Question: Who portrayed Shaggy in the recent Scooby Doo film?

Matthew Lillard, an American actor and voice actor, is well-known for his portrayal of Shaggy Rogers in the live-action adaptations of Scooby-Doo in 2002 and its sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in 2004. He has since taken over as the primary voice of Shaggy in animation, following the retirement of the original voice actor, Casey Kasem.

Slender Man is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Sylvain White and written by David Birke, based on the character of the same name. The film stars Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, and Annalise Basso, with Javier Botet as the title creature.  The film was announced in May 2016, and much of the cast signed on a year later. Filming took place in Ayer, Massachusetts in June and July of 2017. Slender Man was released in the United States on August 10, 2018, by Screen Gems, and received a largely negative reception from critics and audiences alike.

Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, voice actor, playwright, essayist and comedian. His film roles have included those of Wally Shawn in the Louis Malle directed comedy-drama My Dinner with Andre (1981), Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), Mr. Wendell Hall in Clueless (1995) and providing the voice of Rex in the Toy Story franchise. He has also appeared in a variety of television series, including recurring roles as Cyrus Rose in Gossip Girl (2008–2012) and as Grand Nagus Zek in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999).

In 2014, Wilson appeared in Wes Anderson's acclaimed ensemble comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel and in Paul Thomas Anderson's book adaptation of Inherent Vice.[19] In 2015, he starred with Jennifer Aniston, in Peter Bogdanovich's film She's Funny That Way, and in action thriller film No Escape alongside Lake Bell and Pierce Brosnan. Wilson's films have grossed more than US$2.25Â  billion domestically (United States and Canada), with an average of US$75M per film. In 2017, Wilson again voiced Lightning McQueen, in Cars 3, played a suburban father in the drama Wonder, and co-starred with Ed Helms in the comedy Father Figures.[20]

She made her film debut in 1999 with Random Hearts. She has since appeared in Brokeback Mountain (2005), We Are Marshall (2006), Shooter (2007), Transsiberian (2008), Stone of Destiny (2008), The Open Road (2009), Transcendence (2014), The Martian (2015), Fantastic Four (2015), Morgan (2016), Megan Leavey (2017) and Chappaquiddick (2018), portraying Mary Jo Kopechne.[3][4]

Lloyd portrayed the star character in the adventure game Toonstruck, released in November 1996. In 1999, he was reunited onscreen with Michael J. Fox in an episode of Spin City entitled "Back to the Future IV — Judgment Day", in which Lloyd plays Owen Kingston, the former mentor of Fox's character, Mike Flaherty's who stopped by City Hall to see him, only to proclaim himself God. That same year, Lloyd starred in the movie remake of the 1960s series My Favorite Martian. He starred on the television series Deadly Games in the mid-1990s and was a regular on the sitcom Stacked in the mid-2000s. In 2003, he guest-starred in three of the 13 produced episodes of Tremors: The Series as the character Cletus Poffenburger. In November 2007, Lloyd was reunited onscreen with his former Taxi co-star Judd Hirsch in the season-four episode "Graphic" of the television series Numb3rs. He played Ebenezer Scrooge in a 2008 production of A Christmas Carol at the Kodak Theatre with John Goodman and Jane Leeves.[citation needed] In 2009, he appeared in a comedic trailer for a faux horror film entitled Gobstopper, in which he played Willy Wonka as a horror-movie-style villain.[17] In October 2009, he did a two-man show with comic performer Joe Gallois in several Midwest cities.[citation needed]

In the meantime, Young worked on multiple songs for animated films and television commercials. On March 4, the single "Shine Your Way", featuring Young and Yuna, was released on iTunes from the soundtrack to The Croods.[82] Owl City performed a 90-second jingle for Oreo's "Wonderfilled" commercial in May 2013.[83] In June, it was revealed that Owl City would appear on The Smurfs 2: Music from and Inspired By Soundtrack. The track, called "Live It Up", was released in the soundtrack album.[84] Owl City released the single "Light of Christmas", which featured tobyMac, on October 22.[85][86] The song was created for the 2013 VeggieTales Christmas movie Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas.[87][88]

In the 2000s, he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), as well as Bruce Almighty (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man (2008), Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and A Christmas Carol (2009).

In April 2016, Chandler was reported to have joined the principal cast of Shawn Christensen's film Sidney Hall.[34][35] In February 2017, he was cast in Godzilla: King of the Monsters alongside Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown.[36] The following month, he joined Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman in the comedy film Game Night.[37]

Shawn is also a voice actor for animated films and television series, including Rex in the Toy Story franchise, Mr. Gilbert Huph in The Incredibles, Principal Mazur in A Goofy Movie, Bertram in Family Guy, Munk in Happily N'Ever After, and as a caricature of himself in BoJack Horseman.

Everyone's Hero is a 2006 American computer-animated sports comedy film directed by Colin Brady, Christopher Reeve, and Daniel St. Pierre. It was produced by IDT Entertainment in Toronto, with portions outsourced to Reel FX Creative Studios. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox and released theatrically on September 15, 2006. Everyone's Hero earned $16 million worldwide during its theatrical run. The film stars Jake T. Austin, William H. Macy, Rob Reiner, Brian Dennehy, Raven-Symoné, Robert Wagner, Richard Kind, Dana Reeve, Joe Torre, Mandy Patinkin, Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Everyone's Hero was released on DVD on March 20, 2007, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.


Question: A stringed musical instrument that starts with the letter C?

String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, are commonly found in the classical music orchestra. These bowed instruments, along with others like viols and gambas from Baroque music and fiddles from folk music, can also be played using pizzicato techniques where the strings are plucked. The electric guitar offers a range of playing methods, including fingernail plucking, plectrum strumming, finger tapping, and utilizing feedback from a loud, distorted amplifier for sustained notes. Some string instruments are primarily plucked, such as the harp and electric bass. According to the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system in organology, all string instruments are categorized as chordophones. Additional examples of string instruments include the sitar, rebab, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and bouzouki. However, specifically focusing on instruments starting with "C," the cello and the classical guitar are noteworthy examples.

As a result, L (uppercase letter L) was adopted as an alternative symbol for litre in 1979. The United States National Institute of Standards and Technology now recommends the use of the uppercase letter L,[8] a practice that is also widely followed in Canada and Australia. In these countries, the symbol L is also used with prefixes, as in mL and μL, instead of the traditional ml and μl used in Europe. In the UK and Ireland as well as the rest of Europe, lowercase l is used with prefixes, though whole litres are often written in full (so, "750 ml" on a wine bottle, but often "1 litre" on a juice carton). In 1990, the CIPM stated that it was still too early to choose a single symbol for the litre.[citation needed]

Electric guitars and bass guitars have to be used with a guitar amplifier and loudspeaker or a bass amplifier and speaker, respectively, in order to make enough sound to be heard by the performer and audience. Electric guitars and bass guitars almost always use magnetic pickups, which generate an electric signal when the musician plucks, strums or otherwise plays the instrument. The amplifier and speaker strengthen this signal using a power amplifier and a loudspeaker. Acoustic guitars that are equipped with a piezoelectric pickup or microphone can also be plugged into an instrument amplifier, acoustic guitar amp or PA system to make them louder. With electric guitar and bass, the amplifier and speaker are not just used to make the instrument louder; by adjusting the equalizer controls, the preamplifier, and any onboard effects units (reverb, distortion/overdrive, etc.) the player can also modify the tone (aka timbre or "colour") and sound of the instrument. Acoustic guitar players can also use the amp to change the sound of their instrument, but in general, acoustic guitar amps are used to make the natural acoustic sound of the instrument louder without changing its sound that much.

Many influences are cited as antecedents to the modern guitar. Although the development of the earliest "guitars" is lost in the history of medieval Spain, two instruments are commonly cited as their most influential predecessors, the European lute and its cousin, the four-string oud; the latter was brought to Iberia by the Moors in the 8th century.[6]

There is disagreement about whether some aspects of music are universal, as well as whether the concept of music is universal. This debate often hinges on definitions. For instance, the fairly common assertion that "tonality" is a universal of all music may necessarily require an expansive definition of tonality. A pulse is sometimes taken as a universal, yet there exist solo vocal and instrumental genres with free and improvisational rhythms no regular pulse (Johnson 2002, 62), one example being the alap section of an Indian classical music performance. Harwood questions whether a "cross-cultural musical universal" may be found in the music or in the making of music, including performance, hearing, conception, and education (Harwood 1976, 522).

Musical expression is the art of playing or singing music with emotional communication. The elements of music that comprise expression include dynamic indications, such as forte or piano, phrasing, differing qualities of timbre and articulation, color, intensity, energy and excitement. All of these devices can be incorporated by the performer. A performer aims to elicit responses of sympathetic feeling in the audience, and to excite, calm or otherwise sway the audience's physical and emotional responses. Musical expression is sometimes thought to be produced by a combination of other parameters, and sometimes described as a transcendent quality that is more than the sum of measurable quantities such as pitch or duration.

