Davide Vannoni.

Davide Vannoni (7 June 1967 in Turin – 10 December 2019 in Turin) was an associate professor at the University of Udine for the communication program of the humanities department. In 2009, he founded Stamina Foundation, a self-declared nonprofit organization of which he was president. He also owned a market research company.  In 2015 he was convicted of criminal charges in relation to the Stamina therapy, receiving a 5.5-years prison sentence.  Vannoni died on 10 December 2019, at the age of 52, after a long illness.

Therapy.

The proposed method includes the conversion of mesenchymal stem cells (cells usually intended for generation of bones and adipose tissue) into neurons, after a short exposure to retinoic acid diluted in ethanol. The therapy consists in removing cells from the bone marrow of patients, their in vitro manipulation (incubation of stem cells for 2 hours in an 18 micromolar solution of retinoic acid), and finally their infusion into patients themselves.  Davide Vannoni, the lead researcher, repeatedly declined to reveal details of his method beyond those available in its patent application.

Supposed effectiveness.

Vannoni has never produced scientific evidence concerning the efficacy of the method, but has always advocated its validity. These alleged benefits are highlighted by multiple videos, often self-produced, some of which were broadcast on television, most of the time showing children. From the investigations of the Prosecutor of Turin, the benefits shown in the videos were not measured scientifically and objectively and were the result of exaggeration or adjuvant therapies to which the children were subjected, or normal physical growth that continued despite the disease.

History.

Davide Vannoni reported that he had started the project as a result of personal experience: he has been hospitalized in 2007 in Ukraine for a facial palsy by transplantation of stem cells, getting partial health benefits. He then decided to propose the treatment in Italy too, collaborating, among others, with two Ukrainian biologists, Vyacheslav Klimenko and Olena Shchegelska, first settling in Turin, setting up a laboratory in the basement of his company, then moving to a beauty center in San Marino.  Between 2007 and 2009 the treatment began to be administered to patients with no control or authorization by the national health system, while it was being advertised in several hospitals by leaflets proclaiming that ""more than a thousand cases treated, a recovery of damages 70–100% (90 strokes with 72 recoveries [...]), a range of twenty diseases treated"", and by a video showing presumed miraculous healing obtained with stem cells. During this period, 68 persons (three were underage) were subjected to the alleged treatment; fourteen of them made payments from 4,000 to 55,000 Euros.  In 2009 an investigation was initiated by the magistrate Raffaele Guariniello after an article published in the Corriere della Sera newspaper. The investigation sought to clarify the position of Vannoni concerning the use of stem cells outside of the experimental protocols required by law. At the end of 2009, several newspaper articles were written regarding the activities of Vannoni. Press reports that Vannoni promised his treatment for many neurodegenerative diseases, getting payments ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 Euros, with unclear methodologies and sometimes causing harm and unintended consequences. The investigation of Guariniello also involved the beauty center of San Marino, which was not authorized to administer medical treatments.  While Vyacheslav Klimenko and Olena Shchegelska, both left Italy under investigation, Vannoni and his group continued to administer therapies in several Italian cities, often at "beauty" establishments or transplant centers, moving to Turin, Carmagnola, Trieste, Como and lastly Brescia.  Brescia is an important stage in the story of "Stamina": thanks to pediatrician Marino Andolina, a collaborator of Vannoni and now vice-president of "Stamina Foundation", the "Stamina" therapy was practiced as expanded access in the "Civilian Hospitals of Brescia", the second main Italian hospital, on patients (including several children) affected by serious neurodegenerative diseases.  In early 2012, the Carabinieri's Anti-Adulteration Group and the "Italian Pharmaceutical Agency" began an inspection, which revealed non-compliance with the requirements of safety and hygiene, and a lack of documents required by law. It was found that the cell preparations did not contain any relevant quantities of mesenchymal stem cells, which were not able to differentiate into neurons, and contained a significant amount of dangerous pollutants. According to the analysis of medical records of 36 patients, there was no improvement in the patients, except in three cases (two underage children and an adult), but only on the basis of subjective evaluations. After this, Stamina treatments carried out at the hospital of Brescia were suspended.

Media and political repercussions.

The Stamina method came under the media spotlight after a broadcast of the popular Italian television program "Le Iene", went on air in February 2013, which showed its use in some children with various neuro-degenerative diseases, including SMA type I. It was argued that the infusion of stem cells would have resulted in "significant improvements in few weeks" in the status of these diseases, and it was suggested, without any evidence, that it might alter the fatal course. The TV program was accused by many of scientific misinformation.  The "Stamina" case, now both as a media phenomenon and scientifically, was analyzed and criticized by, among others, the Accademia dei Lincei, by Nature and by the European Medicines Agency. In May 2013, thirteen scientists published a critical analysis of the method in the EMBO Journal, highlighting their concerns about the inconsistency of scientific evidence, the methodological shortcomings and the lack of publications.  2012 Medicine Nobel prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka published a public statement in which he expressed concern for permission for experimentation by the Italian authorities of a method about which the safety was not known and which lacked any evidence of efficacy, while Italian oncologist Umberto Veronesi compared the outcry over Stamina to the story of the Di Bella method, an ineffective cancer treatment administered in violation of treatment protocols.  In May 2013 the Italian Government unanimously approved the start of a clinical trial of the method developed by Vannoni, also allocating 3 million Euros for the years 2013–2014, and identifying two healthcare facilities in Abruzzo and Sicily where initiation of the treatment was authorized. In August, Vannoni gave to the National Institute of Health the protocol of the method "Stamina" in order to start the experiment.  On 11 July, the scientific journal Nature published an editorial calling on the Italian government not to proceed with the experimentation, as it was unjustified by any scientific reason, defining Vannoni as a ""psychologist transformed into businessman doctor"", while defining Stamina therapy as ""based on false data"" and ""plagiarized"".  2013 Medicine Nobel prize laureate Randy Schekman was cited by some "pro-stamina" families as a supporter of the therapy; the researcher had actually published an article critical of the editorial policies of major scientific journals and firmly denied the support of "Stamina", defining Vannoni "a quack".

Starting of experimentations.

The protocols proposed the method Stamina as suitable for the treatment of X-linked bulbospinal neuropathy, cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but, surprisingly, the choice of diseases to be treated excluded SMA type I, the most treated pathology up to that point. Treatment of SMA patients was the main subject of the television program Le Iene, which introduced the Stamina method to the general public. For this condition, the inventors and supporters of "Stamina" stated excellent efficacy, so that even the "Stamina Foundation" argued that SMA 1 was the only disease for which ""certified improvements"" were documented. Paradoxically, Vannoni stated that SMA type I was not included because it was ""too complex in attesting improvements"".  In September, the Scientific Committee established by the Minister of Health, Beatrice Lorenzin, drew up a negative consultative report, according to which the method likely had low replicability; the report also highlighted a high risk of transmission of diseases such as AIDS and BSE (Mad cow disease). The reasons for such rejection were subjected to the study by the Ministry of Health, that on 10 October definitively rejected the Stamina therapy as ""dangerous to the health of patients"".  The report of the Ministry also stated that the doses of mesenchymal stem cells in the protocol of Vannoni were minimal, ""suitable for mice, not for humans""; the dose used for stem cell transplantation in humans is about two million per kilogram of body weight, while the protocol Stamina involved the transplantation of two million cells in total, without taking into account body weight. It was also discovered that the protocol delivered to the Civilian Hospitals of Brescia and the one delivered to the Ministry would be different.  After Vannoni appealed in court against the commission responsible for human experimentation, accusing them of an alleged lack of impartiality, a new scientific committee was appointed in December 2013. Ten months later, the committee of experts appointed by the Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin unanimously rejected the "Stamina" method, stating that there was no need for starting another scientific experimentation of the therapy.  Some tests were done outside of Italy, but in no case was the transformation of cells into neurons achieved.  In January 2014 Brescia Civilian Hospitals' medical staff officially declared that Stamina therapy was no longer practiced in the hospital, with the exception of those cases where treatment was ordered by the courts.

Patents.

