen sooner or later. Unfortunately Guru visualizes another scene where he stabs Abi in the stomach. Sensing that he poses a danger to his sweetheart, he runs away from her to Mumbai.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: In Mumbai, he stumbles upon a person who looks like himself. This gives him a different meaning of the horrible incident visualized by him. Before catching the man, Guru gets himself into an accident. In the meantime, the new man moves to Chennai.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: Stylish and carefree Prasad, the Guru look-alike, is a greedy person who does anything for money. He is a womaniser and enjoys life. He meets Dhanalakshmi during his travel to Chennai. He has sex and escapes with and from her respectively. Abinaya mistakes him for Guru and brings him to her house. Sensing his opportunity, Prasad decides to act as Guru and intends to marry the rich Abhi.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The real Guru comes back and tells everyone the truth. But no one is ready to believe him, as he is outplayed by the wicked Prasad at each and every move. Finally the truth prevails, but not before a tense battle between the two. During the battle, when Guru tries to kill Prasad, he accidentally stabs Abhi. Guru tries to take Abhi to the hospital but Prasad knocks him out and changes into Guru's clothes so he will look like Guru in front of Abhi. Abhi recovers at the hospital and thinks Prasad is Guru again. At the hospital she tells him how much she hates Prasad and how much she loves Guru. When Prasad hears this he feels guilty for what he did and tells her he is not Guru. Guru suddenly comes into the room, and Prasad leaves as a reformed man.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: As Prasad walks away from the hospital, Dhanalakshmi appears saying she is pregnant and its twins. Prasad and Dhanalakshmi join together.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: When producer Appachan approached Vijay for the film, Vijay said that he would sign the film if the producer successfully convinces A. R. Rahman to compose music for the film. Subsequently, Appachan who had known Rahman earlier from the latter's days as a keyboard programmer, brought him on board as the composer and the project was on.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman, marking his second collaboration with Vijay after 2004's "Udhaya". "Ponmagal Vandaal" is a remix of the song of the same name from "Sorgam" (1970).


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The film was released on the 8th of November 2007 and distributed worldwide by Pyramid Saimira. The film was sold by Sun TV.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: Prior to its release, the film was rumored to be inspired from the American film "Final Destination" and that the leading actor had a supernatural power. The claims were refuted by director Bharathan. Television Premier was occurred on January 26' 2010 on the occasion of Republic day.


title: Azhagiya Tamil Magan

text: The film was reviewed by BBC UK, mentioning the film has the right mix of romance and action. "Sify" stated, "The highlight here is that there are 2 Vijays - the good guy and the bad guy. Director Barathan has tried out a new format, where both the hero and the villain entertain the audiences with howlarious moments, that brings the house up. Vijay makes it work and believable as he melds an effortfully from casual song froid to utter seriousness. His terrific comic timing, his ability to mock and lampoon makes his performance absolutely hits a bulls eye. In the negative character Prasad’s role, he is the veritable scene stealer. He has dubbed impressively modulating his voice for both the characters, and the way he dances in the introductory title song is amazing. No two ways about it, Vijay is the heart and soul of ATM and rated 5/5. "Ananda Vikatan" rated the film 40 out of 100. IndiaGlitz stated "Azhagiya Tamil Magan" banks heavily on Vijay's charm and performance, Vijay has lived up to the challenge created by the huge success of "Pokkiri". He looks stylish and handsome with his dual role. He lights up the screen with his dynamic performance. Director Bharathan has exploited Vijay's strengths in a dual role as well. He has provided a perfect family entertainer and rated 5/5 as well. Bollywood Life stated, "When you think about Vijay's dance moves, the first song which comes to our mind his energetic, inspiring number Ellappugazhum from ATM - Azhagiya Tamil Magan. Incidentally, the words from the song "Ellappugazhum iraivan ke" are the once uttered by Mozart of Madras AR Rahman every time he receives an award. To the tunes of Rahman, Vijay's awe-inspiring dance moves will make you stand up from your seat, pumping your fist with new found energy."


title: Ken Foree

text: Ken Foree (born February 29, 1948) is an American actor, best known as the protagonist Peter from the horror film "Dawn of the Dead" (1978) and as Roger Rockmore on the Nickelodeon television sitcom "Kenan & Kel" (1996–2000).


