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Mijwiz

The mijwiz (, DIN: miǧwiz) is a traditional Middle East musical instrument popular in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. Its name in Arabic means "dual," because of its consisting of two, short, bamboo pipes with reed tips put together, making the mijwiz a double-pipe, single-reed woodwind instrument.

Background
The mijwiz consists of two pipes of equal length; each pipe has around five or six small holes for fingering. It requires a special playing technique known as "circular breathing," which is tricky but produces a continuous tone, without pausing to take a breath. The mijwiz is played in the Levant as an accompaniment to either belly dancing or dabke, the folkloric line dance of the Levant. The mijwiz is most popular today in the Levant (Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Many popular folk songs either include the mijwiz on recordings, or include the instrument's name in the song's lyrics.  One example is the famous palestinian dabke and the Lebanese dabke song "Jeeb el Mijwiz ya Abboud"  by the singer Sabah.

The mijwiz is also related to the arghul (or yarghoul), which consists of one short pipe with five to six holes and a longer pipe joined to it just like the mijwiz and produces a very similar sound to it.

The mijwiz like the argoul is related to ancestor of some types of bagpipes. However, in the case of the mijwiz, the cheeks of the player with their circular breathing act like the bag that contains the air in a bagpipe.

title: Mijwiz


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Judicael, Duke of Brittany

Judicael (or Yezekael) (died 888 or 889) was the Duke of Brittany from 876 to his death. He was a son of a daughter of Erispoe and claimed Brittany after the death of the pretenders Wrhwant and Pascweten in mid 876.

During the reign of Salomon (857–874), Judicael controlled either all of Cornouaille or just Poher (Poucaer) with the title of princeps Poucher. He represented western Breton interests against those of the powerful rulers of Vannes, Pascweten and then Alan the Great, who opposed his claim to the Breton dukedom.

Judicael reconciled with Alan in order to fight the Vikings; together, they defeated them at the Battle of Questembert in 888 or 889, but Judicael died in the fighting.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Judicael, Duke of Brittany


text: User talk:66.167.189.122

title: User talk:66.167.189.122


text:
Alan II, Duke of Brittany

Alan II (c. 900–952), nicknamed Wrybeard or Twistedbeard, Alan Varvek in Breton, was Count of Vannes, Poher and Nantes, and Duke of Brittany from 938 to his death. He was the grandson of King Alan the Great by Alan's daughter and her husband Mathuedoï I, Count of Poher. He expelled the Vikings/Norsemen from Brittany after an occupation that lasted from 907 to about 939.

Refuge in Britain
Alan had to take refuge, along with his father Mathuedoi I, with King Æthelstan of England because the Norsemen had invaded Armorica. The Chronicle of Nantes reports:

 * {| cellpadding=9

 * Fugit autem tunc temporis Mathuedoi, comes de Poher, ad regem Anglorum Adelstanum cum ingenti multitudine Britonum, ducens secum filium suum, nomine Alanum, qui postea cognominatus est Barbatorta, quem Alanum ex filia Alani Magni, Britonum ducis, genuerat, et quem ipse rex Angliae Adelstannus jam prius ex lavaero sancto susceperat. Ipse rex pro familiaritate et amicitia hujus regenerationis magnam in eo fidem habebat. (Chronicle of Nantes, chapter 27)
 * "... Among the nobles who fled for fear for the Danes, Mathuedoi, the count of Poher, put to sea with a great multitude of Bretons, and went to Æthelstan, king of the English, taking with him his son, called Alan, who was afterwards surnamed "Crooked Beard". He had had this Alan by the daughter of Alan the Great, duke of the Bretons, and the same Æthelstan, king of England, had lifted him from the holy font. This king had great trust in him because of this friendship and the alliance of this baptism."
 * }

Alan became ruler of Brittany at the end of a 33-year interregnum after the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great.

Return to Brittany
Alan landed at Dol in 936, at the invitation of a monk, Jean de Landévennec, and with the aid of Æthelstan. By 937 Alan was master of most of Brittany, having forced the Norsemen back to the Loire.

 * {| cellpadding=9

 * Sique civitas Namnetico per plures annos derelicta, vastata et vepribus spinisque occupata remansit, donec Alanus Barbatorta, Alani Magnus nepos, surrexit et hos Normannos ab omni regione Britannien et a fluvio Ligeris, qui illis erat nutrimentum magnum, omnino depulsos dejecit. Iste vero Alanus cum rege Anglorum Adelstano ab infantia fuit nutritus, corpore validus et fortitur audax, apros et ursos in silva minime curans eos cum ferro occidere nisi cum lignis silvae. Congregata navium parvitate, cum his Brttannis, qui libidem adhue superstites erant, venit per licentiam régis revisere Britanniam. (Chronicle of Nantes, chapter 29)
 * "... The city of Nantes remained for many years deserted, devastated and overgrown with briars and thorns, until Alan Crooked Beard, grandson of Alan the Great, arose and cast out those Norsemen from the whole region of Brittany and from the river Loire, which was a great support for them. This Alan was brought up from infancy with Athelstan, king of the Anglo-Saxons, and was strong in body and very courageous, and did not care to kill wild boars and bears in the forest with an iron weapon, but with a wooden staff. He collected a few ships and came by the king's permission with those Bretons who were still living there, to revisit Brittany."
 * }

In 938, Alan was elected Brittonum dux. On 1 August 939, with the aid of Judicael (Berengar), count of Rennes, and Hugh I, Count of Maine, his victory was made complete by defeating the Norse at the Battle of Trans-la-Forêt. Alan declared that date a national holiday.

Louis IV of France and other alliances
Alan II was closely allied with King Louis IV of West Francia, as both were exiles in England together at the court of Edward the Elder and Edward's son and successor Æthelstan. Alan renounced the Cotentin, Avranchin and Mayenne and paid homage to Louis IV in 942. He was also allied to Theobald the Old, the count of Chartres.

Family
Alan II was the grandson of Alan I, King of Brittany and the great-grandson of Ridoreth, Count of Vannes. He was the grand-nephew of Pascweten.

His wife was a sister or a daughter of Count Theobald I of Blois. Their son, and Alan's immediate successor, was Drogo, Duke of Brittany.

He also had at least two illegitimate sons, Hoël and Guerech, who would each succeed Drogo during the fractured rule of Brittany after Drogo's death.

Death
Alan was buried in his capital, Nantes, in the church which he constructed to honor the Virgin Mary for his victory in liberating Nantes, initially known as la Chapelle de la Très Sainte Mère de Dieu, now known as the Basilique Notre Dame in the parish of St Thérèse in Nantes. He was succeeded by his son Drogo.

title: Alan II, Duke of Brittany


text: User talk:68.172.165.62

title: User talk:68.172.165.62


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Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany

Geoffrey I (c. 980 – 20 November 1008), also known as Geoffrey of Rennes and Geoffrey Berengar, was the eldest son of Duke Conan I of Brittany. He was Count of Rennes (ruler of the Romano-Frankish civitas of Rennes), by right of succession. In 992 he assumed the title of Duke of Brittany, which had long been an independent state, but he had little control over much of Lower Brittany.

Life
Geoffrey was the son of Duke Conan I, by his marriage to Ermengarde-Gerberga of Anjou. He was the grandson of Judicael Berengar, Count of Rennes.

When Geoffrey succeeded to Brittany he had several problems:

 * Blois was encroaching on his territory,

 * Vikings were threatening his shores, and

 * He had to decide whether to accept the protection offered by Anjou.

Norman alliance
In 996, at about the age of sixteen, Geoffrey entered into a dynastic alliance with Richard II, Duke of Normandy, with a diplomatic double marriage between the two houses. The church-sanctioned marriage ceremonies were held at Mont Saint-Michel, on the Breton-Norman border, and while Geoffrey married Hawise of Normandy, daughter of Richard I of Normandy and sister of Richard II. Richard married Judith of Brittany, Geoffrey's sister.

Geoffrey and Hawise had four children:

 * Alan III of Brittany (997-1040)
 * Evenus (born c. 998, died after 1037)
 * Odo, Count of Penthièvre (died 1079)
 * Adela, Abbess of Saint-Georges

Death
Geoffrey died on 20 November 1008 while travelling on a pilgrimage to Rome.

title: Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany


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Odo, Count of Penthièvre

Odo of Rennes (Medieval Breton: Eudon Pentevr, Modern Breton: Eozen Penteur, Latin: Eudo, French: Eudes/Éon de Penthièvre) (c. 999–1079), Count of Penthièvre, was the youngest of the three sons of Duke Geoffrey I of Brittany and Hawise of Normandy, daughter of Richard I of Normandy. Eudon married Agnes of Cornouaille (Orguen Kernev), the daughter of Alan Canhiart, Count of Cornouaille and sister of Hoel II, Duke of Brittany who was married in 1066 to Eudon's niece Hawise, Duchess of Brittany.

