History.

The party, formed in November 1941, has been known as the Socialist Party since 1991, when it survived in the wake of the dramatic changes that had taken place in Albania since 1989. The Communist Party of Labour of Albania (PPSh), the only ruling party since the end of World War II, was the most rigid Stalinist party in Europe under its founder and longtime leader, Enver Hoxha. However, Hoxha's successor, Ramiz Alia, was forced to introduce limited reforms in the late 1980s. Finally, on 11 December 1990, Alia announced that the PPSh had given up its monopoly of power.  The PPSh won the Constitutional Assembly elections of March 1991—the first free elections held in the country in almost 80 years. By this time, however, it was no longer a Marxist–Leninist party. At an extraordinary congress on 10–13 June 1991, in its efforts to survive in the new system, the PPSh voted to change its name to PS.  Fatos Nano, a man from the intelligentsia, was elected the new chairman. Nano helped to reform the old communist party and made it a member of the Socialist International. On 1 September 2005 Nano resigned as the chairman of the Socialist Party, after losing the elections. He was succeeded by Edi Rama.

Politicians.

Fatos Nano was the head of Socialist Party of Albania from 1991–2005. In 2005, after a defeat at the election, he resigned from his post. PS's current leader is Edi Rama, former Mayor of Tirana. Gramoz Ruçi, who was Interior Minister of the last cabinet of the communist government and is well known for his loyalty to the party, is the head of the Socialist Group, which has 64 MPs. Ben Blushi is a very important party politician that has strongly criticised the way Edi Rama is leading the Socialist Party. Niko Peleshi was the mayor of Korce and then the Deputy Prime Minister. Vice-coordinators of the group are Erjon Braçe, Vasilika Hysi, Saimir Tahiri, Eduard Shalsi and Taulant Balla. Arta Dade is the party secretary for international affairs, and she is assisted by Arben Ahmetaj, Taulant Balla, Olta Xhaçka, Ditmir Bushati and Qemal Minxhozi. Ahmetaj and Balla usually deal with PS relationships with the other left-wing parties in Europe, especially with the Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement, with whom PS is very close. Blendi Klosi (former Culture Minister and PS organizative secretary), is also seen as a very important politician in PS, as well as Fatmir Xhafaj (lawyer and former Justice Minister).

Political positions.

The party has pledged in its 2013 party platform to replace the flat-rate personal income tax with more progressive taxation. The party also supports universal health care funded by taxation. The party leader Edi Rama has indicated that he supports LGBT rights and domestic partnerships.

References.

Notes

The Socialist Party of Albania (, PS or PSSh), is a social-democratic political party in Albania; it gained power following the 2013 parliamentary election. The party seated 66 MPs in the 2009 Albanian parliament (out of a total of 140). It achieved power in 1997 following a political crisis and governmental realignment. At the 2001 parliamentary election the party secured 73 seats, which enabled it to form a government. At the general election of 3 July 2005, the Socialist Party lost its majority and the Democratic Party of Albania (PD) formed the new government, having secured, with its allies, a majority of 81 seats.

Socialistická strana Albánie je albánská středolevicová politická strana, která vznikla z komunistické PPSH v červnu 1991. Tato strana se distancovala od marxismu a je sociálnědemokratického smýšlení. Albánie není členem Evropské unie, přesto strana s evropskými sociálními demokraty vychází.


History.

133–31 BC.

Some think Mardi Gras may be linked with the ancient Roman pagan celebrations of spring and fertility such as Saturnalia, which dates back to 133–31 BC. This celebration honored the god of agriculture, Saturn. It was observed in mid-December, before the sowing of winter crops. It was a week-long festival when work and business came to a halt. Schools and courts of law closed, and the normal social patterns were suspended.  On the Julian calendar, which the Romans used at the time, the winter solstice fell on December 25. Hence, the celebration gradually became associated with Christmas.

Traditions.

The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday.<ref name="Wild/Dufour/Cowan (seas/New Orl.)"></ref> Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras–associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society balls on Thanksgiving, then New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday. In earlier times, parades were held on New Year's Day. Carnival is an important celebration in Anglican and Catholic European nations.

Czech Republic.

In the Czech Republic it is a folk tradition to celebrate Mardi Gras, which is called Masopust (meat-fast i.e. beginning of fast there). There are celebration in many places including Prague but the tradition also prevails in the villages such as Staré Hamry, whose the door-to-door processions there made it to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Germany.

The celebration on the same day in Germany knows many different terms, such as "Schmutziger Donnerstag" or "Fetter Donnerstag" (Fat Thursday), "Unsinniger Donnerstag", "Weiberfastnacht", "Greesentag" and others, and are often only one part of the whole carnival events during one or even two weeks before Ash Wednesday be called Karneval, Fasching, or Fastnacht among others, depending on the region. In standard German, "schmutzig" means "dirty", but in the Alemannic dialects "schmotzig" means "lard" (Schmalz), or "fat"; "Greasy Thursday", as remaining winter stores of lard and butter used to be consumed at that time, before the fasting began. "Fastnacht" means "Eve of the Fast", but all three terms cover the whole carnival season. The traditional start of the carnival season is on 11 November at 11:11 am (11/11 11:11).

Italy.

In Italy Mardi Gras is called Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday). It's the main day of Carnival along with the Thursday before, called Giovedí Grasso (Fat Thursday), which ratifies the start of the celebrations. The most famous Carnivals in Italy are in Venice, Viareggio and Ivrea. Ivrea has the characteristic "Battle of Oranges" that finds its roots in medieval times. The Italian version of the festival is spelled Carnevale.

Sweden.

In Sweden the celebration is called Fettisdagen, when you eat fastlagsbulle, more commonly called Semla. The name comes from the words "fett" (fat) and "tisdag" (Tuesday). Originally, this was the only day one should eat fastlagsbullar.

United States.

While not observed nationally throughout the United States, a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions in the country have notable celebrations. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of "Louisiane", which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of eastern Texas.  The expedition, led by Iberville, entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of 2 March 1699 (new style), Lundi Gras. They did not yet know it was the river explored and claimed for France by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1683. The party proceeded upstream to a place on the east bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today, and made camp. This was on 3 March 1699, Mardi Gras, so in honour of this holiday, Iberville named the spot "Point du Mardi Gras" (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the nearby tributary Bayou Mardi Gras. Bienville went on to found the settlement of Mobile, Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana. In 1703 French settlers in Mobile established the first organised Mardi Gras celebration tradition in what was to become the United States. The first informal mystic society, or krewe, was formed in Mobile in 1711, the "Boeuf Gras Society". By 1720, Biloxi had been made capital of Louisiana. The French Mardi Gras customs had accompanied the colonists who settled there. In 1723, the capital of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans, founded in 1718. The first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans is recorded to have taken place in 1837. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of the slogan "Laissez les bons temps rouler" ("Let the good times roll"). On Mardi Gras Day, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the last parades of the season wrap up and the celebrations come to a close with the Meeting of the Courts (known locally as the Rex Ball). Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana; and north to Natchez, Mississippi and Alexandria, Louisiana, have active Mardi Gras celebrations.  Galveston's first recorded Mardi Gras celebration, in 1867, included a masked ball at Turner Hall (Sealy at 21st St.) and a theatrical performance from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV" featuring Alvan Reed (a justice of the peace weighing in at 350 pounds!) as Falstaff. The first year that Mardi Gras was celebrated on a grand scale in Galveston was 1871 with the emergence of two rival Mardi Gras societies, or "Krewes" called the Knights of Momus (known only by the initials "K.O.M.") and the Knights of Myth, both of which devised night parades, masked balls, exquisite costumes and elaborate invitations. The Knights of Momus, led by some prominent Galvestonians, decorated horse-drawn wagons for a torch lit night parade. Boasting such themes as "The Crusades," "Peter the Great," and "Ancient France," the procession through downtown Galveston culminated at Turner Hall with a presentation of tableaux and a grand gala.  In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the "Courir de Mardi Gras", a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France.  St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1764 by French fur traders, claims to host the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. The celebration is held in the historic French neighborhood, Soulard, and attracts hundreds of thousands of people from around the country. Although founded in the 1760s, the St. Louis Mardi Gras festivities only date to the 1980s. The city's celebration begins with "12th night," held on Epiphany, and ends on Fat Tuesday. The season is peppered with various parades celebrating the city's rich French Catholic heritage.

Costumes.

Mardi Gras, as a celebration of life before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday, nearly always involves the use of masks and costumes by its participants. In New Orleans, for example, these often take the shape of fairies, animals, people from myths, or various Medieval costumes as well as clowns and Indians (Native Americans). However, many costumes today are simply elaborate creations of colored feathers and capes. Unlike Halloween costumery, Mardi Gras costumes are not usually associated with such things as zombies, mummies, bats, blood, and the like, though death may be a theme in some. The Venice tradition has brought golden masks into the usual round of costumes.

