title: Evoland

abstract: Evoland is a 2013 role-playing video game developed and published by Shiro Games. Evoland was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in April 2013, Android and iOS in February 2015 and Linux in March 2015. Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Diablo and Final Fantasy gameplay, the game has many references to movies and video game history. As the player progresses, they unlock technologies and graphical upgrades that nod towards different eras of the video game industry. A sequel, Evoland 2, was announced at the end of 2014 and was released August 25, 2015. The two games were packaged together as Evoland: Legendary Edition and released for home consoles in February 2019.

text:
# Evoland

***Evoland*** is a 2013 role-playing video game developed and published by Shiro Games. *Evoland* was released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in April 2013, Android and iOS in February 2015 and Linux in March 2015.

Inspired by *The Legend of Zelda*, *Diablo* and *Final Fantasy* gameplay, the game has many references to movies and video game history. As the player progresses, they unlock technologies and graphical upgrades that nod towards different eras of the video game industry.

A sequel, *Evoland 2*, was announced at the end of 2014 and was released August 25, 2015. The two games were packaged together as *Evoland: Legendary Edition* and released for home consoles in February 2019.

## Gameplay

*Evoland* is based on the concept of tracing the evolution of video games. When the game begins, there are only four colors, simple pixelated graphics, and a 2D character. Through the adventure, the player gradually unlocks graphics, technologies and gameplay until reaching the HD age and a three-dimensional world. This evolution in-game of video game history is punctuated by many references to classic role-playing video games and movies.

The game alternates between action role-playing game-like phases similar to *The Legend of Zelda* and Active-Time Battles like those seen in *Final Fantasy*. The character moves in a world made up of dungeons, caverns, forests and villages with non-player characters. Players collect the in-game currency Glis after each battle, which can be spent in towns to purchase additional items and upgrades, many of which must be obtained to finish the game. In addition to completing the story mode, players can also attempt to find hidden stars and cards that are scattered around the game world, the latter of which can be used in a collectible card game based on "Triple Triad" from *Final Fantasy VIII*.

## Development

Originally, *Evoland* was a video game created by Nicolas Cannasse during the 24th Ludum Dare, an "accelerated video game competition". Participants have 48 hours to create a video game respecting a given theme. The 24th Ludum Dare theme was "Evolution". Nicolas Cannasse proposed *Evoland* in about 30 hours and won first place out of 1400 participants.

The player feedback was very encouraging. *Evoland Classic* quickly reached over 300,000 players within a couple of months, and is still playable on the Evoland Website for free. Also, as common in Ludum Dare, the Haxe source code was made available, in this case on GitHub.

Given the success of *Evoland Classic*, Shiro Games decided to create a new version of the game with new bosses and monsters, new play styles, full environment 3D and an extended play-time.

## Release

*Evoland* was first released on Steam and GOG.com at $9.99 on April 4, 2013. In February 2015, the game was ported by Playdigious on iOS App Store and Google Play for $4.99. On January 24, 2019, Shiro Games announced that *Evoland* and *Evoland 2* would be packaged together in a single release, titled *Evoland: Legendary Edition*, and released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC the following February.

## Reception

The game was received by critics with an average rating of 61 out of 100 on Metacritic. Specialized press and websites acclaimed the potential and originality of the concept as well as the references to cinema and video games history.

According to *Destructoid* "*Evoland'*s elements form a love letter to some of the most venerated games in their respective genres, and it's surprising just how well the shifting gameplay types work together." Many critics comment on how nostalgia helps make the game excel.

Main criticisms concerned the play-time and the lack of variety. Some players and specialized websites criticized the fact that the game stops evolving much after 30 minutes.

*Evoland* reached approximately 460,000 sales on Steam alone according to Steam Spy.

## InfoBox

| Evoland | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Developer(s) |  |
| Publisher(s) | Shiro Games |
| Designer(s) | * Nicolas Cannasse * Sébastien Vidal |
| Programmer(s) | Nicolas Cannasse |
| Artist(s) | * Etienne Makowski * Jeremy Vitry |
| Writer(s) | * Nicolas Cannasse * Sébastien Vidal |
| Composer(s) | Camille Schoell |
| Engine | * Heaps |
| Platform(s) |  |
| Release | **Microsoft Windows, OS X*** WW: April 4, 2013 **Android, iOS*** WW: February 2, 2015 **Linux*** WW: March 9, 2015 **PlayStation 4*** WW: February 5, 2019 **Nintendo Switch*** WW: February 7, 2019 **Xbox One*** WW: February 8, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |


title: The Imperialism of Free Trade

abstract: "The Imperialism of Free Trade" is an academic article by John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson first published in The Economic History Review in 1953. It argued that the New Imperialism could be best characterised as a continuation of a longer-term policy begun in the 1850s in which informal empire, based on the principles of free trade, was favoured over formal imperial control unless circumstances made such rule impossible. The article was influential in the historiographical debate on the causes of British imperial expansion in the 19th-century which since John A. Hobson's Imperialism: A Study (1902) had focused on purely economic motivation. As well as reigniting scholarly interest in theorizing New Imperialism, the article helped launch the Cambridge School of historiography. The arguments proposed in the article were later developed in a full-length book, Africa and the Victorians (1961), in conjunction with Alice Denny. The book put forward a subtly different explanation for European expansion in Africa, built around geopolitics and a strategy of protecting British India from encroachment by other European powers. The strategic model and its relevance to East Africa was criticised for its limited documentary basis and sequential inconsistencies by John Darwin in 1997, a refutation that was further consolidated and contextualised by Jonas Gjersø in 2015. Reviewing the debate from the end of the 20th century, historian Martin Lynn argues that Gallagher and Robinson exaggerated its impact. He says that Britain achieved its goal of increasing its economic interests in many areas, "but the broader goal of 'regenerating' societies and thereby creating regions tied as 'tributaries' to British economic interests was not attained." The reasons were: the aim to reshape the world through free trade and its extension overseas owed more to the misplaced optimism of British policy-makers and their partial views of the world than to an understanding of the realities of the mid-19th century globe.... the volumes of trade and investment...the British were able to generate remained limited....Local economies and local regimes proved adept at restricting the reach of British trade and investment. Local impediments to foreign inroads, the inhabitants' low purchasing power, the resilience of local manufacturing, and the capabilities of local entrepreneurs meant that these areas effectively resisted British economic penetration. The idea that free-trade imperial states use informal methods to secure their expanding economic influence has attracted Marxist historiographers to use the theory to describe how the modern economic policies of the United States and the imperialist policies of Great Britain are essentially the same, in both motive and method.

text:
# The Imperialism of Free Trade

"**The Imperialism of Free Trade**" is an academic article by John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson first published in *The Economic History Review* in 1953. It argued that the New Imperialism could be best characterised as a continuation of a longer-term policy begun in the 1850s in which informal empire, based on the principles of free trade, was favoured over formal imperial control unless circumstances made such rule impossible.

The article was influential in the historiographical debate on the causes of British imperial expansion in the 19th-century which since John A. Hobson's *Imperialism: A Study* (1902) had focused on purely economic motivation. As well as reigniting scholarly interest in theorizing New Imperialism, the article helped launch the Cambridge School of historiography.

The arguments proposed in the article were later developed in a full-length book, *Africa and the Victorians* (1961), in conjunction with Alice Denny. The book put forward a subtly different explanation for European expansion in Africa, built around geopolitics and a strategy of protecting British India from encroachment by other European powers. The strategic model and its relevance to East Africa was criticised for its limited documentary basis and sequential inconsistencies by John Darwin in 1997, a refutation that was further consolidated and contextualised by Jonas Gjersø in 2015.

Reviewing the debate from the end of the 20th century, historian Martin Lynn argues that Gallagher and Robinson exaggerated its impact. He says that Britain achieved its goal of increasing its economic interests in many areas, "but the broader goal of 'regenerating' societies and thereby creating regions tied as 'tributaries' to British economic interests was not attained." The reasons were:

> the aim to reshape the world through free trade and its extension overseas owed more to the misplaced optimism of British policy-makers and their partial views of the world than to an understanding of the realities of the mid-19th century globe.... the volumes of trade and investment...the British were able to generate remained limited....Local economies and local regimes proved adept at restricting the reach of British trade and investment. Local impediments to foreign inroads, the inhabitants' low purchasing power, the resilience of local manufacturing, and the capabilities of local entrepreneurs meant that these areas effectively resisted British economic penetration.

The idea that free-trade imperial states use informal methods to secure their expanding economic influence has attracted Marxist historiographers to use the theory to describe how the modern economic policies of the United States and the imperialist policies of Great Britain are essentially the same, in both motive and method.

## Further reading


title: Schloss Schulzendorf

abstract: Schloss Schulzendorf is a Berlin-based manor house from 1889, located in the Brandenburg district of Dahme-Spreewald in Schulzendorf. It was built for a Jewish owner and ultimately usurped by the Third Reich. It is one of the filming sites of the Netflix series The Queens Gambit.

text:
# Schloss Schulzendorf

**Schloss Schulzendorf** is a Berlin-based manor house from 1889, located in the Brandenburg district of Dahme-Spreewald in Schulzendorf. It was built for a Jewish owner and ultimately usurped by the Third Reich. It is one of the filming sites of the Netflix series *The Queens Gambit*.

## History and location

The castle is at the center of the Schulzendorf village, built on a former knight's estate. The first castle at the site, built during the 17th or 18th century, was owned by David Gottlob von Gersdorf.

Over subsequent years, the castle was owned by King Frederick William I of Prussia, then by Eberhard von der Recke, the civil governor of Saxony and then by Meyer Jacobson. In 1889, Jewish businessman Moritz Israel, heir of the Nathan Israel Department Store, bought the site after selling the shares in the store to his brother. He then constructed the current castle. It was Moritz Israel's gift to his son Richard for his wedding to Bianca Cohn.

According to *The Times of Israel*, "for three decades, \[Richard and Bianca\] generously funded developments in town, from providing access to clean drinking water to building schools. They also paid for the town to have electrical lines installed".

During the early years of Nazi rule, much of the family was able to leave Germany. In 1939, Richard Israel was dispossessed of Schloss Schulzendorf. The couple was transported to Theresienstadt, a hybrid ghetto-concentration camp where Richard died in 1943. Bianca survived the war and lived for another 20 years in Hanover.

After 1945, the Schloss Schulzendorf was in East Germany where it was used as a "resettlement home" and for teaching mechanical workshops. In 1993, after German reunification, the government retook ownership of the castle and restored it to descendants of the Israel family. The property has not been maintained since that time.

