Early life.

Amanda Conner studied at The Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey. She names as influences Joe Kubert, for teaching his students to compose pages as if they were to be devoid of any dialogue or word balloons, and Frank Miller for his pacing and his ability to create tension and intense action and reactions.

Career.

Conner worked at a color separation company, which handled comics coloring prior to the industry adoption of computer programs such as Photoshop. She subsequently worked in a comic book store. At the time she lived a little over an hour from New York City, and on her days off, would travel to New York City with her father, and use his office at the advertising industry where he worked as a home base from which to call editors at Marvel Comics and DC Comics to request a portfolio review. When granted these interviews, she was told that she had potential, but needed to work on her art more. At this same time she became acquainted with professional artists through her work at the comic shop, and answered an advertisement by artist Bill Sienkiewicz, who was seeking an assistant. She took the job, which became her first comics work, while continuing to show her portfolio to editors at Marvel and DC. She also illustrated storyboards for the advertising industry. After about her sixth or seventh time showing her portfolio, Marvel editor Greg Wright gave Conner her first illustration assignment, an 11-page Yellowjacket back-up story in "Solo Avengers" #12 (November 1988).  Her other early work includes "Excalibur" and "Suburban Jersey Ninja She-Devils" for Marvel, "Strip AIDS U.S.A." for Last Gasp in 1988, and "Archie" and "The Adventures of Bayou Billy" stories for Archie Comics in 1989-90. During this time, she worked with Marvel editor and artist Jimmy Palmiotti (now her husband), who often inks over Conner's pencils.  From 1993–1994 she penciled issues #1–10 of Peter David and Richard Howell's creator-owned series, "Soulsearchers and Company", which was published by Claypool Comics. In 1994 she penciled "Barbie Fashion" #43, a Marvel Comics title that was licensed from the Mattel doll. That same year she did her first Vampirella work with "Vengeance of Vampirella", a mini-comic that was bundled with an issue of "Wizard" magazine. The following year she pencilled issues 2 - 11 of Marvel's "Gargoyles", which was based on the Disney animated television series of the same name. In 1996 she pencilled "Kid Death & Fluffy Spring Break Special" #1 for Topps Comics and "Tomoe" #3 for Billy Tucci's Crusade Comics. She also returned to Vampirella with Harris' "Vampirella Lives" #1–3, which teamed her with writer Warren Ellis.  In 1997 she illustrated the intercompany crossover "Painkiller Jane vs. The Darkness" for Event Comics. It was in working on this book that Conner says that she found her niche in the industry, explaining that the licensed characters she had previously worked on, particularly Barbie and Vampirella (the latter of which she stresses she nonetheless enjoyed for the writers she worked with) had narrow emotional ranges, which limited the facial expressions she was able to render. On "PKJ v. the Darkness" she discovered that it was possible to render material of a dark tone that incorporated black humor. Conner returned to "Painkiller Jane" with a #0 issue, which recounted the character's origin. Her other comic book credits include "Lois Lane", "", and "Birds of Prey" for DC Comics, as well as "Two-Step" with writer Warren Ellis for the Cliffhanger! imprint of WildStorm Comics (owned by DC Comics); "X-Men Unlimited" for Marvel; "Gatecrasher", which she co-created for Black Bull Comics; and "The Pro", a creator-owned book for Image Comics with Palmiotti and Garth Ennis. In 2005, she illustrated the origin of Power Girl in "JSA Classified" #1-4. She also penciled a "Blade" comic to go with the special DVD edition.  Her art has appeared on ABC'S "Nightline", and in "The New York Times" and "MAD" magazine. She has also done promotional artwork for the reality television series "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" and the 2007 feature film "Underdog". She does spot illustrations in "Revolver" magazine each month. Her commercial art work includes illustrations for the New York City advertising agencies Kornhauser & Calene, and Kidvertisers, for such accounts as Arm & Hammer, Playskool, and Nickelodeon. Nike, Inc. commissioned Conner and fellow comics artist Jan Duursema to design the "Make Yourself: A Super Power" advertising campaign in 2011.  Conner did modeling/art reference work for the Marvel miniseries "" in the 1980s, and for artist Joe Jusko's "Punisher / Painkiller Jane" in 2000.  Conner, Palmiotti, and writer Justin Gray work together via their multimedia entertainment company PaperFilms. They collaborated on the "Terra" miniseries, which premiered in November 2008, and the first 12 issues of the "Power Girl" ongoing series, which were published between 2009 and 2010, both of which Conner penciled. in 2009, Conner drew the Supergirl story in "Wednesday Comics" which also featured appearance by Krypto and Streaky the Supercat. Following her departure from "Power Girl", Conner wrote and pencilled a story published in "Wonder Woman" #600, which featured a team-up between Power Girl, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl. IDW Publishing released "The Art of Amanda Conner" in April 2012 while DC Comics published "DC Comics: The Sequential Art of Amanda Conner" the following November. In 2012–2013, Conner drew the "Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre" limited series which she co-wrote with Darwyn Cooke. Cooke had insisted on having Conner as a collaborator on the series, stating that "I knew I had something to say about Laurie, and I needed somebody to collaborate with who could help realize it. The only person I know alive that could do that was Amanda. So I kind of made it a fuck-or-walk situation, you know? [Laughs.] 'We get Amanda, or I can’t do this.' So that made it incumbent upon [DC co-publisher] Dan [DiDio] to bring Amanda into it." Conner and Palmiotti launched a "Harley Quinn" ongoing series in November 2013. Amanda was a key contributor to the revitalization of Harley Quinn at DC Comics. Providing not only interior and cover art, her writing alongside Jimmy Palmiotti for over 100 different issues of the character returned Harley Quinn to the spotlight. Their work championed the popularity of the character again. Their stories, characters, designs and concepts heavily influenced the look and feel of the character, merchandising and Harley Quinn rise into both the theatrical and mainstream media/audience again.  Amanda's influence on Harley Quinn is highly associated with Harley's tendency to wear or create different costumes. This led to a major cosplay movement that pushed thousands of merchandising, licensed ideas and variations based on her designs. With the thought that no woman wears the same outfit, Amanda pushed to have Harley Quinn rotate or change outfits.  Additionally, she provided the design concepts for the DC Universe streaming Harley Quinn Animated series. Many of the story line ideas and dialog have been used for source material on the episodes. These concepts have also been launching points for both the Birds of Prey and Suicide Squad feature movies.  Conner's art was featured in "The Perspiration Implementation", the October 19, 2015, episode of the American sitcom "The Big Bang Theory". In the episode, comic book store owner Stuart Bloom asks the women for ideas on how to attract more women to his shop, and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) points out that an illustration hanging on one of the shop's walls, "Girl on a Leash", may not be conducive to attracting female customers. The image, which was illustrated by Conner and colored by Paul Mounts, depicts a scantily-clad woman being held on a chain leash by a muscular, whip-wielding masked man.  In 2015, Conner was voted as the #2 top female comics artist of all time.  On May 18, 2019, at the Comic Con Revolution event in Ontario, California, Conner was named the 2019 recipient of the Joe Kubert Distinguished Storyteller Award, which is given to "outstanding comic book creators who exemplify both Joe Kubert's artistic talent and his commitment to nurturing the comic book community."  In February 2020, Amanda will be returning to write and draw the upcoming Harley Quinn and Birds of Prey Black Label series for DC Comics.

Technique and materials.

While reading each page of a script, Conner does tiny thumbnail sketches with stick figures corresponding to the story indicated on each page, in order to help her design the page's layout. She then does tighter, more elaborate sketches, though still fairly small compared with the finished artwork, approximately 4" x 6", and then blows those up on a photocopier to the proper original comic art size, which is 10 inches x 15 inches. She then uses "very tight pencils" to light-box it onto Bristol board, if she intends to have it inked by her husband and collaborator, Jimmy Palmiotti, but will do the pencils "lighter and looser" if she intends to ink it herself, as she already knows how she wants the artwork rendered.  Conner has created her own paper stock and blue line format on her drawing paper, because, she explains, she likes having those configurations pre-printed on the page, and feels that "sometimes the rough is too toothy and the smooth is too slick." The stock she uses is the 10" x 15" Strathmore 500 series, but she also orders a custom 8" x 12" stock because she sometimes finds those dimensions more comfortable and easier to work on more quickly. She also finds the Strathmore 300 series "pretty good", in that she appreciates its texture and greater affordability, but says that she must occasionally contend with getting a "bleedy batch".  Conner uses mechanical pencils with.03 lead because she finds it easier to use than regular pencils that require her to stop and sharpen them frequently. When working on one of her own projects, such as "The Pro", she prefers to letter the art herself, before the inking stage, as she appreciates the handmade, organic look and feel of hand lettering, in contrast to the computer lettering with which most books are currently produced. To ink her own artwork, she uses Staedtler.03,.01 and.005 technical pen, and will sometimes use a Copic.005 for extremely fine work, as these implements feel better in her hands than crowquills and brushes. As her artwork is open and lacks much shading, Conner feels that Paul Mounts is a compatible colorist for her work, as he achieves "the right amount of bounciness or moodiness, depending on what's needed." Conner has stated that her favorite things to draw are facial expressions and body language.

