title: The Five Heartbeats

text: A soundtrack for the film was released by Virgin Records, featuring original music by various artists. Both "Nights like This" and "A Heart Is a House for Love" became top 20 hits on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot R&B Singles chart. Many of the tracks are credited to fictional characters in the film as opposed to the actual vocalists. After 7's "Nights like This" won the film an ASCAP Award.


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: The film grossed approximately $8.5 million after being released in 862 theaters throughout North America.


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: The film was not well received by a majority of critics. On Rotten Tomatoes "The Five Heartbeats" has an approval rating of 39%, based on reviews from 18 critics.


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: Due to the nature of the film, music montages were often used to progress the plot; critics considered this a major flaw.


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: The numerous musical performances in the film were highly acclaimed. All Music complimented the Dells' lead singer Marvin Junior (who provided the singing voice for fictional character Eddie King Jr.) stating that he was "one of the most underrated voices in pop music." Tressa Thomas' performance of "We Haven't Finished Yet," in particular, was given favorable attention by critics.


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: The film received an ASCAP award for Most Performed Songs in a Motion Picture for the song "Nights Like This."


title: The Five Heartbeats

text: A DVD was released for the film in 2002, a special edition was also released in 2007 for the film's 15th Anniversary which includes additional content.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk." As a band, they have released thirteen albums (four live), with their ninth studio album entitled "Everyday Life, Everyday People" on July 13, 2018. The band was originally signed by Bradley Nowell from the band Sublime to his label Skunk Records while still in high school.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: In 1994, Slightly Stoopid was formed in Ocean Beach, California by Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald, both childhood friends, as well as high school friend and drummer Adam Bausch. Sublime front man Bradley Nowell was staying with Doughty’s nurse mother and doctor boyfriend in their drug rehabilitation program when he stumbled across the band. After waking up one morning, he overheard the band practicing in the garage and was impressed, asking them to perform in Long Beach, California at the Foot Hill Tavern. Nowell shortly after signed them to his label Skunk Records while the members were still attending high school. In 1996 the band released their first studio album, the punk-tinged "Slightly $toopid" (featuring a guest appearance by Nowell on the song "Prophet" – later covered by Sublime and released on their box set, "Everything Under the Sun") and 1998's surf-inspired "The Longest Barrel Ride".


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The group self-released 2001's "" (a 40-minute acoustic set, captured live at San Diego's 91X radio station) – the first for their own label, Stoopid Records, before issuing 2003's "Everything You Need" on Surfdog Records (a musical departure for the band, that sold more than 185,000 copies).


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Adam Bausch left the band shortly after recording and releasing "The Longest Barrel Ride". Slightly Stoopid had fourteen drummers between Adam Bausch and their current drummer, Ryan 'RyMo' Moran. These drummers include: Kelly Vargas (of Sublime / Dissension), Dan Lancelot, Damion Ramirez (of Capitol Eye / Long Beach Shortbus), and Paul Vrieling (who is pictured in the background on the cover of the "Everything You Need" album).


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: After solidifying a new line-up with first the removal of Bausch, due to personal differences, then with the additions of Ryan 'RyMo' Moran (drums), as well as Oguer 'OG' Ocon (congas, percussion, harp, vocals), C-Money (trumpet, keyboard) and Dela (saxophone) from John Brown's Body, the band began to mix even more different musical styles on 2005's "Closer to the Sun". The album featured collaborations with well-known reggae names such as Barrington Levy and Scientist. "Closer to the Sun" impressively debuted in the Billboard Top 200 and sold nearly 25,000 copies in its first two months of release.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: A year later, Slightly Stoopid issued their first-ever electric live album, "Winter Tour '05-'06 Live CD/DVD", as well as their first-ever DVD, "Live in San Diego", while 2007 saw the release of the group's fifth studio effort, "Chronchitis", which debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the Independent Albums charts.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The group has toured frequently since its inception, including appearances at arts festivals such as Coachella, Harmony, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and New Orleans Jazz Fest. Additionally, the group has played sold-out shows in Australia, Japan, Guam, Portugal, Denmark, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic. "Without [the fans], we'd just be playing at the bar", admits Kyle. "They make it worth our while – when we go out and people are having that good of a time, the energy goes back and forth. Just a good time – we rely on each other's energy."


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Slightly Stoopid has played with the Dave Matthews Band, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and the Marley Brothers, Sublime, the Roots, The Expendables, Snoop Dogg, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, Toots and the Maytals, Helva, and Pennywise, among others, as well as their first-ever sole headlining tour of amphitheaters in 2008, joined by their friends Pepper and Sly & Robbie featuring Cherine Anderson.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The band teamed up with Snoop Dogg in 2009 for the co-headlining "Blazed & Confused Tour" across North America.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: In 2008, the band issued their first-ever 'odds and ends' collection, "Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid" – the group's newest release for their growing label, Stoopid Records (which also featured releases by other groups, including the label's first signed act, The Expendables from Santa Cruz, California). Included on "Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid" are outtakes from both the "Closer to the Sun" (including tracks that were previously issued as a limited edition bonus CD) and "Chronchitis" sessions, as well as a bevy of new material recorded at the famed Circle House Studios in Miami, Florida, and such cover tunes as UB40's "I Would Do For You" and the traditional "I Know You Rider" (most notably covered by The Grateful Dead). Also making their first appearance on a Slightly Stoopid studio album are newly recorded renditions of the long-time live standards "False Rhythms" and "Sinsemilla".


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: On September 13, 2011, the band was invited by the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir into his state-of-the-art TRI Studios for a live webcast and in-studio performance. Utilizing the technology of their studio's Constellation sound system, Slightly Stoopid had the privilege to invite some of their close friends and family down to record "Live at Roberto's TRI Studios", performing alongside Weir as well as Karl Denson, Don Carlos, Ivan Neville, Ian Neville, and host Tommy Chong.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The band's seventh studio album, "Top of the World", was released on August 14, 2012. The seven-piece band continues to explore a variety of styles on "Top of the World", with help from some of their biggest influences and heroes including: reggae legends Barrington Levy and Don Carlos of Black Uhuru; "unofficial 8th member" Karl Denson of Greyboy Allstars; longtime band friend and touring partner G. Love; Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore; ex-Jurassic 5 emcee extraordinaire Chali 2na; Dumpstaphunk's Ian Neville; and hit-making singer/songwriter Angela Hunte. The album entered the "Billboard" 200 at a career high #13, as well as on "Billboard" Independent Albums chart at #3. "Top of the World" also debuted on "Billboard" Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts with a final position of #4.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Following the album release, the band performed on the "Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ" on August 23, followed by appearances on tastemaker indie music website Daytrotter and SiriusXM. The group also appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on September 12 to play their current single, "Top of the World."


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Slightly Stoopid continued to tour extensively, playing 38 dates in 2014 in cities all across the US. Their summer 2014 tour featured G. Love and also Bob Marley's son, Stephen Marley.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: On April 20, 2015, Slightly Stoopid announced via their social media pages and website that they intended to release a new album, entitled "Meanwhile...Back At The Lab". The album was released on June 30, 2015. The album's track list was subsequently published on iTunes.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The band's eighth album, "Everyday Life, Everyday People", released on July 13, 2018. It topped the "Billboard" Reggae Albums chart. The album features special guests, Italian reggae artist, Alborosie, UB40's Ali Campbell, Chali 2na, Don Carlos (on two tracks), G.Love, and Yellowman.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The group is noted for their eclectic mix of rock, reggae, blues, hip-hop, metal and funk in their works. When the group first started out, they drew numerous influences from the likes of punk rock groups such as Sublime, Operation Ivy, and Rancid. Slightly Stoopid's self-titled album was released months after Brad Nowell's death in 1996 under Skunk Records. Their reggae influences stem from artists such as Yellowman, Don Carlos and Buju Banton.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: The band has also experimented with hip-hop on their more recent albums. The song "The Otherside" off the album "Chronchitis" features the late rapper Guru. They note hip hop influences NWA and Eazy-E, Wu-Tang Clan, and Gang Starr.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: Miles Doughty's vocal style in particular references reggae legends Eek a Mouse, Pinchers, and Tenor Saw quite often.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: In August 2021, Slightly Stoopid collaborated with Stay Up Movement (SUM), a company that makes eco-friendly sunglasses. They have a pair of exclusive limited-edition polarized shades used and approved by the band (one in matte black with red + orange tinted lenses, and one in a tortoise shell frame).


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: After a decades-long relationship with Black Flys Sunglasses, in 2022, Slightly Stoopid teamed up with owner Moe Sim on his company's "Artist Collaborations" line. One of their limited edition sunglasses is called a "Stoopid Fly" which is decked out in the band's own branding.


title: Slightly Stoopid

text: In the Summer of 2022, the band collaborated with Torrance, California's Buzzrock Brewing Co. with the "Stoopid Tangie Summer Haze", a fruity lager that's brewed with "stoopid" fruits, including tangerine.


title: Shilpa Shetty filmography

text: Shilpa Shetty is an Indian actress, film producer, author, businesswoman and former model. Known primarily for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Telugu, Kannada and Tamil films. Shetty made her acting debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 1993 thriller "Baazigar". Shetty's performance earned her two Filmfare Awards nominations for Lux New Face of the Year and Best Supporting Actress. She subsequently earned wide recognition with dual roles in the 1994 action-comedy "Main Khiladi Tu Anari". After initial success, Shetty's films fared poorly at the box office for the next five years. Films Shetty starred in including action drama "Aag", romantic drama "Aao Pyaar Karen", comedy "Haathkadi" and "Chhote Sarkar" proved to be financially unsuccessful. However, Shetty received Best Supporting Actress at the Zee Gold Bollywood Awards for romantic drama "Pardesi Babu".


title: Shilpa Shetty filmography

text: The 2000 romantic drama "Dhadkan" marked a turning point in her career, earning her several nominations in the Best Actress category at various award ceremonies. Shetty rose to prominence by featuring as the lead female in top-grossing films such as family drama "Apne", police drama "" and musical drama "Life in a... Metro". Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman in 2002 action-drama release "Rishtey" earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Shetty became a global figure after winning the 2007 British reality television series "Celebrity Big Brother", after comments made by other contestants about Shetty fell afoul of Ofcom rules and caused an international controversy over racism.


title: Shilpa Shetty filmography

text: Shetty made her debut in South Indian cinema in the Tamil-language musical action film "Mr. Romeo" (1996). Shetty subsequently played lead roles in the Telugu films such as action drama "Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya" (1996), comedy drama "Veedevadandi Babu" (1996) with Mohan Babu, and the action drama "Azad" (2000). She had a successful career in Kannada cinema with releases such as "Preethsod Thappa", "Ondagona Baa" and "Auto Shankar". Shetty has served as a talent judge for reality shows "Zara Nachke Dikha", "Nach Baliye", and "Super Dancer".