Exposure by women.

Women exposing their breasts during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, US, has been documented since 1889, when the "Times-Democrat" decried the "degree of immodesty exhibited by nearly all female masqueraders seen on the streets." The practice was mostly limited to tourists in the upper Bourbon Street area. In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, generally avoided by locals on Mardi Gras Day, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets.  In the last decades of the 20th century, the rise in producing commercial videotapes catering to voyeurs helped encourage a tradition of women baring their breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets. Social scientists studying "ritual disrobement" found, at Mardi Gras 1991, 1,200 instances of body-baring in exchange for beads or other favors.

Mardi Gras (), or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual Lenten sacrifices and fasting of the Lenten season.

Mardi Gras jsou slavnosti začínající v den Epifanie (Zjevení Páně, svátek Tří králů) a končící den před Popeleční středou. Slavnosti mají podobu karnevalu a název „“ pochází z francouzštiny a v doslovném překladu znamená „tučné úterý“. Výrazně se slaví v americkém městě New Orleans. Podobné události probíhají také v dalších zemích, například Itálii či Švédsku.


Life.

Born in London, where her parents lived at the time, she was named after the River Aeron. In 1949, the family moved to the Boat House, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The middle child of three, she had two brothers, Llewelyn and Colm (also deceased).  At the age of 10 Aeronwy Thomas was enrolled by her mother at the Arts Educational School in Tring, Hertfordshire, now Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, also spending one year in 1958 at Dartington Hall School in Devon. Following her father's death in 1953, she and her mother went to Rome, later moving to Sicily after her mother began a relationship with her long term partner Giuseppe Fazio. Thomas earned a B.A. (Hons) in English and Comparative Religion at Isleworth College, and a TEFL Diploma at Woking Adult Education College. In 2003 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Career.

After learning Italian, she became a translator of Italian poetry. She was also known as an ambassador for her father's work, and as a patron of the Dylan Thomas Society. She was the President of the Alliance of Literary Societies.  A much sought-after visiting professor in schools and universities in the UK and abroad, in the late 1990s she was highly popular with the students of Giuseppe Perotti School in Turin, Italy, for her distance-learning "creative writing" courses. In 2007 she became President of Immagine & Poesia (Image and Poetry), an artistic literary movement founded at Teatro Alfa in Turin.

Personal life.

She and her husband Trefor Ellis had two children: a son, Huw Dylan, and a daughter, Hannah.

Death.

Aeronwy Thomas died of cancer on 27 July 2009 in New Malden, London, aged 66.

Aeronwy Bryn Thomas-Ellis (3 March 1943 – 27 July 2009) was a translator of Italian poetry and the second child and only daughter of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and his wife, Caitlin Macnamara.

Aeronwy Thomas (3. března 1943 – 27. července 2009) byla britská překladatelka. Narodila se v Londýně jako druhý potomek (jediná dcera) básníka Dylana Thomase a jeho manželky Caitlin Thomas. Své jméno dostala podle řeky Aeron protékající západním Walesem. V roce 1949 se s rodiči přestěhovala do velšské obce Laugharne. Po smrti svého otce v roce 1953 žila s matkou v Itálii a později studovala na londýnské Isleworth College. Později se věnovala převážně překladatelské činnosti (z italštiny). Zemřela na leukemii ve věku 66 let.


Geographical extent.

The region of the Electoral Circle today falls largely within the states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. A smaller portion is located in North Saxony.  The rivers Elbe, Black Elster and, for a short section, Mulde flowed through the Circle. The most important settlement in the Circle was the town of Wittenberg, where the Reformation started.

History.

John Frederick the Magnanimous was defeated by Emperor Charles V in the Schmalkaldic War at the Battle of Mühlberg and was captured there on 24 April 1547. The emperor removed his electoral dignity and part of his electoral estates and enfeoffed them to his cousin Maurice of Saxony. As a result, Saxe-Wittenberg was transferred from the Ernestines to the Albertine line of the family.  Maurice of Saxony embarked on a reorganisation of his Electorate. Alongside six other circles, the Electoral Circle was formed, with its capital at Wittenberg. The Circle originated in the former Askanian estates, which comprised the "" (districts) of Annaburg, Belzig, Gräfenhainichen, Liebenwerda, Pretzsch / Elbe, Seyda and Wittenberg; the old County of Brehna with its districts of Bitterfeld (1738), Schlieben and Schweinitz; the Burgraviate of Magdeburg with the Gommern districts of Gommern, Elbenau, Ranies, Glinde, Plötzky; and the County of Barby.  After Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony joined the Confederation of the Rhine in the Treaty of Posen, the Electoral Circle was renamed on 30 January 1807 to the "Wittenberg Circle". That year the districts in the Burgraviate of Magdeburg and County of Barby were reassigned to the King of Westphalia, who annexed them to the Department of the Elbe.  In order to contribute to the "restoration of order and peace in Europe", on 18 May 1815 Prussia and Saxony entered a peace and friendship treaty in which Saxony ceded three-fifths of its territory to Prussia. On 22 May 1815, the Prussian state organised the territories it had acquired, along with other territories acquired as a result of the Napoleonic wars and the Altmark, into the Province of Saxony, which was subdivided into the three administrative districts of Magdeburg, Merseburg and Erfurt. The Electoral Circle then comprised an area of 66 square miles with 140,000 inhabitants.

The Electoral Circle (), which was renamed in 1807 as the Wittenberg Circle (), was a historical territory that mostly emerged from the heartlands of the former Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg. The circle (or district) was created in the reign of Frederick the Wise of Saxony in 1499 and was part of the Electorate of Saxony. The German name referred to the electoral dignity or status of the Saxon prince electors () to whom this territory was linked.

Kurfiřtský kraj (německy "Kurkreis") byl v letech 1423/1527-1806 historickým územím a administrativní jednotkou Saského kurfiřtství, od jehož držby byl odvozován kurfiřtský hlas rodu Wettinů na říšském sněmu Svaté říše římské. Kurfiřtský kraj vznikl přivtělením bývalého Sasko-wittenberského kurfiřtství k Míšeňskému markrabství, drženého rodem Wettinů.


Administration.

Each is administered by its own national park authority, a special purpose local authority. National parks are a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having its own policies and arrangements. The national parks of Scotland and those of England and Wales are governed by separate legislation: the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 in Scotland and the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 for England and Wales. The Environment Act 1995 defines the role of national parks as being: "to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks," and "to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Parks by the public." The national park authority for each park addresses these aims in partnership with other organisations, such as the National Trust. In cases where there may be conflict between the two purposes of designation, the first must take precedence under the Sandford Principle. The national park authorities also have a duty to foster the economic and social wellbeing of communities in pursuit of these purposes.  The Scottish national parks have two further statutory purposes:  All of the UK's national parks are members of National Parks UK, which works to promote the UK national parks family and to facilitate training and development between staff and members of all parks.

Legal designation.

National parks were first designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, and in England and Wales any new national park is designated under this Act, and must be confirmed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The 1949 Act came about after a prolonged campaign for public access to the countryside in the United Kingdom with its roots in the Industrial Revolution. The first 'freedom to roam' bill was introduced to Parliament in 1884 by James Bryce but it was not until 1931 that a government inquiry recommended the creation of a 'National Park Authority' to select areas for designation as national parks. Despite the recommendation and continued lobbying and demonstrations of public discontent, such as the 1932 Kinder Scout mass trespass in the Peak District, nothing further was done until a 1945 white paper on national parks was produced as part of the Labour Party's planned post-war reconstruction, leading in 1949 to the passing of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.  In England and Wales, as in Scotland, designation as a national park means that the area has been identified as being of importance to the national heritage and as such is worthy of special protection and attention. Unlike the model adopted in many other countries, such as the USA and Germany, this does not mean the area is owned by the state. National parks in the United Kingdom may include substantial settlements and human land uses which are often integral parts of the landscape, and within a national park there are many landowners including public bodies and private individuals.

Origins and growth.

