Nizami Street

Nizami Street () is a large pedestrian and shopping street in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan, named after classical Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.

Overview
The street's history could be traced back to Baku's town-planning project of 1864. The street runs through the city's downtown from west to east. It begins from Abdulla Shaig Street, in the mountainous part of the city and ends at railroad bed on Sabit Orujov Street, near a monument to Shah Ismail Khatai in “Black City”. The total length of the street is 3,538 m.

The traffic-free segment, which begins at the Fountains Square and ends at the Rashid Behbudov Street, is commonly known as Torgovaya ("the merchant street" in Russian).

Nizami Street is home to various outlets, from banks to fashion stores and is one of the most expensive streets in the world. The street also accommodates the embassies of Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Austria, as well as the European Union Delegation to Azerbaijan. The nearest metro stations are Sahil (red line, south of Nizami Street) and 28 May (both red and green lines, north of the street).

History of the street

In 1859, there was a strong earthquake in Shamakhi, because of which the Shamakhi Governorate was demolished and was created Baku Governorate in the center of Baku. After becoming the governorate, the city occupied a new level of development, appeared a necessity of planned construction of the city, because new governorate institutions began to emerge in the city. In the first years after the order of 1859 was signed, population flow in Baku began to rise. New caravanserais were being constructed in the northern part of fortress walls, each of which occupied a whole quarter, trading rows and stores. Subsequently, this part of the city became the central trading part and it was necessary to develop its construction plan. It was entrusted to Gasim bey Hajibababeyov and group of engineers and architects from Saint Petersburg. According to them, construction of new highways, beginning from Icheri Sheher fortress in all directions, was the main idea of urban planning. All this ideas are reflected in the first governorate urban plan of Baku, created in 1864 by them and called “scrappy” where the street was also projected. Initially it was called “Torgovaya Street”, because it became a trade center due to its location. Later, in 1879 it was officially renamed to “Gubernskaya Street”, but the citizens still called it “Torgovaya”. The street began on Mariinskaya Street (later Korganov Street, now Rasul Rza Street), where reputable multi-storeyed houses of wealthy people were located and reached to so called “Black City” of Baku, where were oil wells and other industrial objects. The late 19th century is characterized with rapid economical development of the city and the second massive flow of the population from other governorates of the Russian Empire, the reason of which was adoption of new oil wells in the Absheron Peninsula. Marine infrastructure was also developed and general plan of fortress vorstadt and marine port was significantly expanded since 1855, and the city turned to a significant trade port of South Russia. Rapid economic growth of Baku was followed by appearance of multiple interlayer of rich industrialists constructing new buildings. A great number of buildings on this street were constructed by the order of oil magnates such as Musa Naghiyev, Shamsi Asadullayev and Murtuza Mukhtarov, and projected by prominent architects of that time such as N.A.von der Nonne, M.Gafar Ismayilov, A.Hajibababeyov, K.B.Surkevich, J.V.Goslavski, Józef Plośko, Zivar bey Ahmadbeyov, E.Edel and G.Termikelov.

In 1868, a building of caravanserai (“Araz” cinema) was built by the project of architect M.Gafar Ismayilov, in deserted territory, which adjoins Nizami Street now. A year later, in 1869, St. Gregory the Illuminator's Church, Baku was built near the caravanserai.

In 1880, two two-storeyed residential houses (Nizami 52 and 54), which bases geometry of the street, one of the main highways of the city, was constructed at the right side of the street, between Prachechnaya and Mariinskaya Streets.

In 1888, a photo-studio of A.Mishon was located on this street, in “Imperial” hotel. And photo-studio of other famous photographer, David Rostamyan, was located in a two-storeyed mansion on the corner of Torgovaya and Mariinskaya Streets. Numerous small ware's shops, groceries, confectioner's shops and florists, and also the most prestigious hotels of the city – “Bolshaya Moskovskaya”, “Imperial”, “London” and “Severnie nomera” were in this part of the city.

In 1896, a three-storeyed apartment house (Nizami 79) was built on the corner of Prachechnaya Street (later Gogol, now Mardanov Qardashlari Street) by architect I.V.Edel, by the order of oil magnate Murtuza Mukhtarov and in 1910, a new storey was added to it by architect Jozef Ploshko and it obtained a half-circled concept of a façade and a circled concept of a cupola. Millionaire Haji Rajabli's house, now “Vatan” cinema (Nizami 75,77) was constructed on the left side of Torgovaya, between Mariinskaya and Prachechnaya Streets. On the opposite side was a building possessed by Mirza Taghiyev, a merchant from Shamakhi, where was located a popular shop of German confectioner Zeitz.

In 1899, a one-storeyed building of “Baku branch of Russian Imperial technical union” (Nizami 115), where one of the buildings of the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy is located, was built on Millionnaya Street (later Darwin, Voroshilov Streets, now Fikret Amirov Street). A building for the Rothschild brothers, where their office was located, and later, in 1918 and 1920s the consulate of the Netherlands (Nizami 20) was located in this house, was built on the corner of Persidskaya Street (later Polukhina, now Nurtuza Mukhtarov Street) by the project of civil engineer K.B.Surkevich.

In 1902, a two-storeyed residential house was built on the corner of Vokzalnaya Street by the architect I.V.Edel. In the 1960s, the third storey was added to the building.

In 1904, a mill was constructed on the intersection with Vokzalnaya Street (now Pushkin Street), for one of the influential people of that time, millionaire and philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

In 1910, a synagogue building, where the State Theatre of Song named after Rashid Behbudov (Nizami 76) is located, was constructed by the project of architect J.V.Goslavskiy, on the south-eastern intersection of Torgovaya and Kaspiyskaya Streets (later Schmidt, now Rashid Behbudov Streets).

In 1911, an operetta building, where the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is located (Nizami 95), was constructed on the other corner of the crossroads by the order of industrialist Mayilov and by the project of G. Termikelov and N. Bayev. In the same year an apartment house near the building of the operetta (Nizami 93) and a four-storeyed residential house on the corner of Mariinskaya Street (Nizami 48), which is called “Naghiyev’s house” as all other buildings of the oil magnate, were projected and constructed by architect Jozef Ploshko by the order of Musa Naghiyev. This house is considered one of the best creations of Jozef Ploshko. A house, where academician Lev Landau, laureate of the Nobel Prize, was born in 1924, was constructed on the corner of Krasnovodskaya Street (later Krasnoarmeyskaya, now Samad Vurgun Street).

In 1912, on the other side of the crossroad with Mariinskaya Street, a four-storeyed apartment house (Nizami 50) was constructed by the project of architects G.Termikelov and G.Gasimov, by the order of Taghiyev brothers.

In 1925, the street was renamed to Fizuli Street, in honour of Mahammad Fuzuli – a great Azerbaijani poet of the 16th century, and was called so until 1962, with slight breaks from 1939 to 1940, when the street was renamed to Krasnopresnenskaya Street. Since 1962, the street is called Nizami Street.

In 1932-1934, a complex of buildings of the State Bank of the Azerbaijan SSR (Nizami 87 and 89) was constructed by the project of A.Dubov, on the corner of Torgovaya and Bolshaya Morskaya Streets (later Kirov Avenue, now Bul-Bul Avenue).

In 1949, two magnificent residential houses called “oilmen’s houses” (Nizami 66 and 83), projected by famous architects Mikayil Huseynov and Sadig Dadashov, were built on the other corners of “Landau’s house” crossroad. German captives captivated during the Great patriotic War were used as labor force in construction of these buildings.

In 1952-1954, the following “General development plan of the city for a period from 1976” was developed by creative membership of the State Project Institution. Namely, according to this plan, residential houses were being constructed in the architecture of which are used elements of constructivism, in the territory of the State Bank right up to intersection with Richard Sorge Street.

In 1966, a new “Nasimi” park named after the prominent Azerbaijani poet of the 14th century Imadaddin Nasimi, was laid out on the corner of Nizami and Samad Vurgun Streets. In 1978, on the eve of celebration of the 600th anniversary of the poet, a monument to the poet was installed in the center of the park, a sculpture of which was made of bronze and installed on a granite pedestal. In 2008, a reconstruction of the park began.

Architecture
The architecture of the street reflects a synthesis of various styles and directions, which is because, the intensive construction and building was realized in three main levels: late 19th-early 20th century, 1950s–1970s and a modern period.

Most of the buildings, constructed in the first level, were constructed in “neo-renaissance”, “neo-gothic”, “baroque” and “neoclassicism” styles as other buildings of the city constructed in that period. “Neo-Moorish” style also dominates, in which architects attempted to use elements of national architecture in its construction. Houses are dressed with limestone – aglay. The first level could be divided into three territories of construction: the first – between Vorontsov Street (now Islam Safarli Street) and Persian Street (now M.Muktarov Street), where were located the most ancient buildings constructed by the projects of N.A.von der Nonne and M.Gafar Ismayilov, the second – from a territory, adjoined from Taza Pir Mosque to the South which was a complex of one and two storeyed buildings, the third to the side of railway station, and namely in the third zone, at the turn of the 19th century-beginning of the 20th century, began to be constructed more significant three and four storeyed buildings by the projects of Jozef Ploshko and I.V.Goslavski.

The second level of the architectural development of the street is connected to intrusion of new buildings in the middle of the 20th century, which were implemented in “empire” or so called “Stalin’s empire” style. Later, in the end of 1950s were constructed residential houses, many of which were projected and constructed in a new artistic architectural style which was widely spread in a lot countries of the world and which was known as “constructivism”. According to art critics H.F.Mammadov, architectural style of constructivism was shown fully and manifold almost in Baku in the whole USSR, where it was used for giving the city a new character. Enthusiasm for constructivism in Baku resulted in the creation of a local variety – “constructivism of Baku”. As in earlier constructions, the architects introduced eastern and national tints, which are especially felt in implementation of arches and monograms of the buildings, which significantly changes the total stylistic appearance of these buildings and façade of the building is dressed with aglay.

