title: Norwegian Americans

text: In sports, Knute Rockne became one of the greatest coaches in college football history, while Babe Zaharias was named by the Guinness Book of Records as the most versatile female athlete of all time. Zaharias achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball and track and field athletics. Additionally, Stein Eriksen won the gold medal in the Giant Slalom event at the 1952 Winter Olympics, which were held in Oslo, Norway. He also won a silver medal in the slalom race. Eriksen was the first skier from outside the Alps to win an Olympic men's alpine gold medal. He also won three gold medals at the 1954 World Championships in Åre, Sweden, and a bronze medal at the 1950 World Championships in Aspen, Colorado. Shortly after his success in the 1952 Olympics, Eriksen moved to America where he continues to live. He worked as a ski-instructor and ski school-director at various ski schools such as Sugarbush in Vermont, and Aspen in Colorado. He is currently director of skiing at the Deer Valley Resort in Utah, and also serves as host of the Stein Eriksen Lodge, a ski lodge in Deer Valley, Utah.


title: Norwegian Americans

text: In medicine, Owen Harding Wangensteen was a surgeon and inventor known for surgical teaching and innovation at the University of Minnesota. He developed the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine. Earl Bakken developed the first wearable transistorized pacemaker and founded the Fortune 500 medical technology company Medtronic as well as the Bakken Museum. John H. Lawrence, is known as the father of nuclear medicine. As many historians claim, the genesis of this medical specialty in the United States took place in 1936, when John Lawrence took a leave of absence from his faculty position at Yale Medical School, to visit his brother Ernest Lawrence at his new radiation laboratory (now known as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) in Berkeley, California.


title: Norwegian Americans

text: In humanitarian work, Greg Mortenson, born in Minnesota, whose ancestors came from Tromsø in 1876, has worked since 1993 to build over 150 schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is the author of best-seller "Three Cups of Tea", which has sold over 4 million copies in 49 countries, including Norway.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Tarik Cohen (born July 26, 1995) is an American football running back who is a free agent. Cohen played the same position for North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University before being selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen attended Bunn High School in his hometown of Bunn, North Carolina, excelling at football and track & field for the Wildcats athletic teams. As a senior, he helped lead the Wildcats to a 9–3 record and a third-round finish in the 2011 NCHSAA 2A playoffs. In his two years on the varsity team, he rushed for a total 808 yards, including 252 earned in a single game. He earned team MVP and all-conference honors in football and state championships in Track as he was part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 2A state champion 4×100 meter relay team.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen's size was a point of concern to many schools interested in recruiting him for football. As a result, North Carolina A&T was the only Division I school to offer Cohen a football scholarship, which he accepted.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: As a freshman, starting in six of the 11 games played in the 2013 season, Cohen was positioned as a part of a group of freshmen players poised to take over the Aggie program after senior running backs Ricky Lewis and Dominique Drake graduated. Since Lewis would, however, get injured, and Drake was sidelined with a concussion, Cohen was able to prove his value in the October 12 game against Hampton. In that game, Cohen carried the ball 22 times for 180 yards and a touchdown. Cohen followed up his performance two weeks later with 32 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns against Florida A&M. Cohen completed his freshman season leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with 1,148 rushing yards and the conference's rookie of the year honors. Cohen's performance made him the first A&T freshman to break the 1,000 yard mark and only the third freshman in MEAC history to do so.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen began his sophomore season with three consecutive 100+ rushing yard games, rushing for 161 yards in the season opener against Alabama A&M, 133 yards against Coastal Carolina, and a career-best 234 yards against Elon. Cohen also posted 236 all-purpose yards (155 rushing and 81 receiving), in the October 9 game against Hampton and closed the season with 203 yards against arch rival North Carolina Central. Cohen finished the 2014 season with 1,340 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, both being the second-highest single-season totals in A&T history. Cohen also earned MEAC co-offensive player of the year, along with All-American recognition from SBN, BoxtoRow, and Stats FCS.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: In the summer before the 2015 season, a YouTube video of Cohen completing catches while simultaneously doing backflips became popular across multiple social media platforms and led to an appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter" where he demonstrated the catches on live television. Cohen's 2015 season was highlighted by a number of record-setting performances including a career-best 295 yards, and offensive MVP recognition, at the 2015 Celebration Bowl. Cohen's other accomplishments from the season include: multiple single-season school records with 1,543 total rushing yards, 264 carries and 15 touchdowns, equaling the record he set the season before. Cohen also earned MEAC Offensive Player of the year for the second consecutive year, along with all-American recognition from "College Sporting News", Sheridan Broadcasting Network, BoxtoRow, and Stats FCS. Cohen was also the SBN Offensive Player of the Year.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen began his final collegiate season by breaking a number of school records. In the 2016 season opener against Division II St. Augustine's, Cohen's two touchdowns put him over the record for receiving and rushing touchdowns at 42. In the September 29, 2016, game against Division I FBS Kent State, Cohen would continue breaking records as his 256-yard and three-touchdown performance broke both Stoney Polite's 41 career rushing touchdown record and James White's 25-year record for longest run from scrimmage at 89 yards. In the October 15, 2016, game against Bethune-Cookman, Cohen became the first player in school history to rush for at least 200 yards in three consecutive games. Cohen's A&T career would end with him becoming the MEAC's all-time leading rusher with 5,619 yards. Cohen's performance also made him the first player in school history to pass the 5,000 career rushing yard mark. Cohen ended his final season as the first player in MEAC history to be named conference offensive player of the year for 3 consecutive seasons. His performance would also make him the MEAC's all-time leading rusher, and the first player in school history to break the 5,000-yard mark. On the national level, Cohen was placed on the watch lists for national awards such as the Deacon Jones Trophy, which he won, and the Walter Payton Award, where he ultimately finished fifth in the voting. Cohen also earned All-American recognition from several national organizations and media outlets including: the NCAA, STATS FCS and BoxToRow. He was also named to the 2016 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-American team and he was named a second-team AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-American selection. In addition to setting new School and Conference rushing yardage records, Cohen further cemented his legacy by breaking the single-season touchdown record with 19 and tying the school record for the single-season rushing touchdowns record with 18. He also holds other school records including rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and total points at 56, 59, and 339 respectively. Cohen closed his college career by playing in the 2017 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: According to Alex Marvez of the "Sporting News", Cohen had been in talks with, and also worked out for, a number of teams going into the 2017 NFL Draft including the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers. Cohen's size and abilities drew many comparisons to Darren Sproles, and he was projected to be a sixth round pick in the upcoming draft. Cohen was among the 330 NFL hopefuls invited to participate in the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. At a height of , he was the smallest running back in attendance, where he ran the third fastest dash time among the running backs at 4.42 seconds.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round, 119th overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the tenth running back to be selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. In addition, he was the first player from North Carolina A&T to be selected since offensive lineman Junius Coston was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was one of three non-FBS players taken by the Bears in the draft, the first time since 2002 that the team took three non-FBS players in a single draft.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: In the 2017 season, Cohen shared the backfield with Jordan Howard. On September 10, 2017, in his NFL debut, Cohen finished the game with five carries for 66 yards and eight receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown in a 23–17 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field. In Week 3, a 23–17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 12 carries for 78 yards and four receptions for 24 yards. On October 15, against the Baltimore Ravens, Cohen threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller, making him the shortest player to throw a touchdown since Wee Willie Smith, who also stood at when he threw a touchdown in 1934. Cohen recorded the first rushing touchdown of his career against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome during Week 8. On December 3, Cohen returned a punt against the San Francisco 49ers for a 61-yard touchdown in the 15–14 loss in Week 13. He was the second rookie since Gale Sayers in 1965 to record a rushing, passing, receiving, and punt return touchdown. Overall, in his rookie season, Cohen finished with 370 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 358 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, and one passing touchdown.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen continued to share the backfield with Howard going into the 2018 season. In Week 4 of the 2018 season, Cohen recorded seven receptions for a career-high 121 receiving yards in the 48–10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On October 14, 2018, Cohen rushed in a 21-yard touchdown and had seven receptions for 90 yards against the Miami Dolphins. In Week 8 against the New York Jets, Cohen rushed five times for 40 yards and had one catch for 70 yards and a touchdown in the 24–10 victory.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: In Week 13 against the New York Giants, Cohen rushed for 30 yards and had 12 catches for 156 yards. On the final play of regulation, with the Bears down by seven points, Cohen was involved in a trick play to tie the game: at the Giants' one-yard line, quarterback Chase Daniel handed off to tight end Trey Burton, who lateraled the ball to Cohen. Noticing Daniel was covered, Cohen threw a pass to Anthony Miller for the touchdown. The Bears eventually lost 30–27 in overtime, but Cohen became the first player ever with at least 30 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards, and a passing touchdown in a game; his 156 receiving yards were the most by a Bears running back since at least 1960.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen finished the season with 444 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go along with 71 catches for 725 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, along with a league-leading 411 punt return yards. He was later named to the 2019 Pro Bowl roster and first-team All-Pro as a return specialist. Fellow teammates Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, and Kyle Fuller were also named first-team All-Pro. He received an overall grade of 71.6 from Pro Football Focus in 2018, which ranked as the 32nd highest grade among all qualifying running backs. The Bears won the NFC North and earned the #3-seed for the NFC Playoffs. In the , against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cohen had three receptions for 27 yards in his playoff debut, a 16–15 loss.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: In Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, Cohen rushed five times for 11 yards and caught two passes for seven yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season in the 16–6 win. Overall, Cohen finished the 2019 season with 64 carries for 213 rushing yards to go along with 79 receptions for 456 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: On September 20, 2020, Cohen signed a three-year, $17.25 million contract extension with the Bears. In Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, Cohen was tackled on a punt return and suffered tears to his ACL and MCL, as well as a tibial plateau fracture. He was placed on injured reserve two days after the game.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: Cohen was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform to start the season. He missed the entire 2021 season while recovering from the ACL injury he sustained the previous season.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: On May 17, Cohen suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a training session which was being livestreamed from his Instagram account.


