Plot summary.

In 1999 (2019 in the second edition), Nigel Walmsley, a British scientist and astronaut for NASA, is sent to attach a thermonuclear bomb to a comet named Icarus which is on a direct collision course for India. Icarus turns out to be large, solid, and made of a nickel-iron composite. Nigel is instructed to plant the weapon and leave so it can be detonated. He persuades Mission Control to let him put it in a large fissure he discovered, so it would be even more effective.  In the fissure, Nigel discovers strips of metal worked in obviously artificial patterns. Awestruck at this evidence of extraterrestrial intelligent life, Nigel begins exploring. Icarus is made up of a number of hollow shells, making the asteroid's mass far less than predicted. NASA insists that the demolition has to go forward, claiming Icarus would skip off the atmosphere and land in the Indian Ocean, causing widespread damage from the resultant tsunami. Nigel realizes this is a lie, and convinces his partner of that. They hide the nuke and spend the next week retrieving artifacts and materials before detonating the bomb.  15 years after their discovery the Icarus artifacts have yielded little, and Nigel's delayed detonation of Icarus has alienated him from NASA and other people. Nigel's partner, Alexandria, dies from systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease caused by pollution. An anomaly near Jupiter distracts Nigel: something, nicknamed 'the Snark', is repeating radio broadcasts. The anomaly fires its fusion engines and reveals itself to the satellites around Jupiter. As a probe vessel, the Snark's directing computer could not afford to ignore the satellites' radio emissions before it moved on to Earth.  Eventually the JPL team locates the Snark around Venus. Nigel hijacks the communications, transmitting his own signal to the Snark. The Snark receives the signal as a sign of non-hostile intentions and transmits back. It also reaches out through Nigel's medical implants to his dead partner's more elaborate ones, and commandeers her body to explore and learn about Earth. The initial tentative transmissions blossom into a largely one-way torrent of information for the Snark. One day, it asks to visit Earth. A compromise is worked out: the Snark will orbit the Moon until trust is built up. As Nigel is already fully informed, he is assigned to pilot the space ship (armed with another nuke) and meet the Snark.  Nigel meets the Snark, which disables his chemical weapons and begins talking to Nigel. It says that organic civilizations and species are inherently unstable; they flash brilliantly and commit suicide sooner or later. The autonomous machines they craft live on long after them, going on and evolving. But they cannot truly compete with the organics, who live "in the universe of essences". That is the reason for the Great Silence. Nigel's superiors order him to use the nuclear weapon, but he refuses. They override him and fire it anyway but the Snark flees the Solar System faster than the missile can follow. The decision to fire is covered up, but Nigel blackmails NASA into letting him go to the Moon; the Snark had directed a transmission at Mare Marginis for unknown parties, and Nigel wanted to find those parties.  Four years later, Nigel is now based on the Moon. A fellow astronaut, Nikka, is involved in a crash that accidentally discovers a still active alien spacecraft wreck in the Moon's Mare Marginis – a spacecraft suspiciously armed with a once-powerful anti-spacecraft weapon. Nigel and Nikka explore the wreck, and find a functioning computer with a direct neural interface. Nigel and several others experiment with the computer's neural hook-up, and leave fundamentally changed by it, while the computer becomes inert and unable to reveal any more about its creators. Meanwhile, on Earth, some surprising experiments in human genetics conducted by the aliens are discovered alive in North America.

In the Ocean of Night is a 1977 fix-up hard science fiction novel by American writer Gregory Benford. It is the first novel in his Galactic Center Saga. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1977, and for the Locus Award the following year. "In the Ocean of Night" was first published as a series of novellas and novelettes from 1973 to 1977.


Quota agreements.

The Achnacarry Agreement or "As-Is Agreement" was an early attempt to restrict petroleum production, signed in Scotland on 17 September 1928. The discovery of the East Texas Oil Field in the 1930s led to a boom in production that caused prices to fall, leading the Railroad Commission of Texas to control production. The Commission retained "de facto" control of the market until the rise of OPEC in the 1970s.  The Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement of 1944 tried to extend these restrictions internationally but was opposed by the industry in the United States and so Franklin Roosevelt withdrew from the deal.  Venezuela was the first country to move towards the establishment of OPEC by approaching Iran, Gabon, Libya, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in 1949, but OPEC was not set up until 1960, when the United States forced import quotas on Venezuelan and Persian Gulf oil in order to support the Canadian and Mexican oil industries. OPEC first wielded its power with the 1973 oil embargo against the United States and Western Europe.

Oil and international conflict.

The term "petro-aggression" has been used to describe the tendency of oil-rich states to instigate international conflicts. There are many examples including: Iraq's invasion of Iran and Kuwait; Libya's repeated incursions into Chad in the 1970s and 1980s; Iran's long-standing suspicion of Western powers. Some scholars have also suggested that oil-rich states are frequently the targets of "resource wars."

Peak oil.

In 1956, a Shell geophysicist named M. King Hubbert accurately predicted that U.S. oil production would peak in 1970.  In June 2006, former U.S. president Bill Clinton said in a speech,  "We may be at a point of peak oil production. You may see $100 a barrel oil in the next two or three years, but what still is driving this globalization is the idea that is you cannot possibly get rich, stay rich and get richer if you don’t release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That was true in the industrial era; it is simply factually not true. What is true is that the old energy economy is well organized, financed and connected politically."  In a 1999 speech, Dick Cheney, the US Vice President and former CEO of Halliburton (one of the world's largest energy services corporations), said,  "By some estimates there will be an average of two per cent annual growth in global oil demand over the years ahead along with conservatively a three per cent natural decline in production from existing reserves. That means by 2010 we will need on the order of an additional fifty million barrels a day. So where is the oil going to come from?...While many regions of the world offer great oil opportunities, the Middle East with two thirds of the world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies, even though companies are anxious for greater access there, progress continues to be slow."  Cheney went on to argue that the oil industry should become more active in politics:  "Oil is the only large industry whose leverage has not been all that effective in the political arena. Textiles, electronics, agriculture all seem often to be more influential. Our constituency is not only oilmen from Louisiana and Texas, but software writers in Massachusetts and specialty steel producers in Pennsylvania. I am struck that this industry is so strong technically and financially yet not as politically successful or influential as are often smaller industries. We need to earn credibility to have our views heard."

Pipeline diplomacy in the Caspian Sea area.

The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline was built to transport crude oil and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline was built to transport natural gas from the western side (Azerbaijani sector) of the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea bypassing Russian pipelines and thus Russian control. Following the construction of the pipelines, the United States and the European Union proposed extending them by means of the proposed Trans-Caspian Oil Pipeline and the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline under the Caspian Sea to oil and gas fields on the eastern side (Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan sectors) of the Caspian Sea. In 2007, Russia signed agreements with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to connect their oil and gas fields to the Russian pipeline system effectively killing the undersea route.  China has completed the Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline from the Kazakhstan oil fields to the Chinese Alashankou-Dushanzi Crude Oil Pipeline in China. China is also working on the Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline from the Kazakhstan gas fields to the Chinese West-East Gas Pipeline in China.

Politics of oil nationalization.

Several countries have nationalised foreign-run oil businesses, often failing to compensate investors. Enrique Mosconi, the director of the Argentine state owned oil company "Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales" (YPF, which was the first state owned oil company in the world, preceding the French "Compagnie française des pétroles" (CFP, French Company of Petroleums), created in 1924 by the conservative Raymond Poincaré), advocated oil nationalization in the late 1920s among Latin American countries. The latter was achieved in Mexico during Lázaro Cárdenas's rule, with the "Expropiación petrolera".  Similarly Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1976.

Politics of alternative fuels.

Vinod Khosla (a well known investor in IT firms and alternative energy) has argued that the political interests of environmental advocates, agricultural businesses, energy security advocates (such as ex-CIA director James Woolsey) and automakers, are all aligned for the increased production of ethanol. He pointed out that from 2003 to 2006, ethanol fuel in Brazil replaced 40% of its gasoline consumption while flex fuel vehicles went from 3% of car sales to 70%. Brazilian ethanol, which is produced using sugarcane, reduces greenhouse gases by 60-80% (20% for corn-produced ethanol). Khosla also said that ethanol was about 10% cheaper per given distance. There are currently ethanol subsidies in the United States but they are all blender's credits, meaning the oil refineries receive the subsidies rather than the farmers. There are indirect subsidies due to subsidising farmers to produce corn. Vinod says after one of his presentations in Davos, a senior Saudi oil official came up to him and threatened: "If biofuels start to take off, we will drop the price of oil." Since then, Vinod has come up with a new recommendation that oil should be taxed if it drops below $40.00/barrel in order to counter price manipulation.  Ex-CIA director James Woolsey and U.S. Senator Richard Lugar are also vocal proponents of ethanol.  In 2005, Sweden announced plans to end its dependence on fossil fuels by the year 2020.  From around 2015 onwards, there was increasing discussion about whether the geopolitics of oil and gas would be replaced by the geopolitics of renewable energy resources and critical materials for renewable energy technologies.

Geopolitics of oil money.

