title: Taipei Metro

text: On 27 June 1986, the Preparatory Office of Rapid Transit Systems was created, which on 23 February 1987 was formally established as the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) for the task of handling, planning, design, and construction of the system. Apart from preparing for the construction of the metro system, DORTS also made small changes to the metro corridor. The 6 lines proposed on the initial network were: Tamsui line and Xindian line (Lines U1 and U2), Zhonghe Line (Line U3), Nangang Line and Banqiao Line (Line S1), and Muzha (now Wenhu) line (Wenhu line medium-capacity), totaling 79 stations and route length, including of elevated rail, at ground level, and underground. The Neihu Line corridor was approved later in 1990. On 27 June 1994, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) was formed to oversee the operation of the Taipei Metro system.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The Executive Yuan approved the initial network plan for the system on 27 May 1986. Ground was broken and construction began on 15 December 1988. The growing traffic problems of the time, compounded by road closures due to TRTS construction led to what became popularly known as the "dark age of Taipei traffic". The TRTS was the center of political controversy during its construction and shortly after the opening of its first line in 1996 due to incidents such as computer malfunction during a thunderstorm, alleged structural problems in some elevated segments, budget overruns, and fare prices.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The system opened on 28 March 1996, with the elevated , a driverless, medium-capacity line with twelve stations running from to . The first high-capacity line, the , began service on 28 March 1997, running from to , then extended to at the end of the year. On 23 December 1998, the system passed the milestone of 100 million passengers.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 24 December 1999, a section of the was opened between and . This section became the first east–west line running through the city, connecting the two previously completed north–south lines. On 31 May 2006, the second stage of the Banqiao–Nangang section and the Tucheng section began operation. The service was then named Bannan after the districts that it connects (Banqiao and Nangang).


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 4 July 2007, the Maokong Gondola, a new aerial lift/cable-car system, was opened to the public. The system connects the , , and Maokong. Service was suspended on 1 October 2008 due to erosion from mudslides under a support pillar following Typhoon Jangmi. The gondola officially resumed service as of 31 March 2010, after relocation of the pillar and passing safety inspections.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 4 July 2009, with the opening of the Neihu segment of , the last of the six core segments was completed. Due to debate on whether to construct a medium-capacity or high-capacity line, construction of the line did not begin until 2002.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Prior to 2014, only physical lines had official names; services did not. In 2008, the and Xiaonanmen services were referred to by termini while Bannan and Wenhu services were referred to by the physical lines on which they operated.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Following the completion of the core sections of the system in 2014, the naming scheme for services was set and 'lines' started to referred to services. Between 2014 and 2016, lines were given alternative number names based on the order of the dates the lines first opened. Brown, Red, Green, Orange and Blue lines were named lines 1 to 5 respectively. The planned Circular, Wanda–Shulin and Minsheng–Xizhi lines were to be lines 6 to 8 respectively. In 2016, the number names were replaced by colour names. Today, on-board announcements in Chinese use full official names, whereas in English, colour names are used instead.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 31 January 2020, the Circular line opened as the sixth main line of the Taipei Metro. Stage I construction consists of 14 stations running from on to on and is about long. Electromechanical equipment for the line is supplied by Hitachi Rail STS, including driverless technology and CBTC Radio signalling. In February 2020, free rides were offered to passengers in order to raise awareness and test the route's popularity.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The system is designed based on the spoke-hub distribution paradigm, with most rail lines running radially outward from central Taipei. The MRT system operates daily from 06:00 to 00:00 the following day (the last trains finish their runs by 01:00), with extended services during special events (such as New Year festivities). Trains operate at intervals of 1:30 to 15 minutes depending on the line and time of day. Smoking is forbidden in the entire metro system, while eating, drinking, and chewing gum and betel nuts are forbidden within the paid area.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Stations become extremely crowded during rush hours, especially at transfer stations such as , , and . Automated station announcements are recorded in Mandarin, English, Hokkien, and Hakka, with Japanese at busy stations.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Fares range between –65 per trip as of 2018. RFID single journey tokens and rechargeable IC cards (such as the Easycard) are used to collect fares for day-to-day use. A 20% off discount was given to all IC card users. However, the discount for IC card users was cancelled at the start of February 2020. The discount program was switched to an intensity-based scheme. The more times passengers take the MRT, the higher the level of discount they could receive. For example, 10% discount is given for 11–20 rides; 20% discount is provided for 31–40 journeys; the highest discount is 30% off for more than 50 rides. The discount is considered a rebate, and is deposited to the user's card starting the first of each month from the previous month. Those with welfare cards issued by local governments could receive 60% off per ride. Children aged 6 or over pay adult fares. Other ticket types include passes, joint tickets with other services and tickets for groups and discounts for YouBike rentals at the Taipei Main Station.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The Taipei Metro provides an obstacle-free environment within the entire system; all stations and trains are handicap accessible. Features include: handicap-capable restrooms, ramps and elevators for wheelchairs and strollers, tactile guide paths, extra-wide faregates, and trains with a designated wheelchair area.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Beginning in September 2003, the English station names for Taipei Metro stations were converted to use Hanyu pinyin before the end of December, with brackets for Tongyong Pinyin names for signs shown at the station entrances and exits. However, after the conversion, many stations were reported to have multiple conflicting English station names caused by inconsistent conversions, even for stations built after enactment of the new naming policy. The information brochures (臺北市大眾捷運系統捷運站轉乘公車資訊手冊) printed in September 2004 still used Wade–Giles romanizations.


title: Taipei Metro

text: To accommodate increasing passenger numbers, all metro stations have replaced turnstiles with speedgates since 2007, and single journey magnetic cards have been replaced by RFID tokens.


title: Taipei Metro

text: TRTS provides free mobile phone connections in all stations, trains, and tunnels and also provides WiFi WLAN connections at several station hotspots. The world's first WiMAX-service metro trains were introduced on the in 2007, allowing passengers to access the internet and watch live broadcasts. Several stations are also equipped with mobile charging stations.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Most underground stations have island platform configurations while a few have side platform configurations, and vice versa for elevated/at-grade stations (a few stations have island platform configurations but the majority of elevated/at-grade stations have side platform configurations). All high-capacity metro stations have a long platform to accommodate all six train cars on a typical metro train (with the exception of ). The width of the platform and concourse depends on the volume of transit; the largest stations include Taipei Main Station, , and . Some other transfer stations, including , , and , also have wide platforms.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Each station is equipped with LED displays and LCD TVs both in the concourse and on the platforms which display the time of arrival of the next train. At all stations, red lights on or above automatic platform gates at stations flash prior to a train arrival to alert passengers. As of September 2018, all stations have automatic platform gates.


title: Taipei Metro

text: However, before 2018, all the stations on the and most stations on the , as well as a few stations on other lines, were equipped with platform screen doors. High-traffic stations, including Taipei Main Station, , and , had platform gates to prevent passengers and other objects from falling onto the rails. All lines and extensions currently under construction will be equipped with platform screen doors. A Track Intrusion Detection System has also been installed to improve passenger safety at stations without platform doors. The system uses infrared and radio detectors to monitor unusual movement in the track area.


title: Taipei Metro

text: When the Muzha Line first opened in 1996, the line was initially equipped with automatic train operation (ATO) and automatic train control (ATC), which in turn comprised automatic train protection (ATP) and automatic train supervision (ATS); in particular the ATP relied on transmission coils and wayside control units whereas the ATO relied on dwell operation control units. The transmission coils are controlled by the Control Centre to ensure safety of the line and were positioned on the guideway. Among such coils included the PD loop, safety frequency loop, stopping program loop, vehicle station link and station vehicle link; these loops were cross-arranged to produce electromagnetic induction with the interval between two cross points being 0.3 seconds to both monitor the train and control its speed. However this fixed-block ATC system used on the Muzha Line was plagued with problems in its early years of operation and was replaced with the new moving-block Cityflo 650 CBTC that was supplied by Bombardier Transportation of Canada for the Neihu Line.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On the other hand, the heavy-capacity lines use the traditional fixed block system design, which were initially supplied by General Railway Signal of Rochester, New York, for the Tamsui, Xindian, Zhonghe, and Bannan lines; and later by Alstom for the Tucheng, Xinzhuang, Luzhou, Xinyi and Songshan lines. Key components of the system include impedance bond, 4-foot loops, marker coils, alignment antennae and two-aspect light signals for the wayside as well as automatic train supervision which utilises centralized traffic control.


title: Taipei Metro

text: In the initial network, important stations such as transfer stations, terminal stations, and stations with heavy passenger flow were chosen for the installation of public art. The principles behind the locations of public art were visual focus and non-interference with passenger circulation and construction schedules. The artworks included murals, children's mosaic collages, sculptures, hung forms, spatial art, interactive art, and window displays. The selection methods included open competitions, invitational competitions, direct assignments, and cooperation with children.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Stations with public art displays include but are not necessarily limited to: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . Stations with art galleries include , , , and .


title: Taipei Metro

text: The promotion for artwork continues today – the Department of Rapid Transit held a bid on providing public large scale artwork for the interiors of . The bid is placed at over million.


title: Taipei Metro

text: In addition to the rapid transit system itself, Taipei Metro operates several public facilities such as underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares in and around stations, including:


title: Taipei Metro

text: Transfers to city bus stations are available at all metro stations. In 2009, transfer volume between the metro and bus systems reached 444,100 transfers per day (counting only EasyCard users). Connections to Taiwan Railway Administration and Taiwan High Speed Rail trains are available at , and . Connections to Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station are available at and stations, respectively. The Maokong Gondola is accessible from .


title: Taipei Metro

text: Taipei Songshan Airport is served by the station. A metro system to connect Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport is also available since March 2017.


