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Ben Foster (footballer)

Ben Anthony Foster (born 3 April 1983) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He also runs a YouTube channel, "The Cycling GK", and The Fozcast podcast.

Foster began his professional career in 2001 with Stoke City, having joined from Racing Club Warwick. However, he never made an appearance for Stoke, and spent time on loan with Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers and Wrexham. He switched permanently to Manchester United in July 2005, but again struggled to break into the first team, and spent two successive seasons on loan to Watford from August 2005 until the end of the 2006–07 season.

Having played just 23 times for Manchester United (although he also played in the League Cup-winning teams of 2009 and 2010), Foster switched to Birmingham City in May 2010. An ever-present in the league for Birmingham, he was also part of the Birmingham team that won the 2011 League Cup. Following Birmingham's relegation to the Championship at the end of the season, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion, and moved there permanently in June 2012. He returned to Watford in July 2018. He announced his retirement from football in September 2022 before returning to Wrexham in March 2023. He again retired in August 2023 after helping Wrexham to the National League title.

Foster made his international debut for England in February 2007 against Spain. Although he announced his retirement from international football in May 2011, he returned in February 2013, and was selected in England's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Stoke City
Foster was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He started his football career as a youngster at Racing Club Warwick of the Southern League Division One West. He became their first-choice goalkeeper in December 2000, and was also training as an apprentice chef at Café Rouge in Leamington Spa.

In April 2001 Foster turned professional with Second Division club Stoke City after being spotted by scout Colin Dobson. He signed a one-year contract with an option for a further two years; the "five-figure" fee was undisclosed, and RC Warwick would benefit from the inclusion of a sell-on clause. During his time at Stoke, He had loan spells at Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers and Wrexham. He sustained a cruciate ligament injury in June 2003 while playing tennis with his brother, which sidelined him for a period of six months. After his recovery, He was awarded the number 14 shirt and received his maiden call up to the Potters' first team for a First Division match versus Wimbledon on 17 January 2004. He remained on the bench for the 1–0 victory and was an unused substitute on a further six occasions during the remainder of the 2003–04 season. He was called into the first team squad for four matches during the 2004–05 season.

Manchester United
While playing for Wrexham on loan from Stoke, Foster was spotted by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was watching Foster's teammate and his son, Darren, in the 2005 Football League Trophy final. United had been struggling for several years to replace former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, and Ferguson decided to move for the young Foster, making a bid of £1 million for the player. Stoke agreed a deal with United on 15 July 2005, and the transfer was completed on 19 July.

Loan to Watford

Not ready for first team action, Foster was sent on a season-long loan to Watford on 1 August 2005, with the expectation of a second loan the season after. Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd claimed that "he's better than current Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar" and claimed Foster would be "the best goalkeeper in the world". Manchester United manager Ferguson suggested that Foster would succeed Van der Sar as first-choice keeper at United and eventually replace Paul Robinson as "England's next goalkeeper". Foster helped Watford reach the Premier League by beating Leeds United 3–0 in the Championship play-off final.

He re-signed for Watford on a second season-long loan on 10 August 2006 after Manchester United secured the services of Poland international goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak on loan from West Bromwich Albion. Foster's performances during Watford's Premier League campaign earnt him the club's Player of the Season award. Aidy Boothroyd expressed his desire to keep Foster at Watford for a third season on a number of occasions during the 2006–07 season, but his hopes were dashed in January 2007 when Alex Ferguson announced his intention to bring Foster back to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

Return to Manchester United
In June 2007, it was announced that Foster would undergo surgery on a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee, forcing him to miss the start of the 2007–08 season. He returned to light training towards the end of 2007, setting a February 2008 target for his return. He made a comeback in a reserve match against Middlesbrough on 6 March 2008, before making his debut for the Manchester United first team on 15 March 2008. With Edwin van der Sar injured and Tomasz Kuszczak suspended for a red card against Portsmouth in the FA Cup sixth round the previous Saturday, Alex Ferguson had to shelve plans to ship Foster out on loan again, and the young goalkeeper was started for the away match against Derby County. United won the match 1–0, with Foster making two crucial saves en route to keeping a clean sheet. Although he was impressed with Foster's performance in the match against Derby, Ferguson did not start him for the following match against Bolton Wanderers, opting for the returning Kuszczak.

After being selected as a substitute for Manchester United's opening match of the 2008–09 Champions League against Villarreal on 17 September 2008, Foster then played for the reserves against Blackburn Rovers the following day. During the match, he fell awkwardly and suffered a twisted ankle, putting him out of contention for six to eight weeks. Fortunately for Foster, his recovery time was quicker than was first estimated and he returned to reserve team action on 14 October 2008, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Oldham Athletic reserves. Foster then made his first Champions League appearance – his second for the Manchester United first team – on 5 November 2008, in a 1–1 away draw to Celtic.

Foster was originally selected in Manchester United's squad for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, but after suffering a broken finger in training the day before the squad was due to depart for Japan, he was replaced by Ben Amos. On 1 March 2009, Alex Ferguson named Foster in goal for the 2009 League Cup final at Wembley Stadium. After keeping a clean sheet in normal time, Foster then made a save from Tottenham's Jamie O'Hara in the consequent penalty shoot-out. This, combined with a miss from David Bentley, gave United a 4–1 win in the shootout and the 2009 League Cup title. After the match, Foster was given the Alan Hardaker Trophy for his man of the match performance.

It was revealed after the match that Foster had used an iPod to help with his preparations in the penalty shootout, prompting discussion about the use of technology in the match.

Foster was rewarded for his performance by being made United's second-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season, starting three more matches when Alex Ferguson chose to rest Edwin van der Sar ahead of important matches. However, he had been attempting to play with a ruptured ligament in his right thumb, which became aggravated, necessitating surgery which ruled him out of United's title run-in, the Champions League final against Barcelona and England's 2010 World Cup qualifiers in June. Following speculation that United were in the market for a new goalkeeper to replace the soon-to-retire Edwin van der Sar, Foster signed a new four-year contract with the club. Alex Ferguson commented that Manchester United "genuinely see him [Foster] as a successor to Edwin van der Sar".

With Van der Sar injured for the first two months of the 2009–10 season, Foster was given the opportunity to nail down the number one shirt in the 2009 FA Community Shield defeat to Chelsea, where his mistakes led to two Chelsea goals and made no saves in the penalty shootout. Foster continued to play in the League, starting with the opening day victory over Birmingham City. In wins against Arsenal and Manchester City, Foster received heavy criticism for errors that led to opposition goals. Manager Alex Ferguson stated that he believes in Foster's abilities and potential; however, eight days later, Foster was again criticised for a mistake which led to a Sunderland goal in a 2–2 draw, and left out of the England squad the next day with bruised ribs. However, following Robert Green's red card in the match against Ukraine and consequent suspension, Foster was given the all-clear by doctors and recalled to the England squad for the match against Belarus on 14 October. Foster played only twice more in 2009 for Manchester United after the Sunderland match: a League Cup win against Championship team Barnsley, and a Champions League tie versus Beşiktaş, with Manchester United's progress from the group already secured. He was displaced from the first team in Van der Sar's absence by Tomasz Kuszczak, and on occasion, reserve goalkeeper Ben Amos took Foster's place on the substitutes bench. Foster started his first match for three months against West Ham in February 2010, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 victory.

Birmingham City

After accepting that in order to play regularly he needed to leave Manchester, whether on loan or permanently, Foster signed a three-year contract with Premier League club Birmingham City on 19 May 2010. The fee was not disclosed, though media speculation suggested an initial fee of £4 million, potentially rising to £6 million with add-ons. The club were seeking a replacement for Foster's fellow England international goalkeeper Joe Hart, who had returned to Manchester City after a successful 2009–10 season on loan at Birmingham. Foster made his Birmingham debut on the opening day of the 2010–11 season in a 2–2 draw away to Sunderland. On his home debut the following week against Blackburn Rovers, he saved a penalty from Morten Gamst Pedersen as Birmingham won the match 2–1.