title: Tarik Cohen

text: On May 9, 2021, Cohen's twin brother Tyrell was found dead at a Duke Power substation in Raleigh, North Carolina. His younger brother Dante died in a car accident in April 2022.


title: Mama Juana

text: Mama Juana (or Mamajuana) is a spiced alcoholic beverage made by infusing a mixture of rum, red wine, and honey with tree bark and herbs. The taste is similar to port wine and the color is a deep red. It originates in the Dominican Republic.


title: Mama Juana

text: The specific herbs that make up Mamajuana were originally prepared as an herbal tea by the native Taíno; post-Columbus, alcohol was added to the recipe.


title: Mama Juana

text: The term "Mama Juana" has the same French origins as the English word demijohn, which refers to a large squat bottle with a short narrow neck, usually covered in wicker. It is thought to be derived from the French "Dame Jeanne" (Lady Jane), a term still used to describe this type of bottle. In the Spanish-speaking countries, Dame Jeanne was transformed into "damajuana", or "Dama Juana" and later, in the Dominican Republic, into "Mama Juana" (mother Jane). There are many different variations of recipes to make Mamajuana, since the name refers to the container or bottle originally used to prepare and store the maceration, rather than to the finished product itself.


title: Mama Juana

text: Mama Juana juices is considered one of the first distilled spirits in the Americas, even before rum, considering that early Spanish explorers mixed European alcohol with the Taínos' herbal tea; this combination created the first Mama Juana.


title: Mama Juana

text: During the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, the sale of Mama Juana was prohibited, except by those with a medical license.


title: Mama Juana

text: Mama Juana was popularized as a local herbal medicine and aphrodisiac in the 1950s by Jesus Rodriguez, a native of San Juan de la Maguana. Rodriguez would commute with others in trucks to Barahona, Azua, Pedernales, and many other provinces in the Dominican Republic to collect the stems needed to create the medicinal drink. He would reportedly use "carne ce carey" (leatherback turtle meat), which was the active ingredient that made the aphrodisiac. Rodriguez eventually would be known under the moniker "Mama Juana" by many of the locals, as well as Tatico Henriquez and other merengue típico artists, such as Trio Reynoso and El Cieguito De Nagua, who were close friends of Rodriguez.


title: Mama Juana

text: Another notable Mama Juana drinker was Porfirio Rubirosa, the famous Dominican playboy, polo player, race-car driver, and secret agent. Rubirosa was famous for his sexual prowess, and was known to be an avid mamajuana drinker, as mentioned in his biography, The Last Playboy.


title: Mama Juana

text: Mama Juana is a mixture of bark and herbs left to soak in rum (most often dark rum but the use of white rum is not uncommon), red wine and honey. The solid ingredients (local leaves, barks, sticks and roots) vary from region to region but usually include some of the following:


title: Mama Juana

text: In addition to the above standard recipe, it is common for individuals to add other ingredients such as cinnamon, raisins, strawberry, molasses, and lemon or lime juice. Some recipes are said to include grated tortoiseshell, or sea turtle penis shaft for aphrodisiac effect. The concoction is usually kept at room temperature and served in a shot glass.


title: Mama Juana

text: The most common way of consuming mamajuana in the Dominican Republic is neat (straight up) or as a room-temperature shot.


title: Mama Juana

text: With the popularization of ready to drink brands, there has been a growing interest for mamajuana amongst mixologists. Many bars, restaurants and other on-premise establishments now offer mamajuana recipes in their beverage programs.


title: Mama Juana

text: In recent years, the consumption of mamajuana has seen a sharp rise, with commercial brands becoming available in the Dominican Republic and internationally. Premium brands, such as Candela and Anteroz and economy brands such as Karibú and Kalembú, can be purchased in duty-free shops, resorts and liquor stores.


title: Mama Juana

text: Besides the Dominican Republic, there has also been an increase in mamajuana consumption in Miami, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Spain, Norway, Germany, Portugal, Chile, Cuba and Perú. With the introduction of commercial brands Mamajuana is becoming known worldwide.


title: DKNY

text: Karan worked for 15 years at Anne Klein, including 10 as its head designer. In 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered the opportunity to start their own business by the owner of Anne Klein, Takihyo LLC.


title: DKNY

text: In 2001 it was purchased by the French conglomerate corporation LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy). In 2015 Donna Karan left as chief designer at Donna Karan International, to focus on her Urban Zen brand and Urban Zen Foundation philanthropy. LVMH sold Donna Karan International, with the 'Donna Karan' and 'DKNY' brands, to the G-III Apparel Group in 2016 for $650 million. G-III, based in New York City, is a manufacturer and distributor of clothing and accessories under their owned brands, licensed brands, and private label brands.


title: DKNY

text: Donna Karan's mainline label "Donna Karan New York", also referred as "Donna Karan Collection", debuted for fall 1985 with the women's collection "Seven Easy Pieces", "where a handful of interchangeable items work together to create an entire wardrobe that goes from day to evening, week day to weekend, season to season". In July 1991 she launched her first menswear collection.


title: DKNY

text: The "New York" part on the label is there to set "the pace, the attitude" of the fashion house's offering.


title: DKNY

text: Inspired by her daughter Gaby, Donna Karan founded DKNY in 1989 as a younger, more affordable diffusion line to run alongside her existing Donna Karan New York label. Many labels and brands have branched off of the original DKNY brand/label including DKNY Jeans, DKNY Active, DKNY Underwear, DKNY Juniors, DKNY Kids, DKNY Pure. DKNY Men, launched in 1992, consists of tailored suits, dress wear, formalwear, casual wear, sportswear, and shoes.


title: DKNY

text: The Donna Karan Beauty collection, which specializes in fragrances, was launched in 1992. In 2001, the Donna Karan Home collection, which includes traditional luxury bedding and accessories, and DKNY Home, which has more contemporary and fashion-forward bedding, were introduced.


title: DKNY

text: Cara Delevingne was the face of DKNY for multiple seasons in the mid 2010s. By 2017, Emily Ratajkowski had become the DKNY face.


title: DKNY

text: Stores opened in London in 1997 and New York City in 1999. The DKNY headquarters is located at 550 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, New York. There are currently seventy Donna Karan collection and DKNY stores globally, including twenty stores in China including Hong Kong and Shanghai, two stores in Canada including Vancouver, B.C. and Montreal, four in Dubai and also two stores in Doha. DKNY has also opened some stores in Denmark.


title: DKNY

text: Since 2005, Donna Karan has offered online shopping of its DKNY and associated lines at the label's web site. Products range from DKNY and DKNY Jeans womenswear, accessories, underwear, shoes, baby clothing, the PURE collection to DKNY menswear. The latter was available up until the spring 2002 season. Since then only the DKNY Jeans label, underwear, eyewear and watches have been offered online for men.


title: DKNY

text: In 2013 DKNY became embroiled in controversy over street photography it admitted it used in one of its stores, without permission, from the New York City street photographer Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York (HONY). After Stanton learned of the use of his photography, he publicly asked DKNY to donate $100,000 to the YMCA to help with summer programs. Amidst strong criticism on social media sites, DKNY apologized and donated $25,000 to the YMCA. Stanton then asked his followers on the HONY Facebook page to make up the difference to reach his initial goal of $100,000, which was reached on March 1, 2013.


title: DKNY

text: In July 2016 French luxury giant LVMH, which has owned Karan's company since 2001, even though she stayed on to run the brands—shelved her flagship line Donna Karan International shortly after she left in June 2015 and said it would "substantially increase its focus" on her DKNY brand, which revolutionized women's fashion in the '80s with Karan's "Seven Easy Pieces" concept of a wardrobe made up of a handful of interchangeable items. Today she is looking to sell off its Donna Karan business, less than a year after the fashion designer stepped down from her namesake brand. LVMH is targeting a "single, specific American buyer" for both the DKNY and Donna Karan International businesses after several "months of disappointing performance" under its new designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osbourne.


title: DKNY

text: Negotiations are reported to be "ongoing, but a price has not yet been agreed," Since then LVMH has successfully sold DKNY to the G-III Apparel Group in 2016 for $650 million.


title: Plectrum

text: A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsichords, the plectra are attached to the jack mechanism.


title: Plectrum

text: A plectrum for electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars and mandolins is typically a thin piece of plastic or other material most commonly shaped like a pointed teardrop or triangle, though the size, gauge, shape and width may vary considerably. Banjo and guitar players may wear a metal or plastic thumb pick mounted on a ring, and bluegrass banjo players often wear metal or plastic fingerpicks on their fingertips. Many guitarists use fingerpicks as well.


title: Plectrum

text: Guitar picks are made of a variety of materials, including celluloid, metal, and rarely other exotic materials such as turtle shell, but today delrin (a synthetic thermoplastic polymer) is the most common. For other instruments in the modern day, most players use plastic plectra but a variety of other materials, including wood and felt (for use with the ukulele) are common. Guitarists in the rock, blues, jazz and bluegrass genres tend to use a plectrum, partly due to the use of steel strings wearing out the player's fingernails quickly, but also because a plectrum provides a more "clear", "focused" and "aggressive" sound. Many guitarists will also use the pick in combination the remaining picking-hand fingers simultaneously, to combine the different advantages of flat-picking and finger picking. This technique is called "hybrid picking", or more colloquially in country & bluegrass genres, as chicken pickin'.


