title: Rotisserie

text: This style mounts the spit horizontally. They are often used to cook whole chickens or roasts of various meats including beef and pork. The design may include a single spit mounted over an open broiler or grill, a single spit mounted within an otherwise-conventional oven, or many spits mounted within a large industrial oven. The latter are commonly used to mass-produce roasted meats for sale to consumers.


title: Rotisserie

text: In this style of rotisserie, balance is important. If the object to be cooked is far out of balance, it will impose a heavy load on the drive mechanism or cause the mechanism to fail to turn. Loose chicken legs or wings can also cause the mechanism to jam. For these two reasons, some skewering skill is required.


title: Rotisserie

text: High-end consumer ovens commonly come with a rotisserie (or allow the installation of a rotisserie as an option). In these cases, the motor drive mechanism is usually concealed within the oven. The rotisserie is used by removing the normal cooking racks; a special carrier may be needed to provide one or both bearing points for the spit.


title: Rotisserie

text: The speed of rotation can vary, depending on the type of food being cooked and proximity to the heat source. Large animals, such as whole pigs, are often cooked at speeds ranging from 3 rpm to 1 rpm. Ron Popeil, inventor of the Ronco "Showtime" rotisserie oven, claims that 6 rpm is an ideal speed for cooking a variety of food.


title: Rotisserie

text: Generally speaking, when a whole animal is being spit roasted, it is best rotated faster in the early part of the roasting, to help interior temperature rise without burning the exterior. Once the exterior has started to crust, then the rate of rotation is adjusted down so as to minimize dripping. This allows juices and drippings to stay on, thus maximizing flavor. The latter is particularly important if using a horizontal spit and coals or an open fire, in which case the drippings cannot be salvaged for basting. For a horizontal spit, it is also preferable to keep the roast further away from the heat source in the beginning, which minimizes infrared heating while preserving air convection heating. Later on, the roast is brought closer, thus combining intense convection and radiation heating.


title: Rotisserie

text: Supermarkets commonly mass-produce rotisserie chickens using a horizontal rotisserie that has metal bars to hold the chicken in place through the weakest part of the breast (also which hardly affects the meat itself from the impaling, but still holds the chicken firmly in place) and the densest part of the chicken (located just below the drumstick of the chicken).


title: Rotisserie

text: Another style of rotisserie is the vertical rotisserie in which the heat is applied directly from the side or, less commonly, convected up from below. In this style of rotisserie, balance of the load is less important than with a horizontal rotisserie; this feature is useful, as the meat is typically shaved off a bit at a time.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: The club name of "Consadole" is made from "consado", a reverse of the Japanese word and the Spanish expression "Ole".


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: Unlike other teams, their main home ground at Sapporo Dome is also used by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team, so some home games are moved to Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: Consadole's club tradition dates back to 1935 when Toshiba Horikawa-cho Soccer Club was founded in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. They were promoted to the now-defunct Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1978. They adopted new name Toshiba Soccer Club in 1980 and were promoted to the JSL Division 1 in 1989. Their highest placement, 4th in the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Relegating themselves as they were not ready for J.League implementation, they joined the newly formed Japan Football League in 1992 and played the last season as Toshiba S.C. in 1995.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: They sought to be a professional club but the owner Toshiba did not regard Kawasaki as an ideal hometown. This was because Verdy Kawasaki, one of the most prominent clubs at that time, was also based in the city, which Toshiba apparently believed was not big enough to accommodate two clubs. (Verdy has since crossed the Tama River to be based in Chōfu City in the west of Tokyo and has been renamed as Tokyo Verdy 1969; the only remaining professional club is Kawasaki Frontale, originally part of Fujitsu.)


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: They decided to move to Sapporo where the local government and community had been keen to provide a base for a professional soccer team as they awaited Sapporo Dome to be completed in 2001. The ownership was transferred from Toshiba to Hokkaido Football Club plc. before the start of the 1996 season.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: Toshiba does not have financial interest in the club any more but Consadole still boasts their forerunner's red and black colours on their uniform.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: Consadole Sapporo inherited the JFL status from Toshiba S.C.. Their debut season in 1996 was not overly successful as they finished 5th and missed promotion. However, they won the JFL championship in 1997 and were promoted to J.League.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 1998, their first J.League season saw them finish 14th out of 18 but this did not guarantee them staying up. From the 1999 season, the J.League had 2 divisions and the play-offs involving five teams (four J.League sides and the champions of the JFL) were to be played. In order to decide who were involved in the play-offs, not only the results of the 1998 season but also those of the 1997 were taken account of. Consadole, who did not play in the previous season, was placed 14th in the aggregate standing and despite finishing above Gamba Osaka (who had finished 4th in 1997), was forced to face the play-offs. They lost all four games, two against Vissel Kobe, and another two against Avispa Fukuoka, and became the first-ever J.League side that experienced relegation.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 1999, Takeshi Okada, the former Japan national team coach, was appointed as head coach in an effort to make an immediate comeback to J1, but this attempt failed as they finished 5th. Their heavy investment on players counted against them and, at this point, the debt owed by the club exceeded 3 billion yen (US$33 million). The bankruptcy looked a near-certainty.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 2000, they cut costs dramatically. As a result, the team often included as many as eight on-loan players in the starting line-up. However, this strategy paid off and the club won the J2 championship as well as promotion to J1. The club posted a single-year profit for the first time in their history this year.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 2001, they finished 11th in J1. However, at the end of the season, the club failed to persuade Okada to renew the contract and several leading players also left the club. In 2002, they finished bottom and were relegated to J2 for a second time.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 2003, they again tried to return to the top-flight immediately by investing heavily but the team didn't perform well on the pitch. They finished 9th and their debt again crossed the 3 billion yen mark.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: The deficit-ridden club realized they needed a drastic restructuring and released highly paid leading players including mainstay Yasuyuki Konno. The rejuvenated but inexperienced team finished bottom of J2 in 2004. The bright side was their improved financial situation where the debt was sharply reduced to less than 100 million yen.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In 2005 and 2006, they finished 6th. In 2006 they also reached the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup, 15 years after reaching the semi-finals in Kawasaki–the furthest they've reached in the Cup. In 2007 they finally earned promotion as champions and play in J1 in the 2008 season.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: A loss on October 19, 2008 confirmed Sapporo's relegation to J2 for the 2009 season, overtaking Kyoto Sanga as the league's most relegated side. Having won the Japanese second-tier championship a record 5 times (including two JSL Second Divisions as Toshiba, and one former JFL title), they were promoted to Division One after finishing third in 2011. However, a torrid 2012 season ended with Consadole holding the highest goals conceded per game ratio, the worst points per game ratio and the highest loss percentage in J.League history as they were relegated after just 27 matches played, making the 2012 team one of the worst to have ever featured in the top division.　From the 2016 season, the club has adopted the new name as "Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo".


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: On Feb. 9, 2018, the team won the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 1–0. 2018 was the season they reached their highest placing in the J.League era and in Sapporo – 4th, 27 years after achieving the same place in Kawasaki.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In January 2022, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo's Thai player Chanathip Songkrasin who was part of the 2018 J.League Best XI joined Kawasaki Frontale with a transfer fee of around $3.8 million, breaking the J.League record for the highest domestic transfer.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo's mascot is Dole Kun, an anthropomorphic Shima Fukurou (or Blakiston's fish owl). The owl was chosen as not only was it on Consa's crest, but also because it is the largest owl in Japan, and it also lives in Hokkaido. He also enjoys having hot baths sometimes. He also is friends with Frep the Fox and Polly Polaris, the mascots of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, which can be attributed because the Fighters and Consa share the same stadium.


