title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: At E3 2007, Aonuma said that "Phantom Hourglass" "opened up the ["Zelda"] series and [gave] a fresh, new control scheme to the aging "Zelda" formula". He also said that, despite the disappointing sales of "The Wind Waker" affecting him personally, he still wished to continue the game's style in another "Zelda" iteration, leading to the inspiration for "Phantom Hourglass". Aonuma believed that the game's simple controls, with the help of the Nintendo DS's touchscreen, helped make "Phantom Hourglass" the first "Zelda" game to attract casual gamers.


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: "Phantom Hourglass" was released in Japan on June 23, 2007, in the rest of the world in October, and in South Korea on April 3, 2008. The game was considered to have received "universal acclaim", receiving aggregated scores of 90/100 from Metacritic and 88.82% from GameRankings. Praise focused on the game's use of unique Nintendo DS features, while criticism targeted its more casual gameplay compared to the previous games in "The Legend of Zelda" series. "Phantom Hourglass" was the best-selling game in its debut month of June 2007 in Japan, selling 302,887 copies. In the United States, "Phantom Hourglass" was the fifth best-selling game in its debut month of October 2007, selling 262,800 copies. , 4.13 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide, with 910,000 of those copies in Japan.


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: "Computer and Video Games" called "Phantom Hourglass" one of the few "masterpieces" on the Nintendo DS, which made it "worth every penny". Believing that "Phantom Hourglass" improves on everything that was great about its predecessor, "The Wind Waker", "GamePro" predicted that the sequel would be another successful game in the franchise. Although feeling that the game does not live up to the standards set in "", "Game Informer" still felt that the adventure is worthy of "The Legend of Zelda" series, and noted that it "has enough great stuff going for it" for them to consider it one of the year's best video game adventures. GameZone enjoyed the "spectacular blend of touch-screen combat, brilliant puzzles, and "Wind Waker" beauty" in "Phantom Hourglass", calling it a "can't-miss adventure" and one of Nintendo's and the year's best games. "Hyper"s Jonti Davies commended "Phantom Hourglass" for its "perfect controls and supreme world and dungeon designs", but criticized the game for only giving around 30 hours of gameplay.


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: Game Revolution appreciated the game's graphics, and noted that it uses the Nintendo DS's features better than any other game for the console. Praising its "innovative" and "fun" control scheme, GameSpot felt that "Phantom Hourglass" gave a new life to several of the series' age-old concepts. "X-Play" wrote that "Phantom Hourglass" definitely felt like a "The Legend of Zelda" game, calling it another successful video game for the franchise and a "must-have" for anyone that owns a Nintendo DS. "The Onion"s entertainment newspaper "The A.V. Club" remarked that "Phantom Hourglass" exploits the Nintendo DS's touchscreen to the fullest extent in an imaginative and genuinely fun way. In a perfect 5-star review, "Empire" stated that "Phantom Hourglass" is one of Nintendo's greatest achievements and a contender for the best handheld adventure in console history.


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: Issues that were mentioned in reviews regarding the game included its more casual gameplay compared to the previous "The Legend of Zelda" games, which was not well received by some. GameSpy felt that the game was both easy and approachable enough for casual gamers to play, but sufficiently rewarding and challenging to satisfy hardcore fans of "The Legend of Zelda" series. IGN believed the game to be "more casual than we'd like", but still found it captivating, entertaining, and "a true adventure worthy of the "Zelda" name", calling it "different, but it's still the real deal". GameTrailers stated that the short dungeon levels and hand-holding exploration are "outright disappointing", but when comparing "Phantom Hourglass" to the other Nintendo DS games, they conceded that it was still an impressive game, but just a good game when compared to "The Legend of Zelda" standards. 1UP.com pointed out that the biggest problem with "Phantom Hourglass" is that it falls back on using innovations from the previous "The Legend of Zelda" games, rather than including new and original ideas.


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: Finding it difficult for hardcore gamers to fully enjoy "Phantom Hourglass", Nintendo World Report claimed that the game's lack of alternative control schemes was a telling sign that Nintendo did not have "The Legend of Zelda" fans in mind when creating the game. They still described the game as "decent", but felt that it departs from the rest of the series and that Nintendo should have taken the risk in creating innovations for this game. The American newspaper "The New York Times" enjoyed "Phantom Hourglass" for the most part, but complained about the timer in the Temple of the Ocean King as unnecessary and gimmicky, remarking that the game's dungeons are only "fun to go through once, but none of them are fun enough to go through 20 times". They noted that the time spent traveling through dungeons "removed all thoughts of it being perfect".


title: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

text: Several websites named "Phantom Hourglass" the 2007 DS Game of the Year, including IGN and GameSpy. It was also mentioned in Best of the Year lists from "Wired", "Time", and "Edge". The game received Editor's Choice awards from GameSpot and IGN. It was also named Best Adventure Game by 1UP.com. The game was designated the Best Handheld Game at the 2008 Golden Joystick awards, the 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards, the 2007 "GamePro" Editors' Choice awards, the 2007 Spike Video Game Awards, and the 2008 Interactive Achievement Awards. At E3 2006, "Phantom Hourglass" was designated as the Best Nintendo DS Game by GameSpot and the Best Handheld Game at the Game Critics Awards. The game placed 38th in "Official Nintendo Magazine"s 100 Greatest Nintendo Games of All-Time.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Ishq E Laa () is a Pakistani television drama series produced by Momina Duraid under her banner productions, written by Qaisra Hayat and directed by Amin Iqbal. The serial marks the acting debut of Azaan Sami Khan, with Sajal Aly and Yumna Zaidi in main roles. It was broadcast weekly on Hum TV from 21 October 2021 to 2 June 2022.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Shanaya is a dedicated and courageous television journalist who loves what she does for a living. As a staunch human rights activist, she often undertakes potentially dangerous assignments to uncover social issues. She is in love with her childhood friend, Azlan, a self-assertive and hardworking businessman. Although the two of them are inseparable and have been best friends for years, he does not reciprocate her feelings.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: When a disheartened Shanaya begins to consider a marriage proposal from another man, Azlan realizes that he cannot afford to lose his best friend. He proposes to her and they get married, much to the delight of their respective families. Although the newlyweds have a strong relationship, his inability to understand her passion for social work begins to fracture their marriage.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Azka is an ambitious student who aspires to be a doctor. She constantly receives unwanted attention from Abid, a young man with questionable morals and ethics. Due to misunderstandings created by Azka's spiteful sister-in-law, Azka is almost married off to Abid. However, her sister-in-law eventually comes to her senses and calls off the wedding.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: A businessman's son kills Sultan (Azka's brother). Shanaya helps Sultan's family to fight against the Businessman Arbab Haroon. In later turns and events Arbab Haroon kills Shanaya to protect his son, taking away all the evidences against his son.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Meanwhile Azlan also fulfills the promise made by his wife (Shanaya) to fund Azka's Medical College expenses.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: 5 years later, Azka becomes a doctor. Her friend from College, Zain likes her but she doesn’t feel the same way about him.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Azlan’s mother is sick, and Azka has to give her kidney to her. To do so, she enters a contract marriage with Azlan.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Azlan thinks Azka just donated her kidney to her mother for money, but she’s a good daughter in law and actually only cares about her mother in law and not the money.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: Azlan then realizes how good she is, and apologizes to her for being rude and for his every impoliteness and arrogance. He also tells Azka how much he loves her, which he couldn’t to Shanaya before she died.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: The drama then ends, with Azlan going to Shanaya’s grave with Azka and Proffesor. Rehman talking about Ishq e Laa (eternal love).


title: Ishq E Laa

text: The official soundtrack of the series "Saathiya" was performed by Azaan Sami Khan who also composed the music while lyrics were written by Asim Raza. In January 2022, another soundtrack of the series "Ibadat" was released, which was also performed and composed by Khan who also co-wrote the lyrics with AM Turaz.


title: Ishq E Laa

text: The series mostly received positive reviews for its performances and script. On premiere, it received mixed reviews for storyline and execution. Critics praised the characters of Aly, Zaidi, Raheel and Hassan, in general the female portrayal.


title: Mahhi Vij

text: Mahhi Vij (born 1 April 1982) is an Indian model and actress who appears on Hindi television. She is known for playing the role of Nakusha in "Laagi Tujhse Lagan" and Nandini in "Balika Vadhu". Vij and her husband Jay Bhanushali won the dance reality show "Nach Baliye 5" in 2013. She was also a contestant on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4" and "".


title: Mahhi Vij

text: Vij moved to Mumbai at the age of 17 and started her career in modelling. She has appeared in numerous music videos including "Tu, Tu Hai Wahi" (DJ Aqeel Mix). She was the supporting female lead in the TV series Akela in 2006.


title: Mahhi Vij

text: She played the lead role of Pratha in the Sahara One show "Shubh Kadam". Her breakthrough role was that of protagonist Nakusha in the television show "Laagi Tujhse Lagan" on Colors TV, for which she won the Gold Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role in 2011. She was seen in season 4 of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" as a contestant.


title: Mahhi Vij

text: In 2013, she and her husband Jay Bhanushali participated in the dance reality show "Nach Baliye 5", which they won. She was one of the contestants of "", however, she had to opt out due to a leg injury.