title: Plectrum

text: A plectrum of the guitar type is often called a pick (or a "flatpick" to distinguish it from fingerpicks).


title: Plectrum

text: The plectra for the Japanese biwa and shamisen can be quite large, and those used for the Arabic oud are longer and narrower, replacing the formerly used eagle feather. Plectra used for Chinese instruments such as the sanxian were formerly made of animal horn, though many players today use plastic plectra.


title: Plectrum

text: In a harpsichord, there is a separate plectrum for each string. These plectra are very small, often only about 10 millimeters long, about 1.5 millimeters wide, and half a millimeter thick. The plectrum is gently tapered, being narrowest at the plucking end. The top surface of the plectrum is flat and horizontal and is held in the tongue of the jack; the tongue is pivoted so that the plectrum plucks the string when moving up, but is pushed away when moving down.


title: Plectrum

text: In the historical period of harpsichord construction (up to about 1800) plectra were made of sturdy feather quills, usually from crows or ravens. In Italy, some makers (including Bartolomeo Cristofori) used vulture quills. Other Italian harpsichords employed plectra of leather. In late French harpsichords by the great builder Pascal Taskin, "peau de buffle", a chamois-like material from the hide of the European bison, was used for plectra to produce a delicate pianissimo.


title: Plectrum

text: Modern harpsichords frequently employ plectra made with plastic, specifically the plastic known as acetal. Some plectra are of the homopolymer variety of acetal, sold by DuPont under the name "Delrin", while others are of the copolymer variety, sold by Ticona as "Celcon". Harpsichord technicians and builders generally use the trade names to refer to these materials. In either of its varieties, acetal is far more durable than quill, which cuts down substantially on the time that must be spent in voicing (see below).


title: Plectrum

text: Several contemporary builders and players have reasserted the superiority of bird quill for high-level harpsichords. While the difference in sound between acetal and quill is acknowledged to be small, what difference may exist is held to be to the advantage of quill. In addition, quill plectra tend to fail gradually, giving warning by the diminishing volume, whereas acetal plectra fail suddenly and completely, sometimes in the middle of a performance.


title: Plectrum

text: The plectra of a harpsichord must be cut precisely, in a process called "voicing". A properly voiced plectrum will pluck the string in a way that produces a good musical tone and matches well in loudness with all of the other strings. The underside of the plectrum must be appropriately slanted and entirely smooth, so that the jack will not "hang" (get caught on the string) when, after sounding a note, it is moved back down below the level of the string.


title: Plectrum

text: Normally, voicing is carried out by inserting the plectrum into the jack, then placing the jack on a small wooden voicing block, so that the top of the plectrum sits flush with the block. The plectrum is then cut and thinned on the underside with a small, very sharp knife, such as an X-Acto knife. As the plectrum is progressively trimmed, its jack is replaced in the instrument at intervals to test the result for loudness, tone quality, and the possibility of hanging.


title: Plectrum

text: Voicing is a refined skill, carried out fluently by professional builders, but one that usually must also be learned (at least to some degree) by harpsichord owners.


title: Plectrum

text: First attested in English 15th century, the word "plectrum" comes from Latin "plectrum", itself derived from Greek πλῆκτρον ("plēktron"), "anything to strike with, an instrument for striking the lyre, a spear point".


title: Plectrum

text: "Plectrum" has both a Latin-based plural, "plectra" and a native English plural, "plectrums". "Plectra" is used in formal writing, particularly in discussing the harpsichord as an instrument of classical music, while "plectrums" is more common in ordinary speech.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: Kanawut Traipipattanapong (), born 4 December 1997 in Bangkok, Thailand, nicknamed Gulf (), is a Thai actor and model. He is known for his role as Type in "".


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: Kanawut's acting career began in 2015, when he played as "Young Tee", a guest role, in one of Channel 3's lakorn, "" After taking a hiatus, in late January 2019, he was announced to star as "Type"— one of the main protagonists of One 31 and LINE TV's "TharnType: The Series". The series immediately gained popularity within Thailand as well as internationally.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: In February 2020, it was confirmed that the series would get its continuation, namely as "." Kanawut would still star as the protagonist,"Type", in the series. It later premiered in November 2020 via One 31 and LINE TV.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: From his acting in "" Kanawut won "Rising Star" and "Best Young Actor" at the Kazz Awards 2020. Also he won "Moon of the Yniverse" and "Iconic Star of the Yuniverse" at the Yniverse Award 2020. Kanawut and his co-star Suppasit won "Best Kiss Scene" at the 2020 LINE TV Awards for a scene in "" and "Best Couple" at the Maya Awards 2020.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: In 2021, Kanawut made several appearances in music videos of Thai singers, namely VYRA and Polycat. Later on, he also appeared in "KINGKHOM โคตรพยัคฆ์หยุดแผนล้างโลก", a short film promoting Garena Free Fire Thailand with Kom Chuanchuen, a famous Thai comedian. Regrettably, Kom died due to COVID-19 before it was released.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: Kanawut started his modelling career in 2015 by posing as a model for small Thai-based clothing lines. Kanawut walked his first runway for Wonder Anatomie, as the Thai brand celebrated its tenth anniversary.


title: Kanawut Traipipattanapong

text: Kanawut has appeared on several covers of magazines, including the February issue of "Harper's Bazaar Thailand," as the first boys' love (BL) couple to do so in the history of the magazine. An outpouring of fans trying to read the article caused "Harper's Bazaar Thailand"'s website to crash.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Xian () refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of "xian" has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural occurrence. The Chinese word "xian" is translatable into English as:


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: "Xian" semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and tai chi chuan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as "ṛṣi" who possessed similar traits.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The most famous Chinese compound of "xiān" is "Bāxiān" ( "the Eight Immortals"). Other common words include "xiānrén" ( sennin in Japanese, "immortal person; transcendent", see "Xiānrén Dòng"), "xiānrénzhăng" ( "immortal's palm; cactus"), "xiānnǚ" ( "immortal woman; female celestial; angel"), and "shénxiān" ( "gods and immortals; divine immortal"). Besides humans, "xiān" can also refer to supernatural animals. The mythological "húlijīng" (lit. "fox spirit") "fox fairy; vixen; witch; enchantress" has an alternate name of "húxiān" (lit. "fox immortal").


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The etymology of "xiān" remains uncertain. The circa 200 CE "Shiming", a Chinese dictionary that provided word-pun "etymologies", defines "xiān" () as "to get old and not die," and explains it as someone who "qiān" ( "moves into") the mountains."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Edward H. Schafer defined "xian" as "transcendent, sylph (a being who, through alchemical, gymnastic and other disciplines, has achieved a refined and perhaps immortal body, able to fly like a bird beyond the trammels of the base material world into the realms of aether, and nourish himself on air and dew.)" Schafer noted "xian" was cognate to "xian" "soar up", "qian" "remove", and "xianxian" "a flapping dance movement"; and compared Chinese "yuren" "feathered man; "xian"" with English peri "a fairy or supernatural being in Persian mythology" (Persian pari from "par" "feather; wing").


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Two linguistic hypotheses for the etymology of "xian" involve Arabic and Sino-Tibetan languages. Wu and Davis suggested the source was "jinn", or "jinni" "genie" (from Arabic "جني" "jinnī"). "The marvelous powers of the "Hsien" are so like those of the "jinni" of the Arabian Nights that one wonders whether the Arabic word, "jinn", may not be derived from the Chinese "Hsien"." Axel Schuessler's etymological dictionary suggests a Sino-Tibetan connection between "xiān" (Old Chinese *"san" or *"sen") "'An immortal' ... men and women who attain supernatural abilities; after death they become immortals and deities who can fly through the air" and Tibetan "gšen" < "g-syen" "shaman, one who has supernatural abilities, incl[uding] travel through the air".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The word "xiān" is written with three characters , , or , which combine the logographic "radical" "rén" ( or "person; human") with two "phonetic" elements (see Chinese character classification). The oldest recorded "xiān" character has a "xiān" ("rise up; ascend") phonetic supposedly because immortals could "ascend into the heavens". (Compare "qiān" "move; transfer; change" combining this phonetic and the motion radical.) The usual modern "xiān" character , and its rare variant , have a "shān" ( "mountain") phonetic. For a character analysis, Schipper interprets "'the human being of the mountain,' or alternatively, 'human mountain'. The two explanations are appropriate to these beings: they haunt the holy mountains, while also embodying nature."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "Classic of Poetry" (220/3) contains the oldest occurrence of the character , reduplicated as "xiānxiān" ( "dance lightly; hop about; jump around"), and rhymed with "qiān" (). "But when they have drunk too much, Their deportment becomes light and frivolous—They leave their seats, and [] go elsewhere, They keep [] dancing and capering." (tr. James Legge) Needham and Wang suggest "xian" was cognate with "wu" "shamanic" dancing. Paper writes, "the function of the term "xian" in a line describing dancing may be to denote the height of the leaps. Since, "to live for a long time" has no etymological relation to "xian", it may be a later accretion."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The 121 CE "Shuowen Jiezi", the first important dictionary of Chinese characters, does not enter except in the definition for ( "name of an ancient immortal"). It defines as "live long and move away" and as "appearance of a person on a mountaintop".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: This section chronologically reviews how Chinese texts describe "xian" "immortals; transcendents". While the early "Zhuangzi", "Chuci", and "Liezi" texts allegorically used "xian" immortals and magic islands to describe spiritual immortality, later ones like the "Shenxian zhuan" and "Baopuzi" took immortality literally and described esoteric Chinese alchemical techniques for physical longevity.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: On one the hand, "neidan" ( "internal alchemy") techniques included "taixi" ( "embryo respiration") breath control, meditation, visualization, sexual training, and Tao Yin exercises (which later evolved into qigong and tai chi chuan).


