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Eric Heffer

Eric Samuel Heffer (12 January 1922 – 27 May 1991) was a British socialist politician. He was Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton from 1964 until his death. Due to his experience as a professional joiner, he made a speciality of the construction industry and its employment practices, but was also concerned with trade union issues in general. He changed his view on the European Common Market from being an outspoken supporter to an outspoken opponent, and served a brief period in government in the mid-1970s. His later career was dominated by his contribution to debates within the Labour Party and he defended the Liverpool City Council.

Family and early life
Heffer was born in Hertford into a working-class family. His grandfather was a bricklayer and later a railway signalman, and his father was a boot-maker and repairer, although he owned his own business. In later life Heffer proudly declared "I am therefore completely proletarian in background". Heffer's family were members of the high church tendency of the Church of England, and Heffer himself was a choirboy in the local church: it was there that Heffer led his first strike at the age of eight, and, he said, first experienced victimisation by his employer. Despite growing up in the 1930s, his family did not experience much of the economic privations common in other parts of the country. Typically for a working-class boy he attended school at Longmore Senior School, Hertford, only until the age of 14.

Working life
On leaving school Heffer ran through a series of skilled apprenticeships, including as an electrician, leatherworker and finally a carpenter. He learnt the trade of a joiner, and worked on building sites from the age of 16. This was a skilled trade and when building work was much in demand, he could earn a good wage; but when there were difficulties in the trade, work would dry up. However, his work allowed him time to study and read in his spare time, and Heffer attended courses run by the Workers' Educational Association and at the National Council of Labour Colleges. Heffer was active in the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW). During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force in a maintenance unit at Fazakerley near Liverpool.

Communism
When the Jarrow March passed through Hertford in 1936 Heffer had gone to see them and the experience had a profound effect upon him. The family often discussed politics at home and he saw his political convictions, support for trade unionism and his religious convictions as part of the same analysis of the world. In 1939 Heffer joined the Labour Party. However, when the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi forces in 1941, Heffer resigned from Labour and joined the Communist Party of Great Britain; he said that "To me, Stalin was the greatest of men". In the Liverpool Communist Party, Heffer met his future wife Doris. While Communism was attractive to Heffer as an expression of working-class consciousness, he was not attracted to the party's intense control over its members, and was not inclined to defer to the party's dictates. He was a shop steward for his union; when in 1948 he led an unofficial carpenters' strike against the party's wishes, the Communist Party expelled him and he rejoined the Labour Party within six months. The Communist Party tried to persuade Doris Heffer to choose between her husband and the party. She refused and allowed her membership to expire.

Socialism
After the war Heffer briefly lived in Hertford again with his parents, and sought election as a Communist candidate for Hertford Urban District Council in 1946, but was defeated. He then settled in Liverpool, where there was a strong working-class community and within it a large group of left-wing workers waiting to be organised. Heffer grew to love his adopted city and supported Everton F.C. He responded to the demand for a left-wing political organisation in 1954 by linking with a group led by Harry McShane (from Glasgow) and the Militant Socialist Group from London to establish the 'Federation of Marxist Groups' (later renamed the 'Socialist Workers Federation') which had a policy of syndicalism. This group was a compromise: while it insisted that it itself was not a revolutionary political party, it simultaneously said that there was a need for such a party, and actively rejected the Labour Party. However, Heffer had decided by 1956 to rejoin the Labour Party.

Liverpool
His activities led to Heffer becoming known through Liverpool where he served on the Executive of the Trades Council; he was its Vice President in 1958, President in 1959 and again in 1964. The Trades Council was a local association of trade unions, and as such Heffer helped mediate and end an unofficial strike of seamen in 1960. He was also elected as a Liverpool City Councillor for Pirrie ward that year. In 1962 he made a run for the job of General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers, but was defeated. Heffer made a contribution to a book, The Agreeable Autocracies, which was published in 1961. The book was a discussion of United States institutions.

Parliament
In 1963 Heffer was unexpectedly selected to fight the Liverpool Walton constituency for the Labour Party. The previously Conservative-held constituency went to Heffer on a large swing in the 1964 general election, as did a number of other Liverpool seats. There was never any doubt that Heffer would ally with the left in the Parliamentary Labour Party, and he campaigned in 1965 for early moves to nationalise the docks, where he knew from his experience on Liverpool Trades Council that dockers were employed on highly disadvantageous terms that effectively prevented trade unions forming. Also in 1965 Heffer protested outside the United States embassy against the use of napalm and gas in the Vietnam War, and in Parliament against the diplomatic support given by the government. By 1970 he was rated as one of the most effective of the large 1964 intake of Labour MPs: in David Butler's The British General Election of 1970 (page 4), he was identified as a leading figure in the Tribune Group, which had been established in 1964.

Doris Heffer served jointly as her husband's secretary, and secretary to fellow Labour MP Norman Buchan. She often accompanied him to speaking engagements where they made an odd couple: Heffer was both tall and heavily built, while his wife was only 4'6" tall. Heffer made a good-humoured complaint when political journalist Andrew Roth described Doris as "tiny", insisting that she was actually "petite". According to the diaries of Giles Radice, Doris Heffer would sit in the front row of the audience when Heffer was speaking, saying, "Nonsense, Eric" if he said something with which she disagreed. The Heffers had no children.

Wilson's government
After winning re-election with a 5,000 majority in the 1966 general election, Heffer began to make his mark on economic policy. With deflation proposed in the July 1966 economic crisis, he pressed for cuts in defence spending, and opposed the 'wage freeze' proposed in the government's Prices and Incomes Bill—rebelling against it in the House of Commons on several occasions in 1967. Heffer regarded unemployment as the worst catastrophe in running the economy and often demanded nationalisation of firms which threatened mass redundancies. Government policy was significantly different, placing more emphasis on maintaining the value of the pound. In August 1967, Wilson, who recognised his abilities, asked Heffer to take a junior post at the Ministry of Technology under Tony Benn. Heffer refused, citing his opposition to government economic policy, and demanded the resignation of James Callaghan as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

At this time, Heffer was a strong proponent of British membership of the EEC. He headed a study group established by the Society for Parliamentary Studies (a group for left-wing Labour MPs) to look into British relations with Europe, and demanded the resignation of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Fred Peart when Peart expressed doubts about the merits of the Common Agriculture Policy. At the 1967 Labour Party conference, Heffer argued for Britain in Europe to build up a third force in the world which would stand up to the US and the Soviet Union. He also began a campaign to win a place on the National Executive Committee at this conference, standing again each year and steadily building his support. Another preoccupation which began at this time was the Waterloo Cup, a hare coursing event at Great Altcar near his constituency: he promoted an unsuccessful private member's bill to ban hare coursing, returning to the subject at intervals over the next decade.

In February 1968 Heffer was one of the Labour MPs to rebel against the government's decision to withdraw British passports from the Kenyan Asians who were arriving at Heathrow Airport in increasing numbers, fleeing persecution in Kenya. He maintained pressure on the government over the Vietnam war and criticised the Greek military dictatorship of 'the Colonels' for "bestial and barbarous practices". On two of the issues which divided the Labour Party at the time, Heffer took the side of the rebels: he rejected the proposals for reform of the House of Lords as too weak, preferring fundamental reform or preferably abolition, and he worked to change proposals in Barbara Castle's trade union white paper In Place of Strife (a cabinet rebellion later forced the government to abandon it completely).

Opposing Heath
As a strong opponent of the government's economic policy, Heffer was invited to submit an article to a Guardian book endorsing the re-election of a Labour government in the 1970 general election as a counter to an article by a Labour loyalist. Perhaps as a consequence of his identification with the left, Heffer had only a small swing against him in the election. Following a narrow defeat in the elections for the shadow cabinet, he accepted a front bench job as deputy to Barbara Castle as Shadow Minister of Employment. As such he was closely involved in the protests over the Heath government's Industrial Relations Act, which attempted to restrict the powers of trade unions.

