Original show.

The original "Wild Kingdom" grew from discussions that started in 1962 between zoologist Marlin Perkins and V. J. Skutt, the chairman and CEO of insurance company Mutual of Omaha. The company had been the sponsor of an earlier animal-related show, "Zoo Parade", that Perkins had hosted from 1952 until 1957. Also intimately involved with the creation of "Wild Kingdom" was "Zoo Parade" producer Don Meier, who was credited as the program's creator. Mutual of Omaha sponsored and lent its name to the new program.  Wild Kingdom won Emmy Awards for "outstanding program achievement" in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969.  Liz and Henk Maartens, from Irene, Pretoria, South Africa, won five Emmy Awards for the documentary program "Wild Kingdom" in 1970. One Emmy Award was for camerawork while the other Emmy Awards were for aspects of production.  "Wild Kingdom" was first broadcast by NBC. The half-hour show aired on Sundays starting January 6, 1963, and continued until 1971, when the program entered first-run syndication. As a prime-time syndicated program, "Wild Kingdom" enjoyed great popularity. Although most of the programs aired after 1971 were repeats, new shows continued to be produced until 1987. Several episodes were filmed by cameraman Roy Pinney. Perkins was the host for most of the show's history until he was forced to retire in 1985 for health reasons, and Jim Fowler, Perkins' long-time assistant and sidekick, became the host. Perkins died of cancer one year later at age 81.  One of "Wild Kingdom"s film editors, Bernard Braham, A.C.E., was offered membership with the American Cinema Editors in 1979 and won an EDDIE award in Hollywood for best documentary of the year, for the episode "Desert Spring". His competition for the award was a National Geographic episode titled "Gold". He was also nominated for several other awards.  Perkins often introduced commercial spots by tying them into the subject of the show. For example, at the end of a segment about lions, he might say something like, "Just as the mother lion protects her cubs, you can protect your children with an insurance policy from Mutual of Omaha..."  The format of the show often featured Perkins narrating off-camera, describing Fowler's on-camera work with the wild animals. This was commonly parodied as Perkins saying "I'll wait here [someplace safe] while Jim [does something or other with the dangerous animal]". However, according to a 1997 interview with Fowler, Perkins never said any such thing: according to Fowler, "Johnny Carson started the jokes about me and Marlin in his monologues".  Perkins often featured pet chimpanzees in the studio: one named "W. K." (Wild Kingdom); the other named "Mr. Moke", after the Mini Moke vehicle.  "Wild Kingdom" increased ecological and environmental awareness in the United States. Its exciting footage brought the wilds of Africa, the Amazon River, and other exotic locales into the living rooms of millions of Americans. It created an interest in commercial nature programming that led to several other wildlife documentary programs going on the air, including "Animal World", "Wild, Wild World of Animals" and "Lorne Greene's New Wilderness," and in subsequent decades, to entire cable television networks devoted to these topics, such as the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Many fans of wildlife documentaries still consider "Wild Kingdom" the "gold standard" against which other such shows are compared.  Mutual of Omaha owns the rights to the program, but several episodes have been released on DVD from BCI Eclipse under license from Mutual of Omaha. Some episodes are also available on an official YouTube channel.

Controversy.

The show came under heavy criticism in the 1982 investigative piece "Cruel Camera" by "The Fifth Estate", a news magazine program on Canada's CBC Television network, for staging scenes and for animal cruelty. Several interviewees who had worked on "Wild Kingdom" confirmed the rumors that many of the sequences were staged, such as in the episode where Perkins and crew captured a bear in the Florida swamps. In fact, the bear had actually been "placed" there by the production. Perkins denied such allegations on camera, and when interviewer Bob McKeown pressed him, said, <nowiki>"I'd like you to stop your camera right now, please."</nowiki>

Revival.

In 2002, a completely new "Wild Kingdom", also sponsored by Mutual of Omaha, began airing new "Wild Kingdom" specials on Animal Planet. The specials proved to be so popular that, in 2005, the network began airing new weekly episodes during the original Sunday night timeslot.

New host and web series.

On November 3, 2013, "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" premiered as a series of webisodes that featured new host Stephanie Arne, a new format, and new stories.  A second season of new webisodes began in July 2014, and the third season began in March 2015.

Wild Kingdom, also known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American documentary television program that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002. The show's second incarnation aired until 2011 on Animal Planet in the United States. A third incarnation streams webisodes on a dedicated Youtube channel.


Plot.

It is the first day of school and the kids wait on the school steps with long faces and pouted lips. Worried about the new teacher they'll be getting this term, Spanky and Alfalfa come up with a scheme to get themselves excused from school: Spanky has Alfalfa pretend he has a toothache, going as far as to stuff a balloon in his mouth to sell the idea.  Unknown to the kids, however, the new school teacher, Miss Lawrence, has overheard Spanky and Alfalfa's scheming and has ordered ice cream as a first-day surprise for the class. She sees right through Alfalfa's fibs about being too sick to sing "Good Morning to You" with the rest of the class, and knowingly grants him an excuse to go home (and Spanky an excuse to take him home). The two boys' triumph backfires when they see the ice cream man as he makes his delivery to the rest of their class. Now needing to find a way to get back into school, Spanky pops the balloon in Alfalfa's mouth, and explains to Miss Lawrence, "Funny thing, teacher; he's all well now".  Miss Lawrence agrees to let the boys back in for the ice cream party, but only if Alfalfa will make up for not singing "Good Morning" by rendering another song. However, Alfalfa has accidentally swallowed the stopper from the balloon that constituted his "toothache", so as he steps in front of the class to sing '"Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms'", a strange wheeze accompanies every breath he takes between lines. At the conclusion of his song, Spanky and Alfalfa go to get their ice cream only to find that it has melted, but the kind and clever Miss Lawrence hands the boys two fresh ice cream bars.

Notes.

A remake of "Teacher's Pet", "Bored of Education" was also the first "Our Gang" entry in the series' revamped one-reel (ten-minute) format, after 14 years of two-reel and three-reel entries. "Bored of Education" won Hal Roach his only Academy Award for "Our Gang", the 1937 Academy Award for Short Subjects (One-Reel).  "Bored of Education" was also the first "Our Gang" film directed by Gordon Douglas. Douglas, who had served as assistant director on "Our Gang" for some time, made his directorial debut on a 1935 Hal Roach "All Stars" short, "The Infernal Triangle". Douglas would remain "Our Gang's" senior director through 1938. With the series now in one-reel format, Douglas had to modify the looser approaches of his predecessors, Robert F. McGowan and Gus Meins, and turned the "Our Gang" series into slicker, more streamlined shorts based around situation comedy. Ironically, Douglas has a walk-on part in "Teacher's Pet" as a caterer)  By 1936, producer Hal Roach, who had built his studio around popular two-reel comedies, had slowly begun phasing out his short subjects production as movie theaters opted for double feature programs instead of the traditional program of selected short subjects and one feature. Roach had successfully moved his biggest stars, Laurel and Hardy, to full-time feature production in 1935. Rather than cancel "Our Gang", however, Roach continued the series at the behest of his distributor, Louis B. Mayer of MGM. Keeping the series in production, however, required Roach to halve the lengths of the "Our Gang" films from two-reels to one.  Also formally introduced to "Our Gang" in "Bored of Education" was Roach actress Rosina Lawrence as "Our Gang's" new schoolteacher "Miss Jones". Lawrence appeared in five more "Our Gang" shorts during the 1936-37 cycle of shorts.  "Bored of Education" won Roach the Academy Award for Short Subjects (One-Reel), the only "Our Gang" film so honored. In their review for the short in their book "The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang", film historians Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann felt that the award seemed to be "a product of whim or timing, rather than strictly a consideration of merit", noting earlier and later shorts–"Teacher's Pet" among them–they felt were overlooked.

Cast.

Classroom extras.

Patsy Barry, Daniel Boone, John Collum, Joe "Corky" Geil, Barbara Goodrich, Sidney Kibrick, Robert Lentz, Patsy May, Tommy McFarland, Dickie De Nuet, Donald Proffitt, Harold Switzer,

Bored of Education is a 1936 "Our Gang" short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 146th entry in the "Our Gang" series to be released.


Description.

"Ulmus rubra" is a medium-sized deciduous tree with a spreading head of branches, commonly growing to, very occasionally > in height. Its heartwood is reddish-brown, giving the tree its alternative common name'red elm'. The species is chiefly distinguished from American elm by its downy twigs, chestnut brown or reddish hairy buds, and slimy red inner bark. The broad oblong to obovate leaves are long, rough above but velvety below, with coarse double-serrate margins, acuminate apices and oblique bases; the petioles are long. The leaves are often red tinged on emergence, turning dark green by summer, and then a dull yellow in the fall; The perfect, apetalous, wind-pollinated flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring, usually in tight, short-stalked, clusters of 10–20. The reddish-brown fruit is an oval winged samara, orbicular to obovate, slightly notched at the top, long, the single, central seed coated with red-brown hairs, naked elsewhere.

