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Within hours of becoming a national hero, a viral video star and the top topic on Twitter, Charles Ramsey talked about having trouble getting sleep. It wasn't because of all the excitement that followed his knocking down a Cleveland neighbor's door, freeing three women and a girl who police say were held hostage for years. Instead, Ramsey told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday, it was about knowing he had lived for a year near the captive women on the city's West Side. "Up until yesterday the only thing that kept me from losing sleep was the lack of money," the restaurant dishwasher said on "Anderson Cooper 360." "I could have done this last year, not this hero stuff," said Ramsey. "Just do the right thing." Ramsey recounted Monday night's drama, when he heard a girl scream "like a car had hit a kid." He ran from his living room, clutching a half-eaten McDonald's Big Mac, to the house and helped free a woman identified as Amanda Berry. "Amanda said, 'I've been trapped in here. He won't let me out. It's me and my baby." Who are the three women freed in Cleveland? Ramsey and a man named Angel Cordero broke down the door, CNN affiliate WEWS reported in an earlier interview heard around the world. Ramsey told CNN he had never seen Berry before Monday, and at first, he could not place the name. "Berry didn't register with me until I was on the phone, like wait a minute, I thought this girl was dead."

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CHAPTER XVI—DEVOTED When John Jasper recovered from his fit or swoon, he found himself being tended by Mr. and Mrs. Tope, whom his visitor had summoned for the purpose. His visitor, wooden of aspect, sat stiffly in a chair, with his hands upon his knees, watching his recovery. ‘There! You’ve come to nicely now, sir,’ said the tearful Mrs. Tope; ‘you were thoroughly worn out, and no wonder!’ ‘A man,’ said Mr. Grewgious, with his usual air of repeating a lesson, ‘cannot have his rest broken, and his mind cruelly tormented, and his body overtaxed by fatigue, without being thoroughly worn out.’ ‘I fear I have alarmed you?’ Jasper apologised faintly, when he was helped into his easy-chair. ‘Not at all, I thank you,’ answered Mr. Grewgious. ‘You are too considerate.’ ‘Not at all, I thank you,’ answered Mr. Grewgious again. ‘You must take some wine, sir,’ said Mrs. Tope, ‘and the jelly that I had ready for you, and that you wouldn’t put your lips to at noon, though I warned you what would come of it, you know, and you not breakfasted; and you must have a wing of the roast fowl that has been put back twenty times if it’s been put back once. It shall all be on table in five minutes, and this good gentleman belike will stop and see you take it.’ This good gentleman replied with a snort, which might mean yes, or no, or anything or nothing, and which Mrs. Tope would have found highly mystifying, but that her attention was divided by the service of the table.

wikipedia

Ethanol, also called alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is a compound and simple alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be written also as −− or − (an ethyl group linked to a hydroxyl group), and is often abbreviated as EtOH. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a slight characteristic odor. It is used as a drug and is the principal type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Ethanol is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes, and is most commonly considered as a popular recreational drug. It also has medical applications as an antiseptic and disinfectant. The compound is widely used as a chemical solvent, either for scientific chemical testing or in synthesis of other organic compounds, and is a vital substance utilized across many different kinds of manufacturing industries. Ethanol is also used as a clean energy burning fuel source. "Ethanol" is the systematic name defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) for a compound consisting of alkyl group with two carbon atoms (prefix "eth-"), having a single bond between them (infix "-an-"), attached functional group-OH group (suffix "-ol"). The "eth-" prefix and the qualifier "ethyl" in "ethyl alcohol" originally come from the name "ethyl" assigned in 1834 to the group - by Justus Liebig. He coined the word from the German name "Aether" of the compound -O- (commonly called "ether" in English, more specifically called "diethyl ether"). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "Ethyl" is a contraction of the Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “upper air”) and the Greek word "" ("hyle", substance).

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CHAPTER TWO. STRONG EMOTIONS ARE SUCCEEDED BY SUPPER, AND FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSIONS ON DISCOVERY, WHICH END IN A WILD ALARM! When Karlsefin had been introduced to Leif Ericsson, the former turned round and presented to him and Biarne his friend Thorward, the captain of the other ship. Thorward was not a tall man, but was very broad and stout, and had a firm yet pleasing cast of countenance. Both Thorward and Karlsefin were men of about thirty-five years of age. "Are you not on viking-cruise?" asked Leif as they walked up to the house together, while the male members of his household and the men of the settlement assisted the crews to moor the ships. "No; my friend Thorward and I are not men of war. We prefer the peaceful occupation of the merchant, and, to say truth, it is not unprofitable." "I would that more were of your way of thinking," said Leif. "I do not love the bloody game of war, and glad am I that we have got into a quiet corner here in Greenland, where there is small occasion for it. Biarne, too, is of our way of thinking, as no doubt you already know." "He has often told me so, and, if I mistake not, has feathered his nest well by merchanting." "He has," answered Biarne for himself, with a laugh. While they thus advanced, talking, little Olaf had kept walking in front of the tall stranger, looking up into his face with unbounded admiration. He had never before seen any man so magnificent. His father and Biarne, whom he had hitherto regarded as perfect specimens of mankind, were quite eclipsed. Looking backward and walking forward is an unsafe process at any time. So Olaf found it on the present occasion, for he tripped over a stone and in falling hit his little nose with such violence that it soon became a big nose, and bled profusely.

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CHAPTER XXV Terniloff and Dominey, one morning about six months later, lounged underneath a great elm tree at Ranelagh, having iced drinks after a round of golf. Several millions of perspiring Englishmen were at the same moment studying with dazed wonder the headlines in the midday papers. "I suppose," the Ambassador remarked, as he leaned back in his chair with an air of lazy content, "that I am being accused of fiddling while Rome burns." "Every one has certainly not your confidence in the situation," Dominey rejoined calmly. "There is no one else who knows quite so much," Terniloff reminded him. Dominey sipped his drink for a moment or two in silence. "Have you the latest news of the Russian mobilisation?" he asked. "They had some startling figures in the city this morning." The Prince waved his hand. "My faith is not founded on these extraneous incidents," he replied. "If Russia mobilises, it is for defence. No nation in the world would dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude methods as military enterprise. Servia must be punished, naturally, but to that, in principle, every nation in Europe is agreed. We shall not permit Austria to overstep the mark." "You are at least consistent, Prince," Dominey remarked. Terniloff smiled. "That is because I have been taken behind the scenes," he said. "I have been shown, as is the privilege of ambassadors, the mind of our rulers. You, my friend," he went on, "spent your youth amongst the military faction. You think that you are the most important people in Germany. Well, you are not. The Kaiser has willed it otherwise. By-the-by, I had yesterday a most extraordinary cable from Stephanie."

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CHAPTER VI THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels. The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted. Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind. A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below. By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall. The sight of his broad back thrilled her. She had fallen to imagining whether this was not perchance that gallant and all-powerful Scarlet Pimpernel himself: the mysterious friend of whom her dear milor so often spoke with an admiration that was akin to worship. He too was probably tall and broad--for English gentlemen were usually built that way; and Yvonne's over-excited mind went galloping on the wings of fancy, and in her heart she felt that she was glad that she had suffered so much, and then lived through such a glorious moment as this. Now from the narrow unpaved yard in front of the house the guide turned sharply to the right. Yvonne could only distinguish outlines. The streets of Nantes were familiar to her, and she knew pretty well where she was. The lanthorn inside the clock tower of Le Bouffay guided her--it was now on her right--the house wherein she had been kept a prisoner these past three days was built against the walls of the great prison house. She knew that she was in the Carrefour de la Poissonnerie.

mctest

Once upon a time, a horse, a cow, a ox, and a donkey were playing outside when they got really hungry. So, they went to a drive-in to get some lunch. The horse ordered a cheeseburger. The cow ordered a chili dog. The ox ordered a chicken sandwich. And the donkey ordered a fish sandwich. The horse ordered fries. The cow ordered onion rings. The ox ordered a baked potato. The donkey ordered a side salad. The horse had ketchup on his cheeseburger. The cow had mayonnaise on his chili dog. The ox had mustard on his chicken sandwich. And the donkey had Miracle Whip on his fish sandwich. But the restaurant didn't get any of the orders right because they had their sauces mixed up. The ketchup got mixed up with the Miracle Whip. The mayonnaise got mixed up with the ketchup. The mustard got mixed up with the mayonnaise. And the Miracle Whip got mixed up with the mustard. The Miracle Whip was red. The ketchup was yellow. The mayonnaise was blue. And the mustard was green.

wikipedia

The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelizations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd and Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is "Trigger Mortis" by Anthony Horowitz, published in September 2015. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny. The character has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip, video games and film. The films are the longest continually running film series of all time and have grossed over $7.040 billion in total, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film series to date, which started in 1962 with "Dr. No", starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2017, there have been twenty-four films in the Eon Productions series. The most recent Bond film, "Spectre" (2015), stars Daniel Craig in his fourth portrayal of Bond; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films: "Casino Royale" (a 1967 spoof) and "Never Say Never Again" (a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, "Thunderball"). In 2015, the franchise was estimated to be worth $19.9 billion, making "James Bond" one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

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Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) was the President of France from 1848 to 1852 and, as Napoleon III, the Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. He was the only president of the French Second Republic and the head of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I. He was the first Head of State of France to hold the title President, the first elected by a direct popular vote, and the youngest until the election of Emmanuel Macron in 2017. Barred by the Constitution and Parliament from running for a second term, he organized a "coup d'état" in 1851 and then took the throne as Napoleon III on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of his uncle's coronation. He remains the longest-serving French head of state since the French Revolution. His downfall was brought about by the Franco-Prussian war in which France was decisively defeated by the North German Confederation, led by Prussia. During the first years of the Empire, Napoleon's government imposed censorship and harsh repressive measures against his opponents. Some six thousand were imprisoned or sent to penal colonies until 1859. Thousands more went into voluntary exile abroad, including Victor Hugo. From 1862 onwards, he relaxed government censorship, and his regime came to be known as the "Liberal Empire". Many of his opponents returned to France and became members of the National Assembly.

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Albanians () are a nation and ethnic group, native to Albania, Kosovo and other countries who share a common culture, ancestry and speak the Albanian language as a native tongue. Legally, the term is used to refer to the citizens of the Republic of Albania. Ethnic Albanians speak the Albanian language and more than half of ethnic Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo. A large Albanian population lives in Greece, Italy, the Republic of Macedonia, with smaller Albanian populations located in Serbia and Montenegro. Albanians produced many prominent figures such as Skanderbeg, leader of the medieval Albanian resistance to the Ottoman conquest and others during the Albanian National Awakening seeking self-determination. During the 17th and 18th century Albanians in large numbers converted to Islam, often to escape higher taxes levied on Christian subjects as well as a plethora of other reasons including ecclesiastical decay, coercion by Ottoman authorities in times of war, and the privileged legal and social position of Muslims. As Muslims, some Albanians attained important political and military positions within the Ottoman Empire and culturally contributed to the wider Muslim world. Albania gained its independence in 1912 and between 1945–1992, Albanians lived under a repressive communist regime. Albanians within Yugoslavia underwent periods of discrimination and eventual self-determination that concluded with the breakup of that state in the early 1990s culminating with Albanians living in new countries and Kosovo. Outside the southwestern Balkans of where Albanians have traditionally been located, Albanian populations through the course of history have formed new communities contributing to the cultural, economic, social and political life of their host populations and countries while also at times assimilating too.

wikipedia

Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. The word "Quran" occurs some 70 times in the text of the Quran, although different names and words are also said to be references to the Quran. According to the traditional narrative, several companions of Muhammad served as scribes and were responsible for writing down the revelations. Shortly after Muhammad's death, the Quran was compiled by his companions who wrote down and memorized parts of it. These codices had differences that motivated the Caliph Uthman to establish a standard version now known as Uthman's codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran known today. There are, however, variant readings, with mostly minor differences in meaning.

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For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is connected to sweet memories of eating ice cream. Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety. His career of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food. Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California. At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream. His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores. In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business. Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well. So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store. This permitted the company to grow quickly. By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins. They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had. There was one flavor for every day of the month. Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake " the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969. Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge". They said, "We sell fun, not just ice cream." By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States. The business partners sold their company that year. Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world.

cnn

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The guard who killed the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, had for years worked with International Security Assistance Forces against Taliban militants, according to three local officials with direct knowledge of the dealings. Sardar Mohammed, who authorities say shot and killed Kandahar's provincial council chief Ahmed Wali Karzai, received training from ISAF and participated in intelligence gathering against militants across the region, according to Besmellah Afghanmal, a provincial council member with close ties to the Karzai family. He "was one of the trusted commanders for the Karzais," Afghanmal told CNN. "Sardar Mohammad was working with American Special Forces closely and he was participating in many operations with American Special forces against the Taliban in (the) south." Others, like provincial parliament member Hashim Watanwal, say Mohammad had worked with both U.S. and Canadian forces in Kandahar -- an ethnically Pashtun dominated region long-considered the Taliban heartland. Baz Mohammed, a Kandahar tribal elder with close connections to the Karzai clan, said the guard was "a trustworthy person" who collaborated regularly with ISAF in Kandahar. An ISAF spokeswoman declined to comment on the claims. Though suspected of corruption and opium dealing, Wali Karzai was considered a major power-broker in Afghanistan's restive south and a bulwark for his brother against the Taliban militancy. His death Tuesday sent shock-waves across Afghanistan's political landscape, and prompted President Karzai to weep as mourners gathered for his half-brother's burial the following day. Saidkhan Khakrezwal, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, said he and others were with Wali Karzai when the guard came into the room and asked to talk to him.

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In the UK, most children have their lunches at school, but in some schools, parents can choose what their children eat. The children can have a school dinner-a hot, cooked meal; or they can take a packed lunch with them, which usually includes cold food like sandwiches. Often parents know what their children want. Cath, a mother of three children, told us, "My children have packed lunches because they say they don't like to have school dinners. So I make three packed lunches every morning." However, another mother, Susan, made a different choice. She said, "My daughters have a always had school dinners. I think they probably get healthier food at school than a few sandwiches I make for them." But how healthy are school dinners? Kaz, a father, thought poorly of them. He said, "Fizzy drinks were offered and I think there were a lot of chips." Jamie Oliver spent a year working in a school kitchen. He was worried about the unhealthy food which included burgers, pizzas and chips. So he tried to cook healthy food such as good stews and curries for the children instead. So Jamie improved the school dinners, and trained the dinner ladies to cook healthy food in that school. Then he advised the government to improve school food across the country. And it seems that the changes have begun. Anna, a pupil, told us, "We used to have a fast food window where you got chips and coke, but they stopped that this year. There's a salad restaurant, which is good, so it's healthier than it was." ,.