Heffer's vote in shadow cabinet elections rose in 1971 when he tied with Castle in 15th place. While Heffer could work with Barbara Castle, she was moved in a reshuffle in 1972 and replaced by Reg Prentice who was already beginning the move across the political spectrum which would see him join the Conservative Party in 1977. Prentice's refusal to pledge support to five dockers imprisoned under the Industrial Relations Act appalled Heffer who considered resignation. When in February 1973 it became clear that Prentice had more leadership support, Heffer resigned (refusing an offer of another post). He remained interested in the topic and promoted a private member's bill to abolish the 'Lump' (sub-contracting of labour in the building industry).

Heffer had revised his opinions on the EEC in 1970, deciding that the spending on the Common Agriculture Policy was excessive and too big a burden on the budget. He voted with the majority of the Labour Party against endorsing the Heath government's application in October 1971.

Ministerial office
In March 1974, Harold Wilson invited Heffer to be Minister of State at the Department of Industry under Tony Benn. Heffer accepted the offer, while remaining concerned that he would be cocooned in his office and lose his links with the wider Labour movement outside. He had some difficulties coping with the concept of 'collective responsibility' - denouncing the government's decision to continue a contract to build warships with the right-wing government of Chile on 10 April. Wilson, reluctant to cause trouble with the left-wing, decided not to sack him on the grounds that he was inexperienced. Heffer received many minutes from Wilson asking him to follow government policy in speeches, such that he minuted Wilson to tell him not to send them.

Heffer worked together with Benn to try to establish the National Enterprise Board, which would provide industry with investment funding and have the ability to take failing firms into public ownership. On 15 August 1974 the plans were unveiled in a White paper and preparations began for the Industry Bill which would enact it. While this policy had been agreed by Wilson in opposition and then appeared in the Labour manifesto, in government he began to think more critically. Drafting of the Bill was delayed over the winter and it was not introduced until January 1975.

In the meantime, the government prepared for the referendum on the European Communities through which Wilson hoped to settle the differences over the issue in the country and the party. The Cabinet decided on 18 March to endorse a vote to stay in the EEC, but Wilson decided to allow individual Ministers to make speeches against membership in the country. Ministers were not, however, allowed to speak against the decision in the House of Commons. Heffer was angry at this rule and wanted to resign. Eventually, he engineered a dismissal on a question of principle by making a speech against EEC membership in the House of Commons on 9 April. During the referendum, Heffer was one of the best speakers for the No campaign, although he had a tendency to speculate about the issue - claiming that the EEC would reintroduce conscription.

Backbench rebel
Following the referendum, Tony Benn was demoted from the Department for Industry and the Industry Bill was again made weaker. As a backbencher Heffer campaigned against the change and for more investment in industry. At the 1975 Labour conference his bid for a National Executive Committee (NEC) seat was finally successful as he defeated Denis Healey. Heffer again became known as one of the leading left-wing Labour backbenchers who frequently voted against the government. He opposed the government's incomes policy (which had been agreed as a voluntary arrangement with the Trades Union Congress), and abstained rather than support the government's white paper on public expenditure in March 1976 which helped ensure the government's defeat.

Despite Heffer's friendship with Tony Benn, he voted for Michael Foot in the Labour leadership election of 1976. However he did support Benn's 'Alternative Economic Strategy' which called for government assistance to industry, import restrictions, surcharges on high net income and capital and controls on banks.

Heffer was opposed to the government's proposals for devolution to Scotland and Wales. He abstained in the vote on a guillotine motion on the Scotland and Wales Bill on 22 February 1977, which resulted in the defeat of the guillotine, the loss of the Bill and endangered the government. A pact was negotiated between the Labour Party and the Liberals to ensure a majority. Heffer was upset about the pact and started a motion to call a special meeting of the National Executive Committee (the Prime Minister, James Callaghan, forbade Ministers to sign it).

NEC member
Increasingly Heffer began to use his position on the Labour Party NEC as the base of his political action. He began a specific campaign to nationalise the building construction industry in the National Construction Corporation, and raised the issue at the 1977 Labour Party conference and on the TUC-Labour Party Liaison Committee, where Callaghan vetoed any consideration of the idea by government. In intra-party matters, Heffer opposed taking action against the Militant tendency after a report by the party's national agent Reg Underhill raised concerns over its activities. Heffer's constituency of Walton was one of the strongest areas of Militant but Heffer believed that Trotskyists within the Labour Party could be countered by political arguments. He recommended that local parties hold political education events to explain democratic socialism to the Militant-dominated Labour Party Young Socialists.

In the late 1970s Heffer fought to change government policy to try to reduce unemployment, and he opposed the continuation of a pay policy which caused the strikes of the Winter of Discontent. He was one of the left-wing members of an ad hoc sub-committee of the NEC which undertook the task of cutting an overlong manifesto for the 1979 general election down to a manageable size. Heffer was one of those who wanted abolition of the House of Lords in the manifesto, a policy vetoed by James Callaghan.

After Labour lost the election, Heffer ran for the shadow cabinet again and finished as the runner-up. He joined the campaign of the left to change the democratic structure of the Labour Party to give more power to those bodies such as party conference where the left was strong. He was an important link between the National Executive and the Parliamentary Labour Party. Heffer did endorse the policy of forcing Labour Members of Parliament to seek reselection from their constituency parties, although he wanted the vote to involve all members rather than the 'General Management Committee' which comprised only activists.

Would-be leadership candidate
The most important issue for the left in the early 1980s was to change the system of election of the Leader of the Labour Party, which had until then been chosen solely by Labour MPs. The left wanted to have the Leader elected by an 'electoral college' which would include affiliated trade unions and individual Constituency Labour Parties. At the 1980 Labour Party conference a procedural motion to allow the change to be made without delay was narrowly carried after Heffer argued for it, but all proposals for balancing the composition of the electoral college were defeated and the issue was deferred until a special conference.

With an electoral college Leadership system in prospect, James Callaghan resigned as Leader in October 1980 to make sure that his successor was elected under the old system. Heffer regarded such an election as illegitimate and moved to suspend it until the new system was agreed, but the Parliamentary Labour Party rejected it. He considered standing as a candidate himself but eventually deferred to Michael Foot who was eventually elected (against expectations). Due to a resignation, Heffer was briefly promoted to be a member of the shadow cabinet in October–November 1980. Foot made Heffer spokesman on Europe and Community Affairs from November.

Militant
Concern about the Militant tendency led Reg Underhill, whose 1975 report had been dismissed by Heffer, to issue a revised version in 1980. This report made it clear that most party institutions in Liverpool, especially in Heffer's constituency, were now under Militant control. Heffer compared the report to the propaganda of Joseph Goebbels, but he knew that Militant was powerful: when Heffer considered running against Denis Healey for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party under the new electoral college system in 1981, his constituency party prevented him. He supported Benn when Benn challenged Healey.

Heffer was elected to the shadow cabinet in 1981. While he was a strong supporter of the left, Heffer accepted the need to preserve party unity. In December 1981 he attempted to solve the problem of Michael Foot's denunciation of Peter Tatchell (who had been selected as Labour candidate for Bermondsey) by holding a quick enquiry, but this attempt failed when Foot loyalists passed a motion to refuse Tatchell endorsement. Heffer's attempts to mediate between the Bermondsey Party and Foot were regarded as 'paternalist' by Tatchell and his local supporters. Heffer also joined with Foot and Denis Healey in an NEC motion calling for negotiations with the United Nations Secretary-General following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands on 28 April 1982, in opposition to a motion from Tony Benn calling for a ceasefire and withdrawal of the British taskforce.

In June 1982 the NEC discussed Militant again, with Heffer proposing that all members of the Labour Party subscribe to a 'statement of democratic socialist principles' which was defeated by 22 votes to 5. At the 1982 Labour Party conference the right-wing won back control of the NEC, and at its first meeting the left-wing were voted out of all their chairmanships in a coup organised by John Golding. This included Heffer, who had been chairman of the powerful 'Organisation Sub-Committee' (usually known as Org Sub). The change allowed the right to begin to take action against Militant, membership of which was declared incompatible with party membership. The five members of Militant's editorial board were expelled in February 1983 despite Heffer's motion to have a further investigation.

