title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The first European landfall happened in southern Alaska in 1741 during the Russian exploration by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov. In 1725, Tsar Peter the Great called for another expedition. As a part of the 1733–1743 Second Kamchatka expedition, the "Sv. Petr" under the Dane Vitus Bering and the "Sv. Pavel" under the Russian Alexei Chirikov set sail from the Kamchatkan port of Petropavlovsk in June 1741. They were soon separated, but each continued sailing east. On 15 July, Chirikov sighted land, probably the west side of Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska. He sent a group of men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to land on the northwestern coast of North America. On roughly 16 July, Bering and the crew of "Sv. Petr" sighted Mount Saint Elias on the Alaskan mainland; they turned westward toward Russia soon afterward. Meanwhile, Chirikov and the "Sv. Pavel" headed back to Russia in October with news of the land they had found.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Due to the distance from central authority in St. Petersburg, and combined with the difficult geography and lack of adequate resources, the next state-sponsored expedition would wait more than two decades until 1766, when captains Pyotr Krenitsyn and Mikhail Levashov embarked for the Aleutian Islands, eventually reaching their destination after initially been wrecked on Bering Island. There Bering fell ill and died, and high winds dashed the "Sv. Petr" to pieces. After the stranded crew wintered on the island, the survivors built a boat from the wreckage and set sail for Russia in August 1742. Bering's crew reached the shore of Kamchatka in 1742, carrying word of the expedition. The high quality of the sea-otter pelts they brought sparked Russian settlement in Alaska.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Imperial Russia was unique among European empires for having no state sponsorship of foreign expeditions or territorial (conquest) settlement. The first state-protected trading company for sponsoring such activities in the Americas was the Shelikhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelikhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov. A number of other companies were operating in Russian America during the 1780s. Shelikhov petitioned the government for exclusive control, but in 1788 Catherine II decided to grant his company a monopoly only over the area it had already occupied. Other traders were free to compete elsewhere. Catherine's decision was issued as the imperial "ukase" (proclamation) of September 28, 1788.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The Shelikhov-Golikov Company formed the basis for the Russian-American Company (RAC). Its charter was laid out in a 1799, by the new Tsar Paul I, which granted the company monopolistic control over trade in the Aleutian Islands and the North America mainland, south to 55° north latitude. The RAC was Russia's first joint stock company, and came under the direct authority of the Ministry of Commerce of Imperial Russia. Siberian merchants based in Irkutsk were initial major stockholders, but soon replaced by Russia's nobility and aristocracy based in Saint Petersburg. The company constructed settlements in what is today Alaska, Hawaii, and California.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The first Russian colony in Alaska was founded in 1784 by Grigory Shelikhov. Subsequently, Russian explorers and settlers continued to establish trading posts in mainland Alaska, on the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, and Northern California.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The Russian-American Company was formed in 1799 with the influence of Nikolay Rezanov for the purpose of hunting sea otters for their fur. The peak population of the Russian colonies was about 4,000 although almost all of these were Aleuts, Tlingits and other Native Alaskans. The number of Russians rarely exceeded 500 at any one time.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: By 1818 Fort Ross had a population of 128, consisting of 26 Russians and of 102 Native Americans. The Russians maintained it until 1841, when they left the region. Fort Ross is a Federal National Historical Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It is preserved—restored in California's Fort Ross State Historic Park, about northwest of San Francisco.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Spanish concern about Russian colonial intrusion prompted the authorities in New Spain to initiate the upper Las Californias Province settlement, with presidios (forts), pueblos (towns), and the California missions. After declaring their independence in 1821 the Mexicans also asserted themselves in opposition to the Russians: the Mission San Francisco de Solano (Sonoma Mission-1823) specifically responded to the presence of the Russians at Fort Ross; and Mexico established the El Presidio Real de Sonoma or "Sonoma Barracks" in 1836, with General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo as the 'Commandant of the Northern Frontier' of the Alta California Province. The fort was the northernmost Mexican outpost to halt any further Russian settlement southward. The restored Presidio and mission are in the present day city of Sonoma, California.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: In 1920 a one-hundred-pound bronze church bell was unearthed in an orange grove near Mission San Fernando Rey de España in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. It has an inscription in the Russian language (translated here): "In the Year 1796, in the month of January, this bell was cast on the Island of Kodiak by the blessing of Juvenaly of Alaska, during the sojourn of Alexander Andreyevich Baranov." How this Russian Orthodox Kodiak church artifact from Kodiak Island in Alaska arrived at a Roman Catholic Mission Church in Southern California remains unknown.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: At Three Saints Bay, Shelekov built a school to teach the natives to read and write Russian, and introduced the first resident missionaries and clergymen who spread the Russian Orthodox faith. This faith (with its liturgies and texts, translated into Aleut at a very early stage) had been informally introduced, in the 1740s–1780s. Some fur traders founded local families or symbolically adopted Aleut trade partners as godchildren to gain their loyalty through this special personal bond. The missionaries soon opposed the exploitation of the indigenous populations, and their reports provide evidence of the violence exercised to establish colonial rule in this period.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The RAC's monopoly was continued by Emperor Alexander I in 1821, on the condition that the company would financially support missionary efforts. Company board ordered chief manager Etholén to build a residency in New Archangel for bishop Veniaminov When a Lutheran church was planned for the Finnish population of New Archangel, Veniamiov prohibited any Lutheran priests from proselytizing to neighboring Tlingits. Veniamiov faced difficulties in exercising influence over the Tlingit people outside New Archangel, due to their political independence from the RAC leaving them less receptive to Russian cultural influences than Aleuts. A smallpox epidemic spread throughout Alaska in 1835-1837 and the medical aid given by Veniamiov created converts to Orthodoxy.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Inspired by the same pastoral theology as Bartolomé de las Casas or St. Francis Xavier, the origins of which come from early Christianity's need to adapt to the cultures of Antiquity, missionaries in Russian America applied a strategy that placed value on local cultures and encouraged indigenous leadership in parish life and missionary activity. When compared to later Protestant missionaries, the Orthodox policies "in retrospect proved to be relatively sensitive to indigenous Alaskan cultures." This cultural policy was originally intended to gain the loyalty of the indigenous populations by establishing the authority of Church and State as protectors of over 10,000 inhabitants of Russian America. (The number of ethnic Russian settlers had always been less than the record 812, almost all concentrated in Sitka and Kodiak).


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Difficulties arose in training Russian priests to attain fluency in any of the various Alaskan Indigenous languages. To redress this, Veniaminov opened a seminary for mixed race and native candidates for the Church in 1845. Promising students were sent to additional schools in either Saint Petersburg or Irkutsk, the later city becoming the original seminary's new location in 1858. The Holy Synod instructed for the opening of four missionary schools in 1841, to be located in Amlia, Chiniak, Kenai, Nushagak. Veniamiov established the curriculum, which included Russian history, literacy, mathematics and religious studies.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: A side effect of the missionary strategy was the development of a new and autonomous form of indigenous identity. Many native traditions survived within local "Russian" Orthodox tradition and in the religious life of the villages. Part of this modern indigenous identity is an alphabet and the basis for written literature in nearly all of the ethnic-linguistic groups in the Southern half of Alaska. Father Ivan Veniaminov (later St. Innocent of Alaska), famous throughout Russian America, developed an Aleut dictionary for hundreds of language and dialect words based on the Russian alphabet.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The most visible trace of the Russian colonial period in contemporary Alaska is the nearly 90 Russian Orthodox parishes with a membership of over 20,000 men, women, and children, almost exclusively indigenous people. These include several Athabascan groups of the interior, very large Yup'ik communities, and quite nearly all of the Aleut and Alutiiq populations. Among the few Tlingit Orthodox parishes, the large group in Juneau adopted Orthodox Christianity only after the Russian colonial period, in an area where there had been no Russian settlers nor missionaries. The widespread and continuing local Russian Orthodox practices are likely the result of the syncretism of local beliefs with Christianity.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: In contrast, the Spanish Roman Catholic colonial intentions, methods, and consequences in California and the Southwest were the product of the Laws of Burgos and the Indian Reductions of conversions and relocations to missions; while more force and coercion was used, the indigenous peoples likewise created a kind of Christianity that reflected many of their traditions.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Observers noted that while their religious ties were tenuous, before the sale of Alaska there were 400 native converts to Orthodoxy in New Archangel. Tlingit practitioners declined in number after the lapse of Russian rule, until there were only 117 practitioners in 1882 residing in the place, by then renamed as Sitka.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: By the 1860s, the Russian government was ready to abandon its Russian America colony. Zealous over-hunting had severely reduced the fur-bearing animal population, and competition from the British and Americans exacerbated the situation. This, combined with the difficulties of supplying and protecting such a distant colony, reduced interest in the territory. In addition, Russia was in a difficult financial position and feared losing Russian Alaska without compensation in some future conflict, especially to the British. The Russians believed that in a dispute with Britain, their hard-to-defend region might become a prime target for British aggression from British Columbia, and would be easily captured. So following the Union victory in the American Civil War, Tsar Alexander II instructed the Russian minister to the United States, Eduard de Stoeckl, to enter into negotiations with the United States Secretary of State William H. Seward in the beginning of March 1867. At the instigation of Seward the United States Senate approved the purchase, known as the Alaska Purchase, from the Russian Empire. The cost was set at 2 cents an acre, which came to a total of $7,200,000 on 9 April 1867. The canceled check is in the present day United States National Archives.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: After Russian America was sold to the U.S. in 1867, for $7.2 million (2 cents per acre, ), all the holdings of the Russian–American Company were liquidated.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: Following the transfer, many elders of the local Tlingit tribe maintained that "Castle Hill" comprised the only land that Russia was entitled to sell. Other indigenous groups also argued that they had never given up their land; the Americans encroached on it and took it over. Native land claims were not fully addressed until the latter half of the 20th century, with the signing by Congress and leaders of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: At the height of Russian America, the Russian population had reached 700, compared to 40,000 Aleuts. They and the Creoles, who had been guaranteed the privileges of citizens in the United States, were given the opportunity of becoming citizens within a three-year period, but few decided to exercise that option. General Jefferson C. Davis ordered the Russians out of their homes in Sitka, maintaining that the dwellings were needed for the Americans. The Russians complained of rowdiness of the American troops and assaults. Many Russians returned to Russia, while others migrated to the Pacific Northwest and California.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: The Soviet Union (USSR) released a series of commemorative coins in 1990 and 1991 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the first sighting of and claiming domain over Alaska–Russian America. The commemoration consisted of a silver coin, a platinum coin and two palladium coins in both years.