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(CNN) -- To a friend of more than 20 years, Manssor Arbabsiar was a man who liked to be called "Jack" and didn't seem to have strong views on politics or religion. To U.S. authorities, the 56-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen is a suspect in an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States. "It was shocking because it didn't seem like he would be the type of person to do something like that," said Mitchel Hamauei, who said he met Arbabsiar through mutual Iranian friends. "He was a happy go lucky guy, always joked around," Hamauei said. "He had a really happy demeanor." Hamauei, who runs a gyro and kebab restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas, said the two were close enough that he attended the graduation of Arbabsiar's son. "I know his wife and his son. They're very down-to-earth people," Hamauei said. The two kept in touch even after Arbabsiar moved to Austin about four or five years ago. "I saw him about a year ago. He came by the store to eat a sandwich." Arbabsiar was a used car salesman, Hamauei said. Their conversations would be about "life in general," he said. "Nothing religious. Nothing political." "He would go out and party," Hamauei said. "As far as I know he never practiced religion." Martha Guerrero, Arbabsiar's estranged wife, told the Austin, Texas, station KVUE Tuesday that they've "been separated for a long time" and she doesn't know anything about his affairs. However, she believes he is innocent.

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The host: Now it's time for our You Must Read This program. Today we'll hear from Lauren Groff. She came across a book when she was going to have her first child and was worried about the future. Lauren Groff: Staring into darkness, I wanted to read about happiness.1n fact, books full of joy are hard to find because happiness is nearly impossible to write about. So, when I found Elizabeth and Her German Garden, by Elizabeth Von Arnim, I felt as if someone suddenly opened a curtain and revealed a window where I had thought there was a wall. Elizabeth and Her German Garden feels as if it rose out of Von Arnim's deep unhappiness in the way she was supposed to fit into her world Still, what a cool drink this novel is. It has a few characters: the narrator, a countess named Elizabeth, her husband, her three tiny daughters, various servants and some visitors. There is also Elizabeth's garden. whick we see in all its seasonal richness. That is only the book's surface, however. There are great things hidden in the book. Eliza- beth is always comparing herself and the women around her and finding their fixed social roles disappointing. Her happiness, when it comes, arrives as an act of will. She has fought hard to achieve delight and I think it is more valuable for her struggle. I appreciate Elizabeth for showing me a way through my darkest time, by revealing that an act of focused attention can lift a person out of a long, dark period in their lives. Anyone can get a little happiness from living, even by reading a few pages of a book. The host : That's Lauren Groff. Her latest novel is Arcadia. The book she recommended is Elizabeth and Her German Garden.

mctest

Anna's parents told her they were going to have a new baby brother. She had never had a brother before. She was not sure what to think about it. "What if he cries?" asked Anna. "If he cries we hold him until he is quiet," said Anna's dad. "What if he makes a mess in his diaper?" asked Anna. "Diapers smell but we clean them up," said Anna's mom. Anna thought about having a baby brother. Her mom and dad would take care of him. They bought a high chair for him to eat in. They brought out her old crib for him to sleep in. What could she do to help? Anna wanted to help the baby play. She thought it would be fun to play with him. Anna saved up her money. She had two whole dollars. She went to the store to pick out a present for the baby. She bought a rattle. It cost all the money she had, but Anna was happy. She could give a gift to the new baby.

wikipedia

Art Deco, sometimes referred to as Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture and design that first appeared in France just before World War I. Art Deco influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, movie theatres, trains, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. It took its name, short for "Arts Décoratifs", from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris in 1925. It combined modernist styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress. Art Deco was a pastiche of many different styles, sometimes contradictory, united by a desire to be modern. From its outset, Art Deco was influenced by the bold geometric forms of Cubism; the bright colors of Fauvism and of the Ballets Russes; the updated craftsmanship of the furniture of the eras of Louis Philippe and Louis XVI; and the exotic styles of China and Japan, India, Persia, ancient Egypt and Maya art. It featured rare and expensive materials, such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship. The Chrysler Building and other skyscrapers of New York built during the 1920s and 1930s are monuments of the Art Deco style.

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The Count of Monte Cristo ( French: Le Comte de Monte Cristo ) is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas. Completed in 1844, it is one of the author's most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers. Like many of his novels, it is expanded from plot outlines suggested by his co-author Auguste Maquet. The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean, and in the Levant during the historical events of 1815-1838. It begins from just before the Hundred Days period, when Napoleon returned to power after his exile , and goes through to the time of Louis Philippe of France. The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book. It is an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, revenge , mercy and forgiveness, and is told in the style of an adventure story. It focuses on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from prison, gains a fortune and sets about getting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. However, his plans have terrible consequences for the innocent as well as the guilty. Dumas got the idea for The Count of Monte Cristo from a true story, which he found in a memoir written by a man named Jacques Peuchet. Peuchet related the story of a shoemaker named Pierre Picaud, who was living in Paris in 1807. Picaud was engaged to a rich woman, but four envious friends falsely accused him of being a spy for England. He was imprisoned for seven years. During his imprisonment a fellow prisoner told him a treasure hidden in Milan. When Picaud was released in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under another name to Paris and spent ten years plotting his successful revenge. The book is considered a literary classic today. According to Luc Sante, " The Count of Monte Cristo has become a fixture of western civilization's literature, as inescapable and immediately identifiable as Mickey Mouse, Noah's flood, and the story of Little Red Riding Hood. "

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A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes. Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment locations. Wireless telecommunications networks are generally implemented and administered using radio communication. This implementation takes place at the physical level (layer) of the OSI model network structure. Examples of wireless networks include cell phone networks, wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless sensor networks, satellite communication networks, and terrestrial microwave networks. The first professional wireless network was developed under the brand ALOHAnet in 1969 at the University of Hawaii and became operational in June 1971. The first commercial wireless network was the WaveLAN product family, developed by NCR in 1986. Wireless personal area networks (WPANs) internet devices within a relatively small area, that is generally within a person's reach. For example, both Bluetooth radio and invisible infrared light provides a WPAN for interconnecting a headset to a laptop. ZigBee also supports WPAN applications. Wi-Fi PANs are becoming commonplace (2010) as equipment designers start to integrate Wi-Fi into a variety of consumer electronic devices. Intel "My WiFi" and Windows 7 "virtual Wi-Fi" capabilities have made Wi-Fi PANs simpler and easier to set up and configure.

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Chapter Twenty-One The Wizard Finds an Enchantment After Kaliko had failed in his attempts to destroy his guests, as has been related, the Nome King did nothing more to injure them but treated them in a friendly manner. He refused, however, to permit Inga to see or to speak with his father and mother, or even to know in what part of the underground caverns they were confined. "You are able to protect your lives and persons, I freely admit," said Kaliko; "but I firmly believe you have no power, either of magic or otherwise, to take from me the captives I have agreed to keep for King Gos." Inga would not agree to this. He determined not to leave the caverns until he had liberated his father and mother, although he did not then know how that could be accomplished. As for Rinkitink, the jolly King was well fed and had a good bed to sleep upon, so he was not worrying about anything and seemed in no hurry to go away. Kaliko and Rinkitink were engaged in pitching a game with solid gold quoits, on the floor of the royal chamber, and Inga and Bilbil were watching them, when Klik came running in, his hair standing on end with excitement, and cried out that the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy were approaching. Kaliko turned pale on hearing this unwelcome news and, abandoning his game, went to sit in his ivory throne and try to think what had brought these fearful visitors to his domain.

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Karl Fleming joined the military because he needed a change in his life. He had a successful career with a shipping company but he wanted to do something more. He found that something in the U.S. army. Fleming began his service in 2009 and never looked back. A few years later, Fleming volunteered to go to Afghanistan. There, he worked as a bodyguard for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He enjoyed it, except for the almost-nightly rocket attacks. Karl was never hit directly by a rocket, but he didn't need to be to feel its effects. The rockets caused severe shaking, shaking so bad that Fleming was left with many injuries. He was also diagnosed with concussions and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Fleming said he was down but not out. Once he returned from Afghanistan, Fleming underwent one test after another. At first, Fleming said he thought he could recover or be able to return to duty and realize his dream of becoming an officer. But then came the news he had never imagined: Fleming would never be an officer because he was too injured to continue. Fleming said he was depressed after learning his military career was over. Add that to the memory loss, extreme anxiety and the many painful medical procedures he was already experiencing. He rarely ventured outside on the weekend. Instead, he preferred to sleep in. All that changed, however, with Fleming's service dog, Kuchar. Fleming said he had heard dogs could help people suffering from PTSD, so he started doing research. Karl eventually selected K9s for Warriors, which is where he met Kuchar, a yellow lab. Fleming and Kuchar trained together for weeks, before returning to Fort Benning. K9s for Warriors provided Fleming with Kuchar and the training for free. Life with Kuchar has been life-changing. Fleming doesn't sleep in any more because Kuchar won't let him. Instead, they venture out into a world Karl was once afraid of -- a world for Fleming that now seems impossible to imagine without Kuchar by his side.

cnn

(CNN) -- Jewish organizations called for a Romanian official to resign and face a criminal investigation after he wore a Nazi uniform during a fashion show over the weekend. Radu Mazare, the mayor of the town of Constanta, wore a Nazi uniform during a fashion show over the weekend. Radu Mazare, the mayor of the town of Constanta, and his 15-year-old son "entered the stage marching the clearly identifiable Nazi 'goose step,'" the Center for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism in Romania said in a letter to the country's prosecutor general. The organization's director, Marco Katz, said Mazare had broken Romanian law and encouraged his son to do the same, "educating him to treat the law with contempt." Katz said Mazare was sending a message "that to wear Nazi uniforms and to march the Nazi steps is legal and 'in vogue' in Romania." He urged the authorities and the head of Mazare's Social Democrat party to show that message "will be strongly countermanded." Mazare, 41, said he had not noticed the Nazi swastika symbol on the uniform before he wore it, according to the Romanian Times newspaper. "I checked it before I put it on but the swastika was very small and I didn't see it," he said. "I really liked the look of the uniform after seeing it in the Tom Cruise film 'Valkyrie.' I bought it from a costume hire shop in Germany." A top Nazi hunter said Mazare should quit. "The proper thing for you to do is to admit your mistake, apologize for it and resign your position," Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem wrote to Mazare. Zuroff sent CNN a copy of the letter.

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Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V. of the Netherland, Philips), (stylized as PHILIPS) is a Dutch technology company headquartered in Amsterdam with primary divisions focused in the areas of electronics, healthcare and lighting. It was founded in Eindhoven in 1891, by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik. It is one of the largest electronics companies in the world and employs around 105,000 people across more than 60 countries. Philips is organized into three main divisions: Philips Consumer Lifestyle (formerly Philips Consumer Electronics and Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care), Philips Healthcare (formerly Philips Medical Systems) and Philips Lighting. , Philips was the largest manufacturer of lighting in the world measured by applicable revenues. In 2013, the company announced the sale of the bulk of its remaining consumer electronics to Japan's Funai Electric Co, but in October 2013, the deal to Funai Electric Co was broken off and the consumer electronics operations remain under Philips. Philips said it would seek damages for breach of contract in the US$200-million sale. In April 2016, the International Court of Arbitration ruled in favour of Philips, awarding compensation of €135 million in the process. Philips has a primary listing on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange and is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

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CHAPTER V What had passed between Smilash and Henrietta remained unknown except to themselves. Agatha had seen Henrietta clasping his neck in her arms, but had not waited to hear the exclamation of "Sidney, Sidney," which followed, nor to see him press her face to his breast in his anxiety to stifle her voice as he said, "My darling love, don't screech I implore you. Confound it, we shall have the whole pack here in a moment. Hush!" "Don't leave me again, Sidney," she entreated, clinging faster to him as his perplexed gaze, wandering towards the entrance to the shrubbery, seemed to forsake her. A din of voices in that direction precipitated his irresolution. "We must run away, Hetty," he said "Hold fast about my neck, and don't strangle me. Now then." He lifted her upon his shoulder and ran swiftly through the grounds. When they were stopped by the wall, he placed her atop of it, scrabbled over, and made her jump into his arms. Then he staggered away with her across the fields, gasping out in reply to the inarticulate remonstrances which burst from her as he stumbled and reeled at every hillock, "Your weight is increasing at the rate of a stone a second, my love. If you stoop you will break my back. Oh, Lord, here's a ditch!" "Let me down," screamed Henrietta in an ecstasy of delight and apprehension. "You will hurt yourself, and--Oh, DO take--" He struggled through a dry ditch as she spoke, and came out upon a grassy place that bordered the towpath of the canal. Here, on the bank of a hollow where the moss was dry and soft, he seated her, threw himself prone on his elbows before her, and said, panting:

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Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis had a population of 652,717 in 2016, making it the second largest city in the state of Tennessee after Nashville. The greater Memphis metropolitan area, including adjacent counties in Mississippi and Arkansas, had a 2014 population of 1,317,314. This makes Memphis the second-largest metropolitan area in Tennessee, surpassed by metropolitan Nashville. Memphis is the youngest of Tennessee's major cities, founded in 1819 as a planned city by a group of wealthy Americans including judge John Overton and future president Andrew Jackson. A resident of Memphis is referred to as a Memphian, and the Memphis region is known, particularly to media outlets, as Memphis and the Mid-South. Occupying a substantial bluff rising from the Mississippi River, the site of Memphis has been a natural location for human settlement by varying cultures over thousands of years. The area was known to be settled in the first millennium AD. by people of the Mississippian Culture, who had a network of communities throughout the Mississippi River Valley and its tributaries and built earthwork ceremonial and burial mounds. The historic Chickasaw Indian tribe, believed to be their descendants, later occupied the site. French explorers led by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto encountered the Chickasaw tribe in that area, in the 16th century.