title: Taipei Metro

text: All rolling stocks on the Taipei Metro are electric multiple units, powered by a third rail at 750 volts direct current. Each train is equipped with automatic train operation (ATO) for a partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The medium-capacity trains of are broad gauge rubber-tired trains with no onboard train operators but are operated remotely by the medium-capacity system operation control center. It initially used a fixed-block automatic train control (ATC) system. Each train consists of two 2-car electric multiple unit (EMU) sets, with a total of 4 cars. The Wenhu line is the only line of the system to not have open-gangway carriages, meaning that passengers cannot move between carriages when the train is moving.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The was initially operated with VAL 256 trains cars, where two VAL 256 cars in the same set would share the same road number. As a result of this numbering scheme, the 102 cars of the VAL fleet have car numbers from 1 to 51. In June 2003, Bombardier was awarded a contract to supply the with 202 INNOVIA APM 256 train cars, to install the CITYFLO 650 moving-block communications-based train control (CBTC) system to replace the fixed-block ATC system and also to retrofit the existing 102 VAL 256 256 cars with the CITYFLO 650 CBTC system. Integration of Bombardier's trains with the existing proved to be difficult in the beginning, with multiple system malfunctions and failures during the first three months of operation. Retrofitting older trains also took longer than expected, as the older trains must undergo several hours of reliability tests during non-service hours. The VAL 256 trains resumed operations in December 2010.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro is used on the , which entered service in January 2020 with the opening of the first section. Each train consists of a 4-car EMU set and with open-gangway connection between cars. The train runs on without onboard operators.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The heavy-capacity trains have steel wheels and are operated by an on-board train operator. The trains are computer-controlled. The operator, who is both driver and conductor, is responsible for opening and closing the doors and making (not all) announcements. Most announcements are pre-recorded in Mandarin, English, Hokkien and Hakka, with Japanese at busy stations. The ATC provides the functions of ATP, ATO and ATS and controls all train movements, including braking, acceleration and speed control, but can be manually overridden by the operator in case of an emergency. Newer trains also use a (TSIS) supplied by Mitsubishi Electric that allows the operator to monitor the conditions of the train and identify any faults.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Each train consists of two 3-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) sets, with a total of 6 cars. Each 3-car EMU set is permanently coupled as DM–T–M, where DM is the motor car with full-width cab, T is a trailer car and M is the motor car without cab. Each motor car has four 3-phase AC traction motors. The configuration of a 6-car train is DM–T–M+M–T–DM, not interchanged with other car types. Like many contemporary metro rolling stock designs such as the MOVIA by Bombardier, each train features open gangways, allowing passengers to move freely between cars.


title: Taipei Metro

text: All carriages of the heavy-capacity trains are wide by high, and have a total capacity of 368 passengers, 60 of which seated. Their design maximum speed is , which is limited to in service.


title: Taipei Metro

text: The first digit of a DM car is 1, while that of a T car is 2 and that of an M car is 3. This digit then follows the three digits of the set number. For example, C301 set 001/002 consists of carriages 1001-2001-3001+3002-2002-1002.


title: Taipei Metro

text: A single set cannot be in revenue service except C371 single sets 397–399, where their M car is exactly a DM car despite its first digit being 3. These single sets run exclusively on the Xinbeitou and Xiaobitan branch lines. Before the C371 single sets were in revenue service on 22 July 2006, the M cars of C301 sets 013/014 were converted to temporary cab cars to run the Xinbeitou branch.


title: Taipei Metro

text: In 2010, the new C381 was built for Taipei Metro to cope with increasing passenger ridership and the expansion of its network route. Upon entering service on 7 October 2012, three C381 trainsets are servicing the Beitou – Taipower Building segment of the Tamsui and Xindian Lines, with the remaining fleet being put into service on 20 October 2012. These trains provided much-needed capacity increase when the Xinyi and Songshan extensions opened in late 2013. After November 2014, the C381 trains are serving both and . Whereas the earlier heavy capacity train types have largely retained the same design, the C381 sets are more distinctive with double blue stripes and the re-positioning of the logo from the driver's door to well below the passenger's windows, right on the stripe. Also placed were the more "sleeker" cab and the new advertising screens (as seen in newer Japanese commuter trains such as the E233 series) to improve energy efficiency, although it retains the same propulsion as the C371s.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Taipei Metro is one of the most expensive rapid transit systems ever constructed, with phase one of the system costing US$18 billion and phase two estimated to have cost US$13.8 billion.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Despite earlier controversy, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the metro project was a success, and it has since become an essential part of life in Taipei. The system has been effective in reducing traffic congestion in the city and has spurred the revival of satellite towns (like Tamsui) and development of new areas (like Nangang). The system has also helped to increase average vehicle speed for routes running from New Taipei into Taipei. Property prices along metro routes (both new and existing) tend to increase with the opening of more lines.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Since the Taipei Metro joined the Nova International Railway Benchmarking Group and the Community of Metros (Nova/CoMET) in 2002, it has started collecting and analysing data of the 33 Key Performance Indicators set by Nova/CoMET in order to compare them with those of other metro systems around the world, as a reference to improve its operation. Taipei Metro also has gained keys to success from case studies on different subjects such as safety, reliability, and incidents, and from the operational experiences of other metro systems.


title: Taipei Metro

text: According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Center at Imperial College London, and data gathered by Nova/CoMET, the Taipei Metro has ranked number 1 in the world for four consecutive years in terms of reliability, safety, and quality standards (2004–2007). The most congested route sections handle over 38,000 commuters per hour during peak times.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On New Year's Eve 2009 and New Year's Day 2010, the Metro system transported 2.17 million passengers in 42 consecutive hours. On 22 April 2010 after 14 years of service, the system achieved the milestone of 4 billion cumulative riders. On 29 December 2010, the system passed the benchmark of 500 million annual passengers for the first time. The record for single day ridership hit 2.5 million passengers during the New Year's Eve celebrations on 31 December 2010. Following opening of the Xinyi section of , the system reached another record of 2.75 million passengers on 31 December 2013.


title: Taipei Metro

text: In May 2016, the Singapore Transport Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, said that his country's rail operators, SBS Transit and SMRT, should emulate the example of Taipei Metro. Speaking at a rail engineering forum, he cited the Taipei Metro's timely maintenance and replacement of assets, as well as its fast response to rail network problems. Khaw said the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working with the TRTC to attach staff from SBS and SMRT to its metro workshops, so they can learn from its asset maintenance practices and engineering improvements.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Wanda–Zhonghe–Shulin is a metro line under construction. Phase 1 will run from to Juguang, Zhonghe, New Taipei.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Phase 2 will connect Zhonghe Senior High School, the previous station of Juguang, to , making the part between Zhonghe Senior High School and Juguang a branch line. The entire line is expected to be fully completed around late 2028.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Phase 2 of Circular line is under design and projected to start construction in early 2021. Phase 2 consists of Northern Section and Southern Section. Northern Section will continue from to . This section will service Wugu, Luzhou, Shilin and Neihu. The Southern Section will continue from to and will mainly service Wenshan.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Phase 3, which is also known as the Eastern Section, is a planned metro line to connect and in Phase 2 making the line an actual loop.


title: Taipei Metro

text: Minsheng–Xizhi is a planned metro line. As of February 2011, New Taipei has been pursuing the construction of the 17.52-km Minsheng–Xizhi line, though the most recent plan was rejected by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, citing the need for further evidence for the line's viability. The city plans to re-submit the proposal, and the project is estimated to cost NT$42.2 billion (US$1.44 billion). A possible 4.25-km extension of the line to connect with the planned Keelung light rail is also being considered. The line is planned to be built partially underground and partially elevated. It will begin from Dadaocheng Harbour beneath Minsheng West Road in Taipei, run along Minsheng East and West Roads, pass through Minsheng Community and journey under the Keelung River towards the Neihu District. The line will then change to an elevated mode and reach its termini at Xintai 5th Road in Xizhi District, New Taipei City. As of May 2018, the proposal for this line has been submitted to the Ministry Of Transportation and Communications, but has yet to be approved.


title: Taipei Metro

text: the Danhai Light Rail is run by the New Taipei Metro corporation. The Circular Line is also property of the New Taipei Metro corporation, but the Taipei Metro has the operating rights.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 17 September 2001, Typhoon Nari flooded all underground tracks as well as 16 stations, the heavy-capacity system operation control center, the administration building, and the Nangang Depot. The elevated was not seriously affected and resumed operations the next day. However, the heavy-capacity lines were not restored to full operational status until three months later.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 21 May 2014, 28 people were stabbed in a mass stabbing by a knife-wielding college student on the . The attack occurred on a train near , resulting in 4 deaths and 24 injured. It was the first fatal attack on the metro system since it began operations in 1996. The suspect was 21-year-old Cheng Chieh (鄭捷), a university student at Tunghai University, who was arrested at immediately after the incident. On 6 March 2015, Cheng Chieh was found guilty on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, and was sentenced to death. He was subsequently executed on 10 May 2016.


title: Taipei Metro

text: In early 2021, it was discovered that a pornographic film production company had created a series of sets which copied the design of MRT trains and stations. This caused a brief stir when it was first released as many were concerned that the films had been shot on actual MRT trains and stations. Nevertheless, it was still condemned by Taipei MRT for imitating its train carriages.


title: Taipei Metro

text: On 30 December 2021, Taipei MRT rejected an Amnesty International advertisement which featured detained human rights activist Lee Ming-che.


title: Targum

text: A targum ( 'interpretation, translation, version') was an originally spoken translation of the Hebrew Bible (also called the "Tanakh") that a professional translator ( "mǝturgǝmān") would give in the common language of the listeners when that was not Hebrew. This had become necessary near the end of the first century BC, as the common language was Aramaic and Hebrew was used for little more than schooling and worship. The translator frequently expanded his translation with paraphrases, explanations and examples, so it became a kind of sermon.


