title: Kamadhenu

text: The "Devi Bhagavata Purana" narrates that Krishna and his lover Radha were enjoying dalliance, when they thirsted for milk. So, Krishna created a cow called Surabhi and a calf called Manoratha from the left side of his body, and milked the cow. When drinking the milk, the milk pot fell on the ground and broke, spilling the milk, which became the Kshirasagara, the cosmic milk ocean. Numerous cows then emerged from the pores of Surabhi's skin and were presented to the cowherd-companions (Gopas) of Krishna by him. Then Krishna worshipped Surabhi and decreed that she—a cow, the giver of milk and prosperity—be worshipped at Diwali on Bali Pratipada day.


title: Kamadhenu

text: Various other scriptural references describe Surabhi as the mother of the Rudras including Nirrti (Kashyapa being the father), the cow Nandini and even the serpent-people nāgas. The "Mahabharata" also makes a passing reference to Surabhi as the mother of Nandini (literally "daughter") in the context of the birth of Bhishma, an incarnation of a "Vasu" deity. Nandini, like her mother, is a "cow of plenty" or "Kamadhenu", and resides with sage Vashista. Nandini is stolen by the divine Vasus and thus cursed by the sage to be born on the earth. The "Raghuvamsa" of Kalidasa mentions that king Dilip—an ancestor of god Rama—once passed by Kamadhenu-Surabhi, but failed to pay respects to her, thus incurring the wrath of the divine cow, who cursed the king to go childless. So, since Kamadhenu had gone to Patala, the guru of Dilip, Vasistha advised the king to serve Nandini, Kamadhenu's daughter who was in the hermitage. The king and his wife propitiated Nandini, who neutralized her mother's curse and blessed the king to have a son, who was named Raghu.


title: Kamadhenu

text: In the "Ramayana", Surabhi is described to be distressed by the treatment of her sons—the oxen—in fields. Her tears are considered a bad omen for the gods by Indra, the god-king of heaven. The "Vana Parva" book of the "Mahbharata" also narrates a similar instance: Surabhi cries about the plight of her son—a bullock, who is overworked and beaten by his peasant-master. Indra, moved by Surabhi's tears, rains to stop the ploughing of the tormented bullock.


title: Kamadhenu

text: In Hindu Religion, Kamadhenu is often associated with the Brahmin ("priest class" including sages), whose wealth she symbolizes. Cow's milk and its derivatives such as ghee (clarified butter) are integral parts of Vedic fire sacrifices, which are conducted by Brahmin priests; thus the ancient Kamadhenu is sometimes also referred to the "Homadhenu"—the cow from whom oblations are drawn. Moreover, the cow also offers the Brahmin—who is prohibited to fight—protection against abusive kings who try to harm them. As a goddess, she becomes a warrior, creating armies to protect her master and herself.


title: Kamadhenu

text: A legend narrates that the sacred cow Kamadhenu resided with sage Jamadagni. The earliest version of the legend, which appears in the epic Mahabharata, narrates that the thousand-armed "Haihaya" king, Kartavirya Arjuna, destroyed Jamadagni's hermitage and captured the calf of Kamadhenu. To retrieve the calf, Jamadagni's son Parashurama slew the king, whose sons in turn killed Jamadagni. Parashurama then destroyed the "kshatriya" ("warrior") race 21 times and his father is resurrected by divine grace. Similar accounts of the abduction of the celestial cow or her calf, the killing of Jamadagni by Kartavirya Arjuna, and the revenge of Parashurama resulting in the death of Kartavirya Arjuna, exist in other texts. The "Bhagavata Purana" mentions that the king abducted Kamadhenu as well as her calf and Parashurama defeated the king and returned the kine to his father. The "Padma Purana" mentions that when Kartavirya Arjuna tried to capture her, Kamadhenu, by her own power, defeated him and his army and flew off to heaven; the enraged king then killed Jamadagni.


title: Kamadhenu

text: In the "Brahmanda Purana", Kamadhenu creates a great city by her power to accommodate Kartavirya Arjuna's army, when they visit Jamadagni's hermitage. On returning to his kingdom, Kartavirya Arjuna's minister, Chandragupta, persuades him to capture the divine cow. The minister returns to the hermitage and tries to convince the sage to give away the cow, but to no avail, so he tries to snatch Kamadhenu with force. In the ensuing fight, the sage is killed, but Kamadhenu escapes to the sky and Chandragupta takes her calf with him instead. The Brahmanda Purana narrates this Kamadhenu Sushila was given to Jamadagni by the Kamadhenu-Surabhi, who governs in Goloka.


title: Kamadhenu

text: The "Brahma Vaivarta Purana" narrates that the celestial cow – called Kapila here – produces various weapons and an army to aid Jamadagni defeat the king's army, who had come to seize her. When the king himself challenged Jamadagni for battle, Kapila instructed her master in martial arts. Jamadagni led the army created by Kapila and defeated the king and his army several times; each time sparing the life of the king. Finally, with the aid of a divine spear granted to him by the god Dattatreya, the king killed Jamadagni.


title: Kamadhenu

text: The "Ramayana" presents a similar account about Kamadhenu, however, here the sage is Vashista and the king is Vishvamitra. Once, king Vishwamitra with his army arrived at the hermitage of sage Vashista. The sage welcomed him and offered a huge banquet – to the army – that was produced by Sabala – as Kamadhenu is called in the text. The astonished king asked the sage to part with Sabala and instead offered thousand of ordinary cows, elephants, horses and jewels in return. However, the sage refused to part with Sabala, who was necessary for the performance of the sacred rituals and charity by the sage. Agitated, Vishwamitra seized Sabala by force, but she returned to her master, fighting the king's men. She hinted Vashista to order her to destroy the king's army and the sage followed her wish. Intensely, she produced Pahlava warriors, who were slain by Vishwamitra's army. So she produced warriors of Shaka-Yavana lineage. From her mouth, emerged the Kambhojas, from her udder Barvaras, from her hind Yavanas and Shakas, and from pores on her skin, Haritas, Kiratas and other foreign warriors. Together, the army of Sabala killed Vishwamitra's army and all his sons. This event led to a great rivalry between Vashista and Vishwamitra, who renounced his kingdom and became a great sage to defeat Vashista.


title: Kamadhenu

text: Kamadhenu-Surabhi's residence varies depending on different scriptures. The "Anushasana Parva" of the "Mahabharata" tells how she was given the ownership of Goloka, the cow-heaven located above the three worlds (heaven, earth and netherworld): the daughter of Daksha, Surabhi went to Mount Kailash and worshipped Brahma for 10,000 years. The pleased god conferred goddess-hood on the cow and decreed that all people would worship her and her children – cows. He also gave her a world called Goloka, while her daughters would reside on earth among humans.


title: Kamadhenu

text: In one instance in the "Ramayana", Surabhi is described to live in the city of Varuna – the Lord of oceans – which is situated below the earth in Patala (the netherworld). Her flowing sweet milk is said to form "Kshiroda" or the Kshirasagara, the cosmic milk ocean. In the "Udyoga Parva" book of the "Mahabharata", this milk is said to be of six flavours and has the essence of all the best things of the earth. The "Udyoga Parva" specifies that Surabhi inhabits the lowest realm of Patala, known as Rasatala, and has four daughters – the "Dikpali"s – the guardian cow goddesses of the heavenly quarters: Saurabhi in the east, Harhsika in the south, Subhadra in the west and Dhenu in the north.


title: Kamadhenu

text: Apart from Goloka and Patala, Kamadhenu is also described as residing in the hermitages of the sages Jamadagni and Vashista. Scholar Mani explains the contradicting stories of Kamadhenu's birth and presence in the processions of many gods and sages by stating that while there could be more than one Kamadhenu, all of them are incarnations of the original Kamadhenu, the mother of cows.


title: Kamadhenu

text: The "Bhagavad Gita", a discourse by the god Krishna in the "Mahabharata", twice refers to Kamadhenu as "Kamadhuk". In verse 3.10, Krishna makes a reference to Kamadhuk while conveying that for doing one's duty, one would get the milk of one's desires. In verse 10.28, when Krishna declares to the source of the universe, he proclaims that among cows, he is Kamadhuk.


title: Kamadhenu

text: In the "Anushasana Parva" of the "Mahabharata", the god Shiva is described as having cast a curse on Surabhi. This curse is interpreted as a reference to the following legend: Once, when the gods Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was superior, a fiery pillar—linga (symbol of Shiva)—emerged before them. It was that decided whoever found the end of this pillar was superior. Brahma flew to the skies to try to find the top of the pillar, but failed. So Brahma forced Surabhi (in some versions, Surabhi instead suggested that Brahma should lie) to falsely testify to Vishnu that Brahma had seen the top of the linga; Shiva punished Surabhi by putting a curse on her so that her bovine offspring would have to eat unholy substances. This tale appears in the "Skanda Purana".


title: Kamadhenu

text: Some temples and houses have images of Kamadhenu, which are worshipped. However, she has never had a worship cult dedicated to her and does not have any temples where she is worshipped as the chief deity. In Monier-Williams's words: "It is rather the living animal [the cow] which is the perpetual object of adoration". Cows are often fed outside temples and worshipped regularly on all Fridays and on special occasions. Every cow to "a pious Hindu" is regarded as an avatar (earthly embodiment) of the divine Kamadhenu.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The Oghuz languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family, spoken by approximately 108 million people. The three languages with the largest number of speakers are Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmen, which, combined, account for more than 95% of speakers.


title: Oghuz languages

text: Kara-Khanid scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari, who lived in the 11th century, stated that the Oghuz language was the simplest among all Turkic languages.


