The train.

The Gletscherbahn Kaprun 2 was a funicular railway running from Kaprun to the Kitzsteinhorn, opened in 1974. In 1993, it was modernized, giving the trains a sleek, futuristic look, also making them the pride of Austria's ski resorts. This railway had the unusual track gauge of and a length of, with of track inside a tunnel. The train climbed and descended the tunnel at, inclined at 30 degrees (for a grade of about 58%). There were two carriages on a single track, with a section allowing them to pass each other halfway. One carried passengers up the mountain while its twin simultaneously descended. The tunnel terminated at the main reception centre, called the Alpincenter, where a powerful motorized winch system pulled the wagons. There were neither engines, fuel tanks, nor drivers, only low-voltage electrical systems, hydraulic tanks (used for the brake system) and an attendant who operated the hydraulic doors. Each train had four passenger compartments and a cab at front and rear for the attendant, who switched back and forth as they travelled up and down. It could carry up to 180 passengers.

The disaster.

On 11 November 2000, 161 passengers and one conductor boarded the funicular train for an early morning trip to the slopes. Prior to the passenger train leaving the lower terminus shortly after 9:00a.m., the electric fan heater in the unattended cabin at the lower end of the train caught fire, officially due to a design flaw that caused the unit to overheat. The resulting fire severed plastic pipes carrying flammable hydraulic fluid from the brake system, fueling the fire rapidly whilst resulting in the loss of fluid pressure which caused the train to halt unexpectedly into the tunnel (this was a standard safety feature). Several minutes later, the train conductor, who was in the control cabin at the upper end of the train (as the train was ascending), realized that a fire had broken out, reported it to the control centre, and attempted to open the hydraulically-operated doors, but the system pressure loss prevented them from operating. The train conductor then lost contact with the control centre, because the fire had burned through a 16kV power cable running alongside the length of the track, causing a total blackout throughout the entire ski resort.  The passengers, by this stage aware of the fire and unable to exit through the doors, attempted to break the shatter-resistant acrylic windows in order to escape. Twelve people from the rear of the train, who successfully broke a window with a ski pole, followed the advice of another escapee who had been a volunteer firefighter for 20 years, and escaped downwards past the fire and below the smoke, to safety.  Many of the still-trapped occupants had by now lost consciousness due to toxic fumes. Eventually, the conductor managed to unlock the doors manually, with those passengers still conscious spilling out into the tunnel and fleeing upwards and away from the fire. The tunnel acted like a giant chimney, sucking oxygen in from the bottom and rapidly sent the poisonous smoke, heat and the fire itself billowing upwards. All the passengers ascending on foot, as well as the train conductor, were asphyxiated by the smoke and then burned by the raging fire.  The toxic smoke quickly reached the halted second train killing the conductor and sole passenger heading downward, before arriving at the Alpine Centre located at the top end of the track away. Two employees of the Alpine Centre who first noticed the smoke, alerted employees and customers before escaping through an emergency exit leaving the doors open and increasing the tunnel ́s chimney effect through increased air flow, further intensifying the fire. The centre filled with smoke quickly and all but four people escaped from the centre. Firefighters arriving at the centre managed to save one of the four, while the other three died of asphyxiation.

Investigation and trials.

In the subsequent criminal trial in Salzburg, 16 accused were charged, including the management of Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG.  The indictment was based on § 170 StGB, negligent causing a conflagration and § 177 StGB, negligent public risk. Below the 16 accused persons are listed and the related reasons for their acquittals including quotations from the judgment itself as well as some votes against the judgement which came from German prosecution some years after the trial in Austria:  Three employees of Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG; specifically the technical director, the main manager and the manager; According to the indictment, when the wagon bodies were rebuilt in 1993/94 they had failed to ensure their safe construction and equipment in accordance with the state of the art. The acquittal was based, among other things, on the legal standards of the time, which related to the fire protection safety standards for funicular railways. In relation to these Austrian legal norms, the judgment stated: "A review of the same showed that the relevant norms did not exist here and therefore claims (...) could not be derived from this legal material". In relation to an EU cable car directive, which names the funicular as a vehicle, contrary to Austrian law, where a funicular was not a vehicle in the classic sense, it is stated that the violation of this EU directive, which was also valid in Austria at the time, "(...) does not constitute a basis for criminal liability ”. The reason for this is a decision of the European Court of Justice itself. Furthermore, it was noted: "The fire trigger was a design, production and material defect in the fan heater housing and no dirt residues or oil leaks".  Years later, the German public prosecutor's office in Heilbronn contradicted this judgement in their own investigation report, in which it was stated that the space heater had no design errors. Instead, it had been modified to be illegally installed into the funicular against its intended use as home appliance only. Six years after the fire in Kaprun, the German authority was able to prove both, the presence of dirt and hydraulic oil in the identical fan heater from the undamaged second train. This finding of evidence was based not only on material examinations but also on original photos from the Austrian authority itself. In the earlier Salzburg trial the fan heater had not been examined inside on the explicit instructions of the judge at the time.  Two managing directors of the Austrian Swoboda Karosserie- und Stahlbau GesmbH (Carvatech since 2005), whose employees disassembled simple household fan heaters of the Fakir Hobby TLB brand instead of suitable Domo fan heaters and installed them in an improper in-house design in the valley-side driver's cabs. According to the acquittal, the managing directors themselves were not at fault, because they had given their purchasing department clear instructions to purchase a device that was "officially approved". In this case specifically a Domo fan heater; the same one that the Swoboda company had already legally built into the Salzburg fortress funicular railway back then. When ordering, one of the managing directors enclosed the associated instructions for use, so that the purchasing department would really order the right device again. After the staff of the Swoboda purchasing department discovered that Domo fan heaters were not available at the time, they ordered simple devices for private households as an alternative, namely Fakir Hobby TLB fan heaters. According to the acquittal, the Swoboda management itself had no knowledge that other unsuitable devices had now been purchased by the purchasing staff. According to the judgment, a foreman of the Swoboda company, who picked up the devices ordered from the Höller-Eisen company in Gmunden, did not notice that the purchasing department had actually purchased unsuitable devices and handed them over for installation trusting that the order was correct. This is also why the electrical workshop of the Swoboda company later handed over manuals for the actual Domo fan heater to the Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG. These manuals for the correct Domo devices were included in advance with the documents for the glacier railways and also for the Siemens company, which later also participated in the construction of the train. The responsible personnel at Swoboda assumed from the outset that the correct equipment would be installed in the train at the time of delivery. Even Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG had correctly requested "4 fan heaters like Salzburg fortress railway" from Swoboda in their order, that is, approved and above all suitable devices. In the written judgment regarding the now wrongly installed fan heater, it was stated that "the radiator was provided with all the appropriate security stickers". "The evidence procedure also revealed that the wrong operating instructions were given to Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG, namely the manual of a Domo fan heater." And "(...) that Siemens AG (...) also had a data sheet about the Domo fan heater” However, the fact that the user manual of the Fakir devices generally expressly referred to the fact that the device should not be opened for safety reasons and that security stickers etc. would become invalid was not mentioned in the judgment. For the original order of the Domo fan heater by the management of Swoboda, the following is again noted in the judgement: "(...) as it was used in an officially approved manner in the Salzburg funicular railway at that time".  The German VDE, i.e. the publisher of the security stickers on the fan heater, determined a few years after the judgment that the stickers lost their validity due to the conversion of the devices and that the use of this fan heater in this way of installation generally no longer was allowed, regardless of the place of use.  Three employees of the German Mannesmann-Rexroth AG (Bosch Rexroth AG since 2001); these installed flammable oil-carrying hydraulic lines in both trains directly behind and above the positions of the valley side heaters. Although published images from Austrian authority show hydraulic oil in the radiant heater of the "glacier dragon" train that has been preserved, the opposite was stated in the judgment. In the photos there would only be red-colored condensation, caused by a reflection. The discovery of the hydraulic oil was officially withdrawn in court by two people who were explicitly interviewed, but was confirmed by one of the two witnesses after the trial, as well as by the dismissed chief assessor Anton Muhr, who still rejects the view of the court. Contrary to practice, the oil was not sampled in the first process. The verdict finally stated: "As already generally stated, the fire of November 11, 2000 was not a leak in the hydraulic system, no hydraulic oil leaked (...)". The three defendants of Mannesmann-Rexroth AG were acquitted on the following grounds: “It is expressly stated that when the cables were laid by the three accused hydraulic technicians, the fan heater was no longer installed. (...) It cannot be determined when it was reinstalled after the work was completed. (...) It can no longer be determined who removed these fan heaters before the piping work began."  This means that in the judgment it is assumed that the technicians did not know that a fan heater would be installed near the pipes they laid and that the opposite, i.e. that the fitters were aware of it, could not be proven.  Three officials from the Ministry of Transport, who had issued the railway operating license. These were again acquitted on the grounds that the Fakir fan heaters would have been suitable, since they would have valid security stickers, and that the danger of fire on funicular railways would not have been known: "Regarding the officials of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (...) With regard to the materials used, as well as the technology and safety devices and the fan heater, reference should be made to the statements already made (...) Even in the railroad building permit procedure, the authority had no indications, incidents or concerns that funicular railways could be dangerous in terms of fire protection (...) “.  Two inspectors from the TÜV, who approved the train and did not complain about existing defects. These shortcomings mainly related to statements by the expert Anton Muhr. The latter criticized a timber shoring that was not registered with the TÜV, which was installed by employees of the Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG in the desk near the fan heaters and was stuffed with rock wool. According to the expert Muhr, this rock wool was sucked in by the fan heaters. Here it is said in the acquittal: "(...) that it was not possible to determine when the wood shoring was sealed with the stone wool in the evidence procedure, so it could not be said that at the time of the inspection by the TÜV employees the wool would already have existed. (...) The court assumes that (...) concerning the time of installation (...) the installation was made before the inspection done by the TÜV. (...) a conspicuity of the timber shoring was not given (...) "and further it says" that the timber shoring has no actual connection with the development or spread of fire. "In relation to the hydraulic lines on the rear wall of the fan heater it was said: "With regard to the laying of the hydraulic lines on the rear wall of the fan heater, it is (...) assumed that the hydraulic system (...) is a complex assembly, so that (...) this system was not up for a review at this time. "  Two technicians and a builder who were involved in the installation of a fire door at the exit station of the mountain station. After successful closure at the moment of the power failure at the mountain station, an attempt was made to manually open the door by the operations manager who did not close it afterwards, allowing smoke to enter from the tunnel, which cost the lives of several people in the mountain station. In concrete terms, however, the three suspects were a technician who had installed the door, a test technician who had carried out the official inspection of the door, and a builder who had inspected the system again in September 2000. However, the persons mentioned had not let themselves get into debt, since the door worked as prescribed and in the event of a fire it should not have been opened by hand or left open afterwards. Quotation: "(...) whereby the question of single or multiple closing was seen by the court in such a way that closing the door once is sufficient, which (...) derives from the wording of the Ö-Norm (...) “.  Nearly one year after the fire, the official inquiry determined the cause was the failure, overheating and ignition of one of the fan heaters installed in the conductor's compartments that were not designed for use in a moving vehicle, much less a train. The ignition was caused when a design fault caused the unit to overheat, which in turn caused the plastic mount for the heating element to break off, causing the element to jam against its plastic casing and catch fire. A slow leak of highly flammable hydraulic oil was ignited by the burning, melting heater, which in turn melted the plastic fluid lines, further feeding the flames and also resulting in the hydraulic pressure loss which caused the train to stop and the doors to fail.  The structural flaws of the funicular trains, especially the lack of safety mechanisms, were found to have played a role in the tragedy. Each funicular unit had its fire extinguishers out of the passengers' reach in the sealed attendants' compartments. No smoke detectors were installed. There was no cellphone reception within the tunnels, which meant passengers had no method of contacting the attendant. Professor Joseph Nejez, a funicular train expert, said the designers throughout the years had a perception that a fire could not occur since no fire had occurred in a funicular cabin prior to the Kaprun disaster. The train complied with area safety codes, which did not address the systems installed on the train during its 1993 upgrade. The onboard electric power, hydraulic braking systems, and fan heaters intended for use in homes instead of trains increased the likelihood of fire.

