title: Military Sealift Command

text: Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program is an element in the US's triad of power projection into the 21st century—sea shield, sea strike and sea basing. As a key element of sea basing, afloat prepositioning provides the military equipment and supplies for a contingency forward deployed in key ocean areas before need. Part the prepositioning strategy is forward presence and power projection. Prepositioning extends the reach of operations, isolates conflicts away from the United States, allows for a swift response to conflict, and reduces time and resources delegated to transporting cargo. The MSC Prepositioning Program supports the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps and the Defense Logistics Agency. Prepositioning ships remain at sea, ready to deploy on short-notice the vital equipment, fuel and supplies to initially support military forces in the event of a contingency. The Prepositioning Program consists of 34 at-sea ships plus two aviation support ships kept in reduced operating status. These ships wear civilian livery, and are only designated "USNS" if government-owned; those chartered from civilian owners are either "SS" or "MV". Two Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ships (T-AKE) are included in the program in a Reduced Operational Status (ROS).


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Formerly Service Support (PM4) it consists of fleet ocean tugs, rescue and salvage ships, submarines tenders, and hospitals ships formerly from the NFAF. Command ships and cable layers were transferred to the N037 program.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: The mission of the Sealift Program is to provide ocean transportation to the Department of Defense by meeting its sealift requirements in peace, contingency, and war with quality, efficient cost effective assets and centralized management. This is achieved through the use of commercial charter vessels, Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off ships, and the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force, including the eight former MSC fast sealift ships. Sealift is divided into three separate project offices: Tanker Project Office, Dry Cargo Project Office and the Surge Project Office.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Formerly the Fleet Ordnance and Dry Cargo (PM6), it is composed of twelve Dry Cargo/Ammunition ships and two Fast Combat Support ships. Dry Cargo and Ammunition ships, or T-AKEs, were designed to replenish dry and refrigerated stores as well as ordnance. They have replaced combat stores ships and ammunition ships incorporating the capabilities of both platforms into one hull. These multi-product ships increase the delivery capability to provide food, fuel, spare parts, ammunition and potable water to the U.S. Navy and allies' ships. Fast Combat Support Ships or T-AOEs provide parts, supplies and fuel at sea.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Formerly the Afloat Staging Command Support (PM7) program, it is composed of the Expeditionary Mobile Base ships (replacement for the Afloat Forward Staging Base), the Amphibious Command Ship , and the cable layer .


title: Military Sealift Command

text: This consists of the class of ships formerly known as the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) program but was changed to (EPF) in September 2015. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The EPF will reach speeds of 35–45 knots (65–83 km/h; 40–52 mph) and will allow for the rapid transit and deployment of conventional or special forces as well as equipment and supplies.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: MSC headquarters is located at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, VA. As a result of a 2012 organization, MSC's 12 worldwide MSC ship support units (SSUs) will now report to the MSC operational area commands in their respective areas of responsibility. These are responsible for crewing, training, equipping and maintaining MSC's government-owned, government-operated ships.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Formerly, these SSUs had reported to MSC's Military Sealift Fleet Support Command (MSFSC), a subordinate command of Military Sealift Command and is a single Type Commander (TYCOM) execution command having worldwide responsibility to crew, train, equip and maintain MSC government-owned, government-operated ships. MSFSC officially stood up on 13 November 2005. Stand up of the Ship Support Units (SSUs) followed establishment of MSFSC, their parent command. SSU San Diego stood up in conjunction with MSFSC. By late 2008, all subordinate SSUs were fully operational.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: MSFSC was formed from the following MSC elements: Portions of Sealift Logistics Command Atlantic and the former Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force East; Portions of Sealift Logistics Command Pacific; Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force West (except those positions remaining in SSU San Diego); and The Afloat Personnel Management Center.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: MSFSC was also responsible for providing support to other MSC assets as directed. MSFSC has ship support units, or SSUs, in Naples, Bahrain, Singapore, Guam, Yokohama and San Diego. The SSUs (except for Guam and Yokohama) are collocated with their respective numbered fleet operational logistics task force commanders and Sealift Logistics Commands, but are not within that chain of command. SSUs provide local TYCOM support to ships in their area of operations and report directly to MSFSC. MSFSC was disestablished following restructuring when Military Sealift Command relocated to Naval Station Norfolk from the Washington Navy Yard.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Sealift's capabilities are significantly hampered by biofouling. Maintenance is sometimes performed to remove fouling, but sealift maintenance must follow the Uniform National Discharge Standards for the chemicals used in this process.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: As early as 1847, both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy chartered American merchant ships separately. Following the Mexican–American War, Brigadier General Thomas S. Jesup, Quartermaster of the Army, recommended that the Navy be given responsibility for all water transportation requirements for the military. However, each service managed their own sea transportation throughout the nineteenth century and both World Wars.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: In World War II, four government agencies conducted military sealift functions, the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS), the Army Transport Service, the U.S. Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration, and the Fleet Support Services. To oversee these organizations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) established the Joint Military Transportation Command.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: On 15 December 1948, the Secretary of Defense James Forrestal issued a statement, "all military sea transport including Army transports would be placed under Navy command." Issues with funding held up the transfer of the functions to the Navy. The new Secretary of Defense, Louis Johnson, issued a memorandum on 12 July 1949 that detailed service responsibilities and the funding of the new Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS).


title: Military Sealift Command

text: MSTS became the single managing agency for the Department of Defense's ocean transportation needs. The command assumed responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all military services as well as for other government agencies. The new command set up subcomponents, for example, Military Sea Transportation Service Pacific (ComMSTSPac).


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Nine months after its creation, MSTS responded to the challenge of the Korean War. On 6 July 1950, eleven days after the initial invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops, MSTS deployed the 24th Infantry Division for duty in Japan to Pusan, South Korea. In addition to transporting troops and combat equipment to and from Korea, command ships supplied US bases and Distant Early Warning line construction sites and supported US nation building efforts from Europe and Africa, to the Far East.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: The 1960s brought the conflict in Southeast Asia. From 1965 to 1969 MSTS moved almost 54 million tons of combat equipment and supplies and almost 8 million long tons of fuel to South Vietnam. The Vietnam War era also marked the last use of MSC troop ships for personnel movement. Currently, most US troops are prepositioned by air.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: MSTS was renamed Military Sealift Command (MSC) in 1970. In 1971 Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt proposed the use of MSC ships for direct support of the fleet at sea. Heretofore, these civilian-crewed ships had only been used for point to point transport of cargo. To determine the feasibility of this concept, Admiral Zumwalt directed the formation of a special study group to recommend how the navy could better utilize the MSC fleet to save both manpower and money. The high cost of training personnel after the advent of the all-volunteer navy made it imperative that seagoing personnel be assigned to complex warships of the fleet whenever possible. The study concluded that significant savings could be achieved if civilian mariners could be substituted for uniformed navy sailors in fleet support ships.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: In 1972 a joint U.S. Navy-Maritime Administration project called "Charger Log" was established to test whether or not a union-crewed merchant ship could provide some or all of the fleet support services normally provided by navy oilers. Extensive trials were conducted using the civilian crewed merchant tanker SS Erna Elizabeth equipped with both alongside and astern fueling gear to test the feasibility of augmenting (not replacing) the service force with ships of the U.S. Merchant Marine. The success of 'Charger Log' contributed to the formation of the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: The navy oiler was the first fleet-support ship to be placed under MSC control. Decommissioned on 4 May 1972, she was transferred to the MSC and redesignated T-AO-62. After its transfer, the ship underwent a thorough overhaul that included refurbishment of equipment, gear, and refueling rigs, modification of crew quarters, and the removal of armaments. She entered service with a crew of 105 civilian mariners hired by the government augmented by a sixteen-member naval complement.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: The shortage of multiproduct replenishment ships in the early 1970s led to the development of an improvised system for dispensing fuel from ammunition and stores ships that allowed them to transfer fuel to smaller combatants. Neither type of ship had cargo fuel, but each could share its own fuel with destroyers and frigates in an emergency. The lack of sufficient numbers of AOEs or AORs precluded the deployment of these types in support of any of the surface warfare groups, which were generally composed of destroyers and frigates. The old saying that necessity is the mother of invention proved to be true when Rear Admiral John Johnson devised a practical solution to the shortage of fuel-carrying UNREP ships based on the modification of existing cargo transfer gear on ammunition and stores ships. As commander Task Force 73 (the service force of the Seventh Fleet) in 1973, Admiral Johnson had to contend with the problem of how to provide logistic support for the two Seventh Fleet destroyers deployed to the Indian Ocean for an extended period of time. The answer was to turn the into a mini multiproduct ship by adding two cargo reefer boxes as deck cargo and outfitting it with a jury-rigged fuel station. The latter was achieved by temporarily rigging a 7-inch fuel hose to the starboard side cargo station—the one closest to the ship's fuel receiving raiser. The highline was used as a span wire, and fuel hose saddles were supported from a wire whip from a nearby hauling winch or a fiber whip from a nearby gypsy. Fuel was pumped from the ship's own fuel bunkers to the receiving ship alongside using the fuel-transfer pump normally carried aboard the AE. The pumping rate was considerably less than that of a fleet oiler and, while workable, contained many drawbacks.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: By the time the entered service on 19 December 1986, the Navy had transferred the five Second World War vintage tankers of the "Mispillion" class and the six 1950s-built "Neosho"-class fleet oilers to the Military Sealift Command.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: Through the 1970s and 1980s MSC provided the Department of Defense with ocean transportation. During the first Persian Gulf War, consisting of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, MSC distinguished itself as the largest source of defense transportation of any nation involved. Command resources delivered more than 12 million tons (11 million metric tonnes) of wheeled and tracked vehicles, helicopters, ammunition, dry cargo, fuel and other supplies and equipment during the war. At the high point of the war, more than 230 government-owned and chartered ships delivered the largest part of the international arsenal that defeated Saddam Hussein in Iraq. MSC was also involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, delivering of cargo and of fuel by the end of the first year.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: In August 2017, the Government Accountability Office issued a report detailing readiness issues that limited at-sea mission capabilities, prompting an investigation from the Department of Defense's Inspector General.


