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Darren Sharper

Darren Mallory Sharper (born November 3, 1975) is an American convicted serial rapist and a former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons.

He played college football at William & Mary and was selected in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, where he spent eight seasons. Sharper played his next four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, while his final two seasons were as a member of the New Orleans Saints. Recognized as one of the league's top defensive backs during his career, Sharper was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time first-team All-Pro, along with being named to the second-team of the 2000s All-Decade Team. He ranks sixth in interceptions and is tied with Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson for the most defensive touchdowns.

Following Sharper's 2010 retirement, allegations surfaced that he drugged and raped several women across various states, leading to him being charged in 2014. Sharper pled guilty to the rape and drug-related charges and was sentenced in 2016 to 20 years in prison. As a result of his guilty plea, he was removed from the College of William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame. Debate has loomed over whether his Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility should be disqualified; Sharper ended up being nominated, with officials saying they were not allowed to disallow nominations because of off-the-field actions.

Early years
Sharper has an older sister, Monica, and an older brother, Jamie. The Sharpers attended Hermitage High School in Henrico County, Virginia. Jamie played for the high school football team as a linebacker. Darren played for the varsity football and basketball teams. He was named to the honor roll, had perfect attendance in three of his four years, and was active in the foreign language club and student council. Hermitage honored Sharper with a display on their "Wall of Fame". Sharper graduated from Hermitage in 1993. Following the rape allegations being substantiated, Hermitage removed all Sharper memorabilia from its school grounds.

College career
Sharper attended the College of William and Mary, where he played for the William & Mary Tribe football team. In high school, Sharper primarily played quarterback. He wanted to be a quarterback at William & Mary, as well. The college coach, Jimmye Laycock, hinted to him that, as an alternative, Sharper might join the NFL (as a defensive back). During his college career, he earned All-America honors twice and was named first-team All-Yankee Conference selection three times. As a senior in 1996, he was the Yankee Conference Defensive Player of the Year after intercepting 10 passes for a season. He finished his college career with a school record 24 career interceptions and a I-AA record 468 career interception return yards. He also set the school record with 1,027 career punt return yards.

Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers selected Sharper in the second round (60th overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. Sharper was the fifth safety drafted in 1997 and his brother, Jamie Sharper, was also selected in the second round (34th overall).

1997
During training camp, Sharper competed to be the starting free safety against veteran Eugene Robinson. Head coach Mike Holmgren officially named Sharper the backup free safety, behind Eugene Robinson, to begin the regular season.

He made his professional regular season debut in the Green Bay Packers' season-opening 38–24 win against the Chicago Bears. On September 21, 1997, Sharper made his first career tackle during a 38–32 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. On November 2, 1997, Sharper made one tackle and returned his first career interception for his first touchdown during a 20–10 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 10. Sharper made his first career interception off a pass by Lions' quarterback Scott Mitchell and returned it for a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter. In Week 13, he recorded a season-high two combined tackles and returned a fumble recovery for a 34-yard touchdown during a 45–17 win against the Dallas Cowboys. On December 30, 1997, Sharper made two combined tackles, forced a fumble, and returned an interception for his third defensive touchdown of the season as the Packers defeated the Buffalo Bills 31–21 in Week 17. Sharper intercepted a pass by Buffalo Bills' quarterback Alex Van Pelt and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown to seal the Packers' victory in the fourth quarter. Sharper broke the Green Bay Packers franchise record for most defensive touchdowns by a rookie which stood for 64 years. He also tied the franchises record for most defensive touchdowns that was set by Herb Adderley in 1964. He finished his rookie season in 1997 with three defensive touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in 14 games and zero starts.

The Green Bay Packers finished first in the NFC Central with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. On January 4, 1998, Sharper played in his first career playoff game and recorded three combined tackles in the Packers' 21–7 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round. The Packers reached Super Bowl XXXII after they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23–10 in the NFC Championship Game. On January 25, 1998, Sharper appeared in Super Bowl XXXII as the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos 31–24 and failed to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

1998
Sharper entered training camp slated as the starting free safety in 1998. Head coach Mike Holmgren officially named Sharper the starting free safety to begin the regular season, alongside strong safety LeRoy Butler. He made his first career start in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener against the Detroit Lions and made three combined tackles in their 38–19 victory. On October 15, 1998, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles during a 27–20 loss at the Detroit Lions in Week 7. He started in all 16 games in 1998 and recorded 73 combined tackles. The Green Bay Packers finished the 1998 season second in the NFC Central with an 11–5 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 13, 1998, Sharper started his first career playoff game and recorded four combined tackles, deflected a pass, made a sack, forced a fumble, and made an interception during the Packers' 25–15 victory at the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wildcard Game.

1999
On January 8, 1999, it was announced that head coach Mike Holmgren had accepted the general manager/head coaching position with the Seattle Seahawks. On January 12, 1999, the Green Bay Packers hired Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Ray Rhodes as the new head coach for the 1999 season. Defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas retained Sharper and LeRoy Butler as the starting safeties to start the regular season. On November 14, 1999, Sharper recorded 11 combined tackles and made his first career sack on quarterback Jason Garrett during a 27–13 loss at the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. On December 26, 1999, Sharper collected a season-high 12 combined tackles during a 29–10 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He started in all 16 games for the second consecutive season and finished the 1999 season with a career-high 113 combined tackles and three interceptions.

2000
On January 2, 2000, the Green Bay Packers fired head coach Ray Rhodes and his coaching staff after they failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished with an 8–8 record. On January 17, 2000, the Green Bay Packers announced the hiring of Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator Mike Sherman as their new general manager/head coach. Sherman previously held the tight ends coaching positional from 1997 to 1999. Sharper and LeRoy Butler returned as the Packers' starting safeties for the third consecutive season, but their first under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. On September 24, 2000, Sharper collected a season-high ten combined tackles and intercepted two passes by Cardinals' quarterback Jake Plummer during a 29–3 victory at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. In Week 10, he recorded seven combined tackles and intercepted two pass attempts by quarterback Daunte Culpepper in the Packers' 26–20 win against the Minnesota Vikings. On December 14, 2000, it was announced that Sharper was selected to play in the 2001 Pro Bowl as part of the NFC roster, marking the first Pro Bowl selection of his career. He started in all 16 games in 2000 and recorded 92 combined tackles, one sack, and led the entire league with nine interceptions.

2001
On February 21, 2001, the Green Bay Packers signed Sharper to a six-year, $30 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $7 million.

Head coach Mike Sherman retained Sharper and LeRoy Butler as the starting safety duo in 2001. He started in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener against the Detroit Lions and recorded four solo tackles, deflected two passes, and intercepted two passes by quarterback Charlie Batch in their 28–6 victory. On October 4, 2001, he made ten combined tackles (eight solo), two pass deflections, and an interception in 31–23 win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. In Week 14, Sharper collected a season-high ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a 26–20 loss at the Tennessee Titans. Sharper started in all 16 games in 2001 and recorded 94 combined tackles (70 solo), 17 pass deflections, six interceptions, two sacks, and a forced fumble.

The Green Bay Packers finished second in the NFC Central with a 12–4 record. On January 13, 2002, Sharper made nine combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made a sack in a 25–15 win against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he made seven combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by quarterback Kurt Warner during a 45–17 loss at the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.

2002
Head coach Mike Sherman named Sharper the starting free safety to begin the regular season, alongside strong safety Marques Anderson. This became Sharpers' first season without LeRoy Butler who retired due to a shoulder injury. Sharper was inactive for two games (Weeks 6–7) due to a hamstring injury. On November 4, 2002, Sharper recorded seven combined tackles, deflected two passes, and returned an interception for a touchdown as the Packers defeated the Miami Dolphins 24–10 in Week 7. Sharper intercepted a pass by Dolphins' quarterback Ray Lucas and returned it for an 89-yard touchdown in the third quarter. In Week 15, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 20–14 win at the San Francisco 49ers. He was sidelined during the Packers' Week 17 loss at the New York Jets after injuring his hamstring the previous week. On December 19, 2002, Sharper was announced as a 2003 Pro Bowl selection. He finished the 2002 season with 68 combined tackles (51 solo), seven interceptions, two pass deflections, and a touchdown in 13 games and 13 starts.

