Early life.

Ruth Virginia Bayton, was originally born February 3, 1907 (or 1903) in Tappahannock, Virginia as the sixth child of Virginia and Hansford C. Bayton, a well known river boat captain who operated an excursion steamer in the Tidewater section along the Virginian coast. However, after 1910, Ruth was sent to Philadelphia to live with her uncle, George Bayton, a wealthy and well respected physician. Occasionally, she also stayed in Baltimore with her eldest sister, Julia Bayton-Banks, who ran a restaurant with her husband Carter Banks and their six children.

Career.

Early career (1922–1925).

In the summer 1922, after finishing school and finding work as an stenographer, she was introduced to Will Vodrey, director of the Plantation Orchestra, who helped her into the chorus of the Florence Mills "Plantation Revue". The following summer, director Lew Leslie took the revue to London as "From Dixie to Dover Street". The show did extremely well, and returned to the US to play on Broadway in 1924 as "Dixie to Broadway". In 1925, she appeared in "Tan Town Topics", with Ethel Waters as the leading star and Josephine Baker in the chorus.

Arrival in Europe (1926).

In 1926, the show arrived at Paris's Restaurant des Ambassadeurs as "Blackbirds of 1926". The show opened on May 28, it was a sensation. Some of France's top stars attended, including Maurice Chevalier, Sacha Guitry, Yvonne Vallée, the Dolly Sisters and even Josephine Baker, who drifted in an hour late. The show moved over in July to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, where Josephine Baker made her debut months earlier. One night, she was approached by Henri Lartigue, who worked for the William Morris Booking Agency and organized for the show to come to France, who offered her a lucrative contract in Berlin with a weekly salary of $200. Ruth signed the contract right then and there, agreeing to come work at the theatre in the following month, and afterward kept her own counsel. Several weeks later, Ruth departed immediately to appear at the Admiralspalast all-black revue "An Und Aus" in-between rehearsals for a much larger show at the Theatre des Westens. On August 4, "Der Zug Nach dem Westen" opened and Ruth made her appeared in a girdle of a dozen bananas. Her dancing was a large success to the German press with her extravagant jungle interpretation surrounded by a cast of 200. The revue was taken to the Apollotheater in Vienna for the winter before being rearranged into a new version with skimpier costumes and more American performers such as Ben Tyber and Louis Douglas under the name, "Wissen Sie Schon" opening in March 1927 and running for another three months. She appeared in the tableau 'Der Gott und Die Bajadere', dancing completely nude except for a silver loincloth in front of a large statue of Buddha; This time with a larger salary of $600. It's hard to say how much is truth, if any, there is in the many stories in Berlin, which state that a handsome Spanish Marquis would appear with Ruth late at night in the streets of the Friedrichstrasse and under the shadows of the Unter den Linden. Later it was claimed that this Don Juan was none other than King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Undoubtedly, much of this gossip was generated by her onstage image as the personification of unbridled sexuality, just as her counterpart, Josephine Baker. That summer, Ruth appeared in Hamburg at the Argentinean-themed Trocadero Kabarett where she was showered with flowers and the German press billed her as the 'Most Beautiful Creole on the Continent.'

Spain (1927).

Ruth soon decided it was time to move on, and after an appearance in the French resort town Biarritz to perform for a charity event at the Chateau-Basque, accompanied the Spanish actor, Valeriano Ruiz Paris, into Barcelona to open his revue, "Not-Yet" at the Teatro Cómico where she introduced her new dance, the Chotiston, which was a mixture of the Charleston and the Chotis. While in Barcelona, she was followed by an old friend, Robert Wiene, a German film director, who wanted Ruth to star on in his latest film based on the love affair of one of the most gallant European Sovereigns and the most beautiful colored dancer in Europe at the moment. Filming wrapped up by the end of September and the German crew returned to Berlin. Ruth also moved on, in October, to Valencia to appear in the El Folies-Bergere cabaret, where a painting of herself (and Josephine Baker) hung above the stage. The following month, she travelled to Madrid to star in, "Noche Loca" at the Teatro Maravillas with a white American orchestra with a salary of $800 and musical scores composed by the famous Francisco Alonso. After hours, she performed at the exclusive Maipu-Pigall's nightclub, where King Alfonso and the Primo de Rivera was noted to frequent. That winter, before she could accept Louis Douglas's offer to appear in his Black Follies revue at the Teatro Comedia, Paul Derval, director of the Folies Bergère, invited her to return to Paris for the new season, as Josephine was leaving for a world tour.

France (1928–1930).

Rehearsals for "La Grande Folie" began in February in-between her appearances at the Casanova nightclub. Meanwhile, however, she was approached by the director of the Folies-Wagram, a new musichall to be inaugurated the following month with "Revue Wagram", but Ruth turned him down. But early March, after two weeks at the Folies-Bergere, moved on to the Folies-Wagram. Avoiding Paul Derval for the next three months, she appeared with Marie Dubas dancing in the finale of the first act with tall and graceful, slim ankles, shapely well molded thighs, willowy but well developed body covered in the right proportion of blue ostrich feathers. But the rumors of her affair with the Spanish monarch began to resurface, when her German film was released in on April 12. The Spanish government offered the German producers $187,000 to destroy the film, or at least prevent it from appearing in France and Spain. She was making conquests in high society and on her string was Germany's wealthiest bankers. She lived at the Hotel Ambassador with a fine $10,000 Hispano-Suiza driven by a chauffeur and two maids. Something she would have never accomplished in America. "Absolutely impossible," she later remarked to a visiting journalist, "I would have never been given the opportunity. I love Paris, the German people have been very kind, and so have the folks in Spain." After working at Floresco Bonbonniere, she spent the summer in Deauville, dancing at the seaside casinos and appearing at the racetracks with a new admirer Armand Rochefoucauld, 'Marquis de Deauville'. At the Concert Mayol cabaret in late November Ruth was back dancing beside Marie Dubas in, "Cochon Qui Sommeille" (The Slumbering Pig) before returning for a quick appearance in Berlin's Barberina Kabarett, where she complained that the audience would try to grab her she danced. But the constant gloomy presence of the strongly emerging right-wing movement which was bent on purging the decadence of Weimar Germany. This was, of course, the infant Nazi movement and to them Ruth represented the both decadence and racial impurity in Germany.  In January, Ada 'Bricktop' Smith, left behind her old establishment of the Grand Duc, and opened Chez Bricktop's on the Place Pigalle. Besides Edith Wilson and Zaidee Jackson, Ruth returned from the German capital to appear. During this time, she purchased an apartment at 77 Champs-Élysées, once briefly occupied by Jo Baker herself. Soon she ran into Leon Abbey and his orchestra, and joined him on his Spanish tour to play in Seville which was hosting the Exposición Ibero-Americana. There was lots of money to be made as American tourists filled the nightclubs and theatres of the Andalucian city. There was also Barcelona's Exposició Internacional where they made an appearance on the Expo grounds. On her own however, Ruth also returned to Madrid and danced through the winter at the Maipu-Pigall's cabaret, which was known to be frequented by the Spanish monarch. On March 8, she rejoined Abbey's band in London to appear at the Deauville Restaurant. After two weeks, Leon was deported back to Paris for not obtaining his work permits before arriving in Britain. That summer, after an invitation while appearing in London, returned to Paris for the Theatre Apollo where she appeared with the dramatic singer, Damia and the American dancer Jack Forester in the new 'oriental-themed' revue "Revue Milliardaire". Once again, Ruth was chosen for the Oriental-style finale of the first act as Scheherazade in the 'Slave Merchant' sketch. After hours, she would dance the tango and mingle amongst her Spanish friends at the El Garron cabaret. After the triumphal revue closed in August, she joined Sam Wooding's band in "La Jungle Enchanté" at the Theatre Olympia before moving over to the Theatre Marigny on September 7. In December 1930, as France prepared itself for the upcoming Exposition Coloniale, Ruth returned to New York to try her luck back in America to showcase her talents that were so well publicized in Europe.

Return to United States (1931–1932).

Upon arriving, she bought a spacious apartment in the elite Sugar Hill district near Harlem, but was immediately offered to return to France to accompany Noble Sissle's Orchestra at the Restaurant des Ambassadeurs. However, the French authorities were making determined efforts to reduce the number foreign workers, including overseas musicians, in their country. Ruth got wind of a rumor that suggested that Sissle's band would only be able permitted to fulfill the second half of its booking if 50 percent of its personnel were replaced was replaced with French artists. This proved to be the truth, and Ruth immediately declined the offer, remaining in New York to open a small boutique selling precious perfumes and fur wraps, until she got bored with the idea of being a businesswoman. The idea of being away from the stage brought her back into the nightlife, appearing in some of Harlem's popular establishments like Savoy Ballroom and the Smalls Paradise in "Ethel Baird's Revue". However, her large fortune she accumulated abroad quickly faded away as she was unable to work under the same standards as she had in Europe. Early 1932, Ruth was offered a role in a floorshow at a ritzy Broadway cabaret and struck it rich again when she foiled a holdup and was awarded handsomely. By November, she was appearing in Newark, New Jersey and renting rooms from the mother of an old friend, Crackshot Hackley. It was there she got into an argument with one the tenants, John Burtt, white director of the Lafayette Theatre. This ended in Ruth beating him with a dog chain from one her numerous pets. The fight later involved Crackshot and his mother. After this scandal, Ruth packed her bags and informed her family she was moving to Spain (under a new stage name).

Spain (1933–1937).

