Leadership.

The founder of the CSA was James Ellison, who was jailed in federal prison along with his "high priest" Kerry Noble. Robert G. Millar became one of Ellison's spiritual advisers, and was also the founder of Elohim City. Ellison was also mentored by Richard Girnt Butler, founder of the Aryan Nations and Robert E. Miles, founder of the Mountain Church in Cohoctah, Michigan. Both extreme right-wing leaders taught and practiced the theology of Christian Identity, a belief system that the FBI includes on its watch list as an extremist religion. Ellison had close ties to the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations, based in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and led by Richard Girnt Butler, who was described as "the glue of the Aryan Nations movement in the Northwest, if not the country" by the supervisor of the Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force. Miles had a prison ministry and newsletter, relating mostly to the violent white Aryan groups, of which there are many, most notably, the Aryan Brotherhood. After Ellison was released from prison, he moved to Elohim City, where he married Millar's granddaughter.  The entire Council of Elders in the CSA community were deeply influenced and mentored by many outside sources. This nine-man council deliberated on both the spiritual meaning and the direction of CSA activities. Jim Ellison, Kerry Noble, and William Wade were the only known members of the council.

Members.

In June 1982, the CSA had an estimated 90 to 120 members, consisting of men, women, and children. In April 1984, the number of members had been reduced to less than 70.  Other known members of The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord include:

Purpose.

The CSA was an organization which believed that doomsday was imminent, and the 224-acre compound that was set up in Elijah became a community for its members. There they trained their members in paramilitary operations. The group believed in white supremacy and was anti-Semitic. Like other prominent anti-Semitic groups that believed in antisemitic canards, they referred to the United States Government as "ZOG", short for Zionist Occupied Government. The military leader, who used the name Randall Rader during his stay at the CSA compound, left the group in a rift with Ellison and joined the newly forming group The Order in Idaho. The CSA initially professed the belief that the United States government would dissolve due to its corruption, whereas The Order advocated revolution. However, in July 1983, The CSA published a manifesto called A.T.T.A.C.K. (Aryan Tactical Treaty for the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom) which declared a war against the government. This was seen by followers as the Second American Revolution.

Operations.

CSA assassins monitored the homes of their targets, practiced mock assassinations of these targets with scoped rifles, and practiced attacks in a mock residential training facility known as Silhouette City. The perimeter of the CSA compound had 100, 200, and indicator plates nailed to trees to allow the defenders to adjust their sights accordingly to engage attackers. The central rallying point in the event of an attack was a concrete bunkhouse that housed the communications radios next to the tower, which was constructed for defense. The perimeter of the compound had built-in bunkers for one to three men, and each was numbered as a post and assigned to individuals as an area of responsibility.  The line infantryman carried a Ruger Mini-14.223 Remington rifle. As in the early days of the United States Marine Corps, the squads were set up in four-man fire teams. One man in the fire team carried a Heckler and Koch Model 91 rifle in.308 caliber. These had been modified via a technique that the organization sold to "brother groups," converting the rifles to an illegal selective fire weapon (capable of firing either single shots or fully automatic). The Elite "A" Team had black clothing and some fairly sophisticated weapons, such as the.22 caliber Ruger target pistol fitted with an integral silencer, and several MAC-10 submachineguns in both 9 mm and.45 ACP, also with attached suppressors. These men trained in the covert aspects of military action and were to be the core of the defense initiative.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) later determined that the CSA had obtained 155 Krugerrands, one live light antitank rocket, 94 long arms, 30 handguns, 35 sawed-off shotguns, and machine guns, one heavy machine gun, and a quantity of C-4 explosives.  Within "Silhouette City", the CSA also ran a boot camp-style program known as the "End Time Overcomer Survival Training School" - which was conducted by Order member, Randall Rader. Here, the group trained an estimated 1,500 of like-minded Christian Identity adherents in combat techniques and paramilitary exercises. Upon completing this training, a newly-trained militant would leave to join or start other similar militia groups.  The CSA and its paramilitary arm taught basic pistol and rifle use as well as personal home defense, rural and urban warfare, weapons proficiency, general military fieldcraft, Christian martial arts, and natural wilderness survival.  In 1983, CSA member William Thomas accompanying Richard Wayne Snell and Steven Scott attempted to dynamite a natural gas pipeline which crossed the Red River on its way from the Gulf of Mexico to Chicago. This event ran as part of the group's A.T.T.A.C.K. operations. According to Kerry Noble, the group predicted this to result in riots (due to it being in winter). However, the trio was unsuccessful in carrying out the act of terror.  The CSA had links with other radical organizations, including the Aryan Brotherhood, the Mountain Church, and The Order, which were all dangerous white supremacist organizations which advocated the violent overthrow of the United States Government. Many of their members were seen traveling in and out of the compound, and after a search of the compound, several stolen vehicles including one belonging to The Order were recovered.  According to a report conducted by the California Department of Justice, The Pagans Motorcycle Club provided the CSA with training in booby trap devices and survival techniques in return for weapons and ammunition.  Things began to go downhill for the organization after Snell, an alleged member, was arrested for killing an African-American police officer. Snell was later tied to the killing of a gun store owner in 1981, obtaining and using the same gun, the serial number of which had been removed by the CSA armorer, Kent Yates. Yates was arrested on Friday, July 13, 1984, on an outstanding warrant out of New Mexico for firearms violations in Farmington. He was later also charged and convicted of weapons manufacture and modification for the CSA.  After the incident with Snell, the FBI began to seek ways to infiltrate the CSA compound and stop the organization which was deemed dangerous. Its agents obtained warrants under Arkansas state law to arrest Ellison, the leader of the CSA, for multiple firearms violations. (The FBI later claimed that at all times it had an "inside man" in the CSA.)

Siege.

On 16 April 1985, the FBI obtained a search warrant for the CSA compound.  Beginning on 19 April 1985, the FBI and the ATF, led by the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), positioned around 300 federal agents in Elijah. It was necessary to keep the operation a secret, but this was not easy in the small community. However, the FBI and ATF agents took advantage of Pontiac being a common destination for anglers by pretending to be fishermen and registering at different motels near the various fishing destinations. On the morning of 19 April, they moved in and surrounded the CSA compound, putting some of their agents in fishing boats to seal off the lakeside area of the compound. There they waited, until a few hours later when two guards emerged from the compound. They appeared to be unaware of the presence of the officers and walked towards a sniper hold-out until an officer yelled commands to return to the compound, with which the guards complied. Later, an unnamed individual emerged from the compound and talked with the federal agents and reported to Ellison that the FBI agents were outside and willing to negotiate his surrender and the emptying of the compound. Ellison emerged later. FBI agents had expected that he would not go down without a firefight, but the FBI negotiators convinced him that the CSA would certainly lose if they had one. They convinced him that they wanted peaceful cooperation, and he asked that his spiritual adviser, assumed to be Millar, come to the compound to instruct him. The individual was flown to the area and seemed eager to convince Ellison to stand down. They allowed the individual into the compound, and the FBI instructed him to call in every 30 minutes to report on how negotiations were going.  U.S. Attorney Asa Hutchinson, who later successfully prosecuted Ellison and other leaders of the CSA, put on an FBI flak jacket and entered the compound to join the negotiations, leading to a peaceful conclusion to the armed stand-off. After several calls requesting more time, early on the morning of the fourth day of the siege, Arkansas State Police entered the compound and escorted out the remaining members without further bloodshed. Women and children had earlier been evacuated to nearby motels.

Charges.

Ellison and most of his leadership were charged in federal court with illegal weapons possession and racketeering. In September 1985, Ellison, Kerry Noble, and four other CSA members (Gary Stone, Timothy Russell, Rudy Loewen, and David Giles) were sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms. A seventh CSA member, Stephen Scott, pleaded guilty in an Arkansas federal court to charges he dynamited a natural gas pipeline near Fulton, Arkansas in 1983, and was also sent to prison. Ex-CSA member Kent Yates also pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to make and transfer automatic weapons silencers.  Ellison faced the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after he was convicted on federal racketeering and weapons charges. However, Ellison was released in 1987 after agreeing to testify against the leader and six senior members of the Aryan Nations. All seven men were arrested and indicted on charges of sedition. The jury found all the defendants not guilty on all charges. Upon his release from federal prison, Ellison moved to Elohim City.  Richard Wayne Snell, the man who shot and killed the police officer and a pawn shop owner, was sentenced to death by lethal injection, which was carried out on 19 April 1995, the same day as the Oklahoma City bombing.

Possible ties to the Oklahoma City bombing.

