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Nitra Region

The Nitra Region (Nitriansky kraj, ; Nyitrai kerület) is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. It was first established in 1923 and from 1996 exists in its present borders. It consists of seven districts (okres) and 354 municipalities, from which 16 have a town status. The economy of the region focuses more on agriculture, than in other Slovak regions. Nitra is its seat, largest city, and cultural and economic center.

Geography
This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the Žitný ostrov island, and the Danubian Hills in the north, centre and east. Mountain ranges reaching into the region are: Považský Inovec in the north-west, where the region's highest point, Veľký Inovec, is located, Tribeč in the north from Nitra, Pohronský Inovec in the north-east and Štiavnické vrchy in the east. Major rivers are the Danube in the south, Váh in the south-west, Nitra in the western-central part, Hron in the east and Ipeľ in the south-east. As for administrative divisions, the region borders Trenčín Region in the north, Banská Bystrica Region in the east, Hungarian Pest in the south-east, Komárom-Esztergom in the south, and Győr-Moson-Sopron county in the south-west and Trnava Region in the west.

Demographics
The population density in the region is 106 PD/km2 (2020-06-30/-07-01), which is very similar to the country's average (110 per km2). The largest towns are Nitra, Komárno, Nové Zámky and Levice. According to the 2001 census, there were 713,422 inhabitants in the region, with a majority of Slovaks (68.3%), but there is a numerous Hungarian minority (27.6%) in the southern districts, forming a majority in the Komárno District (72%) and there are small minorities of Czechs and Roma (<1%).

Economy and climate
The city of Nitra is also the centre of whole region. The region - which is the warmest in Slovakia - reaches a high production of wheat, rye and vegetables. Significant industries are: the food industry, with breweries in Topoľčany, Nitra and Hurbanovo, are machinery (fridges in Zlaté Moravce, shipyards in Komárno) and energy (Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant).

Politics
Current governor of Banská Bystrica region is Milan Belica (Smer-SD). He won with 34,1 %. In election 2017 was elected also regional parliament :

2017 elections
In governor's elections won Milan Belica (Smer–SD) over many another candidates.

2013 elections
In governor's elections won Milan Belica (Smer–SD) over centre-right candidate Tomáš Galbavý (SDKÚ–DS), who was supported by SaS, OKS, NOVA, Most–Híd, SMK-MKP.

! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Parties and coalitions ! % ! Seats ! +/-
 * colspan="6" |NITRA2013.svg
 * - style="background-color:#C0DBFC; text-align:center;"
 * - style="background-color:#C0DBFC; text-align:center;"
 * - style="background-color:#C0DBFC; text-align:center;"
 * rowspan="2" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:;"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Social Democrats
 * 35.19
 * 19
 * 4
 * style="background-color:#fdfd96;"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Christian Democrats
 * 24.07
 * 13
 * 6
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| Smer–SD, KDH
 * 59.26
 * 32
 * 10
 * rowspan="1" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| SMK–MKP
 * 25.93
 * 14
 * 1
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| SMK–MKP
 * 25.93
 * 14
 * 1
 * rowspan="1" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Independents
 * 7.41
 * 4
 * 1
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| Independents
 * 7.41
 * 4
 * 1
 * rowspan="3" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| SDKÚ–DS
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 8
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Most–Híd
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| NOVA
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| SDKÚ–DS, OKS, SaS, NOVA, Most–Híd
 * 5.55
 * 3
 * 6
 * rowspan="1" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Nationalists
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| SNS
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * }
 * rowspan="1" style="background-color:;border-bottom-style:hidden;" |
 * style="background-color:"|
 * style="text-align:left;"| Nationalists
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * - style="background-color:; color:white;"
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"| SNS
 * 1.85
 * 1
 * 1
 * }
 * }

2009 elections
In governor's elections won Milan Belica (Smer–SD), who was supported by SDKÚ–DS and KDH.

2005 elections
In governor's elections won Milan Belica, who was supported by ASV, KSS, ĽB, ĽS–HZDS, PSNS, ZSNS. His rival in second round of elections was Ján Greššo (DS, SDKÚ).

2001 elections
In governor's elections won Milan Belica, who was supported by HZDS, SOP, SDĽ and Centre party. His rival in second round of elections was Miklós Fehér (SMK-MKP).

Administrative divisions
The Nitra Region consists of 7 districts. There are 354 municipalities, of which 16 are towns.

Places of interest

 * Nitra with Nitra Castle and Saint Emmeram's Cathedral, Nitra Synagogue, Dražovce church, etc.
 * Medieval churches in Kostoľany pod Tribečom and Nitrianska Blatnica
 * Chateau and European bison sanctuary in Topoľčianky (Topoľčianska zubria zvernica)
 * Šaľa - town with a castle
 * The water mill and bridge in Kolárovo
 * Komárno with its fortification system, fortress, Elisabeth bridge, etc.
 * Iža - Roman military camp Celemantia - UNESCO World Heritage Site
 * Štúrovo - Bridge of Mária Valéria
 * Levice with Levice Castle, Saint Michael's Church, Levice Town Hall etc.
 * Arboretum in Tesárske Mlyňany
 * Dunajské luhy Protected Landscape Area
 * Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area

title: Nitra Region


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User talk:Strikebf

Welcome!

Hello,, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Where to ask a question, ask me on my talk page, or place  on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! --Flockmeal 03:22, Dec 12, 2004 (UTC)
 * The five pillars of Wikipedia
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license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:Strikebf


text:
Brumel

Brumel may refer to:

 * Antoine Brumel (c.1460–c.1515), Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer
 * Jacques Brunel (died 1564), also known as Giaches Brumel, 16th century French organist and composer
 * Valeriy Brumel (1942–2003), Soviet-Russian athlete in the high jump, and writer

title: Brumel


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Croatian Football Federation

The Croatian Football Federation (Hrvatski nogometni savez, HNS) is the national governing body of football in Croatia. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of Zagreb. The organisation is a member of both FIFA and UEFA, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia. Marijan Kustić has served as president of the federation since 2021.

The HNS sanctions all competitive football matches in Croatia, beginning with the HNL down to 3. NL, as well as the Croatian Cup, while low-tiered leagues are sanctioned by inter-county and county associations. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's and youth national football teams. As of 2009, the HNS had 118,316 registered players (650 of them professionals) and a total of 1,732 registered association football and futsal clubs.

Early years (1912–1945)
The organisation traces its roots to the Croatian Sports Federation (Hrvatski športski savez), which was founded on 8 October 1909 in Zagreb, at the time when Croatia was part of Austria-Hungary. The federation organised all sports in the country and its first president was Hinko Würth, the chairman of HAŠK football club. Present-day HNS considers its foundation date to be 13 June 1912, when the football section of the Croatian Sports Federation was established, with Milovan Zoričić as its first president.

After World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, representatives from Građanski, HAŠK, Hajduk Split and Concordia football clubs met in Zagreb on 14 April 1919 and founded the Football Association of Yugoslavia (Jugoslavenski nogometni savez), as a successor of the Croatian Sports Federation's football section, and appointed Hinko Würth as its president. The organization then became the chief governing body of football in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and launched the Yugoslav First League, the first country-wide national competition held initially in a cup format. Five other regional sub-federations were also created (based in Belgrade, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Split and Subotica), each organizing their own regional tournament with winners qualifying for the national championship.

In 1929, following disagreements between the Zagreb and Belgrade sub-federations, the Football Association of Yugoslavia was dissolved. It was then re-established in May 1930 in Belgrade, this time with the Serbian-language name Fudbalski savez Jugoslavije. The Belgrade-based association then continued organizing the national league until 1939, when the Banovina of Croatia was created as an administrative region within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. On 6 August 1939 the Croatian Football Federation (Hrvatski nogometni savez or HNS) was established as a football governing body in the newly created province, and Croatian and Slovenian clubs soon began leaving the Yugoslav League to join the HNS-run Croatian-Slovenian Football League in protest of the alleged centralization of sports around Belgrade. The split was eventually rectified with the promise of an increase in the number of Croatian and Slovenian clubs in the league, and because of this a shortened ten-round league was played in the 1939–40 Yugoslav First League season. In 1940 HNS also played a part in organizing the first ever Croatia national football team matches which played four international friendlies between April and December 1940. However the federation was not yet recognized by FIFA as Croatia was at the time still a province of Yugoslavia.

In April 1941 Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by Axis Powers and was effectively dissolved. However, the Croatian Football Federation continued to run a competition called the Croatian national football league in the territory of Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a fascist puppet state which enjoyed relative peace during World War II, and which included most of present-day countries of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 17 July 1941 HNS was admitted to FIFA as the top level federation of NDH, and the national team representing NDH played fourteen international matches in the period from 1941 to 1944.

HNS in Yugoslavia (1945–1990)
Following the end of World War II, Croatia became a part of SFR Yugoslavia and the Belgrade-based Football Association of Yugoslavia took over as the main football-governing body in the country. Also, the new communist government issued a decree in 1945 which effectively dissolved all football clubs which were active during the war as a form of punishment for their participation in the fascist-run football championship. Among others, Zagreb-based powerhouses Concordia, HAŠK and Građanski all ceased to exist, their property was nationalised, and several other clubs, most notably Dinamo Zagreb, were formed to take their place. On the other hand, Hajduk Split was spared as their players had escaped from their Italian-occupied home city of Split during World War II and joined Yugoslav Partisans in 1944. For this reason, Hajduk Split is the only major Croatian club which can claim continuity since its foundation in 1911.

In the period from 1945 to 1990 the Belgrade-based Yugoslav Football Federation was in charge of football in the entire country, while Zagreb was turned into its major regional hub and administrative branch. In this period Croatian clubs competed within the Yugoslav league system and Croatian players were eligible for the Yugoslavia national football team. In the following decades Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split became two of the Yugoslav Big Four (along with Belgrade-based Partizan and Red Star), a quartet of clubs which significantly dominated football in communist Yugoslavia. Dinamo and Hajduk won a combined total of 11 Yugoslav First League titles and 16 Yugoslav Cup. In addition, Croatian club Rijeka won 2 Yugoslav Cup titles. Dinamo Zagreb also won the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which made them the first Yugoslav side to win a continental competition, and were the only Yugoslav club with European silverware until Red Star's 1990–91 European Cup win 24 years later.

