History.

The company attempted to stage an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in May 2011, but failed to fill the order book at the expected valuation of $2 billion.  In 2011 Russian Helicopters and the Italian company AgustaWestland agreed to establish HeliVert, a joint company, in order to start production in Russia of the AW139 twin-engine multipurpose helicopter. The production plant is located in Tomilino, Moscow Region.  In 2016 the company delivered 189 aircraft to customers in 13 countries. In the same year, it ended a partnership with the Ukraine-based engine maker Motor Sich.  In 2017 the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) formed a consortium comprising leading Middle Eastern funds and finalized a deal to acquire a minority stake in Russian Helicopters (part of the Rostec State Corporation). Russian Helicopters valuation was estimated at $2.35 billion. No details have been revealed about the identity of the Middle Eastern investors.  The transaction consists of two stages. The first stage involves the sale of a 12% stake and an investment of $300 million, as well as an agreed-upon subsequent potential increase in investment to $600 million. The deal will increase the authorized capital of the holding company. This will accumulate a significant amount of funds within the Company. These funds are necessary for the implementation of the Company’s strategy and business plan, including the development of new types of helicopters. In addition, these funds will help implement the investment program of the holding company, as well as finance possible M&A activities aimed at increasing the holding’s value and finance capital programs.

Products.

Russian Helicopters' products include:  A fifth generation helicopter is currently under development.

Minoga naval helicopter project.

In 2006 the Russian defense ministry awarded Russian Helicopters a R&D contract for a naval helicopter conducting antisubmarine warfare among other tasks, following the coaxials Kamov Ka-15, Ka-25, and Ka-27. The resulting Minoga project has been wind-tunnel tested since, the Russian Navy will inspect a mockup in early 2019 and its maiden flight is planned for 2020. It may be coaxial and could be based on the early 2000s Ka-92 concept competing with the Mil Mi-X1 for a high-speed civilian helicopter halted in 2015.  Powered by two 380 kg (772 lb) Klimov TV7-117V turboshafts developing 3,500-3,750 hp in emergencies, 2,500-3,000 at maximum takeoff weight, and 1,650 hp in cruise; they are interchangeable with their VK-2500 predecessor, indicating a larger rotorcraft than in 2015, powered by NPO Saturn RD-600V. It has to be compact enough to store two in a ship hangar housing a single 12 tons Ka-27: Kamov studied a lightweight deck helicopters from four-five to seven-eight metric tons. The Kamov Ka-52K Katran is in flight tests but is limited to electronic reconnaissance and airstrike.

Structure.

The following entities are part of the company:

See also.

Comparable major helicopter manufacturers:

JSC Russian Helicopters ( "Vertolety Rossii") is a helicopter design and manufacturing company headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The company designs and manufactures civilian and military helicopters. The company's principal shareholder is Rostec. It is the world's 24th-largest defence contractor measured by 2012 defence revenues, and the second-largest based in Russia (after Almaz-Antey).


Design and development.

The C-130J is the newest version of the Hercules and the only model still in production. Externally similar to the classic Hercules in general appearance, the J-model features considerably updated technology. These differences include new Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 turboprop engines with Dowty R391 composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics (including head-up displays (HUDs) for each pilot), and reduced crew requirements. These changes have improved performance over its C-130E/H predecessors, such as 40% greater range, 21% higher maximum speed, and 41% shorter takeoff distance. The J-model is available in a standard-length or stretched "-30" variant. As a cargo and airlift aircraft, the C-130J's crew includes two pilots and one loadmaster (no navigator or flight engineer), while specialized USAF variants (e.g., AC-130J, EC-130J, MC-130J, HC-130J, WC-130J) may have larger crews, such as navigators/Combat Systems Officers or other specialized officer and enlisted air crew. The U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J uses a crew chief for expeditionary operations. The C-130J's cargo compartment is approximately long, high, and wide, and loading is from the rear of the fuselage. The aircraft can also be configured with the "enhanced cargo handling system". The system consists of a computerized loadmaster's station from which the user can remotely control the under-floor winch and also configure the flip-floor system to palletized roller or flat-floor cargo handling. Initially developed for the USAF, this system enables rapid role changes to be carried out and so extends the C-130J's time available to complete taskings.  Lockheed Martin received the launch order for the J-model from the RAF, which ordered 25 aircraft, with first deliveries beginning in 1999 as Hercules C4 (C-130J-30) and Hercules C5 (C-130J). The standard C-130J had a flyaway cost of in 2008.  In mid-June 2008, the United States Air Force awarded a $470 million contract to Lockheed Martin for six modified KC-130J aircraft for use by the Air Force and Special Operations Command. The contract led to C-130J variants that will replace aging HC-130s and MC-130s. The HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft completed developmental testing on 14 March 2011. The final test point was air-to-air refueling, and was the first ever boom refueling of a C-130 where the aircraft's refueling receiver was installed during aircraft production. This test procedure also applied to the MC-130J Combat Shadow II aircraft in production for Air Force Special Operations Command.

Harvest HAWK.

With the addition of the Marine Corps's ISR / Weapon Mission Kit, the KC-130J tanker variant will be able to serve as an overwatch aircraft and can deliver ground support fire in the form of Hellfire or Griffin missiles, precision-guided bombs, and eventually 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon fire in a later upgrade. This capability, designated as "Harvest HAWK" (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit), can be used in scenarios where precision is not a requisite, such as area denial. The aircraft retains its original capabilities in refueling and transportation. The entire system can be removed within a day if necessary.

Operational history.

The Super Hercules has been used extensively by the USAF and USMC in Iraq and Afghanistan. Canada has also deployed its CC-130J aircraft to Afghanistan.  C-130Js from several countries have been deployed in support of the US Operation Odyssey Dawn and NATO's Operation Unified Protector during the 2011 Libyan civil war.  From the first flight on 5 April 1996 to 30 April 2013, 290 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft operated by 13 nations surpassed 1 million flight hours.  In January 2013, it was reported that some of Canada's CC-130J transports had counterfeit Chinese microchips in their cockpit displays. These parts are more likely to fail and result in failures such as blank instrument screens during flight. A 14-month investigation by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee concluded that counterfeit parts in the Hercules and other American-made military equipment are prone to failure with potentially "catastrophic consequences." The U.S. congressional investigation reported the fake Hercules microchips were originally made by the Korean electronics giant Samsung in the 1990s, and more than a decade later, had been recycled, refurbished and remarked to appear genuine by a company in China. Samsung later stated that "it is not possible to project the reliability" of the altered parts. The U.S. investigation reported that the problems on the Hercules first came to light in 2010 when the instrument panel failed on a USAF aircraft during active duty.  On 20 August 2013, the Indian Air Force performed the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh at the height of.

Civilian use.

The Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) is a self-contained unit used for aerial firefighting that can be loaded onto a C-130 Hercules, which then allows the aircraft to be used as an air tanker against wildfires. This allows the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to utilize military aircraft from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve to serve as an emergency backup resource to the civilian air tanker fleet. The latest generation MAFFS II system was used for the first time on a fire in July 2010, using the C-130J Super Hercules. The 146th Airlift Wing was the first to transition to the MAFFS II system in 2008, and it remains the only unit flying the new system on the C-130J aircraft.

Orders and deliveries.

The largest operator of the new model is the U.S. Air Force, which has ordered the aircraft in increasing numbers. Current operators of the C-130J are the USAF (including the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard), United States Marine Corps (being their fourth variant after KC-130F, KC-130R and KC-130T,) United States Coast Guard, Royal Air Force, Indian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Danish Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, and the Italian Air Force. As of July 2010, a total of 200 units have been produced of the 284 on order at that time.

International orders.

