title: Parasitic plant

text: Parasitism also evolved within aquatic species of plants and algae. Parasitic marine plants are described as benthic, meaning that they are sedentary or attached to another structure. Plants and algae that grow on the host plant, using it as an attachment point are given the designation epiphytic (epilithic is the name given to plants/algae that use rocks or boulders for attachment), while not necessarily parasitic, some species occur in high correlation with a certain host species, suggesting that they rely on the host plant in some way or another. In contrast, endophytic plants and algae grow inside their host plant, these have a wide range of host dependence from obligate holoparasites to facultative hemiparasites.


title: Parasitic plant

text: Marine parasites occur as a higher proportion of marine flora in temperate rather than tropical waters. While no full explanation for this is available, many of the potential host plants such as kelp and other macroscopic brown algae are generally restricted to temperate areas. Roughly 75% of parasitic red algae infect hosts in the same taxonomic family as themselves, these are given the designation adelphoparasites. Other marine parasites, deemed endozoic, are parasites of marine invertebrates (mollusks, flatworms, sponges) and can be either holoparasitic or hemiparasitic, some retaining the ability to photosynthesize after infection.


title: Parasitic plant

text: Species within "Orobanchaceae" are some of the most economically destructive species on Earth. Species of "Striga" alone are estimated to cost billions of dollars a year in crop yield loss annually, infesting over 50 million hectares of cultivated land within sub-Saharan Africa alone. "Striga" can infest both grasses and grains, including corn, rice and sorghum, some of the most important food crops. "Orobanche" also threatens a wide range of important crops, including peas, chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and varieties of the genus "Brassica" (e.g. cabbage and broccoli). Yield loss from "Orobanche" can reach 100% and has caused farmers in some regions of the world to abandon certain staple crops and begin importing others as an alternative. Much research has been devoted to the control of "Orobanche" and "Striga" species, which are even more devastating in developing areas of the world, though no method has been found to be entirely successful.


title: Parasitic plant

text: Some parasitic plants are destructive while some have positive influences in their communities. Some parasitic plants damage invasive species more than native species. This results in the reduced damage of invasive species in the community.


title: Parasitic plant

text: In many regions, including the Nepal Eastern Himalayas, parasitic plants are used for medicinal and ritual purposes.


title: Parasitic plant

text: About 400 species of flowering plants, plus one gymnosperm ("Parasitaxus usta"), are parasitic on mycorrhizal fungi. This effectively gives these plants the ability to become associated with many of the other plants around them. They are termed myco-heterotrophs. Some myco-heterotrophs are Indian pipe ("Monotropa uniflora"), snow plant ("Sarcodes sanguinea"), underground orchid ("Rhizanthella gardneri"), bird's nest orchid ("Neottia nidus-avis"), and sugarstick ("Allotropa virgata"). Within the taxonomic family "Ericaceae", known for extensive mycorrhizal relationships, there are the Monotropoids. The Monotropoids include the genera "Monotropa", "Monotropsis", and "Pterospora" among others. Myco-heterotrophic behavior is commonly accompanied by the loss of chlorophyll.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Thermogravimetric analysis or thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) is a method of thermal analysis in which the mass of a sample is measured over time as the temperature changes. This measurement provides information about physical phenomena, such as phase transitions, absorption, adsorption and desorption; as well as chemical phenomena including chemisorptions, thermal decomposition, and solid-gas reactions (e.g., oxidation or reduction).


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is conducted on an instrument referred to as a thermogravimetric analyzer. A thermogravimetric analyzer continuously measures mass while the temperature of a sample is changed over time. Mass, temperature, and time are considered base measurements in thermogravimetric analysis while many additional measures may be derived from these three base measurements.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: A typical thermogravimetric analyzer consists of a precision balance with a sample pan located inside a furnace with a programmable control temperature. The temperature is generally increased at constant rate (or for some applications the temperature is controlled for a constant mass loss) to incur a thermal reaction. The thermal reaction may occur under a variety of atmospheres including: ambient air, vacuum, inert gas, oxidizing/reducing gases, corrosive gases, carburizing gases, vapors of liquids or "self-generated atmosphere"; as well as a variety of pressures including: a high vacuum, high pressure, constant pressure, or a controlled pressure.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: The thermogravimetric data collected from a thermal reaction is compiled into a plot of mass or percentage of initial mass on the y axis versus either temperature or time on the x-axis. This plot, which is often smoothed, is referred to as a TGA curve. The first derivative of the TGA curve (the DTG curve) may be plotted to determine inflection points useful for in-depth interpretations as well as differential thermal analysis.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: A TGA can be used for materials characterization through analysis of characteristic decomposition patterns. It is an especially useful technique for the study of polymeric materials, including thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, composites, plastic films, fibers, coatings, paints, and fuels.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: TGA can be used to evaluate the thermal stability of a material. In a desired temperature range, if a species is thermally stable, there will be no observed mass change. Negligible mass loss corresponds to little or no slope in the TGA trace. TGA also gives the upper use temperature of a material. Beyond this temperature the material will begin to degrade.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: TGA is used in the analysis of polymers. Polymers usually melt before they decompose, thus TGA is mainly used to investigate the thermal stability of polymers. Most polymers melt or degrade before 200 °C. However, there is a class of thermally stable polymers that are able to withstand temperatures of at least 300 °C in air and 500 °C in inert gases without structural changes or strength loss, which can be analyzed by TGA.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: The simplest materials characterization is the residue remaining after a reaction. For example, a combustion reaction could be tested by loading a sample into a thermogravimetric analyzer at normal conditions. The thermogravimetric analyzer would cause ion combustion in the sample by heating it beyond its ignition temperature. The resultant TGA curve plotted with the y axis as percentage of initial mass would show the residue at the final point of the curve.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Studying the resistance to oxidation in copper alloys is very important. For example, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is conducting research on advanced copper alloys for their possible use in combustion engines. However, oxidative degradation can occur in these alloys as copper oxides form in atmospheres that are rich in oxygen. Resistance to oxidation is very important because NASA wants to be able to reuse shuttle materials. TGA can be used to study the static oxidation of materials such as these for practical use.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Combustion during TG analysis is identifiable by distinct traces made in the TGA thermograms produced. One interesting example occurs with samples of as-produced unpurified carbon nanotubes that have a large amount of metal catalyst present. Due to combustion, a TGA trace can deviate from the normal form of a well-behaved function. This phenomenon arises from a rapid temperature change. When the weight and temperature are plotted versus time, a dramatic slope change in the first derivative plot is concurrent with the mass loss of the sample and the sudden increase in temperature seen by the thermocouple. The mass loss could be the result of particles of smoke released from burning caused by inconsistencies in the material itself, beyond the oxidation of carbon due to poorly controlled weight loss.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Different weight losses on the same sample at different points can also be used as a diagnosis of the sample's anisotropy. For instance, sampling the top side and the bottom side of a sample with dispersed particles inside can be useful to detect sedimentation, as thermograms will not overlap but will show a gap between them if the particle distribution is different from side to side.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Thermogravimetric kinetics may be explored for insight into the reaction mechanisms of thermal (catalytic or non-catalytic) decomposition involved in the pyrolysis and combustion processes of different materials.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Though a constant heating rate is more common, a constant mass loss rate can illuminate specific reaction kinetics. For example, the kinetic parameters of the carbonization of polyvinyl butyral were found using a constant mass loss rate of 0.2 wt %/min.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: Thermogravimetric analysis is often combined with other processes or used in conjunction with other analytical methods.


title: Thermogravimetric analysis

text: For example, the TGA instrument continuously weighs a sample as it is heated to temperatures of up to 2000 °C for coupling with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mass spectrometry gas analysis. As the temperature increases, various components of the sample are decomposed and the weight percentage of each resulting mass change can be measured.


title: Jan Morris

text: (Catharine) Jan Morris (born James Humphry Morris; 2 October 192620 November 2020) was a Welsh historian, author and travel writer. She was known particularly for the "Pax Britannica" trilogy (1968–1978), a history of the British Empire, and for portraits of cities, including Oxford, Venice, Trieste, Hong Kong and New York City. She published under her birth name, James, until 1972, when she had gender reassignment surgery after transitioning from male to female.


title: Jan Morris

text: As James Morris, she was a member of the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition, which made the first ascent of the mountain. She was the only journalist to accompany the expedition, climbing with the team to a camp at 22,000 feet, and using a prearranged code to send news of the successful ascent, which was announced in "The Times" on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation (2 June 1953).


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris was born in Clevedon, Somerset, England, the youngest of three children of Walter Henry Morris (died 1938), an engineer from Monmouth, on the borders of Wales, who never fully recovered after being gassed in the First World War, and Enid (née Payne; died 1981), an English church organist who trained as a concert pianist at the Leipzig Conservatory and was a "well-known recitalist in the early days of broadcasting in south Wales and the west of England". Her elder brothers Gareth (1920–2007) and Christopher (1922–2014) achieved distinction, as a flautist and as an organist and music publisher for the Oxford University Press respectively. Morris was a chorister in the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, while boarding at Christ Church Cathedral School. Morris then went on to be educated at Lancing College, returning to Christ Church, Oxford, as an undergraduate, taking a second-class honours BA in 1951 (promoted to the customary Oxford MA in 1961), and editing the "Cherwell" magazine. Despite being born and largely raised in England, Morris always identified as Welsh. In the closing stages of the Second World War, Morris served in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, and in 1945 was posted to the Free Territory of Trieste, during the joint British–American occupation, eventually serving as regimental intelligence officer.


title: Jan Morris

text: After the war Morris wrote for "The Times", and in 1953 was the only journalist accompanying the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition, which included Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who were the first to scale Mount Everest. Morris reported the success of Hillary and Tenzing in a coded message to the newspaper, "Snow conditions bad stop advanced base abandoned yesterday stop awaiting improvement", and by happy coincidence the scoop was published in "The Times" on the morning of the coronation of Elizabeth II. The message was initially interpreted to mean that Tom Bourdillon and Tenzing had reached the summit, but the first name was corrected before the story was broken. Claims that the news was held back ignore the communication problems of the time; it was quite an achievement to get the news of the 29 May ascent to London by Coronation Day on 2 June, as it had to be sent to Namche Bazaar by runner.


title: Jan Morris

text: Reporting from Cyprus on the Suez Crisis for the "Manchester Guardian" in 1956, Morris produced the first "irrefutable proof" of collusion between France and Israel in the invasion of Egyptian territory, interviewing French Air Force pilots who confirmed that they had been in action in support of Israeli forces. Morris reported on the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Later Morris opposed the Falklands War.


title: Jan Morris

text: In 1949, Morris married Elizabeth, daughter of Ceylon tea planter Austen Cecil Tuckniss; they had five children together, including the poet and musician Twm Morys. One of their children died in infancy. They lived together in the village of Llanystumdwy, in North Wales, for over 50 years until Morris' death in November 2020, first in a large Georgian house, Plas Trefan, and latterly in a converted stable block, Trefan Morys, in the grounds.


