title: Freedom Mobile

text: The current network in Ontario includes the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ottawa, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, part of the Niagara Region, London, Brantford, Barrie, Kingston, Windsor, Amherstburg, Woodstock, Lindsay, Pembroke, Brockville, Belleville and Peterborough. Outside of Ontario, Freedom has coverage in Gatineau, Quebec, across from Ottawa, ON; Calgary, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, St. Albert, Beaumont, Leduc, Nisku, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Edmonton International Airport in Alberta; plus the Greater Vancouver area, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Whistler, and Abbotsford in British Columbia.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Maximum theoretical speeds for mobile broadband are of 21.1 Mbit/s in most regions and 14.4 Mbit/s in other regions. In 2015, Freedom Mobile upgraded its existing HSPA+ network to DC-HSPA+, which has a theoretical maximum speed of 42 Mbit/s. Independent speed tests as of April 2018 confirm download speeds up to 62.8 Mbit/s and upload speeds up to 14.8 Mbit/s on the LTE band in the city of Toronto. When using CA (Carrier Aggregation, also displayed as "LTE+") in certain supported areas on supported devices, speed tests of 180 Mbit/s download and higher have been achieved.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Throughout 2012, Freedom planned to launch service in several new cities while continuing to expand the edges and increase the density of its network in existing cities. Customers travelling outside of Freedom's "Home" network areas now known as "Freedom" while roaming is known as "Nationwide" and subscribers can roam on Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility where coverage exists (the "Away" network). Pay-per-use charges apply for such roaming, or have set amounts of data, minutes and texting on higher rate plans.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: In late 2018, Freedom announced that it had plans to expand its coverage to cities, such as Victoria and Nanaimo in British Columbia; Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge in Alberta; and Pembroke, Cornwall, Brockville, Belleville and Cobourg in Ontario. And, on February 8, 2019, Freedom launched their network in Victoria, British Columbia and Red Deer in Alberta.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Because of Freedom's reliance on the AWS HSPA+ network, there are limitations on which phones the carrier has been able to offer its subscribers. The iPhone was absent from Freedom's device lineup until late 2017. Apple only began manufacturing AWS-compatible iPhones in early 2013 when AWS carrier T-Mobile US began selling the iPhone 5.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Though newer iPhone models are compatible with Freedom's network, the carrier was not able to strike an agreement with Apple to sell the iPhone directly to its subscribers until 2017. Carrying the iPhone is considered to be one of the most potent single sales drivers for any mobile network operator, a fact cited after the launch of the iPhone 5 when Rogers signed up more new customers in a week than Wind Mobile had typically attracted over a three-month period.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: With the introduction of AWS-compatible iPhones to the market in 2013, subscribers turned to other sources to buy unlocked iPhones that were AWS-compatible. Around 2,500 iPhones were activated on the network by September 2013. At the time, some suggested that Apple, known to be controlling about its products, would require Freedom to provide LTE coverage before the carrier would be granted the ability to sell the iPhone. In order to remain competitive, Wind began working on alternative sources for the phone.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Freedom began offering refurbished iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S devices to its customers starting in 2015. Freedom's supply of the iPhone came through a deal with Ingram Micro, the company which distributes iPhones and iPads in Canada on behalf of Apple. Shortly after learning of the deal, Apple's Canadian division ordered Ingram Micro to stop supplying Freedom with the refurbished devices. According to Apple, Ingram's actions were prohibited in their contract. Sources interviewed by "The Globe and Mail" stated that the response by Apple may have been prompted by Bell Canada. In December 2015, new CEO Alek Krstajic stated that the company had "started some conversations with Apple" about selling the iPhone.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Alongside the impending launch of its LTE network, Freedom released the LG V20 and ZTE Grand X4 as its first LTE-compatible devices.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: At launch, three personal monthly voice plans were available from Freedom Mobile. The lowest priced plan had limited minutes, with rollover minutes in later revisions, but was since discontinued. In 2017, it was superseded by a Home 25 plan with unlimited incoming calls and a bucket of outgoing minutes. The latter two launch plans were revised over the years, and are now replaced with Home 30 and Home 40 plans, also featuring a small amount of mobile Internet access.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Occasionally, Freedom offers promotional plans with some or many bonus features to new and existing subscribers, notably the "Holiday Miracle" and the "Unlimited USA" plans. Small business customers received an exclusive plan in October 2012. This was later replaced to allow small businesses to choose the same rate plans as customers.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Big Gig base plans include unlimited in-zone incoming calls and pay-per-use outgoing calls. For an additional charge, Freedom offers unlimited in-zone outgoing calls to Canada and the United States, plus a bucket of 2,400 minutes for out-of-zone calls from Canada.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: A variety of add-ons exist to add extra features to these plans such as voicemail and reduced rates for long-distance calling or roaming. Pay Your Way offered a broader selection of add-ons for talk time and messaging.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Freedom introduced HD Voice across its entire network on compatible handsets in September 2012. Freedom began enabling Wi-Fi calling for compatible handsets, at time of launch only the LG V20 but has since expanded, in April 2017. On August 13, 2018, Freedom Mobile launched VoLTE with support for two phone models.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: A variety of monthly plans are offered for both phones and mobile broadband modems. A pay per use plan also exists that bills based on the amount of time data is used. Customers used a monthly average of 0.9 GB in Q2 2013 and 1.5 GB in Q2 2014.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: All Freedom customers, including those without a mobile Internet plan or add-on, can access the WindWorld web portal and the Facebook Zero social networking service at no cost. WindWorld consists of CBC News headlines, The Weather Network summaries for cities served by Freedom, premium mobile downloads, and monthly bill payments for Freedom accounts.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Mobile Internet plans and add-ons contain limits on usage. Lower cost plans have a hard limit for data usage; customers will be billed for excess usage. Higher cost plans incorporate a soft limit; usage exceeding this limit may result in the customer's device being throttled to allow other customers fair access to the network. Throttling speeds are typically 256 kbit/s for downloads and 128 kbit/s for uploads. In what Freedom defines as "extreme cases", speeds will be slower than dial-up Internet access at 32 kbit/s for downloads and 16 kbit/s for uploads. When throttling does occur, Freedom will inform customers of the reduced speeds.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: The Windtab is a billing method introduced on November 5, 2010, well before the Christmas and holiday season of that year. It is very similar to Koodo Mobile's Tab payment system in that it subsidizes retail price of a device by placing the amount of the subsidy on a tab balance. Like Koodo, it only works on postpaid activations, known as Pay After.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: During the Kitchener-Waterloo launch day on August 16, 2011, Wind introduced another subsidy option called the Windtab+. This increased the subsidy provided on more costly devices when combined with certain plans. At the same time Wind introduced the "Pay-off Promise": accounts in good standing with devices purchased under the Windtab+ agreement would have any remaining balance on their tab cleared after two years of service (originally three years prior to aligning to the CRTC Wireless Code in 2013).


title: Freedom Mobile

text: As part of Wind's plan simplification during the month of March in 2012, the Windtab+ was simply renamed to Windtab. The amount of the subsidy depends on the device and plan chosen, though all plans continue to include the Pay-off Promise.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: New monthly plans and lower Windtab amounts were introduced in February 2013. For all plans, the subsidy cannot exceed the outright price of the device. Since that time, those without Windtab can receive service credits in lieu of a phone subsidy.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Following its acquisition by Shaw in 2016, Wind changed the Windtab system on March 22 of that year to decrease by a fixed amount per month rather than decreasing by 10 percent of the user's monthly plan costs for that month. The fixed amount is determined based on dividing the current tab balance by the number of months remaining until the Pay-off Promise, and customers now had the option to make additional payments into their tab balance directly. The changes to the Windtab applied to both new and existing accounts, with a one-time tab credit to bring existing customers to the tab value they would have if they started on the new system.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: When a customer is outside of Freedom Mobile's coverage, services are provided by its roaming partners. Freedom roaming partners include Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility within Canada; and AT&T Mobility for the United States. Talk and text services while connected to these carriers are charged at pay-per-use rates unless a customer has a plan which includes roaming or, in the case of US roaming, purchased a monthly add-on.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Regardless of plan, received text messages are free throughout the world. As of 2017, the three incumbent wireless providers in Canada continue to charge much more than Freedom for roaming in the United States.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: In conjunction with the 2012 Summer Olympics, Freedom launched a "World Traveller" add-on and made it available to monthly plan customers for free until September 30, 2012.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: On February 3, 2014, Freedom launched an "Unlimited U.S. Roaming" add-on. This add-on was later bundled at no extra charge with a regular and promotional plan. Customers could initially use the same full speed Internet allowance that they subscribed to in Canada, based on their billing cycle, but the Fair Usage Policy was shortly thereafter modified to impose a separate 1 GB of full speed usage in the United States.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: On April 13, 2016, Freedom introduced two "Everywhere" plans that included unlimited usage on its network and certain unlimited features on both its Canada and US roaming partners.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Effective 2017, Freedom dropped support for T-Mobile US roaming. The sole roaming provider for Freedom customers in the United States is now AT&T.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: In 2009, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) complained that Wind received the majority of its startup funding from the foreign company Orascom Telecom Holding. The case was dismissed by Q4 of that year, allowing Wind to launch for the Christmas and holiday season. Competitor Public Mobile quickly partnered with Telus Mobility for both roaming agreements and together sued Wind for its foreign ownership. Telus later backed out, leaving Public alone to continue the lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. On April 26, 2012, the Court announced that it would not hear the case about Wind Mobile's foreign ownership. Public Mobile itself received foreign funding of at least $350 million from the Export-Import Bank of China in 2010.