There are several claims that the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was tied to the "New Day" teachings of Elohim City. No proof, however, has been established. Elohim City was assembled to gather "prophets of the New Day". Leader Robert G. Millar envisioned himself to be the "Shepherd of Shepherds" traveling to numerous alternative societies, many of which were and are still communes. His ambition was to unite these underground organizations. He appeared several times at the Padanaram Settlement, in southern Indiana, but contrary to reports, members of the Padanaram Settlement did not concur with the radical callings of either Millar or Ellison, who made two appearances there. "The Valley" was and still is known more for being a cultural hub for artists and philosophers, and until roughly 2003 it operated a sawmill.  Timothy McVeigh, who was convicted and executed for perpetrating the Oklahoma City bombing, had no association with the CSA and had just enlisted in the U.S Army when the CSA compound was besieged and broken up. The Oklahoma City bombing occurred exactly on the 10th anniversary of the start of the siege of the CSA compound in 1985. The most plausible link is the fact that Richard Wayne Snell, who was executed on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing, had planned a similar attack on the Murrah building in 1983 after becoming upset with the Internal Revenue Service. Additionally, Snell was heard taunting jailers that something drastic would happen on the day of his execution. However, McVeigh has stated that he chose the date of 19 April to coincide with the violent end of the Waco siege exactly two years prior. McVeigh had traveled and visited Waco during the 51-day siege and cited it and 1992 Ruby Ridge events as his primary motivation for carrying out the bombing.  The single incident in which the CSA was involved, the robbery of a pawn shop in Springfield, Missouri, was in fact, foiled by a CSA member on the orders of Jim Ellison, unknown to Wayne Snell, who headed up the plan. It was regarding this event in which Ellison saw a "sign from God" which he interpreted to mean that they should not carry out the attempt; not the attack on the Oklahoma City Federal Building.  The death knell of the CSA was its attempt to kill FBI special agent Jack Knox, the lead agent assigned to investigate the group; Asa Hutchinson, the federal prosecutor; and the federal judge who presided over the affair that brought about the eventual action against Gordon Kahl, a tax protester and a member of the Posse Comitatus, by federal agents at CSA member, Leonard Ginter's home (called 'The Bunker', due to its construction from concrete covered with earth). Ellison revered Kahl as a hero. Like McVeigh, Kahl was a decorated American soldier; Kahl earned a Silver Star in the Korean War, and McVeigh earned a Bronze Star in the first Gulf War – Desert Storm.

Media.

In 2013, Kerry Noble appeared on the Investigation Discovery show "Dangerous Persuasions" talking about his time with the group. He was also interviewed for an episode of "Brainwashed" on the Slice Network in Canada and discussed his time with the CSA.  The Discovery Channel crime series "The FBI Files"' sixth season featured an episode whose topic was the CSA. The episode reveals the details of the federal investigation into the group, the 1985 siege, and the aftermath. The episode originally aired 10 December 2002.

The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (initialized CSA) was a far right terrorist organization dedicated to Christian Identity and survivalism that was active in the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s. The CSA developed from a Baptist congregation called the Zarephath-Horeb Community Church, founded in 1971 in the small community of Pontiac in southern Missouri. Over time, Zarephath-Horeb evolved into an extremist paramilitary organization and was rechristened CSA. The group operated a large compound in northern Arkansas called "the Farm". In April 1985, law enforcement officers investigating the group for weapons violations and terrorist acts carried out a siege against the compound. After a peaceful resolution, officers arrested and later convicted CSA's top leaders, and the organization dissolved.


Plot.

In September 1950, during the Korean War, a U.S. Navy pilot named Neil Smith (Steve Taschler) is caught in a mysterious storm of butterflies and crash-lands his plane in a remote and mountainous part of Korea. He is found by villagers from the nearby mountain village of Dongmakgol, who nurse him back to health. Dongmakgol is cut off from the outside world – its inhabitants have no knowledge of modern technology and are blissfully unaware of the massive conflict raging across Korea. Smith hands a Korean-English primer to Teacher Kim (Jo Deok-hyeon), the village scholar, in an effort to communicate, but Mr Kim effectively gives up when Smith begins a barrage of complaints after being asked in English, "How are you?" as an introductory greeting.  Meanwhile, not far from the village, a platoon of North Korean soldiers is ambushed by a South Korean unit, and the ensuing skirmish leaves most of the North Koreans dead. The surviving North Korean soldiers manage to escape through a mountain passage. The North Korean soldiers, Rhee Soo-hwa (Jung Jae-young), Jang Young-hee (Im Ha-ryong), and Seo Taek-gi (Ryu Deok-hwan) are found by an absent-minded girl from Dongmakgol, named Yeo-il (Kang Hye-jung). She leads them to the village where, to the North Koreans' alarm, they find two South Korean soldiers, Pyo Hyun-chul (Shin Ha-kyun) and Moon Sang-sang (Seo Jae-kyung). The South Korean soldiers, both of whom had deserted their units and escaped into the mountains, had also been led to Dongmakgol by another villager.  The unexpected encounter triggers a Mexican standoff that lasts until the next day. Initially, the villagers are rounded up between the North and South Koreans, but having no idea what the fuss is about they slowly drift away to go about their own business (despite some of the soldiers' efforts to intimidate them into submission). The villagers, who are unfamiliar with the soldiers' weapons, continue to watch on the sidelines and wonder why the two sides are waving "sticks" and "painted potatoes" at each other (which are actually rifles and grenades, respectively). In fact, Yeo-il gleefully pulls out the pin from Taek-gi's grenade (mistaking it for a ring), sending the soldiers into further panic.  The confrontation ends only when Taek-gi, worn by fatigue, accidentally drops his now-armed grenade. While everyone else ducks for cover, Hyun-chul heroically throws himself onto the grenade, but it does not explode. Believing it to be a dud, he throws the grenade behind him in contempt, and it rolls into the village storehouse. It then explodes, incinerating the village's stockpile of corn for the winter. The remnants fall down from the sky, surrealistically, as popcorn.  The two groups of Korean soldiers are now forced to face the fact that their quarrel has condemned the village to starvation in the upcoming winter. They reluctantly agree to a truce and divert their efforts to making up for the damage they have caused. Together, the soldiers undertake work across the village, and help harvest potatoes in the fields.  They even work together to kill one of the wild boars troubling the village. The villagers then bury the boar, much to the annoyance of the soldiers (who wanted to eat it). Both the North and South Korean soldiers and Smith sneak out separately at night to dig up the boar and eat it, leading to an unplanned meal together. The mood is awkward at first, but the tension between the soldiers lessens as they share the meal with each other. However, even afterwards, members of both sides remain haunted by the memories of the terrible things they have experienced during the war.  While this is happening, Allied commanders, having lost several other planes in the area, prepare a rescue team to recover Smith, who they mistakenly believe has been captured by enemy units and is being held at a hidden mountain base. The plan is to secure Smith and evacuate him from the area, with a bomber unit flying in after Smith's extraction to destroy the anti-aircraft guns they presume are located in the base.  The rescue team, led by their commander (David Joseph Anselmo), drops in by parachute at night. They suffer heavy casualties after being swarmed by a torrent of butterflies in the air, with further casualties from the rough terrain. Meanwhile, the villagers and soldiers are holding a harvest feast. The rescue team enter the village, and, assuming it is a cover for an enemy base, begin roughing up toward the villagers. Despite the efforts of the villagers to conceal the Korean soldiers by disguising them as villagers, a firefight breaks out in which all but one of the members of the rescue team are killed, and Yeo-il is fatally wounded in the crossfire. The only survivor of the rescue team, the Korean translator, is hit over the head by Smith and is captured by the villagers.  Through the translator, the people in the village find out about the bombing plan. The North and South Korean soldiers realize that the village is in peril and that there is no time for Smith to make it back to his base to stop the bombing. They decide that the only possible way to save the village is to create a decoy "enemy base" away from the village, using equipment salvaged from another plane that went down nearby. They plan to engage the unit only far as is necessary to divert it and have it bomb the "base" instead of Dongmakgol, with the soldiers fleeing to safety.  Smith is sent back along with the translator so that he can tell the Americans that there is nothing in the village to bomb, in case they decide to send more bombers. Meanwhile, while preparing to engage the planes passing over, Taek-gi encourages the group and quips that they, being a joint North-South troop, are "Allies" too. The decoy is successful, but Young-hee and Sang-sang are killed during the initial engagement. In the end, the remaining Korean soldiers are wiped out by a blanket of bombs – however, they die smiling, knowing that Dongmakgol has been saved.  Smith breaks down in tears on the way to his base upon hearing the bombs in the distance, suspecting that the Korean soldiers have sacrificed themselves. After the bombing, at the site of the destroyed decoy base, butterflies apparate where the Korean soldiers died, which then join the swarm fluttering overhead.

Production.

Having being impressed by Park Kwang-hyun's 2002 short film "My Nike", Film It Suda CEO Jang Jin gave him a new project: to direct an adaptation of one of Jang's successful stage plays called "Welcome to Dongmakgol". The final script was the result of 18 months of brainstorming between Jang, Park, and visual supervisor Kim Joong.  The film was originally budgeted for around, as there were no big stars (mostly actors acquainted with Jang or affiliated with Film It Suda). However, filming and post-production CGI took much longer than expected, and the budget skyrocketed to, putting Jang's company in trouble: for a small production company like Film It Suda failing with this film would have been catastrophic.  Park had been a big fan of Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki's work since he watched "Future Boy Conan" as a child. One of Miyazaki's most important collaborators was composer Joe Hisaishi. Park liked Hisaishi's music so much that he wrote the script thinking about his music, visualizing the scenes in his mind while listening to his past work. During pre-production, producer Lee Eun-ha asked Park who the best music director for the project would be; Park immediately answered, "Joe Hisaishi." Lee then wrote a very heartfelt letter to Hisaishi, explaining their situation and translating the script into Japanese for Hisaishi's consideration. Hisaishi accepted the proposal, later stating that he was moved by the enthusiasm and sincerity in the letter, choosing "Welcome to Dongmakgol" as his first ever Korean film.

Welcome to Dongmakgol (), also known as Battle Ground 625 (UK), is a 2005 South Korean film. Based on the same-titled long-running stage play by filmmaker/playwright Jang Jin, Park Kwang-hyun's debut film was a commercial and critical success.


Life and career.