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: Pierce Gagnon (born July 25, 2005) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the film "Looper" and in the CBS series "Extant", as well as voicing Tim Templeton in the Netflix series "".


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: Gagnon was born on July 25, 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia. He has three younger siblings, including his brother Steele. He resides in Los Angeles.


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: Gagnon played Logan Evans, the son of Clay Evans (Robert Buckley), in season 9 of the CW drama series "One Tree Hill".


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: In January 2011, he was cast in the action thriller film "Looper" as Cid Harrington, a child with unusual telekinetic abilities, who becomes a warlord called the "Rainmaker". Rian Johnson said, "Looking back I'm kind of terrified that I hinged the success of the backend of the movie on finding someone like Pierce. It's really rare to find a kid who can do what he does. He would do three-page dialogue scenes with Emily [Blunt] and Joe [Gordon-Levitt] and hold his own against them all the way through."


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: After voicing Tiago in "Rio 2", the sequel to the 2011 film "Rio", Gagnon played Tucker Bloom in the comedy-drama film "Wish I Was Here". He played Ethan Woods, the android son of Molly Woods (Halle Berry), in the CBS science fiction drama series "Extant". Gagnon was named one of the best actors under twenty years of age.


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: In 2017, he played Sonny Jim Jones, the son of Dougie and Jane Jones (Naomi Watts), in the Showtime series "Twin Peaks". From 2018 to 2020, he has voiced the character of Tim Templeton on the Netflix animated series "".


title: Pierce Gagnon

text: In 2020, Gagnon voiced the role of Young Fred Jones in the "Scooby-Doo" film "Scoob!". He was set to reprise the role in the film "Scoob: Holiday Haunt", which was set for release in 2022 on HBO Max, but it was canceled in August 2022.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The culture of Thailand has evolved greatly over time, from its relative isolation during the Sukhothai era, to its more contemporary Ayutthaya era, which absorbed influences from all over Asia. Indian, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer and other Southeast Asian influences are still evident in traditional Thai culture. Buddhism, Animism and Westernization also play a significant role in shaping the modern culture.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai national culture is identified differently throughout regions in Thailand where it also integrated different regional cultures such as the Lanna, Dambro, Isan, Karen, as well Chinese origin, Malay origin, Indian origin, European origin (), Persian origin, Arab origin, and in the reign of King Chulalongkorn in the late 19th century, the European trend of nationalism began to insert greater influence into Thai culture. However, the promotion of civic culture reached its peak after the Siamese revolution of 1932 where a series of authoritarian regimes began to insert greater control over people's culture and lifestyles, especially under the regime of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Present day Thailand has a culture that is a combination of various local rituals from different parts of the country, along with Buddhist values and oriental trends like in many parts of Asia. The monarchy and royal institutions of Chakri dynasty remain highly revered according to original Siamese culture, whereas societal values in Thailand tend to be more collectivist and religiously secular than in other Southeast Asian cultures which have undergone influences from western colonization.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thailand is nearly 94.6 percent Buddhist, 4.3% Muslim, and 1% Christian. Buddhist observance is mainly of the Theravada school (which includes the Thai Forest Tradition and the Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Santi Asoke sects) and an unknown minority belonging to the Mahayana school. In addition there are minorities of Muslims in Thailand (5-6 percent), Christians (1 percent), and other religions. Thai Theravada Buddhism is supported and overseen by the government, with monks receiving a number of government benefits, such as free use of public transportation.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Buddhism in Thailand is strongly influenced by traditional beliefs regarding ancestral and natural spirits, that have been incorporated into Buddhist cosmology. Most Thai people install spirit houses (; ), miniature houses outside their dwellings, where they believe household spirits live. They present offerings of food and drink to these spirits to keep them happy. If these spirits aren't happy, it is believed that they will inhabit the household and cause chaos. These spirit houses can be found in public places and on the streets of Thailand, where the public make offerings.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Prior to the rise of Theravada Buddhism, both Indian Brahminical religion and Mahayana Buddhism were present in Thailand. Influences from both these traditions can still be seen in present-day Thai folklore. Brahminical shrines play an important role in Thai folk religion, and the Mahayana Buddhist influence is reflected in the presence of figures like Lokesvara, a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sometimes incorporated into Thailand's iconography.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The traditional customs and the folklore of Thai people were gathered and described by Phya Anuman Rajadhon in the 20th century, at a time when modernity changed the face of Thailand, and a great number of traditions disappeared or became adapted to modern life. Still, the striving towards refinement, rooted in ancient Siamese culture, consisting of promoting that which is refined and avoiding coarseness, is a major focus of the daily life of Thai people and high on their scale of values.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the "wai". Used in greetings, leave-taking, as an acknowledgement, or accompanying an apology, it comes in many forms, reflecting the relative status of those involved. Generally the salutation involves a prayer-like gesture with the hands, derived from the Añjali Mudrā of the Indian subcontinent, and it also may include a slight bow of the head. This salutation is often accompanied by a serene smile symbolizing a welcoming disposition and a pleasant attitude. Thailand is often referred to as the "land of smiles" in tourist brochures.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Public displays of affection are not overly common in traditional Thai society, especially between lovers. Such actions are becoming more common, especially among the younger generation.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: A notable social norm holds that touching someone on the head may be considered rude. It is also considered rude to place one's feet at a level above someone else's head, especially if that person is of higher social standing. This is because the Thai people consider the foot to be the dirtiest and lowliest part of the body, and the head the most respected and highest part of the body. This also influences how Thais sit when on the ground—their feet always pointing away from others, tucked to the side or behind them. Pointing at or touching something with the feet is also considered rude. It was reported in the Thai press that pedestrians were prohibited from climbing stairs to the Victory Monument BTS Station when a royal motorcade was due to pass on the road beneath because, according to Thai custom, feet cannot be at any point above the head of a royal family member.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Since a serene disposition is valued, conflict and sudden displays of anger are eschewed in Thai culture. For these reasons, visitors should take care not to create conflict or to display anger. Disagreements or disputes should be handled with a smile and no attempt should be made to assign blame to another. In everyday life in Thailand, there is a strong emphasis on the concept of "sanuk", the idea that life should be fun. Because of this, Thais can be quite playful at work and during day-to-day activities. Displaying positive emotions in social interactions is also important in Thai culture.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Often, Thais will deal with disagreements, minor mistakes, or misfortunes by using the phrase "mai pen rai" (), translated as "it doesn't matter". The ubiquitous use of this phrase in Thailand reflects a disposition towards minimizing conflict, disagreements or complaints. A smile and the sentence "mai pen rai" indicates that the incident is not important and therefore there is no conflict or shame involved.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Respect for hierarchy is a very important value for Thai people. The custom of "bun khun" emphasizes the indebtedness towards parents, as well as towards guardians, teachers, and caretakers. It describes the feelings and practices involved in certain relationships organized around generalized reciprocity, the slow-acting accounting of an exchange calculated according to locally interpreted scales and measures. It is also considered rude to step on any type of Thai currency (Thai coin or banknote), as they include a likeness of the King of Thailand.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: A number of Thai customs relate to the special status of monks in Thai society. Thai monks are forbidden physical contact with women. Women are therefore expected to make way for passing monks to ensure that accidental contact does not occur. A variety of methods are employed to ensure that no incidental contact (or the appearance of such contact) between women and monks occurs. Women making offerings to monks place their donation at the feet of the monk, or on a cloth laid on the ground or a table. Powders or unguents intended to carry a blessing are applied to Thai women by monks using the end of a candle or stick. Laypersons are expected to sit or stand with their heads at a lower level than that of a monk. Within a temple, monks may sit on a raised platform during ceremonies to make this easier to achieve.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: When sitting in a temple, one is expected to point one's feet away from images of Lord Buddha. Shrines inside Thai residences are arranged so as to ensure that the feet are not pointed towards the religious icons, such as placing the shrine on the same wall as the head of a bed, if a house is too small to remove the shrine from the bedroom entirely.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: It is also customary to remove one's footwear before entering a home or the sacred areas within a temple, and not to step on the threshold.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In the rural areas of northeast Thailand, there are a set of customs revolving around the lunar calendar. Known as "heet sip song", each lunar month has a specific "heet" ("tradition" or "ritual") associated with it. These "merit-making" traditions are considered critical to an individuals life and afterlife, as well as important for community building. For example, during the first month of a lunar year, monks who have violated oaths perform penance. Lay people are expected to provide additional supplies to temples to support the monks through this time. Other traditions include celebrations of the harvest, eating of specific foods, and the popular Thai "water festival" in the fifth lunar month.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditional Thai clothing is called "chut thai" ( ) which literally means "Thai outfit". It can be worn by men, women, and children. Chut thai for women usually consists of a pha nung or a chong kraben, a blouse, and a sabai. Northern and northeastern women may wear a sinh instead of a pha nung and a chong kraben with either a blouse or a suea pat. Chut thai for men includes a chong kraben or pants, a Raj pattern shirt, with optional knee-length white socks, and a sabai. Chut thai for northern Thai men is composed of a sado, a white Manchu styled jacket, and sometimes a khian hua. In formal occasions, people may choose to wear a so-called formal Thai national costume.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thailand is a uniform-wearing society. From elementary school to university, school uniforms in Thailand are the norm, with few exceptions. Teachers at elementary and secondary levels wear uniforms, usually once a week. All civil servants up to ministerial level have uniforms appropriate to their organization and rank and wear them regularly.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai dining etiquette refers to the traditional and proper behaviors of Thai people while eating. Thai society has a lot of big families, so having a meal together and sharing the food between members of the family is Thai traditional dining style. Generally, Thais eat rice as the main food and share the rice side dishes with one another.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditionally, in Thailand, people have a meal on the floor mat and eat the food with their right hands. The rice dishes are on the outer circle while the shared dishes are in the center with shared spoons to transfer the side dish food to their own rice dish.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV); King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V), Prince Chulalongkorn at that time, was educated by an English woman, courted Western diplomats and leaders and travelled abroad. Observed and learnt western dining and he found out the fork and knife are not suitable for Thai food (no need to chop anything). He introduced the fork and spoon and so began the use of cutlery in Thailand. Thais use the fork to push the food onto the spoon (right hand), which then goes into your mouth instead of making the meat stable for the knife function. Nowadays, Thai dining is mixed with various countries’ dining cultures, so Thai people use a lot of styles to eat not only with spoon and fork one but also chopstick, knife and bare hand as well.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: There are two main ways to serve Thai food, "raad kao", individual dishes, and "gap kao", separate dishes.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditional principles concerning pregnancy and childbirth are largely influenced by folk beliefs, especially in rural areas of central and north Thailand. Modern practices follow the Western medical model.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai people universally have one, or occasionally more, short nicknames ( "playing name") that they use with friends and family. Often first given shortly after birth by friends or an older family member, these nicknames are overwhelmingly one syllable (or worn down from two syllables to one). Though they may be simply shortened versions of a full name, they quite frequently have no relation to the person's full name and are often humorous and/or nonsense words. Babies may be given a nickname of a relative or named for a characteristic of birth, e.g., "little". Traditionally, nicknames would relate to things of low value, e.g., "dirt", which was to convince evil spirits lurking in the vicinity that the child was not worth their attention. Today this folk custom is on the decline.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Some common nicknames translate into English as "small", "fatty", "pig", "little", "frog", "banana", "green", or "girl/boy". Though rare, sometimes Thai children are given nicknames in the order they were born into the family (i.e., "one", "two", "three", etc.). Nicknames are useful because official Thai names are often long, particularly among Thais of Chinese descent, whose lengthy surnames stem from an attempt to translate Chinese names into Thai equivalents, or among Thai with similarly lengthy Sanskrit-derived names. In recent years, English language words have become popular nicknames. Examples include: "Ice" (ไอซ์); "Bank" (แบงค์); "New" (นิว); "Ball" (บอล), and even "Beer" (เบียร์).