title: Freedom Mobile

text: Wind's philanthropic arm is called "Windthanks". This started during the back-to-school season of 2011 in conjunction with the Kitchener-Waterloo launch. Those living in the region could nominate a charitable project to win a $10,000 grant from Wind. The winner was MobileED, and received complimentary mobile broadband products and services from Wind in addition to the grant. To commemorate its launches in the Niagara region and the city of London, Wind similarly plans to award one $10,000 grant per region. The winner in the Niagara region was announced in January 2012.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov (; born 8 December 1957) is a Russian politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 2000 to 2004. Previously, he had served as First Deputy Prime Minister in 2000 and Minister of Finance from 1999 to 2000. During the 1990s, he worked in President Boris Yeltsin's administration in different positions before joining President Vladimir Putin's first administration. Since leaving the government over disagreements on economic policy, he has become one of the leading critics of President Putin and an opposition leader.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In 2008, Kasyanov was a candidate in the election of President of Russia but in the middle of the campaign was denied participation on political grounds. In 2010, he co-founded the coalition People's Freedom Party "For Russia without Lawlessness and Corruption" and became one of the leaders of the People's Freedom Party. He was an active speaker during the 2011–2013 Russian protests for fair elections. Since 2015, he has served as the leader of the political party People's Freedom Party (PARNAS). In 2005–2007, he was one of the leaders of the opposition coalition The Other Russia and democratic protest movement.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov was born on 8 December 1957 in the settlement of Solntsevo near Moscow. His father was a teacher of mathematics and the headmaster of a local school. Joining the Red Army, his father participated in some major actions of the Second World War and fought until the victory in 1945. Kasyanov's mother was an economist, a head of a department of a governmental construction company (Glavmosstroy). In his childhood Mikhail studied at a music school and played the cello. In high school he played in a rock group. In 1974 Kasyanov entered the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction University. In 1976–1978, he served in the Soviet Army in the guard of honour at the Office of the Commandant of Moscow, which is today the Kremlin Regiment of the Federal Protective Service. From 19781981, he became a technician and then an engineer at the scientific institute of the State Committee for Construction of USSR. At the time he was still studying at the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction University. He finished in 1981. For nine years after graduation Kasyanov worked at the State Planning Committee (GosPlan) as an engineer, economist, leading specialist and chief of sector. In 1987 he was awarded the diploma of the Highest Economy Courses at GosPlan.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In 1990–1993, Kasyanov was working in the State Committee of Economy of the Russian Federation and then in the Ministry of Economy. In 1993 the Minister of Finance Boris Fyodorov invited Kasyanov to join the Ministry. He was appointed the head of Foreign Loans and External Debt Department.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In 1994–1996, Kasyanov was occupied with the restructuring of Soviet externals debts (about $150 bn). In 1996 Kasyanov reached an agreement with the Paris Club and the London Club of creditors for a comprehensive restructuring of Soviet debts for a period of 25 years with a 7-year grace period. Thanks to this agreement Russia was able to gain access to international capital markets. In 1996 Kasyanov gave the road show of Russia's economy development prospects at various International finance centers. As a result, Russia, for the first time since 1913 issued securities, eurobonds on the capital markets of Europe and the United States, and Russian banks and companies were able to take cheap foreign capital for investments into the economy of the country.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In 1998, the global financial crisis started and the Russian government defaulted on its debts, ruble was dramatically devaluated. Kasyanov was the head of the working team for restructuring Russian government external debts and of the private banks of the country. At the same time he negotiated with Russian creditors for restructuring domestic debts. Kasyanov negotiated with the International Monetary Fund which granted favorable perspectives for reaching profitable agreements for Russia. As a result of this, the ruble rate was stabilised, which in its own turn helped reduce the inflation and restored production and services parts of Russian economy. These successes proved Kasyanov to be a good negotiator: he was called "the principal financial diplomat of the country".


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In February 1999 he was appointed First Deputy Minister and in May 1999 President Yeltsin appointed Kasyanov Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov was occupied with the problem of budget deficit and external debt. His time as Finance Minister saw Russia's first non-deficit budget. In July Russia received the first post-crisis loan from the IMF.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: The government of Sergei Stepashin worked for three months; however, Kasyanov retained his post in the new government of Vladimir Putin. He continued the negotiations with international creditors on a global restructuring of the USSR's debts.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: The war in Chechnya provoked the suspension of the negotiations with the London club of creditors. Nevertheless, Kasyanov was able to resolve the principal problems of Russian debts in a span of several months. This fact facilitated the transition towards economic growth in Russia. As a result of non-deficit budget and prudent financial policy in general the multi-month delays in salary payments and pensions were overcome. On 10 January 2000 Kasyanov was appointed the first Vice Premier of the Russian government. The situation was such that effectively Kasyanov was in charge of the government, serving as its chairman, as Putin was the Acting President at the time. He was still the head of the Ministry of Finance.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: On 17 May 2000, Russian State Duma approved Mikhail Kasyanov's Prime Minister candidacy. The Chairman of the Cabinet started pursuing the policy of active collaboration with business community and civil society.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: During its four-year term Kasyanov's Cabinet launched a number of structural reforms – tax and budget reform, liberalization of capital control and external trade, customs reform, reorganization of national infrastructure, pension reform, creation of land market and others. Successful implementation of systemic transformation measures led Russia to a trajectory of sustainable economic growth. Inflation was reduced significantly, the economy and people's income grew by one third while oil prices were at the level of $20–25 per barrel.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Experts think that the tax reform of 2000-2002 was one of the most successful reforms of Kasyanov's Cabinet. A flat income tax rate (13%) was introduced. All turnover taxes were eliminated. VAT was reduced to 18% and social taxes — to 26%. These measures together with the policy of strong fiscal discipline significantly increased budget revenue.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In addition to this in 2003 Kasyanov's Cabinet reformed the taxation of petroleum sector and established a special Stabilization fund. As a result, the budget revenue stream from this sector has increased and the Stabilization Fund has started accumulating significant amounts of foreign exchange, creating a financial airbag for the country. It was a time of an overall financial liberalization.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: An important achievement of Kasyanov's Cabinet was the successful implementation of the small business encouragement policy. Introduction of simplified taxation system, easy state registration of businesses and ban on frequent inspections by state agencies were among those measures.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: It was during Mikhail Kasyanov's time as Russian Prime Minister that the transfer of agricultural lands to private property began. Additionally to that credit support mechanism for agricultural production was introduced and Russia very rapidly again became one of the leading exporters of grain after decades of huge annual import of wheat.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov was dismissed, along with the entire Russian cabinet, by President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2004 after more than three years in office, two weeks before the 2004 Russian presidential election on 14 March. There were disagreements between Kasyanov and Putin on matters of policy. The President stated on national television "This decision bears no relation to any assessment of the performance of the former composition of the government. It was dictated by my desire to once again delineate my position on the issue of what development course the country will take after March 14, 2004."


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: On the first anniversary of his dismissal (24 February 2005) Kasyanov gave a press conference at which he said that he might run for president in the 2008 elections. His bid was supported by Leonid Nevzlin, Boris Berezovsky and Garry Kasparov.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In April 2006, Mikhail Kasyanov was elected Chairman of the People's Democratic Union (PDU), a newly launched NGO. PDU was one of the co-founders of the first "The Other Russia" conference in July 2006 and of "The Other Russia" coalition that was set up at the conference. Kasyanov and the PDU were actively involved in the coalition's work and took part in the Dissenters' Marches in Moscow and St. Petersburg – the first protest manifestations in many years. On 3 March 2007, Kasparov and Kasyanov spoke against Putin's government to thousands of supporters at the Saint Petersburg Dissenters' March.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: At a presentation in International Institute for Strategic Studies 26 June 2006, Kasyanov criticized Putin's administration. He said:


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: "Separation of powers has been effectively demolished and replaced by the so-called ‘Vertical of Power' which is based on the false idea that all the meaningful social and political processes must be kept under control by the state. The government and parliament cannot function any longer without daily instructions. The judiciary is increasingly servile. Independent TV does not exist any more at the federal level and is being quickly uprooted in the regions. Moreover, the state-owned companies and the state itself increase their grip over the electronic and printed media. Responsibility of the regional level of power is totally destroyed by the abolishment of direct elections for the governors."