2003
Sharper returned as the starting free safety in his fourth year under defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. He was paired with strong safety Antuan Edwards and played alongside cornerbacks Al Harris and Mike McKenzie. On September 21, 2003, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles during the Packers' 20–13 loss at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. The following week, he recorded six solo tackles and made a career-high two sacks on Bears' quarterback Kordell Stewart in a 38–23 win at the Chicago Bears in Week 4. In Week 15, he tied his season-high of nine combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception by quarterback Drew Brees for a 50-yard gain during a 38–21 win at the San Diego Chargers. Sharper finished the 2003 season with 82 combined tackles (69 solo), 13 pass deflections, five interceptions, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in 15 games and 15 starts.

The Green Bay Packers finished first in the NFC North with a 10–6 record. On January 4, 2004, Sharper recorded 11 combined tackles (nine solo) in the Packers' 33–27 overtime victory in the NFC Wildcard Game against the Seattle Seahawks and led by his former head coach Mike Holmgren. The following week, he made eight combined tackles, deflected two passes, and recorded a sack during a 20–17 overtime loss at the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round.

2004
On January 16, 2004, head coach Mike Sherman announced the dismissal of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after the Packers' defense ranked 17th in 2003 and allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to convert on fourth and 26th in the NFC Divisional Round. Sherman elected to promote defensive backs coach Bob Slowik to defensive coordinator. Sharper was retained as the starting free safety in 2003, but was paired with strong safety Mark Roman.

On September 26, 2004, Sharper collected a season-high nine combined tackles in a 45–31 loss at the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. On October 17, 2004, he made four combined tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 38–10 victory at the Detroit Lions. Sharper intercepted a pass by Lions' quarterback Joey Harrington and returned it for a 36-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Sharper was inactive for the Packers' Week 8 victory at the Washington Redskins due to an injury to his shin. In Week 15, he recorded six combined tackles and returned a fumble recovery for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter of a 28–25 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15. In Week 17, Sharper recorded five combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception by Chad Hutchinson for a 43-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the Packers' 31–14 win at the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2004 season with 70 combined tackles (57 solo), seven pass deflections, four interceptions, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He tied the franchise record of three defensive touchdowns he set in his rookie season in 1997.

2005
On January 24, 2005, the Green Bay Packers replaced defensive coordinator Bob Slowik with Jim Bates. On March 10, 2005, the Green Bay Packers released Sharper after he declined to take a pay cut. The Packers avoided paying him a $2.60 million roster bonus and cleared $3.40 million in salary cap space by releasing him. He finished his eight-year career in Green Bay ranked fifth with 36 interceptions. He also recorded 616 combined tackles, six sacks, 677 interception return yards, and 7 defensive touchdowns.

Minnesota Vikings
On March 12, 2005, the Minnesota Vikings signed Sharper to a four-year, $10.60 million contract that includes a signing bonus $4 million.

Sharper entered training camp slated as the starting free safety. Head coach Mike Tice officially named Sharper the starter to begin the regular season, along with strong safety Corey Chavous and cornerbacks Fred Smoot and Brian Williams.

He started in the Minnesota Vikings' season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and collected a season-high nine combined tackles, deflected two passes, forces a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 24–13 loss. Sharper intercepted a pass by quarterback Brian Griese and returned it for an 88-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He was sidelined for two games (Weeks 3–4) after injuring his quadriceps. On November 13, 2005, Sharper recorded four combined tackles, deflected five passes, made a career-high three interceptions, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 24–21 win at the New York Giants in Week 10. Sharper intercepted a pass by Giants' quarterback Eli Manning and returned it for a 92-yard touchdown in the first quarter. On December 20, 2005, it was announced that Sharper was selected to the 2006 Pro Bowl. He finished his first season with the Minnesota Vikings with a total of 51 combined tackles (41 solo), 16 pass deflections, tied his career-high of nine interceptions, forced a fumble, and scored two touchdowns in 14 games and 14 starts.

2006
On January 2, 2006, the Minnesota Vikings fired head coach Mike Tice after they finished with a 9–7 record in 2005. On January 6, 2006, the Minnesota Vikings announced the hiring of former Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator Brad Childress as their new head coach. Defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin installed the Tampa 2 defense and chose to move Sharper to strong safety. Head coach Brad Childress named Shaper the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Tank Williams. Dwight Smith replaced Williams to begin the regular season due to an injury.

In Week 8, he collected a season-high seven solo tackles, deflected a pass, and made an interception during a 31–7 loss to the New England Patriots. On November 11, 2006, in a game against the Miami Dolphins, Sharper bumped a member of the officiating crew, but he was not immediately penalized, later the following week the NFL fined him $15,000 for the infraction. On December 17, 2006, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 26–13 loss to the New York Jets in Week 15. He started in all 16 games in 2006 and recorded 67 combined tackles (55 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, and a sack.

2007
On February 8, 2007, the Minnesota Vikings hired Indianapolis Colts' defensive backs coach Leslie Frazier to be the new defensive coordinator after Mike Tomlin accepted the head coaching position with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Frazier opted to run the Tampa 2 defense and retained Sharper and Dwight as the starting safeties in 2007.

On September 16, 2007, Sharper collected a season-high eight solo tackles, deflected two passes, and made two interceptions during a 20–17 overtime loss at the Detroit Lions in Week 2. His two interceptions brought his career total to 50 and earned him the distinction as the 22nd player to surpass 50 interceptions. In Week 12, he made two solo tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Vikings' 41–17 win at the New York Giants. Sharper intercepted a pass by quarterback Eli Manning and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown in the first quarter. On December 18, 2007, Sharper was announced as a 2008 Pro Bowl selection. He started in all 16 games in 2007 and recorded 63 combined tackles (49 solo), eight pass deflections, four interceptions, and a forced fumble.

2008
Head coach Brad Childress named Sharper the starting strong safety to begin the 2008 season, alongside free safety Madieu Williams. In Week 14, he collected a season-high eight solo tackles during a 20–16 win at the Detroit Lions. Sharper started in all 16 games for the third consecutive season and recorded 69 combined tackles (60 solo), five pass deflections, and an interception. He finished his four-year career in Minnesota with 18 interceptions, 250 tackles, 359 interception yards, three touchdowns, and a sack.

2009
On March 18, 2009, the New Orleans Saints signed Sharper to a one-year, $1.20 million contract. Throughout training camp, Sharper competed to be the starting free safety against Usama Young. Head coach Sean Payton named Sharper the starting free safety to begin regular season, alongside strong safety Roman Harper and cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter.

He started in the New Orleans Saints' season-opener against the Detroit Lions and recorded one tackle, deflected two passes, and made two interceptions off pass attempts by quarterback Matthew Stafford during a 45–27 victory. The following week, Sharper recorded three solo tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception by quarterback Kevin Kolb for a 97-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter of a 48–22 win at the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. On October 4, 2009, Sharper made nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown during a 24–10 win against the New York Jets in Week 4. Sharper intercepted a pass by Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez and returned it for a 99-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The return for touchdown became his second 95+ yard interception return of the season. In Week 7, Sharper made four combined tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception by Chad Henne for a 42-yard touchdown during a 46–34 win at the Miami Dolphins. Sharper was inactive for the Saints' Week 10 victory at the St. Louis Rams after straining his left knee. On December 27, 2009, Sharper made seven combined tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception by Josh Freeman for a 21-yard gain during a 20–17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. The 21-yard interception brought his season return yards to 376-yards and earned him the record for most interception return yards in a single season. He surpassed Ed Reed who set the record in 2004. It was the 63rd interception of Sharper's NFL career, tying him for sixth on the all-time list. On December 29, 2009, it was announced that Sharper was selected to play in the 2010 Pro Bowl. Sharper finished the season with 71 combined tackles (51 solo), 15 pass deflections, nine interceptions, three touchdowns, and was credited with half a sack in 14 games and 14 starts.