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai Buddhist marriage ceremonies are generally divided into two parts: a Buddhist component, which includes the recitation of prayers and the offering of food and other gifts to monks and images of the Buddha, and a non-Buddhist component rooted in folk traditions, which centers on the couple's families.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In former times, it was unknown for Buddhist monks to be present at any stage of the marriage ceremony itself. As monks were invited to attend to the dead during funerals, their presence at a marriage (which was associated with fertility, and intended to produce children) was considered a bad omen. A couple would seek a blessing from their local temple before or after being married, and might consult some monks for astrological advice in setting an auspicious date for the wedding. The non-Buddhist portions of the wedding would take place away from the temple, and would often take place on a separate day.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In modern times, these prohibitions have been significantly relaxed. It is not uncommon for a visit to a temple to be made on the same day as the non-Buddhist portions of a wedding, or even for the wedding to take place within the temple. While a division is still commonly observed between the "religious" and "secular" portions of a wedding service, it may be as simple as the monks present for the Buddhist ceremony departing to take lunch once their role is complete.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: During the Buddhist component of the wedding service, the couple first bow before the image of Lord Buddha. They then recite certain basic Buddhist prayers or chants (typically including taking the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts), and light incense and candles before the image. The parents of the couple may then be called upon to "connect" them, by placing upon the heads of the bride and groom twin loops of string or thread that link the couple together. The couple may then make offerings of food, flowers, and medicine to the monks present. Cash gifts (usually placed in an envelope) may also be presented to the temple at this time.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The monks may then unwind a small length of thread that is held between the hands of the assembled monks. They begin a series of recitations of Pali scriptures intended to bring merit and blessings to the new couple. The string terminates with the lead monk, who may connect it to a container of water that will be "sanctified" for the ceremony. Merit is said to travel through the string and be conveyed to the water. A similar arrangement is used to transfer merit to the dead at a funeral, further evidence of the weakening of the taboo on mixing funerary imagery and trappings with marriage ceremonies. Blessed water may be mixed with wax drippings from a candle lit before the Buddha image and other unguents and herbs to create a paste that is then applied to the foreheads of the bride and groom to create a small dot, similar to the marking made with red ochre on Hindu devotees. The bride's mark is created with the butt end of the candle rather than the monk's thumb, in keeping with the Vinaya prohibition against touching women.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The highest-ranking monk present may elect to say a few words to the couple, offering advice or encouragement. The couple may then make offerings of food to the monks, at which point the Buddhist portion of the ceremony is concluded.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The Thai bride price system is known as the "sin sot" (; ). It roughly translates to "bride price". The groom will be expected to pay a sum of money to the family, to compensate them for the loss of a daughter and to demonstrate that the groom is financially capable of taking care of their daughter. Bride prices of 50,000 to 300,000 baht have been documented, but bride prices can sometimes run into the tens of millions of baht. In many cases, the bride price is purely symbolic and will be returned to the bride and groom after the wedding has taken place. Whether the practice of sin sot is a tradition or a scam has been debated by critics. One observed, "All that talk of face and argument for cherished tradition? It's a thinly veiled con. Behind that gobbledygook, it's the same old forces of the material world and about the parents getting enough cash to buy a new pickup, pay outstanding debts or acquire something to elevate their status." Actually, in the Thai culture the sin sot is an essential part of the marriage and no man would refuse it to the bride's family.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai people of Chinese origin may opt to mix marriage traditions; typically, they also seek monks. Other might choose to follow Chinese marriage customs, often performed in a simpler manner.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The religious components of marriage ceremonies between Thai Muslims are markedly different from those described above. The Imam of the local mosque, the groom, the father of the bride, men in the immediate family, and important men in the community sit in a circle during the ceremony, conducted by the Imam. All the women, including the bride, sit in a separate room and do not have any direct participation in the ceremony. The secular component of the ceremony, however, is often nearly identical to the secular part of Thai Buddhist wedding ceremonies. The only notable difference here is the type of meat served to guests (goat and/or beef instead of pork). Thai Muslims frequently, though not always, also follow the conventions of the Thai dowry system.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditionally, funerals last for at least one week. Crying is discouraged during the funeral, so as not to worry the spirit of the deceased. Many activities surrounding the funeral are intended to make merit for the deceased. Copies of Buddhist scriptures may be printed and distributed in the name of the deceased, and gifts are usually given to a local temple. Monks are invited to chant prayers that are intended to provide merit for the deceased, as well as to provide protection against the possibility of the dead relative returning as a malicious spirit. A picture of the deceased from their best days will often be displayed next to the coffin. Often, a thread is connected to the corpse or coffin which is held by the chanting monks during their recitation; this thread is intended to transfer the merit of the monks' recitation to the deceased. The corpse is cremated, and the urn with the ash is usually kept in a chedi in the local temple.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai Chinese and Thai Muslim minorities bury their deceased according to the rituals of their respective communities.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Funeral services are not restricted to humans. Funerals for pets, sometimes lavish, are not uncommon, particularly in Bangkok. One company that specializes in pet funerals cremates up to 400 animals per month. The owner says that, "Bangkok is an extremely religious city ... those beliefs extend to all parts of life. Most of our customers realise that their pets can't gain enough merit on their own in this life, so it is up to them to do for them. Funerals are an obvious choice."


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Twice a day, at 08:00 and again at 18:00, the national anthem is played by all Thai media outlets. Thais stop what they are doing and stand at attention to pay homage to the flag during the anthem. Students in school stand in front of the raised flag and sing the national anthem at 08:00 every school day. The practice dates from 1935 when the regulations for the raising and lowering of the colours was published in the "Royal Gazette". The Flag Act of 1979 decreed that those who do not observe the custom by standing in silence during the anthem are subject to a fine of up to 2,000 baht and not more than one year in prison.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In a related practice, the royal anthem of the King of Thailand is played before movies, concerts, and sporting events. All are expected to stand.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: "Bangkok Post" columnist Paritta Wangkiat maintains that Thais are expected to "know their place" in society and to be submissive. A result is that those from the lower ranks of the social order are often treated dismissively. People of different social classes are never treated equally in her view. As people fear to speak out about their rights, or those of others, submissiveness and deference to authority make the behaviour a "perfect match for an authoritarian regime." Persons who stand up for their beliefs and challenge the status quo are scorned as people who don't know their proper place in society. Thai culture places great emphasis on hierarchy and knowing one's place in it.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Writer and editor Wasant Techawongtham, seeking to explain governmental missteps, observed that, "As everybody in Thailand knows, we are a society of conformity. We conform to tradition, to authority, to power, to wealth. There is little room for people to think outside the box or to imagine the impossible. And what little window of opportunity exists for civilians, that window is forever closed for government workers."


