title: Snow globe

text: Since 2000 fashion and luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Ladurée, Sonia Rykiel, or Martin Margiela, got hold of the trend and grew fond of snow globes as collectible totems and emblems of their brand image. Such enthusiasm was reinforced by presence in numerous art collections of contemporary artists Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz (also known as Martin & Muñoz) who use snow globes as a medium, or museums who paid tribute to famous artists such as French sculptor Auguste Rodin in creating high quality numbered glass dome snow globes.


title: Snow globe

text: Initially snow globes consisted of a heavy lead glass dome which was placed over a ceramic figure or tableau on a black cast ceramic base, filled with water and then sealed. The snow or "flitter" was created by use of bone chips or pieces of porcelain, sand or even sawdust. As they became more sophisticated, the glass became thinner, the bases were lighter (Bakelite was popular during the Art Deco period) and the snow was made out of particles of gold foil or non-soluble soap flakes. For health and safety reasons, white plastic has become more common in the construction of modern snow globes. The liquid has evolved from initially light oil to a mixture of water, antifreeze (ethylene glycol), and glycerol. An added benefit was that glycerol slowed the descent of the snow.


title: Snow globe

text: Today's snow globes can include music boxes, moving parts, internal lights, and even electric motors that make the "snow" move so that it is no longer necessary to shake the globe. Some also have central slots for positioning items such as photographs.


title: Snow globe

text: In 2005, many U.S. stores started to sell inflatable snow globes as part of their Christmas décor. These have a base with a blower, forcing air which carries polystyrene pellets from the bottom and through a tube up the back to the top, where they are blown out and fall down inside the front, which is made of transparent vinyl. The rest of the globe, including the characters inside, are made of colorful nylon fabric. These globes are typically large decorations for the front yard, and are lighted internally with a few C7 (nightlight-type) incandescent light bulbs (which are enclosed in plastic spheres to prevent heat damage to the fabric).


title: Snow globe

text: A variation on this is the "tornado globe", where small foam objects spin around inside a globe. This is more common for Halloween, where foam bats or sometimes ghosts may fly around the Halloween figures in the middle. These were most common in 2006, and come in both large inflatables, and smaller tabletop versions with rigid plastic globes about 8 to 12 inches or 20 to 30 centimeters in diameter. As with the snow globes, static cling often causes the foam to stick to the plastic (especially vinyl) when humidity is low, while condensation will do the same thing on outdoor inflatables when humidity is high, or rainwater has seeped in while it is deflated.


title: Snow globe

text: In modern culture, snow globes often symbolize childhood, innocence, or so-called "happy days". However, they are also sometimes used, with dark humor, to evoke more gruesome scenes.


title: Character class

text: In tabletop games and video games, a character class is a job or profession commonly used to differentiate the abilities of different game characters.


title: Character class

text: In role-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate several abilities and aptitudes, and may also detail aspects of background and social standing, or impose behavior restrictions. Classes may be considered to represent archetypes, or specific careers. RPG systems that employ character classes often subdivide them into levels of accomplishment, to be attained by players during the course of the game. It is common for a character to remain in the same class for its lifetime; although some games allow characters to change class, or attain multiple classes. Some systems eschew the use of classes and levels entirely; others hybridize them with skill-based systems or emulate them with character templates.


title: Character class

text: In shooter games and other cooperative video games, classes are generally distinct roles with specific purposes, weapons or abilities, with little relation to the RPG context. Their differences may range from simple equipment changes, such as sniper classes armed with sniper rifles, to unique gameplay changes, such as medic classes that are tasked with healing and reviving injured allied players.


title: Character class

text: "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D"), the first formalized roleplaying game, introduced the use of classes, which were inspired by the units in miniature wargames such as "Chainmail". Many subsequent games adopted variations of the same idea. These games are sometimes referred to as 'class-based' systems. As well as tabletop games, character classes are found in many role-playing video games and live action role-playing games. Many of the most popular role-playing games, such as D20 system and White Wolf games still use character classes in one way or another. Most games offer additional ways to systematically differentiate characters, such as race or species, skills, or affiliations.


title: Character class

text: In fantasy games, Fighter, Mage, and Thief form a common archetypal trio of basic classes, each ones' abilities offsetting the other's weakness. The Fighter is strong and focuses on weapon based combat, Mage is a ranged fighter with a variety of magic and Thief is physically frail but focuses on speed or stealth. Thus it is usual to find one (or more) classes that excel in combat, several classes (called spell-casters) that are able to perform magic (often different kinds of magic), and one or more class that deals with stealth.


title: Character class

text: In its original release "Dungeons & Dragons" included three classes: fighting man, magic user, and cleric. Supplemental rules added the thief class. Classes were added, or were added as variant subclasses over the following editions of the game. From the third edition onwards there were twelve core classes, which fit under the archetypes of the original four classes:


title: Character class

text: In science fiction and other non-fantasy role-playing games the role of magic user is often filled with a scientist or other intelligence based class, while the cleric becomes a medic or similarly supportive role, and the rogue and/or ranger with an explorer or assassin. Some science fiction and supernatural-themed RPGs also use psychic powers as a stand in for magic. There are also character classes that combine features of the classes listed above and are frequently called "hybrid classes". Some examples include the Bard (a cross between the Thief and Mage with an emphasis on interpersonal skills, mental and visual spells, and supportive magical abilities), or the Paladin (a cross between the Fighter and Cleric with slightly decreased combat skills relative to a fighter but various innate abilities that are used to heal or protect allies and repel and/or smite evil opponents).


title: Character class

text: Some RPGs feature another variation on the classes mechanic. For example, in "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay", players choose a career. The career works like a class with abilities (known in WFRP as skills and talents) added to the character based on the chosen career. However, as the player advances and gains more experience he or she may choose a new career according to a predefined career path or change to a completely different career. WFRP is also notable in that characters are encouraged to roll to determine their starting career which is compensated for by free XP which can be spent on more skills.


title: Character class

text: As an alternative to class-based systems, skill-based systems are designed to give the player a stronger sense of control over how their character develops. In such systems, players can often choose the direction of their characters as they play, usually by assigning points to certain skills. Classless games often provide templates for the player to work from, many of which are based on traditional character classes. Many classless games' settings or rules systems lend themselves to the creation of character following certain archetypal trends. For example, in the role-playing video game "Fallout", common character archetypes include the "shooter", "survivalist", "scientist", "smooth talker" and "sneaker", unofficial terms representing various possible means of solving or avoiding conflicts and puzzles in the game. GURPS, which inspired Fallout's system, also used a classless system.


title: Character class

text: The original PlayStation 2 release of the role-playing video game "Final Fantasy XII" included a skill-based system in which as the player progressed, they would they would gain buffs and abilities (called licenses) via the game's License Board (of which each party member shared). "Final Fantasy XII"'s re-release "Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System" and high-definition remaster, "" changed this system by adding a class (or job) system in which classes could be changed, and they each had separate License Boards.


title: Character class

text: Many multiplayer shooter games use class systems to provide different tactics and styles of play and promote teamwork and cooperation. These classes may only have differences through equipment, or they may feature notable gameplay differences. Most games do not allow players to use elements of multiple classes at the same time, though they typically allow players to switch classes before or during a match through a menu. Some games have progression systems for each individual class with class-specific unlockable items.


title: Character class

text: Examples of shooter games with classes include the "Battlefield" series, "Star Wars Battlefront II", "," and "". All of these examples include a "heavy" or "support" class, a less-mobile class armed with some sort of machine gun that is focused around suppressive fire and team support; they also include classes that are simply the standard rifleman class with additional unique equipment (such as "demolitions" classes, typically riflemen with additional explosive items).


title: Character class

text: One notable example is the 2007 multiplayer team-based first-person shooter "Team Fortress 2", which features nine distinct classes divided into three categories: Offense, Defense, and Support. Offense classes (Scout, Soldier, Pyro) specialize in assaulting and overwhelming enemies to complete objectives; Defense classes (Demoman, Heavy, Engineer) specialize in defending positions and hindering enemy advances; and Support classes (Medic, Sniper, Spy) specialize in increasing the team's survivability or sabotaging the enemy. Each of these classes feature notable gameplay differences that are meant to suit their categories, yet do not limit them from being used for both offense and defense playstyles to varying degrees of effectiveness. They also all have strengths and weaknesses in a rock paper scissors-esque style; for example, the Spy is strong against slow or sedentary classes such as the Heavy and Sniper, with equipment that specifically counters the Engineer's constructions, but his stealth abilities are nullified by the Pyro's fire, and he is impractical against more mobile classes such as the Scout. Each class is also treated as its own character, with unique personalities, backstories, and interactions with other classes.