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: On the other hand, "waidan" ( "external alchemy") techniques for immortality included alchemical recipes, magic plants, rare minerals, herbal medicines, drugs, and dietetic techniques like inedia.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Besides the following major Chinese texts, many others use both graphic variants of "xian". "Xian" () occurs in the "Chunqiu Fanlu", "Fengsu Tongyi", "Qian fu lun", "Fayan", and "Shenjian"; "xian" () occurs in the "Caizhong langji", "Fengsu Tongyi", "Guanzi", and "Shenjian".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Two circa 3rd century BCE "Outer Chapters" of the "Zhuangzi" ( "[Book of] Master Zhuang") use the archaic character "xian" . Chapter 11 has a parable about "Cloud Chief" ()  and "Big Concealment" () that uses the "Shijing" compound "xianxian" ("dance; jump"):


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
Big Concealment said, "If you confuse the constant strands of Heaven and violate the true form of things, then Dark Heaven will reach no fulfillment. Instead, the beasts will scatter from their herds, the birds will cry all night, disaster will come to the grass and trees, misfortune will reach even to the insects. Ah, this is the fault of men who 'govern'!"
"Then what should I do?" said Cloud Chief.
"Ah," said Big Concealment, "you are too far gone! [] Up, up, stir yourself and be off!"
Cloud Chief said, "Heavenly Master, it has been hard indeed for me to meet with you—I beg one word of instruction!"
"Well, then—mind‑nourishment!" said Big Concealment. "You have only to rest in inaction and things will transform themselves. Smash your form and body, spit out hearing and eyesight, forget you are a thing among other things, and you may join in great unity with the deep and boundless. Undo the mind, slough off spirit, be blank and soulless, and the ten thousand things one by one will return to the root—return to the root and not know why. Dark and undifferentiated chaos—to the end of life none will depart from it. But if you try to know it, you have already departed from it. Do not ask what its name is, do not try to observe its form. Things will live naturally end of themselves."
Cloud Chief said, "The Heavenly Master has favored me with this Virtue, instructed me in this Silence. All my life I have been looking for it, and now at last I have it!" He bowed his head twice, stood up, took his leave, and went away. (11)


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The true sage is a quail at rest, a little fledgling at its meal, a bird in flight who leaves no trail behind. When the world has the Way, he joins in the chorus with all other things. When the world is without the Way, he nurses his Virtue and retires in leisure. And after a thousand years, should he weary of the world, he will leave it and [] ascend to [] the immortals, riding on those white clouds all the way up to the village of God. (12)


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Without using the word "xian", several "Zhuangzi" passages employ "xian" imagery, like flying in the clouds, to describe individuals with superhuman powers. For example, Chapter 1, within the circa 3rd century BCE "Inner Chapters", has two portrayals. First is this description of Liezi (below).


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Lieh Tzu could ride the wind and go soaring around with cool and breezy skill, but after fifteen days he came back to earth. As far as the search for good fortune went, he didn't fret and worry. He escaped the trouble of walking, but he still had to depend on something to get around. If he had only mounted on the truth of Heaven and Earth, ridden the changes of the six breaths, and thus wandered through the boundless, then what would he have had to depend on? Therefore, I say, the Perfect Man has no self; the Holy Man has no merit; the Sage has no fame. (1)


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: He said that there is a Holy Man living on faraway [] Ku-she Mountain, with skin like ice or snow, and gentle and shy like a young girl. He doesn't eat the five grains, but sucks the wind, drinks the dew, climbs up on the clouds and mist, rides a flying dragon, and wanders beyond the Four Seas. By concentrating his spirit, he can protect creatures from sickness and plague and make the harvest plentiful. (1)


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The authors of the "Zhuangzi" had a lyrical view of life and death, seeing them as complementary aspects of natural changes. This is antithetical to the physical immortality ("changshengbulao" "live forever and never age") sought by later Daoist alchemists. Consider this famous passage about accepting death.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Chuang Tzu's wife died. When Hui Tzu went to convey his condolences, he found Chuang Tzu sitting with his legs sprawled out, pounding on a tub and singing. "You lived with her, she brought up your children and grew old," said Hui Tzu. "It should be enough simply not to weep at her death. But pounding on a tub and singing—this is going too far, isn't it?"


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Chuang Tzu said, "You're wrong. When she first died, do you think I didn't grieve like anyone else? But I looked back to her beginning and the time before she was born. Not only the time before she was born, but the time before she had a body. Not only the time before she had a body, but the time before she had a spirit. In the midst of the jumble of wonder and mystery a change took place and she had a spirit. Another change and she had a body. Another change and she was born. Now there's been another change and she's dead. It's just like the progression of the four seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter."<br>"Now she's going to lie down peacefully in a vast room. If I were to follow after her bawling and sobbing, it would show that I don't understand anything about fate. So I stopped. (18)


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Many conclusions can be reached on the basis of this story, but it seems that death is regarded as a natural part of the ebb and flow of transformations which constitute the movement of Dao. To grieve over death, or to fear one's own death, for that matter, is to arbitrarily evaluate what is inevitable. Of course, this reading is somewhat ironic given the fact that much of the subsequent Daoist tradition comes to seek longevity and immortality, and bases some of their basic models on the "Zhuangzi".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The 3rd-2nd century BCE "Chuci" ( "Lyrics of Chu") anthology of poems uses "xian" once and "xian" twice, reflecting the disparate origins of the text. These three contexts mention the legendary Daoist "xian" immortals Chi Song ( "Red Pine", and Wang Qiao (, or Zi Qiao ). In later Daoist hagiography, Chi Song was Lord of Rain under Shennong, the legendary inventor of agriculture; and Wang Qiao was a son of King Ling of Zhou (r. 571–545 BCE), who flew away on a giant white bird, became an immortal and was never again seen.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The ""Yuan You"" ( "Far-off Journey") poem describes a spiritual journey into the realms of gods and immortals, frequently referring to Daoist myths and techniques.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
My spirit darted forth and did not return to me,
And my body, left tenantless, grew withered and lifeless.
Then I looked into myself to strengthen my resolution,
And sought to learn from where the primal spirit issues.
In emptiness and silence I found serenity;
In tranquil inaction I gained true satisfaction.
I heard how once Red Pine had washed the world's dust off:
I would model myself on the pattern he had left me.
I honoured the wondrous powers of the [] Pure Ones,
And those of past ages who had become [] Immortals.
They departed in the flux of change and vanished from men's sight,
Leaving a famous name that endures after them.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The ""Xi shi"" ( "Sorrow for Troth Betrayed") resembles the ""Yuan You"", and both reflect Daoist ideas from the Han period. "Though unoriginal in theme," says Hawkes, "its description of air travel, written in a pre-aeroplane age, is exhilarating and rather impressive."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
We gazed down of the Middle Land [China] with its myriad people
As we rested on the whirlwind, drifting about at random.
In this way we came at last to the moor of Shao-yuan:
There, with the other blessed ones, were Red Pine and Wang Qiao.
The two Masters held zithers tuned in perfect concord:
I sang the Qing Shang air to their playing.
In tranquil calm and quiet enjoyment,
Gently I floated, inhaling all the essences.
But then I thought that this immortal life of [] the blessed,
Was not worth the sacrifice of my home-returning.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The ""Ai shi ming"" ( "Alas That My Lot Was Not Cast") describes a celestial journey similar to the previous two.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
Far and forlorn, with no hope of return:
Sadly I gaze in the distance, over the empty plain.
Below, I fish in the valley streamlet;
Above, I seek out [] holy hermits.
I enter into friendship with Red Pine;
I join Wang Qiao as his companion.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
We send the Xiao Yang in front to guide us;
The White Tiger runs back and forth in attendance.
Floating on the cloud and mist, we enter the dim height of heaven;
Riding on the white deer we sport and take our pleasure.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The ""Li Sao"" ( "On Encountering Trouble"), the most famous "Chuci" poem, is usually interpreted as describing ecstatic flights and trance techniques of Chinese shamans. The above three poems are variations describing Daoist "xian".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Some other "Chuci" poems refer to immortals with synonyms of "xian". For instance, ""Shou zhi"" ( "Maintaining Resolution), uses "zhenren" ( "true person", tr. "Pure Ones" above in ""Yuan You""), which Wang Yi's commentary glosses as "zhen xianren" ( "true immortal person").


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
I visited Fu Yue, bestriding a dragon,
Joined in marriage with the Weaving Maiden,
Lifted up Heaven's Net to capture evil,
Drew the Bow of Heaven to shoot at wickedness,
Followed the [真人] Immortals fluttering through the sky,
Ate of the Primal Essence to prolong my life.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "Liezi" ( "[Book of] Master Lie"), which Louis Komjathy says "was probably compiled in the 3rd century CE (while containing earlier textual layers)", uses "xian" four times, always in the compound "xiansheng" ( "immortal sage").


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Nearly half of Chapter 2 ("The Yellow Emperor") comes from the "Zhuangzi", including this recounting of the above fable about Mount Gushe (, or Guye, or Miao Gushe ).