title: Mahhi Vij

text: Vij married Indian television and film actor Jay Bhanushali in 2011. In 2017 they fostered a boy, Rajveer, and a girl, Khushi. The couple's first biological child, a daughter named Tara, was born in 2019.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: An elementary school is a primary school which is the main point of delivery of primary education in the United States, for children between the ages of 5–11 and coming between pre-kindergarten and secondary education.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: In 2017, there were 106,147 elementary schools (73,686 public, 32,461 private) in the United States, a figure which includes all schools that teach students from First Grade through Eighth Grade. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2020 almost 32.8 million students attended public primary schools. It is usually from kindergarten through fifth grade, although the NCES displays this data as kindergarten through eighth grade.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Primary education tends to focus on basic academic learning, vocational skills and socialization skills, introducing children to the broad range of knowledge, skill and behavioral adjustment they need to succeed in life – and, particularly, in secondary school.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: In general, a student learns basic arithmetic and sometimes rudimentary algebra in mathematics, English proficiency (such as basic grammar, spelling, and vocabulary), and fundamentals of other subjects. Learning standards are identified for all areas of a curriculum by individual states, including those for mathematics, social studies, science, physical development, the fine arts, and reading. While the concept of state learning standards has been around for some time, the No Child Left Behind Act has mandated that standards exist at the state level.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Basic subjects are taught in elementary school, and students often remain in one classroom throughout the school day (until starting different blocks), except for physical education, library, music, and art classes. However, in the majority of schools, especially primary, physical education, art and music are not taught.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Typically, the curriculum in public elementary education is determined by individual school districts. The school district selects curriculum guides and textbooks that reflect a state's learning standards and benchmarks for a given grade level.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: The broad topic of social studies may include key events, documents, understandings, and concepts in American history and geography, and in some programs, state or local history and geography. Topics included under the broader term "science" vary from the physical sciences such as physics and chemistry, through the biological sciences such as biology, ecology, and physiology.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: There is much discussion within educational circles about the justification and impact of curricula that place greater emphasis on those topics (reading, writing and math) that are specifically tested for improvement.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, the teaching of social studies and science has been underdeveloped in elementary school programs. Some attribute this to the fact that elementary school teachers are trained as generalists; however, teachers attribute this to the priority placed on developing reading, writing and math proficiency in the elementary grades and to the large amount of time needed to do so. Reading, writing and math proficiency greatly affect performance in social studies, science and other content areas.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Since the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act was passed, students now take more standardized tests. The annual tests can take away time from genuine learning. Practice tests are given followed by the actual tests. The standardized tests that are required to be given can't be made or modified by the educator. This results in students having to learn more, if not all, of the required subjects and topics that will be inputted in the tests.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Although standardized tests cause issues and setbacks in the classroom, they do have their benefits just like everything else in the education curriculum. By giving students standardized tests it provides the state with how each individual child is doing academically. Using these tests is not only the most effective, but the least biased way to measure every student's academic achievement in the same way. When students and educators take the preparation period of standardized testing seriously, it is also a great way for the state to measure how well each school functions. The use of standardized testing in the classrooms gives the policymakers and educators a fair opportunity to see how much the students are learning, and what educators should keep and fix in their current curriculum.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Elementary School teachers are trained with emphasis on human cognitive and psychological development and the principles of curriculum development and instruction. Teachers typically earn either a Bachelor's or master's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Certification standards for teachers are determined by individual states, with individual colleges and universities determining the rigor of the college education provided for future teachers. Some states require content area tests, as well as instructional skills tests for teacher certification in that state.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Public Elementary School teachers typically instruct between twenty and thirty students of diverse learning needs. A typical classroom will include children with a range of learning needs or abilities, from those identified as having special needs of the kinds listed in the "Individuals with Disabilities Act" to those that are cognitively, athletically or artistically gifted.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Teachers use a variety of ways to teach, with a focus on getting pupils attention. Humor is sometimes used. Cartoons, for example, can capture ideas in one image.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: A study of seven industrialized nations found that in 2006, the average starting salary of American public primary school teachers with minimum qualifications was $34,900. In this regard the United States was second only to Germany (non-U.S. salaries were converted to U.S. dollars at purchasing power parity).


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: The 2007 a survey conducted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reported that the average salary for an American teacher was $51,009; this is also recorded as the first time in history the average pay for teachers has exceeded the $50,000 mark.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: The National Center for Education Statistics found that as of the 2019-2020 school year, the average American teacher makes $63,645. Mississippi has the lowest average teacher's salary at $45,192, and New York has the highest average teacher's salary at $87,543.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 1.4 million primary school teachers employed in the United States as of 2012, with average earnings of $55,270, and median earnings of $52,840.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States forced many schools to quickly change to remote learning. By the end of the month, every public school within the United States had closed. Only schools in Montana and Wyoming opened towards the end of the school year. By the start of the 2021-22 school year the following states required in-person instruction for all or some grades: Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Texas.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Covid-19 caused educators to have to learn how to aid their students through a screen and take on a greater workload, while parents had to stay home, if possible, to assist their children in learning remotely. Since schools shut-down and went fully remote, educators had to adjust fast. Normally, the workload they have is tolerable but, while under lockdown, more was piled on and they had to be more on top of everything. The pandemic without a doubt has reduced learning time.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: The attention spans of the students online isn’t the same as in the classroom. This results in poorer student performance. A lot of students didn't have the technology for remote learning, they were unable to get it themselves as well. All of this resulted in parents needing to slow down. A lot within their lives have changed, especially with being a teacher-like figure in their child’s lives. Parents have to be an active part in their children's education, now more than ever. The majority of Elementary students don’t have the attention span to sit in front of a computer all day, educators need to be able to engage their students properly. Simplicity is better when it comes to remote learning. All curriculum being given should be as easy for the students to access as it is for the teachers. Finding technological tasks that are simple yet have lots of depth in the topic in which is being taught is important to find.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Future elementary educators have some curriculum changes in their classes in order to better prepare them for the pandemic side of teaching. One of the main and most common changes throughout the United States is technology. Using and knowing how to properly use technology is a very important factor in K-6 learning and teaching. When the pandemic caused remote learning to be in place caused issues for the instruction of the young learners. Future educators in the making have to contain a certain amount of skills in technology so they can properly teach their students in any circumstance that may occur.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Remote learning set-back students in learning their fine motor skills and it took a toll on their emotional and social health. Many elementary students are still learning or perfecting their fine motor skills. WIthout the help of the teachers in the class, the struggle of teaching them how to properly type or use materials became greater. Not only did it affect their fine motor skills, it took a great impact on their social and emotional health. Having emotional and social health problems could possibly hurt the way the students are able to take in information.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: The gap between high- and low-achieving students will become greater, this can be difficult for the lower achieving students to keep up in the classroom or the higher achieving students to keep their attention span. Learning loss during the pandemic was a very common occurrence when students returned back to face-to-face learning. It set-back their education due to educators having to re-teach what was already taught.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Authority to regulate education resides constitutionally with the individual states, with direct authority of the U.S. Congress and the federal U.S. Department of Education being limited to regulation and enforcement of federal constitutional rights. Great indirect authority is, however, exercised through federal funding of national programs and block grants although there is no obligation upon any state to accept these funds. The U.S. government may also propose, but cannot enforce national goals, objectives and standards, which generally lie beyond its jurisdiction.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Most states have predetermined the number of minutes that will be taught within a given content area. Because the No Child Left Behind Act focuses on reading and math as primary targets for improvement, other instructional areas have received less attention.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Learning Standards are the goals by which states and school districts must meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This description of school governance is simplistic at best, however, and school systems vary widely not only in the way curricular decisions are made but also in how teaching and learning take place. Some states and/or school districts impose more top-down mandates than others. In others, teachers play a significant role in curriculum design and there are few top-down mandates. Curricular decisions within private schools are made differently from those made in public schools, and in most cases without consideration of NCLB directives.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: At times, an individual school district identifies areas of need within the curriculum. Teachers and advisory administrators form committees to develop supplemental materials to support learning for diverse learners and to identify enrichment for textbooks. Many school districts post information about the curriculum and supplemental materials on websites for public access.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, public schools receiving government funding are required to test and assess student progress each year. Individual states and not the federal government are required to develop their own set of standards by which they measure student progress.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Although standardized testing is seen as a valid way for measuring content knowledge and progress in areas such as math and reading at the primary level there is much dispute within the scientific community on how to measure the progress of scientific knowledge.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: In 1996 the National Research Council (NRC) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) got together with other science organizations to develop the "National Science Education Standards". In the past simply the study of and presentation of core content knowledge for areas such as: physical, life, earth, and space sciences; was seen as sufficient. After the development of the new "Science Standards" concern shifted from teaching content alone to learning science “disciplines in the context of inquiry, technology, personal [and] social perspectives”.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Originally, elementary school was synonymous with primary education, taking children from kindergarten through grade 8; and secondary school was entirely coextensive with the high school grades 9–12. This system was the norm in the United States until the years following World War I, because most children in most parts of what was then the mostly rural United States could go no further than Grade 8. Even when the high schools were available, they were often not accessible.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: As the population grew and became increasingly urban and suburban instead of rural, the one-room schoolhouse gave way to the multi-room schoolhouse, which became multiple schools. This produced the third genre of school – the junior high school – which was designed to provide transitional preparation from primary school to secondary school, thus serving as a bridge between the elementary school and the high school. Elementary schools typically operated grades Kindergarten through 6; the junior high school, often housed in the same building as the senior high school, then covered grades 7 through 9; and the senior high school operated grades 10 through 12. At the same time, grade 9 marked the beginning of high school for the purpose of GPA calculation.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: It was typical during this period for state departments of education to certify (in California, "credential") teachers to work in either primary or secondary education. A Primary School Certificate qualified the holder to teach any subject in grades K through 8, and his/her major and minor subjects in grade 9. A Secondary School Certificate qualified the holder to teach any subject in grades 7 and 8, and his/her major and minor subjects in grades 9 through 12. Certain subjects, such as music, art, physical, and special education were or could be conferred as K through 12 Teaching Certificates.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: By the late 1960s, the lines of transition between primary and secondary education began to blur, and the junior high school started to get replaced by the middle school. This change typically saw reassignment of grade 9 to the (senior) high school, with grade 6 sometimes included in middle school with grades 7 and 8. Subsequent decades in many states have also seen the realignment of teacher certification, with grade 6 frequently now included on the secondary teaching certificate. Thus, whereas 20th-century American education began with the elementary school finishing at grade 8, the 21st century begins with the American elementary school finishing at grade 5 in many jurisdictions.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Nevertheless, the older systems do persist in many jurisdictions. While they are in the minority today, there are still school districts which, instead of adopting the "middle school", still distinguish between junior and senior high schools. Thus, high schools can be either 9–12, which is most common, or 10–12.