In December 2009, just after Klimenko and Shchegelska left, Vannoni deposited four patent applications for the "Stamina" therapy, two in Italy, one in Canada, the last one in the US, stated Enrica Molino, one of his collaborators, as the sole inventor; several elements in the patent applications were taken from Shchegelska's researches published on "Ukrainian Neurosurgical Journal" in 2006, including the pictures of stem cells, but her name is never mentioned.  After submitting the applications to the various patent offices, Vannoni retired them before the official response could come. However, he could no longer withdraw the application at the U.S. Patent Office, the only one where it was possible to find documentation. In 2012, the Patent Office of the United States had partially rejected the patent application, with a procedure that allows the re-presentation: Vannoni has never resubmitted.  The rejection was due to the fact that the demand had insufficient details regarding the methodology, to the fact that it is unlikely that cell differentiation occurs during an incubation period so short (from 40 minutes to 2 hours) and that the appearance of the nerve cells in the cultivation might be the result of cytotoxic changes.  Substantially there is no official patent on the Stamina method, contrary to the claims of Vannoni, but only a formal application to the patent office of the U.S., however, refused.

Judicial cases.

In February 2014 Vannoni was accused of attempted fraud of the Piedmont regional authorities after he has applied for a loan of EUR 500,000 to fund a stem cell laboratory that never opened. In April 2014 he along with 20 other people was charged with criminal conspiracy, fraud, as well as trade and administration of hazardous medicines. Vannoni was also personally investigated for abusive exercise of the medical profession, defamation and substitution of person.  In August 2014 a court in Turin demanded that Stamina should stop operating and their equipment should be confiscated. This was supported by Professor Elena Cattaneo, a stem cell expert and an Italian senator. The Senate used its powers to request evidence that to-date had been denied to others. The eventual enquiry resulted in several recommendations, including that courts should always have scientific representatives in similar cases.  In October 2014, the Medical Association of Trieste suspended Marino Andolina from the exercise of the profession and in June 2015, he was placed under house arrest, facing trial for alleged exploitation of vulnerable patients and administration of unproven therapies in exchange for money. He was released in late 2016.  In 2015, Vannoni was convicted on criminal charges related to administering an unproven treatment and barred from carrying out medical profession in Italy.

Other controversies.

Vannoni has repeatedly stated that the medical care provided by his method is "no charge", and that the money he received would be "donations". Several ex-patients and relatives of former patients have argued that there is a definite price list.  In July 2013 Vannoni registered the trademark "Stamina". In the same period, "Stamina Foundation" signed an EUR 2 million commercial agreement with Medestea Biotech, an Italian biotechnology company focused on stem cell technologies, which has been accused of working towards getting a deregulation for the use of stem cells.  Suspicions were raised by the wealthy lifestyle of Vannoni: he owned a Porsche 911 registered in Switzerland and lived in a luxury mansion near Turin.  Vannoni announced his intention to move with the researchers and a cooperative of patients' families to Cape Verde or another country outside Italy, talking about an alleged conspiracy of the pharmaceutical lobbies, bureaucracy and politics against Stamina therapy in Italy. He also claimed that three US universities were willing to test his method.

Stamina therapy (also known as "Stamina method", or simply "Stamina") is a controversial and unproven treatment invented by Davide Vannoni in Italy. This "therapy", mainly aimed at neurodegenerative diseases, would rely on the conversion of mesenchymal stem cells into neurons and it is currently kept secret by its promoters and lacking in scientific validation proving any therapeutic effectiveness; it does not appear, moreover, that Vannoni ever published any article about Stamina therapy in scientific journals thus subjecting it to the usual peer review processes. Faced with pro-Stamina street demonstrations and intense pressure from the media, the Italian government decided in May 2013 to allow the Stamina therapy to be provided in public hospitals despite the protests of the Italian and international scientific community. The experimental treatment was discontinued in October 2014.

La méthode Stamina est un « traitement médical » alternatif controversé inventé par Davide Vannoni, un ancien professeur de psychologie italien de l'université d'Udine. Né en 1967 à Turin, celui-ci fonde en 2009 une organisation annoncée comme sans but lucratif et dont il est le président, la "Stamina Foundation". Davide Vannoni possède d'autre part une société d'études de marché.


Political career.

Lorenzo Fontana was born in Verona, Veneto, in 1980. He graduated in Political Science at the University of Padua and in Christian History at the European University of Rome. In 2002 he was elected vice-secretary of the Young Padanians Movement, the League's youth wing.  After being elected to Verona city council, in 2009 he was elected to the European Parliament. In 2012, he was the head of the League's group in the European Parliament. From 2009 to 2014, he was also vice-president of the Committee on Culture and Education. During the 8th legislature, he was also the supervisor of the cooperation deal between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Europol. Fontana was re-elected to the 2014 European election, becoming a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq (D–IQ).  On 26 February 2016, he was appointed by Matteo Salvini as Deputy Federal Secretary of the Northern League together with Giancarlo Giorgetti. On 8 July 2017 he became deputy mayor of Verona.  At the 2018 Italian general election Fontana was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. From April to August 2018 he served as one of the vice-presidents of the Chamber.  On 1 May 2018, Fontana was appointed Minister of Family and Disability in the government of Giuseppe Conte.  In August 2018, Fontana called for the repeal of the 1993 Mancino Act, which criminalises hate speech, claiming the law was being used by "globalists" to promote "anti-Italian racism". In March 2019 he helped organize the anti-gay, anti-feminist and anti-abortion World Congress of Families in Verona, to the point of authorizing the use of the logo of Giuseppe Conte's administrative office in order to promote the event without the prime minister's permission.  On 10 July 2019, Fontana was appointed Italy's Minister of European Affairs.

Political views.

Fontana is widely considered an ultraconservative. He calls himself a "crusader" who fights against abortion, same-sex civil unions and stepchild adoption, which he considers as a "weakening of the family". He is also against "pro-LGBT" sexual education, stating that Vladimir Putin's Russia "is the reference for those who believe in a nationalist model of society". On 2 June 2018, the day after becoming minister, he added that "gay families do not exist".  He opposes illegal immigration to Italy, claiming it to be a serious threat that "aims to erase the Italian people along with their communities and traditions", along with "gay marriages and the so-called gender theory in schools".  Fontana is married and has one daughter. He is a Roman Catholic.

Works.

In 2018, Fontana wrote the book "The empty cradle of civilization. At the origin of the crisis", about the risks related to demographic decline in Italy.

Lorenzo Fontana (born 10 April 1980) is an Italian politician, member of Lega Nord. He served as Minister of European Affairs in the government of Giuseppe Conte. He previously served as Minister of Family and Disability from 1 June 2018 to 10 July 2019 and as Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies from 29 March to 1 June 2018. He is also the Deputy Federal Secretary of the Lega, under the leadership of Matteo Salvini.

Lorenzo Fontana (né le à Vérone) est un homme politique italien, membre de la Ligue du Nord. Il est ministre de la Famille et du Handicap du gouvernement Conte, puis ministre des Affaires européennes du au.


Early life.

She was a descendant in the eighth generation from Pilgrim Robert Cushman, who helped organize the "Mayflower" voyage and brought the family name to the United States on the "Fortune" in 1621. Robert Cushman was a leader and a great advocate for emigration to America. He became a preacher in the colonies and was known for giving the first sermon in America. Charlotte's father, Elkanah, rose from poverty to be a successful West Indian merchant. Charlotte was a remarkably bright, sportive child, excelling over her schoolmates and developing a voice of remarkable compass and richness, with a full contralto register. Two friends of her father, one of them John Mackay, in whose piano factory Jonas Chickering was then foreman, provided her with musical instruction. Cushman was forced to take on serious responsibilities at a very young age. When she was thirteen, her father was beset by serious financial troubles and shortly thereafter died, leaving his family with nearly nothing. This caused Charlotte to seek some way to bring income to her family. Although she was an outstanding student and achieved much academically, she left school to pursue a career in the opera.  When Mrs. Joseph Wood visited Boston in 1834, Capt. Mackay introduced Cushman, who sang with her in two of her concerts. Through Mrs. Wood's influence she became a pupil of James G. Maeder, a ladies' musical director, and under his instruction made her first appearance in opera in the Tremont Theatre as the Countess Almaviva in "The Marriage of Figaro", with great success, and her second as Lucy Bertram in "Guy Mannering". She went with his company to New Orleans, where her voice, which had been strained by the soprano parts assigned to her, suddenly failed. Seeking the counsel of James H. Caldwell, manager of the principal theatre of New Orleans, she was advised by him and by Barton, the tragedian, to become an actress and was given the part of Lady Macbeth to study. She made her dramatic debut in it, with complete success, in 1835.