Criticised for an error in England's 2–1 defeat to France, Foster produced a man-of-the-match performance on his return to League duty on 20 November as Birmingham beat reigning champions Chelsea 1–0. Though Chelsea had 32 shots at goal, Foster made a series of excellent saves, including one described by BBC Sport as "staggering" to deny Didier Drogba's "fierce close-range downward header". He made a "horrendous blunder" in the televised League Cup semi-final, allowing a soft shot from Carlton Cole to slip underneath him, which gave West Ham United a 2–1 lead after the first leg. Birmingham still reached the final, and Foster's display earned him the Alan Hardaker Trophy for the second time in three years, as his team defeated Arsenal 2–1 to claim their first major trophy in 48 years. They were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season. Because of his "series of inspirational performances", Foster was named Birmingham's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season for 2010–11.

West Bromwich Albion

Foster joined Premier League club West Bromwich Albion on 29 July 2011, changing places with Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, both players signing a loan deal for the whole of the 2011–12 season. Foster played in 37 of their 38 league matches, only missing the final match of the season with a minor groin strain. He kept 10 league clean sheets, equalling West Brom's Premier League clean sheets record, as the club finished in 10th place, their highest league finish in 30 years. At the end of the season, Foster was given the supporters' player of the year and the players' player of the year awards.

On 29 June 2012, Foster signed permanently with West Brom for an undisclosed fee, widely reported to be £4 million. He signed a three-year contract with an option for a further two years in the club's favour. Foster continued to perform impressively in his second season with the club, keeping 7 clean sheets in 30 league matches, and helping to guide West Brom to their record high Premier League position of 8th for the 2012–13 season. A highlight of that season was saving a Steven Gerrard penalty against Liverpool at Anfield. The score was 0–0 at the time and West Brom went on to win 2–0. Despite missing 4 months of the following season through injury, Foster went on to win both fans player, and player's player of the year awards for the second time in three years after a series of impressive performances throughout the 2013–14 season. Foster's impressive form for the club saw him called up to the 2014 England World Cup squad, becoming the first West Bromwich Albion player to represent England in a world cup squad since Jeff Astle in 1970.

After an impressive 2016–17 season, Foster was nominated for the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. He was also the West Brom supporters' club player of the season.

Return to Watford
After West Brom's relegation to the Championship, Foster re-signed for Premier League club Watford on 5 July 2018 on a two-year contract, with the option of an additional year, for an undisclosed fee. He immediately overtook Brazilian teammate Heurelho Gomes to the Watford number one shirt and remained Watford's first-choice goalkeeper after their relegation from the Premier League in 2020. Foster signed a further two-year contract with Watford in June 2020. On 16 May 2022, Foster revealed he would be leaving the club at the end of his contract in June.

Return to Wrexham
On 15 September 2022, Foster announced his retirement from football at the age of 39 after turning down a contract offer from Newcastle United. On 23 March 2023, he came out of retirement to sign a short-term contract with National League club Wrexham following an injury to Rob Lainton. He made his debut two days later in a 3–0 home win over York City. On 10 April, he saved a penalty in stoppage time to secure a 3–2 win over Notts County, which helped his club to go three points clear of Notts County in the National League title race. On 22 April, Wrexham secured promotion to League Two and were confirmed as champions of the National League after a 3–1 win over Boreham Wood.

Foster signed a new one-year contract with Wrexham on 9 June 2023. On 20 August, following a 5–5 draw at home to Swindon Town, Foster announced his retirement from professional football, believing he was no longer able to play at his best and that it was costing his team to concede goals.

International career
On 26 May 2006, Foster was named on the stand-by list for England's 2006 World Cup squad, because of Robert Green's injury in a "B" international against Belarus. After Foster re-signed on loan for Watford, he was called up to Steve McClaren's first England squad as one of three goalkeepers for the friendly against Greece. Since his first call-up but prior to his injury, Foster was named in every England squad, and made his England debut in the 1–0 defeat against Spain on 7 February 2007.

After not playing for England for two years and never being called to the first team, he was finally selected by Fabio Capello after his performance during the League Cup Final and earned his second cap as a second-half substitute in a 4–0 victory over Slovakia. Inconsistent performances in Manchester United's first fixtures of the 2009–10 season, as well as bruised ribs, meant that Foster was left out of Capello's initial squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers. However, after Robert Green was sent off in the match against Ukraine on 10 October, Foster was recalled in his place for the following match against Belarus. It had been expected that David James would take Green's place in the starting line-up, but James was injured in the warm-up and Foster was given his third England cap instead. England won the match 3–0, with Foster making a one-handed save from Syarhey Amelyanchuk in the 63rd minute. Foster won his fourth cap against Brazil, where he played the whole match in a 1–0 loss on 14 November 2009, the friendly match was played in Qatar, with forward Nilmar scoring the only goal of the match from a header in the 47th minute. He was overlooked for England's 2010 World Cup squad, Joe Hart being preferred for the third goalkeeping spot.

Foster stated in a 2020 interview that he found Capello difficult to work with, not only as a manager but also as a person. Foster had been training with England for a friendly match when his pregnant wife went into labour. Capello initially refused to allow Foster to leave for his child's birth, before reluctantly allowing it only after Foster pleaded with him. Three hours after his child's birth, Capello called Foster and urged him to return to the training camp immediately, promising Foster that he would play the second half of the upcoming match. Ultimately, Foster was not brought on in the second half and played no role in the match; Capello offered no acknowledgement or explanation to Foster. Shortly after, in May 2011, Foster announced that he would be making himself unavailable for international selection for an indefinite period. He intended to "prolong [his] club career for as long as possible" by allowing his body "a proper rest period between games" to reduce "niggling" injuries. It was not until February 2013 – after Capello had been succeeded by Roy Hodgson – that he made himself available for selection again. In the next international break, he was called up to the England squad for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro. On 29 May 2013 Foster represented England in a friendly fixture against the Republic of Ireland.

Foster was selected in the final 23 for England's 2014 World Cup squad, and played in the 2–2 draw with Ecuador in preparation for the tournament. With England unable to advance to the last 16, he played the whole 90 minutes of the last group match against Costa Rica, and kept a clean sheet in the 0–0 draw in Belo Horizonte.

YouTube
Foster has a verified YouTube channel called "Ben Foster – The Cycling GK", which he started in 2020 during the UK's COVID-19 lockdown. He posts cycling videos and matchday vlogs, including GoPro footage of the games in the back of his goal; he occasionally wears an Insta360 camera fastened to his chest to provide a first-person viewpoint. , the channel has amassed over 1.43 million subscribers and over 138 million views. He also has a podcast called "Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast", which he hosts with Tom Ochoa. Foster also has a golf content called "The Golfing GK", and hosts a debate show on his channel called "The Football Fill-In", which began during the 2022–23 Premier League season.

Personal life
Foster attended North Leamington School in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Foster lives with his wife and two children in a house he helped design on a 30-acre farm in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire. He is an enthusiastic cyclist.

In March 2022, Foster was fined £2,250 and banned from driving for six months after he was caught driving at 99 mph on the M40, an offence he committed in April 2021.

Honours
Wrexham
 * Football League Trophy: 2004–05
 * National League: 2022–23

Watford
 * Football League Championship play-offs: 2006
 * FA Cup runner-up: 2018–19

Manchester United
 * Football League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10

Birmingham City
 * Football League Cup: 2010–11

Individual
 * Watford Player of the Season: 2006–07
 * Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2009, 2011
 * Birmingham City Player of the Season: 2010–11
 * Birmingham City Players' Player of the Season: 2010–11
 * West Bromwich Albion Supporters' Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
 * West Bromwich Albion Players' Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14
 * London Football Awards Goalkeeper of the Year: 2019

title: Ben Foster (footballer)


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Swedish–Norwegian War

The Swedish–Norwegian War, also known as the Campaign against Norway (Fälttåget mot Norge), War with Sweden 1814 (Krigen med Sverige 1814), also called the War of Cats or the Norwegian War of Independence, was a war fought between Sweden and Norway in the summer of 1814. According to the Treaty of Kiel, Norway would enter a union with Sweden under Charles XIII of Sweden. The war resulted in Norway being forced into the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, but with its own constitution and parliament. The war marked the last time Sweden participated in an armed conflict with another nation, and its conclusion signalled the beginning of the country's long period of military neutrality.