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: PDU had regional branches in 75 regions of Russia. In June 2007 Kasyanov was nominated by the PDU as a candidate for the presidential elections. In September 2007 the new political party People for Democracy and Justice () was established on the basis of the PDU, and Kasyanov was elected its chairman.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Allegations that Kasyanov took a two percent commission in exchange for ignoring bribes and illegal business ventures whilst he was working at the Ministry of Finance between 1993 and 1999 were made in the state-controlled Russian media which branded him as ""Misha 2 percent"". In an article by Peter J. Stavrakis entitled "Russia's evolution as a predatory state" (part of a compilation entitled ""Russia's uncertain economic future"", written for the United States Congressional Joint Economic Committee), the allegations are described as credible. A "Spiegel" article from 2007 notes that Kasyanov insists that his only earnings as a public servant was his government salary and he was only involved in private business venture for "one year" since leaving the post of prime minister. The same article also claims that Kasyanov purchased the state-owned dacha of former Communist Party of the Soviet Union ideologue Mikhail Suslov which was worth several million euros.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: On 11 July 2005, the Russian Office of Public Prosecutor started to investigate the privatization of two houses formerly owned by the government. According to allegations first made by the journalist and State Duma member Alexander Khinshtein, two luxury government houses had been put up for sale in 2003 by a Kasyanov decree. According to the court verdict of 16 March 2007, he was to return a house and pay 108,135,000 rubles in damages to the government for using the property illegally (approx. USD 4,150,000 or €3,130,000). In 2007, Kasyanov was still planning to appeal.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In 2006, Kasyanov declared that he desired to establish a new political party and run for president in 2008.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov left the opposition group The Other Russia in July 2007 due to the group's failure to agree on a single presidential candidate.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov established the Russian Popular Democratic Union party. However, the Federal Registration Service blocked the party from participating in the 2007 legislative election.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: It was not known whether Kasyanov would continue his candidacy after Garry Kasparov entered the race, but on 8 December 2007 he reaffirmed he would run in the election. That day Russian Popular Democratic Union Party nominated Kasyanov as their presidential candidate.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: On 16 January 2008, he announced that he had finished collecting the 2 million signatures necessary to run as a candidate. Later that month, however, the Central Election Commission rejected his candidacy on the grounds that 13.36% of the signatures were invalid. and he was disqualified. Kasyanov appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal on 6 February 2008.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: Kasyanov claimed that the decision to prevent his candidacy was taken by Putin himself, who he claimed was afraid that, in a fair election, Dmitry Medvedev might lose.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: The presentation of Kasyanov's book "Without Putin" in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on 18 December 2009 was cancelled merely minutes before its planned opening. Kasyanov's press secretary claimed that the electricity went out in the Premier Palace Hotel on minutes before the presentation was to start and that some 20 young men had blocked the entrance to the hotel to keep attendees from entering.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In February 2016, Kasyanov's image was posted online by Ramzan Kadyrov on his social media account, with Kasyanov being in cross hairs of a sniper rifle. This was seen as a threat against Kasyanov. On 10 February, Kasyanov was attacked in a Moscow restaurant by a dozen men who yelled death threats at him.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In May 2022, Kasyanov participated in the 8th "Russia Forum" in Vilnius, together with Khodorkovsky, the Russian oil oligarch and former head of Russian oil and gas giant Yukos, the head of the US-thinktank Freedom House, the head of the US-government funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe and others. The aim of the "anti-Putin summit" was to develop a strategy on how to "de-Putinise" Russia and "slay the Russian bear", meaning Vladimir Putin.


title: Mikhail Kasyanov

text: In June 2022, Kasyanov told Agence France-Presse that he had temporarily left Russia, without providing additional details.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: Skin is a 2018 American biographical drama film written and directed by Israeli-born filmmaker Guy Nattiv. The film stars Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Louisa Krause, Zoe Colletti, Kylie Rogers, Colbi Gannett, Mike Colter, and Vera Farmiga. The film is inspired by the true story of an American neo-Nazi skinhead named Bryon Widner.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: "Skin" had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018 and was released on June 27, 2019 through DirecTV Cinema before a wide release on July 26, 2019 by A24.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: After a recent incident, which involves the burning of a mosque in his hometown, disillusioned Neo-Nazi skinhead Bryon Widner (Jamie Bell) decides to leave the white supremacist movement. He marries a local resident Julie Price (Danielle Macdonald) and begins to work odd jobs alongside illegal workers, who begin to accept him due to his decision to stop being a racist.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: White supremacist members retaliate by shooting out his home with him and a pregnant Julie inside, but both are unharmed. When Bryon steps out to confront them, he sees his dog hanging from a tree. To prevent the supremacists from doing further harm to his family, Bryon meets with political activist Daryle Lamont Jenkins (Mike Colter) and FBI agent Marks (Mary Stuart Masterson). Using information Bryon has provided them, the FBI raids the white supremacist compound. Krager (Bill Camp), one of the supremacists, is arrested.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: In the aftermath of the supremacist raid, Jenkins continues heading the One People's Project and remains good friends with Bryon. Bryon himself undergoes two years of surgeries to have all his face and hand tattoos removed. He works on getting a degree in criminal psychology and speaks around the country about tolerance and inclusion from his own experience.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: On May 11, 2017, international rights to "Skin" was bought by Seville International at the 70th Cannes Film Festival. In August 2018, it was reported that composer Dan Romer would be scoring the music for the feature.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: In May 2017, it was announced that Jamie Bell and Danielle Macdonald would star in the film, with Nattiv writing the screenplay, producing and directing. In March 2018, after production on the film had started, Vera Farmiga was announced to have joined the cast of the film, with Nattiv's wife Jaime Ray Newman reported to be producing. That same month, Mike Colter was cast as Daryle Lamont Jenkins, founder of the One People's Project. Shortly thereafter, actors Ari Barkan, Scott Thomas, Daniel Henshall, Michael Villar, Justin Wilson, and Russel Posner joined the cast.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: "Skin" had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018. Shortly after, A24 and DirecTV Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film. It was released through DirecTV Cinema on June 27, 2019, and had a limited release on July 26, 2019.


title: Skin (2018 feature film)

text: "Skin" holds approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews, with an average of . The site's consensus reads: ""Skin" could stand to go a bit deeper below its surface, but a worthy story and a committed performance from Jamie Bell make this timely drama well worth a watch." On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 58 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: William David Chappelle III

text: William David Chappelle III (December 16, 1938 – July 29, 1998) was an American professor of music and a civil rights organizer in Ohio. He spent much of his career at Antioch College, where he served as Dean of Students.


title: William David Chappelle III

text: Chappelle was born on December 16, 1938 in Columbia, South Carolina. He attended Brown University, and then graduated from Antioch College with a Bachelor of Arts in music.


title: William David Chappelle III

text: Chappelle served in the United States Army for four years, and played clarinet in the service. After moving to Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1967, he became a faculty member in the Co-op Department. He then became a professor in the music department, where he mainly taught vocal performance. Chappelle served terms both as Dean of Students and as Dean of Community Services.


title: William David Chappelle III

text: Chappelle was also active as an organizer in the civil rights movement in Ohio. In the 1970s he was a member of the Yellow Springs Human Relations Commission. He was also the co-founder of the advocacy organization H.U.M.A.N., for Help Us Make A Nation, and he was a founder of the African American Cross-Cultural Works. Chappelle taught a class on anti-racist activism at Antioch College. As part of his activism, Chappelle organized the Blues Week in Yellow Springs Ohio. He also worked for several years on community programs in Washington, D.C., and he worked as a statistician.


title: William David Chappelle III

text: In 2010, Chappelle received the Walter F. Anderson Award from the Antioch College Alumni Association, alongside Edythe Scott Bagley and Jim Dunn. The Anderson Award "recognizes contributions by alumni and friends who have advanced Antioch College's ideals by breaking down racial and ethnic barriers".


title: William David Chappelle III

text: William David Chappelle III's grandfather was the educator and bishop William D. Chappelle, and his son is the comedian Dave Chappelle.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: Nicolas Ghesquière (; born 9 May 1971) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who has been the women's creative director of the house of Louis Vuitton (owned by LVMH) since 2013.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: Ghesquière was born in Comines, Nord, the younger of two sons of a Francophone Belgian golf-course owner and manager in the 7,500-inhabitant "Poitevine" town of Loudun and a French mother, who enjoyed fashion. He grew up in Loudun, Vienne. From a young age, Ghesquière enjoyed and practiced sports, such as horse riding, fencing, and swimming, and, in fact, many of his collections today use that inspiration, most notably his scuba mini dresses and his equestrian-inspired fall/winter 2006 ready-to-wear collection.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: At a young age Ghesquière announced at that he wanted to be a designer. He now admits this was partly from an adolescent desire to do something different from his parents and to alleviate country boredom. By the age of 12, Nicolas was sketching dress designs in his school books, making dresses out of his mother's curtains, and designing earrings out of his grandmother's chandelier crystals.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: With the help of his father, Ghesquière put together a portfolio of drawings and sent it, along with a letter introducing himself, to several designers. He diligently did internships during his school holidays. At 14, he assumed an internship with French designer agnès b, for which he was paid in clothes. His next apprenticeship was with Corinne Cobson. He decided afterward that fashion was difficult and returned home to finish his schooling.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: After graduating from high school at age 18, Ghesquière turned down a place at art school to work as an assistant to designer Jean-Paul Gaultier from 1990 to 1992. He went on to work at Pôles, designing its knitwear line followed by a series of inauspicious assignments with different companies, including the Italian house of Callaghan.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: Through his contacts with Marie-Amélie Sauvé and Nathalie Marrec, Ghesquière eventually landed a job doing the licensing for Paris fashion house Balenciaga and designing for the Asian market. At that time, Balenciaga had limited success since the 1970s and was owned by Groupe Jacques Bogart, whose management realized Ghesquière's talent when he designed a small collection for one of its Japanese licensees. (The label's founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga, died in 1972.) Ghesquière held, as he then described it, "what many would call the worst position in fashion," designing suits and funeral clothes under a Balenciaga licence for Japan.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: In 1997, at the young age of 25, Ghesquière was the surprise choice to head Balenciaga, promoted to creative director of Balenciaga after his Dutch predecessor Josephus Thimister was fired following a highly unsuccessful show. In this capacity, he was put in charge of the brand's entire image, from clothing and accessories to store design and advertising. Following his appointment, he had less than four months to design the spring-summer 1998 collection from scratch.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: While working as the label's creative director, Ghesquière continued to design two Italian collections — Trussardi, then Callaghan — until 2001. Callaghan's Spring 2001 Ready-to-Wear show was the first ever in New York for the then 35-year-old fashion house, and also served as the US debut for Ghesquière.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: In 2002, Ghesquière was embroiled in controversy when he was accused of plagiarizing from a deceased designer. Ghesquière was forced to admit that he had copied a patchwork vest from San Francisco designer Kaisik Wong — who died in 1990 — for the Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2002 collection. The design by Wong appeared in a 1974 reference book, "Native Funk & Flash". Ghesquière said, "I'm very flattered that people are looking at my sources of inspiration. This is how I work. I've always said I'm looking at vintage clothes."