The first national park, and site of the Kinder Scout trespass, the Peak District, was designated in April 1951 under the Clement Attlee led Labour administration, eight months before the end of King George VI's reign. This was followed in the same year by the designations of three more national parks; the Lake District, Snowdonia and Dartmoor. By the end of the decade the national park family had increased to ten with the Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland and Brecon Beacons national parks all being designated. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, the eleventh member of the national park family, was designated through its own Act of Parliament in 1988 gaining status equivalent to that of a national park. Separate legislation was passed in Scotland, namely the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, and from this two Scottish national parks, the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, were created. Of the original twelve proposed English and Welsh national parks, two remained undesignated going into the new millennium - the Cambrian Mountains and Cornish Coast. The New Forest became a national park in 2005 and the South Downs was formally designated on 31 March 2010. All fifteen United Kingdom national parks are represented by the Association of National Park Authorities.  Of the ten national parks in England, five are in the northern counties, two in the southwest counties, one in the east, and the most recent two designations in the south. In total, the national parks touch only sixteen English counties and cover 9.3% of England, with no national park in the southern Midlands. The three national parks of Wales by contrast occupy 19.9% of the land. The Cairngorms National Park at is the largest of the national parks. Outside the Scottish Highlands, the largest is the Lake District National Park at ; the largest National Park in England and second largest in the United Kingdom. Snowdonia National Park, at, is Wales' largest national park and the third largest in the United Kingdom. The smallest national park in England and Wales, and in the United Kingdom, is The Broads at. The total area of the national parks in England and Wales is approximately, for an average of 1,251 square kilometres but a median of 1,344 square kilometres. In the United Kingdom the total increases to 22,660 square kilometres (average 1511 km). The most-visited national park is the Lake District, with 15.8 million visitors in 2009, although by visitor days the South Downs at 39 million compares to 23.1 million for the Lake District.

National parks.

National parks in Northern Ireland.

There are currently no national parks in Northern Ireland though there have been controversial moves to establish one in the Mourne Mountains. If established, it would stretch from Carlingford Lough to Newcastle and Slieve Croob. Though it might create jobs in tourism, there were fears that it would drive up the area's cost of living.

Other designated landscapes.

The United Kingdom has a number of other designated landscape areas besides its national parks. Most similar to the parks are Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty which differ in part because of their more limited opportunities for extensive outdoor recreation. Dartmoor, the Lake District, North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales all abut AONBs and in addition the coasts of Exmoor and the North York Moors coincide with heritage coasts. All the Parks contain in varying numbers Sites of Special Scientific Interest and national nature reserves. A part of the Brecon Beacons National Park is also designated a European Geopark. Of the various World Heritage Sites in England and Wales, none are national parks in themselves though a part of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site falls within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Within the United Kingdom there are fourteen national parks, and one further area with 'equivalent status'. There are ten in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. These parks are not truly national parks according to the internationally accepted standard of the IUCN but they are areas of outstanding landscape where habitation and commercial activities are restricted.

Ve Spojeném království Velké Británie a Severního Irska se nachází 15 národních parků. 10 v Anglii, 3 ve Walesu, 2 ve Skotsku a žádný v Severním Irsku.


Origin.

The origin of the Lajkonik is uncertain, but there are some common stories associated with its popularity. Some think that it originated in pre-Christian times when it was believed that in the spring the horse brought good luck and high crop yields.  Other stories are associated from the 13th century, when the city was attacked during the Mongol invasion of Poland. One, likely counterfactual story, says that the people of Kraków successfully repelled the Tatar invasion. Because they killed one of the leaders, a Tatar Khan, the victorious defenders dressed up in the Khan’s clothing and triumphantly rode into the city.  Another version recalls that the Tatars arrived at the city gates at night in 1287, but chose not to attack the city until morning and instead camped along the Vistula. Some locals transporting wood on the river saw them and decided to play a joke on the city. They entered the city gates and dressed up like Tatars on horses trying to scare people into thinking the gates were breached. To the relief of the people of the city their true identity was soon discovered and the incident's popularity led the mayor to declare this to be an annual celebration.

History.

"On Ash Wednesday, 10 March 1241, Tatars ravaged Sandomierz and crossed the Vistula to Kraków. The dukes of Sandomierz and Opole joined battle briefly before retreating. At Legnica the Silesian duke Henry II the Pious, intercepted the invaders only to perish with his knights... The Tatars returned to ravage southern Poland again in 1259 and 1287 and the threat they posed dominated central and east European political and religious life for the next 200 years or so... In regional folklore the Tatar assumed the position of bogeyman, as the Kraków Corpus Christi "Lajkonik" procession colorfully reminds one"

Festival.

Whatever the origin, the city continues the tradition with a festival that has taken place every June for the past 700 years. The Lajkonik is a man dressed up as a warrior from the East. He rides a prancing white hobbyhorse through the city streets from the Premonstratensian (Norbertine) Convent in Zwierzyniec to the Main Market Square. People in traditional folklore dress accompany him while others are adorned in oriental garments and hold horsetail insignia in their hands. The procession winds its way through the historic streets of the city, followed by musicians, children, and revelers. On his way, the Lajkonik touches spectators with his golden mace and collects money for the traditional ransom. Being touched by the Lajkonik's mace is believed to bring good luck. At the Market Square, the mayor of the city awaits the Lajkonik with a pile of ransom money and a chalice with which they make a toast to the wellbeing of Kraków and its inhabitants. Music and dancing continues in front of the Old Tower Hall at the Main Square.

Everyday.

Some Polish folk groups use the figure of the Lajkonik in their performances. The costume of the Lajkonik is worn also by street disguisers as a tourist attraction. However, the true Lajkonik is only the one at the festival on the first Thursday after Corpus Christi.  There are numerous souvenirs and folk art items depicting the Lajkonik.  The Lajkonik is so popular that the name has become a trade name for numerous products sold in Poland and abroad, including hotels (), snacks ().  Lajkonik is also the name of a brand of Polish snack manufacturers based in Skawina.

Lajkonik Polish dancing groups.

There are numerous folk dance groups in Poland named after Lajkonik. In the United States, two groups based in Tucson and Chicago have also adopted the folk figure's name. There is one dance Ensemble in Western Sydney, [Australia] called Lajkonik.

The Lajkonik is one of the unofficial symbols of the city of Kraków, Poland. It is represented as a bearded man resembling a Tatar in a characteristic pointed hat, dressed in Mongol attire, with a wooden horse around his waist (hobby horse). It is the subject of the Lajkonik Festival () that takes place each year on the first Thursday after the religious holiday of Corpus Christi.

Krakovský Lajkonik je vedle krakovských Jesliček druhou nejznámější součástí krakovského folklóru. Město Krakov bylo v letech 1241 a 1257 dvakrát obléháno mongolskou armádou. S těmito dvěma událostmi jsou spojeny dvě krakovské tradice: jednak „Hejnal“ – náhle přerušený signál hraný na trumpetu z věže krakovského kostela Panny Marie, a „Lajkonik“, tedy tatarský jezdec vyzbrojený „žezlem“.


Background.

Bayezid born in 1525 in Constantinople (Istanbul) during the reign of his father, Suleiman the Magnificent. His mother was Hurrem, an Orthodox priest's daughter, who was the sultan's concubine in that time. At the time of his birth, Bayezid had three elder full-brothers, Mehmed (born 1521), Abdullah (born 1522), and Selim (born 1524). He also had one elder half-brother Mustafa (born 1515) and later one younger full-brother, Cihangir (born 1531). In 1533 or 1534, breaking a two-century-old tradition, his father freed and legally wed his mother.  As a court rule, şehzades were appointed to govern a province in order to gain administrative experience. Bayezid became the governor of Kütahya. However, during his father's 12th campaign to Nakhchivan (part of modern Azerbaijan) in 1553, he was assigned to rule in Edirne (the Ottoman capital of Rumelia, which was the European territories of the Ottoman Empire) in the absence of his father. During the campaign, Şehzade Mustafa, Suleiman’s eldest son and the popular heir to the throne, was executed upon the sultan’s order. The news of the execution caused unrest in all parts of the empire and an impostor claiming to be the executed Mustafa rebelled against Suleiman in Rumelia. Although the rebellion was subdued by a vizier, Suleiman suspected that his son Bayezid was deliberately slow to react.

Competition for the Throne.

Suleiman had five sons who lived to reach adulthood. His second son, Mehmed, had died of smallpox in 1543. After the execution of Mustafa (Suleiman's eldest who had been the most potential heir to the throne) and the death of Cihangir (the youngest brother who suffered from extremely poor health) in 1553, only two princes were left to be the potential claimant to throne: Bayezid and Selim (the future Selim II). Bayezid was the governor of Kütahya and Selim was the governor of Manisa, two cities at almost equal distance from Istanbul, the capital.  Suleiman was in his 60s, and the competition between the two brothers over the throne was evident. Suleiman scolded his sons and decided to change their places of duty. Bayezid was assigned to rule Amasya and Selim to Konya, both provinces being further from Constantinople but still equidistant. Selim was quick to obey and promptly moved to Konya, but to the dismay of his father, Bayezid obeyed only after much hesitation. Angered, Suleiman accused Bayezid of being a rebel and supported his elder son Selim against Bayezid. Selim, in collaboration with Sokollu Mehmet Pasha (the future grand vizier) and with additional help from his father's army, defeated his brother in a civil war at Konya in May 1559.

