title: Cliff Lee

text: Had he not lost his last start of the year, he would have become the first (and to date, only), pitcher ever with at least a .900 winning percentage, and at least 20 wins in a season. Ie…the first 20-game winner, to also lose fewer than three games. With a 22–3 record and 2.54 ERA in 31 starts, including four complete games and two shutouts, as well as 170 strikeouts in innings, Lee capped off the 2008 season with a number of awards. First, the Indians gave him both the BBWAA Man of the Year Award and the Gordon Cobbledick Golden Tomahawk Award. After the "Sporting News" named Lee their AL Pitcher of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year, he also picked up Players Choice Awards for both Outstanding Pitcher and Comeback Player. MLB also awarded Lee with their Comeback Player of the Year award for going from a 6.29 to a 2.54 ERA between 2007 and 2008. Finally, on November 13, Lee received the AL Cy Young Award, following C. C. Sabathia as the second Indians left-hander in a row to take home the award.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Following his Cy Young-winning year, as well as the offseason departure of Sabathia, Lee entered the 2009 MLB season as Cleveland's ace, anchoring a rotation that also included Fausto Carmona, free-agent newcomer Carl Pavano, and rookies Scott Lewis and Anthony Reyes. There was some concern about Lee's spring-training performance, during which he allowed 46 hits in innings for a 12.46 ERA. His struggles continued into the opening-day game against the Texas Rangers, when Lee allowed seven runs in five innings of a 9–1 loss. His wins with Cleveland came on roughly a monthly basis: April 16 against the Yankees, May 13 against the Chicago White Sox, June 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals, and July 16 against the Seattle Mariners. Most of Lee's difficulties came not from his own pitching, but from poor run support: in 11 of his first 20 starts for the season, the Indians scored three or fewer runs. In his June 14 start, Lee carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Yadier Molina recorded a double. He made 22 starts for the Indians in 2009, during which he went 7–9 with a 3.14 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 152 innings.


title: Cliff Lee

text: On July 29, two days before the MLB trading deadline, the Indians traded Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for four prospects: Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Lou Marson, and Jason Donald. The Phillies had previously attempted to trade for Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, but were unwilling to part with the players that Toronto was asking for in return. In his first start for his new team, Lee carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with a complete-game 5–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Although he was dominant in his first five starts, taking the win in all and dropping his ERA down to 0.68, Lee struggled through his next seven appearances with Philadelphia, going 2–4 with a 6.13 ERA. Lee finished out the regular season with 12 National League (NL) appearances, including three complete games, during which he went 7–4 with a 3.39 ERA and 74 strikeouts in innings.


title: Cliff Lee

text: The Phillies clinched their third consecutive NL East title and playoff berth on September 30 with a 10–3 victory over the Houston Astros. Lee was selected over fellow ace Cole Hamels to start Game 1 of the 2009 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched a six-hit complete game in the 5–1 victory, striking out five, walking none, and getting a hit of his own. Lee got the start again in Game 4 for a rematch against Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez. Although Lee pitched innings, he was pulled in favor of Ryan Madson with the score 2–1 after a walk and an error put Dexter Fowler in scoring position. Madson allowed three runs but was credited with the win following a late-game Philadelphia rally. The Phillies won 5–4 to advance to the NL Championship Series (NLCS), where they faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies took Game 3 11–0 behind a standout performance from Lee, who went eight innings without issuing a run or walk and allowed only three hits. By the time the Phillies clinched their second consecutive appearance in the World Series, Lee had a 0.74 ERA through innings in the first three postseason starts of his career.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee opened the 2009 World Series with a matchup against his former teammate, C. C. Sabathia, who was now playing with the New York Yankees. He was nearly late to the game, with his taxi stuck in New York City traffic, and ended up taking the New York City Subway to Yankee Stadium, whereupon he allowed six hits and one unearned run in a 10-strikeout complete game that the Phillies won 6–1. His feat lowered his postseason ERA to 0.54, dropping below Mariano Rivera's 0.77 record, and Lee became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 10 batters while issuing no walks or earned runs in a World Series game. Lee took the win again in Game 5, outpitching A. J. Burnett, who lasted only two innings, but ran into struggles of his own by giving up five runs in seven innings of the Phillies' 8–6 win. The Phillies battled the Yankees to six games, but ultimately lost in a 7–3 rout.


title: Cliff Lee

text: On December 16, 2009, the Phillies traded Lee to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for three prospects: right-handed pitchers Phillippe Aumont and J. C. Ramírez, and outfielder Tyson Gillies. The Mariners had devoted their offseason to acquiring a strong starting pitcher, and had initially pursued Rich Harden, who was acquired as a free agent by the Texas Rangers. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. offered to trade Lee to Seattle if he and the Phillies could successfully acquire Halladay from the Blue Jays. Lee was taken by surprise upon hearing of the trade, which had occurred amidst talks of a contract extension with the Phillies, but said he understood why Philadelphia would take "an opportunity to get the best pitcher in baseball" instead. The Halladay—Lee switch was the first time in MLB history that two Cy Young-winning pitchers had been traded on the same day. That February, Lee underwent foot surgery to remove a bone spur that had broken loose. The surgery was considered minor, and Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik expressed confidence that it would not impede Lee's preparation for the upcoming season.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee's notorious short temper appeared to return during spring training, when he was suspended for five regular-season games after throwing a fastball over the head of opposing pitcher Chris Snyder during an exhibition game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 15. Zduriencik told reporters that he expected Lee, who the Mariners intended to pair with ace Felix Hernandez at the top of the starting rotation, would appeal the decision. Upon appeal, the suspension and fine were rescinded on April 21, with Lee and the Mariners' head athletic trainer successfully arguing that the throw was not intentional. Rather, Lee's recovery from foot surgery, as well as the abdominal strain that he had suffered earlier in the game during a collision with Snyder, had caused Lee to throw a wild pitch. Lee had been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the abdominal strain on April 4, retroactive to March 26, causing him to miss the start of the 2010 MLB season. He returned to the mound on April 30, 2010, earning a no decision by striking out eight Rangers in seven innings. The game went into extra innings before Elvis Andrus scored on a wild pitch from Mariners reliever Brandon League, allowing Texas to take the game 2–0 in the 12th inning. Lee's first win with the Mariners came on May 11, when he allowed one run in innings of a 5–1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee proved an overall success in Seattle, posting an 8–3 record and 2.34 ERA in 13 starts, as well as 0.5 walks per nine innings. His longevity on the mound proved to be a particular asset; on June 30, with a 7–4 defeat of the New York Yankees, Lee pitched his third complete game in a row. He was the first MLB pitcher to do so since his former teammate C. C. Sabathia in 2008, and the first Mariner since Randy Johnson in 1998. That month, he received his second career AL Pitcher of the Month title. Despite his prowess on the mound, Seattle quickly fell behind in the AL West. By June 18, the Mariners were 16 games under .500 and games behind in the pennant race.


title: Cliff Lee

text: As the Mariners' season broke down, with the team 13 games behind in the AL West by mid-June, Lee became an acquisition target for multiple teams trying to improve their starting pitching before the MLB trading deadline. The New York Yankees were in talks to acquire Lee by sending catcher Jesus Montero, second baseman David Adams, and pitching prospect Zach McAllister to Seattle. The deal fell through, however, after Adams suffered a sprained ankle. The Mariners used the injury to attempt to restructure the trade package, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman refused, effectively killing the trade. On July 9, 2010, the same day negotiations fell through with the Yankees, the Texas Rangers reached an agreement to trade first baseman Justin Smoak, prospects Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Matthew Lawson, and $2.25 million to Seattle in exchange for Lee.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Although Lee had been selected to appear in the 2010 MLB All-Star Game with the Mariners, the timing of his trade meant that he represented the Rangers when he pitched for the AL team on July 13, retiring Martin Prado, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard in a six-pitch fourth inning. Shortly afterwards, on August 6, Lee went eight innings in a 5–1 victory over the Oakland Athletics before Frank Francisco relieved him for a scoreless ninth inning. He started a total of 15 regular-season games for the Rangers, going 4–6 with an ERA of 3.98 and striking out 96 batters in innings of work. In addition to his performance on the mound, Lee's teammates and managers told "The Athletic" that they appreciated his clubhouse presence. Teammate Colby Lewis referred to the back half of the season as "relaxed fun", as the addition of Lee gave them confidence that "If we lost one or two, it was like, 'So what? Who cares? We're gonna go win the next seven.'"


title: Cliff Lee

text: The Rangers clinched the AL West title and their first postseason berth in 11 years on September 25, 2010, in a 4–3 defeat of the Athletics. The Rangers faced the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2010 American League Division Series (ALDS), with Lee starting Game 1 against Tampa Bay ace David Price. Lee was dominant in the seven innings he pitched of the 5–1 victory, striking out 10 while allowing only five hits and a solo home run to Ben Zobrist. Although he had previously said he would use a three-person starting rotation "if we think we need [Lee]", Ron Washington ultimately opted not to let his ace pitch on short rest, instead starting Tommy Hunter for Game 4. Instead, Game 5 proved a rematch between Lee and Price, with Lee striking out 11 and allowing only one unearned run in a complete game 5–1 victory that allowed the Rangers to capture their first franchise playoff series. The Rangers faced the Yankees in the 2010 American League Championship Series (ALCS). Lee started Game 3, striking out 13 and allowing only two hits in eight innings of an 8–0 rout of New York and Andy Pettitte. It was only the second time in postseason history that the Yankees' opposing pitcher gave up two or fewer hits while pitching eight or more innings; Warren Spahn did the same in Game 4 of the 1958 World Series. The Rangers defeated the Yankees in six games, leading to their first franchise World Series appearance.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Pitching on eight days' rest following the ALCS, Lee was given the start for Game 1 of the 2010 World Series. The game, in which Lee faced Giants ace Tim Lincecum, was predicted to be a pitchers' duel. Instead, the Giants won 11–7, with the teams combining for 18 runs, 25 hits, 10 extra-base hits, and 6 errors. A total of 12 pitchers made an appearance in Game 1. Lee lasted only innings, giving up 7 runs on 104 pitches in the process. As a batter, he also scored an RBI double in the second inning, giving the Rangers an early 2–0 lead that they were unable to hold. It was the first time in nine games that Lee's team had lost one of his postseason starts. He expressed frustration with his own performance, telling reporters after the game, "I was missing on everything. It's unacceptable."