Multibillion-dollar inflows and outflows of petroleum money have worldwide macroeconomic consequences, and major oil exporters can gain substantial influence from their petrodollar recycling activities.  The GeGaLo index of geopolitical gains and losses assesses how the geopolitical position of 156 countries may change if the world fully transitions to renewable energy resources. Former fossil fuels exporters are expected to lose power, while the positions of former fossil fuel importers and countries rich in renewable energy resources is expected to strengthen.

Key oil producing countries.

Canada.

As development in the Alberta oil sands, deep sea drilling in the North Atlantic and the prospects of arctic oil continue to grow Canada increasingly grows as a global oil exporter. There are currently three major pipelines under proposal that would ship oil to the pacific, atlantic and gulf ports. These projects have stirred internal controversy, receiving fierce opposition from First Nations groups and environmentalists.

Iran.

Discovery of oil in 1908 at Masjed Soleiman in Iran initiated the quest for oil in the Middle East. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) was founded in 1909. In 1951, Iran nationalized its oil fields initiating the Abadan Crisis. The United States of America and Great Britain thus punished Iran by arranging coup against its democratically elected prime minister, Mosaddeq, and brought the former Shah's son, a dictator, to power. In 1953 the US and GB arranged the arrest of the Prime Minister Mosaddeq. Iran exports oil to China and Russia. "See also: Iranian Oil Subsidies"

Iraq.

Iraq holds the world's second-largest proven oil reserves, with increasing exploration expected to enlarge them beyond of "high-grade crude, extraordinarily cheap to produce." Organizations such as the Global Policy Forum (GPF) have asserted that Iraq's oil is "the central feature of the political landscape" there, and that as a result of the 2003 invasion,"'friendly' companies expect to gain most of the lucrative oil deals that will be worth hundreds of billions of dollars in profits in the coming decades." According to GPF, U.S. influence over the 2005 Constitution of Iraq has made sure it "contains language that guarantees a major role for foreign companies."

Mexico.

Mexico has a largely oil-based economy, being the seventh largest producer of petroleum. Though Mexico has gradually explored different types of electricity, oil is still crucial, recently generating 10% of revenue.  Before 1938, all petroleum companies in Mexico were foreign based, often from the United States or Europe. The petroleum industry was nationalized in the late 1930s to early 1940s by then-president Lázaro Cárdenas, creating PEMEX. Mexico's oil industry still remains heavily nationalized. Though oil production has fallen in recent years, Mexico still remains in seventh place.

Nigeria.

Petroleum in Nigeria was discovered in 1955 at Oloibiri in the Niger Delta.  High oil prices were the driving force behind Nigeria’s economic growth. This has made the Nigerian economy to become the largest in Africa surpassing both Egypt and South Africa, also making it the 24th largest in the world. The Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on the oil sector, which accounts for 98% percent of export earnings and 83% of federal government revenues as well as generating 14% of its GDP.  Nigeria's proven oil reserves are estimated by the United States Energy Information Administration at between 16 and 22 billion barrels (2.5*10^9 and 3.5*10^9 m^3). But other sources claim there could be as much as 35.3 billion barrels (5.61*10^9 m^3). Its reserves make Nigeria the tenth most petroleum rich nation and by far the most affluent in Africa. Nigeria produces an average of about 2.28 million barrels (350,000 m^3) per day.

Russia.

High-priced oil allowed the Soviet Union to subsidize the struggling economies of the Soviet bloc for a time, and the loss of petrodollar income during the 1980s oil glut contributed to the bloc's collapse in 1989.

Saudi Arabia.

In 1973, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations imposed an oil embargo against the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and other Western nations which supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973. The embargo caused an oil crisis with many short- and long-term effects on global politics and the global economy.  Saudi Arabia is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses both the world's largest known oil reserves, which are 25% of the world's proven reserves, and produces the largest amount of the world's oil. As of 2005, Ghawar field accounts for about half of Saudi Arabia's total oil production capacity.  Saudi Arabia ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC, its decisions to raise or cut production almost immediately impact world oil prices. It is perhaps the best example of a contemporary energy superpower, in terms of having power and influence on the global stage (due to its energy reserves and production of not just oil, but natural gas as well). Saudi Arabia is often referred to as the world's only "oil superpower".  It has been suggested that the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict was a powerful influence in the Saudi decision to launch the price war in 2014, as was Cold War rivalry between the United States and Russia. Larry Elliott argued that "with the help of its Saudi ally, Washington is trying to drive down the oil price by flooding an already weak market with crude. As the Russians and the Iranians are heavily dependent on oil exports, the assumption is that they will become easier to deal with." Vice President of Russia's largest oil company, Rosneft, accused Saudi Arabia of conspiring against Russia.

United States.

In 1998, about 40% of the energy consumed by the United States came from oil. The United States is responsible for 25% of the world's oil consumption, while having only 3% of the world's proven oil reserves and less than 5% of the world's population. In January 1980, President Jimmy Carter explicitly declared: "An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States."

United Kingdom.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany as "divisive" and a "threat" that left Europe dependent on a "malign Russia" for its energy supplies.

Venezuela.

According to the Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ), Venezuela has of proven conventional oil reserves, the largest of any country in the Western Hemisphere. In addition it has non-conventional oil deposits similar in size to Canada's - at approximately equal to the world's reserves of conventional oil. About of this may be producible at current prices using current technology. Venezuela's Orinoco tar sands are less viscous than Canada's Athabasca oil sands – meaning they can be produced by more conventional means, but are buried deeper – meaning they cannot be extracted by surface mining. In an attempt to have these "extra heavy" oil reserves recognized by the international community, Venezuela has moved to add them to its conventional reserves to give nearly of total oil reserves. This would give it the largest oil reserves in the world, even ahead of Saudi Arabia.  Venezuela nationalized its oil industry in 1975–1976, creating Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PdVSA), the country's state-run oil and natural gas company. Along with being Venezuela's largest employer, PdVSA accounts for about one-third of the country's GDP, 50 percent of the government's revenue and 80 percent of Venezuela's exports earnings. In recent years, under the influence of President Chavez, the Venezuelan government has reduced PdVSA's previous autonomy and amended the rules regulating the country's hydrocarbons sector. In the 1990s, Venezuela opened its upstream oil sector to private investment. This collection of policies, called apertura, facilitated the creation of 32 operating service agreements (OSA) with 22 separate foreign oil companies, including international oil majors like Chevron, BP, Total, and Repsol-YPF. Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela sharply diverged from previous administrations' economic policies. PDVSA is now used as a cash-cow and as an employer-of-last-resort; foreign oil businesses were nationalised and the government refused to pay compensation.  Estimates of Venezuelan oil production vary. Venezuela claims its oil production is over, but oil industry analysts and the U.S. Energy Information Administration believe it to be much lower. In addition to other reporting irregularities, much of its production is extra-heavy oil, which may or may not be included with conventional oil in the various production estimates. The U.S. Energy Information Agency estimated Venezuela's oil production in December 2006 was only, a 24% decline from its peak of 3.3 million in 1997.  Recently, Venezuela has pushed the creation of regional oil initiatives for the Caribbean (Petrocaribe), the Andean region (Petroandino), and South America (Petrosur), and Latin America (Petroamerica). The initiatives include assistance for oil developments, investments in refining capacity, and preferential oil pricing. The most developed of these three is the Petrocaribe initiative, with 13 nations signing a preliminary agreement in 2005. Under Petrocaribe, Venezuela will offer crude oil and petroleum products to Caribbean nations under preferential terms and prices, with Jamaica as the first nation to sign on in August 2005.

Petroleum politics have been an increasingly important aspect of diplomacy since the rise of the petroleum industry in the Middle East in the early 20th century. As competition continues for a vital resource, the strategic calculations of major and minor countries alike place prominent emphasis on the pumping, refining, transport, sale and use of petroleum products. However, international climate policy and unconventional oil and gas developments may change the balance of power between petroleum exporting and importing countries with major negative implications expected for the exporting states.


Fictional character biography.

Ananym is the daughter of Belasco, a sorcerer who formerly ruled the dimension Limbo; however, she has no memories of her early life, nor her apparent demonic background.  When Alpha Flight vanished from Earth, the Canadian government recruited Witchfire and others to form Gamma Flight. Upon the return of Alpha Flight, Gamma Flight was ordered to arrest them, but both teams teamed up to defeat Llan. Gamma Flight was later disbanded in a merger with a revived Department H and Alpha Flight with Witchfire remaining.  Witchfire was assigned to Department H's trainee programs, Beta Flight, and to a new Gamma Flight support team, specifically for supernatural purposes. After being trapped in the Dreamqueen's realm, she returned and was instrumental in defeating the Master's Omega Flight. She assumed leadership of Beta Flight, but when Manikin was injured in battle, she started becoming darker and ended up frying the mind of the Jackal, who had poisoned him.  When the Hardliners invade the Department H headquarters, they beat Witchfire severely. However, she recovers and grows much stronger in power.

X-Infernus.

