title: Selina Meyer

text: In a non-canonical "Vulture" article written by David Mandel, presented as an excerpt from the biography "Size 2: The Year(s) of Selina Meyer" by Robert A. Caro, Selina Meyer was depicted as the incumbent President during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (during what would have been Montez's time in office). Meyer managed to competently co-ordinate response measures albeit by appointing Agriculture Secretary Richard Splett to the position of COVID-19 response coordinator, invoking the Defense Production Act to spite the President of Boeing, and being driven by her general aversion to the sick. Jonah Ryan's impeachment as Vice President was revealed to have resulted from personal bankruptcy after ill-judged investment in the airline industry.


title: Selina Meyer

text: The show's premise is that Meyer is a former United States Senator who runs a failed presidential campaign before being asked to be the winning candidate's vice president. As vice president, her world is kept in balance by her assistants: Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky) is the vice president's chief of staff, while Gary Walsh (Tony Hale) is Meyer's grovelling personal aide. Selina also hires Dan Egan (Reid Scott), who threatens Amy's place in the staff, and Mike McLintock (Matt Walsh), a press spokesman. Meyer has no significant other, and requires that her daughter Catherine, from a past marriage, make appointments to see her.


title: Selina Meyer

text: Some suggest that Meyer is likely a Republican, while others feel she is a Democrat. Alessandra Stanley of "The New York Times" notes that Meyer's party affiliation is unknown because the show focuses on bullying and ego rather than ideology. James Poniewozik of "Time" explains the ambiguity as follows: "Veep" is "almost all politics and almost no political issues". Robert Lloyd of "Los Angeles Times" explains the lack of need for party affiliations, or even political ideology in a similar manner, saying that "Veep" is "less a show about politics than about politicking." In an interview with "The New Yorker Radio Hour", Julia Louis-Dreyfus suggested that Meyer's associated political party is intentionally left unknown to the audience. Louis-Dreyfus later elaborated: "[Selina Meyer's] politics are all about her and staying alive ... she will hold any position if it keeps her in office." In the episode "Election Night", CNN represents states won by Meyer as blue. In the same episode, she also comments winning the 'blue wall' states of Connecticut and Vermont with "A bowl of hair could win those states". However, in the finale of the season, she is seen as running for her party's nomination against Buddy Calhoun, whose political views, especially his opposition to same-sex marriage, appear to be more conservative in nature.


title: Selina Meyer

text: Poniewozik describes the season 1 Meyer as a "bumbling and overwhelmed" shadow of her former self. Merissa Marr of "The Wall Street Journal" describes Meyer as "inept". James Parker of "The New York Times" describes her as animated, powerless, prone to fits, and at times distracted. He notes that she motorcades and entourages with importance, but also passes time rotating dreamily in her swivel chair. Parker opines that Meyer "swears her head off" because that is what the modern "gaffe-phobic, linguistically constipated" public servant who has sold his/her soul to a lobbyist group does behind closed doors after public speeches about "ceaseless, toneless platitudes". "Variety" television critic Brian Lowry describes Meyer as "easily flustered, foul-mouthed", saying that her "over-reliance on profanity" is a comedic crutch. David Renshaw of "The Guardian" describes Meyer as "a perfect combination of ineptness and amorality".


title: Selina Meyer

text: T. A. Frank of "The New Republic" says that in season 1 she is completely ignored by the president and dismissed by Congress as she endures repeated indignities with a high degree of cynicism. According to Frank, Meyer slowly gains some respect and power, but it is not without effort. "Entertainment Weekly" Ken Tucker, noted that the premise of a politician without influence striving for it suited itself well to a comedy and that her frequent cursing should not have been much of an issue given that it was an HBO production. Laura Bennett of "The New Republic" states that in season 1 Meyer is "a hapless buffoon, fluffing her hair and running in circles", who endures marginalization and irrelevance, but in season 2, which is set during midterm elections, she is "a player in the administration with concrete involvement in foreign policy".


title: Selina Meyer

text: The role has established Louis-Dreyfus as the all-time most Primetime Emmy Award decorated actress in terms of regular cast roles in a comedy series (i.e., not counting guest acting Emmys). It is the third character (after Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld" and Christine Campbell on "The New Adventures of Old Christine") for which Louis-Dreyfus has earned a Primetime Emmy Award (Outstanding Lead Actress or Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series). When Louis-Dreyfus earned the second Emmy nomination for this role it marked her fourteenth Primetime Emmy nomination for either Outstanding Lead Actress or Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, surpassing Lucille Ball's all-time record. The win tied her with Ball with a total of four and made her the first actress to win Primetime Emmy Awards for three different regular cast comedy roles. Her second win also made her the first actress to become a two-time awardee as a comedy actress for HBO.


title: Selina Meyer

text: She earned Primetime Emmy Awards for her season 1 and season 2 performances in 2012 and 2013 at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremonies. She was nominated at the 70th Golden Globe Awards and 71st Golden Globe Awards for her season 1 and season 2 performances. Her season 2 performance also earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series award at the 20th Screen Actors Guild Awards. Louis-Dreyfus has earned a wide range of additional nominations and awards for this role including nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy, Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, and Women's Image Network Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.


title: Selina Meyer

text: In season 3, Meyer continued to be a critically acclaimed role. Louis-Dreyfus earned a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series nomination at the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards. At the 30th TCA Awards, Dreyfus won TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy. Louis-Dreyfus again won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. She was also nominated again for the Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.


title: Selina Meyer

text: The season 4 portrayal of Meyer continued to earn praise. At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards Louis-Dreyfus won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for a fourth consecutive time. She was also nominated again for the Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as Best Actress – Television Series Comedy at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards. She also received acting nominations at the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, 20th Satellite Awards, and 31st TCA Awards. In earning her fourth consecutive and fifth overall Lead Actress Emmy, Louis-Dreyfus tied Mary Tyler Moore and Candice Bergen with five wins in the category and tied Helen Hunt for four consecutive wins in the category.


title: Selina Meyer

text: The season 5 performance earned a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, which she ultimately won and dedicated to her recently deceased father. The win gave her the record of five consecutive wins in the category, surpassing Hunt as well as six total wins in the category surpassing Bergen and Moore. She received acting nominations at the 32nd TCA Awards. and 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards. She also wins again for the Female Actor in a Comedy Series and nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as Best Actress – Television Series Comedy at the 74th Golden Globe Awards.


title: Selina Meyer

text: Louis-Dreyfus' performance as Meyer in season 6 again won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, extending her records set the prior year. Julia Louis-Dreyfus received a seventh Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her performance as Meyer for the seventh and final season, extending her record for most nominations in the category; the award was won by Phoebe Waller-Bridge for "Fleabag", marking Louis-Dreyfus's first loss in the category for "Veep".


title: She Drives Me Crazy

text: "She Drives Me Crazy" is a song by English group Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1988 as the first single from their second and final album, "The Raw & the Cooked" (1989). Peaking at No. 5 on the British singles chart in January 1989, it is the band's highest charting single in their native UK. The single proved an even bigger hit in the US, topping the "Billboard" Hot 100 on 15 April 1989 for one week and becoming the first of two chart-topping singles for the band on that chart. "She Drives Me Crazy" also reached No.1 on the "Billboard" Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart, as well as in countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. It reached the top 3 on several European charts including Belgium, West Germany, Iceland, Ireland and Switzerland.


title: She Drives Me Crazy

text: In 2018, "Time Out" magazine listed "She Drives Me Crazy" at No. 28 in their countdown of "The 50 best '80s songs".


title: She Drives Me Crazy

text: Co-produced by Prince associate David Z, the track was recorded in Studio B of Prince's Paisley Park complex outside of Minneapolis. The unique snare drum "pop" sound was created by recording the snare drum portion separately. A speaker was then placed on top of the snare drum, and a microphone below. The original recording of the snare drum part was played back through the speaker and re-recorded.


title: She Drives Me Crazy

text: Jo-Ann Greene from AllMusic stated that the song "features the most unique, and instantly identifiable, beat/riff combination of the decade." The Daily Vault's Christopher Thelen noted that "She Drives Me Crazy", "with its synthesized drums, was a great party song - Gift's falsetto delivery which went into a full-fledged roar was perfect for the track. Even the guitar work fits the track - from the jangly jazz riffs to the crunch of the power chords." Pan-European magazine "Music & Media" described it as a "subtly persuasive pop number that is sure to attract major airplay on pop and rock radio." Pop Rescue called it a "real gem with plenty of guitar, interesting vocals and beeping synth layers." Andy Strickland from "Record Mirror" wrote, "Always interesting, always a few surprises and this is no exception from the bandy trio. A stuttering pop record that's too slow to dance to and too fast to smooch to. The FYCs always sprinkle some interesting sounds over their records and here we have funky guitar breaks, heavy metal chords and plenty of things going boing, clicky click ding." James Hamilton from the magazine's DJ Directory deemed it a "haunting sparse jittery tapped then chunky rock guitar chorded whinneying falsetto 108½bpm lurcher".


title: She Drives Me Crazy

text: The song was re-released in 1997 in support of Fine Young Cannibals' compilation album "The Finest". It included a remix by Roger Sanchez, as well as Mousse T. remixes of "Johnny Come Home". The single reached No. 36 on the UK singles chart.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV) (later Light Service Support Vehicle (LSSV)) (CUCV ) is a vehicle program instituted to provide the United States military with light utility vehicles based on civilian trucks.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) concept, which translated into the CUCV program, was originally intended to augment the purpose-built but expensive Gama Goat 6 x 6, -ton trucks and M151 series -ton "jeeps" approaching the end of their service life in the mid-1970s. Initially, Dodge D series trucks were provided in the late 1970s with several military modifications. In the mid-1980s, Chevrolet C/Ks replaced the Dodge vehicles in CUCV I and CUCV II guise. GM CUCVs were heavily redesigned in 2000 and their name was changed to Light Service Support Vehicle (LSSV).