Casualties and aftermath.

The funicular was never reopened after the disaster and was replaced by a gondola lift, a 24-person Gletscherjet1 funitel. The stations were abandoned and the tunnel sealed, and it remains unused today. The site though, has been frequented by some skiers who wanted to explore its dark interiors and film the remains of the burned tunnel.  The track and tunnel remained in place for over a decade after the disaster, although never used by paying passengers. As of 2014, the track and supporting structure below the tunnel has been completely removed, with just a gap in the trees to indicate where it stood. Skiers and sightseers now reach the Alpincentre using either the Gletscherjet1 or Panaromabahn cable cars to an intermediate station, followed by the Gletscherjet2 cable car or Langwiedbahn chairlift to the Alpincentre (typically only one of each operates in the summer period, when there is less traffic), though they can also still use the original Gletscherbahn1.  On 19 February 2004, Judge Manfred Seiss acquitted all 16 suspects, including company officials, technicians, and government inspectors, clearing them of criminal negligence. Seiss said there was insufficient evidence to find the suspects responsible for the conditions that led to the blaze. In September 2007, the public prosecutor's office determined the manufacturer of the electric heater was not responsible.  One of the victims was Sandra Schmitt, a 19-year-old German freestyle skier who at the time was the reigning Women's Dual Moguls World Champion. Josef Schaupper, a seven-time Deaflympic medalist, was also killed in the fatal accident along with his fellow deaf skiers. Another was United States Army Major Michael Goodridge with his wife and two sons.

Memorial.

On 11 November 2004, a memorial to the victims was officially inaugurated. The elongated blocks of exposed concrete and glass steles are located opposite the valley station of the Gletscherbahnen.  The difference in color of the glass strips should symbolize every individual human being. The individual glass slits are each dedicated to a specific person. Each slit of light stands as a symbol for a life.

The Kaprun disaster was a fire that occurred in an ascending train in the tunnel of the Gletscherbahn Kaprun2 funicular in Kaprun, Austria on 11 November 2000. The disaster killed 155 people (150 on the ascending train, two on the descending train and three in the mountain station). There were 12 survivors from the burning ascending train. Most of the victims were skiers on their way to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier.

Požár lanovky v Kaprunu bylo neštěstí, které se stalo v sobotu 11. listopadu 2000 v Kaprunu v Rakousku. Tragédie se zařadila mezi jednu z největších v historii Rakouska, když ve dvou pozemních lanovkách v Kaprunu zahynulo 152 lidí a jen 12 přežilo. Další 3 lidé, kteří zemřeli, se nenacházeli v ani jedné ze dvou lanovek, ale v nákupním centru, kam se rozšířil jedovatý kouř.


Career.

Gherman was born in Bucharest in 1985. Her first significant result was a team bronze medal with Loredana Iordăchioiu and Ana Maria Brânză at the 2004 Junior World Championships in Plovdiv. The same year, she won a Junior World Cup tournament in Palermo.  Gherman then joined the senior national team captained by Brânză. Along with Iordăchioiu and Anca Măroiu, they won the European Championships in 2008 and 2009. In the 2010 World Fencing Championships, the “ girls”—a nickname the Romanian team had given themselves after the "Powerpuff Girls" anime— took the first Romanian team gold in épée after defeating Germany at the Grand Palais in Paris.  In 2011, Gherman won a team gold at the European Fencing Championships in Sheffield and at the World Military Championships in Rio de Janeiro. In August, she married Dragoș Gherman, whose name she took in competitions. In the World Championships Romania met China in the final. After Brânză was injured, Gherman fenced Li Na in the last leg and scored the decisive hit, allowing Romania to retain their gold medal. She contributed more than half her team's hits. Three World Cup podiums in Budapest, Havana, and Rio de Janeiro, allowed her to reach the 6th place in FIE rankings.  In 2012 Gherman won the gold in the European Championships after prevailing over teammate Măroiu. Along with a podium in the Barcelona World Cup tournament, this result pushed her to the 5th place in FIE rankings, a personal best as of 2014. In the London 2012 Olympics, she was defeated 15–14 in the quarter-finals by Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina, who eventually earned the gold medal. Top-seeded Romania was also defeated 45–38 by 10th-ranked South Korea in the quarter-finals and failed to earn a medal either. Gherman then decided to take a break from her career.  In December 2013 Gherman gave birth to a daughter named Ioana Teodora. She announced in April 2014 she would return to fencing and be reintegrated into the national team. A few weeks later she won the Romanian national championship after defeating 15–12 in the final team mate and world No.1 Ana Maria Brânză. She failed to qualify to the main table of 64 in the Rio de Janeiro World Cup, the first international competition after her comeback, but won a bronze medal a few days later in the Havana Grand Prix.  At the European Championships in Strasbourg, she reached the semifinal, defeating reigning European champion Ana Brânză and reigning Olympic champion Yana Shemyakina along the way. She lost 9–15 to Marie-Florence Candassamy from hosts France to finish with a bronze medal. In the team competition, No.2 seed Romania received a bye, then disposed of Ukraine 45–31 and met Italy in the semifinals. Gherman both opened and closed for her team, scoring four hits in a row against Rossella Fiamingo in the last relay to win 29–24. In the final against No.1 seed Russia, Gherman entered the last leg on 26 all and defeated Lyubov Shutova 12–8 to bring Romania their 5th gold medal. At the World Championships in Kazan, Gherman prevailed easily over Magdalena Piekarska of Poland, but was stopped 14–15 in the second round by 2008 Olympic champion Britta Heidemann, who eventually earned the bronze medal. In the team event, Romania prevailed over Germany, but were defeated in the table of 8 by Italy and exited the tournament with no medal.  In the 2014–15 season Gherman won her first World Cup title at the Doha Grand Prix, after defeating Estonia's Erika Kirpu in the final. In Barcelona she was eliminated in the table of 16 by Russia's Tatyana Andryushina, but she was instrumental in Romania's bronze medal in the team event, first bridging the points gap, then striking the decisive hit in the “small final” against Russia.

Simona Gherman (née Alexandru; born 12 April 1985) is a retired Romanian épée fencer, European champion in 2012 and 2016. She was twice team World Champion in 2010 and 2011 and five-time team European Champion in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Simona Ghermanová rozená Simona Cristina Alexandruová (* 12. dubna 1985 Bukurešť, Rumunsko) je rumunská sportovní šermířka, která se specializuje na šerm kordem.