While in Limbo, the recently resurrected Illyana Rasputin attacks various other demons looking for the Soulsword and the original Bloodstone amulet. This does not go unnoticed by several demonic entities, who Witchfire summons together, and reveals that she is the current owner of the original amulet. She also vows to destroy Darkchilde and take her father's place as ruler of Limbo.  In Limbo, Witchfire learns that Magik has left Limbo and assumes control. She stabs S'ym through the chest, seriously wounding him. Magik teleports in to find him chained to the throne. She asks what happened and he informs her that Belasco's daughter has taken control in her absence. Illyana is shocked to hear Belasco has a daughter and Witchfire steps out of the shadows and attacks Magik. Witchfire claims everything her father ever owned, including Magik's soul, and stabs her through the chest. She then takes the Bloodstone from the X-Man Pixie and adds it to the original amulet, giving her four Bloodstones and a more demonic appearance.  When Pixie teleports into the castle by herself, she runs into the throne room where she finds Magik bound by chains. Witchfire grabs Pixie by the throat and forces her to become her new apprentice and begins forging a new Bloodstone from Pixie's soul.  Hearing the screams from the castle, Nightcrawler teleports the X-Men into the throne room. Once there, Witchfire turns Colossus and Wolverine against Mercury and Rockslide. Nightcrawler notices Illyana chained to a pillar and she asks him to stab her with Pixie's Souldagger, as it is the only way and that only he can do it because he is attuned to magic. He apologizes and stabs her. At that moment. Colossus punches Kurt and Witchfire finishes making her fifth and final Bloodstone from the now demonic Pixie. Kurt recovers in time to remove the Souldagger and Soulsword from Illyana and use them to free Colossus and Wolverine from their enchantment. Pixie then uses them to free Illyana so they can confront Witchfire. She tries to blast Illyana, but she is shielded by Mercury long enough for Illyana to strip the bloodstones from her and destroy the amulet they are in. Witchfire is then trapped in the Elder God's dimension with four of the bloodstones.

Powers and abilities.

Witchfire's innate senses allow her to detect and identify all forms of mystic energy near her. Normally, she can attune these to sense non-mystical forces such as emotions or life energies. She naturally heals slightly faster than normal.  She is also skilled in the use of various magics beyond her own innate abilities. She has been trained by fellow Alpha Flight teammate Shaman in sympathetic magic, and also in magics drawing on extradimensionals such as Agamotto and Hezaba. Witchfire's spells include shields against flame, physical damage and magic; pain-inducers; and spells to end mind-control. She has a natural affinity for flame control, but generally avoids using these spells as they wake uncomfortable elements of her lost past. When she briefly regained her full memories, she transformed into a horned demonic form with greatly increased power levels and greater control over those powers. In this form, she also manifested incredible teleportation abilities, matter transformation and the opening of dimensional gates. In Witchfire's normal form, she has two tiny black horns, but she generally hides them either with her magic or by wearing her hair over them.  Upon gaining four Bloodstones, Witchfire's horns grew larger. When she obtained the fifth Bloodstone, she also grew wings, in addition to having power levels increased.

Witchfire (Ananym) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a former superhero, now supervillain, and magician. She was a former member of Gamma Flight and was eventually recruited into Beta Flight. She is the daughter of X-Men villain Belasco.


Career.

Purdy's albums "Paris in the Morning" and "You Can Tell Georgia" have sold a combined 80,000 single downloads online worldwide. His catalog of music has sold over 800,000 single downloads worldwide. A regular at The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, Purdy traveled to the UK with Tom McRae in 2006 as part of McRae's Hotel Cafe Tour.  Purdy's appearance at the Wireless Festival in Leeds led to a special request from The Who member Pete Townshend and his girlfriend Rachel Fuller to play with them at their acoustic "In the Attic" series of shows. Purdy has also supported The Giving Tree Band starting in 2012, performing live shows and traveling with them on tours.  Purdy's band members have included Chris Seefried, Brian Wright, Willy C. Golden, Al Sgro, and Mike Freas.

Recordings.

Purdy's released albums are "Joe Purdy", "Sessions from Motor Ave.", "Stompingrounds", "Julie Blue", "Only Four Seasons", "You Can Tell Georgia", "Paris In The Morning", "Canyon Joe", "Take My Blanket and Go", "Last Clock On the Wall", "4th of July", "This American", "Eagle Rock Fire", "Who Will Be Next?" and "American Folk".  "You Can Tell Georgia" was recorded outside London immediately following a European tour with Tom McRae. "Paris in the Morning" was recorded during a short visit to Paris a few months later. In July 2009, Purdy began touring with Steve Earle.

Television.

His song "Wash Away (Reprise)", from the "Julie Blue" album, was chosen by J.J. Abrams for the third episode of ABC's hit TV show "Lost" in its first season.  Shortly after, the song "Suitcase" was featured in the seventh episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and "I Love the Rain" (also off "Julie Blue") was featured in the eighth episode of ABC's TV show which led to "The City" (from "Only Four Seasons") being included on the Grey's Anatomy Season One soundtrack which sold over 150,000 units. Additionally, Purdy landed three more songs in "Grey's" episodes, "Suitcase" (from "Only Four Seasons"), "Can't Get It Right Today" (from "You Can Tell Georgia") and most recently "San Jose" (from "Take My Blanket And Go").  His song "Rainy Day Lament" (And "Good Days" from Season 7, Episode 1), from "Stompingrounds", was featured on House M.D.  The song "Mary May & Bobby" was also featured in an episode of "Suburgatory".

Movies.

Purdy's song "Mary" (off the album "Julie Blue") was featured in the film "The Secret Life of Bees". He has also had a song, "Miss Me", in the Drew Barrymore and Justin Long movie "Going the Distance". Several of Purdy's songs are featured in the 2013 film "Straight A's". Also, Purdy's song "Outlaws" was featured in the movie "A Case of You".  Purdy played the lead role of Elliot in the feature film "American Folk", which was released in the U.S. through Good Deed Entertainment on January 26, 2018.

Joe Purdy is an American singer/songwriter who has released fourteen albums over the last fifteen years. In 2017, Purdy made his acting debut in "American Folk."


Life.

Besprosvany was born in Mexico, a second-generation Mexican whose Russian Jewish grandparents immigrated to country. In 1978, at age seventeen, he left Mexico to find better opportunities in the arts in Europe, first to France then Belgium to study theater and dance. He has lived in Belgium since. He first studied mime, movement, acting and mask play in Paris under Jacques Lecoq, at his school, then moved onto Brussels to study modern dance under Maurice Bejart at the Ecole Mudra. One of his main influences at Mudra was musician and teacher Fernand Schirren.  Besprosvany continues to live in Brussels and speaks French, English, Spanish and Hebrew, with some Dutch and Italian.

Career.

After finishing at the Mudra School, Besprosvany danced with Bejart's 20th Century Ballet for two years, from 1981 to 1983. He left to focus on a choreography career, and in this capacity has collaborated with the Mossoux-Bonté Company, and those of Pierre Droulers, Michèle Noiret and Michèle-Anne de Mey.  In 1986, he founded the Compagnie José Besprosvany, which since then has produced at least one production every year, and has toured in various European countries and Mexico. The first productions of this company include "Momentum" (1984), "Evento" (1986), and "Tempéraments" (1988), along with "Von Heute auf Morgen" (1989), "Apollon la Nuit" (1990), and "Retours" (1992). In 1992 he created the choreographies for two operas for the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie: Henry Purcell’s "Dido" "and Aeneas" and Pascal Dusapin’s "Medeamaterial". More recent works include a retelling of the story of Oedipus, which premiered in Belgium in 2013, then toured Paris and Cyprus before becoming his second production at the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. The first was "Cuarteto" in 1995.  Besprosvany has also worked in theater and film. He played the part of a dance professor in the movie "Just Friends" by Marc-Henri Wienberg as well as a number of roles in films by Marie André. As a director he has worked on projects such as "Elles" (1996) by Nicole Malinconi, "Les Indifférents" by Odilon-Jean Perier (1996), "L’Invisible" by Philippe Blasband and "Prometheus Bound" adapted by Henry Bauchau (1998), In 1992, he created a dance video called "Andrés" for television, which received recognition at the "II Coreografo Electronica" in Italy, at the "Bert Leysen Prijs" in Belgium and at the Danscreen in Germany. He directed a short film called "Le Dession" (2004) which premiered at the Molodist Festival in Kiev, winning a "Prix du Meilleur" for short film at the Salento Finibus Terrae Festival. The work "La Princesse de Babylone" (2004) received an award for best show and "Oedipe" (2013) received a nomination for best staging from the Francophone Community of Belgium. "Apropos de Butterfly" (2007) received the Audience Choice Award and the New Art Forms Award at the Rainbow Festival in Russia.

Artistry.