title: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

text: In the "Captain Tsubasa" manga series, two characters were from Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, midfielder Hikaru Matsuyama (himself a Hokkaido native) and forward Kazumasa Oda. In 2017, Matsuyama became an Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo player, given a squad number, 36, and is also an official ambassador of the team from Hokkaido.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Kevin Vincent Muscat (born 7 August 1973) is an Australian former association football player and the current manager of Yokohama F. Marinos. As a player, he represented the Australia national team at international level winning 46 caps and scoring 10 goals between 1994 and 2006.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: After beginning his professional career in the Australian National Soccer League with Sunshine George Cross in 1989, Muscat played eight seasons in the United Kingdom with Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangers and Millwall. He returned to Australia in 2005 for the first time since leaving South Melbourne in 1996 to captain Melbourne Victory in the inaugural season of the A-league.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat retired from professional football in March 2011 after Melbourne Victory's 2011 AFC Champions League campaign, citing his growing frustration at his inability to keep pace with the game. Muscat briefly rejoined his former club Sunshine George Cross for part of the 2011 Victorian State League Division 1 season.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: During his international career, Muscat represented the Australia U-20 side at the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship in Portugal and the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia. He represented the Australia U-23 side at the 1996 Summer Olympics. After making his full international debut for Australia in September 1994 against Kuwait, Muscat represented the national side at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2000 OFC Nations Cup, 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: After several seasons as an assistant coach, Muscat was appointed head coach at Melbourne Victory in October 2013. He has coached Victory to the 2014–15 A-League Premiership, the 2014–15 A-League Championship and success in the 2015 FFA Cup. He left the role in 2019.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Born in Crawley, West Sussex, in England from Maltese descent, Muscat began his career as a junior at Australian National Soccer League (NSL) club Sunshine George Cross, making his first senior appearances for the club in the 1989/90 season t 16-years old. He moved from Sunshine to the Australian Institute of Sport in 1990 and was awarded the Weinstein Medal as the Victorian Junior Player of the year.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: He continued playing in the NSL for Heidelberg United in the 1991-92 season before earning a move to Australian powerhouse South Melbourne Hellas. Mostly deployed as a left-back, Muscat's aggressiveness and defensive awareness made him a standout performer in the league which attracted international attention. During his time at South, he was called up to the Olyroos.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In 1995-96 he trialled at Sheffield United under manager Dave Bassett but decided to stay at South Melbourne. After further impressive performances with South Melbourne and the Olyroos, he attracted the interest of many overseas clubs. His performances for South culminated in a senior international call-up by Eddie Thompson for the Australian National Team. By August 1996 Bassett had taken the helm at Crystal Palace and signed Muscat to the south London club for £35,000 from South Melbourne Hellas. In his departure Muscat thanked the South Melbourne fans for their support towards him.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat was part of the Palace team that subsequently won promotion to the English Premier League, defeating Sheffield United in the 1997 play-off final at Wembley. Muscat obtained a reputation as a 'hard man' at Palace and was constantly targeted by the media and opposing fans for his style of play. He made nine Premier League appearances for Palace before moving to First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers for £200,000 in October 1997.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat remained at Wolves for five seasons before moving to Scotland to join Rangers on a free transfer in July 2002.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: He was part of the Rangers squad which won a treble of domestic trophies in 2002–03. He would end his career in Scotland having played 22 times for Rangers.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat's final British club was Millwall, for whom he played from 2003 to 2005. In 2004, he captained Millwall to the FA Cup Final for the first time in their history.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: He missed the final itself after suffering a knee ligament injury in the semi-final against Sunderland, although the Millwall manager Dennis Wise insisted on him being presented with a medal. He left Millwall to return to Australia to become Melbourne Victory's inaugural captain in the 2005–06 season. Under Victory manager Ernie Merrick, Muscat, a defender for virtually his entire career, moved to midfield for the 2006–07 season. He remained the captain until 2011.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In February 2011, Muscat announced his intention to retire from club football after the conclusion of the 2011 Asian Champions League. His decision to finish was fast-tracked by an infamous tackle he committed in a Melbourne derby on 22 January 2011, which resulted in a season-ending eight-week ban from the A-League. Muscat played out his competitive career in the 2011 AFC Champions League under the captaincy of centre-back Adrian Leijer, despite having previously referred to the competition as "not all that enjoyable". Muscat regained the captaincy for his farewell match in Melbourne, a 1–1 draw against J-League side Gamba Osaka. Muscat scored on his return to Sunshine George Cross in a 3–1 loss to Altona Magic in August 2011.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat represented Australia at Under-20 level at the World Youth Cup finals in Portugal in 1991 and Australia in 1993, and at Under-23 level at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He made his full international debut in September 1994 against Kuwait, and went on to make 51 appearances for the national team, including Confederations Cup tournaments in 1997, 2001 and 2005. Muscat captained the national team five times from April 2001 and scored a critical penalty in the 1–0 home leg of Australia's unsuccessful play-off against Uruguay for a place in the finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat was dropped from the squad when coach Guus Hiddink took over in 2005 and played no part in Australia's subsequent qualification for the 2006 World Cup, but was recalled later in 2006 by Graham Arnold and captained Australia in its 2–0 Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait. In 2008, newly appointed coach Pim Verbeek selected Muscat in a squad of 22 A-League based players to prepare for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but he did not play in any subsequent fixtures.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In 1996, Muscat was sent off in his first season in the UK in a match involving Crystal Palace and Norwich City after body checking Norwich player, Darren Eadie which then sparked a 21-man melee where punches were thrown. Two other players were also sent off in the incident.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat was branded a "lowlife" and a "nobody" by ex-England striker Ian Wright, then of Nottingham Forest, in September 1999. Wright claimed he was about to shoot when he heard Dougie Freedman, Forest's other striker, shout "leave it". Wright stepped over the ball to allow Freedman to hit it, but instead Muscat (who had, according to Wright, merely impersonated Freedman) appeared to clear the ball.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat was dubbed the "most hated man in football" by then Birmingham City player Martin Grainger in 2000 after a reckless tackle against international teammate, Stan Lazaridis. He seriously injured both Craig Bellamy and Christophe Dugarry, the latter in a friendly international between Australia and France in 2001 with a sliding tackle from behind. The French manager Roger Lemerre dubbed the tackle "an act of brutality". It was speculated that Muscat's temperament was the reason he was never selected for inclusion in an Old Firm derby during his time at Rangers.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In March 2002, Muscat was sent off after nine minutes in a match against Grimsby Town for elbowing Grimsby striker Michael Boulding. Wolves lost the match and Muscat was suspended for three matches following the incident.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In 2003, after only three weeks since signing for Millwall, Muscat was fined and reprimanded by Millwall after a match against Watford where he gave away a penalty and was sent off for stamping on Watford's Danny Webber. Millwall chief executive, Ken Brown, formally warned Muscat that he would be sacked if he did not "clean up his act." "Kevin's actions were totally unacceptable. We have made him aware that such behavior will not be tolerated. Any repeat of such a deliberate, unprovoked, off-the-ball incident will result in his instant dismissal."


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In 2004, a lawsuit on Muscat brought by former Charlton Athletic player Matty Holmes resulted in a settlement of £250,000 plus costs in favour of Holmes, bringing the estimated settlement to around £750,000. Holmes had to have four operations on his leg following a tackle by Muscat in 1998, and there were initial fears that his leg might have to be amputated. The claim was settled at the High Court without any admission of liability. In a League Cup tie while at Millwall, he grabbed the throat of Liverpool striker Milan Baroš. Also in 2004, Iwan Roberts admitted he deliberately stamped on Muscat in a match against Norwich City in revenge for his attempt to injure Craig Bellamy in 1999. Roberts was subsequently fined and suspended by The Football Association for his comments.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In March later that year whilst playing for Millwall, Muscat was red carded and suspended for five games for a challenge from behind on Sheffield United player, Ashley Ward which ignited an on-field brawl that involved most players from both teams. Sheffield United went on to win the game 2-1 despite having goalkeeper Paddy Kenny sent off alongside Muscat, and as Millwall players were walking off the pitch, Blades manager Neil Warnock was seen shaking players’ hands while also saying “serves you right for f*cking Muscat, that” - one of which being former Chelsea assistant manager, Jody Morris.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In December 2005, he was the first A-League player to appear before a FFA disciplinary hearing and was subsequently suspended for two matches for "violent conduct". At an A-league game in October 2006 Muscat clashed with then Adelaide United coach John Kosmina, knocking Kosmina from his chair while retrieving the ball. Kosmina responded by grabbing Muscat by the throat, an action for which Kosmina was suspended for four matches.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat's dominant personality and aggressive style did win some admirers in the A-League, with former England international Terry Butcher stating ""Every manager in the A-League would love to have Kevin, and I'm no exception"."


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In February 2009, Muscat "escaped" further sanction by the FFA for stamping on Adelaide United defender, Daniel Mullen, while challenging for the ball. Due to the referee seeing the incident during the match, as according to A-League protocol, the Match Review Panel had no authority to intervene any further.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In January 2010, Muscat was suspended for two games for elbowing Gold Coast United midfielder, Jason Culina, in an off the ball incident.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In October 2010, Manchester United winger Ashley Young recalled he was threatened by Muscat during his first professional match as an 18-year-old. ""Kevin Muscat said he would break my legs if I went past him,"" said Young. Their meeting occurred as they were warming up for an encounter between Watford F.C. and Millwall back in September 2003, but Muscat was sent off for stamping on Watford's Danny Webber before Young came on as substitute for Watford.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In January 2011, Muscat was sent off for elbowing Adelaide United midfielder, Adam Hughes, in the face while following through on a challenge for the ball.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In his first match back from suspension, Muscat was then suspended for eight matches following a tackle on Melbourne Heart player Adrian Zahra in a Melbourne Derby. The tackle was widely condemned in Australia and around the world, with former Socceroo Mark Bosnich calling it a "disgrace".


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In a professional career spanning 19 years from 1992 to 2011, Muscat received 123 yellow cards and 12 red cards.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In December 2013, the Spanish football website "El Gol Digital" named Muscat as football's dirtiest ever player.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: For the final two years of his playing career, Muscat served as a playing assistant coach under Ernie Merrick. Due to a clause in his contract with Melbourne Victory, which makes him an assistant coach at Melbourne Victory for the next two years after his retirement, Kevin Muscat began serving as an assistant coach at Melbourne Victory shortly after his retirement from football. After Mehmet Durakovic was sacked after a poor run of results, Muscat was appointed as the caretaker coach of Melbourne Victory until he was succeeded by former Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers manager Jim Magilton. In his only game as Victory manager, Melbourne Victory defeated the Newcastle Jets 2–1, with two own goals from defender Byun Sung-Hwan.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: After an underwhelming tenure as Melbourne Victory manager, in which he recorded just two wins in 12 matches, Magilton left the Victory at the conclusion of the 2011–12 A-League with Brisbane Roar manager Ange Postecoglou taking the reins at Victory for the beginning of the 2012–13 A-League season, signing a three-year contract. After a relatively successful first season in charge of the Victory, in which the Victory finished 3rd on the A-League ladder, and made it to the semi-finals of the A-League finals, Postecoglou was appointed the new manager of Australia, with Postecoglou departing the Victory after their Round 3 win against Postecoglou's former club, Brisbane Roar. Having served under four managers since his appointment as assistant coach, Muscat was subsequently appointed as Postecoglou's successor on 31 October 2013, three games into the 2013–14 season, on a two-year contract.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In his first full season as Melbourne Victory manager, and just his second year in charge of the club, Muscat guided Melbourne Victory to an A-League premiership-championship double in 2015, the Victory's third A-League premiership-championship double. Under Muscat, the Victory finished with a regular season record of 15 wins 8 draws and 4 losses, with a final points tally of 53 points, three points ahead of second placed Sydney FC and a final goal difference of +25, the highest of any club that season. Muscat guided the Victory to a 3–0 win over Melbourne City in the semi-finals, before recording a 3–0 win over Sydney FC at AAMI Park.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: In June 2017, Muscat, along with Darren Davies and Ross Aloisi, were called up by Ange Postecoglou to serve as members of Australia's coaching staff for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: On 5 June 2020 Muscat was announced as the manager for Belgian First Division A team Sint-Truidense V.V., however just six months later he was sacked due to poor results.


