Career.

Middleweight  At the 2006 South American Games southpaw Góngora lost the final to Venezuelan Alfonso Blanco. At the 2007 Pan American Games the then 18-year-old from El Coca easily beat Blanco 20:6 in a rematch before losing to eventual winner Emilio Correa from Cuba in the semis 13:21.  At the 2007 World Championships he beat Ivano del Monte but ran into superstar and eventual winner Matvey Korobov and lost when the referee stopped the contest.  At the Copa Independencia 2008 he reached the final but lost to old foe Correa 3:16. At the Olympic qualifier he lost once again to Correa but qualified nevertheless after beating fighters like Shawn Estrada.  At the 2008 Olympics he won his first matches against German Konstantin Buga and Greek Georgios Gazis 12:1 but a surprise quarter final loss to Indian Vijender Singh kept him from winning a medal.

Light Heavyweight.

Góngora moved up to light heavyweight after the 2008 Olympics. He didn't win a medal at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He won his first match against Gianluca Rosciglione 15:1, and his second against Abdelhafid Benchebla 13:10 but lost in the quarter-final to José Larduet 10:6.  In 2010 he beat Yamil Peralta and Roaner Angulo to win the South American Games.  He won another bronze at the 2011 Pan American Games, losing to Julio César la Cruz. He again did not win a medal at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He beat Osman Bravo (contest stopped due to injury) but lost his next match against Yamaguchi Falcão (25:18).  He lost to Marcus Browne at the American Olympic Qualifying Tournament but managed to qualify for the Olympics 2012.  At the 2012 Olympics, Góngora won his first match against Azerbaijani Vatan Huseynli. Góngora then lost his next match, in the round of 16, against Kazakh Adilbek Niyazymbetov. Niyazymbetov would go on to the finals.

Carlos Góngora Mercado (born April 25, 1989 in Esmeraldas, Ecuador) is an amateur boxer from Ecuador best known for winning abronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio in the men's middleweight division.


Club career.

Early career.

Born in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother, Iwelumo started his career with Scottish Football League club St Mirren as a junior in their youth system before signing a professional contract on 5 August 1996.  Iwelumo had only made nineteen appearances for St Mirren, scoring twice against Berwick in the Scottish League Cup and Dundee in the Scottish Cup, before his performances were being noticed and in early 1998, Aarhus Fremad of Denmark signed him up. Aarhus released him two years later in February 2000 and he had trials at Preston North End and Celtic – the team he supports – before signing a four-year deal with Stoke City.

Stoke City.

After two years in Denmark, Iwelumo returned to the UK to join third tier Stoke City. He played as a substitute as Stoke won the 2000 Football League Trophy Final. Later that year he was sent out on loan to York City where he made eleven appearances before returning to Stoke. He remained there before being loaned out again to Cheltenham Town in February 2001. He played four times for Cheltenham Town, scoring once against Mansfield before being recalled back from his loan by Stoke City where he managed to build on his appearances without actually gaining a regular place in the first team, his most notable contribution possibly being the equaliser in the Potteries derby on 21 October 2001. He signed a two-year contract extension with Stoke in March 2002.  Barnsley revealed an interest in signing Iwelumo in January 2004. He was subject of a loan move once more when he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in March 2004. He helped the "Seagulls" to the 2004 Second Division play-off final in Cardiff, winning the penalty that gave Albion promotion. When he returned to Stoke at the end of the season he was released, after four years at the club.

Alemannia Aachen.

2. Fußball-Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen signed Iwelumo on a free transfer in July 2004, after rejecting the offer of a two-year contract from Brighton. However his stay at Aachen was short-lived, and he was released after just six months and nine substitute appearances.

Colchester United.

Iwelumo had his most successful period of his career at Colchester United, he signed for Colchester United in July 2005. On 28 November 2006, the many highlights included, the four goals he scored as Colchester beat Hull City 5–1 in a Championship league match. Iwelumo formed a formidable partnership with Jamie Cureton that season, with the U's eventually finishing 10th in The Championship. Whilst at Colchester, he helped them achieve promotion to the Championship in 2006 and finish in a club record 10th position the following season. Iwelumo rejected a new contract offer from Colchester on 21 May 2007,

Charlton Athletic.

On the same day signed for Charlton Athletic on a free transfer. In the 2007–08 season he featured in every league game and was the Addicks' top goalscorer; he was also named the Championship's player of the month for November 2007 after scoring last minute winning goals in two consecutive games.

Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It was confirmed that Iwelumo could leave Charlton as part of cost-cutting measures and he eventually signed for fellow Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2008 on a two-year deal. Iwelumo scored a hat-trick for Wolves against Preston North End in a 3–1 win, taking his goal tally to eight for the season, where he was also sent off for an apparent head-butt on defender Sean St Ledger. Wolves made an appeal against this, which was turned down, despite St Ledger stating that the clash of heads was accidental and Iwelumo served a three-match ban.  His early season form in front of goal earned him November's "Championship Player of the Month Award". However, after this run of form he entered a goalless drought of 16 games before netting against his former club Charlton.  His season was ended prematurely after a high tackle from Lee Carsley in the game against promotion rivals Birmingham City left him with medial ligament damage. In his absence the team secured promotion to the Premier League as champions.  He regained fitness over the summer break but suffered more injury woe as he broke his metatarsal in Wolves' opening pre-season game against Australian club Perth Glory. He eventually returned to first team contention and made his Premier League debut in a 1–1 draw against Aston Villa in October 2009, though again suffered an injury setback which put him on the sidelines for a further month.  When fit, his Premier League appearance were limited to fleeting substitute roles and he instead moved on a month's loan to Championship side Bristol City in February 2010 to gain more playing time. He scored the first of two goals for Bristol City in a 2–1 win over West Bromwich Albion on 21 February 2010. He returned to Wolves to battle for his place, making a handful of further substitute appearances as the club confirmed their Premier League survival, but failing to score, meaning he had scored just once for Wolves in 18 months.

Burnley.

He signed for Championship side Burnley on 1 June 2010 on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Iwelumo scored his first goal for Burnley on his debut on 7 August 2010, scoring the winner against Nottingham Forest in a 1–0 victory for Burnley. On 11 September 2010 Iwelumo scored a stunning hattrick against Preston North End in a 4–3 win for Burnley at home, with two fine headers and a volley. After a disappointing second half to the season, Iwelumo was subject to transfer speculation, with a failed move to Preston North End.

Watford.

Iwelumo signed for Championship rivals Watford on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 19 July 2011. Iwelumo made his debut for Watford against former club Burnley on the opening day of the season. The game finished 2–2. Iwelumo scored his first goal for Watford against Hull City in October and had to wait another five months before scoring again in which he bagged a brace against Leeds United on 31 March 2012.  Following an injury to John Eustace at the start of the 2012–13 season and the departure of Martin Taylor, Iwelumo captained Watford for the first time against Derby County on 1 September 2012.  Iwelumo joined Notts County on loan on 23 November. He returned to Watford after failing to score for the "Magpies" in five matches. On 31 January 2013, Iwelumo joined Oldham Athletic on loan until the end of the 2012–13 season.

Later career.

On 3 June 2013 Iwelumo joined League Two side Scunthorpe United on a one-year deal. He spent six months at Scunthorpe before joining St Johnstone on 23 January 2014. Iwelumo was an unused substitute as St Johnstone won the 2014 Scottish Cup Final. He joined Conference Premier side Chester on 30 June 2014, but announced his retirement from football on 28 October 2014. The next day Iwelumo began working in the media department at his former club Stoke City. Iwelumo is currently studying for a Sports Journalism degree at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent and has appeared on Sky Sports News, TalkSport and Football League Tonight on Channel 5. In July 2015 Iwelumo was appointed head coach of the under-18 team at former club Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, he quit the position less than a week later.

International career.

Iwelumo was called up for the Scotland squad to tour South Korea in 2002 but had to withdraw as his club Stoke City were involved in the Football League Championship play-offs. In November 2007, he was named in the Scotland B team for a friendly against Republic of Ireland B, which he featured in as Scotland drew 1–1.  He was called up to the full Scotland squad for a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Norway at Hampden Park on 11 October 2008. He came on as a 57th-minute substitute in that game to make his debut, but his performance was overshadowed by an open goal miss from three yards, in a match that finished 0–0. For days after, Iwelumo constantly watched video replays of the incident but was determined not to be remembered for the miss, stated "I'm a proud Scot, I love my country and it's my dream to do well for them." He was recalled for his first international start in a friendly against Argentina on 19 November 2008.

Personal life.

Iwelumo graduated from Staffordshire University in 2016 with a first-class bachelor's degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting.

Honours.

Individual

Christopher Robert Iwelumo (; born 1 August 1978) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played as a striker. Iwelumo started his career with St Mirren before moving to Danish club Aarhus Fremad for two years. A move to Stoke City in 2000 saw him sent out on loan to several teams before a short-lived spell with 2. Fußball-Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen. After moving to the Football League Championship with Colchester United and then Charlton Athletic, he signed for Wolves in 2008 as they won promotion to the Premier League, winning Player of the Month in November 2008.


General Description.

Originally, the intention of the organisation was to support contemporary music in the area of Leipzig. In the middle of the 1990s the activities of the FZML became more international with the projects "GRENZREGIONEN", "Heimat Moderne", "Experimentale 1" and, most recently (2012), the "CAGE100" festival. So today mentioning Leipzig in the name is more to stress the geografical placement of the main office. Since its founding, the organisation acts as a mediator between the music resp. the composers and the music scene resp. the audience. The word "Forum" expresses the open position as a mediator. Rooting in that term is also a neutral position towards stylistic and aesthetic criteria of selection that are often connoted to "Modern" or "Contemporary Music".

History.