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: CUCVs are intended to perform "background" roles, providing support for frontline forces, such as cargo transport, troop transport, first aid, and communications. CUCVs are not built for direct frontline combat use, as evident by their lack of bulletproofing and protection from ordnance. Like many of the vehicle parts, the windshield, cabin glass, and body panels are civilian-grade and offer no protection from firearms or explosives. As a result, some CUCVs were replaced in the 1980s and 1990s by the HMMWVs they were to augment.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The U.S. military continued to keep CUCVs in active service long after their projected lifespan. CUCVs of all generations are still in U.S. service, though many M880/M890s and CUCVs have passed through military surplus sales into civilian ownership. CUCVs and LSSVs are in use as support vehicles for military police, troop transport, range control, facilities, and maintenance.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: In 1973 Chrysler began developing militarized adaptations of their civilian Dodge trucks. In 1976 the M880/M890 series was put into production under a large contract, intended to replace previous Dodge M37 and Kaiser Jeep M715 trucks and their variants. The M880/890 trucks were adopted as part of a drive by the U.S. military to use COTS vehicles, with appropriate modifications, where such usage was feasible. An armored variant was built by Cadillac Gage as the Ranger. For almost a decade the Dodges were referred to as "880", "890", or most commonly called "five-quarters"; (the term "CUCV" did not appear until the 1980s when GM was contracted to replace the M880/890 trucks).


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The ton M880-series was based on the Dodge W200, a ton capacity 4×4 civilian/commercial truck. The 880/890 had a 2,500 lb cargo rating, enabling it to have a -ton load rating. The similar ton M890-series was based on the Dodge D200, a ton capacity 4×2 civilian/commercial truck. In Canadian service, the base vehicle was the 4-speed standard transmission, Power Wagon model, which was slightly heavier and costlier than the W200.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The M880/M890 had a conventional 12-volt electrical system; a separate 24-volt system was added to certain variants of the trucks to power communications units, but this precluded power steering on those units—the pump location being taken up by the 24-volt generator. The gasoline engine was out of step with the military's move toward diesel engines during this time period. The lack of power steering was a hindrance in off-road, close quarters, and snow-plowing duties (although most civilian and Air Force models had power steering). Around 44,000 M880/M890s were produced during the 1976–1977 model years and were used by the Army and Air Force until the late 1990s.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: All M880/M890s were powered by Chrysler's 5.2L 318-cubic inch gasoline engine with a two-barrel Carter or Holley carburetor. These were rated at and . Most were equipped with the Loadflite 727 3-speed automatic transmission. The 880s used a 2-speed New Process Gear NP203 transfer case. A Dana 44 4.10:1 front axle and floating Dana 60 4:10.1 rear axle completed the setup. The trucks were equipped with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. They had a military-rated top speed of .


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: General Motors and AM General have produced CUCVs since 1984 in three distinct generations: CUCV, CUCV II, and LSSV.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: Replacing the M880/M890 series, the CUCV represented General Motors' first major light-truck military vehicle production since World War II. GM CUCVs were assembled mostly from existing heavy duty light commercial truck parts. The CUCVs came in four basic body styles: pickup, utility, ambulance body and chassis cab. The M1008 was the basic cargo truck, the M1010 was the ambulance, and the M1009 was a Chevrolet K5 Blazer uprated to -ton capacity. With the exception of the M1009, the trucks were all rated as 1 ton (commonly called a "five-quarter"), even though some of them had payloads in excess of that. There were heavier-duty variants, including the M1028, M1028A1, M1028A2 and M1028A3 shelter carriers (the shelter being a mobile command, communications or intelligence operations enclosure). The M1031 was the chassis cab. These latter trucks were all rated for heavier or loads, compared to the M1008s load capacity. The M1028A2 (converted M1031 or m1028a1) and m1028A3 (converted M1028) models had dual rear wheels. Many M1028s were upgraded at the company level to M1028A2 and A3 specs—the dual wheel rear end arrangement was a result of the M1028 flipping on its side because of the high center of gravity when carrying equipment shelters.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: GM produced some 70,000 CUCVs from 1983 to 1986 (model years were 1984–1987), though most were model year 1984. Chevrolet continued to build CUCVs in low numbers from 1986 to 1996, mainly to accommodate military markets that needed replacements for existing CUCVs.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: All CUCV Is were powered by GM's 6.2L J-series Detroit Diesel V8 engine non-emissions diesel. These were rated at and , which was more than the emissions diesel engine of the time. They were all equipped with the TH-400 automatic. All but the M1028A1 and M1031 used the NP-208 chain drive transfer case. The M1028A1 and M1031 units had a slip-yoke rear output version of the NP-205, which was specified mainly for its PTO capacity. The CUCV series had a governed top speed of .


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The M1009 Blazer used 10-bolt axles (front and rear) featuring 3.08:1 gears. The rear axle was equipped with an "Eaton Automatic Differential Lock" (ADL) while the front was a standard open differential. The M1008 trucks used open Dana 60 front axles, with the M1028 and M1031 variations often having a Trac-Lok limited slip. In the rear, the M1008s used the GM 10.5" Corporate 14 Bolt Differential with No-Spin lockers (the commercial trade name for the Detroit Locker). Rear axles on M1028A2 and A3 duallies are Dana 70 HD. The axle gear ratios were 4.56:1.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: As with other military vehicles, the CUCVs used a 24-volt electrical system. It was actually a hybrid 12/24-volt system that used 24-volts under the hood, 24 volt starter, complete with dual 100 amp alternators, the mandatory NATO slave receptacle for jump starting any NATO vehicle, and hookups for military radios. The rest of the truck was 12-volt.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: In 1987, Chevrolet started building a new generation of CUCV. The US Air Force initially bought small batches of these units, dubbed the CUCV II. Produced through 2001, CUCV IIs were basic civilian Chevrolet C/K, Tahoe, and Suburban units sent to another plant for "militarization" on special order. The trucks were originally white in color with gray vinyl interiors. They received CARC exterior paint (Forest Green, Desert Sand, or 3-color camouflage), a brush bar, a pintle hitch, towing/loading shackles, extra leaf springs to give them a 5/4 ton rating and a host of other small changes. All CUCV IIs have a 24 volt dual-battery starting system, the rest of the truck is 12 volt.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: These light utility vehicles were available with three engines: a Vortec 7.4-liter V8, a 5.7-liter V8, or Detroit Diesel 6.5 L V8. Each engine was coupled with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. All CUCV IIs have full-time all-wheel drive; a front-mounted winch was available as an option.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: When production of the CUCV II ended in 2000, GM redesigned it to coincide with civilian truck offerings. The CUCV nomenclature was changed to Light Service Support Vehicle (LSSV) in 2001. In 2005, LSSV production switched to AM General, a unit of MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings. The LSSV is a GM-built Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Chevrolet Tahoe, or Chevrolet Suburban that is powered by a Duramax 6.6 liter turbo diesel engine. As GM has periodically redesigned its civilian trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) from 2001 to the present, LSSVs have also been updated cosmetically.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The militarization of standard GM trucks/SUVs to become LSSVs includes exterior changes such as Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) paint (Forest Green, Desert Sand, or 3-color Camouflage), blackout lights, military bumpers, a brush guard, a NATO slave receptacle/NATO trailer receptacle, a pintle hook, tow shackles and a 24/12 volt electrical system. The dashboard has additional controls and dataplates. The truck also can be equipped with weapon supports in the cab, cargo tie down hooks, folding troop seats, pioneer tools, winches, and other military accessories. In the Canadian Army these vehicles are nicknamed "Milverado," a portmanteau for Military Silverado and "Love W" short for LUVW.


title: Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle

text: The Enhanced Mobility Package (EMP) option adds an uprated suspension, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes, a locking rear differential, beadlock tires, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and other upgrades. About 2,000 LSSV units have been sold to U.S. and international military and law enforcement organizations.


title: Miku Itō

text: She joined StylipS on April 28, 2013 along with Style Cube Kenshuusei client Moe Toyota. She is also a member of Pyxis with Toyota. Itō's hobbies and preferences are related to "Super Sentai" and "Kamen Rider".