In February 1933, French press announced her return to France on the. They were most enthusiastic about the return of their 'Belle Creole', but the depression arrived in Europe that winter, causing the economy to fall apart and public demonstrations all across France. Despite business in Montmartre to becoming rather slow, she was found performing at the Rio-Rita Cabaret. Ruth's appearances began to become sparse and she was later departed for Deauville, entertaining at the Bar du Soleil and Casino de Deauville. 79-year old Cora E. Rollins of Chicago, who spent the weekend visiting her son-in-law, Alex Carpenter, orchestra director of the Casino, ran into Ruth, whom she had met as a child in Philadelphia. Mrs. Rollins: "Miss Bayton tried to persuade me to try my luck at the tables, but as I'm admittedly a bad loser, declined." Josephine Baker, who was also appearing at the Bar Soleil was enamored with Ruth's German banker lover, who was visiting and tried to become close with her old buddy in order to receive an introduction. But Ruth was no longer interested in reconnecting with her old cohort and wasn't naive about Jo's motives and snubbed her old friend. Soon afterwards, she departs to Spain and takes up residence in Madrid, where she continues working under another alias until Francisco Franco staged a military coup in Spanish Morocco on 17 July 1936, which made its way to south-western Spain quickly capturing southern and northwestern Spain. The country began to split into numerous factions, which quickly turned this small coup into a civil war. Back home, her family was worried sick about her whereabouts. They hadn't heard anything from her, since her return in 1933, when she stopped writing home. During the spring of 1937, they were still unable to contact Ruth when her Uncle George died. Soon however, there were strange rumors that she escaped into South America. This was confirmed by the summer, when she wrote home finally, her letters listed having arrived from Buenos Aires. Like many Spanish artists, she had escaped to Argentina, achieving huge success, both theatrically and romantically.

Argentina and later life (1938–1950).

During the summer of 1938, she even (for some unknown reason) stood trial at the Palacio de Justicia: "By order of Mr. Investigating Judge for Criminal Matters in the capital of Argentina, Dr. Antonio L. Beiuti, is quoted calls and summons Ruth "Virginia" Bayton, so that within thirty days, computed from the first publication of this, appear to be right in the cause for false testimony that followed, failing to declare rebellious if not done." She remained in Argentina until the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, however found it difficult to work under Franco's strict regime, and sometime after the outbreak of the German invasion of Poland, returned home to Buenos Aires, despite its pro-German attitude. Shortly after the military coup during July 1943, Ruth returned to the United States for a brief visit.  After WWII ended and shortly after Juan Perón's rise to power, Ruth left to tour war-torn Europe early 1946. That spring, she left Europe from London aboard the back to New York, entertaining American troops and refugees along the way. She maintained a residence in New York until late 1947, afterwards relocating to Los Angeles, where she eventually passed away, at some unknown date, believed to be sometime during the late-1950s.

Ruth Virginia Bayton (5 February 1907 – 195?) was an American-born entertainer and actress, well known in France, Germany, Spain and Argentina.


Design and development.

André Starck had built the Starck AS-20, a biplane with heavy stagger and small gap, in 1942, guided by the pre-World War II studies of Miroslav Nenadovitch. Conventional biplanes have interplane gaps significantly greater than their wing chord to minimise the usually deleterious inter-wing interactions; Nenadovitch sought to take advantage of the interaction to produce a wing pair that acted rather like a single, monoplane wing with slotted flaps. The AS-27 followed the same plan but introduced wing tip end-plates or "curtains" bearing the ailerons, used again in the later AS-37.  The AS-27 was an all-wood aircraft with Finnish ply covering. The upper wings were attached to the fuselage at shoulder wing position and the lower ones to the lower fuselage, leaving a gap of about 400 mm (16 in). The stagger placed the trailing edge of the upper wing above the lower wing's leading edge. The upper plane had a longer span and wider chord than the lower one. There were no traditional interplane struts; instead, the wing tips were joined by "curtains", approximately parallelogram-shaped airfoil structures the width of the lower wing. Because of the span difference, these leaned outwards at 45°, allowing them to carry ailerons on their trailing edges. In addition, it was claimed, these provided the lateral stability more usually secured with dihedral as well as producing additional lift.  The fuselage and empennage of the AS-27 were conventional, with its cockpit over the lower wing. Its fixed conventional undercarriage had arched leaf spring cantilever main legs with cable bracing, together with a steerable tailwheel. It had a 78 kW (105 hp) Potez 4E flat four engine in its long nose, closely cowled with prominent bulges enclosing the cylinder heads. There were two fuel tanks, one ahead and one aft of the cockpit.  The AS-27 was built by Claude Chevassut and his son. It made its first flight in the summer of 1975, piloted by Robert Buisson at Chavenay.

The Starck AS-27 Starcky was a racing single seat biplane of unusual wing layout with full stagger and a small gap. It was designed and built in France in the 1970s; only one was made.


Career.

Hazard started his career with Cliftonville before joining Celtic, his boyhood club, in July 2014. At the beginning of the 2017–18 season, Brendan Rodgers promoted Hazard to the Celtic first-team squad as third choice goalkeeper behind Craig Gordon and Dorus de Vries. On 8 September 2017, Hazard signed a new four-year contract with the Scottish champions.  In January 2018, Hazard moved on loan to Scottish Championship club Falkirk. He made his professional debut in a 3–1 victory over Brechin City on 6 February 2018.  Hazard moved on loan to another Scottish Championship club, Partick Thistle, in January 2019.  Hazard joined Dundee on an emergency loan in October 2019, replacing regular starter Jack Hamilton who was out after having his appendix removed. Hazard played 5 games with Dundee before returning to Celtic in November following Hamilton's return. After impressing Dundee manager James McPake during his short stint with the club, Hazard was brought back to the Dark Blues on loan for the rest of the season in January. Hazard again took the starting spot in February, and only conceded one goal in his next 6 games, grabbing 5 consecutive clean sheets in the process. However, both Hazard's and Dundee's great run was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing the season to be ended early in April 2020.

International career.

Hazard made his debut for the Northern Ireland under-19 team on 26 March 2016 at Sportpark Parkzicht in a 1–0 defeat to the Netherlands. He made his first appearance at full international level for Northern Ireland on 3 June 2018, in a 3–0 defeat against Costa Rica.

Conor Hazard (born 5 March 1998) is a Northern Irish professional footballer from Downpatrick who plays as a goalkeeper for Celtic. He has previously spent time out on loan at Falkirk and Partick Thistle.


Background.

Although "Oh Well" was a hit in the UK, the song was not the group's first single released in the United States. Instead, Clifford Davis, who was Fleetwood Mac's manager at the time, selected "Rattlesnake Shake" to be released in the US since he thought it would become a big hit, but it did not chart anywhere. After the commercial failure of "Rattlesnake Shake", "Oh Well" was released as the second single, and subsequently became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Mick Fleetwood ranked the song in his top 11 favorite Fleetwood Mac songs of all-time list since he was able to participate in bringing out the character of the song.  According to Mick Fleetwood, the double-time shuffle near the end of the song was spun out of an improvised jam. "It incorporated the freedom to go off on a tangent, to jam – the classic ‘Do you jam, dude?’ We learned that as players. You hear that alive and well in the double-time structure that I put in at the end, which on stage could last half an hour. It was our way of being in The Grateful Dead."  In a Q&A, Peter Green admitted that "Rattlesnake Shake" was about masturbation, reckoning that the lyrical content was inspired by Fleetwood. Fleetwood would later back up this claim in his 2014 autobiography "Play On", stating that "Rattlesnake Shake" is an ode to masturbation as a cure for the blues. "I'm named in it, as a guy who does the rattlesnake shake to jerk away my sadness whenever I don't have a chick. That was an appropriate immortalisation of my younger self..." To achieve the rustling noises heard at the end of each chorus, Green found it appropriate to insert the sounds of an actual rattlesnake found on an audio tape.

Critical reception.

The song has been well-received; the magazine "Rolling Stone" hailed the track as Peter Green's best song along with "Albatross. "Ultimate Classic Rock" placed it at #7 on their Top 10 'Peter Green Fleetwood Mac Songs' list. Paste Magazine also ranked the song number #19 on the "20 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs Of All Time", and was just one of two Peter Green songs to appear on the list, the other being "Oh Well".

Cover versions.

A different recording of "Rattlesnake Shake" also appears on Mick Fleetwood's solo album, "The Visitor". Released in 1981, this recording featured Peter Green, the track's composer, on guitar and vocals. During this time, Peter Green was beginning to reemerge professionally and had released a series of solo albums. Unlike the 1969 original, the rerecorded 1981 version did manage to chart, peaking at #30 on the Mainstream Rock chart.  Also in 1981, Bob Welch recorded a live version of the track on his album Live at The Roxy, with contributions from Stevie Nicks (tambourine), Christine McVie (maracas), Mick Fleetwood (drums), Robbie Patton (cowbell), Alvin Taylor (guitar), Robin Sylvester (bass), Joey Brasler (guitar), and David Adelstein (keyboards). The album was released in 2004.  A 1973 live version of "Rattlesnake Shake" appeared on Aerosmith box set "Pandora's Box" in 1991.  In 2005, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito covered "Rattlesnake Shake" on an album of the same name.  In 2008, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band recorded a live version of "Rattlesnake Shake" for their album ""Blue Again!"". This version featured Rick Vito on guitar and vocals.  Five years later, the song was rehearsed for a Mick Fleetwood Blues Band concert. Christine McVie had given Mick Fleetwood a call and asked him if she could play at an upcoming gig in Hawaii, which Fleetwood agreed to. The same day, Fleetwood and Rick Vito brought a piano to her hotel suite and rehearsed "Don't Stop" and "Rattlesnake Shake. On the night of the gig, Mick Fleetwood alluded to a special guest, without announcing the special guest was Christine McVie. In addition to the aforementioned songs, they also played "Get Like You Used to Be" and "World Turning".  Personnel (Mick Fleetwood version)

"Rattlesnake Shake" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by guitarist Peter Green, which first appeared on the band's 1969 album "Then Play On". The track was considered the high point of its parent album, and was one of the band's crowd-favorites in the late 1960s.


Biography.

Early work.

Born in Ibdes, province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Ezquerra started his career drawing westerns and war stories for Spanish publishers. In 1973 he got work in the UK market through agent Barry Coker, drawing for girls' romance titles like "Valentine" and "Mirabelle", as well as westerns for "Pocket Western Library", and a variety of adventure strips for D. C. Thomson & Co.'s "The Wizard". The UK was a popular market for Spanish artists as the exchange rate meant the work paid well, but Ezquerra moved to London to be near the work, settling in Croydon with his wife.

"Battle" and "2000 AD".