Some imported early Chinese instruments became important components of the entertainment music of the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) courts: the bent-neck pipa (quxiang pipa), the bili, the konghou and the jiegu. They generated not only new repertories and performing practices but also new music theories. The pipa, for example, carried with it a theory of musical modes that subsequently led to the Sui and Tang theory of 84 musical modes.[17]

Lower-case letters may be placed after a chord symbol to indicate root position or inversion.[5] Hence, in the key of C major, the C major chord below in first inversion may be notated as Ib, indicating chord I, first inversion. (Less commonly, the root of the chord is named, followed by a lower-case letter: Cb). If no letter is added, the chord is assumed in root inversion, as though a had been inserted.

The basic ordering of the Latin alphabet (A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z), which is derived from the Northwest Semitic "Abgad" order,[22] is well established, although languages using this alphabet have different conventions for their treatment of modified letters (such as the French é, à, and ô) and of certain combinations of letters (multigraphs). In French, these are not considered to be additional letters for the purposes of collation. However, in Icelandic, the accented letters such as á, í, and ö are considered distinct letters representing different vowel sounds from the sounds represented by their unaccented counterparts. In Spanish, ñ is considered a separate letter, but accented vowels such as á and é are not. The ll and ch were also considered single letters, but in 1994 the Real Academia Española changed the collating order so that ll is between lk and lm in the dictionary and ch is between cg and ci, and in 2010 the tenth congress of the Association of Spanish Language Academies changed it so they were no longer letters at all.[23][24]

A. Ross Eckler Jr. (1927–2016) was an American logologist and author who recreated Mary Had a Little Lamb six times, excluding first the letter S, then A, H, T, and finally E. In the final verse, he only used half of the alphabet: A, C, D, E, H, I, L, M, N, P, R, S, and T (thus omitting B, F, G, O, U, V, W, and Y — note that J, K, Q, X, and Z are not used in the original poem). A comparison of the verses gives a sense of the difficulties involved in omitting certain common letters from extended passages of English text.

Cipher and Poverty (The Book of Nothing), a book by Mike Schertzer (1998), is presented as the writings of "a prisoner whose world had been impoverished to a single utterance... who can find me here in this silence". The poems that follow use only the four vowels A, E, I, and O, and eleven consonants C, D, F, H, L, M, N, R, S, T, and W of that utterance.


Question: Which Brazilian football player is known as the Black Diamond?

Leônidas was famously known as the "Black Diamond" and the "Rubber Man" in the football world, thanks to his incredible agility on the field.

Third party ownership is ownership of a player's economic rights by third-party sources, such as football agents, sports-management agencies, or other investors. The involvement of investors in the "ownership" of players is a common practice in football, particularly in Brazil and Argentina, where many clubs are insolvent or financially limited. Businessmen or other investors buy shares in the economic rights of young players and often cover the costs of their training and accommodation. In return they are entitled to a percentage of a player's future transfer fee.[244]

In August 2010, Brazilian team Santos' 18-year-old homegrown striker Neymar was the subject of a bid in the region of £25 million from English team Chelsea,[89] before he signed a new five-year contract.[90][91] In June 2011, Neymar was again the subject of a high-profile transfer bids: Chelsea and Real Madrid were both reported as preparing offers of €45 million,[92][93] before Neymar eventually turned them down to sign another new contract with Santos.[94] In December 2011, ahead of the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final, it was reported that Barcelona had paid Santos a €10 million installment for the guaranteed future transfer of Neymar at any point until 2014.[95] A similar figure of €14 million was reported in March by Spanish radio station Cadena SER, which also reported a total transfer fee of €58 million had already been agreed between the two clubs.[96] Neymar's father was quoted as saying Barcelona was a "great option" for his son.[97] A year later, his father again spoke of a possible transfer for his son, saying he would leave Santos after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, taking place in Brazil, and that Barcelona was the "best path".[98] The manager of the Brazil national team at the time, Mano Menezes, thought a move to Europe before the World Cup would be the best way for Neymar to develop as a player ahead of the tournament,[99] while Neymar himself said, "I'm saying once and for all that I'm not leaving Santos right now."[100]

Tristan Manco wrote that Brazil "boasts a unique and particularly rich, graffiti scene ... [earning] it an international reputation as the place to go for artistic inspiration." Graffiti "flourishes in every conceivable space in Brazil's cities." Artistic parallels "are often drawn between the energy of São Paulo today and 1970s New York." The "sprawling metropolis," of São Paulo has "become the new shrine to graffiti;" Manco alludes to "poverty and unemployment ... [and] the epic struggles and conditions of the country's marginalised peoples," and to "Brazil's chronic poverty," as the main engines that "have fuelled a vibrant graffiti culture." In world terms, Brazil has "one of the most uneven distributions of income. Laws and taxes change frequently." Such factors, Manco argues, contribute to a very fluid society, riven with those economic divisions and social tensions that underpin and feed the "folkloric vandalism and an urban sport for the disenfranchised," that is South American graffiti art.[35]

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, the third of four children of Jorge Messi, a steel factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. On his father's side, he is of Italian and Spanish descent, the great-grandson of immigrants from the northcentral Adriatic Marche region of Italy and Catalonia, and on his mother's side, he has primarily Italian ancestry.[3] Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom became professional footballers.[11] At the age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by his father, though his earliest influence as a player came from his maternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches.[12] He was greatly affected by her death, shortly before his eleventh birthday; since then, as a devout Catholic, he has celebrated his goals by looking up and pointing to the sky in tribute of his grandmother.[13][14]

As the season's Champions League top scorer with nine goals, the youngest in the tournament's history,[87] Messi scored two goals and assisted two more to ensure a 4–0 quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich.[83] He returned as a false nine during the final on 27 May in Rome against Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe by winning the match 2–0, the second goal coming from a Messi header over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona thus achieved the first treble in the history of Spanish football.[88][89] This success was reflected in a new contract, signed on 18 September, which committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a new buyout clause of €250 million, while his salary increased to €12 million.[77] His team's prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, as Barcelona became the first club to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a single year.[90] After victories in the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes de La Plata on 19 December, with Messi scoring the winning 2–1 goal with his chest.[91] At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times by the greatest voting margin in each trophy's history.[71]

In 2008, Ghana reached a high ranking of 14 according to the FIFA World Rankings. The Black Stars went on to secure a 100 percent record in their qualification campaign, winning the group and becoming the first African team to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the final tournament, the team competed in Group D with Germany, Serbia and Australia. Ghana reached the round of 16 where they played the United States, winning 2–1 in extra time to become the third African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. The team then lost to Uruguay in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, having missed a penalty kick in extra time after a certain goal was prevented by Luis Suárez's deliberate handball, who was then shown a red card for his actions.[9]

During the 2004–05 season, Messi was a guaranteed starter for the B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions.[35][41] Since his debut the previous November, he had not been called up to the first team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him.[35] Since Ronaldinho already played on the left wing, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual position onto the right flank (though initially against the player's wishes), allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot.[42][43] Messi made his league debut during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol, coming on in the 82nd minute.[21] At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition.[37] As a substitute player, he played only 77 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk.[41][44] He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club.[42][45] Barcelona, in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the first time in six years.[46]

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi said in November 2014 that Sterling is good enough to play for the La Liga club, praising his physical and technical qualities.[102][103] In April 2015, BBC Sport columnist Phil McNulty wrote that Sterling was "very good with the potential to be outstanding" but remained a "work in progress" due to inconsistent performances. He also wrote, "He is blessed with natural pace that makes even the best defences and defenders take a step back."[104]

Lionel Rose earned a world title in boxing. Evonne Goolagong became the world number-one ranked female tennis player with 14 Grand Slam titles. Arthur Beetson, Laurie Daley and Gorden Tallis captained Australia in Rugby League and the annual NSW Koori Knockout and Murri Rugby League Carnival. Mark Ella captained Australia in Rugby Union. Notable Aboriginal athletes include Cathy Freeman who earned gold medals in the Olympics, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games. In Australian football, an increasing number of Indigenous Australians are playing at the highest level, the Australian Football League.[150] Graham Farmer is said to have revolutionised the game in the ruck and handball areas. Two Indigenous Team of the Century players, Gavin Wanganeen and Adam Goodes, have also been Brownlow Medallists. Goodes was also the Australian of the Year for 2014. Two basketball players, Nathan Jawai and Patty Mills, have played in the sport's most prominent professional league, the National Basketball Association.

His sons Michael and Paul have played professionally with Stoke, when Macari was manager of the club. His youngest son Jonathan committed suicide in 1999 after being released from his contract at Nottingham Forest.[32] Family friend and former manager Dave Bassett said that Jonathan could not handle the pressure of living up to his father's greatness. There was also talk of drugs affecting his son's life and leading to his suicide,[33] but Macari later discounted that theory, admitting that much like the death of his mother, the complete story behind the tragedy may never be known.[31] Years later he claimed that "Money in a young man's pocket is a recipe for disaster and we had that disaster. Only when you go through something like that do you understand the hell of it."[34]


Question: Which Brazilian football player is known as the Black Diamond?

During the 1938 World Cup, Brazilian footballer Leônidas earned the nickname "Black Diamond" (Diamante Negro). Following this, Lacta, a Brazilian chocolate company, acquired the rights to name a chocolate bar after him. This particular chocolate bar, Diamante Negro, continues to be a popular product in Brazil.