title: Character class

text: A derivative of these types of classes are seen in hero shooters, where each hero has distinct abilities and weapons that often combine archetypical conventional classes or are simply unique on their own.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiled peanuts are popular in some places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather raw, or green ones are used. "Raw" denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. "Green" denotes freshly harvested and undried peanuts that must be refrigerated. After boiling in salt water they take on a strong salty taste, becoming softer with prolonged cooking, and somewhat resembling a pea or bean, to which they are related because they are legumes and a nut only in the culinary sense.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: The most flavorful peanuts for boiling are the Valencia type. These are preferred in the United States, being grown in gardens and small patches throughout the South. Green Virginia-type peanuts are also sometimes used.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiled peanuts are widely consumed and commercially available in an area of the Southern United States from North Carolina, south to central Florida, as far north as Ohio, and west to Mississippi. The peanuts are sold in the hull and boiled with only salt or with a piquant spice mixture such as Old Bay or Zatarain's. The latter are often called "Cajun boiled peanuts" in many recipes.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the Southern United States, where they were originally called goober peas, since at least the 19th century. The practice of eating boiled peanuts was likely brought by enslaved black people from West Africa, where the related bambara groundnut is a traditional staple crop. In July and August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling pot, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, fried green tomatoes, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of Southern culture and cuisine.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: The first recipe for boiled peanuts was published by Almeda Lambert in 1899. Boiled peanuts became a mainstream commodity in the lower South in the early 20th century. A 1925 account from Orangeburg, South Carolina (where author Andrew F. Smith believes the sale of boiled peanuts may have begun), mentions boys hawking the food as a snack for five cents per bag. The snack was also canned for consumption out of season.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Raw peanuts and green peanuts are generally used for boiled peanuts. A green peanut is a farm-fresh harvested peanut that has not been dehydrated. They are available from grocery stores, food distributors and farmers markets during the growing season. "Raw" peanuts are also uncooked but have been dried/dehydrated and must be rehydrated before boiling (usually in a bowl full of water overnight). Once rehydrated, the raw peanuts are ready to be boiled.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Raw peanuts in the shell are put in a large pot of very heavily salted water and boiled. This can be done inside on a stove, or outside on a propane burner or fire pit for a larger volume. Depending on the locality, some cooks use rock salt or standard table salt, or both. The boil can go on from four to seven hours or more, depending on quantity and the age of the peanut (green peanuts cook faster and tend to be better tasting), and the boilings will most often be of several gallons of water. Flavorings such as ham hocks, hot sauce, Cajun seasonings or beer can be added to the boil. An alternative method for dried raw mature peanuts is to rehydrate them by soaking overnight in water, after which they can be cooked in the conventional manner.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: The resulting snack is a very soft peanut in the shell, invariably quite salty. The softened peanuts are easy to open. Often small, immature peanuts (called "pops") are included; these have even softer shells and can be eaten in their entirety. They tend to absorb more salt than the larger ones. Some aficionados of the dish prefer them cooked for a shorter period of time so that the nut is not as soft.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiled peanuts can become slimy or moldy quite quickly without refrigeration. Boiled peanuts can be frozen, then later reheated in a microwave or boiling water for out-of-season consumption. Properly frozen, the flavor is well maintained for even several years.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: On May 1, 2006, Governor Mark Sanford signed a bill, H.4585, making boiled peanuts the official snack food of South Carolina.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: In Ghana and Nigeria, boiled peanuts are eaten as street food. They are also popular in the KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa, especially in Durban.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Historically, the Bambara groundnut was eaten boiled much like a boiled peanut in much of Africa. Following the introduction of peanuts to Africa in the 16th century, they largely displaced the Bambara groundnut in cuisine.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiled peanuts in Taiwan are called "tǔdòu" (土豆), although this also refers to peanuts boiled without the hulls such as those in peanut soup ("tǔdòu tang" 土豆湯). Boiled peanuts were traditionally sold in Taiwan by itinerant hawkers (rather than in fixed markets) or prepared in homes by boiling the peanuts in woks. With itinerant hawkers increasingly rare in the country, boiled peanuts in the shell are now seldom consumed.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: In Vietnam, boiled peanuts are called "đậu phọng luộc" in the southern part of the country and "lạc luộc" in the northern part of Vietnam. They are often appreciated by eating them at informal gatherings of friends and family while drinking beer poured over ice.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Boiled peanuts have been eaten for centuries in South America. In Salvador, Bahia, boiled peanuts are eaten as street food.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: Edward Long, in his 1774 "History of Jamaica", notes the consumption of boiled peanuts on the island. This practice was likely brought by the enslaved black people from Africa, where Long himself believed peanuts originated.


title: Boiled peanuts

text: The process of boiling peanuts draws antioxidants from their shells. The boiled peanuts have four times the antioxidants of raw or roasted peanuts. Boiled peanuts have also been studied as a potential way to treat people with peanut allergies since boiling peanuts denatures proteins that trigger allergic reactions. In one study, boiled peanuts were given in increasing amounts to four patients over time. Some but not all patients were able to start eating raw peanuts.


title: The Killing Moon

text: "The Killing Moon" is a song by the band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 20 January 1984 as the lead single from their 1984 album, "Ocean Rain". It is one of the band's highest-charting hits, reaching number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, and often cited as the band's greatest song. Ian McCulloch has said: "When I sing 'The Killing Moon', I know there isn't a band in the world who's got a song anywhere near that."


title: The Killing Moon

text: In a retrospective review of the song, Allmusic journalist Stewart Mason wrote: "The smart use of strings amplifies the elegance of the tune, bringing both a musical richness and a sense of quiet dignity to the tune."


title: The Killing Moon

text: According to the liner notes of Echo and the Bunnymen's "Crystal Days" box set, Ian McCulloch woke up one morning with the phrase "fate up against your will" in mind. In a 2015 interview McCulloch said: "I love (the song) all the more because I didn’t pore over it for days on end. One morning, I just sat bolt upright in bed with this line in my head: 'Fate up against your will. Through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him.' You don’t dream things like that and remember them. That’s why I’ve always half credited the lyric to God. It’s never happened before or since." McCulloch attributed the use of astronomical imagery in the song to a childhood interest in space.


title: The Killing Moon

text: The chords of the song were based on David Bowie's "Space Oddity", played backwards. The arrangement of the song was partially inspired by balalaika music that Les Pattinson and Will Sergeant had heard in Russia. The guitar solo had been recorded separately by Sergeant whilst tuning up and was inserted in the song at the suggestion of producer David Lord. The strings on the track are a combination of Adam Peters' cello and keyboards played by the producer.


title: The Killing Moon

text: "The Killing Moon" has been featured in films such as "Donnie Darko", "Gia", "The Girl Next Door" and "Grosse Pointe Blank", television shows such as "I Am Not Okay with This", "13 Reasons Why", "Billions", "1899_(TV_series)" and various video games. Artists that have covered the song include Greg Laswell, Wendy Rule, Pavement, Nouvelle Vague, Grant-Lee Phillips, Katie Griffin, The Distants, Chvrches and A-ha.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Kia Stonic () is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) manufactured by Kia Motors. Its name is derived from the words "stylish" and "iconic". The Stonic debuted in Frankfurt on 20 June 2017 and in South Korea on 13 July 2017, and was released in the fourth quarter of 2017. It is marketed as the Kia KX1 in China.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Kia Stonic made its debut at the 2017 International Motor Show Germany. It is the smallest in Kia's SUV lineup, below the Niro, Sportage, and Sorento. The Stonic shares its platform and interior with the fourth generation Kia Rio.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Stonic is offered with a choice of four engines: a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine, a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, and a 1.6-litre CRDi four-cylinder diesel engine.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Stonic was discontinued in South Korea in September 2020 due to sluggish sales. It has been assembled and sold in Pakistan since November 2021.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Kia KX1 is the variant built by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia joint venture for the Chinese market. Despite the high resemblance between the KX1 and the Stonic, the KX1 was slightly restyled for the Chinese market, featuring a modified hood, redesigned bumpers, improved DRL, and a circular fuel tank cap. In addition, the KX1 uses a completely different dashboard design. Compared to the international model, the Chinese-made version is marginally shorter, with a full body length of 4,100 mm instead of 4,140 mm, and round fog lamps instead of boomerang-shaped LED lights. It lacks AEB, blind zone monitoring and cruise control compared to the Korean-made version.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The KX1 is powered by a single 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 100 hp. The transmission is either 6-speed manual transmission, or a six-speed automatic transmission. Additionally, the top of the trim KX1 receives advanced multimedia, climate control, video surveillance cameras and a sports aerodynamic body kit.


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Chinese-made KX1 has been exported to the Philippines under the Stonic nameplate since October 2020. In July 2021, Kia Philippines gifted female weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz a Stonic as a reward for winning the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.


title: Kia Stonic

text: Euro NCAP test results for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant with standard equipment on a 2017 registration:


title: Kia Stonic

text: The Stonic won the iF product design award in the "Transportation Design" category and the Red Dot award in the "Car Design" category in 2018.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The Yugoslav Ground Forces ( – KoV, – КоВ) was the ground forces branch of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) from 1 March 1945 until 20 May 1992 when it became the Ground Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (then called Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) under the threat of sanctions.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The origins of the JNA can be found in the Yugoslav Partisan units of World War II. As a part of the Resistance during World War II People's Liberation War of Yugoslavia, the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ), a predecessor of JNA, was formed on 22 December 1941 in the town of Rudo in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the establishment of the 1st Proletarian Brigade. After the liberation of the country from the Axis Powers occupation, that date was officially celebrated as the "Day of the Army" in the SFR Yugoslavia.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In March 1945, the NOVJ was renamed the Yugoslav Army ("Jugoslovenska Armija") and finally on its 10th anniversary on 22 December 1951, received the adjective "People's" (i.e. "Narodna").


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: From eight divisions in the early 1950s, the ground forces grew to what the ISS estimated as a strength of 220,000, including 13 infantry, 3 armoured, and 6 mountain divisions, and 14 independent brigades, including an airborne and a marine infantry brigade, in August 1966.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In September 1968, the Territorial Defense (TO) was formed to support the JNA and on 21 February 1974 TO units were subordinated to their provinces or republics. Thus the JNA and TO became equal parts of the Yugoslav Armed Forces (Oružane Snage SFRJ).