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: At Balenciaga, Ghesquière soon became known for his sense of contrast, such as pairing high-waisted skinny pants with a voluminous "blouson" or a tightly cut wool jumpsuit with billowing sleeves. His work soon turned Balenciaga into a critically acclaimed fashion house. His biggest commercial success was the Lariat bag, with braided handles and dangling zipper pulls. An aspect of the designer's devotion to the house's legacy was his respect for Cristóbal Balenciaga's original design concepts. However, even though the Balenciaga archives are stored in Ghesquière's "atelier," he was only able to gain entry to the locked room by special appointment with an off-site custodian. Throughout his time at Balenciaga, Ghesquière continuously collaborated with the same artists, particularly French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster – who worked with Ghesquière on the design of every Balenciaga boutique – and stylist Marie-Amélie Sauvé. He has additionally cited actress Charlotte Gainsbourg as an influence during his time at the company. At the same time, he launched the careers of several models, including Kirstin Liljegren.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: The Gucci Group (PPR) bought Balenciaga in 2001. Ghesquière, who wanted to stay and expand Balenciaga, could only be bought through the house. "It is a happy relationship," Ghesquière said. "It has worked because they wanted me to explain what I wanted to do with Balenciaga, not the other way around." Ghesquière's collections have had a considerable commercial impact, particularly through his influence on other designers, including his former staff members Julien Dossena, Camille Miceli, and Natacha Ramsay-Levi. During his 15-year tenure at Balenciaga, Ghesquière is widely credited with having helped turn the fashion label into one of the fastest-growing and most profitable brands of parent PPR. During that time, he assembled one of the largest production teams in Paris with upwards of 30 people in the design studio and 50 in the fabrication ateliers. In November 2012, PPR announced his departure from Balenciaga.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: On 4 November 2013, Ghesquière officially replaced Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton as creative director for the women's collections. Some of his first designs for Louis Vuitton debuted on the red carpet, as worn by the actress Jennifer Connelly. On 5 March 2014, Ghesquière had his first show under the LV brand. LVMH renewed Ghesquière’s contract as artistic director of the women's collections in 2018 and 2022.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: Since joining Louis Vuiton, Ghesquière has regularly showcased his designs with shows in architectural landmarks including the Louvre in Paris – it was the first time the museum had allowed a fashion house to stage a show there –; Monaco's Palace Square (2014); Hope Residence in Palm Springs (2015); the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro (2016); the Miho Museum near Kyoto (2017); Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence (2018); and the TWA Flight Center (2019).


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: In October 2000, Ghesquière was named "avant-garde" designer of the year at the "VH1"/Vogue Fashion Awards, and, a year later, he was named Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA. In 2006, he was among the TIME 100 Most Influential People. Two years later, he was named Designer of the Year at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards. Ghesquière was described as "fashion's most sought-after and influential figure" by American "Vogue" and was also cited as the International Designer of the Year in 2014 by the British Fashion Awards.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: In his twenties, Ghesquière was in a seven-year relationship with Pierre Hardy. Subsequently, he dated James Kaliardos, a makeup artist and cofounder of "Visionaire", for eight years. More recently, he was in relationships with fellow designer Julien Dossena and blogger Pelayo Díaz.


title: Nicolas Ghesquière

text: In 2022, Ghesquière acquired John Lautner’s Wolff House for $11 million from Amanda Hearst in an off-market deal.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Shabazz Bozie Napier (born July 14, 1991) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He previously played for the Russian team Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. In early 2022, in light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he left the team.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: He was drafted 24th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2014 NBA draft and immediately traded to the Miami Heat. He represents Puerto Rican national team in senior international tournaments. He played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies, and won two national championships in 2011 and 2014. Napier was a key player for the Huskies' 2010–11 NCAA championship team, as he made the Big East All Rookie team. Following his junior season, Napier was selected to the All-Big East first team.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: In the 2013–14 season, Napier was unanimously selected for the All-AAC first team, and was named the inaugural American Athletic Conference Player of the Year. He was again one of UConn's key players when they won the NCAA tournament for a second time in four years in 2014 and was named as the tournament's most outstanding player.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts to Carmen Velásquez, a native of Puerto Rico and Alex Napier, who is African American. He has an older sister Titania and an older brother Timmie. He grew up in Boston's Mission Hill projects, and took a liking to basketball during that period.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier attended his first two years of high school at Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Massachusetts before transferring to Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts and reclassifying as a junior. As a senior, Napier led Lawrence Academy to an undefeated season going 29–0 in 2010, as they won the New England Prep Class C title after defeating St. Mark's finishing with 23 points, 8 steals, and 8 assists as he was named Tournament MVP.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Napier was listed as the No. 25 point guard and the No. 98 player in the nation in 2010.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Following his prep career, Napier chose to play at the University of Connecticut under coach Jim Calhoun. He had a solid freshman year in 2010–11 backing up Kemba Walker. He appeared in all 41 games for the Huskies, coming off the bench averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game for the season. At the end of the regular season, Napier was named to the Big East All-Rookie team along with teammate Jeremy Lamb.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier hit two game clinching free throws to secure a win in the Final Four against Kentucky. Napier's contribution to the team was significant, as Connecticut finished the season 32–9 (9–9 in conference play) and won both the Big East Conference Championship and National Championship in 2011.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: During the summer after his freshman year, Napier was invited to the trials for the 2011 World University Games team. Moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore for Connecticut, Napier was a preseason honorable mention All-Big East pick and a Bob Cousy Award candidate. His numbers improved, as Napier averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier notched his first career triple-double (the ninth in Connecticut men's basketball history) as he tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists against Coppin State on November 20, 2011. Connecticut earned a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but fell short to Iowa State as the Huskies finished the season going 20–14 (8–10 in conference play). Before his junior season started, Napier considered transferring after Jim Calhoun's retirement and the team's postseason ban next season, but chose to return. Connecticut hired assistant coach Kevin Ollie to replace Calhoun as head coach.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Following his return, Napier along with backcourt teammate Ryan Boatright both rose to the national spotlight as they were highlighted as one of the nation's best backcourts, as the two averaged a combined 33 points and 9 assists per game, outplaying nearly every opponents' backcourt they played. He also scored his 1000th career point in a game against DePaul. Napier excelled in overtime play, scoring 55 points in 45 minutes of overtime play, as he led them to a school record 5 overtime wins. Napier averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Following the end of the regular season, Napier made the All-USBWA District 1 team, and was the USBWA District I Player of the Year. Napier was then chosen to the Big East All First Team, was an honorable mention for Big East Player of the Year. He led the Huskies under first year coach Kevin Ollie to a 20–10 record (10–8 in conference play) despite having no postseason eligibility.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On April 26, 2013, Napier opted to return to the team for his senior year along with teammates Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels. Napier said the reason he and his teammates returned is because Napier wanted to get his degree and for him and his teammates to return to the NCAA Tournament. Napier was named as a candidate for the Wooden Award, Bob Cousy Award, Naismith Award, Senior Class Award, and Oscar Robertson Trophy. Napier recorded his 2nd career triple-double (10th in UConn history) with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on November 11, 2013. Napier led the team to win the 2K Sports Classic Title and was named Tournament MVP. In a game against Florida, Napier hit the game winning shot as time expired. Following the end of the regular season, Napier was named a unanimous selection for the AAC All-First team, and was awarded the inaugural AAC Player of the Year. He was named the USBWA District I Player of the Year for the second straight season, and was named a first team All-American on the Wooden team, Associated Press team, USBWA and NABC, and a second team member for Sporting News. In the AAC Tournament, Napier was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the Huskies to the championship game before falling to Louisville.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: In the NCAA Tournament, Connecticut earned a 7 seed as Napier led them under second year coach Kevin Ollie past St. Joseph's, Villanova, Iowa State, and won the East Regional final defeating Michigan State as Napier was named the East Regional Most Outstanding Player. Napier continued to lead the Huskies through the Final Four defeating Florida before reaching the National Championship game. On April 6, Napier was named the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award winner. On April 7, Napier and the Huskies defeated Kentucky 60–54 in the National Championship game and Napier was named Most Outstanding Player. Connecticut finished the season 32–8 overall (12–6 in conference play), and Napier averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Napier was later inducted into the Huskies of Honor.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier, along with UConn teammates Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander, are the only Division I men's players in history to have won national championships as both freshmen and seniors. He is the only player in UConn history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 250 steals in his career. He finished his career in fourth place on the UConn scoring list with 1,959 points, second all-time with 260 made three-point field goals and steals with 251, first in 143 games played, and free throw made with 509, third in school history with 646 assists.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On June 26, 2014, Napier was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He was later traded to the Miami Heat on draft night. On July 18, 2014, he signed with the Heat after averaging 10.2 points in four Summer League games for the team. On December 13, 2014, he was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. He was recalled on December 15, reassigned on December 30, and recalled again on January 7. On February 20, he had a season-best game with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a 111–87 win over the New York Knicks.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On April 1, 2015, Napier was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing successful surgery to repair a sports hernia. He recovered in time to join the Heat's summer league team in July to compete in Orlando and Las Vegas.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On July 27, 2015, Napier was traded to the Orlando Magic, along with cash considerations, in exchange for a conditional 2016 second-round draft pick. On November 11, 2015, he scored a career-high 22 points in a 101–99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On July 7, 2016, Napier was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash considerations. On April 10, 2017, he scored a career-high 32 points in a 99–98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On December 28, 2017, Napier, who started for the injured Damian Lillard, scored 15 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to help the Trail Blazers rally for a 114–110 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On July 17, 2018, Napier signed with the Brooklyn Nets. On December 29, he tied his career high with 32 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 10 of 12 from the foul line in a 129–115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 11 against the Toronto Raptors, he extended his streak of games with at least 10 points to a career-high eight. On February 6, he recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 assists in a 135–130 win over the Denver Nuggets.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On July 7, 2019, Napier, Treveon Graham, and D'Angelo Russell were sent to the Golden State Warriors as part of a trade package for Kevin Durant. The following day, Napier and Graham were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to Lior Eliyahu.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On July 19, 2021, Napier agreed on a one-year deal with Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg. On February 27, 2022, he unilaterally terminated contract with Zenit, citing Russia's aggression on Ukraine as the reason.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On November 4, 2022, Napier was named to the opening night roster for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: Napier's mother and manager, Carmen Velásquez, is Puerto Rican, which made him directly eligible to represent Puerto Rico under FIBA regulations.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: On February 19, 2012, it was announced that following formal meetings with personnel of the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation, he had presented the required documentation and agreed to join the Puerto Rico national basketball team's practice for its next tournament, the 2012 Centrobasket.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: This tournament served as qualifier for the 2013 FIBA Americas Tournament. He did not participate in the 2012 Centrobasket due to injury.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: In December 2013, the then Puerto Rico men's national basketball team coach Paco Olmos held a meeting with Napier and Velásquez, where his program was explained. The coach referred to this meeting as "constructive" and later noted that both sides kept good communication.