title: Kevin Muscat

text: Muscat was appointed manager of Yokohama F. Marinos in July 2021, succeeding Ange Postecoglou as he had at Melbourne Victory.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez (born March 4, 1972), known professionally as Ivy Queen, is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, commonly referred to as the Queen of Reggaeton.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Ivy Queen began her career as a member of the all-male collective The Noise in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There, she performed her first song "Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes" "(We are Rappers, Not Delinquents)". Ivy Queen went solo in 1996, and released her debut studio album "En Mi Imperio (In My Empire)" which was quickly picked up by Sony Discos for distribution in 1997.


title: Ivy Queen

text: She later released "The Original Rude Girl", her second studio album for Sony label, which spawned the hit single "In the Zone". However, Ivy Queen did not rise to fame until she moved to an independent record label to release her third studio album, "Diva" in 2003. Ivy Queen's albums "Diva", "Flashback", and "Sentimiento" have all been awarded Gold and Platinum record status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her seventh studio album "Drama Queen" was released in 2010, and spawned a top ten single "La Vida es Así". It was followed by the Grammy Award-nominated "Musa" in 2012. Ivy Queen's recordings often include themes of female empowerment, socio-political issues, infidelity, and relationships.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Ivy Queen is the host of the podcast “Loud”, a Spotify original podcast, where she talks about the history of reggaeton and features prominent Latin artists. The 10-episode podcast debuted August 4, 2021 on Spotify, with episodes released weekly on Wednesdays.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Ivy Queen was born in Añasco, Puerto Rico. When she was young, Queen's parents moved to New York, where she was raised. She did not finish high school, reaching eleventh grade in the mainland United States, and studied music at the New Jersey School of Performing Arts.


title: Ivy Queen

text: When she was 18, Ivy Queen moved to San Juan, where she met rapper and producer DJ Negro. In 1995, Queen joined an all-male Puerto Rican group called the Noise, at the invitation of DJ Negro. The group became part of the emerging reggaeton scene. DJ Negro began producing a series of CDs centered around the Noise. Ivy Queen made her first appearance on the fifth installment of the CD series on a track called "Somos Raperos Pero No Delincuentes". She became tired of the violent and sexual themes often used in reggaeton, and wished to write about a wider variety of subjects.


title: Ivy Queen

text: DJ Negro convinced Queen to go solo, and in 1997 she recorded her first solo album, "En Mi Imperio"which featured the hit single "Como Mujer"for Sony Discos. In 1998, Queen launched her second album, "The Original Rude Girl"which featured Don Chezina, Alex D'Castro, and Domingo Quiñonesand worked with Wyclef Jean on her debut single "In the Zone". The album is bilingual and features hip hop music, a departure from the reggaeton featured on her debut album. "The Original Rude Girl" was commercially unsuccessful but "In The Zone" charted at number 38 on the "Billboard" Rhythmic Top 40.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In 1999, after a lack of commercial success with her first two studio albums, Sony dropped Queen and she took a break from her musical career. In 2001 and 2002, Queen's music began appearing on reggaeton compilation albums, spawning hits like "Quiero Bailar" from "The Majestic 2" and "Quiero Saber" from "Kilates". With songs like "Quiero Bailar", Ivy Queen represented women "In a movement that took off commercially [and dominantly was led by men] with aggressively lyrics and a "doggiestyle perreo dance". Ivy Queen established herself as reggaeton's no-nonsense female conscience. (Her anthem "Quiero Baliar" warned her dance partner not to misinterpret those moves.)". In 2003, Queen and her then-husband Gran Omar signed with independent, Miami-based label Real Music, established by Jorge Guadalupe and Anthony Pérez. They appeared on the label's first album "Jams Vol. 1". Queen frequently appeared and performed on the reggaeton television show "The Roof", which featured urban music and lifestyle, and was produced by Pérez.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In 2003, Ivy Queen released "Diva", her third studio album. It spawned hit singles including "Quiero Bailar". The album is considered to have been important for exposing reggaeton to a mainstream audience in 2004. After the success of the albumwhich was certified platinum by the RIAA, Ivy Queen released a platinum edition of "Diva" in 2004. The platinum edition was nominated for "Reggaeton Album of the Year" at the 2005 "Billboard" Latin Music Awards. "Quiero Bailar", the album's lead single, became the first Spanish-language track to reach number one on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart of Miami's WPOWan American radio station that does not usually play Spanish music.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen's fourth studio album, "Real", was originally planned to be her first full-length English language album after she received contract offers from several record labelsincluding Sony. Queen said that it was a good opportunity to reach other markets, and in particular the competitive market of English rap. Sony's offer to record an English-language album came after they noticed that her previous Sony albums were being heard in London, thanks to the success of "Diva". The album included collaborations with artists including Fat Joe, La India, Héctor Delgado, and Getto & Gastam. American hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz produced the track "Soldados". The album was released on November 16, 2004, and spawneed the Top 10 single "Dile" which was nominated for "Tropical Airplay Track of the Year, Female".


title: Ivy Queen

text: In 2005, Ivy Queen partnered with José Guadalupeco-founder of Perfect Image Recordsto form the record label Filtro Musik. Later that year, Univision Records signed Filtro Musik to promote Ivy Queen's fifth studio album "Flashback" (2005). This ensured that the album was positioned in Latin and mainstream accounts that would normally not carry Latin product. Queen's first compilation album "The Best of Ivy Queen", consisting of tracks from "Diva" and "Real", was released the same year. On October 29, 2005, she released "Flashback", which contained the singles "Cuéntale", "Libertad", and "Te He Querido, Te He Llorado". At the 2006 "Billboard" Latin Music Awards, "Flashback" was nominated for "Reggaeton Album of the Year" for a second consecutive year. The following year, Ivy Queen, and Gran Omar presented the reggaeton and hip hop compilation album "Cosa Nostra: Hip Hop". She later appeared on the Spanish-language recording of the Star-Spangled Banner, "Nuestro Himno". She then received the first Premio Juventud "Diva Award", which honored Queen for her musical career.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In April 2007, Ivy Queen released her sixth studio album entitled "Sentimiento". She began working on the album in 2006 after "Cosa Nostra" became a commercial failure. As a part of her evolution in reggaetón, Sentimiento includes "solo turns" instead of duets with guest artists. The solo tracks include; "Pobre Corazón" by Divino, "Manaña Al Despertar" by Baby Rasta and Norieganone of which feature Queen's vocals. She said she wanted to give a 180-degree turn to what people think of reggaetón. She said, "[m]any think reggaetón is just nice rhythms to dance to. And they forget there are song-writers and composers, who, like everyone else, also suffer and aspire in love ... Love is what makes us write things, what keeps us alive. If we did not have love, we would have nothing". The album spawned a Top 10 hit "Que Lloren" and the moderately successful singles "En Que Fallamos" and "Sentimientos". At the Latin Grammy Awards of 2007, Calle 13 won the Best Urban Music Album award for their album "Residente o Visitante"


title: Ivy Queen

text: Calle 13's 2008 album "Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo" included a song entitled "Que Lloren" which criticized Queen and asked her "to cut herself with a razor". She responded stating "I'm the queen of this genre, a genre that contains male rappers such as Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel and Tego Calderón who respect me a lot for an idiot to have my name in his mouth." After Calle 13 had won various awards in the urban music category, Queen called the duo to let them know publicly how she felt about them. She was unhappy because despite the abundance of awards and nominees, only Calle 13 received awards explaining "they dedicated the night to Calle 13." The duo called Queen a hypocrite.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In 2008, Queen released the single "Dime", which was featured on her first live album "Ivy Queen 2008 World Tour LIVE!". In April 2010, she was signed to Machete Music. The signing, described as a 360 deal, includes profit sharing in tours, sponsorships and merchandising. Univision Records, was acquired by Machete's parent company Universal Music Latin Entertainment in 2008. Walter Kolm, president of Universal Music Latino and Machete, said in a press release, "[i]t's a privilege to have Ivy Queen a part of our artistic roster. Ivy is an extraordinary woman with incomparable talent, and she's number one in her genre. We're happy to be able to work with her on her new album as well as future projects". Queen said of the partnership, "I'm very proud to be a part of Machete Music. They are a young, vibrant company that has created a name for itself in Latin music in the United States and the world. They are a strong and important company that has been recognized for nurturing their artists’ creative talents ... ".


title: Ivy Queen

text: "Drama Queen" (2010), released on July 10, 2010, was originally intended to be released after her third compilation album "Cosa Nostra: Hip-Hop" (2006) as a concept album on which Ivy Queen would performing duets with female singers from different genres. "Sentimiento" was released instead. Queen told "EFE" that she started writing for the album while she was heartbroken at home. Her emotions then burst out in the recording studio. She added the album contains 16 of 26 songs she wrote during this period. When "Latina Magazine" asked her about the drama between the release of "Sentimiento" and "Drama Queen", Queen said:


title: Ivy Queen

text: "Drama Queen" sold 3,000 units in its first week and dominated urban album sales for nine consecutive weeks. It debuted and peaked at number 163 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, number three on Top Latin Albums, and number 18 on Rap Albums. "Drama Queen" received a nomination for Best Urban Music Album at the 2011 Latin Grammy Awards, which was won by Calle 13 for "Entren Los Que Quieran". Queen also received two nominations at the 2011 Latin Billboard Music Awards for Hot Latin Songs Artist of the Year, Female and Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female. Shakira won both awards.


title: Ivy Queen

text: On August 21, 2012, Queen's eighth studio album "Musa" was released. It debuted and peaked at number 15 on the "Billboard" Top Latin Albums chart. She said that spending two years away from the media has helped her emotionally and mentally. She also said that the album is "very mature and complete," because although her style is urban and reggaeton it also features fusions of rhythms and instruments with their own styles. The album managed a nomination for Best Urban Music Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2013.


title: Ivy Queen

text: It was announced in September 2013, that Queen had changed management and returned with Jorge "Goguito" Guadalupe, president and co-founder of Filtro Musik, to release her ninth studio album, entitled "Vendetta" in February 2014. Following the birth of her first biological child, Queen then announced that she would embark on a U.S. tour entitled the "Viva Puerto Rico Tour". The tour, launched on January 29, 2014, included performances at various gay clubs in cities of the United States and Puerto Rico, such as New York, Orlando, Miami, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Tampa, and Ponce.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen's ninth studio album was released on February 3, 2015. An extended play version of the album was released on December 9, 2014. The studio album version was originally announced for a release in February 2014, and later some time in 2014.