Since retiring as a player in 2006, Shearer has worked as a television pundit for the BBC. In 2009, he briefly left his BBC role to become Newcastle United's manager in the last eight games of their 2008–09 season, in an unsuccessful attempt to save them from relegation. Shearer is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland, a Freeman of Newcastle upon Tyne and an honorary Doctor of Civil Law of Northumbria and Newcastle Universities.

Scholes was highly regarded for his technical skills, renowned for his accurate passing, intelligent movement and powerful shooting from long range. A quick, well-rounded, tenacious, and versatile box-to-box player, he was capable of playing in any midfield position, often alternating between defensive, offensive, and playmaking roles, due to his stamina, vision, work-rate, and positional sense, as well as his ability to make attacking runs. He had excellent capacity to read the game due to his tactical intelligence. He was also adept at creating attacking plays after winning back possession, courtesy of his range of distribution.[81][82] Many of his peers, including Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davids, have spoken about their admiration for his talent.[83]

Cosell continued to draw criticism during Monday Night Football with one of his offhand comments during the September 5, 1983 game, igniting a controversy and laying the groundwork for his departure at the end of that season. In a game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, Cosell referred to Alvin Garrett, an African American wide receiver for the Redskins, as a "little monkey." Cosell noted that Garrett's small stature, and not his race, was the basis for his comment, citing the fact that he had used the term to describe his grandchildren. Later, a special on Howard Cosell showed him calling Mike Adamle (a white player) a "little monkey." Stung by the unrelenting barrage of remarks, Cosell claimed upon his departure from Monday Night Football that the NFL had become "a stagnant bore." In Cosell's book, I Never Played the Game, he devoted an entire chapter ("Monkey Business") to the Garrett episode. In the book, Cosell also said that ABC should have had the right to choose its own Monday Night schedule. In his mind, Monday Night Football is what elevated the NFL in popularity over Major League Baseball. He felt that this should have been ABC's reward for raising the league's profile.

Already frequently compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi proved their similarity when he nearly replicated Maradona's two most famous goals in the span of three weeks.[64] During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April, he scored a goal remarkably similar to Maradona's goal in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, known as the Goal of the Century. Messi collected the ball on the right side near the halfway line, ran 60 metres (200Â ft), and beat five defenders before scoring with an angled finish, just as Maradona had done.[19][65] A league match against Espanyol on 9 June saw him score by launching himself at the ball and guiding it past the goalkeeper with his hand in similar fashion to Maradona's Hand of God goal in the same World Cup match.[66] As Messi continued his individual rise, Barcelona faltered; the team failed to reach the Copa del Rey final after Messi was rested during the second leg against Getafe and lost the league to Real Madrid on head-to-head results.[67][68]

A new generation of players helped end the World Cup drought in grand fashion, as the Albirroja reached the 1998 World Cup in France by qualifying in second place in South America, behind Argentina. The first round matches were against Bulgaria (0–0), Spain (0–0), and Nigeria (3–1; goals Celso Ayala, Miguel Ángel Benítez and José Cardozo). Paraguay qualified to the second round (Round of 16) to be defeated in a thrilling match against hosts and eventual World Champions France. France only scored through Laurent Blanc in the 114th minute, during the second half of overtime (making it the first golden goal scored in a World Cup). Paraguay's central defending duo (Carlos Gamarra and Celso Ayala) and goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert were selected for the all-star World Cup team.

Eye black is a grease or strip applied under the eyes to reduce glare. It is often used by American football, baseball, and lacrosse players to mitigate the effects of bright sunlight or stadium floodlights.

McBride developed a passion for football attending games at Notre Dame, where his son went to college.[9] In the early 1940s he tried to buy the NFL's Cleveland Rams, owned by millionaire supermarket heir Dan Reeves, but was rebuffed.[9] Having been awarded the Cleveland franchise in the AAFC, McBride asked Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter John Dietrich for head coaching suggestions.[10] Dietrich recommended Paul Brown, the 36-year-old Ohio State Buckeyes coach.[10] After consulting with Ward, McBride followed Dietrich's advice in early 1945, naming Brown head coach and giving him an ownership stake in the team and full control over player personnel.[7] Brown, who had built an impressive record as coach of a Massillon, Ohio high school team and brought the Buckeyes their first national championship, at the time was serving in the U.S. Navy and coached the football team at Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago.[11]

The hosts scored the opening goal through Pablo Dorado, a low shot from a position on the right.[53] Argentina, displaying superior passing ability, responded strongly. Within eight minutes they were back on level terms; Carlos Peucelle received a Ferreira through-ball, beat his marker and equalised.[53] Shortly before half-time leading tournament goalscorer Guillermo Stábile gave Argentina a 2–1 lead. Uruguay captain Nasazzi protested, maintaining that Stábile was offside, but to no avail.[51] In the second half Uruguay gradually became ascendant. Shortly after Monti missed a chance to make the score 3–1, Uruguay attacked in numbers, and Pedro Cea scored an equaliser.[53] Ten minutes later a goal by Santos Iriarte gave Uruguay the lead, and just before full-time Castro made it 4–2 to seal the win.[51] Langenus ended the match a minute later, and Uruguay thus added the title World Cup winners to their mantle of Olympic champions. Jules Rimet presented the World Cup Trophy, which was later named for him, to the head of the Uruguayan Football Association, Raúl Jude.[54] The following day was declared a national holiday in Uruguay;[50] in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, a mob threw stones at the Uruguayan consulate.[55] Francisco Varallo (who played as a forward for Argentina) was the last player of the final to die, on 30 August 2010.[56]

On 28 August 2013, Ghana Football Association (GFA) launched a TV channel and named GFA TV, thus becoming the first football association on the African continent to launch its own TV network. The channel has the exclusive rights to broadcast all the Black Stars' matches.[25] In November 2013, the Black Stars signed a 2013–2015 CN¥30.6 million (US$5 million) and an additional classified multi-million private bank sponsorship deal with the Ghanaian state-run private banking institution UniBank.[26]

In the summer of 1978, Burkinshaw caused a notable stir by signing for Â£750,000 two Argentinian World Cup winning stars Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, which was the kind of transfer coup very uncommon in British football, particularly at a time when foreign players in British football were rare.[102] This was also a period of rebuilding as a number of young players were brought in from the youth rank, such as Mark Falco, Paul Miller, Chris Hughton and Micky Hazard, as well as other players signed from other clubs such as Graham Roberts, Tony Galvin, Garth Crooks and Steve Archibald (Gary Mabbutt was signed a little later in 1982).


Question: How many times in a row have Real Madrid won the Champions League?

Real Madrid's Champions League Dominance
Real Madrid boasts the most victories in the UEFA Champions League, winning the prestigious tournament 12 times. The Spanish giants also hold the record for the most consecutive wins, achieving this feat five times from 1956 to 1960. Spain has contributed the most champions to the competition, with 17 wins from two clubs, highlighting Real Madrid's significant impact on European football. As of the latest records, Real Madrid emerged victorious in the 2017 final against Juventus.

Although the club could not retain the title the following year, Shearer again ended the (now 38-game) season as Premier League top scorer, with 31 goals in 35 games,[19][24][25] as Blackburn finished seventh in the league. The previous season's first-place finish also saw the club enter the Champions League. Shearer's only goal in six full Champions League games was a penalty in a 4–1 victory against Rosenborg BK in the final fixture[16] and Blackburn finished third in their group, failing to progress to the next stage.[26]

T. C. teams play in the AAA Patriot District of the AAA Northern Region. The mascot is a Titan. The school colors are a synthesis of the former colors of the three Alexandria pre-1971 four-year schools: white (from Hammond), blue (G. W.) and red (T. C. W.). The Titans are best known for their football program, which the movie Remember the Titans was based upon. The boys' basketball program, a consistent powerhouse with 12 district, 10 regional, and 2 state championships (most recently in 2008) has also gained statewide recognition. The rowing team has won numerous state and national championships. T. C. has won state championships in football, cross country, indoor and outdoor track. The football program has won three Virginia AAA state championships: 1971, 1984, and 1987, all of which the Titans finished ranked in the top ten nationally, and the 1971 team was made famous in the movie Remember the Titans, released in 2000. T. C. students managed the feat of winning all three boys' state running championships in consecutive school years, winning the 1991 Cross Country, 1992 Indoor Track, 1992 Outdoor Track, 1992 Cross Country, 1993 Indoor Track, and 1993 Outdoor Track State Championships. They were nationally recognized in 1993 when they became the first ever U.S. high school 4 × 100 meter relay team to defeat the Jamaicans at Penn Relays.

He made his debut against Real Madrid on 8 August in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup, and scored his first competitive goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat.[79] His league debut came five days later at home to West Ham. Lukaku scored twice in a 4–0 win,[80] becoming the fourth Manchester United player to score two goals on his Premier League debut.[81] On 27 September, Lukaku scored twice in a 4–1 UEFA Champions League win over CSKA Moscow, taking his tally to 10 goals in his first nine appearances. In doing so, he broke the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton who had scored nine goals in his first nine appearances for the club.[82] In a 2–1 win over his former club Chelsea on 25 February 2018, Lukaku scored the equaliser and then assisted Jesse Lingard's game-winning goal.[83] He scored his 200th goal for club and country on 13 March in a 1–2 away defeat to Sevilla that eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League in the round of 16.[84]

No franchise has yet won three Super Bowls in a row, although several have come close:

The most successful player at the World Snooker Championship was Joe Davis, who won fifteen consecutive titles between 1927 and 1946. The record in the modern era, usually dated from the reintroduction in 1969 of a knock-out tournament format, rather than a challenge format, is held by Stephen Hendry, who won the title seven times between 1990 and 1999.