title: Military Sealift Command

text: History Military Sealift Command operated former ships of the U.S. Navy, which upon decommissioning changes prefixes from United States Ship (USS) to United States Naval Ship (USNS). In rare instances, ships were transferred from MSC to the U.S. Navy, being commissioned and receiving the USS-prefix.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria of Austria (; 21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929) was the second queen consort of Alfonso XII of Spain. She was queen regent during the vacancy of the throne between her husband's death in November 1885 and the birth of their son Alfonso XIII in May 1886, and subsequently also until the coming of age of the latter in May 1902.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Known to her family as Christa, she was born at Židlochovice Castle (Groß Seelowitz), near Brünn (now Brno), in Moravia, a daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Her paternal grandparents were Archduke Charles of Austria and Princess Henriette Alexandrine of Nassau-Weilburg.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Various sources attributed good traits to Maria Christina before her marriage. One states she was "tall, fair, sensible, and well educated". She was Princess-Abbess of the Theresian Royal and Imperial Ladies Chapter of the Castle of Prague (1875-1879).


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: After the death of Queen María de las Mercedes in June 1878, King Alfonso XII was determined to remarried to produce an heir. The Queen had died just a few months after her marriage with no descendants and negotiations started with the court of Vienna. In August, Alfonso XIII traveled to Arcachon, Gironde, with the specific purpose of meeting Archduchess Maria Christina and her mother Archduchess Elisabeth. In this first meeting, the King proposed to her and she accepted.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: In early September 1878, the Spanish Government approved the engagement and Emperor Franz Joseph asked his niece to officially relinquish her title of Abbess of the Theresian Convent of Prague as it was necessary for the future Queen to abandon all her Austrian appointments. The proposal was gazetted in the "Wiener Zeitung" on 7 September: "His Majesty the King of Spain, during his visit to Archacon, has requested the hand of the Most Serene Lady Archduchess Maria Christina... with previous consent of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, as Chief of the Imperial Family, the Most Serene Lady Archduchess has accepted the said proposal".


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: In compliance with Article 56 of the Constitution, the Cortes passed a law granting a 500.000 pesetas annuity for the future Queen Consort on 2 November. The terms of the marriage were settled in an agreement executed between Austria and Spain in Vienna on 15 November by their respective plenipotentiaries. That same day Maria Christina renounced to her succession rights to the Austrian throne before the Emperor and the court according to the tradition imposed to the Archduchesses who were to marry a foreign prince. Another marriage agreement was signed in Madrid on 28 November by the King and Maria Christina themselves.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: The wedding took place on 29 November 1879 at the Basilica of Atocha in Madrid. The arranged marriage (the second of Alfonso XII after the death of his first wife María de las Mercedes of Orléans), was concerted on the basis of the conservative profile espoused by the Austro-Hungarian Empire as well as by the prestige attained by the Habsburgs in their previous involvement in the history of Spain, and blocked the possibility of a prospective Austrian endorsement to the Carlist cause.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: After giving birth to two female children—María de las Mercedes (born 1880) and María Teresa (born 1882)—she ensured dynastic continuity, yet, with the threatening landmark for the ruling dynasty set by the previous Carlist Wars, she was still pressured to undergo a new pregnancy and give birth to a male child in order to consolidate the political system, as it was considered at the time.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: She became pregnant again before the death of her husband in November 1885 (the king suffered from tuberculosis yet he led an active life). An attributed dying wish by Alfonso XII pleading to her is ""Ya verás cómo todo se arregla providencialmente. Pero, si muero, guarda el coño y ándate siempre de Cánovas a Sagasta y de Sagasta a Cánovas"" ("You will see how everything is going to be providentially fixed, yet if I die, keep your pussy at bay and always go from Cánovas to Sagasta and from Sagasta to Cánovas"). While possibly apocryphal, it is representative of the Restoration era. Months later, in May 1886, she would give birth to a male child, Alfonso, who reigned as Alfonso XIII upon his birth.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Designated as regent upon the death of her husband in 1885, Maria Christina swore on the 1876 Constitution on 30 December 1885 at the Palacio de las Cortes, before the two legislative bodies. She rejected the title of "reina gobernadora" ("Queen Governor"), distancing from the memory of the previous regent Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, who had used it in the 1830s.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: When the King died on 25 November 1885, Maria Christina was pregnant, so the throne was vacant, depending on whether Maria Christina's unborn child was a male or a female; a male would make that child king, while a female would place the elder daughter and Princess of Asturias, María de las Mercedes, on the throne. During this period, Maria Christina ruled as regent until her child Alfonso, a son, was born on 17 May 1886; he was King (Alfonso XIII) from birth.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: She nurtured a persona of austerity and staidness, and became known among the populace as "Doña Virtudes", "María la Seca" ("Mary the Curt One") and "la institutriz" ("the governess"). She displayed strong religious beliefs which gained her the endorsement of Pope Leo XIII, weakening the adherence to Carlist stances within the clergy.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Her chief adviser and head of government was Práxedes Mateo Sagasta. Her rule is described as well-balanced and in accordance with respect for constitutional rights, and many political reforms were instated during her regency to prevent political conflicts and chaos. Her role was mostly ceremonial, and her purpose was to preserve the crown for her son until he became an adult.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Her spell as regent saw the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines after the 1898 Spanish–American War.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: After the marriage of her son with Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg in 1906, she took a secondary role in public events. Nevertheless, Alfonso XIII continued to look to her on many occasions for advice.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: She was the leading figure around which the Germanophile stronghold within the Royal Court coalesced during World War I, in contrast to the pro-Entente minority faction represented by her daughter-in-law, the British-born Victoria Eugenie. Spain remained a neutral country during the conflict.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: She died on 6 February 1929, at the Royal Palace in Madrid, after some weeks of heart disease. She is buried at El Escorial.


title: Maria Christina of Austria

text: Sir Charles Petrie, Alfonso XIII's biographer, maintained that the Queen dowager's death had a disastrous effect on her son, and that the latter never recovered politically from the blow. Within little more than two years the monarchy had collapsed.


title: Frotteurism

text: Frotteurism is a paraphilic interest in rubbing, usually one's pelvic area or erect penis, against a non-consenting person for sexual pleasure. It may involve touching any part of the body, including the genital area. A person who practices frotteuristic acts is known as a "frotteur".


title: Frotteurism

text: Toucherism is sexual arousal based on grabbing or rubbing one's hands against an unexpecting (and non-consenting) person. It usually involves touching breasts, buttocks or genital areas, often while quickly walking across the victim's path. Some psychologists consider toucherism a manifestation of frotteurism, while others distinguish the two. In clinical medicine, treatment of frotteuristic disorder involves cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with the administration of an SSRI.


title: Frotteurism

text: Frotteuristic acts were probably first interpreted as signs of a psychological disorder by French psychiatrist Valentin Magnan, who described three acts of "frottage" in an 1890 study. "Frottage" derives from the French verb "frotter", meaning "to rub". "Frotteur" is a French noun literally meaning "one who rubs". It was popularized by German sexologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his book "Psychopathia Sexualis", borrowing from Magnan's French terminology. Clifford Allen later coined "frotteurism" in his 1969 textbook of sexual disorders.


title: Frotteurism

text: The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" called this sexual disorder by the name "frottage" until the third edition (DSM III-R), but changed to "frotteurism" in the fourth edition, and now uses "frotteuristic disorder" in the fifth edition. Nevertheless, the term "frottage" still remains in some law codes where it is synonymous with the term "frotteurism".


title: Frotteurism

text: The professional handbook of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", fifth edition, lists the following diagnostic criteria for "frotteuristic disorder".


title: Frotteurism

text: If the individual has not acted on their interest and experiences no distress or impairment, they are considered to have a frotteuristic sexual interest, but not frotteuristic disorder. Some sexologists distinguish between frotteurism (as pelvic rubbing) and toucherism (as groping with hands), but the DSM does not. Sexologist Kurt Freund described frotteurism and toucherism as courtship disorders that occur at the tactile stage of human courtship.


title: Frotteurism

text: The prevalence of frotteurism is unknown. The DSM estimates that 10%–14% of men seen in clinical settings for paraphilias or hypersexuality have frotteuristic disorder, indicating that the population prevalence is lower. However, frotteuristic acts, as opposed to frotteuristic disorder, may occur in up to 30% of men in the general population. The majority of frotteurs are male and the majority of victims are female, although female on male, female on female, and male on male frotteurs exist. This activity is often done in circumstances where the victim cannot easily respond, in a public place such as a crowded train or concert. Marco Vassi's story "Subway Dick" is an example of such acts in a train.


