Question: Who is the song "Diamonds and Rust" about?

In "Diamonds & Rust," Joan Baez reflects on an unexpected phone call from a former partner, which transports her back to the mid-1960s in Greenwich Village. She reminisces about gifting him a set of cuff-links and encapsulates the bittersweet nature of recollections as "diamonds and rust." Baez has acknowledged that the song's lyrics are inspired by her past relationship with Bob Dylan.

The song describes a person who saw a young shepherdess sitting alone feeding her sheep near a mountain. The other shepherds did not know where she was at the time. Her lover, Amyntas, goes looking for her and wanders through the hills playing hide and seek. Eventually he finds her, and when he does, they fall down and start kissing. The lyrics have a humorous ribald twist with the words "up and down he wandered". The first time it refers to the hide and seek game. The second time it refers to the kissing. "oh then they fell a kissing, up and down he wandered".

Except to acknowledge that he first learned about Buddy Holly's death on February 3, 1959—McLean was age 13—when he was folding newspapers for his paper route on the morning of February 4, 1959 (the line "February made me shiver/with every paper I'd deliver"), McLean has generally avoided responding to direct questions about the song's lyrics; he has said: "They're beyond analysis. They're poetry."[4][9] He also stated in an editorial published in 2009, on the 50th anniversary of the crash that killed Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, that writing the first verse of the song exorcised his long-running grief over Holly's death and that he considers the song to be "a big song ... that summed up the world known as America".[10] McLean dedicated the American Pie album to Holly.

The song was written by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, the latter two also producing the track.[5] When Swift previewed the song on Good Morning America on October 8, 2012, she said that it was "one of [the singer's] favorite songs on the album because it sounds just as chaotic as the feeling was when I wrote it. The song is about being frustrated with yourself because here you are heart-broken and you knew when you first saw that person you saw all these red flags and you just went for it anyway, so shame on me."[6][7] Initially the media had speculated the song to be about her ex-boyfriend, singer John Mayer, in light of her previous song "Dear John" from her third studio album, Speak Now (2010).[8] In an interview with MTV, Swift further explained that the song told the story of a good girl falling for the bad boy and continues about a "toxic relationship" between them, resulting in break-up.[9] Talking in-depth about "I Knew You Were Trouble":

"Spirit in the Sky" contains lyrics about the afterlife, making several references to Jesus, although Greenbaum is Jewish. (In a VH1 episode about famous one-hit wonders, Alice Cooper said that he was surprised to hear someone with a Jewish-sounding last name performing a song that seemed to be about Jesus.) Greenbaum recorded his first solo album with Jacobsen for Reprise Records. The song's arrangement came together in the studio in San Francisco where lead guitarist Russell DaShiell, bass player Doug Killmer from the band Crowfoot and drummer Norman Mayell worked with Greenbaum. According to one source[4] and to DaShiell, Greenbaum used a Fender Telecaster with a fuzz box built into the body to generate the song's characteristic guitar sound. Moreover, DaShiell[6] explained how he created the song's distinctive "beeping" fills:

The song is split into distinct segments: a groupie (Trudy Young) performs a monologue ("Oh my God, what a fabulous room!") while a television plays, under which a synthesizer makes atonal noises, which eventually resolve into a quiet song in C major in 3/4 time ("Day after day / Love turns gray / Like the skin of a dying man."). Finally, the song abruptly leaps into a hard rock song in B-flat major in 4/4 time. The song features some of Waters' most strenuous recorded vocal workouts, with him ending at a relatively high A above middle C.[3]

In 2017, Bob Dylan was asked about how he was referenced in the song. "A jester? Sure, the jester writes songs like 'Masters of War,' 'A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,' 'It’s Alright, Ma' – some jester. I have to think he’s talking about somebody else. Ask him."[23]

In 1978, Zevon released Excitable Boy (produced by Jackson Browne and guitarist Waddy Wachtel) to critical acclaim and popular success. The title tune is about a juvenile sociopath's murderous prom night, referred to "Little Susie", the heroine of his former employer the Everly Brothers's song "Wake Up Little Susie", while songs such as "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Lawyers, Guns and Money" used deadpan humor to wed geopolitical subtexts to hard-boiled narratives. Tracks from this album received heavy FM airplay, and the single release "Werewolves of London", which featured Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, was a relatively lighthearted version of Zevon's signature macabre outlook and a Top 30 success.

A rumor that the song was based on a bad date with Bianca Jagger, Mick Jagger's first wife, is not true. In an interview in 2006, Billy Joel said, "I read that the song 'Big Shot' is said to be about a date I had with Bianca Jagger. I never had a date with Bianca Jagger."[1] But in an interview with Howard Stern on November 16, 2010, Joel admitted that the song was written after having dinner with Mick and Bianca Jagger. Joel told Stern that while writing the lyrics to "Big Shot," he was thinking of Mick singing the song to Bianca.[2]

Another Side of Bob Dylan, recorded on a single evening in June 1964,[77] had a lighter mood. The humorous Dylan reemerged on "I Shall Be Free No.Â 10" and "Motorpsycho Nightmare". "Spanish Harlem Incident" and "To Ramona" are passionate love songs, while "Black Crow Blues" and "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)" suggest the rock and roll soon to dominate Dylan's music. "It Ain't Me Babe", on the surface a song about spurned love, has been described as a rejection of the role of political spokesman thrust upon him.[78] His newest direction was signaled by two lengthy songs: the impressionistic "Chimes of Freedom", which sets social commentary against a metaphorical landscape in a style characterized by Allen Ginsberg as "chains of flashing images,"[79] and "My Back Pages", which attacks the simplistic and arch seriousness of his own earlier topical songs and seems to predict the backlash he was about to encounter from his former champions as he took a new direction.[80]

After another five-year layoff, Zevon signed with industry veteran Danny Goldberg's Artemis Records and again rebounded with the mortality-themed 2000 release Life'll Kill Ya, containing the hymn-like "Don't Let Us Get Sick" and an austere version of Steve Winwood's 1980s hit "Back in the High Life Again". With record sale brisk and music critics giving Zevon his best notices since Excitable Boy, Life'll Kill Ya is seen as his second comeback. He followed with the album My Ride's Here (2002), with its morbid prescience of things to come; the album included "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" (co-written by Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, and featuring Paul Shaffer, the Late Night band, and a spoken vocal from TV host David Letterman) and the ballad "Genius" (later used as the title of an anthology of Zevon's recordings, in 2002), with a string section that attests to the lasting influence of Stravinsky on Zevon's work.


Question: Who portrayed the oldest brother in 7th Heaven?

In the television series "7th Heaven," the oldest brother, Matthew "Matt" Camden, is portrayed by Barry Watson. Born in 1980, Matt is the first child of Annie and Eric Camden. At the start of the series, Matt is a high school junior, known for his willingness to help others and respect their privacy. Throughout high school, he holds various jobs, including tutoring and working as a Dairy Shack delivery driver. Despite not always excelling academically, Matt graduates as a top student and secures a White House internship with First Lady Hillary Clinton. He later returns to Glenoak for college, living with his friend John Hamilton. Influenced by his uncle, Dr. Hank Hastings, Matt works in a hospital cafeteria and decides to pursue a career in medicine. He eventually works at a women's clinic with his uncle, where he plays a crucial role in saving a woman's life by recognizing the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy that others had overlooked.

During the time he spent on Ryan's Hope he acted in the play Liars by Elliot Meyers directed by Shellen Lubin at the Producers Club Theatre. Eight months later, he was cast as Linc Lafferty on As the World Turns. He stayed there for the next two years. A year later he came out to Los Angeles and acted in several commercials. In 1997 he got the role of Trent Malloy in a two-hour Walker, Texas Ranger movie called Sons of Thunder. The role became a recurring one for Jimmy, who went on to guest star in several more episodes of the long-running series. In 1999, a spin-off series called Sons of Thunder was created with Jimmy in one of the lead roles. Despite ratings higher than those of the show it replaced, the show was canceled after five episodes because CBS felt it was too expensive.[citation needed]

At age six, Herbst stated she wanted to be on television so that she could play with the toys; she began filming commercials and has since appeared in over 60 nationally.[4] She has guest-starred in television series including: Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, Beverly Hills, 90210, Step By Step, Boy Meets World, Sister, Sister, Days of Our Lives and Brotherly Love.[4] She starred in films including Kaleidoscope, Why Me? and Hefner: Unauthorized.[4] She was also featured in the Goo Goo Dolls 1995 music video "Naked". She was a series regular as Suzee on the second season of the Nickelodeon show, Space Cases from 1996â€“97.

Played by Blair Redford, Tyler "Ty" Mendoza is the older ex-boyfriend of Bay Kennish. He is an old friend of Regina and Daphne. Daphne considers him her older brother. In the episode "Dogs Playing Poker," Ty admits he has enlisted in the army. He calls Bay later and she tells him she is dating Emmett. In "Mother and Daughter Divide" Ty returns home and hopes that he and Bay will start back up where they left off, but struggles to readjust to life after war. When he's scheduled to return to combat, Bay tries to get him to stay in Mission Hills. Later, at Toby and Nikki's wedding rehearsal dinner, Bay tells Ty about her plans to graduate early and go to art school in Berlin so they might still be together. Ty appears less than excited about Bay's plan and tells her no one knows what will happen.