title: Elementary schools in the United States

text: Over the past few decades, schools in the USA have been testing various arrangements which break from the one-teacher, one-class model. Multi-age programs, where children in different grades (e.g., Kindergarten through to second grade) share the same classroom and teachers, is one increasingly popular alternative to traditional elementary instruction. Another alternative is that children might have a main class and go to another teacher's room for one subject, such as science, while the science teacher's main class will go to the other teacher's room for another subject, such as social studies. This could be called a two-teacher, or a rotation. It is similar to the concept of teams in junior high school. Another method is to have the children have one set of classroom teachers in the first half of the year, and a different set of classroom teachers in the second half of the year.


title: Anand–Milind

text: Anand and Milind Srivastava are a duo of Indian film music composers. Born to composer Chitragupt, they have composed music for over 200 Bollywood films. The brothers debuted in 1984 with "Ab Ayega Mazaa" and had their major breakthrough with "Qayamat se Qayamat Tak" in 1988.


title: Anand–Milind

text: Anand and Milind wrote the score for "Ab Ayega Mazaa" (1984), "Jalwa" (1987), "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" (1988) and then for "" (1990).


title: David Gower

text: David Ivon Gower (born 1 April 1957) is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer who was captain of the England cricket team during the 1980s. Described as one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of his era, Gower played 117 Test matches and 114 One Day Internationals (ODI) scoring 8,231 and 3,170 runs, respectively. He was one of the most capped and high scoring players for England during his period.


title: David Gower

text: Gower led England during the 1985 Ashes, and his team was victorious; however, two 5–0 whitewashes against the West Indies (in 1984 and 1985–86) reflected poorly on his captaincy, and Gower was replaced in 1986. He was briefly reinstated for the 1989 Ashes series, before being replaced as captain by Graham Gooch. The strained relationship between the pair contributed to Gower retiring from international cricket in 1993. Nevertheless, he ended with an impressive record in first-class cricket, accumulating 26,339 runs at an average of 40.08, and 53 centuries. As of February 2021, he holds the record of 119 consecutive innings without registering a duck in Test cricket. Following his retirement, Gower became a successful cricket commentator with Sky Sports, and on 16 July 2009 he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.


title: David Gower

text: On the occasion of England's 1000th Test in August 2018, he was named in the country's greatest Test XI by the ECB.


title: David Gower

text: Gower was born in Tunbridge Wells in 1957. His father, Richard Gower OBE, was working for the Colonial Service in a position in Dar es Salaam, capital of the then British administered territory of Tanganyika Territory, where Gower spent his early childhood. The family returned to England after Tanganyika was granted independence, when Gower was six years old, settling in Kent and later moving to Loughborough. Gower attended prep school at Marlborough House School in Hawkhurst from the age of 8 to 13, where he leaned towards cricket as his preferred sport.


title: David Gower

text: He was awarded a scholarship to attend The King's School in Canterbury, where his father had once been head boy, as a boarder. Gower made the school cricket First XI aged 14 and he was later to be made captain. He also played for the rugby First XV before being dropped from the team for "lack of effort". While at school, Gower played representative cricket for Public Schools against English Schools at under-16 level.


title: David Gower

text: Gower finished school with eight O levels, three A levels and one S level in history. He sat the History exam for Oxford University and was offered an interview at St Edmund Hall, but missed a place. Spurning a place at University College, London, Gower returned to school in an attempt to gain two more A levels but lost interest partway through the year. Having played some matches for the Leicestershire Second XI the previous summer, Gower tried his luck at the club as a professional for the remainder of the year, for £25 per week. In the summer, Gower returned to University College, where he studied law, but after six months he returned to professional cricket.


title: David Gower

text: Gower is nicknamed "Lord Gower" by his Sky Sports colleagues, in allusion to his aristocratic ancestry and public school education. As a member of the Gower family formerly of Glandovan, he is a distant cousin of the Leveson-Gower family, Dukes of Sutherland. Per Gower's autobiography, "An Endangered Species" "there was reckoned to be land in the family in Pembrokeshire two or three generations earlier, which an errant ancestor gambled away in a moment of boredom, and a connection with a place called Castell Malgwyn, now a country house hotel, in Cardigan."


title: David Gower

text: Gower enjoyed one of the most prolific first-class cricket careers in English history, in both domestic and international competitions. Gower's career run total in test matches is also the fifth highest by an English player, behind only Alec Stewart with 8,463, Graham Gooch with 8,900, Joe Root with 10,015 and Alastair Cook with 12,472. He played domestic cricket from 1975 until 1993, largely with Leicestershire until 1989, when he moved to Hampshire. He was a stalwart batsman at both clubs.


title: David Gower

text: Gower made his debut for Leicestershire on 30 July 1975, during that season's County Championship, against Lancashire at Stanley Park, Blackpool. Winning the toss, Lancashire chose to bat first and amassed 259 thanks largely to a century by David Lloyd, who would later become Gower's co-commentator. Gower, batting at number seven, scored 32 before he was dismissed by Ken Shuttleworth, Leicestershire making 321 and taking a first-innings lead. Lloyd made 90 in the second innings as Lancashire declared on 305, with Gower taking one catch to dismiss Jack Simmons for 17. The match, lasting only three days with 100 overs as a maximum limit imposed on both teams for each innings, ended in a draw, with Leicestershire reaching 90 without Gower getting to bat again. Gower continued to make little impression during the rest of the 1975 season, playing in only two more matches and ending the season with 65 runs at 13.00. He enjoyed greater success in his debut List A season, playing in eight matches, scoring 175 runs at 25.00 with two fifties.


title: David Gower

text: Gower was retained for the 1976 season, however, playing in a total of seven first-class matches. He enjoyed greater success, with 323 runs at 35.88 including a maiden century, 102*, and a second fifty. In one day cricket, he played another eight matches, scoring 188 runs at 23.50 however failing to reach fifty, falling short on one occasion with a season-best of 48. The 1977 season saw Gower play 25 matches, with another career best of 144*, his only century of the season. He amassed 745 runs at 23.28, with three other half centuries. In the one day format he was far more prolific, he played 24 matches, scoring 867 with a best of 135*, one of two hundreds that year, along with four fifties, all at 48.16. After two first-class matches against Sri Lankan domestic teams over the winter of 1977–78, in which he scored 76 runs at 38.00 in first-class and a score of 22 in the only one day fixture, Gower topped 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in his career, scoring 1098 runs at 37.86 including two hundreds, five fifties and a call up to the national team.


title: David Gower

text: Gower returned to England in 1978 from an international tour with a career best 200*, forming part of his 957 runs for the season at 41.60, with eight fifties to go with that one hundred. For his efforts that season, Gower was awarded Wisden Cricketer of the Year. Wisden recorded that "The sun scarcely graced the English cricket scene with its presence in 1978, but when it did it seemed to adorn the blond head of David Gower. The young Leicestershire left-hander could do little wrong. He typified a new, precocious breed of stroke-players, imperious and exciting, who added colour and glamour to an otherwise bedraggled English summer." The 1980 season in England saw Gower again top 1,000 runs, with 1142 at 48.89, including five hundreds and a career best 156*. This was the most prolific first-class season of Gower's career thus far. He also played 21 one day matches, with 616 runs including another century. His winter international tour was then followed up with a prolific performance during the 1981 season, which included the 1981 Ashes series. During this season, Gower played 19 matches, scoring a career best 1418 runs at 48.89, including one knock of 156*. Against Essex at Grace Road he shared an unbroken county record second wicket stand of 289 with Chris Balderstone.