Treaty of Kiel
As early as in 1812, prior to the Napoleonic invasion of Russia, the Swedish Crown Prince Charles John (Karl Johan) – formerly Marshal of France Jean Baptiste Bernadotte – had entered into an agreement with Tsar Alexander I that Russia would support a Swedish attack on Norway in order to force Denmark–Norway to cede its northern part to Sweden. The Swedish attack against Norway was postponed however, due to the fluid state of the conflict between Napoleon and the Sixth Coalition. The Swedish Army and, incidentally, Karl Johan's skills as a general, were urgently needed against France in Central Europe. On 18 May 1813, Swedish troops re-occupied Swedish Pomerania and deployed against Napoleon's forces as a result of treaties between Karl Johan (on behalf of Sweden), Great Britain and Prussia, which ceded Norway to Sweden for its participation in the war, becoming effective after France and its allies (including Denmark–Norway) were defeated.

In early December, Karl Johan led an invasion of Denmark with his Allied Army of the North that included Swedes, Russians and North Germans. The Danes were outnumbered and were unable to mount a coherent defense against Karl Johan's battle-hardened army. Within a few days, the Danes were forced out of Holstein and into Jutland proper. By 14 December, Bernadotte agreed to an armistice and peace talks began in Kiel on the basis of ceding Norway to the Swedish king in return for Swedish Pomerania, additional territory in North Germany, specifics to be decided at the general peace conference following the cessation of hostilities between the Sixth Coalition and Imperial France, as well as 1,000,000 Riksdalers. The Danish position was hopeless and by early January 1814, King Frederick VI of Denmark–Norway reconciled himself to the necessity of losing Norway.

By the Treaty of Kiel, signed on 13 January, King Frederick VI had to cede the Kingdom of Norway to the king of Sweden, by which the two nations would enter a union. However, this treaty was not accepted by the Norwegian people, who refused to be simply a bargaining chip. Elements of the Danish government also covertly supported Norway's determination for independence. Ultimately, Denmark would pay a catastrophic price for the treaty, as Karl Johan viewed this support, no matter how covert, as betrayal and a violation of the treaty, and this would later be reflected in the final peace settlement at the Congress of Vienna, which voided Kiel's promise to compensate Denmark for its loss of Norway with Swedish Pomerania, various additional Northern German territory, and 1,000,000 Riksdalers.

Norwegian Constituent Assembly
An insurrection broke out, led by Prince Cristian Frederick of Denmark, heir presumptive to the thrones of Denmark and Norway and Governor-general of Norway (and later King Christian VIII of Denmark). He gathered a constitutional assembly which adopted the liberal constitution of 17 May, with that constitution also electing Christian Frederick as king of an independent Norway.

As the head of the new state, Cristian Frederick desperately tried to gain support from the United Kingdom, or any of the other major powers within the Sixth Coalition, in order to maintain Norway's independence. However, the foreign diplomats refused to promise any outside support to the Norwegians.

Armies
The Norwegian Army mustered 30,000 men, and it had taken up positions away from the border with Sweden, in the fear of being outflanked. The Royal Norwegian Navy had few vessels, and most of them were stationed at the islands of Hvaler, close to Sweden.

The Swedish Army consisted of 45,000 well-equipped soldiers who were veterans of the German Campaign of 1813. The Swedish Navy had a number of large vessels and a capacity for moving and landing troops as well as assistance from the British Royal Navy.

Major commanders

 * Charles John (Karl Johan) – former Marshal of France Jean Baptiste Bernadotte and in 1813 crown prince of Sweden
 * Magnus Björnstjerna – Swedish general
 * Johannes Klingenberg Sejersted – Norwegian major general
 * Frederik Gottschalck von Haxthausen – Norwegian minister of finance and Oberhofmarschall

War
The hostilities opened on 26 July with a swift Swedish naval attack against the Norwegian gunboats at Hvaler. The Norwegian army was evacuated and the vessels managed to escape, but they did not take part in the rest of the war. The main Swedish offensive came across the border at Halden, bypassing and surrounding the fortress of Fredriksten, and then continuing north, while a second force of 6,000 soldiers landed at Kråkerøy outside of Fredrikstad. This town surrendered the next day. This was the start of a pincer movement around the main part of the Norwegian army at Rakkestad.

On the front towards Kongsvinger, the forces were more evenly matched, and the Norwegian army eventually stopped the Swedish advance at Lier on 2 August, and won another victory at Matrand on 5 August. On 3 August, King Christian Frederick reached the front at Østfold and was persuaded to change his strategy and use the 6,000 men stationed at Rakkestad in a counterattack against the Swedes. The order to counterattack was given on 5 August, but the order was recalled a few hours later. The Norwegian forces therefore withdrew over the Glomma river at Langnes in Askim. The last major battle of the war was fought on 9 August at the bridgehead at Langnes, where the Swedish forces once more were driven back.

Sweden then attempted to outflank the Norwegian line, and successfully did so during the Battle of Kjølberg Bridge on 14 August. The Swedes then had a clear path to Kristiania, the Norwegian capital. In addition, the British blockade of Norway cut off trade and military supplies, which combined with the proximity of Swedish armies eventually made the Norwegians' military situation unsustainable.

Although the Norwegian Army had won at Langnes, it was nevertheless clear to both the Norwegian and Swedish military authorities that a defeat was inevitable. Even as they had managed to deliver several minor offensive blows to the Swedes, it was considered impossible to try to stop the Swedes in the long run. The Swedish offer of negotiations was therefore accepted as the war had put a heavy strain on the Norwegian finances. Every day of delay in securing Norway by the Swedes brought uncertainty to them regarding the outcome, so both parties were interested in a quick end to the war.

To the ordinary Norwegian soldier the war had seemed ill-prepared and ill-fought. The defeat was blamed on Christian Frederick and the Norwegian general Haxthausen; the latter was accused of treason. For the Norwegian government it had probably been more of a matter of getting the best possible bargaining position, as without the support of major powers Norway's independence was impossible to secure, whereas by agreeing to talks following the victory at Langnes Norway was in a situation where it could avoid an unconditional surrender.

Aftermath
On 10 August, Charles XIV John presented a proposal for a cease-fire. The proposal included a major concession – Charles XIV John, on behalf of the Swedish government as regent for his ill adopted father, accepted the Eidsvoll constitution. Negotiations started in Moss, Norway on 10 August, and after a few days of hard negotiations, a cease fire agreement, called the Convention of Moss, was signed on 14 August. Cristian Frederick was forced to abdicate as king of Norway, but Norway remained nominally independent within a personal union with Sweden, under the Swedish king. Its constitution was upheld with only such amendments as were required to allow it to enter into the union, and the two united kingdoms retained separate institutions, except for the king and the foreign service and policy.

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

title: Swedish–Norwegian War


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User talk:Witebred

Thanks for experimenting with Wikipedia. Your test worked, and has been removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles will be removed quickly. Please see the welcome page if you would like to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. Thanks. Kelly Martin 13:38, July 23, 2005 (UTC)

Andrew Ayrer
Please do not add nonsense to Wikipedia. It is considered vandalism. If you would like to experiment, use the sandbox. Thank you. Brookie :) - a will o' the wisp ! (Whisper...) 12:27, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Margaret Sartain
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title: User talk:Witebred


text: User talk:61.246.20.131

title: User talk:61.246.20.131


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Albert Lasker

Albert Davis Lasker (May 1, 1880 – May 30, 1952) was an American businessman who played a major role in shaping modern advertising. He was raised in Galveston, Texas, where his father was the president of several banks. Moving to Chicago, he became a partner in the advertising firm of Lord & Thomas. He created and produced many successful ad campaigns. He made new use of radio, changing popular culture and appealing to consumers' psychology. A Republican, he designed new ways to advertise election campaigns, especially the Warren Harding campaign of 1920, and became a philanthropist.

