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Strangford (UK Parliament constituency)

Strangford (Irish: Loch Cuan, Ulster Scots: Strangfurd) is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.

The current MP is Jim Shannon (DUP).

Constituency profile
Strangford covers the settlements either side of Strangford Lough.

In 2024, for the first time, the town of Strangford is included in the constituency due to boundary changes, after previously being in South Down.

The seat is strongly unionist, and one of 7 areas of Northern Ireland which voted to leave the European Union.

Boundaries
The seat was created after boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of North Down. At its creation the constituency was formed from the local government district of Ards, and the Castlereagh districts of Beechill, Fourwinds, Hillfoot, Lower Braniel, Minnowburn, Moneyreagh, Newtownbreda, and Upper Braniel.

In 1995, the Commission controversially recommended abolishing the constituency and dividing it between North Down and new constituencies of Mid Down, and Castlereagh and Newtownards. This was successfully opposed in local enquiries and from the 1997 general election it was made up of parts of the districts of Ards, Castlereagh and Down.

For the 2010 general election the electoral wards which make up the constituency are:

For the 2024 general election, boundaries have changed. The current electoral wards are:
 * Ballygowan, Ballyrainey, Ballywalter, Ballyhalbert, Bradshaw's Brae, Carrowdore, Central, Comber East, Comber North, Comber West, Glen, Gregstown, Killinchy, Kircubbin, Lisbane, Loughries, Movilla, Portaferry, Portavogie, Scrabo and Whitespots, from the Ards district.
 * From the Down district; Ballymaglave, Ballynahinch East, Derryboy, Killyleagh, Kilmore and Saintfield
 * The Moneyreagh ward from Castlereagh district

History
For the history of the equivalent constituencies prior to 1950 please see Down (UK Parliament constituency) and from 1950 until 1983, please see North Down.

The constituency has been represented by Unionist candidates since it was formed. There have not been significant votes for parties outside the traditional unionist block, although the Alliance has saved its deposit in every election.

The main interest in elections has been the contest between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Until 2001, the UUP were clearly ahead of the DUP in the Westminster elections, but elections to regional assemblies and local government were much closer. In 2001 the sitting MP John Taylor stood down and the contest to succeed him was fierce. The seat was won by Iris Robinson for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the subsequent 2003 assembly election saw the DUP increase their vote further.

Members of Parliament
The first Member of Parliament for the seat was John Taylor of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). After the 2001 general election, he was succeeded by Iris Robinson (the wife of Peter Robinson) of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Robinson resigned in January 2010 after a scandal involving financial dealings. However, no by-election was held, as the next general election was held in May. Jim Shannon (DUP) has held the seat since 2010. Note: Iris Robinson left the DUP shortly before taking Chiltern Hundreds to leave the Commons. The seat was vacant from 13 January 2010 until the general election on 6 May 2010.

title: Strangford (UK Parliament constituency)


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Bread sauce

A bread sauce is a British warm or cold sauce made with milk, which is thickened with bread crumbs, typically eaten with roast chicken or turkey.

Recipe
The basic recipe calls for milk and onion with breadcrumbs and butter added as thickeners, seasoned with nutmeg, clove, bay leaf, black pepper and salt, with the meat fat from roasting often added too. The use of slightly stale bread is optimal.

History
A survivor of the medieval bread-thickened sauces, it typically accompanies domestic fowl such as turkey or chicken. Bread sauce can be traced back to at least as early as the medieval period, when cooks used bread as a thickening agent for sauces. The utilisation of bread in this way probably comes from cooks wanting to use up their stale bread who discovered that it could be incorporated within sauces to make them thicker.

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

title: Bread sauce


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Peltast

A peltast (πελταστής, peltastes) was a type of light infantry originating in Thrace and Paeonia and named after the kind of shield he carried. Thucydides mentions the Thracian peltasts, while Xenophon in the Anabasis distinguishes the Thracian and Greek peltast troops.

The peltast often served as a skirmisher in Hellenistic armies. In the Middle Ages, the same term was used for a type of Byzantine infantryman.

Pelte shield
Peltasts carried a crescent-shaped wicker shield called a "pelte" (Ancient Greek πέλτη; Latin: ) as their main protection, hence their name. According to Aristotle, the pelte was rimless and covered in goat- or sheepskin. Some literary sources imply that the shield could be round, but in art it is usually shown as crescent-shaped. It also appears in Scythian art and may have been a common type in Central Europe. The shield could be carried with a central strap and a handgrip near the rim or with just a central hand-grip. It may also have had a carrying strap (or guige), as Thracian peltasts slung their shields on their backs when evading the enemy.

Weapons
Peltasts weapons consisted of several javelins, which may have had straps to allow more force to be applied to a throw.

Development

In Archaic Greece, the Greek martial tradition had been focused almost exclusively on the heavy infantry, or hoplites.

The style of fighting used by peltasts originated in Thrace, and the first Greek peltasts were recruited from the Greek cities of the Thracian coast. They are generally depicted on vases and in other images as wearing the typical Thracian costume, which includes the distinctive Phrygian cap made of fox-skin and with ear flaps. They also usually wore patterned tunics, fawnskin boots and long cloaks, called zeiras, decorated with a bright, geometric, pattern. However, many mercenary peltasts were probably recruited in Greece. Some vases have also been found showing hoplites (men wearing Corinthian helmets, greaves and cuirasses, holding hoplite spears) carrying peltes. Often, the mythical Amazons (women warriors) are shown with peltast equipment.

Peltasts gradually became more important in Greek warfare, in particular during the Peloponnesian War.

Xenophon, in the Anabasis, describes peltasts in action against Achaemenid cavalry at the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC, where they were serving as part of the mercenary force of Cyrus the Younger."Tissaphernes had not fled at the first charge (by the Greek troops), but had instead charged along the river through the Greek peltasts. However he did not kill a single man as he passed through. The Greeks opened their ranks (to allow the Persian cavalry through) and proceeded to deal blows (with swords) and throw javelins at them as they went through."

Xenophon's description makes it clear that these peltasts were armed with swords, as well as javelins, but not with spears. When faced with a charge from the Persian cavalry, they opened their ranks and allowed the cavalry through while striking them with swords and hurling javelins at them.

Peltasts became the main type of Greek mercenary infantry in the 4th century BC. Their equipment was less expensive than that of traditional hoplites and would have been more readily available to poorer members of society. The Athenian general Iphicrates destroyed a Spartan phalanx in the Battle of Lechaeum in 390 BC, using mostly peltasts. In the account of Diodorus Siculus, Iphicrates is credited with re-arming his men with long spears, perhaps in around 374 BC. This reform may have produced a type of "peltast" armed with a small shield, a sword, and a spear instead of javelins.

Some authorities, such as J.G.P. Best, state that these later "peltasts" were not truly peltasts in the traditional sense, but lightly armored hoplites carrying the pelte shield in conjunction with longer spears—a combination that has been interpreted as a direct ancestor to the Macedonian phalanx. However, thrusting spears are included in some illustrations of peltasts before the time of Iphicrates and some peltasts may have carried them as well as javelins rather than as a replacement for them. As no battle accounts describe peltasts using thrusting spears, it may be that they were sometimes carried by individuals by choice (rather than as part of a policy or reform). The Lykian sarcophagas of Payava from about 400 BC depicts a soldier carrying a round pelte, but using a thrusting spear overarm. He wears a pilos helmet with cheekpieces, but no armour. His equipment therefore resembles Iphicrates's supposed new troops. Fourth-century BC peltasts also seem to have sometimes worn both helmets and linen armour.

Alexander the Great employed peltasts drawn from the Thracian tribes to the north of Macedonia, particularly the Agrianoi. In the 3rd century BC, peltasts were gradually replaced with thureophoroi infantrymen. Later references to peltasts may not in fact refer to their style of equipment as the word peltast became a synonym for mercenary.

Anatolian
A tradition of fighting with javelins, light shield and sometimes a spear existed in Anatolia and several contingents armed like this appeared in Xerxes I's army that invaded Greece in 480 BC. For example, the Paphlagonians and Phrygians wore wicker helmets and native boots reaching halfway to the knee. They carried small shields, short spears, javelins and daggers.

In the Persian army
From the mid-5th century BC onwards, peltast soldiers began to appear in Greek depictions of Persian troops. They were equipped like Greek and Thracian peltasts, but were dressed in typically Persian army uniforms. They often carried light axes, known as sagaris, as sidearms. It has been suggested that these troops were known in Persian as takabara and their shields as taka. The Persians may have been influenced by Greek and Thracian peltasts. Another alternative source of influence would have been the Anatolian hill tribes, such as the Corduene, Mysians or Pisidians. In Greek sources, these troops were either called peltasts or peltophoroi (bearers of pelte).

In the Antigonid army
In the Hellenistic period, the Antigonid kings of Macedon had an elite corps of native Macedonian peltasts. However, this force should not be confused with the skirmishing peltasts discussed earlier. The peltasts were probably, according to F.W. Walbank, about 3,000 in number, although by the Third Macedonian War, this went up to 5,000 (most likely to accommodate the elite agema, which was a sub-unit in the peltast corps). The fact that they are always mentioned as being in their thousands suggests that, in terms of organization, the peltasts were organized into chiliarchies. This elite corps was most likely of the same status, of similar equipment and role as Alexander the Great's hypaspists. Within this corps of peltasts was its elite formation, the Agema. These troops were used on forced marches by Philip V of Macedon, which suggests that they were lightly equipped and mobile. However, at the battle of Pydna in 168 BC, Livy remarks on how the Macedonian peltasts defeated the Paeligni and of how this shows the dangers of going directly at the front of a phalanx. Though it may seem strange for a unit that would fight in phalanx formation to be called peltasts, pelte would not be an inappropriate name for a Macedonian shield. They may have been similarly equipped with the Iphicratean hoplites or peltasts, as described by Diodorus.