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The Ku-ye mountains stand on a chain of islands where the Yellow River enters the sea. Upon the mountains there lives a Divine Man, who inhales the wind and drinks the dew, and does not eat the five grains. His mind is like a bottomless spring, his body is like a virgin's. He knows neither intimacy nor love, yet [] immortals and sages serve him as ministers. He inspires no awe, he is never angry, yet the eager and diligent act as his messengers. He is without kindness and bounty, but others have enough by themselves; he does not store and save, but he himself never lacks. The Yin and Yang are always in tune, the sun and moon always shine, the four seasons are always regular, wind and rain are always temperate, breeding is always timely, the harvest is always rich, and there are no plagues to ravage the land, no early deaths to afflict men, animals have no diseases, and ghosts have no uncanny echoes.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Chapter 5 uses "xiansheng" three times in a conversation set between legendary rulers Tang () of the Shang Dynasty and Ji () of the Xia Dynasty.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text:
T'ang asked again: 'Are there large things and small, long and short, similar and different?'
—'To the East of the Gulf of Chih-li, who knows how many thousands and millions of miles, there is a deep ravine, a valley truly without bottom; and its bottomless underneath is named "The Entry to the Void". The waters of the eight corners and the nine regions, the stream of the Milky Way, all pour into it, but it neither shrinks nor grows. Within it there are five mountains, called Tai-yü, Yüan-chiao, Fang-hu, Ying-chou and P'eng-Iai. These mountains are thirty thousand miles high, and as many miles round; the tablelands on their summits extend for nine thousand miles. It is seventy thousand miles from one mountain to the next, but they are considered close neighbours. The towers and terraces upon them are all gold and jade, the beasts and birds are all unsullied white; trees of pearl and garnet always grow densely, flowering and bearing fruit which is always luscious, and those who eat of it never grow old and die. The men who dwell there are all of the race of [] immortal sages, who fly, too many to be counted, to and from one mountain to another in a day and a night. Yet the bases of the five mountains used to rest on nothing; they were always rising and falling, going and returning, with the ebb and flow of the tide, and never for a moment stood firm. The [] immortals found this troublesome, and complained about it to God. God was afraid that they would drift to the far West and he would lose the home of his sages. So he commanded Yü-ch'iang to make fifteen [] giant turtles carry the five mountains on their lifted heads, taking turns in three watches, each sixty thousand years long; and for the first time the mountains stood firm and did not move.
'But there was a giant from the kingdom of the Dragon Earl, who came to the place of the five mountains in no more than a few strides. In one throw he hooked six of the turtles in a bunch, hurried back to his country carrying them together on his back, and scorched their bones to tell fortunes by the cracks. Thereupon two of the mountains, Tai-yü and Yüan-chiao, drifted to the far North and sank in the great sea; the [] immortals who were carried away numbered many millions. God was very angry, and reduced by degrees the size of the Dragon Earl's kingdom and the height of his subjects. At the time of Fu-hsi and Shen-nung, the people of this country were still several hundred feet high.'


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Penglai Mountain became the most famous of these five mythical peaks where the elixir of life supposedly grew, and is known as Horai in Japanese legends. The first emperor Qin Shi Huang sent his court alchemist Xu Fu on expeditions to find these plants of immortality, but he never returned (although by some accounts, he discovered Japan).


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Holmes Welch analyzed the beginnings of Daoism, sometime around the 4th-3rd centuries BCE, from four separate streams: philosophical Daoism (Laozi, Zhuangzi, Liezi), a "hygiene school" that cultivated longevity through breathing exercises and yoga, Chinese alchemy and Five Elements philosophy, and those who sought Penglai and elixirs of "immortality". This is what he concludes about "xian".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: It is my own opinion, therefore, that though the word "hsien", or Immortal, is used by Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu, and though they attributed to their idealized individual the magic powers that were attributed to the "hsien" in later times, nonetheless the "hsien" ideal was something they did not believe in—either that it was possible or that it was good. The magic powers are allegories and hyperboles for the "natural" powers that come from identification with Tao. Spiritualized Man, P'eng-lai, and the rest are features of a "genre" which is meant to entertain, disturb, and exalt us, not to be taken as literal hagiography. Then and later, the philosophical Taoists were distinguished from all other schools of Taoism by their rejection of the pursuit of immortality. As we shall see, their books came to be adopted as scriptural authority by those who did practice magic and seek to become immortal. But it was their misunderstanding of philosophical Taoism that was the reason they adopted it.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "Shenxian zhuan" ( Biographies of Spirit Immortals") is a hagiography of "xian". Although it was traditionally attributed to Ge Hong (283–343 CE), Komjathy says, "The received versions of the text contain some 100-odd hagiographies, most of which date from 6th-8th centuries at the earliest."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: "...blow on water and it will flow against its own current for several paces; blow on fire, and it will be extinguished; blow at tigers or wolves, and they will crouch down and not be able to move; blow at serpents, and they will coil up and be unable to flee. If someone is wounded by a weapon, blow on the wound, and the bleeding will stop. If you hear of someone who has suffered a poisonous insect bite, even if you are not in his presence, you can, from a distance, blow and say in incantation over your own hand (males on the left hand, females on the right), and the person will at once be healed even if more than a hundred li away. And if you yourself are struck by a sudden illness, you have merely to swallow pneumas in three series of nine, and you will immediately recover.<br>But the most essential thing [among such arts] is fetal breathing. Those who obtain [the technique of] fetal breathing become able to breathe without using their nose or mouth, as if in the womb, and this is the culmination of the way [of pneumatic cultivation]."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Fàn (—"Diet"): Ingestion of herbal compounds and abstention from the "Sān Shī Fàn" (—"Three-Corpses food")—Meats (raw fish, pork, dog, leeks, and scallions) and grains. The "Shenxian zhuan" uses this story to illustrate the importance of "bigu" "grain avoidance":


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: "During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Han, hunters in the Zhongnan Mountains saw a person who wore no clothes, his body covered with black hair. Upon seeing this person, the hunters wanted to pursue and capture him, but the person leapt over gullies and valleys as if in flight, and so could not be overtaken. [But after being surrounded and captured, it was discovered this person was a 200 plus year old woman, who had once been a concubine of Qin Emperor Ziying. When he had surrendered to the 'invaders of the east', she fled into the mountains where she learned to subside on 'the resin and nuts of pines' from an old man. Afterwards, this diet 'enabled [her] to feel neither hunger nor thirst; in winter [she] was not cold, in summer [she] was not hot.']<br>The hunters took the woman back in. They offered her grain to eat. When she first smelled the stink of grain, she vomited, and only after several days could she tolerate it. After little more than two years of this [diet], her body hair fell out; she turned old and died. Had she not been caught by men, she would have become a transcendent."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: Fángzhōng Zhī Shù (—"Arts of the Bedchamber"): Sexual yoga. According to a discourse between the Yellow Emperor and the immortaless "Sùnǚ" (—"Plain Girl"), one of the three daughters of Hsi Wang Mu,


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "White Tigress (Zhuang Li Quan Pure Angelic Metal Ajna Empress "Toppest") Manual", a treatise on female sexual yoga, states,


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The 4th century CE "Baopuzi" ( "[Book of] Master Embracing Simplicity"), which was written by Ge Hong, gives some highly detailed descriptions of "xian".


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: These titles were usually given to humans who had either not proven themselves worthy of or were not fated to become immortals. One such famous agent was Fei Changfang, who was eventually murdered by evil spirits because he lost his book of magic talismans. However, some immortals are written to have used this method in order to escape execution.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The [immortals] Dark Girl and Plain Girl compared sexual activity as the intermingling of fire [yang/male] and water [yin/female], claiming that water and fire can kill people but can also regenerate their life, depending on whether or not they know the correct methods of sexual activity according to their nature. These arts are based on the theory that the more females a man copulates with, the greater benefit he will derive from the act. Men who are ignorant of this art, copulating with only one or two females during their life, will only suffice to bring about their untimely and early death.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "Zhong Lü Chuan Dao Ji" ( "Anthology of the Transmission of the Dao from Zhong[li Quan] to Lü [Dongbin]") is associated with Zhongli Quan (2nd century CE?) and Lü Dongbin (9th century CE), two of the legendary Eight Immortals. It is part of the so-called "Zhong-Lü" () textual tradition of internal alchemy ("neidan"). Komjathy describes it as, "Probably dating from the late Tang (618–906), the text is in question-and-answer format, containing a dialogue between Lü and his teacher Zhongli on aspects of alchemical terminology and methods."


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: The "Śūraṅgama Sūtra", a mahayana Buddhist manuscript, in an approach to Taoist teachings, discusses the characteristics of ten types of "xian" who exist between the world of devas ("gods") and that of human beings. This position, in Buddhist literature, is usually occupied by asuras ("Titans", "antigods"), but these beings are of another type. These "xian" are not considered true cultivators of "samadhi" ("unification of mind"), as their methods differ from the practice of "dhyāna" ("meditation").


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: According to Michael Loewe, the earliest artistic and textual evidence of "xian" transcendents dates from the fifth or fourth centuries BCE. They were depicted as avian and serpentine hybrids who could fly through the universe, typically either combinations of a bird's body and a human face, or a human with wings sprouting on their back, i.e., a "yuren" (羽人, "feathered person"). In tomb reliefs from the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE), "xian" are often bird-human and reptile-human hybrids, depicted as "liminal but spiritually empowered figures" who accompanied a deceased person's soul to paradise, "transient figures moving through an intermediate realm" where they are often joined by deer, tigers, dragons, birds, heavenly horses ("tianma" 天馬), and other animals. These avian, serpentine, and human hybrid "xian"s are frequently depicted with "secondary characteristics" including androgyny, large ears, long hair, exaggerated nonhuman faces, tattoo-like markings, and nudity; many of these traits also appear in depictions of foreigners, who also lived outside the Chinese cultural and spiritual sphere.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: In Japan, "sennin" image was perpetuated in many legends, art, miniature sculpture (netsuke). Below is a wooden netsuke, made in the 18th century. It represents a perplexed old man with one hand based on the curve of a snag, and the other hand is rubbing his head with concern. He is looking somewhere in the sky and tucked up the right leg. This position betrayed him as Sennin Tekkay, whose soul has found the second life in the body of the lame beggar. In shape the beggarly old man this legendary personality portrayed prominent carver of the early period Jobun.


title: Xian (Taoism)

text: "Sennin" is a common Japanese character name. For example, "Ikkaku Sennin" (一角仙人 "One-horned Immortal") was a Noh play by Komparu Zenpō (金春禅鳳, 1454–1520?). The Japanese legend of Gama Sennin (蝦蟇仙人 "Toad Immortal") is based upon Chinese Liu Hai, a fabled 10th-century alchemist who learned the secret of immortality from the Chan Chu ("Three-legged Money Toad").


