title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin's campaign for one of Montana's two at-large House seats in the congressional election of 1916 was financed and managed by her brother Wellington, an influential member of the Montana Republican Party. She traveled long distances to reach the state's widely scattered population. Rankin rallied support at train stations, street corners, potluck suppers on ranches, and remote one-room schoolhouses. She ran as a progressive, emphasizing her support of suffrage, social welfare, and prohibition. In the Republican primary, Rankin received the most votes of the eight Republican candidates. In the at-large general election on November 7, the top two vote-getters won the seats. Rankin finished second in the voting, defeating Frank Bird Linderman, among others, to become the first woman elected to Congress. During her victory speech, she said, "I am deeply conscious of the responsibility resting upon me" as the only woman in the nation with voting power in Congress. Her election generated considerable nationwide interest, including, reportedly, several marriage proposals.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Shortly after her term began, Congress was called into an extraordinary April session in response to Germany declaring unrestricted submarine warfare on all Atlantic shipping. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson, addressing a joint session, asked Congress to "make the world safe for democracy" by declaring war on Germany. After intense debate, the war resolution came to a vote in the House at 3:00 am on April 6; Rankin cast one of 50 votes in opposition. "I wish to stand for my country," she said, "but I cannot vote for war." Years later, she would add, "I felt the first time the first woman had a chance to say no to war, she should say it." Although 49 male Representatives and six Senators also voted against the declaration, Rankin was singled out for criticism. Some considered her vote a discredit to the suffragist movement and her authority in Congress; but others applauded it, including Alice Paul of the National Woman's Party and Representative Fiorello LaGuardia of New York.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin used her office to push for better working conditions for laborers. On June 8, 1917, the Speculator Mine disaster in Butte left 168 miners dead. Workers called a massive protest strike over working conditions. Rankin tried to intervene, but mining companies refused to meet with her or the miners, and her proposed legislation to end the strike was unsuccessful. She had greater success pushing for better working conditions in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Rankin listened to the grievances of federal workers in the bureau, which included long hours and an excessively demanding work pace. She also hired investigative reporter Elizabeth Watson to investigate. As a result of her efforts to draw attention to the working conditions of the bureau, Treasury Secretary William McAdoo convened his own investigation and ultimately limited the work day to eight hours.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: By 1917, women had been granted some form of voting rights in about forty states. Rankin continued to lead the movement for unrestricted universal enfranchisement. She was instrumental in the creation of the Committee on Woman Suffrage and became one of its founding members. In January 1918, the committee delivered its report to Congress, and Rankin opened congressional debate on a Constitutional amendment granting universal suffrage to women. The resolution passed in the House but was defeated by the Senate. The following year—after Rankin's congressional term had ended—the same resolution passed both chambers. After ratification by three-fourths of the states, it became the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: During Rankin's term, Montana's state legislature voted to replace the state's two at-large Congressional seats with two single-member districts. With little chance of reelection in the overwhelmingly Democratic western district, Rankin chose instead to run for the Senate in 1918. After losing the Republican primary to physician Oscar M. Lanstrum, she accepted the nomination of the National Party and finished third in the general election behind Lanstrum and incumbent Democrat Thomas J. Walsh.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: After leaving Congress, Rankin worked as a field secretary for the National Consumers League and as a lobbyist for various pacifist organizations. She argued for the passage of a Constitutional amendment banning child labor and supported the Sheppard–Towner Act, the first federal social welfare program created explicitly for women and children. The legislation was enacted in 1921 but repealed eight years later, though many of its key provisions were incorporated into the Social Security Act of 1935.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: In 1924, Rankin bought a small farm in Georgia. She lived a simple life there, without electricity or plumbing, though she also maintained a residence in Montana. Rankin made frequent speeches around the country on behalf of the Women's Peace Union and the National Council for the Prevention of War (NCPW). In 1928 she founded the Georgia Peace Society, which served as headquarters for her pacifism campaign until its dissolution in 1941, on the eve of the U.S. involvement in World War II.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: In 1937, Rankin opposed President Franklin Roosevelt's proposals to intervene on the British side against Germany and its allies, arguing that both sides wished to avoid a second European war and would pursue a diplomatic solution. She testified before multiple Congressional committees in opposition to various preparedness measures. When it became clear that her lobbying efforts were largely ineffective, Rankin resigned from her NCPW position and declared her intention to regain her seat in the House of Representatives.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin began her campaign for Congress in 1939 with a tour of high schools in Montana. She arranged to speak in 52 of the First Congressional District's 56 high schools to reestablish her ties to the region after years of spending much of her time in Georgia. Once again, Rankin enjoyed the political support of her well-connected brother Wellington, even though the siblings had increasingly divergent lifestyles and political views.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: In the 1940 race, Rankin—at age 60—defeated incumbent Jacob Thorkelson, an outspoken antisemite, in the July primary, and former Representative Jerry J. O'Connell in the general election. She was appointed to the Committee on Public Lands and the Committee on Insular Affairs. While members of Congress and their constituents had been debating the question of U.S. intervention in World War II for months, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, galvanized the country and silenced virtually all opposition.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: On December 8, Rankin was the only member of either chamber of Congress to vote against the declaration of war on Japan. Hisses could be heard in the gallery as she cast her vote; several colleagues, including Rep. (later Senator) Everett Dirksen, asked her to change it to make the resolution unanimous—or at very least, to abstain—but she refused. "As a woman I can't go to war," she said, "and I refuse to send anyone else."


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: After the vote, a crowd of reporters pursued Rankin into a cloakroom. There, she was forced to take refuge in a phone booth until Capitol Police arrived to escort her to her office, where she was inundated with angry telegrams and phone calls. One cable from her brother read, "Montana is 100 percent against you". A wire service photo of Rankin sequestered in the phone booth, calling for assistance, appeared the following day in newspapers across the country.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: While her action was widely ridiculed in the press, Progressive leader William Allen White, writing in the Kansas "Emporia Gazette", acknowledged her courage in taking it:


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Three days later, a similar war declaration against Germany and Italy came to a vote; Rankin abstained. With her political career effectively over, she did not run for reelection in 1942. Asked years later if she ever regretted her action, Rankin replied, "Never. If you're against war, you're against war regardless of what happens. It's a wrong method of trying to settle a dispute."


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Over the next twenty years, Rankin traveled the world, frequently visiting India, where she studied the pacifist teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. She maintained homes in both Georgia and Montana.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: In the 1960s and 1970s, a new generation of pacifists, feminists, and civil rights advocates found inspiration in Rankin and embraced her efforts in ways that her generation had not. She mobilized again in response to the Vietnam War. In January 1968, the Jeannette Rankin Brigade, a coalition of women's peace groups, organized an anti-war march in Washington, D.C.—the largest march by women since the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913. Rankin led 5,000 participants from Union Station to the steps of the Capitol Building, where they presented a peace petition to House Speaker John McCormack. Simultaneously, a splinter group of activists from the women's liberation movement created a protest within the Brigade's protest by staging a "Burial of True Womanhood" at Arlington National Cemetery to draw attention to the passive role allotted to women as wives and mothers. In 1972, Rankin—by then in her nineties—considered mounting a third House campaign to gain a wider audience for her opposition to the Vietnam War, but longstanding throat and heart ailments forced her to abandon that final project.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin never married. While she maintained a lifelong, close friendship with the noted journalist and author Katherine Anthony, the women were never romantically involved. Rankin's biographers disagree on her sexual orientation but generally agree that she was too consumed by her work to pursue committed personal relationships.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin died on May 18, 1973, at age 92, in Carmel, California. There is a memorial stone dedicated to her in the Missoula Cemetery. She bequeathed her estate, including the property in Watkinsville, Georgia, to help "mature, unemployed women workers". Her Montana residence, known as the Rankin Ranch, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Jeannette Rankin Foundation (now the Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, awards annual educational scholarships to low-income women 35 and older across the United States. Beginning with a single $500 scholarship in 1978, the fund has since awarded more than $1.8 million in scholarships to more than 700 women.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: A statue of Rankin by Terry Mimnaugh, inscribed "I Cannot Vote For War", was placed in the United States Capitol's Statuary Hall in 1985. At its dedication, historian Joan Hoff-Wilson called Rankin "one of the most controversial and unique women in Montana and American political history". A replica stands in Montana's capitol building in Helena. In 1993, Rankin was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: In 2004, peace activist Jeanmarie Simpson produced and starred in the one-woman play "A Single Woman", based on the life of Rankin, to benefit peace organizations. Simpson also starred in a film adaptation that was directed and produced by Kamala Lopez, narrated by Martin Sheen, and featuring music by Joni Mitchell. Opera America commissioned a song cycle about Rankin called "Fierce Grace" that premiered in 2017. In 2018, the Kalispell Brewing Company commissioned a mural on the side of its building in Kalispell, Montana, featuring a Rankin caricature and quotation.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Rankin is the subject of the musical "We Won't Sleep" (formerly "Jeannette") with music and lyrics by Arianna Afsar and a book by Lauren Gunderson. Under the title "Jeannette", the musical was part of the 2019 summer series at the National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut.


title: Jeannette Rankin

text: Although her legacy rests almost entirely on her pacifism, Rankin told the Montana Constitutional Convention in 1972 that she would have preferred otherwise. "If I am remembered for no other act", she said, "I want to be remembered as the only woman who ever voted to give women the right to vote."


title: Andy Stanley

text: Charles Andrew Stanley (born May 16, 1958), known as Andy Stanley, is an American who is the founder and senior pastor of North Point Ministries, a nondenominational evangelical Christian church with several campuses across the north metro Atlanta area: North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, Browns Bridge Church, Woodstock City Church, Gwinnett Church, Decatur City Church, East Cobb Church, and Hamilton Mill Church.


title: Andy Stanley

text: Stanley was born in Atlanta in 1958. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Georgia State University and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary.


title: Andy Stanley

text: Stanley founded North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, in 1995. Stanley is also known


title: Andy Stanley

text: Stanley is the author of more than 20 books, including "Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets; The New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating; Ask It; How to Be Rich; Deep & Wide; Enemies of the Heart; When Work & Family Collide; Visioneering; Next Generation Leader; and Irresistible." His television program "Your Move with Andy Stanley" has been broadcast since 2012.


