when did we stop backing the dollar with gold
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The dollar coin is a United States coin with a face value of one United States dollar. Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in gold, silver, and base metal versions. Dollar coins were first minted in the United States in 1794. While true gold dollars are no longer minted, the Sacagawea, Presidential, and American Innovation dollars are sometimes referred to as golden dollars because of their color. As with several other denominations of U.S. coinage, golden dollars are similar in diameter and color to their Canadian counterpart (known as the "loonie", which predates the Sacagawea dollar by thirteen years). However, unlike the 11-sided Canadian dollar coins, U.S. "golden dollar" coins are round. Dollar coins have never been popular in circulation since their inception. Despite efforts by the U.S. government to promote their use to save the cost of printing one dollar bills, the Anthony Dollar, the Sacagawea Dollar and the Presidential Dollar Series are all seldom seen in circulation, since most Americans prefer to use the dollar bill. For this reason, since December 11, 2011, the Mint has not produced dollar coins for general circulation, and all dollar coins produced after that date have been specifically for collectors. These collector coins can be ordered directly from the Mint, while pre-2012 circulation dollars can be obtained from most U.S. banks. Popularity One-dollar coins, both in silver and base-metal forms, have never been popular in circulation from the 19th century to the present, despite several attempts to increase their usage since the 1970s, for various reasons: From 1792 to 1803 the $1 coin compared favorably with the Spanish dollar and was accepted at par for overseas purchases. Its coinage was suspended in 1803 since it did not remain long in domestic circulation. During the 1850s California gold rush the silver dollar of was internationally worth more than the gold dollar of and was therefore exported (see Gresham's law). Likewise, the gold dollar of 1849–1889 was a tiny coin measuring only in diameter, making it difficult to grasp and easy to lose, a serious problem when one dollar was about a day's wage. While substantial numbers of silver Morgan dollars were minted from 1878 pursuant to the Bland-Allison Act, there also existed an option to hold silver certificates fully backed by silver dollars kept in reserves. The majority of citizens, therefore, opted to use silver certificates while most silver dollars languished inside treasury and bank vaults. Succeeding base-metal $1 coins minted from 1971 onwards did not circulate widely as well, the most important reason being the continued circulation of the $1 bill. The copper-nickel clad Eisenhower dollar minted from 1971 to 1978 was not popular due to its large size relative to its gradually diminishing value; The smaller-sized Susan B. Anthony dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999, was highly unpopular because they were often mistaken for quarters, due to their nearly equal size, color and reeded edge; Sacagawea dollars and Presidential dollar coins have been
Dollar coin (United States)
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The London Gold Pool was the pooling of gold reserves by a group of eight central banks in the United States and seven European countries that agreed on 1 November 1961 to cooperate in maintaining the Bretton Woods System of fixed-rate convertible currencies and defending a gold price of US$35 per troy ounce by interventions in the London gold market. The central banks coordinated concerted methods of gold sales to balance spikes in the market price of gold as determined by the London morning gold fixing while buying gold on price weaknesses. The United States provided 50% of the required gold supply for sale. The price controls were successful for six years until the system became unworkable. The pegged price of gold was too low, and after runs on gold, the British pound, and the US dollar occurred, France decided to withdraw from the pool. The London Gold Pool collapsed in March 1968. The London Gold Pool controls were followed with an effort to suppress the gold price with a two-tier system of official exchange and open market transactions, but this gold window collapsed in 1971 with the Nixon Shock, and resulted in the onset of the gold bull market which saw the price of gold appreciate rapidly to US$850 in 1980. Gold price regulation In July 1944, before the conclusion of World War II, delegates from the 44 allied nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, to reestablish and regulate the international financial systems. The meeting resulted in the founding of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and was followed by other post-war reconstruction efforts, such as establishing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The IMF was charged with the maintenance of a system of international currency exchange rates which became known as the Bretton Woods system. Foreign exchange market rates were fixed, but adjustments were allowed when necessary. Currencies were required to be convertible. For this purpose, all currencies had to be backed by either physical gold reserves, or a currency convertible into gold. The United States dollar was recognized as the world's reserve currency, as the anchor currency of the system. The price of one troy ounce of gold was pegged to US$35. This agreement did not affect the independent global or regional markets in which gold was traded as a precious metal commodity. There was still an open gold market. For the Bretton Woods system to remain effective, the fix of the dollar to gold would have to be adjustable, or the free market price of gold would have to be maintained near the $35 official foreign exchange price. The larger the gap, known as the gold window, between free market gold price and the foreign exchange rate, the more tempting it was for nations to deal with internal economic crises by buying gold at the Bretton Woods price and selling it in the gold markets. The Bretton Woods system was challenged by several
London Gold Pool
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Federal Reserve Deposits, also known as Federal Reserve Accounts, are deposits of gold or, later, Treasury Bills placed by United States banks with the Federal Reserve, the central bank. They are interchangeable with Federal Reserve Notes; both are forms of reserve balances and act as backing for the banks to create their own deposits in the form of loans to customers or to each other. History The Federal Reserve (Fed), when founded in 1913, sought to integrate the individual banks in the United States. To this end, they prohibited private bank notes and limited banks to only creating deposits. The banks could create deposits (as governed by their reserve ratio) backed by either gold or direct gold deposits at the Fed. Because the Fed offered convertibility between gold and these gold deposits, and they provided the legal means for banks to expand deposits under the reserve ratio, many banks chose to deposit their gold with the Federal Reserve. The advantage of Federal Reserve Deposits over Federal Reserve Notes was that it greatly facilitated interbank lending and check-clearing. This was because Federal Reserve Deposits while being valid money did not exist in paper form, so they were easy to transfer from bank to bank. These gold deposits would become known as Federal Reserve Deposits and quickly lost their 100% gold backing. During the Fed's inception, the Fed needed only to back gold deposits by 35%. This created a very dangerous situation because if more than 35% of banks demanded their Federal Reserve Deposits as gold, then the Fed would be insolvent. Such a crisis did happen in 1933 and Federal Reserve Deposits (as well as Federal Reserve Notes) lost their gold backing. Foreign governments were still allowed to be on the gold standard and their Federal Reserve Deposits were still redeemable in gold. But these too were only fractionally backed. This inevitably led to another gold run in 1971, led by heavy withdrawals by Switzerland (51 million) and France (191 million). Nixon chose instead of heavily devaluing the dollar against gold, to simply remove the US from the international gold standard. Composition As of July 2017, the Federal Reserve's balance sheet shows $2.5 trillion in Federal Reserve Deposits as opposed to $1.5 trillion in Federal Reserve Notes. The largest holders of Federal Reserve Deposits are foreign governments, the Treasury, and mostly private banks in the US. Private citizens and companies are not allowed to hold Federal Reserve Deposits. Both Federal Reserve Deposits and Federal Reserve Notes are recorded as liabilities to the Fed. What the Fed has exchanged these deposits and notes for (gold and mostly t-bills) are recorded as assets to the Fed. To the private banks, the Federal Reserve Deposits are assets. Private banks do have the option to convert Federal Reserve Deposits into Federal Reserve Notes and vice versa, as needed to meet the demands of bank customers. Accounting The following are typical accounting entries that help explain how Fed Funds function. A = Assets, E = Equity,
Federal Reserve Deposits
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The Nixon shock refers to the effect of a series of economic measures, including wage and price freezes, surcharges on imports, and the unilateral cancellation of the direct international convertibility of the United States dollar to gold, taken by United States President Richard Nixon in 1971 in response to increasing inflation. Although Nixon's actions did not formally abolish the existing Bretton Woods system of international financial exchange, the suspension of one of its key components effectively rendered the Bretton Woods system inoperative. While Nixon publicly stated his intention to resume direct convertibility of the dollar after reforms to the Bretton Woods system had been implemented, all attempts at reform proved unsuccessful. By 1973, the current regime based on freely floating fiat currencies de facto replaced the Bretton Woods system for other global currencies. Background Bretton Woods system In 1944, representatives from 44 nations met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to develop a new international monetary system that came to be known as the Bretton Woods system. Conference attendees had hoped that this new system would "ensure exchange rate stability, prevent competitive devaluations, and promote economic growth". It was not until 1958 that the Bretton Woods system became fully operational. Countries now settled their international accounts in dollars that could be converted to gold at a fixed exchange rate of $35 per ounce, which was redeemable by the U.S. government. Thus, the United States was committed to backing every dollar overseas with gold, and other currencies were pegged to the dollar. For the first years after World War II, the Bretton Woods system worked well. With the Marshall Plan, Japan and Europe were rebuilding from the war, and countries outside the US wanted dollars to spend on American goods—cars, steel, machinery, etc. Because the U.S. owned over half the world's official gold reserves—574 million ounces at the end of World War II—the system appeared secure. However, from 1950 to 1969, as Germany and Japan recovered, the US share of the world's economic output dropped significantly, from 35% to 27%. Furthermore, a negative balance of payments, growing public debt incurred by the Vietnam War, and monetary inflation by the Federal Reserve caused the dollar to become increasingly overvalued in the 1960s. Criticism and decline In France, the Bretton Woods system was called "America's exorbitant privilege" as it resulted in an "asymmetric financial system" where non-US citizens "see themselves supporting American living standards and subsidizing American multinationals". As American economist Barry Eichengreen summarized: "It costs only a few cents for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce a $100 bill, but other countries had to pony up $100 of actual goods in order to obtain one". In February 1965, French President Charles de Gaulle announced his intention to exchange its U.S. dollar reserves for gold at the official exchange rate. By 1966, non-US central banks held $14 billion US dollars, while the United States had only $13.2 billion in gold reserve. Of those reserves, only $3.2 billion was able to cover foreign
Nixon shock
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A green ban is a form of strike action, usually taken by a trade union or other organised labour group, which is conducted for environmentalist or conservationist purposes. They were mainly done in Australia in the 1970s, led by the Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) and used to protect parkland, low-income housing and buildings with historical significance. At times, industrial action was used in relation to other issues, such as when a 'pink ban' was placed on Macquarie University due to the expulsion of Jeremy Fisher, a gay man, from student housing. History Green bans were first conducted in Australia in the 1970s by the New South Wales Builders Labourers Federation (BLF). Green bans were never instigated unilaterally by the BLF, all green bans were at the request of, and in support of, residents' groups. The first green ban was put in place to protect Kelly's Bush, the last remaining undeveloped bushland in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill. A group of local women who had already appealed to the local council, mayor, and the Premier of New South Wales, approached the BLF for help. The BLF asked the women to call a public meeting, which was attended by 600 residents, and formally asked the BLF to prevent construction on the site. The developer, A V Jennings, announced that they would use non-union labour as strikebreakers. In response, BLF members on other A V Jennings construction projects stopped work. A V Jennings eventually abandoned all plans to develop Kelly's Bush. Jack Mundey summarised the philosophy of the Green Bans as such:Yes, we want to build. However, we prefer to build urgently-required hospitals, schools, other public utilities, high-quality flats, units and houses, provided they are designed with adequate concern for the environment, than to build ugly unimaginative architecturally-bankrupt blocks of concrete and glass offices... Though we want all our members employed, we will not just become robots directed by developer-builders who value the dollar at the expense of the environment. More and more, we are going to determine which buildings we will build... The environmental interests of three million people are at stake and cannot be left to developers and building employers whose main concern is making profit. Progressive unions, like ours, therefore have a very useful social role to play in the citizens' interest, and we intend to play it.The BLF was involved in many more green bans. Not only did the BLF represent all unionised builders' labourers in the construction industry; but the BLF also influenced the opinion of other unionised construction workers, and acted as a political leadership of the construction unions in the era. Fifty-four bans were imposed in NSW between 1971 and 1974. Green bans helped to protect historic nineteenth century buildings in The Rocks from being demolished to make way for office towers, and prevented the Royal Botanic Gardens from being turned into a carpark for the Sydney Opera House. The BLF stopped conducting green bans in 1974 after the federal leadership under Norm Gallagher dismissed
Green ban