title: Russian colonization of North America

text: At the beginning of the 21st century, a resurgence of Russian ultra nationalism has spurred regret and recrimination over the sale of Alaska to the United States. There are periodic mass media stories in the Russian Federation that Alaska was not sold to the United States in the 1867 Alaska Purchase, but only leased for 99 years (= to 1966), or 150 years (= to 2017)—and will be returned to Russia. However, the Alaska Purchase Treaty is absolutely clear that the agreement was for a complete Russian cession of the territory.


title: Industry (economics)

text: In macroeconomics, an industry is a branch of an economy that produces a closely-related set of raw materials, goods, or services. For example, one might refer to the wood industry or to the insurance industry.


title: Industry (economics)

text: When evaluating a single group or company, its dominant source of revenue is typically used by industry classifications to classify it within a specific industry. For example the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) – used directly or through derived classifications for the official statistics of most countries worldwide – classifies "statistical units" by the "economic activity in which they mainly engage". Industry is then defined as "set of statistical units that are classified into the same ISIC category". However, a single business need not belong just to one industry, such as when a large business (often referred to as a conglomerate) diversifies across separate industries.


title: Industry (economics)

text: Industries, though associated with specific products, processes, and consumer markets, can evolve over time. One distinct industry (for example, barrelmaking) may become limited to a tiny niche market and get mostly re-classified into another industry using new techniques. At the same time, entirely new industries may branch off from older ones once a significant market becomes apparent (as the semiconductor industry became distinguished from the wider electronics industry).


title: Industry (economics)

text: Industry classification is valuable for economic analysis because it leads to largely distinct categories with simple relationships. However, more complex cases, such as otherwise different processes yielding similar products, require an element of standardization and prevent any one schema from fitting all possible uses.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: , often abbreviated , is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by and released for the PC on August 28, 2009 (first press version) as a DVD and on October 30, 2009 (regular version) as two DVDs. An English translation of the PC version was made by JAST USA and was to be available in 2019, but was delayed to be released on December 25, 2020, first as a digital game, with the physical Collector's Edition released in February 2021.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: A sequel entitled "Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!! S" was released in 2012, and a series of five fandiscs called "Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!! A" were released throughout 2013.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: A manga adaptation has been publishing in "Comp Ace" since May 2010 and an anime television series adaptation animated by Lerche aired from October to December 2011. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime series for North America under the title Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls for streaming, and for home video release in 2012. MVM films has licensed the series in the UK for release in 2013.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A healthy fighting spirit is always valued and it is even an important factor for success at school. Our hero Yamato, a second year student from Kawakami Academy, is always with his close friends (three boys and three girls). They have all known each other since they were young and have done many things together. While they have many other friends, this group of seven is a close-knit, inseparable group. They even have a secret base where they meet. With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things begin to change.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: An anime television series adaptation was announced on January 18, 2011. The series was animated by Lerche, directed by Keitaro Motonaga, and the scripts are by Katsuhiko Takayama. The anime aired on AT-X from October 1 to December 18, 2011. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America. The series was simulcasted through the Anime Network as well as being streamed on Hulu, then released on home video in 2012. the anime has one opening theme and ending theme. The opening theme is 'U-n-d-e-r-STANDING' by SV TRIBE, while the ending theme is 'Kimi no Maji o Chōdai'.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: "Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!" topped the Getchu Annual Sales Ranking for PC games in 2009, and was ranked highly by user votes, coming in 2nd place overall, 9th in System, 10th in Music, and 6th in Movie (referring to the opening and ending animations) among games from that year.


title: Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

text: The sequel, "Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! S", was awarded the Silver Grand Prize in the 2012 Moe Game Awards.


title: Papakha

text: Papakha (; , ; ; ; , ; ) is a wool hat worn by men throughout the Caucasus and also in uniformed regiments in the region and beyond. The word "papakha" is of Turkic origin ("papakh)".


title: Papakha

text: There are two different Caucasian papakhas. One, called a "papaha", is a high fur hat, usually made of karakul sheepskin. The hat has the general appearance of a cylinder with one open end and is set upon the head in such a way as to have the brim touch the temples. Some examples have ear-flaps which can be folded up when not in use. The other style is called a "kubanka", and is similar to the papaha, but shorter and without ear-flaps.


title: Papakha

text: Papaqs are very important to mountainous peoples’ of the Caucasus, where a man's hat is considered a very important part of his identity. Papakhi are donned by the Circassians, Chechens, Dagestanis, Ingush and other Caucasian tribes. Papakhas are also donned in Georgia mostly worn in mountainous regions of Pshavi, Khevi, Mtiuleti, and Tusheti. In 1855, after the campaigns in the Caucasus Mountains, the Papakha was introduced in the Russian army as an official part of the uniform for the Cossacks, and later for the rest of the cavalry. Papaq is also very common in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as among the Uyghurs.


title: Papakha

text: Shortly after the Russian Revolution of 1917, papakhas were removed from the new Red Army uniform because of their association with the old Tsarist regime and the fact that many Cossack regiments of the Tsarist army fought against the Bolsheviks. During the Russian Civil War, many Bolshevik cavalrymen and officers (like Vasily Chapayev) wore papakhas or kubankas because many of them were cossacks and the hat had been part of the cavalryman's uniform.


title: Papakha

text: Papakhas became part of the uniform again in 1935, but in 1941, were reserved exclusively for full colonels, generals and marshals, thus becoming a symbol of status and high rank. Much later, during Andrei Grechko's tenure as a Defence Minister, the Navy followed suit, introducing their own distinct version resembling a smallish "kubanka" with a visor, which was nicknamed "шапка с ручкой" ("the hat with a handle") by the troops.


title: Papakha

text: In 1994, they were once again removed from military use. Allegedly this was by request of the wearers, who found the hat inefficient. (As the papakha is a relatively short hat that does not protect the ears well, it might be well suited to the mild climate of the Caucasus, but not to lower temperatures elsewhere. The act of removing the papakhas was seen in some quarters as an attempt by the Boris Yeltsin regime to abandon earlier Soviet traditions and symbolically demonstrate the country's commitment to a new political course. In 2005 however, papakhas were reinstated.


title: Papakha

text: The Papakha's heritage comes from Central Asia and the Caucasus and is worn across the entire region, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and North Caucasus, as well as Russia and Ukraine.


title: Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump

text: Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork, which depicts a boy with a dog, is among the most expensive paintings ever purchased. It was purchased for over $100 million in 2020, becoming Basquiat's second most expensive painting following "Untitled" (1982), which was sold for $110.5 million in 2017.


title: Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump

text: "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" was executed by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982, which is considered his landmark year. Reflecting on that period in an interview with "The New York Times" in 1985, Basquiat said: "I had some money, I made the best paintings ever." Measuring at nearly 14 feet wide and 8 feet high, the painting depicts a skeletal black boy and dog painted in similar style. They're center of the canvas in the spray of an open fire hydrant. A johnny pump is a New York slang term for a fire hydrant that is open in the summer for kids to play in the water. The warm colors suggest a "blazing hot summer landscape."


title: Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump

text: In June 2020, it was reported that American businessman and art collector Ken Griffin purchased the painting for more than $100 million from American businessman and art collector Peter Brant. Brant's Basquiat collection was exhibited in 2019 at the Brant Foundation in New York. The sale was reportedly finalized before the COVID-19 pandemic earlier that year. A spokesman for Citadel, Griffin's investment firm, released a statement that "the vast majority of Ken's art collection is on display at museums for the public to enjoy. He intends to share this piece as well."