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In July 1970, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the Yugoslav ground forces to include 200,000 personnel, nine infantry divisions with some T-34 tanks; one armoured division with M47 Patton, T-54, and T-55 tanks; 33 independent infantry brigades, 12 independent tank brigades, one marine infantry brigade, one airborne brigade, 650 M4 Sherman tanks, PT-76 and about 35 AMX-13 tanks, M-3, BTR-50, and BTR-60P armoured personnel carriers, SU-100 self propelled guns, and 105mm and 155 howitzers, SA-2 "Guideline" surface to air missiles, and SU-57P self propelled anti aircraft guns.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In accordance with the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution the Land Forces were divided into six armies allocated to the five republics:


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: As of July 1979 the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the Yugoslav ground forces to include 190,000 personnel (including 130,000 conscripts), eight infantry divisions, seven independent tank brigades, 12 independent infantry brigades, two mountain infantry brigades, one airborne battalion, 12 artillery regiments, six anti-tank artillery regiments, and 12 anti-aircraft artillery regiments.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Tensions between the JNA and the TO became evident at the political situation in Yugoslavia deteriorated in the 1980s. The Federal government became concerned that Yugoslavia's constituent republics would use the TO to facilitate their secession from Yugoslavia and therefore disarmed the Kosovo TO of 130,000 members. In 1988 the JNA absorbed the entire TO with the Bosnian Serb General Blagoje Adžić becoming the JNA Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In 1988 the armies were reorganized into Military Districts or Regions which no longer corresponded to internal borders thereby making it harder for the republics to control their own forces. Apart from the Proletarian Guard, a mechanized corps, the Land Forces infantry divisions were reorganized into 17 Corps each consisting of four to eight brigades. In late June 1990, the JNA dissolved the 6th Proletarian Infantry Division and the Zagreb city defence command.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Once considered the fourth strongest army in Europe with 140,000 active troops and million reserves, in 1991, at the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars the ground forces were organized in four military regions. The First, Third and Fifth corresponded to the three field armies of the ground forces. The Air Force and Air Defence followed this pattern with the First, Third and Fifth Air Corps. Small number of units of the ground and air forces were outside of the military regions directly under General Staff command and control. The fourth military region was the Military Sea Region (or Naval Region), a joint Navy / Ground Forces formation, which was in general commanded by the chief of the Navy, with ground forces units for coastal defence in the rear of the naval artillery. The Military Sea Region did not have tactical aviation units assigned and air support was provided by the three air corps.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In 1990 the army had nearly completed a major overhaul of its basic force structure. It eliminated its old divisional infantry organization and established the brigade as the largest operational unit. The army converted ten of twelve infantry divisions into twenty-nine tank, mechanized, and mountain infantry brigades with integral artillery, air defense, and anti-tank regiments. One airborne brigade was organized before 1990. The shift to brigade-level organization provided greater operational flexibility, maneuverability, and tactical initiative, and it reduced the possibility that large army units would be destroyed in setpiece engagements with an aggressor. The change created many senior field command positions that would develop relatively young and talented officers. The brigade structure also was more appropriate at a time of declining manpower.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: During the course of the ten-year-long Yugoslav wars, corps were modified by being reinforced with extra units from out of theatre; battalions then became regiments and regiments became brigades. However many units were also disbanded when their non-Serbian/Montenegrin personnel deserted.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: In the 1980s the ground forces had about 140,000 active-duty soldiers (including 90,000 conscripts) and could mobilize over a million trained reservists in wartime. Most soldiers were of Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian or Montenegrin origin. Reserve forces were organized along republican lines into Partisan Forces and Territorial Defence Forces and in wartime they were to be subordinate to JNA Supreme Command as an integral part of the defence system. The Territorial Defence Forces (reserve force) was made up of former conscripts and they were occasionally called up for war exercises.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The ground forces were subdivided into infantry, armour, field artillery, and air defence artillery, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: During the Ten Day War the JNA performed abysmally as many of the Yugoslav soldiers did not realise they were taking part in a real military operation, rather an exercise, until they came under attack. The officer corps was dominated by Serbs and Montenegrins and in many cases ideologically committed to Yugoslav unity. The rank and file troops however were conscripts, many who had no strong motivation in fighting against the Slovenes. Of the soldiers of the 5th Military District, which was in action in Slovenia, in 1990 30% were Albanians, 20% Croats, 15 to 20% Serbs and Montenegrins, 10% Bosniaks, and 8% Slovenes. The JNA eventually lost nearly all of its Slovenian and Croat personnel, becoming an almost entirely Serbian and Montenegrin force. Its poor performance in Slovenia and later in Croatia discredited its leadership – Kadijević resigned as defence minister in January 1992, and Adžić was forced into medical retirement shortly afterwards. Due to the short duration (10 Days) and relatively low intensity of the war, casualties were low. According to Slovenian estimates, the JNA suffered 44 fatalities and 146 wounded, while 4,692 JNA soldiers and 252 federal police officers were captured by the Slovenian side. According to post-war assessments made by the JNA, its material losses amounted to 31 tanks, 22 armoured personnel carriers, 6 helicopters, 6,787 infantry weapons, 87 artillery pieces and 124 air defence weapons damaged, destroyed or confiscated. Property damage was fairly light, due to the scattered and short-term nature of the fighting.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The ground forces led in personnel. It had about 540,000 active-duty soldiers (including 120,000 conscripts) and could mobilize over a million trained reservists in wartime. Reserve forces were organized along republics' lines into Territorial Defence Forces and in wartime they were to be subordinate to JNA Supreme Command as an integral part of defence system. Territorial Defence (reserve force) was made up of former conscripts and they were occasionally called up for war exercises.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The ground forces were infantry, armour, artillery, and air defence, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Yugoslav tank brigades comprised two or three battalions each with 31 tanks in three ten tank companies. They operated 1114 Soviet T-54s and T-55s, 73 Soviet T-72s, 443 Yugoslav M-84s, and some United States-made M-47 tanks. The army's tanks were in many respects its most obsolete forces. The T-54/-55 was a frontline model during the 1960s. Domestic production of the M-84 (an improved version of the Soviet T-72 built under license in Yugoslavia) was providing the army with a late 1970s and 1980s model. The army also had a reserve of old T-34/85 and Sherman tanks from World War II.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The Yugoslav army had 995 M-80A IFVs and 551 M-60P armored personnel carriers produced domestically. The infantry also operated more than 200 Soviet-made BTR-152, BTR-40, and BTR-50 armored personnel carriers (APCs), which had been purchased in the 1960s and 1970s. It had 100 M-3A1 half-tracked personnel carriers produced by the United States and a small number of new Romanian TAB-72 (a variant of the BTR-60) armored personnel carriers. Armored reconnaissance vehicles included a few older Soviet BTR-40s, newer BRDM-2 and BTR-60 models, and domestic BOV and M-8 vehicles.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Yugoslav artillery regiments were well equipped with Soviet, U.S. and domestic systems. Soviet artillery in these units consisted of approximately 1,000 towed 122 mm howitzers, 130 mm guns, 152 mm gun/howitzers, and 155 mm howitzers. There were about 700 older United States 105 mm and 155 mm towed guns and domestically produced models such as the M-65 in the artillery regiments. Towed pieces were very important for operations in the country's mountainous terrain.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Artillery units operated Soviet 100 mm and 122 mm and Yugoslav-produced 105 mm M-7 self-propelled guns. Those units had over 8,000 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, including a self-propelled 82 mm mortar mounted on an M-60PB variant of the standard armored personnel carrier.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Yugoslav artillery units operated several battlefield missile systems including 160 128 mm YMRL-32 and M-63 multiple-rocket launchers. The arsenal included four launchers for Soviet FROG-7 surface-to-surface missiles. First fielded in 1967, the unguided FROG-7 had a range of 100 kilometers.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Yugoslav anti-tank regiments had towed anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, and Soviet anti-tank guided missiles. Antitank guns included 75 mm, 90 mm, and 100 mm models. They were Soviet produced with the exception of the 90 mm M-63B2, which was manufactured domestically.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The recoilless rifles were manufactured domestically and included 57 mm, 82 mm, and 105 mm models. Two self-propelled 82 mm recoilless rifles could be mounted on an M-60PB armored personnel carrier.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Anti-tank guided missiles were the Soviet AT-1 (NATO: "Snapper") and AT-3 (NATO: "Sagger"). They were used in both anti-tank and infantry units, but because of their early vintage, effectiveness against advanced armor was uncertain. The four wheeled BOV-1 armored reconnaissance vehicle could be equipped with six AT-3 launchers to serve as a highly mobile anti-tank platform.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Larger Yugoslav army units had considerable tactical air defense assets, designed to defend major troop concentrations against enemy air strikes. The ground forces had four surface-to-air missile regiments and eleven antiaircraft artillery regiments. The former operated large numbers of Soviet SA-6, SA-7, SA-9, SA-13, SA-14, SA-16 missiles. Short-range systems also were employed in infantry units.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Yugoslav antiaircraft artillery regiments operated over 5,000 guns. Self-propelled gun systems included the Soviet-made 57 mm dual ZSU-57-2 gun systems and the domestically produced triple 20 mm BOV-3s and dual 30 mm BOV-30s. Large numbers of towed antiaircraft guns of many calibers were in the inventory. Of both domestic and foreign origin, they included pieces purchased from the United States, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, and Sweden.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: The coastal artillery batteries had both surface-to-surface missiles and guns. They operated the Soviet-designed SS-C-3 and a truck-mounted, Yugoslav-produced Brom antiship missile which was essentially a Yugoslav variant of the Soviet SS-N-2. Coastal guns included over 400 85 mm, 88 mm, 122 mm, 130 mm, and 152 mm artillery pieces obtained from the Soviet Union, the United States, captured and refurbished WW2 German and Italian pieces, and Yugoslav manufacturers.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Soldiers and NCOs were issued field uniforms and service uniforms, while NCOs were authorised a dress uniform. Military school cadets wore soldier's uniforms. Soldiers' winter and summer uniforms were made of light or heavy wool and cotton in olive-green. All soldiers wore neckties of the same colors except in summer, when the uniform shirt was worn with an open collar.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: There were several variations on the basic soldier's uniform and women's uniforms were of the same style as those for men, with a skirt being substituted for trousers. Paratroops wore an olive-green beret instead of the standard garrison or service cap.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Mountain troops wore distinctive stiff field caps with semi-rigid visors and ear flaps. They wore loose winter shirts, under which additional layers could be worn. The shirt itself had a lining and a collar that could be turned up to cover the neck and chin. The trousers worn by mountain troops extended just below the knee, with a strap and buckle closure. Leather leggings, heavy wool socks, and foul-weather capes also were worn by the mountain troops.