The FZML was founded in 1990 by members of the important/considerable Ensemble for avant-garde music in East Germany Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler and by other artists, authors, scientists and journalists. The common goal was to spread contemporary music and to foster a vital dialogue about music and arts in present time. In 1993, the concert series "MUSIK-ZEIT" (music-time) became the first big success of the FZML. Apart from many world premieres it was central to promote the international music scene. In addition, the first educational project ("Schulmusikkonzerte" school-music concerts) was established to communicate contemporary music to the up-growing generation. In 1999, Thomas Christoph Heyde became the artistic director. One year later the FZML moved into its first business premises. Starting in 2001, the FZML mounted annually one festival and several concert series. This continuity strengthened the popularity of the society and the FZML became established as an inherent part of Leipzig's cultural life. The governments of Leipzig, Saxony and even of the Federal Republic started to support the FZML. In 2006 the festival series "MachtMusik" started, in 2007 the concert series "FreiZeitArbeit" (FreeTimeWork/LeisureWork) followed. Some educational and social projects followed the next years. With the 20th anniversary, the friends’ association "Freunde und Förderer des FZML" was founded. It supports the work of the FZML financially and in non-material ways. Until now, the yearlong international festival "CAGE100" with its worldwide more than 100 events in 2012/’13 was the biggest project for the FZML since its founding.

Operating Principles.

Since each project has its own new and individual tasks, the FZML enhances its methods continuously to consider the needs of the particular project. Within the society this process is called "spontaneous institutionalisation", it stresses the importance of flexibility and adaptability for the FZML.

Financing.

Since 2011 the FZML receives institutional funding of Leipzig's municipal government. All additional money is collected from foundations, cultural budgets, private sponsors and donations and also the friends’ society "Freunde und Förderer des FZML".

Conception.

The work of the FZML is based on a connection of different points of view of contemporary music. Focused on bridging the distance between sensuous and intellectual perception the FZML is led by the idea that contemporary music is as much an object of sensation as of discourse. The methods of examining the phenomenon of contemporary music reach from traditional concerts through to experiments with performances’ modalities and the active participation of the audience in artistic processes. All these methods form a dramaturgical unity, focusing on the reflection of the particular work or topic. One example for the holistic curatorial and dramaturgical approach is the festival "CAGE100" which celebrated the 100th birthday of John Cage. The FZML transferred his artistic concepts directly to the festival, its contents and its form. For the work "Party-Pieces" 125 composers participated in composing one piece after an idea of John Cage. As measured by the number of participants, "Party-Pieces" is the biggest teamwork of composers in western music history. Another feature of the project is its global range. Although all composers were living and working in Germany or the USA during the project, a majority came from more than a dozen different countries (e.g. Canada, France, Poland, Russia, Japan) so that not only an aesthetic but also a cultural multi-perspectivity could be laid out. For the projects, the FZML works together with other institutions, free artists and even companies, societies and associations. Beyond that the society engages musicians and ensembles individually according to the needs of the project and also other artists and scientists from Germany and abroad. The FZML does not have its own venue for their concerts but rather chooses the venues after curatorial and dramaturgical aspects. According to that, the society can refer to over 200 different performance spaces during its existence.

Projects and concerts since 2006.

The following list gives an overview over all projects and concerts realised by the FZML since 2006. The particular productions are pooled and listed chronologically in the categories festivals, concert series, various concerts, and education and workshops.  ALTZEIT NEU – 25 years FZML (9–11 February 2016) CAGE100 (6 July 2012 - 17 October 2013) 20 Jahre FZML – Jubiläumsfestival (14th Oktober - 16 October 2010) (20th anniversary's festival)

Festivals.

Festival series "MachtMusik" (PowerMusic or MakeMusic) sex.macht.musik - Festival für erotische Musikkultur (4–6 December 2009) (sex.power.music – Festival of erotic music-culture) Machtmusik - Festival für sportliche Musikkultur (18–21 September 2008) (PowerMusic – festival of athletic music culture) MachtMusik - Festival für religiöse Musikkultur (11–16 September 2007) (PowerMusic – Festival for religious music culture) MachtMusik – Festival für politische Musikkultur (13–23 September 2006) (PowerMusic festival for political music culture)

Concert Series.

Concert Series "FreizeitArbeit" (LeisureWork)  Concert Series "Butterfahrt" (Booze Cruise)

The Forum Zeitgenössischer Musik Leipzig [FZML] "(Forum of Contemporary Music Leipzig)" is a non-profit organisation situated in Leipzig and an independent cultural organisation for the project-based communication of contemporary music.


Characteristics.

A major difference between tension settings and other settings is that tension settings are only manufactured after they are sold while other settings are often manufactured first and then sold to consumers. There are several reasons for this difference. First, tension settings can not be resized easily, as resizing removes the spring-loading effect. In some designs, they can be resized up or down up to 2 sizes. Sometimes, instead of resizing a tension setting, the manufacturer actually melts down the old setting and creates a new spring-loaded tension setting that is appropriately sized. Second, tension settings are calibrated to the exact specifications of the stone that they hold, therefore they can not be manufactured until the customer has selected a gem. Unlike other settings, which can be manufactured ahead of time regardless of the stone they ultimately hold, each tension setting is designed for a specific stone. The tension setting is calibrated by a computer, using light to identify the exact places the mount must apply pressure on the gemstone to avoid fracturing it through uneven pressure distribution.  Because tension settings place such pressure on the stone, only four types of gemstone can be placed in a tension setting safely: diamonds, rubies, moissanite, and sapphires. Additionally, tension setting manufacturers must be careful which stones they place in tension settings. A stone that either has significant inclusions or is too soft may fracture under the intense pressure of the setting. The Mohs scale is a reliable way to rank a gem's hardness. Generally gems with a Mohs hardness of less than 9.0 are not suitable for tension mounting.  The term "tension setting" is, from the physical science perspective, a misnomer. The stone is not held in tension (a pulling force) but in fact in compression (a pressing force).

Technical information.

A tension ring is a robust assembly, generally exerting around 12,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. To make a tension setting, the manufacturer must harden the metal, use special alloys, and pressure treat the metal to create the strength required for the spring-loaded structure. The jeweler cold-works and hardens the metal before setting the gem.  Some tension rings exert up to 50,000 psi (350 MPa) on the diamond. It is not possible to exert so great a pressure on a stone with a Mohs scale of mineral hardness rating of less than 9.0. Furthermore, to exert this pressure on a gem, particularly one of high importance, the maker must ensure even pressure distribution. This requires careful calculation, and inspection of the gem to ensure that every facet mates perfectly with the ring.  Tension rings are also manufactured using other metals, particularly those that are naturally strong, such as titanium or stainless steel. These materials do not require special alloying or manufacturing processes for the creation of a tension ring. In these cases, a stone can be set as-cast with relative ease. These materials are usually used for "fashion" jewelry, and are set with small diamonds or semi-precious gems such as topaz or tourmaline. However, there is a growing group of artists using titanium to produce high value handmade tension rings

Tension setting security debate.

There are conflicting perspectives regarding the security of tension settings. Many jewelers contend that tension settings are as safe and potentially safer than four and six prong settings, but there are others who contend that prongs are stronger. The reality is that both ring designs have weaknesses that are unique to their engineering process. Prongs can snag on clothes and other loose objects, and they weaken with time and usage. As a result, prongs must be repaired or replaced periodically. On the other hand, tension settings don't lose their spring-loading over time, so the stone doesn't fall out as a result of the setting weakening. Critics do contend that a stone can potentially be dislodged from a tension setting if it is hit hard enough or if the setting is damaged to the point where its spring loading is compromised. Tension manufacturers partially agree with this statement, warning their customers that stones can be lost if the setting suffers a blunt force impact that damages the spring-loading, but they also point out that no stone has ever been lost as a result of a manufacturing defect. There is a risk that the setting can be compromised by a high impact. This, however, is also true of prong settings, and cases of prongs failing and stones falling out are common. Tension settings on the other hand do not need to be replaced, and unless the spring-loading is damaged, are unlikely to lose a gem stone.

Faux tension settings.

Some rings, while advertised as and having the appearance of tension rings, in fact have a bridge holding the ring together underneath the jewel. These are not true examples of a tension set ring, but are a good affordable alternative to true tension settings. Though the wearer knows it is not a true tension setting, it looks like one to the casual observer. This is also a good option for a mass produced ring.

History.

The first tension ring, called the „Niessing Spannring®", was created in 1979 by the German company Niessing. However, the general concept of tension settings has been around for over 40 years as it was developed in the late 1960s by a Niessing employee named Friedrich Becker.  The original Niessing tension ring was constructed out of 18 karat gold (75% pure gold and 25% other alloying metals) and weighed 35 grams. The alloys in the 18 karat blend were non traditional jewelry metals, used to give the ring much greater strength than normal. In 1987, Steven Kretchmer patented a proprietary platinum alloy called "Plat/SK". This has since been licensed to other companies, for example Hoover & Strong, who require a super hard platinum alloy for jewelry such as tension set rings. Steven Kretchmer's advancements in the alloying of metals allowed the modern day tension ring to lose much of its weight without sacrificing strength.  Currently, Steven Kretchmer holds two patents (5,084,108 and 5,188,679) for the tension-set ring. Patent 5,084,108, issued January 28, 1992, is for a method for forming metal compression-spring gemstone mounting. Patent 5,188,679 is for the actual metal compression-spring gemstone mounting, i.e., the outcome of the method patented by Kretchmer. The first online retail jeweler, for Steven Kretchmer's tension set rings, was Pearlman's Jewelers.

A tension ring is a type of finger ring that holds a gemstone in place by pressure rather than prongs, a bezel or other mounting. The metal setting is actually spring-loaded to exert pressure onto the gemstone, and tiny etchings or grooves in the metal create a shelf that supports the gemstone's edges. The gemstone appears to be suspended in the air with nothing holding it in place.


Early life.

