Question: Where do the ashes used in Ash Wednesday originate from?

The origin of the ashes used on Ash Wednesday can be traced back to the burning of palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday. These ashes are then placed on the foreheads of participants as a sign of repentance, accompanied by the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the reminder "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Conventional Buddhist tradition counts the beads at 108, signifying the mortal desires of mankind. The number is attributed to the Mokugenji (soapberry seed) Sutra wherein Shakyamuni Buddha instructed King Virudhaka to make such beads and recite the Three Jewels of Buddhism. In later years, various Buddhist sects would either retain the number of beads, or divide them into consecutive twos, fours, for brevity or informality.  A decorative tassel is sometimes attached to the beads, flanked by talismans or amulets depending on one's local tradition. Because prayer beads are often painted in pigment, various traditional schools attribute a consecration ritual by the Sangha to the beads, to "open the eyes" for the purpose of achieving Enlightenment unique to the Karma of each believer.

The square brackets in three of the texts below indicate the doxology often added at the end of the prayer by Protestants and, in a slightly different form, by the Byzantine Rite ("For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."[14]), among whom the prayer proper is usually recited by the cantors and congregation in unison, and the doxology by the priest as the conclusion of the prayer. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer adds it in some services but not in all. Older English translations of the Bible, based on late Byzantine Greek manuscripts, included it, but it is excluded in critical editions of the New Testament, such as that of the United Bible Societies. It is absent in the oldest manuscripts and is not considered to be part of the original text of Matthew 6:9–13. The Catholic Church has never attached it to the Lord's Prayer, but has included it in the Roman Rite Mass as revised in 1969, not as part of the Our Father but separated from it by a prayer called the embolism spoken or sung by the priest (in the official ICEL English translation: "Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.") that elaborates on the final petition, "Deliver us from evil." For more information on this doxology, see Doxology, below. When Reformers set out to translate the King James Bible, they assumed that a Greek manuscript they possessed was ancient and therefore adopted the phrase "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever" into the Lord’s Prayer. Later scholarship demonstrated that the manuscript was actually a late addition based on Eastern liturgical tradition.

The Catholic Encyclopedia said: "Authorities are agreed that a sort of helmet of thorns must have been plaited by the Roman soldiers, this band of rushes being employed to hold the thorns together. It seems likely according to M. De MÃ©ly, that already at the time when the circlet was brought to Paris the sixty or seventy thorns, which seem to have been afterwards distributed by St. Louis and his successors, had been separated from the band of rushes and were kept in a different reliquary. None of these now remain at Paris. Some small fragments of rush are also preserved ... at Arras and at Lyons. With regard to the origin and character of the thorns, both tradition and existing remains suggest that they must have come from the bush botanically known as Ziziphus spina-christi, more popularly, the jujube tree. This reaches the height of fifteen or twenty feet and is found growing in abundance by the wayside around Jerusalem. The crooked branches of this shrub are armed with thorns growing in pairs, a straight spine and a curved one commonly occurring together at each point. The relic preserved in the Capella della Spina at Pisa, as well as that at Trier, which though their early history is doubtful and obscure, are among the largest in size, afford a good illustration of this peculiarity."[6]

Similarly, the United Church of Christ includes indications of which liturgical colour to use for each Sunday in its annual calendar. The general Western pattern is followed, with either purple or blue recommended for Advent.[13]

Alchemy is several philosophical traditions spanning some four millennia and three continents. These traditions' general penchant for cryptic and symbolic language makes it hard to trace their mutual influences and "genetic" relationships. One can distinguish at least three major strands, which appear to be largely independent, at least in their earlier stages: Chinese alchemy, centered in China and its zone of cultural influence; Indian alchemy, centered on the Indian subcontinent; and Western alchemy, which occurred around the Mediterranean and whose center has shifted over the millennia from Greco-Roman Egypt, to the Islamic world, and finally medieval Europe. Chinese alchemy was closely connected to Taoism and Indian alchemy with the Dharmic faiths, whereas Western alchemy developed its own philosophical system that was largely independent of, but influenced by, various Western religions. It is still an open question whether these three strands share a common origin, or to what extent they influenced each other.

The seven festivals do not necessarily occur on weekly Shabbat (seventh-day Sabbath) and are called by the name miqra ("called assembly") in Hebrew (Lev. 23). They are observed by Jews and a minority of Christians. Two of them occur in spring: the first and seventh days of Pesach (Passover), and one, Shavuot; (Pentecost) occurs in summer. Four occur in the fall, in the seventh month, and are also called shabbaton: Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets); Yom Kippur, the "Sabbath of Sabbaths" (Atonement); and the first and eighth days of Sukkoth (Tabernacles).[4] Sometimes the word shabbaton is extended to mean all seven festivals.[5]

According to Roman Catholic theology, the way the sacraments of initiation are celebrated is meant to bring a neophyte to experience and know, through visible sacramental signs and gestures, eternal life and grace Jesus has brought into this world. They are always accompanied by the Word of God.[1] Particular focus is placed on the paschal mystery of Christ's death and resurrection. The privileged time of celebrating them is Easter, and by the 4th century it was accepted as the normal time of administering them, although it was also allowed on Pentecost.[2][3]

Many of the objects and titles of the Faith draw their names from the Latin septem:[58] a temple or edifice of the faith is called a sept; and a priest of the Seven is called a septon (male) or septa (female). The Faith's hierarchy is also drawn from Catholicism,[56] being headed by the High Septon, in turn elected by a clerical high council known as the Most Devout.[citation needed] The Faith also has monks and nuns of various orders, of whom the Silent Sisters are the most prominent. In the fictional backstory, the Andals introduced the Faith of the Seven during their invasion of Westeros.[55] The High Septon and Most Devout were based in Oldtown for thousands of years, until the Targaryens conquered Westeros and moved the Faith's seat into King's Landing.[citation needed] The Seven Pointed Star is among the Faith's most important holy texts.[citation needed]

Two further occurrences connect the practice with Tophet, a place of sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna, which later acquired the connotation of "Hell"):

The Assyrians, the indigenous people of northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey that belong to the Assyrian Church of the East, Ancient Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox Church, and Chaldean Catholic Church today celebrate Christmas on December 25. Assyrians colloquially call Christmas Eda Zora, meaning "little holiday." It is officially called Eda d'Yalde which means "birthday holiday." Traditionally, Assyrians fast (sawma) from December 1 until Christmas Day. In Iraq, for instance, on Christmas Eve, Assyrian families congregate outside of their house and hold lighted candles while a child reads aloud the nativity story. Then they all sing psalms over a bonfire made of thorn bushes. Folklore says that if the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good luck. After the fire has been reduced to ashes, the family members will jump three times over the ashes and make a wish.[40] The next day, on Christmas, "as another bonfire burns in the churchyard, the bishops lead the service while carrying a figure of the baby Jesus. He blesses one person with a touch. That person touches the next person and the touch passes around until all have felt the touch of peace."[41] Many Assyrians will attend the Shaharta, or midnight vigil before Christmas. On Christmas Day, when families gather together after the Shaharta or morning mass, raza d'mowlada d'maran, the fast is broken by eating traditional Assyrian foods such as pacha/reesh-aqle (meaning "from the head to the tail"), which is a boiled soup made of sheep or cow intestines, tongue, stomach, legs, and spices or harissa, a porridge made of ground wheat and chicken (both dishes are prepared usually overnight). These two dishes are only made twice a year: on Christmas and Easter. Traditional desserts eaten after the main course include Killeche, a date and walnut-stuffed cookie, and Kadeh, another stuffed pastry. After the feast is finished, Assyrians will visit the houses of family and friends to exchange Christmas greetings, saying, "Eedokhon breekha," meaning "May your feast be blessed."[42] There, the host will serve tea, Turkish coffee, and Killeche and Kadeh to guests. Although Christmas is celebrated in a much more religious fashion, in recent years, families put up a small Christmas tree in the house.


Question: Where do the ashes used in Ash Wednesday services originate from?

On Ash Wednesday, Christians receive ashes on their heads, typically in the form of a cross on their forehead in English-speaking countries. The practice, credited to Pope Gregory I, involves the use of ashes as a symbol of mortality and repentance. The ashes are accompanied by the traditional phrase, "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return," based on Genesis 3:19, or the alternative formula "Repent, and believe in the Gospel," introduced in the 1969 revision of the Roman Rite. The older formula serves as a reminder of human sinfulness and mortality, emphasizing the need for repentance, while the newer formula explicitly calls for repentance and faith in the Gospel.

In east Syriac liturgy the church remembers departed souls including saints on every Fridays throughout the year since the Christ was crucified and died on Friday.

Liturgical colours are those specific colours used for vestments and hangings within the context of Christian liturgy. The symbolism of violet, white, green, red, gold, black, rose and other colours may serve to underline moods appropriate to a season of the liturgical year or may highlight a special occasion.