title: Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump

text: Ken Griffin, who is a trustee and financial benefactor of the Art Institute of Chicago, loaned "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" to the museum in July 2020.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen. She was the second female sovereign in recorded East Asian history and encouraged a renaissance in thought, literature, and the arts in Silla.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In Samguksagi, Queen Seondeok was described as "generous, benevolent, wise, and smart". According to the Legend of Jigwi, she was even beautiful.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Born Princess Deokman (), Seondeok was the daughter of King Jinpyeong and Queen Maya of Silla. She had two siblings, Princess Cheonmyeong and Princess Seonhwa (although Seonhwa's existence is controversial due to the discovery of evidence in 2009 that points to King Uija's mother as being Queen Sataek and not Seonhwa as indicated by historical records). It is uncertain whether she or Cheonmyeong was the first born, although it is widely believed that Princess Cheonmyeong was older than her.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Because King Jinpyeong had no son whom he could pass the crown to, he began to consider his son-in-law, Kim Yongsu (husband of Princess Cheonmyeong) as his successor - after recognizing his achievements for the country. When Princess Deokman heard of it, she made a plea to her father, asking him to give her a chance to compete for the throne, insisting that she too has the right to compete for the throne as much as Kim Yongsu has. Seeing her determination, the King gave her the chance to prove herself worthy of the throne. Although it was not unusual for women to wield power in Silla (Queen Sado also served as a regent for King Jinpyeong), the thought of having a female ruler sitting on the throne was still unacceptable for most of them. Therefore, Princess Deokman had to prove herself in order to gain the trust and support of her people. Eventually, she succeeded, and was named as King Jinpyeong's successor – a decision that was not accepted by everyone, and as a result; some officials planned an uprising in order to stop her from being crowned. On May of 631, Ichan Chilsuk (이찬 칠숙) and Achan Seokpum () planned a rebellion. But, their plan was discovered and suppressed early on. As punishment, Chilsuk was beheaded in the market place along with his entire family. Seokpum was able to escape and ran to the Baekje border. However, he missed his wife and decided to return after exchanging clothes with a woodcutter. Upon his return, he was arrested by soldiers waiting for him at his home, and was later executed.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In January 632, Queen Seondeok became the first queen regnant of Silla. As a ruler, Queen Seondeok's primary concern was the livelihood of her people. Right after she was crowned, she appeased her people by telling them what her policies would be. She sent royal inspectors throughout the kingdom to improve the care of widows, widowers, orphans, the poor, and the elderly. During that same year, she sent a diplomat to pay tribute to the Emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, and inform him about Silla's new ruler. However, Emperor Taizong of Tang refused to acknowledge Seondeok as a ruler because she was a woman.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In the second year of Queen Seondeok's reign, Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observatory, was built to help the farmers. She also announced a whole year of tax exemption for the peasants and reduced the tax for the middle class, through this act of kindness, the queen won the people's support and her position was strengthened against the opposition of the male aristocracy. In June of the same year, Queen Seondeok sent a diplomat to pay tribute to the Tang Emperor again; however, Emperor Taizong still refused to acknowledge her as a ruler.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: According to Samguk Sagi, in March, 636, the queen became ill and no amount of prayers and medicine worked. In March, 638, a large stone on the south side of the mountain moved on its own, and seven months later, Goguryeo attacked the mountain valley. The next year, the sea water on the eastern part of the Silla kingdom turned red, which caused all of the fish living in it to die. These events made the people anxious, and some of them considered them as bad omens portending the Silla kingdom's downfall.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In 642, Uija of Baekje personally led a campaign against Silla, and conquered 40 fortresses in the western part of Silla. General Yunchung conquered the strategically important Daeya Fortress with 10,000 men and executed the daughter and son-in-law of Kim Chunchu. In 643, Baekje and Goguryeo conquered Danghang Fortress, blocking an important sea route to the Tang dynasty. Because of this, Queen Seondeok sent a diplomat to the Emperor of Tang and asked for assistance. The Emperor gave her three proposals. First, he would attack the Liaodong Peninsula and carry out a naval campaign on the west to occupy the Baekje. Second, the emperor would provide thousands of Tang uniforms and army flags in order to help Silla soldiers disguise themselves as Chinese troops. Third, he would send a male royal of Tang descent to serve as a new king of Silla, as, according to him, Silla faced constant threat because their enemies did not fear them due to their having a female ruler. The diplomat returned to Silla, unable to tell the Queen of the proposals that the Tang Emperor had offered.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: At that point of crisis, Queen Seondeok sent for the well known Buddhist monk, Jajang, who had been studying under the great Buddhist masters of the Tang Dynasty for seven years. Monk Jajang returned to Silla in 643. He advised the queen and her counselors to build the great nine-story pagoda for the dual purpose of blocking foreign invasions and calming her people. After careful consideration, the queen decided to accept Jajang's proposal, seeing it as necessary to overcome the crisis that they were facing at that time. However, during her meeting with her royal subjects, she learned that they were strongly against it due to concern for the state of the royal treasury, knowing that the construction of the pagoda would bring a heavy tax burden on her people. But the queen still decided to continue with the plan with the firm belief that a work of religious devotion would bring her people together and show her people that Silla was still far from ruin. She told her royal subjects to "tear down her palace and use its bricks and timbers, if they think they lack the funds". After two years, the pagoda was finally completed; it was called Hwangnyongsa (meaning "Imperial Dragon Temple") and was considered the tallest temple in East Asia at that time. During that same year, Queen Seondeok appointed a nobleman named Bidam to the highest position in the court (Sangdaedeung).


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: During the reign of Queen Seondeok, the first foundation for unifying the three Kingdoms under Silla was laid. A series of attacks and raids by the combined forces of Baekje and Goguryeo had brought the kingdom to a point of crisis. The queen decided to form an alliance with the Tang dynasty. She was ridiculed at first; however, after seeing the growing strength of Goguryeo, the Emperor of Tang, finally accepted her offer.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: On February 8, 647 (January 8, lunar calendar), Queen Seondeok faced her greatest challenge when several of her highest officials started a rebellion against her. They were led by Bidam, who asserted that: "The female king failed to rule the country, therefore women should stop ruling". Bidam had strong political influence in the court, and thus created the biggest rebellion in Silla's history. Since most of the army had been sent to different parts of the Silla kingdom to defend it from potential foreign invasions, the rebellion was a great threat.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: According to a famous anecdote about Bidam's rebellion, on the night of Bidam's rebellion, Queen Seondeok's health had deteriorated sharply due to illness, and a star fell near the Queen's residence. Bidam, who saw the star, claimed it was a sign of the queen's impending downfall, to encourage his superstitious followers. The queen, who heard of the event, became fearful and anxious, but Kim Yushin calmed her by telling her not to worry, for he had a plan to suppress the rebellion. He then flew a huge kite with a burning scarecrow attached to it, to make it appear that the star was back in its place. Bidam's followers saw this, and became greatly discouraged.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: The rebellion was eventually suppressed by Gim Yu-sin and Kim Alcheon. According to Samguk Sagi, Bidam and his thirty followers were executed on February 17, 647 (lunar calendar). The rebellion therefore lasted for fewer than 10 days, and failed in its goal to overthrow the government of Queen Seondeok.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Queen Seondeok died on February 17, 647 (January 8, 647 in the lunar calendar) shortly before Bidam's rebellion was completely suppressed. There is no known record identifying the exact cause of her death, but Queen Seondeok was known to have had an unspecified illness shortly prior to her death, and this illness is most commonly theorized as the cause of her death. Some historians state it is also possible she died partly out of shock that Bidam had instigated a rebellion against her. Queen Seondeok was buried in a tomb on Nangsan, one of the sacred mountains in Gyeongju. After Queen Seondeok's death, her cousin was then named as the next female ruler of Silla, and became Queen Jindeok.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Like her father, Queen Seondeok was drawn to Buddhism. Silla built many temples, pagodas, and Buddha statues during her reign. One of the famous temples that was built during her time was the temple of Hwangnyongsa. According to ancient architectural records, the pagoda was 68 or 80 meters in height, making it one of the tallest structures in East Asia at the time. The pagoda represented the earnest wish of Queen Seondeok and the Silla people, to protect the country and bring the three kingdoms of Korea under one ruler. It was an offering to the Buddha, in hope that these wishes would be fulfilled. The queen often visited the Hwangnyongsa temple to pray for the wisdom and strength to save Silla from danger.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Bunhwangsa, Oseam, Sangwonsa, , Tongdosa, Woljeongsa, Baekdamsa, and Magoksa were built during her reign. She also built the "Star-Gazing Tower," or Cheomseongdae, considered the first dedicated observatory in the Far East, which helped farmers at that time. The tower still stands in the old Silla capital of Gyeongju, South Korea and is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: 1. Kim Yongchun, a child of King Jinji and Princess Cheonmyeong's brother-in-law. He served as an official during King Jinpyeong's reign and served as a Sangdaedeung for Queen Seondeok. Supposedly King Jinpyeong ordered Kim Yong Chun to become Princess Deokman's consort, in hope that a son would be born, so that the kingdom would not be entrusted to a woman. When they failed to conceive a child, Kim Yong Chun asked the king to allow him to retire as Princess Deokman's consort. The king agreed to his request, but asked him to assist Princess Deokman once she took over the throne. He went on to marry Princess Cheonmyeong in order to fulfill his brother's dying wish.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: 2. Ulje - served as an official during King Jinpyeong's reign and as a Sangdaedeung for Queen Seondeok.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: However, it is widely believed that she did not let herself be wed in order to avoid political conflicts, hence the next female rulers after her (Queen Jindeok and Queen Jinseong) were not married either.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Emperor Taizong of China once sent the queen a painting of three peony flowers in red, purple and white, along with its actual seeds. When the queen had the seeds planted in her garden, she made a remark that "even though the flower was pretty, it probably does not have much fragrance". Her words were then proven to be correct when the flowers bloomed, wilted and died, without giving off any scent. People were surprised that she had known of it, and asked her about it. She explained it thus: "The painting showed no butterfly or bees beside the flowers. When he sent me this gift, Emperor Taizong was mocking me for not having a husband."