Heuberger grew up in poor circumstances. He completed his training at the Swiss Volksbank in Aarburg in the 1930s. As a bank and insurance buyer, he later worked for the Volksbank as an accountant, credit manager and securities specialist, then as an agency manager for the Bâloise insurance company.  Together with his wife Ruth, born Mötteli (* 1924, † 2016), Heuberger founded Siska Heuberger Holding AG in 1954, with which he implemented a series of major building projects, especially in eastern Switzerland, with the construction of about 1000 apartments in Winterthur. According to the economic magazine's BILANZ, he had assets of approximately CHF300 to 500 million in 2012.  He is the father of the media entrepreneur, Günther Heuberger, and father of Rainer Heuberger, old Cantonal Council of Zürich (SVP) and owner of Siska Verwaltungs AG

Engagement.

Heuberger's public commitment includes funding for the establishment of the Club of Rome in Winterthur, setting up the non-profit «Robert and Ruth Heuberger Foundation», as well as founding an innovation prize for young entrepreneurs. In 2007, the City of Winterthur awarded him the prize of the "Winterthur Lion". In 2013, Heuberger drew attention to the initiative to abolish conscription by means of double-page advertisements. The referendum was clearly rejected.

Honors.

The asteroid 82232 Heuberger, discovered by Markus Griesser at the Swiss Eschenberg Observatory in 2001, has been named in honor of Robert and Ruth Heuberger's commitment to social and cultural institutions. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 13 July 2004 ().

Robert K. Heuberger (12 January 1922 in Olten) is a Swiss real estate entrepreneur, patron and author under the pseudonym Victor Vermont.


Satellite.

GSAT-7, the multi-band communication satellite named "Rukmini" carries the payloads in UHF, C band and. It is the first dedicated military communication satellite (unlike earlier dual use satellites) built by ISRO that will provide services to the Indian defence forces with the main user being the Indian Navy. The GSAT-7 is the last of ISRO's seven fourth-generation satellites. Its foreign launch cost has been put at Rs. 480 crore, with the satellite costing Rs. 185 crore. The multiple-band spacecraft will be used exclusively by the Navy to shore up secure, real-time communications among its warships, submarines, aircraft and land systems. GSAT-7/ INSAT-4F is said to significantly improve the country's naval operations around the world. ISRO is expected to launch the second satellite, GSAT-7A, in the second half of 2018. GSAT 7a will be used by the Indian air force. The state-of-the-art GSAT 7 satellite carrying payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands, had a lift-off mass of and is based on ISRO's satellite bus with some new technological elements, including the antennae. After a flight of almost 34 minutes, the satellite was injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) of perigee, apogee and an inclination of 3.5 degree with respect to the equator.

Launch.

The satellite was launched early on 30 August 2013 atop an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.  India's first dedicated military satellite was put into a geosynchronous orbit, about above Earth, five days after it was launched after three orbit-raising manoeuvres from ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka. The 2.5-tonne spacecraft's antennae, including the ultra high frequency Helix antenna were deployed before it was stabilised on its three-axis in the orbit. All of the on-board transponders were switched on successfully on September 18, 2013

Capability.

Rukmini will provide networking capabilities to various Indian Naval assets. During Theater-level Readiness and Operational Exercise (Tropex) in the Bay of Bengal in 2014, Rukmini was able to network about 60 ships and 75 aircraft seamlessly. Rukmini has a nearly 2,000 nautical mile 'footprint' over the Indian Ocean Region.

Replacement.

The Indian Navy placed an order for GSAT-7R on June 11, 2019. GSAT-7R is expected to be launched in 2020 to eventually replace GSAT-7.

GSAT-7 or INSAT-4F is a multi-band military communications satellite developed by ISRO. The Indian Navy is the user of the multi-band communication spacecraft, which has been operational since September 2013. According to defense experts, the satellite will enable the navy to extend its blue water capabilities and stop relying on foreign satellites like Inmarsat, which provide communication services to its ships.


History.

Early years and first EP (2004−2007).

Last Chance to Reason toured throughout 2005,2006 and 2007 supporting their first EP. Shows with Unearth, The Autumn Offering and As I Lay Dying helped their fan base grow. Several DIY tours and show trading helped LCTR become a staple of the central Maine metal scene. During these times the band experienced several lineup changes. It was also during this time that the band released their first music video for their song "SBTBATAC", filmed and edited by award winning director Kevin James Custer.

"Lvl. 1" and lineup changes (2007–2009).

2007 saw the group's first major lineup change with the departure of guitarist Dustin Boudreau, vocalist Mike Levenseller and the arrival of Bob Delaney. Delaney, a staple of the Maine music scene, became the vocalist for the band's first LP release, Lvl. 1, and would stay with the band until 2008. This also marked a change in style for the band, moving from mathcore to a more progressive based sound. Lvl. 1 was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jamie King in North Carolina and released by Tribunal Records in August 2007. Influences from video games to King Crimson saw the band take on new song structures and melodies. Touring for Lvl. 1 was intense and almost non-stop. Tours with Look What I Did and Car Bomb helped the bands fan base grow even larger.

"Level 2" and label signing (2009–2012).

Writing for Level 2 began in late 2007 with drummer Evan Sammons and guitarist A.J. Harvey writing and recording a basic demos of the record. In September 2008 it was announced that Mike Lessard would be taking over vocal duties and Delaney would no longer be in the band, the departure was seen as amicable for both parties involved. With the vocal situation settled the band began to focus on recruiting a second guitarist, this spot would be filled by Evan Haines. However Haines would eventually be replaced by longtime friend Tom Waterhouse in the summer of 2010. After writing for Level 2 was complete, the band recruited friend and original producer of Lvl 1, Jamie King, to record the album in North Carolina. The drums and vocals were recorded entirely with King, while guitar, bass, and keyboards were recorded by the band at their Mother Brain studios in central Maine. The album was edited, mixed and mastered by King and released on April 12, 2011 through Prosthetic Records. Guitarist Thomas Waterhouse and keyboardist Brian Palmer left the band in early August 2011 during a tour of America, reducing the line-up to four again, before recruiting Mike Abdow as a replacement for Waterhouse.

"Level 3" (2013–present).

Last Chance to Reason announced their third album, "Level 3", via their Facebook page on June 20, 2013. The album was released through Prosthetic Records on August 6, 2013. The band had previously said that Level 3 would be a concept album like Level 2. The next day, the band released the first single and music video entitled "The Escapist". They also announced that they be touring from July–August in support of the album, with Evan Brewer supporting them on the tour. As well as this, it was announced that Robby Baca of The Contortionist would be filling on guitars in place of AJ Harvey and Mike Abdow, who left the band shortly after the completion of Level 3.  On June 21, 2013, Mike Lessard announced that he would now be the full-time vocalist for The Contortionist and that Last Chance To Reason would become a side project, as the band had come to a standstill after the completion of Level 3. He stated that discussions had already begun between him and Robby Baca regarding The Contortionist's third album and that he would be flying back to Indianapolis after Last Chance To Reason's North American tour to begin writing the album.  On the future of the band, Evan Sammons said in July 2016, "There's no timeline for it, but it's been no secret that we plan to make another record."

Last Chance to Reason is an American progressive metal band from Augusta, Maine. Their debut album, "Lvl. 1", was released through Tribunal Records in 2007. Their first major label debut, "Level 2", came in 2011 through Prosthetic Records. The band's third studio album, "Level 3", was released on August 6, 2013.


History.

São Mateus was one of the first Captaincies of the Azores, and administered by its Captain-Donatorio, Duarte Barreto.  The main centre and parish seat obtained the category, and elevated to the title, of "vila" (or town) during the reign of King John III, by royal charter on 1 April 1546. It operated as the municipal seat until 1867, when its role was superseded by the much larger Santa Cruz da Graciosa. Yet, it still retained the honorific title of "vila". During this time, the settlers of the island formed historical, social and economic contacts with the peoples and economy of Terceira, in addition to those ships travelling between Europe and Brazil.  In the 16th century it had become a rich parish, and competed with Santa Cruz. In 1890, there were over 1783 inhabitants, but it had already begun a slow decline. Part of the population emigrated to the United States or Canada, while the remaining population relied primarily on a subsistence lifestyle for local consumption.

Geography.

Within an area of less than 13 kilometres square, the parish includes various individual rural localities, including Vila da Praia, Fenais, Fonte do Mato, Lagoa, Pedras Brancas and Feteira.  The parish occupies the extreme southeast, along a long valley which separates the Caldeira massif from the rest of the island. To the interior the volcanic crater, simply the "Calderia" (caldera), is the largest volcanic structure on the island. Within its crater, is the "Furna do Enxofre", a large cavern and subterranean lake bio-system popular with tourists. Located directly opposite the village is the Praia Islet, an important natural reserve, classified as a "Zone of Special Protection", due to the abundant marine bird species that use it for nesting and as transitory stop in annual migrations.  The population is aging in this community, and is shifting into a bedroom community of the much larger Santa Cruz.

Economy.

In addition to agriculture, a staple of the fertile lands of the Azores, Praia has been known for being an important fishing community and supplier for the economy of Graciosa. In addition to fish, fisherman have collected and dried algae ("Sargassum") as fertilizer. Similarly, Graciosense were producers of tile, for the regional market, resulting in periods of boom.  Other complementary activities, in addition to the small garages and mechanical shops, the parish is a center of civil construction and bread makers, and has an outpost of the fiscal auditors, customs, post office and bank.