Role in Governance of Brittany
When Eudon's father Duke Geoffrey I died on 20 November 1008, both Eudon and his older brother Alan were minors.

Duke Geoffrey had initiated a dynastic double marriage with Richard II, Duke of Normandy by marrying Hawise of Normandy, one of Richard's sisters, in 996; this was followed by the marriage of Geoffrey's sister Judith of Brittany to Richard around the year 1000. Alan and Eudon were thus double-first cousins of Duke Richard II's children, including Richard III, Duke of Normandy and Robert I, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror's father), nephews of Emma of Normandy, and first cousins of Emma's children Edward the Confessor, Harthacnut, Goda of England, Gunhilda of Denmark and Alfred Aetheling.

At Geoffrey's death, Alan became de jure Duke, as Alan III, Duke of Brittany, Hawise took on the role of Regent, and Richard asserted the role of Guardian of Brittany, an arrangement reciprocated on the death of Robert I, Duke of Normandy in 1035.

Also in 1035, after a dispute between Eudon and Duke Alan III, their uncle Judicaël Bishop of Vannes arbitrated, and Alan III gave Eudon the bishoprics of Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, Tréguier and Dol-de-Bretagne, as well as the counties and baronies of Penthièvre, Goëlo, Avaugour and Lamballe. Eudon placed his capital at Lamballe, where he began issuing coins in his own name.

Following the death of his brother Duke Alan III in 1040, Eudon ruled as regent of Brittany in the name of his nephew Conan II, holding Conan in custody. Conan was freed by his supporters in 1047. Eudon's regency should have ended when Conan reached his majority (circa 1054), but Eudon refused to relinquish control of the Duchy.

In 1054 Geoffrey, Viscount of Mayenne in Maine, affronted by William of Normandy's new fortifications at Ambrières, "appealed to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou" who "called to his assistance Guy-William of Aquitaine and Count Eudo of Brittany"

In a charter dated to 1056/1060, Eudon ("Eudo") granted land "in pago Belvacensi" (Beauvais, Picardy) to the Abbey of Angers Saint-Aubin (q.v. Albinus of Angers). Witnesses included his wife Orguen and their sons Gausfridus, Alanus Rufus, Willelmus, Rotbertus and Ricardus (Geoffrey, Alan Rufus, William, Robert and Richard).

By 1056 Conan gained the upper hand in Brittany, and in 1057 he captured his uncle Eudon and chained him in a prison cell. Eudon's eldest son Geoffrey Boterel continued to fight against Conan.

In 1062, peace was concluded between Conan and Geoffrey. Eudon, who was now free, continued the fight alone.

In histories favourable to the house of Penthièvre, Eudon is shown as effectively ruling Brittany between 1040 and 1062. In other histories his rule is shown as ending with his capture in 1057.

Conan was a legitimate contender for the title of Duke of Normandy, so he became a serious rival to Duke William.

In 1064, Eudon's liegeman Rivallon I of Dol invited Duke William to join him against Conan, thus initiating the Breton-Norman War of 1064–1065 in which Normandy, Anjou, Dol de Bretagne and the captive Harold Godwinson combined against Conan II, as depicted in three panels of the Bayeux Tapestry. Historians differ on whether William or Conan should be considered the victor in this conflict.

Involvement in the Preparations for the Norman Conquest of England
Eudon provided, trained and equipped 5,000 Breton soldiers for William the Conqueror's army. Of these, 4,000 were professionals, comprising light cavalry, heavy cavalry, archers, crossbowmen and axemen; he also trained 1,000 levied (conscripted) spearmen. Eudon put these troops on 100 ships under the command of his sons Count Alan Rufus and Count Brian, and they sailed from Brittany to join the Norman forces gathering at Barfleur then on to William's staging point at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, in readiness to cross the Channel.

Rebellion against Hoel II of Brittany
Despite his advanced years, Eudon was involved in the failed 1075/1076 rebellion against Hoel II, Duke of Brittany, by Geoffrey Grenonat of Rennes and Ralph de Gael (fresh from his 1075 rebellion against King William). Hoel II was supported by William the Conqueror, briefly placing Eudon and William on opposing sides once again, a situation that was soon resolved when, to William's disappointment, Hoel came to terms with the rebels.

Death
On 7 January 1079, at about 80 years of age, Eudon died in Cesson-Sévigné, an eastern suburb of Rennes. He was buried in Saint-Brieuc Cathedral.

In his memory, "Comes Alanus Rufus" (Count Alan Rufus), his second son, donated property to Swavesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, for the soul of "patris sui Eudonis comitis" (his father Count Eudon), by an undated charter witnessed by "...Ribaldus et Bardulfus fratres comitis..." (Ribald and Bardulf, brothers of Count Alan).

Family
Orderic Vitalis stated:

"God also gave him [Count Eudon] seven sons, who became remarkable for the singular and changeable events of their lives. The studious might compose a long and pleasing history, from true accounts of their various fortunes."

Eudon's children with Agnes include:

 * Adèle (born c. 1035, died after 1056/57).
 * Geoffrey Boterel I, Count of Penthièvre (d. 24 August 1093)
 * Brian, Earl of Cornwall (d. after 1084).
 * Alan Rufus (Latin; alternatively Alain Le Roux in French, or Alan Ar Rouz in Breton, called Count Alan in the Domesday Book, his name means "Red Deer" or "Hart") (d. 1093–98). He promoted trade at Boston, Lincolnshire, built St Mary's Abbey, York, Richmond Castle and the first castle at Middleham, and was effectively the first Earl of Richmond, though the majority of his manors were in East Anglia. Richmondshire in North Yorkshire is described in the Domesday Book as "Terra Alani Comitis" ("The Land of Count Alan") in "Eborakscire" (Yorkshire). In the Rebellion of 1088, he was the first of the great magnates to support William II of England against Odo, Earl of Kent and his allies.
 * Alan the Black (alternatively Alain Niger, or Alan Ar Du in Breton, his name means "Black Deer") (d. 1094–98), inherited from Alan Rufus.
 * Stephen, Count of Tréguier, married Havise of Guingamp, and succeeded Alan Rufus and Alan the Black as de facto Earl of Richmond. Stephen and Havise had a number of legitimate children and grandchildren, all of whom are ancestors of the current British royal family.
 * Robert, a priest in Yorkshire (d. after 1083).
 * Richard, a canon of Bayeux at the time when Thomas of Bayeux, Thomas's brother Samson and William de Saint-Calais were also canons there.
 * Guillaume or William, who came to Switzerland, entering the service of the Holy Roman Emperor; he was the suppressor of the revolt of Agaunum (today Saint-Maurice-en-Valais), and received a castle in his honour.
 * An unnamed daughter, who married Enisandus Musardus de Pleveno who was the Lord of Cheveley in Cambridgeshire (under Alan Rufus as tenant-in-chief), first Constable of Richmond Castle and lord of some twenty manors in Richmondshire. Cheveley was recorded until 1457 as remaining under the overlordship of the Honour of Richmond.

Sons of Eudon who were probably illegitimate include:

 * Ribald, who received the Lordship of Middleham from Alan Rufus, was a male-line ancestor of the Ancient House of Neville.
 * Bardolf lord of Ravensworth, who moved to England where he held the lordship of Ravensworth and became the ancestor of the Fitzhugh family.
 * Bodin, Lord of Bedale and Didderston and brother of Bardolf.
 * (Possibly) Derrien, Lord of La Roche-Derrien in Brittany.

At least two of Eudon's sons (Alan Rufus and Brian) were early participants in the Norman conquest of England.

Eudon's descendants formed the junior branch of the Breton ducal family, which gained control of the duchy in 1156 under his great-grandson Conan IV of Brittany.

title: Odo, Count of Penthièvre


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Flavia Bujor

Flavia Bujor (born 8 August 1988) is a French novelist of Romanian origin. She lived in Romania until the age of two when she moved to Paris, France. She had a passion for stories from an early age. She lives with her parents in Paris.