title: Shabazz Napier

text: When questioned about the possibility of joining Puerto Rico in 2014, Napier responded by saying "I would love to go and have that experience. It would be something unique and that will definitely help my game for the goals I have set. It will be an honor. [...] Everything I am today as a player, I owe to [UCONN]. And as a person, to the education of my mother, who would be proud if I play for Puerto Rico."


title: Sherwood (2022 TV series)

text: Sherwood is a British television crime drama series, created and written by James Graham. It stars David Morrissey and is inspired by real life murders in Nottinghamshire, England in 2004. The six episode first series began airing on BBC One on 13 June 2022. It has been renewed for a second series.


title: Sherwood (2022 TV series)

text: Set in a Nottinghamshire mining village, two shocking killings shatter an already fractured community with a dark past. Divisions from the miners' strike (1984–85) have persisted. The story is loosely based on the murder of trade unionist Keith Frogson in 2004, and begins with the murder of a former union activist, Gary Jackson (Alun Armstrong). Jackson's interest in former police covert activities within the community leads the police to suspect a connection with the miners' strike.


title: Sherwood (2022 TV series)

text: The series received critical acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100% based on 16 reviews, with an average score of 8.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads "A gripping mystery that draws immense power from its sterling cast and the specificity of its location, "Sherwood" is such a rich series that it makes the competition look all the poorer."


title: Sherwood (2022 TV series)

text: "The Telegraph" gave it five stars and declared it "the best BBC drama of the year so far". Lucy Mangan of "The Guardian" also gave the finale five out of five stars, remarking that the series "didn’t falter in its intricate plotting, attention to detail or its perfect evocation of place". Nick Hilton of "The Independent" gave it four stars, calling Graham's writing "sympathetic, vibrant storytelling".


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The 2018 Quebec general election was held on October 1, 2018, to elect members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The election saw a landslide victory for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) led by François Legault, which won 74 of 125 seats, giving the party a majority and unseating the Quebec Liberal Party. The Liberals became the Official Opposition with 31 seats.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: This election was the first won by the CAQ, which had previously been the third party in the legislature. It was also the first since 1966 that had been won by a party other than the Liberals or Parti Québécois.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: In Quebec the Liberal Party had held power since 2003, save for a period of less than two years between 2012 and 2014.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The National Assembly has had a fixed four-year term since passing a fixed election date law in 2013. The law stipulates that "the general election following the end of a Legislature shall be held on the first Monday of October of the fourth calendar year following the year that includes the last day of the previous Legislature", setting the date for October 1, 2018. However, the Chief Electoral Officer could have changed the election date in the event of a natural disaster. Furthermore, the Lieutenant Governor could have called an election sooner should the Premier have requested one, or in the event the government had been dissolved by a motion of no confidence.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: As of September 5, 2018, a total of 45 MNAs elected in 2014 will not run in the 2018 election, of whom 12 resigned from the National Assembly, one died in office and 32 announced that they will not seek re-election including one whose riding was dissolved, and one who got fired. The latter comprise the following:


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: At the end of his term, Gendron, Dean of the National Assembly, will have served for 41 years and 10 months, representing Abitibi-Ouest for 11 terms.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The election was believed to be the first in almost half a century that had not been fought on the issue of whether Quebec should stay in Canada. The PQ had promised not to hold another referendum on sovereignty until 2022 at the earliest had it won.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The CAQ’s landslide victory was, in part, surprising due to the close outcome that was projected by opinion polls during the campaigning period. Although polls estimated a difference of approximately 2% between the PLQ and the CAQ in the days leading up to the election, the results showed a 12.6% gap in voting.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: Studies suggest that this outcome is the result of an ongoing reconfiguration in Quebec’s electoral system that is shifting from a two-party to a multi-party system, as the vote share for the QLP and the PQ had been on the decline since 2007. Additionally, the question of sovereignty, which had previously been a reliable indicator of voting choice was replaced by other matters such as identity, immigration, redistribution, and the environment. Research indicates that the polls may have been misled by this change in focus combined with last-minute moves toward the CAQ and the tendency of those who did not disclose their vote to disproportionately vote for the same party. The topic of identity appeared extremely important and was mobilized throughout individuals’ participation with the election campaigns. These findings suggest that the CAQ’s shocking victory was the result of longstanding trends toward a multi-party system and a diversified agenda of topics which were not accurately predicted by the polls.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The CAQ went into the election as the third party in the legislature, but won a decisive victory with 74 seats, exceeding all published opinion polling. The Liberals won 31 seats, while Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois each won 10 seats. This is the second election in a row in which a government has been defeated after only one term.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The CAQ formed government for the first time, mainly by dominating its traditional heartlands of Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches and Centre-du-Québec, while winning sweeps or near-sweeps in Mauricie, Estrie, Lanaudière, Montérégie, the Laurentides and northern Quebec. Many of their gains came at the expense of the PQ. The CAQ took a number of seats that had been in PQ hands for four decades or more, in some cases by landslide margins. It did, however, win only two seats in Montreal.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The Parti Québécois came up two seats short of official status in the legislature. Notably, it was completely shut out in Montreal for the first time in decades; indeed, it won only one seat (Marie-Victorin in Longueuil) in the entire Greater Montreal area. It was easily the PQ's worst showing in a provincial election in 45 years. For the second election in a row, its leader was unseated in his own riding. According to a postmortem by "The Globe and Mail," the PQ was so decisively beaten that there were already questions about whether it could survive. Echoing this, Christian Bourque of Montreal-based pollster Léger Marketing told "The Guardian" that he believed the PQ was likely finished in its present form, and would have to merge with another sovereigntist party to avoid fading into irrelevance.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The election was viewed as the Liberals' worst defeat since the 1976 election. While the party more than held its own in Montreal (where it won 19 out of 27 seats) and Laval (where it retained all but one seat), it only won seven seats elsewhere.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: This was the first election in which Québec Solidaire won seats outside Montreal, taking one seat from the PQ and three from the Liberals.


title: 2018 Quebec general election

text: The CAQ won 37.4 percent of the popular vote, a smaller vote share than the Liberals' 41 percent in 2014 and the lowest vote share on record for a party winning a majority government. However, due to the nature of the first-past-the-post system, which awards power solely on the basis of seats won, the CAQ's heavy concentration of support in the regions they dominated was enough for a strong majority of 11 seats. Quebec elections have historically seen large disparities between the raw vote and the actual seat count.


title: Adamites

text: The Adamites, or Adamians, were adherents of an Early Christian group in North Africa in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries. They wore no clothing during their religious services. There were later reports of similar sects in Central Europe during the Late Middle Ages.


title: Adamites

text: The obscure sect, dating probably from the 2nd century, professed to have regained Adam and Eve's primeval innocence. Various accounts are given of their origin. Some have thought them to have been an offshoot of the Carpocratian Gnostics, who professed a sensual mysticism and a complete emancipation from the moral law. Theodoret (Haer. Fab., I, 6) held this view of them, and identified them with the licentious sects whose practices are described by Clement of Alexandria. Others, on the contrary, consider them to have been misguided ascetics, who strove to extirpate carnal desires by a return to simpler manners, and by the abolition of marriage.