### On television

Some outdoor scenes for *The Queens Gambit* were filmed for Netflix at this building, which stood in for the fictional Methuen Home, a girls' orphanage in Kentucky. The article published in Israel explained how the Schloss became the orphanage in the TV series:

> "Built in neo-Renaissance style, the castle has an imposing central tower and glass-roofed greenhouse, or winter garden. For “The Queen’s Gambit,” digital editing helped the medieval-looking tower perfectly match the historic building façade. The crumbling roof received dozens of new, CGI-generated shingles, among other alterations."

All of the scenes for the Netflix series were filmed in Germany and in Ontario, Canada.

52°21′35″N 13°34′23″E / 52.35976°N 13.57316°E / 52.35976; 13.57316


title: Landau–de Gennes theory

abstract: In physics, Landau–de Gennes theory describes the NI transition, i.e., phase transition between nematic liquid crystals and isotropic liquids, which is based on the classical Landau's theory and was developed by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes in 1969. The phenomonological theory uses the Q tensor as an order parameter in expanding the free energy density.

text:
# Landau–de Gennes theory

In physics, **Landau–de Gennes theory** describes the NI transition, i.e., phase transition between nematic liquid crystals and isotropic liquids, which is based on the classical Landau's theory and was developed by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes in 1969. The phenomonological theory uses the $\mathbf {Q} $ tensor as an order parameter in expanding the free energy density.

## Mathematical description

The NI transition is a first-order phase transition, albeit it is very weak. The order parameter is the $\mathbf {Q} $ tensor, which is symmetric, traceless, second-order tensor and vanishes in the isotropic liquid phase. We shall consider a uniaxial $\mathbf {Q} $ tensor, which is defined by

$$\mathbf {Q} =S\left(\mathbf {n} \mathbf {n} -{\frac {1}{3}\mathbf {I} \right)}$$

where $S=S(T)$ is the scalar order parameter and $\mathbf {n} $ is the director. The $\mathbf {Q} $ tensor is zero in the isotropic liquid phase since the scalar order parameter $S$ is zero, but becomes non-zero in the nematic phase.

Near the NI transition, the (Helmholtz or Gibbs) free energy density $\mathcal {F}$ is expanded about as

$$\mathcal {F}={\mathcal {F}\_{0}+{\frac {1}{2}A(T)Q\_{ij}Q\_{ji}-{\frac {1}{3}B(T)Q\_{ij}Q\_{jk}Q\_{ki}+{\frac {1}{4}C(T)(Q\_{ij}Q\_{ij})^{2}}}}}$$

or more compactly

$$\mathcal {F}={\mathcal {F}\_{0}+{\frac {1}{2}A(T)\mathrm {tr} (\mathbf {Q} ^{2})-{\frac {1}{3}B(T)\mathrm {tr} (\mathbf {Q} ^{3})+{\frac {1}{4}C(T)\[\mathrm {tr} (\mathbf {Q} ^{2})\]^{2}.}}}}$$

Further, we can expand $A(T)=a(T-T\_{\*})+\cdots $, $B(T)=b+\cdots $ and $C(T)=c+\cdots $ with $(a,b,c)$ being three positive constants. Now substituting the $\mathbf {Q} $ tensor results in

$$\mathcal {F}-{\mathcal {F}\_{0}={\frac {a}{3}(T-T\_{\*})S^{2}-{\frac {2b}{27}S^{3}+{\frac {c}{9}S^{4}.}}}}$$

This is minimized when

$$3a(T-T\_{\*})S-bS^{2}+2cS^{3}=0.$$

The two required solutions of this equation are

$$\begin{aligned}{\text{Isotropic:}&\\,\\,S\_{I}=0,\\\{\text{Nematic:}&\\,\\,S\_{N}={\frac {b}{4c}\left\[1+{\sqrt {1-{\frac {24ac}{b^{2}(T-T\_{\*})}\\,\right\]\>0.\end{aligned}}}}}}}$$

The NI transition temperature $T\_{NI}$ is not simply equal to $T\_{\*}$ (which would be the case in second-order phase transition), but is given by

$$T\_{NI}=T\_{\*}+{\frac {b^{2}{27ac},\quad S\_{NI}={\frac {b}{3c}}}}$$

$S\_{NI}$ is the scalar order parameter at the transition.


title: David Zwilling

abstract: David Zwilling is an Austrian former alpine skier and world champion. He won a gold medal in the downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 and finished second in the overall 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup. He competed in the slalom and giant slalom at the 1972 Olympics and finished seventh in both events. Zwilling was elected Austrian Sportspersonality of the year 1974.

text:
# David Zwilling

**David Zwilling** (born 24 August 1949) is an Austrian former alpine skier and world champion. He won a gold medal in the downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 and finished second in the overall 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup. He competed in the slalom and giant slalom at the 1972 Olympics and finished seventh in both events.

Zwilling was elected Austrian Sportspersonality of the year 1974.

## InfoBox

David Zwilling
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 24 August 1949 (1949-08-24) (age 75)<br>Abtenau, Austria |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
| Club | Union Abtenau |
| Medal record      Representing  Austria  World championship  1974 St. Moritz Downhill  1974 St. Moritz Slalom | |


title: Chase the Chance

abstract: "Chase the Chance" is the fourth single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro from her second studio album, Sweet 19 Blues (1996). It was released as the album's second single on December 4, 1995, through Avex Trax. It debuted at number one on the Oricon charts, becoming her first of five singles to sell over a million copies. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3 million copies in Japan. At the end of the month, she would make her first appearance as a solo artist on Kōhaku Uta Gassen performing the single. A pre-release TV commercial for the single features excerpts from the music videos for her four previous singles in slow motion and in black and white.

text:
# Chase the Chance

"**Chase the Chance**" is the fourth single by Japanese singer Namie Amuro from her second studio album, *Sweet 19 Blues* (1996). It was released as the album's second single on December 4, 1995, through Avex Trax.

It debuted at number one on the *Oricon* charts, becoming her first of five singles to sell over a million copies. As of August 2012, the single has sold 1.3 million copies in Japan. At the end of the month, she would make her first appearance as a solo artist on Kōhaku Uta Gassen performing the single.

A pre-release TV commercial for the single features excerpts from the music videos for her four previous singles (including three singles released by Toshiba-EMI) in slow motion and in black and white.

## Background and release

"Chase the Chance" was Amuro's second single for the Avex Trax label, following "Body Feels Exit" which was released a month prior. 1995 became Amuro's breakthrough year as she parted ways with her former girl group, Super Monkey's, and saw her first run of solo singles reach top five on the *Oricon* charts. The rest of Super Monkey's regrouped as MAX earlier that same year and continued to dance backup for Amuro, with "Chase the Chance" marking the last single they performed with her. The group would go on to achieve success in their own right.

"Chase the Chance" was a runaway success and debuted as her first chart-topper. It outsold its predecessor by a third, and became her first of five singles to move more than a million copies.

## Commercial tie-in

"Chase the Chance" was used as the theme song to the Nihon TV drama, "The Chef."

## Track listing

All lyrics are written by Tetsuya Komuro and Takahiro Maeda; all music is composed by Tetsuya Komuro, arranged by Tetsuya Komuro

CD
| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Chase the Chance" (Original Mix) | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Chase the Chance" (Trip Club Mix) | 5:30 |
| 3. | "Chase the Chance" (G.Wright Jungle Mix) | 6:43 |
| 4. | "Chase the Chance" (Original Karaoke) | 4:22 |
| Total length: | | 21:02 |

## Personnel

* Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals

## Production

* Producer – Tetsuya Komuro
* Arranger – Tetsuya Komuro
* Mixing – Gary Thomas Wright

## TV performances

* December 31, 1995  Kōhaku Uta Gassen

## Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

| Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| December 4, 1995 | Oricon Weekly Singles Chart | 1 | 225,090 | 1,361,710 | 20 weeks |

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

| Release | Chart | Position | Sales Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| December 4, 1995 | Oricon 1996 Year-End Chart | 10 | 1,361,710 |

## InfoBox

| "Chase the Chance" | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Single by Namie Amuro | |
| from the album  *Sweet 19 Blues* | |
| Released | December 4, 1995 |
| Genre |  |
| Length | 4:25 |
| Label | Avex Trax |
| Songwriter(s) |  |
| Producer(s) | Tetsuya Komuro |
| Namie Amuro singles chronology | |
| "Body Feels Exit"
(1995) "**Chase the Chance**"
(1995) "Don't Wanna Cry"
(1996) | |


title: Cecil Lewis (soccer)

abstract: Cecil Lewis is an American soccer player who last played for the Norfolk SharX in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

text:
# Cecil Lewis (soccer)

**Cecil Lewis** (born February 3, 1981) is an American soccer player who last played for the Norfolk SharX in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

## Career

Lewis grew up in Georgia, attended community college for one year, then moved to Virginia Beach with his girlfriend to attend Tidewater Community College. He played one season with Tidewater, scoring seventeen goals in ten games. This brought him to the attention of the Virginia Beach Mariners who signed him for the 2002 A-League season. After two season with the Mariners, Lewis moved to the Wilmington Hammerheads for the 2004 season. He played one regular season game before suffering a season-ending injury. The injury forced him to sit out the 2005 season as well and in April 2006, he signed with the Richmond Kickers. In 2007, he played for the amateur Fredericksburg Gunners, Crystal Palace Baltimore and, most recently, the Real Maryland Monarchs. In November 2011, Lewis began playing for the Norfolk SharX of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

## InfoBox

Cecil Lewis
|  | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal information | | | |
| Date of birth | (1981-02-03) February 3, 1981 | | |
| Place of birth | Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States | | |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | | |
| Position(s) | Midfielder | | |
| College career | | | |
| Years | **Team** | **Apps** | **(Gls)** |
| 2001 | Tidewater Storm | 10 | (17) |
| Senior career\* | | | |
| Years | **Team** | **Apps** | **(Gls)** |
| 2002–2003 | Virginia Beach Mariners | 17 | (0) |
| 2004 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | (0) |
| 2006 | Richmond Kickers | 8 | (0) |
| 2007 | Fredericksburg Gunners | 11 | (1) |
| 2008 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 13 | (1) |
| 2009 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 11 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | Norfolk SharX (indoor) | 19 | (4) |
| \*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 11, 2020 | | | |


title: Baudet du Poitou

abstract: The Baudet du Poitou, also called the Poitevin or Poitou donkey, is a French breed of donkey. It is one of the largest breeds, and jacks were bred to mares of the Poitevin horse breed to produce Poitevin mules, which were formerly in worldwide demand for agricultural and other work. The Baudet has a distinctive coat, which hangs in long, ungroomed locks or cadenettes. The Baudet developed in the former province of Poitou, possibly from donkeys introduced to the area by the Romans. They may have been a status symbol during the Middle Ages, and by the early 18th century, their physical characteristics had been established. A studbook for the breed was established in France in 1884, and the 19th and early 20th centuries saw them being used for the production of mules throughout Europe. During this same time, Poitou bloodlines were also used to develop other donkey breeds, including the American Mammoth Jack in the United States. Increasing mechanization in the mid-20th century saw a decline in the need for, and hence population of, the breed, and by 1977, a survey found only 44 members worldwide. Conservation efforts were begun by a number of public and private breeders and organizations, and by 2005 there were 450 purebred Poitou donkeys.

text:
# Baudet du Poitou

The **Baudet du Poitou**, also called the **Poitevin** or **Poitou** donkey, is a French breed of donkey. It is one of the largest breeds, and jacks (donkey stallions) were bred to mares of the Poitevin horse breed to produce Poitevin mules, which were formerly in worldwide demand for agricultural and other work. The Baudet has a distinctive coat, which hangs in long, ungroomed locks or *cadenettes*.