Candidate for leader
The 1983 election was a disaster for Labour which lost a substantial number of votes. Michael Foot resigned the leadership immediately afterwards, and with Tony Benn ineligible because of his own defeat, Heffer stood for the leadership as the candidate of the 'hard left' in the election. He received minimal support among the trade unions and constituency parties, and came third among Labour MPs, obtaining in all 6.3% of the electoral college. Neil Kinnock appointed him as Shadow Minister for the Construction Industry, noting his long experience in the area. Heffer was also Chairman of the Labour Party from the end of the 1983 conference, a position which conveyed no authority but recognised his seniority.

However, with a Militant-dominated Labour council in Liverpool having been elected in 1983, Heffer found increasing trouble in his constituency. The Liverpool Labour Party adopted Militant's policy of a 'deficit budget'. This included no cuts to jobs and services, and no rent and rates increases higher than inflation, and a promise to increase services and confront central government with the £270 million stolen, it claimed, in grants from the city since the Conservatives came to power in 1979. It was voted into office by a landslide. The administration produced a financial crisis, since the budget, set in April by the outgoing Tory-Liberal coalition, included unallocated cuts of £6 million, including 1000 job losses, which the administration cancelled, and an extra 1000 jobs had been promised instead. When the council met on 29 March 1984 it was told clearly that the Militant proposed 'deficit budget' contained an illegal £30 million deficit, but no alternative could get a majority and it went through. All but seven Labour councillors stood by the budget, and Heffer supported the council in its demands of government and after a series of meetings with the Secretary of State for the Environment Patrick Jenkin, the government eventually gave way and allowed practically all of the budget.

In November 1984 Heffer did not win re-election to the shadow cabinet and left the Labour front bench. He said that he took a principled stance not to take any front bench post unless elected to it.

Kinnock takes action
Liverpool's financial confrontation continued in 1985 when it eventually set another 'deficit budget'. This time the government would not help, and Militant's attempt to get the council's workforce to strike against the Thatcher government was narrowly defeated in a ballot. By September the council was almost out of cash and applied to the new Environment Secretary (Kenneth Baker) for a loan of £25 million. In a desperate attempt to avoid bankruptcy, on 27 September the council issued 90-day redundancy notices to its entire workforce, using a fleet of taxis to deliver them.

On 1 October Neil Kinnock spoke at the Labour Party conference and denounced (without identifying Liverpool) the actions of the council. Heffer was appalled at Kinnock's actions and walked off the platform in protest. This action was capable of misinterpretation: Heffer was fully supportive of the council's actions, but not a Militant member, and felt that Kinnock was insulting the whole City, and also that he as the senior Liverpool MP ought to have been told in advance. Heffer's autobiography has been taken by most reviewers to illustrate his "known dislike" for Kinnock. One sixth of the book is devoted to expressing his views that Kinnock's "betrayal of socialism" led to "a rigid party discipline and the expulsion of Militant supporters".

Heffer's views are most clearly expressed in a letter he sent to Labour Party general secretary Larry Whitty at the time of the 1986 inquiry into the Liverpool District Labour Party: "What concerns me is the serious effect all this is having on the future electoral fortunes of this party. A witch-hunt against Liverpool party members and some MPs will not satisfy the right-wing press. Today's Daily Telegraph leaders make it absolutely clear. What can happen is a civil war within the party, and if that occurs, we shall be handing electoral success to the SDP-Liberal Alliance, not to Labour ... I therefore appeal to you as General Secretary to do all you can to steer the party away from this self-destructive course."

On 27 March 1986 the leading members of the Liverpool Labour Party were brought before the National Executive where their expulsion was being proposed. Heffer had accompanied Derek Hatton during his NEC hearing regarding the Liverpool District Labour Party. He joined a walk-out by members of the left which rendered the meeting inquorate. At later meetings he voted against expelling Militant members. His refusal to support those taking action against Militant led to Heffer losing his position on the Labour Party National Executive at the 1986 conference, a loss which Heffer took personally, and indicated the changed nature of the Labour Party, which Heffer anticipated in his letter to Whitty in 1986. The 47 Labour councillors who stood behind the deficit budget strategy were removed from office in 1987 and surcharged £106,000, with costs of £242,000, which they raised through donations from the trade unions and Labour Party members.

Last years
Heffer's constituency had become increasingly safe for him over the years and at the 1987 election he had the largest absolute Labour vote in the country and a rock-solid 23,000 majority. Neil Kinnock's decision to review the policy of the Labour Party after the election, which was a clear prelude to dropping some of the more left-wing policies, led him to urge the left in the Socialist Campaign Group to fight the Leadership and Deputy Leadership in 1988. Tony Benn was chosen to challenge Kinnock as Leader, while Heffer and John Prescott (from the Tribune group) opposed Roy Hattersley for the Deputy Leadership. Neither had any realistic hope of winning, and Heffer eventually won only 9.483% of the vote.

On 24 November 1989 Heffer announced that he would not fight the next election. The decision was prompted by the fact that he had been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. He suffered a long decline during which he devoted himself to writing. When Parliament was recalled to debate the invasion of Kuwait in September 1990, Heffer made what he knew would be his last speech in the House of Commons to urge the United Kingdom not to go to war. His gaunt and white appearance showed how ill he was. In January 1991 he attended the House of Commons to vote against the Gulf War in a wheelchair, when John Major crossed the floor to shake his hand. On 27 March 1991 he was awarded the freedom of the city of Liverpool, but as he was too ill to travel there, he received it at Westminster. His close friend Tony Benn attended the ceremony along with Dennis Skinner and speaker Bernard Weatherill. A letter was read out paying tribute to Heffer from John Major.

Two months later, on 27 May, Heffer died at his home in London, aged 69. Although he clashed on several occasions with Margaret Thatcher, they respected each other personally, and she wrote a letter of condolence to Heffer's widow when he died. She also attended his memorial service held on 10 July 1991. Other notable names who attended included Neil Hamilton, Jonathan Aitken, Geoffrey Howe, James Molyneaux, Ian Paisley, Alan Beith, John Biffen, Patrick Mayhew, John Smith and Tony Benn, who paid a personal tribute.

Legacy
In 2019, Liverpool Walton Constituency Labour Party launched the annual Eric Heffer Memorial Lecture to pay tribute to Heffer's legacy and explore how his ideas of internationalist, democratic socialism can be applied today. The first lecture, delivered by Heffer's successor as Liverpool Walton MP, Dan Carden, was published in Tribune magazine.

In satire
Like many politicians, Heffer was a target for satirists who would highlight his left-wing attitude. He was especially targeted in the satirical strip Battle for Britain which ran in the magazine Private Eye between 1983 and 1987 — Margaret Thatcher's second term in office as Prime Minister. Heffer appears in the majority of the strips, his "cruel Cockney humour" being described as lowering morale on his side, especially when directed at Neil Kinnock.

Publications
Heffer was a bibliophile whose collection of 12,000 books was much more than his small house would normally accommodate. He also wrote prodigiously. His publications include:

 * The Class Struggle in Parliament: A Socialist View of Industrial Relations (Gollancz, 1973, ISBN 978-0-575-01640-8): An analysis of the way trade union issues are handled by Parliament.
 * Towards Democratic Socialism (Institute for Workers Control, 1981): a policy pamphlet.
 * Labour's Future - Socialist or SDP Mark 2? (Verso, 1986, ISBN 978-0-86091-876-9): Heffer's concern over Neil Kinnock's reforms showed in this early book. The terms in which Heffer posed the question in its title clearly indicated his preference for the former option.
 * Faith in Politics: Which Way Should Christians Vote? (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1987, ISBN 978-0-281-04299-9): Heffer contributed a Labour essay to go with contributions from John Gummer for the Conservatives and Alan Beith for the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
 * Why I Am a Christian (Spire, 1991, ISBN 978-0-340-55873-7)
 * Never a Yes Man: The Life and Politics of an Adopted Liverpudlian (Verso Books, 1991, ISBN 978-0-86091-350-4): his posthumously published autobiography.

title: Eric Heffer


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Over There (American TV series)

Over There is an American action war drama television series co-created by Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo and produced by 20th Century Fox Television. It premiered in the United States on July 27, 2005, on FX and in Canada on September 6, 2005, on the History Television channel. The series was presented in 16:9 widescreen format in the United States and the United Kingdom, and mastered in high definition.