title: Miku Itō

text: Itō belongs to Style Cube as a trainee and in 2012 she passed Style Cube's 1st Voice Actor Audition. In 2013, she joined the StylipS voice acting unit with Moe Toyota, a fellow trainee. In 2014, she debuted in a television anime as Nanako Usami in "Locodol". In May 2015, Itō formed a new unit Pyxis with Moe Toyota. In February 2016, she held her first one-man live performance, and in October 2016 she released her debut single "Awa to Berbane" from Japan Columbia, making her solo debut as a singer.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The BMW R1200RT is a touring or sport touring motorcycle that was manufactured from 2005 to 2019 by BMW Motorrad to replace the R1150RT model. It features a flat-twin engine with a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: BMW Motorrad began manufacturing RT ("Reise-Tourer", or travel tourer) touring motorcycle models in the late 1970s. The first of these were air-cooled (or "airhead") models that continued BMW's long tradition dating to 1923 of producing "boxer" or opposed flat-twin engined motorcycles with unit engine-transmission construction and shaft-final-drive.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In 1995, BMW produced its first air and oil-cooled (or "oilhead") RT model, the R1100RT. The new machine included standard ABS brakes, four-valve heads, five-speed gearbox, Telelever front suspension, Paralever rear suspension, and an electrically adjustable screen.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In 2001, BMW launched the R1150RT, providing the same basic platform with increased engine capacity and horsepower, fully linked power-assisted ABS brakes, revised front lighting system, and a six-speed gearbox. This model was further updated in 2004 by the adoption of dual ignition, with two spark plugs per cylinder.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The design of this model was completely different from the R1150RT with a 15% boost in power, weight saving,


title: BMW R1200RT

text: optional electronic suspension adjustment (ESA) and on-board computer. A low seat and/or a lowered suspension were available for shorter riders reducing seat height to a lowest level of ,


title: BMW R1200RT

text: although the lowered suspension eliminates the ESA option. The standard electrically operated windscreen was adjustable across a range of heights.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The servo powered ABS brakes on the 2005 and 2006 models were partially integrated such that the rear brake pedal only applies the rear brake while the front brake lever applies both brakes.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: For the 2007 model year, servo assist was removed from the partially integrated brakes. A new, more advanced and lighter ABS system was produced by Continental Teves, which also produced the optional Automatic Stability Control (ASC), in


title: BMW R1200RT

text: An electronic tire pressure monitor (TPM) was introduced as an option. During the production of the 2006 models, the original two-tone horns were replaced by a single-tone horn. Other optional equipment included cruise control, heated grips, heated seats for both the rider and passenger and a CD/Radio audio system.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: With and of torque, the R1200RT is suitable for long-distance touring carrying a rider and passenger and a full load of luggage; and is able to reach and do a standing quarter mile in 12.2 seconds.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In November 2009, BMW announced some revisions to the R1200RT for the 2010 model year. The new model had the same horsepower, but more torque at , a higher engine speed of 8,500 rpm, and double overhead camshafts that were first used on the BMW HP2 Sport.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: There were some relatively minor styling changes and revisions to the screen and cockpit designs, switchgear (including conventional indicators), and location of the hydraulic fluid reservoirs.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The 2014 model represented a wholesale redesign of the R1200RT. The biggest change was a shift to a water cooled version of the boxer engine, producing dyno tested and torque. BMW claimed 125 horsepower and 92 lb/ft of torque with their own testing methodology. The seat and seating position, fairing, instrumentation, and frame were also updated. The standard ride modes "Rain" and "Road" can also be activated at the press of a button to adapt to weather conditions and road surfaces. An on-board computer, an electrically operated windshield, standard color-matched saddle bags, and heated grips were also basic items.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: Optional equipment for the 2014 RT includes semi-active electronic suspension adjustment, and BMW Dynamic ESA, which response to changing road surfaces, and a shift assistant pro that allows the rider to shift up and down without using the clutch or throttle. A central locking system locks both cases by remote control. Other options are a radio, a top case, low or high saddles, a tank bag, cruise control, and (introduced for the 2015 model) keyless ignition and locking


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The 2017 R1200RTs are fitted with a judder damper on the transmission output shaft to control rapid and forceful shaking and vibration. New features also include a revised selector drum actuator, transmission shafts, and transmission shaft bearing. As part of the Ride Modes Pro option package, ABS Pro was available, which senses a lean angle and adjusts intervention accordingly.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In mid-2017 "Motorrad" reported that BMW was planning to soon introduce variable valve timing (VVT) on its boxer engines. In March, 2018, Bennetts announced that BMW was testing an RT with VVT, possibly a successor to the R1200RT. In September, Kevin Cameron wrote that a "shift cam" VVT system was destined for a 2019 model year R1250GS, and other media reported the technology was to be adopted on all the R series boxer motors. BMW confirmed the R1250RT would have VVT in September 2018.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: BMW Authority Vehicles produce factory built versions of the R1200RT, including an authorities only 878 cc R900RT model, specifically for emergency services use, including police, paramedic, blood transfusion, fire services, and escort duty.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: BMW bikes have been popular with United Kingdom police forces in the past and many chose to return to them in 2007, taking delivery of the R1200RT after the Honda ST1300 Pan-European was withdrawn due to handling concerns. It is also used by the traffic police in Ireland.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: Many states and cities in the United States use the R1200RT-P for police duty, mostly in the West including by the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Acceptance of BMW's earlier R1100RT-P and R1150RT-P models had been moderate, but in 2005 came both the introduction of the more capable R1200RT-P and the end of production of Kawasaki's economical KZ1000P police motorcycle. As a result, BMWs and Harley Davidsons have taken most of the American market, though the 2011 re-entry of Kawasaki to the public-safety field has given the RT-P a strong second rival. In the United States, more than 225 law enforcement agencies have BMW authority motorcycles in their fleets of patrol vehicles.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The Authorities variant is based on the standard R1200RT but can be recognized by the addition of stainless steel protection bars (colloquially known as "crash bars") situated about the front fairing and panniers, also often used for mounting of additional equipment such as sirens. Paint and trim schemes also reflect the service use, most often black and white "panda paint," such as found on many patrol cars. The large, flat side panels on the R1200RT-P are a convenient and easily seen location for insignia.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: Other changes include unique top-loading panniers (also known as "saddle boxes"), a single-seat (with radio box in place of the RT's pillion seat), additional switchgear for equipment, emergency lighting, and an additional auxiliary battery which feeds all public safety electrical equipment. An additional feature of the RT-P is the reprogramming of the onboard computer to allow a motor officer to lock in their current speed on the speedometer display. The officer only needs to match speed with a target vehicle, press the "BC" button on the handlebars, and the speed is visible for later reference.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: Optional equipment available through BMW includes electrically operated racks for mounting shotguns or rifles, as well as holders for nightsticks, flashlights, radar or lidar guns, citation books, and radio antenna mounts. Many of these items are also available from aftermarket manufacturers or may even be locally made.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The standard configuration of the R1200RT-P model used in the United States uses a 100-watt siren speaker mounted on the left front protection bar, and LED lighting pods (which were specially designed for the RT-P) above the front turn signals, and on the top rear edge of the radio box, all supplied by Code 3 Public Safety Equipment. There are also mounting hardpoints for mobile radar antennas. Optional lighting which may be installed includes bright lights for illuminating a scene or to the sides, and a light mounted on a telescoping post at the right rear, which can be operated while lowered for normal use, or raised to provide omnidirectional warning while stopped (such as at an accident scene).


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In July 2010, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service in England began trialling a Firexpress fire bike version of the R1200RT fitted with twin water tanks and a hose, capable of delivering water spray or foam to extinguish fires.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: While not suitable for extended use—due to the small amount of fire retardant and single firefighter carried—the motorcycle is able to reach the scene of a fire faster than a fire truck, especially in cases such as a vehicle fire (which typically results in traffic jams which can delay fire trucks). This may reduce the spread of a fire, or even extinguish it while it is still small. In addition, the firefighter can give a report of the nature of the fire, thus enabling the agency to more rapidly task appropriate equipment


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The R1200RT was selected as best touring bike by two major American monthly motorcycle magazines in 2005 and 2006.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In September 2006, the R1200RT was named the United Kingdom's 'number one motorcycle' by readers of "RiDE" magazine in its annual "RiDER POWER" survey. It repeated this achievement in 2007, reached second place overall in 2008, and won the top spot once more in 2009.


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In October 2006, the R1200RT was cited as a best tourer for the second year in a row by UK newspaper "Motor Cycle News".


title: BMW R1200RT

text: Road tests published in "Motorcyclist" praised the 2014 model for its fine engine, "right-sized" ergonomics, and suspension "nearly immune to braking or accelerating influence".


title: BMW R1200RT

text: "Motorcyclist" chose it in 2014 as the best touring bike for 2014. For the second year in a row, "Motorcyclist" magazine chose the BMW R1200RT as the 2015 "Best Touring Bike."


title: BMW R1200RT

text: In its August 2015 long-term wrap-up, Paul Dean, of "Cycle World," wrote " For riders who love to travel, enjoy having a little fun on the back roads, and often do both with a passenger, the RT could very well be the perfect motorcycle. Way, way more than just the best sport tourer."


title: BMW R1200RT

text: The R1200RT has been affected by a number of safety issues since its launch. The UK Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has issued six separate vehicle recalls covering the front brakes, anti-lock braking system,


title: Trunk (car)

text: The trunk (North American English) or boot (British English) of a car is the vehicle's main storage or cargo compartment, often a hatch at the rear of the vehicle. It is also called a tailgate.


title: Trunk (car)

text: In Indian English the storage area is known as a dickey (also spelled dicky, dickie, or diggy), and in South-East Asia as a compartment.


title: Trunk (car)

text: The trunk or luggage compartment is most often at the rear of the vehicle. Early designs had an exterior rack on the rear of the vehicle to attach luggage trunk. Later designs integrated the storage area into the vehicle's body, and eventually became more streamlined. The main storage compartment is normally provided at the end of the vehicle opposite to which the engine is located.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Some mid-engined or electric cars have luggage compartments both in the front and in the rear. Examples include the Porsche 914 and Boxster as well as Toyota MR2. The mid-engined Fiat X1/9 also has two storage compartments, although the rear one is small, easily accessible, and practically cuboid in shape.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Rear-engined cars like Volkswagen Beetle or Porsche 911 have the trunk in front of the passenger compartment. The Volkswagen Type 3 featured a rear engine design that allowed for a shallow conventional trunk in the rear as well as space in the front for luggage.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Sometimes during the design life of the vehicle the lid may be restyled to increase the size or improve the practicality and usefulness of the trunk's shape. Examples of this include the Beetle redesign to the 1970s 'Super Beetle' and the pre-war and 1950s post war Citroën Traction Avant.