The Royal Australian Air Force was the second international customer for the C-130J-30, with an initial order of twelve aircraft. An additional order for two more aircraft was planned, but replaced by the purchase of a fifth Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.  The Royal Norwegian Air Force ordered four C-130J-30s in 2007 to replace six aging C-130Hs in need of additional repairs. Aircraft were delivered from November 2008 to 2010. One of these was lost in March 2012.  The Canadian Forces signed a US$1.4 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for seventeen new C-130J-30s on 16 January 2008, as part of the procurement process to replace the existing C-130E and H models. The C-130J is officially designated as the "CC-130J Hercules" in Canadian service. The first C-130J was delivered to CFB Trenton on 4 June 2010. The final C-130J was delivered on 11 May 2012.  The Indian Air Force purchased six C-130J-30s in early 2008 at a cost of up to US$1.059 billion for its special operations forces in a package deal with the US government under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. India has options to buy six more aircraft. The Indian government decided not to sign the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), which resulted in the exclusion of high precision GPS and other sensitive equipment. However the IAF added similar equipment produced indigenously to the aircraft after delivery. In October 2011, India announced its intent to exercise the option for the six additional aircraft, following the C-130J's favorable performance in the 2011 Sikkim earthquake relief operations. In July 2012, the U.S. accepted India's request for the six more C-130Js through the FMS program. On 20 December 2013, India's CCS approved the order for 6 more aircraft. The Iraqi Air Force ordered six C-130J-30s in July 2008.  Qatar ordered four C-130Js in October 2008, along with spare parts and training for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. The contract is worth a total of US$393.6 million and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011.  The United Arab Emirates Air Force announced an order for twelve C-130J transports at the 2009 IDEX, with an announced value of US$1.3 billion. The United Arab Emirates requested 12 C-130Js through a Direct Commercial Sale in December 2009, with logistics support, training and related systems to be provided through a Foreign Military Sales program. A contract with Lockheed Martin has not been signed.  The Israeli Air Force is seeking to purchase nine C-130J-30s. In April 2010 Israel ordered one C-130J-30 with delivery in 2013, and was in contract talks for two more aircraft in June 2010. An option for a second C-130J-30 was exercised on 8 April 2011, along with planning and advance long lead procurement of aircraft components to support the third C-130J Israeli aircraft. The first Israeli C-130J was delivered on 26 June 2013 and was modified with Israeli-unique systems in the United States prior to its arrival in Israel on 9 April 2014. Israel ordered a fourth C-130J-30 on 25 July 2013. The C-130J's local name is "Shimshon".  The Kuwait Air Force signed a contract for three KC-130J air refueling tankers in May 2010, with deliveries to begin in late 2013. The KC-130Js will refuel its F-18s and augment its fleet of three militarized L-100s.  Oman increased its C-130J order in August 2010 by adding two C-130Js to the single C-130J-30 ordered in 2009. Deliveries are to be completed by early 2014. The Royal Saudi Air Force has purchased two KC-130Js to be delivered in 2016.  The Mexican Government has requested 2 C-130J-30s.  The Mongolian Air Force is planning to buy 3 C-130Js.  On 7 June 2013, U.S. Congress was notified of a possible foreign military sale of two C-130J-30s for the Free Libyan Air Force. The deal would include 10 Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines, support and test equipment, and radios. The deal would be worth $588 million.  In July 2013, the C-130J became part of a competition in the Peruvian Air Force for a medium transport aircraft. The Super Hercules was a candidate along with the EADS CASA C-295, the Alenia C-27J Spartan, the Antonov An-70, and the upgraded Antonov An-32. The Peruvian Air Force selected the C-27J in November 2013.  In 2015, the French Air Force ordered 4 Super Hercules to supplement existing capabilities due to the ongoing problems and delays of the ordered Airbus A400M, through FMS the French will get 2 C-130J in 2017/2018 and 2 KC-130J in 2018/2019 (helicopter refueling capability), especially supporting French overseas operations in Africa.  In January 2017, German defence minister announced the intention to purchase up to 6 C-130J Hercules to acquire tactical airlift capabilities due to the delayed deliveries of the Airbus A400M. Together with the C-130J of the French Air Force this will form a joint air transport squadron.  In September 2018, Indonesia's state-owned news agency Antara reported that minister of defence Ryamizard Ryacudu said Indonesia is looking to acquire 5 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.  On 11 June 2019, New Zealand's Minister of Defence Ron Mark identified the C-130J-30 as the preferred replacement for the Royal New Zealand Air Force's five remaining C-130Hs that are planned to be in service until 2023. In November 2019 the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the potential sale of 5 C-130Js, 24 engines and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$1.4 billion. The sale was confirmed on June 5th 2020, with the planes expected to be delivered between 2024 and 2025.

Accidents.

C-130Js have been involved in the following notable accidents.

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems., 400 C-130J aircraft have been delivered to 17 nations.


High school career.

Tolzien was a two-star recruit out of William Fremd High School, located in Palatine, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. He made official visits to the University of Kentucky and the University of Toledo, but he did not attract many offers from major universities. He chose to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

College career.

Tolzien attended and played college football for the University of Wisconsin from 2006–2010.

2006 season.

As a true freshman at Wisconsin in 2006, Tolzien was redshirted and did not play.

2007 season.

Tolzien did not play in any games for Wisconsin in 2007, as Wisconsin had Tyler Donovan, Allan Evridge, and Dustin Sherer at quarterback.

2008 season.

After Allan Evridge was benched following his performances against Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, Tolzien saw his first major action for Wisconsin against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium. He completed 5 passes on 8 attempts, but threw an interception in the red zone. Dustin Sherer eventually took charge of the Badgers, who finished the season 7–6.

2009 season.

The winner of a spring quarterback competition, Tolzien beat out starter Sherer in 2009. He set the Wisconsin record for completions in a single season, with 211, and passed for 2,705 yards. Under Tolzien's leadership, Wisconsin finished the season at 9–3. He threw a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in a loss at Ohio State and threw three interceptions against Iowa the following week. Despite this, Tolzien played well in games against Michigan, Minnesota, and Michigan State, and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Michigan State.  Tolzien finished the 2009 season in a 20–14 win over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl, completing 19 passes on 26 attempts as the Badgers knocked off the higher-ranked Hurricanes.

2010 season.

After a disappointing effort against Michigan State, Tolzien improved week after week as the Badgers won their next 7 games, to finish the year 11–1. Against a top 5 Ohio State defense, Tolzien completed 13 of 16 passes. His efforts led the Badgers to an eventual upset of then top-ranked Ohio State. The next week against Iowa, Tolzien again had a solid game, completing 20 passes on 26 attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. Most impressively, Tolzien led the Badgers down the field for the game-winning touchdown with Wisconsin's running game stifled by Iowa's defense. In his final home start, against the Northwestern Wildcats, Tolzien completed 15 passes on 19 attempts for 230 yards with four touchdown passes.  Tolzien made his final collegiate start at Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl against one of the top defenses in the nation, TCU. He finished the game with 12 completions out of 21 attempts for 159 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions and a rating of 120.7 for the game, and the Horned Frogs won, 21–19. Tolzein completed his college career at the East-West Shrine Game on January 22, 2011.  Tolzien won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2010, edging out finalists Andy Dalton of TCU, Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, Christian Ponder of Florida State, and Ricky Stanzi of Iowa, In 2010, he set a new Wisconsin record for completion percentage in a single season, completing 74.3% of his passes in 12 regular season games. Tolzien ranked 4th nationally in passer rating, and led the nation in completion percentage.

Statistics.

The following statistics were retrieved from Sports-Reference.com.

Professional career.

San Diego Chargers.

After going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, Tolzien signed with the San Diego Chargers on July 26, 2011. He threw for 302 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the preseason. On September 3, 2011, Tolzien was released by the Chargers during final team cuts.

San Francisco 49ers.

On September 4, 2011, Tolzien was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers. He became the 49ers third-string quarterback behind starter Alex Smith and backup Colin Kaepernick. He remained with San Francisco after the conclusion of the 2012 preseason, still slotted as the team's third-string quarterback. He was on the roster for the 49ers appearance in Super Bowl XLVII. On August 26, 2013, Tolzien was waived by the 49ers.

Green Bay Packers.

Tolzien was signed to the Green Bay Packers practice squad on September 1, 2013. After Aaron Rodgers suffered a clavicle injury, the Packers brought him up from the practice squad to the active roster. On November 10, 2013, Tolzien entered a game after an early injury to Rodgers's backup Seneca Wallace. In his regular season debut, Tolzien completed 24-of-39 attempts for 280 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in a 27–13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, earning him the start in the Packers' next game against the New York Giants. Against the Giants, Tolzien was 24 of 34 and threw for 339 yards, but also threw 3 interceptions in a 27–13 loss. The next week against the Vikings, Tolzien performed a spin move during a touchdown run before being relieved by quarterback Matt Flynn who led the Packers to a 26–26 tie against their divisional rival.  In the 2015 season, he appeared in three games for the Packers and had very limited roles.

Indianapolis Colts.

On March 11, 2016, Tolzien signed a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth $3.50 million with $500,000 guaranteed. Due to a concussion to Andrew Luck, Tolzien made his first start for the Colts on Thanksgiving on November 24, 2016, throwing for 205 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 28–7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  With Luck being inactive due to a shoulder injury, Tolzien was named the starting quarterback to begin the 2017 season. On September 10, 2017, he started the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Tolzien had 128 passing yards with two interceptions returned for touchdowns, until being benched in favor for Jacoby Brissett. The Colts lost by a score of 46–9. Brissett started the next game against the Arizona Cardinals with Tolzien as the backup. After being benched, Tolzien had no more action in 2017. At the end of the year the Colts elected not to renew his contract, and he became a free agent.

Birmingham Iron.

On November 27, 2018, Tolzien was selected by the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football in the third round of the 2019 AAF QB Draft.  Tolzien never played a down for the Iron as he retired before training camp began; the league would shut down abruptly eight weeks into its season.

Coaching career.

The Wisconsin Badgers hired Tolzein as an analyst to work on scouting opponents in 2019.

Dallas Cowboys.

After the hiring of new Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Tolzien joined their coaching staff under his former head coach as a Coaching Assistant.

External links.

Scott Jeffery Tolzien (born September 4, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who is currently a coaching assistant for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Wisconsin. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.


Album information.

According to Henley, Bill Szymczyk, who had produced their previous albums, was a producer on the album, although Henley described Szymczyk's role as that of "a mediator, a consigliere, a ringmaster" since they (Frey and Henley) had already learned how to produce records themselves.  Three studio versions of songs from "Long Road Out of Eden": "No More Cloudy Days," "Do Something" and "Fast Company" were first released in 2006 in a bonus CD of a special edition exclusive to Wal-Mart of the DVD release, "Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne".  On August 20, 2007, the song "How Long," written by J.D. Souther – who had previously worked with the Eagles co-writing some of their biggest hits including "Best of My Love," "Victim of Love," "Heartache Tonight" and "New Kid in Town" – was released as a single to radio with an accompanying online video at Yahoo! Music and debuted on television on CMT during the Top 20 Countdown on August 23, 2007. The band performed the song as part of their live sets in the early to mid-1970s, but did not record it at the time due to J.D. Souther's desire to use it on his first solo album.  The "Deluxe Collector's Edition" of "Long Road Out of Eden" was released on November 20, 2007, featuring two bonus tracks, "Hole in the World" and "Please Come Home for Christmas." This version of the CD is wrapped in a red linen cloth, screen printed with panoramic imagery, and includes a 40-page booklet with lyrics, credits, exclusive photos and desert scenes from the making of the "How Long" video.  "No More Walks in the Wood" is a song using the words from "An Old-Fashioned Song," a 21-line poem (without choruses either in the poem or song) by John Hollander. The song is in four-part harmony with guitar chords, but mostly sung a cappella.  In a 2007 interview with CNN, band member Don Henley declared, "This is probably the last Eagles album that we'll ever make." When questioned about the possibility of a follow-up album in November 2010, band member Timothy B. Schmit said, "My first reaction would be: no way. But I said that before the last one, so you never really know. Bands are a fragile entity and you never know what's going to happen. It took a long time to do that last album, over a span of years, really, and it took a lot out of us. We took a year off at one point. I'm not sure if we're able to do that again. I wouldn't close the door on it, but I don't know." In a 2010 interview with undercover.fm, Joe Walsh said that the band might be able to make one more album before the band "wraps it up".  At the 2009 Grammy Awards, the album won Best Pop Instrumental Performance and was nominated for three more: Best Pop Vocal Album; Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Waiting in the Weeds"; and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Long Road Out of Eden".  "Guilty of the Crime" was previously recorded by The Bellamy Brothers on their 1997 album "Over the Line". In 2009, they recorded a version with The Bacon Brothers and released it as a single, with a music video starring Shannen Doherty.  In 2009 "I Don't Want to Hear Any More" was released as the fifth single from the album. The song's writer Paul Carrack had already cut his own version, with Henley and Schmit singing backing vocals, in 2007.  For the first year after the album's initial release, the album was available in North America exclusively via the band's website, or through Wal-Mart and Sam's Club retail stores. It became the first account-exclusive album to reach number 1. The album blocked Britney Spears' "Blackout" from hitting number one, ending her record-breaking streak of number one albums as all previous four opened at the helm.