The record for most non-consecutive weeks at number one is 18 by Frankie Laine's "I Believe" in 1953. It spent nine weeks at number one, dropped down for a week, returned to number one for six weeks, dropped down for a further week and returned to number one for a third time for three weeks. It is one of five singles to return to number one more than once, the others being "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell in 1957, "Happy" by Pharrell Williams in 2014, "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber in 2015 and "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber in 2017.[1]

Under George O'Leary's leadership, the Knights won four C-USA Eastern Division Championships (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012), and two Conference USA Championships (2007, 2010). O'Leary also led the Knights to The American conference championship in their first year in the league (2013), earning the conference's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game. In 2014, the Knights clinched back-to-back conference championships. The Knights won The American conference championship again in 2017 under head coach Scott Frost.

During his first season under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played mainly on the right wing, like he had under Rijkaard, though this time as a false winger with the freedom to cut inside and roam the centre. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, however, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He assisted with a chip his side's first goal and scored twice to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team's greatest-ever score at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[83][84] Returning to the wing, he played his first final since breaking into the first team on 13 May, scoring once and assisting a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 to win the Copa del Rey.[85] With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days later and achieved its fifth double.[81][86]

On 3 November, Sterling scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 1–3 win away to Sevilla.[64] On 8 December, he scored twice in the final ten minutes of City's last group stage fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach, helping turn a 1–2 deficit into a 4–2 win and ensuring City overtook Juventus in the final group standings.[65] On 20 March 2016, he suffered a groin injury in a 1–0 loss to rivals Manchester United, and was ruled out for 8 weeks.[66] Sterling eventually lost his place in the starting lineup.[67] He failed to feature in any of the most effective performers of the 2015–16 season,[68] and was considered one of the worst signings of the season.[69]

As the 2000s progressed, the Yankees' rivalry with the Boston Red Sox increased in intensity as the sides met multiple times in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), trading victories in 2003 and 2004. New York regularly reached the postseason, but were often defeated in the first two rounds. In 2009, the Yankees opened a new Yankee Stadium and won the World Series for the 27th time in team history, an MLB record. The furthest the Yankees have gone in the postseason since then is the ALCS, in 2010, 2012, and 2017.


Question: Where can you obtain a cashier's check from?

A cashier's check, also known as a bank check, is a type of guaranteed payment instrument issued by a financial institution. It is drawn against the bank's own funds and is signed by a bank official, typically a cashier. Because the bank backs the check, it is considered a secure form of payment, with the bank assuming responsibility for the amount. Cashier's checks are often used in significant transactions, such as real estate purchases or stock brokerage deals, where guaranteed funds are necessary.

In the US, at the top (when cheque oriented vertically) of the reverse side of the cheque, there are usually one or more blank lines labelled something like "Endorse here".

The US still relies heavily on cheques, due to the convenience it affords payers, and due to the absence of a high volume system for low value electronic payments.[35]

Muslim traders are known to have used the cheque or á¹£akk system since the time of Harun al-Rashid (9th century) of the Abbasid Caliphate.[8] Transporting a paper sakk was more secure than transporting money. In the 9th century, a merchant in country A could cash a saqq drawn on his bank in country B.[9]

The system paid 2-percent interest per year on deposits. The half percent difference in interest was intended to pay for the operation of the system. Certificates were issued to depositors as proof of their deposit. Depositors in the system were initially limited to hold a balance of $500, but this was raised to $1,000 in 1916 and to $2,500 in 1918. The initial minimum deposit was $1. In order to save smaller amounts for deposit, customers could purchase a 10-cent postal savings card and 10-cent postal savings stamps to fill it. The card could be used to open or add to an account when its value, together with any attached stamps, amounted to one or more dollars, or it could be redeemed for cash. At its peak in 1947, the system held almost $3.4 billion in deposits, with more than four million depositors using 8,141 postal units.[36]

In the United States there are many laws that allow the confiscation of cash and other assets from the bearer if there is suspicion that the money came from an illegal activity.[55] Because a significant amount of U.S. currency contains traces of cocaine and other illegal drugs, it is not uncommon for innocent people searched at airports or stopped for traffic violations to have cash in their possession sniffed by dogs for drugs and then have the cash seized because the dog smelled drugs on the money. It is then up to the owner of the money to prove where the cash came from at his own expense. Many people simply forfeit the money.[56] In 1994, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, held in the case of UNITED STATES of America v. U.S. CURRENCY, $30,060.00 (39 F.3d 1039 63 USLW 2351, No. 92-55919) that the widespread presence of illegal substances on paper currency in the Los Angeles area created a situation where the reaction of a drug-sniffing dog would not create probable cause for civil forfeiture.[57]

The first bank to initiate the permanent issue of banknotes was the Bank of England. Established in 1694 to raise money for the funding of the war against France, the bank began issuing notes in 1695 with the promise to pay the bearer the value of the note on demand. They were initially handwritten to a precise amount and issued on deposit or as a loan. There was a gradual move toward the issuance of fixed denomination notes, and by 1745, standardized printed notes ranging from £20 to £1,000 were being printed. Fully printed notes that did not require the name of the payee and the cashier's signature first appeared in 1855.[30]

These checks are often used by employers as a means of judging a job candidate's past mistakes, character, and fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons. Background checks are also used to thoroughly investigate potential government employees in order to be given a security clearance. However, these checks may sometimes be used for illegal purposes, such as unlawful discrimination (or employment discrimination), identity theft, and violation of privacy.

Paper currency first developed in Tang Dynasty China during the 7th century, although true paper money did not appear until the 11th century, during the Song Dynasty. The usage of paper currency later spread throughout the Mongol Empire. European explorers like Marco Polo introduced the concept in Europe during the 13th century.[11][12] Napoleon issued paper banknotes in the early 1800s.[13] Cash paper money originated as receipts for value held on account "value received", and should not be conflated with promissory "sight bills" which were issued with a promise to convert at a later date.

A dishonoured cheque cannot be redeemed for its value and is worthless; they are also known as an RDI (returned deposit item), or NSF (non-sufficient funds) cheque. Cheques are usually dishonoured because the drawer's account has been frozen or limited, or because there are insufficient funds in the drawer's account when the cheque was redeemed. A cheque drawn on an account with insufficient funds is said to have bounced and may be called a rubber cheque.[61] Banks will typically charge customers for issuing a dishonoured cheque, and in some jurisdictions such an act is a criminal action. A drawer may also issue a stop on a cheque, instructing the financial institution not to honour a particular cheque.

Any person may access this register on the NCR website[3] or may obtain a copy of an extract from the register on payment of a fee. Any person may also obtain a copy of a registration certificate on payment of a fee.


Question: Where can you obtain a cashier's check from?

When a customer requests a cashier's check, the bank immediately deducts the amount from the customer's account and takes on the obligation to honor the check. This differs from a personal check, where the bank does not withdraw funds from the customer's account until the check is deposited or cashed by the recipient. To obtain a cashier's check, one must visit a bank or financial institution, provide the necessary details, and pay any associated fees.

A number of bill payments can be accepted on behalf of a variety of organisations including utilities, local authorities and others. These can be in the form of automated payments (barcoded bills, swipe cards, key charging) or manual transactions through the Santander Transcash system.[14] The name Transcash was formerly used by Girobank.

Cheques are still used for government payments, payroll, rent, and utility bill payments, though direct deposits and online/telephone bill payments are more widely and increasingly used.

In 1717, the Bank of England pioneered the first use of a pre-printed form. These forms were printed on "cheque paper" to prevent fraud, and customers had to attend in person and obtain a numbered form from the cashier. Once written, the cheque was brought back to the bank for settlement. The suppression of banknotes in eighteenth-century England further promoted the use of cheques.[12]

In medieval Italy and Flanders, because of the insecurity and impracticality of transporting large sums of cash over long distances, money traders started using promissory notes. In the beginning these were personally registered, but they soon became a written order to pay the amount to whoever had it in their possession. These notes are seen as a predecessor to regular banknotes by some but are mainly thought of as proto bills of exchange and cheques.[22] The term "bank note" comes from the notes of the bank ("nota di banco") and dates from the 14th century; it originally recognized the right of the holder of the note to collect the precious metal (usually gold or silver) deposited with a banker (via a currency account). In the 14th century, it was used in every part of Europe and in Italian city-state merchants colonies outside of Europe. For international payments, the more efficient and sophisticated bill of exchange ("lettera di cambio"), that is, a promissory note based on a virtual currency account (usually a coin no longer physically existing), was used more often. All physical currencies were physically related to this virtual currency; this instrument also served as credit.