Stage/theater career.

Cushman made her initial professional appearance at age eighteen on April 8, 1835 at Boston's Tremont Theatre. She then went to New Orleans where she performed successfully for one season, after which she returned to New York City to act under contract with the Bowery Theatre. She scored rave reviews in Albany, New York for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth.  By 1839, her younger sister Susan Webb Cushman became an actress, and at the age of 14 had married Nelson Merriman. Her husband abandoned her when she was pregnant and Charlotte cared for her sister. The two sisters became famous for playing "Romeo and Juliet" together, with Charlotte playing Romeo and Susan playing Juliet.  In 1843, Cushman became involved romantically with Rosalie Sully, daughter of artist Thomas Sully. By 1844, the romance had ended. She began traveling abroad, acting in theater, and Sully died shortly thereafter. She was also very close to the writer Anne Hampton Brewster around 1844 but social pressure from Brewster's brother meant that they had to part. Brewster reminisced about their idyllic time together in letters in 1849. She eventually left a portrait of Cushman by Thomas Sully as a bequest to the Library of Philadelphia.  In 1848, Cushman met journalist, writer and part-time actress Matilda Hays. The two women became close friends, and after a short amount of time and some correspondence, they became involved in an affair. For the next ten years the two would be together almost constantly. They became known for dressing alike, and in Europe were publicly known as "a couple".  In 1849, Cushman returned to the United States and by 1852 had decided to retire from the stage. She took up residence with Hays in Rome, Italy. They began living in an American expatriate community there, made up mostly of the many lesbian artists and sculptors of the time. Cushman used her notoriety to promote the works of African American/Native American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, who had become a close friend and whose work Cushman greatly admired.  In 1854, Hays left Cushman for sculptor Harriet Hosmer, which launched a series of jealous interactions among the three women. Hays eventually returned to live with Cushman, but the tensions between her and Cushman would never be repaired. By late 1857, Cushman was secretly involved with sculptor Emma Stebbins. One night while Cushman was writing a note, Hays walked in on her. Suspecting that the note was to Stebbins, Hays demanded to see it. Although Cushman maintained that the note was not to Stebbins, she refused to show it to Hays. The altercation that followed was explosive. Hays became enraged and began chasing Cushman around the house, pounding her with her fists at every opportunity. The relationship ended immediately and Hays moved out. She then sued Cushman, stating in her claim that she had sacrificed her own career to support Cushman's career and therefore was due a certain payment. Cushman paid her an unknown sum and the two women parted company forever. Emma Stebbins moved in with Cushman shortly after the break-up. Cushman traveled to America for a short tour a couple of months later. Although Cushman maintained that she was devoted to Stebbins, she became involved with another woman not long after her relationship with Stebbins began. Cushman met an 18-year-old actress, Emma Crow, the daughter of Wayman Crow, and fell for her. The two women began an affair, and Cushman often called her "my little lover". Before her departure to Italy, Cushman offered a farewell performance at the Washington Theater in the title role of "Hamlet". The poster advertising her appearance describes her as "a lady universally acknowledged as the greatest living tragic actress".  When Cushman returned to Italy, Crow followed. Not long after arriving in Italy, Crow attracted the attention of Cushman's nephew, Ned Cushman. In April 1861, Ned Cushman and Emma Crow married.  She was friends with artists, writers and politicians; when she came to Washington, D.C. in the 1860s, she often stayed at the home of Secretary of State William Seward, with whom she was very close friends. In July 1861, Seward introduced her to President Abraham Lincoln, who told her that "Macbeth" was his favorite Shakespearean play and that he hoped someday to see her in the role of Lady Macbeth. In 1863 she again returned to the United States, appearing on several occasions for the benefit of the Sanitary Commission. Lincoln saw her perform in "Macbeth" in October at Grover's Theatre with his family. During the last six years of her life Cushman developed a remarkable ability as a dramatic reader, giving scenes from Shakespeare, ballad poetry, dialect poems and humorous pieces with a success not less decided than her earlier dramatic triumphs. In 1871, after a residence in Europe, she resumed her career in the United States as a reader, besides fulfilling several dramatic engagements.  Her farewell appearance was announced at least seven times in as many different years. Her final performance in New York was at Booth's theatre, where she played the part of Lady Macbeth. She took a similar demonstrative farewell in the same character in Philadelphia and other cities and her career closed in Boston, at the Globe Theatre, on 15 May 1875. After a reading tour to Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, she retired with a large fortune to her villa at Newport, where she was seized with her final illness. In October she went to Boston and placed herself under medical treatment.

Breast cancer.

In 1869, Cushman underwent treatment for breast cancer. Stebbins ignored her own sculpting career and devoted all of her time to caring for Cushman.

Death.

Charlotte Cushman died of pneumonia in her hotel room on the third floor at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in 1876, aged 59, and was interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  In 1915 she was elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans.

Legacy.

She made England her home for several years, becoming friends with the author Geraldine Jewsbury, who is said to have based a character on Cushman in her 1848 novel "The Half Sisters". There is a one-woman play about her titled "The Last Reading of Charlotte Cushman" written by Carolyn Gage.  Emma Stebbins' statue "The Angel of the Waters", the angel above the fountain in Central Park's Bethesda Terrace, is said to be inspired by Cushman.  In 1907, the Charlotte Cushman Club was founded and named in her honor. In 2000, it became the Charlotte Cushman Foundation.  Her Charlestown home is a site on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

Charlotte Saunders Cushman (July 23, 1816 – February 18, 1876) was an American stage actress. Her voice was noted for its full contralto register, and she was able to play both male and female parts. She lived intermittently in Rome, in an expatriate colony of prominent artists and sculptors, some of whom became part of her tempestuous private life.

Charlotte Saunders Cushman est une actrice de théâtre américaine née le à Boston et morte le dans cette même ville.


Background.

In May 2012, Currensy announced that he had finished a joint mixtape with Wiz Khalifa, saying: "It’s done, but we not calling it out. You’re not going to get a "How Fly 2", that’s corny, You’ll hear a collection of music from me and the homie when it’s necessary, but it’s done. We just chilling. I’m still listening to dude’s verses and shit still. We just chilling. We’ll put it out in a minute." He also explained the collaborative process between him and Wiz Khalifa working on the EP, saying: "We like what we doing. It’s just about music. We like what we do, If I’ma be in the studio anyway, he gonna be in the studio wherever he at, we fuckin’ genuinely will fuckin’ kick it. So we might as well fuckin’ kick it in the studio. But if we in the studio, we might as well make songs. We gonna hang out and smoke, smoke in the studio. If you in the studio, you might as well record. So we just kick it and turn it into money, so it's just a good deal." The EP was originally scheduled to be released as a mixtape on August 9, 2012, the 3 year anniversary of their 2009 mixtape "How Fly". On August 9, 2012, the day of the planned release, Currensy announced they would have to delay the release of the EP to allow more time to clear samples, saying: "We wouldn't feel comfortable droppin #"LiveInConcert" until we get the samples cleared. With how these suits keep poppin up.. Mixtapes ain’t safe, Lots of law suits being handed out to folks for makin free mixtape jams..Wiz,Mac,myself even..We gotta play this one smart..We got it tho. So don’t trip it’ll be out soons the legal beagles handle it.... Crazy how the game gets huh? I never imagined a time like this.... came up off mixtapes in 08 not financially but they put me on so2speak..Sucks that this may be a lane made unavailable to the next mcs.. But when one door closes, another one opens....We will do the due diligence and have it cleared in its entirety...When u hear it you’ll see what we built.... And it will last forever." In November 2012, Currensy gave an update on the EP, saying: "We're fighting so hard for the "Live in Concert" [project], We're trying got hurry up and pay them for clearances and put it out, 'cus that shit was done when my leg was broken. It's like, we got so much shit done, I'm going through songs on the hard drive to complete New Jet City. That's gonna be the next project. I'm debating - I might put it out for free. I was gonna put it out retail, but I'm figuring since everything's going with "Live in Concert" and there's been so many hold-ups...[I might] give them a record...[it'll drop] probably in the next couple of weeks. I just gotta think of a cool date, that's all." On January 9, 2013, Currensy hinted on his Twitter account that "Live In Concert" may have to be released to retail, saying: "Honestly with the way the legal beagles r Finna tax us... #liveinconcert is gonna have to be a retail project... Y'all still down??". On April 17, 2013, Wiz Khalifa and Currensy announced after a long delay they that they would be releasing the EP on April 20, 2013. On April 19, 2013, it was revealed that the mixtape would be released on iTunes as a 6 track EP.