Personal life.

Conner has lived in Los Angeles; Jacksonville, Florida; and Connecticut. She and her husband and frequent collaborator Jimmy Palmiotti lived in Brooklyn, New York City but now live in Florida, which Palmiotti referred to in an interview as the "sixth borough of New York."

Amanda Conner is an American comics artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' "Soulsearchers and Company" and Harris Comics' "Vampirella" in the 1990s. Her 2000s work includes "Mad" magazine, and such DC Comics characters as Harley Quinn, Power Girl, Atlee.


History.

Prior to the current "Show! Music Core", numerous music programs with similar content were aired on MBC. Below is the list in chronological order.  "Live Music Camp" was cancelled due to a broadcast accident of revealing genitalia.  After a brief hiatus, "Show! Music Core" began airing on October 29, 2005, with charts similar to its predecessors. However, the charts were removed on January 7, 2006, and it continues to air without any charts or awards. Even without the weekly chart award, the show was known for its special production and stages.  From 2007 to 2008, a "Mobile Ranking" segment was used to rank the popularity of songs downloaded to mobile phones and from online music sites.  On March 11, 2013, MBC announced they would return their chart system after seven years without the segment. The ranking system was reinstalled on April 20, 2013, with a first-place trophy given to the top song amongst the nominees for each week.  November 21, 2015, MBC announced that their chart system would be removed once again. The MBC variety department said "Instead of the ranking system, we intend to show more diverse genres of music and continue to work hard to be a representative music program of Korea.”  On February 11, 2016, MBC announced a trial phase of their simultaneous live broadcast of "Show! Music Core" in HD and UHD (ultra-high-definition) utilizing a dedicated 4K camera, in preparation for their launch of UHD broadcasts scheduled for 2017. The trial phase had taken place February 13 through March 12, 2016.  On April 5, 2017, MBC announced that they would, yet again, return to their chart ranking system since April 22, 2017.

Chart system.

Music Core brought back the show's chart on April 20, 2013. First-place winners are determined using the ranking system below. The list also shows the current and former scoring computation used. As of June 8, 2013, four nominees had decreased to three nominees.

List of winners.

2014.

January  February  March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December

2015.

January  February  March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  "(Starting from November 14, 2015, the ranking system was abolished but was revived later on April 22, 2017)"

Achievements by artists.

First system (April 20, 2013 – April 27, 2013): Physical Album + Digital Sales (40%), Music Video Views (15%), Viewers Committee Pre-voting (20%), Live Voting (25%) Second system (May 4, 2013 – June 1, 2013): Physical Album + Digital Sales (60%), Music Video Views (10%), Viewers Committee Pre-voting (10%), Live Voting (20%) Third system (June 8, 2013 – June 14, 2014): Physical Album + Digital Sales (70%), Music Video Views (10%), Viewers Committee Pre-voting (10%), Live Voting (10%)  Fourth system (June 21, 2014 – November 14, 2015): Physical Album + Digital Sales (60%), Music Video Views (10%), Viewers Committee Pre-voting (15%), Live Voting (15%)  Fifth system (April 22, 2017 – August 17, 2019): Physical Album + Digital Sales 60%, Music Video Views 10%, Viewers Committee Pre-voting 10%, MBC Radio Broadcast 5%, Audience Live Voting 15%  Sixth system (August 24, 2019 – March 14, 2020): Physical Album + Digital Sales 60%, Music Video Views 10%, Viewers Committee Pre-voting (by 2,000 people) 10%, MBC Radio Broadcast 5%, Streaming HOT Chart 10% (for 1st place nominees only), Audience Live Voting 15% (for 1st place nominees only)  Seventh system (March 21, 2020 – present): Physical Album + Digital Sales 60%, Music Video Views 10%, Viewers Committee Pre-voting (by 2,000 people) 10%, MBC Radio Broadcast 5%, Streaming HOT Chart 10% (for 1st place nominees only), Audience Live Voting 15% (for 1st place nominees only), Global Fans Vote 10% (for 1st place nominees only)

Show! Music Core () is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. It is broadcast from MBC Dream Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do.


Early life.

Ali Mamluk was born in Damascus into a Circassian family on 19 February 1946. There is another report giving his birth year as 1945. His family is originally from İskenderun (Hatay in Turkey).

Career.

Mamlouk is said to be one of the founding officers of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence in the 1970s. He was deputy director there, when in June 2005 President Bashar Assad appointed him head of the General Security Directorate.  Mamlouk is said to be on good terms with all of Syria's intelligence agencies; the heads of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate and the Political Security Directorate were once his assistants. In July 2012 following the Damascus security HQ bombing, it was reported that Mamlouk would become the head of the National Security Bureau with the rank of minister overseeing the entire security apparatus, and that former military intelligence chief Abdel-Fatah Qudsiyeh would become his assistant.

Controversy.

Mamlouk is one of many officials sanctioned by the European Union for their alleged actions against protesters participating in the Syrian revolution. His agency had "repressed internal dissent, monitored individual citizens, and had been involved in the Syrian government's Siege of Daraa, where protesters were killed by Syrian security services". In addition, he was added to the European Union's sanction list on 9 May 2011 on the grounds that he "involved in violence against demonstrators" during the war. Swiss government also put him into sanction list in September 2011. On 23 April 2012, the US government imposed sanctions on him, saying he had been responsible for human rights abuses, including the use of violence against civilians.  In May 2015, concern mounted regarding Mamlouk's whereabouts and health after not having been seen for some time, leading to comparisons with Rustum Ghazaleh who recently met a violent and unclear death.  In July 2015, Mamlouk visited Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman and met with Saudi and GCC officials to discuss proposals for ending the Syrian Civil War.

Criminal investigations.

On 11 August 2012, Lebanon indicted Ali Mamlouk in absentia and former Lebanese Information Minister Michel Samaha for their alleged plots to assassinate Lebanese political and religious figures. Lebanese judicial officials issued a warrant for Mamlouk's arrest on 4 February 2013.  In November 2018, French prosecutors issued international arrest warrants for three senior Syrian intelligence and government officials: Ali Mamlouk, Abdel Salam Mahmoud and Jamil Hassan. The warrants bring charges including collusion in torture, forced disappearances, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Ali Mamlouk () (born 19 February 1946) is a special security adviser to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and is one of his trusted men. Mamlouk is also head of the National Security Bureau of the Ba'ath Party.


Gameplay.

Unlike the "Die Hard Trilogy," the different sub-games or genres (third-person shooter, light gun shooter and driving) are integrated into "Movie Mode" with the player moving from game to game as they progress rather than selecting a single stand-alone game genre to play through. However, an individual sub-game can still be selected via "Arcade Mode".  The third-person shooter segments feature more advanced enemy AI in comparison to its predecessor with enemies walking patrol paths, actively looking for the player and responding to noises made by the player. Stealth elements are also incorporated into the game. A variety of standard weapons are available along with less traditional weapons such as flamethrower, shock rifle and jackhammer.  In addition to the standard PlayStation controller, the PlayStation Mouse, steering wheels and light guns can be used in the relevant parts of the game.

Plot.

John McClane is living in an apartment in New York City until he receives a phone call from Kenny Sinclair, his best friend in the NYPD, to come to Las Vegas. Kenny was appointed as the new warden of the Mesa Grande Prison and is throwing a party in his honor. McClane accepts the invitation. At the party, McClane gets into a brief conversation about a prisoner named Klaus Von Haug, and meets Reese Hoffman, the owner of the Roaring 20's Casino, and his secretary Elena Goshkin. However, during the party, a prison riot occurs and Von Haug escapes from his prison cell, which meant it was up to McClane to defeat terrorists again.  As the game progresses, it is revealed that Kenny, Reese, and Elena are all in on the terrorist plot in their attempt to control Las Vegas. McClane dispatches them all, with Kenny being saved for last.

Development.

Gary Sheinwald, senior producer for the game, stated in an interview with OPM – UK in regards to the development that "The prime directive for DHT2 was that everything had to be better than Die Hard Trilogy". He mentions that the game engine was state of the art and that hi-res models, bigger levels than the original game and more animations were the major improvements.

Reception.

"Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas" received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.  IGN's Sam Bishop criticized the PlayStation version for failing to perfect any of the three gameplay genres featured, and stated that "there's really nothing to enjoy". He did give credit to the generally solid framerate and decent animations, despite bland textures. Game Revolution described the music as "awful" and criticized the same PS version's camera for allowing the player to see through walls. Additionally, the light-gun segments are noted as being terrible, despite praise received in the original game. Of the driving segments of the same console version, the review states that "whoever designed this part of the game should be sent to prison".  Daniel Erickson reviewed the PlayStation version of the game for "Next Generation", rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Three bad games don't add up to one good one."

Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas is a video game developed by n-Space and published by Fox Interactive for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation in 2000. It is a sequel to "Die Hard Trilogy", which was based on the "Die Hard" series of action movies. Like its predecessor, the game features three distinct genres; a third-person shooter, a light gun game, and an action driving game. However, unlike "Die Hard Trilogy", which featured three separate storylines based on the first three "Die Hard" films, "Die Hard Trilogy 2" features a single original storyline that alternates between the three genres throughout the levels.


Plot.

Robin Hood's son (Cornel Wilde) returns to save "Magna Carta", flirt with Lady Catherine (Anita Louise) and protect a boy king.

Production.

Development.

The film is based on a 1941 novel, "Son of Robin Hood" by Paul Castleton. In 1941 it was announced Don "Red" Barry would star in a serial called "The Son of Robin Hood" but it was not made.  Producer Clifford Sanforth claimed he got the idea to make the film when his little son saw "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) asked his father whether Robin Hood had a son. Sanforth tracked down and bought the film rights to the novel. In April 1944 Sanforth announced he would make a series of films about the son of Robin Hood for Republic Pictures starring archer Howard Hill.  In early 1945 the project moved to Columbia Pictures where Sanforth was to produce with Leonard Picker. MGM objected to the title "The Son of Robin Hood" claiming they had the rights to use the words "Robin Hood" as they had bought screen rights to an operetta of that name by Reginald de Koven. This resulted in Columbia deciding to use the title "The Bandit of Sherwood Forest".  The casting of Cornel Wilde and Anita Louise was announced in March 1945 and filming began in April.

Reception.

Critical reception.

"Variety" wrote, "There is considerable ineptness in writing, production and direction but it still stands up as okay escapist film fare for the not-too-critical. There is a concentration of chases and ‘they-went-thata-way’ flavor about the doings that hints at the western feature training of producers and directors. Wilde is properly swashbuckling as the hero, and probably had himself a time enacting the dare-and-do". "The New York Times" wrote, "Cornel Wilde is dashing and flashes a toothsome smile as the virtuous "bandit" of Sherwood and Anita Louise is beautiful, though perhaps a bit more coquettish than a maiden fair should be. All the rest, including Russel Hicks as the elder Robert, pitch into their roles with picturesque extravagance. "The Bandit of Sherwood Forest" is the kind of entertainment that makes one wish one could be a boy again—if only for an hour and a half."

Box office.

The film was a sizable box office hit. It earned over $3 million in the US and was the 14th most popular movie of the year in France in 1948.

Legacy.

The sets built for the film were reused in the Three Stooges shorts "Squareheads of the Round Table", "Fiddlers Three", and "The Hot Scots", and again for the 1948 film "The Prince of Thieves".

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest is a 1946 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin & George Sherman and starring Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond and Edgar Buchanan.


Plot.

Crysta is taking care of three baby animals and demonstrating greater control over nature. She and Pips begin a small contest over who can grow the more impressive plant, while Pips expresses a desire to see more of the outside world.  Suddenly, Batty Koda arrives in a panic, warning that human poachers are right behind him. These poachers show up with their dogs and capture the three baby animals. The first rescue attempt while still in Ferngully fails, and results in a huge forest fire, destroying a huge part of the forest and scarring Mother Kangaroo. Pips and the Beetle Boys volunteer to follow the humans to town and rescue the babies, convincing the reluctant Batty to be their guide. They arrive at a town amusement park. They are so fascinated by the rides, they are reminded by Batty to resume their mission.  All this time the fairies have been healing the rainforest and Crysta finds and helps one of the poachers' dogs (she called him Boof) abandoned and caught in a trap. She takes him on a journey to the town. Pips and the Beetle Boys meet a girl named Budgie who is hard at practicing for the clown act. Pips flies over to her and introduces himself and his friends. She gives them shelter in her trailer. Batty has located the poachers' place but the others ignore him too fascinated by modern human utilities. Bark and Batty go to make a rescue attempt, but Batty is caught.  Budgie tells Pips that she has been working on her clown act for years, but she has never been all that good. Pips tells her that she is trying too hard, and she should just do it. Back at where the babies are, the animals are very scared and fear they will never get back home. Batty overcomes his terror of the situation and manages to reassure them. Then the poachers take all the cages and load them onto a big truck. At the fair, Budgie goes to a contest stand and wins a stuffed kangaroo, which reminds Pips of the babies he's supposed to be saving. He tells Budgie about them and she offers to help him out.  They all reach the old warehouse. The poachers drive off, and Budgie jumps off a ledge and lands on the truck. They drive past Budgie's grandfather, and he sees that Budgie is hanging on the truck tarp, and he drives after them. Budgie manages to get inside the car and frees all the birds in the cages. The poachers see Budgie trying to get in the car and are enraged seeing all the birds flying away. One of them climbs out of the truck and tries to get Budgie off. She manages to get away from him, but he unlatches the car she's on and sends her rolling backwards on the road. She ends up with one side of the car dangling off a cliff. When she falls, Batty catches her and manages to lift her all by himself up to the top of the cliff (in spite of her being double his size) allowing Budgie's grandfather to catch them in his net and bring them safely to solid ground.  The group then head by clown car to the ship where the animals are being loaded. Pips undoes the conveyor catch so that the catches land in Budgie's grandfather's car. A struggle for the cages ensues between the poachers and Budgie. Boof and Crysta arrive to help. The other dog turns against his former master. The boat gets away and the fairies use their magic to stop it growing a gigantic tree. Nugget almost drowns as he escapes. Budgie and her grandfather adopt Slasher and Boof while all the animals and fairies return home.

Production.

The film was produced by WildBrain and animated by Wang Film Productions in Tapei, Taiwan. None of the original voice cast reprised their roles. All pre-production work, including character design, layout, storyboard, timing, background and color key took place at the WildBrain's facility in San Francisco, while its Los Angeles facility worked on post-production, which included editing, music composition, voice talent casting, sound recording and mixing.  The sequel's release was scheduled for the original film's fifth anniversary in 1997, but it was pushed back to March 17, 1998 to avoid competition with other VHS releases during the Christmas sales, including "Jingle All the Way", "A Christmas Carol", "Annabelle's Wish", and "". It received a direct-to-video release.

Reception.

The film was less critically successful than the original. Mike Boon from the "Calgary Herald" gave a negative review, lamenting the loss of Robin Williams and the originality of the first film.

FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue is a 1998 animated film, a direct-to-video sequel to "" (1992). Produced by Wild Brain, animated by Wang Film Productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment through the CBS/Fox Video Label. It was directed by Phil Robinson & Dave Marshall and written by Chris Fink and Richard Tulloch. The film features a new cast, including Laura Erlich, Harry Joseph, Gary Martin, Matt K. Miller, Digory Oaks and Westin Peace.


Background.

The motivation to invent quantum tic-tac-toe was to explore what it means to be in two places at once. In classical physics, a single object cannot be in two places at once. In quantum physics, however, the mathematics used to describe quantum systems seems to imply that before being subjected to quantum measurement (or "observed") certain quantum particles can be in multiple places at once. (The textbook example of this is the double-slit experiment.) How the universe can be like this is rather counterintuitive. There is a disconnect between the mathematics and our mental images of reality, a disconnect that is absent in classical physics. This is why quantum mechanics supports multiple "interpretations".  The researchers who invented quantum tic-tac-toe were studying abstract quantum systems, formal systems whose axiomatic foundation included only a few of the axioms of quantum mechanics. Quantum tic-tac-toe became the most thoroughly studied abstract quantum system and offered insights that spawned new research. It also turned out to be a fun and engaging game, a game which also provides good pedagogy in the classroom.  The rules of quantum tic-tac-toe attempt to capture three phenomena of quantum systems:

Gameplay.

