title: Machining

text: With the recent proliferation of additive manufacturing technologies, conventional machining has been retronymously classified, in thought and language, as a subtractive manufacturing method. In narrow contexts, additive and subtractive methods may compete with each other. In the broad context of entire industries, their relationship is complementary. Each method has its own advantages over the other. While additive manufacturing methods can produce very intricate prototype designs impossible to replicate by machining, strength and material selection may be limited.


title: Moby Grape

text: Moby Grape is an American rock band founded in 1966, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting, and who collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz with rock and psychedelic music. They were one of the few groups of which all members were lead vocalists. The group's first incarnation ended in 1969, but they have reformed many times afterwards and continue to perform occasionally.


title: Moby Grape

text: Moby Grape's success was accompanied by decades-long legal disputes with their former manager, Matthew Katz. Legal difficulties originated shortly after the group's formation, when Katz insisted that an additional provision be added to his management contract, giving him ownership of the group name. At the time, various group members were indebted to Katz, who had been paying for apartments and various living costs prior to the release of the group's first album. Despite objecting, group members signed without seeking outside legal advice, believing in part that there would be no further financial support from Katz unless they did so. Neil Young, then of Buffalo Springfield, was in the room at the time, and kept his head down, playing his guitar, and saying nothing. According to Peter Lewis, "I think Neil knew, even then, that this was the end. We had bought into this process that we should have known better than to buy into."


title: Moby Grape

text: The dispute with Katz became more acute after the group members' rights to their songs, as well as their own name, were signed away in 1973, in a settlement made without their knowledge between Katz and the band's manager at the time (and former producer), David Rubinson. It was also a settlement made at a time when Bob Mosley and Skip Spence were generally recognized as being legally incapacitated due to the effects of schizophrenia.


title: Moby Grape

text: As described by Jeff Tamarkin, "The Grape's saga is one of squandered potential, absurdly misguided decisions, bad luck, blunders and excruciating heartbreak, all set to the tune of some of the greatest rock and roll ever to emerge from San Francisco. Moby Grape could have had it all, but they ended up with nothing, and less."


title: Moby Grape

text: The group was formed in September 1966, in San Francisco, at the instigation of Skip Spence and Matthew Katz. Both had been previously associated with Jefferson Airplane, Spence as the band's first drummer, playing on their first album, "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off", and Katz as the band's manager, but both had been dismissed by the group. Katz encouraged Spence to form a band similar to Jefferson Airplane, with varied songwriting and vocal work by several group members, and with Katz as the manager. According to band member Peter Lewis, "Matthew (Katz) brought the spirit of conflict into the band. He didn't want it to be an equal partnership. He wanted it all."


title: Moby Grape

text: The band name, chosen by Bob Mosley and Spence, came from the punch line of the joke "What's big and purple and lives in the ocean?" Lead guitarist Jerry Miller and drummer Don Stevenson (both formerly of the Frantics, originally based in Seattle) joined guitarist (and son of actress Loretta Young) Peter Lewis (of the Cornells), bassist Bob Mosley (of the Misfits, based in San Diego), and Spence, now on guitar instead of drums. Miller and Stevenson had moved the Frantics from Seattle to San Francisco after a 1965 meeting with Jerry Garcia, then playing with the Warlocks at a bar in Belmont, California. Garcia encouraged them to move to San Francisco. Once the Frantics were settled in San Francisco, Mosley joined the band.


title: Moby Grape

text: While Miller was the principal lead guitarist, all three guitarists played lead at various points, often playing off against each other, in a guitar form associated with Moby Grape as "crosstalk". The other major three-guitar band at the time was Buffalo Springfield. Moby Grape's music has been described by Geoffrey Parr as follows: "No rock and roll group has been able to use a guitar trio as effectively as Moby Grape did on "Moby Grape". Spence played a distinctive rhythm guitar that really sticks out throughout the album. Lewis, meanwhile, was a very good guitar player overall and was excellent at finger picking, as is evident in several songs. And then there is Miller. The way they crafted their parts and played together on Moby Grape is like nothing else I've ever heard in my life. The guitars are like a collage of sound that makes perfect sense."


title: Moby Grape

text: All band members wrote songs and sang lead and backup vocals for their debut album, "Moby Grape" (1967). Mosley, Lewis, and Spence generally wrote alone, while Miller and Stevenson generally wrote together. In 2003, "Moby Grape" was ranked at number 121 in "Rolling Stone's" "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Noted rock critic Robert Christgau listed it as one of the 40 "Essential Albums of 1967". In 2008, Spence's song "Omaha", from the first Moby Grape album, was listed as number 95 in "Rolling Stone"'s "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". The song was described as follows:


title: Moby Grape

text: On their best single, Jerry Miller, Peter Lewis and Skip Spence compete in a three-way guitar battle for two and a quarter red-hot minutes, each of them charging at Spence's song from different angles, no one yielding to anyone else."


title: Moby Grape

text: In a marketing stunt, Columbia Records immediately released five singles at once, and the band was perceived as being over-hyped. This was during a period in which mainstream record labels heavily promoted what were then considered counter-cultural music genres. The record was critically acclaimed and fairly successful commercially, with the Move covering the album's "Hey Grandma" (a Miller-Stevenson composition) on their self-titled first album. More recently, "Hey Grandma" was included in the soundtrack to the 2005 Sean Penn-Nicole Kidman film, "The Interpreter", as well as being covered in 2009 by the Black Crowes, on "Warpaint Live". Spence's "Omaha" was the only one of the five singles to chart, reaching number 88 in 1967. Miller-Stevenson's "8:05" became a country rock standard (covered by Robert Plant, Guy Burlage, and others).


title: Moby Grape

text: One of Moby Grape's earliest major onstage performances was the Mantra-Rock Dance — a musical event held on January 29, 1967, at the Avalon Ballroom by the San Francisco Hare Krishna temple. At the event Moby Grape performed along with the Bhaktivedanta Swami, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and fellow rock bands Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company donating proceeds to the temple. The group appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 17, 1967. Due to legal and managerial disputes, the group was not included in the D.A. Pennebaker-produced film of the event, "Monterey Pop". Moby Grape's Monterey recordings and film remain unreleased, allegedly because Katz demanded one million dollars for the rights. According to Lewis, "[Katz] told Lou Adler they had to pay us a million bucks to film us at the Monterey Pop Festival. So instead of putting us on Saturday night right before Otis Redding, they wound up putting us on at sunset on Friday when there was nobody in the place."


title: Moby Grape

text: The Moby Grape footage was shown in 2007 as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the film. Miller recalled that Laura Nyro was given Moby Grape's original position opening for Redding, "because everybody was arguing. Nobody wanted to play first and I said that would be fine for me." In addition to the marketing backlash, band members found themselves in legal trouble for charges (later dropped) of consorting with underage girls, and the band's relationship with their manager rapidly deteriorated.


title: Moby Grape

text: The second album, "Wow/Grape Jam", released in 1968, was generally viewed as a critical and commercial disappointment, even though the album charted at No. 20 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts, partially due to the special low price double-album packaging. The album included the track "Just Like Gene Autry, a Foxtrot", a tribute to the big band era which was tracked to only be played back properly at the speed of 78 RPM. The "Grape Jam" LP was one of loose, improvised studio jams with outside musicians. Also in 1968, the band contributed to the soundtrack of the movie "The Sweet Ride", and appeared, credited, in the film.


title: Moby Grape

text: The band was also introduced to a wide group of UK listeners in 1968 through the inclusion of "Can't Be So Bad", from the "Wow" album, on the sampler album" The Rock Machine Turns You On" (CBS).


title: Moby Grape

text: But, amidst this success, troubled times plagued the band when founding member Spence began abusing LSD, which led to increasingly erratic behavior. According to Miller: "Skippy changed radically when we were in New York. There were some people there (he met) who were into harder drugs and a harder lifestyle, and some very weird shit. And so he kind of flew off with those people. Skippy kind of disappeared for a little while. Next time we saw him, he had cut off his beard, and was wearing a black leather jacket, with his chest hanging out, with some chains and just sweating like a son of a gun. I don't know what the hell he got a hold of, man, but it just whacked him. And the next thing I know, he axed my door down in the Albert Hotel. They said at the reception area that this crazy guy had held an ax to the doorman's head." After spending time in the infamous Tombs jail in New York, Spence was committed to New York's Bellevue Hospital, where he spent six months under psychiatric care.


title: Moby Grape

text: Recalling this troubled time for Spence, Lewis said, "We had to do (the album) in New York because the producer (David Rubinson) wanted to be with his family. So we had to leave our families and spend months at a time in hotel rooms in New York City. Finally I just quit and went back to California. I got a phone call after a couple of days. They'd played a Fillmore East gig without me, and Skippy took off with some black witch afterward who fed him full of acid. It was like that scene in The Doors movie. He thought he was the anti-Christ. He tried to chop down the hotel room door with a fire axe to kill Don [Stevenson] to save him from himself. He went up to the 52nd floor of the CBS building where they had to wrestle him to the ground. And Rubinson pressed charges against him. They took him to the Tombs (and then to Bellevue) and that's where he wrote "Oar". When he got out of there, he cut that album in Nashville. And that was the end of his career. They shot him full of Thorazine for six months. They just take you out of the game."


title: Moby Grape

text: After the forced departure of Spence, the remaining four members continued recording throughout 1968 and released "Moby Grape '69" in January 1969. Spence's "Seeing" (also known as "Skip's Song") was finished by the foursome, and it is one of the highlights. Despite the collaborative effort to complete the song, the songwriting credit was left solely with Spence. After a tour of the UK and the Netherlands in February 1969 as a four piece, Bob Mosley left the group, shocking the remaining members by joining the Marines. The remaining three released their final album for Columbia, "Truly Fine Citizen", in late 1969, with session bassist Bob Moore filling in for the departed Mosley during the sessions for the album. "Truly Fine Citizen" would be the final work conducted by the band prior to their initial dissolution.