title: Andy Stanley

text: In 2017, a survey of U.S. pastors in "Outreach" magazine identified Stanley as one of the ten most influential living pastors in America. In 2016, his podcast won the Academy of Podcasters award for best spirituality and religion podcast.


title: Andy Stanley

text: Stanley now lives outside of Atlanta with his wife, Sandra, and their three adult children. His father is Charles Stanley, the former senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries.


title: Jack Bannon (English actor)

text: Jack Bannon (born 24 March 1991) is an English actor, known for his role as Christopher Morcom in "The Imitation Game", as Sam Thursday on the ITV drama series "Endeavour" (2013-2018) and as Alfred Pennyworth on the Epix crime drama series "Pennyworth" (2019–present).


title: Jack Bannon (English actor)

text: Bannon was born and raised in Norwich. He completed high school at Notre Dame High School, Norwich before attending arts courses for a number of years at the Theatre Royal, Norwich. Despite being turned down for drama school on two occasions he landed his role on "Endeavour" in 2013.


title: Arete

text: Arete (Greek: ) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to 'excellence' of any kind—especially a person or thing's "full realization of potential or inherent function." The term may also refer to excellence in "moral virtue."


title: Arete

text: The concept was also occasionally personified as a minor goddess, Arete (not to be confused with the mythological Queen Arete), who, together with sister Homonoia, formed the "Praxidikai" ('Exacters of Justice').


title: Arete

text: In its earliest appearance in Greek, this general notion of excellence was ultimately bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one's full potential. A person of arete is of the highest effectiveness; they use all of their faculties—strength, bravery, and wit—to achieve real results. In the Homeric world, arete involves all of the abilities and potentialities available to humans. Though particularly associated with 'manly' qualities, the Homeric usage of the term was not necessarily gender specific, as Homer applied the term to both the Greek and Trojan heroes as well as major female figures, such as Penelope, the wife of Greek hero Odysseus. In the Homeric poems, "arete" is frequently associated with bravery, but more often with effectiveness.


title: Arete

text: In some contexts, arete is explicitly linked with human knowledge, where the expressions "virtue is knowledge" and "arete is knowledge" are used interchangeably. In this sense, the highest human potential is knowledge, and all other human abilities are derived from this central capacity. If arete is knowledge and study, the highest human knowledge is "knowledge about knowledge itself". In this light, the theoretical study of human knowledge, which Aristotle called "contemplation", is the highest human ability and happiness.


title: Arete

text: The ancient Greeks applied the term "arete" () to anything: for example, the excellence of a chimney, the excellence of a bull for breeding, and the excellence of a man. The meaning of the word changes depending on what it describes since everything has its own unique excellence; the "arete" of a man is different from the "arete" of a horse. This way of thinking originates from Plato, where it can be seen in the Allegory of the Cave. In particular, the aristocratic class was presumed, essentially by definition, to be exemplary of "arete":The root of the word is the same as "aristos", the word which shows superlative ability and superiority, and "aristos" was constantly used in the plural to denote the nobility.By the 5th and 4th centuries BC, "arete" as applied to men had developed to include quieter virtues, such as "dikaiosyne" (justice) and "sophrosyne" (self-restraint). Though Plato tried to produce a moral philosophy that incorporated this new usage, it was in the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle that the doctrine of "arete" found its fullest flowering. Aristotle's "Doctrine of the Mean" is a paradigm example of his thinking.


title: Arete

text: Aristotle is quoted as deliberating between education towards "arete" "...or those that are theoretical". Educating towards "arete" in this sense means that the boy would be educated towards things that are actually useful in life. However, even Plato himself says that "arete" is not something that can be agreed upon. He says, "Nor is there even an agreement about what constitutes arete, something that leads logically to a disagreement about the appropriate training for arete." To say that "arete" has a common definition of excellence or fulfillment may be an overstatement simply because it was very difficult to pinpoint arete, much less the proper ways to go about obtaining it.


title: Arete

text: In Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey", "arete" is used mainly to describe heroes and nobles and their mobile dexterity, with special reference to strength and courage, though it is not limited to this. For instance, the excellence of the gods generally included their power, but, in the "Odyssey" (13.42), Odysseus asked the gods to grant the Phaeacians arete, which here is generally translated as prosperity. Penelope's arete, as another example, relates to co-operation, for which she is praised by Agamemnon. As such, though particularly associated with 'manly' qualities, the Homeric usage of the term was not necessarily gender specific, as Homer applied the term to major female figures as well as the Greek and Trojan heroes.


title: Arete

text: In regards to the "Iliad", the way Homer describes Achilles is an example of arete. Arete is associated with the goodness and prowess of a warrior. Hawhee (2002) points out that the norms and practices of Athenian virtuosity "operate within the politics of reputation, whose normative poles are honor and shame." This means "arete" functions as an external phenomenon depending on outside reception and acknowledgement for its instantiation. Dying in battle or securing a victory in the Olympic Games were considered ('good') and, hence, deserving of ('honor'). So, not only is Achilles a brave and brilliant warrior but also, from the outset, he is destined to die in battle at Troy with the utmost glory—a guarantor of arete.


title: Arete

text: According to Bernard Knox's notes found in the Robert Fagles' translation of "The Odyssey", "arete" is also associated with , the Greek word for 'pray'.


title: Arete

text: The term is not to be confused with the mythological Queen Arete, who is mentioned in "The Odyssey", and whose name in Greek is spelled (with a different vowel in the second syllable).


title: Arete

text: Arete was occasionally personified as a goddess, the sister of Homonoia (goddess of concord, unanimity, and oneness of mind), and the daughter of Praxidike (goddess of justice). She is not to be confused with the mythological Queen Arete mentioned in the "Argonautica" and the "Odyssey", whose name in Greek is spelled (with a different vowel in the second syllable).


title: Arete

text: Arete and Homonoia were known jointly as the "Praxidikai" ('Exacters of Justice'). As with many minor Greek deities, there is little or no real mythical background to Arete, who is used at most as a personification of virtue.


title: Arete

text: The only story involving Arete was originally told in the 5th century BC by the sophist Prodicus, known as "Hercules at the crossroads" and concerns the early life of the hero Heracles. At a crossroads, Arete appeared to Heracles as a young maiden, and offered him glory and a life of struggle against evil; her counterpart Kakia (), offered him wealth and pleasure. Heracles chose to follow the path of Arete.


title: Arete

text: This story was later used by Christian writers, such as Methodius of Olympus, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Basil of Caesarea.


title: Arete

text: "Arete" has also been used by Plato when talking about athletic training and also the education of young boys. It was commonly believed that the mind, body, and soul each had to be developed and prepared for a man to live a life of arete. This led to the thought that athletics had to be present in order to obtain arete. They did not need to take up one's life, merely exercise the body into the right condition for arete, just like the mind and soul would be exercised by other means.


title: Arete

text: Arete is a significant part of the paideia of ancient Greeks: the training of the boy to manhood. This training in arete included physical training, for which the Greeks developed the gymnasion; mental training, which included oratory, rhetoric, and basic sciences; and spiritual training, which included music and what is called virtue.


title: Derek Richardson (actor)

text: Derek Richardson Jr. (born January 18, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his TV roles on "Men in Trees" and "Anger Management", and for starring as young Harry Dunne in the film "".


title: Derek Richardson (actor)

text: Richardson was born in Queensbury, New York, the eldest of the five children of Ellen and Dr. Derek Richardson, a dermatologist.


title: Derek Richardson (actor)

text: Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2002, he was cast in a recurring role on J. J. Abrams' "Felicity" as Keri Russell's love interest. He subsequently co-starred in the prequel to the "Dumb and Dumber" franchise "" as a younger version of Jeff Daniels' character, Harry Dunne.


title: Derek Richardson (actor)

text: Richardson starred opposite Jay Hernandez as one of the leads in the Lions Gate Entertainment horror film "Hostel", directed by Eli Roth and executive-produced by Quentin Tarantino. His performance in the horror film garnered him a 2006 MTV Movie Award nomination for "Best Frightened Performance". In 2006, he began starring in the television show "Men in Trees" as "Patrick Bachelor".


title: Derek Richardson (actor)

text: From 2012-14, he played Nolan Johnson on all 100 episodes of the Charlie Sheen FX original series "Anger Management".


title: Brendon Small

text: Brendon Small (born February 15, 1975) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, animator, writer, director, producer, and musician known for co-creating the animated series "Home Movies" (1999–2004, with Loren Bouchard) and "Metalocalypse" (2006–13, with Tommy Blacha). He also writes the music, and is the main performer for, the virtual melodic death metal band Dethklok, which began as the subject of "Metalocalypse" but has taken on a life of its own, with four albums and an occasional live touring band, headed by Small. Small has also released two albums under his own name, in a similar musical style to Dethklok.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small was born in Illinois in 1975. He moved to California as a child. Small started learning guitar at the age of 14 after a kid in his neighborhood began teaching him about guitar and music. At his first public performance, his hands shook so wildly that he had trouble controlling the guitar. It would be another ten years before he was comfortable performing in public. He graduated from Palma High School in Salinas, California. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1997. During his music studies, he took several writing and comedy classes at Emerson College. After graduating, he felt that the rock music genre was fading in popularity, so decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small was performing stand up at The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square when he was spotted by Loren Bouchard, who at the time was casting for the central character for a UPN pilot produced by Tom Snyder Productions, which eventually evolved into "Home Movies". Small and Bouchard co-created "Home Movies",


title: Brendon Small

text: an animated series that initially aired on the UPN television network which moved to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. The series ran for four seasons from 1999 to 2004. Small was one of the show's writers, while Bouchard served as the director. In the series, he voiced the show's protagonist, 8-year-old aspiring filmmaker Brendon Small, as well as a number of other characters. Small composed the show's theme music, as well as writing and performing numerous other songs for the show's soundtrack.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small lent his voice to a number of other animated shows. He co-starred as Chad in the BET animated sitcom, "Hey Monie!", and has voiced many supporting characters in "The Venture Bros.", including that show's shell shocked and drug-addicted version of Jonny Quest. Small has had cameo roles in "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", "Squidbillies", "Reno 911!" and "Frisky Dingo". Small, along with Scott Adsit, appeared as lead characters of the Adult Swim pilot "Let's Fish"; the show's pilot premiered on May 13, 2007, but the series was not picked up.