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: Inazuma Eleven is a 2008 to 2011 Japanese animation television series based on Level-5's video game series of the same name. The animated series was produced by OLM under the direction of Katsuhito Akiyama and consists of 127 episodes.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: An animation television series based on the game aired on the TV Tokyo network from October 5, 2008 until April 27, 2011. The series was produced by Level-5 in conjunction with TV Tokyo and OLM.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: The first 26 episodes were formerly available in the United States on Hulu. The first three episodes can also be freely viewed via the Nintendo 3DS eShop, which were released alongside the North American release of the first video game.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: Thirteen pieces of theme music are used through the entire series—six opening themes performed by T-Pistonz+KMC and seven closing themes. The opening theme for the first 26 episodes is ""Tachiagari-yo"". For episodes 27 to 54, the opening theme is ""Maji de Kansha!"". ""Tsunagari-yo"" is the opening theme for episodes 55 to 67. The opening theme for episodes 68 through 87 is ""Katte Nakou ze!"". The opening theme for episodes 88 to 107 is ""GOOD Kita!"". And the final opening theme starting from episode 108 is ""Bokura no Goal!"". The closing theme for the first 26 episodes is ""Seishun Oden"" performed by Twel'v. The next five closing themes were performed by Berryz Kobo, the first ""Seishun Bus Guide"" was the closing theme for episodes 27 to 50. Episodes 51 to 67's closing theme is ""Ryūsei Boy"". For episodes 68 through 87, the closing theme is ""Otakebi Boy WAO!"". ""Maji Bomber!!"" is the closing theme for episodes 88 to 101, and ""Shining Power"" is the closing theme for episodes 102 to 112. The final closing theme from episode 113 to the end of the series is ""Mata ne... no Kisetsu"" and was performed by Inazuma All Stars, consisting of Junko Takeuchi, Yuka Nishigaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Hirofumi Nojima, and Mamoru Miyano.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: The anime also features a score by Yasunori Mitsuda, who rearranged many of the tracks from the original game.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: The series was first broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan between October 5, 2008 and April 27, 2011. "Inazuma Eleven" first appeared in Video Research's top ten anime series during the week of December 29, 2008 to January 4, 2009 when episode 14, received a 4.0 share. Its viewers ratings peaked during the week of July 5–11, 2010 when episode 90, , received a 6.2 share. By the final episode, , the view share was 4.8.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: A second series, , immediately followed the first series and was broadcast between May 4, 2011 and April 11, 2012. A third series, began airing on April 18, 2012. began airing on May 8, 2013, immediately following Inazuma Eleven GO: Chrono Stone.


title: Inazuma Eleven (TV series)

text: Twenty-eight DVD compilations of three to four episodes each were released by Geneon Entertainment. The first compilation was released on February 20, 2008.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Maximiliano "Maxi" Gómez González (; born 14 August 1996) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor and the Uruguay national team.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Having begun his career with Defensor Sporting, he moved to Spain in 2017, where he made 167 La Liga appearances and scored 51 goals for Celta and Valencia.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: A full international for Uruguay since 2017, Gómez was selected for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and the Copa América in 2019 and 2021.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Born in Paysandú, Gómez joined Defensor Sporting's youth setup in 2013, from CA Litoral. He made his first team debut on 15 September 2015, coming on as a late substitute for Héctor Acuña in a 1–0 away win against Universitario for the year's Copa Sudamericana.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez made his Primera División debut on 4 October 2015, but in a 0–4 away loss against Nacional. His first senior goal came on 16 October, the last in a 2–3 home defeat against Montevideo Wanderers.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: On 31 October 2015, Gómez scored a brace in a 4–1 home routing of Juventud de Las Piedras; he repeated the feat on 20 November in a 2–2 home draw against El Tanque Sisley, and also in a 3–2 home success over Danubio the following 28 February. On 22 May 2016, he scored four goals in a 6–5 away win against El Tanque Sisley, and finished his first season with 14 goals in only 21 matches.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: After only four goals in 14 matches in the 2016 campaign, Gómez contributed with ten goals in 12 matches in 2017; highlights included a brace in a 2–0 away win against Danubio on 5 March 2017.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: In May 2017, Gómez signed a five-year deal with La Liga side Celta Vigo, moving abroad for the first time in his career. He made his debut for the club on 19 August, starting and scoring a brace in a 2–3 home loss against Real Sociedad, and finished his debut season with 17 goals from 36 games, seventh highest in the division.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez contributed 13 goals in 2018–19 as Celta finished one place above relegation. This included one on the final day, as they defeated newly crowned champions FC Barcelona 2–0 at Balaídos.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: On 14 July 2019, Gómez signed a contract with Valencia CF until 2024, with his release clause set at €140 million. The deal saw Valencia pay €14.5 million with Santi Mina and Jorge Sáenz moving in the opposite direction, the latter joining Celta on a two-year loan deal. He made his debut on 24 August away to his former club, playing the first hour of a 1–0 loss before being replaced by Rodrigo.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez scored his first goal for the "Che" on 14 September, coming off the bench to net at the end of a 5–2 loss to Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Against the same opponents on 25 January 2020, he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory at Mestalla, preserving his team's unbeaten home season and inflicting a first defeat of Quique Setién's spell in charge of the opponents.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: In 2021–22, Gómez was sent off twice against Athletic Bilbao, once for two yellow cards in a league match and the latter on 10 February in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg away at the San Mamés Stadium. In the second instance, he was an unused substitute and was given a straight red card at half time for threatening the assistant referee. He was issued with a two-match suspension and thereby missed the final, which his team lost on penalties to Real Betis.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: In the summer of 2022, Valencia sought to sell Gómez due to UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations and to free up a spot on their quota of non-European Union players. He was linked to a move to Fenerbahçe SK, whose sporting director came to negotiate in Spain, but signed a three-year deal with the option of a fourth at fellow Turkish Süper Lig team Trabzonspor on 31 August. The fee was €3 million and his annual salary was set at €1.75 million.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: On 6 October 2022, Gómez was sent off after 11 minutes of a 3–1 loss at AS Monaco FC in the UEFA Europa League group stage, for a high boot into the face of Mohamed Camara.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez made his international debut for Uruguay on 10 November 2017 in a goalless friendly away to Poland, as a 74th-minute substitute for Giorgian De Arrascaeta. Manager Óscar Tabárez called him up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he made his first competitive appearance in the final group game as an added-time replacement in a 3–0 win over the hosts in Samara.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: On 26 March 2019, Gómez scored his first international goal to round off a 4–0 victory over Thailand and win the China Cup. He was called up for the Copa América in 2019 and 2021, both in Brazil.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez scored once in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, coming on with three minutes remaining against Chile on 8 October 2020 and scoring the winner in a 2–1 victory. He was called up for the final tournament in Qatar, playing two games as a substitute for Darwin Núñez in a group stage elimination.