Early life and career
Lasker was born on May 1, 1880, in Freiburg, Germany, the son of Nettie Heidenheimer Davis and Morris Lasker. His family was Jewish. Morris had emigrated from Prussia in 1856, while Lasker's mother was an American citizen. They lived in Galveston, Texas, but Morris had moved Nettie to Germany during her pregnancy for better medical care. The family returned to Galveston within six months, and Lasker spent the rest of his childhood in Texas.

Lasker started working as a newspaper reporter while he was still a teenager. He assisted the successful Congressional campaign of the Republican Robert Hawley in 1896. Although Texas politics had been dominated by the Democratic Party since shortly after Reconstruction, in this election, many voters split between the Democrats and the Populist Party, and Hawley won with less than 50% of the votes.

In 1898 his father, who disapproved of journalism, persuaded Lasker to move to Chicago to try an advertising position at Lord & Thomas. After he worked as an office boy for a year, one of the agency's salesmen left, and Lasker acquired his territory. During this time, Lasker created his first campaign. He hired a friend, Eugene Katz, to write the copy for a series of Wilson Ear Drum Company ads. They featured a photograph of a man cupping his ear. George Wilson, president of the Ear Drum company, adopted the ads and his sales increased.

CEO Lord & Thomas
When Lord retired in 1903, Lasker purchased his share and became a partner. He purchased the firm in 1912 at the age of 32.

Chicago, along with New York, was the center of the nation's advertising industry. Lasker, known as the "father of modern advertising," made Chicago his base 1898–1942. As head of the Lord and Thomas agency, Lasker devised a copywriting technique that appealed directly to the psychology of the consumer. Women seldom smoked cigarettes; he told them if they smoked Lucky Strikes they could stay slender. Lasker's use of radio, particularly with his campaigns for Palmolive soap, Pepsodent toothpaste, Kotex products, and Lucky Strike cigarettes, not only revolutionized the advertising industry but also significantly changed popular culture.

Salesmanship in print
Lasker had an inquiring mind about what advertising was and how it worked. In 1904 he met John E. Kennedy, a former Canadian mounted policeman who had entered advertising. Lasker believed that advertising was news, but Kennedy said, "[N]ews is a technique of presentation, but advertising is a very simple thing. I can give it to you in three words, it is 'salesmanship in print'".

The pair used this concept with the 1900 Washer Co. (later Whirlpool). Their campaign was so successful that, within four months of running the first ad, they attracted additional clients and their "advertising spend" went from $15,000 a year to $30,000 a month. Within six months, their firm was one of the three or four largest advertising agencies in the nation.

In 1908 Lasker recruited Claude C. Hopkins to the firm, specifically to work on the Van Camp Packaging Company (Van Camp's) account. The relationship lasted for 17 years. Lasker helped create America's infatuation with orange juice. Lord & Thomas acquired the Sunkist Growers, Incorporated account in 1908, when Lasker was 28. The citrus industry was in a slump, and California growers were producing so many oranges that they were cutting down trees in order to limit supply. Lasker created campaigns that not only encouraged consumers to eat oranges but also to drink orange juice. He was able to increase consumption enough so that the growers stopped chopping down their groves.

Among Lasker's pioneering contributions was the introduction into public schools of classes that explained to young girls about puberty and menstruation (done to promote Kotex tampons). He is also credited as the creator of the soap opera genre, and using radio and television as media driven by advertising.

Business interests
Lasker was an early owner of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. He acquired an interest in the team in 1916 and soon purchased majority control. He originated the Lasker Plan, a report that recommended the National Baseball Commission be reformed. This led to the creation of the office of the Commissioner of Baseball. Lasker, along with his business partner Charles Weeghman, are credited with moving the Cubs into the club's current home, Wrigley Field. In 1925, he sold the team to one of his minor partners, William Wrigley Jr.

Lasker became the second-largest shareholder in the Pepsodent company, which had become an L&T client in 1916. It was sold to Lever Brothers in 1944.

After developing a private estate, Mill Road Farm, in Lake Forest, Illinois, Lasker had a golf course built on it. The National Golf Review in 1939 rated the Lasker Golf Course as No. 23 on its list of "Top 100 Courses in the World." Following the Great Depression, Lasker donated the entire property to the University of Chicago.

Politics
Lasker continued to be active in the Republican Party and showed the party how to use modern advertising techniques to sell their candidates. He was a key advisor in the 1920 Harding campaign, which resulted in one of the largest landslides in history, as Warren G. Harding appealed for votes in newsreels, billboards and newspaper ads and aimed advertising at women who had recently achieved the right to vote.

On June 9, 1921, President Harding's appointment of Lasker as chairman of the United States Shipping Board was confirmed by the US Senate. Lasker took the job on the condition that he would serve no more than two years. At the time, he was only the third man of Jewish descent to have been appointed to such a high post in the federal government. Lasker inherited a large mess, with over 2,300 ships under Shipping Board control losing money every day. A full quarter of the fleet were wooden hulled, and by this time were obsolete. He disposed of useless ships at an average price of $30 a ton, incurring criticism from Congress for "throwing our ships away".

His accomplishments included the refitting of the SS Leviathan for passenger service, as well as originating ship-to-shore telephone services. Lasker, who had no previous experience in the shipping business before his appointment, true to his word, ended his service in office on July 1, 1923.

Later years
After 30 years as its chief executive, Lasker sold the firm to three senior executives. It became Foote, Cone & Belding in 1942.

Lasker married three times. In 1902, he married Flora Warner. The couple had three children before her death in 1934: Mary Lasker Block (born 1904). Edward Lasker (born 1912), and Frances Lasker Brody (born 1916). In 1938, he married actress Doris Kenyon but the marriage ended in divorce a year later. Lasker — and especially his third wife Mary Lasker (married 1940) — were nationally prominent philanthropists. They played major roles in promoting and expanding the National Institutes of Health, helping its budget expand from $2.4 million in 1945 to $5.5 billion in 1985. They founded and endowed the Lasker Award, which has recognized the work of many leading scientists and researchers.

On May 30, 1952, Lasker died in New York at the age of 72. He was interred in a private mausoleum at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow.

Bipolar disorder
The book "The Man Who Sold America" posits that Lasker had Bipolar II disorder, which affected his personal and work life. Lasker operated at a high energy level. He was frequently expansive, irritable, highly verbal, intensely creative, and insomniac—all symptoms of a condition that today would be called hypomania. He never ascended to the level of mania that is generally associated with manic depression, or—again in today's vocabulary—a bipolar I disorder, although he sometimes behaved erratically, especially under the influence of alcohol. Most likely, he was afflicted by a bipolar II disorder. Recent research suggests that there is an increased risk of bipolar II disorder among people whose family members suffer from the disorder. Eduard Lasker, Albert's uncle, seems to have had depressive episodes. Morris, too, may have experienced depressions: his rollercoaster financial affairs may have had their root, in part, in some sort of affective illness. Finally, the diagnosis is supported by Lasker's age when the apparent ailment overtook him. Bipolar I—the affective state that is accompanied by wild, manic excess—usually first manifests itself in the teenage years, while the more subtle, hypomanic form of the illness often stays masked until the mid- or late twenties. Lasker was stricken at age twenty-seven.