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Jack is a twenty-year-old young man. Two years ago, when he finished middle school, he found work in a shop. Usually he works until ten o'clock in the evening. He is very tired when he gets home. After a quick supper he goes to bed and soon falls asleep. His grandma who lives downstairs is satisfied with him. One day, on his way home, he met Mary. They were both happy. He asked the girl to his house, she agreed happily. He bought some fruit and drinks for her. And they talked about their school, teachers, classmates and their future . They talked for a long time. "Have a look at your watch, please," said the girl. "What time is it now?" "Sorry, something is wrong with my watch," said Jack. "Where's yours?" "I left it at home." Jack thought for a moment and found a way. He began to stamp his foot on the floor, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound woke his grandma up. The old woman shouted downstairs, "It's twelve o'clock in the night, Jack. Why are you still jumping upstairs?" ,.

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CHAPTER IV The sun rose red, the air was thick and hot. Anticipating that the day would be very oppressive, Vivian and Essper were on their horses' backs at an early hour. Already, however, many of the rustic revellers were about, and preparations were commencing for the fête champêtre, which this day was to close the wedding festivities. Many and sad were the looks which Essper George cast behind him at the old castle on the lake. "No good luck can come of it!" said he to his horse; for Vivian did not encourage conversation. "O! master of mine, when wilt thou know the meaning of good quarters! To leave such a place, and at such a time! Why, Turriparva was nothing to it! The day before marriage and the hour before death is when a man thinks least of his purse and most of his neighbour. O! man, man, what art thou, that the eye of a girl can make thee so pass all discretion that thou wilt sacrifice for the whim of a moment good cheer enough to make thee last an age!" Vivian had intended to stop and breakfast after riding about ten miles; but he had not proceeded half that way when, from the extreme sultriness of the morning, he found it impossible to advance without refreshment. Max, also, to his rider's surprise, was much distressed; and, on turning round to his servant, Vivian found Essper's hack panting and puffing, and breaking out, as if, instead of commencing their day's work, they were near reaching their point of destination.

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CHAPTER VII. LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. THE intelligence with which Lestrade greeted us was so momentous and so unexpected, that we were all three fairly dumfoundered. Gregson sprang out of his chair and upset the remainder of his whiskey and water. I stared in silence at Sherlock Holmes, whose lips were compressed and his brows drawn down over his eyes. "Stangerson too!" he muttered. "The plot thickens." "It was quite thick enough before," grumbled Lestrade, taking a chair. "I seem to have dropped into a sort of council of war." "Are you--are you sure of this piece of intelligence?" stammered Gregson. "I have just come from his room," said Lestrade. "I was the first to discover what had occurred." "We have been hearing Gregson's view of the matter," Holmes observed. "Would you mind letting us know what you have seen and done?" "I have no objection," Lestrade answered, seating himself. "I freely confess that I was of the opinion that Stangerson was concerned in the death of Drebber. This fresh development has shown me that I was completely mistaken. Full of the one idea, I set myself to find out what had become of the Secretary. They had been seen together at Euston Station about half-past eight on the evening of the third. At two in the morning Drebber had been found in the Brixton Road. The question which confronted me was to find out how Stangerson had been employed between 8.30 and the time of the crime, and what had become of him afterwards. I telegraphed to Liverpool, giving a description of the man, and warning them to keep a watch upon the American boats. I then set to work calling upon all the hotels and lodging-houses in the vicinity of Euston. You see, I argued that if Drebber and his companion had become separated, the natural course for the latter would be to put up somewhere in the vicinity for the night, and then to hang about the station again next morning."

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During the years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, structural engineers have been trying hard to solve a question that would otherwise have been completely unthinkable: Can building be designed to stand catastrophic blasts by terrorists? Soon after the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, structural engineers from the University at Buffalo and the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) traveled to ground zero as part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation. They spent two days beginning the task of formulating ideas about how to design such structures and to search for clues on how to do so in buildings that were damaged, but still are standing. "Our objective in visiting ground zero was to go and look at the buildings surrounding the World Trade Center, those buildings that are still standing, but that sustained damage," said M. Bruneau, Ph.D. "Our immediate hope is that we can develop a better understanding as to why those buildings remain standing, while our long-term goal is to see whether earthquake engineering technologies can be married to existing technologies to achieve enhanced performance of buildings in the event of terrorist attacks," he added. Photographs taken by the investigators demonstrate the monumental damage to the World Trade Center towers and buildings nearby. One building a block away from the towers remains standing, but was badly damaged. "This building is many meters away from the World Trade Center and yet we see a column there that used to be part of that building," explained A. Whittaker, Ph.D. "The column became a missile that shot across the road, through the window and through the floor." The visit to the area also brought some surprises, according to the engineers. For example, the floor framing system in one of the buildings was quite strong , allowing floors that were pierced by tons of falling debris to survive. "Good framing systems may provide a simple, but reliable strategy for blast resistance," he added. Other strategies may include providing alternate paths for gravity loads in the event that a load-bearing column fails. "We also need a better understanding of the mechanism of collapse," said A. Whittaker. "We need to find out what causes a building to collapse and how you can predict it." A. Reinhorn, Ph.D. noted that "earthquake shaking has led to the collapse of buildings in the past. Solutions developed for earthquake-resistant design may apply to blast engineering and terrorist-resistant design. Part of our mission now is to transfer these solutions and to develop new ones where none exist at present."

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CHAPTER TEN. PERPLEXITIES--OUR HUNTERS PLAN THEIR ESCAPE--UNEXPECTED INTERRUPTION-- THE TABLES TURNED--CRUSOE MOUNTS GUARD--THE ESCAPE. Dick Varley sat before the fire ruminating. We do not mean to assert that Dick had been previously eating grass. By no means. For several days past he had been mentally subsisting on the remarkable things that he heard and saw in the Pawnee village, and wondering how he was to get away without being scalped; he was now chewing the cud of this intellectual fare. We therefore repeat emphatically--in case any reader should have presumed to contradict us--that Dick Varley sat before the fire _ruminating_! Joe Blunt likewise sat by the fire along with him, ruminating too, and smoking besides. Henri also sat there smoking, and looking a little the worse of his late supper. "I don't like the look o' things," said Joe, blowing a whiff of smoke slowly from his lips, and watching it as it ascended into the still air. "That blackguard Mahtawa is determined not to let us off till he gits all our goods, an' if he gits them, he may as well take our scalps too, for we would come poor speed in the prairies without guns, horses, or goods." Dick looked at his friend with an expression of concern. "What's to be done?" said he. "Ve must escape," answered Henri; but his tone was not a hopeful one, for he knew the danger of their position better than Dick. "Ay, we must escape; at least we must try," said Joe; "but I'll make one more effort to smooth over San-it-sa-rish, an' git him to snub that villain Mahtawa."

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CHAPTER IV. WHAT SHALL BE DONE ABOUT IT? Rachel was still thinking of Luke Rowan and of the man's arm when she opened the cottage door, but the sight of her sister's face, and the tone of her sister's voice, soon brought her back to a full consciousness of her immediate present position. "Oh, Dolly, do not speak with that terrible voice, as though the world were coming to an end," she said, in answer to the first note of objurgation that was uttered; but the notes that came afterwards were so much more terrible, so much more severe, that Rachel found herself quite unable to stop them by any would-be joking tone. Mrs. Prime was desirous that her mother should speak the words of censure that must be spoken. She would have preferred herself to remain silent, knowing that she could be as severe in her silence as in her speech, if only her mother would use the occasion as it should be used. Mrs. Ray had been made to feel how great was the necessity for outspoken severity; but when the moment came, and her dear beautiful child stood there before her, she could not utter the words with which she had been already prompted. "Oh, Rachel," she said, "Dorothea tells me--" and then she stopped. "What has Dorothea told you?" asked Rachel. "I have told her," said Mrs. Prime, now speaking out, "that I saw you standing alone an hour since with that young man,--in the churchyard. And yet you had said that he was to have been away in Exeter!"

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The corridor windows at the Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School look a bit different from other schools. They are all decorated with beautiful paper cutting art. But they are not just for decoration. They are also to stop birds from flying into windows. Chen Zitong, 14, a Junior 3 student at the school came up with the idea. In early January, she wrote a letter to the headmaster and suggested this. She often saw birds fly into the clean windows and get hurt. After some online research, she found this solution. "Some people decorated windows with stickers or posters. Then I thought of replacing them with our traditional paper cutting art," Chen said. To Chen's surprise, the headmaster took her advice. The school organized a paper cutting art competition. Students' works that got awards were pasted on the corridor windows. In fact, there have been paper cutting art classes since 2011. "We have classes once a week for a month to teach paper cutting," said Fan Ming, an art teacher. The teaching building even has a display wall to show students' works. Through the class, Shi Jiawei, 14, fell in love with the art of paper cutting. "It's very fun. I can design my own patterns and present interesting things through it," she said. She created many works like bears and magpies . Paper cutting also helps students become more patient. Wang Yiyou, 12, was once an active boy. But now, he can carefully design a delicate paper cutting work with scissors and gravers . "I am so proud that I can make it look perfect," he said. (By Wu Qian, 21st Century Teens Staff)

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Zeus (; "Zeús" ) is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, who ruled as king of the gods of Mount Olympus. His name is cognate with the first element of his Roman equivalent Jupiter. His mythologies and powers are similar, though not identical, to those of Indo-European deities such as Indra, Jupiter, Perun, Thor, and Odin. Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, the youngest of his siblings to be born, though sometimes reckoned the eldest as the others required disgorging from Cronus's stomach. In most traditions, he is married to Hera, by whom he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. At the oracle of Dodona, his consort was said to be Dione, by whom the "Iliad" states that he fathered Aphrodite. Zeus was also infamous for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses. He was respected as an allfather who was chief of the gods and assigned the others to their roles: "Even the gods who are not his natural children address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence." He was equated with many foreign weather gods, permitting Pausanias to observe "That Zeus is king in heaven is a saying common to all men". Zeus' symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" (Greek: , "Nephelēgereta") also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty.

cnn

(CNN) -- A former Microsoft executive and his son were aboard a turboprop airline that crashed Friday morning into two houses in East Haven, Connecticut, a family member told CNN. There has been "no official confirmation or positive identification" that Bill Henningsgaard and his son were on board, but there is no reason to believe that it was not the two of them, his brother, Blair Henningsgaard, said. Also feared dead in the crash were two children -- ages 1 and 13 -- in one house, East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. said. The other house was unoccupied. National Transportation Safety Board investigators cannot confirm the number of people killed, saying there are reports of four to six people dead. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said there could be as many as five people killed in the crash, including up to three people on the plane. But Blair Henningsgaard said only his brother and his nephew were believed to be on the plane. Two bodies were seen inside the home but haven't been recovered because the home is unstable, East Haven Fire Chief Douglas Jackson said at a press conference Friday afternoon. Fire consumed both houses, preventing firefighters from searching for victims, Jackson said, and the basement in the home holding at least two victims was filled with water. Maturo said the children were in one house with their mother when the plane struck shortly before 11:30 a.m. The mother escaped, he said. "It's ... total devastation in the back of the home," Maturo said.

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CHAPTER XX A NIGHT OF ANXIETY Had the lightning struck Dick and knocked him overboard? Such was the terrifying question which Sam asked himself as he stared out of the pilothouse window into the darkness before him. Another flash of lightning lit up the scene and he made certain that his big brother was nowhere in sight. "Tom! Tom!" he yelled down the tube, frantically. "What now, Sam?" "Dick is gone--struck by lightning, I guess. Come up!" At this alarming information Tom left the engine room at a bound and came on deck almost as soon as it can be told. He met Sam running toward the bow. "Where was Dick?" he screamed, to make himself heard above the roaring and shrieking of the wind. "At the forward rail, on the lookout. He was standing there just before that awful crash came, and I haven't seen him since." No more was said by either, but holding fast to whatever came to hand, the two Rovers worked their way forward until they reached the rail where Dick had been standing. They now saw that the foretopmast had come down, hitting the rail and breaking it loose for a distance of several feet. "The mast must have hit Dick and knocked him overboard," said Tom, with a quiver in his voice. "Oh, Tom!" Sam could say no more, but his heart sank. The two boys stared around helplessly, not knowing what to do. Dick was very dear to them and they could not bear to think that he was lost, and forever.

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CHAPTER XXIV AGATHA RESUMES HER JOURNEY There was silence for a minute or two after Agatha had spoken, and then Father Lucien said, "Now we know what Driscoll looked for. Few secrets can be kept." Thirlwell gave him a warning glance that Agatha did not note. She was gazing across the river, her face towards the North, as if she had forgotten the others, but she presently roused herself. "Can we start to-morrow?" she asked. "No," said Thirlwell firmly, "you must rest for two or three days, and there are a number of things to be got." "I don't think I can rest until I have seen the lode." "You will have to try. It may be some time yet before we find the spot. For one thing, the directions aren't complete. You see they stop--" Agatha took the paper. "Yes; I hadn't noticed that. It begins very clearly and then breaks off. I wonder why." Thirlwell said nothing. It looked as if Strange had been interrupted; the shakiness of the last few lines hinted that they had been written in haste. There was a space between the last and the bottom of the paper. Perhaps Driscoll had joined him and he had distrusted the man, who might have come into the camp while he was writing. Then, when he afterwards sealed the box, he had forgotten that he had not finished what he meant to say; but, if the supposition were correct, this was not remarkable. Strange might have taken some liquor with him. But Agatha must not suspect.