title: Adamites

text: St. Epiphanius and Augustine of Hippo mention the Adamites by name, and describe their practices. They called their church "Paradise", claiming that its members were re-established in Adam and Eve's state of original innocence. Accordingly, they practiced "holy nudism", rejected the concept of marriage as foreign to Eden, saying it would never have existed but for sin, and lived in absolute lawlessness, holding that, whatever they did, their actions could be neither good nor bad.


title: Adamites

text: Practices similar to those of the ancient Adamites appeared in Europe several times in later ages. During the Middle Ages the doctrines of this obscure sect, which did not itself exist long, were revived: in the 13th century in the Netherlands by the Brethren of the Free Spirit and the Taborites in Bohemia, and, in the 14th century, by some German Beghards. Everywhere they met with firm opposition from the mainstream churches.


title: Adamites

text: The Taborite movement was started in 1419 in opposition to the authority of the Holy Roman Empire. One sect of Taborites, the Bohemian Adamites, dissociated themselves from other Taborites and took up the practice of going naked through towns and villages. They preached that "God dwelt in the Saints of the Last Days" and considered exclusive marriage to be a sin. The historian Norman Cohn observed: "Whereas the Taborites were strictly monogamous, in this sect free love seems to have been the rule. The Adamites declared that the chaste were unworthy to enter the Messianic kingdom ... The sect was much given to ritual naked dances held around a fire. Indeed, these people seemed to have spent much of their time naked, ignoring the heat and cold and claiming to be in the state of innocence enjoined by Adam and Eve." Cohn also commented that the Adamites were criticised by other Taborites for "never thinking of earning their own living by the work of their hands".


title: Adamites

text: The Beghards became the Picards of Bohemia, who took possession of an island in the river Nežárka, and lived communally, practicing social and religious nudity, free love and rejecting marriage and individual ownership of property. Jan Žižka, the Hussite leader, nearly exterminated the sect in 1421. In the following year, the sect was widely spread over Bohemia and Moravia, and especially hated by the Hussites (whom they resembled in hatred toward the hierarchy) because the Adamites rejected transubstantiation, the priesthood and the Supper. The strife between the Adamites and the Taborites is dramatized in "Against All", the third part of Otakar Vávra's Hussite film trilogy (1958).


title: Adamites

text: The splintering of Protestantism during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the 17th century saw Adamites recorded in the "Catalogue of the Several Sects and Opinions in England."


title: Adamites

text: A revival of these doctrines took place in Bohemia in the region of Chrudim after 1781, owing to the edict of toleration issued by Emperor Joseph II. This secret group of Adamites was first mentioned in 1783, then again in 1849. However, a letter to the "Neues Wiener Tagblatt" in 1874, which claimed to be authored by Adamites in Vienna, appears to be a hoax.


title: Sondra Theodore

text: Sondra Theodore (born December 12, 1956) is an American model and actress. She was "Playboy" magazine's Playmate of the Month for its July 1977 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Ken Marcus. Her Playmate pictorial was the first to include the Data Sheets that Playmates had been filling out since 1959.


title: Sondra Theodore

text: Theodore was born in San Bernardino, California. At age 17, Theodore played the lead role in a local San Bernardino summer youth theatre musical production of Cinderella in 1974. The next year in honor of the United States Bicentennial, she represented her native city as Miss Bicentennial. She spent one year at college before heading west to Los Angeles in July 1976 to pursue a career in acting.


title: Sondra Theodore

text: Briefly a Sunday school teacher, Theodore became the girlfriend of "Playboy" publisher Hugh Hefner for several years, living alongside him at the Playboy Mansion. She can be seen on the famous "Playboy" pinball machine alongside Hefner and fellow Playmate Patti McGuire. During this time she sang with the "Singing Playmates".


title: Sondra Theodore

text: In 2021, she spoke out about her trauma during her time with Hefner and the difficulties she endured in the docuseries "Secrets of Playboy" on the A&E Network. She claimed that Hefner was into bestiality and snuff films. In an interview with Fox News Digital in August 2022, Theodore claimed that Hefner manipulated her into participating in an orgy. She also alleged that Hefner hosted prostitution sex parties, referring to them as "Pig Nights."


title: Shogakukan Manga Award

text: The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being given since 1955.


title: Shogakukan Manga Award

text: Each winning work will be honored with a bronze statuette, a certificate and a prize of 1 million yen (about US$7,500). Special awards are also occasionally given out for outstanding work, lifetime achievement, and so forth.


title: Shogakukan Manga Award

text: The laureates were awarded for comics published during the years listed in the table. However, the laureates were not presented and the prizes were not given out until the beginning of the following year. The prizes are often referred to by the numbers listed below instead of the years.


title: Ludwika Paleta

text: Ludwika Paleta (; born Ludwika Paleta Paciorek on November 29, 1978 in Kraków, Poland) is a Polish-Mexican actress.


title: Ludwika Paleta

text: Paleta was born in Kraków, Poland in 1978. When her father, the musician Zbigniew Paleta, was offered a job in Mexico, the Paleta family settled permanently. As a child, Ludwika was taken by her sister Dominika Paleta, to an acting audition on a whim. Ludwika impressed the casting directors so much that soon after, she was offered her first television role in "Carrusel" (1989). Paleta became an instant celebrity with her character. Three years later, in 1992, she returned to the small screen in what she calls her favorite television job yet, "El abuelo y yo" opposite Gael García Bernal. Roles in "Huracán, Amigas y Rivales," and "Mujer de Madera" soon followed. Her most recent work in television was in the Endemol-Telefe produced "Los Exitosos Perez."


title: Ludwika Paleta

text: Paleta has obtained great fame and popularity in the Latin American country that has been her home since she was merely a child. In an interview, Ludwika Paleta declared that she loves both Mexico and Poland, but that she does not see herself living outside of Mexico in the near-future.


title: Ludwika Paleta

text: She is fluent in Spanish, Polish and English. In 1998 Paleta married Mexican actor, Plutarco Haza. Their son, Nicolás, was born November 11, 1999. They divorced in 2008. She remarried near Mérida, Yucatán, México on April 20, 2013 with Emiliano Salinas Occelli, son of former Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari and former Mexican first lady Cecilia Occelli.


title: Ludwika Paleta

text: Paleta recently appeared on the cover of the magazine "H para Hombres". She also joined actor Aarón Díaz as spokespeople for Calvin Klein in Mexico. In 2012, she starred as Estefania Bouvier de Castañón in Abismo de pasion as part of a special participation.


title: Ben (song)

text: "Ben" is a song written by Don Black and Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name (a spin-off to the 1971 killer rat film "Willard"). It was performed by Lee Montgomery in the film and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making it Jackson's first number one single in the US as a solo artist. "Billboard" ranked it as the number 20 song for 1972. It also reached number 1 on the ARIA Charts, spending eight weeks at the top spot. The song also later reached a peak of number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, the song appeared in "The Ultimate Collection".


title: Ben (song)

text: "Ben" won a Golden Globe for Best Song. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973, losing to "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern from "The Poseidon Adventure". Jackson lip-synced to the song at the Oscars ceremony, possibly as his vocal range had shifted since its recording.


title: Ben (song)

text: "Ben" was originally written for Donny Osmond, but he was on tour at the time and unavailable for recording, so Black and Scharf offered the song to Jackson instead. In addition to its one week at number 1 in the U.S., the song also later reached a peak of number 7 on the British pop chart. "Ben" won a Golden Globe for Best Song. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973; Jackson performed the song in front of a live audience at the ceremony. "Billboard" called it a "beauty".


title: Ben (song)

text: Although Jackson had already become the youngest artist to ever record a number 1 ("I Want You Back" with The Jackson 5, in 1970), "Ben" made him the third-youngest solo artist, at 14, to score a number 1 hit single. Only Stevie Wonder, who was 13 when "Fingertips" went to number 1, and Osmond, who was months shy of his 14th birthday when "Go Away Little Girl" hit number 1 in 1971, were younger. The song is one of Jackson's most re-released, having appeared on "The Jackson 5 Anthology", "The Best of Michael Jackson", "18 Greatest Hits", "Michael Jackson Anthology", "", "The Essential Michael Jackson", "Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection", "", "The Definitive Collection", "The Jacksons Story", the North American version of "Number Ones" (even though here it is the 1981 live version), some versions of "King of Pop" and "Icon".


title: Ben (song)

text: A live recorded version was released on the 1981 album "The Jacksons Live!" and remixed versions have appeared on "The Remix Suite", "The Stripped Mixes" and some versions of "Immortal". After Jackson's death, singer Akon released a remix of the song with his own background vocals and Jackson's original vocal solo.


title: Ben (song)

text: AllMusic editor Lindsay Planer wrote about the success of the song: "Like much of the Motown empire at the time, the title track's multimedia exposure, coupled with strong crossover appeal, ensured that "Ben" scored the artist his first Pop Singles' chart-topper" and he highlighted the track. "Rolling Stone" editor Vince Aletti was not satisfied: "The title song is lovely, no doubt, and Michael packs it with a surprising amount of feeling (his delivery of "They don't see you as I do/I wish they would try to" still tears me up) but it's all a little too thick for my tastes".


