title: Thomas Perkins (businessman)

abstract: Thomas James Perkins was an American businessman and venture capitalist who was one of the founders of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

text:
# Thomas Perkins (businessman)

**Thomas James Perkins** (January 7, 1932 – June 7, 2016) was an American businessman and venture capitalist who was one of the founders of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

## Biography

Perkins received a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1953. He earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1957. While attending MIT, Perkins joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Perkins was mentored by Georges Doriot.

### Career

In 1963, he was invited by Bill Hewlett and David Packard to become the administrative head of the research department at Hewlett-Packard. He was the first general manager of HP's computer divisions, credited with helping shepherd HP's entry into the minicomputer business. During the 1960s, he also started University Laboratories, which was later merged into Spectra-Physics. At University Laboratories he was the co-developer of the first low-cost He-Ne laser, having had the idea of how to directly integrate the laser cavity mirrors inside the plasma tube.

In 1973, with Eugene Kleiner, he founded Kleiner Perkins, one of the first Sand Hill Road venture capital firms. Later, Frank J. Caufield and Brook Byers joined the firm, eventually becoming named partners. Perkins was a director at Applied Materials, Compaq, Corning Glass, Genentech, Hewlett-Packard, and Philips Electronics. He was chairman of Tandem Computers, from its founding in 1974 until its 1997 merger with Compaq. Perkins was also chairman of Genentech from 1976 until 1990, when it merged with Roche Holding Ltd.

During the HP/Compaq merger fight in 2001, Perkins was a member of the Compaq board and an outspoken supporter of the merger. He joined the HP board of directors in the merger, retired, and officially rejoined the HP board days before Carly Fiorina was forced to resign from her posts as chairman and chief executive officer of HP. Perkins led efforts to force Fiorina out.

#### Resignation from HP Board

Perkins resigned from HP's board on May 18, 2006, over the actions taken by the board's chair, Patricia C. Dunn, to ferret out the board-level source of media leaks using methods Perkins considered unethical and possibly illegal. HP gave no cause in the SEC-required 8-K filing, and according to Perkins refused to amend the filing to indicate his reasons for resigning. In response, Perkins disclosed his reasons publicly, triggering an SEC investigation and significant media interest into HP's leak-finding activities.

Perkins's residential phone records were obtained through a method known as pretexting. AT&T confirmed that someone pretended to be Perkins, using his phone number and his Social Security Number. HP confirmed that the investigative firm they hired used pretexting to obtain information on the call records of the directors. HP's investigation found that Dr. George Keyworth was the source of several leaks. At the May 18, 2006 board meeting, Keyworth admitted to leaking information but refused to resign after the board passed a resolution calling for his resignation. HP's board decided on August 31, 2006, to not renominate Keyworth for another term as director.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the State of California began inquiries into the methods used by HP to investigate its directors.

#### News Corp. board

Perkins sat on the board of directors of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation along with Viet D. Dinh. Dinh represented Perkins in the HP board affair. In July, 2011, Dinh and fellow News Corp. board member Joel Klein took over the investigation of the News of the World phone hacking affair and related Corporation issues. One business commentator, noting Perkins' prior experience with phone-hacking in the HP scandal, speculated that Perkins "may be \[was the\] best hope" as News Corp. sought to work out of its phone-hacking scandal. Perkins did not stand for reelection to the News Corp board for the fiscal year of 2012.

## Personal life

As of 2014, Perkins was worth an estimated $8 billion He had two children, with his first wife, the late Gerd Thune-Ellefsen. After she died in 1994, he married romance novelist Danielle Steel in March 1998; her book *The Klone and I* (ISBN 0-385-32392-1) was about their friendship. They separated in August 1999 and were later amicably divorced.

In 1996, Perkins was convicted in France of involuntary manslaughter arising from a yacht-racing collision and was fined $10,000.

Perkins was the subject of a 2007 *60 Minutes* special titled "Captain of Capitalism", which focused on his memoir and featured a tour of his yacht. He was also featured in the documentary film *Something Ventured*, which premiered in 2011.

In January 2014, the *Wall Street Journal* published a letter from Perkins that compared the "progressive war on the American one percent" of wealthiest Americans and the Occupy movement's "demonization of the rich" to the Kristallnacht and anti-semitism in Nazi Germany:

> Writing from the epicenter of progressive thought, San Francisco, I would call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its war on the "one percent", namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the "rich."

The letter was widely criticized and condemned in *The Atlantic*, *The Independent*, among bloggers, Twitter users, and "his own colleagues in Silicon Valley". Perkins subsequently apologized for making the comparisons with Nazi Germany, but otherwise stood by his letter, saying, "In the Nazi era it was racial demonization, now it's class demonization."

A month after publication of the letter in the *Wall Street Journal*, Perkins stated in a Commonwealth Club interview (which can be seen on YouTube) when asked at the ending for his 60-minute "Plan to Save the World" he said that he believed elections should be set up such that the number of votes a person can cast would be proportional to the amount of taxes that the person pays. Both Perkins, the moderator and the audience were laughing. In an interview afterwards, Perkins said "I intended to be outrageous, and it was."

### Homes and yachts

Perkins had houses in Belvedere, Marin County, California, and spent about two months a year at Plumpton Place, his Elizabethan mansion in East Sussex, England, which once belonged to Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. In 2010, he purchased the penthouse atop the Millennium Tower on Mission Street in San Francisco's financial district.

In July 2006, he formally launched his 289-foot (88 m) sailing yacht named *The Maltese Falcon*, at the time the world's largest privately owned sailing yacht. The yacht was listed for sale in 2006 on Yachtworld.com, the asking price being 99,000,000 with engine hours listed at 1,890 hours. Perkins sold the yacht for £60 million in July 2009.

In 2011 Perkins acquired a Japanese fisheries training vessel, and had it converted into an "adventure" yacht named *Dr. No* which is used to carry a "Deep Flight" submarine, manufactured by Hawkes Ocean Technologies, of Richmond California. The boat has a website which carries a link to a video documenting encounters with Humpback whales at depth in Tonga.

### Death

Perkins died June 7, 2016, after a prolonged illness at his home in Marin County, California, aged 84.

## Books

* *Classic Supercharged Sports Cars* (ISBN 0-9612268-0-3) Published in 1984, this is Perkins's account of pre-World War II classic car collection.
* *Sex and the Single Zillionaire*, (ISBN 0-06-085167-8) published In January 2006, this is Perkins first romance novel, which he dedicated to Steel. The plot of the book is based on a reality TV idea which was pitched to Perkins, where he would date a series of women and choose one to marry. He claims that "no 'ghost' did the writing." Proceeds from the book will be donated to Harvard University.
* *Valley Boy: The Education of Tom Perkins.* (ISBN 1-59-240313-1) published in November 2007, this is Perkins's memoir. Perkins discussed the book, his time at HP, and his sailboat with Lesley Stahl on *60 Minutes* in September 2007.
* *Mine's Bigger: The Extraordinary Tale of the World's Greatest Sailboat and the Silicon Valley Tycoon Who Built It*. An account of Perkins' building of *The Maltese Falcon* – by *Newsweek'*s David A. Kaplan – was published in 2007. The book in 2008 won the Gerald Loeb Award for best business book of the year.

## InfoBox

| Thomas Perkins | |
| --- | --- |
| Perkins in 2013 | |
| Born | Thomas James Perkins
(1932-01-07)January 7, 1932
White Plains, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 7, 2016(2016-06-07) (aged 84)
Marin County, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Harvard University (MBA) |
| Occupation | venture capitalist |
| Known for | Co-founding Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers |
| Spouse(s) | Gerd Thune-Ellefsen (m. ?–1994)
Danielle Steel (1998–2002; divorced) |
| Children | 2 |


title: Thongsing Thammavong

abstract: Thongsing Thammavong is a Laotian politician who was the Prime Minister of Laos from 2010 to 2016. He is a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and has been a member of the LPRP Politburo since 1991. He currently serves in the National Assembly of Laos, representing Luang Prabang Province, and was the President of the National Assembly from 2006 to 2010. He became Prime Minister on 23 December 2010, and left office on 20 April 2016.

text:
# Thongsing Thammavong

**Thongsing Thammavong** (Lao: ທອງສິງ ທຳມະວົງ; born 12 April 1944) is a Laotian politician who was the Prime Minister of Laos from 2010 to 2016. He is a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and has been a member of the LPRP Politburo since 1991. He currently serves in the National Assembly of Laos, representing Luang Prabang Province (Constituency 6), and was the President of the National Assembly from 2006 to 2010. He became Prime Minister on 23 December 2010, and left office on 20 April 2016.

## InfoBox

| Thongsing Thammavong | |
| --- | --- |
| ທອງສິງ ທຳມະວົງ | |
| Thongsing in 2014 | |
|  | |
| Prime Minister of Laos | |
| 7th Government | |
| **In office**
15 June 2011  20 April 2016 | |
| President | Choummaly Sayasone |
| Succeeded by | Thongloun Sisoulith |
| 6th Government | |
| **In office**
23 December 2010  15 June 2011 | |
| President | Choummaly Sayasone |
| Preceded by | Bouasone Bouphavanh |
| President of the National Assembly of Laos | |
| 6th term | |
| **In office**
8 June 2006  23 December 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Samane Vignaket |
| Succeeded by | Pany Yathotou |
| Head of the LPRP Central Committee Organisation Commission | |
| 7th term | |
| **In office**
2001–2002 | |
| Chairman | Khamtai Siphandon |
| Succeeded by | Bounthong Chitmany |
| 6th term | |
| **In office**
1996–2001 | |
| Chairman | Khamtai Siphandon |
| 5th term | |
| **In office**
1991–1996 | |
| Chairman | Khamtai Siphandon
Kaysone Phomvihane |
| Preceded by | Oudom Khattigna |
|  | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1944-04-12) 12 April 1944
Laos |
| Political party | People's Revolutionary Party |
| Signature |  |
|  | |


title: Thomas Cundy (senior)

abstract: Thomas Cundy, the elder was an English architect. Surveyor to the Grosvenor family's London estates from 1821, he was involved in the initial stages of the development of Belgravia and Bloomsbury, and also designed country houses in a picturesque Gothic style.

text:
# Thomas Cundy (senior)

**Thomas Cundy**, the elder (1765 – 28 December 1825) was an English architect. Surveyor to the Grosvenor family's London estates from 1821, he was involved in the initial stages of the development of Belgravia and Bloomsbury, and also designed country houses in a picturesque Gothic style.

## Life

He was the eldest son of Peter Cundy of Restowrick House, St Dennis Cornwall, and his wife Thomasine Wilcocks, and was baptised at St Dennis on 18 February 1765.

