title: Operation Menu

text: Apart from the large human toll, perhaps the most powerful and direct impact of the bombing was the political backlash it caused ... The CIA's Directorate of Operations, after investigations south of Phnom Penh, reported in May 1973 that the communists there were successfully 'using damage caused by B-52 strikes as the main theme of their propaganda' ... The U.S. carpet bombing of Cambodia was partly responsible for the rise of what had been a small-scale Khmer Rouge insurgency, which now grew capable of overthrowing the Lon Nol government ...


title: Operation Menu

text: Shawcross's and Kiernan's views were echoed in a 2011 statistical study of US bombing in Vietnam which concluded that the air war "was counterproductive ... hampered the pacification campaign and more of it would likely have hastened the communist victory."


title: Operation Menu

text: When Phnom Penh was under siege by the Khmer Rouge in 1973, the US Air Force again launched a bombing campaign against them, claiming that it had saved Cambodia from an otherwise inevitable communist take-over and that the capital might have fallen in a matter of weeks. By 1975, President Ford was predicting "new horrors" if the Khmer Rouge took power, and calling on Congress to provide additional economic, humanitarian, and military aid for Cambodia and Vietnam.


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: Emma Booth is an Australian model and actress from Perth, Western Australia. The former teen model and TV actress played a significant role in the 2007 film "Clubland".


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: After "Clubland" was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, many talent agencies solicited Booth for roles in upcoming films.


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: Booth appeared in the 2009 horror film "Blood Creek", directed by Joel Schumacher. She worked on the unreleased 2007 production "Hippie Hippie Shake", an account of the Schoolkids OZ obscenity trials in the United Kingdom. Since 2009, Booth has appeared in "" and had a supporting role in the 2013 "Parker". In 2017, she appeared in Ben Young's critically acclaimed debut "Hounds of Love" as the partner of a serial killer.


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: In July 2017, Booth joined the hit ABC series "Once Upon A Time" in a recurring role for its rebooted season seven. She played the main antagonist, Mother Gothel, also known as Mother Nature, a powerful witch who is the leader of the Coven of the Eight.


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: At thirteen, Booth was cast in "The Adventures of the Bush Patrol," and at fourteen became a finalist in "Girlfriend" magazine's cover girl competition. By fifteen, Booth had modelled in Tokyo, Milan, Paris and New York. She later held the title of Western Australia's Model of the Year and Face of Fashion Week, for Sydney and Melbourne.


title: Emma Booth (actress)

text: In March 2015, Booth stated on Instagram that she had married musician Dominick Joseph Luna in 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: The story was first published in Japan in , a monthly literature magazine published by Bungeishunjū, in October 1967. Nosaka won the Naoki Prize for best popular literature for this story and "American Hijiki", which was published a month before. Both short stories along with four others were bundled as a book in 1968, published by Shinchōsha (). "Grave of the Fireflies" was translated into English by James R. Abrams and published an issue of the "Japan Quarterly" in 1978. It was later adapted into the 1988 anime film "Grave of the Fireflies", directed by Isao Takahata. The film was released on April 16, 1988, over twenty years after the publication of the original work. It was adapted again into the live-action television film "Grave of the Fireflies" in 2005, and another live-action film in 2008.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Nosaka explained that "Grave of the Fireflies" is a "double-suicide story". Isao Takahata, the anime film director, said that he saw similarities to Chikamatsu Monzaemon's double-suicide plays.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Akiyuki Nosaka wrote the book in 1967, during a period of high economic growth. Nosaka said that the era felt strange to him and that "the real spirit of humanity was different" and so he wished to depict an "idealized humanity" between a brother and sister, or "ultimately, of a man and a woman." He added that he wished to place Seita, the main character, "in an idealized situation." Nosaka said that he himself had been in such a scenario until age fourteen and then had to grow up very quickly, becoming "worse off" than other children.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Nosaka explained that Seita and Setsuko survive the wartime environment by "locking themselves up in a world of their own." Nosaka added that after their mother, their sole guardian, dies, Seita "decides to become the guardian of his little sister, even if it means making an enemy out of the world." At one point, Seita has a favorable reception to making himself a source of food for his sister. Nosaka argued, "On the one hand, that's very tragic, but it's also a blessed situation. For Seita, it's like he can try to build a heaven for just the two of them." Nosaka argued that while Seita is "when it comes to reality" not a romanticist for he also becomes hungry, "objectively speaking" Setsuko, at age four, is at the period when "a girl looks the cutest" and Seita is just becoming aware of his masculinity in his adolescent period. Nosaka said that the two have an "obvious consanguineous relationship" and that Setsuko is the only person Seita can confide in. Nosaka added that "while there's a strong blood tie, he's shut out from being able to love her as a girl" and that his tension increases to high levels and therefore sublimation takes place.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Nosaka explained that Seita "is rather spoiled for a wartime child" and therefore the children of 1987 would act like he would if they were put in that situation. Isao Takahata said that he was compelled to adapt the story into an animation after seeing how Seita "was a unique wartime ninth grader." He previously believed that boys always developed the will to live, but Seita instead chooses not to endure difficult feelings; when his aunt insults him, Seita does not act in a stoic manner and instead withdraws from the situation. Takahata argued that Seita's feelings are better understood by the children in 1987, who often base decisions on whether or not they are pleasant, while during that year his generation had the belief that Seita needed to endure it. Takahata argued that "[i]t's not only the children... I think the times are becoming that way, as well", and therefore he liked the idea of adapting the story as a film.


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Nosaka said that in the story, Seita "got increasingly transformed into a better human being" since he was trying to "compensate for everything I couldn't do myself" and that he was never "kind like the main character." Nosaka explained that "I always thought I wanted to perform those generous acts in my head, but I couldn't do so." He believed that he would always give food to his sister, but when he obtained food, he ate it. The food tasted very good when it was scarce, but he felt remorse afterwards. Nosaka concluded, "I'd think there is no one more hopeless in the world than me. I didn't put anything about this in the novel."


title: Grave of the Fireflies (short story)

text: Nosaka said that Setsuko also has to grow up quickly, and she takes the role of Seita's mother, "and at other times, the role of his companion." Setsuko acts as Seita's spiritual support while Setsuko relies on Seita for nourishment. Nosaka said that "[i]n the end, it turns out that the days leading up to their death are like the development of a love story."


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel Valley () is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying generally to the east of the city of Los Angeles. Surrounding features include:


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel valley derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows southward through the center of the valley, which itself was named for the Spanish Mission San Gabriel Arcángel originally built in the Whittier Narrows in 1771.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: At one time predominantly agricultural, the San Gabriel Valley is today almost entirely urbanized and is an integral part of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the country. About in size, the valley includes thirty-one cities and five unincorporated communities. It is located entirely in Los Angeles County, California.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Pasadena is the largest city in the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena was incorporated in 1886, making it the fourth city incorporated in Los Angeles County, California, following Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Anaheim (Santa Ana and Anaheim are both now located in Orange County, which broke off in 1889). More recently, statewide droughts in California have further strained the San Gabriel Valley’s and Los Angeles County’s water security.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Whittier, like Montebello, is considered a part of the Gateway Cities region. An unincorporated portion of Whittier, Rose Hills, sits below the Puente Hills. Although most of the city sits around the San Gabriel Mountains, Whittier is not a San Gabriel Valley city. This is different from Montebello, which is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, despite geographically being part of the San Gabriel Valley.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Pomona, San Dimas and Walnut are adjacent to the San Gabriel Valley, and though they are properly considered part of the Pomona Valley, they are also commonly considered part of the San Gabriel Valley. The 57 Freeway (Orange Freeway) is generally considered the dividing line between the Pomona and San Gabriel valleys. However, for statistical and economic development purposes, the County of Los Angeles generally includes these six cities as part of the San Gabriel Valley. The community of El Sereno, in the city of Los Angeles, is situated at the westernmost edge of the Valley. Unofficial estimates place the combined population of the San Gabriel Valley at around 2 million—roughly a fifth of the population of Los Angeles County.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the land along the Rio Hondo River, a branch of the San Gabriel River, was populated by the Tongva people. The Tongva occupied much of the Los Angeles basin and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicolas, San Clemente and Santa Barbara. In the northern part of the valley were the Hahanog-na Indian tribe, a branch of the Tongva Nation (part of the Shoshone language group) who lived in villages scattered along the Arroyo Seco and the canyons from the mountains down to the South Pasadena area. In 1542, when the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived off the shores of San Pedro and Santa Catalina. The Tongva were the people who rowed the remarkable Ti'ats (plank canoes) out to meet Cabrilho. The language of the Tongva was different from the neighboring Indian tribes and it was called Gabrielino by the Spanish. The Tongva also provide the origin of many current names; Piwongna – Pomona, Pasakeg-na – Pasadena, Cucomog-na – Cucamonga. The Gabrielinos lived in dome-like structures with thatched exteriors. Both sexes wore long hair styles and tattooed their bodies. During warm weather the men wore little clothing, but the women would wear minimal skirts made of animal hides. During the cold weather they would wear animal skin capes. European diseases killed many of the Tongva and by 1870 the area had few remaining native inhabitants. Today, several bands of Tongva people live in the Los Angeles area.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The first Europeans to see inland areas of California were the members of the 1769 Portolà expedition, which traveled north by land after establishing the first Spanish settlement in today's state of California at San Diego. On July 30, the expedition crossed the San Gabriel River and continued north toward what is now the city of Los Angeles. To cross the river, the expedition built a rough bridge, which gave the name "La Puente" to today's San Gabriel Valley city, and hills to the south are called the Puente Hills. A few years later, a mission was established near the river crossing.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was founded by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra, first head of the Spanish missions in California, on September 8, 1771. Its original location, called Mission Vieja, was near where San Gabriel Boulevard now crosses the Rio Hondo, which is also near the present day Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe. Angel Somera and Pedro Cambon were the first missionary priests at the new mission, which marked the beginning of the Los Angeles region's settlement by Spaniards. The San Gabriel mission was the third of twenty-one missions that would ultimately be established along California's El Camino Real.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel mission did well in establishing cattle ranching and farming, but six years after its founding a destructive flood led the mission fathers to relocate the establishment to its current location farther north in present-day city of San Gabriel. The original mission site is now marked by a California Historical Landmark.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: During the early years of the mission, the region operated under a Rancho system. The lands which now compose the city of Montebello were originally parts of Rancho San Antonio, Rancho La Merced, and Rancho Paso de Bartolo. The Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe, built in 1844, remains standing at the center of old Rancho La Merced in Eastern Montebello in the La Merced area. Recently restored, it is the city's oldest structure.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Mission San Gabriel Arcángel served a central role in Spanish colonial society, with many of the area's first Mexican settlers being baptized at the mission, including Pio Pico, who was born and baptized at the mission in 1801. He became governor of California twice, in 1832 and in 1845 and the city of Pico Rivera was named honoring him as the last Mexican governor of California.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The Battle of Rio San Gabriel took place in Montebello on January 8, 1847 on the banks of the Rio Hondo. This battle gave the control of Los Angeles and Alta California to the United States, and was a decisive battle in the Mexican-American war. Two days later, after several battle losses and defeats, Mexico was forced to cede Alta California to the United States. By 1852, after American occupation, San Gabriel became one of the first townships in the County of Los Angeles. Today the battle site is California State Historical Landmark #385, and there are two old cannons and a plaque commemorating the battle overlooking the river on Bluff Rd. and Washington Blvd.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: In 1853, with a contingent of Army Engineers passing through searching for the best route to build a railroad, Geologist William P. Blake observed that the once-extensive vineyards were falling to decay, with fences broken down and animals roaming freely through it. But the bells were ringing, and the church was in use. Prophetically, he wrote, "I believe that when the adaptation of that portion of California to the culture of the grape and the manufacture of wine becomes known and appreciated, the state will become celebrated not only for its gold and grain, but for it fruits and wines.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Following the American Civil War, some 5,000 acres (20 km) of the East Los Angeles region were owned by an Italian settler from Genoa, Alessandro Repetto. After Repetto's death in 1885, his brother sold his rancho to a consortium of five Los Angeles businessmen including banker Isaias Hellman and wholesale grocer/historian Harris Newmark for $60,000, about $12 an acre.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and South Asian pioneers and settlers first came to the San Gabriel Valley in the mid-19th century. These pioneers worked the fields, picked the grapes and citrus fruit, and built part the infrastructure of today's San Gabriel Valley. In the 1920s Japanese immigrants arrived in Monterey Park to work as farmhands.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The discovery of oil by Standard Oil Company in the Montebello hills, in 1917, brought about a revolutionary change to the locality. The agricultural hills soon became a major contributor to oil production. By 1920, its oil fields were producing one-eighth of California's crude oil. For several decades, the hills were dotted with active oil wells.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The cities of Whittier, Covina and Pasadena were formerly the sites of the citrus industry. In addition, the oil, dairy and cattle industries used to flourish in the southern region of the SGV. Many equestrian trails in the San Gabriel Valley—specifically, in Covina and Walnut—have disappeared or fallen into disuse. The remaining rural countryside-like areas include the area between eastern West Covina and Cal Poly Pomona and in Walnut and Diamond Bar and La Puente.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The total population of the San Gabriel Valley in the 2000 Census was 1,510,378 people, of which 1,425,596 were living in the 30 incorporated cities. The average size of a household in the San Gabriel Valley according to the 2000 Census was 3.28 persons compared with 2.98 persons for Los Angeles County as a whole. Eight cities in the Valley have average household sizes of over four persons, while an unincorporated area, the South San Jose Hills, was at a significant 5.07 persons per household. (Most addresses do not use South San Jose Hills as the city but use La Puente, West Covina, or Valinda.) At the other end of this scale is Sierra Madre, at 2.20 persons per household.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The age distribution in the San Gabriel Valley was a little unusual when compared with the County. A larger share of the population was aged 10–19, 15.5% versus 14.8% for the County. Also, the Valley had a higher share of people over 45 years of age. The income ranges in the San Gabriel Valley area are also quite wide. The highest median household income was found in San Marino ($117,267), followed by Bradbury ($100,454). At the other end of the scale was El Monte with a median household income of $32,439. Four other cities in the Valley had household incomes of less than $40,000.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Significant percentages of all major ethnic groups reside in San Gabriel Valley communities, and the area is in general one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the country. The majority of people residing in the San Gabriel Valley are Hispanics and Asian Americans. The communities of Glendora, La Verne, Claremont, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, South Pasadena, and San Dimas have significant Caucasian populations.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The African American population in the San Gabriel Valley is relatively low. However, there are sizable, long-established African American communities in the western Altadena area and in northwest Pasadena, as well as in Monrovia.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Montebello is home to the oldest Armenian community in Los Angeles County and home to Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, which was the only Armenian cathedral in California until Saint Leon Cathedral was built in Burbank in 2012. The Armenian Martyrs Monument at Bicknell Park commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turks is the largest monument of the genocide found on public property in the world. The Armenian community of Pasadena has its roots in the 1890s. The Pashgian Bros. Oriental Rugs and Fine Carpets was established in 1889.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Hispanics, predominately Mexican Americans, are concentrated in Alhambra, Baldwin Park, City of Industry, El Monte, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Montebello, Rosemead, San Gabriel, South El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Pomona, and Whittier, with significant populations in Pasadena and South Pasadena.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel Valley has the largest concentration of Asian American communities in the United States. Eight of the ten cities in the United States with the largest proportion of Chinese Americans are located in the San Gabriel Valley. The cities and communities of Monterey Park, Walnut, Alhambra, San Gabriel, San Marino, Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, Diamond Bar, and Arcadia contain Asian American majorities. "New" Chinatowns have been established in many cities in the San Gabriel Valley.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The Gabrieleno/Tongva of San Gabriel are headquartered in San Gabriel. A small Native American population is also located in Arcadia, Rowland Heights, Walnut, and Diamond Bar. Despite the European influx they remained an integral part of the Southern California community, and continue to in the present day.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: There are many Filipino Americans, residing in West Covina and Walnut. Vietnamese Americans tend to be concentrated in San Gabriel, Rosemead, and El Monte. Many Korean Americans live in Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, and Diamond Bar. A longstanding Japanese American community exists in Monterey Park.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Early Chinese pioneers settled into the Valley mostly as laborers. They packed oranges, picked walnuts, did construction, owned or worked in laundries, and worked as cooks and servants in the homes of the wealthy. Mostly a bachelor society, the early Chinese did not leave many descendants. By the late 1880s, there was a growing Japanese pioneer population. Filipinos and Asian Indians also served as laborers in the valley.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Almost a century later, in the wake of the San Gabriel Valley's burgeoning population of Asian Americans, they have become a dominant cultural force. Several business districts developed to serve their needs creating a collection of Southern California Chinatowns loosely connected along the Valley Boulevard Corridor. This trend began in the city of Monterey Park during the late 1970s when many well-to-do Taiwanese professionals began settling in the area. Initially, many Chinese restaurateurs and business owners used primarily Traditional Chinese script and not English names on their business signs. This changed in 1986, when the city council of Monterey Park enacted an ordinance requiring the all businesses to translate their business signs and describe the nature of their businesses in English, deemed a matter of public safety.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Monterey Park is a microcosm of changing demographics, highlighting Asian American history and evolution in the San Gabriel Valley. Rosemead has a smaller group of Vietnamese and Chinese business districts. There are also small pockets of Chinese American businesses that are scattered throughout San Gabriel Valley cities. In Rowland Heights, a handful of Korean American strip malls co-exist with Chinese American businesses. Another ethnic enclave is the Filipino American business district of "Little Manila", in West Covina along with an Asian indoor and outdoor shopping center. Small Chinatowns have sprung up in many cities throughout the valley.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: By the 2010 census there were more than half a million Asian Americans living in San Gabriel Valley. While smaller than the Latino population in the valley, it outnumbered the White population, and had a faster growth rate. More than a quarter of the population in the region are Asian American. The largest populations of Asian Americans in San Gabriel Valley were Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel Valley is home to the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, which is broadcast live on television on New Year's Day from Pasadena. After the parade, the Rose Bowl game between two rival college football teams is also televised live.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: As the oldest incorporated community in the valley, the City of Pasadena serves as a cultural center for the San Gabriel Valley. Several art-house film and play theatres are located in Pasadena, including the Pasadena Playhouse. In addition, the local news/talk National Public Radio station KPCC 89.3 FM broadcasts from Pasadena City College, although it is operated by Minnesota Public Radio.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Old Pasadena, which has been restored and rejuvenated, remains highly popular. Old Pasadena has an active nightlife, a shopping mall, boutiques, outdoor cafés, nightclubs, comedy clubs, and varied restaurants. Other communities hope to emulate its successes through commercial redevelopment and reviving their own downtown areas or "Main Streets".