title: Oghuz languages

text: Swedish turcologist and linguist Lars Johanson notes that Oghuz languages form a clearly discernible and closely related bloc within the Turkic language family as the cultural and political history of the speakers of Oghuz languages has linked them more closely up to the modern age.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The ancestor of Oghuz languages is a matter of debate. The language of the oldest stone monuments such as Orkhon inscriptions, and documents such as old Uyghur manuscripts are rather the ancestor of Karluk and Kipchak Turkic languages. Oghuz languages apparently originate from the language of the people known as "Western Turgut" in Chinese annals. Old Anatolian and Old Ottoman languages, which are written Middle Turkic, would be the most ancient within the Oghuz group of Turkic languages.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The term "Oghuz" is applied to the southwestern branch of the Common Turkic languages. It is in reference to the Oghuz Turks, who migrated from the Altay Mountains to Central Asia in the 8th century and further expanded to the Middle East and to the Balkans as separate tribes.


title: Oghuz languages

text: An 11th-century Kara-Khanid scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari stated in his work "Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk" (Compendium of Turkic dialects) that the Oghuz language was the simplest among all Turkic languages.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The Oghuz languages currently spoken have been classified into three categories based on their features and geography: Western, Eastern, and Southern.


title: Oghuz languages

text: Two further languages, Crimean Tatar and Urum, are Kipchak languages, but have been heavily influenced by the Oghuz languages.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The extinct Pecheneg language was probably Oghuz, but as it is poorly documented, it is difficult to further classify it within the Oghuz family; it is therefore usually excluded from classification.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The Oghuz languages share a number of features that have led linguists to classify them together. Some of the features are shared with other Turkic languages, and others are unique to the Oghuz family.


title: Oghuz languages

text: The remarkable similarity between Oghuz languages may be demonstrated through a sentence, which employs a verbal noun in the dative as a link between the main verb and auxiliary. This feature is universally shared by all Oghuz languages. Turcologist Julian Rentzsch uses this particular sentence in his work titled "Uniformity and diversity in Turkic inceptive constructions":


title: Kate Smith

text: Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" & "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain". In more recent times, she has also been associated with controversial songs containing racially insensitive themes and undertones. She had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s. She became known as The Songbird of the South because of her tremendous popularity during World War II.


title: Kate Smith

text: She was born on May 1, 1907, in Greenville, Virginia, to Charlotte 'Lottie' Yarnell ("née" Hanby) and William Herman Smith, growing up in Washington, D.C. Her father owned the Capitol News Company, distributing newspapers and magazines in the greater D.C. area. She was the youngest of three daughters, the middle child dying in infancy. She failed to talk until she was four years old, but a year later she was singing at church social events. By the time she was eight, she was singing for the troops at Army camps in the Washington area during World War I. Smith never had a singing lesson in her life and possessed a 'rich range' of two and a half octaves. Her earliest performances were during amateur nights at vaudeville theaters in D.C.


title: Kate Smith

text: Her earliest musical influences were her parents: her father sang in the choir at the Catholic church; her mother played piano at the Presbyterian church. She attended Business High School in D.C. (now Theodore Roosevelt High School), likely graduating in 1924. Alarmed by his daughter's evident penchant for the stage, her father sent her to the George Washington University School for Nursing where she attended classes for nine months between 1924 and 1925, withdrawing to pursue a career in show business.


title: Kate Smith

text: She got herself on the bill at Keith's Theater in Boston as a singer. Heading the bill was the actor and producer Eddie Dowling, who recruited the young singer for a revue he was preparing. It was called "Honeymoon Lane", and opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 29, 1926. A month later, it moved to Broadway.


title: Kate Smith

text: An indelicate review in "The New York Times" on October 31, 1926, under the heading "A Sophie Tucker Rival", said: "A 19-year-old girl, weighing in the immediate neighborhood of 200 pounds, is one of the discoveries of the season for those whose interests run to syncopators and singers of what in the varieties and nightclubs are known as 'hot' songs. Kate Smith is the newcomer's not uncommon name."


title: Kate Smith

text: When "Honeymoon Lane" closed, Smith had difficulty finding work in New York, so she returned to Washington, D.C. where she appeared sporadically in vaudeville. Smith joined the road company of Vincent Youmans' "Hit the Deck", where she won acclaim singing "Hallelujah!" as a mammy in blackface. Back in New York City, she took the company lead in George White's "Flying High", which opened at the whites only Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater (which later became the Apollo Theater) on March 3, 1930, and ran for 122 performances. As Pansy Sparks, Smith's role was to be the butt of Bert Lahr's often cruel jibes about her girth. She said later that she often wept with humiliation in her dressing room after the show.


title: Kate Smith

text: During "Honeymoon Lane"s run in New York, Smith made her first phonograph recordings, consisting of songs from that show. The first sessions were for Victor but none were issued. Her first issued recordings, from an October 28, 1926, session, appeared on the Columbia label. She made a few more records for Columbia through May 1927. In 1929 through 1931 she again returned to Columbia's studios, this time appearing for the budget labels Harmony, Diva and Velvet Tone under a pseudonym. These commercially successful records were often sung in the style of Ethel Waters and Ruth Etting, although others were more akin to the early crooning style of Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo.


title: Kate Smith

text: Her musical career took a huge leap in 1930 when Columbia Records A&R executive Ted Collins took an interest as a result of her "Hit the Deck" performances. Collins would become her longtime manager in 50–50 partnership. Smith had become self-conscious regarding her weight, in no small part because of the on- and off-stage mocking she received from co-star Bert Lahr. She later credited Collins with helping her overcome her self-consciousness, writing, "Ted Collins was the first man who regarded me as a singer, and didn't even seem to notice that I was a big girl." She noted, "I'm big, and I sing, and boy, when I sing, I sing all over!"


title: Kate Smith

text: Collins put Smith on radio in 1931. That year, she performed "Dream a Little Dream of Me". Her biggest hits were "River, Stay 'Way from My Door" (1931), "The Woodpecker Song" (1940), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1942), "Rose O'Day" (1941), "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (1940), "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), "Seems Like Old Times" (1946), and "Now Is the Hour" (1947). "Rose O'Day" sold over one million copies, her first to achieve this feat, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain"; she had helped write the lyrics. Smith greeted her audience with "Hello, everybody!" and signed off with "Thanks for listenin'."


title: Kate Smith

text: In 1932, Smith appeared in "Hello, Everybody!", with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane, and in the 1943 wartime film "This Is the Army", she sang "God Bless America", which became her signature song.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, "Kate Smith Sings" (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: "Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music" (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; "The Kate Smith Matinee" (1934–35); "The Kate Smith New Star Revue" (1934–35); "Kate Smith's Coffee Time" (1935–36), sponsored by A&P; and "The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon" (1936–37).


title: Kate Smith

text: "The Kate Smith Hour" was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music, and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–1945). The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to "The Aldrich Family" as a separate hit series in 1940.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith also made a dramatic appearance, starring in "Little Johnny Appleseed" on "Silver Theater" on May 14, 1944.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith's figure was not the only target of satire. Her cheery radio sign-on was parodied by comedian Henry Morgan when he launched his own show in 1942: "Good evening, anybody, here's Morgan," which became his sign-on. Morgan recalled in his memoir "Here's Morgan", that Smith's sign-on struck him as condescending: "I, on the other hand, was grateful if anybody was listening."


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, presenting both music and talk shows on radio until 1960.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith "stirred patriotic fervor" during World War II and contributed to the sale of over $600 million (equivalent to $ in ) of war bonds during a series of marathon broadcasts. No other show-business star came near her as revenue producer of War Bonds to finance the United States' war effort.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith starred in two concurrent television programs in the early 1950s "The Kate Smith Hour" on NBC Television from 1950 through 1954, hosting until 1953 in the late afternoon hour of 4:00 pm ET. James Dean and Audrey Hepburn made early acting appearances on the show. Smith also starred in the weekly "The Kate Smith Evening Hour" which included a rare US TV appearance by Josephine Baker as well as the only major filmed footage of Hank Williams. Smith continued on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC, and NBC, presenting both music and talk shows on radio until 1960.


title: Kate Smith

text: From January 25 to July 18, 1960, Smith hosted "The Kate Smith Show", a variety program on the CBS Television Monday evening schedule. On October 2, 1966, Smith performed on the British television show, "Sunday Night at the London Palladium".


title: Kate Smith

text: Because of her popularity, her face was a common sight in print advertisements of the day. Over the years, she acted as a commercial spokeswoman for numerous companies such as Studebaker, Pullman, Diamond Crystal Salt, and Jell-O.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith recorded dozens of successful albums and songs during the 1930s and 1940s. She recorded sporadically during the 1950s but in 1963 signed a contract with RCA Victor to record a number of successful albums, including several that charted on the "Billboard" Hot 200 chart alongside the major rock stars of the era, usually with Smith, then well into her fifties, the oldest performer on the charts. In 1967 she had her first new hit record in many years when "Anyone Can Move A Mountain" peaked at #30 on "Billboard"s Easy Listening Hits chart in July 1967. This record was her only 1960s single release to be successful. In 1974, Smith returned to "Billboard"s Easy Listening chart when "Smile, Smile, Smile", a one-shot single release (and her last recording) for Atlantic Records, peaked at #42 in June 1974.


title: Kate Smith

text: When the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team played Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" before their game on December 11, 1969, an unusual part of her career began. The Flyers' public address announcer had noticed that people would not pay attention or would show disdain for the "Star-Spangled Banner" played before games, due to the tensions caused by the Vietnam War, and he decided to use Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" instead. The crowd responded more favorably to this recording. After the Flyers won the game, it was decided by the team that the song would be used as an alternative to the "Star-Spangled Banner", but only for certain important games.