Pests and diseases.

The tree is reputedly less susceptible to Dutch elm disease than other species of American elms, but is severely damaged by the elm leaf beetle ("Xanthogaleruca luteola").

Cultivation.

The species has seldom been planted for ornament in its native country. It occasionally appeared in early 20th-century US nursery catalogues. Introduced to Europe and Australasia, it has never thrived in the UK; Elwes & Henry knew of not one good specimen, and the last tree planted at Kew attained a height of only in 60 years. Specimens supplied by the Späth nursery to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1902 as "U. fulva" may survive in Edinburgh as it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city (viz. the Wentworth Elm). A specimen at RBGE was felled c.1990. The current list of Living Accessions held in the Garden "per se" does not list the plant. Several mature trees survive in Brighton (see Accessions).

Notable trees.

A tree in Westmount, Quebec, Canada, measured 4.27 m in girth in 2011. The US National Champion, measuring 7.16 m in circumference and 27.4 m tall, with an average crown spread of 25.18 m wide, grows in Louisville, Kentucky. Another tall specimen grows in the Bronx, New York City, at 710 West 246th Street, measuring high in 2002. In the UK, there is no designated TROBI champion.

Cultivars.

There are no known cultivars. For Meehan's misnamed "Ulmus fulva pendula" (1889) see "Ulmus americana" 'Beebe's Weeping'; for Späth's misnamed "Ulmus fulva" (Michx.) "pendula" (1890) see "Ulmus americana" 'Pendula'. The hybrid "U. rubra" × "U. pumila" cultivar 'Lincoln' is occasionally listed as "Ulmus rubra" 'Lincoln' in error.

Hybrids.

In the central United States, native "U. rubra" hybridizes in the wild with the Siberian elm ("U. pumila"), which was introduced in the early 20th century and has spread widely since, prompting conservation concerns for the genetic integrity of the former species.

Hybrid cultivars.

"U. rubra" had limited success as a hybrid parent in the 1960s, resulting in the cultivars 'Coolshade', 'Fremont', 'Improved Coolshade', 'Lincoln', 'Rosehill', and probably 'Willis'. In later years, it was also used in the Wisconsin elm breeding program to produce 'Repura' and 'Revera' although neither is known to have been released to commerce.

Etymology.

The specific epithet "rubra" (red) alludes to the tree's reddish wood, whilst the common name "slippery elm" alludes to the mucilaginous inner bark.

Uses.

Medicinal.

"Ulmus rubra" has various traditional medicinal uses. The mucilaginous inner bark of the tree is edible has long been used as a demulcent, and is still produced commercially for this purpose in the United States with approval for sale as an over-the-counter demulcent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sometimes leaves are dried and ground into a powder, then made into a tea.

Timber.

The timber is not of much importance commercially, and is not found anywhere in great quantity. Macoun considered it more durable than that of the other elms, and better suited for railway ties, fence-posts, and rails, while Pinchot recommended planting it in the Mississippi valley, as it grows fast in youth, and could be utilized for fence-posts when quite young, since the sapwood, if thoroughly dried, is quite as durable as the heartwood. The wood is also used for the hubs of wagon wheels, as it is very shock resistant owing to the interlocking grain. The wood, as'red elm', is sometimes used to make bows for archery. The yoke of the Liberty Bell, a symbol of the independence of the United States, was made from slippery elm.

Baseball.

Though now outmoded, slippery elm tablets were chewed by spitball pitchers to enhance the effectiveness of the saliva applied to make the pitched baseball curve.

Miscellaneous.

The tree's fibrous inner bark produces a strong and durable fiber that can be spun into thread, twine, or rope useful for bowstrings, ropes, jewellery, clothing, snowshoe bindings, woven mats, and even some musical instruments. Once cured, the wood is also excellent for starting fires with the bow-drill method, as it grinds into a very fine flammable powder under friction.

Ulmus rubra, the slippery elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America, ranging from southeast North Dakota, east to Maine and southern Quebec, south to northernmost Florida, and west to eastern Texas, where it thrives in moist uplands, although it will also grow in dry, intermediate soils. Other common names include red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, and Indian elm. The tree was first named as part of "Ulmus americana" in 1753, but identified as a separate species, "Ulmus rubra", in 1793 by Pennsylvania botanist Gotthilf Muhlenberg. The slightly later name "U. fulva", published by French botanist André Michaux in 1803, is still widely used in dietary-supplement and alternative-medicine information.


Early life.

Born into an illustrious family in the Morvan near Autun, he was offered at the age of 13 as an oblate at the Abbey of St. Martin, Autun. He receives an education of prayer, obedience and chastity. The oblate crowned with flowers, double symbol of innocence and sacrifice, was led to the church surrounded by his relatives and their friends. The religious assembled in the choir prayed for the one whom their adoption would initiate to the labors and the joys of a new family. The celebrant began the divine service and called on his head the grace of Christ. After the gospel, the oblate approached the altar carrying a host and a chalice with a little wine which the priest received as a deposit to the Lord. His father or his parents wrapped his hand and offering in the altar cloth, which was spread over him as a sign of adoption by the Church. After warning the child of the austerities of the monastic life, he read to him the rule of St. Benedict and the parents pledged for him. His hair was shaved and he put on the monks' cucula. He was no longer entitled to the paternal inheritance. Around the age of 15, he was allowed to make a profession. Wealthy parents made an offering to the monastery.

Career.

Mederic astonished the fifty of his classmates by the observance of a rigorous discipline. Barley bread dipped in water was his only food, which he only took twice a week. His eyes still fixed on the Crucifix, he was wearing a hair shirt under his coat. He lived thus for several years, hiding from the other monks. But his reputation for holiness passed the doors of the convent, and celebrity came to fetch him at the end of the cloister.  Herald, abbot of Saint-Martin, having died about 680, it is quite naturally that the brothers elected him, following the advice of the bishop of Autun, Hermenarius, who recommended them to choose a pastor able to save the flock of the Christ of the Wolf Tooth. After three days of fasting the monks assembled at the church, sang the Mass of the Holy Ghost, intoned the Veni Creator, and proceeded to the election of their abbot by designating Mederic unanimously. The crowd ran to the monastery. The bishop, hearing him proclaimed from the top of the ambo, addressed the new abbot: "Flambeau du Christ, vase d'élection du trésor divin, reçois la mesure dispensatoire du Dieu éternel pour nourrir les troupeaux du créateur. Instruis-les par tes conseils et tes préceptes et mérites d'entendre ces paroles du juge miséricordieux : O bon fidèle serviteur, parce que tu as été fidèle en peu de choses, je t'établirai sur beaucoup d'autres, entre dans la joie de ton Seigneur" (Math.25.11)  The more he was raised, the more he faded away. This new life soon weighed on him. His many miracles attracted the crowds. No longer finding in this place peace and deep communion with God, Mederic decided to withdraw into the solitude of the forest of Morvan to finally be alone with God. He built a cell there some distance from Autun but this secret was quickly broken because the monks, plunged in sadness by his disappearance, went in search of him. Mederic not wanting to follow them, they asked the bishop who, threatening excommunication, managed to get him back to the monastery.

Later life.

Among his clergy the young monk Frodulphe, also known as Saint Frou, was close to the master who had held him on the baptismal font and had educated himself to raise him to the highest degrees of perfection. Frodulphe, enamored of solitude like his master, proposed to him a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Denis and Saint Germain, their compatriot, abbot of the Abbey of St. Symphorian, Autun, before becoming bishop of Paris.  The two monks took the road to Paris and on the way they multiplied the miracles. The aging Mederic had great difficulty in making this journey on foot, and fell ill on arriving at the Collegiate Church of Saint-Martin de Champeaux, near Melun, where they stopped for several months. The two men spent long hours praying in the church. Sometimes they went to Melun to exercise charity; hearing some of the prisoners moaning from the depths of their cell, Mederic moved his heart and asked God for their deliverance. The doors of the prison opened on their own. His cure delayed, he left the monastery of Champeaux. The people came to make him many gifts which he hastened to distribute to the poor.  Halfway to Paris, he cures a poor man's fever answering to the name of Ursus. A woman named Bénédicte recovered health through her intercession. Arrived at Bonneuil-sur-Marne where he learns that two thieves were in chains, he asks God for his intercession and obtains the release of the two men. On the side of Charenton-le-Pont, he delivered another criminal who had broken the bridge. He was again forced to stop by fatigue. It was in this uninhabited place that a chapel was erected to honor its memory, and that some houses were grouped around the building which was at the origin of the village of Saint-Méry, in the diocese of Paris. They decided to make a detour to go to the tomb of Saint Denis and stopped at Thomery. Mederic arrived in Paris. It was near the church of Saint-Pierre-des-Bois that he found refuge in a cell open day and night to the prayers of passers-by. He rested his body broken by fatigue and illness. There, living in recluse, he served God for two years and nine months after having accomplished with joy the purpose of his pilgrimage and kneeling in the church of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés at the tomb of the illustrious abbot of the Abbey of St. Symphorian of Autun.  Feeling his coming end, the 18th of the calends of September, he died in peace surrounded by many of his disciples. He was buried in St. Peter's Chapel. His tomb was the object of true veneration as miracles took place and Charles the Bald established a cult in his honor. This church was later too small and, falling into ruins, it was rebuilt and transformed into a basilica by Odon the Falconer. Thibert, priest in 884, solicited Gozlin, bishop of Paris, to translate it.  The bones of the saint were raised and placed above the altar in a silver shrine enriched with precious stones and supported by two angels. Adalard, former Count of Autun, made for the occasion rich gifts to the new church which was placed under the name of St. Peter and St. Merry. The Abbey of Champeaux, formerly illustrated by its presence, received a portion of its relics; the abbey of St. Martin in Autun founded a solemn Mass in his honor. Left alone, Frodulphe returned to St. Martin.