title: Moby Grape

text: Miller and Stevenson then formed The Rhythm Dukes, later joined by Bill Champlin. The band achieved a degree of success as a second-billed act during much of the latter part of 1969 to 1971, and recorded one album, not released until 2005.


title: Moby Grape

text: In 1971, the original five members reunited and, along with violinist Gordon Stevens, recorded "20 Granite Creek" for Reprise Records. The group performed a few concerts to support the album, most notably during the last days of the Fillmore East before Spence left and the group broke up. These concerts were described by contemporary accounts as disastrous, and circulating recordings do little to challenge that assessment. These shows are noteworthy, however, due to their inclusion of original material that did not appear on their albums proper. Mosley contributed "When You're Down The Road" and "Just A Woman", Lewis "There Is No Reason", and Spence brought along a song referred to as "We Don't Know Now" (a misinterpretation of Miller on an audience recording telling them that they were "going to do Omaha now" before launching into the song) and "Sailing", a song which would be all but forgotten until Spence performed it with Moby Grape at a 1996 gig near Spence's home in Santa Cruz, California, at the Palookaville nightclub. They also performed songs cut for "20 Granite Creek". A Fillmore East gig saw Mosley doing an a capella rendition of "Ode To The Man At The End of The Bar".


title: Moby Grape

text: Following the departure of Spence, and the band's consequent dissolution, the band reformed several times over the following years; featuring different combinations of the members. In 1973, Lewis, Miller, and Mosley reformed the band for some live shows; with guitarist Jeff Blackburn and drummer Johnny Craviotto filling the roles vacated by Spence and Stevenson. Following the end of the shows in 1975, Miller, Mosley, and Craviotto were joined by Michael Been (later of The Call), under the name Fine Wine, and recorded an LP under the same name on Polydor Records in Germany in 1976. Following the end of Fine Wine, Mosley and Craviotto joined with Jeff Blackburn and Neil Young to form The Ducks, which played in and around the Santa Cruz area during 1977, and were popular during the band's brief life; whilst Miller and Been went on to form The Original Haze, also originating around the Santa Cruz area, before joining Lewis and Spence in another reformation of Moby Grape; this time joined by keyboardist/sax Cornelius Bumpus, drummers John Oxendine and Daniel Spencer, and bassist Chris Powell. The band released 1978's "Live Grape" album on Escape Records before again splitting in 1979.


title: Moby Grape

text: The 1980s saw the band reform again on two occasions; firstly in 1983 with a line-up consisting of Lewis, Miller, Mosley, and Stevenson, which released the "Moby Grape '84" album before dissolving in 1984. Then, in February 1987, the full original line-up of Moby Grape, along with It's a Beautiful Day, Fraternity of Man, and the Strawberry Alarm Clock, got together for a couple of shows. They performed their debut tunes "Hey Grandma", "Naked, If I Want To", "Omaha", "Fall on You", and "8:05", among others, before fans at the Marin Civic and Cupertino's DeAnza College. Following these shows Spence departed the band (for the final time), and his role within the group was filled by Dan Abernathy for recording and touring purposes.


title: Moby Grape

text: Due to continued legal battle between the band and Matthew Katz over ownership of the "Moby Grape" name, other names were used during this period for performance or recording purposes; including Mosley Grape, Legendary Grape, Maby Grope, the previously used Fine Wine, and The Melvilles. This led to the band's 1989 "Legendary Grape" album being considered by some to be a Melvilles recording, as, while it was originally issued as a Moby Grape cassette-only release, the tape eventually had to be withdrawn due to pressure from Katz's legal team; and it was subsequently repackaged and reissued as being by The Melvilles. Despite Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley and Peter Lewis continuing to release solo records in the 1990s and 2000s, Moby Grape has not released an album of new material since the release of "Legendary Grape" in 1989. Jerry Miller considers the 2003 remastered and supplemented CD version of "Legendary Grape" to be an essential Moby Grape album.


title: Moby Grape

text: The debut album and "Wow/Grape Jam" were first released on CD during the late 1980s by the San Francisco Sound label, a company owned by their former manager, Matthew Katz. These releases suffer from mediocre sound and poor quality packaging. It is also contended that Moby Grape has never been properly compensated for recordings released by this label. The double CD 1993 Legacy Recordings compilation "Vintage: The Very Best of Moby Grape" includes their entire first album and most of "Moby Grape '69", selected tracks from "Wow" and "Truly Fine Citizen", as well as studio outtakes and alternate versions, in much better quality. This compilation attracted new attention to the band and helped to re-introduce their music to a new audience. In 1994, the group members commenced an action against Matthew Katz, Columbia Records and parent company Sony Music, seeking to have the settlement overturned. This settlement from 1973 meant that the group members would receive no royalties whatsoever from "Vintage".


title: Moby Grape

text: The band had folded again in 1991 due to the deteriorating emotional state of Bob Mosley; who ultimately ended up being homeless in San Diego. This led Lewis, Miller, and Stevenson to regroup with Mosley and reform the band in 1996 as a means to help him resolve his problems; with health problems preventing Skip Spence from also joining the band. Spence lived in a residential care facility in northern California, and despite an extended period of homelessness and suffering from mental illness, there was a marked improvement in his domestic life in his later years before he died from lung cancer in 1999, two days before his 53rd birthday.


title: Moby Grape

text: Amid the ongoing legal proceedings between Moby Grape and Katz, the surviving members of the band decided to dissolve the group once again in 2001. Finally, in 2006, and after three decades of court battles, the band finally won back its name; and subsequently reformed. As described in 1998 by David LaFlamme of It's A Beautiful Day, "Yes (Moby Grape) did, eventually they did win their case. In that case and in the (Jefferson) Airplane case, in both cases, the judge determined that (Matthew Katz) did business in a fraudulent and deceptive manner and that over the years he had continued to, what they call, "muddy the water" by continually firing attorneys, making postponements and that these decisions could have been made years ago but he was making it impossible for that to happen. Now they have regained the rights to their songs and so on. Thank God. But most of the money that he has made doing to them what he has been doing to me is money he has already made. You can't get that. It's gone! It's gone! To celebrate, in September 2007, a reunited Moby Grape performed for over 40,000 fans at the Summer of Love 40th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. In October 2007, Sundazed Records reissued Moby Grape's first five albums (with bonus tracks) on CD and vinyl. The following month, the label was forced to both withdraw and recall "Moby Grape", "Wow" and "Grape Jam" from print on both vinyl and CD because of a new lawsuit by former manager Katz. Sundazed stated on their website that they were directed to withdraw the three titles by Sony, from whom Sundazed had licensed the recordings. Following the reunion performance, Stevenson departed the band and semi-retired from the music industry. Moby Grape continues to perform occasionally, performing with core members Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley and Peter Lewis, and in such incarnations as with Skip Spence's son Omar joining on vocals and Jerry Miller's son Joseph on drums. New recording commenced in 2009, following the release of "The Place and the Time", a well-received collection of demos, outtakes, alternate versions and otherwise unreleased material from the band's 1960s recording period.


title: Moby Grape

text: In 2018 a detailed biography - "What's Big And Purple And Lives In The Ocean?: The Moby Grape Story" by Cam Cobb was published in the U.S. and the U.K. by Jawbone.


title: Moby Grape

text: Subsequent to the withdrawal of "Vintage", Sony released "Cross Talk: The Best of Moby Grape" (2004), followed by "Listen My Friends! The Best of Moby Grape" (2007). "Legendary Grape" was issued for the first time in CD by Dig Music in 2003. In 2009, Sundazed Music issued "The Place and the Time", a two disc collection of alternate takes, live versions and other previously unreleased material.


title: Moby Grape

text: In February 2010 Sundazed released the First Official Live Moby Grape 'Live' Album on Vinyl and Compact Disc formats.


title: Moby Grape

text: Moby Grape has been the subject of five fan-initiated tribute albums, whereby Moby Grape songs are covered by fans of the band. The series commenced with "Mo'Grape" (2000) and "Even Mo'Grape" (2002) and has been followed by "Still Mo' Grape," "Forever Mo" and "Just Say Mo".


title: Moby Grape

text: Lewis, Miller, Mosley and Stevenson continued to perform and record, contributing to various artist's projects.


title: Moby Grape

text: Peter Lewis released a debut CD in 1995 and formed an acoustic duo with David West (released "Live in Bremen", 2003). Lewis also spent three years (2000–2003) as a guitarist with the reformed Electric Prunes, contributing to the band's "Artifact" album (2002).


title: Moby Grape

text: Jerry Miller appears as both a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band, and plays regularly in the Seattle/Tacoma, Washington area.


title: Moby Grape

text: Bob Mosley's relocation to the Santa Cruz area was noteworthy for weekly guest appearances with country music artist Larry Hosford, and in occasional duos with ex-Doobie Brothers keyboardist Dale Ockerman. Don Stevenson, who has rejoined Moby Grape for occasional performances, has developed business interests outside of the music industry, including time share sales of recreational property in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, where he maintains a residence.