Personnel.

As listed in CD booklet.  Eagles  Additional personnel  Production

Long Road Out of Eden is the seventh and most recent studio album by American rock band the Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, it is the band's first studio album since 1979's "The Long Run". In between that time the band recorded four original studio tracks for the live album "Hell Freezes Over" (1994), "Hole in the World" for "The Very Best Of" (2003) and the Joe Walsh-penned "One Day at a Time" for the "" DVD (2005), which Walsh later re-recorded for his 2012 album "Analog Man".


History.

The term "host card emulation" (HCE) was coined in 2012 by Doug Yeager and Ted Fifelski, the founders of SimplyTapp, Inc., describing the ability to open a communication channel between a contactless payments terminal and a remotely hosted secure element containing financial payment card data, allowing financial transactions to be conducted at a point-of-sale terminal. They have implemented this new technology on the Android operating system. At that time, RIM had a similar functionality, calling it "virtual target emulation", which was supposed to be available on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 device through the BB7 operating system. Prior to HCE, card emulation only existed in physical space, meaning that a card could be replicated with multiple-purpose secure element hardware that is typically housed inside the casing of a smart phone.  After the adoption of HCE by Android, Google had hoped that by including HCE in the world's largest mobile operating system (which by that time covered 80% of the market), it would offer the Android payments ecosystem a chance to grow more rapidly while also allowing Google themselves to deploy their Google Wallet more easily across the mobile network operator ecosystem. However, even with the inclusion of HCE in Android 4.4, the banks still needed the major card networks to support HCE. Four months later, at Mobile World Congress 2014, both Visa and MasterCard made public announcements about supporting the HCE technology.  On December 18, 2014, less than ten months after Visa and MasterCard announced their support for HCE, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) became the first North American financial institution to launch a commercial implementation of mobile payments using the HCE technology.  As a result of widespread adoption of HCE, some companies offer modified implementations that usually focus on providing additional security for the HCE's communication channel. One such implementation is termed HCE+.

Impact.

NFC has faced adoption issues due to lack of infrastructure (terminals) and the secure element approach preventing organizations with the desire to participate in mobile payments from doing so due to the high up-front capital costs and complex partner relationships.  By supporting HCE in Android 4.4, Google enabled any organization that can benefit from the NFC technology to do so at a relatively low cost. Some areas the new HCE architecture can support include payments, loyalty programs, card access and transit passes.

Implementation.

Host card emulation is the ability for near field communication (NFC) information transfer to happen between a terminal configured to exchange NFC radio information with an NFC card and a mobile device application configured to act or pretend to emulate the functional responses of an NFC card. HCE requires that the NFC protocol be routed to the main operating system of the mobile device instead of being routed to a local hardware-based secure element (SE) chip configured to respond only as a card, with no other functionality.  Since the release of Android 4.4, Google has implemented HCE within the Android operating system. Google introduced platform support for secure NFC-based transactions through Host Card Emulation (HCE), for payments, loyalty programs, card access, transit passes, and other custom services. With HCE, any app on an Android 4.4 device can emulate an NFC smart card, letting users tap to initiate transactions with an app of their choice. Apps can also use a new Reader Mode so as to act as readers for HCE cards and other NFC-based transactions.  The first known mobile handset to support anything like HCE outside of the Android family was the BlackBerry bold 9900 that was first available in Thailand. released together with BlackBerry 7 OS.  CyanogenMod operating system was the next known mobile device operating system to support HCE through the effort of modifying the NXP NFC stack known as libnfc-nxp, the NFC service manager, and operating system APIs by Doug Yeager. The OS APIs were adapted to include two new tag types that were called ISO_PCDA and ISO_PCDB which are also known terminal or PCD standards. This would imply that you could "read" a tag in the same manner that you could read a terminal.  Microsoft has announced new support for HCE NFC payments in Windows 10. This will allow improved payment integration flows and enable coexistence of HCE with UICC-based secure elements in Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.

Uses.

HCE is used to allow transactions between mobile devices and other credential acquiring devices. Those devices may include other mobile devices, contactless point-of-sale terminals, transit turnstiles, or a variety of access control touch pads. For example, Android developers can leverage HCE to create specific payment experiences, such as using HCE to enable a mobile application as a transit card.

Host card emulation (HCE) is the software architecture that provides exact virtual representation of various electronic identity (access, transit and banking) cards using only software. Prior to the HCE architecture, near field communication (NFC) transactions were mainly carried out using secure elements.


Background.

In a July 2015 NPR interview, guitarist Josh Ritter stated that Weir was working on an album of "cowboy songs". In August 2015, during an interview with Dan Rather, Weir performed a ballad, titled "Blue Mountain" from the upcoming album. On February 12, 2016, while performing at Sweetwater Music Hall for a benefit for Ring Mountain Day School, Weir debuted two new originals from the album; "Gonesville", and "Lay My Lily Down".  Musicians on the album include Ritter, Josh Kaufman, Scott Devendorf, Joe Russo, and The Walkmen's Walter Martin, along with lyricists Gerrit Graham and Barlow. Kaufman is the producer.  Weir set out on a 9-date "Campfire Tour" in support of the album in October 2016, making stops on the West and East coasts. He was backed on the tour by members of the National, including Aaron Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, Scott Devendorf, and Josh Kaufman.  Weir previewed and performed selections from the new album at The Heath at The McKittrick Hotel, in New York City on August 4, for around 120 people. He was joined for the performances by Josh Kaufman. Song selections performed included "Blue Mountain," "Lay My Lily Down," and "Ki-Yi Bossie," and Weir also previewed the album cuts of "Only a River", "Ki-Yi Bossie", and "Ghost Towns".  Weir also spoke at length about certain tracks, indicating that the song "Ki-Yi Bossie" - a song Weir said he wrote for the ailing John Perry Barlow - was a true campfire song that tells the tale of a whiskey and cocaine-filled night. When an audience member asked him about the song following the performance, Weir said, "I wrote it the way I thought he would've." "Rolling Stone" also reported that "Ki-Yi Bossie," will be a campfire singalong with Ramblin' Jack Elliott." Talking about "Lay My Lily Down", Mason prompted Weir on the content of the record, noting the song contained quite a bit of sadness. "Because I've been there," Weir responded when asked how he transported himself to that mood. The emotional reading of the next song came from, according to Weir, listening to a lot of Appalachian music.  On August 18, 2016, the first single from the album, "Only a River" was released on NPR's ""All Things Considered"" for streaming. It was written in collaboration with Josh Ritter. NPR's Felix Contreras calls "Only A River" an emotional reflection on life that references the 19th-century American folk song "Shenandoah."  Weir described the making and collaboration process of Blue Mountain: "When I was 15 I ran away to be a cowboy. I found myself working in Wyoming living in a bunk house with a bunch of old cowpokes and ranch hands, and a lot of those guys had grown up in a era before radio had even got to Wyoming. Their idea of an evening was to tell stories and sing songs. I was the kid with the guitar I was the accompaniment.I learned a bunch of those songs and got steeped into that tradition. It's a tradition that's almost gone. I've been sort of wondering what to do with that, for decades now. About four years ago, I did a webcast with Josh and a bunch of the guys from The National. I enjoyed playing with them a bunch. They decided that they liked my cowboy tunes with the Grateful Dead, and proposed a project where we do some stuff like that. That proposal kinda rang my bells."  On September 8, 2016, the second single from the album, "Gonesville", was premiered on "Rolling Stone"s website for streaming. It was also written in collaboration with Josh Ritter. "Rolling Stone"s Elias Leight describes "Gonesville" as "Weir and his band shambling cheerfully here: The bass line hints at the verve of honky tonk, the harmonica scoots forward and the lead guitar spits lively licks. A raft of backing vocalists join in during the chorus, adding to the cool, festive air, and "Gonesville" comes to a close with a jaunty group chant."  Speaking about the inspiration for "Gonesville", Weir described the song as "being a take on a Rockabilly tune. I was trying to go back and channel Elvis for the vocal, and for the music as well."  On September 12, 2016, the third song, "Lay My Lily Down", had its premiere on NPR's "World Cafe" for streaming. Speaking about the song, writer David Dye stated that ""Lay My Lily Down," written with Ritter and Kaufman, sounds like a traditional song. It's a haunting tune, sung in the voice of a father as he buries his daughter. The powerful backing music is a dense, steadily building meld of minor-key guitars."  Speaking about the song, Weir stated that "The song was the brainchild of Josh Kaufman. And he was lifting it from "Lay My Corey Down", an old folk tune. I found a thread that wove into the song that wants to be banjo-oriented. Over the years I've been trying to frail the guitar, as in claw-hammer, banjo style."  Weir stated that ""Ki-Yi Bossie" was written "remembering some of the guys I'd met on the ranch who'd yearned for a simpler life and found themselves better outside of civilization."  "Blue Mountain" is Weir's first solo release since "Weir Here" in 2004, and the first to feature entirely new music in 30 years.

