Motivation.

Consider a traffic net where two players originate at point "O" and need to get to point "T". Suppose that node "O" is connected to node "T" via connection points "A" and "B", where "A" is a little closer than "B" (i.e. "A" is more likely to be chosen by each player). However, both connection points get easily congested, meaning the more players pass through a point the greater the delay of each player becomes, so having both players go through the same connection point causes extra delay. Good outcome in this game will be for the two players to "coordinate" and pass through different connection points. Can such outcome be achieved? And if so, what will the cost be for each player?

Definition.

Discrete congestion games are games with the following components.

Example.

Consider the following directed graph where each player has two available strategies – going through A or going through B – leading to a total of four possibilities. The following matrix expresses the costs of the players in terms of delays depending on their choices: Both (A,B) and (B,A) are pure Nash equilibria in this game, since any uni-lateral change by one of the players increases the cost of this player (note that the values in the table are costs, so players prefer them to be smaller).

Existence of Nash equilibria.

The existence of Nash equilibria can be shown by constructing a "potential function" that assigns a value to each outcome. Moreover, this construction will also show that iterated best response finds a Nash equilibrium. Define formula_15. Note that this function is "not" the social welfare formula_16, but rather a discrete integral of sorts. The critical property of a potential function for a congestion game is that if one player switches strategy, the change in his delay is equal to the change in the potential function.  Consider the case when player formula_12 switches from formula_11 to formula_19. Elements that are in both of the strategies remain unaffected, elements that the player leaves (i.e. formula_20) decrease the potential by formula_21, and the elements the player joins (i.e. formula_22) increase the potential by formula_23. This change in potential is precisely the change in delay for player formula_12, so formula_25 is in fact a potential function.  Now observe that any minimum of formula_25 is a pure Nash equilibrium. Fixing all but one player, any improvement in strategy by that player corresponds to decreasing formula_25, which cannot happen at a minimum. Now since there are a finite number of configurations and each formula_14 is monotone, there exists an equilibrium.

Continuous congestion games.

Continuous congestion games are the limiting case as formula_29. In this setup, we consider players as "infinitesimally small." We keep formula_1 a "finite" set of congestible elements. Instead of recognizing formula_2 players, as in the discrete case, we have formula_2 "types" of players, where each type formula_12 is associated with a number formula_34, representing the "rate" of traffic for that type. Each type picks a strategy from a strategy set formula_3, which we assume are disjoint. As before, assume that the formula_14 are monotone and positive, but add the assumption that they are continuous as well. Finally, we allow players in a type to distribute fractionally over their strategy set. That is, for formula_4, let formula_38 denote the fraction of players in type formula_12 using strategy formula_40. Assume that formula_41.

Existence of equilibria in the continuous case.

Note that strategies are now collections of strategy profiles formula_38. For a strategy set formula_3 of size formula_2, the collection of all valid profiles is a compact subset of formula_45. As before, define the potential function as formula_46, replacing the discrete integral with the standard one.  As a function of the strategy, formula_25 is continuous: formula_14 is continuous, and formula_49 is a continuous function of the strategy. Then by the extreme value theorem, formula_25 attains its global minimum.  The final step is to show that a minimum of formula_25 is indeed a Nash equilibrium. Assume for contradiction that there exists a collection of formula_38 that minimize formula_25 but are not a Nash equilibrium. Then for some type formula_12, there exists some improvement formula_55 over the current choice formula_40. That is, formula_57. The idea now is to take a small amount formula_58 of players using strategy formula_40 and move them to strategy formula_55. Now for any formula_61, we have increased its load by formula_62, so its term in formula_25 is now formula_64. Differentiating the integral, this change is approximately formula_65, with error formula_66. The equivalent analysis of the change holds when we look at edges in formula_40.  Therefore, the change in potential is approximately formula_68, which is less than zero. This is a contradiction, as then formula_25 was not minimized. Therefore, a minimum of formula_25 must be a Nash equilibrium.

Quality of solutions and Price of anarchy.

Since there exist Nash equilibria in continuous congestion games, the next natural topic is to analyze their quality. We will derive bounds on the ratio between the delay at Nash and the optimal delay, otherwise known as the Price of Anarchy. First, we begin with a technical condition on the delay functions.  Definition The delay is formula_71 smooth if for all formula_72, formula_73.  Now if the delay is formula_71 smooth, formula_75 is a Nash equilibrium, and formula_76 is an optimal allocation, then formula_77. In other words, the price of anarchy is formula_78. See these lecture notes for a proof.

Congestion games are a class of games in game theory first proposed by American economist Robert W. Rosenthal in 1973. In a congestion game the payoff of each player depends on the resources it chooses and the number of players choosing the same resource. Congestion games are a special case of potential games. Rosenthal proved that any congestion game is a potential game and Monderer and Shapley (1996) proved the converse: for any potential game, there is a congestion game with the same potential function.


Content.

Pope Benedict examines the important relationship between the Eucharist and the other sacraments. He also highlights the social implications of the Eucharist and connects it with the Church's social teaching. The document is divided in three parts revolving around the Eucharist as a mystery (1) to be believed, (2) to be celebrated, and (3) to be lived.  In "Sacramentum caritatis", Benedict quotes John 6:51, ""I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh". He points out that the Eucharist is essentially Trinitarian. "Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, in his Catecheses, states that we "call upon God in his mercy to send his Holy Spirit upon the offerings before us, to transform the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ." The epiclesis of the Mass is a petition to the Father to send down the gift of the Spirit so that the bread and the wine will become the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  Benedict also expands on the relationship between the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance. "We know that the faithful are surrounded by a culture that tends to eliminate the sense of sin and to promote a superficial approach that overlooks the need to be in a state of grace in order to approach sacramental communion worthily. The loss of a consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of God's love. Bringing out the elements within the rite of Mass that express consciousness of personal sin and, at the same time, of God's mercy, can prove most helpful to the faithful."  Since the beauty of the Eucharist pertains directly to Christ in his person, it enables the participants a glimpse into the eschatological dimension inherent in the Eucharist as a pledge of future glory.  In the celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus Christ shows us how the truth of love can transform even the dark mystery of death into the radiant light of the resurrection. Through the Eucharist, He becomes all in all, present in his totality within the members of the Church (par #36). The individual members make up the spiritual stones of the Church. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love. The new man sings a new song. (par #42)

Sacramentum caritatis () is the first post-synodal (Rome, October 2, 2005 – October 23, 2005) apostolic exhortation by Pope Benedict XVI. It was signed February 22, 2007.


Playing career.

As a youth, Trudel played in the 1989 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Amos, Quebec.  Trudel played junior ice hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, his last two seasons for the Hull Olympiques, helping his team to a Memorial Cup berth in 1995.  Undrafted by any NHL team, Trudel had a lengthy career in the minor leagues, most notably for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, for which he is the all-time leading career scorer in goals and points, and during which time he was named an AHL Second Team All-Star in the 2000 season. He played his penultimate season in North America with the Houston Aeros of the AHL in 2003, finishing second in league scoring by a single point.  He then went to Europe to play in the Swiss National League A for the rest of his career, save for a single season with the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL in 2008, principally for HC Ambri-Piotta, for whom he finished in the top three in the league in either goals or points his four seasons with the team.

Coaching career.

Trudel is currently a part owner and formerly the GM/Head Coach of the Peoria Mustangs in the NA3HL. He left his positions with the Mustangs to become head coach of the newest iteration of the Peoria Rivermen in the Southern Professional Hockey League. While with the Rivermen, he has won the SPHL's Coach of the Year three times.

Jean-Guy Andre Trudel (born October 10, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played five games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Phoenix Coyotes and the Minnesota Wild. Trudel is currently the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). He is also in charge of the Peoria Youth Hockey Association.


2000 Sydney Olympics Marathon Controversy.

Lagat's win in the Boston Marathon initially gave him a spot on Kenya's marathon team in the 2000 Olympics. Lagat indicated his enthusiasm for running in the Olympics immediately after Boston. However, later in the year the director of the Kenyan Amateur Athletics Association, David Okeyo, replaced the three runners who had initially made the team (Lagat, Tanui and Japhet Kosgei) with three other Kenyans Ondoro Osoro, Erick Wainaina and Kenneth Cheruiyot. He claimed that the three who had initially made the team had not been training hard enough. This move may have been precipitated by poor Kenyan showings in the Olympic marathons in the past. It also may have been brought about by the three initial qualifiers' criticism of the Kenyan Amateur Athletics Association officials. Despite Kenya's many successes in marathoning, The distance running mecca was unable to secure an Olympic gold medal until Samuel Wanjiru's record setting run in the 2008 Beijing games.  Later in the summer of 2000 however, Onsaro was shot in a carjacking incident. Lagat found his way back onto the team as a replacement after being clearly miffed by what he called a strange dismissal from the team. When the Sydney Olympics finally came about, Lagat was on the team and started the race but did not finish. He blamed his failure to finish on excessive preparation for the Olympic marathon; he claimed he wanted to show the Kenyan athletics officials he really could win but overtrained as a result.

Reasons for Running.

Lagat began running simply to lose weight and not necessarily to compete at the highest level of the sport. As a young man, a physician told him that he "had a lot of fat around his heart" and needed to lose weight. The Kenyan obliged and his weight decreased from 158 pounds in 1992 to 125 by the time he won Boston. He started jogging in 1993 and began competing in 1994. He was already 27 when he first began competing; his late start in the sport is unusual and a testament to his innate talent. Before running, Lagat worked as an educational administrator before switching to full-time athlete.

Other Notable Performances.

Lagat won the Prague Marathon in 1998 and the Berlin Marathon in 1997. His best time was a 2:07:41 during his win in Berlin.  He tried to defend his Boston title in 2001 but finished 17th with a time of 2:17:59 that year. He has not competed at the same level since then.

Politics.