Plot.

In the Dothraki Sea.

En route to Vaes Dothrak with Khal Drogo's "khalasar", Jorah Mormont reveals to Viserys Targaryen that he was exiled for selling poachers into slavery. Viserys is impatient for control of Drogo's army.  Daenerys Targaryen struggles with her new marriage and the nomadic Dothraki lifestyle, taking comfort in her dragon eggs. Distressed by sex with the Khal, she asks her handmaiden Doreah how to please her husband. Later, she is able to have sex with Drogo while facing him, leading the relationship to become more intimate.

In the North.

Bran Stark has been in a coma for over a month. After slapping his nephew Joffrey Baratheon for refusing to give his condolences to the Starks, Tyrion Lannister informs his siblings that Bran will survive.  Ned Stark and his daughters prepare to journey to the capital with King Robert Baratheon, while Jon Snow leaves to join his uncle Benjen in the Night's Watch, accompanied by Tyrion. Jon gives Arya Stark a sword, and Catelyn Stark chastises Ned for leaving her. Ned promises to tell Jon about his mother when they meet again. As they embark for King's Landing, Robert tells Ned of Daenerys Targaryen's marriage to Khal Drogo and the possibility of Viserys raising a Dothraki army to overthrow him.  A fire breaks out at Winterfell as an assassin tries to kill Bran, but is held off by Catelyn and killed by Bran's direwolf. A strand of blonde hair in the tower where Bran fell convinces Catelyn that the Lannisters are involved. Confiding with her son Robb, Maester Luwin, Master-at-Arms Ser Rodrik Cassel, and the Starks' ward Theon Greyjoy, Catelyn decides to go to King's Landing to warn Ned.

At the Wall.

Reaching the Wall, Tyrion disabuses Jon of his romantic notions of the once-noble Night's Watch, now a place for criminals, prisoners, and bastards.

At the Inn at the Crossroads.

The king's entourage stops at an inn, where Joffrey's cruelty to Arya's commoner friend Mycah results in Joffrey being bitten by Arya's direwolf Nymeria, whom he accuses of attacking him. Sansa, newly betrothed to Joffrey, claims to remember nothing, and King Robert gives in to Cersei Lannister's demand that the direwolf be killed. With Nymeria having fled, Sansa's direwolf Lady is to be killed instead, which Ned takes responsibility for himself. He encounters Joffrey's bodyguard, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who has killed Mycah for the prince.  Ned kills Lady, while in the North, Bran suddenly awakens from his coma.

Production.

Writing.

The second episode was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the original book by George R. R. Martin."The Kingsroad" includes chapters 10-11, 13-18 and 24. (Tyrion I, Jon II, Eddard II, Tyrion II, Catelyn III, Sansa I, Eddard III, Bran III, Daenerys III.)  While the events in this episode mostly follow the book, differences in the screen adaptation include not introducing the council's delegation with Ser Barristan and Lord Renly and the conversation between Robert and Eddard taking place during breakfast instead of on horseback. Some scenes were also created for the series, most notably a conversation between Catelyn and Cersei at Bran's bedside remembering the Queen's first child by Robert that died early of sickness (in the novel, when Ned confronts Cersei about Jaime fathering her children, she hinted that her first pregnancy, which was by Robert, she had aborted), and a confrontation between Jaime and Jon before Jon leaves for the Wall.

Casting.

This episode marks the first appearance of regular guest star Roxanne McKee, best known for her role of Louise Summers in the British Channel 4 soap opera "Hollyoaks". McKee was chosen among a great number of candidates to play the part of Doreah, a slave serving as Daenerys Targaryen's handmaiden.  Also introduced in this episode is British musician Wilko Johnson as the executioner Ilyn Payne. The mute headsman of "Game of Thrones" is Johnson's first acting job.

Filming locations.

The principal shooting for the episode was done at The Paint Hall studio. The scenes at the Inn at the Crossroads were filmed on location at the Redhall Estate, in Ballycarry, during the first days of September 2010.

Direwolves.

"The Kingsroad" has a significant number of scenes that include direwolves. To stand in for the extinct species, the production team considered using real wolves, but the UK safety laws and close work with child actors made this impractical. Instead, they chose to use Northern Inuit Dogs due to their resemblance to wolves.  The dog that portrayed Lady, Zanni, was adopted after the season wrapped by the family of Sophie Turner, the actress playing the direwolf's owner, Sansa Stark.

Reception.

Ratings.

The second episode of "Game of Thrones" attracted the same viewing figures as the premiere, with 2.2 million viewers. The second repeat obtained 0.7 million, which was also similar to the previous week's figure. These ratings have been considered positive, especially considering that it was aired on an Easter Sunday.

Critical response.

Critical reaction was favorable, although some critics felt it was inferior to the first episode. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 17 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'The Kingsroad' brings surprising new developments for characters undergoing change while pushing the various plots forward at an effective pace." "Entertainment Weekly"s James Hibberd considered the second episode better than the first one, while TV Squad's Maureen Ryan gave "The Kingsroad" the lowest score from the first six episodes of the series. Matt Fowler, who reviewed the episode for IGN, gave it a score of 8/10, and maintained that it was still a solid effort that focused on shifting all the main characters out of their comfort zones. Tod VanDerWerff, from The A.V. Club, gave the episode a B, saying "it was a small step up from the pilot...and is a particularly eventful hour of "Game Of Thrones", layering on plot point after plot point in a brisk, fairly economical matter."  Alan Sepinwall from HitFix, has described "The Kingsroad" as a transition episode and therefore "not as likely to excite as the premiere or some of the season's later episodes." Maureen Ryan felt that the show lacked a thematic unity, and while it had some effective moments, in some ways "lacked emotional spark." At Cultural Learnings, Myles McNutt admitted that having to move all pieces into place made the episode resemble a travelogue, but he considered the lack of cohesion to be very purposeful since it helped to emphasize the splitting of the Stark family and the different motivations and destinies that awaited the protagonists.

"The Kingsroad" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series "Game of Thrones", first aired on April 24, 2011. It was written by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Tim Van Patten.

Královská cesta nebo též Královská jízda (v anglickém originále The Kingsroad) je druhý díl první řady středověkého fantasy seriálu Hra o trůny. Ve Spojených státech měl premiéru 24. dubna 2011, sedm dní po uvedení prvního dílu "Zima se blíží". Režie se, stejně jako v prvním díle, ujal Tim Van Patten a scénář napsali David Benioff a D. B. Weiss.


History.

Formation and early releases (2001−2010).

The band was formed in 2001 by drummer John Alfredsson and guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, who at the time were in separate bands. After several lineup changes, the band released two four song EP demos in 2004: Personal Observations released on 18 January 2004 and 4 Reasons to Die on 19 November 2004. Avatar's first studio album, "Thoughts of No Tomorrow," was released on 25 January 2006 and peaked at #47 on the Sweden Albums Top 60. The band completed several European tours as a supporting act for Impaled Nazarene, Evergrey, and In Flames.  Their second album, "Schlacht", was released on 24 October 2007, reaching spot 27 on the Swedish album chart. Björn Gelotte from In Flames contributed a guitar solo on the track "Letters From Neverend." The subsequent set of tours saw them perform at the 2008 Sweden Rock Festival as well as shows in support of Obituary (January–February 2008), and Hardcore Superstar (October–November 2009). The band's third album, the self-titled "Avatar", was released in Sweden in November 2009 and reached the 36th position on the national album chart. In January 2010 the music video for the song "Queen of Blades" was released on the band's website. Around that time, the band signed with Sony Music for the German and Swiss release of their latest album on 26 March 2010. In April of the same year a deal was signed with the Japanese label Art Union, for a 19 May launch of the album. They then launched into an ambitious touring schedule appearing at the 2010 Storsjöyran, and also with Warrior Soul (March - April 2010), Dark Tranquillity (October–November 2010), and Helloween (December 2010-January 2011).

"Black Waltz" and "Hail the Apocalypse" (2011−2015).

In December 2011 guitarist Simon Andersson left the band, being replaced by Tim Öhrström. On 25 January 2012 the album "Black Waltz" was released in Europe. It reached position 25 on the album list in Avatar's native Sweden. The album was released in the US on 14 February. "Black Waltz" marks the first appearance of the "Clown" face paint now worn regularly by Eckerström. To support the American release of "Black Waltz", Avatar embarked on its first ever U.S. tour alongside Lacuna Coil and Sevendust in February 2013.  In August 2013, after the wife of Device and Disturbed vocalist David Draiman gave birth and Draiman opted to bow out of his tour schedule, Avatar was picked by Avenged Sevenfold to replace Device and continue to tour with them and Five Finger Death Punch. The following fall, the band spent a month in Thailand recording for a new album, planned for release in March 2014. On 11 March 2014 it was announced that Avatar's fifth album would be titled "Hail the Apocalypse" and was released 13 May 2014 via eOne Music. The album's first single, the title track, was released 17 March 2014 and was accompanied by a video. The new album is produced by Tobias Lindell and mixed by Jay Ruston. Since the release of "Hail the Apocalypse", Avatar has conducted several tours of the U.S. and Europe as both a supporting and headline act, as well as performing at festivals such as Rock on the Range 2014 and the inaugural Louder Than Life. The music video for 'Vultures Fly' premiered on 26 January 2015 and earned distinction by being voted #1 for five weeks in a row in Loudwire's Battle Royal video countdown, as well as their 2015 Best Rock Video. Avatar then began a U.S. tour in April 2015 consisting of headline performances, and supporting Five Finger Death Punch and Mushroomhead.  On 6 May 2015 it was announced that Avatar would be included in the lineup of Shiprocked 2016. Avatar returned to the U.S. for another headline tour in August–September 2015 with Gemini Syndrome and First Decree, and in January–February 2016 with September Mourning prior to returning to Sweden to complete writing on the follow up to "Hail The Apocalypse". Sylvia Massy was announced as producer of that album, which was then recorded in three studios across Europe. Towards the end of 2015, it was announced Avatar would be scheduled to appear at several festivals in 2016, to include Rock on the Range and Carolina Rebellion.

