Plot.

The movie begins with a pair of hands typing on a typewriter. The denizens of a nameless city "in the year XX" have lost their voices. People communicate by mouthing out words that are spelled mid-air. The only person who has kept the use of her voice is La Voz ("the voice"), a singer working for the sole TV channel broadcast in the city, run by Mr. TV, who desires La Voz. La Voz wears a hood over her head that hides away her face. She has a son called Tomás, an eyeless little kid who nonetheless also has a voice (although this is kept a secret). Tomás lives next door to Ana, whom he one day befriends after a letter addressed to his house is erroneously delivered to hers.  Ana's parents are estranged - he works for Mr. TV as a TV repairman, she is a nurse at a hospital. When Ana loses a "balloon man" owned by the channel, her father and grandfather are fired from the studio. Soon enough, Ana's father stumbles upon evidence that La Voz has been kidnapped, and, together with Mr. TV's vengeful son, they set out to spy on Mr. TV. Ana's father pays his ex-wife to let them into the hospital, where Mr. TV and his henchman Dr. Y (a scientist whose lower head has been replaced with a TV screen showing a mouth) subject La Voz to a series of experiments of dubious nature. They plan to use La Voz's unique power to finally subdue the denizens of the city. However, Dr. Y theorizes that a second voice might counter the effect of La Voz's. Mr. TV's outraged son comes out of hiding, is overpowered, and then put away, by his father's henchmen, whereas Ana's father manages to escape with the aid of his wife.  The reconciled couple manage to rescue Ana and Tomás from Mr. TV's henchmen (led by a masked, malformed man referred to as "the Rat Man") and meet with the grandfather. Since Mr. TV is going to broadcast La Voz's voice and thus subdue all citizens, they have to broadcast a second voice to counter the effect. The grandfather suggests using an old station, The Aerial, abandoned in the outskirts of the city, in the snowy mountains. Tomás, Ana and her parents don inflatable suits (equal to those donned by "balloon men") which send them floating up in the sky. Just as the grandfather finishes elevating them, the Rat Man and his henchmen arrive and shoot him. The family are then propelled away into the mountains.  Meanwhile, Mr. TV and Dr. Y initiate the broadcast during a boxing match. The citizens become hypnotized and subsequently fall asleep. Words then start oozing out of their bodies - the machine that sucked out their voice now takes their words out of them. In The Aerial, the Rat Man and his henchmen storm into the station, stopping short Tomás's transmission. Ana's father and the Rat Man fight over a gun and stumble into a secret room in the station that reveals The Aerial's director, a young girl fitted inside a glass orb that oversees the production of the drugged food that keeps citizens under Mr. TV's control.  The gun goes off and kills The Aerial's director, who turns into an old woman after dying, and Ana knocks down the Rat Man. Back at the lab, Tomás's transmission sends Dr. Y into a choking fit and is finished off by Mr. TV. The transmissions counter each other and the citizens wake up, now able to use their voice (albeit without being able to speak). In the end, the family comes out of The Aerial, trying their new voices.

Deleted scenes.

The DVD contains a number of deleted scenes that expand on the movie. Among these are featured a scene presenting the Rat Man looking at a family portrait of anthropomorphic mice, a scene leading to Ana's father and grandfather being fired (as well as a shorter episode where the grandfather laments the dismissal), a scene depicting La Voz stripping in front of Mr. TV (followed by her drugging and kidnapping), an altogether different introduction for Dr. Y (as well as a presentation of the transmission device) and both an alternate beginning and ending. The alternate beginning differs from the one in the final cut in that it explains the existence of "balloon men". The alternate ending does not contradict the final cut ending but rather expands on it: in the ending, after Mr. TV has finished Dr. Y off, La Voz frees herself from her bondage and realizes much to her rage that she now has a face but apparently cannot talk anymore. She then takes hold of a remote control and "deletes" Mr. TV. It also shows Mr. TV's son freeing himself from a chained television and proceeding to write on a typewriter (the shots matching those of two hands writing on a typewriter at the beginning of the film).

Production.

The movie's script consisted of a mere 60 pages and a story-board of over 3,000 shots that took 5 months to draw. Principal shooting took 11 weeks and the post-production took more than a year for completion.

Exhibition.

The film premièred at the Rotterdam Film Festival on 24 January 2007. It was the first time in 36 years that a film was chosen for both the official competition and opening of the Rotterdam Film Festival.  It was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom on 16 May 2008 by Dogwoof Pictures, with a DVD-Video release following on 18 August 2008.

Critical reception.

Film critics liked the film, with one writing, "This was the most original film that I have seen since last year's "Pan's Labyrinth." What was even more amazing was that the budget was estimated at $1.5 million, quite a bit of money in Argentina, but not for Hollywood. It just proves that you do not need $60 million dollars to do a film, especially one of quality. On a critical note, some viewers will be overwhelmed by the fast pace of the screenplay. Plus, with so many metaphors, one might have difficulty keeping up with what is actually going on. The production crew, headed by Daniel Gimelberg, brings out Esteban Sepir's imagination in full throttle."

Awards.

Wins

La Antena (English: The Aerial) is a 2007 Argentine drama film written and directed by Esteban Sapir. The film stars Valeria Bertuccelli, Alejandro Urdapilleta, Julieta Cardinali, with Rafael Ferro and Florencia Raggi in supporting roles.

La Antena ist ein 2007 erschienener dystopischer Science-Fiction-Film des argentinischen Regisseurs Esteban Sapir. Mit einer fast ausschließlich aus Musik bestehenden Tonspur, bewusst künstlichen Kulissen, in Schwarzweiß fotografierten Bildern und Anspielungen auf Filme wie "Die Reise zum Mond" (1902) und "Metropolis" (1927) ist "La Antena" eine Hommage an die Stummfilmära.


Name.

The name "Friends of God" may have been influenced by various sources. A number of biblical passages use the term (e.g. Judges 8.22, James 2.23, Exodus 33.11, Psalm 138.17, Wisdom 7.27, Lk 12.4, John 15.15) The concept of friendship with God had also been applied by various medieval authors, and particularly among Meister Eckhart and his followers.

History.

The movement grew out of the preaching and teaching of Meister Eckhart, and especially his Dominican spiritual heirs the preacher John Tauler and the writer Henry Suso. An influence on the Friends of God, although remaining in the background, was the secular priest Henry of Nördlingen, from the Bavarian Oberland, who met Tauler and Suso in Basel in 1339. had a great deal of interaction with other Bavarian and German mystics and introduced the Friends of God to "The Flowing Light of the Deity" by Mechthild of Magdeburg.  The group achieved a nascent institutional form in 1367 when wealthy layman Rulman Merswin purchased and restored a derelict monastery in Strasbourg known as the "grünenwörth" ('Green Isle'). Grünenwörth served as a refuge for study for the Friends of God and as a “school of prophets” which produced a number of mystical texts. Merswin is suspected of being the anonymous author The Friend of God from the Oberland.  The Friends of God, as led by Tauler and Suso, sought a mystical path in line with established Catholic doctrine, following Thomas Aquinas. Rulman Merswin, under the guidance of The Friend of God from the Oberland, wanted to purify the Church. This stress on reform brought The Friends of God into conflict with the Church and not long after Merswin’s death in 1382, they were condemned.  After Merswin's death, some sources claim that Nicholas of Basel became the leader. He was eventually burned at the stake with two of his followers for heresy at Vienna around 1395. The relationship of Nicholas of Basel to the Friends of God is unclear as he was condemned as a Beghard.  Another prominent member, Martin of Mainz, a follower of Nicholas of Basel, was also burned for heresy in 1393.

Texts.

A number of mystical texts are associated with The Friends of God, most notably the Theologia Germanica and the Book of the Nine Rocks. Many of the works were attributed to The Friend of God from the Oberland, although probably written by Rulman Merswin himself.

The Friends of God (German: Gottesfreunde; or gotesvriunde) was a medieval mystical group of both ecclesiastical and lay persons within the Catholic Church (though it nearly became a separate sect) and a center of German mysticism. It was founded between 1339 and 1343 during the Avignon Papacy of the Western Schism, a time of great turmoil for the Catholic Church. The Friends of God were originally centered in Basel, Switzerland, and were also fairly important in Strasbourg and Cologne. Some late-nineteenth century writers made large claims for the movement, seeing it both as influential in fourteenth-century mysticism and as a precursor of the Protestant Reformation. Modern studies of the movement, however, have emphasised the derivative and often second-rate character of its mystical literature, and its limited impact on medieval literature in Germany.

Gottesfreunde bezeichnet eine religiöse Bewegung im Umfeld der deutschen Mystik des 14. Jahrhunderts, die sich nicht in festen Strukturen organisierte und daher im Einzelnen schwer abgrenzbar ist.


The Library of the Humanist School.

In 1441, the municipal authorities of Sélestat appointed Ludwig Dringenberg, born in Westphalia, to be the leader of the local Latin school. The appointment proved to be a stroke of luck. Dringenberg turned out to be a gifted and committed educator, who had an open attitude toward intellectual trends of the time. Under his leadership emerged the first school on the Upper Rhine where Humanist thinking was fostered. His successors, Kraft Hofman (1477–1501), Hieronymus Gebwiler (1501–1509) and Hans Sapidus (1510–1525), knew how to increase the reputation of the school still further. Thus, the school was the training place of an entire generation of Alsatian Humanists. The school also had a library which steadily grew in extent through endowments and gifts (from Jakob Wimpfeling of Sélestat, among others).

The Library of Beatus Rhenanus.

Beatus Rhenanus bequeathed his entire private library to his home city of Sélestat. This library contained about 670 bound leather volumes at the time of this death in 1547, which Rhenanus had collected during his studies and his work in Strasbourg, Basel, Paris and Sélestat. Even at that time, the library was of inestimable value, since books were only published in small numbers of copies and they were extremely expensive. The library of Beatus Rhenanus is the only larger Humanist library preserved virtually intact. Other large libraries, such as those of Erasmus von Rotterdam or Johannes Reuchlin, were scattered after the deaths of their owners.  The Library of Beatus Rhenanus was inscribed in the UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2011.