title: Kate Smith

text: At the Flyers' home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11, 1973, Smith made a surprise appearance to perform the song in person and received a tremendous reception. The Flyers won that game by a 2–0 score. She again performed the song at the Spectrum in front of a capacity crowd of 17,007 fans before game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals on May 19, 1974, against the Boston Bruins. Before this game, Smith had a "Flyer Record" of 36–3–1 (win-loss-tie). After her performance, in keeping with the Flyers' reputation of "The Broad Street Bullies", Smith mimicked a knockout punch. Boston's defenseman Bobby Orr and center Phil Esposito infamously tried to jinx the Flyers' "good luck charm" by shaking her hand after her performance. Yet, the Flyers won their first of two back-to-back Stanley Cups, winning that playoff series against the Boston Bruins four games to two, with goaltender Bernie Parent shutting the Bruins out 1–0 in the game.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith also performed live at the Flyers' home game on May 13, 1975, before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against the Islanders. After her performance, Islanders' captain Ed Westfall presented Smith with a bouquet of flowers as each member of the Islanders lined up to shake her hand. Nonetheless, the Flyers won the game 4–1. On May 16, 1976, Smith made one of her final public performances before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost to the Montreal Canadiens 5–3 and were swept in that series. She made her final public performance on May 23, 1985, before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals when the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3–1, and lost the series in five games.


title: Kate Smith

text: The Flyers' record when "God Bless America" was played or sung by Smith in person stood at a remarkable 100 wins, 29 losses, and five ties . Smith and her song remain a special part of Flyers' history. In 1987, the team erected a statue of Smith outside the Spectrum, their arena at the time, in her memory. However, the statue was later covered and then removed in April 2019 due to criticism of lyrics in some of her earlier songs that were perceived as racist. Until that time, the Flyers still showed a video of her singing "God Bless America" in lieu of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for good luck before important games. The video of Smith's performance was later accompanied by Lauren Hart, daughter of the late Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster, Gene Hart, longtime voice of the Flyers, and anthem singer for the Flyers. Before games whenever "God Bless America" was performed, Lou Nolan, the public address announcer for the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center would say "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we ask that you please rise and remove your hats and salute our flags and welcome the number-one ranked anthemist in the NHL, Lauren Hart, as she sings 'God Bless America', accompanied by the great Kate Smith."


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith's plump figure made her an occasional object of derision; however, late in her career, Philadelphia Flyers hockey fans said about her appearance before games "It ain't BEGUN 'til the fat lady sings!" Smith was tall and weighed at the age of 30. She titled her 1938 autobiography "Living in a Great Big Way".


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith was the grand marshal of the 1976 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and sang "God Bless America" and the National Anthem before the Rose Bowl game, a UCLA victory over Ohio State.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" was played during the seventh-inning stretch of New York Yankees home games from 2001 until April 2019, when the practice was discontinued amid controversy surrounding her 1931 recordings of "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and "Pickaninny Heaven". The following day, the Philadelphia Flyers followed suit, and the statue of Smith outside the Flyers' arena was removed on April 21, 2019. Her family responded by denying the racism allegations. Those against the discontinuation of Smith's recordings have cited the satirical nature of the song "That's Why Darkies Were Born", and the fact that it was also popularized by Paul Robeson. The song "Pickaninny Heaven" is from the movie "Hello, Everybody!", one of whose writers was Fannie Hurst, a well-known advocate for African American equality.


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith called for racial tolerance in 1945 in an address on CBS Radio, declaring, "Race hatreds, social prejudices, religious bigotry, they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace". She went on to state "it is up to us to tolerate one another in order to achieve peace".


title: Kate Smith

text: Smith, who never married, rented several apartments in Manhattan during her long career. She had a home in Arlington, Virginia, and kept a summer home on a small island in Lake Placid, New York.


title: Kate Smith

text: After attending services at a Catholic parish for 25 years, Smith converted to Roman Catholicism in 1965. During the time she spent in Lake Placid, she regularly attended Sunday Mass at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church and could be heard singing the hymns in her contralto voice.


title: Kate Smith

text: In her later years, Smith was impaired by diabetes. In 1976, she suffered brain damage after slipping into a diabetic coma. After she emerged from the coma, her family helped her move in 1979 to Raleigh, North Carolina. In January 1986, Smith's right leg was amputated due to poor circulation caused by diabetes. Five months later, she underwent a mastectomy. On June 17, 1986, Smith died of respiratory arrest at Raleigh Community Hospital in Raleigh at the age of 79.


title: Kate Smith

text: Patricia Castledine (1939-2021) was Smith's live-in nurse until the last day of her life. Castledine became the president of the Kate Smith Fan Club after Smith's death and continued to hold that post until her own death in 2021.


title: Kate Smith

text: For over a year following her death, Smith's remains were stored in a vault at St. Agnes Cemetery in Lake Placid, while officials of St. Agnes Church and the singer's executors engaged in a dispute over Smith's request to be buried in a mausoleum on the cemetery's grounds. Her private burial service was held on November 14, 1987.


title: Kate Smith

text: She did a command performance for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the White House on June 8, 1939. She received a Drake University medallion for "outstanding contributions to radio and the people". Smith was inducted posthumously into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999. She was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2010, the U.S. postal service issued a commemorative stamp featuring a duplication of artwork created for the cover of a CD titled "Kate Smith: The Songbird of the South". The artwork was based on a photograph of Smith taken in the 1960s.


title: Kate Smith

text: On October 26, 1982, Smith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In bestowing the honor, Reagan said:


title: Kate Smith

text: The voice of Kate Smith is known and loved by millions of Americans, young and old. In war and peace, it has been an inspiration. Those simple but deeply moving words, "God bless America", have taken on added meaning for all of us because of the way Kate Smith sang them. Thanks to her they have become a cherished part of all our lives, an undying reminder of the beauty, the courage, and the heart of this great land of ours. In giving us a magnificent, selfless talent like Kate Smith, God has truly blessed America.


title: Kate Smith

text: It was not the first time Smith had been saluted by a president. In 1969, in light of Jim Morrison's arrest in Miami for indecent exposure, Smith had performed with The Lettermen, Anita Bryant, and Jackie Gleason in a concert demonstration against indecency, for which President Richard Nixon commended the stars' performances.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent adjoining the convergence of the Swale Estuary and the Greater Thames Estuary in southeastern England, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay. The 2011 Census reported a population of 32,100.


title: Whitstable

text: The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Sea, was famous for its 'Native Oysters' which were collected from beds beyond the low water mark from Roman times until the mid-20th century. The annual Whitstable Oyster Festival takes place during the summer.


title: Whitstable

text: In 1830, one of the earliest passenger railway services was opened by the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company. In 1832 the company built a harbour and extended the line to handle coal and other bulk cargos for the City of Canterbury. The railway has closed but the harbour still plays an important role in the town's economy. The railway route, known as The Crab and Winkle Line, is now a cycle path which leads to the neighbouring city of Canterbury.


title: Whitstable

text: Archaeological finds indicate that the Whitstable area was inhabited during the Palaeolithic era, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Oysters were harvested in the area in Roman times. The remains of a Roman building have been found in the centre of the town. Charters indicate that there were Saxon settlements where salt production and coastal trade occurred. In the 19th century, extensive finds of Roman pottery were found in the sea around Whitstable during oyster dredging, and an offshore rock near the town has been associated with "Caunos", an island mentioned by Ptolemy.


title: Whitstable

text: The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, under the name "Witenestaple", meaning "the meeting place of the white post", a reference to a local landmark. At that time, Witenestaple was the administrative centre of the hundred of Witenestaple which stretched from the coast to the village of Blean, north of Canterbury. In addition to Witenestaple, the hundred contained three manors at Seasalter, Northwood and Swalecliffe. Whitstable hundred was located within the Lathe of St Augustine.


title: Whitstable

text: The Seasalter and Swalecliffe manors were owned by the church, and the manor at Northwood was run by a noble family on behalf of the king. Fisheries were located at the Seasalter manor, saltworks were at the Northwood manor, and pigs were farmed at the forest in Blean. By 1226, the name of the area had evolved into Whitstaple. Saltworks were opened at the Seasalter manor around the turn of the 14th century, and a sea wall was built there in 1325 to prevent coastal flooding. The history and development of the town has determined and been determined by the shape and location of the coast which has changed over recorded history due to natural events and human interventions.


title: Whitstable

text: By the late middle ages Whitstable had become a centre of Thames Esturary fishing, including for oysters, and was connected by road to Chestfield where archaeological finds evidence seafood consumption, as well as the Forest of Blean.


title: Whitstable

text: By 1413, the three manors had combined to form the Whitstaple manor, and had been sold to a religious foundation in Essex. The manor was seized by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, and was given to the Minter family, originally from Ickham. Branches of the Minter family survive today in the same area). A royal patent was granted in 1574 to the manor owner for the fishing of its oyster beds, and in the same year, the lands at Tankerton were incorporated into the manor. A copperas works was established at Tankerton in 1588, which operated until about 1830. By 1610, the name Whitstaple had become Whitstable.


title: Whitstable

text: Around the mid-18th century, goods and passengers began to be transported by ship between London and Whitstable, and a toll road was built to the cathedral city of Canterbury. These improvements in transport led to the town's development as a seaside resort; the first advertisements for bathing machines at Whitstable appeared in 1768. In 1790 the manor was sold to private landowners, and three years later the rights to harvest the oyster beds were bought by the newly established Company of Free Fishers and Dredgers of Whitstable, the successor to the Whitstable Company of Dredgers. Between roughly 1775 and 1875 the well smacks or early longliners out of Barking and other local fishing ports would collect lugworms and whelks from Whitstable's bait-diggers and dredgers before beginning their tour for prime fish north to Iceland. Whelks suspended in net bags in the well could live for a while due to circulating water. In the 1880s, Whitstable was described as having "an unrivalled, and indeed unchallenged, position in the oyster world".


title: Whitstable

text: On 3 May 1830, the world's first entirely steam-hauled passenger and freight railway service was opened by the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company. Designed by William James, the line ran six miles (10 km) from Westgate in Canterbury to Whitstable town centre. The railway line's initials—C&WR—and Whitstable's shellfish industry eventually led to its nickname, the Crab And Winkle Railway. The line carried coal arriving by sea in Whitstable to Canterbury, delivered by colliers sailing from the north east of England. At this time, the town also had a thriving shipbuilding industry. In the mid nineteenth century, hoys also sailed regularly from London to Whitstable.