title: Targum

text: Writing down the targum was initially prohibited; nevertheless, some targumitic writings appeared as early as the middle of the first century AD. They were not then recognized as authoritative by the religious leaders. Some subsequent Jewish traditions (beginning with the Babylonian Jews) accepted the written targumim as authoritative translations of the Hebrew scriptures into Aramaic. Today, the common meaning of "targum" is a written Aramaic translation of the Bible. Only Yemenite Jews continue to use the targumim liturgically.


title: Targum

text: As translations, the targumim largely reflect midrashic interpretation of the Tanakh from the time they were written and are notable for favoring allegorical readings over anthropomorphisms. (Maimonides, for one, notes this often in "The Guide for the Perplexed".) That is true both for those targums that are fairly literal as well as for those that contain many midrashic expansions. In 1541, Elia Levita wrote and published the "Sefer Meturgeman," explaining all the Aramaic words found in the Targum.


title: Targum

text: Targumim are used today as sources in text-critical editions of the Bible ("Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia" refers to them with the abbreviation 𝔗).


title: Targum

text: The noun "Targum" is derived from the early semitic quadriliteral root "trgm", and the Akkadian term "targummanu" refers to "translator, interpreter". It occurs in the Hebrew Bible in Ezra 4:7 "... and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic ("aramit") and interpreted ("meturgam") into Aramaic." Besides denoting the translations of the Bible, the term Targum also denote the oral rendering of Bible lections in synagogue, while the translator of the Bible was simply called "hammeturgem" (he who translates). Other than the meaning "translate", the verb "Tirgem" also means "to explain". The word "Targum" refers to "translation" and argumentation or "explanation".


title: Targum

text: These two targumim are mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud as "targum dilan" ("our Targum"), giving them official status. In the synagogues of talmudic times, Targum Onkelos was read alternately with the Torah, verse by verse, and Targum Jonathan was read alternately with the selection from Nevi'im (i.e., the Haftarah). This custom continues today in Yemenite Jewish synagogues. The Yemenite Jews are the only Jewish community to continue the use of Targum as liturgical text, as well as to preserve a living tradition of pronunciation for the Aramaic of the targumim (according to a Babylonian dialect).


title: Targum

text: Besides its public function in the synagogue, the Babylonian Talmud also mentions "targum" in the context of a personal study requirement: "A person should always review his portions of scripture along with the community, reading the scripture twice and the "targum" once" (Berakhot 8a–b). This too refers to Targum Onkelos on the public Torah reading and to Targum Jonathan on the haftarot from Nevi'im.


title: Targum

text: Medieval biblical manuscripts of the Tiberian mesorah sometimes contain the Hebrew text interpolated, verse-by-verse, with the "targumim". This scribal practice has its roots both in the public reading of the Targum and in the private study requirement.


title: Targum

text: The two "official" "targumim" are considered eastern (Babylonian). Nevertheless, scholars believe they too originated in the Land of Israel because of a strong linguistic substratum of Western Aramaic. Though these "targumim" were later "orientalised", the substratum belying their origins still remains.


title: Targum

text: When most Jewish communities had ceased speaking Aramaic, in the 10th century CE, the public reading of Targum along with the Torah and Haftarah was abandoned in most communities, Yemen being a well-known exception.


title: Targum

text: The private study requirement to review the Targum was never entirely relaxed, even when Jewish communities had largely ceased speaking Aramaic, and the Targum never ceased to be a major source for Jewish exegesis. For instance, it serves as a major source in the Torah commentary of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi", and has always been the standard fare for Ashkenazi (French, central European, and German) Jews onward.


title: Targum

text: For these reasons, Jewish editions of the Tanakh which include commentaries still almost always print the Targum alongside the text, in all Jewish communities. Nevertheless, later halakhic authorities argued that the requirement to privately review the "targum" might also be met by reading a translation in the current vernacular in place of the official Targum, or else by studying an important commentary containing midrashic interpretation (especially that of Rashi).


title: Targum

text: The Talmud explicitly states that no official "targumim" were composed besides these two on Torah and Nevi'im alone, and that there is no official "targum" to Ketuvim ("The Writings"). The Talmud (Megilah 3a) states "The Targum of the Pentateuch was composed by Onkelos the proselyte from the mouths of R. Eleazar and R. Joshua. The Targum of the Prophets was composed by Jonathan ben Uzziel under the guidance of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (Jonathan b. Uzziel was a disciple of Hillel, so he had traditions handed down from them-Maharsha), and the land of Israel [thereupon] quaked over an area of four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs, and a Bath Kol (heavenly voice) came forth and exclaimed, "Who is this that has revealed My secrets to mankind?" Jonathan b. Uzziel thereupon arose and said, "It is I who have revealed Thy secrets to mankind. It is fully known to Thee that I have not done this for my own honour or for the honour of my father's house, but for Thy honour l have done it, that dissension may not increase in Israel." He further sought to reveal [by] a targum [the inner meaning] of the Hagiographa, but a Bath Kol went forth and said, "Enough!" What was the reason? Because the date of the Messiah is foretold in it". [A possible reference to the end of the book of Daniel.] But did Onkelos the proselyte compose the targum to the Pentateuch? Has not R. Ika said, in the name of R. Hananel who had it from Rab: What is meant by the text, Neh. VIII,8 "And they read in the book, in the law of God, with an interpretation. and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading? And they read in the book, in the law of God: this indicates the [Hebrew] text; with an interpretation: this indicates the targum..." (which shows that the targum dates back to the time of Ezra).


title: Targum

text: Nevertheless, most books of Ketuvim (with the exceptions of Daniel and Ezra-Nehemiah, which both contain Aramaic portions) have "targumim", whose origin is mostly western (Land of Israel) rather than eastern (Babylonia). But for lack of a fixed place in the liturgy, they were poorly preserved and less well known. From Palestine, the tradition of "targum" to Ketuvim made its way to Italy, and from there to medieval Ashkenaz and Sepharad. The targumim of Psalms, Proverbs, and Job are generally treated as a unit, as are the targumim of the five scrolls (Esther has a longer "Second Targum" as well.) The targum of Chronicles is quite late, possibly medieval, and is attributed to a Rabbi Joseph.


title: Targum

text: There are also a variety of western "targumim" on the Torah, each of which was traditionally called "Targum Yerushalmi" ("Jerusalem Targum"), and written in Western Aramaic. An important one of these was mistakenly labeled "Targum Jonathan" in later printed versions (though all medieval authorities refer to it by its correct name). The error crept in because of an abbreviation: the printer interpreted the abbreviation "T Y" (ת"י) to stand for "Targum Yonathan" (תרגום יונתן) instead of the correct "Targum Yerushalmi" (תרגום ירושלמי). Scholars refer to this "targum" as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. To attribute this "targum" to Jonathan ben Uzziel flatly contradicts the talmudic tradition (Megillah 3a), which quite clearly attributes the "targum" to Nevi'im "alone" to him, while stating that there is "no" official "targum" to Ketuvim. In the same printed versions, a similar fragment "targum" is correctly labeled as "Targum Yerushalmi".


title: Targum

text: The Western Targumim on the Torah, or Palestinian Targumim as they are also called, consist of three manuscript groups: Targum Neofiti I, Fragment Targums, and Cairo Geniza Fragment Targums.


title: Targum

text: Of these Targum Neofiti I is by far the largest. It consist of 450 folios covering all books of the Pentateuch, with only a few damaged verses. The history of the manuscript begins 1587 when the censor Andrea de Monte (d. 1587) bequeathed it to Ugo Boncompagni—which presents an oddity, since Boncompagni, better known as Pope Gregory XIII, died in 1585. The route of transmission may instead be by a certain "Giovan Paolo Eustachio romano neophito." Before this de Monte had censored it by deleting most references to idolatry. In 1602 Boncompagni's estate gave it to the College of the Neophytes, a college for converts from Judaism and Islam, until 1886, when the Holy See bought it along with other manuscripts when the Collegium closed (which is the reason for the manuscripts name and its designation). Unfortunately, it was then mistitled as a manuscript of Targum Onkelos until 1949, when Alejandro Díez Macho noticed that it differed significantly from Targum Onkelos. It was translated and published during 1968–79, and has since been considered the most important of the Palestinian Targumim, as it is by far the most complete and, apparently, the earliest as well.


title: Targum

text: The Fragment Targums (formerly known as Targum Yerushalmi II) consist of many fragments that have been divided into ten manuscripts. Of these P, V and L were first published in 1899 by M Ginsburger, A, B, C, D, F and G in 1930 by P Kahle and E in 1955 by A Díez Macho. Unfortunately, these manuscripts are all too fragmented to confirm what their purpose were, but they seem to be either the remains of a single complete targum or short variant readings of another targum. As a group, they often share theological views and with Targum Neofiti, which has led to the belief that they could be variant readings of that targum.


title: Targum

text: The Cairo Genizah Fragment Targums originate from the Ben-Ezra Synagogues genizah in Cairo. They share similarities with The Fragment Targums in that they consist of many fragmented manuscripts that have been collected in one targum-group. The manuscripts A and E are the oldest among the Palestinian Targum and have been dated to around the seventh century. Manuscripts C, E, H and Z contain only passages from Genesis, A from Exodus while MS B contain verses from both as well as from Deuteronomium.


title: Targum

text: The Samaritan community has their own Targum to their text of the Torah. Other Targumim were also discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls.


title: Targum

text: The Peshitta is the traditional Bible of Syriac-speaking Christians (who speak several different dialects of Aramaic). The translation of the Peshitta is usually thought to be between 1 and 300 CE.