title: Frotteurism

text: Usually, such nonconsensual sexual contact is viewed as a criminal offense: a form of sexual assault albeit often classified as a misdemeanor with minor legal penalties. Conviction may result in a sentence or psychiatric treatment.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Matsu Islands ( or , ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤), officially Lienchiang County (, ; Foochow Romanized: ), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China (ROC) based in Taiwan, with its location sitting alongside southeastern coast of mainland China. It is the smallest county in the ROC-controlled territories by area and population, as well as one of two counties that were part of the nominal Fujian Province.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The current Lienchiang County of the ROC was once part of an intact Lienchiang County of Fujian before its effective partition in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the mainland portion of the county being controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC) as Mazu Township within Fuzhou, while the offshore islands of Matsu remained under ROC control. The circumstance has made the county the only former geographical unit which is now divided between the administrations of the ROC and the PRC.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Lienchiang County, Taiwan (R.O.C.) uses the traditional Chinese characters name () and the romanized name Lienchiang which is derived from the Wade-Giles romanization ("Lien²-chiang¹") of the Mandarin pronunciation for those Chinese characters that also refer to Lianjiang County, Fuzhou, Fujian in mainland China. Lienchiang has also been written as Lien-chiang and Lienkiang and by a postal romanization of the local language pronunciation Lienkong. The term Lienchiang can also refer to the homophonous Lianjiang in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Matsu Islands are named after the main island, Nangan (Nankan). Nangan is also named Matsu Island because of a temple on the island which is supposed to be the burial site of the similarly named goddess Mazu (). Matsu is the Wade-Giles-derived romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation ("Ma³-tsu³") for the Chinese character name () of the islands. The Matsu Islands are also known by other Chinese-language names including and ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū dō̤).


title: Matsu Islands

text: In April 2003, the Lienchiang County government considered changing the name of the county to Matsu County in order to avoid confusion with the nearby Lianjiang County on the mainland. Then-Magistrate Chen Hsueh-sheng said some local people opposed the name change because they felt it reflected the pro-independence viewpoint of the Democratic Progressive Party.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Chinese from Fujian and Zhejiang started migrating to the islands during the Yuan Dynasty. Most of the people on Matsu came from Houguan () (today Changle, Fujian). The popular net fishing industry had established the base for development of Fuao settlement and industrial development of the region over several hundred years.


title: Matsu Islands

text: During the early Qing Dynasty, pirates gathered here and the residents left temporarily. In contrast with Taiwan and Penghu, the Matsu Islands were not ceded to the Japanese Empire via the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. Due to its strategic location along the only route for the spice traffic, the British established the Dongyong Lighthouse in Dongyin Island in 1912 to facilitate ships navigation.


title: Matsu Islands

text: In 1911, the Qing Dynasty was toppled after the Xinhai Revolution on 10 October 1911 and the Republic of China (ROC) was established on 1 January 1912. Matsu Islands were subsequently governed under the administration of Fukien Province of the ROC. On 1 August 1927, the Nanchang Uprising broke out between the ruling Nationalist Party of China (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which marked the beginning of Chinese Civil War.


title: Matsu Islands

text: On 10 September 1937, Japan occupied Beigan and Nangan via the Collaborationist Chinese Army, making the islands the first in Fujian to fall to Japan. The islands were not occupied by Japanese troops during World War II because they were not important militarily. The Lienchiang County seat was moved to Danyang Township on 19 April 1941 until the Japanese surrender took place on August 15, 1945.


title: Matsu Islands

text: As a result of the Chinese Civil War, in 1949 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took over mainland China from the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT). The CCP established the People's Republic of China (PRC) on 1 October 1949, which included administration of today's Lianjiang County of Fujian. The KMT retreated from mainland China to Taiwan at the end of 1949, but retained some of the offshore parts of Lienchiang County (namely, the Matsu Islands), and also most of Kinmen County (Quemoy). On 15 December 1950, the Matsu Administrative Office () of Fujian Province, Republic of China, was established, including modern-day Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), as well as islands in present-day Haidao Township, Xiapu County and Taishan () in present-day Shacheng, Fuding, Ningde, Fujian, China (PRC) which were attacked in 1950 and 1951.


title: Matsu Islands

text: In early July 1953, Chinese Nationalist guerillas retreated from islands in the Xiyang Island (Chihchutao) area of present-day Haidao Township (PRC), and the area came under the control of the PRC. In June 1955, the PRC undertook considerable road and military construction around Haitan Island, Pingtan County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China, including roads leading to possible artillery positions on the mainland. Those positions might have been used to protect the Haitan Strait, which was considered a favorable staging area for amphibious operations against the Matsu Islands. In July 1958, the PRC began massing forces opposite Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu (Lienchiang) and began bombarding them on 23 August, triggering the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. On 4 September 1958, the PRC announced the extension of its territorial waters by 20 kilometres (12 mi) to include the two islands. However, later that month, after talks between the USA and PRC in Warsaw, Poland, a ceasefire was agreed and the status quo reaffirmed.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The phrase "Quemoy and Matsu" became part of American political language in the 1960 U.S. presidential election. During the debates, both candidates, Vice-President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy, pledged to use American forces if necessary to protect Taiwan from invasion by the PRC, which the United States did not recognize as the legitimate government of China. However, in the second debate on 7 October 1960, the two candidates stated different opinions about whether American forces should also be used to protect Taiwan's forward positions, Quemoy and Matsu. Senator Kennedy stated that these islands—as little as 9 kilometres (5.5 mi) off the coast of China and as much as 170 kilometres (106 mi) from Taiwan—were strategically indefensible and were not essential to the defense of Taiwan. Vice-President Nixon maintained that since Quemoy and Matsu were in the "area of freedom", they should not, as a matter of principle, be surrendered to the Communists.


title: Matsu Islands

text: After the third debate on 13 October 1960, Kennedy's advisers spoke with then Secretary of State Herter and said Kennedy was willing to revise his position on the Quemoy and Matsu issue so as not to give the Communists the impression that the USA would not stand united against aggression. Nixon pointed out the change in Kennedy's position but decided not to press the point due to the importance of the USA's role in what was an extremely tense situation. Polls of Republicans and Democrats showed overwhelming support for Nixon's position.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Self-governance of the county resumed in 1992, after the cessation of political warfare with the mainland and the abolition of Battle Field Administration on 7 November 1992. Afterwards, local construction picked up pace. In 1999, the islands were designated as the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration. In January 2001, direct cargo and passenger shipping started between Matsu and Fujian Province of the PRC. After 1 January 2015, tourists from mainland China could directly apply the Exit and Entry Permit upon arrival in Matsu Islands. That privilege also applied to Penghu and Kinmen, as a means to boost tourism in the outlying islands of Taiwan. In December 2015, the Huangqi-Matsu ship route was introduced as part of the Mini Three Links.


title: Matsu Islands

text: In 2020, rampant illegal sand mining by Chinese ships in the waters around the Matsu Islands caused concern in the islands and in the Executive Yuan about damage to the marine environment, possible damage to underwater telecommunications cables, and the potential for coastal erosion. Auctioning impounded ships was seen as an easy way for the dredging companies to get their ships back via intermediaries, hence sinking the impounded ships was under consideration.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Matsu Islands comprise 19 islands and islets, which include five major islands, which are Nangan, Dongju and Xiju (both in Juguang Township), Beigan and Dongyin. Minor islands include Liang Island, Gaodeng Island, Daqiu Island and Xiaoqiu, which are part of Beigan Township. The shortest distance between Huangqi, Lianjiang County and the Matsu Islands is also the shortest distance between China (PRC) administered territory and territory in the ROC (Taiwan)-administered Matsu Islands.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The islands are predominantly composed of Jurassic and Cretaceous intrusive (emplaced ~160 Ma, ∼130 Ma and ∼94 Ma) granite and diabase.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Average annual temperature is 18.6 °C (65°F), with the average low being at 13 °C (55°F) and average high at 29 °C (85°F). The daily temperature varies greatly during day and night. The region experiences subtropical maritime climate, which is influenced by monsoon and ocean currents and its geographic location. Matsu has four seasons: during winter it is cold and wet, during summer and spring it is foggy, and during autumn the weather is generally stable.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Matsu Islands are administered as Lienchiang County under the Fujian Provincial Government. Nangan Township is the county seat which houses the Lienchiang County Government and Lienchiang County Council. The county is headed by a magistrate, elected every four years in the ROC local elections. The incumbent magistrate is Liu Cheng-ying of Kuomintang.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Lienchiang County is divided into four rural townships. It is further divided into 22 villages and 137 neighborhoods (鄰). Lienchiang County is the only county in Taiwan which does not have a city or an urban township. The county seat is Nangan Township (Nankan).


title: Matsu Islands

text: Lienchang County voted one Kuomintang legislator out of one seat to be in the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 Republic of China legislative election.


title: Matsu Islands

text: While the Democratic Progressive Party have had difficulty winning a county-level election in this area, most of the competitions are among local strategies. In 2018, a Green Party member, 蘇柏豪 attempted to run for magistrate but failed.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The PRC claims the three northern townships of the Matsu Islands as "Matsu Township" (; Mā-cū hiŏng) and the Juguang Islands (the southernmost islands, formerly named the Baiquan Islands) as part of Changle District.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Vessels from the Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) have confronted sand dredging by Chinese vessels near the Matsu Islands. This dredging activity began in 2018. Since March 2019, the Lienchiang Cross-Strait Matters Forum started as an official forum between Lienchiang County of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Lianjiang County of the People's Republic of China to discuss matters regarding the two sides.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The majority of native Matsu Islands residents originated from Northern Fujian. Several of the islands of Matsu are not inhabited permanently. Some of these are garrisoned by soldiers from the Republic of China Armed Forces stationed in the county since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1954 and 1958 respectively. Due to that high military demand large numbers of military personnel stationed on the islands produced unprecedented population growth in the county. The population reached its peak in 1971 with a total of 17,088 people. After those periods of high growth the population decreased year after year due to the poor economic growth which resulted in mass youth emigration due to lack of employment opportunities. In recent years the population in the county has gradually increased because of immigration. The population has stabilized due to the improved transportation between Taiwan Island and Matsu Islands as well as mass construction projects.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The native language spoken by Matsu residents is Matsu dialect, a subdialect of Fuzhou dialect, which is one of the statutory languages for public transport announcements in the Matsu Islands. Mandarin Chinese is one of the official languages of Lienchiang County.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Matsu, though named after the goddess Matsu, is written with a different character that has a different tone. But the Matsu Islands are not the birthplace of the goddess as the human Lin Muoniang - Meizhou Island is — but her death place (on a seaport named after her on Nangan Island).