Modern era (1990–present)
When the breakup of Yugoslavia began to unfold in the early 1990s, the political situation was reflected on football pitches. On 13 May 1990 an infamous riot occurred at Maksimir in Zagreb and interrupted the Dinamo Zagreb – Red Star league fixture. On 3 June 1990 the pre-scheduled Yugoslavia–Netherlands friendly was held at the same stadium, and some 20,000 Croatian fans booed the Yugoslav national anthem and cheered for the Dutch team instead. On 26 September 1990 Hajduk Split fans staged a violent pitch invasion at Poljud during a league fixture against Partizan. On 17 October 1990 the first match of the newly established Croatia national football team was held, a friendly against the United States, and following the end of the 1990–91 season Croatian clubs decided to abandon Yugoslav competitions.

After Croatia had officially declared independence on 8 October 1991, the Croatian Football Federation sought international recognition, and was finally re-admitted to FIFA on 3 July 1992 and to UEFA on 17 June 1993.

In February 1992 the inaugural season of the Croatian top league Prva HNL kicked off, and in March 1992 the first edition of the Croatian Cup was launched.

In late 2010, the Federation held an election for its President, with Vlatko Marković opposed by Igor Štimac. Marković won by a single vote, and the assembly was marred with controversies. Štimac later appealed, calling for another meeting of the Federation. His supporters organized a new assembly and elected him the new President despite the opposing faction's boycott, leading to an impasse.

In July 2012, the Federation held an election for its President, with Davor Šuker as the only candidate. All 46 delegates voted in favour of Suker's candidature.

Presidents

 * Notes
 * The first three presidents 1912–1919 were heads of football sections within the Croatian Sports Federation, the top sports governing body in Croatia, which was at the time a province within Austria-Hungary. Following World War I and the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia the organisation was re-established in Zagreb in 1919 as the Football Association of Yugoslavia and designed as a national-level governing body. Its seat was moved to Yugoslavia's capital Belgrade ten years later in 1929. Although city-level subfederations continued to exist in the 1920s and 1930s there was no separate regional organisation which would govern the sport in Croatia between 1919 and 1939, hence the 20-year gap.
 * In 1939 the Banovina of Croatia was created as an autonomous province within Yugoslavia, and a new provincial federation carrying the present-day football federation's name was established. Ivo Kraljević headed this body between 1939 and 1941.
 * Following the April 1941 invasion of Yugoslavia the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), an Axis-allied puppet state which included most of the territories of present-day Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, was established. The Zagreb-based football federation thus began to govern football in the entire territory of NDH and continued to organize national-level league championship during World War II. During this period NDH was admitted to FIFA and organised 14 international friendlies involving Croatia. Presidents between 1941 and 1945 headed the HNS during this era.
 * After 1945 and the establishment of the communist SFR Yugoslavia, the HNS again became one of its regional federations, charged with governing football in SR Croatia, which became one of Yugoslavia's six federal republics. Presidents from 1945–1990 headed the HNS in this period.
 * After Croatia proclaimed independence in 1991 and the breakup of Yugoslavia the HNS became the top football governing body of the newly independent nations. The country was internationally recognized by early 1992, and HNS was admitted to FIFA (again) in July 1992 and to UEFA in June 1993.

 * List of presidents (1912–1990)

 * Milovan Zoričić (1912–1914)
 * Vladimir Očić (1914)
 * Milan Graf (1914–1919)
 * Ivo Kraljević (1939–1941)
 * Rudolf Hitrec (1941–1942)
 * Vatroslav Petek (1942–1944)
 * Rinaldo Čulić (1944–1945)
 * Mijo Hršak (1945–1947)

 * Lazo Vračarić (1947–1950)
 * Boris Bakrač (1950–1953)
 * Vlado Ranogajec (1953–1957)
 * Mirko Oklobdžija (1957–1959)
 * Pero Splivalo (1959–1965)
 * Luka Bajakić (1965–1966)
 * Bruno Knežević (1966–1971)
 * Ivan Kolić (1971–1976)

 * Vlado Bogatec (1976–1978)
 * Ljubo Španjol (1978–1981)
 * Željko Huber (1981–1982)
 * Dušan Veselinović (1982–1984)
 * Milivoj Ražov (1984–1985)
 * Adam Sušanj (1985–1986)
 * Antun Ćilić (1986–1988)
 * Paško Viđak (1988–1990)

 * List of presidents (1990–present)

 * Mladen Vedriš (September 1990 – July 1994)
 * Damir Matovinović (acting; 8 July 1994 – 10 March 1995)
 * Đuro Brodarac (10 March 1995 – 8 June 1995)
 * Nadan Vidošević (8 June 1995 – 17 August 1996)

 * Josip Šoić (17 August 1996 – 2 June 1997)
 * Branko Mikša (2 June 1997 – 5 October 1998)
 * Vlatko Marković (18 December 1998 – 5 July 2012)
 * Davor Šuker (5 July 2012 – 29 July 2021)
 * Marijan Kustić (29 July 2021 – present)

Competitions
It organizes the following competitions:
 * Men's football
 * HNL; First league
 * 1. NL (or Prva NL); Second league
 * 2. NL (or Druga NL); Third league
 * 3. NL (or Treća NL): Fourth league
 * Croatian Football Cup
 * Croatian Football Super Cup

 * Women's football
 * 1. HNLŽ (or Prva HNL za žene); First Women's Division
 * 2. HNLŽ (or Druga HNL za žene); Second Women's Division
 * Croatian Women's Cup

 * Youth football
 * 1. HNL Academy; First league for academy sides, with three age categories for boys: Under 19 (Juniori), Under 17 (Kadeti) and Under 15 (Pioniri), and two for girls Under 17 (Kadetkinje) and Under 15 (Pionirke).

 * Futsal
 * 1. HMNL (or Prva HMNL): First league
 * 2. HMNL (or Druga HMNL): Second league
 * 1. HMNLŽ (or Prva HMNLŽ): First women's league

 * Beach Soccer
 * 1. HNLP (or Prva HNLP)

National teams
The Croatian Football Federation also organises national football teams representing Croatia at all age levels:
 * Men's
 * Croatia national football team (currently managed by Zlatko Dalić)
 * Croatia U21 national football team (currently managed by Dragan Skočić)
 * Croatia U20 national football team (currently managed by Ognjen Vukojević)
 * Croatia U19 national football team (currently managed by Josip Šimunić)
 * Croatia U18 national football team (currently managed by Josip Šimunić)
 * Croatia U17 national football team (currently managed by Tomislav Rukavina)
 * Croatia U16 national football team (currently managed by Tomislav Rukavina)
 * Croatia U15 national football team (currently managed by Sergej Milivojević)

 * Women's
 * Croatia women's national football team (currently managed by Nenad Gračan)
 * Croatia women's U19 national football team (currently managed by Božidar Miletić)
 * Croatia women's U17 national football team (currently managed by Stella Gotal)
 * Croatia women's U15 national football team (currently managed by Božidar Miletić)

 * Futsal
 * Croatia national futsal team (currently managed by Marinko Mavrović)
 * Croatia U19 national futsal team (currently managed by Duje Maretić)
 * Croatia women's national futsal team (currently managed by Luka Marinović)

 * Beach soccer
 * Croatia beach soccer national team (currently managed by Emanuel Melon)

title: Croatian Football Federation


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Agudat Yisrael

Agudat Yisrael (אֲגוּדָּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, also transliterated Agudath Israel, or, in Yiddish, Agudas Yisroel) is a Haredi Jewish political party in Israel. It began as a political party representing Haredi Jews in Poland, originating in the Agudath Israel movement in Upper Silesia. It later became the party of many Haredim in Israel. It was the umbrella party for many, though not all, Haredi Jews in Israel until the 1980s, as it had been during the British Mandate of Palestine.

Since the 1980s, it has become a predominantly Hasidic party, though it often combines with the Degel HaTorah non-Hasidic Ashkenazi Haredi party for elections and coalition-forming (although not with the Sephardi and Mizrahi Haredi party Shas). When so combined, they are known together as United Torah Judaism.

History
When political Zionism began to emerge in the 1890s, and recruit supporters in Europe and America, it was opposed by many Orthodox Jews, who believed the Jewish state would emerge from divine intervention. World Agudath Israel was founded in Kattowitz, German Empire (now Katowice, Poland), in 1912, to provide an umbrella organization for observant Jews who opposed the Zionist movement.

In Palestine, Agudat Yisrael was established as a branch of this movement, to provide opposition to the organised Zionist Jewish community (the "New Yishuv", as opposed to the traditionalist, religious "Old Yishuv"). One of its most authoritative spokesmen against the formation of a Jewish State, the Dutch poet Jacob Israël de Haan, was assassinated by the Haganah in 1924. In 1933, it entered into an agreement with the Jewish Agency in Palestine, according to which Agudat Yisrael would receive 6.5% of the immigration permits. In the wake of the Holocaust, anti-Zionist rabbis who led Agudat Israel recognised the great utility of a Jewish state, and it became non-Zionist, rather than anti-Zionist. It did not actively participate in the creation of Israel, but it ceased its opposition to it. Eventually, on the eve of the Israeli Declaration of Independence (1948), Agudat Yisrael yielded to pressure from the Zionist movement, and since that time, it has been a participant in most Israeli governments. Over time, the movement realized that its more active participation in politics would come with benefits, and it agreed to become a coalition partner of several Israeli governments. However, its original reservations about a secular government influenced its decision to refuse cabinet positions.

Agudat Yisrael originally had a mixed Hasidic and "Litvish" (Lithuanian-style Haredi) membership. However, in the 1980s, Rabbi Elazar Shach, leader of Israel's Litvish community and their pre-eminent rosh yeshiva ("yeshiva dean"), split from the party. He created the new Degel HaTorah ("Flag of the Torah") party. Most of the Litvish community left Agudah to join Degel HaTorah, leaving Agudah with primarily Hasidic members. Rabbi Shach had earlier assisted Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef in splitting from Agudah to create a Sephardic Haredi party known as Shas. Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah have not always agreed with each other about policy matters; however, over the years, the two parties have co-operated and united as a voting bloc to win the maximum number of seats in the Knesset, since many extra votes can be wasted if certain thresholds are not attained under Israel's proportional representation parliamentary system. The two parties chose to function and be listed under the name of United Torah Judaism (UTJ, Hebrew Yahadut HaTorah).