title: Whitstable

text: Trains were driven by a locomotive for part of the journey, but on inclined planes were pulled on ropes by steam-driven stationary winding engines located at Tyler Hill and Clowes Wood. The locomotive used was the "Invicta", an 0-4-0 inclined cylinder tender locomotive built by Robert Stephenson, the son of engineer George Stephenson. Whitstable harbour - also designed by Stephenson - was opened by the railway company in 1832, and the rail line was extended to enable goods, mainly coal, to be directly transferred from ships onto the trains. In 1834, the world's first season tickets were issued for the C&WR line. The harbour's size and positioning meant that it was the last place on England's east coast where barquentines, schooners and brigantines transporting coal could operate, with sailing colliers serving Whitstable Harbour until the 1920s.


title: Whitstable

text: The "Invicta" locomotive was retired in 1840 and replaced by horses until a third winding engine was built at South Street. The "Invicta" was kept for scrap, but in 1898 work began on its restoration, which continued intermittently until its completion in 1977 by the National Railway Museum in York. On 3 May 1980 the locomotive was returned to Canterbury to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the line. On Sunday 16 June 2019 Invicta was returned to the Whitstable Museum & Gallery.


title: Whitstable

text: Around the time of the construction of the Whitstable to Canterbury line, the local Gorrell stream was diverted into what was known as the Backwater reservoir, so as to prevent the railway needing to cross the estuary of the stream on damp and unstable land. The Gorrell Backwater was then filled through the stream itself as well as rain water drainage when the tide was in, and whilst out the water would be released into the newly built Whitstable Harbour. The reservoir unfortunately would contribute to the flooding of the town during years when the reservoir could not be drained, such as in 1897 and 1953 when weather conditions were exceptionally bad. This continued into the late 1960s, when fire engines were used to pump out large quantities of the water to prevent further flooding.


title: Whitstable

text: In the early 1970s, the present Gorrell Tank was built underground, with the Gorrell Car Park being in service above ground since.


title: Whitstable

text: In 1845, the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company was bought by the South Eastern Railway, who introduced steam locomotives capable of operating along the entire length of the railway. A direct rail route from Whitstable to London was established in 1860 when the London, Chatham and Dover Railway opened a station on what is now the Chatham Main Line. On 16 November 1869, 71 buildings in the town were destroyed by a fire which started at a shop near the harbour. In about 1856 the first branch of the Sea Cadet Corps, then known as the Naval Lads' Brigade, was established in the town by the Reverend Henry Barton.


title: Whitstable

text: A plant to manufacture tarmacadam was built beside Whitstable Harbour in 1936. The harbour gradually fell into decay after the Second World War, but in 1958 the Whitstable Urban District Council purchased and repaired the harbour with the intention of rejuvenating the town's economy.


title: Whitstable

text: By the early 20th century, the Oyster Company of Free Fishers and Dredgers had become the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company. 'Native Oyster' collection drastically declined in the first half of the 20th century and then ceased due to pollution, disease, bad weather and underinvestment. An attempt to farm Pacific Oysters on the foreshore was initiated in 2016 and is currently the subject of an investigation by the Marine Management Organisation after allegations about the racks causing safety issues and blocking navigation for watercraft and swimmers.


title: Whitstable

text: The Crab and Winkle Line finally closed in 1953, but about a third of the line was reopened as a footpath and cycleway in 1999 under the stewardship of a local charity, the Crab and Winkle Line Trust. One of the main developments to the town in recent years was the Horsebridge project. Completed in 2005, it was designed to regenerate a dilapidated area of the town with the construction of new shops and houses, a town square, and a community centre with a performance space and art gallery.


title: Whitstable

text: Since 1918, Whitstable has been in the constituency of Canterbury. The Member of Parliament for the constituency is Rosie Duffield of the Labour Party, who was first elected in the 2017 general election after unseating long-serving Conservative MP Julian Brazier.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable, along with Herne Bay and Canterbury, is in the City of Canterbury local government district. The town comprises the five electoral wards of Tankerton, Seasalter, Chestfield and Swalecliffe, Gorrell and Harbour. These wards have 12 of the 50 seats on the Canterbury City Council. Following the 2009 local elections, ten of those seats were held by the Conservatives and two by the Labour Party. Whitstable has no parish or town council. In their lieu, the Official Planning Consultee was the Whitstable Society, membership of which is open to all, until Cllr. Ben Fitter-Harding removed it in 2020.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable is on the north-east Kent coast. The town lies to the east of the outlet of The Swale into the Greater Thames Estuary. The town is west of the seaside town of Herne Bay, north-east of the town of Faversham and north of the city of Canterbury; several small villages lie in between. The suburbs/villages of Tankerton, Swalecliffe and Chestfield are at the eastern end of the town, Seasalter at the west, and South Street at the south. Chestfield has its own parish council. An area of protected woodland and grassland called Duncan Down lies to the south-east.


title: Whitstable

text: The geology of the town consists mainly of London Clay (which covers most of North Kent). Much of the centre of the town is built on low-lying marshland. Sea walls are in place to prevent coastal flooding. The land in the east is higher, with slopes down to the coast at Tankerton. The whole of the north-east Kent coast has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.


title: Whitstable

text: A very unusual (some say unique) shingle spit locally named "The Street" extends into the sea to the east of the harbour, formed by the local currents. A survey in 2019 discovered it is an especially heavy London clay, and is all that remains of the saltmarsh that once extended the length of the Swale. It is exposed at low tide, and visitors, ignoring the warning signs, are sometimes trapped by the advancing tide, needing to be rescued by the local RNLI lifeboat.


title: Whitstable

text: In East Kent, the warmest time of the year is July and August, when maximum temperatures average around 22 °C (71.6 °F). The coolest time of the year is January and February, when minimum temperatures average around 2 °C (35.6 °F). East Kent's average maximum and minimum temperatures are around 1/2 °C higher than the national average. Whitstable is sometimes warmer than other parts of Kent due to it being backed by the North Downs to the south.


title: Whitstable

text: East Kent's average annual rainfall is about 613 mm (24.1 in); October to January being the wettest months. The national average annual rainfall is about 870 mm (34 in). A recent drought caused Mid Kent Water to impose a hosepipe ban between August 2005 and February 2007.


title: Whitstable

text: The nearest Met Office average data for each month as well as the current data reported on the BBC web site are from recording stations approximately away to east and west and do not well represent Whitstable weather.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, which runs between Ramsgate in East Kent and London Victoria. Other stations on this line include Broadstairs, Margate, Herne Bay, Faversham, Gillingham, Rochester and Bromley South. Whitstable is around 1 hour and 30 minutes from London; ten minutes more than in 2009 due to the introduction of HS services up the line. On weekdays, during the morning and evening peaks, there is a direct service to London's Cannon Street station, provided primarily for business commuting. These trains run to Cannon Street in the morning and from Cannon Street in the evening.


title: Whitstable

text: There is a Stagecoach bus service branded as the Triangle running about every fifteen minutes to neighbouring Herne Bay and Canterbury, where many Whitstable residents go to work and shop. Also route 5 runs from the Town to Canterbury.


title: Whitstable

text: The A299 road, known as the Thanet Way, runs between Ramsgate and Faversham via Herne Bay and Whitstable, and merges with the M2 motorway at Faversham.


title: Whitstable

text: At the 2001 UK census, Whitstable area electoral wards had a population of 30,195 and a population density of 10.3 persons per hectare.


title: Whitstable

text: The ethnicity of the town was 98.2% white, 0.8% mixed race, 0.2% Chinese, 0.4% other Asian, 0.2% black and 0.2% other. The place of birth of residents was 95.5% United Kingdom, 0.6% Republic of Ireland, 1.2% other Western European countries, and 2.7% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 74.8% Christian, 0.3% Muslim, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.2% Jewish, 0.1% Hindu and 0.1% Sikh. 15.8% were recorded as having no religion, 0.4% had an alternative religion and 8.1% did not state their religion.


title: Whitstable

text: The age distribution was 5% aged 0–4 years, 14% aged 5–15 years, 4% aged 16–19 years, 28% aged 20–44 years, 26% aged 45–64 years and 23% aged 65 years and over. The town has a high percentage of residents over 65, compared with the national average of 16%. As a seaside town, Whitstable is a popular retirement destination.


title: Whitstable

text: Of the town's 13,155 households, 49.0% were married couples, 7.8% were cohabiting couples and 8.0% were lone parents. 30.7% of households were individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone at pensionable age. 26.4% of households included children aged under 16, or a person aged 16 to 18 who was in full-time education.


title: Whitstable

text: According to the 2001 UK census, the economic activity of residents in the town aged 16–74 was 35.6% in full-time employment, 13.4% in part-time employment, 10.4% self-employed, 2.5% unemployed, 2.4% students with jobs, 3.4% students without jobs, 18.8% retired, 6.7% looking after home or family, 4.5% permanently sick or disabled and 2.3% economically inactive for other reasons. The percentage of retired people was significantly higher than the national figure of 13.5%. The unemployment rate of 2.5% was lower than the national rate of 3.3%. 12% of the town's residents aged 16–74 had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared to 20% nationwide.


title: Whitstable

text: The main activities at the harbour are fishing, fish processing, cargo handling and boat storage. The harbour area is the site for other industries such as tarmac manufacturing and a maintenance port for an offshore windfarm. Business parks located on the outskirts of the town provide premises for large retailers, offices and light industries.


title: Whitstable

text: The town's distinctive character and ambience has led to a strong tourist industry, which is promoted each year by the Oyster Festival. In early 2007, Canterbury City Council were planning to boost tourism by building retail developments in addition to the existing shopping centre.