title: Brendon Small

text: In April 2005, the Sci Fi Channel announced an upcoming debut of a half-hour animated ensemble comedy show created by Small titled "Barbarian Chronicles". The show, which has not aired, was said to be produced by Small and Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Small has said that there are no plans to air the show but that anything can happen in the future.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small posed for a pictorial that appeared in the April 2006 issue of "Playgirl" magazine, as part of a humor-themed issue. Small posed naked holding a medieval flail and a strategically placed metal shield that hid his genitals.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small served as co-producer, co-writer and composer for the Adult Swim animated series "Metalocalypse", which ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2012, along with a 2013 special, "". The series focused on a fictional melodic death metal band named Dethklok, and each episode features a song performed by the band. In addition to writing, directing and executive producing the series, he also provided voice talent for the characters Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles, and Nathan Explosion, three of the five members of Dethklok. Small has stated that while animation is his dream job, he does not really like watching animation that much.


title: Brendon Small

text: In 2007 and 2009, Small hosted the annual Guitar Superstar competition and in 2008 he was one of the judges.


title: Brendon Small

text: In 2010, Small directed Soundgarden's music video for "Black Rain", and The Damned Things' music video for "We've Got a Situation Here".


title: Brendon Small

text: Small's virtual band Dethklok appeared, via video, at the 2009 Golden Gods Awards. The band received the award for Best International Band. At the 2010 Golden Gods Awards, Small attended and performed with Brian Posehn's band and introduced Fear Factory's set. At the 2011 Golden Gods Awards, Small attended and introduced DevilDriver's set. Small attended the 2012 Golden Gods Awards and introduced Trivium's set. He was nominated for best guitarist at the 2013 Golden Gods Awards but did not win.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small appeared on Ken Reid's "TV Guidance Counselor Podcast" on May 15, 2015, as part of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, Oregon.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small has frequently performed stand-up comedy, first in Boston, before moving to the Los Angeles area, where he performs now. Small was one of the hosts (along with Ron Lynch and Craig Anton) of "The Tomorrow Show", a live weekly musical and comedic variety show; in his off-time, Small still occasionally appears as a guest. One of his prominent forms of stand-up is character comedy, where he acts out a character he created. Some of the characters he has played are Captain Moustache, Victor Diamond, Tiny and Bernie Fretts, all of which he has performed as in the comedy podcast "Comedy Bang! Bang!". In recent years, Small's time has become booked from his music and television career, but he still occasionally performs stand-up at venues such as The Steve Allen Theater, The Ice House and The Baked Potato. Small credits Monty Python, Albert Brooks, Woody Allen and the Marx Brothers as his biggest comedy influences.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small wrote all the music for the show "Home Movies", and released all the songs he had written for the show on the . The CD was included with purchase of the Season 4 DVD box set.


title: Brendon Small

text: He wrote all the music for "Metalocalypse". In September 2007, he completed work on the first Dethklok album, "The Dethalbum", on which he collaborated with Gene Hoglan to deliver an authentic melodic death metal sound while simultaneously retaining the light-hearted nature with which Small portrays the heavy metal genre. The album debuted at No. 21 on the "Billboard" 200, making it the highest-ranked death metal album on the Billboard at the time.


title: Brendon Small

text: In November 2007, Small, Hoglan, Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller performed live as Dethklok at twelve US college campuses in support of "The Dethalbum". The Adult Swim-sponsored "Dethtour" featured Dethklok supporting indie rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The quartet reunited in 2008 to headline a longer "Dethtour", where they toured the US in June and early July with fellow metal bands Chimaira and Soilent Green. During the tour they released the ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead/Dethklok split EP for free at the concerts.


title: Brendon Small

text: The second Dethklok album, "Dethalbum II", was released on September 29, 2009. "Dethalbum II" reached No. 15 on the "Billboard" 200, making it the highest charting death metal album in history, beating the first "Dethalbum". A tour in support of the new album began in late 2009, where Dethklok co-headlined with the band Mastodon.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small performed guest vocals as Nathan Explosion on the Zimmers Hole song "The Vowel Song". Small contributed guitar work to the songs "Devils Teeth" from Exodus's album "", as well as "More Metal Than You" from comedian Brian Posehn's album "Fart and Wiener Jokes". Small created the "Murder Mix" of the song "Liar" by Emilie Autumn from the "Liar/Dead Is the New Alive" EP. Small performed the solo for the song "Get It Up" (Van Halen cover) on Sylencers' debut album "A Lethal Dose of Truth". Small performs a guitar solo on the song "Let's Make Out" on the Sex Slaves album "Call of the Wild".


title: Brendon Small

text: In early 2011, Small introduced the Dethklok "Thunderhorse" Explorer from Gibson, a guitar made to his own specifications, and modeled after Skwisgaar's Gibson Explorer. A limited edition Epiphone "Thunderhorse" Explorer, based on the Gibson "Thunderhorse" Explorer, was introduced in early 2013. In May 2012, Small introduced the prototype for the Gibson Flying V "Snow Falcon", built to his own specifications, and modeled after Toki Wartooth's Gibson Flying V. The final version of the guitar was released on December 13, 2013.


title: Brendon Small

text: In April 2012, Small released his debut solo album, "Brendon Small's Galaktikon". The album featured Dethklok members Beller on bass and Hoglan on drums. Small described the album as a "high-stakes, intergalactic, extreme rock album" and described it as being similar to Dethklok but with more melodic vocals and rock elements. Small performed songs from "Brendon Small's Galaktikon" for the first time at "WesFest 8" on March 3, 2013, in West Hollywood, California.


title: Brendon Small

text: On April 29, 2012, Small started a weekly guitar lesson video series on the Adult Swim YouTube channel, entitled "Shreducation", which consisted of 12 installments.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small, Beller and Hoglan got together to work on the third Dethklok album, "Dethalbum III", which was released on October 16, 2012. Small released a fourth Dethklok album, entitled "The Doomstar Requiem", on October 29, 2013, which is a soundtrack album to the "Metalocalypse" . The album featured Hoglan on drums, Beller performing guest bass on a track, and Mike Keneally performing guest vocals.


title: Brendon Small

text: In 2021, Small released a new instrumental song, "Ghosthorse," to promote his new Epiphone signature model guitar, the GhostHorse Explorer.


title: Brendon Small

text: In 2012, Small self-released his solo album, "Brendon Small's Galaktikon", independently on his personal record label BS Records. He funded the album himself, and used all of the profits he received from the album to fund future projects. In 2013, as there was no demand from Cartoon Network's Williams Street Records for another Dethklok album, Small released the fourth Dethklok album, "The Doomstar Requiem" (the soundtrack to the TV special of the same name), on BS Records instead. He stated at the time that he wanted to keep Dethklok's music going regardless of whether it would be financially beneficial to him.


title: Brendon Small

text: Small currently resides in Los Angeles. He had a dog named Ernie (a Weimaraner) that died in January 2014. He has since gotten a new dog named Gilda, also a Weimaraner.


title: Porn star martini

text: The porn star martini is a passion-fruit-flavoured cocktail made with vanilla-flavoured vodka, Passoã, passion fruit juice, and lime juice. It is traditionally accompanied by a chilled shot glass of prosecco. The cocktail was created in 2002 by Douglas Ankrah.


title: Porn star martini

text: It is not a true martini, but is one of many drinks that incorporate the term "martini" into their names.


title: Porn star martini

text: The porn star martini was reported to be the most ordered cocktail in the United Kingdom in November of 2018.


title: Porn star martini

text: The porn star martini was invented by Douglas Ankrah (1970–2021), owner of the LAB London bar in London, United Kingdom, at his bar Townhouse in London in 2002. Ankrah says that the original drink was inspired by a visit to Mavericks Revue Bar Gentlemen's Club, a nude strip club in Cape Town, South Africa.


title: Porn star martini

text: Although the name has proved controversial, Ankrah denied that he named it a "porn star" martini to be deliberately provocative. In interviews, Ankrah claimed he used the "porn star" name to evoke "a stylish and confident drink...[that's]….pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative". Ankrah also denied being a fan of pornography, or idolising any porn stars in particular.


title: Porn star martini

text: In 2019, British retailer Marks & Spencer renamed their tinned Porn Star Martini drinks to Passion Star Martini, following complaints that the name normalised pornography.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the Anglo-Scottish border and just away from Cumbria by air. Dumfries is the county town of the historic county of Dumfriesshire.


title: Dumfries

text: Before becoming King of Scots, Robert the Bruce slew his rival the Red Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in the town on 10 February 1306. The Young Pretender had his headquarters here during a 3-day sojourn in Dumfries towards the end of 1745. During the Second World War, the bulk of the Norwegian Army during their years in exile in Britain consisted of a brigade in Dumfries.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is nicknamed "Queen of the South". This is also the name of the town's professional football club. People from Dumfries are known colloquially in Scots language as "Doonhamers".


title: Dumfries

text: There are a number of theories on the etymology of the name, with an ultimately Celtic derivation (either from Brythonic, Gaelic or a mixture of both) considered the most likely.


title: Dumfries

text: The first element is derived either from the elements "drum" or "dronn-", (meaning "ridge" or "hump", also in Gaelic as "druim"), or from "Dùn" meaning fort. One of the more commonly given etymologies is that the name "Dumfries" originates from the Scottish Gaelic name "Dùn Phris", meaning "Fort of the Thicket".


title: Dumfries

text: The second element is less obvious, but may be cognate with the Cumbric "prēs", an element common in the Brythonic areas south of the River Forth. As such, Dumfries has been suggested as a possible location of "Penprys", the mysterious capital of a land in Medieval Welsh literature, most notably mentioned in the awdl, ""Elegy for Gwallawg"" by Taliesin.


