title: Lower Austria

text: These regions have different geographical structures. Whilst the "Mostviertel" is dominated by the foothills of the Limestone Alps with mountains up to high, most of the "Waldviertel" is a granite plateau. The hilly "Weinviertel" lies to the northeast, descends to the plains of Marchfeld in the east of the state, and is separated by the Danube from the Vienna Basin to the south, which in turn is separated from the Vienna Woods by a line of thermal springs (the "Thermenlinie") running north to south.


title: Lower Austria

text: Almost all of Lower Austria is drained by the Danube. The only river that flows into the North Sea (via the Moldau and the Elbe) is the Lainsitz in northern "Waldviertel", the Erlauf river.


title: Lower Austria

text: The most important rivers north of the Danube (on its left bank) are the Ysper, Kamp, Krems, Lainsitz, March and Thaya. South of the Danube (on its right bank) are the Enns, Ybbs, Erlauf, Melk, Pielach, Traisen, Schwechat, Fischa, Schwarza, Triesting, Pitten and the Leitha.


title: Lower Austria

text: Lower Austria is rich in natural caves; in all 4,082 have been recorded. Most of the caves have formed in limestone and dolomite rocks and are therefore called karst caves. Cavities also form in the marble of the Central Alps and the Bohemian Massif. Among the largest caves in Lower Austria are:


title: Lower Austria

text: The last two are open as show caves, along with the Allander stalactite cave, the Unicorn Cave, the Hochkarschacht, the Nixhöhle and the Ötschertropfsteinhöhle.


title: Lower Austria

text: The history of Lower Austria is very similar to the history of Austria. Many castles are located in Lower Austria. Klosterneuburg Abbey, located here, is one of the oldest abbeys in Austria. Before World War II, Lower Austria had the largest number of Jews in the country.


title: Lower Austria

text: The names "Lower Austria" and "Upper Austria" are derived from the earlier names "Austria below the Enns" and "Austria above the Enns", references to the river Enns. Going down from its source on the northern edge of the Central Eastern Alps, the river crosses Upper Austria, then on its lower reaches forms the boundary between Upper Austria and Lower Austria.


title: Lower Austria

text: The gross domestic product (GDP) of the state was € 61.0 billion in 2018, accounting for 15.8% of Austria's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was € 32,300, or 107% of the EU27 average in the same year. Lower Austria is the state with the second-lowest GDP per capita in Austria.


title: Lower Austria

text: Lower Austria is divided into four regions: "Waldviertel", "Mostviertel", "Industrieviertel", and "Weinviertel". The Wachau valley, situated between Melk and Krems in the Mostviertel region, is famous for its landscape, culture, and wine.


title: Lower Austria

text: Administratively, the state is divided into 20 districts ("Bezirke"), and four independent towns ("Statutarstädte"). In total, there are 573 municipalities within Lower Austria.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Iris () is a 2009 South Korean espionage television drama series, starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee, Jung Joon-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon and Choi Seung-hyun. The plot revolves around two best friends from the 707th Special Mission Group recruited into a secret South Korean black ops agency known as the National Security Service. As the two friends find their loyalties tested and forge new, unlikely alliances, the journey takes them from their home country to Hungary, Japan, and China where they find themselves at the center of an international conspiracy. It aired on KBS2 from October 14 to December 17, 2009, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: With a budget in excess of 40 billion won (34 million USD), "Iris" along with its spin-off "", share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced. The series was a critical and commercial success, with an average viewership of over 30% in addition to ranking as the top program consistently every week after its debut. The series also took home many of the highest honors at the 2009 KBS Drama Awards, including the Daesang Award for Lee Byung-hun.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: , Kim Hyun-jun (Lee Byung-hun) and Jin Sa-woo (Jung Joon-ho), train under the Republic of Korea Army's 707th Special Mission Group until they are scouted by NSS (National Security Service). The two were independently scouted by the beautiful NSS agent, Choi Seung-hee (Kim Tae-hee). Unaware they have been scouted, the two are secretly captured and subjected to a simulated torture test. Both pass the test and are deemed qualified to become NSS agents. In the process, they both fall in love with Seung-hee, who has kept the scouting process a secret from them.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: After completing the test, Hyun-jun and Sa-woo are introduced to the director of the NSS, Baek San (Kim Yeong-cheol). Baek San explains to them that the NSS is a secret organization tasked with preempting foreign threats and protecting the country's interests through wetwork operations, including assassination of anyone who could be a threat to South Korean (SK) national security. Since its founding in 1976, during the rule of Park Chung-hee, the agency's existence has remained a state secret from everyone, including the President.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: After entering NSS, the pair learn that Seung-hee had been their undercover scout agent. While both were surprised and somewhat hurt, Hyun-jun is angered the most as he feels his heart was toyed with. During a team celebration dinner, Hyun-jun confronts her alone and the two embraced the passion they have for one another. Afterward, the two maintain a secret romantic relationship.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Hyun-jun is then sent off on a solo mission to Hungary. In Hungary, Hyun-jun accomplishes his mission and while escaping, is wounded. Shortly later, Hyun-jun finds out that he was betrayed by fellow agent Sa-woo. Seung-hee attempts to help Hyun-jun escape, but a car explosion separates the two and both are misled into believing that the other is dead. Hyun-jun is then saved by an unknown voice and learns of the secret society "IRIS".


title: Iris (TV series)