In 1974, on the strength of his uncredited work for "The Wizard", Pat Mills and John Wagner headhunted him, through Coker, to work for the new IPC title "Battle Picture Weekly". He drew "Rat Pack": inspired by the film "The Dirty Dozen", the strip, written by Gerry Finley-Day, featured a gang of criminals recruited to carry out suicide missions. But his commitments elsewhere meant he couldn't draw it full-time, and other artists were also used. In 1976 "Battle" editor Dave Hunt convinced him to commit himself to the title, offering him the laid-back anti-hero "Major Eazy", written by Alan Hebden. Ezquerra drew nearly 100 episodes in the next two and a half years, basing the character's appearance on the actor James Coburn. He was asked to visualise a new character, future lawman Judge Dredd, for the science fiction weekly "2000 AD", prior to its launch in 1977. His elaborate designs displeased the strip's writer, John Wagner, but impressed editor Pat Mills, and his cityscapes persuaded Mills to set the strip further into the future than initially intended. But Wagner (temporarily) quit over ownership issues, and Ezquerra followed him when the first published appearance of the character was drawn by another artist, Mike McMahon. He returned to "Battle", where he once again teamed up with Alan Hebden to create "El Mestizo", a black gun-for-hire who played both sides against the middle during the American Civil War. In 1978 he and Wagner created "Strontium Dog", a sci-fi western about a bounty hunter in a future where mutants are an oppressed minority forced into doing such dirty work, for "Starlord", a short-lived sister title to "2000 AD" with higher production values. "Starlord" was later merged into "2000 AD", bringing "Strontium Dog" with it. Ezquerra was almost the only artist to draw the character, until 1988, when writer Alan Grant decided to kill him off in a storyline called "The Final Solution". Ezquerra disagreed with the decision, and refused to draw the story, which was instead illustrated by Simon Harrison and Colin MacNeil. In 2000 Wagner and Ezquerra revived "Strontium Dog" based on a treatment Wagner had written for an abortive TV pilot. Initially, stories were set before the character's death in a revised continuity, but 2010's "The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha" brought Johnny back from the dead.  Other "2000 AD" strips he drew included "Fiends of the Eastern Front" (1980), a vampire story set in World War II, written by Gerry Finley-Day, and adaptations of Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat" novels, with the title character once again resembling James Coburn. In 1982 he returned to "Judge Dredd" to draw "The Apocalypse War", a seven-month epic which he drew in its entirety. He has continued to draw the character semi-regularly, handling the whole of "Necropolis" in 1990, "Origins" in 2006–07, and many others.  His son Hector inked and coloured in his pencil work for "Strontium Dog" between 2008 and 2012.  The character of Stogie from the long running 2000 AD strip "Robo-Hunter" was given the full name Carlos Sanchez Robo-Stogie in tribute to Ezquerra.

Other work.

Ezquerra also collaborated numerous times with writer Garth Ennis on "Bloody Mary", "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade", "War Stories", a "Hitman" annual with artist Steve Pugh, and two "Preacher" specials ("The Good Old Boys" and "The Saint of Killers" miniseries) for DC Comics, and "Just a Pilgrim" for Black Bull Entertainment.  Ezquerra occasionally used the nom de plume ""L John Silver"" for work such as 2000AD's ""The Riddle of the Astral Assassin!"" prog 118, and "ABC Warriors", progs 134–136.

Death.

In later life Ezquerra moved to Andorra. He died of lung cancer on 1 October 2018, at the age of 70. He never retired, and his uncompleted final work, "Spector," was published posthumously in June 2019 by "2000 AD".

Bibliography.

Comics.

Comics work includes:

Collected editions.

Some of Ezquerra's more recent Judge Dredd and Cursed Earth Koburn work has been collected into one volume:

Toys.

He drew the artwork on the header cards for Corgi model's range of X-Ploratron die-cast models. ("Diecast Collector Magazine", September 2006 issue, page 38)  The four X-Ploratron models were;

Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (12 November 1947 – 1 October 2018) was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of "Judge Dredd".


Racing career milestones.

Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.  Started Racing: 1982 at the age of five years. A friend got him into it.  Sanctioning Body:  First race result:  First win (local):  First sponsor:  First national win:  Turned Professional: January 1999 at the age of 21 years. During 1999 and prior de Wilde was one of only three total pros Europe ever had (Dylan Clayton and Wilco Groenendaal were the other two) due to the nature of racing rules with the European sanctioning bodies at the time, which did not permit a full pro class in which an unlimited amount of money can be earned by the racer at a race.  First Professional race result (Netherlands/Europe):  First Professional race result (US):  First Professional win (Netherlands/Europe):  First Professional win (US):  First Junior Pro* win (Netherlands/Europe):  First Junior Pro* win (US):  First Senior Pro** race result (Netherlands/Europe):  First Senior Pro** race result (US):  First Senior Pro win (Netherlands/Europe):  First Senior Pro win (US):  Retired: Still active.  Height & weight at height of his career (1999–2006): Ht:6'2" Wt:215 lbs.

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors.

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.

Career bicycle motocross titles.

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in "italics". "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.

Amateur/Junior Men.

Professional/Elite Men.

Koninklijke Nederlandsche Wielren Unie (KNWU)  Nederlandse Fietscross Federatie (NFF)  National Bicycle League (NBL)  American Bicycle Association (ABA)  United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)* Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)* Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*  International Olympic Committee (IOC)<br>  Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships

BMX magazine covers.

Note: Only magazines that were in publication at the time of the racer's career(s) are listed unless specifically noted.  Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX: Bicycle Motocross Action & Go: BMX Plus!:  Total BMX: Bicycles and Dirt: Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:  Moto Mag: BMX World: Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication under two names):  ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA publication under three names):

Robert de Wilde (born April 30, 1977 in Kampen) is a Dutch professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990–2003. His nicknames are "The Flying Dutchman" in reference to his speed and his nationality and "Afro-Bob" because of his long wild, uncombed hair. He was chosen for the Dutch BMX Olympic team to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China where he reached the Quarter Finals.


Early life.

Wooldridge was born in Yokohama, Japan, and was educated at St Paul's School, London. A talented music composer and academic, he studied music under Sibelius and was a friend and contemporary of William Walton.

Second World War.

Wooldridge joined the Royal Air Force as a sergeant pilot in 1938. During the Second World War, he was a member of RAF Bomber Command, flying a total of 97 operational bombing sorties. He was affectionately known as "Dim".  He served with No. 207 Squadron based at RAF Bottesford flying Avro Manchesters. He then served with No. 106 Squadron as one of Wing Commander Guy Gibson's flight commanders, before being appointed commanding officer of No. 105 Squadron in March 1943, which specialised in low level precision daylight bombing using de Havilland Mosquito aircraft.  Wooldridge wrote a book, "Low Attack", about these operations in 1944. In May 1944, while in America, Wooldridge volunteered to ferry one of the first Canadian-built Mosquitoes across the Atlantic to Britain and, accompanied by Flying Officer C. J. Brown as navigator, set a new record for the Atlantic crossing from Goose Bay, Labrador to the United Kingdom, of 5 hours, 46 minutes. The previous record for the Labrador-Britain route had been held by a BOAC Liberator at 7 hours 56 minutes.  Wooldridge was aeronautical adviser to the Petroleum Warfare Department during the development of the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO) fog dispersal system.

Film composer.

Wooldridge put this wartime experience to good use when he contributed the score and co-wrote the screenplay to the 1953 Dirk Bogarde film "Appointment in London".  Wooldridge's first marriage was in 1942 to Mary Latham, with whom he had a son, Morris Latham, who also became a pilot. The union ended in divorce. He subsequently married the actress Margaretta Scott in 1948, with whom he had a daughter, Susan Wooldridge, who also became an actress; and a son, Hugh Wooldridge.  Wooldridge was killed in a car accident in England aged 39 and is buried at St Lawrence's Church Cholesbury, Buckinghamshire, with his second wife, Margaretta.

John De Lacy Wooldridge, (18 July 1919 – 27 October 1958) was a Royal Air Force officer and bomber pilot, and a British film composer.


History.

Trịnh Tùng was the second son of Trịnh Kiểm. In 1572, upon the death of his father, Trịnh Tùng's elder brother, Trịnh Cối, took command. Immediately challenged by Trịnh Tùng, Trịnh Cối lost a battle to the Mạc, and thus Trịnh Tùng took control of the situation. He proved to be a very capable leader and in 1571, the Lê Loyalist Army captured the Eastern capital Hanoi from emperor Mạc Mậu Hợp. However, a counteroffensive the next year drove them out. In the midst of this reversal, the nominal Lê emperor, Lê Anh Tông, fled to Nghệ An Province. Trịnh Tùng appointed a new emperor (Lê Thế Tông), and had the previous king assassinated. The war against the Mạc continued for the next twenty years until 1592, when the Eastern Capital(Dong kinh) was reconquered. Mạc Mậu Hợp was captured during the retreat and subsequently executed.  Further military actions took place against the army of the Mạc in the years 1593 and 1594. The Royal (Trịnh) army was lent assistance in this battle by Tung's uncle Nguyễn army.  In formal recognition for his defeat of the Mạc, Trịnh Tùng was given the title "Pacifying Prince" (Bình An Vương) in 1599.  In 1619, Emperor Lê Kinh Tông, and Tùng's own son, Trịnh Xuân schemed against Trịnh Tùng so the emperor could reclaim actual Imperial power but the plot was discovered, the emperor was forced to garrotte himself and a new emperor was put in his place (Lê Thần Tông). This led Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên to a formal ending of his relations with the court which, after seven more years, led to the Trịnh–Nguyễn War.  By 1623, Trịnh Tùng was growing old. He tried to secure his succession by dividing rule between his two sons in order to avoid conflict. His attempt was not successful.

Trịnh Tùng (1550–1623), also known as Trịnh Tòng and later given the title "Bình An Vương", was the de facto ruler of Dai Viet from 1572 to 1623. Trịnh Tùng is the first official Trịnh Lord, although his father – Trịnh Kiểm – was de facto ruler of Dai Viet before him, Trịnh Kiểm never claimed himself as Trịnh Lord. Therefore Trịnh Kiểm is not considered as the first Trịnh Lord.


Early history.

Porter, Barton and Company.