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Matsu Nangan Tianhou Temple (), a temple dedicated to the goddess, contains the sarcophagus of Lin Muoniang. It is, however, not as popular as the Meizhou temple.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Most Taiwanese pilgrims to Meizhou start off their journey in the Matsu Islands because they are the closest ROC-controlled territory to Meizhou, which is controlled by the PRC.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Due to its geographically remote location, the manufacturing business of Matsu has never been fully developed. Among them, the wine making industry of Matsu Distillery is the most distinguished feature. Tourism has become a highly important feature of the economy.


title: Matsu Islands

text: However, most of its commercial trading focuses on retail businesses and restaurants for stationed military consumption. Farm products of Matsu include rice, sugar cane, tea plant, oranges. Sea animals, such as fish, clams, and jellyfish, are also popular exports due to its nature as the major traditional industry in Matsu. However, the flourishing fishing ground is almost exhausted by arbitrary fish bombing by Mainland China fishing boats, while the fish population is decreasing as well.


title: Matsu Islands

text: In July 2012, Matsu residents voted in favor of the establishment of casinos, which led to the prospect of gaming industries in the county and the passing of the Gaming Act ().


title: Matsu Islands

text: On 1 July 1975, the Matsu Power Company was founded to operate all of the power plants in the county. On 1 July 1986, the company was incorporated into Taiwan Power Company. The county is powered up by its fuel-fired (diesel) Zhushan Power Plant located in Cingshuei Village of Nangan Township with a capacity of 15.4 MW commissioned on 22 March 2010. The other power plants are Beigan Power Plant in Beigan Township, Dongyin Power Plant in Dongyin Township and Dongju Power Plant in Dongju Island and Xiju Power Plant in Xiju Island of Juguang Township. The county is also powered up by its photovoltaic system with a capacity of 0.074 MW.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Generally, the environment of Matsu Islands is still well-preserved. The major source of pollution is from family and military household waste. There are, however, concerns that the continued lack of modern sewage facilities results in household waste seeping into groundwater.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Tourism has become a critical sector in the local economy. Lienchiang County Government is making an effort to attract more visitors to the Matsu Islands, especially among foreigners. Dongyin Visitor Center is the main visitor center of the township.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Nangan is the capital of Matsu and it is noted for its granite tunnel and the Iron Fort. It has two interconnected main roads.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Beihai Tunnels are manmade granite tunnels. Both tunnels were remarkable for their time, and they took great effort to construct. The tunnel in Nangan was built in 1968. The completion of Beihai Tunnel took the effort of thousands of men. The 700 metre (800 yard) tunnel has a width of 10 metres (33') and a height of 16 metres (52'). It was completed in 820 days with shovels, spades and explosives; the tunnel also took the life of a platoon of soldiers. The tunnel was considered a military location and was not opened to the public until 1990.


title: Matsu Islands

text: The Iron Fort is located on the Southwest side of Nangan island. Located by a small cliff, it is a vulnerable spot for outside attacks or illegal smuggling of materials. With that in mind, the fort was built for defence. It is equipped with multiple machinegun rooms and rudimentary living facilities. It is now open to the public, and although most of the equipment has been removed from the site, the site itself brings back a vivid image of what it was like for soldiers at that time.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Museums in Matsu including the Matsu Blue Tears Ecological Museum, Matsu Folk Culture Museum, Ching-kuo Memorial Hall and War and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Since 1990, the county manages the , which spreads across eight islands and islets in Nangan, Beigan and Tongyin Townships. It contains 30 species in 15 orders, mostly gulls and terns. In 2000, four pairs of the critically endangered Chinese crested tern, previously thought to be extinct, were discovered nesting on the Matsu Islands, giving them global conservation importance.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Cetacean species that have become rare along Chinese coasts are still present here such as false killer whales and finless porpoises, providing opportunistic observations at times. Finless porpoises in this areas are generally smaller than other subspecies, and it is unique that two subspecies inhabit in this region where Matsu region is the northern limit for one of them.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Both Nangan and Beigan have airports which are the Matsu Nangan Airport and Matsu Beigan Airport respectively. Dongyin and Juguang (in Xiju Island) house heliports which only operate during winter time and priority is given to local residents to travel to Nangan.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Due to the main airport being located in Nangan, boats are the main form of transportation between the islands in the county.


title: Matsu Islands

text: There are two ferry rides to Mainland China. One arrives at Mawei District of Fuzhou and departs from Fuao Harbor at Nangan Township in which the journey normally takes 90 minutes while in Nangan. Another arrives at Huangqi () of Lianjiang and departs from Beigan Township in which the journey takes only 20 minutes. Dongyin Township houses the Zhongzhu Harbor.


title: Matsu Islands

text: Due to their size, travelling by motorized scooter is an ideal way to get around the main islands such as Nangan and Beigan, despite the steep hills. Both Islands have regular buses and taxis are also economical. In October 2019, Mainland China announced 'initial plans' to build a bridge linking Fuzhou to the Matsu Islands. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the plans were made unilaterally by Mainland's Fujian as part of its schemes to absorb Taiwan and divide Taiwanese society and that they see no need for bridges linking either Matsu or Kinmen to Mainland China.


title: Aarti Bajaj

text: Aarti Bajaj is an Indian film editor. She is an editor working in Bollywood currently. She has edited films such as "Jab We Met" and "Aamir".


title: Aarti Bajaj

text: Aarti Bajaj moved from Delhi to Mumbai to pursue her dream of working in films at the age of 21. She did a film course in 1994 at the Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai. She said in an interview with India Today, "My dad threw a fit when he heard of my decision to head to Mumbai. But I told him I would run away if he didn't let me go, so he reluctantly gave in." In her internships with Bardroy Baretto and Shyam Ramanna, she "fell in love with the whole process of rewriting a film at the edit table." Having gained some experience, she began editing for music videos and advertisements. Over eight years, she became an established independent editor.


title: Aarti Bajaj

text: Aarti Bajaj began editing with Anurag Kashyap's unreleased film "Paanch". She followed it with his controversial and acclaimed film "Black Friday" for which she was nominated for a Star Screen Award in 2008. She has also edited Reema Kagti's "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.", Imtiaz Ali's "Jab We Met, Rockstar, Tamasha, Highway" and Rajkumar Gupta's "Aamir", for which she was nominated for her second Star Screen Award. Later, she edited Kashyap's "Dev.D", "Gulaal", "Ugly", "Raman Raghav 2.0", Mukkabaaz, Sacred Games and Manmarziyaan. An article on The Hindu describes her as "one of those rare new-age film editors who lets the narrative breathe, supremely confident of her pacing."


title: Aarti Bajaj

text: In the same article, Bajaj describes her process of deciding which film she wants to contribute to. It is true that many of her works are films which are different from what one expects from the average Bollywood movie. She answers in The Hindu interview, "I enjoy mainstream Bollywood, but I don't know if I can edit them. What's the point of doing the same formula again? What do you look forward to? I know I will go brain-dead." She also adds, "I like quirky, I like different." She goes on to emphasise the importance of mental stimulation and how every project she does must present to her some sort of challenge. Her professionalism is such that she only does one project at a time to ensure compete focus.


title: Aarti Bajaj

text: Bajaj has worked on films across different genres, from "Rockstar" to "Sacred Games", which demand different editing styles, and has proved herself to be a versatile editor.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: The group formed in 2006 in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. In August 2007, after Brian Sella (vocals, guitar, lyricist) finished his first year of college, he and childhood friend Mathew Uychich (drums) began playing together under the name The Front Bottoms. Soon after, Uychich's brother Brian Uychich (keyboard, vocals) began sitting in on their practices. Brian asked to join the band, playing an old keyboard he found in the Uychich family attic. This completed the original lineup, with which the first two albums and EP were recorded.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: They spent the next few years playing locally around New Jersey and eventually doing extensive tours around the country. In between tours, Sella worked at a grocery store and Uychich worked in landscaping. During this time, they put out a self-released album, "I Hate My Friends", in 2008, an EP, "Brothers Can't Be Friends", the same year, and a second album in 2009, "My Grandma vs Pneumonia". Additionally, a five-song cassette, "Calm Down and Breathe", was handmade by the band in 2009, and limited to 30 copies. They were part of the New Brunswick-based artist collective Tiny Giant.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: Around 2010, the band started writing material for what would become their self-titled album. They released an EP called "Slow Dance To Soft Rock" which contained six tracks later remastered for the LP. A second EP, "Grip N' Tie", was planned to be released later that year but was canceled. The songs that were on it were instead combined with the previous EP to produce an entire album. In late 2010, the band filmed a music video for "Maps", after being contacted through Myspace by an anonymous filmmaker, which gave them great exposure. On June 2, 2011, the band had announced that they signed with Bar/None Records and would release their self-titled debut studio album on September 6, 2011.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: As of late 2010, Brian Uychich left the band to concentrate on school full-time. The Front Bottoms replaced Uychich with a new touring musician, Drew Villafuerte, who played bass in addition to keyboards. In 2012, Villafuerte stopped touring with the band as well, citing the extensive touring as too difficult. He was replaced by Tom Warren and Ciaran O'Donnell.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: In March 2013, the band released a video for "Twin Size Mattress" on YouTube in the promotion of their next record. Their second studio album, "Talon of the Hawk", was released on May 21, 2013.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On June 17, 2014, the band released a six song EP, "Rose". The EP was named for Matthew Uychich's grandmother Rosemary, who is depicted in the cover art. The music video for "Twelve Feet Deep" shows the band, along with audience members at a live show, wearing masks of Rosemary's face as depicted on the album cover.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On April 18, 2015, Run for Cover and Bar/None Records released two songs by the band, and two songs by rapper GDP on "Liberty and Prosperity", a split EP. In June 2015, it was announced they had signed to the label Fueled by Ramen The Front Bottoms released their third studio album "Back on Top" on September 18, 2015, via Fueled by Ramen.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On March 7, 2016, they released a new song, "Noodle Monster", on the Fueled by Ramen YouTube Channel. On June 26, 2016, "Pitchfork" released a music video for the song "Ginger" from "Back on Top". The video was directed by Marlon Brandope and shot in Cranston, Rhode Island.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: Preceded by the single "Raining", the band released their fourth studio album, "Going Grey", on October 13, 2017.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: In an interview in February 2018, Sella confirmed the release of the "Ann" EP, the second in the 'Grandma series'. The EP was released on May 18, 2018, via Fueled by Ramen, and a music video for its final song, "Tie Dye Dragon", was released on March 16.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On December 20, 2019, they released the song "Camouflage" and an accompanying music video. This was followed by the song "Everyone Blooms" and its video on April 17, 2020.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On July 3, 2020, the band announced their album "In Sickness & in Flames" and released the song "Montgomery Forever" with its video. On August 14, 2020, they released the song "Fairbanks, Alaska", and the album on August 21, 2020.