Recording and production.

In April 2013, in an interview with "XXL", Currensy spoke about the incorporation of flutes on the EP, saying: "Let’s think about what Ron Burgundy’s jazz flute did to Mrs. Corningstone. Ron Burgundy mastered that flute and it made him able to bring her to Pleasure Town on animated horses and they were fuckin’ out in the solar system and all of that. So how could we not employ the talents of Ron Burgundy and his jazz flute on as many cuts as possible for Live in Concert. Nah, man. Honestly, that is the genius that is Bobbi Humphrey and his album that was put together long before me and my brother Wiz ever thought about rapping. [Laughs] I think at one point there's maybe like two minutes of flute and nothing else. It's for everybody's soul, man. Some people don't understand it immediately, but after they give it a second and third listen, they understand the music." He went on to explain the sample clearance issues with the EP, saying: "These are them sans one record that we didn’t put on because the person who owned the rights to that record...See we have no problem paying for clearances. I got no problem with that. But this guy, not only were we going to pay him for the sample clearance but he was trying to change lyrics. Things he didn’t like that Wiz said about a chick and shit he didn’t like that I said about weed. Basically we were like “Fam, if you don’t wanna make the bread then cool. We just won’t put the record out.” So homie chose not to pick up the bread and that's fine. We’re not gonna jump through all these hoops on someone's behalf when I feel like what we’re doing is going to put some more light on a body of work that our listeners don't know shit about. We want them to know about it. That's why we went through the proper channels to do it that way, so people who do their due diligence will see what this project sampled and want to hear that whole album. Then you pick up more money. You pick up the money ’cause we paid you to clear it and then you pick up the money from the kids who go to get the original album."  He also talked about when they originally recorded the EP, saying: "We had already recorded this shit all the way back when my foot was broken. This is last year when we did this. I was on crutches. So we were originally going to put it out August 9th, the three-year anniversary of How Fly, but we realized the publishing company might come for us. Not so much on my part, because I feel like I’m still underground, but my brother done got so far up I thought they might feel some kind of way. If it was just me, it might fly under the radar, but to protect my brother we had to do it the right way. So it just took forever to get it right. This shit had been done. The only reason we went back in the studio and you’re seeing these pieces of video of us in the studio is because we recently went back in the studio like two weeks ago out in Cali just to listen to everything ’cause you know, I don’t listen to nothing that I record. So [Wiz] was like “Come on, let’s go listen to this in the studio and make sure everything’s gravy." He also spoke about how it was recording the EP with Wiz Khalifa, saying: "Honestly, it’s exactly the same. It’s just we got way more trees to twist up and way more for everything. It used to be we got X-amount for pizza, X-amount for bud, X-amount for drink and then we gotta pay for studio time. But now it’s like... [Laughs] We just do whatever we want. It’s really the same, but we just put the cheat code in. So now we got like infinite bullets and 30 lives." On May 10, 2013, the music video for "Toast" was released.

Critical reception.

"Live in Concert" was met with generally mixed reviews from music critics. Bruce Smith of HipHopDX gave the album three out of five stars, saying "While you only get so much Curren$y on "Live In Concert", on “Toast,” which features another Humphrey sample (this time, it's “Mestizo Eyes”), he displays a little of his talents, with wordplay and car talk for the whip fanatics, rhyming, “Get it done when the time is crunch like sit-ups / To the challenge I rise, Lamborghini doors / ‘85 Countach never seen a real road / From the show room floor, to my seven car garage / Got a storage cross town, with like seven more rides, tucked inside / The Grand Theft Auto life / Rolling up in my safe house, I’m looking down / Done it by my design, refusing to compromise...” If the goal of Live In Concert was simply to set the mood for April 20, the sample choices probably accomplished the goal for most. Those looking for "How Fly 2", or simply a project showcasing what Khalifa and Curren$y do best are bound to be let down. The two rappers aren't even present for most of the EP, and when they are, it's not their best showing." Christian Mordi of "XXL" gave the EP an L, saying "Clocking in at under 25 minutes, "Live in Concert" is on the short side but is potent nevertheless, giving fans exactly what was expected (with the exception of these flute solos). It’s predictable, enjoyable, warm-weather music that will be embraced with open arms by Jet Life and Taylor Gang fans alike."

Commercial performance.

"Live in Concert" debuted at number 30 on the US "Billboard" 200 selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. In its second week, the EP sold 4,200 more copies bringing its total sales to 18,000.

Live in Concert is a collaborative EP by American rappers Wiz Khalifa and Currensy. The EP was released on April 20, 2013, by Jet Life Recordings and Rostrum Records. The EP was originally planned to be released as a free mixtape, but was released to retail due to sample clearance issues.

Live in Concert est un EP collaboratif de Wiz Khalifa et Curren$y, sorti le. L'album s'est classé au Top Rap Albums, au Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, au Top Digital Albums et au Billboard 200.


Series overview.

Season 1.

Emma Alonso moves with her father Francisco to the suburbs of Miami, Florida, where she attends Iridium High. She later learns that she is a witch, and is also the "Chosen One", having great powers and abilities of her generation. Emma barely makes it through the school year with the help of Lily, the school nurse who is Emma's guardian; Andi Cruz, her best friend; Daniel Miller, a mutual crush, and the rest of the Sharks, Iridium High's swim team. There are obstacles along the way, too, including Maddie Van Pelt, the leader of the Panthers, a trio of the school's most popular girls, who is a newly profound witch and Daniel's ex-girlfriend, and the principal, Miss Torres: she is a 400-year-old witch and the old Chosen One, too, but she's malicious. During the upcoming eclipse, she plans on taking Emma's powers, but fails after Maddie and Emma join forces, despite their differences, and send her away using a spell from the Hexoren, a book of spells that Emma inherited from her late mother. At the end of the season, Daniel and Emma become a couple; also, after defeating the principal, both witches think they lost their powers, but in reality, Emma still has them, and she keeps this a secret from Daniel in season 2.

Season 2.

It's a new year at Iridium high. The Witches' Council, the head of the magic realm has come to tell Emma that she cannot date Daniel because he is a human and witches and humans cannot date; the only way she can date him is to give up her powers and become human, as her mother did to be with Francisco. But because of her title as the "Chosen One," Emma cannot do that, and at the same time, she doesn't want to go in the other direction. Maddie, who lost her powers at the end of the first season, refuses to accept this, so Sophie and Katie, the other Panthers, try to make her believe that she still has her powers with the help of Diego, a Churi Kanay (someone who has powers over the elements). The only reason Diego does this is because he hopes that she will notice him more. The truth is that Maddie's mother, Ursula, received her powers and is using them in attempt to make Francisco fall in love with her. Eventually, Maddie gets her powers back in the middle of the season and feels happy. During the season, Maddie and Diego realize that they have feelings for each other. In the season 2 finale, Diego gets Maddie out of a black hole and they kiss. After that, they start dating. Jax Novoa, a new student from Sydney, Australia, arrives at Iridium High and becomes the school's new heartthrob. Francisco has been promoted to the position as new principal and assigns Emma to help show Jax around. While doing so, she has no suspicions that he is a wizard, but she soon learns it later. Andi and Daniel are suspicious of him, but Jax, who has a mysterious past, shuts everyone out and starts to have feelings for Emma. While almost everyone is blinded by his bad side, Emma sees his vulnerable side, too, and she slowly starts to fall for him. Then there's the Fool Moon, a moon that occurs every twenty years and causes witches and wizards' powers to act oddly. The Fool Moon affects Desdemona, one member of the Witches' Council, who becomes evil and plans to take Emma's powers; also, Jax and E (Emma's evil clone who was made after Jax showed Emma a new cloning spell), plan to do so, but E is defeated before she could. At the end of season two, Jax reforms, and he, Daniel, and Emma get along.