FX formally announced on November 1, 2005, that the show would not be returning due to declining ratings. The thirteenth and final episode of the series, "Follow the Money", aired in the United States on October 26, 2005.

Background
The series followed a unit of the United States Army's 3rd Infantry Division on its first tour of duty in Iraq, and chronicled the war's effects on the soldiers' families in the United States. The Iraq sequences were filmed in the California desert, while the homefront scenes are shot in and around the Greater Los Angeles area.

The pilot was developed by Steven Bochco (who also created such acclaimed series as NYPD Blue, L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues). Originally, the show was to be produced by UPN, who subsequently decided that the prospects for international sales were not good and withdrew from the project. However, the series was seen around the world on pay cable channels in about 100 territories, according to Reuters.

The title of the series echoes "Over There", George M. Cohan's 1917 song about U.S. soldiers serving abroad during World War I. The theme song used for the series is Chris Gerolmo's "Over There".

The show (Bochco's first for basic cable) was the first scripted television series set in a current, ongoing military action involving the United States. In another unusual move, the pilot episode was released on DVD on August 2, 2005, less than a week after the show's premiere.

Main

 * PFC Bo "Texas" Rider, Jr. (Josh Henderson) — a 20-year–old star quarterback who was awarded a partial scholarship to Texas A&M, but could not make up the financial shortfall and joined the Army so he could take advantage of the G.I. Bill once his enlistment is up. He was fixated on the nicknames all of his squad mates have and the stories behind them as he did not have his own nickname. He had a wife and young son whom he loved very much. At the end of the first episode, a truck containing Bo and PV2 Dumphy drove over a landmine. Bo received terrible injuries to his leg and it was amputated shortly afterwards. He later became determined to return to his unit to stop feeling helpless.
 * PV2 Frank "Dim" Dumphy (Luke Macfarlane) — in spite of (or, more likely, in reaction against) his well-to-do upbringing and Ivy League education, this 22-year-old Cornell graduate deliberately chose a blue-collar, lower-class lifestyle. He was tormented by intellectual conflicts over the actions he is ordered to carry out, and maddened with worry over his pregnant, alcoholic wife and emotionally disturbed 7-year-old stepson. He has never pursued a commission because he does not want to adopt a leadership role.  His perspective serves as a contrast to emphasize the truly underprivileged roots of his squad mates. Probably the most sensitive character in the series, he was deeply disturbed when he learned that a particular insurgent sacrificed several men and a little girl in order to get past a check point. He lacked a degree of street smarts which "Smoke" possessed as he has shown on some occasions, and does not operate prudently under pressure. It is unclear as to why he is a Private when his B.S. gives him an automatic promotion to Specialist. He carries an M4 carbine like his squad-mates, although his is fitted with an M203 grenade launcher.
 * SSG Chris "Scream" Silas (Erik Palladino) — the battle-hardened veteran from Long Island, New York who was given charge of a group of new recruits who has no problem speaking his mind to his superiors. He was not happy about having been handed 90 days additional duty on the eve of returning home, but begins to like his squad more as his 90 days winds down. His nickname, "Scream", stems from the loud manner in which he gives orders.
 * PV2 Avery "Angel" King (Keith Robinson) — a gifted singer hailing from a small town in Arkansas, enlisted in a fit of anger at not making a competitive choir, a decision the 20-year–old devout Christian comes to regret. "Angel's" exceptional marksmanship skills made him the unit's Designated Marksman and his M4 having an ACOG mounted on it.
 * PV2 Maurice "Smoke" Williams (Kirk "Sticky" Jones) — a native of Compton, California was high during most of his twenty years. Although he was arguably the best in his squad, as evidenced by his street smarts, he had a strictly "us-or-them" attitude towards his white squad mates, but this attitude was lessened each time a white squad mate saves his life. He is irreligious as a rebellion against his mother, and much of his contempt directed toward "Angel". He serves as the squad's SAW gunner, carrying a compact "paratrooper" version of the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
 * PFC Tariq Nassiri (Omid Abtahi) — is an Arab-American from Detroit who was assigned as a replacement for Bo. His extensive knowledge of Arabic and Middle Eastern customs saved the squad multiple times, acting as a middleman between the American soldiers and the local people. Tariq is college educated and sensitive to all involved. Like Dim, Tariq has a bachelor's degree, yet only held the rank of PFC.
 * PFC Esmeralda "Doublewide" Del Rio (Lizette Carrión) — a happily–married new mother, was also a resourceful, no-nonsense soldier. The 20-year–old displayed her whenever the subject of her "ample figure" comes up. She and "Mrs. B" are part of a logistics unit that supports the squad on their missions, be it providing resupply or transport via their M939 5-ton trucks, and also carries an M16A2 rifle instead of an M4 carbine like most of her comrades.
 * PV2 Brenda "Mrs. B" Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox) — was a "pig-headed" and obstinate 18-year-old, who was more of a liability than an asset to the squad, and to her partner, "Doublewide." She took great umbrage at the fact that her nickname is short for "Mrs. Bitch." As a teen, she was raped and later gave birth to an autistic child who was put into the custody of his grandparents. Hardships in life made her significantly more willing to risk her life under fire since she seemed to have nothing to lose. She is one of the few characters to carry an M16A2 rifle instead of an M4 carbine, due to her job as part of a support unit instead of a front-line combat unit like her comrades.
 * Terry Rider (Sprague Grayden) — Bo's wife who wanted her husband to stay at home after he lost his leg.
 * Vanessa Dumphy (Brigid Brannagh) — Frank's wife who ends up cheating on him in the first episode. Throughout the series she displays more and more dysfunction as a result of the lack of stability in their marital status. However, in the final few episodes of the series she attempts to get the marriage back on its feet.
 * Sergio Del Rio (Lombardo Boyar) — Esmeralda's husband who throughout the series comes close to cheating on his wife who is overseas while he is also taking care of their son.
 * Eddy Dumphy (Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak) — Frank's stepson who simply tried to survive life with his dysfunctional family.

Recurring

 * Ana Ortiz – Anna
 * Adam Storke — CPT John "Duke" Baron, the team's company commander
 * J. Lamont Pope — LT "Mad Cow" Taylor (episodes 1–6), the team's first platoon leader
 * Josh Stamberg — LT Alexander "Underpants" Hunter (episodes 7–13), the team's second platoon leader
 * Lilly McDowell — Krista
 * Kirk B.R. Woller — Dr. Muecke
 * Rami Malek — Hassan, an Iraqi insurgent
 * Mark-Paul Gosselaar — John Moffet, an American reporter
 * Wade Williams — Bo Rider Sr., Bo's estranged father
 * David Sullivan — Dr. McGlaglen
 * Earl Poitier — Reggie

Guest appearances

 * Michael Cudlitz — COL Ryan, an unconventional Army Special Forces officer
 * Currie Graham — CPL Shaver, a burned-out medic with a death wish
 * Matt Barr – Cracker
 * Michael Patrick McGill — Father Feeney
 * McKinley Freeman — MDPD Uniform

Reception
The show's critics complained that the show "bends over backward not to express any opinion whatsoever about the conflict." Also, given the show's subject matter, it is not surprising that some criticized it as one of the most graphically–violent television programs ever. Accordingly, the program was tagged with the television rating TV-MA for language and violence, and warning notices such as "VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED." FX advertised the show as being "...TV's most controversial series."