Hajiyev was born in Shaki (then Nukha), a town in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in northwestern Azerbaijan. From an early age, he was deeply influenced by the traditional music of folk songs, ashug music (folk minstrel) and mugham (modal music).  In 1924, his family moved to Baku. In 1935, he enrolled in the theoretical composition faculty at Baku Conservatory, studying under Uzeyir Hajibeyov and the Latvian-born Leopold Rudolf, a student of Sergei Taneyev. The following year, Hajiyev composed his single movement "Symphony No. 1", the first symphonic piece ever written by an Azerbaijani composer. This work enabled him to enter Moscow Conservatory in 1938.  In Moscow, World War II interrupted his studies and he had to return to Baku.

Career.

After the war, Hajiyev and fellow student Gara Garayev (1918-1982) returned to Moscow and were profoundly influenced by composer Shostakovich. Hajiyev completed "Symphony No. 3" to graduate in 1947.  During his lifetime, Hajiyev composed eight symphonic works plus the heroic-patriotic opera "Vatan" (Motherland), which he wrote with Gara Garayev in 1944. After the opera's premiere in May 1945, Hajiyev and Garayev were awarded the prestigious Stalin Prize. Hajiyev won a second Stalin Prize in 1952, for his symphonic poem "For Peace".  Hajiyev served briefly as Artistic Director of the Baku Philharmonic Orchestra (1947–48) and was appointed to the staff of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. He later served as the Conservatory's Rector (1957-1969) and in 1963 was appointed Professor of Composition. He went on to teach at the Conservatory for more than four decades. His students include well-known musicians such as Agshin Alizade, Dadash Dadashov and song composers Eldar Mansurov and Javanshir Guliyev.  It is for his contribution to the development of the symphony in Azerbaijan that Hajiyev will best be remembered. It was to this genre that Hajiyev returned with renewed inspiration in the 1990s, producing a number of works influenced by contemporary events. His last symphonic work entitled, "January 20", composed in 1991, was dedicated to the victims of Black January (1990), when Soviet troops and tanks killed hundreds of Baku civilians.  In 1997, President Heydar Aliyev bestowed upon Hajiyev Azerbaijan's highest recognition, the "Azerbaijan Order of Glory" on the occasion of his 80th Jubilee, commemorating "60 long years of fruitful work which is highly appreciated by the nation and the State". In Aliyev's official citation for this award, Hajiyev was praised as a "well-known composer, innovator, pedagogue, well-known public figure and model for the new generation of musicians." His music was commended for its "deep context, spirit of citizenship and high level of elegance."

Personal life.

Jovdat Hajiyev was married to Amina Dilbazi, well known Azeri ballet-master and folk music dancer. Their two sons, Ismayil Hajiyev and Telman Hajiyev are both composers.

Ahmad Jovdat Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (June 18, 1917 - January 18, 2002) was one of the major Azerbaijani composers of the Soviet period. He is remembered for his monumental orchestral works, having been the first Azerbaijani to compose a symphony (1936). He studied under Azerbaijan's Founder of Composed Music, Uzeyir Hajibeyov and under Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.


Biography.

Phelps was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, to John Phelps (1756–1833), an American Revolutionary War soldier and great-great-grandson of William Phelps. Samuel S. Phelps graduated from Yale University in 1811. He studied law at Litchfield Law School and in the office of Horatio Seymour, and was admitted to the bar. He served as a military paymaster during the War of 1812. Following the war, he settled in Middlebury, Vermont and began the practice of law.  Phelps began his political career serving in the Vermont State House from 1821 to 1832. He was a judge on the Vermont Supreme Court from 1832 to 1838, succeeding to the position left vacant by the death of John C. Thompson. In 1839 he was elected as a Whig to the United States Senate, and he served until 1851. He chaired several committees while serving in the Senate, including the Committee on the Militia, Committee on Revolutionary Claims, Committee on Pensions, Committee on Patents and the Patent Office and the Committee on Territories.  Phelps returned to the United States Senate on January 17, 1853, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Senator William Upham, who had died. He served until March 16, 1854 when the Senate resolved that he was not entitled to the seat on the grounds that he had been legally appointed by the Governor of Vermont when the Vermont General Assembly was not in session, but that the General Assembly had not acted to fill the vacancy at its subsequent session, as required by law.

Family life.

Phelps was married to Frances Shurtleff Phelps and they had three children together, Edward John Phelps, James Shether Phelps and Charles Henry Phelps. Phelps later married Electa Satterlee Phelps. Phelps' son Edward John Phelps was also a politician and lawyer, as well as a diplomat.

Death.

Phelps died on March 25, 1855 in Middlebury, and is interred at West Cemetery in Middlebury.

Samuel Shethar Phelps (May 13, 1793March 25, 1855) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a United States Senator from Vermont, and a member of the Whig Party.


History.

The church stands in a circular churchyard, suggesting that there was an earlier church on the site, or even that the site could be pre-Christian. However, there is no mention of the church in the Domesday Book. The oldest part of the present church is the tower, which is Norman in style, and which may have acted as the original nave. It probably dates from the 12th century. During the following century a small nave was added to the west of the tower, and the chancel was added to its east side. At that time the nave measured by. In 1732 a west gallery was erected; this was approached from the outside of the church by steps and a south doorway. In 1873 the church was restored by Rev W. H. Lowder. At this time the nave was lengthened by. The church was declared redundant on 1 March 1981, and was vested in The Churches Conservation Trust on 27 October 1982.

Architecture.

The church is constructed in stone, with stone slate roofs. At its centre is a Norman tower, the plan of which is an irregular hexagon. To the east of the tower is a chancel, and to the west is a nave with a south porch. The nave now measures in length. The chancel is about long; its width tapers from at the western end to at the east. The tower is divided into three stages by string courses. In the top stage, in each face, is a two-light window under a round-headed arch. On the summit is a pyramidal roof. In the north and south chancel walls are two single-light windows; between those on the north side is a priest's door with a trefoil head. At the east end is a two-light window above which is a gable with a cross at its apex. The windows in the nave are similar in style to those in the chancel, and between the two windows on the north side is a blocked doorway. The south porch is opposite to this and is gabled. Its inner doorway, dating from the 13th century, has two orders and is elaborately carved. Inside the church, the west tower arch is also elaborately carved. The font dates from the 13th century. In the east window are fragments of medieval stained glass, depicting a saint's head. In the southwest window of the tower are four panels of painted Flemish glass dating from the 16th or 17th century. The remainder of the stained glass is from the 19th century.

External features.

In the churchyard are three groups of monuments, each group comprising a Grade II listed building.

St Nicholas of Myra's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Ozleworth, Gloucestershire, England, in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust.. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. The church is unusual because it is one of only two churches in Gloucestershire with a hexagonal tower, the other being St Lawrence's Church in Swindon. You can find the church by following signs for 'Historic Church' and for Newark Park nearby. By car, park outside the Ozleworth Estate, near to the gates, and follow a long bridle path downhill and around to the left until you reach the churchyard. Please note - the path can be muddy and slippery.


Design and construction.

New Zealand, like its neighbour Australia, had no indigenous armoured fighting vehicle industry. It was expected that armoured fighting vehicles would be provided from Britain. Australia and New Zealand did have some heavy industry that could be turned to the production of armour and armoured vehicles but little had been done. The idea of mechanising the New Zealand Army had been suggested before the war but without much progress. The use of the American Disston "Six Ton Tractor Tank", a 1937 vehicle constructed of an armoured box on a Caterpillar Model 35 chassis which had been sold to Afghanistan, was suggested.  New Zealand had built some improvised armoured trucks and unable to get any tracked carriers from Australia were building their own with armour plate imported from Australia. After the Fall of France in mid-1940, and the loss of most British tanks there, there was no likelihood of production being spared for New Zealand. Rather than obtain the armoured superstructures from America, it was felt they could produce their own using local materials and resources.  It was decided that a 'tractor-tank' would be an adequate design; if the need for defense arose, a large tank superstructure could be bolted upon a tractor base within a few hours, allowing for quick transformation and deployment of the tanks.  The first (mild steel) prototype was built on a Caterpillar D8 crawler tractor, a type which was readily available. The Public Works Department had 81 D8s, and another 19 were available. A lack of weapons meant that it was equipped with six Bren machine guns — one in each side, two facing the front, one in the turret and one at the rear. The vehicle was very tall at 12 ft (3.5 m) and performance was poor. Due to the lack of armour plate, corrugated (manganese) plating was used in the expectation it would deflect bullets. The crew of eight included one gunner who had to lie on a mattress on top of the engine to fire his Bren gun.  The tanks were constructed without the use of any formal plans or blueprints. Working from an American postcard depicting the conversion of a tractor to a 'tractor-tank', Bob Semple and TG Beck (Christchurch District Works Engineer), improvised the design of the tanks. Using resources available to Bob Semple as Minister of Public Works, the first tank was quickly produced in the PWD's Temuka workshops. The additional two were built at the NZR Addington Workshops. The first cost £5,902, and the second and third together cost £4,323, for a total cost of £10,225 (although the Army was only billed £3,414).  The intention was to disperse the hulls at locations ready in case of a Japanese invasion at which point they would be mounted on tractors for use. The idea was discarded after the tanks attracted public ridicule; however, Bob Semple stood by his design and even stated "I don’t see anyone else coming up with any better ideas."

Handling and performance.

Due to the limitations of requirements and resources, the tank was a functional failure. By using a large tractor as a base, and bolting on a hastily designed and poorly constructed tank superstructure, the resultant tanks were inadequately armored, extremely heavy (20–25 ton), unstable, restricted by tractor gearing to slow speeds, and had to stop to change gears. Furthermore, due to the shape of the underlying tractor and undue vibrations, shooting from the tank was both difficult and inevitably inaccurate. All of these limitations have often caused the Bob Semple Tank to be regarded as "the worst tank ever built".

Final result.

In the end, due to their impracticality, the tanks were disposed of by the Army. They had been given Army serial numbers NZ6292 (held at Papakura) and NZ3494 & NZ 3495 (held at Burnham). One went to the Pacific in 1944, after being stripped of its armour.

