Early life and education.

Furniss was born in Sheffield on 14 March 1957. She is the daughter of a Sheffield steel worker. She was educated at the Chaucer School, Sheffield, and graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Library and Information Studies as a mature student in 1998. After leaving school, she working as a librarian and went on to work as an administrator at the Northern General Hospital.

Political career.

Sheffield City Council.

Furniss unsuccessfully stood as the Labour Party candidate in the Hillsborough Ward in 1998. She was subsequently elected in the Manor ward in 1999 and re-elected in 2003. With the introduction of new ward boundaries for the 2004 Sheffield City Council election, she was elected to represent Southey ward. She was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014 before standing down in 2016.

Member of Parliament.

Furniss stood unsuccessfully as the Labour Party candidate for Sheffield Hallam in the 2001 General Election, finishing in third place.  She is the widow of Harry Harpham, former MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, who employed her as a part-time researcher after his election in the 2015 General Election.  After her husband's death in February 2016, she was selected as the Labour candidate at the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election which was held on 5 May 2016. She won the by-election with an increased share of the vote and a majority of 9,590 (42.5%) over the second-placed candidate representing UKIP. She was re-elected at the 2017 General Election and the 2019 General Election.  In Parliament, Furniss has served on the Women and Equalities Committee.

Opposition Frontbench.

In October 2016 Furniss was appointed as Shadow Minister (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Steel, Postal Affairs and Consumer Protection). Following the election of Keir Starmer as Labour leader, she was re-appointed to the front bench as Shadow Minister for Women and Equality in April 2020.

Policies and Views.

Labour Leadership Elections.

As a councillor, in 2015 Furniss endorsed Andy Burnham in the Labour leadership contest  As an MP, in 2016 Furniss reportedly voted against a motion of no confidence by the Parliamentary Labour Party in the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Gillian Furniss (born 14 March 1957) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough since winning the seat at a by-election in 2016.


Background.

Italian belligerence.

The declaration of war by Italy on 10 June 1940 placed the Italian Royal Air Force () astride the traditional British sea route to Indian Ocean ports via the Mediterranean and the Italian Royal Navy () roughly trebled the numbers of battleships, cruisers and submarines available to the Axis against the Royal Navy. The British had held the eastern end of the Mediterranean and France the western end but the defection of France removed the French Navy from the Mediterranean on 25 June 1940. The British-based Force H at Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria. The island of Malta in the central Mediterranean was a base of operations for the British. Italy had invaded Egypt from Italian Libya (, ASI) in September 1940 and Greece in October 1940.

1940–1941.

In early November 1940, the Italian offensive in Greece had been defeated and the Italian battleships, and had been damaged at the Battle of Taranto. The ship losses of the Italian Fleet had made it easier for the British to supply Malta and Greece. The Axis forces involved the Western Desert Campaign were supplied across the Mediterranean by convoys from Italy to the ASI. Tripoli was the main entrepôt of the colony, which had lesser ports to the east, including Benghazi. The normal route for Italian supply deliveries to Libya went about westwards around Sicily and then close to the coast of Tunisia to Tripoli, to avoid interference from British aircraft, ships and submarines based at Malta. In Africa, supplies had to be carried huge distances by road or in small consignments by coaster. The distance from Tripoli to Benghazi was about.

"Unternehmen Sonnenblume".

In early 1941, after Operation Compass, the big British and Commonwealth victory in Egypt and Cyrenaica, the best-equipped units in XIII Corps went to Greece as part of Operation Lustre. Adolf Hitler responded to the Italian disaster with Directive 22 (11 January) ordering "Unternehmen Sonnenblume" (Operation Sunflower), the deployment of a new (DAK) to Libya, as a barrier detachment (). The DAK had fresh troops with better tanks, equipment and air support than the surviving Italian forces in the ASI. The Axis force raided and quickly defeated the British at El Agheila on 24 March and at Mersa el Brega on 31 March, exploited the success and by 15 April, had pushed the British back to the Libyan–Egyptian border at Sollum and besieged Tobruk. Several Axis attempts to seize Tobruk failed and the front line settled on the Egyptian border into November 1941.

Malta.

From 1 June to 31 October 1941, British forces based at Malta sank about of Axis shipping on the African convoy routes, by the navy and by Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircraft from Malta and Egypt. Loaded Axis ships sailing to Africa accounted for 90 percent of the losses and Malta-based squadrons were responsible for about 75 percent of ships sunk by aircraft. In October 1941 the British re-established a flotilla of surface ships at Malta (Force K) for the first time since April and a force of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. Italian air reconnaissance discovered the ships on 21 October and cancelled sailings for Tripoli, leaving only the inferior facilities at Benghazi open.

Prelude.

Duisburg (BETA) Convoy operation.

The convoy consisted two German vessels, SS "Duisburg" 7,889 gross register tonnage (GRT) and SS "San Marco" (3,113 GRT) and the Italian MV "Maria" (6,339 GRT), SS "Sagitta" (5,153 GRT) and MV "Rina Corrado" (5,180 GRT), carrying 389 vehicles, of munitions, fuel in barrels and troops for the Italian and German forces in Libya. The tankers "Conte di Misurata" (7,599 GRT) and "Minatitlan" (5,014 GRT) carried of fuel. A powerful escort was to arranged for the convoy operation to counter the British flotilla recently based at Malta.  Close Escort (Captain Ugo Bisciani) [Ship data from O'Hara (2009) unless indicated]  Distant Escort (Vice Admiral Bruno Brivonesi) [Ship data from O'Hara (2009) unless indicated]  The convoy was routed to the east of Malta, since the airfields in Libya were under Axis occupation, rather than the usual west and along the Tunisian coast. The convoy speed was and the distant escort had to sail a zig-zag course at. Brivonesi and were under the impression that the British ships would not be able to attack because they overlooked radar and prepared only for night attacks by aircraft.

Force K.

Force K (Captain William Agnew) consisted of two light cruisers with six 6-inch guns in twin turrets each and two treble 21-inch torpedo tubes. Two destroyers from Force H with four twin 4-inch guns each and two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes, joined Force K at Malta. Intended to fight at night, all of the ships were equipped with radar and the cruisers had new searchlights with better performance.

Battle.

7 November.

The Duisburg (BETA) Convoy, the 51st German–Italian sailing since 8 February, departed from Naples on 7 November and Force K sailed the next day, forewarned by the British success in reading Italian cyphers concerning Axis shipping movements in the Mediterranean. A British reconnaissance aircraft was dispatched to "find" the convoy as camouflage.

8/9 November.

Force K made north-east of Malta, with "Aurora" leading the ships in line-ahead. The main convoy was found around midnight about east of Syracuse. There was slight moonlight to the east and the British ships took up position with the moon silhouetting the convoy. Agnew was under instructions to attack the nearest escorts first and then fire on the convoy, dealing with the other escorts as they appeared. The British ships slowed to and the gun crews were ordered to fire steadily, volume of fire being less important than accuracy. As the ships closed with the convoy, radar detected more ships, assumed to be destroyers and escorts but actually the distant escort (). Force K sent an attack signal at which was received by "Trieste" but jamming from "Lively" prevented a warning reaching the convoy; the only ships aware of the attack were away.  Aiming by radar, the British opened fire at about from a range of down to. "Grecale" was hit by the first three salvoes from "Aurora"; "Lance" and the 4-inch secondary armament of "Aurora" bombarded a merchant ship. "Penelope" engaged "Maestrale", the leader of the close escort () and was on target with the first salvoes and "Lively" began to shell the merchant ships three minutes afterwards. At first, the Italians thought that they were under air attack and the wireless mast of "Maestrale" was hit. "Fulmine" attacked but was soon severely damaged by British gunfire, Milano losing an arm but remaining in command until the ship sank. "Grecale" was hit and came to a stop outside torpedo range (later to be towed back to port by "Oriani"). "Euro", undamaged, came within of the British ships but mistook them for "Trieste" and "Trento", aided by the ships not firing on "Euro" and because "Maestrale" had been signalling for Italian ships to rally on the port (far) side of the convoy, leading to Cigala countermanding an order to launch torpedoes. Moments later, British ships opened fire but "Euro" was no longer in a position to attack with torpedoes. Six British shells hit "Euro" but at such short range they passed through without exploding, killing about twenty members of the crew.  The distant escort was on the right hand side of the convoy, steaming twice as fast, zig-zagging to keep station and also thought that the convoy was under air attack. At Brivonesi signalled to "Supermarina" that torpedo bombers were attacking and then sailed for the point where the British ships had first been sighted instead of their current position. When watchmen on "Trieste" saw the arc of shells and ships beginning to burn, the distant escort was about distant at the end of its zig-zag away from the convoy. As the escort closed on the convoy the British ships moved beyond the glare of the fires and became much harder to identify. "Trento" fired star shells, then both "Trieste" and "Trento" opened fire at the British ships at. From the British engaged the Axis merchant ships with shell and torpedo, the ships taking little evasive action. The close escort on the east side of the convoy moved off with "Maestrale" and "Euro" to rally and then attacked again, the Italian salvoes having no effect and the ships then being driven off. The distant escort sighted the British again and fired 207 rounds, managing to straddle some of the British ships. The fires and explosions on the merchant ships obscured the British ships and Brivonesi ordered the distant escort to turn north at to intercept them but made no further contact. Some shells had landed close to British ships as they finished off the convoy but caused only splinter damage to "Lively"'s funnel; by firing has ceased.

9 November.

All of the Axis merchant ships had sunk or been destroyed, along with "Fulmine"; the tanker "Minatlitan", with a cargo of aviation spirit, burned until it sank in the middle of the morning. The British headed at high speed towards Malta at being ineffectively chased by the covering force, reaching harbour at Malta by that afternoon. Force K had sunk about of Axis shipping. The destroyer "Libeccio" was torpedoed by the submarine while rescuing some of the of the BETA Convoy. "Libeccio" was taken in tow by her sister "Euro" but sank after an internal structural collapse. The Italian cruisers were also looking for survivors and managed to evade torpedoes.

Aftermath.

Analysis.