title: Cliff Lee

text: With the Rangers down 3–1 in the series, Game 5 proved to be a rematch between Lincecum and Lee, with the latter terming the match "a chance to redeem [himself]". Lee and Lincecum held each other's teams scoreless for six innings, with Nelson Cruz robbing Buster Posey of a home run in the process. In the seventh inning, however, Lee allowed both Cody Ross and Juan Uribe to single before Edgar Renteria hit a three-run home run. Those were the only runs allowed by the Rangers, who scored once on a solo home run from Cruz, but the Giants defeated the Rangers 3–1 for their first World Series title since 1954.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Despite being offered a seven-year, $150 million contract with the New York Yankees, Lee opted to sign with the Phillies on December 14, 2010, taking their smaller offer of five years at a total of $120 million. The decision came as a surprise to many baseball analysts, who did not expect Lee to turn down an additional $30 million to return to Philadelphia. Throughout the 2010 Winter Meetings, Lee had been approached by the Rangers and the Yankees, but he told his agent Derek Braunecker that he desired an offer from the Phillies. Braunecker met with Philadelphia assistant general manager Scott Proefrock, who agreed on the condition that Lee's interest in rejoining the team was genuine and not a tool to increase Lee's offers from other teams. Braunecker asked Proefrock if the Phillies would be willing to offer his client a five-year contract, saying, "We'll entertain anything". In an interview shortly after resigning with the Phillies, Lee told "The New York Times" that his decision was "kind of a no-brainer", and that he "never wanted to leave in the first place".


title: Cliff Lee

text: He became part of a rotation known as the "Four Aces", consisting of Lee, Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt. The rotation operated with only a loose order, with manager Charlie Manuel telling reporters, "We're going to have a No. 1 starter every day, so it really doesn't matter." In his first game back with the Phillies, Lee, who received a standing ovation from fans before taking the mound, had 11 strikeouts in seven innings of a 9–4 defeat of the Astros. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month that June after going 5–0 with a 0.21 ERA and pitching all but three innings in those five starts. He also outscored his opponents as a batter, recording two runs batted in (RBI) but allowing only one run. Those were not the only offensive moments of Lee's season. He hit his first major-league home run on July 9, against Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves. Although the Phillies lost 4–1, Lee's home run was the first by a Philadelphia pitcher since Chan Ho Park two years prior. He homered again on August 9, this time scoring the go-ahead run against Ted Lilly in a 2–1 defeat of the Dodgers.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee and Halladay were both selected for the 2011 All-Star Game, combining for nearly four perfect innings before Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox hit a solo home run against Lee. With 39 strikeouts, a 0.45 ERA, and only two earned runs over innings in August, Lee notched his second NL Pitcher of the Month title and became the first pitcher in MLB history to have two months of five wins, no losses, and a sub-0.50 ERA. Lee and the Phillies continued their dominant run through the remainder of the season, and on September 26, Lee took the win in their 100th game of the season, a 4–2 defeat of the Braves. It was only the third time in franchise history that the Phillies had won 100 or more games in a season. He finished the year with a 17–8 record, 2.40 ERA, and 1.027 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) in innings. His six shutouts tied Randy Johnson's 1998 season for the second-highest in MLB history. Lee finished third in NL Cy Young voting with 90 points and no first-place votes, behind winner Clayton Kershaw, who received 207 points and 27 first-place votes, and Halladay, who recorded 133 points and four first-place votes. Rotation mate Hamels followed in fifth place with 17 points, while Oswalt and Blanton were not finalists.


title: Cliff Lee

text: With 102 regular season wins and their strong pitching staff, the Phillies entered the 2011 postseason as heavy World Series favorites. They were upset, however, by the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series. Lee took the loss in his Game 2 start, blowing a four-run lead by allowing five runs and a career-high 12 hits in the 5–4 defeat. Lee said he took "full responsibility" for the loss, telling reporters, "They were hitting good pitches. They were hitting bad pitches. They were hitting."


title: Cliff Lee

text: Oswalt was replaced with Vance Worley for the Phillies' 2012 starting rotation, but the Four Aces remained otherwise intact, with Lee as the No. 2 starter behind Halladay. Although Lee personally pitched well, he struggled to win games through the first half of the 2012 season, beginning with his first start, when he pitched 10 innings but took the loss in a 1–0 defeat to the San Francisco Giants. Some of his struggles came from poor run support, as the otherwise productive Phillies offense did not hit when he was on the mound. He also faced pitch-count difficulties for the first time in his Philadelphia career: in one outing against the Boston Red Sox, Lee had thrown 66 pitches by the end of the third inning, mostly from foul balls. Both Lee and Manuel expressed confusion over Lee's struggles, and by the end of June, though was healthy and pitching well, he was allowing nine hits per nine innings. His first win of the season did not come until July 4, his last start before the All-Star break, when he allowed two runs on nine hits in eight innings of the Phillies' 9–2 win over the New York Mets. All nine of the Phillies' runs came in the final three innings of the game. His run of 13 starts without a win was the longest of any Cy Young winner since Greg Maddux in 2008. Through those 13 starts, Lee posted a 0–5 record, and a difficult June in which he allowed 20 runs in innings had lifted him from a 2.92 to 4.13 ERA. He seemed to recover through August and September, recording the 1,500th strikeout of his MLB career, also against the Mets, on September 17. Despite finishing the season with a 3.16 ERA, 207 strikeouts and a 7.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 211 innings, Lee went only 6–9 in his 30 starts, becoming the first pitcher in history to win fewer than eight games with 200 or more strikeouts and a 3.20 or below ERA. Despite Lee's hopes that the team would "win this division, make the post-season, and win the World Series", the Phillies missed the playoffs in 2012 with a 2–1 loss to the Miami Marlins on September 29, the 158th game of the season.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee entered the 2013 season as the Phillies' No. 3 starter behind Hamels and Halladay, and took the team's first win of the year with eight scoreless innings in a 2–0 win over the Braves on April 4. His streak of 45 innings and 169 plate appearances without issuing a walk, dating back to July 2012, came to an end on April 15 when he walked Jay Bruce of the Cincinnati Reds. By mid-June, Lee, who was 8–2 with a 2.55 ERA but once again receiving little run support from his teammates, was beginning to show his frustration. When asked if he wanted to stay in Philadelphia, he told reporters, "I definitely want to win." Amidst a number of trade rumors, Lee made his fourth All-Star Game appearance, joining Domonic Brown as the Phillies' All-Star representatives. He missed two weeks after the All-Star break with a stiff neck, and upon his August 4 return, lasted only five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits in a 4–1 loss to the Braves.


title: Cliff Lee

text: The height of Lee's season came on September 16, when, in a 12–2 rout of the Miami Marlins, he crossed the 200-inning mark and the 200-strikeout mark for the third consecutive season and became the first Philadelphia pitcher to record 14 strikeouts in one game since Curt Schilling in 1997. In his last start of the season, Lee struck out another 13 batters but still took the loss in a 1–0 defeat at the hands of Craig Kimbrel and the Braves. Despite becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 50 or more batters in a month while walking only one, Lee expressed disappointment at another year away from the postseason, and told reporters that he wanted "to finish strong and take it to the house". In 31 starts for the Phillies that year, including two complete games, Lee went 14–8 with a 2.87 ERA and 222 strikeouts in innings.


title: Cliff Lee

text: After Cole Hamels suffered a preseason injury, Lee was tapped to serve as the Phillies' opening-day starter for the second time in his career. Facing Yu Darvish and the Rangers, Lee became the eighth pitcher in the live-ball era to be credited with a win despite giving up eight or more earned runs. He pitched in five innings of the Phillies' 14–10 victory, a game which saw 31 hits between the two teams, and exited the game with a 14.40 ERA. After throwing 116 pitches against the Cincinnati Reds on May 18, Lee began to complain of elbow soreness, and was diagnosed with a strained pronator teres muscle in his left arm. Lee later said that he had begun to feel pain after throwing a career-high 128 pitches in a game against the Braves that April, but that it had mostly abated before the Reds game. It was the first arm injury of Lee's baseball career, professional or otherwise. He was meant to return to the mound on July 18 after a series of rehabilitation games for the Class A Clearwater Threshers, but manager Ryne Sandberg chose to push Lee's return to July 21, which would give him seven days' rest rather than five. He struggled in this first start back, allowing six runs and a career-tying 12 hits in innings against the Giants.


title: Cliff Lee

text: On July 31, Lee left his start against the Washington Nationals in the third inning with a recurrence of the muscle strain. On August 7, the Phillies shut Lee down for the season in the hopes that he would be able to rest the elbow and return in time for spring training the following year. Pitching only innings in 2014, Lee went 4–5 with a 3.65 ERA. It was the first time in six years that Lee had not crossed the 200-inning mark in a season. His elbow continued to bother him after the conclusion of the 2014 season, and he was diagnosed during the offseason with a tear in his left common flexor tendon, a career-threatening injury for a 36-year-old pitcher like Lee. On March 16, 2015, the Phillies placed Lee on the 60-day disabled list, and he returned home to Arkansas for rehabilitation. While doctors recommended surgery for the injury, Lee elected to make a third non-surgical rehabilitation attempt in order to avoid the six to eight-month recovery time that a more intensive procedure would entail. Lee did not pitch professionally at all in 2015, and at the end of the season, the Phillies, who had the option of retaining him for another year at $27.5 million, bought out the remainder of his contract for $12.5 million.


title: Cliff Lee

text: After the 2013 season, Lee had said that he would retire at the end of his contract with the Phillies. While waiting to hear whether his elbow injury would require surgery, he voiced concerns to Meghan Montemurro of "USA Today" that he might never pitch again. By December 2015, however, Lee had received medical clearance to play baseball, and his agent, Darek Braunecker, told reporters that he would pitch in the 2016 MLB season if he found "the right fit". The following month, Braunecker clarified that Lee was adjusting to full-time fatherhood, but that he retained an interest in pitching professionally again. On February 23, 2016, Braunecker announced that Lee would not pitch during the 2016 season. While not an official retirement, the announcement appeared to signal the end of Lee's professional baseball career. In 13 seasons with MLB, Lee posted a 143–91 record with a 3.52 ERA, and struck out 1,824 batters.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee was one of 18 new nominees on the 2020 ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He appeared on two out of 397 ballots, falling short of the 5-percent voting threshold required to appear on subsequent ballots.