title: Ken Foree

text: Foree was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He began acting in the 1970s, appearing in films such as "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings", "The Wanderers", "Dawn of the Dead", and "". He also had roles in the films "Knightriders", "From Beyond", and "The Dentist". In 1995, he starred in an episode of "The X-Files". Foree also played Roger Rockmore, Kenan and Kyra's father on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Kenan & Kel". In 2005, he played Charlie Altamont in the film "The Devil's Rejects", starring opposite Sid Haig and Bill Moseley as the adopted brother of Haig's character. In 2007, he appeared in Rob Zombie's remake of the 1978 film "Halloween".


title: Ken Foree

text: Ken Foree appeared as himself in the 2008 novel "Bad Moon Rising" by Jonathan Maberry. Foree is one of several real-world horror celebrities who are in the fictional town of Pine Deep when monsters attack. Other celebrities include Tom Savini, Jim O'Rear, Brinke Stevens, James Gunn, Stephen Susco, Debbie Rochon, Joe Bob Briggs, and Mem Shannon.


title: Ken Foree

text: The horror-comedy film "Shaun of the Dead" contains a reference to Foree, as the film's main character is an employee of Foree Electronics.


title: Ken Foree

text: Foree has his own horror festival. Known as Foree Fest, the first event was held in the U.K. in 2007. A second took place in October 2009, and a third event was held in 2013.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur is a town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. It is located approximately southeast of the state capital, Hobart.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The site forms part of the Australian Convict Sites, a World Heritage property consisting of 11 remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips. Collectively, these sites, including Port Arthur, are described by UNESCO as "... the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts."