The New Orleans Saints finished first in the NFC South with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. They defeated the Arizona Cardinals 45–14 in the NFC Divisional Round. On January 24, 2010, Sharper recorded 11 combined tackles (seven solo) as the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–28 in the NFC Championship Game. On February 7, 2010, Sharper started in Super Bowl XLIV and  made three combined tackles during a 31–17 victory against the Indianapolis Colts. The game was decided when cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted a Peyton Manning pass late in the fourth quarter and returned it 74-yards for the game-winning touchdown.

2010
During the offseason, Shaper underwent micro-fracture arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. On March 5, 2010, Sharper became an unrestricted free agent and went on a visit with the Jacksonville Jaguars. On May 3, 2010, the New Orleans Saints signed Sharper to a one-year, $2.25 million contract with a signing bonus of $75,000. Throughout training camp, Sharper competed to retain his position as the starting free safety against Malcolm Jenkins who was converted from cornerback.

On September 3, Sharper was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, causing him to miss the first six weeks of the 2010 NFL season. He was activated on October 24, but he later missed another two games after a further injury. Sharper finished the 2010 season with 16 combined tackles (11 solo) and a pass deflection in eight games and one start. He was selected as a second-team All Pro, despite having missed much of the season.

Free agency
After workouts with the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers without a contract offer, Sharper reportedly announced his retirement after a 14-year career. He finished with 63 career regular season interceptions, placing him sixth all time. He took 11 of them back for touchdowns, which ranks him tied for second with Charles Woodson and only behind Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, with 12. Sharper's 13 career defensive touchdowns (11 interception returns, two fumble returns) is tied for first in NFL history with both Woodsons.

Hall of Fame consideration
On April 13, 2015, Sharper was removed from the William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2016, he became eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, leading to a debate as to whether his criminal convictions disqualify him. Sports Illustrated writer Peter King, who is on the Hall of Fame voting committee, has said that Sharper must be considered because voters are prohibited from taking off-field issues into account. While Sharper was nominated for the Hall of Fame, he never progressed beyond nomination in the voting process.

Post-playing career
In August 2012, after retiring, Sharper worked briefly for WWL-TV as an analyst before leaving to take a position with NFL Network. On February 28, 2014, Sharper was officially fired from NFL Network in connection with his arrest for aggravated rape.

Allegations

 * On March 18, 2011, two women filed a criminal complaint against Sharper with the Miami Beach Police Department alleging they were possibly sexually assaulted after passing out at Sharper's condo on his couch and waking up to find their underwear missing. The women were in Miami for spring break and were students from the University of Georgia. On March 17, 2011, the women had been brought to Sharper's condo by a mutual friend, nightclub promoter Wascar Payano, and had passed out on Sharper's couch. One of the women claimed she woke up to a man attempting to place his penis in her mouth, but pushed the man away. She stated that when she woke up again a man was lifting her dress. She immediately woke up her friend and told Payano about the incident. Both women discovered their underwear was missing and were taken to the hospital by Payano where they underwent rape examination. On March 23, 2011, Miami Beach Police Department closed the investigation five days after the incident. The Miami Beach Police Department's records show no evidence the detective in charge of the case sent the rape kits for a detailed examination, had spoken to Darren Sharper, or had visited Sharper's condo where the accuser said the assault had taken place.
 * On February 2, 2013, Sharper was accused of helping drug a woman who was working as a model at a pre-Super Bowl party in New Orleans and was consequently raped by Sharper's friend Brandon Licciardi.
 * On August 31, 2013, Sharper was accused of raping a woman in New Orleans.
 * On September 23, 2013, Sharper was accused of drugging two women in New Orleans and raped them with his accomplice, Erik Nunez. One of the victims filed a report with the New Orleans Police Department. Sharper and his friend, Erik Nunez, raped the women.
 * On October 30, 2013, Sharper was accused of drugging two women and raped one of the women in Los Angeles after meeting them in a West Hollywood night club and bringing them back to his hotel room.  On November 7, 2013, the victim filed a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department.
 * On November 20, 2013, Sharper, after meeting three female Arizona State University students in Tempe, Arizona, and was accused of raping two of them after drugging them. Both women immediately underwent assault examinations within 12 hours of the assault and filed a police report with the Tempe Police Department.
 * On January 14, 2014, Sharper, after meeting two women in West Hollywood night clubs and taking them to his hotel room, was accused of drugging them and raping one of them. Both victims reported the incident to the Los Angeles Police Department and underwent rape examinations.
 * On January 15, 2014, after meeting two women and a man in a nightclub in Las Vegas, Sharper was accused of drugging all three, before taking the women to his hotel room and sexually assaulting both of them.

California state
On January 17, 2014, Sharper was arrested in Los Angeles on two separate counts of sexual assault. The incidents were said to have happened in October 2013 and January 2014.

On February 14, 2014, Sharper was officially charged with two counts of rape, by use of drugs, and five related felony counts. Sharper was released on $200,000 bond, which at the request of the prosecution was raised to $1,000,000. Sharper pleaded not guilty to the charges. Conditions of his bail required him not to frequent any drinking establishment, as well as not to be alone with any women he had no relationship with prior to October 13, 2013, the date of his first alleged rape described in the indictment. Sharper faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all counts.

Louisiana state and federal
In January 2014, USA Today reported the New Orleans Police Department was investigating a sexual assault allegation against Sharper which was filed on September 24, 2013.

Officials in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, filed two charges of aggravated rape against Sharper and another two counts against Erik Nunez, 26, on February 27, 2014, related to the alleged September 2013 incident in New Orleans. Investigators said a second woman came forward with a complaint following an initial report shortly after the alleged rape. WDSU noted, "Louisiana law states that a person convicted of committing aggravated rape shall be punished by life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence." Also on February 27, 2014, Sharper surrendered to the police in Los Angeles after an arrest warrant was issued by the authorities in Louisiana.

On December 12, 2014, an Orleans Parish grand jury indicted Sharper on two counts of aggravated rape, stating that, if convicted, he will face a mandatory life sentence. On the same day, a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana returned an indictment for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (1 count) and distribution of a controlled substance (2 counts).

Arizona state
On March 12, 2014, Sharper was charged with sexual assault in Arizona. Under Arizona state law, a person commits sexual assault by knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with another person without that person's consent. No consent was given if the victim was incapable of consenting by reason of drugs, alcohol, sleep, or a similar impairment, and such impairment was known or should have been known to the defendant.

Nevada state
On March 20, 2015, Sharper was charged with two sexual assaults in Las Vegas. The purported crimes took place in January 2014 and involved two women. Nevada state legislation provides that a person subjecting another person to sexual penetration against that person's will, or under conditions in which the perpetrator knows or should know that the victim is mentally or physically incapable of resisting or understanding the nature of the perpetrator's conduct, is guilty of sexual assault. The notion of sexual penetration includes sexual intercourse in its ordinary meaning.

California and Arizona
Later on March 20, Sharper's lawyer said that Sharper had reached a plea agreement to resolve all of the charges against him. He appeared in court in Los Angeles on March 23 to enter guilty pleas to sexual assault in Arizona, by video-conferencing, and no contest in California to raping two women he knocked out with a potent sedative mixed with alcohol. The Arizona judge sentenced him immediately to nine years in prison, with no chance for early release.

On November 29, 2016, Sharper was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. Sharper's plea deal allows serving half that time, minus time already served. As a non-violent criminal, Sharper might also be eligible for parole since raping an intoxicated person is a non-violent crime in the state of California.

Nevada
On March 24, 2015, Sharper pleaded guilty to a single count of attempted sexual assault on two women in Las Vegas. He agreed to serve three to eight years for this crime. He was formally sentenced on October 27, 2016.