title: Moby Grape

text: In 2010, Don Stevenson, Jerry Miller and Omar Spence performed at the South by Southwest music festival (the performance at the Dirty Dog was recorded by Eric Sigsbey), while Peter Lewis appeared separately.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) is a U.S. Army program to replace the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. OMFV is one part of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle portfolio of programs.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: After the cancelation of the Ground Combat Vehicle in February 2014, the Army's M2 Bradley replacement effort was restarted under the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV) program. The Army had US$50 million unspent from the GCV program to re-appropriate to the FFV. FFV was a research and development program to develop notional plans for IFVs. A decision on whether to pursue additional development beyond blueprints wasn't expected to come until 2016, according to Brig. Gen David Bassett, commander of PEO Ground Combat Systems.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: In August 2014 General Dynamics Land Systems and BAE Systems Land and Armaments were awarded $7.9 million each to develop technologies from the Ground Combat Vehicle program. In May 2015, General Dynamics and BAE were awarded a further $28 million. Citing budget constraints, in August 2015, the Army delayed the FFV's acquisition decision from FY2021 to FY2029. The Army said it was choosing to instead work on short-term capability gaps.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: In November 2016 Army officials said they were standing up a Next Generation Combat Vehicle program to field a family of combat vehicles by 2035. Officials said this strategy was not necessarily going to be centered around an infantry fighting vehicle, but would likely be a family of vehicles that could potentially replace the M1 Abrams, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Mobile Protected Firepower and even the Stryker. Army official conceded that the program was as yet unfunded.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: In June 2018, the Army established the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) program to replace the M2 Bradley. In October 2018, the program was re-designated as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). The NGCV program was expanded as a portfolio of next-generation vehicles including tanks and the Bradley-based Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle. In March 2019 the Army issued a request for proposals.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: By January 2020, the pool of competitors had narrowed down a variant of the Lynx KF41 developed as a joint venture between Raytheon and Rheinmetall, and the Griffin III developed by General Dynamics Land Systems. The Raytheon-Rheinmetall prototype was disqualified after failing to meet a deadline to ship the prototype to Aberdeen Proving Ground by the required date., The sole remaining competitor, GDLS, was also disqualified because its prototype was too heavy to meet requirements that two fit in a single C-17.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: The aggressive pace and stringent objectives of the program were seen as unrealistic by potential competitors. The program placed much of the cost burden of development on private contractors, causing many major contractors forego participation. Acknowledging this, in February 2020, the Army announced it would restart the program with more responsibility for funding being taken on by the service.


title: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle

text: In July 2021, the Army awarded contracts to five teams: Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and American Rheinmetall Vehicles. The total value of the contract was $299.4 million. Teams will develop concept designs during the 15-month long phase. All entries had to meet three general criteria: a tracked vehicle with a hybrid-electric drive; an unmanned turret housing a 50 mm autocannon, or a 30 mm turret with the ability to upgrade to the larger caliber; and a reduced crew of two with space to carry six infantrymen. The Army plans to pick three teams to move on to building prototypes by mid-2023.


title: Merano

text: Merano (, , ) or Meran () is a city and "comune" in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Valley and the Vinschgau.


title: Merano

text: In the past, the city has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literary people, and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Paul Lazarsfeld, and also Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who appreciated its mild climate.


title: Merano

text: Both the Italian () and the German () names for the city are used in English. The Ladin form of the name is . The official name of the municipality ("comune") is "Comune di Merano" in Italian and "Stadtgemeinde Meran" in German (both are in official use).


title: Merano

text: In 17th-century Latin, the city was called "Meranum". Other archaic names are "Mairania" (from 857 AD) and "an der Meran" (from the 15th century).


title: Merano

text: The area has been inhabited since the third millennium BC, as shown by the presence of menhirs and other findings. The story of the city proper began in 15 BC when the Romans occupied the Adige valley founding a road station, "Statio Maiensis".


title: Merano

text: The settlement was first mentioned in an 857 deed as "Mairania". The Counts at Castle Tyrol elevated Merano to the status of a city during the 13th century and made it the capital of their County of Tyrol. After the county had been handed over to the Habsburg dynasty in 1363 upon the abdication of Margaret, Countess of Tyrol, in 1420 Duke Friedrich IV of Austria moved the Tyrolean court to Innsbruck. Though Merano remained the official capital until 1848, it subsequently lost its predominant position and almost all its importance as an economic hub across the roads connecting Italy and Germany. The important mint was also moved to Hall in 1477.


title: Merano

text: The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 against the French occupation drew attention again to Merano. In that year, on the Küchelberg above the city, a peasants' army eked out a victory against the united French and Bavarian forces before their revolt was finally crushed. After World War I, under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye Merano became part of the Kingdom of Italy with the rest of the southern part of the former Cisleithanian crown land of Tyrol.


title: Merano

text: During the Nazi occupation of the region in 1943–5, the Meranese Jewish population was almost completely deported and murdered within concentration camps.


title: Merano

text: The city's coat of arms depicts the red Tyrolean eagle sitting on a wall with four pieces of Ghibelline battlements and three arches that symbolize the city. The arms is known from the 14th century and the oldest seal dates from 1353, while the coloured one since 1390. In a 1759 image, the eagle is represented with a crown and a green wreath of honour. After World War I and the annexation of the city from Austria-Hungary to Italy, it was a new coat of arms given in 1928, which looked similar to the old one, but with five parts of the battlements and the arches with the gates opened on a lawn of shamrock. A mural crown was placed above the shield. The five parts of the battlement represented the districts of Maia Bassa, Merano (old city), Maia Alta, and Quarazze and Avelengo, which were incorporated into the city by the Italian fascists. After World War II, Avelengo became independent again and the historical coat of arms was restored.


title: Merano

text: Among the city's landmarks are the medieval city gates such as the "Vinschgauer Tor", "Passeirer Tor", and the "Bozener Tor". Also belonging to the fortifications is the medieval Ortenstein tower, popularly called "Pulverturm" (lit. "powder tower").


title: Merano

text: The main churches are the Gothic St. Nicholas' Church and the St. Barbara's Chapel, both dating to the 15th century. Also dating to this period is the Princely Castle ("Landesfürstliche Burg"), which was a residence of Archduke Sigismund of Austria.


title: Merano

text: The city saw further development as it became increasingly popular as a spa resort, especially after Empress Elisabeth of Austria started visiting. Dating from the 19th century are the Civic Theatre, the "Kurhaus" and the Empress Elisabeth Park. Also famous are the arched "Wandelhalle" promenades along the river.


title: Merano

text: After the annexation of the city by Italy in 1919, the Fascist authorities constructed the new city hall in the 1920s.


title: Merano

text: Outside the city is Trauttmansdorff Castle and its gardens. Located there is the Museum of Tourism, which was opened in the spring of 2003 and shows the historical development of tourism in the province. Tirol Castle is also close by.


title: Merano

text: Merano is on the borderline between several climates. Officially, it has an oceanic climate ("Cfb"). However, it is close to being humid subtropical ("Cfa") due to the mean temperature in July being just under 22 °C; even on those terms, the overnight lows in the winter bring the mean temperatures low enough for the city as a whole to have continental ("Dfa/Dfb") influences with more distinct seasons.


title: Merano

text: The average daily temperatures in summer in Merano lie between 27 and 30 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between 12 and 15 °C. The average daily temperatures in winter lie between 6 and 10 °C, while at night temperatures usually drop to between -4 and -2 °C. The wettest month is August with 96 mm, while the driest is February with only 25 mm. This data was measured at the weather station Merano/Quarazze at an altitude of 333 metres between 1983 and 2017.


title: Merano

text: The area is well known for its wines, both white and red, and vineyards extend right into the city. The local wine, "Meraner Leiten (Meranese di collina)", is a light red wine, best drunk young. There are also extensive orchards, and apples are exported throughout Europe. The Forst Brewery on the edge of the city produces a popular range of beers, sold throughout Italy and Europe.


title: Merano

text: Merano is a popular tourist destination especially for Germans and Italians. In the summer, there are concerts on the promenade almost daily, and there are fine walks around the city and in the surrounding hills, not least "Merano 2000", where there is also skiing in winter. The city is reachable with the railway Bolzano-Merano, which continues to the Vinschgau Railway Merano-Malles.


title: Merano

text: According to the 2011 census, 50.47% of the resident population spoke German as mother language, 49.06% Italian, and 0.47% Ladin.


title: Merano

text: A chess opening, the "Merano Variation" of the Semi-Slav Defense, is named after the city, from its successful use by Akiba Rubinstein against Ernst Grünfeld during a tournament held in the city in 1924. In 1981, the World Chess Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi was held in Merano. The first act of the musical "Chess" also has a world chess championship match set in Merano, and features a song entitled "Merano", which includes the line, "rosy-cheeked Merano, flourishing to a fault".


title: Merano

text: The city's handball team, , is one of the most successful in Italy, winning the "scudetto" in 2005. The ice hockey team won two national championships but currently plays in the second division, Serie B.


title: Merano

text: Each September, the Gran Premio Merano takes place in the Maia Racecourse; this is the most famous Italian Steeplechase.