Steven Hill (born Solomon Krakovsky; February 24, 1922 – August 23, 2016) was an American actor. His two better-known roles are district attorney Adam Schiff on the NBC television drama series Law & Order, whom he portrayed for 10 seasons (1990–2000), and Dan Briggs, the original team leader of the Impossible Missions Force on the CBS television series Mission: Impossible, whom he portrayed in the initial season of the show (1966–1967).

Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968)[2] is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson, with whom he shared writing and acting credits for Bottle Rocket (1996) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), the latter of which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. His older brother Andrew and younger brother Luke are also actors. He is known for his roles in Frat Pack comedies as well as voicing Lightning McQueen in the Cars franchise.

One of his most well known roles, that of Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show, earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 1986. He played the father of lead character Cliff Huxtable, played by actor Bill Cosby, despite only being 11 years older than Cosby.[7]

Christian has played Mike Montgomery, lead character Aria Montgomery's younger brother, on the Freeform television series Pretty Little Liars,[8] since 2010. Other acting credits include appearances on television series True Blood, Grey's Anatomy and Back to You with Laura Marano, and in the 2011 film Kill the Irishman. Christian starred in the 2013 film The Starving Games, a parody of The Hunger Games films.[9][10]

East was born Jeffrey Franklin East on October 27, 1957, in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents Ira and Joan Ann East. His father worked in real estate and his mother was a home-maker.[1] East grew up with three siblings; an older sister named Anne, an older brother named Ronald, and a twin sister named Jane.[1][2]

Baldwin's first acting role was as Billy Aldrich in the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors from 1980 to 1982. In fall 1983, he starred in the short-lived television series Cutter to Houston. He went on to appear as the brother of Valene Ewing and son of Lilimae Clements (played by Joan Van Ark and Julie Harris, respectively) in Knots Landing from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, Baldwin starred in Dress Gray, a four-hour made-for-television miniseries, as an honest cadet sergeant who tries to solve the mystery of a murdered gay classmate.[23] In 1998, he became the third narrator and George Carlin's replacement for the fifth and sixth seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. In 2000, he starred in "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" as Mister Conductor. He left the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends series in 2002 on winning the role of Lawrence Quinn in The Cat in the Hat and was replaced by Michael Brandon.

One of nine siblings, Pankow was influenced by his musician father, Wayne. He is the older brother of veteran actor John Pankow.[1] His Notre Dame High School band instructor was Father George Wiskirchen, CSC


Question: Who performed the lead vocals on "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"?

In "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," the lead vocals are shared in an ensemble style among the Temptations members Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, and Damon Harris. They take turns as siblings interrogating their mother about their deceased father, with her lamenting response ("Papa was a rollin' stone/wherever he laid his hat was his home/and when he died, all he left us was alone") creating a poignant narrative for the children who knew little about their father and only heard negative stories about him.

"Rolling in the Deep" as sung by Rachel and Jesse received considerable praise, though Berk gave it a single star because it was an Adele song, and Entertainment Weekly's Sandra Gonzalez would have given it an "A" if she had "never heard the Adele version", but as she had, gave it a "Bâˆ’" instead.[33][34] Among the many favorable comments, John Kubicek of BuddyTV called it "one of the best vocal performances this show has ever seen".[35] Benigno complimented Groff and Michele's "fantastic voices", gave the song an "A" and wrote simply, "they crush it".[32] Rolling Stone's Erica Futterman called the performance a "passion-filled winner", though she detected "some oversinging".[14]

Temple of the Dog was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. It was conceived by vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of the bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. The line-up included Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar (both ex-members of Mother Love Bone), Mike McCready on lead guitar, and Matt Cameron on drums. Eddie Vedder appeared as a guest to provide some lead and backing vocals.

"I Want You Back" was released on October 7, 1969[5] and was the first Jackson 5 single to be released by Motown[6] and the first song written and produced by The Corporation, a team comprising Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, and Deke Richards.[4] It also is the first of four Jackson 5 number-ones released in a row (the others being "ABC" – 1970, "The Love You Save" – 1970, and "I'll Be There" – 1970) and the first Jackson 5 song recorded in Los Angeles, California; the quintet had previously been recording Bobby Taylor-produced remakes of other artists' hits, including "Who's Lovin' You", the B-side to "I Want You Back", at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan. The "I Want You Back" bassline is considered by many as the greatest of all time[by whom?] and thus has sparked many debates about who played the bass during the recording. Famously The Funk Brothers were Motown's backup musicians and after the company's relocation to Los Angeles band members changed.[7] Many tend to believe that it was James Jamerson who played the bass during recording but he was most active from 1962-1968. During the later years of his career Jamerson had grown unreliable due to substance abuse.[7] Most evidence suggest that a new member of the Funk Brothers, Wilton Felder, was the bassist.[8]

Lovett originally considered the song a country tune more appropriate to be sung by Glen Campbell or Charley Pride. He decided to do it with his group. Manhattans lead singer Gerald Alston is featured on the originally released recording following Lovett's spoken introduction.

At a Pearl Jam show at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, California, on October 28, 2003, Cornell joined the band on-stage, effectively reuniting Temple of the Dog (Cameron had been the drummer for Pearl Jam since 1998) for renditions of "Hunger Strike" and "Reach Down".[19] Cornell also performed Audioslave's "Like a Stone" and Chris Cornell's "Can't Change Me". The version of "Reach Down" recorded that night later appeared on Pearl Jam's 2003 fan club Christmas single. Pearl Jam has also been known to perform "Hunger Strike" live without Cornell on rare occasions.[20][21]

"2000 Man" was covered by KISS on their 1979 album Dynasty featuring lead guitarist Ace Frehley on lead vocals. Ace also used the song as the "icebreaker" when the original lineup performed on KISS Unplugged (1996).

The song was arranged and produced by LaFlamme and sung as a duet between him and group member Patti Santos. A prominent stylistic feature of the song's original arrangement are multiple violin parts overdubbed by LaFlamme.

Although Pankow is not one of the band's principal vocalists, he sang lead vocals for two Chicago songs: "You Are On My Mind" (from Chicago X, 1976) and "Till the End of Time" (Chicago XI, 1977).

The lyrics of the song tell of someone who is manipulative, but when faced with their own medicine, can't handle it, hence the song's title. The song was a change for the group in that it was their first single where the two female members took the lead vocals on the track - according to the group, this was done due to requests from fans. It has also been noted that the faint reggae beat on the track gives it a slight variation on the group's usually straightforward pop. The song received a positive review from Record Mirror magazine, which complimented the song's production values, calling it “Another truly staggering pseudo-dramatic epic”.[5] It was also well received by Smash Hits which said "Bucks Fizz still know how to make really cultured pop singles" while also complimenting the production.[6]

The members continued with their session work despite the success of the band.[1] In March 1970, Cook, Bell, Parker and Morgan appeared on Elton John's eponymous first solo album; Elton John covered "Good Morning Freedom" (written by Albert Hammond) anonymously on the Deacon Records budget compilation album Pick of the Pops.[1] In April, Cook and Greenaway played briefly in Currant Kraze, and together they continued to write songs such as "You've Got Your Troubles", "I've Got You on My Mind" and "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing".[1] Other side projects included: involvement with Parker's band The Congregation; Herbie Flowers' contributions to Lou Reed's Transformer album;[1] and the involvement of Flowers, Morgan and Parker in sessions with Pete Atkin in March 1971, that later appeared on his Driving Through Mythical America album.


Question: Where was the movie War of the Planet of the Apes filmed?

Principal photography for War for the Planet of the Apes started on October 14, 2015, in Vancouver's Lower Mainland, using the code name Hidden Fortress.[29][30] The production was scheduled to remain in the area until early March 2016.[31] It was anticipated that certain scenes would be filmed over five days in the Kananaskis region in late January and early February.[32] In March, Serkis announced that he had completed his part of the filming.[33]

Some principal photography took place at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.[6] Most filming occurred in Boston, New York City, and in Salem, Massachusetts.[citation needed]

Filming began on September 13, 1993, and ended on November 20, 1993. The scenes at the fictional "Fort McClane" were actually filmed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The production trailers were set up alongside the barracks on "Tank Hill". During the filming, countless soldiers were filmed doing P.T. (physical training) and B.R.M. (basic rifle marksmanship), and the graduation scene of the film was shot during numerous takes of an actual basic training graduation. The scene of Danny DeVito on a pay phone was shot at a phone bank that countless soldiers have used to call home during basic training. The scenes of DeVito going over the bridge from Detroit to Canada are actually him driving over the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Point Edward, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan.