Prior to the 2002 general elections, Lagat was persuaded by his friends to vie for the Emgwen Constituency parliamentary seats. After initial resistance, Lagat agreed and vied for the seat on KANU ticket. He lost, however, to Stephen Kipkiyeny Tarus who represented the victorious NARC coalition. After the elections, Lagat continued his athletics career.  At the 2007 parliamentary elections, Lagat successfully vied for Emgwen Constituency parliamentary seat on ODM ticket, beating Tarus, who now represented the PNU party.  He has a degree in History from Baraton University, and besides being MP, is studying for an MBA in Strategic Management at Africa Nazarene University.

Elijah Kiptarbei Lagat (born 19 June 1966) was born and raised in Saniak Village in Nandi District of Kenya. He was the winner of the 104th running of the Boston Marathon held in 2000. He won in the closest finish in the race's history when he edged out Gezahgne Abera of Ethiopia and fellow Kenyan and previous year's champion, Moses Tanui. Abera and Lagat were both clocked at 2 hours 9 minutes and 47 seconds while Tanui finished three seconds back. Lagat's win enabled the Kenyans to capture the individual men's Boston Marathon title for the 10th straight year. This is a record that still stands.


History.

In the year 1886, Theodor Escherich established that spiral form bacteria were noted in the stool specimen and large intestinal mucous of neonates (an infant less than 4 weeks), and kittens. Throughout that century, publication of the organism in the “spirilla” form description came mainly in German language (Kist M., 1986). However, it was not until 1957, as widely spread as the bacteria were, Campylobacter was still not implicated in the human diarrhea. Further to this, in 1973, "Campylobacter" as a new genus was proposed and in the 1980s, the importance of the genus in the human infection of gastroenteritis was given full recognition (David and Ban, 2001).

Sources.

"Campylobacter" species lives in the intestine of poultry animals, sheep, cattle, and pigs. Additionally, "Campylobacter" colonized the intestine of pets such as dogs and cats. As well, it has also been found in shellfish (WHO, 2018).

Pathogenicity and transmission.

"C. coli" are thought to be mainly transmitted to humans via handling and eating raw or undercooked meat or other contaminated food products, but due to their broad natural reservoir, they can also be transmitted via soil and water. The infectious dose of "Campylobacter" ranges between 1000–10,000, but even 500–800 colony forming units (CFU) has also been reported to cause disease. The bacteria can also be transmitted to humans via direct contact with infected animals. Usually the incubation time after ingestion ranges between 24–72 hours, but incubation times up to a week have been reported. The adhesion to eukaryotic cells is mediated by several proteins, including the "Campylobacter" adhesion to fibronectin protein ("CadF"), which binds specifically to fibronectin in the cell membrane.

Virulence factors.

Campylobacteriosis seems to be dependent on several virulence factors involving adhesion, invasion and bacterial motility adherence. "Campylobacter" secrete a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), which is an AB toxin composed of three subunits encoded by "cdtA", "cdtB" and "cdtC". This toxin has DNase activity, which causes DNA double-strand breaks during the cell cycle G2 phase, leading eventually to cell apoptosis in HeLa and Caco-2 cells.

Survival of "C. coli".

"Campylobacter"<nowiki> are microaerophilic, fastidious organisms that become stressed in aerobic condition, temperature variations, osmotic balances, and starvation. However, in the community of </nowiki>"Campylobacter" species, "C. coli" has been discovered to be more aerotolerant than "C. jejuni"; this explains the increasing survival and transmission of the strains during stressful processing and storage conditions (Karki et al., 2019).

Human infection.

Campylobacteriosis is characterized by symptoms including high fever, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea, sometimes bloody. Foodborne infections caused by "Campylobacter" spp. can be diagnosed by isolation of the organism from faeces and identification by growth-dependent tests, immunological assays, or genomic analyses.

Treatment.

Campylobacteriosis is often self-limiting infection, which is treated according to the symptoms, for example with electrolyte replacement and rehydration. While extra fluid is required of an infected person for as long as the symptoms lasts, antibiotics such as azithromycin or ciprofloxacin can be used to treat risk groups, including immunocompromised patients. Due to the increased antibiotic usage in both animal agriculture and human populations, "Campylobacter" spp. has been reported to be progressively resistant to several antibiotics, including fluoroquinolones and macrolides. Although most patients recover from the infection, severe post-infectious complications such as Gullain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition which causes muscle weakness as a result of the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system, have been linked to campylobacteriosis.

Campylobacter coli is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic, non-endospore-forming, S-shaped bacterial species within genus "Campylobacter". In humans, it "C. coli" can cause campylobacteriosis, a diarrhoeal disease which is the most frequently reported foodborne illness in the European Union. "C. coli" grows slowly with an optimum temperature of 42 °C. When exposed to air for long periods, they become spherical or coccoid shaped.


Amateur highlights.

As an amateur Simon represented Namibia as a welterweight at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and had an overall amateur record of 121-9. His result was:

Professional career.

Simon turned pro in 1994 and won the WBO Light Middleweight title in 1998 by defeating Winky Wright by controversial decision. The bout had initially been ruled a draw, but then a "scoring error" favoring Simon was discovered. He defended the title four times against Kevin Lueshing, Enrique Areco, Rodney Jones and Wayne Alexander. He later captured the WBO Middleweight title against Sweden's Armand Krajnc in a unanimous 12-round decision. In 2002 Simon was involved in a serious car accident, sustaining injuries that prevented his defending his title; because of this he was stripped of the belt.  Simon returned to boxing in March 2007, winning an eight round decision over Stephen Nzuemb, in Namibia. He won a fight against Tanzanian Rashid Mutumla by knockout on 2 December 2010. Following his release from jail in 2009, Simon launched a comeback, recording several wins over journeyman opposition.  On 24 November 2018 Simon fought together with his son, Harry Simon Jr. They both won their fights, making it a first in Namibia for father and son to appear together, and to both win.

Outside the ring.

Simon was involved in two serious car accidents resulting in fatalities. In the first accident in 2001, two people died outside Swakopmund in a hit-and-run accident. Simon's car's estimated speed was. Some controversy developed around this accident, as blood samples disappeared, and originally Simon was reported to be driving. His driver later admitted to have steered the vehicle and was sentenced to 2 years' jail.  The second accident, in late 2002, saw Simon seriously injured and eventually sent to jail. Three Belgian tourists - two adults and a baby - died in the collision with Simon's Mercedes-Benz at Langstrand in November 2002. On 5 August 2005, Simon was given a two-year jail sentence, after he was found guilty of culpable homicide stemming from the November 2002 car accident, which resulted in the deaths of the three people.  On 9 July 2007, Simon began serving his two-year prison sentence for culpable homicide after losing the appeal of his 2005 conviction. Simon did not call any witnesses or testify in his own behalf during the appeal proceedings, and his conviction and sentence were not overturned. He was released in 2009. In 2020 he published a book, ""Lifestyle and Treatments in Prison"", detailing his experiences in jail.

Harry Simon (born 21 October 1972) is a Namibian professional boxer. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBO junior middleweight title from 1998 to 2001, and the WBO middleweight title in 2002. He holds the longest undefeated streak in boxing history, at 24 years.


Personal life.

Morgan was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended the Lindenwood University.  Her addiction to gambling was the subject of the TV-movie "High Stakes: The Melanie Morgan Story". In 2006, she told the San Francisco Chronicle that she had not placed a bet in 13 years, and has served as president of the California Council on Problem Gambling.  Morgan is married to Jack Swanson, Director of News and Programming at KCBS Newsradio in San Francisco. They live in Novato, California, north of San Francisco, and have two children.  Morgan serves on the boards of a number of other nonprofit organizations, including the Bruin Alumni Association.  On February 15, 2010 she revealed she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer but the cancer has not spread.

Professional career.

Morgan began her career reporting on the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing, Lebanon, where 241 Marines lost their lives. While she focuses on San Francisco Bay Area regional issues, she has covered events in China, Mexico and Iraq.  In 2006, Morgan's report on U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq: "Voices of Soldiers" earned was recognized by the Associated Press Mark Twain Awards for Best Special Program.  In October 2006, Morgan and reporter Catherine Moy published "American Mourning", which reported on two families whose sons, best friends from Army training and who died two weeks apart in Iraq, dealt with their sorrow. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan became angry and hung an American soldier in effigy outside of Sacramento. The book contains allegations from Sheehan's sister-in-law that Sheehan engaged in sexual misbehavior, and contrasts her behavior with the family of Justin Johnson, whose father enlisted as a private in the military at age 46 following his sons death. Both families remain traumatized.  Melanie Morgan co-hosted a highly rated morning show with Lee Rodgers and traffic reporter "Officer Vic" on San Francisco Bay Area radio station KSFO. Her tenure on the KSFO morning show ended in March 2008 when the station "decided not to renew her contract as part of the company’s announced across-the-board financial cost cutting".  Talk Radio Network tapped Morgan to be the host of the network's new morning show, "America's Morning News". It debuted June 15, 2009, co-hosted by John McCaslin and managed by the "Washington Times", who contributes reporters to the program. Morgan left the show January 5, 2010, citing health issues.  Morgan was added back to the KSFO morning show in January 2012, but has since left again, as of July 10, 2013.

Political activism.

Morgan and Michelle Malkin organized a pro-troop "webathon" on June 26, 2008. Conservative talk-show talent Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin participated. MAF members raised an aggregate of $1.055 million in gifts for U.S. soldiers and Iraqi children.  She is currently Chair of Move America Forward (MAF), a nonprofit, political advocacy group Supporting our military and providing gifts to U.S. soldiers in Iraq. She was honored by Move America Forward (MAF) members on May 10, 2008. Morgan stated in the USA Today "I don't like third parties" and has been working with the Tea Party movement in California. As the chairman of Move America Forward, Morgan lead a 40-city campaign "Heroes for the Holidays Tour" to "rally support for the troops and their mission." During her last trip to the Middle East, Melanie Morgan and one of the Gold Star Mothers, Debbie Lee, brought over 100,000 Christmas cards to troops throughout the area of operations. Morgan will co-host Troopathon 2013.