Praia (officially São Mateus) is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa, on the island of Graciosa, in the Azores. It still retains its former name "Praia" locally, owing to the parish having once been the historical municipality of Praia. The population in 2011 was 836, in an area of 12.82 km2.


History.

Originally named Wood Lake, the town's name was changed in 1906 to honor Daniel Johnson, who was an early town chairman.

Geography.

Daniels is located in southern Burnett County and is bordered by Polk County to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 5.80%, is water. At least 12 named lakes are fully or partially in the town, the largest of which is Mud Hen Lake, west of the town's geographic center and east of Falun.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 665 people, 280 households, and 204 families residing in the town. The population density was 19.7 people per square mile (7.6/km2). There were 429 housing units at an average density of 12.7 per square mile (4.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.44% White, 0.30% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.  There were 280 households. Of these, 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.80.  In the town, the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.  The median income for a household in the town was $36,597, and the median income for a family was $46,917. Males had a median income of $33,681 versus $25,385 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,081. About 7.0% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Daniels is a town in Burnett County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 649 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of Falun is located within the town.


History.

Beginnings.

Founded in 2005 in Perm, Russia by Alexander Agapitov, Xsolla (former 2Pay) is providing payment services via local payment methods (cash kiosks, prepaid cards, money orders and e-wallets). The company was initially targeted at Russian game developers and publishers. Having added PayPal and SMS payment options, 2Pay entered the CIS market and started its global expansion.

Growth.

In 2010, 2Pay headquarters move to Sherman Oaks, CA. The company is renamed Xsolla, with its corporate image being designed by Art. Lebedev Studio, a.

Prospects.

According to Alexander Agapitov, over 50% of Xsolla revenue is to come from European and American game developers and publishers in 2014. Xsolla is pursuing its strategic goal to gain a significant market share in both European, American and Asian regions by providing new services. Xsolla assisted many famous game companies such as Perfect World In November 2013 to self-publish its latest game, Neverwinter, on the Russian market.

Coverage.

Xsolla claims to have global coverage, with 100% presence in Russia and CIS and a strong presence in other regions. For example, in 2011, Xsolla focused in the Ukrainian market as it represents one of the fastest growing markets for the gaming industry in the Eastern European region.  The company expands its business portfolio by adding numerous payment systems (such as Skrill, Boku, paysafecard, Amazon, Qiwi, Stipe, Braintree, Alipay, WeChat, MyCard, etc.) and game developers/publishers (Barbily, S2 Games, Valve, and many more) worldwide.

Xsolla is a paying service company, providing game developers and publishers with payment, billing, distribution, and marketing tools. Xsolla is headquartered in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. It has offices in Moscow and Perm in Russia, Kiev in Ukraine and Seoul in South Korea. Companies that use the service include Valve, Twitch, Epic Games, Aeria Games, BigPoint Games, Gameforge, Ankama Games, Gaijin Entertainment, Goodgame Studios, Snail Games, Chromatic Games, Digital Extremes, and Roblox Corporation.


Early life.

Her parents are Bernardo Pérez and Irene Murillo. She holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico. Perez attended Crystal Springs Uplands School where she played one year of soccer, earning first team, All-League honors. During her Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years she played for PSV Union FC and in her junior and senior years, she played for the club team, Pleasonton Rage, and represented the Far West region Olympic Development (ODP) team at the 2005 U.S. Youth Soccer Adidas Cup.

University of Washington.

Pérez played for the University of Washington Huskies and was twice named to the All-Pac-10 second team. Pérez left the University of Washington ranked in the all-time top-10 in several categories, including third in shots (194) and games played (83), fourth in game-winning goals (8), tied for sixth in goals (21) and eighth in points (53).

Club career.

Perez was selected as the 37th pick overall in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) draft by the Saint Louis Athletica in 2010. After the WPS folded, Perez began training again with the Mexico women's national football team.  Perez played for the Seattle Sounders Women during the 2009 and 2012 seasons and was a leading scorer.  During the summer of 2012, Pérez and her Sounders teammate and fellow University of Washington alum, Kate Deines, played for Stjarnan in Iceland's top division. The team won the Icelandic Women's Cup after a 1–0 win over Valur.  On 11 January 2013, Perez joined the Western New York Flash as part of the NWSL Player Allocation for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League.  3 March 2014, Western New York Flash traded Perez and a 2015 fourth-round draft pick to the Washington Spirit in exchange for a 2014 and 2015 international roster spot. After she did not receive allocation status for the 2016 seasons, her NWSL rights were acquired by Seattle Reign FC in March 2016.  Pérez joined Swedish top division club KIF Örebro DFF in January 2016.  In 2018, Perez played for OSA FC in the Women's Premier Soccer League. She moved to PacNW Women the next year.

International career.

Perez played for both the Mexico women's national football team and the United States women's national under-23 soccer team during the Summer of 2009. On 5 November 2010, she scored the winning goal for Mexico in the CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying game against the United States. In mid-2011, Pérez represented Mexico in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. In October of that year, she led the Mexico to a third-place finish in the 2011 Pan American Games. Perez retired from international duty after the Liga MX Femenil restricted play to only Mexico-born players.

Coaching career.

Perez is an assistant coach for her former club, PSV Union FC.

Verónica Raquel Pérez Murillo (born 18 May 1988) is a US-born Mexican footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga MX Femenil club Tijuana. She was a member of the Mexico women's national team. Between 2009 and 2016 she also played in professional leagues in the United States, Europe, and Australia.


Plot.