In 1948, Marc' Antonio Bragadin wrote that the battle was a serious Italian defeat, in which individuals had shown exemplary bravery but the escorts had lacked coordination and made mistakes because of the confusion caused by the surprise and speed of the British attack and mistaken identity. The Italians had no answer to the superior British night-fighting equipment and tactics which had revolutionised maritime night fighting. Technical obsolescence made an Italian attempt to counter the British at night a useless sacrifice of crews and ships. Writing in 1957, the British official historian of the Royal Navy, Stephen Roskill, wrote that morale in the suffered greatly after such a formidable escort had failed to prevent the disaster. Next day, Rommel signalled to Berlin that convoys to the ASI has been suspended and that of due in Benghazi, only arrived. In 1960, Ian Playfair, in volume III of "History of the Second World War, "The Mediterranean and Middle East", the official British campaign history, wrote that the destruction of the Duisburg (BETA) Convoy was a severe blow to the Axis forces in Cyrenaica. Some supplies arrived in ships sailing alone or in pairs, more journeys were undertaken by submarine and fuel was carried by warships. Fewer convoys with more escorts and air cover were planned and four convoys sailed on 20 November.  In 2002, Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani wrote that the German naval, Admiral Werner Löwisch, criticised Italian night fighting training, noting that of his 150 training sessions on the cruiser, 130 had been at night. Italian ships had no night fighting equipment like low-light rangefinders and torpedo boats (escort destroyers in British parlance) could not engage targets further out than. In a report to Berlin, Weichold blamed a lack of training and accused Brivonesi of incompetence. In retrospect the Italians had erred in assuming that a night attack by ships was unlikely; merchant ships should have been instructed to scatter or sail away from an attack. The destroyers on the port side should not have withdrawn but attacked at once without regard for the risk of friendly fire and the distant escort should have estimated the position of Force K instead of heading towards the sighting, attacking the British as they sailed for Malta. Brivonesi was court-martialled and sacked for not attacking (and reinstated on 5 June 1942).  In 2009, Vincent O'Hara wrote that the destruction of the Duisburg (BETA) Convoy was "one of the most brilliant British naval surface victories of the war" in which the British demonstrated better tactical ability, equipment and leadership, combined with luck, surprise and Italian incompetence. The Germans were outraged and wanted to foist German naval officers onto "Supermarina" and even Italian ships. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder told Hitler that  "Supermarina" tried smaller, dispersed and convoys, sailing at the same time, to mislead the British but their code breakers exposed the ruse. When four ships sailed from Naples on 20 November with an escort of heavy and light cruisers, British submarines from Malta torpedoed two cruisers, forcing the convoy to turn back.

The Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, also known as the Battle of the BETA Convoy, was fought on the night of 1941 between an Italian convoy, its escorts and four British ships. The convoy was named "BETA" by the Italian naval authorities and carried supplies for the Italian Army, civilian colonists and the in Italian Libya. The name "Duisburg Convoy" refers to the largest ship.


Background.

"Criminal" was written by Natasha, Ozuna, Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina, Vicente Saavedra and its producer Haze. Pina, Natasha's manager, sent Ozuna the song after two previously failed collaboration attempts, and Ozuna called it a "home run". Pina recalled, "After several months of trying to bring up the song, there was always a situation that would have discouraged anybody but, unlike me, I never got up with a 'no' in my head and continued without anything or anyone stopping me." Natasha regards "Criminal" as her second chance at a career in music and her first solo release where she had sufficient record label support. Regarding the writing process, she said: "To me, it's such a special song because I had the opportunity to write my part of the lyrics and I just really loved it. When Ozuna agreed, I was extremely excited and for some reason, I knew people were going to love it as much as we did."  It is a reggaeton song with drum programming and forceful bass patterns indebted to the dancehall genre.

Music video.

The accompanying music video was directed by Venezuelan director Nuno Gómes. It was filmed at a deactivated women's prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico in April 2017 and inspired by the music video for Lady Gaga's "Telephone". A storm hit Vega Alta a day before the video shoot, resulting in trucks getting stuck in mud and the video wardrobe getting wet. Gómes called it the worst filming day of his career. Filming took nearly 20 hours. Fashion designer Nelson Tavárez chose bold ensembles for Natasha's wardrobe to portray her character as empowered and confident.  Natasha plays a prisoner trying to attract the attention of Ozuna, the prison director. The clip starts with Natasha being escorted to the prison where Ozuna awaits. They are shown in several locations inside the prison with Natasha performing sensual dances for Ozuna. The video reaches a climax with Natasha sitting in an electric chair and Ozuna approaching her for a kiss. Both are struck by electricity, but are shown together amid police alarms in the final scene.  The video led YouTube's weekly chart for two consecutive weeks in November 2017, ending Luis Fonsi's 35-week run at number one with "Despacito". It surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube within five months of its 18 August 2017 release and was the most watched music video by a female artist in 2017. "Criminal" is one of the 50 most viewed videos and eight most viewed Spanish-language videos on YouTube, having received over 2.0 billion views. It is also both Natasha and Ozuna's most watched music video on the platform. Natasha said YouTube provided her with "the opportunity to reach other parts of the world, when before we depended on a label for that. It's definitely an achievement not only for me, but for Latina women. Before we did not have that reach." "Billboard" included "Criminal" at number 11 in its list of Top 25 Sexiest Latin Music Videos. Tommy Calle of "Hoy" wrote that Natasha's "sensuality and beauty" in the video "stands out to the eye".

Critical reception.

"Criminal" was well received by music critics. Leila Cobo of "Billboard" described the song as "sexy without being vulgar" and said its "immediate catchiness" made it "a YouTube sensation". Marjua Esteves of the same website wrote that it is "not your everyday fast-pumping reggaeton record, but a criminally slow-grinding jam". Raquel Reichard of "The Fader" called the track a "knockout" and an "earworm". Writing for "Maxim", Brandon Friederich found the song "contagious" and wrote, "Even if you're a non-Spanish speaker, just try resisting the urge to sing the'muy criminal'-laden chorus". Los 40's Alberto Palao Murcia commented, "I timidly gave the track a play expecting a more Latin rhythm that does not even reach the dance floor, but, to my surprise, by the second chorus I was already singing 'Criminal, Cri-Criminal..." Similarly, Tommy Calle of "Hoy" called it "an urban anthem that has managed to turn on the dance floor", and "a catchy song that lifts everyone's spirits".  "Billboard" placed "Criminal" at number 17 in its list of Top 20 Best Latin Songs of 2017. Idolator's Mike Wass gave the song an honorable mention in his list of The Best Latin Pop Songs of 2017.

Live performances.

Natasha and Ozuna performed "Criminal" together at Calibash LA 2018 on 20 January and at the Soberano Awards on 21 March 2018. On 21 June 2018, Natasha performed the song at VidCon in Anaheim, California. She also performed the track at KLVE's Las Qué Mandan event at the Inglewood Forum on 17 November 2018.

"Criminal" is a Spanish-language song by Dominican singer Natti Natasha and Puerto Rican singer Ozuna, released by Pina Records on 18 August 2017. Written by the two singers, Jhay Cortez, Rafael Pina, Vicente Saavedra and its producer Haze, it is a reggaeton song with drum programming and forceful bass patterns indebted to the dancehall genre. The accompanying music video was directed by Nuno Gómes at an abandoned women's prison in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, and portrays Ozuna as a prison director falling in love with a prisoner played by Natasha. It received over 1 billion views on YouTube within five months of its release and was the most watched music video by a female singer in 2017.


Career.

Rocks received his Masters of Science degree from Purdue University and his Doctor of Science from Technische Hochschule Vienna. He wrote his doctoral thesis in German in the field of analytical chemistry separating metal atoms in semi-aqueous solutions, which found that equilibrium constants are changed in semi-aqueous mediums.  Rocks is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Long Island University.

Energy.

Rocks wrote "The Energy Crisis" (Crown, 1972). The book called for the formal establishment of a national energy center, which influenced the creation of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Carter administration.  Following publication, Rocks was discussed by "Time Magazine" and "National Review". He addressed the United Nations, and appeared on "The Today Show", "To Tell The Truth", and "The Mike Douglas Show". Rocks had a column in King Features Syndicate.  After publication of "The Energy Crisis", Rocks authored the chemistry textbook "Developing Your Chemistry Fundamentals" (The Petroleum Publishing Company) in 1979.  In 1980 Rocks authored "Fuels For Tomorrow" (PennWell Publishers 1980), a sequel to "The Energy Crisis", in which Rocks stated that the future of agriculture will be in fermentation chemistry, a process he asserted was far less hazardous to the environment.

Sports.

In 2017 Rocks conducted an experiment studying the effect temperature has on a baseball, with Paul DeJong as his laboratory assistant. The outcome of the experiment was that the optimal bounce of a baseball lies between 68-75 degrees Fahrenheit because at lower temperatures the elastomeres become more rigid and become softer at higher temperatures.  While appearing on MLB Network during the 2017 winter meetings, Rocks defined sports chemistry as "the combination of modern analytical chemistry with sports metrics." In 2018 "Chemical & Engineering News" interviewed Rocks, sharing his philosophy on learning science that, "Everybody can do it." St. Louis Cardinals "Cardinals Insider" interviewed Rocks in 2018 as to whether music plays any role in science. "There is a molecular rhythm to life in terms of development. There are body rhythms that will one day be understood for the mind," Rocks explained. In 2018 Topps referenced Rocks on the back of Paul DeJong's 2018 "future stars" series baseball card. DeJong credited Rocks with affecting his thinking of "off-season training routines". During the 2018 off-season Rocks and DeJong lectured at the Society of the Four Arts on the subject of tendons and respiration for athletic development.“Weightlifting is great – makes you feel like Superman," Rocks said. "But you lose the edge on flexibility.”  Topps issued a collectible card for Rocks for its 2019 card set.

Personal Life.

He and his wife Marlene have one son, Burton Rocks, who is a writer and sports agent. He is a supporter of the Palm Beach Symphony.

Lawrence Rocks (August 27, 1933) is an American chemist and author who has written books on energy crises and biofuel. He has also written about chemistry and sports, specifically baseball.


Club career.

Born in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šunjić made his professional debut with Dinamo Zagreb in the 2013–14 season.

Lokomotiva Zagreb.

After appearing only for the reserves, he joined Lokomotiva on 10 February 2016. On 13 May 2017, he scored his first goal for the club in the dying minutes of a 2–0 league victory over Inter Zaprešić. Ahead of the 2017–18 season, Šunjić was made the club captain. On 15 September, he scored the winning goal in the final minutes of a 1–0 league victory against Cibalia.  On 12 February 2018, Šunjić rejoined Dinamo Zagreb and signed a contract until 15 June 2023. However, at the same time, he was loaned to Lokomotiva for the rest of the season.