title: Dumfries

text: According to a third theory, the name is a corruption of two Old English or Old Norse words which mean "the Friars' Hill"; those who favour this idea allege the formation of a religious house near the head of what is now the Friars' Vennel. If the name were English or Norse, however, the expected form would have the elements in reversed orientation (compare Clarendon). A Celtic derivation is therefore preferred.


title: Dumfries

text: No positive information has been obtained of the era and circumstances in which the town of Dumfries was founded.


title: Dumfries

text: Some writers hold that Dumfries flourished as a place of distinction during the Roman occupation of North Great Britain. The Selgovae inhabited Nithsdale at the time and may have raised some military works of a defensive nature on or near the site of Dumfries; and it is more than probable that a castle of some kind formed the nucleus of the town. This is inferred from the etymology of the name, which, according to one theory, is resolvable into two Gaelic terms signifying a castle or fort in the copse or brushwood. Dumfries was once within the borders of the Kingdom of Northumbria. The district around Dumfries was for several centuries ruled over and deemed of much importance by the invading Romans. Many traces of Roman presence in Dumfriesshire are still to be found; coins, weapons, sepulchral remains, military earthworks, and roads being among the relics left by their lengthened sojourn in this part of Scotland. The Caledonian tribes in the south of Scotland were invested with the same rights by an edict of Antoninus Pius. The Romanized natives received freedom (the burrows, cairns, and remains of stone temples still to be seen in the district tell of a time when Druidism was the prevailing religion) as well as civilisation from their conquerors. Late in the fourth century, the Romans bade farewell to the country.


title: Dumfries

text: According to another theory, the name is a corruption of two words which mean the Friars' Hill; those who favour this idea allege that St. Ninian, by planting a religious house near the head of what is now the Friars' Vennel, at the close of the fourth century, became the virtual founder of the Burgh; however Ninian, so far as is known, did not originate any monastic establishments anywhere and was simply a missionary. In the list of British towns given by the ancient historian Nennius, the name "Caer Peris" occurs, which some modern antiquarians suppose to have been transmuted, by a change of dialect, into Dumfries.


title: Dumfries

text: Twelve of King Arthur's battles were recorded by Nennius in "Historia Brittonum". The Battle of Tribruit (the 10th battle), has been suggested as having possibly been near Dumfries or near the mouth of the river Avon near Bo'ness.


title: Dumfries

text: After the Roman departure the area around Dumfries had various forms of visit by Picts, Anglo-Saxons, Scots and Norse culminating in a decisive victory for Gregory, King of Scots at what is now Lochmaben over the native Britons in 890.


title: Dumfries

text: When, in 1069, Malcolm Canmore and William the Conqueror held a conference regarding the claims of Edgar Ætheling to the English Crown, they met at Abernithi – a term which in the old British tongue means a port at the mouth of the Nith. It has been argued, the town thus characterised must have been Dumfries; and therefore it must have existed as a port in the Kingdom of Strathclyde, if not in the Roman days. However, against this argument is that the town is situated eight to nine miles (14 km) distant from the sea, although the River Nith is tidal and navigable all the way into the town itself.


title: Dumfries

text: Although at the time upstream and on the opposite bank of the Nith from Dumfries, Lincluden Abbey was founded circa 1160. The abbey ruins are on the site of the bailey of the very early Lincluden Castle, as are those of the later Lincluden Tower. This religious house was used for various purposes, until its abandonment around 1700. Lincluden Abbey and its grounds are now within the Dumfries urban conurbation boundary.


title: Dumfries

text: William the Lion granted the charter to raise Dumfries to the rank of a royal burgh in 1186. Dumfries was very much on the frontier during its first 50 years as a burgh and it grew rapidly as a market town and port.


title: Dumfries

text: Alexander III visited Dumfries in 1264 to plan an expedition against the Isle of Man, previously Scots but for 180 years subjected by the crown of Norway. Identified with the conquest of Man, Dumfries shared in the well-being of Scotland for the next 22 years until Alexander's accidental death brought an Augustan era in the town's history to an abrupt finish.


title: Dumfries

text: A royal castle, which no longer exists, was built in the 13th century on the site of the present Castledykes Park. In the latter part of the century William Wallace chased a fleeing English force southward through the Nith valley. The English fugitives met the gates of Dumfries Castle that remained firmly closed in their presence. With a body of the town's people joining Wallace and his fellow pursuers when they arrived, the fleeing English met their end at Cockpool on the Solway Coast. After resting at Caerlaverock Castle a few miles away from the bloodletting, Wallace again passed through Dumfries the day after as he returned north to Sanquhar Castle.


title: Dumfries

text: During the invasion of 1300, Edward I of England lodged for a few days in June with the Minorite Friars of the Vennel, before he laid siege to Caerlaverock Castle at the head of the then greatest invasion force to attack Scotland. After Caerlaverock eventually succumbed, Edward passed through Dumfries again as he crossed the Nith to take his invasion into Galloway. With the Scottish nobility having requested Vatican support for their cause, Edward on his return to Caerlaverock was presented with a missive directed to him by Pope Boniface VIII. Edward held court in Dumfries at which he grudgingly agreed to an armistice. On 30 October, the truce solicited by Pope Boniface was signed by Edward at Dumfries. Letters from Edward, dated at Dumfries, were sent to his subordinates throughout Scotland, ordering them to give effect to the treaty. The peace was to last till Whitsunday in the following year.


title: Dumfries

text: Before becoming King of Scots, Robert the Bruce slew his rival the Red Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in the town on 10 February 1306. His uncertainty about the fatality of his stabbing caused one of his followers, Roger de Kirkpatrick, to utter the famous, "I mak siccar" ("I make sure") and finish the Comyn off. Bruce was subsequently excommunicated as a result, less for the murder than for its location. Regardless, for Bruce the die was cast at the moment in Greyfriars and so began his campaign by force for the independence of Scotland. Swords were drawn by supporters of both sides, the burial ground of the Monastery becoming the theatre of battle. Bruce and his party then attacked Dumfries Castle. The English garrison surrendered and for the third time in the day Bruce and his supporters were victorious. He was crowned King of Scots barely seven weeks after. Bruce later triumphed at the Battle of Bannockburn and led Scotland to independence.


title: Dumfries

text: Once Edward received word of the revolution that had started in Dumfries, he again raised an army and invaded Scotland. Dumfries was again subjected to the control of Bruce's enemies. Sir Christopher Seton (Bruce's brother in law) had been captured at Loch Doon and was hurried to Dumfries to be tried for treason in general and more specifically for being present at Comyn's killing. Still in 1306 and along with two companions, Seton was condemned and executed by hanging and then beheading at the site of what is now St Mary's Church.


title: Dumfries

text: In 1659 ten women were accused of diverse acts of witchcraft by Dumfries Kirk Session although the Kirk Session minutes itself records nine witches. The Justiciary Court found them guilty of the several articles of witchcraft and on 13 April between 2 pm and 4 pm they were taken to the Whitesands, strangled at stakes and their bodies burnt to ashes.


title: Dumfries

text: The Midsteeple in the centre of the High Street was completed in 1707. Opposite the fountain in the High Street, adjacent to the present Marks & Spencer, was the Commercial and later the County Hotel. Although the latter was demolished in 1984–85, the original facade of the building was retained and incorporated into new retail premises. The building now houses a Waterstones Bookshop. Room No. 6 of the hotel was known as Bonnie Prince Charlie's Room and appropriately carpeted in the Royal Stewart tartan. The timber panelling of "Prince Charlie's room" was largely reinstated and painted complete with the oil painted landscapes by Robert Norie (1720–1766) in the overmantels at either end of the room and can still be seen as the upstairs showroom of the book shop. The Young Pretender had his headquarters here during a 3-day sojourn in Dumfries towards the end of 1745. £2,000 was demanded by the Prince, together with 1,000 pairs of brogues for his kilted Jacobite rebel army, which was camping in a field not one hundred yards distant. A rumour that the Duke of Cumberland was approaching, made Bonnie Prince Charlie decide to leave with his army, with only £1,000 and 255 pairs of shoes having been handed over.


title: Dumfries

text: Robert Burns moved to Dumfriesshire in 1788 and Dumfries itself in 1791, living there until his death on 21 July 1796. Today's Greyfriars Church overlooks the location of a statue of Burns, which was designed by Amelia Robertson Hill, sculpted in Carrara, Italy in 1882, and was unveiled by future Prime Minister, Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery on 6 April 1882. Today, it features on the 2007 series of £5 notes issued by the Bank of Scotland, alongside the Brig o' Doon.


title: Dumfries

text: After working with Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, inventor William Symington intended to carry out a trial in order to show than an engine would work on a boat without the boat catching fire. The trial finally took place on Dalswinton Loch near Dumfries on 14 October 1788. The experiment demonstrated that a steam engine would work on a boat. Symington went on to become the builder of the first practical steamboat.


title: Dumfries

text: The first official intimation that RAF Dumfries was to be built was made in late 1938. The site chosen had accommodated light aircraft since about 1914. Work progressed quickly, and on 17 June 1940, the 18 Maintenance Unit was opened at Dumfries. The role of the base during the war also encompassed training. RAF Dumfries had a moment of danger on 25 March 1943, when a German Dornier Do 217 aircraft shot up the airfield beacon, but crashed shortly afterwards. The pilot, Oberleutnant Martin Piscke was later interred in Troqueer Cemetery in Dumfries town, with full military honours. On the night of 3/4 August 1943 a Vickers Wellington bomber with engine problems diverted to but crashed short of the Dumfries runway.


title: Dumfries

text: During the Second World War, the bulk of the Norwegian Army during their years in exile in Britain consisted of a brigade in Dumfries. When the army High Command took over, there were 70 officers and about 760 privates in the camp. The camp was established in June 1940 and named "Norwegian Reception Camp", consisting of some 500 men and women, mainly foreign-Norwegian who had volunteered for war duty in Norway during the Nazi occupation in early 1940. Through the summer the number was built up to around 1,500 under the command of General Carl Gustav Fleischer. Within a few miles of Dumfries are the villages of Tinwald, Torthorwald and Mouswald all of which were settled by Vikings.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries has experienced two Boxing Day earthquakes. These were in 1979 (measuring 4.7 centred near Longtown) and 2006 (centred in the Dumfries locality measuring 3.6 ). There were no serious consequences of either. There was also an earthquake on 16 February 1984 and a further earthquake on 7 June 2010.