Deployment
Peltasts were usually deployed on the flanks of the phalanx, providing a link with any cavalry, or in rough or broken ground. For example, in the Hellenica, Xenophon writes 'When Dercylidas learned this (that a Persian army was nearby), he ordered his officers to form their men in line, eight ranks deep (the hoplite phalanx), as quickly as possible, and to station the peltasts on either wing along with the cavalry. They could also operate in support of other light troops, such as archers and slingers.

Tactics
When faced with hoplites, peltasts operated by throwing javelins at short range. If the hoplites charged, the peltasts would retreat. As they carried considerably lighter equipment than the hoplites, they were usually able to evade successfully, especially in difficult terrain. They would then return to the attack once the pursuit ended, if possible, taking advantage of any disorder created in the hoplites' ranks. At the Battle of Sphacteria, the Athenian forces included 800 archers and at least 800 peltasts. Thucydides, in the History of the Peloponnesian War, writes "They (the Spartan hoplites) themselves were held up by the weapons shot at them from both flanks by the light troops. Though they (the hoplites) drove back the light troops at any point in which they ran in and approached too closely, they (the light troops) still fought back even in retreat, since they had no heavy equipment and could easily outdistance their pursuers over ground where, since the place had been uninhabited until then, the going was rough and difficult."

When fighting other types of light troops, peltasts were able to close more aggressively in melee, as they had the advantage of possessing shields, swords, and helmets.

Medieval Byzantine
A type of infantryman called a peltast (peltastēs) is described in the Strategikon, a 6th-century AD military treatise associated with the early Byzantine emperor Maurice. Peltasts were especially prominent in the Byzantine army of the Komnenian period in the late 11th and 12th centuries. Although the peltasts of Antiquity were light skirmish infantry armed with javelins, it is not safe to assume that the troops given this name in the Byzantine period were identical in function. Byzantine peltasts were sometimes described as "assault troops". Byzantine peltasts appear to have been relatively lightly equipped soldiers capable of great battlefield mobility, who could skirmish but who were equally capable of close combat. Their arms may have included a shorter version of the kontarion spear employed by contemporary Byzantine heavy infantry.

title: Peltast


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Richard Foreman

Richard Foreman (born June 10, 1937 in New York City) is an American avant-garde playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater.

Achievements and awards
Foreman has written, directed and designed over fifty of his own plays, both in New York City and abroad. He has received three Obie Awards for Best Play of the Year, and received four other Obies for directing and for sustained achievement. Foreman has received the annual Literature Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, a "Lifetime Achievement in the Theater" award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the PEN American Center Master American Dramatist Award, a MacArthur Fellowship, and in 2004 was elected an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France.

Archive
Foreman's archives and work materials have been acquired by the Fales Library at New York University (NYU).

Early life and education
Richard Foreman was born in New York City, but spent many of his formative years in Scarsdale, New York. At Scarsdale High School (SHS), from which he graduated in 1955, Foreman was heavily involved in the theater department.

A 2018 documentary produced by the Lower East Side Biography Project outlined Foreman's early motivations for pursuing work in the theater. The documentary maintains that Foreman suffered from extreme shyness as a child. The documentary also reveals that Foreman was adopted — a fact he did not discover until he was in his 30s. The name given to him by his birth mother was Edward L. Friedman. Foreman’s birth mother was an orthodox Jew, and his birth father was Catholic “with artistic talent,” according to information he received from the Jewish adoption agency, Louise Wise Services. Both his adopted parents were Jewish. Foreman says, "...my parents were very supportive, but nevertheless, I didn't feel that close to them in certain ways."

Richard Foreman went on to study at Brown University (B.A. 1959), and received an MFA in Playwriting from Yale School of Drama in 1962. As a freshman, he starred as Willie Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, receiving much acclaim, despite his later stated antipathy for Miller’s work. Later at Brown, Foreman founded the Production Workshop, Brown University's student theatre group, while taking part in other student theater productions. In 1993, Brown presented him with an honorary doctorate. At Yale, Foreman studied under John Gassner, the drama critic and former literary manager at The Theatre Guild.

Early career and artistic influences
Richard Foreman moved to New York City directly after graduating from Yale School of Drama and worked as a manager of apartment complexes. Before finding his footing as a theater practitioner, Foreman became an avid patron of New York's downtown experimental theater and film scene. Foreman described feeling "overwhelmed" upon seeing The Living Theatre's productions of The Connection and The Brig. Foreman also attended screenings of avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas at The Living Theatre. Mekas' early cinematic work had a profound impact on Foreman. In The Lower East Side Biography Project documentary, Foreman states, "those [films] really got to me. I thought this is the most poetic, beautiful, creative art that I've seen Americans producing." Foreman claims that, for a long time, he was too shy to introduce himself to Judith Malina and Julian Beck (the founders of The Living Theatre) or to Jonas Mekas, but fascinated by Mekas' work, Foreman and his wife, Kate Manheim, began following Mekas as he filmed various projects in New York.

Foreman finally inserted himself into the avant-garde scene when police interrupted a screening and seized a copy of the 1963 film, Flaming Creatures, and charged Jonas Mekas, Ken Jacobs, and Florence Karpf for violating New York's obscenity laws. Foreman called Mekas, offering his help, and over the following years, Foreman and Mekas became close friends and collaborators.

Through his connection to Jonas Mekas, Foreman became acquainted with architect and artist, George Maciunas. Foreman began working for Mekas and Maciunas, overseeing their movie theater, Film-Maker's Cinematheque at 80 Wooster Street. Foreman also became heavily involved in the development of Maciunas' Fluxhouse Cooperatives, which consisted of converted SoHo lofts designed to be living and working spaces for artists.

During the 1960s, Foreman also got to know theater director Robert Wilson, filmmaker and actor Jack Smith, and theater director and scholar Richard Schechner, all of whom encouraged Foreman to start producing his own work. With Schechner, Foreman formed a theater collective in 1968 called "A Bunch of Experimental Theaters of New York Inc," which included seven theater companies: Mabou Mines, The Manhattan Project, Meredith Monk/The House, The Performance Group, The Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Section Ten, and Foreman's company, Ontological-Hysteric Theatre. From this point on, Foreman began producing works under the moniker "Ontological-Hysteric."

Influence of Gertrude Stein
A number of scholars have called attention to the parallels between the theories of Gertrude Stein and Richard Foreman's theatrical aesthetics. Foreman himself has spoken about the significance of her writings to his work. In 1969, Foreman declared, "Gertrude Stein obviously was doing all kinds of things we haven't event caught up to yet."

Kate Davy analyzes Stein's influence on Foreman in her article, Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theatre: The Influence of Gertrude Stein. The primary connection between the works of Stein and Foreman, she proposes, is the writers' conception of consciousness in writing. Stein preferred "entity writing" over "identity writing." According to Stein's model, "entity writing" is "the 'thing-in-itself' detached from time and association, while identity is the 'thing-in-relation,' time-bound, clinging in association." "Entity writing" is free from any notion of remembering, relationships, or narratives, and it expresses what Stein called the "continuous present." Stein's method of writing is meditative practice that requires the writer's "deliberate detachment of oneself from the external world while documenting one's own consciousness in the act of writing." Therefore, this type of writing is said to reflect the workings of the writer's mind in its presentation. Stein adopted this theory of the "continuous present" to her work as a playwright. She abandoned the theatrical conventions of narrative structure in favor of a theatrical experience that focuses on the real-time consciousness—one in which "the spectator can move 'out' of the composition, or stop, at any moment without creating syncopated emotional time."

Foreman's theatrical experiences invoke Stein's theories in that they both abandon narrative, focusing on the here-and-now, and they seem to include Foreman's "process of making the play" in the presentation of the play. In his essay, "How I Write My (Self: Plays)," Foreman explains his process of taking text to performance: "The writing tending towards a more receptive, open, passive receiving of 'what wants to be written' and the staging tending towards more active organization of the 'arrived' elements of the writing -- finding ways to make the writing inhabit a constructed environment."

Davy notes that like Stein, Foreman tends to avoid "'emotional traps' or the intentional manipulation of an audiences emotional responses by eliminating the 'lifelike' qualities of drama (clearly developing situation involving imaginary people in imaginary places), thereby creating a world into which the spectator has great difficulty projecting himself." Davy gives the example of Foreman's characters often referring to themselves in the third person, which creates an alienating effect for the audience member who cannot project themself into the experience of the character. Through Foreman's alienating characterization, the audience is made to look at Foreman's actors as "self-enclosed units," or theatrical props, rather than characters. Therefore, Foreman's aesthetics demand that the spectator not escape into the play, but become conscious of their own process of interpretation. In Foreman's essay, "14 Things I Tell Myself," he elaborates, "Our art then = a learning how to look at 'A' and 'B' and see not them but a relation that cannot be 'seen.' You can't look at 'it' (that relation) because it IS the looking itself. That's where he looking (you) is, doing the looking." Davy points out that "by eliminating internal punctuation in long complicated sentences," Stein's writing produces a similar effect for her readers who have to actively take part in discerning Stein's words.