Quantum tic-tac-toe captures the three quantum phenomena discussed above by modifying one basic rule of classical tic-tac-toe: the number of marks allowed in each square. Additional rules specify when and how a set of marks "collapses" into classical moves.  On each move, the current player marks two squares with their letter (X or O), instead of one, and each letter (X or O) is subscripted with the number of the move (beginning counting with 1). The pair of marks are called "spooky marks". (Because X always moves first, the subscripts on X are always odd and the subscripts on O are always even.)  For example, player 1's first move might be to place "X" in both the upper left and lower right squares. The two squares thus marked are called "entangled". During the game, there may be as many as eight spooky marks in a single square (if the square is entangled with all eight other squares).  The phenomenon of collapse is captured by specifying that a "cyclic entanglement" causes a "measurement". A "cyclic entanglement" is a cycle in the entanglement graph; for example, if then these three squares form a cyclic entanglement. At the end of the turn on which the cyclic entanglement was created, the player whose turn it is "not" — that is, the player who did not create the cycle — chooses one of two ways to "measure" the cycle and thus cause all the entangled squares to "collapse" into classical tic-tac-toe moves. In the preceding example, since player 2 created the cycle, player 1 decides how to "measure" it. Player 1's two options are:  Any other chains of entanglements hanging off the cycle would also collapse at this time; for example, if square 1 were also entangled via O with square 5, then either measurement above would force O to collapse into square 5. (Note that it is impossible for two or more cyclic entanglements to be created in a single turn.)  When a move collapses into a single square, that square is permanently marked (in larger print) with the letter and subscript of the collapsed move — a "classical mark". A square containing a classical mark is fixed for the rest of the game; no more spooky marks may be placed in it.  The first player to achieve a tic-tac-toe (three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) consisting entirely of "classical marks" is declared the winner. Since it is possible for a single measurement to collapse the entire board and give classical tic-tac-toes to both players simultaneously, the rules declare that the player whose tic-tac-toe has the "lower maximum subscript" earns one point, and the player whose tic-tac-toe has the "higher maximum subscript" earns only one-half point.

Quantum tic-tac-toe is a "quantum generalization" of tic-tac-toe in which the players' moves are "superpositions" of plays in the classical game. The game was invented by Allan Goff of Novatia Labs, who describes it as "a way of introducing quantum physics without mathematics", and offering "a conceptual foundation for understanding the meaning of quantum mechanics".


College career.

Iverson, a 7'0" center, attended Yankton High School in Yankton, South Dakota and originally chose to play basketball at the University of Minnesota for coach Tubby Smith. At Minnesota, Iverson served as a key role player, averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.  Following his junior year in 2010–11 and seeking more playing time, Iverson decided to transfer to another program for his final season of eligibility, ultimately deciding on Colorado State. At CSU, Iverson became the focal point of the offense, leading the team in scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (9.8 per game). At the close of the season, Iverson was named first team All-Mountain West and an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.

Professional career.

2013–14 season.

On June 27, 2013, Iverson was selected with the 53rd overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. He was later traded to the Boston Celtics on draft night. In July 2013, he joined the Celtics for the 2013 NBA Summer League.  On August 2, 2013, he signed a one-year deal with Beşiktaş Integral Forex of the Turkish Basketball League.

2014–15 season.

In July 2014, Iverson re-joined the Boston Celtics for the 2014 NBA Summer League. On August 12, 2014, he signed a one-year deal with an option for a second-year deal with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia of Spain. In his first year in the Liga Endesa, he became the MVP of the week in the round 17, after performing 14 points and 15 rebounds against Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro.

2015–16 season.

On July 17, 2015, Laboral Kutxa Baskonia used the option on his contract to keep him for the 2015–16 season. However, on August 14, he signed with Pınar Karşıyaka of Turkey and Baskonia took legal action against him.  On August 25, 2016, the Celtics renounced their rights to Iverson, leaving him available to join another NBA team.

2016–17 season.

On September 8, 2016, Iverson signed a one-year contract with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. Iverson helped Maccabi to win the 2017 Israeli State Cup.

2017–18 season.

On January 24, 2018, Iverson returned to Spain for a second stint, signing with MoraBanc Andorra for the rest of the season.

2018–19 season.

On July 16, 2018, Iverson signed with Iberostar Tenerife for the 2018–19 season.

2019–20 season.

On July 11, 2019, Iverson agreed to terms with Zenit Saint Petersburg for the 2019–20 season. He will compete in the EuroLeague and the Russian VTB United League.

Colton Iverson (born June 29, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the University of Minnesota and Colorado State.


Early life.

Daniel grew up in Hazlet, New Jersey, where he attended Raritan High School. He later attended Rutgers University in New Jersey. His college job as a bartender was the inspiration for his unpublished online novel, "Bartender".

"Cracked" writer.

In 2007, O'Brien started working for Cracked.com as senior writer and editor. O'Brien has written over 200 articles for the site that have been seen more than 50 million times.  O'Brien's writing encompasses a range from politics to pop culture. O'Brien mocked himself, such as in the sketch "Mug of Pens: The Coffee Mug (For Your Pens)", which also became popular on YouTube. He presents a fictional persona as a socially awkward pop culture enthusiast who openly admits to loving fictional characters, including Spider-Man, far more than his real friends. O'Brien has written about Spider-Man several times, such as "Proposed Script for Spider-Man 4: The Grittiest Reboot Ever", "Why Spider-Man Is a Dick", and "3 Insane Spider-Man Movies You Won't Believe Almost Got Made".  On December 4, 2017, after 10 years of working with Cracked, O'Brien tweeted, "I no longer work for Cracked.com." following the extensive staff layoffs at Cracked.

"Agents of Cracked" and "Cracked After Hours".

O'Brien and Michael Swaim had become the faces of Cracked, after starring in its many original web series like "Agents of Cracked" and "Cracked After Hours."  "Agents of Cracked" premiered in November 2009, and the first 13 episodes were viewed nearly 4 million times. After its first season, the series won the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Streamy Awards. "Agents of Cracked" was renewed in October 2010 and ran for another 13 episodes, followed the next year by a third season of 10 episodes. To date, the series has been seen more than 20 million times.  Some of the material that ends up in the "Agents of Cracked" is based on real events, including an incident where Dan is confronted by Secret Service after writing an article titled "How to Kidnap the President's Daughter."  O'Brien also co-wrote, produced and acted in Cracked's series "Cracked After Hours", which has been seen more than 15 million times and was the host of Cracked's video series "Obsessive Pop-Culture Disorder" and, as an actor, played secondary characters in various webseries of the site.

Other work.

O'Brien continues to work on other projects. In 2012, he revealed an upcoming book entitled "How To Fight Presidents", which was purchased by Crown Publishing Group (Random House). This followed such articles as "The 5 Most Badass presidents of All-Time" and "How to Fight Andrew Jackson: The Deadliest President Ever" The book was published March 18, 2014, full title "How to Fight Presidents: Defending Yourself Against the Badasses Who Ran This Country" and was illustrated by Winston Rowntree. The book, in addition to analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of every dead president through Reagan, includes a brief summary of their life and term as president and goes into some detail, much of it speculative, concerning the genitals of said presidents. O'Brien uses a conversational tone and breaks the fourth wall repeatedly by referencing himself directly and by praising himself and the book in the third person.  He was also a writer and editor on Cracked's "The New York Times" bestselling book "You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News". He was also featured on the History Channel's "Your Bleeped Up Brain".  In August 2018 O'Brien announced he was hired as a staff writer on the HBO show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver".  In May 2019 O'Brien launched a free weekly podcast with friend and former Cracked coworker Soren Bowie, called "Quick Question With Soren And Daniel," during which they discuss random topics by asking each other questions.  On September 22 2019, O'Brien and his fellow writers for "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won the Emmy; 'Outstanding Writing on a Variety Series'

Daniel O'Brien (born January 6, 1986), also known as "DOB", is an American humorist, author, writer, comedian and songwriter; formerly for Cracked.com. O'Brien currently works as a staff writer on the HBO show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver". In 2019, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing on a Variety Series.


Plot summary.