title: Ivy Queen

text: The extended play version of the album, entitled "", includes the first four singles from the album: "Soy Libre", "Vamos A Guerrear", "Naci Para Amarte", and the title track "Vendetta", on disc one. Disc two features a DVD with the music videos to these songs as well as a forty-five-minute documentary of the making of the album. Upon its release, it managed to debut at number thirty on the "Billboard" Latin Albums chart and number five on the "Billboard" Latin Rhythm Albums chart for the week of December 27, 2014.


title: Ivy Queen

text: The album is composed of four separate simultaneously released albums, in the genres of urban, hip hop, bachata and salsa. Each releases contains eight songs musically devoted to the specific genre. The urban releases features Farruko, J Alvarez, Jowell & Randy and J King & Maximan, the hip hop release features Vico C, Fat Joe, Ñengo Flow and MC Ceja, the salsa release features Tito Rojas, Andy Montañez and Luisito Carrión, while the bachata release features Óptimo.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In February 2020, Queen embarked on the Raiz No Rama World Tour, which was forced to end due to the Covid pandemic. Following this, Queen continued to work from home, recording new music.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen's musical style is classified as reggaetonan urban genre with roots in Latin and Caribbean music. However, Queen also performs in several other genres including hip hop, salsa, merengue, and bachata. Yoselín Acevedo of "People en Español" said that "'Cosas De La Vida'—which isn't her first bachata song, shows that other than being the 'Queen of Reggaeton' she can also easily convert herself into the 'Queen of Bachata'. Queen has also recorded salsa tracks, beginning in 2005 with "Amiga No Pienses" and "Yo Lamento", and in 2007 with "Si Eres Tú" which she recorded in a "big-band Salsa" style. She worked with salsa singers La India on "Cuando Hieres A Una Mujer" and Víctoria Sanabría on "No Te Quiero".


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen cites Celia Cruz, La Lupe, and other "classic Salsa singers" as inspirations for her style of hip-hop music. Her main influence is Selena, to whom she pays tribute on her fifth studio album "Flashback" with a "reggaeton-ed up twist" on "Si Una Vez". She also said she enjoyed the songs "Como La Flor" and "La Carcacha". Queen told Ramiro Burr of the "Houston Chronicle", "I admired Selena because she had that famous crossover success, but sadly she never got to enjoy it," she said. According to Allmusic, she takes influences from Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, Gloria Estefan, Madonna and Salt-N-Pepa. Queen cites fellow American rapper Missy Elliott as an influence as well.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen said that to stand out in the male-dominated world of reggaeton, she would have to deliver a strong point of view from a female perspective, saying, "God blessed me with a powerful voice. It is not feminine. It is not masculine. It is just a thick voice." Queen also stated that her achievements are all due to the fact that she is an artist who, “always [has] something to say, something to contribute. [She] never came with empty rhythm or lyrics. [Men saw that] the girl that could write and sing and go to the platform and kill, as we say”. She created music people's bodies could move to but was consistent in standing her ground and standing for agency and women empowerment with lyric like in "Quiero Baliar" where she states "Yo quiero bailar/Tu quieres sudar/Y pegarte a mi/El cuerpo rozar/Yo te digo sí, tu me puedes provocar/Eso no quiere decir que pa' la cama voy". In these lyric she explicitly states she wants to dance, and her partner wants to sweat, and as long as she gives her partner the go ahead they can excite her, but this rapport should not be taken to imply sexual access or consent. According to Ivy, men commonly misinterpret consent to dance with sexual interest within reggaeton dance culture. Since beginning her career, Queen has wanted to create and compose songs "that have some kind of subject matter" so that people understand the concept and message. Instead of the vulgar lyrics common in reggaeton, Queen prefers to sing about defending women while touching on themes of social political matters, homosexuality, racism, love and heartbreak. Queen says she writes songs that "put bad men in their places or stand up for the single mothers". In "Que Lloren" she discusses romance from a woman's perspective while belittling the stereotype that men shouldn't cry or show emotions. In "Quiero Bailar" she "berates a lover who thinks that just because they dance she is automatically going to bed with him." "Mi Barrio" is a socio-political charged song which criticizes "the problems present in Añasco, Puerto Rico". Queen compared the song to "Corazones" by Daddy Yankee from his album "Barrio Fino".


title: Ivy Queen

text: According to Jon Pareles of the "New York Times", Queen is the "only significant female reggaeton rapper". She is known as the "Queen of Reggaeton" in the traditionally male-dominated genre. She is also known "La Diva", "La Potra", "La Caballota", and "La Reina". She has become the "indisputable lead female voice of Latin urban and reggaeton music [and] an international icon for Latin music itself." She has been referred to as a “trailblazer” within the genre of Reggaetón. About.com named Queen one of the ten most influential women in Latin music in the category Reggaeton/Hip-Hop while selecting "Sentimiento" as Queen's best album. In 2007, a book about Queen's success and rise to success as a hip hop artist was released. In 2013, "Latina" named Queen the best Latina rapper of all time. In 2016, the magazine listed Queen as one of the best reggaeton artists of all time. In 2017, Queen was nominated to be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Reggaetón duo Jowell & Randy cite Queen as one of their musical influences. Queen is also a musical influence for Colombian singer Farina, Dominican singer Natti Natasha, American singer Mariah Angeliq, Colombian singers Karol G and Kali Uchis, Spanish singers Bad Gyal and Rosalía, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and American rappers Bia and Cardi B.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen is a spokeswoman for the cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure because her mother is a cancer survivor. Queen was involved in a charity marathon run in Puerto Rico called "Carrera por una Cura" ("Run for a Cure"). The marathon in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in which celebrities such as Puerto Rican actress Adamari López, and Puerto Rican singer Kany Garcia among others, ran for the prevention and cure of cancer. The marathon was dedicated to Adamari López, who suffered from breast cancer in 2007. In 2012, then-California governor Jerry Brown designated June 10 as “Ivy Queen day” in West Hollywood for her work advocating LGBT rights. In 2021, Queen performed at the official Latino inaugural celebration for US president Joe Biden.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen has been writing her autobiography, "Detrás Del Glamour" (Behind Glamour), since late-2007. She said that she is writing it "because people see me but don’t know what I’ve been through." She said the book will detail her life and the hardships she has lived through, including being homeless and not having food to eat while she pursued her musical career.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In December 2009, Ivy Queen launched a reggaeton doll. It was named "Queenie" and featured Queen's signature, long fingernails, and was manufactured by Global Trading Partners. The doll came with a recording device containing remixes of Queen's songs including "Menor Que Yo", "Que Lloren", and "Cuéntale". A case with accessories was also included.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen made her acting debut in February 2012 in the Spanish-language production of Eve Ensler's play "The Vagina Monologues" staged in Orlando, Florida.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In 2006, Puerto Rican singer Don Omar referenced Queen on the track "Jangueo" from his second studio album, "King of Kings". Also in 2006, Dominican rapper Redimi2 mentioned Queen on "Declaró", featured on the reloaded edition of Omar's 2005 album "Los Bandoleros". Later in 2009, Omar mentioned Queen on "Hasta Abajo," a promotional single for his 2010 album, "Meet the Orphans". In 2016, Almighty referenced Queen on the remix of Benny Benni's "Power" which also featured Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Anuel AA, Pusho, D Ozi, Gotay El Auténtico, Alexio and Kendo Kaponi. In 2017, American rapper Travis Scott referenced Queen on the remix of Puerto Rican singer Farruko's "Krippy Kush," which also features American rapper Nicki Minaj and Puerto Rican rappers Rvssian and Bad Bunny. In 2019, she was referenced by Joyce Santana on the remix to “Costear” performed by Almighty and Jhay Cortez which also featured Juanka, Bryant Myers, Rauw Alejandro, Justin Quiles, Lyanno, Eladio Carrión. In 2021, Puerto Rican rapper Kevvo mentioned Queen on "Dime Si Tu," which also featured Anonimus, Nicky Jam, Guaynaa, Arcangel and De La Ghetto.


title: Ivy Queen

text: In August 2021, Queen narrated the Spotify Studios podcast "Loud: The History of Reggaeton." The podcast explores the roots of reggaeton in Panama and Puerto Rico. It also discusses the genre’s current global success.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Ivy Queen was married to fellow reggaeton singer Omar Navarro, known by his stage name Gran Omar. They were divorced in 2005. Queen said she never found Omar in the act of adultery, and said that if she had, she would be in La Vega Altaa women's prison in Puerto Rico. She also said she had not physically assaulted Omar's alleged mistress. She stated they had not lived together for two months, citing the "extensive travels of her husband and his workload of being a producer" as causes of the end of the nine-year marriage. A year after their separation, Omar said that Queen had tricked him, and that she owed him money from the sales and production of the album "Cosa Nostra: Hip-Hop", which they presented together because of their obligations and contract with Univision. Jorge GuadalupeIvy Queen's managerinvited Omar to take legal action. Guadalupe called Omar "someone who misses the money and the high-life" he had while he was married to Queen. No legal action was taken, however. Omar appeared on television station Telefutura's program "Escándalo TV" and accused Queen of being unfaithful in their marriage. Queen however, denied the claims.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen was in a relationship with DJ Urba from mid-2006 to the end of 2007. In 2010, after Queen invited American actor Vin Diesel to attend 2010 Premios Juventud, it was rumored they were in a relationship together. She told "Escándalo TV" that there was no romance between them and that they were just good friends.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Ivy Queen has said she identifies with "Menor Que Yo"a song where she was "talking about reality when she wrote it"in her personal life. She said the song is about what happens to a lot of women. "I was talking about reality when I wrote it. About what happens to a lot of women. I think that there's no age requirement for two people who love each other. It's mostly about how people react when they see a mature woman who's with a younger man ... They think it's for money. They never think that there might be a connection, chemistry. She later said "Sentimientos" was the song that best represented her at that time, saying, " ... if you think you can only conquer me if you're famous, rich and have an expensive car, you're wrong, because I'm a woman who needs affection, someone to open the door for me, to bring me flowers and sing to me."