Refuge in the Safavid Empire.

Bayezid returned to Amasya and escaped to the Safavid Empire with his sons and a small army. According to journalist and historian researcher Murat Bardakçı, Sokullu Mehmet Pasha sent an army after Bayezid, which was defeated by Bayezid's forces. In the autumn of 1559, he reached the Safavid town of Yerevan, where he was received with great respect by its governor. Some time later, he reached Tabriz, where he was welcomed by Shah Tahmasp I. Although Tahmasp I initially wholeheartedly and lavishly welcomed Bayezid, including giving magnificent parties in his honour, he later jailed him on the request of Sultan Suleiman. Both Suleiman and Selim sent envoys to Persia to persuade the shah to execute Bayezid. For the coming one and half year in fact, embassies would continue to travel between Istanbul and Qazvin. On 16 July, what would be the last of the Ottoman embassies would arrive, whose formal task, like the previous embassies, was to try return Bayezid to Istanbul. As stated by Prof. Colin P. Mitchell, this included Khusrau Pasha (the governor of Van), Sinan Pasha, Ali Aqa Chavush Bashi, and a retinue of two hundred officials. In the letter that was given with the embassy, Suleiman also declared his readiness to reconfirm the Treaty of Amasya (1555) and to begin a new era of Ottoman–Safavid relations. Suleiman, throughout the embassies, also gave Tahmasp numerous gifts. He also agreed with Tahmasp's demand to pay him for handing Bayezid over (400,000 gold coins were given). Finally, on 25 September 1561, Bayezid and his four sons were handed over by Tahmasp and executed in the environs of the Safavid capital Qazvin by the Ottoman executioner, Ali Aqa Chavush Bashi, through the way of garrotting.

Family.

Bayezid had nine children. All of them were issue of different mothers, except Şehzade Osman and Şehzade Mahmud who were full brothers. Şehzade Orhan was his eldest child.  Bayezid had five sons:  Bayezid had four daughters:

In popular culture.

In the 2011–2014 TV series "Muhteşem Yüzyıl" he is portrayed by Aras Bulut İynemli.

Şehzade Bayezid (Ottoman Turkish: شهزاده بايزيد; 1525 – 25 September 1561) was an Ottoman prince as the son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his legal wife Hurrem Sultan. After the execution of Şehzade Mustafa (who had been the heir apparent to the Ottoman throne) in 1553, Bayezid became the popular heir among the army. Throughout the 1550s, when Suleiman was already in his 60s, a protracted competition for the throne between Bayezid and his brother Selim became evident. Bayezid had fallen into disfavor with his father – who was angered by Bayezid's disobedience stemming from around the same years – as opposed to Selim (who would eventually succeed as Selim II). After being defeated in a battle near Konya in 1559 by Selim and Sokullu Mehmet Pasha (with the help of the Sultan's army), he fled to the neighbouring Safavid Empire, where he was lavishly received by Tahmasp I. However, in 1561, on the continuous insistence of the Sultan throughout his son's exile, and after several large payments, Tahmasp allowed Bayezid to be executed by agents of his own father.

Şehzade Bayezid (1525, Konstantinopol, Osmanská říše – 25. září 1561, Safavid, Persie) byl osmanský princ (turecky: "şehzade"), jeden z následníků na osmanský trůn a post sultána.


Plot.

The film is set in southwest France in 1962. François (Gaël Morel), a shy young man from the lower middle class, is working towards his high school diploma. He spends most of his time talking about movies and literature with his best friend, Maïté (Élodie Bouchez), whose mother Mme Alvarez (Michèle Moretti) is François's French teacher. Mme Alvarez and Maïté are communists. At the boarding school, François becomes acquainted with Serge (Stéphane Rideau), the sensual son of immigrant farmers. At night, he joins François in the dormitory to chat. Finally, Serge draws François into an erotic relationship.  François discovers his homosexuality and develops a deep attraction for Serge, who had only acted out of curiosity. François confides this discovery to Maïté, who swallows her disappointment and encourages him to come out of the closet. When Serge becomes increasingly interested in Maïté, she declares herself to be interested in nobody.  Serge's brother Pierre dies while serving in the army in Algeria, and Maïté's mother suffers a nervous breakdown, having previously refused to help Pierre desert. An Algerian-born French exile, Henri (Frédéric Gorny), enrolls in the boys' boarding school and aggravates their conflicts, adding a political conflict. He is obsessed with events in Algeria and supports the OAS, which opposes Algerian independence and defends the rights of French settlers there. He treats François without sympathy and bluntly tells him to own up to his homosexuality. His political stance provokes Serge's hatred. Henri finally engages Maïté, his political opposite, and they yield to their mutual attraction.  Each member of the quartet develops in the course of the film, shifting repeatedly from stubborn positions to more flexible appreciations of their circumstances, explained in French class by a reading of "The Oak and the Reed", one of Aesop's Fables.

Production.

The project was first conceived as part of a television film series dealing with adolescence, "Tous les garçons et les filles de leurs âges", entitled "Le chêne et le roseau" ("The Oak and the Reed"), which made up the first 55 minutes of "Wild Reeds". But after completing the script, Téchiné decided to make it a full theatrical release. Based on his own life story, it is his biggest personal success in France and his most intimate film.  It is one of limited number of films on the politically delicate subject of the Algerian War. They include "The Little Soldier" (1963), "Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurès" (1972), and "La Question" (1977).

Critical response.

The film was met with widespread critical acclaim and holds a rare 100% "Fresh" ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. It was released in the United States on May 10, 1995 grossing $38,192 in 7 theaters its widest release eventually grossing a total of $917,915 in North America. In France the film received limited release playing at a total of 40 cinemas and opening in second place in the French box office gaining 37,688 admissions its opening weekend. In total the film had 589,301 admissions in France and was the 51st highest earning film of the year.

Accolades.

At the 1995 César Awards, "Les Roseaux Sauvages" won Best Film, Best Director (André Téchiné), Most Promising Young Actress (Élodie Bouchez) and Best Original Screenplay.

Wild Reeds () is a 1994 French drama film directed by André Téchiné about the sexual awakening of four teenagers and their subsequent sensitive passage into adulthood at the end of the Algerian War. The film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, but not nominated.

Divoké rákosí ("Les Roseaux sauvages") je francouzský hraný film z roku 1994, který režíroval André Téchiné podle vlastního scénáře. Film popisuje osudy několika dospívajících v roce 1962. Film byl uveden na filmovém festivalu v Cannes v sekci "Un certain regard" a získal několik ocenění "César".


History.

SolarWinds was officially founded in 1999 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and (as of 2009) had maintained profitability since its founding. The company was co-founded by Donald Yonce (a former executive at Walmart) and his brother David Yonce. SolarWinds released its first products, Trace Route and Ping Sweep, earlier in March 1998 and released its first web-based network performance monitoring application in November 2001. According to Michael Bennett, who became the chief executive officer in 2006, the name SolarWinds was chosen by an early employee and that the company has nothing to do with solar or wind power. In 2006, the company moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, where about 300 of the company's total 450 employees were based as of 2011.  During 2007, SolarWinds raised funding from Austin Ventures, Bain Capital, and Insight Venture Partners. SolarWinds completed an initial public offering of $112.5 million in May 2009, closing at higher prices after its initial day of trading. The IPO from SolarWinds was followed by another from OpenTable (an online restaurant-reservation service), which was perceived to break a "dry spell" (caused by the Great Recession) in which very few companies went public. Both Bain Capital and Insight Venture Partners backed the IPO and used the opportunity to sell some of their shares during the offering.  Analysts and company executives forecasted continued expansion post-IPO, including several acquisitions. In 2010, Bennett retired from his position as CEO and was replaced by the company's former chief financial officer Kevin Thompson. In May 2013, SolarWinds announced plans to invest in an operations hub in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was named by "Forbes" as "Best Small Company in America, citing high-functioning products for low costs and impressive company growth." By 2013, SolarWinds was employing about 900 people.  In October 2015, the company disclosed that it was in talks with a then-unnamed party interested in acquiring the company and making SolarWinds a privately held company again. An acquisition by the private equity technology investment firms Silver Lake Partners and Thoma Bravo, LLC. was announced in late 2015, and by January 2016, SolarWinds was taken into private ownership in a $4.5 billion deal. As of the sale, the company employed 1,770 people worldwide of which 510 were based in Austin and reported revenues of about half a billion dollars a year.  In November 2017, SolarWinds released AppOptics which integrates much of the SolarWinds acquired software portfolio, including Librato and TraceView, into a single software-as-a-service package. AppOptics included compatibility with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.  In September 2018, SolarWinds filed for an IPO again, after three years of being owned by private equity firms. SolarWinds completed their IPO on October 19, 2018.  SolarWinds reportedly updated its Network Performance Monitor product in December 2018 with enhancements for Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI).