Dinamo Zagreb.

He returned to Dinamo Zagreb for the 2018–19 season and featured 41 times in all competitions. He made 8 appearances in the Europa League, scoring in a 4–1 win over Fenerbahçe on 20 September 2018 and starting in Dinamo Zagreb's impressive 1–0 first leg win against Benfica in the round of 16 of the Europa League on 7 March. He was suspended for the second leg, in which Dinamo Zagreb were eliminated. Šunjić made 30 league appearances as Dinamo Zagreb finished as champions, and scored a 90th-minute goal in the Croatian Cup semifinal against Osijek that secured a 2–0 win. He started in the final, which Dinamo Zagreb lost 3–1 to Rijeka.

Birmingham City.

On 26 July 2019, Šunjić signed a five-year contract with Birmingham City of the English Championship. The officially undisclosed fee was reported as €7 million. He made his debut as a second-half substitute in Birmingham's opening fixture of the season, a 1–0 win away against Brentford on 3 August 2019.

International career.

Šunjić was included in Croatia's squad for the 2013 Under-17 World Cup, and played all three group matches.  Šunjić was called up to the senior national team for a friendly match against Mexico in the United States on 28 May. He played the whole of the match, in which an inexperienced Croatia team comprising largely debutants and reduced to ten men secured a 2–1 victory against a relatively strong Mexican side.  He captained Croatia at the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championships and played all three of their matches.

Honours.

Dinamo Zagreb

Ivan Šunjić (born 9 October 1996) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for English club Birmingham City and the Croatia national team. He previously played for Lokomotiva and Dinamo Zagreb.


Gameplay.

"Left Alive" is a primarily stealth-based game with elements of shooter and survival games as well. Players spend most of their time trying to evade enemies and create improvised weapons when stealth fails or is not an option. Activities include guiding survivors to safe houses, crafting weapons, and planning the takedown of wanzers. Other players who did not survive a game stage exist in a players play through and their bodies can be searched for equipment. Players also occasionally have the opportunity to take control of Wanzers and do great damage to their enemies. Players are guided by Koshka, a Rutherian command and control AI which warns players when enemies come close. Weapon crafting includes creating IED’s, traps, and different kinds of explosives from scrounged materials. Players guide survivors to the safe houses by issuing commands on the map screen.

Plot.

The story takes place in the ‘’Front Mission’’ universe during a conflict between two countries; Ruthenia and Garmonia. The game breaks the story into fourteen chapters and three characters individual stories. Players begin as Mikhail, who is a wanzer pilot who must survival the loss of his wanzer and fellow soldiers. The next character is Olga, who is a police captain and a former soldier of Garmonia before the city she lives in became part of Ruthenia. The last character is Leonid, a former rebel leader accused of murder. The plot begins with a surprise invasion by Garmonia into the city of Novo Slava in Ruthenia, the same city Olga works in.

Development.

"Left Alive" was developed by Japanese developer Ilinx and produced by Square Enix. It was directed by Toshifumi Nabeshima, who previously directed some of the games in the "Armored Core" franchise. Shinji Hashimoto, who helped produce entries in both "Front Mission" and Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" series, served as producer for "Left Alive". The game's promotional art was created by Yoji Shinkawa, well known for his work on the "Metal Gear" series. In addition to overseeing the design of some of the models, Shinkawa did character designs of the three main protagonists, as well as one of the Wanzer mecha models. He also drew concept art of some of the other characters. Artist Takayuki Yanase, who worked on "Xenoblade Chronicles X", also contributed Wanzer designs.  When development began, the development team initially conceived of the title as a strategy game, but became more of an action title under Toshifumi Nabeshima‘a influence. Nabeshima originally thought that the game would revolve around mech robots fighting each other due to the titles ‘’Front Mission’’ roots, but when he learned that players would be controlling people, and fighting against wanzers, ‘’Front Mission’’s term for mechs, he considered giving them some kind of power or guard suit. Later on in development, the game took a very different turn toward a survival mechanic.  Artistically, Nabeshima had the design team review his artwork to make sure he was remaining faithful to the ‘’Front Mission’’ aesthetic. He also created a character with inspiration he found through the artwork of the original ‘’Front Mission’’ artist Yoshitaka Amano, who is also one of his favorite artists. Artist Yoji Shinkawa drew the three main characters based off of a simple profile, and then began submitting rough sketches of the character Leonid for consideration since that was a character type he was very familiar with. He then proceeded to design the characters, always checking to see that he was maintaining a balance between them. He also did sketches for the games other key characters, and also designed one of the wanzers. The mechs did not have to look like traditional “Zenith-type” wanzers from "Front Mission", just “powerful/formidable”, so Shinkawa designed purely from his own imagination. Shinkawa also advised on the 3D graphics and how they looked in motion. Shinkawa notes that he adjusted designs with developer feedback for each character about three to four times.  There was much discussion for the direction of the character Mikhail, with him first being conceived as middle aged, but then young and handsome, necessitating a redesign. His personality began as conceited, like one who had an affluent childhood, but as his dialogue made him a more “honest and earnest”, his design changed again.  Prior to story development, Yoji Shinkawa already had some characters who existed in the "Front Mission" universe in development. In developing the game, the team discussed prioritizing a sense of reality for the story. This led them to make the setting the present world, but with all the countries names changed. The designers also decided that a very realistic plot that would still feel like "Front Mission" would involve several characters dealing with “evil conspiracies” caused by nations plotting against each other.  Composer Hidenori Iwasaki worked on the music, drawing from his experiences as the composer for some of the music in previous "Front Mission" games. Orchestrator Jordan Seigel and audio engineer Shinnosuke Miyazawa also helped work on the soundtrack, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Release.

The game was first announced in September 2017 at the Sony press conference for the Tokyo Game Show, with an intended release year of 2018. In September 2018, Square Enix announced a Japanese release date of February 28, 2019. The following month, Square Enix announced that the game would be released outside of Japan on March 5, 2019. People who pre-ordered the game received five desktop wallpapers, a downloadable content pack, and a sample soundtrack. A special edition called the "Mech Edition" was also released that included everything in the pre-ordered version, along with an action figure of a Wanzer designed by Yanase and an official artbook. As part of promotions, Square Enix collaborated with Japanese rock band Man with a Mission to release a song called "Left Alive" on the Japanese release date of February 28.  On the day the game was released worldwide, Square Enix launched a free downloadable content pack for "Left Alive". This "World of Tanks Collaboration" pack contained only in-game advertising for "World of Tanks".

Reception.

"Left Alive" received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. In Japan, approximately 17,622 physical units for PlayStation 4 were sold during its launch week becoming the number five selling game of any format.  "IGN" called the game a “failure on every level”, with poor controls and game balances issues cited along with technical glitches. "Game Revolution" praised the games setting and plot, but noted a wildly changing enemy intelligence what would either never miss or ignore the player completely. "GameSpot" praised the games opening and some of the character dialogue, but explain that the lack of story setup at the beginning lead to large plot revelations having no emotional impact. "Destructoid" praises the games soundtrack and art direction, but highlighted the low resolution graphical textures that gave the game a “drab” look. They also noted “laughable” enemy physics, where killed enemies bodies would jump in the air however they died. They further describes voice acting as “varied”, from decent, to sounding like the actors “gave up” after one take. "Kotaku" loved the idea of urban warfare, including searching for improvised weapons to take on war mechs, but the games “stiff” and “sluggish” controls made the game impossibly hard to play. Heather Alexander of "Kotaku" did find some things to praise however, saying the game “drips with style and mood”. Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of "Zero Punctuation" ranked it as the second worst game of 2019.

Left Alive is a stealth video game developed by Ilinx and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. It was announced at a press conference by Sony Interactive Entertainment prior to the 2017 Tokyo Game Show. It is set in the "Front Mission" universe. "Left Alive" received generally unfavorable reviews from critics.


History.

It was built by Mohamed Pasha Jaff, Kurdish king named by the Ottomans Empire in the 1800s. After the Mamluk Vali of Baghdad, Suleiaman Pasha, dealt a crushing defeat to the Persian occupation of Abbas Mirza Qajar of Northern Mesopotamia, and put to flight the Babans in 1850, Mohamed Pasha Jaff along with the Jaff nomads were allowed to dwell in the Shahrizor unharassed by the Ottomans or Persians in any way. A golden age began for the Jaff as they became a major power in all the region.  Their nomadic caravans were allowed pasture from Khanaqin and Qizil Rubat to Panjwin in the Shahrizor region of Kurdistan. In these regions Mohammed Pasha Jaff from his position of power began to crack down on all of his enemies from the Pro Baban Jaff under Aziz Beg Jaff, who was the son of Kai Khasrow Beg Jaff to the rival tribe of the Hemevand, who were anti Ottoman and anti everything. He would erect a fortress on the banks of the Shirwan river to guard against all of these foes in 1866.  This fortress is now known as the Shirwana fortress. In 1868, he would be appointed by the Mamluk Vali Suliaman Pasha of Baghdad. The Jaff's rivals, Hamavands, would go to the Caucasus and fight under for the Russians against the Ottomans. The Russians would arm them and send them back to agitate the Shahrizor and create anarchy.  Osman Pasha Jaff's son, would be given the residence of the fortress, as his father concerned himself with the affairs of Gulanbar and Halabja, Mohammed Ali Beg Jaff. During World War I the Jaff and the Kurds would fall into obscurity as most of the war took place in the South between the Ottomans and British, fighting a back forth battle around Kut, which the Ottomans would deal the British their worst defeat during the war. The British would finally get the upper hand through other fronts, the Palestine front especially. The Ottomans would sign the Treaty of Mudros in 1917. The British would then occupy Mesopotamia, and the Ottoman Empire would cease to exist. During the British Occupation much of the Kurdish population would revolt under Sheikh Mustafa Barzani, whose power base was in Suliamania in 1918, 1922-1924, including segments of the Jaff tribe. The British would end up destroying many Palaces and Fortresses built by the Kurds. Sherwana Castle was the exception, since the Brits had good relations with the Jaff.

Exterior.