text: One year later, Hyun-jun returns to Korea to seek revenge. During this time, North and South Korea are set to reunify. However, the members of IRIS are intent on preventing the reunification. They attack a local mall and take hostages so that they can blackmail both sides of the Korean government and to threaten SK's president into announcing their political stand to not unite with NK. Hyun-jun becomes the negotiator for the president Cho Myung-ho (Lee Jung-gil) and for the hostages' release. Eventually, Sa-woo is killed. With the obstacles to the reunification process removed, the peace talks resume.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: At the reunification summit, the president personally requests Hyun-jun to be at his side. Concurrently, NSS agents realize they have been duped: the presumed dead IRIS agents at the mall crisis were actually the hostages. The true IRIS agents escaped and infiltrated the summit to kill all delegates. IRIS agents kill and replace various security agents for a massacre. Fortunately, it fails due to Seung-hee's intervention. She pretends to be an IRIS agent and uses the confusion to stop them. This creates mass panic as IRIS agents make their stand against all security forces. Ultimately, the SK president and NK forces survive the assault and Hyun-jun saves the day again.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: In the aftermath, Hyun-jun and Seung-hee leave NSS for a normal life. While Seung-hee waits at a lighthouse for Hyun-jun, he drives up to meet her and propose. However, during the drive, Hyun-jun is shot in the head by a sniper. He dies while looking at Seung-hee at a distance away at the lighthouse, unbeknownst to her.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: "IRIS" featured an ensemble cast split between characters of North Korean and South Korean descent. Because the series explores the tension and mentality behind the two sides of the conflict, both the North and South perspectives are shown at length. The plot focuses on the cast overcoming the manipulation they face at an international level and occasionally attempting to reconcile their differences to fight an evil greater than either side ever acknowledged, making way for scenarios in which their allegiances are stressed and put to the test.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The NSS is headed by Baek San (Kim Yeong-cheol), its standing deputy director only in title and the man responsible for the recruiting of Hyun-jun and Sa-woo. The named director of the NSS comes and goes with each change of power in the presidency, but it is the deputy director that oversees the organization. Baek San's motivations for many of his actions are mysterious, occasionally outright inconsistent with that of the general national interests. Due to the very existence of the organization being kept secret, he enjoys a state of personal protection that few others do.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: While Baek San oversees the organization, the acting chief director, Park Sang-hyun (Yoon Je-moon), is the general supervisor and runs the daily operations of the NSS. He fabricated the understanding but also intransigent where failures are concerned, often personally dealing with each and every agent. For field assignments, he watches over and commands all missions set domestically.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Many of the NSS agents have close personal ties to one another, and the floor supervisor and head of security resources, Yang Jung-in (Kim Hye-jin), is no exception. She is often viewed as a dependable and accommodating authority figure and remains a very close friend to colleague Choi Seung-Hee.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Being the South's first line of defense against foreign threats, the NSS houses technology unavailable to their sister intelligence agencies. The two primary tech agents, Yang Mi-jung (Hyun Jyu-ni) and Hwang Tae-sung (Kim Dae-jin), are often responsible for ensuring field agents have all that is required to see their missions through. Mi-jung does not meet the expected conventions of someone involved in national intelligence. Given that her sense of fashion and general interests are more contemporary than that of her associates, she often stands out from the others, but her status as the top hacker in Korea has made her irreplaceable. Still, Tae-sung remains the more perdurable of the two and is often instrumental in the success of a number of operations.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The forensics and scientific investigations section is headed by Oh Hyun-ku (Yoon Joo-sang), an eccentric that is the eldest of the general staff. He often exhibits a fatherly relationship with many of the agents, including Mi-jung and Seung-hee.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Due to the overarching plot of the series involving the disputes inherent to the Korean Peninsula and the intricacies of the foreign relations between the North and South, the Blue House and its primary staff are featured prominently throughout.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The candidate that wins the election and assumes office is eventual President of South Korea Cho Myung-ho (Lee Jung-gil). His administration begins with his undertaking the grand task of forwarding talks of reunification between the North and South after witnessing the grim reality that is the struggle between the two nations. With strong ambitions, he leads diplomatic outreaches with the North that no one expected of a candidate so early in his term.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: President Cho's chief advisor and head of his cabinet is Jung Jyun-jun (Jung Han-yong), and is one of the few around him that the president feels he can trust with any information, no matter how sensitive it may be. Later in the series, he becomes the only reliable lifeline the president has against the influence of sabotage originating inside and outside the Blue House.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The secretary to the president, Hong Soo-jin (Myung Ji-yun), tends to find herself at odds with the chief advisor. She rarely speaks her mind freely and appears to have allegiances beyond those that are already apparent.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Given the wide range of countries the characters find themselves in throughout the story, a number of recurring characters arise from countries outside of Korea.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Early in the series, Hyun-jun and Seung-hee encounter a young Japanese schoolgirl while in Akita by the name of Yuki (Karen Miyama). Her family operates one of the tourist traps nearby, and she exhibits affection for Hyun-jun and attempts to find herself in his company as much as possible. Later, it is Hyun-jun that needs her, as Yuki and her family help him when he needs them most.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: When Hyun-jun finds himself tangled in a political web while in Japan, he crosses paths with Eriko Sato (Yuko Fueki). A Japanese woman with the country's national intelligence agency, Sato is charged with investigating foreign threats that find themselves on Japanese soil.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Based on the general concept of the 1999 film "Shiri", "Iris" was first revealed in 2008 by its production company Taewon Entertainment and attracted wide attention due to its record budget and star power. Kang Je-gyu, the director of "Shiri", was involved with initially developing the project for television, which would later be directed by Kim Kyu-tae and Yang Yun-ho.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Written by Kim Hyun-jun, Jo Gyu-won, and Kim Jae-un, the series began pre-production without the backing of a Korean broadcaster in an attempt to spark a bidding war amongst potential suitors.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: On April 18, 2008, it was announced that Lee Byung-hun had been cast in the lead role. It was to be Lee's first television role since 2003 after a five-year hiatus to focus on film roles, including the 2009 film "", which had been filming at the time of the announcement. Lee's salary was the third highest in the history of Korean television dramas, amounting to ($90,000 USD) per episode and was six times greater than that of the Korean industry guideline. His salary was inclusive of an overhead deal of (US$1.35 million) in guarantees due to his namesake drawing potential investors, particularly in Japan, and opportunities in other overseas markets.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The production company announced on June 24 that Big Bang member T.O.P would be starring alongside Lee as an assassin and the recurring antagonist of the series. It was announced on October 10 that Kim Tae-hee, known for her roles in "Forbidden Love" and "Stairway to Heaven", had been cast as the female lead in the series. Like Lee, she had not worked in television for several years and had been working in film prior to accepting the role.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Pre-production continued on "Iris" as it drew increasing attention not only in Korea but also in Japan due to Lee's involvement. Kim Seung-woo and Jung Joon-ho were also cast as the head of the North Korean security team and Kim Hyun-jun's lifelong friend, respectively.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The large budget and notable talent for the project made it difficult for the production company to secure directors willing to take on the series, causing 2009 to begin with a brief stir of media attention. Shortly thereafter, Taewon announced that the search was over and Kim Kyu-tae and Yang Yun-ho would be helming the series. Simultaneously, KBS was announced as the South Korean broadcaster. Later in the month, on February 19, Kim So-yeon was cast as a North Korean agent.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The first filmed scenes of "Iris" were shot in Akita, Japan on March 10, 2009. Lee Byung-hun's popularity in Japan caused the series and its production to gain immediate notability in the country. Lee's filming was often shadowed by fans, beginning with thousands greeting him at Akita Airport upon his arrival. Due to several pivotal moments of the series being filmed in the prefecture, Akita soon experienced a surge of Korean tourists going on tours tailored to followers of the show. The crew went on to shoot in Japan for three weeks and left the country on March 28.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: With its unprecedented budget, "IRIS" was able to pioneer several firsts for Korean television dramas, particularly with its large scale action sequences. Throughout filming, the actors were often responsible for filming their own stunts and action sequences, including Lee Byung-hun jumping from the 130 meter-tall Tamagawa Dam in Semboku, Akita. To prepare for the demanding physical requirements of the series, several members of the primary cast, including Kim Tae-hee, underwent special training to lend authenticity to the action. During a break in filming, Lee Byung-hun appeared at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in support of the production in May. A press conference was also held later in the month with the entire finalized cast of the series.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The next international shoot commenced on June 9 in Hungary. Shot in and around Budapest and other locales, the filming lasted for one month before the cast and crew returned to Korea. In late July, it was announced that "IRIS" would air on Wednesdays and Thursdays on KBS2, for premiere on October 14. Filming continued throughout the year and, on October 5, a production press conference was held for the Korean and world media just over a week prior to the series premiere.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Filming continued after the premiere of the series. On November 29, 2009, the filming crew took over a section of Sejong-ro at Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul for twelve hours to film lengthy gunfight scenes. The five lanes along the plaza in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts were closed to traffic for filming from 07:00 to 19:00. This marks the first time the Seoul Metropolitan Government has granted permission to block traffic along the Plaza for filming as a part of Government's plans to promote the city's major tourist attractions.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The "IRIS" original soundtrack was released as a 16-track album on November 13, 2009, with music composed by Yi Dong-jun and Choe Seong-gwon. The soundtrack contained a number of the vocal themes used in the series, including those by Baek Ji-young, Shin Seung-hun, and Big Bang.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: On December 24, a limited edition was released as a two-disc set with a 76-page photobook. The first disc contained ten vocal themes, four of which were used in the second half of the series and not included on the original release. The second disc collected fifteen instrumentals used as backdrops during the show's run, including four not on the previous collection.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: In the week preceding the premiere of "Iris" on Japanese television, it was announced that Big Bang would be contributing an all-new ballad to be inserted into the TBS airings. Titled "Tell Me Goodbye," the song was released as a single in the country on June 9, 2010, and was available in both a CD and a CD & DVD edition.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Coinciding with the initial broadcast of the series in Japan, a deluxe soundtrack box-set was released on May 26, 2010 by Being Inc. In addition to featuring thirteen vocal themes and nineteen instrumentals on two discs, the release includes a 72-page photobook adapted from the previous Korean release and a DVD of music videos used to promote the series. Those featured were "Hallelujah" by Big Bang, "Don't Forget" by Baek Ji-young, and "Love of Iris" by Shin Seung-hun.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: A two-volume novelization was published prior to and during the show's initial run. Written by Chae Woo-do, the first volume was published on October 12, 2009, two days prior to the show's premiere on KBS. The second volume was published exactly one month later on November 12, and, unlike its predecessor, did not follow the eventual plot of the television series.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: In July 2010, it was confirmed that an "IRIS" graphic novel was in the works for a Fall 2011 release. Reports of the project, which features the likenesses of Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee, date back to August 2009, prior to the series airing. Launching first in Japan and later in Korea, the graphic novel retained the relationship between the male and female leads but deviates from the scenarios featured in the original story.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: "Iris" was released on Region 3 DVD in South Korea on February 12, 2010 in an 8-disc set, complete with English subtitles. The first pressing included a 50-page photobook with previously unpublished photographs from the production of the series.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Earlier, on November 27, 2009, a 100-minute making-of documentary titled "IRIS Navigate DVD" was released for the Japanese market, documenting the filming of the series in Hungary, Japan, and Korea.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The full series is set to be released over two uncut DVD box-sets in Japan. The first was announced for a July 2, 2010 release and retails for 19,950 yen (US$212), with the second following on September 15. On August 3, 2010, the first volume was released on Blu-ray with the second set to follow on October 20, both priced at 25,200 yen (US$268). The first pressings included replica NSS ID cards, a postcard set, a bonus disc, and a 24-page data booklet.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: In addition, two behind-the-scenes production diary box-sets began to be issued in Japan beginning June 16, 2010. The first follows the cast's filming in Akita and Hungary while the second tracks their work in Korea and was released September 15.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: "IRIS" premiered on October 14, 2009 to strong ratings and went on to become one of the most critically and commercially successful series of the year, earning numerous awards for its actors and production.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: The series ended its initial run on December 17, 2009. KBS announced that an IRIS special would be aired the following week, on December 22. The special contained extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the filming in Hungary, Japan, and Korea, along with numerous interviews with the cast and crew.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: On January 28, 2010, it was reported that the distribution rights for the Japanese market were purchased by TBS for a record 400 million yen (US$4.2 million). The station began airing the Japanese-dubbed version during primetime—a first for a South Korean-produced drama series in the country—on April 21, 2010 with numerous acting talents providing the voiceovers, including Tatsuya Fujiwara as Kim Hyun-jun. The two-hour premiere drew TBS's highest ratings for the day and doubled the station's usual average for the timeslot. The airing had been preceded by a promotional blitz with stars Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee appearing on numerous Japanese programs, in addition to billboards and posters being placed throughout Tokyo.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: Publicity for "IRIS" in Japan was strong from its premiere and beyond. In late May 2010, a set of two concert events billed as dramatic live stage shows drew sold-out crowds that amounted to over 60,000 attendees. The concerts were a combination of live interviews with much of the primary cast, re-enactments of pivotal scenes from the series, and performances by the musical acts featured in its soundtrack. Broadcaster TBS revealed in June 2010 that airings of the series on its satellite offerings had broken records daily, doubling the ratings of its previous programs. Such was the influence of the series that flights between Seoul and Akita that had been nearing decommission were revitalized as a result of mounting tourist interest. Due to the commerce generated for Akita prefecture as a result of "Iris" having filmed there, local governments in Japan began competing for interest from producers in order to solicit tourists with future installments of the series.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: A producer with Taewon Entertainment, the production company behind "Iris", was quoted on May 6, 2010 as saying they were in negotiations toward exporting the series to American television for broadcast on a major network. The episode count would be reduced from the original twenty down to twelve and, should the deal go through, would mark the first time a South Korean-produced drama program was aired on a major television network in the United States.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: A spin-off series to begin filming in 2010 and premiered later in the same year was announced following the success of "Iris". Starring Jung Woo-sung, Cha Seung-won, Soo Ae, Choi Si-won and Lee Ji-ah, the series "" was filmed on location in a number of overseas locations, including Italy, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States. Production head of Taewon Entertainment, Chung Tae-won, confirmed in an interview on May 31, 2010 that "Iris" and "Athena" would be set in the same universe, allowing for crossovers between characters of the two franchises. Filming on "Athena" was projected to last over five months, with production commencing in Korea in June before moving to Italy in July. The series premiered December 13, 2010 on SBS and saw its finale on February 21, 2011. Shortly before the series ended, the head of production was quoted as expressing interest in producing sequels to continue "Athena" and further connect it to other entries in the franchise.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: A true sequel series, tentatively titled "IRIS 2", was originally announced for October 2011. At the time of announcement, pre-production was underway and reports estimated filming on the sequel was expected to commence in March 2011. Representatives from Taewon Productions stated in April 2010 that they expected original stars Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee, and Kim So-yeon to be cast in the sequel. Later, just prior to the finale of "Athena" being broadcast, lead producer Chung Tae-won confirmed that he anticipated "IRIS 2" to be in production in time for a fall 2012 premiere. Concurrently, it was reported that the proposed series remained in pre-production with the scriptwriters in the process of crafting the story. Chung also revealed that no casting decisions had been made and that the writing staff were preparing two potential versions of the series as a result—one featuring the full original cast and another that would see the return of only a select few. The leads of the original series, Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee, were officially confirmed to ultimately not be reprising their roles for the sequel on August 24, 2012.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: On September 13, 2012, it was announced that veteran film and television actor Jang Hyuk had been offered the lead in "IRIS 2". Actress Lee Da-hae was confirmed on September 18 as being eyed for the female lead in the series, which would reunite her with co-star Jang Hyuk from their work on 2010s award-winning historical series "Chuno". In addition to confirming the two leads, on September 19, several additions were made to the cast, with Kim Seung-woo, Kim Min-jong, Kim Yeong-cheol, Im Soo-hyang, and Oh Yeon-soo all being confirmed for the series. Kim Seung-woo has signed on to reprise his role of North Korean agent Park Cheol-young previously featured in "Iris" and "Athena", while Kim Min-jong is set to return as defector Kim Gi-soo from "Athena" and Kim Yeong-cheol is to come back as the villain from the original series, Baek San. Several others, including Kang Ji-young from South Korean pop group Kara, Yoon Doo-joon of boy band B2ST, and Lee Joon from MBLAQ were all also discussed for roles, along with American actor Daniel Henney.