title: Targum

text: Tadmor, H., 1991. "On the role of Aramaic in the Assyrian empire", in M. Mori, H. Ogawa and M. Yoshikawa (eds.), Near Eastern Studies Dedicated to H.I.H. Prince Takahito Mikasa on the Occasion of his Seventy-Fifth Birthday, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 419–426


title: Erica Ash

text: Erica Chantal Ash (born September 19, 1977) is an American actress, comedian, singer and model. She was a cast member on the sketch comedy programs "MADtv" and "The Big Gay Sketch Show", and she later starred in the Starz sitcom "Survivor's Remorse".


title: Erica Ash

text: Ash was born in Florida to Donald and Diann Ash. Her parents were both in the military, leading the family to relocate often, moving to Germany and other parts of the world. She attended a performing-arts school in Atlanta, Georgia, during her youth. Ash planned on becoming a doctor, graduating from Emory University, in Atlanta with a degree in pre-medicine, and prepared to attend medical school. However, after a trip to Japan, where she became a backup singer and a runway model, Ash decided to pursue a career in entertainment.


title: Erica Ash

text: In February 2006, Ash landed multiple job opportunities in Broadway shows like "The Lion King" and a two-week job in Germany. After returning from Germany, she successfully auditioned for the cable television comedy show "The Big Gay Sketch Show". Ash was a cast member for only two seasons. While she was a cast member, Ash had to split her time between the first season of the sketch show and "The Lion King". Some of her characters included LaTanya, an uncouth, loudmouthed fitness instructor who teaches classes with a "Chicago-style" twist (i.e. Chicago-style yoga, Chicago-style pilates).


title: Erica Ash

text: Ash joined the cast of "MADtv" in 2008 as a feature performer for the 14th season, along with Matt Braunger, Eric Price, and Lauren Pritchard. She became the fifth African-American female cast member in the show's history (Debra Wilson, Daniele Gaither, Nicole Randall Johnson, and Daheli Hall were the first four). Of the five female African-American cast members, Ash and Hall are the only two who were never promoted to a repertory player. Ash remained a featured member of the "MADtv" cast during the show's 14th and final season on FOX.


title: Erica Ash

text: The following is a brief list of Erica Ash's television and voice acting career projects as compiled by the Internet Movie Database.


title: LoliRock

text: LoliRock is a French animated television series produced by Marathon Media and Zodiak Kids with the participation of France Télévisions and The Walt Disney Company France. It was created by Jean Louis-Vandestoc and written by Madellaine Paxson. It first aired in France on 18 October 2014 on France 3, and has expanded to television channels in Europe. It was also streamed on Netflix. As of 2021, the canceled series streams on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix France and there is no announcement regarding a third season.


title: LoliRock

text: Iris is a sweet fifteen-year-old blonde girl who likes to sing and help others. However, when she sings, strange things happen. Encouraged by her best friend/crush Nathaniel, Iris auditions for a girl rock band, but ends up destroying the room and is later attacked by two strangers (magical twins Praxina and Mephisto). The judges at the audition, Princess Talia and Princess Auriana, come to help her and they explain to her that she is actually a princess herself with mighty magical powers who must save her homeworld and kingdom of Ephedia, from the evil clutches of Lord Gramorr, who has taken it over and turned it to a miserable place. The only way to save her kingdom is to master her new powers and to find the twelve Oracle Gems of the Crown of Ephedia, which have been scattered across the Earth. Over the course of the series, the three girls try to live as both ordinary teenagers as well as stars of the all-female band called "LoliRock" while training Iris to master her abilities and spells in secret and gathering the thirteen mystical oracle gems. But when Gramorr sends Praxina and Mephisto to fight them and summon monsters to cause further chaos, the girls must work together as magical warrior princesses.


title: LoliRock

text: The three girls are joined by two Ephedian girls called Carissa and Lyna who were a part of a group named “the Resistance” with Princess Talia's elder sister as the leader. They also transform into magical warrior princesses but are not part of the rock band. The girls continue gathering Oracle Gems while helping those in need, but Lord Gramorr and the Twins continue to get much stronger and more dangerous as well. When the twelve and last oracle gem is collected, Princess Iris faces the reality of having to say goodbye to her Earth best friend/crush Nathaniel and returning to her home planet Ephedia to be reunited with her parents, the King and Queen of Ephedia. But when Lord Gramorr claims the final gem and is released to unleash his destructive wrath on all of Ephedia, the five girls work together to face him in one final battle. In the struggle between the highly evolved Princess Iris (who has called upon her stronger Shanila form) and Lord Gramorr, however, Mephisto perishes to protect Praxina, which results in a furious and saddened Praxina donning half of her recently departed lord and master's sinister mask to enact her ultimate vengeance on Princess Iris and her best friends by attacking her adopted world of Earth.


title: LoliRock

text: Jean-Louis Vandestoc drew inspiration for "LoliRock" from watching anime in his childhood that was broadcast on the French channels, including "Sherlock Hound", "Space Adventure Cobra", "The Mysterious Cities of Gold" and "Dragon Ball", but his most influential title he watched was "Magical Princess Minky Momo". He wrote "I loved the very core of it: a child transforming into an adult, helping people and making good deeds, the nice chara design, and finally the tone of the show: it could be funny and light, but also dramatic and tearful at other times. My soul was marked forever." After working on French cartoons "Monster Buster Club" and "Rekkit Rabbit" he wanted to make a magical girl show. He chose "Sailor Moon" and "Pretty Cure" as references for the magical girl part, and "Jem and the Holograms" for the music career part.


title: LoliRock

text: The producers at Marathon Media asked designers to draw Iris for a magical girl project as a teenage alien princess with ice/crystal powers. Character designer Bertrand Todesco drew inspiration from Betty Autier, a French fashion blogger of "le blog de betty". She had dark hair and straight bangs, but Todesco figured the producers wanted a blonde girl for a lead, so he went with the look of Jenny Humphrey of the TV series "Gossip Girl", portrayed by Taylor Momsen. The producers also wanted the girls' irises to be star-shaped. Autier's appearance as well as her wardrobe was retained for Talia.


title: LoliRock

text: Following the initial picture, Todesco needed to design a princess/rockstar outfit, of which he chose a green dress worn by Blake Lively. The colour was changed to pink as green was not suitable for merchandising. Todeco added a magical pet creature in the custom of "Sailor Moon", which would later become Amaru. He designed in the hair streaks for when the girls were rock stars, and dresses that weren't so frilly that they would be complicated to draw.


title: LoliRock

text: In designing Talia and the then-named Aurora, Todesco originally started with a black girl and an Asian girl with typical hairstyles, but later changed his mind. He then found inspirations from other "Gossip Girl" characters as well as actresses Amber Stevens West and Ariana Grande, the latter of whom was how she acted in the teen sitcom "Victorious" rather than her current pop singer image. He also referenced Keri Hilson and Alicia Keys. "Victorious" was also the inspiration for some of the key visuals he used in promoting the series to get funding.


title: LoliRock

text: Early promotions of the series pictured the antagonist named Gromar to be an evil uncle of Iris who imprisoned the king and queen, and that he sent his two evil twin nephews to Earth to thwart Lolirock and take the gems. Paxson said that they abandoned the idea as it would have made him more of a stereotype. Todesco originally conceived of antagonists Praxina and Mephisto to have guitar playing sound powers that would counter the girls' singing voice powers but the idea was abandoned. After several iterations, Praxina's final design was approved where she would have a butterfly brooch and motif, while Mephisto's was approved later, after director Jean-Louis had suggested he have a snake motif and a half-covered face. Eventually Gramorr would have the covered face,


title: LoliRock

text: The design for the crystal magic circles and related animation was first done in 2D based on some reference pictures. Different colours and symbols were assigned to each character. It was later created in CGI. Animation tools used include Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe After Effects, and Blender.


title: LoliRock

text: Lyna and Carissa were created in response to a request from the producers when the writing for season 1 was nearing completion. The request was to add two new princesses to increase the member count to five. However, the LoliRock developers thought they already had too many characters so they made Lyna and Carissa supporting characters that were "outside the main gang but always ready and willing to help when needed". The two girls' transformations resemble Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. The designers considered making one of the two girls look Asian to balance out the overall group's look; they applied the look to both girls, and chose Lyna. There was also a concern that Carissa might be confused with Auriana as the show's redhead, they decided to go with giving her an Irish redhead theme anyway.


title: LoliRock

text: "LoliRock" head writer Madellaine Paxson, who had worked on children's shows "Making Fiends", "Power Rangers RPM" as well as the horror film "Blood Punch", described the themes of the show as: friendship and love, magic, singing / music, and good vs. evil. She said the hardest part in writing an episode is the beginning and also in integrating the themes along with a story with a person that needs help. Her favourite scenes from the show were where the princesses are together doing ordinary teenage girl things as they had opportunities for comedy. She summarised the show as having something for everybody, very girly, but good action too. In the press release, Zodiak Kids describe the show as having a "cast of characters that are aspirational role models for a generation of children for whom justice has become a core value". Jean-Louis Vandestoc chose a band concept for the series as it was different from his other shows which involved characters that went to school and then saved the world. The school part was replaced by the girls training or rehearsing for the concert. The developers later commented in their production blog FAQ that Iris was still attending school and that the episodes aren't all during summer vacation.


title: LoliRock

text: According to posts on the production Tumblr, "LoliRock" is classified as somewhere between a script-driven and storyboard-driven show. They started with a full script and then recorded lines with scratch voices or final voices, as re-recording after storyboarding would be costlier. The storyboard is then worked on, and some of the storyboard artists and supervisor adding and changing things they felt were important such as with the kiss scene in the Shanila episode and the Iris becoming a dark princess. Storyboard stage also included fixes for continuity and plot holes.