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris began transitioning to life as a woman in 1964, one of the first high-profile people to do so. In 1972, Morris travelled to Morocco to undergo sex reassignment surgery, performed by surgeon Georges Burou, because doctors in Britain refused to allow the procedure unless Morris and Tuckniss divorced, something Morris was not prepared to do. They divorced later, but remained together and on 14 May 2008 were legally reunited when they formally entered into a civil partnership. After James became Jan, she detailed her transition in "Conundrum" (1974), her first book under her new name, and one of the first autobiographies to discuss a personal gender reassignment.


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris died on 20 November 2020 at Ysbyty Bryn Beryl (Bryn Beryl Hospital) in Pwllheli in North Wales, at the age of 94, survived by Elizabeth and their four children. Her death was announced by her son Twm.


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris received honorary doctorates from the University of Wales and the University of Glamorgan, was an honorary fellow of Christ Church, Oxford, and was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Morris was elected to the Gorsedd Cymru in 1992; she received the Glyndŵr Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales in 1996. She accepted her CBE in the 1999 Birthday Honours "out of polite respect", but Morris was a Welsh nationalist republican at heart. In 2005, she was awarded the Golden PEN Award by English PEN for "a Lifetime's Distinguished Service to Literature". In January 2008, "The Times" named her the 15th greatest British writer since the War. She has featured in the Pinc List of leading Welsh LGBT figures. She won the 2018 Edward Stanford Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing Award.


title: Jan Morris

text: In an interview with BBC in 2016 she told Michael Palin that she did not like to be described as a travel writer, as her books are not about movement and journeys; they are about places and people.


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris's 1974 best-selling memoir "Conundrum" documented her transition and was compared to that of transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen ("A Personal Autobiography"). Later memoirs included "Herstory" and "Pleasures of a Tangled Life". She also wrote many essays on travel and her life, and published a collection of her diary entries as "In My Mind's Eye" in 2019.


title: Jan Morris

text: Morris wrote many books on travel, particularly about Venice and Trieste. Her "Pax Britannica" trilogy, on the history of the British Empire, received praise. Morris' 1985 novel "Last Letters from Hav", an "imagined travelogue and political thriller" was shortlisted for that year's Booker Prize.


title: Jan Morris

text: In 1995, Morris completed a biography of First Sea Lord John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher entitled "Fisher's Face". She began researching the life of the Admiral in the 1950s, describing the several-decades-long project as a "jeu d’amour" (love game).


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Birgenair Flight 301 was a flight chartered by Turkish-managed Birgenair partner Alas Nacionales from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic to Frankfurt, Germany, via Gander, Canada, and Berlin, Germany. On February 6, 1996, the 757-200 operating the route crashed shortly after take-off from Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón International Airport. All 189 people on board died. The cause was pilot error after receiving incorrect airspeed information from one of the pitot tubes, which investigators believe was blocked by a wasp nest built inside it. The aircraft had been sitting unused for 20 days, and without pitot tube covers in place for the preceding 2 days before the crash.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Flight 301 shares the title of deadliest aviation crash involving a Boeing 757 alongside American Airlines Flight 77, both having 189 total fatalities. Furthermore, Flight 301 is the deadliest aviation accident ever to have occurred in the Dominican Republic.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: The aircraft was a 11-year-old Boeing 757-225 originally delivered to Eastern Air Lines in February 1985 and registered as N516EA. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 engines. After Eastern Air Lines's bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation in 1991, the aircraft was stored at the Mojave Air and Space Port for more than a year. It was purchased by Aeronautics Leasing in April 1992, and then leased to Canadian airline Nationair in May 1992, and stayed with the airline until its demise the following year. It was leased again by the same lessor in July 1993 to Birgenair and then sub-leased to International Caribbean Airways in December 1994, and Birgenair operated the airliner until it crashed.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: The crew consisted of 11 Turks and 2 Dominicans. The captain was Ahmet Erdem (61), with 24,750 flight hours of experience (including 1,875 hours on the Boeing 757). The first officer was Aykut Gergin (34). He had 3,500 hours of flying experience, though only 71 hours were on the Boeing 757. The relief pilot was Muhlis Evrenesoğlu (51). He had 15,000 flight hours of experience (with 121 of them on the Boeing 757).


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: The passengers consisted mainly of Germans, along with nine Poles including two Members of the Parliament, Zbigniew Gorzelańczyk of the Democratic Left Alliance, and Marek Wielgus of the Nonpartisan Bloc for Support of Reforms (BBWR). Most of the passengers had booked Caribbean package holidays with Öger Tours; Birgenair held 10% of Öger Tours.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: During takeoff roll at 23:42 AST (03:42 UTC), the captain found that his airspeed indicator (ASI) was malfunctioning but he chose not to abort the takeoff. The first officer's ASI was functional, though subsequent warning indicators would cause the aircrew to question its veracity as well. The aircraft took off normally at 23:42 AST, for the first leg of the flight. At , the flight switched to main air traffic control and was instructed to climb to flight level 280 (). The autopilot was engaged 1 minute and 30 seconds into the flight.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Approximately 10 seconds later, two warnings: rudder ratio and Mach airspeed trim appeared. The crew was at that point becoming increasingly confused, because the captain's ASI showed over and was increasing and the first officer's ASI, which was correct, was showing and decreasing.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Then, the captain assumed that both ASI are wrong, and decided to check circuit breakers. When the first circuit breaker was checked, the overspeed warning appeared, as the captain’s ASI, the primary source of the information about airspeed for autopilot, was showing airspeed near and increasing. Then, the second circuit breaker was pulled to silence the warning. As the plane was climbing through , the captain's ASI read . The autopilot, which was taking its airspeed information from the same equipment that was providing faulty readings to the captain's ASI, increased the pitch-up attitude and reduced power in order to lower the plane's airspeed. The first officer's ASI was giving a correct reading of and was still decreasing. With all contradictory warnings given by the plane, the confused captain decided to reduce thrust of the plane, believing it was flying too fast.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: This action immediately triggered the 757's stick-shaker stall alert, warning the confused pilots that the aircraft was flying dangerously slow. Also, the autopilot disengaged. As the plane was closing to stall, its path became unstable and it started descending. Meanwhile, the controller, still unaware of any problems, called the flight, but, as the crew struggled with problems, the first officer said "Standby". First officer and relief pilot, aware of the scale of the problem, were suggesting various methods to recover from the stall, but the confused captain ignored all of them. About 20 seconds before crash, the captain finally attempted to recover from the stall by increasing the plane's thrust to full, but as the aircraft was still in a nose up attitude, the engines were prevented from receiving adequate airflow required to match the increase in thrust. The left engine flamed out, causing the right engine, which was still at full power, to throw the aircraft into a spin. Moments later, the plane inverted. At 23:47 AST, the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) sounded an audible warning, and eight seconds later the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All 176 passengers and 13 crew members died on impact.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: The Dominican Republic government's General Directorate of Civil Aviation () (DGAC) investigated the accident and determined the probable cause to be:


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Investigations later showed that the plane was actually travelling at at the time of the accident. The investigation concluded that one of the three pitot tubes, used to measure airspeed, was blocked.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: None of the pitot tubes were recovered so investigators were unable to determine for certain what caused the blockage. Investigators believe that the most likely culprit was the black and yellow mud dauber ("Sceliphron caementarium"), a type of solitary sphecid wasp well known to Dominican pilots, which makes a cylindrical nest out of mud and tends to establish a nest in artificial, cylindrical structures. According to the final report, section 2.3 – "Aircraft maintenance factors", the aircraft had not flown in 20 days, however, this was not the duration for which pitots remained uncovered, but was evidently enough time to allow the wasps the opportunity to construct nests in the tubes. According to Cetin Birgen, president and CEO of Birgenair, the pitot covers were removed two days before the accident in order to conduct an engine test run.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: The investigation noted a number of other factors and suggested changes. They reconfirmed that the pilots should have followed existing procedures and aborted the takeoff when they found that their airspeed indicators were already in significant disagreement as the plane accelerated down the runway. Results from a number of simulations with experienced pilots found that the combination of the overspeed warning horn and underspeed stick shaker while in flight was an overly confusing contradictory set of messages for many pilots; the FAA issued a directive that pilot training would now include a blocked pitot tube scenario. The FAA research had also revealed that the situation also led to multiple other contradictory warning sounds and warning lights that increased the demands on the pilot to fly the plane. The FAA asked Boeing to change some of those warnings, as well as add a new warning to tell both pilots that their instruments disagree, add the ability for the pilots to silence troublesome alarms, and to modify the system so that the pilots can choose which pitot tube the autopilot uses for airspeed readings.