title: Cliff Lee

text: By the end of his career, Lee had a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a fastball, cutter, changeup, and curveball. Of these, he considered his curveball to be his most effective pitch, but used it only sparingly, as he had better command of his other pitches. He also employed a slider, although he rarely included that pitch in discussions of his repertoire. David Murphy of the "Philadelphia Daily News" described Lee's slider interchangeably with his cutter as one primary type of breaking ball. He was not known as a power pitcher: in 2010, Lee's average fastball velocity was only . in line with the MLB average from 2008 to 2015. Instead, he preferred to focus on accuracy and command, throwing the majority of his pitches for strikes. In 2012, Lee threw a strike on the first pitch to 71 percent of the batters that he faced, and he had the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio of any pitcher over the age of 33 since Curt Schilling in 2001 and 2002. His fastball in particular was difficult to hit, landing on the low inside corner of the strike zone. After his 2007 demotion to the minor leagues, Lee told Joe Jordan, then a scouting director for the Baltimore Orioles, that he had adopted a philosophy of throwing "Three pitches for strikes every night. That's the key."


title: Cliff Lee

text: In addition to his command of multiple varieties of pitch, Lee was also known for his consistent and methodical approach on the mound. Rangers reliever Darren O'Day referred to Lee as a "technician", because he would not become emotional or alter his rhythm under high-stress situations, such as when multiple runners were on base. His Phillies teammates and general manager both noted Lee's composure on the mound as one of his strengths, as it allowed him to retain control of the game. Despite this, Lee's stubborn personality sometimes led to a short temper, such as when he appeared to intentionally hit Sammy Sosa with a pitch or would argue with his catcher mid-game.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Having spent significant time in both leagues, Lee told reporters after his retirement that he preferred playing in the National League, in which the pitcher bats instead of a designated hitter. This preference was both because Lee enjoyed hitting, despite his career batting average of .175, and because he preferred games where he faced the opposing team's pitcher.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Lee met his future wife Kristen when they were in middle school, and while the pair were high school acquaintances, they did not start dating until Lee was in college. They married in 2000 and have a son and a daughter together. Their son was diagnosed with infant leukemia when he was four months old, and in 2010, The Lees donated $1 million to establish an endowed chair in pediatric hematology and oncology at the Arkansas Children's Hospital, where he was treated.


title: Cliff Lee

text: Off the field, Lee is known for having an introverted personality; an article in the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" wrote that he "would rather cut off his pitching arm than call attention to himself". Although he had little trouble with the attention that pitching brought, Lee was uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. After leaving MLB, he has made few public appearances, notably missing a 2009 Phillies team reunion during Bobby Abreu's Wall of Fame induction ceremony. His activities outside of baseball include hunting, fishing, and online chess.


title: Vio-lence

text: Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its existence, they released demo tapes, one EP and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre, along with Pantera, Sepultura, Sacred Reich, Dark Angel, Annihilator and Flotsam and Jetsam as well as their Bay Area counterparts Testament, Death Angel and Forbidden. The band has also been referred to as one of the so-called "Big Six of Bay Area thrash metal", alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lååz Rockit and Forbidden.


title: Vio-lence

text: Vio-lence's most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals; this lineup recorded all three of their studio albums–"Eternal Nightmare" (1988), "Oppressing the Masses" (1990) and "Nothing to Gain" (1993). After breaking up in 1994 and reforming for occasional live performances from 2001 to 2003, the band reunited once again in January 2019, and released the EP "Let the World Burn", their first collection of new material in nearly three decades, in March 2022. The current lineup of Vio-lence includes Demmel, Strickland and Killian, in addition to bassist Christian Olde Wolbers as the replacement of Dell.


title: Vio-lence

text: Vio-lence, then-called Death Penalty, was formed in 1985 with the line-up of Jerry Birr (vocals), Phil Demmel (guitar), Troy Fua (guitar), Eddie Billy (bass – brother of musicians Andy and Chuck Billy) and Perry Strickland (drums). Not long after playing their first gig, which reportedly took place at a house party, Death Penalty changed their name to Violence and eventually then to Vio-lence, as the former was taken by another band. After recording two demos in 1986, they parted ways with Birr, Fua and Billy, who were replaced by Sean Killian, Robb Flynn (formerly of Forbidden Evil) and Deen Dell respectively. Their live success at local clubs in Northern California – opening for bands like D.R.I., Voivod, Kreator, Dark Angel, Suicidal Tendencies and the Mentors, as well as their Bay Area thrash metal peers Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Heathen – allowed Vio-lence to record another demo, this time for major labels, including MCA Records' sister label Mechanic, who offered them a recording contract.


title: Vio-lence

text: From February to April 1988, Vio-lence recorded their debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", at two studios: The Music Grinder in Los Angeles and Alpha & Omega in San Francisco. The album received mostly positive reviews upon its release in the summer of 1988, and peaked at number 154 on the "Billboard" 200, becoming the band's only album to enter that chart; this can be attributed to the album selling over 30,000 copies. Vio-lence toured throughout 1988 and 1989 in support of "Eternal Nightmare", with bands such as Testament, Voivod, Death Angel, Sanctuary, Nuclear Assault, D.R.I., M.O.D. and the Cro-Mags. The underground success of the album also caught the attention of several labels, including Megaforce Records (then-home to bands such as Testament, M.O.D., Anthrax, and Overkill), who eventually signed the band.


title: Vio-lence

text: In December 1989, Vio-lence entered the studio to record what would be their second album and only release on Megaforce (distributed by Atlantic) "Oppressing the Masses"; however, the album faced multiple delays until its release in the summer of 1990. Although the album's success did not match that of "Eternal Nightmare", it received some positive reviews and a video for the song "World in a World" was released. "Oppressing the Masses" also generated some controversy, when the original album (which reportedly sold only 20,000 copies) was destroyed because of Atlantic's objection to the lyrical content of "Torture Tactics"; as a result, the album was reprinted without this track. Vio-lence toured in support of the album for about a year, with bands such as Overkill, Exodus, Forbidden, Flotsam and Jetsam, Prong, Defiance and Rigor Mortis.


title: Vio-lence

text: In 1991, after being dropped from Atlantic/Megaforce, Vio-lence released an EP "Torture Tactics", which included three studio songs (recorded in 1989 during the sessions of "Oppressing the Masses") and one "live" track from 1988. Internal conflicts in 1992 resulted in the departure of Robb Flynn who would move on to form groove metal band Machine Head. A year later, Vio-lence released their third and final album, "Nothing to Gain", which was actually recorded in 1990. They never toured in support of that album, and Strickland left the band after its release.


title: Vio-lence

text: After an attempt to make a fourth album, and performing what would be their final show for eight years on December 18, 1993, with a new lineup in San Francisco, Vio-lence split up.


title: Vio-lence

text: Phil Demmel, Deen Dell, Ray Vegas and Mark Hernandez formed a groove/thrash metal band called Torque which disbanded after releasing a studio album and playing several live shows. Demmel then went to form Technocracy.


title: Vio-lence

text: Robb Flynn has been the guitarist and singer of Machine Head since its inception in 1991. Demmel joined Machine Head in 2003, first as a session guitarist and later becoming a full-time member of the band; he would stay in Machine Head until his departure in 2018.


title: Vio-lence

text: Initially planning only a few shows as part of the tribute to Testament frontman Chuck Billy during the "Thrash of the Titans" benefit in 2001, the band decided to reunite with early guitarist Ray Vegas replacing Robb Flynn.


title: Vio-lence

text: In addition to their 2005 re-release of "Eternal Nightmare", the band released a 7-inch vinyl record containing two demo tracks from their original 1986 demo tape as well as one previously unreleased track. Only 1000 copies were produced and pressed by Bone Crusher Records. The 7 inch collectible was well marketed and advertised, but due to disagreements between the band and the Bone Crusher record producers, only Vio-lence was allowed to distribute and sell the 500 given to them by the producers. A deal was made to distribute a small quantity (about 100) through a Seattle record store, the only known store to stock the item for sale to the public.


title: Vio-lence

text: A DVD entitled "Blood and Dirt" was produced by Jerry Allen (Tales From The Pit video magazine) and released on August 8, 2006, through Megaforce.


title: Vio-lence

text: On November 6, 2017, it was announced that the members of Vio-Lence would reunite for a performance at "Killian on Command: An Evening of Vio-Lence", a benefit for the band's singer Sean Killian, who was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis earlier that summer. The benefit took place at The Midway in San Francisco, California on January 20, 2018, and included performances by the members of Vio-Lence and their Bay Area thrash metal peers Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, Forbidden and Mordred. The show concluded with a performance of "World in a World" featuring four-fifths of the "Eternal Nightmare" and "Oppressing the Masses" lineup; vocals were provided by Flynn instead of Killian, who did not perform due to his health condition. On November 11, 2018, Killian's wife Dana posted a photo on her personal Facebook page, cryptically confirming that her husband has recovered from his illness.


title: Vio-lence

text: The possibility of a Vio-lence reunion was renewed in September 2018 when Flynn announced that guitarist Phil Demmel was leaving Machine Head after a farewell tour with then-current lineup of Flynn, Demmel, Jared MacEachern and Dave McClain; at first it was speculated that Machine Head was actually breaking up, but Flynn announced shortly thereafter that he was going to continue the band with a new lineup.


title: Vio-lence

text: Musical outlets reported in November 2018 that, following Demmel's departure from Machine Head, there were rumors Vio-lence would reform "in the not-too-distant future" for shows and possibly new music.


title: Vio-lence

text: On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Vio-lence would reunite for a performance on April 13 at the Metro in Oakland to perform their debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", in its entirety. The show intended as a one-off sold out shortly after its announcement, resulting in a matinee appearance at the Metro, which took place on the following day.


title: Vio-lence

text: On February 16, 2019, it was announced that Vio-lence would play their first European show at the Alcatraz Metal Fest in Kortrijk, Belgium that August. In addition to their first live appearance in Los Angeles in over a decade on May 31, 2019, at The Regent with Sacred Reich, Excel and Sworn Enemy, they played their first shows in New York in nearly 30 years at the Brooklyn Bazaar on November 8–9. The band also will reportedly play shows with their Bay Area thrash metal peers Testament and Death Angel, and has continued their reunion with more shows into 2020.


title: Vio-lence

text: On August 9, 2019, Bloodstock Open Air announced that Vio-lence would be playing their first ever and only UK show at the festival in 2020.