title: Iris (TV series)

text: "IRIS: The Movie" is a feature-length edit of the 20-episode TV series for cinemas. While not featuring a differing story, additional scenes were shot that expanded upon the original storyline, including an all-new extended ending. The film first saw its premiere at the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival and was later screened for potential international buyers at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival with a runtime of 123 minutes. The movie was released via content distribution company Cine21 in Korea on November 22, 2010, and was announced to be launching on IPTV, cable networks, and 100 online websites. The title's distributors include Kadokawa Pictures in Japan, I-cable Entertainment in Hong Kong, and Clover Films in Singapore.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Folk of the Air is a young adult fantasy book series by Holly Black, published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers. The story follows the journey of mortal girl Jude Duarte and faerie prince Cardan Greenbriar as they navigate the world of hate, betrayal, and contempt along with feelings for each other. The series is a "New York Times" Best Seller.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Cruel Prince (2018) is the first book in the series. It follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl living in Elfhame, a faerie world. Swept against her will to Elfhame, Jude must adapt to living alongside powerful creatures with a deep disdain for humans and a penchant for violent delights while also figuring out her feelings for faerie prince Cardan Greenbriar.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: A Visit to the Impossible Lands (2018) is a companion short story told from the perspective of Kaye and Roiben from the "" series as they witness the events of "The Cruel Prince" unfold. The story was released as a bonus exclusive for the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition of "The Cruel Prince".


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Lost Sisters (2018) is a companion novella from the perspective of Jude's twin sister Taryn Duarte. It is available only as an audiobook and an e-book.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Wicked King (2019) is the second book in the series. It follows Jude and her newfound power and position in the faerie world of Elfhame while Cardan is thrust on the throne. The two fall for each other amidst politics, scandals, parties and plotting.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Queen of Nothing (2019) is the third book of the series. It follows Jude and Cardan as they face not just Madoc who is hungry for the power and position of the throne, but also the extent of their love for each other.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: How the King of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories (2020) is a companion novella that focuses on Cardan's perspective.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude Duarte, Taryn Duarte, and half-sister Vivienne live in the human world until a fae called Madoc, who is Vivienne's biological father, arrives one day and kills their parents. The trio are then forced to live in Faerie for a decade with Madoc's wife, Oriana, and son, Oak.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The twins are repeatedly tormented by Prince Carden Greenbriar, youngest in line, and his friends, Nicaisia, Valerian, and Locke. Throughout the book, this torment constitutes Taryn and jude nearly drowned by the trio, Jude drugged by magic fruit and made to strip, and Valerian commanding Jude to jump off a tower (unbeknownst of Jude's protection once Prince Dain gives her the geas). Locke and Jude ultimately have an affair.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Meanwhile, Prince Dain is to be crowned within months, and he takes in Jude as a spy, due to her human ability to lie -while faeries cannot- and employs her in the Court of Shadows with a trio consisting of The Roach, The Bomb, and The Ghost. Prince Dain gives Jude a geas that prevents her from being enchanted into obeying instructions from fae(mind magic). Jude begins a practice of mithridatism – taking small doses of poison to become immune to its effects.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude has dinner with Locke, wearing the dress of his deceased mother, and finds an acorn within it. Upon further discovery she learns that the acorn contains a message pertaining to an heir to the throne, who the message urges to protect. The night before the coronation, Oriana warns Jude of getting herself involved with Dain, and tells her that Locke's mother, Liorope, was a concubine to the High King Eldred but ultimately assassinated. Jude is later tormented and nearly killed by a drunk Valerian,and finally kills him.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The coronation takes place, but before Dain gets crowned it is sabotaged by Prince Balekin and Madoc, who kills him. Balekin can only be crowned by a member of the royal family, and in the ensuing scuffle multiple members of the family get killed.Leaving only Cardan of the Greenbriar line. Cardan hides, is found by Jude, and both of them evacuate the halls. Jude later places Cardan in the arrest of the Court of Shadows for 24 hours, and they both have an intimate conversation where they reveal their mutual desire for each other.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude learns that her relationship with Locke was a foul played by Locke, and that Locke's true fiancee is actually Taryn. She later discovers that Liorope's son not only Locke, but Oak, who was seeded by Dain and is ergo a member of the Royal Family. Madoc, who had orchestrated the coup, had planned to crown Oak in order to rule as Regent. Jude plans to have Cardan crown Oak and rule as Regent herself, and Cardan agees to it, and swears allegiance to Jude for a year and a day,only because of how badly he didn't want to be crowned.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: It is revealed that Prince Dain had ordered The ghost to kill liorope and the child in it , because of a prophecy claiming Dain will never be on the throne if the child is born.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Balekin orchestrates a banquet, and Jude and Cardan arrive. Jude fights Madoc, winning due to her practise of mithraditism,him having been poisoned and fatigued. A bomb (released by The Bomb) explodes in the hall, causing chaos. In the midst of it the crown is tossed to Cardan, who is crowned by Oak unaware of Jude's actual motive, which consists of it being Cardan who gets to rule the throne. Cardan is enraged. In the epilogue, Cardan tells Jude that he shall be her puppet king, but he would be deliberately difficult for Jude to handle.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Five months have elapsed since the events of "The Cruel Prince" – Cardan is king and five months into his one year plus one day submission to Jude. No one knows that Jude, acting as his seneschal, has control over him. Their hatred towards each other continues with Cardan angry that Jude betrayed him and made him king and Jude angry at Cardan for his continued awful behavior. Jude hopes she can extend her power over Cardan beyond the next seven months until her brother, Oak, is old enough to rule. Oak is being kept safe in the mortal world by Vivi to have a semblance of a normal childhood before he returns to rule.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Someone from the Court of Shadows tells Jude that they have intercepted a note from Balekin asking Cardan to visit him in prison. Jude goes to visit Balekin instead, but he does not tell her anything about his plans. Jude learns from a prison guard named Vulciber that messages are being exchanged by Balekin and Orlagh, queen of the Undersea, to undermine Cardan's rule. Jude is surprised since Orlagh's daughter, Nicasia, is one of Cardan's friends. While at the prison, Jude encounters Cardan's mother, Asha.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude's twin sister, Taryn, calls on her to make amends asks Jude to attend her wedding to Locke. Later, the Ghost brings Jude to Cardan's room, which has been largely destroyed – Cardan, Locke, and two other faeries lie drunk and half undressed. Cardan, partially wounded, shows her that two arrows were shot at him while he was in bed. He did not see who tried to assassinate him, but they find a secret passageway. Jude enters and finds Nicasia, who admits that she was furious to see Cardan in bed with another girl. She aimed to kill the girl and accidentally wounded Cardan instead. Jude asks Nicasia what Orlagh's intentions are with Balekin and Cardan. Orlagh wants Nicasia to marry Cardan and rule as queen.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude brings Cardan to her rooms, the only place she is confident he will be safe. He asks her to kiss him. She hates that she wants to. Jude goes to the council meeting in Cardan's place. She tries to convince the council that Orlagh is planning to move against their kingdom. Madoc pulls Jude aside after the meeting and says he still cares about her despite the fact that she poisoned him.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: During a party, Nicasia catches Jude staring at Cardan. Nicasia still wants Cardan and wants to know what Jude has over him. Jude sees Cardan with a familiar ring on his finger and realizes he stole it from her hand. He tells Jude he made sure Taryn is not here for the spectacle Locke created for tonight and advises Jude to leave. Locke, who Cardan made to be is Master of Revels, begins a game, Queen of Mirth, in which a mortal girl is ensorcelled to think that she is being honored as the new queen but is instead grievously humiliated. Locke selects Jude to be ensorcelled since she is the only mortal girl at the ball. Though Jude has a gaes to protect against this, she endures the humiliation to avoid revealing her power.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: After the game ends, Undersea creatures sent by Orlagh announce a message to the crowd: Orlagh wants her daughter to marry Cardan and there will be punishment if he disobeys. Cardan welcomes the creatures to stay at the revel then calls Jude to pull his council together. Before the council gathers, Madoc calls Jude and asks her to work towards a mutual goal. He wants her to ensure that Cardan does not marry Nicasia fearing that the Undersea queen slowly conquered all the kingdoms until she is the ultimate ruler. Madoc wants to use Oak as bait to draw Orlagh out, which Jude forbids.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude and Cardan meet with Nicasia. Cardan tells Nicasia to tell her mother that the next time she threatens him, her daughter will become his prisoner. He asks her whether she would want to be bound to him forever in an unhappy union, and Nicasia says there is more to ruling than happiness, and she thinks her mother's idea is a good one.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Cardan summons Jude and pulls her into a small room. He shows her a message Balekin sent him asking to meet. Cardan is concerned that Jude is hiding things from him, and she admits to intercepting messages from Balekin. Jude asks Cardan to seduce Nicasia to get information from her. Cardan mislikes this idea and instead practices his wiles on Jude. Jude is effectively seduced by Cardan. As they kiss, Jude thinks about how, out of all the mean things he has done to her over the years, "making"