title: The Front Bottoms

text: On September 2, 2022, the band released the "Theresa" EP with five re-recorded versions of unreleased fan favorites and oldies that serve as the third installment of the band's popular Grandma EP series.


title: Chandan Roy

text: Chandan Roy (born 20 December 1995) is an Indian actor. He made his major screen debut with Amazon Prime's Panchayat, created by The Viral Fever. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, Roy plays the role of Vikas Shukla, sharing screen space with veterans actors Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, and TVF fame Jitendra Kumar. He has since received critical appraisal from the audiences and critics alike.


title: Chandan Roy

text: Roy hails from a village in Mahnar, Bihar. During his school days, he used to perform in his school plays and community functions, which germinated his interest in acting. Roy then moved to Patna for his higher studies to pursue Bachelors in Mass Communication from Patna University. In Patna, he got actively involved in the college theater circuit, performing street plays. For further studies, he joined the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and obtained his Diploma in Radio and Television.


title: Chandan Roy

text: After graduating from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, he worked for Dainik Jagran as a journalist. But while Roy was in Delhi during his IIMC days, he was associated with Bahroop Theatre Group, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and National School of Drama Repertory.


title: Chandan Roy

text: After working with Jagran for two and a half years, Roy decided to quit his job and moved to Mumbai in 2017. He then subsequently performed a few roles. But in 2019, he made his breakthrough with his character in the web series Panchayat as Vikas Shukla gaining audiences and critics' appreciation


title: State of Siege: Temple Attack

text: State of Siege: Temple Attack is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Ken Ghosh, starring Akshaye Khanna in the lead role. It was made as a direct-to-video film for ZEE5. It is loosely based on the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack and the subsequent operation to kill the perpetrators. It is a standalone sequel to "".


title: State of Siege: Temple Attack

text: In 2001, Major Hanut Singh and his team participate in an operation to rescue a minister's daughter, where his best friend is killed during this mission. Due to this, Hanut Singh gets tramutised during his future activities. In the following year, Pakistani terrorists attack and lay siege on a temple in Gujarat. The NSG, led by Hanut Singh, neutralise the terrorists and reclaim the temple.


title: State of Siege: Temple Attack

text: The film is a next installment to "", a web series about the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The film is loosely based on the terrorist attack at Akshardham Temple in 2002 Akshardham Temple attack in Gandhinagar.


title: State of Siege: Temple Attack

text: Archika Khurana of Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and stated, "After 'State of Siege: 26/11', this 112-minutes combat drama is a fitting tribute to our NSG soldiers. This dramatized retelling may bring up unpleasant memories for some, but it is well worth watching." Arushi Jain of The Indian Express gave the film a mostly positive review and stated, "Led by Akshaye Khanna, this film is for everyone who likes to see a cat-and-mouse chase between ghastly, heavily armed men and brave, 'can do anything for the nation' soldiers." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and stated, "Akshaye Khanna is doubtless a talented actor. One sees flashes of his class all through the film. But he is trapped in a script that has little room for vivid character development." Soumya Srivastava of The Hindustan Times gave the film a mixed review and stated, "The 2002 attack was a gruesome blot on the history of our country. 30 lives were lost. No Bollywood masala film should be allowed to say it was too little, too bland."


title: State of Siege: Temple Attack

text: Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost gave the film 1.75 out of 5 stars and stated, ""State of Siege: Temple Attack" does everything in its power to indicate that it is based on the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack. It then twists itself in knots to distance itself from that real-life story." Prateek Sur of Rediff.com gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and stated, "Akshaye Khanna is the only worthy element about this patriotic actioner." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll gave the film a positive review and stated, ""Temple Attack" is Khanna’s first foray into the digital space. True to form, the maverick actor has chosen a launchpad in which he is one among many but still able to stand out because of sheer star power." Roktim Rajpal of Deccan Herald gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and praised the action sequences and Khanna's performance, though criticized the "middling execution" and "half-baked characters".


title: Brendan Kavanagh

text: Brendan Kavanagh (born ), also known as "Dr K" due to his PhD in English, is a British pianist and piano teacher of Irish descent. He specializes in playing and promoting the boogie-woogie genre, almost exclusively improvised, often combined with classical, jazz, blues, rock & roll, and traditional Irish music themes. He regularly performs in open venues on public pianos, sometimes in duet formats with musically inclined passers-by or friends. He also plays the piano accordion, with emphasis on traditional Irish tunes.


title: Brendan Kavanagh

text: Kavanagh graduated from Middlesex University with first class single honours BA in English. He then obtained his MA in Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin, followed by a PhD in English language and literature from University College Cork.


title: Brendan Kavanagh

text: In 2007, Kavanagh founded Dr. K Media Limited and changed his focus to online teaching, selling, performing and promoting piano music, with a strong emphasis on the boogie-woogie style. With the advent of smartphones which allow virtually anyone to capture and disseminate musical performances, he began performing in open public venues.