After serving an apprenticeship with a builder in Plymouth, he moved to London at the age of 21. At the age of 28 he was employed as clerk of the works at Normanton Park, under Samuel Pepys Cockerell; following Cockerell's retirement he was retained by Sir Gilbert Heathcote to complete the alterations in progress. He then set up in business as an architect and builder, and in 1821 was appointed surveyor to Earl Grosvenor's London estates, in succession to William Porden. He had previously altered two houses on the estate, in Grosvenor Square. During his tenure the basic layout of Belgravia was developed, but he died before much construction had been carried out.

Buildings which Cundy built or altered significantly include Middleton Park and Osterley for the Earl of Jersey, Tottenham Park in Wiltshire, Hawarden Castle, Burton Constable, Syon House, Northumberland House in London and Wytham in Oxfordshire. He exhibited several designs for these and other buildings at the Royal Academy.

He died 28 December. 1825. His son, Thomas Cundy the younger, took over his post with the Grosvenor estate.

## Family

Cundy married Mary Hubert in 1789. They had six sons: Thomas (1790–1867), also an architect; James (1793–1826, a mason); Samuel (c. 1794-1819); Joseph (1795–1875, an architect and builder); William (c. 1797-1829); and John (c. 1802-28).

## Works

Buildings on which Cundy worked included:

* Middleton Park, Oxfordshire. Restored the house for the 5th Earl of Jersey in 1806-10.
* Osterley Park (for the Earl of Jersey).
* Tottenham Park, Wiltshire.
* Hawarden Castle. Cundy enlarged an existing house for Sir Stephen Richard Glynne, entirely casing the building in ashlar, in a castellated Gothick style in 1809-10.
* Burton Constable.
* Syon House.
* Northumberland House. Cundy designed a grand marble staircase, built in 1822–3.
* Wytham, Oxfordshire.
* Wassand House, Seaton, Yorkshire, built in 1813-19 for the Rev. Charles Constable.

## Sources

* H. M. Colvin, *A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840* (1997) ISBN 0-300-07207-4
* L. H. Cust, ‘Cundy, Thomas, the elder (1765–1825)’, rev. Annette Peach, *Oxford Dictionary of National Biography*, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 3 January 2008
* *A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland : 1500-1830* A. W. Skempton

Media related to Thomas Cundy senior at Wikimedia Commons


title: Upper Gotvand Dam

abstract: Upper Gotvand Dam, or simply the Gotvand Dam, is an embankment dam on the Karun River about 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Gotvand in Khuzestan Province, Iran. It currently has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW with another 1,000 MW in the works for a second phase. Studies for the project on Karun River began in the 1960s and specific designs on the Upper Gotvand were presented in 1967, 1975 and 1982. After the design and location were chosen, a further study was carried out in 1997. Preliminary construction began the same year. Besides the hydroelectric power production, the dam was also aimed at flood control. The river was diverted by April 2003 and excavation began soon thereafter. After completion of the dam, impounding of its reservoir began on 30 July 2011 during a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad. The first generator of phase one was commissioned on 5 May 2012, two more by 18 September 2012 and the final in November 2012. Ahmadinejad was again present for the dam's inauguration on 22 April 2013. Phase 2 is estimated to be complete in 2015 and the dam is going to become one of Iran's largest power stations and is already its tallest earth-fill dam. Downstream of the Upper Gotvand Dam is the 22 m (72 ft) high Lower Gotvand Dam at 32°16′32.51″N 48°50′8.52″E. Constructed from 1975 to 1977, it serves to divert portions of the river into two canals for the irrigation of 42,000 ha of farmland.

text:
# Upper Gotvand Dam

**Upper Gotvand Dam**, or simply the **Gotvand Dam** (Persian: سد گتوند بالا), is an embankment dam on the Karun River about 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Gotvand in Khuzestan Province, Iran. It currently has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW with another 1,000 MW in the works for a second phase. Studies for the project on Karun River began in the 1960s and specific designs on the Upper Gotvand were presented in 1967, 1975 and 1982. After the design and location were chosen, a further study was carried out in 1997. Preliminary construction (roads, bridges, river diversion) began the same year. Besides the hydroelectric power production, the dam was also aimed at flood control. The river was diverted by April 2003 and excavation began soon thereafter. After completion of the dam, impounding of its reservoir began on 30 July 2011 during a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad. The first generator of phase one was commissioned on 5 May 2012, two more by 18 September 2012 and the final in November 2012. Ahmadinejad was again present for the dam's inauguration on 22 April 2013. Phase 2 is estimated to be complete in 2015 and the dam is going to become one of Iran's largest power stations and is already its tallest earth-fill dam.

Downstream of the Upper Gotvand Dam is the 22 m (72 ft) high **Lower Gotvand Dam** at 32°16′32.51″N 48°50′8.52″E / 32.2756972°N 48.8357000°E / 32.2756972; 48.8357000 (Lower Gotvand Dam). Constructed from 1975 to 1977, it serves to divert portions of the river into two canals for the irrigation of 42,000 ha (100,000 acres) of farmland.

## Objectives of dam construction

The goals of building this dam are:

## Challenges

Before the water extraction of this dam, one of the important debates and disagreements surrounding the construction of this dam was that in the downstream part of this dam, the ground has salt veins and this can cause the saltiness of the water used by the cities and villages downstream. Engineer Meshkat, a geologist and a member of the team that prepared the geological map of the dam, said that the design team was aware of the problem of the dam lake being located on salt masses. Also, Isa Kalantari, the former head of the Environmental Protection Organization, says: Before the revolution, the Americans examined the Gotvand dam from an environmental point of view and decided to build the dam 15 kilometers higher. He believes that the executors of the Gotvand dam project should be tried for the error in the implementation of this project. He said to the students of Tehran University Geography Faculty and environmental activists: "The salinity of the water below the dam is 5.5 times the salinity of the water in the Persian Gulf, and nothing can be done to solve this problem."

### The effect of the Gotvand Dam on the salinity of the Karun River

Since before and after the water intake of Gotvand Dam, there have been criticisms about the salinization of the water of the Karun River by the lake of this dam due to its location on the Gachsaran formation and its proximity to the salt mountains. These criticisms had caused widespread concerns, and as a result, the dam's water intake had been postponed several times.

### Theories about dam environmental issues

* Mehdi Qomshi, professor of water engineering at Chamran University of Ahvaz, says that the Gotvand dam will act like a time bomb.
* In the report related to the water institute of Tehran University, two national mistakes are pointed out: "Determining the axis of the dam without conducting water quality studies" and "Taking water from the dam despite the official opposition of the Environmental Organization and the letter of the National Inspection Organization".

## InfoBox

| Upper Gotvand Dam | |
| --- | --- |
| Upper Gotvand Reservoir | |
| Location of Upper Gotvand Dam in Iran | |
| Country | Iran |
| Location | Gotvand, Gotvand County, Khuzestan Province |
| Coordinates | 32°15′58″N 48°56′09″E / 32.26611°N 48.93583°E / 32.26611; 48.93583 |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | August 2004 |
| Opening date | 2012 |
| Owner(s) | Iran Water & Power Resources Development Co. |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earthfill dam |
| Impounds | Karun River |
| Height (foundation) | 180 m (591 ft) |
| Length | 760 m (2,493 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Width (base) | 1,075 m (3,527 ft) |
| Dam volume | 28,500,000 m3 (1.006468002×109 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 4 |
| Spillway type | Service, controlled ogee-type |
| Spillway capacity | 17,500 m3/s (618,007 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Upper Gotvand Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 4,500,000,000 m3 (3,648,209 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 32,425 km2 (12,519 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 96.5 km2 (37 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 2012 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Turbines | 4 x 250 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 1,000 MW (currently)
2,000 MW (with phase 2) |
| Annual generation | 4,500 GWh |


title: Thor Industries

abstract: Thor Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs). The company sells towable and motorized RVs through its subsidiaries brands including Airstream, Heartland RV, Jayco, Livin Lite RV, and others. The company's headquarters is in Elkhart, Indiana. It has manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Idaho and Oregon.

text:
# Thor Industries

**Thor Industries, Inc.** is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs). The company sells towable and motorized RVs through its subsidiaries brands including Airstream, Heartland RV, Jayco, Livin Lite RV, and others. The company's headquarters is in Elkhart, Indiana. It has manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Idaho and Oregon.

## History

### 1980–1987: Foundation, acquisition of Airstream, going public

Thor Industries, Inc. was founded on August 29, 1980, when Wade Thompson and Peter Busch Orthwein acquired Airstream from Beatrice Foods. The name "Thor" combined the first two letters of each entrepreneur's name. Airstream had not fared well during the economic downturn of the late 1970s, losing $12 million the year before it was acquired. Thompson and Orthwein had also previously acquired the Hi-Lo Trailer Company. Thor restructured Airstream and returned Airstream to profitability within one year.

In 1982, Thor acquired the Canada-based General Coach, a manufacturer of travel trailers and motorhomes. The company went public in 1984 and joined the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol "THO" in 1986. Thor purchased The Establishment “McPheters Machine Products” which was a manufacturer of Both Class A and C motorhomes. In 1986, it was listed among *Forbes*' "200 best small companies in America".

### 1988–2004: Expansion into bus market, further RV acquisitions

In 1988, Thor acquired the small bus manufacturing division of the Kansas-based ElDorado Motor Corp. It would later acquire the California-based bus manufacturer, National Coach, in 1991. Thor merged the two bus divisions to create ElDorado National.

Thor also continued acquiring RV and travel trailer makers, including Indiana-based Dutchmen in 1991 and Four Winds International (also based in Indiana) in 1992. By 1994, Thor Industries was the second-largest manufacturer of RVs in North America. In 1995, Thor acquired two RV makers: Skamper (an Indiana-based manufacturer of folding travel trailers) and Komfort (an Oregon-based travel trailer company). In 1996, the company established Thor California, an RV manufacturer based in its namesake state with models like the Tahoe and Wanderer.

Thor added to its roster of bus manufacturers by acquiring the Michigan-based Champion Bus for $11 million in 1998. The company finalized a $145-million deal in 2001 to acquire Keystone RV, an Elkhart, Indiana-based manufacturer of travel trailers and fifth wheels. The deal was one of the largest in the history of the company and gave Thor a 25% market share in travel trailers and fifth wheels. In 2003, it added Damon Motor Coach of Elkhart, Indiana which it purchased for $46 million in cash. Damon's park trailer subsidiary brand, Breckenridge, was also included in the deal. The following year, Thor acquired Topeka, Indiana-based CrossRoads RV for $27 million.