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude visits Grimsen to buy a gift for Taryn's wedding. Grimsen tells her he knows of her mortal father's metalworking and suggests that he once taught him. He offers Jude a pair of earrings to give Taryn in exchange for one of Jude's tears. The earrings are enchanted to magnify the wearer's beauty. Grimsen asks Jude to take a message to the king: if they go to war, he will fashion armor that cannot be penetrated and swords so strong Cardan will easily win.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude goes to the Court of Shadows to work on her safety plans for Oak. Cardan arrives to bring her news of what he discovered from Nicasia after a few kisses. Her mother plans to act during Taryn's wedding. Before he leaves, he mentions the intimacy that happened between them the other night. Jude cuts him off and says she is sure it served the same purpose for both of them: to get it out of their system.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude goes to Madoc with information about Orlagh's plan to attack during the wedding, and they work together to ensure Oak's safety. The night before the wedding, Taryn asks Jude and Vivi to spend the night. On her way to Madoc's house, Jude is attacked by men on horseback. She is injured though fights back and escapes. In the process, she loses the earrings she bought for Taryn.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: At the wedding, Jude sees Cardan finding a look of hatred in his eyes similar to the last time she was here at Locke's house when he was watching her and Locke kiss. He merely compliments her dress. Jude is worried that she is falling in love with him. Jude orders Cardan to never be alone tonight even though the implications of the statement bother her. Madoc heard their exchange and now knows about Jude's control over Cardan. He says they will work together to defeat Orlagh, but after that, they will be enemies.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Taryn arrives at her wedding party wearing the earrings that Jude intended to give her that she lost when she was attacked. Jude notices Locke's limp, and she realizes that it was he and his friends who attacked her.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude learns that Orlagh has made an attack on the prison, and she leaves the wedding to investigate. Jude goes to Asha's cell to set her free before going to Balekin's cell, finding it empty. Orlagh has rescued him in hopes of marrying her daughter to him and making him king someday. The Ghost joins Orlagh's forces revealing to Jude that he has betrayed her.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude is held captive in a cell in the Undersea where Nicasia comes to assault and berate her. Jude is brought to eat dinner with Orlagh, and since she is not wearing any charms, Orlagh believes Jude can be ensorcelled to do whatever they command. Even though Jude is protected by Dain's gaes, she acts like she is under their spell. Jude is questioned by Orlagh though is also able to learn some of their schemes. She learns that Grimsen is making a new crown to make Balekin king.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: After countless days in prison, Jude learns that Cardan has offered to pay a ransom to get Jude back. Balekin glamours Jude to make her loyal to them and commands her to kill Cardan, giving her poison to do so. Upon returning to land, Jude learns that in exchange for her freedom, Cardan has made concessions, including allowing Balekin to be free and live as the ambassador to Elfhame from the Undersea.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude is taken to Madoc's house despite her request to return to the palace. There, Taryn tells Jude she has been gone about a month and that Cardan and their father formed a truce to try to get her back. Jude is called on by Dulcamara from the Court of Termites. Dulcamara tells Jude that Cardan gave the Undersea permission to attack her court and many of her people died. Jude learns that this was part of the price of her ransom. Dulcamara says they pledged to King Cardan because he was supposed to protect them. She reminds Jude that she still owes their court a favor, and she asks for Jude to kill Prince Balekin. Jude says if she kills him, then they will be at war with the Undersea, which Dulcamara accepts.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude goes to the palace to reach Cardan, but the guards have been ordered by Madoc not to let her in. Jude decided to go to Hallow Hall to reach Balekin, as he would expect her to do, and he gives her poison to kill Cardan. Jude returns to the palace and sneaks into Cardan's room. When she wakes him, he pulls her into bed with him. She tells him that Orlagh and Balekin are planning his murder. Cardan confesses to Jude why he betrayed others to get her back. He says that it took her being kidnapped to figure out his true feelings for her. The Roach and the Bomb appear and tell Cardan that Jude is working under orders from Balekin to kill him. They search Jude and find the poison that Balekin gave her. She explains that Balekin thought he had ensorcelled her to kill Cardan, but that she is immune to such spells because of the gaes she received from Dain.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: At a masquerade ball, Jude tells Locke she knows he tried to kill her before his wedding, and she plans to retaliate. Lord Roiben from the Court of Termites arrives and says he expects Jude to make good on her promise. Jude sees Asha at the ball and wonders whether Cardan reconciled with his mother. Cardan arrives at the ball appearing to be extremely drunk and making a fool of himself. He pulls Jude onto the dance floor and kisses her very publicly, at which point Jude tastes wraithberry on his lips and recognizes that Cardan has been poisoned. Jude escorts him away and finds the Bomb to work to cure him. Balekin sends a note that he has the antidote and that he will give it to Cardan in exchange for the crown. Jude duels against Balekin for the antidote and ultimately kills Balekin. When Jude returns to Cardan, she discovers Madoc had Taryn pose as Jude to fool Cardan into giving Madoc half of the army. Cardan agreed because he trusts Jude.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Later that night, Cardan calls Jude back to his room and asks her to give him his free will back. He asks her to marry him, which will allow her to give him any royal orders she wants and bypass her needing to order him around to get things done. He suggests they only need to stay married until Oak is ready to rule. They perform the ceremony themselves with Cardan returning to Jude the ring he had previously given her. Jude follows through and releases him from his service to her.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The next morning, Cardan learns that his brother was killed by Jude in a duel. Orlagh arrives to have Cardan account for why her Ambassador was killed. Cardan accepts no blame because it was not his wish for his brother to die. Orlagh knows it was Jude and demands justice. She threatens war, and he threatens to use his powers over nature that being the High King of Elfhame grants him. He can control the land under all of the water, and to prove this, he creates a new island to emerge from the water. As he does this, Cardan traps Nicasia in a tree, and Orlagh relents in exchange for Cardan releasing her daughter. Cardan requests Nicasia stay behind on the land to serve as an ambassador. To further appease Orlagh and maintain peace with the Undersea, Cardan exiles Jude to the mortal world. She protests that he cannot do this because she is the Queen of Elfhame, but she is laughed at and dismissed. Ultimately, Jude goes to live with Vivi and Oak in the mortal world.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Prologue recounts the birth of Cardan Greenbriar, and a prophecy made at his birth that he will be the last of Eldred's offspring and will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. The Royal Astrologer who makes this prediction also says that out of the boy's spilled blood can a great ruler rise, but only after the aforementioned prophecy comes to pass. As a result of this prophecy, Cardan is poorly treated and raised in squalor despite the fact that he is a Prince of Faerie.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Returning to the present-day story, Jude is living in the human world with Vivi and Oak. Not having any human documents to get a real job, she works odd jobs for a creature of Faerie known as Bryern in exchange for money to pay rent. He tells her that Grima Mog, former general to the Court of Teeth, has been exiled to the human world, and she has been eating the local Folk that live in the mortal world. Bryern gives her money in exchange for getting Grima Mog to stop her practice in this. Jude does so by fighting Grima Mog and making her promise to stop eating the Folk.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude returns home to find that Taryn has come from the Faerie realm. Taryn tells Jude that she is pregnant, her husband Locke had been abusive towards her, and she ultimately ended up killing him. She says that there is going to be an inquest into Locke's murder, and Taryn asks Jude to return to Faerie, pretending to be Taryn, so that she will be able to lie that she did not murder Locke, and thus will not be punished for Locke's death. Jude agrees to this even though it puts Jude at risk since Cardan had banished Jude from Faerie under penalty of death until or unless she is pardoned by the crown. Jude returns to meet with Cardan and the court pretending to be Taryn, but after the inquest has concluded, Cardan takes her aside and tells her that he knows that she is Jude and not Taryn. He asks why Jude has not responded to any of his letters, and Jude replies that she never received any letters from him. An attack is made in the palace, and Jude is kidnapped by Madoc's army, believing that they are rescuing Taryn from Cardan.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude, while continuing to be believed to be Taryn, is taken under Madoc's protection. He has taken half of Cardan's army and conspired with the Court of Teeth to take over Cardan's reign of Faerie. He has employed Grimsen to forge a new sword for him that will effectively overrule the power of the Blood Crown that Cardan wears. While in the camp of the Court of Teeth, Oriana discovers Jude and agrees to send a message to her sisters to help Jude escape the camp. While awaiting her escape, she finds the Ghost chained up, prisoner to Madoc. She learns that Locke knew the Ghost's true name and that Locke gave Madoc this information as part of the dowry for his marriage to Taryn. This is the reason why the Ghost was compelled to kidnap Jude and bring her to the undersea.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The Roach and Cardan come to the camp to help Jude escape, though she tells Cardan to leave since it is too dangerous for him to be here. She tells them that she already has a plan to escape with her sisters. In her escape, she is caught by Madoc, with whom she duels. Madoc gives her a deathly wound and expects that Jude will die from this. Jude asks for dirt to be packed into her wound, which saves her since she is the ruler of the land, and the land has the power to cure her.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude returns to the palace as they make preparations against the expected assault from Madoc's army. Jude has chosen Grima Mog as Grand General against the assault. Madoc and his army come to the palace with Madoc bringing the weapon that Grimsen has forged for him – a sword that can harness the power of the earth, rivaling the power that lies in the Blood Crown that Grimsen had previously forged. Madoc challenges Cardan to a duel in order to determine who will rule Faerie. He offers the sword to Cardan and thrusts the sword into the ground, which causes the ground to crack and split the throne causing the ruination of the throne. Madoc questions if Cardan has the loyalty of the people. Cardan recounts the prophecy that was made at his birth that he would be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. He says that he believes the people should choose of their own free will to follow a ruler and not be bound to a crown. He breaks the crown in half not knowing that when Grimsen forged the crown, he cursed it, which transforms Cardan into a snake. Grimsen tells that as a snake, he will poison the land, and that true love's kiss cannot stop it, only death. Cardan, in snake form, then kills Grimsen before burrowing into the ground.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: Jude, acting as Queen, tries to formulate how to maintain her rule against Madoc's threat and solve Cardan's curse. Madoc and the Court of Teeth offer Jude the gift of a golden bridle that would be able to control Cardan. She later learns that they gave her incorrect instructions on how to use it, which would have tied her to the snake and left Madoc in control. A plan is made for Jude to capture the snake, but instead of putting the bridle on him, she cuts the snake's head off. The second part of the prophecy – only out of his spilled blood can a great ruler rise – is fulfilled when Cardan, in his original form, emerges from the pool of the snake's blood. In the Epilogue, Cardan and Jude are crowned and they banish Madoc to live in the human world.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The book is a collection of short stories organized into nine chapters, which are richly illustrated. The chapters include stories from Cardan's early childhood, occurring before the main trilogy; stories occurring within the timespan of the trilogy, told from Cardan's point of view; and stories occurring after the events of "The Queen of Nothing".