Although these two powerful Eastern rulers would eventually declare war on Rome and slaughter thousands of Roman citizens, the plot of the novel centres on the Social War of 91 to 88 BC, a civil war which Rome fought against its mutinous Italian Allies after they were refused full Roman citizenship. (The lengthy section dealing with Marcus Livius Drusus' attempt to secure them the citizenship, which ends in his tragic assassination, is one of the main turning points in the entire series.)  Marius and Sulla, still friends and professional colleagues, face the Italian threat together, and succeed in putting down the rebellion of the Italians. However, Marius suffers a serious stroke (his second), and is forced to withdraw from the war. During this struggle, Sulla, rallying his troops against certain destruction near Nola, is hailed as 'imperator' on the field of battle and presented with the highest honour a Roman general can receive: the corona graminea, the eponymous 'Grass Crown'. This was only awarded a very few times during the Republic, and only ever to a general or commander who broke the blockade around a beleaguered Roman army or otherwise saved an entire legion or army from annihilation.  However, once Rome has settled this pressing domestic matter, and can begin to plot revenge against Mithridates and Tigranes, Marius and Sulla have their first serious falling out over the question of who should lead the legions East. Marius, now an aged and discredited statesman previously dubbed the 'Third Founder of Rome', is pining for further glory and believes only he has the talent necessary to defeat the allied Kings. Sulla feels as though his old mentor is unwilling to step aside and wants to destroy Sulla's chance of outshining him. The Senate cites Marius's age and poor health as a reason to back Sulla, who moreover is the sitting consul and therefore has the side of right. The seeds of serious discord are planted.  The Roman comitia quickly becomes a source of political conflict between the two men, and leads to Sulla's first shocking march on Rome. It also leads Gaius Marius to pursue an unprecedented seventh consulship, which he wins and undertakes after suffering a series of strokes, and is depicted in this novel as going mad.  Other narrative threads of note: the childhood of Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger, as well as the early military careers of Pompey and Cicero (who was appointed to Pompeius Strabo as a cadet) in the Social War: and the unjust trial and exile of Publius Rutilius Rufus, falsely accused of extortion, driven out of Rome, and welcomed by a street festival in his honour in the city he was accused of looting.

The Grass Crown is the second historical novel in Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series, published in 1991. The novel opens shortly after the action of "The First Man in Rome". Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla eat dinner together with their wives, and discuss the threat presented by Mithridates VI of Pontus and Tigranes II of Armenia.


Locations.

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2002 tournament:

Final Four.

For the second time, Atlanta was the host city of the Final Four, with the Georgia Dome becoming the 33rd host venue. The Georgia Dome also currently holds the distinction of being the most recent Final Four venue to close and be demolished, as it did so in 2017 after the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was slated to host the Final Four in 2020 before the NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament included three new venues and two new host cities. The American Airlines Center in Dallas, which opened in 2001, replaced Reunion Arena as the city's primary winter sports venue. The Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin brought the tournament back to Wisconsin's capital city for the first time since 1969, although it has not returned since. The city of Greenville, South Carolina's Bi-Lo Center hosted for the first time in 2002; however, due to the Confederate flag controversy at the South Carolina State Capitol, the NCAA chose not to return to the arena until 2017, two years after the flag was removed, moving games from Greensboro, North Carolina, because of the controversy surrounding HB2. The 2002 tournament was the last time that the Pittsburgh Civic Arena (then called Mellon Arena) hosted the tournament; it closed in 2010 and games have since been played at its replacement, PPG Paints Arena.

Final four.

At Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Bracket.

<nowiki>*</nowiki> – Denotes overtime period

Broadcast information.

ESPN broadcast the opening-round game, then turned coverage over to CBS Sports for the remaining 63 games. They were carried on a regional basis until the "Elite Eight", at which point all games were shown nationally.  Westwood One had exclusive radio coverage.

The 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. A total of 64 games were played.


Background.

The song had originally been recorded with New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander, but producer Clive Davis felt a female voice would maximize the song's appeal and a recording of Santana performing "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner as vocalist was completed. When Turner declined to participate in making a video for the track, Davis recruited Macy Gray to record a replacement vocal. When Davis was not satisfied with that version, Michelle Branch was asked to record the song, with Branch's rhythm guitar playing also added to the track. Branch said, "It was the first time for me to sing somebody else's song. Usually I'm like: 'Oh I want it this way' and I'm in charge...I didn't meet [Carlos Santana at the recording session], I didn't know what was going on...It felt to me like wow it seems like there's so much at stake, I'm going to go in there and just sing my heart out and just cross my fingers."  The Tina Turner version of "The Game of Love" was issued on the 2007 retrospective "Ultimate Santana". Santana said "There's only one Tina Turner...No one can hit a note like Tina Turner...I love Michelle [Branch] and she did a great interpretation of it. It's just that with all honor and respect to Michelle, there's the girl and there's the woman, and Michelle is unfolding into a woman...but it takes time to go from a girl into a woman."

Music video.

The music video depicts Santana and Branch in an alley with couples around them, each expressing their love for one another. The director was Paul Fedor and the video was filmed in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, with cameo appearances by Wesley Snipes, Helen Hunt and Jennifer Garner.

"The Game of Love" is a song performed by Latin rock band Santana from their eighteenth studio album "Shaman". The vocal performance on the song is by Michelle Branch. It was composed by Gregg Alexander and Rick Nowels. The song was released as a single in 2002, and won a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals", as well as peaking at No. 5 in on the "Billboard" Hot 100 singles chart. The song also reached number one in Poland and was a top-ten hit in Canada, Hungary, New Zealand, Romania and Spain.


The teams.

Twelve yacht clubs applied to challenge the America's Cup before the deadline, though their names were not originally disclosed. They included:  On August 2, 2012, the America's Cup Event Authority announced that, following withdrawals or failure to meet the eligibility criteria, only four challenging teams would compete: Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet's Artemis Racing, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Team New Zealand, Circolo della Vela Sicilia's Luna Rossa Challenge and Sail Korea Yacht Club's Team Korea  In March, 2013, Team Korea withdrew, leaving three challengers. Shown in the order in which they applied, they were:

Artemis Racing (SWE).

The Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing represented the Royal Swedish Yacht Club and was led by skipper Iain Percy, helmsman Loick Peyron and America's Cup veteran Paul Cayard as tactician and CEO. The crew included Rodney Ardern, Magnus Augustson, Stuart Bettany, Curtis Blewett, Chris Brittle, Sean Clarkson, Juliean Cressant, Rodney Daniel, Andy Fethers, Thierry Fouchier, John Gimson, Kevin Hall, Phil Jameson, Iain Jensen, Santiago Lange, Andrew McLean, Craig Monk, Nathan Outteridge, Troy Tindill and coach Andrew Palfrey. Tom Schnackenberg was in charge of performance & design.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL).

Led by Grant Dalton and skippered by Dean Barker, Team New Zealand won the America's Cup in 1995 and 2000 and the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1995 and 2007.

Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA).

Funded by Patrizio Bertelli, the Italian team previously won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 and were runners-up in 2007. The crew included skipper Massimiliano Sirena, helmsman Paul Campbell-James, Chris Draper, Giulio Giovanella, Benjamin Durham, Pierluigi De Felice, Dave Carr, Giles Scott, Nick Hutton, Matteo Plazzi, Alister Richardson, Simone de Mari, Emanuele Marino, Manuel Modena, Marco Montis, Wade Morgan, Francesco Bruni and Olympian Xabier Fernández.  Steven Erickson was the team's sailing co-ordinator and Umberto Panerai was a trainer.

Round Robins.

The three yachts were scheduled to race ten times each, match-racing each competitor five times on a seven-leg course, with the winner of the Round Robins advancing to the final and the other two advancing into the semi-final.  On May 9, 2013, Team Artemis Racing's main boat capsized in strong winds, resulting in the death of crewmember Andrew Simpson. Artemis Racing forfeited its ten Round Robin races, entering the competition in the semi-finals stage.  Per rules 60.5 and 44.1c, the Artemis boat was deemed to have abandoned each race after the event had run for 10 minutes. While the Emirates and Luna Rossa boats earned black flag victories against Artemis, both boats chose to run a five-leg course for some (Luna Rossa) or all (Emirates, including one seven-leg) of these black flag races. Emirates and Luna Rossa only raced nine times, each forfeiting their final race against the missing Artemis as it could not change the final first-second standings of the Round Robins.  Emirates Team New Zealand won the Round Robins with nine points (4 race wins, 5 forfeit wins) to Luna Rossa Challenge's four points (4 forfeit wins) and Artemis Racing's zero points.

Semi-finals.

The semi-finals were a best-of-seven event held over the seven-leg course and won 4-nil by Luna Rossa Challenge over Artemis Racing.

Finals.

The finals were a best-of-thirteen event held over the five-leg course won by Team New Zealand over Luna Rossa.

The 8th Louis Vuitton Cup was held during July and August 2013, in San Francisco, California, United States of America. The three contenders were Artemis Racing (Sweden), Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand), and Luna Rossa Challenge (Italy). After a preliminary round robin to determine seeding, Artemis Racing was eliminated in the semi-final round by Luna Rossa Challenge by four races to none. In the final, Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Challenge by seven races to one, and went on to challenge Oracle Team USA for the 2013 America's Cup.


Objectives.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation aims to use tourism as a tool to support the social and economic development or rural communities throughout Sri Lanka. The foundation has been leading poverty alleviation programs through ecotourism and is motivating local communities to take part in community based ecotourism and nature conservation projects.  The main objective of SLEF is the promotion of a sustainable form of tourism within Sri Lanka in order to position the country as one of the best ecotourism destinations in Southern Asia. To do so, the foundation urges on community and private sector participation, infrastructure improvements and regional cooperation.  According to SLEF, ecotourism could limit environmental degradation while promoting cooperation between private and public sectors in Sri Lanka. Ecotourism is also viewed as a way to reduce poverty in the tourism generating areas of the island, contribute to economic growth, raise employment and allow the promotion of natural and cultural sites conservation.