Legacy and honors

 * Albert Lasker was voted to the American National Business Hall of Fame.
 * He used his great wealth to create and fund the Lasker Foundation to support philanthropic causes, particularly in the area of medical research.
 * The Lasker Awards are named for him; eighty Lasker laureates have received a Nobel Prize.

title: Albert Lasker


text: Category:Big L albums

title: Category:Big L albums


text:
Michael Hogan (Canadian actor)

Michael Hogan (born March 13, 1949) is a Canadian actor best known for playing Colonel Saul Tigh in the 2004 Battlestar Galactica series. Other notable roles include Billy in The Peanut Butter Solution and villainous werewolf hunter Gerard Argent in Teen Wolf. He also lent his voice to Armando-Owen Bailey in the Mass Effect series, General Tullius in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim game, and Doc Mitchell in the videogame Fallout: New Vegas.

Biography
Michael Hogan was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1949, raised in North Bay, Ontario and studied at National Theatre School of Canada.

Career
Hogan began his career in 1978 and has starred in numerous TV shows, plays, radio dramas and operas. He started in plays at the Shaw Festival.

He made his film debut in the Peter Fonda trucker picture High-Ballin' (1978). He and his wife soon became a popular television couple, as the stars of the 1983 Canadian series Vanderberg and the 1986 Canadian-German series The Little Vampire. In 1985, he also starred in the children's film The Peanut Butter Solution.

Hogan portrayed Jack Budyansky in Diplomatic Immunity (1990) and in Solitaire (1991). He was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor for the former role and won it for the latter. In 1998, he portrayed Tony Logozzo in Cold Squad (1998). Hogan was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries, for the 2003 telefilm Betrayed.

From 2003 to 2009, Hogan starred as Colonel Saul Tigh, Executive Officer of the Battlestar Galactica on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica. He portrayed Irwin Fairbanks in The L Word (2004–2006). He also had a recurring role on the hit MTV show Teen Wolf (2012-2017) as Gerard Argent, the werewolf-hunting grandfather of Allison Argent and the latest nemesis of main protagonist, Scott McCall.

He made guest appearances on Millennium (1997), The Outer Limits (1997), Andromeda (2002), in the two-hour premiere of Monk (2002), Dollhouse (2009), Numb3rs (2009), Warehouse 13 (2009), Psych (2010), Supernatural (2011), and the third season of the sitcom Husbands.

Hogan's movies include Road to Saddle River, Clearcut, Stella, Cowboys Don't Cry and The Cutting Edge and the telefilms Dead Man's Gun, Shadow Lake, Scorn, Shadow Realm and Nights Below Station Street, for which he received the Manitoba Motion Picture Industry Association's Blizzard Award for Best Leading Actor. He appeared in the romance horror film Red Riding Hood (2011).

Hogan has also lent his voice to the video game industry, providing the voice of Captain Armando-Owen Bailey in the role-playing games (RPG) Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, as well as the opening character, Doc Mitchell, in Fallout: New Vegas. Hogan also voiced the character General Tullius in the RPG, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Most recently, he lent his voice as Samael in the American release of the Korean multiplayer role-playing game TERA (2012).

Personal life
On February 17, 2020, Hogan sustained a brain injury after falling and hitting his head. This caused paralysis of his left side, memory loss, and dysphagia. The slip and fall accident happened at a dinner event following a Battlestar Galactica fan convention.

title: Michael Hogan (Canadian actor)


text:
Bibbiena

Bibbiena is a town and comune in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany (Italy), the largest town in the valley of Casentino. It is located 60 km from Florence, 30 km from Arezzo, 60 km from Siena, and 20 km from the Sanctuary of La Verna. There are approximately 11,833 inhabitants

The town is on top of a hill at an elevation of 425 m.

Geography
The municipality of Bibbiena is located in the heart of the Casentino, the valley in which the first stretch of the Arno river flows which, after having crossed the Valdarno (Upper, Middle and Lower), flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa. Bibbiena occupies the northern part of the province of Arezzo, is located at an altitude of 425m above sea level and is about 30 km from the provincial capital. Florence, the regional capital, is 60 km further west. It borders to the north with Emilia-Romagna (Province of Forlì-Cesena, municipality of Bagno di Romagna), to the west with Poppi, to the east with Chiusi della Verna, to the south with Castel Focognano, to the south-west with Ortignano Raggiolo.

History
Already mentioned in the works of Dante and Ariosto, Bibbiena offers a wealth of artistic and cultural attractions that are little known. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, from the 8th century to the present day, Bibbiena has a series of historical monuments, of which only a few are mentioned here

 * Palazzo Mazzoleni
 * Palazzo Niccolini seat of the city hall and of the Archaeological Museum of Casentino "Piero Albertoni"
 * Palazzo Dovizi, built by Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi, who is usually known as "Bibbiena", He was born in Bibbiena and served as secretary to Giovanni de' Medici (cardinal)(later Pope Leo X).

The religious buildings include: The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso, a unique example of Renaissance art, is just one kilometer from the residential area of Bibbiena. In the central part of the upper church you can see the "Madonna del Sasso" by Bicci di Lorenzo, built on a small rock, the top of an enormous boulder: the "Sasso", from which the monastery takes its name. The ancient Marian cult surrounding the boulder prompted the architect to integrate the base of the rock into a small, lower-lying church, which houses the "Madonna del Buio" (Madonna of Darkness), a wooden sculpture from the school of Donatello. A valuable painting of Lappoli can be seen in the third church. In the upper church, on the other hand, there are works by Fra Paolino del Signoraccio, Ligozzi and Ludovico Buti. Finally, in the choir, the large painting of the Assunta by Fra Paolino and Fra Bartolomeo can be seen.
 * The Church of San Lorenzo, famous for the glazed terracotta reliefs by the Della Robbia school
 * The Pieve di Sant’Ippolito (Former Chapel of the Tarlati Castle)
 * The Rococo Oratorio of San Francesco
 * The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Sasso, one of the most important Renaissance buildings in the Casentino area.

Society
Inhabitants surveyed

Ethnicities and foreign minorities
According to ISTAT data as of 31 December 2010, the foreign resident population was 2,104 people. The nationalities most represented on the basis of their percentage of the total resident population were:

 * Romania 1,249 9.81%
 * India 194 1.52%
 * Bangladesh 193 1.52%

Traditions and Folklore
Every year, in Bibbiena, the historical carnival is celebrated, also known as "Carnevale della Mea" (Carnival of Mea), which traces its roots back to 1337 and is linked to the medieval popular legend of the Mea. On the last day of Carnival, Shrove Tuesday, the traditional propitiatory rite of the "beautiful apple" takes place, during which a juniper is burned by the oldest in the village in the center of the "piazzolina" (Piazza Roma) to reap the good wishes. for the year to come.

Culture
The town holds its yearly "Rievocazione della Mea" festival on the last Sunday of Carnival and Shrove Tuesday as well as a similar celebration in the summer with parades in historical costume and a show in the main square.

Theater
The Dovizi Theater, established in the mid-19th century, is located in Bibbiena.

Events
The "Sagra delle Sagre" takes place every year in Bibbiena. In the historic center of the town many of the Casentino valley festivals gather for a day in June (Cetica, Chiusi della Verna, Corezzo, Faltona, Partina, Pratovecchio Stia, Premilcuore, Rimbocchi, San Piero in Frassino, Subbiano).

Fractions
In the territory of Bibbiena, with the exception of the municipal capital, there are twenty-one hamlets • # Banzena

• # Campi

• # Camprena

• # Candolesi

• # Farneta

• # Freggina

• # Gello

• # Giona

• # Gressa

• # Guazzi

• # Lonnano

• # Marciano

• # Partina

• # Pian del Ponte

• # Poggiolo

• # Ponte Bifolco

• # Querceto

• # Serravalle

• # Soci

• # Terrossola

• # Valchiusa

Other localities in the area
Other relevant localities within the municipal area are those of Casanova, Caselle, Contra, Molino di Gressa, Moscaio, Pianacci, Pollino, Santa Maria del Sasso, Tramoggiano.

Economy
In the past, the production of Casentino cloth played an important role in the local economy.