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: The series features appearances by characters from Black's previous "Modern Tale of Faerie" trilogy, as well as characters from her standalone novel "The Darkest Part of the Forest", establishing that those books take place in the same universe as "The Folk of the Air" series. The forthcoming Books of Elfhame series will also focus on characters in the world of Elfhame, starting with the book "The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame", which is set to be published in 2023.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: "The Folk of the Air" series has been reprinted into special editions by multiple companies including, illumicate, Fairyloot, and Barnes and Noble. In 2022 Litjoy also announced the complete special editions of "The" "Folk of Air" series.


title: The Folk of the Air (series)

text: In June 2017, it was announced that "The Cruel Prince" had been optioned for a film adaptation produced by Universal Pictures and Michael De Luca.


UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland (also known as UFC Fight Night 200, UFC on ESPN+ 58 and UFC Vegas 47) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 5, 2022 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.


title: UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland

text: A light heavyweight bout between Danilo Marques and Jailton Almeida was scheduled for . However, the bout was rescheduled due to Marques getting injured and it is now expected to take place at this event.


text: A flyweight bout between Malcolm Gordon and Denys Bondar was scheduled for . However, Gordon withdrew from the event due to undisclosed reasons and the pairing was rescheduled for this date.


text: Ian Heinisch was expected to face Sam Alvey in a middleweight bout. Heinisch pulled out due to undisclosed reasons in late December and was replaced by Phil Hawes. In turn, Hawes withdrew from the bout during fight week due to an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Brendan Allen, with the bout being moved up to light heavyweight.


text: At the weigh-ins, Steven Peterson weighed in at 149 pounds, 3 pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at a catchweight and he was fined 30% of his purse, which went to his opponent Julian Erosa.


