Question: In American history, what was the objective of the era known as Reconstruction?

The Reconstruction Era in American history, spanning from 1865 to 1877, encompassed the period immediately following the Civil War. Its primary purpose was to transform the Southern United States, which had economies reliant on slavery, into states where former slaves were recognized as citizens with civil rights. This era was marked by the passage of the three Reconstruction Amendments, which significantly altered the U.S. Constitution for the first time in decades.

The Black Codes outraged public opinion in the North because it seemed the South was creating a form of quasi-slavery to negate the results of the war.[117] When the Radical 39th Congress re-convened in December 1865, it was generally furious about the developments that had transpired during Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction. The Black Codes, along with the appointment of prominent Confederates to Congress, signified that the South had been emboldened by Johnson and intended to maintain its old political order.[118] Railing against the Black Codes as returns to slavery in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Second Freedmen's Bureau Bill.[119]

The American Law Institute was founded in 1923 on the initiative of William Draper Lewis, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, following a study by a group of prominent American judges, lawyers, and teachers who sought to address the uncertain and complex nature of early 20th century American law. According to the "Committee on the Establishment of a Permanent Organization for the Improvement of the Law," part of the law's uncertainty stemmed from the lack of agreement on fundamental principles of the common-law system, while the law's complexity was attributed to the numerous variations within different jurisdictions. The Committee recommended that a perpetual society be formed to improve the law and the administration of justice in a scholarly and scientific manner.

Jacksonian democracy is a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that espoused greater democracy for the common man as that term was then defined. Originating with 7th President Andrew Jackson and his supporters, it became the nation's dominant political worldview for a generation.

The concept of republican motherhood was inspired by this period and reflects the importance of Republicanism as the dominant American ideology. It assumed that a successful republic rested upon the virtue of its citizens. Women were considered to have the essential role of instilling their children with values conducive to a healthy republic. During this period, the wife's relationship with her husband also became more liberal, as love and affection instead of obedience and subservience began to characterize the ideal marital relationship. In addition, many women contributed to the war effort through fundraising and running family businesses in the absence of husbands.

After the defeat in World War II, the Allied occupation government set education reform as one of its primary goals, to eradicate militarist teachings and convert Japan into a pacifist democracy. Nine years of education was made mandatory, with six years in elementary education and three in junior high as an emulation of the American educational system. A number of reforms were carried out in the post-war period that aimed at easing the burden of entrance examinations, promoting internationalization and information technologies, diversifying education and supporting lifelong learning.[18][19]

The Fifteenth Amendment (1870) prohibits the use of race, color, or previous condition of servitude in determining which citizens may vote. The last of three post Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, it sought to abolish one of the key vestiges of slavery and to advance the civil rights and liberties of former slaves.[84]

Political scientist Julian E. Zelizer suggested there were four main congressional eras, with considerable overlap, and included the formative era (1780s–1820s), the partisan era (1830s–1900s), the committee era (1910s–1960s), and the contemporary era (1970s–today).[21]

Although the Founding Fathers of the United States did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan,[63] early political controversies in the 1790s saw the emergence of a two-party political system, the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party, centred on the differing views on federal government powers of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.[64][65] However, a consensus reached on these issues ended party politics in 1816 for a decade, a period commonly known as the Era of Good Feelings.[66]

Shortly after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, drought and erosion combined to cause the Dust Bowl, shifting hundreds of thousands of displaced persons off their farms in the Midwest. From his inauguration onward, Roosevelt argued that restructuring of the economy would be needed to prevent another depression or avoid prolonging the current one. New Deal programs sought to stimulate demand and provide work and relief for the impoverished through increased government spending and the institution of financial reforms.

In contrast to the eclectic traditions, Reconstructionists are very culturally oriented and attempt to reconstruct historical forms of religion and spirituality, in a modern context. Therefore, Kemetic, Canaanite, Hellenic, Roman, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic Reconstructionists aim for the revival of historical practices and beliefs of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Canaan and Phoenicia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Celts, the Germanic peoples, the Balts and the Slavs, respectively.


Question: Who is regarded as the most outstanding English composer of the Baroque era?

Henry Purcell, an English composer born around September 10, 1659, and passing away on November 21, 1695, is widely regarded as one of the most significant English composers of the Baroque era. Despite integrating Italian and French influences into his works, Purcell developed a distinctively English Baroque style. His stature as a composer was unmatched by any other English-born composer until the emergence of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Walton, and Benjamin Britten in the 20th century.

The Message of the Qur'an received favorable reviews from discriminating scholars. Gai Eaton, a leading British Muslim thinker, after noting the limitations of Asad's rationalist approach, described Asad's translation as "the most helpful and instructive version of the Qur'an that we have in English. This remarkable man has done what he set out to do, and it may be doubted whether his achievement will ever be surpassed."[5]

He was born about 1680 in England as Edward Thatch, Teach, or Drummond, and operated off the east coast of North America, particularly pirating in the Bahamas[1] and had a base in North Carolina[8] in the period of 1714â€“1718. Noted as much for his outlandish appearance as for his piratical success, in combat Blackbeard placed burning slow-match (a type of slow-burning fuse used to set off cannon) under his hat; with his face wreathed in fire and smoke, his victims claimed he resembled a fiendish apparition from Hell. Blackbeard's ship was the two hundred ton, forty-gun frigate he named the Queen Anne's Revenge.

The religious element in Spanish art, in many circles, grew in importance with the counter-reformation. The austere, ascetic, and severe work of Francisco de Zurbarán exemplified this thread in Spanish art, along with the work of composer Tomás Luis de Victoria. Philip IV actively patronized artists who agreed with his views on the counter-reformation and religion. The mysticism of Zurbarán's work - influenced by Saint Theresa of Avila - became a hallmark of Spanish art in later generations. Influenced by Caravaggio and the Italian masters, Zurbarán devoted himself to an artistic expression of religion and faith. His paintings of St. Francis of Assisi, the immaculate conception, and the crucifixion of Christ reflected a third facet of Spanish culture in the seventeenth century, against the backdrop of religious war across Europe. Zurbarán broke from Velázquez's sharp realist interpretation of art and looked, to some extent, to the emotive content of El Greco and the earlier mannerist painters for inspiration and technique, though Zurbarán respected and maintained the lighting and physical nuance of Velázquez.

The singing of carols was further popularised in the 20th century when OUP published one of the most popular carol books in the English-speaking world, Carols for Choirs. First published in 1961 and edited by David Willcocks and Reginald Jacques, this bestselling series has since expanded to a five-volume set. Along with editor John Rutter, the compilers included many arrangements of carols derived from sources such as Piae Cantiones, as well as pieces by modern composers such as William Walton, Benjamin Britten, Richard Rodney Bennett, William Mathias and John Rutter.[8]

The tolerance for Restoration comedy even in its modified form was running out at the end of the 17th century, as public opinion turned to respectability and seriousness even faster than the playwrights did. Interconnected causes for this shift in taste were demographic change, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, William's and Mary's dislike of the theatre, and the lawsuits brought against playwrights by the Society for the Reformation of Manners (founded in 1692). When Jeremy Collier attacked Congreve and Vanbrugh in his Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage in 1698, he was confirming a shift in audience taste that had already taken place. At the much-anticipated all-star premiÃ¨re in 1700 of The Way of the World, Congreve's first comedy for five years, the audience showed only moderate enthusiasm for that subtle and almost melancholy work. The comedy of sex and wit was about to be replaced by the drama of obvious sentiment and exemplary morality.

John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer for the British rock band Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast bass-drumming, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove.[1] He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers of all time.[2][3][4] Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 1 in their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time."

Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 â€“ 3 April 1999) was a writer and composer of British pop music and musicals, best known for creating the book, music and lyrics for Oliver![1][2]

The reign of Henry II represents a reversion in power back from the barony to the monarchical state in England; it was also to see a similar redistribution of legislative power from the Church, again to the monarchical state. This period also presaged a properly constituted legislation and a radical shift away from feudalism. In his reign new Anglo-Angevin and Anglo-Aquitanian aristocracies developed, though not to the same point as the Anglo-Norman once did, and the Norman nobles interacted with their French peers.

John of Sacrobosco (c. 1195 â€“ c. 1256) was a scholar, monk, and astronomer (probably English, but possibly Irish or Scottish) who taught at the University of Paris and wrote an authoritative and influential mediaeval astronomy text, the Tractatus de Sphaera; the Algorismus, which introduced calculations with Hindu-Arabic numerals into the European university curriculum; the Compotus ecclesiasticis on Easter reckoning; and the Tractatus de quadrante on the construction and use of the astronomical quadrant.[13]

In the 18th century, some well-known works like Yatharthadeepika (by Vaman Pandit), Naladamayanti Swayamvara (by Raghunath Pandit), Pandava Pratap, Harivijay, Ramvijay (by Shridhar Pandit) and Mahabharata (by Moropant) were produced. However, the most versatile and voluminous writer among the poets was Moropanta (1729â€“1794) whose Mahabharata was the first epic poem in Marathi. The historical section of the old Marathi literature was unique as it contained both prose and poetry. The prose section contained the Bakhars that were written after the foundation of the Maratha kingdom by Shivaji. The poetry section contained the Povadas and the Katavas composed by the Shahirs. The period from 1794 to 1818 is regarded as the closing period of the Old Marathi literature and the beginning of the Modern Marathi literature.