At the young age of fourteen, Flavia Bujor was being hailed as France's Literary Sensation. From an early age, her parents encouraged her for her love for books teaching her to read before she started school and indulging her passion for stories by telling her tales. Her first book was the children's story The Prophecy of the Stones or "The Prophecy of The Gems" (original title: "La Prophétie des Pierres"). She began writing this novel at the age of 12, and its success has prompted the book's translation into twenty-three different languages.

title: Flavia Bujor


text:
User talk:Plato/Troll

 * Hey, Mr. Plato: What am I, in your 7-tier scheme? Mike Church 17:57, 3 May 2004 (UTC)
 * And I? Neutrality 05:44, Jul 11, 2004 (UTC)

Just say this page — is this a joke or something? I had to restrain myself from laughing — this is the real cabal, if I ever saw one. Hehehehe...mad propz to you guys for your joke. Unless you weren't joking... Johnleemk | Talk 14:27, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Plato/Troll


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Alan III, Duke of Brittany

Alan III of Rennes (c. 997 – 1 October 1040) (French: Alain III de Bretagne) was Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany, by right of succession from 1008 to his death.

Life
Alan was the son of Duke Geoffrey I and Hawise of Normandy.

Alan succeeded his father as Duke of Brittany in 1008. Because he was still a minor at his father's death, his mother acted as regent of Brittany while her brother Richard II, Duke of Normandy assumed guardianship over Brittany.

Marriage
In 1018 Alan married Bertha of Blois, daughter of Odo II, Count of Blois and his second wife Ermengarde of Auvergne.

Norman suzerainty
When Richard III, Duke of Normandy died in August 1026, his brother Robert I succeeded him. Alan apparently took advantage of the resulting turmoil to break free of Norman suzerainty.

In the early 1030s Robert I successfully attacked Dol and Alan's retaliatory raid on Avranches was repulsed causing continued raiding back and forth between them. Facing an invasion from Normandy via land and from Duke Robert's fleet, Robert, Archbishop of Rouen (uncle of Hawise and Richard II) mediated a truce between his two great-nephews at Mont Saint-Michel where Alan swore fealty to his cousin Robert.

Guardian
When he left Normandy for the Holy Land Robert I, Duke of Normandy appointed his cousin, Alan III, to be a guardian of his young son William.

Wars
Alan III also assisted Herbert I 'Wake-Dog' in his wars with Avesgaud, Bishop of Le Mans and was with the count in his attack on Avesgaud's castle at La Ferté-Bernard destroying the castle and causing Avesgaud to flee.

Protector
In 1037, upon the death of Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, the protection of young William was now left to Alan III and his cousin Gilbert, who tentatively held Normandy together. They appointed Mauger to the now vacant see of Rouen and his brother William as count of Arques, attempting to gain their support for Duke William.

Death
On 1 October 1040, while besieging a rebel castle near Vimoutiers in Normandy, Alan III suddenly died. According to Orderic, he was poisoned by unnamed Normans.

Family
Alain and Bertha of Blois had:

 * Conan II, (d. 1066), succeeded his father.
 * Hawise of Brittany, who married Hoel of Cornouaille.

After 14 May 1046 his widow Bertha married secondly Hugh IV, Count of Maine.

title: Alan III, Duke of Brittany


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Aleph Zadik Aleph

The Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA or  אצא ) is an international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers. It was founded in 1924 as the male wing of BBYO Inc., an independent non-profit organization. It is for teens starting in 8th grade, through 12th grade.

Founding
AZA was founded on May 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, by a group of 14 Jewish teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17. It arose as a response to the fact that the Jewish community was, for the most part, not allowed into the Greek fraternities. The letters were chosen to spite the fraternity the Alephs were denied, Alpha Zeta Alpha, by naming their fraternity the Hebrew counterparts. However, others maintain that AZA was not founded as a form of protest against Greek fraternities. Rather, conversations with the founding members years later revealed that the organization's name was chosen specifically in an attempt to mimic Greek fraternities.

The first chapter, formed in 1923, was Mother Chapter AZA #1, which continues to operate. The second oldest chapter also continues to operate out of Kansas City Council and is AZA #2.

Abe Babior, the new group's first president, said that it was started "as a social and Zionist youth group." The group's meetings would usually feature speakers on several both Judaic and non-Judaic topics. The group held social events, including parties and dances. The group's first advisor was Nathan Mnookin. An accomplished chemist, he moved back to his hometown of Kansas City in November 1923 and immediately started a similar organization of the same name. Mnookin's departure paved the way for the next AZA advisor in Omaha, Sam Beber.

National organization
As Beber continued to serve as an advisor for the local Omaha group, he also began planning for a much larger undertaking: an international Jewish youth group. Beber called a meeting of friends and associates in the area on May 3, 1924, where they reached an understanding of goals and formed the first Supreme Advisory Committee (SAC) consisting of seven men, and officially founding the Aleph Zadik Aleph for Young Men. The new organization's first chapter charter was granted to the existing AZA group in Omaha, dubbed "Mother Chapter" with Mnookin's second chapter in Kansas City receiving a charter a week later. By the end of the month, new chapters had been launched in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa.

The first AZA convention was held that summer at the Jewish Community Center in Omaha, July 4–6, 1924. Over two-thirds of the new organization's membership was present to elect their first-ever Grand Aleph Godol (international president). In a tight race that required a referral to the SAC to break a tie vote, Charles Shane emerged victorious. In other business conducted, the boys chose to commit a third of their membership dues (at that time $3) to charity. AZA became an official junior group in 1925.

By the second annual convention, held in Kansas City, AZA in July 1925, membership had ballooned to 250, and new chapters were inaugurated in eight more cities. Philip Klutznick, among AZA's most accomplished alumni, was elected as the 2nd Grand Aleph Godol. During his term, he installed ten chapters in the eastern part of the country and oversaw the creation of The Shofar, the organization's international newsletter. Following his term in office, the organization rewarded him by making him, at the age of 19, their first executive director. By the third annual convention in July 1925, the group had 800 members and twenty chapters.

In 1940, AZA had 21,152 members, 417 chapters, and 9,875. Chapters were located in Bulgaria, Palestine, Syria, and the United States. In 1974, AZA was at its height with 40,000 members. Membership had declined to 15,000 in 2005.

Symbols and traditions
The letters Aleph Zadik Aleph and stands for Ahava (fraternal love), Tzedakah (benevolence), and Ahdoot (harmony). The letters were also the same as those of Alpha Zeta Alpha, a local fraternity in Omahah that banned Jewish members at the time.

The AZA logo is a menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, which is one of the central symbols of Judaism. The menorah has a hexagonal shape in its center, with each side of the hexagon and the base of the menorah containing one of the 7 Cardinal Principles. In the center of the hexagon is a Magen david (Star of David), and inside it are the Hebrew letters Aleph Zadik Aleph.

The password "Ami" (My People) to enter an AZA meeting is now widely known and is used for ceremonial and traditional purposes only.

When members ("Alephs") are inducted into the organization, they receive a pin containing the AZA logo. This pin is to be worn at all AZA functions (including meetings, programs, and conventions) as a way of visually displaying one's membership in the organization. It is supposed to be worn on one's shirt, over the heart, to symbolize that the principles (which are inscribed on the AZA logo on the pin) are being kept close to one's heart. Aleph Pins are never to be worn straight, to represent that "no Aleph is perfect."

Many of the AZA spirit songs date back to the earliest days of the organization. The most commonly sung song is "Up You Men", the official pep song of the organization which dates to 1931, when it was the winning entry in a song contest. It was composed by Heinie Krinsky and Wes Bercovich from Oakland, and in modern times is sung both at a fast pace as a rally song, and sometimes in a slow and somber tone as a brotherhood song. "Come Join Us In Our Song" is a popular song to be sung at conventions and summer programs. It is the longest of the AZA songs. It was originally called "Meyer Levin's Marching Song" and was written for AZA Invite by the members of Meyer Levin AZA in Chicago in 1964. The verses are sung to the tune of "The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers", and the chorus is sung to the tune of "The Coast Guard Hymn". "Sweetheart of AZA", also composed by Krinsky and Bercovich, is traditionally recited when the sweetheart (a well-liked BBG member chosen to serve in the role at various levels) enters the room, although its use in modern times varies from region to region. Lastly, Simon Wiesenthal AZA #2524 in Central Region West is noted for writing the widely sung cheer "AZA All the Way." Other official songs include "Stand Together," "Tomorrow and Today," "This Is Our Order", "No Man Is An Island", and "The General".