 * TV series Over There dramatizes Iraq war article from the July 22, 2005 edition of the Christian Science Monitor.
 * "Fighting the Good fight" article from the July 25, 2005 edition of Newsweek.
 * "Over There brings the Iraq war home article from the July 26, 2005 issue of USA Today.
 * "Over There – Hollywood Joins the War Party" article edited on July 29, 2005 by Antiwar.com.
 * "There's Over There — and there's the real thing" article from the August 30, 2005 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Home media
In an unusual move, the pilot episode of the series was released on DVD on August 2, 2005, less than a week after the series' premiere. The complete series was released on DVD in the United States and Canada on March 21, 2006.

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

title: Over There (American TV series)


text:
User:Grazimj

grazimj

PhD student at Northwestern University

title: User:Grazimj


text:
The Filipino Channel

The Filipino Channel, commonly known as TFC, is a global subscription television network owned and operated by the Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. Its programming is composed primarily of imported programs produced and distributed by ABS-CBN Studios and ABS-CBN News, targeting the Filipino diaspora. Available globally on various television platforms, TFC launched on September 24, 1994, and was the world's first trans-Pacific Asian broadcaster.

As of 2016, The Filipino Channel has over three million Filipino subscribers worldwide in over 40 countries across 4 continents, most of whom are in the United States, Guam, Saipan, Middle East, Macau, Europe, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Colombia, Australia, France, Taiwan, Alaska State, Paraguay, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Croatia, Tajikistan, Thailand, India, Singapore, and Malaysia.

History
While TFC traces its origins to 1994, the idea of broadcasting television programming via satellite to the millions in the Filipino diaspora was already floated by the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation (now ABS-CBN Corporation) in the late 1980s. This came just as it began reconstruction after forced closure under Martial Law and the 1986 People Power Revolution that ended the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. In 1989, the network began initial transmissions via satellite to Filipinos in the Northern Mariana Islands, especially in Saipan, as well as Guam, making it the first Philippine television network to do so.

Plans to launch the channel began in April 1994 when J. Xavier Gonzales, chief financial officer of Benpres Holdings, said that it would launch a cable television channel aimed at Filipinos living in the West Coast of the United States, rerunning Filipino shows, as well as older movies and made-for-TV films.

On September 24, 1994, ABS-CBN, through its newly established subsidiary ABS-CBN International, signed a historic deal with the PanAmSat to bring the first trans-Pacific Asian programming service to some two million Filipino immigrants in the United States using the then-newly launched PAS 2 satellite. The following day, TFC was officially launched, first as a cable-only network for millions of Filipino Americans countrywide.

The first headquarters of TFC was a garage in Daly City, California, with only eight employees doing all the tasks from managing phones and computers. By 1995, TFC has grown to 25,000 subscribers in the United States. Airings of Mara Clara and other teleseryes began in 1997, with Esperanza and Mula Sa Puso (From the Heart) being the most popular shows.

By 2004, TFC has grown to 250,000 subscribers in the United States. This growth led to the expansion of TFC to other countries and territories.

In 2005, ABS-CBN International signed an affiliation agreement with DirecTV, one of the leading DTH providers in the United States. Under the deal, DirecTV has the exclusive right to distribute the TFC package on its DTH platform. In return, DirecTV will pay license fees to ABS-CBN and to ABS-CBN International. Later that year, the now defunct and award-winning internet television service TFC Now! was launched. This was later replaced by TFC.tv video streaming website. In this year, ABS-CBN International acquired San Francisco International Gateway from Loral Space & Communications. SFIG is a telecommunications port company based in Richmond, California. SFIG provides satellite communications services through its 2.5 acre (1 hectare) facility consisting of 19 satellite dish antennas and 9 modular equipment buildings. ABS-CBN International received Federal Communications Commission licensing approval in April 2006. Also in this year, ABS-CBN International opened its state-of-the-art studio and office in Redwood City, California. In 2006, SFIG successfully handled the pay per view distribution to In Demand and DirecTV for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar Larios super featherweight championship title fight. SFIG's customers include Discovery Communications, CBS, ESPN, Playboy among others. SFIG is a member of the World Teleport Association.

In 2007, ABS-CBN Global launched Myx (now Myx TV), the first and only television channel in the United States that is targeted to the Asian-American youth audience. As of 2011, TFC has over 2.47 million subscribers worldwide. In the same year, TFC changed their logo.

By 2015, The Filipino Channel already had three million subscribers worldwide mostly in United States, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe, Africa, Canada and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia).

In March 2012, ABS-CBN Global has chosen Etere to integrate its production facility for TFC. The ABS-CBN facility manages 24 channels with 3 different video servers in 3 different formats.(NLE).

On February 23, 2018, TFC IPTV and TFC Direct via cable and satellite subscribers had instant online access to TFC Online (now iWantTFC) with TFC Everywhere (TVE) feature.

In early February 2021, seven TFC channels went live with Amagi cloud platform to consolidate its play-out operations on the cloud to expand its reach and gain greater flexibility. Amagi is a global leader in SaaS for broadcast and streaming TV. ABS-CBN now manages end-to-end workflow on the cloud, eliminating the need for expensive hardware and broadcast center operations, giving it the flexibility to run its global channels with live news from anywhere. Amagi clients include A+E Networks, beIN Sports, Discovery Networks, IMG and Warner Media, among others.

There are currently 7 different international feeds broadcasting to Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Guam-Australia-New Zealand, USA East, USA West and Canada.

On September 1, 2020, TFC Online was merged with iWant to make the service accessible worldwide and was soft launched as iWantTFC.

On February 20, 2021, TFC migrated all of its international feeds into the high-definition format, ending with the EMEA feed, becoming the first Philippine-based cable network worldwide to be broadcast in HD.

Programming
The program line-up of The Filipino Channel is composed primarily of programs from ABS-CBN, a national television network in the Philippines. Programming ranging from news, public affairs, documentaries, public service, reality shows, soap operas, teleseryes, talk shows, sitcoms, gag shows, live events, and other formats and genres are shown on TFC in a slightly delayed basis and are synchronized automatically depending on the location of the broadcast. TFC also airs some programs produced abroad by ABS-CBN's foreign subsidiaries in United States, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe. These are generally not aired on ABS-CBN's main domestic channel but some are shown on ANC several hours or days after their original airing.

In 2007 the short lived Hero TV on TFC aired in April 2007-August 2007 and since 2019, most of iWant original programs and films are also aired on the channel, as well as on TFC IPTV and TFC Online (formerly ABS-CBN now).

TFC has been relatively unaffected by the ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy which started May 6, 2020, after the network's legislative franchise to operate domestically over-the-air expired the day before, as it is not under the purview of the Philippine National Telecommunications Commission.

On February 1, 2021, The Filipino Channel relaunched its programming lineup with new shows and more viewing options with the classification of four blocks: Early Mornings, FUNanghalian, Teleserye Playback and Primetime Bida, similar to its Philippine-based counterpart.

TFC Direct
In 1996, TFC Direct! was launched, an independently operated direct-to-home cable and satellite television service that incorporates the TV channels Sarimanok News Network (now ABS-CBN News Channel), Pinoy Blockbuster Channel (now Cinema One), Pinoy Central (later renamed as Kapamilya Channel, then it was replaced by Bro, and it was replaced again by now-defunct ABS-CBN Sports + Action (S+A)), and the radio channels DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 (now Radyo 630) and WRR 101.9 For Life! (now MOR 101.9).

Filipino On Demand
Filipino On Demand (FOD) is a video on demand service providing access to Filipino films, ABS-CBN classic shows and live concerts each month available on various cable providers in USA, Canada, Singapore and UAE.