title: Birgenair Flight 301

text: Shortly after the crash of flight 301, the airline's overall image and profits became heavily damaged, and some of its planes were grounded at the same time. Birgenair went bankrupt in October of the same year as there were concerns about safety after the accident, causing a decline in passenger numbers. The crash and ensuing negative publicity both contributed to Birgenair's bankruptcy.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Michael Stephen Manna (born October 9, 1971), better known by his ring name Stevie Richards, is an American professional wrestler. Over the course of his career, Richards has performed for major professional wrestling promotions including Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Championships held by Richards include the ECW World Tag Team Championship, the WWE Hardcore Championship (21 times), the NWA National Heavyweight Championship and the Extreme Rising World Championship. He is the current Freedom Pro Wrestling National Champion.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Michael Manna trained as a professional wrestler under Jimmy Jannetty at Mike Sharpe's wrestling school in Brick Township, New Jersey. He wrestled his first match on February 25, 1992 for the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance as "Stevie Richards ", facing Jannetty. He wrestled a handful of matches for Eastern Championship Wrestling before spending two years working on the independent circuit for seasoning.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards signed to Eastern Championship Wrestling on June 26, 1994 as "Steve Richards" (later tweaked to "Stevie Richards") in a preliminary wrestling role. His first televised appearance was on the June 28, 1994 episode of "NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling", teaming with Hack Meyers in a loss to Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk. Shortly after his return, Richards was given a valet, Angel. In addition to his in-ring role, Richards answered calls to the ECW hotline under the pseudonym "Lloyd Van Buren".


title: Stevie Richards

text: At Heat Wave on July 16, 1994, Richards lost to Tommy Dreamer. In late-1994, he developed an "identity crisis", performing under the ring names "Stevie Flamingo", "Stevie the Body", and "Stevie Polo" — all references to former ring names used by Scott Levy in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. After sustaining another loss to Dreamer, Richards became irate and claimed he would present "the real Johnny Polo". On the January 7, 1995 episode of "ECW Hardcore TV", Levy — now known as "Raven" — made his ECW debut, with Richards as the first member of Raven's Nest, Raven's stable of lackeys. Immediately upon debuting in ECW, Raven began feuding with Dreamer. On April 8, 1995 at Three Way Dance, Raven revealed that he and Dreamer had attended summer camp together as teenagers, where Raven slept with Beulah McGillicutty, an overweight girl with acne who had been spurned by Dreamer. Richards then revealed that he had tracked down McGillicutty, who was now a "Penthouse" model, who also harbored a grudge against Dreamer. Later that night, Raven wrestled Dreamer for the first time, defeating him following interference from both Richards and McGillicutty. The feud between Raven and Dreamer would continue for another two years, with Dreamer constantly unable to pin Raven.


title: Stevie Richards

text: As a member of Raven's Nest, Richards began wearing jean shorts and half shirts for glam metal bands such as Cinderella, Nelson, Poison and Winger. His behavior attracted the scorn of commentator Joey Styles, who repeatedly described him as a "clueless putz" and referred to his attending the Blue Oyster Bar, a (fictional) gay bar. On June 30, 1995 at Mountain Top Madness, Raven and Richards defeated The Public Enemy to win the ECW World Tag Team Championship. In May 1995 at Enter the Sandman, Dreamer introduced Luna Vachon to ECW to counter the continual interference from Richards and Raven's Nest. At Hardcore Heaven on July 1, 1995, Raven and Richards defeated Dreamer and Vachon in a tag team match. Two weeks later at Heat Wave, Vachon defeated Richards in a cage match.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In the summer of 1995, an unnamed woman began appearing in the audience during Richards matches. On August 26, 1995, Richards introduced her to Joey Styles as his girlfriend, Francine. Francine began accompanying to Richards to ringside, but tensions quickly arose between her and McGillicutty. On August 26, 1995, McGillicutty defeated Francine after Richards turned on her by super kicking her at the behest of Raven. Francine subsequently aligned herself with The Pitbulls, helping them defeat Raven and Richards for the ECW World Tag Team Championship at Gangstas Paradise on September 16, 1995. Raven and Richards regained the titles from The Pitbulls on October 7, 1995, only to lose them to The Public Enemy later that evening.


title: Stevie Richards

text: At November to Remember on November 18, 1995, Richards introduced a lackey of his own, The Blue Meanie. Over the following year, Richards and The Blue Meanie would perform numerous parodies of other wrestlers, including "Baron von Stevie" and "Colonel DeMeanie"; "Lord Stevie" and "Sir Meanie"; "Stevie Alexander Bagwell" and "Meanie Riggs"; and "Flyboy Stevie Rock" and "Meanie Grunge". In late 1995, Richards received another lackey, Super Nova.


title: Stevie Richards

text: During the opening of Holiday Hell on December 29, 1995, Richards received a kiss from Missy Hyatt, who was seated at ringside, after claiming he could get her "a date with Raven" in return. Later that evening, Richards and The Blue Meanie were squashed by Dreamer in consecutive matches. Dreamer went on to face Raven, who defeated him yet again after repeated interference from Richard and The Blue Meanie. At House Party on January 5, 1996, Richards attempted to kiss McGillicutty, who refused, eventually announcing that she was pregnant. After Raven angrily confronted McGillicutty, she informed him that he was not the father, causing Raven to attack Richards. McGillicutty then revealed that Tommy Dreamer was the father, with Dreamer storming the ring and beating down Raven, Richards and The Blue Meanie. On February 3, 1996, at Big Apple Blizzard Blast, Richards announced that he was suing Missy Hyatt - who had aligned herself with The Sandman - for sexual harassment (a reference to Hyatt's lawsuit against her former employer, World Championship Wrestling). On June 1, 1996 at Fight the Power he served Hyatt by stuffing a summons into her cleavage. The angle concluded at Natural Born Killaz on August 24, 1996, when Richards offered to drop the lawsuit if Hyatt would insult The Sandman. After Hyatt complied, The Sandman caned her, breaking their alliance.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In August 1996, Richards, The Blue Meanie, Super Nova and Don E. Allen parodied the rock band Kiss at The Doctor Is In as "Stevie Stanley", "Meanie Simmons", "Nova Frehley", and "Don E. Criss" respectively. At the same event, Richards substituted for Raven in his ECW World Heavyweight Championship title defense against The Sandman, with Raven entering the ring at the end of the match and pinning The Sandman. Later that month, Richards took part in , defeating Keizo Matsuda in a bout in Korakuen Hall as well as helping Raven defend his title against Tommy Dreamer. The relationship between Raven and Richards began to deteriorate in late 1996. At Ultimate Jeopardy on October 5, 1996, Raven was scheduled to team with Brian Lee against Dreamer and The Sandman in a match with Raven's ECW World Heavyweight Championship on the line. After Raven was announced as being unable to compete, Richards substituted for him, with Raven losing his title after The Sandman pinned Richards. Upon his return, Raven blamed Richards for the loss.


title: Stevie Richards

text: At "High Incident" on October 26, 1996, Richards was involved in one of ECW's most controversial angles, with Raven's Nest "crucifying" The Sandman by tying him to a cross and placing a crown made of barbed wire on his head. The angle, which was widely criticised as being in poor taste, led to Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle severing his links with ECW and delayed the promotion's debut on pay-per-view.


title: Stevie Richards

text: At November to Remember on November 16, 1996, Richards debuted the Blue World Order, a comedy stable parodying the New World Order in World Championship Wrestling. Richards began performing as "Big Stevie Cool", a reference to nWo member Kevin Nash, formerly "Big Daddy Cool". Later that night, Richards inadvertently superkicked Raven during his ECW World Heavyweight Championship bout against The Sandman. The tensions between Raven and Richards continued to build until, on December 28, 1996, Richards turned on Raven by superkicking him during a match with The Sandman. At House Party in January 1997, Richards once again superkicked Raven.


title: Stevie Richards

text: At "Crossing the Line Again" on February 1, 1997, Raven scored an upset victory over "Dr. Death" Steve Williams after interference from Richards backfired. At CyberSlam on February 22, 1997, Richards and The Blue World Order came to the ring to berate Raven and Brian Lee, who had given a concussion to Terry Funk. After Lee chokeslammed Richards, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman entered the ring, eventually fighting off Raven and Lee. Dreamer then helped Richards to his feet and the two shook hands, marking an end to their lengthy rivalry.


title: Stevie Richards

text: As part of an agreement between ECW and the World Wrestling Federation, Richards and several other ECW wrestlers appeared on February 24, 1997, episode of "Raw is War", with Richards defeating Little Guido.


title: Stevie Richards

text: At Hostile City Showdown on March 15, 1997, Richards faced Raven and Dreamer in a three-way dance for Raven's ECW World Heavyweight Championship. The match was won by Raven. At ECW's first pay-per-view, Barely Legal on April 13, 1997, Richards faced Terry Funk and The Sandman in a triple threat match, with the winner facing Raven for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. The match was won by Funk, who went on to defeat Raven.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On May 1, 1997, episode of "ECW Hardcore TV", a controversial angle took place in which a morose Raven confronted Richards, telling him he had one final "mission" for him. Raven then attacked Richards before begging him to "end my pain". At The Buffalo Invasion on May 11, 1997, Raven and Richards reformed their tag team to face Dreamer and Funk, with Richards pinning Funk despite bickering with Raven throughout the match. In the main event, Raven, Richards, Funk, and The Sandman faced one another in a four-way elimination match for Funk's ECW World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Raven DDT'ed both Funk and The Sandman and then demanded that Richards pin them and then lay down for him. Richards refused, instead super kicking Raven and enabling Funk and The Sandman to pin him. During the match, Richards suffered a neck injury when Funk slammed the metal guardrail onto his back and neck. Shortly thereafter, he announced his retirement from professional wrestling, making his final appearance with ECW on the May 29, 1997 episode of "ECW Hardcore TV".