Customers who send bulk mail can get a discount on postage if they have printed the barcode themselves and have presorted the mail. This requires more than just a simple font; mailing lists must be standardized with up-to-date Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)-certified software that adds and verifies a full, correct ZIP+4 Code and an additional two digits representing the exact delivery point.[citation needed] Furthermore, mail must be sorted in a specific manner to an 11 digit zip with at least 150 mailpieces for each qualifying ZIP code and must be accompanied by documentation confirming this. These steps are usually done with PAVE-certified software that also prints the barcoded address labels and the barcoded sack or tray tags.

In some countries such as the US, cheques contain a memo line where the purpose of the cheque can be indicated as a convenience without affecting the official parts of the cheque. In the United Kingdom this is not available and such notes are sometimes written on the reverse side of the cheque.

These software applications effectively monitor customer transactions on a daily basis, and using a customer's past transactions and account profile, provide a "whole picture" of the customer to the bank management. Transaction monitoring can include cash deposits and withdrawals, wire transfers, and ACH activity. In the banking industry, these applications are known as "BSA software" or "anti-money laundering software".

A support van tails the Cash Cab, containing producers and a camera crew for the various street shots. The staff provide logistical information and questions by way of a walkie-talkie and earpiece worn by the host. The Cash Cab is equipped with ten cameras: one on the host, three on the passengers, one pointing forward from the back window of the cab, and three (front, left and right) in the advertising shell on the roof of the cab showing the passing streetscape. The rear of the cab behind the seats contains ten recording decks and other production equipment.

Interac is a Canadian interbank network that links financial institutions and other enterprises for the purpose of exchanging electronic financial transactions. Interac serves as the Canadian debit card system, as the traditional credit card providers (Visa and MasterCard) rarely provide debit cards in Canada. There are over 59,000 automated teller machines that can be accessed through the Interac network in Canada, and over 450,000 merchant locations accepting Interac debit payments.[citation needed]

In many Asian countries cheques were never widely used and generally only used by the wealthy, with cash being used for the majority of payments. Where cheques were used they have been declining rapidly, by 2009 there was negligible consumer cheque usage in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. This declining trend was accelerated by these developed markets advanced financial services infrastructure. Many of the developing countries in Asia have seen an increasing use of electronic payment systems, 'leap-frogging' the less efficient chequeing system altogether.[41]


Question: Who played the guitar on "My Guitar Gently Weeps"?

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a track from the Beatles' 1968 double album, known colloquially as "the White Album." The song was penned by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. It serves as a reflection on the internal discord within the Beatles after they returned from their Transcendental Meditation studies in India earlier in 1968. Harrison, faced with his bandmates' initial indifference to his composition, enlisted his friend and frequent collaborator, Eric Clapton, to add a lead guitar part. Although Clapton's contribution was significant, he was not officially credited on the recording.

After the Hermits tour, the Who recorded their next single, "I Can See for Miles", which Townshend had written in 1966 but had avoided recording until he was sure it could be produced well.[82] Townshend called it "the ultimate Who record",[83] and was disappointed it reached only No. 10 in the UK.[83] It became their best selling single in the US, reaching No. 9.[71] The group toured the US again with Eric Burdon and the Animals, including an appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, miming to "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation".[84] Moon bribed a stage hand to put explosives in his drum kit, who loaded it with ten times the expected quantity. The resulting detonation threw Moon off his drum riser and his arm was cut by flying cymbal shrapnel. Townshend's hair was singed and his left ear left ringing, and a camera and studio monitor were destroyed.[85]

On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. The band played "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. Zevon had been a frequent guest and occasional substitute bandleader on Letterman's television shows since Late Night was first broadcast in 1982. He noted, "I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." It was during this broadcast that, when asked by Letterman if he knew something more about life and death now, he first offered his oft-quoted insight on dying: "Enjoy every sandwich."[19] He also thanked Letterman for his years of support, calling him "the best friend my music's ever had." For his final song of the evening, and his final public performance, Zevon performed "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" at Letterman's request. In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it."[21] The day after Zevon's death, Letterman paid tribute to him by replaying his performance of "Mutineer" from his last appearance. The Late Show band played Zevon's songs throughout the night.

Lennon, McCartney and Harrison pleaded with Starr to reconsider. He duly returned on 5 September to find his drum kit decorated with flowers,[49] a welcome-back gesture from Harrison.[50] McCartney described the sessions for The Beatles as a turning point for the group, saying "there was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself",[51] while Lennon later said "the break-up of the Beatles can be heard on that album".[52] Of the album's 30 tracks, only 16 have all four band members performing.[c]

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.

"The Day the World Gets 'Round" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1973 album Living in the Material World. Harrison was inspired to write the song following the successful Concert for Bangladesh shows, which were held in New York on 1 August 1971 as a benefit for refugees from the country formerly known as East Pakistan. The lyrics reflect his disappointment that such a humanitarian aid project was necessary, given the abundance of resources available across the planet, and his belief that if all individuals were more spiritually aware, there would be no suffering in the world. Adding to Harrison's frustration while writing the song, the aid project became embroiled in financial problems, as commercial concerns delayed the release of the Concert for Bangladesh album, and government tax departments failed to embrace the goodwill inherent in the venture.

By 1973, Jackson Browne had become a successful recording artist, and not having raided his back catalogue for the first album, was willing to do so for this second, For Everyman. Recorded at the Sunset Sound Factory,[1] this "These Days" was considerably different in several ways from the Nico effort. Some lyrics were changed or omitted, such as a couple of lines about "rambling" and "gambling".[1] The fingerpicking guitar figure was replaced with flatpicking, and the slower-paced instrumentation was typical of early 1970s Southern Californian folk rock â€” drums, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, but most prominently with David Lindley's slide guitar, a feature of Browne's early albums, but also with Jim Keltner on drums and David Paich on piano.[6][1] Nico's cool delivery was replaced by Browne's singer-songwriter-style approach, resulting in a vocal that Philadelphia City Paper later called "unique, and piercingly sad".[6]

This arrangement was changed on the recorded version,[2] with it instead conducted by Ernie Freeman and produced by Jimmy Bowen; the trio has previously worked together earlier in 1966 on "Strangers in the Night",[3] which would go on to win Sinatra the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal.[4] For "That's Life", the background singers are vocal contractor and singer B.J. Baker, along with Gwen Johnson and Jackie Ward. A number of backup instrumentalists were also assembled for Sinatra's recording. After several attempts to record the track, Freeman & Bowen thought that they had it finished and Sinatra was pleased with it. However Bowen asked him to perform it again, which annoyed Sinatra â€“ resulting in the performance that Bowen was looking for.[2] LA session player Michael Melvoin performed the memorable organ solo on the recording.

The instrumental track is led by the unusual combination of a flamenco guitar by Maurice and cello by Paul Buckmaster. The song was called "Odessa (on the White Sea)" in this early version, and Barry identifies the ship in a spoken intro as a Dutch ship called Onstrauss and the date as 14 February 1866. The first version is heard on Sketches with Maurice or Robin on mellotron and an orchestral section that is less full than the finished take. This reel would follow the preceding one, since it ends with what is called a retake of "Odessa on the White Sea", probably the final take of the great song to which the orchestra was added later.[4] The song's demo begins with a longer spoken intro by Barry saying February 13th 1866 the dead ship Onstrauss was lost at sea and was wiped off the British royal register of ships. There were no survivors. In the finished version the date has changed to 14 February 1899 and the ship is named Veronica. The lyrics are almost identical, although the reference to the English nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep is missing at the demo.[5]

"Don't Pass Me By" was Starr's first solo composition for the band;[107] he had been toying with the idea of writing a self-reflective song for some time, possibly as far back as 1963.[108] It went by the working titles of "Ringo's Tune" and "This Is Some Friendly". The basic track consisted of Starr drumming while McCartney played piano.[109] Martin composed an orchestral introduction to the song but it was rejected as being "too bizarre" and left off the album.[107] Instead, Jack Fallon played a bluegrass fiddle part.[110]

The only western instrument available to the group during their Indian visit was the acoustic guitar, and thus many of the songs on The Beatles were written and first performed on that instrument.[75] Some of these songs remained acoustic on The Beatles and were recorded solo, or only by part of the group (including "Wild Honey Pie",[76] "Blackbird",[77] "Julia",[78] "IÂ Will"[79] and "Mother Nature's Son"[80]).


Question:
When is the next time Beijing will host the Winter Olympics?

(Note: This question doesn't exactly match the criteria of having similar semantics, as Beijing has not yet hosted the Winter Olympics after 2022. However, it maintains the same length, text complexity, and semantic style as the original question.)

A more appropriate similar question could be: When was the last time Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympics?

In 2022, Beijing became the first and only city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing had hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008. Several other cities have hosted the Olympic Games more than once, including Athens, Paris, London, St. Moritz, Lake Placid, Los Angeles, Innsbruck, and Tokyo. However, Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics marked a unique achievement as the only city to have hosted both seasonal games.

The IOC has the final decision on the specifications of each design for all Olympic medals, including the Summer Games, Winter Games, and Paralympic Games.  There has been a greater variety of design for the Winter Games; unlike with the Summer Games, the IOC never mandated one particular design.  The medal at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France did not even feature the Olympic rings.  Nike was featured on the medals of the 1932 and 1936 Games but has only appeared on one medal design since then.  One regular motif is the use of the snowflake, while laurel leaves and crowns appear on several designs.  The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius features on four Winter Games medals but does not appear on any Summer Games medal.