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The city of Azusa has attempted to encourage redevelopment of its once-dilapidated downtown section by using a "Route 66" theme. Covina has had moderate success with its nostalgic Downtown Covina, with emphasis placed on a small-town America atmosphere and mom-and-pop merchants rather than big-box retail chains; Monrovia has also embraced this theme for their "Old Town." Alhambra has also worked to renovate its downtown along Main St. San Gabriel Mission is the center of Historical Culture in SGV.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena. The university is ranked in the top 10 universities worldwide by metrics such as citation index, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings. Caltech is also responsible for the well-known Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which designs and engineers many of NASA's spacecraft.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The city of Baldwin Park is the birthplace of the popular hamburger fast food chain In-N-Out Burger. Its first location opened in the city in 1948.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Huy Fong's Sriracha sauce, the ubiquitous Sriracha sauce found at Vietnamese restaurants across the western world, manufactures and is headquartered in Irwindale.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Panda Express was launched as a fast food version of the Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena in 1983. The company's headquarters are in Rosemead.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Trader Joe's opened its first location in Pasadena in 1967. The company's headquarters are now in Monrovia.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Most cities have their own local mayor, city council, police and fire departments. Unincorporated areas such as Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights are governed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction in these areas.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: In many unincorporated areas, advisory town councils guide the decisions, made by a supervisor or city manager. Often these groups began as collaborations of local homeowner associations. The Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, Rowland Heights Coordinating Council, and Altadena Town Council are examples of advisory bodies that are officially sanctioned by the county supervisor representing that community.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: In 2003, voters in the unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights defeated a proposal to incorporate as a city. It remains an unincorporated district governed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rather than by a locally elected mayor and city council.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Foothill Transit and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority provide bus transit services throughout the valley. El Monte Station, a large regional bus station, provides transportation to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles via the El Monte Busway, an shared-use bus corridor (transitway). The Metrolink San Bernardino Line commuter train runs westward to Downtown Los Angeles and eastward to San Bernardino through the valley.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: On March 5, 2016 the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened the Metro Gold Line foothill extension, expanding the current light rail service that previously traveled from East LA to Pasadena through Downtown LA to a new Northern terminus in Azusa.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Several cities provide their own in-city transportation shuttles. Cities known to provide such service are:


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: I-710 ends abruptly at the western border of Alhambra, near California State University, Los Angeles, with an unsigned spur of I-710 starting again in Pasadena at California Boulevard and ending at the junction of I-210 and SR 134. Efforts to complete the freeway were met with fierce opposition, including the possibility of using advanced tunneling technologies to overcome objections by South Pasadena. The gap will no longer be constructed, and both Pasadena and Alhambra are exploring options on the future of their respective spurs.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: At the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley, the eastern freeway segment of SR 210 (formerly designated SR 30 and still signed as such in some places in San Bernardino County) between SR 57 and I-15 had been a source of similar contention in the bordering community of La Verne, but was finally constructed and added to the Foothill Freeway in 2002.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: State Route 39 leads north into the San Gabriel Mountains to the Crystal Lake Recreation Area. The portion connecting the recreation area to the Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2) has been closed to the public since the early 1970s due to massive damage and rockslides.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: General aviation is served by San Gabriel Valley Airport (EMT) in El Monte, and Brackett Field (POC) in Pomona. Commercial aviation is served by the five major Southern California airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Ontario International Airport (ONT), Long Beach Airport (LGB), and John Wayne Airport (SNA).


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The local daily English-language newspapers are "The Los Angeles Times", which includes a real estate and automotive advertising section for the San Gabriel Valley/Inland Empire, the "San Gabriel Valley Tribune," and the "Pasadena Star-News", which operates from its Monrovia office. The "Pasadena Star-News" covers the Pasadena/Arcadia area and the "Tribune" covers the central and eastern San Gabriel Valley communities. Business news is covered by the "San Gabriel Valley Business Journal".


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Other San Gabriel Valley-wide publications include the weekly "Mountain Views News", San Gabriel Valley NOW, and the "San Gabriel Valley Examiner" that serve the foothill communities, the "Mid Valley News" which serves the central San Gabriel Valley, and the Beacon Media weekly newspaper chain, whose weekly newspapers cover several San Gabriel Valley cities. The "South Pasadena Review" serves South Pasadena and the "San Marino Tribune" serves San Marino. Additionally, the cities of Alhambra, Glendora, Azusa, San Dimas and La Verne have monthly community newspapers that are published on the first Friday of every month. These papers include "Around Alhambra", "Glendora Community News", "Azusa Community News", "San Dimas Community News" and the "La Verne Community News", all distributed directly to each mailing address. The Alhambra Source is a USC Annenberg-backed community news site founded in 2010. The site is based on research into local information need, and includes a multilingual cadre of volunteer and young adult contributors. It is published online every weekday and includes select content in Spanish and Chinese as well as English. In the eastern part of the valley, Claremont has its own community newspaper called the Claremont Courier.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Several large newspaper publishing companies serve the large Chinese-speaking readership in the Greater Los Angeles Area; a number of them are based in the San Gabriel Valley. The national daily Chinese-language newspapers "Chinese Daily News" (Los Angeles edition of the "World Journal" newspaper) and "International Daily News" are both printed in Monterey Park. The Los Angeles edition of the Hong Kong-based "Sing Tao" is printed in Alhambra and the newspaper is specifically tailored to the Cantonese-speaking readership. "The Epoch Times" (大纪元) is based in New York City and has its Los Angeles office in San Gabriel. These newspapers are circulated and distributed throughout Chinese American communities in the San Gabriel Valley, Chinatown, San Diego, and in Las Vegas, Nevada (where the latter two cities generally receive the Los Angeles editions due to a relatively lower population density of Chinese-speaking Americans).


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Several blockbuster Hollywood films have been filmed on location in the San Gabriel Valley. Chantry Flats above Arcadia is featured as the landing site of aliens in the original film "War of the Worlds". South Pasadena and Alhambra served as the gloomy backgrounds of a fictional Illinois town of Haddonfield in John Carpenter's 1978 horror film "Halloween". Some areas of Pasadena and South Pasadena have a distinctly Midwestern look. Pasadena's distinctive domed City Hall has doubled as a courthouse or capitol building in countless television commercials and movies, and its South Lake shopping district filled in for Rodeo Drive in "Beverly Hills Ninja".


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The city of San Marino has taken acted as a backdrop for a number of films and television shows. Major studio motion pictures filmed in San Marino include "Mr. & Mrs, Smith", "Disturbia", "Enough", "Monster-in-Law", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Frailty", "Men in Black II", "The Hot Chick", "One Hour Photo", "Anger Management", "The Wedding Planner", "Starsky & Hutch", "Intolerable Cruelty", "Mystery Men", "Legally Blonde 2", "The Nutty Professor", "Beverly Hills Ninja", "The Sweetest Thing", "S1m0ne", "Charlie's Angels", "Indecent Proposal", and "American Wedding". Prime time television programs filmed within city borders include "Felicity", "The Office", "The West Wing", and "Alias". In addition, San Marino High School students in the graduating classes of 2004 and 2005 were documented in two separate reality television programs by MTV, which aired on the cable television network in 2005.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The cities of Temple City and Rosemead served as the backdrop for the Emmy Award-winning television series "The Wonder Years" (1988 to 1993). While Temple City's Las Tunas Drive served as the downtown for the Arnold Family's fictitious hometown, Rosemead High School stood in for the town's high school. Downtown Covina was used in the show "Roswell."


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The city of Whittier also hosts film crews for various motion picture, television and feature films. In Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" trilogy of time travel adventure movies (1985, 1989, 1990), Whittier High School was used as Hill Valley High School. Michael J. Fox's character travels back in time on the huge parking lot of the Puente Hills Mall in the City of Industry that served as the location of the fictitious Twin Pines Mall/Lone Pine Mall. The Gamble House in Pasadena provided the exterior of Christopher Lloyd's character's 1950s mansion. The city of El Monte served as a dilapidated future neighborhood. Another movie starring Fox, "Teen Wolf". was largely filmed in Arcadia. The Pasadena Chapter building of the Red Cross served as JAG Headquarters for the TV series "JAG", and the Caltech campus is regularly seen as the "Cal Sci" campus in the TV series Numb3rs. The actual house used as the residence of the main characters is also located in the southern end of Pasadena. Uptown Whittier was a principal location for the 1987 release "Masters of the Universe", and many scenes of the film show the buildings of the neighborhood as they appeared before most of them were damaged or destroyed by the Whittier Narrows earthquake of that year. "Forrest Gump" (1994), starring Tom Hanks, was partially filmed at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park. The downtown portion of Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia has been used in many movies and television commercials. Multiple locations throughout Monrovia also played the role of the fictitious Rome, WI in the TV series "Picket Fences".Pinky's Record Store in Friday; The 90s television show "Roswell" filmed in Covina, most noticeably the downtown area. Most recently, the former location of a now closed IKEA in the City of Industry was used to film scenes in the movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005), starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Across the street from the defunct IKEA is Speed Zone, an amusement center with 4 race tracks, it has been featured in the films "Guess Who" and "Clerks 2" and on TV in "Melrose Place (2009 TV series)", "", "Hell's Kitchen", "Attack of the Show!", "Freaks And Geeks", and more.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Like much of the Los Angeles region, the San Gabriel Valley enjoys a warm, sunny year-round Mediterranean climate. Rain is sporadic. Due to the Eastern San Gabriel Valley, (East of State Route 57) being more inland, the area is subject to hotter summers and colder winters. Light snow is extremely rare in the Valley but can often be viewed on the nearby San Gabriel Mountains.