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen does not drink alcohol. She said that although she quit high school after fourth year (eleventh grade), she graduated from the Academy "Street" with a Bachelor of Life and honors. She said her vocabulary is "that of the street", and that if she could do something other than singing she would go to college.


title: Ivy Queen

text: Queen married Puerto Rican choreographer Xavier Sánchez in late 2012. She announced in June 2013 that the couple were expecting their first child. Before becoming naturally pregnant, Queen adopted two Latino children. She revealed her baby bump at the Calibash 2013 concert which was headlined by R&B singer Chris Brown. The baby was born in November 2013. In June 2016, Queen's father died of pulmonary cancer.


title: Andrew Luster

text: Andrew Stuart Luster (born December 15, 1963) is heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune and a convicted sex offender. He is the great-grandson of cosmetics giant Max Factor Sr. In 2003 he was convicted of multiple sexual assaults using the date-rape drug GHB.


title: Andrew Luster

text: Andrew Luster is the son of Henry Luster, a psychiatrist, and Elizabeth Luster (née Shore). His mother was the adopted daughter of Max Factor, Sr.'s daughter Freda. He grew up in Malibu, California, and attended Windward School in Los Angeles.


title: Andrew Luster

text: After graduating, Luster moved to Mussel Shoals, California, living on a $1 million trust fund and living in a $600,000 cottage on the beach. According to the "Los Angeles Times," this move and Luster's "freewheeling lifestyle" weakened his "already tenuous" ties to the Factor family, which was heavily involved in the arts and philanthropy.


title: Andrew Luster

text: In 2000, Luster was arrested when a student at a local college told police that she had been raped at Luster's home. Upon investigation, police charged Luster with drugging three women with the date-rape drug GHB, sexually assaulting them, and video-taping the assaults, having found videotapes of the assaults when they searched his home. After paying $1 million bail, Luster failed to appear in court to defend himself against the charges in January 2003. Luster was convicted "in absentia" and sentenced to 124 years in prison.


title: Andrew Luster

text: Luster's legal case earned major attention due to his family's wealth, and in January 2003 the FBI issued a warrant for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution. In June 2003, he was captured by American bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Both Luster and Chapman were subsequently arrested by Mexican police. Luster was handed over to American authorities. Chapman's felony kidnapping charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and his lawyer advised him to flee Mexico when he was released on bail. Chapman later wrote that he believed his actions in Mexico were legal due to working closely with a Mexican police officer while in that nation, but the American judge in Luster's case refused to grant Chapman any reward or bond. Chapman also explained that during his pursuit of Luster, he consulted with "a forensic expert who specialized in sex crimes" who believed Luster's preference for raping unconscious, passive victims indicated a necrophile tendency that might lead to murder.


title: Andrew Luster

text: The California Court of Appeal refused Luster's appeal, citing that Luster had been a fugitive. Longstanding precedent holds that fugitives flout the court's authority, and thus forfeit their right to appeal. The California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court later refused to overturn this ruling.


title: Andrew Luster

text: Luster is currently incarcerated at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, California. Under California law, since his crimes harmed other persons, he is required to serve at least 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for release with time off with good behavior. Had his original sentence stood, Luster would not have even been considered for release until he served 105 years—effectively a life sentence.


title: Andrew Luster

text: In late 2009, Luster filed a petition for "habeas corpus" as the final possibility of having his case reviewed by another court on appeal. Luster was represented in that suit by Jay Leiderman and J. David Nick. The "habeas corpus" petition was granted in April 2012. On March 11, 2013, the Ventura County Superior Court vacated Luster's 124-year sentence but not his conviction, based on the trial judge's failure to state specific reasons for imposing consecutive sentences, and ordered a new sentencing hearing April 4, 2013.


title: Andrew Luster

text: On April 16, 2013, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kathryne Stoltz reduced Luster's sentence to 50 years—48 years for the rapes and two years for the drug-related charges. Luster's lawyers have indicated there will be an appeal.


title: Andrew Luster

text: In 2016, opponents of California Proposition 57 released a brochure that stated that Luster could be released early due to the lack of clarity for what defines "violent crimes." In response to this brochure, California Governor Jerry Brown told Fresno County sheriff Margaret Mims that Luster was originally sentenced to 100 years in prison and was a registered sex offender, "and on both accounts would not be getting out." Brown's administration later clarified that since Luster would have to register as a sex offender, he would not be eligible for parole even if Proposition 57 passed.


title: Andrew Luster

text: Two of the victims won civil lawsuits against Luster, who was ordered to pay a total of $40 million. Luster subsequently sold most of his property and declared bankruptcy.


title: Andrew Luster

text: After Luster fled the United States, a movie based on his crimes, "" was produced with the intention of aiding in his capture by ending with a photo of him, and a request for witnesses to his whereabouts to notify authorities. Because the film was in production when Luster was captured, the ending was re-written to incorporate his capture.


title: Andrew Luster

text: On August 28, 2009, the true crime TV Series "Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice" aired an episode on the case in Season 3, Episode 4, "Evil Deeds".


title: Andrew Luster

text: On August 31, 2017, Investigation Discovery aired the first episode of "Guilty Rich", which recounted the story of Andrew Luster's crimes, arrest, flight, and ultimate conviction and incarceration.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Stay is a 2005 American psychological thriller directed by Marc Forster and written by David Benioff. It stars Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling and Bob Hoskins, with production by Regency and distribution by 20th Century Fox. The film represents intense relationships centering on reality, death, love and the afterlife.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Henry Letham sits next to a car crash on the Brooklyn Bridge. He gets up and leaves the site of the crash. Psychiatrist Sam Foster and his girlfriend, Lila meet up before work. Sam discusses his new patient, Henry, a college student and aspiring artist whom he describes as depressed and paranoid, with feelings of guilt and remorse. During Sam's first meeting with Henry, Henry mentions that he sometimes hears voices, and seems able to predict future events. Henry is also suspicious of Sam because his regular psychiatrist, Beth Levy, has suddenly taken leave.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Sam meets with Henry after playing chess with a friend. When he introduces his friend, Leon, Henry is upset, because he says the man is his dead father. Leon doesn't recognize Henry, and leaves the room.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: That night Sam attempts to call Beth but to no avail. The next day, Henry hints to Sam of his plans to kill himself that Saturday at midnight. Lila, who has survived a past suicide attempt, offers to help to dissuade Henry from killing himself. Henry disappears that night.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Sam investigates Henry's circumstances and, after repeatedly attempting to reach Dr. Levy, comes to her apartment to find her disoriented and lethargic, mumbling incoherent phrases.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Henry, who had earlier claimed his parents were dead, has his account contradicted by Sam when he finds Henry's mother and her dog living in a bare house, confused about Sam's identity and refusing to respond to his questions. Henry's mother's head starts bleeding and when Sam attempts to help her, her dog bites him.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: At the clinic, while having his dog-bitten arm treated, Sam discusses the visit with a present police officer who is curious as to why he would visit that house. Sam explains what happened, but the police officer tells him that he had attended the funeral of the woman who lived there several months ago. This seems to send Sam into a fugue in which the same scene and dialogue is repeated several times.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Later, Sam contacts a waitress named Athena, with whom Henry has mentioned that he had fallen in love. She is an aspiring actress and he meets her at a script reading where she is reading lines from "Hamlet" with another man. She agrees to take him to Henry, but after a long trip down winding staircases he loses her. When he gets back to the rehearsal room, she is there reading the same lines as when he first encountered her.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: The search continues until 11:33 pm on Saturday, less than half an hour before Henry plans to kill himself. At a bookshop known to have been frequented by Henry, Sam finds a painting that Henry had painted and bartered for books about Henry's favorite artist. He learns that the artist killed himself on the Brooklyn Bridge on his twenty-first birthday. Henry's twenty-first birthday is Sunday, and Sam realizes that Henry plans to commit suicide on the Brooklyn Bridge in imitation of the artist.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Sam finds Henry on the Brooklyn Bridge in a physical atmosphere that is increasingly unraveling. Sam admits to Henry that he doesn't know what is real anymore. Henry tells Sam that he is real, and he was just trying to help him. Henry tells Sam that he now knows the world is a dream, and shoots himself with his gun.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: The car crash of the first scene is then reprised. Henry was fatally wounded in the crash but, in his last moments, is suffering survivor guilt, thus spending his final moment in the dream in which the story occurred. Each of the characters introduced earlier in the film was in fact a random spectator at the site of the crash, including doctor Sam and nurse Lila, who treat Henry in an attempt to save him. The brief remarks they make are the same ones heard previously by their counterparts earlier. (Also, the paintings seen throughout the movie, like in the entry way of the classroom that Henry remarked were terrible, and in the bookstore, are shown to be the last images that a dying Henry sees around him on the bridge).


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: They fail to rescue Henry, and Henry dies, but not before seeing Lila as Athena and proposing to her, which Lila accepts out of sympathy. Sam asks Lila out for coffee, saying that he cannot sleep after what happened.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Marc Forster's directorial style is artistic, referencing many other films including "Vertigo". Details such as the length of a character's trousers and what he is wearing on his feet are significant, too. Forster has spoken of the film's stylistic link to the films of Nicolas Roeg as there are what appear to be continuity mistakes, which are in fact tied into the plot.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: In an interview with The Collider, Forster confirmed filming took place during late fall 2003, and editing went through several stages, as he took some time off to promote his 2004 fantasy drama film "Finding Neverland" in order to release the two films separately. The final draft of the movie was finished by January 2005.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: The film was a massive box office failure, with a domestic gross of $3,626,883 and a foreign gross of $4,856,914, making a total worldwide gross of $8,483,797; it did not come close to making up for its estimated budget of $50,000,000.