Veneration.

The Church of Saint-Merri in Paris is named after him.

Saint Mederic or Medericus, also known in French as Saint Merri or Médéric (died 29 August 700), was a monk and a hermit, who is considered patron saint of the right bank of the river Seine in central Paris.


Early life.

Penrod was born in Taylor, Texas, and grew up in Hobbs, New Mexico, where his father, Rev. Joseph Loren "Joe" Penrod, was the lead pastor of Temple Baptist Church, and his mother is Barbara Josie Penrod ("née", Gray). He graduated from Hobbs High School. During his high school years Penrod recorded his first album, singing all four parts.

Career.

Penrod is a graduate of Liberty University. Starting in the 1980s, he worked as a studio singer, backing up voices such as Carman, Steve Green, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, James Ingram, and Phillips, Craig & Dean. He was also a member of the Christ Church Choir (as was another future Gaither Vocal Band member, Jonathan Pierce). During his years in the studio, he met Bill Gaither for the first time. He also made regular appearances on TNN's "Music City Tonight" as a background singer in the mid-1990s. In 1989 Penrod contributed a couple of tracks as lead vocal on a Brentwood cassette (C-5103N) titled "Following The Sun - Island Music For Believers".  Penrod also performed briefly with the Stamps Quartet in 1987, while employed at Opryland.  After accepting the position with the Gaither Vocal Band in 1994, Penrod became internationally known for his powerful vocals and broad singing range. He has performed in Gaither Homecoming concerts all over the U.S. and Canada, as well as in Europe, Australia, and Africa. In 1999, he performed a duet with the Cathedral Quartet's lead singer Glen Payne on their "Farewell Celebration" video.  Penrod performed for the grand opening of Jerry Falwell's new Thomas Road Baptist Church new 6,000 seat sanctuary.  His album, "The Best of Guy Penrod", reached No. 92 on the "Billboard" 200 on August 6, 2005. The DVD release was certified platinum by the RIAA.  The Gaither Vocal Band's 2006 release was entitled "Give It Away", followed by "Lovin' Life" in 2008. Penrod won a Grammy Award for his work on the "Lovin Life" project.  In a press release on January 13, 2009, Bill Gaither announced that Penrod would be leaving the Gaither Vocal Band and starting a solo career.  In August 2009, Penrod released his debut solo album, "Breathe Deep", on the Servant Records label. Produced by veteran country music producer and studio musician Brent Rowan, the album consists of positive country music with Christian undertones.  Penrod was inducted into the Texas Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2011.  Penrod's sophomore solo album "Hymns" debuted at No. 1 on the Nielsen SoundScan Southern Gospel retail chart and became the top-selling southern gospel album of 2012. "Hymns" sold over 100,000 units.  In 2012, Penrod became the new host of "Gospel Music Showcase", a popular Daystar Television Network program that focuses on southern gospel music. It can be seen every Saturday. The show has been awarded an Emmy.  Penrod won "Soloist of the Year" from the National Quartet Convention in 2013.  Penrod released his third solo project titled "Worship" in May 2014. In September 2014, Penrod released his first solo Christmas project entitled "Christmas." It became the No. 2 album in Cracker Barrel stores with 30,000 units sold, second only to Blake Shelton. Also in 2014, Penrod was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame alongside the Gaither Vocal Band.  Penrod released his first solo DVD entitled "Live: Hymns & Worship" in January 2016. The Project was filmed at Thomas Road Baptist Church. The release debuted at No. 1 on the "Billboard" chart for music videos sold upon its release. The album debuted at #2 on the "Billboard" chart for contemporary Christian music.  Penrod was a featured performer at the Faith Freedom & Future Inaugural Ball hosted by the Family Research Council, following the January 2017 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, DC.  In March 2017, Penrod returned with an album entitled "Classics". The album was a new solo recording of popular songs he performed during his tenure with the Gaither Vocal Band.  Penrod has often appeared on the stage of the "Grand Ole Opry" as a guest artist.  Penrod reached back into the well of beloved hymns with his 7th solo release. "Blessed Assurance" was released in February 2018. The album includes Penrod singing twelve newly recorded hymns featuring his signature country sound.

Personal life.

Penrod and his wife, Angie (Clark), have eight children—seven boys and a girl. All of their children are home schooled.

Guy Allen Penrod (born July 2, 1963) is a gospel music singer. He is known for his work as the lead singer of the Gaither Vocal Band, a position he held from 1994 to 2008.


Military career.

Staff Sergeant Miller enlisted as a Special Forces trainee on 14 August 2003. He graduated from Infantry Basic Training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, on 6 January 2004. Miller graduated from the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) on September 26, 2004, and the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course on 4 March 2005. Miller received his Special Forces Tab and was promoted to sergeant after graduating from the Special Operations French Language Training Course, 30 September 2005. That same day he was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  He deployed to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom from August 2006 to March 2007. During this deployment, Miller received two Army Commendation w/ Valor Device medals for his courage under fire. He returned to Afghanistan for his second tour in October 2007, where he served as a weapons sergeant for his team. Miller was killed in combat with the Taliban in Afghanistan on 25 January 2008. His unit was conducting combat operations near the village of Barikowt, Nari District, Kunar Province, Afghanistan. He is buried at All Faiths Memorial Park in Casselberry, Florida. Miller's special skill decorations include: Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab and Parachutist Badge.

Medal of Honor Citation (summary).

On 25 January 2008 Sergeant Miller was leading a team of Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition soldiers during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Kunar Province near the Pakistan border. Insurgents hiding in a structure attacked Miller's team. A teammate called for close-air support to drop ordnance on the insurgent position, disrupting their attack. When the combined patrol moved toward the structure to check for any remaining enemy threats, insurgents again fired using heavy weapons.  Miller's team captain was seriously wounded within the first minutes of the attack. While his commander was moved to safety, Miller returned fire. At great personal risk to himself, Miller remained at the front of the patrol and continued to lay down suppressive fire on multiple insurgent positions, allowing his wounded commander to be pulled out of the line of fire, ultimately saving his life. Miller's personal courage under intense enemy fire enabled the entire patrol to gain cover and return fire. Even while injured by direct enemy small-arms and machine gun fire, Miller continued to employ his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and grenades to suppress enemy fire and protect his teammates.

Awards.

Staff Sergeant Miller's decorations include:

Medal of Honor citation.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of the Congress, the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
  STAFF SERGEANT ROBERT JAMES MILLER
 UNITED STATES ARMY for service as set forth in the following  BARACK OBAMA
 /s/ Barack Obama
 PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Civic Award.

Robert J. Miller was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2010 in the area of Government.

Robert James Miller (14 October 1983 – 25 January 2008), of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), was a United States Army Special Forces soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on 6 October 2010.


History.

Newport derived its name from being a "new port" for steamers carrying passengers and cargo such as local shell lime and firewood. Bungan Castle is a medieval-style stone castle on Bungan Head built in 1919 by Adolph Albers, a German art dealer. In 1978, the area came to national attention due to the disappearance of Trudie Adams.

Population.

In the 2016 Census, there were 9,301 people in Newport. 74.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 7.2%, New Zealand 2.1% and South Africa 1.3%. 89.3% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 36.7%, Anglican 22.0% and Catholic 19.7%.  Newport sits between the Pacific Ocean to the east and Pittwater to the west. A major road along the peninsula is Barrenjoey Road.  Its ocean beach is patrolled by Newport Surf Life Saving Club. On the shores of Pittwater are several marinas and small shipyards, including the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, serving mainly pleasure craft. Newport also features many cafes and restaurants, as well as the Newport Arms Hotel on the shore of Pittwater.

Churches.

Anglican.

Newport Anglican Church meets right next to the Post Office at 9.30am on Sundays. The Senior Minister is Rev. Jason Ramsay since 2007.  The Link Church meets at its North Campus the first Wednesday of every Month at the Newport Community Centre. Service begins at 7pm. The Link Church also runs Sunday morning and evening Services at Cromer and Narrabeen respectively.

