Background and composition.

"Addicted to You" was written by Dominican rapper and record producer Edward Bello, American record producer John Hill, Luis Fernando Ochoa and Shakira, for the singer's ninth studio album "Sale el Sol". The album marked the first time she worked with Bello, who is better known by his stage name El Cata, and their collaboration started after Shakira expressed her desire to experiment with merengue music, saying "I grew up listening to merengue— that was a big part of my life, and I was missing it". Merengue is a type of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic, and after being referred to Bello by American rapper Pitbull, Shakira travelled to the country and began recording sessions with him in his "tiny" studio in Santo Domingo. Bello talked about his collaboration with Shakira, saying "If I was thinking that this little studio was going to be in the world’s vision at this time, I wouldn’t believe it". On 14 March 2012, Shakira's official website announced that "Addicted to You" would be the fifth and final single to be released from "Sale el Sol". It was made available for digital download on Amazon.com and ITunes by Epic Records a day earlier.  According to Shakira, "Sale el Sol" has three "directions", one of which is the "Latino, tropical side" of the album. "Addicted to You", along with other tracks "Loca and "Rabiosa", is a primary example of this musical direction. In addition to merengue, "Addicted to You" is influenced by reggaeton music and features "a very 70's chorus and Copacabana sounds". Despite having an English title, the words "Addicted to You" are only sung in the chorus, and the rest of the song is sung entirely in Spanish. Lyrically, it details Shakira's infatuation with a lover.

Reception.

Critical reception towards "Addicted to You" was mostly positive. Jennifer Schaffer from "The Stanford Daily" commented that the song prevents the listener from getting "lulled" and "hurries back to the hip-swaying dance beat". Michelle Morgante from "The Boston Globe" picked the song as an example of Shakira's "new merengue-rock hybrid that lays down bare horn riffs over a driving beat in a groove that is irresistible". Carlos Macias from Terra USA, however, gave it a negative review and criticized its use of a "cheap keyboard that drives the tune reminds us of music played at weddings and "quinceañeras"". In 2013, "Latina" included "Addicted to You" on their list of "The 13 Best Songs in Spanglish" and commented that "If non-Spanish speakers can’t pick up the language after listening to this track, then we feel bad for you, son". At the 28th International Dance Music Awards held in 2013, "Addicted to You" was nominated for "Best Latin Dance Track". It was also nominated at the 2013 "Billboard" Latin Music Awards for Latin Pop Song of the Year. El Cata received an ASCAP Latin award at the Pop category for his composition of the song.  Commercially, "Addicted to You" was a particular success in Mexico. It peaked at number one on the Monitor Latino chart in the region, and was later certified platinum by the Mexican Association of Phonograph Producers (AMPROFON) for shipments of 60,000 units. Elsewhere, the song reached number one on the Polish Airplay chart. In France and Spain, the song peaked at numbers 15 and 14, respectively. "Addicted to You" also performed well on the Latin record charts in the United States. It peaked at number nine on the US "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs chart and stayed on the chart for a total 20 weeks. It peaked at number three on both the Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Songs charts, staying on the charts for a total of 26 and 13 weeks, respectively. The song was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2011 BMI Latin Awards.

Music video.

The accompanying music video for "Addicted to You" was directed by Anthony Mandler in a one-day period in Valencia, California. The video premiered worldwide on 2 May 2012, and became a "trending topic" on online social networking and microblogging service Twitter following its release. The plot-less music video features Shakira singing the song in various locations while "writhing around" on a bed in candlelit room, dancing in front of "some foliage" in the streets of an "old Spanish style" town, and "splashing around in a bathtub".  Critical reception of the video was generally positive. Jenna Hally Rubenstein from MTV praised Shakira's appearance in the video, saying she looks "insanely "en pointe"" while "doing that ridic Shakira hip move nobody else can replicate ". Becky Bain from Idolator commented that the video is a "complete success" in case "the main draw of watching a Shakira video is to watch the Colombian singer swivel her honest hips around pretty backdrops while wearing revealing clothing". The video became immensely popular on video-sharing website YouTube, and was marked "Vevo Certified" by joint venture music video website Vevo for reaching more than 100 million views.

"Addicted to You" is a song recorded by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her ninth studio album "Sale el Sol" (2010). The song was released as the fifth and final single from the album by Epic Records, on 13 March 2012. "Addicted to You" was written by Shakira, El Cata, John Hill and Luis Fernando Ochoa, and is a merengue-influenced song on the album. The song also draws prominent influences from reggaeton music, and lyrically describes Shakira's infatuation for a lover. Despite having an English title, the majority of the song is sung in Spanish.


Toponymy.

The most likely origin of the "West-" in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same since the Anglo-Saxon period.  The "-bury" part of the name is a form of "borough", which has cognates in many languages, such as the German "-burg" and the Greek "-pyrgos". It carries the idea of a hill or fortified town. In Wiltshire, "-bury" often indicates an Iron Age or Bronze Age fortified hill fort, and such a site is to be found immediately above the Westbury White Horse.

Location.

Westbury is in the far west of Wiltshire, close to the border with Somerset. It lies at the northwestern edge of Salisbury Plain, southeast of the city of Bath, approximately south of the county town of Trowbridge and north of the garrison town of Warminster. The villages in the Westbury postal area are Bratton, Chapmanslade, Dilton Marsh, Edington, Heywood and Hawkeridge, and Coulston. Also nearby are Upton Scudamore, North Bradley, and Yarnbrook; and Rudge, Standerwick, Beckington and Frome in Somerset.  Suburbs of Westbury include Frogmore, Bitham Park, and the Ham (north and east), Chalford, Leigh Park, and Westbury Leigh (south). Westbury Leigh is sometimes considered a separate village, with its own church and chapel, although it has always been within the town's boundaries. Leigh Park is a large housing estate developed since the late 1990s immediately to the north of Westbury Leigh, and includes a large medical centre, a community hall, and a district centre with a Tesco Express store.

Features and history.

In the past, Westbury was sometimes known as Westbury-under-the-Plain to distinguish it from other towns of the same name. Westbury is nestled under the northwestern bluffs of Salisbury Plain, and it is there that the town's most famous feature can be seen: the Westbury White Horse. It is sometimes claimed locally that the White Horse was first cut into the chalk face as long ago as the year 878, to commemorate the victory of Alfred the Great over the Danes in the Battle of Eðandun (probably, but not certainly, at the nearby village of Edington). However, scholars believe this to be an invention of the late 18th century, and no evidence has yet been found for the existence of the horse before the 1720s. The form of the current White Horse dates from 1778, when it was restored. In the 1950s it was decided that the horse would be more easily maintained if it were set in concrete and painted white. The horse's original form may have been quite different from the horse seen today. One 18th-century engraving shows the horse facing to the right, but in its current form it faces to the left.  Westbury centres on its historic marketplace, with the churchyard of All Saints' Church (14th century) behind it. All Saints' has a heavy ring of bells, an Erasmus Bible, a 16th-century clock with no face constructed by a local blacksmith, and a marble bust of William Phipps by Robert Taylor. The west window of the church was donated by Abraham Laverton, who also built Prospect Square (1869) and the nearby Laverton Institute (1873), which he donated to a local charity, known today as "the Laverton". The Central Tower of the church rises to 84 feet (26 metres) in height.  In the early part of September 1877, there was found on Bremeridge Farm, in the parish of Dilton Marsh, Wilts, belonging to Charles Paul Phipps, esq. of Chalcot House, a hoard of 32 gold coins. They were found during repairs and improvements of the homestead, about a foot and a half below the surface, in the courtyard, piled, one above another, without any appearance of a purse or box.  Until the 1940s, the Westbury Hill Fair was an important annual event, mostly for the sale of sheep.  The town has been home to the Army Officer Selection Board and the Cadet Force Commissioning Board, located at Leighton House, since 1949. Its closure was announced in 2016.  A former Lafarge cement production plant lies about northeast of the town centre; production ceased in 2009 but the site remains in use as a distribution centre. From 1961 until its demolition in 2016, the plant's chimney was the tallest unsupported structure in southwestern England.

Governance.

The majority of local government functions (including schools, roads, social services, waste disposal, emergency planning, leisure services, development control, refuse collection and street cleaning) are carried out by Wiltshire Council, a unitary authority. Westbury is divided into three council divisions, each electing one member of Wiltshire Council.  Westbury is a civil parish with an elected town council of fifteen members. This has significant consultative roles, in addition to increasing responsibility for services in the town. The chairman of the town council has the title of Mayor of Westbury which is a wholly ceremonial role. The council has taken over the running of the town's play areas, toilets and flower planting from Wiltshire Council and has supplemented reduced services from Wiltshire Council with its own staff. The council also runs the Grade II listed Laverton Institute which serves as the town hall and as a venue for events and meetings.  The parliamentary constituency of Westbury dated back to the 15th century, but the name was abandoned in 2010, when the town and most of the former constituency became part of the new South West Wiltshire constituency.  Before the parliamentary reforms of the mid-19th century, Westbury was considered a pocket borough, at one point having as few as twenty-four electors. This status led to gifts to the town from the owners of the parliamentary borough, including the notable former town hall in the Market Place, donated by Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes.

Sport and leisure.

Westbury has one of the oldest working Victorian swimming pools in the country, built in 1887 by William Laverton.  Westbury has a Non-League football club Westbury United F.C. who play at the Meadow Lane ground in the Western League Division One (English football's tenth tier). The non-league Rugby Football Club (RFC), Westbury RFC, has both male and female teams who play at White Horse Country Park.  The Leighton sports field at Wellhead Lane was laid out as a cricket field by the mill-owning Lavertons. In 1890 W. G. Grace played in W. H. Laverton's XI against a team called the Australians.

Education.