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The Caucasus or Caucasia is a region situated at the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is home to the Caucasus Mountains, which contain Europe's highest mountain, Mount Elbrus, , located on the west of the Greater Caucasus mountain range. The Greater Caucasus acts as a natural barrier separating Europe from Southwest Asia, the latter including the Transcaucasus and Anatolia regions. The Caucasus region is separated between northern and southern partsthe North Caucasus and Transcaucasus, respectively. The Greater Caucasus range in the north is within the Russian Federation, while the Lesser Caucasus to the south is divided between several independent states, namely Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. The Transcaucasus extends eastwards to the Caspian Sea and northwestern Iran, and extends westwards into northeastern Turkey. The region is known for its linguistic diversity: aside from Indo-European and Turkic languages, the Kartvelian, Northwest Caucasian, and Northeast Caucasian families are indigenous to the area. Pliny the Elder's "Natural History" (77–79 AD) derives the name of the Caucasus from Scythian "kroy-khasis" ("ice-shining, white with snow"). German linguist Paul Kretschmer notes that the Latvian word "Kruvesis" also means "ice". In the "Tale of Past Years" (1113 AD), it is stated that Old East Slavic Кавкасийскыѣ горы ("Kavkasijskyě gory") came from Ancient Greek Καύκασος ("Kafkasos"), which, according to M. A. Yuyukin, is a compound word that can be interpreted as the "Seagull's Mountain" (καύ-: καύαξ, καύηξ, ηκος ο, κήξ, κηϋξ "a kind of seagull" + the reconstructed *κάσος η "mountain" or "rock" richly attested both in place and personal names.)

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LOS ANGELES - Jesus Ibarra was puzzled by the elderly man. He was obviously much older than other students at prefix = st1 /CentralAultHigh School. And he was an Anglo on a campus where most students are Latins, Blacks, and Asian - Americans. "I asked myself what he was doing here," said Ibarra, 21, of Los Angeles. "I thought he was a visitor. The first time I talked to him, I asked a question in English, and he answered in Spanish. I thought he was white and Jewish. I never imagined that he would speak Spanish." Jacob Blitzstein surprised his fellow students all the time. He isn't some _ man, though he wears his neat gray beard and conservative (traditional) clothes. Blitzstein is warm and gregarious (enjoys being with others). He likes to hear a good joke and loves to tell a good story. He is determined, especially when it comes to realizing his dream. Recently, that dream came true. At a graduation ceremony attended by two of his children and three grandchildren, Blitzstein, 81, graduated from high school. After Principal Lanny Nelms handed him the diploma and announced his age, Blitzstein waved to the audience and cried. And why not? He's probably the oldest CentralHigh Schoolgraduate since the school opened in 1974. According to theLos Angelesdistrict spokesman, although no records of such things are kept, Blitzstein is the oldest graduate he's ever heard of. Earning his diploma took 10 years, during which the retired store owner suffered heart attack and ill health, and lost his wife and two brothers. He kept to his task for a reason. "School is the best medicine you can have," he said. "You have something on your mind - a goal." With his diploma in hand, Blitzstein states that _ . "You know something ? I'm going to college," He told a visitor recently. He has checked out West Los Angeles and Santa Monicacommunity colleges and hopes to move from there to a four-year school. "It's not a joke," he said. "If I live to the year 2008, maybe I'll be a doctor."

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The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. This has happened twice, in 1917, during World War I, and in 1941, during World War II. Created by Congress on 4 August 1790 at the request of Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Marine, it is the oldest continuous seagoing service of the United States. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton headed the Revenue Marine, whose original purpose was collecting customs duties in the nation's seaports. By the 1860s, the service was known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the term Revenue Marine gradually fell into disuse. The modern Coast Guard was formed by a merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915, under the U.S. Department of the Treasury. As one of the country's five armed services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every U.S. war from 1790 to the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. the Coast Guard had over 36,000 men and women on active duty, 7,350 reservists, 29,620 auxiliarists, and 7,064 full-time civilian employees. In terms of size, the U.S. Coast Guard by itself is the world's 12th largest naval force.

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"Food in France is still primarily about pleasure,"says Mark Singer, technical director of cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris."Cooking and eating are both pastimes and pleasure."The French might start their day with bread, butter, jam, and perhaps something hot to drink -- it's a time of the day when the whole family can be united. Singer, born in Philadelphia, has lived in France for more than 40 years. "Although things have changed greatly in the past 20 years when it comes to food in the country,"he says,"and what was a big affair with eating has been slowly softened up, there are still events in the year, like birthdays and New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve that are still really anchored in traditional food and cooking. But it's not every day." Some people think French food life may be a performance, adds Jennifer Berg, director of graduate food studies at New York University."They want to believe that France is this nation where people are spending five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food. The reality is most croissants are factory-made, and most people are buying convenience food, except for the very small group of people in high society. But part of our identity relies on believing that myth." In Italy, as in France, takeout is still ly rare."Eating fast is not at all part of our culture,"says Marco Bolasco, editorial director of Slow Food and an Italian food expert. Our meals are relaxed, even during a lunch break. Food in Italy is love, and nutrition, and pleasure, he says. An Italian child's first experience with food is not small round cakes or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream, notes Bolasco. Status and wealth play less of a role in food.

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(CNN) -- A story this week by the Associated Press has caused quite a stir, especially among African-Americans, when multiple news outlets ran it with the attention-grabbing headline, "Some black pastors are telling their flocks to stay home Election Day." The New York Daily News ran the story, along with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Newsday, and a host of conservative websites such as HotAir and NewsMax. When I first saw the headline, I was stunned, especially knowing the blood that has been shed over the years by African-Americans and others to gain the precious right to vote. I read the more than 1,300-word story by Rachel Zoll, with a contribution from Bill Barrow. The first line was "Some black clergy see no good presidential choice between a Mormon candidate and one who supports gay marriage, so they are telling their flocks to stay home on Election Day." Nothing in the story legitimately backed up that first line. Anybody who had read the full article would know that. In reading the piece, Zoll and Barrow quote or mention pastors A.R. Bernard, Jamal Bryant, George Nelson Jr., Floyd James, and Howard-John Wesley, Lin Hill and Dwight McKissic. Politics: Is Obama taking black vote for granted? Not a single one of these pastors was quoted as saying they have or plan to tell their congregations not to vote in the presidential election. Not one. Several expressed misgivings about President Barack Obama's support for same-sex marriage, and others had negative thoughts about Mitt Romney being a Mormon or the effect of his policies on their congregants. One said he hasn't decided whom he will vote for, and McKissic said he'll go fishing on Election Day.

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The kids were playing outside. They were drawing with chalk. They drew many things with the chalk. One of those things was a star. There was nothing else for them to do because it was the weekend. Then they stopped drawing with the chalk a little later. They did not want to go on because they were tired. They walked a little then started to splash by the lake that was nearby instead. They thought it was a good idea because it was a hot day. They played for hours. They were making a lot of noise and laughing and talking. They went home. They did this because they were very tired. They all ate some bread. They were now quiet. They couldn't have anything else to eat until their mother called them for dinner. They waited and did not say a word. They were resting. Soon it would be time for the family meal.

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Chapter VII. MAGGIE IS VERY NAUGHTY. As soon as the children reached the open air Tom said, "Here, Lucy, you come along with me," and walked off to the place where the toads were, as if there were no Maggie in existence. Lucy was naturally pleased that Cousin Tom was so good to her, and it was very amusing to see him tickling a fat toad with a piece of string, when the toad was safe down the area, with an iron grating over him. Still Lucy wished Maggie to enjoy the sight also, especially as she would doubtless find a name for the toad, and say what had been his past history; for Lucy loved Maggie's stories about the live things they came upon by accident--how Mrs. Earwig had a wash at home, and one of her children had fallen into the hot copper, for which reason she was running so fast to fetch the doctor. So now the desire to know the history of a very portly toad made her run back to Maggie and say, "Oh, there is such a big, funny toad, Maggie! Do come and see." Maggie said nothing, but turned away from her with a deep frown. She was actually beginning to think that she should like to make Lucy cry, by slapping or pinching her, especially as it might vex Tom, whom it was of no use to slap, even if she dared, because he didn't mind it. And if Lucy hadn't been there, Maggie was sure he would have made friends with her sooner.

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To unambiguously specify the date, dual dating or Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are sometimes used with dates. Dual dating uses two consecutive years because of differences in the starting date of the year, or includes both the Julian and Gregorian dates. Old Style and New Style (N.S.) indicate either whether the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January (N.S.) even though documents written at the time use a different start of year (O.S.), or whether a date conforms to the Julian calendar (O.S.) rather than the Gregorian (N.S.). The Gregorian calendar was a reform of the Julian calendar instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by papal bull Inter gravissimas dated 24 February 1582. The motivation for the adjustment was to bring the date for the celebration of Easter to the time of year in which it was celebrated when it was introduced by the early Church. Although a recommendation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 specified that all Christians should celebrate Easter on the same day, it took almost five centuries before virtually all Christians achieved that objective by adopting the rules of the Church of Alexandria (see Easter for the issues which arose).

gutenberg

CHAPTER 7 Mr and Mrs Squeers at Home Mr Squeers, being safely landed, left Nicholas and the boys standing with the luggage in the road, to amuse themselves by looking at the coach as it changed horses, while he ran into the tavern and went through the leg-stretching process at the bar. After some minutes, he returned, with his legs thoroughly stretched, if the hue of his nose and a short hiccup afforded any criterion; and at the same time there came out of the yard a rusty pony-chaise, and a cart, driven by two labouring men. 'Put the boys and the boxes into the cart,' said Squeers, rubbing his hands; 'and this young man and me will go on in the chaise. Get in, Nickleby.' Nicholas obeyed. Mr. Squeers with some difficulty inducing the pony to obey also, they started off, leaving the cart-load of infant misery to follow at leisure. 'Are you cold, Nickleby?' inquired Squeers, after they had travelled some distance in silence. 'Rather, sir, I must say.' 'Well, I don't find fault with that,' said Squeers; 'it's a long journey this weather.' 'Is it much farther to Dotheboys Hall, sir?' asked Nicholas. 'About three mile from here,' replied Squeers. 'But you needn't call it a Hall down here.' Nicholas coughed, as if he would like to know why. 'The fact is, it ain't a Hall,' observed Squeers drily. 'Oh, indeed!' said Nicholas, whom this piece of intelligence much astonished. 'No,' replied Squeers. 'We call it a Hall up in London, because it sounds better, but they don't know it by that name in these parts. A man may call his house an island if he likes; there's no act of Parliament against that, I believe?'

cnn

(CNN) -- Police in Texas used a Taser on a 42-year-old pastor and pepper spray to disperse members of his church after police said the pastor interfered with a traffic stop. Jose Moran was arrested early Wednesday morning after interfering with the duties of a public servant in the parking lot of a Webster, Texas, building that is being remodeled for the Iglesias Profetica Peniel Church, Webster police said in a written statement. Moran's son, Omar, said his father had been trying to help. He added that his father has heart problems. Moran approached an officer who was handling a traffic stop in the church's parking lot on Wednesday morning, police said. Moran identified himself as the church's pastor and began yelling at the officer, police said. The officer told Moran to leave several times, but Moran did not, police said. The officer then tried to arrest him. But Moran pushed the officer and ran into the church building, police said. Moran's son said after his father asked the officer if he could help, the officer began yelling. The son said his father went back inside the church. The officer followed him and kicked in the church door, he said. The pastor came outside, and a second officer used his Taser twice on the pastor, the younger Moran said. The son's account differs from the police version of events. Police said Moran emerged from the church building with dozens of other people who subsequently surrounded the officer. The officer used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, the statement said.

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A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. Whether a national university is considered public varies from one country (or region) to another, largely depending on the specific education landscape. In Egypt, Al-Azhar University opened in 975 AD as the second oldest university in the world. It was followed by a lot of universities opened as public universities in the 20th century such as Cairo University (1908), Alexandria University (1912), Assiut University (1928), Ain Shams University (1957), Helwan University (1959), Beni-Suef University (1963), Benha University (1965), Zagazig University (1978), Suez Canal University (1989), where tuition fees are totally subsidized by the Government. In Nigeria Public Universities can be established by both the Federal Government and by State Governments. Examples include the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, Abia State University, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Gombe State University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Federal University of Technology Yola, University of Maiduguri, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, University of Jos, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, University of Ilorin In Kenya, the Ministry of Education controls all of the public universities. Students are enrolled after completing the 8-4-4 system of education and attaining a mark of C+ or above. Students who meet the criteria determined annually by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) receive government sponsorship, as part of their university or college fee is catered for by the government. They are also eligible for a low interest loan from the Higher Education Loan Board. They are expected to pay back the loan after completing higher education.

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Prison Break is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star,Wentworth Miller. His actor, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show. Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on television today. But what about the man behind the character? Miller,35,is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way. Milier didn't take a direct path to fame and fortune. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995,not with a degree in theatre or film, but in English. He didn't even act when he was in college. His only performance experience was in his university's singing group. Yet, at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to prefix = st1 /Hollywood. Miller has always been different. Although he is American, he was born in Britainwhen his father was studying there. His family background is also a special mix of cultures. "My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle. I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place," Miller says. Following his unusual path,Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he first got to Hollywood. Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant. Not what you would expect from a Princeton graduate. However, _ . In 2002,Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia. He starred as a thoughtful and shy man. Producers remembered his performance when they were castingPrison Breaktwo years later. With a golden globe nomination and another season of Prison Breakon his resume ,Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXXVI. DESERTED. That was almost the last thing Granville Kelmscott knew. Some strange shadowy dreams, to be sure, disturbed the lethargy into which he fell soon after; but they were intermittent and indefinite. He was vaguely aware of being lifted with gentle care into somebody's arms, and of the somebody staggering along with him, not without considerable difficulty, over the rough stony ground of that South African plateau. He remembered also, as in a trance, some sound of angry voices--a loud expostulation--a hasty palaver--a long slow pause--a gradual sense of reconciliation and friendliness--during all which, as far as he could recover the circumstances afterwards, he must have been extended on the earth, with his back propped against a great ledge of jutting rock, and his head hanging listless on his sinking breast. Thenceforward all was blank, or just dimly perceived at long intervals between delirium and unconsciousness. He was ill for many days, where or how he knew not. In some half dreamy way, he was aware too, now and again, of strange voices by his side, strange faces tending him. But they were black faces, all, and the voices spoke in deep guttural tones, unlike even the clicks and harsh Bantu jerks with which he had grown so familiar in eighteen months among the Barolong. This that he heard now, or seemed to hear in his delirium, like distant sounds of water, was a wholly different and very much harsher tongue--the tongue of the Namaquas, in fact, though Granville was far too ill and too drowsy just then to think of reasoning about it or classifying it in any way. All he knew for the moment was that sometimes, when he turned round feebly on his bed of straw, and asked for drink or help in a faltering voice, no white man appeared to answer his summons. Black, faces all--black, black, and unfamiliar. Very intermittently he was conscious of a faint sense of loneliness. He knew not why. But he thought he could guess. Guy Waring had deserted him!

cnn

(CNN) -- On Nikola Tesla's 158th birthday, it was the effort to build a museum in the influential scientist's honor that got the gift. Elon Musk, the magnate and inventor behind electric-car company Tesla Motors, has pledged $1 million to the Tesla Science Center in Shoreham, New York, on the site of Wardenclyffe, Tesla's only remaining laboratory. And it's all due, at least in large part, to an appeal from a webcomic creator. Matthew Inman, whose comic and website the Oatmeal draws millions of readers each month, wrote Thursday that he had spoken to Musk and confirmed the pledge. "So, I had a call with Elon Musk earlier this week ..." Inman wrote on his site. He said Musk, who named his car company as a tribute to the inventor, told him two things during the phone call: that he would install a Tesla charging station in the museum's parking lot and that he'll donate the million to the effort to fully restore and operate it. Jane Alcorn, president of the Tesla Science Center, announced the pledge at a birthday party at the center on Thursday. "(Musk) has challenged us at the center to use our resources wisely, find additional resources, and reach our goal of creating this museum," she said. "We are excited and extremely grateful for Mr. Musk's generous gift to Tesla Science Center, and also to Matthew Inman for arranging the opportunity." The Tesla Science Center had confirmed the news on its Twitter feed earlier. "Elon Musk: from the deepest wells of my geeky little heart: thank you," Inman wrote. "This is amazing news. And it's Nikola Tesla's 158th birthday. Happy Nikola Tesla Day."