title: LoliRock

text: The music score was composed and produced by Norbert "Yellowshark" Gilbert, with about 600 tracks over the course of the 52 26-minute episodes. Five recurring songs (including the theme song) were recorded for each season. Due to limited resources in production, the team posted that Iris would be the only one singing on those songs, so they recorded Yasmin Shah in English and then developed the music videos. After realising that it would be unnatural for the other girls to not sing, they designed Iris to have a microphone while the others would just sing along. They considered recording singing for Talia and Auriana but were constrained by budget. Cassandre Berger provided the singing on the French dub. The voices were then mixed. As the dialogue was done later, the voice actors only sang on the incidental bits such as rehearsals.


title: LoliRock

text: The episodes were written and dubbed in English first and then adapted into French. For season 1, the English voices were recorded at Vida Spark Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, while the French voices were recorded at Lylo studios in Paris, France.


title: LoliRock

text: Zodiak Media announced "LoliRock" in April 2013 at the MIPTV event in Cannes, France. Early promotions included the idea of princesses with magical singing voices. The demographic target audience is girls ages 6 to 12, and the group has partnered with France Televisions and Disney Channel France. Marathon Media CEO Vincent Chalvron-Demersay and general manager David Michel said that "LoliRock is a fresh, contemporary take on what it is to be a girl today, infused with music and magical adventures and the all-important notion of justice in today's teenage world. It's a perfect companion piece to "Totally Spies!", which has been so successful in this same space." In comparing the promotion of the show to that of "Totally Spies!", Zodiak senior vice-president Patricia de Wilde said that Zodiak made sure the premise was made clear for the new show.


title: LoliRock

text: The five songs were publicised as music videos on YouTube. Plans were also made to create live-action "LoliRock" bands in various markets, such as Super TV's contest held online and among major cities in Italy. A website was launched with videos, games, and message boards. Promotional toys were also offered at Quick restaurants as well as McDonald's. An app was developed for the music which Zodiak senior vice-president Patricia de Wilde said was a "sort of cross between K-Pop and Katy Perry."


title: LoliRock

text: The show premiered on France 3 on 18 October 2014. running for 13 episodes until March 2015. On 26 January 2016, Zodiak Kids published an article officially announcing that BatteryPOP had acquired AVOD (streaming) rights to LoliRock for one year.


title: LoliRock

text: On 1 April, France Televisions announced the release of episodes on France 4, and Disney France. Zodiak also reported that Italy would launch LoliRock on De Agostini Editore's Super! DTT channel. France 4 began broadcasting the 13 episodes on 4 April 2016. On 1 May, the first season of the series was released on Netflix, in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.


title: LoliRock

text: The "LoliRock" producers pre-released the four episodes of season 2 on YouTube in December 2016. > Netflix released the English dub of the season 2 episodes on 5 January 2017. It was broadcast on France 4 in February with two episodes per weekday.


title: LoliRock

text: In the United States, the show premiered on the streaming service Netflix in 2016 with an English language track and the second season premiered on the service in 2017. In 2020, Amazon's Prime Video service acquired the show.


title: LoliRock

text: Ella Anders of BSC Kids wrote that "LoliRock" "plays it clear as a magical girl series and even nods other iconic shows in the genera" such as "Pretty Cure" and "Sailor Moon", but that it is "grand in its own right and should be held up as a great magical girl series". She liked the diverse cast, plot, humor, and background story, the last of which she had not seen since "", and that it was a type of show she would have loved growing up.


title: LoliRock

text: Heather Newman of "Forbes" magazine described the series as "A French animated series about an impossibly thin, stylish, magical girl who sings."


title: LoliRock

text: Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the series as "fun" and "entertaining." However, she argued that the dual storyline feels "little awkward and forced at times" and if promoting the music of the show is a motivation for these storylines. Even so, she concluded tat the series would "garner some fans among kids."


title: LoliRock

text: When asked whether "LoliRock" would have a cross-over episode with French superhero show "" from Zagtoon, Thomas Astruc, who was the creator and director on "Miraculous" and a storyboarder on "LoliRock", said it was unlikely given they are from two different production companies, but that the animation community is small and that both companies share the same love of animation. He has posted about the two being cousin shows.


title: LoliRock

text: A "LoliRock" video game, available on iOS and Android, was released by Bulkypix in 2014. The game lets players sing to the songs featured on the show, record performances, and customise a sound studio and pick the girls' outfits.


title: LoliRock

text: Zodiak has also worked a deal with publishing company Hachette Jeunesse to create novels, activity books, stationery, and e-books.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: Law enforcement in Japan is provided mainly by the prefectural police departments under the oversight of the National Police Agency. The National Police Agency is administered by the National Public Safety Commission, thus ensuring that Japan's police are an apolitical body and free of direct central government executive control. They are checked by an independent judiciary and monitored by a free and active press.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: There are two types of law enforcement officials in Japan, depending on the underlying provision: Police officers of Prefectural Police Departments (prescribed as under Article 189 of the ), and , dealing with specialized fields with high expertise.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The Japanese government established a European-style civil police system in 1874, under the centralized control of the Police Bureau within the Home Ministry, to put down internal disturbances and maintain order during the Meiji Restoration. By the 1880s, the police had developed into a nationwide instrument of government control, providing support for local leaders and enforcing public morality. They acted as general civil administrators, implementing official policies and thereby facilitating unification and modernization. In rural areas especially, the police had great authority and were accorded the same mixture of fear and respect as the village head. Their increasing involvement in political affairs was one of the foundations of the authoritarian state in Japan in the first half of the twentieth century.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The centralized police system steadily acquired responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of daily life, including fire prevention and mediation of labor disputes. The system regulated public health, business, factories, and construction, and it issued permits and licenses. The Peace Talk Law of 1925 gave police the authority to arrest people for "wrong thoughts". Special Higher Police (Tokko) were created to regulate the content of motion pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns. The Imperial Japanese Army's military police (Kempeitai) and the Imperial Japanese Navy's Tokkeitai, operating under their respective services and the justice and home ministries aided the civilian police in limiting proscribed political activity. After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, military police assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their civilian counterparts. After 1937 police directed business activities for the war effort, mobilized labor, and controlled transportation.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: After Japan's surrender in 1945, occupation authorities in World War II retained the prewar police structure until a new system was implemented and the Diet passed the 1947 Police Law. Contrary to Japanese proposals for a strong, centralized force to deal with postwar unrest, the police system was decentralized. About 1,600 independent municipal forces were established in cities, towns, and villages with 5,000 inhabitants or more, and a National Rural Police was organized by prefecture. Civilian control was to be ensured by placing the police under the jurisdiction of public safety commissions controlled by the National Public Safety Commission in the Office of the Prime Minister. The Home Ministry was abolished and replaced by the less powerful Ministry of Home Affairs, and the police were stripped of their responsibility for fire protection, public health, and other administrative duties.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: When most of the occupation forces were transferred to Korea in 1950–51 with the Korean War, the 75,000 strong National Police Reserve (predecessor of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) was formed outside the Regular police organizations to back up the ordinary police during civil disturbances. And pressure mounted for a centralized system more compatible with Japanese political preferences. The 1947 Police Law was amended in 1951 to allow the municipal police of smaller communities to merge with the National Rural Police. Most chose this arrangement, and by 1954 only about 400 cities, towns, and villages still had their own police forces. Under the 1954 amended Police Law, a final restructuring created an even more centralized system in which local forces were organized by prefectures under a National Police Agency.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The revised Police Law of 1954, still in effect in the 1990s, preserves some strong points of the postwar system, particularly measures ensuring civilian control and political neutrality, while allowing for increased centralization. The National Public Safety Commission system has been retained. State responsibility for maintaining public order has been clarified to include coordination of national and local efforts; centralization of police information, communications, and record keeping facilities; and national standards for training, uniforms, pay, rank, and promotion. Rural and municipal forces were abolished and integrated into prefectural forces, which handled basic police matters. Officials and inspectors in various ministries and agencies continue to exercise special police functions assigned to them in the 1947 Police Law.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: According to statistics of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, among the 192 member states of the UN, and among the countries reporting statistics of criminal and criminal justice, the incidence rate of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, rape and robbery is very low in Japan.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The incarceration rate is very low and Japan ranks 209 out of 223 countries. It has an incarceration rate of 41 per 100,000 people. In 2018 the prison population was 51,805 and 10.8% of prisoners were unsentenced.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: Japan has a very low rate of intentional homicide victims. According to the UNODC it ranks 219 out of 230 countries. It has a rate of just 0.20 per 100,000 inhabitants. There were 306 in 2017.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The number of firearm related deaths is low. The firearm-related death rate was 0.00 homicide (in 2008), 0.04 suicide (in 1999), 0.01 unintentional (in 1999) and 0.01 undetermined (in 1999) per 100,000 people. There's a gun ownership of 0.6 per 100 inhabitants.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The intentional death rate is low for homicides with 0.4 per 100,000 people in 2013. However, the suicide rate is relatively high with 21.7 per 100,000 in 2013.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: Prefectural Police Departments are established for each Prefectures and have full responsibility for regular police duties for their area of responsibility. These Prefectural Police Departments are primarily municipal police with their own police authority, but their activities are coordinated by National Police Agency and National Public Safety Commission. As of 2017, the total strength of the police reached approximately 296,700 personnel, including 262,500 police officers, 900 Imperial guards and 33,200 civilian staff. Nationwide, there are approximately 23,400 female police officers and 13,000 female civilian staff.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: As the central coordinating body for the entire police system, the National Police Agency determines general standards and policies; detailed direction of operations is left to the lower echelons. In a national emergency or large-scale disaster, the agency is authorized to take command of prefectural police forces. In 1989, the agency was composed of about 1,100 national civil servants, empowered to collect information and to formulate and execute national policies. The agency is headed by a Commissioner General who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission with the approval of the Prime Minister.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The Central Office includes the Secretariat, with divisions for general operations, planning, information, finance, management, and procurement and distribution of police equipment, and five bureaus. The citizen oversight is provided by the National Public Safety Commission.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: As of 2017, the NPA has a strength of 7,800 personnel: 2,100 police officers, 900 Imperial guards and 4,800 civilian staff.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: All operational police units are organized into Prefectural Police Headquarters for each Prefectures. Each Prefectural Police Departments are composed of Prefectural Public Safety Commission, police authority, and Police Headquarters, operational units.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The Prefectural Police Department of Tokyo is specifically referred to as the . The Hokkaido Prefectural Police Department is known as . For Ōsaka and Kyōto, they're known as and are distinguished from other . The total strength of the prefectural police is approximately 288,000 personnel: 260,400 police officers and 28,400 civilian staff.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The NPA Commissioner General holds the highest position of the Japanese police. His title is not a rank, but rather denotes his position as head of the NPA. On the other hand, the MPD Superintendent General represents not only the highest rank in the system but also assignment as head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: Police officers whose rank are higher than are salaried by the National budget even if they belong to local police departments. Designation and dismissal of these high-rank officers are delegated to National Public Safety Commission.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The superintendent general which is highest police rank is only in Tokyo outside of it senior commissioner is the highest rank and chief outside of Tokyo, Prefecture police headquarters are commanded by Chief or director general(hunbocho).