Season 3.

Summer is almost over for the Iridium High students. Emma is working as a waitress at the Beachside Seven, the gang's new hangout spot, while Daniel works as a life guard there as well. Andi is determined to prove herself to the Council and become a guardian, Jax is sent to Rebel Boot Camp, and Maddie and Diego try to fix the relationship between witches and kanays, who warred with each other in the past. A new girl named Mia Black moves to Miami to take revenge on all witches because Principal Torres killed her parents. Mia, who is a kanay like Diego, plans to destroy Emma and Maddie with the help of the Cristal de Caballero, a sacred gem of the Kanays used to makes a witches' power go haywire. Mia puts a spider seal on Daniel, making him evil and turn against Emma. Mia and Diego get into a kanay duel, resulting with Diego being under Mia's control temporarily. Andi's zombie boyfriend, Phillip, gets out of the game with Hex's help. Desdemona and Agememnon try to overthrow Emma, while she tries to change Phillip into a human, using a forbidden spell. Emma and Mia get sucked into the game and have to work together to get out of there. At the end of the season finale, Emma has to make a decision, either to be with Jax or Daniel and she chooses Jax.

Season 4.

Emma's decision to be with Jax triggers a Continuum Break on Daniel, where he shifts into a different life in the Everglades, and everyone except for Emma forgets who he is. Emma and the gang travel to the Everglades to take Daniel back to Miami to restore his memory, but Emma's explanation of the Continuum Break limits the time to have his memory restored to only five days, or else he'll disappear from existence forever, and Emma will not remember him as well. In the crossover with "Talia in the Kitchen", Talia Parra's magic spices gave Daniel some of his memory back (only up until the day he and Emma met), but a kiss with Emma finally ends the Continuum Break, giving his entire memory back. However, in the finale, Emma realizes how Daniel misses his other life in the Everglades and triggers the Continuum Break again to make him happy.  Also in the season, Emma starts to miss her mom and wants her back, so she searches for a time manipulation spell so she can go back in time to save her mom. She steals the powers of other witches (the Council, Maddie, the Principal, and E), while also becoming more reckless with her powers and causing her friends to become mad at her. Eventually in the finale, she realizes her error and gives Maddie and the Council their powers back and changes her mind about traveling back in time.  Meanwhile, Jax's father, Jake, arrives at his home. This leads Jax to soon learn more about his family, as he meets his powerless long-lost sister, Jessie, who soon reveals that his mom, Liana, isn't dead. Jax believed that Jake was evil, but near the end of season 4, it is revealed that Liana is the actual bad witch. In the series finale, Jessie finally gets her powers, and with her help, Emma, Andi and Jax finally defeat Liana, who gets sucked through the portal into Limbo.  At the end of the finale. Emma and Andi visit the Novoas, with Jake saying that Jessie, now that she has her powers, will soon be attending the WITS Academy to learn how to use them. Then, after they see Daniel one last time in the Everglades, Emma announces that Andi will attend the W.I.T.s Academy as well to train to finally become a guardian. Andi packs (with Emma giving her the Hex), they arrive at school, and the series ends with Andi leaving through the portal for the Academy, leading up to the "Every Witch Way" spin-off series.

Broadcast.

"Every Witch Way" premiered on July 7, 2014, on YTV in Canada and on July 14, 2014, on Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Australia, the series debuted on August 4, 2014, on Nickelodeon. The second season premiered on February 9, 2015. The first series also started broadcast on Irish channel RTÉ 2 in April 2015.

Reception.

Critical.

After a few episodes, Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the show 2 stars, saying that "Every Witch Way" "devotes too much time and energy to Maddie's superficiality and spite to be considered a likable choice for this impressionable age group. And since none of Maddie's actions ever land her in hot water she can't work a spell to escape, kids never see her learn a lesson." She also notes it "suffers from some subpar acting and a low-budget look and feel, and the absence of even a laugh track", leaving it "unusually flat for a tween sitcom. And without the bells and whistles kids tend to like in their entertainment, there's nothing to distract them from the excessive superficiality and pettiness that plague many of the central characters".

Ratings.

The premiere episode had an estimated 2.10 million viewers. The second episode drew 2.86 million viewers, giving a large increase in audience. The season one finale on January 30, 2014 had 2.60 million viewers, while the first season had a total average of 2.166 million viewers, and a top rating for the 4-11 demographic.  The season 2 episodes drew numerous viewers, however, its eighth episode, drew 1.71 million viewers, The one hour season two finale on August 8, 2014 had 1.70 million viewers, giving the second season a total average of 1.696 million viewers. The "Spellbound" special, which premiered on November 26, 2014 had 1.58 million viewers, earning a top rating in season 2 for the 18-49 demographic.  The season 3 premiere had 1.66 million viewers. The second episode of season 3 had 1.54 million viewers, causing a small drop until the third episode, which drew 1.56 million viewers. The season 3 finale drew 1.71 million viewers.  Season 4 premiered with 1.50 million viewers. The crossover with "Talia in the Kitchen" drew 1.16 million viewers during its first half. The 14th episode had 0.96 million viewers, an unusually small audience. The series finale on July 30, 2015 had 1.64 million viewers.

Spin-off.

On February 25, 2015, Nickelodeon announced a spin-off titled "WITS Academy". It is a daily strip about the comedic adventures of witches- and wizards-in-training based on the third season of Grachi, and it premiered on October 5, 2015, ending on October 30, 2015. It was announced by Daniella Nieves that the show was not renewed for a second season, thus making the season 1 finale its series finale. The series is created by Catharina Ledeboer, produced by Viacom International, and executive produced by Tatiana Rodriguez.

Every Witch Way is an American/Canadian telenovela-formatted teen sitcom that originally aired on Nickelodeon from January 1, 2014, to July 30, 2015. It was the American version of "Grachi", a successful series on Nickelodeon's Latin American counterpart.

En France, la série est diffusée depuis le sur Nickelodeon Teen et au Québec depuis le sur VRAK, sous le titre "Jeunes et magiques".


History.

The Jogyesa Temple used to be known as "Gakhwangsa" Temple which was founded in 1395. During the Japanese colonial invasion of 1910-1945, the temple become one of the strongest fortresses of Korean Buddhism. Gakhawangsa Temple emerged as the temple of the resistance to Japanese efforts to suppress Korean Buddhism. In 1937, a movement for the establishment of a Central Headquarters began which was successful with the building of the Main Buddha Hall of Jogyesa Temple in Seoul in 1938.  The temple became known as Taegosa Temple in 1938 and by its current name of Jogyesa Temple in 1954. The name Jogyesa Temple was chosen to denote the structure's status as the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (Buddhist sect which combines and integrates the Korean Zen and Textual Schools of Buddhism). The Jogye Order has 1700 years of history and is the most representative of Korean Buddhism Orders. The Jogye Order is based on the Seokgamoni doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, and it focuses on the mind and nature of this.  The Daeungjeon (Main Buddha Hall) was constructed in 1938 of pine wood from Baekdu Mountain, and it's always filled with the sounds of chanting. In the main temple courtyard there are two trees which are 500 years old, a White Pine and a Chinese Scholar tree.  The White Pine tree is about 10 meters high and gave the nearby area “Susong-dong” its name ("Song" means 'pine tree'). This tree was brought by Chinese missionaries during the Joseon Dynasty. This pine tree sits besides the Main Hall, and its branch towards the Main Hall is only partially alive. One side of this tree is adjacent to the passage, while the other side sits next to the building. Therefore, because the area is inadequate for the tree to grow, the Lacebark pine is not preserved well and since the Lacebark pine is a rare tree species and is valuable in biology, it is designated and protected as a Natural Monument.  The Chinese Scholar tree, which is 26 meters tall and four meters in circumference, silently stands watch over the temple grounds.