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXXIII From Titherington, the aviator, in his Devonshire home, from a millionaire amateur flier among the orange-groves at Pasadena, from his carpenter father in Joralemon, and from Gertie in New York, Carl had invitations for Christmas, but none that he could accept. VanZile had said, pleasantly, "Going out to the country for Christmas?" "Yes," Cal had lied. Again he saw himself as the Dethroned Prince, and remembered that one year ago, sailing for South America to fly with Tony Bean, he had been the lion at a Christmas party on shipboard, while Martin Dockerill, his mechanic, had been a friendly slave. He spent most of Christmas Eve alone in his room, turning over old letters, and aviation magazines with pictures of Hawk Ericson, wondering whether he might not go back to that lost world. Josiah Bagby, Jr., son of the eccentric doctor at whose school Carl had learned to fly, was experimenting with hydroaeroplanes and with bomb-dropping devices at Palm Beach, and imploring Carl, as the steadiest pilot in America, to join him. The dully noiseless room echoed the music of a steady motor carrying him out over a blue bay. Carl's own answer to the tempter vision was: "Rats! I can't very well leave the Touricar now, and I don't know as I've got my flying nerve back yet. Besides, Ruth----" Always he thought of Ruth, uneasy with the desire to be out dancing, laughing, playing with her. He was tormented by a question he had been threshing out for days: Might he permissibly have sent her a Christmas present?

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The Portuguese Empire (), also known as the Portuguese Overseas ("Ultramar Português"), was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history and the first colonial empire of the Renaissance. It existed for almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Portuguese Macau to China in 1999. The first era of the Portuguese empire originated at the beginning of the Age of Discovery. Initiated by the Kingdom of Portugal, it would eventually expand across the globe. Portuguese sailors began exploring the coast of Africa and the Atlantic archipelagos in 1418–19, using recent developments in navigation, cartography and maritime technology such as the caravel, in order that they might find a sea route to the source of the lucrative spice trade. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India. In 1500, either by an accidental landfall or by the crown's secret design, Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil on the South American coast. Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts and factories as they went. By 1571, a string of naval outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. This commercial network and the colonial trade had a substantial positive impact on Portuguese economic growth (1500-1800), when it accounted for about a fifth of Portugal's per capita income.

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CHAPTER XLVIII - RUBY A PRISONER Ruby had run away from her lover in great dudgeon after the dance at the Music Hall, and had declared that she never wanted to see him again. But when reflection came with the morning her misery was stronger than her wrath. What would life be to her now without her lover? When she escaped from her grandfather's house she certainly had not intended to become nurse and assistant maid-of-all-work at a London lodging-house. The daily toil she could endure, and the hard life, as long as she was supported by the prospect of some coming delight. A dance with Felix at the Music Hall, though it were three days distant from her, would so occupy her mind that she could wash and dress all the children without complaint. Mrs Pipkin was forced to own to herself that Ruby did earn her bread. But when she had parted with her lover almost on an understanding that they were never to meet again, things were very different with her. And perhaps she had been wrong. A gentleman like Sir Felix did not of course like to be told about marriage. If she gave him another chance, perhaps he would speak. At any rate she could not live without another dance. And so she wrote him a letter. Ruby was glib enough with her pen, though what she wrote will hardly bear repeating. She underscored all her loves to him. She underscored the expression of her regret if she had vexed him. She did not want to hurry a gentleman. But she did want to have another dance at the Music Hall. Would he be there next Saturday? Sir Felix sent her a very short reply to say that he would be at the Music Hall on the Tuesday. As at this time he proposed to leave London on the Wednesday on his way to New York, he was proposing to devote his very last night to the companionship of Ruby Ruggles.

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Mr. Zhang, our geography teacher, held a map of the world and asked us where we would like to travel. Li Ming said, "I like countries with an interesting history, such as China, Egypt, Greece and Italy. They are all old countries with a long history. You can see many old buildings in these countries, such as the Great Wall, the Pyramids and the Acropolis ." The teacher asked, "Do you want to go to places with beautiful beaches?" Yang Ying said, "Of course. It's pleasant to visit places with fine weather and beautiful beaches. For example, the U.S.A., Australia and Malaysia have beautiful beaches." Shanshan said, "I know many countries in Southeast Asia have beautiful beaches. But I like visiting countries where the people are very friendly and helpful to visitors." Mr. Zhang said, "Remember: hotel, food and souvenirs always cost us much money. So we should make a good plan before we go to visit other countries." ,.

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Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experimental tools to probe these phenomena. The advancement of science generally depends on the interplay between experimental studies and theory. In some cases, theoretical physics adheres to standards of mathematical rigor while giving little weight to experiments and observations. For example, while developing special relativity, Albert Einstein was concerned with the Lorentz transformation which left Maxwell's equations invariant, but was apparently uninterested in the Michelson–Morley experiment on Earth's drift through a luminiferous ether. Conversely, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for explaining the photoelectric effect, previously an experimental result lacking a theoretical formulation. A physical theory is a model of physical events. It is judged by the extent to which its predictions agree with empirical observations. The quality of a physical theory is also judged on its ability to make new predictions which can be verified by new observations. A physical theory differs from a mathematical theorem in that while both are based on some form of axioms, judgment of mathematical applicability is not based on agreement with any experimental results. A physical theory similarly differs from a mathematical theory, in the sense that the word "theory" has a different meaning in mathematical terms. A physical theory involves one or more relationships between various measurable quantities. Archimedes realized that a ship floats by displacing its mass of water, Pythagoras understood the relation between the length of a vibrating string and the musical tone it produces. Other examples include entropy as a measure of the uncertainty regarding the positions and motions of unseen particles and the quantum mechanical idea that (action and) energy are not continuously variable.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXII When all is done or said, In th' end this shall you find, He most of all doth bathe in bliss That hath a quiet mind.--LORD VAUX Robert had promised to return in the end of March to be present at the Assizes, when the burglars would be tried, and he did not come alone. Mr. Crabbe judged it time to inspect Beauchamp and decide for his wards; and Lady Bannerman, between Juliana's instigations, her own pride in being connected with a trial, and her desire to appropriate Phoebe, decided on coming down with the Admiral to see how matters stood, and to give her vote in the family council. Commissions from Mervyn had pursued Robert since his arrival in town, all for Bertha's amusement, and he brought down, by special orders, a musical-box, all Leech's illustrations, and a small Maltese dog, like a spun-glass lion, which Augusta had in vain proposed to him to exchange for her pug, which was getting fat and wheezy, and 'would amuse Bertha just as well.' Lady Bannerman hardly contained her surprise when Maria, as well as Mervyn and Phoebe, met her in the hall, seemingly quite tame and at her ease. Mervyn looked better, and in answer to inquiries for Bertha, answered, 'Oh, getting on, decidedly; we have her in the garden. She might drive out, only she has such a horror of meeting any one; but her spirits are better, I really thought she would have laughed yesterday when Maria was playing with the kitten. Ha! the dog, have you got him, Robert. Well, if this does not amuse her, I do not know what will.'

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The former Victoria University of Manchester, now the University of Manchester, was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University, gaining an independent university charter in 1904 as the Victoria University of Manchester after the collapse of the federal university. On 1 October 2004, the Victoria University of Manchester merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) to form a new, larger entity, and the new university was named the University of Manchester. The university was founded in 1851 as Owens College, named after John Owens, a textile merchant, who left a bequest of £96,942 for the purpose. Its first accommodation was at Cobden House on Quay Street, Manchester, in a house which had been the residence of Richard Cobden. In 1859, Owens College was approved as a provincial examination centre for matriculation candidates of the University of London. As the college progressed it became inadequate so a move to Chorlton on Medlock was planned in 1871. Alfred Waterhouse was the architect of the new college building, west of Oxford Road, which was opened in 1873. Owens College became the first affiliate college of the federal Victoria University in 1880. In 1884, University College Liverpool also joined the Victoria University, followed in 1887 by the Yorkshire College in Leeds.

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Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. This ethnically diverse, densely populated neighborhood is notable as the home of the U.S. film industry, including several of its historic studios, and its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the industry and the people in it. Hollywood was a small community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903. It was consolidated with the city of Los Angeles in 1910, and soon thereafter a prominent film industry emerged, eventually becoming the most recognizable film industry in the world. In 1853, one adobe hut stood in Nopalera (Nopal field), named for the Mexican Nopal cactus indigenous to the area. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished. The area was known as the Cahuenga Valley, after the pass in the Santa Monica Mountains immediately to the north. According to the diary of H. J. Whitley, known as the "Father of Hollywood," on his honeymoon in 1886 he stood at the top of the hill looking out over the valley. Along came a Chinese man in a wagon carrying wood. The man got out of the wagon and bowed. The Chinese man was asked what he was doing and replied, "I holly-wood," meaning 'hauling wood.' H. J. Whitley had an epiphany and decided to name his new town Hollywood. "Holly" would represent England and "wood" would represent his Scottish heritage. Whitley had already started over 100 towns across the western United States.

cnn

HOLLYWOOD, California (CNN) -- Singer Christina Aguilera joined fellow Grammy Award winners Alicia Keys and John Legend for "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which honored the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008. Christina Aguilera performs her hit single "Beautiful" at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute." The show, taped before an audience of more than 2,500 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, premiered on the global networks of CNN on Thanksgiving night. Liz McCartney, dedicated to helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their homes, was named 2008 CNN Hero of the Year. McCartney, who will receive $100,000 to continue her work just outside New Orleans, was selected from among the top 10 CNN Heroes after six weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 1 million votes were cast. "To the country and the world, I ask you to please join us," said McCartney, of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. "Together we can continue to rebuild families' homes and lives. ... If you join us, we'll be unstoppable." Hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper, "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" featured musical performances by Aguilera, Keys and Legend. Keys sang "Superwoman," her tribute to women around the world, from her hit album "As I Am." Aguilera performed her hit single "Beautiful." Legend, backed by the world-renowned Agape Choir, performed "If You're Out There," from his just-released album, "Evolver." All three performances echoed the spirit of the CNN Heroes campaign, which salutes everyday people accomplishing extraordinary things in their communities and beyond. "In this time of economic turmoil, it is such a relief to know that there are people like these heroes, people who care more for others than they do for themselves," Cooper said.

mctest

There was once a young bear who lived in a small cave in the woods. His cave was comfy, warm, and dark, and had a bit of a yard in front of it. The bear lived with his mother and father, and spent his days walking around and his nights curled up asleep. He liked to look for berries to eat. His favorite berries were blueberries, but he would eat any berries he found: strawberries, raspberries, cherries, anything. There was a river near the bear's cave, and he loved to sit on the bank and look at the fish and frogs, and at his own reflection in the water. One sunny afternoon, when he was looking into the river, he saw a family of ducks swimming by. He got up and followed them. They swam along in the river, and he walked along the bank. They traveled like this until they reached a small clearing in the forest. The bear stopped and looked around, and saw that the clearing was completely filled with blueberries -- more than he had ever seen! The young bear ate his fill of blueberries, then took home as many as he could carry in his paws. He went to bed happy. It was a wonderful day.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXV THE TRAIL OF THE TOURING CAR All started in astonishment at the footprints before them. What Tom had said was true--the prints were altogether too large to have been made by their own feet in walking through the woods. "How could I have made such a mistake!" murmured Dick. "I wonder where you got mixed up?" said Sam. "I looked at the prints down by the swamp. They seemed to be O. K. there." "Then that is where I must have gotten mixed up--maybe after we pulled Tom from the mud." "We'll have to go back," came from Tom. "Too bad! But it can't be helped. I don't blame you, Dick," he added, hastily. "Neither do I," put in Sam. "Anybody might make such a mistake, with nothing but that smoky lantern to guide him." They turned back, and after a while reached the edge of the swamp. Here, after a long search, they found their own footprints. "Now we are all right!" cried Sam. "Come on!" "Yes, and let us be careful that we don't make another mistake," added Tom. "I don't know about this," said Dick, hesitatingly. "Somehow, it doesn't look altogether right to me." "Why not?" queried his two brothers. "It doesn't seem to be the right direction. But they are our footprints, so we may as well follow them." They went on and proceeded for several hundred feet in silence. Then Tom uttered a cry of dismay. "Well, this beats the Dutch!" he gasped. "What's wrong now?" asked Dick.