title: Dumfries

text: As with the rest of the British Isles, Dumfries experiences a maritime climate (Cfb) with cool summers and mild winters. It is one of the less snowy locations in Scotland owing to its sheltered, low lying position in the South West of the country. From 2 July 1908 the town held the record for the highest temperature reading in Scotland, until being surpassed in Greycrook on 9 August 2003. Its southerly latitude makes little difference to the average annual temperatures compared to more northerly coastal parts of Scotland. This is due to strong maritime influence from the Irish Sea cooling down summers due to frequent cloudy weather and cool water temperatures. There are plenty of higher areas to Dumfries' west, but even so those seldom allow warm air to stay untouched.


title: Dumfries

text: Like the rest of Dumfries and Galloway, of Scotland's three major geographical areas Dumfries lies in the Southern Uplands.


title: Dumfries

text: The river Nith runs through Dumfries toward the Solway Firth in a southwards direction splitting the town into East and West. At low tide, the sea recedes to such an extent on the shallow sloping sands of the Solway that the length of the Nith is extended by 13 km to . This makes the Nith Scotland's seventh longest river. There are several bridges across the river within the town. In between the Devorgilla (also known as 'The Old Bridge') and the suspension bridge is a weir colloquially known as 'The Caul'. In wetter months of the year the Nith can flood the surrounding streets.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries has numerous suburbs including Summerhill, Summerville, Troqueer, Georgetown, Cresswell, Larchfield, Calside, Lochside, Lincluden, Newbridge Drive, Sandside, Heathhall, Locharbriggs, Noblehill and Marchmount. Maxwelltown to the west of the river Nith, was formerly a Burgh in its own right within The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright (also known as Kirkcudbrightshire) until its incorporation into Dumfries in 1928; Summerhill, Troqueer, Lochside, Lincluden, Sandside are among other suburbs located on the Maxwelltown side of the river. Palmerston Park, home to the town's senior football team Queen of the South, is on Terregles Street, also on the Maxwelltown side of the river.


title: Dumfries

text: Queensberry Square and High Street are the central focal points of the town and this area hosts many of the historical, social and commercial enterprises and events of Dumfries. During the 1990s, these areas enjoyed various aesthetic recognitions from organisations including Britain in Bloom.


title: Dumfries

text: Scottish communities granted Royal Burgh status by the monarch guarded the honour jealously and with vigour. Riding the Marches maintains the tradition of an occasion that was, in its day, of great importance. Dumfries has been a Royal Burgh since 1186, its charter being granted by King William the Lion in a move that ensured the loyalty of its citizens to the Monarch.


title: Dumfries

text: Although far from the centre of power in Scotland, Dumfries had obvious strategic significance sitting as it does on the edge of Galloway and being the centre of control for the south west of Scotland.


title: Dumfries

text: With the River Nith on two sides and the Lochar Moss on another, Dumfries was a town with good natural defences. Consequently, it was never completely walled. A careful eye still had to be kept on the clearly defined boundaries of the burgh, a task that had to be taken each year by the Provost, Baillies, Burgesses and others within the town.


title: Dumfries

text: Neighbouring landowners might try to encroach on the town boundaries, or the Marches as they were known, moving them back 100 yards or so to their own benefit. It had to be made clear to anyone thinking of or trying to encroach that they dare not do so.


title: Dumfries

text: In return for the Royal status of the town and the favour of the King, the Provost and his council, along with other worthies of the town had to be diligent in ensuring the boundaries were strictly observed. Although steeped in history, Scotland's burghs remained the foundation of the country's system of local government for centuries. Burgh status conferred on its citizens the right to elect their own town councils, run their own affairs and raise their own local taxes or rates.


title: Dumfries

text: In 1974 the burghs became part of larger districts and regions. Those boundaries lost the significance they were granted by Royal statute. Ancient titles like Provost and Bailie were discarded or retained only for ceremonial purposes. Robes and chains often found their way into museums as a reminder of the past. Dumfries became part of Nithsdale District Council, which was based in the Municipal Buildings in Buccleuch Street, Dumfries.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries remains a centre of local government for a much bigger area than just the town itself. But its people, the Doonhamers still retain a pride in their town and distinctive identity. This is never more so than during the week-long Guid Nychburris Festival and its highlight the Riding of the Marches which takes place on the third Saturday in June each year.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is located in the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. It is the seat of the local council, whose headquarters are located on the edge of the town centre. Until 1995 Dumfries was also home to the council for the local district of Nithsdale. Dumfries also lends its name to the lieutenancy area of Dumfries, which is similar in boundaries to the former Dumfriesshire county.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is spilt into two UK Parliament constituencies: Dumfries and Galloway which is represented by current Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack and Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale which is represented by David Mundell, both of the Scottish Conservative Party.


title: Dumfries

text: For Scottish Parliament elections, Dumfries is in the South Scotland electoral region and split between two constituencies. The western wards of Abbey and North West Dumfries are in the constituency of Galloway and West Dumfries, while the eastern wards of Nith and Lochar are in the constituency of Dumfriesshire. The respective MSPs are Finlay Carson and Oliver Mundell, both of the Scottish Conservative Party.


title: Dumfries

text: In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Dumfries and Galloway had the country's third heaviest 'No' vote at more than 65% of the ballots cast. That was more than 10 points higher than the national average pro-union vote.


title: Dumfries

text: On the Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries is covered by four 4-seat wards: Abbey, Lochar, Nith and North West Dumfries. North West Dumfries is the only ward that solely covers areas within the town itself, with the others incorporating outlying areas. In the 2017 council election, these wards elected 6 Labour, 5 Conservative and 4 SNP councillors.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries has a long history as a county town, and as the market town of a surrounding rural hinterland.


title: Dumfries

text: The North British Rubber Company started manufacturing in 1946 at Heathhall on the former site of the Arrol-Johnston Motor Company which was said to be the most advanced light engineering factory of its day in Scotland. It became Uniroyal Ltd in the 1960s and was where the Hunter Boot and Powergrip engine timing belts were manufactured. In 1987 it changed name to the British subsidiary of the Gates Rubber Company and later was known as Interfloor from 2002 until the factory closed in 2013.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is a relatively prosperous community but the town centre has been exposed to the centrifugal forces that have seen retail, business, educational, residential and other uses gravitate towards the town's urban fringe. This was started in the 1980s with the building of the Dumfries bypass. The immediate effect of this was as intended the diversion of transiting traffic away from the town centre. This brought with it an accompanying reduction in economic input to the town centre. The second effect of this has been more pronounced. Sites close to the bypass have attracted development to utilise the bypass as a high speed urban highway without the bottlenecks of the town centre and without the constraining limited town centre parking.


title: Dumfries

text: In a bid to re-stimulate development in Dumfries town centre, both economically and in a social context, several strategies have been proposed by the controlling authorities.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries got its nickname 'Queen of the South' from David Dunbar, a local poet, who in 1857 stood in the general election. In one of his addresses he called Dumfries "Queen of the South" and this became synonymous with the town.


title: Dumfries

text: The term "doonhamer" comes from the way that natives of Dumfries over the years have referred to the area when working away from home. The town is often referred to as "doon hame" in the Scots language (down home). The term doonhamer followed, to describe those that originate from Dumfries.


title: Dumfries

text: The Doonhamers is also the nickname of Queen of the South who represent Dumfries and the surrounding area in the Scottish Football League.


title: Dumfries

text: The crest of Dumfries contains the words, "A Lore Burne". In the history of Dumfries close to the town was the marsh through which ran the Loreburn whose name became the rallying cry of the town in times of attack – A Lore Burne (meaning 'to the muddy stream').


title: Dumfries

text: Located on top of a small hill, Dumfries Museum is centred on the 18th-century windmill which stands above the town. Included are fossil footprints left by prehistoric reptiles, the wildlife of the Solway marshes, tools and weapons of the earliest peoples of the region and stone carvings of Scotland's first Christians. On the top floor of the museum is a camera obscura.


title: Dumfries

text: Based in the control tower near Tinwald Downs, the aviation museum has an extensive indoor display of memorabilia, much of which has come via various recovery activities. During the second world war, aerial navigation was taught at Dumfries also at Wigtown and nearby Annan was a fighter training unit. RAF Dumfries doubled as an important maintenance unit and aircraft storage unit. The museum is run by the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Group and is the only private aviation museum in Scotland. The restored control tower of the former World War II airfield is now a listed building. The museum is run by volunteers and houses a large and ever expanding aircraft collection, aero engines and a display of artefacts and personal histories relating to aviation, past and present. It is also home to the Loch Doon Spitfire. Both civil aviation and military aviation are represented.


title: Dumfries

text: The theatre is owned by the Guild of Players who bought it in 1959, thereby saving it from demolition, and is run on a voluntary basis by the members of the Guild of Players. It is funded entirely by Guild membership subscriptions, and by box office receipts. It does not currently receive any grant aid towards running costs.


title: Dumfries

text: In recent years the theatre has been re-roofed and the outside refurbished. It is the venue for the Guild of Players' own productions and for performances from visiting companies. These include: Scottish Opera, TAG, the Borderline and .


title: Dumfries

text: The Robert Burns Centre is an art house cinema in Dumfries. The Odeon Cinema, which showed more mainstream movies, closed its doors in mid-2018 due to the local council refusing to allow Odeon to relocate, forcing them to close.


title: Dumfries

text: The Loreburn Hall (sometimes known colloquially as The Drill Hall) has hosted concerts by performers such as Black Sabbath, Big Country, The Proclaimers and Scottish Opera. The hall has hosted sporting events such as wrestling. The new DG One sport, fitness and entertainment centre became the principal indoor event venue in Dumfries in 2007, but in October 2014, it closed due to major defects being discovered in the building. However, the refurbished building reopened to the public in the summer of 2019. The Theatre Royal has also reopened following renovation work.


title: Dumfries

text: With a collection of over 400 Scottish paintings, Gracefield Arts Centre hosts a changing programme of exhibitions featuring regional, national and international artists and craft-makers.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries Art Trail brings together artists, makers, galleries and craft shops with venues accessible all year round.