TFC IPTV
Launched on April 30, 2007, TFC IPTV (formerly known as TFCko) is an IPTV and video on demand (VOD) service distributed around the world under the brand of The Filipino Channel. To avail of the service, users must acquire the TFC IPTV set-top box, connect the box to a TV set (HDMI for HDTVs, composite for SDTVs) and broadband internet through WiFi or Ethernet (requires 2 Mbit/s minimum speed), and subscribe to monthly subscription. The channel line up will depend on the subscription package availed and may include the live-streaming of TV channels The Filipino Channel, Myx TV, the international feeds of ANC, Cinema One, Cine Mo!, Jeepney TV, Kapamilya Channel, Knowledge Channel as well as radio channels TeleRadyo Serbisyo and MOR Entertainment, and an in-house interactive Karaoke channel. Aside from the live-streaming of ABS-CBN channels, the service also includes a video on demand feature that allow users to watch, pause, rewind, fast-forward select programs of the channels anytime for a period of one month and in high-definition format (for select programs and internet speed). The service also offers a wide selection of fresh movies from the Philippines and other pay per view contents like concerts and sporting events also in high-definition format. As of January 1, 2020, TFC IPTV has been discontinued sales in Canada and the United States of America but will still provide service to existing users of the IPTV services.

Channels

 * TFC
 * ANC Global
 * Cine Mo! Global
 * Cinema One Global
 * Myx Global
 * TeleRadyo Serbisyo
 * Jeepney TV

Video on demand

 * iWantTFC Originals
 * Jeepney TV
 * Karaoke
 * KBO Unlimited
 * MOR Entertainment
 * TFC PPV
 * Viva

title: The Filipino Channel


text:
Equestrian vaulting

Equestrian vaulting, or simply vaulting, is most often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback, which can be practiced both competitively or non-competitively. Vaulting has a history as an equestrian act at circuses, but its origins stretch back at least two-thousand years. It is open to both men and women and is one of ten equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (Fédération Équestre Internationale or FEI). Therapeutic or interactive vaulting is also used as an activity for children and adults who may have balance, attention, gross motor skill or social deficits.

Vaulting's enthusiasts are concentrated in Europe and other parts of the Western world. It is especially well established in Germany and Switzerland. Vaulting was first introduced in the United States in the 1950s and 60s but was limited only to California and other areas of the west coast. As of 2010, it was beginning to gain popularity in the northeast United States.

History
It is believed by some that the origins of vaulting could be traced to the ancient Roman games, where acrobats usually displayed their skills on cantering horses. Others, however, believe that vaulting originated in ancient Crete, where bull-leaping was prevalent. In either case, people have been performing acrobatic and dance-like movements on (or over) the backs of moving horses/animals for more than 2,000 years.

Renaissance and Middle Ages history include numerous references to vaulting or similar activities. The present name of the sport/art comes from the French la voltige, which it acquired during the Renaissance, when it was a form of riding drill and agility exercise for cavalry riders.

Modern vaulting developed in post-war Germany as an initiative to introduce children to equestrian sports.

In 1983, vaulting became one of the disciplines recognized by the FEI. European championships were first held in Ebreichsdorf, Austria in 1984, and the first FEI World Vaulting Championship was held in Bulle, Switzerland in 1986. Vaulting was included in the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm in 1990 and in all subsequent editions of the games. It was demonstrated as an art during the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games events. It has been included in the Inter-Africa Cup since 2006.

The first World Cup Vaulting competition was held in Leipzig on 29–30 April 2011.

Competition
In competitive vaulting, vaulters compete as individuals, pairs (pas-de-deux) and teams. Beginning vaulters compete in walk while experienced vaulters compete in canter. The vaulting horse moves in a minimum 15-metre diameter circle and is directed by a lunger (or "longeur") who stands in the center. In competitive vaulting, the rider and horse will both be judged on a scale from 1 to 10.

Vaulting competitions consist of compulsory exercises and choreographed freestyle exercises done to music. There are seven compulsory exercises: mount, basic seat, flag, mill, scissors, stand and flank. Each exercise is scored on a scale from 0 to 10. Horses also receive a score and are judged on the quality of their movement as well as their behavior.

Vaulters compete in team, pas-de-deux and individual categories. An individual freestyle (also known as Kür) is a 1-minute program, the pas-de-deux kür is 2 minutes while the team is 4 minutes. They are all choreographed to music. The components of a freestyle vaulting routine may include mounts and dismounts, handstands, kneeling and standing and aerial moves such jumps, leaps and tumbling skills. However, many of these skills are only seen in the highest levels. A typical routine for a child or beginner will more likely contain variations on simple kneels and planks. Teams also carry, lift, or even toss another vaulter in the air. Judging is based on technique, performance, form, difficulty, balance, security, and consideration of the horse; the horse is also scored, taking up 25% of the total score.

Vaulting horses are not saddled but wear a surcingle (or a roller) and a thick back pad. The surcingle has special handles which aid the vaulter in performing certain moves as well as leather loops called "cossack stirrups". The horse wears a bridle and side reins. The lunge line is usually attached to the inside bit ring.

Vaulting horses typically move on the left rein (counterclockwise), but in some competitions the horse canters in the other direction. Two-phase classes of competition also work the horse to the right. While many European clubs do not compete to the right, they still work at home evenly both directions, believing this benefits the horse and the vaulter.

The premier vaulting competitions are the biannual World and Continental Championships and the World Equestrian Games (WEG) held every four years. In many countries, vaulting associations organize and sponsor national, regional and local events every year. In 2011 there were at least 24 countries with such organisations.

Competition movements
Vaulters perform movements on the back of the horse. Novice and beginning vaulters may perform at the walk or the trot while higher level vaulters perform at the canter. Vaulters perform different compulsory exercises from the following list depending on the category and class they compete in:

Dress code
The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) regulates dress codes for competitive vaulting. Every 2–3 years, new guidelines are released, which consistently declare that vaulters must wear form-fitting uniforms that do not conceal the line and form of the vaulter's body, as well as not hinder the movement of the vaulter or the safe interaction between the vaulters. For that reason, accessories such as belts, capes or hats are prohibited. Additionally, men's trousers must be secured at the ankle. It is expected that clothing be appropriate for the competition and does not give the effect of nudity. The most common form-fitting uniforms worn by vaulters are unitards.

Non-competitive vaulting
In addition to competition, vaulting is a form of artistry, recreation and entertainment. Vaulters typically range in age from 7 to 30 years and older, practicing individual and team skills and routines. The youngest athletes begin at the walk gait and progress to trot, and canter, based on strength, height, and ability to mount and performing on the horse.

Vaulting is used on a therapeutic level in some instances. People with disabilities can often benefit from interacting with the horse and team members, and by doing simple movements with the help of "spotters".

Vaulting is often seen on a recreational level, through vaulting demonstrations, and occasionally in local parades.

title: Equestrian vaulting


text:
Sokratis Malamas

Sokratis Malamas (Greek: Σωκράτης Μάλαμας) (born September 29, 1957) is a Greek singer and songwriter.

Biography
Sokratis Malamas was born on September 29, 1957, in Sykia in Chalkidiki, Greece. His family moved to Stuttgart, Germany for a few years, he later moved to Thessaloniki. There, he sang bouzouki songs and he learned from his father about his music. At age thirteen, he bought his first guitar and practiced for his presentations at school works and when he was seventeen, he followed his guitar studies at the Macedonian Conservatory of Thessaloniki (Μακεδονικό Ωδείο Θεσσαλονίκης = Makedoniko Odeio Thessalonikis). He returned to Germany after he finished school and later went to the Stuttgart Odeon. In one difficult period of his life, he came back to Greece and attended studies at the National Conservatory of Athens (Εθνικό Ωδείο Αθηνών = Ethniko Odeio Athinon). He was taught by Vangelis Assimakopoulos and Notis Mavroudis. At 23, he began his professional career, worked as a guitar teacher and a singer in some public shops. Before he continued into his personal way, he was a guitarist at the orchestra of Nikos Papazoglou.