The exterior of Monica Bannan's house was actually filmed in Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada, a location that Spotnitz found to be beautiful but extremely cold. Although the location is shown in exterior shots incorporated into the scene in which Fox Mulder (Duchovny), Whitney (Amanda Peet), Drummy (Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner), and Father Joe (Billy Connolly) drove to the missing agent's home, the same scene also includes footage of the actors that was filmed on a stage, using a rear projection to show the exterior from inside the car. The latter method was used for all the shots in which any of the travelers appear.[19]

The film was first anticipated in November 2001 to follow the conclusion of the ninth season of the television series, but it remained in development hell for six years before entering production in December 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The film premiered on July 23, 2008, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood before opening theatrically two days later on July 25. Since its release, the film has received mixed reviews from critics.

Principal photography was again delayed and eventually started on December 1, 2013.[56] Scenes were filmed in the Gastown district of Vancouver.[57] Bentall 5 was used as the Grey Enterprises building.[58][59]

After the war, the combat aircraft featured in the film were being destroyed and disassembled for reuse as scrap material. The scene of Derry's walking among aircraft ruins was filmed at the Ontario Army Air Field in Ontario, California. The former training facility had been converted into a scrap yard, housing nearly 2,000 former combat aircraft in various states of disassembly and reclamation.[13]

On the soundstage at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California, separate sets for each main room were built, one right-side-up and the other upside down. The upside-down ballroom set was built on top of a large water tank in the soundstage so that it could be filled with water and drained in a matter of hours. The interior and exterior shots of the ship rolling were constructed using computer-generated imagery.

In October 2016, it was announced that a fourth Planet of the Apes film is already being planned.[69][70]

Filming began in April in New York City and Buffalo, spending about $70 million in the state.[42] Filming began on April 27, 2015, when the film crew was spotted filming in Midtown Manhattan and moved out to Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.[43] Filming in Buffalo began on May 4, 2015, along the Kensington Expressway[44][45] and ended May 17, 2015.[46] Filming wrapped up in August 2015.[47][48] Additional filming occurred in New York City on January 30, and ended on February 1. Farelly and Williams recorded additional dialogue for the film in February 2016.[49][unreliable source]

In August 2015, Deadline reported that Gabriel Chavarria had been cast as one of the humans in the film.[28] In September 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Woody Harrelson had been cast as the film's antagonist, and that Chavarria's role was supporting.[15] In October 2015, TheWrap reported that Steve Zahn was cast as a new ape in the film.[9] It was also announced that actress Amiah Miller was cast as one of the film's humans, with Judy Greer and Karin Konoval reprising their roles as Cornelia and Maurice,[8][17] while Aleks Paunovic and Sara Canning were cast as new apes.[14][12]


Question: Who was the actress that portrayed Cindy Lou Who?

Taylor Momsen, born on July 26, 1993, is a multi-talented American artist known for her career as a singer, songwriter, former actress, and model. She gained recognition as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Pretty Reckless and for her acting roles, including Jenny Humphrey in the CW's Gossip Girl (2007-2012) and the iconic part of Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film adaptation of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Garner played a mother for the first time in 2012,[5] starring opposite Joel Edgerton, in the drama The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which followed a magical pre-adolescent boy whose personality and naïveté have profound effects on the people in his town.[83] The film received mixed reviews from critics and made a modest US$56 million worldwide.[84][85] Claudia Puig of USA Today found her "convincing as a warm-hearted, if tense, mom"[86] while Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune said she brought "fervent sincerity and a welcome touch of comic eccentricity" to the role.[87] Also in 2012, Garner starred in the satirical comedy Butter, in which she played an overly competitive and socially ambitious woman participating in a local butter sculpturing competition in a small Iowa town. Distributed for a limited release in certain parts of the United States only, Butter received mixed reviews and grossed US$105,018.[88][89] Peter Debruge of Variety praised "the best bigscreen use of Jennifer Garner's comedy gifts since 13 Going on 30"[90] while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described her as the "best in show" : "[She] knows how to play comedy of the absurd."[91] However, Scott Bowles of USA Today remarked: "Garner is a terrific actress, but here she's asked to cackle her lines in a voice a full octave above her natural one."[92] Also in 2012, she appeared opposite Alfred Molina in the YouTube short Serena,[93] and became a spokesperson for food company Luvo.[94]

She has since appeared in the movies With Honors, Little Odessa, The Tie That Binds and Dangerous Beauty amongst others, and provided the adult voice of Nala in Disney's The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and The Lion King 1½. In her independent film career, Kelly had the starring role of activist Dorothy Day in Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story and starred alongside Glenn Close in The Safety of Objects. She played Helen Keller in the made-for-TV movie Monday After the Miracle, which broadcast on November 15, 1998, on CBS.

Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934)[1] is an American actress and singer. In her six decades of show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), and The Music Man (1962). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer Gantry (1960). She played the lead role of Shirley Partridge, the widowed mother of five children, in the musical situation-comedy television series The Partridge Family (1970â€“74), which co-starred her real-life stepson David Cassidy, son of Jack Cassidy.

Joe Roth and Revolution Studios bought the film rights to Fantastic Mr Fox in 2004. In 2006, Mark Mothersbaugh stated that he was working on the soundtrack.[4] Wes Anderson signed on as director with Henry Selick, who worked with Anderson on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, as animation director. Anderson stated that he signed on because Roald Dahl was one of his heroes.[5] Originally, Cate Blanchett was prearranged to voice Mrs. Fox, but she left the role for undisclosed reasons.[6]

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is known for performing the fairy Abby Cadabby on the PBS Kids show Sesame Street, for which she was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for best performer in a children's series. She is also known for her puppeteer role as Ginger on Playhouse Disney's Johnny and the Sprites. She performed the muppet Jesse for Sesame Street's military outreach project Touch, Listen, and Connect, which starred Katie Couric. Carrara-Rudolph plays various characters on Sesame Street throughout the season. She got her start on ABC's Muppets Tonight as Spamela Hamderson. Other puppeteering credits include Edi the Zebra on the Learning Channel's Animal Jam and the evil blonde vampire puppet in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Carrara-Rudolph is one of the founding members of the Henson improv group Puppet Up!, which was later renamed Stuffed and Unstrung. She was part of the improv cast for its debut at the Aspen Comedy Festival. She toured with them to the Australian comedy festival and was a cast member for the off-Broadway show at the Union Square Theater. She also played the main role of Blue, the female blue puppy in Nick Jr.'s Blue's Room.

Brightman performed "Pie Jesu" and "There You'll Be" at the United States Memorial Day concert on 25 May 2008 held on the west lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington DC. The show was broadcast live on PBS before a concert audience of 300,000, as well as to American troops serving around the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.[71][72] Brightman made her feature film debut as Blind Mag in the rock musical film Repo! The Genetic Opera which was released on 7 November 2008.[73][74][75] Brightman was cast in the film at the last minute after the original actress who was cast for the role was dropped.[75]

Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938)[1] is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Emmett "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Merlock the Magician in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel Addams Family Values (1993), and Grigori Rasputin in Anastasia (1997).

Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Anthony DeCurtis said that casting six different actors, including a woman and an African-American child, to play Dylan was "a preposterous idea, the sort of self-consciously 'audacious'—or reassuringly multi-culti—gambit that, for instance, doomed the Broadway musical based on the life and music of John Lennon. Yet in I'm Not There, the strategy works brilliantly." He especially praised Blanchett:

Marley Eve Shelton (born April 12, 1974) is an American actress. She made her film debut in Grand Canyon (1991), and followed with a line of roles in films aimed at teenage audiences, including The Sandlot (1993), Pleasantville (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Sugar & Spice (2001) and Valentine (2001). Shelton has found larger recognition for her appearances in Sin City (2005), Grindhouse (2007) and Scream 4 (2011), and has also starred in numerous independent films throughout her career, including Just a Kiss (2002), Grand Theft Parsons (2003), Women in Trouble (2009), (Untitled) (2009), Elektra Luxx (2010), The Mighty Macs (2011), and Decoding Annie Parker (2014). She recently starred in the short-lived Lifetime show The Lottery (2014).

On February 26, 2014, it was announced that Taraji P. Henson, best known for her Academy Award nominated performance in the 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and her most recent stint on the CBS drama, Person of Interest had been cast in the role of Cookie Lyon. After being released from a 17-year prison stint, Cookie challenges her ex-husband Lucious for half Empire Entertainment, which was initially launched with money Cookie made from selling drugs.[5] Knowing they would need well established actors to carry the series, executives at Fox reached out to Henson. Henson who had just ended her stint on Person of Interest in 2013 said she was done with television. However, Henson's manager sent her the script for Empire anyway.[6] Lee Daniels said that Henson was who he "envisioned" when he first thought of the character.[7] Daniels recalled that she actually wanted the title role in his 2009 film, Precious, a role that later went to Gabourey Sidibe, for which he said "she's out of her mind."[8] Actress and comedian Mo'Nique who also co-starred in the film Precious as the mother of the title character (portrayed by Sidibe)—for which she won an Academy Award—revealed that Daniels had also offered her the role of Cookie, but the network rejected the idea accusing her of being "difficult."[9]


Question: I would die to protect your right to express it.

In her book "The Friends of Voltaire," Evelyn Beatrice Hall penned the famous line: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," which encapsulates Voltaire's commitment to freedom of speech and is often incorrectly attributed to him. This quote is widely used to symbolize the principle of defending the right to free expression.