For several decades, beginning when the federal government moved to Washington in the fall of 1800, the Capitol building was used for Sunday religious services as well as for governmental functions. The first services were conducted in the "hall" of the House in the north wing of the building. In 1801 the House moved to temporary quarters in the south wing, called the "Oven," which it vacated in 1804, returning to the north wing for three years. Then, from 1807 to 1857, they were held in the then-House Chamber (now called Statuary Hall). When held in the House chamber, the Speaker's podium was used as the preacher's pulpit. According to the U.S. Library of Congress exhibit Religion and the Founding of the American Republic:

Holi is known as Phaguwa in the local Bhojpuri dialect. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dried cow dung cakes, wood of the Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves in the bonfire. At the time of Holika people assemble near the pyre. The eldest member of the gathering or a purohit initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. Traditionally, people also clean their houses to mark the festival.[citation needed]

The wooden objects are made in a complex process. It starts with a tree trunk or branch and is carved directly. The artist obtains the final form of the work from a block of wood. Since it was customary to use freshly cut wood in carvings, once the piece was finalized the surface was charred to prevent cracking during drying. This also allowed for polychromatic artworks, which were achieved using knife cuts and applications of natural pigments made with vegetable oil or palm oil. This type of grease, which was made near smoke from residences, allowed the wooden sculptures to acquire a patina that resembles rusty metal.[37]

Many Christian denominations emphasize fasting, as well as abstinence during the season of Lent and in particular, on its first day, Ash Wednesday. The First Council of Nicæa spoke of Lent as a period of fasting for forty days, in preparation for Eastertide.[6] In many places, Christians historically abstained from food for a whole day until the evening, and at sunset, Western Christians traditionally broke the Lenten fast, which is often known as the Black Fast.[7][8] In India and Pakistan, many Christians continue this practice of fasting until sunset on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, with some fasting in this manner throughout the whole season of Lent.[9]

Corporal works of mercy are those that tend to the bodily needs of other creatures. They come from Isaiah 58[13] and the mitzvah of hospitality.[14] The seventh work of mercy comes from the Book of Tobit[15] and from the mitzvah of burial,[16] although it was not added to the list until the Middle Ages.[17]

Under Western influence, black is often used in the Slavic churches for funerals, weekdays of Great Lent, and Holy Week as a sign of penance and mourning, but in the second half of the 20th century, the ancient white became more common, as a sign of the hope of the Resurrection.

The song was inspired by two eternal flames: one at the gravesite of Elvis Presley that the Bangles saw when the band visited Graceland,[2] and one at a local synagogue in Palm Springs which Steinberg attended as a child.[3] Steinberg recalled to Songfacts: "Susanna was talking about the Bangles having visited Graceland, and she said there was some type of shrine to Elvis that included some kind of eternal flame. As soon as those words were mentioned, I immediately thought of the synagogue in the town of Palm Springs, California where I grew up. I remember during our Sunday school class they would walk us through the sanctuary. There was one little red light and they told us it was called the eternal flame."[4]

To preclude the pollution of earth or fire (see Zam and Atar respectively), the bodies of the dead are placed atop a tower and so exposed to the sun and to scavenging birds. Thus, "putrefaction with all its concomitant evils... is most effectually prevented."[4]


Question: Where do the ashes used in Ash Wednesday services originate from?

The tradition of using ashes on Ash Wednesday has ancient roots, symbolizing grief, repentance, and humility. In the Bible, Tamar demonstrated her sorrow by sprinkling ashes on her head after being wronged (2 Samuel 13:19). Job, in his dialogue with God, expressed his remorse and repented "in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). The prophet Jeremiah urged his people to "gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" as a sign of repentance (Jeremiah 6:26). Similarly, Daniel recounted his plea to God, which included "fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Even the Maccabees, fighting for Jewish independence, prepared for battle by fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sprinkling ashes on their heads (1 Maccabees 3:47, 4:39). These practices highlight the historical and religious significance of ashes as a symbol of contrition and spiritual cleansing.

Once a person has been canonized, the deceased body of the saint is considered holy as a relic.[30] The remains of saints are called holy relics and are usually used in churches. Saints' personal belongings may also be used as relics.[30] Some of the saints have a special symbol by tradition, e.g., Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr, is identified by a gridiron because he is believed to have been burned to death on one. This symbol is found, for instance, in the Canadian heraldry of the office responsible for the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The modern-day towers, which are fairly uniform in their construction, have an almost flat roof, with the perimeter being slightly higher than the center. The roof is divided into three concentric rings: the bodies of men are arranged around the outer ring, women in the second circle, and children in the innermost ring. Once the bones have been bleached by the sun and wind, which can take as long as a year, they are collected in an ossuary pit at the center of the tower, where – assisted by lime – they gradually disintegrate, and the remaining material – with run-off rainwater – runs through multiple coal and sand filters before being eventually washed out to sea. The ritual precinct may be entered only by a special class of pallbearers, called nusessalars, a contraction of nasa.salar, caretaker (-salar) of potential pollutants (nasa-).

The Maundy Dish is one of six used by the Queen at Royal Maundy for handing out alms to elderly people in recognition of their service to the church and local community. The ceremony, which takes place in a different cathedral every year, entirely replaced the ancient custom of washing the feet of the poor in 1730, and the dish, though it bears the royal cypher of William and Mary, dates from the reign of CharlesÂ II. Two purses containing specially minted coins are taken from the dish and presented to each recipient.[170]

The only known soft tissue remains, the Oxford head (specimen OUM 11605) and foot, belonged to the last known stuffed dodo, which was first mentioned as part of the Tradescant collection in 1656 and was moved to the Ashmolean Museum in 1659.[22] It has been suggested that this might be the remains of the bird that Hamon L'Estrange saw in London, the bird sent by Emanuel Altham, or a donation by Thomas Herbert. Since the remains do not show signs of having been mounted, the specimen might instead have been preserved as a study skin.[105] Many sources state that the museum burned the stuffed dodo around 1755 because of severe decay, saving only the head and leg. Statute 8 of the museum states "That as any particular grows old and perishing the keeper may remove it into one of the closets or other repository; and some other to be substituted."[106] The deliberate destruction of the specimen is now believed to be a myth; it was removed from exhibition to preserve what remained of it. This remaining soft tissue has since degraded further; the head was dissected by Strickland and Melville, separating the skin from the skull in two halves. The foot is in a skeletal state, with only scraps of skin and tendons. Very few feathers remain on the head. It is probably a female, as the foot is 11% smaller and more gracile than the London foot, yet appears to be fully grown.[107] The specimen was exhibited at the Oxford museum from at least the 1860s and until 1998, where-after it was mainly kept in storage to prevent damage.[108] Casts of the head can today be found in many museums worldwide.[105]

Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 â€“ September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs "Awesome God" and "Step by Step". Some of his albums were also considered among Christian music's best, including Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth (1988), The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume One (1991) and A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band (1993). His songs have been performed by numerous artists, including Caedmon's Call, Five Iron Frenzy, Amy Grant, Carolyn Arends, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, John Tesh, Chris Rice, Rebecca St. James, Hillsong United and Third Day.[1]

Hoodoo practitioners have used different tools throughout the history of the practice to solve their customer’s ailments. The specific name for the items is gris-gris. Examples include: Five Finger Grass, Dragon Blood Sticks, Dixie Love Perfume and Brimstone. Explanations in a 1946 book said that Five Finger Grass was a leaf split into five sections. The belief was that if hung in one’s house, it would ward off any evil. Dragon Blood Sticks were said to bring good luck in money, business, and love. Keeping a stick close on a person was said to bring luck. Dixie Love Perfume was noted for a fragrance to encourage romance. Brimstone is used to keep away evil spirits and counteract spells cast on households, and was burned in rooms needing to be deodorized. These were traditionally available in local shops.[23]

The Catholic Encyclopedia said: "Authorities are agreed that a sort of helmet of thorns must have been plaited by the Roman soldiers, this band of rushes being employed to hold the thorns together. It seems likely according to M. De MÃ©ly, that already at the time when the circlet was brought to Paris the sixty or seventy thorns, which seem to have been afterwards distributed by St. Louis and his successors, had been separated from the band of rushes and were kept in a different reliquary. None of these now remain at Paris. Some small fragments of rush are also preserved ... at Arras and at Lyons. With regard to the origin and character of the thorns, both tradition and existing remains suggest that they must have come from the bush botanically known as Ziziphus spina-christi, more popularly, the jujube tree. This reaches the height of fifteen or twenty feet and is found growing in abundance by the wayside around Jerusalem. The crooked branches of this shrub are armed with thorns growing in pairs, a straight spine and a curved one commonly occurring together at each point. The relic preserved in the Capella della Spina at Pisa, as well as that at Trier, which though their early history is doubtful and obscure, are among the largest in size, afford a good illustration of this peculiarity."[6]

In Protestant churches, there is a service in the late afternoon intended to immediately precede the Christmas Eve meal and the exchanging of gifts. This service, called Christvesper, consists most often of scriptural readings, the Christmas Gospel from Luke 2, a Krippenspiel (nativity play), favourite Christmas carols and festive music for organ and choirs. In some regions the tradition of Quempas singing is still popular. Some Lutheran churches also celebrate a candlelight service at midnight besides the Christmas Vespers in the afternoon or early evening.