There are Seven Cardinal Principles through which all AZA members (Alephs) are expected to conduct their lives. These principles underline the intent and character of the organization. They are patriotism, Judaism, filial love, charity, conduct, purity, and fraternity. These principles are inscribed on the AZA logo. They are often recited during opening rituals of business meetings.

Activities
Six programming "folds", or considerations, are used as the basis for all program planning. In 1928, Dr. Boris D. Bogen, one of the founders of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, presented his ideas for the original "Five-Fold-and-Full Plan" to AZA's governing body, the Supreme Advisory Council. He proposed the addition of the original five programming folds: Social, Athletics, Community Service / Social Action, Education, and Judaism (S.A.C.E.J.) In 2020, the 97th Executive Body voted to add a sixth programming fold, 'health'. It is expected that all AZA events fall into at least one of these folds, and it is encouraged that programs span multiple folds. A program that incorporates every fold, a "six-fold program", is considered a significant undertaking and is particularly special.

Levels
AZA is administered internationally by BBYO, Inc.'s professional staff in the international office in Washington, D.C. Organizational units outside of North America are affiliated with BBYO, Inc. but are operated independently. In North America, the organization is broken down into 43 geographic regions, each of which has a professional staff that reports to the international office. Some regions may be further split into councils and cities depending on their size and geography, and each of these may also employ staff. The final level is the chapter, which employs volunteer advisors, and reports to their local staff. All members belong to a single chapter. Some BBYO programs (such as summer programs in Israel) do not require membership in BBYO.

Leadership
The organization is steered by a democratically elected board of officers on the international, regional, council, and chapter levels. The officers elected may vary from one level to the other and between different chapters and regions. A group of elected officers is often referred to as the "executive board" or just simply the "board". Elections are typically held annually or semi-annually.

The executive board positions that are elected at an international level (and the foundation for all other boards at all levels) are:

In some places, additional officers may be elected based on need. Each region, council, and chapter may have its constitution detailing the positions to be elected and their specific responsibilities, so long as it does not conflict with the international constitution. Additionally, each chapter may have a different variation of the positions. For example, Ruach AZA #2388 has the Mazkir and Gizbor merged into one position: The MazGiz.
 * Aleph Godol (president)
 * Aleph S'gan (programming vice president)
 * Aleph Moreh (membership vice president)
 * Aleph Shaliach (Judaic vice president)
 * Aleph Mazkir (secretary)
 * Aleph Gizbor (treasurer)
 * Aleph Sopher (publicist)

Affiliation
AZA's sister organization, for teenage girls, is the B'nai B'rith Girls. The connection between AZA and B'nai B'rith dates back to AZA's earliest days when Sam Beber was simultaneously serving as the AZA advisor and as the vice president of the B'nai B'rith lodge in Omaha. Soon thereafter, the new organization was able to secure funding from the regional B'nai B'rith lodge. At the first AZA international convention in 1924, it was resolved that the organization should seek affiliation with B'nai B'rith. Beber commenced communication, and at the executive committee meeting in January 1925, President Adolf Kraus appointed a committee to explore the matter, headed by Henry Monsky. A fellow Omaha resident, Monsky brought the issue of adopting "junior auxiliaries" to the forefront of the organization. Following B'nai B'rith's international convention, in which Monsky's committee recommended the adoption of AZA as the official youth organization of B'nai B'rith, the executive committee met and immediately adopted the recommendation.

B'nai B'rith lodges often adopted AZA chapters, collaborated on joint programming, and served in an advisory capacity. AZA was eventually combined with the B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG) into what would become known as the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO). As the male wing of BBYO, AZA continued to maintain its unique character, traditions, and rituals, even though it was administered jointly with BBG under the BBYO umbrella. BBYO split from B'nai B'rith in 2002 and was re-formed as an independent non-profit organization.

Chapters
Chapters are located across the United States and more than 40 other countries. Following is a partial list of chapters.

Notable members

 * Brad Cohen, motivational speaker, teacher, school administrator, and author who has severe Tourette syndrome
 * Morton Denn, rheologist, chemical engineer, and professor emeritus at the City College of New York
 * Russ Feingold, former United States Senator from Wisconsin
 * Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations
 * Philip Klutznick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce
 * Ira A. Lipman, founder and chairman of Guardsmark

title: Aleph Zadik Aleph


text:
Barremian

The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 125.77 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma (Historically, this stage was placed at 129.4 million to approximately 125 million years ago ) It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is preceded by the Hauterivian and followed by the Aptian Stage.

Stratigraphic definitions
The original type locality for the Barremian Stage is in the vicinity of the village of Barrême, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. Henri Coquand defined the stage and named it in 1873.

The base of the Barremian is determined by the first appearance of the ammonites Spitidiscus hugii and Spitidiscus vandeckii. The end of the Barremian is determined by the geomagnetic reversal at the start of the M0r chronozone, which is biologically near the first appearance of the ammonite Paradeshayesites oglanlensis.

Regional equivalents
The Barremian falls in the Gallic epoch, a subdivision of the Cretaceous that is no longer used by the ICS. It overlaps the lower part of the Urgonian stage, which is sometimes used in western European stratigraphy. In North America, the late Coahulian and the early Comanchean correspond to the Barremian. In New Zealand, it falls within the Mokoiwian, and in Japan it corresponds to the late Aritan.

Subdivision
The Barremian is often subdivided into two substages or subages, Lower/Early and Upper/Late Barremian.

In the Tethys domain, the Barremian stage contains eleven ammonite biozones:
 * zone of Pseudocrioceras waagenoides
 * zone of Colchidites sarasini
 * zone of Imerites giraudi
 * zone of Hemihoplites feraudianus
 * zone of Gerhardtia sertousi
 * zone of Ancyloceras vandenheckii
 * zone of Coronites darsi
 * zone of Kotetishvilia compressissima
 * zone of Nicklesia pulchella
 * zone of Nicklesia nicklesi
 * zone of Spitidiscus hugii

Literature

 * 🇦🇹 (1907): Le Barrémien supérieur à faciès Urgonien de Brouzet-lès-Alais (Gard). Mémoires de la Société Géologique de France, Paléontologie 15(37): 5-42.
 * 🇦🇹; (2004): A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press.
 * 🇦🇹 (2006): Assessment of diachronism of biostratigraphic boundaries by magnetochronological calibration of zonal scales for the Lower Cretaceous of the Tethyan and Boreal belts. Doklady Earth Sciences 409(6): 843-846.

title: Barremian


text:
Conan II, Duke of Brittany

Conan II of Rennes (c. 1033 – 11 December 1066) was Duke of Brittany, from 1040 to his death. Conan was the eldest child and heir of Alan III, Duke of Brittany by his wife Bertha of Blois, and member of the House of Rennes. He was the elder brother of Hawise, who succeeded him as suo jure duchess.

Duke of Brittany
Conan II faced a daunting series of challenges to assert his rule as Duke of Brittany. His father Duke Alan III had died when Conan was still a minor, his grandfather Duke Geoffrey I's attempts at an alliance with Normandy had been reduced to border skirmishes, his uncle Odo challenged his right to rule and he faced a rebellion from Breton nobles, notably Rivallon I of Dol. Conan's inheritance was usurped by his uncle, Odo, who initially ruled Brittany as regent during Conan's minority. However, by the time Conan reached his majority his uncle Odo refused to give up his authority. By 1057 Conan captured his uncle, whom he then had chained and imprisoned.

Norman interference
Once enthroned as Duke Conan II of Brittany, he faced numerous threats, including revolts from his nobles sponsored by William, Duke of Normandy, afterwards King of England.

Brittany, an independent Celtic duchy, had a traditional rivalry with neighboring Normandy. The 1064–1065 war between Brittany and Normandy was sparked after Duke William supported Rivallon I of Dol's rebellion against Conan II.

In 1065, before his invasion of Anglo-Saxon England, William of Normandy sent word to the surrounding counties, including Brittany, warning them against attacking his lands, on the grounds that his mission bore the papal banner. Conan promptly informed the duke that he would definitely take the opportunity to invade the latter's duchy. In the history of conflicts between Brittany and Anjou, Pouancé had served as the "Breton March" or border town. During Conan's 1066 campaign against Anjou, he took Pouancé and Segré, and arrived in Château-Gontier, where he was found dead after donning poisoned riding gloves. Duke William was widely suspected. He was also asked to help William the Conqueror on his 1066 conquest of England, but refused, saying that the Normans poisoned his father in 1040.