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: There are several thousands of public security officials attached to various agencies. They are responsible for such matters as forest preservation, narcotics control, fishery inspection, and enforcement of regulations on maritime, labor, and mine safety. In the , a salary table for including judicial police officials is stipulated.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law of 1958 strictly regulates the civilian ownership of guns, swords and other weaponry. The law states that "No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords" and there are few exceptions.


title: Law enforcement in Japan

text: Japan has strict regulations on medical and recreational drugs. Importing or using any type of narcotics is illegal and there is generally no leniency. For example the possession of cannabis has a jail sentence of up to five years for the first offense. There are no exceptions for celebrities; if a celebrity is caught then their products are removed from stores and it could bring an end to their career. Authorities can detain a suspect for up to three weeks without charges. Solitary confinement is common and you only get access to a lawyer. It is illegal to have prescription drugs mailed to you, and only designated parties in Japan are allowed to import them. If someone intends to bring more than one month of prescription medication, cosmetics or medical devices into Japan, he or she is required to obtain import certification called "Yakkan Shoumei" (薬監証明).


title: Robert Colbert

text: Robert Colbert is an American actor most noted for his leading role portraying Dr. Doug Phillips on the ABC television series "The Time Tunnel" and his two appearances as Brent Maverick, a third Maverick brother in the ABC/Warner Brothers western "Maverick" starring James Garner as Bret, Jack Kelly as Bart, Roger Moore as cousin Beau, and Colbert. His last name was pronounced, at least by the "Maverick" announcer, phonetically as opposed to the French pronunciation of Claudette Colbert and Stephen Colbert.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert began acting when he was a soldier based on the Japanese island of Okinawa. He was a clerk typist with a Military Police unit and also worked as a disc jockey for radio station KSBK in the evenings. A woman in Air Force Special Services heard his voice and recruited him to act in a performance of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial". He gained acting experience with the Portland (Oregon) Repertory Theater.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert appeared in a number of minor films, including "Have Rocket, Will Travel" with the Three Stooges. He was signed to a contract with Warner Bros. and subsequently cast in the feature film "A Fever in the Blood" (1961) with Jack Kelly and Efrem Zimbalist Jr., along with many guest appearances on Warner Brothers Television series.


title: Robert Colbert

text: In 1960, he appeared in three episodes of the ABC/WB western, "Colt .45" with Wayde Preston, including the episode "Showdown at Goldtown". Colbert plays Johnny Moore, a young ex-convict. Colbert also appeared as Bill Mannix in another 1960 "Colt .45" episode, "Strange Encounter."


title: Robert Colbert

text: On October 28, 1960, Colbert was cast as Army Corporal Howie Burch in the episode "Two Trails to Santa Fe" of the ABC/WB western series "Cheyenne" starring Clint Walker.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert's first appearance in "Maverick" was in the fourth season, in "Hadley's Hunters," playing a character called "Cherokee" Dan Evans, an episode featuring many cameos by the lead actors in other Warner Bros. Western series playing their usual roles: Will Hutchins as "Sugarfoot", Ty Hardin as "Bronco", Clint Walker as "Cheyenne", and John Russell and Peter Brown from "Lawman". Colbert wore a black hat on the back of his head during the episode, the way James Garner's character had in earlier seasons (Garner and Colbert resembled each other extremely closely). Later that same season, in 1961, Colbert was forced by Warner Bros. to wear the whole costume, dressed exactly as look-alike Garner had in Garner's earlier role of Bret Maverick to play a new series regular called Brent Maverick. Thinking of the inevitable comparisons to Garner that were bound to ensue, Colbert said to his bosses, "Put me in a dress and call me Brenda, but don't do this to me!" Garner had been a huge success in the role and was in the process of moving into a much-anticipated theatrical movie career in the wake of winning a contentious lawsuit with Warner Bros. Colbert played his part in two episodes and was not called back for the following season since the studio, facing a steep ratings decline after the departures of writer/producer Roy Huggins and star Garner, agreed to alternate new episodes featuring only Bret and Brent's brother Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) with reruns from earlier seasons starring Garner during the series' fifth and final season. Colbert, whose only two episodes as Brent Maverick were "The Forbidden City" and "Benefit of Doubt," had never received enough screen time to see if he could have eventually succeeded in bolstering the ratings.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Before Roger Moore, who played Bart's cousin Beau Maverick, left "Maverick" during the same season in which Colbert appeared, the studio shot numerous publicity photographs of Colbert, Kelly and Moore cavorting in costume together that are readily accessible on Google Images; the rights to many of the pictures are currently owned by Getty Images. By the time Colbert's two episodes were telecast, however, Moore had already quit the show and Moore and Colbert never appeared together in the series itself. James Garner reminisced in his Archive of American Television interview that the studio lit Colbert darkly as well as dressing him like Garner in an attempt to mislead the public that Garner had returned but that when Colbert spoke, the audience realized that it wasn't Garner. A viewing of the episodes themselves, however, reveals that Garner was mistaken about this and that Colbert was lit normally during his shows although he was certainly dressed precisely as Garner had been earlier in the series.


title: Robert Colbert

text: In 1962 Colbert appeared as Miles Kroeger on the TV western "The Virginian" on the episode titled "Impasse." In 1962, Colbert played Lonzo Green in the episode "Footlights" of the ABC/WB crime drama, "The Roaring 20s." Moreover, he guest starred on most of the ABC/WB series, including "77 Sunset Strip" and "Hawaiian Eye" (seven times each), "Bronco" (six times), "Bourbon Street Beat" (three times), "Sugarfoot", "The Alaskans" with Roger Moore, and "Surfside 6" (twice each), and "Cheyenne" and "Lawman", once each.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Because of a business issue resulting from a restaurant investment, Colbert requested that Warner Bros. Television head Bill Orr release him from his Warners contract.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Throughout the early 1960s Colbert guest starred in a variety of popular television series including a trip back to Warners to appear in a 1964 episode of "77 Sunset Strip". He was also cast as Andy Carter, a pioneer who retrieves for sale cast-off items from wagon trains in the 1964 episode, "A Bargain Is for Keeping", on the syndicated television anthology series titled "Death Valley Days" hosted by future President Ronald Reagan. Colbert made an unsuccessful 1964 television pilot for MGM Television playing the title role of "The Mayor". In 1965, he made two guest appearances on "Perry Mason" as Deputy District Attorney Snell; first in "The Case of the Grinning Gorilla", then in "The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner".


title: Robert Colbert

text: That same year, Colbert guest-starred in an episode of "Bonanza", ""The" Meredith Smith", in which he appeared dressed almost exactly as he had as Brent Maverick only in full color with a bright blue hatband. In the episode he portrays a man called Ace Jones, who claims to be Meredith Smith, the heir of a large estate.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert's agent arranged a meeting with Irwin Allen. In 1966–1967, Colbert played the part of Doug Phillips in thirty episodes of the Irwin Allen science fiction ABC series, "The Time Tunnel", the second lead in a show about two time travelers. James Darren and Lee Meriwether starred with Colbert. Historical events like the Alamo, the "Titanic", Krakatoa, and Custer's last stand were fictionalized. Colbert later starred in a 1970 unsuccessful television pilot for Allen entitled "City Beneath the Sea" that was shown as a television movie.


title: Robert Colbert

text: In 1969, he was a guest star in an episode of "Mannix", "Who is Sylvia" (season 3, episode 19) where he plays an old friend of Mannix, Phil, whose wife is victim of several murder attempts. He was also a guest star in another episode of "Mannix", "Duet for Three" (season 4, episode 13) where he plays Vic Stanley, whose friend Mart committed suicide in Hong Kong. Also in 1969, Colbert appeared in an episode of "That Girl", "Fly Me To The Moon" (season 3, episode 23) as Air Force Reserve Major Brian James.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert also appeared as the character Stuart Brooks on the television soap opera, "The Young and the Restless", from March 1973 to March 1983, being honored at the show's tenth anniversary.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Also, in 1973, he made a brief appearance in the "Mannix" episode, "Little Girl Lost" (season 7, episode 4), where he appeared as the victim of a murder.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert was married to dancer/songwriter Dotty Harmony in 1961 for 15 years. Harmony wrote for Metric Music with Sharon Sheeley and had songs recorded by Rick Nelson. They have two children, Cami and Clay. Cami is married to filmmaker Jon Freeman (Flesh Wound Films), who produces the highly successful "Crusty Demon" series of DVDs.


title: Robert Colbert

text: Colbert is retired, though he still makes occasional cameo appearances, takes part in science fiction conventions and Western conventions all across America, and participates in celebrity golf tournaments for fundraising events.