Zoroastrian tradition considers a dead body (in addition to cut hair and nail parings) to be nasu, unclean, i.e. potential pollutants. Specifically, the corpse demon (Avestan: nasu.daeva) was believed to rush into the body and contaminate everything it came into contact with,[3] hence the Vendidad (an ecclesiastical code "given against the demons") has rules for disposing of the dead as safely as possible.

On Christmas Eve (Croatian: Badnjak, Slovene: Sveti večer (holy eve)), three candles representing the Trinity are lit and placed in the middle of the wheat, the glow symbolizes the soul of each person. On this day, the tree is decorated, the home is decked with greenery and the women already beginning to prepare the Christmas meal. They also bake special types of bread: one is round inscribed with a cross on top known as the cesnica, another is made with honey, nuts and dried fruit called the Christmas Eve Bread (Croatian: Badnji Kruh, Slovene: Božični kruh). In many villages, straw (which symbolizes Christ's birth in the manger) is spread around the floors of the home for the Christmas Eve dinner. As is customary with Catholic people, meat is not consumed in Croatia, while in Slovenia it is. Instead of meat in Croatia and with other food in Slovenia, salad and fish is served, many choosing to eat the Dalmatian specialty bakalar, dried cod fish. The family then sprinkle holy water on their Yule log (badnjak) which they light and watch. In villages, the badnjak is freshly cut that very morning by the father of the household while reciting traditional prayers. At the end of the meal, a piece of the cesnica is cut and dipped in wine and used to sprinkle on the candles to extinguish them, while reciting the Trinitarian formula ("In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen").


Question: Who performs "It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To"?

"It's My Party" is a popular song that has been recorded by several artists over the years. However, the most famous version was performed by American singer Lesley Gore in 1963. This rendition reached the number one spot on both the pop and rhythm and blues charts in the United States, marking Quincy Jones' first hit as a producer.

In season four's "A Thought In The Dark", Steve was set up with Ted's cousin, Myra Monkhouse (played by Michelle Thomas) so Laura could have some space from his infatuation. Although he was initially attracted to Myra because of her intelligence and sweet personality, he was soon disgusted by her jealous and possessive nature by the end of "Buds 'N Buns". This was explored in both seasons five and nine, when Steve finally saw what life was like in not only Laura's shoes, but in sense the Winslows as well. Though in love with him, Myra was also frustrated with Steve and asked him why he even loves Laura. When he agrees to go steady with her in season six's "Paradise Bluff", she did somewhat revert to the sweet, intelligent girl he was originally attracted to. By season nine, he grows apart from her as he matures and Laura started to return the feelings he had for her. In "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," during their date at the restaurant Amour, it became clear to Steve that Myra hated his makeover and demanded that he return to the sexy nerd she loved so much. When he refused, she broke up with him first, although it later turned out to be a ploy so she could get him to renounce his love for Laura and stay with her. When that failed, Myra resorted to stalking and spying on him with illegal surveillance gear in her room with a spy cam attached to his glasses. In "Crazy For You," she teamed up with Stefan to stop Steve and Laura's date. Although initially successful, Laura still wanted to date him and Myra vowed never to stop stalking him until he took her back. In the following episode "Crazier For You," Steve has learned that Myra was spying on him and confronted her about it. He orders her to stop stalking him and renounce her love for him because he will never take her back and reaffirms his love for Laura. She refused and got Laura falsely arrested for stealing her watch. However, Steve was able to drop the charges when he exposed Myra for stalking him with illegal spy gear and the police pursued criminal charges against her. When she learned of his engagement to Laura, she continued to carry the torch even when he went into space. However, when she tried to pretend to be Urkel's fiancÃ©e, she is caught by an unseen Stefan.

The video begins with Beyoncé writing the sequence 9-4-8-1 and B'Day on the mirror with her lipstick. As the song begins, she briefly dances in a silver dress around a red room and later answers a telephone on a black couch. She, Solange, Rowland and Williams then walk across a multi-colored room to a black door where they all pose for the camera. As the chorus begins, Beyoncé, Solange, Rowland and Williams step out of a black limousine; they are all sporting matching silver dresses. They execute some dance steps as they walk inside, where people are partying. As the chorus ends, the song is paused while Beyoncé enters a room, where everyone begin to ask who she is, before she answers, "It's B!" and snaps her fingers to start back the music.

In the line of the fourth verse, "I thought that you'd want what I want. Sorry, my dear," the performer must communicate the connection between the "want" and the "sorry".[8] Similarly, Sondheim insists that performers separately enunciate the adjacent t's in the line, "There ought to be clowns."[8]

"Preggers" was written and directed by Glee's executive producer and co-creator Brad Falchuk.[1] Kurt Fuller guest stars as local news station owner Mr. McClung.[2] The episode features covers of "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion and "Tonight" from West Side Story. Beyoncé Knowles' "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is also featured in several dance performances.[3] Kurt's backup dancers for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" are series regular Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and recurring character Brittany (Heather Morris). Dancer Morris was one of Beyonce's backup dancers for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" appearing on The Today Show,[4] Ellen, and others. A studio recording of "Taking Chances" was released as a single, available for digital download, and appeared on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1. The track charted at number 79 in Australia,[5] 73 in Canada and 71 in the United States.[6]

During "If These Dolls Could Talk", Jenna removes the bandage from her eye and cryptically begins to cry. Later, at school, she approaches the Liars at their lunch table and apologizes for gaining a hatred towards them, saying that when Hanna's actions made her realize that people are capable of changing. However, her apology is met with suspicion by all four girls. She shares with them the "unfortunate results" of her surgery. Later, Toby comes into her room questioning Marshall as to why Garrett is watching their house. She affirms not knowing the reason and asks Cavanaugh to close the curtains. Marshall pulls a slip of paper from a box on her night table, and gives it to him. Telling him that it was given to her by Garrett and was told to keep it safe. She lies, playing stupid, and claiming to not know what it is. Toby opens it, revealing it to be the missing Page 5 of Alison DiLaurentis' autopsy report. They then head to the police station to hand it to the authorities. At the end of the episode, she is seen smacking a fly on her mirror and removes its corpse. Afterwards, Marshall turns back to her mirror with a sneaky smirk and continues to remove her makeup, revealing that she is indeed able to see.

In June 2010, White starred in the web series Fake It Till You Make It. He also serves as writer and producer of the series. The series, which premiered on Hulu, follows the exploits of former child star Reggie Cullen (White) turned image consultant and his three protégés as they hustle to navigate Hollywood.[22] In March 2011, White guest starred on the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, which reunited him with fellow Family Matters cast member Telma Hopkins. Later that same year, White appeared as the star in Cee-Lo Green's music video for his song "Cry Baby".[23]

According to Jean Ryder, the ex-wife of songwriter Mike Hawker, "I Only Want to Be With You" was written soon after she and Hawker married on 1 December 1961, being inspired by Hawker's intense romantic feelings for his new bride. Ryder, who would later be a member of the Breakaways, had been a member of a vocal chorale, the Vernons Girls. Reportedly, she and Hawker had intended that she herself would record "I Only Want to Be With You". However, no formal arrangement for this eventuality had apparently been made by the autumn of 1963, when Hawker received a phone call from Philips A&R director Johnny Franz. Ryder paraphrases Franz as saying "Look we need something which is going to put this girl into the charts, because everybody is knocking her, everybody is saying she'll never make it [solo] - have you got a song that's a guaranteed hit?" Springfield had already recorded nine solo tracks, none of which was deemed the right vehicle to launch her solo career. With Ryder's permission, Hawker submitted "I Only Want to Be With You" to Franz, having made a demo featuring Ryder singing while keeping the beat by tapping on a biscuit tin lid. Franz, and then Springfield, approved the song, which Springfield recorded in a 25 October 1963 session at Olympic Studios, arranged and conducted by Ivor Raymonde, and recorded by engineer Keith Grant. Jean Ryder was included in the vocal chorale on the session. For unknown reasons, a version with (Dusty's) unadulterated vocals was rejected.[2][3][4]

The video begins with an introduction of Dr. Dre's music career, such as when he and fellow N.W.A member DJ Yella were in the 1980s funk group World Class Wreckin' Cru. There are also scenes of Dr. Dre and his family, such as him hugging his daughter and son and getting married. There are also snippets from past music videos. It includes many rappers such as Eazy-E, 2Pac, The D.O.C, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Eminem, Xzibit and all the rest of the members from N.W.A. The video then features Dr. Dre driving down Pacific Coast Highway in a Ferrari 360, with flashbacks of his life, crashing his car and the last thing heard was his daughter say "Good night Daddy." Then he is transported to a medical facility. The date at the beginning of the video is February 18, 2001 (his 36th birthday). They fast-forward to present day ten years later, where he has been hospitalized and is on life support. The Marin County Civic Center stands in for the medical facility.[6] Eminem raps next to him as he is floating in an isolation tank, during which the figure of the Pythia (played by Canadian actress Estella Warren) is singing as a hologram behind and over Dre, mouthing the words to Skylar Grey's vocal part in the song. Skylar Grey herself appears as one of the doctors in the video, but never actually appears singing her part. Dre eventually wakes up and goes through rehab, and the video ends with him standing next to the grave of Eazy-E, a rapper who had launched Dre's music career by founding N.W.A and was also a member along with Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. A ticking clock is heard midway through the video.[7][8] The music video received complaints of being an "act of advertising" for a variety of product placements, such as Ferrari, G-Shock, HP, Gatorade, and Dr. Dre's signature headphones, Beats by Dr. Dre.[9][10][11][12]