title: Yugoslav Ground Forces

text: Officers had to buy their field, service, dress, and full dress uniforms. They wore insignia on the lapels of the field uniform shirts. The service uniform differed only in a few details from the basic dress uniform. The shirt buttons of the dress uniform were yellow-gold instead of the service color. The trousers, jackets, and overcoats were piped red along the seams. The dress cap visor showed the same piping as the officer's shoulder boards. The general officer's dress cap had a chin strap of twisted gold cord. Other officers wore plain plastic or leather chin straps. Full dress uniforms were blue and were worn with a yellow-gold sash belt lined with the appropriate service color. Cap emblems all included a red star with yellow-gold rays, given distinctive configurations according to branch. Airborne officers had the red star resting on a silver parachute against a blue background. Cap emblems for general officers showed the same gold wreath as the shoulder boards.


title: Jerod Mixon

text: Jerod Mixon (born May 24, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known for portraying Weensie in "Old School". He is the older brother of actor Jamal Mixon. He also produced and starred in the comedy rap film "White T".


title: Jerod Mixon

text: Mixon distinguished himself as an actor in his role as Shonté Jr. Baileygates, son of Jim Carrey's lead character, in "Me, Myself & Irene". Mixon also had a prominent role in the 2002 film "The New Guy". He also played a small part in an episode of "Scrubs" as an obese patient named Herbert in an episode named "My New Suit". He is also best known as the voice of Theo on "Maya & Miguel".


title: Kuralarasan

text: Kuralarasan is an Indian actor and composer who works in Tamil-language films. He has collaborated with his father, T. Rajendar, and his brother, Silambarasan, in all his films to date.


title: Kuralarasan

text: In February 2019, Kuralarasan's video of shahada (proclamation of faith) embracing Islam with the presence of his parents in a Masjid in Annasalai, Chennai had become viral. Rajender in the press interview stated that Kuralarasan since young years had been passionate about Islam and completely embraced Islam through that proclamation event. Kuralarasan stated that out of his own will being attracted to the principles of Islam had embraced it. He requested to keep his father and brother away from social-media religious hate trolling on his religious conversion.


title: Kuralarasan

text: He began his career as a child artist and garnered acclaim for his role in "Sonnal Thaan Kaadhala" (2001). He made his debut as a music composer with his father's production "Idhu Namma Aalu" (2016) starring his brother, Silambarasan. He wrote the lyrics for all the songs in addition to rendering his voice for the song "King Kong". He went on to compose an independent album with US-based artists and is working on several Hindi films.


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: This is a timeline of achievements in Soviet and United States spaceflight, spanning the Cold War era of nationalistic competition known as the Space Race. <br>


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: For more extensive lists, see Timeline of Solar System exploration and Timeline of space exploration. <br>


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: Among other things, this excludes first uses of specific on-board equipment and new scientific discoveries, which would make the list considerably longer.


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: The first spacecraft was a V-2 rocket, launched in June 1944, which reached an altitude of 189 km, well over the 100 km Kármán line, which is regarded as the boundary of outer space. However, this was a German craft and not part of the space race (as meant in this article).


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: The first living creatures sent into space were fruit flies, launched aboard a V2 rocket in February of 1947 from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico as part of a research mission.<br>


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: On 29 July 1955, the United States announced its intention to launch an artificial satellite during the International Geophysical Year (1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958). Four days later, the Soviet Union announced its intention to do the same and was the first to achieve this goal on 4 October 1957, marking the start of the space race.<br>


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: After the first multinational crewed mission in July 1975, the competition continued to exist, but transitioned in intensity from a state of intense competition to one of cooperation by the dissolution of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War on 26 December 1991.<br>


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: Until 1989, space exploration was almost exclusively the domain of the USA and the USSR, apart from (taking part in) solar observations in the 1970's (by Germany and the EU) and the Halley Armada in the 1980s (by Japan and the EU). After that, more countries and cooperations followed, mostly by the USA, the EU and separate European countries and Japan, with the biggest cooperation being the International Space Station.


title: Timeline of the Space Race

text: On 1991 December 31, the United Nations accepted the dissolution of the USSR, which meant the end of the space race.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Benjamin Seth Watson (born December 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles in his rookie year. He played college football at Duke and Georgia. Watson has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and was a letterman in football and track. In football, as a senior, he caught 31 passes for 515 yards. The two-time All-Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year led his team to the state championship in his junior season. He was also a member of his high school chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: In track and field, Watson was a standout sprinter, recording personal-best times of 22.37 seconds in the 200 meters and 50.03 seconds in the 400 meters.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson played football at Duke University prior to transferring to the University of Georgia where he majored in finance. In 3 seasons at Georgia, he had 65 catches for 852 yards and 6 TD.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson attended the NFL combine and completed all of the combine and positional drills. He scored a 48 on the Wonderlic test, tying for the third highest score of any player in league history. On March 18, 2004, Watson participated at Georgia's pro day, but chose to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills and the 40-yard dash. Team representatives and scouts from every team attended, including head coaches Mike Sherman (Packers) and Butch Davis (Browns). His overall performance impressed scouts and solidified his position as a top tight end in the draft. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Watson was projected to a second round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the third best tight end prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: The New England Patriots selected Watson in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. Watson was the second tight end drafted in 2004, after Miami's Kellen Winslow II (seventh overall).


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson held out of training camp and missed 18 days due to a contract dispute. On August 14, 2004, Watson fired his agent Tom Condon, but was contractually obligated to retain IMG as his representative. On August 16, 2004, the New England Patriots signed Watson to a six-year, $13.50 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $3.81 million.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Throughout training camp, Watson competed against Daniel Graham to be the starting tight end. Head coach Bill Belichick officially named Watson the starting tight end to begin the regular season in 2004. He made his NFL debut and first start in the Patriots' season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts and caught two passes for 16 yards in their 27-24 win, but was inactive for the Patriots' Week 2 win at the Arizona Cardinals and was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season due to a knee injury. During his absence, the New England Patriots finished first in the AFC East with a 14–2 record and reached the Super Bowl after defeating the Colts 20–3 in the AFC Divisional Round and the Pittsburgh Steelers 41–27 in the AFC Championship Game. Watson received a Super Bowl ring after the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–21 in Super Bowl XXXIX.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson returned as the Patriots' primary starting tight end in 2005. On October 9, 2005, Watson scored his first NFL touchdown off of a 33-yard pass by quarterback Tom Brady as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31–28 in Week 5. In Week 11, he caught a season-high four passes for 66 receiving yards during a 24–17 victory against the New Orleans Saints. On December 11, 2005, Watson caught three passes for 35-yards before exiting in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' 35–7 victory at the Buffalo Bills after suffering a concussion. He remained inactive for their Week 15 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Watson finished the 2005 season with 29 receptions, 441 receiving yards, and four touchdown receptions in 15 games and nine starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: The Patriots finished the 2005 season atop the AFC East with a 10–6 record and qualified for the playoffs. On January 7, 2006, Watson started his first career playoff game and recorded five receptions for 91 yards and scored on a 63-yard touchdown reception as the Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, they were eliminated during a 27–13 loss at the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round. During the game, Watson ran the distance of the football field to catch and tackle Champ Bailey at the Broncos' one-yard line after an interception in the Patriots' end zone, preventing a touchdown. The play has been called "one of the greatest forgotten plays in Patriots history."