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards broke his retirement in August 1997, signing a contract with World Championship Wrestling. He made his debut on the July 13, 1997 episode of "WCW Monday Nitro", confronting Raven, who had also just signed with WCW. At Clash of the Champions XXXV on August 21, 1997, Raven defeated Richards in a no disqualification match. In September 1997, Richards rejoined Raven, sitting with him in the audience during WCW events. He left WCW in November 1997.


title: Stevie Richards

text: After leaving WCW, Richards wrestled a handful of matches for ECW in December 1997, defeating Chris Chetti at Better Than Ever, before returning to the independent circuit, where he primarily competed in the northeastern United States.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In August 1998, Richards defeated Doug Gilbert to win the NWA National Heavyweight Championship. Gilbert regained the title in October 1998 at the NWA Anniversary Show. In November 1998, Richards joined Maryland Championship Wrestling, winning the MCW Tag Team Championship with Earl the Pearl in his debut match. The duo held the titles until February 1999. In April 1999, Richards won an eight-man tournament for the vacant NWA 2000 Heavyweight Championship. At the independent supercard Break the Barrier on May 15, 1999, Richards won the APWF Heavyweight Championship, which he held until August 1999.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards planned on retiring from professional wrestling to study information technology at the Community College of Philadelphia. His plans changed when he was offered a contract with the World Wrestling Federation in mid-1999.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In 1999, Richards joined the WWF full-time. He debuted on August 15, 1999, episode of "Sunday Night Heat", helping his old bWo partner, The Blue Meanie, win a match against Al Snow. The two formed a short-lived tag team, before Richards adopted an impersonator gimmick.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Mocking other wrestler's gimmicks, he appeared as an Acolyte, a Dudley Boy and a vampire of The Brood, until briefly settling on Mick Foley's Dude Love persona. After that, he impersonated Test, Chyna, and Chris Jericho, before being sidelined by an ankle injury. He returned to wrestle matches on "Jakked" and "Metal", where he lost more often than not. He challenged both Dean Malenko and Scotty 2 Hotty for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship in this period, unsuccessfully.


title: Stevie Richards

text: After Sable left the WWF, Richards and The Blue Meanie filmed a series of vignettes lampooning her titled "The Blonde Bytch Project" (a parody of The Blair Witch Project). One vignette aired on the August 23 edition of "Raw" The rest ultimately did not as WWF chairman Vince McMahon did not feel they would be understood.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards returned on the June 26, 2000 episode of "Raw", with a new look and gimmick, shorthaired and in a shirt and tie, reminiscent of Michael Douglas's character from the movie "Falling Down". Over the next few weeks, he cut promos condemning the risqué content of WWF programming and preaching conservative values (the gimmick was a mocking reference to the Parents Television Council, which was publicly criticizing WWF content at the time). He became a full-fledged heel, formalized his name to "Steven Richards" and formed a stable known as the Right to Censor. He spoke for, managed, and tag-teamed with his recruits: The Godfather (renamed the Goodfather), Bull Buchanan, Ivory, and Val Venis. When Chyna was featured in "Playboy" magazine, the Right to Censor objected and feuded with her and her (onscreen) boyfriend, Eddie Guerrero.


title: Stevie Richards

text: After Right to Censor broke up, Richards disappeared from television for a short time. He returned to "SmackDown!" to cut a promo condemning The Undertaker for attacking Right to Censor and causing it to disband. When The Undertaker confronted Richards, KroniK attacked him. Richards announced his alliance with the WCW tag team, thus becoming a de facto member of The Alliance. He managed Kronik in a match against The Undertaker and Kane, after which Kronik was released from the WWF.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards then appeared mainly on the "B shows", "Jakked" and "Metal", until Team Alliance lost at Survivor Series in 2001. Richards was then fired (in storylines) along with the rest of the Alliance roster by Vince McMahon. Ric Flair was able to save his job and get him drafted to the Raw brand.


title: Stevie Richards

text: There, he became a twenty-two-time Hardcore Champion, trading it several times with Bubba Ray Dudley, Booker T, Crash Holly, Shawn Stasiak, Justin Credible, Bradshaw, Terri, and Tommy Dreamer.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards formed an alliance with Victoria in late 2002, as a mentally unbalanced couple helping each other win their matches. He often helped her retain the WWE Women's Championship. This led to a feud with Bubba Ray Dudley and Trish Stratus, who would win their titles in a tag team match on RAW. As Victoria turned face, the duo quietly separated.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Around this time, he proclaimed himself "General Manager of "Heat"", a title that carried no actual authority. In August 2004, Richards began appearing in drag as "The Mystery Woman" during Victoria's matches, helping her win. The Mystery Woman's painfully obvious identity was "revealed" at Unforgiven, after "she" saved Victoria from Tyson Tomko and Trish Stratus. Richards then quickly lost an impromptu match to Tomko. He went on a losing streak on "Heat" from April 19, 2004 till December 3, 2006 (when he defeated Rene Dupree).


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards was legitimately injured during the "Raw" debut match of Chris Masters in February 2005, when a botched Polish hammer broke his nose and orbital bone. After healing, Richards faced Masters in a rematch but lost again.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards appeared at the ECW reunion event, "ECW One Night Stand" in 2005, reuniting with his bWo comrades and proclaiming "We have only three words for you. We're taking over!" He then dropped The Sandman with a Stevie Kick.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards was traded to SmackDown! on June 30, 2005, and reformed the bWo with Nova and The Blue Meanie. At "The Great American Bash", the bWo lost to The Mexicools (Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, and Super Crazy) in a six-man tag team match.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards then had a short stint on "WWE Velocity", dropping the bWo gimmick as he lost to Hardcore Holly and Booker T. After September 6, he disappeared from TV for over six months. He returned for an 18-Man inter-promotional Battle Royal at WrestleMania 22.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Shortly after the introduction of the ECW brand in 2006, Richards left the SmackDown! brand to join it on the "WWE vs ECW Head to Head" show on June 7, 2006. He wrestled on ECW's weekly show under his old ring name of Stevie Richards. He soon returned to his heel persona, turning on the other ECW Originals and siding with the newer stars. His first win on ECW's weekly show was on September 5, 2006, over Balls Mahoney, after interference from Kevin Thorn, who was feuding with Mahoney at the time.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards wrestled before the ECW brand's first pay-per-view, "December to Dismember", defeating Rene Dupree in a dark match. Other than this match, he did not appear on ECW between September 2006 (when he joined up with the first version of ECW's New Breed - Test, Mike Knox, and Hardcore Holly) and February 2007 (when he lost to CM Punk for a second time).


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards was a lumberjack in the pre-WrestleMania 23 Lumberjack Tag Team match. He then went on to lose to CM Punk three more times. In mid-2007, Richards turned face again, and teamed with Tommy Dreamer against The New Breed on house shows, replacing The Sandman (who was drafted to Raw) in the ECW Originals.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On July 24, Richards defeated Kevin Thorn by reversing a crucifix powerbomb into a backslide pin. This was his first victory on WWE television since December 2006. In a rematch the next week, he was dominated, yet again defeated Thorn, via roll-up. On August 7, he was ambushed by Thorn while giving an interview backstage. He again defeated Thorn on August 14 by a reverse decision disqualification, when Thorn continued to assault him after initially winning the match. Richards ambushed Thorn during an interview the next week. He teamed with Tommy Dreamer and lost to Thorn and Elijah Burke. A week later, he teamed with CM Punk and defeated them.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards was eliminated from the Elimination Chase for the ECW Championship on the September 18 episode of "ECW". He then disappeared from WWE programming to have throat surgery.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards made his return on the February 12, 2008 episode of "ECW", defeating Rory Fox with his signature Stevie-T. He beat James Curtis next, then Mike Knox (Richards' final victory on WWE TV).


title: Stevie Richards

text: In the following months, Richards wrestled in the pre-WrestleMania 24-Man Battle Royal, lost to Shelton Benjamin, The Great Khali and Mike Knox in singles matches, teamed with Kelly Kelly to lose to Mike Knox and Layla and was one of fourteen ECW wrestlers who faced Triple H and Mr. Kennedy in a 14 on 2 Handicap Match on "Raw". He commentated on the Extreme Rules match between Mike Knox and Tommy Dreamer on the 100th episode of ECW.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards remained on the ECW brand after the June 2008 Draft, but wrestled his final three WWE matches on "SmackDown!". He lost to Vladimir Kozlov twice in July 2008, and to The Brian Kendrick on August 15. He was released from his WWE contract shortly thereafter.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Before returning to the independent circuit, Richards' lung collapsed while undergoing a biopsy to determine the cause of a lung infection, causing him to wear a chest tube for several days and miss a scheduled appearance for Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW).


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards then occasionally wrestled for MCW and other promotions. He won the Force One Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship on February 28, 2009 in Barnegat, NJ, defeating Danny Doring., as well as the TRP and Showcase heavyweight championships.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On May 28, 2011, Richards debuted as an announcer for Lucha Libre USA. At the next taping on June 18, he turned heel by helping R. J. Brewer win the Lucha Libre USA Championship, joining his anti-Mexican stable, The Right, in the process. He made his promotional wrestling debut at the next taping on July 30, defeating Rocky Romero after interference from stablemate Petey Williams.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In 2012, Richards wrestled regularly for the Extreme Rising promotion, as well as for the NWA and Florida-based promotions CCW and ICW. On June 16, Richards retained his Showcase Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title against Marty Jannetty. On October 6, 2012, Richards defeated Aramis to win the American Championship Pro Wrestling (ACPW) Heavyweight title in Vineland, NJ.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Stevie spent the majority of 2013 and 2014 either defending the Extreme Rising World Championship on the indie circuit or challenging for titles in other promotions, such as the WildKat Revolution Title, the SCW Southern Heavyweight Championship, the DWE Heavyweight Championship, the Freedom Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, the CCW Southeastern Heavyweight Championship, the W.O.W Heavyweight Championship and the MPW Heavyweight Championship.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Other notable Independent appearances included a one-off return to the Steven Richards Right to Censor gimmick where he defeated Jack Hurley at the "SCW Fallout" in Florida, reuniting the b.W.o once again for a Pro Wrestling Syndicate iPPV in New Jersey, teaming again with Victoria for Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore promotion at ""HOH 3"" and main-eventing as the titular star of Canada Wrestling Elite's ""Stevie Night Heat"" event. Richards challenged Drew Galloway unsuccessfully for EVOLVE Championship in Nebraska on September 9, 2014. On November 16, 2014, at House of Hardcore VII, Richards defeated Danny Doring.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On September 4, 2015, Richards, Da Blue Guy, and Hollywood Nova reunited as the Blue World Order for Chikara's 2015 King of Trios tournament. They were eliminated from the tournament in their first-round match by the Devastation Corporation (Blaster McMassive, Flex Rumblecrunch and Max Smashmaster).