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: Once Upon a Time is the seventh studio album by Scottish pop rock band Simple Minds, released in October 1985 by record label Virgin (A&M in the US).


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: The album paired the group with music producer Jimmy Iovine. He had worked with artists featuring an aggressive guitar-based sound, including singer-songwriters Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Nicks, and he brought that approach to the band. Iovine particularly pushed frontman Jim Kerr, aiming for more energetic vocals.


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: Although already successful in their native U.K. and various countries in Europe and Oceania, Simple Minds had also recently become popular in the U.S., mainly due to the Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff-penned "Don't You (Forget About Me)". That track appeared on "The Breakfast Club" soundtrack and had become a #1 hit there. However, the band deliberately left the track off the album due to their reluctance to record it. Still, the bombastic pop rock sound proved influential in the construction of much of "Once Upon a Time", particularly the arena-friendly single "Alive and Kicking". "Once Upon a Time" also shared many influences with their previous studio album, "Sparkle in the Rain", which explored a similar songwriting style.


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: Released on 21 October 1985 by record label Virgin (A&M in the US), "Once Upon a Time" topped the UK charts, and peaked at No. 10 on the US charts, spending five consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of "Billboard" and 16 weeks in the Top 20.


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: Four singles were taken from the album: "Alive and Kicking" (UK No. 7, US No. 3), "All the Things She Said" (UK No. 9, US No. 28), "Sanctify Yourself" (UK No. 10, US No. 14), and "Ghost Dancing" (UK No. 13).


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: Music critic MacKenzie Wilson has retrospectively praised the album for AllMusic, stating that it provided listeners with a "raw energy and solid composition not entirely captured on previous albums." He also particularly lauded singles "Alive and Kicking" and "Sanctify Yourself."


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: "Once Upon a Time" was available with two covers upon its original LP release. The alternate cover uses the back image for the front and vice versa. It also moves the Simple Minds logo to the right of the cover. The two cover images fit together when placed side by side or above each other, and the release of the album in British record shops saw the two covers placed in a grid, alternating like the two colours on a chessboard. The album cover was standardised for the original CD release and this version has since been used for the various reissues of the album. A collectable picture disc LP was also produced. Housed in a luxury gatefold die-cut sleeve, the record featured the mottled gold effect of the sleeve. A unique lyrics sheet was also packaged in the gatefold. A magnetic jigsaw puzzle was also produced by Virgin Records to promote the album.


title: Once Upon a Time (Simple Minds album)

text: The album has been re-released in remastered form on several occasions, most recently in 2015. Virgin Records reissued the album as a remastered edition in 2002 (cardboard vinyl replica edition) and early 2003 (jewel-case). It was released on SACD in 2003. In 2005, Virgin released another reissue of the album: a DVD-Audio version (actually, the disc bears a DVD-Audio/Video logo), which is notable for being a completely remixed album. All the tracks were remixed in 5.1 surround sound, and additionally, a downmixed 2.0 stereo version was created for compatibility with non-surround DVD-Audio set-ups. The tracks on the remixed album differ in length in comparison to the original version. In most cases, they are longer than in the original mix. All the tracks on the remixed album contain material that has frequencies above the CD-Audio cut-off frequency, reaching beyond 30 kHz (a tribute to the original analogue multi-track tapes, and to the producers). In 2012, the original 8-track album was included in the box set "5 Album Set", which also included four other Simple Minds albums: "Sons and Fascination", "New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)", "Sparkle in the Rain" and "Street Fighting Years". On 4 December 2015, multiple formats of the album were re-issued as Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions, including a Deluxe double CD digipack and a Super Deluxe 5 CD / 1 DVD boxset.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: The Bad Beginning is the first novel of the children's novel series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket. The novel tells the story of three children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, who become orphans following a fire and are sent to live with Count Olaf, who attempts to steal their inheritance.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: The book was published on September 30, 1999, by Scholastic Inc. and illustrated by Brett Helquist. An audiobook was released in 2003 with narration by Tim Curry, several special editions of the book have been made and the book has been translated into many different languages. There is a movie based on the series starring Jim Carrey and a Netflix TV mini-series starring Neil Patrick Harris.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: Violet Baudelaire is fourteen years old and loves creating amazing inventions; Klaus Baudelaire is twelve and an obsessive reader; Sunny Baudelaire is a baby and has four surprisingly large and sharp buck teeth, with which she loves to bite. While they are at Briny Beach, the children are told by a family friend, Mr. Poe, that their parents have died in a fire that destroyed their home. They are placed in the care of Count Olaf, said to be a distant relative although the children have never heard of him before. Olaf's ramshackle house is filthy and covered in disconcerting eye images; it has a tower which the Baudelaires are forbidden from entering. Count Olaf is unpleasant, easily angered, and forces the children to perform odious chores. It becomes clear that Count Olaf is scheming to collect the Baudelaire's fortune. The only solace the children find is spending time with their neighbor, Justice Strauss.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: For the next few days, Olaf keeps the Baudelaires busy by forcing them to clean his house. The Baudelaires disagree but do not dare to object. One day, the Baudelaires are set the task of making dinner for Olaf and his theatre troupe. They make puttanesca, but when Olaf arrives, he demands roast beef. The children remind him that he never asked them to make roast beef, and Olaf becomes angry, lifting Sunny into the air, and striking Klaus across the face after Klaus tells everyone Count Olaf has given them only one bed and a pile of rocks for the three of them to sleep on and to play with.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: After a few days, Olaf forces the Baudelaires to participate in a play written by "Al Funcoot" called "The Marvelous Marriage.", forcing Violet to play the role of his bride. After smuggling a book from Strauss's library, Klaus realises that the marriage in the play will be legally binding, meaning Olaf will gain control of their fortune. He confronts Olaf, who has one of his associates put Sunny in a birdcage, dangling from outside the window of his tower. He threatens to kill her if Klaus and Violet do not follow his plan. Violet constructs a makeshift grappling hook and uses it to climb the tower. She finds the hook-handed man (a member of Olaf's theatre troupe) waiting to capture her. Klaus is brought up to the tower and they are locked together in the room until the play begins.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: After Violet signs the marriage document, Olaf interrupts to tell the audience that their wedding was legally binding. Justice Strauss and Mr. Poe both object, but concede that the law requires them to hand over the Baudelaire fortune to Olaf. Violet interrupts to proclaim that the marriage was not legally binding, as she signed with her left hand despite being right-handed and the wording is 'own hand'. Justice Strauss agrees that this invalidates the marriage. Before Olaf can be arrested for locking up Sunny, one of his associates turns the lights in the theatre off and he is able to escape. Justice Strauss tells the Baudelaires that she is willing to adopt them; however, Mr. Poe says that this would go against their parents' will, as Justice Strauss is not their relative. He takes them back to his household until he can find another guardian for them.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: In the last picture of "The Bad Beginning", a snake is curled around a lamppost, foreshadowing the snakes in "The Reptile Room".


title: The Bad Beginning

text: In 2012, "School Library Journal" named "The Bad Beginning" the 48th best children's novel. "Kirkus Reviews" noted the uncomfortably macabre tone of the novel, warning that because "the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters", the novel is "not for the squeamish". Catherine Pelosi of "Kids' Book Review" responded positively to "The Bad Beginning", describing it as "exciting, humorous and appropriately dark".


title: The Bad Beginning

text: "The Bad Beginning: Rare Edition" () was published by HarperCollins on September 23, 2003. In addition to a box, new cover, and additional illustrations, this edition contains a fourteenth chapter filled with author's notes, many of which foreshadow later events in the series or provide excessively detailed information about the events in "The Bad Beginning" itself.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: "The Bad Beginning; or, Orphans!" is a paperback edition of "The Bad Beginning" designed to mimic a Victorian penny dreadful. It was released on May 8, 2007. The book features a new full-color cover, seven new illustrations, and the first part of a serial supplement entitled "The Cornucopian Cavalcade", which in this edition includes the first of 13-part comic entitled "The Spoily Brats" along with a page of Victorian-era false advertisements, both produced by Michael Kupperman; an advice column written by Lemony Snicket along with a page listing every entry in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (some of which are fictional); the first part of a story entitled "Q: A Psychic pstory of the psupernatural" by Stephen Leacock.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: Two more editions of "The Bad Beginning" were published by Egmont Publishing on October 1, 2003—"The Bad Beginning: Special Edition" () and "The Bad Beginning: Limited Edition" (). They come in a larger format and contain three plates of color artwork that are redrawn from the original edition of the book and two plates of new color artwork. The "Limited Edition" is bound in leather and contained within a box, similar to the "", and each copy was signed by Daniel Handler. There is also a new "Short-Lived Edition", released for general sale on June 14, 2012.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: Two audiobook versions of this novel were released. The first version was released in September 2003. It was read by Tim Curry and featured Daniel Handler, under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket, who read a portion, "A Conversation Between the Author and Leonard S. Marcus", which won an "Earphones Award" on "AudioFile", which described the audiobook as "fabulously funny" and complimented the conversation involving Handler.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: The second version was released in October 2004, after the release of the film, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events". This multi-voice cast audio book was narrated by Tim Curry and featured Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, and Jude Law. This version also included sound effects and a soundtrack. This edition of "The Bad Beginning" was an Audie Awards finalist for Children's Titles for Ages 8+ in 2005, and a Grammy Award Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2005. "AudioFile" gave the audiobook a positive review, although stated that "the cast of seven at first sound self-consciously formal until one realizes that the acting is supposed to be as mannered as the clever writing".