The Sherwana Castle sits on top of a mound two stories high, and has eight cases of nine steps each leading up to the entrance. The entrance is under a grand arched window with two narrow arched windows and two arched windows on each side. On each side of these are three more narrow long arched windows and three windows at the top. The back entrance is similar, with four narrow long windows on each side and four small windows at the top. Each of the four towers at the corners has three windows on all sides. The top one of these has no glass, to enable rifles to be placed on those positions. The roof of the castle has a building on top with four sides. There are six windows on each side and two windows on its corners, which protrude out in a hexagon shape. The roof of this building has a Persian appearance with wavy crenallations.

Interior.

The inside has a monochromatic white appearance. The rooms are compartmentalized with many arches in which to put vases and tea sets. There are three stories with the second story containing lounge rooms by the grand windows above the entrances, which overlook all of Kalar. The top building contains mainly storage rooms.

Sherwana Castle, also known as Shirwanah Castle, is located in Kalar, Kurdistan, Iraq. Sherwana Castle is the ancestral home to the Jaff family.


History.

MQA was launched on 4 December 2014 at The Shard in London, although the concepts underpinning the development had previously been the subject of a presentation to the Audio Engineering Society British Section (10 June 2014) and a paper (published 8 October 2014) presented at the Audio Engineering Society 137th Convention in Los Angeles, CA in October 2014.  MQA was demonstrated to visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2015. Several download/streaming services, playback system manufacturers and record labels have subsequently announced support for the technology, including Pioneer Corporation, Onkyo, Meridian Audio, 7digital, Norwegian label Lindberg Lyd (2L), Mytek and others, with Warner Music Group announcing the signing of a "long-term licensing deal" with MQA at the Munich High End show in May 2016.  In May 2016, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in cooperation with the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group, announced that services providing music encoded in MQA are eligible to carry the industry's official logo mark for "Hi-Res MUSIC".  In March 2018, MQA launched "Live", a virtual concert-going service designed to preserve the original sound quality of live performances. While playback will be available on any device, only devices compatible with MQA's proprietary codec may access the stream's "full quality."

Codec description.

MQA encoding is lossy; it hierarchically compresses the relatively little energy in the higher frequency bands into data streams that are embedded in the lower frequency bands using proprietary dithering techniques but after the decoding the result would be the lossless archive.  After a series of such manipulations, the resulting 44.1 kHz data, the layered data streams, and a final "touchup" stream (compressed difference between the lossy signal from unpacking all layers and the original) are provided to the playback device. Given the low amount of energy expected in higher frequencies, and using only one extra frequency band layer (upper 44.1 kHz band of 96/24 packed into dither of 48/16) and one touchup stream (compressed difference between original 96/24 and 48/16) are together distributed as a 48/24 stream, of which 48/16 bit-decimated part can be played by normal 48/16 playback equipment.  One more difference to standard formats is the sampling process. The audio stream is sampled and convolved with a triangle function, and interpolated later during playback. The techniques employed, including the sampling of signals with a finite rate of innovation, were developed by a number of researchers over the preceding decade, including Pier Luigi Dragotti and others.  MQA-encoded content can be carried via any lossless file format such as FLAC or ALAC; hence, it can be played back on systems either with or without an MQA decoder. In the latter case, the resulting audio has easily identifiable high-frequency noise occupying 3 LSB bits, thus limiting playback on non-MQA devices effectively to 13 bit. MQA claims that nevertheless the quality is higher than "normal" 48/16, because of the novel sampling and convolution processes.  Other than the sampling and convolution methods, which were not explained by MQA in detail, the encoding process is similar to that used in XRCD and HDCD.  However, unlike other lossy compression formats like MP3 and WMA, the lossy encoding method of MQA is similar to aptX, LDAC and WavPack Hybrid Lossy, which uses time-domain ADPCM and bitrate reduction instead of perceptual encoding based on psychoacoustic models.

Reception.

While the technology has received little comment in the general and mainstream press, it has been exalted by the audiophile and hi-fi press. Robert Harley, editor of "The Absolute Sound" has referred to it as "The most significant audio technology of my lifetime". Editor John Atkinson writing in "Stereophile" magazine following the UK launch in December 2014 wrote "In almost 40 years of attending audio press events, only rarely have I come away feeling that I was present at the birth of a new world."

Criticism.

MQA has received criticism from various sources within the music industry.  Audio product manufacturer Schiit Audio announced that it will not be supporting MQA due to, amongst other reasons, the understanding that "...supporting MQA means handing over the entire recording industry to an external standards organization."  In a blog post title "MQA is Bad for Music. Here's why" Hi-fi Manufacturer Linn Products criticises MQA's licensing requirements, asserting that MQA is "...an attempt to control and extract revenue from every part of the supply chain, and not just over content that they hold the rights for." After having discussed several disadvantages for both the artist and the consumer Linn concludes that as a consumer you will "...pay a higher price for the same music, and you'll pay more for your hi-fi system too. And even if you don't buy into MQA, everyone will get less innovation, creativity and poorer music as a result."  In an interview for online publication Positive Feedback, engineer Andreas Koch is critical of MQA due to its lossy algorithms and compression, along with its licensing requirements; also saying that a format such as this "does not solve any problem that the world currently has." Koch was involved in the creation of the Super Audio CD, the development of the Direct Stream Digital codec, and is co-founder of audio product manufacturer Playback Designs.  An article titled Digital Done Wrong on the International Audio/Video Review web site, concluded that MQA is founded on a fundamentally unsound understanding of correct digital audio processing and found that playback of a sample MQA encoding demonstrated gross distortion and reconstruction failure. It did however comment that some listeners may find the technical defects of MQA encoding subjectively pleasing.  Some critical comments have been made in online forums such as the Audiophile Style forum and in audio magazine website comments, and a few writers have expressed concern in some areas. Over 80 detailed questions, some of which voiced these concerns, were submitted to the editors of the Audiophile Style forum and subsequently addressed in detail by the creator of MQA, Bob Stuart, in an extended question-and-answer article.

Hardware and software decoders.

Hardware decoders are manufactured by Pioneer, iFi Audio, Onkyo, Mytek, Meridian, Cocktailaudio and Bluesound. Selected Meridian products will support MQA thanks to a firmware update. On software side, the desktop application by Tidal supports MQA.  Commercial MQA-capable playback devices require payment of a royalty to MQA Ltd per unit sold. Based on information from Auralic, a manufacturer of Audiophile Wireless Audio Streamers, Meridian Audio prohibits digital output of unpacked MQA in any digital format, only allowing the unpacked data to be fed to an on-board MQA-compatible DAC and output in analog form. Some claim this to be a kind of DRM process, which allows a proper MQA file to be authenticated and the full quality of the signal decoded only on commercially licensed equipment.

Streaming services.

Starting in January 2017, Tidal provides MQA audio to subscribers of the Tidal "HiFi" package.

Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) is an audio codec using lossy compression and a form of file fingerprinting, intended for high fidelity digital audio internet streaming and file download. Launched in 2014 by Meridian Audio, it is now owned and licensed by MQA Ltd, which was founded by Bob Stuart, co-founder of Meridian Audio.


Life.

Maria Giovanna Fasce was born on 27 December 1881 in Genoa to the middle-class Eugenio Fasce and his second wife Teresa Valente. She had seven siblings and her oldest sibling was Luigia. Her relations dubbed her as "Marietta". Her mother died in 1889 which prompted her oldest sister Luigia to take care of Fasce.  Fasce taught catechism to children and grew to love the charism of Saint Augustine. She also met her confessor Father Mariano Ferriello in Genoa who encouraged her to learn of the Augustinian figures and pursue her vocation. She also became aware of the life of Rita of Cascia and travelled to Rome in 1900 when Pope Leo XIII canonized her - this was the most important event of her life thus far and solidified her desire to become a nun. She expressed this intention to her relations who took the news bad and her brothers in particular were negative about it. Her oldest sister Luigia accepted this but did not understand Fasce's reasoning for living in a primitive place like Cascia. She applied for admission to a Ligurian convent but was rejected much to her surprise. The Abbess Giuseppina Gattarelli said that she believed Fasce was unable to handle the rigors of the monastic life. Fasce reapplied and was accepted in 1906.  On 22 June 1906 she entered the convent of the Order of Saint Augustine (she received the habit on the night of 25 December 1906) and made the profession of her initial vows on 25 December 1907 in the religious name of "Maria Teresa". She became quite disillusioned due to the convent's decline and returned home in June 1910 for a period of deep reflection. Her time at home saw her affirm her desire to be in the monastic life and returned to the convent in May 1911 and later made her solemn vows on 22 March 1912. She was appointed as novice mistress on 17 July 1914 at the time of World War I and was then vicar of her convent from 1917 until 1920. The unanimous decision of the convent's leadership saw her made abbess on 12 August 1920 and she held that post until her death.  In 1923 she began the circulation of the newsletter "Dalle Api alle Rose" (first edition published 22 May 1923) in order to promote the almost unknown chapel that contained the remains of Rita of Cascia and desired bringing people to God through the saint she admired. Fasce suffered from a malignant tumor on her right breast and had to undergo two operations on it. She referred to her tumor as her "treasure" that was the most beautiful gift that Jesus Christ had given her. She suffered from diabetes and asthma and also became overweight which caused walking difficulties - fellow nuns also had to move her in a chair later in her tenure.  Her goal was the construction of a girl's orphanage which began construction in 1925 and finished in 1938 though she had to depend on donations and work was slow due to the bad economic climate and the onslaught of World War II. She referred to the orphan girls as her "bees" and the first girl to be admitted into the new orphanage was Edda Petrucci.  Fasce died in 1947. Her remains were placed next to Rita of Cascia.

Beatification.

The beatification process commenced in the Diocese of Spoleto-Norcia in an informative process that commenced on 5 August 1968 and concluded its business on 5 June 1971. Fasce was titled as a Servant of God on 5 August 1968 under Pope Paul VI once the process commenced. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the process on 6 May 1988 in Rome.  The postulation sent the Positio dossier to the C.C.S. for further assessment at which point theologians met and approved its contents on 17 January 1995 while the C.C.S. themselves followed suit on 6 June 1995. Pope John Paul II proclaimed Fasce to be Venerable on 11 July 1995 after confirming that the late religious had lived a model Christian life of heroic virtue.  The miracle needed for her beatification was investigated in the Italian diocese of its origin and received C.C.S. validation on 17 March 1995 while a medical board approved the miracle on 30 November 1995; theologians also voiced their approval on 24 January 1997 while the C.C.S. did so as well on 18 March 1997. John Paul II approved the miracle on 7 July 1997 and beatified her on 12 October 1997.