The Humanists of Sélestat.

The Alsatian Humanists closely associated with the expansion of the library include:

The Library today.

Since 1889, both libraries have been housed under a single roof in a former covered market near the Gothic church of Saint George. The library is publicly accessible as a museum and the books can be consulted by scholars and researchers. The collection boasts as many as 550 incunabula, 460 ancient and modern manuscripts, 2,200 16th century prints, 1,600 17th century prints and 2,600 18th century prints, including the Sélestat Lectionary. The rooms also display a collection of 15th and 16th century Upper-Rhenish religious paintings and sculpture.

The Humanist Library in Sélestat is one of the most important cultural treasures of Alsace, France. According to a traditional saying, Alsace has three great treasures: Strasbourg Cathedral, the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar and the Humanist Library in Sélestat. Actually, there are in fact two Renaissance humanist libraries involved, the library of the Humanist School and the private library of the famous scholar, Beatus Rhenanus (1485–1547).

Die Humanistenbibliothek (franz. "Bibliothèque humaniste") in Schlettstadt gehört zu den bedeutendsten kulturellen Schätzen des Elsass. Ein Ausspruch lautet: Das Elsass besitze drei große Schätze: das Straßburger Münster, den Isenheimer Altar in Colmar und die Humanistenbibliothek in Schlettstadt.


History.

After the KWE took over the Münster-Hamm Railway Company ("Münster-Hammer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft"), together with its line to Münster, in 1855, it continued this line to the north in 1856. In Rheine it connected with the Royal Hanoverian State Railways' Emsland Railway to Emden and through it to the Almelo–Salzbergen railway of the "Spoorweg-Maatschappij Almelo-Salzbergen" (Almelo-Salzbergen railway company).  In 1870, the MEE received a concession to build a new line to the Netherlands and started construction from Münster to Enschede. When it became insolvent in 1874, the KWE took it over and continued construction of the line to Gronau. The last part to Enschede was built and subsequently operated jointly with the Dortmund-Gronau-Enschede Railway Company ("Dortmund-Gronau-Enscheder Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft", DGEE).  The new line was opened on 30 September 1875 and the DGEE opened the last section of the Dortmund–Enschede railway between Coesfeld and Enschede on the same day. Two weeks later, on 15 October 1875, the section to Enschede was official opened for passenger traffic.  As a result of the Second World War, this section was inoperative from 1940 to 1951. Freight traffic ended in the autumn of 1979 and regular passenger services ended exactly two years later on 26 September 1981. The line was officially downgraded to a branch line on 1 March 1982 and the line was closed between Gronau and Enschede on 15 June 1985 with a special train trip. In the early 1990s the idea developed to build a Euroregion cycling path on the closed section. These plans were not pursued further. In 1996, a Dutch-German working group was established with the aim of reopening the line. Initially it was expected to have about 2,000 passengers per day. A public agreement to restart passenger services between Enschede and Gronau was signed on 18 November 1998. A short time later, the first work began, so that the line was reopened on 16 November 2001. The stations of Glanerbrug and Enschede De Eschmarke were added to the line.  Although the line is identical with the line to Rheine for the first kilometres to Nevinghoff, the Royal Westphalian Railway built a separate track parallel to the existing line. It was dismantled during the reconstruction of the line after the Second World War.  A special feature of the railway is the Metelen Land railway museum at Metelen Land station.

Current operations.

Since the re-commissioning of the Dutch section of the line, the whole length of the line between Münster and Enschede has been served hourly by Regionalbahn service RB 64 ("Euregio-Bahn"). Between Gronau and Enschede, it alternates with the RB 51 ("Westmünsterland-Bahn") service, which is operated by DB Regio NRW (which was operated by Prignitzer Eisenbahn GmbH between 2004 and 2012), creating a half-hourly service on this section. There are connections in Enschede to Dutch InterCity services on the Amersfoort–Schiphol, Amersfoort–Utrecht–Rotterdam, Amersfoort–Utrecht–Den Haag routes and local services on the Almelo–Zwolle and Almelo–Deventer–Apeldoorn routes. Services are operated using 1 to 3 Bombardier Talent diesel multiple units. The average speed is about 49 km/h.  The extension to Enschede led to disproportionate passenger growth. The Euregio service is now one of the most important rail services in Western Münsterland and is used by thousands of commuters daily. On weekends, many German passengers use this line to go to the market in Enschede. Similarly, many Dutch people use the Euregio train to visit Münster for example. The line is used by many students on workdays to travel from Münster to Standort Steinfurt to reach the Münster University of Applied Sciences. The capacity during the peak hour, however, is very limited.  There are additional late connections on Friday and Saturday nights and on the eve of public holidays.  The Euregio-Bahn was previously operated as part of the Münster West Network diesel network under the auspices of the "Zweckverbands Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe" (Local transport association of Westphalia-Lippe, NWL). After a temporary suspension of the tender on 28 April 2010, it was announced that DB Regio Westphalia has been awarded the contract for this network. It has the contract to operate it for 15 years from December 2011.

Development.

On 23 November 2008, DB Netz put in operation an electronic interlocking bases in Coesfeld. The electronic interlocking currently controls traffic on the Münster–Enschede line, including the branch to Coesfeld. The line speed on the Münster Zentrum Nord–Burgsteinfurt section was increased to 100 km/h from 80 km/h or 90 km/h.  As the use of the trains has been on the rise in recent years, which is attributed to commuter traffic to the university located in Steinfurt and the attractiveness of the modernisation of the line, services are approaching the limits of their capacity. As a result, the "Zweckverband SPNV Münsterland" (public transport association of Münsterland) initiated the discussion on electrification in February 2012, allowing the line to be operated with double-deck cars. It would also be possible to use diesel-hauled double-deck cars, but diesel engines would not be as efficient as electric locomotives.  In September 2012, the council of the Münster district published a list of rail projects as a submission to the new Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan ("Bundesverkehrswegeplan"), which is intended to be finalised in 2015. Among them is the electrification of the Münster-Enschede line. Its justification is listed as "increasing the line speed and increasing the service frequency by electrification and the occasional duplication of the line to enable greater service density".

The Münster–Enschede railway is a 64 km long, continuous single-track and non-electrified branch line from Münster via Gronau in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to Enschede in the Netherlands.

Die Bahnstrecke Münster–Enschede ist eine 64 Kilometer lange, durchgehend eingleisige und nicht elektrifizierte Nebenbahnstrecke von Münster über Gronau in Nordrhein-Westfalen nach Enschede in den Niederlanden.


History.

Class E.430 is the first example, worldwide, of an electric locomotive powered by three-phase current. It was built for Rete Adriatica (the Adriatic Network), which at that time operated the Ferrovia della Valtellina, by Ganz Works, for the electrical part, and by the Royal Hungarian State Machine Factory (MÁVAG), for the mechanical part. These were, at the time, the most advanced factories in the world in the electric railway sector. The locomotives were numbered 34.1 and 34.2 under the management of the Adriatic Network. Acquired in 1905 by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the numbering changed to 0341-0342 and in 1914 they were re-numbered E.430.1 and E.430.2.  Since the Valtellina lines were the first in Italy to use three-phase electric power for the haulage of trains, the E.430 was used from the beginning. The Adriatic Network had commissioned the entire electrification project from the Ganz company in Budapest. The equipment was built under the supervision of Kálmán Kandó, one of the pioneers of three-phase traction in Italy. The electrification work began in 1897, with the establishment of a government commission to experiment with different electrification systems: one with accumulators (Bologna - San Felice and Milan - Monza lines), one with direct current at 650 V from a third rail (Milan - Varese), and finally the three-phase system on the Valtellina line.  The tests of the electric power lines at 3,000 - 3,300 Volt, at frequency 15 - 16.7 Hz, powered by the Campovico hydroelectric plant were carried out between 26 July 1902 and 4 September 1902, while tests on the Lecco - Colico - Chiavenna and Colico - Sondrio lines officially began on 15 October 1902. The passenger service was entrusted to a fleet of 10 electric railcars belonging to Class RA 32, while the freight was entrusted to the two locomotives of Class RA 34 numbered 34.1 and 34.2 (later E.430 FS). The electric locomotives, built by Ganz and Mavag in 1901 and with a power of 440 kW and a haulage capacity of 300 tons, easily out-performed the steam locomotives of the time. The electric railcars, on the other hand, proved insufficient for hauling passenger trains and, subsequently de-motored, they were transformed into passenger coaches of Class RBz.  From 1928 the locomotives were removed from the Valtellina line and transferred to the stations at Bolzano and Fortezza where, from 1929, they were used as shunting locomotives to assemble trains of wagons in transit towards the Brenner Pass.

Technical details.

The design of the locomotive was unusual. It comprised two half-locomotives coupled back-to-back with a bellows joint in the middle of the cab. This gave the wheel arrangement of Bo+Bo, rather than the more common Bo-Bo bogie system in later years. Front and rear visibility was ensured by three glass panels and there were four more on each side. Windshield wipers and washers were not provided. Each half-locomotive had two axles with leaf springs.  The four 150-horsepower traction motors were mounted coaxially on the axles, with a bellcrank linkage to the wheels, similar to that also used for the Valtellina electric railcars. The wheels and motors were covered by sloping bonnets, each equipped with four doors to allow maintenance. Current collection was by two bow collectors, controlled by groups of four cylindrical springs each.

Preservation.

E.430.001 is in the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan. This is the unit once in service at Fortezza station. It is displayed in its later condition with modified current collectors and three large headlights.

The FS Class E.430 locomotives, initially classed as RA 34, were three-phase alternating current electric locomotives of the Italian railways. They were built for Ferrovia della Valtellina by Ganz and MÁVAG in 1901 and had a power output of 440 kW (about 600 metric horsepower) and a haulage capacity of 300 tons. One locomotive is preserved.