race

It's Sunday. Children don't go to school on Sundays. But Kate gets up early in the morning. "It's my birthday. I'm eight years old today." she thinks, "Where are Dad and Mum? I want to know what they can give me for my birthday." Her father and mother are not at home. They are going shopping. And now they are talking about what to buy for Kate. ---- Dad: How about the doll? It looks nice. I think Kate would like the doll. ---- Mom: I don't think so. She is not a little girl. I think she likes a new dress. Girls often like new dresses very much. ---Dad: But she has a few new dresses and some new blouses. Oh, I think she must be very happy to have a box of colorful pencils and some picture books. Do you think so? ----- Mom: Yes. Let's go over there and buy them.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXII. CAUGHT. "We're early," said Beth, as they came to the edge of the woods and sighted the farm house; "but that is better than being late." Then she stopped suddenly with a low cry and pointed to the right wing, which directly faced them. Bob West turned the corner of the house, tried the door of Uncle John's room, and then walked to one of the French windows. The sash was not fastened, so he deliberately opened it and stepped inside. "What shall we do?" gasped Patsy, clasping her hands excitedly. Beth was always cool in an emergency. "You creep up to the window, dear, and wait till you hear me open the inside door," said she. "I'll run through the house and enter from the living-room. The key is under the mat, you know." "But what can we do? Oughtn't we to wait until Uncle John and father come?" Patsy asked, in a trembling voice. "Of course not. West might rob the cupboard and be gone by that time. We've got to act promptly, Patsy; so don't be afraid." Without further words Beth ran around the back of the house and disappeared, while Patsy, trying to control the beating of her heart, stole softly over the lawn to the open window of Uncle John's room. She could not help looking in, at the risk of discovery. Bob West--tall, lean and composed as ever--was standing beside the cupboard, the doors of which were wide open. The outer doors were of wood, panelled and carved; the inner ones were plates of heavy steel, and in the lock that secured these latter doors were the keys that had so long been missing. Both were attached to a slender silver chain.

wikipedia

Uttar Pradesh (), abbreviated as UP, is the most populous state in the Republic of India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. The densely populated state, located in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent, has over 200 million inhabitants. It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces during British rule, and was renamed "Uttar Pradesh" in 1950. Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. The main ethnic group is the Hindi people, forming the demographic plurality. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved out from the Himalayan hill region of Uttar Pradesh. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the west, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to the northwest, Uttarakhand and Nepal to the north, Bihar to the east, Madhya Pradesh to the south, and touches the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to the southeast. It covers , equal to 7.33% of the total area of India, and is the fourth largest Indian state by area. Hindi is the official and most widely spoken language in its 75 districts along with English. It is the second largest Indian state by economy, with a GDP of . Agriculture and service industries are the largest parts of the state's economy. The service sector comprises travel and tourism, hotel industry, real estate, insurance and financial consultancies.

wikipedia

The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. The use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated from 5000 BC have been excavated in Mexico and the Indus Valley Civilization in Ancient India (modern-day Pakistan and some parts of India). Although cultivated since antiquity, it was the invention of the cotton gin that lowered the cost of production that led to its widespread use, and it is the most widely used natural fiber cloth in clothing today. The earliest evidence of cotton use in South Asia has been found at the site of Mehrgarh, Pakistan, where cotton threads have been found preserved in copper beads; these finds have been dated to Neolithic (between 6000 and 5000 BCE). Cotton cultivation in the region is dated to the Indus Valley Civilization, which covered parts of modern eastern Pakistan and northwestern India between 3300 and 1300 BCE The Indus cotton industry was well-developed and some methods used in cotton spinning and fabrication continued to be used until the industrialization of India. Between 2000 and 1000 BC cotton became widespread across much of India. For example, it has been found at the site of Hallus in Karnataka dating from around 1000 BC.

mctest

Joey got a German Shepherd for his birthday present. He had never had any pets before, but was always excited to see the other dogs and cats in his neighborhood. Since his birthday was in June, he spent a lot of time playing outside with his new puppy, which he named Max. Max and Joey would often run through fields in a game of chase. They also liked to go through the small forest behind the house, making a game of hide and seek. They never went near the lake because Joey was afraid of water. One day, Max hid a little too well and Joey couldn't find him. Joey spent the afternoon looking for his German Shepherd where they often played, like the field and forest. Joey was a shy boy who often read by himself, and Max was his best friend. After dinner, he went to look for Max one last time before he had to take a bath and go to bed. He heard some barking on the next street, so he ran to see if it was his puppy. Sure enough, he saw Max playing with a poodle. The dogs were having so much fun. Joey brought Max home, happy that he had his puppy back. Max seemed to be happy to have his human by his side as well as a new doggy friend. All summer long, Joey took Max to the poodle's house so they could play without having to worry about losing his present.

wikipedia

The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885. The updated Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) was published on 23 September 2004 in 60 volumes and online, with 50,113 biographical articles covering 54,922 lives. Seeking to emulate national biographical collections published elsewhere in Europe, such as the "Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie" (1875), in 1882 the publisher George Smith (1824–1901), of Smith, Elder & Co., planned a universal dictionary that would include biographical entries on individuals from world history. He approached Leslie Stephen, then editor of the "Cornhill Magazine", owned by Smith, to become editor. Stephen persuaded Smith that the work should focus on subjects from the UK and its present and former colonies only. An early working title was the "Biographia Britannica", the name of an earlier eighteenth-century reference work. The first volume of the "Dictionary of National Biography" appeared on 1 January 1885. In May 1891 Leslie Stephen resigned and Sidney Lee, Stephen's assistant editor from the beginning of the project, succeeded him as editor. A dedicated team of sub-editors and researchers worked under Stephen and Lee, combining a variety of talents from veteran journalists to young scholars who cut their academic teeth on dictionary articles at a time when postgraduate historical research in British universities was still in its infancy. While much of the dictionary was written in-house, the "DNB" also relied on external contributors, who included several respected writers and scholars of the late nineteenth century. By 1900, more than 700 individuals had contributed to the work. Successive volumes appeared quarterly with complete punctuality until midsummer 1900, when the series closed with volume 63. The year of publication, the editor and the range of names in each volume is given below.

wikipedia

The Bank of England, formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in operation today, after the Sveriges Riksbank. The Bank of England is the world's 8th oldest bank. It was established to act as the English Government's banker and is still one of the bankers for the Government of the United Kingdom. The Bank was privately owned by stockholders from its foundation in 1694 until it was nationalised in 1946. In 1998, it became an independent public organisation, wholly owned by the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of the government, with independence in setting monetary policy. The Bank is one of eight banks authorised to issue banknotes in the United Kingdom, but it has a monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales and regulates the issue of banknotes by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee has a devolved responsibility for managing monetary policy. The Treasury has reserve powers to give orders to the committee "if they are required in the public interest and by extreme economic circumstances", but such orders must be endorsed by Parliament within 28 days. The Bank's Financial Policy Committee held its first meeting in June 2011 as a macro prudential regulator to oversee regulation of the UK's financial sector.

wikipedia

700 (seven hundred) is the natural number following 699 and preceding 701. It is the sum of four consecutive primes (167 + 173 + 179 + 181). It is a Harshad number. 700 is also: 700 — see above 701 prime number, sum of three consecutive primes (229 + 233 + 239), Chen prime, Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part 702 = 2 × 3 × 13, pronic number, nontotient, Harshad number 703 = 19 × 37, triangular number, hexagonal number, smallest number requiring 73 fifth powers for Waring representation, Kaprekar number, area code for Northern Virginia along with 571, a number commonly found in the formula for body mass index 704 = 2 × 11, Harshad number, area code for the Charlotte, NC area. 705 = 3 × 5 × 47, sphenic number, smallest Lucas pseudoprime 706 = 2 × 353, nontotient, Smith number 707 = 7 × 101, sum of five consecutive primes (131 + 137 + 139 + 149 + 151), palindromic number 708 = 2 × 3 × 59 709 is a prime number. It is also a happy number. 710 = 2 × 5 × 71, sphenic number, nontotient 711 = 3 × 79, Harshad number. Also the phone number of Telecommunications Relay Service, commonly used by the deaf and hard-of-hearing. 712 = 2 × 89, sum of the first twenty-one primes, totient sum for first 48 integers. It is the largest known number such that it and its 8th power (66,045,000,696,445,844,586,496) have no common digits. 713 = 23 × 31, main area code for Houston, TX.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XXXV. Were uneasiness of conscience measured by extent of crime, human history had been different, and one should look to see the contrivers of greedy wars and the mighty marauders of the money-market in one troop of self-lacerating penitents with the meaner robber and cut-purse and the murderer that doth his butchery in small with his own hand. No doubt wickedness hath its rewards to distribute; but who so wins in this devil's game must needs be baser, more cruel, more brutal than the order of this planet will allow for the multitude born of woman, the most of these carrying a form of conscience--a fear which is the shadow of justice, a pity which is the shadow of love--that hindereth from the prize of serene wickedness, itself difficult of maintenance in our composite flesh. On the twenty-ninth of December Deronda knew that the Grandcourts had arrived at the Abbey, but he had had no glimpse of them before he went to dress for dinner. There had been a splendid fall of snow, allowing the party of children the rare pleasures of snow-balling and snow-building, and in the Christmas holidays the Mallinger girls were content with no amusement unless it were joined in and managed by "cousin," as they had always called Deronda. After that outdoor exertion he had been playing billiards, and thus the hours had passed without his dwelling at all on the prospect of meeting Gwendolen at dinner. Nevertheless that prospect was interesting to him; and when, a little tired and heated with working at amusement, he went to his room before the half-hour bell had rung, he began to think of it with some speculation on the sort of influence her marriage with Grandcourt would have on her, and on the probability that there would be some discernible shades of change in her manner since he saw her at Diplow, just as there had been since his first vision of her at Leubronn.

wikipedia

The University of Washington (commonly referred to as UW, simply Washington, or informally "U-Dub") is a large, public flagship research university in Seattle, Washington, established in 1861. Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. It has three campuses, with the oldest and largest being located in the University District of Seattle and two others in Tacoma and Bothell. The university is among the most reputable and most competitive within the United States. Overall, Washington encompasses 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including over 26 university libraries, the UW Tower office building, art centers, museums, lecture halls, laboratories and conference centers. Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities and is consistently ranked among the top 15 universities in the world by a variety of international publications. The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, organized into various colleges and schools. Its alumni, faculty and students include Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Fulbright Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars, as well as members of distinguished institutions. Washington is home to the best medical school in the U.S., as well as some of the nation's top schools in business, computer science, engineering, law, pharmacy and statistics. In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). Its athletic teams are called the Huskies.

gutenberg

CHAPTER XVI: IN NERO'S PALACE Upon leaving Phaon, Beric was conducted to the room where he had left Scopus. The latter at once joined him, and without asking any questions left the palace with him. "I would ask nothing until you were outside," Scopus said. "They were wondering there at the long audience you have had with Nero. Judging by the gravity of your face, things have not gone well with you." "They have gone well in one sense," Beric said, "though I would vastly rather that they had gone otherwise. I feel very much more fear now than when I stood awaiting the attack of the lion." And he then related to Scopus the conversation he had had with Nero. The lanista inclined himself humbly to the ground. "You are a great man now, Beric, though, as you say, the place is not without its dangers. I guessed when Caesar sent for you that he purposed to use your strength and courage in his service. Your face is one that invites trust, and Nero was wise enough to see that if he were to trust you he must trust you altogether. He has acted wisely. He deemed that, having no friends and connections in Rome, he could rely upon you as he could rely upon no one who is a native here. You will be a great man, for a time at any rate." "I would rather have remained at your ludus, Scopus. I shall feel like a little dog I saw the other day in a cage of one of the lions. The beast seemed fond of it, but the little creature knew well that at any moment the lion might stretch out its paw and crush it."

cnn

(CNN) -- Music manager Allen Klein, whose clients included the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease, his publicist said. Klein was 77. The son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, Klein founded his firm Allen Klein & Co. in the late 1950s before the label evolved into ABKCO Music & Records in New York. The independent label holds the copyrights to music by the Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, the Animals, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Womack and hundreds of others. Klein represented dozens of artists, including Sam Cooke, the Animals, Bobby Darin and Herman's Hermits. He changed the music industry when he represented Sam Cooke in negotiations with RCA, winning the artist control of his own master recordings. Known for a tenacious and often blunt style in negotiations, Klein's greatest coups were inking contracts with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, though both relationships ended in legal battles. ABKCO built up a catalog of copyrights to more than 2,000 songs, including much of the Stones' 1960s catalog. Klein retained ownership of those titles even after splitting with the Stones. In 1969, John Lennon persuaded the other Beatles that Klein should take over the group's business affairs, but Paul McCartney resisted the move and some music historians say the appointment hastened the Beatles' split. Lennon later fell out with Klein, who was thought to be the target of the former Beatle's 1974 song "Steel and Glass." Defending his tough style, Klein told Playboy magazine in 1971: "The music business is about 99 percent no-talent losers who can't stand a winner in their midst."