title: Dumfries

text: There are a number of festivals which take place throughout the year, mostly based on traditional values.


title: Dumfries

text: Guid Nychburris (Middle Scots, meaning Good Neighbours) is the main festival of the year, a ceremony which is largely based on the theme of a positive community spirit.


title: Dumfries

text: The ceremony on Guid Nychburris Day, follows a route and sequence of events laid down in the mists of time. Formal proceedings start at 7.30 am with the gathering of up to 250 horses waiting for the courier to arrive and announce that the Pursuivant is on his way, and at 8.00 am leave the Midsteeple and ride out to meet the Pursuivant. They then proceed to Ride the Marches and Stob and Nog (mark the boundary with posts and flags) before returning to the Midsteeple at 12.15 pm to meet the Provost and then the Charter is proclaimed to the towns people of Dumfries. This is then followed by the crowning of the Queen of the South.


title: Dumfries

text: Since 2013, Dumfries has seen the annual Nithraid, a small boat race up the Nith from Carsethorn, celebrating the town's historical relationship with the river.


title: Dumfries

text: The region is also home to a number of thriving music festivals such as the Eden Festival (at St Ann's near Moffat), Youthbeatz (Scotland's largest free youth music festival), the Moniaive Folk Festival, Thornhill Music Festival, Big Burns Supper Festival and previously Electric Fields at Drumlanrig Castle.


title: Dumfries

text: The Ewart Library is a Carnegie library, and was opened in 1904. Carnegie donated £10,000 toward the building of the library, and suggested that it was named after William Ewart, former MP for the area, and who was key in the introduction of acts of Parliament in both England and Scotland related to the creation of public libraries.


title: Dumfries

text: The churches and chapels of the Presbyterian and other communions are, many of them, fine buildings. St Michael’s (1746), a stately pile, was the church which Robert Burns attended, and in its churchyard he was buried, his remains being transferred in 1815 to the magnificent mausoleum erected in the south-east corner, where also lie his wife, Jean Armour, and several members of his family. The Gothic church of Greyfriars (1866–1867) occupies the site partly of a Franciscan monastery and partly of the old castle of the town. On the site of St Mary’s (1837–1839), also Gothic, stood the small chapel raised by Christiana, sister of Robert Bruce, to the memory of her husband, Sir Christopher Seton, who had been executed on the spot by Edward I. St Andrew’s (1811–1813), in the Romanesque style, is a Roman Catholic church, which also serves as the pro-cathedral of the diocese of Galloway. In 1851 Lewis wrote about other churches saying that an episcopal chapel was erected in 1817, at a cost of £'2200 ; and there are places of worship for members of the Free Church, the United Presbyterian Church, Reformed Presbyterians, Independents, and Wesleyans, and a Roman Catholic chapel. Churches have closed and opened since then.


title: Dumfries

text: Queen of the South represent Dumfries and the surrounding area in the second level of the country's professional football system, the Scottish Championship. Palmerston Park on Terregles Street is the home ground of the team. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith. They reached the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, losing 3–2 to Rangers.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries Saints Rugby Club is one of Scotland's oldest rugby clubs having been admitted to the Scottish Rugby Union in 1876–77 as "Dumfries Rangers".


title: Dumfries

text: Of those is listed only the Dumfries and Galloway Golf Club is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith. This course is also bisected into 2 halves of 9 holes each by the town's Castle Douglas Road. The club house and holes 1 to 7 and 17 and 18 are on the side nearest to Summerhill, Dumfries. Holes 8 to 16 are on the side nearest to Janefield.


title: Dumfries

text: The opening stage of the 2011 Tour of Britain started in Peebles and finished later in Dumfries. The stage was won by sprint specialist and reigning Tour de France green jersey champion, Mark Cavendish, with his teammate lead out man, Mark Renshaw finishing second. Cavendish had been scheduled to be racing in the 2011 Vuelta a España. However Cavendish was one a number of riders to withdraw having suffered in the searing Spanish heat. This allowed Cavendish to be a late addition to the Tour of Britain line up in his preparation for what was to be a successful bid two weeks later in the 2011 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race. Cavendish in a smiling post race TV interview in Dumfries described the wet and windy race conditions through the Southern Scottish stage as 'horrible'.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is home to Nithsdale Amateur Rowing Club. The rowers share their clubhouse with Dumfries Sub-Aqua Club.


title: Dumfries

text: The town is also home to Solway Sharks ice hockey team. The team are current Northern Premier League winners. The team's home rink is Dumfries Ice Bowl. Dumfries Ice bowl is also recognised as Scotland's only centre of ice hockey excellence, and trials for the Scottish Jr national team are carried out at this venu.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries Ice Bowl is also home to two synchronised skating teams, Solway Stars and Solway Eclipse. In addition, Dumfries Ice Bowl is also home to several curling teams, competitions and leagues. Junior curling teams from Dumfries, consisting of curlers under the age of 21, regularly compete in the Dutch Junior Open based in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 a Dumfries-based team have been the winners of the competition's Hogline Trophy.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries has several primary schools, approximately one per key district, and four main secondary schools. All of these institutions are governed by Dumfries and Galloway council. The secondary schools are:


title: Dumfries

text: In 2013 plans for a 'super school' were announced. These plans were later dismissed in favour of renovating existing schools.


title: Dumfries

text: In 1999 Scotland's first multi-institutional university campus was established in Dumfries, in the Crichton estate. In order of campus presence it is host to the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) (formerly known as University of Paisley & Bell College), Dumfries & Galloway College, and the University of Glasgow. Still in its infancy, the campus offers a range of degree courses in initial teacher education, business, computing, environmental studies, tourism, heritage, social work, health, social studies, nursing, liberal arts and humanities. Despite the short-lived threat of closure to the University of Glasgow part of the campus in 2006, a campaign by students, academics and local supporters ensured that the University of Glasgow remained open in Dumfries. The University of Glasgow, since maintaining its provision in Dumfries, has launched a new undergraduate programme in primary teaching.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary is the principal secondary care referral centre for Dumfries and Galloway region. It now includes a maternity wing which replaced the old Cresswell Maternity Hospital.


title: Dumfries

text: Midpark Hospital, close to the site of the former Crichton Royal Hospital, is part of the Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board and provides a regional psychiatric, psychological and specialist addictions service within Dumfries and Galloway. In 1838 William A. F. Browne accepted the position of Physician Superintendent at the newly created Crichton. It is at the Crichton where Ursula Fleming gained much of her education and experience.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is linked to the Northbound A74(M) motorway at Beattock via the A701 road. The A75 road eastbound links Dumfries to the southbound A74(M), leading to the M6 motorway and Carlisle. The A75 road west links Dumfries with the ferry port of Stranraer. The A76 road connects to Kilmarnock in Ayrshire.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries railway station lies on the Glasgow South Western Line. It was awarded Best Station Awards by British Rail in 1986 and 1987. The train service is now operated by ScotRail which provides services to Glasgow Central and Carlisle, and less frequent services direct to Newcastle. The nearest station to Dumfries on the West Coast Main Line is east along the A709 road at Lockerbie, and the nearest West Coast Main Line station linking directly to Dumfries by rail is Carlisle.


title: Dumfries

text: Maxwelltown station in the Summerhill district of the town was closed along with the direct line to Stranraer via Castle Douglas as part of the Beeching cuts in 1965. Part of the disused railway track in Dumfries was later converted to a cycle path.


title: Dumfries

text: West Sound FM, part of Bauer Media Group, broadcasts from Dumfries, and is also the main radio station for the area. Community radio station "Alive 107.3" broadcasts on 107.3FM in Dumfries and online.


title: Dumfries

text: In 2018, Dumfries got a new radio station, "Dumfries Community Radio". Also known as DCR Online, it is not a traditional FM radio station, but an online radio station.


title: Dumfries

text: The quarry is situated off the A701 on the north of Dumfries at Locharbriggs close to the nearby aggregates quarry. This dimension stone quarry is a large quarry. Quarry working at Locharbriggs dates from the 18th century, and the quarry has been worked continuously since 1890.


title: Dumfries

text: There are good reserves of stone that can be extracted at several locations. On average the stone is available at depths of 1m on bed although some larger blocks are obtainable. The average length of a block is 1.5m but 2.6m blocks can be obtained.


title: Dumfries

text: Locharbriggs is from the New Red Sandstone of the Permian age. It is a medium-grained stone ranging in colour from dull red to pink. It is the sandstone used in the Queen Alexandra Bridge in Sunderland, the Manchester Central Convention Complex and the base of the Statue of Liberty.


title: Dumfries

text: As the largest settlement in Southern Scotland, Dumfries is recognised as a centre for visiting surrounding points of interest. The following are all within easy reach:


title: Dumfries

text: A number of well-known people were educated at Dumfries Academy, among them Henry Duncan, founder of the world's first commercial savings bank, Sir James Anderson, who captained the SS Great Eastern on the transatlantic telegraph cable laying voyages in 1865 and 1866, James Matthew Barrie, author of "Peter Pan", musician John Law Hume of the Titanic orchestra, Jane Haining, international diplomat Alexander Knox Helm, John Laurie, actor (Private Fraser in "Dad's Army"), artist Christian Jane Fergusson, artist Sir Robin Philipson, singer John Hanson, Alex Graham, cartoonist best known for the Fred Basset series and Jock Wishart, who in 1998 set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powered vessel. Roger White, CEO of soft drinks group A.G. Barr is a local lad who went to Dumfries Academy. Following William A. F. Browne's 1838 appointment as Superintendent of the Crichton hospital, his son, James Crichton-Browne, was educated at the Academy.


title: Dumfries

text: William Charles Wells, predecessor to Charles Darwin on the theory of natural selection was another schooled in Dumfries. Geologist Robert Harkness was schooled in Dumfries and subsequently resided in the town. Sir Frank Williams of F1 motor racing fame was educated at St Joseph's College, Dumfries as was Charles Forte, Baron Forte. St Joseph's was founded by Brother Walfrid, the founder of Celtic F.C.


title: Dumfries

text: International chart-topping record producer Calvin Harris is from Dumfries. Dumfries was the hometown of Calvin Harris until he left in 2008. Ray Wilson, lead singer of Stiltskin and later Genesis was born in Dumfries as were fellow musicians Geoffrey Kelly and Ian Carr and Emma's Imagination singer Emma Gillespie is from Dumfries. Opera singer Nicky Spence was born in Dumfries as was Britain's Got Talent singer Andrew Johnston. Nigel Sinclair CBE is a Hollywood film producer. Michael Carter's acting career has seen him appear in a variety or productions ranging from "Return of the Jedi" to "Rebus."