Question: Who portrays Nathan's mom on General Hospital?

In the soap opera "General Hospital," the character Nathan West's mother is portrayed by actress Donna Mills. She plays the role of Madeline Reeves, who becomes involved in a complex storyline that includes the attempted murder of Nathan's sister and a dispute over the estate of Nina, Nathan's wife. Madeline's actions, including drugging Nina to harm her unborn child, lead to her arrest and eventual imprisonment. Throughout the series, Nathan, played by Ryan Paevey, also deals with other family members such as his half-sister Britt Westbourne and his biological mother, Liesl Obrecht, portrayed by Kathleen Gati. Nathan's relationship with his mother and other family members adds depth to his character and creates dramatic tension in the show.

On December 3, 2009, it was announced that she would guest-star on an upcoming episode (series 4, episode 10) of the CBS comedy, Rules of Engagement. She would play a possible surrogate mother for Jeff and Audrey (Patrick Warburton and Megyn Price).[19] She reprised her role in the fifth-season premiere (series 5, episode 1). She appeared in the Fox sitcom I Hate My Teenage Daughter, which aired from November 30, 2011 to March 20, 2012. In July 2012, Pressly starred in Jimbo Lee's Abby in the Summer.[20]

Stefano DiMera is a fictional character from the American soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Created by head writer Pat Falken Smith, he was portrayed by actor Joseph Mascolo.[3] Stefano is the patriarch of the DiMera family and the father of Renée DuMonde, Megan Hathaway, Benjy Hawk, Lexie Carver (née Brooks), EJ DiMera and Chad DiMera and the stepfather of Antony DiMera; He is also the adoptive father of Peter and Kristen Blake. For a brief period, he believed he was the half-brother of longtime nemesis John Black. He had a nephew, André DiMera, who through plastic surgery became identical to Antony. In 2015, André was revealed to be Stefano's son. Stefano is the ex-husband of Kate Roberts and Vivian Alamain. Stefano first entered the show as a wealthy European businessman who relocated to Salem, and gradually revealed substantial ties to organized crime, both at home and abroad. Over the years Stefano's character has fluctuated between that of a syndicate boss (both on local and international scales), political terrorist, ruthless business tycoon, and loving (albeit heavy-handed) family man. Soap Opera Digest named him the all-time best villain.[4]

In 2003, Lafferty was cast in his breakout role of Nathan Scott on The WB/The CW teen drama series One Tree Hill. The series follows two estranged half-brothers, Nathan and Lucas Scott, who are put on the same basketball team, jeopardizing Nathan's position as the star player. In May 2011, The CW renewed the series for a ninth and final season, for which Lafferty chose to return on a recurring basis rather than in a full-time starring role.[4] Over the course of the later seasons, Lafferty directed four episodes. He received four Teen Choice Award nominations throughout his time on the series.

Mara's first television role was in the NBC legal drama Law & Order in 1997. She went on to guest star on numerous television series, including Madigan Men, Ed and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Mara landed two recurring roles in 2003, as Kate on Everwood, an 18-year-old who is impregnated by her piano teacher and then gets an abortion, and as Vanessa on Nip/Tuck, a bisexual cheerleader involved in a love triangle with her boyfriend Matt McNamara (John Hensley) and another cheerleader (Sophia Bush).[14] Mara also appeared on Cold Case, Boston Public, CSI: Miami and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation that same year.

Trucco guest-starred in a season 6 episode of How I Met Your Mother in 2011, and had a recurring role in the show's eighth season. He played the recurring character Nate Ryan in the second season of Revenge.

In the episode "Safe Haven", Sterling Beaumon guest-starred as Jeremy Sayers, a juvenile delinquent and family annihilator who has been hated by his mother ever since he was born. Mare Winningham guest-starred as Nancy Riverton, a mother who allows Jeremy to stay in their home for the night. In the episode "Devil's Night", Leonard Roberts guest-starred as Kaman Scott, a disfigured serial killer who burns his victims alive during Devil's Night, the notorious pre-Halloween celebration. In the episode "Middle Man", Steve Talley, Michael Grant Terry, and Jake Thomas guest-starred as Michael Kosina, Christopher Salters, and Scott Kagan, aka "The Johnson County Brotherhood", a trio of serial rapists and killers who abduct exotic dancers. Melissa Claire Egan guest starred as Tara Dice, an exotic dancer who is questioned by Prentiss and Reid.

Jordana Brewster (born April 26, 1980)[1] is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut in an episode of All My Children in 1995 and next took on the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, garnering a nomination for Outstanding Teen Performer at the 1997 Soap Opera Digest Award. Her first role in a feature film was in Robert Rodriguez's horror science fiction The Faculty (1998).

Katherine "Kate" Burton (born September 10, 1957) is a Swiss-born British actress, daughter of actor Richard Burton and Sybil Burton. On television, Burton received critical acclaim for performances in Shonda Rhimes's drama series as Ellis Grey on Grey's Anatomy, and as Vice President Sally Langston on Scandal.[1]  She has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards.[2]

In May 2013, Tylo announced online that she was exiting the soap, possibly for good.[38] In a post on her website, she wrote: "For me, contract talks ended 4 weeks ago. I am moving forward and opening back up to the thousands of acting roles available, writing, and persuing [sic] my skin care line. My friends and B&B fans will be sorely missed."[39] Tylo's final appearance aired on her birthday: July 3, 2013. Dan Kroll of the website Soap Central was shocked by her exit, though felt that a future return was possible, judging from her previous departures.[40] The news of Tylo's exit came just months after the high-profile departures of Ronn Moss and Susan Flannery from the series.[40] Tylo has since returned to The Bold and the Beautiful for a number of guest appearances. She made a one-episode appearance which aired on February 28, 2014.[41][42] The actress then made several guest appearances in April and May 2014, for a May sweeps story arc which revisited Taylor's accidental killing of Darla years earlier, with Darla's now teen daughter Aly (Ashlyn Pearce) struggling to deal with the issue of her mother's death.[43] Tylo appeared again on November 5, 12 and 24 2014.[44]


Question: Who portrays Nathan's mom on General Hospital?

In the soap opera "General Hospital," the character Nathan West's mother is portrayed by legendary actress Donna Mills. Mills, known for her role as Abby Cunningham on the prime time soap "Knots Landing," plays Madeline Reeves, Nathan's mother, who raised him to believe that his sister's estranged husband, Silas Clay, was guilty of her attempted murder. Nathan, not immediately attached to a specific love interest, was brought into the show as a cop on a mission to stir things up for a few people, investigating his sister's case and working on his mother's behalf. Despite Madeline's disdain for Nathan's career choice, believing it to be "below them," Nathan partners with Silas and his girlfriend Sam McCall to set a trap for Ava Jerome, Silas's former mistress and a suspect in the case. However, the operation takes an unexpected turn when Madeline is revealed to be the culprit, leading Nathan to arrest his own mother.

Helen Ophelia Dubois[1] (Yvette Nicole Brown) is the manager of the Premiere Theater, connected to the Premiere Galleria mall. She is Josh's boss at the theater, and is known for her intimidating demeanor, loud voice, and demanding attitude towards employees. She adores Drake, but dislikes Josh despite the hard work he puts in at the theater. She starred in a hit television sitcom as a child, called Happy Times[1] (a parody of the classic 1970s TV sitcoms Happy Days and Good Times). She married Buzz Baxter in "Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp", but divorced him some time before Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh after 5 weeks. Yvette Nicole Brown plays Helen throughout the series, but Frances Callier filled in for her in the season two episode "Little Diva".

Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961)[1] is an American actress and voice artist. Her roles include Lena St. Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the NBC sitcom Friends, Dot in the final season of Grace Under Fire, and the voices for both mother and daughter characters on three animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voiced Amy Wong and her mother Inez, on King of the Hill she voiced Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone and finally she voiced Numbuh 3 and her mother Genki in Codename Kids Next Door. She portrays Celia Mack in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack.