Infrastructure and Transport
The municipality is affected by the crossing of the Casentinese railway.

Administration
Below is a table relating to the successive administrations in this municipality.

Sister cities

 * 🇫🇷 Boulazac, France, since 1989
 * 🇩🇪Ochsenfurt, since 2016

title: Bibbiena


text:
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh

T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh (born Crystal Walker; October 13, 1962) is an American actress and singer. In addition to her status as an original cast member of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (1990–1994), Keymáh is also known for her roles as Erica Lucas on the CBS sitcom Cosby (1996–2000), Tanya Baxter on the Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven (2003–2005), and as the star and host on the Keymáh Network sketch variety show The Cool Crystal Show (2020–present).

Early life
Born Crystal Walker on October 13, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois, at Cook County Hospital, Keymáh was raised Catholic on the city's South Side. Her mother, Arlene Carter, a student at Chicago State University, died when Keymáh was two years old. Keymáh's father, William Walker Sr., was an Illinois state police trooper. He is of Seminole Indian descent from Springfield, Illinois. Keymáh was raised by her maternal grandparents Mary Louis Zeno, a social worker for the Illinois public aid department, and Carneil Carter, an insurance salesperson with Metropolitan Insurance. Keymáh began entertaining her family – singing, dancing, and reciting original poems and stories — at the age of three. Keymáh wrote her first play and her first song in elementary school. For high school, Keymáh is a 1981 graduate of the Academy of Our Lady. Keymáh performed with Ali LeRoi and Lance Crouther in the Mary Wong Comedy Group in high school, and then enrolled in Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry. In 1988, she adopted the stage name "T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh" after realizing her last name, Walker, reflected a slave name rather than her African roots. In a 1991 interview with the Chicago Tribune, she claimed that "T'Keyah" meant "mental revival of God's spirit" and that "Keymáh" meant "to establish oneself" in Hebrew but neither name appears to be of Hebrew origin by modern day findings."

Career
During college and after graduation, Keymáh taught theater, dance, and mime. She has also done many theater performances, and produced and directed films. One of the original cast members of Fox Television's Emmy winning variety show, In Living Color, for five seasons Keymáh played a number of characters, including Cryssy, the central character of her self-written signature piece, "In Black World". She also sang and danced on the show. After In Living Color, she played contractor Scotti Decker in On Our Own; played comedy show writer Denise Everett on the 1996 TV series The Show; and provided the voices for Roz, Shavonne, Aki, Mrs. LaSalle, and many others in Waynehead. For four years, Keymáh was a series regular on Cosby, where she played flight attendant-lawyer-pastry chef-teacher Erica Lucas Hall. Following Cosby, she appeared for three seasons on the Disney series That's So Raven as Raven's mother, Tanya Baxter. In season four, her character was written out of the plot so that Keymáh could care for her ailing grandmother. Keymáh co-wrote and costarred in a two-person stage show with music, called Sellout!?!, with fellow College alumnus Bryan C. Jones, who was also one of the many guests to appear in her hit variety show T'Keyah Live! On June 21, 2022, Entertainment Tonight announced that Keymáh would reprise her role as Tanya Baxter on the That's So Raven spin-off, Raven's Home.

The Cool Crystal Show characters

 * Nzinghi Anyemeechi Mbweli Aharanwa (Cooking with the Queen)
 * Mrs. Dr. Eliza Madree Weaver (Read to Me)
 * Jett
 * Stand up T'Keyah (Standup Tragedy)
 * Nylah
 * The Sisters
 * Dr. Melanie Milan (The Milan Medical Moment)
 * Miss Louise and Miss Ethel ("Ladies on the Porch")
 * Mr. Z and Mr. Washington ("Men on the Porch")

In Living Color characters

 * Cryssy (Black World)
 * Hilda Hedley (Hey Mon)
 * LaShawn
 * Leslie Livingston (Homey the Clown)
 * Mrs. Buttman (The Buttmans)
 * Shawanda Harvey, host of Go on Girl

In Living Color impressions

 * Shahrazad Ali
 * Anita Baker
 * Whoopi Goldberg
 * Pam Grier
 * Jackée Harry
 * Janet Jackson
 * La Toya Jackson
 * Eartha Kitt
 * Joie Lee
 * Diana Ross
 * Edith Bunker (All in the Family)
 * Barbra Streisand

Other impressions

 * Nell Carter
 * Ruby Dee
 * Macy Gray
 * Katharine Hepburn
 * Billie Holiday
 * Harry Lennix
 * Johnny Mathis
 * Sidney Poitier
 * Nancy Wilson

Don't Get Me Started!
Keymáh performed a solo stage work titled Don't Get Me Started! She sang, performed impressions, and talked about the prison industrial complex as well as conspiracy theories. She debuted the show in 2011 at The Black Academy of Art & Letters (TBAAL) in Dallas, Texas.

T'Keyah Live!
T'Keyah Live! is a variety show and is Keymáh's third self-produced theatrical show. She has performed the show across the U.S. since 1999 with a number of different guest performers, including Todd Bridges, T. C. Carson, Ralph Harris, Dawnn Lewis, and Karen Malina White.

Some of My Best Friends
Some of My Best Friends is a series of monologues in verse and prose embodied by a dozen diverse but somehow connected characters. In this humorous, tear jerking, thought-provoking theatrical production, Keymáh champions societal issues that are as relevant today as they were when the show debuted to sold out crowds at Chicago's South Shore Cultural Center in 1991. Overcoming obstacles, the devastation of AIDS, the search for love, race relations, and teen promiscuity are just some of the topics explored. The show was chiefly penned by Keymáh but includes pieces written by or in collaboration with Ali LeRoi, Harry Lennix, and poet Angela Jackson (And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New); and includes a dance choreographed by Maurice Hines. About her work in this show critics have said: "Keymáh is a Charismatic Actress... Chameleonic and Effervescent" – Los Angeles Times;"...Beyond Superlatives; She's Phenomenal!" – Earl Calloway, Chicago Defender; "Much More Than Comedy"- Lisa M. Pancia, New York Vignette; "...a Delightful, Multitalented Performer whose ability to create believable characters on stage is a Wonder to Behold"- Nat Colley, Los Angeles Reader; "Keymáh is Magnificent" – Linda Armstrong, Amsterdam News;"...Keymáh's Poignant, Detailed Portrayals are Never Less Than Magnificent"- Randy Trabitz, Los Angeles Weekly. The show garnered an AUDELCO Award nomination for Best Solo Performer, an NAACP Theatre Award nomination for Best Writing, and NAACP Theatre Awards for Best Performance and Best Play.

Personal life
Keymáh is an avid gardener and a vegetarian, as well as an active, Golden Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She was initiated into the Beta Alpha chapter at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Keymáh's brother is former Commander of the DC US Army National Guard, current Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, the Honorable Major General William J. Walker.

Keymáh self-published three books: Cycle of Love: 28 Days of Organization, Rejuvenation and Meditation for Inspired Self Care, an inspirational self-help book with recipes, exercises and meditations; Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters, the book version of the stage show she performed for ten years; and Natural Woman / Natural Hair: A Hair Journey – Hairstyles and Hairstories from the Front with Simple, Step-by-Step Instructions on Taking Care of your Natural Hair, an instructional hair care manual with anecdotes about her experiences with Afro-textured hair. She also contributed essays to "The HBCU Experience Book," "Dining with the Ancestors: When Heroes Come to Dinner," and "The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery."

Legacy
Musical artist Flyy Moon pays tribute to Keymáh's iconic "In Black World" performance piece, by including the opening lines in the intro of her 2021 debut song release, "Black." Associated Black Charities operates a donor-advised Keymáh Cultural Fund, which provides tickets to youth groups to attend theatrical performances and funds artistic groups that serve or comprise teens and children. There is a theater scholarship named for Keymáh at her alma mater, Florida A&M University. and medical scholarship named for her at Meharry Medical College.