Louisiana and federal
On May 29, 2015, Sharper pleaded guilty, in federal court, to conspiracy to distribute alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium) and zolpidem (Ambien) with intent to commit rape and two counts of distributing these substances with intent to commit rape. He accepted a nine-year sentence in a plea deal for all charges against him. However, on February 18, 2016, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo rejected the deal saying, "This court cannot accept this plea agreement", and noted that a federal pre-sentence report called for a range of 15–20 years. On March 22, 2016, judge Triche-Milazzo approved a new deal under which the proposed length of imprisonment fits the above range.

On August 18, 2016, Sharper was sentenced to 220 months (18 years and 4 months) of incarceration, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $20,000 fine. The following week, he was sentenced by a Louisiana State judge to 20 years in prison, stemming from three counts of rape.

All imprisonments will run concurrently. Time served will count towards every charge in every state as if running all at the same time. Once out of prison, Sharper must register as a sex offender and comply with a "sex treatment condition", as part of the 3-year supervision program. Court records list the total of 9 victims involved, nationwide. But, according to the judge, there may be as many as 16.

Incarceration
Sharper is imprisoned in FCI Miami with BOP# 34209-034. He is scheduled to be released in late 2028.

Co-defendants
Two accomplices — Brandon Licciardi of Meraux, Louisiana and Erik Nunez of New Orleans — pleaded guilty in connection with the alleged drug-and-rape plot. Licciardi is a former sheriff's deputy in the New Orleans suburb of St. Bernard Parish. He had been on the force since 2002, but resigned after charges were filed.

On February 27, 2014, Nunez was arrested and charged, in state court, with two counts of aggravated rape purportedly taking place September 23, 2013, at Sharper's residence in New Orleans. Additionally, he was charged with obstruction of justice between September 23, 2013, and February 28, 2014.

On December 12, 2014, Licciardi was indicted by a federal grand jury on six criminal counts including tampering with a witness (2 counts), impeding an investigation, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and distribution of a controlled substance (2 counts).

On February 6, 2015, Licciardi pleaded innocent to state charges against him, including aggravated rape on February 2, 2013, and three counts of human trafficking to facilitate sexual conduct. Additionally, he was charged with battery using a dangerous weapon.

On July 24, 2015, Nunez was federally charged with conspiracy to impede an investigation. On July 11, 2016, in exchange for a 10-year sentence, he pleaded guilty, before judge Triche-Milazzo, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances without victim's knowledge and with the intent to commit a sexual battery, to which he entered two separate guilty pleas in a state court of Louisiana. Under Louisiana state law, sexual battery includes touching of the victim's private body parts while the victim is incapable of understanding the nature of the act, and this inability is, or should have been, known to the defendant.

On July 15, 2016, Licciardi pleaded guilty, before the same judge, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances with the intent to commit crimes of violence, including rape. In state court, he pleaded guilty to three counts of human trafficking and one count of forcible rape. He agreed to a 17-year prison sentence.

On October 20, 2016, both men were formally sentenced by the federal court. On October 27, they were sentenced on Louisiana state charges. Criminal District Judge Karen Herman ordered that each defendant's prison term mirror and run concurrently with his federal sentence.

Analysis
Since February 27, 2014 – Sharper's last day at liberty – the lingering question was how he managed to hurt at least nine women over many months and still avoid incarceration despite investigation being already underway.

A criminal justice official speculated that the answer may lie in the perpetrator's high social and financial status affording him well-qualified lawyers prosecutors hesitated to confront. "If his name was John Brown, he would have been in jail", the official said. "If a woman says, 'He's the guy that raped me,' and you have corroborating evidence to show they were together and she went to the hospital and she can identify him, that guy goes to jail".

Another official elaborated: "The D.A.'s position and the administration's position was, because this was a high-profile case, we want to make sure we do this the right way. It was mainly because of the celebrity-ness".

Over time, Sharper's actions became more and more sophisticated. He did not make self-incriminating statements. He traveled often. His criminal activity spanned four states, making it hard to detect. Prescription sedatives mixed with alcohol made the victims unconscious and unable to remember, undermining their credibility with the police.

Further proceedings
In July 2019, Sharper filed a motion to undo his 2016 plea deal arguing that he was not adequately advised by his previous lawyers on the consequences of his guilty plea. However, the judge dismissed his motion citing that Sharper had twice admitted in open court that he understood the terms of his plea agreement.

title: Darren Sharper


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Namakab Rud

Namakâb Rud (, also Romanized as Shahrak-e Namakâb Rud; also known as Namak Âbrud, Namakâbrud, Namakâbrud Sar, and Nur Sar) is a town in Kelarestaq-e Gharbi Rural District, in the Central District of Chalus County, Mazandaran Province, Iran.

History
Approximately 200 hectare violet and box-tree parks made the area very spectacular. Moreover, Meduben- the dense forest created a remarkably attractive landscape. The original plan was designed by consulting engineer; Mr. Dazz, Mr. Charkhab, Mr.Hovard Homfari. Hovard Homfari's report said that Chalus – Ramsar Road bisected the area- with the northern side of the road dedicated to building villas, and Hite hotel and marinas suggested part and the related facility and apartment complex on its southern side.

Geography and Divisions
Located 12 km from East Chalus is new Namakabrud township covering some 650 hectares, with the Caspian sea on its north and hyrcanius Meduben on its south. The town is divided into two tourist and residential sections. The residential part in 8 neighborhoods is designed for a tourist population of up to 100,000 people, and the entrance roads of residential neighborhoods are separated from other parts of the town. The tourism sector has many recreational facilities, such as Namakabrud amusement park, Namakabrud telecabin lines 1 and 2, sledding, zipline, ATV karting, adventure park, shooting club, etc. There are numerous villa cities around it which form a vacation region for the people of Tehran and Karaj.

Population
At the 2006 census, its population was 354, in 71 families.

Climate
Namakab Rud has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Cf), with warm, humid summers and cool, damp winters.

Gandola lift
Namakab Rud is a touristic town and has an aerial tramway which starts at the sea level near the shores of the Caspian Sea and ends on the top of the Alborz mountains heights crossing dense forest area of Northern Iran.

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

title: Namakab Rud


text:
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, released in Japan as Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone (ダブルドラゴンIII　ザ・ロゼッタストーン), is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. It was the third Double Dragon game for the NES, developed by Technos Japan Corp. and published in North America and Europe by Acclaim Entertainment. Although loosely based on the similarly titled arcade game Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone, it is not a port, but a parallel project that was developed at the same time.

Plot
A year after the downfall of the Shadow Warriors, a new enemy threatens Billy and Jimmy Lee, as Marion is kidnapped by a mysterious organization. The only witness to her kidnapping, Brett, dies before he could divulge their leader's true identity. A fortune teller named Hiruko informs the Lee brothers that Marion's kidnappers are searching for the three Sacred Stones of Power that had been scattered around the world and that the only way to rescue her is to procure them before the kidnappers do. After the initial battle in the United States, the Lee brothers embark on a worldwide journey to find the stones, which takes them to China, Japan and Italy, where they face numerous formidable fighters in each country. The final stage is set in Egypt, where the Lee brothers uncover the truth about Marion's disappearance and come face to face with the true leader of the enemy.

Gameplay
Double Dragon III can be played by one or two players simultaneously, with an "A mode" where both players can not harm each other and a "B mode" that allows friendly fire. Like its arcade counterpart, the NES version of Double Dragon III reverts to having punch and kick buttons as the standard control scheme and the ability to dash by pressing the d-pad left or right twice has been added. The rest of the combat system is a bit closer to the previous NES games, retaining the hair grab move that was removed in the arcade version (although the shoulder throw is gone, as well as the flying knee kick and hyper uppercut from the NES version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge). New moves in this version include a running jump kick (which can become a triangle jump kick when performed on a wall) and a midair somersault that allows the player to throw enemies by jumping on them. During 2-player mode, when both players are controlling each Lee brother, they can perform a twin cyclone spin kick and a triangle jump kick.