William Stoner is born on a small farm in Mid-Missouri in 1891. After high school, Stoner expects to continue working on the farm, but the county agent advises that he go to agriculture school, instead. Stoner enters the University of Missouri, where all agriculture students must take a survey course in English literature during their sophomore year. The literature he encounters in this introductory course, such as Shakespeare's Sonnet 73, opens a gateway to a new world for Stoner, and he quickly falls in love with literary studies. Without telling his parents, Stoner quits the agriculture program and studies only the humanities. A professor suggests to Stoner that his love of knowledge means that he will be a teacher. When his parents come for his graduation, Stoner tells them he will not be returning to the farm. Stoner completes his MA in English and begins teaching. His teaching is uninspiring, but he still enjoys the classes he takes. In graduate school, he befriends fellow students Gordon Finch and Dave Masters. Masters suggests all three are using graduate school to avoid the real world, that the academic life is in fact the only live available to all three and they would be utter failures outside of it. World War I begins, and Gordon and Dave enlist. After some soul-searching, Stoner decides to remain in school during the war. Masters is killed in France, while Finch sees action and becomes an officer. When Stoner completes his Ph.D work, he is hired by the University, against its usual policy, because the war has reduced the number of faculty. When the armistice is signed, a party is held for the returning veterans, where Stoner meets an attractive young woman named Edith. Stoner begins to call on Edith, who is visiting from out of town. When Stoner calls on her, Edith acts very distant and withdrawn, though agrees to Stoner's repeated visits. Stoner feels they are still strangers, but he has fallen in love with her. Very soon he proposes marriage. When her parents consent to the marriage, Edith insists that they marry soon. Edith tells Stoner she will try to be a good wife to him, and they marry a few weeks later. Finch returns from the war to the University, which gives him an administrative position and a small sinecure because of his war service.  Stoner’s marriage to Edith is bad from the start. It gradually becomes clear that Edith has profound emotional problems. She treats Stoner inconsiderately throughout their marriage. Within a year, Stoner loses all hope the marriage will ever improve. From the start, Edith appears uninterested in sex. She tries sporadically to be a homemaker and hostess, alternating between periods of intense, almost feverish activity and longer periods of indolence, indifference, and bouts of illness which cannot be explained medically. Their first party at home ends in a sudden emotional outburst from Edith; crying, she demands their guests leave and she shuts herself up in her room for days afterwards. For a while, Edith no longer wants to leave the house. Stoner begins to spend more time at work. He sleeps in a different room from Edith and any intimacy between them, physical or social, is nearly nonexistent. After three years of marriage, Edith suddenly informs Stoner she wants a baby. For two months, she is absolutely voracious about sex with Stoner. When she becomes pregnant, she once again become uninterested in him. When their daughter Grace is born, Edith remains inexplicably bed-ridden for nearly a year, and Stoner largely cares for their child alone. By now, Stoner has reworked his dissertation into a published book and he is promoted to associate professor with tenure. Without consulting Stoner, Edith accepts a $6,000 loan from her father to buy a house, a loan which Stoner fears they cannot afford. Despite the additional teaching he takes on to work off the debt, he gradually enters a happy period: he grows close with his young daughter, who spends most of her time with him in his study. Stoner gradually realizes how centrally important Grace is to his life. Because of the larger house, Stoner's study is his retreat, which he decorates, builds furniture for, and cleans himself. Returning from a few months with her mother in St. Louis after Black Friday and the suicide of her father, Edith reveals she has decided to reinvent her manner, dress, and attitude. For short periods, Edith throws herself into outside activities like community theater, though these interests never last very long. She becomes alternately inattentive and oppressive in her relationship with Grace, and Stoner gradually realizes that Edith is waging a campaign to separate him from his daughter emotionally. Edith periodically disrupts Stoner’s study, eventually throwing him out of it so she can take up sculpture, which she never does. He is increasingly forced to spend his free time working at the university instead of at home. For the most part, Stoner accepts this poor treatment from Edith passively. He begins to teach with more enthusiasm, but still, year in and year out, his marriage with Edith remains perpetually unsatisfactory and fraught with problems. Grace becomes an unhappy, secretive child who smiles and laughs often but is emotionally hollow.  At the University, Finch becomes the acting dean of the faculty, a position he enters and maintains mostly through polite jocularity and no substantive policy views. Stoner continues to become a better teacher and wins admiration from students, though his grasp of school politics is meager and his colleagues mostly ignore him. However, midway in his career, a situation arises in which Stoner is forced to offend a formidable colleague, Professor Hollis Lomax. Stoner feels compelled by circumstances and his conscience to fail a student named Charles Walker, who was a close protégé of Lomax. Stoner fails Walker first in a graduate seminar and then soon afterward on Walker’s preliminary orals. Unlike Lomax, Stoner does not think that Walker’s verbal agility sufficiently compensates for his sparse knowledge of the literary canon. In addition, Stoner finds Walker to be lazy and dishonest, thus unsuited to the profession. Stoner does not wish to fail Walker, and Lomax pressures him not to do it, but Stoner believes it is the right thing to do. Thereafter, Lomax takes every opportunity to exact revenge upon Stoner for his intransigence on the Walker matter. Lomax begins only assigning Stoner to teach the least desirable introductory classes, though Stoner is actually by then one of the senior faculty members in the department. Around this time, a collaboration between Stoner and a younger instructor in the department, Katherine Driscoll, develops into a very romantic and passionate love affair. The relationship begins when Stoner agrees to help Katherine with her dissertation on the Roman grammarian Donatus. This romance between Katherine and him is the happiest period of Stoner’s life. Ironically, after the affair begins, Stoner’s relationships with Edith and Grace also improve. Knowledge of the “secret” affair somehow becomes general in the small university town. At some point, Edith finds out about the affair between Stoner and Driscoll, but she does not seem to mind it. When Lomax learns about it, however, he begins to bring pressure on Katherine, who also teaches in the English department. For the vindictive Lomax, this pressure on Driscoll is one more way to exact revenge on Stoner. Stoner and Driscoll agree it is best to end the affair so as not to derail the academic work they both feel called to follow. So, Katherine quietly slips away from town, never to be seen again by him. Katherine’s departure marks the end of the only extended period of unalloyed joy in Stoner’s life.  During the summer after Katherine leaves town, Stoner becomes ill and seems to age rapidly. As world events like the Great Depression and the Spanish Civil War proceed apace, Stoner rededicates himself to his work. Once more, Stoner sees students leaving the university to fight in war. For years, Lomax has assigned Stoner no advanced classes to teach. Finally, Stoner begins presenting advanced material to incoming first-year students. Lomax is limited in his ways to counter this, as general University policy involves each teacher having absolute authority over their coursework. After Finch, who by now has become a full dean and is one of the most powerful people on campus, laughs at his attempts to squabble with Stoner, Lomax finally relents and begins to assign Stoner advanced classes again. Stoner, older now and harder of hearing, though still a better teacher than most of his colleagues, is beginning to become a legendary figure in the English department. Stoner begins to spend more time at home, ignoring Edith's signs of displeasure at his presence. Edith takes out her anger on Grace. Grace gains almost 50 pounds before her 13th birthday, but at 17, as a high school senior, loses weight and begins to socialize more. Stoner has been saving money for Grace to attend an Eastern college, but Edith will not hear of Grace going away, and forces Grace to go to the University of Missouri. The following year, Grace announces she is pregnant. Her mother takes Grace’s pregnancy very badly, but Stoner is supportive. Grace marries the father of her child five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Grace’s husband enlists in the army, and dies before the baby is born. Grace goes to St. Louis with the baby to live with her husband's parents. She visits Stoner and Edith occasionally, and Stoner realizes that Grace has developed a serious drinking problem. Stoner’s mandatory retirement age is now approaching. Stoner wishes to continue teaching as long as possible, though Lomax offers him a promotion to retire sooner. Stoner soon learns he has cancer and must retire immediately. As Stoner’s life is slipping away, his daughter Grace comes to visit him. Deeply unhappy and addicted to alcohol, Grace half-heartedly tries to reconcile with Stoner, and he sees that his daughter, like her mother, will never be happy. When Grace leaves Stoner feels as though the young child he loved died long ago. Gordon Finch visits Stoner almost daily, but when Stoner brings up Dave Masters, Finch withdraws internally from the dying Stoner. Stoner thinks back over his life. The pain medication he is taking sometimes makes it difficult to think clearly. He thinks about where he failed, and wonders if he could have been more loving to Edith, if he could have been stronger or if he could have helped her more. Later, he thinks he is wrong to think of himself as failing. Then, during an afternoon when he is all alone, he feels his strength returning. He sees various young students passing by on their way to class outside his window, and dies while touching a copy of the one book he published years earlier as a young professor.

Characters.

The novel focuses on William Stoner and the central figures in his life. Those who become his enemies are used as tools against him who separate Stoner from his loves. "New Yorker" contributor Tim Kreider describes their depictions as "evil marked with deformity."

Themes.

In the novel's introduction, John McGahern says "Stoner" is a "novel about work." This includes not only traditional work, such as Stoner's life on the farm and his career as a professor, but also the work one puts into life and relationships.  One of the central themes in the novel is the manifestation of passion. Stoner's passions manifest themselves into failures, as proven by the bleak end of his life. Stoner has two primary passions: knowledge and love. According to Morris Dickstein, "he fails at both."  Love is also a widely recognized theme in "Stoner". The novel's representation of love moves beyond romance; it highlights bliss and suffering that can be qualities of love. Both Stoner and Lomax discovered a love of literature early in their lives, and it is this love that ultimately endures throughout Stoner's life.  Another of the novel's central themes is the social reawakening, which is closely linked to the sexual reawakening of the protagonist. After the loss of his wife and daughter, Stoner seeks fulfillment elsewhere, beginning the affair with Katherine Driscoll.  Edwin Frank, the editor at NYRB Classics responsible for the 2005 reissue of the novel, suggests that "Stoner" contains many existential elements. "I don’t think it’s a mistake to hear Camus behind it," Frank suggests, "this story of a lone man against the world choosing his life, such as it is. I sometimes say the books a bit like an Edward Hopper painting, wooden houses casting stark shadows on blank green lawns."

Style.

John McGahern's Introduction to "Stoner" and Adam Foulds of "The Independent" praise Williams' prose for its cold, factual plainness. Foulds claims that "Stoner" has a "flawless narrative rhythm [that] flows like a river." Williams' prose has also been applauded for its clarity, by both McGahern and Charlotte Heathcote of "The Daily Express". In an interview with the BBC, author Ian McEwan calls Williams' prose "authoritative". Sarah Hampson of "The Globe and Mail" writes that Williams' "description of petty academic politics reads like the work of someone taking surreptitious notes at dreary faculty meetings." Williams' prose has also been lauded for its precision, making the novel's emotions universally relatable.

Background.

John Williams had a similar life to that of his character in "Stoner". He was an English professor at the University of Denver until he retired in 1985. Like Stoner, he experienced coworker frustrations in the academic world and was devoted to this work, making his novel a reflection of parts of his own life, though in the preface to the novel Williams states that it is entirely "a work of fiction" and bears no resemblance to any people or events he experienced in his time at the University of Missouri.  The life of academic poet J. V. Cunningham also seems to have partially inspired the novel.

Reception.

"Stoner" was initially published in 1965 and sold fewer than 2,000 copies. It was out of print a year later, then reissued as a mass-market paperback in 1972 by Pocket Books, reissued again in 1998 by the University of Arkansas Press and then in 2003 in paperback by Vintage and 2006 by New York Review Books Classics. French novelist Anna Gavalda translated "Stoner" in 2011, and it became Waterstones' Book of the Year in Britain in 2012. In 2013, sales to distributors tripled. Although "Stoner" was not a popular novel when it was first published, there were a handful of glowing reviews such as that from "The New Yorker" on June 12, 1965, in which Williams was praised for creating a character who is dedicated to his work but cheated by the world. Those who gave positive feedback pointed to the truthful voice with which Williams wrote about life's conditions, and they often compared "Stoner" to his other work, "Augustus", in characters and plot direction. One piece of negative criticism came from Williams' own publisher in 1963, who questioned "Stoner"'s potential to gain popularity and become a best seller. Irving Howe and C.P. Snow also gave praise to the novel when it was first published, although sales of the novel did not reflect this positive commentary. It was not until several years later during "Stoner"’s republication that the book became more well-known. After being re-published and translated into a number of languages, the novel has "sold hundreds of thousands of copies in 21 countries".  Williams' novel is jointly praised for its narrative and stylistic value. In a 2007 review of the recently reissued work, scholar and book critic Morris Dickstein acclaims the writing technique as remarkable and says the novel "takes your breath away". Bryan Appleyard's review quotes critic D.G. Myers saying that the novel was a good book for beginners in the world of "serious literature". Another critic, author Alex Preston, points out that the novel shows the depressing progression through a person’s life that was written by "the dead hand of realism". In 2010, critic Mel Livatino noted that "[in] nearly fifty years of reading fiction, I have never encountered a more powerful novel—and not a syllable of it sentimental." Writer Steve Almond wrote a review of "Stoner" in "The New York Times Magazine" in 2014. Almond claims "Stoner" focuses on the "capacity to face the truth of who we are in private moments" and questions whether or not any of us are truly able to say we are able to do that. Almond states, "I devoured it in one sitting. I had never encountered a work so ruthless in its devotion to human truths and so tender in its execution." Sarah Hampson of "The Globe and Mail" sees "Stoner" as an "antidote" to a 21st-century culture of entitlement. She says that the novel came back to public attention at a time when people feel entitled to personal fulfillment, at the cost of their own morality, and "Stoner" shows that there can be value even in a life that seems failed. In 2013 it was named Waterstones Book of the Year and "The New Yorker" called it "the greatest American novel you've never heard of." Writing in the Washington Post in 2015, literary critic Elaine Showalter was less enthusiastic, noting that she, "along with other female readers, [is] put off by Williams’s misogyny."