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The "bidet shower" is common in Thai toilets, as evidenced by an uproar by parliamentarians when it was disclosed that the new parliament building was not equipped with "bum guns".


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Thai visual arts were traditionally Buddhist only. Thai Buddha images from different periods have a number of distinctive styles. Thai temple art and architecture form a unique combination of elements derived from ancient Siamese architectures. Thai contemporary art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern techniques.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Literature in Thailand is heavily influenced by Indian Hindu culture. The most notable works of Thai literature are a version of the Ramayana, a Hindu religious epic, called the Ramakien, written in part by Kings Rama I and Rama II, and the poetry of Sunthorn Phu.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditional Thai paintings showed subjects in two dimensions without perspective. The size of each element in the picture reflected its degree of importance. The primary technique of composition is that of apportioning areas: the main elements are isolated from each other by space transformers. This eliminated the intermediate ground, which would otherwise imply perspective. Perspective was introduced only as a result of Western influence in the mid-19th century. Monk artist Khrua In Khong is well known as the first artist to introduce linear perspective to Thai traditional art.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: There is no tradition of spoken drama in Thailand, the role instead being filled by Thai dance. This is divided into three categories: Khon, 'Lakhon, and Likay, Khon being the most elaborate and Likay the most popular. Nang drama, a form of shadow play, is found in the south.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The very first detailed European record of khon and other classical Siamese dances was made during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It described a dramatic tradition and style that are almost identical to the Thai traditions we still see today. Historical evidence clearly establishes that the Thai art of stage plays must have already been perfected by the 17th century. Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, had a formal diplomatic relation with Ayutthaya's King Narai. In 1687, France sent the diplomat Simon de la Loubère to record all that he saw in the Siamese Kingdom and its traditions. In his account "Du Royaume de Siam", La Loubère carefully observed the classic 17th century theatre of Siam, including an epic battle scene from a khon performance, and recorded what he saw in great detail:


title: Culture of Thailand

text: "The Siamese have three sorts of Stage Plays: That which they call Cone [khon] is a figure dance, to the sound of the violin and some other instruments. The dancers are masked and armed, and represent rather a combat than a dance. And though every one runs into high motions, and extravagant postures, they cease not continually to intermix some word. Most of their masks are hideous, and represent either monstrous Beasts, or kinds of Devils. The Show which they call Lacone is a poem intermix with Epic and Dramatic, which lasts three days, from eight in the morning till seven at night. They are histories in verse, serious, and sung by several actors always present, and which do only sing reciprocally... The Rabam is a double dance of men and women, which is not martial, but gallant... they can perform it without much tying themselves, because their way of dancing is a simple march round, very slow, and without any high motion; but with a great many slow contortions of the body and arms."


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Of the attires of Siamese khon dancers, La Loubère recorded that: "[T]hose that dance in Rabam, and Cone, have gilded paper-bonnets, high and pointed, like the Mandarins caps of ceremony, but which hang down at the sides below their ears, which are adorned with counterfeit stones, and with two pendants of gilded wood.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Today "ram Thai" (), 'Thai dance'. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art (classical dance) and low art (folk dance) distinction.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Although traditional Thai performing arts are not as vibrant as they once were, suffering inroads from Western entertainment and generally changing tastes, Thai dance drama is not extinct. What survives displays the elegance of an art form refined over centuries and supported by regal patronage.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Aside from folk and regional dances (southern Thailand's Indian-influenced Menora dance, for example), the two major forms of Thai classical dance drama are khon and Lakhon nai. In the beginning both were exclusively court entertainments and it was not until much later that a popular style of dance theater, Likay, evolved as a diversion for the common folk who had no access to royal performances. Apart from Lakhon nai, Lakhon chatri is also one of the most important Thai dances.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The Music of Thailand includes classical and folk music traditions, e.g., Piphat and Mor lam, respectively, as well as Thai pop music, e.g., "String". Thai classical music is synonymous with those stylized court ensembles and repertoires that emerged in its present form within the royal centers of Central Thailand some 800 years ago. These ensembles, while being slightly influenced by older practices and repertoires from India, are today uniquely Thai expressions. While the three primary classical ensembles, the Piphat, Khrueang sai and Mahori differ in significant ways, they all share a basic instrumentation and theoretical approach. Each employ the small "ching" hand cymbals and the "krap" wooden sticks to mark the primary beat reference.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Several kinds of small drums ("klong") are employed in these ensembles to outline the basic rhythmic structure ("natab") that is punctuated at the end by the striking of a suspended gong ("mong"). Seen in its most basic formulation, the classical Thai orchestras are very similar to the Cambodian (Khmer) pinpeat and mahori ensembles, and structurally similar to other orchestras found within the widespread Southeast Asian gong-chime musical culture, such as the large gamelan of Bali and Java, which most likely have their common roots in the diffusion of Vietnamese Dong-Son bronze drums beginning in the first century.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Traditional Thai classical repertoire is anonymous, handed down through an oral tradition of performance in which the names of composers (if, indeed, pieces were historically created by single authors) are not known. However, since the beginning of the modern Bangkok period, composers' names have been known and, since around the turn of the century, many major composers have recorded their works in notation. Musicians, however, imagine these compositions and notations as generic forms which are realized in full in idiosyncratic variations and improvisations in the context of performance.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Muay Thai (, RTGS: Muai Thai, , lit. "Thai boxing") is a native form of kickboxing and Thailand's signature sport. It incorporates kicks, punches, knees and elbow strikes in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing and this has led to Thailand gaining medals at the Olympic Games in boxing.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Association football has overtaken muay Thai as the most widely followed sport in contemporary Thai society. Thailand national football team has played the AFC Asian Cup six times. The team reached the semifinals in 1972 and the round of 16 in 2019. The country has hosted the Asian Cup twice, in 1972 and in 2007. The 2007 edition was co-hosted together with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. It is not uncommon to see Thais cheering their favourite English Premier League teams on television and walking around in replica kit. Another widely enjoyed pastime, and once a competitive sport, is kite flying.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Takraw (Thai: ตะกร้อ) is a sport native to Thailand, in which the players hit a rattan ball and are only allowed to use their feet, knees, chest, and head to touch the ball. Sepak takraw is a form of this sport which is similar to volleyball. The players must volley a ball over a net and force it to hit the ground on the opponent's side. It is also a popular sport in other countries in Southeast Asia. A rather similar game but played only with the feet is Buka ball.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: The Major part of the country's cultural legacy and reflects both the challenges of living in Thailand's sometimes extreme climate as well as, historically, the importance of architecture to the Thai people's sense of community and religious beliefs. Influenced by the architectural traditions of many of Thailand's neighbors, it has also developed significant regional variation within its vernacular and religious buildings.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Buddhist temples in Thailand are known as "wats", from the Pāḷi "vāṭa", meaning an enclosure. A temple has an enclosing wall that divides it from the secular world. Wat architecture has seen many changes in Thailand in the course of history. Although there are many differences in layout and style, they all adhere to the same principles.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: As the phrase "Thai stilt house" suggests, one universal aspect of Thailand's traditional architecture is the elevation of its buildings on stilts, most commonly to around head height. The area beneath the house is used for storage, crafts, lounging in the daytime, and sometimes for livestock. The houses were raised due to heavy flooding during certain parts of the year, and in more ancient times, predators. Thai building and living habits are often based on superstitious and religious beliefs. Many other considerations such as locally available materials, climate, and agriculture have a lot to do with the style.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In the case of solo player, the rabbit must stand on one leg, then jump to chase and touch any part of the body of other children who have run away. Everyone must stay within the designated area. A player who runs out of space loses the game and must be switched to rabbit, but if the rabbit is exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, it was that defeated and must be punished.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In team play, the rules are similar to the solo player, but the rabbit team will send a representative to catch the other team to all the people. Those arrested will have to wait outside until the rabbit team can catch all of the rival teams. Rabbit team can switch to teammates to catch on until they are exhausted, and if the all of the members in rabbit team are exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, the rabbit team lose the game and must be punished too.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Banana stalk hobby horse riding or "khee ma khan kluay" in Thai is a traditional game of Thailand that Thai kids frequently played in the past. They use a banana stalk to make the parts of a horse such as head, ear, and horsetail. The materials for making a banana rib hobby horse are banana stalk, knife, small bamboo pin, and string. First, find a banana stalk around 1.5 m long. Cut it in the form of the head, neck, and ears, then use a small bamboo pin to connect the ear to the head of a horse. The remaining part of the banana stalk becomes a horsetail. Attach a string between the head and the tail of this banana stalk horse and place on the shoulder of the rider.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Kids sit on the horse and pretend they are riding a real horse, shouting "hee hee" or "yee haaah", sounds typical of people on horseback. They may race with friends if they have more than two players. The team that runs faster is the winner.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Important holidays in Thai culture include Thai New Year, or Songkran, which is officially observed from 13–15 April each year. Falling at the end of the dry season and during the hot season in Thailand, the celebrations notoriously feature boisterous water throwing. The water throwing stemmed from washing Buddha images and lightly sprinkling scented water on the hands of elderly people. Small amounts of scented talcum powder were also used in the annual cleansing rite. In recent decades, water fights have been increasingly industrialised with use of hoses, barrels, squirt guns, water-filled surgical tubing, and copious amounts of powder.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Loi Krathong is held on the 12th full moon of the Thai lunar calendar, usually early-November. While not a government-observed holiday, it is nonetheless an auspicious day in Thai culture, in which Thai people "loi", meaning "to float" a "krathong", a small raft traditionally made from elaborately folded banana leaves and including flowers, candles, incense sticks, and small offerings. The act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger, and defilements so that one can start life afresh on a better footing.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: National Elephant Day or Chang Thai Day is a holiday in Thailand, held on March 13, which celebrates the cultural and historical significance of the elephant in Thailand.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Eighty-eight percent of Thai people read books and spend an average of 28 minutes per day doing so, according to a poll conducted by the Thai Publishers and Booksellers Association (PUBAT) and Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Economics and Research Centre for Social and Business Development.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: A total of 3,432 Thais aged 15–69 in 12 provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thamarat, Nakhon Ratchsima, and Khon Kaen, were interviewed from December 2014 to January 2015. While 88% of Thai respondents said they read books, 12% said they did not. They cited as reasons lack of time, bad eyesight, and dislike of reading.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: Averaged over the entire population, Thais spend 28 minutes a day reading books. The reading sub-set of the population averages 46 minutes a day. Of this group, those aged under 20 spend the most time reading books, 56 minutes a day. That figure shrinks as people age until they reach 61, when people tend to get back into reading.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: By comparison, 71% of Thais use the Internet almost every day for an average of 92 minutes. Those who spend most time on the Internet are people under 20, on average 224 minutes a day, while those over 61 spend ten minutes a day on-line.