In 1805, "Porter, Barton & Company," which comprised Augustus Porter, Peter Porter, Benjamin Barton, and Joseph Anim, purchased the Niagara River and the American Falls from New York at a public auction. The purchase also included the water rights from above the upper rapids to below the Falls. The company portaged goods by land from Lake Erie to Lewiston on the Niagara River, then shipped them east on Lake Ontario. When the Erie Canal opened in 1825, it made the portage obsolete and plans to develop Niagara Falls suffered. Augustus proposed a hydraulic mill canal in 1847 and offered the right of way for the canal to any person ready to build it, but the Porter brothers died before interest in the project led to construction.

Company history.

Niagara Falls Hydraulic Company.

In 1852, Caleb Smith Woodhull and his associates purchased the land and the water rights from the heirs of the Porter brothers with the intention to build a canal, and in 1853 formed the "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Company." A grant was obtained from the owners of a strip of land 100 ft. wide extending from a point above the upper rapids to the high bank below the Falls. The company started with the construction of the canal in 1853 but stopped after sixteen months because construction costs of the canal significantly exceeded estimates and the company went bankrupt.

Niagara Falls Water Power Company.

In 1856, Stephen N. Allen bought the company, which was renamed the "Niagara Falls Water Power Company." The company completed the entrance and river portion of the canal by 1857, with the exception of a narrow extension at the south end of the basin which was completed in 1881.

Niagara Falls Canal Company.

In 1860, Horace H. Day purchased the company and renamed it the "Niagara Falls Canal Company." At an investment of $1.5 million, () the canal was finally completed in 1861, but could not be used because of the American Civil War. After completing the canal project, it was idle until 1875 when the canal's first customer, Charles B. Gaskill's "Cataract City Milling Company", was using the water of the canal to power the milling company's flour grist mill.

Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company.

In 1877, as the company had only attracted one client, it declared bankruptcy and was auctioned off. The company interests were bought for $71,000 () by Jacob F. Schoellkopf, who in 1878 formed the "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company" to use the canal. After the transfer of the property, Schoellkopf finished the excavating, but the canal remained idle for a few years. The work on the power plant began and the canal was enlarged in 1892. By 1896, power plant number two had been completed and was supplying power to different factories about Niagara Falls. Many additions and extensions were made to the original plant, and company began to work on a new plant, called plant number three, that when completed, was separate from the original plant around six or eight hundred feet to the north. The workings of the Hydraulic company were entirely below the first Upper Steel Arch Bridge.  Plant number two, which was one 100 ft. by 176 ft. in dimensions, generated an average of 34,000 continuous horsepower. The entire fall of the water in the canal from the forebay to the tailrace is 210 ft. The power canal, which taps the river at a point above Port Day, and runs throughout the city to a point below the Upper Steel Arch Bridge, furnished a steady supply of water year round. Just below Port Day is the beginning of the rapids, with a fall of more than 50 ft. in three-quarters of a mile. By cutting across a bend in the river the canal comes out at the cliff below the bridge the entire distance being about 4,400 ft. Built before the era of industrial production of alternating current, the electrical plant generated direct-current electricity, and only provided it within a range of two miles from the plant.  In 1898 the company built the Niagara Junction Railway to encourage industrial expansion in the area.

Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls.

In 1907, the New York Public Service Commission law was passed which regulated the rights of non-electrical corporations from engaging in the development of electric energy and distribution of it. Therefore, the hydraulic business of "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company" became the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls" and "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" was formed to distribute the power. The "Hydraulic Power Company" owned the building itself, the land, the penstocks, the turbines, and the water wheels.  The company furnished power to many of the largest factories and industrial companies in Niagara Falls, New York. Among the company's larger contracts for power is that for the Niagara Gorge Railroad, the Aluminum Company of America, The National Electrolytic Company, and many other large manufacturing interests in Niagara Falls.  As of 1908, officers of the company were George B. Mathews (president), William D. Olmsted (vice president) Arthur Schoellkopf (secretary and treasurer), Paul A. Schoellkopf (assistant secretary and treasurer), John L. Harper (chief engineer). The board of directors was composed of George B. Mathews, William D. Olmstead, Arthur Schoellkopf, Jacob F. Schoellkopf Jr., and J. L. Romer.

Cliff Electrical Distributing Company.

The "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company," was an electrical corporation organized for the sole purpose of enabling the "Hydraulic Power Company" lawfully to distribute electric power. As of 1914, the main consumers of power from the "Hydraulic Power Company" were: Both the Aluminum Company of America and "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" owned their electrical generators and electrical apparatus and the transmission machinery (the transmission lines which carry the power from the generators to the place where they use it) and the "Hydraulic Power Company" owned everything else.  In 1914, the directors of "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" were: Peter P. Pfohl, Paul A. Schoellkopf, John Olmstead,, and Jacob F. Schoellkopf Jr. The officers were: Peter P. Pfohl, president; Paul A. Schoellkopf, secretary and treasurer; and, vice president.

Competitors.

Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power, and Sewer Company.

Schoellkopf's success in developing millsites led Charles B. Gaskill, of "Cataract City Milling Company", the canal's first customer in 1875, to believe that there would be a growing demand for power. Therefore, in 1886, Gaskill formed the "Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power, and Sewer Company" to meet the demand. His company hired engineer, Thomas Evershed, to create a plan to develop power.  Evershed planned to use the mechanical power of waterwheels and turbines rather than generating electricity. He proposed twelve canals to direct water from the upper Niagara River to remove power production from the River bank. The canals would feed 238 waterwheel pits with water plunging into the pit, rotating the turbine, and redirected through a huge tunnel into the gorge below the Falls. It was determined that Evershed's plan was too expensive, so Edward Dean Adams and others decided to develop hydro-electric power. New plans called for a central generating station and a shortened version of Evershed's tunnel.

Niagara Falls Power Company.

In 1889, developers organized the "Niagara Falls Power Company" and the "Cataract Construction Company" (incorporated June 12, 1889) to carry out the new plan. Edward Dean Adams, as president of the "Cataract Construction Company," directed plans to construct a central generating plant and to solve the problem of transmitting electricity over long distances. Adams and the "Cataract Construction Company" began constructing a central power station immediately, however, the problem of how to transmit electricity long distance was not yet solved. On December 20, 1892, the Evershed tunnel and the Edward Dean Adam's power house inlet canal are completed.  Therefore, the "Cataract Construction Company" sponsored the "International Niagara Commission", which met in London in June 1890 and was headed by Lord Kelvin. The commissioners offered a $100,000 () prize for a solution to the problem. The commission received seventeen submissions from experts around the world only to reject them all. The schemes ranged from a system using pneumatic pressure to one requiring ropes, springs and pulleys. Some proposed transmitting direct current electricity, including one endorsed by Thomas Edison.  On May 6, 1893, after the commission failed to award a winner, Lord Kelvin and the commission asked George Westinghouse to use alternating current to develop electricity at Niagara Falls. The construction lasted for several years and was funded by an interest composed of notable businessman including: J. P. Morgan, John Jacob Astor IV, Lord Rothschild, and W. K. Vanderbilt. The Edward Dean Adams Power Plant, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, first produced power on August 26, 1895, and in November 1896, power generated from Niagara Falls reached Buffalo. The first 1,000 horsepower of electricity transmitted to Buffalo was claimed by the street railway company, with the local power company putting in orders for 5,000 more.  Similar to the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls" arrangement with the "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company," the "Niagara Falls Power Company" sold power to the International Railway Company which obtained the right to install its rotary converters in the Niagara Power Company's generating station, but paid nothing additional (i.e. rent) for the installation.

Consolidation.

In 1918, the "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company," the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls," and the "Niagara Falls Power Company" merged due to government pressure for more efficient use of the Niagara River's water provided by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1910. The consolidated company retained the name "Niagara Falls Power Company" and issued $26,000,000 () capital stock, common and preferred. The $26 million in capital stock was consisted of The $11,515,400 in preferred stock was distributed to the shareholders of "Niagara Falls Power Company." Of the $14,484,600 in common capital stock:  On March 2, 1921, the combined "Niagara Falls Power Company," secured a federal license from the Federal Power Commission, issued under the Federal Water Power Act of 1920 for a term of 50 years, that authorized the diversion of water for power purposes from the Niagara River, above Niagara Falls, and the return of it below the Falls, all in New York.  The "Niagara Falls Power Company" later became "Niagara Mohawk Power Corp." which was acquired by National Grid plc in 2002 for $3 billion ().

Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor companies efforts to construct a canal used for hydraulic mill power. In 1918, the company merged with Niagara Falls Power Company, which later became Niagara Mohawk and in 2002 was acquired by National Grid plc.


Biography.

Background and early career.

Albin's family and origin are unclear. It has been suggested that he may have been a son of Henry de Brechin (died 1244 or 1245), the bastard son of David of Huntingdon ("Earl David") and the younger brother of King William the Lion; Henry bore the title Lord of Brechin, and was given lands there by his father. The strongest evidence of Albin's relationship with Henry is that his episcopal seal bore the arms of Earl David.  Albin's family certainly had strong connections in the church of Brechin. A known kinsman ("nepos") of Albin's, Adam, held the position of Archdeacon of Brechin, probably by 1242, but certainly by 1264. It has been suggested that this Adam was Adam de Brechin, probable son of Henry de Brechin's successor William de Brechin (died between 1286 and 1294), who held benefices in the see of Brechin in 1274.  Albin became precentor of Brechin Cathedral, the first known person to hold that office; he was not, however, recorded in that position until the summer of 1246, when he was confirmed as Bishop of Brechin. Because Albin was born illegitimately, he needed papal dispensation to hold that office, which he obtained from the papal legate Otto of Tonengo, Bishop of Porto, in the autumn or early winter of 1239, when that legate visited Scotland.  By 1246, Albin was styled "Master", indicating that he had completed many years of university study; what he studied, and at which university, is unknown.

Accession to Brechin bishopric.

Albin became Bishop of Brechin following an election and then a successful appeal for confirmation to the papacy. Pope Innocent IV's mandate for confirmation gave the details of the election. Following the death of Gregory, Bishop of Brechin, the cathedral chapter selected three of their members to elect the next bishop, and they unanimously forwarded their precentor, Albin. Because of Albin's "defect of birth" (i.e. his illegitimacy), they supplicated the papacy to repeat the earlier dispensation.  The Pope followed legate Otto's earlier dispensation, and on 19 July 1246 issued the mandate for confirmation and consecration to the Kingdom of Scotland's three senior bishops: David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews; William de Bondington, Bishop of Glasgow; and Geoffrey de Liberatione, Bishop of Dunkeld. The consecration took place some time before 13 May 1247, the date Albin was given his first recorded task as a consecrated bishop, when he, Clement, Bishop of Dunblane, and David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews, were authorised to perform the episcopal consecration of Peter de Ramsay as Bishop of Aberdeen.