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Billion Dollar Limited (1942) is the third of seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character Superman. Produced by Fleischer Studios, Billion Dollar Limited centers on a train carrying one billion dollars in gold to the US Mint, which is sabotaged by robbers before Superman intervenes. The short was released by Paramount Pictures on January 9, 1942. Plot The film starts with an image on the front page of the Daily Planet, reporting the shipment of a billion dollars of gold to the US Mint. A train is being loaded with hundreds of bars of gold, guarded by several armed police officers. The locomotive is identical to the unique one used by the Twentieth Century Limited beginning in 1938. Further ahead, in a passenger coach, Lois Lane boards with help from Clark Kent, who says he wishes he could come, but he has another story to cover. As the last of the gold is loaded, a car a few hundred yards away turns on its lights, and the men inside put on robbers' masks and arm themselves. The mysterious car follows the train. Later, a few of the robbers board the train from the back, climb to the middle, and separate several cars carrying guards from the front, leaving them stranded. Two other robbers attack the locomotive, throwing the engineer and a guard overboard, but falling off themselves as well. Lois, hearing the commotion, climbs to the engine's cab and is immediately machine-gunned from the robber's car, keeping pace with the train to the side. Lois grabs the machine gun and returns fire, only to have the bullets bounce harmlessly off of the armored car. The train continues to speed down the track, completely out of Lois' control and continually followed by the robbers. A stationmaster notices this when the train does not stop at the next station, and sends out a telegraph as signalmen change the warning lights to red, and for a railroad drawbridge to close. Finally, Clark hears the news report through the Planet's telegraph, and discreetly enters the building's storage room, changing into his Superman costume. He arrives on the scene just as the robbers have forced the train onto a track leading to a boxcar filled with explosives. Superman manages to rip the track from the ground and guide the train back to its main course. The robbers then demolish a bridge further ahead, causing the train to fall. Superman catches the train and places it back on the track. Finally, the robbers had thrown a massive, dangerous silver-colored, rocket-shaped bomb into the steam engine's boiler. Superman manages to pull Lois out just before the boiler explodes and both the locomotive and its tender car derail and crash to the ground below the bridge. Superman catches the lead car as it begins to roll backwards, and pulls the train up the hill himself, only to have the robbers toss several cans of tear gas at him. Coughing and choking, Superman momentarily loses
Billion Dollar Limited
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The customs gold unit (CGU) was a currency issued by the Central Bank of China between 1930 and 1948. In Chinese, the name of the currency was 關金圓 (guānjīnyuán; ) but the English name given on the back of the notes was "customs gold unit". It was divided into 100 cents (關金分). As the name suggests, this currency was initially used for customs payments, but in 1942 it was put into general circulation for use by the public at 20 times its face value in terms of the first Chinese yuan. History The customs gold unit was adopted on 1 February 1930 to replace the Haikwan (Hǎiguān) or Customs tael (海關両 hǎiguān liǎng) as the standard for customs payments. It was defined as equal to 601.866 mg fine gold or US$0.40. CGU notes were fully backed by silver and were legal tender for paying import duties. The CGU replaced the Haikwan tael at CGU150 = HkT100. The CGU's value, fixed against the US dollar, fluctuated against the Chinese yuan, based on the current yuan–dollar and yuan–sterling market exchange rates. After the UK abandoned gold in September 1931, only the yuan–dollar rate was used until 1933, when the sterling price of gold in the London market determined the value of the CGU. Central Bank of China sold CGU notes at the prevailing quotation so that businessmen could minimize exchange risks resulting from changes in the yuan–dollar and yuan–sterling exchange rates. Use of this currency was very limited, with only about CGU375,000–475,000 outstanding at the time of the 1935 currency reform. The Chinese currency reform of 3 November 1935, which created the Chinese national yuan or dollar (CNC$), commonly known as the Chinese legal tender dollar or fapi in English (), also fixed an exchange rate of CGU100 = CNC$226. The CGU's role in paying custom duties disappeared in 1941 when the government set ad valorem customs rates. On 1 April 1942 the custom gold unit's theoretical gold content was raised to 888.671 mg fine gold, equal to one US dollar. In practice, the customs gold unit lost all its special features and simply became equivalent to 20 Chinese legal tender dollars (CGU1 = CNC$20). When Nationalist troops and officials arrived in Shanghai in 1945, they brought with them newly printed notes of 20 and 50 customs gold units. These notes proved more popular locally than Chinese legal tender notes and, due to a mistaken belief in the existence of a gold-redemption clause, they commanded a premium when exchanged for Central Reserve Bank notes of the Nanking National Government. CGU notes circulated alongside ordinary legal tender notes until 1948, when both were replaced by the gold yuan at the rate of 1 gold yuan = 3,000,000 Chinese legal tender dollars = 150,000 customs gold units. Banknotes On 1 May 1930, the Central Bank of China put into circulation notes in denominations of 0.10, 0.20, 1, 5, and 10 customs gold units. These notes were printed by American Bank Note Company and dated
Chinese customs gold unit
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John Quidor (January 26, 1801 – December 13, 1881) was an American painter of historical and literary subjects. He has about 35 known canvases, most of which are based on Washington Irving's stories about Dutch New York, drawing inspiration from the Hudson Valley and from such English painters as William Hogarth, Isaac Cruikshank, James Gillray, Joseph Wright of Derby, and George Morland. Biography John Quidor was born in 1801 in Tappan, New York. His family moved to New York City in 1810. In 1818, at the age 17, he began an apprenticeship with John Wesley Jarvis (where artist Henry Inman was also training), which was the only artistic training he received. The apprenticeship was not a success. Quidor felt that Jarvis did not pay sufficient attention to him, favoring Inman over him, leading Quidor in 1822 to sue Jarvis for breach of indenture, winning damages of $251.35 ($6,244.97 in 2022 dollars). Because he had to admit that he had received inadequate training, the lawsuit damaged his reputation more than Jarvis'. Following his apprenticeship, Quidor earned a living by painting banners and doing decorative work on steamboats and fire engines for New York's fire companies. None of his decorative work is known to have survived. Starting in 1823, he began creating paintings based on literary themes, including, his first two efforts, Dorothea and Don Quixote Imagines Melisendra’s Rescue by a Moor, both paintings based on the Miguel de Cervantes novel, Don Quixote; then following with Washington Irving's short stories Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle and James Fenimore Cooper's book The Pioneers. During this part of his career, he took on Thomas Bangs Thorpe and Charles Loring Elliott as his apprentices. Of his time working for Quidor, Thorpe recalled that "in all the time we were with Quidor, many months, I do not remember of his giving us anything but easel room and one or two very common engravings to copy. He would absent himself from his studio for days and weeks together. When present, if not painting on a banner or engine back, he would generally lie at full length on the long bench." A fire destroyed Quidor's studio, located at 46 Canal Street, on December 16, 1835. That incident, combined with two major cholera outbreaks in the area and a financial crash in the late 1830s, led Quidor to abandon New York. He moved to Quincy, Illinois, in 1837, and, in 1844, purchased an $8,000 ($299,891.20 in 2022 dollars) farm, which he paid for by painting eight large religious canvases based on engravings of works by Benjamin West. These canvases were exhibited in New York in 1847, but their whereabouts and status are currently unknown. In 1851 Quidor returned to New York where he stayed until his retirement in 1869. During this period, his style changed. He simplified his compositions and used a narrower range of colors, which he thinned with varnish so that his stylized, nervously rendered figures nearly disappeared into hazy backgrounds. He apparently stopped
John Quidor
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The Jolly Waggoner (Roud # 1088) is an English folk-song. Synopsis A waggoner looks back on his life. His parents had disapproved of his choice of profession, but has no regrets. He can be cold and wet, but he simply stops at the next inn and sits with the landlord, drinking. In the summer he hears the birds sing. In the autumn he has lots of work and the money rolls in. What a jolly life! Lyrics These lyrics are those used by The Yetties in their adaptation of this song from their 1997 album Folk Music of England. When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go It filled me poor old parents' hearts with sorrow, grief and woe And many were the hardships that I did undergo Chorus: Sing woah, me lads, sing woah Drive on, my lads, drive on Who wouldn't be for all the world a jolly waggoner? It is a cold and stormy night, I'm wet near to me skin But I'll bear it with contentment until I get to the inn And there I'll sit a-drinking with the landlord and his kin Chorus Now summer is a-coming on, what pleasures we shall see! The small birds they'll be singing high up on every tree The blackbirds and the thrushes, a-whistling merrily Chorus Now Michaelmas is coming on, what pleasures we shall see! I'll make the gold to fly, me boys, like chaff before the breeze! And every lad shall take his lass and sit her on his knee Chorus Well things is greatly altered now since wagons here was seen The world's turned topsy-turvy, lads, and things is run by steam! And the whole world passes before me just like a morning dream Chorus (x2) Commentary Several websites say "This country song could date back to the time when waggons replaced packhorses". Most versions refer to the arrival of steam "The world's turned topsy-turvy lads and things, is run by steam" A date in the early nineteenth century therefore seems much more sensible than the eighteenth century. In the early nineteenth century only the rich could afford to travel long distances. Most people would rarely travel more than a few miles from their house. This goes some way to explaining why the waggoner takes so much pleasure in travelling the countryside. The roadbuilding that took place in the late 18th century made travelling in a wheeled vehicle much more pleasurable. Those who were first to transport goods by road would make a quick profit. The waggoner can laugh at his parents for failing to spot this business opportunity. Historical background Ralph Vaughan Williams collected it from Edward Rose, landlord of the Bridge public house at Acle, Norfolk on Tuesday 14 April 1908. Alfred Williams collected it from David Sawyer of Ogborne, Upper Thames. Sabine Baring-Gould and Cecil Sharp also collected it. The distribution of the song appears to be confined to England, though an early broadsheet version comes from Dublin. Some sources say it is
The Jolly Waggoner
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The 2016 Food City 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that was held on April 17, 2016, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 500 laps on the concrete short track, it is the eighth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, The race had 16 lead changes among different drivers and fifteen cautions for 102 laps. Report Background Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. Entry list The entry list for the Food City 500 was released on Monday, April 11 at 11:39 a.m. Eastern time. Forty cars are entered for the race. First practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 14.913 and a speed of . Qualifying Carl Edwards scored the pole for the race with a time of 14.991 and a speed of . He said afterwards that winning the pole was "just awesome. This place is really complicated and my guys did a good job making the car drive well on all different segments.” Matt Kenseth, who qualified second, said that he was "just a little off. These guys did a great job with our Dollar General Camry today. Obviously, all of the JGR cars were fast again so thanks to everyone who’s building these things and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) with the engines. In the first round we were pretty good we thought and then the second round we tried something and we were too tight and then the third round we were a little too loose really. We were just that much off, but overall it was a great day and we’ll still get a good pit stop and a good place to start and hopefully we’ll get it driving good tomorrow and we can race them on Sunday.” During round 1, Ty Dillon got loose exiting turn 3 and slammed into the back of Landon Cassill. Qualifying results Practice (post-qualifying) Second practice Kyle Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 15.184 and a speed of . Final practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 15.213 and a speed of . Race First half Start Under clear skies, Carl Edwards led the field to the green flag at 1:19 p.m. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made an unscheduled stop on the first lap after reporting he had no power. “Yeah, we got the Roush system on our cars for the stuck throttle issue, and just warming the brakes up I engaged that system to kill the throttle,” Earnhardt said. “I was warming the brakes up
2016 Food City 500
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The economy of El Salvador has experienced relatively low rates of GDP growth, in comparison to other developing countries. Rates have not risen above the low single digits in nearly two decades – part of a broader environment of macroeconomic instability which the integration of the United States dollar has done little to improve. One problem that the Salvadoran economy faces is the inequality in the distribution of income. In 2011, El Salvador had a Gini Coefficient of .485, which although similar to that of the United States, leaves 37.8% of the population below the poverty line, due to lower aggregate income. The richest 10% of the population receives approximately 15 times the income of the poorest 40%. As of 3 November 2014, the IMF reports official reserve assets to be $3.192B. Foreign currency reserves (in convertible foreign currencies) are $2.675B. Securities are $2.577B with total currency and deposits at $94.9M. Securities with other national central banks (BIS and IMF) are $81.10M. Securities with banks headquartered outside the reporting country $13.80M. SDRs are at $245.5M. Gold reserves (including gold deposits and, if appropriate, gold swapped) reported at $271.4M with volume in millions of fine Troy ounces at $200k. Other reserve assets are financial derivatives valued at $2.7M. Having this hard currency buffer to work with, the Salvadoran Government undertook a monetary integration plan beginning 1 January 2001, by which the U.S. dollar became legal tender alongside the colón, and all formal accounting was undertaken in U.S. dollars. This way, the government has formally limited its possibility of implementing open market monetary policies to influence short term variables in the economy. Since 2004, the colón stopped circulating and is now never used in the country for any type of transaction; however some stores still have prices in both colons and U.S. dollars. In general, people were unhappy with the shift from the colón to the U.S. dollar, because wages are still the same but the price of everything increased. Some economists claim this rise in prices would have been caused by inflation regardless, even had the shift not been made. Some economists also contend that now, according to Gresham's Law, a reversion to the colón would be disastrous to the economy. The change to the dollar also precipitated a trend toward lower interest rates in El Salvador, helping many to secure credit in order to buy a house or a car. Over time, displeasure with the change has largely disappeared, though the issue resurfaces as a political tool when elections are on the horizon. In June 2021, President Nayib Bukele said he would introduce legislation to make Bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador. The Bitcoin Law was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 9 June 2021, with a majority vote of 62 out of 84. Bitcoin officially became legal tender ninety days after the publication of the law in the official gazette. As part of the law, foreigners can gain permanent residence in El Salvador if they invest 3 Bitcoin into