title: Merano

text: Merano hosted the 1953, 1971 and 1983 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. This is where the well known 'Merano' move was created due to a tricky upstream gate. This move is now used and well known by many slalom paddlers worldwide.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Turbo-Hydramatic or Turbo Hydra-Matic is the registered tradename for a family of automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. These transmissions mate a three-element turbine torque converter to a Simpson planetary geartrain, providing three forward speeds plus reverse.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The Turbo-Hydramatic or Turbo Hydra-Matic (THM) series was developed to replace both the original Hydra-Matic models and the Buick Dynaflow. In its original incarnation as the Turbo-Hydramatic 400, it was first used in the 1964 model year in Cadillacs. The Buick version, which followed shortly thereafter, was known as the Super-Turbine 400. By 1973, THM units had replaced all of GM's other automatic transmissions including Chevrolet's Powerglide, Buick's Super Turbine 300, and Oldsmobile's Jetaway. Starting in the early 1980s, the Turbo-Hydramatic was gradually supplanted by four-speed automatics, some of which continue to use the "Hydramatic" trade name.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Although the Turbo Hydra-Matic name alludes to the original Hydra-Matic developed by General Motors' Cadillac division in the late 1930s, the two transmissions were not mechanically related.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The THM400 can be visually identified by an oil pan number four shown at General Motors Transmission Pans. First introduced for the 1964 model year under the name "Turbo Hydra-Matic" in Cadillacs and "Super Turbine" in Buicks. The following year, application expanded to Oldsmobile and Pontiac and to some full-sized Chevrolets. Many of the Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile THM400s produced between 1964 and 1967 were equipped with a "Switch-Pitch" torque converter with a variable-pitch stator, which is sought after by collectors and drag racers. These can be identified outside the vehicle (with the torque converter removed) by a narrow front pump spline. Externally the switch pitch version has two electrical connections, where the non-switch pitch THM400 has only one. GM used a Switch Pitch torque converter in the Buick twin turbine Dynaflow transmission between 1955–1963 and the Super Turbine 300 two speed transmissions used by Oldsmobile, Pontiac (Pontiac's ST300 didn't have a switch pitch), and Buick divisions between 1964 and 1967. This transmission (among other THMs) is identified by the "Park R N D L2 L1" selector quadrant. The switch pitch is not the only THM400 that utilizes an external 2 prong connector. Other units to include the 2 prong connectors had an internal pressure switch that was used to control spark timing retard. All THM400 units had a 32 spline output shaft with the exception of the THM375 that used a 27 spline output.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: A variant of the THM400 known as a THM375 is a THM400 with a mid length 27 spline output shaft that mates to the smaller THM350 27 spline drive shaft yoke. It can be identified by "375-THM" cast into the tailhousing. Internally the clutch packs originally had fewer friction plates. THM375s were found in some 1971-76 Buick Lesabres and Oldsmobile Delta 88s with the 5.7 liter V-8. Somewhere in the Mid-80's Chevrolet C10 Pickups could also come equipped with a THM375. It is a THM400 Chevrolet bolt pattern case that has a longer 27 spline output shaft and matching extension housing with "TH375" cast into the housing. Some "Heavy Duty" THM350s were also designated THM375-B. Another variant is the 3L80HD, often referred to as a Turbo 475. The 3L80HD has a straight-cut planetary gear set. There is no externally visible way to determine whether the transmission contains the straight-cut planetary gear set. The THM425 front wheel drive transmission shares almost all its internal parts with the THM400. Checker Motors Corporation used the Chevrolet version of the THM400 for its "A" series taxi and Marathon models until the end of production in 1982.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: By 1980, the relatively heavy THM400 was being phased out of usage in passenger cars in response to demand for improved fuel economy. The THM 400 was utilized in the C- and K-series (full-size) Chevrolet/GMC pickups and G-series (full-size) vans until 1990 when GM switched over to the 4L80E. Today, the United States Army HMMWV is the only vehicle using the THM400. The civilian Hummer H1 originally had the 3L80s, but the current model has had a 4L80E since the mid-1990s.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Through the end of the '70s substantially more CBOP (Cadillac/Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac) bellhousing THM400s were produced than any other THM400. Chevrolet bellhousing THM400s, while not rare, can be hard to find and are, as a result, usually more expensive to buy (they were commonly found in 3/4 ton (8500 GVW and above) Chevrolet/GMC trucks and vans (includes the P-series box vans and 1983-86 CUCVs) when RPO M40 was checked off the option list - especially when coupled to a - usually in HD applications including the C40-C60 medium duty trucks where a bolt-on output shaft is used in place of a slip yoke) - when used with passenger cars it was usually coupled to a Mark IV engine or some high performance small blocks (e.g. the 1970 LT-1). The THM400 was never produced with a multicase bell housing.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Other auto manufacturers have used the THM400 and its 4L80E successor, including Ferrari (in the 400/412); Jaguar/Daimler (in pre-1994 XJ12 and XJ-S coupes and their Daimler stable mates); Rolls-Royce (in 1965–1980 Silver Shadow and 1980-1992 Silver Spirit series cars, along with their Bentley stable mates); the Nissan Prince Royal; AM General; and Jeep (usually found in the FSJ pickups and SUVs). Early Jeep THM400s used an adapter between the engine and transmission bell housing while later models had an AMC specific housing - which bolted to its inline six and V8. Though identical except for the bell housing pattern used through the '60s and ending in 1979 the THM400 was mated to the Dana model 18,20 and was the only transmission used with the Borg-Warner 1305/1339 all-wheel-drive transfer case used only in Jeeps until AMC/Jeep phased in the Chrysler Torqueflite 727 after 1979 until the FSJ platform was phased out. Additionally, the THM400 has been mated to other engines using adapter kits.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: THM400 transmissions are very popular in automotive competition due to their great strength. Much of this strength comes from the use of a cast iron center support to suspend the transmission's concentric shafts that join the clutch assemblies to the gear train. The center support, which is splined to the interior of the transmission's case, also provides a robust reaction point for first gear (the gear train's reaction carrier is restrained from counter-rotating the engine in first gear by a roller clutch whose inner race is part of the center support). Since the first gear reactive force is evenly distributed around the periphery of the case, the types of mechanical (and some times violent) failures that have plagued other competition transmissions are rare.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The THM400 was the first three-speed, Simpson-geared automatic to use overrunning clutches for both first and second gear reaction, a feature that eliminated the need to coordinate the simultaneous release of a band and application of a clutch to make the 2-3 gear change. Owing to this feature, as well as the use of a large, multi-plate clutch to provide second gear reaction, the THM400 is able to withstand very high input torque and an enormous number of shifting cycles, as would be encountered in frequent stop-and-go driving. As a result, it has met with considerable success in commercial vehicle applications.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: For 1987, GM changed the nomenclature of their Turbo Hydramatic transmissions — the THM400 was renamed '3L80' (three forward speeds, longitudinal positioning, and an arbitrary strength rating of 80, the second highest such rating assigned). The 3L80HD was introduced in 1987 as the HD unit used in passenger trucks. In 1991, a four-speed overdrive version, the 4L80-E, replaced the THM400 in Chevrolet/GMC pickups, vans, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. The 4L80E (and its successor 4L85E) was the first Hydramatic to incorporate electronic controls — almost all of the THM400/3L80/3L80HD's components are interchangeable.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Transmission fluid cooler line connections are found on the right-hand side of the THM400. The lower connection is the cooler feed, and the upper connection is the return. The case is tapped for either 1/4" National Pipe Straight NPS fittings,or 1/2"UNF fittings with a washer seal. 5/16" or 3/8" rigid coolant lines are generally connected via appropriate double-flared adapters.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Four-wheel drive truck applications used 3 various shorter output shafts that coupled with a female transfer case input shaft. Early transfer cases mated directly to the THM400 with a cast-iron adapter, usually a vertical oval shape. Later models used a circular style iron adapter which is generally considered the stronger of the two. The shortest was used with the NP203 transfer case.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The Turbo Hydra-matic 350 was first used in 1969 model cars. It was developed jointly by Buick and Chevrolet to replace the two-speed Super Turbine 300 and aluminum-case Powerglide transmissions. So, although it carries the Turbo Hydra-matic name, the Hydra-matic Division of General Motors had little, if anything, to do with its design. The 350 and its 250, 250C, 350C and 375B derivatives have been manufactured by Buick in its Flint, Michigan plant, and by Chevrolet in Toledo and Parma, Ohio and Windsor, Ontario.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The THM350 was also regarded as a 'three speed Powerglide' and during its development, was generally called this. Although it uses the same torque converter as the THM400 (without variable pitch stator) it has a familial resemblance to the 1962-73 aluminum Powerglide from Chevrolet and was largely derived from the Chevrolet design. An important difference in the THM350 compared to the THM400 is that there is no fixed center support midway through the geartrain; this difference in layout would have permitted the THM350 to be adapted to the Corvair where the drive and driven ends are the same, but this feature was not exploited. Air-cooled versions (with a baffle on the torque converter and air intakes cast into the bellhousing) of the THM350 appeared mid-1972 in the Chevrolet Vega and Nova 6.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: One THM350 weak point was excessive end-play between the pump and center support and resulting wobble of the direct clutch drum due to both the end play and use of a relatively narrow bushing in the drum. This weak point can be addressed by using an extra thrust washer between the planetary gear and direct clutch to remove the end play and using a wider aftermarket bushing in the direct clutch drum. Another weak point is the relatively thin center support and the lightweight matching splines in the case. This weakness can be addressed by using an inexpensive aftermarket case saver kit.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Four-wheel drive truck applications for the THM350 used an iron adapter that mated it to the transfer case directly, similar to the THM400. The THM350 adapter was cast iron and used a sliding sleeve to couple the transmission output shaft to the transfer case input shaft with a steel coupler sleeve that was splined to accept both shafts and couple them together. An internal snap ring inside the coupler sleeve controlled the sleeve's position on the shafts, with circular seals in the adapter sealing the transmission from the transfer case.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: For the 1981 model year, a lock-up torque converter was introduced which coincided with the new EMC control of most GM cars; this version is the THM350-C, which was phased out in 1984 in GM passenger cars for the 700R4. Chevrolet/GMC trucks and vans used the THM350-C until 1986. The lock-up torque converter was unpopular with transmission builders B&M Racing once marketed a conversion kit for THM350-Cs during the early 1980s until the advent of high stall lock-up torque converters when its overdrive counterpart (THM700R4/4L60) were modified. The standard TH350 is still very popular in drag racing.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The THM250 is a derivative of the THM350 and was introduced for 1974 in Chevrolets as a Powerglide replacement. Internally, the THM250 is a THM350 without the intermediate clutch pack and with a band adjuster similar to the Powerglide. The THM250 was usually coupled to smaller displacement engines - the largest a third generation Chevrolet inline six found in the Nova and Camaro (1974 and 75 model year only). During the 1976 model year the THM250 was phased out of production, replaced with the lighter duty THM200. It was later reintroduced in 1979 as the THM250-C in the wake of the failure-prone THM200/200C - the later 250C was further lightened with the use of a sun gear shell used with the THM350 but with 3 holes to reduce rotating mass and the low/reverse piston with 8 cutouts.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: After the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, GM developed a lighter-duty version of the THM350 with lightened materials — primarily alloys in place of ferrous materials (e.g. clutch drums and oil pump) — the Turbo-Hydramatic 200. The THM-200 was first used in 1976 models including GM's T-cars (which includes the rebadged Isuzu Gemini sold through Buick dealers as the Buick/Opel by Isuzu), X-cars, and some Isuzu automobiles (Chevrolet LUV and Isuzu P'up). However, this transmission was notorious for its failure rate when used behind any engine - the largest being the Oldsmobile 5.7 L diesel. Multicase bellhousings were used - bellhousing patterns included Chevrolet V8, Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac, Vega 4, GM 60 degree pattern (includes the Tech IV), and Isuzu G engine.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: It was GM's first transmission which used a throttle valve cable (similar in design to the Chrysler Torqueflite part throttle kickdown linkage) controlling the shift points and part throttle kickdown. This setup was later incorporated into the THM700R4.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Because the THM-200 shared external dimensions and output shaft size and spline count with the THM-350, the THM-350 was often used to replace the weaker, less reliable THM-200 and THM-250C. The only thig which had to be added was a vacuum line to the vacuum modulator on the THM-350.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Starting with the 1979 model year, vehicles which had the THM-200/200C as standard equipment were optioned with the THM250-C, which is a THM-350 without the intermediate clutch pack along with an adjustable band similar to the Chevrolet Powerglide. Also in the 1980 model year, the THM-200 received a lockup torque converter, and some internal components (primarily the low/reverse clutch drum and planetary gears) were later shared with the Turbo-Hydramatic 200-4R. The low/reverse sprag (roller clutch) assembly was also shared with the 1988-04 Chrysler Torqueflite 904 (also 30, 31, 32RH) and its derivatives e.g. the A500 and 42RE. THM200/200Cs were produced until 1987.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: For the 1981 model year, the 200-4R was introduced. Some components which were prone to failure in the THM200 were improved, and in the later 1980s this transmission was used with high-power applications — primarily the Buick Grand National and the 1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Indy 500 Pace cars. The 200-4R was configured with several different torque converters depending on the vehicle application.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: However, this transmission was also prone to failure(especially in "D" body Cadillacs) and received improvements during it's production run. The first improvement came in 1984 with a change of a servo piston from using split Teflon sealing rings to a servo using lip seals. A real problem area was the stamped-steel drive shell, which would strip out, losing reverse. With the 1985 pr0duction run, GM started installing a hardened drive shell, but continued to supply the original style until parts inventories were exhausted. Another major problem area was the pump assembly. The pump halves were made of cast aluminum and the pumps themselves were made of made up of steel segments like a power steering pump. There was a steel hub and variable ratio outer ring. Because the pump segments traveled in an eccentric circle, guide rings were necessary on top and bottom of the center hub. These rings would break and cause the pump to stop pumping, as well as damaging the aluminum housings. The aftermarket came with hardened rings which solved this problem.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Unlike the 700R4, most 200-4Rs have a multicase bellhousing for use with Chevrolet, Buick/Olds/Pontiac (BOP), and Cadillac engines. However, 200-4Rs share mounting locations with the TH-400. Since the external dimensions are longer than the TH-350 but the drive shaft yoke spline count/diameter was the same, the 200-4Rs can be swapped in place of TH-350s, with the shortening of the drive shaft, in older vehicles to provide an overdrive gear. Early models had a "PRND321" shift indicator, while later models used "PRN(D)D21," with the left D identified as the overdrive gear by a square or oval ring.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The four-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 700R4 was introduced for the 1982 model year for use in Chevrolet/GMC vehicles.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: In 1990, the Turbo Hydra-Matic 700R4 was renamed the 4L60. Under the new designation, the "4" stands for the number of forward gears, the "L" for longitudinal applications (rear-wheel-drive), and the "60" is the strength rating (less than the 4L80). "60" is the relative torque value. For example, 80 is stronger than 60, which is stronger than 40, etc. A 4L80-E can handle more torque than a 4L60-E. The "E" denotes electronically controlled shifting. The 4L60 however is hydraulically shifted based on governor pressure and throttle valve (TV) cable position. 1992 was the last year of widespread usage of the 700R4 (4L60). The 1993 Camaro, Corvette and Typhoon were equipped with the last production 700R4. The last design change of the 700R4 was an added checkball to the valve body. In 1992 electronic controls were added, and it became the 4L60-E. The 4L60E is not easily swapped with the 4L60, as the 4L60E depends on a powertrain control module (PCM) to shift. The 4L60E went into service in trucks, vans, and SUVs in 1993 and in all RWD passenger cars (Corvette, F and B/D bodies) in 1994. In 2001, an updated version — the 4L65-E, was introduced. Five-pinion planetaries, along with a strength-improved output shaft, were improved to withstand the 300+ lb·ft (400+ N·m) of torque of the 6.0 Vortec engine.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The Turbo Hydra-Matic 700R4 can be identified by an oil pan number six shown at General Motors Transmission Pans.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: The tailshaft housing is held onto the main case by four bolts (the bolt spacing is similar to the THM350), and uses a square-cut o-ring seal, and not a gasket. The typical width of this transmission where it bolts to the engine is overall. From the engine/trans mating surface to the cross member mount bolt is , and engine/trans surface to output shaft housing mating surface is overall, with the tail shaft housing typically measuring . External dimensions are similar to a THM350 with a 9-inch tailhousing found in Chevrolet/GMC long wheelbase truck/vans and 1971-76 B-bodies (Bel Air, Impala, Caprice).