The Games are expected to take place between 27 July and 7 August 2022. The city was announced as the host at a press conference at the Arena Academy in Birmingham on 21 December 2017.[2]

London 2012 are the first Olympic Games whose guidelines include the recycling of PVC.[123]

After five consecutive Olympic tournaments in which the National Hockey League (the world's premier professional league) allowed its players to participate in the Olympics and adjusted its schedule to accommodate the tournament, the NHL announced in 2017 that it would prohibit any player under NHL contract, including those not actually playing for an NHL team, from participating in the Olympics.[3] The NHL secured the cooperation of the International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC ensuring that nations would not be allowed to ask NHL players to participate.[4]

Croquet was an event at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Roque, an American variation on croquet, was an event at the 1904 Summer Olympics.

Much change occurred in the Wasatch Front due to the 2002 Winter Olympics. Scandal rocked the city when it was discovered that millions of dollars had been funneled into bribes to International Olympic Committee members.

The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, 50 miles (80Â km) southwest of Plattsburgh. Lake Placid, along with nearby Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, comprise what is known as the Tri-Lakes region. Lake Placid hosted the 1932 and the 1980 Winter Olympics. Lake Placid also hosted the 1972 Winter Universiade and the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games.

A study from Oxford University found that the sports-related costs of London 2012 was USD 15 billion, compared to USD 4.6 billion for Rio 2016, USD 40-44 billion for Beijing 2008 and USD 51 billion for Sochi 2014, the most expensive Olympics in history. Cost per athlete was USD 1.4 million.[76] This does not include wider costs for urban and transport infrastructure, which often cost as much or more than the sports-related costs. In 2005 London secured the bid for the 2012 Summer Games with a cost estimate that two years later proved inadequate and was revised upwards with around 100 percent. Then, when it turned out that the final outturn costs were slightly below the revised budget, the organizers falsely, but very publicly, claimed that the London Games had come in under budget. Main media, including the BBC, reported the false claim as true. In fact, London 2012 went over budget by 76% in real terms, measured from bid to completion.

The Athlete's Village is now student housing at the University of Utah. Many venues in and around the city still stand even after the games.

LOCOG shall organise a programme of cultural events which must cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open.[124]


Question:
What did Gibbs whisper to Ziva in season 7? (The similarity is exact in this case as the original question is already well-phrased)

Another similar question could be: What did Gibbs murmur to Ziva in the 7th season?

In the season 7 finale of NCIS, fans have been left guessing about what Gibbs whispered to Ziva during a crucial interrogation scene. Harmon, who plays Gibbs, revealed that the dialogue was improvised and remains a closely guarded secret. He explained that the exchange was very specific and that both he and de Pablo, who played Ziva, knew exactly what was being communicated. The scene was designed to reflect the deep understanding and mutual respect between the characters, with Harmon stating, "That's our secret. And yet it's all about respecting the work and knowing each other well enough to really say, 'Okay, I'll go there with you.'" This mysterious interaction has added to the show's intrigue and the complexity of the characters' relationship.

The episode does cause the audience (and Baltar) to think Shelly Godfrey is related to Head Six, however this is demonstrated to be a deliberate red herring in subsequent episodes of Battlestar Galactica. The telemovie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan reveals that, Godfrey is indeed an actual Six. After the photo was discovered to be fake, the Number One on board Galactica who was coordinating Cylon efforts made her enter an airlock and be killed so she could download and give Galactica's coordinates to the Cylon fleet. Another Six donned a wig and clothing identical to Godfrey's in order to confuse the guards and allow Godfrey to get away from them. In the hallway, Cavil intimates that Godfrey has failed to produce convincing fake evidence because she is attracted to Baltar, and her statement that Baltar is "a brilliant man" who helped them so much on Caprica supports this, despite her protestation that Cavil should have seen her with him because "I was brutal with him. I pushed him." Later, on Cavil's bed, the other Six also notes her sister's complete destruction of the Sixes' cover and her utter failure to discredit Baltar and "his dreamy hair".

The series also occasionally adopted a metafictional tone, coming close to breaking the fourth wall. In the series 5 episode "Something Nasty in the Nursery" Peel directly references the series' storytelling convention of having potentially helpful sources of information killed off just before she or Steed arrive. This then occurs a few minutes later. In the tag scene for the same episode, Steed and Peel tell viewers—indirectly—to tune in next week.

Another example arises from Sondheim's roots as a speaker of American rather than British English: The line "Don't you love farce?" features two juxtaposed labiodental fricative sounds (the former [v] voiced, the latter [f] devoiced). American concert and stage performers will often fail to "breathe" and/or "voice" between the two fricatives, leading audiences familiar with British slang to hear "Don't you love arse?," misinterpreting the lyric or at the least perceiving an unintended double entendre. Sondheim agrees that "[i]t's an awkward moment in the lyric, but that v and that f should be separated."[9]

During an FBI raid on the organ donor facility where Dacyshyn works, he ends up escaping, leaving Bannan's severed head at the scene. Mulder, who accompanied Whitney on the raid, chases Dacyshyn to a building construction site. Whitney follows, and is killed when Dacyshyn pushes her down an elevator shaft. Scully, seeking a resolution, asks Joe, who has not yet heard of the discovery of Bannan's head, if he senses that she is still alive. He replies that she is. Discouraged but still determined, Mulder decides to investigate the incidents further. He starts by driving Scully's car to Nutter's Feed Store in a small town near the abductions, as the human remains contain acepromazine, an animal tranquilizer. When Dacyshyn coincidentally arrives moments later, Mulder slips out and follows him. Dacyshyn notices him, however, and runs his car off the road. Mulder survives and manages to tail Dacyshyn, who exits his truck after the engine fails, to a small compound in a former barn. Mulder enters, and the commotion caused by a two-headed guard dog brings Dacyshyn out from one of the buildings. The compound is being used by an east-European medical team that has been murdering people and stealing their organs for years. The field where Father Joe had earlier discovered the bodies turned out to be their dumping ground. Mulder enters the building to find that the team has been using the organs and body parts in an attempt to keep Tomczeszyn alive. At that moment, they attempt to place Tomczeszyn's head on the body of the second abducted woman. Mulder tries to save her from the gruesome fate, but a doctor comes from behind and injects him with a tranquilizer. Helpless, Mulder is taken outside to be murdered by Dacyshyn.

Cigarette Smoking Man (abbreviated CSM or C-Man; sometimes referred to as Cancer Man or the Smoking Man) is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. In the show's sixth season, his name is said to be C.G.B. Spender, but Dana Scully suggests this is one of "hundreds of aliases"; the show's characters and fans continue to refer to him by variations of "the Smoking Man" because he is almost always seen chain-smoking Morley cigarettes. In the eleventh season, he reveals his full name to be Carl Gerhard Busch.

In the second-season finale, Gemma happens to come across Polly Zobelle. Wanting to get revenge and also do her part for SAMCRO, she follows Polly to Edmond Hayes' house. She sends Tara home and sneaks onto the property, where she finds a distraught Polly brandishing a gun. Polly attempts to shoot, so Gemma kills her in self-defense. She then discovers Edmond Hayes' body and ATF Agent Stahl, saying that both of them had a bloody day. Stahl offers to let her leave, but not before tossing her sidearm to Gemma, who catches it. Gemma instantly realizes Stahl's trick to get her fingerprints on the murder weapon, and flees. At a bus stop payphone, she calls Police Chief Wayne Unser for help. She is last seen fleeing Charming with Unser with no idea where to go.

Vernoff is credited with the introduction of the catchphrase, "seriously" into the dialogue of Grey's Anatomy episodes. Series creator Shonda Rhimes says that Vernoff used it frequently in the writer's room, and "said correctly, it can convey sarcasm, dismay, disbelief, a sense of moral and ethical superiority, and gentle chastising punishment, all at once."[1]

During the fourth season's premiere, "'A' is for A-l-i-v-e", Mona confirms that Jenna and Shana knew each other before coming to Rosewood, and further claims Marshall feared Melissa. In a later scene, Jenna approaches Emily outside her house. Because of the way the scene is shot, we can see that Jenna is losing her sight again. We also notice Marshall has a burn on her hand, further implying she was at Thornhill the night of the fire. Jenna divulges to Emily that she and Wilden were friends and that she has a message for Toby in case anything bad happens to her. According to Marshall, everyone who met Alison the night she went missing ends up dead, meaning Wilden saw Ali, something Garrett disclosed to her. Since Toby isn't taking any of Jenna's calls and Marshall knows Cavanaugh and Emily remain friends, she asks Emily to tell him that she never meant to hurt him. Later, at Wilden's funeral we see that Marshall is wearing her glasses again and being escorted by Nigel Wright, indicating her vision continues to decline.

Thad Luckinbill has an identical twin brother, Trent, who is twelve minutes younger. Trent Luckinbill is a lawyer who lives in Los Angeles.[1] In the final episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, "To the Boy in the Blue Knit Cap", Trent briefly appeared as the identical twin murder victim/corpse lying beside the murder victim/corpse of the character played by Thad.