The Baudet developed in the former province of Poitou, possibly from donkeys introduced to the area by the Romans. They may have been a status symbol during the Middle Ages, and by the early 18th century, their physical characteristics had been established. A studbook for the breed was established in France in 1884, and the 19th and early 20th centuries saw them being used for the production of mules throughout Europe. During this same time, Poitou bloodlines were also used to develop other donkey breeds, including the American Mammoth Jack in the United States.

Increasing mechanization in the mid-20th century saw a decline in the need for, and hence population of, the breed, and by 1977, a survey found only 44 members worldwide. Conservation efforts were begun by a number of public and private breeders and organizations, and by 2005 there were 450 purebred Poitou donkeys.

## History

The exact origins of the Poitou breed are unknown, but donkeys and their use in the breeding of mules may have been introduced to the Poitou region of France by the Roman Empire. The Baudet de Poitou and the *Mulassière* (mule breeder) horse breed (also known as the Poitevin) were developed together for the use of producing superior mules. In the Middle Ages, owning a Poitou donkey may have been a status symbol among the local French nobility. It is not known when the Poitou's distinctive characteristics were gained but they seem to have been well-developed by 1717 when an advisor to King Louis XV described:

> There is found, in northern Poitou, donkeys which are as tall as large mules. They are almost completely covered in hair a half-foot long with legs and joints as large as a those of a carriage horse.

In the mid-1800s, Poitevin mules were "regarded as the finest and strongest in France", and between 15,000 and 18,000 were sold annually. In 1884, a studbook was established for the Poitou donkey in France. During the first half of the twentieth century, the mules bred by the Poitou and the Poitevin continued to be desired throughout Europe, and were called the "finest working mule in the world". Purchasers paid higher prices for Poitevin mules than for others, and up to 30,000 were bred annually in Poitou, with some estimates putting the number as high as 50,000. As mechanization increased around World War II, mules became outmoded, and population numbers for both mules and donkeys dropped dramatically.

Poitou donkey and mule breeders were extremely protective of their breeding practices, some of which were "highly unusual and misguided." Jacks were kept in closed-in stalls throughout the year once they had begun covering mares, in often unhygienic conditions. Once the mares had been covered, a folk belief held that if they were underfed, they would produce colts, which were more valuable, rather than fillies. This often led to mares being starved during their pregnancies.

Colostrum, vital for foal development, was considered unhealthy and withheld from newborns. A lack of breeding records resulted in fertility problems, and there was a significant amount of foal mortality, due to jacks being used to cover horse mares before jennies of their own kind, resulting in late-born foals that were vulnerable to cold fall and winter temperatures. Despite these husbandry issues, one author, writing in 1883, stated that "mule-breeding is about the only branch of agricultural industry in which France has no rival abroad, owing its prosperity entirely to the zeal of those engaged in it."

### Conservation efforts

A breed census in 1977 found only 44 Poitou donkeys worldwide, and in 1980 there were still fewer than 80 animals. Conservation efforts were led by several public and private groups in France. In 1979, the Haras Nationaux, (the French national stud) and the Parc Naturel Regional du Marais Poitevin, working with private breeders, launched an effort to improve the genetics of the Poitou, develop new breeding techniques and collect traditional knowledge on the breed. In 1981, 18 large donkeys from Portugal were acquired for use in breeding Poitou donkeys. This preceded the creation of the Asinerie Nationale Experimentale, which opened in Charente-Maritime in Dampierre-sur-Boutonne in 1982, as an experimental breeding farm.

The Parc also works to preserve the Poitevin horse breed. In 1988, the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Baudet du Poitou (SABAUD) was formed as a breeder network that focuses on marketing and fundraising for the breed, and in 1989 became the financial support arm of the Asinerie Nationale Experimentale. The Association des Éleveurs des Races Équine, Mulassière et Asine, Baudet du Poitou is the registering body for the Poitou donkey. The early conservation efforts were sometimes sidetracked as some breeders sold crossbred Poitous as purebreds, which are worth up to ten times as much. Forged pedigrees and registration papers were sometimes used to legitimize these sales. However, by the 1990s, DNA testing and microchip technology began to be used to identify and track purebred animals.

The conservation efforts in the latter decades of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st were successful, and a 2005 survey revealed 450 purebred registered animals. This number dropped to just under 400 by 2011. The French studbook for the breed is split into two sections. The first, Livre A, is for purebred animals with documented Poitou parentage on both sides of their pedigree. The second, Livre B, is for animals with one purebred Poitou parent. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists the Poitou as "Critical" on its Conservation Priority List, a category for breeds with less than 2,000 animals worldwide and less than 200 registrations annually in the US.

In 2001, scientists in Australia successfully implanted a Poitou donkey embryo created by artificial insemination in the womb of a Standardbred mare. Worries that joint problems might prevent a healthy pregnancy in the foal's biological mother led to the initiative. The resultant foal became one of three Poitou donkeys in Australia. The procedure was unusual because it is often difficult for members of one *Equus* species to accept implanted embryos from another species in the same genus.

### In the United States

Historical records exist of several sets of exports of Poitous from France to the US during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including a 1910 import of 10 donkeys. Most of these were integrated into the generic pool of donkey bloodstock, rather than being bred pure. During this time, Poitous were used in the creation of the American Mammoth Jack breed. Due to high purchase and transportation costs, the breed played a smaller role in the development of the Mammoth Jack than some breeders would have preferred.

Imports to the US continued until at least 1937, when a successful breeding jack name Kaki, who stood 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) high, was brought to the country. The 1940s through the 1960s saw a dearth of Poitou imports, and only a few arrived between 1978 and the 1990s. By 1996, there were estimated to only be around 30 Poitous in North America.

In 1996, Debbie Hamilton, an American, founded the Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation on a 440-acre (180 ha) farm in Hartland, Vermont, to breed Poitou donkeys. As of 2004, she owned 26 purebred and 14 partbred Poitous, making hers the largest Poitou breeding operation in the United States, and the second largest in the world, behind the French government-sponsored experimental farm. Hamilton works with French officials toward the preservation of the breed, and has received praise from French veterinarians, who appreciate her technical and financial contributions to the breed.

Techniques for using cryopreservation to develop a sperm bank for Poitou donkeys have been in development in France since at least 1997, but Hamilton has pioneered the use of artificial insemination using frozen semen in the breed, in order to use genetic material from France to improve Poitou herds in the US. The North American Baudet de Poitou Society, organized by the American Donkey and Mule Society, is the American registry for the breed, coordinating with French officials for inspections and registrations of American-bred Poitou stock.

## Characteristics

The Baudet is a large breed; among other European donkeys only the Andalucian donkey reaches a similar size. In order to breed large mules, the original breeders of the Poitou chose animals with large features, such as ears, heads and leg joints. The ears developed to such an extent that their weight sometimes causes them to be carried horizontally. Minimum height is 1.40 m (55 in) for jacks and 1.35 m (53 in) for jennies.

They have large, long heads, strong necks, long backs, short croups and round haunches. The limb joints and feet are large, and the legs strong. The temperament has been described as "friendly, affectionate and docile".

In Poitou, the coat of the Baudet was traditionally – and deliberately – left ungroomed; with time, it formed *cadenettes*, long shaggy locks somewhat like dreadlocks. These sometimes became so long that they reached the ground; a Baudet with such a long coat was termed *bourailloux* or *guenilloux*. The genes responsible for the unusual coat type are recessive, so Poitou mules do not exhibit the trait, and cross-bred donkeys do not exhibit it unless of a related donkey breed that occasionally carries the same genes.

The coat is dark bay, ranging from dark brown to black; it may also be *fougère*, in which the silver-grey surround of the mouth and eyes has a reddish border. The underbelly and the insides of the thighs are pale. It may not display either rubican markings ("white ticking"), nor a dorsal mule-stripe.

## Use

The Baudet was traditionally used only for breeding mules; the word *baudet* means "donkey sire", but it used to describe the breed as a whole. With the decline of mule-breeding, some may be used for agricultural work, for driving or for riding.

## InfoBox

Baudet du Poitou
| Year-old jenny foal | |
| --- | --- |
| Conservation status | FAO (2007): endangered |
| Other names | * Baudet de Poitou * Poitou Donkey * Poitevin Donkey * Poitou Ass |
| Country of origin | France |
| Distribution | world-wide |
| Standard | Haras Nationaux (in French) |
| Use | siring mules |
| Traits | |
| Height | * Male: 135–156 cm * Female: average 140 cm |
| Coat | dark bay |
|  | |


title: Centerfield School and Meetinghouse

abstract: The Centerfield School and Meetinghouse, also known as the Centerfield Rock Church, is a historic structure located at 140 S. Main St. in Centerfield, Utah. Built between 1886 and 1889, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It is a one-story oolitic limestone building, built by stonemasons Chris Tollstrup and Gustav Nielsen. A mansard roof on the east portion of the building was added in 1897 to give it Second Empire style.

text:
# Centerfield School and Meetinghouse

The **Centerfield School and Meetinghouse**, also known as the **Centerfield Rock Church,** is a historic structure located at 140 S. Main St. in Centerfield, Utah. Built between 1886 and 1889, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

It is a one-story oolitic limestone building, built by stonemasons Chris Tollstrup and Gustav Nielsen. A mansard roof on the east portion of the building was added in 1897 to give it Second Empire style.