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: The San Gabriel Valley is home to a number of post-secondary educational institutions, including the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Claremont Colleges, and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona)."


title: San Gabriel Valley

text: Most of the San Gabriel Valley lies within the 626 area code. Montebello, Whittier, and portions of its valley neighbors are in the 323 and 562 area codes. Some of northwestern Pasadena is also serviced by the 818 area code. Most of the communities in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley which lie east of State Route 57 are located in the 909 area code.


title: Vinette Robinson

text: Vinette Robinson is a British actress, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Her TV appearances include roles in "Sherlock", "Black Mirror", and as civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks in the "Doctor Who" episode "Rosa".


title: Vinette Robinson

text: Robinson was born to a Jamaican father and a British mother. She grew up in Bradford. Robinson went to Primary and Secondary school in Bradford, then did drama in sixth form at Intake High School in Leeds, along with weekly courses at the Scala School of Performing Arts theatre school in Leeds.


title: Vinette Robinson

text: Robinson began auditioning when she was thirteen years old; her first audition was for the role of Queen Amidala in the 1999 movie ""; a part which ultimately went to Natalie Portman. She made her television debut in "The Cops" at the age of 17. Following this she spent three years at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, where she was awarded a Laurence Olivier Bursary from the Society of London Theatre. She had a small role as the Jamaican girl in the 2004 film "Vera Drake" but was given an entire character backstory by the director Mike Leigh.


title: Vinette Robinson

text: Her first stage role was in the highly lauded National/Complicite production of "Measure for Measure". Following this she was part of the Gunpowder season at the Royal Shakespeare Company where she played the tortured servant May in Rupert Goold's production of "Speaking Like Magpies" by Frank McGuinness. In 2006 she played Eve in an acclaimed production of "Paradise Lost". Commenting on her nude scene, Sheila Tracy of "The Stage" wrote "one can not imagine the action working in any other way". Her performance in "Sugar Mummies" that same year led "New York" to list her as one of "London's hottest young stage actors" in 2007. Following the conclusion of "Sugar Mummies", she appeared in a short feature for "Time Out", in which she and five other actors were described as "innovative young theatrical talent".


title: Vinette Robinson

text: In 2009, she played Josie Porritt in the BBC television series "Hope Springs" and appeared as newly qualified English teacher Helen Hopewell in eight episodes of "Waterloo Road"s fifth series. From December 2009 to January 2010, she starred as the maid Florence in the Hampstead Theatre's "Darker Shores". In a "Daily Telegraph" review that rated the play only two stars, Charles Spencer commended Robinson's performance as having "a warmth and emotional openness". Kate Bassett for "The Independent on Sunday" also praised her, writing that she "copes admirably". In 2010, she starred as police sergeant Sally Donovan in the BBC series "Sherlock", continuing her role in the second and third series that aired in January 2012 and December 2013/January 2014.


title: Vinette Robinson

text: In 2011, Robinson appeared in Philip Ridley's "Tender Napalm", for which she received a "Best Female at The Offie" award. She then went on to play Ophelia in The Young Vic's production of "Hamlet", for which she received the Clarence Derwent Award. Her role as Ophelia led to her inclusion in the "New York Times Magazine" article "Titans of the Stage".


title: Vinette Robinson

text: In October 2018, Robinson appeared in the "Doctor Who" episode "Rosa", as civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks. It was her second appearance in "Doctor Who", following her portrayal of the character Abi Lerner in the 2007 episode "42".


title: Vinette Robinson

text: In 2019, Robinson appeared briefly in "" as a pilot who receives a same-sex kiss, a first for the film franchise. She appeared in the 2021 one-take film "Boiling Point" for which she received critical acclaim, as well as the BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She portrays a sous chef to an insolent, alcoholic head chef over the course of one hectic night at a busy restaurant.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: 3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 American heist black action comedy film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Demian Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein co-wrote the script with Richard Recco. The film stars Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollak, and Daisy McCrackin.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: "3000 Miles to Graceland" was released in the United States on February 23, 2001, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received mostly negative reviews by the critics and was a box office bomb making only $18.7 million against its $62 million budget.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Recent parolee Michael Zane stops at a run-down desert motel outside Las Vegas, Nevada. He catches a boy, Jesse, stealing from his car, and chases him back to his mother, Cybil Waingrow, who he seduces.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: The following morning, four men arrive to pick up Michael: Murphy, Hanson, Gus, and Franklin. Dressed in Elvis costumes, the group goes to Las Vegas and robs the Riviera, which is holding an Elvis convention. A firefight breaks out and Franklin is killed during their escape.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Back at the motel, Hanson and Murphy argue about Franklin's share until Murphy shoots Hanson. Michael hides the money in the crawl space, unaware that Jesse is watching him. The three remaining thieves drive into the desert to bury Hanson. Murphy returns alone after shooting Gus and Michael, but crashes his car and is knocked unconscious before reaching the motel.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Michael was wearing a bulletproof vest and survived the shooting by playing dead. He makes his way back to the motel and discovers that the money is missing. Guessing that Jesse was responsible, he storms into Cybil's place and finds the money. He tries to bribe Cybil to forget the situation, but eventually agrees to take Cybil and Jesse with him.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Michael explains that the money is marked, but says Murphy knows a money launderer in Idaho who can help. Murphy, realizing that Michael has taken the money, drives to Idaho to intercept him. At a restaurant, Cybil steals Michael's wallet and sneaks away from Michael and Jesse. She takes Michael's car and calls the money launderer, Peterson, using a password she found in Michael's wallet. Murphy appears at the money launderer's premises using the same password. Peterson explains that Cybil called first, so they wait for her.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Cybil arrives and finds Murphy, who she assumes is Peterson. Michael and Jesse arrive later in a stolen car and find the premises empty except for the bodies of Peterson and his secretary. Michael guesses that Murphy has his car and reports it stolen, causing Murphy to be arrested. The police discover that Michael is also driving a stolen car and arrest him as well. The men are put in adjoining cells and have a confrontation.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Jesse helps Michael make bail after Michael agrees to make him his partner. Murphy calls a man named Jack who helps him make bail. Michael retrieves his car and finds Cybil tied up and gagged in the trunk. Murphy is picked up while hitchhiking, then kills the driver and steals his clothes and vehicle.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Cybil and Jesse drive by. Murphy runs them off the road, and takes Jesse hostage, telling Cybil to find Michael and the money. Cybil begs Michael for help. After some persuasion, Michael decides to help and reports Murphy to the authorities.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: Michael meets Murphy at a warehouse with the money and convinces him to release Jesse. As Murphy realizes that the bag is full of cut-up newspaper instead of money, he is stung by a scorpion that Michael hid inside.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: A SWAT team surrounds the warehouse. Murphy pretends to surrender but grabs a gun and shoots Michael. A gunfight ensues. Murphy refuses to surrender and is killed by police. An ambulance takes Michael for medical care, but is stolen by Cybil and Jesse. Once again, Michael wore a bulletproof vest, and is only slightly injured. The three escape together and are seen on Michael's boat, the "Graceland."


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: The film's title is a reference to Elvis Presley's residence, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. While attempting to capture Thomas J. Murphy, the U.S. Marshals (correctly) believe he is attempting to cross the border into Canada somewhere through Washington/Idaho/Montana, a distance which (as stated by U.S. Marshal Quigley) is "3000 miles to Graceland." Michael also seeks to escape by crossing the border into Canada through Washington.


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: The film was a box office bomb. It opened at #3 at the North American box office, earning US$7,160,521 in its opening weekend behind "Down to Earth" and "Hannibal".


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: "3000 Miles to Graceland" received mostly negative reviews by critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 14% of critics gave the film a positive review based on a sample of 97 reviews, with an average score of 3.49/10, with the consensus; "While the premise sounds promising, the movie turns out to be a tedious and unnecessarily violent heist movie that's low on laughs and leaves no cliche unturned." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 from reviews by mainstream critics, gave the film rating of 21 based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".


title: 3000 Miles to Graceland

text: The film was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Costner), Worst Supporting Actress (Cox), Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Couple (Russell and either Costner or Cox) but failed to win any of those categories. The film was also nominated for five Stinkers Bad Movie Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Costner), Worst Supporting Actress, Most Annoying Fake Accent – Female (Cox), and Most Annoying On-Screen Group (The Elvis Impersonators) but failed to win any of those categories.


title: Grace Marks

text: Grace Marks (c. July 1828 – after c. 1873) was an Irish-Canadian maid who was involved in the 1843 murder of her employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery, in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Her conviction for the murder of Kinnear was controversial and sparked much debate about whether Marks was actually instrumental in the murder or merely an unwitting accessory. Marks was the subject of Margaret Atwood's historical fiction novel "Alias Grace" and its adaptations in other media.


title: Grace Marks

text: Marks was born and raised in Ulster, Ireland. Her father, John Marks, was a stonemason and an abusive alcoholic. She, along with her parents and eight siblings, immigrated to Canada in 1840, when Grace was twelve. Her mother died on the ship en route to Canada and was buried at sea.


title: Grace Marks

text: Marks was employed as a maid in the house of Yonge Street farmer Thomas Kinnear, who was in a sexual relationship with his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. In July 1843, Kinnear and Montgomery were murdered by James McDermott, a servant. Kinnear was shot and Montgomery, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was hit on the head with an axe and subsequently strangled before being dismembered and hidden under a large tub. Under the alias "Mary Whitney", Marks fled with McDermott to the U.S., but they were apprehended in Lewiston, New York, and deported to Toronto. It remains unclear whether Marks took part in the double murder.


title: Grace Marks

text: Marks was tried with McDermott for the murder of Kinnear. A trial for Montgomery's murder was to follow, but was deemed unnecessary as both defendants were convicted of Kinnear's murder and sentenced to death. McDermott was hanged, but Marks's sentence was commuted to life in prison which she served in Kingston Penitentiary. At one period (May 4, 1852 – August 18, 1853) she was committed to an asylum but was later returned to Kingston Penitentiary. In 1872, after almost thirty years of incarceration, Marks was pardoned and moved to northern New York. After that she disappeared.