Controversial statements and criticism.

After "The New York Times" published a story regarding U.S. government tracking of terrorist funding, Morgan said that editor Bill Keller should be tried for treason and "If he were to be tried and convicted of treason, yes, I would have no problem with him being sent to the gas chamber."  Melanie Morgan's comments about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the November 14, 2006 broadcast of the "Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Program" have drawn criticism from media watchdogs and liberal bloggers. Morgan commented "We've got a bull's-eye painted on her big, wide laughing eyes." Morgan said the statement was a political metaphor that had been distorted by critics in order to appear violent.  In 2007, Morgan claimed during a broadcast on KSFO that Hungarian financier George Soros worked with the Nazis "in order to further his own career;" Soros was age 13 when the Nazis entered Hungary. During the broadcast, the station manager came on-air to deny the accuracy of the statements and to say KFSO "regrets that they were broadcast." This incident and others led to Morgan twice being named "Worst Radio Host in America" by MSNBC talk show host Keith Olbermann.  Morgan has also claimed that President Barack Obama attended a madrassa, an allegation that has been discredited.

"The News Hour with Jim Lehrer".

On May 9, 2007, Morgan appeared with VoteVets.org co-founder and chairman Jon Soltz on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer". Morgan accused the veteran of "political games" and undermining the U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Executive Producer Linda Winslow responded to complaints by saying, Since neither guest was in the studio with Judy Woodruff, there wasn't much she could do to prevent them from interrupting one another, short of saying – as she did at least three times – 'please let him/her finish his/her point'. The NewsHour style is to ask pointed questions politely; we expect our guests to subscribe to the same rules. Since the program is produced live, we can't do much to eliminate rude guests from your television screen once the segment has begun; what we can do is guarantee you will never see Morgan on our program again. Morgan subsequently blamed Media Matters for America for her "persona non grata" status, accusing the organization of "a bottom-line effort... [where] they call their people and ask them to call PBS."

Melanie Morgan is an American radio personality, formerly with KSFO (560 kHz AM) in San Francisco, where her husband, Jack Swanson, was VP of News and Programming. She was laid off from KSFO due to budget cutbacks and declining ad revenue, returned to host the morning show, then once more left the station as of July 10, 2013. She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV in San Francisco. She is the Chairman of Move America Forward, a non-partisan, non-profit, charitable organization that supports the U.S. armed forces and their missions in the War on Terrorism. She is known for her advocacy on behalf of the American military, defense of the War on Terror and criticism of American liberals.


History.

Aaron Bruno and Drew Stewart formed a band called Home Town Hero and signed to the now defunct Maverick Records from 2002-2004. In 2004, after several member changes and label woes, the band went on hiatus. Around this time, Bruno and Stewart reconnected with childhood friend and former Audiovent drummer Jamin Wilcox and began to play music together. All three had experienced turmoil with major record labels and wanted to create music on their own terms. The music from these sessions would later be recorded and released free over the internet under the album title "Bitch City". While the band was still called HomeTown Hero at this point, they felt the evolution of the music did not fit the name so they dropped the name. Since HomeTown Hero was still contractually obligated to Maverick, the label held the legal rights to HomeTown Hero's music. The members of the band quit the label, forced to leave their music behind.  The band continued under the name "Under the Influence of Giants", a name meant to reflect of their continuous struggle to operate free of authority. They recruited keyboardist Katie Logan and bassist David Amezuca and began to play shows in the Los Angeles area in mid-2005, selling out venues like the Roxy and Key Club several times. In the spring of 2006, after a short West Coast tour, Logan decided to amicably leave the band and created the duo Katie and Katie with a friend.  In the winter of 2005 they signed with Island Records. They released their debut in summer of 2006 on Island Records.  In November 2006, they headlined the halftime show at Major League Soccer's MLS Cup championship game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.  They have headlined and sold out numerous club tours in the US and UK. They have also gone on tour in the UK and Europe with The Sounds, as well as opening for them on select dates in the United States.  Aaron Bruno is currently in the band Awolnation, and David Amezcua as well as Drew Stewart were in the band until each left. They released their debut EP "Back from Earth" in 2010 on iTunes. Jamin Wilcox has released a solo album on iTunes. David Amezcua is currently in the band Hotstreets, who released their self-titled debut album in 2010 on iTunes.

Under the Influence of Giants (sometimes abbreviated UTIOG) was an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. They released their major label debut album in August 2006, which was a number one hit on the Top Heatseekers chart. Among their influences are the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, the Bee Gees, Prince, WHAM!, Chicago and Todd Rundgren. UTIOG have performed on "Last Call with Carson Daly" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" as well as opening for acts such as Aerosmith, Darrell DMC, Crowded House, Angels and Airwaves and The Sounds.


Early life.

Elkin was born at West Maitland, New South Wales. His father, Reuben Elkin, was an English Jew and worked as a salesman; his mother, Ellen Wilhelmina Bower, was a seamstress of German ancestry. His parents were divorced in 1901, his mother died the next year and he was then brought up by his maternal grandparents as an Anglican. He went to school at Singleton and Maitland East Boys' High School. After finishing school he worked at banks in New South Wales, but then won a theological scholarship to St Paul's College, University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1915.

Clerical and anthropological career.

From 1916 to 1919 Elkin worked in the Anglican diocese of Newcastle and he then became a teacher at St John's Theological College, Armidale, under Ernest Henry Burgmann.  Elkin became interested in Australian Aboriginal culture and although no anthropology was taught in Australia at the time, his master's thesis—which he completed successfully in 1922—was on this subject and he lectured on it at St John's. In 1922 he married Sara (Sally) Thompson, an Irish nursing sister whom he had met during an influenza epidemic. He was Anglican rector of Wollombi from 1922 and 1925 and during this period he also lectured for the University of Sydney in the Hunter Region on Aboriginal culture.  In 1925, Elkin resigned from his post at Wollombi and began studying anthropology at University College, London under Grafton Elliot Smith, where he earned a PhD in 1927. In 1927 the anthropologist Alfred Radcliffe-Brown helped Elkin to gain Rockefeller funding in order to work on Australian culture in the Kimberley, Western Australia. In 1928, he was appointed as Anglican rector of Morpeth on the basis that he could continue with his anthropology. He also became co-editor of St John's Theological College's "Morpeth Review". He also became editor of "Oceania" from its founding in 1931 until his death. He visited many missions in Western Australia, including the Mount Margaret Mission, part of the Australian Aborigines Mission (later United Aborigines Mission) in 1930 on behalf of the Australian National Research Council.  Elkin became an activist for the amelioration of Aboriginal Australians, whom he saw as best served by being assimilated into European society. In 1934 he successfully lobbied for the reprieve of Dhakiyarr (Tuckiar) Wirrpanda, a Yolngu man who had been sentenced to death for murder.

Professor of anthropology.

Following Radcliffe-Brown's resignation from Sydney University Elkin was appointed lecturer-in-charge of the anthropology department in late 1932 and he was promoted to professor in December 1933. Until his retirement in 1956, he effectively dominated Australian anthropology, advised governments, trained administrators sent to Papua New Guinea, while also continuing his field research. He was president of the Association for the Protection of Native Races from 1933 to 1962. He was vice-president of the Aborigines Protection Board of New South Wales, (renamed Aborigines Welfare Board in 1940).  After his retirement in 1966, Elkin was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1966 Birthday Honours. In 1970 he received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Sydney. He died at a meeting at the University, survived by his wife and two sons.

Adolphus Peter "A. P." Elkin CMG (27 March 1891 – 9 July 1979) was an Anglican clergyman, an influential Australian anthropologist during the mid twentieth century and a proponent of the assimilation of Indigenous Australians.


Examples.

In an audio receiver receiving a bit stream of data, an example of a syncword is 0x0B77 for an AC-3 encoded stream.  An Ethernet packet begins with the Ethernet preamble, 56 bits of alternating 1 and 0 bits, allowing the receiver to synchronize its clock to the transmitter, followed by a one-octet start frame delimiter byte and then the header.  A receiver uses a physical layer preamble, also called a physical layer training sequence, to synchronize on the signal by estimating frequency and clock offsets. Some documentation uses "preamble" to refer to a signal used to announce a transmission, to wake-up receivers in a low-power mode. While some systems use exactly the same signal for both physical-layer training and wake-up functions, others use 2 different signals at 2 different times for these 2 functions, or have only one or the other of these signals.  The Bisync protocol of the 1960s used a minimum of two ASCII "SYN" characters (0x16...0x16) to achieve character synchronization in an undifferentiated bit stream, then other special characters to synchronize to the beginning of a frame of characters.  The syncwords can be seen as a kind of delimiter. Various techniques are used to avoid delimiter collision, orin other wordsto "disguise" bytes of data at the data link layer that might otherwise be incorrectly recognized as the syncword. For example, HDLC uses bit stuffing or "octet stuffing", while other systems use ASCII armor or Consistent Overhead Byte Stuffing (COBS).

Alternatives.

In some communication systems, a receiver can achieve character synchronization from an undifferentiated bit stream, or start-of-header synchronization from a byte stream, without the overhead of an explicit syncword. For example, the FSK441 protocol achieves character synchronization by synchronizing on any "space" characters in the messagein effect, every "space" character in the message does double duty as a syncword. For example, CRC-based framing achieves character and start-of-header synchronization.  In a self-synchronizing code, every character is, in effect, a syncword, and can be used to achieve character synchronization in an undifferentiated bit stream.

Preamble.

In digital communication, preamble is a sequence of known bits sent in each frame. It is used for frame synchronization such as in Ethernet frames, as well as for channel estimation.

In computer networks, a syncword, sync character, sync sequence or preamble is used to synchronize a data transmission by indicating the end of header information and the start of data. The syncword is a known sequence of data used to identify the start of a frame, and is also called "reference signal" or "midamble" in wireless communications.


Plot.