Westbury has one secondary school, two primary schools, a junior school and an infants school. The secondary school, Matravers School, has a sixth form offering a range of subjects. It serves Westbury and the surrounding villages including Chapmanslade, Bratton, Dilton Marsh and Edington.  Westbury Leigh C of E Primary School was moved from Westbury Leigh to the neighbouring Leigh Park estate. Bitham Brook Primary School mainly serves the western part of the town. Westbury C of E Junior School serves the central part of the town and takes children from Year 3 to Year 6. It is fed by Westbury Infant School, which takes children from Reception to Year 2.  The closest further and higher education establishments are at Wiltshire College's Trowbridge campus, 41⁄2 miles to the north; and the University of Bath, 18 miles to the northwest.

Transport.

Road transport.

The A350 road passes through the town and a controversial Westbury Bypass was once proposed which would have reduced traffic in parts of the town but would have had a negative effect on the landscape on the east of the town. The eastern bypass scheme was eventually rejected after an Independent Planning Inquiry recommended against it in 2009. The town remains a bottleneck on the A350 route.

Railway transport.

The town is an important junction point on the railway network, as it lies at the point where the Reading to Taunton line, forming a link from London Paddington to Penzance, intersects the Wessex Main Line, linking Bristol and Bath Spa to Salisbury and Southampton. Westbury railway station is northwest of the town centre. A smaller station, Dilton Marsh, is to the southwest of the town centre between the suburbs of Dilton Marsh and Westbury Leigh; this former "halt" is a request stop.

Media.

Westbury is served by a fortnightly free newspaper, the "White Horse News", named after the defining feature on the edge of the town. The newspaper is delivered to all homes in the town and the nearby villages of Bratton, Dilton Marsh and Edington, amongst others. Westbury is also served by the weekly "Warminster Journal" and "Wiltshire Times", and a radio station, The Breeze.

Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.


Early life.

Wei-Yin Chen was born in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. He attended Ciao-Tou Junior High School and Kaoyuan Vocational High School, which was also attended by former Major League pitcher Tsao Chin-Hui and several other Chinese Professional Baseball League players.

Professional career.

Chunichi Dragons.

He was a pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2004 through 2011. Chen had Tommy John surgery at the end of 2006 season. His best season in Japan came in 2009 when he posted a 1.54 earned run average (ERA) to lead the league. When he came out of the Nippon League, FanGraphs described him as being an extreme control pitcher with poor velocity. A clause implemented into his contract with Chunichi allowed him to opt out after the 2011 season at age 26.

Baltimore Orioles.

2012 season.

After the 2011 season, Chen signed as an international free agent with the Baltimore Orioles. Chen was the first Taiwanese player ever signed by the Orioles. He made his MLB debut on April 10, 2012 against the New York Yankees in Baltimore. The game was broadcast live on national television in native Taiwan, and Chen totaled 5 innings and gave up two earned runs striking out six in a no-decision that the Orioles would later go on to lose in extra innings. In total, Chen finished the season leading the team with 32 starts during which he totaled 12 wins and 11 losses and posted an ERA of 4.02 in 192.2 innings pitched. In 2012, Chen was "the only constant in the (Orioles) rotation" and was consistent throughout the year. Chen finished fourth in the AL for Rookie of the Year voting.

2013 season.

Coming out of spring training, Chen won the number two spot in the Orioles' starting rotation behind Jason Hammel. Chen set a goal to throw 200 innings on the season. In his first three starts, he lacked run support and went 0–2 despite posting a 4.00 ERA. On May 15, 2013, the Orioles placed Chen on the disabled list, his first-ever stint there, with an injury to his right oblique. In his return from the disabled list on July 10, 2013, Chen pitched seven innings in a matchup against the Texas Rangers striking out four and allowing three hits, earning the win. Overall in 2013, Chen finished 7–7 with a 4.07 ERA in 23 starts. During the 2013 off-season, Chen underwent knee surgery to remove bone spurs.

2014 season.

Chen pitched a season-high of eight strikeouts in a win against the Seattle Mariners on August 1, 2014. He dedicated the win to victims of the 2014 Kaohsiung gas explosions, which occurred hours earlier in his hometown. On September 10, Chen picked up his 15th win of the season against the Boston Red Sox and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning until Dan Butler's first major league hit. Chen finished the season with a 16–6 record and 3.54 ERA over 185 2/3 innings. In game 3 of the 2014 ALCS on October 14, Chen pitched 5 1/3 innings on 80 pitches and gave up 2 runs in a loss against the Kansas City Royals. Chen became the first Taiwanese pitcher to start an ALCS game.

2015 season.

On June 26, 2015, Chen became the second Taiwanese-born player to have 100 career starts in the major leagues (after Chien-Ming Wang), allowing two runs and striking out five over six innings in a no decision against the Cleveland Indians. Despite only recording a 4–5 record at the break, Chen pitched to a 2.78 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, along with 90 strikeouts in 110 innings over the first half of the season. Chen finished the season with an 11–8 record and a career-best 3.34 ERA over innings pitched.

Miami Marlins.

2016 season.

On January 13, 2016, Chen agreed to a five-year contract worth US$80 million with the Miami Marlins. Chen was named the starting pitcher for the opening day of the 2016 season, becoming the second Taiwanese pitcher to make a start on opening day since Chien-Ming Wang in 2008. On January 25, 2017, Chen was announced as the cover athlete for the Taiwanese version of MLB The Show 17. In his first season as a Marlin, Chen went 5-5 in 22 starts after spending some time on the disabled list with an injury. He posted the worst ERA of his career, finishing at 4.96 in 123 innings.

2017 season.

On April 8, Chen hit his first major league hit, an infield single off New York Mets' Starting Pitcher Zack Wheeler. He was placed on the disabled list after 5 starts due to a partial UCL tear. He was activated off the disabled list on September 4 and would pitch out of the bullpen.

2018 season.

Chen made his first start on April 28 vs. the Rockies after going almost a year without a big league start, getting the win, pitching 5 1/3 innings giving up just 1 run on 4 hits, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. On July 24, Chen hit his first major league double, off Atlanta Braves' Starting Pitcher Julio Teherán.

2019 season.

Chen was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019. He was released and became a free agent on November 27.

Seattle Mariners.

On January 30, 2020, Chen signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.

International career.

Chen played for the Chinese Taipei National Team in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

Scouting report.

Chen is an "extreme flyball pitcher", at one point having an HR/9 innings of 1.3, way above MLB average. Chen pitches from a three-quarters arm slot and throws a four-seam fastball averaging 91–92 mph (tops out at 95–96 mph). In addition, he throws a two-seamer, a slider, a changeup, and an occasional curveball. Since he previously pitched in Japan where he started on five days rest rather than four, with the Orioles he initially had durability issues and was 0–4 in his last seven starts in 2012. Chen has been described as a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation starter. An opposing scout said, "I watched Wei-Yin Chen and swore I was watching Tom Glavine. He has such an effortless delivery and an above-average change up, and knows how to pitch inside."

Philanthropy.

In 2012, Chen started a baseball scholarship program for Taiwanese students, contributing funds based on statistical milestones reached per season. He expanded the charity's efforts in 2015, to cover animal protection and children's welfare.

Wei-Yin Chen (; born July 21, 1985) is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He previously played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins, and in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons.


1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA–CONMEBOL play-off)

Political circumstances.

Salvador Allende had been elected to power in Chile in 1970, but was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet in a coup d'état in September 1973, during which thousands of people deemed undesirable by the new regime were taken to the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, tortured and killed; this continued until 7 November. The football match between the Soviet Union and Chile in the same stadium was scheduled for 21 November.

Prior qualification.

Soviet Union.

The Soviet's qualification started on 13 October 1972 with a 1–0 loss to France, away in Paris. Five days later they faced the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and won 2–1. Their home matches were played in May 1973. On 13 May they won against the Irish by 1–0, and thirteen days later beat the French 2–0 with both goals coming in the last ten minutes. Their placement in the play-off was by being in Group 9 of the nine European groups rather than having the worst record of the qualifiers.

Chile.

Chile was placed in Group 3 of the CONMEBOL qualification alongside Peru and Venezuela although the Venezuelans withdrew. On 29 April 1973 Chile was defeated 2–0 by the Peruvians in Lima. In the home game on 13 May 1973 Chile won 2–0, making both teams equal on points and goal difference. A play-off was held on neutral ground in Montevideo, Uruguay, where Chile triumphed 2–1 to face the Soviets.

Matches.

First leg.

After the coup, the new regime had banned all Chileans from leaving the country: in addition due to its anti-communism it did not have a favourable view of the national team playing in the homeland of its staunch enemy. However, at the same time it was desirable to portray an image of normality, so the Pinochet regime let the national team travel on the condition that no one made political statements, since their relatives were under military surveillance. Some of the team members, like Véliz or Caszely, were politically close to the Allende government. In addition, the Soviet Union, an ally of the overthrown government, had condemned the military coup and did not recognise the new government, with which it broke diplomatic relations.  At Moscow airport no Chilean authority received the team. In addition, Elías Figueroa and Carlos Caszely were detained by the immigration authorities for alleged irregularities in their passports. Leonardo Véliz told the Chilean newspaper La Tercera that "In Moscow, I was approached by a Chilean student from Lumumba University, the son of a communist militant. I told him to forget to return to Chile, because any red dye was going to be a danger to his integrity".  The first leg was played in Moscow on 26 September, two weeks after the coup, which brought a political dimension to the match. The Soviet authorities banned the entry of journalists and cameras into the stadium. It was a very tense game that was almost cancelled due to rumours of arrests of Chilean players in exchange for the release of political prisoners. The final result was a goalless draw.  The Soviet government and media were humiliated by the result, hoping for an easy victory on home soil.

Second leg.