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: Transmission fluid cooler lines on the 700R4 the bottom fitting on the right side of the transmission is the "out" line to the cooler and the top fitting is for the return line from the cooler. These fittings are pipe thread, and can include an adapter from the factory for threaded steel lines in a SAE size. 4L60Es manufactured after 1995 use snap-in connections instead of threaded. The original version of the transmission had a 27-spline input shaft (shared with the THM200C and 2004R) which was a common failure point. In 1984, the 700R4 designed for use behind Chevrolet small block V8s received a 30-spline input shaft similar to those found on TH400 transmissions and which also used a different torque converter than its 2.8 V6 and 2.2 L4 engines. Between 1984 and 1987, internal components, from the ring gear to the oil pump housing, were updated, ending with the auxiliary valve body for 700s manufactured after October 1986.


title: Turbo-Hydramatic

text: In 1995, the 4L60E received a PWM-controlled lockup converter. The early designs simple on or off lockup function while the later design can regulate the apply pressure as to not feel the lock up occur. GM added a fifth solenoid to the valve body, called the PWM solenoid. In 1996, GM introduced a redesigned 4L60E transmission case that incorporated a bolt-on bellhousing and a six-bolt tail housing. This two-piece case style was first seen in 1996 and up model S-10 Blazer, S-10 pickup, GMC Jimmy, and GMC Sonoma with the 4.3 L engine. The majority of 1998 and later applications of the 4L60E were two-piece cases (i.e. a removable bellhousing). Both transmissions are the same internally. The non-PWM (1993-1994) style 4L60Es are not interchangeable with PWM-style (1995 and later) 4L60Es. Also in 1996, GM changed the 3-2 solenoid to a different style which makes it not interchangeable with any previous models. For the model year 1996 GM trucks, there were two versions of the 4L60E: one had a bolt-on bellhousing, the other did not. In total, there are nine different bolt-on bellhousings. The bolt-on bellhousings used on the 4.3 L V6 and 1996-2002 GEN I+ versions of the small-block Chevrolet V8 used the same bellhousing. These had one from 1996 to 1997 and then a slight redesign for 1998. The LSx engines used a longer one to accommodate a redesigned torque converter, commonly referred to as a 300mm converter, with a longer pilot nose (GM sells an adapter assembly for using the LSx 4L60Es when used with an early engine). There are two bellhousings for the Holden GM models. One for the Corvette drivetrain. One for the S/T platform with 2.2L and 3.8L engines. And finally, two for the S/T platform with the 2.8L, 3.5L and 4.2L engines (one used in 2002 and the other from 2003 and on).


title: Disney's The Kid

text: The Kid (also known as Disney's The Kid) is a 2000 American fantasy comedy-drama film, directed by Jon Turteltaub and written by Audrey Wells. The film follows a 40-year-old image consultant (Bruce Willis) who is mysteriously confronted by an eight-year-old version of himself (Spencer Breslin); Emily Mortimer, Lily Tomlin, Chi McBride, and Jean Smart also star.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: The film was released in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures on July 7, 2000. It received mixed reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes calling its message "annoyingly simplistic", and grossed $110 million against its $65 million budget.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Days from turning 40, Russ Duritz is a successful but abrasive image consultant in Los Angeles and has a strained relationship with his father. Returning home one day he finds a toy plane on his porch and a strange boy indoors, whom he chases through the streets.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: After seeing the boy enter a diner, Russ finds no sign of him inside. Thinking he is hallucinating, he visits a psychiatrist, but finds the same boy on his couch eating popcorn and watching TV when he returns home. The boy says his name is Rusty and that he was just searching for his toy plane.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Seeing a resemblance, Russ compares memories and birthmarks and realizes Rusty is actually himself as a kid. After questioning Russ, Rusty tells him, "I grow up to be a loser." Rusty dreams of owning a dog naming Chester and flying planes, but Russ gave up on those dreams.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Russ's co-worker Amy thinks that Russ and Rusty are father and son and accuses him of being a dead-beat dad. Rusty assures her he is not his son and implores Russ to tell her the truth, but he thinks she'd never believe them. Amy realizes the truth while watching the two argue, as they are nearly identical.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: In response to Rusty's questions about how he became Russ, he tells him about his scholarship to UCLA and working for six years to get a master's degree and change himself to who he is. Rusty understands Russ's job as an image consultant to be training people to pretend to be somebody else.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Russ cancels his appointments and spends the day with Rusty, trying to figure out what from the past needs to be fixed to get him back home. Driving through a tunnel, Russ recalls a fight he lost with some bullies who were abusing a three-legged dog. They emerge from the tunnel into Rusty's eighth birthday in 1968.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Russ helps Rusty win the fight and save the dog, but realizes that was only the first half of the ordeal. Rusty's terminally ill mother was called to take him home, where his father angrily berates him for getting into trouble and causing his mother further stress. Rusty breaks down and his father harshly tells him to grow up, making Russ realize why he is the way he is today.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Tearfully, Russ assures Rusty that he was not responsible for his mother's death, and that his father's outburst was not because he truly believed Rusty was responsible, but simply because he was scared about the prospect of raising his children alone.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: They celebrate their birthday, but realize their efforts to change the outcome of the day have failed, as their father's outburst left Rusty emotionally scarred in both cases. When a dog named Chester greets Rusty, they find that his owner is an older version of them who owns planes and has a family with Amy.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Realizing that Rusty's appearance was meant to change his own ways rather than Rusty's, Russ arranges to see his father and, with a puppy, visits Amy, who invites him into her home.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: "The Kid" was part of a three-picture deal that Willis cut with the studio to compensate them for the dissolution of 1997's "Broadway Brawler".