title: Maxi Gómez

text: Gómez's older brother Richard, also a footballer, played in Uruguay for Club Atlético Platense. He played for Galician amateurs Mondariz FC while Maxi Gómez was at Celta.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (, "Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn"), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary and terrorist organization formed in 1981.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: PIJ formed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and was influenced ideologically in its formation by the Islamic regime in Iran. It is a member of the Alliance of Palestinian Forces, which rejects the Oslo Accords and whose objective is the establishment of a sovereign Islamic Palestinian state. It calls for the military destruction of Israel and rejects a two-state solution. The organization's financial backing has historically come mainly from Syria and Hezbollah. Since 2014, PIJ has seen its power steadily increase with the backing of funds from Iran.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: The armed wing of PIJ is Al-Quds Brigades, also formed in 1981, which is active in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with its main strongholds in the West Bank being the cities of Hebron and Jenin. Its operations have included suicide bombings, attacks on Israeli civilians, as well as the firing of rockets into Israel. PIJ has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: PIJ was formally established in Gaza in 1981 by two Palestinian activists: Dr Fathi abd al-Aziz Shaqaqi, a Rafah-based physician, and Shaykh Abd al-Aziz Awda, an Islamic preacher from the Jabaliyya refugee camp, as well as Ramadan Shalah, Bashir Moussa and three other Palestinian radicals. Based in Egypt, Shaqaqi and Awda were originally members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their views on the destruction of Israel, however, led them in 1979 to establish Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi Faction, a branch of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. and conducted operations out of Egypt. The Shaqaqi Faction was expelled from Egypt in 1981 following the assassination of Egypt's President Anwar Sadat by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Shaqaqi and Awda returned to Gaza where they formally established PIJ, from where it continued its operations.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: The aim of the organization was the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state within the geographic borders of pre-1948 Mandatory Palestine. Completely rejecting the political process, the organization professes that its goals can only be achieved through military means.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: PIJ began its armed operations against Israel in 1984. In 1988, its leaders were exiled by Israel to Lebanon. While in Lebanon, the group received training, support and other backing from Hezbollah and its backers in Iran, and developed a close relationship with the organization. In 1990, the headquarters of PIJ moved to the Syrian capital, Damascus, where it continues to be based, with offices in Beirut, Tehran, and Khartoum.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: PIJ masterminded several suicide bombings in Israel, the first one being the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack in 1989 which resulted in 16 civilian deaths. (See List of Palestinian suicide attacks.) Shaqaqi was a key player in setting up the Alliance of Palestinian Forces in January 1994, a coalition of eight PLO groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, rejecting the Oslo process. PIJ was and continues to be considered by Israel the most extreme organization in its operational methods and commitment to the destruction of Israel. By 1995 PIJ was, according to Fisk, "perhaps the fiercest of all Israel's modern-day enemies." Shaqaqi was assassinated in 1995 in Malta, and Ramadan Shalah became secretary-general of the organisation. There was a subsequent crackdown on the PIJ by Israel and the Palestinian National Authority which led to a significant weakening of the organization.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: On 20 February 2003, University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian was arrested after being indicted on a terrorism-related charge. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft alleged at a press conference that Al-Arian was the North American head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. On 6 December 2006, Sami Al-Arian was sentenced to 57 months in prison, pursuant to a plea bargain. In November 2006 he was found guilty of civil contempt for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury and served 21 months in prison on that conviction. On 27 June 2014, the US Federal Government dropped all charges against Al-Arian.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: PIJ is alleged to have used minors. On 29 March 2004, 15-year-old Tamer Khuweir of Rifidia, a suburb of Palestinian city Nablus in the West Bank, was captured by Israeli forces as he planned to carry out a suicide mission. His older brother claimed he was brainwashed and demanded the Palestinian Authority investigate the incident and arrest those responsible for it.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Following further terrorist attacks on civilians in Israel, Shalah and Awda were indicted under United States law and added in 2006 to the United States FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: In February 2012, the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip distanced itself from PIJ. During the March 2012 Gaza–Israel clashes, which followed the Israeli assassination of Popular Resistance Committees leader, Zuhir al-Qaisi, who bragged of kidnapping Gilad Shalit, PIJ and PRC opened attacks on Israel. Hamas refrained from joining PIJ and PRC in attacking Israel. Over a hundred Palestinians were killed or injured in the ensuing violence, but Israel did not attack any Hamas targets at the time. The eventual ceasefire was negotiated between Israel and the militant groups, not Hamas.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: London-based Arabic newspaper "Asharq al-Awsat" reported in May 2015 that Iran had stopped funding PIJ due to the group's neutrality over the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, throwing PIJ into a severe financial crisis. Iran had expected PIJ to condemn the intervention led by Saudi Arabia, Iran's chief regional rival. Palestinian newspaper "al-Quds" reported that Iran is now supporting an offshoot of PIJ called as-Sabirin (Arabic for "the patient ones"), headed by Islamic Jihad veteran Hisham Salem.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Under the former leadership of Ramadan Shalah, the group would receive approximately US$70 million per year from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Ramadan Shalah was interviewed by a delegation from the World Federation of Scientists in Damascus, Syria, on 15 December 2009. In the interview, he argued that the Israelis will accept neither a two state nor a one state solution and that the only choice is to continue the armed struggle until Israel's defeat.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: We are the indigenous people of the land. I was born in Gaza. My family, brothers and sisters, live in Gaza. But I am not allowed to visit them. But any American or Siberian Jew is allowed to take our land. There is no possibility today of a two-state solution. That idea is dead. And there is no real prospect of a one-state solution...


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: I will never, under any conditions, accept the existence of the state of Israel. I have no problem living with the Jewish people...


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: We have lived together in peace for centuries. And if Netanyahu were to ask if we can live together in one state, I would say to him: "If we have exactly the same rights as Jews to come to all of Palestine. If Khaled Meshaal and Ramadan Shalah can come whenever they want, and visit Haifa, and buy a home in Herzliyah if they want, then we can have a new language, and dialogue is possible."


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for many militant activities over the years. The organization is responsible for a number of attacks including more than 30 suicide bombings; indeed, on 22 December 2001, PIJ vowed to continue its campaign despite Hamas' decision to halt suicide bombings inside Israel in response to an alleged crackdown by Yasser Arafat. PIJ's representative in Lebanon, Abu Imad Al-Rifai noted, "Our position is to continue. We have no other choice. We are not willing to compromise." The international community considers the use of indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations and the use of human shields as illegal under international law.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Armored vehicles marked with TV are an invaluable protection for genuine journalists working in hostile environments. The FPA has long campaigned for the continued availability of armored vehicles for its members, despite official opposition in some quarters. The abuse of this recognized protection for the working journalist is a grave development and we condemn those that carried it out. Such an incident will reduce the protection offered by marked vehicles.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Islamic Jihad has also deployed its own rocket, similar to the Qassam rocket used by Hamas, called the al-Quds rocket.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Islamic Jihad also control dozens of religious organizations in the Palestinian territories that are registered as NGOs and operate mosques, schools, and medical facilities that offer free services. Like other Islamic associations, these are heavily scrutinized by the Palestinian National Authority who have shut some of them down. In one Islamic Jihad kindergarten graduation, children dressed up in military uniforms, waved guns, shouted anti-Israel slogans, and spoke of blowing themselves up to kill "Zionists".


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: Islamic Jihad also operates dozens of summer camps for children. They have opened up 51 summer camps which attracted approximately 10,000 children in 2010.