title: Culture of Thailand

text: In 2013 the Thai National Statistical Office conducted a reading survey that found that Thais aged over six spent an average of 37 minutes a day reading. The survey was not focused specifically on reading books, but also reading journals, the Internet, tablet computers, and smart phones.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Sakura Wars, known in Japan as is a cross-genre video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 4. The sixth mainline entry and a soft reboot of the "Sakura Wars" series, the game was released in 2019 in Asia and 2020 worldwide. It is the first "Sakura Wars" game not to be developed by Red Entertainment. The gameplay combines overlapping action role-playing, dating sim and visual novel elements. The base campaign was later expanded with downloadable content (DLC), adding further gameplay options such as additional costumes.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: The game takes place in a fictionalised version of the Taishō period in 1940, where the World Luxury Operatic Federation fights against those who threaten peace around the world. Naval captain Seijuro Kamiyama is transferred to Tokyo, where he must lead the struggling Imperial Combat Revue through a worldwide tournament of Combat Revues and fight the demons once again.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Development of "Sakura Wars" began in 2016 after a positive fan response at that year's Sega Fes convention. A combination of new and returning staff were involved in development; these include veteran Sega producer Tetsu Katano, director Tetsuya Otsubo, scenario director Takaharu Terada, music composer Kohei Tanaka, story writer Jiro Ishii, and scenario writer Takaaki Suzuki. Manga artist Tite Kubo designed the main cast, while guest artists handled the supporting cast. The cinematics were produced by Sanzigen. The game was announced at Sega Fes 2018. It is the first mainline entry in the series since "" (2005). A manga adaptation is running in "Young Jump". An anime television series sequel produced by Sanzigen premiered on April 3, 2020. Gameplay-based DLC was released between 2019 and 2020. Upon release, "Sakura Wars" received mixed reviews, praising the game for being welcoming to new players as well as for its mix of tactical and story-based gameplay, but criticising it for some story elements.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: "Sakura Wars" is a cross-genre video game set in Tokyo during a fictionalized version of the Taishō period. The player controls the main protagonist Seijuro Kamiyama and the all-female members of the Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division, who must fight demons while participating in the Combat Revue World Games. Dubbed a "dramatic 3D action adventure" game, the player explores a fully 3-D version of Ginza, Tokyo usually through a third-person perspective on foot and talks to various characters to trigger main story events and side objectives. As in "", the world of "Sakura Wars" is rendered to scale relative to the characters in it; instead of a caricature of the character roaming around miniature maps, as found in the earlier "Sakura Wars" games, every area is represented proportionally. A variant of the Kinematron, called the Teletron, is a smartphone that allows Kamiyama to see a map of Ginza and speak with other characters.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: As with previous entries, the gameplay is split between adventure segments where Kamiyama explores Ginza and talks to the characters; and battle segments. A returning gameplay element is the traditional "Live & Interactive Picture System" (LIPS); during conversations, the player is presented with multiple choices to select within a time limit. What response the player selects directly affects Kamiyama's relationship with the protagonists and impacts their later performance in battle segments; Kamiyama's responses also affect supporting non-playable characters (NPCs). The version introduced in this game is "Analog LIPS", in which the player can move the camera around and highlight objects or people to trigger more dialogue. In one-on-one conversation segments, the player can move the cursor over background elements or the characters to trigger internal monologues and varying responses from the characters. Players may save their game automatically at the start of the adventure and battle parts of each chapter and manually during intermissions and while exploring, which also includes the statuses of the main heroines as well as supporting NPCs.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: "Sakura Wars" is the first entry in the main "Sakura Wars" series to use an action-based battle system. Instead of using a menu interface, the player selects commands directly mapped to the buttons on the controller. The Combat Revue World Games can be played for up to a maximum of three rounds. The player can select up to two characters to assist Kamiyama in the matches. During battle, each character has health points (HP) and magic points (MP). HP is depleted whenever a character is attacked. The game ends when all of the characters' HP levels reach zero, although the player can continue from the beginning of the battle or the last checkpoint.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: In 1930, two years after the events of "So Long, My Love", the Great Demon War results in the annihilation of the Imperial and Paris Combat Revue's Flower Divisions and the New York Combat Revue's Star Division. With Earth at peace and the revues' actions becoming public, the World Luxury Operatic Federation (WLOF) is formed with several international divisions; a biennial Combat Revue World Games tournament has been organized.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Ten years later in 1940, the Combat Revue's commander Sumire Kanzaki (Michie Tomizawa) recruits Imperial Japanese Navy ensign Seijuro Kamiyama (Yōhei Azakami) to become the captain of the new Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division in Tokyo, which consists of: Sakura Amamiya (Ayane Sakura), a swordswoman; Hatsuho Shinonome (Maaya Uchida), a shrine maiden; Anastasia Palma (Ayaka Fukuhara), a newly transferred Greek actress; Azami Mochizuki (Hibiku Yamamura), a ninja prodigy from the Mochizuki clan; and Clarissa "Claris" Snowflake (Saori Hayami), a Luxembourger noblewoman. The division once again faces a new demon invasion and participates in the upcoming tournament with Xiaolong Yang (Yuichiro Umehara) and Yui Huang (Sumire Uesaka) of the Shanghai Combat Revue, Arthur (Nobunaga Shimazaki) and Lancelot (Manami Numakura) of the London Combat Revue, and Elise (Nana Mizuki) and Margarete (Rie Kugimiya) of the Berlin Combat Revue–while trying to keep their home at the Imperial Theater open.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: However, as the tournament progresses, it is later revealed that the leader of the Federation, President G (Ryotaro Okiayu), is actually the demon Sotetsu Genan in disguise. Using his position, Genan steals the Imperial Sword, which is a special artifact Sakura Amamiya's mother Hinata (Mariko Kouda) sacrificed herself to create, which the previous Combat Revues used to seal themselves and the Archdemon away in Shadow Tokyo to end the Great Demon War. With the Imperial Sword now in his possession, Genan begins to use it to weaken the barrier between Tokyo and Shadow Tokyo so that he may revive the Archdemon and destroy the world. The Imperial, Shanghai, London, and Berlin Combat Revues work together to take back the Imperial Sword. With assistance from Sakura Shinguji (Chisa Yokoyama), Kamiyama is able to kill Genan while Sakura Amamiya uses the Imperial Sword to seal away Shadow Tokyo.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: The "Sakura Wars" series had been mostly inactive since the last mainline release, "", in 2005 (2010 internationally). Franchise owner Sega had decided to end the series in 2008, following the release of the spin-off title "Dramatic Dungeon: Sakura Wars" and a final concert performance by the cast of "So Long, My Love". Scenario director Takaharu Terada would make yearly pitches to Sega, but these were repeatedly declined. At the 2016 Sega Fes in Tokyo, in response to a fan poll about dormant series, "Sakura Wars" was voted the most requested revival. While actual development had begun shortly before Sega Fes, the positive fan feedback gave the developers the boost they needed to begin full production. The staff included producer Tetsu Katano of "Sonic the Hedgehog" series fame and director Tetsuya Ohtsubo. Katano was a newcomer to the series, but Ohtsubo had previously worked with the series on "". Because much time had passed between "So Long, My Love" and the production of this new game, and both the platform and most of the team were different, it was decided that "Sakura Wars" would be a soft reboot.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: The game was developed by a team within Sega's CS Research & Development No. 2 division, which also includes Sonic Team. The basic gameplay was carried over, but extensively reworked and the world built entirely in 3D due to the greater hardware specs of the PlayStation 4. The game's engine was based on Hedgehog Engine 2, a proprietary first-party engine created by Sega for the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. The cutscenes were crafted using techniques perfected for Sega's "Yakuza" series. Alongside the 3D conversion, the team worked to make transitions between different areas and between gameplay and cutscenes as seamless as possible. During production, internal staff who were fans of classic "Sakura Wars" would often be critical of the current team's work, putting pressure on them to create a product worthy of the series. The game features over 40 minutes of CGI cinematics produced by Sanzigen. All other cutscenes were created in real-time using the game's engine.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: While there were a new cast and development team, the series romanticized steampunk setting remained intact. The narrative was described as a ""Sakura Wars"-esque fantasy". Terada created the basic setting and scenario concept, the scenario draft was written by Jiro Ishii, while the main script was handled by Takaaki Suzuki. Ishii was contacted in 2016 by Sega. Ishii was initially sceptical about his skill to manage the project due to the "Sakura Wars" franchise's prestige. He accepted as the one who approached him was "" producer Koichi Nakamura; Ishii recognized that the challenge of "Sakura Wars" was equivalent to the relationship between "428: Shibuya Scramble" and its predecessor "Machi". During his work on the scenario, Suzuki offered suggestions to keep the game as historically accurate as possible.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: When devising a new battle system for the game, Sega dispensed with the turn-based battle system used in the previous five "Sakura Wars" games in favor of an action-based system, as they found it to be "the most compatible with the modern PS4 userbase." On being asked about the switch between battle systems, Ohtsubo said that the action genre was "more accessible" as opposed to the simulation genre in Japan.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: The main characters and their weapons were designed by Tite Kubo, a manga artist best known for the shonen manga "Bleach". Kubo had been suggested at an early stage, as the team wanted someone skilled at drawing traditional Japanese clothing for their characters as well as a "fresh take" on the designs to serve as the game's "public face". This wish traced back to the recurring protagonist archetype of a young Japanese woman in a kimono, first with Sakura Shinguji and then new female lead Sakura Amamiya. Kubo was contacted when full production began, and ended up not only designing the characters and weapons but made suggestions for the Kobu designs. Kubo described the character designs as difficult and fun as they did not follow his usual style. The characters were turned into 3D gameplay models by animator Masashi Kudou, who worked on the "Bleach" anime adaptation. Kubo vouched for Kudou originally, believing only he could carry over the character designs. The Kobu designs were made by regular series mecha designer Mika Akitaka. Other guest artists designed the supporting cast, with different anime artists for different Combat Revue teams and supporting characters. The artists included Yukiko Horiguchi ("K-On!") for the Shanghai Combat Revue (Xiaolong Yang & Yui Huang), BUNBUN ("Sword Art Online" (as abec)) for the London Combat Revue (Arthur & Lancelot), Ken Sugimori ("Pokémon") for the Grand Imperial Peanut, Fumikane Shimada ("Girls und Panzer") for the Berlin Combat Revue (Elise & Margarethe), Noizi Ito ("Haruhi Suzumiya") for Itsuki Saijo, and Shigenori Soejima ("Persona") for Hakushu Murasame.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: While previous titles had used near-silent protagonists, as the 3D model would have more presence in player minds, it was decided that he should voice all his lines. Kamiyama's role was hard for Azakami, as due to the different LIPS responses he had five times more dialogue than any of the heroines. Sakura's role mirrored earlier principle heroines such as Sakura Shinguji and Gemini Sunrise, but with personality difference that would show her individuality despite emulating Shinguji's clothing and manners. Some characters, such as Sakura and Hatsuho, hearkened back to earlier "Sakura Wars" heroines while having altered personalities. Azami's loud clothing tied into both her personality and role in the narrative. Anastasia was intended to represent a mature and "sexy" archetype. Claris was included at Terada's insistence to fill the recurring "gentlewoman" archetype.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: At one point, the development team and Sega's North American branch asked their European branches to review certain gestures for each character. For example, Sega of Europe's found one of Hatsuho's poses which symbolizes her brash and confident nature as the "American equivalent of the middle finger in some regions of Europe." The developers adjusted the animation accordingly.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Two notable returning actors were Chisa Yokoyama who voiced the character Yaksha and returning character Sakura, and Michie Tomizawa voicing returning character Sumire. Due to changes in their portrayal, recording for the two characters lasted longer than the other staff members. Yokoyama was contacted during early 2018 by Sega about taking part in the game, and was surprised at being asked to voice a new character. She originally refused as she felt the new Yasha could be played by another actress, as while physically identical to her character Sakura Shinguji she had a very different personality. Yokoyama eventually accepted, and worked with Sega to make the character more like the original Sakura. Sumire's role was originally written as being similar to Ayame Fujieda, a severe leader character from the first game, but as voice recording took place the characterization shifted. Tomizawa was initially anxious about reprising her role after reading the story outline, feeling almost like a traitor at being the only original member reprising a role, but was cheered up by Yokoyama's support. Due to input from Tomizawa, Sumire became a more mature version of her original self rather than a radically different character.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Regular series composer Kohei Tanaka wrote the music. Because of his long association, Tanaka was happy to return and write for a new "Sakura Wars" game. When conceiving the project, the team decided firmly that the music was something that should not be changed, as it had helped maintain the series' popularity through stage shows and concerts in Japan during its dormancy. The developers aimed to have the largest number of vocal themes of any "Sakura Wars" game, ranging between 70 and 80. These included ensemble pieces and solo songs. The main theme was a reworked version of the series' recurring theme "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan", titled and performed by Ayane Sakura, Maaya Uchida, Hibiku Yamamura, Ayaka Fukuhara and Saori Hayami. The theme was composed by Tanaka and arranged by Takayuki Negishi, with lyrics by series creator Oji Hiroi. The ending song, , was also composed by Tanaka, arranged by Negishi, written by Jiro Ishii and performed by Sakura, Uchida, Yamamura, Fukuhara, Hayami, Sumire Uesaka, Nana Mizuki and Manami Numakura.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: The 2020 soundtrack album, contains 87 tracks of music from the game over a span of three discs. It was published by Wave Master on June 24, 2020. In addition to the original soundtrack album, a vocal collection album was published by Wave Master under the Sega Music brand on April 29, 2020.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: A new "Sakura Wars" title was first announced in April 2018 under the title "New Sakura Wars", also known in the west as "Project Sakura Wars". The announcement stated that the game would "inherit the DNA" of the series. Its first public appearance was at Sega Fes 2019 in March of that year, to a positive fan response. The announcement of a Western release coincided with this, making "Sakura Wars" only the second "Sakura Wars" game to be localized at that time. Development at the time was placed at between 50% and 60% complete; all the scenario and basic systems were completed and voice recording was nearly finished, with the next phase being bringing together the various elements and polishing them for release. Speaking in a later statement, Sega said that they hoped to continue the series beyond "Sakura Wars".