title: Ben (song)

text: In 1985, the song became a top 10 hit again in the U.K. when covered by Marti Webb as a tribute to Ben Hardwick, a young liver transplant patient. This version reached #5 in the U.K. Singles Chart and was one of the singer's biggest hits. The song's lyricist, Don Black, was at the time Webb's manager.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, is a Christian devotional book first composed in Medieval Latin as "De Imitatione Christi" ( 1418–1427). The devotional text is divided into four books of detailed spiritual instructions: (i) "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life", (ii) "Directives for the Interior Life", (iii) "On Interior Consolation", and (iv) "On the Blessed Sacrament". The devotional approach of "The Imitation of Christ" emphasises the interior life and withdrawal from the mundanities of the world, as opposed to the active imitation of Christ practised by other friars. The devotions of the books emphasise devotion to the Eucharist as the key element of spiritual life.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: "The Imitation of Christ" is a handbook for the spiritual life arising from the Devotio Moderna movement, which Thomas followed. The "Imitation" is perhaps the most widely read Christian devotional work after the Bible, and is regarded as a devotional and religious classic. The book was written anonymously in Latin in the Netherlands c. 1418–1427. Its popularity was immediate, and after the first printed edition in 1471-72, it was printed in 745 editions before 1650. Apart from the Bible, no book had been translated into more languages than the "Imitation of Christ" at the time.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The ideal of the imitation of Christ has been an important element of Christian theology, ethics and spirituality. References to this concept and its practice are found in the earliest Christian documents, such as the Pauline Epistles.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Saint Augustine viewed the imitation of Christ as the fundamental purpose of Christian life, and as a remedy for the imitation of the sins of Adam. Saint Francis of Assisi believed in the physical as well as the spiritual imitation of Christ, and advocated a path of poverty and preaching like Jesus who was poor at birth in the manger and died naked on the cross. The theme of imitation of Christ existed in all phases of Byzantine theology, and in the 14th-century book "Life in Christ" Nicholas Cabasilas viewed "living one's own personal life" in Christ as the fundamental Christian virtue.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Against this backdrop, the Devotio Moderna movement was started by Geert Groote who was highly dissatisfied with the state of the Church and what he perceived as the gradual loss of monastic traditions and the lack of moral values among the clergy. The initial focus of Devotio Moderna was the rediscovery of genuine pious practices and conversion and re-conversion of the lukewarm clergy. The "Imitation" was written within the Devotio Moderna community, as it was flourishing in Northern Europe, but grew far beyond that movement which came to an end with the Protestant Reformation.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Between the "Summa Theologica" of St Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, and the emotionally inspiring "Imitatio Christi", was published "The scale of perfection", a book of Ascetical theology ascribed to the Augustinian mystic Walter Hilton (1340–1396), who seems to have been "the pastoral heir of St Gilbert".


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The book was written anonymously in Latin in the Netherlands c. 1418–1427 and Thomas à Kempis is generally accepted as the author. Several sources of authority, including members of his own order, name Kempis as the author, and various contemporary manuscripts, including one autograph codex, bear his name.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Joseph N. Tylenda, S.J., writes that the book's anonymous composition is "not surprising" since the author writes in the "Imitation" that one should "love to be unknown" (Book 1, Ch. 2). Regarding the anonymity of the work, William C. Creasy also notes that the author of the "Imitation" wrote, "Do not let the writer's authority or learning influence you, be it little or great, but let the love of pure truth attract you to read. Do not ask, 'Who said this?' but pay attention to what is said" (Book 1, Ch. 5).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: By 1471, the manuscripts of the book were so frequently hand-copied and passed across monasteries, that there are around 750 extant manuscripts of the "Imitation". Thomas à Kempis's 1441 autograph manuscript of the book is available at the Bibliothèque Royale in Brussels. The first printed edition appeared in Augsburg c. 1471–2. By the end of the 15th century, the book had more than 100 printed editions and translations in Italian (1480), Catalan (1482), German (1486), French (1488), Low German (1489), Spanish (1490), Portuguese and Dutch (1496).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The book received an enthusiastic response from the very early days, as characterized by the statement of George Pirkhamer, the prior of Nuremberg, regarding the 1494 edition: "Nothing more holy, nothing more honorable, nothing more religious, nothing in fine more profitable for the Christian commonwealth can you ever do than to make known these works of Thomas à Kempis."


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The number of counted editions exceeds 2,000; 1,000 different editions are preserved in the British Museum; 770 in Biblioteca de Catalunya; the Bullingen collection, donated to the city of Cologne in 1838, contained at the time 400 different editions. De Backer enumerates 545 Latin and about 900 French editions. A critical edition was published in 1982. A new translation from the original Latin text into English by William Creasy was published in 2015.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Book One of the "Imitation" is titled "Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life". "The Imitation" derives its title from the first chapter of Book I, "The Imitation of Christ and contempt for the vanities of the world" (Latin: "De Imitatione Christi et contemptu omnium vanitatum mundi"). The "Imitation" is sometimes referred to as "Following of the Christ", which comes from the opening words of the first chapter—"Whoever follows Me will not walk into darkness." Book One deals with the withdrawal of the outward life—so far as positive duty allows and emphasizes an interior life by renouncing all that is vain and illusory, resisting temptations and distractions of life, giving up the pride of learning and to be humble, forsaking the disputations of theologians and patiently enduring the world's contempt and contradiction.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Kempis stresses the importance of solitude and silence, "how undisturbed a conscience we would have if we never went searching after ephemeral joys nor concerned ourselves with affairs of the world..." Kempis writes that the "World and all its allurements pass away" and following sensual desires leads to a "dissipated conscience" and a "distracted heart" (Chap. 20). Kempis writes that one should meditate on death and "live as becomes a pilgrim and a stranger on earth...for this earth of ours is no lasting city" (Chap. 23). On the Day of Judgement, Kempis writes that a good and pure conscience will give more joy than all the philosophy one has ever learned, fervent prayer will bring more happiness than a "multi-course banquet", the silence will be more "exhilarating" than long tales, holy deeds will be of greater value than nice-sounding words (Chap. 24).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Kempis writes one must remain faithful and fervent to God, and keep good hope of attaining victory and salvation, but avoid overconfidence. Kempis gives the example of an anxious man who, oscillating between fear and hope and with grief went to the altar and said: "Oh, if only I knew that I shall persevere to the end." Immediately he heard the divine answer, "What if you knew this? What would you do? Do now what you would do then, and you will be very safe." After this the man gave himself to God's will, and his anxiety and fear of future disappeared (Chap. 25).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Book Two of the "Imitation" is "Directives for the Interior Life". The book continues the theme of Book One, and contains instructions concerning "inward peace, purity of heart, a good conscience—for moderating our longings and desires, for patience, for submission to the will of God, for the love of Jesus, for enduring the loss of comfort, and for taking up the Cross." Kempis writes that if we have a clear conscience God will defend us, and whomever God chooses to help no man's malice can harm. Kempis writes that when a man humbles himself, "God protects and defends him...God favors the humble man... and after he has been brought low raises him up to glory" (Chap. 2). Kempis stresses the importance of a good conscience—"The man whose conscience is pure easily finds peace and contentment ... Men only see your face, but it is God who sees your heart. Men judge according to external deeds, but only God can weigh the motives behind them" (Chap. 6). Kempis writes we must place our faith in Jesus rather than in men and "...Do not trust nor lean on a reed that is shaken ...All flesh is grass, and all its glory shall fade like the flower in the field" (Chap. 7). Kempis writes that false sense of freedom and overconfidence are obstacles for spiritual life. Kempis writes that "Grace will always be given to the truly grateful, and what is given to the humble is taken away from the proud" (Chap. 10).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Kempis writes that we must not attribute any good to ourselves but attribute everything to God. Kempis asks us to be grateful for "every little gift" and we will be worthy to receive greater ones, to consider the least gift as great and the most common as something special. Kempis writes that if we consider the dignity of the giver, no gift will seem unimportant or small (Chap. 10). In the last chapter, "The Royal Road of the Cross", Kempis writes that if we carry the cross willingly, it will lead us to our desired goal, but on the other hand if we carry our cross grudgingly, then we turn it into a heavy burden and if we should throw off one cross, we will surely find another, which is perhaps heavier. Kempis writes that by ourselves we cannot bear the cross, but if we put our trust in the Lord, He will send us strength from heaven (Chap. 12).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Book Three, entitled "On Interior Consolation", is the longest among the four books. This book is in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and the disciple.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Jesus says that very few turn to God and spirituality, since they are more eager to listen to the world and desires of their flesh than to God. Jesus says that the world promises things that are passing and of little value, which are served with great enthusiasm; while He promises things that are most excellent and eternal and men's hearts remain indifferent (Chap. 3). Jesus says that the "man who trusts in Me I never send away empty. When I make a promise I keep it, and I fulfill whatever I have pledged—if only you remain faithful...unto the end" (Chap. 3).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Jesus says that spiritual progress and perfection consists in offering oneself to the divine will and not seeking oneself in "anything either small or great, in time or in eternity" (Chap. 25). Jesus says not be anxious about future—"Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus advises the disciple that all is not lost when the result is not as planned, when one thinks he is farthest from Jesus, it is then that Jesus is nearest, when one thinks that all is lost, it is then that victory is close at hand. Jesus says not to react to a difficulty as if there were no hope of being freed from it (Chap. 30).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Joseph Tylenda summarizes the central theme of the third book with the teaching in Chapter 56, "My son, to the degree that you can leave yourself behind, to that degree will you be able to enter into Me. Just as desiring nothing outside you produces internal peace within you, so the internal renunciation of yourself unites you to God." Jesus gives his important teaching, "Follow Me...I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going; without the Truth, there is no knowing; without Life, there is no living. I am the Way you are to follow; I am the Truth you are to believe; I am the Life you are to hope for" (Chap. 56).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Book Four of the "Imitation", "On the Blessed Sacrament", is also in the form of a dialogue between Jesus and the disciple. Kempis writes that in this Sacrament spiritual grace is conferred, the soul's strength is replenished, and the recipient's mind is fortified and strength is given to the body debilitated by sin (Chap. 1).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Jesus says that the sooner one resigns wholeheartedly to God, and no longer seeks anything according to one's own will or pleasure, but totally places all in God's hands, the sooner will one be united with God and be at peace. Jesus continues, "Nothing will make you happier or please you as much as being obedient to the divine will" (Chap. 15). Jesus also delivers his "changeless teaching" — "Unless you renounce all that you have, you cannot be my disciple" (Chap. 8).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: To receive the Sacrament, Jesus says "make clean the mansions of your heart. Shut out the whole world and all its sinful din and sit as a solitary sparrow on a housetop and, in the bitterness of your soul, meditate on your transgressions" (Chap. 12). Jesus says that there is no offering more worthy, no satisfaction greater, for the washing away of sins than to offer oneself purely and completely to God at the time the Body of Christ is offered in the Mass and in Communion (Chap. 7).