## InfoBox

|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Centerfield School and Meetinghouse | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
|  | |
|  | |
|  | |
| Location | 140 S. Main St., Centerfield, Utah |
| Coordinates | 39°07′25″N 111°49′11″W / 39.123623°N 111.819710°W / 39.123623; -111.819710 |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | c.1886-87 |
| Built by | Chris Tollstrup, Gustav Nielsen |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| MPS | Mormon Church Buildings in Utah MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001068 |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 2000 |


title: 14-inch/50-caliber railway gun

abstract: The 14"/50 caliber railway guns were spare US Navy Mk 4 14 inch/50 caliber guns mounted on railway cars and operated by US Navy crews in France in the closing months of World War I.

text:
# 14-inch/50-caliber railway gun

The **14"/50 caliber railway guns** were spare US Navy Mk 4 14 inch/50 caliber guns mounted on railway cars and operated by US Navy crews in France in the closing months of World War I.

## Background

In 1917 the Allies were losing an artillery duel against heavy German guns along the Flanders coast in Belgium, and the important French Channel port of Dunkirk was being shelled by 38 cm German guns sited in Belgium at a range of over 24 miles (39 km). There was also a need for the Allies to bombard strategic targets in the German rear areas to hinder German capability to stage attacks. The largest Allied guns in the area were British 12-inch Mk X guns which were outranged.

## Mark I Navy railway mount

Upon its entry into the war, the US chose its largest and longest-ranged available naval gun to fill the gap—the 14"/50 caliber Mk 4 gun with a muzzle velocity of 2800 feet per second. The new 16-inch gun would have been preferable, but it was not yet available in numbers; spare 14-inch guns kept for the active fleet were used instead.

Baldwin Locomotive Works delivered five trains for the United States Navy during April and May 1918. Each train transported and supported a 14"/50 caliber Mk 4 gun mounted on a rail carriage with four 6-wheel bogies.

### Arrival in France

There was some doubt as to whether the Flanders coast and French Channel ports were now safe Allied ports, following the German spring offensive successes in March and April 1918 which brought those areas within German artillery and attack range. The guns were therefore diverted from the British zone in the north to further south, to the port of St. Nazaire, to avoid the risk of having such valuable assets captured or destroyed.

Each battery composed of a locomotive, gun car, ammunition cars, supporting equipment cars, and accommodation cars for the crew. Each train was under the command of a United States Navy lieutenant, and under overall command of Rear Admiral Charles Peshall Plunkett. After delivery by ship, these trains were assembled in St. Nazaire in August.

### Operation

Before a gun arrived at a firing position, a curved length of track was laid at a position calculated suitable for firing at a specific target, and a pit 9 feet (2.7 m) deep, involving the removal of 103 cubic yards (79 m3) of earth was dug, between the rails into which the gun recoiled 44 inches (1.1 m). Supports were also embedded in this pit connected to the gun mounting, to transmit remaining recoil energy directly to the ground and avoid placing excessive vertical strain on the gun car (and, through it, the track) and prevent it from moving backwards. In fact, by late 1918 the French had already constructed many such curved spurs (*épis*) for their own guns and hence the US guns were often able to re-use these.

The gun car was positioned over the pit, the wheels were locked and the platform was locked into position with gun mount and car's weight shifted from the trucks (bogies) directly to the ground by jacks and lifting screws. The rails were removed from above the pit because the gun breech was too wide to pass between them. The gun could elevate up to 43°, which gave it a maximum range of 42,000 yards (23.8 miles/38.4 km), and could be traversed 2.5° left and right of center. Any greater change of direction required the gun to be moved forward or backward along its curved track and a new recoil pit dug. The gun used the standard naval gun mounting and recoil system, with the addition of a pneumatic system to assist the runout springs to return the gun to firing position after recoil at the higher maximum elevation of 43° compared to maximum 30° in naval use.

A major disadvantage of the Mark I mount was that the weight was distributed forward, placing weight on the leading axles that was above the normally allowable weight for French railways, and also caused axle bearings to overheat at any speed over 5–10 mph. The armored enclosed gun house lacked ventilation and caused condensation to form, which promoted rusting. The necessity to excavate a recoil pit was also not acceptable as a long-term solution of recoil control. Hence the Mark I, while functioning as designed, was seen as only a compromise measure necessitated by wartime time constraints.

### Combat service

The guns served to support General Pershing's army offensive in the Meuse-Argonne sector of the Western Front in France. They operated as single-gun batteries designated Battery 1 to Battery 5. Battery 2, commanded by Lieutenant (JG) E. D. Duckett, US Navy, had the distinction of being the first all-US gun (crew, gun, and ammunition) to fire in action on the Western Front. On 6 September 1918 they fired from the forest of Compiegne at the important German railway center of Tergnier in support of an Allied attack.

The guns were used to target key infrastructure deep behind the German lines, such as railway junctions and other lines of communication and concentration, typically only opening fire after an Allied attack had begun to avoid giving the Germans any warning of Allied intentions.

They fired 782 shells on 25 separate active days on the Western Front at ranges between 27 and 36 kilometers. This equated to an average of 156 rounds per gun, which was approximately half the 300 rounds expected life of these guns before they would need refurbishment. The guns were only fired for specific strategic purposes to conserve barrel life, with smaller guns being used whenever possible. Hence on many days they remained inactive or were being moved.

The last shot was fired by Battery 4 at 10:57:30 a.m. on 11 November 1918, timed to land just before the scheduled Armistice at 11 a.m.

## Mark I Army railway mount

The US Army ordered three units identical to the Navy Mark I mountings in May 1918 and another three in July 1918, also from Baldwin Locomotive Works. They were all completed by 20 September 1918 but the war ended before they were required to be shipped to France.

## Mark II Navy railway mount

The new Mark II gun car developed during 1918 carried the same 14"/50 caliber Mk 4 gun but addressed the problem areas: it dispensed with the armored gun house, with gunners working in the open; the weight was more evenly spread over 20 axles instead of 12; the French system of rolling recoil was adopted, in which the gun was mounted higher to allow full recoil at maximum elevation without striking the ground and the car rolled back 3040 feet after firing to absorb remaining recoil. This made it possible to fire the gun along any part of its curved track without any prior preparation, with elevation up to 40°. After firing, the gun car used a winch mounted at the front, connected to a strong point in the ground in front, to pull itself back to its firing position. World War I ended before the Mark II entered service, and it was used for coastal defense in the US.

## Surviving examples

### Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

## Notes and references

## Bibliography

## InfoBox

| 14"/50 caliber railway gun | |
| --- | --- |
| Firing from Thierville-sur-Meuse, NW of Verdun | |
| Type | Railway gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1918–1920s |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1917 |
| Manufacturer | Baldwin Locomotive Works (train) |
| Produced | 1918 |
| No. built | Mk I: 11
Mk II: 2 |
| Variants | Mk I, Mk II |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 700 inches (17.780 m) (50 calibers) |
| --- | |
| Shell | 1,400 pounds (640 kg) |
| Caliber | 14-inch (355.6 mm) |
| Recoil | hydro-spring, 44 inches (1,120 mm) |
| Carriage | railway truck, 12 or 20 axles |
| Elevation | 0–43° |
| Traverse | 2.5° L & R |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,800 feet per second (853 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 42,000 yards (38,000 m) @ 43° |


title: Schacontia

abstract: Schacontia is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914.

text:
# Schacontia

***Schacontia*** is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1914.

## Distribution

*Schacontia* species are distributed across Mexico, south to Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama) and South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela) and the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hispaniola). A single North American record of *Schacontia themis* is reported from Sanibel Island, Florida.

## Species

## Etymology

*Schacontia* seems to be Dyar's contraction of *Schaus* and *Acontia*, the noctuid genus in which William Schaus mistakenly attributed *Schacontia medalba* and subsequently designated by Dyar as the type species of *Schacontia*.

## InfoBox

| *Schacontia* | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Adults of *Schacontia*: 1=*S. medalba*, 2=*S. chanesalis*, 3=*S. umbra*, 4=*S. speciosa*, 5=*S. ysticalis*, 6=*S. themis*, 7=*S. rasa*, 8=*S. nyx*, 9=*S. clotho*, 10 & 11=*S. lachesis*, 12=*S. atropos* | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Subfamily: | Glaphyriinae |
| Genus: | *Schacontia*<br>Dyar, 1914 |
|


title: Land Transfer Act 1952

abstract: The Land Transfer Act 1952 is an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 1952. It implements the Torrens title system of land registration. Much of it is based on the Land Transfer Act 1885.

text:
# Land Transfer Act 1952

The **Land Transfer Act 1952** is an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 1952. It implements the Torrens title system of land registration. Much of it is based on the Land Transfer Act 1885.

## InfoBox

| Land Transfer Act | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| New Zealand Parliament | |
| Royal assent | 23 October 1952 |
| **Status:** Current legislation | |


title: Terence Riley (cricketer)

abstract: Terence Michael Noel Riley is a former English cricketer. Riley was a right-handed batsman who bowled leg break. He was born at Birmingham, Warwickshire. Riley made his first-class debut for Warwickshire against Derbyshire in the 1961 County Championship. He made eleven further first-class appearances for the county, the last of which came against Cambridge University in 1964. An opening batsman, in his total of twelve first-class matches for the county, he scored 440 runs at an average of 20.95, with a high score of 84. This score was one of two half centuries he made for the county and came against on debut against Derbyshire. Early in the 1964 season, Riley moved to Gloucestershire, making his first-class debut for the county against Hampshire in the 1964 County Championship. He made ten further first-class appearances for Gloucestershire, all in that season, with the last coming against his former county. In his eleven first-class matches for Gloucestershire, he scored a total of 238 runs at an average of 11.90, with a high score of 51. This score was his only half century for the county and came against Lancashire. He also made a single List A appearance for Gloucestershire in the 1964 Gillette Cup against Surrey, with him scoring 14 runs in the match before he was dismissed by David Sydenham.

text:
# Terence Riley (cricketer)

**Terence Michael Noel Riley** (born 25 December 1939) is a former English cricketer. Riley was a right-handed batsman who bowled leg break. He was born at Birmingham, Warwickshire.

Riley made his first-class debut for Warwickshire against Derbyshire in the 1961 County Championship. He made eleven further first-class appearances for the county, the last of which came against Cambridge University in 1964. An opening batsman, in his total of twelve first-class matches for the county, he scored 440 runs at an average of 20.95, with a high score of 84. This score was one of two half centuries he made for the county and came against on debut against Derbyshire.

Early in the 1964 season, Riley moved to Gloucestershire, making his first-class debut for the county against Hampshire in the 1964 County Championship. He made ten further first-class appearances for Gloucestershire, all in that season, with the last coming against his former county. In his eleven first-class matches for Gloucestershire, he scored a total of 238 runs at an average of 11.90, with a high score of 51. This score was his only half century for the county and came against Lancashire. He also made a single List A appearance for Gloucestershire in the 1964 Gillette Cup against Surrey, with him scoring 14 runs in the match before he was dismissed by David Sydenham.