The Bob Semple tank was a tank designed by New Zealand Minister of Works Bob Semple during World War II. Originating out of the need to build military hardware from available materials, the tank was built from corrugated iron on a tractor base. Designed and built during a period of uncertainty in which New Zealand feared having to defend itself from Japanese invasion without external assistance, these tanks were a civilian effort to design and create a means to protect New Zealand.


Playing career.

A point guard or shooting guard, Petrović had achieved prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The pro clubs he played for included: Šibenka, Cibona, Scavolini Pesaro, Novi Zagreb and Racing Luxembourg. He was among the 105 player nominees for the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors list.

Coaching career.

Between 1991 and 1995, Petrović started his club head coaching career with Cibona. Between 1995 and 1997, he coached the Spanish ACB League club Caja San Fernando, before returning to Cibona for the 1997–98 season.  In the 2001–02 season, he went to Poland to coach Anwil Włocławek. In 2004 he was again in Spain with Caprabo Lleida. In 2006 he took over at the Italian League club Carifac Fabriano, before switching to Eurorida Scafati. In the 2007–08 season, he took over the Croatian club Zadar. He then became the head coach of Cedevita. He was named the EuroCup Coach of the Year in 2011.  Following the departure of Božidar Maljković, Petrović once again took charge over Cedevita on 26 November 2012. After Cedevita was eliminated from the EuroLeague and the Croatian Cup, and left without any chance of qualifying for the ABA League Final Four, Petrović offered his resignation to the club, which was accepted on 3 March 2013.

National team coaching career.

In February 2012, Petrović was appointed as the head coach of the senior men's Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, leading them at EuroBasket 2013 held in Slovenia. In November 2013, the Basketball Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (KSBiH) sacked him.  Petrović has coached the senior Croatian men's national team on three occasions: in 1995, when they finished third in Eurobasket, between 1999 and 2001, when they finished 7th in EuroBasket 2001, and during Croatia's run to the Olympics in Rio 2016.  On 23 March 2016, Petrović was named the head coach for the senior men's Croatia national team for the third time in his head coaching career. In August 2016, Croatia reached the 2016 Olympic tournament by surprisingly winning an Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Torino. At the tournament, Croatia beat Spain, but lost in the quarterfinal of the tournament from Serbia. On 15 September 2017, following a loss to Russia in the round of 16 at Eurobasket, Petrović resigned.  In October 2017, a month after leaving Croatia, he was named the head coach of the Brazil national team, which he led at the 2019 World Cup held in China.

Personal life.

Petrović was born in Šibenik as the first child in the family of Jovan "Jole", and Biserka (née Mikulandra) Petrović. His father, of Serb ethnicity, was born in 1939 in Trebinje, then Kingdom of Yugoslavia, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her mother, of Croat ethnicity, was born in 1941, in the village of Bilice, a municipality based few kilometers away from his hometown. His younger brother Dražen, born in 1964, was also the professional basketball player who died in a car accident in June 1993, in Denkendorf, Germany.  Petrović's cousin is the prominent Serbian former professional basketball player Dejan Bodiroga. Aleksandar's paternal grandfather and Bodiroga's paternal grandmother were siblings.

Aleksandar "Aco" Petrović, commonly known as Aco Petrović, (born 16 February 1959) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for the Brazil national team.


Background.

Ms. A. Tysiąc suffered from severe myopia. During her third pregnancy in 2000, she was examined by three ophthalmologists. All of them concluded that, due to pathological changes in her retina, the pregnancy and delivery constituted a risk to her eyesight. However, they refused to issue a certificate for the pregnancy to be terminated, despite Tysiąc's requests, saying that the risk of the retina detaching itself due to the strain caused by giving birth could be avoided if Mrs. Tysiąc delivered through cesarean section. Subsequently, Ms. Tysiąc sought further medical advice. A general practitioner (GP) issued a certificate stating that the third pregnancy constituted a threat to Ms. Tysiąc's health as there was a risk of rupture of the uterus, given her two previous deliveries by caesarean section. She further referred to Ms. Tysiąc's short-sightedness and to significant pathological changes in her retina. These considerations, according to the GP, also required that Ms. Tysiąc should avoid physical strain which in any case would hardly be possible as at that time the applicant was raising two small children on her own. Ms. Tysiąc understood that on the basis of this certificate she would be able to terminate her pregnancy lawfully.  Subsequently, Ms. Tysiąc contacted a state hospital, the Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Warsaw, in the area to which she was assigned on the basis of her residence, with a view to obtaining the termination of her pregnancy. On 26 April 2000 she had an appointment with Dr R.D., head of the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department of the Clinic. Dr R.D. examined her, but did not examine her ophthalmological records. Afterwards, he made a note on the back of the certificate issued by the GP that neither her short-sightedness nor her two previous deliveries by caesarean section constituted grounds for therapeutic termination of the pregnancy. He was of the view that, in these circumstances, the applicant should give birth by caesarean section. During the applicant's visit Dr R.D. also consulted an endocrinologist.  As a result, Ms. Tysiąc's pregnancy was not terminated. She delivered the child by caesarean section in November 2000.  Some time after the delivery, her eyesight deteriorated. On 11 January 2001 the social welfare centre issued a certificate to the effect that she was unable to take care of her children as she could not see from a distance of more than 1.5 metres.  Ms. Tysiąc lodged a criminal complaint against Dr R.D., alleging that he had prevented her from having her pregnancy terminated on medical grounds as recommended by the GP and permissible as one of the exceptions to a general ban on abortion. She complained that, following the pregnancy and delivery, she had sustained severe bodily harm by way of almost complete loss of her eyesight. The investigation of the applicant's complaint was carried out by the Warsaw-Śródmieście District Prosecutor. The prosecutor heard evidence from the ophthalmologists who had examined the applicant during her pregnancy. They stated that she could have had a safe delivery by caesarean section. The prosecutor further requested the preparation of an expert report by a panel of three medical experts (ophthalmologist, gynaecologist and specialist in forensic medicine) from the Białystok Medical Academy. According to the report, the applicant's pregnancies and deliveries had not affected the deterioration of her eyesight. Given the serious nature of the applicant's sight impairment, the risk of retinal detachment had always been present and continued to exist, and the pregnancy and delivery had not contributed to increasing that risk. Furthermore, the experts found that in the applicant's case there had been no factors militating against the applicant's carrying her baby to term and delivering it.  The criminal investigation against Dr R.D. was therefore discontinued.

Judgment.

By 6 votes to 1, the court held that there was a violation of Article 8 ECHR (right to private life), as ""it is not the Court's task in the present case to examine whether the Convention guarantees a right to have an abortion" and "it has not been demonstrated that Polish law as applied to the applicant's case contained any effective mechanisms capable of determining whether the conditions for obtaining a lawful abortion had been met in her case... the provisions of the civil law on tort as applied by the Polish courts did not afford the applicant a procedural instrument by which she could have vindicated her right to respect for her private life. The civil law remedy was solely of a retroactive and compensatory character. It could only, and if the applicant had been successful, have resulted in the courts granting damages to cover the irreparable damage to her health which had come to light after the delivery... Crucially, the examination of the circumstances of the case in the context of criminal investigations could not have prevented the damage to the applicant's health from arising. The same applies to disciplinary proceedings before the organs of the Chamber of Physicians."  Judge Borrego Borrego filed a dissenting opinion, concluding that "the Court has decided that a human being was born as a result of a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. According to this reasoning, there is a Polish child, currently six years old, whose right to be born contradicts the Convention. I would never have thought that the Convention would go so far, and I find it frightening". Judge Bonello filed a separate opinion, stating that his vote for finding a violation goes no further than "whether, in cases of conflicting views (between a pregnant woman and doctors, or between the doctors themselves) as to whether the conditions to obtain a legal abortion were satisfied or not, effective mechanisms capable of determining the issue were in place".  Besides, the court ruled unanimously that there was no violation of Article 3 (no torture, inhuman or degrading treatment).  Ms. Tysiąc was awarded €25000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage and €14000 in respect of costs and expenses.

Tysiąc v. Poland (Application no. 5410/03) was a case decided by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in 2007. A pregnant woman from Poland, diagnosed with a severe eye disease, tried to get an abortion to avoid an escalation of her disease. Her requests were rejected by several medical doctors and she underwent labor of her third child. Her condition later deteriorated, and she sued one of the doctors. Her criminal lawsuits were rejected in Poland and the case was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which accepted one part of the complaint, and the plaintiff was awarded damages.


Early life and career.

On a scholarship of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Seif studied law at the University of Bonn from 1983 until 1989. During his studies, he worked for the International Society for Human Rights. Since 1993, he has been practicing as a lawyer.

Political career.

Seif joined the CDU in 1982 and held positions in local politics in Weilerswist from 1999 to 2009.  Since 2009, Seif has been CDU party chairman in the district of Euskirchen.  Seif has been a member of the German Bundestag since the 2009 federal elections. Since then, he has been a member of the Committee on European Affairs. In 2014 he became Deputy Spokesman for the committee. Seif's thematic areas of expertise in the committee are basic rights; EU citizenship; coordination between the judicature and police; border protection and counterterrorism; and asylum- and migration policy. Additionally, he is the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's rapporteur for Great Britain and Malta.  Between 2009 and 2017, Seif was a member of the Committee on Legal Affairs, where he served as his parliamentary group's rapporteur on legal professionals, data privacy and labor law.  In 2018, he joined the Committee on Internal Affairs.  The same year, Seif became a member of the first Investigative Committee of the 19th legislative period, which is investigating the failure of German security authorities to prevent Anis Amri's attack on a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016.  In addition to his committee assignments, Seif is a member of the German-American Parliamentary Friendship Group and the German-British Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Political positions.