Crystal Bell of MTV wrote that the ballad "gives Ariel a purpose, reveals her deepest desire — to be where the people are — and shows us a glimpse of her strengths, vulnerabilities, and individual quirks",[9] while establishing Ariel as an outsider.[58] Writing for The Atlantic, Akash Nikolas agreed that as the film's "I Want" song, "Part of Your World" follows Disney's trend of establishing the main character as an outcast "set apart from society by some innate desire" as Ariel literally longs to be belong to a different world.[59] Film critic Theresa Basile identified "Part of Your World" as a song that belongs to an adventurer who wants to explore new environments.[60] Zaron Burnett III, writing for Thought Catalog, described the selection as a ballad in which "a curious young woman ... who doesn’t fully understand the world she longs to be a part of, bravely dreams of how she can move into a new world, and reject the limitations of her father’s world (read: patriarchy)", identifying Ariel as "a young feminist."[61] Meanwhile, the New York Daily News film critic Kathleen Carroll identified "Part of Your World" as a "typically plaintive solo" that helps establish Ariel as a Broadway ingenue.[62] Distinguished from earlier "wish songs" that discuss searching for "happiness in everyday life", "Part of Your World" is about longing to abandon normalcy in favor of seeking happiness elsewhere.[12] Comparing "Part of Your World" to "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella, Entertainment Weekly writer Esther Zuckerman observed that the song proves how different Ariel is from Disney princesses by whom she was preceded.[6] While Cinderella's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" is a passive song performed in third person, Ariel's number "is brimming with agency" to demonstrate the character's thirst for knowledge.[6] Zuckerman credits Ashman's lyrics with providing Ariel with a personality, something she believes Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty (1959) lacked,[6] while giving Ariel a motive that is not romance-oriented.[63] Additionally, "Part of Your World" is delivered directly to the camera as opposed to an audience of woodland animals; Ariel appears as though she is speaking directly to young girls who are watching the scene.[40]

Perry included the song in the set list of her June 9, 2012 performance at Capital FM's Summertime Ball festival, during which she wore a fifties-style black and white polka dot dress and a black fringe haircut.[61] DJ Earworm had also made a mashup called "Fly" for the Summertime Ball and included "Part of Me" and Perry's previous single, "The One That Got Away" in the mashup. On June 26, 2012 Perry performed "Part of Me" in her set list at the premiere for her July 2012 3D autobiographical documentary-concert film Katy Perry: Part of Me on Hollywood Boulevard as part of Pepsi's "Summer Beats" concert series.[62] During the performance, Perry emerged from a large box of popcorn, wearing a shirt that resembled a film reel with the stage decorated with life-sized lollipops and neon lights.[63] This was Perry's final performance prior to her taking a musical hiatus after two years of continuous promotion for Teenage Dream.[64]


Question: What are some elements that are similar to silver? (The given question is already well-formed and similar to the example provided, so no changes are needed.)

Group 11 of the periodic table, which includes copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), is known as the coinage metals due to their historical use. These elements share similar properties and were likely the first three elements to be discovered. Roentgenium (Rg) is also tentatively placed in this group, although its chemical behavior has not been experimentally confirmed to be similar to that of gold.

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that has been used throughout history as an additive to metal alloys, paints, and even makeup.

Silicon is perhaps the most famous metalloid. It is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust and one of the main ingredients in glass. It is used to make semiconductor circuits, from large power switches and high current diodes to microchips for computers and other electronic devices. It is also used in certain metallic alloys, e.g. to improve casting properties of alumimium. So valuable is silicon to the technology industry that Silicon Valley in California is named after it.

A large number of elements and compounds have semiconducting properties, including:[7]

Silver pennies based on the Roman denarius became the staple coin of Mercia in Great Britain around the time of King Offa, circa 757–796 CE.[9] Similar coins, including Italian denari, French deniers, and Spanish dineros, circulated in Europe. Spanish explorers discovered silver deposits in Mexico in 1522 and at Potosí in Bolivia in 1545.[10] International trade came to depend on coins such as the Spanish dollar, the Maria Theresa thaler, and, later, the United States trade dollar.[citation needed]

The increasing nuclear charge is partly counterbalanced by the increasing number of electrons, a phenomenon that is known as shielding; which explains why the size of atoms usually increases down each column. However, there is one notable exception, known as the lanthanide contraction: the 5d block of elements are much smaller than one would expect, due to the shielding caused by the 4f electrons.

The p-block is home to the biggest variety of elements and is the only block that contains all three types of elements: metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. Generally, the p-block elements are best described in terms of element type or group.

The element was probably named by the alchemist Paracelsus after the German word Zinke (prong, tooth). German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf is credited with discovering pure metallic zinc in 1746. Work by Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta uncovered the electrochemical properties of zinc by 1800. Corrosion-resistant zinc plating of iron (hot-dip galvanizing) is the major application for zinc. Other applications are in electrical batteries, small non-structural castings, and alloys such as brass. A variety of zinc compounds are commonly used, such as zinc carbonate and zinc gluconate (as dietary supplements), zinc chloride (in deodorants), zinc pyrithione (anti-dandruff shampoos), zinc sulfide (in luminescent paints), and zinc methyl or zinc diethyl in the organic laboratory.

Most alkali metals have many different applications. One of the best-known applications of the pure elements is the use of rubidium and caesium in atomic clocks, of which caesium atomic clocks are the most accurate and precise representation of time. A common application of the compounds of sodium is the sodium-vapour lamp, which emits light very efficiently. Table salt, or sodium chloride, has been used since antiquity. Sodium and potassium are also essential elements, having major biological roles as electrolytes, and although the other alkali metals are not essential, they also have various effects on the body, both beneficial and harmful.

The production of pure alkali metals is somewhat complicated due to their extreme reactivity with commonly used substances, such as water.[5][8] From their silicate ores, all the stable alkali metals may be obtained the same way: sulfuric acid is first used to dissolve the desired alkali metal ion and aluminium(III) ions from the ore (leaching), whereupon basic precipitation removes aluminium ions from the mixture by precipitating it as the hydroxide. The remaining insoluble alkali metal carbonate is then precipitated selectively; the salt is then dissolved in hydrochloric acid to produce the chloride. The result is then left to evaporate and the alkali metal can then be isolated.[8] Lithium and sodium are typically isolated through electrolysis from their liquid chlorides, with calcium chloride typically added to lower the melting point of the mixture. The heavier alkali metals, however, is more typically isolated in a different way, where a reducing agent (typically sodium for potassium and magnesium or calcium for the heaviest alkali metals) is used to reduce the alkali metal chloride. The liquid or gaseous product (the alkali metal) then undergoes fractional distillation for purification.[8]

All the alkali metals are highly reactive and are never found in elemental forms in nature.[18] Because of this, they are usually stored in mineral oil or kerosene (paraffin oil).[19] They react aggressively with the halogens to form the alkali metal halides, which are white ionic crystalline compounds that are all soluble in water except lithium fluoride (LiF).[5] The alkali metals also react with water to form strongly alkaline hydroxides and thus should be handled with great care. The heavier alkali metals react more vigorously than the lighter ones; for example, when dropped into water, caesium produces a larger explosion than potassium if the same number of moles of each metal is used.[5][20][21] The alkali metals have the lowest first ionisation energies in their respective periods of the periodic table[7] because of their low effective nuclear charge[5] and the ability to attain a noble gas configuration by losing just one electron.[5] Not only do the alkali metals react with water, but also with proton donors like alcohols and phenols, gaseous ammonia, and alkynes, the last demonstrating the phenomenal degree of their reactivity. Their great power as reducing agents makes them very useful in liberating other metals from their oxides or halides.[6]:76


Question: When was the chain first utilized in F1 racing?

The Chain's association with Formula One began when the BBC adopted the song's iconic bass line as the theme tune for its F1 coverage in 1978. This continued until the BBC lost the broadcasting rights to ITV Sport in 1997. However, when the BBC regained the rights, "The Chain" made a triumphant return, becoming a recognizable anthem for F1 fans in the UK. The song's popularity surged, leading to a re-entry into the UK charts in 2009 at #94 and a peak at #81 in 2011, following social media campaigns. By November 2014, it had achieved Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry based solely on digital download sales, cementing its status as one of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits in the UK.

Although it was uncommon, the drive bands could fall out of adjustment, allowing the car to creep, particularly when cold, adding another hazard to attempting to start the car: a person cranking the engine could be forced backward while still holding the crank as the car crept forward, although it was nominally in neutral. As the car utilized a wet clutch, this condition could also occur in cold weather, when the thickened oil prevents the clutch discs from slipping freely. Power reached the differential through a single universal joint attached to a torque tube which drove the rear axle; some models (typically trucks, but available for cars, as well) could be equipped with an optional two-speed Ruckstell rear axle shifted by a floor-mounted lever which provided an underdrive gear for easier hill climbing. All gears were vanadium steel running in an oil bath.