Modern constructions, especially skyscrapers, are constructed in “neo-modern” style, dressed with alucobond, fiber-reinforced concrete, marble and granite. According to specialists, two buildings, located in this street, are distinguished from other buildings of the street for their style. These are – the building of the Azerbaijan State Theatre of Young Spectators (Nizami 72) which is too massive for the architectural ensemble of this part of the street and doesn't harmonize with a classic style of the architecture by which are represented the nearest houses and it breaks the total geometry of the territory, and the building of the State Committee on Capital Issues (Nizami 87/89), architectural resolution of which is implemented in “constructivism” style and spoils “classical” monumentalism of the street's perimeter.

Historical landmarks

Notes

External links

Category:Streets in Baku
Category:Pedestrian malls
Category:1864 establishments in the Russian Empire


Sekirani

Sekirani (Macedonian Cyrillic: Секирани) is a village  away from Bitola, which is the second-largest city in North Macedonia.

According to the 2002 census, total population is 114.

References

Category:Villages in Bitola Municipality


The One with the Jellyfish

"The One with the Jellyfish" is the first episode of Friends fourth season. It first aired on the NBC network in the United States on September 25, 1997.

Plot
Leaving off where Season 3 ended, Ross is in the hallway between two bedrooms. One is the room he is sharing with Bonnie; the other, Rachel's room. He picks a door - and finds both Rachel and Bonnie sitting on Rachel's bed. Bonnie's bald head got sunburned, so Rachel is helping her rub some aloe on. After Bonnie leaves, Ross and Rachel kiss - and Ross leaves to break up with Bonnie. Rachel writes Ross a long letter ("Eighteen pages! Front and back!") about their relationship and asks him to read it - but he falls asleep while doing so. After he wakes up, Rachel asks him if he agrees with what she wrote. Ross says he does, and the two reconcile. He later finds the part in the letter she is asking about - for him to accept full responsibility for their breakup and sleeping with Chloe - and immediately disagrees with it, still stuck on the fact that she was the one who suggested they "were on a break." After Rachel goes on about how Ross is so great for accepting responsibility, Ross cannot hide his feelings anymore. He reveals he never finished the letter, and ends up criticizing her grammar before they angrily break up again.

Phoebe is upset after Phoebe Abbott told her the truth about being her mother. Older Phoebe explains she was in a three-way sexual relationship with Lily and Frank, and after Frank (Phoebe's father) had gotten her pregnant, she was so young and scared and ultimately believed Ursula and younger Phoebe would be better off with Frank and Lily. An angry Phoebe declares she never wants to see her real mother again, and soon goes to Ursula's apartment to tell her about their mom - but Ursula already knows. She even produces a "suicide note" supposedly left by Lily - that Ursula herself writes while Phoebe is waiting in the hall. Phoebe Sr. comes into Central Perk to try and reconcile with Phoebe - who is not having any of it. Phoebe Sr. finally gets younger Phoebe to change her mind, by pointing out that she came to the beach looking for family - and found it. Phoebe then softens up to her birth mother upon finding out they have similar interests and they go off to have dinner together.

While Chandler, Monica and Joey are enjoying the beach now that it has finally stopped raining, Chandler still tries to convince Monica he would make a great boyfriend. Chandler and Monica go check out Joey's hole - and Monica gets stung by a jellyfish. Joey, remembering a documentary he saw on jellyfish that mentions a cure for jellyfish stings - urine - and prompts Monica to try peeing on herself. After being uncomfortable around each other for a couple of days and refusing to talk about it afterwards, Joey, Chandler, and Monica reveal what happened after Monica got stung by the jellyfish. Monica tried to pee on her wound, but could not bend that way - so Joey stepped up. Unfortunately, Joey got stage fright - leaving Chandler to do the dirty work. At the end of the episode, Chandler again asks why Monica will not consider going out with him. She says that while she thinks he is a great guy, he will always be "the guy who peed on me."

Reception
Purple Clover placed the episode on their list of "20 Funniest Episodes of Friends".

GamesRadar+ chose "The One with the Jellyfish" as one of the 25 best Friends episodes ever.

The website Digital Spy ranked it the sixth best Friends episode, and wrote that it was one of the show's best season opener.

Radio Times ranked "The One with the Jellyfish" the eight most funniest Friends episode.

References

Category:1997 American television episodes
Category:Friends (season 4) episodes


Keiran Murtagh

Keiran Zac Murtagh (born 29 October 1988) is a footballer who plays for Boreham Wood. He also represents Antigua and Barbuda at international level.

Club career
Murtagh joined Conference South side Fisher Athletic in November 2007, in his only season at the London club in a season where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal. He was made Fisher's young player of the year for the 2007–08 season. Murtagh was much sought-after at the end of 2007–08, having impressed many with his performances for Fisher Athletic.

Even though he had trials for Premier League and Championship clubs, Fulham and Nottingham Forest respectively, he signed for League One club Yeovil. After being tracked he was finally signed on a two-year contract, on 12 June 2008. He made his debut for Yeovil Town as a substitute in the 1–1 home draw against Walsall, on 9 August 2008. In his first season with Yeovil he made 26 appearances.

Murtagh scored his first goal, with a thirty-yard strike, against Huddersfield in a 2–1 defeat 29 August 2009. He was offered a new contract on 13 May 2010, but rejected it in favour of a move to Wycombe Wanderers where he signed a one-year contract.

On 31 January 2011, Murtagh signed a one-month loan deal with Conference South club Woking, subsequently extended for a further month. He was recalled to his parent club on 23 March to provide cover in their midfield.

On 10 June 2011, Murtagh signed a two-year deal with Conference National side Cambridge United.

On 29 December 2011, it was announced that Murtagh would join former club Woking on loan until the end of the season.

After leaving Cambridge United, Murtagh spent the 2012–13 season at Macclesfield Town before moving on to play for League two side Mansfield Town. However, he was unable to make regular appearance in the starting lineup and midway through the 2013–14 season, came back down to Woking on loan for a third spell.

Once his contract ended at Mansfield Town, Murtagh signed a permanent contract with The Cards for the 2014–15 season.

On 9 June 2017, he signed for Boreham Wood on a two-year deal.

International career
Murtagh represented the Republic of Ireland U17 side while playing for Charlton Athletic.

On 25 November 2010, Murtagh was called up to the Antigua and Barbuda squad for the 2010 Caribbean Championship. He made his début in the 3–1 defeat against Jamaica on 27 November.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals
As of match played 7 June 2016. Antigua and Barbuda score listed first, score column indicates score after each Murtagh goal.

References

External links

Category:1988 births
Category:Living people
Category:Footballers from Wapping
Category:English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:English footballers
Category:Black English sportspeople
Category:Antigua and Barbuda footballers
Category:Antigua and Barbuda international footballers
Category:Association football midfielders
Category:Fisher Athletic F.C. players
Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players
Category:Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Woking F.C. players
Category:Cambridge United F.C. players
Category:Macclesfield Town F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Republic of Ireland youth international footballers
Category:2014 Caribbean Cup players
Category:Mansfield Town F.C. players
Category:Boreham Wood F.C. players


Eglwys Sant Ioan, Carmarthen

Eglwys Sant Ioan, or Church of St John, is an Anglican church in the town of Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was built in 1889–1890 as the Welsh language church for the parish of St Peter. It is located in Penuel Street.

The architects for the building of Eglwys Sant Ioan were Middleton, Prothero & Phillot of Cheltenham. A. G. Edwards, Bishop of St. Asaph and former vicar of St Peter's, Carmarthen, laid the foundation stone on 25 June 1889 and Thomas Collins of Tewkesbury undertook the building work. The original estimate was for a total amount of around £2000 but the costs overran, and the final sum spent was £3041. The building was opened on 15 June 1890 by the Bishop of St. Davids.

The church was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 May 1981, being "a well-designed late Victorian smaller town church".

References

Carmarthen, Eglwys Sant Ioan
Category:Churches in Carmarthen


Deir Qanoun En Nahr

Deir Qanoun En Nahr  ()     is a municipality in Southern Lebanon, located in Tyre District, Governorate of South Lebanon.

Name
According to E. H. Palmer in 1881,  Deir Kânûn meant: the convent of the rule (canon).

History
In the early 1860s, Ernest Renan noted here a decorated Sarcophagus.

In 1875 Victor Guérin found the village to be inhabited by 400  Metualis. He further noted: "Here I saw an ancient rock-cut basin, many cut-stones built up in private houses or forming the enclosure of gardens and cisterns, and, on the surface of a block lying on the ground, figures carved, to the number of five, each in a different frame. Unfortunately they are much mutilated by time and rough usage. The best preserved has the head surmounted by the high Egyptian coiffure known under the name of pschent, and holds in one hand a sort of curved stick."

In 1881, the Palestine Exploration Fund's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it: "A village, built of stone, situated on the top of a hill, surrounded by gardens, fig-trees, olives, and arable land, containing about 250 Metawileh; water supply from springs, birket, and cisterns."

References

Bibliography

External links
Deir Qanoun En Nahr, Localiban
Survey of Western Palestine, Map 2:   IAA, Wikimedia commons

Category:Tyre District
Category:Shia Muslim communities in Lebanon
Category:Populated places in Lebanon


Elvis' 40 Greatest

Elvis' 40 Greatest is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley. It was released in 1974 and was the UK's biggest-selling album over the Christmas period of that year, but along with all albums on K-tel, Ronco and Arcade, it was ineligible for the UK Albums Chart until 1975 because it was felt that heavy TV advertising and low pricing distorted the charts.  It finally reached number one on the UK Albums Chart in 1977, and became the 10th best-selling album of the 1970s in the UK.

It was originally pressed with a brown cover and doctored image of Elvis, with blue labels, this short lived pressing was replaced by yellow label copies.  The 1977 release, which appeared on the new RCA blue "signature" label, credited to "RCA Special Products", was released simultaneously on black vinyl and a more expensive pink vinyl edition.  The black vinyl sold a stagger 250'000 copies LESS than the pink vinyl, making it the more collectable item, even though fans are often tricked in to thinking the pink vinyl is "rare". It is in fact one of the most common and best selling Elvis compilation albums of all time.