Early episcopate, 1240s.

Albin witnessed a royal charter at Forfar on 4 July 1246. In the following year, on 11 July and 8 August 1248, the Pope wrote to Albin commanding him to ensure that a settlement between Inchaffray Abbey in Strathearn, diocese of Dunblane, and Bishop Clement of Dunblane be peacefully kept, with Inchaffray being portrayed as the side in more need of protection.  In the same period, he ordained vicarages for Arbroath Abbey in Angus, and on 22 September 1248 settled a long-standing property dispute between the church of Brechin and Arbroath Abbey. However, he had left Scotland by the following month, and was in England, at Finchale Priory near Durham, where he granted many indulgences.  Following the death of Alexander II of Scotland on 6 July 1249, the accession of the boy king, Alexander III of Scotland, meant minority administration, and as a result, factional politics. The government during this minority was divided between a faction centred on Walter Comyn, husband of the countess of Menteith, and Alan Durward; the Comyn faction held the ascendancy between 1249 and 1252, and again between 1255 and 1257; the Durward faction held the ascendancy between 1252 and 1255, and again between 1257 and 1258.  The available sources give no clue as to Albin's pattern of allegiance in these factional politics, and neither do his recorded activities. Professor Donald Watt has suggested that Albin was probably aligned with the Durward faction, in contrast, for instance, to the allegedly Comyn aligned Clement of Dunblane. Watt even argued that Albin's postulation was probably due to the influence of Alan Durward, who at the time was a close advisor of King Alexander II.

Middle episcopate, 1250s.

Despite Albin's suggested Durwardite allegiance, Bishop Albin, Bishop David de Bernham of St Andrews and Abel de Gullane, Archdeacon of St Andrews, issued a letter of protest against the behaviour of the Durward dominated government; they criticised Durward's onslaught on the "liberties of the church", probably in the aftermath of the translation of the relics of St Margaret to Dunfermline Abbey on 19 June 1250.  In either 1253 or 1254, Albin was an assessor at a court held by the Justiciar of Scotia, Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan. In April 1253, he summoned Bishop David de Bernham to appear before the papal curia, in order to resolve a dispute he and the culdees of St Mary's were having with St Andrews Cathedral Priory.  Albin performed various tasks in this period on behalf of the papacy. On 15 May 1253, Bishop Albin and Richard de Inverkeithing, Bishop of Dunkeld, were appointed to be papal mandatories, and instructed by the papacy to protect Bishop William de Bondington from being summoned to lay courts on account of matters concerning his bishopric.  Bishop Albin, with the Archdeacon of Brechin, was named as a papal mandatory again on 4 January 1254 and authorised to put Nicholas de Hedon in possession of the deanery of Elgin Cathedral. Along with Clement of Dunblane, Albin was named by the pope as a conservator of the privileges given to Abel de Gullane, newly provided Bishop of St Andrews, on 23 March.  On 22 June, Bishop Albin assisted the justiciar Alexander Comyn in conducting a perambulation in eastern Angus. Albin appears to have left Scotland again some time after this, as he appears active around Durham again in either 1254 or 1255. Back in Scotland, at Arbroath on 21 September 1256, he and Bishop Clement of Dunblane passed judgment on William de Mydford, vicar of the parish church of Dundee, after Mydford had been withholding the revenues due to the church's rector, Lindores Abbey.  During this period, Albin was involved in a political controversy regarding succession to an earldom. An alleged papal bull, dated 13 December 1255, had named Bishop Albin as a papal mandatory, along with Robert de Stuteville, with instructions to investigate Alan Durward's claim to the earldom of Mar; however, the bull was denounced as a forgery on 28 March 1257, after Durward's rivals had seized power. During the months preceding this denunciation, Albin was once again out of Scotland; on 4 March 1257 his presence was once again recorded at Durham.

Later episcopate, 1260s.

For three years, Albin's activities are unreported until, on 30 April 1260, he was recorded as being at Montrose, again as a papal mandatory. He gave judgment on a dispute between Archibald, Bishop of Moray, and the latter's cathedral chapter, concerning the bishop's rights of visitation. On 13 June 1263, Albin, Robert, Bishop of Ross, and Richard de Inverkeithing, Bishop of Dunkeld, were selected by the papacy to judge the fitness and, if appropriate, consecrate Walter de Baltrodin as Bishop of Caithness.  In the following year, Albin was involved in a controversy regarding the archdeaconry of Brechin. On 23 January 1364, papal judge-delegates were appointed to investigate allegations of nepotism which had been made against him. The allegations centred on Bishop Albin's handling of a vacancy to the Brechin archdeaconry; Albin had given collation of the archdeaconry to the Abbot of Arbroath, who then appointed Adam, one of Albin's relatives. The outcome of the case is not known, and it is therefore unclear whether or not Adam was deposed as archdeacon. All that can be confirmed is that no other archdeacon is attested by name until 1284.  The stay of Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi (later Pope Adrian V) in England from 29 October 1265, until July 1268, led to a great deal of diplomatic activity in the Scottish church, in which Albin was perhaps involved. Cardinal Ottobono imposed a general tax on the English church, which he extended to Scotland. King Alexander III forbade the payment of this money, and appealed to the papacy; but in 1267 the Scottish clergy persuaded Alexander to abandon his appeal, while they made their own reduced payments. Meanwhile, Cardinal Ottobono's legatine council, to which the Scottish church had sent four delegates, promulgated canons for the English church which he expected the Scottish church to incorporate; the Scottish church does not appear to have done so, however.  Bishop Albin witnessed William de Brechin's foundation charter of Maison Dieu chapel, Brechin, sometime between March and July 1267, the last known recorded reference to him until 1269. His death in that year was reported in the "Chronicle of Melrose", but without any details of the cause, or location, or Albin's age.

General notes about Albin's episcopate.

During Albin's episcopate, the incorporation of the "Céli Dé" ("vassal of God") into the cathedral chapter was probably brought near to completion. The "Céli Dé" were the Scottish monks who formed the base of the pre-Reform, pre-13th century monastery of Brechin before it was organised into a bishopric in the 12th century. A bull of Pope Innocent IV of 18 February 1250 stated that: These "Céli Dé" had been proclaimed as part of the secular cathedral by an act of Bishop Gregory, Albin's predecessor.  During his episcopate, Albin is said to have attracted Egbert, an English Arabic scholar and Carmelite friar, to teach in Brechin. A later tradition held that a now obscure local martyr named Stolbrand, "martyr of Brechin", had been translated to Brechin Cathedral during Albin's episcopate; the date given is 2 January but the year is not recorded.

Albin (or Albinus) (died 1269) was a 13th-century prelate of the Kingdom of Scotland. A university graduate, Albin is known for his ecclesiastical career in the diocese of Brechin, centred on Angus in east-central Scotland.


Career.

Dragon Gate (2006–present).

During 2006, he debuted during some Dragon Gate NEX shows as m.c.KZ. His gimmick was that of a rapper, and he rapped his own theme song on his way to the ring. In 2007, he and Lupin Matsutani, another wrestler on the Dragon Gate NEX circuit, teamed together as Lupin the KZ. When BxB Hulk and YAMATO became injured before the inaugural Summer Adventure Tag League Tournament, Lupin the KZ were chosen to replace the New Hazard team. Later in the year, he managed to pull out a win against CIMA on a NEX show. CIMA had previously injured his neck and was advised not to wrestle, but did it anyway as a way to put over the young wrestler. At the start of 2008, he won the NEX-1 tournament, and after completing a five match trial series, he departed for Mexico to hone his skills. In June, he received a phone call from Naruki Doi inviting him to join his WORLD-1 faction, and he accepted. Despite getting a push when he first returned, culminating in a chance at winning the vacant Open the Brave Gate Championship, he soon fell into a horrific slump, getting pinned or tapping out during tag team or six-man tag matches that he was involved in. He also appeared once for Chikara in the U.S. during their King of Trios tournament that year, beating Michael Nakazawa in a singles match on the third night of the event.  He slightly improved in 2009, but still remained the lowest ranking member of WORLD-1. On June 26, he officially quit WORLD-1 and joined up with heel stable Real Hazard, after helping Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi retain their Open the Twin Gate Titles against CIMA and Gamma under the Dr. Muscle disguise and unmasking after the match. The next night, he changed his name to Kzy (pronounced "kay-zee") and debuted a completely new look.  On January 10, 2010, when stablemate Genki Horiguchi announced that Real Hazard would be winning more matches through teamwork rather than illegal methods and Yasushi Kanda was against this idea, Kzy - along with Takuya Sugawara - sided with Kanda in the matter. The issue eventually caused a divide in Real Hazard, with them on one side and Horiguchi, Susumu Yokosuka & K-ness on the other. In the midst of this, KAGETORA - who had rejoined Real Hazard a very short time ago - began to resent rejoining their ranks. A match was set for February 11 between Kzy and KAGETORA, where the loser would be kicked out of Real Hazard, and Kzy emerged victorious. The day before, Horiguchi, Yokosuka & K-ness left Real Hazard, and a couple of weeks later, he and the others in the stable retired the Real Hazard name and began calling their unit Deep Drunkers. On October 13, 2010, the Deep Drunkers were forced to split up, after losing a match against WORLD-1 (BxB Hulk, Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi), but after the match Doi turned on WORLD-1 to form a new stable with Kzy, Kanda Naoki Tanizaki and Takuya Sugawara. In December 2010 Kzy was sidelined with a leg injury. Meanwhile, his new stable merged themselves with CIMA's Warriors stable, forming a new top heel faction. On January 18 the new group was named Blood Warriors. Kzy made his return on May 27, 2011, when he was revealed as the newest member of Blood Warriors and the replacement for Gamma, who had just been kicked out of the group. On September 2, Kzy, Naoki Tanizaki and Naruki Doi defeated Gamma, Masato Yoshino and YAMATO to win the Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship. They were stripped of the title on January 19, 2012, after Tanizaki was sidelined for six months with a shoulder injury. On March 1, the new leader of Blood Warriors, Akira Tozawa, changed the stable's name to Mad Blankey. On March 25, 2012, Kzy unsuccessfully challenged Ricochet for the Open the Brave Gate Championship. On December 9, Kzy, impostor Naoki Tanizaki and BxB Hulk unsuccessfully challenged Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Ryo "Jimmy" Saito and Mr. Quu Quu Toyonaka Dolphin for the Dragon Gate Open the Triangle gate championship. On April 12, 2013, Kzy unsuccessfully challenged Dragon Kid for the Open the Brave Gate championship. On May 5, Kzy, Mondai Ryu and Uhaa Nation unsuccessfully challenged for the Open the Triangle Gate Championship in a 3-way 6 man tag match with Kzy getting his team eliminated by getting pinned by Dragon Kid. On September 29, Kzy challenged for the vacant Open the Brave Gate championship in a losing effort to Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!. On February 20, 2014, Kzy, Naruki Doi and Cyber Kong challenged for the vacant Open the Triangle Gate championship in a losing effort to Jimmy Susumu, Yasushi Kanda and Mr. Kyu Kyu Tanizaki Naoki Toyonaka Dolphin. On May 5, at Dragon Gate's Dead or Alive event Kzy was represented by Naruki Doi in a Lucha de Apuesta style cage match where if you don't get a flag the person your representing for gets their head shaved, Doi didn't capture a flag so Kzy had to get his head shaved. On June 6, Kzy, Naruki Doi and Cyber Kong won the Open the Triangle gate championship in a 3-way 6-Man Tag match with Kzy pinning U-T after hitting his finisher Impact. On September 9 Kzy unsuccessfully challenged Flamita for the Open the Brave Gate championship. Kzy, Naruki Doi and Cyber Kong defended the triangle belts 3 times before losing the belts on October 9, to CIMA, Gamma and Don Fujii after Gamma hit Kzy with the Skytwister press. After losing the Triangle Belt Kzy was sidelined with an eye injury.  On January 12, 2015, Kzy, as the masked Dr. Muscle, defeated Eita in the finals of a tournament to win the vacant Open the Brave Gate Championship. He unmasked four days later, betraying Mad Blankey and jumping to Dia.Hearts. On February 28, Kzy lost the Open the Brave Gate Championship to Akira Tozawa. On February 4, 2016, Dia.HEARTS was forced to disband after he took the final fall in an elimination match which also included Monster Express and VerserK. On May 28, Kzy, along with BxB Hulk, YAMATO, and Yosuke♥Santa Maria, formed a new unit named Tribe Vanguard.