In the face of criticism of the regime regarding abuses against detainees, the Football Federation of Chile suggested other scenarios, but the military junta, in an effort to improve the climate of opinion, insisted on demonstrating normality and at the same time defeating communism playing on home ground. The Russians demanded to play the game in a neutral country, which both Chile and FIFA rejected.  FIFA established a commission that inspected the National Stadium, which had been prepared for the occasion but which still had about 7,000 detainees. According to testimony of Gregorio Mena Barrales, a politician imprisoned in that stadium, that commission "visited the field, walked around the court, looked with distant eyes at the prisoners and gave the opinion: In the stadium you could play." While the FIFA commission examined the stadium, the detainees were hidden inside. Before the match, the detainees were transferred to a detention site in the Atacama Desert.  But the Soviets never travelled, claiming political and security issues, arguing that the National Stadium was an illegal detention centre where more than 7000 political prisoners were crowded and where many dissidents were tortured after the coup d'état against Salvador Allende. The USSR's decision was supported by several of its allied countries, especially by East Germany which was already classified and threatened not to appear at the World Cup event. The Soviets sent a letter to FIFA explaining that "For moral considerations, Soviets can not at this time play in the stadium of Santiago, splashed with the blood of the Chilean patriots".  Chile demanded a compensation of $300,000 if the Soviets did not appear, claiming that they could not place the tickets for sale and the cost of preparing the game. FIFA declared the match a 2–0 walkover victory for Chile. However, FIFA arranged for the match to be held anyway. The match was attended by only 15,000 people. The game lasted 30 seconds, which took the Chilean team to score a goal from the kickoff. When they arrived in the area, as they had agreed, it was the captain, Francisco "Chamaco" Valdés, who scored the empty goal.  In later years, some members of the Soviet team stated that they thought that their government did not want to lose to a country with a different political ideology and that instead they won a moral victory in the eyes of the world.

Aftermath.

Chile.

The Chileans were drawn alongside the hosts West Germany and two first-time entrants: East Germany and Australia. In the first game, Chile lost 1–0 to West Germany, the goal being scored by Paul Breitner in the first half. Sergio Ahumada equalised for Chile in the second game to draw against the East Germans, but a 0–0 draw to Australia eliminated Chile from the World Cup. The two German teams advanced.

Soviet Union.

A period of decline started for the Soviets as they also missed out on the 1978 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championships of 1976 and 1980.

The 1973 play-off for a place in the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, between the national football teams of the Soviet Union and Chile, is notable for the political circumstances that marked the second leg of the play-off on 21 November 1973. It was scheduled to take place in the Estadio Nacional de Chile in Santiago, the Chilean capital. There had been a coup d'état in Chile two months before, immediately after which people deemed undesirable to the new regime of Augusto Pinochet had been held captive and executed in the stadium. The Soviet Union asked FIFA to find a different venue in Chile; when agreement could not be reached, the Soviet team did not take the field and was disqualified from the tournament, giving the Chilean team a victory by walkover. However, the match was still organised by FIFA as normal, but without any away team present. Chile scored 1–0 in an empty goal, and then the referee blew the game off. Chile advanced to the 1974 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the first round.


History.

The Meteorology department first began its study of convective storms with the use of a 3 cm wavelength radar in the early 1950s. In 1962, they upgraded to a 10 cm, and in 1966, dual wavelength capability was added. After several modifications, the radar was placed on top of the newly completed Eller O&M Building in 1973. In 1992, the Aggie Doppler RADar was born with the installation of doppler capability. A final upgrade to the pedestal, removal of the side dishes, new processor, and work station occurred in 1997.

AN/CPS-9.

In the early 1950s, the department received a 3-cm weather radar, AN/CPS-9, from the US Air Force. Using this 3-cm radar, researchers studied mid-latitude mesoscale systems, severe storms, and land-falling cyclones. The AN/CPS-9 model was the first purpose-built weather radar.

April 5, 1956, tornado warning.

"The modified APS-2F at Texas A&M University, although not formally a part of the Texas Tornado Warning Network, was used at least once for warning purposes (Bigler 1956). On 5 April 1956, a tornado that produced damage in Bryan and College Station, Texas, was detected by the Texas A&M University radar. At noon that day, the Weather Bureau Forecast Center at Kansas City, Missouri, had issued what we would today call a tornado watch for an area just to the north of Bryan. The Texas A&M University radar observed strong, tall, hook-shaped echoes with V-notch signatures after 1400 LT. At 1445 LT, Texas A&M University meteorologists called the Bryan Police Department and forecast that a tornado would touch down 30 min. later. Actual damage started at 1509 LT. Texas A&M University also warned the College Station Consolidated School System, which decided to keep the children in their school buildings instead of releasing them at the scheduled time of 1500 LT. This is probably the first warning based solely on interpretation of radar data and is a good example of effective interaction between warning meteorologists and the local community. Today, with improved warning dissemination methods, increased community preparedness, and better radar capabilities and coverage, it would be less likely that a research team would be issuing warnings to communities directly."

WSR/TAMU-1 and TAMU-ADRAD.

In 1962, a longer wavelength radar, 10-cm, was constructed and designated WSR/TAMU-1. The TAMU-1 was updated in 1966 to allow dual wavelength operations. After several modifications, the radar was placed on top of the newly completed Eller O&M Building in 1973. More modifications were made in 1989 in anticipation of adding Doppler capability.  One of the storms that was tracked with this radar was Hurricane Alicia in 1983. As the storm made landfall, the Galveston NWS office lost its radar. The A&M radar tracked the remnants as they moved inland.  The integration of a Lassen Research PSP-32 processor in 1992 enabled Doppler capability. The new system was renamed the TAMU Aggie Doppler Radar (TAMU-ADRAD). This system was updated in 1993. A final upgrade to the pedestal, removal of the side dishes, new processor, and work station occurred in 1997. Starting in October 1998, live radar pictures from the ADRAD were available online during storms.  In 2016, ADRAD data became available for use by the National Weather Service offices and research teams through Gibson Ridge Analyst software (GRLevelX).

Radar properties.

The current antenna is a parabolic solid with a 4.88 meter (16 foot) diameter. It is situated 172.5 meters (566 feet) above mean sea level. It rotates at 2.5 RPM (15 degrees per second) or 4.5 RPM maximum (27 degrees per second). Elevation can be set from -1 to 90 degrees.  The transmitter is an Enterprise Electronics DWSR-88S, operating on a wavelength of 10.56 cm (corresponding to 2840 MHz). This frequency is in the S band, which is also used by the NEXRAD network. Peak power is 1 megawatt.

See also.

Texas A&M University is also a partner in the Smart-R mobile research radars. See the following for more information - https://web.archive.org/web/20060418035945/http://www.met.tamu.edu/smartr/Smart-R.html

The Aggie Doppler Radar (ADRAD) is a Doppler weather radar located on the roof of the Eller Oceanography & Meteorology Building on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas.


Description.

Every house system is also affiliated with a zodiac sign can be dependent on the rotational movement of Earth on its axis, but there is a wide range of approaches to calculating house divisions and different opinions among astrologers over which house system is most accurate. To calculate the houses, it is necessary to know the exact time, date, and location. In natal astrology, some astrologers will use a birth time set for noon or sunrise if the actual time of birth is unknown. An accurate interpretation of such a chart, however, cannot be expected.  The houses are divisions of the ecliptic plane (a great circle containing the Sun's orbit, as seen from the earth), at the time and place of the horoscope in question. They are numbered counter-clockwise from the cusp of the first house. Commonly, houses one through six are below the horizon and houses seven through twelve are above the horizon, but some systems may not respect entirely that division (in particular when the Ascendant does not coincide with the first house's cusp).  The several methods of calculating house divisions stem from disagreement over what they mean mathematically (regarding space and time). All house systems in Western astrology use twelve houses projected on the ecliptic. The differences arise from which fundamental plane is the object of the initial division and whether the divisions represent units of time, or degrees of distance.  If space is the basis for house division, the chosen plane is divided into equal arcs of 30° each. A difference will be made as to whether these divisions are made directly on the ecliptic, or on the celestial equator or some other great circle, before being projected on the ecliptic.  If time is the basis for house division, a difference must be made for whether the houses are based on invariant equal hours (each house represents 2 hours of the sun's apparent movement each day) or temporal hours (daytime and night-time divided into six equal parts, but here the temporal hours will vary according to season and latitude.)  Regardless of these different methods, all house divisions in Western astrology share certain things in common: the twelve house cusps are always projected on the ecliptic; they will all place the cusp of the first house near the eastern horizon and every house cusp is 180° of longitude apart from the sixth following house (1st opposes 7th; 2nd opposes 8th and so on).

The twelve houses.

The next table represents the basic outline of the houses as they are still understood today and includes the traditional Latin names. The houses are numbered from the east downward under the horizon, each representing a specific area of life. Many modern astrologers assume that the houses relate to their corresponding signs, i.e. that the first house has a natural affinity with the first sign, Aries, and so on.

Modalities and triplicities.

Similarly to how signs are classified according to astrological modality (Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable), houses are classified, according to a mode of expression, as Angular, Succedent and Cadent. Angular houses are points of initiation and represent action; they relate to cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). Succedent houses are points of purpose and represent stabilization; succedent houses relate to fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius). And finally, Cadent houses are points of transition and they represent change and adaptation; cadent houses relate to mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces).  Again, following a similar classification of signs according to the four classical elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water), houses can be grouped together by triplicity, relating them to a level of experience.  In old astrological writings (e.g. William Lilly), "house" could also be used as a synonym for domicile or rulership, as in the sentence "The Moon has its house in Cancer" meaning that Cancer is ruled by the Moon. It may be helpful to think of a ruling planet, in this case the Moon, as the "owner of the 4th House", and the sign, "e.g." Cancer, as the CEO or landlord who runs the house. In an individual horoscope, whatever sign occupies any given house can be thought of as the house's tenant. (See Rulership section below.)

Bhavas.

In Indian astrology, the twelve houses are called Bhava and have meanings very similar to their Western counterparts. The houses are divided into four 'bhavas' which point to'mood' or what the house stands for. These four bhavas are Dharma (duty), Artha (resources), Kama (pleasure) and Moksha (liberation). These bhavas are called 'purusharthas or 'aims in life.' The ancient mystics of India realized that the austere path of the yogi was not for everyone. They found that each human existence has four worthwhile goals in life:  Theses 4 aims of life are repeated in above sequence 3 times through the 12 bhavas:

Houses for a nation or corporation.