Acquisitions.

According to "The Wall Street Journal", SolarWinds offers freely downloadable software to potential clients and then markets more advanced software to them by offering trial versions. Following the funding in 2007, SolarWinds acquired several companies including Neon Software and ipMonitor Corp. and opened a European sales office in Ireland.  During and after its IPO in 2009, SolarWinds acquired a number of other companies and products, including the acquisition of the New Zealand-based software maker Kiwi Enterprises, which was announced in January 2009.  SolarWinds acquired several companies in 2011 and was ranked No. 10 on "Forbes Magazine"'s list of fastest-growing tech companies. In January 2011, it acquired Hyper9 Inc, an Austin-based virtualization management company with undisclosed terms. In July, SolarWinds completed the acquisition of the Idaho-based network security company TriGeo for $35 million. TriGeo's offices in Post Falls were added to the list of SolarWinds location which already included satellite offices in Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Tulsa, as well as operations in Australia, the Czech Republic, India, Ireland, and Singapore.  In early 2012, only about a month after acquiring Dameware, SolarWinds acquired the patch management software provider EminentWare. In December, SolarWinds acquired RhinoSoft, adding the company's product FTP Voyager to SolarWinds suite of tools and services.  In May 2013, SolarWinds acquired N-able Technologies (2013), a cloud-based information technology services provider. The deal was reportedly valued $120 million in cash. In October, it acquired the Boulder, Colorado-based database performance management company Confio Software. With the $103 million agreement, SolarWinds gained a sales office in London and Confio's main product, Ignite. Between 2014 and 2015, the company acquired the Swedish web-monitoring company Pingdom, the San Francisco-based metrics and monitoring company Librato (for $40 million), and the log management service Papertrail (for $41 million).  During 2015, SolarWinds announced its acquisition of Librato (a monitoring company), and Capzure Technology (an MSP Manager software to N-able which SolarWinds had previously acquired).  In June 2016, SolarWinds acquired LogicNow, a rival remote monitoring software company. A new subsidiary SolarWinds MSP was formed by merging LogicNow and N-able Technologies. The company announced that the subsidiary will be led by LogicNow's former CEO Walter Scott with a new title of executive vice president.  Between 2017 and 2019, SolarWinds acquired five companies:

SolarWinds Inc. is an American company that develops software for businesses to help manage their networks, systems, and information technology infrastructure. SolarWinds is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with sales and product development offices in a number of locations in the United States and several other countries around the world. The company was publicly traded from May 2009 until the end of 2015, and again from October 2018. It has also acquired a number of companies, some of which it still operates under their original brand names including Pingdom, Papertrail, and Loggly.

SolarWinds je americká soukromá nadnárodní společnost se sídlem v Austinu ve státě Texas založená v roce 1999. Zabývá se vývojem, výrobou, licencováním a podporou široké škály produktů a služeb, které jsou spjaté především s počítači. Společnost působí celosvětově a má cca 20 poboček, včetně pobočky v Brně, která je největší vývojovou pobočkou a má více jak 300 zaměstnanců.


Family and personal life.

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium. His family has a long association with motor sports: his father, Jos Verstappen, is a Dutch former Formula One driver, his Belgian mother, Sophie Kumpen, competed in karting, and his first cousin once removed, Anthony Kumpen, competed in endurance racing and is a two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion and currently serves as the team manager for PK Carsport in Euro Series.  Although Verstappen has a Belgian mother, was born in Belgium and resided in Bree, Belgium, he decided to compete with a Dutch racing licence because he "feels more Dutch", spent more time with his father than with his mother owing to his karting activities, and was always surrounded by Dutch people while growing up in Maaseik, a Belgian town at the Dutch border. He competed in Formula One for more than half a season before obtaining a road driver's licence on his 18th birthday. Verstappen has lived in Monaco since October 2015, claiming it was not for tax reasons. Verstappen does sim racing as a hobby. He won the Team Redline "2020 Real Racers Never Quit" championship that ran in the beginning of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series ran over multiple rounds on the racing simulator iRacing. Verstappen teamed up with fellow current Formula One driver Lando Norris on 13-14 June 2020 as drivers for Team Redline at a virtual version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans run on" rFactor 2". In the race both Norris and Verstappen competed against fellow current and former Formula One drivers with the such as Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Juan Pablo Montoya, Charles Leclerc, Antonio Giovinazzi, Rubens Barrichello, Jan Magnussen, Jean-Éric Vergne, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jenson Button.. Verstappen and Team Redline's hopes of a good result in the event were dashed by technical issues which caused Verstappen to crash out of the race lead. This incident caused Verstappen to have an expletive laden rant.

Early career.

Karting.

Verstappen began karting at age 4. He competed in the Mini Junior championship of his home province of Limburg (Belgium). In 2006, Verstappen graduated to the Rotax Max Minimax class and won the Belgian championship. In 2007, Verstappen won the Dutch Minimax championship. Racing in a CRG kart entered by his father, Verstappen won the Dutch and Belgian Minimax championship as well as the Belgian Cadet championship.  In 2009, Verstappen joined Team Pex Racing, a CRG customer team. That year, he won the Flemish Minimax championship and the Belgian KF5 championship.  In 2010, Verstappen stepped up to international karting. He was signed by CRG to race in their factory team at world and European championships. At the KF3 World Cup, Verstappen finished second to the more experienced Alexander Albon (who would eventually become his Formula One teammate at Red Bull Racing) but beat him at the WSK Euro Series and also won the WSK World Series, beating Robert Vișoiu.  In 2011, Verstappen won the WSK Euro Series in a Parilla-powered CRG. In 2012, Verstappen was picked for the Intrepid Driver Program to race in the KF2 and KZ2 classes. He won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class, beating CRG driver Felice Tiene. Verstappen won the South Garda Winter Cup in the KF2 class, beating Dennis Olsen and Antonio Fuoco.  At the end of 2012, it was announced that Verstappen would leave Intrepid. After a short stint with CRG-built Zanardi karts, Verstappen returned to the factory CRG team. He competed at the SKUSA SuperNationals in the KZ2 class in a CRG, finishing 21st. In 2013, Verstappen won the European KF and KZ championships. At the age of 15, Verstappen won the 2013 World KZ championship at Varennes-sur-Allier, France, in KZ1, the highest karting category.

Formula racing.

Testing.

Verstappen's first experience in a racing car was at the Pembrey Circuit on 11 October 2013. He drove 160 laps in a Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0–10 Formula Renault car. The car was provided by Dutch team Manor MP Motorsport. He tested for several Formula Renault 2.0 teams in 2013. In December 2013, Verstappen tested a Dallara F311 Formula 3 car run by Motopark Academy. Another Formula Renault test came in December at Circuito de Jerez. Driving for Josef Kaufmann Racing, Verstappen went faster than Formula Renault regulars like Steijn Schothorst and Matt Parry. At the Circuit Ricardo Tormo near Valencia, Verstappen set a faster time than more experienced drivers including Tatiana Calderón and Eddie Cheever III.

Florida Winter Series.

On 16 January 2014, it was announced Verstappen would make his racing debut in the Florida Winter Series.  On 5 February, at the second race weekend, Verstappen won his first formula race at Palm Beach International Raceway after he started from pole.  On 19 February, Verstappen won his second race at Homestead–Miami Speedway after beating Nicholas Latifi by 0.004 seconds.

Formula Three.

In 2014, Verstappen drove in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship for Van Amersfoort Racing. He finished his maiden car racing season third, behind champion Esteban Ocon and runner-up Tom Blomqvist, winning 10 races in the process.

Formula One career.

Scuderia Toro Rosso (2014–2016).

2014 season.

In August 2014, Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Team after testing a Formula Renault 3.5 car. He also considered an offer from Mercedes to join their driver development programme. Six days later, he was confirmed as one of Scuderia Toro Rosso's drivers for the season. It was confirmed that Carlos Sainz Jr. would be Verstappen's teammate, following Daniil Kvyat's promotion to Red Bull Racing. Verstappen chose 33 as his race number.  By taking part in the first free practice at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen became the youngest driver to take part in a Grand Prix weekend, as part of his preparation for a full-time place with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015.

2015 season: Youngest full time driver.