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Critical reaction to "Stay" was mixed. At review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 27% of 124 critics positively reviewed the film, and the average rating is 4.66/10. The critical consensus reads: "A muddled brain-teaser, "Stay" has a solid cast and innovative visuals but little beneath the surface." According to Metacritic, which compiled 29 reviews and calculated an average score of 41 out of 100, the film received "mixed or average reviews". Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film 3½ stars out of four, saying, "The ending is an explanation, but not a solution. For a solution we have to think back through the whole film, and now the visual style becomes a guide. It is an illustration of the way the materials of life can be shaped for the purposes of the moment." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" also praised the film, awarding it three stars out of four and saying, "Some people find this twisty and twisted psychological thriller arty and pretentious. I find it arty and provocative."


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: James Berardinelli of "ReelViews" gave "Stay" 2½ stars out of four, calling it "interesting" but finding it "hard to recommend to anyone but the small cadre of David Lynch devotees who will inhale anything with a whiff of similarity to their favorite auteur's scent." Lisa Schwarzbaum of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the film a "C", praising the "profuse imagery" but ultimately feeling it to be "a tepid film" with "flat characters" and "anchorless performances".


title: Stay (2005 film)

text: Many critics had far more negative assessments. Lou Lumenick of the "New York Post" panned the film, calling it "a trite, incoherent and pretentious bomb." Rex Reed of "The New York Observer" wrote, "This is the kind of flop that makes even the popcorn taste lousy." Andrew O'Hehir wrote in "Salon", "A lot of talent gets expended in "Stay". (I'm not including whoever dressed McGregor.) Too bad the movie they made, while effective in short spurts, is almost a complete waste of time. Michael Booth wrote in "The Denver Post", "What's this movie about?" and added, ""Stay" goes nowhere for far too long, then tries to go everywhere in just a couple of final moments. I can’t tell you how they try to explain it, in part because that would give away what little satisfaction the movie holds, and in part because I have no blooming idea.


title: Ian Book

text: Ian Book (born March 30, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.


title: Ian Book

text: Book was born on March 30, 1998, in El Dorado Hills, California, and played high school football at Oak Ridge High School. He originally committed to Washington State but flipped his commitment to Notre Dame.


title: Ian Book

text: Book took a redshirt his freshman year in order to preserve a year of eligibility. He sat behind starters Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer in addition to primary backup Brandon Wimbush.


title: Ian Book

text: Book sat behind Wimbush throughout the 2017 season, but he started for an injured Wimbush against North Carolina, propelling the Irish to a 33–10 victory over the Tar Heels in his first collegiate start on October 7, 2017. During the 2018 Citrus Bowl, Book came off the bench and led the Irish to a 21–17 victory over LSU.


title: Ian Book

text: After a pair of slim home victories over unranked opponents Ball State and Vanderbilt in 2018, Book was chosen as the starter over Wimbush for a road game against Wake Forest. The result was a 56–27 Notre Dame victory, with Book throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns, and running for three more. Against #7 Stanford the next week, Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–17 rout of the Cardinal. The Irish continued to move up the rankings under Book, and in week 10, Book threw for two touchdown passes and ran 23 yards for a score in the closing minutes to lead No. 3 Notre Dame to a close 31–21 victory over Northwestern. Book helped the Irish to finish the regular season 12–0 and earn its first College Football Playoff berth, although the Irish were defeated by the eventual national champion Clemson in the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic, 30–3.


title: Ian Book

text: On September 14, 2019, Book threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown in a 66–14 win over New Mexico. He contributed to the most points scored in a home opener at Notre Dame since 1932.


title: Ian Book

text: On October 5, 2019, Book threw five touchdowns in the first half against Bowling Green State University, becoming the first player in Notre Dame history to have five scores in one half. On November 9, 2019, Book threw four touchdown passes in a win against Duke. On November 16, 2019, Book threw for 284 yards and five touchdowns against Navy Midshipmen football, making him the first Notre Dame quarterback in history to have five touchdown passes in three games for one season.


title: Ian Book

text: On December 29, 2019, Book announced via Instagram that he would be returning to Notre Dame for a fifth season as a redshirt senior. On December 5, 2020, Book passed Tom Clements, Ron Powlus, and Brady Quinn for most wins as a quarterback in Notre Dame football history with 30 total wins as a starter. His 72 touchdown passes are second all-time in program history. He finished 9th in the Heisman Trophy voting. He helped lead Notre Dame to an appearance in the College Football Playoff, where they eventually lost to Alabama in the Semifinal Round in the Rose Bowl.


title: Ian Book

text: Book was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round with the 133rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract with New Orleans on June 8, 2021.


title: Ian Book

text: On December 23, 2021, he was named that week's starting quarterback after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were placed on the reserve/COVID list. This made him the fourth quarterback the Saints named as a starter during an injury-riddled season. In the game, his NFL debut and first career start, Book was 12-20 for 135 yards and two interceptions. The Saints would lose the game to the Miami Dolphins, 20-3.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik is a brand of food products made by Swiss company Nestlé. In 1948, Nestlé launched a drink mix for chocolate-flavored milk called Nestlé Quik in the United States; this was released in Europe during the 1950s as "Nesquik".


title: Nesquik

text: Since 1999, the brand has been known as "Nesquik" worldwide. Today, the Nesquik name appears on a wide range of products, including breakfast cereals, powdered mixes for flavored milk, syrups, ready-to-drink products, candy bars, Fondue fountains, Hot chocolate mix, and more.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik began as a chocolate powdered flavoring mix in the United States in 1948, as Nestlé Quik. In the 1950s, it was launched in Europe as Nesquik. In countries with the Quik term (including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia, where it was originally marketed under the name Nestlé's Quik), the name was changed to the worldwide brand Nesquik in 1999. The same year, Cereal Partners Worldwide introduced Nesquik Cereal, a breakfast cereal that "turns milk into chocolate milk", which is similar to Cocoa Puffs. Nesquik syrup products were introduced in 1981 and ready-to-drink products were introduced in 1984.


title: Nesquik

text: On 8 November 2012, Nestlé USA issued a voluntary recall of limited quantities of Nesquik Chocolate Powder made and sold in the United States. These that were recalled were of the 10.9-, 21.8-, and 40.7-ounce tins. This recall only affected the chocolate variety; it did not affect the other varieties of the mix or any other Nesquik products. This was the first known recall of a Nesquik product. These tins were taken off the market after Nestlé was informed via a supplier, Omya Inc. that it had issued a recall of certain lots of one of its own products, calcium carbonate for Salmonella contamination. The affected Nesquik chocolate mix was produced during early October 2012. All affected products had an expiration date of Best Before October 2014. Nestlé issued a statement on the recall stating, "We apologize to our consumer and sincerely regret this incident."


title: Nesquik

text: On 1 April 2013, the official Facebook page of Nesquik USA posted a photo on their page depicting a broccoli-flavored ready-to-drink flavor of Nesquik. However, upon closer inspection of the photo, there was a notice in the lower-left corner that it was not an actual Nestlé product. Nesquik USA announced later in the same day that it was an April Fool's joke.


title: Nesquik

text: In January 2017, Nestlé food scientists outlined a strategy to reformulate their drink mix to remove over half of the sugar content, citing consumer backlash against sweetened mixes and beverages.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik chocolate syrup was introduced in 1981. Strawberry was added in 1989. Vanilla was added in Canada in 2021. Mixed flavors such as Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Caramel have also been produced.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik Cereal is a breakfast cereal first manufactured by Cereal Partners in 1999. The cereal consists of small (about in diameter) chocolate Whole grain hollow spheres. Nesquik Cereal is most similar to General Mills' Cocoa Puffs; it is also their most direct competitor.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik Cereal is sold in dozens of countries worldwide such as the U.K., Sweden, Canada, Mexico, France, and Hong Kong. It is sold throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, South America, and parts of North America. It is currently available in 43 countries. It is available in , , , and package sizes. Most Nesquik Cereal is manufactured in France by Cereal Partners.


title: Nesquik

text: It is also available in two other varieties: CioccoMilk (a filled square-shaped chocolate puffed rice-and-corn cereal), and Duo (the original variety, but with white chocolate flavored rice-and-Puffcorn. A third variety was introduced in certain regions of EMEA and Kerela called DittoMilk but was discontinued.)


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik has had hundreds of various advertising campaigns over its long history. It has had ads from print ads to ads at the Tour de France, and Olympics in recent years. It has been advertised with close to one dozen mascots.


title: Nesquik

text: In 1955, Nestlé hired ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson to do its advertising on children's television programming. Nelson's dummy Danny O'Day would say that Quik "makes milk taste...like a "mill-ion"" (dollars). Danny and a dog named Farfel would finish the commercials by singing Nestlé's brand-new signature jingle:


title: Nesquik

text: Farfel would finish with the sound of his jaw snapping shut. This effect was accidentally invented when Nelson's sweaty finger (a result of nervousness) slipped off the mouth control during his first audition in front of the Nestlé executives. This would normally be a serious technical mistake for a ventriloquist, but they actually liked it so much that they insisted that Nelson keep it in. Nelson performed the jingle that way for 10 years.


title: Nesquik

text: A cartoon Quik Bunny first appeared on the cans of the strawberry flavor when it was introduced. Later, an anthropomorphic animated bunny wearing a large red "Q" on a collar-like necklace, was introduced in television commercials as the new chocolate Quik mascot. He debuted in 1960 and first appeared in his first TV commercial in 1973. The character is voiced by Barry Gordon.


title: Nesquik

text: Then he vocalizes only four notes "oh-do-be-oh" and instead of vocalizing the fifth note which is "doh", he immediately sucks all of his drink down through a straw, then finishes the rhyme by forlornly intoning, "That's the saddest sound I know."


title: Nesquik

text: In the U.S. by 1999, the Quik Bunny was renamed the Nesquik Bunny and his "Q" changed to an "N" when the brand name was changed. He appears on the packaging and marketing and has appeared in the product's television commercials. The artist who made the redesign of the Bunny for its global implantation in the '90s was the cartoonist Ramon Maria Casanyes. In France, Italy, and Canada, he is known as Quicky the Nesquik Bunny. In Spain, there was no mascot prior to the introduction of Quicky in 1990/1991.