In his 1920 book "The Arcana: Or the Stock and Share Key", Sepharial proposed the following interpretation for houses if the chart is for a nation and a corporation:

Systems of house division.

There are many systems of house division. In most, the ecliptic is divided into houses and the ascendant (eastern horizon) marks the cusp, or beginning, of the first house, and the descendant (western horizon) marks the cusp of the seventh house. Many systems, called quadrant house systems, also use the midheaven ("medium coeli") as the cusp of the tenth house.  Goals for a house system include ease of computation; agreement with the "quadrant" concept (ascendant on the first house cusp and midheaven on the tenth); defined and meaningful behaviour in the polar regions; acceptable handling of heavenly bodies of high latitude (a distinct problem from high-latitude locations on the Earth's surface); and symbolic value. It is impossible for any system to satisfy all the criteria completely, so each one represents a different compromise. The extremely popular Placidus and Koch systems, in particular, can generate undefined results in the polar circles. Research and debate on the merits of different house systems is ongoing.

Early forms of house division.

The Babylonians may have been the first to set out the concept of house division. Specifically, they timed the birth according to three systems of time division: (a) a three-part division of the night into watches, (b) a four-part division of the nychthemeron with respect to sunrise and sunset, and (c) a twelve-part division of the day-time into hours. Babylonian astronomers studied the rising times of the signs and calculated tables of ascensions for their latitude, but it would take better time measurements by the Egyptians and the introduction of the concept of ascendant, around the 2nd century B.C., to give astrological houses their first recognisable structure and meaning, from the perspective of Classical Western astrology.  The earliest forms of house division were those that link with, or run parallel to, the signs of the zodiac along the ecliptic.

Whole sign.

In the whole sign house system, sometimes referred to as the 'Sign-House system', the houses are 30° each. The ascendant designates the rising sign, and the first house begins at zero degrees of the zodiac sign in which the ascendant falls, regardless of how early or late in that sign the ascendant is. The next sign after the ascending sign then becomes the 2nd house, the sign after that the 3rd house, and so on. In other words, each house is wholly filled by one sign. This was the main system used in the Hellenistic tradition of astrology, and is also used in Indian astrology, as well as in some early traditions of Medieval astrology. It is thought to be the oldest system of house division.  The Whole Sign system may have been developed in the Hellenistic tradition of astrology sometime around the 1st or 2nd century BCE, and from there it may have passed to the Indian and early Medieval traditions of astrology; though the line of thought which states that it was transmitted to India from Western locales is hotly contested. At some point in the Medieval period, probably around the 10th century, whole sign houses fell into disuse in the western tradition, and by the 20th century the system was completely unknown in the western astrological community, although was continually used in India all the way into the present time. Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s the system was rediscovered and reintroduced into western astrology. The distinction between equal houses and whole sign houses lies in the fact that in whole sign houses the cusp of the 1st house is the beginning of the sign that contains the ascendant, while in equal houses the degree of the ascendant is itself the cusp of the 1st house.

Equal house.

In the equal house system the ecliptic is also divided into twelve divisions of 30 degrees, although the houses are measured out in 30 degree increments starting from the degree of the ascendant. It begins with the ascendant, which acts as the 'cusp' or starting point of the 1st house, then the second house begins exactly 30 degrees later in zodiacal order, then the third house begins exactly 30 degrees later in zodiacal order from the 2nd house, and so on. Proponents of the equal house system claim that it is more accurate and less distorting in higher latitudes (especially above 60 degrees) than the Placidean and other quadrant house systems.

Space-based house systems.

In this type of system, the definition of houses involves the division of the sphere into twelve equal lunes perpendicular to a fundamental plane (the Morinus and Regiomontanus systems being two notable exceptions).

M-House (Equal Mc).

This system is constructed in a similar manner as the Equal house, but houses are measured out in 30 degree increments starting from the longitude of the midheaven, which acts as the 'cusp' or starting point of the 10th house. The ascendant does not coincide with the cusp for the 1st house.

Porphyry.

Each quadrant of the ecliptic is divided into three equal parts between the four angles. This is the oldest system of "quadrant" style house division. Although it is attributed to Porphyry of Tyros, this system was first described by the 2nd-century astrologer Vettius Valens, in the 3rd book of his astrological compendium known as "The Anthology".

Carter's Poly Equatorial.

This house system was described by the English astrologer Charles E. O. Carter (1887-1968) in his "Essays on the Foundations of Astrology". The house division starts at the right ascension of the ascendant and to it is added 30o of right ascension for each successive cusp. Those cusps are then restated in terms of celestial longitude by projecting them along great circles containing the North and South celestial poles. The 1st house cusp coincides with the ascendant's longitude, but the 10th house cusp is not identical with the Midheaven.

Meridian.

Also known as the Axial system, or Equatorial system, it divides the celestial equator in twelve 30° sectors (starting at the local meridian) and projects them on to the ecliptic along the great circles containing the North and South celestial poles. The intersections of the ecliptic with those great circles provide the house cusps. The 10th house cusp thus equals the Midheaven, but the East Point (also known as Equatorial Ascendant) is now the first house's cusp. Each house is exactly 2 sidereal hours long. This system was proposed by the Australian astrologer David Cope in the beginning of the 20th century and has become the most popular system with the Uranian school of astrology. The Ascendant (intersection between the ecliptic and the horizon) preserves its importance in chart interpretation through sign and aspects, but not as a house determinant, which is why this house system can be used in any latitude.

Morinus.

French mathematician Jean Baptiste Morinus

Regiomontanus.

The celestial equator is divided into twelve, and these divisions are projected on to the ecliptic along great circles that take in the north and south points on the horizon. Named after the German astronomer and astrologer Johann Müller of Königsberg. The Regiomontanus system was later largely replaced by the Placidus system.

Campanus.

The prime vertical (the great circle taking in the zenith and east point on the horizon) is divided into twelve, and these divisions are projected on to the ecliptic along great circles that take in the north and south points on the horizon. It is attributed to Campanus of Novara but the method is known to have been used before his time.

Sinusoidal.

Sinusoidal systems of house division are similar to Porphyry houses except that instead of each quadrant being divided into three equal sized houses, the middle house in each quadrant is compressed or expanded based on whether the quadrant covers less than or greater than 90 degrees. In other words, houses are smooth around the zodiac with the difference or ratio in quadrant sizes being spread in a continuous sinusoidal manner from expanded to compressed houses. Sinusoidal houses were invented and first published by Walter Pullen in his astrology program Astrolog in 1994.

Krusinski/Pisa/Goelzer.

A recently published (1988) house system, discovered by Georg Goelzer, based on a great circle passing through the ascendant and zenith. This circle is divided into 12 equal parts (1st cusp is ascendent, 10th cusp is zenith), then the resulting points are projected to the ecliptic through meridian circles.  The house tables for this system were published in 1995 in Poland. This house system is also known under the name Amphora in the Czech Republic, after it was proposed there by Milan Píša after the study of Manilius's "Astronomica" under this name ("Konstelace č. 22" in: "AMPHORA - nový systém astrologických domů" (1997) and in the booklet "Amphora - algoritmy nového systému domů" (1998)).

Time-based house systems.

Alchabitius.

The predecessor system to the Placidus, which largely replaced the Porphyry. The difference with Placidus is that the time that it takes the ascendant to reach the meridian is divided equally into three parts. The Alchabitius house system was very popular in Europe before the introduction of the Regiomontanus system.

Placidus.

This is the most commonly used house system in modern Western astrology. The paths drawn for each degree of the ecliptic to move from the Imum coeli to the horizon, and from the horizon to the midheaven, are trisected to determine the cusps of houses 2, 3, 11, and 12. The cusps of houses 8, 9, 5 and 6 are opposite these. The Placidus system is sometimes not defined beyond polar circles (latitudes greater than 66°N or 66°S), because certain degrees are "circumpolar" (never touch the horizon), and planets falling in them cannot be assigned to houses without extending the system. This result is a weakness of the Placidean system according to its critics, who often cite the exceptional house proportions in the higher latitudes.  Named for 17th-century astrologer Placidus de Titis, it is thought the Placidus system was first mentioned about 13th century in Arab literature, but the first confirmed publication was in 1602 by Giovanni Antonio Magini (1555–1617) in his book "Tabulae Primi Mobilis, quas Directionem Vulgo Dicunt". The first documented usage is from Czech, 1627. Later it was popularized by the Catholic Church as an argument for Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the Solar System, in the campaign against the heliocentric theory. Placidus, a professor of mathematics, was named as its author to give it credibility to his contemporaries. Placidus remains the most popular system among English-speaking astrologers

Koch.

A rather more complicated version of the Placidus system, built on equal increments of Right Ascension for each quadrant. The Koch system was developed by the German astrologer Walter Koch (1895–1970) and is defined only for latitudes between 66°N and 66°S. This system is popular among research astrologers in the U.S. and among German speakers, but in Central Europe lost some popularity to the Krusiński house system.

Topocentric.

This is a recent system, invented in Argentina, that its creators claim has been determined empirically, i.e. by observing events in people's lives and assessing the geometry of a house system that would fit. The house cusps are always within a degree of those given in the Placidus system. The topocentric system can also be described as an approximation algorithm for the Placidus system.  Topocentric houses are also called Polich-Page, after the names of the house system creators, Wendel Polich and A. Page Nelson.

Chart gallery.

The following charts display different house systems for the same time and location. To better compare systems subject to distortion, a high latitude city was chosen (Stockholm, Sweden) and the time corresponds to a long ascension sign (Cancer). For clarity purposes, all the usual aspect lines, degrees and glyphs were removed.

The MC in non-quadrant house systems.