In January 2015, the FIA launched a new super licence system for Formula One, raising the age limit to 18 from the 2016 season onwards. Verstappen became the youngest driver to start a World Championship race by joining the sport a year before this licence restriction, in his Grand Prix début as a full-time driver at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of – breaking Jaime Alguersuari's existing record by almost two years. In this first race, Verstappen ran in points-scoring positions until he was forced to retire due to an engine failure. However, at the subsequent race in Malaysia, Verstappen qualified sixth and finished the race in seventh place, scoring his first Formula One points aged, breaking the record of youngest driver to score World Championship points. After that he then failed to finish with points in China, due to engine failure in the last lap, Bahrain, due to electrical issues, Spain, settling for 11th.  At the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen was involved in a high-speed collision with Romain Grosjean, after clipping the back of the Lotus on the approach to Sainte Devote and flew nose-first into the barriers at high speed. Verstappen was given a five-place grid penalty for causing the accident, and was branded "dangerous" by Williams driver Felipe Massa – although Verstappen hit back at Massa by pointing out he had himself been involved in a similar incident with Sergio Pérez at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix.  Verstappen continued to regularly finish in the points as well as achieving his best finish of the 2015 season in Hungary by finishing 4th and equalled this result at the United States Grand Prix. At the end of the season, Verstappen received three awards at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, for "Rookie of the Year", "Personality of the Year" and "Action of the Year" for his overtake on Felipe Nasr through the outside of the Blanchimont corner at the Belgian Grand Prix.

2016 season.

Verstappen began the 2016 season at Toro Rosso, again alongside Sainz. Verstappen qualified fifth for the opening race of the season in Australia, but during the race made several radio calls to his team due to frustration at being behind Sainz on track before clipping his teammate whilst attempting to pass him with three laps to go, and he eventually finished tenth. Verstappen enjoyed a more successful weekend at the following race in Bahrain, finishing sixth to score Toro Rosso's first ever points at the Sakhir circuit.

Red Bull (2016–present).

2016 season: Youngest race winner.

On 5 May 2016, following the, Red Bull announced that Verstappen would be replacing Daniil Kvyat for the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, with Kvyat returning to Toro Rosso. According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, "Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing." After qualifying fourth for the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen rose to second behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap after Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out of the race. Verstappen took the race lead as he was placed on a two-stop rather than the same three-stop strategy as Ricciardo, and he held off Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen in the later stages of the race to take his first Formula One victory. By doing so he displaced Sebastian Vettel as the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix at the age of 18 years and 228 days.  In his first eight races with Red Bull he achieved six top-five finishes, including four podiums.  During the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen collided with Räikkönen at the first corner, pushed Vettel, Räikkönen and Pérez wide at Les Combes, and aggressively blocked Räikkönen on the Kemmel straight. Verstappen was criticised for his driving, with Räikkönen saying that he "was going to cause a huge accident sooner or later"; Verstappen's boss, Horner, said that the driving was "on the edge", and that "Verstappen will learn from Belgium". On 2 September 2016 F1 director Charlie Whiting called in Verstappen for a discussion. Whiting gave Verstappen a gentle warning because of his aggressive driving. However, in October drivers' concerns about Verstappen's defensive tactics led the FIA to disallow moving under braking.  At the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen qualified fourth. In a rain affected race, he barely managed to avoid hitting the guardrail when he spun on the main straight. After an additional tyre change from intermediates back to rain tyres, he ran in 16th place with just 15 laps remaining. Verstappen then made several overtakes in the closing laps to eventually finish on the podium in third place. He received considerable praise for his performance, with his team principal Christian Horner calling it "one of the best drives I've seen in Formula One". However, he came under criticism from Sebastian Vettel, who claimed that Verstappen had pushed him off the track when he gained a position on him at Junção corner late in the race. The race stewards did not share Vettel's view and decided that no reprimand was warranted.

2017 season.

During the first 14 races of the 2017 season, Verstappen suffered seven retirements, four due to mechanical issues, and three due to first lap collisions in Spain, Austria and Singapore. Of the races finished, however, he claimed a third place in China, and another five races classified fourth or fifth.  From the Malaysian Grand Prix onward, Verstappen enjoyed a surge of success. He won his second Formula One race at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, one day after his 20th birthday, passing Lewis Hamilton for the lead in the early stages of the race. He finished second in the following race in Japan. He then finished third at the United States Grand Prix, but was classified fourth after his final lap overtake on Kimi Räikkönen was deemed illegal. He then won his third Formula One race (and second in 2017) at the Mexican Grand Prix, after passing Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap and leading until the end of the race.

2018 season.

In the first six races of the season, Verstappen had been involved in at least one incident in each race. In Australia, he qualified 4th, but fell behind Kevin Magnussen at the start. In his attempts to retake the position he ran wide multiple times and damaged his car, with a spin causing him to fall further down the order. He recovered to eventually finish the race in 6th place. At the next race in Bahrain, he crashed during qualifying and started in 15th place. He had a productive first lap after which he found himself in the points while challenging Lewis Hamilton. He attempted an overtake on the reigning World Champion at the start of lap two, but collided with the Mercedes driver and suffered a puncture that ultimately led to suspension damage, forcing him out of the race.  At the next race in China, Verstappen qualified 5th and had moved up to 3rd at the end of the first lap. Both Red Bull drivers pitted for fresh tyres during a safety car which left them with a tyre advantage over the front-runners ahead. In an overtake attempt on Sebastian Vettel for 3rd place, Verstappen collided with the championship leader, causing him to fall to 8th and receive a 10-second penalty. He recovered to 4th place, with his penalty causing him to be classified 5th. Teammate Ricciardo went on to win the race. In Azerbaijan, Verstappen was embroiled in a race-long battle with Ricciardo for 4th place. After numerous position changes between the two teammates during the race, Ricciardo ran into the back of Verstappen during an overtake attempt from which the Dutchman aggressively defended, causing the retirement of both cars. Both drivers were blamed by the team and reprimanded by the stewards. Verstappen bounced back in Spain with his first podium of the season by finishing 3rd behind the Mercedes drivers, holding off Sebastian Vettel. However, the race was also not without incident as he had run into the back of Lance Stroll during the virtual safety car period, causing minor front wing damage.  In Monaco, Verstappen made another error when he crashed near the end of the third free practice session in an incident which closely resembled a crash he had at the same spot two years earlier. His team could not repair his car in time for qualifying and he had to start last at a track on which it is notoriously difficult to overtake. Teammate Ricciardo, meanwhile, pressed home Red Bull's advantage at the track by taking pole position and the race win. Verstappen managed to salvage 2 points by finishing 9th place, overtaking 6 cars on track. Team principal Christian Horner commented on Verstappen's start of the season, saying he "needed to stop making these mistakes" and that he could "learn from his teammate", while Helmut Marko, head of driver development at Red Bull, said that Verstappen was "too impatient". Verstappen now lay in 6th place in the championship with 35 points, only 3 points ahead of Alonso in a much slower McLaren, and 37 points behind his teammate in 3rd, who had taken two wins in the first six races.  In Canada, Verstappen topped all three practice sessions and qualified 3rd, two-tenths off Sebastian Vettel in pole position. He eventually finished 3rd and set the fastest lap of the race. The following race in France brought him 2nd place. In Austria—Red Bull's home track—he started 4th on the grid, passed Kimi Räikkönen before taking advantage of retirement from Valtteri Bottas and a botched pit-stop strategy by Lewis Hamilton, who later had to retire from 4th place, to claim the fourth race victory of his career. In Britain, Verstappen was plagued by issues, finishing the first practice session early due to a gearbox problem and crashing in the second practice session before retiring from the race due to a brake problem. He would then finish 4th in Germany after strategy errors let a recovering Hamilton get past him as he went on to win the race. Verstappen ended the first half of the season with a retirement in Hungary and was narrowly behind his teammate in the championship due to his own recent resurgence and Ricciardo's unreliability.  Verstappen enjoyed a very strong second half of the season, achieving podium finishes at Belgium, Singapore, Japan and the USA, the latter of which he achieved 2nd place having started from 18th on the grid due to a suspension failure in qualifying. Verstappen then earned his fifth career win in Mexico. He had been visibly angry after just missing out on becoming the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history, with Ricciardo beating him to pole position by 0.026 seconds. Verstappen, however, had a much better start than Ricciardo and took the lead of the race into the first corner, overtaking the fast-starting Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. He was poised to win the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix, having overtaken Räikkönen, Vettel, Bottas and Hamilton. However, he was hit by Force India driver Esteban Ocon who was trying to unlap himself on faster tyres. Ocon received a 10-second stop and go penalty, the harshest penalty before disqualification. After the collision with Ocon, Verstappen finished in 2nd place behind Hamilton. During an argument with Ocon after the race, Verstappen pushed the Force India driver, for which he was given two days of "public service" as a penalty by the FIA. He then finished his season with another podium as he finished 3rd in Abu Dhabi.  Verstappen ended the season in 4th place in the championship with 249 points, claiming two wins, eleven podium finishes and two fastest laps.