### 2005–2012: Acquisition of more RV brands, sale of bus division

In May 2005, Thor acquired Goshen Coach, a bus manufacturer from Indiana that had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier in the month. In November 2009, Wade Thompson stepped down as the company's CEO and was replaced by Peter Busch Orthwein. Orthwein had served as the company's treasurer and director since founding it. Soon after the announcement, Thompson died due to complications of colon cancer.

In March 2010, Thor acquired SJC Industries, an Elkhart-based manufacturer of ambulances, for $20 million. SJC's brands of McCoy Miller, Marque, and Premiere were also included in the sale. In April of that year, the company sold its Canadian General Coach subsidiary to management. Later in 2010, Thor acquired Heartland RV, another Elkhart-based maker of fifth wheels and lightweight RVs. The company also consolidated Damon Motor Coach and Four Winds International to create Thor Motor Coach that year.

In late 2012, Thor purchased two bus companies: California based Krystal Infinity and Ohio based luxury bus maker, Federal Coach. Krystal was acquired through Thor's ElDorado National subsidiary and operations were moved to the Salina, Kansas facility. Federal was acquired through Thor's Champion subsidiary and operations were moved to the Imlay City, Michigan facility. In the spring of 2013, Thor moved its headquarters from Jackson Center, Ohio to Elkhart, Indiana. In May 2013, Thor sold its ambulance subsidiary, SJC Industries, to Wheeled Coach Industries. Later that year, Thor would sell its entire fleet of bus brands (Champion, ElDorado National, Federal Coach, Krystal Infinity, Goshen Coach, and General Coach America) to Allied Specialty Vehicles for $100 million.

### 2013–present: Acquisitions of Jayco and Hymer

In June 2013, Thor purchased the production site in Wakarusa, Indiana that formerly housed the manufacturing operations of Navistar International. It later acquired the former Monaco Coach facility in Wakarusa and combined the two to create the Wakarusa Production Campus. In August 2013 then-COO Bob Martin took over as CEO of the company with Peter Orthwein moving to chairman. It also acquired the assets of Livin Lite RV's in 2013, as well as Bison Coach, a manufacturer of horse trailers that have RV-style living quarters.

Thor acquired of K-Z Inc., a manufacturer of primarily travel trailers based in Shipshewana, Indiana, in 2014. In January 2015, Thor's Heartland subsidiary acquired the RV company, Cruiser RV, and the luxury fifth wheel manufacturer, DRV. In May of that year, Thor purchased Postle Aluminum, a provider of aluminum components that were already in frequent use by Thor and its subsidiaries.

In July 2016, Thor acquired Jayco for $576 million. Jayco, based in Middlebury, Indiana, had been the largest privately owned RV maker in the world prior to the sale. Jayco's subsidiares (including Starcraft RV, Highland Ridge, and Entegra Coach) also came under the Thor umbrella. In September 2018, it was announced that Thor had agreed to purchase Hymer, a German manufacturer of RVs, in a deal worth $2.45 billion in the largest acquisition in the company's history. Hymer is the largest RV manufacturer in Europe. As a result of the deal, Thor Industries became the largest RV manufacturer in the world. The sale was officially finalized in February 2019.

In December 2020, the company acquired the manufacturer of luxury recreational vehicles Tiffin Motorhomes for $300 Mln.

## Subsidiaries

### Airstream

Airstream is manufacturer of travel trailers and motor homes, known for its distinctive all-aluminum models. It was founded by Wally Byam in the 1930s and has had manufacturing facilities in Jackson Center, Ohio since the 1950s. It was sold to Beatrice Foods in 1967. In 1980, it became the foundation of Thor Industries after it was acquired by Wade Thompson and Peter Busch Orthwein. Airstream sells numerous models including the Flying Cloud, Bambi, Classic, Nest, International Signature, and Basecamp.

### Heartland RV

Heartland RV is an Elkhart, Indiana-based manufacturer of fifth wheels and travel trailers. It was founded in 2003 by Brian Brady and was acquired by Thor in 2010. Heartland produces a range of brands including the BigHorn line, Sundance and Cyclone models.

### Hymer

Hymer is a German manufacturer of RVs based in Bad Waldsee. It was founded in 1923 by Erwin Hymer, but did not create its first caravan (travel trailer) until 1957. It was acquired by Thor in 2019 as Thor's first acquisition outside of the United States.

### Dutchmen

Dutchmen is a manufacturer of RVs based in Goshen, Indiana. It was founded in 1988 by Dave Hoefer, Glen M. Sylvester, and Larry Schrock and became the second-largest manufacturer of travel trailers and fifth wheels in the United States by 1990. It was acquired by Thor Industries in 1991. Dutchmen manufactures brands like the Aerolite, Coleman, Denali, Kodiak, Aspen Trail, and others.

### Jayco

Jayco is an RV maker based in Middlebury, Indiana. It was founded in 1968 by Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager and was acquired by Thor in 2016. It makes a variety of fold-down camping trailers, fifth wheels, motorhomes, toy haulers, and other travel trailers with brands like Starcraft RV, Highland Ridge and Entegra Coach.

### Keystone RV

Keystone RV is a Goshen, Indiana-based RV manufacturer. It was founded in 1996 by Cole Davis and was listed at number 2 on the *Inc.* 500 list of the fastest growing companies in 2000. It was acquired by Thor in 2001 and manufactures luxury travel trailers and fifth wheel brands including Cougar, Montana, Laredo, Passport, and Sprinter.

### Thor Motor Coach

Thor Motor Coach, a motor home manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana, was created in 2010 through a consolidation of Four Winds International and Damon Motor Coach. Four Winds was first acquired by Thor in 1992 and Damon was acquired in 2003.

### Other

Thor also operates several other RV manufacturers, including K-Z, Crossroads RV, and the latter's subsidiary, Redwood RV. Thor Industries also owns Postle Aluminum, a manufacturer of aluminum components that are often used in Thor's RVs.

## InfoBox

Thor Industries, Inc.
|
|  |
|
| Company type | Public |
| Traded as | NYSE: THO
S&P 400 Component |
| Industry | Recreational vehicle (RV) |
| Founded | 1983
(through acquisition of Airstream) |
| Founders | Wade Thompson
Peter Busch Orthwein |
| Headquarters | Elkhart, Indiana, United States |
| Key people | Peter Busch Orthwein(Chairman)
Bob Martin(CEO) |
| Revenue | $11.121 billion USD (2023) |
| Operating income | $499.3 million USD (2023) |
| Net income | $374.2 million USD (2023) |
| Total assets | $7.260 billion USD (2023) |
| Total equity | $3.983 billion USD (2023) |
| Number of employees | 24,900 (2023) |
| Subsidiaries | See subsidiaries below (52) |
| Website | www.thorindustries.com |


title: Three Pigeons

abstract: The Three Pigeons was a prominent and famous meeting place in Bergen Township, New Jersey, during the revolutionary period, and was used historically as a landmark as well as a popular place for hosting special occasions.

text:
# Three Pigeons

The **Three Pigeons** was a prominent and famous meeting place in Bergen Township, New Jersey, during the revolutionary period, and was used historically as a landmark as well as a popular place for hosting special occasions.

## Location and name

The Three Pigeons stood at the bottom of the west side of the Hudson Palisades, east of a main road that was later to be the Hackensack Turnpike, and currently Bergen Turnpike. The two-story building was located near the southern fringe of the settlement of Maisland near the intersection of what is now Tonnelle Avenue and Hackensack Plank Road, within modern North Bergen, New Jersey., Today, the intersection is called "Six Corners", where a laundromat and cafe share the same name, in the residential and commercial neighborhood called New Durham.

By the time the inn was erected, the name *Three Pigeons* had been used repeatedly in plays as the backdrop for scenes, for instance in *She Stoops to Conquer* (1773), Shakespeare's *The Merry Wives of Windsor* (1602) and Ben Jonson's *The Alchemist* (1610). Later literary scenes involving a "Three Pigeons" appear in *Creatures of Impulse* (1870) and Charles Dickens' *Our Mutual Friend* (1864–65), as well as in actual inns, such as the English Shakespearian actor John Lowin's "The Three Pigeons" at Brentford. It has been said that the name "Three Pigeons" in any of its variants may have more literary associations than any other tavern name. Many other inns and taverns in England still use this name today.

## History

The earliest account is of a tavern keeper, William Earle who was born in 1690, and flourished in the early 18th century. Prior to the American Revolution, the Three Pigeons Tavern was well known in the area during the colonial era where the community in New Durham was located. Along with Snake Hill and Priors' Mills, Three Pigeons made up one of three prominent land points in Hudson County; with the Three Pigeons namely being a site well referenced in describing proximity at the time as well. It has been said that General Washington had also spent time at the Three Pigeons, likely before and during the years of the revolution.

### American Revolution

On March 14, 1779, Colonel Van Buskirk, a British loyalist in the New Jersey Volunteers received intelligence that a party of Carolina Troops, along with a Captain and Lieutenant were at the Three Pigeons. Van Buskirk dispatched the Fourth Battalion and a lieutenant to approach the building, but the rebels were able to escape into the Bergen Woods. They were chased for 12 miles (19 km), and in the end after shots were exchanged, two rebels were captured as prisoners.

Months later, during the Battle of Paulus Hook, Major Light Horse Harry Lee along with Captain Handy and the rest of his men moved towards Douwe's Ferry at the Hackensack River to cross with prisoners, only to find no boats, leaving Lee to return the way he came from fear of capture if remaining like sitting ducks. After diverting back, Lee picked up 50 of his lost Virginians at the Three Pigeons and assigned them as flankers. Then at Fort Lee Ferry Road, Lee's troops, as decided by Lord Stirling, were reinforced by Colonel Henry Ball along with 200 additional troops, and soon after were attacked unsuccessfully by Van Buskirk and his Tories from within the Bergen woods. By August 19, Lee led his troops and 159 prisoners safely to New Bridge. One Captain Meals was captured at the Three Pigeons, and on him were found the positions and orders of Lee's command relating to the attack and march at Paulus Hook.

Finally, on October 20, Lee met for the last time with John Champe, a double agent chosen by George Washington and Lee himself in an attempt to capture the American traitor Benedict Arnold, sent Champe up the road up towards the Three Pigeons, and worked to give him a start of about an hour and a quarter before he would release the information of Champe's whereabouts to the dragoons. Just above the Three Pigeons, Champe and the dragoons simultaneously spotted each other; troopers then began pursuit of Champe, but were unsuccessful as Champe had jumped into the Hudson and was picked up by a British boat, claiming to seek British protection in New York City.