## InfoBox

Terence Riley
| Personal information | |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | Terence Michael Noel Riley |
| Born | (1939-12-25) 25 December 1939<br>Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Leg break |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1964 | Gloucestershire |
| 19611964 | Warwickshire |
|  | |
| Career statistics | |
| Competition First-class List A  Matches 23 1  Runs scored 678 14  Batting average 16.53 14.00  100s/50s /3 /  Top score 84 14  Balls bowled 12   Wickets    Bowling average    5 wickets in innings    10 wickets in match    Best bowling    Catches/stumpings 5/ / | |
|  | |
| Source: Cricinfo, 13 May 2012 | |


title: Valveless

abstract: The Valveless was an English automobile manufactured, after lengthy development, from 1908 until 1915 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. The successor to the Ralph Lucas Valveless, the car marked the entry of the David Brown & Sons group into the manufacture of motors. Its engine was a 20 or 25 hp duplex two-stroke model which was advertised as having "only six working parts"; these included two pistons, two connecting rods, and two crankshafts, which were geared together and counter-rotated. This is a type of engine configuration known as a split single since it is effectively a single cylinder split into two.

text:
# Valveless

The **Valveless** was an English automobile manufactured, after lengthy development, from 1908 until 1915 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. The successor to the Ralph Lucas Valveless, the car marked the entry of the David Brown & Sons group into the manufacture of motors. Its engine was a 20 or 25 hp duplex two-stroke model which was advertised as having "only six working parts"; these included two pistons, two connecting rods, and two crankshafts, which were geared together and counter-rotated. This is a type of engine configuration known as a split single since it is effectively a single cylinder split into two.

## Models

* **1908**

20 hp 2-cylinder 133 x 140 = 3.891 litres

* **1909-1911**

25 hp 2-cylinder 133 x 140 = 3.891 litres

* **1911-1915**

15 hp 2-cylinder 112 x 127 = 2.503 litres

* **1913**

15 hp 2-cylinder 118 x 127 = 2.503 litres

* **1913-1914**

19.9 hp 2-cylinder 127 x 127 = 3.217 litres

* **1915**

19.9 hp 2-cylinder 127 x 133 = 3.546 litres

The cars with smaller engines had slightly shorter wheelbases and so were lighter.    * David Burgess Wise, *The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles*.


title: Sky Bus Transport System

abstract: Sky Bus Transport System Share Company is a first modern intercity coach transport company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was established by more than 3400 shareholders with a registered capital of birr 60 million.

text:
# Sky Bus Transport System

**Sky Bus Transport System Share Company** is a first modern intercity coach transport company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was established by more than 3400 shareholders with a registered capital of birr 60 million.

## Overview

Sky Bus is directed by a Board of Directors and managed and operated by highly qualified professionals in various disciplines and many years of experience in the transport sector, it is now functioning across ten major destinations in Ethiopia. The firm has also announced plans to cover the whole country in the coming few years and expand service to other nations in the Horn of Africa. The bodies of the buses are manufactured by Jinhun Youngman, automobile manufacturing company of China, in joint venture with Neoplan of Germany. The buses are luxury coaches powered by world-class MAN 310 horsepower engines. In addition, ZF manufactured our buses’ axles (front and rear) and gearboxes with air suspensions and leveling mechanisms. The steering and brake systems are German products. Instead of the traditional 62 seats, Buses have 47 seats leaving more space for the passengers’ comfort with safety belt all round and individually controlled air conditioning system.

Although SkyBus was established with a great vision of connecting Ethiopian cities and even Ethiopia with neighboring countries, the company has long stopped operating, about two years, due to an utter bankruptcy that resulted from poor management, corruption, and direct and inappropriate manipulation of the company by higher entities of TPLF, the now ousted group that controlled the country for over three decades. The company's website indicated in this article used to be functional but doesn't exist now.

## InfoBox

Sky Bus Transport System s.c.
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Parent | Sky Bus Transport System share company |
| Founded | October 15, 2007 |
| Headquarters | Addis Ababa |
| Service area | Ethiopia |
| Service type | Intercity coach service |
| Destinations | Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Diredawa, Harar, Gondor, Jimma, Hawassa, Jigjiga, Dessie, Mekelle and Asossa. |
| Hubs | Addis Ababa |
| Daily ridership | Coaches |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Chief executive | Mesfin Ayele |
| Website | www.skybusethiopia.com |


title: Causality (book)

abstract: Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference is a book by Judea Pearl. It is an exposition and analysis of causality. It is considered to have been instrumental in laying the foundations of the modern debate on causal inference in several fields including statistics, computer science and epidemiology. In this book, Pearl espouses the Structural Causal Model (SCM) that uses structural equation modeling. This model is a competing viewpoint to the Rubin causal model. Some of the material from the book was reintroduced in the more general-audience targeting The Book of Why.

text:
# Causality (book)

***Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference*** (2000; updated 2009) is a book by Judea Pearl. It is an exposition and analysis of causality. It is considered to have been instrumental in laying the foundations of the modern debate on causal inference in several fields including statistics, computer science and epidemiology. In this book, Pearl espouses the Structural Causal Model (SCM) that uses structural equation modeling. This model is a competing viewpoint to the Rubin causal model. Some of the material from the book was reintroduced in the more general-audience targeting The Book of Why.

## Reviews

> Pearl succeeds in bringing together in a general nonparametric framework the counterfactual tradition of causal analysis with the variants of structural equation modeling worth keeping. The graph theory that he uses to accomplish this fusion is often elegant. Thus, Causality is a major statement, which all who claim to know what causality is must read.
>
> Stephen L. Morgan (2004)

The book gave Pearl the 2001 Lakatos Award in Philosophy of Science.

## InfoBox

Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Judea Pearl |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Causality |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Publication date | 2000, 2009 |
| Pages | 484 |
| ISBN | 978-0521895606 |


title: Retfærd

abstract: Retfærd, subtitled Nordic Journal of Law and Justice, is a Nordic peer-reviewed academic journal of legal science, publishing research from a "theoretical and practical point of view on the basis of not only jurisprudence, but also sociology, criminology, political science, history, philosophy, economics, ecology, anthropology, feminism and other sciences." Principally oriented towards Scandinavia, it primarily publishes articles in the Scandinavian languages, but also publishes special issues in English with a broader international focus. The journal was established in 1976 and since 2002 is published by the Association of Danish Lawyers and Economists. It was formerly published by Universitetsforlaget/the Scandinavian University Press. The journal is ranked as a Level 2 journal, the highest level, in the official Norwegian ranking. The journal's editor-in-chief is Ole Hammerslev.

text:
# Retfærd

***Retfærd*** (Danish: "Justice"), subtitled *Nordic Journal of Law and Justice*, is a Nordic peer-reviewed academic journal of legal science, publishing research from a "theoretical and practical point of view on the basis of not only jurisprudence, but also sociology, criminology, political science, history, philosophy, economics, ecology, anthropology, feminism and other sciences." Principally oriented towards Scandinavia, it primarily publishes articles in the Scandinavian languages, but also publishes special issues in English with a broader international focus. The journal was established in 1976 and since 2002 is published by the Association of Danish Lawyers and Economists. It was formerly published by Universitetsforlaget/the Scandinavian University Press. The journal is ranked as a Level 2 journal, the highest level, in the official Norwegian ranking (the Norwegian Scientific Index).

The journal's editor-in-chief is Ole Hammerslev.

## InfoBox

*Retfærd*
| Discipline | Law |
| --- | --- |
| Language | Scandinavian (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish), English |
| Edited by | Ole Hammerslev |
| Publication details | |
| History | 1976-present |
| Publisher | Association of Danish Lawyers and Economists (Denmark) |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Standard abbreviations
 | |
| ISO 4 | *Retfærd* |
| Indexing
 | |
| ISSN | 0105-1121
 |
| Links | |
|  | |


# Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 300 metre free rifle, prone

The men's 300 metre free rifle prone event was one of five free rifle events of the competitions in the Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics events in Paris. It was held from August 3 to August 5, 1900. 30 shooters from 6 nations competed, with five shooters per team. Medals were given for individual high scores in each of the three positions, overall individual high scores, and the scores of the five shooters were summed to give a team score. Achille Paroche of France won the gold medal in the prone event, with Anders Peter Nielsen of Denmark taking silver and Ole Østmo bronze.

## Background

This was the only appearance of the men's 300 metre prone rifle event. A three-positions event was also included in 1900 (summing the scores of the standing, kneeling, and prone competitions); the three-positions event continued, but future Games would not have separate prone-position events in this format.

Léon Moreaux of France was the 1898 World Champion, the only world champion to compete in Paris. Reigning world champion Jesse Wallingford of Great Britain did not compete. The Olympic event doubled as the 1900 world championship.

## Competition format

The competition had each shooter fire 40 shots from the prone position. The target was 1 metre in diameter, with 10 scoring rings; targets were set at a distance of 300 metres. Thus, the maximum score possible was 400 points. The scores from this event were combined with the other two positions (standing and kneeling) to give a three-positions individual score as well as a team score.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Friday, 3 August 1900
Saturday, 4 August 1900
Sunday, 5 August 1900 |  | **Final** |

## Results

Each shooter fired 40 shots, for a total possible of 400 points.

| Rank | Shooter | Nation | Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Achille Paroche | France | 332 |
|  | Anders Peter Nielsen | Denmark | 330 |
|  | Ole Østmo | Norway | 329 |
| 4 | Léon Moreaux | France | 325 |
| 5 | Emil Kellenberger | Switzerland | 324 |
| 6 | Henrik Sillem | Netherlands | 317 |
| 7 | Auguste Cavadini | France | 316 |
| 8 | Paul Van Asbroeck | Belgium | 312 |
| | Uilke Vuurman | Netherlands | 312 |
| 10 | Helmer Hermandsen | Norway | 308 |
| | Viggo Jensen | Denmark | 308 |
| 12 | Louis Richardet | Switzerland | 307 |
| 13 | Edouard Myin | Belgium | 304 |
| 14 | Marcus Ravenswaaij | Netherlands | 303 |
| 15 | Charles Paumier | Belgium | 302 |
| 16 | Lars Jørgen Madsen | Denmark | 301 |
| | Tom Seeberg | Norway | 301 |
| 18 | Ole Sæther | Norway | 298 |
| 19 | René Thomas | France | 295 |
| 20 | Solko van den Bergh | Netherlands | 292 |
| 21 | Franz Böckli | Switzerland | 289 |
| 22 | Olaf Frydenlund | Norway | 287 |
| 23 | Alfred Grütter | Switzerland | 285 |
| | Konrad Stäheli | Switzerland | 285 |
| 25 | Maurice Lecoq | France | 284 |
| 26 | Antonius Bouwens | Netherlands | 278 |
| 27 | Laurids Jensen-Kjær | Denmark | 273 |
| 28 | Joseph Baras | Belgium | 270 |
| | Jules Bury | Belgium | 270 |
| 30 | Axel Kristensen | Denmark | 261 |

## InfoBox

| Men's 300 metre prone free rifle
at the Games of the II Olympiad | |
| --- | --- |
| Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics | |
| Venue | Satory |
| Dates | August 3–5 |
| Competitors | 30 from 6 nations |
| Winning score | 332 |
| Medalists | |
| Achille Paroche
France  Anders Peter Nielsen
Denmark  Ole Østmo
Norway | |


title: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

abstract: The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a combat logistics battalion. The 15th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

text:
# 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

The **15th Marine Expeditionary Unit** (**15th MEU**) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a combat logistics battalion. The 15th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

## Mission

The mission of the MEU is to provide geographic combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, rapid-response force capable of conducting conventional amphibious and selected maritime operations at night or under adverse weather conditions from the sea, by surface and/or by air while under communications and electronics restrictions.