title: David Gower

text: After another successful international tour, Gower returned to England to peak 1,000 runs again with a career-best 1530 at 46.36, with two hundreds, and scored five further hundreds for only the second time in 1983, where he again topped 1,000 runs, 1,253 this time at 46.40. He came narrowly close to 1,000 runs in the 1984 season, ending with 999 at 35.67, and then scored 1,000 runs, including a then career-best of 215, at 54.70, in 1985. Gower scored one century in England and Australia in the next two seasons, before topping 1,000 runs for three consecutive series', in 1987, 1988 and 1989, with a total of seven centuries including his career best 228.


title: David Gower

text: In 1989, he moved to Hampshire, and upon return from the 1989–90 tour of the West Indies, where he scored only four in one match, he scored 1,263 runs for his new club at 46.77, and he scored 1,142, 1,225 and 1,136 in his final three seasons, ending his last, 1993, with four centuries at 42.07. This was despite being so out of form at times that Brian Mason, a personal counsellor, was asked to work with Gower on his poor form. His final three seasons had seen poorer returns in one day cricket, with his last century coming in 1992, and with his final season returning 347 runs at 26.69. In his final first-class match, Gower faced Essex at Chelmsford on 16 September 1993. Batting at number four, he made a farewell century of 134 before he was stumped in the first innings, and with future captain Nasser Hussain and then captain Graham Gooch both making centuries as Essex fell short of Hampshire's 347 with their own innings of 268, Gower came out to bat for the final time in Hampshire's second innings. He made 25. Gooch, then the England captain having succeeded Gower, came back onto the field for Essex to score his second century of the match.


title: David Gower

text: Gower was selected to play for the England Young Cricketers in 1976 against the West Indies equivalent team. Gower played one match, on 27 August, at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. Opening the batting, Gower made only 10 runs in the first innings as England were bowled out for 164, however after the West Indies had made 201 Gower fell short with 49 in the second innings, stumped off a spin bowler. England were dismissed for 202, and bowled the West Indies out for 143 to take a 22-run victory. He made his debut in Test cricket in 1978 at Edgbaston, scoring a boundary via a pull shot off his first delivery, bowled by Pakistan's Liaqat Ali. He went on to make 58 in England's only innings, followed by 56 at Lord's and 39 at Headingley. On 27 July, Gower played against New Zealand, scoring his maiden Test hundred, 111 off of 253 deliveries in the first innings, and making 11 in the second. He made scores of 46, 71 and 46 in the rest of the series, the latter including his first Test six, earning him selection for the following Ashes Tests in Australia.


title: David Gower

text: Gower made his Ashes début at the Gabba, Brisbane on 1 December 1978. He made 44 and 48* in the first Test, before making his maiden Ashes hundred, 102 from 221 balls in Perth. These were to be his only significant contributions, however, and he saw out the rest of the series with scores of 29, 49, 7, 34, 9 and 21, until a meticulous 65 in the final Test at Sydney. He then faced four Test matches against India over the summer of 1979, beginning the series with a fast-paced 200* at Edgbaston, followed by an 82 at Lord's. Ducks at Leeds and The Oval followed, however, and he struggled against Australia in the winter of 1979 with 17, 23 and three. A battling 98* at Sydney was again followed by another duck and 11 as Gower's form deserted him. After 16 against India in February 1980, and 20 and one against the West Indies, Gower's form picked up marginally with scores of 45, 35 and 48 against Australia and the West Indies. One more fifty followed at Bridgetown, however Gower eventually broke the run of poor form with a hard-fought 154* from 403 deliveries at Kingston.


title: David Gower

text: Gower's timely revival of form ensured his selection for the 1981 Ashes series, however apart from an 89 at Lord's, Gower failed to convert the success he was having in the domestic game to the Test matches, with many scores in the 20s or lower. Two scores in the 80s against India, one against Sri Lanka and two 70s against Pakistan over the winter of 1981/82 kept in him contention for an international place, however centuries were lacking in his game. In August 1982, however, Australia received the England touring team at Perth, where Gower made 72 and 28. He followed this with 18, 34 and 60 at Brisbane and Adelaide before a compact 114 in the second innings of the Adelaide match revived his hundred count. Two more hundreds in the summer of 1983 against New Zealand, and knocks of 152 and 173* against Pakistan in 1984 ensured his place in the side.


title: David Gower

text: Following his 173* in the last Test against Pakistan, Gower suffered another drop in form, managing only three fifties in the next 18 Test innings against the West Indies, Sri Lanka and India. In 1985, however, after low scores at Leeds, Gower enjoyed a "golden season" in the 1985 Ashes. He scored 86 and 22 at Lord's against Australia, and 166 at Trent Bridge. Following this, he scored 47 at Old Trafford, and then at Edgbaston on 15 August, scored 215 from 314 balls, his career best score, and immediately followed this with 157 at The Oval. In addition, he forged two partnerships over 300 runs, with 331 scored with Tim Robinson (148) during Gower's own double-century, and 351 with Gooch's 196 at The Oval. He ended the series with 732 runs at 81.33, leading England to a 3–1 victory.


title: David Gower

text: Gower struggled in 1986. His mother had died a week before he left to captain the England tour to the West Indies which ended in a 5–0 defeat (Gower's second at their hands). Back in England against India, Gower lost the captaincy after two Tests both of which were lost. Retained as a senior player for the New Zealand series and the subsequent Ashes tour, his fortunes began to turn in December with 136 against Australia at Perth.


title: David Gower

text: In 1987 Gower declined to play in that year's Cricket World Cup as he did not wish to travel, having been on nine successive winter tours since his debut. He never again declined an opportunity to play for England, however. Yet rumours that Gower lacked serious commitment gained currency in 1989 when, as England captain he walked out of a press conference claiming he had tickets for the theatre.


title: David Gower

text: More controversially, during the 1990–91 Ashes Tour in Australia, England were playing a warm up match in Queensland when Gower, together with batsman John Morris, chose to go for a joy-ride in two Tiger Moth biplanes without telling the England team management. Both had been dismissed earlier that day, however they decided not to remain at the ground to "watch Allan Lamb and Robin Smith flat the Queensland attack before a small crowd". For this, Gower was fined £1000, a penalty that could have been steeper had he released the water bombs he had also prepared. Gower also posed for press photographs with the plane the next day.


title: David Gower

text: Gooch was enraged, as he was by Gower's mode of dismissal at a crucial stage of one of the Test matches. During the fourth Test at Adelaide, Gower walked out to the crease to the tune of "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines". The last ball before lunch was bowled down the leg side to a leg trap, and all Gower needed to do was block. However, Gower flicked idly at the delivery and was caught at leg-slip. According to Mike Atherton in his autobiography, "Gooch was at the other end and as he walked off his face was thunderous". This was another example of the strained relationship between the two. His score of nought in the second innings at Melbourne in 1991, when England were chasing quick runs for victory, ended his world record, unbroken sequence, of 119 Test innings without registering a duck. Gower scored 73 and 31* in the following matches against Pakistan; however on 9 August 1992 he was dismissed for one by Waqar Younis in what would be his last Test match, at The Oval. It is often thought that Gooch was instrumental in Gower being left out of the following tour of India. The selection decision prompted a vote of no confidence in the selectors at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), but it was to no avail as Gower was not included. In response to Gooch's perceived regime of hard work over talent, Gower retired from international cricket in early 1993.


title: David Gower

text: Gower, a left-handed batsmen, played with a dominant top hand and a "most graceful" style of batting though he had a reputation for being aloof. His languid style was often misinterpreted as indifference and a lack of seriousness, an air he bolstered with a variety of "misdemeanours" from apparently "lazy" shots, to practical jokes, even to his preference for blue (not white) socks. "Wisden" described him as "fluffy-haired, ethereal-looking" who played "beautifully, until the moment he made a mistake. Sometimes, the mistake was put off long enough for him to play an innings of unforgettable brilliance."


title: David Gower

text: Gower was repeatedly lambasted by the media as being "laid back" or "nonchalant" with a "devil-may-care" approach some found infuriating, as "Wisden" records, "the difference between an exquisite stroke and a nick was little more than an inch" in his style of batting. Peter Roebuck recorded that "Gower never moves, he drifts" while Frances Edmonds in the "Daily Express" spoke of Gower in 1985: "Difficult to be more laid back without being actually comatose." Gower himself commented in 1995 in an interview in "The Independent": "I was never destined to be on the ball 100 per cent of the time. I don't have the same ability that Graham Gooch has, to produce something very close to his best every time he plays. There were Test matches where I suddenly felt, at the end of it, 'Well, I wish I'd really been at that one.'


title: David Gower

text: Gower was also a right-arm off break spin bowler despite batting left-handed, who took one Test wicket at 20.00 out of the six overs he sent down in the occasional instances when called on to bowl. His domestic cricket added another three wickets to give him an overall average of 56.75, however Martin Williamson, the managing editor of ESPNcricinfo, records Gower, along with James Whitaker, as "probably two of the worst bowlers in the country" in 1983. On one occasion, during Steve O'Shaughnessy's 35-minute century for Lancashire, Gower conceded 102 for 0 from nine overs. In the 1986 Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, Gower became the only England bowler to be called for throwing in a Test in England. Handed the ball by captain Mike Gatting with New Zealand requiring only one run to win, Gower deliberately threw his first ball to Martin Crowe. Technically the game ended with the no-ball call, but Crowe hit a four off the ball which was permitted to stand, leaving Gower with the unusual match bowling figures of 0-0-4-0 (1nb).