title: Whitstable

text: The 2001 UK census reported the industry of employment of residents of Whitstable as 18% retail, 13% health and social work, 12% manufacturing, 11% education, 10% real estate, 9% construction, 7% transport and communications, 5% public administration, 5% hotels and restaurants, 4% finance, 1% agriculture and 5% other community, social or personal services. Compared to national figures, the town had a relatively high number of workers in the construction, education, and health/social care industries and a relatively low number in manufacturing, finance, and real estate. Many residents commute to work outside the town; at the 2001 census, there were 13,260 employed residents, but only 9,725 jobs within the town.


title: Whitstable

text: The high level of employees in teaching is possibly due to the town's proximity to Canterbury, which has three higher education establishments. The elderly population of the town has led to many health and social care jobs at local care homes and at the Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital. At the 2001 census, 1.3% of the town's population resided in a medical or care establishment, compared to the national average of only 0.8%.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable's secondary school is The Whitstable School, formerly The Community College Whitstable. It is a secondary modern school which changed its name from Sir William Nottidge School in 1998. In 2009, 25% of its pupils gained at least five GCSEs at grades A*–C – this increased to 37% in 2011.


title: Whitstable

text: Many pupils living in Whitstable commute to schools in other nearby towns, especially to the grammar schools in Faversham and Canterbury.


title: Whitstable

text: The town's public primary schools are Whitstable Junior School, Whitstable and Seasalter Church of England Junior School, Westmeads Infant School, Swalecliffe Community Primary School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, St Alphege C of E Primary School, Joy Lane Primary School. The voluntary controlled church schools are owned by the church, but like the other schools, are administered by Kent County Council.


title: Whitstable

text: The longest established event is the Regatta dating from a sailing contest between 26 boats from Whitstable and Faversham split into three classes (divisions) in 1792. A reporter at the scene wrote: "Much nautical skill was displayed in the maneuvering of the various squadrons. Every hoy, smack, wherry etc. in the vicinity of Whitstable was crowded with company and formed quite a fair upon the ocean." In addition, at least two of the spectating boats had bands aboard and tents were erected along the shore which was lined with spectators.


title: Whitstable

text: The Regatta continued to become the biggest event on the North Kent Coast in the 19th century. It has moved from the original Whitstable to Tankerton for more land based events with fairground and fireworks on the elevated Slopes. For many years run by the council, the Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions Club have taken it on in the last 31 years. Future events will be more sea borne with yachting and rowing, and plans for swimming and even the traditional greasy pole.


title: Whitstable

text: May Day is celebrated with the annual Jack-in-the-Green parade, with traditional English dancing throughout the town, a fair at Whitstable Castle and a maypole dance by local schoolchildren overlooking the sea. It has been run by Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions Club for 34 years.


title: Whitstable

text: The importance of oysters to the tradition of Whitstable is celebrated with the Oyster Festival in July each year. The nine-day festival starts with an opening parade on the nearest Saturday to St James' Day. The parade starts with the official "Landing of the Catch", followed by the procession of the oysters in a horse-drawn dray through the town, stopping to deliver the catch to local restaurants, cafes and public houses. The rest of the festival consists of entertainment for both adults and children, with local art on display around the town, and many establishments offering local fish dishes.


title: Whitstable

text: The Whitstable Museum and Gallery displays artefacts and portraits relating to the town's seafaring traditions, with special features on oysters, diving and shipping. In 2001, the Museum was awarded the international Nautiek Award for services to diving history.


title: Whitstable

text: The Playhouse Theatre Whitstable is owned and administered by theatrical group, The Lindley Players Ltd. The theatre is regularly hired out to other local groups such as The Canterbury Players, Herne Bay Operatic Society, Theatrecraft & The Deborah Capon College. More recently Nick Wilty has adopted the venue to host the OyOyster Comedy nights, attracting stars including Harry Hill, Jo Brand and Paul Merton.


title: Whitstable

text: The Horsebridge Arts and Community Centre opened in March 2004 as part of the Horsebridge redevelopment. Built with an "upturned boat" design, and three floors totalling , the centre contains an art gallery, a performance space, art workshops, a learning area, and conference rooms. The building in 2004 won the Kent Design Award in the Town and Village Renaissance category.


title: Whitstable

text: There are monthly beach cleans carried out alone the Whitstable sea front. They are organised by the Canterbury Council Foreshore service in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Society. The location of the beach clean alternates each month between the beach by the Neptune pub and the Seasalter end. Times and dates can be obtained for the Fore shore services or the MCS South East Groups website, calendar page.


title: Whitstable

text: The town has shingle/sandy beaches flanking the harbour, where sunbathing, swimming and water sports are popular. The beaches east and west are unique amongst seaside towns in the south east of England for having no promenade; making them generally peaceful. An exception is Long Beach to the immediate east of the harbour where there is a base for jet skis. A notable feature of Whitstable is The Street, a natural strip of shingle on clay bank which runs out to sea at right angles to the coast, for a distance of about . It is the last remnant of the Swale river valley to the north of the town lost to sea erosion over millennia. Located to the east of the harbour, The Street is revealed only at low tide, when it is possible to walk out along it as well as swim either side in safe, sandy bottomed shallows. A view of The Street can be seen on the hilltop lawns of Tankerton Slopes. The Slopes are home to the largest population in England of the rare Hog's Fennel.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable Castle is situated on the border of Whitstable and the suburb of Tankerton. It was originally built as an octagonal tower in 1789 by Charles Pearson, the owner of a copperas company in the town and a future investor in the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. However, Pearson later added to the building, developing it into a manor house. In 1836 the house, then known as Tankerton Tower, was bought by London businessman and Whig MP Wynn Ellis, who by 1842 had added a west wing, a bell tower and a lodge. The building had become known as Tankerton Castle by 1897, although it is now commonly referred to as Whitstable Castle. Now managed by the Whitstable Castle Trust, the castle grounds are a centre for community activity.


title: Whitstable

text: Off the coast of Whitstable is Kentish Flats offshore windfarm, consisting of 30 wind turbines, each high, providing enough electricity to power 70,000 households. The now-redundant Shivering Sands and Red Sands offshore World War II sea forts are visible from the town's coast. Sailing trips are available from the harbour to the windfarm, the sea forts and a seal watching spot in the Thames Estuary.


title: Whitstable

text: Island Wall, the closest street to the seafront, has numerous buildings dating from the mid-19th century including the Neptune and Wall Tavern pubs, and the Dollar Row cottages, which were built from the proceeds of a salvage operation on a ship carrying silver dollars. The street is home to the "Favourite", one of the few remaining Whitstable oyster yawls. Built in 1890, it is now managed by the Favourite Trust, a charitable trust who undertake fund raising to maintain the historical vessel. A traditional windmill on Borstal Hill, built in 1815, is used as a motel.


title: Whitstable

text: The town is criss-crossed by numerous small alleys, once used by fishermen to reach the beach. Many of these are now registered as public rights of way and are still in frequent use. Squeeze Gut Alley whose name suggests (erroneously) that most people have to walk sideways due to its narrowness, is one of the more notable.


title: Whitstable

text: The town is a popular destination for watersport enthusiasts. Established in 1904, the Whitstable Yacht Club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in England and takes part in local and national competitions throughout the year. Each year, the town hosts the International Waterski Championships.


title: Whitstable

text: In May 2007, Whitstable Town Football Club, based at the Belmont ground, won promotion from the Kent League to the Isthmian League Division One South. Whitstable Rugby Football Club 1st XV also won promotion in 2007, to the London League. The club has a 2nd XV team which play in the East Kent League 2.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable has a council-owned swimming pool and sports centre with facilities for badminton, 5-a-side football, volleyball, cricket and tennis. A 10-pin bowling centre is located next door to the swimming pool. There is also an outdoor basketball court at the Rec near the swimming pool.


title: Whitstable

text: Windsurfing is common off the West Quay, usually at low tide in southwesterly winds. Kite surfing has become popular in recent years usually taking place east of the Harbour, due to its flat water conditions and exposure to the open sea.


title: Whitstable

text: The four local newspapers are the KM Group owned "Whitstable Gazette" and "KM Extra", YourCanterbury part of KOS Ltd., and the Northcliffe Media-owned "Whitstable Times".


title: Whitstable

text: During the 1960s, several pirate radio stations broadcast from the nearby Shivering Sands and Red Sands offshore sea forts. These included Radio Invicta, KING Radio, Radio Sutch (launched by Screaming Lord Sutch), Radio City, and Radio 390.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable has a local radio station in KMFM Canterbury which also serves Canterbury and Herne Bay. It was previously known as "CTFM", until it was taken over by the KM Group in September 2007. County-wide station Heart Kent (formerly Invicta FM) is based on the John Wilson business park in the town.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable also has a community radio station which broadcasts online and is known as Whitstable Bay Radio (WBR)


title: Whitstable

text: The playwright and novelist W. Somerset Maugham was sent to live with his uncle in Whitstable, at age 10, after the death of his parents. His novels "Of Human Bondage" (1915) and "Cakes and Ale" (1930) are set in the fictional town of Blackstable. It is likely that he based this town on Whitstable, as the names and description of places around Blackstable, including The Duke of Cumberland Inn and Joy Lane, are identical to places around Whitstable.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable is the hometown of the narrator, Nancy Astley, in Sarah Waters' 1998 novel "Tipping the Velvet". Whitstable also featured in the 2002 BBC drama adaptation. The Old Neptune Pub on the seafront was used as a filming location for the 2006 movie "Venus", for which the actor Peter O'Toole earned an Academy Award nomination.


title: Whitstable

text: Whitstable features prominently in the 2021 AcornTV series "Whitstable Pearl", starring Kerry Godliman, in which a restaurateur fancies herself a private detective in the seaside town.


title: Whitstable

text: Author Russell Hoban repurposes Whitstable as "Widders Bel" in his 1980, post apocalyptic novel "Riddley Walker".