Track listing

Chart performance

References

Category:1975 compilation albums
Category:Elvis Presley compilation albums


Yangjiaqiao, Xiangtan

Yangjiaqiao Town () is an urban town in Xiangtan County, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China.  it had a population of 60,929.

Administrative division
The town is divided into 41 villages and three communities, the following areas: Jiguan Community (), Dianzijie Community (), Wangjiashan Community (), Wushiba Village (), Donghe Village (), Jinqiao Village (), Biyuan Village (), Sanhe Village (), Xinxiang Village (), Longhua Village (), Donggao Village (), Jiaotuo Village (), Jinxing Village (), Bailuchong Village (), Shiqi Village (), Puziling Village (), Meilin Village (), Jiujiang Village (), Zhanggongtang Village (), Huawei Village (), Jinlong Village (), Xinhe Village (), Fengshuqiao Village (), Dengjiaba Village (), Jinqi Village (), Jinfeng Village (), Yaozi Village (), Hongping Village (), Hongtuo Village (), Kuangjia Village (), Batuo Village (), Xinfu Village (), Zhengfu Village (), Dukou Village (), Fuxing Village (), Diefu Village (), Jinma Village (), Jingzhou Village (), Yanshan Village (), Yanglu Village (), Xihua Village (), Yinhu Village (), Yanping Village (), and Liuhu Village ().

History
In 1995, Yangjiaqiao Town was built.

Geography
Jinqiao Reservoir (), Longhua Reservoir (), Quantang Reservoir () and Gaoyetang Reservoir () are located in the town.

Lieyanjin River () flows through the town.

Economy
Rice and pig are important to the economy.

Education
There are 15 primary schools, five Middle schools located with the town.

Culture
Huaguxi is the most influence local theater.

References

External links

Category:Divisions of Xiangtan County


Jabar Gaffney

Derrick Jabar Gaffney (born December 1, 1980) is an American former football wide receiver. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

Early years
Gaffney was born in San Antonio, Texas.  He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and was a letterman for the Raines Vikings high school football team.  In football, he was a two-year starter as a wide receiver, and as a junior in 1997, he caught the game-winning, fourth-quarter touchdown pass in the state championship game.

College career

Gaffney accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team in 2000 and 2001.  The Gators coaching staff decided to redshirt him as a true freshman in 1999.  Gaffney became a prolific pass-catcher as a first-year starter for the Gators in 2000, and made the game-winning touchdown “catch” with fourteen seconds remaining to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers 27–23—a game that ultimately decided the 2000 winner of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).  Gaffney amassed 1,184 receiving yards and fourteen touchdown receptions in 2000, and another 1,191 and thirteen touchdowns in 2001.

He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2000 and 2001; he was  a College Football News first-team All-American after his redshirt freshman season in 2000, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, and Walter Camp Foundation following his 2001 sophomore season.  In 2001, he was one of the three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, recognizing the best receiver in college football.  He finished his two-season college career with 138 receptions for 2,375 yards and twenty-seven touchdowns, and was chosen by his teammates as the Gators' most valuable player.  He remains the only receiver in Gators history with two seasons of 1,000 yards or more.

Professional career

Houston Texans

Gaffney was selected with the 1st pick in the 2nd round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Houston Texans. His tenure with the team was marred by his often inconsistent play which led to his benching in favor of veteran receivers, in particular Corey Bradford. After his rookie contract was up, the Texans chose not to re-sign him.

Philadelphia Eagles

On March 16, 2006, the Eagles signed Gaffney to a one-year contract. He was released before the start of the season.

New England Patriots

Gaffney signed a two-year deal with the New England Patriots on October 9, 2006. On March 5, 2008, Gaffney re-signed with the Patriots for one year worth $2 million.

In his first-ever playoff game, on January 7, 2007 against the New York Jets, Gaffney had a caught eight passes for 104 yards, his second 100-yard performance as a receiver (in ten regular season games, Gaffney caught 11 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown.) Gaffney followed that performance a week later against San Diego with another 100-yard game, in which he caught ten passes and scored a touchdown.

Gaffney finished the 2008 season with 44 receptions for 468 yards and two touchdowns.

Denver Broncos

On February 27, 2009, Gaffney signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Denver Broncos. In the Broncos' week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Gaffney caught 14 passes for 213 yards as the Broncos played without Brandon Marshall, who was benched for disciplinary reasons by head coach Josh McDaniels.  He finished the 2009 season with 54 receptions for 732 yards and two touchdowns, ranking second on the team in receptions and receiving yards. Gaffney put up 875 yards in 2010.

Washington Redskins

Gaffney was traded to the Washington Redskins for defensive end Jeremy Jarmon on July 27, 2011.  In , he led the team with 68 receptions, 947 yards and 5 touchdowns, all career bests.

On April 18, 2012, Gaffney announced that he was told not to attend the team's offseason conditioning program and that the Redskins were attempting to trade him.  Head coach Mike Shanahan later stated that Gaffney could still remain on the Redskins, but felt obligated to let him explore other options throughout the league.

Gaffney was released by the Redskins on May 1, 2012.

Return to New England Patriots

Gaffney signed a two-year contract to return to the Patriots on May 2, 2012.  He was released by the team on August 27.

Miami Dolphins
On October 2, 2012, Gaffney was signed by the Miami Dolphins. On November 20, 2012, Gaffney was waived. Days after his release, the NFL announced that Gaffney would be suspended for two games for failing to report an arrest to the league that occurred in Miami in 2010.

NFL statistics

Receiving Stats

Legal Issues

In February 2000, Gaffney was charged with allegedly stealing $245 and a watch from the Florida Field locker room during the high school state championships, but the prosecutor placed him in a pretrial diversion program.  After Steve Spurrier kicked him off the team in December 1999, he was eventually allowed to earn his way back onto the squad but forfeited his scholarship for a year.

During the 2001 season, Gaffney and another athlete forcefully detained a 15-year-old boy who was stealing motor scooters from their apartment, and held him until police arrived.  The boy's mother later alleged that Gaffney beat, kicked, choked and attempted to drown her son.  The police declined to file charges and the state attorney agreed, stating the mother's allegations were inconsistent with the evidence and no jury would convict given the circumstances.

In 2006, Gaffney was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun in New Jersey.

In 2010, Gaffney was charged with non-violent resisting arrest.

In January 2016, he was arrested for marijuana and drug possession.

In October 2017, Gaffney was arrested for domestic battery.

Family
Gaffney and ex-wife Terin have a son, Jackson Tyrel Gaffney, and a daughter, Teagan Danae Gaffney.  He is the son of former New York Jets wide receiver Derrick Gaffney, and the first cousin of NFL cornerback Lito Sheppard.

See also

 List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
 List of Florida Gators football players in the NFL
 List of Houston Texans players
 List of New England Patriots players
 List of Washington Redskins players

References

Bibliography

 Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007).  .
 Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators!  An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002).  .
 Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002).  .

External links
  Jabar Gaffney – Florida Gators bio

Category:1980 births
Category:Living people
Category:African-American players of American football
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Denver Broncos players
Category:Florida Gators football players
Category:Houston Texans players
Category:Miami Dolphins players
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:Players of American football from Florida
Category:Players of American football from Texas
Category:Sportspeople from Jacksonville, Florida
Category:Sportspeople from San Antonio
Category:Washington Redskins players


Kenneth H. Ashley

Kenneth Herbert Ashley (1887--?) was an English poet, novelist, journalist, and farmer; published Up Hill and Down Dales (poetry), Creighton the Admirable (novel) and Death of a Curate (detective novel); wrote articles for The London Mercury, The Spectator, and The Athenaeum. His poem "Rudkin was one who cattle sold" was selected by Leonard Strong as one of the best poems of 1923.

References

Category:1887 births
Category:Year of death missing
Category:English male poets


Anna Rosmus

Anna Rosmus, also known as Anja Rosmus-Wenninger, is a German author and researcher born in 1960 in Passau, Bavaria.

Early life and research

As a 16-year-old, Rosmus started developing an interest in contemporary history, especially that of the Third Reich, a subject that was barely mentioned at school. Encouraged by her father, a principal, she participated in a national essay contest that addressed the history of her city during the pre-war years. Some prominent residents claimed that the community remained untouched by the war and others praised themselves for their alleged political resistance against the dictatorship. Rosmus uncovered newspaper clippings and other archival material showing that local leaders and members of the town's prominent families, had not only been compliant but were active members of the Nazi Party long before the war, and had helped to round up the town's roughly 400 Jews to send to concentration camps. Her essay, "My Hometown During the Third Reich", won a prize.

Rosmus' efforts were not welcomed by many inhabitants but at the age of 20, she continued with her research. Upon further questioning of some of Passau's elders, Rosmus found a conspiracy of silence and refusal to provide information. After three years of perseverance and litigation, she was finally granted access to the city administration's archives. She found that several concentration-, forced labor- and prisoner-of-war camps had been built in and around the city.

Rosmus wrote her first book, Resistance and Persecution - The Case of Passau 1933–1939 which was published in 1983. Undeterred by threats, she wrote Exodus - In the Shadow of Mercy a book focusing on the plight of Passau's Jews during the twentieth century. Her work continued to cause unprecedented uproar as well as international praise.

The Nasty Girl and major TV productions

 In 1985, Rosmus' work attracted director Michael Verhoeven's attention. He wrote and directed  (The Nasty Girl), a 1990 film in which Lena Stolze plays Sonja Wegmus, a fictional version of Rosmus. The movie received the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1991.
 In 1986, the German TV station ARD broadcast Felix Kuballa's WDR 45-min documentary Von deutscher Toleranz.
 In 1988, the German TV station ARD showed Henning Stegmüller's 1987 Radio Bremen 90-min documentary Gegen den Strom about Anna Rosmus.
 In 1990, the German TV station ZDF showed Michael Verhoeven's 1987 documentary Das Mädchen und die Stadt about Anna Rosmus.
 1994/95, Felix Kuballa (WDR) produced the documentary Das Schreckliche Mädchen in Amerika. ARD featured 60-min and a 45-min versions.