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: The peony flower does not have any scent, which is why butterflies were not interested on it — implying the reason why she did not have a husband was probably because no man was interested on her (not being married was seen as something negative for one's character and status during those days). It is said that the temple Bunhwangsa (Fragrance of the Royal Temple) was built as a response to the mockery.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Another version of that story tells that when Queen Seondeok was seven years old, her father King Jinpyeong received a box of peony seeds and a peony painting sent by Emperor Taizong of Tang. When she saw the painting, she commented that even though the flowers are pretty, it must not have much fragrance because no butterflies or bees were around them. Peonies, therefore, are equated with her wisdom and insight.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: A man named Jigwi (), who lived near the border of Goguryeo, went to Seorabeol and saw the queen who was passing by while on a visit to the capital city. He fell in love with her despite their difference in age and social status. He stopped eating and sleeping and did nothing but call out the queen's name all day, eventually losing his mind.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: One day, Queen Seondeok went to visit a Buddhist temple to pray. As she was passing by, Jigwi appeared while calling out the queen's name as usual. The queen's guard thrust him aside, causing a commotion. When the queen asked one of her attendants about the commotion, she was told of his story and took pity on him, and allowed him to follow her retinue to the temple. While the queen was praying inside the temple, Jigwi had to wait outside while sitting underneath a pagoda, where he fell asleep. When the queen finally emerged, she noticed Jigwi who was sleeping behind the pagoda. She asked her attendants not to disturb the sleeping man, but placed her bracelet on Jigwi's chest as a keepsake. When Jigwi woke up and saw the bracelet that she had left for him, he was so overwhelmed with joy and love for the queen, that his whole body turned into a fire. The fierce flames of his love burned down the pagoda and Jigwi himself. Some versions of the legend tell that Jigwi burned down himself and the temple to express his burning passion for the queen.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In another version of the story, Jigwi was beaten by the palace guards for calling out the queen's name every day until he could no longer move. His soul became a fire spirit and burned down the pagoda and people's houses. The people who were scared of Jigwi's wrath asked the Queen for help, so she made a talisman for them to put in front of their houses to block away Jigwi's fire spirit.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: In a modern version of the story. Jigwi fell in love with Queen Seondeok, whom he met every night through her dream. In her dream, he appears as a handsome Hwarang, who gave her predictions and solutions for the crises she faced as a ruler. Through Jigwi's assistance, Queen Seondeok overcame many problems. They met each other in a bridge in her dream, but suddenly Jigwi stopped appearing in her dreams. The queen started to wonder what happened to the man in her dreams and started to miss him and so she went to the bridge where they used to meet in her dreams. But Jigwi was nowhere to be found, and instead, the one she saw was a sleeping beggar. The queen did not recognize him as the same man who appeared in her dream but still, she decided to leave her bracelet on the chest of the sleeping man. When Jigwi woke up, he was overwhelmed with love and longing for the queen, that his heart turned into a fire that spread through his whole body. The fire flew to heaven and then rain started to fall, which ended the drought in Silla.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Near the banks of the Seongjin river in the capital city, there was a temple called Yeongmyosa. In the temple grounds was a pond named Okmun ("Jade Gate"). On a certain day in winter, five years into her reign, frogs gathered together at the pond and began to croak loudly for several days. When this strange phenomenon was reported to the queen, she immediately ordered two of her generals to lead 2,000 of her best soldiers to the western suburb of the city, and to look for a valley named Yeogeungok ("Cradle of Life"). She added that an enemy force would be found there lying in wait, which they would be sure to take by surprise. The two generals led their armies to the valley the queen had mentioned, near Mt. Bu, and destroyed not only the detachment of 500 Baekje soldiers they found there, but also a force of 1,200 reinforcements which came later to aid them.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: When asked how she had foreseen the Baekje invasion simply because of the croaking of frogs. The queen explained, "A group of angry frogs signifies an army. Jade Gate is an expression for a woman's chastity. "Woman" is one of the meanings of Yin, which also has the meaning of white, and the white color stands for the West. So I knew that an army was lying in the West. As we say, a man is supposed in some sense to die during the act of creating new life. Since the Baekje army was hiding in the valley known as the Cradle of Life, I knew that it would be easy to defeat them." This shows that the queen was well-versed in the philosophy of Yin and Yang, and interpreted all the icons correctly. It is also remarkable to see the queen's reference to the symbolic "death" of the male during the act of love. The fact that the queen openly dealt with the topic in front of her male courtiers also showed her boldness.


title: Queen Seondeok of Silla

text: Some days before she died, Seondeok gathered her officials and gave the order "When I die, bury me near the Doricheon (, "Heaven of Grieved Merits")" which in Buddhism refers to a certain level of Heaven. When asked where the Doricheon was, she replied that it was on the southern side of Mt. Namsan. Decades after her death, the thirtieth king Munmu of Silla constructed Sacheonwang-sa (, "Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings") in her tomb. Then the nobles realized that one of the Buddha's sayings, "Dori-cheon is above the Sacheonwang-cheon", was accomplished by the queen. However, rather than prediction, some historians think of it as her last wish: having suffered so much jealousy and prejudice for being a woman during her reign, this may have been her way to show her desire to be reincarnated as a man in Doricheon in her next life.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Christopher "Chris" Partlow is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire", played by actor Gbenga Akinnagbe. Chris is Marlo Stanfield's second-in-command and bodyguard in his drug dealing operation. He is a minor antagonist for season 3 and the secondary antagonist in season 4 and 5 along with Felicia "Snoop" Pearson. Despite Chris's quiet demeanor he commits more murders, both on-screen and off-screen, than any other character. Although a ruthless killer, he shows genuine care towards the soldiers under his command, especially Michael Lee, whom he takes under his wing as a protégé.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris is a key player in the Stanfield Organization's turf war with the Barksdale Organization and is always looking out for Marlo's safety. He often meets with Marlo and Marlo's advisor Vinson to discuss their strategy.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris identifies Avon Barksdale's car when Avon tries to set a trap for Marlo. Chris has his driver pull up alongside the Barksdale car, then fires a shotgun into the side window, wounding Avon and killing a Barksdale soldier named Tater. When Marlo kills Devonne, the woman responsible for setting up the attempted ambush, Chris accompanies him and calmly tells Marlo that it needs to be done.


title: Chris Partlow

text: When Stringer Bell is murdered (by Omar Little and Brother Mouzone), Chris and Felicia "Snoop" Pearson are assumed to be responsible and they do nothing to dispel these rumors. The turf war comes to an end when Stringer's death and Avon's arrest lead to the demise of the Barksdale Organization, and Stanfield assumes control of most of the drug trade in Western Baltimore.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris carries out murders as Stanfield orders them. Working alongside Partlow's protege, the young female soldier "Snoop", Chris disposes of bodies by opening up vacant buildings, covering the corpses in quicklime and plastic sheeting, and then using a nail gun to nail the buildings shut.


title: Chris Partlow

text: When Stanfield dealer Fruit is killed, Chris advises restraint, suggesting they kill the perpetrator instead of all the members of the independent drug crew he works with. Marlo agrees with Chris's approach and gives him the go-ahead to kill Fruit's murderer, Lex. Chris arranges for Lex to be ambushed by paying Little Kevin to tell Lex his girlfriend wants to meet him at night in a secluded spot. Kevin pays an unwitting Randy Wagstaff to pass on the message. Once the trap is sprung, Lex is killed by Chris and Snoop.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris is also responsible for the murder of a security guard who "talked back" to Marlo. Rumors on the street tie Chris to several other murders, including victims known as Pookie and Byron.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris continues to be Marlo's key adviser. He tries to dissuade Marlo from playing at a high-stakes card game where he is losing a considerable amount of money. When the game is robbed by Omar Little, Marlo asks Chris for his advice on how best to deal with Omar. Chris suggests a more subtle approach than simply placing a bounty on Omar. They plan to stage a robbery of their associate Old Face Andre and blame the robbery on Omar, having Andre identify him. Chris carries out the robbery himself, and kills a delivery woman in Andre's store and beats Andre to lend credence to their scenario.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Marlo entrusts Chris with cultivating new prospect Michael Lee. Michael is a middle school child who Marlo believes would make a good soldier.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris is responsible for intimidating Lex's crew chief Bodie Broadus into giving up his corner, since Marlo has seen that Bodie has turned it into a profitable location. Chris forces Bodie to accept Marlo's package, which is inferior to the high quality heroin Bodie had been purchasing from Proposition Joe Stewart.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris asks Bodie about Michael, having noticed that Michael had worked with Bodie for a time. Chris tracks Michael to his home and then approaches him when he is talking with Dukie, Namond Brice, and Randy. Chris offers Michael cash and promises of protection if he joins Marlo's organization, an offer that Michael eventually accepts after the unwelcome return of his stepfather, Devar, who (it is implied) had molested Michael and might be grooming Bug to be his next victim.


title: Chris Partlow

text: At Michael's request, Chris and Snoop take care of the situation with Michael's stepfather. When he confronts Devar, Chris questions him about molesting little boys and asks him about any past homosexual activity in prison. After Devar dismissively admits to having had homosexual sex while locked up, Chris proceeds to beat him to death. The viciousness and fury he unleashes upon Devar is in stark contrast to the business-like way in which he usually kills people; it is implied that Chris, too, may have been sexually abused as a child (it was confirmed by series creator David Simon during a DVD audio commentary that both Michael and Chris were victims of childhood sexual abuse).