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: In 1996, the town was the scene of the Port Arthur Massacre, the worst instance of mass murder in post-colonial Australian history.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur is located about southeast of the state capital, Hobart, on the Tasman Peninsula. The scenic drive from Hobart, via the Tasman Highway to Sorell and the Arthur Highway to Port Arthur, takes around 90 minutes. Transport from Hobart to the site is also available via bus or ferry, and various companies offer day tours from Hobart.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur was named after George Arthur, the lieutenant governor of Van Diemen's Land. The settlement started as a timber station in 1830, but it is best known for being a penal colony.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: From 1833 until 1877, Port Arthur was the destination for those deemed the most hardened of convicted British criminals, those who were secondary offenders having reoffended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent there. In addition, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur was one example of the "Separate Prison Typology" (sometimes known as the model prison), which emerged from Jeremy Bentham's theories and his panopticon. The prison was completed in 1853, but then extended in 1855. The layout of the prison was fairly symmetrical. It was a cross shape with exercise yards at each corner. The prisoner wings were each connected to the surveillance core of the prison, as well as the chapel in the centre hall. From this surveillance hub, each wing could be clearly seen, although individual cells could not. This is how the Separate Prison at Port Arthur differed from the original theory of the panopticon.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The Separate Prison System also signaled a shift from physical punishment to psychological punishment. The hard corporal punishment, such as whippings, used in other penal stations was thought to only serve to harden criminals, and did nothing to turn them from their immoral ways. For example, food was used to reward well-behaved prisoners and as punishment for troublemakers. As a reward, a prisoner could receive larger amounts of food or even luxury items such as tea, sugar, and tobacco. As punishment, the prisoners would receive the bare minimum of bread and water. Under this system of punishment, the "Silent System" was implemented in the building. Here, prisoners were hooded and made to stay silent; this was supposed to allow time for the prisoner to reflect upon the actions which had brought him there. Many of the prisoners in the Separate Prison developed mental illness from the lack of light and sound. This was an unintended outcome, although the asylum was built right next to the Separate Prison. In many ways, Port Arthur was the model for many of the penal reform movements, despite the shipping, housing, and slave-labour use of convicts being as harsh, or worse, than other stations around the nation.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur was also the destination for juvenile convicts, receiving many boys, some as young as nine. The boys were separated from the main convict population and kept on Point Puer, the British Empire's second boys' prison. Like the adults, the boys were used in hard labour such as stone cutting and construction. One of the buildings constructed was one of Australia's first nondenominational churches, built in a gothic style. Attendance of the weekly Sunday service was compulsory for the prison population. Critics of the new system noted that this and other measures seemed to have negligible impact on reformation.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The archaeology found in Port Arthur shows that people living there participated in the mundane, material necessities of life. Not only did the people living there help prepare food, but they also participated in recreational activities such as smoking and hunting. Archaeological excavation of the Port Arthur workshops complex is overseen by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA). These workshops, situated on the original waterfront since 1830, housed the trades-focussed activities undertaken at the penal station including shoemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, turners and wheelwrights. A journal of the ongoing excavation and conservation work at Port Arthur is documented online by Dr Richard Tuffin.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: A number of ongoing archaeology and historical research projects at Port Arthur include interactive webmapping of convict offences by the University of New England as part of their Convict Landscapes project, and the Founders and Survivors project to digitise Tasmania's past. The "Landscapes of Production and Punishment: the Tasman Peninsula 1830-77" project funded by the Australian Research Council, in partnership with the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, continues to examine the convict system from the perspective of convicts as workers. GIS mapping of location and offence data compiled by Dr Richard Tuffin uses the buildings, work sites, products and life outcomes to understand the convicts’ lives and labours whilst under sentence.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The peninsula on which Port Arthur is located is a naturally secure site by being surrounded by water (rumoured by the administration to be shark-infested). The 30-m-wide isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck that was the only connection to the mainland was fenced and guarded by soldiers, man traps, and half-starved dogs.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Shore-based and ship-based whaling was banned in the area to prevent convicts trying to escape in the boats. Officers at Port Arthur sometimes set out in their own boats and attempted to catch whales. This may have been more for sport than as a commercial activity.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Smooth Island in Norfolk Bay was most likely used to grow fresh vegetables for the Port Arthur penal settlement.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Contact between visiting seamen and prisoners was barred. Ships had to check in their sails and oars upon landing to prevent any escapes. However, many attempts were made, and some were successful. Boats were seized and rowed or sailed long distances to freedom.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur was the birthplace of rail transport in Australia. In 1836, a tramway was established between Taranna and a jetty in Long Bay, north of Port Arthur. The sole propulsion was convicts. One of the last remaining sections of the tramway can be viewed at the Federation Chocolate Factory at Taranna.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Port Arthur was sold as an inescapable prison, much like the later Alcatraz Island in the United States. Some prisoners were not discouraged by this, and tried to escape. Martin Cash successfully escaped along with two others. One of the most infamous incidents, simply for its bizarreness, was the escape attempt of one George "Billy" Hunt. Hunt disguised himself using a kangaroo hide and tried to flee across the Neck, but the half-starved guards on duty tried to shoot him to supplement their meagre rations. When he noticed them sighting him up, Hunt threw off his disguise and surrendered, receiving 150 lashes.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Despite its reputation as a pioneering institution for the new, enlightened view of imprisonment, Port Arthur was still in reality as harsh and brutal as other penal settlements. Some critics might even suggest that its use of psychological punishment, compounded with no hope of escape, made it one of the worst. Some tales suggest that prisoners committed murder (an offence punishable by death) just to escape the desolation of life at the camp. The Isle of the Dead was the destination for all who died inside the prison camps. Of the 1,646 graves recorded to exist there, only 180, those of prison staff and military personnel, are marked. The prison closed in 1877.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Before Port Arthur was abandoned as a prison in 1877, some people saw the potential tourist attraction. David Burn, who visited the prison in 1842, was awed by the peninsula's beauty and believed that many would come to visit it. This opinion was not shared by all. For example, Anthony Trollope in 1872 declared that no man desired to see the "strange ruins" of Port Arthur.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: After the prison closed, much of the property was put up for auction. However, most of the property was not sold until 1889. By this time, the area had become increasingly popular and the prison buildings were in decay. As the" Hobart Mercury" proclaimed, "the buildings themselves are fast going to decay, and in a few years will attract nobody; for they will be ruins without anything to make them worthy of respect, or even remembrance." The Model Prison was purchased by Anglican church minister and politician Joseph Woollnough, who operated tours and donated the proceeds to the church.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The decay was seen as something positive, as the Tasmanian population wished to distance themselves from the dark image of Port Arthur. Those who bought Port Arthur property began tearing down the buildings, the destruction was furthered by the fires of 1895 and 1897, which destroyed the old prison house, and earth tremors. In place of the Prison Port Arthur, the town of Carnarvon was born. The town was named after the British Secretary of State and the population was said to be "refined and intellectual". The town brought in many visitors as they encouraged boating, fishing, and shooting in the natural beauty of the peninsula. They again wished to remove the negative connotation attached to the area.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Despite this wish, the haunting stories of Port Arthur prisoners and circulating ghost stories brought popularity to the remaining prison ruins. This was helped by the popular novels "For the Term of His Natural Life" (1874) by Marcus Clarke and "The Broad Arrow" (1859) by Caroline Leakey, which concerned themselves about convicts in Port Arthur.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: In 1927, tourism had grown to the point where the area's name was reverted to Port Arthur. In 1916, the Scenery Preservation Board (SPB) was established to take the management of Port Arthur out of the hands of the locals. By the 1970s, the National Parks and Wildlife Service began managing the site.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: In 1979, funding was received to preserve the site as a tourist destination, due to its historical significance. The "working" elements of the Port Arthur community, such as the post office and municipal offices, were moved to nearby Nubeena. Several sandstone structures, built by convicts working under hard labour conditions, were cleaned of ivy overgrowth and restored to a condition similar to their appearance in the 19th century. Buildings include the "Model Prison", the Guard Tower, the Church, and the remnants of the main penitentiary. The buildings are surrounded by lush, green parkland. The graves on the Isle of the Dead also attract visitors.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Point Puer, across the harbour from the main settlement, was the site of the first boys' reformatory in the British Empire. Boys sent there were given some basic education, and taught trade skills.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: Since 1987, the site has been managed by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, with conservation works funded by the Tasmanian government and the admission fees paid by visitors. Volunteer groups have been working at the building sites of Point Puer to help researchers gain a better understanding of the history of the boys' prison.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO inscribed the Port Arthur Historic Site and the Coal Mines Historic Site onto the World Heritage Register on 31 July 2010, as part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage property. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most visited historical sites, receiving over 250,000 visitors each year.