While accepting the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist Video that year for "Sleep To Dream", Fiona Apple appealed to her audience not to be enamored of celebrity culture. She proclaimed, "this world is bullshit" and quoted Maya Angelou, saying "go with yourself." Though her comments were generally greeted with cheers and applause at the awards ceremony, the media backlash was huge. Some considered her remarks to be hypocritical, seeing a contradiction between her appearance in a risquÃ© music video in only her underwear and her telling young women to ignore celebrity culture. However she was unapologetic: "When I have something to say, I'll say it."[33][34][35]

The theme of opposition to the war that pervades the show is unified by the plot thread that progresses through the book â€“ Claude's moral dilemma over whether to burn his draft card.[61] Pacifism is explored throughout the extended trip sequence in Act 2. The lyrics to "Three-Five-Zero-Zero", which is sung during that sequence, evoke the horrors of war ("ripped open by metal explosion").[74] The song is based on Allen Ginsberg's 1966 poem, "Wichita Vortex Sutra". In the poem, General Maxwell Taylor proudly reports to the press the number of enemy soldiers killed in one month, repeating it digit by digit, for effect: "Three-Five-Zero-Zero." The song begins with images of death and dying and turns into a manic dance number, echoing Maxwell's glee at reporting the enemy casualties, as the tribe chants "Take weapons up and begin to kill".[61] The song also includes the repeated phrase "Prisoners in niggertown/ It's a dirty little war".[63]

"Liberty enlightening the world," indeed! The expression makes us sick. This government is a howling farce. It can not or rather does not protect its citizens within its own borders. Shove the Bartholdi statue, torch and all, into the ocean until the "liberty" of this country is such as to make it possible for an inoffensive and industrious colored man to earn a respectable living for himself and family, without being ku-kluxed, perhaps murdered, his daughter and wife outraged, and his property destroyed. The idea of the "liberty" of this country "enlightening the world," or even Patagonia, is ridiculous in the extreme.[106]

Muslim women do not necessarily view the hijab as oppressive garment that is forced upon them as many westerners believe. Syima Aslam, a Muslim businesswoman from England, feels a special place for the hijab in her heart and feels that it directly connects her to Islam. Although she garners some disdain and disapproval of her choice to wear the hijab from some business partners, she stands firmly by her choice to don the hijab.[41] Another young woman by the name of Rowaida Abdelaziz explains that the hijab is something that she has decided to wear herself and she "does not wear it because [she] is submissive".[42] Another young woman by the name of Sarah Hekmati says that the hijab gives her a sense of freedom and that she likes the idea that a man should know a woman through her intellectual prowess rather than her looks.[42] In her book, Do Muslim Women Need Saving?, Abu-Lughod mentions a former Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who wrote an autobiography titled Infidel. Hirsi Ali writes about the positive experience she has had living as Muslim and wearing the black garments and veil. Hirsi Ali says, "[the Islamic dress] had a thrill to it, a sensuous feeling. It made me feel empowered... I was unique [...] it made me feel like an individual. It sent out a message of superiority [...]". Hirsi Ali is among those who support the hijab. When she wore it, she did not feel oppressed, but instead empowered and individualized.[43] There seems to be a trend of modern Muslim women standing up for their right to wear the hijab and a desire to show pride for Islam and to show their devotion to Islam in wearing the hijab, and expressing their positive sentiments regarding the hijab in the media.

Corgan has said that "For the solo in 'Fuck You (An Ode to No One),' I played until my fingers saw blood, You can't play a weak guitar solo in such a propulsive song. It's got to be attack-style." He explains this method by saying "... I put on the headphones and stand one foot away from the amp. I turn the amp up so loud that I literally have to play harder than the feedback, because if I stop playing even for an instant, the whole thing explodes."[20]

In 1988, shortly after the release of their second album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy were preparing for the European leg of the Run's House tour with Run–D.M.C.[1] Before embarking on the tour, film director Spike Lee approached Public Enemy with the proposition of making a song for one of his movies.[1] Lee, who was directing Do the Right Thing, sought to use the song as a leitmotif in the film about racial tension in a Brooklyn, New York neighborhood.[2] He said of his decision in a subsequent interview for Time, "I wanted it to be defiant, I wanted it to be angry, I wanted it to be very rhythmic. I thought right away of Public Enemy".[3] At a meeting in Lower Manhattan, Lee told lead MC Chuck D, producer Hank Shocklee of The Bomb Squad, and executive producer Bill Stephney that he needed an anthemic song for the film.[4]

In the song, Bono included the lyric: "Jara sang, his song a weapon in the hands of love / You know his blood still cries from the ground". This refers to the Chilean political activist and folk singer Víctor Jara, who became a symbol of the resistance against the Augusto Pinochet military dictatorship after he was tortured and killed during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.[19] Bono learned of Jara after meeting René Castro, a Chilean mural artist, while on Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope tour. Castro had been tortured and held in a concentration camp for two years by the military because his artwork criticised the Pinochet-led regime that had seized power in 1973 during the coup.[20] While purchasing a silkscreen of Martin Luther King, Jr. that Castro had created, Bono noticed a print of Jara.[19][21] He became more familiar with him after reading Una Canción Truncada (An Unfinished Song), written by Jara's widow Joan Turner.[19]

Due to the non-chronological story telling, other parts of Billy's life are told throughout the book. After being evicted from the radio studio, Barbara treats Billy as a child and often monitors him. Robert becomes starkly anti-Communist and a Green Beret. Billy eventually dies in 1976 after giving a speech in a baseball stadium in which he predicts his own death and claims that "if you think death is a terrible thing, then you have not understood a word I've said." Billy is soon after shot by an assassin with a laser gun, commissioned by the elderly Lazzaro.

Through a post on the band's Facebook page, vocalist Brent Smith described "Cut the Cord" as "the statement to the world that you will not give up, you will not give in, and you refuse to fail."[2] In an interview with the American magazine Billboard, Smith said the song was "brutally honest and unapologetic." He also described it as essentially "a wake-up call reminding us all that we can control our own destiny by finding the courage and tenacity to destroy whatever it is that's holding us back."[3]

CNN said the controversy showed that a culture war was at play, in part because of what GLAAD characterized as "offensive depictions of minorities" in public discourse. Republican Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and others, mostly conservatives, noted the issue as a First Amendment right to free speech,[95][96][97][98] while others[who?] said that the First Amendment did not apply.[99]


Question: When does "The Turn of the Screw" take place?

"The Turn of the Screw," a novella by Henry James, was first published in 1898. It was initially serialized in Collier's Weekly magazine from January 27 to April 16, 1898. Later that year, in October, it was included in the collection "The Two Magics," which was published by Macmillan in New York and Heinemann in London. The novella, which falls under the gothic and ghost story genres, has since become a classic.

The medieval scholar M. R. James wrote highly regarded ghost stories in contemporary settings.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature, widely read in US high schools and middle schools.[1] The story takes place during three years of the Great Depression in the fictional Maycomb, Alabama.

The stories were first published in magazines in 1893â€“94. The original publications contain illustrations, some by the author's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Rudyard Kipling was born in India and spent the first six years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India and worked there for about six-and-a-half years. These stories were written when Kipling lived in Naulakha, the home he built in Dummerston, Vermont, in the United States.[3] There is evidence that Kipling wrote the collection of stories for his daughter Josephine, who died from pneumonia in 1899, aged 6; a first edition of the book with a handwritten note by the author to his young daughter was discovered at the National Trust's Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire, England, in 2010.[4]

Many scholars, including Lonsdale, believe that the poem's message is too universal to require a specific event or place for inspiration, but Gray's letters suggest that there were historical influences in its composition.[48] In particular, it is possible that Gray was interested in debates over the treatment of the poor, and that he supported the political structure of his day, which was to support the poor who worked but look down on those that refused to. However, Gray's message is incomplete, because he ignored the poor's past rebellions and struggles.[49] The poem ignores politics to focus on various comparisons between a rural and urban life in a psychological manner. The argument between living a rural life or urban life lets Gray discuss questions that answer how he should live his own life, but the conclusion of the poem does not resolve the debate as the narrator is able to recreate himself in a manner that reconciles both types of life while arguing that poetry is capable of preserving those who have died.[50] It is probable that Gray wanted to promote the hard work of the poor but to do nothing to change their social position. Instead of making claims of economic injustice, Gray accommodates differing political views. This is furthered by the ambiguity in many of the poem's lines, including the statement "Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood" that could be read either as Oliver Cromwell being guiltless for violence during the English Civil War or merely as villagers being compared to the guilty Cromwell. The poem's primary message is to promote the idea of "Englishness", and the pastoral English countryside. The earlier version lacks many of the later version's English aspects, especially as Gray replaced many classical figures with English ones: Cato the Younger by Hampden, Tully by Milton, and Julius Caesar by Cromwell.[51]

The Burtons, brother and sister, arrive in a small village, soon receiving an anonymous letter accusing them of being lovers, not siblings. They are not the only ones in the village to receive such vile letters. A prominent resident is found dead with one such letter found next to her. This novel features the elderly detective Miss Marple in a relatively minor role, "a little old lady sleuth who doesn't seem to do much".[3] She enters the story after the police have failed to solve the crime in the final quarter of the book, and in a handful of scenes.