title: Chris Partlow

text: Michael joins the Stanfield Organization under the condition they also look out for his younger brother, Bug. Chris takes Michael on as a protégé to the point where Marlo refers to Michael as Chris's "pup". Chris appears to relate to Michael and his implied history of abuse, and takes Michael under his wing.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris and Snoop are twice pulled over by detectives during the season. The first time, it is by Herc, who had been following them, but Chris is able to hide their firearms in a hidden compartment. Herc discovers their nail gun and lime in the back of the vehicle, but takes little notice. Once they are released, Chris disposes of the nail gun.


title: Chris Partlow

text: The second time, they are confronted by Kima Greggs and Lester Freamon. Snoop again hides their firearms, but Kima discovers the hidden gun compartment and weapons. Chris and Snoop are arrested but later released, as the police can tie neither the weapons nor the vehicle to either of them.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Eventually, the police are able to demonstrate not only that Chris (and thus Marlo) is responsible for the chain of disappearances in West Baltimore, but also that they have been disposing of the bodies in row houses all over town.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris faces weapon charges from his arrest at the car stop but manages to get the hearings delayed. In the meantime, the police are unable to gather enough evidence to file charges on the vacant house murders related to Chris and Snoop, and begin a prolonged surveillance operation into the Stanfield Organization. Marlo and Chris respond to the efforts of the police investigation by stopping all phone communication to avoid further incriminating themselves, and instead meet face to face; they also scale back on committing violent crimes.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris continues to mentor Michael Lee, who at this point was given his own corner after a meeting with Chris, Snoop, and Marlo following Chris's murder of Devar. Upon concluding those issues, Marlo begins to scheme against the co-op, plotting against "Proposition Joe" Stewart by gathering information on his suppliers, so that he can establish his own connection to them and cut out the rest of the Baltimore crews and dealers who are dependent on the high quality supply of drugs sold by The Greek.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Marlo's efforts allow him to gain new information regarding the dealers, and he instructs Chris to arrange a meeting with imprisoned Ukrainian enforcer Sergei Malatov to broker a meeting with The Greeks, after finding out Sergei is connected to The Greeks. Chris finds more information on Malatov at the courthouse, resulting in an initial meeting with Avon Barksdale, who is incarcerated in the same prison as Sergei, and formerly part of the drug ring connected to Sergei, and serves as the gatekeeper to Sergei.


title: Chris Partlow

text: While Marlo conspires to wholesale drugs, the Major Case Unit is shut down as part of Mayor Carcetti's cutbacks on public spending, including policing. Consequently, narcotics, violent crimes, and homicides cannot be monitored as closely by the Baltimore police. Stanfield's organization notices this and resumes its criminal activities with full effect: Chris and Snoop gun down Junebug (a rival who may have been spreading rumors about Stanfield), attack Webster Franklin's territory (as he had refused the Stanfield package), and lure Omar Little out of retirement in Puerto Rico.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris leaves the Webster Franklin assignment to Snoop, but takes Snoop and Michael with him to kill Junebug. Chris waits for Junebug outside the victim's home and tutors Michael in the importance of the element of surprise. They disable the surveillance cameras, and Chris orders Michael to kill anyone who escapes out the back of the house. Chris and Snoop then stage a home invasion, killing Junebug, his bodyguard, and his domestic partner. The two children present escape with their lives: one hides in a closet, while the other flees out the back door. Michael lets the child go. The triple homicide is investigated by Detective Kima Greggs.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Stanfield offered a bounty to anyone willing to provide a way to get to Omar, and Prop Joe's nephew Cheese gives up Butchie behind Joe's back, telling Chris the exact details of Omar's link to Butchie. Upon getting Snoop to scout Butchie's bar, Chris and Snoop kill one of his bodyguards and wound the other. They then brutally torture Butchie with multiple gunshot wounds and other assaults, while force feeding him alcohol to subdue the pain. As they do not learn anything from him about Omar's relationship to the bar owner, who serves as Omar's trusted advisor, bank, and close friend, or about Omar's location, Chris kills Butchie with a fatal head shot. He then instructs Butchie's surviving bodyguard to ensure that word of what happened reaches Omar.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Omar returns to Baltimore from Puerto Rico, after being told of Butchie's murder. Snoop expresses worry, as they learned nothing about Omar's whereabouts, but Omar will now be targeting them. Chris reminds her they're working for Marlo, and Marlo wants Omar, so they'll keep Marlo inside and move around themselves until they kill him.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Stanfield is successful in connecting with The Greeks, and Joe accompanies him to a meeting with Spiros Vondas. At a later meeting, without Joe, Stanfield persuades The Greeks to think of him as an insurance policy if ever Joe's unable to do business with them in the future. Stanfield then convinces Cheese to betray Joe by having Chris kidnap Cheese's rival—an East side Co-Op dealer named Hungry Man. Chris delivers Hungry Man to Cheese, and Cheese gives up Joe in exchange. Stanfield and Chris trap Joe in his home, and Chris murders Joe while Stanfield watches.


title: Chris Partlow

text: As Marlo meets with Spiros Vondas in a city park, Chris and a Greek enforcer watch over the area. Vondas explains how Marlo is to communicate with him using picture messages on a Blackberry phone.


title: Chris Partlow

text: After the meeting, Marlo tells Chris how good it feels to be wearing the crown and suggests a celebratory trip to Atlantic City. A cautious Chris reminds Marlo that Omar is going to make a move on them, suggesting that it is not the best time for a vacation. Chris then tells his family that he will be going away on business for a few weeks. From the sidewalk across the street, Marlo watches Chris's interactions with his children and their mother.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Later that evening, Omar observes Monk's condominium. Chris later informs Marlo of Omar's reconnaissance. When Omar later attacks Monk's apartment, he walks into a trap: Chris, Michael, Snoop, and O-Dog are lying in wait. Donnie is shot dead, but Omar jumps from the balcony to escape, severely injuring his leg in the process.


title: Chris Partlow

text: With Omar at large, Chris lies low for his own safety, worried about the safety of his girlfriend and children. After Kenard kills Omar, Chris is shown to be disappointed, but he readily returns to work.


title: Chris Partlow

text: In the meantime, Bunk has used DNA evidence to connect Chris with the murder of Michael's stepfather Devar. Bunk delays arresting Chris as a favor to McNulty and Lester.


title: Chris Partlow

text: When the police bust a narcotics resupply transaction from The Greeks, Chris is charged with murder, preventing his release on bail. Levy represents Chris and Stanfield, and suspects an illegal wiretap due to the speed with which charging documents were produced.


title: Chris Partlow

text: In an effort to preserve as much of the case as possible, Rhonda Pearlman strikes a bargain with Levy: Levy will convince the Stanfield organization to plead to various charges in exchange for Pearlman's not revealing Levy's bribery of Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale at the city courthouse. Part of this deal involves Chris's pleading guilty not only to murdering Michael's stepfather Devar, but also to all of the bodies found in the vacant buildings, charges which yield a sentence of life without parole. Chris willingly takes the life sentence for the Stanfield organization on the condition that his girlfriend and children are taken care of financially.


title: Chris Partlow

text: Chris is briefly seen during the end-of-season montage conversing amicably with Wee-Bey Brice in the courtyard of the Maryland State prison; they are in a similar situation, both having been primary enforcers for West Baltimore kingpins and now are serving life sentences for committing murders (and taking sole responsibility for some murders they did not commit), at the behest of their respective bosses, all in service of protecting their families and their organizations.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: "Feliz Navidad" () () is a Christmas song written and first recorded in 1970 by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple, heartfelt lyrics - the traditional Spanish Christmas/New Year greeting "Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad" ("Merry Christmas, a prosperous year and happiness"), followed by text in English words "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart" - it has become a Christmas classic and has gained popularity around the world.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: Feliciano says he recorded the song while feeling homesick at Christmas, missing his family in New York City and his extended family further afield as he sat in a studio in Los Angeles. He remembered celebrating Christmas Eve with his brothers, eating traditional Puerto Rican foods, drinking rum, and going caroling. "It was expressing the joy that I felt on Christmas and the fact that I felt very lonely," he told NPR in December 2020. "I missed my family, I missed Christmas carols with them. I missed the whole Christmas scene."


