Delays.

After the First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union of 1926, the next census was planned to be held in 1933. On 15 March 1932 the formal commission on census organization, chaired by Valerian Osinsky was created by the Statistical Commission (Tsentral'noye Upravleniye Narodno-Khozyaystvennogo Uchyota, TsUNKhU) of Gosplan. On 22 April 1932 Sovnarkom adopted the decision "On Conducting the all-Union Census in December 1933". On 15 April 1933 Sovnarkom moved the date for the census to the beginning of 1935. On 23 June 1934 Sovnarkom further delayed the census to January 1936. On 15 June 1935 the census date was moved to December 1936. Finally the census was conducted on 6 January 1937.  The multiple delays were most probably explained by the reluctance to show the catastrophic demographic results of the famine of 1932–1934. The Soviet leadership had fanned great expectations of population growth.

High expectations.

On 26 January 1934 Joseph Stalin reported to the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (b) as one of the main achievements "Growth of population from 160.5 millions in the end of 1930 to the 168 millions in the end of 1933". On 1 December 1935 Joseph Stalin made a speech, on the "Meeting of Kolkhozniks with the Soviet and Party leaders":  Combining his reports, one could have expected to have a population of about 180 million in 1937.  Official statistics based on the registered birth and death rates implied that the 1937 census should show a population of 170–172 million. On 21 September 1935 Sovnarkom adopted a decision "On the organization of registration of natural population changes" () most probably authored by Stalin: Historian A. G. Volkov, claims that idea that a significant number of individual deaths were double counted is absurd, but Soviet historians claimed otherwise. On the other hand, not registering deaths, especially those who died by famine or incarceration, was common. For example, during the Holodomor, starving peasants tried (despite the official ban) to escape to the cities where they could earn or beg for food. Many of them died in the streets. In 1933, the street-cleaning service of Kiev picked up 9,472 dead bodies. Only 3,991 of them were officially counted as deaths on state records, while 5,481 were disposed of without formal registration, per instructions from the prosecutor's office.

Preparation.

The official commission for the preparation of the census was formed on 16 September 1935. It included: Later the commission was joined by All the documents related to the census were prepared by TsUNKhU and edited personally by Joseph Stalin. A. G. Volkov speculates that never in modern history was such a routine technical matter as a census so micromanaged by such high officials.  A comparison between the two variants is shown in the table below:  While his Soviet contemporaries praised Stalin's clarity and brevity in the design of these forms, modern scholars have observed a significant dumbing-down of the original proposals. A lot of information, e.g., about the social structures and income, and migration, could not be deduced from the new forms. Some questions (like the social category) were extremely vague and allowed different interpretations. Volkov argues that it was done deliberately. Stalin removed the double accounting (of those present at the time of census and of those permanently living at an address), thus significantly reducing the accuracy of the calculations. It was coupled with a very maladroit time for the census: the night from 5 to 6 January – that is, the eve of Russian Orthodox Christmas, when people are extremely mobile.  The main new question introduced by Stalin was the question about religion. According to Volkov, Stalin expected the great majority of people to self-identify as atheists.

Census.

The census was held on 6 January 1937. In addition to the general census in the cities, towns and villages, a special census was held by the NKVD in the Gulag camps and among the border guards; by the Red Army, which took a census of military personnel; and the railroad, which took a census of passengers. When the data was first processed, it soon became obvious that the final enumeration would be little more than 162 million people. The worst disagreement between the expected and the obtained data were in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, North Caucasus and the Volga region, the areas that were the strongest hit by the Soviet famine of 1932–1934..  On 11 January the chief of TsUNKhU Kraval sent telegrams requesting a total recount of a whole settlement if any doubt arose that somebody might be missing there. Still, despite the total recount in 25,000 settlements, only 4,887 previously unenumerated persons were found. The preliminary result of the census, reported to Stalin in the middle of March 1937, was 162,039,470 people, much lower than the "criminally decreased" registered numbers of 170–172 million or Stalin's expectation of 180 million people.  Another serious blow was a very high percentage of people who stated that they were religious. 55.3 million, or 56.7%, of those who provided answers stated that they were religious (the question was asked only of people older than 16 years old), 42.2 million stated that they were atheists, and around 1 million refused to give an answer. Historian V. B. Zhiromskaya stated that people expected to be persecuted if they declared themselves as belonging to a religion, but considered the answer to be important: "If many people would say that they are religious, the authorities would have to open the churches", was a common attitude. The Soviet authorities were so upset by the results of the census that they did not include a question on religion in any future censuses.

Aftermath.

In March 1937 the four main statistical professionals working on the Census in TsUNKhU – the chief of the "Sector for Population", Mikhail Kurman; chief of the "Census Bureau", Olimpiy Kvitkin; his deputy, Lazar Brand; and the chief of the "Sector for transportation and communication", Ivan Oblomov, were arrested and imprisoned. Soon they were joined by the Chief of TsUNKhU, Ivan Kraval, and the chiefs of most of the regional statistical centers, and executions followed. Many statisticians, newly appointed in place of those arrested, were soon arrested themselves. There is evidence that many managers appointed to lead the statistical organization tried to avoid starting their new jobs in desperate attempts to escape persecution.  On 25 September 1937 there was a special Sovnarkom decision proclaiming the census invalid and setting a new one for January 1939. A "Pravda" editorial stated that the "enemies of the people gave the census counters invalid instructions that led to the gross under-counting of the population, but the brave NKVD under the leadership of Nikolai Yezhov destroyed the snake's nest in the statistical bodies".  Stalin had to agree with the lower numbers of population growth. In his report to the 18th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party (bolsheviks) he said: The new Soviet Census (1939) showed a population figure of 170.6 million people, manipulated so as to match exactly the numbers stated by Stalin in his report to the 18th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party. No other censuses were conducted until 1959.  Today there is a consensus that the results of the 1939 census were adjusted (0.5 to 1.5 million persons were added to the reported population). Some historians consider the 1937 census the only more or less reliable source of demographic data for the period 1926–1959. However, demographers do not consider it as such. The data became influential for evaluating the number of victims of the Great Purge, World War I, and the 1930s famines, including the Holodomor.

The Soviet Census held on January 6, 1937 was the most controversial of the censuses taken within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The census results were not published because the census showed much lower population figures than anticipated, although it still showed a population growth from the last census in 1926, from 147 million to 162 million people in 1937.


Background and writing.

Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin revealed that the band wrote the first line and the first little melody of the song years prior but did not finish it until 2007. Martin told "Rolling Stone" magazine that lyrics from the song about "a carnival of idiots on show" and how a "fox became God" were a commentary on Fox News. "One day I was watching Bill O'Reilly, and I was like, 'I know how to finish that song. My best friend, Tim... was having trouble with his boss, and it made me think that so many people spend their lives being told what to do by people that they just don't like. So it was that idea, and watching Bill O'Reilly, and all these words just came out."  During an interview with MTV News, bassist Guy Berryman revealed that the song was one of the older songs that the band had been working on and that they had to move it to one side from the list of songs that were going to appear in the album. Phil Harvey, the band's manager, urged them to include the track in the album, which led to the band to drag it back to the shortlist. The first verse of the song was taken from an unreleased song named "December", written by frontman Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland in 1997. An early instrumental of the song from the Viva la Vida sessions was leaked into the internet in 2009, it contained an excerpt from a previously performed song named "Solid Ground (Until the Water Flows Over)" as the intro, but it was scratched and the song remained unreleased.  The song is the first anti-war protest song from the band, and it borrows its rhythm from The Beatles. "Violet Hill" derives its title from a street of the same name near Abbey Road.

Composition.

"Violet Hill" features an atmospheric synthesizer intro, which gives way to a piano melody played by Martin. The rest of the band then joins in and the song's prominent guitar riff, characterized by a jagged, fuzzbox distortion effect, enters. Martin sings about medieval imagery of carnivals, cathedrals, religion and war, culminating in a soaring chorus with an anthemic theme. The momentum of the song builds around guitarist Jonny Buckland, who plays a solo.  The lyrics start off with Martin recalling: "Was a long and dark December/From the rooftops I remember/There was snow". Martin emphasizes towards the thoughts of a soldier going into battle. The line "If you love me, why'd you let me go?", talks about a man's love of a woman, who does not reciprocate his love. The song ends with Martin playing the piano and singing, and pleading in nearly spoken-words: "If you love me, won't you let me know?" In live performances of the song, he plays the piano part on his acoustic guitar.  According to Neil McCormick of "The Sydney Morning Herald", he writes that the lyrics "I don't want to be a soldier", is a way that Martin can conjure John Lennon into the song's melody. McCormick, however, notes that Martin "adds his own poetic twist" to the lyric "Who the captain of some sinking ship would stow, far below/So if you love me, why'd you let me go?".  Musically, it is one of Coldplay's more diverse pieces, featuring many different time signatures. While the majority of the song is in common time, or 4/4, the interlude of "if you love me, won't you let me know?" is in 6/4, preceding two bars of 4/4 before going back into the verses. The outro, consisting of Chris Martin's vocal accompanied by a piano switches from 4/4, 3/4, 5/4 and 6/4.

Release and promotion.

The band announced on 28 April 2008 that the single would be released on the official Coldplay website on 29 April 2008 for free for one week before the paid download on 6 May. The song was downloaded for free by over 600,000 people in the 24 hours since it was made available at 12:15 p.m. on 29 April. In the subsequent week, the single was downloaded 2 million times from the Coldplay website.  Coldplay released "Violet Hill" in the US on 9 May 2008 as the album's first single. A promotional 7" vinyl release of the single was given away free in the 10 May issue of "NME", including non-album track "A Spell a Rebel Yell" on the B-side. On subsequent physical releases, "Lost?", an acoustic recording of album track "Lost!" serves as "Violet Hill"'s B-side instead.  The single debuted on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 on 24 May 2008 at number 40. The song stayed in the peak position from its release. Three weeks after its release, the track entered at the number nine position on Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The song peaked at number six in Canada Singles Chart and number eight in the UK Singles Chart, making it the second single to reach the Top 10 to have not having a single released physically. "Violet Hill" was certified Platinum by Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD).

Reception.