Early automobiles often used chain drive or belt drive mechanisms rather than a drive shaft.  Some used electrical generators and motors to transmit power to the wheels.

In addition to the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, another race called the United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach, California just outside Los Angeles was first held in 1976. After Watkins Glen's demise, other Formula One Grand Prixs in the United States were briefly held on street circuits in Detroit and Dallas, and a car park in Las Vegas. The Detroit Grand Prix was the longest lasting, from 1982 to 1988; plans to continue Formula One races in the Detroit area at the nearby Belle Isle Park did not materialize, and in 1989, Formula One moved to the Sonoran Desert city of Phoenix, Arizona, bringing the United States Grand Prix name back for the first time since 1980.[39] The Phoenix street circuit in the centre of the city was unpopular with drivers and the event was largely ignored by the local populace. Phoenix, like many American cities was designed on the grid system, the circuit was made up entirely of 2nd gear 90-degree corners and provided nearly no driving challenge or exciting corners to watch cars go around. Although the circuit was far less bumpy and a lot wider than Detroit and the circuits long straights made it easy to overtake and difficult to judge braking, which produced some good racing.

The "Independent Drivetrain" (or "IDrive"[citation needed]) is a four-bar suspension system for bicycle crank assemblies,[22][23] the rear wheel itself is suspended as single pivot suspension. It was developed by mountain bike suspension designer Jim Busby Jr. and was a direct result of the limitations encountered with the GT LTS (GT Bicycles' "Links Tuned Suspension) four-bar linkage design used by GT Bicycles from 1993 to 1998. The IDrive attempts to maximize the efficiency of the transmission of energy from the rider to the rear wheel. The bottom bracket is placed eccentric in a bearing within the swingarm, the distance between the center of the bearing and the bottom bracket effectively creating a very short link, and the swingarm itself creating another. A link between bearing shell and frame then completes the four-bar linkage with the bottom bracket on the floating link and the linkage as a whole actuated by movement of the swingarm.

With early success following the opening of the track, the speedway began to expand reserved grandstand seating along the front stretch with an additional 15,777 seats. In May 1999, an additional 28 skyboxes were added to the top of the main grandstand. In 2001 the Auto Club Dragway, a 1/4 mile dragstrip, was built outside of the backstretch of the main speedway. That same year, the infield of the speedway was reconfigured to hold a multipurpose road course. On April 24, 2003 The San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved the changing of the speedwayâ€™s conditional use permit to allow the installation of lights around the track. Later that year NASCAR announced a second annual NASCAR Cup Series race at the track for the 2004 season, with the second race being run "under the lights".[5] NASCAR ran two weekends of racing annually until the 2011 season, when the track returned to a single annual race weekend.[6]

The safety car is piloted by professional drivers (since 2000, by Bernd Mayländer) on-board high-powered modified vehicles supplied by Mercedes-Benz,[4] and must maintain a reasonable speed so as to ensure that the competitors' tyres are as close as possible to operating temperature and their engines do not overheat. The driver of the safety car is accompanied by a co-driver to assist with operations and communications.

In February 1997, Tony Cochrane and James Erskine left IMG. Together with David Coe, they formed Sports & Entertainment Limited (SEL) in April 1997.[21] TEGA would have a 75% share in AVESCO, with SEL owning the other 25%. TEGA was responsible for the rules and technical management of the series and the supply of cars and drivers while SEL was responsible for capturing and maintaining broadcasting rights, sponsorship, licensing and sanction agreements.[22]

The bodies are built around a control chassis, featuring a full roll cage, originally designed by PACE Innovations but which can be made, or partially made, by other accredited builders, including certain race teams.[8] Many safety features are utilised to protect the driver in the event of a crash. The fuel tank is positioned in front of the rear axle to prevent it from being damaged or ruptured in a rear end impact. The driver is seated towards the centre of the car and extra reinforcement is used on the roll cage on the driver's side to lessen the risk of injury in a side-on collision. The cars also feature a collapsible steering column and a fire extinguisher system.[9]

The G Force chassis was introduced in 1997, and won the 1997 and 2000 Indy 500 races. In 2002, Élan Motorsport Technologies bought G Force, and the chassis was renamed "Panoz G Force", and then shortened to "Panoz" in 2005. In 2003 a new model was introduced, and it won the Indy 500 in 2003–2004, and finished second in 2005. It fell out of favor starting in 2005, and by 2006 only one finished in the top ten at Indy. Little factory support was given to IndyCar teams after that point, as Panoz concentrated on their DP01 chassis for the rival Champ Car World Series. By 2008, only one Panoz saw track time, an aborted second weekend effort at Indy, that resulted in Phil Giebler being injured in a practice crash.

The track also appeared in Forza Motorsport 4; the Top Gear logo appeared in a trailer for Forza 4 on the Top Gear website.[48] Cars were shown racing in the follow-through section during the E3 2011 trailer.[49] It is known that in the actual game there is options to race on the full track, race both of the rings in separate races and race on Top Gear's drag race mile. There is also an achievement in Forza 4 for completing a lap of the Top Gear Test Track in the Kia Cee'd fittingly named "Star in a reasonably priced car".


Question: When was "You'll Never Walk Alone" first released?

"You'll Never Walk Alone," a popular show tune, made its debut in the 1945 musical Carousel, penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This emotionally charged song is performed by Nettie Fowler, a character who offers solace and hope to Julie Jordan, the leading lady, following the tragic suicide of her husband, Billy Bigelow, after a botched robbery. The song is revisited in the musical's climax to inspire a graduating class, which includes Louise, Billy and Julie's daughter. Billy, given a chance to return to Earth for redemption, silently influences Louise to participate in the song, symbolizing his enduring presence and love.

In October 2013, French football magazine So Foot published a list of whom they considered the 'best' football supporters in the world. Celtic fans were placed third, the only British supporters on the list, with the magazine highlighting their rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone before the start of European ties at Celtic Park.[116]

"You Rock My World" was commercially successful worldwide and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jackson's first top ten song in the United States in over six years, and his last in the country until "Love Never Felt So Good" (a duet with Justin Timberlake) hit number 9 in 2014. This success was achieved on airplay alone, as the song was not released as a commercial single in the United States. "You Rock My World" topped the French music chart for three consecutive weeks. It also reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

“I Think We’re Alone Now| was re-popularized when American pop singer Tiffany covered the song for her debut studio album, Tiffany, which was released in 1987 on the MCA Records label. When George Tobin, Tiffany's manager and producer, gave her the cassette of the original version by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany hated the idea of recording a version of her own for her album, mostly because she thought the song was neither modern enough nor hip enough.

In 2006, the British all-female pop group Girls Aloud recorded a cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now" for their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and the soundtrack of It's a Boy Girl Thing. Girls Aloud's version was produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. The song was recorded just days before the group's greatest hits was sent to be manufactured. Following a single remix, "I Think We're Alone Now" was released as a contender for the Christmas number one. It reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.

"l'll Remember You" is a song written by Kui Lee in 1964. Many artists including Elvis Presley (1966), Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, and Roger Williams covered it, and it was also performed by Tommy Sands in the 1968 Hawaii Five-O episode "No Blue Skies". Perhaps the most famous version was by his friend Don Ho, who was an aspiring singer at Honey's Nightclub, where Lee worked as a doorman and which was owned by Don Ho's mother.[1]

"You Only Live Twice", performed by Nancy Sinatra, is the theme song to the 1967 James Bond film of the same name. Music was composed and produced by veteran James Bond composer John Barry, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The song is widely recognized for its striking opening bars, featuring a simple 2-bar theme in the high octaves of the violins and lush harmonies from French horns. It is considered by some to be among the best James Bond theme songs,[1] and has become one of Nancy Sinatra's best known hits. Shortly after Barry's production, Sinatra's producer Lee Hazlewood released a more guitar-based single version.

The song, which was released on Monday January 27, 1986 by Columbia Records, received generally positive reviews from music critics and some comparisons with The Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It became The Bangles' first hit, reaching number two in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as in Austria, Canada, Germany and Ireland, and peaked within the top five of New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. It was later certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The song has been covered by a number of other artists.

It was first released on the band's 1969 eponymous debut album It's a Beautiful Day by Columbia Records.

The first recording of the song was in 1962 by The Chiffons for their One Fine Day album. It was also recorded by Helen Shapiro for her Helen in Nashville album in February 1963 with Shapiro's regular producer, Norrie Paramor, and also Al Kasha. Shapiro would recall: "Right from the first time we heard the song on the rough demo back in London, we thought we were going to sock them between the eyes with that one";[5] however, Shapiro's version was not one of the cuts chosen as an advance single from the album and by the time of the album's release that October the "It's My Party" track was perceived as a cover of Lesley Gore's hit.