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Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29,1958 in Gary, Indiana. Being the seventh child in his family, Michael was often physically abused by his father, beaten up and also orally abused. But Michael also owed his success to his father's strict discipline. Michael was always an entertainer. Even when he just started school, he would perform in front of his friends and classmates. He started his professional music career at the age of 11, as a member of The Jackson Five. He is well-known for increasing the popularity of MTV through his music videos. Before this, music videos were made just to promote the album. But Michael's videos managed to change that by making them an art and a big business. Some of the music videos that are good examples of this are Beat It, Billie Jean, and thriller. Through these works the world got caught onto the idea of music videos and focused on music video channels. Michael _ his fans and audience with his style of singing, dressing, and his complex dance moves, especially the moonwalks all around the world to show their love for him. Through his work and various foundations , Michael raised and donated millions to charity, which is much more than any showman. He supported 39 charities in all. Apart from that, he had a great love for children, especially the poor ones, and he felt that children were the best thing than God. Michael planned to start a 50-concert tour in July 2009. Sadly on June 25th, 2009, Michael passed away at home. Besides a great performer, showman and entertainer, he was a good and charitable person. Nobody can be another graeter entertainer like Michael Jackson ever again.

gutenberg

CHAPTER III WHAT HAPPENED TO SONGBIRD It was fully half an hour later before Sam Rover could break away from his college chums and run up to room Number 25, which he had formerly occupied with his brother Tom and which he now shared with Songbird Powell. Nearly a week before, the youngest Rover had made a date with Grace Laning, inviting her, if the snow remained on the ground, to a sleighride that afternoon and evening. At that time Sam had forgotten completely that this day was the date set for the annual snowballing contest. "I think I'll go anyway," he had remarked to Songbird, the day before. But then had come word to his roommate that Mr. Sanderson wanted him on a matter of importance, and Stanley, as the leader of the seniors, had insisted upon it that he could not spare both of his chums. "All right, then," Sam had answered finally; "you can go, Songbird, and do what Mr. Sanderson wants you to, and I'll put off my sleighride with Grace until after the contest;" and so it had been settled. There were no public turnouts at the college, but Sam had arranged with Abner Filbury, who worked around the place with his father, to obtain for him a first-class horse and cutter from the Ashton livery stable. "That horse is some goer, believe me!" remarked Abner, when he came to the door of Sam's room, to tell him that the turnout was in readiness. "You'll have to keep your eye on him, Mr. Rover."

wikipedia

The New York Post is an American daily newspaper that is primarily distributed in New York City and its surrounding area. It is the 13th-oldest newspaper in the United States, and it had the sixth-highest circulation in 2009. Established in 1801 by federalist and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, it became a respected broadsheet in the 19th century, under the name New York Evening Post. The modern version of the paper is published in tabloid format. In 1976, Rupert Murdoch bought the "Post" for US$30.5 million. Since 1993, "Post" has been owned by News Corporation and its successor, News Corp, which had owned it previously from 1976 to 1988. Its editorial offices are located at 1211 Avenue of the Americas. "New York Post", established on November 16, 1801, as "New-York Evening Post", describes itself as the nation's oldest continuously published "daily" newspaper. "The Providence Journal", which began daily publication on July 21, 1829, also bills itself as the nation's oldest continuously published daily newspaper because "New York Post" halted publication during strikes in 1958 and 1978. "The Hartford Courant", believed to be the oldest continuously published newspaper, was founded in 1764 as a semi-weekly paper; it did not publish daily until 1836. "The New Hampshire Gazette", which has trademarked its claim of being "The Nation's Oldest Newspaper", was founded in 1756 as a weekly. Since the 1890s it has been published only on weekends.

wikipedia

Theravāda (Pali, literally "school of the elder monks") is a branch of Buddhism that uses the Buddha's teaching preserved in the Pāli Canon as its doctrinal core. The Pali canon is the only complete Buddhist canon which survives in a classical Indic Language, Pali, which serves as the sacred language and lingua franca of Theravada Buddhism. Another feature of Theravada is that it tends to be very conservative about matters of doctrine and monastic discipline. As a distinct sect, Theravada Buddhism developed in Sri Lanka and spread to the rest of Southeast Asia. Theravada also includes a rich diversity of traditions and practices that have developed over its long history of interactions with varying cultures and religious communities. It is the dominant form of religion in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and is practiced by minority groups in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Vietnam. In addition, the diaspora of all of these groups as well as converts around the world practice Theravāda Buddhism. Contemporary expressions include Buddhist modernism, the Vipassana movement and the Thai Forest Tradition. Theravāda Buddhism is followed by countries and people around the globe, and is: Today, Theravāda Buddhists, otherwise known as Theravadins, number over 150 million worldwide, and during the past few decades Theravāda Buddhism has begun to take root in the West and in the Buddhist revival in India.

cnn

SHANGHAI, China (CNN) -- If it weren't for the Internet, Murong Xuecun might still be working as a sales manager at a car company in the southern Chinese city of Chengdu. That is what he was doing when he started writing his first novel on his office's online bulletin board system back in 2001. The Internet is increasingly being seen in China as a tool for literary empowerment, analysts say. Week by week when he got home from work, Murong would post new pieces to a story that painted a bleak yet honest picture of modern urban life in the city where he lived. It contained tales about sex, love, gambling and drugs and became so popular that it soon appeared on numerous other online forums. Today the 35-year-old is considered one of the most famous authors to have emerged in contemporary China. His debut work, "Leave Me Alone: A novel of Chengdu," has been read by millions of Chinese "netizens" -- steady Internet users -- and adapted for film and television and translated into German, French and English. He also is viewed as a pioneer of what has become nothing short of a literary renaissance online in the country, particularly among young Chinese writers. This is a constituency that has struggled to find a platform for their work in a publishing industry that is viewed as conservative as it often faces state censorship. Instead of remaining silent, a new generation of authors has found its voice on the Web. "It is a very big revolution," said Yang Hengjun, a political espionage novelist who published his first work online. "When you write something on the Internet that you can't do in reality and you cause a change, that is revolutionary."

cnn

A Texas teen who's been jailed more than four months for a Facebook comment he made during a video-game argument is finally getting a day in court that could let him go home. Justin Carter, who was 18 when he was arrested, will appear in Comal County (Texas) District Court on Tuesday, July 16, for a bond hearing, according to his lawyer, Don Flanary. Flanary told CNN he will argue to have Carter's $500,000 bond, which his family cannot afford to cover, reduced. Flanary, who is working the case for free, met with Carter for the first time on Tuesday. He said Carter is not doing well, and his family says he has been placed on suicide watch. "Justin is in bad shape and has suffered quite a bit of abuse while in jail," Flanary said in an e-mail. "We will likely bring out these issues at the bond hearing." He did not elaborate on the type of abuse claimed by Carter, who is now 19. In February, Carter and a friend were arguing on Facebook with someone else over the online video game "League of Legends." His father told CNN that the other gamer called Justin crazy and his son responded with sarcasm. According to court documents, Justin wrote, "I'm f***ed in the head alright. I think I'ma (sic) shoot up a kindergarten and watch the blood of the innocent rain down and eat the beating heart of one of them." Jack Carter said his son followed the claim with "LOL" and "J/K" -- indicating that the comment wasn't serious.

gutenberg

CHAPTER II AT THE CAFÉ MONTMARTRE Exactly a week later, at five minutes after midnight, Guy Poynton, in evening dress, entered the Café Montmartre, in Paris. He made his way through the heterogeneous little crowd of men and women who were drinking at the bar, past the scarlet-coated orchestra, into the inner room, where the tables were laid for supper. Monsieur Albert, satisfied with the appearance of his new client, led him at once to a small table, submitted the wine card, and summoned a waiter. With some difficulty, as his French was very little better than his German, he ordered supper, and then lighting a cigarette, leaned back against the wall and looked around to see if he could discover any English or Americans. The room was only moderately full, for the hour was a little early for this quarter of Paris. Nevertheless, he was quick to appreciate a certain spirit of Bohemianism which pleased him. Every one talked to his neighbor. An American from the further end of the room raised his glass and drank his health. A pretty fair-haired girl leaned over from her table and smiled at him. "Monsieur like talk with me, eh?" "English?" he asked. "No. De Wien!" He shook his head smilingly. "We shouldn't get on," he declared. "Can't speak the language." She raised her eyebrows with a protesting gesture, but he looked away and opened an illustrated paper by his side. He turned over the pages idly enough at first, but suddenly paused. He whistled softly to himself and stared at the two photographs which filled the sheet.

race

The piano on which Mozart wrote all of his late works returned home to Vienna for the first time since his death in 1791.The piano will stand in his former Vienna home, now a museum, for two weeks, ending in a concert of the works by Mozart. Mozart bought the instrument from Anton Walter, the most famous piano maker of his time, in 1782.He wrote more than 50 works for the piano on it, many of them in the apartment in Vienna.After Mozart's death, Constanze, Mozart's wife, gave the instrument to their elder surviving son, Carl Thomas, who donated it to the Mozarteum Salzburg on what would have been the composer's 100th birthday.The piano is now part of the permanent exhibition in the Austrian city of Salzburg. " It was very hard to let it go," said Matthias Schulz, director of the Mozarteum Salzburg." If we didn' t know it was in the best hands, we wouldn' t have done it." The piano is much smaller and lighter than modern concert ones.Its sound is fresher and brighter than that of a modern piano, with lighter action and hammers . Piano restorer Josef Meingast, who has looked after the Mozart piano since 1975, said it was superior to any of its surviving copies.Meingast said he had to fight to replace the existing strings , dating from a 1973 restoration, with softer ones that produce a rounder sound thought to be more similar to what Mozart would have produced. Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov, who planned to give a concert of Mozart' s music on the piano on November 7, said he was privileged to play such an instrument.It's easily the biggest day of a musician' s life."

gutenberg

CHAPTER 10. THE OTHER PROFESSOR. "We were looking for you!" cried Sylvie, in a tone of great relief. "We do want you so much, you ca'n't think!" "What is it, dear children?" the Professor asked, beaming on them with a very different look from what Uggug ever got from him. "We want you to speak to the Gardener for us," Sylvie said, as she and Bruno took the old man's hands and led him into the hall. "He's ever so unkind!" Bruno mournfully added. "They's all unkind to us, now that Father's gone. The Lion were much nicer!" "But you must explain to me, please," the Professor said with an anxious look, "which is the Lion, and which is the Gardener. It's most important not to get two such animals confused together. And one's very liable to do it in their case--both having mouths, you know--" "Doos oo always confuses two animals together?" Bruno asked. "Pretty often, I'm afraid," the Professor candidly confessed. "Now, for instance, there's the rabbit-hutch and the hall-clock." The Professor pointed them out. "One gets a little confused with them--both having doors, you know. Now, only yesterday--would you believe it?--I put some lettuces into the clock, and tried to wind up the rabbit!" "Did the rabbit go, after oo wounded it up?" said Bruno. The Professor clasped his hands on the top of his head, and groaned. "Go? I should think it did go! Why, it's gone? And where ever it's gone to--that's what I ca'n't find out! I've done my best--I've read all the article 'Rabbit' in the great dictionary--Come in!"

cnn

(CNN)Things have been messy between singer Chris Brown and his now ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, and it looks to be about to get messier. Oprah Winfrey's network, OWN, posted a teaser Tuesday for Tran's interview with Iyanla Vanzant. The inspirational speaker and host of "Iyanla: Fix My Life" fires off at Tran: "He betrayed you. He lied to you. He did it all publicly," before asking, "How did you find out that he had a baby by another woman?" Brown has been the subject of rumors that he fathered a daughter with another woman while in a relationship with Tran. He has neither confirmed nor denied the stories, but the story heated up when Tran tweeted on March 4, "Listen. One can only take so much. The best of luck to Chris and his family. No baby drama for me." The tweet was later deleted. Brown and Tran have had an on-again, off-again relationship for years. In 2012, Brown posted a video on Twitter questioning whether it was possible to be in love with two people. At the time, the singer had broken up with Tran after once again growing close to singer Rihanna, whom he assaulted while they were dating in 2009. "I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna," Brown said in the video. "I'd rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives." Brown and Rihanna eventually reunited but then broke up again, and he and Tran, who bills herself as a model and entrepreneur, resumed seeing each other.

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A mum saved her daughter's life with her newly learned first aid skills. Sonya Hall, 33, of Denny Avenue, Lancaster, had only just attended one first aid class the day before when she found herself needing to use the skills on her three years old daughter Tilly. Sonya, who also has son Emmen, six, attended the first aid course at Lune Park Children's Centre in Lancaster. Then she was faced with every parent's worst nightmare when Tilly went blue in the face and stopped breathing. But thanks to her newly acquired skills, Sonya saved Tilly's life. Sonya said: "Tilly was playing with her brother and they were fighting over a toy. Emmen won the fight. Tilly fell backwards and her head was hit. She was face down and shaking and at first I thought she was upset. But then I saw she was blue in the face and had stopped breathing. I reacted without thinking and immediately started using the first aid skills I had learned the day before which were so fresh in my mind. I began doing mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions . It probably took about a minute before Tilly started breathing again, but to me it felt like a lifetime." After getting Tilly breathing again, Sonya called an ambulance and the doctors came. Since then, Tilly has been diagnosed with Reflex Anoxic Seizure . Sonya said: "The seizure can happen when there's any unexpected pain, fear or fright. It is just so lucky that the day before it happened, I had been practising first aid." The Empowering Parents First Aid course is run by Lancashire Adult Learning. Sonya said: "I am just so glad I did the course and learnt the first aid skills. I always feared I would not know what to do in a crisis situation, but luckily I had the knowledge and skills to deal with it."

cnn

Xu Caihou, a retired PLA general and former vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was taken from his sick bed at 301 Military Hospital in Beijing on Saturday by dozens of armed policemen, the South China Morning Post reported, quoting unidentified sources. Xu was detained the same day President Xi Jinping chaired a steering group tasked with reforming the military, the Post said. If confirmed, Xu would become the highest-ranking military officer to be detained on suspicion of corruption. Xu's critics claim that during his tenure, the buying and selling of military ranks was widespread in the defense establishment. "I was told by an ex-PLA man I met on the train travelling to Guangzhou that he quit the military because so many people were buying positions and he did not want to play that game," said David Zweig, professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "Telling me, a foreign professor, such dirt suggests that it is widespread and the anger that exists about this is also widespread." Bribery scandal Xu's detention may be connected with the corruption probe of Gu Junshan, the army's former deputy logistics chief and one of Xu's closest subordinates. Gu, who was in charge of the military's massive procurement and property portfolio, reportedly received bribes in cash and gifts. He has been under investigation since early 2012. Xu, 71, was promoted to the CMC in 1999 and became its vice-chairman in 2004. He retired in March last year. He has not been seen in public for several months until January 20, when the Chinese media showed him with President Xi greeting a group of retired military officials on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

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Molly Daniels opened the door so hard that the door nearly broke it. Then she looked through the window at her neighbor across the yard. " She is in my garden again. Those are my strawberries, not hers. Maybe I should call the police." Her friend, Doris, was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands. "You want to call the police because she picks your strawberries?" she asked. "Of course," Molly answered angrily. "What would you do if your neighbor walked into your yard without your _ and picked your strawberries?" "I would say, better here the bees." "The bees don't take my strawberries." "But the birds do," Doris continued. "That old lady only picks a few strawberries every year, and the only ones she picks are those you leave to the birds. Why don't you pick some of your good strawberries and give them to her?" "Are you crazy? What are you thinking?' "Don't you remember what happened when you were in hospital last year? She went to see you and gave you a pot full of chicken soup. When you give her the strawberries you can tell her that you still remember that." Molly was shocked. She had almost forgotten that little kindness because she was too angry. Then she picked a basket of good strawberries and went out. Through the window, Doris could see that the anger on Molly's face changed into a bright smile.