When both parties joined the government coalition of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2004, the UTJ union was broken due to rivalries. For the 2006 Israel legislative election, Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah once again put their differences aside, and officially revived their United Torah Judaism alliance to win the maximum number of seats in the 17th Knesset.

Though Agudat Yisrael has never elected more than ten members in the Knesset, it has often played crucial roles in the formation of Israel's coalition governments because Israel's system of proportional representation allows small parties to wield the balance of power between the larger parties. This political leverage has been used to obtain funding for yeshivas and community institutions, to obtain a de facto exemption for Haredi Yeshiva students from military service, and to pass legislation regarding the observance of the Shabbat and kashrut dietary regulations, sometimes to the consternation of secular Israelis.

Religious and political leadership
Political power is vested in the Hasidic Rebbes of Ger, Belz, Vizhnitz, and Boston.

In addition, policy decisions of Agudat Yisrael are ratified by its Council of Torah Sages, which includes several other prominent Hasidic leaders and scholars, many being the leading rabbis from the main constituent groups. When participating in government coalitions, the party generally refrains from accepting actual cabinet posts. Its positions on Israeli foreign policy and the Palestinian question have been flexible in the past, since the party formally rejects political secular Zionism and does not view such issues ideologically. Therefore, it has been able to participate in both Likud- and Labor-led coalitions. In more recent years, it has become more sympathetic to the settler movement in the West Bank, and thus more security-conscious on military issues affecting Israel's survival. Agudat Yisrael supported Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan of 2005.

In 1948, Rabbi Yehuda Meir Abramowicz was appointed as General Secretary.

Rabbi Meir Porush, as well as Yaakov Litzman, and Yisrael Eichler, from the Hasidic courts of Ger and Belz, respectively, have represented the party in Israel's Knesset. Another long-time Agudat MK is Rabbi Shmuel Halpert, a member of the court of Vizhnitz.

title: Agudat Yisrael


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Saw 2: Hacksaw

Saw 2: Hacksaw
unreleased game movie with no known details, except that maybe it will come out in about a year. Michael Ward 03:29, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete, same as above. Katefan0 06:35, Dec 12, 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete until it comes out and achieves notability. [[User:Livajo|Ливай | ☺]] 07:02, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete Cdc 08:18, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Actually, it's not a game at all, but a sequel to the movie Saw. But Delete for now, there isn't any information about it at this time, apart from the fact that it's been announced. [[User:Xezbeth| Xezbeth ]] 12:40, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete: Extremely breathless anticipation of a rumor of speculation. Geogre 14:38, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Can't possibly have any content until its released. [[User:David_Johnson|David Johnson [ T|C ] ]] 23:41, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Future event without context.  (We have, for example, no article I can find on "Saw 1") I should have noticed that in your previous comment. Thanks.  Rossami (talk) 01:15, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * Saw (movie). Plenty of context, however no details have been released as of yet. [[User:Xezbeth| Xezbeth ]] 21:09, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)


text:
Gabrieli

Gabrieli may refer to:

People

 * Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532–1585), composer and organist at San Marco di Venezia
 * Giovanni Gabrieli (c.1554–1612), composer and organist at San Marco di Venezia
 * Chris Gabrieli (born 1960), American politician
 * John Gabrieli, American neuroscientist
 * Ugo Gabrieli (born 1989), Italian footballer

Other uses

 * Gabrieli (calligrapher) (10th century), Georgian calligrapher
 * Gabrieli Quartet, a British string ensemble

title: Gabrieli


text:
Talk:Center for Constitutional Rights

ECLC
ECLC is mentioned nowhere in the text, the abbreviation is not explained and there is not link to an explanation. so what about is this? early childhood learning community, as google's 1st hit suggests? - without this information this trivia is rather useless IMO. ¨¨¨¨ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.130.1.143 (talk) 00:27, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, this is just inaccurate.Shayanakadidal (talk) 04:52, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Structure
Shouldn't the Table of Contents be closer to the top? Yes, solved by adding the heading Introduction. Otto 20:49, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Can the next person who tries to do global edits on this article please take a look at the way it looked in June 2007 when I finished a major revise? I've tried to add back some of the periodization in the Intro, but I fear the ineluctable tide of the "laundry list" seems to overwhelm everything on Wikipedia. IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE AN ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRY, not a list of your favorite things. Thx.Shayanakadidal (talk) 04:58, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Left Wing POV
I question the neutrality of this article. Just because an organization defends constitutional rights does not mean that it is left-wing. Most conservatives also value the rights of the constitution.
 * I don't see where it says left-wing. Maybe it's been taken out since this comment. Clarify? LockeShocke 03:19, May 25, 2005 (UTC)

Your reasoning that "because an organization defends constitutional rights does not mean that it is left-wing," LockeShock, is solid but the Center for Constitutional Rights happens pretty clearly to be on the far-left end of the U.S. political spectrum. See. Whether being left-wing is a good thing or not is up to you, but it's definitely left-wing (at least in the U.S. sense of the term). Syntacticus 18:38, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

I added left wing back to the description of CCR since it seems accurate and matches some of the many descriptions of left wing. There is no inherent contradiction between being left wing and claiming to, or actually supporting constitutional rights.Kevinp2 21:30, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Thank you. This is indeed a nice and entertaining source. If we base the article on this source, or just the first paragraph, we could re-write the lead of the article as: "The CCR is a barbaric terrorist, aggressive, anti-american ultraleftist law firm, aiming at destroying the USA in cooperation with their Islamic fascist friends." Nice, eh? Bertilvidet 10:10, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

Quadpus wiped out the additional information that I provided without any explanation. From comparing the edits, he(?) seems to wish to hide the fact that CCR meets any reasonable definition of left-wing. Please don't erase information without providing an explanation. If you feel that the article needs balance, you can ADD the balance, not remove information that you don't like people to read. Kevinp2 03:58, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

To call CCR "left-wing" is POV, the opinion of the author. CCR is a non-partisan NGO. Otto 07:36, 13 November 2006 (UTC)
 * OK, left-wing is in the criticism section, which is acceptable to me.Kevinp2 18:43, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

Ok, First of all, calling something "Left-wing" or "Right-wing" is NOT POV. For instance, to say that Pres. Bush is on the "right-wing" is not POV, it's a statement of fact. Just like saying that former Pres. Clintion is on the "left-wing". Furthermore, saying that an orginization is on the left/right-wing is not POV. For instance, to say that the ELF (environmental liberation front) is on the "left-wing" is a statement of fact and is not POV. Otto..just because an orginization states on its website that they are "Non-partisan" does not mean that they are, in fact, non-partisan. For instance, since you seem to be a left leaner...I'll use an example that will hit close to home. Fox News claims that they are "fair and balanced". By your logic, people should take this statement "as is" and not question it. Now, judging by the massive ammount or rancor on the Fox News wiki page...its "fair and balanced" claim is in dispute. Is this POV? NO! It's fact. Just like here...saying that a factual statement calling the CCR "left-wing" is POV is simply incorrect. CCR IS left-wing...regardless of what they say on their website. Chairman Meow 17:59, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Chairman I admit that there is some reason in your argument. My POV about how to edit an encyclopedia is to circumvent political judgment as far as reasonable. If I am not knowledgeable about CCR, I don't like it if the first thing I read about it is that CCR is so-and-so left/right. If the article starts like that I am not reading what I want to know and that is: what is CCR doing and why. Leave the judgements to the critics paragraph. --Otto 20:54, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

For the record, "non-partisan" does not mean "politically centrist." An organization may legitimately be described as left-wing and non-partisan. Indeed, may left-leaning Americans with a "civil libertarian" bent (i.e., the ACLU CCR crowd) are not particularly fond of the Dems. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.6.37.161 (talk) 02:37, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

Mark Levin
The text of the Wikipedia page was copied by User:Loveletter from http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6148 or a a mirror of it.

''WARNING to Mark Levin, who read this article on his radio program: Please don't use Wikipedia is a reference source, because it's relatively unreliable when compared to real encyclopedias. Wikipedia is not an encyclopedia.'' --2004-12-29T22:45Z 23:29, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

No, no, no. Wikipedia is indeed an encyclopedia [], but it's not a printed encyclopedia that is carved in stone. It is useful for some things, but not for others. Everything in it should be taken "cum grano salis," but at the same time that doesn't mean it is necessarily inaccurate. Syntacticus 18:38, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Aim
CCR states that it is aimed to protect and advance the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not that it "purports" to do so. To state that just because their litigation is not appreciated is POV. Otto 19:11, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Outdated link from criticism section
The link in the criticism section no longer works. As an aside, I think it's a bit absurd to feature such clearly radical criticism. To say that the CCR is left-wing might be accurate; to say that it's the "terrorist legal defense team" is absurd. Perhaps someone can dig up a source who does not claim it's un-American or partisan to believe that all defendants deserve legal representation. This may seen POV on my part, to say that this view is too radical to deserve citation as a valid "criticism," but I just think it sounds a bit wing-nutty. There must be someone there who has a more meaningful criticism of the CCR than "OMGWTF! They defend terrurists! LOL!" S. Ugarte 15:45, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Suspected Terrorists v. Men and Boys
To say they are suspected terrorists without citation makes it seem as thought the whole world things they are 'terrorists'. I looked around for hours trying to find any charging documents from the USGOV. Of course there are none (took me a while to realize that I already knew that). The men and boys held there have for the most part not been charged with anything. I think like it to read "men and boys, detained under President Bushs military order -- http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011113-27.html " I think men and boys is NOT irrelevant it simply provides MORE information. People don't think children are detained at the base and they are. I also think it is harder to see a 10 year old as a dangerous terrorist, and this reveals the nature of the detentions. Chris Williams 5:16est, September 6, 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.84.217.250 (talk) 21:17, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

 * So, to be clear, you weren't asking that we cite a source for the description, you were complaining that most of these fascists had not been formally charged with crimes. What you seem to be missing is where it says that they must be charged at all. (This is a war, after all, and criminal charges aren't required to lock up enemy combatants.) The Supreme Court has not said that criminal charges are required. You might find this interesting.
 * The phrase "boys and men" is irrelevant, and struck me as an attempt to humanize them while at the same time hiding the cause for holding them. Even if it could be relevant, there aren't that many "boys" that it's worth mentioning in the introductory paragraph. But there are fewer than you'd think, as international law defines a child soldier as someone under 15. And to the extent that there were a few kids under 15 at GTMO, the criticism should go to the fascists who recruited them. I don't think CCR has criticized the fascists for doing this.
 * -- Randy2063 22:14, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Who is a facist? I think you should look up that term. So the 10 year olds are fascists? I am not complaining I am telling you that you need to cite you sources. Especially since you version of the page implies that it is the US Government that is calling them "suspected terrorists". So if they are 'enemy combatants' then call them that. I would say that according to the US Administration they are 'enemy combatants'. What is the cause for holding them? Is it something you made up? Something you heard on TV? Where is you term "suspected terrorist" coming from? Hmm, I don't know if you actually know how many boys are at gitmo. International law uses a bifurcated classification system for defining child soldiers some instruments use 18 and some use 15. But who recruited these kids? I mean you are convicting someone who has never been charged or even accused of anything. It is irrelevant if CCR has not criticized the 'facist' for doing anything, that just sounds like sour apples on your part that they don't support you political agenda. Chris Williams 12:37est, September 7, 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.255.45.155 (talk) 04:37, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

 * The word "fascist" has been used broadly like this since the 1930s. (Communists didn't like uttering the term "national socialism" so they stretched "fascism" to cover them all.) Orwell wrote disapprovingly of its use as a political epithet, but he said it works well for regimes like that of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It's a little late to start backtracking now, particularly when it applies so well nowadays.