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: Feliciano's 1970 recording of "Feliz Navidad" (in which he plays both an acoustic guitar and a Puerto Rican cuatro) is one of the most downloaded and aired Christmas songs in the United States and Canada. As of November 25, 2016, total sales of the digital track stand at 808,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it eighth on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history. It was also recognized by ASCAP as one of the top 25 most played and recorded Christmas songs around the world.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: The original version of "Feliz Navidad" first charted on any of the US "Billboard" music charts more than two decades after it was recorded, first on the Adult Contemporary chart on the week ending January 3, 1998 (reaching No. 18), and then on the Radio Songs chart the following week (reaching No. 70). Two years later, on the week ending January 8, 2000, the song re-entered the "Billboard" Adult Contemporary chart at a new peak of No. 12.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: Nearly two decades later, "Feliz Navidad" entered the main "Billboard" Hot 100 songs chart for the first time, specifically on the week ending January 7, 2017 at No. 44. On the week ending December 22, 2018, the song re-charted on the Hot 100 at No. 42, and the following week became Feliciano's first top 40 hit since 1968 by climbing to No. 34. Two years later, and just two weeks after re-entering the Hot 100 chart at No. 45 on the week ending December 5, 2020, "Feliz Navidad" made the top 10 for the first time (at No. 10), becoming Feliciano's first top 10 hit on the Hot 100 chart since his cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire" peaked at No. 3 in August 1968. Two weeks later, "Feliz Navidad" climbed to an all-time chart peak position of No. 6 on the Hot 100.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 2017, Feliciano released a ska version of "Feliz Navidad" in collaboration with English musician Jools Holland.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 1980, the song was recorded in Estonian by Apelsin with lyrics by Henno Käo; however, this cover, titled "See viis", is not intended as a Christmas song. The lyrics describe the singer falling in love with someone over a song that they sing, but not being able to remember anything about the song but the melody.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 1981, the Euro-Caribbean dance group Boney M. included a cover in their "Christmas Album". This version remained an airplay favourite in the festive season throughout the decades in Europe, reaching no. 32 in the official Spanish Single Chart. Although it has never been released as a single in the US, the cover also entered the Billboard Holiday Airplay chart reaching peak position no. 44 in 2017.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 2002, Nick Jr.'s animated TV cartoon "Dora the Explorer" featured a cover of the song in the Christmas-themed episode, "A Present for Santa", as sung by Dora, Boots, Santa Claus (voiced by Howie Dorough from Backstreet Boys), and all the elves.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 2011, Canadian singer Michael Bublé recorded a cover medley of the song titled "Mis Deseos/Felíz Navidad" featuring Mexican singer Thalía for his album "Christmas". Their version entered several Latin and Holiday charts on Billboard. Their version also entered charts in European countries like Belgium and Hungary.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: "Feliz Navidad" was recorded by Finnish symphonic metal artist Tarja Turunen in 2017, for her Christmas album "From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas)". On December 6, 2017, a music video was released for the solo version of the song. A special version was released as a single on December 8, featuring Turunen's musician friends Michael Monroe, Doro Pesch, Tony Kakko, Elize Ryd, Marko Saaresto, Timo Kotipelto, Simone Simons, Cristina Scabbia, Joe Lynn Turner, Floor Jansen, Hansi Kürsch and Sharon den Adel. The ensemble version was released as a benefit single to benefit victims of Hurricane Irma on the Caribbean island of Barbuda.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In 2020, Thalía released a merengue version of the song. It debuted at number 17 on the Monitor Latino Pop Charts in the Dominican Republic. On its second week the song moved up to the number 6 spot on that chart with that being its peak position.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In December 2009, a parody of "Feliz Navidad" titled "The Illegal Alien Christmas Song" was created by radio producers Matt Fox and A. J. Rice and posted on the website for "Human Events", a Washington-based weekly publication. This parody, sung in English, played on the stereotype of Mexican immigrants as heavy drinkers and that illegal immigrants were going to "spread bubonic plague". Feliciano released a statement on December 23 on his official website:


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: In a statement to the Associated Press the same day, Jed Babbin, "Human Events" site editor, apologized for "any offense that Mr. Feliciano may have taken from this parody" and removed it from the site.


title: Feliz Navidad (song)

text: Bob Rivers wrote and recorded a parody called "Police Stop My Car," about driving under the influence, which appeared on his album "More Twisted Christmas".


title: Chris Matthews

text: Christopher John Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American political commentator, retired talk show host, and author. Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, "Hardball with Chris Matthews", on America's Talking and later on MSNBC, from 1997 until March 2, 2020. He announced on his final episode that he was retiring, following an accusation that he had made inappropriate comments to a "Hardball" guest four years earlier. On that occasion, he stated: "The younger generation's out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, in media, in fighting for their causes. They're improving the workplace."


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Mary Teresa (née Shields) and Herb Matthews, a court reporter. Matthews's father was, he has written, "raised Episcopalian—Church of England," of English and Scots-Irish ancestry, and his mother was from an Irish Catholic family; Matthews and his siblings were raised in the Catholic faith.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews attended La Salle College High School. Matthews is a 1967 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and did graduate work in Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Matthews was also a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews served in the United States Peace Corps in Swaziland from 1968 to 1970 as a trade development adviser.


title: Chris Matthews

text: When Matthews first arrived in Washington, D.C., he worked as an officer with the United States Capitol Police. Subsequently, Matthews served on the staffs of four Democratic Members of Congress, including Senators Frank Moss and Edmund Muskie. In 1974, Matthews mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in which he received about 24% of the vote in the primary. Matthews was a presidential speechwriter during the Carter Administration, and later worked for six years as Chief of Staff to longtime Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, playing a direct role in many key political battles with the Reagan Administration.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews has said, "I'm more conservative than people think I am ... I voted for George W. in 2000." "Salon.com" has called him the "most conservative voice" on MSNBC's primetime lineup. Matthews has been accused by Media Matters for America of having panels of guests that skew to the right and of supporting Republicans in his own questions and comments.


title: Chris Matthews

text: On the April 14, 2008, edition of "The Colbert Report", Matthews alluded to a possible run for the United States Senate from Pennsylvania. On November 28, 2008, Matthews contacted senior staffers of Barack Obama's campaign about a possible Senate run. On January 7, 2009, "The New York Times" reported that Matthews told his staffers that he would not run for the Senate.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews worked in print media for 15 years, spending 13 years as Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the "San Francisco Examiner" (1987–2000) and two years as a nationally syndicated columnist for the "San Francisco Chronicle". Matthews covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first all-races election in South Africa, and the Good Friday Peace Talks in Northern Ireland. In 1997 and 1998, his research in the National Archives produced a series of exclusives on the Nixon presidential tapes. Matthews covered American presidential election campaigns from 1988 until his retirement in 2020.


title: Chris Matthews

text: "Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero" spent 12 weeks on "The New York Times" bestseller list. The book was lauded by critics. "Matthews excels in capturing the tribalism of the Irish Catholic culture and experience Kennedy both absorbed and overcame as he made his way ... [and] is at his best in describing political dynamics," "The Washington Post" said. "Matthews proves a compelling storyteller," said "The Boston Globe". "Matthews has produced a valuable addition to the literature about the life and career of our 35th president," said "The Christian Science Monitor". "Matthews's stirring biography reveals Kennedy as a 'fighting prince never free from pain, never far from trouble, and never accepting the world he found,'" said "Publishers Weekly".


title: Chris Matthews

text: In 1997, Matthews began his own weeknight talk show, "Hardball with Chris Matthews", which originally aired on America's Talking and then moved to MSNBC. "Hardball with Chris Matthews" featured pundits and elected officials as guests.


title: Chris Matthews

text: "The Chris Matthews Show" aired in syndication on weekends from 2002 until 2013. The show was formatted as a political roundtable consisting of four journalists and Matthews, who served as the moderator. He is estimated to earn more than $5 million a year.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In 2004, at the Democratic National Convention, Matthews predicted that he had "just seen the first black president".> The "Huffington Post" reported on Matthews's emotional expressions of support for Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential election, quoting him as saying: "I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often."


title: Chris Matthews

text: While discussing proposed healthcare reform on the December 17, 2009, edition of "Hardball", Matthews stated, "The Republicans will know they have lost ... Let them keep score and it's easy. It's complicated when liberals get to keep score. We're always arguing. Well, I'm a liberal, too."


title: Chris Matthews

text: In March 2012, Matthews described himself as a centrist during an episode of his MSNBC talk show "Hardball". That statement was questioned by "Mediaite"s Josh Feldman directly afterward, based on Matthews's frequent condemnation of right-wing political figures and his emotional expression of support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Feldman observed that Matthews has criticized liberals such as Hillary Clinton and occasionally even Barack Obama, and that this could explain Matthews's description of himself as a "centrist".


title: Chris Matthews

text: In 2013, Matthews announced that he had signed a long-term contract extension with MSNBC but that he would no longer host "The Chris Matthews Show" in order to focus his efforts on "Hardball," writing books, and producing documentaries. The final episode of "The Chris Matthews Show" aired on July 21.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In December 2018, Matthews interviewed U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who stated she was "seriously considering" running for President.


title: Chris Matthews

text: On February 7, 2020, during a panel discussion following a Democratic Party presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire, Matthews referenced Bernie Sanders's praise for aspects of Fidel Castro's Cuba, saying "if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War, there would [have been] executions in Central Park and I might have been one of the ones getting executed and certain other people would be there cheering, OK? So I have a problem with people who took the other side." His remarks were mocked by left-wing commentators.


title: Chris Matthews

text: During the opening monologue of his Monday, March 2, 2020 show, Matthews announced his immediately-effective retirement from "Hardball". MSNBC had executed a long-term contract with Matthews, in 2013, to retain him with the network at least through the 2016 election, and he was expected to retire after the 2020 election cycle, with an exit after Election Day in November 2020 likely.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Following his resignation, Matthews garnered well-wishes from professional colleagues in the news media and others, including from Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who noted Matthews's willingness to "criticize the neocon pro-war agenda."


title: Chris Matthews

text: In September 2022, Matthews returned to MSNBC as a political analyst making appearances on the network's "Morning Joe" program.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Throughout Matthews's career he has been criticized for making derogatory and sexist comments about women in politics including Melania Trump, Sarah Palin, and Erin Burnett.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In October 2016, political journalist Laura Bassett appeared on Matthew's program to comment on sexual assault allegations against then candidate Donald Trump. In February 2020, Bassett alleged that prior to that program, Matthews made inappropriate remarks about her makeup, clothing, and dating life. As she was having her television studio makeup applied, Matthews purportedly asked her: "Why haven't I fallen in love with you yet?" Bassett claims that when she laughed nervously and said nothing, Matthews followed up to the makeup artist with: "Keep putting makeup on her, I'll fall in love with her." In 2017, Bassett had previously published a text about the incident, which did not identify Matthews by name.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In December 2017, details surfaced of a 1999 settlement Matthews's employer, MSNBC, reached with a female producer of Matthews's program who alleged Matthews made inappropriate comments about her in front of colleagues in the workplace.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In 2018 during a setup for a television interview with Hillary Clinton, Matthews stated out loud "where was the Cosby pill" that he brought with him.