title: Disney's The Kid

text: "Disney's The Kid" opened at #4 at the North American box office, making $12,687,726 USD in its opening weekend, behind "The Patriot", "The Perfect Storm", and "Scary Movie". The film eventually ended its run by grossing $69,691,949 in North America and $40,625,631 elsewhere, thus bringing its worldwide total to $110,317,580, against a $65 million budget.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated a 49% overall approval rating based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10. The consensus reads, "Critics find "The Kid" to be too sweet and the movie's message to be annoyingly simplistic." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45, based on 32 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Disney's The Kid

text: Film critic Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the movie 3 stars out of 4, observing that ""Disney's The Kid" is warm-hearted and effective, a sweet little parable that involves a man and a boy who help each other become a better boy, and a better man. It's a sweet film, unexpectedly involving, and shows again that Willis, so easily identified with action movies, is gifted in the areas of comedy and pathos: This is a cornball plot, and he lends it credibility just by being in it." Film critic A. O. Scott writing for "The New York Times" observed: "Mr. Willis stands by while a child swipes a movie out of his open palm ... Spencer Breslin, Russ's tubby, cute-but-annoying almost-8-year-old self."


title: Disney's The Kid

text: "The Kid" was nominated for three awards, winning one. For his role in the movie, at the 22nd Young Artist Awards presented by the Young Artist Association Spencer Breslin won the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Young Actor Age Ten or Under. He was also nominated for the 2001 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor awarded by Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, and the 2000 YoungStar Award for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Film, presented by "The Hollywood Reporter".


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: Grand Prismatic Spring was noted by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and named by them for its striking coloration. Its colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: The first records of the spring are from early European explorers and surveyors. In 1839, a group of four trappers from the American Fur Company crossed the Midway Geyser Basin and made note of a "boiling lake", most likely the Grand Prismatic Spring, with a diameter of . In 1870 the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition visited the spring, noting a geyser nearby (later named Excelsior).


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: The bright, vivid colors in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature gradient in the runoff. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water. The effect is strongest in the center of the spring, because of its sterility and depth.


title: Grand Prismatic Spring

text: The spring is approximately in diameter and is deep. The spring discharges an estimated of water per minute.


title: Antonov An-178

text: The Antonov An-178 () is a short-range medium-airlift military transport aircraft designed by the Ukrainian Antonov company and based on the Antonov An-158 (An-148-200). It was announced on 5 February 2010, rolled out on 16 April 2015 and the maiden flight was on 7 May 2015.


title: Antonov An-178

text: The An-178 is proposed to replace outdated aircraft like the An-12, An-26 and An-32. The aircraft will have an avionics suite similar to the An-148, and will use Progress D-436-148FM engines.


title: Antonov An-178

text: The An-178 is a potential competitor for the Embraer KC-390 from Brazil. The company plans to build more than 200 of the aircraft.


title: Antonov An-178

text: An-178 is a high-wing transport aircraft with moderately swept wing, winglets and a T-tail. The airframe is made of aluminium alloys and composite materials. The fuselage is semi-monocoque with a circular cross-section. The retractable landing gear consists of two main wheel bogies and a dual nose wheel. The flight control system is dual duplex fly-by-wire system, consisting of two parts: FCS-A and FCS-B, each of which is responsible for two control channels. The flight control surfaces include ailerons near the wing tips, four control spoilers, six lift-dump/speed-brake spoilers, rudder and elevators, with an emergency mechanical cable back-up system. The powerplant consists of two Progress D-436-148FM turbofan engines, mounted on pylons under the wings and an auxiliary power unit. It can shift 18 tonnes over 1,000 km, or 10 tonnes over 4,000 km.


title: Antonov An-178

text: The aircraft was derived from the 99-seat An-158 regional airliner and was fitted with the commonized F1 fuselage nose section with the identical flight deck, wing panels, empennage and most of the onboard systems. The fuselage however was newly created with an enlarged diameter that had grown from 3.35 m to 3.9 m, which has resulted in an enlarged cargo hold - the cargo cabin cross section increased to 2.75 m by 2.75 m. Aside from the wing structure, outer panels (including winglets), front fuselage nose, cockpit and nose landing gear which come from the An-158, there is an extra pair of tandem main-wheels on each side. The aircraft made its Western debut at the 2015 Paris Air Show.


title: Antonov An-178

text: There are reports that future production-standard aircraft will have a longer wingspan while retaining the organic wing panels of the An-158. Its maximal takeoff weight would increase to an estimated 56 tons. Later production variants would need turbofan engines with a thrust of about 9,500 kgf to have the characteristics required. The planned engine may be the new-generation in-development Ivchenko-Progress AI-28 turbofan. The decision was made to fit the An-178 prototype with less powerful D-436-148FM engines in the interim. The D-436-148FM is a derivative of the production-standard D-436-148 with an upgraded fan, which boosted the takeoff thrust to 7,800 kgf and at emergency power rating to 8,580 kgf.


title: Innocent Defendant

text: Innocent Defendant () is a South Korean television series starring Ji Sung with Um Ki-joon, Kwon Yu-ri, Oh Chang-seok and Uhm Hyun-kyung. It aired on SBS from January 23 to March 21, 2017 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 (KST) for 18 episodes.


title: Innocent Defendant

text: Park Jung-woo is a prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. One day, he wakes up and finds himself a convict on death row. Suffering from temporary amnesia, Jung-woo has no idea what transpired to land him in prison. He struggles to recover his memory and clear his name.


title: Innocent Defendant

text: A former doctor, he is a life convict and who had been imprisoned for twenty-years by the time he became Jung-woo's jail-mate.


title: Innocent Defendant

text: "Innocent Defendant" is directed by Jo Young-kwang of "49 Days", and written by Choi Su-jin of "City Hunter". Its first script reading took place on November 18, 2016 at the SBS Studio in Ilsan, South Korea.


title: Innocent Defendant

text: In December 2016, co-producer Signal Entertainment Group signed a deal with KT Music for the soundtrack of "Innocent Defendant".


title: Innocent Defendant

text: The series was a commercial success with over 25% ratings and topped popularity charts. It received praise for its plot-focused narrative, impressive acting performance of lead actors Ji Sung and Um Ki-joon and its ability to resonate with the public. "The Korea Times" said the drama is like a "warning sign to the evil and powerful figures of the real world"; and "Yonhap News Agency" praise Ji's character as "putting a relatable human face on a tale that is often disturbingly grim and somber". However, it also had criticisms about its unrealistic plot and its tendency to repeat the same pattern of twists and turns to keep viewers hooked.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: Tyler Cameron (born January 31, 1993) is an American television personality, model and general contractor. Cameron received national attention as a contestant on season fifteen of "The Bachelorette", starring Hannah Brown, in which Cameron was the season's runner-up. He works as a model with Soul Artist Management in New York City and Next Management Miami.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: Cameron was born in Jupiter, Florida, to parents Jeff Cameron and Andrea Hermann Cameron; his mother worked as a realtor in South Florida. Cameron is the eldest of three sons. During the Great Recession, the family suffered economically, resulting in them losing their home and Cameron's parents divorcing.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: After graduating from Jupiter Community High School, Cameron attended Wake Forest University, where he was the backup quarterback for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team. After graduating with his bachelor's degree, Cameron enrolled in the Florida Atlantic University College of Business and received a Master of Business Administration degree in 2018.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: Cameron had initially planned to play football professionally and had been signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens, but was forced to end his football career after a shoulder injury.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: Cameron began his career as a model while a college student, after having been discovered through Instagram. He ultimately went on to sign modeling contracts with Soul Artist Management in New York City and Next Management Miami.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: In 2019, Cameron was cast in season fifteen of "The Bachelorette", starring former Miss Alabama USA Hannah Brown. Filming took place throughout the spring of 2019, and Cameron was later revealed as a contestant by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on May 7, 2019. Cameron went on to place as the runner-up, being eliminated by Brown during the finale episode, aired on July 30, 2019, and filmed in Crete. During the reunion aired the same night, Brown revealed that she had broken up with winner Jed Wyatt after it arose that he was in a relationship with another woman just prior to and during filming. Brown then asked Cameron on a date, to which he accepted, although they ultimately did not end up resuming their relationship. During his tenure on the show, Cameron received widespread media attention for his multiple feminist statements, and for often coming to the defense of Brown after she was the victim of acts of alleged sexism by contestants such as Luke Parker.


title: Tyler Cameron

text: After the conclusion of the season, fans of the show and the media alike called on Cameron to be announced as the lead for the upcoming season of "The Bachelor". Host Chris Harrison stated that he believed Cameron wouldn't be a suitable choice following media reports of him dating fashion model Gigi Hadid, and Cameron later revealed in an interview that he was in talks to become the Bachelor, but rejected the offer. Ultimately, Peter Weber was chosen as the lead for the twenty-fourth season.


title: Ares Management

text: Ares Management Corporation is an American global alternative investment manager operating in the credit, private equity and real estate markets. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with additional offices across North America, Europe, and Asia.


title: Ares Management

text: As of September 2021, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately $295 billion of assets under management and 1,500 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.