title: Vio-lence

text: The members of Vio-lence have expressed their desire to write the follow-up to 1993's "Nothing to Gain". In an August 2019 interview with Australia's "Heavy" magazine, Demmel said, "Sean's itching to write some new music. I'm not itching as hard. I've got a lot on my plate. Vio-lence is definitely a priority, but that's just a step I haven't... It's hard, because you have this comeback, and then you play the songs, and you want to be good. I don't want to put out something that isn't as good as "Eternal Nightmare" or some of the songs from "Oppressing". I want to have something that's quality." In an interview with Exodus frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza on his "Toxic Vault" video channel, Killian stated, "Phil and I have talked a couple of times. It's kind of up to him because he is very busy doing a soundtrack for a video game and I guess a Netflix series, and he's doing Allegiance and these other things he's doing." Killian also said that the other members of Vio-lence are interested in writing a new album; however, he concluded that "it's Phil and I that need to connect."


title: Vio-lence

text: In January 2020, Ray Vegas announced that he had left Vio-lence and was replaced by former Overkill guitarist Bobby Gustafson. Longtime bassist Deen Dell left the band shortly thereafter and was replaced by former Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers. In March 2020, it was announced that Vio-lence had signed to Metal Blade Records and the band was going to record a new EP in the coming months. On August 20, 2020, Vio-lence released their first song in over 25 years, which was a cover of Dead Kennedys' "California über alles".


title: Vio-lence

text: On June 16, 2021, Vio-lence announced "Let the World Burn" as the title of their new EP, which was planned for release in early 2022. Prior to its release, the band was scheduled to be headlining the 2021 installment of the Headbangers Ball Tour in Europe, with support from Voivod, Exciter and Artillery, but it was postponed to the next year due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 10, 2022, a lyric video for "Flesh from Bone" was released, and on the same day, the band announced that "Let the World Burn" would be released on March 4.


title: Vio-lence

text: About a week prior to the release of "Let the World Burn", Demmel revealed that Vio-lence has begun writing new material for their next EP, which he hopes will be recorded in the fall of 2022 for a tentative 2023 release.


title: Astrid S

text: Astrid Smeplass (born 29 October 1996) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. In 2013, she placed fifth in the Norwegian version of "Pop Idol", entitled "Idol – Jakten på en superstjerne". In 2020, she released her debut studio album, "Leave It Beautiful", through Universal.


title: Astrid S

text: 16-year-old Smeplass released her first single "Shattered", which was co-written by American singer-songwriter Melanie Fontana, after participating in "Idol - Jakten på en superstjerne" in 2013. She signed a publishing deal with Sony ATV Music Publishing shortly after. Her first single under her new artist image, "2AM", was released through Universal Music in 2014, releasing in the US the following year. She also released a cover of the single "FourFiveSeconds" by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney. In 2016, she released the song "Hurts So Good", which was included on her debut self-titled extended play, "Astrid S". She also supported Troye Sivan on his European tour. The following year she released her second EP, "Party's Over". In 2017, Smeplass provided backing vocals on "Hey Hey Hey" by American singer Katy Perry from her album "Witness".


title: Astrid S

text: In 2017, Smeplass's cover of Cezinando's "Vi er perfekt, men verden er ikke det" was featured on the soundtrack of the fourth season of "Skam" and Smeplass performed it at the award ceremony P3 Gull the same year. On 30 June 2017, she released her second EP, "Party's Over", which featured the singles "Breathe" and "Such a Boy". Two weeks later, an acoustic rendition of the EP was released, with an additional song entitled "Mexico". In September 2017, her single "Think Before I Talk" peaked at number 14 on the Swedish charts, where it was later certified platinum. It was also certified gold in Denmark, where it peaked at number nine. In February 2018, Smeplass was awarded Årets Spellemann (Artist of the Year) at the annual Spellemannsprisen, being the first female artist to do so since 2003. After the release of the song "Emotion", Smeplass joined Years & Years on their UK tour at the end of 2018, followed by her supporting Zara Larsson on her US tour in 2019. In April 2019, Astrid became the face of Fendi's F for Fendi campaign. She joined 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg for her "Fridays For Future" event in Sweden, performing a cover of "I Want to Know What Love Is" by "Foreigner."


title: Astrid S

text: In August 2019, her fourth EP was released, entitled "Trust Issues". The EP features previously released singles "Someone New", "Emotion" and "The First One", in addition to two new released; "Doing To Me" and "Trust Issues". Smeplass's first release of 2020 was "I Do", a collaboration with country singer Brett Young. The song peaked at number three in Norway. In September of the same year, Smeplass announced her debut studio album, "Leave It Beautiful", which was released on 16 October 2020. It was preceded by the lead single "Dance Dance Dance", as well as the second and third singles, "Marilyn Monroe" and "It's Ok If You Forget Me". In 2021, she played the titular role in "Tre nøtter til Askepott" (Three nuts for Cinderella), a Norwegian remake of the 1973 Czechoslovak/East German film Tři oříšky pro Popelku, for which she also released the single "Når snøen smelter", her first original Norwegian-language song.


title: Heathens (song)

text: "Heathens" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released as the lead single from the motion picture soundtrack to the DC Comics film "Suicide Squad" (2016) on June 16, 2016, through Atlantic Records. The song was written by Tyler Joseph and produced by him along with Mike Elizondo. "Heathens" peaked at number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, tying with "Stressed Out" for the duo's highest-charting single to date. "Heathens" was nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 59th annual awards ceremony.


title: Heathens (song)

text: On June 15, 2016, the song was leaked through a Reddit post. Later that same day, Twenty One Pilots tweeted a message in Morse code which read "takeitslow", a lyric taken from the song "Heathens". The following day, June 16, the song was revealed to be featured on the motion picture soundtrack for the 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics antihero team "Suicide Squad". The soundtrack was released on August 5.


title: Heathens (song)

text: "Heathens" is a rap rock song with elements of industrial, dark wave and rock that lasts for a duration of three minutes and fifteen seconds. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 90 beats per minute. "Heathens" is composed in the key of E minor, while Tyler Joseph's vocal range spans one octave and three notes, from a low of E to a high of G. The song has a basic sequence of C–Em–Am–Em in the verses, changes to C/E–Am–Em–C–Am–B during the pre-chorus, and follows C–Am–E at the refrain, bridge and outro as its chord progression. Its musical composition harbors an anthemic, grandiose rap rock soundscape.


title: Heathens (song)

text: Sam Law of the predominantly rock music-related magazine "Kerrang!" named it the band's sixth best song in April 2020, describing it as a "deliciously insidious single" and "largely unlike anything else they'd done" he further said that it was "the best thing to come out of 2016's otherwise almost-entirely abortive Suicide Squad adaptation".


title: Heathens (song)

text: The song peaked in the runner-up position for four consecutive weeks on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, but was kept out of the top spot by The Chainsmokers' "Closer", becoming the duo's second top 5 single on the Hot 100. It is the band's highest-peaking single, tied with "Stressed Out". It spent 18 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100 before it dropped out on December 31, 2016.


title: Heathens (song)

text: With "Ride" charting at number five and "Heathens" at four in the same week, Twenty One Pilots had become the third rock act with simultaneous top five Hot 100 singles in the chart's 58-year history, following only the Beatles and Elvis Presley, as well as the first duo in three years. "Heathens" reached number one on the Hot Rock Songs chart, and holds the record for second longest running single at number one, spending 30 weeks at the summit. The song also peaked at number one on the Alternative Songs chart, and reached the top 20 in a variety of other charts. As of September 2017, "Heathens" had sold over 2.1 million copies in the US.


title: Heathens (song)

text: The song had also reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. "Heathens" also made it into the top 10 in more than 15 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland.


title: Heathens (song)

text: The official music video, directed by Andrew Donoho, was uploaded to the Fueled by Ramen YouTube channel in June 2016. It shows Joseph singing the song in Belle Reve, a fictional prison in the DC Universe, with Dun appearing while playing drums in the course of the video. Joseph makes his way to a small stage in the middle of a room, where Dun is already on the stage playing the drums. Joseph then picks up a floating bass guitar and begins playing it while the prisoners leave their cells and watch the duo perform the remainder of the song. At the end of the video, Joseph is sitting in the room alone as the prison security guards surround him. Throughout the music video, various clips of "Suicide Squad" are played. As of February 2022, the video has over 1.8 billion views on YouTube. It also has over 13 million likes and is the second video by Twenty One Pilots to surpass this amount.


title: Heathens (song)

text: The band performed "Heathens" for the first time in concert at The Uptown Amphitheatre at the Music Factory in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 28, 2016, as part of their Emotional Roadshow World Tour. The song was later performed as part of the band's appearance on episode two of "Saturday Night Live"'s forty-second season.


title: Heathens (song)

text: Chicago-based rapper Vic Mensa performed a freestyle over the instrumental of the track. Opening with the band's chorus, the "heathens freestyle" features Mensa rapping for two minutes straight. His verse touches on real-life violence, providing insight into what he experienced first-hand growing up on the South Side of Chicago. The song's lyrics contain self-referential jokes regarding his sampling of Twenty One Pilots as well as a reference to the film "". Vic Mensa appeared in a cover art inspired by The Joker to accompany the freestyle. "Heathens" was covered by metal band Halestorm, for their cover album, "", released on January 6, 2017. The song was covered by the American indie pop band Blondfire. "Heathens" was featured in the "Twenty One Pilots Mashup" by Kurt Hugo Schneider, featuring VoicePlay.


title: Heathens (song)

text: Seven days after the song's release, it was used to accompany television advertisements for the American TV show "Chicago P.D." on RTÉ2, and was used to accompany the first half of a "Problem Gambling" documentary created by Davy Glennon, aired on "Claire Byrne Live" on November 22, 2016. "Heathens" was also performed live with a collaboration with the Netflix series "Stranger Things" on July 22, 2022 at a concert in Romania.


title: Marantz

text: Marantz is a company that develops and sells high-end audio products. The company was founded in New York, but is now based in Japan.


title: Marantz

text: The first Marantz audio product was designed and built by Saul Marantz in his home in Kew Gardens, New York. The company had a major influence in the development of high fidelity audio systems, and reached the high point of their success in the mid to late 1970s.


title: Marantz

text: During the 1980s, while owned by Philips, a pioneer in compact disc technology, Marantz sold some very well received CD players, but other products in the line were not as successful as in the past. Beginning in the early 1990s, Marantz focused on higher-end components. In 2001, Marantz Japan acquired the brand from Philips and owned all overseas sales subsidiaries.


title: Marantz

text: In 2002 Marantz merged with competitor Denon into D&M Holdings Inc., later named D+M Group. On March 1, 2017, Sound United LLC completed the acquisition of D+M Holdings.