Newport is a suburb in northern Sydney, placed on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the state of New South Wales, Australia, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. It is part of the Northern Beaches region.


History.

In 2004, Donovan revealed that the song was inspired by the actress Lotte Lenya and that the song's lyrics, addressed to a societally marginalized woman, were Donovan's reaction to Lenya's character in the film version of "The Threepenny Opera": "Laléna" was recorded in a September 1968 session at Olympic Studios produced by Mickie Most, session personnel being Harold McNair on flute, Bobby Orr on drums, Danny Thompson on bass with the Royal Philharmonic strings; John Cameron was the arranger. Donovan was not working toward an album when he recorded "Laléna", having completed the tracks which would comprise his "The Hurdy Gurdy Man" album in April 1968; that album and the single "Laléna" both were issued in the US in October 1968 (Donovan was at this time unable to have product released in the UK due to a contractual dispute). The single was also a hit in France reaching #22.  Donovan's performed the song on December 8, 1968, on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour", along with two other tunes: "Happiness Runs" and "I Love My Shirt".  "Laléna" made its first album appearance in 1969 on "Donovan's Greatest Hits" and was a bonus track on the 2005 CD reissue of "The Hurdy Gurdy Man".  In 1975 Donovan recorded a version of the song with Marc Bolan in Munich which has been lost.  In 1978 a bootleg emerged which featured Donovan performing the song in a studio with Paul McCartney on acoustic guitar: this tape was likely made November 1968 at EMI Studios London where McCartney was producing tracks for Mary Hopkin's "Postcard", an album on which Donovan played guitar.

Other versions.

The song has also been recorded by Deep Purple on their 1969 "Deep Purple" album, as well as by (in Czech) on her 1970 album "Ostrov Heleny Vondráčkové", and by Jane Olivor on her 1977 album "Chasing Rainbows". Trini Lopez recorded a cover of the song on his album "The Whole Enchilada".

"Laléna" (also spelled "Lalena") is the title of a composition by Donovan for whom it was a Top 40 single in the autumn of 1968, reaching #33 on the Hot 100 in "Billboard".


Geography.

Cabra is located in the Province of Córdoba in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality's mean altitude is and it covers. It has a population density of 91.4 inhabitants per km2. The geographical mean coordinates are, from the province's capital, Córdoba. The municipality hosts a nature reserve, the Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas. Around Cabra, there are eight smaller villages, including "Gaena", "Las Huertas Bajas" and "La Benita". The area is known for its stone, called "mármol rojo de Cabra". It is not a marble but a pink to red limestone capable of high polish.

Etymology.

Apparently Popular etymology from Latin Licabrum/ Egabro (via Arabic Qabra?), as the Spanish word "Cabra" (from Latin "capra") means "goat".

History.

The city of Cabra has been settled since Paleolithic times. The Turdetani, the Andalusian descendants of Tartessos, lived in the area. As part of the Tartessoian kingdom and during Carthaginian and Roman times, Cabra was a market town.

Licabrum.

In the Roman era, the town was called "Licabrum". In the 3rd century BC, Licabrum was involved in an uprising against the Roman Empire. Livy regarded Licabrum as a well-furnished and well-defended fort. The Roman general Gaius Flaminius, besieged and conquered Licabrum. Its commander, Corribilo, was imprisoned. This is recorded in Livy's "Ab Urbe Condita" ("City"),  Pliny the Elder and Strabo referred to the many people and marvels of knowledge and wealth in Licabrum. The Greeks may have built a grand temple dedicated to the goddess Tyche which was then adopted by the Romans for the goddess, Fortuna. In addition, there was a temple dedicated to the Greek god, Apollo.  Cabra was the site of an aqueduct in length, which was constructed by Marco Cornelio Novano Bebio Balbo, the provincial flamen and Roman prefect of the college of engineers of Igabrum (a later name for Licabrum). At the source of the river Cabra, there is a reproduction of a plaque dedicated to this aqueduct.  On 17 March, 45 BC, the Battle of Munda took place near Igabrum. This was the last battle of the Second Civil War of the Republic of Rome between Julius Caesar and the Optimate supporters of Pompey. Igabrum was under the jurisdiction of the Astigitano convent, one of the four Roman provinces of Andalusia.

Christianity.

In the 4th century AD, Igabrum received Christianity, and became an episcopal centre. In the 600s, Sinagio, who assisted Juan, the Concilio Iliberitano, of the 3rd Reconcile of Toledo, Deodato, Bacanda, Gratino, and Constantino, lived there. The church of San Juan Bautista del Cerro was the central church and may have been constructed on the Roman Fortuna temple.

Visigoths.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the town, named "Egabro", became a centre of Visigoth power for the surrounding area. It was a bishopric between the 6th and 8th centuries. It spanned the area from Lopera in the north to Benamejí or Antequera in the south, and to Puente Genil in the west.

Islam.

After the Muslim conquest, the town was named "Qabra" and became the capital of the surrounding area, Cora. Bishops such as Recafredo and Reculfo preserved the Christian faith perhaps up to the invasion of the Almohades. In 889 AD, Christians in Moorish Spain, including Cabra, under "Samuel" (Omar ibn Hafsún) rebelled against Muslim rule. Samuel regained control of Spain as far as Córdoba. He was defeated at Poley (Aguilar de la Frontera). Samuel and his son ruled their land from Bobastro, until Abderramán III forced them into exile in 928.

Battle of Cabra.

In 1031, the Caliphate of Cordova fell. Cabra came under the control of Granada. Under Alfonso the VIth, Granada and Seville were feudatories of Castile. In 1079, the Battle of Cabra took place. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), with the Castilian troops of Alfonso the VIth, fought on the side of the Sevillian king Al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad against Granada. El Cid conquered the ruler of Granada Abdallah and his ally García Ordóñez. El Cid fell out of favour with Alfonso VI.

Almoravids.

Abdallah of Granada, together with the rulers of Seville and Badajoz, pressed for the end of the parias and requested the aid of the Almoravids. The North Africans entered the Iberian peninsula in 1086, defeating Alfonso VI in the Battle of Sagrajas near Badajoz. Cabra was conquered by the Almoravids in 1090. Around 1124, King Alfonso I of Aragon attacked Andalusia, crossing Alcalá la Real, Luque, Baena, Écija, Cabra and Lucena. On 10 March 1126, in Arnisol, Alfonso I of Aragon conquered Abu Bakr, son of the Emir Ali ibn Yusuf. Christians living in Andalus who did not flee to Aragon were punished severely in reprisals and deported to Morocco. In 1148, the region was invaded by the North African almohades.

Mediaeval era.

In 1217, Fernando III inherited the Kingdom of Castile from his mother, Doña Berenguela, and in 1230, the Kingdom of León from his father, Alfonso the IXth. In 1240, Fernando III peacefully re-conquered Cabra, where the inhabitants shared his customs and religion. Fernando III increased Cabra's area to include the majority of Andalusia which was under the control of his step-brother, Rodrigo Alfonso de León. The parliaments of León and Castile merged under the reign of Fernando III, marking the rise of the Crown of Castile. León, Toledo, Jaen, parts of Andalusia, and the conquered Arab dominions became the Kingdom of Castile.From the Order of Calatrava, the control of Cabra passed through a number of lords.  In 1333, Cabra was besieged by the King of Granada, who, after knocking down the castle and its walls, imprisoned the population. Between 1342 and 1344, after his rescue of Carba, Alfonso XI ordered that the Master of Cabra re-populate the area. In 1344, the land of Cabra was given to Lady Eleanor de Guzmán. Alfonso XI's edict read, and gave Cabra additional franchises and liberties, among which was the granting of Cordoba jurisdiction and exemptions from the "martiniega" tax.  Eleanor de Guzmán's son, Enrique II of Castile, was born in Cabra, and was baptised king in the church of San Juan Bautista del Cerro. In 1380, the title "Count of Cabra" was inherited by his son, Enrique de Castilla y Sousa, (Duke of Medina Sidonia). After this Count of Cabra's death, the title reverted to the crown.  In 1439, the King Juan II of Castile appointed Don Diego Fernandez de Cordoba and Montemayor the Lord of Cabra, and in 1455, Enrique IV of Castile was appointed Count of Cabra. During this time, there was frequent infighting between the feudal lords of the Kingdom of Castile. For example, Don Diego Fernandez de Cordoba and Montemayor captured his cousin, Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and Aguilar, and imprisoned him in Cabra castle. Don Gonzalo was released in 1476 through the intercession of Ferdinand and Isabella.  In 1483, at the Battle of Martin Gonzalez (Lucena), the second Count of Cabra, Don Diego Fernandez de Cordoba and Carrillo de Albornoz, defeated the last King of Granada, Boabdil el Chico ( a Moor), who was then imprisoned in Cabra castle. Ferdinand and Isabella allowed those who had supported them in this battle to add an image (a barracks symbol) which depicted a chained King Boabdil el Chico to their shields. In 1522, a brotherhood of the True Cross, a formal religious order whose tradition was the practice of self-flagellation, formed in Cabra.