Critics were positive towards the song. In the "Los Angeles Times" review of the album, critic Todd Martens wrote: "The song's first guitar crush arrives after a lengthy ambient intro, and brings an electrifying jolt to the striking piano melody. Martin brings a booming confidence to his vocals that has been more evident in Coldplay's live shows than on record." Simon Vozick-Levinson from "Entertainment Weekly" wrote: "'Violet Hill' opens with a thin synth wash that's very Music for Airports, and proceeds from there to some droning, stabbing guitar textures that sound cooler than most any Coldplay tunes I can think of." Kristina Feliciano of "Paste" magazine wrote: "You know you're in for a different kind of Coldplay experience when Chris Martin ditches his anguished falsetto for a deep, doomy basso profundo, as he does on 'Violet Hill'". Mikael Wood of "Spin" magazine wrote: "'Violet Hill' pulls a similar fake-out, bludgeoning a delicate Eno-style soundscape with big Black Sabbath guitars." Darcie Stevens of the "Austin Chronicle" wrote: "While the band's fourth LP begins light and pretty, its power breaks late-album with Old West tangent 'Violet Hill'". The song appeared on "Rolling Stone"s Hot List for May 2009, with the magazine calling it "a (relatively) hard-rocking attack on Fox News' America".  After the song's release, "Violet Hill" was featured in the music video games "", as downloadable content, and in "". The single was covered by Pendulum, when they were guests in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. The song has been mixed by Michael Brauer, who also mixed Coldplay's debut album, "Parachutes". It was also featured on an episode of the UK soap opera, "Hollyoaks".  The official video for "Violet Hill" was nominated for Best UK Video as well as Best Special Effects for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. The track was also nominated for two Q awards in the categories of Best Track and Best Video; the song lost in both categories to Keane's "Spiralling" in Best Track and Vampire Weekend's "A-Punk" in Best Video, respectively. The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.

Music videos.

A music video was filmed in support of the song, which was released 18 May. It was directed by visual artist Asa Mader, and parts were shot at Mount Etna and in the courtyard of Palazzo Biscari, Catania, Sicily.  This original version of the video begins with the band climbing a hill and reaching a quiet town, where they start playing their instruments. The four musicians are shown performing the song, dancing and walking around on Mount Etna's hills. Scenes are sometimes sped up or in slow motion and alternated with black and white close-ups of band members' faces. Chris Martin is seen singing holding a magnifying glass in front of his mouth, hitting the screen with a hammer and walking on the snow. At the end of the video, Martin falls to the snow and the band walks away from the town. This video was shown on a small on-stage television screen as part of the live shows, during the band's 2008 Viva la Vida tour.  An alternative music video, named 'Dancing Politicians', was posted on Coldplay's official website on 17 May, directed by Mat Whitecross. The video is made up of clips, sometimes looped, featuring various politicians and scenes of war, along with clips of the band in Mader's version of the video, as well as firework displays at the end. It prominently features George W. Bush, presenting clips of him in a mocking manner. Prominent personalities, such as Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, Hugo Chávez, Robert Mugabe, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Boris Yeltsin, Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony and Cherie Blair, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are featured in this alternate video. Chris Martin has stated that it is their "favorite video they ever made".  A unreleased third music video was released for Apple Music in 2019. This version shows the band recording the song in the studio.

"Violet Hill" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" (2008). Built around a repeating guitar sound, it utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. The song was initially made available as a free download on the band's website and was downloaded more than two million times.


Meteorological history.

The origin of Hurricane Alicia can be traced to an frontal boundary that extended from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. This weak front was initially stationary over the Southeastern United States but moved slowly southward into the north-central and northeastern fringes of the gulf, producing strong convective activity beginning on the night of August 13, 1983. On August 14, a small area of low pressure developed on the western end of the front and moved off the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, intensifying as it progressed further into the open gulf waters. The thunderstorms associated with the small low-pressure area—described as a mesoscale convective complex—aided in the development of additional storms in the northern Gulf of Mexico by facilitating favorable conditions for convective initiation. By the evening of August 14, the disturbance had largely separated from the parent frontal trough and continued to organize around a surface-level circulation. A United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft investigated the precursor system and determined that it had developed into a tropical depression at 12:00 UTC (7:00 a.m. CDT) on August 15 while south of New Orleans, Louisiana. Within six hours of developing, the disturbance intensified further into a tropical storm, attaining the name "Alicia" and becoming the hurricane season's first named storm. Due to Alicia's formation in a region with high environmental pressures, the storm remained relatively small throughout its lifetime. The presence of a ridge of high pressure to Alicia's north steered the nascent tropical cyclone slowly westward in the early part of its development. The ridge eventually drifted eastward, resulting in Alicia slowly curving towards the northwest beginning mid-day on August 16.  The storm's slow movement—averaging just 5 mph (8 km/h)—and lack of strong steering currents allowed Alicia to reap highly favorable conditions characterized by warm sea surface temperatures in excess of and favorable winds in the upper troposphere due to an upper-level anticyclone, resulting in unabated intensification until landfall. Radar analyses indicated that Alicia was stationary at times as it transitioned to a northwesterly heading. An eye began to emerge on satellite imagery by the afternoon of August 16. On August 17, Alicia strengthened into a hurricane with its pressure falling at a steady 1 mbar (hPa; 0.03 inHg) per hour. At 06:00 UTC (1:00 a.m. CDT) on August 18, Alicia became a major hurricane and made landfall an hour later on Galveston Island— southwest of Galveston, Texas—with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 962 mbar (hPa; 28.41 inHg) as measured by aircraft reconnaissance, making it a low-end Category 3 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. Alicia was the first hurricane to strike the continental United States since Hurricane Allen moved ashore South Texas in August 1980, ending the longest break in contiguous U.S. hurricane landfalls of the 20th century. The hurricane was also the first major hurricane to impact the Greater Houston area since Hurricane Carla in 1961. Alicia weakened as it accelerated northwest into the Texas interior, with the hurricane's center passing just west of Downtown Houston on the morning of August 18 as a Category 1 hurricane; the storm was initially slow to weaken as it was able to rein in moist air from the warm Gulf of Mexico. Later that day, the continued inhibitory impacts of friction and dry air weakened Alicia to a tropical storm near College Station, Texas, and degenerated into a tropical depression early on August 19 near the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Despite having remained over land for 36 hours, Alicia remained well-organized while tracking into Oklahoma on August 20. The tapering system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone later that day; these remnants persisted for another day before they were absorbed by a passing trough over eastern Nebraska on August 21.

Preparations.

Hurricane Alicia marked the first time the National Weather Service provided local interests with landfall probabilities, beginning 60 hours before Alicia's eventual landfall. The new information was generally well-received by local officials, though a slight uptick in landfall probabilities for the New Orleans area was interpreted by a local radio station to have denoted a change in Alicia's course, resulting in the unnecessary transition of two local hospitals to emergency operations. The first gale warnings and hurricane watches were issued for the United States Gulf Coast between Corpus Christi, Texas and Grand Isle, Louisiana at 16:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. CDT) on August 16. Coastal areas from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana were issued hurricane warnings shortly after Alicia intensified into a hurricane on August 17; these warnings remained until the storm weakened into a tropical storm over East Texas. The National Weather Service office in Galveston suspended operations after water began to flood the office at the height of the storm.  Between 60–80 thousand people were evacuated from Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, and Harris counties in advance of Alicia, as well as 1,500 persons from Sabine Pass. Twenty thousand people sought refuge at shelters within Houston. Another 6,000 evacuated from Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Offshore oil operations were postponed in preparation for Alicia with the evacuation of 1,360 workers, most of whom were from Shell platforms. Initially, however, residents did not take the warnings seriously. Galveston Mayor E. Gus Manuel, against the advice of Texas Governor Mark White, ordered the evacuation of only low-lying areas. As a result, only 10 percent of the population living behind the seawall chose to leave when Alicia came ashore. In contrast, about 30 percent of Galveston's population evacuated the island when Hurricane Allen threatened the eastern Texas coastline in 1980. Throughout the day, however, as the increasing winds began to cause damage in Galveston, people grew more concerned. The mayor finally ordered a widespread evacuation of the island after midnight on August 18, but by then, the bridges to the mainland were uncrossable.

Impact.

Hurricane Alicia caused US$3 billion in damage, making it the costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history at the time; insured losses were estimated at US$700 million by the American Insurance Association. There were 7,288 casualties, including 21 fatalities and 25 hospitalizations. Despite being a relatively small and low-end Category 3 hurricane, the impacts of Alicia were exacerbated in the Houston metropolitan area due to a rapid increase in population, resulting in a rise in potentially susceptible infrastructure that also induced as much as in land subsidence along some stretches of Galveston Bay.

Texas.

Houston and Galveston areas.