Die zwei Elektrolokomotiven der Baureihe 34 der Rete Adriatica wurden 1901 als erste Lokomotivserie für die oberitalienische Veltlinbahn des Rete Adriatica von der ungarischen Firma Ganz & Cie in Budapest gebaut.


Background.

Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF) (English:Swedish Football Association) was founded in Stockholm on 18 December 1904 and is the sports federation responsible for the promotion and administration of organised football in Sweden and also represents the country outside Sweden. SvFF is affiliated to the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).  Karl-Erik Nilsson has been the President since 2012. In 2009 there were 3,359 clubs affiliated to the Svenska Fotbollförbundet with a total of more than a million members, of whom about 500,000 were active players. Together, they accounted for almost one third of the total Swedish sports movement activities.  SvFF administers the Swedish men's respectively women's national football teams, other football teams and leagues including the Allsvenskan and Superettan. The motto of Swedish football – "one club in every village, football for all" – is reflected in the democratic constitution of Swedish football. All football competition in the nation is arranged by the SvFF and its 24 district organisations. The clubs are voting members at the annual meetings of the district organisations. The district organisations and the elite clubs are entitled to vote at the F.A.'s general meeting.  SvFF was the sole owner of Sweden's national stadium, the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, from 1999 until it was replaced in 2012 by Friends Arena, located about 1 kilometer away and also in Solna. SvFF is the lead partner in the consortium that owns the current stadium, and maintains its offices there (as it did at the prior stadium).  The Swedish Football Association Football Gala is held annually in November since 2005. It includes the award for the best male player (Guldbollen) and female players (Diamantbollen).  SvFF had a turnover 2008 of 554 MSEK.

Early history.

The first Swedish national football championship was played in 1896 but it was 7 years later in 1903 that the Riksidrottsförbundet was formed which was to be the precursor to the Svenska Fotbollförbundet. The new organisation had a football and hockey section (hockey being the term for bandy at that time and not ice hockey or field hockey). In 1904 Sweden was one of 7 nations that founded FIFA. It also introduced ice hockey to Sweden in 1920, before the 1922 establishment of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Before the 1925 establishment of the Swedish Bandy Association, the Swedish Football Association also administered organized bandy in Sweden.  In 1906 the name Svenska Fotbollförbundet (Swedish Football Association) was officially accepted and the following year SvFF was officially voted into FIFA. On 12 July 1908, Sweden's first international match was played in which Norway were defeated 11–3 in Gothenburg. However the Olympics were a disappointment for Sweden, losing 1–12 to England and 0–2 to the Netherlands.

Competitions.

Svenska Fotbollförbundet is responsible for organising the following competitions:

District Football Associations.

Swedish football is built on a single pyramid league system. While the SvFF administers the top leagues, the 24 district or regional associations administers youth football and the lower tier leagues from Division 4 (men) and Division 3 (women), respectively, and further below.  The 24 district organisations are as follows:

The Swedish Football Association () also known as SvFF is the governing and body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues – Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women – and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA. SvFF is supported by 24 district organisations.

Der Svenska Fotbollförbundet ("SvFF") ist ein schwedischer Sportverband und der Dachverband des schwedischen Fußballs. Der Verband wurde am 18. Dezember 1904 gegründet.


Biography.

Representative of the so-called "Generation of the 50s", a term suggested by Lafourcade himself in 1954 to describe authors born between 1920 and 1934 who began to flourish in the 1950s and broke apart in content and style from the previous regional style known as "Criollismo"; and more widely within the "boom generation" in Latin America, also known as Latin American Boom, a generation of writers who produced an explosion of works in the mid 20th century and decades that followed, which included five Nobel Prize winners Miguel Ángel Asturias (Guatemala) in 1967, Pablo Neruda (Chile) in 1971, Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia) in 1982, Octavio Paz (Mexico) in 1990, and Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) in 2010, and several other influential intellectual authors such as Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar in Argentina.

Writing.

As a writer, Lafourcade has published at least 24 novels (over 30 by some accounts) and over a dozen anthologies and collections of short stories and essays. His novel "Palomita Blanca" (1971) sold over a million copies, making it one of the all-time best sellers in Chile. This novel was translated to several languages and brought to the screen by Chilean-French director Raúl Ruiz. Lafourcade's latest novel, "El Inesperado" (2004), imagines the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud in Africa, and though a work of fiction, it is inspired by the letters of the poet and three years of additional research. The novel was launched on 20 October 2004, matching the 150th anniversary of the birth the poet.  Other titles include (not an exhaustive list): "Pena de Muerte" (1952), "Para Subir al Cielo" (1959), "la Fiesta del Rey Acab" (1959), "El principe y las Ovejas" (1961), "Invencion a Dos Voces" (1963), "Novela de Navidad" (1965), "Pronombres Personales" (1967), "Frecuencia Modulada" (1968), "En el Fondo" (1973), "Salvador Allende" (1973), "Variaciones sobre el tema de Nastasia Filippovna y el Principe Mishkin" (1974), "Tres Terroristas" (1977), "Buddha y los Chocolates Envenenados" (1977), "Adios al Führer" (1982), "El Gran Taimado" (1984), "Los Hijos del Arco Iris" (1985), "Las Senales van Hacia el Sur" (1988), "Pepita de Oro" (1989), "Hoy Esta Solo mi Corazon" (1990), "Mano Bendita" (1993), and "Cristianas Viejas y Limpias" (1997).  Lafourcade has been the recipient of various literary awards in his country, such as the prestigious Municipal Prize, the Gabriela Mistral Prize and the Maria Luisa Bombal Prize, awarded to the best novel of the year.

Journalism.

Self-described as "a sentimental anarchist and catholic in a state of wilderness", it is as a journalist and critic that Lafourcade is best known. For years he has written an editorial for the newspaper "El Mercurio" (the largest in the country), focusing on literature but with incursions into politics, cultural issues and subjects of impact upon the nation. Some of his most critical articles, written in an often mordant style, have produced the ire of dictators and politicians in Chile and other Latin American countries and occasionally generated diplomatic apologies.  He has appeared in numerous television programs, both as guest and as part of recurring panels of cultural critics. His ironic and often sarcastic style as well as his impudent way of offering opinions on just about everything and everybody has more than once produced a commotion in the country, making "Lafourcade" a household name in Chile. Numerous anecdotes surround his name, including engaging in a fist fight with another journalist during a live television program. For some time he wrote a gastronomic review under the name of "Conde de Lafourchette" ("fourchette" meaning "fork" in French) in the journal "El Mercurio", where he gave his uncensored opinion about restaurants and their food, reason for which he is feared by restaurant owners across the country. Allegedly, waiters are instructed to call upon the owner or general manager as soon as they see Lafourcade walking in. In 1997 he published the book "La cocina erótica del conde Lafourchette (The Erotic Cuisine of Count Lafourchette)".  He has publicly declared himself an "unrelenting enemy of ignorance and incompetence." He is believed to have just as many enemies as he has friends, to the point that for years rumors circulated of a group of people gathering signatures to "expel Lafourcade from Chile".

Personal life.

According to public records, Lafourcade was married three times: with Chilean-born Canadian artist Maria Luisa Segnoret; with Chilean writer and journalist Marcela Godoy Divin; and recently with Chilean painter Rossana Pizarro Garcia, with whom he has reportedly lived for nearly 20 years now. He also had a long relationship with Chilean writer and journalist Marta Blanco, with whom he lived together for seven years and were assumed to be married. He is the father of three children, Dominique, Octavio, and Nicole.  Lafourcade is part of a family of writers and musicians, where his cultural influence is undeniable. Octavio is a classical musician (lute and guitar), member of the group of ancient Spanish music "Capella de Ministrers". His daughter Nicole is a poet and literary translator, member of Café Literarte. His brother Gaston Lafourcade is a musician (harpsichord) and instructor at the Universidad Autonoma de México; and his niece, Natalia Lafourcade (Gaston's daughter), born in Mexico, has become a famous rock pop star.

Enrique Eduardo Lafourcade Valdenegro (14 October 1927 – 29 July 2019) was a Chilean writer, critic and journalist from Santiago.

Enrique Lafourcade (* 14. Oktober 1927 in Santiago de Chile; † 29. Juli 2019) war einer der wichtigsten Literaten Chiles.


Princess Maria Christina of Saxony (1735–1782)

Life.

She was the daughter of Augustus III of Poland, Elector of Saxony (as Frederick Augustus II), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (as Augustus II), and Maria Josepha of Austria, first cousin of Empress Maria Theresa.  Maria Christina was born at the Wilanów Palace in Poland. She came from a close family and her parents made sure they put emphasis on a good education. She was educated in Latin, French, Polish, philosophy, geography, religion, drawing, music and dance.  Her older sister Maria Josepha married Louis, Dauphin of France in 1747.

Abbess.

In 1764, Maria Christina was sent to France to become a Coadjutorice at the Abbey of Remiremont in Remiremont, northern France. Her position was thanks to the personal intervention of Louis XV himself.  At the time of her arrival, the abbey was under control of Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine, sister of the Holy Roman Emperor and aunt of the future Marie Antoinette.  In France, she was known as "Marie Christine de Saxe". In 1773, at the death of Anne Charlotte, Maria Christina was named Abbess, a position she would keep until her death.  Remiremont had seats and votes in the Reichstag including all rights and obligations of an Imperial Princess (such as low justice, tax, legislation, coinage and military service), and enjoyed immunity against temporal power.  She was a frequent visitor to Paris and was fond of the Theatre and the city's social life. She spent a great deal of money, the payment of which was made by Stanisław Leszczyński (Duke of Lorraine until his death in 1766) and after that the king Louis XV. Her correspondence with her brother Francis Xavier, Regent of Saxony was preserved at Trojes.  She was created a Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross.  Maria Christina bought the Château de Brumath in the town of Brumath in the Alsace region of France. Purchased in 1775, she chose the building for its location in the country and for its natural setting. She lived a lavish lifestyle at the château which far outdid her revenues.  Dying at the château on 19 November 1782, her nephew King Louis XVI was obliged to pay her debts in the amount of 136,876 livres for his dead aunt.  She was buried at the abbey in its "église des Dames" on the 15 December 1782. She was praised for her intelligence, her conversation and for being a cultivated woman for her age. The château de Brumath was abandoned and was pillaged in the French Revolution.