 * I did cite the source, and I acknowledged in an edit comment that I have my own problems with the word "suspected." Calling them "enemy combatants" is fitting. Dwelling on how many were child soldiers is not. The U.S. didn't capture them because of their age, nor did CCR defend them because of it. Moreover, articles on Nazis don't often describe them as "boys and men" even though plenty of child soldiers were recruited then. I don't see anything in the WP article on child soldiers to suggest that they're not subject to detention (or eligible for a trial) upon capture.

 * I'm more than familiar with youth locked up at GTMO. WP has an article on Minors detained in the global war on terror. A few of them pretend to be innocent, but that's par for the course. Their lawyers are more than happy to repeat it.

 * As for "convicting someone who has never been charged," that's not what's going on. It wasn't all that long ago that critics were claiming to care about the Geneva Conventions. Now they ignore the GCs and want civilian trials. Sour apples go both ways.

 * BTW: You really ought to sign in if you're going to stick around.
 * -- Randy2063 17:34, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

You are wrong about the definition of fascism but that is not the point, because it was created in popularized in Italy. I did not call them child soldiers, in fact using that term involves an assumption. I won't explain it I will leave that to you to figure out. "Pretend[ing] to be innocent," is impossible because they can't be guilty or innocent, in a US or international legal sense because they have not been accused of anything. Regarding the GC, the GC always apply, as for domestic law it may or may not. Why is using the best argument in the legal arena get you all huffy? Thanks for the suggestion. But what would I bother? I am already wasting enough time on this as it is. Regarding the GC the US is clearly in violation of many articles, and if we were to apply US law I think we all know they are in violation there too. Seem win win to me either way pilgrim. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.84.217.155 (talk) 22:14, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

 * You've missed my point about the meaning of fascism. As I said, the use of the word was expanded in the 1930s. In other words, Nazis are not technically Fascists but it's become common call them that (with a small "f" to differentiate from Italian Fascism). Blame the communists. They're the ones who started the practice.

 * Returning back to the editing of the article, if you're inclined to nitpick on my use of the word "innocent" as though it was in the legal sense then you ought to be able to understand that the U.S. can hold these detainees as long as we like. Charged or uncharged. SCOTUS rejected Bush's position when they ruled that Common Article 3 applies, but they did not rule that GTMO needs to be closed or that the fascists need to be charged. If the U.S. is really "in violation of many articles" then those Justices have been waiting a long time to say so.
 * -- Randy2063 22:52, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

revert -- see talk
I reverted an edit with the edit summary [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Center_for_Constitutional_Rights&diff=prev&oldid=159326963 "people the US Government claims are" - this is tendentious. Terrorists do exist and some of them are suspected to be detained in Guantanamo] Yes, terrorists exist. And some are held in extrajudicial detention]] in Guantanamo. The wording I reverted implies that all the captives in Guantanamo are terrorist suspects. This is not true. Some were never suspected of being terrorists. Abdullah Mujahid On August 12 2007 Farah Stockman, writing in the Boston Globe used Mjuahid'd story to comment on the Bush administration's claim that Guantanamo captives had been apprehended "on the battlefield". Stockman described Mujahid as an early supporter during the overthrow of the Taliban, whose usefulness waned after their ouster, because he was illiterate, and was rumored to be corrupt. Stockman wrote:

Cheers! Geo Swan 22:25, 22 September 2007 (UTC)

typo?
should "his case marks the first instance of challenge to abortion statues being argued by women plaintiffs in terms of women’s right to choice rather than a doctor’s right to practice." read "his case marks the first instance of challenge to abortion statutes being argued by women plaintiffs in terms of women’s right to choice rather than a doctor’s right to practice." ? not sure cause I'm no lawyer...

NPOV
The article is hagiography without balancing points of view, such as THF (talk) 00:30, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

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title: Talk:Center for Constitutional Rights


text:
Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica

Saint Mary is a parish located in the northeast section of Jamaica. With a population of 114,227 it is one of Jamaica's smallest parishes, located in the county of Middlesex. Its chief town and capital is Port Maria, located on the coast.

The parish is the birthplace of established dancehall reggae artists, including Capleton, Lady Saw, Ninjaman, Ini Kamoze, Sizzla, and Tanya Stephens. Other notable residents of St. Mary parish include author Colin Simpson, who is the great-great grandson of abolitionist James Phillippo, Jamaican writer and community activist Erna Brodber, and music producer Chris Blackwell, who is credited with discovering reggae icon Bob Marley.

History
There are a few traces of Taíno/Arawak presence in the parish. Saint Mary was also one of the first sections of the island to be occupied by the Spaniards. Puerto Santa Maria was the second town the Spaniards built on the island. In 1655, after the English captured Jamaica from the Spanish, the north coastal town of Santa Maria became known as Port Maria.

One of St. Mary’s most famous early residents was Sir Henry Morgan, who had a home on the hill overlooking Port Maria. The property offered a commanding view of the St. Mary harbour and provided Morgan with a strategic vantage point and featured a secret escape tunnel to Port Maria. Morgan’s home was later purchased by Sir Noël Coward and is located beside Fort Haldane.

Fort Haldane was built in 1759 to protect the strategic harbour of Port Maria from Spanish raids. It was also used as a garrison to keep the enslaved and working classes of St. Mary under control. It was named after General George Haldane, then Governor of Jamaica. The fort’s cannons were strategically positioned on a hill facing seaward over Port Maria for protection. Fort Haldane served a pivotal role in the famous Tacky's rebellion, one of Jamaica's bloodiest rebellions against slavery in 1760. On Easter Sunday, a runaway slave known as Tacky and a small group of slaves from neighboring plantations murdered their masters and marched to Port Maria where they killed the guards at Fort Haldane and stole several barrels of gunpowder and firearms. They fought alongside hundreds of other slaves for five months but their rebellion was ultimately quashed by the British colonial authorities and the skilled Jamaican Maroons from Scott's Hall. A Maroon officer from Scott's Hall, Davy the Maroon, shot Tacky dead following a fierce gunbattle.

Descendants of the Maroons carried on their struggle after the abolition of slavery and they joined with Reverend James Phillippo in his quest to establish one of his Free Villages in St. Mary. Phillippo built the first church in Oracabessa and led a defiant protest against the local landowner’s refusal to sell land to former slaves. The Maroons joined Phillippo in a show of force that led to the landowner’s capitulation and the sale of enough land to build homes for the local population. St. Mary's present size was determined in 1867, when the parish of Metcalfe was merged with St Mary.

One of the largest landowners in Saint Mary at the turn of the 20th Century was Blanche Blackwell, mother of Chris Blackwell. Blanche sold plots of land from Oracabessa to Port Maria to her coterie of friends, including playwright Noël Coward, U.S. Ambassador Ruth Bryan Owen, and James Bond author Ian Fleming. Noël Coward's Firefly Estate is designated as a National Historic site, and overlooks St. Mary Harbour.

The first James Bond film, Dr. No was filmed in part in Saint Mary Parish, including in the Oracabessa river.

In the 1990s, the Island Outpost Corporation developed one of St. Mary's best-known tourist attractions, the James Bond Beach and the facility includes a concert pavilion as well as a large bar/restaurant.

St. Mary is home to the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, which was established in 2011 to protect the marine ecosystem in Oracabessa Bay. The eastern perimeter of the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary is located on the edge of the Cayman Trough with walls that begin at 60 ft. and drop down to over 150 ft. These walls are covered in a large variety of hard and soft corals. The walls contain many overhangs and ledges and are home to lobsters, king crab, green and spotted moray eels, and a host of other marine creatures. Beyond the boundaries of the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, the Cayman Trough plunges to depths of over 25,000 ft and is renowned for deep-water sport fishing including marlin and tuna.

Geography
St. Mary is located at latitude 18°09'N, longitude 77°03'W. It is bordered by Portland in the east, St. Ann in the west, and parts of St. Catherine and St. Andrew in the south.

The parish covers an area of 610 km2, making it Jamaica's fifth smallest parish. The terrain is mountainous, rising up to almost 4000 ft at the highest point, but there are no distinctive mountain ranges. The climate is varied, like most parishes on the island. The eastern section of the parish has shale rock and an intricate surface draining pattern, while the western section is limestone with predominantly underground rivers.

There are three main rivers in Saint Mary, the Rio Nuevo, Wag Water River and White River.

Commerce
The parish has a good variety of agricultural resources. The principal products are bananas, sugar, citrus, pimento, cocoa, coconuts, coffee, vegetables, breadfruit and annatto. Pastoralism is also practised. In recent years, however, agriculture has been on the decline, which may be due to the problems that Jamaican banana export has been facing.

St. Mary's parish, had once been listed as one of the poorest in Jamaica, but over the past 10 years there have been substantial improvements in the economy due to the influx of investments in infrastructure, including a new international airport (Ian Fleming International Airport), a new highway, and development of luxury resorts such as Goldeneye and Golden Clouds. The new intercoastal highway constructed in 2005 has benefitted the parish and has brought a significant increase to tourism-related activities.

The parish boasts what is thought by some to be one of the best secondary level schools in the nation, St Mary High School, from which several outstanding people have come. They occupy several reputable positions in varying sectors both at home and overseas.