Emigration to the United States

In August 1994, after constant harassment and death threats from the local community, Rosmus and her daughters moved to the United States. They settled in the Washington, D.C. area. Since her youngest daughter's graduation from high school, Rosmus has lived near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Her research resulted in numerous presentations, including:
 Filling in the Void, The Last Phase of Survivor Literature, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel, 1996
 Pocking's Buried Secrets, Teaching the Holocaust Conference in Augsburg, Germany, 1997
 Austrian-German Conspiracies at a Centuries-old Bishopric. A look back, 60 Years after the Conquest of Austria, 28th Scholars' Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, Seattle, Washington, 1998
 The Passau Theater Scandal, German Studies Association Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, 1998
 European Response to Northern American Memorials, Teaching the Holocaust Conference, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 1998
 Franz Schrönghamer-Heimdal: The Honorable?, 29th Scholars’ Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, New York, New York, March 8, 1999;
 The Presence of the Absence, International Holocaust Conference for Eyewitnesses & Descendants, Vienna, Austria, 1999
 The Pre-Nazi Town that Chose a Jewish Sex Symbol: Gender, Anti-Semitism, and Politics in Passau, 1919–1929, German Studies Association Conference, Atlanta, Ga., 1999
 My Jewish Mission. One German Woman’s Search for the Truth, Nuremberg & beyond, Columbia, South Carolina, 1999
 The Future of Germany’s Past, Holocaust Conference, Millersville, Pennsylvania, 2000
 1919–1929, The Sexual Revolution of the Twentieth Century, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 2000
 The Truth about Passau, German Studies Association Conference, Houston, Texas, 2000
 The Nasty Girl and its Aftermath, Association of Holocaust Organizations’ Winter Seminar, USHMM, in  Washington, D.C., 2001
 From Reality to Fiction, The European Studies Consortium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 2001
 Growing up where Hitler Lived. The Courage to Speak the Truth, at: Connecting Biography and Research: Personal Revelations of Female Academics who Deal  with the Subject of Extreme Violence and Death, Annual Conference of Canadian Universities Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, Congress 2001
 Where Hitler Used to Live: Post-Holocaust Pocking and Passau, Fourth International Biennial Conference. Deterring and Preventing Genocide: Missed Opportunities, Contemporary Issues and Future Possibilities, Association of Genocide Scholars, at the University of Minnesota, 2001
 Rabbi Lazar Salzberg and the Passauer Neue Presse, German Studies Association Conference, Washington, D.C., October 5, 2001
 Murder of the Innocent, Annual meeting of the European History Section of the Southern Historical Association, New Orleans, 2001
 The Oswald Ring. Educators who Demand that Higher Education Must be Avoided, 32nd Scholars’ Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, Kean University in Newark, New Jersey, 2002
 Diplomacy and Terrorism: The German-Afghani Connection. Closing Luncheon Address, 32nd Scholars’ Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, Kean University in Newark, N.J., 2002
 Erich Mühsam and the “Godforsaken Border Town of Passau”. An Arrest that Reflected the Past as Much as it was Foreboding the Future, Jewish Culture - Western Civilization  - and Beyond, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., 2002
 Rudolph Freiherr von Moreau: The Making of a Hero, 33rd Scholars’ Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, Philadelphia, Pa., 2003
 "Useless Consumers of Food", Sixth Holocaust Studies Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 2003
 Supplementing the “Aryan” Race, Annual Conference of the Canadian Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Congress 2004
 Choosing Murder to Re-establish a Glorious Past. From Atta to Arco: Hating Democracy, 34th Scholars’ Conference on the Churches and the Holocaust, Newark, N.J., 2005
 Back to the Home Front, Annual Congress of the Canadian Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, June 2, 2005
 Turning The Masses into Ethnic Warriors, Redefining The Political Nature of Borderline Identities, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,  CASCA Conference, May 12, 2006
 Family Matters: Rape and Incest in SA and SS: Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 3, 2006
 Nazi-Era Deployments of Bavarian Folk Tales, CASCA-AES Conference, University of Toronto, Canada, May 10, 2007
 Manifestations of National Identity in “The Nasty Girl”, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, 2007
 How to Avoid the Nuremberg Trials in Grand Style, 8th Holocaust Studies Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Tenn., 2007
 Major General Ernst Nason Harmon: “Certain Jewish Shipments to Bavaria", Third International Multidisciplinary Conference, Imperial War Museum, London, England, January 9, 2009
 The “Angelic” Major General or: Cussing at the Prospect of Combat, Norfolk, Va., September 13, 2009

In 1994, Rosmus began to plan programs for a first tour with survivors and US Veterans of WWII in Germany and Austria. Since then, she has organized several reunions of veterans, survivors and locals in Europe.

Since 2009, Rosmus has been a member of the International Council of the Austrian Service Abroad.

Publications
 Widerstand und Verfolgung am Beispiel Passau 1933–1945 (Resistance and Persecution — The Case of Passau 1933-1939), published by Andreas Haller in Passau, Germany, 1983.
 Leiden an Passau pp. 98–106 in: Lieben Sie Deutschland (Suffering from Passau in: Do You Love Germany),191 pages, published by Piper in Munich, Germany, 1985.
 Erwiderung (Response), pp. 143–147 in: Beunruhigung in der Provinz. 10 Jahre Scharfrichterhaus (Disturbance in the Province. 10 Years Executioner's House); edited by Walter Landshuter and Edgar Liegl, Andreas-Haller, Passau, Germany, 1987.
 Exodus - Im Schatten der Gnade. Aspekte zur Geschichte der Juden im Raum Passau. (Exodus. In the Shadow of Mercy.Aspects of Jewish History in the Passau Region), a book focusing on the plight of Passau's Jews during the twentieth century; 270 pages, published by Dorfmeister in Tittling, Germany, 1988.
 Zur braunen Chronik Passaus. Anmerkungen zur Zeit von 1919 bis 1933 (Brown-Shirted Passau Chronicles. Connotations about the Period from 1919 to 1933), pp. 6–10 in: Lichtung. Ostbayerisches Magazin in Viechtach, Germany, Nov/Dec 1989.
 Robert Klein. A German Jew Looks back, 112 pages, published in Passau, Germany, 1991.
 "Wintergrün - Verdrängte Morde" (Wintergreen - Suppressed Murders), 200 pages, Labhard, Konstanz, Germany, 1993.
 Wider das Vergessen (Against Forgetting), pp 31–34 in: Bayerischer Wald, edited by Hubert Ettl; Viechtach, Germany, 1993.
 Der Massenmord am “fremdvölkischen” Nachwuchs und die Folgen (Mass Murder of the Foreign Rising Generation and its Consequences), pp. 11–14 in: lichtung. ostbayerisches magazin; Viechtach, Germany, Sept/Oct. 1993.
 Was ich denke (What I Think),189 pages, published by Goldmann in Munich, Germany, 1995.
 Pocking - Ende und Anfang. Jüdische Zeitzeugen über Befreier und Befreite  (Pocking - End and Renewal. Jewish Witnesses on Liberators and the Liberated), 201 pages, published by Labhard in Konstanz, Germany, 1995.
 Legacy of the 761st Tank Battalion, 100th Field Hospital, Baltimore, MD, February 11, 1996.
 Wenn nicht ich, wer dann? (If Not Me, Then Who?), pp 82–86 in: Wenn nicht ich, wer? Wenn nicht jetzt, wann? (If Not Me, Who? If Not Now, When?), edited by Christlich-Jüdischer Koordinierungsrat Deutschland, Bad Nauheim, Germany, 1998.
 A l’écran et avec une nomination aux Oscars" (On Screen, with an Oscar Nomination); in: "La Shoah: le témoignage impossible?(Shoah. The Impossible Testimony), published by Université de Bruxelles, Belgium, 1998.
 "Filling in the Void", in: Gelber, M. (ed.) Belated or Timely Memoirs? The Last Phase of Survivor Literature from the Holocaust, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 1998.
 "Out of Passau. Von einer, die auszog, die Heimat zu finden" (Out of Passau.. By One Who Moved Out to Find the Homeland), 286 pages, published by Herder in Freiburg, Basel, Vienna, 1999.
 "Can we afford to stand by?" In: The Memory of the Holocaust in the 21st Century; CD-rom, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel, 1999.
 Murder of the Innocent, pp. 83–102 in: Hearing the Voices: Teaching the Holocaust to Future generations; edited by Michael Hayse, Didier Pollefeyt, G. Jan Colijn and Marcia Sachs Littell. Merion Westfield Press International, Merion Station, PA, 1999.
 From Reality to Fiction: Anna Rosmus as The “Nasty Girl”, pp 113–143 in: Religion and the Arts. A Journal from Boston College.Koninklijke Brill NV, The Netherlands; Leiden, Boston, Cologne, 2000.
 "A Troublemaker in a Skirt", pp 270–288 in: Second Generation Voices, Syracuse University Press, 2001.
 Pocking's Buried Secrets, pp. 207–226 in: “Building History: Art, Memory, and Myth”; McGill European Studies, published by Peter Lang, New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt/M., Oxford, Vienna, 2001.
 Murder of the Innocent. Foreign Slave Laborers and Forced Abortions in Bavaria, pp 139–158 in: Women in the Holocaust: Responses, Insights and Perspectives. Published by Merion Westfield Press International, Merion Station, Pennsylvania, 2002.
 The Challenge of Right-Wing Extremism for Democracy, pp. 103–107 in: How to Fight Right-Wing Extremism in Germany Today - The Role of Citizens, Civil Society, and the Government. Published by Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Washington DC, 2002.
 Against the Stream: Growing Up Where Hitler Used to Live, 160 pages, published by University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 2002.
 "Involuntary Abortions for Polish Forced Laborers", pp. 76–94 in: Experience and Expression: Women, the Nazis, and the Holocaust. Edited by Elizabeth R. Baer and Myrna Goldenberg, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 2003.
 "The Struggle Continues: Hate Crime in Germany Today", pp. 221– 237 in: Confront! Resistance in Nazi Germany; ed. Jahn Michalczyk, Peter Lang, New York, 2004.
 Out of Passau: Leaving a City Hitler Called Home, published by University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 2004.
 Wintergreen: Suppressed Murders, published by University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC,  2004.
 "In Search of the “Rosetta Stone”", Alma College, MI, April 1, 2009.
 Valhalla Finale, 350 pp, a photo book about the end of WWII in Bavaria, Czechoslovakia, Upper Austria and the US Army in 1945, published by Dorfmeister in Tittling, Germany, 2009.
 Ragnarök (http://www.pnp.de/ngen/PictureGallery/diashow1.php?name=rosmus-2010&titel=Ostbayern%20in%20der%20Nachkriegszeit'), a photo book about the end of WWII in Bavaria, Czechoslovakia, Upper Austria and the US Army, 464 pp, published by Dorfmeister in Tittling, Germany, 2010.
 Hitlers Nibelungen: Niederbayern im Aufbruch zu Krieg und Untergang (Hitler's Nibelungs: Lower Bavaria at the Onset of War and Downfall), published by Simone Samples Verlag in Grafenau, Germany, 2015, .