Conan II died leaving no known issue. It is possible he died because the gloves he was wearing were poisoned, and he swallowed the poison when he wiped his mouth with the glove.

Succession
He was succeeded by his sister Hawise and brother-in-law, Hoël II, whose marriage may have been a political move to consolidate and stabilize the east and west regions of the duchy following Conan's death.

title: Conan II, Duke of Brittany


text:
The Supervisor of the Sea

The Supervisor of the Sea, by Emil Draitser, is a collection of short stories.

Plot introduction
The longer and more serious stories of an acclaimed author that move from Russia to America to the fantastic beyond. Includes the celebrated "Wedding in Brighton Beach" and "Faithful Masha."

Editions

 * Grand Terrace, CA: Xenos Books. ISBN 1-879378-47-7 (paper), 149 p.

title: The Supervisor of the Sea


text:
Eudes of Brittany

Eudes of Brittany may refer to:
 * Eudes, Count of Penthièvre (c. 999–1079), Duke of Brittany
 * Eudes II, Viscount of Porhoët (died 1170), Duke of Brittany

title: Eudes of Brittany


text:
Hoël II, Duke of Brittany

Hoël II (c. 1031–1084) was Count of Kernev (French: Cornouaille, Breton: Kernev), from 1058 as Hoël V. On the basis of his marriage to Hawise, Duchess of Brittany, in 1066, he became Duke of Brittany jure uxoris.

Life
Hoël was the son of Count Alan Canhiart of Cornouaille and his wife, Judith of Nantes, granddaughter of the illegitimate son of Duke Alan II of Brittany. Hoël started the House of Cornouaille of Brittany, which ruled the duchy until 1156.

Hoël became count of Nantes in 1054. The title came to him from his maternal cousin, Count Matthew I of Nantes, who died in 1050. Alan Canhiart seize the county in Hoël's name in 1050, and ruled it as regent for his son until 1054. Duke Conan II of Brittany attempted to seize Nantes in 1054 but was defeated.

Conan died childless in December 1066 and the duchy passed to Hawise and Hoël, but their marriage may have further strengthened Brittany at a time when external interference was attempted by William the Conqueror. Hawise died in 1072.

During his reign Hoël faced several rebellions from Breton nobles. Geoffrey Grenonat of Rennes (an illegitimate son of Duke Alan III of Brittany and half-brother of Hawise) led a revolt and was joined by Ralph de Gael who had returned to Brittany from England after the failure of the previous year's Revolt of the Earls. In 1076, Ralph having plotted against Hoël, was besieged at Dol. William the Conqueror came to Hoël's aid, after which Hoël finally made peace with Ralph.

Marriage and children
Hoël and Hawise had:
 * Alan IV, succeeded to the duchy of Brittany
 * Matthew, succeeded to the county of Nantes.

title: Hoël II, Duke of Brittany


text:
Alan IV, Duke of Brittany

Alan IV (c. 1063 – 13 October 1119) was Duke of Brittany from 1072 until his abdication in 1112. He was also Count of Nantes (from c. 1103) and Count of Rennes. His parents were Duchess Hawise and Duke Hoel II. He is also known as Alan Fergant. Through his father, he was of the Breton House of Cornouaille dynasty (Breton: Kerne dynasty). He was the last Breton-speaking Duke of Brittany.

Conflict with Normandy
A traditional rivalry between Brittany and Normandy continued at the close of the 11th century. The Breton-Norman war of 1064–1065 was the result of William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy (later to become known as William the Conqueror) support of rebels in Brittany against Alan's maternal uncle, Conan II.

Conan II died in late 1066 during a campaign in Anjou, and was succeeded by Alan's parents, Conan's sister, Hawise, and her husband, Hoel II. Alan became Duke in 1072, but being a minor, Hoel ruled as regent from Hawise's death in 1072 until Alan reached his majority in 1084.

To prevent further hostilities during his invasion of England, William I married his daughter Constance to the new duke Alan in 1087. The marriage ceremonies may have taken place in Bayeux in Normandy. William of Malmesbury wrote that Constance was unpopular at the Breton court because of her "severe and conservative" manner. However, Orderic Vitalis wrote that as duchess Constance did all she could to further the welfare of the Bretons, who grieved deeply at her death in 1090.

In 1092, Alan IV donated property to the abbey of Redon by charter, and by 1093 married Ermengarde of Anjou, as a political alliance with Fulk IV of Anjou to counter Anglo-Norman influence.

Duke Alan IV's cousin Geoffrey I Boterel (eldest brother of Alan Rufus) died on 24 August 1093 in battle at Dol while in rebellion against the Duke.

Between 1101 and 1104, Alan's younger brother, Count Matthew II of Nantes, died without issue and his county passed to Alan.

Alan IV abdicated as duke in 1112. The former duke retired to the monastery of Redon, where he died in 1119.

Crusader
In 1098 Alan went on the First Crusade, as part of the army of Robert Curthose, leaving Ermengarde as his regent, and returned in 1101.

Family
Alan IV married Constance of Normandy, the daughter of William I of England, in 1087. Constance died in 1090. William of Malmesbury alleges that her husband, Alan, had their servants poison her. They had no children.

Alan's second marriage was to Ermengarde of Anjou in 1093. With Ermengarde he had three children:
 * Geoffrey - died young;
 * Conan - his successor as Duke of Brittany
 * Hawise - she married Count Baldwin VII of Flanders, also known as Hawise Fergant. They divorced and had no issue.

Alan and Ermengarde were separated upon his abdication as duke in 1112.

He had two illegitimate sons:
 * Brian Fitzcount - held the lordships of Wallingford and Abergavenny. Was a favourite of Henry I of England, and a staunch supporter of his daughter, the Empress Matilda, during the Anarchy (1135–1153).
 * Guihomar

Succession
Alan IV died in 1119 at the monastery of Redon, where he had retired after his abdication in 1112, and separation from his wife Ermengarde. His only surviving son, Conan III succeeded him.

title: Alan IV, Duke of Brittany


text:
Conan III, Duke of Brittany

Conan III, also known as Conan of Cornouaille and Conan the Fat (Konan III a Vreizh, and Konan Kerne; c. 1093–1096 – 17 September 1148) was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was the son of Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of Anjou.

Conan III allied himself with Stephen of England in the Anarchy, Stephen's war against the dispossessed Empress Matilda.

Family
He married Maud, an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England before 1113. Conan and Maud had three children that are known:
 * Hoel (1116 - 1156) – disinherited from the ducal crown; Count of Nantes;
 * Bertha (1114 - after 1155) – married Alan of Penthièvre; upon Alan's death in 1146, she returned to Brittany;
 * Constance (1120 - 1148) – married Sir Geoffroy II, Sire de Mayenne, son of Juhel II, Seigneur de Mayenne.

Succession
On his death-bed in 1148, Conan III disinherited Hoel from succession to the duchy, stating that he was illegitimate and no son of his. By this surprise move Bertha became his heiress and successor. However, Hoel was to retain the County of Nantes.

title: Conan III, Duke of Brittany


text:
Three-Self Patriotic Movement

The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM; ) is the official government supervisory organ for Protestantism in the People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as the Three-Self Church.

The National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council (CCC) are known in China as the lianghui (two organizations). Together they form the state-sanctioned Protestant church in mainland China. They are overseen by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) following the State Administration for Religious Affairs' absorption into the UFWD in 2018.

Christian Manifesto
In May 1950, Y. T. Wu and other prominent Protestant leaders such as T. C. Chao, Chen Chonggui, and Cora Deng met in Beijing with Chinese premier Zhou Enlai to discuss Protestant Christianity's relationship with the young People's Republic of China. "The Christian Manifesto" was published in July 1950 and its original title was "Direction of Endeavor for Chinese Christianity in the Construction of New China". During the 1950s, 400,000 Protestant Christians publicly endorsed and signed this document.

The purpose of publishing this document was: "to heighten our vigilance against imperialism, to make known the clear political stand of Christians in New China, to hasten the building of a Chinese church whose affairs are managed by the Chinese themselves, and to indicate the responsibilities that should be taken up by Christians throughout the whole country in national reconstruction in New China."