Princess Maria Christina of Saxony (Maria Christina Anna Theresa Salomea Eulalia Francisca Xaveria; 12 February 1735 – 19 November 1782) was a Princess of Saxony and later Abbess of Remiremont.

Maria Christina Anna Theresia Salomea Eulalia Franziska Xaveria von Sachsen und Polen (* 12. Februar 1735 in Warschau; † 19. November 1782 in Brumath) war eine aus der albertinischen Linie des Fürstengeschlechts der Wettiner stammende kursächsisch-polnische Prinzessin und später Sternkreuzordensdame sowie Fürstäbtissin des freiweltlichen Reichsstifts in Remiremont.


History.

Liberal Party 1905–1921.

The Liberal party got its start in power in Alberta when Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier appointed Alexander Rutherford, a prominent liberal and former elected NWT Assembly member, as interim premier in 1905. He and other Liberals organized the province's first election.  Rutherford's Liberal party was elected, with a majority of the popular vote and a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly in the province's first election, the 1905 Alberta election. The north-central constituency boundaries radiated out from Edmonton and some say this was a case of gerrymandered electoral boundaries. Rutherford emerged from the March 1909 election leading another formidable majority, that clearly reflected the broad popular support he and his government enjoyed. He would resign as premier 14 months later, in May 1910, after his government was implicated in the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal.  Arthur Sifton replaced Rutherford as premier. Shortly before the 1913 election Sifton's Liberals jammed through a controversial bill greatly expanding the size of the legislative assembly. The bill was once again said to gerrymander boundaries in Liberals' favor, although the Liberals again received more votes than any other party in the 1913 election. The press and opposition would term his reign as premier "Siftonism" implying that his reign was a disease on Alberta. Sifton only lasted one term as premier as he left to pursue a career in federal politics.  Charles Stewart replaced Sifton and held the Liberal government through the lackluster 1917 election which 11 MLAs serving in the armed forces were automatically re-elected. The elected opposition was the strongest so far in the province's 12-year history. The Conservatives, which formed the official opposition with 19 seats, slightly more than one-third of the seats in the Assembly, expressed hopes they had the upper hand on the waning Liberal government. Both would be surprised by the United Farmers who routed the Liberals and Conservatives in rural areas to form the government in the 1921 election.

United Farmers 1921–1935.

Alberta's second dynasty was the United Farmers of Alberta, a farmers' movement organization, formed in 1909 as a lobby group, whose political wing rose from a minor party named the Alberta Non-Partisan League, formed in 1916. Henry Wise Wood led the party at the time of the 1921 election, although he did not run himself. The loosely organized farmer candidates running in rural constituencies captured a majority of the seats. The party was allied with Labour candidates, so it did not contest urban ridings, aside from one in Edmonton. Wood did not want the job as premier so the farmers were forced to shop around. UFA lawyer John Brownlee was asked first but declined. UFA executive member Herbert Greenfield, the second choice, became the new premier, although he too had not run in the election so had to await success in a by-election to take his seat. Greenfield resigned four years later because he was often absent due to illness and lost much of his energy due to the death of his wife shortly after the election.  John Brownlee, who had previously been offered the job, succeeded Greenfield. Brownlee's reign as government leader was troubled by the onset of the Great Depression. He resigned in scandal after he was accused of sexual acts with a minor in the Attorney General's office. This and another scandalous divorce by UFA MLA Oran McPherson, speaker of the Legislative Assembly, gave the United Farmers an image of moral decay. In 1934 Richard Reid replaced Brownlee but served as premier for less than two years, leading the United Farmers government into total defeat at the hands of the new Social Credit party.

Social Credit 1935–1971.

Albertans turned away from the United Farmers government and began to follow evangelical radio preacher William Aberhart, known as Bible Bill. The Social Credit party had been founded in 1932. Voters flocked to the radical monetary reforms proposed by Aberhart and British SC theorist Clifford Douglas, looking for an escape to the Great Depression. Social Credit was elected with a majority (54 percent of the vote) in the 1935 election completely wiping out the United Farmers representation (although the UFA did receive 11 percent of the vote). Aberhart had difficulty implementing the Social Credit theory and his popularity began to decline. His government almost fell during a 1936 caucus rebellion, in which his own MLAs forced him to promise to try to reform the banking system. But it rebounded and in the 1940 election it garnered more votes than any other party and also captured a large majority of the seats. Aberhart died in 1943; he is the only premier to die in office in Alberta's history.  Ernest Manning succeeded Aberhart as premier. Under Manning, Social Credit moved away from the monetary theory of Douglas and towards traditional conservatism. Manning led the party through seven-straight massive majorities, (although in 1955 his government received barely more seats than Aberhart had received in 1940, due to a strong but short-lived Liberal drive). After 24 years as premier, Manning resigned in 1967.  Harry Strom, a long time cabinet minister, replaced Manning and led the party to defeat in the 1971 election at the hands of the Progressive Conservatives under Peter Lougheed. Strom and his government looked old and tired and out of touch compared to the new Progressive Conservatives.

Progressive Conservative 1971–2015.

The fourth government of Alberta was first led by Peter Lougheed, defeating the 36-year reign of Social Credit in 1971.  Peter Lougheed served as premier, winning four elections, until 1985 when he retired from public office. Some of Lougheed's notable accomplishments were the limited Alberta Bill of Rights, and the Heritage Trust Fund.  Don Getty, one of Lougheed's long-time cabinet ministers, returned to politics to win the leadership of the party. Getty's premiership was endorsed by a win in the 1986 general election that saw the NDP climb to 16 seats as the official opposition. Getty's reign became very unpopular as he led Alberta into large deficit spending, and marked an era of big government that, some said, the province could not afford. In the 1989 election he was defeated in his Edmonton-Whitemud riding, while his party still won a majority. He sat in the gallery as an unelected Premier until he won a seat in a by-election in Stettler. His refusal to leave as premier helped Laurence Decore's Liberals skyrocket in popularity. Getty resigned and was replaced in a bitter leadership battle by Ralph Klein.  Ralph Klein, the former mayor of Calgary, led the party into the 1993 election, promising a new era of debt reduction and fiscal accountability. He walked away with a slim majority. Ralph Klein's folksy appeal helped the Progressive Conservatives renew themselves. He led the party through two elections, gaining in popularity each time. The price of oil rebounded and the government, despite low rates of taxes on the wealthy and corporations, was showing a surplus of $3 billion every year. In early 2004, Klein announced that the Alberta debt had been paid in full. He was rewarded by voters in the 2004 election, despite running a campaign with no new policies. His party lost a number of seats to the Liberals, and during the campaign he stated this would be his last election. In 2006 at a Progressive Conservative convention delegates forced him to pick a retirement date by giving him relatively low numbers in a leadership review.  Ed Stelmach succeeded Klein as premier, following his win of the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative party in 2006. He won the 2008 provincial election, but, troubled by dissension within his party as well as lagging in polls behind the upstart Wildrose Party, resigned as the party celebrated its 40 years in power in 2011.  Alison Redford subsequently was elected party leader and became the first female Premier of Alberta. Despite strong opposition from the Wildrose Party that most polls and media predicted would end the PC's 41-year dynasty, Redford and the PC party won re-election in April 2012, making Redford Alberta's first elected female premier. Due to a steep decline in approval ratings and a spending controversy, Alison Redford announced her resignation on March 19, 2014, as premier of Alberta, effective March 23.  Alberta Deputy Premier Dave Hancock was selected as premier and interim party leader by the Progressive Conservative caucus on March 20, 2014, and became premier on March 23, 2014.  Jim Prentice was elected as the permanent leader of the PC Party on September 6, 2014 and succeeded Hancock as premier on September 15, 2014. He turned the government around on a number of crucial issues, cancelling the closure of the Michener Centre, for example. He was elected to the constituency of Calgary-Foothill in an October 27, 2014 by-election, as the PC Party won the four by-elections held that day while the rival Wildrose Party did very poorly. Less than two months later, most of the Wildrose Party caucus—including leader Danielle Smith, crossed the floor to sit with the PC Party. However, Prentice government's popularity dropped sharply by spring 2015, due to a budget that was unpopular among the political spectrum, with the collapse in PC support also attributed to falling oil prices and the past scandals under the Redford government. Prentice had over a year before he was obliged to dissolve the legislature, nonetheless he decided to call a snap election. On May 5, 2015, the PC Party's 44 straight years of government ended as they lost 60 seats in the Legislature to fall to third place in the legislature, while the NDP won a majority government over the resurgent Wildrose Party which finished second and become the Official Opposition. Prentice resigned as party leader and as an MLA, leaving the PC Party with only 9 seats.

New Democratic Party 2015–2019.

Rachel Notley was appointed and sworn in as premier on May 24, 2015, following her party's having won a strong majority in the 2015 general election, with 54 out of 87 seats in the Legislature. The NDP's surprise victory was attributed to the unpopularity of the Prentice government's budget, a strong performance by Notley in the leaders' debates, and splitting of the right-wing vote between the PC and Wildrose Parties. On May 22, 2015, Notley suspended a caucus member, leaving her party with 53 out of 87 seats, which did not change the balance of power in the legislature. The NDP held 52 seats at the time of the legislature's dissolution in March 2019, and were defeated in the ensuing general election on April 16, 2019, making it the first one-term government in provincial history.

United Conservative Party 2019–present.