Maria Giovanna Fasce (27 December 1881 - 18 January 1947) was an Italian Roman Catholic professed religious of the Augustinian nuns in the religious name of "Maria Teresa". Fasce served in various leadership positions in her convent in Genoa and was noted for the establishment of an orphanage and spreading the charism of Saint Augustine and Saint Rita of Cascia.


Pathogenicity.

Pathogen history.

One of the first pathogens observed by scientists was "Vibrio cholerae", described in detail by Filippo Pacini in 1854. His initial findings were just drawings of the bacteria but, up until 1880, he published many other papers concerning the bacteria. He described how it causes diarrhea as well as developed effective treatments against it. Most of these findings went unnoticed until Robert Koch rediscovered the organism in 1884 and linked it to the disease. was discovered by Leeuwenhoeck in the 1600s but wasn't found to be pathogenic until the 1970s, when an EPA-sponsored symposium was held following a large outbreak in Oregon involving the parasite. Since then, many other organisms have been identified as pathogens, such as "H. pylori" and "E. coli", which have allowed scientists to develop antibiotics to combat these harmful microorganisms.

Types of pathogens.

Pathogens include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, and viruses. Each of these different types of organisms can then be further classified as a pathogen based on its mode of transmission. This includes the following: food borne, airborne, waterborne, blood-borne, and vector-borne. Many pathogenic bacteria, such as food-borne "Staphylococcus aureus" and "Clostridium botulinum", secrete toxins into the host to cause symptoms. HIV and Hepatitis B are viral infections caused by blood-borne pathogens. "Aspergillis", the most common pathogenic fungi, secretes aflatoxin, which acts as a carcinogen and contaminates many foods, especially those grown underground (nuts, potatoes, etc.).

Transmission methods.

Within the host, pathogens can do a variety of things to cause disease and trigger the immune response. Microbes and fungi cause symptoms due to their high rate of reproduction and tissue invasion. This causes an immune response, resulting in common symptoms as phagocytes break down the bacteria within the host. Some bacteria, such as "H. pylori", can secrete toxins into the surrounding tissues, resulting in cell death or inhibition of normal tissue function. Viruses, however, use a completely different mechanism to cause disease. Upon entry into the host, they can do one of two things. Many times, viral pathogens enter the lytic cycle; this is when the virus inserts its DNA or RNA into the host cell, replicates, and eventually causes the cell to lyse, releasing more viruses into the environment. The lysogenic cycle, however, is when the viral DNA is incorporated into the host genome, allowing it to go unnoticed by the immune system. Eventually, it gets reactivated and enters the lytic cycle, giving it an indefinite “shelf life” so to speak.

Context-based host interactions.

Types of interactions.

Depending on how the pathogen interacts with the host, it can be involved in one of three host–pathogen interactions. Commensalism is when the pathogen benefits while the host gains nothing from the interaction. An example of this is "Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron", which resides in the human intestinal tract but provides no known benefits. Mutualism occurs when both the pathogen and the host benefit from the interaction, as seen in the human stomach. Many of the bacteria aid in the breaking down of nutrients for the host and, in return, our bodies act as their ecosystem. Parasitism occurs when the pathogen benefits from the relationship while the host is harmed. This can be seen in the unicellular "Plasmodium falciparum" parasite which causes malaria in humans.

Pathogenic variability in hosts.

Although pathogens do have the capability to cause disease, they do not always do so. This is described as context-dependent pathogenicity. Scientists believe that this variability comes from both genetic and environmental factors within the host. One example of this in humans is "E. coli". Normally, this bacteria flourishes as a part of the normal, healthy microbiota in the intestines. However, if it relocates to a different region of the digestive tract or the body, it can cause intense diarrhea. So while "E. coli" is classified as a pathogen, it does not always act as such. This example can also be applied to "S. aureus" and other common microbial flora in humans.

Current pathogenic treatment methods.

Currently, antimicrobials are the primary treatment method for pathogens. These drugs are specifically designed to kill microbes or inhibit further growth within the host environment. Multiple terms can be used to describe antimicrobial drugs. Antibiotics are chemicals made by microbes that can be used against other pathogens, such as penicillin and erythromycin. Semi-synthetics are antimicrobials that are derived from bacteria, but they are enhanced to have a greater effect. In contrast to both of these, synthetic are strictly made in the lab to combat pathogenicity. Each of these three types of antimicrobials can be classified into two subsequent groups: bactericidal and bacteriostatic. Bactericidal substances kill microorganisms while bacteriostatic substances inhibit microbial growth.  The main problem with pathogenic drug treatments in the modern world is drug resistance. Many patients don't take the full treatment of drugs, leading to the natural selection of resistant bacteria. One example of this is methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA). Because of antibiotic overuse, only the bacteria which have developed genetic mutations to combat the drug can survive. This reduces drug effectiveness and renders many treatments useless.

Future directions.

Thanks to network analysis of host–pathogen interactions and large-scale analyses of RNA sequencing data from infected host cells, we know that pathogen proteins causing an extensive rewiring of the host interactome have a higher impact in pathogen fitness during infection. These observations suggest that hubs in the host–pathogen interactome should be explored as promising targets for antimicrobial drug design. Currently, many scientists are aiming to understand genetic variability and how it contributes to pathogen interaction and variability within the host. They are also aiming to limit the transmission methods for many pathogens to prevent rapid spread in hosts. As we learn more about the host–pathogen interaction and the amount of variability within hosts, the definition of the interaction needs to be redefined. Casadevall proposes that pathogenicity should be determined based on the amount of damage caused to the host, classifying pathogens into different categories based on how they function in the host. However, in order to cope with the changing pathogenic environment, treatment methods need to be revised to deal with drug-resistant microbes.

The host–pathogen interaction is defined as how microbes or viruses sustain themselves within host organisms on a molecular, cellular, organismal or population level. This term is most commonly used to refer to disease-causing microorganisms although they may not cause illness in all hosts. Because of this, the definition has been expanded to how known pathogens survive within their host, whether they cause disease or not.


Background.

Lead singer Dan Reynolds noted that "Natural" is about "finding yourself and being willing and able to stand up to whatever adversity comes your way". He said in a press release announcing the song: "Living in a dog-eat-dog world can bring out the worst in you, and sometimes, the best. It would be a lie to tell you I haven't become somewhat skeptical about some things in the last decade of my life. However, I believe that when you truly learn to love yourself, the judging eyes and hateful words become meaningless."  The song was chosen by ESPN as the anthem of the 2018 "College Football" season. It is the second time that an Imagine Dragons song was chosen, the first being "Roots" in 2015. "'Natural' embodies the energy, spirit and drama of each team's journey to the College Football Playoff, and that is why it was chosen as this year's anthem," said Emeka Ofodile, ESPN vice president of sports marketing. It is also part of the soundtrack for EA Sports' NHL 19.

Composition.

"Natural" features a "mix of explosive drums and inspiring lyrics", with "stadium-rocking instrumentation" over the chorus.

Critical reception.

Markos Papadatos of "Digital Journal" regarded "Natural" as a "well-crafted and well-produced song", writing that "Reynolds' voice is impressive, raw and powerful", and that the song "garners two thumbs up". Sam Tornow of "Billboard" described the song as "ferocious" and "smash-mouth". Mike Wass of Idolator named the song a "radio-ready anthem", expecting it to be "another smash" following the success of the band's third studio album "Evolve" (2017). Tiana Timmerberg of Radio.com called the song "energetic and inspiring", deeming it "a feel-good jam with positive and empowering lyrics".

Music video.

A music video for the song was released on August 24, 2018. It depicts frontman Dan Reynolds as the apparent owner of a spooky house including shots of a woman in a bathtub, the same woman being pursued by other inhabitants of the house and an abnormally tall man resembling Slenderman, a supposed funeral for the woman, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee and Daniel Platzman fading into dust, Reynolds digging a grave and burying the woman alive, and other shots no the house and its inhabitants, along with a clip of a lion mauling a zebra. Its music video has received over 350 million views and 3.5 million likes as of May 2020.

Live performances.

On July 19, 2018, Imagine Dragons made a live television debut of the single on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". The performance featured a guitar solo by lead guitarist Wayne Sermon that expanded on the studio recording.

Personnel.

Credits adapted from Tidal.

"Natural" is a song by American pop band Imagine Dragons, whose members co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter, Klinsmann Lucas S. Bernardo and their producers Mattman & Robin. It was released by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records on July 17, 2018, serving as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album "Origins" (2018), as well as the seasonal anthem of the 2018 "ESPN College Football". It became their fifth number one song on the US Hot Rock Songs chart.


Early life.

Marks was born and raised in Ulster in Ireland and had eleven siblings, three of whom were stillborn. The Marks' father, John, was a stonemason and an abusive alcoholic. The family immigrated to Canada in 1840 when Grace was twelve. Her mother died on the ship en route to Canada and was buried at sea.

Kinnear murder.

Marks was employed as a maid in the house of Yonge Street farmer Thomas Kinnear, who was in a sexual relationship with his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. On July 18, 1843, Kinnear and Montgomery were murdered by a servant. Kinnear was shot and Montgomery, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was hit on the head with an axe and subsequently strangled before being dismembered and hidden under a large tub. Under the alias "Mary Whitney", Marks and the servant, James McDermott, fled together to the U.S., but were apprehended in Lewiston, New York and deported to Toronto. It remains unclear whether Marks had actually taken part in the double murder.  Marks was tried with McDermott for the murder of Kinnear. A trial for Montgomery's murder was to follow, but was deemed unnecessary as both defendants were convicted of Kinnear's murder and sentenced to death. McDermott was hanged, but Marks's sentence was commuted to life in prison which she served in Kingston Penitentiary. At one period (May 4, 1852 – August 18, 1853) she was committed to an asylum but was later returned to Kingston Penitentiary. In 1872, after almost thirty years of incarceration, Marks was pardoned and moved to northern New York. After that she disappeared.

Popular portrayal.

What is known of Marks on the historical record comes primarily from Susanna Moodie's book "Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush". She is the subject of Margaret Atwood's historical fiction novel "Alias Grace" and played by Sarah Gadon in the 2017 television adaptation directed by Mary Harron. "Alias Grace" was adapted for the stage by Jennifer Blackmer and premiered at the Rivendell Theater in Chicago on September 1, 2017.