title: Ares Management

text: The firm was established in 1997. The co-founders included Antony Ressler, Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, John H. Kissick, and Bennett Rosenthal. It has several subsidiaries:


title: Ares Management

text: In May 2007, a minority interest in the firm was acquired by an international institutional investor, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The investor did not acquire any voting or governance rights via its investment.


title: Ares Management

text: In May 2014, Ares Management completed its initial public offering and is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In April 2016, Ares Management closed its fifth global private equity fund, raising $7.85bn. In May 2016, Ares Management announced to buy asset management company American Capital; the US$3.4 billion deal closed in January 2017.


title: Ares Management

text: On January 30, 2020, Ares Management acquired a controlling stake in the Hong Kong-based alternative investment firm, SSG Capital Management. The deal was formally completed on July 2, 2020, and SSG Capital Management now operates under the name Ares SSG.


title: Ares Management

text: On July 1, 2021, Ares Management announced completion of its acquisition of Black Creek Group's U.S. real estate investment advisory and distribution business.


title: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under (season 1)

text: The first season of "RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under" began airing on 1 May and concluded on 19 June 2021.


text: Ten Australian and New Zealand-based drag queens competed for the title of the "Down Under's first Drag Superstar", a one-year supply of Revolution Beauty Cosmetics, and a cash prize of $30,000. The winner of the first season of "RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under" was Kita Mean, with Art Simone, Karen from Finance and Scarlet Adams as runners-up.


text: Initially announced as a solely Australian version in 2019, production was moved to New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Filmed in Auckland, the series features drag queens from both Australia and New Zealand competing to be "Down Under's first Drag Superstar".


text: Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson was confirmed to join RuPaul and Michelle Visage as a judge. They officially announced the ten contestants at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on 6 March 2021.


text: The three New Zealand-based queens were on "House of Drag", with Anita Wigl'it and Kita Mean as judges and Elektra Shock as the runner-up on season 2.


text: Following the cast reveal, video footage and images surfaced of Scarlet Adams "wearing a shirt with the Aboriginal flag, with dark tanned skin and two teeth blacked out". "Guardian Australia" reported that the image was taken in 2012 during Australia Day celebrations. Other images feature Adams in blackface as an African American woman and playing Asian stereotypes by wearing a sari as part of a Bollywood character. Adams apologised via social media in 2020 before being revealed as a cast member and later released a new apology in March 2021. In the series fifth episode, RuPaul addressed the controversy during the judges' critiques. Adams said, “I can’t deny that that happened. As a dumb, ignorant teenager, I made some mistakes that I’m really not proud of, and every day, I regret those decisions, I regret the fact that I used my platform as a performer to ridicule people who have faced systemic racism for hundreds of years and I’m so ashamed of the person I once was. I’m really sorry to you and to everyone that I have hurt.”


text: Another contestant, Karen from Finance, was also reported to be involved in racial insensitivity after photos emerged showing a tattoo of a golliwog. Karen from Finance addressed the controversy on their social media by saying "I made the uninformed, ignorant and regrettable decision to have one of these dolls tattooed. In the years that followed ... I realised how irresponsible and stupid I had been so I disposed of the dolls to landfill and had my tattoo covered."


text: Art Simone's return to the competition in Episode 4 also led to accusations of racism, with the show's lack of explanation for Simone's return leading to some viewers to question why a white contestant was allowed to return, but not the two recently eliminated contestants of colour.


text: Etcetera Etcetera's performance as Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton in the Snatch Game (episode 2) draw widespread condemnation, as her impersonation heavily mocked the death of Chamberlain's baby daughter, accompanied with a bloodstained dingo puppet, which was criticised as being cruel, offensive and insensitive considering how Chamberlain-Creighton was wrongfully convicted for her daughter's death.


text: Certain jokes made by Anita Wigl'it about Prince Andrew during her Snatch Game appearance as Elizabeth II in Episode Two were censored by the BBC for the UK screenings of the episode. Wigl'it was later accused of plagiarism by Australian comedian Anthony Lehmann, who claimed that Wigl'it stole a joke that he had originally cracked in August 2020. Wigl'it later issued an apology on her Instagram, saying “Oh no! I do apologise!! When I was doing research for the Queen character I knew that there was something funny about the letter writing[...]Friends suggested the text. Turns out they had heard it somewhere before!”


title: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat

text: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat (; born 24 February 1994), nicknamed Apo (อาโป) is a Thai actor and model. He is best known for his main role in "Sud Kaen Saen Rak" (2015), and "KinnPorsche" (2022).


title: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat

text: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat was born on February 24, 1994. He attended Thammasat University before transferring to Faculty of Communication Arts at Rangsit University.


title: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat

text: In 2014, Nattawin signed a contract as an actor with Channel 3 and made his debut in "Sud Kaen Saen Rak". Later in the same year, he starred in a "Luead Mungkorn", which is a Thai lakorn series consisting of 5 dramas. In 2018, his last lakorn with Channel 3 was "Chart Suer Pun Mungkorn". Nattawin went on hiatus for more than 2 years after his contract expired in 2019.


title: Nattawin Wattanagitiphat

text: In 2021, Nattawin return as an actor in the Thai boys' love (BL) series, "KinnPorsche The Series", playing the role of Porsche. The series will be available on iQIYI.


title: Ultima Online

text: Ultima Online (UO) is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems.


title: Ultima Online

text: Set in the "Ultima" universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. Since its release, it has added eight expansion packs, a booster pack and dozens of free content updates. The release of "" in 2007 brought a new game engine with upgraded visuals.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online" continued the tradition of previous "Ultima" games in many ways, but due to advancing technology and the simple fact that it was Origin's first persistent online game, many new game mechanics appeared. Partially designed as a social and economic experiment, the game had to account for widespread player interaction as well as deal with the tradition of players feeling as if they were the center of attention, as had been the case in single-player games.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online" began with a single world, with specific expansion packs adding additional territory and new worlds. The second world was the "Lost Lands", with additional land, dungeons, creatures, and terrain. The third was Trammel. This led the developers to distinguish the original world by making the environment more grim, and naming it "Felucca". The two kinds of servers were "normal" servers with both Trammel (consensual PVP) and Felucca (non-consensual PVP) ruleset and "siege" servers with non-consensual PVP and no item insurance. Siege servers support one character slot on an account, limits to ways of traveling and other limits.


title: Ultima Online

text: The game had a development budget of $2.5 million. "Ultima Online" is the product of Richard Garriott's idea for a fantasy game involving several thousand people who can all play in a shared fantasy world. Prior games allowed hundreds of people to play at the same time, including "Habitat" (beta-tested in 1986), "The Realm Online", "Neverwinter Nights" (the AOL version) and "Meridian 59"; however, "Ultima Online" significantly outdid these games, both graphically and in game mechanics. Garriott commented that "it was very important to us that "Ultima Online" be a game with a theme, and story, and quest - and then support larger, grander activity. We don't want it to be just player controlled and dominated; we want it to be an "Ultima" experience, with all the qualities that people expect from that. "Ultima Online" will be, I believe, the very first ever completely virtual world for the mass public to go live out alternate lives in." The goal was to offer the player as much freedom as possible. The initial team was composed of Garriott, Starr Long, Rick Delashmit, Scott Phillips and, a bit later, Raph Koster, who became the lead designer. Koster wrote public "designer letters" and usually went by his nickname of Designer Dragon. Koster drew inspiration from prior online games, such as "DartMUD".


title: Ultima Online

text: The project started in 1995 and was presented to the public at E3 as ""Ultima Online: Shattered Legacy"" in May 1996. Origin claimed to have more than 3,000 participants in the preliminary alpha testing. The development cost was much greater than traditional computer games; it relied on people accessing servers via modem. "Ultima Online"'s initial features included persistent player housing, skill-based character progression (without levels or classes), a craft-based and player-driven economy, and unrestricted player-versus-player combat.


title: Ultima Online

text: An artificial life engine was supposed to be implemented into the game. A preview announced that ecological events in the game would affect animal behavior, potentially creating new adventure possibilities in an organic manner. However, this feature never made it beyond the game's beta stage. Richard Garriott explained:


title: Ultima Online

text: Lord British was Garriott's in-game alter ego, who was killed during an in-game appearance at "Ultima Online"s beta test on August 9, 1997. During a server population stress test, a player character known as Rainz cast the "fire field" spell, killing Lord British. Producer Starr Long blamed it on human error: Lord British's character, like others, had been made invulnerable to this kind of attack, but by design, the invulnerability did not persist over several game sessions. When the server crashed shortly before the incident, Garriott forgot to reset his invulnerability status. Shortly after, administrators banned Rainz's account from the beta test for repeatedly exploiting, rather than reporting, bugs. According to Origin, he was not banned for the assassination but rather for prior complaints against his account highlighted by this incident. Beta testers protested Rainz's ban as well as subsequent actions of Long and other developers, during which his in-game character used a spell to indiscriminately kill other characters who observed the assassination. September 1997 was the last day of the original beta test. The beta ended with a bang, as players were treated to an "end of the world" scenario with Shadowlords, demons, and other evil creatures slaughtering every character in sight.