title: Chris Matthews

text: After President Trump's inaugural address, Matthews characterized the speech as "Hitlerian", due to Trump's "America First" message.


title: Chris Matthews

text: On February 22, 2020, commenting on the 2020 Nevada Democratic caucuses, Matthews invoked Winston Churchill's feeling of disbelief following the fall of France to the Nazis in 1940 as a metaphor for the feeling of disbelief experienced by establishment figures in the Democratic Party to Bernie Sanders's victory in the state.


title: Chris Matthews

text: As members of Sanders's family were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, his comparison was viewed as insensitive and prompted widespread negative reactions on Twitter calling for him to be removed from MSNBC. Amid mounting criticism, Matthews issued an on-air apology to Sanders and his supporters on February 24. Sanders did not directly respond to the remarks.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews has been married since 1980 to Kathleen Matthews, who was a news anchor at WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., before accepting a position as an executive vice president with Marriott International. In 2015, Kathleen Matthews launched an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic nomination to run for a House seat in Maryland's 8th congressional district, which has been represented by progressive Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin since 2016. The couple have three children: Michael, Thomas, and Caroline. One of his four brothers Jim Matthews, a Republican, is a former county commissioner in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.


title: Chris Matthews

text: In 2002, Matthews was hospitalized with malaria, which he evidently contracted on one of his visits that year to Africa. He has also had other health problems, including diabetes (which he acknowledged having on the "Hardball" broadcast of December 7, 2009), alcoholism and pneumonia.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews was the commencement speaker at Ohio State University on May 4, 2014 and Merrimack College on May 15, 2015.


title: Chris Matthews

text: Matthews is the recipient of several awards, including The Pennsylvania Society's Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in 2005, the Abraham Lincoln Award from the Union League of Philadelphia, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award, and the 2016 Tip O'Neill Irish Diaspora Award.


title: Free State Project

text: The Free State Project (FSP) is an American political migration movement founded in 2001 to recruit at least 20,000 libertarians to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire was selected in 2003) in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas. The "New Hampshire Union Leader" reports the Free State Project is not a political party, but a nonprofit organization.


title: Free State Project

text: Participants sign a statement of intent declaring that they intend to move to New Hampshire within five years of the drive reaching 20,000 participants. This statement of intent is intended to function as a form of assurance contract. , 20,000 people have signed this statement of intent—completing the original goal—and 1,909 people are listed as "early movers" to New Hampshire on the FSP website, saying they had made their move prior to the 20,000-participant trigger. In the 2017–2018 term of the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives, 17 seats were held by Free Staters.


title: Free State Project

text: The FSP is a social movement generally based upon decentralized decision making. The group hosts various events, but most of FSP's activities depend upon volunteers, and no formal plan dictates to participants or movers what their actions should be in New Hampshire.


title: Free State Project

text: As of May 2022, approximately 6,232 participants have moved to New Hampshire for the Free State Project.


title: Free State Project

text: "Life, liberty, and property" are rights that were enumerated in the October 1774 Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress and in Article 12 of the New Hampshire Constitution.


title: Free State Project

text: To become a participant of the Free State Project, a person is asked to agree to the Statement of Intent (SOI):


title: Free State Project

text: The FSP is open to people with a minimum age of 18. United States citizenship is not required. People who promote violence, racial hatred, or bigotry are not welcome in the FSP.


title: Free State Project

text: The Free State Project was founded in 2001 by Jason Sorens, then a Ph.D. student at Yale University. Sorens published an article in "The Libertarian Enterprise" highlighting the failure of libertarians to elect any candidate to federal office and outlining his ideas for a secessionist movement, calling people to respond to him with interest. Sorens soon published a follow-up article backing away from secession, "and it never played a role in the FSP’s philosophy from then on." Sorens has stated that the movement continues an American tradition of political migration, which includes groups such as Mormon settlers in Utah, Amish religious communities, and the "Jamestown Seventy", an earlier effort to influence the politics of a particular state through deliberate migration.


title: Free State Project

text: The organization began without a specific state in mind. A systematic review started by narrowing potential states to those with a population of less than 1.5 million and those where the combined spending in 2000 by the Democratic and Republican parties was less than the total national spending by the Libertarian Party in that year, $5.2 million. Hawaii and Rhode Island were eliminated from this list because of their propensity for centralized government.


title: Free State Project

text: In September 2003, the state vote was held and participants voted using the minimax Condorcet method to choose the state. New Hampshire was the winner, with Wyoming coming in second by a 57% to 43% margin. Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont were also on the list. New Hampshire was chosen because the perceived individualist culture of the state was thought to resonate well with libertarian ideals.


title: Free State Project

text: In 2004, following the selection of New Hampshire, a splinter group called the Free Town Project formed to move to the small town of Grafton and advocate for legal changes there. Grafton's appeal as a favorable destination was due to its absence of zoning laws and a very low property tax rate. Additionally, it was the home of John Babiarz, a prominent member of the Libertarian Party who had twice run for Governor. Though no records were kept of the number of Free Town Project participants who moved to Grafton, the town's population grew from 1,138 in 2000 to 1,340 in 2010. Project participants fashioned homes out of yurts, RVs, trailers, tents, and shipping containers. The changes they voted in included a 30% reduction in the town's budget, denying funding to the county's senior-citizens council.


title: Free State Project

text: Members of the Free Town Project were also briefly involved with Mentone, Texas, in 2005. Mentone is in Loving County, at the time the least populous county in the United States. Three men — Lawrence Pendarvis, Bobby Emory, and Don Duncan — claimed to have bought 126 acres (51 ha) of land and registered to vote there, although the sheriff determined that the land was not sold to the group, as no deed had been filed at the county courthouse. He contacted the sellers who said that the land had been sold to other buyers, after which the sheriff filed misdemeanor charges against the three men and threatened to arrest them if they returned.


title: Free State Project

text: On 3 February 2016, the Free State Project announced via social media that 20,000 people had signed the Statement of Intent. In a press conference later that day, then FSP president Carla Gericke officially announced that the move had been triggered and that signers were expected to follow up on their pledge. This concluded the Free Town Project, and the Free State Project organization changed focus from recruiting signers to encouraging them to move to New Hampshire, stating "we want 20,000 movers".


title: Free State Project

text: The Free State Project is not aligned with any political party and has no official position for or against any issues or candidates. That said, however, the Free State Project is defined as a movement that seeks to relocate people of broadly libertarian ideals, specifically. It receives its funding from individual donors interested in moving as part of the FSP or attending one of the annual events. The FSP is a tax-exempt nonprofit educational organization, falling under category 501(c)(3), so all donations since 20 July 2009 are tax-deductible.


title: Free State Project

text: Several early movers have been elected to the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives. In 2006, Joel Winters became the first known Free Stater to be elected, running as a Democrat. He was re-elected in 2008 but defeated in 2010.


title: Free State Project

text: In 2010, 12 Free Staters were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, all of them as Republicans. In 2012, 11 more were elected. In 2012, elected participants wrote and passed House Bill 418 which would require state agencies to consider open source software and data formats when making acquisitions; however, the bill died in the Senate.


title: Free State Project

text: In 2017, there were 17 Free Staters in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and in 2021, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, which ranks bills and elected representatives based on their adherence to what they see as libertarian principles, scored 150 representatives as "A-" or above rated representatives. Participants also engage with other like-minded activist groups such as Rebuild New Hampshire, Young Americans for Liberty, and Americans for Prosperity.


title: Free State Project

text: In 2022, the Croydon school board president and her husband, members of the Free Society Project, attempted to cut the school budget by half in a surprise but licit maneuver on the day of the vote, in a district with typically low attendance for votes. The plan that passed offered students online learning from a facilitator or $9,000 to go to an alternate public or private school. This plan was claimed to be an “adequate education” under the NH constitutional requirement. In response, local residents organized to overturn the budget. They needed more than half of the eligible voters to vote in a special election and a majority of those voters to vote for the fully funded budget. In this special election, the Free Society position was that staying home and not voting was a no vote. The Free Society Project school budget was overruled 377 to 2, with just under two thirds of the eligible voters motivated to go to the polls. The original budget was restored.


title: Free State Project

text: On February 17, 2006, economist Walter Block publicly expressed his support for the FSP and was quoted as saying:


title: Free State Project

text: Jeffrey Tucker reflected about his experiences at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum in Nashua, saying in part: "If you are willing to look past mainstream media coverage of American politics, you can actually find exciting and interesting activities taking place that rise above lobbying, voting, graft and corruption".


title: Free State Project

text: The project was endorsed by Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. In 2010, Lew Rockwell from the Mises Institute endorsed the project and referred to the city of Keene, New Hampshire as "the northern capital of libertarianism". In 2011, Peter Schiff said he had considered moving at one point.


title: Free State Project

text: Some Republicans have responded more favorably to the project. In September 2014, Republican Party Senate nominee Scott Brown, a former United States Senator from Massachusetts, said his election campaign needed "Freestaters" to support him in his one-minute closing statement at the Granite State Debate.


title: Free State Project

text: Former Maine state senator Eric Brakey partially attributed the Republican Party's 2020 election gains to the Free State Project.