Grace Marks (c. July 1828 – after c. 1873) was an Irish-Canadian maid who was involved in the 1843 murder of her Richmond Hill, Ontario, employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. Her conviction for the murder of Kinnear was controversial and sparked much debate about whether Marks was actually instrumental in the murder or merely an unwitting accessory.


Venue.

The game was played at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California, as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had booked the SaberCats' usual home arena of SAP Center from August 20 to 30.

Television.

This was the second consecutive ArenaBowl televised on ESPN.

Background.

Jacksonville Sharks.

In, the Sharks began the regular season with a 1–5 record, after having lost the first four games of the season. The Sharks then won their next five games and eventually finished the season with a 10-8 record, earning the third seed in the American Conference. In the conference semifinals, they defeated the Orlando Predators on the road in a 55–33 contest. They then won the conference finals on the road against the Philadelphia Soul by a score of 61–56.

San Jose SaberCats.

In, the SaberCats began the regular season with eleven straight wins. They clinched their second consecutive (and tenth overall) division championship when the Portland Thunder lost on June 7. The SaberCats' undefeated streak was snapped when they lost at home to the Los Angeles Kiss, who had a 1–9 record entering the game. The SaberCats won their last six games to finish with a franchise best record of 17–1, with home field advantage for the playoffs. In the conference semifinals, they defeated the Portland Thunder at home by a score of 55–28. They then won the conference finals at home against the Arizona Rattlers in a 70–67 contest.

Box score.

"Source":

ArenaBowl XXVIII was the championship game of the 2015 Arena Football League season. It was played between the American Conference Champion Jacksonville Sharks and the National Conference Champion San Jose SaberCats. The game was played at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.


Plot summary.

The action commences in 1939. Lieutenant-Commander George Ericson, a Merchant Navy and Royal Naval Reserve officer, is recalled to the Royal Navy and given command of the fictitious HMS "Compass Rose", newly built to escort convoys. His officers are mostly new to the Navy, especially the two new sub-lieutenants, Lockhart and Ferraby. Only Ericson and the petty officers are in any way experienced.  Despite these initial disadvantages, the ship and crew work up a routine and gain experience. Bennett, the first lieutenant, a mean and shirking disciplinarian with a penchant for bullying and canned sausages ("snorkers"), leaves the ship ostensibly for health reasons, and the junior officers are able to mature, with Lockhart gaining promotion to first lieutenant.  The crew cross the Atlantic many times on escort duty in all kinds of weather, often encountering fierce storms in one of the smallest ships built to protect Allied convoys. The men endure the ship's constant rolling and pitching in the huge waves, freezing cold, the strain of maintaining station on the convoy on pitch-black nights and the fear that at any second a torpedo from a German U-boat could blow them to oblivion. Somehow the tradition of the Royal Navy and the knowledge of the importance of their work carries them through.  They continue the monotonous and dangerous but vital duty of convoy escort, and after one particularly difficult convoy they use all their hard-won knowledge to sink a German submarine. They are nearly sunk several times until in 1943 they are finally torpedoed and forced to abandon ship. Most of the crew die in the freezing waters, but Ericson, Lockhart, Ferraby, and a few others are rescued the next day; however Ferraby suffers a breakdown forcing him to go to hospital.  Ericson, now promoted to commander, and Lockhart, now a lieutenant-commander, take command of a new ship, the fictitious HMS "Saltash". (In the film adaptation, the ship is called "Saltash Castle" and is portrayed by the, as no River-class vessels were available.)  The Royal Navy is now finally gaining the upper hand over the U-boats and "Saltash" adds to the growing number of kills due to Ericson's determination and patience.  In chapter seven the ship receives a message ordering it to "remain on patrol in vicinity of Rockall" as the end of the Second World War approaches in 1945, and as finally hostilities were declared ended, a well-known quote:  With the war ended, "Saltash" returns to port as a guard to several German submarines that have surrendered. A secondary plotline concerns Lockhart's poignant romance with a beautiful Women's Royal Naval Service officer.

Origins and authenticity.

Nicholas Monsarrat's own career was the model for that of his character Lockhart, a Fleet Street reporter in the 1930s, commissioned as a naval reservist. Monsarrat spent the war in anti-submarine escort ships, rising to the rank of lieutenant-commander. His first book, "Three Corvettes", was published in 1945. After the war, he was a publicity officer at British missions overseas (notably Ottawa) before becoming a full-time writer.  Over half a century later, the historian Paul Kennedy still considered Monsarrat's fictionalisation of his experiences as the best and most authentic guide to the mentality of the wartime escort commander.

Film and radio adaptations.

The novel was made into the film "The Cruel Sea" in 1953, directed by Charles Frend and starring Jack Hawkins as Commander Ericson and Donald Sinden as Lockhart.  BBC Radio 4 has produced two radio adaptations of the book. In September 1980, a two-hour dramatised version starred Richard Pasco as Ericson and Michael N. Harbour as Lockhart, and with Terry Molloy as the coxswain of "Saltash". Recording took place with the assistance of the captain and ship's company of and the captain of. The narrator was Martin Muncaster. In March 2012, another two-hour version, starred Gwilym Lee as Lockhart and Jonathan Coy as Ericson. Dramatised by John Fletcher and directed by Marc Beeby, this adaptation went on to win 'Best Use of Sound in an Audio Drama' in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2013.  In 1998 BBC Radio 2 released a three-hour full-cast dramatisation audiobook as part of the BBC Radio Collection. The novel was adapted by Joe Dunlop. The cast included Donald Sinden (Narrator), Philip Madoc (Ericson), Paul Rhys (Lockhart), Michael Maloney (Ferraby), Helen Baxendale (Julie Hallam), Emma Cunniffe and Jack Davenport. The novel is also available as an audiobook.

The Cruel Sea is a 1951 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. It follows the lives of a group of Royal Navy sailors fighting the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. It contains seven chapters, each describing a year during the war.


Early life.

Nasser was born in Tripoli on 15 June 1927, the fifth of 11 children. He attended the School of the Holy Hearts until the age of 7 and then the College of the Brothers of the Holy Family. During his childhood he was a keen fan of film, watching up to eight a week at the cinema. Nasser moved to California to attend UCLA and became one the first Arab filmmakers to obtain a film degree in the United States. Though he had originally intended to study architecture as he was unaware that cinema studies was a subject. At UCLA he met fellow film students George Roy Hill and John Ford.

Career.

After graduating from UCLA in the mid-50s, he returned to Lebanon to direct his first feature, "Ila Ayn" (1957), which became the first Lebanese film to be featured In Selection at Cannes Film Festival. After sixty years, the film was screened again in its restored print version as part of the Cannes Classics events in 2017, after which Nasser, who is known as the "Father of Lebanese Cinema" received a standing ovation. Although his career was cut short by the Lebanese civil war, he has mentored a new generation of Lebanese filmmakers as an instructor at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. Nasser also attempted to establish a film-making syndicate in the aftermath of the war. In the 1990s he began a project to create a film of the life of Egyptian actress Faten Hamama entitled "Lee Ouyon al-Nas" but it was never completed. In his late career he completed several short films for the Lebanese Army. He died on 23 January 2019, aged 91 and was buried at the St. Maroun Church in Tripoli on 24 January.

Filmography.

"Il Ayn?" (1957).

The film known in French as "Vers L'Inconnu", was a mix of melodrama and Italian neo-realism, and cowritten with Halim Fares and Youssef Habchi Achkar. The film examines poetically the themes of exile and emigration. It tells the story of a family from an obscure village in Mount Lebanon. Because the family is struggling, the father decides, like most men in the Levant at the time, to immigrate to Brazil, leaving his wife to raise the children, but he’s never heard from again. Nasser made the film at a time when Lebanon had a fledgling film industry, and so his cast was completely nonprofessional. q digital restoration of the original 35mm film was completed in time for its 60th anniversary. In addition to screening again at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Cannes Classics series, the restored copy of the film was screened in Lebanon at the Metropolis Empire Sofil in Achrafieh in January 2018.

"The Small Stranger" (1962).

His second feature, "The Small Stranger" (or "Le Petit Étranger") was also selected for Cannes in 1962. The French-language film was a coming of age story about a young country boy who moves to the city and gets seduced by it.

"Only One Man Wanted" (1975).

Nasser's third feature was produced by the National Film Organization and partially shot in Syria

Georges Nasser ( ; 15 June 1927 – 23 January 2019) was a Lebanese director. He is considered to have been a pioneering figure in Lebanese cinema and is credited with having put Lebanon on global movie-making map.


Plot.

Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Caligula, alone in his bed, is plagued by nightmares in which a man, his head covered in a helmet, tries to shoot him with an arrow. The poet Domitius approaches and tries to assassinate him with a dagger, but the attempt is thwarted by Ulmar, Caligula's bodyguard. Domitius ends up losing his tongue and having his tendons cut at Caligula's behest.  Riding along the beach with Messala, Caligula encounters a group of Christians, among whom he spots Livia. He rapes the woman in the woods in front of her young lover Aetius, a consul's son. While being raped, Livia commits suicide with Caligula's dagger. The emperor orders Messala to kill Aetius on the spot. He spreads word that they were killed by fanatical Christians, and persecutes them. The senators, however, do not believe that the peaceful Christians were responsible and continue to plot against Caligula, discussing their options.  In his nightmares, Caligula is visited by the shades of Aetius and Livia. At Livia's funeral, held on a beach, Miriam Celsia, close friend and an Egyptian priestess of the god Anubis, speaks against a Christian burial - the idea being that Livia's God failed to defend her - and in favor of cremation according to Anubis, who speaks of vengeance. The Christians comply.  Lucretius presents sumptuous construction plans to Caligula and a group of senators. To finance the project, Caligula announces he will auction off all his belongings at a banquet with beautiful women and costly admission. He then feigns wine poisoning. One of the senators offers to give his life for his well-being, and Caligula stabs him with his sword. Again in his private rooms, the emperor makes fun of crippled Domitius using his sex slaves.  In a temple, Miriam sacrifices her virginity to Anubis in exchange for vengeance on Livia's murder. She is then approached by senator Cornelius who wants to aid her. Caligula's cavalry capture novice Vestal Virgins as the chief attraction of the banquet. In a swimming pool, they are deflowered by slaves approaching underwater with phalli. Other women, among them Miriam, apply for the orgy and are selected by a eunuch, who then trains them in the art of love. During the banquet (which involves jugglers, a bloody gladiatorial combat and the masturbation of a horse), Caligula falls in love with Miriam and his bodyguard Ulmar leads her to the imperial chambers where Miriam and Caligula have sex with each other. When Cornelius attempts to kill Caligula, Miriam unexpectedly saves the emperor's life, killing Cornelius.  Caligula takes deadly revenge on the senators involved in the plot in a number of gruesome ways. In the meantime, Miriam has become passionately tied to Caligula, who announces he will marry her despite her slave status. She discovers Livia's amulet and becomes torn between vengeance and love. When Ulmar offers to help her escape, she refuses. She can no longer kill Caligula but has to know the truth about Livia's death and therefore administers him a hallucinogenic potion. In his ensuing vision, Caligula is approached and plagued in the beyond by the shades of the people he murdered. One is Miriam. As she approaches, he stabs her with a sword he found on the floor, shouting "You're just a dream. But I'm still alive!" When he realizes he is no longer dreaming and has actually stabbed her, he cries.  Riding again on the beach with Messala, Caligula is approached by senators, praetorian guards and his uncle Claudius. Caligula announces the cancellation of his project for a new Rome and asks that they tell the gods he has woken from his dream. Ulmar, wearing the helmet from Caligula's initial dream, shoots arrows through Messala's neck and Caligula's heart. Dying, Caligula says, "I'm still alive! Miriam, I'm still...alive."