Besprosvany began his career studying both theater and dance as he considers them complementary arts. His first productions such as "Momentum" (1984), "Evento" (1986), and "Tempéraments" (1988) were minimalist. These were followed by productions that questioned the relationship between modern and classical languages, "Von Heute auf Morgen" (1989), "Apollon la Nuit" (1990), and "Retours" (1992).  Besprosvany's work with his company focuses on two themes: exploring the relationship between narrative and dance and exploring non-European cultures. Early works of the former include "Cuarteto" (1993), "Hombre Alado" (1995) and "Lara" (1996), with "Cuarteto", based on a text by Marguerite Duras, performed by two dancers, a cellist and an actress. In 1997 he directed "L’invisible", a story about an uprooted foreigner. Other works in this vein include "Belle à mourir" (1999) based on the life of Mamé Alan. The works "Triptico" (2002) and "9" (2005). The 2013 production "Oedipe" shows influence from Asian shadow puppetry.  In the late 1990s, Besprosvany decided that his choreography was still to conventional, and began the development of the style that dominates today. One element of this work is the blending of various artistic elements, starting with "Dos y Dos" (1999), which combined contemporary dance with live flamenco music. More recent works have incorporated puppetry such as "La Princesse de Babylone" (2003) along with "Butterfly"(2004), "La Belle au bois de Dandaka" (2007) "Prométhée enchainé" (2010) and "Récitations" (2009). The 2013 production of Oedipus, a version adapted by Olivier Kemeid, includes speech, music, video and choreographed movement. He uses multimedia in his production to create a concept called “total spectacle,” stating that he has become bored with only one means of expression, and has an interest in exploring how the various arts can work together. However, he states that this is not easy in Europe where the arts are strongly separated.  Besprosvany's work shows an interest in updated version of classical texts, stating that their themes remain relevant today. He has done several versions of the story of Prometheus, and Oediper includes references to current social issues.

José Besprosvany ( October 13, 1959) is a dancer, choreographer, director and teacher, who has developed his career in Europe. He has been noted as one of Belgium’s contemporary dance innovators and reformers. He left Mexico as a teenager to study theater and dance in Paris and Brussels, after dancing and doing choreography with several companies, Besprosvany began his own in 1986, which has had at least one production each year since its inception. In the late1990s, Besprosvany revamped his choreography to the current dominant style, which blends various arts and media, with themes focusing on the relationship of dance and narrative along with non-European cultures. His productions have toured various European countries and have performed in Mexico as well, twice at the Festival Internacional Cervantino.


Geography and demography.

According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute ("INE"), the province spans an area of and had a population of 156,158 inhabitants (77,087 men and 79,071 women), giving it a population density of. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 10.3% (14,607 persons).

Comunas.

The province is composed by 5 comunas:

Limarí Valley wine region.

The Limarí Valley Denomination of Origin (DO) is defined by the Chilean Appellation system, the legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The valley is located 470 km (290 mi) north of Santiago, in the middle section of the Coquimbo region. Best known for its Piscos, vines were first planted here in the mid-16th century and have seen a recent resurgence, due to new technologies and winemakers seeking new terroirs. The area is known for producing Sauvignon and Chardonnay, first planted during the 1990s, and also produces Syrah and Pinot, with a climate similar to Marlborough in New Zealand. The Pacific Ocean has a strong influence on the region with the cooling Camanchaca, a fog that enters the valley from the west each morning and retreats as the sun rises over the Andes from the east. With less than 4 inches of rainfall per year, drip irrigation is used to water the vines that grow in the mineral-rich soil. The combination creates fresh wines with a distinct mineral edge.

Limarí Province () is one of three provinces of the Chilean region of Coquimbo Region (IV). Its capital is the city of Ovalle


Club career.

Kelly was born in Glasgow and played for local side Possilpark Depot, before moving south to join English club Arsenal as an apprentice in July 1966; he turned professional 18 months later. A regular in the reserves and for Scotland U-23 side, he made his debut for Arsenal on 6 September 1969 against Sheffield Wednesday and quickly made a name for himself. He made 16 appearances in the 1969–70 season, including scoring a goal in the Gunners' 4–3 aggregate win over Anderlecht in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final.  Better was to come the next season for the young central midfielder. Kelly made 34 appearances as Arsenal won the Double; he came on as a substitute in the FA Cup final against Liverpool, and scored the Gunners' equaliser in extra time in a goalmouth scramble. George Graham made a claim for the goal, but the replays show Kelly was the last Arsenal player to touch the ball. Kelly was thus the first substitute to score in an FA Cup final. Charlie George scored soon after to win the match 2–1.  Injury hampered Kelly's next two seasons at Arsenal, but he became a near-ever present in 1974–75. He was made club captain at the age of 23; only Tony Adams has captained Arsenal at a younger age. However, Kelly lost his place the following season and became quite unsettled. After making a transfer request, he joined Queens Park Rangers in September 1976, having played 222 times and scoring nine goals altogether for Arsenal.  Kelly spent only a single season at QPR before being signed for Leicester City by former Arsenal and QPR teammate Frank McLintock in the summer of 1977. He spent three seasons at Filbert Street, playing 119 times and scoring 3 goals. Leicester were relegated to the Second Division in 1978 but then returned to the top flight as champions the following year. He went on to have short spells at Notts County, Bournemouth and Torquay United, before retiring.

International career.

Kelly featured for Scotland's Under 19 and Under 23 teams.

Personal life.

He now lives in Torquay, and works for a double glazing firm.

Edward Patrick Kelly (born 7 February 1951) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a midfielder. Kelly featured for clubs Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Notts County, Bournemouth, Kettering Town and Torquay United.


Description.

"Banksia conferta" is a shrub that typically grows to a height of but does not form a lignotuber. It has rough, grey, tessellated bark on the trunk and orange, red or brown stems that are hairy at first. The leaves are arranged in whorls and are elliptic to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide with the edges curved downwards and sometimes serrated. The flowers are crowded in a cylindrical spike long with involucral bracts long at the base. The flowers are yellowish green to pinkish brown in the bud stage, turning golden yellow when open. The perianth is long and the pistil is long and slightly curved. Flowering occurs from late April to July and the fruit is a narrow elliptical follicle long, high and wide. More than 100 follicles often form in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the flowers. The follicles remain until the plant is burned, unlike those of the similar "B. integrifolia" which also has less crowded flowers.

Taxonomy and naming.

"Banksia conferta" was first formally described in 1981 by Alex George in the journal "Nuytsia" from specimens he collected from Mount Tibrogargan in the Glass House Mountains National Park in 1975. The specific epithet ("conferta") is a Latin word meaning "crowded".  In the same journal, George described variety "conferta" and var. "penicillata", and in 1996 he described subspecies "conferta" and subsp. "penicillata". He described subsp. "conferta" as being found in southern Queensland on the Lamington Plateau and the Glass House Mountains and subsp. "penicillata" from Bowral to north of Lithgow in New South Wales.  In 1996, Kevin Thiele raised subsp. "penicillata" to species status as "B. penicillata" in "Australian Systematic Botany", so that var. "conferta" and subsp. "conferta" became synonyms" of "B. conferta".

Distribution and habitat.

This banksia is known from the Lamington Plateau and the Glass House Mountains in southern Queensland where it grows on steep rocky slopes in scrub and open shrubland. As subspecies "conferta", it also occurs in the Coorabakh National Park in New South Wales where is listed as "critically endangered" under the "Threatened Species Conservation Act" in that state.

Banksia conferta, commonly known as the glasshouse banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, bark on the trunk, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves arranged in whorls, crowded yellow flowers in a cylindrical spike later forming a relatively large number of follicles.


Open event.

The open division was contested by 110 teams representing 106 nations. Russia, as hosts, fielded an unprecedented four teams (Russia "C" was referred to as "Team Kalmykia" and Russia "D" was a youth team), whilst the International Braille Chess Association provided one squad.  Even without their strongest players, the "Three Ks" (PCA world champion Garry Kasparov, FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov and Vladimir Kramnik), Russia were still favourites, and the team did win their fourth consecutive title. The United States improved another spot from the previous Olympiad and finished second, and Ukraine took the bronze medals, beating Israel on tiebreak.

Women's results.

The women's division was contested by 72 teams representing 69 nations. Russia, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association entered one squad.  China finally broke the Eastern European dominance by winning the title, led by former (and future) world champion Xie Jun and future champion Zhu Chen. Russia took the silver, whilst defending quadruple champions Georgia had to settle for bronze.

Overall title.

The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is awarded to the nation that has the best average rank in the open and women's divisions. Where two or more teams are tied, they are ordered by best single finish in either division and then by total number of points scored.  The trophy, named after the former women's world champion (1961–78), was created by FIDE in 1997 and awarded for the first time in Elista.

The 33rd Chess Olympiad, organized by FIDE and comprising an open and a women's tournament, took place between September 26 and October 13, 1998, in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. There were 110 teams in the open event and 72 in the women's event.


Etymology.

The name comes from the three loops that would be formed by tying this knot.

Tying.

The knot is tied in the same way the original bowline is, except with a doubled rope (using a bight). An overhand loop is formed in the rope, the working end is passed back through that loop, behind the standing part of the rope, back through the loop and pulled tight. The working end (bight) forms a third loop, often larger than the two equal-sized loops. The size of the third loop depends on the length of the bight pulled through the loop.

Bowline on the bight.

A bowline on the bight is a similar knot to the triple bowline. Instead of wrapping the bight around the standing end and then passing it back through the nipping loop, the two loops are passed through the bight so that it tightens on the standing end. It has only two active or available loops. This is used in rescue situations, especially in a case where there might be an injured person or people, as it forms a "seat" in which the injured person can be raised or lowered safely. The full triple bowline is also used in rescue situations with the third loop passed around the waist or torso.