Projects.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation is currently leading several community based ecotourism projects throughout Sri Lanka. The foundation provides tours within its ecotourism network through its company Sri Lanka Ecotours. SLEF is promoting community based ecolodges and has launched an ecolodge project in order to educate those who are planning to build this type of tourist accommodation in or around protected areas, for them to do so with a minimum impact on the environment.  SLEF is also addressing the climate change issues while promoting sustainable energies. The foundation supports small and medium scale Sri Lankan entrepreneurs in Capacity Building/Training on renewable energy systems, with an emphasis on the solar energy. Various types of Solar Lighting systems, equipment and spare parts for assembling purpose may be introduced and made available by the organization. SLEF aims to work in close relation with the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka.  SLEF is providing a compilation of Eco-labeling, Accreditation and Certification Programmes for Small and Medium Enterprises within the Tourism Sector in Sri Lanka. The foundation is leading training programmes to educate enterprises about Community Camping, Renewable Energy Sources, Forests and Wildlife, Ecolodges and Community Based Ecotourism Projects in Sri Lanka.

Rewards.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation has been rewarded a few prices for its efforts to develop sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka.  SLEF has been awarded the 2010 presidential award for “Outstanding Contribution for Tourism in Sri Lanka”, giving the foundation a great national recognition.  SLEF has received two awards during the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards 2012: Best Model Community Based Tourism Project, and Best Initiative for Ecotourism Research, Training and Education. Thus, SLEF became the first Sri Lankan ecotourism organization to be granted such a national recognition. Sri Lanka Tourism Awards reward organizations and individuals for their efforts to strengthen and empower the Sri Lankan tourism industry.

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (abbreviated SLEF) is a national association of Sri Lanka that aims to create a wide network of ecotourism actors throughout the country. The organization focuses on developing the economic and social development of rural communities through tourism. SLEF supports local communities to take part in community based tourism and conservation projects. The organization has been founded in 1998 by Palitha Gurusinghe, who is a member of Advisory Board of The International Ecotourism Society and a famous presenter in Ecotourism and Community Based Tourism.


History.

The space centre is the largest among the ISRO facilities. It is a centre for the design and development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technologies. The centre pursues research and development in a host of distinct technology domains including aeronautics, avionics, and composites, primarily for the purpose of advancing the development of launch vehicle technology in India.  After incorporation of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962, its first act was the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at Thumba, in Thiruvananthapuram. Thumba was picked as the launch site for sounding rockets for meteorological and upper atmospheric research due to its location on the geomagnetic equator.  21 November 1963 marked India's first venture into space, with the launch of a two-stage Nike Apache sounding rocket from TERLS. The first rockets launched were built in United States.  The first Indian designed and built rocket, RH-75, made its maiden flight on 20 November 1967. This was the 52nd launch of a sounding rocket from TERLS. It was flown twice again in 1967 and another 12 times in 1968, making a total of 15 RH-75 flights.  Among the sounding rockets to have flown from TERLS were Arcas-1, Arcas-11, Centaure-1, 11A and 11B, Dragon-1, Dual Hawk, Judy Dart, Menaka-1, Menaka-1Mk 1 and Mk11, Nike Tomahawk, M-100, Petrel, RH-100, RH-125, RH-200 (S), RH-300, variants of RH-560, etc. There have been a total of nearly 2200 sounding rocket launches from TERLS, so far.  Over the years VSSC has designed, developed and launched a family of sounding rockets under the generic name, Rohini Sounding Rockets (RSR) to serve a range of scientific missions. The currently operational Rohini Sounding Rockets are RH-200, RH-300, RH-560 and their different versions. These sounding rockets are launched for carrying out research in areas like meteorology and upper atmospheric processes up to an altitude of about 500 km.  TERLS was formally dedicated to the United Nations on 2 February 1968, by then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Although no direct funding from the UN was involved, scientists from several countries including United States, Russia (former USSR), France, Japan, Germany and UK continue to utilize the TERLS facility for conducting rocket based experiments. Over 1161 USSR meteorological sounding rockets called M-100 were launched from TERLS every week from 1970 until 1993.  After the sudden demise of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on 30 December 1971, TERLS and associated space establishments at Thiruvananthapuram were renamed as the "Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre" in his honour.  In the early 1980s, VSSC was instrumental in the development of India's Satellite Launch Vehicle program, SLV-3. This was followed in the late 1980s with the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), for launching 150 kg satellites into near earth orbits.  In the 1990s, VSSC contributed to the development of India's workhorse launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Facilities.

In addition to its main campus located at Thumba and Veli, VSSC has integration and checkout facilities located at Valiamala. Facilities for development of reinforced plastics and composites are located at Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram City. The ISRO plant in Aluva produces ammonium perchlorate, a vital ingredient for solid propellant motors. Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) and the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) are also within the VSSC campus. SPL focuses on research activities in disciplines such as atmospheric boundary layer physics, numerical atmospheric modeling, atmospheric aerosols, atmospheric chemistry, trace gases, atmospheric dynamics, thermospheric-ionospheric physics, planetary sciences, etc.  Satish Dhawan Supercomputing Facility.  VSSC has a large workforce of about 4500 employees, most of them specialists in frontier disciplines.

Programs.

Over the last four decades VSSC has become the leading centre for development of launch vehicle technology.  VSSC has a matrix organization based on Projects and Entities. Core project teams manage project activities. System level activities of the projects are carried out by system development agencies. Major programmes of VSSC include the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), Rohini Sounding Rockets, Space Capsule Recovery Experiment, Reusable Launch Vehicles and Air Breathing Propulsion.  VSSC pursues research and development in the fields of aeronautics, avionics, composites, computer and information technology, control guidance and simulation, launch vehicle design, mechanical engineering, mechanisms vehicle integration and testing, propellants polymers and materials, propulsion propellants and space ordnance, and systems reliability. These research Entities are the system development agencies for the Projects and thus provide for the realization of the project objectives. Management systems area provides for programme planning and evaluation, human resource development, budget and manpower, technology transfer, documentation and outreach activities.  VSSC is certified for compliance to ISO 9001:2000 quality management system. The quality objectives of the Centre are planning, implementing and maintaining a quality system during design, development, production, and operation of subsystems and systems for launch vehicles. It also aims at achieving continued improvement in process for its zero defect goal.  ISRO has developed an array of sounding rockets and four generations of launch vehicles and thus establishing operational space transportation system. Most of launch vehicle development is carried out at VSSC.  Current focus of VSSC is on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), the GSLV Mk III and the Reusable Launch Vehicle- Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD).  In January 2007, the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment Module (SRE-1) was safely brought back to earth after 10 days in orbit. This involved a host of technologies developed at VSSC, including thermal protection systems to withstand the large heat flux of atmospheric re-entry.  VSSC made significant contribution to India's maiden mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1.  VSSC R&D efforts have included solid propellant formulations. Another focus area has been navigation systems; the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) established at Vattiyoorkavu is a part of VSSC.  VSSC is involved in the development of air-breathing vehicles. A reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator is under development, which will be tested soon.  VSSC also has programs focused on applications of space technology including village resource centres, telemedicine, tele-education, disaster management support and outreach through Direct To Home television broadcast.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India's satellite programme. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala.


Early life.

Jean Pasquin, the father of Nicolas Pasquin, lived in La Poterie, France as early as 1612. Nicolas was born on April 5, 1648. He came to New France in 1672.  After completing his apprenticeship as master carpenter, Nicolas Pasquin was hired by Jean Deschamps to his son Jean-Baptiste François Deschamps, sieur de the Bouteillerie, established in Canada since 1671. He signed a 3 year contract.

Immigration to New France.