Economy of El Salvador
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The United States Constitution Bicentennial commemorative coins are a series of commemorative coins which were issued by the United States Mint in 1987. Legislation The Bicentennial of the Constitution Coins and Medals Act () authorized the production of two coins, a silver dollar and a gold half eagle, to commemorate the bicentennial of the signing of the US Constitution. The act allowed the coins to be struck in both proof and uncirculated finishes. Designs Dollar The obverse of the United States Constitution Bicentennial dollar, designed by Patricia L. Verani, features a sheaf of parchments, a quill pen, and the words "We the People". The reverse, also designed by Verani, portrays a cross section of Americans from various periods of history. Half eagle The obverse of the United States Constitution Bicentennial half eagle, designed by Marcel Jovine, features a modernistic, highly stylized eagle holding a quill pen. The reverse, also by Jovine, features a quill pen with the words, "We the People". Specifications Dollar Display Box Color: Navy Blue Edge: Reeded Weight: 26.730 grams; 0.8594 troy ounce Diameter: 38.10 millimeters; 1.50 inches Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper Half Eagle Display Box Color: Navy Blue Edge: Reeded Weight: 8.359 grams; 0.2687 troy ounce Diameter: 21.59 millimeters; 0.850 inch Composition: 90% Gold, 3.6% Silver, 6.4% Copper See also United States commemorative coins List of United States commemorative coins and medals (1980s) Bill of Rights commemorative coins References Modern United States commemorative coins Bicentennial anniversaries Gold coins Silver coins
United States Constitution Bicentennial coins
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"When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" is a 1978 song recorded by singer Marvin Gaye. Taken from his Here, My Dear album, it was written following his 1976 divorce when he was ordered to give half the takings of his next album to ex-wife Anna Gaye. In the album, he "poured his emotions into songs agonisingly documenting their relationship's rise and fall." The song was a six-minute-long opus that has been considered the centerpiece of the Here, My Dear album. As if offering confessional testimony to his wife, Gaye airs his side of the story of how his ill-fated marriage to the sister of his record label boss Berry Gordy collapsed. In a spoken narrative, the singer accuses Anna in the beginning of not following their marriage vows, saying that lying about being faithful was similar to "lying to God". He then blames himself as well for the death of the marriage, stating: "I tried but all of (our) promises (were) nothing but lies" and then promises himself if he finds someone else (his new wife Janis), he will try a new way. But no matter how optimistic he seemed, he always reflected back on his marriage to Anna and how at one point, she called the cops on him for a domestic dispute. The title is not spoken until the final verse, when Marvin croons in his trademark falsetto about where did the love go in their relationship. Written and produced solely by the artist himself, the song was unusual for having no distinct melody, no bridge and no distinct chorus and for its length. However, it did have near melodic consistencies, such as "Memories of the things we did/Some we're proud of, some we hid".."If you loved me with all of your heart/You'd never take a million dollars to part". He would use the instrumental of this song as both an instrumental track (with several Gaye ad-libs) and as the reprise of the album to end it. The song served as the template for Daryl Hall's song "Stop Loving Me, Stop Loving You," from his 1993 solo album, Soul Alone. After being played the song by a friend and thinking it was an unreleased bootleg, Hall reworked the tune as a standard-structured R&B/pop song. The song also featured as the in-game radio playlist on Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM from the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V. Personnel All vocals, keyboards and synthesizers by Marvin Gaye Drums by Bugsy Wilcox Guitars by Wali Ali Guitar by Gordon Banks Bass by Frank Blair Trumpet by Nolan Smith Tenor saxophone by Charles Owens References 1978 songs Marvin Gaye songs Songs written by Marvin Gaye Song recordings produced by Marvin Gaye Songs about marriage Songs about divorce
When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You
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AM Conspiracy is the debut album by American Alternative metal band AM Conspiracy. It was recorded in early 2009 at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin with Chris Wisco, who plays bass in Novembers Doom. The first single off album, "Pictures", was mixed by Randy Staub, who has previously worked with Metallica, Nickelback, Alice in Chains and most recently Thousand Foot Krutch, among others. However, according to fmqb.com, the band released another song titled "Welt" as a digital single. Background Frontman Jones recently told AOL's Noisecreep about album, "It's 13 songs, all very different from each other. We try to mix it up and keep it going. We did it because a lot of records that have been coming out lately, in my opinion, sound like one long song. We try to steer away from that as far as possible. So it's got a good mixture of different emotions that hopefully it'll take people through. It has different kinds of music. Some stuff's real heavy. Some stuff's pretty light." Album cover Stephen Jensen photographed the band last spring when they were recording the album up in Racine, WI, and was asked to create the album artwork for their debut. AM Conspiracy singer Jason "Gong" Jones, who himself is an accomplished tattoo artist, contacted Stephen with several different concepts for the cover of his debut album during the course of recording. Stephen and Jason hit it off immediately and began bouncing ideas back and forth. When Jason came up with the idea to do a stylized version of a dollar bill with altered and hidden imagery it took a bit of "selling" to the record label. Stephen loved the idea and sat down with Jason to help expand the idea and bring his vision to life. For the main image on the cover, Jason wanted to feature the band's faces carved over the sculpture of Mount Rushmore with a radio antenna on the top of the mountain spreading the AM Conspiracy message. The photo would appear as part of the engraving on an altered one dollar bill (to symbolize their first album). Stephen used some of the stylized filigrees that appear on the one dollar bill and played into the conspiracy theories regarding hidden imagery that are mixed into the engravings on the original currency design. Stephen and Jason worked together to carry the conspiracy theory imagery throughout the rest of the album artwork including the layout of Washington DC, UFO and alien implants, the Paul McCartney death hoax, the JFK magic bullet theory, the Lincoln assassination, and the faked lunar landing. Gong made a late night call to Stephen immediately after seeing the first draft of the album cover. He was blown away that Stephen was able to take the vision exactly as it appeared in his head several steps further. Track listing Personnel Jason "Gong" Jones – lead vocals, cover art concept Dean Andrews – drums Kenny Harrelson – bass Drew Burke – lead guitar, backing vocals Rob DeHaven
AM Conspiracy (album)
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Coin's Financial School was an 1894 pamphlet written by lawyer, politician and resort founder William Hope Harvey (1851–1936). It advocated a return to bimetallism, where the value of a monetary unit is defined as a certain amount of two different kinds of metals, often gold and silver. In the book, Harvey charged that the demonetization of silver caused by the Coinage Act of 1873 led to the Panic of 1893 by halving the supply of available redemption money in the economy. This lowered the prices of goods throughout the country and hurt farmers and small business owners, according to Harvey. Harvey argued that by returning silver to the same monetary status as gold, the American economy would benefit from stabilized prices, resulting in higher revenue, and ease of repayment of debts. The pamphlet sold about 1 million copies, which helped popularize the free silver movement with the public. Harvey would go on to aid Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan’s presidential campaign in 1896, which ran on the platform of free coinage of silver. The issue of bimetallism remained controversial throughout the remainder of the 19th century. Background The Founding Fathers The Coinage Act of 1792, passed under president George Washington, established silver and gold as the legal tender of the United States, as gold was to be coined into eagles ($10), half-eagles ($5) and quarter-eagles ($2.50). Silver was to be coined into dollars ($1), half-dollars ($0.50), quarter-dollars ($0.25), dimes ($0.10) and half-dimes ($0.05). While the Coinage Act provided with coinage of copper as cent ($0.01) and half-cent ($0.005), copper was not accepted as legal tender. The Gold Rush In 1848, gold was discovered in Sutter's Mill, and the news of this discovery spread throughout the country. This would start a gold rush to the California territory. While merchants made more money than most miners did, it led to a substantial amount of gold flowing into the Treasury. Debate started in Congress on how to utilize the extra gold flowing into the reserves, and whether to abandon bimetallism in favor of the increasing supply of gold. The Civil War and Beyond During the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln’s administration understood that the federal government would need millions of dollars to finance the war, and as the war dragged on, the government’s deficit and debt grew. It did not help that the previous administration, led by James Buchanan, left over $20 million budget deficit at the end of Buchanan’s term in 1861 as a result of a recession in 1857 that persisted throughout Buchanan’s term. More gold and silver left the nation to finance the war effort, reducing the nation’s resources in the long run, so Congress had metallic payments suspended in 1861 to stop the outflow. Lincoln and his Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, needed more loans to finance the war, but bankers, as a result of shaken public confidence, charged 24 percent in interests for the loans. As a solution, the government issued "demand notes", or federal notes
Coin's Financial School
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The Seated Liberty dollar was a dollar coin struck by the United States Mint from 1840 to 1873 and designed by its chief engraver, Christian Gobrecht. It was the last silver coin of that denomination to be struck before passage of the Coinage Act of 1873, which temporarily ended production of the silver dollar for American commerce. The coin's obverse is based on that of the Gobrecht dollar, which had been minted experimentally from 1836 to 1839. However, the soaring eagle used on the reverse of the Gobrecht dollar was not used; instead, the United States Mint (Mint) used a heraldic eagle, based on a design by late Mint Chief Engraver John Reich first utilized on coins in 1807. Seated Liberty dollars were initially struck only at the Philadelphia Mint; in 1846, production began at the New Orleans facility. In the late 1840s, the price of silver increased relative to gold because of an increase in supply of the latter caused by the California Gold Rush; this led to the hoarding, export, and melting of American silver coins. The Coinage Act of 1853 decreased the weight of all silver coins of five cents or higher, except for the dollar, but also required a supplemental payment from those wishing their bullion struck into dollar coins. As little silver was being presented to the US Mint at the time, production remained low. In the final years of the series, there was more silver produced in the US, and mintages increased. In 1866, "In God We Trust" was added to the dollar following its introduction to United States coinage earlier in the decade. Seated Liberty dollar production was halted by the Coinage Act of 1873, which authorized the trade dollar for use in foreign commerce. Representatives of silver interests were unhappy when the metal's price dropped again in the mid-1870s; they advocated the resumption of the free coinage of silver into legal tender, and after the passage of the Bland–Allison Act in 1878, production resumed with the Morgan dollar. Background The Mint Act of 1792 made both gold and silver legal tender; specified weights of each was equal to a dollar. The United States Mint struck gold and silver only when depositors supplied metal, which was returned in the form of coin. The fluctuation of market prices for commodities meant that either precious metal would likely be overvalued in terms of the other, leading to hoarding and melting; in the decades after 1792, it was usually silver coins which met that fate. In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson officially ordered all silver dollar mintage halted, though production had not occurred since 1804. This was done in part to prevent the coins from being exported to foreign nations for melting, causing a strain on the fledgling Mint for little gain. Over the next quarter century, the silver coin usually struck for bullion depositors was the half dollar. In 1831, Mint Director Samuel Moore requested that President Andrew Jackson lift the restriction against dollar coin production;
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Edward Aloysius Cudahy Jr. (August 22, 1885 – January 8, 1966), also known as Eddie Cudahy, was kidnapped on December 18, 1900 in Omaha, Nebraska. Edward Cudahy Sr. was the wealthy owner of the Cudahy Packing Company, which helped build the Omaha Stockyards through the 1950s. Cudahy Sr. paid the ransom for the return of his son and made the kidnapper, Pat Crowe, a popular author, lecturer and actor for a brief period. The Cudahy case is said to have influenced many succeeding kidnappings, including those of the Lindbergh baby, Bobby Greenlease, and Marion Parker. Kidnapping On the evening of December 18, 1900, 15-year-old Edward Cudahy Jr. left his house to run an errand in his Old Gold Coast neighborhood. As he walked home, a carriage pulled beside him and a man jumped out and grabbed him, pulling him inside. His father, the millionaire owner of the Cudahy Packing Company at the Omaha Stockyards, returned from a dinner engagement at 10:30 p.m. to discover his son missing. The next morning, the Omaha Bee, the Daily News, and the World-Herald all carried the story across their front pages. The next morning, Cudahy closed his plant and encouraged his 2,000 workers to look for his son. His competitors did the same, and soon 7,000 people were searching Omaha. At 9:00 am, he received a phone call advising him to search his front yard, where his coachman found a ransom note: Mr. Cudahy: We have kidnapped your child and demand $25,000 for his safe return. If you give us the money he will return as safe as when you last saw him, but if you refuse, we will put acid in his eyes and blind him... Get the money all in gold, 5, 10 and 20 (dollar) pieces... Get in your buggy alone on the night of December 19 at 7 o'clock p.m. Follow the paved road toward Fremont. When you come to a lantern...by the side of the road, place the money by the lantern and immediately turn your horse around and return home. The kidnapper foresaw the possibility of Cudahy not paying the ransom, and also referred in his note to the kidnapping of Charley Ross, aged 4, in Philadelphia on July 1, 1874. After being advised by police not to pay the ransom, his father, Christian Ross, a wealthy merchant, never saw his child again. The Cudahy kidnapper noted that Christian Ross regretted for the rest of his life that he took the advice of the police. Their note continued, Ross died of a broken heart, sorry that he allowed the detectives to dictate to him. Cudahy, you are up against it, and there is only one way out - give up the coin. Money we want and money we will get. If you don't give up...you can lead your boy blind the rest of your days. At 7:00 p.m. on the night of the 19th, Cudahy alone arrived at the lantern, which was located near the Little Papio Creek.