title: Grace Marks

text: What is known of Marks on the historical record comes primarily from Susanna Moodie's book "Life in the Clearings Versus the Bush". She is the subject of Margaret Atwood's historical fiction novel "Alias Grace" and played by Sarah Gadon in the 2017 television adaptation directed by Mary Harron. "Alias Grace" was adapted for the stage by Jennifer Blackmer and premiered at the Rivendell Theater in Chicago on September 1, 2017.


title: Spartacus: War of the Damned

text: Spartacus: War of the Damned is the third and final season of the American television series "Spartacus", a Starz television series, which follows "". The series was inspired by the historical figure of Spartacus (played by Liam McIntyre from the second season and by Andy Whitfield in the first season), a Thracian gladiator who, from 73 to 71 BC, led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. It premiered on January 25, 2013, and concluded on April 12, 2013.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The Hyundai Equus () is a full-size, front-engine, rear-drive, four-door, five passenger luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by Hyundai from 1999 to 2016. The name ""equus"" is the Latin word for "horse".


title: Hyundai Equus

text: In 2009, Hyundai released the second generation with a rear-wheel drive platform and competing with the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS. As of August 2014, the second generation is sold in South Korea, Russia, China, United States, Canada, Central America, and South America — as well as in the Middle East under the Hyundai Centennial nameplate.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: On November 4, 2015, Hyundai officially announced the Genesis model would be spun off into Genesis Motor, the new luxury vehicle division for Hyundai. The 2016 successor to the Hyundai Equus has been rebranded as Genesis G90 (EQ900 in Korea until 2018).


title: Hyundai Equus

text: In 1999, Hyundai Motors and Mitsubishi Motors presented their full-size sedan. Hyundai said that it was making a full-size sedan to compete with Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series in the Korean market. In reality, it was competing against its domestic rival, the SsangYong Chairman. Hyundai had great success with the Equus in Korea, but very few were exported to other countries. One was exported for the 2001 New York International Auto Show to gauge the reaction of U.S. consumers. Hyundai identified the car to the U.S. consumers as the Hyundai LZ450 luxury sedan but it was not sold in the United States.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The first generation was designed by Mitsubishi Motors, who had their own version called the Proudia. It was jointly manufactured by both companies. The first-generation model was introduced in 1999 as a front-wheel-drive car measuring long and wide. A long-wheelbase limousine model was available exclusively for the Korean domestic market, and at ₩92,510,000 South Korean won for the 2008 model with a V8 and no options, was the most expensive model in the company's lineup. The first-generation Equus extended-length limousine was also mechanically related to the Mitsubishi Dignity limousine for the Japanese market. The first-generation Equus were sold in South Korea, China, and the Middle East. A very limited number, badged as the Centennial, were made available for some western European markets in the early and mid-2000s. At first, there were two engine types: a 3.5 Sigma V6 and 4.5 8A80 (Omega) V8 engine. After a few months, the 3.0 Sigma V6 engine type was added. Two versions were available: a sedan (3.0, 3.5 and 4.5) and a limousine (3.5 and 4.5). In Japan, under the name of Mitsubishi Dignity (limousine version) and Mitsubishi Proudia (sedan version), about 2,000 units were sold. Specifically, the 4.5 8A80 (Omega) V8 engine was a GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) type engine, which was designed and developed by Mitsubishi Motors. This engine was optimized for premium unleaded gasoline fuel, but there was little opportunity to get this type of fuel in Korea at that time. So, most of these engines used normal unleaded gasoline fuel and then had significant performance issues, resulting in complaints from drivers. Finally, Hyundai Motors modified this engine from a GDI Type to a MPI (Multi Point Injection) type to solve the issue. It added curtain airbags in 2001 and active head restraints in 2002.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: In 2003, Hyundai presented their 'New Equus', changing the hood design and some of interior. A 7-inch screen for the rear seat, Xenon headlamps, front parking sensors, etc. were newly offered. It introduced seat ventilation cooling and heating, climate control with air purifier (2003), Alcantara leather seats (2007). From 2005, 3.0 and 3.5 Sigma V6 engine types were changed to 3.3 and 3.8 Lambda V6 engine types which were designed and developed by Hyundai Motors. But the automatic transmission was not changed. Hyundai officially ceased the production of 1st generation Equus in November 2009. A new bigger, rear-wheel drive Equus was launched in March 2009. Instead of continuing production like Hyundai, Mitsubishi Motors ended the production of the Proudia and the Dignity around the time of the introduction of this model.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: A limousine model was made for the Korean market. Equus Limousines have been used by famous company owners in Korea as well as foreign VIPs.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The second generation Equus, codename "VI", was unveiled at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Unlike the old Equus, the VI has a rear-wheel drive architecture, a longer wheelbase, and a different engine. The VI is based on an all-new platform, developed in-house by the Hyundai Motor Corporation.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The South Korean domestic market Equus was available as a 3.8L "Prime" and a 4.6L "Prestige." It is the most expensive model in the company's lineup. It launched in the People's Republic of China in August 2009. The Hyundai Equus was listed in the '10 exciting cars for 2010' from "Forbes".


title: Hyundai Equus

text: US model was announced in 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and was unveiled in 2010 New York Auto Show. Early US model includes the same 4.6L V8 engine as the Genesis except with more than the current version. This puts the total engine output at with . The North American Equus features a badge attached on the hood as opposed to the hood ornament, the grille features a horizontal grid pattern like its Genesis sibling as opposed to the vertical one on international models, and an included iPad device with an Equus user's guide application pre-installed as opposed to a traditional owner's manual.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: It was the first Hyundai with an Electronically controlled Air Suspension (EAS) and Continuous Damping Control (CDC). Also first Hyundai with Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) collision avoidance system that optimally manages Electronic stability control, the electronic parking brake, radar smart cruise control and the seatbelt tensioning system for optimal safety.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The long-wheelbase version Equus was unveiled in September 2009. It is longer than the sedan version. Engine choices include Lambda 3.8L and Tau 5.0L engines. The limousine model has an exclusive horizontal cross-bar radiator grille, as well as features such as a power-driven footrest, rear-seat leg support and a massage system.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: Hyundai also developed an armoured vehicle based on the limousine, with an enlarged 5.5L version of the V8 engine. In September 2009, Hyundai delivered three bulletproof limousine versions of the luxury sedan Equus to the South Korea Presidential Security Service to be used as the official state car. Hyundai designed this vehicle with a special alloy, with an automatic cooling system in case of fire as well as bulletproof windows.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The first-built armoured limousine was donated to Blue House. A modified Hyundai Equus was donated to Costa Rica and is currently used as the presidential car.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: The limousine was available only in South Korea and Russia. The Russian version had the same price tag as the South Korean version.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: Hyundai introduced 3.8 L and 5.0 L GDi engines to replace the existing 3.8 L, 4.6 L and 5.0L MPi engines with a new 8-speed automatic transmission replacing the older 6-speed transmission on all applications. For North America, the updated Equus will debut as a 2012 model year with the 5.0L V8 engine rated and . The engine updates carried over to the facelifted Hyundai Genesis as well.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: Updates included new 19-inch alloy wheels, front fascia and grille design, side mirrors, tail lamp graphics, standard LED fog lamps, instrumental panel and center stack, center console and shift lever design, steering wheel control layout with vehicle settings, genuine wood trim selections, rear seat center console controls, ride tuning, sport mode, front suspension bushings, standard Assurance Connected Care & Blue Link, 7-inch TFT LCD cluster display (Signature), 12.3-inch fully digital TFT LCD cluster display (Ultimate), larger 9.2-inch upper center stack LCD display, climate control system offers three distinct cabin temperature zones, standard smart cruise control with stop/start (from 0 mph), proximity smart key with both key fob and card-key types, dual 9.2-inch rear seat entertainment monitors, power door closure, power lumbar for rear outboard seats, standard Assurance Connected Care (3-year complimentary services), standard Rear Cross-traffic Alert, standard Blind Spot Detection (BSD), heads-up display, vehicle multi-view camera system.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: This Equus was unveiled at the 2013 New York Auto Show. US models went on sale in 2013 as 2014 model year vehicles. The Tau 5.0 GDi engine is the only engine offered in the US.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: South Korean models include Lambda 3.8 MPi, Lambda II 3.8 GDi, Tau 4.6 MPi (366PS), Tau 5.0 MPi engines and the Tau 5.0 GDi (416PS) and (430PS) engines.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: US models include only the Tau 4.6 MPi (390PS) for the 2011 mode year with the Tau 5.0 GDi (435PS) installed from 2012 model year forward.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: It is a concept vehicle customized by Rhys Millen Racing, based on Equus with 4.6 Tau engine. It included bolt-on RMR Signature Edition air intake and stainless exhaust, increased engine power by 30 hp, RMR Signature Edition embroidered headrests and floor mats, and ostrich hide leather seats with suede accents.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: It is a version of 2011 Equus sedan built by Mummbles Marketing and DUB Magazine. It included Trex DUB Design mesh grille, DUB Design custom body kit, tinted windows and tail lights, and a custom two-tone, gloss black-and-matte charcoal body colour, DUB Edition custom suspension, 24-inch TIS modular style 10 wheels with Pirelli Pzero Nero Tires, custom trunk enclosure with Infinity Kappa audio (9 Infinity Kappa Series speakers, KAPPA ONE mono and KAPPA FOUR four-channel amplifiers), DUB Design custom leather and suede upholstery, DUB Design illuminated headliner and custom rear bucket seats.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: On 17 December 2012, an armoured Equus Limousine was delivered to Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, U.S.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: It is a limited (3 units) version of 2013 Hyundai Equus limousine built in collaboration with French fashion label Hermès.


title: Hyundai Equus

text: In 2013, a shipment of 61 2014 Hyundai Equus sedans carried by Korean freighter Morning Spruce destined for the United States was adrift for days after the ship had lost engine power in Pacific Ocean.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: There are many mechanisms for creating AI art, including procedural 'rule-based' generation of images using mathematical patterns, algorithms which simulate brush strokes and other painted effects, and artificial intelligence or deep learning algorithms such as generative adversarial networks and transformers.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: One of the first significant AI art systems is AARON, developed by Harold Cohen beginning in the late 1960s. AARON is the most notable example of AI art in the era of GOFAI programming because of its use of a symbolic rule-based approach to generate technical images. Cohen developed AARON with the goal of being able to code the act of drawing. In its primitive form, AARON created simple black and white drawings. Cohen would later finish the drawings by painting them. Throughout the years, he also began to develop a way for AARON to also paint. Cohen designed AARON to paint using special brushes and dyes that were chosen by the program itself without mediation from Cohen.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Since their design in 2014, generative adversarial networks (GANs) are often used by AI artists. This system uses a "generator" to create new images and a "discriminator" to decide which created images are considered successful. More recent models use "Vector Quantized Generative Adversarial Network and Contrastive Language–Image Pre-training" (VQGAN+CLIP).