title: Stevie Richards

text: On May 28, 2016, in Louisiana, Richards successfully defeated Curt Matthews to capture the WildKat Revolution Championship. Richards retained the title over Matthews in a rematch on July 23, 2016. He retained again over Bob Holly on September 10, 2016. Following his defense, Richards was offered the opportunity from Teddy Long to vacate the Revolution Championship and receive a WildKat Heavyweight Championship match in return. Richards accepted the offer. On November 12, 2016, at the Revolution Rumble event, Richards defeated Heavyweight Champion Bu Ku Dao by pin to capture the championship. Richards made his first successful defense the following week in New Orleans, defeating Vordell Walker.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On July 30, 2016, Richards entered a Metro Pro Wrestling tournament to a new MPW Heavyweight Champion. He was eliminated by Mike Sydal when Sydal used Richards' tights for leverage.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On August 7, 2016, in Nashville, Richards defeated Aramis to win the Freedom Pro Wrestling National Championship. Richards would return to successfully the defend the championship in 2017 against Nick Nero and Johnny Swinger.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards remained in title contention on the independent wrestling scene when on November 5, 2016, in Miami, he challenged for the No.1 contendership to the ICW Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat with Shawn Prime and Gangrel, where Gangrel was victorious.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards began what he dubbed "The Summer of Stevie" following a heel turn in WildKat Sports Wrestling, which would see him retain the WildKat Heavyweight Championship against Ryan Davidson, Matt Lancie, J. Spade, Mr. Anderson and Luke Hawx. His match against Hawx took place at WildKat's Philadelphia debut at the ECW Arena, where Richards competed in Apollo Creed-esque ring gear.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In early 2012, Stevie Richards was announced to take part in the Extreme Reunion event that would take place on April 28 at the Pennsylvania National Armory in Philadelphia, he teamed with The Blue Meanie once more as the b.W.o against old foes The F.B.I (Guido and Mamaluke). The b.W.o were eventually defeated following outside interference that led to the Blue Meanie being pinned, Richards appearing frustrated would Stevie-Kick Thomas "Inchworm" Rodman, with the announcers who had previously been positively remarking on his conditioning and ring-shape that "Stevie was here to win, not for nostalgia".


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards would then return for the company in June (now Extreme Rising) and begin a feud with Luke Hawx, who had been verbally attacking the ECW alumni. Hawx defeated Richards using heel tactics in New York but Richards would defeat him the following night in Philadelphia with a Stevie-Kick, earning his first win for the promotion. Richards was then entered into an eight-man tournament to crown the first Extreme Rising World Champion. On November 17 at the ""Remember November"" iPPV, Richards would defeat Papadon by submission to advance into the semi-finals. Later in the show, Richards would confront Raven who had been running down the promotion, which led to a ""Loser Leaves Town"" match which ended as No Contest due to interference from Raven's new Flock, who Richards would decimate through a series of Steve-Kicks and Stevie-Bombs.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On December 29, 2012, Richards would win the tournament and the World Championship by first defeating Luke Hawx in the semi-finals and then Rhino in the final round to become the first Extreme Rising World Champion. He would win all matches by submission with the "I'll Tap You," following this final round win, the Extreme Rising locker room surrounded the ring to congratulate him on his first World Championship.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Following Stevie's championship win over Rhino, he soon took the title overseas where he defended against Tarkan Aslan for the DWA promotion in Germany before returning to America and defending the belt for other independent promotions such as Coastal Championship Wrestling, I Believe In Wrestling, and Southern Championship Wrestling Florida. Title defenses then became less regular, though Stevie was due to defend the title three times at Extreme Rising's Wrestlemania weekend shows, notably against mentor/nemesis Raven, the events were cancelled which was followed by a brief dispute with Stevie and Extreme Rising. However, title defenses eventually resumed as Stevie defeated Kenny Kendrick at a SCW show in August 2013 prior to him making his first defense in an Extreme Rising ring at the December 28th 2013 iPPV ""Unfinished Business"" where he defeated former NWA World, ECW World and WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino by submission. Later that night he ran-out after the co-main-event and Stevie-Kicked top contenders Matt Hardy, Luke Hawx and Homicide as well as Hardy's wife Reby Sky which he would later justify in a video promo.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Extreme Rising and Stevie's World Title reign hit another roadblock when Extreme Rising were forced to reschedule their February/March shows for safety reasons where Richards was due to battle Sabu. Following this, Richards would lose a non-title match at an ECWA show in Delaware to Luke Hawx following outside interference from Papadon where Hawx would 'steal' the World Championship belt. Following this confusion, Stevie would continue to defend the championship without the belt while Hawx would continue to proclaim himself champion while 'defending' the belt also. During this period, Stevie would retain over Chachi in New York for Warriors of Wrestling, Ricky Martinez in Pennsylvania for Central PA Wrestling, Ring of Honor and CZW star Azrieal for PWA in Connecticut and Joey Ace in New York again for Warriors of Wrestling.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On the February 12, 2009 episode of "TNA Impact!", Manna made his Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) debut as Abyss's therapist, Dr. Stevie. For two months, Dr. Stevie's face did not appear on television, as the camera was positioned behind him during his sessions with Abyss and, later, Daffney. His identity was revealed when he interfered in Abyss's match with Matt Morgan at "Lockdown", preventing Abyss from using a chair, which caused him to lose. Stevie's heel role was solidified the next month, when his sessions with Abyss became increasingly abusive. At "Sacrifice", Abyss turned on Stevie and chokeslammed him onto a pile of thumbtacks, after he threatened Lauren, Abyss' girlfriend. On the May 28 episode of "Impact!", Raven returned to TNA, attacked Abyss and aligned himself with Stevie and Daffney. Stevie lost to Abyss at the 2009 "Victory Road" pay-per-view.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Stevie scored his first TNA victory on July 19, defeating Cody Deaner with his new finishing move, General Anesthesia, in a match for "TNA Xplosion", also streamed on TNA's website. On the July 30 "Impact!", he announced he was not done with Abyss and placed a $50,000 bounty on his head. On September 1, he defeated Jay Lethal via submission in another webmatch.


title: Stevie Richards

text: After Lethal Consequences (Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed) and Jethro Holliday failed to collect the bounty on Abyss, Kevin Nash claimed it at No Surrender after pinning him in a Legends Championship match, even though it was supposed to be paid for ending his career. Stevie tried to explain this to Nash, only to receive a Jackknife Powerbomb. On the next "Impact!", Stevie took the money back after using a taser on Nash. The feud ended a week later when Nash defeated Stevie in a non-title match.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On the October 8 "Impact!", Mick Foley announced that Stevie would be the special guest referee in the Monster's Ball match between Foley and Abyss at Bound for Glory. The match ended after Abyss pushed the interfering Daffney off the top rope through a barbed-wire board (giving her a legit concussion), Black Hole Slammed the enraged Dr. Stevie onto a pile of thumbtacks and slammed Foley onto the barbed wire board. He covered Foley, pulled an unconscious Dr. Stevie over, and used his hand to count the pinfall.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Two weeks later, Stevie assaulted Abyss after losing a match to him; Foley turned on him and saved Abyss. The next week, Foley explained he had manipulated Dr. Stevie all along and had challenged Abyss to test how tough he really was. He then booked Stevie in a match with Abyss for the following week; if Abyss pinned Stevie, he would have to leave TNA. On the November 12 "Impact!", Stevie defeated Abyss to save his job, after the lights suddenly went out and came back on with Abyss mysteriously laid out. After the match, Foley (who was commentating during the match) entered the ring and attacked Stevie when the lights went out again. In the darkness, a fireball was thrown in Foley's face. When the lights came back, Raven was revealed as the one who had interfered. Stevie, Raven and Daffney then reformed their alliance and feuded with Abyss and Foley. During the feud, Stevie set Abyss on fire. Spike (TNA's broadcaster) didn't allow the footage to air, so it was streamed on the company's website. on the December 3 edition of Impact, Stevie & Raven faced Kurt Angle in a losing effort after interference from Abyss. on the December 17 edition of Impact, Stevie teamed with Scott Steiner, Brutus Magnus, Doug Williams and Raven for a ten-man tag team match against Styles, Angle, Lashley, Tomko and Abyss but lost the match. At "Final Resolution", Abyss and Foley defeated Stevie and Raven in a "Foley's Funhouse" tag team match to end the feud. on the January 4, 2010 edition of Impact, Stevie and Raven faced Hernandez and Matt Morgan in a losing effort.


title: Stevie Richards

text: After months of being off television, he (now billed as Stevie Richards) returned on the June 24 "Impact!", in the audience beside Raven and Tommy Dreamer. The next week, the three were joined by Rhino. On the July 15 "Impact!", Richards, Raven, Dreamer, Rhino, Brother Devon, Pat Kenney and Al Snow, led by Mick Foley, aligned themselves with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam, by attacking Abyss and the rest of the TNA locker room, thus turning face.


title: Stevie Richards

text: The next week, TNA president Dixie Carter agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay–per–view event, "Hardcore Justice", a celebration of hardcore wrestling and a final farewell to ECW. At the event, Richards defeated P.J. Polaco.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On the next "Impact!", the ECW alumni (known collectively as Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0)) were assaulted by A.J. Styles, Kazarian, Robert Roode, James Storm, Douglas Williams and Matt Morgan of Ric Flair's stable, who claimed EV 2.0 didn't deserve to be in TNA. During the assault, Abyss came out, fought Rob Van Dam backstage and caused him storyline injuries which forced him to vacate the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, and caused EV 2.0 to seek vengeance. On the August 26 "Impact!", Richards volunteered to take out Abyss, but ended up beaten when he attacked him backstage. The following week on "Impact!", Richards defeated Abyss in a singles match. After the match, Abyss was about to attack Richards with a nail-studded board, but he was saved by EV 2.0's newest member, Brian Kendrick.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In late August, Richards began writing a weekly health and fitness column for TNA's website. on the September 2 edition of Impact, Richards defeated "The Monster" Abyss. on the September 24 edition of TNA Xplosion, Richards faced Desmond Wolfe in a losing effort. on the October 7 edition of Impact, Richards participated in a $100,000 Invitational Gauntlet-style Battle Royal which was won by Kurt Angle. on the October 7 edition of TNA Xplosion, EV 2.0 (Richards and Raven) defeated Fortune (Matt Morgan and Douglas Williams).