Spanish civil war.

On 7 November 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, Cabra was bombed by Republican planes. Cabra was not a strategic objective as the front lines were at a distance. The official figures were 101 dead and over 200 injured.

Economy.

Cabra main industry is agriculture. Up to 45% of the population work in and over 85% of the land is involved in primary industry. Cabra's key products are olives, olive oil, grapes, and wine.  The industrial sector occupies approximately 30% of the population and produces textiles, fabricated metal, and furniture. The remainder of the Cabran population is employed in service industries and tourism. A regional hospital serves the southern part of the Córdoba province.  Don Luis Aguilar y Eslava donated property to allow the foundation of the Royal College of the Immaculate Conception of Cabra. Over time, this school of humanities, now called "IES Aguilar y Eslava", has grown in importance as a place of learning in Andalusia.

Governance.

In the 2004 Spanish General Election, the "Partido Socialista Obrero Español" received 49.05% of the vote in Cabra, the "Partido Popular", 29.04%, the "Partido Andalucista", 14.07% and "Izquierda Unida", 5.17%.  From 2007 to 2011, the Mayor of Cabra was María Dolores Villatoro Carnerero, of the "Partido Socialista Obrero Español". Carnerero's party governed in coalition with "Izquierda Unida". Her party had 6 municipal councillors in the town's ayuntamiento, the "Partido Andalucista" had 6, "Izquierda Unida", 5 and the "Partido Popular", 4.  In 2011, Fernando Priego Chacón of the Partido Popular became the mayor of Cabra.

Cabra is a rural town in Córdoba province, Andalusia, Spain and the site of former bishopric Egabro. It lies along the route between Cordoba and Málaga in the south of Spain. It is an entrance point to the Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbeticas. Although the main activity in Cabra is primary industry, it is noted as a source of red polished limestone. As a settlement, Cabra has existed over centuries, under many different rulers. In 2005, the municipality had a population of 20,940, most of whom (19,523) lived in Cabra township.


Background.

The system is capable of capturing motion imagery of an entire city, which can then be analyzed by people or an artificial intelligence, such as the Mind's Eye project being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This motion imagery is not considered video as it is collected at fewer frames per second than the standard definition of video; TV-like quality of video is 24–60 FPS. Gorgon Stare needs to utilize a system of tagging and metadata to be fully effective. The Air Force planned to deliver one system in 2011, another in 2012, and a third in 2014, though they would not enter service until accepted by the commander in the theatre of operations. Gorgon Stare was under development for more than two years and is designed to download 65 different images to a variety of military users for analysis; this is what is referred to as "wide-area persistent surveillance."  During the Global War on Terror, using unmanned aerial vehicles for persistent surveillance dramatically changed the way the U.S. military pursued fleeting targets. However, their sensors provided very narrow fields of view, referred to by warfighters as looking at the battlefield through a "soda straw," allowing insurgents to disappear from view and not giving information on what was happening in surrounding areas. In 2009, the U.S. Air Force began development of a wide-area surveillance system to enable the MQ-9 Reaper long-endurance UAV to survey an entire small city from. Requiring fewer systems to recon a large area frees up more available assets to be able to perform other missions and enables operations to be more limited where a light "footprint" is desired.

Development.

"Gorgon Stare" was developed and tested on the MQ-9 Reaper at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida with the 53rd Wing. These sensor pods had been in development since 2009 by the Air Force's Big Safari group and Sierra Nevada Corporation.  In January 2011, it was announced that the program was not performing to expectations, and included faults such as "a large black triangle moving throughout the image" due to failure to combine the images taken by the multiple cameras, a faulty coordinate grid for the chipped-out imagery, inferior image quality compared to older systems, a problematic night-vision system, inability to track people on the surface, delays of up to eighteen seconds in sending data to the ground, and an incompatibility with the handheld Rover 5 computers. In response, the Air Force said that several of the flaws had been fixed since the report detailing the issues had been written, that the system was never designed to offer high-resolution imagery over a wide area, and that in some areas the testing was "not sufficiently constructed to objectively evaluate the capabilities of the system," according to an anonymous source involved with the program.  Development costs are in the $15 million range. This sensor could photograph an area with a four-kilometer radius underneath the MQ-9 Reaper. The Reaper can fly both day and night operations from 12 angles; as reported by Robert Marlin, a technical adviser for the Air Force. The first Gorgon Stare system consisted of two sensor pods, one carrying electro-optical (EO) and infrared cameras (IR), the other digital processors and data-links that enabled quick transmission of actionable intelligence to operations centers and troops in the field. The system delivered three "tiers" of surveillance down to small details within the broader field of view, so users receiving images within seconds after collection could identify items of immediate tactical interest, and recorded data would be stored for up to 30 days. Two Reapers could provide continuous surveillance over a large area to track enemy movements and use recorded data to conduct after-action analyses.  Lt. Gen. Craig Koziol, the director of the ISR Task Force, reported in a news conference that "Gorgon Stare" was planned to be deployed in December 2011. From March 2011 to July 2014, the first increment of the system performed 10,000 hours of direct combat support, achieving a 95 percent availability rate. With its initial success, the Air Force began refining the system, since the first version was experimental and deployed quickly to address pressing tactical needs.

Phase two.

Phase two (also referred to as Increment 2, or "Inc two") integrated processes of tracking algorithms from the ARGUS-IS system. Argus is a system of tools also developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  On 1 July 2014, Sierra Nevada Corporation revealed that the Gorgon Stare Increment 2 pod had achieved initial operating capability (IOC) earlier in the year. While the Increment 1 system, first fielded in March 2011, could cover an area of, the incorporation of the ARGUS-IS expands that coverage area to. The system has 368 cameras capable of capturing 5 million pixels each to create an image of about 1.8 billion pixels. Video is collected at a variable frame-rate per second, with the resulting data output averaging several gigabytes of video output per minute.  Increment 2 provides a four-fold increase in coverage and twice the imagery resolution thanks to ARGUS technology; ARGUS is essentially 368 five-megapixel smartphone cameras clustered together and peering through four telescopic lenses and is produced by BAE Systems, while the IR arrays are produced by Exelis Inc. and are the largest available, which were separated from the EO sensors and moved to the adjacent pod. Sierra Nevada Corporation remained the overall system integrator, meaning it is responsible for merging the sensors, processors, data-links and air vehicle into one package that distributes information in real-time with minimal latency through the joint force's tactical intelligence network. By early 2015, Increment 2 had replaced all initial versions of the Gorgon Stare in operational service.

Similar systems.

A similar system was planned to be installed on the Blue Devil blimp, a spy blimp developed for the US Air Force. However, the Blue Devil was cancelled in 2012.  In 2006, a similar wide-area surveillance system, the Constant Hawk, was being tested by the US Army. Also, in 2007, the Marine Corps tested an upgrade of the Constant Hawk, called Angel Fire. Both of these sensors were mounted under aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

Gorgon Stare is a video capture technology developed by the United States military. It is a spherical array of nine cameras attached to an aerial drone. The US Air Force calls it "wide-area surveillance sensor system".


Development and launch.

The new 6 Series was first shown as the "BMW Concept 6 Series" coupé concept car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The exterior was designed by Nader Faghihzadeh, and the interior by Christian Bauer.  Unusually for BMW, the production version of the convertible was released before the coupé. The convertible version was officially introduced in January at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, while the coupé was introduced in April at the Shanghai Auto Show and New York Auto Show. The Gran Coupé was introduced at the 2012 New York Auto Show.  Initial models included the 640i and 650i, while 640d and 650i xDrive models were later added to the lineup. The kerb weight of the model range is.

Body styles.

Convertible (F12).

The first convertible models were released in March 2011 and were produced until May 2018.

Coupé (F13).

The first coupé models were released in June 2011 and were produced until October 2017.

Gran Coupé (F06).

The F06 Gran Coupé is the four-door coupé variant of the 6 Series, and was launched on June 2012 at the Geneva International Motor Show. The design of the Gran Coupé was inspired by the 2007 BMW CS Concept.  The wheelbase of the Gran Coupé is longer than the F13 coupé, and the same length as the BMW F10 5 Series. Compared with the F13 coupé, the body is longer, and taller. The Gran Coupé has a 4+1 seating arrangement, meaning there are two full-size rear seats, and one smaller rear middle seat.  Produduction of the Gran Coupe models began in March 2012 and ended in September 2018.and were produced until September 2018.

Equipment.

The F06/F12/F13 6 Series introduced selectable driving modes with ECO PRO, Comfort, and Sport, affecting the acceleration, transmission shift points, and climate control system. Convertible models feature sun reflective front seats, and Gran Coupé models feature 60:40 split-folding rear seats. 6 Series models are also available with the M Sport package, featuring M exterior and interior styling, LED foglights, 19-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, and an Alcantara interior. Additional options include automatic parking, a Bang & Olufsen surround sound speaker system, and all-wheel drive (xDrive).