A twelve-year-old boy James (Trevor Morgan) lives with his father Nathan (Ray Liotta) and stepmother Mary (Catherine McCormack). He lost his mother in a car accident two years earlier. The memories of the accident still haunt him and make him freeze with panic. He has not been able to talk about his feelings about the accident and the death of his mother because his father is always away from home and he does not want to talk to his stepmother.  One day playing an imaginary game behind the house of Maddy Bennet (Vanessa Redgrave), he breaks her fence. Maddy demands that he fix it. Soon the two become good friends. Maddy also lost her son Bobby in 1974 in the Vietnam War. She tells her experiences of losing her son to James. She forces James to talk about his mother and face his fears. She tells him that her son Bobby talks to her.  James's parents do not like the stories Maddy tells James and forbid him from seeing her. James becomes distraught at the "loss" of his friend. Meanwhile, Maddy has a heart attack, and James's parents permit him to nurse her back to health. Soon after her recovery, though, she dies. James becomes reconciled with his father, who now talks to him more, and with his stepmother.

Production.

Set on the Maine coast, the movie was filmed in mid-1999 in Nova Scotia, Canada, at Lunenburg and Crystal Crescent Beach. It debuted in September 2000 at the Toronto International Film Festival, but was not released in the U.S. until 2002.

A Rumor of Angels is a 2000 American film directed by Peter O'Fallon, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Ray Liotta. The story is based upon the 1918 novel "Thy Son Liveth: Messages From a Soldier to His Mother" by Grace Duffie Boylan. Although the novel tells the story of what a mother learned from her son about death after he dies in a French battlefield during World War I, the movie is set in the latter part of the 20th century.


Family.

Brooks was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 24, 1958. He grew up as an Army brat in a prominent military family in California. His father, Major General Leo A. Brooks Sr., and brother, Brigadier General Leo A. Brooks Jr., both retired after careers in the United States Army. His uncle, Francis K. Brooks, was the majority leader of the Vermont House of Representatives and a member of the Vermont Senate. Brooks attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia for two years, and then Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California, where he graduated in 1976. He was a varsity basketball player, and decided to follow his brother to United States Military Academy at West Point to earn a commission as an officer.

Military service.

At West Point, Brooks was the academy's first African-American Cadet First Captain, the highest position (Cadet Brigade Commander) a cadet can hold, an appointment that brought much public visibility at an early age in life. He graduated from West Point in 1980. After graduating, Brooks served in South Korea and Kosovo among other places. In Kosovo, he concurrently served as the deputy commander of the U.S. force in Kosovo (Task Force Falcon) and as commander of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart in Georgia. From that position he moved to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. While serving there he was temporarily assigned to be Deputy Director of Operations at United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Returning to the Pentagon and the Joint Staff in April 2003, he became the Lead Strategic Planner for the Global War on Terrorism working closely with the CIA, the Departments of State, Treasury and Justice, the FBI and the military's United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).  In his role as Deputy Director of Operations, Brooks also became the spokesperson of CENTCOM, the main force in the Middle East. At that time he was the youngest general officer in the army. From 2006 to 2008 Brooks served as the Deputy Commanding General of 1st Cavalry Division, serving for fifteen months in Baghdad as second-in-command of the main effort (Multinational Division – Baghdad) stabilizing the Iraqi capital city and province during what is now called "The Surge." Upon return from Iraq, he took command of the 1st Cavalry Division until April 2008. Following an assignment as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army's III (Third) Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, he again took command of a combat unit, serving as the Commanding General of the historic 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley in Kansas from April 2009 to May 2011. He deployed the unit to Iraq for a year, serving as U.S. Division – South, responsible for securing the heavily Shi'ite areas of the southern half of the country. The headquarters was in Basra, Iraq. Following two years in a second division-level command, Brooks took command of U.S. Army Central and Third Army responsible for all U.S. Army operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia (from Egypt to Kazakhstan). During this time, Brooks oversaw the reduction of forces in Iraq as well as the build up of forces in Afghanistan.  As the Commanding General of United States Army Pacific and as a part of the "Asia Pivot" of the Obama administration foreign policy, Brooks envisioned and executed the "Pacific Pathways" program. The program consists of a single United States Army unit that would move to different countries of the Asia and Pacific regions for up to three months at a time to develop first-hand understanding of the region. While initially criticized in some circles, the innovative approach has met high acclaim from the countries of the region and the units involved in the missions.  In March 2016, Brooks was nominated to command United States Forces Korea, the U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command, and United Nations Command, succeeding General Curtis Scaparrotti. He served until October 2018, and was succeeded by Robert B. Abrams. Brooks retired on January 1, 2019, following the completion of his command assignment in Korea.

Vincent Keith Brooks (born October 24, 1958) is a retired United States Army general who last commanded United States Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He previously served as the commanding general of United States Army Pacific and prior to that as the commanding general of Third Army. Brooks was the United States Central Command Deputy Director of Operations during the War in Iraq, and frequently briefed the media, which raised his public profile. He also served as the Chief of Army Public Affairs The Pentagon. He was the deputy commander of 1st Cavalry Division in Baghdad during the 2006–2008 "surge" and upon returning to the United States became the commanding general of the same division. He later was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division. Brooks assumed command in Korea on April 30, 2016 and was succeeded by Robert B. Abrams in November 2018, and he retired on January 1, 2019.


Early life.

Born in Keokuk, Iowa, into an upper-middle-class family, he was the son of a musician father, Dr. Frank L. Nagel, who was of German descent, and a mother, Frances (née Murphy), who was a locally praised singer. Nagel's mother died early in his life, and he always attributed his artistic inclination to growing up in a family environment that encouraged self-expression. His father, Frank, became dean of the music conservatory at Highland Park College and when Nagel was three, the family moved to Des Moines.  After graduating from Highland Park College in Des Moines, Iowa, Nagel left for California to pursue a career in the relatively new medium of motion pictures where he garnered instant attention from the Hollywood studio executives. With his frame, blue eyes, and wavy blond hair; the young, Midwestern Nagel was seen by studio executives as a potentially wholesome matinee idol whose unpretentious all-American charm would appeal to the nation's nascent film-goers.

Film career.

Nagel was immediately cast in film roles that cemented his "unspoiled lover" image. His first film was the 1918 retelling of "Little Women", which quickly captured the public's attention and set Nagel on a path to silent film stardom. His breakout role came in the 1920 film, "The Fighting Chance", opposite Swedish starlet Anna Q. Nilsson. In 1918, Nagel joined The Lambs, the historical theater club.  In 1927, Nagel starred alongside Lon Chaney Sr., Marceline Day, Henry B. Walthall and Polly Moran in the now lost Tod Browning directed horror film, "London After Midnight". Unlike many other silent films stars, Nagel had little difficulty transitioning to sound films. His baritone voice was judged to be perfect for sound, so he appeared in about thirty films in only two years. He described the time as a "great adventure." He was working so steadily that one night when he and his wife planned to go to the movies, he was in the movie playing at Grauman's, Loew's, and Paramount's theaters. "We couldn't find a theater where I wasn't playing. So we'd go back home. I was an epidemic." He spent the next several decades being very well received in high-profile films as a character actor. He was also frequently heard on radio and made many notable appearances on television.

AMPAS & SAG.

On May 11, 1927, Nagel was among 35 other film industry insiders to found the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS); a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Fellow actors involved in the founding included: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Barthelmess, Jack Holt, Milton Sills, and Harold Lloyd. He served as president of the organization from 1932 to 1933. He was also a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Nagel was elected to The Lambs, the New York-based theater organization, in 1918.  Nagel was the host of the 3rd Academy Awards ceremony held on November 5, 1930, the 5th Academy Awards on November 18, 1932, and a co-host with Bob Hope at the 25th Academy Awards ceremony on March 19, 1953. The 21-year gap between his appearances in 1932 and 1953 is a record for an Oscar ceremonies host.

Radio and television.

Nagel was the announcer for "Alec Templeton Time", a musical variety program on NBC Radio in the summer of 1939. He was the host on "Silver Theatre", a summer replacement program that began June 8, 1937.  From 1937 to 1947, he hosted and directed the radio program "Silver Theater". He then hosted the popular TV game show "Celebrity Time" from 1948 to 1952 and the DuMont Television Network program "Broadway to Hollywood" from 1953 to 1954. In 1961, again on television but in an acting role, he made a guest appearance on the popular courtroom drama "Perry Mason", portraying the character Nathan Claver, an art collector and murderer, in the episode "The Case of the Torrid Tapestry".  Templeton later hosted his own TV show "It's Alec Templeton Time" on the DuMont Television Network from June 1955 to August 1955. From September 14, 1955 to June 1, 1956, Nagel hosted "Hollywood Preview", a 30-minute show on the DuMont Television Network which featured Hollywood stars with clips of upcoming films.

Personal life.

Nagel married and divorced three times. His first wife, actress Ruth Helms, gave birth to a daughter, Ruth Margaret (October 29, 1920-June 14, 2013). His second wife was actress Lynn Merrick. His third wife was Michael Coulson Smith, who gave birth to a son Michael (1949-2020).  Nagel died in 1970 in New York City at the age of 72. A spokesman for the office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that Nagel's death was "due to natural causes", more specifically, a heart attack and emphysema. He added that no autopsy was planned. Nagel was cremated at Garden State Crematory in North Bergen, New Jersey. His remains are interred at the Lutheran Cemetery in Warsaw, Illinois.

Awards and honors.

In 1940, Nagel was given an Honorary Academy Award for his work with the Motion Picture Relief Fund. For his contributions to film, radio, and television, Conrad Nagel was given three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1719 Vine Street (motion pictures), 1752 Vine Street (radio), and 1752 Vine Street (television).

Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.


Identification.

"H. whitei" is a small fish, reaching a maximum size of. Distinctive characteristics include a narrow head, moderate to high coronet, a long snout (about half of overall head length), moderately sized spines above the eyes, and low single or double cheek spines. Further spines on the body can be quite variable, ranging from low and rounded to moderately developed and sharp.  Individuals of this species are generally pale to dark brown or black, although some are entirely yellow. Often, they have pale, saddle-like markings at the first, fourth and eighth trunk rings, and on tail rings with enlarged spines. The underside of the snout typically has fine bars and dusky lines which get broader near the eyes. The nasal spine and surrounding area is pale.