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: DeepDream, released by Google in 2015, uses a convolutional neural network to find and enhance patterns in images via algorithmic pareidolia, thus creating deliberately over-processed images. After DeepDream's release several companies released apps that can transform photos into art-like images with the style of well-known sets of paintings.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Several programs use text-to-image models to generate a variety of images based on various text prompts. They include OpenAI's DALL-E which released a series of images in January 2021, Google Brain's Imagen and Parti which was announced in May 2022 and Microsoft's NUWA-Infinity. The input can also include images and keywords and/or configurable parameters such as artistic style which is often used via keyphrases like "in the style of {name of an artist}" in the prompt and/or selection of a broad aesthetic/art style.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: There are many other AI art generation programs including simple consumer-facing mobile apps and Jupyter notebooks that require powerful GPUs to run effectively. Examples include Midjourney, StyleGAN, and Stable Diffusion, among many others.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: On 22 August 2022, Stable Diffusion was released, making the technology much more accessible and free to use on personal hardware as well as extendable by third-parties (i.e. other software projects). This enabled a surge in further innovative applications and extensions from developers around the world – such as plugins for Krita, Photoshop, Blender, and GIMP. The Automatic1111 Stable Diffusion UI is a popular web-based open source user interface for using the tool on one's own computer including, continuously integrated, new features (such as "Inpainting" or "Textual Inversion"). The web interface by Stability.ai that allows running the software without any new installation is called DreamStudio.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: In August 2022, text-to-image AI art has won the first place in a digital art competition (in particular the $300-prized emerging digital artist category of the Colorado State Fair's annual art competition).


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Around that time, an expert concluded that "AI art is everywhere right now", with even experts not knowing what it will mean, a news outlet established that "AI-generated art booms" and reported about issues of copyright and automation of professional artists, a news outlet investigated how online communities (e.g. their rules) confronted with many such artworks react, news outlets raised concerns over deepfakes, a magazine highlighted possibilities of enabling "new forms of artistic expression", and an editorial noted that it may be seen as a welcome "augmentation of human capability".


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Examples of such augmentation may include e.g. enabling expansion of noncommercial niche genres (common examples are cyberpunk derivatives like solarpunk) by amateurs, novel entertainment, novel imaginative childhood play, very fast prototyping, increasing art-making accessibility and artistic output per effort and/or expenses and/or time – e.g. via generating drafts, inspirations, draft-refinitions, and image-components (Inpainting).


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Synthetic media, which includes AI art, has been described in 2022 as a major technology-driven trend to affect business in the coming years.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: There are platforms for sharing, trading, searching, forking/refining and/or collaborating on prompts for generating specific imagery from image generators. Prompts are often shared along with images on image sharing-websites such as reddit and AI art-dedicated websites. They are not the complete input or details used for the generation of images.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Additional functionalities are under development and may improve various applications or enable new ones – such as "Textual Inversion" which refers to enabling the use of user-provided concepts (like an object or a style) learned from few images. With textual inversion, novel personalized art can be generated from the associated word(s) (the keywords that have been assigned to the learned, often abstract, concept) and model extensions/fine-tuning (see also: DreamBooth).


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Generated images are sometimes used as sketches or low-cost experimentations or illustration of proof-of-concept-stage ideas – additional functionalities or improvements may also relate to post-generation manual editing (polishing or artistic usage) of prompts-based art (such as subsequent tweaking with an image editor). In the case of Stable Diffusion, the main pre-trained model is shared on the Hugging Face Hub.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: For example, AI can be used in the adjustable generation of novel sounds and samples that can be used by artists for music tracks.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Some prototype robots can create what is considered forms of art – such as dynamic cooking robots that can taste and readjust.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: There also is AI-assisted writing beyond copy-editing (including support in the generation of fictional stories such as helping with writer's block or inspiration or rewriting segments).


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: AI could be and has been used in video game art beyond imagery only, especially for level design (e.g. for custom maps) and creating new content or interactive stories in video games.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: An auction sale of artificial intelligence art was held at Christie's Auction House in New York in 2018, where the AI artwork "Edmond de Belamy" sold for $432,500, which was almost 45 times higher than its estimate of $7,000–$10,000. The artwork was created by "Obvious", a Paris-based collective.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Ever since artists began using AI to create art in the 20th century, the use of AI-generated art has sparked a number of debates. In the 2020s, some of those debates concerned whether AI art can be defined as art or not and concerning the impact it will have on artists.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: In 1985, Pamela Samuelson considered the legal questions surrounding AI art authorship as it relates to copyright: who owns the copyright when the piece of art was created by artificial intelligence? Samuelson's article, "Allocating Ownership Rights in Computer-Generated Works", argued that rights should be allocated to the user of the generator program. Victor Palace has presented three possible choices. First, the artificial intelligence itself becomes the copyright owner. To do this, Section 101 of the Copyright Act would need to be amended to define "author" as a natural person or a computer. Second, following Samuelson's argument, the user, programmer, or artificial intelligence company is the copyright owner. This would be an expansion of the "work for hire" doctrine, under which ownership of a copyright is transferred to the "employer." Finally, no one becomes the copyright owner, and the work would automatically enter public domain. The argument here is that because no person "created" the piece of art, no one should be the copyright owner.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Reema Selhi of the Design and Artists Copyright Society stated in September 2022 that "there are no safeguards for artists to be able to identify works in databases that are being used and opt out."


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: Some artists in 2022 have raised concerns about the impact AI art could have on their ability to earn money, particularly if AI art is used to replace artists working in illustration and design. Digital artist R. J. Palmer said in August 2022 that "I could easily envision a scenario where using AI a single artist or art director could take the place of 5-10 entry level artists... I have seen a lot of self-published authors and such say how great it will be that they don’t have to hire an artist," adding that "doing that kind of work for small creators is how a lot of us got our start as professional artists." Polish digital artist Greg Rutkowski said in September 2022 that "it's starting to look like a threat to our careers," adding that it has gotten more difficult to search for his work online because many of the images returned by search engines are generated by AI that was prompted to mimic his style.


title: Artificial intelligence art

text: As with other types of photo manipulation since the early 19th century, some people in the early 21st century have been concerned that AI could be used to create content that is misleading, known as "deepfakes".


title: Killer7

text: The game follows an elite group of assassins called the "killer7". The assassins, physical manifestations of a man named Harman Smith, perform hits on behalf of the United States government. Through these missions, the killer7 uncover a deeper conspiracy regarding the role of Japan in U.S. politics and secrets about the nature of their organization. "Killer7" features first-person shooter elements and a unique on rails control scheme, but the core adventure-style gameplay has been compared to "Myst" and "Snatcher".


title: Killer7

text: "Killer7" was Suda's first game released outside Japan. It initially received mixed reviews due to its unconventional control scheme, linear gameplay, and complex noir plot. While some reviewers appreciated the stripped-down controls and stylized arthouse approach, others criticised it as confusing and restricting. However, the game's soundtrack, presentation, visual style and thought-provoking story received generally positive responses from critics and considered as the best aspects of the game and led to several accolades and nominations. Retrospectively, "Killer7" has a cult following, which led to re-releases of Suda's older works and the successful launch of "No More Heroes". A Microsoft Windows port of the game licensed by Capcom was released by NIS America in 2018.


title: Killer7

text: The player controls the on-screen character, a member of the killer7 group, from a third-person view using the gamepad. The gameplay consists of elements of first-person shooter and action-adventure game with restricted movement (i.e. "on rails")—rather than allow free motion, the game limits the on-screen character to predetermined paths through the environment. The on-screen character moves forward by holding a button and reverses direction with another button press. At intersections, the player may choose which path to take. Progress is made by navigating the environment and solving puzzles. Some puzzles require the talents of a specific killer7 member. The player may switch between available members via a menu in the pause screen at any time; not all personalities may be awake at a start of a mission, and requires defeating a number of enemies before they can be awakened. Other puzzles require magical rings or other items collected throughout the game.


title: Killer7

text: Combat in "Killer7" occurs when the player encounters enemies called "Heaven Smiles". Smiles announce their presence with a laughing sound effect and are initially invisible. The player must switch to a first-person viewpoint and scan the surroundings to reveal Smiles. While in first-person view, movement is disabled and the analog stick aims the character's gun. Targeting specific body parts will disable them; for example, shooting off a leg will cause a Smile to fall to the ground and crawl toward the player. The player may aim for a "critical point" that instantly destroys the Smile. Smiles that get too close will explode and injure the character. If a character dies, players can use Garcian Smith to retrieve the fallen character's head and bring them back to life; if Garcian dies, then the game ends.