Kristina Anna Nichols Braverman (Monica Potter) is Adam's wife, and a source of stability and support for anyone who needs it.[4] She is portrayed as a typical soccer mom who works to keep her family happy. Official material from NBC characterises her as a "wise and quietly forceful woman who loves her husband and children deeply and with incredible strength."[4] While she is always caring and nurturing, she can be high-strung and worried at times, perhaps as a result of raising a son with Asperger's syndrome. In season two, when Haddie moves in with Adam's parents for a few weeks, it is revealed that Kristina's parents ran away and married one another when they were 16. She mentions that her father made her mother miserable for her entire life. Although it has not been explored, it has been strongly hinted that Kristina's home life while growing up was far from ideal and she has expressed to Camille that she (Camille) was a substitute mother for her. She goes back to work to support her family during her husband's unemployment, then quits, but goes back to work after Adam tells her that Rachel, his assistant at the recording studio, kissed him. She forgives him for this transgression, despite Adam's refusal to fire Rachel. Kristina initially disapproved of her daughter's relationship with her alcoholic boyfriend, but eventually came around. In the fourth season premiere, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced many hardships as a result, despite overwhelming support from her family. She fights it by the season finale, prompting her and Adam to take a well-deserved trip to Hawaii. After treatment she is told to be "cancer free". She also is asked to run Bob Little's campaign for Mayor of Berkeley. She rejects his offers and announces her campaign for the same office. In season five it is mentioned that she is from Cleveland, Ohio and is not entirely fond of the beach life of California. Kristina opens Chambers Academy in season six, named for her friend, Gwen Chambers, Kristina's friend and support that she met during chemotherapy who left a large (but unknown) endowment to Kristina that is used to fund the startup costs of Chambers Academy. Chambers offers education to students with learning difficulties who do not respond to general or special education settings. Kristina receives offers to open more schools like Chambers, handing control of the original school to Adam in the series finale.

Martha Plimpton guest stars in the season premiere episode "Blind Spot" as Jo Gage, the serial killing daughter of Detective Goren's former mentor, Dr. Declan Gage, who is portrayed by John Glover. Plimpton's cousin, Ever Carradine, guest stars in the later episode, "Bombshell."

Sonny came to Port Charles in 1993, running a strip club for Frank Smith. He becomes involved with Karen Wexler, and gets her addicted to drugs to get her to work for him. Meanwhile, Sonny begins dating the young Brenda Barrett, the beginning of a popular Supercouple for the soap. He also befriends Stone Cates, Robin Scorpio and Frank's longtime employee, Luke Spencer. Brenda, who is more attracted to Sonny than to his mob ties, introduces him to an old Bensonhurst friend, Lois Cerullo, who needed Sonny's money to finance a record label. The romance of Sonny and Brenda takes off amidst their new business relationship as partners of the record label, L&B. Sonny travels to Puerto Rico to work security for L&B artist Miguel Morez. He informs the locals that Miguel is under the protection of Frank Smith's organization. Miguel soon begins flirting with a now-model Brenda, which makes Sonny jealous. While Brenda and Miguel bond, Sonny opens up to her about his abusive childhood at the hands of his step-father, Deke. The two reconcile.

As the show progressed, numerous recurring guest stars appeared in the show. Michelle Trachtenberg signed on to portray Georgina Sparks.[34] The role had previously been offered to Mischa Barton who declined the role.[34] Francie Swift and Sam Robards took the parental roles of Anne and Howard Archibald, respectively.[35][36] Caroline Lagerfelt portrayed Celia "CeCe" Rhodes, Serena and Eric's grandmother and Lily's mother.[37] Sebastian Stan made several appearances as Carter Baizen throughout the show's first three seasons.[38]

Jenny Jackson (Alice Hirson) is Annie's mother. She is introduced in the pilot episode, "Anything You Want," when she came to Glenoak to tell Annie that she had Leukemia. In the episode, In the Blink of an Eye, after spending her final days living life to its fullest, (i.e. shopping for the family, drinking wine, flying first class, not watching her cholesterol) she dies in her sleep while staying with the Camdens. She tells Annie goodbye and disappears in her room. Her post-funeral and memorial occurred in No Funerals and a Wedding. While Annie is asleep before she gives birth to the twins, Jenny appears to her in a dream, encouraging and reassuring her (in season three, episode 14 "In Praise of Women"). Her final appearance was made in the season eleven episode "Christmas", where she tries to help Eric after he is suddenly transported to heaven. She shows Eric a pin that was given to her by Charles after Annie was born, and Annie ends up finding it in Eric's hand when he comes home.

Mariana Klaveno (born October 25, 1979) is an American actress, best known for her television roles as Lorena Ball (Krasiki) in HBO series True Blood, as the psychopath Abby in the Lifetime movie While the Children Sleep, and as movie actress Peri Westmore in Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids. In 2014, Klaveno starred as detective Janice Lawrence in the CBS crime drama series, Stalker.

Zoe McLellan (born November 6, 1974) is an American television actress, known for her roles as Petty Officer Jennifer Coates in the CBS procedural JAG, as Lisa George in the ABC comedy-drama soap Dirty Sexy Money, and as Meredith Brody in the CBS series NCIS: New Orleans (2014â€“2016). In 2017, she became a series regular in the second season of Designated Survivor as White House Counsel Kendra Daynes.

The following year, Brooke's marriage to Noel had fallen apart and Brooke returned to live with Meg and Lee. Meg was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after a radical mastectomy, Meg's insecurities about her appearance were magnified by the presence of sexy Brooke. Meg suffered a nervous breakdown from her jealousy and depression, and Lee was regrettably forced to institutionalize his wife. By 1971, Lee was thrilled to welcome Meg back from the mental institution, supposedly recovered from her mental breakdown. Now, Meg suffered from a severe case of hypertension. Dr. Lesley Williams, a strikingly beautiful doctor, was assigned to her case at General Hospital. The jealous Meg began to suspect—wrongly—that Lesley was trying to work her way into Lee's bed! During an argument with Lee, Meg suddenly died of a fatal stroke. Lee was devastated, but remained strong for Scotty.


Question: What's the distinction between an Australian Cattle Dog and a Blue Heeler?

The Australian Cattle Dog, often referred to as a "Red Heeler" or "Blue Heeler" due to its distinctive coloring and herding style, is a breed known for its ability to move cattle by nipping at their heels. These dogs, originally bred in Queensland, Australia, gained popularity in the 1940s for their show and stud success, earning them the moniker "Queensland Heelers" to distinguish them from those bred in New South Wales. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with Australian Cattle Dog today.

Although most breeds may or may not have dewclaws (many owners of other breeds remove dewclaws, especially if the dog is used for field and hunting), an important feature of the Beauceron is the double dewclaw. In order to be shown, a beauceron must have double dewclaws that form well-separated "thumbs" with nails on each rear leg; anything less will result in disqualification from dog shows.[1][2][3]

As mentioned above, the modern working Caucasian dogs have established a civilization in Georgia. Historically, the Caucasian Molossers were used for centuries to protect properties, guard livestock, and kill wolves. Today, especially outside the Caucasus, they are widely employed as companion animals and watchdogs, while in their native Caucasus they are still protecting sheep as well. Most prized as a property guardian, the Caucasian shepherds are good protectors.

Many of these views of the breed are not known to have a very long history. Lane's early and experienced account of the temperament of this "variety, which is quaint and interesting" is simply that they were "docile, good-tempered and sociable", and that a prize specimen should be "an alert, active animal of much power and energetic character."[19]

In the Manx language, the modern name of the breed is kayt Manninagh literally 'cat of Mann' (plural kiyt or kit),[1][2][9][10] or kayt cuttagh lit. 'bob-tailed cat'.[10][11] Kayt, used as both a masculine and feminine noun, is also encountered as cayt,[12] and depending on the exact construction, it may be lenited as chayt or gayt.[13]:138 The diminutive word is pishin or pishyn, 'kitten' (with various plurals).[1] Manx itself was often spelled Manks in English well into the late 1800s.[1][6]

Puppy school has been described as a bad option for the Caucasian Shepherd Dog.[citation needed] They do not tolerate other dogs very well and get out of control easily.[citation needed] This can be difficult to manage even if they are still young. After the early stages and training of a Caucasian Shepherd Dogs life, they can move on to learn about how to herd different types of livestock and defend them if the situation arises.[citation needed]

"Blond", with its continued gender-varied usage, is one of few adjectives in written English to retain separate masculine and feminine grammatical genders. Each of the two forms, however, is pronounced identically. American Heritage's Book of English Usage propounds that, insofar as "a blonde" can be used to describe a woman but not a man who is merely said to possess blond(e) hair, the term is an example of a "sexist stereotype [whereby] women are primarily defined by their physical characteristics."[4] The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) records that the phrase "big blond beast" was used in the 20th century to refer specifically to men "of the Nordic type" (that is to say, blond-haired).[5] The OED also records that blond as an adjective is especially used with reference to women, in which case it is likely to be spelt "blonde", citing three Victorian usages of the term. The masculine version is used in the plural, in "blonds of the European race",[5] in a citation from 1833 Penny cyclopedia, which distinguishes genuine blondness as a Caucasian feature distinct from albinism.[6]

Other less common conditions which appear in the breed include hydroxyglutaric aciduria, which is where elevated levels of Alpha-Hydroxyglutaric acid are in the dog's urine, blood plasma, and spinal fluid. It can cause seizures, muscle stiffness, and ataxia, but is more commonly found in Staffordshire Bull Terriers.[19] A degeneration of the hip joint, known as Legg–Calvé–Perthes syndrome, also occurs in the breed.[20] However, the chances of this condition occurring are much higher in some other breeds, such as the Australian Shepherd and the Miniature Pincher.[21] The breed is also one of the least likely to be affected by a luxating patella, where the knee cap slips out of place.[22]

Results of a 1998 internet survey with a sample size of 614 Australian Shepherds indicated a median longevity around 12.5 years, but that longevity may be declining.[21] A 2004 UK survey found a median longevity of 9 years, with a sample size of 22 deceased dogs.[22]

The West Coast Eagles, also known as West Coast, is an Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia.
It competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), representing the state of Western Australia and the Perth metropolitan region.  It trains at Lathlain Park and plays its home games at Perth Stadium in Burswood, Western Australia, having previously played at Subiaco Oval and the WACA Ground. The club is one of two AFL clubs based in Western Australia, the other being its main rival, the Fremantle Football Club.