It further stated the movement promoted the "self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation" of the Chinese church.

Three-Self Reform Movement
In March 1951, after China's entry into the Korean War, the Religious Affairs Bureau directed religious groups to make elimination of imperialist influences a priority. In mid-April the State Administrative Council called together a conference in Beijing on the subject of "Handling of Christian Organizations Receiving Subsidies from the United States of America". This conference led to the formation of the Preparatory Committee for the Oppose-America, Assist-Korea Three-Self Reform Movement of the Christian Church (TSRM) under China's United Work Front policy. Those who attended the conference issued a "United Declaration" calling churches and other Christian organizations “to thoroughly, permanently and completely sever all relationships with the American missions and all other missions, thus realizing self-government, self-support and self-propagation in the Chinese church." The declaration had the unexpected effect of swelling the membership of congregations that identified themselves as “self-run.”

Establishment
When the TSPM was established in 1954, it promoted a three-self strategy in order to remove foreign influences from the Chinese churches and to assure the government that the churches would be patriotic to the newly established People's Republic of China. Other Protestant leaders included Jia Yuming, Marcus Cheng, and Yang Shaotang.

When "The Christian Manifesto" was published in the People's Daily in 1954, it pledged the support of Christians for anti-imperialism, anti-feudalism, and anti-bureaucratic capitalism efforts. The movement, in the eyes of critics, allowed the government to infiltrate, subvert, and control much of organized Christianity.

The work towards establishing the Protestant TSPM was seen to have potential also for Chinese Catholics to create a "three-self" (or, in English sources, often translated "three-autonomies") patriotic organization, even though this language was never used in earlier Catholic missiological discourse like it was by Protestant missionaries. Those who resisted were arrested or killed. But by 1957, some Chinese Catholics eventually established the Catholic Patriotic Association.

After the Cultural Revolution
From 1966 to 1976 during the Cultural Revolution, the expression of religious life in China was effectively banned, including the TSPM. The growth of the Chinese house church movement during this period was a result of all Chinese Christian worship being driven underground for fear of persecution. In 1979 the government officially restored the TSPM after thirteen years of non-existence, and in 1980 the China Christian Council (CCC) was formed. However, many Christians in China were skeptical of the government's intention in reinstituting the TSPM, partly because those entrusted in its local administration were often ones who had participated in repressive actions in the past.

In 1980, the CCP Central Committee approved a request by the United Front Work Department to create a national conference for religious groups. The TSPM was one of five such religious groups, which also included the Islamic Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Catholic Patriotic Association, and the Buddhist Association of China.

The TSPM is not a denomination, and denominational distinctions do not exist within the organization. Pastors are trained at one of thirteen officially sanctioned seminaries. Current theological emphasis is on "a protection and promotion of the five basic tenets of Christian faith — the Trinity, Christ being both human and God, the Virgin Birth, Death and Resurrection and the Second Coming." The primary role of the TSPM was then delegated to liaison with the Government whereas the CCC serves as an ecclesial organisation focusing on the internal management and affairs of the Church.

However, the TSPM is often charged with being an instrument for the secular Chinese government, which persecutes Christians outside of it. Independent congregations are known as house churches. The attempt to bring house church Christians into the fold of "registered" meeting places has met with mixed results. Since the ascension of CCP general secretary Xi Jinping, the Chinese Government has cracked down on house churches and oppressed their members, actions which the TSPM has supported.

In 2018, the TSPM's parent organization, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, was absorbed into the CCP's United Front Work Department.

In March 2019 Xu Xiaohong, the chairman of the National Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee, gave a speech about the use of Christianity by western powers to destabilize China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In addition he stated in a speech at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that "Anti-China forces in the West are attempting to continue to influence the social stability of our country through Christianity, and even subvert the political power of our country". He also called for continued state action against independent Christians stating "For individual black sheep who, under the banner of Christianity, participate in subverting national security, we firmly support the country to bring them to justice".

Publications
The Chinese New Hymnal, first published in the 1980s, is the official hymnal of the TSPM churches. Editors include Lin Shengben, a renowned hymn composer in Shanghai.

The Canaan Hymns hymnal associated with the house churches is also used in TSPM churches. Through its official channels, TSPM has criticized the hymn for supposedly questioning the Movement's view of Christianity in service of Chinese socialism. TSPM church services also feature non-Christian Communist Party songs.

The main periodical of TSPM is Tian Feng.

Statement of faith
The following confession of faith was adopted on 8 January 2008:

"The Chinese Church takes the contents of the entire Bible, the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as the foundation of our faith, the main points of which are as follows:

Ours is a Triune God, everlasting and eternal.

God is Spirit. God is loving, just, holy, and trustworthy. God is almighty Father, the Lord who creates and sustains the cosmos and all that is in it, who keeps and cares for the whole world.

Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, born of the Holy Spirit, the Word made flesh, wholly God and wholly human. He came into the world to save humankind, to witness to God the Father, to preach the gospel; he was crucified, died, and was buried. He rose again and ascended into heaven. He will come again to judge the world.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, who enables people to know their sinfulness and to repent, who bestows wisdom and ability and every grace, leading us to know God and to enter into the truth, enabling people to live holy lives, and to give beautiful witness to Christ.

The church is the body of Christ and Christ is its Head. The church is apostolic, one, holy, and catholic. The visible church is called by God to be a fellowship of those who believe in Jesus Christ. It was established by the apostles as Jesus instructed them. The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to administer the Sacraments, to teach and nurture believers, to do good works, and to bear witness to the Lord. The church is both universal and particular. The Chinese Church must build itself up in love and be one in Christ.

The Bible has been revealed by God and written down by human beings through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the highest authority in matters of faith and the standard of life for believers. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, people in different times have gained new light in the Bible. The Bible should be interpreted in accordance with the principle of rightly explaining the word of truth. It should not be interpreted arbitrarily or out of context.

Human beings are made in the image of God, but cannot become gods. God has given humanity dominion over all God's creation. Because of sin, human beings have diminished God's glory, yet through faith and the grace of Jesus Christ, human beings are redeemed and saved, and are granted resurrection and everlasting life.

Christ will come again. According to the teachings of the Bible, no one knows the day of his coming, and any method to determine when Christ will come again violates the teachings of the Bible.

A Christian's faith and works are one. Christians must live out Christ in the world, glorifying God and benefiting people."

title: Three-Self Patriotic Movement


text:
Peplos

A peplos (ὁ πέπλος) is a body-length garment established as typical attire for women in ancient Greece by c. 500 BC, during the late Archaic and Classical period. It was a long, rectangular cloth with the top edge folded down about halfway, so that what was the top of the rectangle was now draped below the waist, and the bottom of the rectangle was at the ankle. One side of the peplos could be left open, or pinned or sewn together. In Latin and in a Roman context, it could be called a palla.

It should not be confused with the Ionic chiton, which was a piece of fabric folded over and sewn together along the longer side to form a tube. The Classical garment is represented in Greek vase painting from the 5th century BC and in the metopes of temples in the Doric order.

Spartan women continued to wear the peplos much later in history than other Greek cultures. It was also shorter and with slits on the side causing other Greeks to call them phainomērídes (φαινομηρίδες), the "thigh-showers".

Rituals
On the last day of the month Pyanepsion, the priestess of Athena Polias and the Arrephoroi, a group of girls chosen to help in the making of the sacred peplos, set up the loom on which the enormous peplos was to be woven by the Ergastinai, another group of girls chosen to spend about nine months making the sacred peplos. They had to weave a theme of Athena's defeat of Enkelados and the Olympian's defeat of the Giants. The peplos of the statue was changed each year during the Plynteria.

The peplos played a role in the Athenian festival of the Great Panathenaea. Nine months before the festival, at the arts and crafts festival titled Chalkeia, a special peplos would begin to be woven by young women. During the Panathenaea, the peplos was taken up to the Acropolis of Athens to be presented to the wooden statue of Athena Polias in the Erechtheion, opposite the Parthenon. The main scene of the Parthenon frieze is believed, although not without disagreement, to represent this peplos scene during the Panathenaea. The peplos had images of the mythic battle between gods and giants woven into its material and usually consisted of purple and saffron yellow cloth.

title: Peplos


text:
Every Picture Tells a Story

Every Picture Tells a Story is the third studio album by Rod Stewart. It was released on 28 May 1971. It incorporates hard rock, folk, and blues styles. It went to number one on both the UK and US charts and finished third in the Jazz & Pop critics' poll for best album of 1971. It has been an enduring critical success, including a number 172 ranking on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

History
This album is a mixture of rock, country, blues, soul, and folk, and includes Stewart's breakthrough hit, "Maggie May", as well as "Reason to Believe", a song from Tim Hardin's debut album of 1966. "Reason to Believe", with Pete Sears on piano, was released as the first single from the album with "Maggie May" as the B-side; however, "Maggie May" became more popular and was a No. 1 hit in both the UK and US.