Critical reception.

The album was well-received by critics. "Pitchfork" writer Jesse Jarnow called the album "quietly adventurous, wise, and a welcome late-career turn." "Entertainment Weekly" writer Eric Renner Brown rated the album a 91/100, and described the album as "a moving group of tunes worthy of any campfire." "Rolling Stone" writer Richard Gehr wrote that "The highlight is his self-penned and unaccompanied "Ki-Yi Bossie", in which "a 12-step meeting under harsh fluorescent light" occasions a wry round of soul-searching, no wide-open spaces required." "PopMatters" writer Chris Ingalls wrote that Weir had " never sounded better than when singing top-shelf material like "Whatever Happened to Rose"". Andy Gill, writing for The Independent, wrote that "The widescreen south-western ambience is stippled with intriguing touches, like the shruti box and bowed guitar droning through "Gallop On The Run", and the rhythmic rattling chains of the death ballad "Lay My Lily Down"; though the most moving performance is Weir's plaintive solo piece "Ki-Yi Bossie", oozing empathy for a reluctant penitent alcoholic."  Not all reviews were positive; "Boston Globe" critic Matthew Gilbert wrote that "the manufactured atmosphere ultimately distances the listener. With a few exceptions, including the song "Blue Mountain", the production also fails to find the best way to deploy Weir's voice, holding it too far back in the mix."

Personnel.

Musicians  Production

References.

Category: Gonesville

Blue Mountain is the third solo album by former Grateful Dead singer and guitarist Bob Weir, released on September 30, 2016. The album was inspired by his time working as a ranch hand in Wyoming when he was fifteen years old. It is Weir's first solo studio album since "Heaven Help the Fool", released in 1978 and first studio album in general since recording "Evening Moods" as the leader of RatDog in 2000.


Description.

The adult Mexican burrowing caecilian grows to a length of. In general appearance, it resembles a large earthworm. Around a hundred transverse annular folds in the skin give the appearance of segments. The head has a pointed snout, a single row of teeth in the lower jaw, and two vestigial eyes covered with skin, with a pair of protrusible tentacles between the eyes and the nostrils. The body is elongated and there are no limbs. The upper surface is dark grey and the under surface pale grey with darker markings on the annuli.

Distribution and habitat.

The Mexican burrowing caecilian is found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and possibly Belize, mostly on the Atlantic side, but also in some isolated parts of the Pacific slope. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, moist lowland forests, moist montane forests, plantations, rural gardens, and heavily degraded former forests. It is fossorial, living in damp, loose soil and under leaf litter, logs, and plant debris, often in banana and coffee plantations. It is found at altitudes of up to above sea level.

Biology.

The Mexican burrowing caecilian feeds on invertebrates, including earthworms, termites, crickets, slugs, and snails. It emerges onto the ground surface on nights with light rainfall and catches small prey that come within its reach. Larger individuals may eat mice and small lizards. It moves by internal concertina-like movements and by undulating its body from side to side.  This caecilian is viviparous. Fertilisation is internal and up to 16 developing larvae subsist on the yolks of their eggs for three months. Then, they develop rasping teeth and feed on maternal glandular secretions, scraping the inside of the oviduct to stimulate their production. When they emerge, after 11 months of gestation, they are long. They then shed their larval teeth and rapidly grow a set of adult ones.

Status.

The Mexican burrowing caecilian is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, because it is thought that numbers have declined by more than 30% over the last ten years. It has several disjunct populations, and in areas where it used to be abundant it now seems to be less common, and the locations in which it is found seem to be fewer in number. It may be persecuted in some locations because it superficially looks like a snake.

Dermophis mexicanus, the Mexican burrowing caecilian, is a species of limbless amphibian in the family Dermophiidae. It is found in Mexico and Central America, where it burrows under leaf litter and plant debris.


Description.

Microraptorians were a group of basal dromaeosaurids (popularly known as 'raptors') with slender proportions and long limbs. With the exception of "Hesperonychus" from the late Cretaceous of North America, all microraptorians have been found in the Yixian and Jifuotang Formations of Liaoning county, China, hence why microraptorians are sometimes referred to as "Liaoning dromaeosaurs". These formations (collectively known as the Jehol group) have been dated to the early Cretaceous and at that time would have been part of a temperate wetland ecosystem threatened by frequent volcanic eruptions. Like other dromaeosaurids, microraptorians were carnivores with relatively large, serrated teeth and an hyper-extendable second toe equipped with a curved claw.

Size and proportions.

Most microraptorians were small dinosaurs, with taxa like "Microraptor" and especially "Zhongjianosaurus" being among the smallest non-avian dinosaurs known. However, some microraptorians, such as "Tianyuraptor" and "Changyuraptor", were larger and similar to other dromaeosaurids in size. Many microraptorians also had long and robust arms and legs, in contrast to the stockier eudromaeosaurs, although long arms are not universal to the group since the basal microraptorian "Tianyuraptor" had unusually short arms by dromaeosaurid standards. Considering this, it is likely that the small size and long wings of some microraptorians are an example of convergent evolution with other small paravians and early birds such as "Anchiornis" and "Archaeopteryx".

Feathers.

The fossilization conditions of the Jehol group are very accommodating to the preservation of soft structures in fossils, and as a result many microraptorians have been preserved with a covering of feathers. Not only have long, advanced feathers been preserved on the arms and tails of many specimens, but a few species even have long feathers on their legs. This condition has also been seen in other paravians such as "Anchiornis", and has caused these kinds of dinosaurs to be labelled as "four-winged dinosaurs". The largest known "four-winged" dinosaur, "Changyuraptor," is a microraptorian. It is possible that some microraptorians such as "Microraptor" were able to use these wings to glide or take off from the ground.

Characteristic features.

Microraptorines can be distinguished from other dromaeosaurids due to the following features: In addition, several features are present in microraptorines with the exception of "Tianyuraptor", which is believed to be a basal member of the clade:

Classification.

Microraptoria is usually classified as a clade of dromaeosaurids. Senter and colleagues expressly coined the name without the subfamily suffix "-inae" to avoid perceived issues with erecting a traditional family-group taxon, should the group be found to lie outside Dromaeosauridae proper. Sereno offered a revised definition of the sub-group containing "Microraptor" to ensure that it would fall within Dromaeosauridae, and erected the subfamily Microraptorinae, attributing it to Senter "et al.", though this usage has only appeared on his online TaxonSearch database and has not been formally published.  The cladogram below follows a 2012 analysis by paleontologists Phil Senter, James I. Kirkland, Donald D. DeBlieux, Scott Madsen and Natalie Toth.

Microraptoria (Greek, μίκρος, mīkros: "small"; Latin, raptor: "one who seizes") is a clade of basal dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaurs. The first microraptorians appeared 125 million years ago in China. Many are known for long feathers on their legs and may have been semi-arboreal powered fliers, some of which even capable of launching from the ground. Most microraptorians were relatively small; adult specimens of "Microraptor" range between ) and weigh up to, making them some of the smallest known dinosaurs.


Club career.

Early career.

Yakubu was born in Benin City, Edo State. He started his career with Julius Berger in Lagos as a teenager in the Nigerian Premier League. He was later loaned to Portuguese club Gil Vicente.

Maccabi Haifa.

Israeli side Maccabi Haifa paid Julius Berger $300,000 for his signature. Yakubu's highest scoring season at Haifa was 2001–02, when he scored 13 times in 22 games (League season was 33 matches). He came to England and trained with Derby County but could not obtain a work permit at the time. He scored seven goals in eight European Cup appearances in the 2002–03 season UEFA Champions League, (including a hat-trick against Olympiakos and a penalty in the 3–0 win over Manchester United).

Portsmouth.

Yakubu moved to English club Portsmouth of the First Division (now the Championship) on loan on 6 January 2003. Signed by Harry Redknapp, Yakubu helped Portsmouth win the 2002–03 First Division title, scoring at a rate of one goal every two games (7 in 14 matches). He made his debut as a 57th-minute substitute for Vincent Péricard in a 1–1 away match versus Brighton & Hove Albion on 18 January. On 1 February he started for the first time and scored after 4 minutes at home to Grimsby Town. The match ended 3–0 with Yakubu substituted for Péricard after 89 minutes. Seven days later, Yakubu scored a goal in each half of a 6–2 victory over Derby County for his first brace in English football. He gained his second brace of the season with two first-half goals in a 5–0 away victory at Millwall on 1 March.  Yakubu made his loan spell at Portsmouth permanent in May 2003 for a fee of £4 million. He played 37 of Portsmouth's 38 Premier League matches in 2003–04, starting all but two. Yakubu's 16 goals made him the club's leading goal-scorer, and joint-sixth highest scorer in the entire league.  Yakubu scored his first Premier League goal in his second match, opening a 1–1 draw versus Manchester City on 23 August 2003. After eight consecutive league matches without a goal, he scored a brace in a League Cup match away to Nottingham Forest on 29 October, one of which was in extra time of the 4–2 win. Yakubu scored the final goal of a 6–1 home win over Leeds United on 8 November. On 3 January 2004, he scored an 89th-minute winner in the FA Cup third round match at home to Blackpool. Three days later he scored an equaliser in the Premier League as Portsmouth lost 2–1 away to Aston Villa. On 10 January he scored his first Premier League brace with two goals in the second half of a 4–2 home win over Manchester City. He played at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.  Yakubu ended the season with 11 goals in his last 10 Premier League matches, starting with one each in four straight games, the first being the only goal in the South Coast derby versus Southampton on 21 March. This was followed by a late winner against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–1 away victory, and an equaliser away to Charlton Athletic. On the final day of the season, he scored four goals as Portsmouth defeated Middlesbrough 5–1.  In the 2004–05 season he scored 13 goals. His final goal for Portsmouth in May 2005 before he left the club – the equaliser in a 1–1 home draw to Bolton Wanderers in the penultimate league game of the season – was the goal that ensured Portsmouth would not be relegated from Premiership in the 2004–05 season.  Yakubu's 28 Premier League goals between his two seasons make him Portsmouth's highest ever scorer in the Premier League, with nine more than their second-highest scorer Benjani Mwaruwari.