Honors

 “Best German Writer”, for “Daten innerer und äußerer Freiheit aus Politik und Geschichte Europas” (Internal and External Freedoms taken from History and Politics in Europe) in the “Europäischer Aufsatz Wettbewerb” (European Essay Competition) in June 1980,  Berlin/Paris.
 In 1984 Anna Rosmus received the "Geschwister-Scholl-Preis", a literary prize by the association of Bavaria's Publishers and the City of Munich, for she “has mustered the highly inconvenient courage to reject the ready-framed historical picture of her hometown.”
 Death mask of Kurt Tucholsky for civil courage and political commitment May 7, 1987, Hindås, Sweden.
 The “Holocaust Survivors & Friends in Pursuit of Justice” honored her in October 1992 with the Holocaust Memorial Award in Albany, N.Y.
 Legislative Resolution honoring “the tireless, courageous and often life-threatening   efforts... against the acts and effects of racism, bigotry and hatred, remembering the warnings of a tragic and blackened history...to educate future generations“ by the State of New York, in October 1992.
 Elected Member of the International “PEN Club,” in December 1993.
 Honored by Temple Beth El in California on April 8, 1994, “in appreciation of the humanitarian efforts to educate the world about the history of the Holocaust.”
 Scott Kennedy, Mayor of Santa Cruz, California, proclaimed Sunday, April 10, 1994 as “Anna Rosmus Day” in the City of Santa Cruz, CA.
 She has received the Sarnat Prize from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith for those who fight anti-Jewish bigotry, June 10, 1994, in New York City.
 The American Society of Journalists and Authors awarded Rosmus its Conscience-in-Media Award, honoring “those who have demonstrated singular commitment to the highest principles of journalism at notable personal cost or sacrifice,” It was presented in a special program at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in September 1994
 Tree-Dedication in front of “Temple Israel,” November 9, 1994, Albany, N.Y.
 The Holocaust Memorial Center in West Bloomfield, Michigan, honored Rosmus “in recognition of having exposed the facts about the role of Passau, Germany, during World War II and forcing its residents finally to confront the truth.”
 In 1996, the Heinz Galinski Prize, highest honor of the Jewish Community in Berlin, honored her “commitment characterized by understanding, tolerance and mutual respect; her espousal of peace and reconciliation; the sincere way she comes to grips with history and the past.” The jury's justification says, among other things: “In spite of the greatest difficulties and opposition that you were forced to confront again and again, you have rendered a very significant contribution to memory and enlightenment. Only when we remember do we have a chance of doing battle against neo-Nazism.”
 Listed in Marquis’ “Who’s Who of American Woman” (first time in the 1997/1998 edition).
 On March 20, 1998, the D.C. Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Law Foundation honored her with the Immigrant Achievement Award as a “distinguished immigrant who through her extraordinary endeavors has made a substantial contribution to the United States of America and is a proud reflection of the values of this nation.”
 “Myrtle Wreath Award,” by Hadassah, “in recognition of selfless and fearless pursuit of the truth about the Holocaust,” March 30, 1995, Washington D.C.
 Elected honorary member of the 65th Infantry Division Association on September 8, 1995
 On February 11, 1996, the 4214th USAR Hospital honored her “enlightening research centered around the involvement of African-Americans in Germany during WWII”.
 Listed in Marquis “Who’s Who in America” (first time in the 1996 edition).
 Listed in Marquis “Who’s Who in the World” (first time in the 1999 edition).
 Elected honorary member of the 71st Infantry Division Association, 2005
 Elected honorary member of the 11th Armored Division Association, 2008
 Honorary PhD, University of South Carolina, 2000
 Honorary PhD, Alma College, 2009

See also
Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
University of South Carolina

References

External links
 Biography (Sonoma.edu)
 Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau
 Anna Rosmus at E.N. Thompos Forum on World Issues
 Alma College Honors Anna Rosmus
 "The Nasty Girl" (Washington Post, 1990)
 University of South Carolina Press: Anna Rosmus
 65th & 71st Division, Germany and Austria Tour with Anna Rosmus, March 2006
   Wrapping the Dead in Silence? (Women & The Holocaust)
 A Dedication in Pocking and Shabbat in Passau (rememberwomen.org)

Category:1960 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Passau
Category:German women writers
Category:Conscience-in-Media Award recipients


Al-Mabda'

Al-Mabda' (, 'The Principle') was a communist daily newspaper published from Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Mabda' was founded by the dissident communist politician Daud as-Sayegh (who had just broken away from the original Iraqi Communist Party). The first issue of al-Mabda' was published on 21 November 1959. The newspaper was allegedly supported by the government of Abd al-Karim Qasim. According to Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the Qassim government had issued a substantial loan to as-Sayegh for the sake of publishing al-Mabda'.

In early 1960 two editorial secretaries of al-Mabda', Kazim Shawi and Adb al-Amir Hassun al-Haddad, resigned from as-Sayeghs party. In June 1960 al-Madba' issued an appeal to the members of the (original) Iraqi Communist Party to join as-Sayegh's party. In November 1960 Al-Madba' was closed down, with no public explanation.

Al-Mabda' was re-launched as a weekly on 4 February 1961. At the time, al-Mabda' stated that the November 1960 disruption in publication had been caused by an urgent lack of funds. Al-Mabda' complained that the newspaper was treated with intense hostility from other leftwing sectors, and its readers frequently attacked in public. All in all, twenty-two issues of al-Mabda' were published in its second year of existence. On 25 November 1961 an anniversary issue was released, in which al-Mabda' criticized the unwillingness of the followers of the (original) Iraqi Communist Party to join the ranks of as-Sayegh's legal Iraqi Communist Party.

References

Category:1959 establishments in Iraq
Category:Arabic communist newspapers
Category:Arabic-language newspapers
Category:Communist newspapers published in Iraq
Category:Defunct newspapers of Iraq
Category:Defunct weekly newspapers
Category:Media in Baghdad
Category:Publications established in 1959
Category:Publications with year of disestablishment missing


The Piano Lesson

The Piano Lesson is a 1987 play by American playwright August Wilson. It is the fourth play in Wilson's The Pittsburgh Cycle. Wilson began writing this play by playing with the various answers regarding the possibility of "acquir[ing] a sense of self-worth by denying one's past". The Piano Lesson received the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

A Romare Bearden painting, The Piano Lesson, inspired Wilson to write a play featuring a strong female character to confront African-American history, paralleling Troy in earlier Fences. However, on finishing his play, Wilson found the ending to stray from the empowered female character as well as from the question regarding self-worth. What The Piano Lesson finally seems to ask is: "What do you do with your legacy, and how do you best put it to use?"

Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The play focuses on the arguments between a brother and a sister who have different ideas on what to do with the piano. The brother, Boy Willie, is a sharecropper who wants to sell the piano to buy the land (Sutter's land) where his ancestors toiled as slaves. The sister, Berniece, remains emphatic about keeping the piano, which shows the carved faces of their great-grandfather's wife and son during the days of their enslavement.

Plot

Act 1, Scene 1
Boy Willie and Lymon arrive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Mississippi and enter the Charles' household at five in the morning. They have brought a truck of watermelons to sell. Against Doaker's advice, Boy Willie wakes his sister Berniece, and tells her of Sutter's death.  Berniece accuses Boy Willie of shoving Sutter down a well, and she asks him to leave. Instead, Boy Willie wakes Berniece's daughter, Maretha, causing Berniece to run back up the stairs where she sees Sutter's ghost. Lymon notices the piano which Willie intends to sell to buy Sutter's land.  Doaker insists that Berniece will not sell the piano, because she refused to sell when Avery brought a buyer to the house. Willie insists that he will convince her. Maretha comes downstairs, and Willie asks her to play the piano. She plays the beginning of a few simple tunes, and he answers her song with a boogie-woogie. Berniece enters with Avery, and Willie asks whether she still has the prospective buyer's name, explaining he came to Pittsburgh to sell the piano. Berniece refuses to listen and walks out.

Act 1, Scene 2
Wining Boy and Doaker talk in the kitchen when Boy Willie and Lymon enter and claim to have located the piano buyer. Willie's uncles warn him that Sutter will cheat him but Boy Willie refuses to listen. The story behind Lymon and Boy Willie's term in Parchman Prison Farm is revealed. Lymon and Willie both gather different perspectives from their experiences. Lymon wants to flee to the North where he will be better treated, while Willie feels that whites only treat blacks badly if the blacks do not try and stop them. They ask Wining Boy to play the piano, but instead he explains that being seen as nothing more than a piano player became a burden.