2019 season.

After Ricciardo moved to Renault for 2019, Verstappen was joined at Red Bull (initially) by Pierre Gasly. Verstappen qualified in 4th and finished 3rd in Australia, the first podium finish for a Honda-powered car since the 2008 British Grand Prix. Verstappen was on course for a second 3rd-place finish in Bahrain before a late safety car prevented him from overtaking Charles Leclerc's ailing Ferrari, keeping him in 4th place. Two more 4th-place finishes followed in China and Azerbaijan, before a second podium came as he finished 3rd in Spain. In Monaco, Verstappen qualified in 3rd place. He was released into the path of Valtteri Bottas during the drivers' pit stops, gaining 2nd place but receiving a 5-second penalty as a result. Verstappen crossed the line in 2nd place but was demoted to 4th by the penalty.  In Canada, Verstappen's final lap in the second qualifying session was hampered by a red flag brought out by Kevin Magnussen's crash. This caused Verstappen to qualify 11th and start the race in 9th place. He later recovered to finish 5th. In France he started and finished in 4th place. In Austria, Verstappen started 2nd but suffered a poor start, dropping down to 8th. After a charge towards the front, he made his way up to 2nd before controversially passing Leclerc for the lead of the race with three laps to go. This marked the first Honda-powered race victory since the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. In Britain, Verstappen, running in 3rd place, was hit from behind during an overtake attempt by Sebastian Vettel and spun into the gravel. Verstappen was able to continue and crossed the line in 5th place.  The wet and chaotic German Grand Prix began in a similar fashion to the race in Austria for Verstappen, as a poor start caused him to fall behind. However, he would inherit the lead mid-way through the race after a crash by race leader Hamilton. Verstappen would go on to extend his lead after the track began to dry, claiming his second victory of the season. In Hungary, he claimed the first pole position of his career, and led most of the race before being passed in the closing laps by Hamilton, who had made another stop for fresh tyres in a gamble to catch the leader. By the summer break, Verstappen's strong performances in the first half of the season made some consider him an outside contender for the championship.  Prior to the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen received a new teammate in Alexander Albon after Pierre Gasly was demoted back to Toro Rosso. In the race, Verstappen had a poor start and collided with Kimi Räikkönen at the first corner, resulting in suspension damage and causing Verstappen's first retirement of the season. In Italy, he did not set a time during qualifying as he would already be required to start from the back of the grid due to an engine component penalty. After damaging his front wing on the first lap, he recovered to finish the race in 8th place. 3rd and 4th place finishes followed in Singapore and Russia respectively. After suffering damage in a first-lap collision with Charles Leclerc in Japan, Verstappen suffered his 2nd retirement of the season.  In Mexico, he qualified in 1st place before being handed a grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags after a crash by Valtteri Bottas. Verstappen suffered a puncture early in the race after making contact with Bottas, falling to the back of the field before eventually recovering to 6th place. A 3rd place finish in the United States followed, before Verstappen took the second pole position of his career with a 1:07.508 pole lap time in Brazil. In a chaotic race, he passed Lewis Hamilton for the lead on two separate occasions before going on to claim his third victory of the season. Verstappen ended the season with a 2nd-place finish in Abu Dhabi.  Verstappen finished the 2019 season in 3rd place in the championship with 278 points, the best result of his career thus far. He claimed three race victories, nine podium finishes, two pole positions and three fastest laps.

2020 season.

Verstappen will continue racing for Red Bull in, alongside Albon. On 7 January 2020, it was announced that Verstappen had signed a contract extension to race for Red Bull until the end of 2023.

Racing record.

Firsts.

Verstappen holds numerous "firsts" in Formula One racing. In 2015, he became the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1 at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix for Scuderia Toro Rosso. He is also the youngest driver to lead a lap during a Formula One Grand Prix, youngest driver to set the fastest lap during a Formula One Grand Prix, youngest driver to score points, youngest driver to secure a podium, youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner in history, youngest multiple Grand Prix winner, youngest to win the same Grand Prix multiple times and youngest to win the same Grand Prix in successive years. On 3 August 2019, he became the first ever Dutch F1 driver to take pole position, for the Hungarian Grand Prix, while also setting a new lap record on the Hungaroring and becoming the 100th polesitter in the sport's history.

Complete Formula One results.

Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing. At the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, when he was aged, he became the youngest driver to compete in Formula One. He holds eight other "firsts" in Formula One racing.

Max Emilian Verstappen ( * 30. září 1997 Hasselt) je belgicko-nizozemský automobilový závodník, který pod nizozemskou vlajkou závodí ve formuli 1 za tým Red Bull Racing. Stal se nejmladším pilotem F1 v historii, když debutoval během Grand Prix Austrálie 2015 ve věku 17 let a 166 dnů. Je synem bývalého jezdce F1 Jose Verstappena.


Heraldry.

The County of Halland inherited its coat of arms from the province of Halland. When it is shown with a royal crown it represents the County Administrative Board.

Province.

Counties mainly serve administrative purposes in Sweden. The culture and history of the area is to be found in its provincial counterpart Halland. The county was designed with virtually the same boundaries as the province. The major exception is a part of Hylte Municipality, which belongs to the province of Småland.

Administration.

The main aim of the County Administrative Board is to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the Riksdag and the Government, to coordinate the interests and promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case. The County Administrative Board is a Government Agency headed by a governor. See List of Halland Governors.

Politics.

Among the main responsibilities of the Halland County Council ("Landstinget Halland") are public health care issues.

Municipalities.

Sweden's counties are entities for Sweden's municipalities, responsible for such things as child care, education, street planning, etc. Municipalities in Halland County are, from north to south, with the numbers of inhabitants::  "In Halland Province:"

Localities in order of size.

The five most populous localities of Halland County in 2010:

Future.

There is an investigation committee appointed by the government, who investigating the best future division and responsibitites of the counties of Sweden, called Ansvarskommittén. They are working long-term, but their preliminary reports suggest a large reduction of the number of counties in Sweden. Halland county is there proposed to be divided in two halves, both to be combined with neighbouring large counties.

Halland County () is a county ("län") on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad.

Halland ("Hallands län") je kraj ležící na západním pobřeží Švédska. Hlavním městem kraje je Halmstad. Halland sousedí s kraji Västra Götaland, Jönköping, Kronoberg, Skåne a úžinou Kattegat. Kromě obce Hylte, která patří do provincie Småland, spadá Halland do provincie Halland.


Early life.

Growing up in Tel Aviv, Adam began playing the violin when he was five years old before picking up the guitar when he was nine. Following a stint with the electric bass at 16 he discovered the instrument that would come to be most associated with him when he began studying the Double Bass.

Career.

Adam began his musical career performing in jazz clubs and cafes and playing with several local musicians and ensembles. He got his early break in 2008 when his upright bass version of the theme tune for the TV show "Seinfeld" as well as his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" gained viral success. This caught the attention of American label CandyRat Records who released the singles "Openland" and "Flamenco" in 2012.  That same year Adam's playing was featured on the Amnesty International 'Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan' album playing on songwriter Oren Lavie's version of the track "4Th Time Around".  2013 was a key year for Adam with solo shows in Europe and the United States including appearances at the International Society Of Bassists convention in Rochester, NY, in Belgium, and Musica In Borgo in Termoli, Italy, where he also featured as a guest artist during Sarah Jane Morris' set. In addition he supported the likes of Richard Bona, Mike Stern and Victor Wooten. He also appeared on a cover of the Pearl Jam track 'Jeremy' by the metal band Orphaned Land. A few months later Adam began his ongoing collaboration with internationally renowned singer Achinoam Nini ("Noa"), appearing on her 2014 album "Love Medicine" as well as joining her on tours in North America and Europe that included a show with George Dalaras and Dulce Pontes at the Acropolis in Athens.  In 2014 Adam joined renowned classical musicians Igudesman & Joo (Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo) for their League Of X-traordinary Musicians Showpiece, performing a New Year's Eve show at the Vienna Konzerthaus alongside a talented multinational ensemble. That same year he also formed the new Adam Ben Ezra Trio which toured Europe including performances at Catania Jazz Festival in Italy. In 2015 Adam crowd-funded his debut album "Can’t Stop Running" through a PledgeMusic campaign. The cover art for the album, photographed by Ezra Gozo Mansur, was also selected as one of the best photos of 2015 by Communication Arts magazine.  In the summer of 2015 Adam appeared at the Pilsen Festival and Pacovský Poledník Festival as well as a sold-out show at the Jazz Dock Club in Prague as part of his tour in the Czech Republic. Later that year he again joined forces with Igudesman & Joo at the 'Lucerne Festival' in Switzerland, and also performed solo concerts at The Romanian National Opera, in Timișoara, Romania and at the Double Bass Passion Festival in Belgrade, Serbia.