Trained in the Dragon Gate dojo, Kzy initially debuted in 2006 as m.c.KZ, with the gimmick of a rapper who rapped his own theme song and wore ring attire heavily influenced by American hip-hop culture. In 2009, he changed his ring name to simply Kzy, the name he uses to this day. He is a one time Open the Brave Gate Champion and five time Open the Triangle Gate Champion.


Early life.

Born April 22, 1994 in York, Maine, Robinson is the son of the Elisabeth and Jeffrey Robinson and the youngest of their three children (after sister Marta and brother Eli). Jeffrey, who is, had played one season for the Maine Black Bears. Robinson grew up in the town of New Castle, New Hampshire, where his Maude H. Trefethen Elementary School 6th grade graduating class was composed of four students. He attended Rye Junior High School and elected to attend The Governor's Academy in Massachusetts rather than Portsmouth High School, which is the public high school for students in New Castle.  Robinson began his freshman season as a point guard for The Governor's Academy in 2008, but did not play much until he became "serviceable" as a junior. In his early years, he shot for hours, attempting to make 1600 shots per week. Robinson started working with trainer Noah LaRoche during his junior season. After Christmas of his junior year, he began to see a future in basketball although he was still coming off the bench. After averaging 18.5 points as a senior at The Governor's Academy, he was selected to the 2012 All-NEPSAC Class B first team and the 2012 All-Independent School League (ISL) team. He graduated with a 3.55 G.P.A. Following his senior season, he still had visions of an NCAA Division I scholarship offer and opted for the spring and summer Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit and a postgraduate year. Robinson played for Michael Crotty Jr.'s Middlesex Magic AAU team, who helped win the Basketbull National HOF Championship. Crotty had been a two-time All-American at Williams College, having served as point guard for the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament champions (and 2004 Tournament runners up). Following his senior season, Robinson measured and. By the end of the summer, he had become and.  During the last weekend of September 2012 while on a campus visit, Division III Williams made Robinson an offer that he accepted immediately. At the time, Williams was ranked the number one liberal arts college in the country according to "U.S. News & World Report", and the school was a Division III basketball powerhouse. They had gone 93–22 over the prior four seasons under head coach Mike Maker. In 2013, Robinson led Phillips Exeter Academy to its first NEPSAC Class A championship victory on March 10 against Choate Rosemary Hall with a 24-point, 10-rebound MVP performance. Exeter finished the season at 28–1. Nonetheless, his only scholarship offer was from NCAA Division II's Merrimack College. He also had interest from Division I Brown Bears and Columbia Lions as well as Division III Bates and Amherst.

College career.

Williams College.

Prior to the November 15, 2013 season opener against Southern Vermont College, Williams was ranked third in the nation according to the preseason poll. Williams lost in the shadow of a home court scheduling conflict despite 5–6 shooting by Robinson. Robinson became the only freshman starter in Maker's six-year tenure as head coach at Williams. In his 2013–14 freshman season at Williams, Robinson was twice named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week during the regular season. Williams reached the 2014 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament championship game, but fell 75–73 to University of Wisconsin–Whitewater as Robinson scored 17 points. After Williams took a one-point lead with 4.9 seconds left, Wisconsin pushed the ball upcourt without calling time-out to score the winning basket in what Chris Strauss of "USA Today" described as the best NCAA basketball tournament game of the weekend. Robinson had posted 30 points in the tournament semifinals against bitter rival Amherst College who had defeated Williams in the season's three previous meetings. Williams finished the season with a 28–5 record. That season, he led Williams in minutes played (a school record 1,110), points scored (548), three-point shots made (81–179), three-point % (45.3), free throw percentage (87.8%), blocks (36) and steals (36). He averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 34.7 minutes per game. Following the season, he was the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-NESCAC selection. Robinson became Williams' first freshman to be named All-American (4th team, D3Hoops.com), first D3Hoops.com National Rookie of the Year, first freshman NCAA All-Tournament Team selection and first freshman 500-point scorer. His season was described as "one of the best freshman seasons in Division III men's basketball history" by Jeremy Leveille of WGAM in a story for NHNotebook.com.  Following the 2013–14 season, Maker left Williams to become the head coach for the Marist Red Foxes. Robinson was immediately contacted by schools from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, Atlantic 10, Ivy League, Patriot League and American East conferences. Among the schools that were interested were Creighton, Boston College and Providence. After his freshman success, he had decided that he would only leave Williams to play for a winning program that was an elite academic institution and that used a system and style that he had become used to. Robinson had played against Nik Stauskas in NEPSAC play and was impressed with how Michigan's John Beilein had developed "under-recruited players" such as Stauskas who was a 1st round selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Maker had been an assistant coach for Beilein at West Virginia from 2005–07. At both Exeter and Williams, Robinson had played in systems that were similar to the one that Beilein runs at Michigan. Robinson asked Maker to contact Beilein who on faith replied that Michigan may have interest at the preferred walk-on level. Robinson was not interested in walk-on consideration given competing scholarship offers. A week later, after seeing video, Beilein said Michigan was considering a scholarship offer. Robinson scheduled visits to Michigan and new Atlantic 10 member Davidson. After the visit to Michigan, Robinson committed to the school. He announced his decision via Twitter on August 6, 2014.

University of Michigan.

Sophomore season.

Robinson is the first player to transfer from Division III to Division I with a full scholarship according to some sources. During the 2014–15 NCAA Division I season, Robinson redshirted for the Michigan Wolverines, meaning that he could not participate in games, but could practice with the team. In December 2014 with assistant coach Jeff Meyer as his rebounder, Robinson broke Stauskas' Michigan Wolverines' practice record for three-pointers in a drill (five minutes, one ball, one rebounder) by posting 78, surpassing Stauskas by three.  In Robinson's second game for the 2015–16 Michigan Wolverines, he posted 19 points on 6–6 shooting (5–5 3-point shots) from the floor against Elon. On December 12, Michigan defeated Delaware State 80–33, as Robinson made his first career start for Michigan by posting 11 points on 3–5 three-point shooting. At the time Robinson ranked third in the nation in three-point shooting percentage. Note that various sources have various eligibility thresholds. E.g., while BigTen.org only requires a minimum of 1.0 made per game, NCAA.org requires a minimum of 2.5 made per game. On December 23, Robinson tied his career high (set twice at Williams) with six assists against Bryant. The game marked the ninth consecutive game in which he made at least three 3-point shots. Robinson entered conference play as the Big Ten leader in three-point field goal percentage and led the Big Ten Conference in both three-point field goals (52) and three-point field goal percentage (.565) through the first week of the Big Ten Conference schedule. On January 12, with leading scorer Caris LeVert sidelined, Michigan defeated Maryland 70–67 as Robinson contributed 17 points on 5–9 three-point shooting. On January 23, Michigan defeated Nebraska 81–68, behind a game-high and season-high 21 points by Robinson. With the Cornhusker defense challenging his three-point shot, he scored more points inside the three-point line than outside it for the first time as a Wolverine. The January 27 game against Rutgers marked the 17th consecutive game in which Robinson made at least two three-point shots. Robinson made only one three-point shot in each the subsequent two games against Penn State and Indiana. Nonetheless, Robinson entered the February 6 Michigan–Michigan State rivalry game against the 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans as the Big Ten Conference leader in three-point shots made and three-point field goal percentage, but he was held to 0–3 three-point shooting in the game. The game marked the first time since the season opener, that Robinson did not make a single three-point shot, ending a 22-game streak. On February 10, Michigan defeated Minnesota as Robinson posted a game- and season-high nine rebounds to go along with 14 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting.  On March 10, in Michigan's first game of the 2016 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament against Northwestern, Robinson scored 21 points including a three-point shot that tied the score with 46.5 seconds remaining in overtime. The following day, in the quarterfinals against first-seeded Indiana, Robinson again put Michigan in position to win by tying the score with a three-point shot with 46 seconds remaining (this time in regulation). The following day, in the semifinals against Purdue, Robinson recorded his 90th three-pointer of the season, becoming just the fifth Wolverine in history to reach the milestone. On March 16, in the First Four round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Michigan defeated Tulsa, 67–62, with support from Robinson who recorded his first double-double as a Wolverine with 13 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. Robinson finished the season second to Bryn Forbes (48.1%) among Big Ten players in three-point field goal percentage with a 45.0% mark.