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. (born March 11, 1969) is an American pastor, author, and educator. He serves as Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Born in Los Angeles, Baucham studied at New Mexico State University and Rice University, playing football as a tight end. He then transferred to Houston Baptist University, where he graduated with a B.A. He went on to obtain an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Baucham also did additional post-graduate study at the University of Oxford. He founded Voddie Baucham Ministries in 1993.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham served as pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas (a congregation within the Southern Baptist Convention) until he moved to Zambia in 2015. He is a board member of Founders Ministries.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: In March 2022, Baucham confirmed that he had been asked to accept a nomination for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, but noted that as an overseas missionary, he was not sure if he was eligible.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham is Reformed in his theology, and subscribes to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. He calls himself a "fire-breathing, TULIP believing, five-point Calvinist." Baucham appeared in the 2019 Netflix documentary "American Gospel: Christ Crucified" speaking in favor of penal substitutionary atonement. His statement "God killed Jesus" was criticized for "muddying the waters" on this doctrine.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham is an adherent of biblical patriarchy. He outlined his views on the subject in his 2009 book "What He Must Be: ...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter", though preferring the phrase "gospel patriarchy". Baucham criticized Sarah Palin's vice presidential candidacy in 2008, on the basis that women serve best at home.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham is also a supporter of the Stay-at-home daughter movement. He appeared in Vision Forum's 2007 documentary "Return of the Daughters", in which he said that America is suffering an "epidemic of unprotected women."


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham and his wife have homeschooled their children, and he has spoken against Christians sending their children to public schools. In his 2007 book, "Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God", Baucham argued that parents (especially fathers) can and should disciple their children through family worship and through attending family integrated churches.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham rejects critical race theory in favor of what he calls "biblical justice", and sees it as a religious movement, with its own cosmology, saints, liturgy, and law. Baucham's 2021 book "Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe" outlines his criticisms of the movement. In "Fault Lines" he argues that Critical Theory and its subsets, Critical Race Theory-Intersectionality and Critical Social Justice are grounded in Western Marxism, the public social justice conversation is perpetuating misinformation, and is incompatible with Christianity as a competing worldview. In August 2021, Baucham was accused of plagiarizing parts of the book and falsifying a quote he attributed to Richard Delgado, an early researcher of critical race theory. The publisher, Salem Books, rejected the plagiarism claim, saying it was merely a matter of style, while Delgado denied making such a quotation.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: Baucham is African-American. He became a Christian in 1987. He and his wife Bridget have nine children. He is a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.


title: Voddie Baucham

text: In February 2021, Baucham experienced heart failure and had to travel to the Mayo Clinic Florida for treatment. A GoFundMe campaign for his medical expenses raised more than a million dollars.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Srinivasa Iyer Ramaswamy, better known as Cho Ramaswamy (5 October 1934  – 7 December 2016), was an Indian actor, comedian, character actor, editor, political satirist, playwright, film director and lawyer from Tamil Nadu. He was a popular comedian in the 1960s and 70s, and had acted with all the top stars in that period.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Srinivasa Iyer Ramaswamy was fondly addressed and remembered as Cho. Born in a Brahmin family of lawyers


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: The elder son of R. Srinivasa Iyer and Rajammal, Cho had a younger brother, who was also an actor. Cho died on 7 December 2016.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: He has two children Sriram Ramaswamy and Sindhuja. He did his schooling from P. S. High School. His niece is actress Ramya Krishnan. The name 'Cho' was the name of the character he played in a Tamil play written by Bhageerathan titled "Thenmozhiyaal".


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho made his debut in 1963 with "Paar Magale Paar" as a comedian. From 1963 to 2005 he acted in 180 Tamil films and directed 5 films. He also wrote and directed 20 plays.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: He also wrote and acted in 27 Television serials. He wrote 10 books. Apart from being an actor, he was both the screenplay and story writer of films such as "Thenmazhai", "Ninaivil Nindraval", "Bommalattam", "Aayiram Poi" and "Panam Paththum Seyyum", all of which proved to be box office hits.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho played the role of a bike mechanic in the play "Petralthan Pillaiya", written by Pattu of the United Amateur Artistes (UAA), which became a huge success. When the play was later adapted into a film by director A. Bhimsingh, Sivaji Ganesan persuaded Cho to play the same role in the film too, leading to Cho's entry into the film world. Cho and Jayalalithaa have worked together in 19 films and also had been part of the same drama troupe.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho as an actor has been pitted against other actors across generations. His comic timing against T. S. Balaiah in "Manam Oru Kurangu", or with M. R. Radha, or many times with actors like V. K. Ramaswamy, Nagesh, Manorama and Sachu in many films brought out the best in him.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho and Manorama were paired together in 20 films, which included "Malligaip poo, Annaiyum pithavum, Dharisanam, Anbait thedi, Ninaivil Nindraval, Nirai Kudam, Therottam, Aayiram Poi, Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, Bommalattam, Pugundha Veedu, Vilayaattu Pillai, Kanavan, Rojavin Raja" and "Velum Mayilum Thunai" and were pitted in a non-couple role in "Suryagandhi", "Delhi Mappilai" and "Naadagame Ulagam".


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho acted alongside Nagesh in "Thenmazhai", "Ninaivil Nindraval", "Ulagam Ivvalavudhaan" and "Bommalattam" among others. He was paired opposite Sachu in films like "Deva Sankalpam", "Galaataa Kalyanam" and "Delhi Mappilai".


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho has acted with the MGR–Jayalalitha combo in films like "Oli Villaku, Kanavan, Kumarikottam, Mattukara Velan, Aadimai Penn, Engal Thangam, Thedi Vantha Mapillai, En Annan" and "Neerum Nerupum". Cho has acted with MGR in many films like "Petralthaan Pillaiya, Sangey Muzhangu, Rickshawkaaran" and "Thalaivan". Cho has acted with Jayalalitha in other films like "Bommalaattam, Galaattaak kalyanam, Suryagandhi, Vandhaale Maharaasi" and "Anbai Thedi".


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho has acted with Sivakumar in films like "Shanmugapriya, Onne Onnu Kanne Kannu, Thaip Paasam, Uravu Solla Oruvan, Aan Pillai Singam, Yaarukkum Vetkamillai, Chinna Kuyil Padudhu, Sattai Illatha Pambaram" and "Kanna Thorakiran Samy". Among these, "Yaarukkum Vetkamillai" was directed by Cho in 1976.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Politicians such as J. B. Kripalani, Indira Gandhi, Karunanidhi, Chandra Shekhar, G. K. Moopanar, M. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Ramakrishna Hegde, N. T. Rama Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and L. K. Advani, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram were targets of his editorial attacks. In his last years, he predicted that Narendra Modi would "win laurels for India" in the future, and also praised Jayalalithaa for her administration of Tamil Nadu.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho enjoyed challenging MG Ramachandran (MGR) and his politics, while Karunanidhi stayed his target. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), in his opinion, was populist and lacked ideology. When Jayalalithaa got into power and followed in MGR's path, however, the absence of ideology of the party was no longer an issue for him.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: On 25 January 2017, the Government of India announced a posthumous Padma Bhushan award for his contribution towards Literature & Education – Journalism.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho was publicly opposed to Sri Lankan Tamil militants, particularly the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), at a time when Sri lanka's ethnic crisis was at its peak and almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu highlighted the issue of the Sri Lankan Tamils.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: The rise of the BJP and Hindutva forces made Cho as their sympathiser. He started involving in direct politics as mediator. In 1999, he was instrumental in bringing the DMK together in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was successful in bringing G.K. Moopanar (Tamil Manila Congress) and Karunanidhi together in the 1996 elections, and getting Rajnikanth to publicly support the alliance to defeat Jayalalithaa. Post 2004, he became soft towards Jayalalithaa and spent all his energy in opposing the DMK and promoting the Bharatiya Janata Party Later on, in 2011 he convinced DMDK Vijayakanth to partner with the AIADMK. Cho was an ardent supporter of Narendra Modi. Cho had campaigned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during 2014 Indian general election. Modi described Ramaswamy as "Rajguru", and called himself his "fan".


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India, K. R. Narayanan. In the Rajya Sabha 12 MPs are nominated by the President of India from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in the fields of literature, science, art or social service. He served as a Rajya Sabha MP from November 1999 to November 2005.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Following Sanjay Gandhi's death in an air crash, Cho released stamps in memory of Capt. Subhash Saxena, the pilot of the aircraft, who also died in the air crash. The postal departments failed to realise that these stamps were not official and mistakenly delivered mail that had them affixed.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: Cho was hospitalized in January 2015 and was in and out of hospital due to illness. He died of a cardiac arrest at 3:58 AM on 7 December 2016, aged 82, at Apollo Hospital in Chennai, where he was receiving treatment for respiratory problems. He was survived by his wife, Soundaramba Ramaswamy, son Rajivakshan alias Sriram, and daughter Sindhu.