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: During the localization process, associate producer Andrew Davis said that the game was the "perfect chance to give Western players a fresh launching point" and to "reboot the inconsistent English terms from previous localizations throughout the decades." He felt that the trickiest aspects was "coordinating localization on a moving target" and, at one point, the teams "paused [their] translations (and extended [their] production schedule) in order to give the development team more time to finalize their scripts." The process also gave CS2 R&D the chance to "consult with [Sega of America] and other global offices."


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: A demo of "Sakura Wars" was released on November 21, 2019. The English localization was handled by Inbound Games and the French, German and Spanish localizations were handled by Keywords Studio; this was the first time a "Sakura Wars" title was localized in these languages. The game was released in Asia on December 12, 2019, and worldwide on April 28, 2020. Additional fixes to the game were made through a patch released on March 18, 2020, in Japan and concurrently with the worldwide release; it also included a tie-in to "Sakura Wars the Animation". The Japanese release of the game was published in standard and deluxe editions. The deluxe edition included a five-disc CD collection containing songs from the main six "Sakura Wars" games as well as an artbook.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Famitsu released a companion book: the "Sakura Wars Complete Guide" on February 21, 2020. It provides profiles of the characters and areas in Ginza, the complete story of "Sakura Wars", details on the adventure and battle scenarios, and details on each location. Kadokawa Game Linkage released the "Sakura Wars Story Setting Collections" on March 30, 2020. It included interviews with the developers, detailed character profiles, storyboards and a collection of artworks and illustrations.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Cosmetic and audio-based downloadable content (DLC) were released from December 2019 to January 2020 in Japan.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: "Sakura Wars" received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic. Japanese gaming magazine "Famitsu" gave the game a score of 33 points out of 40.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: "GameSpot"s Heidi Kemps praised the game's episodic format. Josh Torres of "RPGFan" felt that the tête-à-tête feature was "misplaced or implemented in a slipshod fashion". Chris Moyse of "Destructoid" called the conversations "almost always a pleasure, rarely a chore" and the writing "very funny". Kimberly Wallace of "Game Informer" called the plot "outlandish", but praised the cast's performances.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: Kemps finds that the story compensates for the gameplay, saying "fun character interactions, and high-stakes melodrama help it overcome mediocre action sequences".


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: In Japan, "Sakura Wars" was ranked second place during its first-week sales behind "Pokémon Sword" and "Shield", selling over 140,376 units. It was the highest-selling new release of the week. Second week sales in the region were 13,532, causing the game to drop to 15th place. As of January 2020, the game has sold 178,426 physical units at retail in Japan. It has also sold an estimated 24,577 digital units in the country, for an estimated total of units sold in Japan.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: At the 2019 Japan Game Awards, "Sakura Wars" won the "Future Division" award. The National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) nominated the game for four awards; period influenced art direction, franchise based role playing game, costume design and original light mix score for a franchise title.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: A manga adaptation of the game's main story started in "Weekly Young Jump" on September 12, 2019. The manga finished on June 25, 2020. The series follows the events of the story from the perspective of Sakura Amamiya with minor variations from the game. The series was illustrated by Koyuri Noguchi, with three "tankōbon" volumes released from December 19, 2019, to July 17, 2020.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: A light novel prequel, titled was written by Ayumu Mugi and released on December 19, 2019. Set in 1939, the novel focuses on the early lives of Sakura, Hatsuho, Claris, Azami and Anastasia during the formation of the new Flower Division.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: An anime television series set one year after the game premiered on April 3, 2020, on Tokyo MX and BS11. The series is animated by Sanzigen and directed by Manabu Ono, with Ono and Tatsuhiko Urahata handling series composition, and Kohei Tanaka composing the music. Mika Pikazo, Masashi Kudo, Takuya Chanohara, and Tatsuya Fukushima are designing the characters. The main cast reprised their roles from the game. The series is licensed in North America by Funimation for a simulcast release, and in Southeast Asia and South Asia by Medialink.


title: Sakura Wars (2019 video game)

text: A stage adaptation of the game ran from November 19–23, 2020, at Sogetsu Hall, with Yuna Sekine starring as Sakura Amamiya. It was originally planned to run from March 5–8, but on February 26, Sega announced that the event would be delayed to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: , Thai Airways International (excluding its subsidiaries Nok Air and Thai Smile) operates the following aircraft:


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: On 13 June 2011, Thai's Board of Directors announced it would purchase 15 aircraft and acquire the remaining 22 on operating leases. The purchased planes include 14 Boeing 777-300ERs, to be delivered in 2014 and 2015, and four Airbus A350-900s (2016 and 2017). The leased planes include six 787-8s and two 787-9s from US lessor International Lease Finance (ILFC). The 8 series will be delivered in 2014 and 2015, while the 9 series will be delivered in 2017. In addition, Thai will lease six A350-900s from Aviation Lease and Finance, to be delivered in 2017, and two A350-900s from CIT Aerospace International, which will deliver the aircraft in 2016. The airline will also lease six A320-200s from RBS Aerospace International, to be delivered in 2012 and 2013. All the operating leases have terms of 12 years each.