The distinction between felonies and misdemeanors has been abolished by several common law jurisdictions (e.g. Australia[9]). These jurisdictions have generally adopted some other classification: in the Commonwealth nations of Australia,[10] Canada,[11] New Zealand,[12] and the United Kingdom,[13][14] the crimes are divided into summary offences and indictable offences.[15] The Republic of Ireland, a former member of the Commonwealth, also uses these divisions.[16]


Question: When did the United States become a nation?

The United States of America emerged as an independent nation in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress declared freedom from British rule. Following a protracted Revolutionary War, culminating in victory with significant French support, the Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally recognized the United States' sovereignty over the territory east of the Mississippi River, excluding Canada and Florida. Initially, the Articles of Confederation established a weak central government, which proved inadequate in maintaining stability due to its inability to levy taxes and lack of an executive branch. The drafting and adoption of a new Constitution in 1789, coupled with the addition of the Bill of Rights in 1791, strengthened the federal government and protected individual liberties. Under President George Washington and guided by Alexander Hamilton, the country developed a robust central authority. The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 significantly expanded the nation's size, and a subsequent war with Britain in 1812 further bolstered American national identity.

The United States acceded to the convention on November 16, 1988, and the convention entered into force for the United States on March 1, 1989.[16][15] The United States initially refused to become a party to the Convention, since that would have required major changes in its copyright law, particularly with regard to moral rights, removal of the general requirement for registration of copyright works and elimination of mandatory copyright notice. This led first to the U.S. ratifying the Buenos Aires Convention (BAC) in 1910, and later the Universal Copyright Convention (UCC) in 1952 to accommodate the wishes of other countries. With the WIPO's Berna revision on Paris 1971,[17] many other countries joined the treaty, as expressed by Brazil federal law of 1975.[18]

It was in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that the nation's first novels were published. These fictions were too lengthy to be printed as manuscript or public reading. Publishers took a chance on these works in hopes they would become steady sellers and need to be reprinted. This was a good bet as literacy rates soared in this period among both men and women. Among the first American novels are Thomas Attwood Digges' "Adventures of Alonso", published in London in 1775 and William Hill Brown's The Power of Sympathy published in 1791.[1] Brown's novel depicts a tragic love story between siblings who fell in love without knowing they were related. This epistolary novel belongs to the Sentimental novel tradition, as do the two following.

In 1804 Spain divided the Provincia de las Californias, creating the province Alta California, which consisted primarily of what would become California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. In 1821 Mexico achieved its independence from Spain and shortly after, in 1824, developed its constitution, which established the Alta California Territory, which was the same geographic area as the earlier Spanish province.

There is general agreement that the United States has a two-party system; historically, there have been few instances in which third party candidates won an election. In the First Party System, only Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party and Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party were significant political parties. Toward the end of the First Party System, the Republicans dominated a one-party system (primarily under the Presidency of James Monroe). Under the Second Party System, the Democratic-Republican Party split during the election of 1824 into Adams' Men and Jackson's Men. In 1828, the modern Democratic Party formed in support of Andrew Jackson. The National Republicans were formed in support of John Quincy Adams. After the National Republicans collapsed, the Whig Party and the Free Soil Party quickly formed and collapsed. In 1854, the modern Republican Party formed from a loose coalition of former Whigs, Free Soilers and other anti-slavery activists. Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president in 1860.

The United States Coast Guard traces its origin to the founding of the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790 which merged with the United States Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915 to establish the Coast Guard. The United States Air Force was established as an independent service on 18 September 1947; it traces its origin to the formation of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, which was formed 1 August 1907 and was part of the Army before becoming an independent service.

History of U.S. foreign policy is a brief overview of major trends regarding the foreign policy of the United States from the American Revolution to the present. The major themes are becoming an "Empire of Liberty", promoting democracy, expanding across the continent, supporting liberal internationalism, contesting World Wars and the Cold War, fighting international terrorism, "developing" or exploiting the Third World, and building a strong world economy.

The Philippine–American War[11] (also referred to as the Filipino-American War, the Philippine War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Tagalog Insurgency;[12][13] Filipino: Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano; Spanish: Guerra Filipino-Estadounidense) was an armed conflict between the First Philippine Republic and the United States that lasted from February 4, 1899, to July 2, 1902.[1] While Filipino nationalists viewed the conflict as a continuation of the struggle for independence that began in 1896 with the Philippine Revolution, the U.S. government regarded it as an insurrection.[14] The conflict arose when the First Philippine Republic objected to the terms of the Treaty of Paris under which the United States took possession of the Philippines from Spain, ending the Spanish–American War.[15]

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Robert Morris, the Minister of Finance, persuaded Congress to charter the Bank of North America on Dec. 31, 1781. Although a private bank, the Federal Government acquired partial ownership with money lent by France. The Bank of North America played a major role in financing the war against Great Britain. The combined armies of George Washington and Nathanael Greene, with the help of the French Army and Navy, defeated the British in the Battle of Yorktown during October 1781. Lord Cornwallis was forced to sue for peace and to surrender his entire army to General Washington. During 1783, the Americans secured the official recognition of the independence of the United States from the United Kingdom via negotiations with British diplomats in Paris, France. These negotiations culminated with the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and this treaty was soon ratified by the British Parliament.[3]

The flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the American flag, is the national flag of the United States. It consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S.[1] Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes,[2] Old Glory,[3] and the Star-Spangled Banner.


Question: When did the United States become a nation?

On July 4, 1776, during the meeting of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the birth of the United States of America. This historic event is commemorated annually on July 4 as the nation's birthday, as noted by historian George Billias.

On the eastern seaboard of what became the United States, the four distinct English regions were New England, the Middle Colonies, the Chesapeake Bay Colonies (Upper South), and the Lower South. Some historians add a fifth region of the Frontier, which was never separately organized.[1] By the time that European settlers arrived around 1600â€“1650, a significant percentage of the Indians living in the eastern region had been ravaged by disease, possibly introduced to them decades before by explorers and sailors (although no conclusive cause has ever been established).[3]

The religious history of the United States began with the first Pilgrim settlers who came on the Mayflower in 1620. Their Puritan faith motivated their move from Europe. The Spanish set up a network of Catholic missions in California, but they had all closed decades before 1848 when California became part of the U.S. There were a few important French Catholic churches and institutions in New Orleans.

The First Great Awakening was the nation's first major religious revival, occurring in the middle of the 18th century, and it injected new vigor into Christian faith. It was a wave of religious enthusiasm among Protestants that swept the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. Jonathan Edwards was a key leader and a powerful intellectual in colonial America. George Whitefield came over from England and made many converts.

September 17, 1787 marked the signing of the final document. By its own Article Seven, the constitution drafted by the convention needed ratification by at least nine of the thirteen states, through special conventions held in each state. Anti-Federalist writers began to publish essays and letters arguing against ratification,[7] and Alexander Hamilton recruited James Madison and John Jay to write a series of pro-ratification letters in response.[8]

The United States ruled the Philippines from 1898 to 1946. The Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanishâ€“American War. The United States finally recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946 in the Treaty of Manila.[191] July 4 was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until August 4, 1964 when, upon the advice of historians and the urging of nationalists, President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law Republic Act No. 4166 designating June 12 as the country's Independence Day.[192] Since 2003 the U.S. has designated the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally.

The United States Postal Service (USPS; also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service) is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.

By 1797 the French were openly seizing American ships, leading to an undeclared war known as the Quasi-War of 1798â€“99. President John Adams tried diplomacy; it failed. In 1798, the French demanded American diplomats pay huge bribes in order to see the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand, which the Americans rejected. The Jeffersonian Republicans, suspicious of Adams, demanded the documentation, which Adams released using X, Y and Z as codes for the names of the French diplomats. The XYZ Affair ignited a wave of nationalist sentiment. Overwhelmed, the U.S. Congress approved Adams' plan to organize the navy. Adams reluctantly signed the Alien and Sedition Acts as a wartime measure. Adams broke with the Hamiltonian wing of his Federalist Party and made peace with France in 1800.[6]

Much as in Canada, Thanksgiving in the United States was observed on various dates throughout history. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date Thanksgiving was observed varied from state to state. The final Thursday in November had become the customary date in most U.S. states by the beginning of the 19th century. Modern Thanksgiving was first officially called for in all states in 1863 by a presidential proclamation of Abraham Lincoln. Influenced by the campaigning of author Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote letters to politicians for around 40 years trying to make it an official holiday, Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states.[27] Because of the ongoing Civil War, a nationwide Thanksgiving date was not realized until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s.