Also during the revolution, a Loyalist who had tried to visit his family was captured at the Three Pigeons by Patriots and was subsequently murdered.

### Afterwards

For local Bergen and regional elections, the Three Pigeons was used as a voting house for the mayoral elections from 1804 through 1806; it would open there during these years and close at Peter Stuyvesant's, another local tavern on the southwest corner of Bergen and Glenwood Avenues. James Gore King, a prominent businessmen and Whig Party politician endorsed General Winfield Scott's bid for presidency, a fellow whig, and gave a speech in support at the Three Pigeons in 1852. It had been used repeatedly during the remainder of the 19th century as a landmark for describing official government and military positions, as well as in deed purchases. Finally in 1893, the Three Pigeons was destroyed.

## Sources

40°46′57″N 74°01′58″W / 40.782626°N 74.032856°W / 40.782626; -74.032856

## InfoBox

Three Pigeons
| Map from 1873 | |
| --- | --- |
| Alternate spelling | Three Pidgeons |
| Business | Inn
Hotel
Tavern |
| Established | 1700s |
| Closed | 1893 |
| Address | Hackensack Plank Road |
| Location | Maisland, New Jersey |


title: Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism

abstract:
The Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism refer to three Chinese converts to Christianity, during the 16th and 17th century Jesuit China missions:
  - Xú Guāngqǐ of Shanghai
  - Lǐ Zhīzǎo of Hangzhou
  - Yáng Tíngyún of Hangzhou Their combined efforts helped lead Hangzhou and Shanghai to become centres of missionary activity in late Ming China. These men shared an interest in Western science and mathematics, and it is probable that this was what first attracted them to the Jesuits responsible for their conversion.

text:
# Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism

The **Three Pillars of Chinese Catholicism** (聖教三柱石, literally the "Holy Religion's Three Pillar-Stones") refer to three Chinese converts to Christianity, during the 16th and 17th century Jesuit China missions:

Their combined efforts helped lead Hangzhou and Shanghai to become centres of missionary activity in late Ming China. These men shared an interest in Western science and mathematics, and it is probable that this was what first attracted them to the Jesuits responsible for their conversion.

## Origin of name

This name is derived from a passage in Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians (2:9):

“And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who **seemed to be pillars**, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship…"

The passage in Chinese is somewhat more obvious:

「那稱為**教會柱石**的雅各、磯法、約翰，就向我和巴拿巴用右手行相交之禮...」

wherein it calls James, Peter and John the "**pillars of the Church**". The inevitable connection was then seen between the "pillars" of the early Church and the three men who helped to evangelize Ming China.

## Xu Guangqi

Xu Guangqi was a Chinese scholar-bureaucrat, Catholic convert, agricultural scientist, astronomer, and mathematician. He holds the title of Servant of God, and received his beatification in April 2011. He contributed to the translation of the first parts of Euclid's *Elements* into Chinese. He also worked on the reform of the Chinese calendar, which constituted the first major collaboration between scientists from Europe and from the Far East, though it was completed after his death.

## Yang Tingyun

Yang Tingyun was born into a devout Buddhist family. At the age of 35 (1592), after taking the Imperial Examinations he became an Inspector in the imperial ministries. In 1600 he met Matteo Ricci, one of the founding fathers of missionary activity in China, but did not convert or receive Baptism at that time. He worked with Ricci and other Jesuits to publish China's first global atlas, the *Zhifang waiji*. Later however, in 1611, Yang accompanied a fellow official back to Hangzhou to arrange for his late father's funeral, and saw that he had not only thrown out his home's Buddhist statues and imagery, but that he did not send for Buddhist priests to give the man his last rites. Instead, he had brought two Jesuit priests, Lazzaro Cattaneo and Nicolas Trigault, to do the job and a Chinese monk Zhōng Míngrén (鍾鳴仁) to explain the rite's significance to the gathered friends and relatives. One month later, Yang abandoned his concubine and was himself baptized, receiving the Christian name "Michael" (Mí'é'ěr 彌額爾).

Of particular significance is Yang Tingyun's willingness to abandon status symbols such as his family's traditional beliefs and the concubine, for these were some of the main obstacles in the way of the Jesuit mission to China. Several Chinese were impressed by Yang's conversion and followed his example, starting with the 30 members of his family and then moving on to his friends, in total convincing over 100 people to accept Christ. His other notable contributions to Christianity in China include his funding of the missionaries in Hangzhou, granting them the use of his estate as their base of operations; using his influence and wealth to offer protection and shelter to Christian refugees during periods of anti-Christian unrest; and also the buying up of land at Tianshui Bridge (天水橋) and Dafangjing (大方井) to build the first church in Hangzhou and the Jesuit Cemetery.

When the church had for the most part been completed, Yang became severely ill. Knowing it was his end, Yang Tingyun requested the sacraments from the priest, and in January 1628, at the age of 71, died. Because he had been seen as a great scholar and man of excellent moral fibre, the people of Hangzhou had him honoured in the Xiāngxián Cí (鄕賢祠), a hall for honouring local heroes and ancestors.

### Writings

* *Light Emitted by Heaven*, *Tiān shì míng biàn* 《天釋明辨》, is a treatise on the union of Confucianist and Christian thought. He writes,

A spiritual nature is God's gift to man, and it is the greatest gift of all, ... benevolence, righteousness, social etiquette, and wisdom \[the four Confucianist virtues\] are all indeed of this nature. These things that God has given us are what we've had all along. The Bible calls it morality and Confucius calls it conscience. * *Answers to Questions* (*Dài yí biān* 《代疑編》), and *Answers to Questions Continued* (*Dài yí xù biān* 《代疑續編》), are attempts to resolve Chinese people's apprehensions about Christianity.
* *The Owl and the Phoenix do not Sing Together*, 1616 – a defense of Christianity against the accusations in Confucian heterodoxy, attacking the White Lotus teachings.
* Yang Tingyun also helped to translate prayers, scripture, and the writings of foreign missionaries into Chinese.

## Li Zhizao

Li Zhizao was a Hangzhou official who held various posts around China, the most notable of which were in Nanjing and what is now called Puyang County in Henan Province. He was known by the courtesy names of Wǒcún (我存) and Zhènzhī (振之), as well as by the pseudonym "The Man of Liangyan" (涼庵居士, alternative writings: 涼庵逸民, 涼庵子, or 涼叟).

In 1610, while in Beijing, Li became gravely ill and, without any friends or family in Beijing to care for him, was soon on the verge of death. At that point in his life he became acquainted with the Jesuit Matteo Ricci who brought him back to health. Ricci also during this time taught him much of Western science, mathematics, and Catholicism. Shortly thereafter Li Zhizao was baptized and given the Christian name "Leon" (liáng 良).

After converting, Li Zhizao took an oath saying, "As long as I live, all that God has given me, I shall put to good use for Him." While still in Beijing, he presented Matteo Ricci with 100 taels of gold for the purpose of building a church there. Later Li would also be responsible for introducing Catholicism to his hometown of Hangzhou. The year after he returned home for his father's funeral, he brought with him two other Jesuit missionaries. In 1625 he was the first to publish the Chinese text of the Nestorian Stele.

### Writings

Li Zhizao was responsible for translating the following Western science and mathematics into Chinese.

* *Plea to Translate Books on Western Calendar Methods* (*Qǐng yì xī yáng lì fǎ děng shū shū* 《請譯西洋曆法等書疏》), was submitted to the Ming dynasty Wanli Emperor to hire missionaries and edit the Chinese calendar.

### Citations

### Sources

* "Yang Tingjun". *chinaculture.org*. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
* Liu, Yu. "The Spiritual Journey of an Independent Thinker: The Conversion of Li Zhizao to Catholicism." *Journal of World History* 22. 3 (2011): 433–53.


title: Thor O. Hannevig

abstract: Thor Olaf Hannevig was a Norwegian shipmaster. During the Norwegian Campaign in 1940 he was in command of an army unit called the Telemark Infantry Regiment, and this regiment was able to withstand the German forces until 5 May. Hannevig later acquired a legendary heroic status, and his story was the basis of the 1993 Norwegian film The Last Lieutenant. Hannevig was born in Åsgårdstrand. He had taken an 8-months' officer's course in 1915. In addition to being a shipmaster, during his life he also owned a distillery, was an adventurer and a Freemason, and worked in a hotel, as a banker, a merchant, and a farmer. He died in Skreia in 1975. A monument was erected in Vinje to mark the centenary of his birth in 1991.

text:
# Thor O. Hannevig

**Thor Olaf Hannevig** (20 April 1891  17 February 1975) was a Norwegian shipmaster. During the Norwegian Campaign in 1940 he was in command of an army unit called the *Telemark Infantry Regiment*, and this regiment was able to withstand the German forces until 5 May. Hannevig later acquired a legendary heroic status, and his story was the basis of the 1993 Norwegian film *The Last Lieutenant*.

Hannevig was born in Åsgårdstrand. He had taken an 8-months' officer's course in 1915. In addition to being a shipmaster, during his life he also owned a distillery, was an adventurer and a Freemason, and worked in a hotel, as a banker, a merchant, and a farmer. He died in Skreia in 1975. A monument was erected in Vinje to mark the centenary of his birth in 1991.

## Further reading

## InfoBox

| Thor O. Hannevig | |
| --- | --- |
| Born | Thor Olaf Hannevig
(1891-04-20)20 April 1891
Åsgårdstrand, Norway |
| Died | 17 February 1975(1975-02-17) (aged 83) |
| Monuments | In Vinje (1991) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | Shipmaster |
| Known for | Battle of Vinjesvingen |


title: Three Ponds Mountain

abstract: Three Ponds Mountain is a summit located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Benson northwest of the hamlet of Upper Benson.

text:
# Three Ponds Mountain

**Three Ponds Mountain** is a summit located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York located in the Town of Benson northwest of the hamlet of Upper Benson.

## InfoBox

| Three Ponds Mountain | |
| --- | --- |
| Three Ponds MountainLocation of Three Ponds Mountain within New YorkThree Ponds MountainThree Ponds Mountain (the United States) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,920 feet (890 m) |
| Coordinates | 43°18′00″N 74°22′17″W / 43.30000°N 74.37139°W / 43.30000; -74.37139, 43°18′00″N 74°22′41″W / 43.30000°N 74.37806°W / 43.30000; -74.37806 |
| Geography | |
| Location | NW of Upper Benson, New York, U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS *Cathead Mountain* |


title: Thorius munificus

abstract: Thorius munificus is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from near its type locality near Las Vigas, Veracruz. Its natural habitats are pine-oak and pine forests, woodlands, and Arbutus forests with abundant shrubby and ericaceous plants. The species is threatened by habitat loss caused by logging, agriculture, and human settlement.

text:
# Thorius munificus

***Thorius munificus*** is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from near its type locality near Las Vigas, Veracruz. Its natural habitats are pine-oak and pine forests, woodlands, and *Arbutus* forests with abundant shrubby and ericaceous plants. The species is threatened by habitat loss caused by logging, agriculture, and human settlement.