"Feathers & Flesh" (2016−2017).

After several tours supporting 2014's "Hail the Apocalypse", Avatar entered the studio in December 2015 to begin recording a then unnamed follow-up studio album. The band split their time between three European studios — Castle Studios in Rohrsdorf, Germany, Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland and Spinroad Studios in Lindome, Sweden. Acclaimed producer Sylvia Massy, noted for her work with Tool and Red Hot Chili Peppers, praised Avatar as "relentless," noting singer Johannes Eckerström as having "wild energy and charisma." The start of recording sessions also coincided with multiple updates via the band's Instagram account, chronicling their time in the studio. Once recording finished, Avatar took part in Shiprocked 2016, then toured the southern United States with September Mourning and Saint Diablo. On 30 January 2016 in Dallas, Texas, Avatar performed the song "For The Swarm" for the first time, the first original song since the release of their previous album.  On 3 March 2016, Avatar revealed the name of the new album, "Feathers & Flesh", via their official website, and through social media. A release date of 13 May 2016 was also announced, as well as several pre-ordering merchandise bundles that would be available to order on 17 March 2016. One bundle offers a 60-page, 109-verse poem hardcover book described on the band's Facebook as 'a story too extensive for any booklet'. The first single, "For The Swarm," was released as a reward for those pre-ordering the album on iTunes. A music video of this single was also released. Fan reception of the new song and video were high, as evidenced in "For The Swarm" being voted #1 in Loudwire's Battle Royale for the week ending 11 March 2016. On 17 March 2016 the singles, "Regret" and "House of Eternal Hunt" were released to help kick off pre-ordering of merchandise bundles for "Feathers & Flesh". A video directed by Johan Carlén was released featuring the two songs playing sequentially as the view pans around a darkened art gallery, with many paintings of birds, primarily owls, mirroring some of the artwork that the band has created for the individual songs on their album. "Regret," as the opening track on the album, is described by the band as “an intense journey through epicness” and, “...by far the most different album intro we ever written.” The song introduces The Owl, the protagonist of the album as she lays dying, reflecting on her past. "House of Eternal Hunt," described by the band as "the definition of metal", starts the tale of The Owl, a "predator ruling the sky" according to Eckerström. The first official single, "The Eagle Has Landed," was released 25 March 2016. As with the previously released singles, this track was an instant gratification reward for pre-ordering "Feathers & Flesh". The song introduces The Eagle, "...crashing into the world of his adversary", according to Eckerström. No new music video was released with this track, though the band did upload the song to its official YouTube channel with the same video featured for the release of "Regret" and "House of Eternal Hunt."  On 12 June 2017, Avatar were awarded the Breakthrough Band Award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods.

"Avatar Country" (2017−2020).

On 24 October 2017, Avatar released a new single called "A Statue of the King", along with the announcement that they will release their seventh album, "Avatar Country", on 12 January 2018. It was also announced the dates of the new Avatar tour, Called "Avatar Country Tour", which starts in January 2018 in North America and arrives in Europe in March of the same year. On 13 December the song "The King Wants You" was released on SiriusXM Octane radio, and soon available on digital platforms, being the second single from the album "Avatar Country". The official music video was released on 19 December.  On 12 January 2018, "Avatar Country" was released worldwide, available both through streaming services such as Spotify, and in physical formats from music stores throughout the world. On 29 October 2018, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign for "Legend of Avatar Country" which has been described as "A film featurette based on the album Avatar Country by the band Avatar." The band needed to meet funding of $50,000 and as of 31 October 2018, the band has over $110,000 raised for the film.

"Hunter Gatherer" (2020−present).

In early December 2019, Avatar announced that they had begun recording their next album at Sphere Studios in Los Angeles. An interview with Loudwire in January and later a paywalled video by the band itself revealed that Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has a cameo in the song "Secret Door". The same interview also revealed the names of a few other songs on the yet unnamed album: "Colossus", "Child", "Scream Into The Void", and "Silence In The Age Of Apes". Speaking of the tone of the album, Eckerström told Loudwire ""Avatar Country, we wanted to see if we could do comedy... It was funny and we wanted to see if we could make something funny... But it was humorous for us, and now it’s important for us to do something devoid of humor, there is no joking around with this and it pulls us back into reality. It deals more with darkness, sadness, detachment, alienation and the anxiety of thinking of the world at large."" In a YouTube video and a tweet on 1 May 2020, the band announced the end of the "Avatar Country" era, and teased the upcoming album with the question "Will you hunt with us?".  The name "Hunter Gatherer" and the release date of 7 August 2020 were announced through another video on 5 May 2020.  The music video for "Silence in the Age of Apes" was released on May 14, 2020 and was released on streaming platforms the following day.

Musical style and influences.

Avatar has been described as a heavy metal band, and more specifically as melodic death metal and groove metal. The band has also been referred to as a "grease-painted Swedish death/industrial/progressive metal ensemble". Originally a pure melodic death metal band, Avatar later began to play a different style of music, moving to a more avant-garde metal style.  Avatar's influences include In Flames, Dark Tranquility, The Haunted, Marilyn Manson, Ministry, Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend, ABBA, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Rammstein, Beethoven, Helloween, the Beatles, Ozzy Osbourne, Meshuggah, Gojira, and Cryptopsy.

Band members.

Current  Past members

Avatar is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed in Gothenburg, in 2001. The band has released seven studio albums, the most recent being "Avatar Country" in 2018. The band has had some success on US rock radio as well, notably with their song "New Land", which peaked at number 20 on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock Songs chart in May 2017.

Avatar je švédská melodic deathmetalová hudební skupina založená v roce 2001 ve městě Göteborg. Debutové album "Thoughts of No Tomorrow" vydala skupina v roce 2006 a od té doby vyšlo dalších šest studiových desek včetně zatím poslední "Avatar Country" (2018).


Life.

Dimitrije Tucović was born 13 May 1881 in the Gostilje village on Mount Zlatibor, near Čajetina.  Dimitrije Tucović was already an adherent to socialist ideas when he came to Belgrade in 1899 to finish high school. He agitated for socialism with Radovan Dragović, who was a big influence on him. In 1901, the Belgrade Workers' Society was renewed and Tucović recreated a socialist group of gymnasium students and became one of the leaders of the Society. He attempted to create modern unions.  In 1902 he organised student demonstrations in the Senate against Nikola Pašić. With Tucović's and Dragović's help, the "Panel for Movement Leadership" was created again and they made the "Central Committee", with a goal of setting the grounds for creating a party. Tucović led the March demonstrations against King Aleksandar Obrenović on 5 March 1903. He was forced to emigrate to Zemun in the neighbouring Austria-Hungary, and afterwards to Vienna.  On 2 August 1903, the Social-Democratic Party was formed, with Dimitrije Tucović and Dragiša Lapčević as one of the leaders. The editor of their newspaper, "Worker's Newspaper" was Tucović. During the Second Congress of a workers union SSDP (1904), Tucović gave a lecture on union organisations. In polemics with the left wing of the party, headed by Dragiša Lapčević, Tucović often adopted a centralist and right-opportunist positions.  In 1906, he graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School. After coming back from Berlin, he gave up on his doctorate and started spending his time in socialist and labour movement, as a secretary of SSDP.  Tucović was the organizer and leader of the first Balkan Socialist Conference, held in Belgrade from 7-9. January 1910, aimed at creating a Balkan federation.  In 1910, the party established a theory magazine "Borba" – Tucović was the editor. He participated at the International Socialist Congress in Copenhagen the same year and gave an important speech criticizing the position that Austrian social-democrats took on the national issue, especially the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a debate with Karl Renner he pointed out the colonial-enslaving politics of Austro-Hungary and the fact that social-democrats were supporting the government on the issue.  After the outbreak of the Balkan wars 1912, he was mobilized in the Serbian army and participated in the Serbian military campaign in Albania. He sent letters from the front about war crimes against civil population which were regularly published in the Worker's Newspaper. Writing of the massacres of Albanians during the Serbian takeover of Kosovo from Turkey (1912), he stated:  After returning from the Balkan war, he published his influential book "", which analyzes the roots of Serbian-Albanian conflict and consider "among the most important Marxist contributions on the national question in the Balkans".  He died on the frontlines in World War I at Vrače Brdo. He died as a member of Morava division in November 1914 in a Battle of Kolubara against Austro-Hungarian army at Ljig's bank. In 1915, Leon Trotsky wrote about the political impact of his death:  The Slavija Square in Belgrade used to be named after him. He has streets named after him in Skopje, Užice, Belgrade, Kragujevac, and many other cities and towns of former Yugoslavia.