Doaker then tells the story of the piano's history. Generations earlier, Sutter, their family's slave-owner, broke up a family by selling a mother and child to pay for the piano which he bought for his wife as an anniversary present. The wife was happy with the piano but missed having the slaves, so Sutter had that family's husband/father (who was a carpenter and too valuable to sell), carve their likenesses on the piano. He carved likenesses of his entire history on the piano. In 1911, Boy Willie's father stole the piano from the Sutters; in retaliation he was killed. Willie declares that these are stories of the past and that the piano should now be put to good use. Willie and Lymon attempt to move the piano to test its weight. As soon as they try to move it, Sutter's ghost is heard. Berniece tells Willie to stop and informs him that he is selling his soul for money. Willie refutes her, Berniece blames Crawley's death on Willie, and the two engage in a fight. Upstairs, Maretha is confronted by the ghosts, and she screams in terror.

Act 2, Scene 1
Doaker and Wining Boy are again together in the house alone. Doaker confesses that he saw Sutter's ghost playing the piano and feels that Berniece should discard the piano so as to prevent spirits from traumatizing the Charles family. Wining Boy disagrees. Lymon and Willie walk into the room after a watermelon sale. Wining Boy sells his suit and shoes to Lymon, promising its swooning effects on women. Both Lymon and Willie leave the house in hot pursuit of women.

Act 2, Scene 2
Later that day as Berniece is preparing for her bath, Avery enters and proposes that Berniece should open up and let go. He tells her that she cannot continue to live her life with Crawley's memory shut inside her. Berniece changes the topic and asks Avery to bless the house, hoping to destroy the spirit of the Sutter ghost. Avery then brings up the piano and tells Berniece she should learn to not be afraid of her family's spirits and play it again. Berniece breaks down her story of her mother's tears and blood mingled with her father's soul on the piano and refuses to open her wounds for everyone to see.

Act 2, Scenes 3–5
Boy Willie enters the Charles house with Grace and begins to fool around on the couch. Berniece orders them out and opens the door to see Lymon. Lymon is upset over his inability to woo women and begins to talk about women's virtues to Berniece. The two kiss, breaking Berniece's discomfort over Crawley's death, and Berniece heads back upstairs.

The next morning, Lymon and Willie try to move the piano out and are stopped by Uncle Doaker. Willie, frustrated, demands that he will sell the piano no matter what. The day to move the piano draws closer. Excited to sell the piano, Willie quickly partakes on his actions without a care of his sister's words. Berniece appears with Crawley's gun, leading Doaker and Avery to urge them to talk it through first. Sutter's presence as a ghost is suddenly revived. Avery attempts to drive the ghost away with his blessings but is not successful. Suddenly, Berniece knows that she must play the piano again as a plea to her ancestors. Finally, the house is led to a calm aura, and Willie leaves.

Characters

Doaker Charles: The owner of the Charles household; the uncle of Berniece and Boy Willie. He lives with his niece Berniece and great-niece Maretha. A tall and thin 47-year-old man, Charles recounts the most detailed parts of his lives with his job on the railroad. Doaker plays the role of the storyteller, giving detailed and long accounts of the piano's history. Due to his old age, his connection to the past is expressed through his stories.
"Ain’t nobody said nothing about who's right and who's wrong. I was just telling the man about the piano. I was telling him why we say Berniece ain’t gonna sell it."
Doaker is also one of the only characters that truly understand Berniece's desire not to sell the piano so that the legacy of their family may remain. He may maintain a neutral view of whether the piano should be kept or sold, but he does prevent Boy Willie from taking the piano and bolting without Berniece's knowledge.

Boy Willie: Berniece's impulsive 30-year-old brother represents the lack of accepting one's past. A sharecropper and recently delivered out of prison from Mississippi, Boy Willie plans to sell the piano and use the earnings to buy the land where his ancestors had formerly toiled.  His use of the legacy comes down to practicality; Willie finds the rich culture of his history engraved on the piano through pictures, blood, and tears to be a simple conversion to money. Rather than looking upon his past and accepting it, Boy Willie finds the constant need to prove himself as equal to the white man.
"If my daddy had seen where he could have traded that piano in for some land of his own, it wouldn’t be sitting up here now. He spent his whole life farming on somebody else's land. I ain’t gonna do that. See, he couldn’t do no better. When he come along he ain’t had nothing he could build on. His daddy ain’t had nothing to give him. The only thing my daddy had to give me was that piano. And he died over giving me that. I ain’t gonna let it sit up there and rot without trying to do something with it."
Unable to understand the importance of keeping one's legacy around one to understand and grow from it, Boy Willie only concerns himself with labels and capital. In the last scene of the book, after Berniece calls to the ancestors, Boy Willie finally understands that there is no escape from living his ancestral legacy and the only way to benefit from it is to learn from it.

Lymon: Lymon is the 29-year-old friend of Boy Willie and is much more secretive and shy in comparison, however, upon becoming more comfortable with the family, his attitude changes to be a sympathizer who doesn't offer many original opinions. He does not speak brashly and attempts to escape the law by staying in the North and starting a new life.
"Yeah, I can see why you say that now. I told Boy Willie he ought to stay up here with me."
One of the few characters in this play not related to the members of the Charles household, Lymon offers help and sporadic advice to the other characters. He listens to Doaker's version of the piano story, sympathizes with Boy Willie's desires to sell the piano, and attempts to understand Berniece's connection to the piano. Lymon is also obsessed with women and plays a large role in allowing Berniece to slowly relieve the mourning of Crawley, her deceased husband.
"I just dream about woman.  Can’t never seem to find the right one."
His desire to please women and find his soul mate softens Berniece's gaze on crude men and gives him a slight leeway to kiss her.

Berniece: The 35-year-old mother of Maretha, Berniece symbolizes the guardian of her ancestors' past. She remains the only member of the family to adamantly demand the keepsake of the piano heirloom. Her relation with her brother further portrays her mourning of her late husband Crawley. Blaming Boy Willie for Crawley's death, Berniece questions Boy Willie's foolish actions more than others. While Boy Willie represents an opposing figure to their father Boy Charles by wanting to be a property owning man, Berniece draws similarities to her mother Mama Ola who never seemed to recover from the mourning of her husband either.
"Look at this piano. Look at it. Mama Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years.  For seventeen years she rubbed on it till her hands bled. Then she rubbed the blood in...mixed it up with the rest of the blood on it. Every day that God breathed life into her body she rubbed and cleaned and polished and prayed over it. ‘Play something for me, Berniece. Play something for me, Berniece.’ Every day... You always talking about your daddy but you ain’t never stopped to look at what his foolishness cost your mamma."
Berniece feels as if the piano should stay in the home rather be sold and it is a family heirloom.  The piano is in her residence and was the one who was led to the piano first.  She did not feel the need to rearrange her ancestors' past and instead embraced it. To Berniece, the piano represents her father's life, since he died over it, and her mother's toil, since she incessantly asked Berniece to play after his death. Originally playing the role of the messenger between the dead ancestors and the living descendants, Berniece prefers to stop channeling her family's ghosts after her mother's death. Since she does not want to disturb the spirits in the piano, Berniece leaves the piano untouched and does not play it.
"I told you I don’t play on that piano...When my mama died I shut the top on that piano and I ain’t never opened it since. I was only playing it for her. When my daddy died seem like all her life went into that piano. She used to have me play on it...say when I played it she could hear my daddy talking to her. I used to think them pictures come alive and walked through the house. Sometime late at night I could hear my mama talking to them. I said that wasn’t gonna happen to me I don’t play that piano ‘cause I don’t want to wake them spirits.  They never be walking around in this house."
To save her daughter from the burdens that Berniece had to endure from playing the piano and helping her mother go through the pain and misery of losing her husband, Berniece refuses to let the spirits of her ancestors come back into her life. However, in the last scene, Berniece finally resumes her role as the middle person between the living and dead. In this last scene, Berniece plays the piano again and fulfills her duty to her family's legacy.

Maretha: The 11-year-old daughter of Berniece, Maretha plays the role of the future generation for the Charles family.  Although Berniece teaches her how to play the piano, she does not allow any history of the piano to become apparent to Maretha.
"Maretha...don’t know nothing about it...She don’t have to carry all of that with her. She got a chance I didn’t have. I ain’t gonna burden her with that piano."
Maretha's encounters with ghosts are approached without Berniece's liking. Maretha also allows experimentation among the future progeny of the Charles family, leading observations regarding the best way to pass down family history.

Avery Brown: A 38-year-old preacher who has been attempting to court Berniece ever since the death of Crawley, Avery Brown is a man of honest and good intentions. Constantly stressing his Christian view on things and advocating his hopes to build a congregation, Avery is aware that Berniece will never sell her piano heirloom. Also not related to the Charles family, Avery often offers advice to Berniece in an effort to help her let go of the fears of her past and the lingering mourning of her husband.
"You got to put all that behind you, Berniece. That's the same thing like Crawley. Everybody got stones in their passway. You got to step over them or walk around them. You picking them up and carrying them with you. All you got to do is set them down by the side of the road. You ain’t got to carry them with you. You can walk over there right now and play that piano...and God will walk over there with you."
Avery's humble personality further emphasizes Berniece's lack of relieving her deceased husband's memory. He tries desperately to help her find her path and supports her through her pain.  In the final scene, Avery's blessings on the house help bring Berniece back to her position of communicating between the living and the deceased.

Wining Boy: The comical figure in The Piano Lesson, the Wining Boy is the 56-year-old elder brother of Doaker Charles. He tries to portray the image of a successful musician and gambler, but his music and attire are extremely dated. Instead of wanting to live in the present and the future like his nephew Boy Willie, Wining Boy drowns himself in the sorrows of his past. Whenever he ends up bankrupt, he wanders back into the Charles house to retell the days of the glory and fame.
"I give that piano up. That was the best thing that ever happened to me, getting rid of that piano...Now, the first three or four years of that is fun. You can't get enough whiskey and you can’t get enough women and you don’t never get tired of playing that piano. But that only last so long. You look up one day and you hate the whiskey, and you hate the women, and you hate the piano. But that's all you got. You can’t do nothing else. All you know how do is play the piano. Now, who am I? Am I me? Or am I the piano player?"
His former days of glory emphasize the submergence of his soul in the past. Wining Boy is also the only other character, aside from Berniece, who can speak with the dead. He speaks to the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog and to his deceased wife, Cleotha.