title: Port Arthur, Tasmania

text: On 28 April 1996, the Port Arthur historic site was the location of a massacre. Martin Bryant murdered 35 people and wounded 23 more before being captured by the Special Operations Group. The killing spree led to a national restriction on high capacity semiautomatic shotguns and rifles. The 28-year-old perpetrator was subsequently convicted and is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole in the psychiatric wing of Risdon Prison in Hobart, Tasmania.


title: Advocacy

text: Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes, including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research. Lobbying (often by lobby groups) is a form of advocacy where a direct approach is made to legislators on a specific issue or specific piece of legislation. Research has started to address how advocacy groups in the United States and Canada are using social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action.


title: Advocacy

text: There are several forms of advocacy, each representing a different approach in a way to initiate changes in the society. One of the most popular forms is social justice advocacy. Cohen, de la Vega, and Watson (2001) state that this definition does not encompass the notions of power relations, people's participation, and a vision of a just society as promoted by social justice advocates. For them, advocacy represents the series of actions taken and issues highlighted to change the “what is” into a “what should be”, considering that this “what should be” is a more decent and a more just society Those actions, which vary with the political, economic and social environment in which they are conducted, have several points in common. For instance, they:


title: Advocacy

text: Groups involved in advocacy work have been using the Internet to accomplish organizational goals. It has been argued that the Internet helps to increase the speed, reach and effectiveness of advocacy-related communication as well as mobilization efforts, suggesting that social media are beneficial to the advocacy community.


title: Advocacy

text: People advocate for a large number and variety of topics. Some of these are clear-cut social issues that are universally agreed to be problematic and worth solving, such as human trafficking. Others—such as abortion—are much more divisive and inspire strongly-held opinions on both sides. There may never be a consensus on this latter type of issues, but intense advocacy is likely to remain. In the United States, any issue of widespread debate and deeply-divided opinion can be referred to as a social issue. The Library of Congress has assembled an extensive list of social issues in the United States, ranging from vast ones like abortion to same-sex marriage to smaller ones like hacking and academic cheating.


title: Advocacy

text: Topics that appear to involve advancing a certain positive ideal are often known as causes. A particular cause may be very expansive in nature — for instance, increasing liberty or fixing a broken political system. For instance in 2008, U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama utilized such a meaning when he said, "this was the moment when we tore down barriers that have divided us for too long; when we rallied people of all parties and ages to a common cause." Change.org and Causes are two popular websites that allow people to organize around a common cause.


title: Advocacy

text: Topics upon which there is universal agreement that they need to be solved include, for example, human trafficking, poverty, water and sanitation as a human right.


title: Advocacy

text: "Social issues" as referred to in the United States also include topics (also known as "causes") intended by their advocates to advance certain ideals (such as equality) include: civil rights, LGBT rights, women's rights, environmentalism, and veganism.


title: Advocacy

text: Advocates and advocacy groups represent a wide range of categories and support several issues as listed on worldadvocacy.com. The Advocacy Institute, a US-based global organization, is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of political, social, and economic justice advocates to influence and change public policy.