Double Bowline.

The triple bowline is often mistakenly referred to as the double bowline. The double bowline is in fact a bowline tied on a single strand with the nipping loop doubled up, and only has one loop.

The triple bowline knot is a variation of the bowline knot. The knot can be applied to emergency situations, such as mountain rescue.


High school.

Helton attended Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and was a letterman in football and baseball. In football, he posted 2,772 total yards as quarterback. In baseball, as a senior, Helton posted a.655 batting average and 12 home runs and was named the Regional Player of the Year. Baseball America also bestowed him with All-American honors for his senior season. Helton was drafted in the 2nd round (55th overall) by the San Diego Padres during the 1992 MLB draft. He did not sign and chose to attend college.

University of Tennessee.

Helton received an athletic scholarship from the University of Tennessee to play both football and baseball. He was named a Gatorade Player of the Year for football and baseball in Tennessee. As a freshman and sophomore, he backed up Heath Shuler at quarterback. Entering his junior season in 1994, he was the back-up to senior Jerry Colquitt and ahead of Peyton Manning (then a true freshman). After Colquitt tore knee ligaments in the season opener at UCLA, Helton took over as the starter. Three weeks later against Mississippi State, he suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Manning, who went on to break several records. Helton appeared in 12 games during his career with the Vols football team, completing 41 of 75 passes for 484 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.  In baseball, Helton was awarded the Dick Howser Trophy as National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year, following his junior baseball season in 1995. During his career at Tennessee (1993–1995), he recorded a.370 batting average, with 38 home runs and 238 RBI (both school records). In 1995, he set the Tennessee saves record with 11, while posting a 0.89 ERA. During his career, he pitched 193 innings, registering an ERA of 2.24, with 172 strikeouts and 23 saves. Helton also has the NCAA Division I record for most consecutive scoreless innings, at 47.  Helton spent the summer of 1994 playing for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

MLB career.

Draft and debut.

Helton was drafted in the first round, eighth overall, in the 1995 Major League Baseball draft by the Colorado Rockies. He was signed on August 1, 1995. Helton spent the next couple of years playing for the class-A Asheville Tourists, AA New Haven Ravens, and AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox before moving on to the major leagues. He made his major-league debut on August 2, 1997, in a 6-5 road loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Helton started in left field and flied out in his first at-bat. He recorded his first hit, a single, in his second at-bat off Francisco Córdova. Helton also hit his first home run, a solo shot, that day off Marc Wilkins.

1997–1999: Early career.

During the 1997 season, Helton hit.280/.337/.484 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage), with five home runs, in 35 games played. When Rockies first baseman Andrés Galarraga went to the Atlanta Braves in 1998, Helton became the full-time starter at first base for Colorado during the 1998 season. The Rockies named Helton their club representative in 1998, the first time the team ever gave a rookie that role. He hit.315/.380/.530, with 25 home runs and 97 RBI, in 152 games played. Helton led all major-league rookies in average (.315), home runs (25), RBI (97), multi-hit games (49), total bases (281), slugging percentage (.530) and extra base hits (63). He also led all National League rookies in runs (78), hits (167) and on-base percentage (.380). At the time, only Mike Piazza (35), David Justice (28) and Darryl Strawberry (26) had hit more home runs as an NL rookie since 1972, and only Piazza had more RBI (112). Helton finished second to Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year. The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame named Helton its 1998 Professional Athlete of the Year.  In 1999, Helton had a.320 batting average,.395 on-base percentage and.587 slugging percentage. He also hit 35 home runs and 113 RBI, while drawing 68 walks. On June 19, 1999, in a 10–2 Rockies home win over the Florida Marlins, Helton hit for the cycle. He fell short of hitting a second cycle on four different occasions during the 1999 season, which would have made him only the second player since 1900 (Babe Herman was the first to do so in 1931) to hit two cycles in one season.

2000–2006: Mid-career.

Helton enjoyed arguably his best season in 2000, leading the major leagues in batting average (.372), RBI (147), doubles (59), total bases (405), extra base hits (103), slugging percentage (.698) and OPS (1.162). He led the National League in hits (216) and on-base percentage (.463). Helton hit a league-leading home batting average of.391 and placed third in the National League in road batting average (.353). Helton's MLB-leading 103 extra base hits tied for the fourth most in MLB history and the second most in NL history. His National League-leading numbers in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and batting average gave him the "percentage triple crown." Helton became the second Rockies player (Larry Walker in 1999) to accomplish that feat. Helton and Walker made the Rockies the first team in MLB history to record percentage triple crowns in consecutive seasons with different players. Helton became only the fourth player in National League history to lead the NL in both batting average and RBI. He became the first player in National League history and the fifth player in MLB history (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg are the others) to have at least 200 hits, 40 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs, 100 extra base hits and 100 walks in one season.  Helton was invited to his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2000. He also received National League Player of the Month honors for May and August. He finished fifth in voting for the MVP award. However, the Associated Press, The Sporting News, USA Baseball Alumni and Baseball Digest all named Helton the MLB Player of the Year. Buck O'Neil and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum presented Helton with the Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard Legacy Award. Helton was also given the team-honored version of the Roberto Clemente Man of Year Award, for his community contributions to Eastern Tennessee. Furthermore, he was the National League winner of the second annual Hank Aaron Award. Each season from 2000 to 2003, he was named the Rockies Player of the Year. For all of his success, the Colorado Rockies rewarded Helton with a nine-year, $141.5 million contract in April 2001 that took effect in 2003.  The following season, Helton posted a career-high 49 home runs (22 of them occurred away from Coors Field). The 49 home runs tied teammate Larry Walker for the most home runs ever by a Colorado Rockies player in a single season. Additionally, Helton had a.336 batting average,.432 on-base percentage and.685 slugging percentage. He also had 105 extra base hits, making him the first player in MLB history to have at least 100 total extra base hits in back-to-back seasons. Furthermore, Helton attained 402 total bases, making him only the fourth player in MLB history to do so in consecutive seasons (Chuck Klein, Gehrig and Foxx are the others).  Helton appeared in his second consecutive All-Star game in 2001 – his first as a starter. He won his first Gold Glove at first base and was once again a top candidate for MVP, but was overshadowed by Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds.  In 2002, Helton had a.329 batting average, 30 home runs, 109 RBI, 98 walks, 107 runs,.577 slg % and 319 total bases. He became the first player in Rockies history to score at least 100 runs in four consecutive seasons. He was named Player of the Month for May, as he hit.347 with six doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 28 RBI during the month. Helton was named to his third consecutive All-Star game – second straight as a starter. He also received his second consecutive Gold Glove.  2003 saw Helton involved in the closest NL batting race in history, as he hit.35849, while St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols finished first with a.35871 batting average. During the season, Helton also had 33 home runs, 117 RBI, 135 runs, 49 doubles and five triples. He won his fourth Player of the Month honor during the month of April, as he hit.337 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 28 runs, 11 doubles and 24 walks. He also appeared in his fourth consecutive All-Star game.  During the 2004 season, Helton again finished second in the NL batting race, as he hit.347, while San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds hit.362. Helton also had 32 home runs and 96 RBI on the season. He became the first player in MLB history to hit at least.315 with 25 HR and 95 RBI in each of his first seven full seasons in the majors. He became only the third player in MLB history to accomplish that feat during any seven-year stretch in a career (Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth are the others). He set a franchise record by hitting at least 30 home runs in six consecutive seasons. Helton was named to his team-record fifth consecutive All-Star game and won his third Gold Glove during the season.  In 2005, Helton spent time on the disabled list (July 26 – August 9) for the first time in his career with a strained left calf muscle. He hit.320 with 20 home runs, 79 RBI, 92 runs and 45 doubles for the season. He was under 1.000 in OPS (finished with.979 OPS) for the first time since 1999. Helton also wasn't named to the National League All-Star team for the first time since 1999. However, he did end up joining Gehrig and Bill Terry as the only first basemen in MLB history to have at least a.315 batting average in eight consecutive seasons.  Also in 2005, St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster Wayne Hagin claimed manager Don Baylor said that Helton had "tried the juice" in the 1990s, implying steroid use. Helton vehemently denied the allegation and considered legal action against Hagin. Hagin later apologized clarifying his comments saying he was "referring to supplements, creatine, not steroids" when he said "juiced". Baylor said of his conversation with Hagin "We discussed creatine and that was the end of the conversation. Steroid use was never even a question with me in regards to Todd Helton. [Hagin] has his facts wrong."

2007–2013.