Transmissions.

Most models were only available with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The M6 models were available with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (called "M-DCT"), and a 6-speed manual transmission in the United States.  The available transmissions are:

Models.

Top speed for all models is electronically limited to.

Special models.

M6 version.

The M6 version was produced in convertible (F12), coupé (F13) and four-door coupé (F06) body styles. It was launched in the coupé body style alongside the standard 6 Series Gran Coupé at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and at the Auto Mobil International Leipzig in convertible form.  It is powered by the S63 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8. In most countries, the only transmission offered was a Getrag 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (called "M-DCT"). In the United States, a 6-speed manual transmission was also available.  Compared to the standard car, the M6 features M-styling, merino leather upholstery, an M-specific head-up display, and a carbon fibre roof.

Alpina B6.

The B6 Gran Coupé xDrive was launched in 2014 and is a high performance model based on the 650i, made by Alpina. It shares the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 found in the B5 BiTurbo rated at and, with a top speed of. B6 models receive 20-inch alloy wheels, aerodynamic elements, and exclusive trim and paint options. In 2015, the B6 was refreshed and received performance improvements of and, and now had a top speed of.  The B6 was manufactured alongside the regular 6 Series in Dingolfing, and was then completed with remaining components at the Alpina factory in Buchloe, Bavaria. It is sold by BMW in the United States and Canada, and is also independently sold by Alpina in other countries.

Model year changes.

2015 facelift.

At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, BMW introduced the F06/F12/F13 facelift ("LCI") models:

Production volumes.

The F12/F13/F06 6 Series was produced at the Dingolfing BMW plant.  The following are production figures for the F12/F13/F06:

The third generation of the BMW 6 Series consists of the BMW F12 (two-door convertible version), BMW F13 (two-door coupe version) and BMW F06 (four-door "Gran Coupe" version) grand tourers. The F12/F13/F06 generation was produced from 2011 to 2018 and is often collectively referred to as the F12.


Background and description.

Tsar Alexander III's ambitious building programme of 1882 called for construction of 16 battleships in 20 years for the Baltic Fleet. By 1890 the program was behind schedule and the director of the Naval Ministry, Vice Admiral, proposed that six first-class and four second-class battleships be built together with some armored coast-defense ships to make up the numbers required. The "Petropavlovsk"-class ships were designed as first-class battleships to meet his requirement for a heavily armored ship that displaced and had a speed of, a maximum draught of and a range of with good seakeeping qualities.  The design began as an enlarged and improved version of the battleship, but with her main armament of four guns mounted in lighter barbettes rather than the heavy gun turrets of the older ship. Based on experience with, in which the casemate-mounted secondary armament could often not be worked in rough weather, the Naval Technical Committee (NTC) adopted the layout of the American s with the secondary armament mounted in turrets on the upper deck. Use of the lighter barbette mounting allowed for a flush-deck hull, which gave the design high freeboard. It was approved in January 1891 by the NTC with a displacement of and a full-length waterline armor belt.  The design was intended to have a maximum speed of 17 knots using forced draft, but model testing of the hull showed that it could only reach. Rather than delay construction by redesigning the hull, the navy accepted the slower speed. Development of the quick-firing (QF) gun meant that an upper belt of armor was necessary and the weight required was gained by shortening the waterline armor belt, which left the ships' ends protected only by the sloping armor deck. Other changes included the replacement of the barbettes with turrets of the same type as used in the battleship and the substitution of QF guns for the original guns. This last change saved enough weight to permit four more six-inch guns to be added.  The "Petropavlovsk"-class ships were long overall, had a beam of and a draught of. Designed to displace, they were overweight and actually displaced. The ships were the first flush-decked battleships built for the navy. They had a partial double bottom, and the hull was divided by 10 watertight transverse bulkheads; a centerline bulkhead divided the machinery spaces. The upper part of the hull between the main and upper decks curved inwards (tumblehome). The "Petropavlovsk"s had a designed metacentric height of and were good seagoing ships. Their crew consisted of 26–27 officers and 605–625 enlisted men; "Petropavlovsk" had a crew of 750 when serving as a flagship.  The ships were powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller, using steam generated by 14 cylindrical boilers at a working pressure of. Unlike her sisters, "Sevastopol" had 16 boilers. The engines were rated at and designed to reach a top speed of 16 knots. "Poltava" and "Petropavlovsk" used turbines and boilers imported from Britain and slightly exceeded their specifications; during their sea trials, the ships reached maximum speeds of from, respectively. "Sevastopol", using domestically built machinery, only reached a speed of from, despite the extra boilers. The Naval Ministry chose not to exercise the penalty provisions of the contract for failing to attain the design speed because it had specified the machinery to be used. The "Petropavlovsk"s carried a maximum of of coal which allowed them to steam for at a speed of.

Armament.

The main armament of the "Petropavlovsk" class consisted of four 40-caliber 12-inch guns mounted in twin-gun turrets fore and aft of the superstructure. They used hydraulic power for loading and traversing, but the ammunition hoists were electrically powered. Designed to fire one shell every 90 seconds, the rate of fire of the guns in service proved to be one round every three minutes. The structure of the turrets proved to be too weak to withstand extra-strength charges and had to be reinforced. The guns could elevate to a maximum of +15° and traverse 270°; each was provided with 58 rounds. They fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of. This gave them a range of at an elevation of 10°.  The secondary armament of the ships consisted of a dozen 45-caliber QF Canet Model 1892 six-inch guns. Eight of these were mounted in four twin-gun turrets on the upper deck and the remaining four guns were on pedestal mounts in unarmored embrasures in the sides of the hull, one deck below and between the turrets. Electric motors traversed the turrets and worked the ammunition hoists, but the guns were elevated manually. They had a 135° arc of fire, and the guns could elevate to a maximum of +15° and depress to −5°. The rate of fire of the turret-mounted guns was generally only about half that (two to three rounds per minute) of the pedestal-mounted guns. The motors and mechanism of the ammunition hoists were troublesome and sometimes reduced the rate of fire down to one round per minute. The guns in the hull could traverse 100° and each six-inch gun was provided with 200 rounds. Their muzzle velocity of gave their shells a maximum range of.  Smaller guns were carried for defense against torpedo boats. These included a dozen quick-firing (QF) Hotchkiss guns in hull embrasures and on the superstructure. They fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of. Twenty-eight smaller Maxim QF guns were positioned in hull embrasures, on the superstructure and in the fighting tops. They fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of.  The "Petropavlovsk"-class ships carried four torpedo tubes, all above water, mounted on the broadside and two broadside underwater tubes. The forward 15-inch tubes were near the forward main gun turret and were unprotected by any armor; aft, the 15-inch tubes were protected by the upper armor belt. The underwater tubes were protected underneath the armor deck, forward of the forward 12-inch magazine. Each ship also carried 50 mines to be laid to protect its anchorage in remote areas.  The ships were fitted with Liuzhol stadiametric rangefinders that used the angle between two vertical points on an enemy ship, usually the waterline and the crow's nest, to estimate the range. The gunnery officer consulted his references to get the range and calculated the proper elevation and deflection required to hit the target. He transmitted his commands via a Geisler electro-mechanical fire-control transmission system to each gun or turret.

Protection.

The Russian armor-plate industry had not yet mastered the process for forming thick steel plates so the armor for these ships was ordered from companies in Germany and the United States. Even they could not produce enough of the latest types of armor plate in the quantities required for all three ships. "Petropavlovsk" had ordinary nickel steel, while "Sevastopol" used Harvey armor and "Poltava" was fitted with the latest Krupp armor. The thicknesses of the armor plates varied in an attempt to equalize their effectiveness. In "Petropavlovsk", the maximum thickness of the waterline armor belt over the machinery spaces was, which reduced to 12 inches abreast the magazines and tapered to a thickness of 8 inches at its bottom edge. In the other two ships, it was thick over the machinery spaces, over the magazines and at its lower edge. The belt covered of the ships' length and was high, of which the upper was intended to be above the waterline. It terminated in transverse bulkheads thick fore and aft, leaving the ends of the ships unprotected. Above the waterline belt was an upper strake of armor that ran between the turret bases, seven and a half feet high. The ends of the upper belt were closed off by five-inch angled transverse bulkheads that connected the ends of the upper belt to the turret support tubes.  The armor of the main-gun turrets and their supporting tubes was 10 inches thick (Krupp armor in "Poltava", nickel steel in the other two) with roofs thick. The turrets of the secondary armament had 5-inch sides with roofs. The six-inch guns in the hull embrasures were unprotected. The sides of the conning tower were 9 inches thick while the armor deck in the central citadel was 2 inches thick. Outside the area covered by the belt armor, the flat portion of the deck was thick, while the sloped portion was thick.

Service.