Essential services includes banking and postal services. There are hospitals located in Port Maria and Annotto Bay, as well as public health clinics in Highgate, Oracabessa and Boscobel.

Tourism
Tourism has become an increasingly important source of income for parishioners of St. Mary. Some of the most well known resorts in St. Mary include Couples Sans Souci, Couples Tower Isle, Beaches Boscobel, Goldeneye and Golden Clouds. Ian Fleming International Airport provides private jet service for these luxurious properties as well as emergency airlift and general passenger service. Two of the most popular beaches in St. Mary are James Bond Beach and Reggae Beach.

Politics
Saint Mary Parish is covered by three parliamentary constituencies:

 * Saint Mary Central
 * Saint Mary South Eastern
 * Saint Mary Western

Notable people
Notable people who live or have lived in Saint Mary parish include:
 * Esther Anderson, filmmaker, actress
 * Aleen Bailey, Olympic gold-medal winner
 * Chris Blackwell, award-winning music producer
 * Ruth Bryan Owen, U.S. Ambassador
 * Capleton, reggae and dancehall artist
 * Noël Coward, award-winning playwright
 * Christine Day, Olympic medalist
 * Stephen deRoux, professional soccer player
 * Clancy Eccles, ska and reggae singer
 * Ian Fleming, bestselling author
 * Alfred Constantine Goffe, Banana king of Port Maria
 * Andy Hamilton, jazz saxophonist and composer
 * Beres Hammond, reggae singer
 * Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament, Minister of Youth and Culture, Miss Jamaica World 1993, Miss World 1993
 * Perry Henzell, movie director
 * Ini Kamoze, reggae singer
 * Kiddus I, reggae singer
 * Lady Saw, Grammy-award winning DJ and reggae singer
 * Audrey Marks, Jamaican ambassador to the U.S.
 * Beverly McDonald, Olympic gold-medal winner
 * Danny McFarlane, Olympic medalist
 * Count Prince Miller, actor and musician
 * Ninjaman, dancehall DJ
 * Pan Head, ragga-dancehall DJ
 * Georgianna Robertson, fashion model and actress
 * Oliver Samuels, Comedian
 * Colin Simpson, bestselling author and musician
 * Tanya Stephens, reggae singer
 * Admiral Tibet, dancehall singer and recording artist
 * Richard Von White, internationally renowned artist
 * Josey Wales, dancehall DJ

title: Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica


text:
Yudhishthira

Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: Yudhiṣṭhira) also known as Dharmaraja, was the king of Indraprastha and later the King of Kuru Kingdom in the epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is also one of the central characters of the epic.

Yudhishthira was the son of Kunti, the first wife of King Pandu, fathered by the god Yama due to Pandu's inability to have children. Yudhishthira held a belief in dharma (morals and virtues) and was chosen to be the crown prince of Kuru. But after the Lakshagriha incident, he was presumed to be dead and his cousin Duryodhana was appointed as the new heir. The kingdom was split in half due to a succession dispute between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana. Yudhishthira received the barren half, which he later transformed into the magnificent city of Indraprastha.

Yudhishthira and his brothers had a polyandrous marriage with Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, who became the empress of the Indraprastha. After Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya Yagna, he was invited to play a game of dice by his jealous cousin, Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni. Shakuni, a master at the game, represented Duryodhana against Yudhishthira and manipulated him into gambling his kingdom, wealth, the freedom of his brothers, Draupadi, and even himself. After the game, the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent into exile for thirteen years, with the last year requiring them to go incognito. During his exile, Yudhisthira was tested by his divine father Yama. For the last year of the exile, Yudhishthira disguised himself as Kanka and served the King of Matsya Kingdom.

Yudhishthira was the leader of the successful Pandava faction in the Kurukshetra War and defeated many venerable warriors such as Shalya. He then ruled the Kuru Kingdom for 36 years until announcing his retirement. At the end of the epic, he was the only one among his brothers to ascend to heaven while retaining his mortal body.

Etymology and historicity
The word Yudhiṣṭhira is an aluk compound (meaning it preserves the case ending of its first part). It means "one who is steady in battle". It is composed of the words, yudhi (masculine locative singular) meaning "in battle"—from yudh (युध्) meaning 'battle, fighting'—and sthira (स्थिर) meaning 'steady'. His other names are:

 * Bharata-vanshī (भरतवंशी) – descendant of Bharata
 * Ajātashatru (अजातशत्रु) – one who is born without enemies
 * Dharmanandana (धर्मनन्दन) or Dharmaputra (धर्मपुत्र) – The son of Dharma (Righteousness) or Yama Dharma Raja
 * Dharmarāja (धर्मराज) or Dharmarāya or Dharmaja – Lord of Dharma.
 * Pānduputra (पांडुपुत्र) – Son of Pandu.
 * Pāndavāgrajah (पाण्डवाग्रजः) – Eldest of Pandavas.
 * Jyeshthakaunteya (ज्येष्ठकौन्तेय) – Eldest son of Kunti.
 * Sārvabhauma (सार्वभौम) / Samrāt Chakravarti (सम्राट् चक्रवर्ती) – Emperor of the complete planet Earth.
 * Kanka (कङ्क) – another name for Yudhisthira given by Draupadi for the 13th year in exile.

According to Buddhist sources, by the late and post-Vedic periods, Kuru had become a minor state ruled by a chieftain called Koravya and belonging to the Yuddhiṭṭhila (Yudhiṣṭhira) gotta.

Birth and upbringing
Once a Brahmin rishi, Kindama and his wife were enjoying nature in the forest when Yudhishthira's father Pandu accidentally shot at them, mistaking them for deer. Before dying, Kindama cursed the king to die when he engages in intercourse with any woman. Due to this curse, Pandu was unable to become a father. As an additional penance for the murder, Pandu abdicated the throne of Hastinapura, and his blind brother Dhritarashtra took over the reins of the kingdom.

After knowing the curse of Pandu, Kunti told him that he could be the father of the child and told her boon of sage Durvasa. Then Pandu requested Kunti to apply her boon and suggested to call Dharma to get a truthful, knowledgeable and justice knowing son who can rule Hastinapur. On the full moon of May (Sanskrit: Jyeshth masa) first and the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhishthira was born. Yudhishthira's four younger brothers were Bhima (born by invoking Vayu); Arjuna (born by invoking Indra); and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva (born by invoking Aśvins).

Yudhishthira was trained in religion, science, administration and military arts by the Kuru preceptors, Kripa and Drona. Specifically, he became a master in using the spear and war chariot. It is said that his spear was so strong that it could penetrate a stone wall as though it were a piece of paper. His chariot always flew at a 4 finger distance above the ground due to his piety.

Marriage and children After Yudhishthira and his brothers completed their studies, they returned to Hastinapur. Duryodhana along with Shakuni planned to kill them and sent Yudhishthira, his siblings, and his mother to a palace made of wax called Lakshagriha.

One night, Shakuni's man, Purochana, set it on fire. However, the princes and their mother survived. They were heartbroken and decided to hide from Hastinapura. Later, Arjuna attended Draupadi's swayamvar and won her hand in marriage. But due to Kunti's misunderstanding, Draupadi became the common wife of all the Pandavas. Later at Indraprastha, Draupadi bore Yudhishthira a son, Prativindhya and a daughter, Suthanu. Suthanu was later married to Asvabhanu, Krishna and Satyabhama's eldest son. Although Yudhishthira had another wife named Devika, Draupadi was his chief consort as well as the empress.

Yudhishthira was married to Devika in a self-choice marriage ceremony, arranged by her father Govasena, who was the king of Sivi Kingdom. They had a son, Yaudheya. According to Puranas, Yaudheya was also the name of the son of Prativindhya. The Bhagavata Purana, as well as Vishnu Purana, also mention Pauravi as one of the wives of Yudhishthira. A son named Devaka was born to this couple.

Division of Hastinapura
When the Pandavas returned to Hastinapura after hiding, there was conflict between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana regarding as the crown prince of Hastinapura. Yudhishthira was originally made the crown prince of Hastinapura, but after the event of Lakshagriha, people thought that he was dead, and Duryodhana was made the new crown prince of Hastinapura. On Bhishma's advice, Dhritarashtra gave half of the kingdom to Pandavas to rule. However the land was under the control of Takshaka. Pandavas defeated Takshaka and with the help of Mayasura, they built a magnificent city named Indraprastha.

Rajasuya yajna

Some years after his coronation at Indraprastha, Yudhishthira set out to perform the Rajasuya yagna. Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva led armies across the four corners of the world to obtain tributes from all kingdoms for Yudhishthira's sacrifice. The non-compliant Magadha king, Jarasandha was defeated by Bhima and Krishna. At his sacrifice, Yudhishthira chose Krishna as his honored guest. At the yajna, many kings were present there, including Duryodhana and Shishupala. Shishupala was beheaded by Krishna for his evil deeds. An annoyed and jealous Duryodhana returned to Hastinapura.

The game of dice
Yudhishthira was challenged to play a game of dice in Hastinapura by his cousin, Duryodhana. Duryodhana invited him because he was jealous of Yudhishthira's wealth and power that he witnessed at the Rajasuya. Shakuni used the dice made from the bones of his father, which always ensured that he got the number he wanted and Yudhisthira was allowed to bet whatever he had he was proud of and had right over. After losing his brothers and his empire, he bet himself and also his wife which lead to the Vastraharan. Later, he lost his kingdom in the game again and was forced into exile for 13 years, which included one year in anonymity.

Obtaining the Akshaya Patra
Some time after going to the forests, Yudhishthira became troubled upon realising that he was unable to feed the Brahmanas who followed him to the forests. On the advice of his priest, Sage Dhaumya, Yudhishthira stood in river and appeased Surya, the Sun god, by reciting his 108 names. The god gifted a copper plate, the Akshaya Patra, to Yudhishthira, saying that any food cooked in that vessel would be inexhaustible, until Draupadi finished her daily meal. He also blessed Yudhishthira that the latter would regain his kingdom fourteen years later.

Tale of Nala & Damayanti
Sage Vyasa imparts the Pratismriti to Yudhishthira and tells him to pass it down to Arjuna. On Vyasa's advice, Yudhishthira permits Arjuna to perform penance in the Himalayas and obtain celestial weapons from the gods. During Arjuna's absence, Sage Brihadashva consoles Yudhishthira by narrating the story of Nala and Damayanti. Brihadashva advises Yudhishthira not give in to misery despite the wretched conditions he lives in. At the end of the story, Yudhishthira received a mantra from the sage, which makes him a master of gambling.