gutenberg

CHAPTER III. A SERIOUS CHARGE. "What do you want?" asked Hardwick abruptly. "Is Mr. Sumner in?" returned Hal. "No." "Then I'll wait till he comes." Hardwick stared at Hal. "Won't I do?" he asked sharply. "I'm afraid not, sir." "What do you want to see him about?" "He asked me to call," replied the youth. He was not particularly pleased with Hardwick's manner. "I am the book-keeper here, and I generally transact business during Mr. Sumner's absence." "Mr. Sumner asked me to meet him here at ten o'clock." "Oh! You know him, then?" "Not very well." "I thought not." Hardwick glanced at Hal's shabby clothes. "Well, you had better wait outside until he comes. We don't allow loungers about the office." "I will," said Hal, and he turned to leave. It was bitter cold outside, but he would have preferred being on the sidewalk than being in the way, especially when such a man as Felix Hardwick was around. But, as he turned to leave, a coach drove up to the door, and Mr. Sumner alighted. His face lit up with a smile when he caught sight of Hal. "Well, my young friend, I see you are on time," he said, catching Hal by the shoulder, and turning him back into the office. "Yes, sir." "That's right." Mr. Sumner turned to Hardwick. "Where is Dick?" he asked. "I don't know, sir," returned the book-keeper. "Hasn't he been here this morning?" "I think not." "The sidewalk ought to be cleaned. That boy evidently doesn't want work."

cnn

(Mental Floss) -- It's hard to walk down the aisle of a liquor store without running across a bottle bearing someone's name. A costumed reveler at a Captain Morgan party celebrates the rum named after the 17th century privateer. We put them in our cocktails, but how well do we know them? Here's some biographical detail on the men behind your favorite tipples: 1. Captain Morgan The Captain wasn't always just the choice of sorority girls looking to blend spiced rum with Diet Coke; in the 17th century he was a feared privateer. Not only did the Welsh pirate marry his own cousin, he ran risky missions for the governor of Jamaica, including capturing some Spanish prisoners in Cuba and sacking Port-au-Prince in Haiti. He then plundered the Cuban coast before holding for ransom the entire city of Portobelo, Panama. He later looted and burned Panama City, but his pillaging career came to an end when Spain and England signed a peace treaty in 1671. Instead of getting in trouble for his high-seas antics, Morgan received knighthood and became the lieutenant governor of Jamaica. Mental Floss: 5 drinking stories that put yours to shame 2. Johnnie Walker Walker, the name behind the world's most popular brand of Scotch whisky, was born in 1805 in Ayrshire, Scotland. When his father died in 1819, Johnnie inherited a trust of a little over 400 pounds, which the trustees invested in a grocery store. Walker became a very successful grocer in the town of Kilmarnock and even sold a whisky, Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky.

mctest

Mary loved walking through the woods with her dog, Max. Max and Mary would go on all sorts of adventures together. They really loved looking for blueberries together and then falling asleep next to each other in the tall grass. One day, as Mary was picking the blueberries, she turned around to find that Max was not there. She became worried and ran off to look for her dog. She looked in all of their favorite spots...next to the stream, in their secret hiding place behind the raspberry bushes, and even inside the old cabin that sat in the woods. But poor Max was nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, Mary would not give up. She kept looking and she found him not very far away. He had seen a squirrel and run to chase it. When Mary called Max's name he left the squirrel and happily returned to Mary, wagging his tail as he went.

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(CNN) -- Rebel leaders said early Monday that they had captured three of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's sons -- Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mohammed -- during their siege of Tripoli. "As for the other four sons, we think they are either hiding or they have run away," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Britain-based coordinator for Libya's Transitional National Council. The latest arrest was that of Mohammad Gadhafi, whom the rebels claimed was being confined to his house. "I'm being attacked right now. This is gunfire inside my house. They are inside my house," a man who identified himself as Mohammed Gadhafi told Al Jazeera in a phone call. A barrage of gunfire was then heard and the phone cut off. Later, the head of the Transitional National Council told the station that Mohammed Gadhafi was not harmed. Earlier, rebel leaders said they captured Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, a top official in his father's regime. Another of Gadhafi's sons, Saadi Gadhafi, was also in custody, the rebels announced. The International Criminal Court says it plans to negotiate the transfer of Saif Gadhafi who -- along with his father -- is wanted for crimes against humanity in connection with their attempts to put down the emerging revolt against Gadhafi's four-decade rule in February. The court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, issued a similar warrant for Abdullah al-Sanussi, the elder Gadhafi's brother-in-law and Libya's intelligence chief. The third son detained is Saadi Gadhafi, a businessman and onetime professional soccer player. He helped set up an April CNN interview with a woman who claimed she'd been raped by government troops. He later told CNN that those behind the attack should be prosecuted.

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Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was a British who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to have been appointed. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies that have come to be known as Thatcherism. A research chemist before becoming a barrister, Thatcher was elected Member of Parliament for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her Secretary of State for Education and Science in his Conservative government. In 1975, Thatcher defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election to become Leader of the Opposition and became the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She became Prime Minister after winning the 1979 general election. On moving into , Thatcher introduced a series of political and economic initiatives intended to reverse high unemployment and Britain's struggles in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an ongoing recession. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector), flexible labour markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Thatcher's popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and increasing unemployment, until victory in the 1982 Falklands War and the recovering economy brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her decisive re-election in 1983. She survived an assassination attempt in 1984.

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Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat. It was walking across the srteet in front of him.Ben stopped, turned around, and walked down a different srteet to go home. Why did he do that? "It's unlucky when a black cat crossed the street in front of you," says Ben, "I did not want to walk down that street!" Many people think that some things bring bad luck or good luck. For example, some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. They never invite 13 people to a party. "I never walk under a ladder ," says Ben. "And I never open an umbrella inside the house. They both bring bad luck." And what brings good luck? "We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck," says Ben."And when I find a peney on the ground, I always pick it up. That brings me good luck all day!"

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COVER STORY--Pax's New Life By Michelle Tauber and Mary Green The actress and 3-year-old Pax Thien Jolie, whom she adopted last weekfrom an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, left Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport in a private jet on Wednesday, bound for home--and, for Pax, a new life - in the U.S. Jolie, 31, understands the challenges her new son will face as the latest addition to the world's most famous multicultural family. "You can imagine what courage it takes to be in all new surroundings, with new people and a new language," she tells PEOPLE in its new issue. "He is very strong." But she is committed to making his transition as smooth as possible. "It will take him a while to realize he has a family," she says, "and that his new life is permanent and that it won't keep changing." The boy with the sweetly shy smile and the big brown eyes joins big brother Maddox, 5(adopted from Cambodia), sister Zahara, 2 (adopted from Ethiopia) and 10-month-old Shiloh, the daughter born to Jolie and Brad Pitt, 43, in May. As for Dad, because Vietnamese regulations don't allow unmarried couples to co-adopt, Jolie adopted Pax as a single parent while Pitt remained inprefix = st1 /Los Angeles, where he is filmingThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button. "He has specific days on the movie that couldn't be changed or production would run over," says his rep. But Jolie still made sure to bring a welcoming committee: Joined by Maddox and Zahara - Shiloh has been on theButtonset every day with her father--the new mom used her first few days with Pax to begin gently bonding with him and to ask her other kids to do the same. "We are slowly beginning to build his trust and bond," Jolie says, "but it will feel complete only when we are all together." For exclusive photos - plus details on Angelina and Pax's first moments together, what Pax's life was like at the orphanage and more - pick up this week'sPEOPLE,on newsstands Friday.

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(CNN) -- Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel started his 2011 Formula One defense in emphatic style on Sunday, leading the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from start to finish. McLaren's 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton did well to finish second after damaging his car on the first corner while Lotus Renault's Russian driver Vitaly Petrov achieved his first podium finish. The 23-year-old German notched up his 11th win in his 63rd Formula 1 race. Fernando Alonso finished fourth for Ferrari, with Mark Webber in his Red Bull in fifth place. Jenson Button came sixth in his McLaren. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said after the race his team did not use its KERS power-boost system because of technical issues, underlining the scale of Vettel's victory. Following his triumph, Vettel said: "It was a good race. In the end things calmed down, Lewis didn't push, but it was not an easy race. "The start was crucial, I was on the clean side, but didn't know if it was enough until we got through the first corner. "With Lewis dropping off later in the race, there was no pressure, so I was able to control it." Assessing the season ahead, Vettel added: "It's a long season, so we have to keep on doing what we are doing now, enjoying, but working hard." Hamilton was satisfied with his runner-up spot, saying: "We can take this and be very proud of ourselves. A week or two ago we weren't expecting to be in the top five, so to come to second is a great achievement."

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(CNN) -- Sidney Frank made millions marketing Jagermeister and other alcohol brands. Three years after his death, he's a big hit with students at the Ivy League college he briefly attended. Sidney Frank, shown accepting an honorary degree in 2005, gave $100 million to Brown University. He's a big hit not because of what he sold but because he's given dozens of them what he couldn't afford as a young man: an education at Rhode Island's Brown University. On Sunday, 49 students from low-income families became the first four-year Sidney E. Frank Scholars to graduate from Brown, owing virtually nothing except gratitude to the late liquor magnate. "The world of difference that he made for each and every one of us is unbelievable, incredible," one of the Frank Scholars, 22-year-old Shane Reil, said Sunday. Frank -- who left Brown after one year in the late 1930s because he couldn't afford to stay -- gave the school a $100 million endowment in 2004. He stipulated that the fund's income go exclusively to covering all tuition and expenses for the neediest of Brown's admitted applicants. Hear graduates say how their dreams came true » For this year's graduates, tuition and expenses came to a four-year total of about $180,000 each. The median annual income of the recipients' families was $18,984. The gift was the largest single one ever given to Brown and one of the largest ever given for undergraduate scholarships in the United States, according to the school. Reil, a history major who is preparing to co-chair a student conference on U.S.-South Korean relations and aspires to work in politics or foreign service, says the scholarship was the stuff of dreams.

gutenberg

CHAPTER IX MERRIL TIGHTENS THE SCREW The _Sorata_ went to sea again next morning, and one night a week later she bore up for Vancouver before a westerly breeze. A thin crescent moon had just cleared the dim white line of the mainland snow, and the sea glittered faintly in her frothing wake under a vast sweep of dusky blue. The big topsail swayed across it, blotting out the stars, and there was a rhythmic splashing beneath the bows. Anthea Merril stood at the tiller outlined against the heave of sea, for the night was warm and she was dressed in white. Nellie Austerly sat on a locker in the cockpit, and her father on the saloon skylights with a cigar in his hand. Valentine lay on the deck not far away, and Jimmy a little further forward. "I suppose we will be in soon after daylight, and I'm sorry," said Nellie Austerly. "It has been an almost perfect cruise in spite of the bad weather. Don't you wish we were going back again, instead of home, Anthea?" Jimmy roused himself to attention, for he would very much have liked to hear Miss Merril's real thoughts on the matter; but she laughed. "I don't think it would be very much use if I did," she said. "One can't go sailing always--and if you feel that that is a pity, you can think of the rain and the wind." "Ah!" said Nellie Austerly, "one has to bear so much of them everywhere. Sometimes one wonders whether life is all gray days and rain; but this trip has made me better, and, perhaps, if Mr. Valentine will take us, we will go back next year and revel once more in the sea and the sunshine--we really had a good deal of the latter."

wikipedia

Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organisations. Legislation across the world prohibit child labour. These laws do not consider all work by children as child labour; exceptions include work by child artists, family duties, supervised training, certain categories of work such as those by Amish children, some forms of child work common among indigenous American children, and others. In developing countries, with high poverty and poor schooling opportunities, child labour is still prevalent. In 2010, sub-saharan Africa had the highest incidence rates of child labour, with several African nations witnessing over 50 percent of children aged 5–14 working. Worldwide agriculture is the largest employer of child labour. Vast majority of child labour is found in rural settings and informal urban economy; children are predominantly employed by their parents, rather than factories. Poverty and lack of schools are considered as the primary cause of child labour.

mctest

Once upon a time, there lived a Daddy bird. This was a very normal bird. It did not sing pretty songs. It did not have colorful feathers but it did have thing that made it stand out from the other birds. It had a very long tail feather. And with this long tail feather, the bird could do wonderful tricks. He could fly in circles and fly at super-fast speed. Daddy bird lived on a quiet street, at a yellow house. Its nest was on top of a basketball pole that the kids who lived in the yellow house had outgrown. The bird was a daddy bird and had two baby birds in its nest. One of the baby birds had a long tail feather like the daddy bird. The other baby bird did not. Instead, it had wings with many colors like the mommy bird. This bird family lived at the yellow house all summer long. The mommy and daddy birds came back for many summers and had many more baby birds but only one, the very first baby bird, had a long tail feather and could do tricks like daddy bird.

wikipedia

Tibet (i/tᵻˈbɛt/; Wylie: Bod, pronounced [pʰø̀ʔ]; Chinese: 西藏; pinyin: Xīzàng) is a region on the Tibetan Plateau in Asia. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Qiang and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 4,900 metres (16,000 ft). The highest elevation in Tibet is Mount Everest, earth's highest mountain rising 8,848 m (29,029 ft) above sea level. The Tibetan Empire emerged in the 7th century, but with the fall of the empire the region soon divided into a variety of territories. The bulk of western and central Tibet (Ü-Tsang) was often at least nominally unified under a series of Tibetan governments in Lhasa, Shigatse, or nearby locations; these governments were at various times under Mongol and Chinese overlordship. The eastern regions of Kham and Amdo often maintained a more decentralized indigenous political structure, being divided among a number of small principalities and tribal groups, while also often falling more directly under Chinese rule after the Battle of Chamdo; most of this area was eventually incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai. The current borders of Tibet were generally established in the 18th century.