The book is set at the end of the nineteenth century. The protagonist is a 14-year-old boy named Jay Berry Lee, who had enjoyed an idyllic childhood. Born to Missouri sharecroppers, he moves with his family to Oklahoma after his grandfather offers them free land. Daisy, his sister, has a crippled leg, and they devote much effort to gaining enough money to pay for reconstructive surgery. One day, while looking for their lost milk cow, Jay Berry discovers monkeys in a nearby river bottom. Visiting his grandfather's store, he learns that they have escaped from a travelling circus, which has offered a vast reward for their capture: $100 for the chief monkey, "Jimbo", and $2 each for the others. Jay Berry makes multiple attempts to capture them using traps and a net borrowed from his grandfather, but he gains only scratches and bites from them, at one point even losing his pants in the process.

Set in England during the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the series presents an alternative history where magic is widely acknowledged, but rarely practised. Living in the rural north, Mr Norrell (Eddie Marsan) of Hurtfew Abbey is able to make the statues of York Minster talk and move. His manservant John Childermass (Enzo Cilenti) persuades him to travel to London to help in the war against France.

The Haunted Mansion Holiday takes place shortly after the events of the film it conjoins with, The Nightmare Before Christmas, where Jack Skellington, who tried to create his very own twisted Christmas in a Halloween-style overlay in the movie, now discovers the Haunted Mansion, home to 999 Happy Haunts. Deciding to spread joy to the mansion's gloomy residents for the holidays, Jack and his creepy crew from Halloween Town bring hundreds of Jack's original evil Christmas presents and decorations to the manor and deck the haunting grounds for a thrilling and chilling holiday for the Grim Grinning Ghosts inhabiting the abandoned house, setting the stage for the ride itself.

Jerry and Joanna Burton, a brother and sister from London, take residence in Miss Barton's country house in the quiet town of Lymstock, for the last phase of Jerry's recovery after suffering injuries in a plane crash. Shortly after moving in and meeting their neighbours, they receive an anonymous letter that makes the false accusation that the pair are lovers, not siblings. The Burtons quickly learn that such poison pen letters have been received by many in town. Despite the letters containing false accusations, many in town are quite upset by them and fear something worse to happen. Mrs Symmington, the wife of the local solicitor, is found dead after receiving a letter, stating that her husband, Mr Dick Symmington, was not the father of their second son. Her body is discovered with the letter, a glass containing potassium cyanide, and a torn scrap of paper which reads "I can't go on". While the inquest rules that her death was suicide, the police begin a hunt for the anonymous letter writer. Her daughter, Megan Hunter, an awkward, frumpy 20-year-old, stays with the Burtons for a while after the loss of her mother.

Father Christmas dates back as far as 16th century in England during the reign of Henry VIII, when he was pictured as a large man in green or scarlet robes lined with fur.[15] He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, bringing peace, joy, good food and wine and revelry.[15] As England no longer kept the feast day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December, the Father Christmas celebration was moved to the 25th of December to coincide with Christmas Day.[15] The Victorian revival of Christmas included Father Christmas as the emblem of 'good cheer'.[16] His physical appearance was variable,[17] with one famous image being John Leech's illustration of the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens's festive classic A Christmas Carol (1843), as a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur who takes Scrooge through the bustling streets of London on the current Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace.[15][16]


Question: Which term is utilized to denote having official authority to act?

In governmental contexts, authority is frequently used synonymously with power, although their connotations diverge. Power is the capability to sway someone to act against their will, whereas authority embodies a lawful claim, the entitlement to wield power. For instance, while a mob might have the brute force to punish a wrongdoer, those who uphold the legal system assert that only a court of law possesses the legitimate authority to mete out punishment as prescribed by the law.

Separation of powers requires a different source of legitimization, or a different act of legitimization from the same source, for each of the separate powers. If the legislative branch appoints the executive and judicial powers, as Montesquieu indicated, there will be no separation or division of its powers, since the power to appoint carries with it the power to revoke.

A justice of the peace in Australia is typically someone of good stature in the community who is authorised to witness and sign statutory declarations and affidavits and to certify copies of original documents. Criteria for appointment vary widely, depending on the state. For example, in Queensland, a justice of the peace (qualified) must complete an exam prior to being eligible for appointment, whereas in Victoria, a person need only prove good character by way of references.

Other officials were appointed as supervisors of government finances.[14] Separating fiscal responsibility from justice and administration was a reform of the Imperial era. Under the Republic, provincial governors and tax farmers could exploit local populations for personal gain more freely.[215] Equestrian procurators, whose authority was originally "extra-judicial and extra-constitutional," managed both state-owned property and the vast personal property of the emperor (res privata).[214] Because Roman government officials were few in number, a provincial who needed help with a legal dispute or criminal case might seek out any Roman perceived to have some official capacity, such as a procurator or a military officer, including centurions down to the lowly stationarii or military police.[216][217]

Conceptually deriving legitimacy from the Diet, whom it is responsible to, the Cabinet exercises its power in two different ways. In practice, much of its power is exercised by the Prime Minister, while others are exercised nominally by the Emperor.[3]

Domestically, the federal government's sovereignty means that it may perform acts such as entering into contracts or accepting bonds, which are typical of governmental entities but not expressly provided for in the Constitution or laws.[31] Similarly, the federal government, as an attribute of sovereignty, has the power to enforce those powers that are granted to it (e.g., the power to "establish Post Offices and Post Roads"[32] includes the power to punish those who interfere with the postal system so established).[33] The Court has recognized the federal government's supreme power[34] over those limited matters[35] entrusted to it. Thus, no state may interfere with the federal government's operations as though its sovereignty is superior to the federal government's (discussed more below); for example, states may not interfere with the federal government's near absolute discretion to sell its own real property, even when that real property is located in one or another state.[36] The federal government exercises its supreme power not as a unitary entity, but instead via the three coordinate branches of the government (legislative, executive, and judicial),[37] each of which has its own prescribed powers and limitations under the Constitution.[38] In addition, the doctrine of separation of powers functions as a limitation on each branch of the federal government's exercise of sovereign power.[39]

Generally speaking, a notary public [...] may be described as an officer of the law [...] whose public office and duty it is to draw, attest or certify under his/her official seal deeds and other documents, including wills or other testamentary documents, conveyances of real and personal property and powers of attorney; to authenticate such documents under his signature and official seal in such a manner as to render them acceptable, as proof of the matters attested by him, to the judicial or other public authorities in the country where they are to be used, whether by means of issuing a notarial certificate as to the due execution of such documents or by drawing them in the form of public instruments; to keep a protocol containing originals of all instruments which he makes in the public form and to issue authentic copies of such instruments; to administer oaths and declarations for use in proceedings [...] to note or certify transactions relating to negotiable instruments, and to draw up protests or other formal papers relating to occurrences on the voyages of ships and their navigation as well as the carriage of cargo in ships." [Footnotes omitted.]

The Preamble's reference to the "United States of America" has been interpreted over the years to explain the nature of the governmental entity that the Constitution created (i.e., the federal government). In contemporary international law, the world consists of sovereign states (or "sovereign nations" in modern equivalent). A state is said to be "sovereign," if any of its ruling inhabitants are the supreme authority over it; the concept is distinct from mere land-title or "ownership."[28] While each state was originally recognized as sovereign unto itself, the Supreme Court held that the "United States of America" consists of only one sovereign nation with respect to foreign affairs and international relations; the individual states may not conduct foreign relations.[29] Although the Constitution expressly delegates to the federal government only some of the usual powers of sovereign governments (such as the powers to declare war and make treaties), all such powers inherently belong to the federal government as the country's representative in the international community.[30]

The effect of Henry VIII's Act in Restraint of Appeals and first Act of Supremacy was to establish royal authority in all matters spiritual and temporal, even assigning the power of ecclesiastical visitation over the Church in the English Realm.[2] Queen Elizabeth I, while declining the title of Supreme Head, was declared to be "Supreme Governor of this realm ... as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal".[3] Thus, although the Church of England was regarded in the sixteenth century as a church of the Reformation,[4] it nonetheless maintained the historic church structure including the maintenance of the threefold order of the ministry, with bishops, consecrated in apostolic succession, ordaining deacons and priests. Thus, Anglican ordained ministry resembles that found in churches of the Catholic tradition (see Minister (Catholic Church)). While the Puritan ascendency in England briefly introduced a parallel presbyterian polity, Anglicanism worldwide is defined in part by the historic structure, although outside the British Isles it has no supreme governor.

The federal government is the common or national government of a federation. A federal government may have distinct powers at various levels authorized or delegated to it by its member states. The structure of federal governments vary. Based on a broad definition of a basic federalism, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and govern through common institutions with overlapping or shared powers as prescribed by a constitution.