title: Trunk (car)

text: If the door is hinged at the bottom it is called a tailgate, particularly in the United States. They are used on station wagons and pickup trucks, as well as on some sport utility vehicles (SUV). Traditional drop-down station wagon and pickup tailgates can also serve as a mount for a workbench.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Traditional U.S. station wagons included a roll-down window retracting into the tailgate to load small items or to allow the tailgate to be opened down on its bottom-mounted hinges. Because of the potential for carbon-monoxide fumes, the tailgate window on station wagons should be closed whenever the engine is running.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Two-way station wagon tailgates may be hinged at the side and the bottom so they can be opened sideways like a regular door, or drop downwards as load platform extenders. They are designed with special handle(s) for opening in the selected direction on special hinges after the window is lowered.


title: Trunk (car)

text: A three-way design that was also used by Ford allows for the tailgate to be opened like a door with the window up.


title: Trunk (car)

text: General Motors developed a clam shell style "disappearing" design where the rear window rolls up into the roof and the tailgate slides down and beneath the load floor.


title: Trunk (car)

text: If the door is hinged at the top it is termed a hatch, and is used on a hatchback. A bottom opening door is now common on SUVs.


title: Trunk (car)

text: The trunk lid (in the U.S. automotive industry sometimes also called decklid or deck lid) is the cover that allows access to the main storage or luggage compartment. Hinges allow the lid to be raised. Devices such as a manually positioned prop rod can keep the panel up in the open position. Counterbalancing torsion or other spring(s) can also be used to help elevate and hold open the trunk lid. On cars with their trunk in the rear, lids sometimes incorporate a center-mounted third brake light. A rear lid may also have a decorative air spoiler. On many modern cars, the trunk lids can be unlocked with the car's key fob.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Some cars include a function to remotely open the trunk. This may be achieved through a variety of means:


title: Trunk (car)

text: The usage of the word "trunk" comes from it being the word for a large travelling chest, as such trunks were often attached to the back of the vehicle before the development of integrated storage compartments in the 1930s; while the usage of the word "boot" comes from the word for a built-in compartment on a horse-drawn coach (originally used as a seat for the coachman and later for storage). The usage of the word "dickie" comes from the British word for a rumble seat, as such seats were often used for luggage before cars had integrated storage.


title: Trunk (car)

text: In France, from 1900 onwards, the luggage maker Moynat became a market leader in automobile luggage, for which the company developed a number of patented products including the rear-attached limousine trunk with custom-fitted suitcases. In 1928 came the side or lateral sliding trunk, a mechanism that foreshadowed the development of integrated trunks in vehicles from the 1930s onwards.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Open compartments are those found in station wagons and SUVs, while closed compartments have a trunk lid and are typically found in saloon (sedan) or coupé bodies. Closed compartments are separated from the passenger compartment by rigid body elements or seats, and are generally trimmed in simple materials, whereas many station wagons are trimmed with better-looking materials as the space is an extension of the passenger compartment. In order to hide the compartment content of station wagons or hatchbacks from thieves or sunlight, a cover may be fitted. On hatchbacks this often has the form of a rigid parcel shelf or a flexible sheet with hooks on the corners, while station wagons and many SUVs have a roller blind in a removable cassette.


title: Trunk (car)

text: To give the space more flexibility, many cars have foldable rear seats, which can increase the size of the trunk when needed.


title: Trunk (car)

text: The trunk space can contribute to the active and passive safety of the vehicle. Active safety may be promoted in vehicles that are partially loaded. Here the use of lashing eyes to restrain luggage can prevent or reduce damage to the vehicle and its occupants in severe maneuvers. In driving while cornering 'in-extremis', the prevention of sudden weight transfer due to poorly loaded luggage can be enough to prevent the vehicle from losing grip, and potentially avoiding thereby an accident; active safety.


title: Trunk (car)

text: If a crash should occur, lashing eyes can reduce the severity of the outcome of the accident by keeping the luggage in the loadspace compartment and thereby preventing projectiles from harming correctly restrained passengers in the passenger compartment.


title: Trunk (car)

text: These lashing features may be in the form of fixed or foldable loops, or in the case of certain European vehicles combine sliding loops in a rail system to allow optimal positioning of the lashing eyes. At the same time, this eases the integration of accessories for loadspace management; dividers, bike carriers, etc. into the interior of the vehicle, a principle that has been applied in cargo vans and air transport for many years.


title: Trunk (car)

text: In vehicles with open luggage compartments, some are fitted with metal grids or guards to retain loose items in case of collision, or to simply create a bulkhead between the load in the trunk – for example, animals – separated from the otherwise unprotected passenger space.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Another solution for items that have not been restrained is the loadspace barrier net. These may be directly attached to the body structure or, in vehicles with loadspace cover cassettes, as a combined loadspace cover and barrier net. The net confines luggage to the loadspace in case of emergency braking and minor traffic collisions. These nets have the advantage over metal guards in that they can be rolled-up when not in use, taking up much less space than a comparable guard. A guard may however be tailored for an even tighter fit to the body interior contours than a roll-away net.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Children – and sometimes adults who climb inside to work on the vehicle – who become trapped in trunks can die of suffocation or heat stroke. Once in the trunk, they may not be able to get out, even if they entered through the interior, because many rear seats release to the trunk only from inside the passenger area. Beginning with the 2002 models, a glow-in-the-dark inside trunk release is required on all vehicles with conventional trunks sold in the United States. Hatchbacks, wagons, vans, and SUVs are exempt from this requirement because it is assumed a trapped person can kick out any cargo cover or parcel shelf to gain access to the main interior and passenger doors.


title: Trunk (car)

text: Riding in the trunk is dangerous and illegal. Teenagers in the U.S. may attempt to avoid laws which prohibit new car drivers from driving with passengers by riding in the trunk.


title: Trunk (car)

text: A frunk is a storage area typically found in electric and hybrid vehicles, where the lack of a traditional engine allows for additional storage space. The term is a portmanteau of the words "front" and "trunk".


title: Trunk (car)

text: Beyond carrying luggage, the trunk of most passenger vehicles commonly contains various other components often behind the trimmed surfaces of the interior. These components may be accessed by the customer or the service personnel through (in some cases lockable) hatches in the trim, or by removing carpet and support boards etc. Typical components:


title: Trunk (car)

text: Some vehicles offer configurable cargo conveniences such as a shelf or board. They often serve various purposes. In addition to its 65/35 split fold-down and removable rear seat, the multiposition rear shelf on the Chrysler PT Cruiser can be used as a table for a picnic, a second cargo layer, or a security screen. The Citroën C3 has a foldable segmented false floorboard that compartmentalizes the cargo area, makes loading easier, and evens out the load floor when the back of the rear seat is folded down.


title: Hannah Hart

text: Hannah Maud Hart (born November 2, 1986) is an American internet personality, comedian, author, and actress. She is known for starring in "My Drunk Kitchen", a weekly series on YouTube in which she cooks something while intoxicated. She also runs a second channel where she talks about life in general and gives her opinions on various topics. She co-produced and starred in the independent comedy film "Camp Takota", released in 2014. She wrote a parody cookbook which was a "New York Times" bestseller for five weeks in August–September 2014. She is a 2017 recipient of the Alex Awards.


title: Hannah Hart

text: Hart attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated in May 2009 with two degrees; one in English literature and one in Japanese language. Upon her graduation, Hart moved to San Francisco to live with her best friend and 'Hannalyze This' Podcast co-host, Hannah Gelb. She later moved to Brooklyn, New York, to pursue a writing career. She ended up proofreading Japanese and English for a Manhattan-based translating firm instead of her initial dream of writing screenplays. Within two months of launching her YouTube channel, she ended up quitting her 9–5 job in order to focus on "My Drunk Kitchen".


title: Hannah Hart

text: "My Drunk Kitchen" traces its beginning to March 2011, when Hart was at her sister's home, chatting with a friend over webcam. Hart used her Macintosh computer to record herself drinking wine while attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich without any cheese. Hart uploaded the video to YouTube as "My Drunk Kitchen". Viewers began asking for another "episode" of the video, and Hart complied with more recordings. To establish the initial upload as the first episode of a series, she renamed it "Butter Yo Shit." By July 2011, "My Drunk Kitchen" had gathered 800,000 hits. Hart has hosted several celebrity guests on "My Drunk Kitchen", including British chef Jamie Oliver, actress Mary-Louise Parker, actor/host Chris Hardwick, video blogger Tyler Oakley, former NSYNC member Lance Bass, and author John Green, who subsequently wrote the foreword to Hart's cookbook. Comedian Sarah Silverman was also featured in the show in December 2014 in an episode which demonstrated the therapeutic and medicinal use of cannabis. New episodes of "My Drunk Kitchen" are uploaded each Thursday on Hart's main channel. In 2013 at the 3rd Streamy Awards, Hart won the Streamy Award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy. In 2014, Hart co-hosted the 4th Streamy Awards with her colleague Grace Helbig. "My Drunk Kitchen" would also win the presentation's award for best comedy. By April 2015, Hart's first episode "Butter Yo Shit" had 3.6 million hits. As of June 2015, her channel "MyHarto" had over 2.3 million subscribers and over 206 million views.


title: Hannah Hart

text: On January 2, 2013, Hannah posted a video on YouTube stating that she was considering doing a world tour. She launched a campaign to fund this trip on Indiegogo, aiming to get $50,000 within a month. After a couple of hours, the $50,000 goal was already met. Hart decided to keep the funding going to her initial end date of February 2, 2013. Depending on the final amount of money, the tour would be expanded to Canada, Europe and Australia. By February 2, she had raised over $220,000. The first leg of the tour kicked off in April 2013.