title: David Gower

text: In the field, Gower is noted by biographer Meher-Homji as being a "magnificent outfielder who took amazing catches and threw with accuracy and power to run out the blasé batsman." Ambidextrous in the field and when bowling, Gower also plays both golf and hockey, writes and kicks right-handed. However, he was far less effective as a fielder late in his career, especially in one day matches, since a chronic shoulder injury – usually described as the shoulder being "thrown out" – meant that he usually bowled the ball in when fielding, rather than throwing it in, significantly reducing the speed of the return and allowing batsmen easy runs.


title: David Gower

text: After leaving the game, Gower enjoyed a new career as a cricket broadcaster and television personality, including being one of the team captains on the popular BBC comedy sports quiz, "They Think It's All Over" from 1995 to 2003. He also presented four series of the BBC2 cricket magazine show, "Gower's Cricket Monthly" from 1995–1998 and, at the same time was one of the BBC's main cricket commentators. Gower also spent time commentating on several cricket series in Australia in the 1990s. His commentary for Channel Nine, with his trademark relaxed calls of play and generous attitude to the players and fellow commentators, proved extremely popular with Australian cricket viewing audiences.


title: David Gower

text: Gower was the main presenter of international cricket coverage for Sky Sports and a regular commentator for many years until 2019 when Sky decided not to renew his contract. Matthew Engel of ESPNcricinfo wrote that Gower's commentating career has been "so successful that his cricket seemed mere preparation." Gower returned to commentary for BT Sport in the 2021–22 Ashes series. Alan Tyers of the "Daily Telegraph" wrote that it had been "excellent having Lord Gower back on the cricket commentary: assured, amusing, urbane. And always a steelier character than his insouciance suggested [...] perhaps he might even be enjoying reminding his former employers at Sky that he is still a quality broadcaster."


title: David Gower

text: One of Gower's interests is conservation. In 1989, Gower joined Gerald Durrell and his wife Lee, along with David Attenborough in helping to launch the World Land Trust (then the World Wide Land Conservation Trust). The initial goal of the trust was to purchase rainforest land in Belize as part of the Programme for Belize. Gower is also a Patron of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and he is Vice-President of the Nature in Art Trust. In 1992, he was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).


title: David Gower

text: Gower is also a director of an Internet wine company. Gower and his wife, Thorunn, are Patrons of Southampton-based charity Leukaemia Busters. He was also awarded the "Oldie of the Year" award in 1993 by "The Oldie" magazine. He is the author of a number of written works on cricket, including "Gower: The Autobiography" with "The Independent" journalist Martin Johnson in 1992, "David Gower: With Time to Spare" with Alan Lee in 1995 and "Can't Bat, Can't Bowl, Can't Field" also with Johnson. In 2009, Gower was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.


title: David Gower

text: In August 2014, Gower was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to "The Guardian" opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.


title: Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)

text: Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States through RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.


text: Inspired by Aguilera's 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald, "Back to Basics" was described by Aguilera herself as a fusion of old-school jazz and soul inspirations with a modernized style. Primarily a pop and R&B record, its first disc juxtaposes rhythm and blues with hip hop and urban elements with most songs employing samples, while the second contains all original tracks with the exception of "Candyman", which samples "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine". Lyrically, the album is inspired by Aguilera's previous life events including her marriage with Jordan Bratman in 2005.


text: To portray a new persona, Aguilera adopted her new alter ego Baby Jane and made several changes to her public appearance, inspired by classic Hollywood actresses. She promoted the album by performing at events like the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was further promoted with Back to Basics Tour, which visited countries in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and Middle East from late 2006 until late 2008. "Back to Basics" spawned three international singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman"; "Slow Down Baby" was only released as a single in Australia, while "Oh Mother" was only released as a single in several European countries.


text: "Back to Basics" received favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its musical diversity from Aguilera's previous albums while there were others who criticized its length. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and its lead single "Ain't No Other Man" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007). It debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 with first-week sales of 346,000 copies. "Back to Basics" achieved similar success internationally, reaching the top of the charts in over fifteen countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, and over 8 million worldwide, as of November 2013.


text: At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Aguilera announced that she was going to work on a follow-up album to "Stripped" (2002). She stated her main idea for the project was to "evolve as an artist and a visionary", which was taken from a poem she wrote during The Stripped Tour (2003). In an interview with "Billboard" magazine, Aguilera expressed dissatisfaction with contemporary music, as technology "has advanced itself so anybody can be a singer". Thus, Aguilera took musical inspirations from old-school jazz, blues and soul records performed by her 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, which she viewed as "music that really had heart". The singer stated that her love for retro music was born when she was a child—her mother and grandmother took her to the old vinyl stores in Pittsburgh. According to Aguilera, "Back to Basics" was meant to pay "homage and utmost respect" to some of her favorite musicians.


text: To create a "throwback" with elements of old-school genres combined with "a modern-day twist", Aguilera sent letters to different producers that she hoped could help her with the direction she was taking for the project, encouraging them to experiment, reinvent and create a modern soul feel. She initially planned to condense the album into a single, more "affordable" disc, however, she expanded "Back to Basics" as a double album. For the first disc, Aguilera collaborated with hip hop producers including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Kwamé, and Mark Ronson for the first time. Most songs from the first half incorporate horn samples to create "gritty and old" sounds. DJ Premier questioned if Aguilera was familiar with his work, though she had known of his jazz-influenced work with Gang Starr in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In response, Aguilera wanted her album to draw inspirations from Premier's song "Jazz Thing" and noted that their collaboration became his first time "venturing into the 'pop' world". For the "1920s and 1930s-era vibe"-influenced second disc, Aguilera teamed up with longtime producer Linda Perry, who produced on Aguilera's previous album "Stripped". In contrast to the first disc, the second one consists of all live recordings without using samples (with the exception of "Candyman" featuring a sample of "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine").


text: Recording sessions of the project took place between 2005 and 2006 at various studios in the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Chalice Recording Studios and The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. All songs from "Back to Basics" were recorded using Pro Tools HD3 program and done with a SSL J9000 console with ninety-six inputs. Aguilera's vocals were recorded using a Telefunken ELAM 251 microphone, possibly in conjunction with an Avalon M-5 pre-amp. Producer Scott Storch, who contributed to Aguilera's previous studio album "Stripped", was asked to return for the production of "Back to Basics". However, he refused the offer when Aguilera declined to pay airfare for him and his entourage to fly out to Los Angeles, which led to a breakdown of their relationship. Subsequently, Aguilera included the song "F.U.S.S." (an abbreviation to "Fuck You Scott Storch") on the album, which Storch viewed as "pathetic".


text: Aguilera also recorded a song about oral sex titled "Fuck You, Suck You" during a studio session with Linda Perry. It was supposedly meant for the "Back to Basics" album.


text: According to Aguilera and the production team, "Back to Basics" draws influences from 1920s–1940s jazz and soul music. However, music critics identified the record as a pop, and R&B album with similarities to 1960s, 1970s and 1980s albums. Dorian Lyskey writing for "The Guardian" thought that the album's concept "is so wide as to be meaningless", while Serene Dominic from "Phoenix New Times" compared "Back to Basics"' musical style to rock band The Beatles' self-titled album (1968).


text: The first half disc incorporates strong elements from hip hop, urban, blending traditional and contemporary R&B. It features horn samples and gospel choirs, making it sound like "a dusty old vinyl album", according to Jenny Eliscu from "Rolling Stone". Most songs from the disc employ samples, with the exception of "Without You", "Still Dirrty" and "F.U.S.S." "Makes Me Wanna Pray" featuring Steve Winwood features a gospel choir in its arrangement, while the pop/R&B and funk number "Ain't No Other Man" features "aerobic oomph" that is similar to Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love". "Understand" is an R&B ballad, featuring soul influences that are similar to ballads done by Gladys Knight, while "Slow Down Baby" blends traditional and contemporary R&B with hip hop and soul elements. The three follow-ups "Oh Mother", "On Our Way", and "Without You" are piano ballads. "Still Dirrty" was described as a "filthy... strut" with hip hop elements.


text: The second disc of "Back to Basics" opens with "Enter the Circus", described as a "carnival-creepy orchestration that sounds like Danny Elfman soundtracking "Cabaret"" by "Tampa Bay Times", and followed by the soft rock-inspired "Welcome". "Candyman" draws inspirations from jazz, blues and swing, and was musically inspired by The Andrews Sisters' song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (1941). Similarly, "Nasty Naughty Boy" also contains elements of jazz and blues and features "blaring horn section" in its arrangement. On "I Got Trouble", Aguilera sings over a blues-inspired theme that is reminiscent of songs by Bessie Smith. "Mercy on Me" features gospel elements, while the acoustic track "Save Me from Myself" is inspired by country rock, different from other tracks on "Back to Basics".