Helton's power and RBI production stayed relatively level to his previous year's stats during the 2007 season, as he managed 17 home runs and 91 RBI. Despite these numbers being below his career averages, Helton kept up his string of seven consecutive seasons with an on-base percentage higher than.400, nine consecutive seasons with a batting average above.300, and had also been walked more times than he had struck out (a feat he had accomplished in seven of his first ten full seasons).  Helton recorded his 1,000th career hit at Coors Field on June 20, 2007, in a 6–1 home win over the New York Yankees, becoming only the fifth active player to have 1,000 career hits in one ballpark.  On September 9, 2007, in 4–2 home victory over the San Diego Padres, Helton hit his 35th double of the season. This made him the only player in MLB history to have hit 35 or more doubles in at least 10 consecutive seasons (1998–2007).  Helton hit his 300th career home run on September 16, 2007, in a 13–0 home win over the Florida Marlins. He became the first player to hit 300 home runs for the Colorado Rockies.  Helton made what was arguably the most pivotal play of the Rockies' 2007 season in the second game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 18, 2007. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with two outs and two strikes, Helton hit an emotional two-run walk-off home run off Dodgers closer Takashi Saito. The home run kept the Rockies alive in the bid to win the wild card or National League West title. The Rockies eventually clinched the National League wild card, in a 9–8 extra innings victory over the San Diego Padres in a wild card tiebreaker game, allowing Helton to appear in the playoffs for the first time in his career. Colorado went on to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies in three games of the National League Division Series. Helton hit a triple in the first pitch of his first career playoff at-bat in the opening game against the Phillies at Philadelphia. The Rockies also swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in four games of the National League Championship Series, sending the Rockies on their first trip to the World Series in franchise history. The Rockies went on to lose the World Series to the Boston Red Sox in a four-game sweep.  In August 2008, Helton was diagnosed with a degenerative back condition, putting his health and ability to continue play in question. On May 19, 2009, Helton got his 2,000th hit, a single, as part of an 8–1 road loss to the Atlanta Braves. On July 22, 2009, Helton hit his 500th career double in a 4–3 home victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He became the 50th player in MLB history to hit 500 career doubles and the fastest to do since 1954. Helton also joined Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams as the only players in MLB history to have at least 500 doubles, 320 home runs and a.325 batting average for a career. On March 11, 2010, Helton signed a two-year contract extension through the 2013 season. The extension for 2012 and 2013 was worth a total of $9.9 million.  Helton's degenerative back condition sent him back to the disabled list in July 2010. Helton returned from the DL in August and hit.256 with 8 home runs and 37 RBI for the season. After the 2010 season, Helton said he would return to the Rockies in 2011, following rumors of a possible retirement. On February 15, 2011, Helton announced his intention to play baseball for three more years, preferably for the Rockies. On June 30 he played his 2,000th career game. On April 14, 2012, Helton hit a 2-run walk-off home run, his 7th of his career. On July 13, Helton was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his right hip. In 63 games, he was batting.235. After returning from the DL, Helton played only 6 games before announcing that he would have season ending hip surgery in order to prepare for the 2013 season. Helton was healthier in 2013, playing in 124 games while hitting 15 home runs with 61 RBIs.  On September 14, 2013, Helton announced that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2013 season. On September 25, 2013, before his last game at Coors Field, Helton was honored by the Rockies Organization in a pre-game ceremony. In the game, Helton hit a home run and three RBI versus the Boston Red Sox.  On Sunday, August 17, 2014, the Rockies retired Helton's number 17 before a 2:05 pm day game at Coors Field. Helton is the first Rockies player to have his number retired in the team's twenty-six year history.

Personal life.

Helton's jersey number, 17, is a tribute to former Chicago Cubs first baseman Mark Grace.  Helton and his family – wife Christy and daughters Gentry Grace and Tierney Faith – reside in Knoxville, Tennessee. Helton and his family are good friends with Helton's former Tennessee Volunteers football teammate and former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Peyton Manning.  In 2013, Helton was arrested in Colorado for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was fined $400, received a year of probation, and was ordered to undergo 24 hours of community service. In 2019, Helton was cited for another DUI after crashing his car. He subsequently entered a treatment program.

Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973) is an American retired professional baseball first baseman who played his entire 17-year career for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Helton holds the Colorado Rockies club records for hits (2,519), home runs (369), doubles (592), walks (1,335), runs scored (1,401), runs batted in (RBI, with 1,406), games played (2,247), and total bases (4,292), among others.


Etymology.

"Shang Di" is the pinyin romanization of two Chinese characters. The first, "Shàng" means "high", "highest", "first", "primordial"; the second, "Dì" is typically considered as shorthand for "huangdi" () in modern Chinese, the title of the emperors of China first employed by Qin Shi Huang, and is usually translated as "emperor". The word itself is derived from Three "Huang" and Five "Di", including Yellow Emperor (Huangdi ), the mythological originator of the Chinese civilization and the ancestor of the Chinese race. However, refers to the High God of Shang, thus means "deity" (manifested god),. Thus, the name "Shangdi" should be translated as "Highest Deity", but also has the implied meaning of "Primordial Deity" or "First Deity" in Classical Chinese. The deity preceded the title and the emperors of China were named after him in their role as "Tianzi", the sons of Heaven. In the classical texts the highest conception of the heavens is frequently identified with Shang Di, who is described somewhat anthropomorphically. He is also associated with the pole star. The conceptions of the Supreme Ruler (Shang Di) and of the Sublime Heavens (Huang-t'ien) afterward coalesce or absorb each other.

History.

Shang dynasty.

The earliest references to Shangdi are found in oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty in the 2nd millennium BC, although the later work "Classic of History" claims yearly sacrifices were made to him by Emperor Shun, even before the Xia Dynasty.  Shangdi was regarded as the ultimate spiritual power by the ruling elite of the Huaxia during the Shang dynasty: he was believed to control victory in battle, success or failure of harvests, weather conditions such as the floods of the Yellow River, and the fate of the kingdom. Shangdi seems to have ruled a hierarchy of other gods controlling nature, as well as the spirits of the deceased. These ideas were later mirrored or carried on by the Taoist Jade Emperor and his celestial bureaucracy.  Shangdi was probably more transcendental than immanent, only working through lesser gods. Shangdi was considered too distant to be worshiped directly by ordinary mortals. Instead, the Shang kings proclaimed that Shangdi had made himself accessible through the souls of their royal ancestors, both in the legendary past and in recent generations as the departed Shang kings joined him in the afterlife. The emperors could thus successfully entreat Shangdi directly. Many of the oracle bone inscriptions record these petitions, usually praying for rain but also seeking approval from Shangdi for state action.

Zhou dynasty.

In the later Shang and Zhou dynasties, Shangdi was conflated with Heaven (, "Tiān"). The Duke of Zhou justified his clan's usurpation through the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, which proposed that the protection of Shangdi was not connected to their clan membership but by their just governance. Shangdi was not just a tribal but instead an unambiguously good moral force, exercising its power according to exacting standards. It could thus be lost and even "inherited" by a new dynasty, provided they upheld the proper rituals.  Nonetheless, the connection of many rituals with the Shang clan meant that Shang nobles continued to rule several locations (despite their rebellions) and to serve as court advisors and priests. The Duke of Zhou even created an entire ceremonial city along strict cosmological principals to house the Shang aristocracy and the nine tripods representing Huaxia sovereignty; the Shang were then charged with maintaining the "Rites of Zhou". Likewise, the Shang's lesser houses, the "shi" knightly class, developed directly into the learned Confucian gentry and scholars who advised the Zhou rulers on courtly etiquette and ceremony. The Confucian classics carried on and ordered the earlier traditions, including the worship of Shangdi. All of them include references:  The Four Books mention Shangdi as well but, as it is a later compilation, the references are much more sparse and abstract. Shangdi appears most commonly in earlier works: this pattern may reflect increasing rationalization of Shangdi over time, the shift from a known and arbitrary tribal god to a more abstract and philosophical concept, or his conflation and absorption by other deities.

Han dynasty.

By the time of the Han dynasty, the influential Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan glossed: ""Shangdi" is another name for Heaven". Dong Zhongshu said: "Heaven is the ultimate authority, the king of gods who should be admired by the king".  In later eras, he was commonly known by the name "Heavenly Ruling Highest Deity" (, "Huángtiān Shàngdì") and, in this usage, he is especially conflated with the Taoist Jade Emperor.

Identification.

The Shang progenitor.

In Shang sources, Di is already described as the supreme ordainer of the events which occur in nature, such as wind, lightning and thunder, and in human affairs and politics. All the gods of nature are conceived as his envoys or manifestations. Shang sources also attest his cosmological Five Ministries. Di, or Tian, as later texts explain, did not receive cult for being too remote for living humans to sacrifice to directly. Instead, an intermediary such as an ancestor was necessary to convey to Di the offerings of the living.  According to some prominent scholars, including Guo Moruo, Shangdi was originally identical to Ku (or Kui) or Diku (""Divus" Ku"), the progenitor (first ancestor) of the Zi () lineage, the founders of the Shang dynasty, attested in the "Shiji" and other texts. According to this interpretation, this identification had profound political implications, because it meant that the earthly Shang kings were themselves by birth aspects of divinity.  Further evidence from Shang sources suggests that there wasn't a complete identification between the two, as Di controls spirits of nature, while Kui does not; Di is frequently pictured sending down "approvals", while Kui is never so pictured; and Kui received cult, while Di did not. Moreover, Kui is frequently appealed in "horizontal" relationship with other powers, undermining any portrait of him as the apex of the pantheon.

Shangdi as the celestial pole.