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: After Masaki, an upperclassman, forces Koume Sato to give him fellatio on their first date, she uses Keisuke Isobe as a rebound and asks him to take her virginity. The two enter into a casual sex relationship, and although Isobe liked Koume in the seventh grade, she does not reciprocate feelings for him. Since Isobe's parents aren't home often, Koume spends time at his house reading manga, listening to music, and sexually experimenting with Isobe. Haunted by his brother's suicide, Isobe also continues his brother's anime blog. When Koume receives a camera as a present, Isobe gives her an extra SD card he found, on which she discovers pictures of a girl on the shore and later deletes them from his computer out of jealousy. This causes Isobe to ignore her and Koume realizes she likes him. However, he breaks up with her out of boredom. Shota Kashima—the school's top baseball player and Koume's childhood friend—confronts Isobe after rumors spread of their relationship. Isobe provokes Kashima, and when Kashima rushes him, they fall over a bannister.


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: Kashima injures his leg, forcing him to be unable to compete in a prefectural tournament. Koume hangs out with Masaki and his friends, but leaves after he tries to get her to smoke cannabis and force her to kiss him. Koume visits Isobe at his house, they have sex, and he tells her of his intention to commit suicide. Koume writes a letter for him and buys a copy of Happy End's album containing the song "Gather the Wind" (which she had heard at his house), planning to give them to him at their school festival. Isobe attacks Masaki and his friend, calling the police on them so they can find the illegal cannabis in their bags. On the day of their school festival—Isobe's birthday as well as the day his brother committed suicide—Koume requests "Gather The Wind" to be played, but finds that Isobe hasn't been to school in three days. Koume desperately searches for Isobe during a storm, but doesn't find him at home, only a sticky note saying "sorry". When she sees a cheerful Isobe a week later, he tells her that he met the girl in the pictures and got her email address, aiming to get into her high school. Koume confesses her feelings to him and asks him out, but he declines. In high school, Koume obtains a boyfriend, whom she kisses. On her way home, she meets Kashima, who reveals that he still has feelings for her. On the shore, she exclaims that she found what she was looking for: "something bigger than everything else, the sea!"


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: When Asano started out in the manga industry, he saw sexuality as normal part of life so he used it to portray reality in his work. He felt that he created "A Girl on the Shore" at the right time, because he later found himself in an unfavorable environment in Japan and with manga readers not expecting sexual scenes in mangas which are not explicitly labled as erotic or pornographic. Shaenon K. Garrity of Anime News Network felt that the showing of pubic hair in the manga was "a sign of the changing times in Japanese publishing" because they used to be taboo.


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: The manga was launched in Ohta Publishing's magazine "Manga Erotics F" and was serialized from July 7, 2009, in the 58th issue to January 7, 2013, in the 77th issue. Ohta Publishing collected the 20 chapters into two volumes on March 17, 2011, and February 21, 2013. At Genericon 2015, Vertical announced that it had licensed the manga, publishing it as a single-volume omnibus edition on January 19, 2016. Due to its sexually explicit nature, the omnibus was sold shrink-wrapped. The manga has also been released in France by Éditions IMHO, in Germany by Tokyopop Germany, in Spain by Milky Way Ediciones, in Italy by Panini Comics, in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, and in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea.


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: A film adaptation, directed by Atsushi Ueda, was released on August 20, 2021. The film stars Ruka Ishikawa as Koume Sato, and Yuzu Aoki as Keisuke Isobe.


title: A Girl on the Shore

text: Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network found the manga's depiction of adolescent relationships to be realistic and Asano's treatment of the characters respectful, saying that it "doesn't shy away from its emotional issues", concluding that the manga lingers in the mind after finishing it. Gabe Peralta of "The Fandom Post" said that the manga "is an emotional ride about emotionally broken children" which is accompanied by "beautiful visuals". Amanda Vail of "Otaku USA" praised Asano's art, calling it gorgeous and detailed, and said that its contrast with Koume and Keisuke's relationship forms a "poignant, almost painful ennui". Ash Brown of Manga Bookshelf called the manga's depictions of teenage sex "frank", but "integral to the story" because they "carr[y] meaning beyond titillation." He also called the manga "brutally unsettling and hard-hitting", concluding that its themes of loneliness and isolation are emphasized by Asano's "detailed backgrounds, dramatic perspectives, layout and use of space". Shea Hennum of "The A.V. Club" complimented the writing in its "ability to obtusely render complex relationships," saying that rather than descending into nihilism, Asano maintains a balance of melancholy and idealism. Hennum concludes that the manga is "buoyed by Asano's insightful observation of human emotion and his confrontational and beautiful rendering of it." Sean Rogers of "The Globe and Mail" compared the manga to the films "Fat Girl" and "Kids" in how it "deals explicitly and honestly with its young characters' sexuality", calling Asano's approach "raw and unblinking, but never salacious". He also called the protagonists' relationship "intense" and complimented the art's "expressive force". Elliot Page of the UK Anime Network podcast called the manga haunting and dense, saying that the manga "goes places with such care and respect and intellect into the characters and their plight". He also called the art gorgeous and complimented the backgrounds, comparing the way the manga creates a "pocket dimension" to "The Flowers of Evil".


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: , the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon, is a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. Arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time, it has been adapted for film over 30 times and continues to be an influence on Japanese horror today. Written in 1825 by Tsuruya Nanboku IV as a kabuki play, the original title was . It is now generally shortened, and loosely translates as "Ghost Story of Yotsuya."


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: First staged in July 1825, "Yotsuya Kaidan" appeared at the Nakamuraza Theater in Edo (the former name of present-day Tokyo) as a double-feature with the immensely popular "Kanadehon Chushingura." Normally, with a Kabuki double-feature, the first play is staged in its entirety, followed by the second play. However, in the case of "Yotsuya Kaidan" it was decided to interweave the two dramas, with a full staging on two days: the first day started with "Kanadehon Chushingura" from Act I to Act VI, followed by "Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan" from Act I to Act III. The following day started with the Onbo canal scene, followed by "Kanadehon Chushingura" from Act VII to Act XI, then came Act IV and Act V of "Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan" to conclude the program.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: The play was incredibly successful, and forced the producers to schedule extra out-of-season performances to meet demand. The story tapped into people’s fears by bringing the ghosts of Japan out of the temples and aristocrats' mansions and into the home of common people, the exact type of people who were the audience of his theater.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: As the most-adapted Japanese ghost story, the details of "Yotsuya Kaidan" have been altered over time, often bearing little resemblance to the original kabuki play, and sometimes removing the ghostly element altogether. However, the base story usually remains the same and recognizable.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Tamiya Iemon, a rōnin, is having a heated exchange with his father-in-law, Yotsuya Samon, concerning Samon's daughter Oiwa. After it is suggested by Samon that Iemon and his daughter should separate, the ronin becomes enraged and murders Samon. The next scene focuses on the character Naosuke who is sexually and obsessed with Oiwa's sister, the prostitute Osode, despite her being already married to another man, Satô Yomoshichi. As this scene begins, Naosuke is at the local brothel making romantic advances toward Osode when Yomoshichi and the brothel's owner, Takuetsu, enter. Unable to pay a fee demanded by Takuetsu, he is mocked by both Yomoshichi and Osode and forcibly removed. Shortly afterwards he kills his former master, whom he mistakes for Yomoshichi, at the precise time of the slaying of Samon. It is at this point that Iemon and Naosuke unite and conspire to mislead Oiwa and Osode into believing that they will exact revenge on the people responsible for their father's death. In return Osode agrees to marry Naosuke


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Oume, the granddaughter of Itô Kihei, has fallen in love with Iemon. However, believing herself to be less attractive than Oiwa, she doesn't think Iemon will ever want to become her husband. Sympathizing with Oume's plight, the Itôs scheme to have Oiwa disfigured by sending her a topical poison disguised as a facial cream. Oiwa, unbeknownst to her at the time, is instantly scarred by the cream when she applies it. Upon seeing his wife's ghastly new countenance, Iemon decides he can no longer remain with her. He asks Takuetsu to rape Oiwa so that he will have an honorable basis for divorce. Takuetsu cannot bring himself to do this so, instead, he simply shows Oiwa her reflection in a mirror. Realizing that she has been deceived, Oiwa becomes hysterical and, picking up a sword, runs towards the door. Takuetsu moves to grab her but Oiwa, attempting to evade him, accidentally punctures her own throat with the sword's tip. As she lies bleeding to death before a stunned Takuetsu, she curses Iemon's name. Not long after, Iemon becomes engaged to Oume. Act 2 closes with Iemon being tricked by Oiwa's ghost into slaying both Oume and her grandfather on the night of the wedding.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: The remaining members of the Itô household are annihilated. Iemon kicks Oyumi, the mother of Oume, into the Onbô Canal and Omaki, the servant of Oyumi, drowns by accident. Naosuke arrives in disguise as Gonbei, an eel vendor, and blackmails Iemon into handing over a valuable document. Iemon contemplates his prospects while fishing at the Onbô canal. On the embankment above the canal Iemon, Yomoshichi, who is not dead (Naosuke killed another man mistakenly in his place), and Naosuke appear to fumble as they struggle for possession of a note which passes from hand to hand in the darkness.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: At the opening Naosuke is pressuring Osode to consummate their marriage, to which she seems oddly averse. Yomoshichi appears and accuses Osode of adultery. Osode resigns herself to death in atonement and convinces Naosuke and Yomoshichi that they should kill her. She leaves a farewell note from which Naosuke learns that Osode was his younger sister. For the shame of this, as well as for the killing of his former master, he commits suicide.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Iemon, still haunted by the ghost of Oiwa, flees to an isolated mountain retreat. There he rapidly descends into madness as his dreams and reality begin to merge and Oiwa's haunting intensifies. The act closes with Yomoshichi slaying Iemon out of both vengeance and compassion.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Nanboku incorporated two sensational and real-life murders into "Yotsuya Kaidan", combining fact and fiction in a manner that resonated with audiences. The first involved two servants who had murdered their respective masters. They were caught and executed on the same day. The second murder was from a samurai who discovered his concubine was having an affair with a servant. The samurai had the faithless concubine and servant nailed to a wooden board and thrown into the Kanda River.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: "Yotsuya Kaidan"'s popularity is often accounted for by the way it fit the mood of its time, as well as its use of universal themes. The Bunsei era was a time of social unrest, and the repressed position of women in society was severe. The 100 exchange of power for powerlessness was something audiences could relate to. Oiwa went from a delicate victim to a powerful avenger, while Iemon transforms from tormentor to tormented.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Also, Oiwa is much more direct in her vengeance than Okiku, another popular kabuki ghost, and she is much more brutal. This added level of violence thrilled audiences, who were seeking more and more violent forms of entertainment.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: In addition, the performance of "Yotsuya Kaidan" was filled with fantastic special effects, with her ruined face projecting magnificently from an onstage lantern, and her hair falling out in impossible amounts.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: "Yotsuya Kaidan" paired the conventions of "kizewamono" "raw life play", which looked at the lives of non-nobles, and kaidanmono "ghost play".