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Off Da Chain is the debut album by the Atlanta-based rapper Baby D, released in 2000 via Big Oomp Records. It contains collaborations with Lil Jon and YoungBloodz, among others. "Eastside Vs Westside" was a minor club hit. Track list "Intro" "Bow His Azz Up" (feat. Lil Jon & Dollar) "Don't Fall" (feat. Loko, Lil' C & Hitman Sammy Sam) "Queblo Gold Calls Da Oomp Camp" (skit) "Back Up" (feat. Lil' Pete & Gold) "My Folk" "Like This" (feat. Dollar) "Jumpin Down On Em" (feat. YoungBloodZ, Loko & Dollar) "Eastside Vs Westside" (feat. Lil' C) "Head To Da Club" "Ridin In A Chevy" (feat. Lil' C & Swade) "Ooh Ooh" (feat. Freddy B & Lil' C) "Voicemail" (skit) "We Ballin" (feat. Dollar) "Why Why" (feat. Crom) "Bounce Dat Azz" (feat. Lil' C & Beezelee) References 2000 debut albums Baby D (rapper) albums
Off da Chain
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The Come Around Sundown World Tour was the second concert tour by American rock band Kings of Leon. Visiting the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australia, the tour supported the band's fifth studio album, Come Around Sundown (2010). The tour has been praised by both critics and spectators alike, with many dates selling out within minutes. The concerts held in North America (in 2010) grossed over 14 million dollars, becoming the 49th highest-grossing North American tour. The tour ranked 40th in Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour (Mid-Year)", earning roughly 20 million dollars in 2011. Background After finishing their previous tour, the band began working on their fifth studio album. In a 2009 interview with Billboard, frontman Caleb Followill stated the album would have a similar sound to their debut album, with a chill vibe. After the announcement of the album, the band later announced they would be a headlining act at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival. The tour was officially announced via the band's official website in April 2010. The album was not due for release until October 2010 and the band was hesitant to showcase the new music to the public. However, they all felt that their fans did not want a continuation of their last tour. They further elaborated, "I think if we were to go out there, play a concert right now and not play some new music, it would feel like we had our hands tied and I think we would be bored with the show. We didn't want to go back out there and give them 'Only By the Night Tour' Part 2. It's inspiring to us to be able to go out there and play a new song. ... If we were going out there and not playing these songs, I don't think that we would have the spark and the smile on our face that we do at this point." The tour proved to be successful in all regions, especially in Europe where the band sold-out concerts within minutes and embarked on their first stadium tour in the region. However, the tour faced a few hiccups along the way. The tour made media headlines in July 2010 when the band cancelled a concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri after experiencing substantial amounts of fecal matter from pigeons. Additional headlines were when the band's tour bus caught on fire at the loading dock for The O2 Arena in London, England. The Australian leg of the tour has been postponed until November 2011 to allow drummer Nathan Followill to recover after surgery for a torn right labrum and biceps. Opening acts The Whigs (North America—Leg 2 & June 2010) (Europe—Leg 1, select dates) The Black Keys (North America—Leg 2) The Drums (London—June 2010) The Features (London—June 2010) (North America—Leg 1, select dates) Built to Spill (North America—Leg 1) The Stills (North America—Leg 1, select dates) Manchester Orchestra (New York City—November 2010) Band of Horses (North America—April 2011, Australia) Paul Weller (Hyde Park—June
Come Around Sundown World Tour
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The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is a twenty-dollar gold coin, or double eagle, produced by the United States Mint from 1907 to 1933. The coin is named after its designer, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the obverse and reverse. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful of U.S. coins. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to beautify American coinage, and proposed Saint-Gaudens as an artist capable of the task. Although the sculptor had poor experiences with the Mint and its chief engraver, Charles E. Barber, Saint-Gaudens accepted Roosevelt's call. The work was subject to considerable delays, due to Saint-Gaudens's declining health and difficulties because of the high relief of his design. Saint-Gaudens died in 1907, after designing the eagle and double eagle, but before the designs were finalized for production. After several versions of the design for the double eagle proved too difficult to strike, Barber modified Saint-Gaudens's design, lowering the relief so the coin could be struck with only one blow. When the coins were finally released, they proved controversial as they lacked the words "In God We Trust", and Congress intervened to require the motto's use. The coin was minted, primarily for use in international trade, until 1933. The 1933 double eagle is among the most valuable of U.S. coins, with the sole example currently known to be in private hands selling in 2002 for $7,590,020. Background The double eagle, or twenty-dollar gold piece, was first issued in 1850; its congressional authorization was a response to the increasing amount of gold available as the result of the California Gold Rush. The resulting Liberty Head double eagle, designed by Mint Engraver James Longacre, was struck for the remainder of the 19th century, though the design was modified several times. The double eagle, due to its very high face value, equivalent to several hundred dollars today, did not widely circulate, but was the coin most often used for large international transactions, in which settlement was to be in gold. In the West, where gold or silver coins were preferred to paper money—use of which was illegal in California in the aftermath of the Gold Rush—the coins saw some circulation. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens's first association with the Mint was in 1891, when he served on a committee judging entries for the new silver coinage. The Mint had offered only a small prize to the winner, and all invited artists (including Saint-Gaudens himself) refused to submit entries. The competition was open to the public, and the judging committee (which consisted of Saint-Gaudens, Mint Engraver Charles E. Barber, and commercial engraver Henry Mitchell) found no entry suitable. This came as no surprise to Saint-Gaudens, who told Mint Director Edward O. Leech that there were only four men in the world capable of such work, of whom three were in France and Saint-Gaudens was the fourth. Barber, who had been Chief Engraver since 1879, felt that Saint-Gaudens overstated the case, and there was only one man capable of such coinage work—Barber
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The California Diamond Jubilee half dollar was a United States commemorative silver fifty-cent piece struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1925. It was issued to celebrate the 75th anniversary of California statehood. The San Francisco Citizens' Committee wished to issue a commemorative coin as a fundraiser for a celebration of the statehood diamond jubilee. A California congressman attached authorization for it to another coinage bill, which was approved by Congress in early 1925. Designs by sculptor Jo Mora met a hostile reception at the Commission of Fine Arts, but the Citizens' Committee would not change them, and they were approved. The coin has been widely praised for its beauty in the years since. The coins were struck in August 1925 in San Francisco, and were sold the following month. They did not sell as well as hoped: only some 150,000 of the authorized mintage of 300,000 were ever struck, and of that, nearly half went unsold and were melted. The coin is catalogued at between $200 and $1,300, though exceptional specimens have sold for more. Background The land that is now the state of California was first visited by Europeans when Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo visited there in 1542. His report to the Spanish crown garnered little interest, and it was not until the English seaman Sir Francis Drake touched there in 1579 that the Spanish were moved to colonize the area. Nevertheless, over the next 275 years, California saw few settlers, mostly around the chain of missions that were founded there, both under the Spanish, and subsequently under Mexican rule. According to numismatic author Arnie Slabaugh, "the coming of American settlers brought two changes to California that continue to this day: immigrants (both foreign and American) and activity". In 1846, American settlers revolted against Mexican rule, founding the Bear Flag Republic; its flag featured a grizzly bear. The republic proved short-lived; the Mexican–American War had begun, and California was occupied by U.S. forces. A week before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in January 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill by James W. Marshall. The California Gold Rush followed, as did statehood for California in 1850. Inception The California Diamond Jubilee half dollar originated with the desire of the San Francisco Citizens' Committee (Angelo J. Rossi, chairman), to have a commemorative half dollar to sell as a fundraiser for a local celebration in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of California statehood. On January 9, 1925, a bill was introduced in the Senate for a silver half dollar and gold dollar commemorating the Battle of Bennington and the American Revolutionary War-period independence of Vermont. The bill passed the Senate after an amendment removed the gold dollar. When the bill was debated in the House of Representatives on February 16, 1925, California Congressman John E. Raker offered an amendment to add a coin for the 75th anniversary of California statehood. This was strongly opposed by Representative Albert Vestal, chairman of the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and
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"The Six Million Dollar Mon" is the seventh episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 121st episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 25, 2012. The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino. Plot Hermes starts performance reviews so that he may rid Planet Express of its worst employee, implying that this will be Zoidberg. Upon completing the review and finding the entire crew lackluster, Hermes determines he is the worst-performing employee, spending too much time reviewing performance. He fires himself and has the Central Bureaucracy replace him with a robot to handle the accounting for Planet Express. Hermes begins to feel useless. This is compounded by the fact that he and LaBarbara are attacked by the psychotic robot Roberto and only saved by the robot police officer URL. After Roberto is executed, Hermes goes to a black market "upgrade" shop run by Yuri and obtains a robotic upgrade. He finds the upgrade helps to improve his life, and frequents the shop, upgrading his human body despite promises to LaBarbara and Dwight that he will stop. Eventually, he replaces all his human parts except his brain, proves he is more valuable than the robot put in his place, and returns to the Planet Express crew. The crew learns that Zoidberg has been getting Hermes' discarded parts and stitched his body up to use as a ventriloquist dummy named Little Hermes, turning it into a comedy act which impresses everyone but offends Hermes, who feels he needs to replace his brain with a computer. When Yuri does not want to do the brain replacement, Hermes, Professor Farnsworth, and Bender head to the robot graveyard to exhume a robot body for a processor. Unbeknownst to them, the processor belongs to Roberto. For the procedure to work, Hermes locks his family and the Planet Express crew in the lab until Farnsworth completes the transplant. LaBarbara and Hermes' friends convince Farnsworth to stop this, but Zoidberg volunteers to complete the operation using Hermes' human body to help him. After the removal of the brain, LaBarbara is devastated, but Zoidberg reveals that he did it to bring her husband back, placing the brain in Little Hermes. Hermes comes back to life in his original body, realizing that he gave up his humanity for the pointless pursuit of perfectionism. The crew learns that the processor belongs to Roberto, who comes to life and reshapes his head. Wanting to eat Hermes' skin, Roberto uses the robot body to remove a piece of Hermes' skin, but discovers he cannot tolerate it because of LaBarbara's curried goat. Roberto's body melts. Encouraged by LaBarbara, Hermes thanks Zoidberg for restoring him. Reception Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club enjoyed the episode and gave it an A−. See also Ship of Theseus, thought experiment involving rebuilding an object from discarded parts References External links "The Six Million Dollar Mon" at the Infosphere, the Futurama Wiki
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Alfred W. Pettibone (March 14, 1835 – September 2, 1914) was one of the first Bellingham residents and pioneers who actively participated in the city's formation, in particular developing the merchandise trade and real estate businesses. Pettibone was the first to establish such businesses in Whatcom, Washington, which were developed with the help of his brother and sons. In the beginning of his career, he worked as a trader in Victoria and Langley, Canada, supplying international explorers, and then became one of the biggest local merchants in Lodi, Wisconsin, during the American Civil War. The Pettibones' family house in Bellingham, built on Eldridge Avenue, later became one of the city's historic buildings. Early life, family and education Pettibone was born on March 14, 1835, in Waldo, Ohio. His parents, lawyer Hiram R. Pettibone and Jane (Curtis) Pettibone, were both born in Grand Bay, Connecticut. Pettibone had a sister named Jennie A. Pettibone (later Krammer) and a brother, W. C. Pettibone. The Pettibone family was of French origin and went to Wales during the Huguenot troubles. In 1635, they settled in Connecticut. Pettibone was educated in the public schools of Fremont, Ohio, and then went to Beloit, Wisconsin, where he took a six-year educational course at Beloit College. Career Career in Wisconsin and Washington states In 1856, Pettibone went to Portage, Wisconsin, where he worked as a clerk and eventually moved on to work in a trading business. In 1858, he moved to Whatcom County, Washington, travelling there on a number of steamers, including the John L. Stevens and the Oregon. Pettibone arrived in Whatcom (later Bellingham, Washington) during a time of Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and mass immigration to the Fraser River district. Later, taking advantage of the abandoned Whatcom Trail, a gold seekers' route, Pettibone erected a building with his brother there (on the site where the Whatcom Hotel was later built). They started to work as merchants, selling around $42,000 ($1,116,000 in 2020 dollars) worth of goods in the first five weeks. At the time, the city was under control of the Hudson's Bay Company and Governor Douglass, who forced the Pettibones to move their enterprise to Victoria, Canada. Business in British Columbia and in Wisconsin during the Civil War For some time, the Pettibones worked in Victoria, and later opened a branch firm in Langley, a city on the Fraser River. Their business as suppliers for international explorers ran until 1860. When it closed, the brothers returned to Wisconsin, where Pettibone did business in Lodi, becoming one of the biggest local merchants during the Civil War. Around 1864, Pettibone moved to Ripon, Wisconsin, and continued his merchant business. His son, Fred Curtis, joined him in 1879. The Pettibones stopped working in merchandise in 1883. Real estate business in Bellingham In 1883, Pettibone came back to Whatcom, becoming one of the first residents of Bellingham and an active participant in the city's life. There, he decided to enter the real estate business, and the firm Pettibone, Powell &