European Affairs  On July 17, 2015, Seif voted against his party's line and rejected the Merkel government’s proposal to negotiate a third bailout for Greece.  As the EU deputy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and rapporteur for affairs in Great Britain, Seif is outspoken on the topic of Brexit. Before the Brexit referendum in June 2016, Seif stated that if Prime Minister Cameron wanted Britain to stay in the EU, he would have to convince his fellow Britons of the advantages of EU membership. Seif compared Cameron to a “butterfly,” and declared that “Britain does not need a butterfly but a lion.”  Regarding Brexit negotiations, Seif has taken a rigid stance and views the Brexit as a “catastrophe” that “damages economic development and the development of the EU.”  Upon Prime Minister Theresa May's activation of Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon beginning formal Brexit proceedings and her remark that a failure to reach an agreement on Brexit would weaken UK-EU cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism, Seif was one of many German members of parliament who did not take kindly to May's statement, deeming it “an extraordinarily primitive attempt at blackmailing us.”  Seif blamed a leak to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung of an unflattering description of the first meeting between UK and EU negotiation teams in May 2017 on a “babbling idiot,” seeing both sides at fault for “the fact that the atmosphere is becoming poisoned.”  Seif believes the Brexit will do significant damage to both Great Britain and the EU and is quoted as saying “a win-win settlement is excluded and it’s appropriate to speak about a lose-lose result.”  Domestic Affairs  Within his party, Seif belongs to the conservative wing.  During the Böhmermann affair in 2016, Seif read the Böhmermann's "smear poem" in the German Bundestag to demonstrate that it is an insult of the Turkish president, which caused the outrage of other MPs.  In June 2017, Seif voted against Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage. Following the party's result in the 2017 elections, he held that voters had abandoned the CDU because, under Angela Merkel, it had moved too far to the left.  Following Germany's September 2017 federal elections, Seif identified points of contention between the CDU, CSU, and SPD, telling Reuters that pensions, Europe and asylum and migration policy were all “areas where there are explosives built into the coalition agreement."  In April 2018, Seif was the first member of the German Bundestag to delete his Facebook account as a result of the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. He wrote an open letter to Facebook's Managing Director in Central Europe in which he stated he could not recommend Facebook to anyone, so long as Facebook continued to handle user data in a sloppy fashion.

Personal life.

Seif is Protestant, married and has one daughter.

Detlef Seif (born 15 August 1962 in Euskirchen) is a German politician. He is a member of the CDU party and has been a Member of the German Bundestag since 2009.


Biography.

Education and career.

Starting in 1980, Alpers studied pedagogy at the Free University of Berlin, finishing her Diplom degree in 1986. Subsequently, she was active in child welfare. She is a founder of school groups and was the leader of the first Kids Samba Group in Bremen during Carnival. She is married with two children.  After a speech in the Bundestag on 28 June 2013, Alpers collapsed and had to be resuscitated on site. A stroke as a result of an aneurysm was diagnosed, and Alpers was placed into an artificial coma. By the end of July, she was taken out of her coma. In September, she was moved to a hospital in Bremen and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. She handed in her Bundestag mandate effective 2 March 2015 and was succeeded in office by Birgit Menz.

Politics.

Agnes Alpers was a member of the "Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin", which was closely related to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and the German Communist Party in West Berlin.  From October 2007, Alpers represented the Left in a Bremen "Deputation" (a kind of local parliamentary council) for Education in the Bremen Parliament.  In September 2009, she was elected to the Bundestag (or German Parliament) as part of the Bremen state party list. In parliament, she is a member of the Committee on Education, Research, and Technology. Despite her stroke, Alpers remained the lead candidate on the Bremen state party list and was reelected to the Bundestag in the federal election in 2013.

Positions.

Alpers supported a cross-party bill, brought to parliament by a group of over 50 representatives on 8 November 2012, which would limit circumcision for religious purposes for only those who have reached religious maturity (14 years).

Agnes Alpers (born 29 June 1961) is a Diplom-qualified educator, politician with the Left, and former member of the Bundestag.


Early life and career.

After obtaining Abitur 1982 in Königstein im Taunus, Hardt served as a naval officer in the Bundeswehr for four years and studied economics in Heidelberg and Cologne from 1986 to 1993.  From 1992 to 2001 Hardt worked for the federal office of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, including as head of the office of Peter Hintze, the CDU Secretary-General, from 1995 to 1998. From 2001 to 2009 he was a senior manager at household appliances company Vorwerk in Wuppertal.

Political career.

On the national level, Hardt was federal chairman of the Association of Christian Democratic Students (RCDS) from 1987 to 1989. From 2004 to 2009 he served as a member of Wuppertal's city council and chaired the council's committee on economic affairs.  Since 2003 Hardt has been serving as chairman of the Wuppertal county branch of the CDU and since 2005 deputy chairman of the Bergisches Land district branch of the CDU.

Member of the Bundestag, 2009–present.

Hardt was first elected to the Bundestag in the 2009 federal election, representing Solingen – Remscheid – Wuppertal II. He served on the Defense Committee and the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union between 2009 and 2015 before moving to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is also a member of the German delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and of the German-Israeli Parliamentary Friendship Group. Hardt defended his seat in parliament by winning the majority of votes in his electoral district in the 2013 election.  In addition to his committee assignments, Hardt succeeded Philipp Mißfelder as Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel in April 2014, an office he held until April 2018. Following Mißfelder’s death in 2015, he also took over as foreign policy spokesperson of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, he was part of the working group on foreign policy, led by Ursula von der Leyen, Gerd Müller and Sigmar Gabriel.

Political positions.

In June 2017, Hardt voted against Germany’s introduction of same-sex marriage. Ahead of the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2018, he publicly endorsed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed Angela Merkel as the party’s chair.

Jürgen Hardt (born 30 May 1963) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He currently serves as a member of the Bundestag.


Description.

Fraser's eagle-owl is a relatively small species of eagle-owl with has rather "fluffy" ear tufts and a facial disc with a distinct dark rim. The upperparts are rufous and buffy brown, barred with darker bars, the pale scapulars have dark edged outer webs which show as a series of pale dots across the shoulder. The flight and tail feathers have narrow light and dark bars. The underparts are pale rufous shading to whitish on the belly and undertail coverts. Total length, females larger than males.

Voice.

The territorial song of the male Fraser's eagle-owl is a rapid, stuttering and long deep, guttural trill which has been said to resemble the noise made by an electricity generator. There is also a two syllable hoot, which is stereotypically owl like, with the second syllable being higher pitched and more whistled. The double hoot is repeated at intervals of 3–4 seconds, and to the listener familiar with it, similar to the hoot of the European tawny owl. Another call, which is given by both sexes, used is a single soft mewing "wooh". They snap their bills to communicate, as do many owls.

Distribution.

It is widely spread across the African tropical rainforest ; also found on Bioko.

Habitat.

Their habitat is primarily forest, forest clearings, and cardamom plantations. Ranges from sea-level up to about, in Cameroon.

Biology.

Like most owls Fraser's eagle-owl is a nocturnal bird, roosting during the day hidden by leaves, about above the ground. The roost site is often located by small, diurnal birds which mob the owl. The birds stop roosting at dusk and become active, singing is most often in the early evening, just after dusk, but they will also sing just before dawn. Its main prey is small mammals, such as mice, squirrels and galagos, and it also takes birds, frogs, reptiles, insects and other arthropods as well as the occasionally feeding on fruit.  The breeding biology of Fraser's eagle-owl is little known. In Gabon they are reported as singing in June–September but breeding seems to take place throughout the year, apparently varying geographically with egg laying being recorded in February in Liberia, through to December Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. As nestlings have been found on the ground then it has been suggested that Fraser's eagle-owl may nest on the ground, however, there has been at least one record of a nestling observed in a tree cavity. The eggs are white with no markings. The juveniles are apparently dependent on the adults for a long time and retain their juvenile plumage for about a year.

Taxonomic notes.

Fraser's eagle-owl and the Usambara eagle-owl "Bubo vosseleri" have been considered as conspecific but they are widely separated and most authorities regard them as separate species. If that is the case then Fraser's eagle owl has no subspecies.

Fraser's eagle-owl ("Bubo poensis") is a species of African owl in the family Strigidae. It is named after the British zoologist Louis Fraser.


Early years.

Laldenga, the fourth child of a cultivator Liantlira Ralte and Darchhungi Hnamte, was born on 11 June 1927 in village Pukpui in the Mizo district of Assam (now in the Lunglei district of Mizoram). He joined the Indian Army and served up to Havildar. He resigned from the army and joined civil service as Accounts Clerk under District Council office in Aizawl.

Secessionist movement.

Laldenga joined a voluntary organisation called Mizo Cultural Society, formed in 1955, as its Secretary. The society became Mautam Front in March 1960 to work for relief due to the Mautam famine that affected the entire Mizoram (which was then a district council of Assam). The government could not make efficient effort to provide basic survival needs, and this prompted the need for more powerful pressure group. The organisation was then renamed Mizo National Famine Front (MNFF) in September 1960. This soon evolved into a political organisation and ultimately became the Mizo National Front (MNF) on 22 October 1961. Laldenga took the support from Pakistan for the separatist movement and was arrested and jailed by Indian authorities. As an outcome of his talks, between 1963 and 1966 East Pakistan provided military training and shelter to Mizo fighters when they needed exile..  On the night of 28 February 1966, the MNF launched an daring and ambitious attack on the district's major towns, resulting in the March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising. It declared independence and called on the Mizos to rise against India. The Indian Government responded by sending troops and aircraft on bombing missions. Villagers were uprooted from the hills and sent without their consent to Regrouped Villages built along the highways. For the next 20 years, violence continued in the Mizo hills with the fighters camping in Mizoram (India) and East Pakistan. With the fall of East Pakistan in 1971, Laldenga's men scattered to Myanmar while he moved to Pakistan. After secret meetings in Europe with Indian officials, he returned seeking a peaceful resolution of the problem.  During his guerrilla life, Laldenga was arrested on several occasions and spent 10 years in exile, mostly in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Peace Accord and last days.

When Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India in 1984, it encouraged a new wave of negotiation. Laldenga met him on 15 February 1985, and peace settlement was on its way. On 30 June 1986 the official document entitled "Mizoram Accord, 1986, Memorandum of Settlement" was then signed by Ladenga, R. D. Pradhan, Home Secretary, and Lalkhama, Chief secretary.  Ladenga became an interim Chief Minister, as the sitting Chief Minister Lalthanhawla stepped down to Deputy Chief Minister. Under the terms of the accord, Mizoram was granted statehood in February 1987. Laldenga and his party MNF won the first elections to the state legislature. However, defections toppled him from office in 1988.  He never rose to political arena again due to chronic lung cancer. After he got medical treatments in New Delhi and New York City, he headed for London. Just after landing on airport, he died on the way to hospital on 7 July 1990. He was honoured with the first state funeral in Mizoram, and buried at the centre of Aizawl city.

Laldenga (1927-1990) was a Mizo politician and the first Chief Minister of Mizoram state in northeast India from 1986 till 1988. He is the founder of the Mizo National Front.


Early life.

Ingalls was born January 25, 1837, in Sutton Township, Caledonia County, Vermont. He was the youngest of 9 children of James Ingalls (circa 1792-1866) and Mary Cass (circa 1797-1883). His parents are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin. He had a sister, Jane Margaret Ingalls (1821–1920), who married Estes Wilson. Jane Ingalls Wilson was one of the first female physicians in Wisconsin.  Ingalls spent his childhood in Clinton, Massachusetts. He worked as an errand boy at Lancaster Mills and graduated from Clinton High School in 1856.

Civil War.

James Monroe Ingalls moved to Madison, Wisconsin, with his parents in about 1856. He was a professor of mathematics in the Evansville Seminary, Wisconsin, 1860-1863. He enlisted in the regular army on January 2, 1864, during the Civil War, and was assigned to the 16th Infantry. He was promoted corporal and served as commissary and quartermaster-sergeant until May 21, 1865. He was promoted 2d and 1st lieutenant on May 3, 1865, accepting the promotions on May 21, 1865. On April 17, 1869, he was transferred to the 2d Infantry; on January 1, 1871, to the 1st artillery. He was Commandant of Cadets and Professor of Military Science and Tactics and Mathematics at West Virginia University 1877-78. He was a very popular professor. He was promoted captain of artillery on July 1, 1880; major on June 1, 1897, and lieutenant-colonel on October 5, 1900. He served in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and other points in the south between 1864 and 1871, and was then sent to the artillery school at Fort Monroe, graduating in the class of 1872. He was then stationed successively at Plattsburgh Barracks, and Forts Jefferson and Barrancas, and, in July 1880, was assigned to the command of Battery A, Governor's Island, New York Harbor, and thence transferred to San Francisco Harbor, where he served until ordered to Battery G at Fort Munroe 1882. He suggested and organized the department of ballistics at the artillery school, Fort Monroe, and was made the first instructor on December 19, 1882, which position he held until the school suspended operations in spring 1898 because of the Spanish–American War. He was also senior instructor in practical artillery exercises, class of 1884; in engineering, class of 1888; in electricity and defensive torpedoes, classes of 1884, 1886, 1888 and 1890; and in signaling, 1884-88. Lieutenant Colonel Ingalls retired from the Army in 1901. In 1904, he was made colonel retired. Ingalls died on May 1, 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island, and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London, Connecticut.  Author A. J. Bastarache has called Colonel Ingalls the "Father of Ballistics" for his pioneering research that contributed to America's military successes through the 20th century.

Family life.

Ingalls married Elizabeth Niles, daughter of John S. Niles and Elizabeth Lilly, in July 1860, in Dane County, Wisconsin. She was born in 1841 in Leon, Cattaraugus County, New York, and died on July 28, 1875 of typhoid fever at Fort Barrancas, Escambia County, Florida, and is buried in the national cemetery there. They had two children. Their son, Arthur Niles Ingalls (1861–1875), also died of typhoid fever and is buried with his mother. Their daughter, Hilda Eliza Ingalls (born September 1868 in McPhersonburg, Virginia) married Joel Randall Burrow in 1889. He later became the Secretary of State of the State of Kansas. Hilda died on November 4, 1908, and is buried at Fairview Cemetery, Smith Center, Kansas.  Ingalls married a second time on July 17, 1877, in New London, Connecticut, to Harriet Elizabeth Thurston, daughter of Benjamin Babcock Thurston, who had been Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island. They had one child, Fanny Thurston Ingalls, who never married.

James Monroe Ingalls (January 25, 1837 – May 1, 1927) was an American soldier and an authority on ballistics. His tabulations on ballistics was the authoritative source for over 100 years.


Origin and etymology.

There are several different views on the origin of Fuzhou Tanka. The mainstream theory believes that Fuzhou Tanka are descendants of the Baiyue of ancient times. As a branch of the Tanka people, Fuzhou Tanka has been in South China for more than 2000 years. Their Fuzhounese name "Kuóh-dà̤" (曲 蹄) is a derogatory term used by the Fuzhou people on land, which can be literally translated into "bowlegged" and might come from the bow shape of their legs caused by longtime living in the low cabins of their boats.  The Amoy University anthropologist Ling Hui-hsiang wrote on his theory of the Fujian Tanka being descendants of the Baiyue. He claimed that Guangdong and Fujian Tanka are definitely descended from the old Pai Yue peoples, and that they may have been ancestors of the Malay race.

Language.

Fuzhou Tanka now speak the Fuzhou dialect, which is widely used by the majority Fuzhou people in this region. Mandarin has also been brought to many of them through national compulsory education. However, they had their own language in history, but gradually abandoned it. In Ming Dynasty, many of them were already able to speak the Fuzhou dialect or other Eastern Min languages.

Society.

Traditionally, Fuzhou Tanka people lived on boats in most of their lives. They were severely discriminated by land living Fuzhounese residents. Their life depended on fishing and ferrying, and most of them remained poor and uneducated before the founding of Republic of China. Fuzhou Tanka people had a rich tradition of folk music, especially call and response. They also had different views on chastity and remarriage from the land living Han Chinese. Pre-marital sex and remarriage were not restricted in their society. Due to the discriminatory policy imposed by the land living Han majority, Fuzhou Tanka were forced to dress themselves in a humble way to show their inferiority to the land residents.  By the second half of the 19th century, many Tanka people had already been converted to Roman Catholicism. Some of these Catholic Tanka consequently moved onto land under the protection of the Catholic Church. In the Republic of China era, the ethnic egalitarianism was guaranteed by law. Since the 1950s, the Communist government began to resettle Fuzhou Tanka to land dwellings. As a result, many Fuzhou Tanka villages were built along the Min River and the coast. Nowadays, most Fuzhou Tanka people have abandoned their traditional waterborne lives and intermarriage is common. Their traditions, such as Fuzhou Tanka folk music, are under threat as well.

Discrimination against Fuzhou Tanka.

Before the founding of Republic of China, the Fuzhou Tanka were generally treated by land Chinese residents as mean and inferior. They were not allowed to dwell on land, receive education, wear silk clothes or work in government or army. In some areas, they were even forbidden to walk on land, otherwise, they would be faced with death threats. Since the 18th century several attempts had been made by the Qing and Kuomintang governments to lift the discrimination against Tanka people, but it was only in the People's Republic of China era that all the discriminatory policies were completely eliminated. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 'gypsies of the sea' were not allowed to go ashore or marry the people living along the beach.

Religion.

Before the 19th century, many Fuzhou Tanka practiced Taoism, worshiping Mazu, Linshui and other gods and goddesses. In the late 19th century, many Fuzhou Tanka people were converted to Roman Catholicism. Received, protected and assisted by the Roman Catholic Church in Fuzhou through Protectorate of missions, some of them were able to build simple land dwellings. Currently, the majority of Fuzhou Tanka people are Roman Catholic, which constitute a significant portion in Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fuzhou.

Surnames.

The Fuzhou Tanka have different surnames than the Tanka of Guangdong. Qing records indicate that "Weng, Ou, Chi, Pu, Jiang, and Hai" (翁, 歐, 池, 浦, 江) were surnames of the Fuzhou Tanka. Qing records also stated that Tanka surnames in Guangdong consisted of "Mai, Pu, Wu, Su, and He", alternatively some people claimed Gu and Zeng as Tanka surnames.

Fuzhou Tanka (Fuzhou dialect: 曲蹄; Foochow Romanized: Kuóh-dà̤; Simplified Chinese: 福州疍民 Hók-ciŭ Dáng-mìng; 江妹仔 Gĕ̤ng-muói-giāng; 曲蹄婆 Kuóh-dà̤-bò̤), or Fuzhou Boat People, is an ethnic group in Fujian, China. A branch of the Tanka people, they traditionally lived on sampans in the lower course of Min River and the coast of Fuzhou in Fujian Province most of their lives and have been officially recognized as Han Chinese since 1955.


History and definition.