On April 16, 2019, Jason Kenney successfully led the United Conservative Party to a majority government in the 2019 Alberta general election, defeating the incumbent government led by Rachel Notley of the New Democratic Party with 63 seats and 54.88% of the popular vote and securing only the fifth change of government in Alberta's political history. Kenney, a former federal cabinet minister, had entered provincial politics to become PC Party leader where he led its merger with Wildrose, and then won the leadership of the newly combined party, the UCP.

List of premiers.

Premiers of the North-West Territories Premiers of Alberta

Longest and shortest terms.

Ernest Manning is the longest serving Premier at 25 years and 7 months. Dave Hancock served the shortest term with just short of 6 months in office as Premier.

Living former premiers.

, four former premiers are alive, the oldest being Ed Stelmach (2006–2011, born 1951). The most recently former premier to die was Jim Prentice (2014–2015), on October 13, 2016.

The list of premiers of Alberta consists of the 18 leaders of government of the Canadian province of Alberta since it was created in 1905. Three were Liberal, three were United Farmers of Alberta, three were Social Credit, one was New Democrat, and seven were Progressive Conservative. The current Premier of Alberta is Jason Kenney.

Diese Liste führt die Premierminister (engl. "premier") der kanadischen Provinz Alberta seit der Gründung im Jahr 1905 auf. Alberta besitzt ein Einkammernparlament mit einer auf dem Westminster-System basierenden parlamentarischen Regierung. Dabei ist der Premierminister zugleich Vorsitzender jener Partei, die in der Legislativversammlung die meisten Sitze hält. Der Premierminister tritt als Regierungschef auf, während das Staatsoberhaupt, der kanadische Monarch, durch einen Vizegouverneur "(lieutenant governor)" vertreten wird. Außerdem stellt der Premierminister aus den Reihen der gewählten Abgeordneten die als Exekutivrat bezeichnete Regierung zusammen und steht dieser vor.


Game Story.

Card game/Nintendo DS game.

Dr. Spike Taylor was on a paleontology mission in Africa with his son Max and his friend Rex. Max discovers stone slabs and finds dinosaurs are calling them for help. An evil organization called the "Alpha Gang", led by the nefarious Dr. Z, traveled back in time to hunt down the dinosaurs and use them to take over the world. It is up to Max and Rex to travel around the world, defeating Dr. Z and the Alpha Gang while hunting down the dinosaurs (Later, the story varies as the arcade game machine keeps on upgrading).

Anime Story.

First season.

Max Taylor is the son of paleontologist Dr. Spike Taylor. After falling out of bed early one morning and witnessing a meteor fall from the sky, Max sets out with his friends Rex Owen and Zoe Drake into a forest where the meteor had crashed. They find stones with the symbols for lightning, wind, and grass on them and a card with a picture of a Triceratops on it. The Triceratops that is later named Chomp is accidentally activated when Max rubs the card on the stone. The D-Team meet their new enemies in the Alpha Gang consisting of Dr. Z, Ursula, Zander, Ed, Seth, Laura, Rod, Helga, and the Alpha Droids. The Alpha Gang plans to obtain the Dinosaur Cards that were lost when their time machine exploded and stranded them in the present. Rex activated a Carnotaurus card which was named Ace and Zoe activated a Parasaurolophus which was named Paris. The D-Team and Alpha Gang often clash for possession of dinosaurs that are activated when their cards are activated. In the finale, Seth turns on his comrades with his Black Tyrannosaurus which is ultimately defeated. Seth attempts to bring Chomp back to the past which fails and Seth is sent into the past alone. The D-Team surrender their dinosaurs to Rex's original parents, with many tears.

Second season.

In the second series, the Alpha Gang and the Ancients return. While the parents are talking, they are kidnapped by Gavro, a member of the Spectral Space Pirates. This causes the Alpha Gang and D-Team to join forces against the Space Pirates in their plot to obtain cosmic jewels known as the Cosmos Stones. Seth later returns as an ally to the Spectral Space Pirates after they saved him from the time portal. Spectre, the leader of the Space Pirates, provides the dinosaur cards. In episode 75, Seth seems to become a traitor as he appeals to the D-Team for help saying that they forced him to help them. However, it was really a trick to get the two Cosmos Stones in D-Team's control, despite the fact that he attacks and defeats his comrades two episodes later. In the end although the Spectral Space Pirates manage to catch all seven Cosmos Stones, Seth and the Pterosaur defeat the Black Pterosaur. Rex, his parents, and the Alpha Gang leave to their own time as the Spectral Space Pirates are floating around in a pod.

Gameplay.

There are different cards to collect and use in order to play Dinosaur King. The barcodes are located on the long edges of the cards for the player to scan them in the machine. There are four types of cards used in this game; "Dinosaur", "move", "character" and "super move" cards.

Media.

The series was adapted into an anime television series,, which is made by Sunrise and premiered on TV Asahi on February 4, 2007. In 2008, an English adaptation aired on the 4Kids TV block on Fox, but moved to The CW's The CW4Kids block on September 6, 2008. Reruns of the series began airing on KidsClick from February 5, 2018 to August 24, 2018. Distribution of the series was first handed to Shout! Factory for three 5-episode DVD volumes from September 23, 2008 to June 30, 2009. On September 24, 2018, Discotek Media announced its license and has released the series on two SD Blu-ray sets for each season on November 27, 2018.  A video game based on the series was released by Sega for the Nintendo DS on September 23, 2008.  The "Dinosaur King" Trading Card game was released in the fall of 2008 by the Upper Deck Company. Although the play mechanism follows the arcade game cards to some extent, they are not meant to be mixed. The manga was released by Shogakukan.

In the fall of 2008, Upper Deck Company released a "Dinosaur King" Trading Card Game. This card game is not to be confused with the cards used for the arcade machines.

Dinosaur King (jap., "Kodai Ōja Kyōryū Kingu", dt. etwa: „antiker Herrscher/Meister Dinosaurierkönig“) ist ein Sammelkartenspiel der Firma Sega. Das Spiel wurde auch als Nintendo-DS-Version umgesetzt. Zum Spiel wurde eine Anime-Fernsehserie unter dem Titel "Dinosaur King" (, "Kodai Ōja Kyōryū King: D-Kidz Adventure") produziert.


History.

Boulton & Paul started its construction engineering division in 1905.  In 1915, Boulton & Paul began to construct aircraft under contract, including 550 of the Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b. During the war the company built more Sopwith Camels than any other manufacturer. Success as an aircraft builder led the company to form a design department but none of its resulting aircraft made a significant impact while the war lasted. Boulton Paul's chief aircraft designer was John Dudley North (1893–1968), who joined the company from Austin Motor Company Aircraft Department.  After World War I, Boulton & Paul made their mark with the introduction of powered and enclosed defensive machine gun turrets for bombers. Their Sidestrand twin-engined biplane bomber, which could fly at 140 mph, had an exposed nose turret which was clearly inadequate. The subsequent Overstrand bomber featured the world's first enclosed, power-operated turret, mounting a single Lewis gun and propelled by compressed air. The company licensed a French design of an electro-hydraulic four-gun turret which became a major feature of their future production. In addition to fitting turrets to bombers, Boulton Paul was to install them in fighters. During this period Boulton & Paul continued to operate outside the aircraft industry as well. They manufactured equipment such as machine tools and stationary engines. The latter were also available coupled to a dynamo for powering electric lighting circuits, and were sold under the Electolite brand name.  In 1934, Boulton & Paul sold their "Aircraft Department" which became Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd. Over the next couple of years a new factory site was built up in Wolverhampton. This gave access to a large skilled workforce on top of the 600 or so employees that left Norwich for Wolverhampton. Even so, Boulton Paul would later set up a training centre in Scotland to bring in extra workers. The first "turret" fighter to be built was the Hawker Demon. This was followed by Boulton Paul's most famous aircraft, the Defiant, which was a revolutionary but flawed concept specified by the Air Ministry – a "fast" fighter with no fixed forward armament but a powerful four-gun dorsal turret. Turret fighters were expected to be able to engage enemy bombers from any aspect. The same concept was used for the Defiant's naval equivalent, the Blackburn Roc, which while a design by Blackburn, the detail design was done in BP's drawing office and the aircraft was built wholly by Boulton Paul.  Boulton Paul also built the Fairey Barracuda and did conversions of the Vickers Wellington. The only post-war design was the Balliol advanced trainer, of which 229 were built, including 30 as the Sea Balliol deck-landing trainer.  In the jet age, Boulton Paul worked on the English Electric Canberra and de Havilland Vampire. It designed and built a couple of delta-wing jet-engined aircraft for research work and continued to tender designs for official requirements. In 1961 the company was acquired by Dowty Group and was renamed Dowty Boulton Paul Ltd and then Dowty Aerospace.  Following the acquisition of Dowty Aerospace by TI Group in 1992, and the subsequent merger of Smiths Industries and the TI group in 2000, to form Smiths Group, the Wolverhampton factory site was sold again in May 2007 to GE Aviation Systems. Yet again in August 2009 the factory was sold to Moog Inc. but was to move to new premises at the nearby I54 business park. The factory also had an on-site Boulton Paul Museum dedicated to Boulton Paul aircraft and the traditional methods used to manufacture aircraft. The important collection was scheduled to move to Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Spring 2013.

Boulton Paul aircraft (including pre 1934 aircraft).

"First flight date shown"

Boulton Paul gun turrets.

Boulton Paul was one of the two main innovators of gun turret designs for British aircraft, along with Nash & Thompson; they supplied large numbers of installations for British aircraft. Boulton Paul's designs were largely based on originals licensed from the French company SAMM ("Societe d'Application des Machines Motrices"), while Nash & Thompson concentrated on the FN designs originated by the firm's co-founder, Archibald Frazer-Nash. Boulton Paul's turrets were electro-hydraulic in operation; electric motors located in the turret drove hydraulic pumps that powered hydraulic motors and rams. This was more effective than electric motors alone, and did not require power developed by the aircraft's engines as did the hydraulic system utilized by the Nash & Thompson design. Production was transferred to Joseph Lucas Ltd.  Turret models:

Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under contract to other manufacturers, but had a few notable designs of its own, such as the Defiant fighter and the Balliol trainer.