Educator
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh served as a K–8 substitute teacher for the Chicago Board of Education for 4 years. She has presented her "Tools of the Trade" actors preparation workshops at theatre festivals and other events in the United States, and she has lectured abroad. In the fall of 2017, Keymáh served as Florida A&M University's first ever W.K. Kellogg Foundation Artist-in-Residence in the College of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities Theatre department. Her residency included directing Pearl Cleage's The Nacirema Society Requests Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First 100 Years, teaching an Acting for the Camera course, and providing industry workshops and mentoring students.

title: T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh


text:
Covurlui

The Covurlui Plain is located in Galați County, Romania, having an altitude varying between 60 and 200 metres. Its name is derived from the river Covurlui and has a Cuman origin. Before World War II, Covurlui was the name of a county, but it was merged with Tecuci County to form the current Galați County.

title: Covurlui


text:
Victoria, Newport

Victoria is both a community (civil parish) and an electoral ward (division) of the city of Newport.

The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the west and south, Newport Bridge, Clarence Place, Church Road and Christchurch Road to the north, Victoria Avenue, Wharf Road (as far as the railway bridge), a section of the Great Western Main Line as far as (but not including) Soho Street, Telford Street and Lilleshall Street to the east. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.

The ward includes the district of Maindee, as well as the home of Newport Rugby Club and the annual Maindee Festival.

The district of Victoria, Maindee in particular, is home to a large Asian population. Many people are of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin and there are now a slowly increasing number of Kurdish refugees.

Governance
Victoria is a ward to Newport City Council, electing two councillors.

Two by-elections took place within six months in 2021, after Christine Jenkins resigned on health grounds and, in October 2021, long-serving Abdul-Majid Rahman resigned for personal reasons. Rahman was later jailed, in May 2022, having been found in possession of indecent images of children.

Labour's Gavin Horton and Farzina Hussain, who had each won a 2021 by-election, were re-elected at the May 2022 elections.

title: Victoria, Newport


text:
Talk:AIRail Service

Page title
AirRail, not AiRail —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Arado (talk • contribs). 07:43, July 23, 2005
 * Not according to DB... AiRail is correct. See . Slambo (Speak) 11:28, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
 * If one looks on the DB page referred to by Slambo (same link) , you will see that the correct spelling is AIRail. I corrected that in the article itself, but cannot/do not know how to change the title. Henning715 18:24, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

title: Talk:AIRail Service


text:
Cetona

Cetona is a town and comune in the southern part province of Siena, Tuscany, in an area where Umbria and Lazio meet. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").

The geographical elevation is between 250 m and the 1148 m of Monte Cetona itself, at the base of which the town is situated at around 350 m.

History
Some of the oldest human settlements of central Italy were discovered at the base of Monte Cetona, such as the early neo-Paleolithic Gosto cave (40–80th century BC) and Lattaia cave (9–10th century BC). The Belverde park hosts 25 prehistoric and Bronze Age caves, such as the San Francesco cave. There are several sites of Etruscan finds.

The town of Cetona developed on the hillside around the rocca fortress, containing a square tower (about 900 AD) and an inner fortress wall. It became known as the Scitonia castle. In the first mention of the comune, at the end of the 11th century, Pope Gregory VII granted feudal rights to a member of his family, the  Aldobrandeschi. The family's heirs sold the rights, and in the 14th century, Cetona was alternatingly ruled by Siena and Orvieto (until 1354), and, after a brief rule by Perugia, was annexed by Siena. An outer wall was built, containing two round towers (1458). Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici of Tuscany sold Cetona in 1556, to the marchese Chiappino Vitelli (1519–75), who made the fortress into a private residence, and built the piazza below it, today named Piazza Garibaldi. His descendants also erected Palazzo Vitelli in the late 17th century. Cetona was connected to Sarteano (1772–1840), and annexed to Italy in 1861.

The place name of Cetona or Citonia (local variation) probably comes from the Latin word caedita, "felled, deforested" with regard to a deforested and cultivated place. An early Christian baptistery, now a parish church, mentioned in documents as baptisterium Sancti Johannis de Queneto or de Queteno, may have been named in reference to the Chieteno stream that flows just south of Cetona.

Main sights
Archeological finds are on display in Museo Civico per la Preistoria del Monte Cetona (in Town), which also administers the Parco Archeologico Naturalistico del Monte Cetona (three km towards Monte Cetona). The Rocca is still privately owned; the other significant hill is occupied by Palazzo a Parco Terrosi (1750), owned by Valentino.

Churches in Cetona are the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo (built 1155) and the Chiesa la Collegiata della San Trinita church (1475), as well as the Convento di San Francesco (since 1212) and Convento di Santa Maria a Belverde (frescoes by Cola Petruccioli of Orvieto).

Economy
Cetona today is traditionally agricultural (vine, olive), but increasingly basing its economy on agritourism.

title: Cetona


text: Category:Footballers in Sweden by club

title: Category:Footballers in Sweden by club


text:
New House, County Durham

New House or Newhouse is a hamlet in the civil parish of Stanhope, in County Durham, England. It lies on the north side of the River Wear, opposite Ireshopeburn, and is linked to the A689 Weardale valley road by Coronation Bridge (built in 1840).

The building known as New House belonged to the Beaumonts, proprietors of the W.B. lead mining company, although it is no longer in the possession of the family following the end of mining in Weardale. This is probably the origin of the name since the other properties in the hamlet are contemporary with the Beaumont house, or built later.

The 7-bay house is from the 17th century, with alterations in the 18th and 19th. It was designated as Grade II* listed in 1967, and is now three dwellings.

title: New House, County Durham


text:
Estonia national rugby league team

The Estonia national rugby league team represents Estonia in the sport of rugby league football. Estonia started competing in international rugby league in 2005. They have competed in several tournaments, including the Central Europe Development Tri-Nations and the European Bowl.

Estonia are 55th in the IRL Men's World Rankings.

title: Estonia national rugby league team


text:
User talk:Win28~enwiki

Thanks for experimenting with Wikipedia. Your test worked, and has been reverted or removed. Please use the sandbox for any other tests you want to do. Take a look at the welcome page if you would like to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. Thanks. Thue | talk 13:45, 23 July 2005 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Win28. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Win28~enwiki that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name. If you think you might own all of the accounts with this name and this message is in error, please visit Special:MergeAccount to check and attach all of your accounts to prevent them from being renamed.

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Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 20:33, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Win28~enwiki


text:
Talk:Jai Rodriguez

Birthyear
Was Jai born in 1977 or 1979? Hotwine8 03:09, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

1979. If you look at http://www.tszuj-it.com you'll find zillions of interviews dating back to when Jai was 18 and first started starring in Rent, every one conisistent with a '79 birthdate. I've never seen the '77 birthdate other than on IMDB, which is usersubmitted and not checked. The only way the '77 birthdate could be accurate is if Jai has been lying about his age since he was a teenager and didn't finish high school until 20. Queer Scout

Sexuality
Can anyone verify Rodriguez's sexuality? There are reports of him "consorting" with females.
 * AfterElton.com quotes him in an interview, describing that he is a gay-identified bisexual man.~ZytheTalk to me! 20:44, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * To be accurate, the article quotes him as identifying as gay. It is the interviewer who asks him about identifying as bi, because a tabloid had recently 'outed' (or should it be 'inned') him as being bi. Jai himself has never identified as bi, and absolutely denied the original tabloid rumor. There was more info here (from history: ), but it wasn't really relevant to give so much space to one tabloid story. I thought it would be useful to bring the link to the Talk page, in case the issue comes up again. On his MySpace he identifies as gay, and blogs often about his love life, which doesn't include a whole lot of females. Queer Scout 17:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

I've added a new section, 'TV Hosting' as Queer Eye and his new shows (where he appears as himself) don't really fit under 'acting.' Not really sure if it should be called hosting or something else. Queer Scout 14:13, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Still no Hispanic American GLBT category...WHY?
Okay so yeah.. why the hell isn't there a Hispanic American GLBT category yet? --RyanTee82 (talk) 07:27, 24 September 2009 (UTC) :|

Picture
His picture needs updating as he has changed a lot since starring on Malibu Country Jking88 (talk) 05:48, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
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I have just modified 3 external links on Jai Rodriguez. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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List of Defenders members

The Defenders are a loosely organized team of fictional characters mostly, but not solely, superheroes in the Marvel Universe. For much of their history, there was no official membership. Thus, the Defenders had a reputation as being a non-team, a term which was coined in the pages of the comic. All could be considered Defenders. The following list attempts to make sense of their membership but may not be complete.