Junior season.

Following the previous season, several other wing players left the team. Caris LeVert graduated. Aubrey Dawkins transferred to play for the UCF Knights. Kameron Chatman announced his intention to transfer. Robinson mostly came off the bench, although he did start one game due to a bookkeeping error on December 17 against Maryland Eastern Shore. Late in the season, he began producing "The Dak and Dunc Show" podcast with teammate Andrew Dakich for WCBN-FM Sports, which was available on iTunes. The team won the 2017 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament and reached the sweet sixteen round of the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

Senior season.

Robinson began his senior season with a team-high 21 points against North Florida on November 11, 2017. In the game, he and Charles Matthews became the first Michigan teammates to score 20 points in a game since March 3, 2015. On January 13, Isaiah Livers replaced Robinson in the starting lineup for Michigan when they faced Michigan State in their rivalry game. With Livers sidelined on February 11, Robinson returned to the starting lineup, where he recorded 16 points, including 14 points in the first half in an 83–72 victory over Wisconsin. On February 14, Robinson recorded 18 points, on a season-high six three-point shots in a 74–59 victory over Iowa. With his six three-pointers in the game, Robinson surpassed Zack Novak for sixth all-time on Michigan's career three-point leaderboard with 215 for his career Following the 2017–18 Big Ten Conference regular season, Robinson was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year by the coaches. On March 1 in the 2018 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Robinson helped lead Michigan to a 77–71 overtime victory over Iowa after his co-captains, Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman, fouled out by converting a go ahead three-point shot with 2:17 remaining in overtime and two free throws to give Michigan a two-possession lead with 10 seconds remaining. The following day in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament Robinson scored his 1,000th career point on his second three-point field goal of the first half. Robinson finished the game with 16 points off the bench, including four three-pointers in a 77–58 victory over Nebraska. Robinson averaged 11 points per game during Michigan's four games, helping them win the tournament championship. On March 21, Robinson became an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. The team lost in the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game to Villanova. Robinson was the first player to play in both an NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game and a Division III championship game. Over the course of three seasons, Robinson finished his career with 237 made three-point shots (on 41.9% shooting), placing fourth on Michigan's all-time list.

Professional career.

Miami Heat (2018–present).

After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, he signed an NBA Summer League contract with the Miami Heat. After 5 summer league games in which he averaged 12.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 58% (22-for-38) from the field including 63% (17-for-27) on three-point shots, he agreed to a two-way contract with the Miami Heat and Sioux Falls Skyforce on July 10, 2018. When Robinson made his NBA debut, it was the first by a former Division III player since Devean George. Robinson joined Big X, a team composed of former Big Ten players, in The Basketball Tournament 2018.  Although the Heat's formal training camp did not begin until September 25, 2018, Robinson declined an invitation to participate as part of the G League-manned squad that Team USA used from September 6 through September 17 to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup so that he could participate in informal developmental training with the Heat. When the Heat began the season with four injured players (Wayne Ellington, Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters), Robinson and fellow two-way player Yante Maten made the official October 15 opening day roster. The team began the season with 14 players under full NBA contracts. When the G League training camps opened on October 22, Robinson stayed with the Heat. Robinson made his NBA debut in the Heat's fourth game of the season on October 24, against the New York Knicks with three points and four rebounds in 10 minutes of action. He made his first Field goal attempt, a three-point shot. He scored 15 points as a starter when Sioux Falls opened its season on November 2 with a 112–101 victory against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Robinson scored five points in his first NBA start on February 25, 2019 against the Phoenix Suns. Robinson was a 2019 All-NBA G League Third Team selection after posting 21.4 points with a 51.4 percent field goal percentage and 48.3 three-point percentage along with 4.3 rebounds and three assists in 33 games, which resulted in his contract being converted to a standard two-year contract on April 9. Robinson closed the season with his first double-digit scoring effort with 15 points against the Brooklyn Nets on April 10.  During the 2019 off-season, Robinson's contract became a $1 million guarantee with the possibility of a $1.4 million guarantee if he remained on the roster through midseason. He bulked up prior to the 2019–20 season. With Jimmy Butler sidelined on October 27, Robinson posted a then career-high 21 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then posted 23 points on 7-for-11 three-point shooting on November 3 against the Houston Rockets. On November 20, Robinson posted a career-high 29 points against his college coach John Beilein's Cleveland Cavaliers, establishing Heat records with 7 three-point shots in a quarter and 8 in a half. On December 1, Robinson posted a 10-rebound/10-point double-double against the Brooklyn Nets. On December 10, Robinson scored a career-high 34 points, making 10 three-pointers that tied a Heat franchise record for three-points made in a game, in a 135–121 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. Following his performance, the "Wall Street Journal" called Robinson "the most improbable player in the NBA" and "one of the best shooters on the planet" in an article on December 13, 2019. He appeared as a competitor in the Three-Point Contest at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. On March 6, 2020, Robinson scored 24 points and had five rebounds and four assists in a 110-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, shotting 8-of-14 on three-pointers. His 8 three pointers raised his single-season total to 233 with 19 games remaining, passing Wayne Ellington's single-season Heat three-pointers record (227), Damon Jones's NBA undrafted player single-season three-pointers record (225), and Kyle Korver's NBA single-season record for most by a first or second year player (226). The performance set Robinson up for two more record chases on March 8: tie with Rafer Alston for most consecutive games by a Heat player with at least one 3-pointer (49) and George McCloud's NBA record largest increase in made three pointers from one season to the next (223). On March 8, Robinson's former roommate, Mo Wagner got Robinson's temper up enough to earn his first technical foul. Robinson is also on pace to smash other NBA records: 3-point percentage of field goals attempts (88.3 percent of Robinson's shots were threes vs. the NBA record of 82.7% by Wayne Ellington, minimum 400 attempts) and fewest 2-point field goal attempts (P. J. Tucker, 136, 2400 minute minimum).

Duncan McBryde Robinson (born April 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the NCAA Division III Williams College Ephs and the NCAA Division I Michigan Wolverines. He transferred to Michigan from Williams after leading the NCAA Division III Williams Ephs to the 2014 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament championship game. He was the 2014 Division III Rookie of the Year and a Division III All-American.


Life and work.

Gascar was born in Paris, the son of Pierre Gascar, a minor painter and sculptor. Gascar came to England about 1674, probably at the behest of Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, Charles II's favourite mistress. Gascar (or Gascard, as he seems to have spelt his name at first) was already known as a skillful portrait-painter; among the portraits already painted by him was that of Nicolas de Lafond, author of the "Gazette of Holland", painted in 1667, and engraved by Peter Lombart.  The patronage of the Duchess of Portsmouth ensured Gascar a rapid success in England. His flamboyant style, contrasting with the stolid English approach, seemed to suit the frivolity of the time and he painted many of the ladies of Charles II's court. His lack of attention to detail in the likeness he made up for by the sumptuous draperies and tawdry adornments around the subject. For a short time he became fashionable, and is said to have amassed a fortune of over £10,000.  Among the portraits painted by him during his time in England were Charles II (engraved by Peter Vanderbank); Louise, Duchess of Portsmouth (twice - once engraved by Étienne Baudet); Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland (née Villiers), and her daughter, Barbara Fitzroy; Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond; Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond; George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland; Nell Gwyn; Sophia Bulkeley (engraved by Robert Dunkarton); Edmund Verney; and Philip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke. It is stated that the last-named portrait was done surreptitiously for Louise, Duchess of Portsmouth. A portrait by Gascar of James II as Duke of York was in that king's collection.  Some time before 1680 he was shrewd enough to see that his success was merely due to a fashionable craze, and he retired to Paris before this had entirely ceased. Another possibility is that he left due to increasing anti-French and anti-Catholic feeling in England after the Popish Plot and Exclusion crisis. On his return to Paris, Gascar was elected a member of the Académie Royale there on 26 October 1680. He subsequently went to Rome, where he enjoyed a high reputation, and died there on 1 January 1701, aged 66.  About 1698 he had painted a portrait of Joseph Ferdinand, the young son of Maximilian II, which was engraved at Munich by Zimmermann. A number of mezzotint engravings done from portraits by Gascar, but bearing no engraver's name, have been attributed to Gascar himself. There is no evidence that he really engraved them, but the inscriptions do indicate the work of a non-Englishman. They are interesting as being among the earliest specimens of mezzotint engraving done in England.

Henri Gascar (1635 – 1 Jan 1701) (also Gascard, Gascars) was a French-born portrait painter who achieved artistic success in England during the reign of Charles II. He painted many leading ladies at court, including several of the King's mistresses, before returning to Paris. He subsequently relocated to Rome, where he died in 1701.


Gameplay.

"Cubic Ninja" is a puzzle-based platforming game, in which the player manipulates CC, a ninja cube, through various levels, whilst avoiding enemies and traps contained within. The game is controlled primarily using the 3DS's gyroscope, requiring the player to tilt the console in the direction they want CC to move. The game can also be set to use the circle pad instead. Using power-ups collected from scrolls, CC can shrink, gain a shield, throw shuriken at enemies, and unlock all of the doors in a level. The game contains 100 levels, including several boss battles. Players can unlock different characters, such as cubes made of rubber and titanium, that exhibit different properties when used. "Cubic Ninja" also features survival and time trial modes, along with a level editor; levels can be shared with others via QR codes.

Reception.