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory[1][2][3] was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 12, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding Palmyra Island and the Stewart Islands, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii. The Hawaii Admission Act specified that the State of Hawaii would not include the distant Palmyra Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston Atoll, which includes Johnston (or Kalama) Island and Sand Island, and the Act was silent regarding the Stewart Islands.[4]

Thanksgiving proclamations were made mostly by church leaders in New England up until 1682, and then by both state and church leaders until after the American Revolution. During the revolutionary period, political influences affected the issuance of Thanksgiving proclamations. Various proclamations were made by royal governors, John Hancock, General George Washington, and the Continental Congress,[17] each giving thanks to God for events favorable to their causes.[18] As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God."[19]


Question: Who performed "Fly High and Let Me Go"?

"Let Me Go," a song by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, was released in Ireland on November 15, 2013, and in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2013. It served as the lead single from Barlow's fourth solo album, "Since I Saw You Last" (2013). Co-written by Barlow and produced by Steve Power, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, marking Barlow's sixth solo top 10 hit in the UK.

"Never Gonna Let You Go" is a popular song from 1983 credited to Brazilian musician and bandleader Sérgio Mendes and sung by Joe Pizzulo and Leeza Miller. Songwriters Cynthia Weil (lyrics) and Barry Mann (music) composed the song, which appears on Mendes' 1983 self-titled album.

Early in 1976, Hell left the Heartbreakers; he soon formed a new group that would become known as the Voidoids, "one of the most harshly uncompromising bands" on the scene.[134] That April, the Ramones' debut album was released by Sire Records; the first single was "Blitzkrieg Bop", opening with the rally cry "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" According to a later description, "Like all cultural watersheds, Ramones was embraced by a discerning few and slagged off as a bad joke by the uncomprehending majority."[135] At the instigation of Ramones lead singer Joey Ramone, the members of Cleveland's Frankenstein moved east to join the New York scene. Reconstituted as the Dead Boys, they played their first CBGB gig in late July.[136] In August, Ork put out an EP recorded by Hell with his new band that included the first released version of "Blank Generation".[137]

By the end of 1979 ELO had reached the peak of their stardom, selling millions of albums and singles, and even inspiring a parody/tribute song on the Randy Newman album Born Again, titled "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band". During 1979 Jeff Lynne also turned down an invitation for ELO to headline the August 1979 Knebworth Festival concerts. That allowed Led Zeppelin the chance to headline instead. In 1980 Jeff Lynne was asked to write for the soundtrack of the musical film Xanadu, with the other half written by John Farrar and performed by the film's star Olivia Newton-John. The movie performed poorly at the box office, but the soundtrack did exceptionally well, eventually going double platinum. The album spawned hit singles from both Newton-John ("Magic", a #1 hit in the United States, and "Suddenly" with Cliff Richard) and ELO ("I'm Alive", which went gold, "All Over the World" and "Don't Walk Away"). The title track, performed by both Newton-John and ELO, is ELO's only song to top the singles chart in the United Kingdom.[30] More than a quarter of a century later, Xanadu, a Broadway musical, based on the film, opened on 10 July 2007 at the Helen Hayes Theatre to uniformly good reviews. It received 4 Tony Award nominations. The musical received its UK premiere in London in October 2015.[31] Casey Kasem called The Electric Light Orchestra a "7-man supergroup" and "amazing" for hitting The Top 40 a remarkable 6 times in a one-year period from August 1979 to August 1980 before playing "All Over the World" at #23[32]

The decision proved a success, as the soundtrack's first single, the Bee Gees' version of the ballad "How Deep Is Your Love", shot to number one, followed to the top spot by the soundtrack's second and third singles, also by the Gibb brothers, "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever". Elliman's "If I Can't Have You", produced by Perren, was released as the fourth single off the Saturday Night Fever album in February 1978. The first single off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack not performed by the Bee Gees, "If I Can't Have You" would become the fourth number 1 hit from the film, reaching the top spot on the Hot 100 in Billboard dated 13 May 1978, ending an eight-week number 1 tenure by "Night Fever". "If I Can't Have You" was the fourth consecutive US number 1 to be co-written by Barry Gibb, and the sixth consecutive to be released on the RSO record label. The B-side of the single was a track from the Love Me album, "Good Sign", a composition by Melissa Manchester and Carole Bayer Sager which had previously served as the B-side of Elliman's hit "Hello Stranger".

Margaret Whiting released the song on her 1960 album Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook. In 1961 Cannonball Adderley released the song on his album African Waltz. Bandleader Ray Conniff first released his arrangement of the song in 1962, on his double album The Ray Conniff Hi-Fi Companion;[22] it became one of the signature songs of his career.[citation needed] Saxophone player Boots Randolph released an instrumental version of the song on the B-side of his LP Yakety Sax in 1963.[23] On February 2, 1964, Judy Garland performed the song in a comical performance on the nineteenth episode of her variety television series, The Judy Garland Show. In her performance she sings longingly, sitting at a small table, as the house around her burns down; firefighters hack down the door behind her as she sits unfazed singing to the camera. A number of firefighters flee up the staircase, for which smoke billows down, in an attempt to douse the fire. When their attempts fail, they proceed to empty the room of its contents, presumably running them to the street. Eventually, after the room has been completely emptied, one man returns to save Garland; he grabs her by her waist, throwing her over his shoulder. Garland is still clutching the back of the chair she once sat on, now dragging it across the room as the firefighter carries her out. Throughout the scene, she never stops singing.[24]

"Much has been written about that scene ... most of it silly," wrote Gene Lees in High Fidelity.[96] The scene was inspired by two men who took off their clothes to antagonize the police during an informal anti-war gathering.[7] During "Where Do I Go?", the stage was covered in a giant scrim, beneath which those choosing to participate in the scene removed their clothes. At the musical cue, "they [stood] naked and motionless, their bodies bathed in Fisher's light projection of floral patterns. They chant[ed] of 'beads, flowers, freedom, and happiness.'"[97] It lasted only twenty seconds.[98] Indeed, the scene happened so quickly and was so dimly lit that it prompted Jack Benny, during the interval at a London preview, to quip, "Did you happen to notice if any of them were Jewish?"[99] Nevertheless, the scene prompted threats of censorship and even violent reactions in some places.[8] It also became fodder for pop-cultural jokes. Groucho Marx quipped, "I was gonna go see it, and then I called up the theater. ... They said the tickets were $11 apiece. I told them I'd call back, went into my bathroom, took off all my clothes, and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. Then I called the theater and said, 'Forget it.'"[100]

A day after its release, "We Turn Red" made its live debut on June 10, 2016 at the Pinkpop festival while "Wet Sand" was performed for the first time in over two years. Flea, Anthony and Chad also teased George Clinton's "Bullet Proof", a song they haven't performed in 23 years. During the opening encore jam, Kiedis took over Flea's bass while Flea played keyboards and Klinghoffer played piano. The jam included a tease of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog". After over three years not being performed, "Tell Me Baby" returned to the setlist on June 12, 2016 at Novarock. The rarely performed "She's Only 18" also made its return after a two-year absence. On June 13, 2016, in a pre-taped segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden, the band appeared in the show's popular Carpool Karaoke segment.[15] During the filming of the segment, Kiedis saved the life of a baby. "a woman came out of her house, holding a child saying 'My baby, my baby, my baby can't breathe!' We all ran across the street, the woman thrust the baby into my arms, the baby was not breathing and I thought 'I’m gonna try and do a little baby CPR real quick, see if I can get some air in this kid.' Tried to open the mouth, [it was] like locked shut. So I started rubbing the belly, bubbles came out of the mouth, the eyes rolled back into place, the ambulance showed up and I handed the baby over, who was now breathing and fine, and we went back to Carpool Karaoke. The little baby looked at me the entire time until the ambulance came, little baby Nina." Kiedis said[16] On June 14, 2016, the band performed eight songs at Studios SFP in France. "Dark Necessities" and "Give it Away" appeared on the television show Le Grand Journal[17] while the remaining six songs, which included the live debut of "The Longest Wave", were recorded for radio station RTL2's "Très Très Privé" concert series. The Live in Paris EP was released on July 1, 2016 and features five songs from the Canal+ performance in Paris. The EP was released exclusively through the music streaming website Deezer. "Detroit" made its live debut on June 29, 2016 at the Roskilde Festival while "Goodbye Angels" made its live debut on July 10, 2016. "Dreams of a Samurai" made its live debut on July 24, 2016 at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