Ontological-Hysteric Theater
The Ontological-Hysteric Theater (OHT) was founded by Foreman in 1968. The core of the company's annual programming has been Richard Foreman's theater pieces. Foreman mounted his first production with Ontological-Hysteric Theatre in 1968 at the Film-Maker's Cinematheque on Wooster Street, where he worked under the Fluxus leader George Maciunas. Ontological-Hysteric Theatre balances a primitive and minimal art style with extremely complex and theatrical themes. OHT's first productions, Angelface (1968) and Ida-Eyed (1969), received almost no critical attention. By the mid 1970s, however, OHT gained traction with relatively popular works such as Sophia = (Wisdom) Part 3: The Cliffs (1972).

Critical Analysis
In his 1973 essay, "Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theatre," theater critic Michael Kirby aptly breaks down the aesthetics of OHT through the case study of Foreman's play Sophia = (Wisdom) Part 3: The Cliffs. Kirby uses the elements of setting, picturization, speech, written material, control, movement and dances, sound, objects, relation to film, structure, content, and effect to analyze Foreman's theatrical vocabulary. Among his observations, Kirby notes that although "Sophia" is a play without a plot, it produces its own kind of structure of "thematic webs of visual and verbal ideas and references." Foreman achieves this visual structure through "picturization.' By picturization, Kirby means that Foreman's staging is presented as "sequences of static pictures" in which the actors adjust themselves into tableaux as opposed to moving continuously throughout the play. Kirby also notes that Foreman makes use of written text that is projected on screens on the set. These projected words, Kirby describes, are both direct addresses to the spectator and "expository information". Kirby also writes about how Foreman literally controlled the pace and tempo of every performance of "Sophia." During the performance, Foreman would sit at a table in front of the stage, controlling the projections and sound cues. By acting as stage manager, Foreman was able to insert himself into he performance as it unfolded. Kirby also discusses the role of sound in Foreman's plays. He writes, "Noise, too, serves as both background and as an explicit part of the action." At times, recordings of lines take over for the actors' actual voice, creating a sense of alienation.

Ontological-Hysteric Incubator
The Ontological-Hysteric Theater prides itself on nurturing the talents of young and emerging theater practitioners. According to their website, "the OHT was a starting point for many artists making their mark in New York City and internationally including David Herskovitz, Artistic Director of Target Margin Theater, Damon Keily Artistic Director of American Theater in Chicago, Radiohole, Elevator Repair Service, Pavol Liska, NTUSA, as well as Richard Maxwell, Sophie Haviland, Bob Cucuzza, DJ Mendel, Ken Nintzle and Young Jean Lee."

In 1993, OHT began their emerging artists program by initiating the Blueprint Series for emerging directors. In 2005, OHT reorganized their emerging artists program under the name INCUBATOR, "creating a series of linked programs to provide young theater artists with resources and support to develop process-oriented, original theatrical productions." The INCUBATOR programs include a residency program, two annual music festivals, a regular concert series, a serial work-in-progress program called Short Form, and roundtables and salons. The program received an OBIE grant in 2010.

Collaborations and work outside of the Ontological-Hysteric Theatre
Foreman's work has been primarily produced by and performed at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater in New York, though he has gained acclaim as director for such productions as Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera at Lincoln Center and the premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks's Venus at the Public Theater.

Stage productions
Foreman's plays have been co-produced by The New York Shakespeare Festival, La Mama Theatre, The Wooster Group, the Festival d'Automne in Paris and the Vienna Festival. Foreman has collaborated (as librettist and stage director) with composer Stanley Silverman on eight music theater pieces produced by The Music Theater Group and The New York City Opera. He has also directed and designed many classical productions with major theaters around the world including, The Threepenny Opera, The Golem and plays by Václav Havel, Botho Strauss, and Suzan-Lori Parks for The New York Shakespeare Festival, Die Fledermaus at the Paris Opera, Don Giovanni at the Opera de Lille, Philip Glass's Fall of the House of Usher at the American Repertory Theater and The Maggio Musicale in Florence, Woyzeck at Hartford Stage Company, Molière's Don Juan at the Guthrie Theater and The New York Shakespeare Festival, Kathy Acker's Birth of the Poet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the RO theater in Rotterdam, Gertrude Stein's Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights at the Autumn Festivals in Berlin and Paris.

Seven collections of his plays have been published, and books studying his work have been published in English, French, and German.

Bridge Project
In 2004, Foreman established The Bridge Project with Sophie Haviland to promote international art exchange between countries around the world through workshops, symposiums, theater productions, visual art, performance and multimedia events.

Plays

 * Angelface, New York City (1968)
 * Ida-Eyed, New York City (1969)
 * Total Recall, New York City (1970)
 * HcOhTiEnLa (or) Hotel China, New York City (1971)
 * Dream Tantras for Western Massachusetts, Lennox, Massachusetts (1971) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Evidence, New York City (1972)
 * Sophia= (Wisdom) Part 3: The Cliffs, New York City (1972)
 * Particle Theory, New York City (1973)
 * Classical Therapy or A Week under the Influence ... , Paris (1973)
 * Pain(t), New York City (1974)
 * Vertical Mobility, New York City (1974)
 * Pandering to the Masses: A Misrepresentation, New York City (1975)
 * Rhoda in Potatoland (Her Fall-Starts), New York City (1975)
 * Livre des Splendeurs: Part One, Paris (1976)
 * Book of Splendors: Part Two (Book of Levers) Action at a Distance, New York City (1977)
 * Blvd. de Paris (I've Got the Shakes), New York City (1977)
 * Madness and Tranquility (My Head Was a Sledgehammer), New York City (1979)
 * Place + Target, Rome (1980)
 * Penguin Touquet, New York City (1981)
 * Café Amérique, Paris (1981)
 * Egyptology, New York City (1983)
 * La Robe de Chambre de Georges Bataille, Paris (1983)
 * Miss Universal Happiness, New York City (1985)
 * The Cure, New York City (1986)
 * Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good, New York City (1987)
 * Symphony of Rats, New York City (1987)
 * Love and Science, Stockholm (1988)
 * What Did He See? New York City (1988)
 * Lava, New York City (1989)
 * Eddie Goes to Poetry City: Part One, Seattle (1990)
 * Eddie Goes to Poetry City: Part Two, New York City (1991)
 * The Mind King, New York City (1992)
 * Samuel's Major Problems, New York City (1993)
 * My Head Was a Sledgehammer, New York City (1994)
 * I've Got the Shakes, New York City (1995)
 * The Universe, New York City (1995)
 * Permanent Brain Damage, New York City (1996) (toured to London)
 * Pearls for Pigs, Hartford, Connecticut (1997) (toured to Montreal, Paris, Rome, Los Angeles, and New York City)
 * Benita Canova, New York City (1997)
 * Paradise Hotel (Hotel Fuck), New York City (1998) (toured to Paris, Copenhagen, Salzburg and Berlin)
 * Bad Boy Nietzsche, New York City (2000 (toured to Brussels, Berlin and Tokyo)
 * Now That Communism Is Dead, My Life Feels Empty, New York City (2001) (toured to Vienna and the Netherlands)
 * Maria Del Bosco, New York City (2002) (toured to Singapore)
 * Panic! (How to Be Happy!), New York City (2003) (toured to Zurich and Vienna)
 * King Cowboy Rufus Rules the Universe!, New York City (2004)
 * The Gods Are Pounding My Head! AKA Lumberjack Messiah, New York City (2005)
 * ZOMBOID! (Film/Performance Project #1), New York City (2006)
 * WAKE UP MR. SLEEPY! YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND IS DEAD!, New York City (2007)
 * DEEP TRANCE BEHAVIOR IN POTATOLAND (A RICHARD FOREMAN THEATER MACHINE), New York City (2008)
 * IDIOT SAVANT, New York City (2009)
 * OLD-FASHIONED PROSTITUTES (A TRUE ROMANCE), New York City (2013)

Opera

 * Elephant Steps, Tanglewood (1968) / New York City (1970) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Dr. Selavy's Magic Theater, New York City (1972) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Hotel for Criminals, New York City (1974) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * American Imagination, New York City (1978) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Madame Adare, New York City (1980) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Africanus Instructus, New York City (1986) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * Love & Science, New York City (1990) (music by Stanley Silverman)
 * WHAT TO WEAR, Los Angeles (2006 (music by Michael Gordon)
 * ASTRONOME: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, New York City (2009) (music by John Zorn)

Film and video

 * Out of the Body Travel, video play (1975)
 * City Archives, video play (1977)
 * Strong Medicine, feature film (1978)
 * Radio Rick in Heaven and Radio Richard in Hell, film (1987)
 * Total Rain, video play (1990)
 * Once Every Day, feature film (2012)
 * Now You See It Now You Don't, feature film (2017)
 * Mad Love, feature film (2018)

Books

 * Plays and Manifestos (1976)
 * Theatre of Images (1977)
 * Reverberation Machines: The Later Plays and Essays (1986)
 * Love and Science: Selected Librettos by Richard Foreman (1991)
 * Unbalancing Acts: Foundations for a Theater (1993)
 * My Head Was a Sledgehammer: Six Plays (1995)
 * No-body: A Novel in Parts (1996)
 * Paradise Hotel and Other Plays (2001)
 * Richard Foreman (Art + Performance) (2005)
 * Bad Boy Nietzsche! and Other Plays (2005)
 * Manifestos and Essays (2010)
 * Plays with Films (New York: Contra Mundum Press, 2013)
 * Plays for the Public (Theatre Communications Group, 2019)