In the whole sign and equal house systems the Medium Coeli (Midheaven), the highest point in the chart, does not act as the cusp or starting point of the 10th house. Instead the MC moves around the top half of the chart, and can land anywhere in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, depending on the latitude. The MC retains its commonly agreed significations, but it doesn't act as the starting point of the 10th house, therefore in Equal house it adds extra definition and meaning to MC and the cusps involved, but always MC is same in interpretations as other house systems.  This is also the more common criticism of the whole sign and equal house method as it concerns the location of the Medium Coeli (Midheaven), the highest point in the chart. In the equal house system, the ascendant/descendant and midheaven/IC axes can vary from being perpendicular to each other (from approx. +-5 deg at most at equator to approx. +-15 degrees at Alexandria to +-90 degrees at polar circle). As a result, equal houses counted from the ascendant cannot in general place the midheaven on the tenth house cusp, where many feel it would be symbolically desirable. Since this point is associated with ambition, career, and public image, the argument is that the Midheaven, therefore, must be the cusp of the similar tenth house. It has also been linked by extension with Capricorn (the tenth sign of the zodiac). Equal house system always takes MC to be first and foremost THE most important indicator of career, but 10th house cusp is simple like a weaker 2nd MC cusp and would be taken into account, but not at the expense of MC. Because the Whole Sign and Equal House system do take the Midheaven into account, but relies on the location of the Ascendant, it can be found anywhere between the 8th and 11th houses.

Rulership.

In Hellenistic, Vedic, Medieval and Renaissance astrology each house is ruled by the planet that rules the sign on its cusp. For example, if a person has the sign Aries on the cusp of their 7th house, the planet Mars is said to "rule" the 7th house. This means that when a planet is allotted a house, the planet's attributes will have some bearing on the topics related to that house within the life of the individual whose chart is being analyzed. This planet is considered very important for events specifically pertaining to that house's topics; in fact, its placement in the chart will have at least as much influence on the chart as the planets placed within the house. In traditional Western and Hindu astrology, each sign is ruled by one of the 7 visible planets (note that in astrology, the Sun and Moon are considered planets, which literally means "wanderers", i.e. wandering stars, as opposed to the fixed stars of the constellations).  In addition, some modern astrologers who follow the X=Y=Z or Planet=Sign=House doctrine, which was first taught by Alan Leo in the early part of the 20th century, believe that certain houses are also ruled by—or have an affinity with—the planet which rules the corresponding zodiacal sign. For instance, Mars is ruler of the 1st house because it rules Aries, the first sign; Mercury rules (or has an affinity with) the 3rd house because it rules Gemini, the 3rd sign; etc.  This concept is sometimes referred to as "natural rulership," as opposed to the former which is known as "accidental rulership."

Most horoscopic traditions of astrology systems divide the horoscope into a number (usually twelve) of houses whose positions depend on time and location rather than on date. In Hindu astrological tradition these are known as Bhāvas. The houses of the horoscope represent different fields of experience wherein the energies of the signs and planets operate—described in terms of physical surroundings as well as personal life experiences.


Baseball career.

High school & college.

Eyre was All-State at Cyprus High School (UT). In and, he was an All-America selection playing outfield at the College of Eastern Utah.

Minnesota Twins.

Eyre was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins. From 1999 to, Eyre made his way through the Twins' minor league system, playing for the Elizabethton Twins, Quad City River Bandits, Fort Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats, Phoenix Desert Dogs (Arizona Fall League), and Rochester Red Wings.  He made his major league debut for the Twins on April 6, 2006, but was nontendered by the Twins on December 12, 2006, making him a free agent.

Texas Rangers.

The Texas Rangers signed Eyre to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Eyre had Tommy John surgery in August and missed all of. He returned to the Rangers bullpen for 2009. He spent all of 2010 with the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks and then became a free agent.

Oakland Athletics.

On November 5, 2010, Eyre signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics.

Baltimore Orioles.

Eyre opted out of his contract in July 2011 and signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He was designated for assignment on December 8, 2011, but was shortly re-signed to a minor league contract. On June 12, 2012 he was released by the Baltimore Orioles.

Return to Texas Rangers.

Following his release from the Orioles organization, on June 19, 2012 Eyre signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers - the organization with whom he pitched in the minor and major leagues from 2007 through 2010 - and resumed pitching in relief for their AAA affiliate, the Round Rock Express, the next day.,

Personal.

Eyre was named after Willie Mays by his mother, who was an admirer of the Hall of Fame center fielder despite being a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. He is the brother of Scott Eyre, a retired major league relief pitcher. He also has a younger brother, Robert Grace, who is playing in the minor leagues for the San Francisco Giants organization. He is married and has three children.

William Mays Eyre (born July 21, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles.


History.

Minialuxe started production of plastic cars about 1954 (some sources say 1959) and ceased production in the late 1970s (Ford Anglia website; Ralston and Forbes 2008, p. 26; Johnson 1998, p. 174). The company was based in the town of Oyonnax in eastern France about 20 miles from Geneva, Switzerland, and about 50 miles northeast of Lyon (where toy makers Norev and Majorette were headquartered). Oyonnax was known for its plastics industry, with experiments in celluloid long before WWII and a new burgeoning industry post-War (Ralston and Forbes 2008, p. 25). One landmark event that saw the area's explosion as a toy center was the local plastics industry's first trade fair which was located in Oyonnax in 1953; Ralston 2007, p. 25).  Minialuxe claimed to be the first to produce models in a new plastic called Rhodalite, but apparently Norev beat them by about a year (Ralston 2007, p. 26). Models featured were mostly, but not exclusively, French makes (Sinclair's 1977). There were two main series, a contemporary line and a classic line. Minialuxe appears to have started with the contemporary line, expanding into the classic line around 1970. Collectors traditionally seem to be more interested in the unique selections of the classic series, but all models, though somewhat simpler than the zamac metal diecast of other companies, were clever and included details that were quite endearing.

The Contemporary Line.

The contemporary line was started in 1954 with a few selections and it continued through the mid-1970s. It featured mainly French brands. Renaults seen were the (Dauphine, Floride, 10, 16, Alpine A310, 5, 17), and an Estafette delivery van. Peugeots produced were the (203, 204, 403, 404, 504, and 604), Citroëns (11CV Traction Avant, Ami sedan and break, Dyane, Méhari, DS 19 and 21, SM, CX, and GS), Simcas (Aronde, Versailles, Marly Ambulance, Beaulieu, 1000, 1100, 1300, Océane, and Aronde Plein Ciel). For plastic, the selection and detail were impressive. Less well known French brands from the 1950s through the 1970s such as the Hotchkiss Grégoire, Panhards, and Matras were available and distinct from Norev – their main competition (Ralston 2007, p. 26,34). Several models were offered in police livery, especially the Citroen 11CV fourgon (delivery van) which was available for several years in a variety of liveries (Minialuxe Forum website). As time passed, model details and proportions became increasingly more accurate. For example, the Jaguar XK-E was simply stunning and could compare well to any Corgi or Tekno version (Ralston 2007, p. 37). The Hotchkiss (and other cars) were available with various trailers or features such as luggage, skis, or a canoe affixed to the roof (Ralston 2007, p. 37). The Peugeot 604 came with four plastic bicycles, advertising the "Grand Prix de la Montagne" in Tour de France style (Ralston 2007, p. 39). This was a major difference between Norev and Minialuxe; though Norevs were better detailed, Minialuxe had cars and train accessories without the trains! Available were stop lights, street lights, fire hydrants, gas pumps, signs, policemen directing traffic, garage lifts and other pieces (Ralston 2007, pp. 26–27, 38–39).  Other non-French makes were a significant part of the line-up. A couple of Volvos, Porsche 911 Targa, Mercedes W196 Grand Prix car, Jaguar E-Type and D-type, a Ford GT Mark IV, a Fiat 124 and a Siata-Fiat were included. European Fords (Consul, Anglia and Taunus), a VW K70, a BMW 1500, and a Vespa 2CV rounded out the offerings. Formula 1 race cars such as a Matra MS80, Ferrari 312B, and a Gordini added extra sport to the line. Minialuxe also made a few motorcycles, a Paris bus, and a couple of trucks.  Multiple car gift sets were offered, for example, six Citroën Tractions Avant in six different colors in one box, or a BP station with pumps and repair jack. Many of these more contemporary Minialuxe models were part of sweepstakes offers or used as promotionals for different companies, another main difference from Norev. While Norev perfected its own clever marketing ploys, Minialuxe went more for different company promotions. For example, "Chèque Tintin" was a sweepstakes offer based on the comic strip "The Adventures of Tintin" ("Les Aventures de Tintin") where one accumulated coupons or stamps out of magazines and other publications and turned them in for model cars. Another example was a Citroen DS19 sedan with "Vêtements Bayard" (Bayard Clothing) imprinted (partially melted into the plastic) on the roof. Other cars advertised Bresilia coffee or Delespaul chocolate (Ralston 2007, p. 26).

The Classic Line.

The classic Minialuxe "Les Tacots" line was started about 1970, after the contemporary line had been in production for almost a decade. The classic line featured 34 vehicles from about 1900 through the 1920s. French vehicles were the most common and included Renaults, Peugeots, Citroëns, Panhards and others like a Lorraine-Dietrich, a Balda, a Park Royal, and a De Dion. David Sinclair, who was probably the first to import Minaluxe models to the United States, noted that one interesting selection was a Panhard & Levassor that was one of the first automobiles and one of the earliest cars enclosed in glass (Sinclair's 1977; Levine 2009). A few non-French American cars like variants of the Ford Model T, an early Packard landaulet, the first Oldsmobile Curved Dash model, and an Autocar taxi were offered. British models produced were an early Austin delivery van and a Lanchester.  Models were all plastic, but this was ideal for the intricate'spiderweb' details needed for thin window supports and long narrow wheel spokes seen on early classic cars. The Minialuxe classic line was contemporary to and similar to early Brumm, Rio Models, Cursor, Dugu Miniautotoys or Safir which were all generally plastic. Some models, like the 1910 Renault came in different forms and sometimes had holes in the plastic where windshield or other pieces were placed on other variants – which gives the appearance that parts are missing when they are not. While most models appeared well-constructed, some appeared with glue sloppily streaked across body panels.  A small series of HO Tacot models were also introduced but Force says that only four were apparently made (Force 1991, p. 150). One very intriguing Minialuxe model was a Hill's 1839 primitive locomotive, similar to George Stevenson's first locomotive built in Newcastle in 1829.