title: Stevie Richards

text: At "Bound for Glory", Richards, Dreamer, Raven, Rhino and Sabu defeated members Styles, Kazarian, Morgan, Roode and Storm in a Lethal Lockdown match. At "Turning Point", EV 2.0 faced Fortune in a ten-man tag team match, where each member of EV 2.0 put their TNA careers on the line. EV 2.0 lost the match and Sabu was released from TNA. Richards then challenged TNA Television Champion A.J. Styles to a match on the next "Impact!". He failed to bring the Television Championship to EV 2.0, and was taken from the ring in a neck brace, suffering a storyline injury. Despite this, TNA streamed a match on Xplosion, in which Richards defeated Okada.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On January 11, 2011, Manna announced he had quit TNA. On an October 2014 interview, Manna explained that he quit TNA because TNA was not paying him a living wage at the time. TNA added Manna to their Alumni section on April 17, 2014.


title: Stevie Richards

text: On August 29, Stevie Richards debuted for Ring of Honor during an in-ring interview with Kevin Kelly which got interrupted by Jay Lethal that led to a brawl between the two before getting broken up. On September 26, Richards fought (and lost) to Undisputed ROH World Champion Lethal in a Proving Grounds match. Though Richards lost the match, he indicated that he isn't going to quit wrestling and will be back with ROH if the management at Sinclair Broadcast Group (ROH's parent company) will have him back. Richards returned to ROH on December 19 in a losing effort to ROH World Television Champion Roderick Strong. Richards returned to ROH in January 2016, losing to Adam Cole.


title: Stevie Richards

text: Richards returned in June 2016, for a series of matches, taking part in the "Road to Best in the World" tour. Richards returned again in September, in a losing effort to Silas Young.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In 2007, Manna started his own technology podcast, "The T4 Show" (standing for "Tech Today Tech Tomorrow"). Josh "Colm" Coleman joined the show as Manna's co-host in 2009.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In 2008, Manna joined the Stratford, Connecticut campus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting as an instructor.


title: Stevie Richards

text: In 2011, he pitched a perfect game in the "MLB 2K11" video game. A promotional contest offered a million dollars to the first person to accomplish this, but because Manna did so before the contest officially started, he did not win the money. Manna currently resides in Palm Coast , FL.


title: Loess

text: Loess (, ; from ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits.


title: Loess

text: Loess is a periglacial or aeolian (windborne) sediment, defined as an accumulation of 20% or less of clay and a balance of roughly equal parts sand and silt (with a typical grain size from 20 to 50 micrometers), often loosely cemented by calcium carbonate. It is usually homogeneous and highly porous and is traversed by vertical capillaries that permit the sediment to fracture and form vertical bluffs.


title: Loess

text: Loess is homogeneous, porous, friable, pale yellow or buff, slightly coherent, typically non-stratified and often calcareous. Loess grains are angular, with little polishing or rounding, and composed of crystals of quartz, feldspar, mica and other minerals. Loess can be described as a rich, dust-like soil.


title: Loess

text: Loess deposits may become very thick, more than a hundred meters in areas of Northwestern China and tens of meters in parts of the Midwestern United States. Loess generally occurs as a blanket deposit that covers areas of hundreds of square kilometers. The deposits are often tens of meters thick. Loess often stands in either steep or vertical faces. Because the grains are angular, loess will often stand in banks for many years without slumping. This soil has a characteristic called vertical cleavage which makes it easily excavated to form cave dwellings, a popular method of making human habitations in some parts of China. Loess will erode very readily.


title: Loess

text: In several areas of the world, loess ridges have formed that are aligned with the prevailing winds during the last glacial maximum. These are called "paha ridges" in America and "greda ridges" in Europe. The form of these loess dunes has been explained by a combination of wind and tundra conditions.


title: Loess

text: The word "loess", with connotations of origin by wind-deposited accumulation, came into English from German "Löss", which can be traced back to Swiss German and is cognate with the English word "loose" and the German word "los". It was first applied to Rhine River valley loess about 1821.


title: Loess

text: The term "Löß" was first described in Central Europe by Karl Cäsar von Leonhard (1823–1824) who reported yellowish brown, silty deposits along the Rhine valley near Heidelberg. Charles Lyell (1834) brought this term into widespread usage by observing similarities between loess and loess derivatives along the loess bluffs in the Rhine and Mississippi. At that time it was thought that the yellowish brown silt-rich sediment was of fluvial origin being deposited by the large rivers. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the aeolian origin of loess was recognized (Virlet D'Aoust 1857), especially the convincing observations of loess in China by Ferdinand von Richthofen (1878). A tremendous number of papers have been published since then, focusing on the formation of loess and on loess/paleosol (older soil buried under deposits) sequences as archives of climate and environment change. These water conservation works were carried out extensively in China and the research of loess in China has been continued since 1954. (Liu TS, Loess and the environment)


title: Loess

text: Much effort was put into the setting up of regional and local loess stratigraphies and their correlation (Kukla 1970, 1975, 1977). But even the chronostratigraphical position of the last interglacial soil correlating to marine isotope substage 5e has been a matter of debate, owing to the lack of robust and reliable numerical dating, as summarized for example in Zöller et al. (1994) and Frechen, Horváth & Gábris (1997) for the Austrian and Hungarian loess stratigraphy, respectively.


title: Loess

text: Since the 1980s, thermoluminescence (TL), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating are available providing the possibility for dating the time of loess (dust) deposition, i.e. the time elapsed since the last exposure of the mineral grains to daylight. During the past decade, luminescence dating has significantly improved by new methodological improvements, especially the development of single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocols (Murray & Wintle 2000) resulting in reliable ages (or age estimates) with an accuracy of up to 5 and 10% for the last glacial record. More recently, luminescence dating has also become a robust dating technique for penultimate and antepenultimate glacial loess (e.g. Thiel et al. 2011, Schmidt et al. 2011) allowing for a reliable correlation of loess/palaeosol sequences for at least the last two interglacial/glacial cycles throughout Europe and the Northern Hemisphere (Frechen 2011). Furthermore, the numerical dating provides the basis for quantitative loess research applying more sophisticated methods to determine and understand high-resolution proxy data, such as the palaeodust content of the atmosphere, variations of the atmospheric circulation patterns and wind systems, palaeoprecipitation and palaeotemperature.


title: Loess

text: Besides luminescence dating methods, the use of radiocarbon dating in loess has increased during the past decades. Advances in methods of analyses, instrumentation and refinements to the radiocarbon calibration curve have enabled to obtain reliable ages from loess deposits for the last 40-45 ka. However, the use of this method relies on finding suitable in situ organic material in deposits such as charcoal, seeds, earthworm granules or snail shells.


title: Loess

text: According to Pye (1995), four fundamental requirements are necessary for the formation of loess: a dust source, adequate wind energy to transport the dust, a suitable accumulation area, and a sufficient amount of time.


title: Loess

text: Periglacial (glacial) loess is derived from the floodplains of glacial braided rivers that carried large volumes of glacial meltwater and sediments from the annual melting of continental icesheets and mountain icecaps during the spring and summer. During the autumn and winter, when melting of the icesheets and icecaps ceased, the flow of meltwater down these rivers either ceased or was greatly reduced. As a consequence, large parts of the formerly submerged and unvegetated floodplains of these braided rivers dried out and were exposed to the wind. Because these floodplains consist of sediment containing a high content of glacially ground flour-like silt and clay, they were highly susceptible to winnowing of their silts and clays by the wind. Once entrained by the wind, particles were then deposited downwind. The loess deposits found along both sides of the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley are a classic example of periglacial loess.


title: Loess

text: During the Quaternary, loess and loess-like sediments were formed in periglacial environments on mid-continental shield areas in Europe and Siberia, on the margins of high mountain ranges like in Tajikistan and on semi-arid margins of some lowland deserts like in China.


title: Loess

text: The thick Chinese loess deposits are non-glacial loess having been blown in from deserts in northern China. The loess covering the Great Plains of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado is considered to be non-glacial desert loess. Non-glacial desert loess is also found in Australia and Africa.


title: Loess

text: Loess tends to develop into very rich soils. Under appropriate climatic conditions, it is some of the most agriculturally productive terrain in the world.


title: Loess

text: Soils underlain by loess tend to be excessively drained. The fine grains weather rapidly due to their large surface area, making soils derived from loess rich. One theory states that the fertility of loess soils is due largely to cation exchange capacity (the ability of plants to absorb nutrients from the soil) and porosity (the air-filled space in the soil). The fertility of loess is not due to organic matter content, which tends to be rather low, unlike tropical soils which derive their fertility almost wholly from organic matter.


title: Loess

text: Even well managed loess farmland can experience dramatic erosion of well over 2.5 kg /m per year. In China the loess deposits which give the Yellow River its color have been farmed and have produced phenomenal yields for over one thousand years. Winds pick up loess particles, contributing to the Asian Dust pollution problem. The largest deposit of loess in the United States, the Loess Hills along the border of Iowa and Nebraska, has survived intensive farming and poor farming practices. For almost 150 years, this loess deposit was farmed with mouldboard ploughs and fall tilled, both intensely erosive. At times it suffered erosion rates of over 10 kilograms per square meter per year. Today this loess deposit is worked as low till or no till in all areas and is aggressively terraced.


title: Loess

text: The Loess Plateau (), also known as the Huangtu Plateau, is a plateau that covers an area of some 640,000 km around the upper and middle reaches of China's Yellow River. The Yellow River was so named because the loess forming its banks gave a yellowish tint to the water. The soil of this region has been called the "most highly erodible soil on earth". The Loess Plateau and its dusty soil cover almost all of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and parts of others.