The album includes a version of Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right (Mama)" (the first single for Elvis Presley) and a cover of the Bob Dylan song "Tomorrow Is a Long Time," an outtake from Dylan's 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (it would see release on 1971's Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II).

All five members of the Faces (with whom Stewart at that time was lead vocalist) appear on the album, with guitarist/bassist Ronnie Wood and keyboardist Ian McLagan on Hammond B3 organ being employed most. Due to contractual restrictions, the personnel listings were somewhat vague, and it was unclear that the full Faces line-up recorded the version of the Motown hit "(I Know) I'm Losing You". Other contributors included Ray Jackson on mandolin (though Stewart allegedly forgot his name and merely mentioned "the mandolin player in Lindisfarne" on the sleeve) and Micky Waller on drums. Maggie Bell performed backing vocals (mentioned on the sleeve as "vocal abrasives") on the title track, and Madeline Bell sang backup on the next track, "Seems Like A Long Time". Pete Sears played all the piano on the album except for one track, "I'm Losing You", which had Ian McLagan on piano, along with the Faces as a band.

The album reached the number-one position in both the UK (for six weeks) and the US (four weeks) at the same time that "Maggie May" was topping the singles charts in both territories.

The Temptations cover, "I Know I'm Losing You" reached the top 40 at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Reception
In his original Rolling Stone review, John Mendelsohn wrote: "Boring as half of it may be, there's enough that is unqualifiedly magnificent on the other half." However, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau gave the album a glowing review, writing: "Rod the Wordslinger is a lot more literate than the typical English bloozeman, Rod the Singer can make words flesh, and though Rod the Bandleader's music is literally electric it's the mandolin and pedal steel that come through sharpest."

A retrospective review by Pitchfork's Tal Rosenberg called it "a rollicking and surprisingly grounded document of early '70s folk-rock".

Legacy
The album has been an enduring critical success, including a number 172 ranking on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, dropping slightly in a 2020 revised list to number 177. In 1992, the album was awarded the number-one spot in Jimmy Guterman's book The Best Rock 'N' Roll Records of All Time: A Fan's Guide to the Stuff You Love. It was ranked 99th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "Without greatly altering his approach, Rod Stewart perfected his blend of hard rock, folk, and blues on his masterpiece, Every Picture Tells a Story."

Track listing
Notes
 * "Henry" was only printed on the label of the original British and international releases, not on the sleeve. It was omitted in the track listing of some CD versions, as in some pressings of the album and most Stewart compilations, the "Henry" intro is incorporated into the full "Maggie May" track.
 * "Amazing Grace" is not listed on the label on most editions, and on some CDs is part of "That's All Right". The words were written by John Newton.

Personnel

 * Rod Stewart – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
 * Ronnie Wood – guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass guitar
 * Martin Quittenton – acoustic guitar
 * Ray Jackson ("the mandolin player in Lindisfarne") – mandolin
 * Sam Mitchell – slide guitar
 * Andy Pyle – bass guitar
 * Ronnie Lane – bass guitar and backing vocals on "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (uncredited)
 * Danny Thompson – upright bass
 * Dick Powell – violin
 * Ian McLagan – Hammond organ, piano on "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
 * Pete Sears – piano, celeste
 * Long John Baldry – vocals on "Every Picture Tells a Story"
 * Maggie Bell – "vocal abrasives" on "Every Picture Tells a Story"
 * Madeline Bell and friends – "vocal abrasives" on "Seems Like a Long Time"
 * Micky Waller – drums
 * Kenney Jones – drums on "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (uncredited)
 * Spike Heatley - double bass on “Reason To Believe”

On the album's liner notes, the names of two alcoholic beverages (Martell Cognac and Mateus Rosé) are interspersed amongst the personnel credits.

Technical
 * Desmond Strobel – art direction
 * John Craig – design, illustration
 * Lisa Margolis – front cover photo
 * Aaron Sixx – back cover photo

title: Every Picture Tells a Story


text:
Sleen

Sleen is a village in Drenthe, Netherlands of about 2,500 people. Sleen has been inhabited for centuries. Much ancient history can be found in the area, particularly in the forests (which are planted, though). At birth and during the Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden (Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (1581–1795)). Sleen became the capital of one of the six “dingspels” (administrative areas) of Drenthe. When Drenthe was recognised as a province, Sleen became a municipality capital, before it merged into the municipality of Coevorden.

Sleen has a 450-year-old church. At about 68 meters, it is the highest church in the entire province. Nowadays, it functions as a Dutch Reformed Church. There is also another Protestant church in the village.

Sleen has its own supermarket (behind the former police station), library, fish stand (every Wednesday), cafés, a few other shops, hair salons, petrol station, sports park (soccer, tennis, multipurpose indoor complex), horse riding school, houses for the elderly, and other facilities. There are also two schools: CBS “de Fontein” (Christian primary school) and OBS “de Akker” (public primary school).

“De Brink” is the “centre” and the old part of the village, with some historic houses and a brick road. This is also where the two churches are, and other facilities like the former municipal centre. New houses were constructed over time, and an area known as “de nieuwbouw” is where the most recently constructed houses can be found.

The famous Pieterpad (a 498 kilometres (309 mi) long hiking route that runs from Pieterburen in the north of the country to the St Pietersberg in Maastricht in the south) goes straight through Sleen. The windmill De Hoop has been restored to working order.

Notable people

 * Joël Voordewind (born 1965), politician

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China Christian Council

The China Christian Council (CCC; ) was founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of China with Bishop K. H. Ting as its president. It works to provide theological education and the publication of Bibles (mostly in the Chinese Union Version), hymnals (the Chinese New Hymnal mostly), and other religious literature. It encourages the exchange of information among local churches in evangelism, pastoral work and administration. It has formulated a church order for local churches, and seeks to continue to develop friendly relations with churches overseas.

History
In the spring of 1979, Chinese churches resumed worship after the Cultural Revolution. In order to revive the church, the China Christian Council was founded at the third national Christian conference in 1980, to unite and provide services for churches in China, formulating Church Order and encouraging theological education. Daniel Bays suggests that there is "a real desire for pastoral and congregational nurturing and spiritual development in the CCC, and perhaps a desire to separate from the direct political role of the TSPM."

Together with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the organizations are known as the lianghui (两会), or "two organizations." Through the CCC, the registered Protestant church participates in the World Council of Churches. The CCC serves to unite and provide services for churches in China by formulating Church Order, encouraging theological education through seminaries and Bible schools, such as Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, publishing Bibles and other Christian materials, and coordinating training programs for churches.

In the recent 30 years, Christianity in China has developed rapidly. It introduces the best developing period in Chinese Christian history. Incomplete statistics indicate that there may be over 23 million Christians throughout the country, 30 times more than in 1949. There may also be over 56,000 churches and meeting points, 70 percent of which are newly built. More than 55 million copies of the Bible have been printed, 3,500,000 copies per year in recent years. There are a total of 21 theological seminaries with more than 1900 students in China.

The CCC/TSPM headquarters are No. 219, Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai (Postcode: 200002). The organizations jointly publish the Tian Feng magazine.

Leadership
The current leadership were elected at the tenth National Christian Conference held in November 2018.

 * President
 * Rev. Wu Wei

 * General Secretary
 * Rev. Shan Weixiang

Ministries

 * The Ministry of Theological Renewal
 * Publication Ministry
 * Theological Education and Training Ministry
 * Social Service Ministry
 * Overseas Exchange Ministry

Departments

 * Overseas Relations Department
 * Training Department
 * Publication Department
 * Tian Feng Editorial Department
 * Social Service Department
 * Research Department
 * Administration Office

title: China Christian Council


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73rd Academy Awards

The 73rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best of 2000 in film and took place on March 25, 2001, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates and was directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Steve Martin hosted the show for the first time. Three weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California held on March 3, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Renée Zellweger.