title: Hannah Hart

text: "Hello Harto: The Tour Show" consists of three parts: vlog, travel, and kitchen. Hart uploads various videos about her traveling experience on her second YouTube channel, YourHarto. The vlog (a recap of the city she is in) gets uploaded each Tuesday to her main channel, MyHarto. The kitchen episodes, which she films at a host's house in the city she visits, are uploaded on Thursday, also to her main channel.


title: Hannah Hart

text: The team consists of four people; Hannah Hart (host), Pearl Wible (producer), Sam Molleur (director) and Nick Underwood (RV driver). The theme song for the tour, written by Hart, was accompanied by a video of fans jaunting in front of their favorite places. The song is called "Don't Wait To Say Hello".


title: Hannah Hart

text: After receiving negative feedback from a minority of fans that complained about the lack of places at the meet-ups, Hannah uploaded a video called "The Real Hello Harto" on her main channel, giving her fans an exclusive look behind the screens of a regular day on the Hello Harto tour. The video explained the work that goes into making content videos, as well shooting "My Drunk Kitchen" videos and meeting up with fans all over Canada and the United States.


title: Hannah Hart

text: In November 2014, Hart started uploading more episodes of her travel show in Australia and New Zealand. These episodes were from a trip she took almost a year before that was sponsored by Contiki, along with other content creators.


title: Hannah Hart

text: On February 2, 2013, Hannah Hart performed a comedy show in collaboration with best friends Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart (no relation) at the NerdMelt, Los Angeles. The audience was encouraged to tape the show on their cameras and phones, and upload it to social media websites with the tag #NoFilterShow. The show quickly gained popularity through Tumblr and YouTube. The 75-minute show was performed a second time at PlayList Live in March 2013. By this time, fans were generally demanding the show to go on tour - the trio decided to take "#NoFilterShow" on the road, syncing the tour dates with Hannah's "Hello Harto". The #NoFilterShow returned for multiple more legs of shows, in August, October, and November 2014 and again in summer 2015. The show also ventured overseas to London and Dublin.


title: Hannah Hart

text: On August 2, 2013 Hart announced on the main stage at VidCon 2013 that she would be starring in her first feature film alongside friends Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart. The comedy film "Camp Takota" follows Elise (played by Grace) as a young woman who is forced to leave her big city job and head back to her old summer camp where she is reunited with old friends Allison (played by Hannah) and Maxine (played by Mamrie). The film, directed by Chris and Nick Riedell, began shooting in California on August 12, 2013. Michael Goldfine of Rockstream Studios produced the film along with eight others including Hart, Helbig and Mamrie who served as executive producers. The film's official trailer was released on December 24, 2013. "Camp Takota" was released via digital download on the movie's website on February 14, 2014. Netflix picked up the movie to be streamed on their platform on December 1, 2014.


title: Hannah Hart

text: In August 2014, Hart released her first parody self-help book, a companion volume to "My Drunk Kitchen". The book was titled "My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut". Hart described it as "self-help parody-meets-drunk cooking". The cookbook entered the "New York Times" bestsellers list at No. 6 in the "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous" category, and stayed on it for two more weeks in August 2014. "Publishers Weekly" recognized the book as rising to No. 3 on their hardcover nonfiction list, opining that the book was not so much a cookbook as a pep talk for friends, a self-help book. Author John Green wrote the foreword, saying, "I defy anyone to read this surprisingly useful book and not come away from it madly in love with [Hart]."


title: Hannah Hart

text: Hart wrote a memoir titled "Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded." The book was released through HarperCollins Publishing on October 18, 2016. It debuted at #4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list in the print hardcover category.


title: Hannah Hart

text: On February 26, 2015, it was announced via various media outlets that Hart will co-star with Grace Helbig in a reboot of the 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft live action science fiction children's television series "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl".


title: Hannah Hart

text: Hart voices the part of Temp bot in the animated web series "Bee and PuppyCat" in the episode "Farmer" which aired November 6, 2014.


title: Hannah Hart

text: On October 28, 2015, Hart announced that she, along with Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart, were making a movie that is being produced by Lions Gate Entertainment. The movie is called "Dirty 30", and is about a house party gone wrong. The movie was released on September 23, 2016. The LA Times writer Katie Walsh writes "In Dirty 30, Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart showcase their rapid-fire, quippy personalities." She leads up to a first look deal with Lionsgate.


title: Hannah Hart

text: In June 2016, Hart was a guest judge for Season 12 of "Food Network Star". Her television series "I Hart Food" premiered August 14, 2017. Six shows featured Hannah tasting food in New Mexico, North Carolina, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota and Montana.


title: Hannah Hart

text: In April 2019, it was announced that Hart would be hosting a new show with Ellen Digital Network, "A Decent Proposal". The show airs on Ellen DeGeneres' EllenTube platform, as well as on the 'TheEllenShow' YouTube channel.


title: Hannah Hart

text: In October 2019, Hart began a BuzzFeed "Tasty" video series called "Edible History". Videos are uploaded weekly, in which Hart investigates and recreates ancient foods that are the basis of today's. Hart has recreated such recipes as the precursors of lasagna, croissants, burgers, and wonton soup.