Awards and honors
Foreman has won seven Village Voice Obie Awards, including three for "Best Play", and one for Lifetime Achievement. In addition, he has received:

 * 1972 – Guggenheim Fellowship for Playwriting
 * 1974 – Rockefeller Foundation Playwrights Grant
 * 1990 – Ford Foundation play development grant for Eddie Goes to Poetry City
 * 1990 – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Distinguished Artist Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in Theater
 * 1992 – American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award in Literature
 * 1992 & 1995 – NEA Playwriting Fellowship
 * 1995-2000 – MacArthur Fellowship
 * 1996 – Edwin Booth Award for Theatrical Achievement
 * 2001 – PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award Master American Playwright Award
 * 2004 – Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France

title: Richard Foreman


text:
Talk:Galactic Empire series

Trantor
Isn't Pebble in the Sky set in like 827 GE and isn't Trantor mentioned by the people on Earth in regards to the Empire it is building? I could be mistaken but it seems worthy of mention if it is accurate because that would add another link to the Foundation series Cbing01 08:40, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * The Empire in Pebble is not just being built: it is co-extensive with the galaxy. Currents occurs during the period when Trantor and other systems have become affiliated into a single political entity, but one which controls only certain sectors. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ellsworth (talk • contribs) 23:41, 2 October 2004 (UTC)

Order
It seems to me that "The Stars, Like Dust" doesn't seem to take place after "The Currents of Space". I have two reasons for this suspicion: One, in "Stars", there is no mention whatsoever of the Galactic (Trantorian) Empire. Second, it seems that in "Stars", most people know about Earth and believe it to be the origin planet. In "Currents", Earth is very obscure and hardly anyone knows about it or believes. Also, "Currents" has mention of the Galactic Empire. Because of this, "The Stars, Like Dust" must take place earlier in history before the Galactic Empire is formed, and before the memory of Earth fades. Based on what I've read, it seems very clear that the actual order should be: "The Stars, Like Dust", "The Currents of Space", "Pebble In The Sky". I'm just curious about why it was placed after "Currents" in internal chornology. Did Asimov himself do it? Also, I'm not even sure why "Stars" is considered and Empire novel, as there is no mention of Trantor or the Galactic empire.24.8.42.84 (talk) 07:31, 14 March 2009 (UTC)
 * I concur. "Stars" takes place before the ascendancy of Trantor, in fact I think the back cover of my book even states so (It's at home and I can't check!)  The timeline lik in this entry also seems to indicate the order Stars, Currents, Pebble - as do "the preceded by/followed by" links.  A different timeline also follows the same order, and even lists estimated dates: Stars (4850 AD), Currents (11129 AD), Pebble (12411 AD)  The suggested reading order link appears to be the source of the Currents,Stars,Pebble order.  Given this, I'm making the change in the entry.  Spaceman13 (talk) 19:19, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Proposed move (1)

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the proposal was no consensus to remove "Galactic" from the title but moved to fix capitalization of "series." JPG-GR (talk) 02:54, 20 April 2008 (UTC)

I have usually only seen this refered to as the "Empire series," not the "Galactic Empire series," especially here on Wikipedia. Should the name be changed to reflect that? Also, do we capitalize "series" or not? —ScouterSig 15:52, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

 * Oppose I've mostly seen this referred to as Galactic Empire trilogy, and stylistically, "series" should not be capitalized. 70.55.84.42 (talk) 07:06, 9 April 2008 (UTC)
 * I have fixed the caps issue you mentioned. —ScouterSig 15:36, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

 * Comment As Asimov's Foundation series is located at Foundation series, is there any reason why this wouldn't be located at Galactic Empire series, Empire series, or Galactic Empire trilogy or whatever is decided upon? JPG-GR (talk) 18:17, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
 * I think because there is only one thing called "Foundation series," while there could be multiple "robot series" or "empire series." In fact, there are two of each: one each by Asimov, and one each "commissioned" by him and his estate as sequels. It's a form of disambiguation, I assume. —ScouterSig 18:36, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

My Two Cents
I'm no expert but I did enjoy reading Asmiov's 15 core books. Asmiov broke them into three groups: Robot Novels, Galactive Empire Novels, and Foundation Novels. I think we should respect Asmiov's memory by keeping this Galactic Empire page separate from the others. --Neilrieck (talk) 03:57, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Robots
As in the page "The short story "Blind Alley" is the only story set in the Foundation universe to feature intelligence not of human origin; Foundation and Earth features non-human intelligences (of Solaria and Gaia), but they are descended from or created by humans.".

Is that to be considered a true statement? In the end of Foundation and Earth they meet R. Daneel Olivaw, who is a robot. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.5.168.114 (talk) 03:54, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

 * I think that's what meant by "not of human origin": the robot was made by humans. Not great wording though, I agree. If you can think of a better way to phrase it then please do. --xensyriaT 23:58, 26 March 2012 (UTC)

New move proposal

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: pages moved -- JHunterJ (talk) 00:02, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

I've made a new proposal to rename this article and Isaac Asimov's Robot Series in line with the naming conventions. Please have your say on the discussion there. --xensyriaT 18:56, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

– For multiple breaches of WP:Article titles, not reflecting series names as commonly used or correct capitalisation. Full rationale and discussion here. --xensyriaT 20:42, 28 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Isaac Asimov's Galactic Empire series → Empire series
 * Isaac Asimov's Robot Series → Robot series (Asimov)

 * Strong oppose "Empire series" is horribly generic, and several sports series from the British Empire have been called that. 70.24.244.198 (talk) 03:34, 29 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Point taken, and proposal adjusted accordingly with your alterations to Empire series, to rename Isaac Asimov's Galactic Empire series to Empire series (Asimov). Please contribute to the main discussion here. --xensyriaT 08:28, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

- Proposal again updated, this time for this article to be moved to Galactic Empire (series), as voted for in the main discussion. -- xensyria T 14:03, 6 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Isaac Asimov's Galactic Empire series → Galactic Empire (series)
 * Isaac Asimov's Robot Series → Robot series (Asimov)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

title: Talk:Galactic Empire series


text:
Gojal

Gojal (Wakhi: وادی گوجال, Kyrgyz: گۉجال ۅرۅنۇ,), also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karachukar sub-division within the Hunza District. It is geographically the largest subdivision of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gojal or Upper Hunza is composed of a number of large and small valleys sharing borders with Central Hunza to the south, China in the northeast, and Afghanistan in the northwest. Aeenabad is the first village of Gojal, Upper Hunza. Except for the Shimshal, Misgar, and Chipursan valleys, all the villages of Gojal, Upper Hunza can be seen from the Karakoram Highway (KKH), which crosses Gojal, entering China at the Khunjerab Pass. The Gojal region has 20,000 Ismaili residents.

History
The valleys and villages of Gojal were settled over time by people from surrounding regions. Kyrgyz nomads initially used the areas in Upper Gojal as winter pastures. Wakhis migrated from Wakhan to this region, the Yishkuk, Chapursan Valley, the Avgarch area of Gircha and Sost villages were settled in the upper Gojal while in the lower Gojal Hussaini, Pakistan is considered an ancient settlement. When Hunza was under the Central Government of Gilgit the Ishkook settlement was wealthy and paid cattle and other dairy products to the Raja of Gilgit. As Hunza emerged as an independent state during the early 15th century so it can be inferred that different valleys in upper Gojal were inhabited by the Wakhi speaking migrants prior to the emergence of the Hunza state. Later, the oral history holds, a catastrophic flood destroyed the Ishkook settlement during the 18th century. The dominance of Central Hunza or Kanjud became significant during Mir Shah Salim Khan's period (1790-1824). Mir Shah Salim Khan was raised by his foster mother lady Gulbahar wife of Ashoor of the Budlay family of Gulmit Gojal. Lady Gulbahar was the daughter of the Qazi of Wakhan Qazi Makhtum. When Shah Salim Khan became the Mir of Hunza he paid attention to the expansion of the settlements of Gulkin and Gulmit and initiated the resettlement of Chipusan to increase revenue. One of the wives of Mir Salim Khan Princes Khushal Begum was the daughter of Qalam Ashqagha of Siriqol. Khushal Begum was gifted agriculture and grazing land and rights over-collection of taxes from settlements in Siriqol by her father. Through this, the state of Hunza extended its control to the areas of Siriqol. From Khushal Begum Mir Salim Khan had a son named Shah Abdullah Khan who was the youngest amongst five other sons of the Mir. Mir Shah Salim Khan died in 1824 in Gulmit. After the death of Mir Shah Salim Khan his elder son, Shah Ghazanfar Khan (1824-1864) became the Mir of Hunza. Mir Shah Ghazanfar deputed his younger brother Shah Abdullah Khan as the Governor of Gojal and also assigned him the additional responsibility of the Commander of the forces of Hunza. It was this time when the resettlement of Chipursan valley was materialized by moving families from Gulmit, Gulkin, Hussaini, and Passu villages and bringing major parcels of land under irrigation. Other new areas in Gojal that were brought under irrigation were Abdullah Khan Abad, Zar Khan, and Zar Abad. Shah Abdullah Khan was based in Gulkin and the adjacent areas of Jalalabad, Shah Abad, Shah Mal, and Yashbandan were part of his personal jagir. During this period Hunza emerged as a regional power and extended its borders to Siriqol, Yarqand, and Wakhan. The Wakhi people of Gojal emerged as warriors and took part in many wars. The forces of Hunza fought and won wars against Khojas, Kyrgyz people, and Badakhshan. During Abdullah Khan's period, Gojal emerged as a stronghold and the center became increasingly dependent both for its revenue and military power on Gojal. This increasing dependency on Gojal and increasing power of Abdullah Khan was seen as a threat by many in the center which resulted in the murder of Abdullah Khan by prince Ghazan Khan, the elder son of Mir Shah Ghazanfar with support from a group of killers from Altit and Karimabad. Ghazan Khan later murdered his father Mir Shah Ghazanfar also and became the Mir of Hunza. Abdullah Khan had five children including one daughter and four sons. The daughter named Mirona was the eldest amongst all and was married in his father's lifetime in Siriqol. Amongst his sons the eldest was Ali Parast who was married to Princes Bi Bi Aftab, the daughter of Mir Shah Ghazanfar, and was given Jagir in Hyderabad Hunza by Mir Shah Ghazafar however later during Ghazan Khan II's period migrated to Passu, others were Muhammad Bari, Ali Fatah, and Abdullah Beg. Muhammad Bari migrated to China with Mir Safdar Khan during the British invasion of Hunza in 1891. Ali Fatah was settled in Ghulkin and Abdullah Baig in Chapursan. After the death of Mir Shah Salim Khan who was the first-ever Ismaili in Hunza, Shah Ghazanfar and Abdullah Khan was amongst the few people in Hunza who got exposure to the Ismaili faith and became Ismaili during the first half of the 1800s. Mir Shah Salim Khan accepted the Ismaili faith as a result of the discussions with an Ismaili missionary Said Shah Ardabil during his visit to Gulmit. Mir Shah Salim was the first person in Hunza whose funeral was performed as per the Ismaili Tariqah and Chiragh-i-Roshan was performed for the first time in the history of Hunza for him in Gulmit.