Middlesbrough.

After the 2004–05 season, he transferred from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough for a £7.5 million record fee, the highest for a Nigerian ever. Yakubu scored the only goal of the game with a penalty in the first leg of the UEFA Cup last 16 round at home against Roma, giving Middlesbrough a 1–0 victory, who later went through on away goals. His performances were rewarded, as he helped Middlesbrough reach the 2006 UEFA Cup Final against Sevilla, in which they lost 4–0.  His transfer from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough in July 2005 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the lack of co-operation from agents Pinhas Zahavi and Barry Silkman.

Everton.

Yakubu was transferred to Everton in August 2007 for a fee of £11.25 million on a five-year contract, which was at the time the most the club had ever paid for a player. Shunning the traditional centre-forwards' number 9, Yakubu asked to be assigned number 22, setting this number as a goal-scoring target for his first season, a feat he fell one goal short of achieving. He scored 11 minutes into his debut for the club, the first goal in a 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium in September 2007. His first hat-trick for the club came against Fulham in a 3–0 home league win in December 2007.  Yakubu travelled to Ghana in early 2008 to compete in the Cup of Nations. Following Nigeria's exit from the competition, he was late in returning to his club, and as a result was dropped by manager David Moyes once back in England. His double against Newcastle United in a 3–1 win at Goodison Park on the last day of the 2007–08 season helped the "Toffees" clinch fifth place and a place in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup competition. He finished his first season with 15 Premier League goals to his name, and 21 goals in all competitions for Everton. Yakubu achieved his highest goal tally for a single season, and also became the first Everton player since Peter Beardsley to net 20 goals in a season.  Yakubu scored his 100th goal in English football in a league game at West Bromwich Albion early in the Premier League 2008–09 season. He scored a goal against Standard Liège in the UEFA Cup and got back on the scoresheet with a goal against Middlesbrough, his first goal in 10 games. He ruptured his achilles tendon in the 1–0 away win at Tottenham Hotspur on 30 November, ruling him out for the rest of the season. Yakubu played his first competitive game after the Achilles tendon injury against Burnley Reserves, and in his first start for the first team in almost a year, he scored within 11 minutes against Hull City in the League Cup. He came on for Jô in first-half injury time and scored an equaliser with his first touch to bring Everton level at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. He later scored the winning goal against Stoke.

Leicester City.

Yakubu joined Leicester City on loan until the end of the season on 13 January 2011, with the possibility of a permanent transfer. He made his debut and scored in a 1–1 draw against Preston North End on 15 January 2011, followed by another goal in a 4–2 win over Millwall on 22 January.  On 12 February 2011 he scored a left footed volley in their 2–0 win over local rivals Derby County. On 2 April 2011, he scored his first hat-trick against his former club Middlesbrough. He then scored a double in Leicester's 4–2 win over Watford.

Blackburn Rovers.

On 31 August 2011, Yakubu signed a three-year contract with Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee and was assigned the number 24 shirt by manager Steve Kean. He scored his first and second goals for Blackburn Rovers on 17 September on his Premier League debut against Arsenal in which Blackburn won 4–3. He was voted Man of the Match as he helped Blackburn to their first win of the season, with Blackburn fans chanting "Feed the Yak and he will score!" by the time the final whistle blew. He scored his third goal in the league in the 3–3 away draw against Norwich City. Yakubu's fourth and fifth goals of the league season came in an away 3–3 draw at Wigan Athletic on 19 November 2011. He opened the scoring from long range after 65 seconds and equalised with an injury-time penalty. He had earlier been behind an incident when Blackburn were 2–1 down, by dummying a short corner to allow team-mate Morten Gamst Pedersen to dribble the ball from the corner and cross for Junior Hoilett to equalise the game 2–2. At the end of the game, Yakubu admitted that he did not touch the ball and that the goal should not have stood.  On 3 December 2011, Yakubu scored all four goals for Blackburn in a 4–2 home win over Swansea City. He scored two in each half, finishing with a penalty. It was his first Blackburn hat-trick and his first four-goal game since the last day of the 2003–04 season, for Portsmouth against Middlesbrough. He scored 2 goals, one being a penalty, in his side's shock 2–3 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 31 December 2011 which left him on 13 goals for the season in all competitions. On 15 January 2012, in a match against Fulham, Yakubu was sent off for the first time in the Premier League for a straight red. On his return from suspension, he scored against QPR. On 10 April 2012, Yakubu scored twice, while missing one penalty and scoring a second, in Blackburn's 2–3 loss at home to Liverpool. In his first season at Blackburn, he scored 18 goals, but the club were relegated to the Championship by the end of the season after a 1–0 home loss to in-form Wigan Athletic. After relegation was confirmed, Yakubu stated that he did not want to play Championship football and wanted to leave Blackburn.

Guangzhou R&F.

Yakubu confirmed on 28 June 2012 that he had left Blackburn and had signed for Chinese side Guangzhou R&F, on an initial three-year contract. On 15 July, Yakubu made his Chinese Super League debut in a Guangzhou Derby match which Guangzhou R&F played against Guangzhou Evergrande at Tianhe Stadium. He scored the winning goal of the match in the 87th minute, ending Guangzhou Evergrande's 34-league-home-match unbeaten run.

Reading.

On 2 February 2015, Reading signed free agent Yakubu on a contract until the end of the 2014–15 season. On 14 February, Yakubu scored his first goal for the "Royals" with the winner in a 2–1 defeat of Derby County at Pride Park to put the club into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Yakubu was released by Reading on 21 May 2015.

Kayserispor.

On 31 August 2015, Yakubu signed a one-year contract, with the option of an additional year, with Süper Lig side Kayserispor.

Coventry City.

On 13 February 2017, Yakubu signed for Coventry City until the end of the 2016–17 season. On 5 April 2017, having featured only three times due to suffering a hamstring injury, Yakubu's Coventry City contract was terminated by mutual consent. He announced his retirement from football on 22 November 2017.

International career.

Yakubu has scored 21 goals in his 57 appearances for Nigeria since his 2000 debut. He is currently the third highest ever international goalscorer for Nigeria.

2000 Summer Olympics.

In September 2000, Yakubu featured in Nigeria's squad for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia. Nigeria were the holders for the tournament. Then of Maccabi Haifa, the 17-year-old Yakubu wore the number 9 shirt. He scored the injury-time equaliser in Nigeria's first match, a 3–3 draw with Honduras on 13 September in Adelaide. He also played against the hosts Australia on 16 September in Sydney as his side won 3–2 but did not play on 19 September as they drew with Italy in Adelaide. He featured in the quarter-finals as Nigeria lost 4–1 to Chile in Melbourne on 23 September.

2002 African Cup of Nations and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Yakubu made his full international debut on 22 April 2000 in a 4–0 home win in Lagos against Eritrea in qualification for the 2002 African Cup of Nations. He scored his first international goal in an away win against Namibia on 16 June 2001 in the same qualification campaign. On 1 July 2001, he scored his first international brace, with the second and fourth goals in a 4–0 away win over Sudan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification stage. He was named in the squad for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali and was given the number 8 shirt by manager Shuaibu Amodu. On 9 February 2002, Yakubu scored the only goal of the third-place play-off against Mali after 29 minutes. However, Yakubu was not named later in the year in the squad selected by new manager Festus Onigbinde for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

2004 African Cup of Nations.

On 7 June 2003, Yakubu scored Nigeria's first two goals as they came from behind to beat Malawi 4–1 in a qualifier for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. He retained the number 8 shirt in the squad named for the finals in Tunisia by manager Christian Chukwu but did not score. Alongside Celestine Babayaro and Victor Agali, he was sent home from the tournament for indiscipline. His then manager at Portsmouth, Harry Redknapp said he cared less about the tournament and was glad to have Yakubu back.

2006 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Yakubu scored the final goal in an away 3–0 victory over Zimbabwe and an equaliser in an away 1–1 draw against Gabon as Nigeria were beaten to the qualification place by Angola and missed the finals for the first time since 1994. Despite having a goal difference superior by +14 to +8, Nigeria did not qualify as the tie-break was on head-to-head between Nigeria and Angola.

Decision against 2006 African Cup of Nations.

Although Nigeria gained a place at the tournament due to their performance in World Cup qualification, Yakubu decided not to play at the 2006 African Cup of Nations to concentrate on his form at Middlesbrough instead. He was praised for his decision as the club defeated defending champions and league leaders Chelsea 3–0.

2010 FIFA World Cup.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Yakubu notably missed an open goal from three yards against South Korea in the last Group game but later went on to score a penalty. Yakubu's penalty made sure that Nigeria earned a 2–2 draw, but this was not enough for his side to progress out of the group stages.

Personal life.