Contrary to her promise to Sam, Ruby tells Dean that she cannot actually save him from Hell and that she had lied to Sam to get him to listen to her.[5] However, in the season finale "No Rest for the Wicked", she tells Sam that she had lied to Dean and that she truly can help Sam save him. Her plan is to train Sam to harness his latent demonic abilities so that he can use them to kill Lilith, the demon who holds the contract for Dean's soul. Believing that Ruby is trying to manipulate Sam into giving in to his dark side, Dean tricks her into a devil's trap—a mystical symbol capable of rendering demons powerless—and leaves with Sam to face Lilith. Ruby frees herself and tracks the brothers down during their campaign, but gets expelled from her host body by Lilith and thus is not present at the confrontation between Lilith and the brothers, with her whereabouts at the time unclear.[7] The fourth season episode "I Know What You Did Last Summer" states that she had been sent back to Hell. Eventually, Ruby returns and offers Sam her help in taking revenge on Lilith for Dean's death in "No Rest for the Wicked" as well as in stopping Lilith's apocalyptic plans. To appease Sam, who dislikes her using a living host against the host's will, Ruby takes possession of a body recently declared to be dead (Genevieve Cortese). They have sex together at least once, and she brings him out of his downward spiral towards self-destruction. Consequently, Sam now trusts Ruby implicitly.[8]


Question: Where does the expression "jumping the shark" originate from?

The origin of the phrase "jumping the shark" can be traced back to a specific episode of the 1970s sitcom "Happy Days." In this particular episode, the beloved character Fonzie performs a stunt by water-skiing over a shark. This scene was perceived as an attempt to boost ratings and marked a shift away from the show's original concept, leading to the popularization of the phrase by radio host Jon Hein in the late 20th century.

The slang version of "shade" originated from the black and Latino gay communities, and was initially strictly used by those communities. The first major use of "shade" that introduced the slang to the greater public was in the documentary film Paris Is Burning (1990), which is about the mid-1980s drag scene in Manhattan.[2] In the documentary, one of the drag queens, Dorian Corey, explains what " shade" means. She says, "Shade is, I don't have to tell you you're ugly, because you know you're ugly."[4]

Michael claims that during his summer he caught the West Nile virus, an illness commonly transported by mosquito bite. He also claims to have watched Inception, a Christopher Nolan-directed science fiction film that was critically and commercial successful in the summer of 2010.[8] Michael alludes, however, that he may have only dreamed about watching the film, a reference to the ambiguity surrounding the movie's plot about extracting information from dreams.[14] In one scene, Darryl explains he blew out his knee playing softball over the summer and watched a great deal of the cable news network CNN, which led him to develop grave concerns about the ongoing War in Afghanistan.[12] Throughout the episode, Dwight wears a CamelBak, a hydration backpack from which the wearer drinks water through a hose.[12] When Jim comments on the outrageous number of keys on Dwight's keyring, Dwight responds by saying, "The bigger the keychain, the more powerful the man", which Jim recognizes as a quote by the janitor from the show Scrubs. After pranking Dwight, Pam declares herself the "Bart Simpson of Scranton", a reference to the mischievous protagonist from the animated comedy series The Simpsons.[8]

A "Jonah" is a long-established expression among sailors, meaning a person (either a sailor or a passenger) who is bad luck, which is based on the Biblical prophet Jonah. The comic character Jonah's name is a direct reference to the long established sailor's superstition. This concept is dominant in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

The television show Curb Your Enthusiasm extensively referenced West Side Story in the season seven episode "Officer Krupke".[80] An episode of Welcome Back, Kotter, "Sweatside Story", parodies West Side Story when the Sweathogs engage in a rumble with students from rival New Utrecht High School.[citation needed] In the third season of the series Glee, three episodes feature characters auditioning, rehearsing and performing a school production of West Side Story. Songs from the musical are performed in episode 2 "I Am Unicorn",[81] episode 3 "Asian F"[citation needed] and episode 5 "The First Time"[citation needed] and also given digital releases.[82] The Animaniacs episode "West Side Pigeons" features a parody romance and rivalry that mirrors that of the Jets and the Sharks.[citation needed] In the Tom and Jerry Tales episode "The League of Cats", Tom's and Jerry's respective leagues act very similar to the Jets and the Sharks. They also perform a number similar to the "Jet Song".[citation needed]

The dialogue spoken by actor Lee Majors during the opening credits is based upon communication prior to the M2-F2 crash that occurred on May 10, 1967: ("Flight com, I can't hold her! She's breaking up! She's break—"). Test pilot Bruce Peterson's lifting body aircraft hit the ground at approximately 250 mph (402 km/h) and tumbled six times.[12] But Peterson survived what appeared to be a fatal accident, though he later lost an eye due to infection.[n 2] In the episode "The Deadly Replay", Oscar Goldman refers to the lifting body aircraft in which Austin crashed as the HL-10, stating "We've rebuilt the HL-10." In the 1987 TV film The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, Austin refers to the craft as the "M3-F5", which was the name used for the aircraft that crashed in the original Cyborg novel.)

Several critics compared the episode to a 2014 episode of Community, "App Development and Condiments", which features an app where users assign each other "Meow Meow Beenz" ratings on a scale from one to five; Jack Shepherd of The Independent notes that both episodes "critically [analyse] people's obsession with stature on social media platforms with rating systems".[8] Other reviewers compared "Nosedive" to the mobile application Peeple,[24] in which users could rate one another, that garnered immediate backlash upon its release.[24][11] Brooker said in an interview that he was not aware of the Community episode when he came up with the idea for "Nosedive", but that he did see advertising for Peeple during pre-production, initially thinking it would turn out to be marketing for a comedy show, and he considered whether or not they should still produce the episode.[11] The episode has also been compared to the 2003 novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, as each work explores a link between social approval and power.[25]

The first recorded use of the phrase "Netflix and chill" was in a tweet posted by "NoFaceNina" on January 21, 2009. It said, "I'm about to log onto Netflix and chill for the rest of the night."[1][2] Early use of the phrase was without sexual connotations, referring simply to the act of watching the online streaming service, typically by oneself.[3] By 2013, Netflix's popularity in the US had risen greatly, having accumulated millions of paid subscribers, increasing verb use of the brand and this phrase as a standalone compound noun.

More ejaculation than catchphrase, "D'oh!" was the explosive parting shot of the character Miss Hotchkiss as played by Diana Morrison in numerous episodes from 1945 (series 8/166 onwards)[19] through to the demise of the programme in January 1949.[20]  Miss Hotchkiss was Tommy Handley's stentorian and authoritarian secretary; her surname was taken from a make of machine-gun.[21] Despite her authoritarian nature, she was susceptible to the amorous blandishments of Handley.  However, these would inevitably lead to a put-down,[22] and a explosive "D'oh!" would signal Hotchkiss' exasperated exit.[23]

"The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs" received generally positive reviews. Carlos Delgado of iF Magazine called the episode a potential classic and a "phenomenal follow up showing" to the season premiere "Sexual Healing", which he did not enjoy. Delgado said the script was intelligent and praised the theme of over-analyzing art. He also praised the vomiting jokes, and said he could not remember the last time he laughed so hard during a South Park episode.[4] Entertainment Weekly television columnist Ken Tucker said it was better than the season premiere, which he also praised. Tucker particularly enjoyed the satire of pop culture criticism, and wrote, "I'd compare the Scrotie episode to the work of Rabelais, Henry Miller, and Dennis Cooper, but then I'd be part of the boys' satire, wouldn't I?"[1]

The Parents Television Council (PTC) argued that the sexually explicit and profane content in the series makes the show inappropriate for its intended audience. It included the series in its 2004 study on profanity, violence, and sexual content on cable television.[8] Although much of the profane language throughout the series is censored, the PTC pointed out that the context in which the censored words were used made them discernible, which in their view rendered the censorship useless. The PTC also criticized MTV for not including content indicators such as "L" (language) or "S" (sexual content) in addition to its television ratings for the show, a move that prevents viewers from being able to effectively use the V-chip feature found on some televisions to control the broadcast of the show into their homes. MTV airs the show several times during daytime hours in addition to its regular timeslots around 10:00 PM (ET), and the PTC claimed that the adolescents whom MTV is targeting are being exposed to "excessive sexual and profane content through inaccurately rated programs." [9]


Question: Where does the expression "jumping the shark" originate from?

The origin of the phrase "jumping the shark" can be traced back to the fifth season of the popular American TV series Happy Days. In the episode titled "Hollywood: Part 3," aired on September 20, 1977, Fonzie (played by Henry Winkler) performs a water-skiing stunt that involves him jumping over a shark. This stunt was designed to highlight Winkler's water-skiing abilities. However, the scene was criticized for deviating from Fonzie's character, as he had previously suffered serious injuries after jumping his motorcycle over fourteen barrels in a high-profile stunt, which he later admitted was a reckless act to prove his bravery. The phrase "jumping the shark" now refers to the moment when a TV show or a series begins to decline in quality, often due to the introduction of a gimmick or an implausible plot twist.

A literal pissing contest and territorial marking is also depicted in Carroll Ballard's 1983 adaptation of Farley Mowat's autobiographical novel Never Cry Wolf.[20] In the movie Wolf there is a pissing contest between two competitors.[21] During a figurative pissing contest with a sleazy rival, Jack Nicholson's character confronts him in a bathroom,[22] shows him he has just taken his job, fires him, and then pees on his shoes saying, "I'm just marking my territory, and you got in the way". The competitor, played by James Spader, notes that he has "suede shoes" to which Nicholson replies "asparagus".

Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s.[3] This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young Republican Alex P. Keaton (portrayed by Michael J. Fox) and his ex-hippie parents, Steven and Elyse Keaton (portrayed by Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter).

A "Jonah" is a long-established expression among sailors, meaning a person (either a sailor or a passenger) who is bad luck, which is based on the Biblical prophet Jonah. The comic character Jonah's name is a direct reference to the long established sailor's superstition. This concept is dominant in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Over nearly two decades, the title essay, "All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten," has spawned countless parodies involving television shows, movies, books, and other phenomena.[1] The standard format mirrors Fulghum's own work, starting with "All I Really Need To Know I Learned From [name]," followed by a list of quotes and/or in-jokes from the subject being parodied.

In Hong Kong, the equivalent expression is "the man on the Shaukiwan Tram".[13]

Admiral Ackbar's full-sized costume from Return of the Jedi was featured in a 200-piece exhibition of Star Wars costumes, props and other memorabilia featured at the Smithsonian Institution called "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth". The exhibit opened at the Washington, D.C. museum complex in 1997 and later went on a national tour which lasted until 2002 and visited various museums, including the San Diego Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Toledo Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.[29][30] Ackbar was prominently featured in a sketch during Robot Chicken: Star Wars, a 2007 episode of the stop motion animated television series Robot Chicken dedicated entirely to Star Wars parodies. The sketch is a commercial for "Admiral Ackbar Cereal", with Ackbar presenting the breakfast cereal to two children and declaring, "Your tongues can't repel flavor of that magnitude!", a spoof of his line from Return of the Jedi.[31] The character was also featured in a 2009 CollegeHumor video called "Ackbar! The Star Wars Talk Show", where he played the host of a talk show similar to The Jerry Springer Show.[25][32] Morgan Phillips, an independent hip hop musician and disc jockey, included a song about the character called "Admiral Ackbar Please" on his album Star Wars Breakbeats.[33]

A narrative work beginning in medias res (Classical Latin: [ɪn mɛdiaːs reːs], lit. "into the middle of things") opens in the midst of action (cf. ab ovo, ab initio).[1] Often, exposition is bypassed and filled in gradually, either through dialogue, flashbacks or description of past events. For example, Hamlet begins after the death of Hamlet's father. Characters make reference to King Hamlet's death without the plot's first establishment of said fact. Since the play focuses on Hamlet and the revenge itself more so than the motivation, Shakespeare utilizes in medias res to bypass superfluous exposition.

The Parents Television Council (PTC) argued that the sexually explicit and profane content in the series makes the show inappropriate for its intended audience. It included the series in its 2004 study on profanity, violence, and sexual content on cable television.[8] Although much of the profane language throughout the series is censored, the PTC pointed out that the context in which the censored words were used made them discernible, which in their view rendered the censorship useless. The PTC also criticized MTV for not including content indicators such as "L" (language) or "S" (sexual content) in addition to its television ratings for the show, a move that prevents viewers from being able to effectively use the V-chip feature found on some televisions to control the broadcast of the show into their homes. MTV airs the show several times during daytime hours in addition to its regular timeslots around 10:00 PM (ET), and the PTC claimed that the adolescents whom MTV is targeting are being exposed to "excessive sexual and profane content through inaccurately rated programs." [9]

The phrase has been used in broadcast television and family films where less offensive words are preceded by "pardon my French" to intensify their effect without violating censorship or rating guidelines. A good example is in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Cameron calls Mr. Rooney and says, "Pardon my French, but you're an asshole".[5]

The command to "cut the cards", following by someone literally chopping the deck in half with an axe, is a none-too-subtle gag that has been used many times in popular media, going back to at least the vaudeville days.[2] Examples include Harpo Marx in Horse Feathers, Curly Howard in Ants in the Pantry, and Bugs Bunny in Bugs Bunny Rides Again.


Question: Marsupials can be found in North America and Australia.

Marsupials, a group of mammals that give birth to underdeveloped offspring that mature in a pouch, are predominantly found in the Australian region, comprising about 70% of the 334 living species. The remaining species are mostly located in South America, with a few in Central America and only one species in North America, excluding Mexico.

In the Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic eras, South America and Africa were connected in a landmass called Gondwana, as part of the supercontinent Pangaea. In the Albian, around 110 Ma, South America and Africa began to diverge along the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, giving rise to a landmass of Antarctica and South America. During the late Eocene, around 35Â Ma, Antarctica and South America separated and South America became a massive, biologically rich island-continent. During approximately 30 million years, the biodiversity of South America was isolated from the rest of the world, leading to evolution of species within the continent.[1]

Nutria were introduced into coastal marshes from South America in the mid-1900s, and their population has since exploded into the millions. They cause serious damage to coastal marshes and may dig burrows in levees. Hence, Louisiana has had a bounty to try to reduce nutria numbers. Large American alligators, however, feed heavily on nutria, so American alligators may not only control nutria populations in Louisiana, but also prevent them spreading east into the Everglades. Since hunting and trapping preferentially take the large American alligators that are the most important in eating nutria, some changes in harvesting may be needed to capitalize on their ability to control nutria.[49]

The Great American Interchange in which land and freshwater fauna migrated between North America and South America via the uplifted western margin of the Caribbean Plate (Central America) was a later event, which peaked dramatically around three million years (Ma) ago during the Piacenzian age.

Viking expansion is the process by which the Vikings sailed most of the North Atlantic, reaching south to North Africa and east to Russia, Constantinople and the Middle East as looters, traders, colonists and mercenaries. Vikings under Leif Ericsson, the heir to Erik the Red, reached North America and set up a short-lived settlement in present-day L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Longer and more established settlements were formed in Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain and Normandy.

When on land, an American alligator moves either by sprawling or walking, the latter involving the reptile lifting its belly off the ground. The sprawling of American alligators and other crocodilians is not similar to that of salamanders and lizards, being similar to walking. Therefore, the two forms of territorial locomotion can be termed the "low walk" and the "high walk". Unlike most other land vertebrates, American alligators increase their speed through the distal rather than proximal ends of their limbs.[34] In the water, alligators swim like fish, moving their pelvic regions and tails from side to side.[35] American alligators held the record as having the strongest laboratory-measured bite of any living animal, measured at up to 9,452 newtons (2,125Â lbf). It should be noted that this experiment had not been, at the time of the paper published, replicated in any other crocodilians, and the same laboratory was able to measure a greater bite force in saltwater crocodiles;[36][37] notwithstanding this very high biting force, the muscles opening the American alligator's jaw are quite weak, and the jaws can be held closed by hand or tape when an American alligator is captured. During respiration, air flow is unidirectional, looping through the lungs during inhalation and exhalation;[38] the American alligator's abdominal muscles can alter the position of the lungs within the torso, thus shifting the center of buoyancy, which allows the American alligator to dive, rise, and roll within the water.[39]

Members of this superfamily first arose in the late Cretaceous. Leidyosuchus of Alberta is the earliest known genus. Fossil alligatoroids have been found throughout Eurasia as land bridges across both the North Atlantic and the Bering Strait have connected North America to Eurasia during the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene periods. Alligators and caimans split in North America during the late Cretaceous and the latter reached South America by the Paleogene, before the closure of the Isthmus of Panama during the Neogene period. The Chinese alligator likely descended from a lineage that crossed the Bering land bridge during the Neogene. The modern American alligator is well represented in the fossil record of the Pleistocene.[6] The alligator's full mitochondrial genome was sequenced in the 1990s and it suggests the animal evolved at a rate similar to mammals and greater than birds and most cold-blooded vertebrates.[7] However, the full genome, published in 2014, suggests that the alligator evolved much more slowly than mammals and birds.[8]

Australian species range from the tiny 8Â cm weebill to the huge, flightless emu. Many species of Australian birds will immediately seem familiar to visitors from the Northern Hemisphere - Australian wrens look and act much like northern wrens and Australian robins seem to be close relatives of the northern robins, but in fact the majority of Australian passerines are descended from the ancestors of the crow family, and the close resemblance is misleading: the cause is not genetic relatedness but convergent evolution.

Some other animals have evolved their own unique prints, especially those whose lifestyle involves climbing or grasping wet objects; these include many primates, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, Australian koalas and aquatic mammal species such as the North American fisher.[130] According to one study, even with an electron microscope, it can be quite difficult to distinguish between the fingerprints of a koala and a human.[131] Koalas' independent development of fingerprints is an example of convergent evolution.

In North America, humid subtropical climates are almost exclusively the domain of the American Gulf and south Atlantic states, including the following states: the eastern half of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. On the Florida peninsula, the humid subtropical climate gives way to the tropical climate of south Florida and the Florida Keys.

The version in South America, Europe and Australia featured the orgy scene intact (theatrical and DVD release) with ratings mostly for people of 18+. In New Zealand and in Europe, the uncensored version has been shown on television with some controversy. In Australia, it was broadcast on Network Ten with the alterations in the American version for an MA rating, blurring and cutting explicit sexuality.