Officers of the court can be divided into the following functional groups. In most case various synonyms and parallels exist as well as a variety of operational variations, depending on the jurisdiction and the changes in relevant legislation:


Question: The role of the excretory system is to assist in maintaining homeostasis by

The excretory system serves a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by eliminating waste products and surplus substances from an organism's body fluids. This system ensures the removal of metabolic byproducts and expired cellular components in a liquid and gaseous form, primarily through urine and exhalation in amniotes such as humans, mammals, birds, and reptiles. Additionally, mammals can expel waste through sweating.

The drinking water contribution to mineral nutrients intake is also unclear. Inorganic minerals generally enter surface water and ground water via storm water runoff or through the Earth's crust. Treatment processes also lead to the presence of some minerals. Examples include calcium, zinc, manganese, phosphate, fluoride and sodium compounds.[15] Water generated from the biochemical metabolism of nutrients provides a significant proportion of the daily water requirements for some arthropods and desert animals, but provides only a small fraction of a human's necessary intake. There are a variety of trace elements present in virtually all potable water, some of which play a role in metabolism. For example, sodium, potassium and chloride are common chemicals found in small quantities in most waters, and these elements play a role in body metabolism. Other elements such as fluoride, while beneficial in low concentrations, can cause dental problems and other issues when present at high levels.

Plasma osmolarity/osmolality is important for keeping proper electrolytic balance in the blood stream. Improper balance can lead to dehydration, alkalosis, acidosis or other life-threatening changes. Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin) is partly responsible for this process by controlling the amount of water the body retains from the kidney when filtering the blood stream.[5]

As in other mammals, thermoregulation is an important aspect of human homeostasis. Most body heat is generated in the deep organs, especially the liver, brain, and heart, and in contraction of skeletal muscles.[13] Humans have been able to adapt to a great diversity of climates, including hot humid and hot arid. High temperatures pose serious stresses for the human body, placing it in great danger of injury or even death. For example, one of the most common reactions to hot temperatures is heat exhaustion, which is an illness that could happen if one is exposed to high temperatures, resulting in some symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, or a rapid heartbeat.[14][15] For humans, adaptation to varying climatic conditions includes both physiological mechanisms resulting from evolution and behavioural mechanisms resulting from conscious cultural adaptations.[16][17] The physiological control of the body’s core temperature takes place primarily through the hypothalamus, which assumes the role as the body’s “thermostat.”[18] This organ possesses control mechanisms as well as key temperature sensors, which are connected to nerve cells called thermoreceptors.[19] Thermoreceptors come in two subcategories; ones that respond to cold temperatures and ones that respond to warm temperatures. Scattered throughout the body in both peripheral and central nervous systems, these nerve cells are sensitive to changes in temperature and are able to provide useful information to the hypothalamus through the process of negative feedback, thus maintaining a constant core temperature.[20][21]

In evaluating kidney function, the chromium(III) complex [Cr(edta)]âˆ’ (as radioactive chromium-51) is administered intravenously and its filtration into the urine is monitored. This method is useful for evaluating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in nuclear medicine.[10]

One of the main functions of the lungs is to diffuse gaseous wastes, such as carbon dioxide, from the bloodstream as a normal part of respiration.

Since the lymph is derived from the interstitial fluid, its composition continually changes as the blood and the surrounding cells continually exchange substances with the interstitial fluid. It is generally similar to blood plasma, which is the fluid component of blood. Lymph returns proteins and excess interstitial fluid to the bloodstream. Lymph may pick up bacteria and bring them to lymph nodes, where they are destroyed. Metastatic cancer cells can also be transported via lymph. Lymph also transports fats from the digestive system (beginning in the lacteals) to the blood via chylomicrons.

The hypophyseal portal system is a system of blood vessels in the brain that connects the hypothalamus with the anterior pituitary. Its main function is the transport and exchange of hormones to allow a fast communication between both glands. The fenestrated structure of capillaries in the hypophyseal portal system facilitates a rapid exchange between the hypothalamus and the pituitary, with only a small amount of hormones needed to stimulate an accurate effect in the respective target organs in the body.

Eukaryotic cells, including human cells, have a highly evolved process of secretion. Proteins targeted for the outside are synthesized by ribosomes docked to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As they are synthesized, these proteins translocate into the ER lumen, where they are glycosylated and where molecular chaperones aid protein folding. Misfolded proteins are usually identified here and retrotranslocated by ER-associated degradation to the cytosol, where they are degraded by a proteasome. The vesicles containing the properly folded proteins then enter the Golgi apparatus.

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the pressure in large arteries of the systemic circulation. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure (maximum during one heart beat) over diastolic pressure (minimum in between two heart beats) and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), above the surrounding atmospheric pressure (considered to be zero for convenience).

In some cases, excess wastes crystallize as kidney stones. They grow and can become painful irritants that may require surgery or ultrasound treatments. Some stones are small enough to be forced into the urethra.


Question: The area that extends between the Black and Caspian Seas.

The Caucasus Mountains, located in West Asia, form a significant mountain range that stretches between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, encompassing the Caucasus region.

A large annual rainfall minimum, composed primarily of deserts, stretches from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia west-southwest through the Taklamakan Desert in Western China, the Thar Desert in Western India and Iranian Plateau into the Arabian Desert in the Arabian Peninsula. Rainfall around the continent is favored across its southern portion from Eastern India and Northeast India across the Philippines, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Malay Archipelago and Southern China into Korean Peninsula Taiwan and Japan due to the Monsoon advecting moisture primarily from the Indian Ocean into the region.[3] The monsoon trough can reach as far north as the 40th parallel in East Asia during August before moving southward thereafter. Its poleward progression is accelerated by the onset of the summer monsoon which is characterized by the development of lower air pressure (a thermal low) over the warmest part of Asia.[4][5][6] Cherrapunji, situated on the southern slopes of the Eastern Himalaya in Shillong, India is one of the wettest places on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,430 mm (450 in). The highest recorded rainfall in a single year was 22,987 mm (904.9 in) in 1861. The 38-year average at Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India is 11,873 mm (467.4 in).[7] Lower rainfall maxima are found around Turkey and central Russia.

The climate of the Caucasus varies both vertically (according to elevation) and horizontally (by latitude and location). Temperature generally decreases as elevation rises. Average annual temperature in Sukhumi, Abkhazia at sea level is 15 °C (59 °F) while on the slopes of Mt.Kazbek at an elevation of 3,700 metres (12,100 ft), average annual temperature falls to−6.1 °C (21.0 °F). The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range are 3 °C (5.4 °F) colder than the southern slopes. The highlands of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are marked by sharp temperature contrasts between the summer and winter months due to a more continental climate.

One problematic aspect of the classification of Asia not yet definitively addressed by the Statistics Division is "Northern Asia," which has no regional code and is not currently officially a region of Asia. Russia, or "the Russian Federation," is a nation of Europe. The "Northern Asia" name is unofficially recognized; for example, the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names includes an Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division. "Northern Asia" comes from traditional usage, which divides Europe from Asia at the Ural Mountains. No one at the UN is suggesting that European Russia be included in Asia or that Asian Russia be included in Europe. Their policy is that a nation shall appear once in one region. They have selected Europe. The problem remains unsolved.

The Pyrenees (/ˈpɪrɪniːz/; Spanish: Pirineos [piɾiˈneos], French: Pyrénées [piʁene], Aragonese: Pirineus, Catalan: Pirineus [piɾiˈnɛus], Occitan: Pirenèus, Basque: Pirinioak [piˈɾinioˌak]) is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain. Reaching a height of 3,404 metres (11,168 ft) altitude at the peak of Aneto, the range separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extends for about 491 km (305 mi) from the Bay of Biscay (Cap Higuer) to the Mediterranean Sea (Cap de Creus).

West of the Rocky Mountains lies the Intermontane Plateaus (also known as the Intermountain West), a large, arid desert lying between the Rockies and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada ranges. The large southern portion, known as the Great Basin, consists of salt flats, drainage basins, and many small north-south mountain ranges. The Southwest is predominantly a low-lying desert region. A portion known as the Colorado Plateau, centered around the Four Corners region, is considered to have some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It is accentuated in such national parks as Grand Canyon, Arches, Mesa Verde National Park and Bryce Canyon, among others. Other smaller Intermontane areas include the Columbia Plateau covering eastern Washington, western Idaho and northeast Oregon and the Snake River Plain in Southern Idaho.

Soon after independence, the leaders of the four former Soviet Central Asian Republics met in Tashkent and declared that the definition of Central Asia should include Kazakhstan as well as the original four included by the Soviets. Since then, this has become the most common definition of Central Asia.