The game discards the traditional lives system from the previous NES installments, as well as the item shops from the arcade version. Instead, the player gains the ability to control two new fighters in addition to the Lee brothers as they progress through the game. These extra fighters join the player's party once they've been defeated as enemy bosses. Chin Seimei (陳 清明), a Chinese martial arts master, joins at the end of Mission 2, while Yagyu Ranzou (柳生 乱蔵), the head of a ninja clan, appears at the end of Mission 3. By pressing the Select button at any point (provided the player character is not in the middle of an attack animation or receiving damage), the player can access a character selection screen and switch between any of the available fighters. Each fighter has his own fighting techniques, health points and speed, making them suitable for different situations. When the player loses a fighter, he will automatically change to the next available character until the entire party has been defeated. Normally the game ends when the player's entire party has been defeated, but a continue option is available for the final two stages if the player loses all their characters the first time.

In addition to fighting unarmed (or with a sword in Ranzou's case), each fighter has a backup weapon that they can draw at any time from the character selection screen, but can only be used for a limited time. This feature allows the Lee brothers to use nunchakus, Chin to wield an iron claw and Ranzou to throw shurikens. Weapons can also be obtained by disarming certain enemies, although only the Lee brothers and Chin can arm themselves with enemy weapons (which include a throwing knife, a sai and a beer bottle). An enemy's weapons can be used as long as the original wielder is alive.

Regional differences
The English version altered the plot of the game during the translation process, as the Japanese version (titled Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone) features a script that is much closer to the arcade game. While the English version involves another rescue mission to save Marion, there's no mention of her in the Japanese script and the Lee brothers are simply searching for the stones in order to become the world's strongest fighters (the final boss is a resurrected Cleopatra instead of Princess Noiram). Additionally, the death of Brett (whose name was Aldo in the Japanese version) was not connected to the search for the stones, but rather the culprit turns out to be Jim, the boss of the first stage, who is revealed to be the brother of Willy from the original Double Dragon (a subplot that was eliminated in the English version). Additionally, the purpose of the trip to Italy was to find a clue to solving the riddle of Egypt, rather than train for the big battle; it turns out that the boss of this stage, a shirtless muscle-bound gladiator, had the map of the Pyramid, and rather than revealing in the third stage that Hiruko had the last stone, it is in the Italy stage that she reveals she has it. Lastly, the difficulty is slightly different between the two versions. In the Japanese version, the player starts each stage with more health for their characters and there are fewer enemies to fight. However, the ending of the Japanese version differs depending on which of the player characters are still alive by the end of the game, whereas the English version always shows the complete ending with all four protagonists no matter what.

While Billy's name is spelled correctly throughout most of the game, even in the 1-player version of the opening, the opening of the 2-players mode has his name misspelled as "Bimmy" when both Lee brothers are shown together on the first screen. While this mistake is often attributed to a translation error, the English script is not a direct translation of the Japanese original, as the story underwent changes during the localization. A promotional flyer for the Famicom version features a more direct translation of the original opening text, which spells the name correctly. This typo served as the inspiration for the enemy characters "Bimmy 'n' Jammy" in Double Dragon Neon, deformed clones of the Lee brothers who are described by their introductory tag line as "Mistranslated Mutants".

Reception
The NES version of Double Dragon III was the seventh best-selling console game in the United States during its month of release (February 1991), according to sales data from the Software Publishers Association. However, Acclaim Entertainment overestimated demand for the title, resulting with half a million unsold stocks of the title in their storehouse according to Electronic Gaming Monthly.

title: Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones


text:
Justinus

Justinus may refer to:

 * Justinus van der Brugghen (1804–1863), Dutch politician
 * Justinus Darmojuwono (1914–1994), Indonesian cardinal
 * Justinus Kerner (1786–1862), German poet
 * Justinus van Nassau (1559–1631), Dutch army commander, only illegitimate son of William of Orange
 * Oskar Justinus (1839–1893), German dramatist

title: Justinus


text: User talk:68.116.204.211

title: User talk:68.116.204.211


text:
Crozier (crater)

Crozier is a lunar impact crater that is located on the southwest edge of Mare Fecunditatis, a lunar mare in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies to the east-northeast of the prominent crater Colombo, and southeast of the small crater Bellot.

The narrow rim of this crater forms a distorted enclosure that has outward bulges along the northwest, southwest, and southeastern sides. The interior floor has been resurfaced and nearly filled by basaltic lava, producing a level surface with a low albedo that matches the dark hue of the nearby lunar mare. Nearly adjacent to the outer rim are the similar flooded craters Crozier D to the east and Crozier M to the southeast.

The crater is named after Irish Royal Navy officer and polar explorer Francis Crozier.

Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Crozier.

title: Crozier (crater)


text:
Robert Gallery

Robert J. Gallery (born July 26, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa and received unanimous All-American recognition. He was selected with the second overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks.

Early life
Gallery was born in Manchester, Iowa. He attended East Buchanan High School in Winthrop, Iowa and starred in football, basketball and track. In football, he played tight end and linebacker and also handled punting and kickoff duties. He was an all-conference honorable mention selection as a sophomore before being named first-team all-conference as a junior and senior. Gallery helped his high-school team to a three-year record of 24-8, including a 19-2 record in district play. He was a Des Moines Register Class 1A first-team all-state selection as a senior. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Gallery earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

College career
Gallery attended the University of Iowa and played for the Hawkeyes football team from 1999 to 2003. His older brother Nick had been an All-Big Ten punter for the Hawkeyes, and his younger brother John later became a punter for the team. After redshirting in 1999, Gallery had three catches for 52 yards as a starting tight end as a freshman before moving to the tackle position. He started six games at the right tackle position as a freshman.

As a sophomore, Gallery started every game at left tackle and made vast improvements throughout the year. He helped Iowa lead the Big Ten Conference in scoring in 2001 as Iowa qualified for its first bowl game in four years. As a junior in 2002, Gallery started all 13 games at left tackle and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. He helped lead Iowa to its first Big Ten title in 12 years and its first undefeated conference season in 80 years. He also won the team's Hustle Award.

In 2003, Gallery led Iowa to another 10-win season and was voted as Iowa's co-captain and co-MVP for the season. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the second straight year and named the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year. He was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American as a senior in 2003. He was awarded the 2003 Outland Trophy, making him the third lineman from Iowa to win the award (along with Alex Karras and Cal Jones). He was also a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection at Iowa.

Gallery graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. As part of his pre-professional training, he taught at two local elementary schools.

On January 9, 2023, the College Football Hall of Fame selected Gallery for induction into the 2023 Class.

Oakland Raiders
Gallery was selected with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. He was regarded as "the best lineman to come out of college in years", with a perfect 9.0 prospect rating, the highest for any offensive lineman.

In 2004, Gallery started 15 games at right tackle and surrendered three sacks. In 2005, he started all 16 games at right tackle and allowed 3.5 sacks. The Raiders moved him to left tackle at the beginning of the 2006 preseason. In the Raiders' first game of the 2006 regular season, Gallery was part of an offensive line that surrendered nine sacks (at least three of which were charged to him) to the San Diego Chargers. He played in 13 games during the season and allowed 10.5 sacks, placing him fourth in the league despite missing three games. In 2007, Oakland moved Gallery to left guard.

Although Gallery had generally been considered a bust at the left tackle position for which he was selected and had limited success at the right tackle position, his performance improved as a left guard.

Seattle Seahawks
On July 27, 2011, Gallery agreed to join the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year deal worth a reported $15 million. He was released after one season.

New England Patriots
On March 19, 2012, Gallery signed with the New England Patriots on a one-year deal. Gallery announced his retirement from professional football on August 4, 2012.

title: Robert Gallery


text:
Napoleon Harris

Napoleon Bill Harris III (born February 25, 1979) is an American politician and former professional football player who has been a member of the Illinois Senate representing the 15th district since 2013. The 15th district stretches from Blue Island in the north, Calumet City in the east, Homewood in the west, Steger in the south, and includes all or parts of Crete-Monee, Dolton, Flossmoor, Glenwood, Thornton, Dixmoor, Markham, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Harvey, Riverdale, and South Holland.