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson entered the season as the Patriots’ starting tight end. On October 30, 2006, Watson caught a season-high seven passes for 95-yards and a touchdown during a 31–7 win at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. In Week 14, he sustained a knee injury during a 21–0 loss at the Miami Dolphins and was sidelined for the last three games of the season (Weeks 15–17).


title: Benjamin Watson

text: He finished the 2006 season with 49 receptions for 643 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 13 regular season games and 13 starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: The Patriots finished first in the AFC East with a 12–4 record and reached the AFC Championship before losing at the Indianapolis Colts 38–34. During that game, Watson caught five passes for 48 yards, his best performance of the playoffs.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson remained the primary starting tight end for the Patriots in 2007. On October 7, 2007, Watson caught six passes for a season-high 107 receiving yards and two touchdowns during a 34–17 win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. This became Watson's first multi-touchdown performance and first game with over 100 receiving yards. Watson sustained an ankle injury and was inactive for two games (Weeks 7–8). During his absence he was replaced by Kyle Brady. Watson was active for another two games (Weeks 15–16) after aggravating his sprained ankle.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson finished the 2007 season with 38 receptions for 389 receiving yards and a career-high six touchdown receptions. The Patriots finished atop the AFC with a 16–0 record. On January 12, 2008, Watson caught two passes for 12-yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots' 31–20 win against Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Round. They reached the Super Bowl after defeating the San Diego Chargers 21–12 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 2, 2008, Watson started in Super Bowl XLII, but was held without a reception as the Patriots lost 17–14 to the New York Giants.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson again started at tight end for the Patriots in 2008. Watson sustained a knee injury during the preseason and was sidelined for the first two regular season games (Weeks 1–2). On November 13, 2008, Watson caught a season-high eight receptions for 88-yards and a touchdown during the Patriots' 34–31 loss to the New York Jets in Week 11.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson finished the season with 22 receptions, 229 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns in 14 games and nine starts. Watson's performance was limited, in part, due to an injury to Tom Brady that sidelined him for the entire season. With Brady sidelined with a torn ACL, the Patriots started backup Matt Cassel and finished with an 11–5 record, but did not qualify for the playoffs.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson retained his role as the primary Patriots tight end and became the only returning tight end after the Patriots released David Thomas and signed free agents Chris Baker and Michael Matthews. He started the Patriots' season-opener against the Buffalo Bills and recorded a season-high six receptions for 77-yards and caught two touchdown passes during a 25–24 victory.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: He finished the 2009 season with 29 receptions for 404 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 16 games and seven starts. The Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 10–6 record but lost in the first round of the playoffs, 33–14 to the Baltimore Ravens.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On March 12, 2010, the Cleveland Browns signed Watson to a three-year, $12 million contract with $6.35 million guaranteed. He was reunited with Cleveland Browns' head coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Mangini had been the Patriots' defensive coordinator in 2006 and Daboll had been their wide receiver coach from 2002-2006.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson started for the Browns throughout the 2010 season. On September 26, 2010, Watson caught five passes for 47-yards and scored his first touchdown as a member of the Browns during a 24–17 loss at the Baltimore Ravens. On December 5, 2010, Watson recorded a season-high ten receptions for 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Browns' 13–10 win at the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. It marked his first game with double-digit receptions. Watson started in all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2010 and recorded 68 receptions for 763 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions. Watson led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and tied wide receiver Brian Robiskie for most receiving touchdowns.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: The Browns fired head coach Eric Mangini and his staff after the Browns finished with a 5–11 record in 2010. On July 30, 2011, Watson suffered a concussion after taking an inadvertent knee to the helmet during the Browns' first practice in training camp. Head coach Pat Shurmur retained Watson as the No. 1 starting tight end on the Browns' depth chart to begin the regular season. On September 25, 2011, he recorded five receptions for a season-high 64-yards during a 17–16 win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. The following week, Watson caught a season-high six passes for 48 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Browns lost to the Tennessee Titans 31–13. On October 23, 2011, Watson exited the Browns' 6–3 victory against the Seattle Seahawks at the beginning of the third quarter due to a concussion. In Week 14, he caught two passes for 11-yards, but suffered his third concussion of the season and exited in the second quarter of a 14–3 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. On December 16, 2011, the Cleveland Browns officially placed Watson on injured reserve, and he missed the remaining three games of the regular season after being evaluated by a head trauma specialist.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson finished the 2011 season with a total of 37 receptions for 410 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 13 games and 11 starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson started for the Browns throughout the 2012 season. In Week 11, Watson recorded four receptions for 47-yards and caught a season-high two touchdown passes in a 23–20 overtime loss at the Dallas Cowboys. On December 2, 2012, he caught six passes for a season-high 80 receiving yards during a 20–17 win at the Oakland Raiders in Week 13. In Week 17, he collected a season-high seven receptions for 64-yards as the Browns lost 24–10 at the Pittsburgh Steelers.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson completed the 2012 season with 48 receptions for 501 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On March 18, 2013, the New Orleans Saints signed Watson to a three-year, $4.95 million contract with $1.80 guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.20 million.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson entered the Saints training camp slated as a backup for the first time in his career. Playing behind Jimmy Graham, Watson caught his first touchdown as a member of the Saints in week four on a four-yard pass by quarterback Drew Brees during a 38–17 win against the Miami Dolphins. On October 13, 2013, he collected three receptions for a season-high 61 receiving yards during a 30–27 loss at the New England Patriots. He was inserted in the starting lineup against the Patriots due to an injury to Jimmy Graham. In Week 10, Watson sustained a concussion in the Saints' 49–17 win against the Dallas Cowboys. He remained inactive for their Week 11 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson finished his first season with the Saints with 19 receptions for 226 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 15 games and seven starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson returned as the Saints’ secondary receiving tight end option behind Jimmy Graham in 2014. On October 5, 2014, Watson recorded a season-high five receptions for 43-yards during a 37–31 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5. In Week 13, he caught a season-long 15-yard pass from Drew Brees in the Saints' 35–32 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watson finished the season with 20 receptions for 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and eight starts.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson entered the Saints season as the starting tight end after the departure of Jimmy Graham. Entering the season, Watson was elected an offensive team captain.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: In Week 6, Watson caught ten passes for 127-yards and a touchdown during a 31–21 victory against the Atlanta Falcons. Writing about that game on Thursday Night Football, one columnist wrote, “it should forever be remembered as The Ben Watson Game, as the 12-year veteran did his best Jimmy Graham impression with 10 catches and 127 yards and a touchdown. It was cool to watch one of the league's longtime good guys put up a random career game in his 12th season.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On November 1, 2015, Watson recorded nine receptions for a season-high 147 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 52–49 win against the New York Giants in Week 8. Watson started in all 16 games in 2015 and caught a career-high 74 passes for 825 receiving yards and six touchdowns.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: At the conclusion of the 2015 season, Watson was recognized as one of three finalists (with Eli Manning and Anquan Boldin (winner)) for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, honoring a player's volunteer and charity work as well as excellence on the field, and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On March 9, 2016, the Baltimore Ravens signed Watson to a two-year, $7 million contract with $3 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2 million.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Throughout training camp, Watson competed to be the starting tight end against Crockett Gilmore, Dennis Pitta, and Maxx Williams. On August 27, 2016, during the Ravens' third preseason game, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: During training camp, Watson competed to be the starting tight end against Crockett Gilmore, Nick Boyle, and Maxx Williams. Head coach John Harbaugh named Watson the backup tight end on the depth chart to begin the regular season, behind Nick Boyle. In Week 2, he recorded a season-high eight receptions for 91-yards during the Ravens' 21–10 victory against the Cleveland Browns. On December 17, 2017, Watson caught four passes for 74 receiving yards and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass during a 27–10 win at the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. Watson finished the 2017 season with 61 receptions for 522 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 16 games and 12 starts. On January 21, 2018, Watson was once again named a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (won by J. J. Watt).


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson became an unrestricted free agent after completing his two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On March 28, 2018, the New Orleans Saints signed Watson to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $645,000. On October 21, 2018, Watson caught Drew Brees' 500th career touchdown pass in a 24–23 win over the Baltimore Ravens.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: That season, Watson won the Bart Starr Award as the NFL player who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community."


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On May 10, 2019, Watson came out of retirement and signed with the New England Patriots, the team that had originally drafted him back in 2004.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On May 27, 2019, Watson announced that he had failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs. In March, during his retirement, his physician had prescribed a testosterone supplement. The NFL responded by suspending Watson for the season's first four games. Watson made his 2019 debut on October 21 in a Monday Night Football matchup against the rival New York Jets which the Patriots won 33-0. He recorded three catches for 18 yards. Against the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card round, Watson recorded 3 catches for 38 yards as the Patriots lost 20–13.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson is married to Kirsten Vaughn Watson, who grew up in Baton Rouge. Vaughn was a multisport athlete at Episcopal High School. Her grandfather, Isaac Greggs, was the longtime band director at Southern University. Her father Percy Vaughn, is from New Orleans and a Southern University graduate. Her mom, Audree, attended Louisiana State University.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Vaughn and Watson married in 2005 after his rookie NFL year. Together they have seven children, including one set of twins. Watson is a devout Christian who is known for being outspoken about his faith.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Benjamin has a younger brother, Asa, who was signed by the New England Patriots on May 10, 2014, but was released before the season started.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Following the events in Ferguson, Missouri, Watson wrote a Facebook post on the issue of race in America that was "liked" on Facebook more than 850,000 times. The post received national attention.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: On November 17, 2015, Watson released a book, "Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race--And Getting Free From the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us", with Tyndale House Publishers.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Watson opposes abortion and spoke at the 2017 March for Life. In 2020, he executive produced and partially financed a movie called "Divided Hearts of America" on the topic of abortion featuring former Presidential candidate Ben Carson and niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Alveda King.


title: Benjamin Watson

text: In 2018, Watson won the Bart Starr Award as the NFL player who "best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community."


title: Benjamin Watson

text: Beginning in 2021, Watson serves as a college football studio analyst for the SEC Network of ESPN appearing as a staple on the network's SEC Now and SEC Football Final programs, as well as appearing on the SEC Network's live coverage of the SEC Kickoff program.


title: Bic Runga

text: Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga has also found success internationally in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom with her song "Sway".


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga was born in Christchurch. Her mother, Sophia Tang, was a Chinese Malaysian lounge singer in Malaysia when she met Joseph Te Okoro Runga, a Māori ex-serviceman. They moved to New Zealand to live. Runga is of Ngāti Kahungunu descent. Regarding her name, she explains: "'You say it Bec, rather than Bic. ... It's Chinese, it's a strange vowel sound which doesn't seem to translate in Australia. It means the colour of jade, which might mean green.'"