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: On 20 January 2016, Thai Airways International PCL announced plans to postpone taking delivery of 14 planes for three years to reduce operating costs as the national airline restructured. The 14 planes include 12 Airbus A350s, two of which were due to be delivered in 2016, and two Boeing 787s.


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: On 12 February 2016, Thai Airways announced it will continue to ground 10 Airbus A340s it had not been able to sell because flying the four-engine planes is not cost-effective, even after fuel prices plunged more than 40 percent in the previous year. Besides trying to offload the planes, which were used previously for long-haul destinations such as Frankfurt, the money-losing airline has cut routes and sold assets to bolster its balance sheet and operations.


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: In 2017, Thai took delivery of seven new aircraft and decommissioned two leased Airbus A330-300s bringing its active fleet to 100 as of 31 December 2017.


title: Thai Airways International fleet

text: On 2 March 2021, Thai Airways submitted its rehabilitation plan to the Central Bankruptcy Court, followed by a press conference. Announced plans for the future of the airline including its fleet adjustments, reducing the number of aircraft types from 12 to five (or engine types from nine to four).


title: Make Yourself

text: Make Yourself is the third studio album by American rock band Incubus, released through Epic Records on October 26, 1999. It is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and produced three charting singles—"Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive"—all of which reached the top three of the "Billboard" Alternative Songs chart, with the latter topping the chart and also becoming the band's sole top ten hit to date on the " Billboard" Hot 100, where it peaked at number nine.


title: Make Yourself

text: "Make Yourself" has been described as an alternative metal, alternative rock, nu metal, and funk rock album.


title: Make Yourself

text: Shortly after the album's release, a thrash metal/death metal band from Louisiana called Incubus were forced to change their name. The band, now known as Opprobrium, had released two critically acclaimed albums in 1988 and 1990, and were not aware of this Incubus prior to the release of "Make Yourself". The name change was voluntarily made in order to avoid confusion and any potential conflicts between the two bands.


title: Make Yourself

text: To support "Make Yourself", the band and Buckethead opened for Primus on their "Antipop" tour in 1999, including at a millennium show on December 31, 1999. Early the following year, they performed at the SnoCore Tour with System of a Down and Mr. Bungle (who broke up shortly afterwards). The members of Incubus have since spoken of their pleasure at getting to play with Primus and Mr. Bungle, two artists whom they cite as influences. From October to November 2000, Incubus and Taproot supported Deftones on their "Back to School" tour for the album "White Pony".


title: Make Yourself

text: In 1999 and 2000, music videos were made for the singles "Pardon Me", "Stellar" and "Drive". Less widely seen music videos were also made for the non-singles "I Miss You", "Privilege" and "Out from Under". The music video for "Stellar" featured Brandon Boyd's then-girlfriend Jo. A tour edition for the album was released in 2001, with a second disc containing three acoustic tracks and one live track.


title: Make Yourself

text: "Make Yourself" has received generally positive reviews from critics. Steve Huey of AllMusic awarded it four out of five stars, writing ""Make Yourself" makes a bid for broader mainstream success while keeping the group rooted in a hybrid of familiar late '90s alt-metal (i.e., roaring guitars, white-noise sonic textures, and an undercurrent of electronics) and Chili Pepper funk-rock. Where "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." sometimes veered abruptly between the two genres without really fusing them, "Make Yourself" finds the band settling more comfortably into its sound."


title: Make Yourself

text: Sal Cinquemani of "Slant Magazine" also gave it four out of five stars, writing in April 2001, "whether it’s rehashed hard rock or a non-enterprising rap-metal hybrid, there isn’t much to differentiate between most rock bands these days. Incubus, however, sets themselves apart with their second full-length release "Make Yourself". A superb blend of metal guitar riffs, classic punk-rock mentality, and subtle hip hop and electronic elements, Incubus doesn’t just imitate these genres, but rather, redefines them in an otherwise non-revolutionary rock landscape." "The New Rolling Stone Album Guide" states that on "Make Yourself", "Incubus had found a beta-male approach to new-metal: roaring, assymetrical riffs and herky-jerky dynamics coexisting with Boyd's yearning tenor and burgeoning melodic gift." In November 1999, "Tulane Hullabaloo" writer Henry Rienka claimed that it was a rap rock album in the style of bands such as Hed PE, and wrote that, "their union of grinding guitar, vinyl scratching, and urgent rock/rap vocals produces thrashing, grooving, and bouncing boobies." He added, ""Make Yourself" just doesn't quite match up with their breakthrough release; 1997's "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." On this effort, Incubus seems more concerned with playing with sounds and differentiating themselves from Kid Rock than they do with making enjoyable music." Kevin Stewart-Panko of Canadian publication "Exclaim!" gave "Make Yourself" a positive review in December 1999, writing "Incubus is simply an awesome band. They have the distorted guitars, but they also have finger wagging melodies, an actual singer and dance floor elements. It’s similar stuff that plagued Faith No More about ten years ago, and Incubus has a noticeable FNM influence, especially Brandon Boyd's voice, which eerily recalls a youthful Mike Patton."


title: Make Yourself

text: Despite garnering critical and commercial success, "Make Yourself" was met with a mixed reaction from some fans of the band, due to its more melodic sound. In a June 2000 interview with "Spin", Brandon Boyd claimed, "when the album first came out, we got threatening letters from fans like 'You Sold Out'."


title: Make Yourself

text: The album is listed on the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In 2021, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 1999 by "Metal Hammer" magazine. PopMatters included it on their 2020 list of "The Most Memorable Albums of 1999", with writer Theresa Dougherty remarking that they "became one of the first bands played on modern rock radio to effectively integrate a DJ into their sound" and that "the fundamental struggle for identity within these songs still strikes me with its relevance."


title: The Starving Games

text: The Starving Games is a 2013 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Peter Safran. The film parodies "The Hunger Games" and it stars Maiara Walsh, Cody Christian, Brant Daugherty, Lauren Bowles and Diedrich Bader. It is the first film in Friedberg and Seltzer's long-running partnership to be distributed independently. It was released simultaneously in theaters and video on demand by distribution start-up Ketchup Entertainment. The film was released on November 8, 2013 to critical and commercial failure.


title: The Starving Games

text: Kantmiss Evershot practices archery in the forest, but her boyfriend, Dale, surprises her; the arrow accidentally hits the Wizard of Oz. They return to District 12, where children afraid of getting picked for the Games deliberately injure and mutilate themselves to avoid selection. Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione are seen being forcibly removed from District 12. Kantmiss gives her younger sister, Petunia a golden pin with a "courageous bird" on it. The pin turns out to be a chicken which Petunia then injures herself with and crashes into a house. At the Gathering for the 75th Annual Starving Games, President Snowballs explains his reason for separating America into districts as well as ridiculous prizes for winning, including a half eaten pickle. During the drawing for District 12's contestants, the hostess draws several gag names ("Hugh Janus", "Phil Mahooters", and "Dean Gulberry") to no avail. Petunia has her name drawn, but tricks Kantmiss into volunteering so she can eat her pet hamster when she gets picked, by crying fake tears. Dale tries volunteering as well, but the town idiot, Peter Malarkey beats him to it. Kantmiss and Peter are taken to the Capitol where they attend a televised interview in front of a live audience. Kantmiss wears a dress that catches on fire and burns her when she spins in it during her interview. Peter reveals he has a crush on Marco, a fellow contestant in his interview.


title: The Starving Games

text: When the Games begin, Kantmiss grabs a backpack, but must fight a fellow contestant for it. After being fatally struck by two knives and sawed in half with a weed whacker, the remaining half of this contestant eventually relinquishes the backpack before dying. Kantmiss tries fleeing, but Seleca, the Games' producer, sends Angry Birds to attack her; she defeats them and squashes the Annoying Orange in a Fruit Ninja parody. Peter teams up with a group of contestants led by Marco, who aim to kill Kantmiss. After discovering them, Kantmiss fails to climb up a tree, only to find a ladder up it. Marco tries to kill her with a spear but it kills one of his allies instead. While sitting in the tree, Kantmiss gets her face covered in bird poo after whistling to the birds. Marco and his allies flee when she attempts to make a beehive fall on them, cutting it loose using a chainsaw. Instead, the beehive falls on her own head and she gets severely stung. The venom causes her to hallucinate a quadruple rainbow and being a Na'vi. She is slapped back to her senses by fellow contestant Rudy; they team up, vowing to kill the other contestants first. After Kantmiss and Rudy discuss their plan, Marco reveals he was eavesdropping the whole time and they flee from him. Kantmiss finds herself cornered by Marco and his allies and quickly dispatches everyone except him. He pulls a knife on her, at which point a referee intervenes and begins the halftime show. After the halftime show is played, Marco again tries to kill Kantmiss, but Rudy kicks his shin. Marco then kills Rudy by drop kicking her into a tree.