Model Details.

Minialuxe models had both bodies and chassis made of styrene plastic. Early Minialuxe models were fairly simple without windows, had simple chassis, and sometimes one piece tire/wheel assemblies. Early Norevs had better detail and proportion (Ralston 2007, p. 33). Later models were more precisely detailed sometimes with two-tone paint schemes and some opening features (Force 1991, p. 149). Windows were added in the late 1950s, but commonly bodies were molded in clear plastic, then painted except for the windows themselves (Ralston 2007, p 38). Some models suffered from acetate malformation. Usually the only metal parts were axles. Earlier cars had bumpers and chrome parts hand painted in silver while headlights and tail lights were often painted with yellows and reds. Another interesting detail when compared with Norev, was that Minialuxe offered vehicles in two main scales: 1:43 and 1:32, which provided for more detail (Ralston 2007, pp. 26–27).  By 1968 or 1969 interiors, steering wheels, opening hoods and engine detail had all been added on various models (Force 1991, p. 149). Earlier engine detail was painted silver and later, chromed. For example, the Simca 1100 sedan had an opening hood and tail gate. Some models experienced glue distortion under roofs or warping of bodies over time, which is unusual for styrene. Early tires were solid white plastic with solid hubs or with different colored hubs (say beige or dark red) while later tires were a slightly softer polyurethane with simple metal hubs similar to Tekno or Corgi (Ralston 2007, pp. 34–35). Some plastic wheels were done in a wire style, sometimes in chrome, sometimes just in simple body color. By the 1970s, bodies were better formed with pieces fitting together much better (Force 1991, p. 150).  Models were mostly unnumbered in the contemporary line, while the "Tacots" classic line was numbered. As a case study, on the black plastic base of the BMW 1500 sedan was written the name of the car and "1:43" then "Minialuxe" in large letters. Below that it said "Minia Stable" (steady minialuxe?) possibly referring to the workable suspension – and below then "suspension brevetee SGDG"(meaning 'patented'). The chassis was cut along lines parallel with the length of the car which subsections were supported around the axles giving a springy bounce to the car. Lastly, of course, was "Made in France" (Force 1991, p. 149).

Packaging.

Early Minialuxe vehicles came in simple cardboard cartons without plastic windows and illustrated with colorful standard artwork of the cars. 'Minialuxe' or 'Jouet Minialuxe' was written on the flaps commonly with the color of the car indicated. Colors were bright and saturated blues yellows, pinks and reds. No matter the model inside, Simcas and Peugeots were commonly shown on each early box, emphasizing French origins (Minialuxe Forum website). The flaps said "Les Grandes Marques Francaises" ("The Great French Makes"). In the 1970s, similar to the early German Cursor company, models were offered in a clear flimsy plastic 'box' with a cardboard base.

The Duration of Minialuxe.

It appears that Minialuxe, as a rather sophisticated plastic model maker, lasted about 25 years, though it was not very well known outside France, and less well-known than its main competitor Norev. This is a longer period than several other European diecast model makers – whether in plastic or zamac metal. For example, Minialuxe lasted longer than Italian Mebetoys and nearly as long as Polistil, both of which had more company influence (Mattel in the case of Mebetoys) and more international success. Minialuxe models were very practical and realistic and never made any concessions to Mattel's fast axle wheel developments, flashy paint, and Hot Rod hip style which revolutionized the toy car industry.  It seems as the company declined, it depended more and more on its Tacots classic series and on adult collectors who prized them. Well-known collector Edward Force says, as far as he could tell, the last 'new' model was introduced in 1974, Like Norev and Politoys, Minialuxe also planned a transition to diecast metal, and produced one model in metal: a Berliet Stradair articulated tanker, but it was the only one (Ralston 2007, pp. 26–27). Some models like the VW K70 and Renault 30TS were produced in the 1970s, and the last appear to have been in the late 1970s (Force 1991, p. 150; Ralston 2007, p. 27). In any event, by 1980, Minialuxe was gone.

Minialuxe was a brand of detailed and authentic plastic car and truck models made in Oyonnax (Department of Ain), France. Models were usually made in 1:43 scale, but some larger 1:32 scale vehicles were also manufactured (for example, a Peugeot 403). The official name of the company in French was "Établissements Minialuxe".


Description.

Male upperside: pale creamy white; both wings irrorated with diffuse black scales; body, base of the wings and the dorsum of hindwing clothed with long white hairs. Forewing: the irroration of black scales most dense along the costal margin and at base of cell, more sparse on the disc; the apical two thirds of the cell, a portion beyond the middle of interspace 1, and the bases of interspaces 4, 5, 8 and 9 markedly free of the diffuse black scales; a transverse short bar across the middle of cell, another along the discocellulars, and a diffuse transverse series of postdiscal lunules, black; three or four crimson spots encircled with black arranged as follows: one midway in interspace 1, two, sometimes three, beyond apex of cell in an oblique line from the costa; the terminal margin broadly hyaline, with minute black specks at the apices of the veins; cilia white. Hindwing: base and dorsal margin beneath the white hairs densely and broadly irrorated with black scales, the inner edge of this border irregular, rest of the wing with more diffuse black scaling; five or six black-encircled crimson spots as follows: two, sometimes three, obliquely above the tornus, these or one of them occasionally white-centred; one in the middle of interspaces 5 and 7 respectively, these are generally centred with white; and one pure crimson spot at the extreme base of the wing; the postdiscal series of black lunules are as on the forewing, but the lunules are not so well defined and generally separate from one another; finally there is no distinct hyaline border to the wing, but the cream-white scaling extends to the termen; terminal black specks to the veins and white cilia as on the forewing. Underside: shining, with more or less of a glazed appearance; markings much as on the upperside, but indicated as much by those of the upperside which show through as by actual scaling; in addition on the hindwing there is a subbasal transverse series of four dull crimson spots while the crimson spots beyond are all more or less white centred. Antennae deep brownish black, rarely with a few white specks on the underside; head, thorax and abdomen beneath the covering of white hairs, black. Female. Similar, generally darker with the irroration of black scales more dense; the crimson spots are often larger and more brilliant. Anal pouch after fertilization "ovally scoop-shaped in front, convex beneath," furnished with a sharp high carina posteriorly.

Range.

North-eastern Afghanistan, Indus Valley (Pakistan) and (Jammu & Kashmir), Tajikistan (Pamirs), Uzbekistan, South West China and Szechwan.

Status.

Not known to be in danger. The nominate subspecies is protected by law in India.

Taxonomy.

The Latin specific epithet "jacquemontii" refers to the French botanist and geologist Victor Jacquemont (1844–1912).

Parnassius jacquemontii, the keeled Apollo, is a high altitude butterfly which is found in India and Pakistan. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus ("Parnassius") of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae). It is also fairly common at high altitudes from Chitral to Kumaon.


USSR anti-religious campaign (1928–1941)

Education.

In 1928 the Soviet People's Commissar for Education, Anatoly Lunacharsky, pressured by leftist Marxists, agreed to an entirely anti-religious education system from the first grade up, however, he still warned against a general expulsion of teachers with religious beliefs due to the shortage of atheist teachers. In 1929 an Agitprop conference resolved to intensify anti-religious work throughout the education system. This led to the setting-up of anti-religious sections at all research and higher-education teaching institutions. A special anti-religious faculty was instituted at the Institute of Red Professors in 1929.  A campaign was led against schoolteachers of the old intelligentsia who were asserted to be working against the system and were even allowing priests to spiritually influence schoolchildren. Teachers accused of such could be fired, and

Sergii and the Church.

Most of the bishops arrested between 1928–1932 were arrested for reasons surrounding opposition to Metropolitan Sergius and his notorious declaration of loyalty. The state did officially maintain the line that church and state were separate in the Soviet Union during this time, despite the many arrests of people for not following their religious leaders. The GPU often cynically questioned arrested believers "what is your attitude to 'our' Metropolitan Sergii, heading the Soviet church?".  Opposition to Sergius was used as a pretext to close many churches and sending clergy to exile. The last officially functioning anti-Sergiite church in Moscow was closed in 1933 and in Leningrad in 1936. After these churches were closed, they were usually demolished or turned to secular use (rather than being given to Sergii's jurisdiction as though they were really being closed simply for the reason of their opposition to Sergii). This campaign greatly diminished the number of functioning churches in the country.  Although officially anti-Sergiite churches were destroyed, many unofficial underground church communities existed and formed what was called 'The Catacomb Church'. This underground church movement claimed to be the true legitimate continuation of Orthodoxy in

Legislative measures.

The LMG called for sectarians to be expelled from farm management in 1929.  In 1929 Lunacharsky, made some statements in which he claimed that religious freedom could be suspended "when it is abused for the direct class struggle against the proletarian dictatorship". While Lunacharsky had urged moderation, this quotation would be taken out of context in order to justify the intense anti-religious persecution carried out in the next decade.  The church's successful competition with the ongoing and widespread atheistic propaganda, prompted new laws to be adopted in 1929 on "Religious Associations" as well as amendments to the constitution, which forbade all forms of public, social, communal, educational, publishing or missionary activities for religious believers. The Church thereby lost any public voice and was limited strictly to religious services that took place in the walls of churches. Atheist propaganda continued to have an unlimited right of propagation, which meant that the Church could not respond to the arguments used against it any longer. The Church was not permitted to run study groups for religious adults, organize picnics or cultural circles, or organize special services for groups of believers, such as schoolchildren, youth, women or mothers. Any pursuit of the true pastoral duties by clergymen became punishable by law. These laws also forbade Christian charity efforts, participation of children in religious activities, and religious functionaries were restricted to the area associated with them.  Young Pioneer organizations were urged to participate in the anti-religious struggle by the 16th party congress. The same congress also made it illegal for children to serve as acolytes in churches or to be drawn into groups for home religious instruction.  The official explanation for this campaign was that the state was vulnerable due to foreign religious efforts (e.g. the Vatican, US evangelical churches) and that therefore

Financial persecution.