title: Nesquik

text: France and Greece first had another mascot for Nesquik, which was a giant fat yellow hippopotamus-like cartoon creature with a deep voice, wearing a hat with red and white stripes, called Groquik—a variation of "Gros Quik" ("Fat Quik"), created by Gilbert Mast and puppeteered by . In Greece, the mascot was called "Κουικάρας" (or —English: "Big Quik") He was later replaced by Quicky, much to the discontent of fans who protested against the lack of a sympathetic character and the Americanism.


title: Nesquik

text: The character was created in 1978. His first appearance was in the French magazine, "Téléjunior" in April 1979. The designer of the character was Gilbert Mas. In the French advertisements where Groquik was depicted; he was a puppet character portrayed by renowned French puppeteer Yves Brunier, who manufactured and portrayed puppets as a ventriloquist. He has also created famous characters such as Casimir, L'Île aux enfants, and worked on "The Muppet Show".


title: Nesquik

text: The Greek character's catchphrase was: ""I have a craving for Neskouik!"" (at the time, this translated into Quik, as the name had not yet been changed) The French character's catchphrase was the same, but in French. These catchphrases were passed on to their successor, the Nesquik Bunny. In the Greek television ads, Kouikaras would chase after thieves who kidnapped children, after trying to steal their Quik; the children refused to give their Quik to the thieves, so the thieves stole the children along with the Quik. Kouikaras would catch the thieves, saved the children, and returned the Quik to the children. Over the years, this basic advertising format spawned various variations, such as ads where pirates stole Quik and kidnapped children, and they were saved by Kouikaras; another version followed the basic format, but was instead set in space. Many other versions followed this format, and some still follow this format today with the Nesquik Bunny.


title: Nesquik

text: The last ad with Kouikaras (which was played in Greece) showed a train at a train station soon to be leaving the station. Kouikaras was at the station, and dozens of children at the station said goodbye to Kouikaras, soon after he boarded the train, and it began to leave the station. As it left the station, and the children waved goodbye, thieves once again stole the Quik, and Quicky the bunny (who had been at the station the entire time) caught the thieves and returned the Quik back to the children.


title: Nesquik

text: In 2001, Nesquik launched a website, which was dedicated to Groquik. The website contained old Nesquik commercials and advertisements, contests, e-cards, logos, and more.


title: Nesquik

text: In Portugal, the mascot was a kangaroo, Cangurik, which was replaced by Quicky in 1989/1990. The song "Cangurik" was recorded by Suzy Paula in 1982. Joel Branco recorded "Uma Árvore, Um Amigo", with Cangurik on the cover, in 1984. "Amigos do cangurik" (1986) was a collection of trading cards. There was a club named "Clube do Cangurik".


title: Nesquik

text: In Italy, before the arrival of Quicky, the mascot was an anthropomorphized box of Nesquik called "Mr. Nesquik". Especially in the 1980s, he represented a popular and easily recognizable advertising character thanks to TV commercials (featuring an iconic jingle based on the music of Oh! Susanna), press advertisements (most notably on Topolino comic books), and to the many complimentary gadgets included with every box of Nesquik powdered chocolate throughout the years, all bearing his image. Mr. Nesquik made his final appearance around 1990, concomitant with Quicky's introduction, for the promotion of a new gadget, the Volaquik, already depicting the latter character, making for a symbolic relay between the two mascots.


title: Nesquik

text: Nesquik Cereal is advertised in the 43 countries in which it is sold. It is mainly marketed via television, though there have been several online and print ads for the product. All ads for the cereal tend to include the Nesquik Bunny.


title: Nesquik

text: The attempted ban revolved around a Nesquik chocolate powder TV ad, created by Momentum London, which attracted five complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority. The ad for Nesquik chocolate milkshake stated: "You know, kids only grow up once, which is why they pack their days full of the good stuff. So start theirs with a tasty glass of Nesquik at breakfast. It has essential vitamins and minerals to help them grow and develop, because all this laughing and playing can be hard work."


title: Nesquik

text: An animation showed the ingredients "Vitamins D, B & C", "Iron", and "Magnesium" adjacent to a glass of the product, mixed with milk. On-screen text during the ad read, "Enjoy Nesquik as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle".


title: Nesquik

text: Some consumers were angered, complaining the ad encouraged poor nutritional habits, as the advertisement had suggested that the product was suitable to give for breakfast to children on a daily basis. Five of them reported the advertisement to Ofcom. Clearcast, the agency that regulates television advertisements, said that it understood that the amount of sugar that is in a single glass of prepared chocolate Nesquik is "well within" the World Health Organisation's guidelines for daily sugar consumption.


title: Nesquik

text: To support its case and defense, Nesquik commented on the ad's reference to iron, magnesium Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. It said that health claims for these micronutrients, in relation to growth and development and maintenance of bones and teeth, had been positively tested by the authorities. Nestlé also said that the benefits of drinking milk were well known and that Nesquik was suitable to be consumed once a day, as part of a balanced diet and Health promotion.


title: Nesquik

text: The ASA ruled in favor of Nestlé, saying that it noted that Nestlé provided nutritional information on its packaging and website. Furthermore, it said it did not consider that the level of sugar in the product was so high as to preclude sensible daily consumption. The ASA ruled that further action was not necessary.


title: Daugavpils

text: Daugavpils (; ; ; , ; ; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the city north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region of Latgale, and those to the south lie in Selonia. It is the second-largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some to its north-west.


title: Daugavpils

text: Daugavpils is located relatively close to Belarus and Lithuania (distances of and respectively), and some from the Latvian border with Russia. Daugavpils is a major railway junction and industrial centre and was an historically important garrison city lying approximately midway between Riga and Minsk, and between Warsaw and Saint Petersburg.


title: Daugavpils

text: Daugavpils, then Dyneburg, was the capital of Polish Livonia while in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Following the first partition of Poland in 1772, the city became part of the Russian Empire. Since the Second World War, it has maintained an overwhelmingly Russian-speaking population, with Latvians and Poles being significant minorities. Historically, German and Yiddish were additional prominent native languages.


title: Daugavpils

text: In the Latvian language, the current name "Daugavpils" references "Daugava" (the Latvian name of the Western Dvina River) and the Latvian word "pils" (meaning "castle" - cognate with Lithuanian "pilis" and with Greek "polis").


title: Daugavpils

text: Historically, several names in various languages have identified Daugavpils. Some are still in use today.


title: Daugavpils

text: The town's history began in 1275 when the Livonian Order, led by Ernst von Ratzeburg, built Dünaburg Castle up the Daugava river from where Daugavpils is now situated. In 1561 it became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and, subsequently, of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569 (see Duchy of Livonia). In 1621 Daugavpils became the capital of the newly formed Inflanty Voivodeship, which existed until the First Partition of Poland (1772). In 1577 the Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible captured and destroyed Dünaburg castle. That same year, a new castle was built downriver. In 1582 Daugavpils was granted Magdeburg town rights. In the 17th century, during the Russo-Swedish War initiated by Tsar Alexis of Russia, the Russians captured Daugavpils, renamed the town "Borisoglebsk" and controlled the region for 11 years, between 1656 and 1667. Russia returned the area to Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth following the Treaty of Andrusovo (1667). It became part of the Russian Empire after First Partition of Poland in 1772. It was an uyezd center firstly in Pskov Governorate between 1772 and 1776, Polotsk one between 1776 and 1796, Belarus one between 1796 and 1802 and finally Vitebsk between 1802 and 1917 as Dinaburg firstly, as Dvinsk later during Russian rule.


title: Daugavpils

text: From 1784 onwards the city had a large and active Jewish population among them a number of prominent figures. According to the Russian census of 1897, out of a total population of 69,700, Jews numbered 32,400 (ca. 44% percent).


title: Daugavpils

text: As part of the Russian Empire, the city was called "Dvinsk" from 1893 to 1920. The newly independent Latvian state renamed it "Daugavpils" in 1920. Latvians, Poles and Soviet troops fought the Battle of Daugavpils in the area from 1919 to 1920. Daugavpils and the whole of Latvia was under the Soviet Union rule between 1940–41 and 1944–1991. Nazi Brandenbergers led the German attack against the town in 1941, speaking Russian and wearing Soviet uniforms, and Germany occupied it between 1941 and 1944. The Nazis established the Daugavpils Ghetto where the town's Jews were forced to live. Most were murdered. During the Cold War the Lociki air-base operated northeast of Daugavpils itself. In the late Soviet era, there was a proposal to build a hydroelectric power station on the Daugava river that was successfully opposed by the nascent environmental movement in Latvia.


title: Daugavpils

text: On 16 April 2010 an assassin shot vice-mayor Grigorijs Ņemcovs in the center of the city. He died almost immediately and the crime remains unsolved.


title: Daugavpils

text: Prior to 1941, Daugavpils, called Dvinsk by its Jewish inhabitants, was home to the most prominent Jewish community in eastern Latvia. The city was already a Jewish center as early as the 1780s and by the time of the 1897 census, they numbered 32,400 (44% of the overall population of the city). By 1911 they had increased to 50,000. The Jews of the town were very prosperous and ran 32 factories and there were 4000 artisans among them.


title: Daugavpils

text: The city not only boasted a large Jewish population but a rich religious culture including 40 synagogues. The city was home to two of the most prominent rabbis of their time: Joseph Rosen (1858-1936), known as the Rogatchover Gaon (genius from Rahachow), was famed for his commentaries on the works of Maimonides and on the Talmud. Famed for his acidic wit and penetrating genius, he led the towns Hasidic Jews. His 'competitor', the leader of the local Misnagdim (non-Hasidic Jews) was the Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926). Rabbi Meir Simcha was also renowned for his work on Maimonides (Or Somayach) as well as Bible commentary Meshech Chochma. In one famous comment he predicted that since some Jews had assimilated and viewed Berlin as their 'Jerusalem' they would suffer persecution originating in Berlin.


title: Daugavpils

text: Another famous Jewish resident was the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Born in Daugavpils in 1903 he immigrated at the age of 10 to the United States where he painted over 800 paintings in his unique style.