In the later part of the 1800s, a major landslide near Sarat village blocked river Hunza and in three years' time, a major lake was formed which inundated major parts of the villages of Gulmit, Hussaini, and Passu. A major portion of the fertile land and orchards came under the lake. Most recently in 2010, another major landslide occurred in the same area in Attababad village which again inundated parts of Shiskat, Ayeenabad, and Gulmit.

Shimshal
Shimshal valley is the most Prominent village among all t the valleys of Gojal. It lies at an altitude of 3,100 m (10,170.6 ft) above sea level and is the highest settlement in the district. It is the largest valley in Gilgit-Baltistan and it covers almost area of Hunza District. Shimshal is a border village that connects the Gilgit-Baltistan area of Pakistan with China. The total area of Shimshal is approximately 3,800 km2 and there are around 2000 inhabitants with a total of 250 households.

Shimshal valley has its largest adventure area in Hunza and is a major attraction for tourists. Distaghil Sar is the highest mountain in the Shimshal Valley, part of the Karakoram mountain range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is the 19th-highest mountain on Earth and the 7th-highest in Pakistan. Disteghil sar is a Wakhi language word suggested by the Wakhi people of Shimshal, meaning "above the inner ranch." Shimshalis are to Pakistan as Sherpas are to Nepal. More than thirty well known mountaineers from this valley have made Pakistan proud in the field of tourism. Some people call it " The Valley of Mountaineers" Its mountains like Distaghil Sar (7,885 m), Kunjut Sar (7,790 m), Trivor (7,577 m), Pumari Chhish (W) (7,492 m), Yukshin Gardan Sar (7,530 m), Momhil Sar (7,343 m), Malungutti Sar (7,207 m) Shimshal Whitehorn (6,303 m) Minglik Sar (6,150 m), Lupghar Sar (7,200 m), Dut Sar (6,858 m), Sonia Peak (6,310 m), Purian Sar (6,293 m), Yazghail Sar (6,000 m), Yawash Sar II (6176 m) and others are well known among mountains. Gigantic glaciers include Malangudhi, Yazghail, Khurdopin (5,800 m), Braldu, Odver, Ver Zharav, and main passes are Chafchingoal, Khurdopin, Mai Dur, Braldu, Boi Sam and others. Among which the Khurdopin glacier pass remains the most favorite destination for the trekkers. .

Shishkat
Shishkat is also known as Nazimabad Shishkat is the first village of Gojal valley which borders Gojal(upper Hunza) with central Hunza. The total population of the village is 2,160 individuals living within 220 households. This is dominantly a Burushaski-speaking village. However, a sizable population of Wakhi and Domaaki speakers also live in the village. The village was settled down in 1903 during the reign of Mir Nazim Khan. Before this, the barren lands were used as grazing land of the Gulmit village. Some Wakhi households from Gulmit also permanently settled down in Shishkat while the Burushaski and Domaaki people migrated from Central Hunza. The village also has historical significance because this was the battleground between the Wakhi population above Gulmit and the state of Nagar and Hunza.

Gulmit - The Sub-Division Headquarters
Gulmit is the administrative headquarters of the Gojal Sub-Division. Gulmit is a centuries-old historic town, with mountains, peaks and glaciers. It is a tourist spot and has many hotels, shops and a museum. It is located 2,408 m above the sea level. Gulmit consists of small hamlets called Kamaris, Odver, Dalgiram, Laksh, Kalha, Shawaran, Khor Lakhsh, Chamangul, and Goze. Gulmit is home to around 4,000 people, all of them Wakhi-speakers and followers of the Ismaili school of thought of Shia Islam. Before 1974, when Hunza was a state, Gulmit used to be the Summer Capital of the state. After the abolition of the state it became the Tehsil's seat of government. The oldest intact house in Gulmit is more than six centuries old.

There are six Jama'at Khanas or religious community centers in Gulmit. One notices their presence in every ward of the village. The old Summer Palace of Mir of Hunza stands at the northern edge of Gulmit's historic Polo Ground. Old mosques, now used as libraries, also adorn the beautiful physique of Gulmit valley.

Among new buildings constructed by the government in Gulmit are Tehsil Headquarters, Federal Government's Boys High School, Civil Hospital, Diamond Jubilee Girls Middle School, and Government Girls Higher Secondary School.

Al- Amyn Model School, a community-based organization, has a beautiful building standing next to the Health Center of Aga Khan Health Services.

Settlement of Passu
Passu is located at 125 km from Gilgit on the KKH near the border of China and is surrounded by the mountains of the Karakoram range. Its neighborhood also includes two large glaciers: Batura and Passu Glacier. It is one of the most dangerous places to live in due to the continuous threat of floods and has been flooded four times in the past. Passu is also one of the most ancient villages in the area. According to archeologists, the first human settlement in the area dates back to 3000 BC or 5000 BC. There are many ancient rock carvings of ibex and zebra on several rocks, showing that ibexes have been around in the valley for many millennia, but the area no longer houses zebras. Other wildlife animals here are snow leopards and yaks. In the second settlement era, Chinese Buddhists lived here. The Buddhists of Gandhara, Swat, Gilgit, and Passu traveled from via this valley to go to China. Records of this settlement and subsequent migration are found in Karga Gilgit and Khurramabad Passu. The third settlement in the history of this valley is the Islamic era. Islam came to this area in the ninth century when Muslim soldiers and traders ventured to the region. Quranic verses were etched in the mountains around the valley during this era. The fourth era was also Islamic, which was settled here in the 18th century. This time, the area boasted a vibrant populace of 315 families. However, this village was destroyed by a natural disaster with a landslide and the nearby river was blocked. Only a few families remained safe by the landslide. This village was destroyed once again in 1964 when the population was forced into migration by the flooding of the Shimshal River and erosion around the river bank. This time around too, the village had some 300 houses. The majority of Passu's native population recognizes its ancestor as a man named Quli, who had come from Wakhan in the 15th century. In his memory, the people of Passu are also known as Quli-Kuts or Kutor. The Quli-Kuts tribe has also inhabited Karimabad, Murtazabad and many other villages of central Hunza. The Quli-Kuts in central Hunza later adopted the Burushu way of life and now speak the Burushaski language. Most of the families migrated to Chapursan and Khyber. Among the current inhabitants of Passu are seven families: the Alvi, Mughani, Din-Ali, Sakhi, Quba, and Parasti also called Miron. Parasti or Miron are descendants of Shah Abdullah Khan son of Mir Shah Salim Khan of Hunza. The family is named after Ali Parast, the elder son of Shah Abdullah Khan, who moved to Passu from Shahabad Hyderabad in the 1870s. During Mir Shah Ghazanfar's time, Abdullah Khan was deputed as the governor of Gojal and commander in chief of the forces of Hunza to protect the northern frontiers.

In 1941 the people of Passu under the leadership of Muhammad Adab Khan son of Ali Parast mobilized a revolt against the heavy taxes imposed by Mir Ghazan Khan II on the people of Gojal. The government of the British Raj intervened and through the local administration of the Gilgit Agency, the issue was resolved by reducing the taxes to the minimum level.

The latest figures put the population of Passu around 1,000.

Ghulkin
Ghulkin Village is located in Gojal Hunza. It is reached by following the Karakoram Highway (KKH) 140 km north of Gilgit. This trip takes 3–4 hours by road. From a turn-off just beyond Gulmit, a winding road leads upwards for 3 km, until the ground, flattens out and the first houses of the village come into view.