Adaptations.

In 2015, a film adaptation of the novel was reportedly in production by Blumhouse Productions, Cohen Media Group and Film4. Casey Affleck is set to star as Stoner.

Stoner is a 1965 novel by the American writer John Williams. It was reissued in 1972 by Pocket Books, in 2003 by Vintage and in 2006 by New York Review Books Classics with an introduction by John McGahern.


Biography.

Early life and education.

Shulman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a Russian immigrant father and Jewish mother. His father, who died when Shulman was one and a half, worked as a pharmacist and was a skilled amateur flautist. He had two siblings, Sylvan Shulman, who became a violinist, and Violet Shulman, who became a pianist. When Alan was 8, the sibling formed the Shulman Trio and performed in concerts throughout the Baltimore area. They were some of the earliest musicians to perform in radio commercials. All three children attended the Peabody Conservatory where they studied under Louis Cheslock and Alan, who started his training there at age 10, studied the cello under Bart Wirtz. Shulman wrote his first music composition during his first year studying at the Peabody Conservatory.  At the age of 14, Shulman and his family relocated to Brooklyn, New York. He attended Erasmus Hall High School between 1928–1929 and Brooklyn Vocational High School between 1929-1932. In 1929 he won a scholarship from the New York Philharmonic which enabled him to continue his music studies further with cellist Joseph Emonts and composer Winthrop Sargentat for the next three years. He played with the National Orchestral Association under conductor Leon Barzin from 1929-1932.  Shulman joined Chapter 802 of the American Federation of Musicians in 1931. He entered the Juilliard School in 1932 where he studied for five years, principally under cellist Felix Salmond and composers Albert Stoessel and Bernard Wagenaar. While a student he began performing with a string quartet that played popular music for the NBC network in 1933. He also worked as the group's arranger. He joined the Kreiner String Quartet in 1935, playing with them through 1938. He also started writing his first serious compositions during this time, notably writing music for the American Children's Theatre production of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Chinese Nightingale" in 1934. Upon graduating in 1937, he pursued further studies with cellist Emanuel Feuermann in 1939 and composer Paul Hindemith in 1942.

Early career.

During the 1930s and 1940s Shulman worked actively as an arranger for such people as Leo Reisman, Andre Kostalanetz, Arthur Fiedler, and Wilfred Pelletier. In 1942 he became a member of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. During the mid-1940s, he taught orchestration to Nelson Riddle who later garnered fame as an arranger for singers Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole.  In 1937 the Shulman brothers joined the brand new NBC Symphony Orchestra which was established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company especially for conductor Arturo Toscanini. The following year Alan and Sylvan were among the founding members of the New Friends of Rhythm, a symphonic jazz group that made many recordings between 1939 and 1947, including several by Shulman. Other members of the group included harpist Laura Newell, jazz clarinetists Buster Bailey and Hank D'Amico, and singer Maxine Sullivan among others. Also in 1938, the two brothers established the Stuyvesant String Quartet, which remained active through 1954. The string quartet excelled in performing and recording contemporary works by such composers as Augustyn Bloch, Sergei Prokofiev, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Hindemith and Fritz Kreisler. They notably played the American premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's "Piano Quintet" at Carnegie Hall in 1941. Musicologist Tully Potter, a string-specialist, said the following:  The Shulman brothers were among a small group of fabulously gifted New York-based string players whose careers showed a constant tug between earning a living – which often led them into orchestral and session work – and doing something more artistic. It was a nightmare trying to run a string quartet in the United States, where distances were so great and there was not the infrastructure of music societies that existed in Europe. Had the Stuyvesant Quartet been privately sponsored, as some American groups were, or given a residency, it would be remembered today as one of the best of its time. As it was, it left a small but valuable corpus of recordings – and a recent reissue proved that the best of these performances have lost nothing of their power.  In 1941, Shulman's "Theme and Variations for Viola and Orchestra" was premiered by the NBC Symphony Orchestra with violist Emanuel Vardi. The work was Shulman's first major success and it is now considered a standard part of the viola repertoire. The following year he left the NBC Symphony Orchestra when he decided to join the United States Maritime Service with the intent of becoming a United States Merchant Marine. After receiving his training he spent the next several years serving in the USMM at Sheepshead Bay, between 1943-1945. During this time he was still able to pursue musical interests and work during his off hours. In 1944 his "Suite on American Folk Songs" premiered at Carnegie Hall with violinist Eudice Shapiro and pianist Vivian Rivkin. That same year his "Pastorale and Dance" was played for the first time by Sylvan on ABC Radio. The work received its concert premiere three years later with Oscar Shumsky and the Baltimore Symphony. Shulman also worked frequently with soprano Rise Stevens during the mid-1940s, arranging five cross-over albums for her between 1945-1947 in addition to other projects.

Middle life and career.

After the war, Shulman married the pianist Sophie Pratt Bostelmann on 17 September 1946. They had met previously while they were both students at Juilliard. Their first child, Jay, a cellist, was born in 1949, followed by his daughter Laurie, a musicologist, in 1951, his son Marc, a guitarist, in 1953, and his daughter Lisa in 1956. Shulman returned to his position at the NBC Symphony Orchestra in 1948. That same year he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The following year the NBC Symphony Orchestra premiered his "Waltzes for Orchestra" under conductor Milton Katims at Carnegie Hall. In 1950 his string quartet "Threnody", written in honor of Israel's fallen soldiers, was premiered by the NBC String Quartet during Jewish Music Week. In 1954 the NBC Symphony Orchestra disbanded when Toscanini retired, and Shulman, along with several other members of the Symphony Orchestra, formed a new ensemble for NBC called the "Symphony of the Air". He remained with the Symphony of the Air for three years.  During the 1950s Shulman wrote numerous popular songs with entertainer Steve Allen and he did several arrangements for Skitch Henderson, Raoul Poliakin and Felix Slatkin. In 1956 he wrote his "Suite Miniature for Octet of Celli" which was commissioned by the Fine Arts Cello Ensemble of Los Angeles. That same year he was one of several musicians to found the Violoncello Society, later serving as the organization's president from 1967 to 1972. In 1959, during the midst of the Cold War, he was asked to join a Soviet-American composers' symposium organised by Nicolas Slonimsky for NBC. In addition to Shulman, the symposium included Americans Roy Harris and Howard Hanson and Russians Shostakovich and Kabalevsky.

Later life and career.

Shulman played actively in chamber music with the Philharmonia Trio from 1962–1969 and the Haydn Quartet from 1972 until his wife's death in 1982. During his career he has also served on the faculties at Sarah Lawrence College, the Juilliard School, the State University of New York at Purchase, Johnson State College, and the University of Maine. Shulman retired in 1987 due to declining health. He died of complications from a stroke in a nursing home in Hudson, New York in 2002.

References.

A compact disc of eight orchestral works of Alan Schulman's was released by Bridge Records in 2002 (BRIDGE 9119) as "The Music of Alan Schulman".

Alan Shulman (4 June 1915 – 10 July 2002) was an American composer and cellist. He wrote a considerable amount of symphonic music, chamber music, and jazz music. Trumpeter Eddie Bailey said, "Alan had the greatest ear of any musician I ever came across. He had better than perfect pitch. I've simply never met anyone like him." Some of his more well known works include his 1940 "Neo-Classical Theme and Variations for Viola and Piano" and his "A Laurentian Overture", which was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1952 under the baton of Guido Cantelli. Also of note is his 1948 "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" which was also premiered by the New York Philharmonic with cellist Leonard Rose and conductor Dmitri Mitropoulos. Many of Shulman's works have been recorded, and the violinist Jascha Heifetz and jazz clarinetist Artie Shaw have been particular exponents of his work both in performance and on recordings.


Description.

The Greek Sheepdog is a medium to large size dog, with a solid body and great physical strength capable of escorting the flock and also fighting with the enemy while maintaining its physical superiority. Its head is massive with its muzzle-skull. The skull is normally curved, with obvious hyper eyebrow arches and it is nearly as wide as it is long. The muzzle and cheeks are wide and deep. It has a scissors or plane bite and is covered by fat and slightly loose lips. The skin is thick and is covered by dense fur. Cropping the ears is not permitted, and dogs with cropped ears cannot be shown. The brown eyes are of average size, egg-shaped, placed symmetrically in parallel lines with the oblong axon of the skull, with enough distance between them. From the oblique side of the head their position is a little under the muzzle level, as if there were an imaginary line extended toward the skull. Darker tints are preferred. The eyelids must be tight without revealing their mucous membrane. This dog has a serious penetrating, calm look about him. The chest must be wide and deep up to the height of the elbows. The thorax consists of arched ribs with medium curvature ; they are extended backwards enough to leave enough space for the heart and the lungs. The tail is thick at the base. Some have long tails while others have short or no tails. The double coat is dense and abundant. Coat colours include black, greyish-brown and white. The breed has never been bred for colour, but rather for a heavy skeleton, good muscle, and a dense, semi-long to long coat.