Boulton Paul Aircraft Limited war ein britischer Flugzeughersteller mit Sitz in Norwich, später Wolverhampton. Das 1934 gegründete Unternehmen ging aus der seit 1914 bestehenden Flugzeugbauabteilung der Boulton & Paul Ltd hervor und schloss sich 1961 mit der Dowty Group zusammen. Es produzierte und verbesserte vor allem Modelle anderer Hersteller. Daneben entstanden einige bemerkenswerte Eigenentwürfe.


Early life and education.

Gibson was born in Buffalo, New York, on November 8, 1936. From ages 2 to 8, Gibson battled osteomyelitissoft spots in bonesand spent many months in and out of hospitals. Newly-available penicillin cured the disease. To strengthen his leg that was nearly amputated, Gibson took up sports: swimming, football, and track. He primarily used swimming to strengthen his leg. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America. He earned the rank of First Class.  He graduated from Kenmore Senior High School in Kenmore, New York, in 1955, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Rochester in June 1959. At the University of Rochester, Gibson became a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. He received a Master of Science degree in engineering (jet propulsion option) from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in June 1960 and a Ph.D. in engineering with a minor in physics from Caltech in June 1964.

Early career.

While studying at Caltech, Gibson was a research assistant in the field of jet propulsion and classical physics. His technical publications are in the fields of plasma physics and solar physics. He was senior research scientist with the Applied Research Laboratories of the Philco Corporation at Newport Beach, California, from June 1964 until moving to NASA. While at Philco, he did research in lasers and the optical breakdown of gases.  Gibson has logged more than 4,300 hours flying time—2,270 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA career.

Gibson was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in June 1965. He completed a 53-week course in flight training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and earned his Air Force wings. Since then, he has flown helicopters and the T-38.  He served as a member of the astronaut support crew and as a CAPCOM for the Apollo 12 lunar landing, becoming the first from the scientist-astronaut group to get a crew assignment of any kind. He also participated in the design and testing of many elements of the Skylab space station. As part of his preparation for the Skylab program, Gibson studied solar physics, ultimately writing an introductory monograph/textbook on solar astrophysics "The Quiet Sun", apart from 1973 English edition published in the United States there was 1977 Russian edition of this book, published in the Soviet Union by Mir Publishers.

Skylab 4.

Gibson was the science pilot of Skylab 4. The third and final crewed visit to the Skylab space station, it launched November 16, 1973, and concluded February 8, 1974. This was the longest crewed flight (84 days 1 hour 15 minutes) in the history of crewed space exploration at that time. Gibson was accompanied on the record-setting 34.5-million-mile flight by Commander Gerald P. Carr and Pilot William R. Pogue. They successfully completed 56 experiments, 26 science demonstrations, 15 subsystem detailed objectives, and 13 student investigations during their 1,214 revolutions of the Earth. They also acquired a wide variety of earth resources observations data using Skylab's earth resources experiment package camera and sensor array. Dr. Gibson was the crewman primarily responsible for the 338 hours of Apollo Telescope Mount operation, which made extensive observations of solar processes.  Until the Soviet Union's Soyuz 26 broke the record in March 1978, Gibson and his Skylab 4 teammates held the world record for individual time in space: 2,017 hours 15 minutes 32 seconds. Gibson logged 15 hours and 22 minutes in three EVAs outside the Skylab Orbital Workshop.  Gibson resigned from NASA in December 1974 to do research on Skylab solar physics data as a senior staff scientist with the Aerospace Corporation of Los Angeles, California. Beginning in March 1976, he served for one year as a consultant to ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH, in West Germany, on Spacelab design under the sponsorship of a U.S. Senior Scientist Award form the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In March 1977, Gibson returned to the Astronaut Office astronaut candidate selection and training as Chief of the Scientist-Astronaut Candidates. During his second tenure at NASA, Gibson had hoped to fly on another space station mission due to his experience on Skylab, but at the same time was not keen on flying a Space Shuttle mission. He served as CAPCOM for STS-1. Gibson ultimately decided to retire from NASA again on October 31, 1982 and began working for TRW.

Post-NASA activities.

In October 1990, Gibson began his own consulting firm, Gibson International Corp. The firm provides consulting services on program management, market development and space infrastructure design and operations.  He has performed a significant amount of speaking and writing, having published a text book in solar physics, two novels ("Reach" and "In the Wrong Hands"), and edited "The Greatest Adventure", a compilation of stories and pictures on space missions from many astronauts and cosmonauts around the world.

Special honors.

Gibson was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship and the R.C. Baker Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. He received the Johnson Space Center Certificate of Commendation (1970). He received the City of New York Gold Medal (1974). Gibson, along with the rest of the Skylab astronauts, received the City of Chicago Gold Medal in 1974. Gibson received the 1974 FAI Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal. In 1976, he received the U.S. Scientist Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which provided funds to research in West Germany for a year. He received the JSC Special Achievement Award in 1978. Gibson has also been presented with honorary doctorates of science from the University of Rochester and Wagner College in New York City, both in 1974.  The three Skylab astronaut crews were awarded the 1973 Robert J. Collier Trophy "For proving beyond question the value of man in future explorations of space and the production of data of benefit to all the people on Earth." In 1974, President Nixon presented the Skylab 4 crew with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. The American Astronautical Society's 1975 Flight Achievement Award was awarded to the Skylab 4 crew. Federation Aeronautique Internationale awarded the Skylab 4 crew the De La Vaulx Medal and V. M. Komarov Diploma for 1974. Carr accepted the 1975 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy from President Ford, awarded to the Skylab astronauts. The Skylab 4 crew won the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award in 1975 "For demonstrated outstanding courage and skill during their record-breaking 84-day Skylab mission". He was one of 24 Apollo astronauts who were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997.

Personal.

Gibson is married to Julie Anne Volk of Tonawanda, New York. He has four children: Jannet Lynn (born November 9, 1960), John Edward (born May 2, 1964), Julie Ann (born October 12, 1968), and Joseph Michael (born July 11, 1971).

Media appearances.

In the 1998 HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon", Gibson was played by actor Geoffrey Nauffts.

Edward George "Ed" Gibson (born November 8, 1936) is a former NASA astronaut, pilot, engineer, and physicist. Before becoming an astronaut, Gibson graduated from the University of Rochester and the California Institute of Technology. He became a research assistant in jet propulsion while completing his studies, and eventually became a research scientist for Philco Corporation until joining NASA in 1965.

Edward George Gibson (* 8. November 1936 in Buffalo, New York) ist ein ehemaliger US-amerikanischer Astronaut. Gibson studierte Ingenieurwesen und erhielt in diesem Fach 1959 einen Bachelor von der University of Rochester sowie 1960 einen Master und 1964 eine Promotion, beide vom California Institute of Technology. Außerdem erhielt er 1974 die Ehrendoktorwürde sowohl von der University of Rochester als auch vom Wagner College in New York.


Features.

Features of the typical blanket sleeper often include:  Although primarily worn by the young, blanket sleepers are also worn (in decreasing order of frequency) by school-age children, teens, and even adults. (See "Sizes, gender differences, and availability", below).  Although footed, one-piece garments in a variety of fabrics and styles are used in many countries as infant sleepwear, the specific range of styles with which the term "blanket sleeper" is usually associated, the term itself, though children older than infancy wearing footed, one-piece sleeping garments is concentrated in the Western world.

Design considerations.

Blanket sleepers are usually intended as practical garments, worn mostly by younger children and primarily in the home. Style and fashion thus tend not to be important in its design, and the basic design of the typical blanket sleeper has changed little over the years.  The sleeper serves mainly to keep the wearer warm at night, even in the absence of blankets and bed covers. The sleeper covers the entire body except for the head (except in certain cases where a hood is present) and (in most cases) hands (except in cases where a sleeper has attached mitts, mostly on infant sizes), where it is snug at the neck and wrists. The use of a zipper closure in place of buttons or snap fasteners also further retains warmth by eliminating drafts. This is especially important for infants, for whom loose blankets may pose a safety hazard (including increasing the risk of SIDS), and possibly for older children, who may still be too young to be relied upon to keep their own sleepwear or bed covers adjusted so as to prevent exposure to the air of bare skin. This is reflected in advertisements by blanket sleeper manufacturers, which often emphasize that their garments "can't be kicked off", or that "no other covers are needed". The permanently attached feet can also be a beneficial feature for children who are prone to get out of bed in the morning before their parents are awake, and are too young to be relied upon to put on slippers or other footwear to keep their feet warm, as well as for adults who find putting on, and/or wearing socks in bed too bothersome, yet still want their feet covered when getting out of bed in the morning. Blanket sleepers without feet allow more room for growth and reduce the possibility of slipping. Also, children with larger or smaller feet find a better fit.  The blanket sleeper is designed so that it can be worn either by itself as a standalone garment, or as a second layer worn over regular pajamas or other sleepwear. The one-piece design is simple to launder and has no detachable pieces that could be individually misplaced.  Yet another potential benefit of the blanket sleeper is that it may help prevent infants from removing or interfering with their diapers during the night. This can also apply to older children with certain developmental disabilities, such as Angelman syndrome. In particular, parents of Angelman children have been known to take such additional measures as cutting the feet off the sleeper and putting it on backwards, and/or covering the zipper with duct tape. Some specialty locking clothing and other adaptive clothing purveyors offer blanket sleepers, with or without feet, for adults with dementia or other disabilities, for similar reasons.  Blanket sleepers may also appeal to cultural mores relating to body modesty. This can, for example, be a consideration for some parents when siblings sleep in the same room and/or bed.

Materials.