Alicia produced a storm tide that crested along the interior coast of Galveston Bay near Baytown, Texas. A 300-home subdivision near Baytown sustained extensive damage to most dwellings. Seabrook, Texas also documented a storm tide, with slightly lower tide heights of occurring at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. The rough surf eroded as much as of beach in western parts of Galveston Island. A recently constructed levee system protecting Texas City mitigated potential storm surge data to the city's extensive industrial infrastructure. However, an oil spill resulting from a ruptured tank near Galveston Bay swept through areas near the Texas City Dike. A tug capsized south of Sabine Pass, resulting in one death and the eventual rescue of four crewmembers five days later. Another two deaths resulted from the sinking of two shrimp boats in the Clear Lake, Texas area. In total, about 400 shrimp boats sustained some form of damage or sunk, resulting in $7 million in losses. Major damage was wrought to 80 other large vessels.  A stretch of the Texas coast experienced hurricane-force winds. The strongest gust was reported in Galveston where a 102 mph (164 km/h) gust was recorded near landfall, though stronger gusts likely occurred over more sparsely populated coastal areas; no surface observations were documented along southwestern Galveston Island where Alicia made landfall. Analysis of structural damage suggested that gusts as high as 130 mph (210 km/h) were produced by Alicia over land. Nearly every structure in Galveston County, Texas sustained varying degrees of damage from torn roofing to total destruction with the most severe damage occurring in western parts of the county. Telecommunications and power on Galveston Island were downed for several days. The walls of some hotels collapsed and numerous windows facing the wind were blown out. Storm surge damaged most buildings in Jamaica Beach, Texas, with 50 homes sustaining major damage. Heavy rains nearing totals on the island caused street flooding and destroyed a mobile home community. Significant wind damage occurred on the inland portions of Galveston County, including damage to schools, apartment complexes, and mobile homes. In League City, Texas, damage was estimated at $100 million, largely stemming from roof damage.  Seven people were killed in Harris County, Texas as a result of fallen trees, drownings, or automobile crashes. Another 1,530 people were injured. At Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, sustained winds peaked at 81 mph (130 km/h) with gusts to 99 mph (159 km/h). The airport sustained $1.5 million in damage, including damage to several small aircraft, hangars, metal structures, and airport windows. Tropical storm-force winds of gusting to at the Houston Intercontinental Airport; there, two terminal roofs experienced minor damage and one airplane broke from its ties. Fifty cars on site suffered shattered windows. Skyscrapers in Downtown Houston suffered extensive damage from wind-blown debris accelerated by the narrow spaces between buildings. The lower 40 floors of most skyscrapers were shattered by wind-blown gravel. Similar debris or water blocked over 20 major roads; flooding caused by the widespread rainfall was most severe in Baytown, Clear Lake, and Pasadena in the eastern part of Harris County, necessitating the rescue of roughly 300 people. Thirty of these rescues arose from a single subdivision in Baytown where inundation reached a depth of. In these communities, hundreds of homes were flooded. Ninety percent of homes were damaged in Crystal Beach, Texas, of which half were destroyed. Alicia also caused $4.5 million in cotton losses and $6 million in pecan crop losses in Harris County. Total damage to public property in the county was estimated at $46 million. Johnson Space Center escaped significant damage, though 200 nearby trees were toppled by the strong winds and a few facility doors and windows were damaged.

Elsewhere in Texas.

Relatively less severe damage along the Texas coast between High Island, Texas and Sabine Pass, Texas where structures generally sustained roof and window damage but most remained intact. Coastal roads were flooded by storm surge and numerous power lines were downed. In Chambers County, Texas, Alicia caused $24 million in damage and the loss of 30–50 percent of the county's rice and soybean crops. More than 200 homes were flooded, forcing residents into shelters. Damage was significant on the southern end of Bay City, Texas, where several homes were destroyed. Heavy rains from Alicia caused localized flooding in Southeastern Texas under a wide swath of ≥ rainfall. The highest rainfall totals were largely east of the hurricane's center with a secondary maximum farther east along the Texas–Louisiana border near Orange, Texas. The highest measured rainfall total occurred at Greens Bayou, where of rain fell. The Pine Island Bayou in Hardin County, Texas overflowed its banks and adjacent areas remained inundated for a week after of rain fell across the county. Floodwaters blocked roads in Jefferson County where Cow Bayou and the Neches River overflowed their banks. Widespread power outages also impacted the county, affecting over 10,000 homes in the Port Arthur and Sabine Pass areas. Similar effects were felt in nearby Liberty County where crop damage from the heavy rains and winds amounted to near $10 million  In eastern Brazoria County, Texas, strong winds caused widespread damage to roofs, mobile homes, and automobiles. Damage was also wrought to several aircraft at the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport in Freeport, Texas; damage in the city totaled $1 million. Sixty-five percent of structures were damaged in Danbury, Texas. Extensive power outages affected Fort Bend County, Texas. Damage in Matagorda was mostly caused by tidal flooding and winds; 4,500 residents evacuated after the storm surge flooded low-lying areas, forcing the closure of two drawbridges crossing the Intracoastal Waterway connecting the mainland to the Matagorda Peninsula. Wind-induced rice crop damage was estimated at $3.5 million. Elsewhere in East Texas, Alicia's strong winds and heavy rains blocked power and water supplies in several cities. Two people were killed in Montgomery County due to fallen trees.  The hurricane also produced 22 tornadoes across Texas, associated primarily with a single strong outer rainband northeast of Alicia's center; the majority were brief and weak F0 tornadoes that caused negligible damage. One F1 tornado in Harris County damage two businesses near the intersection of Interstate 45 and Texas State Highway NASA Road 1. The strongest tornado was an F2 tornado in Corsicana that was responsible for a significant proportion of the damage toll in North Texas. The tornado touched down in the morning of August 18 in the western extents of Corsicana and lasted for five minutes on a track, damaging several buildings including homes, a church, and a horse arena. In addition to the F2 tornado, the weakening Alicia produced strong winds in North Texas. In Panola County, these winds destroyed outbuildings and downed powerlines and trees in addition to damaging roofs. The weakening storm brought strong thunderstorms over the Dallas–Fort Worth area, bringing gusts estimated between and causing structural damage throughout the metropolitan area. Some condominiums under construction were destroyed by the winds and trees and powerlines were downed in Keller, Texas and Grapevine, Texas. A freeway sign was dislodged and fell upon two 18-wheeler trucks in Dallas, killing the driver of one truck and seriously injuring the driver of the other truck. Creeks swelled following heavy rains, with a local maximum of near Mexia, Texas. A ten-year-old boy died after they were swept away by a rapidly flowing current.

Elsewhere.

Negligible impacts were felt in Louisiana from Alicia's storm surge. Near El Reno, Oklahoma, of rain fell within a 5-hour period, resulting in significant flooding west of the town. Similar rainfall rates flooded several buildings at the University of Oklahoma.

Aftermath.

The Red Cross provided food and shelter to 63,000 people in the hurricane's wake, costing about $166 million (1983 USD; $ USD). FEMA gave out $32 million (1983 USD; $ USD) to Alicia's victims and local governments; $23 million (1983 USD; $ USD) of that was for picking up debris spread after the storm. More than 16,000 people sought help from FEMA's disaster service centers. The Small Business Administration, aided with 56 volunteers, interviewed over 16,000 victims, and it was predicted that about 7,000 loan applications would be submitted. The Federal Insurance Agency had closed over 1,318 flood insurance cases from Alicia's aftermath, however only 782 received final payment.  On September 23 and September 24, 1983, in the wake of Alicia, two subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives held hearings in Houston. The hearing on September 23 were to examine the primary issues of the NWS during Alicia, the effectiveness of the NWS in current procedures, and the use of the NWS. The second hearing, which occurred on September 24, was to discuss the damage and recovery efforts during Alicia. During the September 23 hearing, witnesses agreed that the NWS did well before and during the emergency caused by Alicia. NWS forecasters also testified in which they said they gratified themselves that their predictions were well "on target" and that the local emergency plans had worked so well, which saved many lives. Mayor Gus Manuel on Galveston claimed that the NWS did an excellent job during Alicia. He was also very impressed about their landfall predictions on August 17. During the September 24 hearing, evidence was presented which demonstrated the need for improving readiness to cope with disasters, such as Alicia. Mayor Manuel mentioned that his town needed stronger building codes, which were under review.  Due to the severe damage, the name "Alicia" was retired in the spring of 1984 by the World Meteorological Organization, and will never be used again for an Atlantic hurricane. It was the first name to be retired since Hurricane Allen in 1980. It was replaced with "Allison" for the 1989 season, which would itself be retired after the 2001 season.

Hurricane Alicia was a small but powerful tropical cyclone that caused significant destruction in the Greater Houston area of Southeast Texas in August 1983. Although Alicia was a relatively small hurricane, its track over the rapidly growing metropolitan area contributed to its $3 billion damage toll, making it the costliest Atlantic hurricane at the time. Alicia spawned from a disturbance that originated from the tail-end of a cold front over the northern Gulf of Mexico in mid-August 1983. The cyclone was named on August 14 when it became a tropical storm, and the combination of weak steering currents and a conducive environment allowed Alicia to quickly intensify as it drifted slowly westward. On August 17, Alicia became a hurricane and continued to strengthen, topping out as a Category 3 major hurricane as it made landfall on the southwestern end of Galveston Island, Texas. Alicia's eye passed just west of Downtown Houston as the system accelerated northwestwards across East Texas; Alicia eventually weakened into a remnant area of low pressure over Oklahoma on August 20 before they were last noted on August 21 over eastern Nebraska.


Featured artists.

KRS-One & Buckshot have stated that the album will feature Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli, K'naan, Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, Slug, Smif-n-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, and Immortal Technique.  Producers include Havoc, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, Marco Polo, Illmind, Khrysis, Coptic, Moss and more

Reception.

"Survival Skills" has received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it has a score of 67 out of 100 based on "generally favorable reviews". Steve Juon of RapReviews gave the album a flawless 10 out of 10, claiming "Buckshot and KRS have achieved something rather remarkable here - an album I can't find a single fault with. There's not a bad beat, there's not a whack rhyme, there's not a collaborator on a track that missed the mark, and the disc itself is neither too short nor too long." A review featured on The Smoking Section states, "...the duo tries to elicit all the things that are wrong about Hip-Hop...proving that the most important Survival Skills are talent and dedication to craft. Up and comers should take notice." In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention (); he also picked its two songs ("Think of All the Things" and "Runnin' Away") and said it was "Basically an old-school mixtape, wiser when it instructs the fathers than when it criticizes the sons." "Prefix Magazine" gave it a score of seven out of ten and called it "a call to arms, and a poetic, uncompromising one at that."

Sales.

"Survival Skills" sold around 8,500 copies its first week.

Survival Skills is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and Buckshot. The album was released on September 15, 2009 on Duck Down Records. It is the 18th album for KRS-One, and the fourth for Buckshot.


Plot summary.