Prior to his service in the Illinois Senate, he played as a linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, and Kansas City Chiefs at various times.

Early life
Harris grew up in Dixmoor, Illinois. He attended Lincoln Elementary School, Rosa L. Parks Middle School, and Thornton Township High School. He was a tri-star athlete and honor student. His father died his junior year of high school.

Harris was an honors student at Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois and lettered in football and basketball. In football, he posted 23 sacks, 98 tackles, two fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble, two safeties, and one interception and was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Star Publications, Daily Southtown, and the Hammond Times. Napoleon also averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds on the No. 1 basketball team in the country.

Harris enrolled at Northwestern University, where he played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats. For one year, he was a two sport athlete playing basketball. His complete college career ranked 11th on Northwestern's all-time tackles list with 334. All-Big Ten Conference as a senior after starting all 11 games at defensive end after moving from outside linebacker and ranked fourth on team in tackles with 78.

NFL career
Harris was selected in the first round of the 2002 draft by the Oakland Raiders, the 23rd overall pick. That year, he started 13 of 16 regular-season games, all three playoff games, and Super Bowl XXXVII for the Oakland Raiders and was named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie team.

In 2005, Harris was acquired by the Minnesota Vikings as part of blockbuster trade which sent Randy Moss to Oakland for the seventh overall pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2005 NFL draft. The Vikings used the picks to select wide receiver Troy Williamson and cornerback Adrian Ward. Despite being traded for one of the premier players in the National Football League, Harris did not immediately live up to his potential the following season with the Minnesota Vikings. In that first season with the Vikings, he was hampered with a lingering knee injury and saw limited playing time. However, in the second season he finished second on the team with 96 tackles, 3 interceptions, 3.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries in 14 games.

On March 6, 2007, Harris agreed to a six-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs released Harris on October 14, 2008. Just two days after his release from the Chiefs, Harris re-joined the Minnesota Vikings on October 16. Harris started in 5 of the 10 games he played and finished his second stint with the Vikings with 32 tackles and 1 sack, and also scored his first NFL touchdown after returning a fumble 27 yards in week 12 in Jacksonville. Despite a fairly good performance, the Vikings did not hold on to him.

In May 2008, Napoleon appeared on The CW Network series The Game. Harris signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on August 24, 2009 after the team released cornerback Ricky Manning, but was released five days later.

NFL statistics
Source: ESPN. Abbreviations key:

 * GP: games played
 * COMB: combined tackles
 * TOTAL: total tackles
 * AST: assisted tackles
 * SACK: sacks

 * FF: forced fumbles
 * FR: fumble recoveries
 * FR YDS: fumble return yards
 * INT: interceptions
 * IR YDS: interception return yards

 * AVG IR: average interception return
 * LNG: longest interception return
 * TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
 * PD: passes defensed

Personal life
Harris is married with two children. After leaving the NFL, Harris, his wife, and sons where he became the owner of two Beggars Pizza locations.

Illinois Senate
In 2011, after Illinois State Senator James Meeks announced his retirement, Harris chose to run to succeed him in the 15th district on a platform of creating economic growth for the district. He won the 2012 primary with a plurality of the vote against two opponents, and ran in the general election unopposed.

As of July 2022, Senator Harris is a member of the following Illinois Senate committees:

 * (Chairman of) Appropriations - Personnel and Procurement Committee (SAPP-SAPP)
 * Appropriations - Revenue and Finance Committee (SAPP-SARF)
 * Appropriations - Government Infrastructure Committee (SAPP-SAGI)
 * Appropriations Committee (SAPP)
 * Commerce Committee (SCOM)
 * (Co-chairman of) Critical Energy Infrastructure and Grid Reliability (SENE-ECEI)
 * Energy and Public Utilities Committee (SENE)
 * Executive Committee (SEXC)
 * Executive - Cannabis Committee (SEXC-SEOC)
 * (Chairman of) Executive - Tobacco Committee (SEXC-STOB)
 * Health Committee (SHEA)
 * (Chairman of) Insurance Committee (SINS)
 * Pensions Committee (SPEN)
 * (Chairman of) Redistricting - South Cook County (SRED)
 * Subcommittee on Public Health (SHEA-SHPH)

While a member of the Illinois Senate, Harris has run for higher office on two occasions. In 2013, Harris ran for the congressional seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., but dropped out after two months, endorsing Robin Kelly. In 2015, he announced his candidacy in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2016. He would come in third place, losing to Tammy Duckworth, who would go on to win the general election.

After the death of longtime Thornton Township Democratic Committeeman Frank Zuccarelli, Harris defeated State Representative Thaddeus Jones for the position.

title: Napoleon Harris


text:
Ellen Goodman

Ellen Goodman (born April 11, 1941) is an American journalist and syndicated columnist. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1980. She is also a speaker and commentator.

Career
Goodman's career began as a researcher and reporter for Newsweek magazine between 1963 and 1965. She was a reporter at the Detroit Free Press starting in 1965 and has worked as an associate editor at The Boston Globe since 1967. Her column was syndicated by The Washington Post Writers Group in 1976.

In 1996, she taught at Stanford University as the first Lorry I. Lokey Visiting professor in Professional Journalism. In 1998, Goodman received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College. She compared "anthropogenic warming deniers" to holocaust deniers. She announced her retirement in her final column, which ran on January 1, 2010.

Education
Goodman attended Brookline High School in Brookline, Massachusetts for two years and graduated in 1959 from Buckingham School, now Buckingham Browne & Nichols. She graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College in 1963 with a degree in modern European history. A year later, she returned to Harvard as a Nieman Fellow. At Harvard, Goodman studied the dynamics of social change. In 2007, Goodman studied gender and the news at John F. Kennedy School of Government where she was a Shorenstein Fellow.

Personal life
Goodman was born to a Jewish family in Newton, Massachusetts, to Jackson Jacob Holtz, and Edith (née Weinstein) Holtz. Her elder sister was the late critic and author Jane Holtz Kay. She married her first husband, Anthony Goodman, in 1963 and in 1968, gave birth to their daughter Katie Goodman, a musical comedian. After the couple divorced, she married Boston Globe journalist Robert Levey in 1982. Her stepson, Gregory Levey, died by self-immolation in 1991 protesting the First Gulf War.

Awards
Goodman won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1980. Another accolade is the American Society of Newspaper Editors' (now the American Society of News Editors) Distinguished Writing Award (1980). In 1988, Goodman won the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

She was awarded the President's Award by the National Women's Political Caucus in 1993. A year later, she was given the American Woman Award by the Women's Research & Education Institute. In 2008, she won the Ernie Pyle Award for Lifetime Achievement from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2014 for her work.

The Conversation Project
In 2010, Goodman started "The Conversation Project", a group dedicated to the wishes of end-of-life care. Goodman serves as the co-founder and director of the group.

Books

 * Turning Points (1979)
 * Close to Home (1979)
 * At Large (1981)
 * Keeping in Touch (1985)
 * Making Sense (1989)
 * Value Judgments (1993)
 * I Know Just What You Mean: the power of friendship in women's lives (2000), by Goodman and Patricia O'Brien
 * Paper Trail: common sense in uncommon times (2004)

title: Ellen Goodman


text:
Cold frame

In agriculture and gardening, a cold frame is a transparent-roofed enclosure, built low to the ground, used to protect plants from adverse weather, primarily excessive cold or wet. The transparent top admits sunlight and prevents heat escape via convection that would otherwise occur, particularly at night. Essentially, a cold frame functions as a miniature greenhouse to extend the growing season.

Historically, cold frames were built to be used in addition to a heated greenhouse. The name itself exemplifies the distinction between the warm greenhouse and the unheated cold frame. They were frequently built as part of the greenhouse's foundation brickwork along the southern wall (in northern latitudes). This allowed seeds to be germinated in the greenhouse and then easily moved to the attached cold frame to be "hardened-off" before final planting outside. Cold frames are similar to some enclosed hotbeds, also called hotboxes. The difference is in the amount of heat generated inside. This is parallel to the way that some greenhouses are called "hothouses" to emphasize their higher temperature, achieved either by the solar effects alone or by auxiliary heating via a heater or HVAC system of some kind.