title: Advocacy

text: The phenomenon of globalization draws a special attention to advocacy beyond countries’ borders. The core existence of networks such as World Advocacy or the Advocacy Institute demonstrates the increasing importance of transnational advocacy and international advocacy. Transnational advocacy networks are more likely to emerge around issues where external influence is necessary to ease the communication between internal groups and their own government. Groups of advocates willing to further their mission also tend to promote networks and to meet with their internal counterparts to exchange ideas.


title: Advocacy

text: Transnational advocacy is increasingly playing a role in advocacy for migrants rights, and migrant advocacy organizations have strategically called upon governments and international organizations for leverage.


title: Advocacy

text: Transnational advocates spend time with local interest groups in order to better understand their views and wishes.


title: Chinese painting

text: Chinese painting () is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as "guó huà" (), meaning "national painting" or "native painting", as opposed to Western styles of art which became popular in China in the 20th century. It is also called "danqing" (). Traditional painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black ink or coloured pigments; oils are not used. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made are paper and silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls, such as hanging scrolls or handscrolls. Traditional painting can also be done on album sheets, walls, lacquerware, folding screens, and other media.


title: Chinese painting

text: Landscape painting was regarded as the highest form of Chinese painting, and generally still is. The time from the Five Dynasties period to the Northern Song period (907–1127) is known as the "Great age of Chinese landscape". In the north, artists such as Jing Hao, Li Cheng, Fan Kuan, and Guo Xi painted pictures of towering mountains, using strong black lines, ink wash, and sharp, dotted brushstrokes to suggest rough stone. In the south, Dong Yuan, Juran, and other artists painted the rolling hills and rivers of their native countryside in peaceful scenes done with softer, rubbed brushwork. These two kinds of scenes and techniques became the classical styles of Chinese landscape painting.


title: Chinese painting

text: Chinese painting and calligraphy distinguish themselves from other cultures' arts by emphasis on motion and change with dynamic life. The practice is traditionally first learned by rote, in which the master shows the "right way" to draw items. The apprentice must copy these items strictly and continuously until the movements become instinctive. In contemporary times, debate emerged on the limits of this copyist tradition within modern art scenes where innovation is the rule. Changing lifestyles, tools, and colors are also influencing new waves of masters.


title: Chinese painting

text: The earliest paintings were not representational but ornamental; they consisted of patterns or designs rather than pictures. Early pottery was painted with spirals, zigzags, dots, or animals. It was only during the Eastern Zhou (770–256 BC) that artists began to represent the world around them. In imperial times (beginning with the Eastern Jin dynasty), painting and calligraphy in China were among the most highly appreciated arts in the court and they were often practiced by amateurs—aristocrats and scholar-officials—who had the leisure time necessary to perfect the technique and sensibility necessary for great brushwork. Calligraphy and painting were thought to be the purest forms of art. The implements were the brush pen made of animal hair, and black inks made from pine soot and animal glue. In ancient times, writing, as well as painting, was done on silk. However, after the invention of paper in the 1st century AD, silk was gradually replaced by the new and cheaper material. Original writings by famous calligraphers have been greatly valued throughout China's history and are mounted on scrolls and hung on walls in the same way that paintings are.


title: Chinese painting

text: Artists from the Han (206 BC – 220 AD) to the Tang (618–906) dynasties mainly painted the human figure. Much of what we know of early Chinese figure painting comes from burial sites, where paintings were preserved on silk banners, lacquered objects, and tomb walls. Many early tomb paintings were meant to protect the dead or help their souls to get to paradise. Others illustrated the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius or showed scenes of daily life.


title: Chinese painting

text: During the Six Dynasties period (220–589), people began to appreciate painting for its own beauty and to write about art. From this time we begin to learn about individual artists, such as Gu Kaizhi. Even when these artists illustrated Confucian moral themes – such as the proper behavior of a wife to her husband or of children to their parents – they tried to make the figures graceful.


title: Chinese painting

text: The "Six principles of Chinese painting" were established by Xie He, a writer, art historian and critic in 5th century China, in "Six points to consider when judging a painting" (繪畫六法, Pinyin: Huìhuà Liùfǎ), taken from the preface to his book "The Record of the Classification of Old Painters" (古畫品錄; Pinyin: Gǔhuà Pǐnlù). Keep in mind that this was written circa 550 CE and refers to "old" and "ancient" practices. The six elements that define a painting are:


title: Chinese painting

text: During the Tang dynasty, figure painting flourished at the royal court. Artists such as Zhou Fang depicted the splendor of court life in paintings of emperors, palace ladies, and imperial horses. Figure painting reached the height of elegant realism in the art of the court of Southern Tang (937–975).