text: Most songs from "Back to Basics" were inspired by real-life events that Aguilera had experienced. The track "Oh Mother" talks about Aguilera's childhood with her abusive father; its lyrical theme was compared to Madonna's "Oh Father" (1989). Her marriage with Jordan Bratman was the main theme of the album, with tracks inspired by the event including "Makes Me Wanna Pray", "Ain't No Other Man", "On Our Way", "Without You", "Mercy on Me", "Save Me from Myself" and "The Right Man". On "The Right Man", Aguilera expresses that she has found "the right man" for her imagined daughter as she hopes that the child would not have to experience an abusive childhood like her, singing: "One day, My little girl will reach out her hand and she'll know I found the right man".


text: Aguilera expresses excitement toward old-school music on "Back in the Day", where she names classic artists including Etta James, Marvin Gaye, Coltrane and Aretha Franklin. "F.U.S.S." (which stands for "Fuck You Scott Storch"), is directed toward producer Scott Storch, who didn't accept Aguilera's offer to produce "Back to Basics", containing lyrics such as: "Looks like I didn't need you / Still got the album out". In the lyrics of "Slow Down Baby", Aguilera tells a "lusty" man to leave her alone as she sings: "If you knew anything you'd realize I'm wearing a ring". "Still Dirrty" was described as a sequel to Aguilera's song "Dirrty" (2002), in which Aguilera sings about her "sexual independence": "Why is a woman's sexuality always under so much scrutiny / Why can't she do exactly as she please" and claims that she's "still got the nasty" in her. "Here to Stay" tells how Aguilera is "not just a flash in the pan pop starlet", while "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" features voice mails from Aguilera's fans, such as "You're so amazing" or "You inspired me to carry on living..."


text: For "Back to Basics", Aguilera decided to portray her different image and persona from her previous stage name Xtina by adopting a new alter ego called Baby Jane, named after a character of the film "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962). She also changed her public appearance as she removed her piercings, and dyed her hair platinum blonde, inspired by classic Hollywood movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Greta Garbo.


text: The album's cover artwork was taken by German photographer Ellen von Unwerth during three days; on the first and second days, the photos were shot at the Hollywood Dell hotel. Aguilera and von Unwerth moved to Forty Deuce in Hollywood to take images inspired by 1920s burlesque clubs on the last day of the session. The album's cover artwork was revealed in late June 2006, featuring Aguilera with bright red lipstick and curly blonde hair dressed in white and lounging on a bed. Greg Kot from "The Baltimore Sun" labelled the cover artwork as "a classy retro look, a sign that [Aguilera] is ready for her close-up as the leading lady of the teen brat pack that emerged in the late '90s". It also received criticism for being too similar to the artwork of Madonna's sixth studio album, "Bedtime Stories" (1994).


text: In mid-2006, Virgin Media reported that "Back to Basics" would be released on August 14, 2006. TMZ later reported that "Back to Basics" was planned to be released on August 15, 2006 in the United States. The album was leaked in full on August 3.


text: Aguilera began her promotion of "Back to Basics" with a live performance of "Ain't No Other Man" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards on June 8, 2006. On July 20, Aguilera held a forty-minute concert at Camden Palace Theatre in London, where she performed five songs from her then-upcoming album and two previous singles. On August 16, Aguilera held a release party for the album in New York City, New York. Aguilera performed "Hurt" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards on August 31. On September 8, she performed "Candyman" and "Bennie and the Jets" at the Fashion Rocks charity event; the latter was a duet with Elton John. Aguilera also sang "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Steppin' Out with My Baby" with Tony Bennett on "Saturday Night Live" on November 11, 2006. "Hurt" was also sung on the NBC Christmas Thanksgiving Special in November, and the German television series "Wetten, dass..?" in December 2006. On December 31, 2006, Aguilera appeared on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" and performed "Candyman" and "Fighter".


text: On February 10, 2007, Aguilera sang "Makes Me Wanna Pray" and "Candyman" at the Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Awards Party. She also performed "Candyman" on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". Between late 2006 and late 2008, Aguilera visited North America, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Middle East during her Back to Basics Tour. It was promoted by the telecommunications companies Orange and Sony Ericsson. The eighty-one-show tour received positive reviews from critics, who complimented it as the strongest of her career. Grossing over $90 million worldwide, it became the ninth highest-grossing tour ever for a female artist and the most profitable world tour by a female artist in 2007. In February 2008, the live video album "" was released.


text: The first track from the album to be made available to the public was "Ain't No Other Man", which was released as the lead single to contemporary hit radio in the United States on June 6, 2006. Aguilera was featured in Pepsi's commercial advertisement, which used "Here to Stay", a track from "Back to Basics" as its main theme. Shot in multiple territories around the world, including Saudi Arabia, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and India, the sixty-second advertisement premiered worldwide on July 14, 2006. Alongside the commercial, "Here to Stay" was made available for digital download on mobile phones as a promotional record to then-upcoming "Back to Basics". "Hurt" and "Candyman" were serviced as the album's second and third international singles on September 17, 2006, and February 20, 2007, respectively. "Slow Down Baby" was released exclusively in Australia on July 28, 2007, while "Oh Mother" was released in several European countries in late 2007. In January 2008, Aguilera released a music video for the track "Save Me from Myself", following giving birth to her son Max Bratman.


text: On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, "Back to Basics" received an average score of 69, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 17 reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic appreciated the album's production, commenting that the project was "all the more impressive" coming after the "near career suicide of "Stripped"". "Entertainment Weekly"s Jody Rosen opined that Aguilera "can make her own glorious kind of 21st-century noise" and compared Aguilera's vocal ability on the album to that of Mariah Carey. Mike Joseph of PopMatters felt that Aguilera "still shouts at times when a coo will do", but felt that her choice in collaborators made for an "ultimately rewarding listen". Sputnikmusic's Amanda Murray noted "Back to Basics" as another "transitional" and "innovative" record for Aguilera. Lucy Davies from BBC Music said that Aguilera has a "stunning voice", but stated that she could be more varied by cutting out some of the "y-e-e-eeeh, woah yeh's" on the second album.


text: Thomas Innskeep from "Stylus Magazine" preferred the first disc of the album over the "ridiculously overblown ballads" on the second disc, adding that "Back to Basics" was "one of 2006's best when Linda Perry's fingerprints aren't present". Similarly, Yahoo! Music's Dan Gennoe described the first disc as a "low-down and dirty masterpiece", but said the second disc found Aguilera "crashing straight back down again". Paul Flynn from "The Observer" provided a mixed review, saying that the beginning of the album was "all craft and very little heart"; however, he found the collaborations between her and Perry to be "deeply cinematic". "Rolling Stone"s Jenny Eliscu opined that the release was "overindulgent and self-important", but would have been "masterful" had it been condensed into a single disc. Kelefa Sanneh from "The New York Times" gave a mixed review, stating that it "contains a roughly even number of great songs and lousy ones", and sait that "her homages to World War II-era pop music resemble skits more than songs". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine criticized Aguilera for using a sexual image to overshadow her vocals, but commented that "Back to Basics" was more "cohesive" than "Stripped". Robert Christgau provided a negative review, classifying the album as a "dud" ().


text: Various publications published articles about "Back to Basics" to celebrate its tenth anniversary of release, including Idolator and Fuse. In an article published on August 9, 2016, Katherine Barner of Idolator wrote that the album "put [Aguilera's] talent and musical diversity at the forefront" and that it "set Aguilera apart from her pop peers" such as Britney Spears, Pink, Janet Jackson, Christina Milian and Paris Hilton. On August 15, 2016, Jeff Benjamin of Fuse called "Back to Basics" Aguilera's "riskiest album", and stated: "While Aguilera shows the world who she truly was on "Stripped", "BTB" appeared to be the first time Xtina got to truly create her own universe."


text: "Back to Basics" received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007) and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man". At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards the following year, "Candyman" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. "Back to Basics" was named the best pop album of 2006 by iTunes. On June 17, 2008, "Entertainment Weekly" listed the album at number eighty of the hundred best albums of the last twenty-five years.


text: Upon its release, "Back to Basics" reached number one in over fifteen countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. With 346,000 copies sold in its first week, the album debuted atop the US "Billboard" 200, being Aguilera's second number-one album after her self-titled debut album (1999) and her highest debut-week sales. It remained on the chart for forty-four weeks, falling off after a final position of number 164. The album was ranked at numbers fifty-nine and seventy-three on the "Billboard" 200 year-end charts in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Additionally, "Back to Basics" debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, spending forty-six weeks on the chart. The album went on to be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of two million units in the United States. As of 2014, it has sold 1,712,000 copies in the country. With first-week sales of 24,000, "Back to Basics" also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. It was certified triple platinum in the country, selling over 300,000 copies.


text: "Back to Basics" achieved similar success in Europe, peaking at number one on the European Top 100 Albums. In the United Kingdom, it became Aguilera's first album to debut atop the UK Albums Chart. It charted for thirty-three weeks within the top seventy-five, and was eventually certified platinum in the country by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album placed at numbers fifty-six and one-hundred-and-twenty-seven on the year-end UK Albums Chart in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In Finland, "Back to Basics" charted for eighteen weeks on the Suomen virallinen lista, peaking at number six. It debuted at number ten on the French Albums Chart, where it spent fifty-two weeks. The album proved be less successful in Portugal, where it peaked at number twenty-six and charted for two weeks.