The range of materials used for mass-produced blanket sleepers for children is severely limited, as a result of stringent U.S. government-imposed flammability requirements. Essentially the only materials used since the 1950s are polyester, acrylic, and modacrylic, with polyester dominating. Unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on comfort for many wearers, particularly children with eczema. A small number of sleepers are made from cotton.  Adult-size sleepers, especially those sold by small Internet businesses, can be found in a wider range of materials, including natural fabrics such as cotton flannel. Some web businesses also offer sleepers in natural fabrics for children, but only outside the U.S. In particular, special "eczema sleepsuits" for children, made of cotton and with built-in mitts designed to prevent scratching, are available from specialty stores in the UK.  The fabrics used in most blanket sleepers have a strong tendency to pill. Although this does not adversely affect the garment's functional utility, it has the effect that a used garment can be clearly, visually distinguished from a new one after only a small number of wearings or washings.  Decorative features such as appliques or printed designs usually follow juvenile themes, and are designed to make the garments more attractive to the children who wear them. Some adult sleepers can also have appliques on them, but those tend to be from Internet clothing suppliers who offer custom-made sleepers and tend to be of favorite cartoon characters or items that the wearer had in childhood such as teddy bears and animal representatives that they had as pets.

Sizes, gender differences, and availability.

In the United States and Canada, mass-produced blanket sleepers for both boys and girls up to size 4 (see US standard clothing sizes) are quite common, and can be found in nearly any department store and online. Sizes larger than 4 are progressively less common, being found in only some stores and online, and usually only seasonally (peaking around October or November). The availability of larger-size sleepers in department stores also varies from year to year.  Alternative sources for larger-size, mass-produced sleepers include Internet auction sites, such as eBay, and certain mail order clothing retailers, such as Lands' End.  Individual blanket sleepers can be marketed either as a unisex garment, or as a garment intended for one gender. Even in the latter case, however, there is often no difference stylistically between sleepers marketed specifically for boys, and ones marketed specifically for girls. (The size numbers are also consistent, as, although there are slight differences in the meanings of size numbers between boys and girls in the U.S. standard clothing size system, these are too small to matter in the case of a garment as loose-fitting as a blanket sleeper). Occasionally, however, sleepers marketed for girls may include effeminate decorative features such as lacy frills, and sleepers with screen-printed front panels may feature images of media characters appealing primarily to children of one gender. Also, the ranges of colors available may be different between the genders, in particular pink sleepers are rarely worn by boys due to a cultural association of that color with femininity. Unisex designs and colors offer a more sustainable option allowing the most use over time.  In smaller sizes, there is little or no difference in the availability of sleepers for boys and for girls. Sleepers for older boys are somewhat less common than those for older girls. Nevertheless, sleepers for both boys and girls continue to be available in department stores, mainly during the fall and winter seasons, and year-round on the internet up to size 16–18.  Blanket sleepers for adult women used to be relatively uncommon, but since 2010s have increased in popularity and can be found in many department stores, usually in the colder months.  Mass-produced blanket sleepers for adult men are more uncommon. However, major home sewing pattern publishers sometimes offer patterns for conventionally styled blanket sleepers in men's sizes, and in the Internet Age a cottage industry has developed, with several websites offering blanket sleepers manufactured on a small scale for men as well as women and children. Also, mass-produced, unisex-styled blanket sleepers marketed for women are sometimes purchased and worn by men, although the difference in the size ranges between men and women means that this option is available only to men of smaller stature.

Terminology.

The terminology relating to blanket sleepers can be confusing, and inconsistent between different speakers.  The terms "sleeper" and "blanket sleeper" are sometimes used interchangeably. Alternatively, a distinction may be made between the lighter-weight (footed, one-piece) "sleepers" worn by infants in warmer weather, and the heavier "blanket" sleepers worn by both infants and older children, primarily in colder weather. (In the loosest usage, "sleeper" by itself can mean any infant sleeping garment, regardless of form or features). Similarly, some people consider a "blanket" sleeper to be one-piece by definition, whereas a "sleeper" could be made either in one piece, or in two pieces meeting at the waist.  When "blanket" is omitted, either the singular form "sleeper" or the plural form "sleepers" may refer to a single garment. When "blanket" is included, however, a single garment is usually referred to using the singular form.  The terms "(blanket) sleeper" and "footed pajamas" may be used interchangeably. (This reflects the North American practice of referring to nearly any sleeping garment as "pajamas", as blanket sleepers bear little resemblance to the jacket and trouser combination, originating in India, that the term "pajamas" originally referred to). Alternatively, "sleeper" may instead be used more narrowly than "footed pajamas", to exclude footed sleeping garments that are lighter-weight and/or two-piece, such as footed "ski" style pajamas.  Also, while many people consider built-in feet to be part of the definition of "sleeper", garments otherwise meeting the definition but lacking feet are sometimes marketed as "footless blanket sleepers".  The term "grow sleeper" is sometimes used to refer to a two-piece footed sleeping garment with features designed to compensate for growth in the wearer, such as turn-back cuffs, or a double row of snap fasteners at the waist.  Other terms that are used more-or-less interchangeably with "blanket sleeper" include:  Also, a number of commercial brand names have been adopted as genericized trademarks. The best known of these is "Dr. Dentons", but others used include "Big Feet", "Trundle Bundle" (common usage on the Southside of Chicago), and "Jama-Blanket".  Formerly used, obsolete terms include:  In British English, the term with a meaning closest to that of "blanket sleeper" is "sleepsuit", but it is also known as a "romper suit".  Infants' garments similar to blanket sleepers, but with the bottom portion constructed like a bag, without separate leg enclosures, are usually not considered "sleepers", but rather are referred to by other terms such as "baby sleep bag", "bunting", "sleeping bag", "go go bag", "sleep sack", or "grow bag".  Infants' garments similar to blanket sleepers, but designed for use as outerwear rather than sleepwear (and usually featuring hoods and hand covers), are referred to by other terms such as "pram suit", "snowsuit", or "carriage suit". Some such garments are designed for dual use as both sleepwear and playwear, these are sometimes known as "sleep 'n' play" suits.

History.

The origins of the blanket sleeper can be traced at least as far back as the late 19th century, to footed, one-piece sleeping garments for children, then known as "night drawers". The first company to mass-produce blanket sleepers was Doctor Denton Sleeping Mills, which started using the term "sleeping garment", for their garments, starting in 1865, and most had buttons instead of zippers (since the zipper wasn't invented until the early 20th century), and trap-doors or butt-flaps in the back, as early blanket sleepers, quite obviously, took on the same basic design as the traditional union-suit (which may have been where the idea of the sleeper originated; as the children's version of their fathers' union-suits). However, the blanket sleeper first took something closely resembling its present form in the early 1950s, when many of the most recognizable features were first adopted, including the use of synthetic fabrics, slip-resistant soles, toe caps, rib-knit collar and cuffs, zipper closure, snap tab, and applique. The term "blanket sleeper" also first came into common use at this time, although "sleeper" by itself appeared considerably earlier.  Sleepers made before the 1950s were usually made from knitted natural fabrics, either cotton, wool (especially merino), or a mixture of both. Commonly used fabrics included outing flannel and flannelette. (Home-made sleepers were typically made out of fabric pieces cut from actual blankets.) The soles of the feet were usually made from the same material as the rest of the sleeper, though sometimes two layers were used for improved durability. The collar and cuffs were usually hemmed, and the sleeper usually closed with buttons, either in the front or in the back.  Natural fabrics were largely abandoned after the Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953, which imposed strict flammability requirements on children's sleepwear sold in the United States, up to size 14. Flammability requirements were tightened further in the early 1970s, and in 1977 the flame-retarding additive tris was discovered to be carcinogenic, prompting a recall, and leading to the abandonment of such additives and the materials that depended on them for their flame-resistance.  The popularity of blanket sleepers for older children got a boost in the 1970s and early 1980s due to the energy crises of 1973 and 1979. Advertisements from this period often emphasized that thermostats could be set lower at night when children slept in blanket sleepers.

Variations.

Blanket sleepers sometimes depart from the standard design by incorporating unusual or uncommon features. An incomplete list of these follows.

The blanket sleeper (also known by many other synonyms and trade names) is a type of especially warm sleeper or footie pajama worn primarily during the winter in the United States and Canada. The garment is worn especially by young children.

Ein Schlafoverall ist ein einteiliger Schlafanzug, meist mit angesetzten Füßlingen. Als Material kommen Jersey sowie bei Wintermodellen Fleece und Frottee zum Einsatz. Verschlossen wird ein traditioneller Schlafoverall mittels einer Knopfleiste, die vom Schrittbereich bis zum Kragen verläuft. Bei heute erhältlichen Modellen ersetzt oft ein Reißverschluss die Knopfleiste. Andere Konfigurationen wie Rückenreißverschlüsse sind nur selten anzutreffen. Die früher häufig anzutreffenden Klappen im Gesäßbereich (engl. "drop seat") fehlen heute meist.


Biography.

He was born on 26 November 1855 (according to church records, 1853 according to his own writings) on a manor near Vologda where his father, a Novgorodian, worked as an assistant to the manor's bailiff, a Zaporozhian Cossack whose daughter he later married. Gilyarovsky treasured his partly Cossack descent: as a young man, he posed for one of the Cossacks depicted on Repin's huge canvas "Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks"; he was also a model for Taras Bulba, whose figure is part of the Gogol Monument in Moscow.  Raised by his well-educated mother (who died when he was 8) and his aristocratic stepmother, he left home early and, after a series of odd jobs (which included stints at a toxic lead paint factory in Yaroslavl, as a tutor and as a barge hauler), he enlisted as a volunteer during the 1877–78 Russo-Turkish war. After a short career as a provincial actor, he established himself as a journalist, winning praise and notoriety as one of the best crime reporters in Moscow. His first book, "The Stories of the Slums" (1887) recorded his experiences with the Moscow underworld, the Moscow of poverty and crime, finding its epitome in the area of Khitrovka.  After the revolution he dedicated himself to writing memoirs. Among those were "My Travels" (1928) and "Newspaper Moscow" (published posthumously), which recorded his reminiscences of the newspaper business of pre-revolutionary Moscow and of some famous people he'd worked with (such as Anton Chekhov), and "Theatre People" (also published posthumously). He died in Moscow on 1 October 1935.