David Pankenier has studied the astral connections of Shangdi, drawing on a view that interest in the sky was a focal character of the religious practices of the Shang, but also of the earlier Xia and Erlitou cultures. Especially intriguing is the fact that palatial and ceremonial structures of these cultures were carefully aligned to the celestial pole and the procession of pole stars. Pankenier notes that the true celestial pole lies in a sky template which is vacant of significant stars, and that the various pole stars are those nearest to this vacant apex which is of crucial importance.  He illustrates how the Shang oracular script for Di can be projected on the north pole template of the ancient sky in such a way that its extremity points correspond with the visible star, while the intersection of the linear axes at the centre will map to the vacant celestial pole. Pankenier argues that the supreme Di was identified with the celestial pole, an idea familiar in later stages of Chinese religion, linking with the "Tàiyī" 太一 ("Great One") fully documented as early as the 4th century BCE.  The interpretation of Shangdi as the celestial pole, Taiyi and as Ku the progenitor of the Shang is not contradictory. Feng Shi argues that Ku and Di are indeed identical. The Shang probably deliberately identified their ancestor with a universal god recognized in different regions and local cultures in order to legitimize their power.

Contemporary Confucianism.

Contemporary Confucian theologians have emphasised differences between the Confucian idea of Shangdi, conceived as both transcendent and immanent, and act only as a governor of the world, and the Christian idea of God, which they conceived contrary to those of Christian as a deity that is completely otherworldly (transcendent) and is merely a creator of the world.

Worship.

As mentioned above, sacrifices offered to Shangdi by the king are claimed by traditional Chinese histories to predate the Xia dynasty. The surviving archaeological record shows that by the Shang, the shoulder blades of sacrificed oxen were used to send questions or communication through fire and smoke to the divine realm, a practice known as scapulimancy. The heat would cause the bones to crack and royal diviners would interpret the marks as Shangdi's response to the king. Inscriptions used for divination were buried into special orderly pits, while those that were for practice or records were buried in common middens after use.  Under Shangdi or his later names, the deity received sacrifices from the ruler of China in every Chinese dynasty annually at a great Temple of Heaven in the imperial capital. Following the principles of Chinese geomancy, this would always be located in the southern quarter of the city. During the ritual, a completely healthy bull would be slaughtered and presented as an animal sacrifice to Shangdi. The "Book of Rites" states the sacrifice should occur on the "longest day" on a round-mound altar. The altar would have three tiers: the highest for Shangdi and the Son of Heaven; the second-highest for the sun and moon; and the lowest for the natural gods such as the stars, clouds, rain, wind, and thunder.  It is important to note that Shangdi is never represented with either images or idols. Instead, in the center building of the Temple of Heaven, in a structure called the "Imperial Vault of Heaven", a "spirit tablet" (, shénwèi) inscribed with the name of Shangdi is stored on the throne, "Huangtian Shangdi" (). During an annual sacrifice, the emperor would carry these tablets to the north part of the Temple of Heaven, a place called the "Prayer Hall For Good Harvests", and place them on that throne.

Conflation with Concept of Singular Universal God.

It was during Ming and Qing dynasty, when Roman Catholicism was introduced by Jesuit Priest Matteo Ricci, that the idea of "Shangdi" started to be applied to the Christian conception of God.  While initially he utilized the term "Tianzhu" (), lit. "The Lord of Heaven", Ricci gradually changed the translation into "Shangdi" instead. His usage of Shangdi was contested by Confucians, as they believed that the concept of "Tian" and "Shangdi" is different from that of Christian's God: Zhōng Shǐ-shēng, through his books, stated that Shangdi only governs, while Christian's God is a creator, and thus differ. Ricci's translation also invited the displeasure of Dominicans and that of the Roman Curia; On March 19, 1715, Pope Clement XI released the Edict "Ex Illa Die", stating that Catholics must use "Tianzhu" instead of "Shangdi" for Christianity's God.  When Protestantism entered China in the mid of 19th century, the Protestant missionaries also encountered a similar issue; some preferred the term "Shangdi", while some preferred the term "Shen" (god). A conference held in 1877 in Shanghai, discussing the translation issue, also believed that "Shangdi" of Confucianism and the Christian concept of God are different in nature.  However, by the 20th century, most British missionaries, some Catholics, Chinese Orthodox Christians, and Evangelicals preferred Shangdi as a connection with Chinese native monotheism with some further the argument by linking it with the unknown god as described in bible passage of. Catholics preferred to avoid it, due to compromises with the local authority in order to do their missions, as well as fear such translation may associate the Christian God to Chinese polytheism.  Nowadays, through the secular Chinese-language media, the Chinese word of "Shangdi" and "Tian" are frequently used to as a translation for the singular universal deity with minimal religious attachment to the Christian idea of God, while Confucians and intellectuals in contemporary mainland China and Taiwan attempt to realign the term to its original meaning. The Catholics officially use the term "Tianzhu", while Evangelicals typically use Shangdi and/or "Shen" (, "God").

Shangdi (), also written simply, "Emperor" (), is the Chinese term for "Supreme Deity" or "Highest Deity" in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later "Tian" ("Heaven" or "Great Whole") of Zhou theology.


Function.

One or more DNA-binding domains are often part of a larger protein consisting of further protein domains with differing function. The extra domains often regulate the activity of the DNA-binding domain. The function of DNA binding is either structural or involves transcription regulation, with the two roles sometimes overlapping.  DNA-binding domains with functions involving DNA structure have biological roles in DNA replication, repair, storage, and modification, such as methylation.  Many proteins involved in the regulation of gene expression contain DNA-binding domains. For example, proteins that regulate transcription by binding DNA are called transcription factors. The final output of most cellular signaling cascades is gene regulation.  The DBD interacts with the nucleotides of DNA in a DNA sequence-specific or non-sequence-specific manner, but even non-sequence-specific recognition involves some sort of molecular complementarity between protein and DNA. DNA recognition by the DBD can occur at the major or minor groove of DNA, or at the sugar-phosphate DNA backbone (see the structure of DNA). Each specific type of DNA recognition is tailored to the protein's function. For example, the DNA-cutting enzyme DNAse I cuts DNA almost randomly and so must bind to DNA in a non-sequence-specific manner. But, even so, DNAse I recognizes a certain 3-D DNA structure, yielding a somewhat specific DNA cleavage pattern that can be useful for studying DNA recognition by a technique called DNA footprinting.  Many DNA-binding domains must recognize specific DNA sequences, such as DBDs of transcription factors that activate specific genes, or those of enzymes that modify DNA at specific sites, like restriction enzymes and telomerase. The hydrogen bonding pattern in the DNA major groove is less degenerate than that of the DNA minor groove, providing a more attractive site for sequence-specific DNA recognition.  The specificity of DNA-binding proteins can be studied using many biochemical and biophysical techniques, such as gel electrophoresis, analytical ultracentrifugation, calorimetry, DNA mutation, protein structure mutation or modification, nuclear magnetic resonance, x-ray crystallography, surface plasmon resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, cross-linking and microscale thermophoresis (MST).

DNA-binding protein in genomes.

A large fraction of genes in each genome encodes DNA-binding proteins (see Table). However, only a rather small number of protein families are DNA-binding. For instance, more than 2000 of the ~20,000 human proteins are "DNA-binding", including about 750 Zinc-finger proteins.

Types.

Helix-turn-helix.

Originally discovered in bacteria, the helix-turn-helix motif is commonly found in repressor proteins and is about 20 amino acids long. In eukaryotes, the homeodomain comprises 2 helices, one of which recognizes the DNA (aka recognition helix). They are common in proteins that regulate developmental processes (PROSITE HTH).

Zinc finger.

The zinc finger domain is mostly found in eukaryotes, but some examples have been found in bacteria. The zinc finger domain is generally between 23 and 28 amino acids long and is stabilized by coordinating zinc ions with regularly spaced zinc-coordinating residues (either histidines or cysteines). The most common class of zinc finger (Cys2His2) coordinates a single zinc ion and consists of a recognition helix and a 2-strand beta-sheet. In transcription factors these domains are often found in arrays (usually separated by short linker sequences) and adjacent fingers are spaced at 3 basepair intervals when bound to DNA.

Leucine zipper.

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain is found mainly in eukaryotes and to a limited extent in bacteria. The bZIP domain contains an alpha helix with a leucine at every 7th amino acid. If two such helices find one another, the leucines can interact as the teeth in a zipper, allowing dimerization of two proteins. When binding to the DNA, basic amino acid residues bind to the sugar-phosphate backbone while the helices sit in the major grooves. It regulates gene expression.

Winged helix.

Consisting of about 110 amino acids, the winged helix (WH) domain has four helices and a two-strand beta-sheet.

Winged helix-turn-helix.

The winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) domain is typically 85-90 amino acids long. It is formed by a 3-helical bundle and a 4-strand beta-sheet (wing).

Helix-loop-helix.

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain is found in some transcription factors and is characterized by two alpha helices (α-helixes) connected by a loop. One helix is typically smaller and due to the flexibility of the loop, allows dimerization by folding and packing against another helix. The larger helix typically contains the DNA-binding regions.

HMG-box.