Dimitrije "Mita" Tucović (, ; 13 May 1881 – November 1914) was a Serbian theorist of the socialist movement, politician, writer and publisher. He was founder of the Serbian Social Democratic Party, with the writings, he participated in many newspapers and magazines: Radnicki novine, Zhivot, Borba, Radnicki list, Sloboda, Tergovački pomoci, Radnik, Die Neue Zeit, Vorwärts, Gllas sloboda, Radnicki kalendari, Majski spisi.

Dimitrije "Mita" Tucović (,, 13. května 1881 Gostilje – listopad 1914) byl srbský publicista, politický vůdce a teoretik socialistického hnutí.


Plot.

Homer invests in pumpkins, but loses his entire investment. Late on a mortgage payment, he tries to borrow money, to no avail. After Patty and Selma receive promotions at the DMV, Homer realizes they are his last resort. They agree to lend him money on the condition that he become their humble servant. Homer begs Patty and Selma to help conceal his money woes from Marge, but she finds out anyway after seeing his IOU note to her sisters.  Homer becomes a chauffeur to earn more money, but is stopped by Chief Wiggum for not having a chauffeur's license. Homer visits the DMV with Marge to apply for one; Patty and Selma are his evaluators. The two mercilessly fail his driving and written test. To celebrate Homer's failure, they light up cigarettes but are caught by their supervisor. She informs them that smoking on the job could cost them their promotions. After being persuaded by Marge, Homer reluctantly covers for them by claiming the lit cigarettes are his. To thank Homer for helping them avoid demotion, Patty and Selma forgive the loan.  In the subplot, Bart is late for school on the day students choose their physical education classes. When he arrives, ballet is the only class that is available. Despite his initial reluctance, Bart soon discovers he is a talented dancer and is invited to star in a school ballet. After his performance, school bullies chase Bart, intending to beat him. He tries to escape by jumping over a trench but injures himself after failing the leap. Satisfied that Bart is hurt from the fall, the bullies leave without pummeling him. Lisa tells Bart she is proud of him now that they are fellow social outcasts.

Production.

The script for "Homer vs. Patty and Selma" was written by Brent Forrester and was the first time he received a writing credit on "The Simpsons". Executive producer David Mirkin describes it as a very grounded and emotional episode that seems very "sitcomy".  Bart's ballet teacher was voiced by Susan Sarandon, and was designed to look a little bit like her. Sarandon had wanted to guest star on the show because her children were big fans; she brought them with her to the recording session. Due to a traffic jam, she was late for the recording session, but once she arrived, she fell into character and worked very hard on getting her accent accurate. Sarandon would later have a cameo appearance as the voice of a computer in the season 17 episode "Bart Has Two Mommies". Mel Brooks has a cameo appearance as himself. His wife Anne Bancroft had played a role in the episode "Fear of Flying" and Brooks had accompanied her to the recording session. David Mirkin realized that Brooks was "dying to do the show" and asked him if he would be willing to do a guest part, and he agreed. Many of the writers were fans of Brooks, and Matt Groening described the chance to have him guest star as "an incredible honor".  The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland who was a fan of the characters, having previously directed the season two episode "Principal Charming", which also focuses on the duo. When directing the sequences where Bart does ballet dancing, Kirkland assigned the scenes to animators who were familiar with dancing.

Themes.

Chris Turner writes in his book "Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation" that the episode illustrates how Homer Simpson is "an organism of considerable complexity". Turner comments, "Homer is carrying the full symbolic weight of twentieth-century America on his shoulders, and no garden-variety doofus could manage that task." Turner discusses a moment from the episode where Marge tells her sisters, "Homer doesn't mean to be rude, he's just a very complicated man", after which Homer breaks a plate over his head and shouts "Wrong!" Turner writes that this "revelatory moment" is illustrative of "several of the best-known aspects of Homer's character: his impulsiveness, his inherent silliness, his evident, even physical stupidity".  In the compilation work "", edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conrad, and Aeon J. Skoble, the episode is cited as an example where, as contributor Raja Halwani writes, "Homer is a habitual liar, he lacks honesty." In addition to "lying about his financial losses in investments" in the episode, Halwani notes Homer lied to Marge in "The Front" about "the fact that he never graduated from high school", and in the episode "The Cartridge Family", Homer lied to Marge about getting rid of the gun he had purchased. However, Halwani later highlights positive aspects of Homer's character, noting that in the episode, Homer "pretended he was the one smoking so that Patty and Selma would not get fired for smoking at their workplace".

Reception.

In its original broadcast, "Homer vs. Patty and Selma" finished 38th in ratings for the week of February 20–26, 1995, with a Nielsen rating of 11.1, equivalent to approximately 10.6 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Married... with Children".  Chris Turner writes in "Planet Simpson" that the scene where Homer "smashes a dinner plate over his head" is one of his favorite Homer moments. "I'd like to say it's the "defining" Homer moment, but that would do a grave injustice to the extraordinary dramatic achievement that is Homer J. Simpson", Turner comments.  Writing in "I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide", Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood said, "Patty and Selma have rarely been more evil than here — they are fabulously cruel."  In a review of the sixth season of "The Simpsons", Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide writes, "Homer’s disdain for Marge’s sisters – and vice versa – has always led to terrific sparks, and “Vs.” provides another great round in their eternal battle. It's hilarious to see Homer indebted to the Terrible Two..."  In Latin America, "Niño Rata", the Spanish equivalent of "Ratboy" (the nickname Homer ascribes to Bart in a scene in this episode), became an internet meme, particularly on YouTube. The phrase is used to refer to irate, inexperienced and underage fans of such video games as "Minecraft", "Call of Duty", "FIFA", "Grand Theft Auto Online" and "Fortnite"; it is also used to designate YouTube users who troll other users in the comments bar.

"Homer vs. Patty and Selma" is the 17th episode of "The Simpsons"' sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 26, 1995. In the episode, Homer loses all his money in pumpkin stocks and must turn to Patty and Selma for a loan. Meanwhile, Bart takes up ballet lessons, and his instructor is voiced by actress Susan Sarandon.

Homer versus Patty a Selma ("Homer vs. Patty and Selma") je 120. díl amerického animovaného seriálu Simpsonovi. Premiéru měl v televizi Fox Broadcasting Company 26. února 1995.


Properties, structure, preparation.

LAH is a colorless solid, but commercial samples are usually gray due to contamination. This material can be purified by recrystallization from diethyl ether. Large-scale purifications employ a Soxhlet extractor. Commonly, the impure gray material is used in synthesis, since the impurities are innocuous and can be easily separated from the organic products. The pure powdered material is pyrophoric, but not its large crystals. Some commercial materials contain mineral oil to inhibit reactions with atmospheric moisture, but more commonly it is packed in moisture-proof plastic sacks.  LAH violently reacts with water, including atmospheric moisture. The reaction proceeds according to the following idealized equation:  This reaction provides a useful method to generate hydrogen in the laboratory. Aged, air-exposed samples often appear white because they have absorbed enough moisture to generate a mixture of the white compounds lithium hydroxide and aluminium hydroxide.

Structure.

LAH crystallizes in the monoclinic space group "P"2/"c". The unit cell has the dimensions: "a" = 4.82, "b" = 7.81, and "c" = 7.92 Å, α = γ=90° and β=112°. In the structure, Li centers are surrounded by five tetrahedra. The Li centers are bonded to one hydrogen atom from each of the surrounding tetrahedra creating a bipyramid arrangement. At high pressures (>2.2 GPa) a phase transition may occur to give β-LAH.

Preparation.

LiAlH was first prepared from the reaction between lithium hydride (LiH) and aluminium chloride:  In addition to this method, the industrial synthesis entails the initial preparation of sodium aluminium hydride from the elements under high pressure and temperature:  LiAlH is then prepared by a salt metathesis reaction according to:  which proceeds in a high yield. LiCl is removed by filtration from an ethereal solution of LAH, with subsequent precipitation of LiAlH to yield a product containing around 1% "w"/"w" LiCl.  An alternative preparation starts from LiH, and metallic Al instead of AlCl. Catalyzed by a small quantity of TiCl (0.2%), the reaction proceeds well using dimethylether as solvent. This method avoids the cogeneration of salt.

Solubility data.

LAH is soluble in many ethereal solutions. However, it may spontaneously decompose due to the presence of catalytic impurities, though, it appears to be more stable in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Thus, THF is preferred over, e.g., diethyl ether, despite the lower solubility.

Thermodynamic data.

The table summarizes thermodynamic data for LAH and reactions involving LAH, in the form of standard enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy change, respectively.

Thermal decomposition.

LAH is metastable at room temperature. During prolonged storage it slowly decomposes to LiAlH and LiH. This process can be accelerated by the presence of catalytic elements, such as titanium, iron or vanadium.  When heated LAH decomposes in a three-step reaction mechanism:

Applications.