title: Daugavpils

text: Jewish Daugavpils came to an end following the Nazi German invasion on 26 June 1941. Falsely claiming that the Jews had conspired to set fire to the town and that they were assisting the Soviet army, the Germans and their Latvian collaborators carried out large executions on 28–29 June. During July the Jews were enslaved and forced to cut down timber. On 7–11 July Einsatzkommando 1b under Erich Ehrlinger executed many of the remaining Jews. Later in July the 14,000 remaining Jews were forced into a Ghetto along with those from nearby towns. By the end of August an additional 7000 Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis and the local Latvian collaborators. The largest execution took place in November 1941 and was followed by plagues that decimated the few survivors. Only about 1500 Jews remained in the city. These were murdered on 1 May 1942. When the town was liberated in 1944 only 100 survivors remained of a community of 16,000. For more on the Holocaust in Daugavpils see Daugavpils Ghetto.


title: Daugavpils

text: The city has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Under the Köppen climate classification, Daugavpils features a humid continental climate (Dfb).


title: Daugavpils

text: As of 1 January 2020, the city had a population of 82,046. In Daugavpils 85% of the voters supported the proposal to make Russian the second state language in the 2012 referendum.


title: Daugavpils

text: Church Hill ("Baznīcu kalns") is a city landmark. Very prominently, all of the main denominations practiced in Latvia: Lutheran, Catholic, Orthodox and Old Believer are represented.


title: Daugavpils

text: Daugavpils is an important cultural centre in eastern Latvia. There are 22 primary and secondary schools, four vocational schools, and the Saules College of Art. More than 1,000 teachers and engineers graduate from the University of Daugavpils (formerly Daugavpils Pedagogical University) and the local branch of Riga Technical University annually.


title: Daugavpils

text: In 2007 the Daugavpils Theatre was restored. There is also one cinema as well as other cultural institutions. The city exhibition center offers many cultural activities.


title: Daugavpils

text: There are also several architectural, historical, and cultural monuments in Daugavpils. The most prominent is the Daugavpils fortress dating mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. In April 2013 the Mark Rothko Art centre was opened in the fortress.


title: Daugavpils

text: The historical centre of Daugavpils city is an architectural heritage of national importance (the construction work was carried out in the 19th century according to the project endorsed in St Petersburg in 1826).


title: Daugavpils

text: The historical centre is the greatest attraction of the city and one of the most successful examples of balancing the aspects of ancient and modern times. Daugavpils is one of the few cities in Latvia which can pride itself on a unified ensemble of both classic and eclectic styles. The cultural heritage of architectural, artistic, industrial, and historical monuments combined with the picturesque surroundings create the essence of Daugavpils’ image and endow it with a special charm.


title: Daugavpils

text: In 2020 the municipality allocated 70,000 euros for the restoration of eight historical buildings, including Art Nouveau and red brick buildings.


title: Daugavpils

text: Daugavpils is exceptionally rich in red brick buildings. This style was developed by many outstanding architects. In Daugavpils, this variety of eclecticism is most widely represented in the buildings designed by Wilhelm Neumann, an architect of German origin who was the chief architect of the city from 1878 to 1895. Bright examples of brick architecture are the buildings at 1/3 Saules Street and at 8 Muzeja Street. The shape-forming techniques typical of eclecticism that were applied in the façades of these buildings even many decades later make one appreciate and admire the striking accuracy of detail.


title: Daugavpils

text: The city's railway station is the terminus of the Riga–Daugavpils Railway. There is a train connection to Vilnius during the weekends.


title: Daugavpils

text: The airport was denationalized in 1993 and since 2005 there has been an ongoing project to redevelop the former military facility to allow both international and domestic passenger traffic, as well as international and domestic cargo transport and charter flights. Griva Airfield is located 4km NW of Daugavpils, next to the river. It's movements mainly involve parachute jumping and paragliding.


title: Daugavpils

text: The head of the city government is the mayor of Daugavpils or, literally, 'Council Chairman' ("domes priekšsēdētājs"). The incumbent since January 2019 is Andrejs Elksniņš from Harmony, albeit coalition talks are still ongoing. It is his second term in office, after his initial term was ended after the coalition broke apart in September 2017 less than a month following the 2017 municipal elections and he was succeeded by of the Latvian Green Party (elected on the "Our Party" electoral list). "Our Party" governed in coalition with the Latgale Party of the previous mayor Jānis Lāčplēsis. Eigims was previously mayor from 2001–2003 as leader of the Light of Latgale party and briefly in 2009 as a member of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.


title: Daugavpils

text: The Council consists of 15 members who are elected every four years. The most recent election was in 2017.


title: Daugavpils

text: During the Soviet time, the city was well industrialised with a number of prominent large manufacturing units. However, nowadays only a few of those have remained still working. The city council is trying to attract new investments and thus created a number of free industrial zones around the whole city that might be interesting due to the strategically efficient geographical position of the city close to the Russian, Belarusian and Lithuanian borders.


title: Daugavpils

text: The Speedway Grand Prix of Latvia is currently held at the Latvijas Spīdveja Centrs with America's triple World Champion Greg Hancock being the most successful rider in Latvia winning the GP in 2009, 2009 and 2013. Lokomotiv Daugavpils is a Motorcycle speedway team which successfully competes in the Polish league system.


title: Daugavpils

text: The football clubs FC Daugava and BFC Daugavpils play at Celtnieks Stadium in Daugavpils. Both teams plays in the Latvian Higher League. In the past there was Dinaburg FC which played at the former Daugava Stadium.


title: Daugavpils

text: FBC Latgale represent the city in floorball. There is also a hockey team called HK Dinaburga, which currently plays in the Latvian Hockey Higher League.


title: Daugavpils

text: In 2008 the construction of the Daugavpils Multifunctional Sports Complex was started and was completed in October 2009.


title: The Fat Controller

text: The Fat Controller, whose real name is Sir Topham Hatt, is a fictional character in "The Railway Series" books written by the Reverend W. Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. In the first two books in the series ("The Three Railway Engines" and "Thomas the Tank Engine") he is known as The Fat Director, and as of the third book ("James the Red Engine") he becomes The Fat Controller, as the railway has been nationalised. Sir Topham Hatt's full name is revealed in the foreword to the 1951 book "Henry the Green Engine".


title: The Fat Controller

text: The Fat Controller also appears in the television series "Thomas & Friends", adapted from the books. On television, he was usually portrayed in the form of several different static figures made with either wood or lead during series one, and resin from series two onwards, but has been portrayed using CGI from the twelfth season onward.


title: The Fat Controller

text: The term "fat controller" has since been adopted in various contexts in the English language, beyond the sphere of the original stories, usually in reference to someone who runs a railway.


title: The Fat Controller

text: The character is first seen in "The Sad Story of Henry" in the first book in the "Railway Series", "The Three Railway Engines". When Henry refused to leave a tunnel, the story says "a Fat Director who was on the train told the guard to get a rope". The character is referred to as the Fat Director/Controller for the remainder of the "Railway Series", both in the narrative and by the other characters. The name Sir Topham Hatt is first mentioned in the foreword to "Henry the Green Engine" and also appears on his luggage trunk in the same book in the story "Percy and the Trousers". The first use of the name Sir Topham Hatt in the TV series comes in the episode 'The Sad Story of Henry' when the narrator (Ringo Starr in the UK version and first US version and George Carlin in the second US version) introduces him to the audience.


title: The Fat Controller

text: There have been three Fat Controllers. This is not revealed directly in the stories, as they all look very similar and are all known as Sir Topham Hatt. However, the books "The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways" (written by Rev. W. Awdry and George Awdry) and "Sodor: Reading Between the Lines" (by Christopher Awdry) make this clear.


title: The Fat Controller

text: He was a talented engineer who was apprenticed with Sir William Stanier at the Great Western Railway's Swindon works, which gave him a great love of all things Great Western. He went on to assist A. W. Dry in the construction of the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Light Railway, which became the branch line, and designed the locomotives that ran upon it.


title: The Fat Controller

text: When the standard gauge railways of the Island were merged into the North Western Railway in 1914, Topham Hatt was called upon for his engineering skill. He constructed a bridge to link Sodor with the Mainland, as well as a number of branch lines and improvements to locomotive facilities. He was immediately made a Director of the railway.


title: The Fat Controller

text: Topham married Jane Brown and fathered a son (Charles Topham Hatt) and a daughter (Barbara Jane Hatt). Jane was sister to Sir Handel Brown, Liberal MP for Sodor East and owner of the Skarloey Railway, making all successive descendants of the two railway families cousins. Charles wed Amanda Croarie, daughter of the owner of the Ffarquhar Quarry Company, and Barbara married Henry Regaby, the Viscount Harwick. In light of this, Topham's family unit can be seen as an alliance of several of the most prominent families in Sodor.


title: The Fat Controller

text: When the North Western Railway was nationalised and became part of British Railways in 1948, Topham Hatt was made Controller of the railway. 1948 also saw him made a baronet for his services to the railways of Sodor. He retired as Controller in 1952 and died in 1956 at age 76.


title: The Fat Controller

text: Charles Topham Hatt was the son of the first Sir Topham Hatt and the second Controller of the NWR. He too served an apprenticeship with Stanier, this time working under the locomotive designer. Like his father, he was an innovative engineer and made a number of improvements to the railway and its engines. He was also the originator of the scheme to construct the Arlesdale Railway and the ballast consortium that used it.


title: The Fat Controller

text: He was responsible for the line's policy of retaining steam locomotives long after they had been abolished on the rest of British Railways, and while Dr Beeching was closing down branch lines on the Mainland, Charles was reopening them on Sodor. He retired as Controller in 1984, and died in 1997 at age 83.


title: The Fat Controller

text: Stephen Topham Hatt was first seen as a child in the book "Toby the Tram Engine". As an adult, he was made the third Controller of the North Western Railway. His son, Richard Topham Hatt, is tipped to be the next Fat Controller on Stephen's retirement, and at Stephen's death, he will inherit the family's baronetcy and the title 'Sir Topham Hatt'.