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga grew up in Hornby, Christchurch surrounded by a musically inclined family, and started recording songs with her sisters, Boh and Pearl, when she was four years old. Runga's older sister Boh was the vocalist in the New Zealand rock group Stellar, while Pearl is a session singer.


title: Bic Runga

text: She learned how to play drums at the age of eleven, and guitar at about fourteen. Runga also learned to play the keyboard around this time. She attended Cashmere High School, joining high school bands and performing with local jazz groups by her mid-teens.


title: Bic Runga

text: Under the name of "Love Soup", Runga and Kelly Horgan entered the 1993 Smokefreerockquest in Christchurch, winning third place and a music contract with Pagan Records. Using a QE II Arts Council grant, Runga recorded the first "Drive" EP in Wellington. Unsatisfied with the direction that her music was being taken, she moved to Auckland in 1994 and spent a year writing and performing.


title: Bic Runga

text: In 1995, she sent a new demo of "Drive" to Sony Music, who signed Runga in September of that year and bought her Wellington recordings from Pagan Records. Sony had her re-record the song with more instruments, but it was eventually her demo that was used on the upcoming album. It entered the Top 10 in New Zealand and won her the APRA Silver Scroll award in 1996.


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga then released "Bursting Through", the first single from her upcoming album, also entitled "Drive". The success of the singles led to the release of her debut album, "Drive", in 1997. Runga's song "Sway", along with a duet with Dan Wilson of Semisonic called "Good Morning Baby", were used in the films "American Pie", and "Cruel Intentions". Six singles were released from the album, while "Sway" was released in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga has recorded two songs called "Drive". The first was her own, which appeared on her debut album of the same name. The second was a 1999 collaboration with fellow New Zealanders Strawpeople, providing guest vocals for their cover of The Cars' classic 1984 hit.


title: Bic Runga

text: In 2000, Runga toured with Tim Finn and Dave Dobbyn, resulting in a release of a live album in November 2000, titled "". It peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand charts and has been certified 3× platinum. Runga released her second solo album, "Beautiful Collision" in 2002. It entered the New Zealand charts at number one and has been certified 10× platinum in New Zealand.


title: Bic Runga

text: Her third studio album, "Birds", was released in New Zealand on 28 November 2005. New Zealand artists Neil Finn (piano) and Anika Moa (backing vocals) contributed to the album. The first single, "Winning Arrow", was released on the same day. It was her third consecutive studio album to enter the New Zealand charts at number one. "Birds" was certified triple platinum.


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga played a 'Vietnamese lounge singer' in the 2005 film "Little Fish", and covered Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" for the soundtrack. In the 2006 New Year Honours, Runga was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music.


title: Bic Runga

text: In November 2008, Runga released "Try to Remember Everything" which is a collection of unreleased, new and rare Bic Runga recordings from 1996 to 2008. The album was certified Gold in New Zealand on 14 December 2008, selling over 7,500 copies.


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga contributed to the score and soundtrack to New Zealand filmmaker Roseanne Liang's debut feature film "My Wedding and Other Secrets" (2011). In addition to featuring "Say After Me" from "Birds", the film also included two tracks ("Hello Hello" and "This Girl's Prepared for War") from her fourth album "Belle".


title: Bic Runga

text: "Belle" was released in November 2011. Runga completed a 17 date tour across New Zealand and 13 dates across Ireland, United Kingdom and Australia.


title: Bic Runga

text: In June 2015, Runga released a new single titled "Dreamed a Dream". This was a collaboration with Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins, with whom she toured New Zealand in June and July 2015. As well as solo performances by both artists, these shows included covers of songs by Simon & Garfunkel, Yoko Ono, Francoise Hardy, Donovan and Fleetwood Mac.


title: Bic Runga

text: In October 2016, it was announced that Runga would release an album of consisting of ten covers and two original tracks titled "Close Your Eyes". "Close Your Eyes" was released on 14 October 2016 as a single.


title: Bic Runga

text: In November 2016, Runga was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. Recorded Music CEO Damian Vaughan said "Bic is one of our most loved and treasured recording artists, her songs are instantly recognizable and have been part of the fabric of New Zealand for more than 20 years. We're honoured to present Bic with the 2016 Legacy Award and induct her into the NZ Music Hall of Fame".


title: Bic Runga

text: Runga's partner is singer Kody Nielson. She has three children: Joe (born 2007), Sophia (born 2013), and Frida (born 2015). She has two sisters who are also musicians, Pearl Runga and Boh Runga.


title: Bic Runga

text: In the 2006 New Year Honours Runga was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music.


title: Bic Runga

text: The New Zealand Music Awards are presented annually by Recorded Music NZ recognising outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording field.


title: Fates

text: The Fates are a common motif in European polytheism, most frequently represented as a trio of goddesses. The Fates shape the destiny of each human, often expressed in textile metaphors such as spinning fibers into yarn, or weaving threads on a loom. This trio is composed of sisters who go by the names Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos (also known as the daughters of Zeus and Themis). These divine figures are often artistically depicted as beautiful maidens with consideration to their serious responsibility: the life of mortals. Poets typically express the Fates as ugly and unwavering, representing the gravity of their role within the mythological and human worlds.


title: Fates

text: The Moirai, meaning "allotted portion" or "share", separated each sister into a different role in order to handle the fates of humans. The Fates were expected to appear within three days of a mortal's birth. Clotho was the first of the three, known as "the spinner", due to the fact that she would weave the threads of human life while in the womb. This act is used to represent her divine duty, also incorporating pregnancies or birth when referring to her. The second Fate, Lachesis, is known as "the Allotter," given the fact that her responsibility includes determining how much mortal life is assigned to the souls of each individual. This, in turn, determines the number of tribulations that individual is predestined to face. The final Fate, Atropos, is known as the most stubborn sister of the three, coined the nickname "the un-turnable". Completing the cycle, Atropos is expected to cut off the thread of life, determining when a human will die. She is typically seen hand in hand with death and the Underworld. Once Atropos cuts the thread, each soul is sent to the Underworld where they receive judgement and are sent to one of three options: Elysium, the Fields of Punishment, or the Fields of Asphodel.


title: Fates

text: Elysium is labeled a land for the blessed, whereas those who committed horrible deeds were sent to the Fields of Punishment. For the mortals who lived neither an objectively good or bad life were sent to the Fields of Asphodel.


title: Fates

text: The Fates have appeared in numerous cultures with similar tales. In Greek mythology, they appear as incarnations of destiny named the Moirai. The Roman counterparts of the Moirai are known as the Parcae. This trio also makes a name in Slavic culture as the Rozhanitsy, figures who foretell an individual's destiny. Similar to Greek mythology, the Fates are known as incarnations of destiny called Norns in Norse mythology. The biggest variant within these cultures remains in Baltic mythology, which characterizes the Deivės Valdytojos as seven sisters who weave pieces of clothing from the lives of humans.


title: Fates

text: Considering the roles of each divine sister, Clotho is typically portrayed as a younger woman because of her relationship with the birth of humans, whereas Atropos is pictured as an old woman because of her hand in the death of mortals. Each sister has been pictured with a tangible representation of their power: Clotho with thread, Lachesis with an eye glass, and Atropos with scissors. The Fates make a specific appearance within the artwork of Francisco de Goya's black paintings. These were a series of 14 pieces completed by the artist nearing the later stages of his life. Their dark tone, literally and figuratively, capture the Fates holding an individual hostage as they are deciding his destiny. More recently, Anne-Katrin Altwein depicted the divine sisters through sculptures that originally resided in the entrance of a German hospital as a means of creative inspiration to patients. Altwein sculpted Clotho as a pregnant woman as opposed to simply holding the thread of life in order to present her in a more positive light. The sculptures have since been moved to the city center of Jena, also home to the same hospital.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Fitna (or , pl. "; : "temptation, trial; sedition, civil strife, conflict") is an Arabic word with extensive connotations of trial, affliction, or distress. Although it is a word with important historical implications, it is also widely used in modern Arabic without the underlying historical connotations.


title: Fitna (word)

text: One might distinguish between the meanings of " as used in Classical Arabic and the meanings of "fitna" as used in Modern Standard Arabic and various colloquial dialects. Due to the conceptual importance of "fitna" in the Qur'an, its use in that work may need to be considered separately from, though in addition to, the word's general lexical meaning in Classical Arabic.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Aside from its use in the Qur'an, "fitna" is used as term for the four heavy civil wars within the Islamic Caliphate from the 7th to the 9th century AD.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Arabic, in common with other Semitic languages like Hebrew, employs a system of root letters combined with vowel patterns to constitute its whole range of vocabulary. As such, identification of the root letters of any word might bring a better understanding the word's full semantic range.


title: Fitna (word)

text: "Fitna" has the triliteral root "fā'-tā'-nūn" (). In addition to the feminine noun "fitna", "fitan", this root forms, in particular, a Form I active verb "fatana", "yaftinu" (), a Form I passive verb "futina", "yuftanu" (), a Form I maṣdar "futūn" (), a Form I active participle "fātin" (), a Form I passive participle "maftūn" (), and so on.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Edward William Lane, in his "Arabic-English Lexicon" compiled from various traditional Arabic lexicographical sources available in Cairo in the mid-19th-century, reported that "to burn" is the "primary signification" of the verb. The verb then came to be applied to the smelting of gold and silver. It was extended to mean causing one to enter into fire and into a state of punishment or affliction. Thus, one says that something caused one to enter "al-fitna", i.e. trial, affliction, etc., or more generally, an affliction whereby some good or evil quality is put to the test. Lane glosses the noun "fitna" as meaning a trial, a probation, affliction, distress or hardship, and says that "the sum total of its meaning in the language of the Arabs" is an affliction whereby one is tried, proved or tested.