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries has produced a steady stream of professional footballers and managers. The best known footballers of their eras to come from Dumfries are probably Dave Halliday, Ian Dickson, Bobby Ancell, Billy Houliston, Jimmy McIntosh, Willie McNaught and Ted McMinn. Halliday, Dickson, Houliston and McMinn played for home town club, Queen of the South during their careers. Dominic Matteo was born in Dumfries but moved to England while still a young boy. Barry Nicholson lost 4–3 to Queens playing for Aberdeen in the 2008 Scottish Cup semi-finals despite scoring against the team he supported as a boy. Ancell, Houliston, McNaught and Nicholson have represented Scotland and were joined in having done so in season 2010/11 by Cammy Bell and Grant Hanley. Matteo gained 6 full caps for Scotland after having represented England at under-21 level. Halliday was overlooked by Scotland in favour of Hughie Gallacher. Gallacher played for The Queen's but was not from Dumfries. It was as a manager rather than a player that Thomas Mitchell made his name as a multiple FA Cup winner at Blackburn Rovers before joining Woolwich Arsenal as Arsenal F.C. were then named.


title: Dumfries

text: Dumfries is also the hometown of three-times 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Allan McNish, as it was to fellow racing driver David Leslie. Scotland rugby union internationalists Duncan Hodge, Nick De Luca, Craig Hamilton and Alex Dunbar were born in Dumfries as were professional golfers Andrew Coltart and Robert Dinwiddie. Curling world champions David Murdoch, Euan Byers and Craig Wilson were all born in Dumfries. Former darts champion Rab Smith is another "Doonhamer".


title: Dumfries

text: BBC Broadcaster Kirsty Wark was born in the town as was fellow broadcaster Stephen Jardine. Neil Oliver (archaeologist, historian, author and broadcaster), grew up in Ayr and Dumfries. Author and earth scientist Dougal Dixon is from Dumfries. Hunter Davies (author, journalist and broadcaster) lived in Dumfries for four years as a boy. James Hannay as well as being a novelist and journalist spent the last five years of his life as the British consul in Barcelona. John Mayne was born in Dumfries in 1759 and contributed in the field of poetry. World War I poet William Hamilton was another born in Dumfries. Archibald Gracie, shipping magnate and business tycoon in USA, was from Dumfries. Banking executive John McFarlane originates from the town. The architect George Corson who worked mainly in Leeds, England, was born in Dumfries and articled to Walter Newall in the town.


title: Dumfries

text: Politician David Mundell was born in Dumfries as were William Dickson, William Pattison Telford Sr. and Ambrose Blacklock all of whom made their mark politically in Canada. Malcolm H. Wright was also born in Dumfries, father of Sophie B. Wright – New Orleans' educator and pioneer for women and children's rights. Suffragette and feminist campaigner Dora Marsden spent the last 25 years of her life being cared for in Dumfries after her psychological breakdown. Dr Ian Gibson is another to leave his mark on politics. James Edward Tait was a Dumfries-born recipient of the Victoria Cross. William Robertson and Edward Spence are other Victoria Cross recipients. Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, UK Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827, was quartered in Dumfries in 1796 during his military service.


title: Dumfries

text: David Haggart (1801–1821), was a Scottish thief and rogue who in 1820 in his escape from Dumfries Gaol, (site now occupied by Thomson's the Jewellers ), killed the turnkey. He was hanged in Edinburgh in 1821. His dictated memoir published as a chapbook became the subject of the 1969 John Huston film ""Sinful" "Davey"" starring John Hurt.


title: Dumfries

text: A plaque on the wall on the site of the King's Arms Hotel, now Boots the Chemist's, records the presence there in 1829 of William Hare of Burke and Hare notoriety. He was travelling to Ireland after the trial; his visit caused a near riot. John Richardson, naturalist, explorer and naval surgeon was born in Dumfries as was John Craig, mathematician, and polymath James Crichton. Benjamin Bell after being born in Dumfries went on to become considered the first Scottish scientific surgeon. His great grandson was Joseph Bell who Arthur Conan Doyle has credited Sherlock Holmes as being loosely based on from Bell's observant manner. Doyle's father, artist Charles Altamont Doyle, died in The Crichton Royal Institution and is buried in the High Cemetery in Dumfries.


title: Dumfries

text: Thomas Peter Anderson Stuart left Dumfries to go on and found the University of Sydney Medical School. John Allan Broun's contribution to science were his discoveries around magnetism and meteorology. James Braid, surgeon and pioneer of hypnotism and hypnotherapy, practised in Dumfries from 1825 to 1828 in partnership with William Maxwell. Ian Callum is eminent in the world of motor engineer. A Church of Scotland minister the Rev. John Ewart of Troqueer in Kirkcudbrightshire produced eleven children of whom some have made a notable mark. Peter Ewart was an engineer who was influential in developing the technologies of turbines and theories of thermodynamics. His brother Joseph Ewart became British ambassador to Prussia. John, a doctor, became Chief Inspector of East India Company hospitals in India. William, father of William Ewart, was business partner of Sir John Gladstones ("sic"), father of four times Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone junior was named after Ewart, his godfather. James Julius Wood was an early minister at St George's and a Free Church Moderator.


title: Dumfries

text: – Annapolis, Maryland, is home to the United States Naval Academy where John Paul Jones lies in the crypt beneath the chapel.


title: Natina Reed

text: Natina Tiawana Reed (October 28, 1980 – October 26, 2012) was an American singer and rapper. She was born in New York City and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where she pursued a career in music beginning in her early teens. Discovered by rapper Lisa Lopes, she worked as a writer for the girl group TLC. Reed gained notice in the late 1990s as a member of the girl group Blaque. They released two albums: their 1999 eponymous debut album that peaked at number 53 on the "Billboard" 200, and "Blaque Out" (2001).


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed starred as a cheerleader in the 2000 teen comedy film "Bring It On". She later appeared as herself in the comedy-drama television series "V.I.P." and the 2003 dance film "Honey". Blaque disbanded after an unsuccessful transition to Elektra in 2003 and failed an attempt at a reunion in 2010. Reed took a hiatus from music to further pursue acting. In the early 2000s, she was engaged to rapper Kurupt and gave birth to their son. On October 26, 2012, Reed died after being struck by a car near Lilburn, Georgia.


title: Natina Reed

text: Natina Tiawana Reed was born on October 28, 1980 in Queens, New York to Paul Reed, a reverend, and Tamara Goodridge. The family moved to Atlanta, Georgia when Reed was age four. She had two sisters, Niesha and Genni Reed, and one brother, Michael Whalen. Her parents divorced, resulting in Reed having a stepfather, Mark Goodridge, a stepmother, Luci Reed, and seven step-siblings who live in London. She was singer Farrah Franklin's cousin. Reed initially wanted to be either Miss America, a veterinarian, an actress, and entertainment attorney. By age eight, she had modeled for Macy's and Bloomingdale's advertising campaigns and acted in a hot dog commercial.


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed played drums at her father's church and performed as part of its drama ministry. She would often beatbox and create beats by hitting walls while writing lyrics to match the melodies. Reed also wrote poems and jingles, with one being purchased by Sprite. Around the ages of 13 or 14, she submitted a song for a competition and won; Reed said that after this experience, she had tried to be more open about her songwriting and allow other people to hear her work. Lisa Lopes discovered Reed through her talent scout brother, and hired her to write for TLC. Reed said that Lopes helped to build her confidence. Following the encouragement of Tommy Mottola, Reed worked as "the official writer" for TLC. She attended Cedar Grove High School.


title: Natina Reed

text: Lopes created the girl group Blaque, an acronym for Believe, Life, Achieving, Quest, Unity and Everything, as "an outlet" for Reed. The group included singers Shamari Fears and Brandi Williams; Lopes described Reed as the rapper and writer of the trio. Reed and Fears were school friends, and worked together on other music projects including an urban country group. They had met Williams during an audition for Lopes' production company Left Eye Productions. Reed was 19 when Left Eye Productions signed the trio. Lopes mentored and managed the trio and media outlets identified Reed as Lopes' protégé. Reed explained Blaque's sound and style: "The vibe we want to get across that we're universal. We're not just urban and R&B." According to "Billboard", Blaque's music contains elements of R&B, pop music, and rap music. Jean-Claude Olivier of Trackmasters said that Blaque was more pop in comparison to TLC. Blaque first appeared as a group during a cameo appearance in the music videos for the remix of Lil' Kim's 1997 single "Not Tonight" and Jermaine Dupri's 1998 song "Someday at Christmas". In 1999, they performed as the opening act for NSYNC's NSYNC in Concert and TLC's FanMail Tour.


title: Natina Reed

text: The group recorded their eponymous debut album with producer Dallas Austin in a Miami studio. They also worked on the record at Lenny Kravitz's home for two weeks. The trio collaborated with rappers Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah during the recording sessions. Reed was the primary writer for Blaque, having co-writing credits on seven of the album's 14 tracks; "I Do" was written entirely by Reed. Her tracks were published through Dotted Line (Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)). A "Los Angeles Sentinel" writer identified Reed as "the sassy MC who gave hits like '808' their punch", while Bruce Britt of BMI characterized her musical style as "brash hip-hop rhymes". In her 2008 book "Pop Princesses", author Beth Peters wrote that Reed's reputation was "notoriously naughty" and "wild, fiery, and feisty".


title: Natina Reed

text: "Blaque" was released June 1, 1999, under Trackmasters' imprint label. "Blaque" peaked at number 53 on the "Billboard" 200; on April 10, 2000, the album was certified platinum and had sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It was promoted through three singles: "808", "Bring It All to Me", and "I Do". The first two tracks charted at number eight and five on the "Billboard" Hot 100, respectively. On June 2, 1999, "808" was certified gold for selling over 500,000 copies worldwide. When Reed was 14, she wrote "I Do" after seeing singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette on MTV. She said: "I wanted to write a song that could make an artist like her have the acceptance to be played on [R&B] stations." A writer for BET noted the group's music videos had a "futuristic feel", and Reed said: "We're straight out of the year 2080."