title: Brendan Kavanagh

text: He has performed as Dr. K, often wearing his signature dark hoodie and shades, or sometimes wearing a workman's uniform, playing incognito in front of often astonished passers-by on public pianos at train stations, airports and other open public venues, mostly around London. His impromptu performances, often weaving together classical, boogie-woogie, Irish and popular themes, are captured and uploaded to his YouTube channel, where he has amassed over 1.6 million subscribers, making him as of April 2022, the 1,137th most-subscribed channel. He also broadcasts some of his performances directly, via live streaming.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis (AMORC), also known as the Rosicrucian Order, is the largest Rosicrucian organization in the world. It has various lodges, chapters and other affiliated bodies throughout the globe, operating in 19 different languages. It operates as a fraternal order in the mystical tradition, and supports secular research and learning in the arts and humanities.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC claims an association with a "perennial philosophy", often referred to as "The Primordial Tradition". The Order further states that it is heir and custodian of the "Rose-Croix" of the past, thereby making it the oldest existing Traditional Fraternity and a modern-day manifestation of the 'Rosicrucian Fraternity' of old, which is believed by some to have originated in the traditions of the Ancient Egyptian Mystery schools. The ancient Mysteries are said to have been preserved through the millennia by closed secret societies until the early years of 17th Century Europe. At that point, according to AMORC internal mythology, the time was right for the existence of this body of secret knowledge to become open, i.e. revealed, to the world, in the form of the Rosicrucian manifestos.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Famous seventeenth century Rosicrucian Michael Maier described the origins of Rosicrucianism as "Egyptian, Brahmanic, derived from the Mysteries of Eleusis and Samothrace, the Magi of Persia, the Pythagoreans, and the Arabs." Several of his other works also allude to the mysterious origins of the Rosicrucians.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Today, AMORC is regarded as representing an "open cycle" of the ancient Rosicrucian tradition, its existence being a "reactivation" of Rosicrucian teaching in the United States, with previous Rosicrucian colonies in the United States having become dormant.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC presents itself as a worldwide philosophical and humanistic, non-sectarian and apolitical fraternal order devoted to "the study of the elusive mysteries of life and the universe." It is also open to both men and women of legal adult age (18 years old in most countries) regardless of their various religious persuasions.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The name AMORC is an abbreviation of the Latin title "Antiquus Mysticusque Ordo Rosæ Crucis" ("Ancient and Mystic Order of the Rosy Cross" – "Antiquus Arcanus Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis"). Harvey Spencer Lewis, author and mystic who re-activated AMORC in the United States of America, wrote that "from the very start, and with the issuance of the first public manifesto, the correct name of the international Rosicrucian organization was used, namely, the "Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis". This is a slightly abbreviated form of the original Latin name, "Antiquus Arcanus Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis", and the initials AMORC were immediately used, as well as the true and original symbol of the Rosicrucian Order – the golden cross with but "one red rose" in the center". AMORC claims to hold legal rights to the above-mentioned titles including the title "Rosicrucian Order”.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC's teachings cover what may be termed the "Sacred Sciences" and include ideas based on the major philosophers, particularly Pythagoras, Thales, Solon, Heraclitus, and Democritus. The teachings are divided into "Degrees" which are further grouped into broad categories under titles such as " Postulant", "Neophyte," and "Initiate" sections. These degrees cover various fields related to physical, mental, psychic, and spiritual existence such as physics, metaphysics, biology, psychology, parapsychology, comparative religion, traditional healing techniques, health, intuition, extrasensory perception, material and spiritual alchemy, meditation, sacred architecture, symbolism, and that mystical state of consciousness relating to the experience of unity with the Divine.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC is a worldwide organization, established in the United States as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, with the specific and primary purpose of advancing the knowledge of its history, principles, and teachings for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. It is financed mainly through fees paid by its members. Income is used by the organization to pay expenses, develop new programs, expand services, and carry out educational work.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC is governed by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC which is composed of the Imperator, and the Board of Directors which is further composed of the Grand Masters of the Grand Lodges and related executive officers, and meets annually, often in Lachute, Quebec, Canada (however, in August 2009 the Supreme Board met in Toulouse, France, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of H. Spencer Lewis's initiation there) and more recently in Rome, Italy. It is responsible for the worldwide coordination of AMORC, the establishment of new administrations, and the appointment of jurisdictions to Grand Lodges, usually based on language.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Each AMORC Grand Lodge has its own headquarters and facilities. The headquarters of the English Grand Lodge for the Americas owns the Rosicrucian Park in San Jose, California, founded in 1927, which includes the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, the fifth planetarium built in the USA (and the first to have a US-built star projector, built by Dr. Harvey Spencer Lewis), the Rosicrucian Peace Garden, Rosicrucian Research Library, Grand Temple, Administration Building, Fountain Plaza and Gardens, the Alchemy Garden and the walking Labyrinth.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: According to AMORC's internal history, in 1909 Harvey Spencer Lewis visited France in search of Rosicrucians, was initiated in Toulouse, France, and given the mandate to establish an order in North America. After further qualification and preparation, the first official Manifesto was issued in the United States in 1915, announcing the establishment of Rosicrucian activity in America. May Banks-Stacy, the co-founder of AMORC, was said to be one of the last successors to the original colony of Rosicrucians who settled in America during the late 17th century, and an initiate of the Rosicrucians of the East. Lewis became a "secret partner" of Big Business in America. According to railroad magnate Arthur Stilwell, no other man has exerted a greater influence as a secret partner in American free enterprise than Lewis. Walt Disney was once a member of AMORC as was "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and many other well-known individuals who prefer to remain anonymous.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC headquarters were located in New York City, San Francisco, and Tampa, Florida, before moving to San Jose, California, in 1927. Harvey Spencer Lewis died in 1939 and, in accordance with wishes stipulated in his will, was succeeded in the Office of Imperator by his son Ralph Maxwell Lewis, who had previously served as Supreme Secretary. Upon Lewis' death in 1987, Gary L. Stewart, who previously served as Grand Master of the English-Speaking jurisdiction and then Vice President of AMORC's Board of Directors, was appointed by the Board, which forms the Supreme Grand Lodge, to the Office of Imperator. In 1990, Christian Bernard, who had been the Grand Master of France, and then succeeded Stewart to the position of Vice President of the Board, was elected by the Board to the Office of Imperator.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: During World War II, AMORC underwent a dramatic period of growth. After the war ended AMORC was able to lend support to its European sister organizations. Eventually many of those came under the administration of AMORC's leadership in San Jose. 2009, the centennial year of H. Spencer Lewis's initiation in Toulouse, saw growth in membership in the English Grand Lodge for the Americas and very active participation in on-line activities including Facebook, Twitter, online discussion groups, a social networking site, podcasts and Rosicrucian TV on YouTube. Rosicrucian Park in San Jose received many improvements as well, including the completion of accessibility upgrades to the museum, planetarium and grounds, and the installation of sustainable native plant gardens.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC uses "traditional" history, consisting of tales and legends represented as having been passed down for centuries by word of mouth, as well as the conventional "chronological" history, which consists of verifiable fact. According to its traditional history, AMORC traces its origin to "Mystery Schools" established in Egypt during the joint reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III and Hatshepsut, about 1500 BCE. They united the priesthoods of Egypt into a single order under the leadership of Hatshepsut's Vizier, Hapuseneb. Each Temple had its associated "Per Ankh" (House of Life) where the Mysteries were handed down. In uniting the priesthoods, the "Per Ankhu" were also united. Those schools were formed to probe into "the mysteries of life" – in other words, natural phenomena, and initiatic spirituality. AMORC also claims that among their most esteemed pupils were Pharaoh Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) and his wife Nefertiti.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Over centuries, the Mystery Schools spread into Greece and thence into Rome. During the Middle Ages, they were allegedly concealed under various names. AMORC claims that Rosicrucianism is mentioned as far back as 1115 CE in a book of the collection of Brother Omnis Moriar in Germany. However, no other record of such a brother or book has appeared. The alleged name probably derives from the opening words of Horace in Ode 3.30, in which he writes: "Non Omnis Moriar" ("I shall not completely die").


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Rosicrucianism rose to considerable prominence in Europe during the 17th century following the publication and wide circulation of a small pamphlet, the "Fama Fraternitatis". AMORC scholars have suggested that Rosicrucians first went to America in the area of present-day Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in the Vizcaíno Expedition of 1602–1603. The next Rosicrucian expedition to America is said to have been by the chartered vessel "Sarah Maria" during the early months of 1694, under the leadership of Grand Master Johannes Kelpius, and a colony was established in what is now Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. They finally settled on the banks of the Wissahickon. "In that retired valley beside the flowing brook the secret rites and mysteries of the true Rosicrucian Philosophy flourished unmolested for years, until the state of affairs brought about by the American Revolution, together with pernicious Sunday legislation which also discriminated against the keepers of the scriptural Sabbath day, gradually caused the incoming generation to assimilate with the secular congregations." That is disputed by another organization, the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross, at one time headed by Dr. R. Swinburne Clymer. Johannes Kelpius, of the Jacob Boehme Lodge in Germany, allegedly led the German Pietists to America, although no historical evidence exists to support that claim, nor the common claim to be connected to the Ephrata Cloister. The two rival organizations have long disputed each other's claims to Rosicrucian genuineness.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: From 1915 to 1990, the leadership of AMORC was entrusted to the Office of an Imperator, who was solely responsible for all doctrine and ritual of the Order, as well as a corporate president who sat at the head of the board of directors, which was responsible for determining all corporate matters related to the organization. When AMORC reorganized in April, 1990, the dual function of the Office was merged into one position, that of President of the worldwide AMORC organization. However, the President is still referred to by the traditional title of Imperator. In addition to the Imperator, each Grand Lodge has a Grand Master.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: In 1990, there was a dispute over the leadership of the AMORC, which was then under the leadership of Imperator Gary L. Stewart. It was prompted by allegations made by members of the Board of Directors of embezzlement on the part of Stewart. In April, 1990, a lawsuit was filed by the Board and, as a result of the allegations, a Temporary Restraining Order kept Stewart from returning to AMORC's properties until the trial. The newly expanded Board of Directors voted that the Vice President of the Board of Directors, Christian Bernard, should assume Stewart's offices. An installation ritual was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California. During the next three years there was little progress regarding the lawsuit. Eventually, the new AMORC Board of Directors sought to settle out of court, due to the ongoing financial strain of legal costs. On 10 August 1993, AMORC dismissed their case against Stewart with prejudice. The dismissal was the final severing of the relationship between Stewart and AMORC.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: After his removal from AMORC in 1990, former Imperator Stewart founded the Confraternity of the Rose Cross, and used the original version of H. Spencer Lewis' monographs, with addenda added by Stewart, as well as additional monographs written by Stewart (as opposed to the monographs currently used by AMORC, which were initially rewritten in large parts under Imperator Bernard's supervision, and are now regularly revised and updated, according to AMORC traditional custom dating from the time of H. Spencer Lewis's first published materials in 1916). Stewart also founded the Order Militia Crucifera Evangelica and assisted with the formation of the British Martinist Order. Other organizations using the name Rosicrucian which formed after Stewart's removal from AMORC include the Ghanaian Order of the Rose Cross led by Benjamin Quaye, and the Norwegian Order of the Rose Cross led by Robert Aarberg, which are closely allied with Stewart's Confraternity of the Rose Cross, and the short-lived Ancient Rosae Crucis, which was led by Ashley McFadden.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Many of the activities of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC are open to the public, as well as members. These include:


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC often organizes various conferences around the world, increasingly having many sessions open to the public, and several councils of experts on various topics. In August 2001 the world convention took place in Gothenburg, Sweden. The main theme of the convention was world peace and harmony. The convention was of significant importance to Rosicrucian history because Imperator Bernard presented the "Positio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis" to inform the public about AMORC's position on the current world situation. A subsequent manifesto, the "Appellatio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis"was issued in 2014 as a call to action on these themes.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: In July 2004 The Rosicrucian World Peace Conference was held in San Jose. Over 2000 Rosicrucians from 70 countries gathered with Imperator Christian Bernard, and North American Grand Master Julie Scott. The Imperator dedicated the Rosicrucian Park's Rosicrucian Peace Garden, designed according to examples from Egypt's 18th Dynasty by Grand Master Emeritus of the English Grand Lodge for Australia, New Zealand and Asia, Peter Bindon.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The World Convention for 2007 was held in Berlin, Germany with the theme "Love Will Build the Bridge." All of the events, except for the ritualistic convocations, were open to the public.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: Curitiba, Brazil, the headquarters of the Portuguese Grand Lodge of AMORC, hosted the August 2011 World Convention: The Sacred and the Primordial Tradition.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The World Convention in 2015 was again held in San Jose CA USA celebrating the 100th Anniversary of AMORC's founding in America in 1915.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: During the latest World Convention, held in Rome, Italy, in August 2019, a new Imperator was elected, namely the Italian Grand Master Claudio Mazzucco.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The International Research Council is a group of AMORC members who have expertise in several areas, including physics, biology, philosophy and music. According to the AMORC, the members of the International Research Council dedicate themselves to the advancement of their profession for the benefit of humanity.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum launched a substantial new exhibit on Spiritual and Physical Alchemy on the Spring Equinox 2015.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The Rosicrucian Order hosted an academic conference for Scholars and Practitioners of Esotericism at Rosicrucian Park, 22–25 July 2010. The theme for the papers and presentations given by members of many different esoteric groups was the influence of esoteric Orders on the modern world. Several of the papers were to be published in the June 2011 Rose Croix Journal.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The Council of Solace is a group of Rosicrucians who meditate and direct spiritual force for health and harmony daily on behalf of others. They offer free, 24-hour metaphysical aid to those in need, regardless of membership. Members and the public may by invitation take part in the Council of Solace meditation ritual held in various locations.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The AMORC publishes several publications including a public magazine called the "Rosicrucian Digest", an online academic periodical called the "Rose-Croix Journal," as well as books which focus on topics such as metaphysics, mysticism, and Egyptology.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The "Rosicrucian Digest" was first published in 1915 under the name "American Rosae Crucis", and then "The Triangle", "The Mystic Triangle" and finally the "Rosicrucian Digest". It has been adapted to serve the needs of each period. Beginning with the December 2006 issue (Vol 84:2) the "Digest" began a series of multimedia thematic issues available online and in print twice a year. The first such issue (December 2006) dealt with Atlantis, while the 2007 volumes covered Ancient Egypt and The Essenes. 2008 issues followed with The Orphic Mysteries and the Delphi, while 2009 issues covered the Pythagoreans and the Eleusinian Mysteries and other Timeline topics through 2014.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: In the United Kingdom the public magazine is named "Rosicrucian Beacon" and is published quarterly by the "English speaking jurisdiction for Europe, Africa and the Middle East of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC." In Australasia the magazine is titled "The Rosicrucian". Other AMORC jurisdictions have similar publications.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC's "Rose+Croix Journal" is "an international, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, peer-reviewed online journal that focuses on topics that relate to the sciences, history, the arts, mysticism, and spirituality, especially interdisciplinary topics and transdisciplinary inquiries that traverse and lie beyond the limits of different fields of study. These topics may relate to any of the arts and sciences and/or to other emerging fields of human endeavor." The journal's website also has a Resources section with the five Rosicrucian Manifestos, "Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians," "Rosicrucian Documents," online editions of the "Rosicrucian Digest," etc. Submissions are solicited from members and the public.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: According to AMORC tradition, H. Spencer Lewis received the mandate from the Rosicrucians of Toulouse when he was initiated in 1909 to make the tradition available and comprehensible to modern women and men. In accord with this, H. Spencer Lewis, and after him Ralph M. Lewis, used all of the technologies available to them to accomplish their work. An example was the radio station H. Spencer Lewis had broadcasting from his office at the Rosicrucian Park, and before that, at the previous headquarters in Tampa, and San Francisco. The broadcasting from San Jose began on 15 February 1928 and was delivered by two 30-metre radio towers inside the park. The radio towers have since been removed, though for some time AMORC continued to broadcast through the historic San Jose KEEN radio station. Today, the Order communicates using newer media:


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: The public presence of the Rosicrucians in Western Europe was made known through the publication of three manifestos. AMORC introduced a fourth manifesto, the "Positio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis" at an AMORC convention in Sweden in August 2001. The Positio offers AMORC's observations on problems in the modern world, along with proposed solutions. The Positio closes with an invocation that expresses what it calls "Rosicrucian Utopia": A subsequent manifesto, the "Appellatio Fraternitatis Rosæ Crucis", was issued in 2014 as a call to action on these themes.


title: Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis

text: AMORC awards the titles Frater Rosae Crucis and Soror Rosae Crucis to members initiated into the 10th Degree of the order. These members are considered to have attained a master level of understanding of the society's teachings. Awardees may use the post-nominal letters F.R.C. or S.R.C. Julie Scott holds the title of S.R.C.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: Malana is an ancient Indian village in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This solitary village in the Malana Nala, a side valley of the Parvati Valley to the north-east of Kullu Valley, is isolated from the rest of the world. The peaks of Chanderkhani and Deo Tibba shadow the village. It is situated on a remote plateau by the side of the torrential Malana river, at a height of above sea level. Malana has its own lifestyle and social structure and people are strict in following their customs. Malana has been the subject of various documentaries, including "Malana: Globalization of a Himalayan Village", and "Malana, A Lost Identity". The existing speakers of the autochthonous language Kanashi, the traditional language of the inhabitants of Malana, number approximately 1700. According to the 1961 census, the language speakers were then 563, but today the population of Malana is at least three times as large as 40 years ago. The most common route to the village is by taxi or bus from Jhari. One stop prior to Malana. Roads till Malana Village trekking gate are developed.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: According to the local legends, Jamlu "rishi" (sage) inhabited this place and made rules and regulations. The locals claim it to be one of the oldest democracies of the world with a well-organized parliamentary system, guided by their "devta" (deity) Jamlu rishi. Although Jamlu is currently identified with a sage from the Puranas, this is a relatively recent development. Jamlu is believed to have been worshipped in pre-Aryan times. Penelope Chetwood recounts a tale about an orthodox Brahmin priest, who visited Malana, and tried to educate the locals about the pedigree of their god, and what subsequently befell the hapless priest.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: Malana has been called ‘one of the oldest democracies’ in the world. The villagers believe that they are descendant of Aryan civilization.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: A dam project, the Malana Hydro Power Station, has brought Malana much closer to the rest of the world and provides revenue for the region. A new road has shortened the walking time from several days to just 4 hours. The Hydro Malana Project has also ruined the beauty of the valley. On 5 January 2008, a raging fire in the village, which burnt for more than 5 hours, destroyed cultural structures and parts of ancient temples located in the village. In 2017, the village ordered the closure of approximately a dozen guest houses and restaurants, ostensibly on the orders of the deity Jamlu.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: Although the village is situated in Himanchal Pradesh, India, people of this village do not consider them to be a part of India. They have their own judiciary system as well. The village is governed by a bicameral parliament, consisting of lower house called the Kanishthang and an upper house called the Jayeshthang. The current panchayat is Bhagi Ram.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: The residents of Malana speak Kanashi/Raksh (supposedly the dialect of people residing there long ago), which is understood only by the villagers. "Kanashi, the language of Malana, does not resemble any of the dialects spoken in its neighbourhood but seems to be a mixture of Sanskrit and several Tibetan dialects." Ethnologue, citing a reference from 2002, classifies Malana as a Tibetan-Burmese language, rather than as a member of the Indo-European languages, and notes that Kanashi has some intelligibility with any Tibeto-Burman language of Kinnaur" although Malana is surrounded by Indo-Aryan language speaking populations.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: The economy of Malana was traditionally based on making baskets, ropes and slippers from hemp. Marijuana was cultivated as a legal cash crop for centuries. Beginning in the 1980s, Malana became a destination for recreational drug tourism. The village also produces maize and potatoes. While tourism is now a major source of income for the village, tourist can only stay outside the village in cafes like The Marley Shed, Baba Cafe, Cafe Rudra, and more, but not inside the village or in homestays which was previously allowed.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: The village administration is democratic and is believed, by locals, to be the oldest republic of the world.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: Despite being a part of the Kullu valley, there is a myth that the Malanis have very distinct physical features, and a dialect which is different from the rest of the valley. However, in the valleys of Himachal, there are a significant number of distinct Pahadi dialects, some of them totally different from each other. Hence the physical/lingual uniqueness cannot be proven, given the inaccessibility of the Malana people, except for the trade of Marijuana / Hashish in the Parvati valley.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: The social structure of Malana in fact rests on villagers' unshaken faith in their powerful deity, Jamblu Devta. The entire administration of the village is controlled by him through a village council. This council has eleven members and they are believed as delegates of Jamblu who govern the village in his name. His decision is ultimate in any dispute and any outsider authority is never required. Thus Malana has been named the Athens of Himalayas.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: There are various legends about their origin. According to one of them, it is believed that they are the descendants of Greek soldiers of Alexander's army. As the legend goes, some soldiers took refuge in this remote land after Alexander left the country and later settled there permanently. This myth is however disputed because there are those who claim that it is the valley of Kalash, in Pakistan that is actually the area in which Alexander the Great's soldiers took refuge. This legend is also inconsistent with the legendary descent of the local people from Indo-Aryans who would pre-date Alexander the Great's soldiers by approximately a thousand years. Recent genetic typing of the Malani population is much more consistent with an Indo-Aryan origin with a large proportion of Y-DNA haplotypes J2 and R1a which are the haplotypes of majority of Indians, North or South in South Asia rather than with a Greek origin which would have a different characteristic mix of Y-DNA haplotypes such as R2b. J2 and R1a are paternal lineages found in more than 20% and 40% of population of North/South India but are rare in Mediterranean societies like Greece.