The church was treated as a private enterprise and clergy qualified as kulaks for taxation purposes, and they were subject to the same oppressive taxation that was introduced for private peasants and shopkeepers (up to 81% of income). The lack of regulations that defined how such should be assessed allowed for arbitrary assessments and financial persecution. The rural clergy were required to pay the full tax on land use, along with tax on income received for special clerical functions as well as a special tax paid by those deprived of voting rights (all clergy were in this category). All church communities were required to pay a special tax on the leased church building at 0.5% of the "market" value of the building, which would be arbitrarily assessed by the State Insurance Office. Furthermore, clergy and conscientious objectors had to pay a special tax for not serving in the armed forces, but still had to serve in special auxiliary forces (felling trees, mining, and doing other labour) when called upon. This tax was equal to 50% of the income tax on incomes under 3000 rubles and 75% of the income tax on incomes greater than 3000 rubles. Through all of these taxes combined, the taxes charged to clergy could exceed 100% of their income. Failure to pay taxes could be criminally prosecuted and lead to imprisonment or exile in Siberia. Failure to pay taxes could also be treated as a subversive activity to undermine the Soviet economy during the Five Year Plan and could lead to execution.  Clergy were deprived of any social security rights as well. Up until 1929, the Church could insure their clergy for medical care and for pension by paying required sums, but after this

Antireligious propaganda.

The antireligious propaganda was critical in order to demonize active believers and foster a mindset of hostility against them as'vermin' or'scum', and it was in some ways similar to the contemporary anti-Semitic propaganda of Nazi Germany. Creating this mindset was critical in order to make the public accept the campaign.  The published anti-religious propaganda was not as conspicuous as it was during the 1920s, but this did not bear reflection on the level of actual persecution. The verbal propaganda was increasingly relegated to public organizations, such as party branches, the Komsomol, the Young Pioneers, the League of the Militant Godless, Museums of Scientific Atheism, Workers' Evening Universities of Atheism under the auspices of Trade Unions, and others.  All forms of behaviour and policies of the Churches were treated in the official propaganda as insincere and aiming to overthrow Communism (including both believers that were pro-soviet and anti-soviet). Even acts of loyalty by religious leaders to the system were considered to be insincere attempts to curry favour in order to retain their influence over the believers and protect religion from its final liquidation as the sworn enemy of the workers.  Religious behaviour was presented in the official propaganda as being linked to psychological disorders and even criminal behaviour. Textbooks for schoolchildren tried to evoke contempt for believers; pilgrims were depicted as morons, repulsive-looking alcoholics, syphilitics, plain cheaters and money-grubbing clergy. Believers were treated as harmful parasites that spread ignorance, filth and disease, and which needed to be liquidated.  The press relayed slogans like "let us deal a crushing blow to religion!" or "we must achieve liquidation of the Church and complete liquidation of religious superstitions!". Religious belief was presented as superstitious and backward. It often printed pictures of former churches that had been demolished or turned into other uses.  The official press instructed people to sacrifice their family ties for the sake of atheism, and that they should not make compromises with family religious tradition for the sake of family unity or loving pity for their relatives.  The

Agricultural communes.

The religious agricultural communes were replaced with state communes. These communes were attacked, not because of poor productivity but because they prevented the penetration of anti-religious propaganda into them. People from religious communes who joined state communes were blamed in the press for sabotaging the harvest and work on the communes.  Churikov, a small merchant from the Volga area who had established highly successful Orthodox agricultural communes began to be targeted by the state in

Muslims.

Sultan Galiev, the Central Asian Marxist leader who had advocated for an independent Marxist state in Central Asia, began to be attacked in 1927. From 1927-1940 he and his supporters were purged from the CPSU. Galiev was arrested and sent to penal servitude; he was later executed in 1940. Many Muslims who had supported a united Muslim state in Central Asia were targeted and liquidated in the 1930s as traitors.  Much of the communist party in Central Asia was composed of believing Muslims, and the state found that it was not pragmatic to eliminate all of them, because of the lack of experience that Russian communist replacements had with Central Asia and the shortage of sufficient numbers of atheist members of the CPSU in those territories.  Muslims nevertheless were attacked along with the believers of other religions during this period. The 1929 law on religious associations for the whole country was implemented in Central Asia by

Activities.

Stalin called "to bring to completion the liquidation of the reactionary clergy in our country". Stalin called for an "atheist five year plan" from 1932–1937, led by the LMG, in order to completely eliminate all religious expression in the USSR. It was declared that the concept of God would disappear from the Soviet Union.  Some of the tactics that had been used early on and discarded in the 1920s due to their crude nature or providing too much offense to the feelings of believers. Included in these tactics were the anti-Christmases and anti-Easters that were organized by groups such as the Komsomol.  Anti-clericalism, and attempting to divide religions by pitting laity against their hierarchy was still encouraged. Most of the clergy arrested and imprisoned in the 1920s and onwards never had trials. The maximum sentence for administrative exile in the 1920s had been three years, but this was extended to four years in 1934 when the NKVD was created and given the power to issue such sentences. After serving such terms, most clergy would return their dioceses. Those whose terms ran out around 1930 were often transported later under surveillance to an isolated village in the far north or north-east, never to return.  There had initially been great resistance by religious associations against the beginning of the attack in 1929-1930 and large volumes of petitions to the government.  After 1929 and through the 1930s, the closing of churches, mass arrests of the clergy and religiously active laity, and persecution of people for attending church reached unprecedented proportions. For example, in the central Russian region of Bezhetsk, 100 of the surviving 308 churches were shut in 1929 (only twelve were closed in this region between 1918–1929) and in Tula diocese 200 out of the 700 churches were closed in 1929. This campaign began to intensify first in the rural areas before it came to the cities after the liquidation of monasteries in 1932.  Much of this was carried out on secret unpublished instructions from the Central Committee, while confusingly the same Committee would publicly call for an end to the practice of shutting churches. In relation to this, the terror campaign of the 1930s was conducted in an atmosphere of absolute secrecy after very bad international publicity that initially followed the campaign run from 1929–1930.  Party members that were found to have religious affiliation were purged. Party members that were found to have insufficiently detached themselves from religious affiliations (e.g. if they continued to be friends with the local priest) were expelled and purged.  In 1929 the Soviet press claimed that an espionage organization serving the Polish intelligence service was uncovered in the Baptist community. It was supposedly headed by the Baptist leader Shevchuk and employed a hundred secret agents that were collecting Soviet military secrets. These claims were doubtful, however, and the accusation followed a decision by the Baptist church to allow its membership to serve in the armed forces, which thereby deprived Soviet propaganda of its ability to make accusations, as it had earlier, that the Baptists were irresponsible pacifists who parasitically enjoyed the security provided by their fellow citizens who shed their blood in that nation's defense. Other accusations of this sort were leveled against the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, students at the Leningrad Theological Institute and a number of top engineers and scientists, who were accused of doing espionage for foreign powers and the Vatican, or subversion; this led to trials, imprisonments and executions of numerous individuals. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was essentially shut down in 1930 through this means, and in the remainder of the decade most of its bishops were killed as well as many of its followers. A number of Protestant and Roman Catholic dignitaries were "exposed" as foreign spies in 1929–1930. Charges of espionage were commonly used against religious believers in order to arrest them.  There were even accusations that clergy were cooperating with Trotskyites and Zonvievites against the state, although Leon Trotsky was an energetic and militantly atheistic communist leader. In the same theme, Nikolai Bukharin was accused of promoting extreme attacks against

Notable atrocities and victims.