Habitat.

"H. whitei" inhabits shallow, weedy inshore areas, usually at depths of. Its natural habitats include "Zostera" seagrass beds, sponges, kelp holdfasts, macroalgae, and corals, but it can also be found under jetties and on other anthropogenic structures, such as shark nets. Evidence from Port Stephens indicates that juveniles prefer gorgonian habitats ("Euplexaura" sp.), while adults prefer "sponges" and "soft coral" habitats. This species is known to show a preference for more complex habitats, likely because their camouflage is more effective in these environments, making avoiding predators easier. Additionally, prey of "H. whitei" are significantly more abundant in complex habitats, increasing food availability. Observed increases in the use of artificial habitats by "H. whitei" are likely driven by the continued loss of their natural habitats.

Ecology.

Feeding and predation.

This carnivorous species feeds on small crustaceans such as harpacticoid, caprellid and cyclopoid copepods, gammarid amphipods, caridean shrimp, and mysids, similar to other seahorse species.  Predators of "H. whitei" include invertebrates, fishes, sea turtles, waterbirds and marine mammals. Most of the species’ predators are considered generalist feeders, suggesting that "H. whitei" are not specifically targeted as prey.

Reproduction.

"H. whitei" is an ovoviviparous species, with females using an ovipositor to transfer eggs into a male's brood pouch, where they are fertilized and protected until the male gives birth to live young. Males may brood 100-250 embryos at a time, and after a three-week gestation period, give birth to about 150 young. Males brood several times a season. Newborns are about long and morphologically similar to adults. They grow rapidly and are able to reproduce early. This species displays strong site fidelity and seasonal monogamous mating.

Population.

Population information for "H. whitei" is available from two estuaries in Australia: Port Stephens and Port Jackson. Surveys in Port Stephens indicate a steep decline in "H. whitei" abundance, with two site surveys (the Pipeline and Seahorse Gardens) estimating 95-98% population decline from 2006-2015. This trend has been correlated with significant declines in preferred seahorse habitat. Population surveys in Port Jackson also indicate a decline, with a site survey (the protective swimming enclosure of Manly Harbour) estimating 40% population decline from 2008-2015. Based on the available survey data, it is expected that overall population declines of 50-70% have occurred.

Threats.

The major threat experienced by "H. whitei" is habitat loss. This species occurs along some of the most highly populated estuaries in Australia, in which habitats tend to be the most impacted by coastal development, pollution, destructive boat anchoring and sedimentation. Impacts are likely amplified by the species’ site fidelity and specific habitat preferences.  Since this species is protected in Australia, there has been no reported legal trade of them in the last five years. Small numbers caught in bycatch may be illegally traded, but this is not thought to pose a significant conservation threat.

Conservation.

"H. whitei" is protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act (1999), and all Hippocampus species are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the legal import and export of seahorses.

"Hippocampus whitei", commonly known as White's seahorse, New Holland seahorse, or Sydney seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is thought to be endemic to the Southwest Pacific, from Sydney, New South Wales and southern Queensland (Australia) to the Solomon Islands. It lives in shallow, inshore habitats, both natural and anthropogenic. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.


Beginnings (1985–87).

The band originally was a duo consisting of Thomas Elbern (vocals and guitars), Mic Jogwer (vocals, bass and keyboards) and a drum machine.  In 1985, Elbern was part of an NDW-ensemble called Seltsame Zustände but wanted to form a new band in Cologne and was looking for musicians via an ad. The music student Mic Jogwer answered, and they had several small appearances around Cologne under the name Pink Turns Blue (named after the Hüsker Dü song "Pink Turns to Blue"). Musically they were oriented towards post-punk bands like early The Cure, The Chameleons or The Sound. In early 1986, art student and drummer Marcus Giltjes joined the band. The trio won a 'new talent award' from Germany’s biggest radio station WDR which included as a prize a studio session with producer and radio host Volkmar Kramarz.

The years as German indie insider tip (1987–91).

In June 1987, Mic Jogwer switched from bass to guitar and Ruebi Walter, who joined the band in 1986 as a keyboard player, moved to bass.  In August the band were signed by the newly found record label Fun Factory! The band recorded a few new songs and remixed existing material from 1986 for their debut album "If Two Worlds Kiss", released in October 1987.  From October 1987 to March 1988, the band toured and the song "Walking On Both Sides" got them TV appearances and was played on the radio. They were invited to tour with the controversial Yugoslavian band Laibach, and Jogwer became friends with their soundman Janez Križaj. Križaj invited Pink Turns Blue to record their second album in Ljubljana. To pay for the recordings, the band smuggled Western studio equipment across the border.  In August 1988, the single "Touch The Skies" was released, and Pink Turns Blue played their first concerts in England, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In October, their second album "Meta" was released which carried the keyboard heavy The Cure sound to extremes and which sold 2,300 units within 8 weeks. As second single, "Your Master Is Calling", was released which got them TV appearance in Tele 5, was on rotation of many radio stations and is their most popular song to date with more than 2.4 million YouTube views.  The third album "Eremite" also was recorded with Janez Križaj in Ljubljana and was finished in August 1989. However, their record label Fun Factory got into financial difficulties and Pink Turns Blue switched to the Rough Trade Records sub-label Our Choice, which released the album in April 1990. "Michelle" was remixed in Manchester and released in October as a single. Early 1990, Ruebi Walter’s younger brother Reinhold joined on keyboards, and drummer Marcus Giltjes left the band.  The fourth studio album, "Aerdt" (Art+Earth), was recorded between January and February 1991 in Ljubljana by Mic Jogwer and Ruebi Walter as a duo. A drum machine was used. The album was released in August. The band performed the songs live with a conventional setup supported a hired drummer.

Relocation to London (1991–95).

In spring 1991, after finishing the album "Aerdt," Mic Jogwer and Ruebi Walter moved to London. The song "Seven Years" from "Aerdt" was re-recorded in a dance version and released as a single in September. In early 1992, two more dance oriented singles followed: "Overloaded" and "Star".  In May 1992 Pink Turns Blue recorded their fifth album, "Sonic Dust", with their new English drummer Louis Pavlou, and it was released in August.  In December 1992, Pink Turns Blue recorded their sixth album, "Perfect Sex", with David M. Allen, the producer of The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy. It was released after some delay in 1994. Louis Pavlou left the band to join The Cure to record "Wild Mood Swings".  In November 1994, the unplugged album "Muzak" was released which was recorded by Mic Jogwer and his sound engineer colleague Marc Williams in his London flat. It contains a selection of Pink Turns Blue songs performed with acoustic instruments.  In 1995, Pink Turns Blue disbanded. Mic Jogwer later remarked that with the move to London, the band lost its musical orientation and spread itself too thin. Mic Jogwer made a career in the music and media industry producing CD ROMs and websites.

Re-union (2003–today).

In April 2001, Mic Jogwer produced three songs with Violetta Superstar, the band of Brigid Anderson which was released in October 2001 on a compilation CD ("Die fiesen Diven"). The two formed an electronic duo called "Orden" and started to write songs together and recorded some Demos.  Early 2003, Thomas Görnert, the manager of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, requested a performance of Orden and he addressed Mic Jogwer’s band Pink Turns Blue. Jogwer and Andersen persuaded Thomas Elbern, Reini Walter and Louis Pavlou into a one-off Re-Union show and Pink Turns Blue performed at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in June 2003. Following this, the band reformed and played as headliners at M'era Luna 2004.  The restart was announced in combination with a greatest hits album called "Re-Union".  The seventh studio album "Phoenix" was recorded in Berlin in winter 2004/2005, mixed by Janez Križaj in Ljubljana and released in April 2005. The album received 'album of the months awards' in three music magazines (Sonic Seducer, Orkus, Zillo) and spent eight weeks on chart position 3 in the German Alternative Charts.  The eighth album, "Ghost", which came about in the same setting in fall/winter 2006/2007 followed in May 2007. The release was presented at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2007 and again got 'album of the month awards', made it to chart position 37 of the annual German Alternative Charts.  In November 2009 the band recorded their ninth album "Storm" with the singles "Storm Rider" and "Run From Me" which made it to chart position 2 in the German Alternative Charts. Storm also got critical acclaim from the mainstream press (laut.de) and brought international attention and festival invitations.  In April 2016 Pink Turns Blue released their tenth studio album "The AERDT – Untold Stories" with their Club EP staying on chart position 3 for eight consecutive weeks in the German Alternative Charts. With the some success on the alternative chart in combination with placements and attention on the Internet as on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook and Last FM the band has since played at various alternative music clubs and festivals in Europe and worldwide.

Pink Turns Blue are a post-punk band from Berlin, Germany. Formed in 1985, they were part of the first generation of gothic rock in Germany, and released their first LP, "If Two Worlds Kiss" with a sound reminiscent of new wave with very dark undertones and use of synthesizers, and went to become part of the developing sub-genre of dark wave.


Rare wine tastings.

From 1980, Rodenstock arranged annual high-profile wine tastings of old and rare wines from his collections to which he invited friends and other prominent people. The tastings would be weekend tastings held at gourmet restaurants, hotels, and resorts, and they featured huge quantities of wine at Rodenstock's expense. The participants included German celebrities and later, expanded to include some of the most prominent international wine critics.  The most famous Rodenstock tasting was held from August 30 to September 5, 1998 at Hotel Königshof in Munich, when a tasting of 125 vintages of Château d'Yquem, the oldest of which were of the 1784 vintage, was held. Two eighteenth-century, forty nineteenth-century, and all released twentieth-century vintages of Château d'Yquem up to 1991 were featured in this vertical tasting, which was conducted over the course of a week. The events of the week included five luncheons, seven dinners, and more than 175 other wines. It is most likely the most extensive Yquem tasting to that date and it has been the subject of a book.  The exclusive nature of the wine selection featured at Rodenstock's tastings is indicated by the fact that Michael Broadbent, who was considered to be the world's leading authority on old wines, had tasted many of the rarest and oldest wines at Rodenstock's tastings, in particular, most eighteenth-century wines he has tasted.  Other participants at the Rodenstock tastings included Jancis Robinson, Robert M. Parker, Jr., and the then-owner of Château d'Yquem, Alexandre de Lur-Saluces.