"Petropavlovsk" was the first of the sisters to enter service; she departed Kronstadt on 17 October 1899 and reached Port Arthur on 10 May 1900. Upon her arrival, she became flagship of the Pacific Squadron commander, Vice Admiral Nikolai Skrydlov. The ship supported international efforts to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in mid-1900. "Poltava" and "Sevastopol" departed for Port Arthur on 15 October 1900 and arrived on 12 and 13 April 1901 respectively. "Petropavlovsk" was the flagship of Vice Admiral Oskar Stark at the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War in February 1904.  During the Battle of Port Arthur on the second day of the war, "Poltava" was hit twice in the aft hull, "Petropavlovsk" was hit three times in the bow and "Sevastopol" was hit once. Between them, the sisters had two men killed and seven wounded and were not significantly damaged. None of them made any hits on Japanese ships. The Naval Ministry relieved Stark, and he was replaced by Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov who assumed command on 7 March. On 31 March, "Petropavlovsk" and "Poltava" sortied to support Russian cruisers and destroyers engaging their Japanese counterparts, but they headed back to Port Arthur to join the rest of the Pacific Squadron when the main Japanese battlefleet appeared. They ran into a newly laid minefield en route and "Petropavlovsk" struck at least one of the mines, sinking in less than two minutes. Casualties included Admiral Makarov and his guest, the war artist Vasily Vereshchagin, 26 other officers and 652 enlisted men. Only 7 officers and 73 crewmen were rescued.  The new commander, Vice Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft, made an attempt to lead the Pacific Squadron to Vladivostok on 23 June, but abandoned the sortie when the squadron was discovered and pursued by the Japanese. While returning to Port Arthur, "Sevastopol" struck a mine, and the ship took on an estimated of water; despite the flooding she was able to keep up with the fleet and reached port successfully. While under repair, which lasted until 9 July, a fire broke out aboard the ship, killing 2 crewmen and injuring another 28. All of the 47- and 37-millimeter guns in the lower hull embrasures were removed from "Poltava" and "Sevastopol" during this time; some were remounted on the superstructure, but others were used to reinforce the land defenses of Port Arthur.  Vitgeft made another attempt to break through the Japanese blockade on 10 August in obedience to a direct order from Tsar Nicholas II. The squadron was spotted relatively quickly, and the Japanese main fleet intercepted the Russians in the early afternoon. In the resulting the Battle of the Yellow Sea, "Poltava" and "Sevastopol" were the last battleships in the Russian column and the former, slowed by engine problems, became the primary target of the Japanese battleships and armored cruisers when Vitgeft maneuvered the squadron past the Japanese and forced them into a stern chase. Shortly before sunset, a lucky hit killed Vitgeft and threw the squadron into confusion. The Russian second-in-command, Rear Admiral Prince Pavel Ukhtomsky, eventually gained control of the squadron and led most of the ships back to Port Arthur. "Poltava" was hit by 12–14 large-caliber shells and lost 12 crewmen killed and 43 wounded; "Sevastopol" was hit by several shells that killed 1 and wounded 62 crewmen. On 23 August, "Sevastopol" sortied to bombard Japanese troops and struck a mine near her forward magazines while returning to port. She was badly damaged and three of her magazines were flooded. The ship was towed back into Port Arthur and her repairs lasted until 6 November. In the meantime, the new squadron commander, Rear Admiral Robert Viren, decided to use the men and guns of the Pacific Squadron to reinforce the defenses of Port Arthur, and even more guns were stripped from the squadron's ships. By September "Poltava" had dismounted three 6-inch, four 47- and twenty-six 37-millimeter guns, and "Sevastopol" lost one 47- and twenty-six 37-millimeter guns. Both ships were lightly damaged by shells in October when the Imperial Japanese Army's siege guns began firing blindly into the harbor. The capture of Hill 203, which overlooked the harbor, on 5 December allowed them to fire directly at the Russian ships, and "Poltava" was sunk in shallow water that same day by a shell that started a fire in a magazine that eventually exploded. By 7 December all of the Russian battleships except "Sevastopol" had been sunk and the ship's captain, Nikolai Essen, anchored her under the guns of the remaining coast defense guns outside the harbor. He rigged torpedo nets and laid a minefield around his ship that thwarted repeated attacks until 16 December when one torpedo struck the ship in the stern during a blinding snowstorm. Badly damaged, "Sevastopol" was towed to deep water about two weeks later, when Port Arthur surrendered on 2 January 1905 and scuttled. "Poltava" was subsequently raised, repaired and reclassified as a first-class coastal defense ship in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Renamed "Tango" (丹後), she served as a gunnery training ship and participated in the Siege of Tsingtao at the beginning of World War I. She was sold back to Russia in March 1916 as the countries were now allies against the Central Powers and arrived in Vladivostok on 2 April 1916. Renamed "Chesma" ("Чесма"), because her original name was being used by a, the ship arrived in Port Said, Egypt, on 19 September, and later supported efforts to intimidate the Greek Government into supporting Allied operations in Macedonia. She arrived at Alexandrovsk on 16 January 1917 after a brief refit in Birkenhead and became flagship of the Arctic Flotilla. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks in October 1917 and "Chesma" was captured by the British in Murmansk in March 1918 during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. The ship was already in poor condition, and the British immobilized her when they departed Russia in October 1919. She was stricken from the Navy List on 3 July 1924 and subsequently scrapped.

The "Petropavlovsk" class, sometimes referred to as the "Poltava" class, was a group of three pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Russian Navy during the 1890s. They were transferred to the Pacific Squadron shortly after their completion in 1899–1900 and were based at Port Arthur before the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. All three ships participated in the Battle of Port Arthur on the second day of the war. sank two months after the war began after striking one or more mines laid by the Japanese. Her two sister ships, and, took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea in August 1904 and were sunk or scuttled during the final stages of the Siege of Port Arthur in early 1905.


BDO career.

Laursen reached the final of the WDF World Cup in both single and pairs (with Brian Sorensen) in 2005 and won the Welsh Open earlier that year - performances which enabled him to qualify for the BDO World Darts Championship for the first time in 2006.  On his television debut in the 2006 BDO World Darts Championship, he defeated number five seed Tony Eccles in the first round but lost to Shaun Greatbatch in round two.

PDC career.

Laursen became the first Dane to play in the PDC World Darts Championship in the 2007 competition beating Colin Monk 3-0 (3-1, 3-2, 3-2) in the first round, but lost to Dennis Priestley in the second round, despite the fact that Laursen was 3-1 up and missed eight darts to win the match before losing 4-3 (2-3, 2-3, 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 3-2, 3-1).  He came through the Danish Qualifying system for the second time for the 2008 PDC World Darts Championship but lost 3-1 (3-2, 1-3, 3-2, 3-1) to Alan Tabern in the first round.  Laursen has had some success in tournaments in his own country, reaching the final of the Danish Open in 2006 (losing to Vincent van der Voort) and winning the Danish National Championships in 2004, 2007 and 2008  Laursen once again represented his country in the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship, having finished top of the Danish Darts Standing for a third successive year. He was beaten 3-1 (2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2) in the first round by Wes Newton.  At the 2010 PDC World Darts Championship Denmark had lost their direct place and Laursen, who had won the Danish qualification for the fourth time, had to qualify through the preliminary round but lost to Christian Perez of the Philippines.  Laursen qualified for the preliminary round of the 2011 World Championship, he did beat Boris Krcmar from Croatia 4-2 (legs).  In the first round he played three-time world champion John Part and won 3-0 (3-2, 3-1, 3-2) to set up a second round match with defending champion Phil Taylor- a match he lost 4-0 (3-1, 3-2, 3-0, 3-1) despite averaging 93.19.  At the 2012 World Championship he let a 2-0 leg lead slip against Petri Korte in the preliminary round, as he went on to lose the match 3-4. He represented Denmark with Jann Hoffmann in the 2012 PDC World Cup of Darts and together they were beaten 1–3 by Northern Ireland in the second round, having defeated Gibraltar in round 1. In October, he beat Mensur Suljović 6–2 to qualify for the European Tour Event 5, where he was beaten 4–6 by second seed Simon Whitlock in the first round.  Laursen played in his third World Cup of Darts and second with Jann Hoffmann in February 2013 and despite beating South Africa 5–4 in their first match, they finished bottom of Group B on leg difference following a 0–5 loss to the Republic of Ireland. Laursen won two events on the Scandinavian Pro Tour during 2013 and was a losing finalist in two others to finish top of the Order of Merit and qualify for the 2014 World Championship, where he beat Colin McGarry 4–2 in the preliminary round. He then defied a nine-dart finish from Terry Jenkins in the deciding set of the first round to win 3–2, but saw his run come to an end in the next round as he lost 4–2 to Peter Wright.  In January 2014, Laursen received a Tour card for the 2014 PDC Tour by topping last year's Scandinavian Order of Merit. Laursen and Dennis Lindskjold lost 5–2 to Australia in the first round of the World Cup of Darts. Despite being eligible to participate in all PDC events, Laursen only played in Scandinavian tournaments during the year, winning the first Danish event by beating Daniel Larsson 6–2. He won two events on the 2015 Scandinavian Darts Corporation Pro Tour to finish second on the Order of Merit and seal his place in the preliminary round of the 2016 World Championship and a meeting with Andy Boulton which went to a deciding set. Laursen went two legs to none up, but then missed four match darts and would lose 2–1. He won the first Scandinavian Pro Tour event of 2016 and also lost in the final of the penultimate event. Laursen and Daniel Jensen played Australia in the second round of the World Cup after beating Sweden 5–2. Laursen overcame Kyle Anderson 4–2 to send the match into a doubles decider in which Denmark were whitewashed 4–0.