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Oiwa is an onryō, a ghost who seeks vengeance. Her strong passion for revenge allows her to bridge the gap back to Earth. She shares most of the common traits of this style of Japanese ghost, including the white dress representing the burial kimono she would have worn, the long, ragged hair and white/indigo face that marks a ghost in kabuki theater.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: There are specific traits to Oiwa that set her apart physically from other onryou. Most famous is her left eye, which droops down her face due to poison given her by Iemon. This feature is exaggerated in kabuki performances to give Oiwa a distinct appearance. She is often shown as partially bald, another effect of the poison. In a spectacular scene in the kabuki play, the living Oiwa sits before a mirror and combs her hair, which comes falling out due to the poison. This scene is a subversion of erotically-charged hair combing scenes in kabuki love plays. The hair piles up to tremendous heights, achieved by a stage hand who sits under the stage and pushes more and more hair up through the floor while Oiwa is combing.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Oiwa is supposedly buried at a temple, Myogyo-ji, in Sugamo, a neighborhood of Tokyo. The date of her death is listed as February 22, 1636. Several productions of "Yotsuya Kaidan," including television and movie adaptations, have reported mysterious accidents, injuries and even deaths. Prior to staging an adaptation of Yotsuya Kaidan it is now a tradition for the principal actors and the director to make a pilgrimage to Oiwa's grave and ask her permission and blessing for their production. This is considered especially important of the actor assuming the role of Oiwa.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Sadako Yamamura from the film "Ring" is a clear homage to Oiwa. Her final appearance is a direct adaptation of Oiwa, including the cascading hair and drooping, malformed eye.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Also in Ju-on when Hitomi is watching the television, the television presenter is morphed into a woman with one small eye and one large eye- possibly a reference to Oiwa.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Being a popular Kabuki play, Yotsuya Kaidan soon became a popular subject for ukiyo-e artists as well. In 1826, the same year the play opened at Sumiza Theater in Osaka, Shunkosai Hokushu produced "The Ghost of Oiwa". She is recognizable by her drooping eyes and partial baldness.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: An unusual image featuring a still-living Oiwa was depicted as one of the "New Forms of Thirty-Six Ghosts" by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Katsushika Hokusai created perhaps the most iconic image of Oiwa, in his series "One Hundred Ghost Stories", in which he drew the face of her angry spirit merged with a temple lantern. Shunkosai Hokuei made a visual quotation of Hokusai's design in the illustration above, including Iemon as he turns to meet the apparition, drawing his sword. The lantern scene is a favorite, also being carved into netsuke. This image of Oiwa appears to give Akari Ichijou a cup of tea in her victory pose in the arcade game The Last Blade.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Utagawa Kuniyoshi illustrated the scene at Hebiyama, showing a still-lantern-headed Oiwa coming for Iemon, surrounded by snakes and smoke.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: The first film adaptation was made in 1912, and it was filmed some 18 times between 1913 and 1937. A notable adaptation was "Shimpan Yotsuya Kaidan" by Itō Daisuke, one of the foremost Japanese directors of his time.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: A 1949 adaptation, "The New Version of the Ghost of Yotsuya" ("Shinshaku Yotsuya kaidan"), by Kinoshita Keisuke removed the ghostly elements and presented Oiwa as an apparition of her husband's guilty psyche. It was also known as "The Phantom of Yotsuya".


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: The Shintoho studio produced Nobuo Nakagawa's 1959 "Ghost of Yotsuya" ("Tokaido Yotsuya kaidan"), which is often considered by critics to be the finest screen adaptation of the story. Toho produced a version of "Ghost of Yotsuya" in 1965 directed by Shirō Toyoda and starring Tatsuya Nakadai that was released as "Illusion of Blood" abroad. In 1994, Kinji Fukasaku returned to the Kabuki roots and combined the stories of "Chūshingura" and "Yotsuya Kaidan" into the single "Crest of Betrayal".


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: There have also been adaptations on television. Story 1 of the Japanese television drama "Kaidan Hyaku Shosetsu" was a version of "Yotsuya Kaidan", and episodes 1–4 of "", a 2006 anime television series, were also a retelling of the story.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: By tradition, production crews adapting the story for film or stage visit Oiwa's gravesite in Myogyoji Temple in Sugamo, Toshima-ku, Tokyo to pay their respects, as an urban legend states that injuries and fatalities will befall the cast if they do not.


title: Yotsuya Kaidan

text: Some critics have identified loose connections between the story of Oiwa and the plot of the "Ju-On" films.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: Matsushima was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. On February 21, 2001, she married Japanese actor Takashi Sorimachi, her co-star in the hit drama GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka). They have two daughters together, born on May 31, 2004, and November 30, 2007. She has been called one of Japan's most beautiful women.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: Matsushima has appeared in a number of popular or critically acclaimed dramas, and she has won the Best Actress Award at the Japan Television Drama Academy Awards six times.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: In 1997, Matsushima was selected to play the female lead, a poor but happy designer who happens to run a shop in a building owned by a wealthy, arrogant but dying rich man played by "Hiroyuki Sanada" in the drama "A Story of Love". The drama chronicles the trial and tribulations that the leads undergo as their feelings developed into something more than mere friendship.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: In 1998, Matsushima starred together with her now husband, Takashi Sorimachi in the drama "Great Teacher Onizuka", about a former delinquent turned teacher. The drama which was based on a popular manga, received a 35.7 rating for its final episode, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas ever. Matsushima was also selected to play Tsubaki Domyouji, the sister of the main male lead Domyouji Tsukasa in the popular drama "Hana Yori Dango (TV series)" and "Hana Yori Dango Returns". Both dramas were a rating success with the final episode of "Hana Yori Dango Returns" peaking at 27.6.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: Matsushima subsequently appeared as the female lead in the controversial drama "Majo no Jōken" which centres on the romance between a teacher and her student. Despite its controversial nature, the drama was awarded the best drama at the 21st Japan Television Drama Academy Awards.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: In 2011, Matsushima starred in the hit "I am Mita, Your Housekeeper", the final episode which garnered the rating of 40%, making it one of the highest rated Japanese dramas of all-time."I am Mita, Your Housekeeper" won several awards, including the "Best Drama" and "Best Female Actress" awards, at the 71st Television Drama Academy Awards.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: Matsushima was also cast as the main lead in the cult classic horror film "Ring", often cited as one of the best horror films of all-time. This film brought Matsushima worldwide recognition and it has since been remade into an American film.


title: Nanako Matsushima

text: Matsushima has also appeared in several other popular films, amongst them the 2000 film "Whiteout", which grossed over 4.2 billion yen in Japan. For her role in the film, Matsushima was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role award at the "24th Japan Academy Film Prize".


title: Maheshwar

text: Maheshwar is a town, near Khargone city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located on State Highway-38 (Khargone city-Barwaha- Bandheri Highway),13.5 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) and 91 km from Indore, the commercial capital of the state. The Town lies on the north bank of the Narmada River. It was the kingdom of Chaktavartin Samrat Sahastraarjun, Kartavirya Arjuna a Heheya king. Lately, after many years, it was the capital of the Malwa during the Maratha Holkar reign till 6 January 1818, when the capital was shifted to Indore by Malhar Rao Holkar III.


title: Maheshwar

text: Writers such as HD Sankalia, PN Bose and Francis Wilford, among others, identify Maheshwar as the ancient town of Mahishmati. Also known as Minnagara to Greeko-Romans.


title: Maheshwar

text: Maheshwar is believed to be built on the site of the ancient city of Somvanshya Shastrarjun Kshatriya, and was the capital of king Kartavirya Arjuna, (Shree Shastrarjun) who is mentioned in the Sanskrit epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. According to a popular legend, one day the King Sahasrarjun and his 500 wives went to the river for a picnic. When the wives wanted a vast play area, the King stopped the mighty river Narmada with his 1000 arms. While they were all enjoying themselves, Ravana flew by in his Pushpak Vimana. Downstream, when he saw the dry river bed, he thought it was an ideal place to pray to Lord Shiva. He made a Shivalinga out of the sand and began to pray. When Sahasrajuna's wives were done playing and they stepped out of the river bed, he let the waters flow. The voluminous river flowed down sweeping Ravana's Shivalinga along, messing up his prayers. Furious, Ravana tracked Sahasrajuna and challenged him. Armed to the hilt the mighty Ravana was in for a huge surprise. The mighty Sahasrarjuna with the 1000 arms pinned Ravana to the ground. Then he placed 10 lamps on his heads and one on his hand. After tying up Ravana, Sahasrarjuna dragged him home and tied him up to the cradle pole of his son. A humiliated Ravana stayed prisoner until his release was secured. Jamadagni rishi, Renuka Devi and Lord Parashurama with whom Kartavirya Arjuna's story is closely associated also lived nearby.


title: Maheshwar

text: In Mahabharata, there is a narration of an unusual tradition wherein marriage as a civil institution was not universal in Mahishmati unlike in rest of Aryavarta, which is also narrated in the Telugu-language "Andhra Mahabharata" in ‘Sabha parva’.