text: On April 19, it was reported that Miles Johns tested positive for adderall in a urine test collected at the day of the event. As a result, he was received a six-month suspension, along with a $3,450 fine, which amounts to 15 percent of his fight purse.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Clarence is an American animated television series created by Skyler Page for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around the title character and his two best friends, Jeff and Sumo. The creator of the series, Skyler Page, a former storyboard artist for "Adventure Time" and revisionist for "Secret Mountain Fort Awesome", developed the series at Cartoon Network Studios as part of their shorts development program in 2012.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The pilot aired after the 2014 "Hall of Game Awards" show on February 17, 2014. The series officially premiered on April 14, 2014, and was seen by approximately 2.3 million viewers, outperforming shows in its same demographic in the time slot. The series' pilot was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award. The series completed its four-year run on June 24, 2018, after three seasons and 130 episodes.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The series focuses on the daily life of Clarence Wendle, a fun-loving and spirited 10-year-old boy, and his best friends: Jeff, who is the more intellectual type, and Sumo, who often uses drastic measures when solving problems.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Clarence lives with his divorced mother Mary and her boyfriend Chad in the fictional town of Aberdale. Each episode focuses on the daily-life situations and problems that Clarence and his friends encounter, and their everyday adventures and life experiences as kids.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Other characters include students and faculty at Aberdale Elementary, Clarence's school. Certain episodes focus on the life of supporting characters, like the citizens of Aberdale and Clarence's classmates.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The series was created by Page, a former storyboard artist for "Adventure Time" and revisionist for "Secret Mountain Fort Awesome".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: He is the fourth creator on the network who graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, and at age 24, he is also the youngest.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: As part of their shorts development program in 2012, the series was developed at Cartoon Network Studios; four others, "Steven Universe", "Over the Garden Wall", "We Bare Bears" and "Long Live the Royals" also came from this initiative.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Page, together with creative director Nelson Boles, conceived the series at CalArts. It was further considered when Page became hired at Cartoon Network Studios. A crew of two or three polished the pilot episode; after it had been picked up, a crew of 30 to 35 writers, storyboard artists, revisionists, colorists and designers were employed. Meanwhile, animation is outsourced to South Korea through the Saerom Animation. Page explained that the hardest part of production was keeping pace, especially where once an episode is completed, one must start over. He called this "exciting", but "very challenging".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: According to writer Spencer Rothbell, the series was created with a naturalistic tone, similar to cartoons of the 1990s, combined with a more modern feeling. Given this naturalism, writers can reference works that have inspired for them or fit the genre of an episode. He ultimately felt that it was about "empowering kids and having fun". Rothbell also avoids "pigeonholing" into one type of story, and that while some plots are mostly character-driven, others are "based on one idea that we think is really funny". Inspiration also came from the shows Page watched as a child, which invoked more poignant and relatable situations. Despite this, elements of fantasy are allowed, and that conveying both incongruous to one another was one technique he particularly enjoyed. Boles noted that the art direction called for inconsistent character design to avoid having to fit model sheet with the universe perfectly—a result of what he dubs "The Simpsons" effect". Attention is also paid to background characters in order to expand variety in its plot and universe.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In the end of the "Steven Universe"/"Uncle Grandpa" crossover episode, "Say Uncle", UG looks over the list of characters from former and current Cartoon Network shows and saw Clarence is the last on his list.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Clarence, Jeff, Sumo, and Belson appeared in "The Grampies", the short accompanying the "Uncle Grandpa" episode "Pizza Eve", along with other Cartoon Network characters from currently running and ended cartoons. Belson had a speaking role in that short.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In "The Amazing World of Gumball" episode "The Boredom", Clarence and Mary make an appearance, alongside "Uncle Grandpa" and "Regular Show" characters.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In the "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes" episode "Crossover Nexus", Jeff made an appearance, along with other Cartoon Network characters.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In July 2014, Skyler Page was fired from Cartoon Network Studios amid allegations that he had sexually assaulted a female coworker. A Cartoon Network spokesperson confirmed that the series would continue despite his absence. Spencer Rothbell later became head of story and the voice of Clarence. Nelson Boles, who was previously the series creative director, served as series showrunner for the remainder of the first season. Stephen P. Neary, one of the storyboard artists for the series, took over as showrunner for the second season and onward after Boles left the series early in the second season.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In September 2014, Spencer Rothbell, a writer, head of storywriting, and voice actor of multiple characters for "Clarence", said that they had to change a scene in the episode "Neighborhood Grill", which showed two gay characters after pushback from Cartoon Network executives. According to Rothbell, the original scene showed the two characters kissing on the lips, noting that "originally the guy had flowers and they kissed on the mouth." Later he lamented that the scene in the episode is "better than nothing," adding that "maybe one day the main character can be gay and it won't be a big deal." Despite this step back, there were some moves forward.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: On December 4, 2014, EJ Randell and Sue Randell were introduced as Jeff's mothers in the episode "Jeff Wins" of "Clarence".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: On April 4, 2017, Spencer Rothbell confirmed on his Twitter page that the series' third season would be its last as Cartoon Network did not renew the series for a fourth season, which ended on June 24, 2018.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Cartoon Network had commissioned twelve quarter-hour episodes, with the pilot episode airing after the "Hall of Game Awards" show on February 17, 2014.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The pilot was nominated for an "Outstanding Short-format Animated Program" at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2013.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The first episode, broadcast April 14, 2014, was met with an estimated 2.3 million viewers, outperforming shows in its same demographic in the time slot by double and triple-digit percentages.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Meanwhile, preliminary data identified it as the most watched series premiere for the network that year.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In Canada, "Clarence" premiered on Cartoon Network on April 14 and on Teletoon on September 4, but it was later moved exclusively to Cartoon Network. The series premiered on October 6 on Cartoon Network in Australia and New Zealand and on November 3 on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In India, the series debuted on June 1, 2015 on Cartoon Network. The last 13 episodes of the series aired first in Germany before airing in the United States.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In a three-star review, Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media alerted parents of "a similar brand of absurdity and crudeness" as "Adventure Time"—though less severe—but praised the cast as "oddly likable".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Nancy Basile of About.com applauded the dialogue for its lengthiness, and considered the relationships between the characters to be dynamic and genuine, with some comedy thrown in. Whitney Matheson of "USA Today" found "Clarence" to blend optimism and surreal humor in "just the right amount", and encouraged children and parents alike to watch its premiere.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In "Animation Magazine", Mercedes Milligan described it as "a breath of fresh suburban air" and a celebration of childhood.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Brian Lowry of "Variety" called it "so quirky and idiosyncratic as to feel fresh", although it sometimes tread in "well-worn territory", but found the character designs unattractive.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The series gained considerable press after featuring a gay couple in the episode "Neighborhood Grill", with coverage in various tabloid and entertainment news sites, and in LGBT-oriented sites as well.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The scene involves two male characters greeting each other with kisses on the cheek while at a restaurant.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Rothbell originally had the couple kiss on the lips after receiving flowers from the other, but this went unapproved by the network.


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: He added that the scene was a "minor throwaway moment", albeit "better than nothing", and anticipated that "one day the main character can be gay and it won't be a big deal".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: Joe Morgan of "Gay Star News" called the buildup to the scene "an old joke", a notion shared by Dan Tracer of "Queerty", although he praised their portrayal "just as normal people".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: In 2017, the Kenya Film Classification Board banned "Clarence", together with the cartoon series "The Loud House", "The Legend of Korra", "Hey Arnold!", "Steven Universe" and "Adventure Time", from being broadcast in Kenya. According to the Board, the reason was that these series were "glorifying homosexual behavior".


title: Clarence (American TV series)

text: The series was made available on HBO Max on May 27, 2020. It was later removed from the streaming service on December 6, 2022 in the US, but still remaining in Latin America.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: During the Second Anglo-Boer War which lasted from 1899–1902, the British operated concentration camps in South Africa: the term "concentration camp" grew in prominence during that period. The camps had originally been set up by the British Army as refugee camps in order to provide refuge for civilian families who had been forced to abandon their homes for any reason which was related to the war. However, when General The 1st Baron Kitchener of Khartoum, as he then was, took command of the British forces in late 1900, he introduced new tactics in an attempt to break the guerrilla campaign and the influx of civilians grew dramatically as a result. An epidemic of measles killed thousands. According to historian Thomas Pakenham, Lord Kitchener initiated plans to flush out guerrillas in a series of systematic drives, organised like a sporting shoot, with success defined by a weekly 'bag' of killed, captured and wounded, and sweep the country bare of everything that could give sustenance to the guerrillas, including women and children. It was the clearance of civilians - uprooting a nation- that came to dominate the last phases of the war.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: As Boer farms were destroyed by the British under their "Scorched Earth" policy—including the systematic destruction of crops and the slaughtering or removal of livestock, the burning down of homesteads and farms—to prevent the Boers from resupplying themselves from a home base, many tens of thousands of men, women and children were forcibly moved into the camps. This was not the first appearance of internment camps, as the Spanish had used internment in Cuba in the Ten Years' War, but the Boer War concentration camp system was the first time that a whole nation had been systematically targeted, and the first in which some whole regions had been depopulated.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Eventually, there were a total of 45 tented camps which were built for Boer internees and 64 additional camps which were built for black Africans. Of the 28,000 Boer men who were captured as prisoners of war, 25,630 were sent overseas. The vast majority of Boers who remained in the local camps were women and children. Over 26,000 women and children perished in these concentration camps.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: The camps were poorly administered from the outset and they became increasingly overcrowded when Lord Kitchener's troops implemented the internment strategy on a vast scale. Conditions were terrible for the health of the internees, mainly due to neglect, poor hygiene and bad sanitation. The supply of all items was unreliable, partly because of the constant disruption of communication lines by the Boers. The food rations were meagre and there was a two-tier allocation policy, whereby families of men who were still fighting were routinely given smaller rations than others. The inadequate shelter, poor diet, bad hygiene and overcrowding led to malnutrition and endemic contagious diseases such as measles, typhoid and dysentery to which the children were particularly vulnerable. Coupled with a shortage of modern medical facilities, many of the internees died.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Although the 1900 UK general election, also known as the "Khaki election", had resulted in a victory for the Conservative government on the back of recent British victories against the Boers, public support quickly waned as it became apparent that the war would not be easy and further unease developed following reports filtering back to Britain concerning the treatment of Boer civilians by the British. Public and political opposition to government policies in South Africa regarding Boer civilians was first expressed in Parliament in February 1901 in the form of an attack on the government by the Liberal Party MP David Lloyd George.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Emily Hobhouse, a delegate of the South African Women and Children's Distress Fund, visited some of the camps in the Orange Free State from January 1901, and in May 1901 she returned to England on board the ship, the "Saxon". Alfred Milner, High Commissioner in South Africa, also boarded the "Saxon" for holiday in England but, unfortunately for both the camp internees and the British government, he had no time for Miss Hobhouse, regarding her as a Boer sympathiser and "trouble maker". On her return, Emily Hobhouse did much to publicise the distress of the camp inmates. She managed to speak to the Liberal Party leader, Henry Campbell-Bannerman who professed to be suitably outraged but was disinclined to press the matter, as his party was split between the imperialists and the pro-Boer factions.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: The more radical Liberals however such as David Lloyd George and John Ellis were prepared to raise the matter in Parliament and to harass the government on the issue, which they duly did. St John Brodrick, the Conservative secretary of state for war, first defended the government's policy by arguing that the camps were purely "voluntary" and that the interned Boers were "contented and comfortable", but was somewhat undermined as he had no firm statistics to back up his argument, so when his "voluntary" argument proved untenable, he resorted to the "military necessity" argument and stated that everything possible was being done to ensure satisfactory conditions in the camps.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Hobhouse published a report in June 1901 that contradicted Brodrick's claim, and Lloyd George then openly accused the government of "a policy of extermination" directed against the Boer population. The same month Liberal opposition party leader Campbell-Bannerman took up the assault and answered the rhetorical question "When is a war not a war?" with his own rhetorical answer "When it is carried on by methods of barbarism in South Africa", referring to those same camps and the policies that created them. The Hobhouse report caused uproar both domestically and among the international community. However, there was very little public sympathy outside South Africa for the highly reactionary Boer president Paul Kruger.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Although the government had comfortably won the parliamentary debate by a margin of 252 to 149, it was stung by the criticism. Concerned by the escalating public outcry, it called on Kitchener for a detailed report. In response, complete statistical returns from camps were sent out in July 1901. By August 1901, it was clear to government and opposition alike that Miss Hobhouse's worst fears were being confirmed – 93,940 Boers and 24,457 black Africans were reported to be in "camps of refuge" and the crisis was becoming a catastrophe as the death rates appeared very high, especially among the children.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: The government responded to the growing clamour by appointing a commission. The Fawcett Commission, as it became known was, uniquely for its time, an all-woman affair headed by Millicent Fawcett who despite being the leader of the women's suffrage movement was a Liberal Unionist and thus a government supporter and considered a safe pair of hands. Between August and December 1901, the Fawcett Commission conducted its own tour of the camps in South Africa. While it is probable that the British government expected the Commission to produce a report that could be used to fend off criticism, in the end it confirmed everything that Emily Hobhouse had said. Indeed, if anything the Commission's recommendations went even further. The Commission insisted that rations should be increased and that additional nurses be sent out immediately, and included a long list of other practical measures designed to improve conditions in the camp. Millicent Fawcett was quite blunt in expressing her opinion that much of the catastrophe was owed to a simple failure to observe elementary rules of hygiene.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: In November 1901, the Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain ordered Alfred Milner to ensure that "all possible steps are being taken to reduce the rate of mortality". The civil authority took over the running of the camps from Kitchener and the British command and by February 1902 the annual death-rate in the concentration camps for white inmates dropped to 6.9 percent and eventually to 2 percent. However, by then the damage had been done. A report after the war concluded that 27,927 Boers (of whom 24,074 [50 percent of the Boer child population] were children under 16) had died in the camps. In all, about one in four (25 percent) of the Boer inmates, mostly children, died.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: "Improvements [however] were much slower in coming to the black camps". It is thought that about 12 percent of black African inmates died (about 14,154) but the precise number of deaths of black Africans in concentration camps is unknown as little attempt was made to keep any records of the 107,000 black Africans who were interned.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had served as a volunteer doctor in the Langman Field Hospital at Bloemfontein between March and June 1900. In his widely distributed and translated pamphlet 'The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct' he justified both the reasonings behind the war and handling of the conflict itself. He also pointed out that over 14,000 British soldiers had died of disease during the conflict (as opposed to 8,000 killed in combat) and at the height of epidemics he was seeing 50–60 British soldiers dying each day in a single ill-equipped and overwhelmed military hospital.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: It has been argued that "this was not a deliberately genocidal policy; rather it was the result of [a] disastrous lack of foresight and rank incompetence on [the] part of the [British] military". Scottish historian Niall Ferguson has also argued that "Kitchener no more desired the deaths of women and children in the camps than of the wounded Dervishes after Omdurman, or of his own soldiers in the typhoid stricken hospitals of Bloemfontein."