title: Loess

text: Loess deposits of varying thickness (decimeter to several tens of meters) are widely distributed over the European continent. The northern European loess belt stretches from southern England and northern France to Germany, Poland and the southern Ukraine and deposits are characterized by strong influences of periglacial conditions. South-eastern European loess is mainly deposited in plateau-like situations in the Danube basins, likely derived from the Danube River system. In south-western Europe, relocated loess derivatives are mostly restricted to the Ebro Valley and central Spain.


title: Loess

text: The Loess Hills of Iowa owe their fertility to the prairie topsoils built by 10,000 years of post-glacial accumulation of organic-rich humus as a consequence of a persistent grassland biome. When the valuable A-horizon topsoil is eroded or degraded, the underlying loess soil is infertile, and requires the addition of fertilizer in order to support agriculture.


title: Loess

text: The loess along the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi, consist of three layers. The "Peoria Loess", "Sicily Island Loess", and "Crowley's Ridge Loess" accumulated at different periods of time during the Pleistocene. Ancient soils, called paleosols, have developed in the top of the Sicily Island Loess and Crowley's Ridge Loess. The lowermost loess, the Crowley's Ridge Loess, accumulated during the late Illinoian Stage. The middle loess, Sicily Island Loess, accumulated during early Wisconsin Stage. The uppermost loess, the Peoria Loess, in which the modern soil has developed, accumulated during the late Wisconsin Stage. Animal remains include terrestrial gastropods and mastodons.


title: Loess

text: Extensive areas of loess occur in New Zealand including the Canterbury Plains and on the Banks Peninsula. The basis of loess stratigraphy was introduced by John Hardcastle in 1890.


title: Loess

text: Much of Argentina is covered by loess. Two areas of loess are usually distinguished in Argentina: the neotropical loess north of latitude 30° S and the pampean loess.


title: Loess

text: The neotropical loess is made of silt or silty clay. Relative to the pampean loess the neotropical loess is poor in quartz and calcium carbonate. The source region for this loess is thought by some scientists to be areas of fluvio-glacial deposits the Andean foothills formed by the Patagonian Ice Sheet. Other researchers stress the importance of volcanic material in the neotropical loess.


title: The Times They Are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan album)

text: The Times They Are a-Changin is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in February 1964 through Columbia Records. Whereas his previous albums "Bob Dylan" and "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" consisted of original material among cover songs, Dylan's third album was the first to feature only original compositions. The album consists mostly of stark, sparsely arranged ballads concerning issues such as racism, poverty, and social change. The title track is one of Dylan's most famous; many feel that it captures the spirit of social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s.


text: Some critics and fans were not quite as taken with the album as a whole, relative to his previous work, for its lack of humor or musical diversity. Still, "The Times They Are a-Changin" peaked at No. 20 on the US chart, eventually going gold, and belatedly reaching No. 4 in the UK in 1965.


text: Dylan began work on his third album on August 6, 1963 at Columbia's Studio A, located at 799 Seventh Avenue in New York City. Once again, Tom Wilson was the producer for the entire album. Dylan had, by the time of recording, become a popular, influential cultural figure.


text: Eight songs were recorded during that first session, but only one recording of "North Country Blues" was ultimately deemed usable and set aside as the master take. A master take of "Seven Curses" was also recorded, but it was left out of the final album sequence.


text: Another session at Studio A was held the following day, this time yielding master takes for four songs: "Ballad of Hollis Brown", "With God on Our Side", "Only a Pawn in Their Game", and "Boots of Spanish Leather", all of which were later included on the final album sequence.


text: A third session was held in Studio A on August 12, but nothing from this session was deemed usable. However, three recordings taken from the third session eventually saw official release: "master" takes of "Paths of Victory," "Moonshine Blues," and "Only a Hobo" were all included on "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991" released in 1991. In 2013, "Eternal Circle" (Take 4), "Hero Blues" was included in the 1963 entry of "The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963".


text: Sessions did not resume for more than two months. During the interim, Dylan toured briefly with Joan Baez, performing a number of key concerts that raised his profile in the media. When Dylan returned to Studio A on October 23, he had six more original compositions ready for recording. Master takes for "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" and "When the Ship Comes In" were both culled from the October 23 session. A master take for "Percy's Song" was also recorded, but it was ultimately set aside and was not officially released until "Biograph" in 1985. An alternate take on "Percy's Song," a "That's All Right" (Arthur Crudup)/"Sally Free and Easy" (Cyril Tawney) medley and "East Laredo Blues" were released in 2013 on the 1963 entry of "The 50th Anniversary Collection".


text: Another session was held the following day, October 24. Master takes of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" and "One Too Many Mornings" were recorded and later included in the final album sequence. A master take for "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" was also recorded, but ultimately left out of the final album; it was eventually released on "Biograph". Two more outtakes, "Eternal Circle" and "Suze (The Cough Song)", were later issued on "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991". A final outtake, "New Orleans Rag", was released in 2013 on "The 50th Anniversary Collection".


text: The sixth and final session for "The Times They Are a-Changin" was held on October 31, 1963. The entire session focused on one song — "Restless Farewell"— whose melody is taken from an Irish-Scots folk song, "The Parting Glass", and it produced a master take that ultimately closed the album.


text: "The Times They Are a-Changin" opens with the title track, one of Dylan's most famous songs. Dylan's friend, Tony Glover, recalls visiting Dylan's apartment in September 1963, where he saw a number of song manuscripts and poems lying on a table. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" had yet to be recorded, but Glover saw its early manuscript. After reading the words "come senators, congressmen, please heed the call", Glover reportedly asked Dylan: "What is this shit, man?", to which Dylan responded, "Well, you know, it seems to be what the people like to hear".


text: Dylan recalled writing the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem of change for the moment. In 1985, he told Cameron Crowe: "This was definitely a song with a purpose. It was influenced of course by the Irish and Scottish ballads … 'Come All Ye Bold Highway Men', 'Come All Ye Tender Hearted Maidens'. I wanted to write a big song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close for a while and allied together at that time."


text: The climactic lines of the final verse: "The order is rapidly fadin'/ And the first one now/ Will later be last/ For the times they are a-changin'" have a Biblical ring, and several critics have connected them with lines in the Gospel of Mark, 10:31, "But many that are first shall be last, and the last first."


text: A self-conscious protest song, it is often viewed as a reflection of the generation gap and of the political divide marking American culture in the 1960s. Dylan, however, disputed this interpretation in 1964, saying "Those were the only words I could find to separate aliveness from deadness. It had nothing to do with age." A year later, Dylan would say: "I can't really say that adults don't understand young people any more than you can say big fishes don't understand little fishes. I didn't mean "The Times They Are a-Changin'" as a statement … It's a feeling."


text: "Ballad of Hollis Brown" was originally recorded for Dylan's previous album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". That version was rejected and the song was eventually re-recorded for "The Times They Are a-Changin". Described by Clinton Heylin as a "'tragic tale of independence and free will' culled from the folk idiom", it is a grim, rural Gothic story of a father killing his starving family ("There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm").


text: "With God on Our Side" was first performed at New York's Town Hall on April 12, 1963 (which also happened to be Dylan's debut appearance at that venue). Although Dylan claims it is an original composition, the melody to "With God on Our Side" bears a striking resemblance to "The Patriot Game", the lyrics of which were written by Dominic Behan and the melody borrowed from the traditional Irish folk song, "The Merry Month of May". Behan called Dylan a plagiarist and a thief, in an attempt to goad Dylan into a lawsuit; Dylan made no response. "The Patriot Game" was originally introduced to Dylan by Scottish folk singer Nigel Denver. Scottish songwriter Jim McLean recalls Dylan asking him in late 1962: "'What does it mean, 'Patriot Game'?'... I explained—probably lectured him—about Dr. Johnson, who's one of Dominic's favourite writers, and that's where Dominic picked up [the] saying: 'Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.'" Music critic Tim Riley writes: "'With God on Our Side" manages to voice political savvy mixed with generational naiveté" as it "draws the line for those born long enough after World War I to find its issues blurry ('the reasons for fightin'/I never did get') and who view the forgiveness of the World War II Germans as a farce."


text: Dylan follows "With God on Our Side" with a soft, understated ballad: "One Too Many Mornings". "It's the sound of someone too smitten by love to harbor regrets, grown too independent to consider a reunion," writes Riley. One of the more celebrated songs on "The Times They Are a-Changin'," Dylan would dramatically rearrange it on his legendary 1966 concert tour for a full electric band.


text: "North Country Blues" tells the story of a mining company's decision to outsource its operations to countries where labor costs are cheaper than in the U.S.A. ("It's much cheaper down in the South American towns/Where the miners work almost for nothing".) The song marks the first time Dylan wrote a narrative from the point of view of a woman: the ex-wife of a miner whose work has disappeared. This song has been described by many critics as Dylan's portrait of his hometown, Hibbing, Minnesota.


text: Dylan first performed "Only a Pawn in Their Game" at a voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi. The song refers to the murder of Medgar Evers, who was the Mississippi leader of the NAACP. Civil rights activist Bernice Johnson would later tell critic Robert Shelton that "'Pawn' was the very first song that showed the poor white was as victimized by discrimination as the poor black. The Greenwood people didn't know that Pete [Seeger], Theo[dore Bikel] and Bobby [Dylan] were well known. (Seeger and Bikel were also present at the registration rally.) They were just happy to be getting support. But they really like Dylan down there in the cotton country."


text: The melody for "Boots of Spanish Leather" was inspired by Martin Carthy's arrangement of the English folksong "Scarborough Fair" (also the melody of an earlier Dylan composition, "Girl from the North Country"). Dylan learned Carthy's arrangement during his first trip to England in late 1962. After finishing his obligations in England (including a brief appearance in a BBC drama, "Madhouse on Castle Street"), Dylan traveled to Italy looking for his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, apparently unaware that she had already returned to America (reportedly the same time Dylan left for England). While in Italy, Dylan created an early draft of "Boots of Spanish Leather". Salon.com critic Bill Wyman called the song "an abstract classic and one of the purest, most confounding folk songs of the time".