Temperament.

A Greek Shepherd might not be suitable for first-time dog owners. Like all livestock guardian dogs, they tend to be independent thinkers. They are considered brave, decisive, loyal, working dogs with a highly developed sense of duty and a strong protective instinct towards flock animals and their environment. Naturally wary, loyal only to the flock leader-shepherd, the Greek Sheepdog can be characterized as the Big Mountain shepherd's dog of Greece. Greek Shepherds do not tolerate violent behaviour or training. These independent dogs need consistent training and intelligent guidance. They need owners who understand their flock guarding ways. When placed in a pack situation, these dogs have been known to assert their top dog position aggressively. Suspicious but tactful in the presence of strangers, they do not make friends easily. They may appear calm, but are ready to protect at all costs at any time. When protecting their flock they move along the border, selecting places from where they will be able to see a wide area. They are aggressive towards the wild animals and able to drive them back with their deep bark. If their deep bark does not drive the animal away they will pursue the intruder and attack. Early socialization is vital if the dog is to be a trustworthy companion. They can be well trained but have a tendency to judge a situation before taking any action.

Greek Shepherd today.

The decline of livestock farming and an increase in uncontrolled interbreeding with other dogs have altered the Greek Shepherd's distinctive characteristics and it has been estimated that currently, fewer than 3,000 pure Greek Shepherd dogs remain in Greece. In an attempt to rescue the breed, ARCTUROS (ΑΡΚΤΟΥΡΟΣ) has been implementing the Greek Shepherd Dog Breeding Program since 1998.

The Greek Shepherd or Greek Sheepdog (Greek: Ελληνικός Ποιμενικός, "Ellinikós Pimenikós") is a Greek livestock guardian dog that has been bred for centuries for guarding livestock in the mountainous regions of the country.


Orbit and classification.

"Lindgren" is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.3–4.0 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,051 days; semi-major axis of 3.16 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.28 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Nauchnij in 1978.

Physical characteristics.

"Lindgren" has been characterized as a "bright" carbonaceous B-type asteroid in both the Tholen-like and SMASS-like taxonomy of the Small Solar System Objects Spectroscopic Survey (S3OS2). It is also an assumed C-type asteroid.

Rotation period.

In August 2012, two rotational lightcurves of "Lindgren" were obtained from photometric observations by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 5.614 and 5.618 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.15 magnitude in the S- and R-band, respectively ().

Diameter and albedo.

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, "Lindgren" measures between 19 and 21 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.05 and 0.065.  The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 20.21 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.2.

Naming.

This minor planet was named after Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002), a recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award and known for her children's books such as "Pippi Longstocking". The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 April 1988 ().

3204 Lindgren, provisional designation, is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately in diameter. It was discovered on 1 September 1978, by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij, on the Crimean peninsula. The B-type asteroid has a rotation period of 5.6 hours. It was named after Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.


History.

In 1983 Taramis were formed as Prowler in Melbourne with the line-up of Joe Cordina on drums, Danny Komorr on bass guitar, Mick "Lights" Cawthan on lead guitar, Craig Robertson on lead guitar, and Shane "Joel" Southby on lead vocals. Initially Prowler played cover versions of Iron Maiden and Manowar material. Cawthan was replaced by Andrew Rigo on guitar but Rigo left soon after. In 1985 Cordina was replaced on drums by Dave Browne, the group were playing more original material and changed their name to Taramis – from the 1984 film "Conan the Destroyer".  In late 1986, the band recorded their debut album, "Queen of Thieves", which appeared on the Metal for Melbourne record label in August 1987. It was produced and engineered by George Simak (Black Jack). Before its release Komorr was replaced on bass guitar by Evan Harris. The group toured interstate and signed with United States label, Metal Blade, to issue the album in North America in the following year.  Early in 1990 Robertson left and was replaced by George Larin (ex-New Religion, Nothing Sacred) on lead guitar. Larin added a "more inventive and forceful playing style to the band's sound". In April 1992 their second album, "Stretch of the Imagination", was released on Rising Sun Productions. It was recorded at Oasis Studios with Doug Saunders (Mass Confusion) producing. In July that year they supported Brazilian band Sepultura at their Melbourne concert.  Taramis disbanded early in 1993. Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane noted they were "one of the first local groups to play a brand of 'progressive' heavy metal in the style of overseas acts... Taramis infused its esoteric music with an epic, mystical feel. Man-mountain frontman Joel Southby also possessed a booming rock voice which added an edge to the band's billowing, blustering song arrangements".  Southby moved to Sydney and eventually became a member of Merv Brewer Steel Guitar Band. He later moved to New Zealand. Larin developed his own self-titled project. In 2000 Browne joined Clauz, a three-piece metal group, which released an album, "Strict Regime", in 2002. In December 2008, Harris, who had been a member of Black Majesty and Endel Rivers, played bass guitar for Steve Turner, an Australian progressive rock guitarist, with Turner's album due in mid-2009. On 6 January 2009 Dave Browne died, at the age of 44 years; Taramis reunited in June to play a benefit concert in Browne's honour. Also that month both albums were re-released by My Graveyard Records with bonus tracks.

Taramis was an Australian heavy metal group, which began as Prowler in 1983. Initially they played covers of other artists' work; in 1985 they developed more original material and changed their name. By that time their line-up was Dave Browne on drums, Shane "Joel" Southby on lead vocals, Danny Komorr on bass guitar, and Craig Robertson on lead guitar. Their debut album, "Queen of Thieves", was released in August 1987. A second album followed in April 1992, "Stretch of the Imagination", and the group supported Brazilian band Sepultura at their Melbourne concert in July. Taramis disbanded early in 1993. Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane noted they were "one of the first local groups to play a brand of 'progressive' heavy metal in the style of overseas acts... Taramis infused its esoteric music with an epic, mystical feel. Man-mountain frontman Joel Southby also possessed a booming rock voice which added an edge to the band's billowing, blustering song arrangements".


Early life and career.

Barker was born in Lovell, Maine. His parents were Stephen Barker and Betsey Andrews. Barker received a small education, up until he was sixteen. In 1842, he married Orsina Little. Orsina was the granddaughter of Jonathan Clark and Moses Little. Barker engaged in agricultural pursuits and also in the shook business. He moved to Carrolltown, Pennsylvania, in 1854 and later to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, where he continued the shook business. Barker also worked with Neal Dow in favor of the Maine law. Barker was an ardent prohibitionist. He also engaged in the mercantile business in 1858 and later in the lumber business. He became the president of the Ebensburg and Cresson Branch Railroad, until it was taken over by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Political Career and later life.

Barker was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention. He cast his vote for the nomination of Abraham Lincoln at the convention. During the American Civil War, he served in Company E, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Emergency Troops. Barker was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1866 and for election as a Republican in 1872. After leaving congress, Barker left the Republican Party to join to the Prohibition Party in 1876. From 1878 to 1882, Barker served as the president of the Pennsylvania Prohibition Party. He reengaged in the lumber and shook business until 1880. Barker was also highly involved in Freemasonry. In 1896 Barker was nominated to run for congress by the Prohibition Party. This was his final political race, and he lost. He died in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while on a visit for medical treatment in 1898.  Retrieved on 2008-02-14

Abraham Andrews Barker (March 30, 1816 – March 18, 1898) served as a soldier during the American Civil War, and was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.


Early life.

Morrell was born in North Berwick, York County, Maine. He attended public schools and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1836, and entered a counting room as clerk. He later engaged in mercantile pursuits.

Career.

In 1855 he moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and became general manager of the Cambria Iron Company, which was the greatest manufacturer of iron and steel in the United States until the Johnstown Flood. Morrell also served as president of the local gas and water company from 1860 to 1884 and as president of the First National Bank of Johnstown from 1863 to 1884. He was president of the city council for many years.  Morrell was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses. He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Manufactures during the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1870. He was a commissioner to the Paris Exposition of 1878.

Johnstown Flood.

Morrell became a member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, site of the South Fork Dam, which formed Lake Conemaugh, in order to keep a watchful eye on the dam under its stewardship, and campaigned to club officials, especially to its founder, Benjamin Franklin Ruff, regarding the safety of the dam. The failure of that dam eventually caused the great Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889, which killed more than 2,200 people, and was then the largest disaster in U.S. history. Morrell insisted on inspections of the dam's breastwork both by his own engineers and those of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Morrell's warnings went unheeded, and his offer to effect repairs, partially at his own expense, was rejected by club president, Benjamin F. Ruff (who died two years prior to the flood). Morrell died four years before the Johnstown Flood; his membership was then bought by his colleague, Cyrus Elder, who was legal counsel for the Cambria Iron and Steel Company.

Death and legacy.

Morrell was again engaged in banking and died on August 20, 1885, in Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.  He is the namesake of the ill-fated.

Daniel Johnson Morrell (August 8, 1821 – August 20, 1885) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.


Plot.