The story centers on two world-traveling Jewish bandits who style themselves with the euphemism "gentlemen of the road." Amram is a hulking Abyssinian (African) who is equally proficient with an axe as a game of shatranj; he is haunted by the disappearance of his daughter many years ago. His companion is Zelikman, a Frankish (German) physician who uses an oversized bloodletting lancet as a rapier. Zelikman has a morbid personality due to the trauma of watching his family slaughtered in an anti-Jewish pogrom.  The two bandits begin in the Kingdom of Arran, where they con the customers of an inn with a staged duel. Before they can collect their winnings, a mahout attempts to hire them to safeguard his charge, Filaq, a fugitive Khazar prince. Filaq's family was murdered by the usurping bek, Buljan. Before the pair can give their answer, Buljan's assassins kill the mahout, and the two gentlemen escape with Filaq, intent on collecting a reward from his wealthy relatives. Filaq, on the other hand, is committed to escaping and taking vengeance on Buljan.  The group arrives at the hometown of Filaq's relatives and discovers that everyone has been slaughtered by Kievan Rus'. An army of Arsiyah arrives too late to save the town. Filaq attempts to rally the troops to rescue his kidnapped brother Alp, but the army decides to place Filaq on the bek's throne instead. The army travels to the bek's palace, but a ruse by Buljan leaves the Arsiyah army obliterated. Filaq is captured and exposed to all as a girl. Amram is also captured while trying to rescue her.  In disguise as a Radanite, Zelikman meets with Buljan and manages to rescue Amram. Beaten and raped, Filaq is sold to a brothel where Zelikman and Amram take refuge. They treat her injuries and then plan to see the kagan, the spiritual ruler of Khazaria. Zelikman uses his physician's skills to anesthetize the kagan's guards and gain an audience. The kagan agrees to help, as long as Zelikman helps him fake his own death to escape from his life of comfortable imprisonment.  Filaq meets with tarkhan of the Khazar army in disguise as her brother Alp, who died in captivity. The tarkhan supports her claim to the bek throne. While paying off a band of Kievan Rus' for their pillaging services, Buljan is overthrown by the Khazar army and killed by a war elephant. After the battle, Filaq and Zelikman make love for the first, and probably last, time in each of their lives. Filaq begins her life as Alp, both bek and kagan of Khazaria, while Zelikman and Amram leave to pursue their fortunes elsewhere.

Publishing history.

The novel originally appeared in fifteen installments in "The New York Times Magazine" from January 28 to May 6, 2007. In October 2007, Del Rey Books (Sceptre in the United Kingdom) published the novel in hardcover, with a new afterword written by Chabon.

Influences.

Chabon said he agreed to write the serial because he has "always been intrigued by accounts and legends of the Khazars" and the idea of an ancient Jewish Kingdom. To prepare for writing the novel (which for a few months had the working title "Jews with Swords"), Chabon researched the Khazars and "tried to let it all sink in." He also re-read the historical romances of Alexandre Dumas, père, Fritz Leiber, George MacDonald Fraser, and Michael Moorcock, to whom the novel is dedicated.

Gentlemen of the Road is a 2007 serial novel by American author Michael Chabon. It is a "swashbuckling adventure" set in the kaganate of Khazaria (now southwest Russia) around AD 950. It follows two Jewish bandits who become embroiled in a rebellion and a plot to restore a displaced Khazar prince to the throne.


Biography.

Triger was born in Mamers, a town in the Sarthe French county, on 10 March 1801. He studied at La Flèche and then in Paris, where he met Louis Cordier in 1825. Cordier was an eminent French geologist, who taught Triger his first lessons in geology. He was quickly interested in the technical challenges of this industrial sector. At 32 years old, together with skilled managers, he developed new industries in Sarthe and Mayenne. In this period he developed and launched three coal mines, a paper mill and a sawmill.  In 1833 he was left by the woman he intended to marry. This disappointment in his personal life plunged him deeply into work: production of gravel from dolomite rock, construction of public fountains in Mamers and detailed study of phreatic groundwater tables near Le Mans.  About 1834 he started the study and geological investigation of his region - Sarthe and Mayenne, and never stopped working on them until his death. These investigations, and discussions with Louis Cordier, drove him to Anjou (Maine-et-Loire) where coal was craft mined. Thus, in 1839, Triger seriously began to look at the Loire river and the way to reach solid rock underneath about 20 meters of waterlogged soil. After reading many articles on compressed air, he was convinced that he could use it to help dig through this layer of soil. His success does not lie on the idea of using compressed air, but in the invention of the airlock - to pass from the pressurised zone of the caisson to the zone of atmospheric air pressure, and especially in finding of a practical way to utilize the technique on an industrial scale. With the financial and administrative support of Emmanuel de Las Cases, 5 steel shaft linings were drilled by this invention, which was subsequently adapted and applied to dig foundations, bridges and many tunnels.  While focused on his industrial activities, he did not step away from his geological research work. Helped by a liking for travel, he gradually established the first geological map of the Sarthe county. After more than 20 years of research, the document was presented in 1853 at the Geological Society of France. The topographic background, support of the geological layers, was designed by Triger himself. To design this document, he had to study all the fossils in his county and deal with some of the mysteries at that time - such as the structure of the Cretaceous terrain of Maine, or the study of the Silurian-Devonian-Carboniferous lands in the West part of France.  Triger wanted the designation of the geological strata to be borrowed from paleontology (fossils names). He saw in this new system "the precious advantage of a universal language that one would understand everywhere, without comments and which would easily help the geologists from all regions of the globe to communicate".  He was also a paleontologist, part of the first team to excavate the archaeological site of Roc-en Paille (Chalonnes-sur-Loire, Maine-et-Loire). His very large collection of rocks, fossils and minerals is now displayed at the Museum of Natural History in Angers.  A last honorable task kept Triger busy until the end of his life: the constitution of regular geological cross-sections of the whole eastern part of France. This huge work was carried out by a team of geologists directed by Triger: geological sections from Paris to Brest, from Le Mans to Angers, from Paris to Rennes, Vendôme to Brest...  On 16 December 1867 Triger died from a heart attack after a meeting at the Geological Society of France, where he served for 35 years.  Triger's name is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower.

Details of the Triger process.

The work is done inside a chamber (known as a caisson) open at the bottom and in which compressed air is pumped to keep water out. Originally developed for use in a coal mine (Mines de Chalonnes-sur-Loire, 1839), it was later applied to bridge construction and civil applications as well. The process was used for the Brooklyn Bridge (1870) in the United States and the Forth Bridge in Scotland among others. The health hazards encountered working in a hyperbaric environment were gradually understood during these projects. The process was also used by Gustave Eiffel for the foundations of two of the four pillars supporting the Eiffel tower and by Attilio Muggia in Italy for the piers of the Caprigliola – Albiano Magra bridge built in 1908 with reinforced concrete.  Nowadays the method is still used in tunneling and shaft sinking operations. Modern Tunnel Boring Machines use compressed air to excavate soils below water tables.

Jacques Triger (10 March 1801 – 16 December 1867) was a French geologist who invented the 'Triger process' for digging through waterlogged ground using a pressurised caisson.


Life.

Marianne Ehrenström was born in Zweibrücken, Germany, to the Swedish Commendant of Stralsund in Swedish Pomerania, Lieutenant General Johan Frans Pollett, and the dilettante painter Johanna Helena von Pachelbel-Gehag. She was given a good education, and her first language at home was reportedly French, though she also spoke German, and was later to learn Swedish.

Culture personality.

Between 1790 and 1803, she served as "hovfröken" to the queen of Sweden, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, who reportedly appreciated her. Ehrenström was known as a multi talented artist. She was educated in singing by the singer Christoffer Christian Karsten, in piano playing by the composer Georg Joseph Vogler and in drama by the actor Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel. Being a member of the nobility, she was not professionally active as an artist, but she demonstrated her talent in social life at court and high society and cultural circles, and attracted attention for her abilities. She was regarded as a gifted singer, an accomplished piano player, and admired for her landscape paintings and miniatures. She became a well regarded member of contemporary Swedish culture life, and was acquainted with a number of the leading cultural figures of the era, notably the dramatist Carl Gustaf af Leopold, with whom she corresponded and who dedicated poems to her. Marianne Ehrenström was inducted into the Academy of the Free Arts in 1800, and became an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1814.

Later life.

In 1803, she left the royal court and married Colonel Nils Fredrik Ehrenström (1756-1816). Reportedly, the marriage was a purely practical affair, as Ehrenström was an old friend of her family and she was forced to think of her future, as her family was not wealthy and she needed to marry to support herself: her spouse, on the other hand, had been appointed commandant of Gothenburg and needed a wife to handle the representational side of his position, as he had recently divorced his first wife Maria Charlotta von Scheven for having eloped with their adoptive son. After the wedding, she left Stockholm for Gothenburg, where she became a celebrated member of Gothenburg high society life. The marriage did not result in issue.  In 1812, her spouse went bankrupt and lost his position, and she separated from him and returned to Stockholm. Between 1815 and 1831, she supported herself by managing a girls' school. After having closed her school in 1831, she mainly lived on some smaller annuities given to her by old acquaintances.

Legacy.

In 1826, she published a book about writers, theatre, music, painting and sculpture. Ehrenström is most known for her memoirs in French, which is regarded as a valuable reference work of contemporary Stockholm and Gothenburg in 1792-1812, particularly the contemporary culture life. The unpublished manuscript is now kept at the Swedish Academy.  A selected part of her memoirs were translated and published by Henrik Schück in 1919 under the title "Den sista gustavianska hofdamen" ('The last lady in waiting from the age of Gustav III').

In fiction.

Marianne Ehrenström is portrayed in the novel "Pottungen" (Chamber pot child) by Anna Laestadius Larsson from 2014, in which she, alongside Ulrika Pasch, Anna Maria Lenngren, Ulrika Widström, Jeanna von Lantingshausen and Sophie von Fersen, becomes a member of a Blue Stockings Society organized by Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp.

Mariana "Marianne" Maximiliana Christiana Carolina Lovisa Ehrenström, née "Pollet" (9 December 1773 – 4 January 1867), was a Swedish writer, singer, painter, pianist, culture personality, memoir writer and lady-in-waiting. She was a member of the Academy of the Free Arts and an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.


Plot.