title: Killer7

text: Defeated Smiles yield "thick blood" and "thin blood". Thin blood is used to recover the characters' stamina and fuel special abilities. Thick blood functions similarly to experience points, and players gain more by shooting Smiles' critical points. The player may redeem thick blood for "serum" while in "Harman's Room", checkpoints that appear throughout the game. Serum is used to improve the attributes of the characters such as "power" and "speed". This also unlocks special abilities for the characters. Players may save their game in designated Harman's Rooms.


title: Killer7

text: Completing the game unlocks a new difficulty called Killer8 where the character Young Harman (a young version of Harman Smith) can be played along with the original seven personalities. Killer8 is more difficult than the original mode with most enemies able to kill the player with one attack. Completing Killer8 unlocks a comical Hopper7 mode where the first level can be replayed with weaker enemies that wear grasshopper masks, mirroring the logo for the game's developer Grasshopper Manufacture.


title: Killer7

text: "Killer7" takes place in an alternate version of Earth in the early 21st century. After a treaty ends all international conflict, the world powers destroy all nuclear weapons by firing them into the upper atmosphere and intercepting them with other missiles. This event becomes known as "Fireworks" and symbolizes world peace to the general populace. In an effort to combat terrorism, pandemic disease, and cyberterrorism, the International Ethics Committee (IEC) shuts down all air travel and public use of the Internet. Air transportation is replaced by a system of intercontinent expressways. However, a new terrorist group called "Heaven Smile" appears, targeting the United Nations (UN) and IEC. The members of Heaven Smile are humans who have been infected with a virus that evokes a desire to kill. Factory-produced Smiles are given a "bomb-organ" that allows them to explode at will, their principal means of attack.


title: Killer7

text: In this Earth, Japanese politics are dominated by two parties: the UN Party and the Liberal Party. The UN Party is more powerful and moves to end the Asian Security Treaty and sever ties with the United States. The UN Party seized control of the Japanese government through the wisdom of the "Yakumo Cabinet Policy", a secret document which details how to run the "ideal nation". It was written by the Union 7, young members of the Liberal Party who went on to found the UN Party. The US government is also eager to sever relations with Japan, seeing the country as a hindrance and of little economic value. The interaction between Japan and the US is a central source of conflict in "Killer7".


title: Killer7

text: The player controls the members of a group of assassins called the "killer7." The group is led by an elderly man in a wheelchair named Harman Smith (Dwight Schultz), who exhibits "Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon". This condition allows him to physically transform into one of his seven assassin personae:


title: Killer7

text: These people were gifted killers in life and Harman absorbed their souls through his condition after their deaths. The killer7 were temporarily incapacitated in an incident 50 years ago, in which the members of the group were systematically tracked and killed while performing a job at the Union Hotel in Pennsylvania. Garcian, whose power is to revive fallen personae, became the dominant personality as a result. In this capacity, he receives orders from the frail Harman when his consciousness is "awake" and accepts jobs from Christopher Mills (Bart Flynn), who hires the killer7 on behalf of the US government. Multifoliate Personae Phenomenon also causes Harman and his personae to see "remnant psyches" — ghosts of their past victims. Iwazaru, a man in a bondage suit, and Travis Bell, the killer7's first target, are the main remnant psyches who aid them throughout the game. The primary antagonist is an old friend of Harman's named Kun Lan (Joe Lala). He has the "Hand of God", a supernatural power that produces the Heaven Smile virus.


title: Killer7

text: The game opens with a conversation between Garcian Smith and Christopher Mills about a new job for the killer7. The assassins battle their way to the top of a building which has become infested with Heaven Smiles. Harman confronts the source of the Smiles, an angel-like figure, but she is merely Kun Lan's puppet. Harman and Kun Lan discuss the current state of the world before the mission ends. In the subsequent missions, the killer7 target a number of individuals on behalf of the US government or for personal reasons. They kill Andrei Ulmeyda (Cam Clarke), a Texan postal worker who established a successful company based on the Yakumo, when he becomes infected with the Heaven Smile virus. Dan Smith confronts Curtis Blackburn (Alastair Duncan), his former mentor and murderer, when Mills informs the group that Blackburn is running an organ smuggling business that targets young girls. Their penultimate mission pits them against the "Handsome Men", a group of sentai rangers who assassinate a US politician.


title: Killer7

text: The central plot arc concerns the true nature of US–Japan relations. After a volley of two hundred intercontinental ballistic missiles are fired at Japan, the US government contracts the killer7 to eliminate Toru Fukushima (Jim Ward), the head of the UN Party. However, an assassin posing as Fukushima's secretary kills him first in an attempt to reclaim the Yakumo document for the Liberal Party, believing its wisdom would help the party to regain political power. Shortly thereafter, Kenjiro "Matsuken" Matsuoka (Steve Blum) kills two senior members of the UN Party to become its new leader, under the influence of Kun Lan. In the end, the killer7 defeat the two UN Party members who had been reanimated by Kun Lan as Japan is destroyed by the missiles.


title: Killer7

text: In their final mission, the killer7 seek Matsuken, who leads the 10 million UN Party members who live in the US. The government fears that if they converge on a single state, they could win a seat in the United States Senate. Garcian travels to Coburn Elementary School near Seattle, Washington and discovers tapes that reveal the school as a front for the UN Party to train children as assassins. The tapes focus on Emir Parkreiner, a gifted killer trained at the school. Garcian learns that Japan uses Coburn to control the vote of the US presidential election. The assassins battle a group of invincible Smiles and all but Garcian are incapacitated. Garcian travels to the Union Hotel where he witnesses visions of the other members being killed in their rooms. At the top, he discovers that his true identity is Emir Parkreiner, the one who killed the killer7 at the Union Hotel over 50 years ago. Following that incident, Harman absorbed Emir as a persona and Emir's memories were lost.


title: Killer7

text: Three years later, Garcian, now living as Emir, arrives at Battleship Island in Japan to destroy the last Heaven Smile. He meets with Matsuken, who presents Garcian with a choice: let him live, which allows Japan to mount an assault on the US; or kill him, which lets the US discover Japan's role in rigging American elections—US forces destroy Japan's last stronghold, Battleship Island, in retaliation and wipe Japan off the map. Regardless of the player's choice, Garcian finds that the last Heaven Smile is Iwazaru, whose real identity is Kun Lan, and kills him. However, Harman and Kun Lan are revealed to be immortal beings, representing a dialectic struggle between opposites, which persists a century in the future in Shanghai as they continue their eternal battle.


title: Killer7

text: Development for "Killer7" began in mid-2002 as part of the Capcom Five, a set of games overseen by Shinji Mikami and intended to be exclusive to the GameCube. Capcom produced the games to bring new intellectual property to the video game industry, which the company viewed as stagnant. "Killer7"s gameplay mechanics were finalized late in development because most resources went to story and visual work. Director Suda51 wrote the scenario based on a plot he conceived together with Mikami, and later decided on the unconventional control scheme as a deconstruction of how gamers play and to "create new expression". Complex controls and combos were omitted to present a system that fosters easy progression for the player. Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi described the controls as "intuitive" and stated that the team wanted players to "think when they are playing" so they can enjoy the mystery in the story. The long development process culminated in several delays, the last of which was due to an artistic desire to release the game on July 7 (7/7).


title: Killer7

text: A lot of the content in Killer7 was cut due to feedback from both Mikami and internal testing. About 2/3 of the map size and plot were drastically reduced and according to Suda, the cinematics in total was three hours long as opposed to the now one-hour duration. Of all the Smiths in the game, Coyote is Suda's favorite because of his backstory, but like with other elements, it had to be cut halfway in development.


title: Killer7

text: Suda51 drew influence from film noir, particularly the theme of multiple personality disorder, and called "Killer7" a "hardboiled action-adventure". , Peter Saville, and American comic book artists, such as Adrian Tomine, inspired the artistic design and aesthetic. Suda51 noted the inclusion of cel animation in Western and Japanese anime styles was meant to legitimize video games as an art form by competing with traditional art forms in their stage. The game's anime sequences were created by Xebec, while the CGI sequences were handled by Digital Frontier. Kobayashi commented that "Killer7" is "styled more as an interactive story than a traditional game." Suda also drew from yakuza film "". His experience as an undertaker had a powerful effect on the portrayal of death in his games. The game reflects his interest in professional wrestling; Suda51 included a luchador character, Mask de Smith, and conducted interviews and attended promotional events while wearing a lucha libre mask. He named the Smith Syndicate after his favorite band the Smiths. Reflecting on his work, Suda51 considers "Killer7" his proudest achievement.


title: Killer7

text: "Killer7" received divided reviews and sparked debates about depictions of sex and violence in video games and the status of video games as art. James Mielke of "1UP.com" likened the game's high-contrast art style to noir and neo-noir film such as "Se7en". He found that despite poor pacing and stilted gameplay, the "quirky scripting and edgy plot" were strong draws, and called "Killer7" one of the "most artfully designed footnotes in gaming history". "Edge" magazine's reviewers echoed this sentiment and predicted that the game would "[pave the way] for future creative leeway", crediting the director with an unwavering artistic vision. "Eurogamer"s Kristan Reed was keenly aware of the game's limited appeal, calling it "a concept game, an arthouse game, a simple game, an often beautiful game, but most certainly never an everyman's game". Yahtzee Croshaw of "The Escapist" commends the game for "showing exactly what can be done when you flaunt all established convention and just start exploring what can really be done with gaming as an art form".