title: Free State Project

text: Critics argue that the Free State Project is "radical", a "fantasy", or that they "go too far" in seeking to restrict government. The project has drawn criticism from some New Hampshire residents concerned about population pressure and opposition to increased taxation. In December 2012, state representative Cynthia Chase (D-Keene) said, "Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today. There is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their openly stated goal. In this country you can move anywhere you choose and they have that same right. What we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the 'freedoms' that they think they will find here".


title: Free State Project

text: During and shortly after the Free Town Project was active in Grafton County, there were three bear attacks. Several media outlets argued that there was a relationship between the Free Town Project and the bear attacks, and a book was written on the subject by local state reporter Matt Hongoltz-Hetling.


title: Free State Project

text: In 2012, the Concord Police Department applied for $258,000 in federal government funding to buy a Lenco BearCat armored vehicle for protection against terrorist attacks, riots, or shooting incidents. The application mentioned "Free Staters" alongside Sovereign Citizens and Occupy New Hampshire as groups that "are active and present daily challenges". The grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security was successful, but the Concord City Council revised the application to remove references to those political movements before unanimously approving of the grant.


title: Free State Project

text: A 2022 survey found relatively little awareness of the Free State Project in New Hampshire, but generally negative opinions among those familiar: 10% expressed a favorable view, and 26% an unfavorable one.


title: Free State Project

text: The Free State Project was the centerpiece of the 2011 documentary film "Libertopia" as well as the 2014 crowdfunded documentary "101 Reasons: Liberty Lives in New Hampshire".


title: Concrete and Gold

text: Concrete and Gold is the ninth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on September 15, 2017, through Roswell and RCA Records. It is the band's first album to be produced alongside Greg Kurstin. Described by the band as an album where "hard rock extremes and pop sensibilities collide", "Concrete and Gold" concerns the future of the United States from the viewpoint of the band's frontman and lead songwriter Dave Grohl, with the heated atmosphere of the 2016 elections and the presidency of Donald Trump cited as major influences by Grohl. Juxtapositions serve as a common motif in both the album's lyrical and musical composition, with Grohl further describing the album's overall theme as "hope and desperation".


title: Concrete and Gold

text: Writing and recording of "Concrete and Gold" started in late 2016, after Grohl ended a self-imposed six-month hiatus from music while recovering from an injury sustained on the Sonic Highways World Tour. Working off a set of twelve or thirteen ideas for songs conceived by Grohl, the band enlisted the help of Kurstin, a pop music producer, who had never worked on a heavy rock record previously. The studio at which the band chose to record "Concrete and Gold", EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California, fostered collaborations with various other artists who were also working at the studio at the time, including Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, and Paul McCartney. It is the first Foo Fighters studio album to feature long-time session and touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee as a permanent member.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: "Concrete and Gold" was received positively by music critics, who praised the album's more expansive feel, both musically and lyrically. Modest criticism was aimed at the perceived lack of musical deviation from the band's previous albums. The album became the band's second to debut at number one on the "Billboard" 200, moving 127,000 album-equivalent units and selling 120,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album also debuted at number one on twelve other national album charts, such as the United Kingdom Official Albums Chart and Australian ARIA Albums Chart. Singles from the album also found success; "Run" and "The Sky Is a Neighborhood" both peaked at number one at the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Songs chart. An eponymous headlining tour to promote the album ran through the second half of 2017.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: The band's earliest ideas for their ninth studio album included creating a studio on the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater in California and recording the album live in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. However, frontman Dave Grohl lost interest in the idea upon learning that it had already recently been done by PJ Harvey with her 2015 recording sessions for her album "The Hope Six Demolition Project". Plans further changed due to the events of the band touring in support of their prior studio album, "Sonic Highways", when Grohl fell off the stage and broke his leg at a June 2015 concert in Sweden. Through the use of a self-designed "throne", a large chair that could sit him comfortably on stage, Grohl and the band completed the tour and recorded the "Saint Cecilia" EP and song.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: After the tour, in early 2016, the band announced they would enter an indefinite hiatus. While no reasons were given at the time, in 2017, Grohl told "Rolling Stone" that he was still struggling from the injury, still unable to walk and enduring daily, lengthy physical therapy sessions. He secluded himself from the band, and set a goal for himself to stay away from music for an entire year while he focused on recuperating. However, at six months to the day, he cancelled the plan when he began writing the lyrics to the track "Run".


title: Concrete and Gold

text: Initial writing sessions only involved Grohl, who continued being in seclusion from the band, although he initially struggled, feeling "out of practice" and "creatively atrophied" due to his longer than usual break from music. Grohl rented an Airbnb in Ojai, California, so he could focus on long bouts of writing, with Grohl recounting "I brought a case of wine and sat there in my underwear with a microphone for about five days, just writing." After twelve or thirteen rough ideas were mapped out, he ran them by the band, who shared Grohl's belief that he was on the right track with the material. Happy with his work, but feeling the material still required further development, Grohl started thinking about reaching out to a music producer.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: The band ended up working with music producer Greg Kurstin on the album. Grohl had been listening to the work of Kurstin's indie pop band, The Bird and the Bee since 2014 and was very impressed with his work, calling it "so much more sophisticated than anything [he'd] ever heard." Grohl reached out to Kurstin, and learned that he had taken a hiatus from The Bird and the Bee to focus on his work as a music producer, producing songs including Halsey's "Strangers", Sia's "The Greatest" and "Cheap Thrills", and Adele's "Hello". The two both were interested in the challenge presented with working together – Kurstin had never worked on a heavy rock album, while Grohl had never worked with a pop songwriter – and decided to collaborate on the album.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: Recording was done at the heavily populated EastWest Studios, where the band frequently ran into, and interacted with, various other musicians in the studio building. Recording sessions frequently culminated in large barbecues and alcohol drinking among the other artists using the studios, often leading to Grohl grilling meat for parties of up to forty people while finishing up recording sessions. The setup led to the band having a number of high-profile collaborations on the album. The band worked with Boyz II Men member Shawn Stockman on the album's title track and album closer, which stemmed from a chance meeting between Grohl and Stockman in the parking lot. Grohl also announced that "probably the biggest pop star in the world" would provide backing vocals on a track as well, though he refused to name who, leading to much speculation due to the number of pop stars Kurstin had previously worked with prior to the Foo Fighters. Grohl later clarified that it was not Adele or Taylor Swift, and that the person has "been around a long time", and eventually revealed it to be Justin Timberlake. Further collaborations include vocals by Inara George on the track "Dirty Water", saxophone by David Koz on the track "La Dee Da", and vocals by Alison Mosshart of The Kills on "La Dee Da" and "The Sky Is a Neighborhood". Additionally, Paul McCartney contributed drums to the track "Sunday Rain" after entering the studio and recording two drum tracks without even hearing the song first, basing his performance entirely on Grohl recreating the song acoustically for him on the spot. "Concrete and Gold" also marks Rami Jaffee's first credit as an official band member, having been a session and touring keyboardist for the band since 2005.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: While not a formal collaborator on the album, Grohl also would travel to visit past collaborator Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age during the recording sessions as well, who was working in the nearby United Recording music studio. The two often played in-progress material for each other, as each was working on a new approach of recording a rock album with a pop music producer, Homme doing the same thing with music producer Mark Ronson on the album "Villains".


title: Concrete and Gold

text: The band describe the album's sound as where "hard rock extremes and pop sensibilities collide", comparing it conceptually to being "Motorhead's version of "Sgt. Pepper"" or "Slayer making "Pet Sounds"". Explaining further, the album's sound was described as combining heavy guitar riffs with "lush harmonic complexities". Hawkins added that in contrast to their mindset in the previous albums going to "let's make a good rock n' roll record", "Concrete and Gold" was "the weird record." Grohl described the title track, which features the vocals of Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men, as sounding like "Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd" and explaining that they "built a choir" out of Stockman's vocal takes, overdubbing them so it sounds "like 40 vocals stacked". Hawkins described the album as their "most psychedelic" and "weirdest" sounding. Writers described the album's overall sound as hard rock and progressive rock.


title: Concrete and Gold

text: Lyrically, the album is based around Grohl's thoughts about the future of the United States – "politically, personally, as a father, an American and a musician". While the lyrics were written to vent Grohl's political frustrations, the album lyrics themselves are not overtly-political. Grohl also stated an overall theme of the album was “hope and desperation”. "The Sky Is a Neighborhood" and "T-Shirt" represent a more bleak worldview by Grohl's, the two songs showing his concern for the future of humanity, and desire for escapism, respectively. The election and presidency of Donald Trump was cited as a huge influence of Grohl's negativity, with Grohl stating:


title: Concrete and Gold

text: The album was released on September 15, 2017. Two singles were released prior to the album's release, "Run", which topped the US "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Songs chart in July 2017, and "The Sky Is a Neighborhood", which is at number 13 on the chart. A third song, "The Line", was also released a week prior to the album, and tracks such as "La Dee Da" had been debuted at live shows earlier in 2017. The band commenced a headlining North American tour in support of the album starting in October 2017. Prior to the tour, the band also plans on throwing their own festival – "Cal Jam 17" – with performances from themselves, Queens of the Stone Age, Cage the Elephant, and a number of other bands, as a large-scale version of an album-release party. Promotions will continue into 2018, including a joint touring with Weezer through Australia and New Zealand in January and February. On October 20, 2017, the band released a previously unreleased b-side song from the album sessions, "Soldier", for the Planned Parenthood benefit compilation album "7-Inches for Planned Parenthood". The third single from the album, "The Line" was released on May 1, 2018.