He continued to play music in public shops, he tried and put his songs on programs. Not until the time that Nikos Papazoglou made him enter the studio and began his first album Aspromavres Istories in 1989. Sokratis Malamas wrote songs for theatrical releases and made his performance in the odeon. His direction of his works was better known and loved his charts.

He performed with famous musicians including Manolis Rasoulis, composers including Nikos Xydakis, singer Melina Kana, singer-songwriter Thanasis Papakonstantinou and cooperated with other lyricists and musicians including Giannis Tsatsopoulos, Giorgos Athanassopoulos, Alkis Alkaiou, Fotini Lambridis, Thodoros Gonis, Michalis Gkanas and Odysseas Ioannou. He also participated in works of other musicians including Dionyssis Tsaknis, Maria Thoidou, B.D. Foxmoor and Sadahzinia (of Active Member), Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Michalis Siganidis, Takis Vouis, Maria Papanikolaou Alkinoos Ioannidis, Haris Alexiou and others.

Malamas also wrote songs and featured them in movies including To Kynigi To Lagou (Το Κυνήγι του Λαγού) and interpreted a song called To Chrono na Lavoso (Το χρόνο να λαβώσω) in a short-length film Ypsoma 33 (Ύψωμα 33) ,

Discography

 * Aspromavres Istories – Ασπρόμαυρες Ιστορίες [Stories in Black and White] (1989)
 * Paramithia – Παραμύθια [Fables] (1991)
 * Tis Meras kai tis Nixtas – Της Μέρας και της Νύχτας [Of Day and Night] (1992)
 * Kyklos – Κύκλος [Circle] (1993)
 * Lavyrinthos – Λαβύρινθος [Labyrinth] (1996)
 * 13.000 Meres – 13.000 Μέρες [13.000 Days] (1998)
 * O Fylakas kai o Vasilias – Ο Φύλακας και ο Βασιλιάς [The Guardian and the King] (2000)
 * Ena – Ένα [One] (2002)
 * Adeio Domatio – Άδειο [Empty Room] (2005)
 * Dromi – Δρόμοι [Pathways] (2007)
 * Ekso – Έξω [Outside] (2010)
 * Perasma – Πέρασμα [Passage] (2010)
 * Hartis – Χάρτης [Map] (2014)
 * Me stoma pou gela – Με στόμα που γελά (2018)

Productions

 * 1994 – To Fantasma Apo to Parelthon (Το φάντασμα από το παρελθόν) (Akti)
 * 1995 – Stin Andromeda Kai Sti Gi (Στην Ανδρομέδα και στη Γη = On Andromeda And On Earth) (Lyra)
 * 1997 – I Gynaika Kai To Milo (Η γυναίκα και το μήλο) (Mylos)
 * 1997 – Pyli Tis Ammou (Πύλη της άμμου = Sand Gate) (Mylos)
 * 1997 – San Petalouda (Σαν πεταλούδα = Like A Butterfly) Virgin
 * 1999 – Me tin Plati ston Ticho (Με την πλάτη στον τοίχο = With The Back on the Wall'')
 * 1999 – Mikres Angelies (Μικρές αγγελίες = Little Tidings)
 * 2006 – Plano Eksodou (Πλάνο Εξόδου = Exit Plan)

title: Sokratis Malamas


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Spade Honorary

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was delete. Sjakkalle (Check!)  11:00, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

Spade Honorary
I'm not sure how notable this is or if this could be expanded. It was made and later blanked by anon. JJLeahy 21:56, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete notability not established. JamesBurns 08:30, 20 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, non-notable student group. Dcarrano 15:24, July 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


text:
Karen Williams (soprano)

Karen Williams is an American concert and opera soprano. In 1985 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; making her stage debut at the Metropolitan Opera later that year as Serena in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. She sang that role at the Met again in 1989–1990. She has also performed Serena at Symphony Hall, Springfield with the Boston Concert Opera (1986), the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (1998), the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (1999), the Utah Symphony Orchestra (1999), and the Philadelphia Orchestra (2000) among others. In 1986 she made her debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.

In 1987 Williams was a soloist in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor James Levine. That same year she was the soprano soloist in Leoš Janáček's Amarus and in works by Giuseppe Verdi with the Collegiate Chorale and conductor Robert Bass at Carnegie Hall. She sang under Bass again at Carnegie Hall in 1989 as Maria in the New York premiere of Richard Strauss' Friedenstag. In 1988 she performed the role of Donna Elvira in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Florida Grand Opera. In November 1989 she was the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in Israel. She has also sung in concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and in roles with the Dallas Opera, the Dayton Opera, the Lake George Opera, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Pittsburgh Opera.

title: Karen Williams (soprano)


text:
St. John Cathedral (Edmonton)

St. John Cathedral, (or more formally the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, often misspelled St. John’s) in Edmonton, is the throne of the Bishop of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The current bishop for the cathedral is Ilarion (Rudnyk).

Cultural Centre
St. John's Cultural Centre was developed and opened for use in 1965. A number of additions and renovations have enhanced the original facility, the latest being the Solarium, which was completed in 2001. The facility was established primarily to accommodate the needs of the congregation, various Ukrainian associations and the community at large.

The Cultural Centre is used for events such as weddings, banquets, socials, memorial dinners, seminars, workshops, conferences and meetings.

title: St. John Cathedral (Edmonton)


text:
Memorial Stadium (Fort Wayne)

Memorial Stadium was a stadium located in Johnny Appleseed Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest League baseball team. Memorial Stadium was dedicated on April 18, 1993 before a sold-out crowd.

One of the most historic moments for the stadium came April 24, 1994 when Alex Rodriguez hit the first professional home run of his career.

Memorial Stadium hosted its final baseball game August 28, 2008, with 6,106 in attendance, between the Wizards and South Bend Silver Hawks. Highlights included the ceremonial first pitch thrown by 2008 Summer Olympic Gold medalist Lloy Ball and the national anthem performed by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra. The final attendance recorded for Memorial Stadium was 4,046,261.

Memorial Stadium's replacement, Parkview Field, opened for the 2009 season in downtown Fort Wayne as the new home for the franchise. In the summer of 2009, Memorial Stadium was demolished.

title: Memorial Stadium (Fort Wayne)


text:
Talk:Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968

Untitled
I'm going to move this to Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 and make this the redirect page, unless anyone has any specific objections? Flowerparty 21:57, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
 * There is way too much here on the Rhino re-issues and way too little on the aesthetics of the original album and its impact — especially its liner notes' impact — on thinking about the history and nature of rock music and the role of garage bands. - Jmabel | Talk 01:18, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Separate pages to distinguish between the LP and box set?
Even though Rhino's box set includes the original LP among its four discs, shouldn't the releases be given separate entries? Without it, the page is sort of confusing — for instance, the Wikipedia infobox indicates the original LP, but the track listing includes all four discs of the box set. livefastdieold 09:22, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

Cover art
Does anyone know who did the cover art? It looks to me like it might possibly have been Alan Aldridge. It certainly resembles his style of artwork. -- The Anome (talk) 11:11, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Do I have a QC reject?
I have the original vinyl LP, and CD box-set. The LPs include mono and stereo songs. My CDs have only mono mixes. I have not heard this latter discussed anywhere. It makes me think that I somehow got some oddity. Anyone's thoughts? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 38.121.16.240 (talk) 07:37, 30 December 2013 (UTC)


text: User talk:24.147.97.230

title: User talk:24.147.97.230


text: File:Masspike logo 1955.jpg

title: File:Masspike logo 1955.jpg


text: User talk:129.219.83.141

title: User talk:129.219.83.141


text:
Dracula 3000

Dracula 3000 (stylized as DRACULA.3000, and also known as Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness) is a 2004 made-for-television science fiction horror film directed by Darrell Roodt. An international co-production of the United States and South Africa, the film's plot follows the vampire Count Dracula, in the futuristic setting of outer space in the 30th century. Despite its title, the film is not a sequel to Dracula 2000.