Yudhishthira & Nahusha
One day, while Bhima was roaming the forests, he was captured by a giant serpent, who suppressed the Pandava's might with his gaze. Meanwhile, a worried Yudhishthira searched for Bhima and found him at the mercy of the snake. To Yudhishthira's shock, the snake introduces itself to be the ancient King Nahusha, the father of Yayati, and the legendary ancestor of the Pandavas.

Nahusha posed questions on spirituality to Yudhishthira and was satisfied with his answers. In turn, he also clarified Yudhishthira's doubts on some spiritual topics. Nahusha then narrated his story to Yudhishthira, on how he used to rule Svarga in the days of yore, how he became intoxicated with hubris, and how he turned into a snake due to the curse of the sages, Bhrigu and Agastya. Nahusha used his own story to warn Yudhishthira about the consequences of being arrogant.

Agastya and Bhrigu had prophesized that Yudhishthira would rescue Nahusha from his curse. After conversing with Yudhishthira, Nahusha regained his original form and returned to Svarga.

Yudhishthira & Sage Markandeya
The ever-youthful sage, Markandeya, once visited Yudhishthira. He narrated many stories to Yudhishthira, including the characteristics of the Yugas, the story of King Shibi, and the story of Savitri and Satyavan. He also narrated the story of Rama to Yudhishthira, and discoursed on spiritual philosophy.

Yaksha Prashna

During their exile, the four other Pandavas happened upon a lake, which was haunted by a Yaksha. The Yaksha challenged the brothers to answer his moral questions before drinking the water; the four Pandavas laughed and drank the water anyway. As a result, they choked on the water and died. Yudhishthira went in last, answered many questions put forth to him by the Yaksha. After the Yaksha was satisfied with the answers, he offered Yudhishthira the choice to bring back one of his brother, and Yudhishthira chose Nakula. When the Yaksha questioned him on his reasoning, Yudhishthira replied that he is still alive as Kunti's lineage, but there are no one alive as Madri's lineage, so he chose Nakula. The Yaksha was impressed again, and revived all of the Pandavas siblings.

The Yaksha asked for any other wish as he was impressed and told him he could ask for wealth, strength, power, anything he wished. Yudhishthira said he already got the strength, wealth and power when all his four brothers were revived and said he could not ask for any other wish. Yudhishthira replied, "It is enough that I have beheld thee with my senses, eternal God of gods as thou art! O father, whatever boon thou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept gladly! May I, O lord, always conquer covetousness and folly and anger, and may my mind be ever devoted to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities!"

This story is often cited as an example of Yudhishthira's upright principles. The Yaksha later identified himself as Yudhishthira's father, Dharma, and pointed them to the kingdom of Matsya to spend their last year of exile in anoymity.

Ajñātavāsa (Incognito)
Along with his brothers, Yudhishthira spent his last year of exile in the kingdom of Matsya. He disguised himself as a Brahmin named Kanka (among themselves Pandavas codenamed him Jaya) and advised the game of dice to the king.

Following the death of Kichaka by Bhima, Matsya was invaded by King Susharma of Trigarta, in retaliation to the raidings his kingdom had suffered by Kichaka, and in cooperation with Duryodhana of Hastinapur. When Susharma's army closed the kingdom, Kanka volunteered to follow King Virata to face the invader, and took along his three brothers, Vallabha (Bhima), Granthika (Nakula), and Tantripala (Sahadeva), with him and while disguised. On the battlefield, the brothers proved valiance, defending King Virata before finally defeating King Susharma.

While Yudhishthira and King Virata were away battling Susharma, the city was marched upon by the host from Hastinapur. Prince Uttar and Brihannala (Arjuna), who were left in defense of the city, rallied to defend the kingdom, where Arjuna revealed his identity and fended off the invasion. When King Virata returned from his battle, the identities of all Pandavas were revealed, and Yudhishthira congratulated the marriage between Princess Uttarā and Abhimanyu, as Arjuna has suggested.

Kurukshetra war
When the period of exile was completed, Duryodhana refused to return Yudhishthira's kingdom. Yudhishthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully but in vain. Left with no other option, Yudhishthira wages war.

The flag of Yudhishthira's chariot bore the image of a golden moon with planets around it. Two large and beautiful kettle-drums, called Nanda and Upananda, were tied to it. Before the war started, Yudhishthira stepped down from his chariot to take blessings from his grandsire Bhishma, teachers Drona and Kripa and uncle Shalya, who all were in his opposite side in the war showing his respect towards his elders. He also asked the willing Kauravas to join his side. On his request one of Dhritarashtra sons, Yuyutsu joined the war on the side of Pandavas.

Yudhishthira was described to be an excellent car-warrior and a master at spear-fighting. Yudhishthira defeated many warriors in the war, like Duryodhana. Yudhishthira’s spear originally belonged to Ishana which he would use to kill Shalya during the war.

On the 14th day of the war, while Arjuna was busy searching for Jayadratha, Drona attempted to capture Yudhishthira but Arjuna would foil Drona's plans. Yudhishthira and Drona engaged in a fierce duel where Yudhishthira was ultimately defeated by Drona. Yudhishthira would later assist his nephew Ghatotkacha in slaying the asura Alambusha.

Yudhishthira would later defeat Duryodhana twice and the latter had to be rescued by Drona. Drona and Yudhishthira would engage in an archery duel which would end up as a stalemate. Yudhishthira would later be defeated by Kritavarma.

On the 15th day, Yudhishthira was approached by Drona, in the latter' inquiry on the death of his son Ashwatthama whom he heard to have died at Bhima's hand. Torn between his duty to cripple Drona and upholding his morals, Yudhishthira opted to half truth where he confirmed the death of Ashwatthama the elephant, but omitted the contextual part that it was an elephant and not his son. This was effective in the former purpose of crippling Drona, but also caused his own chariot to finally fall down to the ground, instead of slightly levitating as it had been before this incident. Yudhishthira was one of 5 individuals who witnessed Drona's spirit leaving his body.

On the 17th day, he injured Duryodhana badly and was about to kill him but decided to spare him on Bhima's advice who reminded him of his vow to kill Duryodhana. Yudhishthira would be defeated by both Karna and Ashwatthama. Worried for Yudhishthira's safety, Arjuna retreats from the battlefield to search for him, only to find him taking refuge in camp. Furious at Arjuna for not killing Karna yet, Yudhishthira insults him by suggesting Arjuna should hand over the Gandiva to another warrior if he does not think he is able to slay Karna. Arjuna, enraged from Yudhishthira's insult, attempted to kill him with his sword but was stopped from doing so due to Krishna's intervention. Filled with regret, Arjuna attempted to commit suicide but was dissuaded from doing so by Krishna. The brothers would reconcile their differences and embrace each other.

On the last day of the war, Yudhishthira was highly energetic for the day, and engaged in a fierce duel against the Kauravas' final supreme commander, Shalya. With Bhima's assistance, Yudhishthira managed to slay his uncle.

With the battlefield cleared of the Kauravas but no sight of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira received a report that his nemesis went into hiding in a nearby swamp. The Pandavas brothers and Krishna thus went to the swamp, and taunted Duryodhana off his refuge. Yudhishthira proposed a final challenge to Duryodhana, to a battle against any of the Pandavas under any weapon of Duryodhana's desire.

With Duryodhana choosing Bhima, the other Pandavas brothers, Krishna and Balarama witnessed the mace duel between the mace fighters. When Bhima finally defeated Duryodhana and started insulting his nemesis, Yudhishthira became sufficiently displeased with his brother's disrespect and ordered Bhima off the battleground. Ultimately, Yudhishthira heard out Duryodhana's final conversation and lamentation, before leaving the fallen Kauravas' overlord on his deathbed.

Yudhishthira's curse
After he was made aware that Karna was his elder brother, Yudhishthira cursed all women with not being able to hide any secrets. Had Yudhishthira's mother Kunti not kept that fact a secret, the war might have been averted, with millions spared.

Reign after the war
After getting victory in the war, Yudhishthira was crowned as the Emperor of Hastinapura and reigned for 36 years.

Fifty days after the war, Yudhishthira and the royal families visited Bhishma, who had been lying on the bed of arrows since his defeat. Bhishma bestowed the new king with Anushasana, teaching the new king in series of dharma and royal conducts, before the elder guardian surrendered his life by his own will. Yudhishthira then cremated the former protector of Hastinapur in a great ceremony.

Later, he performed the Ashvamedha on Krishna and Vyasa's insistence. In this sacrifice, a horse was released to wander for a year, and Yudhishthira's brother Arjuna led the Pandava army, following the horse. The kings of all the countries where the horse wandered were asked to submit to Yudhishthira's rule or face war. All paid tribute, once again establishing Yudhishthira as the undisputed Emperor of Bharatavarsha.

During his reign, Yudhisthira duly consulted with and reported to Dhritarashtra on governances. After 15 years, the former king, his consort Gandhari, Queen Mother Kunti, and Prime Minister Vidura decided to retire to the forest, where they pass away years later. These events greatly saddened Yudhishthira and the Pandavas brothers.

Retirement and ascent to heaven
Upon the onset of the Kali Yuga and the departure of Krishna, Yudhishthira and his brothers retired, leaving the throne to their only descendant to survive the war of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's grandson, Parikshit. Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas, accompanied by a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the Himalayas. During their pilgrimage, each one starting with Draupadi, fell down dead upon the mountains. Yudhishthira cites Draupadi's partiality for Arjuna, Sahadeva's pride in his wisdom, Nakula's vanity in his beauty, Arjuna's boastfulness of his archery, and Bhima's negligence of the needs of others while eating as the reasons for their fall. Finally, it was Yudhishthira who was able to reach the top, with the dog accompanying him.

On reaching the top, Indra congratulates him and promises Yudhishthira immortality and godhood upon his ascent to Heaven. However, Indra asks him to abandon the dog before entering Heaven. But Yudhishthira refused to do so, citing the dog's unflinching devotion as a reason. Indra retorts that he has abandoned his brothers and wife to reach the top of the Himalayas, but Yudhishthira said he could not prevent their deaths, but to abandon a poor creature was a great sin. It turns out that the dog was his father Yama in disguise. Yama congratulates his son and commends him on his unwavering principles. Yudhishthira proceeds to Heaven upon a celestial vehicle with Narada as his guide, who informs him that he is the first mortal to enter Heaven in a physical form.