Access.

To enter the temple Jogyesa have to go through first "Iljumun" or the "one pillar gate". The "Iljumun" is an entry that represents is the division that separates the mortal world from the world of Buddha.

Layout.

Jogyesa Temple's features is a mix of traditional temple and palace architecture. The lattice designs found on the doors and windows of the "Daeungjeon" are unique in their own right. The temple also features the Geuknakjeon (Hll of Supreme Bliss) in which the Amitabha Buddha is enshrined, the Beomjongnu, a structure where a bell which enlightens the public with its sound is housed, and an information center for foreign nationals.  Temple also has colorful "matsya" (Sanskrit for "fish") which is sacred to Hindu-Buddhists as it is one of the avatar (incarnation) of Hindu deity Vishnu which has been described in detail in Matsya Purana and 6th BCE Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya.  The festival, designated Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 122, will take place at Jogyesa and Bongeunsa temples and along Jongno Street on May 6–8. The origin of the three-day festival dates back to the Unified Silla era over 1,300 years ago, when the festival was held on Daeboreum, a day celebrating the first full moon of the lunar calendar; During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), Yeondeunghoe turned into a festival marking Buddha’s birthday.

Events.

Lanterns featuring lotus and other traditional figures and objects representing people’s wishes will be hung on May 6–22, from 6 p.m. to midnight at Jogyesa Temple The highlight of the three-day-long celebration is the Lotus Lantern Parade, which winds along Jongno Street from Dongdaemun Gate to Jogyesa Temple. With thousands of participants, each carrying their own lantern, the parade becomes a river of light flowing through the heart of Seoul.  Jogyesa came to the attention of the international news media in December 1998 due to several monks occupying the temple in a power struggle between factions of the Jogye Order. In the end, riot police were called in to take control of the temple and oust the protestors after they had occupied the building for more than 40 days.  From 27 to 31 October 1980, during the Kyeongsin Persecution, the government raided major Buddhist temples throughout the country, including the headquarters at Seoul's Jogyesa, under the guise of anti-government investigations and an attempt to "purify" Buddhism.

Temple Stay.

Temple stay is a cultural program which anyone can experience the life of buddha practitioners and also learn about the cultural knowledge transmitted throughout Korean Buddhist history. The temple stay of Jogyesa consists of various activities related to Korean tradition and buddhism. Everyone who wants to make distinctive and valuable memories such as experiencing Buddhism or talking with Buddhist practitioners can take part in. And also this program show people how to control their mind and introspect themselves. People can make those techniques their second nature and can achieve inner peace by practicing them. It is a chance to know how to be happy.

Jogyesa is the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, becoming so in 1936. It thus plays a leading role in the current state of Seon Buddhism in South Korea. The temple was first established in 1395, at the dawn of the Joseon Dynasty; the modern temple was founded in 1910 and initially called "Gakhwangsa". The name was changed to "Taegosa" during the period of Japanese rule, and then to the present name in 1954.

Le temple Jogyesa (en hangeul : 조계사 ; en hanja : 曹溪寺) est le siège de l'ordre Jogye du bouddhisme coréen depuis 1936. Il joue ainsi un rôle important dans le bouddhisme seon en Corée du Sud. Le temple a été fondé en 1395, au commencement de la dynastie Joseon. Le temple moderne date de 1910 et s'appelait intitialement Hwanggaksa. Le temple a été renommé Taegosa pendant la colonisation japonaise et enfin Jogyesa en 1954.


Early life.

Originally from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Oscar Taveras grew up in a town called Sosúa. He began taking interest in baseball early in life. According to his father, Francisco Taveras, at about age five, he started to call himself ""El Fenómeno,"" which is Spanish for "The Phenomenon". "He would say, 'I’m going to make you the happiest dad in the world. I want to be a star. I want to be a major leaguer. I’m the phenomenon. I’m the best,'" recounted his father.  Taveras' father was an outfielder in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system. Taveras lived in Montreal from ages 12 to 16 and obtained Canadian citizenship. Afterwards, he returned to the Dominican Republic; had he stayed in Canada, he would have entered the draft after high school.

Professional career.

Minor leagues.

DSL Cardinals, Johnson City, and Quad Cities (2009–11).

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Taveras as an international amateur free agent on November 25, 2008 for $145,000. They assigned him to the rookie league Dominican Summer League Cardinals the next season. Although he hit just.265 with one home run (HR) and 42 runs batted in (RBI) in 65 games, Taveras earned a promotion to the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2010. The talent which scouts had discovered in the Dominican Republic quickly actualized, as he hit.322 with eight HR and 43 RBI in 53 games.  Taveras earned another promotion to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League (MWL) in 2011 and spent the entire season there. From May 11 to June 11, he was out of action due to a hamstring injury. Despite missing a full month, his hitting continued to improve by obtaining 33 multi-hit games, 17 three-hit contests and five four-hit games. Further, he earned two MWL Player of the Week (PoW) awards. The first was for the week of July 17, after batting.600 (15 hits in 25 at bats) with five multi-hit games, 10 runs scored and five RBI.  The second PoW award Taveras earned with the River Bandits was for the week ending August 28. He batted.581 (18–31) with another five multi-hit games, two home runs and 11 RBI. That week, he also achieved three three-hit games and two four-hit games. After coming off the bench in the August 28 game against Burlington, he went 3-for-3 with a home run and missed hitting for the cycle by a double. For the season, Taveras batted.386 with a.444 on-base percentage (OBP),.584 slugging percentage (SLG), eight HR and 62 RBI in 78 games. He earned the Midwest League batting title with the highest average in the league since 1956. He was actually 31 plate appearances short of qualifying; however, his adjusted batting average after adding the hitless at-bats still gave him the title. He was the first Cardinals minor leaguer to win the MWL batting title since Brendan Ryan in 2004.

Springfield and Memphis (2012–14).

After winning the Midwest League batting title at age 19, Taveras began to garner notice outside the Cardinals organization. "Baseball America" named him the Cardinals' third-best prospect prior to the 2012 season and ranked him 74th in all of baseball. The Cardinals assigned him to play for the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League. He spent the entire season there, playing 124 games before participating in winter league play.  Taveras won his first of two Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month awards in 2012 for April after batting.340 (32–94) with six HR and 21 RBI. On June 4, he achieved his first career five-hit game against Corpus Christi with four runs scored. He earned PoW honors for the week ending June 10 – which included the five-hit game – after batting.500 (14–28) with two home runs, four RBI and 11 runs scored. Taveras won his second organizational Player of the Month award of 2012 – and third of his career – for June after totaling a.347 average (34–98), six HR and 19 RBI. Beginning June 8, he amassed a 12-game hitting streak.  Selected to the Texas League All-Star team, Taveras started in center field and batted fourth. His 3-for-4, home run, double and two-RBI effort helped earn him unanimous Most Valuable Player honors for the game. He also played in the Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game for the World squad. He started in right field and batted third, collecting one hit in three at-bats. He ended the season with a 22-game on-base streak that spanned from August 4 to September 3. Taveras logged 43 multi-hit games, including 12 three-hit games, five four-hit games and one five-hit game. In his 124 total games, he played 93 in center field, 15 in right and one in left. He hit safely in 94 games and reached base in 107. He batted.346 (47 of 136) with eight HR and 72 RBI with runners in scoring position (RISP) and.321 with RISP and two outs, including 17 RBI. He also hit.372 (73 of 196) with 12 HR and 49 RBI in the sixth inning and later.  Taveras' season totals for 2012 included 23 HR, 94 RBI and a league-leading.321 batting average, his second minor league batting title. In addition, he led the Texas League in extra base hits (67), doubles (37), total bases (273) and intentional walks (10). He ranked second in hits (153), RBI and slugging percentage (.572), and tied for fourth both in home runs and triples (7). In nine playoff games, he hit.235 with four doubles and two RBI as Springfield won the Texas League championship. "Baseball America" conferred the club with their Minor League Team of the Year award. Taveras was named the Texas League Player of the Year.  Further, Taveras led all Cardinals minor leaguers in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, SLG and on-base plus slugging (.953), while also finishing in the top five in batting average and runs. He was named the Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year. He played another 39 games in the after-season Dominican Professional Baseball League for the Águilas Cibaeñas. He won the league Rookie of the Year award after batting.316 with five home runs and 17 RBI as the Águilas clinched the league's best record. In a skills ("Best Tools") survey, "Baseball America" found Taveras the "Best Hitter for Average".  Entering the 2013 season, "Baseball America" ranked Taveras as the Cardinals' best prospect and the third-best prospect in all of baseball. MLB.com also ranked Taveras as the Cardinals' number-one prospect, and the number-three prospect in its Top 50 Prospects. Prior to the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Taveras' agent was approached about him playing for the Canadian national baseball team. The Cardinals promoted him to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League.  In each game from May 6–10, Taveras collected at least one RBI. He batted.362 with 17 hits in 47 at bats for the month of May. However, injury obstructed his in-game action. While sliding into second base in a May 12 game, his ankle caught and pronated awkwardly on the bag, resulting in a high-ankle sprain. He played in just 15 games after that for the season and in 46 total. Surgery to correct the sprain, performed by Dr. Robert Anderson, ended his season in August.  For the season, Taveras rendered a.306 batting average with 12 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBI. It was the fourth consecutive season in which he batted at least.300. Especially productive against right-handed pitching, he forged a.366 batting average (37-for-101) with four HR and 24 RBI. Further, he generated three four-hit games and 15 multi-hit games while hitting safely in 31 overall. In 18 games, he provided at least one RBI, and in nine, recorded multiple runners driven in. In "Baseball America"'s "Best Tools" survey, he was rated the "Best Hitter for Average" in the Cardinals organization. The Cardinals added Taveras to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2013.