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: However, to Lord Kitchener and British High Command "the life or death of the 154,000 Boer and African civilians in the camps rated as an abysmally low priority" against military objectives. As the Fawcett Commission was delivering its recommendations, Kitchener wrote to St John Brodrick defending his policy of sweeps, and emphasising that no new Boer families were being brought in unless they were in danger of facing starvation. This was disingenuous as the countryside had by then been devastated under the "Scorched Earth" policy (the Fawcett Commission in December 1901 in its recommendations commented that: "to turn 100,000 people now being held in the concentration camps out on the veldt to take care of themselves would be cruelty") and now that the New Model counter insurgency tactics were in full swing, it made little sense to leave the Boer families by themselves in desperate conditions in the countryside.


title: Second Boer War concentration camps

text: It was according to one historian that "at [the Vereeniging negotiations in May 1902] Boer leader Louis Botha asserted that he had tried to send [Boer] families to the British, but they had refused to receive them." Quoting a Boer commandant referring to Boer women and children made refugees by Britain's scorched-earth policy as saying, "Our families are in a pitiable condition and the enemy uses those families to force us to surrender ...and there is little doubt that that was indeed the intention of Kitchener when he had issued instructions that no more families were to be brought into the concentration camps." Thomas Pakenham writes of Kitchener's policy U-turn,


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Polarity in international relations is any of the various ways in which power is distributed within the international system. It describes the nature of the international system at any given period of time. One generally distinguishes three types of systems: unipolarity, bipolarity, and multipolarity for three or more centers of power. The type of system is completely dependent on the distribution of power and influence of states in a region or globally.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Scholars differ as to whether bipolarity or unipolarity is likely to produce the most stable and peaceful outcomes. Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer are among those who argue that bipolarity tends to generate relatively more stability, whereas John Ikenberry and William Wohlforth are among those arguing for the stabilizing impact of unipolarity. Some scholars, such as Karl Deutsch and J. David Singer, argued that multipolarity was the most stable structure.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Unipolarity is a condition in which one state under the condition of international anarchy enjoys a preponderance of power and faces no competitor states. A unipolar state is not the same as an empire or a hegemon that can control the behavior of all other states.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Scholars have debated the durability and peacefulness of unipolarity. William Wohlforth argues that unipolarity is durable and peaceful because it reduces the likelihood of hegemonic rivalry (because no state is powerful enough to challenge the unipole) and it reduces the salience and stakes of balance of power politics among the major states, thus reducing the likelihood that attempts at balances of power cause major war. Wohlforth builds his argument on hegemonic stability theory and a rejection of the balance of power theory. With no great power to check its adventurism, the United States will weaken itself by misusing its power internationally. “Wide latitude” of “policy choices” will allow the U.S. to act capriciously on the basis of “internal political pressure and national ambition.”


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: According to Carla Norrlöf, U.S. unipolarity is stable and sustainable due to a combination of three factors: 1. The status of the American dollar as the world's dominant reserve currency, 2. American commercial power, and 3. American military preponderance. The United States benefits disproportionately from its status as hegemon. Other states do not challenge U.S. hegemony because many of them benefit from the U.S.-led order, and there are significant coordination problems in creating an alternative world order.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Nuno P. Monteiro argues that unipolarity is conflict-prone, both between the unipole and other states, and exclusively among other states. Monteiro substantiates this by remarking that “the United States has been at war for thirteen of the twenty-two years since the end of the Cold War. Put another way, the first two decades of unipolarity, which make up less than 10 percent of U.S. history, account for more than 25 percent of the nation’s total time at war.” Kenneth Waltz that unipolarity is “the least durable of international configurations.” Secondly, even if the United States acts benevolently, states will still attempt to balance against it because the power asymmetry demands it: In a self-help system, states do not worry about other states’ intentions as they do other states' capabilities. “Unbalanced power leaves weaker states feeling uneasy and gives them reason to strengthen their positions,” Waltz says.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: In a 2009 study, Martha Finnemore argues that unipolarity has, contrary to some expectations, not given the United States a free rein to do what it wants and that unipolarity has proven to be quite frustrating for the United States. The reasons for this is that unipolarity does not just entail a material superiority by the unipole, but also a social structure whereby the unipole maintains its status through legitimation, and institutionalization. In trying to obtain legitimacy from the other actors in the international system, the unipole necessarily gives those actors a degree of power. The unipole also obtains legitimacy and wards off challenges to its power through the creation of institutions, but these institutions also entail a diffusion of power away from the unipole.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: In a 2021 study, Yuan-kang Wang argues from the experience of Ming China (1368–1644) and Qing China (1644–1912) that the durability of unipolarity is contingent on the ability of the unipole to sustain its power advantage and for potential challengers to increase their power without provoking a military reaction from the unipole.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Numerous thinkers predicted U.S primacy in the 20th century onwards, including William Gladstone, Michel Chevalier, K'ang Yu-wei, Georges Vacher de Lapouge, H. G. Wells in "Anticipations" (1900), and William Thomas Stead.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Liberal institutionalist John Ikenberry argues in a series of influential writings that the United States purposely set up an international order after the end of World War that sustained US primacy. In his view, realist predictions of power balancing did not bear fruit because the United States engaged in strategic restraint after World War II, thereby convincing weaker states that it was more interested in cooperation rather than domination. U.S. strategic restraint allowed weaker countries to participate in the make-up of the post-war world order, which limited opportunities for the United States to exploit total power advantages. Ikenberry notes that while the United States could have unilaterally engaged in unfettered power projection, it decided instead to “lock in” its advantage long after zenith by establishing an enduring institutional order, gave weaker countries a voice, reduced great power uncertainty, and mitigated the security dilemma. The liberal basis of U.S. hegemony—a transparent democratic political system—has made it easier for other countries to accept the post-war order, Ikenberry explains. “American hegemony is reluctant, open, and highly institutionalized—or in a word, liberal” and “short of large-scale war or a global economic crisis, the American hegemonic order appears to be immune to would-be hegemonic challengers.”


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Michael Beckley argues American primacy is vastly underestimated because power indices frequently fail to take into account GDP per capita in the U.S. relative to other purportedly powerful states, such as China and India.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: In 2011, Barrry Posen argued that unipolarity was in wane and that the world was shifting towards multipolarity. In 2019, John Mearsheimer argued that the international system was shifting from unipolarity to multipolarity.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: In 2022, William Wohlforth argued that the international system was heading towards a system that can be characterized neither as bipolarity nor multipolarity. He added that polarity did not appear to matter as much in the current international system, as great powers command a far smaller share of power vis-a-vis the rest of the states in the international system.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Bipolarity is a distribution of power in which two states have a preponderance of power. In bipolarity, spheres of influence and alliance systems have frequently developed around each pole. For example, in the Cold War of 1947-1991, most Western and capitalist states would fall under the influence of the US, while most Communist states would fall under the influence of the USSR. Kenneth Waltz's influential "Theory of International Politics" argued that bipolarity tended towards the greatest stability because the two great powers would engage in rapid mutual adjustment, which would prevent inadvertent escalation and reduce the chance of power asymmetries forming. Dale Copeland has challenged Waltz on this, arguing that bipolarity creates a risk for war when a power asymmetry or divergence happens.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Historic examples of bipolarity include Great Britain and France in 18th century from the end of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1715) until the Seven Years' War (1754-1763), and the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War (1947-1991).