Use in organic chemistry.

Lithium aluminium hydride is widely used in organic chemistry as a reducing agent. It is more powerful than the related reagent sodium borohydride owing to the weaker Al-H bond compared to the B-H bond. Often as a solution in diethyl ether and followed by an acid workup, it will convert esters, carboxylic acids, acyl chlorides, aldehydes, and ketones into the corresponding alcohols (see: carbonyl reduction). Similarly, it converts amide, nitro, nitrile, imine, oxime, and azide compounds into the amines (see: amide reduction). It reduces quaternary ammonium cations into the corresponding tertiary amines. Reactivity can be tuned by replacing hydride groups by alkoxy groups. Due to its pyrophoric nature, instability, toxicity, low shelf life and handling problems associated with its reactivity, it has been replaced in the last decade, both at the small-industrial scale and for large-scale reductions by the more convenient related reagent sodium bis (2-methoxyethoxy)aluminium hydride, which exhibits similar reactivity but with higher safety, easier handling and better economics.  LAH is most commonly used for the reduction of esters and carboxylic acids to primary alcohols; prior to the advent of LiAlH this was a difficult conversion involving sodium metal in boiling ethanol (the Bouveault-Blanc reduction). Aldehydes and ketones can also be reduced to alcohols by LAH, but this is usually done using milder reagents such as NaBH; α, β-unsaturated ketones are reduced to allylic alcohols. When epoxides are reduced using LAH, the reagent attacks the less hindered end of the epoxide, usually producing a secondary or tertiary alcohol. Epoxycyclohexanes are reduced to give axial alcohols preferentially.  Partial reduction of acid chlorides to give the corresponding aldehyde product cannot proceed via LAH, since the latter reduces all the way to the primary alcohol. Instead, the milder lithium aluminium tri(t-butoxy)hydride, which reacts significantly faster with the acid chloride than with the aldehyde, must be used. For example, when isovaleric acid is treated with thionyl chloride to give isovaleroyl chloride, it can then be reduced via lithium aluminium tri(t-butoxy)hydride to give isovaleraldehyde in 65% yield.  Lithium aluminium hydride also reduces alkyl halides to alkanes. Alkyl iodides react the fastest, followed by alkyl bromides and then alkyl chlorides. Primary halides are the most reactive followed by secondary halides. Tertiary halides react only in certain cases.  Lithium aluminium hydride does not reduce simple alkenes or arenes. Alkynes are reduced only if an alcohol group is nearby.It was observed that the LiAlH4 reduces the double bond in the N-allylamides.

Inorganic chemistry.

LAH is widely used to prepare main group and transition metal hydrides from the corresponding metal halides. For example, sodium hydride (NaH) can be prepared from sodium chloride (NaCl) through the following reaction:  LAH also reacts with many inorganic ligands to form coordinated alumina complexes associated with lithium ions.

Hydrogen storage.

LiAlH contains 10.6 wt% hydrogen, thereby making LAH a potential hydrogen storage medium for future fuel cell-powered vehicles. The high hydrogen content, as well as the discovery of reversible hydrogen storage in Ti-doped NaAlH, have sparked renewed research into LiAlH during the last decade. A substantial research effort has been devoted to accelerating the decomposition kinetics by catalytic doping and by ball milling. In order to take advantage of the total hydrogen capacity, the intermediate compound LiH must be dehydrogenated as well. Due to its high thermodynamic stability this requires temperatures in excess of 400 °C, which is not considered feasible for transportation purposes. Accepting LiH + Al as the final product, the hydrogen storage capacity is reduced to 7.96 wt%. Another problem related to hydrogen storage is the recycling back to LiAlH which, owing to its relatively low stability, requires an extremely high hydrogen pressure in excess of 10000 bar. Cycling only reaction R2 — that is, using LiAlH as starting material — would store 5.6 wt% hydrogen in a single step (vs. two steps for NaAlH which stores about the same amount of hydrogen). However, attempts at this process have not been successful so far.

Other tetrahydridoaluminiumates.

A variety of salts analogous to LAH are known. NaH can be used to efficiently produce sodium aluminium hydride (NaAlH) by metathesis in THF: Potassium aluminium hydride (KAlH) can be produced similarly in diglyme as a solvent:  The reverse, i.e., production of LAH from either sodium aluminium hydride or potassium aluminium hydride can be achieved by reaction with LiCl or lithium hydride in diethyl ether or THF:  "Magnesium alanate" (Mg(AlH)) arises similarly using MgBr:  Red-Al (or SMEAH, NaAlH(OCHOCH)) is synthesized by reacting sodium aluminum tetrahydride (NaAlH) and 2-methoxyethanol:

Lithium aluminium hydride, commonly abbreviated to LAH, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula LiAlH. It was discovered by Finholt, Bond and Schlesinger in 1947. This compound is used as a reducing agent in organic synthesis, especially for the reduction of esters, carboxylic acids, and amides. The solid is dangerously reactive toward water, releasing gaseous hydrogen (H). Some related derivatives have been discussed for hydrogen storage.

Tetrahydridohlinitan lithný (též hydridohlinitan lithný či hydrid lithno-hlinitý) je anorganická sloučenina se vzorcem LiAlH. Objeven byl v roce 1947. Používá se jako redukční činidlo v organické syntéze hlavně k redukci esterů, karboxylových kyselin a amidů. V pevném skupenství nebezpečně reaguje s vodou, neboť uvolňuje vodík.


Etymology.

The name "Mogocha" is derived from the river on which it stands, whose name comes from the Evenki word "mongochi". This meaning of this word is ambiguous; it can be translated as "golden valley", but also as "belonging to the Mongo tribe".

History.

It was founded in 1910, with the construction of the local section of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Rail traffic began in 1914. In addition to its status as a supply point for the railway, from the 1920s and 1930s it became the base for gold mining in the surrounding area. Town status was granted to it in 1950.  From 1947 until 1953, Mogocha was site for the "Klyuchevlag" prison labor camp of the gulag system. The camp held up to 3,000 prisoners at any one time, mainly used as forced labor for molybdenum and gold mining in the villages to the southwest of the town.  During the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations in the 1950s, a large airbase was created near Mogocha, which hosted several helicopter regiments until the 1990s. The remoteness of Mogocha combined with the harsh climatic conditions, gave rise to the Soviet military slang expression "God created Sochi, and Satan Mogocha".  After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent economic crisis, Mogocha lost around one third of its population, a common occurrence for cities in the Russian Far East. At the same time, a significant number of Chinese citizens and companies have moved to the region.

Administrative and municipal status.

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Mogocha serves as the administrative center of Mogochinsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Mogocha, together with four rural localities, is incorporated within Mogochinsky Municipal District as Mogochinskoye Urban Settlement.

Economy.

Other than railway-related industries, there is logging and timber milling conducted in the surrounding area.

Transportation.

Mogocha has a station on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The town's small airport, which had opened in 1937, was closed during the 1990s.

Climate.

Mogocha has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification "Dwc") with bitterly cold, dry winters and mild, rainy summers.

Mogocha () is a town and the administrative center of Mogochinsky District in Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Mogocha and Amazar Rivers, northeast of Chita, the administrative center of the krai. Population:

Mogoča () je město v Zabajkalském kraji v Ruské federaci. Při sčítání lidu v roce 2010 měla přes třináct tisíc obyvatel.


Formation.

The pyranose ring is formed by the reaction of the hydroxyl group on carbon 5 (C-5) of a sugar with the aldehyde at carbon 1. This forms an intramolecular hemiacetal. If reaction is between the C-4 hydroxyl and the aldehyde, a furanose is formed instead. The pyranose form is thermodynamically more stable than the furanose form, which can be seen by the distribution of these two cyclic forms in solution.

History.

Hermann Emil Fischer won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1902) for his work in determining the structure of the -aldohexoses. However, the linear, free-aldehyde structures that Fischer proposed represent a very minor percentage of the forms that hexose sugars adopt in solution. It was Edmund Hirst and Clifford Purves, in the research group of Walter Haworth, who conclusively determined that the hexose sugars preferentially form a pyranose, or six-membered, ring. Haworth drew the ring as a flat hexagon with groups above and below the plane of the ring – the Haworth projection.  A further refinement to the conformation of pyranose rings came when Sponsler and Dore (1926) realized that Sachse’s mathematical treatment of six-membered rings could be applied to their X-ray structure of cellulose. It was determined that the pyranose ring is puckered, to allow all of the carbon atoms of the ring to have close to the ideal tetrahedral geometry.

Conformations.

This puckering leads to a total of 38 distinct basic pyranose conformations: 2 chairs, 6 boats, 6 skew-boats, 12 half-chairs, and 12 envelopes.  These conformers can interconvert with one another; however, each form may have very different relative energy, so a significant barrier to interconversion may be present. The energy of these conformations can be calculated from quantum mechanics; an example of possible glucopyranose interconversions is given.  The conformations of the pyranose ring are superficially similar to that of the cyclohexane ring. However, the specific nomenclature of pyranoses includes reference to the ring oxygen, and the presence of hydroxyls on the ring have distinct effects on its conformational preference. There are also conformational and stereochemical effects specific to the pyranose ring.

Nomenclature.