title: Killer7

text: Virtually all aspects of the game had their proponents and detractors. Greg Kasavin of "GameSpot" praised the unity of "great-looking camera work with simple controls" and compared its "thought-provoking" storyline to "Metal Gear Solid", while a "GamePro" reviewer criticized those features, calling the controls limited, the cel-shading dull, and the story incoherent. Kasavin complimented the game's eclectic soundtrack, excellent voice acting, and distinctive sound effects, while the "GamePro" reviewer panned them as minimalist and irritating. "IGN"s Matt Casamassina likened the control scheme to "old-school adventure games like "Myst" and "Snatcher"" and commended Suda51 for making a "cult hit", "erupting with style, mood and undiluted craziness". Casamassina was also impressed by the quality of the anime-style cutscenes featured in the latter half of the game.


title: Killer7

text: The "IGN", "GameSpot", and "GameSpy" reviews noted the GameCube version features superior graphics, substantially faster loading times, and more responsive controls than the PlayStation 2 version, resulting in lower scores for the latter. Nevertheless, "IGN" called it the 94th best PlayStation 2 game. "Nintendo Power" claimed that "Killer7" is a "highly rewarding" experience for dedicated gamers. "Nintendo World Report" writer Karl Castaneda also remarked that, despite repetitive gameplay, it was ""still" fun". Charles Herold of "The New York Times" was less forgiving and commented that the lack of new features beyond the first hour made the remaining experience boring and annoying.


title: Killer7

text: Despite its mixed reception, a number of video game publications recognized "Killer7"s unconventional gameplay and innovative style. At "GameSpot"s "Best and Worst of 2005" awards, the game was nominated for Best Story, Best GameCube Game, Most Outrageous Game, Most Gratuitous Use of F------ Swearing, and won Best New Character (Harman Smith) and Most Innovative Game. "IGN" similarly nominated it for Game of the Year, Most Innovative Design, and Best Artistic Design and awarded it Best Adventure Game, Best Story, and Best Game No One Played. "IGN" later named "Killer7" the 20th best GameCube game of all time. The game had a large presence at the 2005 "Nintendo Power" Awards, winning Best New Character (Harman Smith).


title: Killer7

text: In August 2005, Jack Thompson, an activist who campaigns against video games, demanded that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) change its rating for "Killer7" from "M" (for Mature, ages 17 and up) to "AO" (for Adults Only, ages 18 and up). He cited Casamassina's review of the game at "IGN", claiming that "full-blown sex sequences" present in the game would be harmful to minors. Casamassina rebutted that the scene in question involved two fully clothed adults and that a similar scene in a film would garner "only a PG-13 or, worst, R-rating".


title: Killer7

text: Reviewers quickly identified "Killer7" as a cult game with limited appeal. "IGN" lamented that its experimental style was not conducive to high sales, naming it GameCube's Best Game No One Played in their 2005 awards. "IGN"s Casamassina later placed it fourth in his "Top 10 Tuesday: Underrated and Underappreciated Games" feature. Despite modest sales, "Killer7"s cult success prompted the development of remakes of Suda51's older Japan-only games, "The Silver Case" and "Flower, Sun, and Rain". In 2007, Grasshopper Manufacture released Suda51's "No More Heroes" to critical and commercial success. In addition to an original soundtrack and comic book adaptation, Capcom published "Hand in killer7", a companion book that explains the plot in more depth. Kinetic Underground, the company that handled the comic book, also released a number of figurines depicting characters from the game. Dan Smith later made a guest appearance in Suda51's 2019 game "". The 2021 Nintendo 3DS game "Gal Galaxy Pain" features a laugh in homage to Heaven Smiles that can be heard during the game over screen and when hovering over the game's icon on the 3DS home menu.


title: Killer7

text: "Killer7 Original Sound Track" was released on June 20, 2005 by Scitron Digital Contents. It features 55 compositions by Masafumi Takada and 6 by Jun Fukuda across two discs. Takada put a large emphasis on ambient music due to the genre's ability to draw in the player. He called his soundtrack a "translation of the text" of the game and sought to retell the story through music. Carolyn Gudmundson of GamesRadar praised the soundtrack's varied style, a "moody, atmosphereric base punctuated with spikes of manic energy". She singled out "Rave On", a track heard before mini-boss battles, as an excellent example of the latter. GameSpy's Phil Theobald had similar compliments for "Rave On" and other more subdued pieces that slowly "work [their] way into your mind".


title: Killer7

text: In 2006, Devil's Due Publishing released a comic book adaptation of "Killer7", written and drawn by Kinetic Underground staff. The planned 12-issue limited series was cancelled after four issues. Players who preordered "Killer7" through EB Games received a special "Issue #0" as a bonus, and "Issue #½" was available at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con. Writer Arvid Nelson described the story as a "mutant cross-breeding of John Woo and Quentin Tarantino", and Devil's Due President Josh Blaylock commented that "Killer7"s style was perfect for the comic book medium. In adapting the game, Nelson admitted that the plot was streamlined to maintain a comprehensible story, but noted that the "video game doesn't spoon-feed you information ... That's how the comic's going to be, too".


title: Killer7

text: Since its inception, fans have been anticipating a "Killer7" sequel. Suda made it clear that it will "probably never happen" as Capcom holds the rights to the IP. In a 2010 interview, he exclaimed that "Killer7" is "part of his soul" and is certainly interested in making a sequel.


title: Killer7

text: In 2012, Suda revealed a new game titled "Killer Is Dead"; word quickly spread that it was a follow-up to "Killer7" since the game shares similar concept with an assassin protagonist, complex plot and cel-shaded graphics. Suda later clarified that "Killer Is Dead" is an original game and has no relation to "Killer7".


title: Killer7

text: During a panel at 2016's PAX East, Suda expressed his interest to remaster "Killer7" and has begun talks with the game's publisher, Capcom. On March 17, 2018, during "HOPPER'S Vol. 5" an event celebrating Grasshopper Manufacture's 20th anniversary, Suda verbally announced to attendees that there are plans to remaster both "Killer7" and "Flower, Sun, and Rain." However no platform or release date was mentioned. Suda later posted on his Twitter account stating that the "Killer7" remaster will be out within 10 years. At the 2018 MomoCon, Suda announced a remastered version of "Killer7" for Windows which was released on November 15, 2018.


title: Loincloth

text: A loincloth is a one-piece garment, either wrapped around itself or kept in place by a belt. It covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks. Loincloths which are held up by belts or strings are specifically known as breechcloth or breechclout. Often, the flaps hang down in front and back.


title: Loincloth

text: Loincloths are worn in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted. Loincloths are commonly used as an undergarment or swimsuit by wrestlers and by farmers in paddy fields in both Sri Lanka and India, where it is called Kovanam in Tamil, in Sinhala and kaupinam or langot.


title: Loincloth

text: The loincloth, or breechcloth, is a basic form of dress, often worn as the only garment. Men have worn a loincloth as a fundamental piece of clothing which covers their genitals, not the buttocks, in most societies which disapproved of genital nakedness throughout human history. The loincloth is in essence a piece of material, bark-bast, leather, or cloth, passed between the legs and covering the genitals. Despite its functional simplicity, the loincloth comes in many different forms.


title: Loincloth

text: The styles in which breechcloths and loincloths can be arranged are myriad. Both the Bornean "sirat" and the Indian "dhoti" have fabric pass between the legs to support a man's genitals.


title: Loincloth

text: A similar style of loincloth was also characteristic of ancient Mesoamerica. The male inhabitants of the area of modern Mexico wore a wound loincloth of woven fabric. One end of the loincloth was held up, the remainder passed between the thighs, wound about the waist, and secured in back by tucking.


title: Loincloth

text: In Pre-Columbian South America, ancient Inca men wore a strip of cloth between their legs held up by strings or tape as a belt. The cloth was secured to the tapes at the back and the front portion hung in front as an apron, always well ornamented. The same garment, mostly in plain cotton but whose aprons are now, like T-shirts, sometimes decorated with logos, is known in Japan as .


title: Loincloth

text: Japanese men wore until recently a loincloth known as a . The is a piece of fabric (cotton or silk) passed between the thighs and secured to cover the genitals.


title: Loincloth

text: Unsewn Kaupinam and its later-era sewn variation langot are traditional clothes in India, worn as underwear in dangal held in akharas especially wrestling, to prevent hernias and hydrocele. Kacchera is mandatory for Sikhs to wear.


title: Loincloth

text: Japanese men and women traditionally wore a loincloth known as a "fundoshi". The "fundoshi" is a 35 cm (14 in.) wide piece of fabric (cotton or silk) passed between the thighs and secured to cover the genitals. There are many ways of tying the "fundoshi".


title: Loincloth

text: In most Native American tribes, men used to wear some form of breechcloth, often with leggings. The style differed from tribe to tribe. In many tribes, the flaps hung down in front and back; in others, the breechcloth looped outside the belt and was tucked into the inside, for a more fitted look. Sometimes, the breechcloth was much shorter and a decorated apron panel was attached in front and behind.


title: Loincloth

text: A Native American woman or teenage girl might also wear a fitted breechcloth underneath her skirt, but not as outerwear. However, in many tribes young girls did wear breechcloths like the boys until they became old enough for skirts and dresses. Among the Mohave people of the American Southwest, a breechcloth given to a young female symbolically recognizes her status as "hwame".


title: Loincloth

text: In the Philippines, loincloths are generally known as bahag. It is a single piece of long rectangular cloth and is not tied with a belt or a string. They were commonly used by men throughout the pre-colonial Philippines. They were either made from barkcloth or from hand-woven textiles. Before the colonial period, bahag were a common garment for the commoners and servant class (the "alipin" caste). It survives in some indigenous tribes of the Philippines today - most notably the Cordillerans in Northern Luzon.


title: Loincloth

text: Bahag were also favored among the nobility ("tumao") and warrior ("timawa") class of the pre-colonial Visayan people, as it shows off the elaborate full-body traditional tattoos (batok) acquired via combat prowess and other significant achievements.