title: The Starving Games

text: Wanting to spice up the Games, Snowballs decides to implement a lesbian love story, but learns Kantmiss is the only woman left; thus, only a straight romance is possible. After it is announced only a couple can win the games, Kantmiss tries to team up with Marco over Peter, but Seleca fakes being killed to convince her to find Peter instead. Kantmiss kills all of the contestants but Marco and Peter, and flees with the latter to a cave. As Peter starts to have a fever, he reveals that he had been stalking Kantmiss for most of her life. Since Kantmiss is keeping her distance from Peter, Seleca offers to send medical supplies to treat Peter if she gets more intimate with him. While becoming intimate, Gandalf and two dwarves appear in a Lord of the Rings parody, claiming to be drawn to the cave by the sound of incessant moaning. Kantmiss demands they leave and they oblige. Kantmiss has sex with Peter, which is televised. Dale is disgusted by this and storms the Starving Games arena, expressing his hatred for Peter.


title: The Starving Games

text: The next day, Kantmiss and Peter attack Marco, but Snowballs orders Seleca to send in the Expendables. An armed Dale arrives, kills them, and asks Kantmiss to come back with him. When Kantmiss orders him to leave, he breaks up with her by changing his Facebook status to single. Marco holds Peter hostage, but Kantmiss shoots a loaf of bread into his eye, killing him. Seleca then announces there can only be one winner again. Peter tries convincing Kantmiss to commit suicide with him by ingesting poisonous berries, to deny those in charge the satisfaction of them fighting to the death. Instead, Kantmiss kills Peter with an arrow, telling him “shit ain’t personal”. Afterwards, Nick Fury and the Avengers show up, with Fury saying he wants Kantmiss to join the Avengers team as a replacement for Hawkeye. Then the Avengers all die after stepping off their platforms and onto mines.


title: The Starving Games

text: The film was a box office bomb, with only US$3,889,688 earned against its $4.5 million budget (equivalent to US$ against $ in ).


title: The Starving Games

text: "The Starving Games" received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 0% based on 9 reviews, with an average score of 1.60/10.


title: The Starving Games

text: Max Nicholson of IGN called it "a horrible, horrible piece of cinema that needn't be watched by any person ever".


title: Khutulun

text: Khutulun ( – ), also known as Aigiarne, Aiyurug, Khotol Tsagaan or Ay Yaruq () was a Mongol noblewoman and wrestler, the most famous daughter of Kaidu, a cousin of Kublai Khan. Her father was "most pleased by her abilities", and she accompanied him on military campaigns. Both Marco Polo and Rashid al-Din Hamadani wrote accounts of their encounters with her.


title: Khutulun

text: Khutulun was born about 1260. By 1280, her father Kaidu became the most powerful ruler of Central Asia, reigning in the realms from western Mongolia to Oxus, and from the Central Siberian Plateau to India.


title: Khutulun

text: Marco Polo described Khutulun as a superb warrior, one who could ride into enemy ranks and snatch a captive as easily as a hawk snatches a chicken. She assisted her father in many battles, particularly against the Yuan Dynasty of her cousin the Great Khan – Kublai (r. 1260–1294).


title: Khutulun

text: Khutulun insisted that any man who wished to marry her must defeat her in wrestling. Winning horses from competitions and the wagers of would-be suitors, it is said that she gathered a herd numbering ten thousand.


title: Khutulun

text: Sources vary about her husband's identity. Some chronicles say her husband was a handsome man who failed to assassinate her father and was taken prisoner; others refer to him as Kaidu's companion from the Choros clan. Rashid al-Din wrote that Khutulun fell in love with Ghazan, Mongol ruler in Persia.


title: Khutulun

text: Of all Kaidu's children, Khutulun was the favorite, and the one from whom he most sought advice and political support. According to some accounts, he tried to name her as his successor to the khanate before he died in 1301. However, his choice was declined due to her male relatives. When Kaidu died, Khutulun guarded his tomb with the assistance of her brother Orus. She was challenged by her other brothers including Chapar and relative Duwa because she resisted their succession. She died in 1306.


title: Khutulun

text: Khutulun is thought to be the basis for the character of Turandot, who has been the subject of a number of Western works. While in Mongol culture she is remembered as a famous athlete and warrior, in Western artistic adaptations she is depicted as a proud woman who finally succumbs to love.


title: Khutulun

text: François Pétis de la Croix's 1710 book of Asian tales and fables contains a story in which Khutulun is called Turandot, a Persian word (Turandokht توراندخت) meaning "Central Asian Daughter", and is the nineteen-year-old daughter of Altoun Khan, the Mongol emperor of China. In Pétis de La Croix's story, however, she does not wrestle her suitors, and they do not wager horses; rather, she has them answer three riddles, and they are executed if they cannot solve them.


title: Khutulun

text: Carlo Gozzi wrote his own version 50 years later, a stage play in which she was a "tigerish woman" of "unrelenting pride". Friedrich Schiller translated and adapted the play into German as "Turandot, Prinzessin von China" in 1801.


title: Khutulun

text: The most famous version of "Turandot" is Giacomo Puccini's operatic version, which he was working on when he died in 1924.


title: Khutulun

text: There are many stories and novels about Khutulun presented by Mongolian writers, such as "Khotolon" by Purev Sanj, "Kaidu's wonderful daughter Khutulun" by Ch.Janchivdorj, "Khotol Tsagaan" by Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, "The Story of Kaidu Khan" by Batjargal Sanjaa, and "Princess Khutulun" by B. Shuudertsetseg.


title: Khutulun

text: Khutulun was the name chosen for a popular racehorse in Australia 2011–2019, which was bought by Grand Syndicates for just A$16,000 and eventually won nearly A$500,000 in prize money.


title: Khutulun

text: On 3 December 2021, Shuuder Productions and Voo Broadcasting released the film "Princess Khutulun". The movie is based on the novel "Khotol Tsagaan Gunj" by Mongolian author Baatarsuren Shuudertsetseg and takes place during the Yuan Dynasty. Actress Tsedoo Munkhbat played the starring role.


title: Alex Aiono

text: Martin Alexander Aiono (; born February 16, 1996) is an American singer, record producer, and actor from Phoenix, Arizona. Aiono is known for his videos on YouTube, which have amassed over 1 billion views, and his social media presence with upwards of six million followers. He released his first single on a major label with Interscope Records, "Work the Middle", in February 2017. He released his second single "Question" in April 2017. His third single, "Does It Feel Like Falling" was released on September 18, 2017. Aiono stars in Netflix film "Finding 'Ohana". Aiono released his first album, "The Gospel at 23", on July 24, 2020.


title: Alex Aiono

text: Aiono first created his own "flipped" versions of popular songs, including “Solamente Tú” and his "One Dance" mash-up which has gone on to have more than 67 million views. As of 2021, he has over six million YouTube subscribers and more than 1 billion views on his YouTube videos.


title: Alex Aiono

text: Aiono released his debut single "Doesn't Get Better" on March 15, 2013. Later that year, on May 23, Aiono released his debut EP "Young & Foolish". The EP's title track was co-written with John Legend. Aiono has cited John Legend as one of his biggest influences and has written two songs with the singer.


title: Alex Aiono

text: In 2016, Aiono began creating "flipped" versions of popular songs, including a mashup of Drake's "One Dance" and Nicky Jam’s "Hasta el Amanecer" that received more than 67 million views on YouTube. The video showcased Aiono's vocals, charisma, guitar skills and production ability. Back in October 2016, Aiono recorded and produced a sing-off with singer and songwriter Conor Maynard which was released on Conor's YouTuber Channel and now in November 2017 has over 88 million views.


title: Alex Aiono

text: Aiono signed with Interscope Records, a division of Universal Music Group in early 2017. On January 27, 2017, Aiono released his single "Work the Middle". The song was produced by Axident and Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II. Aiono also contributed a cover of "Man in the Mirror" to "The Lego Batman Movie" in 2017.| As of 2019, Aiono is signed to Become Records.


title: Alex Aiono

text: In 2020, Aiono released his first album "The Gospel at 23", as well as the documentary "The Making of The Gospel at 23 | Short Documentary". Aiono also released an EP, "Covered (Volume 2)", as well as the singles "The Medicine", "2 Kids", "Filling Shoes", "I Miss You", and "Another Life".


title: Alex Aiono

text: Aiono and his family, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, moved to Los Angeles, California so he could pursue a music career at 14 years old. They lived in a one bedroom apartment while he was making his first music connections by performing on the Santa Monica promenade where he met one of his managers. His mother is European American and his father is of Samoan and Māori (Ngāti Porou) descent and grew up in Tolaga Bay, New Zealand before moving to the United States. Aiono is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


title: Supernova (2000 film)

text: Supernova is a 2000 science fiction action film written by David C. Wilson, William Malone and Daniel Chuba and directed by Walter Hill, credited as "Thomas Lee." "Thomas Lee" was chosen as a directorial pseudonym for release in lieu of Alan Smithee, as the latter had become too well known as a badge of a film being disowned by its makers. It was originally developed in 1988 by director William Malone as "Dead Star," with paintings by H. R. Giger and a plot that had been called ""Hellraiser" in outer space." Jack Sholder was hired for substantial uncredited reshoots, and Francis Ford Coppola was brought in for editing purposes. Various sources suggest that little of Hill's work remains in the theatrical cut of the film. The film shares several plot similarities with the film "Event Horizon," released in 1997, and "Alien Cargo," released in 1999. The cast features James Spader, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Lou Diamond Phillips, Peter Facinelli, Robin Tunney, and Wilson Cruz. The film was shot by cinematographer Lloyd Ahern and scored by composers David C. Williams and Burkhard Dallwitz.