title: Chinese painting

text: Most of the Tang artists outlined figures with fine black lines and used brilliant color and elaborate detail. However, one Tang artist, the master Wu Daozi, used only black ink and freely painted brushstrokes to create ink paintings that were so exciting that crowds gathered to watch him work. From his time on, ink paintings were no longer thought to be preliminary sketches or outlines to be filled in with color. Instead, they were valued as finished works of art.


title: Chinese painting

text: Beginning in the Tang Dynasty, many paintings were landscapes, often "shanshui" (山水, "mountain water") paintings. In these landscapes, monochromatic and sparse (a style that is collectively called "shuimohua"), the purpose was not to reproduce the appearance of nature exactly (realism) but rather to grasp an emotion or atmosphere, as if catching the "rhythm" of nature.


title: Chinese painting

text: Painting during the Song dynasty (960–1279) reached a further development of landscape painting; immeasurable distances were conveyed through the use of blurred outlines, mountain contours disappearing into the mist, and impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. The "shan shui" style painting—"shan" meaning mountain, and "shui" meaning river—became prominent in Chinese landscape art. The emphasis laid upon landscape was grounded in Chinese philosophy; Taoism stressed that humans were but tiny specks in the vast and greater cosmos, while Neo-Confucianist writers often pursued the discovery of patterns and principles that they believed caused all social and natural phenomena. The painting of portraits and closely viewed objects like birds on branches were held in high esteem, but landscape painting was paramount. By the beginning of the Song Dynasty a distinctive landscape style had emerged. Artists mastered the formula of intricate and realistic scenes placed in the foreground, while the background retained qualities of vast and infinite space. Distant mountain peaks rise out of high clouds and mist, while streaming rivers run from afar into the foreground.


title: Chinese painting

text: There was a significant difference in painting trends between the Northern Song period (960–1127) and Southern Song period (1127–1279). The paintings of Northern Song officials were influenced by their political ideals of bringing order to the world and tackling the largest issues affecting the whole of society; their paintings often depicted huge, sweeping landscapes. On the other hand, Southern Song officials were more interested in reforming society from the bottom up and on a much smaller scale, a method they believed had a better chance for eventual success; their paintings often focused on smaller, visually closer, and more intimate scenes, while the background was often depicted as bereft of detail as a realm without concern for the artist or viewer. This change in attitude from one era to the next stemmed largely from the rising influence of Neo-Confucian philosophy. Adherents to Neo-Confucianism focused on reforming society from the bottom up, not the top down, which can be seen in their efforts to promote small private academies during the Southern Song instead of the large state-controlled academies seen in the Northern Song era.


title: Chinese painting

text: Ever since the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589), painting had become an art of high sophistication that was associated with the gentry class as one of their main artistic pastimes, the others being calligraphy and poetry. During the Song Dynasty there were avid art collectors that would often meet in groups to discuss their own paintings, as well as rate those of their colleagues and friends. The poet and statesman Su Shi (1037–1101) and his accomplice Mi Fu (1051–1107) often partook in these affairs, borrowing art pieces to study and copy, or if they really admired a piece then an exchange was often proposed. They created a new kind of art based upon the three perfections in which they used their skills in calligraphy (the art of beautiful writing) to make ink paintings. From their time onward, many painters strove to freely express their feelings and to capture the inner spirit of their subject instead of describing its outward appearance. The small round paintings popular in the Southern Song were often collected into albums as poets would write poems along the side to match the theme and mood of the painting.


title: Chinese painting

text: Although they were avid art collectors, some Song scholars did not readily appreciate artworks commissioned by those painters found at shops or common marketplaces, and some of the scholars even criticized artists from renowned schools and academies. Anthony J. Barbieri-Low, a Professor of Early Chinese History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, points out that Song scholars' appreciation of art created by their peers was not extended to those who made a living simply as professional artists:


title: Chinese painting

text: During the Northern Song (960–1126 CE), a new class of scholar-artists emerged who did not possess the tromp l'œil skills of the academy painters nor even the proficiency of common marketplace painters. The literati's painting was simpler and at times quite unschooled, yet they would criticize these other two groups as mere professionals, since they relied on paid commissions for their livelihood and did not paint merely for enjoyment or self-expression. The scholar-artists considered that painters who concentrated on realistic depictions, who employed a colorful palette, or, worst of all, who accepted monetary payment for their work were no better than butchers or tinkers in the marketplace. They were not to be considered real artists.