title: Fitna (word)

text: The definitions offered by Lane match those suggested by Badawi and Haleem in their dictionary of Qur'anic usage. They gloss the triliteral root as having the following meanings: "to purify gold and silver by smelting them; to burn; to put to the test, to afflict (in particular as a means of testing someone's endurance); to disrupt the peace of a community; to tempt, to seduce, to allure, to infatuate."


title: Fitna (word)

text: The meanings of "fitna" as found in Classical Arabic largely carry over into Modern Standard Arabic, as evidenced by the recitation of the same set of meanings in Hans Wehr's "Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic". In addition, Wehr glosses the noun "fitna" as also meaning "charm, charmingness, attractiveness; enchantment, captivation, fascination, enticement, temptation; infatuation, intrigue; sedition, riot, discord, dissension, civil strife."


title: Fitna (word)

text: Buckwalter & Parkinson, in their frequency dictionary of Arabic, list the noun "fitna" as the 1,560th most frequent word in their corpus of over 30 million words from Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial Arabic dialects. They gloss "fitna" as meaning "charm, allure, enchantment; unrest; riot, rebellion."


title: Fitna (word)

text: The first Quran verse about Fitna was supposedly revealed during the Nakhla Raid. After his return from the first Badr encounter (Battle of Safwan), Muhammad sent Abdullah ibn Jahsh in Rajab with 12 men on a fact-finding operation. Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a maternal cousin of Muhammad. He took along with him Abu Haudhayfa, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, Ukkash ibn Mihsan, Utba b. Ghazwan, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Amir ibn Rabia, Waqid ibn Abdullah and Khalid ibn al-Bukayr.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Muhammad gave Abdullah ibn Jahsh a letter, but not to be read until he had traveled for two days and then to do what he was instructed to do in the letter without putting pressure on his companions. Abdullah proceeded for two days, then he opened the letter; it told him to proceed until he reached Nakhla, between Mecca and Taif, to lie in wait for the Quraysh, and to observe what they were doing.


title: Fitna (word)

text: While the Quraysh were busy preparing food, the Muslims attacked. In the short battle that took place, Waqid ibn Abdullah killed Amr ibn Hadrami, the leader of the Quraysh caravan, with an arrow. The Muslims captured two Quraysh tribe members. Nawfal ibn Abdullah managed to escape. The Muslims took Uthman ibn Abdullah and al-Hakam ibn Kaysan as captives. Abdullah ibn Jahsh returned to Medina with the booty and with the two captured Quraysh tribe members. The followers planned to give one-fifth of the booty to Muhammad.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Muhammad initially disapproved of that act and suspended any action as regards the camels and the two captives on account of the prohibited months. The Arab pagans exploited this opportunity to accuse the Muslims of violating what is divinely inviolable (fighting in the months considered sacred to the Arab pagans). This idle talk brought about a painful headache for Muhammad's Companions, until at last they were relieved when Muhammad revealed a verse regarding fighting in the sacred months


title: Fitna (word)

text: According to Ibn Qayyim, he said "most of the scholars have explained the word Fitnah here as meaning Shirk"


title: Fitna (word)

text: The Muslim Mufassir Ibn Kathir's commentary on this verse in his book Tafsir ibn Kathir is as follows:


title: Fitna (word)

text: means, trying to force the Muslims to revert from their religion and re-embrace Kufr after they had believed, is worse with Allah than killing.' Allah said:


title: Fitna (word)

text: Badawi & Haleem note that the triliteral root "fā'-tā'-nūn" () occurs in 6 different forms a total of 60 times in the Qur'an. In particular, it appears 34 times as a noun and 26 times in various verbal forms. Bakhtiar's concordance of the Qur'an confirms Badawi & Haleem's numbers, although Bakhtiar further breaks down the appearance of each verbal form by distinguishing active and passive verbs by tense as well. The following table sets out the details; note that since the root only appears as a verb in Form I forms, that is assumed.


title: Fitna (word)

text: The triliteral root "fā'-tā'-nūn" (), as noted above, bears a range of significations, even in the Qur'an itself. The Qur'anic appearances of the root are explored below (in no particular order).


title: Fitna (word)

text: "Fitna" as persecution appears in several of the verses commanding Muslims to fight the unbelievers (specifically referring to the Meccan polytheists who had persecuted Muhammad and his early followers, thus leading to the "hijra"). For example, in Qur'an , the command to fight is justified on the grounds that "persecution ("al-fitnatu") is worse than slaying." Similarly, in Qur'an , Muslims are forbidden from fighting unbelievers around the Holy Mosque in Mecca unless the unbelievers attack first, in which case Muslims are to fight "until there is no persecution ("fitnatun") and the religion is God's." The "hijra" is mentioned in Qur'an as having occurred because of the persecution believers had suffered in Mecca. Other examples are Qur'an , which promises the chastisement of Hell for those who have persecuted Muslims, and Qur'an , which provides that one's daily required prayer may be shortened if, when on a journey, one fears that the unbelievers may attack if one remains in a place long enough to complete the full prayer.


title: Fitna (word)

text: In Qur'an , the Qur'an itself is described as having "clear revelations – they are the substance of the Book – and others (which are) allegorical," and then the Qur'an characterizes those who are unsteady and who do not have firm faith as desiring dissension in the community through their pursuit of interpretations of the "allegorical" verses of the Qur'an. A set of occurrences of the root related to dissension or sedition occurs in Quran , where those who say they are believers, but show themselves reluctant to follow certain of God's commands, are described as seeking "sedition" among the community.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Many instances of the root as "trial" appear throughout the Qur'an. This sense of the root bears the further sense of a "tribulation" or "difficulty" in such verses as, for example: Qur'an , where Moses, after killing a man in Egypt, was "tried with a heavy trial" by being forced to flee and to live among the Midians for many years; and Qur'an , where some believers are characterized as worshipping God "upon a narrow marge," since they are happy so long as their life is relatively secure and easy, but as soon as they experience a trial, they turn away from God.


title: Fitna (word)

text: However, the root in other verses carries a sense of "trial" as simply a kind of test of a person's commitment to their faith (without necessarily implying that the testing results from something bad happening, as the sense of trial as "tribulation" might bear). For example, Qur'an says, in part, "And even so do We try some of them by others." Things widely recognized as good things in life may serve as trials, as Qur'an and make clear by describing one's own wealth and children as trials. Qur'an also carries this sense of trial by something good; there, God's own "boon" (or "blessing") is described as a trial for certain people. Again, in Qur'an , God will give those idolaters who decide to "tread the right path" an abundance of good "that We may test them thereby," to see whether they will turn away from God once they have obtained his favor or whether they will be steadfast in faith.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Trials may also result from things revealed by God that some may find difficult to accept. For example, Qur'an describes the revelation of the "Cursed Tree" as "an ordeal for mankind." Another example of this sense is Qur'an , where the number of the angels who guard the Fire has been "made a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve ... and that those in whose hearts there is disease, and disbelievers, may say: What meaneth Allah by this similitude?"


title: Fitna (word)

text: The root also bears the sense of "temptation," as in Qur'an , where those who were hypocritical in their faith will be turned away and told by the steadfast believers, from whom they are separated, "ye tempted one another, and hesitated, and doubted, and vain desires beguiled you till the ordinance of Allah came to pass; and the deceiver deceived you concerning Allah." In Qur'an , Aaron is said to have warned the Israelites, when Moses had left them to meet with God for forty days, that the Golden Calf was only something they were being tempted by (or, in Pickthall's translation, "seduced with"). Harut and Marut warn the people of Babylon, in Qur'an , "We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not," although the warning proved to be ineffective for some.


title: Fitna (word)

text: Aside from its use in the Qur'an, "fitna" came to have a primary sense of "'revolt', 'disturbances', 'civil war', but a civil war that breeds schism and in which the believers' purity of faith is in grave danger." This was especially so as it came, in the term First Fitna, to refer to the first major civil war of the Islamic Caliphate, which lasted from 656 to 661. "On account of the struggles that marked Mu'āwiya's advent, the term "fitna" was later applied to any period of disturbances inspired by schools or sects that broke away from the majority of believers." The term thus appears the descriptions of other major conflicts such as the Second Fitna (680–92), the Third Fitna (744–47), the Fourth Fitna (809-827), and the Fitna of al-Andalus (1009–1031).


title: Dural venous sinuses

text: The dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses, cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous channels found between the endosteal and meningeal layers of dura mater in the brain. They receive blood from the cerebral veins, receive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the subarachnoid space via arachnoid granulations, and mainly empty into the internal jugular vein.


title: Dural venous sinuses

text: The walls of the dural venous sinuses are composed of dura mater lined with endothelium, a specialized layer of flattened cells found in blood vessels. They differ from other blood vessels in that they lack a full set of vessel layers (e.g. tunica media) characteristic of arteries and veins. It also lacks valves (in veins; with exception of materno-fetal blood circulation i.e. placental artery and pulmonary arteries both of which carry deoxygenated blood).


title: Dural venous sinuses

text: The sinuses can be injured by trauma in which damage to the dura mater, may result in blood clot formation (thrombosis) within the dural sinuses. Other common causes of dural sinus thrombosis include tracking of infection through the ophthalmic vein in orbital cellulitis. While rare, dural sinus thrombosis may lead to hemorrhagic infarction or cerebral oedema with serious consequences including epilepsy, neurological deficits, or death.