## InfoBox

| *Thorius munificus* | |
| --- | --- |
| Conservation status | |
|
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | *Thorius* |
| Species: | ***T. munificus*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Thorius munificus***
Hanken & Wake, 1998 | |
|


title: Thorius narisovalis

abstract: Thorius narisovalis is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico. The species is known from four disjunct subpopulations in the mountains of northern central Oaxaca – Cerro San Felipe and adjacent upland areas in the Sierra Alaopaneca, the Sierra de Cuatro Venados, and from the vicinity of Tlaxiaco. Its estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is 2,554 km⁲. All currently recognized subpopulations have been confirmed as belonging to this species. Its natural habitats are cloud forests and mixed forests between 2,590 and 3,185 meters elevation. It lives under bark or under fallen trees. The species is negatively impacted by habitat loss caused by logging, agriculture, and human settlement. It has, however, declined even in suitable habitat.

text:
# Thorius narisovalis

***Thorius narisovalis*** is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

The species is known from four disjunct subpopulations in the mountains of northern central Oaxaca – Cerro San Felipe and adjacent upland areas in the Sierra Alaopaneca, the Sierra de Cuatro Venados, and from the vicinity of Tlaxiaco. Its estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is 2,554 km2. All currently recognized subpopulations have been confirmed as belonging to this species.

Its natural habitats are cloud forests and mixed forests between 2,590 and 3,185 meters elevation. It lives under bark or under fallen trees.

The species is negatively impacted by habitat loss caused by logging, agriculture, and human settlement. It has, however, declined even in suitable habitat.

## InfoBox

| *Thorius narisovalis* | |
| --- | --- |
| Conservation status | |
|
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | *Thorius* |
| Species: | ***T. narisovalis*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Thorius narisovalis***
Taylor, 1940 "1939" | |
|


title: Thorsten Mauritsen

abstract: Thorsten Mauritsen is a Danish climate scientist. He is currently a professor at the Department of Meteorology at Stockholm University. His research interests include climate dynamics and global circulation, climate sensitivity and cloud feedbacks and ocean-atmosphere coupled problems. He is best known for his research on Earth's equilibrium climate sensitivity and his research uses the climate of the past to determine climate sensitivity more precisely.

text:
# Thorsten Mauritsen

**Thorsten Mauritsen** (born 1977) is a Danish climate scientist. He is currently a professor at the Department of Meteorology at Stockholm University. His research interests include climate dynamics and global circulation, climate sensitivity and cloud feedbacks and ocean-atmosphere coupled problems. He is best known for his research on Earth's equilibrium climate sensitivity and his research uses the climate of the past to determine climate sensitivity more precisely.

## Biography

He was born in Sønderborg and studied physics and meteorology at the University of Copenhagen and Stockholm University. He received his PhD in Stockholm in 2007. He then joined MPI-M as a postdoctoral researcher, and eventually became a group leader at the institute.

He has been cited around 10,000 times. His h-index is 44 as of 2021.


title: Thorsten Nesch

abstract: Thorsten Nesch is a German author who lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. 2008 Nesch's first novel Joyride Ost was nominated for Oldenburger Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis and the Landshuter Jugendbuchpreis. 2012 the book won the Hans-im-Glück Award. Nesch received national and international literary grants and was Writer in Residence in H.A.L.D. (Denmark) and in Hausach. During the LeseLenz residency he also taught YA fiction writing at the University of Education, Karlsruhe.

text:
# Thorsten Nesch

**Thorsten Nesch** (born December 21, 1968) is a German author who lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

2008 Nesch's first novel *Joyride Ost* was nominated for Oldenburger Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis (as Best German YA Debut) and the Landshuter Jugendbuchpreis. 2012 the book won the Hans-im-Glück Award.

Nesch received national and international literary grants and was Writer in Residence in H.A.L.D. (Denmark) and in Hausach (Hausacher LeseLenz). During the LeseLenz residency he also taught YA fiction writing at the University of Education, Karlsruhe.


title: Thyrone Tommy

abstract: Thyrone Tommy is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. After writing and directing the short film Mariner (2016), Tommy received acclaim for his work on the feature film Learn to Swim (2021), both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2023, he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for directing an episode of the web series Revenge of the Black Best Friend.

text:
# Thyrone Tommy

**Thyrone Tommy** is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. After writing and directing the short film *Mariner* (2016), Tommy received acclaim for his work on the feature film *Learn to Swim* (2021), both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In 2023, he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for directing an episode of the web series *Revenge of the Black Best Friend*.

## Career

Tommy first attracted acclaim for his short film *Mariner*, which was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list of the year's best Canadian short films in 2016, and was the winner of the Lindalee Tracey Award in 2017.

Tommy is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre's film program, graduating in 2017.

Tommy's debut feature film, *Learn to Swim*, premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received positive reviews from critics, was a nominee for the DGC Discovery Award at the 2021 Directors Guild of Canada awards, and was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2021. In 2022, the film was acquired for release on Netflix by Ava Duvernary's distribution company ARRAY.

Tommy's short film, *Draft Day*, was also screened at TIFF as part of *NBA Films for Fans*, a special event program of five Canadian short films about basketball.

Tommy received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Direction in a Web Program or Series at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023 for "The One Who Dies First", an episode of the comedy web series *Revenge of the Black Best Friend*.

In 2024 he was named as the recipient of the Company 3 TFCA Luminary Award's "pay it forward" grant, selected by representatives of the estate of film director Charles Officer.

## InfoBox

| Thyrone Tommy | |
| --- | --- |
| Tommy at the 2017 Cineplex Entertainment Film Program Showcase | |
| Occupation(s) | Director, writer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Works | *Learn to Swim* |


title: Thyropoeus

abstract: Thyropoeus is a genus of spiders in the family Migidae. It was first described in 1895 by Pocock. As of 2016, it contains 2 species, both found in Madagascar.

text:
# Thyropoeus

***Thyropoeus*** is a genus of spiders in the family Migidae. It was first described in 1895 by Pocock. As of 2016, it contains 2 species, both found in Madagascar.

## InfoBox

| *Thyropoeus* | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| T. mirandus | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Migidae |
| Genus: | *Thyropoeus*<br>Pocock |
|
| Species | |
|  | |


title: Three Dark Horses

abstract: Three Dark Horses is a 1952 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 142nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

text:
# Three Dark Horses

***Three Dark Horses*** is a 1952 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 142nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

## Plot

The Stooges transition from janitorial roles to political delegates upon being enlisted to bolster the candidacy of Hammond Egger, a politically dubious figure. Their recruitment follows the departure of the initial three delegates upon discerning Egger's unscrupulous nature. Encountering the hapless Stooges, who inadvertently disrupt proceedings by vacuuming Jim Digger's toupee, Egger's campaign manager, Bill Wick, perceives an opportunity and promptly hires them as replacements, delineating their duties as delegates.

Swiftly discerning Egger's nefarious character, the Stooges divert their support to Abel Lamb Stewer, Egger's political adversary. Wick, upon discovering the Stooges' betrayal, seeks retribution, instigating a confrontation. Ultimately, the trio prevails over Wick and Digger in a tumultuous altercation, emerging victorious by submerging their adversaries in a bathtub.

## Cast

### Credited

### Uncredited

## Production notes

Although he never appears in the film, a photo of candidate Hammond Egger appears several times in *Three Dark Horses*. The photo is actually of supporting actor Bud Jamison, who died suddenly in 1944. The inclusion of his photo in the film was done as tribute to the actor, whose talents were missed during the post-Curly Howard era. This is the sixteenth and final Stooge short with the word "three" in the title.

Hammond Egger is a pun on "ham and egger", nickname for a supporter of the Ham and Eggs Movement in California during the Great Depression. This was a simplistic share-our-wealth movement inspired by the then recently deceased Huey Long. The implication is that Hammond Egger supporters will be ordinary people who are not very bright, as well as looking for a handout. It was also a slang term for someone working a menial job, the implication being that ham and eggs (a relatively cheap dish) would be the only substantial thing he could afford to eat. (Before the ham-and-eggs movement, the Stooges used a ham and eggs gag in *A Pain in the Pullman* (1936). They called a boarding house owner "Mrs. Hammond Eggerly", implying that the board (food) supplied at her place would be cheap eats for laborers.)

The Stooges had also done a "ham and eggs" gag earlier in *You Nazty Spy!* (1940), this time with a specific reference to the movement. Hitleresque dictator Moe Hailstone is whipping up a mob with demagogic promises, including "Every Thursday you will receive...ham-burger and eggs!" (A slogan of the ham-and-eggs movement had been "$30 every Thursday".) An extra gag here is that changing "ham and eggs" to "hamburger and eggs" makes the dish kosher, probably not something on Hailstone’s mind at all.

A generation later, wrestling announcer Bobby Heenan would refer to dim fans and untalented wrestlers as "ham-and-eggers".

*Three Dark Horses* was filmed from 26–28 August 1952. It was released on 16 October 1952, just 19 days before the actual 1952 United States presidential election between Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower and Democrat Adlai Stevenson II.

## InfoBox

| Three Dark Horses | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by | Jules White |
| Written by | Felix Adler |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Starring | Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Shemp Howard
Kenneth MacDonald
Ben Welden
Bud Jamison |
| Cinematography | Henry Freulich |
| Edited by | Edwin Bryant |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date | * October 16, 1952 (1952-10-16) (U.S.) |
| Running time | 16:35 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |


title: Three Day Road

abstract: Three Day Road is the first novel from Canadian writer Joseph Boyden. Joseph's maternal grandfather, as well as an uncle on his father's side, served as soldiers during the First World War, and Boyden draws upon a wealth of family narratives. This novel follows the journey of two young Cree men, Xavier and Elijah, who volunteer for that war and become snipers during the conflict. The book was generally critically well received.

text:
# Three Day Road

***Three Day Road*** is the first novel from Canadian writer Joseph Boyden. Joseph's maternal grandfather, as well as an uncle on his father's side, served as soldiers during the First World War, and Boyden draws upon a wealth of family narratives. This novel follows the journey of two young Cree men, Xavier and Elijah, who volunteer for that war and become snipers during the conflict. The book was generally critically well received.