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Richard Kempster Degener (March 14, 1912 – August 24, 1995) was an American diver and NCAA titlist who swam for the University of Michigan and the Detroit Athletic Club. He won a bronze and a gold medal in the 3 m springboard at the 1932 and 1936 Berlin Olympics, respectively. His Olympic diving coach, Dick Papenguth labelled Degener “the greatest of all divers.” Swimming career At age 10, Degener began his swimming career when his father August, an early Ford Motor employee, paid ten dollars for the Detroit Yacht Club swimming coach to give him diving lessons. He told news accounts that he stopped lessons after learning the jack knife and front and back somersaults, but knew he needed to continue training after taking only third place among three entrants in one of his first competitions. Degener graduated Detroit Central High School around 1929 where he first established himself as a diving champion. At the University of Michigan, where he graduated in 1934, he won back-to-back NCAA championships as an upperclassman in his specialty, the three-meter springboard, in 1933 and 1934. Degener introduced the full layout in which his body seemed to soar, lazy-like and graceful in the air. This astonished the diving world and caused a buzz of admiration around the pool. He was one of the greatest divers in the 1930's, known for very tight turns and a graceful execution. He was a focused athlete, and noted, "If there is one thing I've gotten out of sports, it's that I learned to be intense and to do the job." Michigan swimming Degener never lost a diving contest in college during the three years he represented Michigan from 1931 to 1934 as he took the Big Ten Conference and National Collegiate championship. At Michigan, he was managed by Hall of Fame Head Coach Matt Mann II, who had mentored a number of Olympic divers and swimmers and had formerly coached at the Detroit Athletic Club, where Degener's diving coach was former Olympic diving medalist Clarence Pinkston. After his swimming career at Michigan, he swam exclusively for the Detroit Athletic Club until retiring from competition. AAU swimming In AAU competition, Dick was unbeaten for years as he won 14 national indoor and outdoor diving titles. He won four outdoor AAU Nationals in the high board representing the Detroit Athletic Club, and three NCAA titles for the University of Michigan. At the Indoor AAUs, he won five straight three-meter springboard titles and two one-meter titles. His record, particularly his remaining undefeated in high board diving has never been matched in modern diving competition. After his 1936 gold medal two years after graduating Michigan, Degener made the decision to stop competitive diving. As he had been an elite competitor for over five years, he believed it was time to stop competing while his skills could remain near their peak. Professional years Degener later turned professional with the Billy Rose Aquacade when it opened in Cleveland, and was able to focus on exhibitions,
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Blairgowrie RFC is a rugby union club based in Blairgowrie and Rattray, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in . History It was founded in 1980, originally as Blairgowrie HSFP. There was a previous Blairgowrie rugby side in the 19th century which often provided players to the Perthshire county side to play Fifeshire. For example, P. D. Laing at full back and W. Robertson at quarter (Centre) in 1889. The John Johnston Coupar Park which the club plays on was the land an old berry farm used to reside. The land was bequeathed to the town for recreational use when the berry farming on the site ended. The side recorded a 172 - nil victory in a friendly match against Howe of Fife in the early season of 2016–17. That was a portent of things to come as the team won the Bowl Final at Murrayfield at the end of that season. The club hit the headlines in June 2021 when one of the players went into cardiac arrest - he was saved by his teammates using CPR and then a defibrillator. The club president Mark Reddin explained: We’ve got a couple of guys who are police officers at the club, and two of them knew what to do straight away and started giving CPR. Everybody there jumped into action and did exactly what they're supposed to do. Hamish is a young guy, 20, about to turn 21, and I'm delighted that he has survived this. We were just playing a touch game that we do during the summer months. It was about 7pm and Hamish fell to the ground, I think he was holding his head and he started fitting, it was clear that it was a big issue. He couldn't breathe and his lips were turning blue. Hamish actually had his heart stop, it was the defibrillator that brought him back. It's worth its weight in gold, I think what this shows is the importance of these machines, the fact that having it there can even save one life. Former Scotland internationals Sean Lamont and Rory Lamont's mother was a previous Secretary of the club; however her sons did not play for the club. Sides Blairgowrie runs various sides including men's, women's and juniors. The Blairgowrie Rams are its junior club. The rams are run for boys and girls aged 5–17. Blairgowrie Tens Blairgowrie host an annual rugby tens tournament; which usually takes place alongside the Blairgowrie Ale Festival. Honours Regional Bowl Champions (1): 2016-17 References Rugby union in Perth and Kinross Rugby union teams in Scotland 1980 establishments in Scotland Rugby clubs established in 1980 Blairgowrie and Rattray
Blairgowrie RFC
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"See You in September" is a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. It was first recorded by the Pittsburgh vocal group the Tempos. This first version peaked at No. 23 in the USA in the summer of 1959, and No. 16 in Canada. The most popular take on "See You In September" was by the Happenings in 1966, which reached No. 3. Background Sid Wayne would recall the song's inception: "I was in the habit of going from my home on Long Island every day to Brill Building, in the Times Square area of New York City [to] meet with different songwriters there. We'd eat at Jack Dempsey's or The Turf Restaurant and then we'd go up to one of the publishers' offices and work in the piano room. We'd sit around saying to each other, 'What do you want to write today? A hit or a standard?'" At 11 a.m. on a Friday in June 1959 Wayne thus met up with Sherman Edwards: "he said, 'What do you want to write?' 'I'd like to write a song called See You in September,"' I said. We talked it back and forth and I think I may have contributed part of the opening music, but with Sherman it didn't matter, because he could throw me back half the lyric — that's how he worked. I think probably by two in the afternoon we got the song finished. It needed to be written; it was like boiling inside of us." By 4:30 PM that day, Wayne and Edwards had reworked their composition, simplifying it so as to appeal to the teen demographic, and proceeded to make the rounds of publishers to pitch the song which, after one rejection, met with an enthusiastic reception from Jack Gold, owner of the local Paris label. By 8 PM, he had telephoned the Tempos in their hometown of Pittsburgh. The group had been flown into New York City by the next day, Saturday. Sid Wayne: "By Monday the record was cut [with the Billy Mure orchestra], test pressings were Thursday, and by Friday the song was played on WNEW in New York. The thing took off like wildfire… Five hundred dollars to split between the two of us [ie. Wayne & Edwards]… was a damn good week's pay in 1961." The Tempos' "See You in September" failed to become a hit in the New York City area and despite breaking in San Francisco in June, the single did not reach the national charts until that July. Despite a subsequent swift ascent on the Billboard Hot 100, the single's momentum fell sharply at the end of August with a resultant No. 23 peak. Although overshadowed by the Happenings' No. 3 remake, the Tempos' version of "See You in September" did gain considerable traction in 1973 by virtue of its inclusion on the American Graffiti soundtrack. Mike Lazo (top tenor), Jim Drake, Tom Monito, Gene Schachter The Happenings version Bob Miranda of the Happenings recalls that
See You in September
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The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint in 2006. The coin follows the design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from the American Bison on the reverse side of the design. This was the first time the United States government minted pure (.9999) 24-karat gold coins for the public. The coin contains one-troy ounce (31.1g) of pure gold and has a legal tender (face) value of US$50. Due to a combination of the coin's popularity and the increase in the price of gold, the coin's value has increased considerably. The initial 2006 U.S. Mint price of the proof coin was $800. In 2007 the price was $899.95, $1,410 in 2009, and $2,010 in 2011. In addition to requiring a presidential dollar coin series to begin in 2007 and redesigning the cent in 2009, the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 mandated the production of a one-ounce 24-karat gold bullion coin with a face value of $50 and a mintage limit of up to 300,000 coins. Design The design of the American Buffalo gold bullion coin is a modified version of James Earle Fraser's design for the Indian Head nickel (Type 1), issued in early 1913. After a raised mound of dirt below the animal on the reverse was reduced, the Type 2 variation continued to be minted for the rest of 1913 and every year until 1938, except for 1922, 1932, and 1933 when no nickels were struck. Generally, Fraser's Indian Head nickel design is regarded as among the best designs of any U.S. coins. The same design also was used on the 2001 Smithsonian commemorative coin. The obverse (front) of the coin depicts a Native American, whom Fraser said he created as a mixture of the features of three chiefs from different American Indian tribes, Big Tree, Iron Tail, and Two Moons, who posed as models for him to sketch. The obverse also shows the motto "LIBERTY" on the top right, the year of mintage on the bottom left, and below that the letter F for Fraser. The American Buffalo gold bullion coin further has in common with the nickel the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM above the buffalo's lower back and the device UNITED·STATES·OF·AMERICA along the top. Differences that can be noted between the nickel and the fifty dollar piece are, on the gold American Buffalo coin the mound area of the reverse of the Indian Head nickel bearing the words, FIVE CENTS, has been changed to read $50 1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD. Also, the motto, IN GOD WE TRUST, appearing on all U.S. gold coins since 1908, can be seen on the reverse of the newer coin to the left of, and beneath, the buffalo's head. Fractional sizes The U.S. Mint indicated an expansion of the program, to include buffalo gold coins in fractional sizes for 2008 only. The specially-packaged 8–8-08 Double Prosperity set contained a one-half
American Buffalo (coin)
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The Stop Esso campaign was a campaign by Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People and Planet aimed at boycotting the oil company ExxonMobil (which owns and operates the brand Esso), on the grounds that it is damaging the environment. The campaign alleges that Esso / ExxonMobil is: not investing in renewable energy sources denying the existence of global warming funding the creation of junk science which denies climate change, delaying urgently needed climate change action undermining the Kyoto Protocol. Stop Esso (France) website injunction Greenpeace was sued in France by Esso, who alleged that the company's reputation was damaged by the campaign's use of a parody Esso logo featuring dollar signs in place of the letters "ss". Esso claimed that the $$ resemble the SS of the Nazi paramilitary organization. A French court ruled in favour of Esso, granting them an injunction against the French website. The campaign then moved their French web site to the United States. Another French judge has subsequently overturned the original ruling, so the site has moved back to France. The Stop Esso campaign continues to use the dollar sign logo. Esso's greenhouse gas production Stop Esso's consumer boycott has focused on the greenhouse gas production and climate change policies of Esso. Esso's critics claim the company produces twice the CO2 pollution of a country such as Norway . Company data revealed a 2% increase in greenhouse gas production in 2004 to 135.6m tonnes. Supporters of Stop Esso argue that BP has a similar level of production as Esso with nearly 50% less greenhouse gas emissions. One environmental consultancy believed Esso underestimated its greenhouse gas production because it excluded petrol stations and tankers. It estimates Exxon's production at over 300m tonnes. Esso's reaction In response to Stop Esso, Esso gave financial support to climate change research. However, it continued to encourage President Bush and other world leaders not to sign the Kyoto Protocol which mandates decreased production of greenhouse gases. A proportion of Esso's greenhouse gas production arose because of the flaring of gas in Nigeria. When natural gas is brought out with oil, Esso in Nigeria burned the gas rather than processing it. Esso pledged to cease this practice by 2006. At the same time, Exxon-Mobil funded provided the non-profit, Public Interest Watch, with $120,000 of the group's $124,094 budget covering August 2003 to July 2004, when the group called for the Internal Revenue Service to audit Greenpeace USA According to Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA Executive Director, "We might not have thought more about it, but in 2006, the Wall Street Journal reported Public Interest Watch wasn't as obscure a group as we'd thought. Instead, Public Interest Watch received $120,000 of its $124,000 budget from ExxonMobil, the multinational entity Greenpeace has clashed with for years over its drilling, spilling, and denial of climate change." Greenpeace USA received a clean audit from the IRS. Stop Esso days UK December 1, 2001 - about 306 Esso stations boycotted May 18, 2002 - about 400 Esso
Stop Esso campaign
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Ephraim Willard Burr (1809–1894) was an American businessman, banker, and politician. He served as the 8th mayor of San Francisco, California, from 1856 to 1859. Early life Burr was born on March 7, 1809, in Warren, Rhode Island. He was a Protestant. As a young man, he worked for a whaling company which sent him west. After losing his crew while docked in San Francisco—many sailors were lured away by the prospect of finding gold during the Gold Rush—Burr stayed put and opened a grocery store. His family moved to California to be with him. The venture proved so successful that he opened California's first savings union, the San Francisco Accumulating Fund Association. Politics He entered politics in 1855 when he petitioned the San Francisco Common Council to curb open-stream pollution caused by local slaughterhouses. Burr stated that the pollution caused cholera to enter the streams, causing three deaths—including that of his son. Mayor of San Francisco Burr was soon noticed by the Vigilante movement, who recommended him as the People's Party candidate for mayor. He was elected mayor on November 4, 1856, and took office on November 15 of that year. The Consolidated Act of 1856 had recently passed, where San Francisco merged the city and county government. Burr entered office under this new city charter, that significantly weakened his powers. However, this restriction did not stop him from cutting city spending. Nor did this loss of authority stop Burr from reforming the Office of City Treasurer; he changed the salary from a percentage of the city receipts to a fixed wage to stop graft. He also proposed a plan to make the San Francisco Board of Supervisors overlords of the city debt, and to make the city attorney the overseer of the city's legal matters, which were previously handled by outside attorneys. Retirement After leaving office, Burr devoted himself to business interests. His primary one was the Savings and Loan Society, which he became president of 1857, while he was mayor. He was also president of the San Francisco Fire Insurance Company from 1861 to 1866. Final appearance and death He would make his final public appearance in 1891 when the Board of Supervisors sought to extend Van Ness Avenue to the San Francisco Bay. He wanted to stop the expansion since the extended route went through his property. He died in San Francisco on July 20, 1894. His estate was valued at six million dollars. Legacy Burr had loaned $30,000 to build the now-famous San Francisco cable car system, before retiring in 1879. He also built the Burr Mansion in 1875 for his son, which is a San Francisco Designated Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Allyne Park located at corner of Green Street and Gough Street (next to the McElroy Octagon House) in San Francisco, was named for the house owned by oil magnate John Winslow Allyne and his wife Mary Newell Allyne (née Burr), who was Burr's daughter. Around 1963, the
Ephraim Willard Burr
3757903