Sales at wine auctions.

Rodenstock had not just served wines at his annual tasting, but also bought and sold at wine auctions. In 1985, he came into possession of his most famous bottles, which later, have become the subject of considerable controversy as to their authenticity and provenance. According to Rodenstock's own account, in early 1985 he received a telephone call about a discovery of old wine bottles in Paris. The bottles had been found in a walled-up old cellar, and were engraved with vintage years from the late eighteenth century. This had in itself been an interesting find for a collector of old wines, but the bottles also were engraved with the initials "Th. J.", which was taken as an indication that they had belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was an active œnophile and wine collector, who spent much time in France during the 1780s and whose interest in wine is well documented.  Later in the same year, on December 5, 1985, Rodenstock put one of the "Th. J." bottles up for auction at Christie's in London: a bottle of 1787 Château Lafite, engraved "1787 Lafitte Th. J.". The auction catalogue simply listed the value as "inestimable", and it was sold for 105,000 pound sterling, which as of 2007 remained the worldwide auction record for a single bottle of wine. The buyer was Christopher Forbes, bidding against Marvin Shanken of "Wine Spectator" Magazine, with Michael Broadbent handling the gavel at the auction.  Additional "Th. J." bottles were sold, via other auction houses.

Pétrus imperial bottle controversy.

In late 1990s, David Peppercorn and his wife, Serena Sutcliffe, created controversy when they questioned the authenticity of Imperial (6 liter) bottles of Château Pétrus from the 1921, 1924, 1926, 1928, and 1934 vintages that were served at collectors' wine tasting events in 1989 and 1990. The tastings were conducted from the personal collection of Rodenstock, who claimed to have purchased them from a private collector in England. While Peppercorn and Sutcliffe's concerns were never proven, and were disputed by Rodenstock, the current manager of Château Pétrus, Christian Moueix, confirmed that the estate has no records of producing Imperials during those vintages.  Subsequently, the authenticity of some magnums (1.5-liter bottles) of 1921 Pétrus that Rodenstock sold, also have been the subject of litigation. The 1921 is notable as having been awarded a perfect 100-point score by Robert Parker, based on his tasting at the 1995 Munich event.

Thomas Jefferson bottles.

In 2005, U.S. art and wine collector Bill Koch, who had bought some of the bottles attributed to Thomas Jefferson, prepared to exhibit items from his collection at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, including the Jefferson bottles. The museum asked for provenance of the items to be displayed. In 1988, Koch had bought four bottles of Château Lafite and Branne-Mouton (present-day Château Mouton-Rothschild) of the 1784 and 1787 vintages, at a U.S. wine auction house (Chicago Wine Company) and a UK rare wine dealer (Farr Vintners), and paid a total of about 500,000 U.S. dollars for them. When Koch's staff couldn't find anything except Michael Broadbent's authentification of the bottles to confirm their provenance, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia was contacted. The foundation's curator replied that based on Jefferson's records, the foundation didn't think that the bottles had been in the possession of Thomas Jefferson. Inquiries at Chicago Wine Company and Farr Vintners came up with the result that all four of Koch's bottles originated with Rodenstock.  After initial attempts at contacts with Rodenstock gave no significant results, Koch hired a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent to form a team to start private investigations into Rodenstock's sales of wine. David Molyneux-Berry, former head of Sotheby's wine department was hired as a consultant, and several forensic investigations were conducted on the wines, bottles, and engravings; Koch alleges that the engravings were made with an electric power tool, which would not have been possible in the eighteenth century and would indicate modern forgery.  On August 31, 2006, Koch filed a civil lawsuit against Rodenstock (a.k.a. Görke) in a New York federal court, claiming that he had been the victim of fraud. The reason that Rodenstock personally was named as defendant, rather than Chicago Wine Company or Farr Vintners, was that Koch claimed that Rodenstock had orchestrated an ongoing scheme to defraud wine collectors. Koch's lawsuit included many results from his team's forensic investigations. This lawsuit was then the subject of many legal turns during 2007 and 2008, primarily focused on procedural and statutory issues. A default judgment was entered against Rodenstock in May 2010. Rodenstock refused to participate in the trial.

Details of legal turns during 2007 and 2008.

Rodenstock maintained that as a German citizen living in Germany, the court had no jurisdiction over him, especially since the bottles were bought from third parties, and, that the statute of limitation should bar the case. Thus, he refused to take part in the proceedings. Therefore, on August 14, 2007 the magistrate judge supervising the pretrial procedures recommended that the court should enter a default judgment against Rodenstock, provided that the case was not thrown out by the trial judge because of Rodenstock's procedural defences.  On January 11, 2008, the case was thrown out of court by the judge because the court was lacking personal jurisdiction over Rodenstock as defendant. Koch was given 30 days to refile his lawsuit if he was dissatisfied with the court's ruling. He did so on February 11, 2008. The refiled lawsuit attempted to address the issue of the court's jurisdiction over Rodenstock. When the case was refiled, it was not known when the court would next respond to it. When Rodenstock still refused to take part in the proceedings after the lawsuit was refiled, Koch argued on March 27, 2008 that Rodenstock should be found in default. At the same time, Koch filed a lawsuit in Chicago against the Chicago Wine Company and the Chicago-based Julienne Importing Company.  Sometime later, Koch claimed to have obtained evidence that nine additional bottles in his possession, dated from 1737 to 1936, also were fakes or "highly suspect" and they had originated with Rodenstock. Therefore, in June 2008, Koch asked the court's permission to file a second, amended complaint.

Rodenstock's position.

To media covering the trial, Rodenstock presented various arguments to support the authenticity of the "Th. J." bottles, and counter-arguments to Koch's claim. He never revealed the name of the person who sold the bottles to him, the address in Paris where the bottles were purportedly found, nor the exact number of bottles found. Figures ranging from "a dozen or so" to thirty have been quoted throughout the years. The German magazine "Stern", which ran a story on the Jefferson bottle controversy in March 2007, has offered Rodenstock to have bottles still in his possession analysed by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (which determined the Hitler Diaries to be faked) at their expense, but Rodenstock has declined.

Book on the controversy.

In May 2008, a book about the controversy was published under the title "The Billionaire's Vinegar", written by Benjamin Wallace. In the book a tritium test and two carbon-14 tests date the wine circa 1962. Later, a cesium-137 test gave similar results. Rodenstock was not available for comments on the publication of the book. Auctioneer Michael Broadbent, on the other hand, was unhappy with how his relationship to Rodenstock was portrayed in the book.  In July 2009 it was announced that Michael Broadbent would sue Random House, the publishers of "The Billionaire's Vinegar", for libel and defamation of character, on claims that the book made allegations that suggested that Broadbent had behaved in an unprofessional manner in the way in which he had auctioned some of these bottles and that his relationship and dealings with Hardy Rodenstock was suspected of being improper. The suit was filed in the United Kingdom, whose libel laws are favorable to the plaintiff. Unlike U.S. law, in English defamation law even true allegations can be defamatory. Random House initially stated it did not believe it had defamed Broadbent and would defend the lawsuit.  In October 2009, Random House, avoiding trial, entered into a settlement agreement with Broadbent. In a statement read out in open court, Random House apologised unreservedly for making the allegations, and accepted that they were untrue. It gave an undertaking not to repeat the allegations and paid Broadbent undisclosed damages. It removed the book from sale in the United Kingdom. It also was reported that Wallace was not a party to the lawsuit or settlement, that Random House would be making no changes to the book, and that it would continue to publish the book in all territories except the UK.  The film rights to "The Billionaire's Vinegar" have been purchased by a Hollywood consortium, while HBO simultaneously had bought the film rights to the corresponding The New Yorker article.

Royal Wine Merchants.

In a March 2010 lawsuit filed against Christie's, Koch alleges, inter alia, that Rodenstock distributed many bottles in the United States via Daniel Oliveros and Jeff Sokolin of Royal Wine Merchants – 818 bottles between 1998 and 2008, virtually all rarities, of which 87% were magnum size (1.5 L). Such a volume of rare wines in a rare format has provoked skepticism, and Oliveros and Sokolin have been accused by various sources, including Robert Parker, of selling fake wine, which they deny; some of the wines in question are documented as having originated with Rodenstock, though Royal and Rodenstock disagree on specifics. In May 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the claims against Christie's were time-barred and affirmed the dismissal of the case.

Hardy Rodenstock (December 7, 1941 in Marienwerder (Kwidzyn) – May 19, 2018 in Oberaudorf; legal name Meinhard Görke) was a publisher and manager of pop and Schlager music in Germany and a prominent wine collector, connoisseur, and trader, with a special interest in old and rare wines. He became famous for his allegedly uncanny ability to track down old and very rare wines, and for arranging extravagant wine tastings featuring these wines. It has been alleged that Rodenstock was the perpetrator of an elaborate wine fraud. In 1992, a German court found that Rodenstock had "knowingly offered adulterated wine" for sale. On appeal, the case was settled out of court.


History.

Construction.