## Current subordinate units

## History

### Early years

In April 1983, the Commandant of the Marine Corps approved the original Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Headquarters concept, providing for the sourcing of two Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) headquarters from each Marine Amphibious Brigade headquarters. The Commandant directed the establishment of two additional MAU headquarters in November 1985. As a result, the Headquarters, 15th Marine Amphibious Unit was activated 1 July 1987 at Camp Pendleton.

The Commandant directed the replacement of the title "Headquarters" with "Command Element" in the titles of the MAGTFs in August 1987. The 15th MAU's designation was further changed in February 1988 to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Both changes were made to more accurately reflect the operational and expeditionary nature of the MAGTF. Before World War II, and in the period between then and the Vietnam War, Marine units dispatched for overseas service were generally designated as "expeditionary brigades."

Since its activation in July 1987, the 15th MEU has trained to meet its mission in the rotation with the 11th and 13th MEUs to provide a continuous presence in the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf and as a ready MAGTF in the continental United States.

In October 1989, the MEU assisted in relief efforts following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, performing their assigned missions and also taking on several volunteer projects to help the victims of the disaster.

### 1990s

Marines of the 15th MEU relieved the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines (1/24, 4th Marine Division) to continue the evacuation of the Republic of the Philippines in August 1991 after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo that had occurred six weeks earlier. Assistance lasted over a month as the Marines distributed food and medical supplies, evacuated stranded villagers and provided security to other rescue personnel.

The MEU spearheaded Operation Restore Hope on 9 December 1992, to provide humanitarian assistance to the civil war torn and famine-stricken country of Somalia. After a predawn landing, the Marines secured the capital city of Mogadishu, the international airport and maritime shipping port facilities, as well as the American Embassy, and quickly moved into other inland areas to protect food distribution convoys and patrol the streets to restore order. The MEU pushed into and secured the inland cities of Baidoa and Balidogle and the coastal town of Kismayo in order to establish relief efforts and maintain security. The span of operations for the Battalion Landing Team was over 150 miles (240 km).

During its deployment in 1994, the MEU provided a detachment of CH-53Es to assist in the Rwanda Relief Effort. The detachment, based in Entebbe, Uganda, provided the only heavy lift capability to the joint task force commander. A few weeks later the MEU assisted in the relocation of the United States Liaison Office from Mogadishu, Somalia, to Nairobi, Kenya.

In October 1994, the MEU was called on again to provide a quick reaction force to counter any possible Iraqi aggression against Kuwait. Within 48 hours, the MEU sent Marines ashore in Kuwait City to demonstrate U.S. resolve in maintaining peace and security in the area.

In January 1996, July 1997, and October 1998, AV-8B Harriers from the 15th MEU (SOC) participated in Operation Southern Watch, patrolling the No-fly zone over southern Iraq maintaining continuous surveillance of the Kuwait-Iraq border, and to ensure the Iraqi military did not violate any United Nations resolutions passed since the Gulf War.

During its 2000 deployment, the 15th MEU (SOC) also participated in the Australian-led Operation Stabilise, providing desperately needed assistance to the people of East Timor, and again patrolled the skies over Southern Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch.

### Global War on Terrorism

Marines of the Forward Command Element of the 15th MEU (SOC) were in East Timor readying for the arrival of the ARG to conduct Humanitarian Operations, while the ARG was in Darwin, Australia during the September 2001 terror attacks on the United States. Following the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the 15th MEU (SOC) continued their plans of humanitarian operations to assist the war-torn country of East Timor, before sailing to the North Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On 7 October 2001, the 15th MEU participated in the United States' new "War on Terrorism", sending Marines and Sailors into Northern Pakistan to establish a forward operating air base and logistical hub. These Marines provided security to USAF personnel who arrived on location shortly after the 15th MEU Marines of Battalion Landing Team 1/1 had established security.

On 25 November 2001, the Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU (SOC) conducted an Amphibious assault over 400 miles (640 km) into the land-locked country of Afghanistan. The Marines and Sailors set new standards for Marine Corps amphibious doctrine. Landing at a remote airbase, 90 miles (140 km) southwest of Kandahar, the Marines occupied Camp Rhino that had been secured by the U.S. Army special forces, America's first Forward Operating Base while maintaining the first significant conventional ground presence in Afghanistan. The Marines and coalition forces later moved north to Kandahar International Airport securing a new forward operating base. With the move, the Marines and coalition forces were able to continue with new missions and build a prison camp that housed numerous Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters.

On 6 January 2003, this time on board the USS *Tarawa* ARG, the 15th MEU (SOC) departed once again for another deployment. In mid-February, elements of the MEU off-loaded and established a training camp in Northern Kuwait while other members of the MAGTF – primarily the helicopter squadron – remained on board the Tarawa ARG in the Persian Gulf.

During February and March 2003, tactical control (TACON) of the MEU was assigned to the United Kingdom's 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines for Operation Iraqi Freedom. On 21 March 2003, Marines from the 15th MEU crossed the border into Southern Iraq and secured the ports of Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr in order to destroy Iraqi resistance and enable follow-on humanitarian assistance to begin.

In late-March 2003, the MEU again became part of the I Marine Expeditionary Force and moved to An Nasiriyah, Iraq to relieve the Marines of Task Force Tarawa. In An Nasiriyah, the 15th MEU secured the remaining sectors of the city, conducted a supporting attack during the rescue of American prisoner of war Jessica Lynch and continued to establish security throughout the greater An Nasiriyah area. The MEU provided humanitarian assistance to the local population that included purifying drinking water, and doctors and corpsmen assisted medical care. The MEU began helping establish the local government to include police and other local services in addition to continuing to conduct airborne surveillance and direct-action raids on the ground to seek out and capture any Ba’ath Party or Fedayeen resistance.

In January 2005, the 15th MEU participated in Operation Unified Assistance by providing disaster relief to survivors of the destructive tsunami in Sumatra, Indonesia and southern Sri Lanka. Immediately after wrapping up those operations, the 15th MEU proceeded south of Baghdad, Iraq to Forward Operating Base Falcon near Al-Mahmudiyah, Babil province, south of for security and stability operations in between rotations of army units. Their deployment into Iraq lasted about 30 days.

On 13 September 2006, the 15th MEU was once again deployed to Iraq. It left San Diego on USS *Boxer*, USS *Dubuque*, and USS *Comstock* and in mid November began operating in Al Anbar province as Task Force Bullrush, composed of elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Bravo Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion; C Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Alpha Company, 3rd Platoon, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion.

On 11 February 2007, the unit received notice of its second extension of their deployment in support of President Bush's surge of additional forces into the critical areas of Iraq. While operating in Al Anbar, the MEU conducted combat operations in Rutbah, Barwana, Haditha, Haqlaniyah, Ramadi and Al Asad in support of Multinational Force-West. The unit returned to San Diego on 30 May 2007.

On 5 May 2008, the unit was deployed on a sea deployment to the Western Pacific & the Persian Gulf, aboard USS *Peleliu* (LHA-5), USS *Dubuque* (LPD-8), and USS *Pearl Harbor* (LSD-52).

On 2010, the unit was deployed to the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations against pirates along the Somali coast. With 1st Battalion, 4th Marines as detachment, they were responsible for the 9 September recapturing of MV *Magellan Star*

On 17 September 2012, the 15th MEU was deployed with the *Peleliu* Amphibious Ready Group (USS *Peleliu*, USS *Green Bay*, and USS *Rushmore* as a theater reserve and crisis response force throughout the U.S. Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. The unit returned to Camp Pendleton 13 May 2013.

## 15th MEU Commanding Officers

| Col. Ted Hopgood July 1987-April 1990 | Col. Terrence P. Murray 1990-1992 |
| --- | --- |
| Col. Gregory S. Newbold 1992-1993 | Col. Robert R. Blackman Jr. 1993-1995 |
| Col. William A. Whitlow 1995-1997 | Col. R.C. Zilmer 1997-2000 |
| Col. Thomas D. Waldhauser 2000-2003 | Col. T.C. Greenwood 2003-2005 |
| Col. Brian D. Beaudrault 2005-2008 | Col. R.A. Osborn 2008-2011 |
| Col. S.D. Campbell 2011-2013 | LtCol J. R. O’Neal 2013-2014 |
| Col. V.L. Cryer 2014-2016 | Col. J.R. Clearfield 2016-2018 |
| Col. Jay M. Holtermann 2018-2019 | Col. Christopher J. Bronzi 2019-2021 |
| Col. Fridrik Fridriksson 2021 | Col. Sean Dynan June 2021-present |

## Citations

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

## Bibliography

### Web

## InfoBox

| 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit | |
| --- | --- |
| 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Insignia | |
| Founded | 1 July 1987 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Marine air ground task force |
| Role | Forward-deployed, rapid-response force |
| Size | 2,200 |
| Part of | I Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Engagements | **Somali Civil War** **Operation Southern Watch** **Operation Stabilise**
**War on Terror** |
| Commanders | |
| Current
commander | Colonel Sean Dynan |
| Notable
commanders | Brian Beaudreault
Thomas D. Waldhauser
Robert R. Blackman Jr. |


title: Disarmament in Somalia

abstract: After two decades of violence and civil war and after the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia captured Mogadishu and Kismayo, the TFG attempted to disarm the militias of the country in late 2006. According to the UN/World Bank's Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) coordination secretariat, "the total estimated number of militias [militia members] to be demobilized is 53,000." In 2005, they estimated that "there are 11–15,000 militia people controlling Mogadishu."

text:
# Disarmament in Somalia

After two decades of violence and civil war (which began in 1986) and after the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia captured Mogadishu and Kismayo, the TFG attempted to disarm the militias of the country in late 2006. According to the UN/World Bank's Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) coordination secretariat, "the total estimated number of militias \[militia members\] to be demobilized is 53,000." In 2005, they estimated that "there are 11–15,000 militia people controlling Mogadishu (out of national estimates ranging from 50,000 to 200,000)."