title: Ultima Online

text: In September 1997, "Ultima Online" launched and opened the first game servers to the public. Upon release, "Ultima Online" proved popular, reaching 100,000 paying subscribers within six months, causing severe lag problems. In 1999, servers opened around the world to support the rising popularity of the game, in Japan, Europe and South Korea. In 2000, Garriot resigned from Origin, taking Lord British with him. Game players created their own fanfiction speculations as to why the Lord had vanished. In February 2000, a large in-world event had a massive army of undead lay siege to the Britannia city of Trinsic. The event ran concurrently on all servers over several months. Another server opened in Australia during this time. In May 2000, "Ultima Online"s second expansion "" dramatically altered the game. It split the game world into two parts called Trammel and Felucca, one was a consensual PVP zone, while the other was non-consensual. In November 2000, a "Ultima Online's" first official fanfest was held, called the UO World Faire in Austin, TX. In March 2001, "Ultima Online"s third expansion "" was released. It added a new area to the server called Ilshenar. This new area could only be accessed with a new game client that launched with the expansion. The original game client could be used in the previous server areas. In January 2002, "Ultima Online"s second official fanfest was called Online Worlds FanFest, also held in Austin. Players were able to meet the developers, as well as guest speaker Todd McFarlane. February saw the release of "Ultima Online"s fourth expansion "". Notably, it enabled access to the areas previously only available to the newer "Third Dawn" game client. In February 2003, "Ultima Online"s fifth expansion "" was released. It was the most game changing update yet including: offering players the ability to custom design their game homes, a server area that doubled the size of homes, and overhauled the item system. Around March 2003 "Ultima Online" reached approximately 250,000 subscribers. In February 2004, Origin Systems shut down. "Ultima Online" no longer had a named studio managing it. Development headquarters moved from Austin to Fairfax, Virginia.


title: Ultima Online

text: The sixth expansion, "", launched in November 2004 was Japanese-themed. It offered two new professions, the Ninja and the Samurai, as well as new Japanese-themed housing tile sets. New lands, the Tokuno Islands, were added, with the cities being styled after ancient Japanese cities.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online" was the first MMORPG to reach the 100,000 subscriber base, far exceeding that of any game that went before it. Subscriber numbers peaked at around 250,000 in July 2003, but then began a steady decline. In 2008 the game had around 100,000 subscribers. As of April 2008, "Ultima Online" held a market share below 0.6% of the massively multiplayer online game subscriptions. This may in part be attributed to the 2004 release of World of Warcraft, which quickly established hegemony over the MMORPG market and has attracted scores of players from all preexisting games in the genre.


title: Ultima Online

text: Expansion number seven, "", launched in August 2005. It featured the second player race, Elves. The quest system received a major upgrade, as did the crafting system. Spellweaving was added to the skills. Many new dungeons were added. This expansion was the first that was only available online (offline versions on CDs could be ordered). Mondain's Legacy was the last expansion, with updates becoming more irregular after that point.


title: Ultima Online

text: In June 2006 Electronic Arts purchased Mythic Entertainment, the creators of "Dark Age of Camelot." Mythic was tasked with managing EA's MMORPG portfolio, including "Ultima Online". That month it was also announced that the anti-cheating software PunkBuster would be integrated into "Ultima Online". This marked the first time PunkBuster would be used with an MMORPG to help curb cheating and exploiting. However, it was never integrated into the game, and in November 2006, Electronic Arts put the PunkBuster integration on indefinite hold.


title: Ultima Online

text: In August 2007 "" was released. This was the first major overhaul of the client and artwork systems since "". The final expansion was "" (2009), which focused on the gargoyle race. After "Stygian Abyss" the development model shifted from expansions to "booster packs" that were intended to be smaller updates released more frequently. However, the first booster pack "" of 2010 was also the last.


title: Ultima Online

text: It was announced on February 6, 2014, that development of the game would be transferred from Mythic to Broadsword, a new studio, that would take over future development.


title: Ultima Online

text: In 2018 the traditional free fourteen-day trial was replaced with "Endless Journey" which allowed free playing indefinitely, but with large restrictions as to what players can do and where they can go.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Next Generation" reviewed the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "it's a very big world in there, full of lots of exciting things to try and accomplish, with more to be added over time and lots of real people around to know you did them. Brittania is what you make of it. Have fun." "GameSpot" rated the game 4.9 of 10.


title: Ultima Online

text: Internal sales predictions for "Ultima Online" were low, as Electronic Arts president John Riccitiello remarked that "Ultima" "was never a big franchise." According to an Origin Systems employee, the game's expected maximum subscriber count was 15,000 users. However, Stefan Janicki of GameSpot later noted that it "quickly became one of the most commercially successful games ever". "CNNMoney" similarly declared it a "watershed event" and the first major hit in the Internet-only game genre. In the United States, "Ultima Online" debuted at #9 on PC Data's computer game sales rankings for October 1997. It carried a list price of $65, and its average street price was $55 for the month. A writer for CNET Gamecenter found that the title was part of a trend of role-playing successes in October, alongside "Fallout" and "". He remarked, "If October's list is any indication, RPGs are back." Between "Ultima Online"s launch on September 25 and November 13, the game sold 65,000 units. In Japan, its initial shipment of 5,000 units sold out within 15 minutes on shelves.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online"s sales rate was the fastest ever for an Internet-only game by 1997, and it led Electronic Arts to declare the title its fastest-selling computer game of all time. A writer for "PC Gamer US" considered this speed the possible cause for "the many reports of lost orders, delayed pre-orders and stores out of stock that occurred when the game launched." In mid-November, Electronic Arts revealed plans to ship an additional 80,000 units of "Ultima Online" worldwide, including 15,000 for Japan. The majority of its first shipment had been targeted at the United States. On November 20, the game became Japan's best-selling computer title of its launch month. "Ultima Online" reached 70,000 global subscribers by early December, of which Japan made up 8,000 and Europe 5,000. The game had fallen from PC Data's monthly top 20 for the United States during November, but the firm tracked 87,000 sales of "Ultima Online" in that country alone through the end of 1997.


title: Ultima Online

text: By December 1998, "Ultima Online" had reached 100,000 subscribers, with an average simultaneous player count of 12,500 and an average weekly playtime of 20 hours. Declaring the game a hit, IGN's staff wrote that its users "pay $9.95 a month to play the game. That's a million dollars in revenue a month. Twelve million dollars a year." The game had risen to 120,000 subscribers by March 1999, and by June "Ultima Online"s global sales had surpassed 200,000 units. A writer for GameDaily described this performance as "almost like printing money." Its subscriber base continued to climb in 2000, reaching 150,000 users by February. Domestically, "Ultima Online" and its "Second Age" add-on together had sold 249,610 copies and earned revenues of $11.3 million at retail alone by early 2000, according to PC Data. Gamecenter's Mark Asher wrote at the time, "Add in its current subscriber base of 150,000 players at $10 per month, and you can see the appeal of online, fee-based games." Subscribers rose to 165,000 by March, which amounted to $1.65 million in monthly revenue, and to 250,000 by October 2000.


title: Ultima Online

text: By early 2001, "Ultima Online"s playerbase was estimated at 20–30% female, which was common to MMORPGs of the period. Japan remained a key market for "Ultima Online" by July 2001, and accounted for 64,000 of the game's 240,000 subscribers at the time. A representative for Electronic Arts reported, "While we do only a fraction of PC game business in Japan against EA's worldwide business, over 25 percent of "Ultima Online" business is done in Japan." Worldwide, "Ultima Online" retained 225,000 subscribers by early 2003.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online"s success resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the game eight world records in the "Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008". These records include "First MMORPG to Reach 100,000 Players", "Longest Running MMORPG", and "First and Only Person to Kill Lord British", which was done by a player named Rainz during a server reset which turned off his invulnerability; however, the "Longest Running MMORPG" award was revoked due to an oversight and was instead given to the game "Furcadia", which was released nine months prior to "Ultima Online". In May 2001 "Ultima Online" won the MPOGD game of the month award In 2010, "Ultima Online" was the first inductee into the Game Developers Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. In 2012, Stratics presented "Ultima Online" with a "Historic Achievement Award" to commemorate "fifteen years of innovation, imagination, and dedication in support of the Ultima Online community." Time designated it as one of the 100 greatest video games of all time in November 2012.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online" had a number of serious bugs when it first shipped, with the vast majority of them being fixed with patches over the next few months. This ignited debates over whether the recently emerged technology for continuous patching would lead to companies routinely releasing games in an unfinished and/or bug-ridden state with the intention of fixing the problems after release.


title: Ultima Online

text: Since the designers of "Ultima Online" wanted to provide freedom and sense of agency, it was important to allow players to act in a villainous role. The consequences of in-game criminality were adjusted over time, but maintaining the general commitment to player freedom. As explained by designer Raph Koster, "Being safe from evil is, in my mind, an uneven tradeoff for the fact that you don't get to be heroes anymore, in that you can just opt out of fighting evil. It may be nobody wants to be heroes except when it doesn't count, when it isn't challenging, that people would rather fight 'pretend evil' than the real thing, but I don't personally believe that. I still think people are better than that."


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online" was sued by former player volunteers ("Counselors") and settled in 2004 without admitting wrongdoing. AOL had their volunteers train customer service personnel it hired, then shut down the volunteer program. Concern over future lawsuits led Microsoft to shut down their volunteer program for "Asheron's Call".


title: Ultima Online

text: Throughout "Ultima Online"s history, there have been many major additions to the game. Expansion packs have been released regularly, all of which add new content in the form of landmass, art, quests, items, or game mechanics.


title: Ultima Online

text: Electronic Arts provides the standard clients with which players are allowed to connect to the "Ultima Online" servers, though some third-party clients were made.


title: Ultima Online

text: The 3D client was originally released as a part of the "Ultima Online: Third Dawn" expansion, but received poor reviews due to performance issues (especially memory leaks early on) and sub-par graphics. An update to the 3D client was made on January 30, 2006 when characters and creatures from the game were scaled down to smaller sizes. As of early May/Late April 2007, the Third Dawn client was no longer supported by Electronic Arts, and focus shifted to the Kingdom Reborn client and its successor the Enhanced Client. Electronic Arts "Ultima Online" servers do not allow the Third Dawn client to connect.


title: Ultima Online

text: "Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn" was a client "Ultima Online" created in 2007 with updated graphics. Kingdom Reborn was not considered an expansion pack and could be downloaded for free. A series of clues provided by developers via an in-game event arc allowed players to find a URL on the "Ultima Online" website wherein a simple message was contained as well as a Flash movie featuring screenshots of the upgraded graphics. In addition to the upgraded graphics, there was a newer, more streamlined interface. Some of the changes included hot keys, a scrolling bag configuration and a new character sheet.