title: Hannah Hart

text: Hart is a lesbian. On July 27, 2018 she announced her engagement to longtime girlfriend Ella Mielniczenko, with plans to wed in 2020 that they had to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They married on June 12, 2021.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The 2001 King of the Ring was the ninth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) that featured the 15th King of the Ring tournament. It was the final King of the Ring PPV and tournament held under the WWF name as the promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May 2002. The event took place on June 24, 2001, at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event was a Triple threat match, a match involving three competitors, for the WWF Championship. Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho to retain the title. The undercard featured the 2001 King of the Ring tournament, which was won by Edge.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: There were other matches on the undercard, including a Street Fight between Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon, a WWF Light Heavyweight Championship match between champion Jeff Hardy and challenger X-Pac and a WWF Tag Team Championship between champions Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) and the challenger team of Kane and Spike Dudley. The show is also notable for featuring the WWF debut of Booker T.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: King of the Ring was a pay-per-view (PPV) event held annually in June by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) since 1993. The PPV featured the King of the Ring tournament, a single-elimination tournament that was established in 1985 and held annually until 1991, with the exception of 1990; these early tournaments were held as special non-televised house shows. The winner of the tournament was crowned "King of the Ring." Unlike the non-televised events, the PPV did not feature all of the tournament's matches. Instead, several of the qualifying matches preceded the event with the final few matches then taking place at the pay-per-view. There were also other matches that took place at the event as it was a traditional three-hour pay-per-view. Considered as one of the WWF's "Big Five" PPVs, along with the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series, the company's five biggest shows of the year, the 2001 event was the ninth King of the Ring PPV and 15th tournament overall. It was held on June 24, 2001 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: King of the Ring featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on "Raw is War" and "SmackDown!"—World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a villain or a hero as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The pay-per-view event featured the annual King of the Ring single elimination bracket tournament. The qualification for the tournament started on the June 4, 2001 episode of "Raw is War", with Jeff Hardy and Rhyno defeating Matt Hardy and Tazz respectively. The qualification continued on the June 7 episode of "SmackDown!", as Kurt Angle defeated Hardcore Holly and Edge defeated Test. On the June 11 episode of "Raw is War", Christian and Perry Saturn defeated Kane and Steve Blackman in respective matches to qualify for the tournament. On the June 14 episode of "SmackDown!", qualification ended as Big Show defeated Raven and Tajiri defeated Crash Holly. On the June 18 episode of "Raw is War", the quarterfinal round occurred as Kurt Angle defeated Jeff Hardy, Rhyno defeated Tajiri, Edge defeated Perry Saturn and Christian defeated Big Show.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The main rivalry heading into the event was between Steve Austin, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho for the WWF Championship. At Judgment Day, Benoit and Jericho won a Tag Team Turmoil match to become the #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Championship. The next night, on the May 21, 2001 episode of "Raw is War", Benoit and Jericho defeated The Two-Man Power Trip (Steve Austin and Triple H) for the Tag Team Championship. Triple H suffered a legitimate quadriceps injury and was out of action for nearly a year. Austin started to feud with Benoit and Jericho. Austin defeated Benoit and Jericho in separate title matches. On the June 11 episode of "Raw is War", it was announced that Austin would defend the title against Benoit and Jericho in a Triple Threat match at King of the Ring.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Another preliminary feud heading into the event was between Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon. On the May 21 episode of "Raw is War", McMahon interrupted Angle's celebration of regaining his Olympic gold medals from Chris Benoit, the previous night at Judgment Day. McMahon announced that WCW was coming back and mocked Angle, which led to Angle executing an Angle Slam on McMahon. On the June 11 episode of "Raw is War", McMahon attacked Angle with an Angle Slam after Angle was attacked by The Undertaker. This led to a match between Angle and McMahon at King of the Ring.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: On the June 11 episode of "Raw is War", Hardy Boyz (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) defeated X-Factor (X-Pac and Justin Credible) in a tag team match when Jeff pinned X-Pac. After the match, X-Pac hit Jeff with a steel chair. This led to a match between Jeff and X-Pac for Jeff's WWF Light Heavyweight Championship match at King of the Ring.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Spike Dudley, a member of the Dudley Boyz with Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley, split from the group when Bubba and D-Von started to turn into villains. Spike started a storyline affair with Molly Holly of Holly Cousins (Hardcore Holly and Crash Holly), rivals of the Dudley Boyz. On the May 21 episode of "Raw is War", Bubba and D-Von powerbombed Molly on a table but Spike laid down on the table to protect Molly. On the June 21 episode of "SmackDown!", Dudley Boyz defeated Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho for the WWF Tag Team Championship, leading to a title defense for Dudley Boyz against Spike and a partner of Spike's choosing at King of the Ring.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Another major storyline in the WWF heading into the event was that a mystery man was stalking The Undertaker's wife, Sara. On the June 11 episode of "Raw is War", Undertaker confronted Kurt Angle as he thought that Angle was Sara's stalker. Angle refused to claim that he was the stalker and insulted Sara, prompting Undertaker to hit Angle with a Last Ride. On the June 18 episode of "Raw is War", Diamond Dallas Page debuted in WWF and revealed that he was Sara's stalker.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, Matt Hardy defended the WWF European Championship against Justin Credible in a match that aired live on "Sunday Night Heat". Hardy's valet Lita hit Credible with a Diving Hurricanrana. Hardy pinned Credible to retain the European Championship.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: As the show began, the semi-final round of the King of the Ring tournament started with Kurt Angle wrestling against his teammate Christian. Angle dominated the match earlier on and tried to finish it quickly but Christian started getting momentum over Angle. Angle quickly regained momentum by hitting Christian with a series of suplexes. Christian eventually hit Angle with a Spinning Heel Kick. Christian started dominating the match until Shane McMahon interfered in the match and prevented Christian from winning the match. Angle took advantage and hit Christian with an Olympic Slam for the victory.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The next match in the semi-final was between Edge and Rhyno. Rhyno dominated most of the match and untied a turnbuckle pad. Both men eventually knocked out each other by Spearing and hitting a Gore on each other. Rhyno tried to hit another Gore on Edge but Edge avoided the move and Rhyno hit the untied turnbuckle. Edge followed by hitting Rhyno with an Edgecution to advance to the final round.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The third match was Dudley Boyz's (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) scheduled title defense of the WWF Tag Team Championship against Spike Dudley and a mystery partner. The mystery partner was revealed to be the current Intercontinental champion Kane. Spike battled the Dudley Boyz for most of the match until Kane was tagged in. Kane dominated the Dudley Boyz until Spike was tagged in again. Spike hit Bubba with a Dudley Dog and tried to pin Bubba for the victory. However, D-Von prevented Spike from pinning Bubba and the Dudley Boyz hit Spike with a 3-D to retain the Tag Team Championship.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The fourth match was the final round of the King of the Ring tournament between Kurt Angle and Edge. Angle focused on Edge's ribs that were injured during his match with Rhyno. Angle dominated most of the match against Edge before applying an Ankle Lock on Edge. Edge reversed the hold into a pinfall but Christian distracted the referee to prevent Edge from winning the match. Angle applied another Ankle Lock on Edge and Edge tapped out to the hold but was unable to win the match as the referee was still distracted. Shane McMahon interfered in the match by spearing Angle. Edge followed it by hitting Angle with an Edgecution to win the 2001 King of the Ring tournament.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The fifth match pitted Jeff Hardy defending the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship against X-Pac. Hardy dominated earlier part of the match until X-Pac got control of the match. Throughout the match, Hardy and X-Pac did cruiserweight action. In the closing moments of the match, X-Pac hit Hardy with an X-Factor and pinned him. However, as the match ended, the referee realized that Hardy's foot was on the rope and the match continued. Hardy executed a Swanton Bomb and got the pinfall to retain the Light Heavyweight Championship.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Before the Street Fight between Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon occurred, Diamond Dallas Page invited The Undertaker to the ring as videos of DDP's personal life were being aired by Undertaker's wife Sara throughout the event. Undertaker and DDP had a confrontation which quickly turned into a brawl. Undertaker began dominating the brawl until DDP escaped the arena through the crowd, while Sara videotaped him leaving.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: After that, the Street Fight match between Angle and McMahon began. The match went back and forth as Angle dominated earlier part of the match until McMahon got control of the match. The action spilled outside the ring with both men using weapons and items of the arena on each other. A notable part of the match occurred when Angle failed to suplex McMahon through a plate glass window, which was a part of the set. It took multiple attempts to break the glass, with each failure resulting in McMahon landing on his head and neck. Angle performed an Angle Slam on McMahon from the top rope to win the match.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The main event was a Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship. Stone Cold Steve Austin defended the title against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. Benoit and Jericho chased Austin outside the ring and forced him to return to the ring. Austin started attacking Benoit until Benoit and Jericho double-teamed Austin. After Austin was attacked, Benoit and Jericho battled each other. Jericho trapped Austin in the Walls of Jericho until Benoit suplexed Jericho outside the ring. Benoit then locked in the Crossface on Austin. The action continued as all the three men continued to attack each other. At one point in the match, both Jericho and Benoit forced Austin to submit to the Walls of Jericho and Crippler Crossface at the same time. However, since there could be only one winner, the match continued. The WCW Champion Booker T made his WWF debut and attacked Austin with a Scissors Kick and a Sidewalk Slam through an announce table. Benoit would follow by executing a back-suplex off the top-rope on Jericho, which legitimately broke Benoit's neck. Austin would crawl over to Benoit and pin him to retain the WWF Championship.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: Chris Benoit suffered a career-halting neck injury after his Triple Threat match at King of the Ring and was out of action for one year. Shane McMahon and WCW wrestlers started involving themselves in the WWF, which led to the beginning of The Invasion storyline. The storyline had WWF wrestlers battle against invaders from WCW and ECW.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The King of the Ring tournament caused Team RECK (Rhyno, Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle) to split due to battling each other in the semifinals of the tournament. Angle began representing WWF against The Alliance whereas Rhyno joined Alliance. Edge and Christian continued teaming up until the team split when Christian turned on Edge after being jealous of Edge's success. Edge and Christian would feud with each other over the WWF Intercontinental Championship.


title: King of the Ring (2001)

text: The 2001 King of the Ring would be the final King of the Ring tournament and PPV held under the WWF name as the promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May 2002. It was also the final tournament and PPV held before the promotion introduced the brand extension in March 2002, in which the roster was divided between the Raw and SmackDown! brands where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform.


title: Mud

text: Mud is soil, loam, silt or clay mixed with water. It usually forms after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally called lutites). When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries, the resultant layers are termed bay muds.


title: Mud

text: In the construction industry, mud is a semi-fluid material that can be used to coat, seal, or adhere materials. The term "mud" can be used for various semi-fluid materials used in construction including slurry, mortar, plaster, stucco, and concrete.


title: Mud

text: Mud, cob, adobe, clay, and many other names are historically used synonymously to mean a mixture of subsoil and water possibly with the addition of stones, gravel, straw, lime, and/or bitumen. This material was used a variety of ways to build walls, floors and even roofs. For thousands of years it was common in most parts of the world to build walls using mudbricks or the wattle and daub, rammed earth or cob techniques and cover the surfaces with earthen plaster.


title: Mud

text: Mud can be made into mud bricks, also called adobe, by mixing mud with water, placing the mixture into moulds and then allowing it to dry in open air. Straw is sometimes used as a binder within the bricks, as it makes them a composite. When the brick would otherwise break, the straw will redistribute the force throughout the brick, decreasing the chance of breakage. Such buildings must be protected from groundwater, usually by building upon a masonry, fired brick, rock or rubble foundation, and also from wind-driven rain in damp climates, usually by deep roof overhangs. In extremely dry climates a well-drained flat roof may be protected with a well-prepared (puddled) and properly maintained dried mud coating, viable as the mud will expand when moistened and so become more water resistant. Adobe mudbricks were commonly used by the Pueblo Indians to build their homes and other necessary structures. In some countries there are entire cities made of mud brick houses.


title: Mud

text: Mud that is mostly clay, or a mixture of clay and sand may be used for ceramics, of which one form is the common fired brick. Fired brick are more durable but consume much more energy to produce.


title: Mud

text: Stabilized mud (earth, soil) is mud which has had a binder such as cement or bitumen added. Examples are mudcrete, landcrete, and soil cement.


title: Mud

text: Pottery is made by forming a clay body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln which removes all the water from the clay, which induces reactions that lead to permanent changes including increasing their strength and hardening and setting their shape. A clay body can be decorated before or after firing. Prior to some shaping processes, clay must be prepared. Kneading helps to ensure an even moisture content throughout the body. Air trapped within the clay body needs to be removed. This is called de-airing and can be accomplished by a machine called a vacuum pug or manually by wedging. Wedging can also help produce an even moisture content. Once a clay body has been kneaded and de-aired or wedged, it is shaped by a variety of techniques. After shaping it is dried and then fired.


title: Mud

text: In ceramics, the making of liquid mud (called slip) is a stage in the process of refinement of the materials, since larger particles will settle from the liquid.


title: Mud

text: Mud can provide a home for numerous types of animals, including varieties of worms, frogs, snails, clams, and crayfish. Other animals, such as hippopotamuses, pigs, rhinoceroses, water buffalo and elephants, bathe in mud in order to cool off and protect themselves from the sun. Submerged mud can be home to larvae of various insects.


title: Mud

text: Mud plays an important role in the marine ecosystem. The activities of burrowing animals and fish have a dramatic churning effect on muddy seabeds. This allows the exchange and cycling of oxygen, nutrients, and minerals between water and sediment.


title: Mud

text: Below the surface, the burrows of some species form intricate lattice-like networks and may penetrate a meter or more downwards. This means that the burrowed mud is a productive habitat, providing food and shelter for a wide range of mud-dwellers and other animals that forage in and over the mud.


title: Mud

text: Mud can pose problems for motor traffic when moisture is present, because every vehicle function that changes direction or speed relies on friction between the tires and the road surface, so a layer of mud on the surface of the road or tires can cause the vehicle to hydroplane.