title: Chinese painting

text: However, during the Song period, there were many acclaimed court painters and they were highly esteemed by emperors and the royal family. One of the greatest landscape painters given patronage by the Song court was Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145), who painted the original "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scroll, one of the most well-known masterpieces of Chinese visual art. Emperor Gaozong of Song (1127–1162) once commissioned an art project of numerous paintings for the "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute", based on the woman poet Cai Wenji (177–250 AD) of the earlier Han dynasty. Yi Yuanji achieved a high degree of realism painting animals, in particular monkeys and gibbons. During the Southern Song period (1127–1279), court painters such as Ma Yuan and Xia Gui used strong black brushstrokes to sketch trees and rocks and pale washes to suggest misty space.


title: Chinese painting

text: During the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), painters joined the arts of painting, poetry, and calligraphy by inscribing poems on their paintings. These three arts worked together to express the artist's feelings more completely than one art could do alone. Yuan emperor Tugh Temur (r. 1328, 1329–1332) was fond of Chinese painting and became a creditable painter himself.


title: Chinese painting

text: Beginning in the 13th century, the tradition of painting simple subjects—a branch with fruit, a few flowers, or one or two horses—developed. Narrative painting, with a wider color range and a much busier composition than Song paintings, was immensely popular during the Ming period (1368–1644).


title: Chinese painting

text: The first books illustrated with colored woodcuts appeared around this time; as color-printing techniques were perfected, illustrated manuals on the art of painting began to be published. "Jieziyuan Huazhuan (Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden)", a five-volume work first published in 1679, has been in use as a technical textbook for artists and students ever since.


title: Chinese painting

text: Some painters of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) continued the traditions of the Yuan scholar-painters. This group of painters, known as the Wu School, was led by the artist Shen Zhou. Another group of painters, known as the Zhe School, revived and transformed the styles of the Song court.


title: Chinese painting

text: During the early Qing dynasty (1644–1911), painters known as Individualists rebelled against many of the traditional rules of painting and found ways to express themselves more directly through free brushwork. In the 18th and 19th centuries, great commercial cities such as Yangzhou and Shanghai became art centers where wealthy merchant-patrons encouraged artists to produce bold new works. However, similar to the phenomenon of key lineages producing, many well-known artists came from established artistic families. Such families were concentrated in the Jiangnan region and produced painters such as Ma Quan, Jiang Tingxi, and Yun Zhu.


title: Chinese painting

text: It was also during this period when Chinese trade painters emerged. Taking advantage of British and other European traders in popular port cities such as Canton, these artists created works in the Western style particularly for Western traders. Known as Chinese export paintings, the trade thrived throughout the Qing Dynasty.


title: Chinese painting

text: In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Chinese painters were increasingly exposed to Western art. Some artists who studied in Europe rejected Chinese painting; others tried to combine the best of both traditions. Among the most beloved modern painters was Qi Baishi, who began life as a poor peasant and became a great master. His best-known works depict flowers and small animals.


title: Chinese painting

text: Beginning with the New Culture Movement, Chinese artists started to adopt using Western techniques. Prominent Chinese artists who studied Western painting include Li Tiefu, Yan Wenliang, Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Fang Ganmin and Liu Haisu.


title: Chinese painting

text: In the early years of the People's Republic of China, artists were encouraged to employ socialist realism. Some Soviet Union socialist realism was imported without modification, and painters were assigned subjects and expected to mass-produce paintings. This regimen was considerably relaxed in 1953, and after the Hundred Flowers Campaign of 1956–57, traditional Chinese painting experienced a significant revival. Along with these developments in professional art circles, there was a proliferation of peasant art depicting everyday life in the rural areas on wall murals and in open-air painting exhibitions.


title: Chinese painting

text: During the Cultural Revolution, art schools were closed, and publication of art journals and major art exhibitions ceased. Major destruction was also carried out as part of the elimination of Four Olds campaign.


title: Chinese painting

text: Following the Cultural Revolution, art schools and professional organizations were reinstated. Exchanges were set up with groups of foreign artists, and Chinese artists began to experiment with new subjects and techniques.


title: Chinese painting

text: One particular case of freehand style (xieyi hua) may be noted in the work of the child prodigy Wang Yani (born 1975) who started painting at age 3 and has since considerably contributed to the exercise of the style in contemporary artwork.