Upon his arrival, Yudhishthira finds Duryodhana and his Kaurava cousins in heaven but not his brothers and Draupadi. Furious, Yudhishthira demands that Narada take him to where he might find his family. Narada brings Yudhishthira to Hell where he encounters Karna, his brothers, Draupadi, Dhrishtadyumna, and the Upapandavas. Yudhishthira, enraged, decides that he would rather live in Hell with his family than in Heaven with his cousins. Indra then appears and lifts the illusion, informing Yudhishthira of his deception. Indra reveals that Yudhishthira has been shown a glimpse of Hell due to deceiving Drona with his white lie. Yama congratulates his son on passing his third and final test, the first being the Yaksha Prashna, and the second being his refusal to abandon the dog. Yudhishthira would then bathe in the Heavenly Ganga, casting off his mortal form and was reunited with his family in Svarga.

Assessment
Yudhishthira was master in spear-fighting and chariot racing. Yudhishthira was a polyglot, knowing unusual languages. After being exiled by Duryodhana, Yudhishthira became adept at controlling the dice after learning a mantra from Sage Brihadashwa. He was a hero known for his honesty, justice, sagacity, tolerance, good behavior and discernment.

Yudhishthira could burn down anyone into ashes when he sees someone with his wrath and anger. That's why he used to be calm and composed most of the time. He closed his eyes and came out of the gambling hall even when he lost everything. Otherwise the entire Kuru court and all the one who were present would be burnt into ashes.

Dhritarashtra said to Sanjaya "The son of Kunti and Pandu, Yudhishthira, is virtuous and brave and eschews deeds that bring on shame. Endued with great energy, he hath been wronged by Duryodhana. If he were not high-minded, they would in wrath burn the Dhritarashtras. I do not so much dread Arjuna or Bhima or Krishna or the twin brothers as I dread the wrath of the king, O Suta, when his wrath is excited. His austerities are great; he is devoted to Brahmacharya practices. His heart's wishes will certainly be fulfilled. When I think of his wrath, O Sanjaya, and consider how just it is, I am filled with alarm."

In popular culture
Being an important person in the epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira's role has been enacted by various actors over the years.

 * In the Hindi film Draupadi (1931), Elizer played the character.
 * In the Tamil film Karnan (1964), Prem Kumar played the character.
 * In the Telugu film Veerabhimanyu (1965), Dhulipala played the character.
 * In the Telugu film Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977), M. Prabhakar Reddy played the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Mahabharat (1988) and Mahabharat Katha (1997), Gajendra Chauhan portrayed the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Shri Krishna (1993), Raman Khatri portrayed the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Ek Aur Mahabharat (1997), Virendra Singh played the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Draupadi (2001,) Arup Pal played the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Mahabharat (2013), Rohit Bhardwaj portrayed the character.
 * Manoj Bajpayee voiced the character in the Hindi animation film Mahabharat (2013).
 * In the Hindi television series Dharmakshetra (2014), Chandan K Anand played the character.
 * In the Hindi television series Suryaputra Karn (2015), Kanan Malhotra played the role.
 * Kanan Malhotra played the role of Yudhishthira once again in the 2018 Hindi television series RadhaKrishn.
 * In the Kannada film Kurukshetra (2019), Shashi Kumar portrayed the character.
 * There is a red dragon in the Iron Realms Entertainment game Aetolia, The Midnight Age named Yudhishthira.
 * The 2022 Kannada film 777 Charlie is inspired by Yudhishthira's relationship with a dog during his ascent to heaven.

title: Yudhishthira


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Johnny Rockets

The Johnny Rockets Group Inc. is an American restaurant franchise whose themed decor is based upon 1950s diner-style restaurants. As of April 2024, the company operates 90 locations in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Décor includes Coca-Cola advertising, featuring nearly life-size cardboard illustrations of women in World War II armed services uniforms (see WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots), individual jukebox stations, chrome accents and red vinyl seats.

The menu, presentation, counter seating and grilling area are based on an original restaurant from 1947 (still operating today), The Apple Pan in West Los Angeles. Hamburgers are grilled-to-order in full view of the customers and are served wrapped in paper in metal baskets. One location in Hawaii is called "Rock 'n Fun" and also has an arcade.

History
Johnny Rockets was founded on June 6, 1986, by Ronn Teitelbaum of Los Angeles, California, and "crafted as a 'nongimmicky' recreation of the 1940s-vintage malt shops of his childhood". The first restaurant was established as a 20-stool counter operation on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. This location permanently closed on October 26, 2015. Ronn Teitelbaum died on September 11, 2000, at age 61.

In February 2007, it was announced that RedZone Capital, the private equity firm of Daniel Snyder, was set to acquire the chain. Snyder announced plans to expand the chain both within the United States and worldwide, including the launch of smaller outlets known as Johnny Rockets Express. Snyder recruited industry veteran Lee Sanders from Buffalo Wild Wings, formerly with Dunkin Brands, General Mills, and Pepsico, to serve as president and CEO, and board member. Sanders ran the business for almost 4 years.

A sit-down restaurant owned by Six Flags Great Escape (RedZone was the largest shareholder at the time), Trappers Adirondack Grill, was converted to a Johnny Rockets in June 2008. A few years later Six Flags New England would also get a Johnny Rocket's near the Superman: Ride Of Steel.

In April 2009, the new Yankee Stadium opened with Johnny Rockets stands throughout the site. These stands serve traditional Johnny Rockets hamburgers, french fries, shakes, and malts, among other menu items. FedExField, home of the Washington Commanders (the stadium and team were owned by Snyder, whose company owned Johnny Rockets at the time), features Johnny Rockets concession areas.

The world's largest Johnny Rockets franchise opened on June 6, 2012, at the corner of Abraham Lincoln Avenue and Bolivar Avenue in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic. The restaurant has more than 6000 sqft and seating for more than 200 guests.

In 2013, RedZone Capital Management sold the company to Sun Capital Partners.

On August 13, 2020, Johnny Rockets was acquired by FAT Brands (parent company of Fatburger) for $25 million.

International
Johnny Rockets operates restaurants in Australia, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Northern Cyprus, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

The first Johnny Rockets restaurant in Pakistan was opened in 2013 in Karachi. and later in Lahore and Islamabad in 2014. Johnny Rockets opened its first branch in Paraguay on December 16, 2016, in Shopping Mariscal, Asuncion. In 2016, they also opened branches in Peru and Bolivia.

The first European Johnny Rockets restaurant was opened in Brescia, Italy, on September 22, 2016, in Elnòs Shopping Center.

Johnny Rockets Canada had five Canadian locations, two located in Victoria, British Columbia and two located in Vancouver, British Columbia, but they closed them in 2022. There is still one location remaining in Windsor, Ontario.

Several Royal Caribbean International cruise ships have Johnny Rockets restaurants operating on board.

In popular culture
It was mentioned in the song "Westside Story" by 90s pop boyband LFO by member the late Rich Cronin's rap verse off their debut self-titled album in 1999.

In 2009, the company and CEO John Fuller was featured in the hit TV show Undercover Boss on CBS in the US and on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.

The sixth episode of the anime series Blood Blockade Battlefront features a parody of the restaurant called "Jack & Rockets" which the characters Leonardo Watch and Nej order from a lot.

The action/comedy series Wrestlicious featured comedy sketches with "50s Girl Shauna Na" which were filmed at Johnny Rockets in downtown Tampa Florida.

An American black comedy crime drama thriller series Barry alluded to Johnny Rockets in LA during episode 3 of season 3.

The rock and roll and metal inspired and anime styled fighting video game series Guilty Gear features a parody of the restaurant by the name of Danny Missiles, which has survived into the near end of the 22nd Century and is frequented by the cast.

In the 2012 sixth season (episode 5) of The Big Bang Theory Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz talks to her husband Howard Wolowitz about him talking too much about being an astronaut and him stating they just had dinner at Johnny Rockets.

title: Johnny Rockets


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Strange Love

Strange Love is an American reality television series featuring Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav that aired on VH1. Sparked by their on-screen romance in the third season of VH1's The Surreal Life, it is a spin-off that focused solely on Brigitte and Flav. The series premiered on January 9, 2005 and ended its run on April 24, 2005.

Due to mutual jealousy, the couple was constantly fighting and yelling, and they went their separate ways in the end, with Nielsen choosing instead to live with her Italian boyfriend, Mattia Dessi. Flavor Flav would go on to have his own reality show, Flavor of Love, where he continued to search for love.

Episodes

 * 1) "The Flavor of Love" – aired: January 9, 2005 (1.8M viewers )
 * 2) "The Smack Is Back" – aired: January 16, 2005
 * 3) "Balls Well That Ends Well" – aired: January 23, 2005
 * 4) "The Wine, The Romance, and The Truth" – aired: January 30, 2005
 * 5) "Flav's Fried Chicken" – aired: February 13, 2005
 * 6) "Public Enemy Number 1" – aired: February 20, 2005
 * 7) "Bronx Cheers" – aired: March 6, 2005
 * 8) "The Family That Flav's Together, Stays Together" – aired: March 27, 2005
 * 9) "Flav Can't Lose" – aired: April 3, 2005
 * 10) "You May Now Flav the Bride" – aired: April 10, 2005
 * 11) "Reunion" – aired: April 24, 2005

Controversy
North Carolina's Reverend Paul Scott labeled Flav's performance "a coon act on a modern-day minstrel show."

Flav's friend and fellow Public Enemy member Chuck D accused VH1 of "Flavsploitation" in a journal entry regarding the March 27 episode, which showed a tense conflict between Flav, three of his children and their mother.

"'Peeps will let the Bridgette [sic] thing perhaps slide, but not the wild statements and what seems like a disrespect conflict on camera with his children and their mother. Last week, it was that same part of his family who went on Wendy Williams' program and launched the worst on-air diatribe ever directed at a father by his children.'"

Flav responded by saying,

"'I want Strange Love to be a mirror for them. I want them to see themselves, because they did disrespect me also. But that's their mother. When children grow up without both parents, there's an imbalance — and what you see on the show with my kids is an imbalance…But I love my kids.'"

title: Strange Love


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Orange Grove affair

The Orange Grove affair was a political scandal in Australia concerning the dealings of the New South Wales state Australian Labor Party government with multinational corporation The Westfield Group. It resulted from a court decision in 2004 to force the closure of the Orange Grove shopping centre after a zoning dispute, with the loss of approximately 200 jobs. Westfield, which owned a nearby shopping centre, had challenged the legitimacy of the Orange Grove centre, which was operating on land not zoned for this purpose.