^ a: Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are often considered to be transcontinental countries, spanning both Asia and Europe. Many organisations, such as the BBC[26] place them in Europe, while others such as the CIA[27] include them in Asia, West Asia and the Middle East to be precise. All are included in European organisations such as the Council of Europe[28] and are considered to be European, and thus eligible to join, by the European Union.[29]
^ b: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey are considered split by some between two continents: Azerbaijan north of the Caucasus, Kazakhstan west of the Ural River and Turkey west of the Bosphorus might be construed as in Europe. Only national data is presented. Splitting a nation would be more problematic; for example, the Ural River is not a well-defined boundary in places; moreover, some geopolitical units straddle it. The UN convention is followed here, which does not define any transcontinental regions.
^ c: Indonesia is often considered a transcontinental country with territory in both Asia and Oceania, and East Timor can be placed in either Asia or Oceania. Population and area figures for Indonesia do not include Irian Jaya and Maluku Islands, frequently reckoned in Oceania.
^ d: Russia is considered a transcontinental country with territory in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia; population and area figures are for the Ural Federal District, Siberian Federal District and Far Eastern Federal District of Russia, which belong to Asia.
^ e: The island of Cyprus is located on the Asian Anatolian plate,[30] but is a member of European organisations such as the Council of Europe[28] and the European Union.[29] Armenia is similarly located fully within Asia, but is a member of the Council of Europe.[28]
^ f: Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China. Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) is a de facto state claimed by the PRC. Figures given for China do not include these areas.
^ g: The area of India includes Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed territory contested between India, Pakistan, and China.
^ h: In 1980, Jerusalem was proclaimed Israel's united capital, following its annexation of Arab-dominant East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. The United Nations and many countries do not recognize this claim, with most countries maintaining embassies in Tel Aviv instead.

Coordinates: 45°N 124°W / 45°N 124°W / 45; -124 The Cascadia subduction zone (also referred to as the Cascadia fault) is a convergent plate boundary that stretches from northern Vancouver Island to Northern California. It is a very long, sloping subduction zone where the Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda plates move from the west beneath the North American Plate, toward the east.

The stalemate ended in 615 BC, when Nabopolassar entered the Babylonians and Chaldeans into alliance with Cyaxares, an erstwhile vassal of Assyria, and king of the Iranian peoples; the Medes, Persians, Sagartians and Parthians. Cyaxares had also taken advantage of the Assyrian destruction of the formerly regionally dominant pre-Iranian Elamite and Mannean nations and the subsequent anarchy in Assyria to free the Iranic peoples from three centuries of the Assyrian yoke and regional Elamite domination. The Scythians from north of the Caucasus, and the Cimmerians from the Black Sea who had both also been subjugated by Assyria, joined the alliance, as did regional Aramean tribes.

The Middle East in the Cold War was an area of extreme importance and also great instability. The region lay directly south of the Soviet Union, who traditionally had great influence in Turkey and Iran. The area also had vast reserves of oil, not crucial for either superpower in the 1950s (who each held large oil reserves on their own) but essential for the rapidly rebuilding American allies in Europe and Japan. The original American plan for the Middle East was to form a defensive perimeter along the north of the region. Thus Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan signed the Baghdad Pact and joined CENTO.


Question: Where did the name Blue Peter originate from?

The name "Blue Peter" originated from a maritime signal flag, which indicates that a ship is about to set sail. The programme's creator, John Hunter Blair, and its first producer, Christopher Trace, were inspired by this flag, as they wanted the show to represent a 'voyage of adventure'. Additionally, the name was chosen because blue was considered a child's favourite colour, and Peter was a common name for a child's friend. The programme, which was initially broadcast about once a month, was later renamed and taken to London to be broadcast on a weekly basis by Biddy Baxter, who succeeded Trace as producer.

The origins of the melody come from the world of football. During a 1996 pre-season tour of The Netherlands, Sheffield Wednesday F.C. picked up on a chant sung by the fans of FC Utrecht, with a tune inspired by the folk ballad "Oh My Darling, Clementine". This was then adapted and brought back to England for the following 1996–97 FA Premier League. The chant was sung extensively at the home game with Nottingham Forest on 18 November 1996 helped by the club's resident band. This was slowly picked up by other clubs in the Premier League, helped by the use of it at England matches (where the Sheffield Wednesday band were now invited to play).[1] Sheffield Wednesday had already lost their "barmy army" chant to the England cricket team and also other football clubs.[2] In an effort to either stem this spread of the song (or just to keep it unique), the fans of Sheffield Wednesday added their own lyrics to the theme (which continues to this day).[3]  This happened around the time of the Dario G single release.

This flag was to reflect the political situation of the time. The blue was intended to represent the Conservative Party and the red to represent the Liberal Party. The white was intended to stand for peace and purity; the blue star stands for the purity and honesty of the life of the country; the red star represents the authority and law in the country; and together the stars stand for the new republic.

The Australian Shepherd was a particularly tireless sheep herder in the Rocky Mountains because it is relatively unaffected by altitude. Ranchers in Boulder, Colorado, began breeding the dogs which would attract purchasers from as far west as California for their legendary sheep-herding abilities. A theory suggests that they were named for the imported sheep that they herded. It is also possible that many of the dogs coming from Australia were blue merle and the adjective "Australian" became associated with any dogs of that coat color.[10]

The song was written about a year after British Commonwealth and German aircraft had been fighting over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover, in the Battle of Britain. Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe and in 1941 was still bombing Britain. With neither America nor the Soviet Union having yet joined the war, Britain was the only major power fighting the Axis powers in Europe (see The Darkest Hour). The American lyricist, Nat Burton, wrote his lyric unaware that the bluebird is not indigenous to Britain and asked Kent to set it to music.[1] Notable phrases include "Thumbs Up!" which was an RAF and RCAF term for permission to go, and "flying in those angry skies" where the air war was taking place.

It was renamed by John Graves Simcoe in 1793 in memory of his father, Captain John Simcoe. Captain Simcoe was born on 28 November 1710, in Staindrop, in County Durham, northeast England and served as an officer in the Royal Navy, dying of pneumonia aboard his ship, HMS Pembroke, on 15 May 1759.[8]

Robert Lacey explains the genesis of the blue blood concept:

The 2013 team consisted of Barney, Lindsey and Radzi up to September 2017 Barney left, leaving just two presenters again. The format adapted with slightly different branding and a more classic take on the show, as well as beginning 'Blue Peter Bites', five minute clips shown on CBBC showing just one challenge or video from episodes. Blue Peter pup Iggy accompanied the team until 2016 whilst Shelley the Tortoise continues to make occasional appearances. The Blue Peter garden is maintained by child gardener George who appears throughout the year. The team made more use of the website with more quizzes and videos such as 'Blue Peter VS...' and 'Ultimate Challenges' as well as holding a fan club hour after the show where fans could leave comments as to the answers of riddles or headline suggestions and ask guests questions. A popular game on the show is 'Spot Shelley', where, in most episodes, an animated version of Shelley the tortoise is hiding somewhere/on something and viewers must leave a comment on the website during the show, the first person to spot her wins a shout-out (or some more expensive or weird prizes as Barney would often joke, such as a house in Spain or a unicorn called Eric).

The species name aeruginosa is a Latin word meaning verdigris ("copper rust"), referring to the blue-green color of laboratory cultures of the species. This blue-green pigment is a combination of two metabolites of P. aeruginosa, pyocyanin (blue) and pyoverdine (green), which impart the blue-green characteristic color of cultures. Another assertion is that the word may be derived from the Greek prefix ae- meaning "old or aged", and the suffix ruginosa means wrinkled or bumpy.[4]

The flag closely resembles the British East India Company flag of the era, and Sir Charles Fawcett argued in 1937 that the company flag inspired the design.[7] Both flags could have been easily constructed by adding white stripes to a British Red Ensign, one of the three maritime flags used throughout the British Empire at the time. However, an East India Company flag could have from nine to 13 stripes, and was not allowed to be flown outside the Indian Ocean.[8] Benjamin Franklin once gave a speech endorsing the adoption of the Company's flag by the United States as their national flag. He said to George Washington, "While the field of your flag must be new in the details of its design, it need not be entirely new in its elements. There is already in use a flag, I refer to the flag of the East India Company."[9] This was a way of symbolising American loyalty to the Crown as well as the United States' aspirations to be self-governing, as was the East India Company. Some colonists also felt that the Company could be a powerful ally in the American War of Independence, as they shared similar aims and grievances against the British government tax policies. Colonists therefore flew the Company's flag, to endorse the Company.[10]

The etymology of the word dodo is unclear. Some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoor for "sluggard", but it is more probably related to Dodaars, which means either "fat-arse" or "knot-arse", referring to the knot of feathers on the hind end.[29] The first record of the word Dodaars is in Captain Willem Van West-Zanen's journal in 1602.[30] The English writer Sir Thomas Herbert was the first to use the word dodo in print in his 1634 travelogue, claiming it was referred to as such by the Portuguese, who had visited Mauritius in 1507.[28] Another Englishman, Emmanuel Altham, had used the word in a 1628 letter, in which he also claimed the origin was Portuguese. The name "dodar" was introduced into English at the same time as dodo, but was only used until the 18th century.[31] As far as is known, the Portuguese never mentioned the bird. Nevertheless, some sources still state that the word dodo derives from the Portuguese word doudo (currently doido), meaning "fool" or "crazy". It has also been suggested that dodo was an onomatopoeic approximation of the bird's call, a two-note pigeon-like sound resembling "doo-doo".[32]


Question: Where was "The Light Between Oceans" filmed?

The filming of The Light Between Oceans occurred in various locations across New Zealand, including Dunedin, Port Chalmers, and the Otago Peninsula. Additional scenes were shot in Saint Bathans, Central Otago, and at the Cape Campbell Lighthouse in Marlborough. Notable filming sites included the former Dunedin Prison and Stuart Street at the former King Edward Technical College building.