title: Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine

text: We teach the children the truth. How the Jews persecuted the prophets and tortured them. We stress that the Jews killed and slaughtered Arabs and Palestinians every chance they got. Most important, the children understand that the conflict with the Jews is not over land, but rather over religion. As long as Jews remain here, between the [Jordan] river and the sea, they will be our enemy and we will continue to pursue and kill them. When they leave we won't hurt them.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (; "Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān") is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: Established in accordance to the Part VII of the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate and extensive appellate, original, and advisory jurisdictions on all courts (including the high courts, district, special and Shariat court), involving issues of laws and may act on the verdicts rendered on the cases in context in which it enjoys jurisdiction. In the court system of Pakistan, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes as well as final interpreter of constitutional law, and the highest court of appeal in Pakistan.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In its modern composition, the Supreme Court is incorporated of Chief Justice of Pakistan, sixteen justices and two "ad hoc" who are confirmed to their appointment by the President upon their nominations from the Prime Minister's selection based on their merited qualifications. Once appointed, justices are expected to completed a designated term and then retire at 65 years old, unless their term is terminated through resignation or impeachment by the Supreme Judicial Council resulted in a presidential reference in regards to the misconduct of judge(s). In their discourse judgement, the justices are often categorized as having the conservative, textual, moderate, and liberal philosophies of law in their judicial interpretation of law and judgements.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad and meets at the Supreme Court Building at the Red Zone.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1861, the British government in India enacted the Indian High Courts Act that created the high courts in all over the Indian subcontinent in various provinces while abolishing the supreme courts Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Lahore, and also the "Panchayati" system in autonomous presidencies.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: Until the enactment of the Government of India Act 1935 in 1935 that created the Federal Court, these new high courts had the distinctionary powers of being the highest Courts for all cases. The Federal Court had wide range of jurisdictions to resolve disputes between the provinces, presidencies, and the Government of India Act 1935, often hearing appeals against judgements of the High Courts.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: After the independence of Pakistan as an aftermath of British partition of India in 1947, the Federal Court was also partitioned between India and Pakistan as Justice Sir Harilal Kania became the first Chief Justice of India and Justice Sir Abdul Rashid becoming the first Chief Justice of Pakistan.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: While the tradition of British law culture continues to remain an integral part of the judiciary, the modern existence of the Supreme Court of Pakistan came when the first set of the Constitution of Pakistan was promulgated on 23 March 1956. The ratification of the Constitution of Pakistan reestablished the Supreme Court in 1956, replacing the name "Federal Court" to "Supreme Court", initially had its seat in Karachi where the Sindh High Court exists now. In successive years, the Supreme Court was moved to Lahore High Court until the Supreme Court was permanently moved into its new building constructed in Islamabad in 1964.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: Although the Supreme Court was established pursuant to the Government of India Act 1935, the modern structure of the court was reestablished by the second set in 1956, and restructured by the Constitution of Pakistan in 1973 where a significant part of the Constitution is dedicated towards the restructuring of the Supreme Court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Part VII of the Constitution, ranges from articles 176 through 191, deals with the powers, composition, rules, and responsibilities of the Supreme Court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Part VII of the Constitution of Pakistan reconstituted the composition of Supreme Court and the high courts but it does not specify the number of justices to be served in the Supreme Court. Qualifications to be served as a supreme court justice are strictly imposed that are based on merit, personal intellectualism, and experiences as a judge in the high courts.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1947, the Supreme Court consisted of a Chief Justice and six senior judges from Sindh, Punjab, NWFP, Balochistan, and East Bengal. Over the several successive years, the work of the Court increased and cases began to accumulate, leading the Supreme Court requesting the Parliament to increase the number of judges. As the number of the justices has increased, they sit in smaller benches of two or three (referred to as a "division bench"), however, coming together in larger benches of five or more (referred to as a constitution bench) when required to settle fundamental questions of law.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The nomination of justices in the Supreme Court comes from an executive selection made by the Prime Minister based on judges' merited qualifications, personal intellectualism, and experiences as judge in high courts. The President then confirms the nomination summary and eventually appoints the Chief Justice and judges in the Supreme Court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: Since the 1990s, the nomination and confirmation process has attracted considerable attention from the print press and electronic media, as news media often comments on the executive's selection for the appointment. Appointments of Chief Justices Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, S.A. Shah, Iftikhar Chaudhry, Faisal Arab, and T.H. Jillani Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa have gain prominent attention from media in all over the country, mainly due to their ideological and philosophical leanings.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: Furthermore, the major and influential recommendations for judges to be elevated at the Supreme Court as justices comes from the Judicial Commission that is chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan who prepares the qualification summary before the nomination sent to executive.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: There has been "Ad hoc" appointment in the supreme court made when the quorum of Judges is not possible to complete the sitting number of justices in the court, or if it is necessary to increase the number of justices in the Supreme Court. The nomination comes directly from the Judicial Commission chaired by the Chief Justice who prepares the nomination summary as President confirms their appointments.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: As of current, there are two justices are on the "ad hoc" appointment that are from the Federal Sharia Court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: A judge of the Supreme Court can be removed under the Constitution only on grounds of proven misconduct or incapacity and by an order of the President of Pakistan. A written reference has to be sent to the Supreme Judicial Council that will conduct the hearings of allegations of misconduct that would determine the removal of judge.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Judicial Commission determines the salary, other allowances, leave of absence, pension, etc. of the Supreme Court justices. A Supreme Court justice gets ₨. 558,907.00 ($5,333.85) with additional allowances of ₨. 259,009.00 ($2471.81). Other benefits include the free housing and medical treatment as well as tax-free electricity bills. A judge who has retired as a justice of the Supreme Court is debarred from practising in any court of law or before any other authority in Pakistan.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Supreme Court has the explicit "de jure" powers and enjoys the powerful judicial independence to block the exercise of certain Prime Minister's executive powers or Parliament's legislative powers that repugnant to Constitution. The Supreme Court has maintained its institutional integrity and has been able to maintain its authority to some degree in the face of martial law in Pakistan in last decades.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Supreme Court thus provides, in principle, an important safeguard against the abuse of laws that could potentially have politically repressive consequences or in clear violation of human rights.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Constitution also allows the Supreme Court to exercise powers and take "sua sponte" actions against the person, regardless of its statue, or the authority, of being disobedient to or disrespectful towards the Supreme Court, its justices, and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the Supreme Court's institutional integrity and popular authority.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1997, Chief Justice S.A. Shah found Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of contempt of court but the order itself was voided by the Supreme Judicial Council. In 2012, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry retroactively barred Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani of holding the office after the latter was found of in charges of court of contempt and refusing to follow the court's orders.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 2013, the Supreme Court took "suo motu" actions against populist Imran Khan of criticising against the judgement of the Supreme Court's senior judges in regards to the elections. The case was later dropped when Attorney-General assured the Supreme Court justices that Imran Khan did not insubordinate the judiciary.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In practice awarded by Constitution, judges of the supreme court have been selected so far, mostly from amongst judges of the high courts. The Constitution allows the judges to be appointed at the Supreme Court regardless of colour, race, and religious sect. Justices A.S.M. Akram, Fazal Akbar, Amin Ahmed, Abdus Sattar, Hameedur Rahman, and Hamoodur Rahman (Chief Justice) were the Bengali/Bihari jurists who served as senior justices in the Supreme Court. In 1960, Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius became the first Christian to be served as Chief Justice, while George Constantine also served in the Court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In the 1970s–1980s, Justice Dorab Patel was the first Zorastrian, followed by Justice Rustom Sidwa who served as Supreme Court justice from 1989 until 1993. Justice Rana Bhagwandas was the first Hindu jurist who has distinction being the Chief Justice of Pakistan in 2007. Justice Qazi Faez Isa is of the Hazara descent who is currently serving as the justice of the Supreme court.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The jurists/judges do not represent or receive the official political endorsements from the nation's political parties which is an acceptable professional practice in the executive branch of the government. As their American counterparts in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jurists philosophical leanings in the Supreme Court are often categorized as conservative, moderate, liberal, and textualist that reflected in their judicial interpretation of the judgements in the impending cases of importance.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1947, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah confirmed the nomination of Justice Sir Abdul Rashid, at the behest of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali-Khan, was said to be a national conservative leanings in his judgement. His successor, Chief Justice Muh'd Munir, was a liberal in his jurisprudence but sided with conservative judgement when validated dissolution of the first Constituent Assembly in 1954 and the National Assembly in 1958 in the light of doctrine of necessity. Under the Chief Justice Muh'd Shahabuddin, the Supreme Court had the conservative leanings in regards to the constitutionalism and their judgements in the cases of important issues. Chief Justice Shahabuddin plays a crucial role in drafting the second set of the Constitution of Pakistan which incorporated the liberal ideas with the important Islamic provisions.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1960, President Ayub Khan appointed Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius who took much liberal approach in his jurisprudence when deciding cases on fundamental rights against the executive overreach. Justice Cornelius led Supreme Court's verdicts on many constitutional cases were carefully sided with the Islamic ideas but provided much broader role of liberal ideas to safeguard the fundamental rights ordinary citizens while being critical of the state emergency.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1968, the Supreme Court greatly divided when Chief Justice Hamoodur Rahman presided the case hearings after President Yahya Khan declared martial law and suspended the writ of the constitution. In the views of Chief Justice Rahman, the martial law was invalid and notably ruled that Yahya Khan's assumption of power was "illegal usurpation". The Supreme Court also overruled and overturned its convictions that called for validation of martial law in 1958. Despite rulings, there was a split decision between the moderation justices, including Chief Justice Rahman, and conservative leaning justices of the Supreme Court who "condoned" the actions in the light of "doctrine of necessity". The "de jure" powers of the Supreme Court has increased since presiding the War Enquiry Commission in 1974, intervening in events that Supreme Court justices viewed as violation of human rights by the executive's authorities.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1977, the Supreme Court had again legalized the martial law in 1977 in the light of "doctrine of necessity" and denied took petitions to review its decision. During this time, Supreme Court justices were described as notoriously conservatives and only few moderates, appointed by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as his role as President in 1971–73. The Supreme Court, however, did take the petitions to review the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, after his counsels filed an appeal against the verdict of Lahore High Court. The Constitution Bench formed under Chief Justice Sh. Anwarul Haq, had contained Justice Muhammad Akram, Justice Dorab Patel, Justice Mohammad Haleem, Justice Nasim Hasan Shah, Justice Ghulam safdar Shah, Justice Kareem Illahi, Justice Waheedudin Ahmad, and Justice Kaisar Khan. By 1979, the Supreme Court greatly divided with Justice Dorab Patel, Justice G.S. Shah, and Justice Moh'd Haleem, who had the moderate and liberal leanings in their jurisprudence strongly disagreed with Bhutto's sentence of Capital punishment. On the other hand, Chief Justice Haq, Justice N.H. Shah, Justice Waheedudin Ahmad, and Justice Kaisar Khan, were described as having conservative/texualist ideology in their rulings and found Bhutto suitable for capital punishment; hence, marking a split decision by 4:3.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: In 1993, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto controversially elevated the Supreme Court jurist, SA Shah, who had known for his liberal jurisprudence, as Chief Justice over two senior ranking jurists at the Supreme Court. However, Justice Shah's judicial leanings did not protected the Benazir' administration when it was dismissed by President Farooq Leghari over allegations on corruption. In 1997, judicial crises reached its peak when Supreme Judicial Council took up the case against Justice Shah's appointment who eventually resigned from his office and succeeded by conservative jurist Ajmal Mian, only to be replaced with conservative jurist Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui as the new Chief Justice.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: On 12 October 1999, the Supreme Court partially validated the martial law in the light of "doctrine of necessity" on the technicality but Chief Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui decided to hear the petitions over the legality of the martial law. Although, the Supreme Court had only validated the martial law for three-years only, the Supreme Court's jurists and Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui in clear view of this coup as a "violation of constitution" as Sharif's lawyers made a ground base for finding Musharraf of treason.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: General Musharraf, acting as Chief Executive, forcefully retired the conservative leaning jurists and elevated the judges who had known to have libertarian views in their jurisprudence at the Supreme Court, including Justice Irshad Hasan as Chief Justice. In 2002, The Supreme Court supervised the general elections successfully oversaw the transition of power from the office of Chief Executive to Prime minister. The legalization of Contempt of court act further strengthened the judicial independence of the Supreme Court in 2004 when Shaukat Aziz became prime minister.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The justices and jurists of the supreme court are set to retire at the age of 65, unless the jurists sooner resign or are removed from office, or records written reasons for deviating from this rule in accordance with the Constitution. By an act of parliament of 1997, there is a fixed number of justices at 17 and, as of current, there are currently sixteen judges and one vacancy that is yet to fill. There are two ad hoc appointment of the jurists from the Federal Shariat Court to assist with religiosity concerned cases.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: As of current formation, Umar Ata Bandial is tenuring as the Chief Justice of Pakistan, having been appointed on 2 February 2022. The Supreme Court is currently composed of the following justices (in order of seniority), that included the sixteen regular judges including the Chief Justice and two ad hoc judges who were reappointed again after their retirement.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The ad hoc appointments are due to fill the Shariat Appellate Bench that is composed on legal scholars that has expertised on Islamic jurisprudence since its establishment in 1980. The ad hoc appointments for this bench are drawn either from the Federal Shariat Court or from among the Clergy. Decisions made the Federal Shariat Court may be appealed to the Appellate Bench, as the Appellate Bench of Supreme Court is the final authority on Islamic interpretation of law in Pakistan.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The registry of the Supreme Court is its appointed officers who is assisted by registrars, several additional and deputy registrars, gazetted officers, and other law clerks. The registry branches provides speedy justice of all nature of crimes and disputes to the people living in remote areas in the country, while keeping the civil registry of the people.


title: Supreme Court of Pakistan

text: The Officers and Registrars are appointed by the supreme court with the approval from the chief justices of High Courts and the President and may make rules providing for the appointment by for their terms and conditions of employment that is granted by the Constitution.