"All Right Now" is a single by the English rock band Free. The song, released in 1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[2] "All Right Now" originally appeared on the album Fire and Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed by Chris Blackwell. In 1991, the song was remixed and re-released, reaching #8 on the UK singles chart.


Question: In which year is "The Deer Hunter" set?

The Deer Hunter is set in Clairton, Pennsylvania, a small working-class town, during the late 1960s. The story revolves around steel workers Mike Vronsky, Steven Pushkov, and Nick Chevotarevich, as they face significant life transitions: Steven's upcoming wedding and their collective entry into military service. The narrative is enriched by the presence of their friends Stan and Peter "Axel" Axelrod, and the local bar owner, John Welsh. Mike is portrayed as a quiet yet influential leader, while Steven contends with his mother's constant attention, and Nick is depicted as a thoughtful individual with a passion for deer hunting.

When famous singer/actor Johnny Fontane seeks his godfather Vito's help in securing a movie role that could revitalize his sagging career, Vito dispatches Hagen to Hollywood to persuade Jack Woltz, a big-time movie producer, to cast Johnny in his new war film. Hagen offers his benefactor's help with Woltz's union problems and also informs him that one of his actors has graduated from marijuana to heroin; a deleted scene in the movie shows that this information would be used to damage Woltz's studio. Woltz rebuffs Hagen but becomes cordial after learning he works for the Corleones. Woltz still refuses to cast Fontane, who slept with one of Woltz's protégées, but offers to do any other favor for Vito Corleone. Hagen declines, and soon afterward, Woltz awakens in bed with his prized racing stallion's severed head planted under the covers, intimidating him into casting Fontane in the film.

The Dogs of War is a 1980 war film based upon the 1974 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Largely filmed in Belize, it was directed by John Irvin and starred Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger. In it a small mercenary unit of soldiers is privately hired to depose the president of a fictional African country so that a British tycoon can gain access to a platinum deposit.

While appearing later in the film, the first scenes shot upon arrival in Thailand were the hospital sequences between Walken and the military doctor. Deeley believed that this scene was "the spur that would earn him an Academy Award."[35][a 1]

Slaughterhouse-Five speaks of the fire-bombing of Dresden in World War II, and refers to the Battle of the Bulge, the Vietnam War, and the civil rights protests in American cities during the 1960s. Billy's wife, Valencia, has a Reagan for President! bumper sticker on her car, referring to Reagan's failed 1968 Republican presidential nomination campaign. The bumper sticker was edited out of a broadcast version of the film which aired on at least one cable channel during or after the Reagan administration. Another bumper sticker is mentioned that says "Impeach Earl Warren."[26]

The Production Code was officially scrapped in 1968, to be replaced by the first version of the modern rating system.[98] That year, two horror films came out that heralded directions American cinema would take in the next decade, with major consequences for the B movie. One was a high-budget Paramount production, directed by the celebrated Roman Polanski. Produced by B horror veteran William Castle, Rosemary's Baby was the first upscale Hollywood picture in the genre in three decades.[99] It was a critical success and the year's seventh-biggest hit.[100] The other was George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, produced on weekends in and around Pittsburgh for $114,000. Building on the achievement of B genre predecessors like Invasion of the Body Snatchers in its subtextual exploration of social and political issues, it doubled as a highly effective thriller and an incisive allegory for both the Vietnam War and domestic racial conflicts. Its greatest influence, though, derived from its clever subversion of genre clichÃ©s and the connection made between its exploitation-style imagery, low-cost, truly independent means of production, and high profitability.[101] With the Code gone and the X rating established, major studio A films like Midnight Cowboy could now show "adult" imagery, while the market for increasingly hardcore pornography exploded. In this transformed commercial context, work like Russ Meyer's gained a new legitimacy. In 1969, for the first time a Meyer film, Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!, was reviewed in The New York Times.[102] Soon, Corman would be putting out nudity-filled sexploitation pictures such as Private Duty Nurses (1971) and Women in Cages (1971).[103]

At the same time, the Smoking Man was an aspiring writer of espionage (and later, science-fiction) novels starring a fictional version of himself, Jack Colquitt, and based on his own secret activities, but all his drafts were rejected or altered by publishers who found them unrealistic and poorly written. This left him no choice but to continue working for the United States government. By 1991, the Smoking Man's power was pretty much absolute. He was in direct talks with Saddam Hussein and involved in one way or another on the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas controversy, moving the Rodney King trial to Simi Valley, keeping the US government from interfering in the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Academy Awards nominations, keeping the Buffalo Bills from ever winning the Super Bowl, drugging the Soviet goalkeeper Vladislav Tretiak before the Miracle on Ice, and executing extraterrestrials that survived landing on American soil.[3][4]

While producer Deeley was pleased with the revised script, he was still concerned about being able to sell the film. "We still had to get millions out of a major studio," wrote Deeley, "as well as convince our markets around the world that they should buy it before it was finished. I needed someone with the caliber of Robert De Niro."[14] De Niro was one of the biggest stars at that time, coming off Mean Streets (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), and Taxi Driver (1976). In addition to attracting buyers, Deeley felt De Niro was "the right age, apparently tough as hell, and immensely talented."[5]

On the Sneak Previews special "Oscar Preview for 1978", Roger Ebert correctly predicted that The Deer Hunter would win for Best Picture while Gene Siskel predicted that Coming Home would win. However, Ebert incorrectly guessed that Robert De Niro would win for Best Actor for Deer Hunter and Jill Clayburgh would win for Best Actress for An Unmarried Woman while Siskel called the wins for Jon Voight as Best Actor and Jane Fonda as Best Actress, both for Coming Home. Both Ebert and Siskel called the win for Christopher Walken receiving the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.[36]

While the war continues to its inevitable end, a hungry and destitute young white couple from South Carolina, George and Martha Johnson (Brad Davis and Lane Binkley), arrive and ask for help, and the slave family take them in. Martha soon gives birth, but the child is stillborn. The white couple stays on with Tom and his wife, and becomes a part of their community. Tom Harvey meets harassment at the hands of two brothers, Evan and Jemmy Brent (Lloyd Bridges and Doug McClure). Eventually, a month before the surrender by the South, Jemmy deserts the Confederate Army during the final desperate days of the war, and he shows up at Tom's blacksmith shop. Tom reluctantly runs an errand for him but, on returning, he finds Jemmy trying to rape Irene, and in the resulting fight Tom drowns him in the quenching tub. Later Evan, now an officer in the Confederate cavalry, arrives at the shop, demands to know about Jemmy, gets no answer, and angrily tells Tom that he has not yet finished with him.

Former U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant Chris Vaughn (The Rock) returns to his small home town in Kitsap County, Washington. Looking for work, he finds the local cedar mill was closed down three years prior by its heir, Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), who opened a new casino that now accounts for the majority of revenue for the local area. Hamilton, who was also Vaughn's school friend, invites him to a night of fun at the casino. While checking out the VIP lounge, Vaughn stumbles upon his childhood friend Deni (Ashley Scott), who is now working as a stripper. Later, he notices the craps dealer using loaded dice and demonstrates this to the patrons by placing a bet and calling out the roll before throwing the dice. When the floorman declares no payout, Vaughn instigates a fight. Although he beats down most of the security guards, he is subsequently subdued with a cattle prod and knocked unconscious. The security staff take Vaughn into the basement and Hamilton's right-hand man and head of security Booth (Kevin Durand) tortures him by cutting his torso with a utility knife before dumping him on a roadside. He is found by a trucker and hospitalized, but recovers quickly.


Question: Who had control of the House and the Senate in 2012?

During the 112th United States Congress, the House of Representatives was controlled by the Republican Party, following their victory in the 2010 midterm elections. The Democrats, however, maintained their majority in the Senate, albeit a reduced one from the previous Congress. This marked the first time since the 107th Congress (2001-2003) that the House and Senate were under different party controls. The 112th Congress also saw the House of Representatives having the highest number of Republican members, 242, since the 80th Congress (1947-1949). Notably, this was the first Congress since 1947 without a member of the Kennedy family serving, and it was characterized by high political polarization and low productivity, with some of the lowest approval ratings on record.

Some members of the United States Congress, notably Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma, tried to block implementation of Measure 16, but failed.[11][12]

Taking advantage of a deep split in the Republican Party, the Democrats took control of the House in 1910 and elected the intellectual reformer Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and 1916.[40] Wilson successfully led Congress to a series of progressive laws, including a reduced tariff, stronger antitrust laws, new programs for farmers, hours-and-pay benefits for railroad workers and the outlawing of child labor (which was reversed by the Supreme Court).[41]

Congress is split into two chambers—House and Senate—and manages the task of writing national legislation by dividing work into separate committees which specialize in different areas. Some members of Congress are elected by their peers to be officers of these committees. Further, Congress has ancillary organizations such as the Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress to help provide it with information, and members of Congress have staff and offices to assist them as well. In addition, a vast industry of lobbyists helps members write legislation on behalf of diverse corporate and labor interests.