When the courts ruled in Westfield's favour, Liverpool City Council sought State Government approval for a retrospective rezoning, to validate its earlier decision to approve the shopping centre. The State Government declined to intervene, despite a planning report suggesting that course of action, and the retail component of the Orange Grove centre was forced to close. The bulky goods component of the centre remained open, as the centre was legally zoned for bulky goods sales.

However, the State Opposition subsequently unearthed information about a meeting between Premier Bob Carr's chief of staff and a prominent Westfield employee, sparking allegations that interference from Westfield had played a role in the government's decision not to intervene. As a result, a parliamentary inquiry was commissioned, and the Independent Commission Against Corruption announced an investigation. The investigation concluded in 2005, with no findings of corruption against any person. However, the Commission recommended that the NSW Government strengthen guidelines for public servants dealing with corruption allegations by lobbyists.

Background
In March 2002, Frank Mosca, an architect working on behalf of Sydney businessman Nabil Gazal, applied to change an existing development consent for a property in a light industrial area on Orange Grove Road in the Sydney suburb of Warwick Farm, just north of central Liverpool to change the permitted use of the site from "bulky goods/ warehousing" to "warehouse clearance outlet". This was intended to permit the building of an "outlet mall", mainly consisting of retailing, although described as "factory outlets", even though the area was zoned under its Local Environment Plan (LEP) for industrial uses, in which retailing was generally forbidden, except for a limited range of "bulky goods" or goods produced on the premises. The zoning was consistent with a long-standing policy of discouraging retailing away from established centres with good transport connections, currently embodied as a draft State Environmental Planning Policy: Integration of Land Use and Transport (SEPP 66). The Orange Grove site had poor bus connections only and none on Sundays.

In due course Council officers advised that a new development application was required, and this was submitted on 5 June. On 13 June the Council wrote to Mosca clearly stating what retailing activities could be carried out on the site according to the LEP. Mr Mosca submitted a Statement of Environmental Effects in July, which argued that "warehouse clearance outlets" were not specifically prohibited by the LEP, and therefore Council could consent to them. The development application was eventually advertised for public comment in November and no comments having been received it was decided that under council rules it could be approved at officer level, without reference to a Council committee. Immediately following the end of the comment period on 15 December, an officer of Liverpool City Council approved the development application, apparently satisfied that "warehouse clearance outlets" were not forbidden by the LEP. Prior to the approval, the Orange Centre commenced trading in November, with Craig Knowles, the local member and state Planning Minister, attending the official opening.

Legal action
On 17 June 2003, the Westfield Group, which operates a 3-level, similarly large shopping centre 1 kilometre southward of the Orange Grove site, within the Liverpool central business district, commenced legal action in the Land and Environment Court arguing that a retail outlet operating out of an industrial zone was contrary to the council's LEP. On 8 December, the Liverpool City Council decided to amend the LEP to introduce a new definition for "outlet centre" and retrospectively rezone the Orange Centre site. On 16 January 2004, the court ruled in favour of Westfield and ordered the closure of the centre's retail activities, with a deadline ultimately extended to 30 June. This verdict was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal on 31 March.

While the dispute had been ongoing, the Carr government had sacked the strife-torn Liverpool council, after a series of incidents of economic mismanagement, and on 16 March, it appointed Gabrielle Kibble, the daughter of former Governor-General John Kerr, as administrator. On 14 April, Kibble forwarded an application for a retrospective rezoning as an amendment to the Liverpool Local Environment Plan (LEP) to the Minister Assisting the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning (Planning Administration), Diane Beamer, as required by planning legislation.

Consideration of retrospective amendment to LEP
On 15 April 2004, Mark Ryan, Director of Corporate Affairs, Westfield, phoned Premier Carr's Chief of Staff, Graeme Wedderburn and suggested that the original Liverpool Council planning decision for the centre had been approved corruptly. Next day Wedderburn discussed the allegation with Carr and with Minister Beamer's Chief of Staff, Michael Meagher. He later phoned Beamer directly and told her to "be wary of things that come out of Liverpool. There had been some allegations from Westfield." On 19 April, Ryan met Wedderburn and gave more details of his claims about Liverpool City Council, but conceded that he had no hard evidence. Wedderburn told Beamer, at a meeting on 20 April, "You should be very careful, you should take great care not to be influenced, subject to any undue influence, not to be inappropriately lobbied in making this plan, in making decisions here", according to Meagher. Nevertheless, according to evidence subsequently presented at ICAC, Wedderburn made no suggestion as to what Beamer's decision on the proposed variation to the LEP should be. During ICAC's subsequent investigations, it focused on whether these corruption allegation affected Bealmer's subsequent decision not to amend the LEP.

On 16 June, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, advised Beamer to approve Liverpool City Council's proposed variation to its LEP that would have retrospectively validated the planning approval for the shopping centre. The Department's head, Jennifer Westacott, contradicted this recommendation in a memorandum signed on 25 June. Beamer's Chief of Staff, Michael Meagher, later told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC),"…what we had was something I’d never seen before. It was highly unusual, and it was, I suppose confusing in a way too."

As the date for the centre's closure, set for mid-2004, drew closer, both sides increased the pressure. Westfield declared that an A$150 million redevelopment of its own centre was under threat if Orange Grove was allowed to continue operating, and suggested that Orange Grove could cause the loss of up to A$18 million a year from the local economy. After further discussions with Westacott and a further memorandum, Beamer declined to approve the proposed variation on the grounds that the shopping centre tended to undermine the viability of the Liverpool shopping centre, on 8 July 2004.

Corruption allegations
On 10 July 2004, Gazal, Orange Grove's owner, signed a statutory declaration alleging that he had been told by Labor member Joe Tripodi on 22 May that the retrospective approval would be denied by Beamer. Furthermore, he alleged that Tripodi had told him that Carr had directly instructed Beamer to reject the proposal after having contact with Westfield. In addition, Samir Bargshoon, a contract cleaner and friend of Gazal, signed a statutory declaration alleging that he had heard, on the same day, Tripodi say that Beamer had told him that Carr had instructed her not to sign the rezoning of the Liverpool designer outlets. Gazal's solicitor, Joseph D’Agostino, also signed a statutory declaration containing an allegation that Tripodi had indicated that the planning issue was being handled "at a higher level then (sic) himself." Mosca, the shopping centre's architect signed a statutory declaration alleging that Tripodi had said, in relation to the rezoning, "Carr rang Beamer and asked her to screw it over".

Gazal's allegations received substantial media attention, and led to both the state opposition and the Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph becoming involved. It subsequently emerged that the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources submission to Minister Beamer had supported the rezoning of the centre, due to the number of jobs that would be lost if it were to close. Then Opposition Leader, John Brogden, tabled a draft press release in parliament that would have announced Beamer's decision to support Kibble's proposal.

It also emerged that Mark Ryan, a senior Westfield lobbyist, had telephoned Graeme Wedderburn, the Premier's chief of staff, on 15 April 2003, two days after Kibble had publicly supported the rezoning. Wedderburn had then met Ryan and Craig Marshall, another Westfield executive, on 19 April. Though Wedderburn strongly defended his actions, he also publicly admitted that Orange Grove had been the focus of these meetings. Premier Carr, Wedderburn and Beamer all faced questions from the media over alleged links between the two events.

ICAC investigation
ICAC investigated these matters, holding public hearings from December 2004 to 23 March 2005 and reporting in August. It found that the original decision by Liverpool Council on the planning application was not corrupt. It found that Ryan's claims of corruption in the original decision were possibly "mischievous", but not corrupt. It did not consider that there was anything corrupt in the behaviour of Premier Carr, Wedderburn or Meagher. It scrutinised Westacott's advocacy but found no suggestion of impropriety. It concluded that Wedderburn's expression of concern about possible corruption in relation to the original decision by Liverpool Council had no significant effect on Minister Beamer's decision to reject the revised LEP, which could be justified on legitimate planning grounds.

In relation to Tripodi, ICAC suggested that Tripodi might have been "content to be enlisted as the Gazcorp troubleshooter to perform a task which, in his opinion, was not difficult at all but which would raise his standing in the eyes of those who enlisted him", but when he lost confidence that Beamer would approve the proposed amendment of the LEP, he attempted on 22 May "to distance himself from this unfortunate result by ascribing to higher powers or to those with influence beyond his control the true cause of the likely rejection of the LEP amendment".

ICAC found no evidence of corruption, but recommended that the NSW Government improve its guidelines on dealing with lobbyists. It also recommended that the Government adopt better protocols for ministers and their staff for dealing with allegations of corruption in relation to external parties. It noted that current guidelines were based on public service guidelines, and instructed ministerial staff to "report unethical behaviour or suspected corrupt to senior management", without explaining who "senior management" were. Finally, it recommended that the Government finalise State Environmental Planning Policy 66 - Integration of Land Use and Transport.

title: Orange Grove affair


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Cyprus Football Association

The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) (Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ)) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organises Cyprus's football championships, whose top league is the Cypriot First Division. It also organises the Cypriot Cup, the Cypriot Super Cup and the Cypriot national football team. Cyprus Football Association is also responsible for organising futsal competitions, including the Cypriot Futsal league, the Cypriot Futsal Cup and the Cypriot Futsal Super Cup.

History
Organised football was introduced to Cyprus early in the 20th century by the British. Initially played in the island's schools, it proved hugely popular and a number of clubs were duly formed. As football became established, the clubs were united in agreeing that an official body was needed to regulate the sport. On 23 September 1934, the Cyprus Football Association was founded by the following eight clubs: AEL Limassol, Anorthosis Famagusta, APOEL, Aris Limassol, EPA Larnaca, Olympiakos Nicosia, Lefkoşa Türk Spor Kulübü and Trust. After Cyprus Football Association's establishment, football began to be played on an official basis with the CFA organising various championships for its member clubs.

Cyprus Football Association became a member of FIFA in 1948 and of UEFA in 1962.

In 2007, Cyprus Football Association moved to its new headquarters in Nicosia. The opening ceremony was attended by UEFA president Michel Platini, and the president of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos.

title: Cyprus Football Association