title: Mud

text: Heavy rainfall, snowmelt, or high levels of groundwater may trigger a movement of soil or sediments, possibly causing mudslides, landslides, avalanches, or sinkholes.


title: Mud

text: Mudslides in volcanic terrain (called lahars) occur after eruptions as rain remobilizes loose ash deposits.


title: Mud

text: Mudslides are also common in the western United States during El Niño years due to prolonged rainfall.


title: Mud

text: Another problem mud creates is it can prove difficult to get out of if stuck, most bogs are more dangerous than quicksand because you can sink deep in to the mud. You can drown in a peat bog because they are deep patches of water with vegetation on top.


title: Mud

text: The practice of eating earth or soil-like substances is geophagia also known as geophagy, and is practised by some non-human primates and by humans in some cultures. In other human cultures it is considered an eating disorder and classed as Pica.


title: Mud

text: Mississippi mud pie is a chocolate based dessert pie. There also exist children's recipes for "mud", which is generally a chocolate or cornstarch-based sludge used more for visual appeal than actual taste. Never does this confectionery mud actually contain real mud.


title: Mud

text: A mud bath is a bath of mud, commonly from areas where hot spring water can combine with volcanic ash. Mud baths have existed for thousands of years, and can be found now in high-end spas.


title: Mud

text: Mud wallows are a common source of entertainment for children. Mud wallows can be any shape, size, depth and some can have water as well as mud. Usually wallows are shallow dips in the ground that have been flooded and were full of dirt and those two have mixed to make a squishy mud wallow.


title: Mud

text: Mud bogging is a form of off-road motorsport popular in Canada and the United States in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud or a track of a set length. Winners are determined by the distance traveled through the pit. However, if several vehicles are able to travel the entire length, the time taken to traverse the pit will determine the winner.


title: Mud

text: Mud runs are a popular activity involving mud. Participants run a distance of 3 miles to as long as 10 miles, while crawling through mud bogs, and battling other obstacles.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: The Dark Half is a 1993 American horror film adaptation of Stephen King's 1989 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by George A. Romero and stars Timothy Hutton as Thad Beaumont and George Stark, Amy Madigan as Liz Beaumont, Michael Rooker as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, and Royal Dano in his final film.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: An author of highbrow literary novels, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), is better known for the bestselling murder mystery suspense-thrillers he writes under the pen name "George Stark". Beaumont wishes to retire the Stark name and symbolically buries Stark in a mock grave.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: However, Stark has mysteriously become a physical entity (also portrayed by Hutton) and begins terrorizing Beaumont's family and friends after he emerges from the grave. Stark then kills local photographer Homer Gamache and steals his truck. He also murders Thad's editor, agent, and his agent's ex-wife, and kills a man named Fred Clawson, who was trying to blackmail Thad for "being a con artist that should not have written books under a false name".


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: When the police suspect Thad of murdering Gamache, he tries to convince Sheriff Alan Pangborn of Castle Rock, Maine that he had nothing to do with it. After putting an all-points bulletin on Clawson, who was accused of the death of Gamache, the New York police find him castrated and his throat slit. They find a message on the wall, written in Clawson's blood, "The sparrows are flying again." Thad starts to think that he may have a psychic connection to the killer.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: While in his office, Thad begins to receive messages from Stark, and begins to worry about the next victim. He and his family start to receive threatening phone calls from Stark. Pangborn initially suspects the phone calls are a prank by Thad himself until Stark begins to describe how he is going to kill Thad's family, disturbing Pangborn.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: State Police find Homer Gamache's truck with Thad's fingerprints all over it. For some reason, Stark wants to live in the material world, after only appearing in a set of Thad's best selling books. Thad writes, but he is not alone in suspecting something strange: Sheriff Pangborn is equally suspicious and continues investigating. Thad begins to realize that Stark is, in fact, his parasitic twin brother who died at "childbirth."


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: His mother never told Thad about the twin, and he was completely unaware until a local doctor tells him that Stark was a fraternal twin that was living inside Thad's brain. (A scene in the film's start shows a developing fetus inside Beaumont's brain). Stark arrives, kills the doctor, and blames Thad for the crime. Thad's colleague Reggie realizes that Stark is an entity controlled by the books that Thad wrote and that Stark will do anything he can to stop Thad. Stark kidnaps Thad's wife Liz and his children, and makes a deal with Thad: finishing a book that depicts Stark living in the real world, or he will kill his family.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: While writing the book, Thad notices Stark is healing himself with his writings, as George started to deteriorate due to Thad not writing anymore books, causing Thad to absorb his sickness. Thad and Stark get into a fight, which ends with Thad stabbing Stark in the neck with a pencil. Sheriff Pangborn arrives and unties Liz, who says that Thad and Stark are upstairs. However, a huge flock of sparrows inexplicably comes and tears Stark apart, taking him to the land of the dead. The sparrows are agents of Death, that come to collect souls and carry them to their final destination. Thad and Liz are spared, and they, along with Pangborn, watch as the sparrows disappear into the night.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: The film was filmed in part at Washington & Jefferson College, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Notable in the film are the chapel in the Old Main, seen at the beginning of the film as Beaumont's classroom, and the office of the college chaplain, used as Beaumont's office. Members of the faculty and student body served as extras in the film.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: The residence featured in the film is a home located on Maple Avenue in the Edgewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: The film was Romero's third foray into filming with the support of a major film production company (after "Creepshow" and "Monkey Shines"), causing some problems for the notoriously low-budget director.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: The film was shot from October 1990 until March 1991. It was not released for two years because of Orion Pictures' bleak financial situation at the time. The film eventually saw release in April 1993, taking in just over $10 million domestically.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: In its opening week "The Dark Half" ranked in the box office charts at number 6, gathering a total of $3,250,883 from 1,563 theatres.


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: Critics gave the film mixed reviews, though they praised Timothy Hutton's performance in the film as well as the screenplay. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a 59% from 34 reviews with an average score of 5.9/10. The critics consensus reads, ”"The Dark Half" is a highly serious psychological study that can be faulted for being more curious than actually scary.”


title: The Dark Half (film)

text: Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, praising Hutton's against type performance as Stark that "definitively shed his nice-guy image". However, Ebert faulted "The Dark Half" for failing to "develop its preternatural opening theme" and never offering a satisfactory explanation for Stark's existence.


title: Sam Billings

text: Samuel William Billings (born 15 June 1991) is an English professional cricketer. Billings is a right-handed batsman who fields as a wicket-keeper. He was born at Pembury in Kent and has played for Kent County Cricket Club sides since he was eight years old, making his senior debut for the First XI in 2011. In October 2017 he was appointed as the vice-captain of the team before being appointed as captain in January 2018, replacing Sam Northeast.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings is regarded as a versatile cricketer who studies the game intensely and has an imaginative range of scoring shots. He has appeared mainly in limited overs formats for the England cricket team and made his Test cricket debut in January 2022. He has played Twenty20 franchise cricket in the Pakistan Super League, Indian Premier League and in the Big Bash League in Australia and captained Oval Invincibles in the first two seasons of The Hundred.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings was born at Pembury in Kent and grew up on his family's farm in the north of the county. He developed as a good all-round sportsman, playing tennis for Kent and being offered a trial for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club after scoring a hat-trick against the team's academy side whilst playing for Corinthian under-14s. He also played racquets, squash and rugby. His grandfather, Ron Billings, was a racquets champion and his cousin, Tom Billings, has been world champion of the sport. Billings attributes racquets with helping to develop his batting skills, in particular his hand-eye coordination.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings attended New Beacon School in Sevenoaks, and then Haileybury College in Hertfordshire, appearing regularly for their cricket XI throughout his school career. He studied for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University. Billings has said that he was "nowhere near good enough" to become a professional cricketer before his time at university and credits it with encouraging him to work hard to develop his talent.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings made his first-class debut for Loughborough MCCU against Northamptonshire in 2011. He made a further first-class appearance for the team in 2011, against Leicestershire. In his four first-class matches for Loughborough MCCU, he scored 321 runs at an average of 45.85, with a high score of 131. This score came in his debut match against Northamptonshire.


title: Sam Billings

text: Whilst at university Billings was also a member of the Kent squad, and he made his debut for the county in May 2011 in a first-class match against his university side, Loughborough MCCU. During the 2011 season he also made his List A debut for Kent against the Netherlands in the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40, standing in for regular wicket-keeper Geraint Jones. Billings made three further List A appearances in the 2011 season, as well as playing in four matches in the 2011 Friends Provident t20. After leading the county in one day runs scored in 2012, Billings replaced former England wicket-keeper Jones in Kent's 2013 Friends Life t20 campaign. At the end of the season he kept wicket in the County Championship, breaking Jones' string of 115 consecutive Championship appearances for Kent before playing Sydney Grade Cricket for Penrith District Cricket Club during the 2013–14 English winter.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings became the first choice wicket-keeper for Kent in the 2014 season. He played for in the champion county match in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the 2015 season before scoring 693 runs at an average of 29.80 in the 2015 County Championship season and making his England One Day and T20 debuts. He was awarded his Kent county cap in August 2015 during the annual Canterbury Cricket Week and signed a contract extension with Kent, in January 2016.


title: Sam Billings

text: After spending the winter playing one-day international cricket with England and featuring in both the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 competitions, Billings returned to Kent at the end of May having missed six County Championship matches as well as the start of both one-day competitions. During the 2016 season he became only the second Kent wicket-keeper to take seven catches in an innings and the tenth to claim nine dismissals in a first-class match, both one short of equalling the record for the county, and made his highest score in first-class cricket.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings spent the following winter playing for England in Bangladesh, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and for England again in India and the West Indies as well as once again playing in the PSL and IPL. England duty again kept him away from Kent for parts of the 2017 season and he played in only six of the county's County Championship matches during the season, although he was ever present during the T20 Blast. He averaged 43.66 in the Championship games he played and captained the side in a tour match against the West Indies in August. At the end of the season he signed a new contract with Kent and was appointed officially as the team's vice-captain.