To name conformations of pyranose, first the conformer is determined. The common conformers are similar to those found in cyclohexane, and these form the basis of the name. Common conformations are chair (C), boat (B), skew (S), half-chair (H) or envelope (E). The ring atoms are then numbered; the anomeric, or hemiacetal, carbon is always 1. Oxygen atoms in the structure are, in general, referred to by the carbon atom they are attached to in the acyclic form, and designated O. Then:

NMR spectroscopy.

As shown by the relative structure energies in the diagram above, the chair structures are the most stable carbohydrate form. This relatively defined and stable conformation means that the hydrogen atoms of the pyranose ring are held at relatively constant angles to one another. Carbohydrate NMR takes advantage of these dihedral angles to determine the configuration of each of the hydroxyl groups around the ring.

Pyranose is a collective term for saccharides that have a chemical structure that includes a six-membered ring consisting of five carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. There may be other carbons external to the ring. The name derives from its similarity to the oxygen heterocycle pyran, but the pyranose ring does not have double bonds. A pyranose in which the anomeric OH at C(l) has been converted into an OR group is called a pyranoside.

Pyranóza nebo pyranosa je souhrnné označení pro monosacharidy, které mají cyklickou strukturu tvořenou pěti uhlíkovými a jedním kyslíkovým atomem. Na tento kruh mohou být připojeny další atomy uhlíku (u více než pětiuhlíkatých monosacharidů). Název je odvozen od jejich podobnosti s kyslíkatým heterocyklem pyranem, ovšem pyranózový kruh neobsahuje dvojné vazby a podobá se tak spíše tetrahydropyranu. Tyto formy vznikají hlavně u hexóz a heptóz. Pyranóza, u níž byl anomerický hydroxyl (na prvním uhlíku) přeměněn na OR-skupinu, se nazývá pyranosid.


Life and career.

Schoenberg was born in Galaţi. He studied at the University of Iaşi, receiving his M.A. in 1922. From 1922 to 1925 he studied at the Universities of Berlin and Göttingen, working on a topic in analytic number theory suggested by Issai Schur. He presented his thesis to the University of Iași, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1926. In Göttingen, he met Edmund Landau, who arranged a visit for Schoenberg to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1928. During this visit, Schoenberg began his influential work on total positivity and variation-diminishing linear transformations. In 1930, he returned from Jerusalem, and married Landau's daughter Charlotte in Berlin.  In 1930, he was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship, which enabled him to go to the United States, visiting the University of Chicago, Harvard, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. From 1935, he taught at Swarthmore College and Colby College. In 1941, he was appointed to the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. During 1943–1945 he was released from U. Penn. in order to perform war work as a mathematician at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. It was during this time that he initiated the work for which he is most famous, the theory of splines.  In 1966 he moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he became a member of the Mathematics Research Center. He remained there until he retired in 1973. In 1974 he won a Lester R. Ford Award.

Papers.

He wrote about 175 papers on many disparate subjects. Around 50 of these were on Splines. He also wrote on Approximation theory, the Kakeya problem, Polya frequency functions, and a problem of Edmund Landau. His coauthors included John von Neumann, Hans Rademacher, Theodore Motzkin, George Polya, A. S. Besicovitch, Gábor Szegő, Donald J. Newman, Richard Askey, Bernard Epstein, and Carl de Boor.

Isaac Jacob Schoenberg (April 21, 1903 – February 21, 1990) was a Romanian-American mathematician, known for his discovery of splines.

Isaac Jacob Schönberg (21. dubna 1903 Galați – 21. února 1990 Madison) byl rumunský-americký matematik, známý pro jeho objev splajny.


Grande Coupure.

The "Grande Coupure", or "great break" in continuity, with a major European turnover in mammalian fauna about 33.5 Ma, marks the end of the last phase of Eocene assemblages, the Priabonian, and the arrival in Europe of Asian species. The Grande Coupure is characterized by widespread extinctions and allopatric speciation in small isolated relict populations. It was given its name in 1910 by the Swiss palaeontologist Hans Georg Stehlin, to characterise the dramatic turnover of European mammalian fauna, which he placed at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. A comparable turnover in Asian fauna has since been called the "Mongolian Remodelling".  The Grande Coupure marks a break between endemic European faunas before the break and mixed faunas with a strong Asian component afterwards. J. J. Hooker and his team summarized the break:  It has been suggested that this was caused by climate change associated with the earliest polar glaciations and a major fall in sea levels, or by competition with taxa dispersing from Asia. However, few argue for an isolated single cause. Other possible causes are related to the impact of one or more large bolides in northern hemisphere at Popigai, Toms Canyon and Chesapeake Bay. Improved correlation of northwest European successions to global events confirms the Grande Coupure as occurring in the earliest Oligocene, with a hiatus of about 350 millennia prior to the first record of post-Grande Coupure Asian immigrant taxa.  An element of the paradigm of the Grande Coupure was the apparent extinction of all European primates at the Coupure: the 1999 discovery of a mouse-sized early Oligocene omomyid, reflecting the better survival chances of small mammals, further undercut the Grand Coupure paradigm.  Evidence in the world's ocean current system indicates an abrupt cooling from 34.1 to 33.6 Ma across the Eocene–Oligocene boundary at 33.9 Ma. The remarkable cooling period in the ocean is correlated with pronounced mammalian faunal replacement within continental Asia as well. The Asian biotic reorganization events are comparable to the Grande Coupure in Europe and the Mongolian Remodeling of mammalian communities. The global cooling is also correlated with marked drying conditions in low-latitudes Asia.

The Eocene–Oligocene extinction event, the transition between the end of the Eocene (33.9 Ma) and the beginning of the Oligocene, is marked by large-scale extinction and floral and faunal turnover (although minor in comparison to the largest mass extinctions). Most of the affected organisms were marine or aquatic in nature. They included the last of the ancient cetaceans, the Archaeoceti.

Hromadné vymírání živočišných a rostlinných druhů postihlo Zemi na přelomu eocénu (stupeň priabon) a oligocénu zhruba před 34 až 35 miliony let. Bylo rozsáhlejší než vymírání v pleistocénu, nepatří však mezi velkou pětku vymírání. Postihlo především vodní živočichy, vymizela například parafyletická skupina primitivních kytovců "Archaeoceti". Hlavní příčinou vymírání by měla být klimatická změna způsobená poklesem koncentrace oxidu uhličitého v atmosféře i kontinentálním driftem. Došlo k zalednění polárních oblastí a poklesu hladiny světového oceánu až o třicet metrů. Spekuluje se také o vlivu sopečné činnosti i o dopadech meteoritů, jejichž pozůstatkem může být impaktní kráter v Chesapeakské zátoce a Popigajský kráter na Sibiři. Nicméně organismy byly předem již z velké části geneticky adaptovány na ochlazení, takže adaptaci nespustila změna klimatu.


Plot.

Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor Michael Chamberlain, his wife Lindy Chamberlain, their two sons, and their nine-week-old daughter Azaria are on a camping holiday in the Australian Outback. With the baby sleeping in their tent, the family enjoys a barbecue with their fellow campers when a cry is heard. Lindy returns to the tent to check and is certain she sees a dingo with something in its mouth running off as she approaches. When she discovers the infant is missing, everyone joins forces to search for her, without success. It is assumed what Lindy saw was the animal carrying off the child, and a subsequent inquest rules her account of events is true.  The tide of public opinion soon turns against the Chamberlains. For many, Lindy seems too stoic, too cold-hearted, and too accepting of the disaster that has befallen her. Gossip about her begins to swell and soon is accepted as statements of fact. The couple's beliefs are not widely practised in the country, and when the media report a rumour that the name Azaria means "sacrifice in the wilderness", the public is quick to believe they decapitated their baby with a pair of scissors as part of a bizarre religious rite.  Law-enforcement officials find new witnesses, forensics experts, and circumstantial evidence and reopen the investigation, eventually charging Lindy with murder. Seven months pregnant, she ignores her attorneys' advice to play on the jury's sympathy and appears stoic on the stand, convincing some onlookers of her guilt. As the trial progresses, Michael's faith in his religion and his belief in his wife falter, and he stumbles through his testimony, suggesting he is concealing the truth. In October 1982, Lindy is found guilty and immediately sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour, while Michael is found guilty as an accessory and given an 18-month suspended sentence.  More than three years later, while searching for the body of an English tourist who fell from Uluru, police discover clothing that is identified as the jacket Lindy had insisted Azaria was wearing over her jumpsuit, which had been recovered early in the investigation. She is immediately released from prison, the case is reopened and all convictions against the Chamberlains overturned. The film ends with Michael commenting on the ongoing battle to clear the family’s name.

Production.

John Bryson's book "Evil Angels" was published in 1985 and film rights were bought by Verity Lambert, who got the interest of Meryl Streep. Robert Caswell wrote a script and Fred Schepisi agreed to direct. The movie was one of the most expensive and elaborate ever shot in Australia, with 350 speaking cast and 4,000 extras.

Reception.