Grace: One of the last figures to be added to the play, Grace shows the desires of both Boy Willie and Lymon. Both men attempt to be with her and play to her good graces. Since she is not a member of the Charles family, the tension she feels in the last scene of Act Two demonstrates how strong the presence of the ancestral ghosts are in the Charles household.

Mentioned characters
 Crawley: Berniece's deceased husband of three years
 Mama Ola: Berniece and Boy Willie's mother
 Boy Charles: Berniece and Boy Willie's father
 Sutter's Ghost: The man who owned the Charles family in the time of slavery
 Cleotha: Wining Boy's deceased wife

Cast and crew

The Piano Lesson debuted as a staged reading at the 1986 National Playwrights Conference held at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

First production

 Opened: 26 November 1987
 Location: Yale Repertory Theatre

Cast
 Doaker: Carl Gordon
 Boy Willie: Samuel L. Jackson
 Lymon: Rocky Carroll
 Berniece: Starletta DuPois
 Maretha: Chenee Johnson/Ylonda Powell
 Avery: Tommy Hollis
 Wining Boy: Lou Myers
 Grace: Sharon Washington

Crew
 Director: Lloyd Richards
 Set Designer: E. David Cosier, Jr.
 Costume Designer: Constanza Romero
 Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind
 Sound Designer: J. Scott Servheen
 Musical Director: Dwight Andrews
 Production Stage Manager: Maureen F. Gibson
 Stage Manager: Gwendolyn M. Gilliam

Second production

 Opened: 9 January 1988
 Location: Huntington Theatre Company in Boston (Yale Repertory Theatre production)

Cast
 Doaker:  Carl Gordon
 Boy Willie: Charles S. Dutton
 Lymon: Rocky Carroll
 Berniece: Starletta DuPois
 Maretha: Jaye Skinner
 Avery: Tommy Hollis
 Wining Boy: Lou Myers
 Grace: Sharon Washington
 Producing Director: Peter Altman
 Managing Director: Michael Maso
 Director: Lloyd Richards
 Set Designer: E. David Cosier, Jr.
 Costume Designer: Constanza Romero
 Lighting designer: Christopher Akerlind
 Sound Designer: J. Scott Servheen
 Musical Director: Dwight Andrews
 Stage Manager: Gwendolyn M. Gilliam

Third production
Source:

 Opened: 16 April 1990. This production first premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago with this cast.  https://www.goodmantheatre.org/Artists-Archive/production-timeline/1980-1989/
 Location: Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway, New York City

Cast
 Doaker: Carl Gordon
 Boy Willie: Charles S. Dutton
 Lymon: Rocky Carroll
 Berniece: S. Epatha Merkerson
 Maretha: Apryl R. Foster
 Avery: Tommy Hollis
 Wining Boy: Lou Myers
 Grace: Lisa Gay Hamilton
 Director: Lloyd Richards
 Set Designer: E. David Cosier, Jr.
 Costume Designer: Constanza Romero
 Lighting designer: Christopher Akerlind
 Sound Designer: G. Thomas Clark
 Musical Director: Dwight Andrews
 Production Stage Manager: Karen L. Carpenter
 Stage Manager: Russell Johnson

Film adaptation
A Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie entitled The Piano Lesson aired on CBS on February 5, 1995, starring Charles S. Dutton and Alfre Woodard. It was also directed by Lloyd Richards.

Cast
 Boy Willie: Charles S. Dutton
 Berniece Charles: Alfre Woodard
 Doaker: Carl Gordon
 Avery: Tommy Hollis
 Wining Boy: Lou Myers
 Lymon: Courtney B. Vance
 Maretha: Zelda Harris
 Grace: Rosalyn Coleman
 Ace: Tommy Lafitteá
 Miss Ophelia: Lynne Innerst
 Papa Willie Boy: Harold Surratt
 Mama Berniece: Elva Branson
 Sutter: Tim Hartman
 Watermelon Man: Ben Tatar
 Watermelon Lady: Alice Eisner

Awards and nominations
Awards
 1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
 1990 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play
 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
 1995 Peabody Award
Nominations
 1990 Tony Award for Best Play
 1995 Emmy Award Outstanding Made for Television Movie
 1996 Emmy Award Outstanding Television Movie or Mini-Series

2013 Off-Broadway production

On April 3, the production earned 6 2013 Lucille Lortel Award nominations, winning in 4 categories on May 5. On April 23, the Off-Broadway production was recognized with Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play and with two Distinguished Performance Award nominations, but failed to win any awards. The production received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. The play earned three 58th Drama Desk Award nominations. On May 7, the show earned a Theatre World Award for Best Debut Performance to be presented on June 3.

Dirden won a 2013 Obie Award for Performance on May 20, while Santiago-Hudson won one for Direction.  On May 8, the production was nominated for a 2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Play Revival. It was announced as the winner on May 21.

References

Bibliography
 Bryer, Jackson R., and Mary C. Hartig. Conversations with August Wilson. Jackson: University of Mississippi, 2006.
 Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2007.

External links

  (2012 Off-Broadway production)

Category:1986 plays
Category:1995 television films
Category:All-Black cast Broadway shows
Category:American television films
Category:American films
Category:Plays by August Wilson
Category:Broadway plays
Category:Drama Desk Award-winning plays
Category:New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners
Category:Films set in Pittsburgh
Category:Off-Broadway plays
Category:Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning works
Category:Pittsburgh in fiction
Category:The Pittsburgh Cycle
Category:Plays set in the 1930s
Category:Plays set in Pennsylvania
Category:African-American plays


Andreas Alamommo

Andreas Alamommo (born 23 December 1998) is a Finnish ski jumper. He competed in two events at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

References

Category:1998 births
Category:Living people
Category:Finnish male ski jumpers
Category:Olympic ski jumpers of Finland
Category:Ski jumpers at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Competitors at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics


Johan Leutscher

Johan Leutscher (born 26 July 1964) is a Dutch rower. He competed in the men's coxless four event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

References

Category:1964 births
Category:Living people
Category:Dutch male rowers
Category:Olympic rowers of the Netherlands
Category:Rowers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Category:People from Drachten


Kate French

Kate Lauren French (born September 23, 1984) is an American actress and model. She is perhaps best known for her role as Niki Stevens on The L Word.

Early life
Kate Lauren French was born in Flemington, New Jersey. Her parents, Joan Gocha and William Robinson French are former Ford models. Her mother is now a jewelry designer; and her father works in real estate.  French spent her childhood years in South Kingstown, Rhode Island and Lambertville, New Jersey. Her family then moved to New York where they settled in Quogue on Long Island and her mother remarried. French graduated from Westhampton Beach High School in 2003.

Career
Following in her parents' footsteps, French pursued a career in modeling up until her senior year of high school but always had a passion for acting. She first appeared on the big screen in 2006 with a small cameo role in the film Accepted. French's first appearance on the small screen was in 2006, when French starred alongside Tatum O'Neal in the prime-time telenova soap opera Wicked Wicked Games. In 2007 she landed her breakout role when she joined the cast of The L Word playing closeted lesbian actress, and girlfriend of Jenny Schecter, Niki Stevens, appearing in seasons 5 and 6. French also had a role in the teen drama series South of Nowhere as Sasha Miller, a love interest of Aiden Dennison. French then appeared in two episodes of the teen drama Gossip Girl as Elle, a mysterious nanny. In 2010 French had a recurring role as Renee on One Tree Hill and later had a recurring guest role as Riley Westlake in the Hawaii-set teen drama Beyond The Break. In 2009 French played a supporting role in the independent horror film Sutures and then had a leading role in the independent romantic comedy Language of a Broken Heart, which was selected for the Hollywood Film Festival in 2011. French featured in the rock musical film Girltrash: All Night Long, which was released in 2014. In 2011, French starred alongside Jason Ritter in the short film, Atlantis, a romance film centered around two strangers who fall in love in the lead up to the final launch of the NASA space shuttle Atlantis. and had a leading role in the independent thriller The Red House. French also had a guest role on the television series Up All Night. In 2012, it was announced that French had a supporting role in the independent thriller Channeling. French had a minor role in the indie feminist film Farah Goes Bang directed by Meera Menon. French is attached to the psychological thriller Liquorice. She starred 2014 in the Drama horror film Echoes and was awarded at FilmQuest Cthulhu as Best Actress for this role.

Other work
In 2010, French appeared in television advertisements for Bud Light and 7 Up. In 2011, she appeared in advertisements for sunglasses brand Raen Optics. In 2012, French featured in a television commercial for car company GMC and in 2018 she appeared in the 'Fansville' campaign for Dr Pepper.

Personal life
French studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara before dropping out to start an acting career.  After dropping out of college, French lived in San Diego briefly before moving to Los Angeles to start her acting career. French is good friends with writers Angela Robinson and Alex Kondracke. In her spare time, French enjoys surfing, water skiing and hiking with her pet dogs. French supports the Surfrider Foundation. In 2008, she appeared alongside comedian Kathy Griffin in a pro same-sex marriage ad urging California voters to vote against Proposition 8. On September 25, 2010, French married photographer Jon Johnson at her parents' estate in Quogue. She is sometimes featured in his work. They live in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles and have two children: a son, Henry William Johnson (b. January 12, 2013); and a daughter, Chapel DeFreine Johnson (b. August 6, 2016).  French launched a vintage-inspired jewelry line, The Inheritance LA, in 2015.