Ghulkin occupies the site of an old glacier-fed lake, which has been silted up by continuous sedimentation. Many of the 140 traditional dwellings that constitute Ghulkin village are arranged in a circular form, facing the one-time shores of the lake, creating a wonderfully communal atmosphere. The central area now supports several dwellings and fields, including a strip of land often used as a cricket pitch.

There is no accurate historical record of the origin of the village, though it is estimated to be around 700 years old. According to local folklore, there were settlements here while the lake was still in existence, this area being used as pastureland in summer. The name is derived from two words of the local Wakhi dialect, 'Ghulk ', meaning 'well' and 'kin', meaning 'whose'. Being an area of low rainfall, the most vital requirement is water for irrigation, livestock, drinking, and domestic use. Khawaja Ahmed, and Ismaili Muslims who came here with the Mir of Hunza, asked him for land. After the Mir agreed, Khawaja Ahmed mobilized the people of the area to construct a water channel to irrigate the land. This made cultivation possible and the Ismaili settlement flourished. Now small scale health and educational institutions, electricity and water-sully facilities are available in the village. Through the involvement of capacity-building NGOs, there is also a handicraft production center and opportunities for other vocational training. The Jama'at Khana, the central religious institution for all Ismaili Muslims, holds a strong position in the community. Apart from its religious functions, it provides a central location for community meetings, festivals, celebrations, resolution of disputes, and other community activities. In Upper Hunza, winters are long and can become bitterly cold. Snowfall brings with it the Siberian ibex, descending in search of grass under the snow cover. Summers are hot in the north, though more pleasant than the harsh temperatures in summer are around 30 °C. In winter the temperature remains below freezing point, further dropping at night.

Hussaini
Hussaini, Pakistan village is one of the old settlements of the Wakhi people in the Gojal valley. Hussaini is surrounded by the Hussaini Glacier and the Khunjarav River and the Karakoram Highway passes through the middle of the village.

People: The residents of Hussaini are ethnically Wakhi and speak Xikwor or Wakhi language. Most of the residents are from the Wakhan, Putuxk village of Musofer Family and a few are from Passu known as Quli or Sakhi Ktur -

Religion: The people of Hussaini like all other people in Gojal are followers of the Ismaili school of thought in Islam. Tourist Attractions: Hussaini Suspension Bridge, Hussaini Glacier, Zarabod Track and Sultan e Shahtalib (decades-old shrine of a saint) are famous tourist attractions of the Hussaini village of Gojal valley.

Avgarch
One of the oldest settlement and stronghold of the Wakhis against the foreign invaders like Kirghiz, Shighnanis is located in a narrow valley starting at Murkhun village at [KKH] and reaches height of Qarun pass. The Wakhis used to live in fortified houses, two forts, namely Pasth Qlha and Wuch-Qlha are still in partial use. An old Ismaili mosque, a new Jamat Khana, old Watchtowers in Avgarch and Boibar are some of the major landmarks in the valley. Baba Sufi is considered one of the first man to settle in Gojal along with his son Quba and his wife Jaa. They settled by the springs of Gircha but abandoned it due to the agitation of looters, his clan along with other Wakhi settlers later kept using Gircha as fertile land and took the crops back to Avgarch. Later Mir Silum Khan of Hunza convinced the people to permanently abode Gircha and Avgarch was used for winters, this trend of migration in session is still in practice. During the invasion of the British, the people from all lower Gojal and Hunza took shelter in Avgarch. Later British backed troops came to Avgarch and asked people to go back to their homes with assured safety.

Avgarch is one a tourist attraction with a 1.5 hour hike from the KKH, She offers beautiful pastures and hamlets, glaciers and peaks, Yosinband, Old graves of Kirghiz, the oldest Juniper tree of Hunza the Baltar Yarz, Boibar valley, Priyar and the famous Qorun pass. Exotic animals like snow leopards, Himalayan ibex, Golden eagle and many more are major attractions. Avgarch is famous for its trophy hunts, the hunting sessions starts in Winters the hunting is managed and facilitated by Khunjerab villagers Organization.

Gircha
A spring village, by the KKH is one of the first settled lands in Gojal and Hunza. Settled by Wakhi legend Bobo e Sufi, his generation used this land just to grow crops for long, then a fort was built in Gircha which became the center of political activities for Mirs, Sarai for travelers/explorers and Ismaili Missionaries from central Asia and South Asia to China. Gircha has a geographical significance as there are proofs that provide unique litho- and biofacies which has led to the term Gircha has been flooded multiple times. Fossils and woods, etc. can be seen in the sediments of cliffs made visible by recent erosions.

A flood from Dilboy stopped the Khunjerav River which eroded the old village and fort. People relocated the fort but the erosion continued and people had settle new villages nearby, namely; Sost, Nazimabad, Moorkhun, Jamalabad and Ghalapan.

Residents include the Bobo Sufi clan, further divided into Rumi Kutor, Posh Kutor, and Arbob Kutor, some Wakhi later inhabited the place and are called Khik Kutor, in an era of Mir Nazim Burushaski families were also gifted lands in Gircha. Gircha remains a center of interest for visitors around the world, there are various springs which run the activities of the village, fossils, corals, sea shells, oldest mosque and first school of the region, historic houses, and traditional irrigation channels are major mentions. The village is self-sufficient due to its own electric powerhouse, traditional watermill, women run handicrafts vocational center, the first and only veterinary, spring water trout fish farm, a dispensary and well equipped library.

Sost
Sost is the last border town of Pakistan which leads the KKH to China through Khunjerab. Sost is the center of activities in upper Gojal with the office of Assistant Magistrate, an established bazaar, a dry port, customs, and other official setups. Sost is also an old village, with a diverse population. An old house related to Bobo e Sufi is visitable, a Shrine of Saint Baba Sheikh Farid, brother of Shah Shams and Shah Talib is a place of interest for visitors.

In 1985 a long tunnel was dug by locals with the supervision of Aga Khan Rural Support ProgrammePakistan to irrigate the pasture of Sost, which was named Hussainabad. Sost comprises four settlements known as Nazimabad, Center Sost, Afiyatabad (Known as Sost Bazar), and Hussainabad.

Nazimabad
Nazimabad is a village in Sost settled in 1910. The initial settlement started with the orders of Mir of Hunza, Mir Nazim Khan and hence the name Nazimabad emerged. This village is a diverse population of nearly 800 inhabitants including Burushaski and Wakhi speakers.

Chapursan
(Wakhi: چپورسن; also spelt Chipurson, Chipurson, Chaporsan, Chupurson) is a valley containing some eight scattered villages within the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is the most Northern part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and China. The majority of the people in the valley speak the Wakhi Language, but the villagers of Raminj speak the Burushaski language and belong to the Ismaili sect of Islam. Chipurson Valley hosts over 500 households with a population of 3,000.

Geography
Geographically Gojal, Upper Hunza is located between 70 latitudes and 61 and is spread over an area of 10,873 km2 of land, at an elevation ranging from 2,340m to 4,877m above sea level.

Gojal is a mountainous region forming the western part of the Karakoram and Eastern Pamir mountain range. This area also hosts the 56 km long Batura glacier the third-longest of Pakistan (after Hispar and Biafo).

The region is home to lofty ice-capped peaks, roaring rivers, lush green pastures, and long glaciers.

Villages

 * Gircha
 * Gulmit
 * Husseini
 * Jamalabad
 * Misgar
 * Morkhoon
 * Passu
 * Shimshal
 * Sust
 * Zarabod

Administration
Gulmit, the winter-capital of the then Hunza state until 1974, is the main town (tehsil headquarters) and seat of government, while Sost is the border check-post and gateway for Pakistan-China overland trade. The entire region is governed by bureaucrats, sitting in Gilgit. Law and order is supported by two police stations and a magistrate.

Poets
Upper Hunza is home to some amazing poets. Among the poets are Nazir Ahmad Bulbul, Saif Uddin Saif, Rehmat Ullah Mushfiq, Afzal Karim, and many more. Most of these poets write in the Wakhi language.

Shishkat
Shishkat is the first village in Gojal valley, coming from the South. The famous Attabad lake, also known as Gojal Lake is also located in Shishat and Gulmit village. Attabad Lake came into being after the village of Attabad was destroyed by a massive landslide on 4 January 2010. The landslide blocked the Hunza River gorge and formed a lake which, at its peak, stretched from the Attabad barrier to Passu, almost 24 kilometers long. The people of Shishkat are also famous for their hospitality.

Lupghar Sar is 109th on the list of world tallest mountains. It is located in Shimshal valley. It is part of the Momhail Sar cluster of mountains and has an elevation of 7,200 meters (23,622 ft) above sea level. In the Wakhi language, Lupghar Sar translates as "the top of the big rock".

title: Gojal


text:
Progressive lens

Progressive lenses are corrective lenses used in eyeglasses to correct presbyopia and other disorders of accommodation. They are characterised by a gradient of increasing lens power, added to the wearer's correction for the other refractive errors. The gradient starts at the wearer's distance prescription at the top of the lens and reaches a maximum addition power, or the full reading addition, at the bottom of the lens. The length of the progressive power gradient on the lens surface depends on the design of the lens, with a final addition power between 0.75 and 3.50 dioptres. The addition value prescribed depends on the level of presbyopia of the patient. In general the older the patient, the higher the addition. They are also known as multifocal lenses, progressive addition lenses (PAL), varifocal lenses, progressive power lenses, graduated prescription lenses, or progressive spectacle lenses.