In 2008, Yakubu married Yvonne Lameen Ikhana, the daughter of former Nigerian international footballer Kadiri Ikhana, who is also the father-in-law to former Nigerian international footballer Patrick Ovie. Yakubu and Ikhana have 2 daughters named Kayla and Katriel. He used to play barefoot on the streets of Benin, Nigeria, until his brother gave him a pair of boots aged 12.

Honors.

Maccabi Haifa  Portsmouth  Nigeria

Yakubu Ayegbeni (born 22 November 1982), known as Yakubu, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. His nickname is "The Yak".


Personal life.

Misenga was born on 25 February 1992. He is from the Bukavu area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an area severely affected by the Second Congo War. After his mother was murdered when he was six years old, he fled to a nearby rainforest and wandered for a week, before being rescued and taken to a home in Kinshasa.  He sought political asylum in Brazil after travelling there to compete in the 2013 World Judo Championships along with fellow judoka Yolande Mabika. The pair claimed that their coaches confined them in their hotel room while leaving with their money, passports and meal tickets. After two days barely eating, Mabika escaped, and Misenga waited more days only for the staff to arrive on the day of the competition, smelling of alcohol. The following day, Mabika returned to the hotel and convinced Misenga to desert, and both were taken by an Angolan to the African immigrant-heavy neighborhood of Brás de Pina. They also stated that back in Africa, their judo coaches deprived them of food and locked them in cages when they did not perform well. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officially granted him refugee status in September 2014.  He is now married to a Brazilian woman and has a son born in the country.

Judo.

Misenga first took up judo at a centre for displaced children in Kinshasa. In 2010 he won a bronze medal at the African under-20 Judo Championships.  At the 2013 World Judo Championships held in Brazil he was eliminated in the first round of his competition after losing to Islam Bozbayev of Kazakhstan. Following this tournament he sought asylum in Brazil and remained in the country. In Brazil he started training at the Instituto Reação, a judo school founded by Olympic bronze medallist Flávio Canto, and now trains under coach Geraldo Bernardes in Rio de Janeiro. Before being taken by Reação, Misenga had odd jobs at truck crews. He received support and funding from the IOC's Olympic Solidarity programme.  On 3 June 2016 the IOC announced that Misenga would be part of a team of ten athletes selected to compete as part of a Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the men's 90 kg event, Misenga won his first bout against Avtar Singh of India, but lost against South Korea's Gwak Dong-han.

Popole Misenga (born 25 February 1992) is a judoka originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has been selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Float history.

Parade floats were first introduced in the Middle Ages when churches used pageant wagons as movable scenery for passion plays. Artisan guilds were responsible for building the pageant wagons for their specified craft. The wagons were pulled throughout the town, most notably during Corpus Christi in which up to 48 wagons were used, one for each play in the Corpus Christi cycle.  They are so named because the first floats were decorated barges on the River Thames for the Lord Mayor's Show.

Largest.

The largest float ever exhibited in a parade was a entry in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade that featured Tillman the skateboarding bulldog (and some of his friends) surfing in an ocean of water. The water tank held over on a float weighing more than. It broke the previous record for the longest single-chassis parade float, which was set in 2010 by the same sponsor.  The dogs trained for three months prior to the float's debut at the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2, 2012. A specially designed “wave” machine was incorporated into the design of the float which created a wave every minute.

Tournament of Roses.

Members of Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club first staged the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1890. Many of the members of the Valley Hunt Club were former residents of the American East and Midwest. They wished to showcase their new California homes' mild winter weather. At a club meeting, Professor Charles F. Holder announced, "In New York, people are buried in the snow. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise."  And so the Club organized horse-drawn carriages covered in flowers, followed by foot races, polo matches, and a game of tug-of-war on the town lot. They attracted a crowd of 2000 to the event. Upon seeing the scores of flowers on display, the Professor decided to suggest the name "Tournament of Roses."

Battle of Flowers.

The Battle of Flowers parade is in San Antonio, Texas is the only parade in the United States produced entirely by women, all of whom are volunteers. The parade is the oldest event and largest parade of Fiesta San Antonio. The original purpose of the parade was to honor the heroes of the Alamo. In keeping with this tradition, participants are asked to place a flower tribute on the lawn of the Alamo as they pass by.

Dutch flower parades.

In the Netherlands, flower parades (called 'Bloemencorso') are a popular tradition. The small country holds some 30 parades, large and small. The world's largest flower parade is held every year in Zundertthe eighth day of the fourth lunar month, a small town in the south of the Netherlands. In Zundert, and most other Dutch parades, floats are built entirely by volunteers, where hamlets compete with each other to build the most beautiful float, judged by an independent jury. Most Dutch flower parades are held in August and September and use mainly dahlia flowers. The dahlia fields are kept by volunteers as well.

Floats in popular culture.

The climax of the movie "Animal House" (1978) features the protagonists from the title fraternity surreptitiously launching their own float into a parade featuring legitimate entries from many of their rivals. The float, a giant decorated cake adorned with the words "Eat Me," later splits open to reveal the parade-destroying "Deathmobile" inside.  In "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986) the titular character jumps onto a float during a parade and sings several karaoke numbers to the crowd.  In the 2011 film "Rio" the titular character uses the Rio Carnival as a decoy to smuggle his bird friends to the airport so they can escape.  Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade features in several films including Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and it's remakes as well as the 2016 version of "Ghostbusters".

A float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle like a truck or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as those of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the Carnival in São Paulo, the Carnival of Viareggio, the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, the United States Presidential Inaugural Parade, and the Tournament of Roses Parade. For the latter event, floats are decorated entirely in flowers or other plant material.


Name.

The literal meaning of the Chinese characters is "Great Liquid Pool" or "Pond".  Prior to the Taiye Lake watershed system in Beijing that still exists today known as North, Central and South Seas, the name "Taiye" had honored several lakes in imperial gardens or palaces in various locations that once served as capital cities of imperial China. An early example of Taiye Lake is located in the city of Xi'an. There were two lakes named Taiye existed in Xi'an (known as Chang'an). The earlier Taiye Lake was excavated in Han dynasty by Emperor Wu of Han in the 1st century BC as part of his Jianzhang Palace (, "Jiànzhānggōng"). This lake, along with the Kunming Lake, was a necessary addition to the city's water supply after the expansion of the capital city under Emperor Wu's reign.  The second Taiye Lake in Xi'an was excavated in Tang dynasty by Emperor Taizong next to his father's Daming Palace, after the capital had been relocated several miles northward due to the growing salinity of the water source at the original site.  There are older Taiye Lakes in Beijing, too. In 1151, Beijing (known as Zhongdu) became the capital city of Jurchen Jin dynasty. The emperor Wanyan Liang ordered to rebuild Beijing in style of Kaifeng, the former capital city of Song dynasty in the south. During the reconstruction of Beijing, a Taiye Lake was built near the palace of Jurchens. The relic of this Taiye Lake is in today's Xicheng district outside of the southwestern second ring road and roughly near the Guang'an Gate of Beijing in later dynasties.  The still-existing Taiye Lakes in Beijing were first created in Yuan dynasty when Mongol's were reconstruct Beijing as Khanbaliq after the previous Beijing city had been seriously damaged during the war between Mongols and Jurchens.

History.

The lake was first constructed as part of the Jinshui River canal system under the Jurchen emperor Zhangzong. Although still within the limits of modern Beijing, the Jurchen capital of Zhongdu was located well south of the site, in a separate watershed. Zhangzong constructed the Daning Palace (,, "Dànínggōng", "Palace of Great Peace") beside the new lake in 1179.  During the Yuan dynasty, the Mongolian emperors abandoned the ruined site of Zhongdu and its more meager water sources in favor of the Gaoliang watershed. The imperial engineers Liu Bingzhong and Guo Shoujing directed the construction of the new Imperial City of Khanbaliq (Marco Polo's Cambaluc & the Chinese Dadu) around Zhangzong's former palace and Lake Taiye, which was an important part of the capital's water supply. The lake was expanded until it covered the area of the present northern and central "seas" and three palaces were built around it. The purity of the reservoir was protected by law: from its source at a spring on Yuquan Mountain to Lake Taiye, the Jinshui was given separate passes where it crossed other streams and commoners were forbidden to bathe, wash clothes, water livestock, or dump trash along its course.  Under the Ming dynasty, construction on the present-day Forbidden City began in AD 1406 as part of the Yongle Emperor's relocation of the capital away from Nanjing. The new palace was south of the former Yuan one and the Taiye was expanded south along with it. The soil excavated from the lake and the fortress's moat were piled up to the palace's north to form the Mountain of Long Life (now known as Jingshan), burying the former Yuan site and improving the "fengshui" of the new one. The lake now comprised the three present-day "seas", which were divided by bridges, but continued to be known collectively as Taiye. The grounds were known as the West or (, "Xīyuàn") and the Jiajing Emperor and others retreated to it to escape life at court.  After the establishment of the Manchurian Qing dynasty in the 17th century, the new government reduced the extensive Ming-era parks around the lake, enclosed the smaller present-day area within walls attached to the imperial palace, and began calling the separate sections by their modern names. Successive emperors built pavilions and houses along the lake shore, where they held court during the summer.

Taiye Lake or Pond was an artificial lake in imperial City, Beijing during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China. The beauty and utility of the lake was responsible for the siting of Kublai Khan's palace and the position of modern Beijing. It continues to exist but it is now known separately as the "North", "Central", and "South Sea"s, the three interconnected lakes just west of the Forbidden City in downtown Beijing. The northern lake makes up the public Beihai Park while the southern two are grouped together as Zhongnanhai, the headquarters for the Communist leadership of the People's Republic of China.


History.

Formation and early years (1998–1999).