Gladiator won five awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Traffic with four awards and Almost Famous, Big Mama, Erin Brockovich, Father and Daughter, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, Pollock, Quiero Ser, U-571, and Wonder Boys with one. The telecast garnered almost 43 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees
The nominees for the 73rd Academy Awards were announced on February 13, 2001, by Robert Rehme, president of the Academy, and Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates. Gladiator received the most nominations with twelve. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon came in second with ten.

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 25, 2001. Gladiator became the first film to win Best Picture without a directing or screenwriting win since 1949's All the King's Men. Best Director winner Steven Soderbergh, who received nominations for both Erin Brockovich and Traffic (for which he won the award), was the third person to receive double directing nominations in the same year. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became the third film nominated simultaneously for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film in the same year. Moreover, its ten nominations were the most for a foreign language film. With four wins, the film is tied with Fanny and Alexander, Parasite, and All Quiet on the Western Front as the most awarded foreign language films in Academy Awards history. By virtue of his brother's Best Supporting Actor nomination for 1988's Running on Empty, Best Supporting Actor nominee Joaquin Phoenix and River became the first pair of brothers to earn acting nominations.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger.

Academy Honorary Awards

 * Jack Cardiff
 * Ernest Lehman

Irving G. Thalberg Award

 * Dino De Laurentiis

Films with multiple nominations and awards
The following 20 films received multiple nominations:

The following three films received multiple awards:

Presenters and performers
The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.

Ceremony information

Despite earning both critical praise and increased viewership from last year's ceremony, actor Billy Crystal announced that he would not host the ceremony for a second consecutive year. He listed his role in the film America's Sweethearts and his directing and producing duties for the made-for-television film 61* as obstacles preventing him from reprising his role as emcee. Shortly after being selected as producer for the awards gala, Gil Cates hired actor and comedian Steve Martin as host for the 2001 telecast. Cates explained his choice of Martin as host saying, "He's a movie star, he's funny, he's classy, he's literate — he'll be a wonderful host." Additionally, AMPAS president Robert Rehme approved of the selection stating, "Steve is a man of great style. I am simply elated to have him on board. He was at the top of our list, we offered and he accepted; it was as simple as that." Martin expressed his delight in hosting the gala jokingly retorting, "If you can't win 'em, join 'em."

In view of the gala taking place in the year 2001, Cates christened the show with a theme saluting the Stanley Kubrick science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In tandem with the theme, astronauts Susan J. Helms, Yury Usachov, and James S. Voss who were inside the International Space Station Alpha Destiny module during Expedition 2 appeared at the beginning of the telecast via satellite to introduce host Martin. Throughout the broadcast, the orchestra conducted by film composer Bill Conti performed a remixed version of "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" composed by Brazilian jazz musician Eumir Deodato. Furthermore, 2001 author Arthur C. Clarke presented the Best Adapted Screenplay award from his home in Sri Lanka.

Several others participated in the production of the ceremony. Production designer Roy Christopher designed a new stage for the show which featured gigantic louvered cove that curved from the stage floor to the ceiling via the auditorium's backstage wall. Many media outlets described the set design resembling a cross section of a space capsule. In addition, four stainless steel arcs each carved with a silhouette of the Oscar statuette were flanked at the front and back of the stage allowing presenters and winners to pass through them. Dancer Debbie Allen choreographed the performances of the Best Original Song nominees. Musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman performed excerpts from the five nominees for Best Original Score.

Box office performance of nominees
Before the nominees were announced on February 13, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees was $471 million with an average of $94 million per film. Gladiator was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $186.6 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by Erin Brockovich ($125.5 million), Traffic ($71.2 million), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($60.7 million) and finally, Chocolat ($27 million).

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 49 nominations went to 15 films on the list. Only Cast Away (3rd), Gladiator (4th), Erin Brockovich (12th), Traffic (31st), and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (41st) directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1st), The Perfect Storm (5th), Meet the Parents (7th), The Patriot (17th), Space Cowboys (23rd), The Emperor's New Groove (25th), U-571 (26th), Hollow Man (30th), 102 Dalmatians (38th), and The Cell (40th).

This was the last time the highest-grossing film of the year worldwide (Mission: Impossible 2) had no Oscar nominations until the 87th Academy Awards in 2014, when Transformers: Age of Extinction didn't receive any Oscar nominations.

Critical reviews
The show received a positive reception from most media outlets. Television critic Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "As host, Martin was typically dapper and comfortably low-key, pacing himself throughout the evening." He also added, "The Oscars seemed as bouncy and well oiled as Russell Crowe's 'do—a '50s Gene Vincent-style quiff that made for a cool rock & roll segue into Dylan's Best Song performance." USA Today critic Robert Bianco gave an average review of the telecast but commended the host stating, "Martin was a droll delight — as amusing as Oscar star Billy Crystal, but in an entirely different way. Where Crystal was all hard work and good humor, the more deadpan and deceptively proper Martin let his nastier jokes sneak up on you." Tom Shales from The Washington Post commented Martin was "the best Oscar host since Johnny Carson." In addition, he quipped that "The show was almost too dignified for its own good, yet it remained exciting and entertaining even at its loftier and more pretentious moments."

Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "Here was veteran producer Gil Cates presiding over one of the few Academy Award presentations that ended on time and still managed to be too long." Additionally, he quipped "If nothing else, tonight's show proved that, despite the many Awards most viewers have no interest in, the show can be done in three and a half hours." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Steve Murray remarked, "It wasn't just that Martin lacked the impish, insider energy of Billy Crystal – or even Whoopi Goldberg's hypnotically awful self-satisfaction. No, the 73rd annual Academy Awards still seemed to go on forever, even though it was one of the shortest in years." Television critic John Carman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "Even with a rookie host, Steve Martin, the Academy Awards show was long on decorum and disappointingly short on verve."

Ratings and reception
The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.9 million people over its length, which was a 7% decrease from the previous year's ceremony. An estimated 72.2 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards. The show also earned lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 26.2% of households watching over a 40 share. In addition, it garnered a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 17.8 rating among viewers in that demographic.

In July 2001, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations at the 53rd Primetime Emmys. Two months later, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special (Edward J. Greene, Tom Vicari, Bob Douglass).

In Memoriam
The annual In Memoriam tribute, presented by actor John Travolta, honored the following people.

 * Douglas Fairbanks Jr. – Actor
 * Marie Windsor – Actress
 * Beah Richards – Actress
 * Edward Anhalt – Screenwriter
 * Billy Barty – Actor
 * Julius Epstein – Screenwriter
 * George Montgomery – Actor
 * Ring Lardner Jr. – Screenwriter
 * Steve Reeves – Actor and body builder
 * Jean Peters – Actress
 * Vittorio Gassman – Actor
 * Jean-Pierre Aumont – Actor
 * Dale Evans – Actress and singer
 * Gwen Verdon – Actress and dancer
 * Stanley Kramer – Producer, Director
 * Jack Nitzsche – Composer
 * Harold Nicholas – Tap dancer
 * Howard W. Koch – Producer, Academy President
 * Loretta Young – Actress
 * Richard Farnsworth – Actor and stuntman
 * John Gielgud – Actor
 * Jason Robards, Jr. – Actor
 * Claire Trevor – Actress
 * Alec Guinness – Actor
 * Walter Matthau – Actor and comedian

title: 73rd Academy Awards


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George Dawson

George Dawson may refer to:

Politicians

 * George Dawson (Northern Ireland politician) (1961–2007), Northern Ireland politician
 * George Walker Wesley Dawson (1858–1936), Canadian politician
 * George Oscar Dawson (1825–1865), Georgia politician and Confederate officer
 * George Robert Dawson (1790–1856), Anglo-Irish Tory politician

Others

 * George Dawson (author) (1898–2001), American author, learned to read at age 98
 * George Dawson (businessman) (1907–1985), British businessman and convicted fraudster
 * George Dawson (cricketer) (1799–1843), English cricketer
 * George Dawson (preacher) (1821–1876), English preacher and civic activist
 * George Dawson (trainer) (1853–1913), British racehorse trainer
 * George Geoffrey Dawson (1874–1944), English editor of The Times
 * George Mercer Dawson (1849–1901), Canadian surveyor
 * George William Dawson, Confederate officer from Alabama, first captain of the Perote Guards
 * George Dawson (boxer) (1867–?), Australian boxer
 * George Dawson (builder) (1821–1889), English builder, property developer and alderman

title: George Dawson