Cold frames are found in home gardens and in vegetable farming. They create microclimates that provide several degrees of air and soil temperature insulation, and shelter from wind. In cold-winter regions, these characteristics allow plants to be started earlier in the spring, and to survive longer into the fall and winter. They are most often used for growing seedlings that are later transplanted into open ground, and can also be a permanent home to cold-hardy vegetables grown for autumn and winter harvest.

Construction
Cold frame construction is a common home or farm building project, although kits and commercial systems are available. A traditional plan makes use of old glass windows: a wooden frame is built, about one to two feet tall, and the window placed on top. The roof is often sloped towards the winter sun to capture more light, and to improve runoff of water, and hinged for easy access. Clear plastic, rigid or sheeting, can be used in place of glass. An electric heating cable, available for this purpose, can be placed in the soil to provide additional heat.

Uses
Cold frames can be used to extend the growing season for many food and ornamental crops, primarily by providing increased warmth in early spring. This means that it's possible to harvest vegetable crops ahead of their normal season when they are extremely expensive to buy. Some crops suitable for growing in a cold frame include lettuces, parsley, salad onions, spinach, radishes and turnips etc. One vegetable crop can occupy the whole of a cold frame or a combination of crops can be grown so that they mature in rotation in order to get a wide range of different vegetables throughout the year from a single cold frame.

Bulb frame
A "bulb frame" is a specialized kind of cold frame, designed for growing hardy or almost hardy ornamental bulbous plants, particularly in climates with wet winters. Typically it is raised further above ground level than a normal cold frame, so that the plants can be seen better when in flower. They are often used for the cultivation of winter-growing bulbs which flower in the autumn or spring. The covers are used in winter to provide some protection from very bad weather, while allowing good ventilation. Then in the summer, the covers provide dry, warm conditions which many such bulbs need.

title: Cold frame


text:
User:23skidoo

'''If you use the E-MAIL THIS USER feature to contact me and I don't know you, please make sure you indicate your Wikipedia user name in the message otherwise I cannot help you or reply. Thanks.'''

23skidoo is a trivia fanatic in Calgary, Alberta. His expertise includes James Bond, Modesty Blaise, Doctor Who, Bill Haley and His Comets, Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Enya, Laurie Anderson, television, music, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (his hometown), movie musicals, Eleanor Powell, Simon Templar (alias "The Saint"), and just about anything else that catches his fancy. He's also on the watch for vandalism, speedy deleteable nonsense articles and other silliness. He does not, however, support the philosophy of deletionism. Nor does he support current image use policy on Wikipedia on the grounds that it keeps changing all the time; for this reason he will no longer contribute images to the project nor will he attempt to "rescue" the hundreds of images (mostly book covers) that he has contributed over the last 4 years.

When he isn't spending far too much time on Wikipedia, he works as a freelance journalist, photographer, and book editor.

For an explanation of what "23 skidoo" means (or may mean), see the Wikipedia article on the subject here or read The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson.

To leave him a message, please go to his talk page.

NOTE: Please do not add this user to any Wikipedia User Categories without his permission. This has occurred several times and I do not approve. And I don't believe in giving polite warnings to vandals; no one accidentally or in "good faith" vandalises a userpage and I will permaban anyone who vandalises this (or any) user page without further warning. THIS constitutes the only warning such vandals will receive.

My AFD philosophy
I'm a frequent visitor to the Articles for Deletion discussion pages. I consider my WP inclusion philosophy to be more "inclusionist" than "exclusionist". I feel Wikipedia should be "about everything" within reason because this isn't supposed to be a carbon copy of things like Britannica, but more like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- a compendium of all knowledge. But within reason. I look at articles based upon their "viability" more than notability. I firmly believe that WP:OSTRICH plays a role in many article nominations, as does WP:IDONTLIKEIT which often rears its ugly head when articles about porn actors or TV series come up. I also feel that there is difference between articles with content issues and articles with viability issues. I will vote keep on some articles that require a lot of work and sourcing if I feel the subject is sound and worthy of an article; I am not frightened of stubs and if an article sits for a few years as a stub before someone with knowledge expands it, then so be it. I also tend to automatically vote "Keep" on articles that are re-nominated less than 3-4 months after a previous keep decision (but not "no consensus" or "delete"); I feel articles must not be renominated repeatedly in a short period of time. To me that's gaming the system, whether intentional or not. I have long advocated a minimum time limit between nominations of at least a year for articles that pass AFD, and a permanent AFD moratorium for some articles that are repeatedly renominated due to controversial content, WP:IDONTLIKEIT issues, or vandalism.

title: User:23skidoo


text:
Hogg (novel)

Hogg is a novel by American author Samuel R. Delany, written in 1969 and completed in 1995. The novel deals graphically with themes of murder, child molestation, incest, coprophilia, coprophagia, urolagnia, anal-oral contact, necrophilia and rape. It was conceptualized and written in 1969, with a further draft completed in 1973, and it was finally published with some further, though relatively minor, rewrites in 1995 by Black Ice Books. Two later editions have featured some corrections, the last of which, published by Fiction Collective Two in 2004, carries a note from Delany stating that it is definitive.

Preface
The preface to the novel is titled "The Scorpion Garden". It is not included in the hardback edition from 1995, although it was written in 1973. It is included in The Straits of Messina (1989).

Description
"The plot features a silent pre-adolescent boy (called only 'cocksucker') sold into sexual slavery to a rapist named 'Hogg' Hargus, who exposes him to the most extreme acts of deviancy imaginable."

These acts include a substantial amount of "rape, violence, and murder", such as "scenes of Hogg and his gang brutally raping various women" and other "extensive scenes involving consumption of bodily waste." Every chapter in the novel contains graphic sexual or violent acts.

Setting
The main events of the novel take place on June 26, 27, and 28, 1969, in an unspecified city. The narrator mentions various nearby areas—"Crawhole," "Frontwater," and "Ellenville"—apparently fictional neighborhoods. The nameless city is described as an industrial wasteland. The events take place at docks, garbage barges, truck-stops, bars, as well as within Hogg's truck. Many of the characters are described as workmen or wear work clothes.

In an interview with TK Enright, Delany states "[Hogg's] action takes place in Pornotopia—that is the land where any situation can become rampantly sexual under the least increase in the pressure of attention. Like its sister lands, Comedia and Tragedia, it can only be but so realistic." In the same interview Delany also states, "Hogg is another of my stories that takes place in the city of Enoch." Delany's Neveryóna takes place, in part, in Enoch.

Plot summary
At the start, the narrator is living with a Hispanic boy named Pedro and performing sex acts with older men in the basement of the dwelling for money, along with Pedro's teenage sister Maria. He engages in sex with Maria, Pedro, a gang of bikers, and a group of Black men. The narrator consistently assumes the bottom role in these sex acts. One out of the group of Black men chooses the narrator specifically, remarking that he appears of possible part-Black ancestry.

The second chapter takes place sometime after the narrator has left Pedro's. It introduces Hogg, first seen raping a woman in an alley. Hogg calls the narrator to him to "finish him up" orally. Hogg takes the narrator to his truck where he explains that while he is a trucker by trade, he prefers getting paid to rape women. Hogg also reveals a bit about himself and his personal history, painting a picture of his overall persona, which is one of extreme sociopathy, violence, and sexual sadism. They drive to meet Mr. Jonas, who despite his apparent wealth answers his own door and later is revealed to drive his own limousine. Mr. Jonas is Hogg's current client. After Mr. Jonas describes Hogg's next assignment Hogg states his intention to bring along several other men, and the narrator as well, to participate. At this point the narrator's place as Hogg's companion is solidly established.