text: The album achieved success in major markets in Oceania. It debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart and charted for forty weeks, while debuting at number two on the New Zealand Albums Chart and charting for twenty-seven weeks. The album reached numbers forty-five and thirty-four on Australian year-end charts in 2006 and 2007, respectively; while charting at number forty-three in New Zealand in 2007. "Back to Basics" went on the reach double platinum certification in the former and platinum in the latter. "Back to Basics" debuted at number seven on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan with first-week sales of 32,241 units. It was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 100,000 copies. According to RCA Records frontman Clive Davis, the album has sold approximately five million copies worldwide as of November 2013.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Jordan Perry Morris (born October 26, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger and forward for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the United States national team. He grew up on Mercer Island, Washington and joined the Sounders youth academy before playing college soccer at Stanford University.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris won the Hermann Trophy in his senior season at Stanford and was called up to the United States national team, scoring in a friendly against Mexico. He signed for Seattle's senior team in 2016 as a Homegrown Player, winning an MLS Cup in his rookie season and a second title in 2019. Morris was loaned to EFL Championship side Swansea City in early 2021, but returned after four matches due to an ACL tear.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris, from Mercer Island, Washington, began his youth career with Eastside FC, where he played from 2004 to 2012, from U11 to U17, with the Eastside FC B94 Red team, coached by Dan Strom, and helped the team to six of its seven Washington State titles as well as two third-place finishes at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in 2011 and 2012: he was named to the Best XI in 2011, and was the Golden Ball winner in 2012. Morris was also named NSCAA Washington State Player of the Year and NSCAA High School All-American in 2012.


title: Jordan Morris

text: He joined the Sounders FC youth academy and played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for one season.


title: Jordan Morris

text: In his freshman year with the Cardinal, Morris appeared in all 21 matches and led all Pac-12 freshman with seven assists and 19 points and tied for the lead with six goals and helped lead his team to their first NCAA Tournament since 2009 where they would eventually fall 1–0 to #2 seed Washington in the Round of 16. He went on to be named first team All-Pac-12 that year. Morris also spent time with Seattle Sounders FC U-23 in the Premier Development League. In his sophomore year, Morris helped lead Stanford to its first Pac-12 championship since 2001.


title: Jordan Morris

text: In his junior year, Morris scored 13 goals and had 3 assists. He led the Cardinal to both the Pac-12 and the NCAA Championships. In the NCAA tournament, Morris scored 5 of Stanford's total of 12 goals. In the championship game against Clemson, Morris scored his first of two goals in the game only 87 seconds into the contest. On January 8, 2016, Morris was awarded the Hermann Trophy as the best player in NCAA Division I soccer.


title: Jordan Morris

text: In January 2016, Morris trained with German club Werder Bremen at their winter camp, which Bremen chief executive Thomas Eichin described as "an opportunity for us to get to know the player better." Later in January, Bremen extended Morris' trial who then played in a friendly match against Inter Baku PIK and recorded an assist. Bremen offered a contract to Morris and Eichin expressed confidence that they would sign him, but Morris turned down the German club's offer in favor of returning to play in the United States.


title: Jordan Morris

text: After winning the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, there was speculation that Morris would begin to play professionally. Coach Jürgen Klinsmann stated that Morris "obviously has to" turn pro. His decision to stay at Stanford University for a third year was criticized, as was his decision to play professionally in the United States instead of Europe.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On January 5, 2016, Morris announced he decided to forgo his senior season at Stanford to join a professional team. It was widely speculated that Morris would sign with Seattle Sounders FC, the club for which his father works, and also holds his amateur rights. On January 21, Morris signed with Seattle Sounders FC, being given MLS's highest-ever Homegrown Player contract worth roughly $250,000 a year. He joined the Sounders' preseason training camp in Arizona, debuting on February 9 in a friendly against Celaya F.C.. On February 23, Morris made his professional debut against Club América in the CONCACAF Champions League, starting the match. The following week, he debuted in the Sounders' first Major League Soccer (MLS) match of the season against Sporting Kansas City.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris scored his first MLS goal for the Sounders on April 16, 2016, against the Philadelphia Union. He then went on to score in his next three consecutive games, matching the Seattle rookie scoring record, his next goal then surpassed the record that had been set by Steve Zakuani in 2009. The Sounders won their first MLS Cup after a run from ninth place into fourth made possible by Morris's goalscoring and contributions from Nicolas Lodeiro, a new midseason acquisition made by Seattle. Morris was named MLS Rookie of the Year with his 12 regular season goals, the second-highest for a league rookie behind Cyle Larin in 2015. He had also scored in the Western Conference Final second leg against the Colorado Rapids while sick with an undisclosed virus and injured.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On February 22, 2018, while playing in El Salvador against Santa Tecla in the Sounders' first match of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League, Morris collapsed from a non-contact injury in the 85th minute and was later diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). He was reported to likely miss 6–9 months and began rehabilitation after knee surgery. After missing the entirety of the 2018 MLS season, Morris was signed to a five-year contract extension with the Sounders in December 2018.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris returned for the 2019 season and scored 10 goals during the regular season and a hat-trick in the playoffs to help the Sounders win a second MLS Cup title. He was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year for his recovery. Morris continued playing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the MLS is Back Tournament despite an elevated risk due to his diabetes, citing his confidence in the club's precautionary measures.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On January 22, 2021, Swansea City announced that they had signed Morris on a loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 EFL Championship season. He made his debut on January 30 as a substitute against Rotherham United. During a match against Huddersfield Town on February 20, Morris suffered an ACL injury to his left knee and was stretchered off in the 66th minute. The injury forced him to miss the rest of the Swansea City season as well as national team fixtures. As a result, his loan stint was prematurely terminated and Morris returned to the United States for treatment.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris underwent a successful knee surgery in March 2021 that was performed by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, who had previously operated on him following his right ACL tear in 2018. He underwent rehabilitation with the Sounders for eight months and enrolled in Stanford University's online classes to finish his degree in science technology and society. Morris returned to on-field training in August and appeared in the 2021 Leagues Cup roster as an unused substitute. He made his return on November 1, 2021, as a substitute against the LA Galaxy in Seattle's penultimate regular season match. He made an additional regular season appearance as a substitute and started for the Sounders in a playoffs loss to Real Salt Lake.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris scored three goals for the Sounders during their run to the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League title and was named to the Team of Tournament. He scored his 50th overall goal for Seattle in a 2–1 loss to CF Montréal on June 29, 2022. Morris was named to the 2022 MLS All-Star Game roster and played in the first half against the Liga MX All-Stars before being substituted.


title: Jordan Morris

text: In May 2013, Morris was one of 22 players named to the U.S. under-20 squad for the Toulon Tournament where he made three appearances. He also made appearances for the U.S. under-23 national team on August 6, 2014, and scored in a 5–1 win over Barbados.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On August 28, 2014, Morris received his first senior call up to the U.S. men's national team for a friendly against the Czech Republic, making him the first college player to be called into squad since Chris Albright was called up in 1999 while he was still playing at the University of Virginia. Although he was left on the bench for that match, he made his international debut in November in a 4–1 defeat to Ireland.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On April 15, 2015, he scored his first U.S. men's national team goal against Mexico in an international friendly. In the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Morris scored the winning goal for the United States, assuring a victory over Jamaica and becoming joint top scorer of the tournament with three goals.


title: Jordan Morris

text: On January 21, 2022, Morris received his first World Cup qualifying call up since September 2017 after a lengthy injury recovery. He was named to the U.S. squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside teammate Cristian Roldan, a close friend and roommates on away trips for both teams. Morris made an appearance as a substitute in the first group stage match against Wales on November 21, 2022.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris was born in Seattle, Washington, to Michael and Leslie Morris. His father, Dr. Michael Morris, is the chief medical director of Seattle Sounders FC. He has three siblings named Christopher, Julian and Talia. He attended Mercer Island High School, where he played high school soccer prior to joining the Sounders Academy. Morris married his wife Eliza in 2020 and they live with several dogs.


title: Jordan Morris

text: Morris was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of nine and is one of the few professional athletes with the condition to play. He said that having diabetes has helped shape him. His tattoo "T1D" on his inner arm is a tribute to the armband people with diabetes have to wear.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and South Carolina Lowcountry. The city is renowned for its scenic location and for maintaining a historic character by preservation of its antebellum architecture. The prominent role of Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands during the Reconstruction era after the U.S. Civil War is memorialized by the Reconstruction Era National Monument, established in 2017. The city is also known for its military establishments, being located in close proximity to Parris Island and a U.S. naval hospital, in addition to being home of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The city has been featured in the "New York Times", and named "Best Small Southern Town" by "Southern Living", a "Top 25 Small City Arts Destination" by "American Style", and a "Top 50 Adventure Town" by "National Geographic Adventure".