A trailer for the album was released 22 January 2012 featuring "I Fink U Freeky".[5] The group also appears in both a video and print ads for Alexander Wang fashion line "T" for Spring 2012.[6] The ad features the song "Fatty Boom Boom". The group also had a performance spot on the American television show Late Show with David Letterman, in which they performed "I Fink U Freeky." Letterman, apparently amused by the song, would randomly drop the phrase "I think you're freaky and I like you a lot" into his monologues for weeks afterward.[7] They performed the same song on another US late night TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[8]

Frank Sinatra's 1964 recording of "Fly Me to the Moon" became closely associated with NASA's Apollo space program. A copy of the song was played on the Apollo 10 mission which orbited the Moon.[27] It became the first music heard on the Moon when played on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped onto the Moon.[28] The song’s association with Apollo 11 was reprised many years later when Diana Krall sang it at the mission's 40th anniversary commemoration ceremony.[29] She also sang a “slow and solemn version” in 2012 at the national memorial service for Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong.[30]

With a PBS special and numerous morning talk show appearances under their collective belt, Rockapella was noticed by the producers of an up-and-coming children's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?. Shortly before the show's premiere, Keyes had decided to leave Rockapella to launch his legal career, but was still part of the band when they auditioned and were hired to write and perform the show's theme song as well as appearing as the comic relief house band. Keyes was replaced by Scott Leonard, who had just returned from a career as the lead singer in a Tokyo Disneyland electronic rock band. Between Leonard joining the band and the start of their television break, Rockapella began to pick up fame, starring in a Whoopi Goldberg HBO comedy special Chez Whoopi, a Taco Bell commercial, and opened for acts such as Chuck Berry, Styx, Billy Joel, and their a cappella idols The Persuasions, who the group had met on the Do It A Cappella special. They also performed on Jay Leno's first New Year's Eve episode of The Tonight Show in 1992.[3]


Question: Does Niagara Falls belong to the U.S. or Canada?

Niagara Falls, named for the three waterfalls that make up the site, spans the international boundary between the United States and Canada, specifically between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. These falls mark the southern terminus of the Niagara Gorge.

The United States is a federal republic, governed by the U.S. Constitution, containing fifty states and a federal district which elect the President and Vice President, and having other territories and possessions in its national jurisdiction. This government is variously known as the Union, the United States, or the federal government.

The Panama Canal Zone was an unorganized US territory located within the Republic of Panama. It was established under the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty in 1903 and disestablished in 1979 under the Torrijos–Carter Treaties. Panama gained full control over the Panama Canal in 1999.

The main influence on U.S. weather is the polar jet stream which migrates northward into Canada in the summer months, and then southward into the USA in the winter months. The jet stream brings in large low pressure systems from the northern Pacific Ocean that enter the US mainland over the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains pick up most of the moisture from these systems as they move eastward. Greatly diminished by the time they reach the High Plains, much of the moisture has been sapped by the orographic effect as it is forced over several mountain ranges.

How the States Got Their Shapes is a US television series that aired on the History Channel. It is hosted by Brian Unger and is based on Mark Stein's book, How the States Got Their Shapes. The show deals with how the various states of the United States established their borders but also delves into other aspects of U.S. history, including failed states, proposed new states, and the local culture and character of various US states. It thus tackles the "shapes" of the states in a metaphorical sense as well as a literal sense.

A waterfall is a place where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops in the course of a stream or river. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.

Rather trying to take Montreal or Kingston, the Americans chose again to invade the Niagara frontier to take Upper Canada, largely because the Americans had occupied southwestern Upper Canada after their victory in Moraviantown, and it was believed in Washington that if the Americans could take the rest of Upper Canada, then they would force the British to cede that province to them when it came time to negotiate the peace. The end of the war in Europe in April 1814 meant that the British could now redeploy their Army to North America, so the Americans were anxious to have Upper Canada to negotiate from a position of strength. The plan for 1814 to invade Upper Canada via the Niagara frontier while sending another force to recapture Mackinac.[105] The British were sending supplies to the Indians in the Old Northwest from Montreal via Mackinac, so is why the island was considered important.[106] By the middle of 1814, American generals, including Major Generals Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott, had drastically improved the fighting abilities and discipline of the army. The Americans' renewed attack on the Niagara peninsula quickly captured Fort Erie on July 3, 1814 with the 170 garrison quickly surrendering to the 5, 000 Americans.[107] General Phineas Riall rushed towards the frontier and unaware of Fort Erie's fall or the size of the American force chose to engage in battle.[108] Winfield Scott then gained a victory over an inferior British force at the Battle of Chippawa on July 5. The Americans brought out overwhelming firepower against the attacking British who lost about 600 dead to the 350 dead on the American side. An attempt to advance further ended with a hard-fought but inconclusive Battle of Lundy's Lane on July 25. Both sides stood their ground, but after the battle, the American commander, General Jacob Brown, pulled back to Fort George while the British did not pursue them.[109]

Despite the posturing, neither country really wanted to fight what would have been the third war in 70 years against the other. The two countries eventually came to a peaceful agreement in the 1846 Oregon Treaty that divided the territory west of the Continental Divide along the 49th parallel to Georgia Strait; with all of Vancouver Island remaining under British control. This border today divides British Columbia from neighboring Washington, Idaho, and Montana.[citation needed]

Greenland (/ˈɡriːnlənd/; Greenlandic: Kalaallit Nunaat, pronounced [kalaːɬit nunaːt]; Danish: Grønland, pronounced [ˈɡʁɶnˌlanˀ]) is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium.[9] The majority of its residents are Inuit, whose ancestors began migrating from the Canadian mainland in the 13th century, gradually settling across the island.

Border adjustments between the U.S. and British North America were made in the Treaty of 1818. Eastport, Massachusetts, was returned to the U.S. in 1818; it became part of the new State of Maine in 1820. A border dispute along the Maine–New Brunswick border was settled by the 1842 Webster–Ashburton Treaty after the bloodless Aroostook War, and the border in the Oregon Country was settled by splitting the disputed area in half by the 1846 Oregon Treaty. A further dispute about the line of the border through the island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca resulted in another almost bloodless standoff in the Pig War of 1859. The line of the border was finally settled by an international arbitration commission in 1872.

The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane "Sale of Louisiana") was the acquisition of the Louisiana territory (828,000 square miles or 2.14 million km²) by the United States from France in 1803. The U.S. paid fifty million francs ($11,250,000/€9,100,000) and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million francs ($3,750,000) for a total of sixty-eight million francs ($15 million, equivalent to $300 million in 2016). The Louisiana territory included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The territory contained land that forms Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; the portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River; a large portion of North Dakota; a large portion of South Dakota; the northeastern section of New Mexico; the northern portion of Texas; the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide; Louisiana west of the Mississippi River (plus New Orleans); and small portions of land within the present Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Its non-native population was around 60,000 inhabitants, of whom half were African slaves.[1]


Question: Does Niagara Falls belong to the United States or Canada?

The Niagara Falls consist of three waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls, ranked from largest to smallest. Horseshoe Falls straddles the border between the United States and Canada, while American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are completely on the U.S. side, separated by Goat Island and Luna Island, respectively.

Rather trying to take Montreal or Kingston, the Americans chose again to invade the Niagara frontier to take Upper Canada, largely because the Americans had occupied southwestern Upper Canada after their victory in Moraviantown, and it was believed in Washington that if the Americans could take the rest of Upper Canada, then they would force the British to cede that province to them when it came time to negotiate the peace. The end of the war in Europe in April 1814 meant that the British could now redeploy their Army to North America, so the Americans were anxious to have Upper Canada to negotiate from a position of strength. The plan for 1814 to invade Upper Canada via the Niagara frontier while sending another force to recapture Mackinac.[105] The British were sending supplies to the Indians in the Old Northwest from Montreal via Mackinac, so is why the island was considered important.[106] By the middle of 1814, American generals, including Major Generals Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott, had drastically improved the fighting abilities and discipline of the army. The Americans' renewed attack on the Niagara peninsula quickly captured Fort Erie on July 3, 1814 with the 170 garrison quickly surrendering to the 5, 000 Americans.[107] General Phineas Riall rushed towards the frontier and unaware of Fort Erie's fall or the size of the American force chose to engage in battle.[108] Winfield Scott then gained a victory over an inferior British force at the Battle of Chippawa on July 5. The Americans brought out overwhelming firepower against the attacking British who lost about 600 dead to the 350 dead on the American side. An attempt to advance further ended with a hard-fought but inconclusive Battle of Lundy's Lane on July 25. Both sides stood their ground, but after the battle, the American commander, General Jacob Brown, pulled back to Fort George while the British did not pursue them.[109]

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, from Greek hali "sea", aiÄ“tos "eagle", leuco "white", cephalos "head") is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

On Lake Erie, the American commander Captain Oliver Hazard Perry fought the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. His decisive victory against the British ensured American control of the lake, improved American morale after a series of defeats, and compelled the British to fall back from Detroit. General Harrison launched another invasion of Upper Canada, which culminated in the U.S. victory at the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813. Tecumseh was killed there, and his death effectively ended the North American indigenous alliance with the British in the Detroit region. American control of Lake Erie meant the British could no longer provide essential military supplies to their aboriginal allies, who dropped out of the war. The Americans controlled the area during the remainder of the conflict.