Shooting took place in and around Melbourne. Many of the car chase scenes for Mad Max were filmed near the town of Little River, northeast of Geelong. The early town scenes with the Toe Cutter Gang were filmed in the main street of Clunes, north of Ballarat. Much of the streetscape remains unchanged. Some scenes were filmed at Tin City at Stockton Beach.[20][21] The "execution of the mannequin" scene was filmed at Seaford Beach in Seaford, Victoria.

Also in 2007, she finished her work in the film Transsiberian by Brad Anderson, which takes place on the Trans-Siberian Railway that runs from China to Moscow. She spent three months shooting the thriller in Vilnius, Lithuania,[28] starting in December 2006. The film also shot on location in Beijing and Russia.[29] Mara played Abby, a 20-year-old runaway from Seattle.[30] Transsiberian premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in January 2008.

On October 27, 2012, filming wrapped in Fairhope, Alabama, after three weeks.[9]

Cruz-Alviar at the grand press conference shared that Can't Help Falling in Love was shot almost immediately after Barcelona: A Love Untold. It took Padilla and Bernardo a while before they were able to shed the personalities of their Barcelona characters.[10] On January 21, there were reports of shots from some underwater scenes for Can't Help Falling in Love.[11] The photos of them spread online as they were seen shooting scenes diving in the Moalboal located in the southwestern tip of Cebu.[12] Based on the photos, they travel around South Cebu went from Cabana Beach Club Resort in Moalboal on Sunday to visit the hidden Mantayupan falls, located in Barili town, around 30 km from their first location.[13] They were in Cebu for a week in January 2017 to shoot some important scenes for their movie. They explored the white sand beaches of Moalboal, Bukilat Cave and Boho Rock Resort of Camotes Island, Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete, as well as the towns of Boljoon, Argao and Oslob.[14][15] Editing process finished on April 5, 2017 Just 9 days before the official release. The film received a rating of PG-13 from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and rated B by The Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).[16]

After Brokeback Mountain, Ledger costarred with fellow Australian Abbie Cornish in the 2006 Australian film Candy, an adaptation of the 1998 novel Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction, as young heroin addicts in love attempting to break free of their addiction, whose mentor is played by Geoffrey Rush; for his performance as sometime poet Dan, Ledger was nominated for three "Best Actor" awards, including one of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, which both Cornish and Rush won in their categories. Shortly after the release of Candy, Ledger was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[28] As one of six actors embodying different aspects of the life of Bob Dylan in the 2007 film I'm Not There, directed by Todd Haynes, Ledger "won praise for his portrayal of 'Robbie [Clark],' a moody, counter-culture actor who represents the romanticist side of Dylan, but says accolades are never his motivation".[29] Posthumously, on 23 February 2008, he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the film's ensemble cast, its director, and its casting director.[30]

Filming took place in British Columbia, in the Abbotsford, Vancouver and Langley areas in August 2017, with a mansion in the Aldergrove area of Langely serving as the property at the centre of the story.[2]

Eye in the Sky is a 2015 British thriller film starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, and Barkhad Abdi.[3] Directed by Gavin Hood and based on a screenplay by Guy Hibbert, the film explores the ethical challenges of drone warfare. Filming began in South Africa in September 2014.

For the first three seasons, Wentworth was filmed on purpose-built sets in the suburbs of Clayton, Victoria. Production moved to Newport, Victoria, starting with the fourth season. The show has received a mostly positive reception from critics, and the first episode became the most watched Australian drama series premiere in Foxtel history.[1] The series was picked up by several countries, including New Zealand and the UK, where it has been retitled Wentworth Prison.

The production office was located at Dartington where some interior scenes were filmed. Filming began in mid-April 2015 for 15 weeks. The episodes were divided into blocks of two with the same director, assistant director, and director of photography.[10]

The film begins with Jordan "Bick" Benedict, played by Hudson, arriving at Ardmore, Maryland, to purchase a stallion from the Lynnton family. The first part of the picture was actually shot in Albemarle County, Virginia, and used the Keswick, Virginia, railroad station as the Ardmore railway depot.[9] Much of the subsequent film, depicting "Reata", the Benedict ranch, was shot in and around the town of Marfa, Texas, and the remote, dry plains found nearby, with interiors filmed at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California.[10] The "Jett Rink Day" parade and airport festivities were filmed at the Burbank Airport.


Question: How many customers does EDF Energy serve in the UK?

EDF Energy, a major integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, manages a diverse range of operations including electricity generation and the supply of gas and electricity to both residential and commercial customers. With a workforce of 13,331 employees, the company serves a substantial customer base of 5.7 million accounts across the UK.

The United States Postal Service employs some 617,000 workers, making it the third-largest civilian employer in the United States behind the federal government and Wal-Mart.[40] In a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Court noted: "Each day, according to the Government's submissions here, the United States Postal Service delivers some 660 million pieces of mail to as many as 142 million delivery points."[41] As of 2016, the USPS operates 31,585 post offices and locations in the U.S., and delivers 153.4 billion pieces of mail annually.[2]

The UK is subject to Europe-wide rules due to various treaties and agreements associated with its membership of the European Community. The Act does not apply to elections to the European Parliament. Following Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2) (2005),[85] in which the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled such a ban to be disproportionate, the policy was reviewed by the UK government. In 2005 the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, stated that the review may result in the UK allowing some prisoners to vote.[86] In 2010 the UK was still reviewing the policy, following an "unprecedented warning" from the Council of Europe.[87] The UK government position was then that

The company merged with Grand Metropolitan in 1997 to form Diageo plc, capitalised in 2006 at about 40Â billion euros.[11] Although not officially fully taken over, the Guinness family still owns 51 percent of the brewery. The Guinness brewery in Park Royal, London closed in 2005. The production of all Guinness sold in the UK and Ireland was switched to St. James's Gate Brewery Dublin.[12]

With nearly a million square feet of space and almost 7,000 employees it was possible to produce on average 13,000 machines a week, making it the largest sewing machine factory in the world. The Clydebank factory was so productive that in 1905 the US Singer Company set up the Singer Manufacturing Company Ltd. as a UK registered company. Demand continued to exceed production, so each building was extended upwards to 6 storeys high.

The UK political system is a multi-party system. Since the 1920s, the two largest political participation have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. Before the Labour Party rose in British politics, the Liberal Party was the other major political party along with the Conservatives. While coalition and minority governments have been an occasional feature of parliamentary politics, the first-past-the-post electoral system used for general elections tends to maintain the dominance of these two parties, though each has in the past century relied upon a third party such as the Liberal Democrats to deliver a working majority in Parliament. A Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government held office from 2010 until 2015, the first coalition since 1945.[1] The coalition ended following Parliamentary elections on 7 May 2015, in which the Conservative Party won an outright majority of 330 seats in the House of Commons, while their coalition partners lost all but eight seats.[2]

The aerospace industry of the UK is the second- or third-largest aerospace industry in the world, depending upon the method of measurement.[132][133] The industry employs around 113,000 people directly and around 276,000 indirectly and has an annual turnover of around £20 billion.[134][135] British companies with a major presence in the industry include BAE Systems (the world's second-largest defence contractor)[136] and Rolls-Royce (the world's second-largest aircraft engine maker).[137] Foreign aerospace companies active in the UK include EADS and its Airbus subsidiary, which employs over 13,000 people in the UK.[138]

The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or have been in trouble with the law.

Starting in 1994 under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, Congress allowed states to deregulate their electricity utilities, allowing them to be opened for competition. California was one such state to do so. Enron, seeing an opportunity with rising prices, was eager to jump into the market. In 1997, Enron acquired Portland General Electric (PGE); while an Oregon utility, it had potential to begin serving the massive California market since PGE was a regulated utility. The new Enron division, Enron Energy, ramped up its efforts by offering discounts to potential customers in California for switching their electric supplier to Enron from their previous supplier starting 1998. Enron Energy also began to sell natural gas to customers in Ohio and wind power in Iowa. However, in 1999, the company ended its retail endeavor, only offering wholesale energy as it was revealed it was spending upwards of $100 million a year.[5][8][10]

The Blue Book 2013 reports that this industry added gross value of £36,554 million to the UK economy in 2011.[120] Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, is currently the world's largest hotelier, owning and operating hotel brands such as Intercontinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. The international arm of Hilton Hotels, the world's fifth largest hotelier, used to be owned by Ladbrokes Plc, and was headquartered in Watford, Hertfordshire from 1987 to 2005. It was sold to Hilton Hotels Group of the USA in December 2005.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) had one MP and 24 seats in the European Parliament as well as seats in the House of Lords and a number of local councillors. UKIP also had a MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly. UKIP has become an emerging alternative party among some voters, gaining the third-largest share of the vote in the 2015 General Election and the largest share of the vote of any party (27%) in the 2014 European elections. In 2014 UKIP gained its first ever MP following the defection and re-election of Douglas Carswell in the 2014 Clacton by-election. They campaign mainly on issues such as reducing immigration and EU withdrawal.