The concept of the film is explained in a voiceover intro by G. W. Bailey, who wonders what it would be like if one of the 1930s/1940s Rex O'Herlihan films were to be made today. At that point, in a scene reminiscent of "The Wizard of Oz", the cinematography shifts from black and white to color and the soundtrack changes from mono to surround sound.  As a consequence of this paradigm shift, Rex O'Herlihan (Berenger), a "singing cowboy," is the only character aware of the plot outline. He explains that he "knows the future" inasmuch as "these Western towns are all the same" and that it's his "karma" to "ride into a town, help the good guys, who are usually poor for some reason, against the bad guys, who are usually rich for some reason, and ride out again." Rex's knowledge is also connected to the unspecified "root" vegetables he digs up and eats.  On his high-stepping horse Wildfire, Rex rides into the town of Oakwood Estates, walks into a saloon and meets Peter, the Town Drunk (Bailey). In exchange for a free drink, Peter explains the background: the town, and especially the sheep herders ("nice enough, but they smell God-awful"), are being terrorized by the cattle ranchers, headed by Colonel Ticonderoga (Andy Griffith). Also there is Miss Tracy (Marilu Henner), the traditional Prostitute with a Heart of Gold. A local sheriff (John Orchard) is "a corrupt old coward who takes his orders from the Colonel."  Blackie (Jim Carter), the foreman at Rancho Ticonderoga, swaggers into the bar with two of his henchmen and shoots the town real-estate agent. Miss Tracy objects, and when she is verbally abused by one of Blackie's henchmen, Rex intervenes. Blackie draws on Rex after they exchange words – including Rex's threat to "shoot in the hand" anyone of them drawing on him – and duly delivers on that threat. The disabled Blackie orders his two henchmen to kill Rex, but having been rattled by Rex's skill, they draw and fire their six-shooters hurriedly, and shoot Blackie in the back instead. Rex then proceeds to shoot both in the hand. He then orders them to remove Blackie's corpse.  Peter exchanges his drunk suit for a sidekick outfit, catches up with Rex, and is reluctantly accepted. (Rex has sworn off sidekicks as they keep dying.) At the singing cowboy's campsite, Peter finds not one but two women there eager to get to know Rex a little better, Miss Tracy and the Colonel's daughter (Sela Ward). In the PG-rated original version, Sela Ward and Rex sneak off behind a rock to have sex. This is removed and the film is rated G.  The Colonel goes for help to the boss of the railroad men (Fernando Rey) – who wear dusters and have theme music like characters in spaghetti westerns. "We should stick together. Look what we have in common: we're both rich, we're both power-mad, and we're both Colonels — that's got to count for something!"  Rex outwits the Bad Guys because he knows their every move before they do. But then the Colonels import "Wrangler" Bob Barber (Patrick Wayne), apparently another Good Guy. Bob psychs out Rex in their first meeting by attacking Rex's claim to be the "most good Good Guy" and pointing out that a Good Guy has to be "a confident heterosexual." "I thought it was just a heterosexual," Rex objects. "No, it's a confident heterosexual," responds Bob.  Rex backs down from the shootout. On his way out of town, while preparing to change roles to that of a sidekick, Rex explains to Peter that he rides into town, kisses the girls and rides out again. "That's all: I just kiss 'em. I mean, this is the 1880s. You gotta date and date and date and date and sometimes marry 'em before they, you know."  Bob reports that Rex is finished as a Good Guy. Nevertheless, the Colonels, over Bob's objection, arrange for Peter to be bushwhacked. This rouses Rex to round up the sheep herders and face down Bob and the rancher/railroad combine. Bob is revealed as not a Good Guy at all because, after all, he is a lawyer. Rex shoots him.  Colonel Ticonderoga makes the peace. He apologizes to Rex and throws a party at Rancho Ticonderoga, after which Rex and Peter (who survived because Rex had him wear a bulletproof vest) ride off together into the sunset.

Production.

The film was a passion project of director Hugh Wilson, who grew up loving Westerns he would see at the Saturday afternoon matinee. He was able to make it after the success of "Police Academy" (1984).  In the mid 1980s there was a brief revival in the popularity of the Western, with the studios making films like "Pale Rider", "Lust in the Dust" and "Silverado" (1985). In May 1984 it was announced Wilson would direct the film for Paramount.  "This isn't really a send up," said Wilson. "We're playing it very straight. We loved those old films and we really are trying to say something about them, like how can the hero keep changing his shirt?"  Wilson wanted George Gaynes to play a lead role but the actor was unable to due to his role on "Punky Brewster".  Shooting took place in Almeria, Spain, in October 1984. The film used sets that had once been featured in Sergio Leone films.  Patrick Wayne was hired to appear in the film mid-shoot after the producers were unhappy with the performance of another actor already cast in the part. Wayne later described it as "probably the best acting I've done on film."

Reception.

Box office.

The film was a box office disappointment.

Critical.

"Rustlers' Rhapsody" received negative reviews from critics, with many saying it paled in comparison to Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles". Writing in the "New York Times", Vincent Canby thought Wilson had ignored the "genuinely funny" idea that Rex might be caught in a time warp. The film currently holds a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews.  The "Los Angeles Times" called it "a joy."

Home-video releases.

"Rustlers' Rhapsody" was released on VHS cassette in by CIC Video.

Rustlers' Rhapsody is a 1985 American comedy-Western film. It is a parody of many Western conventions, most visibly of the singing cowboy films that were prominent in the 1930s and the 1940s. The film was written and directed by Hugh Wilson, who was supposedly inspired by working at CBS Studio Center, the former Republic Pictures backlot. It stars Tom Berenger as a stereotypical good-guy cowboy, Rex O'Herlihan, who is drawn out of a black-and-white film and transferred into a more self-aware setting. Patrick Wayne, son of Western icon John Wayne, co-stars, along with Andy Griffith, Fernando Rey, G.W. Bailey, Marilu Henner and Sela Ward.


Taxonomy.

The species was first named as "Agaricus infractus" by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1799. It was transferred to the genus "Cortinarius" by Elias Magnus Fries in his 1838 "Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici". Differing opinions regarding the organization of "Cortinarius" have led to the names "Phlegmacium infractum" (Wünsche) and"Pholiota infracta" (Kummer).  The mushroom is commonly known as the "sooty-olive Cortinarius", or the "bitter webcap".

Description.

The cap is in diameter, thickly fleshy, particularly in the center. It is initially convex, but already slightly undulatingly squashed while still young, becoming convex and depressed around the umbo, then flattened, retaining for a long time a low broad umbo but sometimes at length uniformly depressed. The margin is distinctly curved, slightly rolled inward when young, thin and sharply rounded when mature and often wavy and lobed. The cap surface is smooth and sticky, dirty yellow-olive to dirty brownish-olive or olive grayish-green, then dirty light brown with green tinge, streakily fibrillose almost from the middle (scantily so at center), finely and persistently dark greenish-brownish. The gills are moderately crowded to distant spaced—about four gills per centimeter in the middle on mature fruit bodies, at the margin about ten per centimeter. They are adnate and deeply emarginate (notched), especially when mature, up to broad, somewhat wrinkled on the surface and with the edge entire or slightly undulatingly denticulate. Their color is dirty olive, then later dark brownish-olive, with slightly paler edge.  The stem is up to long, wide at the apex but up to wide at the base, where it thickens bulbously. The bulb, which is not sharply upright but marked by a rounded ridge, is egg-shaped in cross section. For a long time the stem is solid, then sometimes hollow, firm, hard, silkily fibrillose, dirty whitish with olive tinge but faintly greenish-blue, particularly at the apex, and sometimes even with a blue tint or bluish spots on the bulb. The cortina is olive greenish, then brownish, thickly developed but soon disappearing. The flesh is tough, then softer, whitish, with slight bluish-green tinge, thick in the cap, homogenous and softly juicily fleshy; in the stem, fibrillosely rivulose beneath the surface and with a dirty bluish-green or greenish-olive tinge in this region, more homogenous and almost non-fibrillose in the bulb. The taste is bitter and the odor faint, similar to radish. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are 50–60 by 9–10 μm, with four sterigmata 6–7 μm long.  In 1999, Moser and Ammmirati described a variety that they had seen many times since 1983 in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming. "Cortinarius infractus" var. "flavus" differs from the typical variety in its cap, which reaches up to with a yellow-brown to almost yellow color.; paler gills described as "olivaceous-brownish"; a slightly bitterish, sometimes mild taste.

Similar species.

"Cortinarius immixtus" somewhat resembles "C. infractus", but has brighter-colored young gills (ranging from yellowish to olive to green), a mild taste, and larger spores.

Distribution and habitat.

The fruit bodies of "Cortinarius infractus" grows scattered in deciduous forests of both oak and beech.

Bioactive compounds.

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the fruit bodies were shown to contain 36 components, dominantly musk ambrette, in a ratio of 62.3%. The essential oil was also tested for antimicrobial activity against the human pathogenic bacteria "Escherichia coli", "Klebsiella pneumoniae", "Pseudomonas aeruginosa", "Enterococcus faecalis", "Staphylococcus aureus", "Bacillus cereus" and the fungus "Candida tropicalis", but did not show any biological activity.  Two alkaloids, infractopicrin and 10-hydroxy-infractopicrin, have been isolated from the fruit bodies of "Cortinarius infractus". Both compounds show the ability to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, and possess a higher selectivity than galanthamine, a drug used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and various other memory impairments. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and the prevention of acetylcholine breakdown is one of the most accepted therapy opportunities for Alzheimer's disease today. Due to the limited selectivity of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drugs on the market, Alzheimer's disease patients suffer from side effects like nausea or vomiting, and natural products like the fungal alkaloids could be useful candidates for further drug development.

Cortinarius infractus, commonly known as the sooty-olive Cortinarius or the bitter webcap, is an inedible basidiomycete mushroom of the genus "Cortinarius". The fungus produces sooty-olive fruit bodies with sticky caps measuring up to in diameter. The fruit bodies contains alkaloids that inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.