In his review in "The New York Times", Vincent Canby said the film "has much of the manner of a television docudrama, ultimately being a rather comforting celebration of personal triumph over travails so dread and so particular that they have no truly disturbing, larger application. Yet "A Cry in the Dark" is better than that, mostly because of another stunning performance by Meryl Streep, who plays Lindy Chamberlain with the kind of virtuosity that seems to redefine the possibilities of screen acting... Though Sam Neill is very good as Lindy Chamberlain's tormented husband, Miss Streep supplies the guts of the melodrama that are missing from the screenplay."  "Mr. Schepisi has chosen to present the terrible events in the outback in such a way that there's never any doubt in the audience's mind about what happened. The audience doesn't worry about the fate of the Chamberlains as much as it worries about the unconvincing ease with which justice is miscarried. Mr. Schepisi may have followed the facts of the case, but he has not made them comprehensible in terms of the film. The manner by which justice miscarries is the real subject of the movie. In this screenplay, however, it serves only as a pretext for a personal drama that remains chilly and distant... As a result, the courtroom confrontations are so weakened that "A Cry in the Dark" becomes virtually a one-character movie. It's Mr. Schepisi's great good fortune that that one character is portrayed by the incomparable Meryl Streep."  Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" observed, "Schepisi is successful in indicting the court of public opinion, and his methodical (but absorbing) examination of the evidence helps us understand the state's circumstantial case. In the lead role, Streep is given a thankless assignment: to show us a woman who deliberately refused to allow insights into herself. She succeeds, and so, of course, there are times when we feel frustrated because we do not know what Lindy is thinking or feeling. We begin to dislike the character, and then we know how the Australian public felt. Streep's performance is risky, and masterful."  In the "Washington Post", Rita Kempley said, "Streep – yes, with another perfect accent – brings her customary skillfulness to the part. It's not a showy performance, but the heroine's internal struggle seems to come from the actress' pores. Neill, who costarred with Streep in "Plenty", is quite good as a humble, bewildered sort who finally breaks under cross-examination." "Variety" made note of the "intimate, incredible detail in the classy, disturbing drama."

Box office.

"Evil Angels" grossed 3,006,964 at the box office in Australia. This was considered a disappointment considering the publicity and subject matter.

In popular culture.

In 2005, the phrase "The dingo took my baby!", was nominated by the American Film Institute in its list of AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes. The actual quote from the film, "the dingo's got my baby", often incorrectly quoted as "a dingo ate my baby", became part of pop culture after the release of the movie, appearing on such 1990s shows as "Seinfeld", "The Simpsons", "Supernatural", and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".  In June 2008, the AFI revealed its "Ten Top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. The film was acknowledged as ninth best in the courtroom drama genre.

Evil Angels (released as A Cry in the Dark outside Australia and New Zealand) is a 1988 Australian drama film directed by Fred Schepisi. The screenplay by Schepisi and Robert Caswell is based on John Bryson's 1985 book of the same name. It chronicles the case of Azaria Chamberlain, a nine-week-old baby girl who disappeared from a campground near Uluru (then called Ayers Rock) in August 1980 and the struggle of her parents, Michael Chamberlain and Lindy Chamberlain, to prove their innocence to a public convinced that they were complicit in her death. Meryl Streep and Sam Neill star as the Chamberlains.

Burning Blue je americký hraný film z roku 2013, který režíroval D.M.W. Greer podle vlastního scénáře a vlastního stejnojmenného románu z roku 1992. Film zachycuje situaci v americkém námořnictvu v období politiky tzv. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Film měl premiéru na filmovém festivalu Frameline.


History.

EuroPride was inaugurated in London in 1992, attended by estimated crowds of over 100,000. The following year, Berlin hosted the festivities. When Amsterdam hosted EuroPride in 1994, it turned into a financial disaster, leaving debts of approximately 450,000 euros. In 1996, EuroPride moved to Copenhagen, where it enjoyed strong support from city leaders. The organisers were successful on all fronts but not able to achieve a financial surplus.  Paris hosted EuroPride in 1997. The festival had numerous commercial sponsors and was widely hailed as a success. During the parade, over 300,000 people marched to the Bastille. Stockholm was the host city in 1998. London was to host EuroPride again in 1999, but the event was canceled when the organisers went bankrupt. In 2000, WorldPride took place for the first time and, as has happened each time since, when WorldPride is in Europe, no separate EuroPride takes place. The event took place in Rome and was well-attended by LGBTI people from all over the world. After initially supporting the event, city leaders pulled their support just days before due to pressure exerted by the Vatican, which was organising its Great Jubilee.  Vienna hosted the 2001 EuroPride, drawing large crowds from Central Europe. In 2002, Köln (Cologne), Germany, held the then-biggest ever EuroPride; officials estimated crowds to number well over one million. EuroPride was hosted by Manchester in 2003, and Hamburg in 2004. Oslo hosted it in 2005, with Ian McKellen as the guest of honour.  London hosted the event in 2006, organising a two-week festival culminating in a parade on the final day (1 July) in which marchers were invited to walk down Oxford Street, one of the city's busiest shopping streets, the first time they had been legally allowed to do so. The parade was attended by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Conservative MP Alan Duncan, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, and the first transgender MEP, Italian Vladimir Luxuria.  Following the parade, events were held in three of the capital's squares: a rally in Trafalgar Square addressed by Ian McKellen, and entertainment in Leicester and Soho Squares. EuroPride 2006 marked the first time that London's main pride rally and entertainment areas were staged within the city itself, rather than in open parks.  In 2007, Madrid hosted EuroPride, which took place in Chueca, the capital's gay village, during the last week in June. Madrid was chosen because of the gay marriage and gender identity laws Spain had passed during the previous two years. More than 1.2 million people attended the final parade as it passed through the downtown streets of Alcalá, and Gran Vía, ending up at Plaza de España. For the first time, Madrid City Hall contributed financing to the MADO (Madrid Orgullo) organisation. In addition, a private event, the Infinitamentegay Party, took place in Casa de Campo Park.  In 2008, the Stockholm Pride organization organised EuroPride for a second time, held from 25 June to 3 August in Stockholm, a decade after hosting EuroPride 1998.  Zurich hosted EuroPride in 2009 with a month-long roster of events from 2 May to 7 June, culminating in a parade through downtown Zurich on 6 June.  The 2010 event was held in Warsaw, Poland. Organisers prepared multifaceted events between July 9 to 18. The Parade took place on July 17. It marked the first time this pan-European LGBT celebration took place in a former communist country. The Warsaw EuroPride formulated, as its main theme, a demand for legalisation of same sex civil partnerships.  In 2011, EuroPride returned to Rome. Hosted by Claudia Gerini, the parade closed with a performance and a speech by Lady Gaga at the Circus Maximus. That year one million people took part.  The 2013 EuroPride was in Marseille, France from July 10–20, focusing on gay marriage in France and celebrated the biggest gay wedding in Europe  The 2016 EuroPride returned to Amsterdam. UK singer/songwriter Tara McDonald sang her single "I Need A Miracle" which was chosen as the EuroPride anthem and was remixed by Gregor Salto.  There was no EuroPride in 2017 as WorldPride took place in Madrid.  In June 2019, President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen became the first Head of State to address a EuroPride parade.

World Pride.

The European Pride Organisers Association, which licences EuroPride and owns the trademark, has decided that a World Pride event held in Europe also automatically carries the title of EuroPride.  The first World Pride was held in Rome in 2000 (see above). The second WorldPride was held in Jerusalem in 2005-2006.  London, also hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics, beat out competing candidate, Stockholm, in the fall of 2008 to hold World Pride 2012, which was held from 23 June to 8 July.  WorldPride 2017 was held in Madrid, and WorldPride 2021 will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Madrid success.

Madrid's EuroPride 2007 was the most well-attended ever, with an estimated 2.5 million visitors. This huge attendance was not only a success for Madrid, but for the whole LGBT Spanish community, due to the celebration of the change of terms in the laws related to gay marriage and adoptions.  Madrid was one of the first Spanish cities celebrating the legalization of gay marriage, with the support of all political parties, even the conservatives in the Government, headed by the ex-mayor of the city, Alberto Ruíz Gallardón from Partido Popular.  Due to these and other advances in same-sex freedom and social progress, Madrid was chosen in 2012 to host WorldPride 2017.

European Pride Organisers Association.

The European Pride Organisers Association (often shortened to "EPOA" or "EuroPride") was founded in London in 1992 ahead of the first EuroPride. It owns the "EuroPride" trademark and licenses its use to one Pride organisation each year.  EPOA is a small organisation with eight elected board members, all of whom serve with Pride organisations in Europe. It has no paid staff, and has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The board meets several times each year, often holding a meeting in a city holding its Pride event that weekend.  Any Pride organisation can become a member of EPOA upon payment of a membership fee. This gives the organisation voting rights at the Annual General Meeting, including on votes on future EuroPride bids. Membership to EPOA automatically makes a Pride a member of InterPride, its international equivalent. EPOA has more than 60 members across Europe.  The current President of EPOA is Latvian human rights activist, Kristine Garina.

EuroPride is a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBTI pride, hosted by a different European city each year. The host city is usually one with an established pride event or a significant LGBTI community.

Europride (nebo taky EuroPride) je evropská událost, která je věnovaná LGBT a Queer hrdostem. Tyto události se pořádají každým rokem, kdy hostitelem je vždy jiné evropské město. Hostitelské město je vždy to, kde se několik let pořádá Gay pride, nebo mají důležitou LGBT komunitu.