Nicolas left France in the spring of 1672 in the direction of the New France to arrive in Quebec City during the summer of the same year. He worked 3 years for the sieur de Bouteillerie for three years, in the seigneury of the Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec.  Subsequently, Nicolas joined to the factory Château-Richer, near Quebec City. There, he met his future wife, Marie-Françoise Plante. Marie-Françoise was the daughter of the sieur Jean Plante and Marie-Françoise Boucher. It was one of the first children of French, to emerge in the new France family. She was born January 27, 1655, Château-Richer.  Nicolas and Marie-Françoise was married November 18, 1676 the church Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation, in the parish of Château Richer. Note that this marriage was greatly famous because the plant had much knowledge in the colony because they had spent a good part of their lives. In addition, the plant family had a large number of its members in this country and all were present at this happy event. Following their marriage, both spouses elected domicile at the Côte de Beaupré, Château Richer, and Nicolas continued to work at the factory for a while. In the first year of their marriage, Marie-Françoise gave birth to her first child she named Nicolas, just like her husband. In 1678, Marie-Françoise gave birth to the second child of the couple that they taken Geneviève. In this same year, Nicolas bought a land on the île d'Orléans, in the parish of Sainte-Famille. This earth, he bought it from a man named Jean Moreau. Compared to soldiers and labourers who earned that sixty pounds per year of work, Nicolas en earned one hundred fifty pounds, so Nicolas earned more than double the average salary of that time.  Note that this land in the cadastre of new-France, in the parish of Sainte-Famille of the St. Lawrence Island, numbered 11. The current cadastre this land lies at number 231-233, either the last dwelling of the parish of Ste-Famille toward the St. Peter parish. The Paquin appear to have been prosperous people in this era of colonization. Although he cultivated a great land and it auto-suffisait on many plans, Nicolas still continued to offer its services to master-carpenter for so make sure to avoid periods of food shortages.  In 1693, Nicolas was hospitalized at the Hotel-Dieu de Québec and it is not known why. Despite their many family responsibilities, Nicolas and Marie-Françoise is involved in the community. For example, in this same year of 1698, when the Committee of helping the poor was founded in the île d'Orléans, it is Nicolas who was appointed Director of the passers-by. It was he who took care of those who sought charity from parishioners. His wife, Marie-Françoise and three of her companions were charged to collect alms.  In 1700, the Lord of the Bouteillerie, where Nicolas was committed to working in 1672, owed him still one hundred ninety pounds salary and Nicolas in was don verbally at his parish of Sainte-Famille. Thus, the Church could be reimbursed this money which was due to Nicolas, by the Sieur de the Bouteillerie. In Exchange, the parish joined to say annually four masses for the repose of the soul of Nicolas, his wife and their children following their dead.  It was on 10 October 1705, that Marie-Françoise and Nicolas attended the first wedding of one of their children, Nicolas II. The latter married Marie-Anne Perreault. Then, it was already established in the seigneury of Mr. Deschambault., since 1702. June 12, 1708, it was the turn of Marie to marry. She married Jean-Baptiste Marcotte, the Church of the Holy Family parish, at the île d'Orléans.

Death.

Nicolas Paquin died December 16, 1708, at the age of sixty years, probably worn out by work. He had done it its duty of good Christian also working by the sweat of his brow, from dawn until dark, his life during.  Following the death of Nicolas, was son-in-law Marcotte, married in the same year with Marie Paquin, who became his mother-in-law support and the support of the Paquin family, still young. At the death of Nicolas, most children were still at home. So, Marie-Françoise had ended rearing her four minor children, by sharing his home with his daughter Mary and son-in-law Jean-Baptiste Marcotte. On July 23, 1711 was a great day for the Paquin family since that day it y had a double wedding of the two daughters of Marie-Françoise, or Mary Magdalene and Geneviève. Mary Magdalene was twenty-one years old and she married Jacques Perrault. Geneviève, for its part, was 23 years old and she married Jean-François Naud. The two girls will go to settle at Dennis, Lordship where their husbands already each have a land.  Marie-Françoise had more than two children under his charge, either Marie-Anne and Jean-Baptiste. She could now help Marie, his daughter giving him help with his own daughters. Together Mary and Marie-Françoise raised three daughters of the union of Mary and Jean-Baptiste Marcotte.  In 1720, while she was only sixteen, Marie-Anne married Pierre Groleau, a resident of Deschambault, she had probably met during one of his visits to this Lordship to go see his sisters and his brothers Nicolas, who were already settled there for some time. Jean-Baptiste, the youngest of the family was nineteen years old and worked on the family land. So we can say that Marie had finished to raise all her children, at this time.  Marie-Françoise, widow of Nicolas died on 18 April 1726 and she was buried in the parish of Sainte-Famille on the île d'Orléans. It had therefore survived him eighteen years. Shortly after the death of his mother, Jean-Baptiste just like his sisters and brother, went to settle in the seigneury of Deschambault. He was married in 1731 with Marguerite Chapelain.  Nicolas Paquin and Marie-Françoise, the strain of this lineage of the Paquins couple, had an eventful life by the various events of everyday life, but otherwise they had a peaceful life.

Family.

The children of Nicolas and Marie-Françoise:

Name Variations.

If France, the name Pasquin continued.  In Canada the s was dropped and became Paquin.  In the United States, other name variations have evolved including Paquin and Pacquin.

Nicolas Paquin (April 5, 1648 – November 26, 1708) was an early pioneer in New France now Quebec, Canada), a carpenter and the ancestor of virtually all of the Paquins in North America.


Life.

Amiroutzes was born in Trebizond. His first appearance in the historical record was as a lay advisor to the imperial delegation from Trebizond to the Council of Ferrara-Florence. There he strongly supported the union of churches but upon return to Constantinople he made statements against the papal primacy and Filioque. According to a papal document 100 florins were given to "protonotarios" George as a subsidy; it was conjectured that Amiroutzes was thus bribed to support the union.  The Genoese archives document Amiroutzes leading a diplomatic mission on behalf of Emperor John IV, seeking marriage alliance between a member of the Komnenos family, and a daughter of the Genoese doge Lodovico di Campofregoso.  However, he was denounced by his fellow Greeks as an opportunist, a traitor and a renegade for his familiarity with Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. He was a nephew to the Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha of the Ottoman Empire, and while serving as "protovestiarios" Amiroutzes helped speed the fall of the Empire of Trebizond by persuading Emperor David to surrender to the Ottomans to prevent bloodshed to its inhabitants. Mehmed sent the Emperor, his family, and nobles (including Amiroutzes himself) to Constantinople on one of his ships. He divided the rest of the inhabitants of Trebizond into three classes: the first became the servants and slaves of Mehmed and his followers; the second were transported to Constantinople to settle there; and the third part were exiled from the city.  Some years later, David, was executed. The traditional story says that David received a letter from his niece, Theodora, the wife of Uzun Hassan of the Ak Koyunlu, asking that one of his sons or his nephew Alexios be sent to her. This letter fell into the hands of Amiroutzes, who passed it on to Mehmed in order to prove his loyalty to the Sultan. The Sultan claimed the letter was proof of treason and executed the inconvenient former emperor and his sons.  George Amiroutzes himself was very popular with the Ottoman court, and one of the advisors of Mehmed on Christianity and Greco-Roman philosophy. He was granted land by the Ottoman Sultan and one of his sons, named after Mehmed, was charged with responsibility for the Greek "scriptoria" in the Empire.  After Athens fell to the Ottoman forces, Amiroutzes fell in love with one of the prisoners from that conquest, the widow of the last Duke of Athens. He desired to marry her, despite the fact his own wife and children were still alive. When the patriarch Joasaph Kokkas refused to consent to this marriage, Amiroutzes, helped by his cousin Mahmud Pasha, dethroned the patriarch and compelled him to shave his beard as punishment. Amiroutzes also punished the high ecclesiastical official, whom he unsuccessfully tried to bribe to assist him convince the patriarch, by having the man's nose slit. Amiroutzes met his end while playing at dice.

George Amiroutzes () (1400–1470) was a Pontic Greek Renaissance scholar, philosopher and civil servant of the late Byzantine era. He was praised and respected for his outstanding knowledge, not only of theology and philosophy, but also of the natural sciences, medicine, rhetoric and poetry, all of which earned him the epithet "the Philosopher" (o Φιλόσοφος). He is a controversial figure due to his role in the fall of Trebizond and his later behavior as a servant of Sultan Mehmed II.


History of discovery.