Youtube.

In addition to his live music playing Adam has made a name for himself through his YouTube channel. To date his videos have gained more than 7 million views and his original video for "Can't Stop Running" has generated more than 1 million views. He is well known for his takes on TV theme songs such as 'Dexter' and 'Mad Men'.

Influences.

Adam has cited Bach, Sting, Debussy, Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Jaco Pastorius, Flamenco and Arabic music as his musical inspiration. Adam is considered a pioneer in a new style of playing on the upright bass, in which he plays and drums on his instrument at the same time in order to obtain a rich groove sound.

Instruments.

As well as playing the double bass, he is known for incorporating various instruments in his live performances and recordings, including the piano, bass guitar, guitar, clarinet, oud, flute and cajon, and for his use of a loop and effect pedals.

Adam Ben Ezra (; born December 18, 1982 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator, known for his Double Bass performances

Adam Ben Ezra (* 18. prosince 1982) je izraelský jazzový kontrabasista, multiinstrumentalista a hudební skladatel. Narodil se v Tel Avivu a hudbě se začal věnovat již v dětství. Prvním nástrojem, na který začal hrát, byly housle. Později se přes kytaru a klavír dostal k baskytaře a následně ke kontrabasu. První úspěchy se mu dostaly poté, co umístil několik svých videí z koncertů na server YouTube. Své první EP "Adam Ben Ezra" vydal roku 2013. První dlouhohrající desku, která dostala název "Can't Stop Running", vydal v červenci roku 2015. V jeho triu s ním vystupují kytarista Adam Ben Amitai a perkusionista Gilad Dobrecky.


Background and location.

During a meeting in Monaco in 1955, members of the European Broadcasting Union discussed ideas to organise a pan-European music competition, taking inspiration from Italy's Sanremo Music Festival. From that meeting, the concept of the Eurovision Song Contest was born. A decision was reached to hold the first ever contest the following year in Lugano, Switzerland. Lugano, located in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland, is the 9th largest Swiss city and the largest with an Italian speaking majority outside Italy.  The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest took place at the Teatro Kursaal, a casino and former theatre, on 24 May 1956. The theatre, designed by Italian architect Achille Sfondrini, was used for theatrical and musical performances, ballroom dance and other shows. The theatre closed shortly after the last show in April 1997 and was demolished in 2001 to make room for the extension of the Casino. Now known as Casinò Lugano, it opened again on 29 November 2002.

Format.

The programme was hosted in Italian by Lohengrin Filipello, making it the only Eurovision Song Contest to have a solo male presenter and up until the 2017 edition with a male trio, the only edition without a female presenter. The programme lasted approximately an hour and 40 minutes. Although it was mainly a radio programme, there were cameras in the studio for the benefit of those who possessed a television.  Only solo artists were allowed to enter the contest, and their songs were not to exceed three and a half minutes in length. They were accompanied by a 24-musician orchestra, which was led by Fernando Paggi, along with four guest conductors, which came from Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Italy. The interval act, whistling by the Joyeux Rossignols, had to be extended due to a delay in the voting procedure. It had been strongly recommended that each participating country have a preliminary national song contest.

Voting controversy.

Two jury members from each participating country travelled to Lugano to cast their vote on the songs, except for Luxembourg which was unable to send juries. The EBU conducted a secret voting and a system allowing the juries to also vote for the two songs representing their own country, as well as allowing the Swiss jury to vote on behalf of Luxembourg. Claims were raised that the Swiss entry won as a result of these procedures. This system was never repeated, as from the second edition of the contest onwards the voting is visible, excludes the jury's own competing country from their voting and includes individual jury members for each country.  While the results have never been officially released or confirmed, the 25 May 1956 issue of the Italian newspaper "La Stampa", published the day after the contest, claimed that each jury member ranked each song between 1 and 10 points, meaning each song could have obtained a maximum of 120 to 140 points; depending on whether jury members also voted for their own country's two songs, and that the winner, "Refrain", got in total 102 points, 72.8% of the theoretical votes available for each song

Lost tapes.

While the contest was shown and recorded for television broadcasting in some European countries (as television sets were somewhat uncommon still at this time), no copies have survived, with the exception of Lys Assia's repeat performance at the end of the contest. It is one of only two contests to not have survived completely, along with the one of 1964 (which footage was destroyed in a fire).

Participating countries.

Seven countries participated in the first ever contest, each were represented with two songs. Two more countries, Austria and Denmark, were also expected to take part in the contest, but they missed the submission deadline and therefore could not take part. Although it was thought that the were also expected to take part, it was later revealed by the EBU in January 2017 that it was a mythical fact created by fans of the contest. The EBU further went on to explain that the ""Festival of British Popular Song"", a contest created by the BBC for the United Kingdom, was the inspiration that brought in changes to the contest format from.

Conductors.

Each performance had a maestro who conducted the orchestra. The conductors listed conducted both performances for the indicated countries.

Results.

Except for the winning song, the results have never been published. Simon Barclay's book series "The Complete and Independent Guide to the Eurovision Song Contest" includes a table with what appears to be the rankings, but the author does not give a source. Under the chart, he writes that "the votes awarded have never been disclosed." According to writer Jan Feddersen, "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" was most likely voted No. 2 behind Lys Assia.

International broadcasts.

The participating national broadcasters sent commentators to the contest, in order to provide coverage of the contest in their own native language. Details of the commentators and the broadcasting station that they represented are shown in the table below.

The Eurovision Song Contest 1956 was the inaugural edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lugano, Switzerland, and was held at the Teatro Kursaal on Thursday 24 May 1956

Eurovision Song Contest 1956 byl 1. ročník hudební soutěže pro členy EVU. Soutěž se konala 24. května 1956 ve švýcarském Luganu.


Legend of the double kingship.

After the death of Aristodemus the Spartans consulted the oracle at Delphi concerning which of his twin sons should rule. The oracle advised them to set up a dual monarchy. Theras, Argeia's, brother was made regent. There was still a necessity of designating the elder. They chose the one the mother fed and cleaned first, Eurysthenes. Consequently, the Eurypontid line was the less senior in status and decision-making,

Dates of the reigns of the first nine kings of the Eurypontid line.

The untimely death of Aristodemus with other events has served as some basis for dating the reigns of the first nine kings of Sparta in the line known by state definition as the Eurypontid. The Return of the Heracleidae, which is the closest event to a Dorian Invasion available in legend, must coincide with the entry of Aristodemus and his brethren into Arcadia, which, based on the chronology of Eratosthenes, happened 328 years before the generally accepted date of the first year of the first Olympiad, 776 BC. Eratosthenes' date is therefore 1104 BC. This must be the year of Aristodemus' military activity in Arcadia, his fatherhood and his assassination. Procles was therefore born in 1104 BC, which was the first year of his reign, if the regency of Theras is discounted.  Pausanias states that the end of the First Messenian War was the first year of the 14th Olympiad. The date must have been 724/723 BC if the first year of the first Olympiad was 776/775 BC. Kings Polydorus of the Agiads and Theopompus of the Eurypontids were reigning at that time, roughly in mid-reign. The end of the war must be 379 years from the return of the Heraclids. According to Isaac Newton, also a classical scholar, the nine kings reigned an average of 42 years each, which can be used as an estimator of the dates. The less senior line has a slightly lower mortality rate than the senior line. Procles' reign might be estimated at 1104–1062, except that some sources say he died one year before Eurysthenes. Taking into account both pieces of information, the estimate would be 1104–1063. An alternative would be to accept the 1104-1062 and extend the estimate for Eurysthenes to 1104–1061. In either the case margin of error remains unknown, as much of the data is relatively uncertain.

In Greek legends, Procles (, "the renowned") was one of the Heracleidae, a great-great-great-grandson of Heracles, and a son of Aristodemus and Argia. His twin was Eurysthenes. Together they received the land of Lacedaemon after Cresphontes, Temenus and Aristodemus defeated Tisamenus, the last Achaean king of the Peloponnesus. Procles married Anaxandra, daughter of Thersander, King of Kleonoe, sister of his sister-in-law Lathria, and was the father of Soos and the grandfather of Eurypon, founder of the Eurypontid dynasty of the Kings of Sparta.

Prokles nebo Proklés (–"Prokles", jiný přepis: "Proklés") byl prvním králem Sparty (možná mýtickým) královské linie Eurypontovců. Vládl pravděpodobně v desátém století před Kr. Jeho spolukrálem a zakladatelem královského rodu Agiovců byl bratr Eurysthenes.