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: His death happened a day after Jayalalithaa had died. Rajinikanth disclosed later that Jayalalithaa had always wished that Cho should live as long as she lived. He quoted: "As it turns out, he was alive till then and even few hours after that."


title: Cho Ramaswamy

text: K. Veeramani, leader of the Dravidar Kazhagam and a self-confessed atheist, in his tributes to Cho, said he was a unique journalist with independent views.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Ali Bongo Ondimba (born Alain Bernard Bongo; 9 February 1959), sometimes known as Ali Bongo, is a Gabonese politician who has been the third president of Gabon since October 2009.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Ali Bongo is the son of Omar Bongo, who was President of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009. During his father's presidency, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1991, represented Bongoville as a Deputy in the National Assembly from 1991 to 1999, and was Minister of Defense from 1999 to 2009. After his father's death, he won the 2009 Gabonese presidential election. He was reelected in 2016, in elections marred by numerous irregularities, arrests, human rights violations and post-election protests and violence. Bongo is also president of the Gabonese Democratic Party.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Ali Bongo was born Alain Bernard Bongo in Brazzaville, as the son of Albert-Bernard Bongo (later Omar Bongo Ondimba) and Josephine Kama (later Patience Dabany). His mother was 18 years old at the time of his birth. He was conceived 18 months before Albert-Bernard's marriage and there have been rumors of him being Bongo's adopted son, a claim that he dismisses.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Bongo was educated at a private school in Neuilly, France, and then studied law at the Sorbonne. In 2018, he received an honorary doctorate of law degree from Wuhan University in China. In 1977, he released a funk album, A Brand New Man, produced by Charles Bobbit.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: After graduating from his law course, he entered politics, joining the Gabonese Democratic Party (, abbreviated PDG) in 1981; he was elected to the PDG Central Committee at the party's Third Extraordinary Congress in March 1983. Subsequently, he was his father's Personal Representative to the PDG and in that capacity he entered the PDG Political Bureau in 1984. He was then elected to the Political Bureau at an ordinary party congress in September 1986.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Bongo held the post of High Personal Representative of the President of the Republic from 1987 to 1989. In 1989, his father appointed him to the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, replacing Martin Bongo. He was considered a reformist within the ruling PDG in the early 1990s. In the 1990 parliamentary election (the first election after the introduction of multiparty politics), he was elected to the National Assembly as a PDG candidate in Haut-Ogooué Province. After two years as Foreign Minister, a 1991 constitutional amendment setting a minimum age of 35 for ministers resulted in his departure from the government.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Following his departure from the government, Bongo took up his seat as a Deputy in the National Assembly in 1991. In February 1992, he organized a visit by American pop singer Michael Jackson to Gabon.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Bongo became President of the Higher Council of Islamic Affairs of Gabon ("Conseil supérieur des affaires islamiques du Gabon", CSAIG) in 1996. Prior to the December 1996 parliamentary election, a supporter of Defense Minister Idriss Ngari challenged Bongo for the PDG nomination to his parliamentary seat, but Bongo was successful in winning the nomination and retaining the seat. In surviving that challenge, he benefited from the assistance of his maternal uncle Jean-Boniface Assélé, one of his key political allies. After over seven years as a Deputy, Bongo was appointed to the government as Minister of National Defense on 25 January 1999.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: In the December 2001 parliamentary election, Bongo was elected to the National Assembly as a PDG candidate in Haut-Ogooué Province. At the PDG's Eighth Ordinary Congress in July 2003, he was elected as a vice-president of the PDG. During the 2005 presidential election, he worked on his father's re-election campaign as Coordinator-General of Youth. Following that election, he was promoted to the rank of Minister of State on 21 January 2006, while retaining the defense portfolio.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Bongo was re-elected to the National Assembly in the December 2006 parliamentary election as a PDG candidate in Haut-Ogooué Province. He retained his post as Minister of State for National Defense after that election, although he was subsequently reduced to the rank of ordinary Minister on 28 December 2007. At the PDG's Ninth Ordinary Congress in September 2008, he was re-elected as a vice-president of the PDG.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Omar Bongo died at a Spanish hospital on 8 June 2009. Ali Bongo appeared on television that night to call "for calm and serenity of heart and reverence to preserve the unity and peace so dear to our late father".


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Having been appointed to key positions by his father, it was widely considered likely that he would emerge as his father's successor following the latter's death in June 2009. Some press reports predicted a power struggle, however, suggesting that a "fierce rivalry" existed between Bongo and his sister Pascaline, who was Director of the Presidential Cabinet. The degree of support for Ali Bongo within the PDG leadership was also questioned in the press, and it was argued that many Gabonese "see him as a spoilt child, born in Congo-Brazzaville, brought up in France, hardly able to speak indigenous languages and with the appearance of a hip hop star".


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Bongo was one of ten candidates who submitted applications to become the PDG's candidate in the early presidential election, scheduled for 30 August 2009. PDG Deputy Secretary-General Angel Ondo announced on 16 July that the party leadership had chosen Bongo by consensus as the PDG candidate, although this decision still needed to be formally confirmed at a party congress. An extraordinary PDG congress accordingly designated Bongo as the party's candidate on 19 July. On that occasion, he thanked delegates for their choice, saying he was "aware of the legitimate concerns" of the people; he vowed to battle corruption and "redistribute the proceeds of economic growth" as president.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Despite standing as a presidential candidate, Bongo was retained as Minister of Defense in the government appointed on 22 July 2009. Rogombé urged calm and called for the candidates to be "worthy" of the votes they would receive. The opposition strongly protested Bongo's continued inclusion in the government. After Interim President Rose Francine Rogombé said that Bongo would be replaced so that all candidates would be on an equal footing for the election, Interior Minister Jean-François Ndongou was appointed to take over from Bongo as Minister of Defense in an interim capacity when the election campaign officially began on 15 August 2009.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: A few days after the election on 30 August 2009, it was announced that he had won the election with 42% of the vote, and that result was promptly confirmed by the Constitutional Court. The opposition rejected the official results, and riots broke out in Gabon's second largest city, Port-Gentil. In response to allegations of fraud, the Constitutional Court conducted a recount before again declaring Bongo the winner with 41.79% of the vote on 12 October 2009; he was then sworn in as president on 16 October. Various African presidents were present for the ceremony. Bongo expressed a commitment to justice and the fight against corruption at the ceremony and said that fast action was needed to "give back confidence and promote the emergence of new hope". He also alluded to his father's governing philosophy of preserving stability through regional, tribal, and political balance in the allocation of power, while also stressing that "excellence, competence and work" were even more important than "geographical and political considerations". Later in the day, he announced the reappointment of Paul Biyoghe Mba as Prime Minister; he made the announcement personally "to underline the importance of this moment". According to Bongo, Biyoghe Mba had the necessary experience and managerial competence "to lead us through the next stage", and he said work would start "immediately".


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: The composition of Biyoghe Mba's new government was announced on 17 October; it was reduced to only 30 ministers, thereby fulfilling Bongo's campaign promise to reduce the size of the government and thereby reduce expenses. The government was also mostly composed of new faces, including many technocrats, although a few key ministers, such as Paul Toungui (Foreign Minister), Jean-François Ndongou (Interior Minister), and Laure Olga Gondjout (Communications Minister), retained their posts.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: In 2012, clashes between the supporters of opposition figure André Mba Obame and police occurred in Libreville.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: On 17 August 2015, Bongo announced that he planned to donate everything he inherited from his father to the young people of Gabon, in the form of "a foundation for the youth and education". Explaining his decision, he said that "we are all heirs of Omar Bongo Ondimba" and that "no Gabonese must be left by the side of the road".


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Gabon's economy continues to be based on a rent strategy, being entirely devoted to the production and export of natural resources. Many difficulties persist in addition: unemployment rate around 30% of the active population in 2016, expeditious arrests during student or union demonstrations (numerous since January 2016), deterioration of access to health care (a deposit of 300,000 CFA francs is now required to enter the hospital), deficiency of public services, recurrent electricity cuts. More than half of the population is below the poverty line.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: On 24 October 2018, Bongo was hospitalized in Riyadh for an undisclosed illness. On 29 November 2018 Bongo was transferred to a military hospital in Rabat to continue recovery. On 9 December 2018 it was reported by Gabon's Vice President Moussavou that Bongo suffered a stroke in Riyadh and has since left the hospital in Rabat and is currently recovering at a private residence in Rabat. From 24 October 2018 to 1 January 2019, Bongo was not seen in public leading to rampant speculation about the possibility that he may have died or otherwise become incapacitated. On 1 January 2019, Bongo gave his first public address via a video posted to social media since falling ill in October 2018 quashing rumors of his death. Despite this, many anti-Bongo activists living abroad questioned the legitimacy of the video with some claiming that the man giving the address was not Bongo, but a body double. In August 2019, Bongo made his first public appearance since his stroke.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: On 7 January 2019, soldiers in Gabon launched a coup d’etat attempt. The coup attempt failed, and the government successfully re-asserted control. The coup may not have actually happened though, as has been reported by critics of the dictatorship, and could have been used as a tactic by the government to gain support.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: As a result of Bongo's medically induced absence from politics, Gabon has witnessed the proliferation of official corruption targeting foreign-owned businesses.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: In early January 2020, the Senate and National Assembly passed a constitutional reform that would allow the president to appoint one-third of senators in place of elections, among other changes.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: Ali Bongo married his first wife, the French-born Sylvia Valentin, in 1989; she is the daughter of Édouard Valentin, CEO of the Omnium gabonais d'assurances et de réassurances (OGAR) insurance company. Édouard Valentin's wife Evelyne works in the secretariat of the presidency, and Édouard is "Chargé des affaires sociales" at the Gabonese Employers Confederation (Confédération patronale gabonaise, CPG). In 1994 Ali Bongo married his second wife, American , from Los Angeles, California; at the time of Ali Bongo's election as president, Inge Bongo was living on food stamps in California, and she later filed for divorce in 2015.


title: Ali Bongo Ondimba

text: He has four children—one daughter, Malika Bongo Ondimba, and three sons, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, Jalil Bongo Ondimba and Bilal Bongo—whom he and Sylvia adopted in 2002.


title: Jeff Okudah

text: Jeffrey Chidera Okudah (born February 2, 1999) is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2019 before being selected by the Lions third overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.


title: Jeff Okudah

text: Okudah attended South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas. A five-star recruit, he committed to Ohio State University in January 2017.


title: Jeff Okudah

text: As a true freshman at Ohio State in 2017, Okudah played in all 14 games and had 17 tackles. As a sophomore in 2018, he played in 13 games, recording 32 tackles. As a junior in 2019, he recorded his first career interception against the Miami Redhawks. As a junior in 2019, Okudah had 34 tackles, 9 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions. For his performance that season, he was unanimously named to the 2019 College Football All-America Team and was also named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Okudah decided to forgo his senior year by declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.