Hogg and the narrator meet the other men—Nigg, Wop, and Denny—at the Piewacket bar. Nigg turns out to be the black man who the narrator first encountered at the beginning of the story. Wop is a violent Italian-American workman. Denny is a rather shy teenage boy, older than the narrator but quite a bit younger than the other men. The quintet of rapists set out to complete their jobs, which grow in succession from a single woman, a woman and her wheelchair-using daughter, and a nuclear family—mother, father and son. Each successive job increases in violence, and the victims' young children (male and female) are also descended on by the pack. During the third rape scene, Denny absconds to the family's kitchen where he decides to pierce his own penis using a nail. Soon Denny's penis begins to bleed, swell and pus, seemingly infected. At this point he begins repeating the phrase "it's all right."

When their last job is completed, the group retires to the Piewacket bar, where they fraternize with members of the Phantoms—the same biker gang encountered in the beginning of the novel. Nigg and one of the bikers, Hawk, hatch a scheme to sell the narrator to a black tugboat captain called Big Sambo. Without consulting Hogg, all three ride away on Hawk's motorcycle to meet Big Sambo at the docks in Crawhole. Big Sambo talks down the price and pays Nigg and Hawk fifteen dollars for the narrator. Big Sambo is a large, physically powerful tugboat operator who keeps his twelve-year-old daughter, Honey-Pie, around as a sex object for his own pleasure.

The narrator goes walking around the docks at night, where he overhears a radio on the deck of a garbage scow. The newscaster on the radio reports on a series of murders that has occurred recently—as it turns out, the suspect is Denny. This is confirmed to the reader when it is noted that the phrase "it's all right" is written in blood at the crime scenes. The Piewacket bar, where the gang had previously hung out, was attacked by Denny with gunfire. Several people including the bartender and some bikers were killed.

On the docks the narrator then meets two garbagemen: Red, a red-headed white man, and Rufus, a black man. While having sex with the narrator outside, they plan to "borrow" the narrator from Big Sambo and keep him at their scow on a collar and leash. They are interrupted by Whitey, a cop who patrols the area, who also has sex with the narrator. Whitey is called down to the waterfront to help investigate the murders of Mona, Harry and their year-old baby. Rufus, Red and the narrator return to the waterfront where a radio crew has recently arrived and reports live from the scene. Big Sambo sees the narrator by the docks and tells him to return to his scow.

Hogg arrives at Big Sambo's scow and assaults Big Sambo. Hogg and the narrator leave the docks in Hogg's truck, in which Denny was hiding from the police. After driving out of the Crawhole area and getting clear of the law, Hogg commands Denny to bathe himself, dress in clean clothes, and hitch a ride to Florida. While driving back from the truck stop Hogg declares his intentions to spend the next few months with the narrator and expresses his happiness that they are reunited. However, the narrator is formulating a plan to leave Hogg at the next opportune moment. Hogg finally asks him "What's the matter?" to which he responds, "Nothin,"—his only line of dialog in the novel.

The off-stage murder spree by Dennis "Denny" Harkner is described by radio reporter Edward Sawyer as "an afternoon and evening long rampage...that threatens to outdo Starkweather, Speck, and Manson together." Later in the novel it is revealed that the spree took place on June 27, 1969, more than a month before the Tate murders were perpetrated by the Manson Family on August 8, 1969.

Franklin "Hogg" Hargus
Michael Hemmingson wrote in the journal The Review of Contemporary Fiction that Hogg,

"'...is a thug, a 'rape artist' and terrorizer for hire, with inclinations more homosexual than heterosexual. Hogg may very well be the most vile, disgusting personality to emerge from contemporary American fiction: he never bathes or changes clothes, urinates and defecates in his pants, eats his own various bodily excrete, drinks a lot of beer and eats plenty of pizza to 'maintain' his large gut--he has worms and likes it--and enjoys bringing suffering to others, male or female, mostly for pay but sometimes for his own delectation. Yet he is also fascinating: the embodiment of what our society can turn people into, the decaying condition of the human soul.'"

Literary significance and criticism
Despite the book's infamous reputation, several respected authors have given it their endorsement. Norman Mailer, for instance, said "There is no question that Hogg by Samuel R. Delany is a serious book with literary merit." J. G. Ballard, prolific speculative fiction author and elder statesman of transgressive literature, also praised Delany's work, citing the medium of pornography as being the "most political form of fiction."

Author Dennis Cooper said in his collection Smothered in Hugs: Essays, Interviews, Feedback, and Obituaries that "Hogg is tiresome and indulgent" and that the "pace is molasses-slow". However, he also goes on to say that "the book is a highly charged object...[and] that's reason enough to recommend it." In the preface to a later edition of Smothered in Hugs, Cooper writes, "I now think Samuel Delany's Hogg is a great novel, and I don't know why I didn't realize that upon first reading."

Jeffrey A. Tucker, associate professor of English at the University of Rochester, comments in his critical study A sense of wonder: Samuel R. Delany, race, identity and difference that Hogg "gave expression to the author's hostility toward a heterosexist society, an anger that had no socially constructive outlet prior to the modern Gay Rights movement."

title: Hogg (novel)


text:
International (GN train)

The International was a named passenger train originally operated by the Great Northern Railway between King Street Station, Seattle, Washington, and Pacific Central Station, Vancouver, British Columbia between 1950 and 1971.

Background
In 1913, there were three pairs of trains operating on a Vancouver, BC to Portland, Oregon route in 12 to $16 1/2$; with the overnight train carrying the name The Owl. In addition, there was a Vancouver–Seattle local, a Bellingham–Rockport local, and a Vancouver–New Westminster mixed. The depression took its toll on these services; through Vancouver to Portland services were discontinued, with the Seattle to Portland segment being pooled with Northern Pacific Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad from 1925.

By 1928, the Vancouver to Seattle service had been reduced to three pairs of trains: 356/357 The Owl, 358/359 International Limited, and 360 The Canadian and 355 The American. (Odd train numbers were westbound by timetable, southbound by compass, even numbers were eastbound by timetable, northbound by compass). By Spring 1937, The Owl had been discontinued, with 355/358 being limited stop and 359/360 the locals. This arrangement persisted through World War II unit 1946 when service was expanded to three pair of trains: 359/360 became the Morning Puget Sounder, 355/358 the Afternoon Puget Sounder (all limited stop) and 356/357 were restored as the unnamed locals.

In June 1950, the GN replaced both heavyweight Puget Sounders with three streamlined Internationals, although only two trainsets were needed, as each set made one-and-one-half round trips daily. In February 1956, the locals were discontinued, and the Internationals were renumbered.

In May 1960, the evening International was discontinued; the noon service became known as the afternoon service. There was an upswing of traffic during the Century 21 Exposition (the 1962 Seattle World's Fair); to cope with this extra traffic, the Great Northern bought several 56-seat coaches from the Chicago and North Western Railway that had become surplus after the discontinuation of some of the CNW's 400 trains. These were placed in GN's short-haul streamliners, which released long-haul coaches for the Empire Builder and the Western Star.

In 1966, the Great Northern took delivery of six EMD SDP40 locomotives for use on the Western Star; they were also used on the Internationals between the westbound Western Star’s arrival, and the eastbound departure. The following year, eight EMD SDP45 locomotives joined their ranks.

In June 1969, trains 357 and 358, the morning service was discontinued in Washington state, it was October before the Canadian authorities completed their approvals. In the meantime a Vancouver to White Rock, BC shuttle service operated, but the crew usually outnumbered the passengers – if there were any. Due to the schedules needed to maintain reasonable connections with the Empire Builder and the Coast Pool Trains, two trainsets were still required.

Trains 359 and 360 continued through the Burlington Northern Railroad merger of March 1970; BN renumbered them as trains 193 and 194. They finally expired fourteen months later as one of many trains discontinued on the startup of Amtrak on May 1, 1971. Amtrak would later operate the Pacific International over the same route 1972–1981. Service returned again in 1995 as the Mount Baker International, operated by Amtrak in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Since 1998, the route has been part of the Amtrak Cascades service using leased Talgo Pendular equipment, with one round trip from Seattle to Vancouver and one from Portland to Vancouver.

title: International (GN train)