## Plot

Set in 1919, following the end of World War I, the novel takes place in the wilderness of Northern Ontario and on the battlefields of France and Belgium. Niska, an Oji-Cree medicine woman, is the remnant of her native relatives who refused to assimilate in the 19th century. She rejected European beliefs and culture and continues to thrive in the bush in a manner befitting her and her traditions. Niska's voice is one of two narratives that complete the novel. After getting word that her closest thing to living family, Elijah, is coming back from the war, she paddles the three-day journey to meet him in town. She finds, however, that it is not Elijah but her nephew Xavier who has returned from battle. In an attempt to heal her only relative, who has clearly been sucked dry of his soul and has hardened with nightmares from the war and turned hollow by morphine, she begins to recount the stories of her past. She believes that perhaps this will revive Xavier and the Three Day Road will not be one to his demise. Similarly, Xavier attempts to stumble over his story for his aunt and unearths ghosts of his bullet-riddled past.

The novel was inspired in part by real-life Indigenous World War I heroes Francis Pegahmagabow and John Shiwak. In addition it seems relevant that Boyden's father Raymond Wilfrid Boyden was a medical officer renowned for his bravery, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and was the most highly decorated medical officer of World War II.\[1\]

## The significance of the title

As Xavier, one of the protagonists reflects in the novel, the number three is especially relevant not only to Indigenous cultures but Europeans alike. It would appear to Xavier that the number three can be found everywhere. There is the front line, the support line, and the reserve line, for example. There is the infantry, the cavalry, and the artillery. In moments off battle, there is food, then rest, then women. In church, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is even superstition about lighting three cigarettes with one match. Xavier remembers specifically though, about what his aunt Niska told him about those ready for death having to walk the Three Day Road. In the novel, we accompany Xavier on what would seem to be his Three Day Road; his journey back to his home with Niska and her stories trying to heal him.

## Themes

Among other ideas the book explores the cultural gulf between European settlers in Canada and the Indigenous peoples.

## Awards and recognition

## InfoBox

Three Day Road
| First edition | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Joseph Boyden |
| Genre | Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, World War I, First Nations |
| Publisher | Viking Canada |
| Publication date | March 17, 2005 |
| Publication place | Canada |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 400 p. (Penguin Group Canada trade paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 0143017861 (Penguin Group Canada) |
| Followed by | *Through Black Spruce* |


title: Tiger trout

abstract: The tiger trout is a sterile, intergeneric hybrid of the brown trout and the brook trout. Pronounced vermiculations in the fish's patterning gave rise to its name, evoking the stripes of a tiger. Tiger trout are a rare anomaly in the wild, as the parent species are relatively unrelated, being members of different genera and possessing mismatched numbers of chromosomes. However, specialized hatchery rearing techniques are able to produce tiger trout reliably enough to meet the demands of stocking programs.

text:
# Tiger trout

The **tiger trout** (*Salmo trutta* × *Salvelinus fontinalis*) is a sterile, intergeneric hybrid of the brown trout (*Salmo trutta*) and the brook trout (*Salvelinus fontinalis*). Pronounced vermiculations in the fish's patterning gave rise to its name, evoking the stripes of a tiger. Tiger trout are a rare anomaly in the wild, as the parent species are relatively unrelated, being members of different genera and possessing mismatched numbers of chromosomes. However, specialized hatchery rearing techniques are able to produce tiger trout reliably enough to meet the demands of stocking programs.

## Natural occurrence

Prior to the 19th century, naturally occurring tiger trout were an impossibility, as the native range of brown trout in Eurasia and brook trout in North America do not overlap and the species could therefore never have encountered one another in the wild. When the widespread stocking of non-native gamefish began in the 1800s, brown trout and brook trout began establishing wild populations alongside each other in some places and the opportunity for hybridization in the wild arose. Instances of stream-born tiger trout were recorded in the United States at least as early as 1944 and, despite being exceptionally rare, they've been documented numerous times during the 20th and 21st centuries.

Tiger trout result exclusively from the fertilization of brown trout eggs with brook trout milt, as brook trout eggs are generally too small to be successfully fertilized by brown trout milt. Tigers are known as intergeneric hybrids as the two parent species share only a relatively distant relationship, belonging to different genera within the Salmon family. In fact, brook trout and brown trout have non-matching numbers of chromosomes, with the former possessing 84 and the latter 80. Consequently, even in cases in which brown trout eggs are fertilized by brook trout in the wild, most of these eggs develop improperly and fail to yield any young.

## Hatchery rearing

Tiger trout can be produced reliably in hatcheries and they have been incorporated into stocking programs in the United States at least as early as the 1960s. Hatchery productivity is enhanced by heat shocking the fertilized hybrid eggs, causing the creation of an extra set of chromosomes which increases survival rates from 5% to 85%. Tiger trout have been reported to grow faster than natural species, though this assessment is not universal. They are also known to be highly piscivorous and are consequently a useful control against rough fish populations. This, along with their desirability as novel gamefish, means tigers have continued to be popular with many fish stocking programs. US states with tiger trout stocking programs include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, Utah, Virginia, Oregon, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

## InfoBox

| Tiger trout | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Subfamily: | Salmoninae |
| Hybrid: | ***Salmo trutta*** × ***Salvelinus fontinalis*** |


title: Thunder (TV series)

abstract: Thunder is a 1977–1978 American children's show which aired on Saturday mornings on NBC. The show centered on the adventures of Cindy Prescott and her friend, Willie Williams and featured Thunder, a black stallion who ran wild near the ranch owned by the Prescott family. The cast also featured Cindy's parents – Bill, a rancher, and Anne, a veterinarian. Thunder was always there to rescue Cindy and/or Willie in times of trouble "caused by others' misdeeds and thoughtlessness," including a forest fire caused by a practical joker, and Willie being hit by a stray bullet fired by teens in a no-shooting area. Also playing a part in the adventures was Willie’s stubborn mule, Cupcake, who was trained to "burp" on camera. For about a month, in an effort to improve ratings, the producers of Thunder re-titled the show “Super Horse, Starring Thunder.” Thunder was created by the creators of Fury, another show featuring a stallion. This show also aired on NBC, from 1955 to 1960. Thunder was part of a 90-minute block of three live action shows to debut on NBC during the 1977 season, along with Search and Rescue: the Alpha Team and The Red Hand Gang. It was the only one of the three to run for a full season in the United States, with all episodes aired. Concerning international broadcasting, it is best known that in Italy the show ran in syndication in the early 80's under the title Fulmine.

text:
# Thunder (TV series)

***Thunder*** is a 1977–1978 American children's show which aired on Saturday mornings on NBC. The show centered on the adventures of Cindy Prescott (Melora Hardin) and her friend, Willie Williams (Justin Randi) and featured Thunder, a black stallion who ran wild near the ranch owned by the Prescott family. The cast also featured Cindy's parents – Bill (Clint Ritchie), a rancher, and Anne (Melissa Converse), a veterinarian.

Thunder was always there to rescue Cindy and/or Willie in times of trouble "caused by others' misdeeds and thoughtlessness," including a forest fire caused by a practical joker, and Willie being hit by a stray bullet fired by teens in a no-shooting area. Also playing a part in the adventures was Willie’s stubborn mule, Cupcake, who was trained to "burp" on camera.

For about a month, in an effort to improve ratings, the producers of *Thunder* re-titled the show “Super Horse, Starring Thunder.”

*Thunder* was created by the creators of *Fury*, another show featuring a stallion. This show also aired on NBC, from 1955 to 1960.

*Thunder* was part of a 90-minute block of three live action shows to debut on NBC during the 1977 season, along with *Search and Rescue: the Alpha Team* and *The Red Hand Gang*. It was the only one of the three to run for a full season in the United States, with all episodes aired. (*Search and Rescue: the Alpha Team* was shown in prime time in Canada, where it was filmed and simply titled *Search and Rescue*, and stayed on the air for a full season.)

Concerning international broadcasting, it is best known that in Italy the show ran in syndication in the early 80's under the title *Fulmine* (Italian for *lightning*).

## Cast

## InfoBox

| *Thunder* | |
| --- | --- |
| Starring | Melora Hardin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22? minutes |
| Production companies | Marcum Productions
Charles Fries Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 10, 1977 (1977-09-10)
September 2, 1978 (1978-09-02) |


title: Three Elements

abstract: Three Elements is a March 1925 abstract painting by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky.

text:
# Three Elements

***Three Elements*** is a March 1925 abstract painting by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky.

## History

Kandinsky presented it to his nephew Alexandre Kojève, in whose family it remained after Kojève's death in 1968. The painting was bought in 2002 from Kojève's widow, Nina Ivanoff (also spelled Ivanov) and is now in the Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain of Strasbourg, France. Its inventory number is 55.002.3.1.

## InfoBox

| Three Elements | |
| --- | --- |
| German: *Drei Elemente*, French: *Trois éléments* | |
|  | |
| Artist | Wassily Kandinsky |
| Year | 1925 |
| Catalogue | 295 |
| Medium | oil painting on cardboard |
| Movement | Abstract art |
| Subject | a red square, a yellow triangle and a blue circle among coulours and shapes |
| Dimensions | 68 cm × 48 cm (27 in × 19 in); also given as 69.5 × 49.5 cm (27.4 × 19.5 in) |
| Location | Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain, Strasbourg |
| Accession | 2002 |


abstract: Three Entrance Cave Archeological District is a 9-acre (3.6 ha) archeological site in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, near Kenton, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Its specific location is not disclosed by the National Register. It includes two contributing sites, at least one being a prehistoric camp location. It was listed on the National Register for its potential to yield information in the future. The district contains steep cliffs with two "prominent" archeological sites and a series of springs. Artifacts suggest that it was occupied during 2000 B.C. to 1400 A.D.

text:
# Three Entrance Cave Archeological District

**Three Entrance Cave Archeological District** is a 9-acre (3.6 ha) archeological site in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, near Kenton, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Its specific location is not disclosed by the National Register. It includes two contributing sites, at least one being a prehistoric camp location. It was listed on the National Register for its potential to yield information in the future.

The district contains steep cliffs with two "prominent" archeological sites and a series of springs. Artifacts suggest that it was occupied during 2000 B.C. to 1400 A.D.

## InfoBox

|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Three Entrance Cave Archeological District | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. Historic district | |
|  | |
| Nearest city | Kenton, Oklahoma |
| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002225 |
| Added to NRHP | November 29, 1978 |


title: Tristan Azbej

abstract: Tristan Azbej is a Hungarian politician, the state secretary for the aid of persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program. He is also the vice president of the KDNP - Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary).

text:
# Tristan Azbej

**Tristan Azbej** (born March 4, 1979) is a Hungarian politician, the state secretary for the aid of persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program. He is also the vice president of the KDNP - Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary).