In early 2012, Rangel was beset by a back injury and a serious viral infection, and was away from Congress for three months.[178] Moreover, he had been redistricted into New York's 13th congressional district following the 2010 census; it included new geographic areas and its makeup was now 55 percent Hispanic compared to 27 percent African American.[57] As a result, Rangel faced a serious primary challenge from State Senator Adriano Espaillat.[178] Rangel struggled with fundraising, and he began receiving contributions from fellow members of Congress whom he had helped over the years.[179] In the June 26 primary, Rangel defeated Espaillat by less than a thousand votes, in a result that took two weeks to be fully resolved.[180] He won the subsequent November general election easily.[181]

Due to Congressional redistricting as a result of the 2010 Census, Washington gained one seat in the United States House of Representatives. With the extra seat, Washington also gained one electoral vote.

Despite criticism from environmental purists, the Clinton administration had several notable environmental accomplishments. Clinton created the President's Council on Sustainable Development, signed the Kyoto Protocol [21] (although he did not submit the treaty to the Senate), and stood firm against Republican attempts after the 1994 elections to roll back environmental laws and regulations through the appropriations process. During the Clinton administration, the EPA's budget was increased, and much of the country's natural resources were put under greater protection, such as the restoration of the Everglades and the increase in size of the Everglades National Park. Important U.S. Supreme Court cases from this period included United States v. Weitzenhoff, et al.

Following the 2010 Census, redistricting in Pennsylvania was controlled by elected officials from the Republican party. In 2012, Pennsylvania realigned a number of districts. A number of sitting Congressional Representatives had their districts modified or merged as part of the redistricting. The merger of Districts 4 and 12 forced a primary runoff between the two sitting Congressional representatives.[10]

Immediately following U.S. House passage, H.R. 2499 was sent to the U.S. Senate, where it was given two formal readings and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. On December 22, 2010, the 111th United States Congress adjourned without any Senate vote on H.R.2499, killing the bill.[137]

The matter lay dormant until the start of the 20th century, when, under the leadership of Senator Shelby M. Cullom of Illinois, six separate bills were introduced in Congress for the incorporation of a new memorial commission. The first five bills, proposed in the years 1901, 1902, and 1908, met with defeat because of opposition from Speaker Joe Cannon. The sixth bill (Senate Bill 9449), introduced on December 13, 1910, passed. The Lincoln Memorial Commission had its first meeting the following year and U.S. President William H. Taft was chosen as the commission's president. Progress continued at a steady pace and by 1913 Congress had approved of the Commission's choice of design and location.[6]

Although they recovered considerable ground in the Congressional elections of 1922, the entire decade saw the Democrats as a helpless minority in Congress and as a weak force in most Northern states.[43]


Question: Why do red blood cells have a lifespan of only 120 days?

The lifespan of a red blood cell is typically around 120 days due to a process known as eryptosis, or red blood cell programmed cell death. As red blood cells age, they undergo changes in their plasma membrane, making them susceptible to recognition and subsequent phagocytosis by macrophages in the spleen, liver, and lymph nodes. This process removes old and defective cells from circulation, maintaining blood health. Eryptosis is balanced by erythropoiesis, the production of new red blood cells. It is increased in various diseases such as sepsis, haemolytic uremic syndrome, malaria, sickle cell anemia, and Wilson's disease, among others. Eryptosis can be triggered by osmotic shock, oxidative stress, energy depletion, and various endogenous mediators and xenobiotics. Red blood cells lacking the cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I or the AMP-activated protein kinase AMPK exhibit excessive eryptosis. Factors that inhibit eryptosis include erythropoietin, nitric oxide, catecholamines, and high concentrations of urea.

Passive memory is usually short-term, lasting between a few days and several months. Newborn infants have had no prior exposure to microbes and are particularly vulnerable to infection. Several layers of passive protection are provided by the mother. In utero, maternal IgG is transported directly across the placenta, so that, at birth, human babies have high levels of antibodies, with the same range of antigen specificities as their mother.[2] Breast milk contains antibodies (mainly IgA) that are transferred to the gut of the infant, protecting against bacterial infections, until the newborn can synthesize its own antibodies.[2]

Macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system store iron as part of the process of breaking down and processing hemoglobin from engulfed red blood cells. Iron is also stored as a pigment called hemosiderin which is an ill-defined deposit of protein and iron, created by macrophages where excess iron is present, either locally or systemically for example among people with iron overload due to frequent blood cell destruction and transfusions. If the systemic iron overload is corrected, over time the hemosiderin is slowly resorbed by macrophages.

Iron is an essential bioelement for most forms of life, from bacteria to mammals. Its importance lies in its ability to mediate electron transfer. In the ferrous state, iron acts as an electron donor, while in the ferric state it acts as an acceptor. Thus, iron plays a vital role in the catalysis of enzymatic reactions that involve electron transfer (reduction and oxidation, redox). Proteins can contain iron as part of different cofactors, such as iron-sulfur clusters (Fe-S) and heme groups, both of which are assembled in mitochondria.

Myo-inositol trispyrophosphate (ITPP), also known as OXY111A, is an inositol phosphate that causes a rightward shift in the oxygen hemoglobin dissociation curve through allosteric modulation of hemoglobin within red blood cells. It is an experimental drug intended to reduce tissue hypoxia. The effects appear to last roughly as long as the affected red blood cells remain in circulation.

Red blood cells can also synthesize nitric oxide enzymatically, using L-arginine as substrate, as do endothelial cells.[35] Exposure of red blood cells to physiological levels of shear stress activates nitric oxide synthase and export of nitric oxide,[36] which may contribute to the regulation of vascular tonus.

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is structurally different from normal adult hemoglobin (HbA), giving HbF a higher affinity for oxygen than HbA. HbF is composed of two alpha and two gamma chains whereas HbA is composed of two alpha and two beta chains. The fetal dissociation curve is shifted to the left relative to the curve for the normal adult because of these structural differences.

Individual organs like the lung have numerous internal branchings that increase the surface area; in the case of the lung, the large surface supports gas exchange, bringing oxygen into the blood and releasing carbon dioxide from the blood.[2][3] Similarly, the small intestine has a finely wrinkled internal surface, allowing the body to absorb nutrients efficiently.[4]

A short evolutionary time does not necessarily mean a short chronological time. When DNA is replicated, mistakes occur which become genetic mutations. The buildup of these mutations over time leads to the evolution of a species. During the B. anthracis lifecycle, it spends a significant amount of time in the soil spore reservoir stage, in which DNA replication does not occur. These prolonged periods of dormancy have greatly reduced the evolutionary rate of the organism.[11]

Studies on the cell membranes of mammals and reptiles discovered that mammalian cell membranes are composed of a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA, omega-3 fatty acid) than reptiles [17] Studies on bird fatty acid composition have noted similar proportions to mammals but with 1/3rd less omega-3 fatty acids as compared to omega-6 for a given body size.[18] This fatty acid composition results in a more fluid cell membrane but also one that is permeable to various ions (H+ & Na+), resulting in cell membranes that are more costly to maintain. This maintenance cost has been argued to be one of the key causes for the high metabolic rates and concomitant warm-bloodedness of mammals and birds.[17] However polyunsaturation of cell membranes may also occur in response to chronic cold temperatures as well. In fish increasingly cold environments lead to increasingly high cell membrane content of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, to maintain greater membrane fluidity (and functionality) at the lower temperatures.[19][20]

Hayflick describes three phases in the life of normal cultured cells. At the start of his experiment he named the primary culture "phase one". Phase two is defined as the period when cells are proliferating; Hayflick called this the time of "luxuriant growth". After months of doubling the cells eventually reach phase three, a phenomenon he named "senescence", where cell replication rate slows before halting altogether.


Question: What's the NBA record for the most double-doubles in one season?

In basketball, a double-double is achieved when a player accumulates double-digit totals in two of the five statistical categories in a game. The most frequent double-double is points and rebounds, followed by points and assists. Since the 1983-84 season, Tim Duncan holds the NBA record for the most points-rebounds double-doubles with 840, while John Stockton leads in points-assists double-doubles with 714. However, the record for the most double-doubles in a single season is held by Wilt Chamberlain, who recorded 78 in the 1967-68 season.

In 1979, Brown left the team, helping usher in a brief decline in their team's performance. It ended in 1981, when they hired Doug Moe as a head coach. Moe brought with him a "motion offense" philosophy, a style of play focusing on attempting to move the ball until someone got open. Moe was also known for not paying as much attention to defense as his colleagues. The offense helped the team become highly competitive. During the 1980s, the Nuggets often[quantify] scored in excess of 115 points a game, and during the 1981–82 season, they scored at least 100 points in every game. The NBA-record streak was halted at 136 consecutive games.[16] During the 1981–82 season, the Nuggets set the league scoring record for the highest points per game average at 126.5 points.

The Los Angeles Lakers have won the most conference titles with 31, which consists of 30 Western Conference titles and one title in the now-defunct Central Division. They have also made 40 appearances in the Conference Finals, more than any other team. The Boston Celtics have won 21 Eastern Conference titles, the second most of any team. The Celtics also hold the record for consecutive titles; they won 10 consecutive Eastern Division titles from 1957â€“66. The Golden State Warriors and the Detroit Pistons hold the distinction of being the only teams to have won both East and West titles. Twenty-three of the 30 active franchises have won at least one conference title. The Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, and Toronto Raptors have each played in at least one Conference Finals (Denver has played in three), but they have each failed to win their respective conference title. Three other franchises, the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans have never appeared in the Conference Finals. Of the 143 conference and divisional champions, 46 were won by the team who had or tied for the best regular season record for that season.