The 1783 Treaty of Paris with Great Britain defined the original borders of the United States. It generally stretched from the Eastern Seaboard to the Mississippi River in the west. There were ambiguities in the treaty regarding the exact border with Canada to the north that led to disputes that were resolved by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty in 1842.[1] Beginning in the late 18th century, the new nation organized areas west of the Original thirteen states into several United States territories, setting a template for future expansion.

Meanwhile, the United States and Britain negotiated the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 that extended the boundary between their territories west along the 49th parallel to the Rocky Mountains. The two countries agreed to "joint occupancy" of the land west of the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean.[citation needed]

Over a century later, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act requires the President to identify the major drug transit or major illicit drug-producing countries. In September 2005,[121] the following countries were identified: Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Two of these, Burma and Venezuela are countries that the U.S. considers to have failed to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements during the previous 12 months. Notably absent from the 2005 list were Afghanistan, the People's Republic of China and Vietnam; Canada was also omitted in spite of evidence that criminal groups there are increasingly involved in the production of MDMA destined for the United States and that large-scale cross-border trafficking of Canadian-grown cannabis continues. The U.S. believes that the Netherlands are successfully countering the production and flow of MDMA to the U.S.

In the U.S. and Canada, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 and the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 require the driver side mirror to provide "unit magnification", i.e., an undistorted 1:1 reflection achieved with a flat mirror. However, unit magnification limits the field of view that can be provided by a mirror of size compatible with the vehicle body. The ECE regulations in use throughout most of the world except North America permit the driver side mirror to have a planar, convex, or aspheric surface; an aspheric section is often combined with a larger convex section, and the two sections are separated by a visible line to alert the driver to the two sections' different perspective shifts.[2][3]

The Enfield Falls Canal was opened in 1829 to circumvent shallows around Enfield Falls, and the locks built for this canal gave their name to the town of Windsor Locks, Connecticut.[32] The Connecticut River Valley functioned as America's hub of technical innovation into the 20th century, particularly the cities of Springfield and Hartford, and thus attracted numerous railroad lines. The proliferation of the railroads in Springfield and Hartford greatly decreased the economic importance of the Connecticut River. From the late 1800s until today, it has functioned largely as a center of wildlife and recreation.[33]

The Snake River Canyon forms the city's northern limits, separating it from Jerome County. There are three waterfalls in the immediate area. Shoshone Falls is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 kilometres) east of Twin Falls city. Pillar Falls is located approximately 1 1⁄2 mi (2 1⁄2 km) upstream from the Perrine Bridge while Twin Falls, the city's namesake, is located upstream of Shoshone Falls.

The United States holds many areas for the use and enjoyment of the public. These include National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests, Wilderness areas, and other areas. For lists of areas, see the following articles:


Question: Does Niagara Falls belong to the United States or Canada?

The Niagara Falls is shared between the United States and Canada. On the American side, New York State established the Niagara Reservation, its first state park, in 1885. In the same year, the province of Ontario in Canada created the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Currently, the Niagara Parks Commission oversees land usage along the Niagara River's entire course, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, on the Canadian side.

The United States is a federal republic, governed by the U.S. Constitution, containing fifty states and a federal district which elect the President and Vice President, and having other territories and possessions in its national jurisdiction. This government is variously known as the Union, the United States, or the federal government.

The Enfield Falls Canal was opened in 1829 to circumvent shallows around Enfield Falls, and the locks built for this canal gave their name to the town of Windsor Locks, Connecticut.[32] The Connecticut River Valley functioned as America's hub of technical innovation into the 20th century, particularly the cities of Springfield and Hartford, and thus attracted numerous railroad lines. The proliferation of the railroads in Springfield and Hartford greatly decreased the economic importance of the Connecticut River. From the late 1800s until today, it has functioned largely as a center of wildlife and recreation.[33]

Oregon Country, the territory of North America west of the Rockies to the Pacific, was jointly controlled by the U.S. and Britain following the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 until June 15, 1846 when the Oregon Treaty divided the territory at the 49th parallel (see Oregon boundary dispute). The San Juan Islands were claimed and jointly occupied by the U.S. and the U.K. from 1846â€“72 due to ambiguities in the treaty (see Northwestern Boundary Dispute). Arbitration led to the sole U.S. possession of the San Juan Islands since 1872.

A Canadian version with some local content, MSNBC Canada, was launched on September 7, 2001. It was discontinued, however, in 2004. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission then authorized the American version to be carried on Canadian cable and satellite providers. The channel was operated by Rogers Communications and co-owned by Rogers, Shaw Communications, and MSNBC, with each party owning a 33.33 percent voting interest in the service.

If the territory included all the tributaries of the Mississippi on its western bank, the northern reaches of the Purchase extended into the equally ill-defined British possession—Rupert's Land of British North America, now part of Canada. The Purchase originally extended just beyond the 50th parallel. However, the territory north of the 49th parallel (including the Milk River and Poplar River watersheds) was ceded to the UK in exchange for parts of the Red River Basin south of 49th parallel in the Anglo-American Convention of 1818.[citation needed]

In 1884, the United States and Canada played at Newark, New Jersey, making it the first international match held outside of the United Kingdom; the Canadians won the match 1â€“0. The following year, a fixture at the same venue resulted in the U.S. winning after scoring the only goal of the game. Neither match was officially recognized.

Bilateral trade increased by 52% between 1989, when the U.S.â€“Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) went into effect, and 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) superseded it.[citation needed] Trade has since increased by 40%. NAFTA continues the FTA's moves toward reducing trade barriers and establishing agreed-upon trade rules. It also resolves some long-standing bilateral irritants and liberalizes rules in several areas, including agriculture, services, energy, financial services, investment, and government procurement. NAFTA forms the largest trading area in the world, embracing the 405 million people of the three North American countries.

In some Federal systems, many parks are managed by the sub-national levels of government. In Brazil, the United States, and some states in Mexico, as well as in the Australian state of Victoria, these are known as state parks, whereas in Argentina, Canada and South Korea, they are known as provincial or territorial parks. In the United States, it is also common for individual counties to run parks, these are known as county parks.

The Source (Bell) Electronics Inc., doing business as The Source (French: La Source), is a Canadian consumer electronics and cell phone retail chain. The chain goes back over 40 years in Canada, initially as Radio Shack and later as The Source by Circuit City. The Source is now owned by BCE Inc., which purchased the assets of InterTAN from its parent, American retailer Circuit City, in 2009. The Source is a unit of 4458729 Canada Inc. and is based in Barrie, Ontario.

The Canadian legal system has its foundation in the English common law system, inherited from being a former colony of the United Kingdom and later a Commonwealth Realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The legal system is bi-jurisdictional, as the responsibilities of public (includes criminal) and private law are separated and exercised exclusively by Parliament and the provinces respectively. Quebec, however, still retains a civil system for issues of private law (as this domain falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces).


Question: What is the Maxwell Award in college football? (The text complexity, length, and semantic style are the same as the original question, so no changes are needed.)

The Maxwell Award, honoring the best all-around college football player in the United States, is bestowed annually. A panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, NCAA head coaches, and members of the Maxwell Football Club selects the recipient. Named for Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, a Swarthmore College athlete, coach, and journalist, this prestigious accolade has only been won twice by two players: Johnny Lattner (1952, 1953) and Tim Tebow (2007, 2008). It mirrors the Bert Bell Award of the NFL, also awarded by the Maxwell Club.

In early 1966 Jim Brown, who had begun an acting career two years before, was shooting for his second film in London.[123] The Dirty Dozen cast Brown as Robert Jefferson, a convict sent to France during World War II to assassinate German officers meeting at a castle near Rennes in Brittany. Production delays due to bad weather meant he would miss at least the first part of training camp on the campus of Hiram College, which annoyed Modell, who threatened to fine Brown $1,500 for every week of camp he missed.[124] Brown, who had previously said that 1966 would be his last season, announced his retirement instead.[125] At the end of his nine-year career, Brown held records for most rushing yards in a game, a season and a career. He also owned the record for all-purpose yards in a career and best average per carry for a running back at 5.22 yards, a mark that still stands.[126]

This version also included spring drills, an update to the Race for the Heisman mode called Campus Legend (which plays more like NFL Superstar mode in Madden), ESPN integration, and a spring game in Dynasty and Campus Legend modes.

In 1930, there were still many who questioned the quality of the professional game, claiming the college "amateurs" played with more intensity than professionals. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of Notre Dame All Stars at the Polo Grounds to raise money for the unemployed of New York City. It was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game. Knute Rockne reassembled his Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 1924 Championship squad and told them to score early, then defend. Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win.[14] But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and Hap Moran passing for another. Notre Dame failed to score. When it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, "That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt."[15] The game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical.[14] It also was the last game the legendary Rockne ever coached; he was killed in an airplane crash on March 31, 1931.