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Written history began 500 years ago with the exploration of the area by Spanish Captain Pedro de Salazar between 1514 and 1516. Thus, Beaufort County was the site of the second landing on the North American continent by Europeans.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Lowcountry region had been subject to numerous European explorations and failed attempts at colonization before British colonists founded the city in 1711. Named for Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, the city initially grew slowly, subject to numerous attacks from Native American tribes and threats from the powerful Spanish Empire to the south. It flourished first as a center for shipbuilding and later, when the region was established as a slave society, as the elite center for the Lowcountry planters through the Civil War.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Several months after hostilities began between the states, Beaufort was occupied by Union forces following the Battle of Port Royal. Due in part to its early occupation, the city attracted escaping slaves. The Union declared the slaves emancipated and initiated efforts at education and preparation for full independence. The Freedmen's Bureau worked with local blacks during Reconstruction.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: After the war, the city relied on phosphate mining before a devastating hurricane in 1893 and a fire in 1907 brought extensive destruction and economic turmoil. Their effects slowed growth of the city for nearly half a century.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: In the latter half of the 20th century, the community became a destination for tourists. It also benefited by the growth of military installations in the area and related employment. Local groups have worked to preserve Beaufort's historic character and significant architecture. These efforts have contributed to the community regularly receiving accolades in regional and national media for its general attractiveness and quality of life.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: In 2022, an informal sister city arrangement was established with Ostroh, Ukraine in which the residents of Beaufort raised funds to support Ostroh during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: In addition to the Beaufort Historic District, The Anchorage, William Barnwell House, Barnwell-Gough House, Beaufort National Cemetery, John A. Cuthbert House, Fort Lyttelton Site, Hunting Island State Park Lighthouse, Laurel Bay Plantation, Marshlands, Seacoast Packing Company, Seaside Plantation, Robert Smalls House, Tabby Manse, and John Mark Verdier House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort is located at (32.431853, -80.689515). The majority of the city is situated upon Port Royal Island, an interior Sea Island that the city shares with neighboring Port Royal and unincorporated portions of Beaufort County. The city has also annexed lands across the Beaufort River on Lady's Island.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The city is amid a marshy estuary, and according to the United States Census Bureau has a total area of , of which is land and , or 17.80%, is water.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Remnants of the original English colonial settlement of Beaufort can be found in the downtown or historic district area. of the town have been designated a National Historic Landmark. With approximate dimensions, downtown is defined as anything upon the peninsula jutting into the Beaufort River that is located east of Ribaut Road (US 21). Further defined, downtown is broken into five distinct historic neighborhoods: Downtown (the commercial core), The Point (also known as the Old Point), The Bluff, The Old Commons, and the Northwest Quadrant.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: As the city expanded in the 20th century, additional growth focused on previously undeveloped areas north and west of the historic district. Much of the growth can be attributed to the increased military influence during the 1940s and 1950s, in which Beaufort's population doubled as a result of new military personnel and families moving to the area. These areas have become integral parts of the city and today are home to the majority of the residents in the city.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Pigeon Point and Higginsonville neighborhoods are located immediately north of Downtown Beaufort and are built around the Beaufort National Cemetery. They contain two major city parks: Pigeon Point Community Park and the Basil Green Recreation Complex. An area with smaller homes and mostly one-story early 20th century structures, Pigeon Point has experienced a renewal of development interest, with many homes being "flipped" or renovated in recent years. Higginsonville is more similar in character to the Northwest Quadrant neighborhood and has its street names come from famous abolitionists during the Civil War era.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The West End and Depot neighborhoods are located west of Ribaut Road, south of Boundary Street and north of the Technical College of the Lowcountry campus. These areas have been the focus of recent redevelopment efforts. Formerly concentrated around the Beaufort rail station (the depot), the neighborhoods have similar characteristics to the Pigeon Point area and have a sizable number of military families as residents.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Spanish Point neighborhood is located between Downtown and Mossy Oaks, generally considered to be clustered around the Technical College of the Lowcountry campus and the Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Several upscale residential streets are found in this area.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Battery Creek neighborhoods of Mossy Oaks, Royal Oaks, First Boulevard, and Cottage Farms form the southern residential areas of the city and are generally considered to be south of the Technical College of the Lowcountry campus and the Beaufort Memorial Hospital. There are some commercial establishments in the area in addition to residential subdivisions ranging from self-contained attached housing to residential estate lots of .


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Portions of Lady's Island have been annexed by Beaufort, but the city does not have complete jurisdiction of the entire island. Most of the incorporated areas are upscale residential communities. Both Beaufort High School and the Beaufort County Airport are located on the island.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Once the outer edge of town, the areas along Boundary Street (US Highway 21), the Robert Smalls Parkway (SC Highway 170), and Ribaut Road now serve as Beaufort's major commercial corridors. Several major shopping centers and dining establishments are prevalent in all three areas. Beyond shopping and dining, Ribaut Road has numerous medical offices clustered near Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Boundary Street and Robert Smalls Parkway have several lodging facilities and auto dealerships as prevailing business types. Boundary Street is expected to change its appearance over the coming years due in part to a major redevelopment plan approved by the city in 2008 and supported via tax increment financing.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Uptown Beaufort refers to a series of mostly commercial properties along Boundary Street that separates the historic district from the Pigeon Point neighborhood. Uptown is not formally considered a neighborhood on its own, yet merchants have created a unique identity to market the commercial area separately from downtown merchants clustered on Bay Street.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort Town Center is a recent term given to a series of developments along Boundary Street located west of the historic district and Pigeon Point that is clustered near the Beaufort County government complex and the City of Beaufort's municipal complex construction site. Though much of the area (and the term) is owned by a single developer, many of Beaufort's commercial properties and administrative uses have moved to this area.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort was annexed into the city in the 1990s, expanding the city limits northward near the unincorporated Seabrook community. Previous attempts at bringing large-scale residential development north of the air station were defeated after protests from long-time citizens and environmental advocacy groups.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Beaufort area has several printed publications. The daily newspaper "The Beaufort Gazette" is the oldest and most circulated newspaper of record in South Carolina and is the sister publication to the Bluffton-based "Island Packet". There are two weekly print newspapers: "The Island News" and an alternative "Lowcountry Weekly".


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Several radio stations have transmission feeds originating or duplicating in Beaufort. One such station is WAGP, 88.7 FM, "The Light". There are other locations just outside the city, such as Parris Island. Beaufort has one local television station, WJWJ-TV (PBS). Beaufort is part of the Savannah, Georgia Designated Market Area, and additionally receives Charleston television stations.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort has been the setting or the inspirational setting for several novels by long-time resident Pat Conroy and a popular filming location for major motion pictures, including "The Big Chill", "The Prince of Tides", "A Walk to remember" ", The Great Santini", "Forrest Gump", "Something To Talk About" and "G.I. Jane". The "garden" in the title of John Berendt's non-fiction novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is a cemetery in Beaufort. The voodoo practitioner Minerva, based on Beaufort resident Valerie Boles, lives near the cemetery.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Lady's Island, the slave trade and the American Revolutionary War are the topics of an award-winning novel by the Canadian writer Lawrence Hill, "The Book of Negroes" (2007) (published in the US as "Someone Knows My Name"). It portrays the evacuation of Black Americans from Manhattan by the British after the Revolutionary War, as they had promised freedom to those enslaved by Patriots who joined their forces. The British transported more than 3,000 freedmen for resettlement to Nova Scotia, where they became known as Black Loyalists; others were taken to England and the Caribbean. The "Book of Negroes" is the record of names and origins of freedmen taken to Canada.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort is a tourist destination known for its history. Major festivals and arts events include the Home Water Festival, a two-week festival in the middle of July; and the Shrimp Festival, celebrating the local and traditional industry, in the first weekend in October. In 2007, the Beaufort Shrimp Festival was selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Beaufort International Film Festival held in mid-February each year (covers the Presidents' Day weekend) screens independent films. "A Taste of Beaufort", presented by Main Street Beaufort, is held on the first Saturday in May and features twenty local restaurants, fine wines, and live music. Historic Beaufort Foundation's Fall Tour of Homes and St. Helena's Spring Tour of Homes provide tours of the antebellum homes on the Point and local plantations. The town is also the home of The Kazoo Museum, which opened in October 2010 and is located in the Kazoobie Kazoos Factory. Hunting Island is nearby on the Atlantic Ocean and is the state's most visited state park.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Beaufort has been named by some sources as one of "America's Best Art Towns", including being ranked the No. 14 Small City Arts Destination by "American Style Magazine" in 2008 and one of America's top 100 art towns by author John Villani in his 2005 book "The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining". Close to 20 galleries operate within the city, with hundreds of local residents contributing to the arts scene.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The University of South Carolina Beaufort has a performing arts center that attracts regional and national acts to the community.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The Arts Council of Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Island nurtures the arts via ARTworks, its community arts center, theater, and gallery in Beaufort Town Center (2127 Boundary Street) that also includes the studios of working artists, Strings 'n Things music shop, and spaces for workshops, classes, and conferences, as well as an after-school program. The arts council promotes the arts with original theater productions, community arts grants, and a busy calendar for arts events county-wide.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: Through Beaufort County's Recreation Department, junior and intramural athletics are sponsored year-round. Team activities include football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and cheerleading. Several recreational facilities, including tennis courts, playgrounds, and ballfields exist within the city and in surrounding areas.


title: Beaufort, South Carolina

text: The local area provides excellent opportunities for watersports and boating. In February 2008, "Field and Stream Magazine" rated Beaufort as one of the top 20 fishing towns in the United States in an article that factored in cost, attractions, distractions, seasons, and fishing action. Beaufort was named as a "Top 50 Adventure Town" and the No. 7 Waterfront Adventure Town by "National Geographic Adventure".