The episode begins with Maggie, Homer and Bart at the Kwik-E Mart. Apu tries to get Homer to buy the last lottery ticket by claiming that the last ticket is always lucky. When Homer is about to take money out to buy the ticket, Bart attempts to jump off a shelf and land in Chief Wiggum's cart full of marshmallows. However, Wiggum moves the cart and Homer has to race over to catch his son, while Lenny walks up to the counter and buys that last ticket. Lenny wins $50,000, which makes Homer jealous. Apu decides to put it in his book, "Tales of the Kwik-E Mart". At Moe's Tavern, Lenny announces he is going to spend his winnings on a giant party at the Woosterfield Hotel for all of his friends. The Simpson family cannot find Bart when it is time to leave, because he is upstairs in the attic with a water gun full of cat urine. When he is about to shoot it at Rod and Todd Flanders in a wagon below, Marge steps in and Bart accidentally sprays her with the urine, so Marge has to wear a mediocre "back up dress" to the party. Homer and Marge wonder why Bart cannot behave and decide he went bad in utero when pregnant Marge accidentally swallowed a small drop of champagne after Mayor Quimby christened a new Navy vessel, the U.S.S. "Float-and-Shoot". The drop landed on a gestating Bart and turned him bad. At Lenny's party, Bart discovers that Lenny will give out vacuuming robots in gift bags. Bart activates all the dangerous settings on them and they attack the party guests. When everyone finds out that Bart is responsible, Marge takes away Bart's non-dice board game privileges, after Bart says she already took away his TV and video game privileges. In the bathroom, Bart meets Simon Woosterfield, a kid who is both Bart's exact look-alike and part of a billionaire family whose wealth even eclipses Mr. Burns'. They also meet an adult Bart double who has a wife that, to Bart's disgust, looks like a female version of Milhouse.  The boys decide to secretly switch places and live each other's lives for a while by trading their clothes in the bathroom. Bart likes his new life as a rich child until he meets his stepsiblings, Devan and Quenly, who put a spoon heated by a lighter in his mouth because Simon is blocking their full inheritance of the family fortune. Simon refuses to eat Marge's recipe of cooked noodles with root beer and Cheetos, so Homer eats it and chews with his mouth open. When Simon is sent to bed without supper after calling Homer a spew monkey for spitting food on him, Marge gives him pizza with no crusts and tucks him in, which Simon says he can get used to. Simon tells Bart that his half-siblings resented him because his father divorced their mother and married his mother, The next day, the Woosterfields hold a party for all of their rich friends. When Devan and Quenly lock him in the Woosterfield mausoleum telling him that the bodies turn to candy, Mr. Burns gets him out. He tells Bart he was once the youngest in a wealthy family and his siblings all died in varied ways (mostly related to eating poisoned baked potatoes) and that Bart is in danger from his own family. Bart realizes that Devan and Quenly want to murder Simon so they can take his share of the inheritance.  When Simon listens politely to Abe's boring and ridiculous stories, Lisa concludes that Simon is an imposter and Simon explains his story to the Simpsons, saying that Devan and Quenly are taking Bart to Aspen where they will try to kill him. Before the Simpsons get to him, Quenly pushes Bart down a hill for experienced skiers. When Devan says that they will split Simon's inheritance, Quenly offers Devan a baked potato (a reference to Mr. Burns' story from earlier) planning to clear her path of him to snare 100% of the fortune for herself. Homer manages to save Bart in time. The family says their goodbye to Simon and tells him that they are sorry he has to go back to his greedy half-siblings, but he assures him he will be fine since Devan and Quenly are now trying to kill each other. He is welcomed to his family again via a hot fudge sundae by his butler Chester. The episode ends with Bart being lovingly tucked into bed by Marge and contentedly saying "This is the life."

Cultural references.

The episode's plot is a parody of Daphne du Maurier's novel "The Scapegoat", while Simon's horse Shadowfax is named after Gandalf's horse from "The Lord of the Rings" series. The episode's couch gag, with the family being swept up in a tornado and taken to a black and white farm is a reference to "The Wizard of Oz". Additionally, Apu has an issue of "Tales From the Kwik-E-Mart", a parody of the comic series "Tales from the Crypt". Early in the episode, Homer makes a reference to "Dennis the Menace".  One sequence features Bart passing the mansions of several celebrities, including actor Macaulay Culkin (shown in his scream pose from the 1990 film "Home Alone"), Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks (shown posing in the same way as the cover of their 1977 album "Rumours"), and "McDreamy" and "McSteamy", referring to the characters Derek Shepherd and Mark Sloan from the medical drama series "Grey's Anatomy", as well as an actual McDonald's restaurant. Inside the Woosterfield mansion, Simon's room features a ceiling from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces.  Songs featured in the episode include "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold, the song used as the opening to the series "The Golden Girls", which Lenny sings. Marge sings "Scrubbing You" while washing up, to the tune of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" and the "Notre Dame Victory March" plays when Joe Montana appears.

Reception.

The episode had an approximate 8.09 million viewers.  Robert Canning of IGN said, "It was a far from groundbreaking episode, to be sure, but our familiarity of the characters and the fair amount of laughs made for yet another pleasurable viewing experience". He went on to state, "The story as a whole was interesting and the jokes were funny enough to elicit several audible guffaws" and rated the episode a 7.8 out of 10.  Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict said, "'Double Double' scores a solid B on the laugh-o-meter. While there weren't many guffaws, I chuckled more than a few times."

"Double, Double, Boy in Trouble" is the third episode of "The Simpsons"' twentieth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 2008. Bart meets a rich boy name Simon Woosterfield, who happens to be Bart's exact look-alike. Because of this, the two decide to switch homes; Simon enjoys his time with the Simpsons while Bart discovers his rich new half-brother and sister are out to kill Simon, so they can inherit the vast Woosterfield family fortune. Former NFL football player Joe Montana guest stars as himself.


Appearances.

Television.

Steven first appears in the serial "The Chase", when the Doctor and his companions, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki, find him on the planet Mechanus where he crash-landed two years before. He joins the Doctor and Vicki as a companion in the following serial, "The Time Meddler", when they discover that he stowed-away in the TARDIS after having escaped the burning Mechanoid City. Steven is a strong-willed individual, who is more capable when there is something physical to do than when there is thinking to be done. He has a finely developed sense of right and wrong, and places a high value on human life.  Steven follows the Doctor through "The Daleks' Master Plan", a dark and dangerous adventure that takes the lives of Sara Kingdom and Katarina. He argues with the Doctor when he refuses to prevent the events of "The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve". Steven is ready to part company with the Doctor over the deaths that happened, in particular that of a woman named Anne Chaplet. He rejoins the Doctor, however, at the same time that they acquired a new travelling companion, a young woman by the name of Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet, who is apparently a descendant of Anne's.  Steven's journey eventually ends during "The Savages", when he decides to accept the responsibility of leading the combined society of Savages and Elders that is attempting a lasting peace. His life beyond that is not explored in the series.  The exact time period that Steven originally came from is not specified in the television series. However, in "The Daleks' Master Plan", set in the year 4000, Steven states that he comes from "hundreds of years" before that period.

Other media.

Steven appears in three spin-off novels: "The Empire of Glass" (1995) of the Virgin Missing Adventures range, and "Salvation" (1999) and "Bunker Soldiers" (2001) of the Past Doctor Adventures range. Steven, often voiced by Purves, also appears in many Big Finish Productions audio dramas including "The Five Companions" alongside the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), "The War to End All Wars", which looks in depth at his life after he left the Doctor, and "The Secret History" in which he and Vicki meet the Fifth Doctor after a complex plot by the Monk sees the Fifth Doctor replace the First during a crucial adventure. In addition, he appears in many stories of the "BBC Short Trips" and the "Virgin Decalog".

Casting.

Peter Purves originally auditioned for the part of a giant insect in "The Web Planet", but failed. He then appeared in the third episode of "The Chase" as Morton Dill, a "hillbilly". He then appears as Steven in the final episode. Purves had grown "the beginnings of a beard" to disguise the connection between the two characters of the serial. The production team had been looking for a character to replace Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) and Ian Chesterton (William Russell), who were leaving in the serial, and Purves was suggested by both William Hartnell and Maureen O'Brien. Early drafts of the story used the names "Bruck" and "Michael" for the character of the captured astronaut, before settling on "Steven".

Steven Taylor is a fictional character played by Peter Purves in the long-running British science fiction television series "Doctor Who". A space pilot from Earth in the future, he was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1965 to 1966. Steven appeared in 10 stories (45 episodes). Only three of the serials in which Steven appeared as a regular are complete in the BBC archive ("The Time Meddler", "The Ark" and "The Gunfighters").


Development and construction.

In July 2004, the Saint Petersburg-based Baltic Shipyard won an international tender for the construction of two 16-megawatt diesel-electric icebreakers for Rosmorport, a state-owned company established in 2003 to manage Russia's port infrastructure and operate its fleet of diesel-powered icebreakers. Although the shipyard had built five "Arktika"-class nuclear-powered icebreakers in 1975–1992 and had the sixth under construction at the time, these would be the first non-nuclear icebreakers built on a Russian shipyard in over three decades and the first new icebreakers ordered following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  The contract for the construction of the second Project 21900 icebreaker was signed in May 2005 shortly after the lead ship was laid down at Baltic Shipyard. Initially, she was supposed to be delivered in November 2007, one year after the first vessel of the series. The keel laying ceremony was held on 19 January 2006 and the hull was launched on 28 May 2008. While delivery was initially scheduled for late 2008, she was officially commissioned on 12 July 2009.  Project 21900 icebreakers are named after major Russian cities with "Sankt-Peterburg" named after the country's second-largest city. While the naming of the vessels also follows that of a series of five diesel-electric polar icebreakers built by Wärtsilä in the 1960s, "Sankt-Peterburg"s Soviet-era counterpart was naturally named "Leningrad".

Design.

"Sankt-Peterburg" is long overall and between perpendiculars, and has a moulded beam of. Fully laden, the icebreaker draws of water. She is strengthened for icebreaking according to Russian Maritime Register of Shipping ice class "Icebreaker6" which is intended for icebreaking operations in non-Arctic freezing seas where the ice is up to thick.  "Sankt-Peterburg" has a fully integrated diesel-electric propulsion system with main diesel generators supplying power for both main propulsion as well as ship's service loads while underway. Her main power plant consists of two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 9L32 and two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V32 medium-speed diesel engines. In addition, there are two Wärtsilä 4L20 auxiliary diesel generators for use when the vessel is at port.  For main propulsion, "Sankt-Peterburg" is fitted with two electrically driven azimuth thrusters. The stainless steel propellers of her pushing-type Steerprop SPO4.5ARC Z-drive units are each driven by two electric motors in tandem, resulting in a combined propulsion power output of about. This is enough to give "Sankt-Peterburg" a service speed of in open water and allow breaking level ice with a snow cover at a continuous speed of in line with her ice class. While the azimuthing propulsion units improve the maneuverability of the icebreaker, she is also fitted with a single transverse bow thruster.