title: Chinese painting

text: After Chinese economic reform, more and more artists boldly conducted innovations in Chinese Painting. The innovations include: development of new brushing skill such as vertical direction splash water and ink, with representative artist Tiancheng Xie, creation of new style by integration traditional Chinese and Western painting techniques such as Heaven Style Painting, with representative artist Shaoqiang Chen, and new styles that express contemporary theme and typical nature scene of certain regions such as Lijiang Painting Style, with representative artist Gesheng Huang. A 2008 set of paintings by Cai Jin, most well known for her use of psychedelic colors, showed influences of both Western and traditional Chinese sources, though the paintings were organic abstractions.


title: Chinese painting

text: Chinese painting continues to play an essential role in Chinese cultural expression. Starting mid-twentieth century, artists begin to combine traditional Chinese painting techniques with Western art styles, leading to the style of new contemporary Chinese art. One of the representative artists is Wei Dong who drew inspirations from eastern and western sources to express national pride and arrive at personal actualization.


title: Chinese painting

text: As the landscape painting rose and became the dominant style in North Song dynasty, artists began to shift their attention from jiehua painting, which indicates paintings of Chinese architectural objects such as buildings, boats, wheels and vehicles, towards landscape paintings. Intertwining with the imperial landscape painting, water mill, an element of jiehua painting, though, is still used as an imperial symbol. Water mill depicted in the "Water Mill" is a representation for the revolution of technology, economy, science, mechanical engineering and transportation in Song dynasty. It represents the government directly participate in the milling industry which can influence commercial activities. Another evidence that shows the government interfered with the commercial is a wineshop that appears beside the water mill. The water mill in "Shanghai Scroll" reflects the development in engineering and growing knowledge in hydrology. Furthermore, a water mill can also be used to identify a painting and used as a literature metaphor. Lately, the water mill transform into a symbolic form representing the imperial court.


title: Chinese painting

text: "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" by Wang Ximeng, celebrates the imperial patronage and builds up a bridge that ties the later emperors, Huizong, Shenzong with their ancestors, Taizu and Taizong. The water mill in this painting, unlike that is painted in previous Shanghai scroll to be solid and weighted, it is painted to be ambiguous and vague to match up with the court taste of that time. The painting reflects a slow pace and peaceful idyllic style of living. Located deeply in a village, the water mill is driven by the force of a huge, vertical waterwheel which is powered by a sluice gate. The artist seems to be ignorance towards hydraulic engineering since he only roughly drew out the mechanism of the whole process. "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"painted by Wang Ximeng, a court artist taught directly by Huizong himself. Thus, the artwork "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"should directly review the taste of the imperial taste of the landscape painting. Combining richness bright blue and turquoise pigments heritage from Tang dynasty with the vastness and solemn space and mountains from Northern Song, the scroll is a perfect representation of imperial power and aesthetic taste of the aristocrats.


title: Chinese painting

text: There is a long tradition of having hidden meaning behind certain objects in Chinese paintings. A fan painting by an unknown artist from North Song period depicts three gibbons capturing baby egrets and scaring the parents away. The rebus behind this scene is interpreted as celebrating the examination success. Since another painting which has similar subjects—gibbons and egrets, is given the title of San yuan de lu三猿得鹭, or Three gibbons catching egrets. As the rebus, the sound of the title can also be written as 三元得路, meaning “a triple first gains [one] power.” 元represents “first” replaces its homophonous 猿, and 路means road, replaces 鹭. Sanyuan is firstly recorded as a term referring to people getting triple first place in an exam in Qingsuo gaoyi by a Liu Fu, and the usage of this new term gradually spread across the country where the scenery of gibbons and egrets is widely accepted. Lately, other scenery derived from the original paintings, including deer in the scene because in Chinese, deer, lu is also a homophonous of egrets. Moreover, the number of gibbons depicted in the painting can be flexible, not only limited to three, sanyuan. Since the positions in Song courts are held by elites who achieved jinshi degree, the paintings with gibbons, egrets or deer are used for praising those elites in general.


title: Chinese painting

text: Emperor Huizong personally painted a painting called "Birds in a blossom wax-plum tree", features with two “hoary headed birds,” “Baitou weng” resting on a tree branch together. “Baitou” in Chinese culture is allusion to faithful love and marriage. In a well-known love poem, it wrote: “I wish for a lover in whose heart I alone exist, unseparated even our heads turn hoary.” During Huizong's rule, literati rebus is embedded in court painting academy and became part of the test routine to enter the imperial court. During Song dynasty, the connection between painters and literati, paintings and poem is closer.