Vladimir Alekseyevich Gilyarovsky (, 26 November 1853 – 1 October 1935), was a Russian writer and newspaper journalist, best known for his reminiscences of life in pre-Revolutionary Moscow ("Moscow and Muscovites"), which he first published in a book form in 1926.

Wladimir Alexejewitsch Giljarowski (, wiss. Transliteration "Vladimir Alekseevič Giljarovskij"; * im Gouvernement Wologda; † 1. Oktober 1935 in Moskau) war ein russischer Publizist, Journalist und Schriftsteller. Er galt als Kenner seiner Wahlheimat Moskau und befasste sich in seinen Veröffentlichungen vornehmlich mit dem Alltag der Stadt und ihrer Menschen aus verschiedenen sozialen Schichten.


History.

The roots of Akan chieftaincy are known, although written sources are scarce. When the Akan were settling in Bonoman, in the period before 1300, Bonos had already long used the chieftaincy system. The paramount chief held a position that can be compared to that of an absolutist king.  When the Republic of Ghana was founded in 1957, it was agreed that the chieftaincy system should be respected.

Present time.

Chieftaincy is officially accepted. Politicians ask chiefs for advice because usually they are closer to the people. The highest committee is the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi. There are also Regional Houses of Chiefs. In case of problems between the chiefs, the House of Chiefs has a legal function to adjudicate in such matters.

Hierarchy.

Within the Akan ethnic group there are different tribes, such as the Bono, Ashanti, Akyem, Kwahu, Akwapim, Assin, or the Fante. The highest rank among the Ashantis is that of the Asantehene, the paramount chief of all paramount chiefs.  Ranked below the Asantehene are the paramount chiefs, the chiefs and the sub-chiefs. A sub-chief can be compared to the mayor of a town, except that his office is hereditary as opposed to elective. The chiefs have their own territories, and apart from overseeing them, they have a function at the courts of their paramount chiefs as their ministers. Most of the functions are traditional, while some have been created recently:  A chief arbitrates and decides political and economic questions in his area. When he is installed, he receives a stool name. Usually, all chiefs who belong to a reigning lineage have the same name – an ordinal being added to distinguish between all of them.

"Omanhene".

The English translation of the title Omanhene is King. In rare cases, Queens themselves would be kings, a prime example being Okyenhene Nana Afia Dokuaa. This and the position of Obaapanin or Queen are the only ones that are obtained through descent from the ruling clan.

"Krontihene".

The Krontihene is caretaker of the land and second-in-command after the Omanhene.

"Ankobeahene".

"Ankobea" means one who stays at home or does not go anywhere. The Ankobeahene is the caretaker of the palace.

"Obaatan".

Obaatan means "parent" and is a female role. Her symbol is the egg, out of which all other chiefs came. She is Omanhene's counsellor. When Omanhene's stool is vacant, Obaatan suggests the next incumbent. She is expected to consider all factors such as the character of the available candidates, their royal descent and their contribution to the royal family. Mostly the lineage and order of birth is given a paramount consideration in the selection process. Although found in other traditions, the position of Obaatan does not fit into the Akan chieftaincy structure proper. The one who suggests and nominates the Omanhene amongst the Akans is the Obaahemaa (or Queen mother).

"Tufohene".

The "warlord" is the head of all the Asafo companies (or head of the gunners). Tufohene translates loosely in Akan as 'the chief of the gunners',.

"Asafohene".

The Asafohene is the head of a single Asafo company.

"Manwerehene".

The head of the interior.

"Sanaahene".

The head of the treasury.

"Adontehene".

There are four positions describing military flanks. The Adontehene is the one who goes in front of the army.

"Nkyidomhene".

He collects the soldiers who are left behind and sends them back to the army. During Odambea, the Nkyidom always sits in the last palanquin.

"Nifahene".

The Nifahene holds the right flank of the army's formation.

"Benkumhene".

The Benkumhene holds the left flank of the army's formation (also in modern governance known as the left wing).

"Akyempimhene".

If there is anything to distribute or to share, the Akyempimhene (or vice-king) has to do it. He is the first son of the king. He also protects the king, his father, with each king deciding whether to give the title to his literal son or to a close favourite. He also enjoys the authority of arriving in a palanquin after the Asantehene is seated; he alone has that authority to do so. He is also the head of all the Kumasi royals. Otumfuo Opoku Ware (Katakyie) created this title. Usually the first sons of the kings are the ones that ascend this stool. He is also the head of the Kyidom clan (Fekuo). Due to the matrilineal system of inheritance, sons do not automatically succeed their fathers as kings. Kings are by and large selected from among the sons of the deceased king's close female relations. This title is therefore a convenient means of ennobling a king's son without upsetting the royal succession.

"Mankrado".

The Mankrado's function is purification. He puts leaves into water, then sprinkles it over the Omanhene. He also always has salt in his pocket so that he can make things taste better for the Omanhene.

"Guantuahene".

The title of the Guantuahene is a comparatively recent innovation. The Guantoahene is the one to whom people can turn for shelter and mercy.

"Nsumankwahene".

The Nsumankwahene watches the oracle. This title is also a relatively recent creation. The Nsumankwahene is a spiritual head of the community/communities. In the past it was the chief priest who performed this role.

"Nkosuohene".

The Nkosuohene is responsible for the development of the region. The Nkosuohene was created to honor someone who does not have to be a member of a royal family. Created by the Ashanti, a small number of selected foreigners have been honored with this title which appreciates the contribution of non-royals.

Entourage.

"Okomfo".

The most important person in the chief's entourage is the priest or priestess ("Okomfo"). Traditionally, the priest tells the chief when it is time to start a war or to marry, for example.

Stool Wife.

There is also a stool wife. No matter whether a chief is married or not, when installed, he will be married to a very young girl. Having a stool wife is obligatory, and polygamy is still legal in Ghana. Today, the symbolic act of marriage is sufficient, however. During parades, a stool wife sits in front of the chief.

"Okyeame".

A chief has one or more linguists ("Okyeame"). A chief never talks in public, but conveys messages through his linguist, who is also responsible for the pouring of libations.

Queen Mother.

The title of Queen mother can relate to the rank of a paramount queen, a queen or a sub-queen. The Akan honorific is the same as for the men, "Nana". When using English, Ghanaians often say "queen mother". This woman is not necessarily the respective chief's mother, although she is usually related to him. Her role in the system is to have an eye on the social conditions, and a personally capable Queen mother has been known to equal or even surpass a reigning chief in terms of power and prestige. A good example of this happening is the case of Queen Yaa Asantewaa. The Queen mother (or "Ohemaa") is expected to nominate someone to the position of the chief if it should become vacant. In some areas, this function is performed by the "Abusuapanyin" (or head of the clan) in consultation with other family members instead.

Regalia.

Personal ornaments.

On special occasions, chiefs wear the traditional cloth, which is a six-yard-long piece of fabric, wrapped around the body and worn as a toga. Female chiefs wear two pieces of fabric that can be of different designs.  The jewellery is very ample and used to be made of gold. Nowadays, most chiefs wear imitation gold. The head-dress usually takes the form of a crown. It can be made of metal or of black velvet, ornamented with metal. Chiefs have traditional sandals, and the wearing of sandals is symbolic for them. When a chief abdicates, he takes off his sandals.

Fly-whisk ("Bodua").

When riding in a palanquin, chiefs hold a fly-whisk in one hand and a ceremonial sword in the other. The fly-whisk is made of animal hair.

Sword ("Afena").

The ceremonial short sword is used for animal sacrifice. The chief touches the animal's throat symbolically with his sword before someone else cuts it with a sharp knife.

Palanquin ("Apakan").

During a durbar, which is a special parade, some chiefs are carried in a palanquin. Subchiefs have to walk. The palanquins can have the form of a chair or of a bed.

Stool ("Dwa").

Instead of a throne, Akan chiefs traditionally sit on a stool. When they die, their stools are painted black and stored in a sacred room. This sacred room is called "Nkonwafie" (stool house). If the deceased chief was the first to have sat on that stool, the person's name becomes the first I. Whoever sits on that stool in the future would be called by the first chief's name but would have II attached. The name becomes the new chief's stool name.

Umbrella ("Bamkyim").

Very large umbrellas made of silk and other rich fabrics are used to shade a chief and show from afar that a chief is approaching.

Sources.

As there is not much written information, oral sources have to be quoted:

In many parts of West Africa, there is an old chieftaincy tradition, and the Akan people have developed their own hierarchy, which exists alongside the democratic structure of the country. The Akan word for the ruler or one of his various courtiers is "Nana" (). In colonial times, Europeans translated it as "chief", but that is not an exact equivalent. Other sources speak of "kings", which is also not entirely correct, especially in the case of the said courtiers. The term "chief" has become common even among modern Ghanaians, though it would be more correct to use the expression "Nana" without translation wherever possible.

In vielen Teilen Westafrikas gibt es die alte Tradition des Regententums. So haben auch die verschiedenen Gruppen der Akan in der Elfenbeinküste und in Ghana eigene Hierarchiestrukturen entwickelt, welche in der Vergangenheit die politische Herrschaft regional und teilweise überregional ausübten. Sie existieren auch heute noch teilweise parallel zu den demokratischen Strukturen der Länder. In der Kolonialzeit bezeichneten die Briten die einheimischen Herrscher des Landes allgemein als "Chief" (Häuptling), was sich im gesamten anglophonen Sprachraum als Bezeichnung für einen Träger der Häuptlingswürde eingebürgert hat. Häufig wird in diesem Zusammenhang auch "King" (König) gebraucht.