The band was formed in 1998, originally called The Elements. After discovering that another band had the same name, the members changed the name to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, after Marlon Brando's motorcycle gang in the 1953 film "The Wild One".  Bassist Robert Levon Been and guitarist Peter Hayes met at high school in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Lafayette and formed a band, Hayes having recently left The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Been has said in interviews that Hayes had a turbulent home life and would park and sleep in his car outside the Been household. After about a year of doing this, Been and his father Michael persuaded Hayes to live with them. Later, the pair started looking for a drummer. They met Nick Jago, from Devon, England, who had moved to California to be with his parents after spending some time at Winchester School of Art, where he was studying fine art. The vocals are shared between Been and Peter Hayes.

"B.R.M.C." and "Take Them On, On Your Own" (2000–2003).

The band's first two records "B.R.M.C." (2001) and "Take Them On, On Your Own" (2003) were indebted to classic hard rock influenced by Led Zeppelin and also encompassed slower paced psychedelic rock, space rock, and noise pop influences from bands such as The Verve, Loop, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Their second album (recorded with producer Rik Simpson) has several songs such as "Generation" and "US Government" that are critical of the United States government.  Been used the pseudonym 'Robert Turner' on the first two records, in an attempt not to be linked to his father (Michael Been of The Call). He later dropped this identity when promoting "Howl". The senior Been later toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as part of their sound crew.  In 2003, a concert in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, had to be cancelled halfway through the set, after Leeds City Council officials suspected the 150-year-old floor of Leeds Town Hall might collapse. This led to the band sometimes being referred to as 'the band who broke the floor'. Problems with drummer Nick Jago began surfacing publicly at the 2003 NME Awards, when Jago remained on stage for nine minutes, completely silent, while accepting an award.

"Howl" (2004–2006).

After conflict with their record label, the band was dropped by Virgin Records in 2004. Jago's conflicts came to a head in Scotland, when Jago and Hayes came to blows after a tense gig. Before long, Jago quit. As such, Jago did not take part in the sessions for the band's third album, "Howl". Instead, he went through various rehab attempts, eventually rejoining the band in time to record one track, the ballad "Promise".  In 2005, the band signed to Echo in the UK, and RCA in the U.S. "Howl" was released to mostly favorable reviews. "Howl" had a stripped-down folk style, a departure from the earlier B.R.M.C. sound. Several of the songs on "Howl" are said to have been written long before the idea of B.R.M.C. was conceived. On tour for this album the band also employed a temporary fourth member, guitarist Spike Keating.

"Baby 81" and "The Effects of 333" (2007–2009).

By 2007, Nick Jago had rejoined BRMC. The band's fourth album, "Baby 81", was released on April 30, 2007 in the UK and Europe and May 1, 2007 in the U.S.  On June 6, 2007, BRMC performed in a concert that was streamed live on the internet via MSN Music.  In June 2008, Jago once again left BRMC's touring line-up, being replaced by The Raveonettes' touring drummer Leah Shapiro. Jago stated he "took it as I am fired again and to be honest with you I respect their decision". However, Hayes and Been issued a statement reading: "Nick won't be joining us for the upcoming European tour, but it's not true that he is fired. We just feel Nick needs time to sort out exactly what he wants right now. His heart and all his energy and attention is on his own solo project and he needs to see that through." However, in October 2015 Hayes admitted that "We were ready to be an international band that never toured the States again. Thank God, we got his (Jago) visa back and we were able to play together again until we fired him, but that’s a whole other story when things got even darker".  On October 27, 2008, the band announced via a MySpace bulletin that they would release their newest album independently. The album would be their first release through their own "Abstract Dragon" label. The album, titled, "The Effects of 333" is instrumental and was made available as a digital download through their music store on 3:33 A.M Pacific Time on November 1, 2008.  On November 10, 2009, BRMC released a live DVD through Vagrant Records. It was recorded in Glasgow, Berlin, and Dublin during the Baby 81 world tour.

"Beat the Devil's Tattoo" (2010–2011).

A song by BRMC, "Done All Wrong", appeared on to the 2009 film "".  BRMC's sixth studio album, "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" was released March 8, 2010 in the UK and Europe and March 9, 2010 in North America. The band went on a world tour that lasted from February to December.  On August 19, 2010, after the band's performance at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium, Robert's father Michael Been died backstage of a heart attack.  On November 1, 2010, the band released their second live DVD, called "Live in London", on their own website and at HMV stores in the UK. The DVD would also be for sale at the band's headlining shows throughout the tour. It was filmed in front of a sold-out London Forum on April 23, the same year. This is the last project Michael Been has worked on with the band, mixing it.  As of 2011, the band has started working on their 7th album, which was released in 2013. In between the recording sessions the band performed a South American tour and played their first shows in South Africa, as part of the Synergy Festival in Cape Town and China, in Beijing and Shanghai.  The band went on a brief successful three-show tour of small clubs in California to promote the album. These shows were at Slim's in San Francisco, The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, and The Troubador of Los Angeles on the December 19, 20 and 21, respectively. All three shows sold out and BRMC played to packed houses each night where the setlist ranged from classics to quite a bit of new material.

"Specter at the Feast" (2013–2016).

After the success of these first shows, the band announced several more shows across Europe with stops in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy among other countries. The last announced show was at the Austin Psych Fest on April 26, 2013.  On January 9, 2013, the band announced via Facebook the name of their seventh album called "Specter at the Feast" which was released on March 18 in the UK and Europe and on March 19 in U.S., Canada and worldwide.  It received mostly positive reviews; many critics noting that despite the band having been together for some time the album showed a mellower and moodier side with songs such as opener "Firewalker".  The band made the first single from the record available, a cover of The Call's 1989 hit "Let the Day Begin", as a free download on their website. The decision to record the song was a tribute to Robert's father Michael, who used his experience from The Call to help BRMC in the last couple of years before his death. The single became "Q" Magazine's track of the day. The same song also reached a worldwide audience when BBC's "Top Gear" used it for its 21st season trailer both on the live TV show and online. The band have also released the "Let the Day Begin" EP free, the EP consists of the single and the album track "Returning", made available for streaming on the official website.  The band continued to show a willingness to tour despite obstacles. During the 2013 tour, the organisers of the Harvest festival in Australia decided to abandon the multi-city event, of which BRMC were one of the lead acts, only a few months ahead of the performances. BRMC was the first band to announce it would still visit the country and play its own shows. Several sold out.  On October 2, 2014, the band announced they were in the studio mixing the audio for a forthcoming live album and DVD recorded in Paris during the Specter at the Feast tour.

"Wrong Creatures" (2017–present).

In May 2017, the band confirmed they were working on a new studio album to be released in the fall of 2017. On September 12, 2017, they announced the album, "Wrong Creatures", would be released on January 12, 2018. The announcement was accompanied by the release of the first track, "Little Thing Gone Wild".

Band members.

Current members  Former members

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (sometimes abbreviated to BRMC) is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. The group originally consisted of Peter Hayes (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Robert Levon Been (vocals, bass, guitar), and Nick Jago (drums). Jago departed the band in 2008 and was subsequently replaced by Leah Shapiro.


History.

The party was established on 24 November 2016. Petr Robejšek took the title of "mentor", because the new leader was to be elected in 2016. The Realists criticised ANO 2011, which they called a "left leaning" party. The Realists were founded in response to Brexit and the victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential election in the United States. The party is ideologically close to the Civic Democratic Party and Dawn - National Coalition. The Realists registered as an official party in December 2016 as Party of Regions but changed its name to the Realists soon afterwards.  The Realists launched their campaign for the 2017 elections on 14 February 2017. Robejšek said that he hoped to win 20% of votes in the election.  Martin Lank, who was elected as a member of Dawn of Direct Democracy, joined the Realists on 25 May 2017. Robejšek stated that the party was prepared to accept other MPs if they decided to join the party and shared its views. Another MP from Dawn, Jana Hnyková, joined the Realists on 5 September 2017.  On 21 August 2017, the Realists announced Jiří Hynek as their presidential candidate in the 2018 election.  The Realists received 0.7% of votes in the 2017 legislative election, failing to reach the 5% electoral threshold. Party leaders refused to describe the result as a defeat, and Jiří Hynek stated that the Realists should prepare for the next election.  The party announced on 16 July 2019 that it would vote on whether to dissolve itself due to electoral defeats and passive regional organisations. The party announced on 22 July 2019 that its members had voted to dissolve the party.

Realists () is a defunct conservative party based in the Czech Republic. It was founded by Petr Robejšek in November 2016. Other members include Pavel Kohout, Antonín Fryč and Jiří Horecký. Robejšek stated that the party aims to succeed in the 2017 legislative election. The party said that it will defend Czech national interests and govern according to the Pareto principle.


Theory.

According to resource mobilization theory, a core, professional group in a social movement organization works towards bringing money, supporters, attention of the media, alliances with those in power, and refining the organizational structure. The theory revolves around the central notion of how messages of social change are spread from person to person and from group to group. The conditions needed for a social movement are the notion that grievances shared by multiple individuals and organizations, ideologies about social causes and how to go about reducing those grievances.  The theory assumes that individuals are rational: individuals weigh the costs and the benefits of movement participation and act only if the benefits outweigh the costs. When movement goals take the form of public goods, the free rider dilemma must be taken into consideration.  Social movements are goal-oriented, but organization is more important than resources. Organization means the interactions and relations between social movement organizations (SMOs) and other organizations (other SMOs, businesses, governments, etc.). The organization's infrastructure efficiency is a key resource in itself.  Resource mobilization theory can be divided into two camps: John D. McCarthy and Mayer Zald are the originators and major advocates of the classic entrepreneurial (economic) version of the theory, and Charles Tilly and Doug McAdam are proponents of the political version of resource mobilization called political process theory.  The entrepreneurial model explains collective action as a result of economics factors and organization theory. It argues that grievances are not sufficient to explain creation of social movements. Instead, access to and control over resources is the crucial factor. The laws of supply and demand explain the flow of resources to and from the movements and that individual actions or the lack thereof is accounted for by rational choice theory.  The political model focuses on the political struggle, instead of economic factors.  In the 1980s, other theories of social movements such as social constructionism and new social movement theory challenged the resource mobilization framework.