Career.

The two Project 21900 icebreakers were originally built to ensure year-round transportation of crude oil from the terminal in Primorsk. "Sankt-Peterburg"s primary mission was to escort oil tankers up to in breadth in the Gulf of Finland. In addition, she was designed to carry out various secondary tasks such as firefighting and oil spill response operations. Since 2015, "Sankt-Peterburg" has occasionally been stationed in the Arctic LNG terminal of Sabetta in the Gulf of Ob during the winter months.  "Sankt-Peterburg" has also regularly participated in the annual Festival of Icebreakers in Saint Petersburg. The icebreaker has been open to visitors in every festival since 2014 except 2015 when she was replaced by her sister ship "Moskva". In July 2012, she visited France and was open to visitors as part of the maritime festival in Brest.

Sankt-Peterburg (; literally: Saint Petersburg) is a Russian diesel-electric icebreaker. She was built at Baltic Shipyard in 2009 as the second vessel for Project 21900, the first series of non-nuclear icebreakers built in Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. She has an identical sister ship, the 2008-built "Moskva".


History.

It was created in 1992 as a split from 404, and was Georgia's first new area code in 38 years. Previously, 404 had served the northern half of the state, roughly everything from Columbus and Augusta northward to the Tennessee and North Carolina borders. After the split, 404 was retained by the metro area.  Originally, 706 completely wrapped around the inner ring of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It also included a number of southern exurbs of Atlanta. However, the residents of these areas felt chagrin at no longer being associated with 404. Shortly after 706 commenced service, BellSouth returned several of these areas to 404. The boundary was redrawn in such a way that Columbus and the surrounding area was cut off from the rest of the 706 territory, making 706 one of the few area codes that is not contiguous. However, 404 had been close to exhaustion even after the creation of 706, and the return of the southern exurbs forced the Georgia Public Service Commission to switch most of Atlanta's suburbs over to 770 sooner than it had planned.  In June 2005, the GPSC announced that 706 had nearly exhausted its capacity for new telephone exchange prefixes. The supply of numbers was further limited because the 706 territory includes portions of three LATAs that spill into adjacent states. The Atlanta LATA, which includes Columbus, spills into Alabama. The northern portion is split between the Atlanta and Chattanooga LATAs. The Augusta LATA spills into South Carolina. On June 24, 2005, the NANPA assigned area code 762 for this purpose. However, the Columbus area was not large enough for its own area code, but was too large to stay in 706. For this reason, it was decided to make 762 an overlay, with 10-digit dialing to be allowed on September 3. On April 1, 2007, 10-digit dialing became mandatory in the 706/762 territory.  This is the third time that the GPSC has flip-flopped on its policy for deciding how new area codes would be assigned. Atlanta's suburbs were split into 770, but then both 404 and 770 were overlaid with 678, and cellphones (originally 404 only) can now have any of those no matter where in the metro area. Southern Georgia was then split three ways instead of an overlay.  Despite the rapid growth in 706/762's main section (particularly the northern portion), it is nowhere near exhausting. Under current projections, it is expected to remain in its unusual, non-contiguous state until after 2049.  Prior to 1990, area code 706 covered regions of Mexico.

Counties served.

Banks, Burke (part with area code 478), Chattooga, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Clarke, Columbia, Dade, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Franklin, Floyd Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Habersham, Hancock, Harris, Hart, Heard, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson (part with area code 478), Jenkins, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, McDuffie, Meriwether, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Rabun, Richmond, Stephens, Talbot, Taliaferro, Towns, Troup, Union, Upson (part with area code 478), Walker, Warren, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes

In the NANP, area codes 706 and 762 cover parts of northern and west central Georgia outside metropolitan Atlanta. This area code is divided into two disconnected geographical regions. A small section is west-central Georgia, in the region around Columbus. This is bordered by area code 334 to the west in Alabama, area code 478 to the east, area code 229 to the south, and metro Atlanta's 404, 678, 770, and 470. It does not border the landline area of 404, only the cellphone area.


Plot.

The B-17F "Lucky Lass", part of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (the "Diamondbacks") from the 12th Air Force is stationed at Navrin, Algeria in 1943. We learn in the opening reveal that air crews are expected to complete 25 combat missions before they can be sent home. However, losses are heavy and the odds are that only 2 in 10 will survive 25 missions. During a raid on Gerbini, Italy, with her Irish-American crew, the "Lucky Lass" is heavily damaged and the (pilot "Pops" (Jamie Martz), and both waist gunners, Jake (Anthony Ocasio) and Joe (Steve Holm) are killed.  Five days later, Wally (Donnie Jeffcoat) is now the Lass' aircraft commander), and replacements arrive. Co-pilot Michael Schmidt (Bug Hall) reports to Wally, and two new waist gunners, Tom (Jeremy Ray Valdez) and Oliver (Tony Elias), introduce themselves to the enlisted crewmen. On their walk-around of the North African base, the replacements are introduced to the alcohol still that flight engineer Burt (Chris Owen) has put together from bomber parts and other scraps. Burt explains that the Army adds ethanol to boost the octane rating of aviation fuel, so they are cooking the fuel to distill out the alcohol. The crew, anxious to get back into the air, push maintenance chief Sgt. Caparelli (Howard Gibson) to clear their aircraft to fly. After some griping, Caparelli tells the men that the Lass has already been cleared earlier that day. The crew throws a party/wake to celebrate their return to flight status and mourn their losses. Only Wally dares to sample the local cuisine, goat meat and cous-cous, while everyone else sticks to their C-rations. Michael is present and appears standoffish. Further alienating him from the crew, he does not join in Wally's toast to their recently departed crewman because he doesn't drink. Wally takes the new young pilot outside and gives him some advice to try harder to fit in, including drinking with the men.  During the next mission which is supposed to be a milk run, an already hungover Wally succumbs to ptomaine poisoning. Michael takes over the controls. The squadron is ordered to fly into the clouds in a roundabout course to avoid flak emplacements on the approach to the target in Messina. Michael simply tries to keep an eye on the plane in front of him and doesn't use instrument navigation. Unfortunately, when the Lass comes out of the clouds, the rest of the squadron is nowhere to be seen. Not only are they off course, they have flown over territory heavily defended by antiaircraft guns. They abort and manage to make it home without any injury. A despondent Michael tells Wally that he's going to apply for a transfer to another plane. Wally says that while getting lost is a serious screw up, shit happens. He convinces Michael that the crew will eventually forgive him and suggests he start by admitting his mistake and apologizing to the crew. However, as he approaches the crew's tent, he overhears them making disparaging comments about him. The complain that they won't get credit for what was an easy mission, and he realizes now is not the right time to talk to the men. That night, there is a fierce sandstorm forcing everyone on the base to take cover. Burt finishes collecting a batch of alcohol, but in his haste to get away from the storm, he fails to shut down the still, allowing the flammable liquid to drip and pool on the ground.  To help boost the crews' confidence in Michael, Wally lets him take the pilot's chair. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots notice the oil pressure rising rapidly, and the engines begin losing power. Since they can't stay in formation, the Lass is forced to abort yet another "milk run" (an easy mission) to Messina, Sicily. To make matters worse, the still is destroyed in a fiery explosion. The crew blames Michael at first, considering him a jinx. Later, the squadron limps back, indicating that it had not been an easy mission. At the debriefing, we learn that the squadron's fighter protection was diverted, and enemy fighters had unexpectedly shown up over the target. Wally assures Michael that by aborting the mission, he had perhaps saved their lives.  With the "Lucky Lass" grounded and the squadron decimated, some of the Lass' crew are mixed into other crews for the next mission. Charlie (Manu Intiraymi), Eddie (Joseph Williamson) and Michael are not assigned. Michael feels guilty at missing yet another mission, but his crewmates point out this is a blessing in disguise because as the only officer on the ground, he can ensure that Caparelli fixes the plane properly. After having worked all night to ready the squadron for today's mission, Caparelli is loath to order his men to work in the 105 degree in the shade sun. He tells Michael they've already checked the plane and didn't find any mechanical problems, but Michael won't take it lying down. After reading Caparelli the Riot Act, he persuades Caparelli to inspect the Lass again to discover the "gremlins" that brought down the aircraft. Since excessive oil pressure was the problem, Michael insists that Caparelli take apart the oil pumps despite the new pump having been installed just last week, and a visual inspection not revealing anything. Caparelli reluctantly follows Michael's orders and discovers that the oil lines have been fouled with sand from the last sandstorm. Meanwhile, to make good on a promise to Al (Tim Hade) for a celebration on his safe return, and with no alcohol left, Charlie is caught stealing liquor from the officer's club by the chicken-shit quartermaster, Monroe (Matt Biedel), and is facing a summary court-martial. Eddie pleads with Michael to intervene with Col Shay (John Laughlin), the "Old Man". Michael arrives just as the colonel asks Charlie if he has an exonerating explanation. Michael explains about the Lass' newly discovered mechanical problems, and claims he ordered Charlie to get alcohol to use as a solvent to clean the oil lines, and accepts blame because he wasn't explicit enough in his order to Charlie to get it legitimately. The colonel pretends to believe Michael's ridiculous lie and lets Charlie off. Monroe protests, but the colonel dresses him down and tells Monroe he doesn't have time to waste on anything that doesn't effect the operational efficiency of the squadron and dismisses Monroe. Before dismissing Charlie, the colonel asks why he only grabbed Scotch whiskey, to which he replied the Lass is an Irish bomber with discriminating taste. The colonel takes a bottle from the case and chuckles to himself after Michael and Charlie leave. That night, whole crew celebrate Charlie's vindication, and declare Michael an honorary Irishman, christening him, "O'Schmidt".  July 19 arrives and the "Lass" is cleared to fly the Rome mission. On the final run to the IP, Burt is blinded by shrapnel from anti-aircraft fire, but they continue and manage to release their bombs over the target. However, as they make the turn home, a B-17 flying above them is hit and begins falling in their direction. They take evasive action, but the doomed bomber's wing clips part of the Lass' right horizontal stabilizer, causing them to go into an uncontrolled climb until they stall and begins a lateral spin. The plan loses altitude rapidly as Michael and Wally struggle desperate to regain control.  At the last second, Michael and Wally manage to pull up, but they are now very low over Rome and taking heavy ground fire. As they reach the edge of the city, a barrage of flak takes out another engine and obliterates Wally. Back in the waist, Tom checks on a wounded Oliver. Oliver says he's OK. As Tom turns back to his guns, another flak round kills him instantly. Michael asks Archie (Sean McGowan) to come to the cockpit to help him fly, since the navigator was once in flight school. Archie makes his way to the cockpit without saying a word about his wounds. He looks at the pulped flesh that used to be Wally before climbing into the seat. The "Lucky Lass" gets away from Rome, and makes a run for a British airbase at Malta.  Michael asks Al from his position as the ball turret gunner about their situation. He reports that aside from the knocked-out engines and other damage, the B-17 appears to be fine. However, the damaged port landing gear falls away as it's being lowered, leaving Michael no choice but to order everyone to bail out. Michael, not noticing that Archie is wounded, leaves the cockpit with Archie at the controls.  As Michael helps the crew bail out, Archie begins to cough up blood. Archie opens the bomb bay doors and makes his way back to Michael as the last of the crew exits the plane. As he turns around, Michael is horrified to see blood soaked Archie, obviously in excruciating pain. Archie knows he's not going to make it. As Michael tries to help him get ready to bail out, he sees Archie's parachute has been destroyed. Michael says that they can land the aircraft on the water or both jump together using his parachute. Archie nods, but he then tells Michael to "take care of the boys" and pushes Michael out. Archie makes his way back into the pilot's chair to take control of the B-17 and starts climbing, but in its damaged state, it cannot take the stress and disintegrates, taking the navigator with it.  Some time later, back at Narvin, a new replacement checks in with Michael, now the flight commander of a new bomber, starting the cycle again.