The concept of moment form, and the specific term, originated with the composition "Kontakte" (1958–60) by Karlheinz Stockhausen (; ).  A "moment", in Stockhausen's terminology, is any "formal unit in a particular composition that is recognizable by a personal and unmistakable character." It can be either an indivisible "gestalt", a structure with clear components, or a mixture of the two; and it can be static, or dynamic, or a combination of the two. "Depending on their characteristics, they can be as long or as short as you like".  "Moment "forming"", on the other hand, is a compositional approach in which a narrative overall line is deliberately avoided. The component moments in such a form are related by a nonlinear principle of proportions. If this system of proportions exhausts a set of possibilities, the form is said to be "closed"; if not, or if the series of proportions is not finite, then the form is "open".  Moment form does not necessarily avoid perceptible goal-directed processes. "They simply refuse to participate in a globally directed narrative curve, which is, naturally, not their purpose". In Stockhausen's words, works with this propertyneither aim at "the" climax, nor at prepared (and consequently expected) multiple climaxes, and the usual introductory, rising, transitional and fading-away stages are not delineated in a development curve encompassing the entire duration of the work. On the contrary, these forms are "immediately" intense and seek to maintain the level of continued "main points", which are constantly equally present, right up until they stop. In these forms a minimum or a maximum may be expected in every moment, and no developmental direction can be predicted with certainty from the present one; "they have always already commenced, and could continue forever"; in them either everything present counts, or nothing at all; and each and every Now is not unremittingly regarded as the mere consequence of the one which preceded it and as the upbeat to the coming one—in which one puts one's hope—but rather as something personal, independent and centred, capable of existing on its own. They are forms in which an instant does not have to be just a bit of a temporal line, nor a moment just a particle of a measured duration, but rather in which concentration on the Now—on every Now—makes vertical slices, as it were, that cut through a horizontal temporal conception to a timelessness I call eternity: an eternity that does not begin at the end of time but is attainable in every moment. I am speaking of musical forms in which apparently nothing less is being attempted than to explode (even to overthrow) the temporal concept—or, put more accurately: the concept of duration....<br> "In works of this kind the start and stop are open" and yet they cease after a certain duration.

Representative works.

Besides "Kontakte", works cited by Stockhausen as being particularly concerned with moment forming include the earlier "Gesang der Jünglinge" (1955–56), as well as the subsequent "Carré" (1960), "Momente" (1962–64/69), "Mixtur" (1964), "Mikrophonie I" (1964), "Mikrophonie II" (1965), "Telemusik" (1966), "Hymnen" (1966–67/69), "Stimmung" (1968), "Samstag aus Licht" (1981–83), "Michaelion" from "Mittwoch aus Licht", "Himmelfahrt" (2004–05), "Freude" (2005), and "Himmels-Tür" (2005) (; ; ; ; ). The concept of moment form has often been confused with mobile (or, in Stockhausen's nomenclature, "polyvalent") forms, because in four of these compositions ("Momente", "Mixtur", "Mikrophonie I", and "Stimmung"), the component moments can be ordered in different ways. Several other works by Stockhausen have this "mobile" feature, without falling into his category of moment form, for example, "Klavierstück XI" (1956), "Refrain" (1959), "Zyklus" (1959), and "Sirius" (1975–77).  Certain works by other composers, both earlier and contemporaneous, such as István Anhalt, Earle Brown, Elliott Carter, Barney Childs, Roberto Gerhard, Michael Gielen, Hans Werner Henze, Charles Ives, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Morgan Powell, Roger Reynolds, Joseph Schwantner, Roger Sessions, Igor Stravinsky, Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe, Yehuda Yannay, and Frank Zappa, have also been cited as instances of moment form (; ; ; ).

In music, moment form is defined as "a mosaic of moments", and, in turn, a moment is defined as a "self-contained (quasi-)independent section, set off from other sections by discontinuities".


Formation and leadership.

It was formed as a union of the Party for Justice and Integration and the Party for Justice and Unity. Shpëtim Idrizi is its current chairman, while Tahir Muhedini is now the honorary president.

PDIU involvement in 2011 general registration.

In early October 2011, the Albanian government announced that a census would be conducted throughout the country, which would tally the exact number of ethnic minorities for the first time after 1989. However, after a proposal by the PDIU, the Albanian parliament changed the Census law, establishing a fine of $1,000 to every citizen that declares an ethnicity different from what was written down on his or her birth certificate. This applies even if the certificate was written during the communist era before 1989, where ethnic minorities were pressured to renounce their minority status.  Because of these developments, organizations that represent five minority groups in Albania decided unanimously to boycott the upcoming census. On the other hand, the PDIU, claimed that this decision was a national victory, prohibiting that way a part of local citizens (according to PDIU also non-Greek) to register as Greeks.

Local elections.

The PDIU placed candidates in the following places:  In the Albanian local elections, 2011 the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity won a total of 59,499 votes throughout the country, and won the Librazhd, Sukth, and Rrogozhinë municipalities, plus Markat and Shushicë communes.

2015 local elections.

In 2015 local elections PJIU won in three municipalities: Peqin, Rrogozhine and Konispol.

Parliamentary representation.

2013 election.

PDIU joined the Alliance for Employment, Prosperity and Integration () in the 2013 elections. The coalition was led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. PDIU got 44,957 votes, 2.61% translated in 4 seats in the new parliament. Shpëtim Idrizi got elected as well, bringing the number of seats to 5, but he came through the list of Democratic Party in Fier County.

2017 parliamentary elections.

In 2017, PJIU won three mandates of deputies: 2 in Elbasan (Aqif Rakipi and Bujar Muca) and 1 in Diber (Reme Lala). Shpetim Idrizi and Mesila Doda published videos in Facebook that their votes were stole from another party, so the votes in Tirana were recounted, but they couldn't get their mandates either.

The Party for Justice, Integration and Unity (, or PDIU) is a nationalist political party in Albania whose primary aim is the promotion of national issues. The party's goals and objectives are to express the struggle of the ethnic Albanians, who after world and regional wars, are facing challenges that affect their rights. In the light of paradigms such as freedom and human rights, these challenges bring them together, forge common interests, and constitute their national issues." The party focuses on highlighting national issues, including Kosovo, Albanians in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Presevo Valley and especially the Cham issue.


Napoleonic Wars.

He began his military service in 1806 during the Wielkopolska Uprising when he personally funded the formation of the first regiment of Legia Poznanska (Poznań Legion), and took the command of the unit. He took part in the Napoleonic wars and specifically, the first Polish campaign (1806–1807), where he fought with the French at the Siege of Gdańsk (Danzig) and Siege of Kołobrzeg (Kolberg). Between 1808 and 1809 he fought in Spain, including at the Battle of Almonacid and Battle of Ocana. He was appointed as the governor of Málaga, and in 1810 was promoted to Brigadier General.  In the 1812 War against Russia (which Napoleon referred to as his "Second Polish Campaign") he commanded a cavalry brigade in the 5th Corps of Count Józef Poniatowski. The Polish poet and playwright Aleksander Fredro, who served under him, recalled that while Sułkowski was courageous and honorable, he had trouble acquiring the full confidence of his men, partly because he tended to use infantry tactics (Sułkowski's previous command) when in charge of a cavalry unit.  In the War of the Sixth Coalition he was a division general and led the 4th Cavalry Corps of Michał Sokolnicki. After the death of Poniatowski on 19 October 1813, Sułkowski was briefly the main commander of the Polish Corps, even though he was only twenty eight years old at the time. Sułkowski however, did not wish to fight outside of Poland again, and acting on behalf of his unit's sentiment, vowed that Polish troops would not cross the Rhine. After Napoleon made a personal appeal to Polish soldiers they became willing to follow the emperor which put Sułkowski in a difficult position; if he continued to lead his troops he would have to break the oath he made earlier. As a result, he submitted his resignation which was accepted by Napoleon and returned to Poland. The remaining Polish forces from then on were commanded by Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.

Political activity in Congress Poland.

After the Congress of Vienna Antoni supported Congress Poland (saying that it was a "small and poor version of Poland but Poland nonetheless, and it had that holy name") and Tsar Alexander I of Russia, even becoming his aide-de-camp in September 1815. However, by 1818 he became disillusioned with the political situation, lack of real autonomy or independence for the quasi-Polish state, and the tsar's refusal to join lands of the Russian partition to Congress Poland. As a result, he resigned his official posts and began focusing on personal matters.  In 1818 he settled permanently in Rydzyna (part of the Prussian partition of Poland) and became active in politics. Sułkowski was made a member of the Prussian State Council, by King Frederick William and later was a Marshall of the Sejm of the Grand Duchy of Posen and participated in the two founding sejms of the grand duchy in 1827 and 1830. As a prominent politician in the Grand Duchy he tried to protect the use of Polish language and Polish education against forced Germanization and discrimination by the Prussian authorities.  During the November Uprising against Russia in Congress Poland in 1830, Sułkowski considered joining the insurrection but made a condition of his involvement that he be given his own separate military unit to command. However, personal and family considerations precluded him from following through on this commitment. Nonetheless after the uprising was suppressed he actively campaigned against repression of the insurrectionists and advocated for a general amnesty.  He received the Cavalier's Cross Virtuti Militari as well as the Officer's Cross of Légion d'honneur.

Personal life.

He was the son of Voyevoda of Kalisz Antoni Sułkowski (1735–1796) and Karolina Bubna-Littitz, from a Germanized Czech family. His father was an associate of the Russian general and ambassador, Nicholas Repnin, who was sent to Poland by Catherine the Great. During the Sejm of the First Partition, the elder Sułkowski actively supported Russian, Prussian and Austrian partition of Poland and for his service was awarded Order of St. Andrew by Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. Unlike his parents, however, the younger Sułkowski became a Polish patriot, supposedly after witnessing the Warsaw Uprising of 1794 against Russian rule as an eight-year-old.  He studied in Wrocław and at the University of Göttingen.  In 1808 he married Ewa Kicka, the daughter of the former Chamberlain to the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski. The couple had three daughters; Helena (married Count Henryk Potocki), Ewa (married Count Władysław Potocki) and Teresa (married Henryka Wodzicki) and one son, Antoni, who married Maria Mycielska (Antoni's wife Ewa died soon after childbirth).  In 1836 he caught scarlet fever from one of his children and died. He was buried in a family crypt in the Church of Saint Stanisław in Rydzyna.

Commemoration.

Today, in the city of Kołobrzeg a major street is named after Sułkowski in commemoration of his part in the Siege of the city in 1807. There are also streets and plazas, as well as schools named after him throughout Poland, including in his home town of Rydzyna.