Cast.

Uncredited:

Production.

"Caligula... The Untold Story" was shot in autumn 1981 under the working title "Follia del potere" ().

Release.

Censorship.

The film was presented to the Italian board of censors on March 6, 1982 under the title "Caligola... l'altra storia" ( "Caligula... the other story"), by whom it was rejected the first and second time (March 20 and May 21): It contained too many scenes merging sexual and physical violence with reiterated display of mutilations, the remainder of the runtime being for a large part taken up by orgies so that even cuts could not remove the "negative characteristics" in the eyes of the censors.  On October 19, 1982 the production company "Cinema 80" asked for a revision for a re-edited version under the title "Caligola... la storia mai raccontata", passed on December 1, 1982. This version had cut 22 minutes, from the first version, but was lengthened by additional scenes so that it ended up being only about 15 minutes shorter. Nonetheless, a version of the first and longer Italian cut was released in Italy on home video, still bearing the title "Caligola... l'altra storia". In 1993, the film lost its Italian rating "vietato ai minori" ( "forbidden to minors") after the removal of about 2 and a half more minutes, from the second, shorter version.

Theatrical releases.

In Italy, the film was first shown in theaters on December 15, 1982. It premiered in Rome on December 24, 1982 and was shown at the Ambasciatori, the Blue Moon and the Moderno. In Milan, it premiered on March 26, 1983 at the Impero and in Turin on June 24, 1983 at the Ambrosio. The film had an 85 minute running time for its theatrical run in Italy.  In France, the film was released theatrically as "Caligula "la véritable histoire"" in June 1983. In Spain, a soft-core version was theatrically released as "Caligula 3, la historia jamás contada", with 231,236 spectators and a box-office gross of 264,977 euros.

Home media.

Caligula... The Untold Story was released on Italian home video, on VHS, in its soft-core versions by Golfo Azzurro, Videogroup, and Shendene & Moizzi.  Elsewhere, the film was released in a hardcore version never submitted to the Italian board. It includes the following additional scenes:  The hardcore cut was first distributed on home video by "Movie Time" in the Netherlands on VHS in an abbreviated form, dubbed in English with Dutch subtitles. The onscreen title reads "Caligula... The Untold Story", while the title on the cover is "Caligula II - The Forbidden Story".  Both a long softcore and the hardcore cuts were released in Germany in a joint edition as "Caligula 2 - The Untold Story (Caligula 2 - Die wahre Geschichte)" by the label X-rated in its "Joe D'Amato Collection". A DVD edition with similar content was later released in Italy by Stormovie. The running times vary on home video, with an 80 minute running time for the softcore version and a 102 minute running time for the hardcore version.

Reception.

Contemporary reviews.

Contemporary reviews were negative. In June 1983, A. Valdata observed in "La Stampa" that despite its title, the film's story was like that of a common comic book, that the protagonist aped Malcolm McDowell in "Caligula" and that the film was better suited for a red light cinema. In September, an anonymous reviewer at the Segno-cinema noted that the small national production profited from the censorship imposed on Brass' "Caligula" by devising a costumed soft-core screenplay replete with absurdities and approximations, and that the untold story had better been left untold.  In France, P. Mérigeau thought that apart from some habitually horrific scenes (such as tongues cut off, a prostitute coupling with a horse, a newborn child thrown against a wall), there was an absolute void. He called the screenplay nonexistent, the characters for the most part incomprehensible, and wrote that he would rather not talk about the actors' performances.

Retrospective reviews.

Recent reviews have been comparatively favorable. In his 2003 book on splatter films, Scott Aaron Stine observes that "Caligula... The Untold Story" "is not as slick as "Gore Vidal's Caligula"" and says that "the lack of gloss actually benefits the film, putting the subject matter in a very suitable light" and giving more of an impression of a "gritty documentation" compared with the "pretentious and almost glorifying" way in which the earlier film presented its subject matter. Stine also mentions the "gratuitous gore" - in particular the "tongue-sawing sequence" and "the poor chap who gets impaled with a spear in a manner that makes suppositories look positively quaint".  In his D'Amato monograph published in 2004, Gordiano Lupi calls the film "crazy and perverse" as well as "visionary in the right place". He wrote that he preferred it to Brass' "Caligula" because it is "less chaotic and muddled and, above all, also does not have intellectual pretensions". Furthermore, he praises the film's historical reconstruction and its set design, pointing out the yellow tinge of the cinematography evoking the decadent atmosphere of the late [sic] Roman Empire. In his book on D'Amato published in 2014, Antonio Tentori characterises the film as fragmentary due to censorship, but that it is still apparent that it is dedicated to a bizarre and perverse type of eroticism. Both Lupi and Tentori praise David Brandon's performance as Caligula as "perfect". Generally viewing the acting in a favorable light, Lupi further asserts that Laura Gemser too here delivered one of the most inspired performances of her career. Clive Davies sees her as "the real star". In 2015, Gary Allen Smith notes that the "film lacks a well-known cast but the performances are nevertheless competent. David Cain Haughton, in particular, is quite acceptable as the mad emperor."

Caligula... The Untold Story (original Italian title: Caligola... la storia mai raccontata; "Caligula... the story never told") is a 1982 historical exploitation film starring David Brandon and Laura Gemser. Written by George Eastman and Joe D'Amato, and produced, directed and shot by Joe D'Amato, it was created to cash-in on the success of Tinto Brass's "Caligula" without being a sequel or remake.


History.

Wisley was founded by Victorian businessman and RHS member George Ferguson Wilson, who purchased a 60-acre (243,000 m2) site in 1878. He established the "Oakwood Experimental Garden" on part of the site, where he attempted to "make difficult plants grow successfully". Wilson died in 1902 and Oakwood (which was also known as Glebe Farm) was purchased by Sir Thomas Hanbury, the creator of the celebrated garden La Mortola on the Italian Riviera. He gave the Wisley site to the RHS in 1903.  Directors have included;

Description.

Wisley is now a large and diverse garden covering 240 acres (971,000 m2). In addition to numerous formal and informal decorative gardens, several glasshouses and an extensive arboretum, it includes small scale "model gardens" which are intended to show visitors what they can achieve in their own gardens, and a trials field where new cultivars are assessed. The laboratory, for both scientific research and training, was originally opened in 1907, but proved inadequate. It was expanded and its exterior was rebuilt during World War I. It was designated a Grade II Listed building in 1985. Visitor numbers increased significantly from 5,250 in 1905, to 11,000 in 1908, 48,000 in the late 1920s, and 170,000 in 1957, and passed 400,000 in 1978, 500,000 in 1985, and 600,000 in 1987. In 2017, the site welcomed 1,143,175 visitors.  In April 2005 Alan Titchmarsh cut the turf to mark the start of construction of the Bicentenary Glasshouse. This major new feature covers three quarters of an acre (3,000 m2) and overlooks a new lake built at the same time. It is divided into three main planting zones representing desert, tropical and temperate climates. It was budgeted at £7.7 million and opened June 26, 2007. A £20 million Welcome Building including a larger restaurant, cafe and visitor facilities was opened by Alan Titchmarsh on 10 June 2019.

Features.

Wisley has a large number of features, including the following:  Visitor facilities include cafés and restaurant, car parks, plant centre, etc.

Gallery.

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The Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley in the English county of Surrey south of London, is one of five gardens run by the Society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, and Bridgewater (opening in 2020). Wisley is the second most visited paid entry garden in the United Kingdom after the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with 1,071,088 visitors in 2018.


Construction and career.

The cruiser was laid down by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company at Quincy, Massachusetts on 14 August 1905, and launched on 29 May 1907; sponsored by Miss Mary Campbell. "Birmingham" was commissioned on 11 April 1908, Commander Burns Tracy Walling in command. "Birmingham" served with the Atlantic Fleet until 27 June 1911, and went into reserve at Boston three days later. One of her sailors, Chief Electrician William E. Snyder, received the Medal of Honor for rescuing a shipmate from drowning on 4 January 1910. From "Birmingham"s deck, civilian pilot Eugene Ely made the first airplane take-off from a warship on 14 November 1910 in a Curtiss Model D biplane designed by Glenn Curtiss.  Recommissioned on 15 December 1911, she made a short cruise to the West Indies and then reverted to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia on 20 April 1912. From 19 May – 11 July, she was in commission for service on Ice Patrol and then returned to the Philadelphia Reserve Group. Recommissioned on 1 October 1913, "Birmingham" carried the Commissioners of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition on a South American tour from 3 October – 26 December, and was then outfitted at Philadelphia Navy Yard as a tender to the Torpedo Flotilla.  She left the yard on 2 February 1914, and resumed operations with the Atlantic Fleet as flagship of the Torpedo Flotilla. From 22 April – 25 May, she operated with the fleet in Mexican waters. During this time, one of her two Curtiss Model F flying boats performed the first military mission by a US heavier-than-air aircraft, while scouting for mines off Veracruz on 25 April. In 1916, she became flagship of Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet, and Torpedo Flotilla 3.

World War I and fate.