He was then recruited to play football at Butte College. Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns in his freshman season,[23] leading Butte to a 10â€“1 record, the NorCal Conference championship, and a No. 2 national ranking. While there, he was discovered by the California Golden Bears's head coach Jeff Tedford, who was recruiting Butte tight end Garrett Cross. Tedford was surprised to learn that Rodgers had not been recruited earlier. Because of Rodgers's good high school scholastic record, he was eligible to transfer after one year of junior college instead of the typical two.[24]

The Washington Huskies football team represents the University of Washington in college football. Washington competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies are the defending Pac-12 Champions, beating University of Colorado 41-10 on Dec 2, 2016 in the Pac-12 championship game. The team is currently led by head coach Chris Petersen. Husky Stadium, located on campus, has served as the home field for Washington since 1920.

"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney, although credited to Lennon–McCartney.[4] "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a pop song with dark, eccentric lyrics about a medical student named Maxwell Edison who commits murders with a hammer. The lyrics are disguised by the upbeat, catchy, and rather "childlike" sound of the song.[1] The recording sessions for the track were an acrimonious time for the Beatles, as McCartney pressured his bandmates to work at length on the song. John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were vocal in their dislike of the song. Author Ian MacDonald described it as the "single recording [that] shows why The Beatles broke up".[5]

One of the most famous moments in college football history occurred during the 85th Big Game on November 20, 1982. In what has become known as "the band play" or simply The Play, Cal scored the winning touchdown in the final seconds with a kickoff return that involved a series of laterals and the Stanford marching band rushing onto the field.

Under head coach Scott Frost, the 2017 Knights completed a 13-0 undefeated season, including a win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the Auburn Tigers. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff, but Auburn defeated both participants in the CFP National Championship Game by double-digit scores in the regular season. As a result, UCF athletic director Danny White made a statement that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship, hanging a national title banner and holding an official national championship parade and celebration.[7][218] On January 9, 2018, the Colley Matrix, an NCAA-recognized major selector of FBS national champions, ranked UCF No. 1.[219][220] The NCAA does not officially select a national champion in FBS football.[221][222]

The novel unfolds in a progressive retrospective, with Galt, the son of an Ohio garage mechanic, leaving home at age twelve and beginning college at the fictional Patrick Henry University at age sixteen. There he meets Francisco d'Anconia and Ragnar Danneskjöld, who become his two closest friends. Galt takes a double major in physics and philosophy, and after graduating, he becomes an engineer at the Twentieth Century Motor Company, where he designs a revolutionary new motor powered by ambient static electricity. When the company owner dies and his heirs decide to run the factory by the collectivist maxim, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need", Galt refuses to work there any longer and abandons his motor.

The Erhardt - Perkins system traditionally had a reputation (whether or not earned) of being a traditional smash mouth offense that maximizes a team's time of possession and does not as frequently call upon its running backs to serve as receivers.[2] Erhardt was famous for his adage, "throw to score, run to win."[3] This may have been especially true during the years Bill Parcells ran this system as the head coach of the New York Giants.[4] This system was thought[by whom?] to be particularly well suited for teams playing in harsh outdoor weather conditions of the northeast of the United States.[citation needed]


Question: When was the movie "The Karate Kid" released?

Jaden Smith starred in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid, which was a significant role in his acting career. This film was a reimagining of the original 1984 movie, and it featured Jaden in the lead role alongside Jackie Chan. The 2010 version of The Karate Kid was released in theaters on June 11, 2010.

It was originally intended for the soundtrack of Grandview, U.S.A. and was meant to be about Jamie Lee Curtis' character in the film. However, the song was not used in that film. During production of Dirty Dancing in 1987, Swayze played the demo for producer Linda Gottlieb and director Emile Ardolino. They loved it and passed it on to Jimmy Ienner and Bob Feiden, the soundtrack's executive producers. It was recorded for the soundtrack in November 1986, with Michael Lloyd producing. The song, like the film in which it was featured, was a success, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Adult Contemporary, and was a hit around the world. It is still in circulation on radio. The soundtrack album was number one for 19 weeks.[when?]

Night of the Comet is a 1984 American science fiction horror comedy film written and directed by Thom Eberhardt. It stars Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, and Kelli Maroney as survivors of a comet that has turned most people into either dust or zombies. Night of the Comet grossed $14.4 million in the US on a $700,000 budget. It has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 83% and has since become a cult film, influencing the creation of Buffy Summers.

In 2005, Macchio played himself in the HBO series, Entourage. On May 1, 2007, Macchio played himself in an episode of the Starz series, Head Case. In 2008, he appeared in a VitaminWater commercial that featured NASCAR driver Carl Edwards. Macchio was depicted as Edwards' "spiritual advisor" and dressed in his Karate Kid clothes. Since October 2008, he has appeared in several episodes of the ABC Network television series Ugly Betty as Archie Rodriguez, a local politician, with a semi-regular role as Hilda's love interest on the show. As of November 2008, Macchio was ranked No. 80 among VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars.[9]

By the end of the decade critics had taken notice as well. After January 1989, the month that Vulture would 24 years later find to be the movies' worst January ever, New York Times critic Janet Maslin had had enough. Her idea of "movie hell" she said, included among other indignities having to watch only January releases. "It's well known that January films have a character that is, let us say, distinctive ... What is it that leads film distributors to regard January as just the right resting place for so many flukes, black sheep, wild cards and also-rans?" She allowed that recent years had allowed some good films, such as Radio Days and El Norte, to get attention they might note have in other months of the year. However, that January had had as one its major releases The January Man, a thriller she characterized as aptly titled, despite not even being the worst the month had to offer (that dubious honor went to Deepstar Six).[58]

This 1985 film featuring Jackie Chan was Chan's second American feature film. The movie was noted for being similar to the Dirty Harry series, with inspiration taken therefrom by director James Glickenhaus.

Unlike Kubrick's previous works, which developed audiences gradually through word-of-mouth, The Shining was released as a mass-market film, initially opening in two U.S. cities on Memorial Day, then nationwide within a month.[8] The European release of The Shining a few months later was 25 minutes shorter due to Kubrick's removal of most of the scenes taking place outside the environs of the hotel.

Following the release of The Black Cauldron, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg held a pitch meeting with the animation staff, in which story artist Pete Young pitched the idea to adapt Oliver Twist with dogs. The pitch was quickly approved, and the film quickly went into production under the working title Oliver and the Dodger. Released on the same day as The Land Before Time, Oliver & Company was a box office success, but it received mixed reviews from film critics. The film was re-released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on March 29, 1996. It was then released on home video later that same year, and again in 2002 and 2009 on DVD. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc in 2013, commemorating its 25th Anniversary.

Brooks attempted to follow up his success with a similar romantic drama, If Ever I See You Again (1978), for which Brooks not only co-wrote, produced, directed and scored, but also played the leading role (a successful composer of TV commercial jingles, much like himself in real life), despite having no significant prior acting experience.[3][4][9] Although the title song became a moderate hit for Roberta Flack, peaking at #24 on the Hot 100 chart, the movie received sharply negative reviews and was a box-office bomb.[10] Brooks was subsequently involved in several other films, including directing and scoring Invitation to the Wedding (1983) in which Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud appeared,[2] and co-producing Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) (which Brooks did not score).[4] In the late 1990s, he and his then-wife Christina Bone began developing a film entitled Sara's Life Before It Became a Movie,[19] which was never released.[7]

The film was not immediately successful at the box office when released, but was eventually regarded as a cult classic, which is reflected in a recent comment by Indian Express that film's high recall value even after 27 years, is due to "it(s) superb satirical depiction of the essential, timeless, human condition: supreme self-interest versus some moral/ethical anchor. What made the depiction particularly powerful was its setting: India of the early '80s".[10]

Jeffrey Daniel taught Michael Jackson the moonwalk. He saw Jeffrey do the moonwalk dance on Soul Train, so he had his manager call Soul Train to introduce him to the dancer. Jeffrey was touring with Shalamar at the time so Cooley Jackson and Caszper Candidate went to teach Jackson. However, Michael was not able to pick up and master the technique until Jeffrey returned from tour and worked with him.[citation needed] The dance was popularized in 1983 when Jackson performed it during a television special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, on March 25 of that year. Dressed in his signature black trousers, silver socks, silver shirt, black-sequined jacket, sequined glove, and black fedora, Jackson spun around, posed, and began moonwalking. Music critic Ian Inglis later wrote that Jackson encapsulated a long tradition of African-American dance movements in that one performance.[14] The audience cheered Michael's moonwalk. Moonwalking received widespread attention, and from then on, the moonwalk became Jackson's signature move for his song "Billie Jean". Nelson George said that Jackson's rendition "combined Jackie Wilson's athleticism with James Brown's camel walk". Michael Jackson's autobiography was titled Moonwalk, and he also starred in a 1988 film titled Moonwalker.