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: According to Sullivan and Donnelly, a "polycentric" period emerged between 1963 and 1988 - in contrast to the bipolar period of 1945 to 1962.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Multipolarity is a distribution of power in which more than two nation-states have nearly equal amounts of power. The Concert of Europe, a period from after the Napoleonic Wars to the Crimean War, was an example of peaceful multipolarity (the great powers of Europe assembled regularly to discuss international and domestic issues), as was the Interwar period. Examples of wartime multipolarity include World War I, World War II, the Thirty Years War, the Warring States period, the Three Kingdoms period and the tripartite division between Song dynasty/Liao dynasty/Jin dynasty/Yuan dynasty..


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Classical realist theorists, such as Hans Morgenthau and E. H. Carr, hold that multipolar systems are more stable than bipolar systems, as great powers can gain power through alliances and petty wars that do not directly challenge other powers; in bipolar systems, classical realists argue, this is not possible.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Neorealist hold that multipolar systems are particularly unstable and conflict-prone, as there is greater complexity in managing alliance systems, and a greater chance of misjudging the intentions of other states. Thomas Christensen and Jack Snyder argue that multipolarity tends towards instability and conflict escalation due to "chain-ganging" (allies get drawn into unwise wars provoked by alliance partners) and "buck-passing" (states which do not experience an immediate proximate threat do not balance against the threatening power in the hope that others carry the cost of balancing against the threat).


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: Multipolarity does not guarantee multilateralism and can pose a challenge against multilateralism. According to Kemal Derviş, a decline in unipolarity creates a crisis in multilateralism; it is possible to revive multilateralism in a multipolar system, but this is more threatened and the structure to do so is not fully developed. In multipolarity, larger powers can negotiate "mega-regional" agreements more easily than smaller ones. When there are multiple competing great powers, this can lead to the smaller states being left out of such agreements. Though multipolar orders form regional hegemonies around 'poles' or great powers, this can weaken economic interdependencies within regions, at least in regions without a great power. Additionally, as multipolar systems can tend to regional hegemonies or bounded orders, agreements are formed within these bounded orders rather than globally. Though, Mearsheimer predicts the persistence of a thin international order within multipolarity, which constitutes some multilateral agreements.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: The Correlates of War uses a systemic concentration of power formula to calculate the polarity of a given great power system. The formula was developed by J. David Singer et al. in 1972.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: The expression formula_2 represents the sum of the squares of the proportion of power possessed by all states in the great power system.


title: Polarity (international relations)

text: The closer the resulting concentration is to zero, the more evenly divided power is. The closer to 1, the more concentrated power is. There is a general but not strict correlation between concentration and polarity. It is rare to find a result over 0.5, but a result between 0.4 and 0.5 usually indicates a unipolar system, while a result between 0.2 and 0.4 usually indicated a bipolar or multipolar system. Concentration can be plotted over time, so that the fluctuations and trends in concentration can be observed.


title: HLTV

text: HLTV, formerly an acronym of Half-Life Television, is a news website and forum which covers professional "" esports news, tournaments and statistics. It is one of the leading websites within the "Counter-Strike" community with over 4 million unique visitors each month. In February 2020, the site was acquired by the sports betting group Better Collective.


title: HLTV

text: HLTV was founded in 2002 by Martin "Martin" Rosenbæk and Per "Nomad" Lambæk. It was initially created to host recordings of "Counter-Strike 1.6" matches, although it grew to include "Counter-Strike" and "Half-Life" news. HLTV started storing GOTV demos for "" when they were introduced in 2012. It has since evolved to include news, statistics, and analysis for the professional esports scene of "Global Offensive".


title: HLTV

text: Since late 2015, HLTV ranks the teams based on their own rating system. HLTV have awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) medals to the highest performing player at each tournament. They also award Exceptionally Valuable Player (EVP) medals to players putting in an above average performance. In 2016, HLTV launched dust2.dk, a website dedicated to the "Counter-Strike" scene in Denmark. They followed this up in 2017 by launching dust2.us, a local website for the Americas. Data, such as professional match results, are fed through from the subsidiary websites to HLTV. Since 2010 with the first version of "Counter-Strike", HLTV has ranked all of the professional "Counter-Strike" players based on their performance that year. In May 2019, HLTV was officially integrated into "Global Offensive", where you can now find professional tournaments, provided by data from HLTV.


title: HLTV

text: HLTV has received many visual updates throughout the years, with the most recent one taking place in 2017.


title: HLTV

text: In 2020, HLTV announced that it and sister site dust2.dk had been acquired by Better Collective, a sports betting group based in Denmark.


title: HLTV

text: The HLTV rating is the most widely used rating system in "Global Offensive", and is often used outside of HLTV.


title: HLTV

text: Rating 1.0 was introduced to HLTV in 2010 with the first version of "Counter-Strike". This rating was based on the number of kills per round, the survival rate of a player per round, and the amount of multikills a player got, which is known as the impact rating. The higher each of these values are, the higher rating a player would get. The HLTV 1.0 rating came under criticism for being too similar to the Kill/Death ratio.


title: HLTV

text: Rating 2.0 was introduced to HLTV on June 6, 2017, as an update to Rating 1.0. Added were two new factors, Kill/Assist/Survival/Traded (KAST) and Average Damage per Round (ADR), along with a changed impact rating. KAST measures the percentage of rounds where a player contributes by killing an enemy, assisting a teammate, surviving a round or getting revenge on an enemy for killing a teammate, known as trading. Impact rating is based on the number of multi-kills, opening kills, 1vX situations (clutches) won and other undisclosed factors. Rating 2.0 is meant to be more accurate than Rating 1.0, since it includes more factors to measure the player's performance. Despite these new adjustments, it is still considered by some to not cover enough. Generally speaking, AWPers and so-called "star riflers" are favored by this rating. The sniper generally has a higher K/D ratio and ADR due to the nature of the weapon, while the star riflers will be put in the most impactful positions on the map. Meanwhile, the players who set up the star players will generally not be favored by this system. This can be through the form of a sacrificial entry fragger who will be traded or a support player throwing utility from the back.


title: HLTV

text: HLTV awards an MVP medal at notable events, which is given to the player they consider had the most impact in the tournament. Starting in 2016, players who win an MVP award are provided a physical medal which are either gold, silver or bronze depending on the significance of the event which it was awarded.


title: HLTV

text: Each year, the HLTV staff rank professional "Counter-Strike" players based on their performance, and write an article explaining their choice. These rankings are based on how successful the player's team is, the individual performance based on the HLTV Rating 1.0 and Rating 2.0, and MVP/EVP awards given by HLTV. They have ranked both "Counter-Strike" and "Global Offensive" players. 2012 was excluded due to it being a transition year between "Counter-Strike" and "" to "Global Offensive".


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: IPv4 address exhaustion is the depletion of the pool of unallocated IPv4 addresses. Because the original Internet architecture had fewer than 4.3 billion addresses available, depletion has been anticipated since the late 1980s, when the Internet started experiencing dramatic growth. This depletion is one of the reasons for the development and deployment of its successor protocol, IPv6. IPv4 and IPv6 coexist on the Internet.


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: The IP address space is managed globally by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), and by five regional Internet registries (RIRs) responsible in their designated territories for assignment to end users and local Internet registries, such as Internet service providers. The main market forces that accelerated IPv4 address depletion included the rapidly growing number of Internet users, always-on devices, and mobile devices.


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: The anticipated shortage has been the driving factor in creating and adopting several new technologies, including network address translation (NAT), Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) in 1993, and IPv6 in 1998.


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: The top-level exhaustion occurred on 31 January 2011. All RIRs have exhausted their address pools, except those reserved for IPv6 transition; this occurred on 15 April 2011 for the Asia-Pacific (APNIC), on 10 June 2014 for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC), on 24 September 2015 for North America (ARIN), on 21 April 2017 for Africa (AfriNIC), and on 25 November 2019 for Europe, Middle East and Central Asia (RIPE NCC). These RIRs still allocate recovered addresses or addresses reserved for a special purpose. Individual ISPs still have pools of unassigned IP addresses, and could recycle addresses no longer needed by subscribers.


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: Every node of an Internet Protocol (IP) network, such as a computer, router, or network printer, is assigned an IP address for each network interface, used to locate and identify the node in communications with other nodes on the network. Internet Protocol version 4 provides 2 (4,294,967,296) addresses. However, large blocks of IPv4 addresses are reserved for special uses and are unavailable for public allocation.


title: IPv4 address exhaustion

text: The IPv4 addressing structure provides an insufficient number of publicly routable addresses to provide a distinct address to every Internet device or service. This problem has been mitigated for some time by changes in the address allocation and routing infrastructure of the Internet. The transition from classful network addressing to Classless Inter-Domain Routing delayed the exhaustion of addresses substantially. In addition, network address translation (NAT) permits Internet service providers and enterprises to masquerade private network address space with only one publicly routable IPv4 address on the Internet interface of a main Internet router, instead of allocating a public address to each network device.