Founders
These characters helped form the team in Marvel Features #1 (December 1971).

Defenders for a day
The team had managed to keep its existence a secret from the general public until a television documentary film by supporting character Dollar Bill announced it to the world. Dollar made a special mention to the currently open membership for the team. Consequently, in Defenders #62 (August 1978), the currently active members were joined by a large number of former associates and new recruits. The majority of the latter served for a single mission before quitting in Defenders #64 (October 1978).

 * Black Goliath
 * Captain Mar-Vell
 * Captain Ultra
 * Falcon
 * Havok
 * Hercules
 * Iron Fist
 * Jack of Hearts
 * Marvel Man
 * Ms. Marvel
 * Nova
 * Paladin
 * Polaris
 * Prowler
 * Stingray
 * Tagak the Leopard Lord
 * Torpedo
 * White Tiger

Rival group
Taking advantage of the newfound notoriety of the team, a number of supervillains formed their own rival group of so-called Defenders in Defenders #63 (September 1978). They soon came to conflict with their heroic counterparts and consequently disbanded in Defenders #64 (October 1978).

 * Batroc the Leaper
 * Beetle
 * Blob
 * Boomerang
 * Cap'n Skragg
 * Electro
 * Joe the Gorilla
 * Leap-Frog
 * Libra
 * Looter
 * Melter
 * Pecos
 * Plantman
 * Porcupine
 * Sagittarius
 * Shocker
 * Toad
 * Whirlwind

New Defenders
In Defenders #125 (November 1983) the team was reorganized into a more formal organization, somewhat modeled after the Avengers. By this time, several former members had severed ties with the team.

Dragon Circle
By the time of Defenders #152 (February 1986), Moondragon had fallen under the control of the Dragon of the Moon. The Dragon led her to attack the Defenders. During the battle, the physical forms of Andromeda, Gargoyle, Interloper, Manslaughter, Moondragon, and Valkyrie were destroyed. Candace Southern retired. Angel, Beast, and Iceman were joined by Cyclops and Marvel Girl in forming X-Factor.

Gargoyle and Moondragon were later able to gain new corporeal forms. However the other four remained disembodied spirits until Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol 3 #3–4 (March–April 1989). There they managed to gain temporary but recurring spiritual possession over the bodies of four residents of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. These four unknowingly acted as their representatives in forming a successor group of the Defenders.

 * Sian Bowen: Host to the spirit of Valkyrie.
 * Geneviene Cass: Host to the spirit of Andromeda.
 * Will Fanshawe: Host to the spirit of Interloper.
 * Roger Loomis: Host to the spirit of Manslaughter.
 * Dafydd ap Iowerth: Alleged descendant of King Arthur and host to his spirit.
 * Doctor Strange: Associate member.

Secret Defenders
Debuting in Dr. Strange (vol. 3) #50 (February 1993) the Secret Defenders were another successor group to the team. They were very loosely organized, consisting of a leader and the various associates recruited for a mission at hand. They would disband again after each mission. Several "members" were former Defenders. Others had no previous connection to the team. Some served for a single mission while others were recurring members.

Questing villains
From Secret Defenders #12-14 (February and April), the title of characters was an organized group of super-villains that was in the quest of finding and obtaining the Oracle of Ancient Knowledge. They apparently disbanded after the successful mission.

 * Thanos: The leader and recruiter of this group.
 * Geatar
 * Nitro
 * Rhino
 * Super-Skrull
 * Titanium Man

Final recruits
By Secret Defenders #15 (May 1994), Doctor Strange's duties and circumstances required him elsewhere. He retired after naming Doctor Druid as his replacement. The latter would serve as leader until the group disbanded in Secret Defenders #25 (March 1995).

Note
Before and during the initial few months of publication of Secret Defenders, an advertisement that Marvel used depicted a team consisting of Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, John Blaze, Maverick, and Wolverine, a team which never existed in the comics. Neither John Blaze nor Maverick were ever part of a Secret Defenders team in any published story.

Cursed members and The Order
In Defenders (vol. 2) #1 (March 2001), four former Defenders were forced to regroup to help Nighthawk and Hellcat in a battle against Yandroth. He was defeated but cursed them to gather every time planet Earth faces a threat. This continued until Defenders (vol. 2) #12 (February 2002). Four members of the team formed The Order. This group attempted to conquer the world in order to protect it. Its activities were featured in The Order #1-6 (April–September 2002). The group disbanded again after Gaia lifted Yandroth's curse which was associated with her.

Recruits against The Order
This incarnation of the Defenders was divided among two rival groups. The Order (Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Silver Surfer) and the Defenders (Hellcat, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie). The three decided to recruit the so-called "female analogs" of their former teammates. They would serve until both teams disbanded.

Initiative Team (Last Defenders)
Kyle Richmond requested an Initiative version of the Defenders from Tony Stark, intending to fill the ranks with previous Defenders including Gargoyle, Hellcat, and Devil Slayer. However, Stark assembled an entirely different team in hopes of the Defenders maintaining a stable roster for once. The team was officially disbanded after its first mission was deemed a failure.

Last Defenders recruits
After the Initiative team disbands, Richmond attempts to continue by hiring registered mercenaries to replace the teammates that Stark had assigned to him. After he was forced to retire from his superhero career, he privately assembles and supports a version of the Defenders based on an encounter with a future version of that team. This team is later forcibly disbanded by H.A.M.M.E.R.

Fear Itself: The Deep's Defenders
This incarnation of the Defenders was formed during the Fear Itself storyline in order to liberate Atlantis from Attuma (in the form of Nerkodd: Breaker of Oceans).

Defenders Vol. 4
The Defenders came together again when it comes to keeping the Concordance Engine from falling into the wrong hands.

Defenders Vol. 5
A new, street-level team calling themselves the Defenders form to stop crime. This team is based on the Netflix version of the team.

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Members of "The Defenders" appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Marvel's The Defenders. Each of the Defenders listed below have an individual series all leading up to the miniseries

title: List of Defenders members


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Mount Myohyang

Mount Myohyang is a mountain in North Korea. It is named for the mystic shapes and fragrances found in the area. It is a sacred site as, according to legend, it was the home of King Tangun, forefather of the Korean people.

Tourism
Myohyang is a North Korean tourist attraction and visited by many national tourists. There are several hiking routes on the mountain. Apart from the view, tourists are attracted by the Pohyon temple, built in the 11th century, the Sangwon hermitage, the Kumgang hermitage, and the Habiro hermitage. The Ryongmun cavern is open to the public.

At Myohyang-san is the International Friendship Exhibition centre, dubbed the world's biggest treasure-house. On exhibit are presents received by North Korean leaders over the years. One building stores the presents given to Kim Il-sung, while a smaller one holds those given to his son Kim Jong-il.

The Hyangsan Hotel caters to luxury visitors, while the Chongchon Hotel is second-class.

Environment
Much of the mountain is covered by mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest and protected in a 16000 ha national park. Some 7000 ha has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA).

World Biosphere Reserve
In 2009 UNESCO designated Mount Myohyang a world biosphere reserve, citing its cultural significance as well as the spectacular cliffs providing habitat for 30 endemic plant species, 16 plant species that are threatened globally and 12 endangered animal species.

title: Mount Myohyang