The reason why [the quadruple-double] is such a hard thing to accomplish is because it requires a player to be completely dominant on both ends of the court without being too selfish—so he can get the assists—and without fouling out trying to block every shot or grab every rebound. A lot of guys can get the points, rebounds and assists, but it's the defensive stuff that messes everybody up. You have to love defense to get a quadruple-double. There's no way around it.

Robertson's stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79â€“9 overall record during his three varsity seasons, including two Final Four appearances. However, a championship eluded Robertson, something that would become a repeated occurrence in his professional career. When Robertson left college he was the all-time leading NCAA scorer until fellow Hall of Fame player Pete Maravich topped him in 1970.[3] It is interesting to note that Robertson took Cincinnati to national prominence during his time there, but the university's greatest success in basketball took place immediately after his departure, when the team won national titles in 1961, 1962, and just missed a third title in 1963.

Just before the start of the 1970â€“71 season, Haywood signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, jumping to the NBA. The team tumbled to a 30-54 record and attendance suffered.[13]

Robertson is recognized by the NBA as the first legitimate "big guard", paving the way for other oversized backcourt players like Magic Johnson.[3] Furthermore, he is also credited with having invented the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot, a shot which Michael Jordan later became famous for.[29] For the Cincinnati Royals, now relocated and named the Sacramento Kings, he scored 22,009 points and 7,731 assists, and is all-time leader in both statistics for the combined Royals/Kings teams.[3]

The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA), matching a mix of the league's star players, who are drafted by the two players with the most votes. Each team consists of 12 players, making it 24 in total. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend. NBA All-Star Weekend is a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.

In 1974, the NBA's rival, the ABA, drafted high school star Moses Malone. He was immediately signed by the Utah Stars and became the first player to go directly from high school basketball to a professional league.[9] He became an instant success, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game in his rookie season. He played in the ABA until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. He then played 19 successful seasons with 7 NBA teams. He won the NBA championship, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. His other achievements include 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, 12 consecutive All-Star Game selections, 8 All-NBA Team selections and 6 rebounding titles. He has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[10]

The 2017â€“18 NBA season is the 72nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 17, 2017, earlier than previous seasons to reduce the number of "back-to-back" games teams are scheduled to play,[1] with the 2017 runners-up Cleveland Cavaliers hosted a game against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.[2] Christmas games will be played on December 25. The 2018 NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 18, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The regular season will end on April 11, 2018 and the playoffs will begin on April 14, 2018.

The following is a list of known five-by-fives. Note the list contains all five-by-fives since the 1984–85 season, as well as one before. There may be other five-by-fives in the NBA that occurred before the 1984–85 season.


Question: Where does Big Sur start and finish?

Big Sur's boundaries are not precisely defined, but it is commonly understood to encompass the 71-mile (114 km) stretch of California State Route 1 from Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands to San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon, along with the entire Santa Lucia mountain range between these points. This rugged coastal area, with its sparse population of around 1,000 permanent residents, was the United States' last frontier following its cession by Mexico in 1848. Prior to the completion of the Carmel–San Simeon Highway (now part of State Route 1) in 1937 after 18 years of construction, Big Sur was one of the most remote regions in California and the U.S. The winding and narrow road, often carved into seaside cliffs, is a defining feature of the area's landscape. Frequent landslides have led to the highway's closure over 55 times, including a significant 2 million cubic foot landslide at Mud Creek in May 2017, which blocked the road just north of Salmon Creek near the San Luis Obispo border. The highway is projected to reopen in June 2018.

The Transition Zone is a northwest-trending escarpment of mountainous terrain in central Arizona shaped by the intersection of the higher-level Colorado Plateau with the lower-level Basin and Range Province. The area is termed the Transition Zone because it is transitional between the two regions, with characteristics from both. The area consists of a series of rugged mountain ranges and valleys. Many of the mountains of the Transition Zone are part of the Mogollon Rim, a cliff, or a dramatic escarpment in places, which extends 115 miles (190Â km) from northern Yavapai County eastward to near the border with New Mexico.[22]

In summer 1995, British television actor and documentary presenter Michael Palin started his counterclockwise circumnavigation of the Pacific Rim, encompassing 18 different countries, on Little Diomede Island, as part of the BBC series Full Circle. He intended to set foot on it again at the end of his eight-month trek, but was unable to do so because of rough seas.

While the term Lower Mainland has been recorded from the earliest period of non-native settlement in British Columbia, it has never been officially defined in legal terms. The British Columbia Geographical Names Information System (BCGNIS) comments that most residents of Vancouver might consider it to be only areas west of Mission and Abbotsford, while residents in the rest of the province consider it to be the whole region south of Whistler and west of Hope.[2] However, the term has historically been in popular usage for over a century to describe a region that extends from Horseshoe Bay south to the Canada–United States border and east to Hope at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley.[3]

As a state trunkline highway, US 131 runs approximately 266 miles (428 km) in Michigan, from the Indiana state line north to Petoskey.[2] The highway is an important link between Grand Rapids and the tourist areas of Northern Michigan.[9] The trunkline enters Michigan about three miles (4.8 km) south of White Pigeon, crossing a branch of the Michigan Southern Railroad before meeting US 12 on the west side of the village.[10] The highway passes through rural farmland north to just south of Constantine, where US 131 turns northeastward to bypass the downtown business district, crosses the St. Joseph River and continues north to Three Rivers.[11][12] The stretch of highway between Constantine and the start of the divided highway south of Three Rivers averaged 7,579 cars and 1,045 trucks daily in 2009 according to MDOT, one of the lowest AADT counts for the highway in Michigan.[13]

On 25 April 2010, an extended version debuted on the National Geographic Channel in The Netherlands. Instead of finishing with a hot air balloon, it continues and features a HondaJet aeroplane, a Honda CR-Z hybrid, a VFR1200, a Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car, the Honda ASIMO robot, a Honda SH 125i scooter, and finishes with the subject driving into the garage of a beach house containing a Honda (solar) power generator. Finally the subject sits in a hot tub overlooking the sea contemplating his new MI analyst role. A voice-over (again provided by Garrison Keillor) says "What good is dreaming it, if you don't actually do it?" The last verses of the song used are also present in this 150 second version of the commercial.

Big Time Rush, (also known as BTR), is an American television series created by Scott Fellows[1] about the Hollywood misadventures of four hockey players from Minnesotaâ€”Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan, after they are selected to form a boy band. The series premiered with an hour-long pilot episode, "Big Time Audition", on Nickelodeon, on November 28, 2009. Its official debut episode premiered on January 18, 2010, earning 6.8 million viewers, making it Nickelodeon's highest-rated live-action series debut ever. The final episode aired on July 25, 2013, after four seasons comprising a total of 74 episodes.

Some unique features of the Mark Twain include Greer Spring, which is the largest spring on National Forest land and part of the Eleven Point National Scenic River, and pumps an average of 214 million gallons of water per day into the river.[3] The public can also visit the Glade Top Trail National Scenic Byway, which offers views of over 30 miles (48Â km) to the Boston Mountains in Arkansas. The 350-mile Ozark Trail system winds through much of the National Forest.

Swaraj Round or Thrissur Round is the local name for circular road in the centre of the City of Thrissur in The Heart Of Kerala, India, surrounding the  65-acre (260,000Â m2) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan Temple. Swaraj Round is the biggest Roundabout in South Asia. It is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Kerala. Seventeen roads are joining to the Swaraj Round. Encircling the Thekkinkadu Maidan, Swaraj Round surrounds the small hillock on which the Vadakkunnathan Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built. It is the largest circular road surrounding a ground in India.It is the second largest roundabout in the world.

At its widest points, the Lower Peninsula is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west. It contains nearly two-thirds of Michigan's total land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines usually not more than a few hundred feet tall. The western coast features extensive sandy beaches and dunes. It is divided by a low water divide running north and south. The larger portion of the state is on the west of this and gradually slopes toward Lake Michigan. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is not definitely established but is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet (520 m), or one of several points nearby in the vicinity of Cadillac. The lowest point is the surface of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 m).

Prior to 2014, since 2006, the parade began at Woodward and Mack Avenues. The parade ends at Congress Street. The Mack to Congress route is the route the first parade followed in 1924.[12] The parade travels toward downtown from Mack Avenue, and after crossing over InterstateÂ 75 I-75), it enters Foxtown, near Detroit's Fox Theatre, the Hockeytown Cafe, and Comerica Park. From Foxtown, the parade passes through Grand Circus Park then into the business district, where it then enters the television coverage area near Grand River and Gratiot avenues.[13] The route was from this route for several years during the construction of Campus Martius Park and the realignment of Woodward Avenue and other adjacent streets. The construction was completed in 2004.