title: The Bad Beginning

text: The book was adapted into the first two episodes of the first season of the television series adaptation produced by Netflix.


title: The Bad Beginning

text: Elements of "The Bad Beginning" were featured in the 2004 film adaptation of the first three books in the series, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events".


title: Skylarking

text: Skylarking is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life. The title refers to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". It became one of XTC's best-known albums and is generally regarded as their finest work.


title: Skylarking

text: Like XTC's previous Dukes of Stratosphear side project, "Skylarking" was heavily influenced by the music of the 1960s. Most of its recording was at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York. Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing the band with orchestral arrangements and an assortment of gear. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and bandleader Andy Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details. In 2010, it was discovered that a wiring error made during the mastering process caused the album to have a "thin" sound. The problem was corrected on subsequent remasters.


title: Skylarking

text: Upon release, "Skylarking" was met with indifference in the UK, rising in the album charts to number 90, while both of its lead singles "Grass" (backed with "Dear God") and "The Meeting Place" peaked at number 100. Early sales of the album were hampered by the omission of "Dear God" from the album's original pressings. In the US, the song became a college radio hit, causing US distributor Geffen Records to recall and repress "Skylarking" with the track included, and propelling the album to number 70. Following the song's growth in popularity, it was the subject of controversy in the US, inspiring many angry phone calls to radio stations and at least one bomb threat. "Skylarking" was later listed on "100 greatest albums of the 1980s" lists by "Rolling Stone" in 1989 and "Pitchfork" in 2002.


title: Skylarking

text: In the 1980s, XTC underwent a gradual transition in their sound and image. Their albums became increasingly complex, and after frontman and songwriter Andy Partridge suffered a panic attack before a concert, the band ceased touring. In 1984, they released "The Big Express", which sold poorly and attracted little critical notice. According to Partridge, the group's psychedelic influences had begun "leaking out" through the use of Mellotron, phasing, and "backwards so-and-so". They followed up with the British-only mini-album "25 O'Clock", released on April Fools' Day 1985 and credited under the pseudonym "the Dukes of Stratosphear". The album was a more explicit homage to 1960s psychedelia that outsold "The Big Express", even before the Dukes were revealed to be XTC. Partridge remembered: "That was a bit upsetting to think that people preferred these pretend personalities to our own personalities ... they're trying to tell us something."


title: Skylarking

text: During a routine meeting in early 1986, Virgin Records executives threatened to drop the band from the label if their next album failed to sell more than 70,000 units. One reason why the group was not selling enough records, the label reportedly concluded, was that they sounded "too English". As was the case for their other records, the label refused to allow the band to act as their own producers, even though Partridge was already established as a producer of other artists. The group were given a list of American producers and the only name they recognized was Todd Rundgren's. To Virgin, he appeared to be ideal for XTC, as he had a reputation for completing troubled projects on schedule and under budget, such as Badfinger's "Straight Up" (1971) and Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell" (1977). XTC was a rare example, he said, "where I was both familiar with the band's previous work and unnecessary as a 'songcraft' agitator." He had also attended one of XTC shows in Chicago during their 1980 "Black Sea" tour.


title: Skylarking

text: Guitarist Dave Gregory was a fan of Rundgren's music, particularly since hearing the 1978 album "Hermit of Mink Hollow". His bandmates were not as familiar with the producer. For bassist Colin Moulding, "I'd seen him on stage, on TV, with his Utopia stuff, and I thought it was way over the bastard top ... Then Dave started playing me one or two things. I heard 'I Saw the Light," and I thought, 'Christ, that's a really good song!' I didn't know he had that side to him. All that Partridge knew about Rundgren was his solo album "Something/Anything?" (1972). Gregory urged the group to work with him: "I reminded Andy that Todd had produced one of his favourite New York Dolls records ["New York Dolls", 1973]. In the absence of any better alternatives, he agreed." Once contacted, Rundgren offered to handle the album's entire recording for a lump sum of $150,000—including tape costs, studio hire, lodging, and his production fee—which the band accepted.


title: Skylarking

text: In January 1986, Partridge and Moulding mailed Rundgren a collection of more than 20 demo tapes they had stockpiled in advance of the album. Rundgren convinced the band that the songs they had written could form a concept album as a way to bridge what he described "Colin's 'pastoral' tunes and subject matter and Andy's 'pop anthems' and sly poetry." He also suggested a provisional title, "Day Passes", and said that the album


title: Skylarking

text: The chosen songs were of a gentler atmosphere and relations were drawn between tempo, key, and subject matter. Partridge thought well of the selections, but was annoyed that the tracks and running order were determined so early on in the process, remarking that "you hadn't spoken to the bloke for three minutes, and he'd already been hacking and throwing your work in the bin". Working titles included "All Day Life", "Rite", "Rite Things", "Leftover Rites", "Summer Good", and "Pink Things Sing". They settled on "Skylarking", referring to a type of bird (skylark) and the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". Partridge commented that the album espoused the feeling of "a playfully sexual hot summer ... It's just about summer and being out in the open and discovering sex in a stumbly, teenage way."


title: Skylarking

text: Similar to "25 O'Clock", the music was heavily influenced by the 1960s psychedelic era. However, "Skylarking" contrasted significantly from earlier XTC efforts. As music critic A.D. Amorosi wrote, "More lyrically mature, lush and gently psychedelic than anything before in their catalog, "Skylarking" borrowed the hilly, holy feel of "Mummer", as well as the ringing Beatles-ish vibe from ... "The Big Express", but with a softly sweeping gracefulness and a finessed orchestral swirl. It has been variously described as an album of art rock, art pop, new wave, psychedelic pop, psychedelic rock, neo-psychedelia, post-punk, and chamber pop.


title: Skylarking

text: Partridge surmised that the lyric content of XTC songs became more worldly as result of his "coming off—rather abruptly—of 13 years of valium addiction". He had also recently become a father and began listening to numerous Beach Boys albums, before which he had only been familiar with their singles. Moulding had recently listened to Pink Floyd's 1967 debut "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" for the first time and was influenced by Syd Barrett's "free-form" songwriting style. The number of Moulding songs (five) was also unusual for the band. Partridge: "I was already feeling sort of pushed out by Virgin. ... But, honestly, that was the best batch of material that Colin had ever offered up for". Moulding: "Todd chose the songs. I know for a fact that, had he not, my contribution in number would have been decidedly less. I was just grateful that the band had an independent arbiter."


title: Skylarking

text: The collaboration with Rundgren proved to be difficult, especially for Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, song selections, and other details. Partridge characterised Rundgren's musical preferences as "completely contradictory to mine", for instance, suggesting a fuzz guitar overdub where Rundgren wanted a mandolin. Moulding acknowledged that, until then, it was typical for Partridge to act as an "executive producer" for XTC's albums, frequently undermining the authority of the actual credited producer. According to Rundgren: "Essentially, it was kind of preordained by me what the record was going to be, which was something they never endured before. I think [Colin and Dave] trusted me, but Andy never did." Gregory intimated that "Todd and Andy were like chalk and cheese as personalities, they didn't hit it off from the start. Things just went from bad to worse."


title: Skylarking

text: Partridge was satisfied with Rundgren's arrangements but frustrated with the producer's "patronizing" and "so bloody sarcastic" remarks during sessions. As he remembered, "[Todd would] ask how you were going to do the vocals and you would stand in front of the mic and do one run through to clear your throat and he'd say, 'That was crap. I'll come down and I'll record me singing it and you can have me in your headphones to sing along to.'." Another line he recalled was: "You can dick around with [the track] for a few hours your way if you like. I'm going up to my house. When you find out it doesn't work your way, give me a call and we'll record it my way." He believed that the producer's role was "to keep us in line", however, and that Rundgren was successful in that respect. On the extent of the altercations, Rundgren said "there was the moment Andy said he wanted to cleave my head in half with an axe. But there was never anything physical. Just verbal abuse." Gregory stated that he was "quite happy to be directed by Todd instead of Andy." He thought that Rundgren "deliberately belittle[d Andy] if he thought he was getting too big for his boots. Andy rose to the bait every time." Moulding did not have "any problem with Todd", instead feeling that Partridge was "so unhappy and taking it out, a little bit, on me."


title: Skylarking

text: Rundgren had listened to "The Big Express" and concluded that the group had "lost track" of their studio indulgences. His style of embracing technical mistakes without allowing the members a chance to fix them was also a source of contention. Partridge often stated that this was because Rundgren wanted to spend as little money as possible, while Moulding said: "I don't believe that was the only reason. You could tell, that was his working method. He liked to do it because he's of the opinion -- and I think I am as well -- that the best take is where the band is running through while the engineer's trying to get a sound! That's the take that should be recorded, you know." At times when Partridge wanted to improve some part of the music, Rundgren would respond saying "Andy, it won't necessarily be 'better' – it'll just be different."


title: Skylarking

text: The band routinely played the theme from "The Munsters" whenever they could see Rundgren arriving to the studio. According to Partridge, Rundgren never realized the joke was at his resemblance to Herman Munster. In spite of all the difficulties, Rundgren said the album "ultimately ... sounds like we were having a great time doing it. And at times we "were" having a good time." Based on the stories written about "Skylarking", Partridge became known for being difficult to work with. Initially, he considered that he may have been wrong in his perception of the sessions. He later consulted with other artists who worked with Rundgren, only to find that "nine times out of ten they’ll say, 'Fuckin' hell, he was like that with us!'" After an argument about a bass part, Moulding stipulated that Partridge be banned from the studio while he finished recording his parts. In 1997, Moulding called it the "only real argument" between him and Partridge in the band's history.