title: Jeff Okudah

text: Okudah was considered to be the best cornerback prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, where he was selected third overall by the Detroit Lions. He signed his four-year rookie contract with the team on July 13, 2020. The contract is worth a fully guaranteed $33.528 million, including a $21.944 million signing bonus. He suffered a hamstring injury during training camp and missed the opening season game. He returned in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, where he allowed six completions for 96 yards. The following week he recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Okudah was placed on injured reserve after he underwent surgery to resolve a core muscle injury on December 15, 2020.


title: Jeff Okudah

text: During the Lions' 2021 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Okudah ruptured his Achilles tendon and was placed on injured reserve.


title: Hag

text: A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as "Hansel and Gretel". Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as The Morrígan or , who are seen as neither wholly benevolent nor malevolent.


title: Hag

text: The term appears in Middle English, and was a shortening of , an Old English term for 'witch'; similarly the Dutch and German are also shortenings, of the Middle Dutch and Old High German , respectively. All of these words are derived from the which is of unknown origin; the first element may be related to the word "hedge".


title: Hag

text: As a stock character in fairy or folk tale, the hag shares characteristics with the crone, and the two words are sometimes used as if interchangeable.


title: Hag

text: Using the word "hag" to translate terms found in non-English (or non-modern English) is contentious, since use of the word is sometimes associated with misogyny.


title: Hag

text: A hag, or "the Old Hag", was a nightmare spirit in English and anglophone North American folklore. This variety of hag is essentially identical to the Old English "mæra"—a being with roots in ancient Germanic superstition, and closely related to the Scandinavian "mara". According to folklore, the Old Hag sat on a sleeper's chest and sent nightmares to him or her. When the subject awoke, he or she would be unable to breathe or even move for a short period of time. In the Swedish film "Marianne" (2011), the main character suffers from such nightmares. This state is now called sleep paralysis, but in the old belief, the subject was considered "hagridden". It is still frequently discussed as if it were a paranormal state.


title: Hag

text: Many stories about hags seem to have been used to frighten children into being good. In Northern England, for example, Peg Powler was a river hag who lived in the River Tees and had skin the colour of green pond scum. Parents who wanted to keep their children away from the river's edge told them that if they got too close to the water, she would pull them in with her long arms, drown them, and sometimes eat them. This type of nixie or neck has other regional names, such as Grindylow (a name connected to Grendel), Jenny Greenteeth from Yorkshire, and Nelly Longarms from several English counties.


title: Hag

text: Many tales about hags do not describe them well enough to distinguish between an old woman who knows magic, or a witch or supernatural being.


title: Hag

text: In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga was a hag who lived in the woods in a house on chickens legs. She would often ride through the forest on a mortar, sweeping away her tracks with a broom. Though she is usually a single being, in some folktales three Baba Yagas are depicted as helping the hero in his quest, either by giving advice or by giving gifts.


title: Hag

text: In Irish and Scottish mythology, the cailleach is a hag goddess concerned with creation, harvest, the weather, and sovereignty. In partnership with the goddess Bríd, she is a seasonal goddess, seen as ruling the winter months while Bríd rules the summer. In Scotland, a group of hags, known as "The Cailleachan" (The Storm Hags) are seen as personifications of the elemental powers of nature, especially in a destructive aspect. They are said to be particularly active in raising the windstorms of spring, during the period known as "A Chailleach".


title: Hag

text: Hags as sovereignty figures abound in Irish mythology. The most common pattern is that the hag represents the barren land, who the hero of the tale must approach without fear, and come to love on her own terms. When the hero displays this courage, love, and acceptance of her hideous side, the sovereignty hag then reveals that she is also a young and beautiful goddess.


title: Hag

text: In mediaeval and later literature, the term "hag", and its relatives in European languages, came to stand for an unattractive, older woman. Building on the mediaeval tradition of such women as portrayed in comic and burlesque literature, specifically in the Italian Renaissance, the hag represented the opposite of the lovely lady familiar from the poetry of Petrarch.


title: Hag

text: The hag as a fantastic creature has also been used in some fantasy novels, such as the contemporary "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. Hags are depicted as a species of ugly, child-eating women with numerous warts.


title: Hag

text: In "The Heroes or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children", Charles Kingsley characterized Scylla as "Scylla the sea hag".


title: Hag

text: The term Sea Hag was later popularized in the 20th-century United States as the name for a Popeye comic strip character.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha, also known as the red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), is a type of piranha native to South America, found in the Amazon, Paraguay, Paraná and Essequibo basins, as well as coastal rivers of northeastern Brazil. This fish is locally abundant in its freshwater habitat. They are omnivorous foragers and feed on insects, worms, crustaceans, and fish. They are not a migratory species but do travel to seek out conditions conducive to breeding and spawning during periods of increased rainfall. Red-bellied piranhas often travel in shoals as a predatory defense but rarely exhibit group hunting behavior. Acoustic communication is common and is sometimes exhibited along with aggressive behaviors. They are a popular aquarium fish.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha belongs to the family Serrasalmidae, which is a group of medium to large-sized characids and includes other closely related omnivores such as pacus. They are characterized by deep, lateral compressed bodies and long dorsal fins. Within the family, red-bellied piranhas are classified in the genus "Pygocentrus", which is distinguished by the unusual dentition and differing head width dimensions. The red-bellied piranha is often thought of as highly carnivorous, while most other fish that are not piranhas in the family are primarily herbivorous. However, the red-bellied piranha is actually omnivorous.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha is distributed widely throughout the South American continent and is found in the Neotropical rivers of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They live in the warm freshwater drainages of several major rivers including the Amazon, Paraguay, Paraná, and Essequibo, as well as numerous smaller systems.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: They can live in waters that are between but are able to survive temperatures as low as for a period. They are mainly found in whitewater, but have also been recorded in blackwater and clearwater. The red-bellied piranha live in major rivers, streams, lakes (such as oxbows and artificial lakes formed by dams), floodplains, and flooded forests. They were introduced to China, probably by the aquarium trade. First detected in 1990 they have since become invasive in the country.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha has a popular reputation as a ferocious predator, despite being primarily a scavenger. As their name suggests, red-bellied piranhas have a reddish tinge to the belly when fully grown, although juveniles are a silver color with darker spots. The species can reach up to in weight and in standard length but rarely surpass . The rest of the body is often grey with silver-flecked scales. Sometimes, blackish spots appear behind the gills and the anal fin is usually black at the base. The pectoral and pelvic fins may vary from red to orange. Females can be distinguished from males by the slightly deeper red color of their bellies.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha is typically found in white water rivers, such as the Amazon River Basin, and in some streams and lakes. Sometimes, they may inhabit flooded forests such as those found in the Brazilian Amazon. They live in shoals but do not group hunt, although they may occasionally enter into feeding frenzies. In the case of a feeding frenzy, schools of piranha will converge on one large prey individual and eat it within minutes. These attacks are usually extremely rare and are due to provocation or starvation. Breeding occurs over a two-month period during the rainy season, but that can vary by area. Females will lay around 5,000 eggs on newly submerged vegetation in nests that are built by the males.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: A significant amount of lore regarding the ferocity of the red-belied piranha can be traced to President Theodore Roosevelt following the completion of the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition. The former president returned with dramatic stories of an entire cow being stripped to the bones within a matter of a few minutes. This event was later found to be staged by local guides, eager to provide Roosevelt with a spectacle worthy of the journey. It later surfaced the fish had been corralled and starved for over a week, into a section of the river, into which the unfortunate cow was driven for the event. There is nothing to suggest Roosevelt was ever aware of this fact.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: "Pygocentrus nattereri" encompasses a larger geographic area than any other piranha species, covering much of the Neotropical region. When red-bellied piranhas are introduced to other parts of the American continent, there are usually negative consequences for the local fish fauna, partially due to its generally aggressive behavior. This aggressive behavior is sometimes marked by the acoustic sounds they produce.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The red-bellied piranha is not a migratory species but does search for conditions conducive to reproduction during seasons of increased rainfall. Red-bellied piranhas are omnivores and primarily foragers. They feed on insects, fish, plants, and organic debris.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The typical diet of red-bellied piranhas includes insects, worms, snails, crustaceans, and fish. In packs up to hundreds, piranhas have been known to feed on animals as large as egrets or capybara. Despite the piranha's reputation as a dangerous carnivore, it is actually primarily a scavenger and forager, and will mainly eat plants and insects during the rainy season when food is abundant. They also tend to only feed on weak, injured, dying, or dead animals in the wild. Red-bellied piranhas do not stay in groups in order to pack-hunt for larger animals, but instead group for protection against predators.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: Foraging methods vary throughout the different stages of a piranha's life. Smaller fish will search for food during the day, while larger fish will forage at dawn, in the late afternoon, and in the early evening. Throughout the day, the fish lurk in dark areas and ambush their prey. The piranha may also catch prey by hunting and chasing, where it will lie hidden in the vegetation until its prey swims by. The piranha will then capture its prey. When scavenging, the piranha will eat a wide variety of food, ranging from pieces of debris, insects, snails, fish fins, scales, and plants.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: The breeding habits of piranhas in nature are mostly unknown, with most spawning research being done in aquariums. Piranhas are usually able to breed by the time they are one year old. Female piranhas will lay several thousand eggs near water plants, onto which the eggs stick. The males then fertilize the eggs. After just two to three days the eggs will hatch, and the juvenile piranhas will hide in the plants until they are large enough to defend themselves, at which point hiding from predators becomes lurking for prey.


title: Red-bellied piranha

text: Research on red-bellied piranha breeding behavior in nature has revealed certain behavioral patterns around nesting sites. Adult piranhas will swim side-by-side in small circles, sometimes with two individuals swimming in opposite directions while keeping their ventral surfaces close to one another. Although this may appear to be a courtship display, a closer look reveals that the adults are actually defending nesting sites. The nests are about deep, and are dug among water grasses, with the eggs attached to the grasses and plant stems.