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: "The Imitation of Christ" is regarded as the most important devotional work in Catholic Christianity and is the most widely read devotional work next to the Bible. Apart from the Bible no Christian book has been translated into more languages than the "Imitation of Christ".


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The book was admired by the following individuals: Saint Thomas More, Chancellor of England and renowned humanist who was executed by King Henry VIII of England; Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, Erasmus of Rotterdam; and twentieth-century American Catholic author and monk Thomas Merton. It also has been admired by many others, both Catholic and Protestant. The Jesuits give it an official place among their "exercises". Kempis' "Imitatio Christi" was in close parentage with Ignatius of Loyola of the "Devotio moderna" movement, and also it was affirmed and practiced by St. Francis de Sales, profoundly influencing his "Introduction to the Devout Life".


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, listed "The Imitation" among the works that influenced him at his conversion. General Gordon carried it with him to the battlefield.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: José Rizal, the Philippine polymath and national hero, reportedly read the book whilst incarcerated within Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila, shortly before the Spanish colonial government executed him by firing squad for sedition on 30 December 1896.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Swami Vivekananda, the 19th-century Hindu philosopher and founder of Vedanta Society, drew a number of parallels between the teachings of the "Imitation" and the "Bhagavad Gita". Vivekananda wrote a and a of the "Imitation" in 1899. Vivekananda would always carry a copy of the "Bhagavad Gita" and the "Imitation". Spiritual writer Eknath Easwaran compared the teachings of the "Imitation" with the Upanishads.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: "The Imitation of Christ" was an early influence on the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who used it in her prayer life, distilled its message and used it in her own writings which then influenced Catholic spirituality as a whole. Thérèse was so attached to the book and read it so many times that she could quote passages from it from memory in her teens.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The theologian Shailer Mathews wrote that the "Imitation" presents an accurate description of the Christ of the Gospels, and gives an unbiased reading of the words of Jesus. He also wrote "For centuries men have found in it inspiration to sacrifice and humility, and to severest self-examination...He who has never come under its influence has missed something that would have made him more humble and more ambitious for purity of life."


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: The Spanish crypto-Muslim writer known as the Young Man of Arévalo included adaptations of many passages from the "Imitation" in his Islamic devotional work "Summary of the Account and Spiritual Exercise". He replaced specific Christian contexts and features with Islamic ones, while keeping the spiritual and moral meaning intact. The adaptation of Christian devotional literature in his Islamic work was likely the result of his being obligated to attend missionary sermons (after forced conversions of Muslims in Spain), and a lack of access to actual Islamic literature.


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: René Girard wrote: "Neither does Jesus propose an ascetic rule of life in the sense of Thomas à Kempis and his celebrated Imitation of Christ, as admirable as that work may be".


title: The Imitation of Christ

text: Friedrich Nietzsche stated that this was "one of those books which I cannot hold in my hand without a physiological reaction: it exudes a perfume of the Eternal-Feminine which is strictly for Frenchmen – or Wagnerians".


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Whac-A-Mole is an arcade game, originally known as or in Japan. A typical Whac-A-Mole machine consists of a waist-level cabinet with a play area and display screen, and a large, soft, black mallet. Five holes in the play area top are filled with small, plastic, cartoonish moles, which pop up at random. Points are scored by whacking each mole as it appears. The faster the reaction, the higher the score.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: The cabinet has a three-digit readout of the current player's score and, on later models, a "best score of the day" readout. The mallet is usually attached to the game by a rope to prevent it from being stolen.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Current versions of Whac-A-Mole include three displays for Bonus Score, High Score, and the current game score. Home versions, distributed by Bob's Space Racers, have one display with the current score.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: If the player does not strike a mole within a certain time or with enough force, it eventually sinks back into its hole with no score. Although gameplay starts out slow enough for most people to hit all of the moles that rise, it gradually increases in speed, with each mole spending less time exposed and with more moles exposed at once. After a designated time limit, the game ends, regardless of the player's score. The final score is based on the number of moles the player struck.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: In addition to the single-player game described above, there is a multi-player game, most often found at amusement parks. In this version, there is a large bank of individual Whac-A-Mole games linked together, and the goal is to be the first player to reach a designated score (rather than hitting the most moles within a certain time). In most versions, striking a mole is worth ten points, and the winner is the first player to reach a score of 150 (15 moles). The winner receives a prize, typically a small stuffed animal, which can be traded up for a larger stuffed animal should the player win again.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Game play options have become more adjustable, allowing the operator/owner to selectively alter the high score, hits points, rate of progressive speed, and game time.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: The game has been criticized for teaching children to be cruel towards animals, though it is still used for teaching auditory processing and attention.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: "Mogura Taiji" was invented in 1975 by Kazuo Yamada of TOGO, based on ten of the designer's pencil sketches from 1974. TOGO released it as "Mogura Taiji" to Japanese amusement arcades in 1975. It became a major commercial success in Japan, where it was the second highest-grossing electro-mechanical arcade game of 1976 and again in 1977, second only to Namco's popular arcade racing game in both years. "Mogura Taiji" was licensed to Bandai in 1977. Bandai (now part of Bandai Namco Holdings) introduced the game to the Japanese home market as a toy in 1977, called ; it was a major hit by 1978, selling over units. In the late 1970s, arcade centers in Japan were flooded with similar, derivative "mole buster" games. "Mogura Taiji" has since been commonly found at Japanese festivals.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: "Mogura Taiji" made its North American debut in November 1976 at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) show, where it drew attention for being the first mallet game of its type. Gerald Denton and Donny Anderson saw it and saw great potential for converting it into a carnival game by putting it in a trailer. Denton showed the game to Aaron Fechter and assigned him the task of building their own version of the game. Fechter coined the name "Whac-A-Mole" and added air cylinders "so that when air pushed up the moles, the air acted as a cushion." He developed the prototype in 1977, and Denton and Anderson presented it to the founder of Bob's Space Racers, Bob Cassata, that year. After Bob made further refinements, Bob's Space Racers began selling the game in 1977. In 1978 it debuted at a midway exhibition show, where it was the most popular game. The following year, it debuted at pinball parlours. In 1980, it was sold in the carnival, amusement park and coin-op arcade markets. Whac-A-Mole has since become a popular carnival game.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Back in Japan, Namco, who were beginning to shift towards arcade video game production with hits like "Galaxian" (1979) and "Pac-Man" (1980), noticed arcade centers in Japan were flooded with "mole buster" games. To capitalize on their popularity, Namco began work on a similar game with a unique motif to help it stand out from similar games. "Sweet Licks" (1981) was originally designed by TOGO, who had originally named it "Mole Attack". Namco purchased the rights to the game and gave it new artwork. "Sweet Licks" was designed by Yukio Ishikawa, a mechanical game designer for Namco. The game was themed around cake and pastries to help attract women. It was the first arcade game to use an LCD monitor to display the player's score. "Sweet Licks" became popular in Japan and was subsequently released in North America in April 1982, then in Europe, where it became popular in the 1980s.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: The original Whac-A-Mole game inspired the first genre of games with a violent aspect as central to their user experience. Researchers have used Whac-A-Mole and its variations to study the violent aspects of these games.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: The Whac-A-Mole game trademark was originally owned by Bob's Space Racers but since 2008 has been owned by Mattel. Machines with similar gameplay are sold under other names. Whac-A-Mole has also been the basis for a number of internet games and mobile games that are similar in play and strategy.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Engineer Tim Hunkin built and installed a "Whack a Banker" machine at Southwold Pier in England in 2009 made from parts of a previous "Whack a Warden" machine.


title: Whac-A-Mole

text: Mattel Television currently is partnered with Fremantle to develop a game show inspired by the game, which has yet to debut. The show will be an elimination-style, unscripted series to determine the "Whac-a-Mole Champion." The competition will involve a life-size version of the game, as well as obstacle courses and other "surprising twist[s]."