History
The first patent for a PAL was British Patent 15,735, granted to Owen Aves with a 1907 priority date. This patent included the manufacturing process and design which was however never commercialized. Unlike modern PALs, it consisted of a conical back surface and a cylindrical front with opposing axis in order to create a power progression.

While there were several intermediate steps (H. Newbold appears to have designed a similar lens to Aves around 1913), there is evidence to suggest that Duke Elder in 1922 developed the world's first commercially available PAL (Ultrifo) sold by "Gowlland of Montreal". This was based on an arrangement of aspherical surfaces.

The Carl Zeiss AG & Varilux lenses were the first PAL of modern design. Bernard Maitenaz, patented Varilux in 1953, and the product was introduced in 1959 by Société des Lunetiers (now Essilor). The first Varilux lenses' surface structure was however still close to a bifocal lens, with an upper, aberration-free half of the surface for far vision and a rather large "segment" for clear near vision. The breakthrough in user adaptation and comfort, as well as peripheral and dynamic vision however occurred in 1972 with the introduction of Varilux 2, for which Maitenaz created a totally aspheric design and manufacturing process. Carl Zeiss AG developed freeform technology in 1983 with its own patented progressive series Gradal HS.

Early progressive lenses were relatively crude designs. Right and left were identical variable power lenses with distance and reading power centers in the upper and lower part of the lens, respectively. The glazing was made to accommodate eye position changes from distance viewing to reading. The point of reading is about 14 mm below and 2 mm to the nasal side in comparison to distance viewing. By tilting the reading power towards the nasal side in perfect symmetry, appropriate reading power was given to the wearer.

The symmetric design, however, was difficult to accept for patients, because the eyes in general work asymmetrically. When you look to your right, your right eye views distal (i.e. looking through the lens near to the arm of the spectacles) while your left eye views nasal (i.e. looking through the lens near to the bridge). Modern sophisticated progressive lenses are designed asymmetrically for greater patient acceptance and include special designs to cater to many separate types of wearer application: for example progressive addition lenses may be designed with distance to intermediate or intermediate to near prescriptions specifically for use as an occupational lens, or to offer enlarged near and intermediate view areas.

The typical progressive lens is produced from a so-called semi-finished lens. The semi-finished lens is molded with an asymmetrical power pattern on the front. On the back side a custom surfacing is made to adjust the power for each patient. This method is however problematic, especially for astigmatic prescriptions. The reason being that the semi-finished front pattern is designed for a spherical prescription. Freeform designs are tailored to each prescription and do not have this problem.

Since the 1980s, manufacturers have been able to minimize unwanted aberrations by:
 * improvements in mathematical modeling of surfaces, allowing greater design control;
 * extensive wearer trials; and
 * improved lens manufacturing and measurement technology.

Today the complex surfaces of a progressive lens can be cut and polished on computer-controlled machines, allowing 'freeform surfacing', as opposed to the earlier casting process, thus explaining the difference in price. In short, the price is based on the technology used and the year the lens came to market.

Advantages and use

 * Compared to single vision lenses, progressive lenses provide the correction required for a presbyopic patient to see clearly at all viewing distances, typically adjusted by tilting the head slightly — or else by moving the object that is being viewed.
 * Progressive addition lenses avoid the discontinuities (image-jumps) sometimes found with bifocal and trifocal lenses
 * Some people find them more cosmetically attractive. Because bifocals and related designs are associated with old age, proponents have suggested the lack of visible lines makes a progressive lens appear similar to the single vision lenses worn before the onset of presbyopia.

Disadvantages
Peripheral Distortion: Progressive lenses suffer regions of aberrations and geometric distortions in the periphery, leading to poor vision when turning the eyes down and to the sides. Different designs of progressive lenses have more or less of this distortion.

Fitting: Progressive lenses require careful placement relative to the wearer's pupil centre for a distance-viewing reference position. Incorrect specification of the fitting location can cause problems for the wearer including (depending on the design of the lens) narrow fields of view, clear vision in one eye only, on-axis blur, and the need to alter the natural head position in order to see clearly.

Cost: Progressive lenses are more expensive than bifocal and single-vision lenses due to higher manufacturing and fitting costs. Some research has been conducted to reduce the fabrication cost by precision injection molding.

When recommending a progressive lens design, an eyecare practitioner will usually ask the customer some questions about their lifestyle, which coupled with prescription restrictions or recommendations and cost can establish the suitability of various models of progressive lens. Different lenses have different glazing restrictions, lens material availabilities, maximum and minimum fitting heights, prescription ranges and as such the variation in quality between higher and lower end varifocal lenses is considerable.

Adaptation
For those new to progressive lenses, an accommodation period is often required because the brain needs to learn to adapt to them. This period varies from a few hours for some individuals up to around two weeks. During this period, side effects can include headache and dizziness. It is advised that, when these symptoms set in, the progressive lenses be removed for a short period and replaced after symptoms have subsided. Returning to an older prescription or different type of lens design (bifocal, trifocal) only serves to increase the adaptation period to the progressive lenses. Some wearers find the visual discomfort caused by these distortions outweigh the benefits of wearing PALs; this is known as progressive non-tolerance. However, manufacturers claim acceptance rates of 90%–98%.

Depth perception and distance estimation can be influenced during the adaptation period.

title: Progressive lens


text: Talk:Gerina Dunwich

title: Talk:Gerina Dunwich


text: User talk:82.92.150.45

title: User talk:82.92.150.45


text:
Mojo (sauce)

Mojo (, from Portuguese molho, meaning "sauce") is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauces, varying in spiciness, consisting primarily of olive oil, local pepper varieties (called pimienta in the Spain), garlic, paprika (called pimentón in Spain), cumin or coriander, and other spices. Mojo originated in the Canary Islands, where the main varieties are green mojo (mojo verde), red mojo (mojo rojo), and spicy red mojo (mojo picón). Other countries have recipes similar to mojo, where acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lemon, orange, or lime juice may be used.

Typology
Green mojo, or mojo containing green spices, is commonly used for fish, especially the proper green mojo (made with green pepper) but also coriander mojo (mojo de cilantro) and parsley mojo (mojo de perejil). As coriander mojo and parsley mojo contain some water, they need to be kept in the refrigerator and have to be consumed within two days after preparation.

Red mojo, made of small red peppers from La Palma (called pimienta picona or pimienta palmera) and paprika, is usually eaten with meat. Red and green mojo can be used interchangeably to season some dishes, prominently papas arrugadas con salsa mojo, or potatoes with mojo. Mojo is also commonly served with fresh bread rolls at the beginning of a meal.

International variations
Similar sauces, also known as mojo, are also popular in Cuba and throughout the islands of the Caribbean, Hispanic or non-Hispanic, due to heavy Canarian emigration to the Caribbean, as well as Mexico, and have even influenced some barbecue sauces in the Deep South region of the United States, particularly the states of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. The flavor can be made of almost everything, from tomato or pepper to avocado.

In Cuban cooking, mojo applies to any sauce made with garlic, olive oil, or pork lard, and a citrus juice, traditionally bitter orange juice. It is commonly used to marinate roast pork or as a dip for plantain chips and fried cassava (yuca frita). The sauce is occasionally called by its diminutive, 'mojito,' but should not be confused with the beverage of the same name. To create the marinade for pork, the ingredients are bitter orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt.

In Puerto Rico, mojo is a herb sauce of finely chopped cilantro or parsley with salt, plenty of crushed garlic, and olive oil. Black pepper, butter, grated onion, vinegar, and any citrus fruit can also be added. It is commonly used on the island as a marinade for chicken roast and a dip for tostones, fried cassava, and sometimes mashed with mofongo. Puerto Rican Chef Jose Enrique mojo mixed with papaya and avocado topped on fish has become a part of Puerto Rican gastronomy. There is also a version popular in the town of Salinas, called mojo isleño, which is served with seafood, particularly fish.

In the Dominican Republic, it is called wasakaka and is used as a sauce for roasted chicken and boiled cassava. Wasakaka is made of boiling plenty of water with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and sour orange or lime juice.

title: Mojo (sauce)


text:
Radical Democratic Party

Radical Democratic Party is the name of several political parties:

 * Estonian Radical Democratic Party
 * Radical Democratic Party (Bulgaria)
 * Radical Democratic Party (India)
 * Radical Democratic Party (Spain)
 * Radical Democratic Party of Switzerland
 * Radical Democratic Party (Germany)

title: Radical Democratic Party


text:
Sandra (singer)

Sandra Ann Lauer (born 19 May 1962), later Sandra Cretu, commonly known mononymously as Sandra, is a German pop singer who enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s with a string of European hit singles, produced by her then-husband and musical partner, Michael Cretu, most notably "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" (1985), "In the Heat of the Night" (1985), "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Secret Land" (1988), "Hiroshima" (1990), and "Don't Be Aggressive" (1992). Her albums Into a Secret Land (1988) and Close to Seven (1992) have won Sandra high critical acclaim.

Prior to embarking on a solo career, Sandra was the lead singer of the all-female disco trio Arabesque, which had a following in Japan and the Soviet Union. Also, between 1990 and 2001, she provided vocals on album releases of the very successful musical project Enigma, which had top 10 hits in North America and the United Kingdom. A cult star with a devoted fan base, Sandra remains one of the most popular singers of the 1980s in Continental Europe. During the height of her popularity, she even managed to outsell Madonna in a number of countries around the world. With sales in excess of 33 million records worldwide, Sandra has established her position as the most successful German female vocalist.