Plot
In the year 3000, the salvage spaceship Mother III happens upon the derelict transport Demeter. Captain Van Helsing and his crew board the abandoned ship.

They explore the bridge and find the corpse of the Demeter's Captain tied to a chair and clutching a crucifix. Despite the misgivings of the crew, particularly intern Mina Murry and vice-captain Aurora, the Captain claims salvage rights and decides to tow the ship back to Earth. As the crew prepares to return, Mother III suddenly uncouples from the Demeter, leaving them stranded with no means of communication.

Later, cargo specialist "187" and deckhand "Humvee" discover a cargo bay full of coffins. 187 speculates that the coffins could contain smuggled goods and opens one, only to find sand. Humvee heads back to the bridge while 187 stays to open the other coffins; he's soon mysteriously attacked. The crew rushes to 187's aid, only to find that he's now a vampire. Under orders from his "master", 187 vows to kill the entire crew.

Aurora, fleeing 187, runs into the "master", a vampire named Count Orlock. Aurora makes her way to a recreation room, where she reports her encounter with Orlock and reveals his intentions to return to Earth. Upon questioning, she's unable to explain how she escaped Orlock unharmed. Thinking that Aurora could be lying, the Captain ties her up, and Humvee guards her. Soon, 187 gains entrance and attacks Humvee, who manages to stake him in the heart with a pool cue. Aurora, still tied up, confesses that she's an undercover android cop investigating salvage activities. This is why Orlock didn’t bite her, as he sensed that she had no actual blood flow. The Captain and Humvee feel betrayed but untie her, thinking that they can use her as a weapon against Orlock, due to her immunity against vampirism. Searching the ship's database, the Captain and the Professor, who uses a wheelchair, discover that the legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing was one of the Captain's ancestors. The Professor believes that Orlock will seek revenge against the Captain. The Captain learns how vampires can be stopped and decides to steer the Demeter on a course towards a binary star system.

Orlock soon confronts the Captain and Aurora. Aurora leaves to rally reinforcements, leaving the Captain to fight Orlock alone. Orlock eventually gains the upper hand and turns the Captain into a vampire. Aurora and Humvee return, only to be attacked by the Captain. Aurora stakes him with another cue stick, but Mina (now a vampire herself) attacks, allowing Orlock to escape. Humvee dispatches Mina. The Professor, despairing of his chances of survival, finds Orlock, who promises to free him from his disability in return for aiding Orlock's return to Earth. When Aurora and Humvee return to the bridge, they find the Professor passed out. Aurora stabs him with a cross, revealing that he was a vampire. A furious Orlock tries to enter the bridge, but Humvee and Aurora close the door on him, cutting off his arm in the process.

As the Demeter draws closer towards one of the binary stars, Humvee and Aurora confess to each other that neither knows how to pilot the ship. Knowing they are about to die, they take comfort in the fact that Orlock's plan to return to Earth has been foiled. Aurora reveals that she was originally a sexbot before being upgraded to be a cop, meaning she can give Humvee some solace before the end. Humvee accepts the offer and they spend their remaining time having sex.

The movie ends with a video segment from the Demeter's Captain Varna, who announces his intention to sacrifice himself and his ship. The Demeter explodes in space, killing Humvee and Aurora and destroying Orlock.

Cast

 * Casper Van Dien as Captain Abraham Van Helsing
 * Erika Eleniak as Aurora Ash
 * Tommy "Tiny" Lister as "Humvee"
 * Coolio as "187"
 * Alexandra Kamp as Mina Murry
 * Grant Swanby as Arthur "The Professor" Holmwood
 * Langley Kirkwood as Count Orlock
 * Udo Kier as Captain Varna

Reception
Critical reaction to Dracula 3000 has been negative. Andrew Stine of Something Awful said, "Whether it's out of some facsimile of genuine interest (rare) or because I just want to see how completely stupid things can possibly get within ninety minutes, I have so far been able to keep myself from lapsing into a waking coma by latching upon some facet of the movie which is not utterly, interminably boring. That is, until Dracula 3000." Mitchell Hattaway of DVD Verdict said, "Dracula 3000 is a shining example of complete filmmaking ineptitude. You can look all you want and you won't find even the slightest hint of intelligence on any level. ... It sucks. Dracula 3000 makes Leprechaun 4: In Space look like Alien."

David Oliver of CHUD.com said, "This is the worst movie I've ever reviewed so far for CHUD. How is it bad? Every particular way you can think of: the acting, the writing, directing... I can go on for paragraphs. ... To call this film shit is an insult to fragrant brown logs everywhere."

title: Dracula 3000


text:
Talk:The Sunshine Camp

Where does this episode name come from ? Tim! (talk) 22:00, 19 July 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:The Sunshine Camp


text:
Community Field

Community Field is a stadium in Burlington, Iowa. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Burlington Bees collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. Occasionally, the stadium is used by the local high school baseball team. The current stadium holds 3,200 people. Community Field was most recently named the 2013 "Field of the Year" in the state of Iowa by the Iowa Sports Turf Management Association.

History
Community Field was built in 1947 upon the establishment of the Burlington Indians, minor league baseball affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. During that time, Community Field housed the affiliates of five different minor league baseball clubs and was fortunate enough to see the likes of Billy Williams and Vida Blue perform before tragedy struck. On June 9, 1971, the grandstand seating burned down to the ground. However, during the rebuild, no games were missed as there were temporary bleacher seats erected in place of the grandstand. By the start of the 1973 season, the grandstand was finished by an all-volunteer crew, displaying impressive community support.

Renovations
In 1999, a series of projects were started to improve Community Field and make it more fan-friendly. Such projects included:
 * New bleacher seating and box seating
 * Upgraded sound system
 * Elevation of the Budweiser Party deck to provide a better view of the game.
 * Addition to the maintenance shed to provide extra storage.
 * Upgraded scoreboard with a message center in right-center field.

The stadium was once again renovated for the 2005 season, but this renovation was a much more extensive project than the renovations in 1999, including:
 * A fully covered and expanded main concourse.
 * A partial covering of the grandstand seating.
 * A new press box and luxury suite, known as the Hall of Fame Suite, which can be rented out during games.
 * Upgraded sound system
 * A new scoreboard
 * A new outer brick facade with wrought iron gates positioned at both entrances to stadium.
 * A new separate building containing a new front office, board room, ticket office, kitchen, storage space and team store.

A final upgrade in 2006 included a partially paved parking lot, a new marquee sign on the edge of Mt. Pleasant St. and a 100 ft placed in the center of the parking lot, which holds a 40 ft; the flag only flies when the Bees are playing at home. The "extreme makeover" of Community Field cost approximately $3 million and was funded by the Vision Iowa program, the City of Burlington, Des Moines County, corporate and private pledges and in-kind donations from contractors.

In October 2012, more improvements were made, when the Burlington Bees groundskeeping crew re-sodded the entire playing surface with assistance from the Iowa Cubs Sports Turf Management staff. A few months later, in late March 2013, Community Field installed new field lights, 2 of them being infield lights that were moved back, thus creating space for possible future expansion of the grandstands.

Community Field and the Burlington Bees rely heavily on community support from Burlington and the surrounding area communities. All of their renovations have been backed and supported by the community not only financially, but emotionally, as well.

Friends of Community Field
The Friends of Community Field is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1998 to help the Bees raise money for capital improvement projects involving Community Field. The Friends is run by a volunteer Board of Directors that helps to organize various fundraisers and the volunteer work force that helps maintain the stadium. Since 1998, money that has been raised has helped with new stadium lights, new playground flooring and canopy, new bleachers, box seats, the sound system, brat garden improvements and most recently, the fund raising for the "Extreme Makeover" of Community Field that was completed in 2005. In addition to the funds raised to finish the last renovation, the Friends of Community Field aims to raise money to start an endowment for future work to be done at the ballpark, without having to start another major fundraising initiative. All contributions to the Friends of Community Field are tax deductible.

title: Community Field