The Northern Railroad was first chartered in New Hampshire as the Northern Railroad Company on June 18, 1844. In the incorporating act, the Northern was originally to build from "any point in the towns of Concord or Bow... to the east or west bank of the Connecticut River, at some point in the towns of Haverhill or Charlestown, or betwixt the same on said Connecticut River, on such route as shall be deemed most expedient." It was soon found that this charter contained no provisions that allowed the Northern to take land, and as such, the railroad was re-chartered on December 27 of the same year. At this time, the end of the line was redesignated as Lebanon.  Following its organization in the following July, the railroad broke ground on October 8, 1845. The first segment of the line, from Concord to Franklin, was opened December 28, 1846 and operated by the Concord Railroad. By September 1, 1847, the Northern took operation of the route to Canaan, and by November 17, had finally reached its terminus in West Lebanon. An extension was then built to White River Junction, across the Connecticut River in Vermont, in June, 1848, where it connected with the Vermont Central Railroad and the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad.  Daniel Webster spoke at the 1847 ribbon-cutting in Lebanon, proclaiming "It is altogether new. The world has seen nothing like it before." Not in attendance among the 1,200 at the inauguration of the "steam highway" were any of the Shaker community from nearby Enfield. During the construction of the railroad, the Shakers had worked a deal with the railroad to relocate its proposed corridor to the northern side of Mascoma Lake, away from their colony. A stock purchase sealed the bargain.  In July 1846, while the Northern was under construction, the Franklin and Bristol Railroad Company was chartered to run the from Franklin on the Northern main line to Bristol. Prior to its opening on July 2, 1848, it was leased to the Northern for 100 years, effective in April of that year. With little prospect for a return on the cost of building a road to "waterfalls now waste and desolate", on January 31 following, after passage of an act of the New Hampshire Legislature, the Franklin and Bristol was consolidated with the Northern Railroad and became known as its "Bristol Branch".

Growth.

In the 1860s and 1870s, the Northern was under the control of Onslow Stearns, who served as president of the railroad from 1852 until his death in 1878. The Northern thrived under his leadership, and the yearly gross income of the road rose from nearly $364,000 in 1861 to $500,000 in 1881, while passenger-miles increased from 3.6m to 5.9m and revenue freight increased from 12.6m to 29.4m ton-miles over the same period.  In 1870, the Northern attempted consolidation with the Concord Railroad under the name of the Concord and Northern Railroad, but this consolidation was terminated in September of that year when the latter railroad entered receivership. This was soon followed by a court decision that found that the Concord Railroad's board of directors had entered into the contract to avoid its management being passed to a new board of directors.  The 1880s signaled change for the Northern. The failures of other New Hampshire railroads in the 1860s and 1870s had led to control of the Concord and Claremont Railroad and the Peterborough and Hillsborough Railroad falling to the more successful Northern by 1880, among others. The route of the Concord and Claremont was the product of an 1873 consolidation of three railroads, the Merrimac and Connecticut Rivers, the Sugar River, and the Contoocook River. The first two paralleled the route of the Northern and connected to the Connecticut River further south, near Claremont, while the Contoocook River Railroad served as a branch line to Hillsborough. There, it connected to the Peterborough and Hillsborough, which was constructed between 1877 and 1878 to the end of the Monadnock Railroad in Peterborough.

Acquisition.

By 1884, the shareholders of the Northern had decided to lease its lines to the Boston and Lowell Railroad for a period of 99 years. A minority of shareholders soon filed suit against the company to annul the lease, seeking to compel a distribution of the company's surplus rather than accept a flat percentage on stock. The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in favor of the shareholders, and on July 1, 1887, the Northern resumed direct operation of its lines.  Following the New Hampshire Legislature's inability to pass a bill permitting a renewal of the lease with the Boston and Lowell under substantially similar terms, and seeking to avoid the expenses of directly operating the railroad, the Northern contracted with the Boston and Maine Railroad to operate the line in November of that year, beginning effective January 1, 1888. In order to avoid violating the previous court decision, this contract merely provided for the recovery of the net revenue generated by the Boston and Maine on its lines, rather than a fixed-rate lease.  Once the Legislature passed an appropriate bill in 1889, the operating contract with the Boston and Maine was terminated, and a new 99-year lease was granted to the Boston and Lowell (which subsequently assigned it back to the Boston and Maine) on December 7 of that year, effective January 1, 1890.

20th century.

Boston and Maine traffic was heavy to Quebec ports on the St. Lawrence River for both immigrants and freight to Europe. Trains ran from Boston to White River Junction with continuing service north into Canada, via the Central Vermont Railway to Montreal, and the Boston and Maine to Sherbrooke for Quebec City. One train to Montreal was still running in the 1960s.  However, like many other railroads, the former Northern main line saw a decline in rail traffic in the post-war period. While the Bristol Branch had already been abandoned in 1937 following the, the main line from Concord to White River Junction saw the cessation of passenger service in 1965 and the gradual winding down of freight service to a decreasing number of customers. The Boston and Maine system itself was reorganized in 1970, resulting in the suspension of lease payments to remaining Northern Railroad stockholders.  The line was used infrequently after 1973, most notably by the Freedom Train in 1975. It was briefly used for the final time in 1982 when the Boston and Maine line along the Connecticut River was blocked following a derailment in Brattleboro. After formal abandonment of the line in 1992 by Guilford Rail System, the successor to the Boston and Maine, the State of New Hampshire purchased of the corridor in 1995 from Boscawen to Mile 140.00 in Lebanon to create the Northern Rail Trail. Three years later, the state acquired the remaining two miles to White River Junction, including the large Westboro Rail Yard, which was subsequently leased to the Claremont Concord Railroad and a local business. A notice of intent to abandon the last remaining segment of the Northern Railroad main line from Concord to Boscawen was filed with the Surface Transportation Board in September 2016.

The Northern Railroad (sometimes called the Northern New Hampshire Railroad) was a U.S. railroad in central New Hampshire. Originally opened from Concord to West Lebanon in 1847, the Northern Railroad become part of the Boston and Maine system by 1890.


History.

The first conservatory in Mainz was established around 1882 and was named after its founder: "Paul Schumacher'sches Conservatorium der Musik". The city of Mainz bought the institution and its buildings in 1920, intending to create a municipal university of music ("Musikhochschule"). The first director was Hans Rosbaud. In 1922, the institution was granted the right to educate and examine music teachers.  In 1936, the Musikhochschule Frankfurt was declared the only "Musikhochschule" of the region. The Mainz institution was named "Peter-Cornelius-Konservatorium".  From 1953, Günter Kehr was the director of the conservatory, from 1966 Volker Hoffmann who expanded elementary music training and also focused on the training of professionals. Gerhard Scholz was director from 1998. A new building was opened in 2008, celebrating 125 years of tradition.

Program.

The "Musikschule" (music school) is the largest in the state, with 140 examined teachers training around 3,500 students from age three months to 80. All instruments of a classical orchestras and voice are taught. The students can meet and perform together in several ensembles and choirs. They also perform at "Klassenvorspiel" (class recital), concerts and a competition.  The "Studienabteilung" educates music teachers, in close cooperation with the Hochschule für Musik Mainz. The pedagogical programs are held by the conservatory.  The "Junges Ensemble" (young ensemble) is an offer to young singers to perform on the stages of the Staatstheater Mainz, in collaboration with the theatre and the university.

Directors.

Some of the conservatory directors have become known internationally:

The Peter Cornelius Conservatory ("Peter-Cornelius-Konservatorium der Stadt Mainz", PCK) is the conservatory in Mainz, the capital of the German state Rhineland-Palatinate. It dates back to a first conservatory founded around 1882. It is named after the composer Peter Cornelius who was born in Mainz. It trains both professionals and amateurs, focused of the interplay of both aspects of music-making.


Plot.

Cléo Victoire (played by Corinne Marchand) is having a tarot card reading with a fortune teller, who tells her that there is a widow in Cléo's life, who is completely devoted to her, but is also a terrible influence (her maid, Angèle). The fortune teller also sees that Cléo has recently met a generous young man, which she confirms, claiming that she doesn't see him too often, but he got her into the music industry. The fortune teller then says that she will meet a talkative young man. There is also an evil force in Cléo's life: a doctor. The fortune teller then pulls the hanged man card, meaning that Cléo is ill, potentially with cancer. She then proceeds to pull the death tarot card, and Cléo requests that the fortune teller read her palm. After examining her lifeline, the fortune teller remains silent before telling Cléo that she does not read hands, leading Cléo to believe that she is doomed.  While distraught from her visit to the fortune teller, Cléo reminds herself "as long as I'm beautiful, I'm alive" and that death is ugly. She meets her maid, Angèle, at a café and recounts the results of the tarot card reading, claiming that if it's cancer, she'll kill herself. Cléo cries in the café, even though there are people around, including the owner of the café. Cléo and Angèle proceed to go hat shopping, where Cléo only pays attention to the black fur hats, despite Angèle constantly reminding her that it's summertime. The black hats all beckon her, and she eventually picks out a black, winter hat. Cléo wants to wear the hat home, but Angèle reminds her that it's Tuesday, and it's bad luck to wear something new on a Tuesday. They have the shopkeeper send the hat to Cléo's home, and Cléo and Angèle take a taxi home in time for Cléo's rehearsal. The taxi driver is a woman, and Cleo and Angele find her to be an interesting character.  On the ride home, one of Cléo's songs plays, and they listen to the radio, discussing current news including the Algerian War, rebels who have been recently arrested, the Vienna Conference, President John F. Kennedy of the United States, and even Édith Piaf's recent surgery. Towards the end of the taxi ride, Cléo grows nauseous and attributes it to her illness. Upon returning home, Cléo cannot breathe, and Angèle tells her to do some exercise. Angèle helps her change into her clothes for rehearsal while Cléo is stretching out on a pull-up bar. She then lights a cigarette and relaxes in her bed. Before Cléo's lover, the man who the fortune teller mentioned earlier, enters the building, Angèle tells Cléo not to tell him that she's ill, because men "hate weakness". Her lover, a very busy man, tells her that he only has time to stop by for a kiss and that he'll be able to take her on vacation soon. Cléo tells him that she's ill, but he doesn't take her seriously. Cléo thinks that she's too good to men who are all egoists, to which Angèle agrees.  Once Cléo's lover leaves, Bob, a pianist, and Maurice, a writer, arrive at her home for her rehearsal. Bob and Maurice pretend to be doctors once Angèle tells them that Cléo is ill, because "all women like a good joke." However, Cléo does not find their joke funny, as no one is taking her illness seriously but her. Bob goes to the piano, and they begin to practice some of Cléo's songs. As they practice, Cléo's mood quickly darkens after singing the song "Sans Toi." Cléo feels like all people do is exploit her and that it won't be long until she's just a puppet for the music industry. Saying that everyone spoils her but no one loves her, Cléo leaves everyone behind in her home.  On the way to a café, Cléo passes a street performer swallowing frogs and spitting them back out on a huge wave of water. She plays one of her songs at a jukebox in the café and is upset when no one seems to notice the music playing in the background. Instead of remaining at the café, Cléo goes to a sculpting studio to visit her old friend, Dorothée, who is modelling nude for an artist. Once she's finished, Dorothée claims that her body makes her happy, not proud, and Dorothée drives Cléo to her home. Cléo tells her friend that she is dying of cancer. Dorothée returns the car to her lover, a projectionist, and they watch a silent movie from the projection booth, which jokingly shows a woman dying. Leaving the cinema, Cléo accidentally breaks a mirror, which she claims is a bad omen. Cléo and Dorothée then take a taxi, and pass a crime scene where a man was killed. Dorothée tells her that the broken mirror was meant for that man, not Cléo.  Having dropped Dorothée off at her apartment, Cléo has the taxi driver take her to a park (Parc Montsouris). By a bridge on a river, Cléo meets Antoine, a soldier on leave from the Algerian War. Antoine helps Cléo realize her selfishness, and asks her to accompany him to the train station to return to the war if he accompanies her to the hospital to get her test results. Before leaving, Antoine confides in Cléo about his thoughts on the war, and that in Algeria, they die for nothing, and that scares him. He also tells Cléo that girls always seem to be afraid to give themselves completely to someone and that they're afraid of losing something close to them, so they love by halves. Cléo realizes that that describes her perfectly. Antoine and Cléo go to the hospital by bus, and the doctor who tested Cléo for her possible cancer isn't in, despite the fact that he told her he'd be present at 7 pm that day. Cléo and Antoine sit on a bench outside, as Cléo is still determined that the doctor will be there. While Cléo has come to terms with her illness and is able to face the test results with courage thanks to Antoine's help, the doctor rolls by in his car and tells her that Cléo will be fine and completely cured with two months of treatment. Cléo says that her fear seems to be gone, and she seems happy. She tells Antoine that they have plenty of time together before he leaves to go back to Algeria as a soldier. For the first time in at least two hours, Cléo seems to be happy as she looks at Antoine.