## Life

He earned a master's degree in geology from Eötvös Loránd University in 2002. He then went on to complete a Ph.D. in geosciences at Virginia Tech, graduating in 2006.

He entered politics in 2010, working as a policy advisor for the FIDESZ-KDNP Parliamentary Group. Between 2012 and 2013 he worked as a policy advisor for the Prime Minister's Office. From 2013 to 2017 he served as the science and technology attaché at the Embassy of Hungary in Tel Aviv.

In 2017 he took the position of head of department at the Deputy State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians at the Ministry of Human Capacities. Later in the same year he became the deputy state secretary for the aid of persecuted Christians. Since 2018 he has been serving as the state secretary for the aid of persecuted Christians and for the Hungary Helps Program at the Prime Minister's Office. In this role he has been coordinating the humanitarian efforts of the Government of Hungary and has had numerous public appearances advocating for freedom of religion

He was elected vice president of KDNP in 2020.

## InfoBox

| Tristan Azbej | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Born | (1979-03-04) March 4, 1979 |
| Office |  |
| Political party | KDNP - Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary) |


title: The Buchanans

abstract: The Buchanans are an American production team, founded by Wiz Buchanan and Dre Vega. Along with later members Kyle "Keyz" Davidson, and Chris Paultre, the Buchanans are also rappers and songwriters.

text:
# The Buchanans

**The Buchanans** are an American production team, founded by Wiz Buchanan (aka Jesús Mi Amor) and Dre Vega. Along with later members Kyle "Keyz" Davidson, and Chris Paultre, the Buchanans are also rappers and songwriters.

## Life and career

Wiz and Dre are two childhood friends that grew up in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. Throughout grade school the two completely immersed themselves in hip hop culture, participating in everything from breakdancing, graffiti, to rap. It was not until they duo reached their late teens that they decided to take their musical talents serious. As they explain, "some of our friends started recording songs and making tracks, and it took our interest in music to another level. We decided to pool our money together and purchase recording equipment so we could cut records to the raps we had in our heads. That led to making beats, which broadened our horizons even more." Finding inspiration in Dr. Dre's *The Chronic*, the duo immediately began crafting their sound. One of their first creations was a track called "What More Can I Say", which found its way on Jay-Z's *The Black Album*. From there, The Buchanans went on to produce for artists such as Beyoncé, Nas, Dr. Dre, T.I, Lupe Fiasco, Amerie and Fabolous. In 2012, The Buchanans released *God Is In The Machine*, a mixtape project that features founding member Wiz Buchanan as Jesús Mi Amor.

## Production style

The Buchanans mainly produce songs in the hip hop and R&B genres. Their sound is heavily inspired by 1970s soul music and hip hop from the 1980s and 1990s.

## Discography

| Year | Title | Artist | Album |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2003 | "What More Can I Say" | Jay-Z | *The Black Album* |
| | "Horndog" | Overseer | *Mitsubishi Endeavor Commercial* |
| 2004 | "Hip Hop Star" | Beyoncé feat. Outkast | *Dangerously in Love* |
| | "Spaze Out"
"Fast Money"
"Cold Blooded"
"Lean"
"GameTime" | Lupe Fiasco | *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (Unreleased)* |
| | "Hustle On" | Smitty | *Smitty* |
| | "Doomsday"
"Horndog" | Overseer | *Need For Speed*
*Walking Tall Movie Trailer* |
| 2005 | "Not the Only One"
"Star in da Hood"
"Man Up"
"Its okay"
"So Long" (Chris Paultre) | Amerie
Black Rob
Wendy Williams feat. Amerie and Nas
Mashonda
Cassidy | *Touch*
*The Black Rob Report*
*Bring The Heat*
*January Joy*
*I'm A Hustla* |
| 2006 | "Intro"
"Outro | Lupe Fiasco | *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor* (Chris Paultre) |
| | "Step Up" (Movie) (Chris Paultre) |  |  |
| 2007 | "Down For You" | Unique | N/A |
| | "The Coolest"
"Gold Watch"
"Streets on Fire" | Lupe Fiasco | Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (Chris Paultre) |
| 2007-2008 | "Forecast (Intro)"(Chris Paultre)
"Crush"
"Crazy Wonderful"
"Make Me Believe"
"Thats What U R" (Chris Paultre)
"Streets Alone" (Chris Paultre) | Amerie | *Because I Love It* |
| | "Horndog" | Overseer | *Phoenix Suns Introduction Video* |
| 2009 | "Why R U"
"More Than Love" | Amerie
Amerie feat. Fabolous | *In Love & War* |
| | "Losing It" | K. Michelle | *N/A* |
| 2010 | "Dr. Pepper Commercial"
"Shit Popped Off"
"Fire"
"Loving What You Do, Snatch You Up" | Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre feat. T.I
Lupe Fiasco
Nicoya Polar | *N/A* |
| | "+-"
"Double Trouble" | Fabri Fibra | *Controcultura* |
| 2011 | "All Black Everything" | Lupe Fiasco | *Lasers* |
| 2012 | "F.U.C.K You" | Sarah Green | *TBA* |
| | BET Presidential Campaign (Chris Paultre) |  |  |
| 2015 | "Mural" | Lupe Fiasco | *Tetsuo & Youth* |
| 2016 | "Thru the Stars"
"Sing About It"
"Take the Blame" | Ameriie | *Drive* |
| |


title: Weight (album)

abstract: Weight is the fourth studio album by American rock band Rollins Band, released on April 12, 1994. It featured the band's biggest hits, "Liar" and "Disconnect".

text:
# Weight (album)

***Weight*** is the fourth studio album by American rock band Rollins Band, released on April 12, 1994. It featured the band's biggest hits, "Liar" and "Disconnect".

## Writing and recording

The songs for the album were written throughout 1993, after the band completed touring for their previous release *The End of Silence*. The writing for the songs took place in East Village, Manhattan, since all of the members of the band lived in New York, with the exception of Henry Rollins, who was based in Los Angeles. Rollins has said that he conceived several song lyrics and musical ideas on his way to band practice in New York. In a 1997 interview, he further recalled that "a lot of the initial songs, like a big hunk of them, were written really fast. 'Volume 4', 'Fool', 'Disconnect', and 'Liar' were written in like two days. Then there's another burst that gave us another hunk. Then they were groomed, argued over, mantled, dismantled, different bridge sections put in. Then the rest of the record took the rest of the summer into the fall." Rollins Band played a small number of shows during 1993, where they previewed some of the new material they had been writing. They then recorded *Weight* during a snowy December 1993 in Echo Creek Ranch, in Meyers, California. While recording the album in Echo Creek Ranch, Rollins was interviewed by MTV, and said "we recorded the album out here at this log cabin in the middle of nowhere because it enabled us to make a lot of noise night and day and not worry about neighbors. We could go seven days a week as many hours as we wanted and hopefully create a very free musical atmosphere and that's why we did it." Rollins added that, "having recorded in this cabin like this in a very kind of homey atmosphere, I wouldn't want to go back to a studio again."

## Music and influences

In May 1994, *Spin* described the album as a mix of rap, punk, funk, metal and jazz, also calling it a "far cry" from Henry Rollins' previous band Black Flag. It was produced by the band's long-time sound technician, the Dutch-born Theo Van Rock. Around this time, Van Rock was often being credited as a fifth member of the band, despite playing no instruments, and even appeared in the music video for "Liar" and in several photo shoots alongside the other members. When asked about *Weight*, Van Rock told MTV that, "the sound of the album is warm, open and honest. Henry's been known as somebody who's like very strong in his, let's say screaming, and now we are doing the singing thing as well."

For the album, bassist Andrew Weiss was replaced by Melvin Gibbs, known at the time for his jazz work. In his book *The Encyclopedia of Popular Music*, music critic Colin Larkin described Gibbs as adding a stronger funk influence to the band's sound, with songs such as "Liar" and "Tired" also drawing heavily from jazz. Rollins said in 1993, "having an new member in the band, Melvin Gibbs on bass, has really changed things. He and the drummer, Sim Cain, together have formed this really amazing rhythm alliance." Gibbs noted that he had some familiarity with progressive rock and hardcore punk bands such as Bad Brains, but that he had only become familiar with heavy metal music much more recently. He remembered in 2011 that, "the big joke of the Rollins Band was how little I actually knew about rock music, and metal in particular. One of the reasons was, when I was growing up, that was the *Do the Right Thing* era in Brooklyn and essentially any kid who wore a Black Sabbath t-shirt was going to call me the N-word, and I was going to have to fight him. So that was my association of heavy metal music – a bunch of racist dudes that I was going to end up in a fistfight with." He added, "later I found out that they actually are a really great band, but at that time I didn’t really listen to them. I actually got into metal in the '80s when I was working at Tower Records." According to Gibbs, Rollins was being heavily influenced by the stoner rock band Sleep around the making of *Weight*, which led to him becoming a fan of the style as well. Gibbs said he stopped following heavy metal music as closely after leaving the Rollins Band at the end of 1997, but that he still continued to listen to several stoner rock bands.

### Lyrical content

"Liar" has been described as being written from the perspective of a manipulative male character, although Rollins refuted this in a May 1994 interview with MTV's *Headbangers Ball*, saying, "the person in the song isn't necessarily a guy. Everyone has manipulated someone else to get to the desired endpoint. Everyone has. Guys, girls. And everyone has felt very lonely and open to being pulled around, and convinced and lied to. Guys do it to girls, girls do it to guys. It happens all the way around. So it's not about a guy doing a thing to a girl, it's about what people do to each other." In this same interview, Rollins described the closing track "Shine" as the most positive song on the album, and said that it revolved around "triumph \[and\] standing up."

## Touring and promotion

In support of *Weight*, Rollins Band went on a 24-date American tour with Helmet and the Les Claypool project Sausage. The tour with Helmet and Sausage lasted between July and August 1994, with all of the shows being recorded.

The video for "Liar" was directed by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn in a desert location and featured Rollins dressed as a devil, a nun, Superman and a police officer, with the latter three being meant to represent "icons of truth". The video was heavily featured on MTV's alternative program *120 Minutes* and the metal program *Headbangers Ball*. It gained further popularity after appearing on a 1994 *Beavis and Butt-Head* episode titled "Liar! Liar!". Another video from the album, "Disconnect", appeared twice on the series, first in the 1995 episode "Top o' the Mountain", then as part of the episode "Shortcuts" in March 1997 (the same month the band's follow-up *Come In and Burn* was released). The song "Civilized" was also used as the closing theme for *Dennis Miller Live* from 1994–2002 on HBO.