## Past efforts

Since the 1991 war, there have been over a dozen attempts to bring an end to the Somali Civil War. They were often shoaled by warlords and inter-clan rivalries.

## Recent efforts

### 2006 ICU attempt to disarm warlords

In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) attempted to disarm the secular warlords—a contentious issue which led to the Second Battle of Mogadishu. The Islamist victory resulted in the routing or forced surrender of many warlords and their caches of arms, and the rapid rise of the Islamic Courts Union. By late 2006, their attempts to disarm the secular militias and their consolidation of power pitted them also against the Transitional Federal Government.

The ICU attempted to curb the private possession of weapons, closing down the infamous Mogadishu arms market, and impounding or appropriating technicals for use solely by the Islamic Courts forces:

> We were skeptical, but everyone we have spoken to since– doctors, teachers, journalists, shopkeepers– has talked of a city transformed. Gone are the ubiquitous checkpoints where the warlords’ militias killed, extorted and stole. Gone are their technicals, Jeeps with heavy machine guns mounted on the back. The infamous Bakaro arms markets has been closed. The only guns and technicals now are those of the Sharia courts enforcers, and the reports of violence in the papers were of the Ipswich murders.

Many Somali warlords, along with the nation of Ethiopia, sided with the TFG against the ICU. Once the momentous battles were concluded in December 2006, the TFG proceeded with its plans to bring a general disarmament of the nation and closure to the Somali Civil War.

### December 2006

On December 29, 2006, Mohamed Qanyare, a Mogadishu warlord, returned to the city and made a plea for the federal government to not disarm the militias. Qanyare was former TFG Security Minister before losing his position as a result of the Second Battle of Mogadishu. On December 31, surrounded in headquarters compound by a dozen technicals, he claimed to have 1,500 men under his command, and asserted government control over Mogadishu was an illusion, owed to the military might of Ethiopia.

Ghedi's decree for disarmament also applied to non-government troops in the autonomous state of Puntland, where it was seen as questionably enforceable.

### January 2007

#### Announcement of weapons collections and amnesty

On January 1, 2007, Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi announced "The warlord era in Mogadishu is now over."

He said all civilian groups and businesses would have three days to disarm and turn their weapons in to the government. Technicals were to be brought to the old port in Mogadishu. All collected arms would be registered at Villa Somalia. Villa Baidoa was also mentioned as an arms collection point. An amnesty to Islamists was also extended.

Ghedi also made an appeal for international aid efforts to continue, and for the establishment of a peacekeeping force (see IGASOM).

On January 2, Prime Minister Ghedi met with leaders of the Ayr subclan of the Habar-Gidir clan, a branch of the Hawiye tribe, to reassure the subclan regarding disarmament and to establish how they would work with the TFG. They had been supporters of the ICU.

Abdi Qeybdid called for restoring peace and stability in the country. He asked that no reprisals be taken against the Islamists, and said he is not interested in getting back the battle wagons he had lost in the conflict, but hoped they were turned over to the government.

On January 3, Police Commander Ali Mohamed Hassan Loyan, who has only 1,000 officers under his command, admitted he was vastly outgunned: "I cannot say there is a viable police operation in Mogadishu." Meanwhile, the infamous Bakaara Market had re-opened and was doing brisk business.

Two other warlords, including MP Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and his ally Abdi "Waal" Nur Siad, questioned the government plan for a weapons turn-over without a plan for the protection of politicians.

A group of 20 militia turned in their weapons, along with a machine gun mounted technical, in hopes of joining the newly forming army.

On January 4, government and Ethiopian forces began disarming residents of Jilib following an attack which killed two soldiers and wounded two others.

In Mogadishu, TFG militias set up checkpoints in the city. At one checkpoint, a group of militia apparently attempted to extort money from the driver of an oil tanker truck. In the ensuing argument, a rocket was fired at the vehicle, injuring at least 2 or 3 people. The vehicle had been carrying dozens of passengers who disembarked before the rocket attack.

On January 5, 1,000 soldiers from Puntland traveled to Mogadishu to help in the disarmament of the capital. In Marka, Lower Shabelle, at least four people were killed in inter-militia fighting; two other militia and two civilians were wounded.

#### Riots in Mogadishu

On January 6, a crowd of more than 100 rioters gathered near Tarabunka square in Mogadishu. They protested the presence of Ethiopian troops as well as the plans to disarm the populace. Prime Minister Ghedi issued a decision to postpone the disarmament for an indefinite amount of time. At least seven were injured as police fired shots to disburse demonstrations around the city.

#### Agreement to Disarm

On January 12, the same day as the Battle of Ras Kamboni ended, Somali warlords tentatively agreed with President Abdullahi Yusuf to disarm their militias and to direct their members to apply to join the national army or police forces. An estimated 20,000 militia were said to exist throughout Somalia. Mohamed Qanyare Afrah said the clans were "fed up" with militias and agreed to disarm his own men. Muse Sudi Yalahow was less conciliatory.

Meanwhile, even as the meeting was taking place, fighting outside Villa Somalia killed seven people. The members of government and warlords present for the meeting included the following individuals:

#### Martial law declared

On January 13 the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP), by a count of 154-to-2, voted to give the President the power to declare martial law to restore order. Yet on the same day, 9 people were reported killed in fighting in Biyo-Adde in central Somalia. Prime Minister Gedi first stated that martial law would be declared on December 29, 2006; parliament's vote vested the government with the proper legal authority.

Given their new powers, on January 15, 2007, the TFG closed the radio stations for Shabelle Radio, Horn Afrik, IQK, and the television station Al-Jazeera in Mogadishu. The ban was lifted a day later.

#### Warlords turn in arms

On January 17, 2007, Mohamed Qanyare and Muse Sudi Yalahow were the first warlords of Mogadishu to disarm, turning over their weapons and committing their militiamen to the government, though some of Sudi's arms remained in other locations controlled by Qanyare and Mohammed Dhere. Approximately 60 technicals and 600 soldier's weapons were turned in to the government, including two technicals turned in by Interior Minister Hussein Mohammed Farah Aidid. The arms were accepted by the chief commander of the government army, General Naji.

#### Call for National Reconciliation Conference

On January 30, 2007, President Yusuf called for a new national reconciliation conference to be held within three weeks. In related news, a commitment for 4,000 peacekeepers had been made by the AU, and the search continued for another 4,000 to constitute the full planned contingent.

Eventually, the 2007 Somali National Reconciliation Conference was called on 2007-03-01 to begin on 16 April 2007.


title: Caminandes

abstract: Caminandes is an independently produced series of animated short films created by Pablo Vazquez, produced and released by the Blender Foundation.

text:
# Caminandes

***Caminandes*** is an independently produced series of animated short films created by Pablo Vazquez (was born in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina), produced and released by the Blender Foundation.

## Etymology

The title "Caminandes" is a portmanteau of the Spanish word "caminar" ("to walk") and Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world. The subtitles of episodes 2 and 3 are also portmanteaus of various Spanish words.

## Plot

The films center on Koro the llama and his attempts to overcome various obstacles in Patagonia.

*Caminandes 1: Llama Drama* (2013)

Koro has trouble crossing an apparent desolate road, a problem that an unwitting Armadillo does not share.

*Caminandes 2: Gran Dillama* (2013)

Koro hunts for food on the other side of a fence and is once again inspired by the Armadillo but this time to a shocking effect.

*Caminandes 3: Llamigos* (2016)

Koro meets Oti, a pesky magellanic penguin, in an epic battle over tasty red berries during the winter.

## Production

The films, inspired by the cartoons of Chuck Jones, are created using FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) such as

* Blender, a professional free and open-source 3D computer graphics software
* GIMP, a free and open-source raster graphics editor
* Krita, a free and open-source raster graphics editor based on Qt 5 and the KDE Frameworks 5
* Linux, a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution

The first film was produced by Pablo Vazquez, Beorn Leonard and Francesco Siddi with a soundtrack by Jan Morgenstern. Hjalti Hjalmarsson, Andy Goralczyk and Sergey Sharybin joined the production team for the second film.

## Awards

Jan Morgenstern won the 2014 Jerry Goldsmith award for "Best Score for an Animated Short Film" at the International Film Music Festival in Córdoba, Spain, for *Gran Dillama*.

1. Es patagónico y triunfa en el mundo creando cortos animados. Archived 2019-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Eqsnotas.com 16/10/2017
2. "About", caminandes.com. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
3. "Open Movie Project announcement", caminandes.com, 30 September 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
4. "Caminandes Team - Caminandes Ep. 2 Production" (at 2 min 7 sec), Blender channel on YouTube, 29 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
5. "Caminandes: Gran Dillama", blender.org, 11 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
6. "IX Jerry Goldsmith Award!", caminandes.com, 6 August 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
7. "Category Archives: Ganadores / Winners", Jerry Goldsmith Awards webpage at the Internet Archive, 24 July 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.

## InfoBox

| Caminandes (1, 2 & 3) | |
| --- | --- |
| Directed by | Pablo Vazquez |
| Produced by | Blender Foundation |
| Country | Netherlands |


title: 2018 Lale Cup

abstract: The 2018 Lale Cup was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the sixth edition of the tournament and was part of the 2018 ITF Women's Circuit. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on 9–15 April 2018.

text:
# 2018 Lale Cup

The **2018 Lale Cup** was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the sixth edition of the tournament and was part of the 2018 ITF Women's Circuit. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on 9–15 April 2018.

## Singles main draw entrants

### Seeds

| Country | Player | Rank1 | Seed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RUS | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 98 | 1 |
| SVK | Viktória Kužmová | 105 | 2 |
| BUL | Viktoriya Tomova | 143 | 3 |
| TUR | Başak Eraydın | 156 | 4 |
| RUS | Vitalia Diatchenko | 167 | 5 |
| NED | Lesley Kerkhove | 195 | 6 |
| ~~ESP~~ | ~~Paula Badosa Gibert~~ | ~~210~~ | ~~7~~ |
| TUR | İpek Soylu | 214 | 8 |

* 1 Rankings as of 2 April 2018.