title: Maheshwar

text: As per the legend, there was a Nishada king named Nila who ruled over Mahishmati. King Nila had a daughter who was exceedingly beautiful. So much so that Agni (lord of fire) fell in love with her which was reciprocated. The princess always used to stay near the sacred fire of her father, causing it to blaze up with vigour. And king Nila's sacred fire, even if fanned, would not blaze until agitated by the gentle breath of her lips. Agni, assuming the form of a Brahman starts courting with the princess for long. But, one day the couple was discovered by the king, who became furious. Nila thereupon ordered the Brahman to be punished according to law. At this the illustrious deity flamed up in wrath and beholding the terrible flame, the king felt terrified and bent his head low on the ground. King hails Lord Agni and says he cannot punish a god who is responsible for the origin of Vedas, source of all Knowledge and Dharma. Pacified Agni then grants a boon to Nishada, and the King requests for the protection of his kingdom from any invasions. Agni swears to protect his kingdom on the condition that the king should sanctify pleasure out of pure love a legitimate action in his kingdom. Liberated from the orthodoxy of marriage as a prelude, women of Mahishmati enjoyed freedom that was then unheard of elsewhere in Arya-Varta.


title: Maheshwar

text: Years later, after the epic war the victorious Yudhishthira plans on conducting a Yagna by winning over everyone else on Earth. Sahadeva, the youngest of Pandavas knowing that Lord Agni was protecting the Nishada kingdom, prays to Lord Agni successfully and there upon moves to Saurashtra kingdom.


title: Maheshwar

text: Of note, even to this day, the Sahasrarjun temple at Maheshwar lights 11 lamps in honour of Lord Agni blessing the Kingdom. Alternatively, this tradition is attributed to Sahasrarjun queens humiliating captive ten-headed Ravana by lighting up candles on his foreheads.


title: Maheshwar

text: In the late eighteenth century, Maheshwar served as the capital of the great Maratha queen Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. She embellished the city with many buildings and public works, and it is home to her palace, as well as numerous temples, a fort, and riverfront "ghats" (broad stone steps which step down to the river).


title: Maheshwar

text: Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj has performed various akhand (continues) sankirtan outside the Shiva temple at Maheshwar for more than months. Even though Kripaluji was from mahu (30 km from Maheshwar), he frequently visited this place in his early life with devotees of lord Krishna to perform sankirtan on the banks of the Narmada river in Maheshwar.


title: Maheshwar

text: India census, Maheshwar had a population of 24000. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Maheshwar has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 59%. In Maheshwar, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.


title: Maheshwar

text: Maheshwar has been a centre of handloom weaving since the 5th century. Maheshwar is the home of one of India's finest handloom fabric traditions. It is noted as a centre for weaving colourful Maheshwari sarees. It rose to popularity under the rule of strong maratha leader Queen Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar. Ahilya Bai wanted royal gifts for the royal guest. Hence weavers from Mandu and Surat were hired and Maheswari saree and turban were weaved. It is said that Ahilya Bai herself designed first saree. These sarees were worn by female members of the royal court. These saris were also gifted to royal guests. You can easily see inspiration of designs in saris in local architecture. These cotton saris are weaved with distinctive designs involving stripes, checks, and floral borders.


title: Maheshwar

text: To save the local handloom industry Rehwa Society, an NGO founded by the Holkars, in 1979. This NGO gave women employment and revived the town's textiles. About 130 weavers associated with the society produce over 100,000 metres of fine fabrics a year. The weaving centre is located in one of Maheshwar's historic buildings. Rehwa Society also provides a free school for weavers' children and runs a low-cost health scheme. There are few other small local organisations involved in weaving of sarees and other fabrics.


title: Maheshwar

text: Ahilya Fort which is now converted into a heritage hotel, founded by 'Maharajkumar Shrimant Shivaji Rao Holkar' (Prince Richard Holkar of Indore), a descendant of both Ahilyabai Holkar and the only son of M.Gen. HH Maharaja Shrimant Yeshwant Rao II Holkar of Indore.


title: Maheshwar

text: Nag Panchami, Gudi Padava, Teez (New year celebrations according to the Hindu calendar), All Mondays of Shravan month, (DOLA of Kashivishwnath on last Monday, bhang is served as prasad of Shiva), Mahashivratri, Samoti Amavas, and all other Indian festivals. There are many visiting places like gold swing is also their and it is situated at Rajwada. Maheshwar also has the temple of Goddess Vindhyavasini Bhavani, one of the 24Shaktipeeths of Goddess Parvati.


title: Maheshwar

text: Every year on the immediately preceding Sunday of Makar Sankranti (i.e. the Sunday just before the date when the Sun is about to enter the sign of Capricorn as per Indian Astrological / Sidereal calendar), Swaadhyaaya Bhavan Ashram (based at Mahalaxmi Nagar, Maheshwar) organizes Mahaamrityunjaya Rath Yaatraa in the town of Maheshwar. This Mahaamrityunjaya Rath Yaatraa was initiated by Shri Harvilas Aasopaa for the welfare of humanity, and is known to be the first of its kind in the world. The yatra intends to invoke blessings of Ayurved Murti Bhagwaan Sadaashiv Mahaamrityunjaya (who is regarded as the primordial and supreme doctor), and it starts from Swaadhyaaya Bhawan Ashram and culminates at the banks of the holy river Narmada.


title: Maheshwar

text: The exquisite beauty of Maheshwar and river Narmada is captured in some Bollywood and Tamil/ Kollywood movies. Some of the movies shot in Maheshwar including the movie "Ashoka", "Tulsi" (by actor and director Sachin), "Mahashivratri", A R Rehman's music video, Tamil movie Alaipayuthey's song "Snehithane..." and " yaro yaro di..." directed by Maniratnam, Tamil movie Leelai's song "Oru killi oru killi..." directed by Andrew Vasanth Louis, Yuvan Shankar Raja's musical Tamil movie Arrambam's song "Adadada Arrambame..." directed by Vishnuvardhan. Also starting episodes of Zee TV serial Jhansi Ki Rani were shot here. In the 60's, Mythological film Mahashivratri's shooting was done here and many local artists were given a chance to act in that. Then Aadi Shankaryachary's shooting was completed in 1985. Many film stars from Bharat Bhushan to Shah Rukh Khan have visited Maheshwar and admired its rich culture and beauty. Also Yamala Pagla Deewana (Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kulraj Randhawa come here for shooting) film's 50 minute shot done here at Bazar Chowk, Rajwada, Ahilyabai Chhatri, Ahilya Ghaat, and many more location. The shooting of "Radha Nachegi" song from Tevar was done here. Also, recently few scenes of Bajirao Mastani, Neerja and Gautamiputra Satakarni (film) were shot here. Recently the film Pad Man directed by R.Balki starring Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, and Radhika Apte was shot here. And recently shot title track of Prabhu Deva directed, an Arbaz Khan production movie


title: Maheshwar

text: Maheshwar is a culturally prosperous town and its importance is described in Puranas and through history. It is a religious town and people here are simple and pleasing.


title: Maheshwar

text: It is said that there are more than 100 temples in Maheshwar. it seems these temples are telling the long history of Maheshwar, most temples are spread along the right bank of the river near Maheshwar ghat and the vicinity of the fort.


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: Ideas of reference and delusions of reference describe the phenomenon of an individual experiencing innocuous events or mere coincidences and believing they have strong personal significance. It is "the notion that everything one perceives in the world relates to one's own destiny", usually in a negative and hostile manner.


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: In psychiatry, delusions of reference form part of the diagnostic criteria for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder, bipolar disorder (during the elevated stages of mania), narcissistic personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder, and even autism when under periods of intense stress. To a lesser extent, it can be a hallmark of paranoid personality disorder as well as body dysmorphic disorder. Such symptoms can also be caused by intoxication, such as from stimulants like methamphetamine.


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: In Sigmund Freud's view, "Delusions of being watched present this power in a regressive form, thus revealing its genesis...voices, as well as the undefined multitude, are brought into the foreground again by the [paranoid] disease, and so the evolution of conscience is reproduced regressively." As early as 1928, Freud's contemporary, Carl Jung, introduced the concept of synchronicity, a theory of "meaningful coincidences".


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: In 1946, Otto Fenichel concluded that "the projection of the superego is most clearly seen in ideas of reference and of being influenced...Delusions of this kind merely bring to the patient from the outside what his self-observing and self-critical conscience actually tells him."


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: Jacques Lacan similarly saw ideas of reference as linked to "the unbalancing of the relation to the capital Other and the radical anomaly that it involves, qualified, improperly, but not without some approximation to the truth, in old clinical medicine, as partial delusion"—the "big other, that is, the other of language, the Names-of-the-Father, signifiers or words", in short, the realm of the superego.


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: Validation rather than clinical condemnation of ideas of reference is frequently expressed by anti-psychiatrists, on the grounds, for example, that "the patient's ideas of reference and influence and delusions of persecution were merely descriptions of her parents' behavior toward her." While accepting that "there is certainly confusion between persecutory fantasies and persecutory realities", figures like David Cooper believe that "ideas of connection with apparently remote people, or ideas of being influenced by others equally remote, are in fact stating their experience" of social influence – albeit in a distorted form by "including in their network of influence institutions as absurd as Scotland Yard, the Queen of England, the President of the United States, or the BBC".


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: R. D. Laing took a similar view of the person who was "saying that his brains have been taken from him, that his actions are controlled from outer space, etc. "Such delusions are partially achieved derealization-realizations."" Laing also considered how "in typical paranoid ideas of reference, the person feels that the murmurings and mutterings he hears as he walks past a street crowd are about him. In a bar, a burst of laughter behind his back is at some joke cracked about him", but felt that deeper acquaintance with the patient reveals in fact that "what tortures him is not so much his delusions of reference, but his harrowing suspicion that he is of no importance to anyone, that no one is referring to him at all."


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: Ideas of reference must be distinguished from delusions of reference, which may be similar in content but are held with greater conviction. With the former, but not the latter, the person holding them may have "the "feeling" that strangers are talking about him/her, but if challenged, acknowledges that the people may be talking about something else".