Production.

In the closing credits, "Fortress" filmmakers make the sardonic declaration, "No B-17s were hurt in the making of this film." The statement was accurate as the low budget feature could not afford to use actual surviving B-17s, either in private collections or in museums. With principal photography undertaken in 2011, Radical 3D was responsible for the authentic computer-generated imagery (CGI) film effects. The company's involvement with Lucasfilm, Fox Television, IMAX, Warner Brothers and Disney was in feature work, including the similar productions, George Lucas’s "Red Tails" (2012) and the Tom Hanks production of "Beyond All Boundaries" (2009) (for which effects have been nominated for a VES award).  Radical 3D was also involved in television projects for Discovery Channel, History Channel and National Geographic Channel including "24" and "Dogfights" (premiered in 2006), the highest rated series on the History Channel during its first season.  For "Fortress", a full-scale interior mock-up was made, recreating the fuselage from tail to cockpit. The principal exterior visual effects began with a CGI rendition that had a unique origin. The producers acquired a 1:28 scale Guillow’s B-17 Balsa wood "flying" model and scaled it up, producing, in effect, a 1:1 B-17 scale model. The upper fuselage, above the “side keels” was placed on a wooden ladder frame, which rested, in turn, on scrap tires. Manipulating the setup, the fuselage was jostled to simulate turbulence and make the actors react to the motion of the aircraft.  Location photography for the Algerian scenes in "Fortress" took place at Rocking Horse Ranch, Ramona, California in 2011. Other studio work was completed at Radical 3D facilities in Culver City, California.

Historical context.

"Fortress" depicted accurately the bombing of Rome in World War II in 1943, primarily by Allied aircraft, before the city was freed by the Allies on June 4, 1944. Pope Pius XII was initially unsuccessful in attempting to have Rome declared an open city, although negotiations took place with President Roosevelt via Cardinal Francis Spellman.  The first Allied bombardment occurred on July 19, 1943 and was carried out by 500 American bombers (a mix of B-17 and B-24 bombers). A total of 1,168 tons of bombs resulted in the entire working class district of San Lorenzo being destroyed with 3,000 Italian civilians killed in the raids over five residential/railway districts. The military targets were few, the largest Stazione Termini contained a marshalling yard, railways and industries that manufactured steel, textile products and glass. In the 110,000 sorties that comprised the Allied Rome air campaign, 600 aircraft were lost and 3,600 air crew members died; 60,000 tons of bombs were dropped in the 78 days before Rome was captured.  The producers gave "very special thanks" to the Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, California and also credited 21 technical advisors including staff at the Yanks Air Museum, also in Chino.

Reception.

Due to its direct-to-video release, "Fortress" was not critically reviewed, however, Danny Shamon reviewed the video in 2011, identifying the film elements that were effective, "For a low budget film I thought the aerial combat and filming were fantastic. I liked the sets, and it is obvious that some time was taken on the outfits, and items used during this time period.". Reviewer Ray Nyland noted: " 'Fortress is a low budget film that delivers. The air action sequences are loud, frenetic and exciting with some genuine heart in mouth moments. The camera shakes as the B-17 ploughs through heavy flak, and German fighters flash and spin past, all the time accompanied by explosions and machinegun fire that resonates around the speakers. Most of the model and CGI work of the air battles are neatly done, and believable..."  In "TV Tropes", "Fortress" was characterized as: "Despite a shoestring production budget that made for lots of conspicuous CGI, the movie was very well-researched and well-executed."

Fortress (aka Flying Fortress) is a 2012 war film directed by Michael R. Phillips and stars Bug Hall, Donnie Jeffcoat, Sean McGowan and Joseph Williamson. The film was released by Bayou Pictures and although initially intended for wider release, was a direct-to-video release on July 31, 2012 made by Monarch Video. "Fortress" takes its name from the iconic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress World War II bomber that was the centerpiece of the aerial battle in Europe.


History.

It is not known when the village of Żarki received town charter: it happened before 1382, most likely during the reign of King Casimir III the Great. By 1406, Żarki already was a well established private town, governed by a vogt. Żarki belonged to several noble families, and was a local centre of craft and trade. In 1556, fairs were established on every Tuesday. Żarki had a market square, and its population in 1662 reached 620 residents. In 1664, the town burned in a great fire.  In 1720, Żarki was moved to a new location. At that time, the town became a center of iron ore mining, with a blast furnace. By 1791, its population grew to over 1200, and in 1793, the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia (see Partitions of Poland). In 1807, Żarki became part of the Duchy of Warsaw, and in 1815, Russian-controlled Congress Poland, in which it remained until World War One. Due to efforts of Piotr Steinkeller, Żarki was an industrial center, where agricultural machinery was manufactured. In the 1850s, a cotton plant was opened here as well. Following the January Uprising, Żarki lost its town charter.  In 1914, the population of Żarki was app. 5000. During the month of October 1918, a short-lived local post was organized by the officer in charge of Civil Affairs of the District of Dabrow.  In the Second Polish Republic, Żarki belonged to Zawiercie County of Kielce Voivodeship. On September 4, 1939, Żarki was burned to the ground by the Wehrmacht, which also shot 102 residents.  In 1949, Żarki regained its town charter.

Historic sites.

Among local points of interest there are:

Żarki () is a town in Myszków County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,556 inhabitants (2019). The history of Żarki dates back to the early 14th century, as the village was first mentioned in documents from the 1320s. For centuries, Żarki belonged to Lelow County, Kraków Voivodeship, historic province of Lesser Poland.


Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's team squads

Group E.

Brazil.

Head coach: Jorge Barcellos  Brazil named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. Prior to the tournament, Elaine withdrew injured and was replaced on 23 July 2012 by Danielli, who was initially selected as an alternate player. Gabi Zanotti subsequently filled the vacant alternate spot.

Cameroon.

Head coach: Carl Enow  Cameroon named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Great Britain.

Head coach: Hope Powell  Great Britain named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Dunia Susi replaced Ifeoma Dieke on 30 July 2012 due to injury.

New Zealand.

Head coach: Tony Readings  New Zealand named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Group F.

Canada.

Head coach: John Herdman  Canada named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Melanie Booth replaced Emily Zurrer and Marie-Ève Nault replaced Robyn Gayle on 30 July 2012 due to injury.

Japan.

Head coach: Norio Sasaki  Japan named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

South Africa.

Head coach: Joseph Mkhonza  South Africa named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Sweden.

Head coach: Thomas Dennerby  Sweden named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

Group G.

Colombia.

Head coach: Ricardo Rozo  Colombia named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

France.

Head coach: Bruno Bini  France named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

North Korea.

Head coach: Sin Ui-gun  North Korea named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament. During the tournament, Choe Yong-sim replaced Kwon Song-hwa on 25 July and Kim Su-gyong replaced Ro Chol-ok on 31 July 2012 due to injury.

United States.

Head coach: Pia Sundhage  The United States named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament.

The women's football tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London was held from 25 July to 9 August 2012. The women's tournament was a full international tournament with no restrictions on age. The twelve national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 18 players, including two goalkeepers. Additionally, teams could name a maximum of four alternate players, numbered from 19 to 22. The alternate list could contain at most three outfielders, as at least one slot was reserved for a goalkeeper. In the event of serious injury during the tournament, an injured player could be replaced by one of the players in the alternate list. Only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.


Background and release.

After the release of "Elle me dit" in 2011, only in French-speaking countries, Mika unveiled a music video for the song "Make You Happy", which is not a single, but is included on "The Origin of Love". Later, on 14 July 2012, Mika previewed a 30-second clip of the song. It was uploaded to Amazon ahead of its official unveiling and was later removed from the online store. The song was released on 15 June 2012.

Composition.

"Celebrate" was written by Mika, Pharrell Williams and Ben Garrett and produced by Peter Hayes and Nick Littlemore. Nick Littlemore of the Australian electorock outfit, Empire of the Sun, lends a hand on the production, which gives the song a retro synthpop clubby feel. The song's message is clear—he simply wants the whole world to celebrate life.