text: According to Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin, "When the Ship Comes In" was written in August 1963 "in a fit of pique, in a hotel room, after his unkempt appearance had led an impertinent hotel clerk to refuse him admission until his companion, Joan Baez, had vouched for his good character." Heylin speculates that "Jenny's Song" from Brecht and Weill's "Threepenny Opera" was also an inspiration: "As Pirate Jenny dreams of the destruction of all her enemies by a mysterious ship, so Dylan envisages the neophobes being swept aside in 'the hour when the ship comes in'." Dylan's former girlfriend Suze Rotolo recalls that her "interest in Brecht was certainly an influence on him. I was working for the Circle in the Square Theatre and he came to listen all the time. He was very affected by the song that Lotte Lenya's known for, 'Pirate Jenny'."


text: "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" tells the story of a hotel barmaid who died after being struck by a wealthy white man. The song was inspired by Dylan's reading a newspaper account of the incident which took place in a hotel in Maryland, in February 1963.


text: The closing song of the album, "Restless Farewell" takes its melody from the traditional Irish-Scots song "The Parting Glass". Dylan's lyrics have an edge due to the way that "Newsweek" had treated Dylan. In a profile of the singer, published in October 1963, Dylan was portrayed as someone who had lied about his middle-class origins. Furthermore, it was implied that Dylan had plagiarised the lyrics of his best-known composition, "Blowin' in the Wind". Stung by these untrue allegations, Dylan composed a song about the pain of having "the dust of rumor" flung in his eyes. He swiftly recorded the work a few days after the "Newsweek" profile appeared on October 31, 1963. The album ends with Dylan's vow "I'll make my stand/ And remain as I am/ And bid farewell and not give a damn".


text: The sessions for "The Times They Are a-Changin" produced a large surplus of songs, many of which were eventually issued on later compilations. According to Clinton Heylin, "perhaps the two best songs, 'Percy's Song' and 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune', would not make the final album, failing to fit within the narrow bounds Dylan had decided to impose on himself."


text: "'Lay Down Your Weary Tune' ... along with 'Eternal Circle' ... marked a new phase in Dylan's songwriting", writes Heylin. "It is the all-important link between the clipped symbolism of 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall' and the more self-conscious efforts to come the following year. A celebration of song itself, 'Lay Down Your Weary Tune' was also an admission that there were certain songs 'no voice can hope to hum'."


text: Riley describes "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" as "a hymn to music's instrumental spectrum ... it's about the heightened awareness of nature and reality available to performer and listener in the course of a highly charged musical experience". The song is also rich in natural imagery, often in surreal, musical terms ("The cryin' rain like a trumpet sang/And asked for no applause"). Steven Goldberg writes that the song depicts nature "not as a manifestation of God but as containing God within its every aspect". The Byrds released their own celebrated version of "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" in 1965 on their critically acclaimed second album, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"


text: "Percy's Song" is sung from the point of view of a man who visits a judge in a futile, last-ditch attempt to save his friend from a severe prison sentence. It is based on a tune taken from "The Wind and the Rain", a song introduced to Dylan by Paul Clayton. "'Percy's Song', along with ... 'Seven Curses' and 'Moonshine Blues', showed that Dylan's command of traditional themes, housed in traditional melodies, remained undiminished by the topicality of other efforts", writes Heylin. Fairport Convention recorded their own celebrated rendition of "Percy's Song" on their critically acclaimed third album, "Unhalfbricking".


text: Written sometime in late 1962 or early 1963, "Only a Hobo" was also recorded during these sessions but ultimately set aside. Described by Heylin as "a superior reworking of [Dylan's earlier composition] 'Man on the Street' that took as its source the 'Poor Miner's Lament'", the song is sung from the point of view of a sympathetic narrator who stumbles upon a homeless man lying dead in a gutter. Rod Stewart later released his own celebrated version of "Only a Hobo" on the critically acclaimed "Gasoline Alley" in 1970. Dylan himself re-recorded "Only a Hobo" for "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II", only to reject that version as well. He eventually released his own version in 1991 on "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991".


text: Dylan also recorded demo versions for publishing purposes of several songs on the album. The demos, recorded for his first two publishing companies, Leeds Music and M. Witmark & Sons, were available for many years as bootlegs and were officially released by Columbia Records in October 2010 on "".


text: On October 26, 1963, three days after recording the final song for "The Times They Are a-Changin", Dylan held a concert at New York's Carnegie Hall. That night, he performed eight songs from his forthcoming third album, as well as several outtakes from the same album sessions (including "Percy's Song", "Seven Curses", and "Lay Down Your Weary Tune"). Columbia recorded the entire concert, but it was decades before a substantial portion of it was officially released (in fact to date the concert in its entirety has not been released). Nevertheless, the performance was well received by the press and audience alike.


text: A month later, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Dylan's friend Bob Fass was sitting with Dylan in Carla Rotolo's apartment the day of the shooting. According to Fass, Dylan was deeply affected by it and said: "What it means is that they are trying to tell you 'Don't even hope to change things'." Dylan later claimed that Kennedy's death did not directly inspire any of his songs, but in a manuscript written shortly after the assassination, he wrote: "it is useless to recall the day once more." In another, he repeatedly wrote: "there is no right or left there is only up and down."


text: Three weeks to the day after Kennedy's assassination, the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee gave Dylan their annual Tom Paine award for his contribution to the civil rights movement. Dylan gave an acceptance speech at the awards ceremony held at Hotel Americana in New York. In his closing remarks, he stated the following:


text: "I want to accept this award, the Tom Paine Award, from the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee. I want to accept it in my name but I'm not really accepting it in my name and I'm not accepting it in any kind of group's name, any Negro group or any other kind of group. There are Negroes - I was on the march on Washington up on the platform and I looked around at all the Negroes there and I didn't see any Negroes that looked like none of my friends. My friends don't wear suits. My friends don't have to wear suits. My friends don't have to wear any kind of thing to prove that they're respectable Negroes. My friends are my friends, and they're kind, gentle people if they're my friends. And I'm not going to try to push nothing over. So, I accept this reward - not reward, (Laughter) award in behalf of Phillip Luce who led the group to Cuba which all people should go down to Cuba. I don't see why anybody can't go to Cuba. I don't see what's going to hurt by going any place. I don't know what's going to hurt anybody's eyes to see anything. On the other hand, Phillip is a friend of mine who went to Cuba. I'll stand up and to get uncompromisable about it, which I have to be to be honest, I just got to be, as I got to admit that the man who shot President Kennedy, Lee Oswald, I don't know exactly where … what he thought he was doing, but I got to admit honestly that I too - I saw some of myself in him. I don't think it would have gone - I don't think it could go that far. But I got to stand up and say I saw things that he felt, in me - not to go that far and shoot. (Boos and hisses) You can boo but booing's got nothing to do with it. It's a - I just a - I've got to tell you, man, it's Bill of Rights is free speech and I just want to admit that I accept this Tom Paine Award in behalf of James Forman of the Students Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and on behalf of the people who went to Cuba." (Followed by applause and boos)


text: Clinton Heylin wrote: "in less than six months [Dylan] had turned full circle from the protest singer who baited Paul Nelson into someone determined to write only songs that 'speak for me' … Dylan's ambitions as a writer for the page … may have been further fed at the end of December when he met renowned beat poet Allen Ginsberg, author of "Howl" and "Kaddish"." Dylan was already familiar with Ginsberg's work. By now, beat poetry and French symbolists had become an enormous influence on Dylan's work, as Dylan "passed from immediate folk sources to a polychrome of literary styles". In an interview taken in 1985, Dylan said that he didn't start writing poetry until he was out of high school: "I was eighteen or so when I discovered Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Frank O'Hara and those guys. Then I went back and started reading the French guys, Rimbaud and François Villon."


text: Many critics took note of the stark pessimism on "The Times They Are a-Changin'," which NPR's Tim Riley later described as "'Masters of War' stretched out into a concept album" due to its "social preening and black-and-white moralism".


text: By the time the album was released in February 1964, Dylan was already entering a new phase in his career, pulling further away from his popular image as a protest singer.


text: In 1994, Dylan licensed "The Times They Are a-Changin'" to be used in an advertisement for the auditing and accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand, as performed by Richie Havens. Two years later, in 1996, a version of the song by Pete Seeger was used in a TV advertisement for the Bank of Montreal. This song was also used as the background track to the opening montage in the movie "Watchmen".


text: The album and the song are mentioned in writer Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, as works of Dylan that were particularly meaningful to Jobs, the song is also referenced in the movie, where Jobs and John Sculley debate what lyrics of the song to use in the unveiling of the Macintosh.


title: Wharf

text: A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locations), and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships. Wharves are often considered to be a series of docks at which boats are stationed.


title: Wharf

text: A wharf commonly comprises a fixed platform, often on pilings. Commercial ports may have warehouses that serve as interim storage: where it is sufficient a single wharf with a single berth constructed along the land adjacent to the water is normally used; where there is a need for more capacity multiple wharves, or perhaps a single large wharf with multiple berths, will instead be constructed, sometimes projecting over the water. A pier, raised over the water rather than within it, is commonly used for cases where the weight or volume of cargos will be low.


title: Wharf

text: Smaller and more modern wharves are sometimes built on flotation devices (pontoons) to keep them at the same level as the ship, even during changing tides.


title: Wharf

text: In everyday parlance the term "quay" is common in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many other Commonwealth countries, and the Republic of Ireland, whereas the term "wharf" is more common in the United States. In some contexts "wharf" and "quay" may be used to mean pier, berth, or jetty.


title: Wharf

text: In old ports such as London (which once had around 1700 wharves) many old wharves have been converted to residential or office use.


title: Wharf

text: Certain early railways in England referred to goods loading points as "wharves". The term was carried over from marine usage. The person who was resident in charge of the wharf was referred to as a "wharfinger".