title: Uncle Meat

text: Uncle Meat is the fifth studio album by the Mothers of Invention, released as a double album in 1969. "Uncle Meat" was originally developed as a part of "No Commercial Potential", a project which spawned three other albums sharing a conceptual connection: "We're Only in It for the Money", "Lumpy Gravy" and "Cruising with Ruben & the Jets".


title: Uncle Meat

text: The album also served as a soundtrack album to a proposed science fiction film which would not be completed, though a direct-to-video film containing test footage from the project was released by Frank Zappa in 1987. The music is diverse in style, drawing from orchestral, jazz, blues and rock music. "Uncle Meat" was a commercial success upon release, and has been highly acclaimed for its innovative recording and editing techniques, including experiments in manipulation of tape speed and overdubbing, and its diverse sound.


title: Uncle Meat

text: Frank Zappa, who had been interested in film since high school, decided to develop a film vehicle for the Mothers of Invention, titled "Uncle Meat". The proposed film would combine elements of science fiction and road stories inspired by the band's sexual escapades. Subsequently, Zappa began working on a project called "No Commercial Potential", which eventually became the albums "We're Only in It for the Money", "Lumpy Gravy", "Cruising with Ruben & the Jets" and "Uncle Meat". Zappa stated, "It's all one album. All the material in the albums is organically related and if I had all the master tapes and I could take a razor blade and cut them apart and put it together again in a different order it still would make one piece of music you can listen to. Then I could take that razor blade and cut it apart and reassemble it a different way, and it still would make sense. I could do this twenty ways. The material is definitely related."


title: Uncle Meat

text: According to artist Cal Schenkel, "I started working on the story of Ruben and the Jets that is connected with the Uncle Meat story, which is this old guy turns this teenage band into these dog snout people ... We started that before it actually became Ruben and the Jets. That came out of my love for comics and that style, the anthropomorphic animals, but also it was part of a running story line."


title: Uncle Meat

text: For the recording sessions, Zappa utilized 12 track recording technology, as well as a variety of techniques which realized his vision, including a large number of overdubs, playing unconventional instruments through studio effects, and speeding up or slowing down recordings for artistic effect. Zappa wanted to make an album that would challenge the complacency of contemporary music fans, as he felt that his fanbase was "accustomed to accepting everything that was handed to them ... politically, musically, sociallyeverything. Somebody would just hand it to them and they wouldn't question it. It was my campaign in those days to do things that would shake people out of that complacency, or that ignorance and make them question things."


title: Uncle Meat

text: Despite not actually playing on "Uncle Meat", it having been recorded prior to his arrival, future Mothers rhythm guitarist and Little Feat founder Lowell George is featured in the album's artwork and booklet.


title: Uncle Meat

text: "Uncle Meat" featured a variety of music styles, including orchestral symphonies, free jazz, blues, doo wop and rock and roll. The album also contains spoken word segments featuring Suzy Creamcheese, and features a stronger focus on percussion instrumentation than previous works by Zappa, as well as emphasizing his strengths as a composer and arranger.


title: Uncle Meat

text: "Nine Types of Industrial Pollution" is melodically formless, rooted in percussion instrumentation, and features a guitar solo that was sped up in post production. "Dog Breath, in the Year of the Plague" is delivered as a rock and roll song, with the same theme being repeated as an instrumental later in the album, performed by keyboards, percussion and acoustic guitar. The rock and roll version features three verses with the first chorus being delivered by opera singer Nelcy Walker, and the second chorus featuring sped up vocals. After the third verse, the song becomes an avant garde orchestral piece performed by percussion, keyboards and instruments; the album liner notes "The weird middle section of DOG BREATH (after the line "Ready to attack") has forty tracks built into it. Things that sound like trumpets are actually clarinets played through an electric device made by Maestro with a setting labeled Oboe D'Amore and sped up a minor third with a V.S.O. (variable speed oscillator). Other peculiar sounds were make[sic] on a Kalamazoo electric organ. The only equipment at our disposal for the modification of these primary sounds was a pair of Pultec Filters, two [Lang Equalizers], and three Melchor Compressors built into the mixing console at Apostolic Studios in New York. The board itself is exceptionally quiet and efficient (the only thing that allowed us to pile up so many tracks) and is the product of Mr. Lou Lindauer's imagination & workmanship."


title: Uncle Meat

text: In addition to the studio recordings, "Uncle Meat" featured live recordings made at the Royal Albert Hall, including a recording of Don Preston playing "Louie Louie" on the Albert Hall pipe organ, at the end of which Zappa announces it as having been performed by the "London Philharmonic Orchestra". The doo wop-influenced "Electric Aunt Jemima" refers to Zappa's guitar amplifier, equating it with the advertising character Aunt Jemima. Zappa explained, "I get kind of a laugh out of the fact that other people are going to try to interpret that stuff and come up with some grotesque interpretations of it. It gives me a certain amount of satisfaction."


title: Uncle Meat

text: The album concludes with "King Kong", a piece in 3/8, although the instrumental's prelude, a free jazz improvisation over a rhythm section playing in a 5/8 time signature, occurs much earlier in the album. Six variations of the melody appear as the album's finale, with the first establishing its simple melody, the second being a Fender Rhodes Electric Piano solo by Preston, the third showcasing a saxophone solo by Motorhead Sherwood, and the fourth featuring Bunk Gardner playing a soprano saxophone through various electronic effects that emulate the sound of a contrabassoon doubling his solo lines. Two more variations conclude the piece, which include a live recorded performance featuring a saxophone solo by Ian Underwood and then finally ending with a version with sped up gongs, overblown saxophones and other instruments.


title: Uncle Meat

text: "Uncle Meat" was released as a double album by Bizarre and Reprise Records, subtitled, "Most of the music from the Mothers' movie of the same name which we haven't got enough money to finish yet." Despite the album's experimental nature, it peaked at on the "Billboard" charts.


title: Uncle Meat

text: Contemporary reviews of the album were highly favorable, recognizing it as an important album in Zappa's discography. "The New Rolling Stone Album Guide" described the album as an "inspired monstrosity ... [an] assault of glorious noise". AllMusic writer Steve Huey wrote, "despite the absence of a conceptual framework, the unfocused sprawl of "Uncle Meat" is actually a big part of its appeal. It's exciting to hear one of the most creatively fertile minds in rock pushing restlessly into new territory, even if he isn't always quite sure where he's going."


title: Uncle Meat

text: In 1987, a completed "Uncle Meat" film was released on home video, and the "Uncle Meat" album was subsequently reissued as a double CD which included a song recorded in 1982, "Tengo Na Minchia Tanta", sung in Sicilian and Italian by Massimo Bassoli, who identifies the song as being translated as "I've Got a Big Bunch Of Dick", and over 40 minutes' worth of soundbites and dialogue from the film. The track listing programs the new tracks at the beginning of the second disc, placing the material between the album's original third and fourth sides. The original 1969 vinyl mix was reissued in 2016 as part of the Meat Light audio documentary box set.


title: Drinking from shoes

text: Drinking from a shoe has historically been performed as both a bringer of good fortune, a hazing punishment, or a party piece. Drinking champagne from a lady's slipper became a symbol of decadence in the early 20th century. The practice remains particularly popular in Australia, where it is called (doing) a "shoey."


title: Drinking from shoes

text: Australian MotoGP rider Jack Miller celebrated his first premier class victory by drinking champagne out of his shoe, at the Dutch circuit of Assen, on 26 June 2016. Since then, Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, another Australian, has also performed shoeys on the podium.


title: Drinking from shoes

text: In the 20th century, the act of drinking champagne from a lady's slipper became a shorthand for decadence and sophistication. The practice is thought to have originated in 1902 at the Everleigh Club, a high-class brothel in Chicago. When a dancer's


title: Drinking from shoes

text: Drinking from another soldier's boot was a traditional hazing ritual in the German army, and soldiers would drink from the general's boot after a victory. During World War I, German soldiers were said to pass around a leather boot filled with beer, to bring good luck before a battle. The drinkers would flick the boot before and after taking a drink from it.


title: Drinking from shoes

text: The German "Bierstiefel" is a boot-shaped beer glass said to have been created by a Prussian general in an unnamed war who promised his troops that if they were victorious in an upcoming battle, he would drink beer from his own boot. After they won the battle the general had second thoughts, and instead ordered a glass imitation to be made.


title: Drinking from shoes

text: The "shoey" is particularly popular in, but not limited to, Australia. The drinker either removes their own shoe, or nominates a friend's shoe to be used as the vessel. The shoe is tilted and the entire contents of a can of beer are poured into the shoe's opening. Once the beverage has settled, the beer is drunk by tipping the shoe up to the mouth and chugging it. The drink most commonly used for a shoey is beer; however, other alcoholic beverages (such as champagne) are also used. Australian Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo has said: "If the sparkling wine is cold, then it tastes good. If it's warm then you might get the sweat through it but the cold taste kills the bad stuff... so it's delicious."


title: Drinking from shoes

text: In 2015, after Supercars driver David Reynolds won the first non-endurance race of his career, he proceeded to drink champagne from his shoe while celebrating on the podium. Also in 2015, DJ Dillon Francis did a shoey on stage at Sydney's Field Day. More international media attention was received in 2016 after MotoGP rider Jack Miller celebrated his first win and drank champagne from his racing boot during the podium presentation. Following a podium at the 2016 San Marino MotoGP round, Italian racer Valentino Rossi was the first non-Australian competitor to embrace and perform a shoey.