## Release

It had sold 423,000 units in the United States as of 1996, making it their most commercially successful release, and one of the most successful releases of Imago Records. In 2004, a companion album titled *Weighting* was released on Rollins' own 2.13.61 label. It featured *Weight*-era live recordings and B-sides, as well as songs from an unreleased 1993 album the band had made with free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle. Due to rights issues with Imago, *Weight* is not available on Spotify in the United States and other territories. Up until 2023, *Come In and Burn* was also not available on Spotify due to similar rights issues with the band's next record label, DreamWorks.

## Reception

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| *Christgau's Consumer Guide* |  |
| *Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal* | 8/10 |
| *Entertainment Weekly* | A− |
| *Los Angeles Times* |  |
| *MusicHound Rock* |  |
| *Rolling Stone* |  |
| *Spin Alternative Record Guide* | 7/10 |

The album received positive reviews from critics, and In 1995, "Liar" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave it a four out of five star rating, saying "on *Weight*, the Rollins Band is able to mix the musicians' love for jazz with a blindingly direct hard rock assault, making a twisted form of metal-jazz." Richard Cromelin of *The Los Angeles Times* awarded it a three out of four rating, saying in April 1994 that "\[Rollins\] is like a martial-arts hero of the psychic terrain, and his war with hypocrisy and repression is played out on a scale that’s both intimate and larger than life — his feelings are too intense and colossal to be conveyed in conventional terms, so his bellow is super human, and his band plays its deliberate sludge-metal riffs with crushing power." Deborah Frost of *Entertainment Weekly* gave it an A− rating in April 1994, saying "the guitarist’s heavy-metal cliches never quite rise to frontman Rollins’ or new bassist Melvin Gibbs’ Richter-scale rumbling. Still, \[it's\] a near masterpiece." Orla Swift of the *Record Journal* listed it as one of the best albums of the year in December 1994, observing that "the addition of new bassist Melvin Gibbs gives the band a more fluid sound and allows guitarist Chris Haskett's divebombing guitar to be heard." Mark Jenkins of *The Washington Post* wrote in August 1994 that "\[Rollins\] imagines himself the Jean Genet of punk-metal. He may be 'high on your poison,' but what makes this album more interesting than most Rollins releases is not its Dionysian intensity — that's standard — but its unaccustomed musical variety. Speaker-rattling bassist Melvin Gibbs introduces a contrapuntal funkiness to the quartet's slamming hard rock."

*The Michigan Daily* also praised the addition of Gibbs, writing "jazz bassist Melvin Gibbs is the perfect compliment behind Rollins' savagely honest lyrics." In an August 1994 review of a Rollins Band concert with Helmet and Sausage, Jeff Vice of the *Deseret News* wrote "heavy metal just keeps getting weirder and weirder", adding that "alternative metal act Rollins Band \[plays\] near jazz/metal." In October 1994, the *Manila Standard*'s review stated, "for *Weight*, Rollins Band's second recording, Rollins and cohorts carry on with their traditional mettle of diverse-paced yet always heavy, non-traditional metal, supported by lyrics that realize Rollins' apparent thematic objective: to inject some self-assuring sense into the listener, those who may be attracted to the noise as a source of escape from self-demeaning reality." *The Beaver County Times* labelled it the band's "most proactive album" in May 1994, saying "poet, author and rock icon Henry Rollins — whose band laid the groundwork for the current 'message metal' — has some advice for the angst-ridden: Stop whining about systemic oppression; change is up to the individual."

### Legacy

In his 1998 book, *Turned on: A Biography of Henry Rollins* author James Parker reflected, "Rollins Band's *Weight*, released the month of Cobain's death, sounded like a retort to grunge, a slapdown — its grooves had the weight, not of collapse, but of a muscled certainty." *Spin* wrote in 2000 that this album and *Come In and Burn* saw Rollins "play self-help drill sergeant against the atonal guitar riffs and Frankenstein grooves blueprinted \[on\] 1988's *Life Time.* *Rolling Stone* placed it 25th on a 2014 list titled "1994: The 40 Best Records From Mainstream Alternative’s Greatest Year", saying that "In the seven years since Rollins formed his eponymous band, the group had evolved into a jazz-metal hybrid with tight grooves that could either play it cool or sizzle and seethe along with him." In 2016, *Metal Hammer* included it on their "10 essential alt-metal albums" list. *Louder Sound* ranked it as the best Rollins Band album in 2022.

### Accolades

| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1994 | *Metal Hammer* | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year" | 7 |  |
| 1994 | *Melody Maker* | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year" | 34 |  |
| 1994 | *Sounds* | Germany | "Albums of the Year" | 47 |  |
| 1995 | *RAW* | United Kingdom | "90 Essential Albums for the 90s" | * |  |
| "*****" denotes an unordered list. | | | | | |

## Track listing

All songs are credited to the Rollins Band.

1. "Disconnect" – 4:57
2. "Fool" – 4:26
3. "Icon" – 3:41
4. "Civilized" – 3:54
5. "Divine Object Of Hatred" – 4:01
6. "Liar" – 6:34
7. "Step Back" – 3:58
8. "Wrong Man" – 4:19
9. "Volume 4" – 4:39
10. "Tired" – 3:46
11. "Alien Blueprint" – 3:45
12. "Shine" – 5:26

## Personnel

### Rollins Band

### Production

* Theo Van Rock – production
* David Bianco – mixing
* John Jackson – mixing
* Peter Rave – recording
* Brant Scott – recording
* Rob Sieffert – recording
* Howie Weinberg – mastering

## Charts

## InfoBox

| Weight | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Rollins Band | |
| Released | April 12, 1994 |
| Recorded | December 1993 |
| Studio | Echo Creek Ranch (Meyers, California) |
| Genre | Alternative metal |
| Length | 53:26 |
| Label | Imago |
| Producer | Theo Van Rock |
| Rollins Band chronology | |
| *The End of Silence*
(1992) ***Weight***
(1994) *Come In and Burn*
(1997) | |
|  | |
| Singles from  *Weight* | |
| 1. "Liar"
Released: 1994 2. "Disconnect"
Released: 1994 | |
| Alternate cover | |
|  | |
| Alternate promo edition cover | |
|  | |
|  | |


title: The Gods (band)

abstract: The Gods were an English rock band founded in 1965. The original band members included Mick Taylor, Brian Glascock, his brother John, keyboardist Ken Hensley and Joe Konas. Lee Kerslake (drums) joined in 1967 and would later also play in Uriah Heep. Greg Lake joined in 1967 and left the band after approximately one year.

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# The Gods (band)

**The Gods** were an English rock band founded in 1965. The original band members included Mick Taylor (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones), Brian Glascock, his brother John (later with Jethro Tull), keyboardist Ken Hensley (later with Uriah Heep) and Joe Konas. Lee Kerslake (drums) joined in 1967 and would later also play in Uriah Heep. Greg Lake (later with King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer) joined in 1967 and left the band after approximately one year.

## Career

Taylor and the Glascock brothers were schoolmates from Hatfield and had been playing together as The Juniors (or The Strangers), a band they formed in 1962. Also part of this band were Malcolm Collins (vocals) and Alan Shacklock (guitar). They eventually signed with EMI / Columbia Records. Their first 7" single (Columbia DB7339) appeared in 1964 ("There's a Pretty Girl"/"Pocket Size"). In 1965, the line-up changed. Mick Taylor continued to play guitar and teamed up with Hensley (organ/vocals). They also added Konas (guitar/vocals) and changed their name to "The Gods".

In 1966, the Gods opened for Cream at the Starlite Ballroom in Wembley, London. A single ("Come On Down to My Boat Baby"/"Garage Man") was recorded in early 1967 on Polydor Records. At this point the line-up included Mick Taylor, Ken Hensley, John Glascock, and Joe Konas.

In May 1967, Taylor got a call from John Mayall who was looking for a new guitarist to replace Peter Green. When Taylor joined the Bluesbreakers, he left behind a faltering blues band. The band sought to revive their fortunes on the club/college circuit. They relocated to London and secured a residency at The Marquee. John Glascock (bass) was replaced by Paul Newton in June 1967 and then by Greg Lake. But the latter was too talented for the backing role they had him in so he soon left to join King Crimson in the summer of 1968. The band had to re-group again and John Glascock was asked to return.

With Glascock back in the fold, they recorded a couple of progressive rock albums and a few singles. Of their singles, "Hey! Bulldog", a Beatles track, is their best known, and both sides have been included on the compilation album, *The Great British Psychedelic Trip Vol. 3*. The band played an amalgam of psychedelia and progressivism. Tracks like "Towards the Skies" and "Time and Eternity" from their 1968 album *Genesis* are full of heavy ploughing Hammond organ and distorted guitar riffs and Ken Hensley's unique and rather dramatic vocals add a further dimension.

Most of the Gods' material is fairly typical late 1960s pop/rock, epitomised by songs like "Radio Show" and "Yes I Cry". There are shades of Vanilla Fudge on their cover of the West Side Story extract "Maria". On a few tracks like "Candlelight" and "Real Love Guaranteed", there is an inkling of the heavier sound Hensley and Kerslake would propagate in their next venture, Uriah Heep.

The Gods were the successors of the Rolling Stones at the Marquee Club in London.

After recording two albums, *Genesis* (1968) and *To Samuel a Son* (1969), they signed with a new record company and formed Toe Fat, which also lasted two years and two albums. In 1970, they published an album under the pseudonym Head Machine, titled *Orgasm* with Ken Hensley on keys, guitars and vocals, John Glascock on bass, Joe Konas on guitars and Lee Kerslake on drums.

## Personnel

## Discography

### Albums

* *Genesis* (October 1968), Columbia SCX 6286, re-issued 1994 on Repertoire Records
* *To Samuel a Son* (February 1969), Columbia SCX 6372, re-issued 1995 on Repertoire Records
* *Orgasm* (as Head Machine) (1970), Audio Archives AACD014
* *Best of the Gods* (compilation CD)

### Singles

* "Come On Down to My Boat Baby" / "Garage Man" (Polydor 56168)
* "Baby's Rich" / "Somewhere in the Street" (Columbia DB 8486)
* "Hey Bulldog" / "Real Love Guaranteed" (Columbia DB 8544)
* "Maria" (from *West Side Story*) / "Long Time Sad Time Bad Time" (Columbia DB 8572)

## InfoBox

| The Gods | |
| --- | --- |
| Genres | Progressive rock, psychedelic rock |
| Years active | 1965–1969 |
| Labels | EMI, Polydor |
|  | |
| Past members |  |