The Five Man Army () is a 1969 Italian Zapata Western film in which a group of five men are enlisted to rob a train of a gold shipment during the Mexican Revolution. Directed by Don Taylor, it featured a script by a young Dario Argento, later future maestro of the horror and thriller genre, and a score by Ennio Morricone. Argento directed uncredited also some sequences of the film. Plot Mexican rebels hire the "Dutchman" to rob a train carrying $500,000 in gold on behalf of Victoriano Huerta to finance the Mexican Revolution. Dutchman then enlists four other men to assist him, promising to pay each of them a thousand dollars. They are Mesito, a strong man on the run for cattle rustling; Luis, a circus acrobat turned outlaw; Augustus, a former army officer and explosives specialist who had served in the same unit as Dutchman; and a samurai warrior (referred to only as Samurai), earning a living in a sideshow. Immediately after they assemble, their first undertaking is to save the rebel leader who hired them from being executed. After rescuing him and causing a riot in the village, the five men are forced to flee, along with all the villagers, in order to prevent reprisals. Nevertheless, some soldiers still manage to find the Five and bring them to the local Army commandant. A Mexican woman slips Samurai a knife and the men manage to escape, killing the soldiers and dynamiting the fort's magazine. They are tracked by a large group of mounted pursuers and escape capture after coming upon a small group of rebels, who are there to cover the Five's escape. Though they know that they will be unable to stop the soldiers, the rebels are willing to sacrifice themselves for the Five in the cause of the revolution. The train carrying the gold is heavily defended by a cannon, machine guns, and dozens of soldiers. The Dutchman's plan is to board the train and uncouple the car carrying the gold without stopping it. The difficult robbery succeeds, despite Samurai falling off the train and having to run across country after it, as well as Augustus dropping a key piece of equipment and having to improvise. When the Five return to their hideout, conflict arises amongst them. Luis, Augustus, Mesito, and Samurai had all assumed they were going to take the gold for themselves, while the Dutchman is set on keeping his promise to the rebels. He disarms the other four and explains to them that his motivation for supporting the revolution is because his wife had been executed by soldiers since other members of her family were rebels. The Dutchman is about to leave with the gold, but he is stopped by the arrival of a mounted squad of soldiers. He therefore has to rearm the other four, who are able to ambush and quickly kill all of their opponents. Now armed again, Augustus, Mesito, and Samurai seem set on taking back the gold, but
The Five Man Army
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Samuel Robert Rivers (born September 2, 1977) is an American musician. He is the bassist and backing vocalist of the rock band Limp Bizkit and one of its founding members. Early life Rivers' musical career started fairly early on, with him playing the tuba in a band in Arlington Middle School. He got into music initially because of John Otto, who played jazz-style drums. Many have said that Otto is a cousin of Rivers, but during a documentary that was recorded of the band recording their second album, Rivers admits that they initially thought they were cousins but realized neither parents were related. He attended Bishop Kenny High School. He played guitar before he played bass, but switched at the suggestion of his music teacher. Career Limp Bizkit Rivers first met Fred Durst while working at a Chick-fil-A in a mall in Jacksonville. The two started talking, and found they shared several interests, including skateboarding and music. They decided to get together for a jam session. Rivers was becoming an accomplished bass guitarist, and Durst was to be a vocalist. Together with several other people they formed a short-lived band called Malachi Sage. (Rivers' talents on guitar would later come into play in Limp Bizkit's Results May Vary album, the only album not featuring longtime guitarist Wes Borland, with Rivers playing both guitar and bass on select songs such as "Creamer" and "Lonely World".) When the band did not work out, the two decided to try again, and this time Otto came into the picture to be the drummer at the suggestion of Rivers. In 1994, the three formed Limp Bizkit. Later on guitarist Wes Borland came into the fold, as well as DJ Lethal, in 1996. Rivers was the youngest member of the band. When their first album Three Dollar Bill, Yall was released, he was 19 years old. In 2015, Rivers reportedly left Limp Bizkit following a diagnosis of degenerative disc disease. However, Rivers revealed in 2020 his departure from Limp Bizkit was due to liver disease caused by excessive drinking. Rivers subsequently received a liver transplant. In absentia, live bass duties were covered by Samuel Gerhard Mpungu and Tsuzumi Okai. He was voted Best Bass Player at the 2000 Gibson Awards. Recent work After Limp Bizkit went on hiatus, Rivers became a producer for local bands in Jacksonville. He produced the debut albums by Burn Season and The Embraced. Most recently, Rivers has been producing for the Orlando-based band Indorphine. Aside from producing their new studio material, Rivers got them booked as the opening act for a Mushroomhead/SOiL concert. He was invited to Christian Olde Wolbers' Arkaea project, but dropped out due to scheduling. In early 2009, Rivers reunited with Limp Bizkit for tours and their sixth studio album, Gold Cobra, released in 2011. Rivers is now pursuing another project with Burn Season vocalist Damien Starkey in a band called Sleepkillers, along with Adam Latiff and Saliva vocalist Bobby Amaru, who was also a founding member and
Sam Rivers (musician)
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George Robert Gleig (20 April 1796 – 9 July 1888) was a Scottish soldier, military writer, and priest. Life Gleig was born in Stirling, Scotland. His parents were George Gleig (1753–1840, Bishop of Brechin from October 1808) and Janet, née Hamilton, youngest daughter of Robert Hamilton of Kilbrackmont. Gleig received his initial education at Stirling Grammar school. On 21 June 1813, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington had his last major victory in Spain over the French, at the battle of Vitoria. One month later a young student of divinity, George Robert Gleig, gave up a scholarship to Balliol College to join Wellington's army as an Ensign in the 85th Light Infantry. His father, by then Bishop of Brechin, furnished him with £20, a substantial sum, though he notes that the rate at which he could buy readily exchangeable gold coins was poor — he had to pay 6s for every gold dollar, and £5 for a doubloon. On 7 October, Wellington crossed into France for the first time. On 6 April 1814, Napoleon abdicated, though Wellington did not find out until 12 April. By then, on 10 April he had fought and won the decisive battle of the war at Toulouse. The young divinity student was then sent to the war against the United States, where he fought in five battles (Bladensburg, Baltimore, New Orleans, Washington and Fort Bayo) and was three times wounded; after peace broke out he resumed his scholarship at Magdalen Hall, Oxford in 1816. Gleig married Sarah Cameron in 1819, while at Oxford. She was a daughter of Captain Cameron the younger of Kinlochleven. Having taken his B.A. and M.A., the young Gleig took holy orders in 1820. He became curate of Westwell, Kent, and was later appointed to two additional parishes, as curate of Ash and as Rector of Ivychurch. He wrote a series of articles for Blackwood's Magazine on his Peninsular War experiences; they were collected into a book, published in 1825 as The Subaltern. In 1821 he authored an account of his experiences in the USA as The Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans under Generals Ross, Pakenham and Lambert. In 1829 he was invited to meet Wellington, and became a regular house-guest of the Duke. Gleig also wrote The Life of the Duke of Wellington; a revised edition was published by Longmans, Green & Co of London in 1890. In 1832 George Robert Gleig, by then Chaplain to the Chelsea Hospital—the Chelsea pensioners—and a well-known author, mainly on military matters, publicly opposed the Reform Bill before Parliament. Gleig had excellent relations with the Duke of Wellington, but that did not stop the Iron Duke from issuing a public reprimand in 1840 to Gleig for his plan to educate NCOs and private soldiers: By Jove! If there is a mutiny in the army – and in all probability we shall have one – you'll see that these new-fangled schoolmasters will be at the bottom of it. Gleig was
George Gleig (priest)
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"Zoodio", also spelled , is an African-American street song and game. Also a song sung by thousands of schools for its fun lyrics and diverse origins. The lyrics are generally a variation of the following: Here we go Zoodio, Zoodio, Zoodio Here we go Zoodio, All night long. Step back, Sally, Sally, Sally Step back, Sally All night long. To the front to the back to the s-s-side, to the s-s-side To the front to the back to the s-s-side I looked out my window and what did I see I saw a big fat man from Tennessee I bet you five dollars I can beat that man I bet you five dollars I can beat that man To the front to the back to the s-s-side, to the s-s-side To the front to the back to the s-s-side Walkin' through the alley, alley, alley Walkin' through the alley All night long. External links African-American culture American children's songs Playground songs Children's games Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown
Zoodio
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A New Day... was the first concert residency performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was created and directed by Franco Dragone to support her seventh English-language and eighteenth studio album A New Day Has Come (2002). The show premiered on 25 March 2003 and ended on 15 December 2007. The residency was originally planned for three years (Dion received about $100 million, plus 50 percent of the profits during the three-year contract). However due to its immediate success, the show continued for an additional two years. It is the most successful residency of all time, grossing over US$385 million ($ million in dollars) and drawing nearly three million people to 717 shows. Dion returned to Las Vegas on 15 March 2011 to perform her second residency, Celine. Background and creation Dion initially intended for the show to be named Muse, but the band of the same name owned worldwide performing rights. Dion offered $50,000 for the rights, but the band declined, with lead singer Matthew Bellamy explaining that he did not want people to think they were Celine Dion's backup act. The original plan for the stage backdrop/scenery was to simply use a giant video projector, but when the lighting designer, Yves Aucoin, pointed out that this would create unacceptable shadows when dancers ran in front of it, Angelil went back to Phil Anschutz, whose AEG Live was underwriting the production, and persuaded him to contribute an extra $10 million for the construction of the largest indoor LED screen in North America. The LED screen was produced by Mitsubishi Diamond Vision LED Screens. This was an HDTV LED Screen Installation with an 8mm Display "Dot Pitch". The screen consisted of many separate LED panels put together. Critical reception The year the show opened, A New Day... received mostly mixed reviews in the press, commenting on how there was not enough of a balance between concert and theater. In TheaterMania.com, an article by Christine Westley praised the sets but wrote that Dion's performance was "inconsequential at best... The most uncomfortable moments come when the music stops, the dancers disappear, and it's just Dion and her audience. This is when the show's split personality truly emerges: Dragone's alternate world is gone and now we have a Celine Dion concert, during which the star attempts witty banter as her fans scream out the mandatory declarations "We love you, Celine!" and then hold their breath, waiting for her to stop talking and start singing again." Phil Gallo of Variety praised the sets like the former article, but criticized choices in covers. He stated, "Her run through a nostalgic trio — Etta James' first hit, 'At Last,' Peggy Lee's version of 'Fever' and the Frank Sinatra-phrased 'I've Got the World on a String' — magnified her lack of soulfulness, but they did display her capacity for mimicry: She phrases everything exactly as her predecessors did. For 'First Time Ever I Saw Your
A New Day...
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We Got It is the third album by R&B boy band Immature that was released on December 5, 1995. The album featured singles "We Got It" (which sampled Chocolate Milk's 1978 soul hit "Girl Callin'"), "Please Don't Go", "Lover's Groove" and "Feel the Funk" (which also appeared on the soundtrack for the film Dangerous Minds). In the United States, We Got It peaked at number 76 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 14 on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums selling 36,000 copies its first week. On January 1, 1997 the album had sold around 800,000 copies. Track listing "We Got It" (featuring Smooth) (Juanita Carter, Sean "Mystro" Mather, Chris Stokes) (3:38) "Lover's Groove" (Chris Stokes) (4:03) "Just a Little Bit" (Juanita Carter, Mike Dean, Chris Stokes) (3:51) "Please Don't Go" (Claudio Cueni, Chris Stokes) (4:31) "I Don't Know" (Juanita Carter, Sean "Mystro" Mather, Chris Stokes) (3:53) "Pager" (Lamonte Lassiter) (4:19) "Crazy" (Davina Bussey) (3:59) "I Can't Stop the Rain" (Lamonte Lassiter, Derrick Monk, Chris Stokes) (3:44) "A Boy Like Me" (Chris Stokes, T.J. Thompson) (3:38) "Candy" (B Team) (4:53) "When It's Love" (Juanita Carter, Sean "Mystro" Mather, Chris Stokes) (4:03) "Pay You Back" (Chris Stokes) (4:09) "Feel the Funk" (Skip Scarborough, Chris Stokes) (4:52) Single Track Listing Please Don't Go / We Got ItUS Vinyl, 12" A1 Please Don't Go [LP Version] 4:31 A2 Please Don't Go [Padapella Version] 4:31 B1 Please Don't Go [Instrumental Version] 4:31 B2 We Got It [Flava Remix] 4:02 We Got It US Vinyl, 12"A We Got It [LP Version] 3:42 B1 We Got It [Instrumental] 3:43 B2 We Got It [Acappella] 3:38US Vinyl, 12", PromoA1 We Got It [Wolfies No Rap Edit] A2 We Got It [Bottom Dollar Vocal Dub] B1 We Got It [Phreak Dub] B2 We Got It [Blakkats Bounce Dub]UK Maxi-CD1 We Got It [Album Version] 3:40 2 We Got It [Flava Remix] 3:57 3 Feel the Funk 4:43 4 We Got It [Bottom Dollar Vocal Dub] 6:59UK Vinyl, 12", PromoA1 We Got It [Album Version] A2 We Got It [Flava Mix] A3 We Got It [Oakland Remix] B1 We Got It [Marley Marl Pirate Remix] B2 We Got It [Marley Marl Pirate Remix Part One] B3 We Got It [DJ Jam Remix]UK Vinyl, 12", Promo' A1 We Got It [Bottom Dollar Vocal Dub] A2 We Got It [Bottom Dollar No Rap Dub] B1 We Got It [Blakkats Bounce Dub] B2 We Got It [Phreak Dub] Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications References 1995 albums IMx albums MCA Records albums
We Got It
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The Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society (CGSE; ) is an organisation of gold trading firms in Hong Kong who are participants of the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange, the first exchange in Hong Kong. The Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange was established in 1910 and has a history of more than 110 years. CGSE is amongst the few Exchange in the world that has both an open outcry and an electronic precious metals trading platform. It is Hong Kong's only physical Gold and Silver Exchange approved by the government under the Laws of Hong Kong in Article 3(d) of Chapter 82. The CGSE has 171 corporate members from the precious metals industry representing key stakeholders, which include banks, large jeweler groups, bullion merchants, gold refineries, and financial institutions. The role of CGSE is to provide its members with a venue to facilitate precious metal trading activities and member advisory. History The CGSES was formally established as an organisation in 1910. Its founders were immigrants from mainland China. It eventually stopped trading silver, but gold trading saw significant growth after 1974 when the government loosened legal restrictions, and by 1979 trading volume was roughly one million ounces per day, making it one of the world's four largest gold trading centres along with London, New York City, and Zurich. The history of CGSE has been a long and intriguing, dated back to 1910 when it was called the "Gold and Silver Exchange Company" and rename as Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society ("CGSE") in 1918. In the formative years, a group of banks, notable mentions, Hang Seng Bank Limited and Tai Seng Bank Limited, assembled a place to provide trading for precious metals and foreign currencies, then later fundraised to build a recognized Exchange that outgrowth the money industry in Hong Kong. Besides its principal business of trading gold and silver, CGSE concurrently engaged in dealing of 89 fine gold, silver dollar in pre-WWII time, and US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Vietnamese Dong, Filipino Peso and Mexican gold nugget in post-WWII time. Slowly with the development and progress of times, it has evolved into gold products with higher fineness standards, such as 99 Gold. CGSE experienced ups and downs, such as unstable war times, political riots, and fluctuating gold prices, yet the sheer strength was displayed since the 19th century. Noteworthy mentioned was, in January 1980, during the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The one-day high and low gold prices reached a difference of HK$1,200.00. That day, major gold markets in the world were all suspended, but CGSE was the only gold market in the world that remained open. A similar situation arises in early February of 1983, during the plummeting oil prices, tightening of the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy, and rising interest rates, and highly volatile gold prices, ultimately leading to the suspension of gold trading in the US and Singapore markets, yet CGSE was still opened. CGSE has a long tradition of donations and charity services dated back to 1940s.
Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society
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Australian coins refers to the coins which are or were in use as Australian currency. During the early days of the colonies that formed Australia, foreign as well as British currency was used, but in 1910, a decade after federation, Australian coins were introduced. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. With the exception of the first Proclamation Coinage and the holey dollars, all Australian coins remain legal tender despite being withdrawn from circulation. First coins For many years after the first Australian colony, New South Wales (NSW), was founded in 1788, it did not have its own currency and had to rely on the coins of other countries. During the early days of the colony, commodities such as wheat were sometimes used as a currency because of the shortage of coins. Also many transactions were carried out using promissory notes or a barter system, which included trafficking in alcohol, known as 'rum currency', a system disbanded when Macquarie became governor on 1 January 1810. Spanish dollars were sometimes cut into "pieces of eight", quarters, and then into 2/3 and 1/3 segments, with the 2/3 segments (1/6 of original coin) being "shillings" and the 1/3 segments (1/12 of original coin) "sixpences" In 1791 Governor Phillip of New South Wales fixed the value of the Spanish dollar to equal five shillings. Under the decree of 19 November 1800 by the governor Philip Gidley King, the following eleven coins were legal tender for the exchange value of: Gold Johanna (Portugal coin of 12800 Reis) = £4/0/- (four pounds) Gold Half Johanna (Portugal coin of 6400 Reis) = £2/0/- (two pounds Guinea = £1/2/- (One pound and two shillings) Gold Mohur = £1/17/6 (one pound, 17 shillings and sixpence). Spanish dollar = 5 shillings. Ducat = 9/6 (9 shillings 6 pence). Rupee = 2/6 (2 shillings and 6 pence). Pagoda = 8/- (8 shillings). . Dutch Guilder = 2/- (2 shillings). English shilling = 1/1 (1 shilling and 1 penny). Copper coin of 1 oz = 2 pence. The settlers did have some George III one-penny coins, which were referred to as "Cartwheel pennies". These were the first British coins to be officially exported to the Australian colonies, and so can be considered Australia's first official coins. They were dated 1797 and 1799, with Britannia on one side and King George III on the other. In 1812, Governor Lachlan Macquarie of New South Wales bought Spanish dollar coins, following the arrival of the ship Samarang at Port Jackson with 40,000 Spanish dollars, paying four shillings and nine pence for each dollar. He was worried that the coins would quickly be exported out of the colony and had holes cut in the middle of them to try to keep them in Australia. These were known as Holey dollars (valued at five shillings), with the piece from the middle being called the Dump (valued at around 15 pence). Both were
Coins of Australia
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The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was a United States federal law enacted on July 14, 1890. The measure did not authorize the free and unlimited coinage of silver that the Free Silver supporters wanted. It increased the amount of silver the government was required to purchase on a recurrent monthly basis to 4.5 million ounces. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act had been passed in response to the growing complaints of farmers' and miners' interests. Farmers had immense debts that could not be paid off due to deflation, and they urged the government to pass the Sherman Silver Purchase Act to boost the economy and cause inflation, allowing them to pay their debts with cheaper dollars. Mining companies, meanwhile, had extracted vast quantities of silver from western mines. The resulting oversupply drove down the price of their product, often to below the point at which the silver could be profitably extracted. They hoped to enlist the government to increase the demand for silver. Originally, the bill was simply known as the Silver Purchase Act of 1890. Only after the bill was signed into law did it become the "Sherman Silver Purchase Act." Senator John Sherman, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was not the author of the bill, but once both houses of Congress had passed the Act and the Act had been sent to a Senate/House conference committee to settle differences between the Senate and House versions of the Act, Senator John Sherman was instrumental in getting the conference committee to reach agreement on a final draft of the Act. Nonetheless, once agreement on the final version was reached in the conference committee, Sherman found that he disagreed with many sections of the act. So tepid was Sherman's support that when he was asked his opinion of the act by President Benjamin Harrison, Sherman ventured only that the bill was "safe" and would cause no harm if the President signed it. The act was enacted in tandem with the McKinley Tariff of 1890. William McKinley, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, worked with John Sherman to create a package that could both pass the Senate and receive the President's approval. Under the Act, the federal government purchased millions of ounces of silver, with issues of paper currency. It became the second-largest buyer in the world, after the British Crown in India, where the Indian rupee was backed by silver rather than gold. Instead of the million to million that had been required by the Bland–Allison Act of 1878, the US government was now required to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion every month. The law required the Treasury to buy the silver with a special issue of Treasury (Coin) Notes that could be redeemed for either silver or gold. The result was the substantial expansion in the volume of circulating dollars without a proportionate growth in the gold stock. The crash in the silver dollar's bullion value in the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
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Gold-backed digital token, abbreviated as GBDT is an investment instrument used in Zimbabwe. It was formerly known as ZiG, but its name was taken by a newly created gold backed currency, thus renaming to GBDT. The digital coins are not loanable. Background Zimbabwe has been struggling with inflation and exchange rate instability since reintroduction of Zimbabwean Dollar in February 2019. In a bid to restore order and stopping speculative behavior on local currency, the central bank introduced a gold backed digital coin, which have some currency features. Features The value of one GBDT token unit was defined as one milligram of 99% fine gold on the first day of trade for the currency. Performance A total of 736.5 kg was bought by corporates and individuals as of 28 February 2024, under this scheme. See also ZimDollar Zimbabwe Gold References Cryptocurrencies
GBDT (digital token)
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"Last Dollar (Fly Away)" is a song written by Big Kenny, one half of the duo Big & Rich, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in January 2007 as the first single from his album Let It Go. "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, becoming McGraw's first Number One country hit since "Back When" in late 2004. Big Kenny later recorded the song for his 2010 album, Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1. Background William Kenneth Alphin, otherwise known as Big Kenny, one-half of country rock duo Big & Rich, wrote "Last Dollar" after a disastrous night of gambling in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve in 2002. He and his manager were in the city as part of the Alabama farewell tour. Alphin had $200 to his name and $140,000 in credit card debt, and in hopes of increasing his cash on hand, he went to the blackjack tables. At one point, he had won nearly $1,000, but instead of stopping, he continued to play. Eventually, he lost all but $21. He gave the dealer a $20 tip, leaving Alphin with literally his last dollar. "That night as I looked down at the sole breaking off of my shoe it hit me like a ton of bricks," Alphin said. "But with that realization came the freedom of knowing that I also had nothing to lose." From that point, Alphin's career took off, both as a songwriter and as part of the duo Big & Rich. Several years after the incident, he played some of his songs for McGraw. "I'll never forget the day I played him the song," Alphin said. "We were at Blackbird Studio and Tim was making a new album. As we sat together in my truck, I played him a couple of the songs that I was recording. The second song I played was "Last Dollar." He looked over at me and said, "Are you gonna let me record that?" Content The song is an up-tempo in the key of E Major. Its lyrics take the point of view of a man who is "down to [his] last dollar", but still in a positive mood ("One, two, three, like a bird I sing / 'Cause you've given me the most beautiful set of wings"). McGraw's daughters, Gracie, Maggie, and Audrey, sing on the song's final chorus. When Alphin heard McGraw's final version, with the children joining in at the end, "I nearly lost it," he said. "That moment of reflection in Las Vegas all that time ago gave me the hope to keep going and now five years later, that hope is a hit song for my friend Tim McGraw." Critical reception Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, gave it a B rating. He said the song is "a wry twist on the 'I’m poor, but rich because I have you' nonsense that
Last Dollar (Fly Away)
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"Gold Guns Girls" is the fourth single from Canadian rock group Metric's fourth studio album Fantasies. The lyrics were inspired by the 1983 movie, Scarface. The song was released in the UK and US for radio airplay in December 2009 and as a download single in the UK on April 25, 2010. Metric also released an acoustic version of the song on their EP Plug In Plug Out. Background Singer Emily Haines said, "When Jimmy sent me this song as a rough sketch I listened to it over and over while watching Scarface, dreaming up ideas. The lyrics I wrote look at greed in all its forms, and the fact that we seem programmed to be insatiable. If we could do a million dollar video for this song it would be a remake of that montage scene from Scarface - including the tiger!" Reception The single was met with positive reviews. David Renshaw of Drowned in Sound said the song "is a ferocious battle anthem which sees rapid fire vocals interspersed with a machine gun like guitar which strikes through the song like a knife through butter." Tim Sendra of AllMusic called the song "laser beam-tight" and said it "should be blasting out of car radios on summer streets". Promotion and release The song was the opening and ending theme for the 2009 animated feature film Totally Spies! The Movie, the 2009 live-action film Zombieland and the 2023 animated feature film Nimona. It was also featured in the football video game by EA Sports, FIFA 10 and Test Drive Unlimited 2. A remix by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park appears on the Download to Donate for Haiti album, and was included in the Expanded Edition of Fantasies. A single was released in the UK with the B-side listed as "Sick Muse" (Adam Freeland Remix), however, the song presented was "Gimme Sympathy". A live version was recorded at KCRW radio station in 2009 featuring a guitar solo by guitarist James Shaw. Preferred by fans, this is the rendition most commonly performed live in concert. Music video The music video for "Gold Guns Girls" was shot by Eady Bros and Metric. It is presented in black-and-white film, and features the band racing around snowy New York City streets. Every so often, a band member will stop at an instrument on the sidewalk and play it (Haines would stop at a mic and sing). Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts References External links 2009 singles Metric (band) songs Songs written by Emily Haines Song recordings produced by Gavin Brown (musician) 2009 songs
Gold Guns Girls
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The British West Indies dollar (BWI$) was the currency of British Guiana and the Eastern Caribbean territories of the British West Indies from 1949 to 1965, when it was largely replaced by the East Caribbean dollar, and was one of the currencies used in Jamaica from 1954 to 1964. The monetary policy of the currency was overseen by the British Caribbean Currency Board (BCCB). It was the official currency used by the West Indies Federation. The British West Indies dollar was never used in British Honduras, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, or Bermuda. History Queen Anne's proclamation of 1704 introduced the pound sterling currency system to the British West Indies; however it failed to displace the existing Spanish dollar currency system right up until the late 1870s. In 1822, the British government coined , , and fractional 'Anchor dollars' for use in Mauritius and the British West Indies (but not Jamaica). A few years later copper fractional dollars were coined for Mauritius, Sierra Leone, and the British West Indies. The next move to introduce British sterling silver coinage to the colonies came with an imperial order-in-council dated 1825. This move was inspired by a number of factors. The United Kingdom was now operating a very successful gold standard in relation to the gold sovereign that was introduced in 1816, and there was a desire to extend this system to the colonies. In addition to this, there was that the supply of Spanish dollars (pieces of eight) had been cut off as a result of the revolutions in Latin America where most of the Spanish dollars were minted. The last Spanish Dollar was in fact minted at Potosi in 1825. There was now a growing desire to have a stable and steady supply of British shillings everywhere where the British drum was beating. The 1825 order-in-council was largely a failure because it made sterling silver coinage legal tender at the unrealistic rating in relation to the Spanish dollar of = 4 shillings and 4 pence. It did succeed in Jamaica, Bermuda, and British Honduras because the authorities in those territories set aside the official ratings and used the more realistic rating of = 4 shillings. The reality of the rating between the dollar and the pound was based on the silver content of the Spanish pieces of eight as compared to the gold content of the British gold sovereign. A second imperial order-in-council was passed in 1838 with the correct rating of = 4 shillings 2 pence. In the years following the 1838 order-in-council, the British West Indies territories began to enact local legislation for the purposes of assimilating their monies of account with the British pound sterling. Gold discoveries in Australia in 1851 drove the silver dollar out of the West Indies, but it returned again with the great depreciation in the value of silver that followed with Germany's transition to the gold standard between 1871 and 1873. In the years immediately following 1873, there
British West Indies dollar
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"Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" is episode 39 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on October 14, 1960, on CBS. According to the book The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic by Martin Grams, Serling wrote the teleplay in response to a request from CBS to write scripts using as few actors as possible for budgetary purposes. This episode was produced $5,000 under budget. Opening narration Plot An insecure, unsuccessful gangster named Jackie Rhoades waits in a cheap hotel room for instructions from his boss, George. George gives Jackie a gun and orders him to shoot a barkeeper who has refused to pay for protection. Jackie begs to be given another job, but George flatly refuses, roughs Jackie up, and leaves. Terrified, Jackie starts talking to his reflection in the mirror, trying to justify committing murder. He puts a cigarette to his lips but finds no match. A puff of smoke emerges from the other side of the mirror, and he sees reflected a different version of himself: a strong, self-assured, confident man. Jackie and his reflection engage in a lengthy argument about how his life has turned out as a result of going along with peers and never standing up for himself. Finally, the double tells Jackie he wants to take over, that it is his turn to run their life, and that he deserves to live. Jackie argues but cannot decide what to do. George telephones and Jackie nervously assures him that he is on the way to do the job. The double reappears and tries to persuade Jackie to let him out. He knows that disaster will strike, life will be over, if Jackie tries to do the job; he refuses to let Jackie lead them both to ruin. Angry and panicking, Jackie spins the mirror on the chest of drawers and, as it spins, Jackie backs away in terror when he sees that the double is looming larger and larger. George comes by, furious that Jackie has not done his job, and demands to know: "So what've you got to say for yourself?" Jackie calmly looks up at him and answers, "Two words. I resign!" emphasizing the point by kicking and punching George. Jackie opens the door and orders a bewildered George out, tossing the gun after him and telling him to never come back. Ringing the room clerk to check out, Jackie refers to himself as "Jackie- John Rhoades." The nervous Jackie, now on the other side of the mirror, asks, "What's to do now?" John responds, "Now we go look for a job. Now maybe we get married. Now maybe we stop biting our nails." John then walks out of the room, looks back at the mirror, and sees only his own confident reflection. Closing narration See also List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes References DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. Grams, Martin.
Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room
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The Nova Constellatio coins are the first coins struck under the authority of The United States of America. These pattern coins were struck in early 1783, and are known in three silver denominations (1,000-Units, 500-Units, 100-Units), and one copper denomination (5-Units). All known examples bear the legend "NOVA CONSTELLATIO" with the exception of a unique silver 500-Unit piece. History The Nova Constellatio patterns were the culmination of two years of work on the part of Robert Morris, the Founding Father credited with financing the Revolutionary War. Morris was unanimously elected the Nation’s first Superintendent of Finance in 1781; on February 21 of the following year, Congress passed the following resolution: That Congress approve of the establishment of a mint; and, that the Superintendent of finance be, and hereby is directed to prepare and report to Congress a plan for establishing and conducting the same. The financier’s plan, developed with his assistant, Gouverneur Morris, was ambitious: he hoped to unite the fledgling Nation with a monetary unit that would allow for easy conversion from British, Spanish, Portuguese, or State currencies to U.S. funds. More importantly, Morris’s proposal would be the first system of coinage in Western Europe or the Americas to use decimal accounting – an innovation that has been adopted by every nation on earth in the last two centuries. Due to the new government’s precarious financial situation, Congress did not put Morris’s plan into effect; however, Morris's decimal innovation was not lost on two of the Founding Fathers who examined Morris’s pattern coins: Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, the primary architects of the U.S. Dollar. Both men became champions of the decimal concept after examining Morris’s coins. While Thomas Jefferson was in possession of the Nova Constellatio coins, he wrote a report entitled “Notes on the Establishment of a Money Unit and of Coinage for the United States”; in it, Jefferson concluded: The Financier, therefore, in his report, well proposes that our Coins should be in decimal proportions to one another. If we adopt the Dollar for our Unit, we should strike four coins, one of gold, two of silver, and one of copper, viz.: 1. A golden piece, equal in value to ten dollars: 2. The Unit or Dollar itself, of silver: 3. The tenth of a Dollar, of silver also: 4. The hundredth of a Dollar, of copper. This is the first written description of the monetary system ultimately adopted by the United States, clearly illustrating the historical importance of Morris's patterns. Denominations There are records of seven coins associated with Morris's plan: 1. A single silver coin of indeterminate denomination delivered to Morris on April 2nd, 1783. Upon its receipt, Morris recorded in his diary: I sent for Mr. Dudley who delivered me a Piece of Silver Coin being the first that has been struck as an American Coin. In 2017, David McCarthy uncovered that this piece was the plain obverse quint. 2. A set of silver coins comprising a 1,000-Unit piece, a 500-Unit piece, and
Nova Constellatio
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"Heroes and Villains" is the twelfth episode and mid-season finale of the fourth season of the American fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time, which aired on December 14, 2014. This episode marked the return of the villainess Maleficent, as well as the introductions of Cruella de Vil and Ursula the Sea Witch. In this episode, Mr. Gold tries to kill Hook, but Belle stops him; Regina says goodbye to Robin Hood; and Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff go back to Arendelle. In the end, Mr. Gold talks Ursula into joining his cause. In flashbacks, Rumpelstiltskin saves Belle from Maleficent, Ursula, and Cruella De Vil. Plot Opening Sequence A magical door opens and starts sucking all the snow into the portal. In The Characters' Past In the Enchanted Forest, Belle opens up a cabinet when Rumplestiltskin surprises her, having returned early from Camelot. He claims to have been testing her to see what she would do with him gone. He then presents Belle with a glove that can detect the weakness in a person. He says for most people weakness is who they love and that will point him in the right direction, thus the use of the glove. Later on Belle is serving tea to Rumplestiltskin while explaining why he collects items, only to send Belle out to wash and dry his laundry. Belle then spots a dalmatian puppy and follows it, only to be kidnapped by a figure in a fur cloak. As Rumplestiltskin searches for Belle in the forest a raven drops a sand dollar from the sky, and it opens up a hologram of Belle, who she says he has to bring the gauntlet from Camelot to trade for her or else she will be killed. Rumplestiltskin, having seen the raven, is aware of who sent him the message. When he reaches the caverns by the ocean, Rumplestiltskin brings the gauntlet to the meeting point. Belle runs up to him but she's all tied up, and Maleficent appears, demanding the gauntlet. Rumplestiltskin uses his magic and chokes her, but she's brought along company: Ursula (who wraps her tentacles around Belle), and Cruella De Vil. Rumplestiltskin threatens them all and Cruella tells Ursula to crush Belle's heart. As Ursula tightens her tentacles, Rumplestiltskin throws the gauntlet to Cruella then lets Maleficent go. The women say they've lived too long in a world where the heroes always win and the gauntlet will change that. They leave Belle and disappear. When Belle asks why he did it, Rumplestilskin refuses to admit he cares about her but says he's the only one allowed to crush her heart. Later, Rumplestilskin takes back the gauntlet from the Queen of Darkness, saying it was a ransom not a deal. Cruella says it won't do him any good since villains will never get a happy ending and invites him to join the women, but Rumplestiltskin says he will win and will win alone. In Storybrooke With Ingrid now dead, Elsa brings down the ice barrier,
Heroes and Villains (Once Upon a Time)
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"Double Vision" is a single by Foreigner from their second album of the same name. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in 1978, behind "MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer. It became a gold record. The song was also a top 10 hit in Canada. The song has been a staple of the band's setlist since its release. Over recent years, Lou Gramm and Foreigner (now fronted by Kelly Hansen) have both used the song as their show opener. Background and writing In an interview, vocalist Lou Gramm explained the origin behind the song: "'Double Vision' was a song that was written in about late 1977 just before the Double Vision album came out. ...A lot of people think it's about being intoxicated or being high. When we were recording that song before we had the title, the New York Rangers hockey team was playing the Philadelphia Flyers and one of the big Flyers guys bumped into the Rangers' all-star goalie [John Davidson] and knocked him down and they had to take him out of the game because he was experiencing double vision." Gramm similarly stated: I was a season ticket holder for the New York Rangers and they were playing the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals. While we were recording, I had an eight-inch TV taped inside my vocal booth with the volume turned all the way down. While I was singing and recording, I’d keep my eye on the screen. Then, whenever we stopped, I’d turn the volume up a little bit. On one occasion, the play had stopped when Dave Schultz from the Flyers skated in front of John Davidson, the Ranger’s goalie, gave him an elbow and knocked him out cold. The trainers helped Davidson off the ice and the Rangers wound up putting in the second-string goalie. Every so often, the announcers would come on and say they were waiting for word on the condition of Davidson. Finally, the announcer said, “The trainers said they don’t think Davidson will be back tonight. He doesn’t have a concussion, but he is experiencing… double vision." That’s when I said — “That’s it!” According to the New York Rangers website, the incident actually took place in April 1978 during a hockey game between the Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. The game announcers repeatedly used the phrase "double vision" which then inspired Foreigner to use it as the song's title. The single is certified RIAA gold, selling one million copies, prior to the reduction of gold certification standards that occurred in the late 1980s. Rolling Stone critic Ken Tucker suggested that the title phrase seems to suggest that "all the pent-up frustration and rage felt by the narrator [due to his romantic agony] has found its pernicious outlet in a sort of ocular apoplexy." Reception Billboard felt that "Double Vision" was a stronger single than the previous release "Hot Blooded" due to its "driving but less monotonous hard rock rhythm"
Double Vision (Foreigner song)
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Mary Jean & 9 Others is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. The album was produced by Don Dixon and features a return to the sounds of Crenshaw's earlier work after the country rock excursion of his previous album, Downtown. Background Crenshaw noted that the album represented a more guitar-heavy sound when compared to its predecessor, 1985's Downtown. He explained, "I rediscovered the sound of turning my guitar amplifier all the way up. This was kind of a reactionary move after Downtown, which was a slick record with a clean, twangy guitar sound." In another interview, Crenshaw similarly framed the album as a return to the style of his first two albums after the experiment of Downtown, stating, "I did want to try and pick up where I'd left off with Field Day. My third album [Downtown] was a bit of a weird departure for me in that it wasn’t the work of a self-contained band like the first two. I set out to get back to that approach." As such, the album was largely recorded as a trio with Crenshaw, his brother Robert returning on drums, and the Joe Jackson Band's Graham Maby on bass. Crenshaw and his band recorded Mary Jean & 9 Others after Crenshaw completed filming for his role as Buddy Holly in La Bamba. He recalled, "I took a train ride back from the West Coast and wrote a lot of the words on Amtrak stationery, looking out the train window at the passing landscape." As with Downtown, the album was recorded amidst worsening relations between Crenshaw and Warner Bros. Records, leading Crenshaw to recall the sessions as having "a cloud" over them. For the album's sound, Crenshaw drew on the Bobby Fuller Four's style. Crenshaw recorded the album with producer Don Dixon at Bearsville Studios near Crenshaw's home. He explained, "On this one album, I tried hard to come in under budget; I wanted to be able to put something in the bank after we were done, and I think that did happen this one time. We did the whole record in four weeks, [then remixed it] at Ardent in Memphis. Dixon and I are still great friends; we stay in touch." Songs The album's title is derived from the album's seventh song "Mary Jean". When asked who "Mary Jean" was, Crenshaw responded, "Nobody. And I was always disappointed I couldn't think of a more interesting title and concept for that song. Like I said, there was a cloud over me during [those] albums; I just had to grind it out sometimes, and that song was one of those times." Crenshaw said of "A Hundred Dollars," the second track on the album, "It's really just a nice rock 'n' roll song. There’s this old one called, 'I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night,' so I figured, 'Hmm, $5 in 1954, you'd need $100 in 1987 to do the same thing you could do with $5 in the earlier song.' So maybe it's
Mary Jean & 9 Others
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The Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts is one of the premier collections of bonsai in the United States and includes a Hinoki Cypress over 250 years old. The Bonsai Pavilion where the trees are housed are part of the complex of buildings known as the Dana Greenhouses. The collection is on display from mid-April to the end of October. As the bonsai trees are deciduous, they are held in cold storage at temperatures slightly above freezing throughout the winter. Larz and Isabel Larz Anderson had a long interest in the horticulture of Japan. He brought two dwarf maples back from his first trip to Japan in 1889. In 1907, he and his wife Isabel Weld Perkins built a Japanese garden at Weld (now Larz Anderson Park). But it was in 1913, while Larz Anderson was in Japan as U.S. Ambassador, that the Andersons became truly enraptured with bonsai. He wrote: About us were dwarf trees of fantastic shape and stunted plum in fragrant bloom, white and pink, and gnarled trees hundreds of years old with branches blossoming out of seemingly dead trunks in pots of beautiful form and color. Isabel and I stopped so long in this little fairy place that we had to drive like the dickens through the congested streets of endless villages to Yokohama ... in time for one o'clock luncheon. Yokohama Nursery The Andersons purchased 40 bonsai from the Yokohama Nursery Company. The company's catalogs from 1901 to 1922 are impressive documents, beautifully illustrated with colored plates, line drawings, and photographs. In a section titled "Dwarf Trees Growing in Jardinieres" the catalogs show pictures of ancient specimens of Hinoki Cypress similar to those that are now part of the collection. They are captioned "Relics of the Tokugawa Era". The price Anderson paid for his plants is unknown, but the 1913-1914 edition of the catalog lists prices ranging from one to fifty dollars "in U.S. gold". When the Andersons returned to the US about a month later, they brought these bonsai with them and housed them at Weld. Rainosuke Awano At that time, knowledge of how to care for bonsai did not exist among Americans. Instead, the Andersons hired a succession of skilled Japanese gardeners. The most famous of these was Rainosuke Awano, a young man who maintained the collection while studying for his doctorate in philosophy at Columbia University. He later returned to Japan and became a professor at Kwansei Gakuin University. Public display On at least two occasions the Andersons displayed their bonsai collection to the public. They first displayed their new collection at the 1916 spring flower show of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. When that same organization sponsored a show of chrysanthemums and Japanese dwarf trees in 1933, the Andersons participated again. On this occasion, House Beautiful magazine interviewed Rainosuke Awano and showed photographs of the collection. The author described the bonsai with heavy metaphor: It seems unholy to move such venerable patriarchs from the land where
Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
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The Queen Charlottes Gold Rush was a gold rush in southern Haida Gwaii of what is now the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, in 1851. The rush was touched off in March 1851 when a Haida man sold a nugget in Fort Victoria for 1,500 blankets. The crew of the Hudson's Bay Company vessel Una were the first to mine, discovering a vein wide, long at 25% gold content. As the crew began blasting, Haida would rush into the blast site to gather gold, competing with the crew. The Haida, according to the ship's log book, grabbed crewmen by the legs to prevent them from reaching the gold. Half the gold found was abandoned, along with the mine, to avoid bloodshed between the two parties, but each had taken in roughly $1,500 in gold ($60,000 in modern dollars) as the yield from three blasts. On her return voyage, Una was wrecked off Neah Bay and her gold lost. The Hudson's Bay Company, having no other ship available, did not attempt to mine in the Charlottes again. Of several American ships to visit the Charlottes during the rush, the first, Georgiana, was wrecked on the east coast of the Charlottes and her crew taken captive by Haida. Her crew's freedom was bartered back by the next vessel to come northwards, which had put in at Mitchell Harbour but returned south to Olympia to refit for the return trip to rescue the Georgiana crew (the Haida burned Georgiana herself). In 1852, ten American ships came to the Charlottes in search of gold, but hostility from Haida throughout the islands made mining and prospecting difficult, and most actual mining was prevented. Among these ten vessels was the Susan Sturgis, which traded along the coast and at Skidegate was befriended by Chief Edenshaw, who joined the crew as guide and interpreter, bringing along with him some of his own men. Pulling into Masset Inlet to trade, the vessel was suddenly mass-boarded by the Masset Haida, who fought with Edenshaw and his few men who were trying to protect the crew. Word reached Chief Trader John Work at Fort Simpson in ten days and Work arrived to negotiate the release of Susan Sturgis crew at the rate of $250 each for captain and mate, and $30 for each of the men (i.e. at the dollar equivalent in blankets). The vessel could not be saved because the Masset looted and destroyed her. The total value of gold recovered from the wreck was reckoned to be in the range of three hundred dollars. The rush was complicated by the fact that in 1851 the Queen Charlotte archipelago, though recognized by treaty as British, was as yet unincorporated as a formal possession or colony. With American ships converging on Mitchell Harbour (Mitchell Inlet) on Moresby Island, which was the main port for rush activity, the islands came to the attention of the British Colonial Office, which in 1853 appointed Vancouver Island Governor James Douglas as governor of
Queen Charlottes Gold Rush
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The United States $1 Coin Act of 1997 (part of ) was legislation passed by the United States Congress providing for a redesigned gold colored coin with a distinctive new rim. A major purpose of the Act was to allow for the replacement of the Susan B. Anthony dollar. The stockpiles of that coin had been depleted to the point that minting new coins would soon be required. The Sacagawea dollar was introduced as a result of the Act. Debate On October 21, 1997, Congress held hearings on the Act. The most contentious issue was whether or not to amend the Act to mandate phasing out the U.S. one-dollar bill. Rep. Jim Kolbe attributed the Susan B. Anthony dollar's failure to the fact that it looked and felt like the quarter and the simultaneous circulation of the dollar bill. Kolbe recommended phasing out the paper dollar, warning that the Sacagawea would face the same fate as its predecessor if the bill remained in circulation. He refuted his opponents arguments that forcing a switch from the paper dollar to the dollar coin would take away consumers' choice by declaring, "when they introduce legislation to create paper pennies, paper nickels, paper dimes, paper quarters, and when they have coins for one-, two-, five-, ten-, twenty-, fifty-, even one-hundred-dollar bills, then I'll be convinced that they truly believe in giving choice to the American people—when we have a choice in every single piece of currency that we have. Where is the logic as to why only the one-dollar bill should be the only choice?" Kolbe also pointed to the success of Canadian loonie, which was extremely unpopular at the time it was introduced. He said that because of the US's antiquated currency system, more and more universities and other communities were switching to debit cards and other cashless methods of exchange. Rep. Thomas M. Davis then spoke against phasing out the dollar bill. He noted that numerous polls indicated strong public preference for the paper dollar. Davis pointed out that even countries with dollar coin equivalents were switching to smart cards. He also reiterated the argument, "The American people clearly don't want to be told what kind of money they're allowed to use." Theodore E. Allison, Assistant to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, pointed out that focus groups of consumers and retailers had expressed reservations about the Susan B. Anthony dollar even before it was introduced, due its similarity to the quarter, and that replacing the coin with one of markedly different dimensions would be inappropriate, because it would require costly refitting of vending machines. Allison recommended against phasing out the paper dollar, citing public opposition to the phaseout. However, he noted that "the Government's financial position, and, therefore, taxpayers, would benefit financially if, and to the extent that, the availability of a more acceptable dollar coin either caused dollar coins to substitute for dollar notes more than would be the case without it or caused the total circulation
United States $1 Coin Act of 1997