Filmography

References

External links

Category:1984 births
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Living people
Category:Actresses from New Jersey
Category:Actresses from New York (state)
Category:Female models from New Jersey
Category:American film actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:People from Flemington, New Jersey
Category:People from Lambertville, New Jersey
Category:People from Quogue, New York
Category:People from South Kingstown, Rhode Island


Aniconism in the Baháʼí Faith

__NOTOC__
The Baháʼí Faith continues a tradition found in Islam of not using depictions in art of people considered a Manifestation of God. This includes both images and drama. There exist several photographs and paintings of both  the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh, and these are viewed by Baháʼís on rare occasions, typically on an organized pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel.

The existence of images of the religion's founders is not offensive to Baháʼís. However, they are encouraged to not display them in private homes or in public, and to treat them with a special degree of reverence and respect.

Shoghi Effendi, the appointed head of the religion from 1921 to 1957, wrote:
"There is no objection that the believers look at the picture of Baháʼu'lláh, but they should do so with the utmost reverence, and should also not allow that it be exposed openly to the public, even in their private homes."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 6, 1939, republished in Lights of Guidance, p. 540)

Shoghi Effendi has also written in the Directives from the Guardian regarding the portrait of the Báb:
"The portrait of the Báb should be regarded as an inestimable privilege and blessing to behold, as past generations were denied a glimpse of the Face of the Manifestation, once He had passed on."
(Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 43)

See also
 Iconoclasm
 Aniconism
 Baháʼu'lláh

Notes

References
Jack Goody, Representations and Contradictions: Ambivalence Towards Images, Theatre, Fiction, Relics and Sexuality, London, Blackwell Publishers, 1997. .

Baha'i
Category:Bahá'í practices


MON 810

The MON 810 corn is a genetically modified maize used around the world. It is a Zea mays line known as YieldGard from the company Monsanto. This plant is a genetically modified organism (GMO) designed to combat crop loss due to insects. There is an inserted gene in the DNA of MON810 which allows the plant to make a protein that harms insects that try to eat it. The inserted gene is from the Bacillus thuringiensis which produces the Bt protein that is poisonous to insects in the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), including the European Corn Borer.

These genetically modified plants with Bt protein are grown on a large scale around the world. Monsanto’s corn line MON810 is produced by ballistically transforming another corn line with a plasmid, PV-ZMCT10. This plasmid has a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and hsp70 maize intron sequences which drive the expression of the Cry1Ab gene. The gene then codes for delta endotoxins (Cry proteins) which are toxins that are very potent and provoke lesions in the cell membrane causing cell death These produced Bt proteins bind to certain localized sites on the epithelium of the midgut of insects. Proteins need specific receptors on cells in order to form the Cry proteins and become toxic, which is why the toxins are specific for the order Lepidoptera. The receptors are important for binding the toxic protein and starting the signal cascade, but the exact mechanism of these toxins is not well understood.

Controversy

MON 810’s transgene structure differs from the original plasmid constructed for the safety assessment for Monsanto and has changed compared to the naturally occurring (non-active) Cry1Ab protein. Gilles-Eric Seralini and colleagues (2007 & 2009) re-analyzed Monsanto data for MON810 (which was made available following a demand for public availability of the data, and a court case) and found that it had caused liver, kidney, and heart damage in rats. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed this re-analysis and concluded that the differences observed were within a normal range for control rats and deemed the statistical methods used inappropriate. Similar criticisms have been levelled at later work by Séralini involving rats he asserted to have developed cancer from consumption of genetically modified produce; see Séralini affair.

Several publications show effects from Cry1Ab on insects and other arthropods not belonging to the group of Lepidoptera. This indicates an effect on non-target species. Effects on non-target organisms (i.e. those outside the group of Lepidoptera) indicates that the Cry1Ab toxin has less specific modes of toxicity than previously assumed, or that the transgene insertion may cause unintended effects (e.g. changes in gene expression) in the plant.

On the 5th of April 2012, Poland announced that it would ban the cultivation of MON810 on its territory because the "pollen of this strain could have a harmful effect on bees." No evidence exists to suggest that bees are harmed by the Bt Protein, however prior to research implicating neonictinoid pesticides (usage of which is in fact reduced by planting of naturally pesticidal Bt crops), colony collapse disorder was occasionally blamed on modified crops.

A 2010 paper (systematic review) by Agnes Ricroch et al. in the journal Transgenic Research, which reviewed several previously published meta-analyses and recent studies, concluded that the German decision to ban the cultivation of MON 810 was "scientifically unjustified."  This is despite the fact that several of the meta-analyses reviewed actually indicate specific negative effects from Cry1Ab toxin on non-target organisms, although when compared to spraying with broad-spectrum pesticides, the negative effects on non-target organisms from Cry-toxins were lower.

Ricroch et al. claim that substantial evidence cited in their review is biased towards total eco-system effects and the German decision should have been based on a "case-by-case approach" and uses an incomplete list of references. The authors of this review also criticized the French ban and its political circumstances in an ISB News Report. As revealed in the WikiLeaks cables, after France banned the variety, Craig Stapleton, the US ambassador to France recommended that "we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU".

In 2012, an article by Bøhn et al., in Environmental Sciences Europe, disagreed with the viewpoint of Ricroch et al. that the German ban was “scientifically unjustified”. In drawing their conclusion they point to the following weaknesses in the Ricroch et al. paper: i) important claims about the Daphnia magna study are incorrect (that the amount of toxin in the experiment was not presented), and ii) core results are omitted from the discussion (overall mortality differences and total fecundity). Furthermore, only selected data from the literature (those showing negative effects) were qualitatively scrutinized – studies showing no effect were simply quantitatively described without their quality being subjected to the same level of critique. The effect of such a double standard in the evaluation of the quality of biosafety science means that those only reading or referring to Ricroch et al. will be seriously misinformed about both the available biosafety science and the German ban on MON810 maize. However, Bøhn et al. do not claim that the ban was finally and irreversibly justified by the science referred to, as this was ultimately seen to be a political decision.

A 2012 paper in the Polish Journal of Veterinary Medicine found no difference between the number of honeybees that visited a MON810 maize and a closely related maize.

Analysing the controversy over MON810 in Europe and particularly the question of the quality of the biosafety science cited to support the German ban, Wickson and Wynne have highlighted how science for policy can be differentially framed in terms of its research questions, methods and data interpretation and how all studies performed, whether for or against an issue, can be legitimately debated in terms of the quality of their research process and the significance of their findings. They suggest that debates over the quality of science for policy in the case of MON810 are not purely technical but rather are inherently shaped by unstated normative commitments and value judgments. Finally, they argue that for agricultural biotechnology, there are a range of conditions that make current practices of assessing the quality of biosafety science unethical. These include: a lack of open access to testing materials; limited resources for independent research; lack of transparency concerning the transgenic constructs in use; lack of consistency in the application of evidentiary and interpretive standards; and no clear processes ensuring accountability and consistency in assessment processes.

Authorized use

It was approved for use in the European Union in 1998.  Since then, six countries have grown it (Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania) and six countries (Austria, Hungary, Greece, France, Luxembourg, and Germany) have banned its cultivation (imports were still allowed) under an emergency temporary provision known as the 'Safeguard Clause' due to concerns that it causes environmental damage.

In Italy its cultivation has been banned since July 12, 2013, when the Italian Health minister required the suspension of the authorization of GM maize's cultivation, in reaction to a scientific report by the Italian Agricultural Research Council (CRA) about the insecticide producing GM maize. In Poland the cultivation of GMO crops has been banned since January 28, 2013.

MON 810 is approved for use in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the European Union (where approval is also required by member states), Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland,  South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and Uruguay.

On 24 February 2016 an open letter of concern was written to the DG Health and Food Safety (SANTE,)European Commission regarding new invasive species (acclaimed ancestor of cultivated  maize, teosinte) in Spain that can outcross with genetically modified maize (MON810)

Notes and references

See also
 MON 863

External links
 MON810 - GMO-Compass.org
 MON810 event information and detection methods - biosafetyscanner.org

Category:Genetically modified maize
Category:Monsanto


Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft...

Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft... is a debut album by For a Minor Reflection. Although it has been a debate concerning whether it is an EP or LP, due to the few songs on the album, the band's members claim it is an LP album. It only contains five songs, all over the ten-minute-mark plus an intro. It was recorded over a weekend in a studio in a small garage, located in Kópavogur, right outside of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital, and mixed within a week in the same small studio. All the songs we recorded in one take, meaning that there were no overdubs and no second takes for any instrument.  Kjartan Holm, and Guðfinnur Sveinsson, FaMR's guitarists and pianists said in an interview with a Belgian magazine once that this only gives the album some charm, they don't regret doing it this way.

They have also revealed that the reason why the recordings were like this, was because they've landed a spot on their first Iceland Airwaves gig in 2007 and basically wanted to have something to sell. They managed to sell all the copies they brought with them to the gig that night. Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft... has been sold out in Iceland for a while and has been sold in over 5000 copies all over the world, many of them on their Sigur Rós support tour in November 2008.

This is Jóhannes Ólafsson's first and only album with For a Minor Reflection. He quit the band in 2009, to focus more on his studies. Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson took over immediately and is now For a Minor Reflection's current drummer. The album artwork is done by Jóhannes Ólafsson. Guðfinnur Sveinsson did the back cover artwork and wrote the track list.

Track listing

 "Kyrrð" (Silence) – 1:23
 "Reistu þig við, sólin er komin á loft..." (Rise And Shine, The Sun Is Up...) – 11:57
 "Fallegt útsýni" (Beautiful View) – 12:54
 "Óhljóð" (Hullabaloo) – 9:41
 "Ókyrrð" (Disturbance) – 11:52
 "...Sólin er sest og dapurleikinn tekinn við (Bless)" (...The Sun Has Sat And The Sadness Taken Over (Good-Bye) – 12:04

Personnel

 Kjartan Holm – Guitar
 Guðfinnur Sveinsson – Guitar
 Elvar Jón Guðmundsson – Bass
 Jóhannes Ólafsson – Drums
 Jakob Þór Guðmundsson – Sound recording

Category:2007 albums
Category:For a Minor Reflection albums