Themes.

While the film takes place in France, away from the Algerian front, the influence of Algerian war for independence is still strong. The war greatly affected France during the 1950s and 1960s, where the demands for decolonization were the strongest. The soldier who Cléo meets towards the end of the film, Antoine, is on temporary leave from fighting in Algeria. Antoine also builds on the theme of existentialism that the film conveys, with his claims that the people in Algeria are dying for nothing. There are also protests on the street that Cléo encounters while taking a taxi back to her home.  "Cléo from 5 to 7" embodies the stereotypes that men subject women to and their oppressiveness. Cléo commonly complains that no one takes her seriously since she's a woman, and that the men think that she's faking her illness for attention. She seems to go along with these stereotypes as well, as many women in France did, telling herself essentially that beauty is everything by saying "as long as I'm beautiful, I'm alive."  Beginning in the 1940s, the French intellectual scene was dominated by existentialism, a movement in philosophy that would greatly influence art in France well into the 1960s. "Cléo from 5 to 7" is largely an existential film, as for the entirety of the film, Cléo struggles with her existence and the potential of facing her mortality. The impending results of her medical exam and the mere possibility that she may be diagnosed with cancer leaves Cléo open to an existential mind where she is aware of her own mortality. Further, upon meeting Antoine, the soldier talks about the deaths of the Algerian War, and that they are dying for nothing and without a purpose, further appealing to the existential philosophy.

Cléo from 5 to 7 ( ) is a 1962 French Left Bank film by Agnès Varda. The story starts with a young singer, Florence "Cléo" Victoire, at 5pm on June 21, as she waits until 6:30pm to hear the results of a medical test that will possibly confirm a diagnosis of cancer. The film is noted for its handling of several of the themes of existentialism, including discussions of mortality, the idea of despair, and leading a meaningful life. The film also has a strong feminine viewpoint belonging to French feminism and raises questions about how women are perceived, especially in French society. Mirrors appear frequently to symbolize self-obsession, which Cléo embodies.


History.

St. Werburgh was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia, and niece of King Æthelred, his brother and successor. She was born between 640 and 650.  The first church of Hoo may have been built in the reign of the 8th century King Æthelbald of Mercia, though presumably a monastery existed nearby at an earlier time. This, together with land at Hoo All Hallows, is likely to have been placed under the rule of the leading Mercian monastery of Medeshamstede, now known as Peterborough.  A significant, and possibly unique, feature of this ancient parish church are the two Royal hatchments of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. These were later restored and can be viewed in the church. The Reverend Ferdinando Booth of the same family as Archbishop Lawrence Booth was vicar here from 1675-1680.  The parish records of 1851 gave the population as 1,065. According to official census figures, the population was, in 1891, 1,400; in 1971, 7,725; and in 1981, 7,944.  "Broad Street" appeared as "Brodestrete" in 1478. "Jacobs Lane" is named after the family of Stephen Jacobe of Hoo (1480). A workhouse was in use here until the 1930s, and the secondary school bears the name "The Hundred of Hoo Academy".  Although historically and mostly referred to as Hoo, in 1955 the Parish Council, during a revision of the Ordnance Survey map of the area, requested that Hoo should be shown as 'Hoo St Werburgh'. The Parish Council formally submitted an application in February 1968, under Section 147(4) of the Local Government Act 1933, for the name of the civil parish to be changed to 'Hoo St Werburgh'. In response, the County Council presented a change of name document which ordered and declared that with effect from the first day of October 1968, and until further order, the name of the civil parish shall be Hoo St Werburgh.

Village amenities.

Hoo Village Hall & Jubilee Hall are located on Pottery Road Recreation Ground. Hoo Village Hall & Jubilee Hall are run as a charitable trust by a management committee.  Hoo has one 1.5-acre allotment site (made up of 35 plots) located off Everest Drive. The allotments site is managed by the Parish Council.  Formerly a primary school, Hoo has a library located next to St Werburgh Church on Church Street. The library is managed by Medway Council.  Hoo has one public convenience (toilets, including disabled toilet) and carpark located on Stoke Road. The public convenience and carpark is managed by Medway Council.  Hoo has a 1.0-acre green and landscaped gardens located in the centre. The village green and gardens are managed by Medway Council. The gardens are also looked after and tended to by a group of volunteer residents.  Hoo has a pond and surrounding nature reserve located off Hemony Grove. The pond and reserve is managed by a private maintenance company, although the site is open to the public for recreation. Public liaison is Medway Council.

Recreation grounds.

Hoo has three recreation grounds managed by the Parish Council.  Kingshill Recreation Ground, located off Fourwents Road, is a 7.71-acre site which includes a play park, surfaced football and basketball pitch, woodland walks and open space surrounded by treeline.  Pottery Road Recreation Ground, located off Pottery Road, is a 5.32-acre site which includes an older children's play park and separate younger children's play park, enclosed surfaced football and basketball pitch, skate half pipe, skate ramps, adult exercise equipment, sheltered seating area and open space surrounded by treeline.  Hoo Common, located off Elm Avenue, is a large site which includes woodland walks, meadows and open space surrounded by treeline.

Future development.

As part of the developing Local Plan, Medway Council has proposed to expand and develop Hoo into a "small rural town". The expansion could be supported by a new railway station.

Education.

Hoo is served by a number of schools. Hoo St Werburgh Primary School is for pupils aged 4 – 11 years of age. There are a total of 386 pupils arranged into 14 classes with two classes per year group. Attached to the school is the Marlborough Centre which caters for children diagnosed as autistic. The centre has 54 children arranged into six classes.  The Hundred of Hoo Academy (formerly The Hundred of Hoo School) is for pupils aged 4 – 18 years of age. There are a total of 1,757 pupils. The academy holds specialist Arts College status and is named after the 'Hundred of Hoo' hundred featured in the Domesday Book. The academy offers advanced media facilities and provides secondary education as well as one form entry primary education. Pupils draw from the various villages on the Hoo Peninsula.

Governance.

Hoo is within the Rochester & Strood parliament constituency.

Local government.

Hoo is governed by two tiers of local government:

Notable residents.

Thomas Aveling, a pioneering agricultural engineer, was born in Elm, Cambridgeshire on 11 September 1824 before moving to Hoo. He was the co-founder of Aveling and Porter which became the largest manufacturer of steam rollers in the world. Aveling died on 7 March 1882 and is buried in the churchyard at St Werburgh Church. There is a road in Hoo called Aveling Close, named after Aveling.  William Lionel Wyllie, a prolific maritime painter, was born in Camden Town, London on 5 July 1851. He once lived at Hoo Lodge, located on top of a ridge, which would have provided inspiration with its panoramic view of the River Medway and the maritime activity at Chatham Dockyard. The corvette HMS Calypso (1883) was built at Chatham, which Wyllie painted in 1897. Wyllie died on 6 April 1931 at Primrose Hill, London. There is a road in Hoo called Wylie Road (incorrectly spelt), named after Wyllie.  Declan Galbraith, who is best known for his 2002 hit single "Tell Me Why", which peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart, is from Hoo.  Pauline Parker, known for the 1954 Parker–Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand, now lives in Hoo following her release after serving a 5-year prison sentence. She currently runs a children's riding school in the area.

Hoo St Werburgh is a village and civil parish in the Medway district of Kent, England. It is one several villages on the Hoo Peninsula to bear the name "Hoo", meaning'spur of land', and is featured in the Domesday Book as "Hoe". Hoo had a population of 7,356 at the 2001 census, increasing to 8,945 at the 2011 Census. The civil parish includes Chattenden to the west.