Types of resources.

Edwards and McCarthy identified five types of resources available to social movement organizations:

Criticism.

Critics point out that resource mobilization theory fails to explain social movement communities, which are large networks of individuals and other groups surrounding social movement organizations and providing them with various services. Critics also argue that it fails to explain how groups with limited resources can succeed in bringing social change and that the theory does not assign sufficient weight to grievances, identity and culture as well as many macrosociological issues.

Examples.

Civil Rights Movement.

Aldon Morris claims that the resource mobilization theory is a possible explanation of the surge of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The rise of the movement was not because black Americans felt at the same time a frustration that leald to a rebellion, Instead, it was the mobilization and organization of the leaders that triggered the movement. Some of the leaders that Aldon Morris reframed are Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., who, combined with the efforts of the NAACP, the SCLC, the SNCC, CORE and small business, labor unions, students' organizations and faith communities, led to the civil rights movement. The organizations together mobilized vast resources together, rather than individually, leading to the massive mobilization of people fighting for the same objective. The research done by Aldon Morris demonstrates that social movements depend on the ability of empower the less powerful people: "the civil rights movement managed, against overwhelming odds and historical tradition, to push for reform of oppressive and rigidly racist cultural repertoires, practices and laws that had denied African Americans basic civil rights."

MoveOn.org.

MoveOn.org is a social movement organization to which resource mobilization theory can apply because it is a platform for people to sign a petition or to start a new petition. Coupled with the political process theory, a social movement theory that posits that social movements either succeed or fail because of political opportunities, MoveOn.org has been a successful tool because of its accessibility, which would make people more likely to start a petition and move toward a common goal. In other words, resource mobilization applies to MoveOn.org because the website itself is an existing resource that is accessible to consumers of the Internet, which helps mobilize the goals of the organization, and that mobilization is essential to MoveOn.org's success. Also, resource mobilization applies because of the fact that the people who founded the organization knew how to use the resources available, which implies that anyone who uses the website to sign or start a petition is a rational social actor, who acts as a utility maximizer, who compares the costs and the benefits before deciding to be a part of a social movement.

Arab Spring.

The Arab Spring is another example. Born in Tunisia in December 2010, growing unrest spread through Egypt, Syria, and Yemen. Researchers studying resource mobilization through the Egyptian revolution of 2011 found a reliance on social media to spread social action messages while the governments worked to censor the media and cut off those countries from the rest of the world by severing the internet. The activists in those countries were communicating with one another through social media platforms like Twitter to co-ordinate protests, keep tabs on each other and spread the social change messages. The researchers noted the Egyptian Revolution demonstrated the use of social media to spread messages of social change rapidly and to mobilizedl large groups of people. Another group of researchers studying social movements in Tunisia during the Arab Spring found that cyberactivism sprung from grievances on increasing government restrictions on Internet use for political purposes, coupled with the lack of socioeconomic opportunities.

Connection with other fields.

Resource mobilization theory has been studied in conjunction with other fields, such as framing theory. Evidence has been found of an evolving relationship between framing processes and social movements. The relationship has led to the identification of two frames used in social movement stories: diagnostic, which involves identifying the sources of causality or blame for the situation, and prognostic, which lays out a plan of attack on how to create social change.

Resource mobilization is the process of getting resources from the resource provider, using different mechanisms, to implement an organization's predetermined goals. It is a theory that is used in the study of social movements and argues that the success of social movements depends on resources (time, money, skills, etc.) and the ability to use them.


Plot.

In 1996, at the 45th-year reunion of the class of '51 at Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey, writer Nathan Zuckerman meets one of his old friends, Jerry Levov. They talk about Jerry's older brother, former all-state star athlete Seymour ("Swede"), class of '44, who recently died after a long illness.  The story moves back to a young Swede persuading his father, glovemaking magnate Lou Levov, to let him marry his high school sweetheart, New Jersey's 1947 Miss America contestant Dawn Dwyer. Lou is skeptical because Swede is Jewish and Dawn is a devout Roman Catholic, but her strength and honesty sways him. They have a daughter, Meredith ("Merry"), and settle in the town of Old Rimrock, where they acquire a large farm, with Swede commuting the 30 miles to the Newark glove factory.  Merry struggles with a stuttering problem, which her parents are unable to get a handle on—though Grandpa Lou says it is simply because her mind works so fast. Merry is smart and quirky, and is deeply affected as a 12-year-old by the self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức in 1963. By the time Merry reaches high school, she has become increasingly radicalized as the Vietnam War rages, and frequently goes to New York City to take part in antiwar protests. When Merry lashes out during the 1967 Newark riots, Swede urges her to channel her energy into protesting against the war from closer to home. A few days later, the town's little post office and store is destroyed by a bomb, killing the owner.  Merry disappears, and is the FBI's prime suspect, though Swede and Dawn believe she is innocent or, if involved, being forced to act by older radicals she met in New York. Swede searches for her, hounding the FBI for information, but she is not heard from. Some time later, 22-year-old university student Rita Cohen presents herself at the glovemaking factory, ostensibly working on a report for business class. Rita tips off Swede with credible information about Merry, hints that she knows Merry's whereabouts, then asks him to meet her at a hotel with $10,000 cash. Swede meets Rita in the hotel room, but spurns her mean-spirited attempts to seduce him. Rita runs off with the money and leaves no further information regarding Merry. Swede calls in the FBI, pointing to the Rita connection and the recent bombing in the Greenwich Village townhouse explosion, but the agency has no more use for Swede's inept interference.  The strain of Merry's disappearance eventually causes Dawn to have a nervous breakdown. After treatment, Dawn starts an affair with a neighbour, tells Swede that Merry has destroyed their former life, and tries to get Swede to forget about Merry so that they can start a new life. He refuses to stop looking.  In 1970, Swede spots Rita on a New York City street. Rita takes him to a skid-row area of Newark where Merry now lives. During two brief visits, Merry confesses to Swede that she made and planted a total of 3 bombs, killing 4 people. She tells of how she later slid into the underground, where she was robbed and raped repeatedly. As a penance for her crimes, she has withdrawn from society, and is practicing extreme asceticism within the Indian religion Jainism (though the quietness of her physically dirty and simple life style has ended her stutter). She has no desire to return home, and says that if he loves her, he'll let her be. We see the years pass in a series of shots of Swede growing older as he keeps returning to stand outside the abandoned house where he last found Merry. Swede never sees Merry again.  In the present, at Swede's funeral, Nathan muses that we know we are alive when we realize that "all the time... we are wrong" about our assumptions "about everyone". As the mourners are leaving, a cleaned up middle-aged Merry arrives, silently passing her uncle and mother as she walks to Swede's grave.

Production.

In 2003, Lakeshore Entertainment started the development of the film, with Phillip Noyce attached to direct, and the film title shortened to "Pastoral". Later, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights, and in May 2012, Fisher Stevens was hired to direct John Romano's adapted script, with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment attached as financier and producer along with Lakeshore. Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany were attached for the lead roles, along with Evan Rachel Wood as their characters' daughter. Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi were set as producers. Mandy Patinkin was attached to play one of the film's roles, and filming was set to take place in Pittsburgh.  On June 23, 2014, Ewan McGregor signed on to play the lead role of Seymour "Swede" Levov, a former high school star athlete and successful Jewish American businessman, replacing Bettany in the role. Phillip Noyce was again set to direct the film. On August 4, Connelly was confirmed to be playing Dawn Dwyer Levov, the former beauty queen and wife of Levov. On August 6, Dakota Fanning was added to the cast of the film to play the daughter, Merry Levov, the role once set for Wood.  On February 18, 2015, it was announced that McGregor would also direct the film, making his debut after Noyce left the project. On July 9, 2015, Valorie Curry joined the cast of the film to play Rita Cohen, a mysterious young woman from the group of radicals whom Merry has joined in protest against the government in general and the Vietnam War in particular, preceding her committing a bombing. On September 2, 2015, David Strathairn, Uzo Aduba, and Peter Riegert were added to the cast to play Swede's former classmate Nathan Zuckerman, Vicky, and Swede's father Lou Levov, respectively. Corey Stoll also joined the film for an unspecified role, though he did not appear in the finished film. On October 15, Rupert Evans signed on to play Seymour's younger brother, Jerry Levov. Molly Parker also joined the film.

Filming.

Principal photography on the film commenced on September 21, 2015, in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Filming continued on location around Pittsburgh through November, including at the North Side, Downtown, Liberty Avenue, Wilkinsburg, Lawrenceville, and the grounds of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Release.

On April 28, 2016, it was announced that "American Pastoral" would be given a limited theatrical release on October 21, 2016, from Lionsgate, followed by a wider release on October 28.

Reception.

Box office.

"American Pastoral" has grossed $544,098 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,171,630 in other countries for a worldwide total of $1,715,728.

Critical response.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22%, based on 101 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""American Pastoral" finds debuting director Ewan McGregor's reach exceeding its grasp with a well-intentioned Philip Roth adaptation that retains the form, but little of the function, of its source material." On Metacritic, the film has a score 43 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".  "Toronto Star" said the film "fails to illuminate the audience".

American Pastoral is a 2016 American crime-drama film directed by Ewan McGregor and written by John Romano, based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Philip Roth. The film stars McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Peter Riegert, Rupert Evans, Uzo Aduba, Molly Parker and David Strathairn. Principal photography began on September 21, 2015, in Pittsburgh.