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: From the psychoanalytic view, there may be at the same time "transitions...to delusions" from ideas of reference: "abortive ideas of reference, in the beginning of their development or, in schizotypal personalities, continuously, may remain subject to the patient's criticism...under adverse circumstances, by minimal economic shifts, however, reality testing may be lost and daydreams of this kind turn into delusions."


title: Ideas and delusions of reference

text: It has been noted that a person "rigidly controlled by his superego...readily forms "sensitive ideas of reference". A "key experience" may occur in his life circumstances and quite suddenly these ideas become structured as delusions of reference." Within the "focus of paranoia...that man crossing his legs, that woman wearing that blouse—it can't just be accidental. It has a particular meaning, is intended to convey something.


title: Kurt Perez

text: Kurt Isaiah Perez (born December 1, 1997) is a Filipino former child actor. He became famous for being the Ultimate Male Survivor of StarStruck Kids, the reality-based talent search show of GMA in the Philippines.


title: Kurt Perez

text: Kurt Isaiah Perez was born on December 1, 1997, in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He is the youngest of the three children of Arlene Marcelo and Erwin Perez. He studied in Angelicum College.


title: Kurt Perez

text: In 2003, Perez did commercials with Sharon Cuneta for Colgate toothpaste and Ai-Ai delas Alas for Swift Sweet n' Juicy Hotdog. He joined the contest in StarStruck Kids (2004) with 14 finalists. He won as the Ultimate Male Survivor while Sam Bumatay won as Ultimate Female Survivor.


title: Kurt Perez

text: He played as the young Aguiluz in Mulawin TV series, older Aguiluz played by Richard Gutierrez, also stars Angel Locsin and Dennis Trillo, among others. In 2006, Perez was nominated as FAMAS Best Child Actor for the movie La Visa Loca starring Robin Padilla and Rufa Mae Quinto.


title: Bill Danoff

text: William Thomas Danoff (born May 7, 1946) is an American songwriter and singer. He is known for “Afternoon Delight", which he wrote and performed as a member of the Starland Vocal Band, and for writing multiple hits for John Denver, including "Take Me Home, Country Roads".


title: Bill Danoff

text: Danoff is a graduate of Cathedral High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and of Georgetown University.


title: Bill Danoff

text: On the strength of their track record as songwriters, Danoff and Taffy Nivert recorded several albums before forming the Starland Vocal Band with local musicians Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman. The group recorded "Afternoon Delight" which became a hit in July 1976, reaching #1 on the Hot 100 on July 10. The "Starland Vocal Band Show" replaced "Rhoda" as a half-hour weekly series that same summer. Danoff and Nivert also worked with director Robert Altman and producer Jerry Weintraub on the film "Nashville", doing research with screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury.


title: Bill Danoff

text: Danoff and his then-wife Taffy Nivert wrote "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads," both of which were hits for John Denver. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is an official state song of West Virginia. Danoff has stated he had never been in West Virginia before co-writing the song, having written it in a house in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He had even briefly considered using "Massachusetts" rather than "West Virginia", as both four-syllable state names would have fit the song's meter. Denver recorded about a dozen Danoff compositions from 1972 through the end of his career.


title: Bill Danoff

text: Danoff also worked with Emmylou Harris, co-authoring "Boulder to Birmingham" (one of Harris' better-known compositions). This track was recorded by The Walker Brothers in 1975 and The Hollies in 1976, and became a Top 10 hit in New Zealand. In 1982, Danoff and fellow Starland Vocal Band member Jon Carroll wrote "Who Knows How To Make Love Stay", a Top 40 Canadian hit for Doug and the Slugs.


title: Bill Danoff

text: Danoff taught a songwriters course in 2007 and a music industry seminar (with Walter Egan) in 2008 at his alma mater Georgetown University.


title: Bill Danoff

text: Danoff married Taffy Nivert in 1972. Both were part of the Starland Vocal Band; they divorced after the band’s breakup in 1981.


title: Roy Bevis

text: Roy Bevis (born 26 February 1981) is an English professional wrestler. He mainly competes under the ring name Roy Knight in World Association of Wrestling, which is owned and operated by his family. He has wrestled alongside his father Ricky Knight, his younger half-brother Zak Zodiac and his son Ricky Knight Jr.; with his son, he is a one-time British Tag Team Champion in Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW).


title: Roy Bevis

text: At the age of 13, Bevis made his debut in Lingwood in Norfolk, as the Zebra Kid partnering with the Canary Kid in a tag-team match against Jamie Lee and the Brixton Brawler. Since then, he has been faced with many challengers, including the likes of Robbie Brookside, Doug Williams and his own father throughout many independent promotions in the United Kingdom. Bevis has not limited his career to the UK either, making appearances in the United States in 2002 for the now defunct Xtreme Pro Wrestling against Jonny Storm, Joey Matthews and Jerry Lynn.


title: Roy Bevis

text: Bevis' most high-profile work in the UK was for the W.A.W.; he made his Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) debut in 2002 winning a four-way match against Paul Trevell, Scotty Rock and Mark Sloan at "FWA Carpe Diem" for an FWA All-England title match a few weeks later, a title he won. Throughout 2002 and 2003, Bevis traded FWA's All-England title back and forth with many of FWA's stars, but when Bevis vacated the belt due to injury on 18 October 2003, Hade Vansen won a provisional championship match against Flash Barker. On 26 March 2004, Bevis made his return in a last effort to win back the title in an undisputed FWA All England Championship match, but Vansen walked out of this match still the champion.


title: Roy Bevis

text: At "FWA Carpe Diem" in June 2004, Doug Williams defeated Bevis when Ricky Knight turned on him. This led to a long-lasting feud between father and son, which involved many of the Bevis family members. All of this was fuelled by Bevis' decision to wrestle full-time for the FWA instead of his father's promotion, World Association of Wrestling (WAW). In September 2004, this storyline came to an abrupt end when Bevis was jailed for nine months for drink-driving and for dangerous driving. After this spell in prison, promoters the FWA released a statement welcoming him back, saying: "While the FWA does not condone Roy's actions, we recognize that he has now served his sentence." During "Frontiers of Honor", a cross-promotional show between FWA and Ring of Honor in the United Kingdom, Samoa Joe, their ROH Champion, faced The Zebra Kid in a match that would make the belt a "World Title" as it was being defended outside the United States.


title: Roy Bevis

text: After this Bevis would once again wrestle more for independent promotions in the United Kingdom, including his father's WAW, under the names "Roy Knight" and "Brian Knight". On 4 February 2006 at Real Deal Wrestling's "King Of The Castle" event, Bevis would make it to the tournament final to defeat Ricky Knight and win RDW Heavyweight Championship. However, not long after this WAW announced on their forum that he would be taking a break from wrestling, to sort out some health and personal issues.


title: Roy Bevis

text: Bevis made a return to the ring in 2007. In 2008, he went on to defeat Erik Isaksen (at The Talk, Norwich) to win become the first British wrestler to hold the WAW World Heavyweight Championship. Bevis would go on to make many successful title defences against Christian Eckstein, Danny Collins, Martin Stone and Scott Fusion. In October 2010, Bevis lost the WAW World Heavyweight Championship to Scott Fusion at WAW's annual spectacular; October OutRage 12. Fusion is the second British wrestler to hold the title.


title: Roy Bevis

text: On 19 November 2010 at a WAW show in Norwich, Bevis regained the WAW World Heavyweight Championship in a match featuring Scott Fusion teaming with Karl Krammer against Bevis and his father, Ricky Knight. The rules stipulated that if either man pinned either Fusion or Krammer, then Bevis would regain the title. Knight pinned Krammer for the victory and Bevis regained the title. He lost the championship to Danny Boy Collins in March 2012 in a Hardcore Tag Team match when he again teamed with his father against Collins and former ECW Champion Steve Corino. Collins won the title when he choked Bevis out after a missed Zebra Crossing.


title: Roy Bevis

text: Bevis has since reverted to the Roy Knight ring name and formed a tag team with his brother Zak Knight to become the UK Hooligans. In 2011, the UK Hooligans won the HEW Tag Team Championship from The Devil's Playboys (Bret Meadows and Sam Knee), and in September 2012, they defeated Army of Two (Scott Fusion and Aaron Sharpe) to win the vacant RQW European Tag Team Championship.


title: Roy Bevis

text: Bevis is part of a professional wrestling family. His father and stepmother, known as Ricky Knight and Sweet Saraya respectively, are professional wrestlers, as are his half-siblings, Zak and Saraya-Jade. Saraya-Jade is signed to AEW under the ring name Saraya. The family run the World Association of Wrestling (WAW) promotion. In July 2012, Channel 4 produced a documentary about the Knights entitled "The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family". Bevis has three children, and his eldest son Ricky Knight Jr. is also a professional wrestler. In January 2022, Bevis became a grandfather for the first time after the birth of RKJ's child.


title: Roy Bevis

text: In September 2004, Bevis was jailed for nine months for drunk driving. In June 2005, he was arrested for affray, possessing an offensive weapon, and assaulting a police officer after throwing a beer bottle across a pub and possessing a knife on a night out. In August 2005, Bevis, playing as a striker for Thetford Town, knocked a referee unconscious during a match after being shown a red card. After the incident, Thetford Town stated that Bevis was no longer playing for or involved with the team.


title: Hasan al-Basri

text: Abu Sa'id ibn Abi al-Hasan Yasar al-Basri, often referred to as Hasan of Basra (Arabic: الحسن البصري, romanized: "Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī"; 642 - 15 October 728) for short, or as Hasan al-Basri, was an early Muslim preacher, ascetic, theologian, exegete, scholar, judge, and mystic. Born in Medina in 642, Hasan belonged to the second generation of Muslims, all of whom would subsequently be referred to as the "tābiʿūn" in Sunni Islamic piety. In fact, Hasan rose to become one of "the most celebrated" of the "tābiʿūn", enjoying an "acclaimed scholarly career and an even more remarkable posthumous legacy in Islamic scholarship."


title: Hasan al-Basri

text: Hasan, revered for his austerity and support for "renunciation" ("zuhd"), preached against worldliness and materialism during the early days of the Umayyad Caliphate, with his passionate sermons casting a "deep impression on his contemporaries." His close relationships with several of the most prominent companions of the prophet Muhammad only strengthened his standing as a teacher and scholar of the Islamic sciences. The particular disciplines in which he is said to have excelled included exegesis ("tafsīr") of the Quran, whence his "name is invariably encountered in" classical and medieval commentaries on the scripture, as well as theology and mysticism. Regarding the last of these, it is important to note that Hasan became a tremendously important figure in the development of Sufism with his name occurring "in many mystical "silsilas" (chains of teachers and their disciples) going back to Muḥammad" in the writings of Sunni mystics from the ninth-century onwards. In the words of one scholar, Hasan stands as the "great patriarch" of early Sufism.