In 1859, geologist Eduard Suess at the "Gute Hoffnung" coal mine at Muthmannsdorf near Wiener Neustadt in Austria, discovered a dinosaur tooth on a stone pile. With the help of mine intendant Pawlowitsch it was attempted to find the source of the fossil material. The search proved fruitless at first but ultimately a thin marl layer was discovered, intersected by a obliquely sloping mine shaft, which contained an abundant number of various bones. These were subsequently excavated by Suess and Ferdinand Stoliczka. The marl was a fresh water deposit, now considered part of the Grünbach Formation.  The finds were stored in the museum of the University of Vienna but received little attention until they were studied by Emanuel Bunzel in 1870. In 1871, Bunzel published a treatise describing the fossils and naming several new genera and species. One of them was the genus "Struthiosaurus" based on a single partial portion of the posterior end of the skull, largely consisting of the braincase. The type and only known species of the genus at the time was "Struthiosaurus austriacus". Bunzel stated that he only provisionally named the taxon and gave no etymology of the name. The generic name is derived from new Latin "struthio", itself derived from Ancient Greek στρούθειος, "stroutheios", "of the ostrich". Bunzel chose the name because of the birdlike morphology of the braincase. The specific name refers to the provenance from Austria.  Apart from the braincase, Bunzel unknowingly described other material of "Struthiosaurus". He recognized that there were bones and osteoderms of armoured dinosaurs among the finds and referred them to a "Scelidosaurus" sp. and a "Hylaeosaurus" sp. These British genera represented the best known thyreophoran forms found at the time. Bunzel also discovered two rib fragments which had a very puzzling build. They were double-headed but the upper rib head, the tuberculum, was short and positioned in such a way that it could not possibly touch the vertebra, if the shaft was oriented in the usual vertical position. He assumed that only the lower capitulum connected to the vertebral body. A rib touching the vertebra with a single surface is normal for lizards, though in their case the rib heads are fused into a single synapophysis. Bunzel therefore concluded that the ribs belonged to a giant lizard. In analogy to "Mosasaurus", the giant lizard named after the River Maas, he named this lizard "Danubiosaurus anceps", after the Danube. The specific name "anceps" means "double-headed" in Latin, highlighting the, for a lizard, exceptional trait of having double-headed ribs. In fact the ribs were those of "Struthiosaurus". In Ankylosauria, the rump is so flat that the upper part of the rib shafts sticks out sideways, which rotates the short tuberculum to the diapophysis, its vertebral contact facet.  Many species have been referred to "Struthiosaurus", most based on very fragmentary and nondiagnostic material. Three valid species are recognized by paleontologists: "S. austriacus" Bunzel, 1871, based on holotype PIWU 2349/6; "S. transylvanicus" Nopcsa, 1915, based on BMNH R4966, a skull and partial skeleton from Romania; and "S. languedocensis" Garcia and Pereda-Suberbiola, 2003, based on UM2 OLV-D50 A–G CV, a partial skeleton found in 1998 in France. It is the namesake of the nodosaurid subfamily Struthiosaurinae, members of which are found only in Europe. A number of invalid taxa have been shown to be junior synonyms of "Struthiosaurus austriacus", most of them created when Harry Govier Seeley in 1881 revised the Austrian material. They include: "Danubiosaurus anceps" Bunzel, 1871; "Crataeomus pawlowitschii" Seeley, 1881; "Crataeomus lepidophorus" Seeley 1881; "Pleuropeltis suessii" Seeley, 1881; "Rhadinosaurus alcimus" Seeley 1881, "Hoplosaurus ischyrus" Seeley 1881 and "Leipsanosaurus noricus" Nopcsa, 1918. Another European ankylosaurid, "Rhodanosaurus ludguensis" Nopsca, 1929, from Campanian-Maastrichtian-age rocks of southern France, is now regarded as a "nomen dubium" and referred to Nodosauridae "incertae sedis".  The three valid species of "Struthiosaurus" differ from one another in that "S. austriacus" is smaller than "S. transylvanicus" and possesses less elongate cervical vertebrae. Also, though the quadrate-paroccipital process contact is fused in "S. transylvanicus", it is unfused in "S. austriacus". The skull of "S. languedocensis" is unknown, but the taxon differs from "S. transylvanicus" in the flatter shape of the dorsal vertebrae. It differs from "S. austriacus" in the shape of the ischium. (Vickaryous, Maryanska, and Weishampel 2004)

Classification.

Bunzel was very puzzled by the braincase. He knew that it belonged to a reptile instead of a mammal because of a single as opposed to a double-headed occipital condyle. The back of the head was otherwise not very reptilian as it was low, compact, fused and convex in a gradual curve towards the skull-roof. Lizards had a very different, more "open", occiput. Crocodiles were more similar but still had a concave skull rear. Bunzel considered whether it might be a dinosaur but in 1871 little dinosaurian occiput material had been described and it seemed to him that their skulls in this respect were more lizard-like. The only group showing a comparable rounding and fusion of skull bones were the birds. Bunzel sent a drawing and description to Professor Thomas Huxley in London, at the time one of the few dinosaur experts. Huxley agreed that the braincase resembled that of a bird, commenting "This skull-fragment is more bird-like, than any thing [sic] I have yet seen". Knowing that Huxley had named a reptile order Ornithoscelida for forms sharing with birds certain traits in the pelvis and hindlimbs, Bunzel ended his description with the prediction that "with time, it might also be possible to create an order "Ornithocephala" ('Bird Heads')".  Bunzel was correct in assuming an affinity with birds but this was because birds are themselves dinosaurs. In dinosaurs, the rear skull bones are generally strongly fused. Nodosaurids did convergently develop a rounded skull. As the massive quadrates were lacking, the skull fragment gave a false impression of being lightly built. Ankylosaur material at the time was typically referred to the Scelidosauridae but because this was the first ankylosaur braincase to be described, the connection was not obvious. The first to understand it represented an armoured dinosaur was Nopcsa who in 1902 placed it in the Acanthopholididae. He later corrected its name to Acanthopholidae. Walter Coombs in 1978 stated it was a nodosaurid.  Cladistic analysis of "Struthiosaurus" indicates that the taxon is a basal member of the Nodosauridae and suggested it may be one of the most basal ankylosaurs in the clade Ankylosauria. An analysis by Ösi in 2005, describing the taxon "Hungarosaurus", found that while being younger in age than other nodosaurids, "Struthiosaurus" was one of the more basal taxa, although many features could not be coded for it. The cladogram below follows the most resolved topology from a 2011 analysis by paleontologists Richard S. Thompson, Jolyon C. Parish, Susannah C. R. Maidment and Paul M. Barrett.

Struthiosaurus (Latin "struthio" = ostrich + Greek "sauros" = lizard) is one of the smallest known and most basal genera of nodosaurid dinosaurs, from the Late Cretaceous period (Santonian-Maastrichtian) of Austria, Romania, France and Hungary in Europe. It was protected by body armour. Although estimates of its length vary, it may have been as small as long.


History.

Government House was constructed between 1832 and 1834 as a viceregal residence for the lieutenant governor of the then British colony of Prince Edward Island. The land, a parcel of known as "Fanning Bank" or "Fanning's Bank", was in 1789 set aside by Lieutenant Governor Edmund Fanning as Crown land, with the specific stipulation that it be used as the site for the governor's residence. In 1873, approximately was retained for Government House and its grounds. 40 acres was given to the City of Charlottetown and later became Victoria Park.  Government House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1971.

Use.

Government House is where members of the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted and often stay while in Charlottetown. It is also where numerous royal and viceroyal events take place, such as the bestowing of provincial awards or inductions into the Order of Prince Edward Island, as well as luncheons, dinners, receptions, and speaking engagements. It is also at the royal residence that the lieutenant governor will drop the writs of election, swear-in new members of the Executive Council, and hold audience with her premier.  The property is owned by the Queen in Right of Prince Edward Island and is open to the public for certain periods during the summer.

Architecture and interiors.

The wood frame building's architectural design is Georgian with echoes of the Palladian tradition. The two axis of the house converge on the main entrance hall, which has doric columns and pilasters and a double switchback stair leading to the second floor. The residence was designed by Yorkshire architect Isaac Smith, who also designed the Island's Colonial Building.

Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, as well as that in Charlottetown of the Canadian monarch. It stands in the provincial capital at 1 Terry Fox Drive; while the equivalent building in many provinces has a prominent, central place in the capital, the site of Prince Edward Island's Government House is relatively unobtrusive within Charlottetown, giving it more the character of a private home.


The Stylistics version.

An R&B ballad, it was the sixth track from their 1971 debut self-titled album and was released as a single in 1971 and reached number 9 on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. It also climbed to number 10 in the "Billboard" R&B chart and reached number 24 in the "Billboard" Easy Listening chart. The Stylistics' recording sold over one million copies globally, earning the band a gold disc The award was presented by the RIAA on January 3, 1972. It was the band's first gold disc.  The song was used in two episodes of the TV series "The Wonder Years", entitled "Denial" and "Double Double Date". It was also used in a 2002 episode of "The King of Queens", called "Business Affairs". The song was featured at a dance in the 2005 comedy, "The Ringer".

Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross version.

Another version of the song was recorded by one-time Motown singing duo, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye. Released as the second UK single from their "Diana & Marvin" album, the song reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1974, and also became the first official Motown single to be awarded with silver disc for sales in excess of 250,000 copies. It also reached #13 on the Dutch charts and #20 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was never released as a single in the U.S.

Other versions and samples.

Other artists who have recorded the song, or referenced it, over the years include:

"You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed that was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.