"Cubic Ninja" received mixed reviews from critics; both GameSpot and IGN gave the game a 5.5 out of 10. Describing "Cubic Ninja" as "one of those frustrating games that is almost really cool, but never quite delivers", IGN praised "Cubic Ninja" for its "fun and creative" gameplay, but the gyroscope controls were criticized for not being sensitive enough, while the circle pad control scheme was considered "wonky". Additionally, "Cubic Ninja" was panned for not containing enough content to justify being a full-price game, considering it to be "an experience that feels like it just as easily could have been a $5 iPhone game".  GameSpot shared similar criticism, noting that whilst providing "undeniable joy in winding your way through a particularly nasty stretch unscathed", the level designs of "Cubic Ninja"—especially on harder levels and boss fights, combined with its "carefree" controls, relied too heavily on unforeseen threats and were too frustrating. The presence of multiple characters and a level editor were praised for adding additional replay value to the game. "Pocket Gamer" was similarly critical of the game's level design, which made the game "very awkward indeed and completely counterintuitive"; most of the game's power-ups were also criticized for being "pointless". However, the overall visual appearance of "Cubic Ninja" was praised for "[feeling] like a great deal of care and attention was put into making the game look as slick as possible."  It was also noted that, ironically for a 3DS game, "Cubic Ninja" primarily used 2D graphics, although it was felt that the rotation-based gameplay would not have interacted well with the device's autostereoscopic display.

3DS homebrew exploit.

On November 17, 2014, "Cubic Ninja" became the subject of notoriety when Jordan "Smealum" Rabet publicized that a user mode exploit in the game would allow all existing 3DS models (including the 2DS and the New Nintendo 3DS) to execute homebrew code. The exploit, known as Ninjhax, requires users to place a boot file on the device's SD card, and then use the level sharing feature of "Cubic Ninja" to scan a malformed QR code. The code in question is a buffer overflow which triggers the download and execution of a launcher program, which can then be used to run applications. The data from the exploit is stored within the game's save data.  While Ninjhax was originally to be released on August 30, 2014, Rabet held off its release due to the unveiling of the New Nintendo 3DS, believing that any release before then would give Nintendo time to address the exploit on the new revision. The exploit was ultimately released on November 21, 2014 to coincide with the release of the New 3DS in Australia and New Zealand. Owing to his stance, Rabet noted that the exploit does not enable the use of unlicensed games, but did note that it could possibly be used to bypass the console's region lock.  The discovery—which is the first ever public software-based homebrew exploit for the 3DS family—triggered a surge in demand for the game, whose poor reception had led to its classification as a "bargain bin" title by critics. Copies of "Cubic Ninja" quickly sold out at a number of major video game retailers, while copies of the game from online retailers began increasing in price, ranging from US$25, to its original MSRP of $40 to as high as $500. Shortly after the announcement, Nintendo pulled "Cubic Ninja" from eShop, presumably in an effort to prevent widespread use of the exploit—the game was only available digitally in Japan, however. Rabet also pointed out that, ironically, despite the increased attention the game received, the studio who developed "Cubic Ninja" became defunct only months after its release through a merger that formed Marvelous AQL.  Subsequently, other people used Ninjhax as a base to develop further exploits that allowed running custom firmware and decryption of system contents and game cartridges. The popular flashcards Gateway 3DS now supports Cubic Ninja as an entry point through an exploit similar to Ninjhax.  On July 17, 2015 Ninjhax 2.0 was made available, which is compatible with 3DS firmware versions more recent than 9.2. This new revision became the second homebrew exploit that did not require the use of the 3DS system's web browser, the first being the savegame exploit found in "" nicknamed "OoT3Dhax". This new version of Ninjhax allows users with system versions 9.0 to 11.5. However, *hax 2.0 and all of its derivatives cannot run on all the firmware versions that Ninjhax 1.0 and its derivatives could, due to how it gains different privileges than ninjhax 1.0.  On May 9, 2016, Nintendo released system update 11.0 that patched lots of homebrew exploits including a patch for Ninjhax that revoked access of "Cubic Ninja" to web services. On September 18, 2016, Ninjhax was updated to no longer require web services, requiring multiple QR codes to be scanned instead.

The game was released to mixed reviews; although praised for its unique gameplay concept, critics panned aspects of the game's control scheme, along with its "frustrating" wired level designs and relatively short length. Despite its poor reception, "Cubic Ninja" received renewed notoriety in November 2014, after it was revealed that an exploit in the game's level editor would allow the 3DS to execute homebrew code.


Plot.

The film opens with a documentary-style overview of Uncle Drew, a well-remembered basketball legend who was supposed to play in the Rucker Classic. However, due to an unknown conflict, he and his team disappeared. In the present, Dax Winslow is the underappreciated coach of the Harlem Money and their star player, Casper Jones. Dax spends lavishly to keep both his girlfriend, Jess, and Casper happy, despite being a clerk at Foot Locker. During practice Mookie Bass, an old rival of Dax's, arrives and taunts him about the upcoming Rucker Classic tournament. In a dream sequence, it is revealed that Dax was an orphan who planned on becoming a basketball player, but was humiliated by Mookie after he had a shot blocked by him in their youth. The next day at work Casper demands expensive new shoes from Dax, who effectively bankrupts himself purchasing them. Despite this, Mookie successfully recruits Casper and the rest of Dax's team away from him, leading to a confrontation involving Dax forcibly trying to remove Casper's shoes that is filmed and shown on ESPN. Due to this humiliation, Dax's girlfriend Jess dumps him and kicks him out of her apartment.  Dejected, Dax has little luck finding players for a new team until the cantankerous Angelo encourages him to seek out Uncle Drew. Drew turns out to be an exceptional basketball player despite his old age. After seeing a demonstration of Drew's prowess, Dax recruits him for the team, neglecting to inform him about the tournament's prize money. Drew agrees to join Dax under the condition that they recruit his original teammates.  They set off in Drew's van and recruit Preacher, who has since become an actual preacher, but incur the wrath of his wife Betty Lou who pursues them as they leave town. They next reunite with the partially blind Lights and the wheelchair bound Boots whose granddaughter, Maya, volunteers at the nursing home looking after them. They escape and make it to the karate dojo of Big Fella. Big Fella is reluctant to join the team, as he still holds a grudge against Drew, but Dax persuades him to join. After his credit card is declined at a gas station, Dax attempts to hustle the coach of a youth girls basketball team to earn money for fuel. Dax's team loses, but Drew offers up the money to help Dax after learning the real motive for the game, and Maya begins to appreciate him for the way he treats the elders.  Returning to Rucker Park, Drew gives each member of his team gear that restores their faith and abilities, but Big Fella still refuses to cooperate with Drew. During the team's first game in the tournament Big Fella and Drew tussle on the court, almost costing them the win. Eventually, Drew acknowledges his mistake: sleeping with Big Fella's now deceased wife before the big game. He admits that he too loved her and the two make amends.  Meanwhile, Dax learns that Mookie and Jess are dating, and begins falling for Maya. After learning about the tournament's prize money from Angelo and realizing he was misled, Drew angrily confronts Dax. Dax confides in him about his past with Mookie, causing Drew to forgive him. While playing in the semi-finals, Big Fella suddenly has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. Betty Lou arrives but instead of chastising Preacher, she agrees to fill in as the team's fifth member.  Dax and his team, now renamed the Harlem Buckets, play against Mookie's team in the finals who are an even match for them. Late in the game Lights and Casper collide and are both injured, forcing Dax and Mookie to fill in. Dax still lacks self-confidence, but his teammates give him the advice he needs and he manages to make the game-winning shot, beating Mookie and earning everyone's respect. Returning to the hospital the team reunite with Big Fella, Dax uses the prize money to pay his medical bills, and ESPN now hails Dax as a hero.  During the credits Jess is shown trying to call Dax about getting back together, becoming increasingly distraught when he does not answer.

Cast.

Making cameo appearances as themselves are Sal Masekela, John Calipari, Jon Hammond, Scoop Jackson, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Monroe, Chris Mullin, Bill Walton, George Gervin, Steve Nash, David Robinson, Jerry West, Dikembe Mutombo, NeNe Leakes, Rick Barry, Rick Ross, Scott Van Pelt and Ben Nethongkome.

Production.

On February 16, 2017, PepsiCo announced that it would partner Temple Hill Entertainment for the production of the film, featuring the character Uncle Drew from the Pepsi Max advertisements. On September 5, 2017, ESPN's "SportsCenter" revealed the cast. Lil Rel Howery said that Irving heard about his trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics while filming.

Release.

On February 12, 2018, Irving announced the release date of June 29, 2018.

Reception.

Box office.

"Uncle Drew" has grossed $42.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $4.1 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $46.5 million.  In the United States and Canada, "Uncle Drew" was released alongside "", and was projected to gross $11–15 million from 2,742 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $6.1 million on its first day, including $1.1 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $15.5 million, finishing fourth at the box office, behind "", "Incredibles 2", and "Sicario: Day of the Soldado". It fell 56% in its second weekend, to $6.7 million, finishing sixth.

Critical response.

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 62% based on 84 reviews, and an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Kyrie Irving's crossover to comedy is amiable enough to score with basketball fans, but "Uncle Drew" is held back by formulaic direction and too much product placement." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.  David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a "B–" and wrote: "At heart, "Uncle Drew" is a personality-driven film. The plot is spare, and the storytelling gets super janky whenever screenwriter Jay Longino is asked to manufacture a new obstacle. But as wince-inducing as it can be to watch the film stall for time, or use the Rucker prize money to muster up some hollow conflict, the climactic streetball showdown pays off." "Variety"s Peter Debtuge praised the performances of the NBA players and makeup, while saying the film is never that surprising or funny, writing, "While it won't increase your appetite for zero-calorie sugar water one bit (oddly enough, Nike gets far more prominent on-screen placement), this affectionate basketball-themed comedy from sports-savvy director Charles Stone III comes across as an effective feature-length ad for the game itself."

Uncle Drew is a 2018 American sports comedy film directed by Charles Stone III and written by Jay Longino. It stars Kyrie Irving as the title character from his Pepsi Max advertisements that began airing in 2012, along with former NBA players Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Aaron Gordon, Reggie Miller, and Nate Robinson, as well as former WNBA player Lisa Leslie. Lil Rel Howery, Erica Ash, J. B. Smoove, Mike Epps, Tiffany Haddish, and Nick Kroll also star.