Prince Antoni Paweł Sułkowski (born 31 December 1785 in Leszno, died 13 April 1836 in Rydzyna), of the Sułkowski family, was a Polish division general (who also spent time in French service) and later overall commander of the armed forces of the Duchy of Warsaw.


National Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services

History.

Origin.

With the overthrow of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez in January 1958, Venezuela was plunged into an acute institutional crisis in the police and security area, following the dismantling of the National Security, also called "political police"; the absence of a similar, moderately effective organization gives rise to impromptu Technical Services Criminology, an organization in the popular police jargon was known as Criminology, was a time of much confusion as it was beginning to take shape guerrilla activity and for that reason the political activism of opposition was severely punished.  On April 29, 1959, according to Executive Order No. 51, taking into account the need to define the roles and responsibilities of the various police forces, the general direction of police "DIGEPOL", DISIP's predecessor organization, which creates would have the task "to exercise and coordinate the entire national territory policing aimed at the preservation of order and public tranquility", according to its powers under the Ministry of Interior, in Article No. 18 of the Constitution of Ministries, without prejudice to the legal powers of the Judicial Technical Police and state police. With this decision, the powers of the criminal police, faculty and power of intelligence and state security were separated. However, the DIGEPOL became a repressive police force with intelligence character.

1960s.

Creation of DISIP.

When Rafael Caldera assumed his first presidency in the Venezuela, he ordered the dissolution of the DIGEPOL and signed Decree No. 15, dated March 19, 1969 giving birth to the "Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention "whose initials are DISIP. Its objective was to demonstrate the initial combat subversion and drug trafficking. Critics however, believed the actually existence of DISIP was to implement state terrorism and may have even included death squads. Its first commanders took the initiative to establish appropriate training courses and their members, mostly from former members of DIGEPOL. In the early years, DISIP recruited Cubans opposed to the government of Fidel Castro and those who had been trained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Political influence.

The story of the early years of the DISIP parallels the political group "Bandera Roja", whose leaders Carlos Betancourt (under the pseudonym "Geronimo"), Eduardo Candiales Barrios and Gabriel Puerta Aponte, Lieutenant Betancourt was confronted by the police organization from the beginning of the group. The DISIP conducted the first dismantling of this group between 1972 and 1973. They also acted against the Party of the Venezuelan Revolution (PRV-FALN) and other smaller groups, achieving frustrate many plans uprising of leftist groups of the time, which had been isolated by the Punto Fijo pact, which had formed the bipartisanship Democratic Action and COPEI.

1970s.

In the mid-1970s to the need to raise the technical level of the security agency was created Brigade speeches or Command groups led by the Commissioner General Henry Rafael López Sisco, who led major operations against leftist guerrillas in the field, these operations being considered DISIP as violations of human rights. In its early DISIP had nearly 4,000 employees on the payroll between the areas of administration, police and intelligence.

1980s.

In this framework, the DISIP holding several clashes such as the Slaughter of Cantaura, occurred between 4 and 8 October 1982 where some tens of DISIP agents with more than 400 soldiers from the Armed Forces kill 23 Front guerrilla fighters "Americo Silva", belonging to rural guerrilla group Red Flag.

1990s.

In the 1990s, the DISIP forward intelligence operations against the rebel soldiers led by Hugo Chavez and Francisco Arias Cárdenas giving two attempted coup against President Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1992, the national government of the time authorized actions to not only pursue and spy on the military rebels but any civilian suspected of supporting the military uprising. In the particular case of November 27, 1992, officers of the Brigade of Interventions, Vehicular Patrol, the General Intelligence and Investigation Division faced by National Guard military rebels, the latter being defeated. DISIP facilities in "El Helicoide" in Caracas were bombed by the rebel air force.

Vargas shootings.

A murderous rampage against suspected looters in the state of Vargas following the 1999 mudslides became, according to Human Rights Watch, "the first major human rights test of the Chávez government. At first, Chávez dismissed the reports as'suspicious' and'superficial,' but the evidence soon obliged the president and other top government officials to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation." Human Rights Watch expressed their deep concern over DISIP (and National Guard) abuse in Venezuela in a 2004 personal letter to President Hugo Chávez. Amnesty International has also expressed concern over excessive use of force by the DISIP, and the increasing polarization and political violence in Venezuela since Chávez was elected in December 1998.

International.

It is in the area of intelligence where it is thought that the body work to infiltrate the social, economic and political sectors. It is believed that conducted major operations in Central America and even Europe. One of the alleged lesser-known operations was made by the deceased Commissioner General Rafael Rivas-Vasquez who allegedly managed to locate and spy on Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a Venezuelan militant of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, while living in France. In the eighties, DISIP possibly maintained close ties to the CIA, the MI5 (British Intelligence), the Mossad, Bundes Nachrichten Dienst (German Intelligence Service) to exchange information on Arab revolutionary groups, especially the group of former members of the Red Army Faction or Baader Meinhof group.

Operations.

"Simon Bolivar" satellite.

The communications satellite "Simon Bolivar" released in 2008 was intended to achieve "absolute and secure handling of information" in the areas of telephony, data transmission and access to Internet which would have access to the DISIP. This would be followed by the purchase of a second satellite for "territorial observation and monitoring."

Monitoring the Amazon.

It also participates in the monitoring system of the Amazon of Brazil "(Sivam) – providing information to the DISIP and other national security services to monitor the border to detect and neutralize incursions of guerrillas, drug traffickers, arms smugglers, paramilitary and illegal miners.

DISIP (General Sectoral Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services) was an intelligence and counter-intelligence agency inside and outside of Venezuela between 1969 and 2009 when SEBIN was created by former President Hugo Chavez. DISIP was established in March 1969 by then-president Rafael Caldera, replacing the Directorate General of Police (DIGEPOL).


Programme.

tape.tv was personalised internet music television that users could modify according to their taste. tape.tv took pride in allowing the user to either control the stream or to just tune in and watch like a TV channel. The programme was shaped by an editorial department, but users were able to personalise the content by using any of the several functions, such as a "more like this" button. They could also switch to genre-channels, such as Alternative rock, Hip hop music, Pop music, Rock music, Indie rock, Electro, Soul music, R&B and Heavy metal music. When the user liked or disliked a music video, tape.tv stored the preferences and modified the programme accordingly.  tape.tv also offered a search and a mixtape function. These mixtapes were individual playlists that could be sent via email or shared via social media.  For its programme tape.tv had full access to music videos from the four major labels Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI and Warner Music, as well as independent labels such as Finetunes, Kontor New Media, Rough Trade and Zebralution. tape.tv was available in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Productions.

tape.tv has produced its own formats since the summer of 2010. The first one was the live-acoustic format called "auf den dächern" which translates to "on the rooftops." In October 2011, tape.tv celebrated its 100th production of this format with Florence + The Machine. Many of these concerts were available on iTunes.  In May 2011, tape.tv started its first live show called "on tape." The project was a cooperation with the German TV station ZDFkultur; users were able to get into contact with the host of the show and the artists via webcam, call-in, and Facebook chat. In December 2011, tape.tv reached an audience of more than 50,000 live viewers for the first time with German rapper Kool Savas.  Starting in May 2011, tape.tv also began airing a show with live concerts called "tape.live."

Video-premieres.

tape.tv often had rights to the nationwide video premieres for famous international artists, such as Depeche Mode, Lady Gaga, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.

Blog.

Aside from setting up the rotation and programme guide for tape.tv, the editorial department also ran a music blog, which featured news from artists and offered a helpful overview of the programme.

History.

In July 2008, tape.tv started under the web address http://tape.tv. The company was founded by Conrad Fritzsch and Stephanie Renner, who functioned as management of the company at the same time. 19 January 2010 saw the relaunch of the tape.tv platform, offering the users options to personalise the programme. In 2011, the company expanded from 35 employees to 85 employees.  In May 2012 tape.tv raised 5 million Euros from different investors in exchange for a small minority stake. Participants were Atlantic Capital Partners GmbH (through its currently managed fund), Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel und Marc Schmidheiny (DCM), Christophe Maire as well as Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin, managed by IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft.  In 2013 tape.tv acquisited the Internet opinion platform Amen (discontinued) including its employees and founders.  The company was downsized to 20 employees in October 2014. and finally discontinued in November 2016.

Business model.

Tuning in to tape.tv was free of charge. The business model rested on advertisement and media-cooperations.

Advertisement.

tape.tv was mainly financed through advertisement. In order to keep the programme free from interruptions, tape.tv had developed the 360°motionAd. The 360°motionAd was a dynamic Flash animation around the tape.tv-player. The latest ad innovation utilised by tape.tv was the so-called FlipAd; the player fliped back and the free space was used to promote the product message. With the FlipAd tape.tv offers an ad-format suitable for smartphones and tablets.

Cooperations.

tape.tv cooperated with several partners offline and online. Some of these partners were bild.de, Yahoo!, Facebook, Spotify, ZDF.kultur, 3Sat, Spex and Radio Fritz.

Technology.

tape.tv was streamed via internet browsers and smartphone apps. In order to receive tape.tv the user had to own broadband internet access, as well as a current version of Flash.

Awards.

2009.

Webby Awards: "Honoree Music" tape.tv featured in the top 10 of the best web music pages Winner "Honorees Interactive Advertising" for the 360°MotionAd German Multimedia Award (DMMA) for the 360° MotionAd.

2010.

LEAD Award: Category "WebTV of the year"

2011.

Gründerszene (founders’ scene): Startup of the decade / Category: newcomer Association of Independent Musicians: Best Music Platform Techcrunch "The Europas": Nominated as Best Entertainment, Music, Video

tape.tv was a music video streaming provider based in Berlin. The company was co-founded in 2008 by Conrad Fritzsch and Stephanie Renner. tape.tv hosted upwards of 45,000 music videos from major German labels and a collection of indie labels. The reach of the site was around 3.9 million unique users with an average dwell-time of around 25 minutes. tape.tv was free to the user and was financed through advertisement, which the company labeled as " entertainment advertising".