title: Sam Billings

text: Following Sam Northeast's removal as Kent captain in early 2018 Billings was appointed to the post as his replacement, despite some disquiet about his participation in the 2018 Indian Premier League. This meant that he missed the first part of the County Championship and One Day Cup seasons. The team was captained by Joe Denly in Billings' absence. Later in the season Billings once again signed a contract extension.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings captained Kent Spitfires to the 2021 T20 Blast title, beating Somerset in the final by 25 runs to win the tournament and their second domestic T20 title.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings was first called into the England Performance Programme in 2014 and took part in a training camp in Sri Lanka during the represented the English winter. He had played for an ECB under-16 side in 2006 and for England age group sides at under-17 and under-18 level before touring Bangladesh with the England under-19 side in 2009.


title: Sam Billings

text: He was named in the squad for the England Lions cricket team in the 2014/15 off-season in South Africa, making his debut and scoring 53 against a Gauteng Invitation XI in January 2015 and going on to play for the Lions in four of the five unofficial one-day international matches on the tour. In late 2014 he had been named in the provisional squad for the England cricket team before the 2015 Cricket World Cup, replacing the injured Craig Kieswetter, but did not feature in the final squad for the tournament.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings made his senior England international debut in an ODI against the touring New Zealand team in June 2015, playing as a batsman and scoring three runs. After playing in all five ODIs during the series, he made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut on 23 June 2015, scoring 21 runs. He was an unused member of the ODI squad against Australia later the same summer before playing in the only T20I against the Australians at the end of August.


title: Sam Billings

text: After the New Zealand series Billing was a regular in England ODI and T20I squads but played infrequently for two years, never appearing in two consecutive England ODI teams until March 2017. He made his England debut as a wicketkeeper in the first T20I against Pakistan in Dubai in November 2015. He made his maiden international half-century in the match, reaching his fifty in 24 balls, before being run out for 53 off the last ball of the England innings. He took two catches and completed a stumping during the Pakistan innings as England won by 14 runs. He was adjudged man of the match for his performance during the match.


title: Sam Billings

text: He played for the Lions against Pakistan A in Dubai in January 2016, against South Africa in 2016 and was selected for the England squad for the 2016 World Twenty20 competition. He did not make an appearance for England during the competition, other than as a substitute fielder. He was named in a 30-man England Performance Squad for the 2016 domestic season and played for the full England T20 side against Sri Lanka in July 2016 and for the Lions side against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A, scoring his highest List A cricket score of 175 against Pakistan at Canterbury, before touring Bangladesh with the England One Day International team in October, scoring his maiden ODI half-century with a score of 62 in the final match of the series batting as a replacement opening batsman, to help England to a 2–1 series win.


title: Sam Billings

text: In early 2017 Billings was part of the England ODI and T20 squad which toured India. He played in the opening List A match of the tour against India A again as a specialist batsman, scoring 93 runs, and in an ODI and T20 match on the tour before playing back to back ODI matches for the first time since his debut series against the West Indies. He was an unused member of the England squad for the 2017 Champions Trophy but played against Ireland, South Africa and West Indies during the summer of 2017. In early 2018 he joined the England squad in Australia for the ODI element of their tour, although he did not appear in any of the matches, before playing in the 2017–18 Trans-Tasman Tri-Series T20 matches against Australia and New Zealand in February. He was, again, an unused member of the England squad for the ODI series against New Zealand which followed.


title: Sam Billings

text: In October 2019, Billings was named as the vice-captain and first-choice wicket-keeper in England's T20I squad for their tour of New Zealand. He played in all five T20I matches on the tour, although he only scored 34 runs in his five innings and was not selected for the limited-overs side in South Africa early 2020. In May 2020, he was named in a group of 55 players to begin behind closed doors training ahead of international fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic. He was not selected in the Test side to face the West Indies but in July was named in the squad for the ODI series against Ireland After playing in all three matches against Ireland without being dismissed and making scores of 67 and 46, he played in the three T20I matches against the touring Pakistanis. Following the return of more established players for matches at the end of the summer against Australia, Billings played in only the last T20I of the three-match series, but was selected for the opening ODI. He went on to make his first senior international century in the match, scoring 118 runs, before playing in both of the other matches in the series. "Wisden" named him in their ODI team of 2020, the only member of the England team to be selected.


title: Sam Billings

text: Following an injury to Ben Foakes in May 2021, Billings was added to England's Test squad for the first time ahead of the series against New Zealand. He did not play in either of the matches in the series but in August was again added to England's Test squad, this time as wicket-keeper cover for the fourth Test against India. In September 2021, Billings was named in England's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings made his Test debut for England in the final Test of the 2021–22 Ashes series. Following injuries to both of the side's wicket-keepers, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, Billings was added to the team as a replacement, having been playing in the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, driving more than from Brisbane as a precaution against COVID-19. He made his debut at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart scoring 29 runs in England's first innings and taking five catches in Australia's second in a debut which was described as composed. After being "overlooked" for selection for England's ODI series against the Netherlands in June 2022, he was again called into the England Test team as a replacement, this time during a match against the touring New Zealanders after Ben Foakes had tested positive for COVID-19 during the match. Billings took Foakes' place as the side's wicket-keeper on the fourth day of the third Test of the series at Headingley. He was retained in the Test squad for the single Test to be played at the start of July against India. This match had been postponed in September 2021 due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian squad.


title: Sam Billings

text: After missing out on selection for England's squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup in October 2022, Billings returned to the England ODI side for their series against Australia in November. He was the side's top-scorer in the second ODI of the series, showing "the necessary grit" to build an innings of 77 runs after England had lost early wickets.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings is a regular participant in Twenty20 franchise leagues around the world. He has played for teams in the Pakistan Super League, Australian Big Bash and Indian Premier League and was scheduled to play in the first season of the abortive South African T20 Global League. He has spoken of his belief that playing T20 cricket with many of the best cricketers in the world is effectively playing international cricket and that players who do so are "going to improve, no doubt", with franchise leagues "fast forward" the growth of cricketers.


title: Sam Billings

text: In December 2015 Billings was selected by Islamabad United in the 2016 Pakistan Super League draft, the first of three overseas Twenty20 leagues he took part in during 2016. The tournament took place in the United Arab Emirates in February 2016 and was the inaugural season of the competition. Billings played in five matches for Islamabad, scoring 34 runs with a top score of 26, but saw the opportunity to learn from players such as Australian Test wicket-keeper Brad Haddin as "invaluable". He was retained by Islamabad for the 2017 season, playing in the team's first five matches of the tournament before leaving to join the England ODI team in the Caribbean. In 2018 Billings was with England in New Zealand at the start of the tournament and, despite joining Islamabad towards the end of the group stage, did not play a match during the PSL season.


title: Sam Billings

text: Billings was purchased by Delhi Daredevils in the 2016 Indian Premier League auction in February 2016 for £30,000. He scored 54 runs on his debut for Delhi, helping the team to a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, before going on to play in four further matches before Delhi were eliminated at the end of the group stage. Despite playing in only five matches in the tournament, Billings again saw the experience as one which would help him "improve as a player". In particular, he cited the influence of Delhi's coach Rahul Dravid and had approached the IPL, which he rated as a "phenomenal experience", with the intention of developing his skills, particularly against spin bowling. He has credited the experience of working with players from around the world as a major factor in the improvement of his game, from the use of different training methods to eating more effectively. Billings was retained by Delhi for the 2017 Indian Premier League with the intention of him playing until 1 May in order to return to England to play against Ireland and prepare for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.


title: Sam Billings

text: In November 2016 Billings signed to play for Sydney Sixers in the 2016–17 Big Bash League in Australia. He made his debut for the Sixers in the opening match of the tournament, taking two catches as the team beat Sydney Thunder by nine wickets. After appearing in the Sixers first five matches of the tournament, Billings left the team to join the England squad in India at the beginning of January 2017. He batted four times for Sydney, averaging 31.25 runs.


title: Sam Billings

text: After playing again for Sydney in the Big Bash League in 2017/18, Billings was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 IPL auction for £71,000. Although he scored a match-winning 56 runs in Chennai's second match of the tournament, a rather disappointing tournament saw him score 108 runs at an average of 13.60 in 10 matches and he did not play in the final as Chennai won the title.


title: Sam Billings

text: In 2018 he captained Bengal Tigers in the T10 League played in the United Arab Emirates having been picked second in the competition's draft in July. A break from overseas T20 leagues saw him play more frequently for Kent, before he was signed to play for Sydney Thunder in the 2020/21 Big Bash. In February 2021, he was bought again by Delhi ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League, missing the start of Kent's season, although he did not play a match for the side during the competition.


title: Sam Billings

text: During the 2021 home season, Billings captained Oval Invincibles during the 2022 season of The Hundred, the ECB's new franchise competition. The team were eliminated from the competition during the last round of group-stage matches. He was retained by the side for the 2022 season. In February 2022, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League, once more mission the start of Kent's domestic season. He played in eight matches for the side, missing games due to illness, and scored 169 runs during the competition. In August 2022 Billings was selected by Brisbane Heat as the third pick in the first Big Bash league draft ahead of the 2022–23 Big Bash. In November, however, he pulled out of the following IPL season, citing his desire to focus on long-form cricket with Kent and burn-out associated with having spent 18 months playing cricket around the globe.