St. Louis Cardinals (2014).

Beginning in the 2014 season, MLB.com ranked Taveras as the second-best prospect in all of MLB, behind only Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins organization. The Cardinals invited him to spring training. Although team officials believed that his ankle had fully healed in time for 2014 spring training, he hesitated to fully trust the ankle in performance. A hamstring injury followed, limiting him to just six at-bats. The Cardinals optioned him to minor league camp on March 14.  On May 30, 2014, the Cardinals called Taveras up to their MLB roster in one of the most anticipated promotions in all MLB. He became the first from Sosúa to reach the major leagues. At that point, he had been batting.325 with a.373 OBP and a.524 SLG at Memphis. Other totals included seven HR and 40 RBI in 49 games and 191 at-bats. Taveras was held hitless in consecutive games just once. In his last 10 games, he collected hits in all but one, batting.462. During those same 10 games, he fashioned two three-hit games and one four-hit outing. In 209 plate appearances, he walked just 14 times, but also struck out just 25 for a 12.1% strikeout rate.  Making his MLB debut at Busch Stadium on the afternoon of Saturday, May 31, against the San Francisco Giants, Taveras flied out in his first at-bat. However, he launched his first hit and home run, which traveled, in his next at-bat. It occurred with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning against starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit. He became the youngest to hit a home run in his major league debut for the Cardinals since Eddie Morgan in 1936. It also started to rain, immediately forcing a 47-minute delay. The home run proved to be the game-winning run as the Cardinals won, 2–0.  Taveras hit his first MLB single the next day, June 1. When Matt Adams came off the DL June 19, Taveras' 22nd birthday, the Cardinals optioned him back to Memphis after batting.189 with a.225 OBP and.297 SLG in 40 PA. Despite the low rate statistics, he showed a marked ability to get contact on MLB pitching. His contact rate of 92.3% on pitches outside of the strike zone surpassed the MLB average of 65.7% for all non-pitchers. His miss rate of 2.5% on swinging strikes was significantly lower than the MLB average of 9.1%.  One month after his first call-up, the Cardinals recalled Taveras on June 30. He was batting.318 with a.502 SLG at Memphis. To allow him more playing opportunities, the Cardinals traded slumping incumbent right fielder Allen Craig to the Boston Red Sox on the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. His first career three-hit game was on September 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers. That series, he played three of the four games, collecting five hits in eight at-bats with a home run and four RBI. It was one of eight multi-hit games on the year. Taveras finished the 2014 season with a batting average of.239 in 80 major league games. He appeared on the postseason roster for the Cardinals, playing exclusively as a pinch hitter, and collected three hits and two runs scored in seven total at bats. His postseason debut was in the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. One hit was a home run that tied the score in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Giants, the only game the Cardinals won in the series; as it turned out, it was the final hit in his career. His final tweet was "Thanks for all the fan support!" on October 13.

Skills profile.

Regarded as a left-handed hitting version of Vladimir Guerrero (also a native of the Dominican Republic), one of Taveras' prized skills was an ability that few possess to square the bat on—and effectively hit—pitches that are out of the strike zone, much as the case was with Guerrero. Because of his bat speed and the wide range of pitch locations of which he could hit, Taveras successfully unraveled what are termed as "pitcher's pitches", which helped contribute to his high batting average. An aggressive hitter, Taveras maintained control with his smooth swing.  With a wide batting stance and slight leg kick that "allows him to maintain both incredible balance and timing", he shifted his weight on his left (back) leg "before connecting with the ball with an explosive, quick swing." His combination of strong, quick hands and excellent hand-eye coordination allowed him to assert considerable bat control to make constant, square contact with the incoming pitch. With an ability to drive the ball to all fields, his power ceiling was high, projected with 25 to 30 home runs in his peak. His preparation also received high marks. Through 2013, Taveras' career minor league batting average was.320 with 45 home runs and 275 RBIs in 374 games.  Although Taveras' defensive skills were not as prodigious as his hitting abilities, he ran routes well and had solid instincts. Earlier in his professional career, he gained a reputation for concentrating too heavily on hitting at the expense of his fielding. However, Taveras worked to increase his abilities in the outfield. With a strong throwing arm, his defensive skills projected him to be a corner outfielder, particularly in right field. However, the Cardinals believed that Taveras showed the range and skill to be an effective center fielder so he began taking an apprenticeship to learn the position.

Death.

On October 26, 2014, Taveras and his girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, both died in a car accident on the Sosúa-Cabarete freeway in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, in which his red Chevrolet Camaro ran off the road and hit a tree. Taveras suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead while receiving care at Sosúa Cabarete Medical Center. Arvelo suffered injuries to the head and to the chest. The accident occurred at 7:40 PM ET, just before the start of Game 5 of the 2014 World Series. Cardinals chairman William DeWitt, Jr. issued the following statement: Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak made a statement saying: Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny stated "there is not a more accurate word ("love") for how a group of men share a deep and genuine concern for each other. We loved Oscar, and he loved us. That is what a team does. That is what a family does." Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig stated "With heavy hearts, tonight we play Game 5 of the 2014 World Series in the memory of these two young people."

Aftermath and legacy.

Observances on behalf of Arvelos and Taveras were held for Game 6 of the World Series, including a moment of silence before the first pitch. Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura wrote "R.I.P. O.T #18" on his hat along with other tributes on his cleats and glove. His hat was turned in for display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. On October 28, the Cardinals left the right field lights on at Busch Stadium and released a Twitter photo of the scene the next day.  More than an estimated 5,000 gathered for Taveras's funeral in Sosúa, including about 40 who gathered on the rooftop of a cemetery church. Many of the mourners wore jerseys with ""El Fenómeno"" printed on their backs. "He was like Superman here. He was here to uplift kids and put the town on the map. He was the hope," said teammate Carlos Martínez. Martínez requested to change his uniform number from 44 to 18 (Taveras's number) to honor him in part because they were also friends. The team granted his request. Taveras had left behind a one-year-old son, Oscar Yadier Taveras.  Questions arose as to whether he was intoxicated in that fatal crash on the Sosúa-Cabarete freeway. On November 11, press releases confirmed that his blood alcohol content was 0.287, nearly six times the legal limit for the Dominican Republic. After the second alcohol-related fatality to a Cardinals player in a decade — following that of Josh Hancock in 2007, John Mozeliak lamented the circumstances of the player's death. He declared that the team would take a greater role in educating young players to "avoid reckless actions".  In January 2015, DeWitt announced plans for the Cardinals to renovate a baseball field in Sosúa in Taveras's honor, modeled after the Cardinals Care facilities in Greater St. Louis. The team would also wear black circular patches inscribed with OT (Taveras's initials) inside a white circle on their jerseys. The patch will omit Taveras's No. 18 because Martínez is already wearing it as his uniform number as a tribute. A large decal in his memorial was posted in the home team bullpen of Busch Stadium along with the ones of Hancock and former pitcher Darryl Kile, who died of coronary artery disease during the 2002 season while still active.