1962–1984: Early life and Arabesque
Sandra Ann Lauer was born on 18 May 1962 in the German town of Saarbrücken, close to the French border. Her French-born father, Robert Lauer (1937-2021), owned a wine store in Saarbrücken, and German-born mother, Karin (née Eltern) (1939–2020), worked in a shoe store. Sandra had an older brother, Gaston, a paraplegic who died in 1995. She showed an early interest in music and dancing, taking classical ballet at the age of five and guitar lessons when she was 10. In 1975, at the age of 13, Sandra went with her mother to see Young Star Festival, a Saarbrücken talent competition. She was only a member of the audience, but when the participants had finished performing and the jury was discussing the results, Sandra walked onto the stage and persuaded the DJ to put on the German version of an Olivia Newton-John song. The impromptu performance gained considerable recognition and led to the release of her first single, a song about a pet dog, "Andy mein Freund". The single, however, performed poorly.

In 1979, now 17, Sandra joined Arabesque, a disco group consisting of Michaela Rose and Jasmine Vetter, and would become the band's lead singer. At that time, Sandra met keyboardist Michael Cretu. They found that they shared the same birthday, albeit five years apart, and became good friends. Arabesque became successful with their cheerful music and flamboyant costumes, winning a massive following in Japan and scoring a top 10 hit in Germany in 1981 with "Marigot Bay". After nine albums, emerging differences in musical interests of group members and decreasing popularity of disco music signalled the group's break-up. Sandra and Michael Cretu, by then romantically involved, moved to Munich where Michael created his own studio, Data-Alpha, named after a song from his solo album Legionäre. Their first single together was 1984's "Japan ist weit", a German cover of the Alphaville song "Big in Japan". However, the song failed to chart with only 125 copies sold.

1985–1992: Peak of international career
Sandra gained international success in 1985 with the song "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena", which topped the charts in 21 countries and reached the top 10 in another five. Her first album, The Long Play (1985), reached number 12 in Germany and number 2 in Sweden. The follow-up single, "In the Heat of the Night", reached number two in Germany and the top 10 in many European countries. The song also earned Sandra second place at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1986. "Little Girl", accompanied by a music video filmed in Venice, became the third single from the album in 1986, but was met with moderate success. Shortly after the release of The Long Play, Sandra moved to London for six months to work with singing teacher Helena Shelen and take drum lessons. She also enrolled at the London Berlitz School of Languages to improve her English, returning to Germany at weekends to record new songs.

Sandra's second studio album, Mirrors, was released in October 1986 with "Innocent Love" chosen as the first single, followed by "Hi! Hi! Hi!". Both of these up-tempo synth-pop offerings achieved success in continental Europe. Two further singles from the album, the ballad "Loreen" and "Midnight Man", were only moderate successes. In 1987, Sandra released a cover version of "Everlasting Love", her favourite song since childhood, to great international success. The single was a top 10 hit in German-speaking countries and charted within the top 20 internationally. The song was included on Sandra's first greatest hits compilation, Ten on One (The Singles).

Sandra and Michael Cretu married in January 1988 and moved to the Spanish island of Ibiza to work on what would be Sandra's third studio album. Into a Secret Land moved from electro-pop to more sophisticated areas of pop, showcased by the first single, "Heaven Can Wait". The second single, "Secret Land", met with even greater success, is considered one of her biggest solo hits while "We'll Be Together", released as the third single, was the first song she co-wrote. In order to promote her music in the English-speaking world, another compilation was released at the end of 1988, Everlasting Love. The album failed to enter the charts in the USA or the UK but a PWL remix of the title track included on the album charted at number 45 in the UK. 1989 saw the release of the final single from Into a Secret Land, "Around My Heart", which became another chart hit. With animal rights and nature conservation high on her personal agenda, Sandra took part in recording "Yes We Can" with 15 other performers for Artists United for Nature.

Sandra's fourth album, Paintings in Yellow, was released in March 1990 and became her highest-charting album in her home country. "Hiroshima" was released as the lead single and was a hit. Danceable "(Life May Be) A Big Insanity" and ballad "One More Night" were released as the second and third singles off the album, respectively, but were only modest successes. Sandra accepted an award for the best-selling German artist at the 1990 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. Also in 1990, the singer contributed vocals to four songs for her husband's musical project Enigma, including the worldwide number 1 hit "Sadeness (Part I)".

In early 1992, Sandra's fifth album was released, Close to Seven, which continued a more mature, less dance-orientated musical style. The album was a remarkable international success as was its lead single, "Don't Be Aggressive". However, the second single, "I Need Love", was her first since 1984 to fail to chart. Later in 1992, a new compilation was released, 18 Greatest Hits. It included most of her previous single songs and a re-recording of "Johnny Wanna Live", originally from Paintings in Yellow, which was released as a single and became a minor hit in Germany and the Netherlands.

1993–2006: Comeback attempts

In 1993, Sandra released a new version of "Maria Magdalena" with a techno arrangement and futuristic music video. The re-recording turned out to be a flop. Nonetheless, she sang on three songs on Enigma's next album, The Cross of Changes, including the hit single "Return to Innocence".

While pregnant with twins, Sandra recorded and released Fading Shades in 1995. The album saw new writer-producer Jens Gad working alongside Michael Cretu and comprised mostly pop-orientated material. A cover version of "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues was released as the first single, becoming one of Sandra's lowest-charting singles in Germany, although it was a hit in Israel. The album met a lukewarm commercial and critical reception, and the second single, "Won't Run Away", failed to chart. After giving birth to sons Nikita and Sebastian in a Munich hospital through Caesarean section in July 1995, Sandra decided to put her career on hold. However, the following year she participated in recording two songs for Enigma's third album.

1999 saw the release of My Favourites, a double disc album featuring remixes of Sandra's older songs and some of her favourite ballads. It was a success, charting within the top 20 in some European countries. A new version of "Secret Land" was released as a single, accompanied by a music video in which Sandra sported a shorter hairstyle. Her vocals again appeared in two songs on Enigma's 2000 album The Screen Behind the Mirror as well as the project's 2001 single "Turn Around". She released ballad "Forever" in 2001, which was a minor chart success in Germany. It foreshadowed her next studio album, The Wheel of Time, eventually released in spring 2002, after several delays. The album was a chart success and met a positive critical response, producing two more singles, "Such a Shame", originally performed by Talk Talk, and another ballad "I Close My Eyes". In 2003, the DVD The Complete History was released, featuring all of her music videos. The same year, Sandra contributed vocals for Enigma's Voyageur album, which would mark the last time she worked with the project.

After several years' break, in 2006 Sandra teamed up with Swiss singer DJ BoBo for a duet "Secrets of Love" on his Greatest Hits album. The single was a big hit, reaching top 5 in Switzerland and top 20 in Germany. Sandra subsequently took up performing live again and began working on her next album. In late 2006, Reflections was released, an album consisting of remixes of Sandra's biggest hits. A new ballad version of "Everlasting Love" was released as a promotional single in Germany while the remix of "Around My Heart" proved to be a big radio hit in Poland.

2007–present: A new musical direction

The Art of Love, a studio album, was released in February 2007. It reached the top 20 in Germany and enjoyed minor success internationally. For the first time, Michael Cretu did not participate in recording one of her albums as he was reportedly busy with Enigma; Jens Gad produced the entire work. Sandra participated in composing and writing the album, making it a reflection of the struggles in her personal life. (In November 2007, Sandra and Michael divorced and she spent the following year touring Europe.) "The Way I Am" was the album's lead single, peaking at number 50 in Germany, while the second single, "What Is It About Me", failed to chart. However, her version of The Hooters' "All You Zombies" became a big radio hit in Poland.

Her next album, Back to Life, was released in March 2009, showcasing up-tempo material influenced by Latin pop, dance, and R&B. "In a Heartbeat" and "The Night Is Still Young", the latter featuring Thomas Anders of Modern Talking, were released as singles and had modest success in Germany. Later in 2009, a three-disc compilation titled The Platinum Collection was released, featuring all of Sandra's hit singles as well as some album tracks and extended versions.

2012 saw the release of Stay in Touch, Sandra's tenth studio album. Produced by German DJ duo Blank & Jones, the album incorporated 1980s sounds reminiscent of her early albums. "Maybe Tonight" was released as the first single and peaked at 77 in Germany while the second single, "Infinite Kiss" failed to chart. However, the album was a modest success internationally and received warm response.

In August 2014, her management was transitioned to Alexei Perschukewitsch.

Personal life
Sandra and Michael Cretu, who share the same birthday, were married on 7 January 1988, and in July 1995 became parents of twin sons. They separated in November 2007, citing "personal and professional differences."

While Cretu has been living in Germany since May 2009, Sandra remained in Ibiza and married music producer Olaf Menges in 2010; they separated in 2014.

Discography

 * The Long Play (1985)
 * Mirrors (1986)
 * Into a Secret Land (1988)
 * Paintings in Yellow (1990)
 * Close to Seven (1992)
 * Fading Shades (1995)
 * The Wheel of Time (2002)
 * The Art of Love (2007)
 * Back to Life (2009)
 * Stay in Touch (2012)

title: Sandra (singer)


text:
User talk:Solomon Bangwato Makgoeng

Solomon Bangwato Makgoeng is a Motswana male born in Gaborone, Botswana.

title: User talk:Solomon Bangwato Makgoeng