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed played cheerleader Jenelope in the 2000 teen comedy film "Bring It On", her first acting role. She described the character as "the one with the attitude" and "ghetto and cute at the same time". She appeared alongside Williams and Fears, who played LaFred and Lava, friends to lead character Isis (played by Gabrielle Union). Reed, Williams and Fears would often look into the camera when delivering their lines, because of their lack of acting experience. Blaque contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack: "As If" and a remix of "Bring It All to Me" featuring verses from rapper 50 Cent. On the 15th anniversary of its release, Union said that people erroneously associate Reed's lines ("Can we just beat these Buffys down?" and "You been touched by an angel, girl") with her character.


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed appeared as herself in a 2001 episode of the comedy-drama television series "V.I.P." The same year, she was featured on the hook for her then-fiancée Kurupt's single "It's Over" from his third studio album "", and appeared in its music video flirting with him. Jazmin Perez of "Vibe" included it as one of the "tracks to watch", though Reed's portion was criticized as childish and incongruent with the rest of the single. "It's Over" peaked at number 88 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs "Billboard" chart. Blaque was featured on the song "Head to the Sky" on Lopes' debut solo album "Supernova" also released in 2001.


title: Natina Reed

text: On January 29, 2002, Blaque's second studio album "Blaque Out" was released only in Japan. It was made available temporarily for digital download in 2007 in the United States and was reissued in 2011. Discussing its release, Reed said that the death of a group member's mother and "technical difficulties" led to the delays. "Can't Get It Back" (2001) was the lead single from the album, and promoted with a music video. The song charted at number 91 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Reed felt that "Blaque Out" was the group's best album. She is credited as a songwriter on it. In a review of "Blaque Out", Demetria Lucas of "Vibe" criticized Reed's verses and vocals as too similar to Lopes and wrote it "makes for monotony". Blaque made a cameo appearance in the music video for Jermaine Dupri's single "Welcome to Atlanta" (2002). In the same year, Reed's song "Rock Climber" was featured on the compilation album "Dragonfly Presents a Better Life Through Chemistry."


title: Natina Reed

text: In 2003, Blaque recorded a third album "Torch" with Elektra, which was never released. The group worked closely with Missy Elliott on five of the album's tracks. Scheduled for release in August 2003, it was promoted with the single "Ugly" featuring verses by Elliott. Reed was unhappy with "Torch"s musical direction and her lack of creative control. According to Reed, Blaque retains the rights for the album, and they collectively refused to release it. She explained: "If it's not necessary to give them a record that we don't even too much care for, why give it to them?" Despite it not being released, Ernest Hardy of "Vibe" somehow obtained a copy of "Torch" and in a review wrote that Reed's raps are "filled with hiccup effects, "yeah-yeahs", and nasal phrasing", "lifted" from Lopes, describing the album as "passable, if highly derivative".


title: Natina Reed

text: In 2004, Blaque contributed the single "I'm Good" to the soundtrack album for the 2003 dance film "Honey", and make a cameo appearance as themselves. "I'm Good" was Blaque's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached number 95 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Blaque separated in 2004, and Fears and Williams pursued careers as solo artists. Before the group broke up, singer Erica Pullins was temporarily hired as a replacement for Reed. A compilation album "Blaque by Popular Demand" was released on February 27, 2007.


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed said that she took a hiatus from her music career "to focus on other aspirations that she ha[d] including acting". According to other reports, she left Blaque to join a Christian ministry. After "Torch" was not released, Reed refused to record secular music and pursued gospel music instead. In 2008, she appeared as herself in the television film "Til 6 in the Morning by Platinum Souls". The online magazine Bossip reported that Reed was arrested on April 13, 2010, in Gwinnett County on charges of prostitution, disorderly conduct, and cocaine possession; this news was picked up by other outlets. Reed's management denied the arrest report, saying that the alleged mugshots were photoshopped by someone who had previously hacked into and deleted Reed's Twitter account. On June 29, 2011, she was arrested on charges of driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, and driving without a license, and was jailed for two days. Reed's license had been revoked after a previous DUI arrest. During their hiatus, Blaque attempted a reunion, and worked on a project known as "Private Show". The album was abandoned because the members had different priorities.


title: Natina Reed

text: In a 2012 interview, Reed said she waited to pursue a solo career to avoid comparisons with other artists, specifically rapper Nicki Minaj. Prior to her death, she was working on a solo album, a book, and scripts and hired an acting agent as a means of "revamping her career". Reed had reunited previously with the Blaque group members for a performance at the Left Eye festival. In the fall of 2012, Blaque had started work on an album and reality television show, but further information about either project was not released following Reed's death.


title: Natina Reed

text: During the early 2000s, Reed became engaged to Kurupt though the couple never married. They had planned to be married in the spring of 2001, and rescheduled it to 2002 or 2003 due to conflicts with their work schedules. Rapper Foxy Brown, Kurupt's former fiancée, dissed Reed on the track "730" from her 2001 album "Broken Silence". Reed responded to MTV News:


title: Natina Reed

text: You can't chase something that doesn't chase you back [...] I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what people think about me. It's petty — it's like people never grow up in this game. You watch Biggie and all that shit that [he] and Pac went through, and people still don't get the message. They still want to start the wars and create fires.


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed became pregnant with Kurupt's child during the recording of "Blaque Out"; she said that the album's limited release was the result of her pregnancy and the label's uncertainty over the group's future. In 2002, she gave birth to their son, Tren Brown. Following Reed's pregnancy, the couple separated. Reed's father said that being a mother was "one of her most treasured roles". Following Lopes' death in an automobile accident in La Ceiba, Honduras, in 2002, Reed was interviewed for a "BET Tonight" episode about her life. Reed said she lived with Lopes three months before her son's birth and was taken care of during her pregnancy. Tren, who had lived with Kurupt for four years before Reed's death, remained with his father. Reed's father said he planned to raise money to help Tren.


title: Natina Reed

text: On October 26, 2012, a red Honda Accord struck Reed on the Lawrenceville Highway near Hamilton Road north of Lilburn, Georgia. The driver and the passenger attempted CPR, but Reed was pronounced dead at the Gwinnett Medical Center at 10:59 p.m. (EDT). The Gwinnett County police said that the driver "was determined to be not at fault and there are no charges pending", and they started an investigation into the accident to determine why Reed was in the road. Reed's death was first reported by TMZ the following day, and media outlets incorrectly reported that Reed had died in a hit and run. An obituary, written by Reed's family, was published in "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" on October 30. At the time of her death, Reed was living in the StudioPlus Atlanta Peachtree Corners extended stay hotel in Norcross, Georgia.


title: Natina Reed

text: On November 3, a public funeral service, organized by the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, was held at the Abundant Life Church in Lithonia, Georgia. Reed was buried at the North Atlanta Memorial Park and Chapel Mausoleum in Doraville, Georgia. Prior to the service, Reed's parents held a press conference in Atlanta to criticize the police investigation. According to their attorney, the police had ignored their requests for information about "the time of incident, exact location, information about the driver and even Reed's personal belongings". Police released a report an hour after the conference was scheduled, responding that "they did not hold back any information".


title: Natina Reed

text: Reed was nominated for several accolades for her work with Blaque. For "808", the trio was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Or Rap New Artist at the 1999 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award; at the 2000 ceremony, they were also nominated for R&B/Soul Album Of The Year, Group, Band Or Duo. "I Do" was nominated for Best Editing In A Video at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, and the group won Best New Artist-R&B at the 2000 Billboard Video Awards for "Bring It All To Me". The group was nominated for Best Female Group at the 2001 BET Awards.


title: Amanita

text: The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. The most potent toxin present in these mushrooms is α-Amanitin.


title: Amanita

text: The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters, other than experts, from selecting any of these for human consumption. Nonetheless, in some cultures, the larger local edible species of "Amanita" are mainstays of the markets in the local growing season. Samples of this are "Amanita zambiana" and other fleshy species in central Africa, "A. basii" and similar species in Mexico, "A. caesarea" and the "Blusher" "Amanita rubescens" in Europe, and "A. chepangiana" in South-East Asia. Other species are used for colouring sauces, such as the red "A. jacksonii", with a range from eastern Canada to eastern Mexico.


title: Amanita

text: The name is possibly derived from Amanus (), a mountain in Cilicia or from Amantia (Greek: Ἀμάντια, Ἀβάντια; Latin: Amantia), an ancient city in the transboundary region between Epirus or southern Illyria in antiquity.


title: Amanita

text: The genus "Amanita" was first published with its current meaning by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1797. Under the "International Code of Botanical Nomenclature", Persoon's concept of "Amanita", with "Amanita muscaria" (L.) Pers. as the type species, has been officially conserved against the older "Amanita" Boehm (1760), which is considered a synonym of "Agaricus" L.


title: Amanita

text: Several members of the section "Phalloidieae" are notable for their toxicity, containing toxins known as amatoxins, which can cause liver failure and death. These include the death cap "A. phalloides"; species known as destroying angels, including "A. virosa", "A. bisporigera" and "A. ocreata"; and the fool's mushroom, "A. verna".


title: Amanita

text: More recently, a series in the subgenus "Lepidella" has been found to cause acute kidney failure, including "A. smithiana" of northwestern North America, "A. pseudoporphyria" of Japan, and "A. proxima" of southern Europe.


title: Amanita

text: Although many species of "Amanita" are edible, including all of "sect. Caesareae" and "sect. Vaginatae" (together comprising hundreds of species), many fungi experts advise against eating a member of "Amanita" unless the species is known with absolute certainty. Because so many species within this genus are so deadly toxic, if a specimen is identified incorrectly, consumption may cause extreme sickness and possibly death.