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: The village has several ancient temples. (1) Jamlu temple, built in Kathkuni style, with wooden carving and deer heads (2) Rukmini temple


title: Malana, Himachal Pradesh

text: Malana is famous for its “Malana Cream”, a product made from cannabis plants which grow in the Parvati valley. Malana cream is regarded as high purity hash. In order to make Malana Cream the live cannabis flower is rubbed between the hands repeatedly, pulling out the resin to generate a layer of sticky hashish across the palm.


title: Probot

text: Probot was a heavy metal side project of ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters rhythm guitarist and lead-singer Dave Grohl. Described by Grohl as "a death metal "Supernatural"", the album mixes instrumentals recorded by Grohl himself with various metal singers whom the musician admired. The album was released in February 2004 by Southern Lord Records. It featured one single entitled "Centuries of Sin"/"The Emerald Law".


title: Probot

text: After years of popularity in the alternative rock scene, Dave Grohl wanted to express the passion for heavy metal he bore since his youth. He mentioned the catalyst of the experience being during the first leg of the tour in support of the Foo Fighters album "There Is Nothing Left to Lose", with the mellower songs making him think about the heavier bands he used to listen to. Following the tour, Grohl went to his house in Alexandria, Virginia, to record some heavier songs in his home studio Studio 606 with Adam Kasper. Grohl would play with his Gibson Explorer as he watched TV with Kasper, and once he got a riff that interested him, he would bring Kasper along to the basement, recording a drum arrangement followed by bass and guitar. Each instrumental would take about 45 minutes to complete. Grohl said that he did not intend to make an album out of the recordings – "I didn’t even call them songs because they were bare instrumentals with no intention of putting vocals on them and no direction as an actual song." After four days of recording, Grohl and Kasper had done seven tracks, with Grohl making some copies out of the master tape before labeling it Probot to distinguish from the Foo Fighters' work.


title: Probot

text: Some time later, inspired by the Santana album "Supernatural", Grohl decided to attempt collaborations with singers he had idolized. He came up with "my wish list of all of my favorite singers from this era which is '82 to '89 underground metal, and all the bands I listened to at the time: Eric Wagner from Trouble, Snake from Voivod, Cronos [from Venom], Lemmy and Wino," and started contacting the musicians, some of whom were reached by Grohl's friend Matt Sweeney given the Foo Fighters had restarted their tour. Grohl feared his fame built out of being "a stupid, middle-of-the-road, alternative-rock idiot" could drive the metal singers away, but many agreed immediately. Cronos would later explain that "I'm open for everything. And Dave's cool," detailing that Grohl's email opened with "a real fan letter" where he mentioned his longtime appreciation of Venom, and then explained about his idea of a metal album with all his metal heroes "to get something off his chest."


title: Probot

text: Seeing the positive response, Grohl brought Kasper and Sweeney back to do five more instrumental tracks and round out the project. According to Grohl, the songs sent to Eric Wagner and King Diamond had been previously done for Ozzy Osbourne as he was contacted to write for the then-upcoming "Down to Earth", but when Osbourne's label did not respond, he repurposed them for Probot. Sweeney would organize the project as Grohl toured with the Foo Fighters, getting vocalists on board and organizing tracks. Then the demo tapes were sent to the singers, each of whom was asked to come up with lyrics, record them and then title the song. Cronos detailed he wrote three different versions so Grohl could choose one.


title: Probot

text: On the album, Grohl teamed up with heavy metal vocalists from 1980s and 1990s bands who influenced his musical tastes while he was growing up. Similar to 1995's "Foo Fighters", Grohl wrote all of the music and performed most of the instrumentation. Each track on the album features a different lead singer including Lemmy, Max Cavalera, King Diamond and Tom Warrior. Grohl described the sequencing as "like a compilation tape that I would have made as a kid."


title: Probot

text: Only Lemmy and Wino visited Studio 606 to record, with all the others sending tapes from studio to studio until the album was finished. Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil plays additional guitar on two tracks thanks to Kasper, who had brought the Probot tapes to Seattle and they attracted Thayil's interest. Grohl was pleased with the addition as Thayil had more experience with lead guitars, while Grohl was "more about the riff and the rhythm". A bonus track titled "I Am The Warlock" was provided by comedian/actor/musician Jack Black. According to Black, who described the song as "a homage to 'Iron Man.'" after Grohl approached him regarding writing lyrics, his spouse Tanya Haden suggested "it should be about a fucked up relationship," so Black made it about a warlock.


title: Probot

text: Grohl also approached death metal legend Chuck Schuldiner of Death to contribute to Probot. However, Schuldiner was struggling with brain cancer and was unable to be involved despite the efforts of Grohl and others to raise funds for his medical treatment. Grohl also attempted to get Slayer's lead singer Tom Araya on the album, but he was unable due to scheduling conflicts. To replace him, Grohl invited Kurt Brecht from D.R.I. Grohl mentioned he and Sweeney had discussed and considered a lot of different singers, including the retired Jeff Becerra of Possessed, Chuck Billy from Testament, Pantera's Phil Anselmo, and the vocalists from Kreator, Destruction, Hirax and Candlemass. Sweeney vetoed Unleashed's Johnny Hedlund, who at the time was rumored to be a Nazi sympathizer.


title: Probot

text: In a 2007 interview for "Guitar World" magazine, Grohl was asked about the future of Probot. He explained that the idea behind Probot was to choose his favorite vocalists that inspired him when he was a teenager. Grohl said that he does not think that he will do it again, because he does not want to go outside of that idea.


title: Probot

text: Despite Grohl's label Roswell having a deal with RCA Records, he knew such an unorthodox project featuring cult musicians of the past would not be easily accepted by major labels. RCA was interested at first, but later Grohl decided to follow the spirit of the original bands "on independent, punk-rock do it yourself labels." So Grohl's friend Pete Stahl, with whom he had played in Scream and was then in the band Goatsnake, suggested the label of his bandmate Greg Anderson, the smaller metal-based Southern Lord Records.


title: Probot

text: The album is available as a single CD and a double LP (available on red and black vinyl). Southern Lord released a double A-sided single, "Centuries of Sin/The Emerald Law" in a limited edition of 6,666 on 7" vinyl only. It is available on black, green, red & red/black swirl vinyl, and sold out shortly after release. The album artwork was created by musician Away (Michel Langevin) of Voivod.


title: Probot

text: Critical reception to the Probot album was largely positive with few recurring complaints; Metacritic shows a 72/100 critic rating based on 21 reviews. "Rolling Stone" declared it as "the year's first great metal album," while "Blender" reported, "Unlike similar records... this has a unity of aesthetic purpose, a competitive wallop, even (kind of) a seriousness."


title: Probot

text: David Browne of "Entertainment Weekly" gave "Probot" a B− rating. He notes, "For a lark, it aims for (and hits) a few bull's-eyes, including the whiplashing 'The Emerald Law' and the post-apocalyptic death march 'Ice Cold Man'." However, Browne comments how the mystery and thrill of vintage metal bands is "largely gone" with many lyrics on "Probot" sounding "more amusing than menacing" and even "unintentionally funny." He sums it up as "lying somewhere between homage and howler."


title: Probot

text: "Probot" earned an A rating in "Stylus" magazine as well as the title of StylusMagazine.com's Album of the Week for February 8–14, 2004. Scott McKeating's extensive review describes how "Probot balances the grit with the sonic polish without lapsing into Metallica's "Metallica". This is metal that demands banging, shaking and stamping." He commends the ambition of its overall conception, noting, "Very few [artists] go as far as Grohl and actually create something vital and new in their mid-thirties from their teenage obsessions. . . "Probot" is an inspirational record in every sense."


title: Probot

text: Adrien Begrand of PopMatters describes it as "One of the coolest ideas for an album in a long time, Grohl has put together a record that not only serves as a sincere tribute to the metal and hardcore bands of his youth, but features all his favorite vocalists as well." He gave a favorable review but heavily discussed Grohl's guitar skills and songwriting as lacking: "The biggest problem on the album is Grohl's complete lack of inventiveness as a guitar player. . . Had Dave Grohl used more guest musicians instead of trying to do everything himself, "Probot" would have been much better." Despite these criticisms, Begrand considers it "impossible not to like this album, mistakes and all."


title: Probot

text: Awarding a 4/5 rating, Allmusic's Alex Henderson emphasizes the wide variety of genres featured on "Probot" and adds, "Whatever the style of metal that he is embracing, Grohl's drumming is passionate throughout this fine album, which is as rewarding as it is unpredictable."


title: Probot

text: Although Grohl recorded the guitar and drums himself, Lemmy performed his own bass and wrote the lyrics to "Shake Your Blood". He noted, "I wrote the lyrics in about ten minutes. . . It's rock & roll, you know. It's not one of those complicated things." The song bears strong resemblance to Lemmy's style and was considered "a terrific Motörhead clone" by Adrien Begrand of PopMatters.


title: Probot

text: The "Shake Your Blood" music video was filmed in November 2003 and released shortly thereafter. It features an appearance by 66 women from the SuicideGirls adult entertainment website. The music video also appears on the extras section on the movie SuicideGirls: The First Tour. In the video, the band is represented with Dave Grohl on drums, Lemmy on lead vocals and bass, and Wino (who sang on the Probot track "The Emerald Law") on lead guitar. Lemmy regarded the performance as "just like a tour in the '60s, when things were a lot more fun."


title: Probot

text: Foo Fighters performed "Shake Your Blood" live with Lemmy at their 2006 Hyde Park (UK) show, and on June 18, 2011, at Foo Fighters concert in Berlin. "My Tortured Soul" was performed live on "Headbangers' Ball" in 2004, with Eric Wagner on lead vocals, Grohl on drums, Wino on lead guitar, Greg Anderson (of Goatsnake and Sunn O) on rhythm guitar, and Foo Fighters producer Nick Raskulinecz on bass guitar. This performance is available on the compilation album "MTV2 Headbangers Ball, Vol. 2". Soulfly has also been known to play "Red War" live as recently as 2009. "Ice Cold Man" has also been played by Cathedral on their 2004 tour. "Centuries of Sin" has also been played by Venom on their 2009 tour in South America.