### Other entrants

The following players received a wildcard into the singles main draw:

The following players received entry using protected rankings:

The following players received entry from the qualifying draw:

The following player received entry as a lucky loser:

## Champions

### Singles

### Doubles

## InfoBox

| 2018 Lale Cup | |
| --- | --- |
| Date | 9–15 April |
| Edition | 6th |
| Category | ITF Women's Circuit |
| Prize money | $60,000 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Location | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Champions | |
| Singles | |
| Sabina Sharipova | |
| Doubles | |
| Ayla Aksu /  Harriet Dart | |
|  | |


title: Temple Stone

abstract: Temple Stone is a live album by the Japanese band Ghost. It was originally released in 1994 then reissued by Drag City in 1997. The album features a performance of the traditional folk song "Blood Red River".

text:
# Temple Stone

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |
| *Pitchfork* | 7.9/10 |

***Temple Stone*** is a live album by the Japanese band Ghost. It was originally released in 1994 then reissued by Drag City in 1997.

The album features a performance of the traditional folk song "Blood Red River".

## Track listing

1. "Moungod Radiant Youth" – 4:47
2. "Guru in the Echo" – 4:24
3. "Under the Sun" – 6:18
4. "Moungod Asleep" – 5:57
5. "Freedom" (A.K.A. People Get Freedom) – 6:29
6. "Rakshu" – 6:31
7. "Blood Red River" – 6:00
8. "Orange Sunshine" – 4:23
9. "Giver's Chant" – 3:13
10. "Sun is Tangging" – 8:56

## Personnel

## Recording locations

## InfoBox

| Temple Stone | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Live album by Ghost | |
| Released | 1994 |
| Recorded | 1992–1993 |
| Genre | Neo-psychedelia
Experimental |
| Length | 56:58 |
| Label | Drag City |
| Producer | Ghost |
| Ghost chronology | |
| *Second Time Around*
(1992) ***Temple Stone***
(1994) *Lama Rabi Rabi*
(1996) | |


title: Fan Bin

abstract: Fan Bin is a retired Chinese Olympic gymnast. He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, winning a silver medal in the team competition, and a bronze medal in horizontal bar. He is also world champion from 1995 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships with the Chinese national team.

text:
# Fan Bin

**Fan Bin** (Chinese: 范斌; pinyin: *Fàn Bīn*, born 30 May 1974) is a retired Chinese Olympic gymnast. He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, winning a silver medal in the team competition, and a bronze medal in horizontal bar.

He is also world champion from 1995 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships with the Chinese national team.

## InfoBox

| Fan Bin | |
| --- | --- |
| Country represented | China |
| Born | (1974-05-30) 30 May 1974 |
| Discipline | Men's artistic gymnastics |
| Medal record      Olympic Games  1996 Atlanta Team  1996 Atlanta Horizontal bar  World Championships  1995 Sabae Team | |


title: Skyforger

abstract: Skyforger is a heavy metal band from Latvia which was formed in 1995 out of the remains of doom metal band Grindmaster Dead.

text:
# Skyforger

**Skyforger** is a heavy metal band from Latvia which was formed in 1995 out of the remains of doom metal band Grindmaster Dead.

## Musical style and lyrical themes

Most of their songs are about Baltic mythology and warfare; they also play Latvian folk songs and their metal arrangements. Although Skyforger is known for their folk metal, the style on their demo *Semigalls' Warchant* is essentially black metal. The band also has performed and recorded a number of folk songs, including the entirety of their acoustic fourth album *Zobena Dziesma*, released in 2003. Folk elements can be found on all of their albums. In December 2005, during the presentation of their album, *Semigalls' Warchant*, the band announced their next album would be experimentation with thrash metal. They later pointed out that Latvian history still has enough untold stories, meaning their lyrics will retain their folk/pagan fashion.

## History

In 2010, Skyforger signed with American label Metal Blade Records and released their 5th studio album *Kurbads* about the deeds of mythical Latvian warrior Kurbads, son of mare. The album received 2010 Annual Latvian Music Recording Award as the best rock album, as well as the 2010 Latvian Metal Music Award as the best metal album with Skyforger also winning the "Best Metal Band" category. Skyforger was featured on BBC's series "Close-Up" episode on Latvian folk music.

In 2015, the band released their 6th studio album titled *Senprūsija* dedicated to the now extinct Baltic people Old Prussians. Two of the album's songs are sung in Old Prussian (*Ei skīja, skīja* and *Rāmava*), while the rest are in Latvian. For the writing of the album, Skyforger recruited historian Agris Dzenis as a historical consultant. After releasing the album, the band embarked on a European tour on April 8. In 2016, *Senprūsija* received the Annual Latvian Music Recording Award as the best hard rock/heavy metal album of 2015. In 2016, Skyforger also re-issued their 2003 album *Zobena dziesma* with 2 additional songs.

On June 3, 2017, Skyforger performed a one-time multi-media concert – metal opera "Kurbads. The Son of The Mare" – at Lielezers open-air stage in Limbaži as a part of a programme for 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic. On February 14, 2018, the performance was awarded Kilogram of Culture award as the "Surprise of the Year". On June 17, 2018, Skyforger played a special concert at the festival *Zobens un Lemess* commemorating the 20th anniversary since the release of their first full-length album *Kauja pie Saules* in 1998. On 18 November 2018, the centenary for the proclamation of Latvia, Skyforger released a video directed by Kristīne Neikena and starring actress Maija Arvena Ozoliņa for their song *Nekas nav aizmirsts* from album *Senprūsija*.

## Controversy

Skyforger was involved in some controversy with one of their former producers who believed they were affiliated with Neo-Nazism. The reason for this was the cover of their album *Pērkoņkalve*, which depicts Baltic god of thunder Pērkons wearing a belt buckle adorned with a swastika and striking an anvil, as well as the swastika incorporated in Skyforger's logo. Some websites had therefore listed Skyforger as a Neo-Nazi band. The band addressed the controversy on their website, writing:

> Skyforger has never been interested in any kind of national-socialistic ideology. Also not in any other ideologies whatsoever. All album themes and lyrics simply display pure Latvian pagan art and symbols, which have been used for thousands of years. (..) To our people, the swastika (or as called here - Thundercross) was a sign of the pagan god of Thunder, and it gives protection against evil things. On the first two album sleeves we even included labels which read "No Nazi stuff here" to avoid misunderstanding, and prevent false interpretation of the symbol. The Thundercross existed long before the NS regime of 1930s. Sadly, it seems that there is still prejudices against the symbol alive today; therefore Skyforger has removed the symbol from the logo permanently.
>
> Skyforger,

## Members

Current members Former members * Imants Vovers – drums, backing vocals (1995–1998)
* Rihards Skudrītis – guitar, backing vocals (1996–2000, 2001–2004, 2006–2008)
* Edgars Krūmiņš ("Mazais") – drums, percussion (1998–2015)
* Kaspars Bārbalsdūdas, kokles, backing vocals (2004–2012)
* Mārtiņš Pētersons – guitar, backing vocals (2000–2001, 2008–2010)
* Ģirts Kļaviņš ("Motors") – guitar, backing vocals (2004–2006)
* Egons Kronbergs – guitar (2010–2013)
* Artūrs Jurjāns – drums, percussion (2016–2022)

### Timeline

## Discography

## InfoBox

| Skyforger | |
| --- | --- |
| Skyforger performing in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Riga, Latvia |
| Genres | Folk metal
Thrash metal
Black metal (1995–2000) |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Metal Blade Records
Folter Records
Mascot Records |
|  | |
| Members | Pēteris Kvetkovskis
Edgars Grabovskis
Alvis Bernāns
Jānis Osis |
|  | |
| Past members | Edgars Krūmiņš
Imants Vovers
Rihards Skudrītis
Kaspars Bārbals
Mārtiņš Pētersons
Ģirts Kļaviņš
Egons Kronbergs
Artūrs Jurjāns |
|  | |
| Website | www.skyforger.lv/ |


title: Caulfield Hospital

abstract: Caulfield Hospital is a hospital based in Melbourne, Victoria, originally opened as the No. 11 Australian General Hospital in 1916. It focuses on rehabilitation, care, and mental health, particularly for the elderly. It is situated on Kooyong Road. Caulfield Hospital is managed by Alfred Health, operating alongside The Alfred Hospital and Sandringham Hospital.

text:
# Caulfield Hospital

**Caulfield Hospital** is a hospital based in Melbourne, Victoria, originally opened as the *No. 11 Australian General Hospital* in 1916. It focuses on rehabilitation, care, and mental health, particularly for the elderly. It is situated on Kooyong Road.

Caulfield Hospital is managed by Alfred Health, operating alongside The Alfred Hospital and Sandringham Hospital.

## History

In 1915, the federal government acquired a white mansion on Kooyong Road. It had been built and served as the town house of the Riverina pastoralist Henry Ricketson and his family.

*No. 11 Australian General Hospital* was opened on 17 April 1916 in the building. It was the largest of the three Victorian repatriation hospitals the federal government operated during World War I. The Australian Red Cross built a 'rest home' near the original building in August 1916, where Red Cross volunteers could tend to recuperating servicemen.

In May of 1917, a new tennis court was opened on the grounds.

The facility was re-opened as the *Kooyong Military Hospital* on 18 March 1918.

A committee led by Mrs. Morris, wife of the Mayor of Caulfield, raised funds for the hospital in 1925.

Nurses' residence 'Caulfield House' opened in 1936 and was expanded in 1937.

The hospital was known at various times as *Caulfield Convalescent Hospital*, *Caulfield Repatriation Hospital*, and the *General Military Hospital at Caulfield*.

In 1948, management of much of the facility was assumed by the state government's Alfred Hospital.

The original mansion was demolished in 1965, and the Victorian government purchased the last parts of the site from the federal Repatriation Department. The state then opened the *Southern Memorial Hospital* at the site in 1968.

In 1979, the Red Cross Rest Home was renovated and transferred to the state government. This became the Montgomery Nursing Home in 2001. The building was granted a heritage listing by the state government in 2016.

The hospital continues to operate on its original site today, as *Caulfield Hospital*. It retains a focus on rehabilitation.

## Services

Caulfield Hospital maintains a primary focus on rehabilitation and care. In particular, the hospital provides aged care services, rehabilitation centres for patients affected by brain injuries, care for amputees, and general mental health services, with a specialised aged mental health department.

37°53′03″S 145°00′57″E / 37.8841°S 145.0159°E / -37.8841; 145.0159

## InfoBox

| Caulfield Hospital | |
| --- | --- |
| Alfred Health | |
|  | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | No |
| Links | |
| Website | https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/caulfield |