Per Laursen (born April 16, 1966) is a Danish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation and British Darts Organisation tournaments.


Operation.

On 29 November 1925, the North Auckland Line linking Auckland to Whangarei and other parts of Northland was completed. Soon after passenger expresses began to operate, but the twisting, rugged nature of the railway line meant that they did not achieve particularly fast speeds.  The "Northland Express" was the premier service north of Auckland and it operated thrice weekly in each direction. Mixed trains operated from the termini of the Okaihau and Dargaville branch lines to connect with the "Express". By the 1950s, the "Northland Express" was able to maintain a schedule of 5 hours and 20 minutes on the section between Auckland and Whangarei and was operated by steam locomotives such as the J class.  In tandem with the "Northland Express", a nightly mixed train ran between Auckland and Opua until 1956. This unnamed train was known locally as the "Morepork", after a breed of native owl.

Replacement.

In the 1950s, the Railways Department made the decision to replace its remaining provincial expresses with railcar services. 35 RM class 88 seater railcars were supplied in 1955, and in November 1956, the "Northland Express" was replaced by these railcars. They did not operate entirely the same route as the "Northland Express"; at Otiria, instead of heading northeast on the Opua Branch, they ran northwest to Okaihau. From this time, Opua's passenger services were provided by mixed trains from Whangarei and they were not timetabled to provide a connection with the railcar service, although the Dargaville mixed continued to meet the railcars until March 1967, when passengers ceased to be carried on the Dargaville Branch.  The railcars reduced the journey time between Auckland and Whangarei to 4 hours and 10 minutes, but mechanical faults with the railcars and the 1959 opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge meant that the railcars did not have a long future. They ceased operating on 31 July 1967 and passenger services on the North Auckland Line and Okaihau and Opua branches were operated by mixed trains. The Okaihau mixed ended in 1974, followed by the others in 1976.

The Northland Express, also known as the Opua Express, was an express passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between 1925 and 1956. It ran from Auckland via Whangarei to Opua in the Bay of Islands.


Biography.

Garner Tullis was born the son of the industrialist and civic leader Richard Barclay Tullis (1913–1999) and his wife, the painter Chaillé Handy, daughter of Henry Jamison Handy. Both endowed the "Chaillé H. and Richard B. Tullis Principal Viola Chair" of the Cleveland Orchestra, currently occupied by Robert Vernon. Garner Tullis has two siblings, Sarah ("Sallie") and Barclay.  Tullis attended Principia College, and afterwards studied at the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. 1963; B.F.A. 1964), where he was taught by the architect Louis Kahn; the sculptor Jacques Lipchitz; and such legendary figures of the New York school as Emilio Vedova, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, David Smith and Mark Rothko. Awarded an extended grant to Italy by the Fulbright Program, he was able to travel throughout Europe before he studied at Stanford University under a Carnegie Fellowship (M.A. 1967). In 1972, he founded the International Institute of Experimental Printmaking, where he worked together with such notable artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Mangold, Kenneth Noland, Dorothea Rockburne, Robert Ryman, Sean Scully, and William G. Tucker, as well as hundreds of other painters and sculptors, including many younger figures.  Tullis taught at Bennington College, California State University, Stanislaus, University of California, Berkeley and Davis, as well as at Harvard University. Amongst others, his works belong to the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Tullis has three sons and one daughter. His son Richard (b. 1962) also became a printmaker.

Garner Handy Tullis (born Cincinnati, Ohio, 1939) was an American born artist residing in Pietrarubbia, Italy, since the September 11 attacks in 2001.


Career.

Maroroa started playing chess when she was 11 years old. She played at the Auckland Chess Club and was taught by local player Ian McNally. She later went on to play at the Papatoetoe and Howick-Pakuranga chess clubs as well. She represented New Zealand at the World Youth Chess Championship Under-14 girls division in Belfort, France in 2005, and Under-18 girls division in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam in 2008.  In 2006, she won the New Zealand Women's Chess Championship. In 2008, she became the first female player to win the New Zealand Junior Chess Championship, coming equal first to share the title with Mario Krstev and Andy Chen.  Maroroa was awarded the title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM) in 2005 for her result of 5/9 at the 34th Chess Olympiad in Calvià, Spain in 2004. In 2007, she was awarded the title of Woman FIDE Master (WFM) for her result of 6/9 at the 2007 Oceania Women's Zonal Chess Championship in Fiji. Her third-place finish, again scoring 6/9, at the 2009 Oceania Women's Zonal Chess Championship on the Gold Coast, Queensland earned her the Woman International Master (WIM) title. During this time Maroroa was playing club chess in London, and was for a number of years the strongest player at Hammersmith Chess Club in West London.  Maroroa represented New Zealand in the five Chess Olympiads from 2002 to 2012. Her best result was in 2010 when she scored 6/9, without loss, in the 39th Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.  Maroroa competed in the Oceania Women's Championships in Auckland 2005, Denarau 2007, Gold Coast 2009, and Queenstown 2012.  In October 2012 transferred chess federations to represent England. In 2014, she achieved an International Master norm in the Four Nations Chess League. Her performance included a win against Grandmaster Mark Hebden.

Personal life.

Maroroa was born in Auckland, New Zealand to a Cook Islander father and a Chinese-Malaysian mother. Since 2010, Maroroa has been living in England. In June 2012, she married leading English Grandmaster Gawain Jones. She lives in Sheffield and plays rugby for Sheffield Ladies RUFC.

Notable games.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. f4 Bg7 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. O-O Nh6 7. d3 O-O 8. f5 gxf5 9. Nxd4 cxd4 10. Nd5 e6 11. Qh5 exd5 12. Bxh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6 Qb6 14. Qxb6 axb6 15. Rxf5 dxe4 16. dxe4 d6 17. Rd5 f5 18. Rxd4 Be6 19. Rxd6 Rxa2 20. Rxa2 Bxa2 21. e5 Rc8 22. e6 Kf8 23. c3 Ke7 24. Rxb6 Bxe6 25. Rxb7+ 1-0

Sue Yuchan Maroroa (born 4 March 1991) is a chess player who holds the FIDE title of Woman International Master (WIM). She represented New Zealand in five Chess Olympiads and England at the 2014 Chess Olympiad.


Biography.

Fricke entered the "Kaiserliche Marine" as a cadet on 1 April 1910. He served on during his cadetship and graduated from Marineschule Mürwik. After graduating he was posted to the battlecruiser. On 27 September 1913 Fricke was promoted to lieutenant. During World War I, Fricke served at the Battle of Dogger Bank. Fricke was promoted to "Oberleutnant zur See" in 1916 and transferred to torpedo boats. He served on and. On 7 March 1918 he became an aide-de-camp to the commander of the torpedo boats, in which position he ended the war.  After the war he served in the administration of the German navy as adjudant to the commander in chief of the navy. From 1922 to 1924 he served on the I Flottille, in which he commanded destroyers "T139" and "T148". In September 1924, Fricke became a company officer in a coastal defence unit. Fricke was promoted to corvette captain in 1928. He served three years as a marine adjudant to the Reichswehrminister.  In 1929 Fricke was made commander of half a squadron of torpedo boats. On 16 September 1931 he became commander of the I. Torpedobootsflottille. In 1933 he became "Führer der Torpedoboote" (type commander of torpedo boats). On 1 April 1934 Fricke was promoted to "Fregattenkapitän" (frigate captain). Fricke then was posted as chief of staff to the inspectorate of destroyer and mine-warfare in the rank of "Kapitän zur See" (captain at sea) (1935). From October 1936 to September 1937 he served at the Wehrmacht-Akademie. After this academic posting, Fricke served on the Oberkommando der Marine as Chief of the Operations department of the Seekriegsleitung. On 30 April 1939 Fricke became liaison officer to the Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe.  After the start of the Second World War, Fricke was promoted to "Konteradmiral" (rear admiral) on 1 November 1939 and "Vizeadmiral" (vice admiral) on 1 June 1941. From 13 June 1941 to 20 February 1943 Fricke was Chief of Staff of the Seekriegsleitung. Promoted to Admiral on 1 April 1942, Fricke was named commander of the Marinegruppenkommandos Süd (21 March 1943 – 11 December 1944). In December 1944 Fricke was placed in the Führerreserve. Fricke was killed on 2 May 1945 during the Battle of Berlin.

Kurt Fricke (8 November 1889 – 2 May 1945) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine (navy) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.