As a result of the secrecy of the campaign, detailed and systematic information of all of the activities carried out by the state is not existent, as a result of this the information known about the victims and actions of this campaign is limited. However, there were a number of notable incidents that were largely recorded by the church.  Father Arkadii Ostal'sky was accused in 1922 of inciting the masses against the state. At his trial every witness refuted the charge, and the prosecution then argued that this number of witnesses was proof that the bishop was very popular and because he preached religion, which was harmful to the Soviet state, he ought to be condemned. He was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to ten years hard labour. After he returned early he was consecrated a bishop, but was then arrested and exiled to Solovki in 1931. He returned again in 1934 and then went into hiding, but he was caught and sent to another concentration camp. He was released shortly before the war broke out and was told by his camp administrator that he could have safety and job security if he agreed to remain in the area of the camps and give up the priesthood. He refused, and was then re-arrested and disappeared.  Bishop Alexander (Petrovsky) was consecrated in 1932 and appointed to Kharkiv by Sergii. In 1939 he was arrested without charge and he soon died in prison thereafter (it is unknown if this was a natural death or not). Afterwards the authorities decided to close the last functioning church in Kharkiv; this was carried out during Lent 1941 when the church was ordered to pay a tax of 125,000 roubles (the average annual wage at the time was 4,000 roubles). The money was collected and submitted, but the church was still shut down before Easter. At Easter a crowd of 8,000 people reportedly participated in a service carried out in the square in front of the church around priests dressed in civilian clothes and impromptu sang the hymn "Glory to Thy Passion, O Lord!" The same was repeated at the Easter Sunday service with an even larger crowd.  Metropolitan Konstantin (D'iakov) of Kiev was arrested in 1937 and shot in prison without trial twelve days later.  Metropolitan Pimen (Pegov) of Kharkov was hated by the communists for his success in resisting the local Renovationists; he was arrested on trumped-up charges of contacts with foreign diplomats and he died in prison in 1933.  Bishop Maxim (Ruberovsky) returned from prison in 1935 to the city of Zhytomyr, to where by 1937 almost all priests from Soviet Volhynia were sent (total of about 200). In August, all of them as well as the bishop were arrested; they were later shot in winter 1937 without trial. Afterwards the Soviet press accused them of subversive acts.  Archbishop Antonii of Arkhangelsk was arrested in 1932. The authorities tried to force him to "confess" to his activities against the Soviet state, but he refused. He wrote in a written questionnaire given to him that he 'prayed daily that God forgive the Soviet Government for its sins and it stop shedding blood'. In prison he was tortured by being made to eat salty food without adequate drink and by restricting the oxygen in his dirty, crowded and unventilated cell; he contracted dysentery and died.  Metropolitan Serafim (Meshcheriakov) of Belorussia had been an active leader of the Renovationists before he returned to the Orthodox church with much public penance, thus incurring the enmity of the Soviet state. Soon after his return, he was arrested in 1924 and exiled to Solovki. He was then re-arrested and shot without trial in Rostov-on-Don along with 122 other clergy and monks in 1932.  Metropolitan Nikolai of Rostov-on-Don was exiled without trial to Kazakhstan, where he and other exiled clergy built huts out of clay and grass; they also ate grass to survive. In 1934 he was allowed to return to Rostov and to return to his post. He was re-arrested in 1938 and condemned to death by a firing squad. After being shot he was dumped in a mass open grave, but when believers came the next day they found that he was still alive, took him away and secretly took care of him. He served as Metropolitan of Rostov under the German occupation, and he evacuated to Romania as the Germans retreated. His subsequent fate is unknown.  Bishop Onufrii (Gagliuk) of Elisavetgrad was arrested in 1924, without cause. He had returned to his post within a year. In 1927 he was re-arrested and exiled to Krasnoiarsk in Siberia. He returned and occupied two more Episcopal sees, but was re-arrested in the mid-1930s and deported beyond the Urals, where he was rumoured to have been shot in 1938.  Bishop Illarion (Belsky) was exiled to Solovki from 1929–1935 in retaliation for his resistance to Sergii. He was re-arrested in 1938, for continuing to refuse to recognize Sergii and shot.  Bishop Varfolomei (Remov) was accused through information provided by own of his own pupils (future bishop Alexii (not the patriarch Alexii)) of having operated a secret theological academy and was shot in 1936.  Bishop Maxim (Zhizhilenko) had worked as a transit prison medical doctor-surgeon for twenty-five years before he was consecrated as a bishop in 1928. His medical and humanitarian work had become famous, and he used to eat prison food, sleep on bare boards and give away his salary to the prisoners he worked with. He was ordained a priest in secret after the revolution and he had reportedly converted many of the imprisoned to Christianity as well as performed pastoral functions and confessions for them. He broke with Sergii after 1927, and he was arrested in 1929. The regime was annoyed with him because he was a popular and outstanding medical doctor that had "deserted" them to the Church, he had been a charismatic bishop and he had chosen the most militantly anti-Sergiite faction (M. Joseph). He was described as a "confessor of apocalyptic mind". He had brought many parishes over from Sergii's faction to his and he had also introduced a prayer that would be introduced in many churches that called on Jesus to keep His word that the gates of hell would not overcome the church and He "grant those in power wisdom and fear of God, so that their hearts become merciful and peaceful towards the Church". He was executed in 1931.  Fr. Roman Medved remained loyal to Sergii. He was arrested in 1931 because of his magnetic personality and acts of charity that were drawing people to religion. He had set up an unofficial church brotherhood in the 1920s that continued long after his death. He was released from his camp in 1936 because of ruined health and died within a year.  Fr Paul Florensky was one of the Orthodox church's greatest 20th century theologians. At the same time he was also a professor of electrical engineering at the Moscow Pedagogical Institute, one of the top counsellors in the Soviet Central Office for the Electrification of the USSR, a musicologist and an art historian. In these fields he held official posts, gave lectures and published widely, while continuing to serve as a priest and he did not even remove his cassock or pectoral cross while lecturing at the university. This situation caused him to be arrested many times beginning in 1925. He was loyal to Sergii. His last arrest occurred in 1933 and he was sent to a concentration camp in the far north. He was given a laboratory at the camp and assigned to do research for the Soviet armed forces during the war. He died there in 1943.  Valentin Sventsitsky was a journalist, a religious author and thinker of Christian-socialist leanings before 1917. Some of his writings had brought trouble from the tsarist police and he was forced to live abroad for a number of years. He returned after the revolution in 1917 and sought ordination in the Orthodox Church where he would become its champion apologist against the Renovationists. This caused him to be arrested and exiled in 1922. After his return he became a very influential priest in Moscow and formed parish brotherhoods for moral rebirth. In 1927 he broke with Sergii, and in 1928 he was exiled to Siberia, where he died in 1931. Before his death he repented of breaking with Sergii and asked to be reaccepted into the Orthodox Church, claiming that schism was the worst of all sins and that it separated one from the true Church; he

Foreign criticism.

Many protests occurred in Western countries against the wild persecutions in the USSR, and there were mass public prayers in the United Kingdom, Rome and other places on behalf of the persecuted

Resolution of debate.

The ongoing debate between the "rightist" and "leftist" sides of how to best combat religion found some resolution by 1930. The journal "Under the Banner of Marxism", edited by Abram Deborin, proclaimed victory of the leftist side of the debate in 1929, but it was a year later withdrawn from publication until February 1931, when an editorial appeared in it that condemned both the rightist thinking and the Deborin

Drop in enthusiasm for the anti-religious campaign.

The failure of the propaganda war was evident in the increasing reliance on terror tactics by the regime in the antireligious campaign in the 1930s. However, by the end of the decade it may have become apparent to the leadership of the antireligious campaign that the previous two decades of experience had shown that religion was a much deeper rooted phenomena than originally thought.  Anti-religious museums began to be closed in the late 1930s and chairs of "scientific atheism" were abolished in universities. The average figures for those who attended atheist lectures was dropping to less than 50 per lecture by 1940. The circulation of anti-religious journals was dropping as was membership in the League of the Militant Godless. There are different reasons that may have caused this, including some moral alienation of people from the brutality of the campaign as well as the fact that the centralized terror did not have much tolerance for autonomous organizations, and even those who worked for anti-religious purposes could find themselves criticized in the campaign or subject to purge for deviating from the established line. Stalin's mind may have changed as well; he may have lost patience with the campaign, alternatively he may have thought that it had reached its goals once organized religion had ceased to exist in any public way throughout the country or he may have thought that the looming war clouds needed a more unified country. The leadership may also have concluded that a long-term, deep, insistent and patient persuasion would be needed in light of religion's perseverance.  In 1937, Grekulov, a Soviet historian published an article in an official journal that praised Russia's conversion to Christianity in the 10th century as a means that culture and learning entered the country. This was in contrast to years earlier when the League of the Militant Godless had attacked school teachers who claimed that the church benefitted Russia in this way. What Grekulov wrote would become the official Soviet position until the fall of communism.  Even still, the persecution continued full swing and the clergy were attacked as foreign spies in the late 1930s and trials of bishops were conducted with their clergy as well as lay adherents who were reported as "subversive terroristic gangs" that had been unmasked.  The tone was changing at that point though, especially following the annexation of the new territories in eastern Poland in 1939, as party leaders, such as Oleschuk, began to claim that only a tiny minority of religious believers were class enemies of state. Church institutions in Eastern Poland were abolished or taken over by the state. The anti-religious work in the new territories was even criticized for being too zealous and Oleschuk advised against setting up new LMG cells in the territories. When the Nazis invaded in 1941, the secret police rounded up many Ukrainian Catholic priests who were either murdered or sent into internal exile.  Official Soviet figures reported that up to one third of urban and two thirds of rural population still held religious beliefs by 1937 (a decrease from estimated 80% of the country being religious in the late 1920s); altogether this made up 50% of the state's population (and even these figures may have been low estimates). However, religion had been hit very powerfully; the number of churches had been reduced from 50,000 in 1917 to only a few hundred (and there was not a single church open in Belarus) or perhaps even less, out of 300 bishops in 1917 (and 163 in 1929) only 4 remained (Metropolitan Sergii (the head of the church), Metropolitan Alexii of Leningrad, Bishop Nikolai (Yarushevich), and Metropolitan Sergi (Voskresenski)), out of 45,000 priests there were only to 2,000–3,000 remaining, not a single monastery remained open and the only thing that enthusiasts of atheism could still do was to spy on individual believers and denounce them to the secret police.  There were 600 religious communities in Moscow in 1917, and only 20–21 of these still existed by 1939. In Leningrad, where there had been 401 Orthodox churches in 1918, there were only five remaining. Belgorod and district, which had 47 churches and 3 monasteries in 1917 had only 4 churches left by 1936. Novgorod, which had 42 churches and 3 monasteries in 1917 had only 15 churches by 1934. Kuibyshev and its diocese, which had 2200 churches, mosques and other temples in 1917 had only 325 by 1937. The number of registered religious communities by 1941 had dropped to 8000 (of which the vast majority were present in the newly annexed western territories). Proportionally more churches had been closed in rural areas than in cities. All religions in the country by the end of the 1930s had had most of their buildings either confiscated or destroyed, and most of their clerical leadership arrested or dead.  The anti-religious campaign of the past decade and the terror tactics of the militantly atheist regime, had effectively eliminated all public expressions of religion and communal gatherings of believers outside of the walls of the few churches (or mosques, synagogues, etc.) that still held services. This was accomplished in a country that only a few decades earlier had had a deeply Christian public life and culture that had developed for almost a thousand years.

The USSR anti-religious campaign of 1928–1941 was a new phase of anti-religious campaign in the Soviet Union following the anti-religious campaign of 1921–1928. The campaign began in 1929, with the drafting of new legislation that severely prohibited religious activities and called for a education process on religion in order to further disseminate atheism and materialist philosophy. This had been preceded in 1928 at the fifteenth party congress, where Joseph Stalin criticized the party for failure to produce more active and persuasive anti-religious propaganda. This new phase coincided with the beginning of the mass collectivization of agriculture and the nationalization of the few remaining private enterprises.