Following American entrance into World War I, "Birmingham" patrolled along the northeast U.S. coast until 14 June 1917, when she sailed from New York as part of the escort for the first US troop convoy to France. After returning to New York she was fitted for service in Europe and in August reported to Gibraltar as flagship for Rear Admiral A. P. Niblack, Commander, US Forces Gibraltar. She escorted convoys between Gibraltar, the British Isles, and France until the Armistice. After a short cruise in the eastern Mediterranean, she returned to the United States in January 1919.  From July 1919 to May 1922, she was based at San Diego, California as flagship of Destroyer Squadrons, Pacific Fleet, and then moved to Balboa, Canal Zone as flagship of the Special Service Squadron. After cruising along the Central American and northern South American coast, she returned to Philadelphia and was decommissioned there on 1 December 1923, being sold for scrap on 13 May 1930.

USS "Birmingham" (CS-2/CL-2), named for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, was a scout cruiser, reclassified a light cruiser in 1920. Entering service in 1908, the ship became known for the first airplane takeoff from a ship in history in 1910. During World War I, "Birmingham" escorted convoys across the Atlantic. The cruiser was decommissioned in 1923 and sold for scrap in 1930.


About the tour.

The tour's setlist consisted of songs from her albums "Pies Descalzos" and "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" In addition, she included an a capella song, "Alfonsina y el Mar", originally by Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa. Criticism of the tour was the overselling of tickets in Guatemala, the long delays at the start of the show,and the short duration of the tour. Despite this criticism, all of the concerts were quickly sold out, and Shakira even added some extra concerts due to popular demand.  After 3 sold out shows in Luna Park, Shakira decided to bring back the tour to Buenos Aires because of popular demand. A 4th date in the Argentinian city was added, the fourth show took place in the city's Campo Argentino de Polo stadium. The show had around 25,000 attendees. The show had people in the blocks near the stadium scared because of overcrowding of the region and according to residents' testimonies, the loud music caused the buildings to shake.

Critical Reception.

Ernesto Lechner From ‘’LA Times’’ praised the concert and the artist saying “Everything about Colombian rock star Shakira spells perfection--with a capital P. Her powerful voice. Her gorgeous looks. Her effortlessly sensuous dancing. Her commanding stage presence.” Highlighting Ojos Asi by calling it “superb”, and asserting that her shows are meant to be seen live.

Broadcast and Recordings.

The concert of the National Auditorium of Mexico and the concert in Luna Park of Buenos Aires was broadcast by a national transmission.

Tour Anfibio () is a concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira that started on March 21, 2000 in Lima (Peru), and ended on May 12 in Buenos Aires (Argentina). The name "anfibio" was chosen by Shakira for its resemblance with her: earthy, viscerally connected to the water element, capable of adapting and willing to undergo metamorphosis. The tour was sponsored by Nokia during the South American legs of the tour.


Origins.

"Phi Tai Hong" usually has its origin in a man or a woman who died suddenly, often without the observance of proper funerary rituals. According to the "Royal Institute Dictionary 1999", the official dictionary of Thai words, "tai hong" means "to die an unnatural and violent death, such as being murdered or drowning" and "Phi Tai Hong" means the ghost of a person who died in such manner. The word "hong" (โหง) has two components: "great suffering" and "suddenness or unexpectedness", with the latter component being more prominent because people who become "Phi Tai Hong" are not able to prepare themselves for death. These types of ghosts symbolize how life can end unpredictably and anyone can become victims of death. Thus there is a distinction between them and for example, cancer patients, who do suffer greatly but are aware of their condition and potential death. Suicide victims or prisoners who were executed also do not fall under the category of "Phi Tai Hong" because their death was anticipated.  According to Thai oral tradition "Phi Tai Hong" are especially dangerous and aggressive because, due to their sudden death, they were unable to fulfill their dreams and desires while alive. As such, their anger and sorrow are manifested into the form of a vengeful ghost. It is believed that the first seven days of a person's death is when their spirit is most actively seeking revenge and the living are advised to avoid the area where they had died. "Phi Tai Hong" will often try to kill other living people in the same manner of which they had died themselves, and as a consequence they are among the most feared ghosts in Thai culture.  Thai culture blames these types of vengeful spirits as one of most difficult to exorcise. This is due to their particularly violent nature and because they actively haunt areas where their death took place, including houses. Exorcisms can be very complicated, involving arcane ceremonies. Stories about this kind of spirit and the exorcism ceremonies that are needed to be free from them are popular in Thai publications.  There is another distinct form of "Phi Tai Hong" known as "Tai Thang Klom" (ตายทั้งกลม) or "Tai Thong Klom" (ตายท้องกลม), which is the ghost of a woman who died together with her child in her womb.

Tai Thang Klom and Tai Thong Klom.

The most violent and vengeful manifestation of "Phi Tai Hong" comes in the form of ghosts called "Tai Thang Klom" (ตายทั้งกลม) or "Tai Thong Klom" (ตายท้องกลม). They are ghosts of pregnant women who died alongside with an unborn child, typically due to childbirth complications. These ghosts are even more malevolent because two lives were lost, not just one, resulting in the power of two spirits.  Written records going far back as to the Ayutthaya period detail the power and fear associated with this particular type of spirit. According to the writings of Jeremias van Vliet, a director of the Dutch East India Company in Ayutthaya during the 17th century, sacrificing pregnant women by burying them alive under city fortifications and buildings turned them into protective spirits rather than destructive "Tai Thang Klom" or "Tai Thong Klom".

Modern adaptations.

"Phi Tai Hong" is a ghost that has been featured in many movies of different types, such as 2003 Thai comedy-horror film "Buppah Rahtree" and the 2010 film "Tai Hong". It also appears in many other movies, but in a role less central to the theme. In its "Tai Thang Klom" variant this ghost is featured in the 2010 film "Tai Thang Klom" ("The Snow White").  "Phi Tai Hong" is also a recurring theme in Thai television soap operas "(lakhon)" such as "The Sixth Sense" (สื่อรักสัมผัสหัวใจ), the highly successful "Raeng Ngao" (แรงเงา), and in "Fai Huan" (ไฟหวน), as well as in the more recent Nang Chada (นางชฎา) with Davika Hoorne as the vengeful ghost and Waen Sawat (แหวนสวาท) starring 'Pancake' Khemanit Jamikorn in a dual role.  The "Phi Tai Hong" legend often provides a plot to erotic films, such as "Phi Sao Tai Hong" and "Khon Hen Phi", in which the hero spends a night of pleasure with a woman, but then finds out later she was an apparition.

Phi Tai Hong () is a ghost of Thai folklore. It is the vengeful and restless spirit of a person who suffered a violent or cruel death.


Functional description.

This section was excerpted from the original document, "Minuteman" D-37C Digital Computer System Depot Overhaul. Autonetics, Division of North American Rockwell, Inc. Anaheim, California. FET-D-120-D37/4.

Control Unit.

The control unit interprets and processes all machine functions and consists of a location counter, the instruction register, and the phase register.

Arithmetic Unit.

The arithmetic unit consists of three registers: the accumulator (A), lower accumulator (L), and the number register (N). Only the A and L registers are addressable.

Memory Unit.

The D-37C computer memory consists of a rotating magnetic disk driven by a synchronous motor at 6000 rpm. Adjacent to the disk are two fixed head plates which house the read and write heads. The disk has a thin magnetic oxide coating on both sides for storing information. This disk is supported by air bearings generated by the rotating disk. The disk is divided into tracks or channels of 128 words each for main memory. A total capacity of 7222 words may be contained in the 56 channels of 128 Sectors, six 4-word loops, one 8-word loop, one 16-word loop and six 1-word loops.

Programming.

The computer uses a full 24-bit instruction word and data word. Data is represented in one of two fashions, as a 23-bit binary fraction (full word) or as a 10-bit fraction (split word). The two formats are shown in the figure. Instructions also have two formats, either flagged or unflagged as indicated in the figure. A list with all of the available instructions with numeric and mnemonic codes follows. For more information on programming see:  Kee, W. T. Programming Manual for the D-37C Computer. Anaheim, California, Autonetics, Division of North American Rockwell, Inc., 30 January 1965.

D-17B Comparison.

Both the D-17B and the D-37C computers were designed and built by Autonetics, then a division of North American Aviation, later a division of Boeing, for the real time guidance and control of a Minuteman ICBM from launch to detonation. The D-17B is a component of the NS-10Q missile guidance system for the Minuteman I, while the D-37C is a component of the NS-17 missile guidance system for the Minuteman II. There are many basic similarities between the two designs. They are both synchronous, serial machines with fixed head disks for primary memory. They have two-address instructions, half and whole word precision, and many similar instruction operator codes. The differences in the two computers are based mainly upon their differing technologies. The D-17B was built in 1962 using primarily diode-resistor logic and diode-transistor logic as needed to realize its logic circuits. On the other hand, the D-37C was built in 1964 using small scale integrated circuits made by Texas Instruments with discrete components only in the internal power supplies.

Power supply.

Jerrold Foutz, President, SMPS Technology was the responsible engineer for the Minuteman D-37B guidance and control computer power supply study program which defined the state-of-art techniques later used in one of the first integrated-circuit military computers. These techniques included high-speed flat-pack power transistors and diodes (the first silicon power devices that could switch at 20 kHz and higher), high frequency DC-DC converters (100 kHz reduced to 20 kHz for reliability safety margins), high frequency pulse-width-modulated power supplies (20 kHz), metal substrate multilayer circuit boards (removing eight watts per cubic inch in space environment with 40°C rise, junction to system heat sink), and radiation circumvention techniques that removed all electrical power from the power distribution system, including decoupling capacitors, in less than a 1 microsecond and restored to specified voltage in a few microseconds upon command. Responsible for developing these concepts from exploratory development through to the production design. The basic power supply configuration was maintained in later Minuteman missiles whereas other components underwent major redesigns. Also developed, but not used, was a complete liquid dielectric cooling system based on phase change. This study verified, for the first time, that such a system could work in zero-gravity, and that the liquid dielectric showed no compatibility problems with the chosen electronic components over a test period lasting eight years.

The D-37C (D37C) is the computer component of the all-inertial NS-17 Missile Guidance Set (MGS) for accurately navigating to its target thousands of miles away. The NS-17 MGS was used in the Minuteman II (LGM-30F) ICBM. The MGS, originally designed and produced by the Autonetics Division of North American Aviation, could store multiple preprogrammed targets in its internal memory.