Oscar Francisco Taveras (June 19, 1992 October 26, 2014) was a Dominican–Canadian professional baseball outfielder who played one season for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Known as "El Fenómeno" (Spanish for "The Phenomenon") in the Dominican Republic, the Cardinals signed him at age 16 in 2008 as an international amateur free agent and he made his MLB debut in 2014. Over six minor league seasons, he batted.321 with a.519 slugging percentage. He played all three outfield positions while spending most of the time in center field.

Oscar Francisco Taveras, né le à Puerto Plata, République dominicaine et mort le à Puerto Plata en République dominicaine, est un joueur canado-dominicain de baseball. Il a évolué comme voltigeur pour les Cardinals de Saint-Louis de la Ligue majeure de baseball.


Plot.

Ricardo Guglielmini is the mayor of Colonia Vela, a small country village in an undisclosed province of central Argentina. He plots with Héctor Suprino, a local Peronist spin doctor, and Reinaldo, a union leader, to get the town's deputy mayor, Ignacio Fuentes, kicked out of office, due to his increasing popularity, which threatens Guglilemini's decades-long hold on the mayorship.  Fuentes is told that he has to fire his assistant Mateo because of his Marxist sympathies. Fuentes, despite disagreeing with Marxist ideals himself, declines, refusing to be politically strong-armed. Taking advantage of this, Guglilemini publicly accuses Fuentes of aiding communist guerillas as an excuse to fire him or get him to resign. When Fuentes refuses, Gugliemini sends the police to arrest him, but Fuentes, rather than cave in to the pressure, takes to arms and then barricades himself in the town hall, along with his allies and friends; Mateo, Corporal García, Juan, Rodrigo, Moyito and Crazy Ceres. Guglielmini orders the police to storm the building, which leads to a massive stand-off between the local police force and Fuentes' men. The counter-Fuentes operation, led by Chief Llanos and Sub-Chief Rossi, initially only attempts to threaten Fuentes into surrendering, but soon evolves into a real shootout when members of the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance, led by Rogelio Almeido, show up and intervene. During the shootout with the AAA, Moyito is killed and several police officers are wounded, which leads to a temporary ceasefire and a deadlock. Juan sneaks out through the back to look for the local crop duster pilot, Cerviño, in order to convince him to help Fuentes by conducting an aerial attack as a distraction so he can sneak more ammo and explosives into the building.  As night falls, a group of delusional local leftist guerrilla youths, led by Matilda Gómez, gather in an abandoned warehouse and make a completely unrealistic and blatantly flawed plan to use the conflict as a means to start a civil war in Argentina, take over the government and convert the country into a communist state. They start out by kidnapping Chief Llanos and holding him for a ransom of several tons of explosives and weaponry. Not wanting to give more resources to the communists, Guglielmini abandons Llanos and declares Rossi the new police chief. Rossi leads a new attack on Fuentes, this time using bulldozers as cover to advance on the town hall. Rodrigo and Crazy Ceres are killed during this attack and Fuentes, García and Mateo are barely saved because Cerviño arrives in the nick of time and sprays pesticides all over the police with his plane, causing them to temporarily disperse.  The guerrillas attack the local union with a pipe bomb, killing Reinaldo, which prompts the AAA agents to abandon the fight against Fuentes and instead attempt to kill the guerrilla troopers. Famed local Radical former senator Prudencio Gúzman attempts to negotiate with the communists for Llanos' release, but the peace talks fall through and Llanos is ultimately executed.  The police regroup and prepare for a third attack. In order to buy some time and distract Rossi, Mateo turns himself in while Fuentes, García and Juan prepare a bomb with the explosives the latter had previously brought in. Regardless of Mateo's surrender, the raid proceeds and, when the police storms the town hall, the bomb goes off, killing several police officers and giving Fuentes, García and Juan enough time to escape through the back. In retaliation, Almeido kills Mateo. Despite managing to escape the town hall, the trio are soon found by the police and Fuentes and García are taken captive. Juan, however, manages to escape. Desperate, he contacts the guerrillas, who promise to help free Fuentes and García if Juan shows them where he keeps his explosives stash. Juan additionally convinces Cerviño to cause one more diversion with his plane.  Juan and the guerrillas, this time led by Matilda Gómez herself, carry out an attack on the school. First, Cerviño uses his plane to drop manure on the police, distracting them long enough to allow Juan and Matilda to sneak into the building. Once inside, they bust García free, but due to AAA reinforcements, they're forced to leave Fuentes behind. The AAA and the communists face off in a massive shootout inside the school, which ends with most people on both sides dead.  Cerviño and his plane are followed by one of the few surviving AAA members, who shoots him when he lands. While fleeing the shootout at the school, Matilda and the other three surviving guerrillas get blown up by Almeido, who finishes them off in a suicide bombing. Suprino severely beats Fuentes and then Guglielmini tries to talk him into taking the blame for the whole ordeal. When he refuses, Guglielmini and Suprino leave, letting Rossi execute Fuentes. While leaving town, Suprino realizes Guglielmini plans to frame him for inciting the whole incident, so he runs him over with his truck before escaping.  When morning finally dawns, García and Juan go to Cerviño's house, where they find him, wounded but still alive. To comfort him in his dying moments, they tell him Fuentes won the battle. Cerviño makes them promise to tell General Perón about him if he ever returns to the country, after which he dies. Once they've buried Cerviño, Juan and García begin to head into the countryside while discussing the many ways they could convince Perón to return. The song ""Mi Buenos Aires Querido"" begins to play as the credits start rolling.

Background.

The film is based on real political event that took place in Argentina in the mid-1970s. The film depicts, "sub silentio," the struggle between the Montoneros political movement and the right-wing Peronist forces.  The Montonero Peronist Movement () was an Argentine left-wing Peronist guerrilla group, active during the 1970s. Its motto was "venceremos" ("we will conquer").  After Juan Perón's return from 20 years of exile and the June 20, 1973 Ezeiza massacre, which marked the definitive split between left and right-wing Peronism, the Montoneros were expelled from the Justicialist party in May 1974 by Perón. The group was almost completely dismantled in 1977, during Jorge Rafael Videla's dictatorship.

Distribution.

"Funny Dirty Little War" first opened in Argentina on September 22, 1983. It has been featured at various film festivals including the Toronto Festival of Festivals; the Berlin International Film Festival; the Cognac Festival du Film Policier, Cognac, France; and the New Directors/New Films Festival in New York City.

Reception.

Critical response.

Vincent Canby, writing for "The New York Times," complimented the acting, pacing, and Héctor Olivera's directorial style, and wrote, "The film has also been so cannily paced - and is so well acted - that there's never much time to consider larger meanings while the mayhem is going on. Though "Funny Dirty Little War" ends bleakly, the existence of the film itself - the fact that it could be made at all, and with such style - is ultimately invigorating."

Accolades.

Wins  Nominated

Funny Dirty Little War (; original title translatable as "There will be no more sorrow or forgetfulness", a line from "Mi Buenos Aires Querido" tango lyrics) is a 1983 Argentine comedy drama film directed by Héctor Olivera, written by Olivera and Roberto Cossa, based on a novel of the same name by Osvaldo Soriano. It was produced by Fernando Ayala and Luis O. Repetto, and stars Federico Luppi, Miguel Ángel Solá, Ulises Dumont, Héctor Bidonde and Víctor Laplace.

Une sale petite guerre ("No habrá más penas ni olvido") est un film argentin réalisé par Héctor Olivera, sorti en 1983. Le film remporte le Grand prix du jury et prix FIPRESCI à la Berlinale 1984.