Critical reception.

Emily Tam of Idolator wrote that "it shows that the Neptunes mastermind brings his smooth vocals, giving it another dimension." Ivan Ibarra of DJ Booth called it "a synth-heavy pop, yet head-nodding, sound that allows MIKA to blossom." Lanne Billings from "Paste Magazine" named it "an Elton John-ish spin on the eternal 'let’s party' single."  However, a negative review came from "Pop Dust"'s Katherine St Asaph, who gave the song 1 out of 5 stars, writing: "Pharrell doesn’t sound like Pharrell, Mika, meanwhile, swaddles his voice in so much processing he ends up sounding like Adam Levine if he were whispering. The whole thing ends up sounding like a subpar take of one of Adam Lambert’s weaker Trespassing singles. It might be best for Mika and Pharrell to quietly bury 'Celebrate' in favor of a real comeback single. They both deserve better."

Vegetable Orchestra version.

Mika collaborated with the London Vegetable Orchestra and the Junk Orchestra and recorded a different version of the song at Sarm Studios in July 2012. This version features Mika's vocals accompanied only by instruments crafted from fresh vegetables (played by the London Vegetable Orchestra) and junk (played by the Junk Orchestra). The musical director was Oli Jackson. As of August 2012 this version has only been released online.  Celebrate with Vegetable Orchestra

"Celebrate" is a song by British singer and songwriter Mika. It was released as the lead single of his third studio album, "The Origin of Love" (2012), in the United Kingdom, Europe and America, and the second single in France. The song features American singer Pharrell Williams. It was written by Mika, Williams and Ben Garrett and produced by Peter Hayes and Nick Littlemore.


Professional career.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In Gonzalez batted.270 with seven doubles, seven triples, 16 RBIs and nine stolen bases in a combined 61 games with the Rookie-Level Princeton Devil Rays and the Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades.  Gonzalez led the New York–Penn League in in total bases with 146, and hits with 92. He was second in batting average and games, third in slugging percentage, fourth in runs and extra-base hits and fifth in doubles. He played 73 games in '01.  He played a career-high 134 games with the Class-A Charleston RiverDogs in. 128 of those games at third base with just one game played at second base. He finished the season hitting.275 with 123 hits, 28 doubles, eight home runs and 62 RBIs in 447 at bats  Playing mostly at third base, Gonzalez spent the season with the Class-A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze. He had a 12-game hitting streak from July 20 to August 12 in which he hit.340 with seven RBIs. In 100 games he hit.298 with 32 doubles, six home runs and 62 RBIs.

Texas Rangers.

On December 15, Gonzalez was drafted by the Texas Rangers from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2003 Rule 5 draft. Gonzalez saw his first action at Double-A in, playing with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Texas League in. He put together a 16-game hitting streak from May 4–20, boosting his batting average from.190 to.327 during that stretch. He batted.299 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 52 home games.

Washington Nationals.

Gonzalez was drafted by the Washington Nationals from the Texas Rangers in the 2004 Rule 5 draft, making it the second time he was chosen by a team from the draft. He opened the season at the Double-A Harrisburg Senators and played 101 games at Double-A before an August promotion to the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs. He picked up his first hit at Triple-A on August 16 against the Omaha Royals.  On March 31, Gonzalez was released by the Washington Nationals.

Florida Marlins.

After signing with Florida on April 4, Gonzalez opened the season with the Class-A Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads. He was promoted to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats after hitting.293 with Jupiter. He had hits in 18 of his first 24 games at Carolina, batting.341 in May. He hit at a.349 clip out of the second slot in the line-up while with Carolina. He was transferred to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on July 19. He picked up his first hit on July 21 at New Orleans and continued with a 10-game hitting streak that lasted through August 1. Gonzalez hit.392 during his 46 games at Triple-A.

St. Louis Cardinals.

On January 30, Gonzalez signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent the entire '07 season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League batting.308 with 34 doubles, eight home runs, 53 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 126 games.

San Diego Padres.

Gonzalez made his Major League debut in May, and spent the remainder of the season with San Diego. He joined his younger brother Adrian on the Major League club, becoming the sixth set of brothers in club history and fourth pair to play together. He finished among National League rookie leaders in batting average, home runs, RBI, multiple-hit games, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and extra-base hits. He made 72 appearances at second base, 66 starts, four at third base, two starts, three at shortstop, one start, two in left field, one start, and three in right field, one start. Gonzalez posted a.984 fielding percentage overall, making five errors in 310 total chances. His contract purchased from the Triple-A Portland Beavers on May 12 and he made his Major League debut that night against the Chicago Cubs, collecting his first hit, an RBI single. He was only the sixth player in franchise history with an RBI hit in first career plate appearance and first since Kevin Higgins in. Gonzalez made his debut at 29 years, 333 days old making him the second oldest player to make his debut for the Padres, the first being Akinori Otsuka at 32 years, 84 days old. Nine June doubles tied him for second in the National League during the month in that category.  In Gonzalez failed to follow up his superb rookie season. He hit.216 with 33 hits, eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 RBIs. On July 18, he was struck in the head by a fastball from Colorado Rockies' pitcher Jason Hammel. This caused Gonzalez to miss seven weeks with concussion-like symptoms.

Yomiuri Giants.

On January 8, 2010, Gonzalez signed with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB).

San Francisco Giants.

On February 10, 2011, the San Francisco Giants signed Gonzalez to a minor league contract. The deal did not include an invite to spring training.

Chicago Cubs.

Gonzalez signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on January 6, 2012. He became a free agent after the 2014 season.

Coaching Career.

Gonzalez was named as the manager for the GCL Yankees for the 2019 season.

International career.

Gonzalez selected for the Mexico national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Gonzalez managed the Mexico national baseball team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualification in 2016, 2016 exhibition series against Japan, and 2017 World Baseball Classic in 2017.

Personal life.

Gonzalez is the older brother of first baseman Adrián González, who last played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets. Their father was a member of the Mexican national baseball team. He married Ana Cristina Lujan Gonzalez in 2003.

Edgar Victor Gonzalez (born June 14, 1978) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.


Club career.

Early career.

De Jong was born in Voorburg and played in the youth teams of ADO Den Haag, before moving to Feyenoord, where he was a first-choice goalkeeper throughout Feyenoord's youth academy. However, he was unable to find playing time for the first team, with Erwin Mulder and Kostas Lamprou ahead of him in the pecking order. In June 2013, it was announced that De Jong would be loaned to Excelsior for one season in order to gain first-team experience. However, he would only play one friendly match for Excelsior, as manager Jon Dahl Tomasson and his replacement Marinus Dijkhuizen both preferred Jordy Deckers as the starting goalkeeper. In January 2014, De Jong criticised Feyenoord for not supporting him at Excelsior.

PEC Zwolle.

In the summer of 2014, De Jong moved to PEC Zwolle on a free transfer, signing a contract for two seasons. In his first season, he made no appearances as third-choice goalkeeper behind Warner Hahn and Kevin Begois. In the 2015–16 season, Hahn left Zwolle, but De Jong remained third-choice, behind Begois and new signing Mickey van der Hart. Nevertheless, on 19 December 2015, De Jong made his debut in the Eredivisie in an away match against PSV, being substituted on after half an hour due to an injury to Begois. PEC Zwolle manager Ron Jans considered his performance "a fine job." De Jong made one more appearance during the season, starting in the Europa League play-offs away match against FC Utrecht, which they lost 5–2. At the end of the season, his contract was not extended.

Telstar.

On 23 June 2016, De Jong started training with SC Telstar. On 29 July 2016, it was announced that both parties had agreed to a one-season contract. De Jong made his debut for Telstar on 20 September 2016, playing in the KNVB Cup away match against JVC Cuijk (3–1 win). Three days later, he made his Eerste Divisie league debut, replacing the injured Wesley Zonneveld in the fourth minute of the home match against FC Eindhoven (1–4 loss). On 30 September, he started in the away match against FC Den Bosch, keeping the first clean sheet of his senior career as the game ended 0–0. Due to a serious injury sustained by Zonneveld in January 2017, De Jong became the first choice goalkeeper for Telstar for the remainder of the season. He ended his first season with the club with 20 league appearances and 22 in total. At the start of the 2017–18 season, De Jong once again found himself second-choice, as the new head coach Mike Snoei preferred Rody de Boer as the starting goalkeeper.

Anderlecht.

On 24 August 2017, it was announced that De Jong had joined Belgian champions Anderlecht, as a replacement for Davy Roef. According to De Jong, he was signed as third goalkeeper behind Matz Sels and Frank Boeckx. Since his father Max de Jong already worked at Anderlecht as goalkeeper coach, allegations of nepotism were made, but De Jong denied that it was his father who decided on the transfer. On 21 January 2018, during a league away match against Genk, De Jong was on the substitute bench for the first time, replacing the injured Boeckx. For the remainder of the season, he served as back-up goalkeeper due to Boeckx' long-term injury, but did not make an appearance.  On 22 June 2018, De Jong signed a contract extension, keeping him at the club for one more year. During the 2018–19 season, he again did not feature in an official match, being third-choice goalkeeper behind new signing Thomas Didillon and Boeckx. At the end of the season, his contract was not extended, upon which De Jong expressed his fondness of the club and having had the experience of UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches during his time there.

Stellenbosch.

On 4 July 2019, it was announced De Jong had signed a contract with South African club Stellenbosch F.C., who were newly promoted to the country's highest division. On 3 August 2019, he made his debut for Stellenbosch in the first league match of the season, starting and keeping a clean sheet in the 0–0 draw against Chippa United. On 26 March 2020, it was announced De Jong had terminated his contract with the club to return to the Netherlands, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, De Jong played 17 league matches for Stellenbosch.

International career.

As a Feyenoord youth player, De Jong played in various Netherlands national youth teams. He was the starting goalkeeper of the Netherlands team which was victorious at the 2011 European Under-17 Championship.

Personal life.

On 5 August 2018, De Jong became a father. His partner gave birth to a daughter, named Philou Lovée.

Boy de Jong (born 10 April 1994) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently a free agent.