HMG-box domains are found in high mobility group proteins which are involved in a variety of DNA-dependent processes like replication and transcription. They also alter the flexibility of the DNA by inducing bends. The domain consists of three alpha helices separated by loops.

Wor3 domain.

Wor3 domains, named after the White–Opaque Regulator 3 (Wor3) in "Candida albicans" arose more recently in evolutionary time than most previously described DNA-binding domains and are restricted to a small number of fungi.

OB-fold domain.

The OB-fold is a small structural motif originally named for its oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding properties. OB-fold domains range between 70 and 150 amino acids in length. OB-folds bind single-stranded DNA, and hence are single-stranded binding proteins.  OB-fold proteins have been identified as critical for DNA replication, DNA recombination, DNA repair, transcription, translation, cold shock response, and telomere maintenance.

Unusual.

Immunoglobulin fold.

The immunoglobulin domain () consists of a beta-sheet structure with large connecting loops, which serve to recognize either DNA major grooves or antigens. Usually found in immunoglobulin proteins, they are also present in Stat proteins of the cytokine pathway. This is likely because the cytokine pathway evolved relatively recently and has made use of systems that were already functional, rather than creating its own.

B3 domain.

The B3 DBD (, ) is found exclusively in transcription factors from higher plants and restriction endonucleases EcoRII and BfiI and typically consists of 100-120 residues. It includes seven beta sheets and two alpha helices, which form a DNA-binding pseudobarrel protein fold.

TAL effector.

TAL effectors are found in bacterial plant pathogens of the genus "Xanthomonas" and are involved in regulating the genes of the host plant in order to facilitate bacterial virulence, proliferation, and dissemination. They contain a central region of tandem 33-35 residue repeats and each repeat region encodes a single DNA base in the TALE's binding site. Within the repeat it is residue 13 alone that directly contacts the DNA base, determining sequence specificity, while other positions make contacts with the DNA backbone, stabilising the DNA-binding interaction. Each repeat within the array takes the form of paired alpha-helices, while the whole repeat array forms a right-handed superhelix, wrapping around the DNA-double helix. TAL effector repeat arrays have been shown to contract upon DNA binding and a two-state search mechanism has been proposed whereby the elongated TALE begins to contract around the DNA beginning with a successful Thymine recognition from a unique repeat unit N-terminal of the core TAL-effector repeat array. Related proteins are found in bacterial plant pathogen "Ralstonia solanacearum", the fungal endosymbiont "Burkholderia rhizoxinica" and two as-yet unidentified marine-microorganisms. The DNA binding code and the structure of the repeat array is conserved between these groups, referred to collectively as the TALE-likes.

RNA-guided.

The CRISPR/Cas system of "Streptococcus pyogenes" can be programmed to direct both activation and repression to natural and artificial eukaryotic promoters through the simple engineering of guide RNAs with base-pairing complementarity to target DNA sites. Cas9 can be used as a customizable RNA-guided DNA-binding platform. Domain Cas9 can be functionalized with regulatory domains of interest (e.g., activation, repression, or epigenetic effector) or with endonuclease domain as a versatile tool for genome engineering biology. and then be targeted to multiple loci using different guide RNAs.

A DNA-binding domain (DBD) is an independently folded protein domain that contains at least one structural motif that recognizes double- or single-stranded DNA. A DBD can recognize a specific DNA sequence (a recognition sequence) or have a general affinity to DNA. Some DNA-binding domains may also include nucleic acids in their folded structure.


Cover.

The album cover shows a man in a suit, sleeping on a radiator, and apparently dreaming of skyscraper-beast hybrids. The cover was created from a painting by Zox and a photograph by Charlie Ganse, and was originally created for Van Morrison's unreleased 1975 album, "Mechanical Bliss", the concept being a satire of the American Dream. In the liner notes for the 1999 remaster of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps "Can't Buy a Thrill")."

Eagles reference and beyond.

In the song "Everything You Did", a lyric says, "turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening." Glenn Frey of the Eagles said, "Apparently Walter Becker's girlfriend loved the Eagles, and she played them all the time. I think it drove him nuts. So, the story goes that they were having a fight one day and that was the genesis of the line." Given that the two bands shared a manager (Irving Azoff) and that the Eagles proclaimed their admiration for Steely Dan, this was more friendly rivalry than feud.  Later that year in a nod back to Steely Dan for the free publicity, and inspired by Steely Dan's lyric style, the Eagles penned the lyrics, "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" in their hit "Hotel California". Frey commented, "We just wanted to allude to Steely Dan rather than mentioning them outright, so 'Dan' got changed to 'knives,' which is still, you know, a penile metaphor.". This comment refers to the name's claimed origin in William S. Burroughs' book "Naked Lunch". Timothy B. Schmit, who sang background vocals on "The Royal Scam" would later join the Eagles.

Reception.

The album was not as highly rated upon its release as its predecessors with most reviewers finding that it did not show any musical progress. In contrast, the original "Rolling Stone" review was more positive, and ultimately the magazine gave it five stars in a later Hall of Fame review. In 2000 it was voted number 868 in Colin Larkin's "All Time Top 1000 Albums".

Personnel.

Steely Dan  Additional musicians  Production

The Royal Scam is the fifth studio album by Steely Dan, originally released by ABC Records in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts. "The Royal Scam" features more prominent guitar work than the prior Steely Dan album, "Katy Lied", which had been the first without founding guitarist Jeff Baxter. Guitarists on the recording include Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks.


History.

doual'art was registered as a non profit organization in 1992 and it was established by Marilyn Douala Bell and Didier Schaub. In 1995 they created "Espace doual'art", an exhibition space and gallery in the neighbourhood of Bonanjo in Douala. In 1996 they produced La Nouvelle Liberté by Joseph-Francis Sumégné, considered a landmark in Douala. In 2005 they organized the first Ars&Urbis event, an international symposium to foster discussion and theory about the contribution of art to urban transformation. The event led to the establishment of the SUD Salon Urbain de Douala, a triennial exhibition focused on public art. In December 2007 it launched the first edition of the SUD Salon Urbain de Douala. In December 2010 the second edition of SUD Salon Urbain de Douala took place. The salon produces the itinerant exhibition "Making Douala 2007-2013" which was presented in 2012 at the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam within its official programme, at the Dakar Biennale as an off event and on Lucas Grandin's website

Governance.

doual'art is directed by its president Marilyn Douala Bell (and its artistic director Didier Schaub until his death in 2014). The institution is an independent non profit organization which develops its activities and projects with the support of partners, international grant-makers and sponsors.  In producing site-specific urban interventions, doual'art works as an intermediary between social and economic actors, population and local collectives. It perceives cultural and artistic initiatives as a tool for consolidating freedom of expression and social cohesion, which allow in their turn transcending and overcoming closures and cleavages. doual'art implements a participatory approach to cultural practice, negotiating with local communities, NGOs and authorities their specific needs and aspirations and involving artists as facilitators of the development processes.  The exhibition space has presented works by Pascale Marthine Tayou, Goddy Leye, Alioum Moussa, Koko Komégné, Joseph-Francis Sumégné, AchilleKà, Bili Bidjocka, Lucas Grandin, Khaled Hafez, Christian Hanussek, Aser Kash, Bill Kouelany, Frédéric Keiff, Faouzi Laatiris, Salifou Lindou, Michèle Magema, Malam, Joël Mpah Dooh, Younès Rahmoun, Tracey Rose, Kamiel Verschuren, Sue Williamson, Jules Wokam, Guy Wouete, Hervé Yamguen, Hervé Youmbi.

Building.

doual'art was initially established in 1991 without a fixed location, with the aim of producing site-specific artworks and projects in the different neighborhoods of Douala. In 1995 the "Espace doual'art" is created. The space was established in the former cinema of the Palace of Douala Kings, propriety of the family Douala Bell and located in Bonanjo, Place du Gouvernement. The architect Danièle Diwouta-Kotto restored the location and created offices, an exhibition space, a cafeteria and the outside garden. The "Espace doual'art" hosts meetings, conferences, exhibitions, projections, installations and performances. Douala is at the centre of the work of doual'art, also after the establishment of the "Espace doual'art". Between 1991 and 2012 doual'art produces artworks in over 12 neighborhood of the city.

Programme.

The focus of doual'art is on contemporary art and urban transformations. Since 1991, the organization has exhibited and produced artworks of Cameroonian artists and it has invited contemporary artists of other nationalities to Douala in order to create a bridge between the city and contemporary art productions. The purpose of doual'art is to foster Douala's cultural and urban identity. Indeed, artistic creation is considered a trigger of change, a paradigm of development, and most crucially an effective means to fight indigence and poverty. Since 2007 doual'art organises the SUD Salon Urbain de Douala, a triennial cultural event which produces ephemeral and permanent contemporary art and public art for the city of Douala. The event takes place in December; the first edition of SUD is organized in 2007; the second in 2010; the third in 2013.

Notability.

Doual'art is described by the Prince Claus Fund as an "organisation that has revolutionized the art scene in Cameroon". Doual'art is part of several international networks including Artfactories and ArtsCollaboratory.

doual'art is a non profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities.