title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Allen has had a rivalry with Stuart Bingham. After Bingham squandered a 12–9 lead in the second round of the 2011 World Snooker Championship to lose 13–12 against Ding Junhui, Allen stated that Bingham had "no bottle" and admitted that there was history between the players and that they did not get on. Bingham responded by calling Allen an idiot and the tension between the two was clearly high as they were drawn to play each other in the second round of the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open. Before the match, Bingham said that he couldn't wait to play and that he had been waiting for it for a long time. He also stated that he didn't care what Allen thought and it would give him more pleasure to beat him. Bingham fulfilled his pre-match words by defeating Allen 5–3 and also went on to win the tournament by coming back from 8–5 down to beat Mark Williams 9–8 in the final.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: When the draw for the 2011 UK Championship was made it revealed that there was a potential quarter-final clash between the two. Anticipating the meeting, Bingham said that the "feud was not over" and that he would be staying away from Allen and not be speaking to him until they next played. The match-up was avoided, however, when Bingham lost in the first round to Marco Fu. Allen announced before the start of the 2013 World Championship that there was no problem between himself and Bingham since Bingham had proved him wrong by winning tournaments, and the two have had drinks and dinner together. After Bingham won the 2015 World Championship he said "Thanks to Mark Allen. He said I had no bottle and since then things have changed".


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Allen also has a rivalry with Mark Joyce and has made no secret of his dislike for him, stating that: "I don't like Mark Joyce, basically he is a dick, on and off the table, I doubt even his mum likes him." He went on to accuse Joyce of gamesmanship during their match at the 2016 Northern Irish Open.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: In a post-match press conference after his first round win in the 2011 UK Championship, Allen called for the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), Barry Hearn, to resign. Allen's reasoning for this was based upon his belief that Hearn had promised not to alter the structure of any of the major snooker tournaments in the calendar (the World Snooker Championships, the UK Championships and the Masters) when he was appointed chairman in June 2010, whereas in fact the UK Championship had seen matches decided on a best-of-11-frames basis, rather than the best-of-17-frames used in previous years. Allen also stated his perception that the crowd atmosphere within snooker was turning into that of one usually associated with darts and that the tradition of snooker was "going to pot". Allen then swore when talking about Hearn at a press conference.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: The WPBSA announced that Allen would be facing a disciplinary committee for swearing when talking about Hearn and that he could be charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Hearn himself responded by saying he was "far too busy to worry about silly little boys making silly little comments". Upon learning that Hearn had been on holiday for the entirety of the event, Allen said it was a "joke" and only confirmed the views which he had expressed earlier in the week. The pair held a meeting in January 2012, to settle their differences ahead of the forthcoming Masters tournament. Hearn said after the meeting that the way he was running the game may not suit everyone, but his concern was the game of snooker in general. Hearn added: "Mark's prize money this year is probably double what he's earned in the last couple of years so I must be doing something right. We had a very frank and friendly exchange of views and in the end I think he saw my point of view, but time will tell." Allen was fined £250 for his actions by the WPBSA later in the month.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Just two months later while playing in the World Open in Haikou, China, Allen described the conditions on his Twitter page as "horrendous", following up with: "Journey a nightmare. People are ignorant. Place stinks. Arena's rubbish, tables poor, food is horrendous. Other than that I love China", although this tweet was later deleted. Answering critics of that particular tweet, he said they should "get a life". World Snooker described his remarks as very disappointing. It was later revealed that Allen was fined £1,000 for his criticism and he went on to close his Twitter account in April. He later reopened it and used it for some time but proceeded to close it again for most of 2020, citing repeat issues of abuse and trolling that have disrupted his game. As of late 2020, it has since been reopened.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Following his defeat at the 2012 World Snooker Championship to Chinese qualifier Cao Yupeng, he openly accused his opponent of cheating and unsporting behaviour for not owning up to what he perceived to be a foul. Allen attributed the deception to his perceived cultural differences between British and Chinese players, purportedly with incidents involving Chinese professional Liang Wenbo and Hong Kong's Marco Fu. Barry Hearn confirmed that Allen would once again face a disciplinary process and said that the player's actions had left him "speechless". Allen was fined a total of £11,000 and warned he would be suspended from the tour for three months if he breached the rules again in the following six months. He was also required to undergo media training.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Prior to the commencement of the 2013 World Snooker Championship, Allen renewed his criticisms of Barry Hearn. Allen voiced concerns that the World Snooker Tour's increasing emphasis on events in China was pricing players out of competing, pointing out that since Hearn took over the running of the game players now have to pay for their own flights, which can incur extra expenses of £10,000–£15,000 per season. Allen, who earned £278,000 over the course of the previous two years, further added he did not believe he was being fairly compensated for his services.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: At the 2019 World Grand Prix, he conceded the match against Ali Carter in the fifth frame with 11 reds on the table after missing the yellow.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: In 2005, Allen began a relationship with women's world snooker champion Reanne Evans. They had a daughter, born in 2006, but ended their relationship in 2008. Following his breakup with Evans, Allen fell into a deep depression and had periods where he did not leave his home. He spoke openly about his vulnerability to depression and loneliness at this time, partly due to the amount of travelling required of a top professional snooker player.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: In 2011, Allen met Kyla McGuigan, whom he married on 10 May 2013. Allen's stepson Robbie McGuigan became a noted amateur snooker player, winning under-16 and under-21 tournaments at an early age and achieving a 147 break in 2018 at the age of 13. Allen and McGuigan's daughter Harleigh was born in 2017. In May 2020, it was reported that Allen and McGuigan had separated and were in the process of divorcing. In May 2021, he declared himself bankrupt. In 2022, following his divorce from McGuigan, he became engaged to Aideen Cassidy.


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: Following a conversation with fellow professional Ronnie O'Sullivan and concern from friends, Allen lost four stone (approx. 25 kg) after the 2022 World Snooker Championship. Before his weight loss, Allen had weighed 19 stone (approx. 120 kg).


title: Mark Allen (snooker player)

text: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent three to four hours a day delivering groceries and prescription medications to vulnerable people in Antrim.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Koro is a culture bound delusional disorder in which individuals have an overpowering belief that their sex organs are retracting and will disappear, despite the lack of any true longstanding changes to the genitals. Koro is also known as shrinking penis, and it is listed in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders".


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The syndrome occurs worldwide, and mass hysteria of genital-shrinkage anxiety has a history in Africa, Asia and Europe. In the United States and Europe, the syndrome is commonly known as genital retraction syndrome.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The condition can be diagnosed through psychological assessment along with physical examination to rule out genuine disorders of the genitalia that could be causing true retraction.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The word was borrowed from Malay and means the "head of a turtle" (or "tortoise"), referring to how it looks when they retract their heads into their shells.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Most patients report acute anxiety attacks due to perceived genital retraction and/or genital shrinkage, despite a lack of any objectively visible biological changes in the genitalia that are longstanding. "Longstanding" refers to changes that are sustained over a significant period and do not appear reversible, unlike the effect of cold temperatures on some genital regions that cause retraction. These changes may trigger a koro attack when observed, although the effects of cold temperatures are objectively reversible. According to literature, episodes usually last several hours, though the duration may be as long as two days. There are cases in which koro symptoms persist for years in a chronic state, indicating a potential co-morbidity with body dysmorphic disorder. In addition to retraction, other symptoms include a perception of alteration of penis shape and loss of penile muscle tone. In cases when patients have no perception of retraction, some patients may complain of genital paraesthesia or genital shortening. Among females, the cardinal symptom is nipple retraction in the breast, generally into the breast as a whole.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Psychological components of koro anxiety include fear of impending death, penile dissolution and loss of sexual power. Feelings of impending death along with retraction and perceived spermatorrhea has a strong cultural link with Chinese traditional beliefs. This is demonstrated by the fact that Asians generally believe koro symptoms are fatal, unlike most patients in the West. Other ideational themes are intra-abdominal organ shrinkage, sex change to female or eunuch, non-specific physical danger, urinary obstruction, sterility, impending madness, spirit possession and a feeling of being bewitched.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Individuals with extreme anxiety and their family members may resort to physical methods to prevent the believed retraction of the penis. A man may perform manual or mechanical penile traction, or "anchoring" by a loop of string or some clamping device. Similarly, a woman may be seen grabbing her own breast, pulling her nipple, or even having iron pins inserted into the nipple. Physical injury may occur from these attempts. These forceful attempts often lead to injuries, sometimes death.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Psychosexual conflicts, personality factors, and cultural beliefs are considered as being of etiological


title: Koro (medicine)

text: significance to koro. Sexual adjustment histories of non-Chinese individuals are often significant, such as premorbid sex inadequacy, sexual promiscuity, guilt over masturbation, and impotence.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Several criteria are typically used to make a diagnosis of koro. The primary criterion is a patient's report of genital (typically penile or female nipple) retraction despite a lack of objective physical evidence demonstrating retraction. This is accompanied by severe anxiety related to the retraction, fear of death as a result of retraction, and use of mechanical means to prevent retraction. Cases that do not meet all the requirements are generally classified as koro-like symptoms or given a diagnosis of partial koro syndrome. It has been argued that the criteria are sufficient but not necessary to make a diagnosis of koro. Researchers have identified koro as a possible "cultural relative" of body dysmorphic disorder. DSM-IV explains the process of differential diagnosis between these two disorders.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: A medical, psychosexual and psychiatric history should be documented. The physician should explore the patient's concerns about appearance and body image (ruling out body dysmorphic disorder). Additionally, the physician should inquire about overall beliefs, personal values, and assumptions that the patient is making about his or her genitals. Given that koro is often an “attack” with a great deal of associated anxiety, the physician should ascertain the patient's emotional state along with the timeline from onset to the presentation at the examination.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: A physical examination should involve an assessment of overall health along with a detailed genital examination. In men, genital examination should be performed immediately after penile exposure, to avoid changes due to external temperature. The primary intent of the male exam is to exclude genuine penile anomalies such as hypospadias, epispadias and Peyronie's disease. The presence of a significant suprapubic fat pad should be noted as well. Careful measurements of flaccid length, stretched length and flaccid girth will also be useful. If male patients insist that their penis is shrinking and disappearing, measurements after intracavernosal alprostadil may be used in the office to determine the true erect length and to diagnose any penile abnormalities in the erect state. A physical examination should note any injuries inflicted by the patient in an effort to "prevent" retraction as further confirmation of koro.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In DSM-IV-TR, koro is listed as one of the entries in the Glossary of Culture-Bound Syndromes of Appendix I. The manual gives koro's definition as "a term, probably of Malaysian origin, that refers to an episode of sudden and intense anxiety that the penis (or, in females, the vulva and nipples) will recede into the body and possibly cause death." Attempts have been made by numerous authors to place koro into different classes. For example, koro may fit into the group of "specific culture-imposed nosophobia" (classification with cardinal sign), "the genital retraction taxon" (classification with common factors between syndromes), and the group with "culture-related beliefs as causes for the occurrence" (classification according to how the syndromes might be affected by cultural factors).


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Various authors have attempted to distinguish between complete and incomplete forms of koro, along with cultural and non-cultural forms. Cultural forms are said to involve a cultural belief or myth which plays a role in the genesis and spread of the disease in the community. These are regarded as complete forms of koro, matching all the symptoms required for diagnosis without significant co-morbidity. Differentiation into primary koro, a culture-bound expression, and secondary koro. Secondary koro is proposed to have co-morbidity with a CNS disorder, another psychiatric disorder, or possible drug use.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Traditional Chinese medicine recognises koro as a sexual disease and classifies it into two categories, namely "cold conglomeration in liver" and "depletion of kidney's yang".


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Men who present with this complaint may have koro, but they may also be misinformed about normal genital size. Additionally, they may have penile dysmorphophobia. Penile dysmorphophobia is related to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR) as a condition marked by excessive preoccupation with an imaginary or minor defect in a facial feature or localized part of the body. BDD is different from koro. In koro, a patient is overcome with the belief that his penis is actively shrinking, and it may be in imminent danger of disappearing. Clinical literature indicates that these two psychological conditions should be separated during differential diagnosis.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In addition to differentiating koro from body dysmorphic disorder, physicians also recommend that differential diagnosis separates koro from physical urological abnormalities. For example, one physical disorder that causes loss of penile size is Peyronie's disease, where the tunica albuginea develops scar tissue that prevents the full expansion of an erection and causes flaccid penis retraction. Additionally, a buried penis is a normally developed penis, partially covered by the suprapubic fat which can be surgically removed.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In historical culture-bound cases, reassurance and talks on sexual anatomy are given. Patients are treated with psychotherapy distributed according to symptoms and to etiologically significant points in the past. Prognosis appears to be better in cases with a previously functional personality, a short history and low frequency of attacks, and a relatively uncomplicated sexual life.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: For sporadic Western cases, careful diagnostic workup including searching for underlying sexual conflict is common. The choice of psychotherapeutic treatment is based on the psychiatric pathology found.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In China, traditional treatment based on the causes suggested by cultural beliefs are administrated to the patient. Praying to gods and asking Taoist priests to perform exorcism is common. If a fox spirit is believed to be involved, people may hit gongs or beat the person to drive it out. The person will receive a yang- or yin-augmenting Chinese medicine to try to balance the internal conditions, usually including herbs, pilose antler (stag of deer) or deer tail, and tiger penis, deer penis, or fur seal penis. Other medicinal foods for therapy are pepper soup, ginger soup and liquor.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Among the Chinese, koro is confined to South China and the lower Yangtze Valley. A 1992 study of self-report questionnaires suggests that in the epidemic area of China, individuals with koro are mostly Han, male, young, single, poorly educated and fearful of supernatural forces and koro. The phenomenon is also found among oversea Chinese in Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia and Indonesia, and less frequently among the Malay and Indonesian inhabitants of the countries. Though there are speculations that the occurrence of koro among people in Malaysia and Indonesia was the result of Chinese migrants, this cultural diffusion view is challenged since koro epidemics have been reported in Thailand and India, involving masses of non-Chinese people.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Sporadic cases of koro among people with non-Southeast-Asian ethnicity have been reported across the globe, for example, Nepali, Sudanese, Jordanian, Tanzanian, Nigerian, French, British, American and Canadian. In most of the non-Chinese cases in the Western hemisphere, genital shrinkage is reported but not all the other typical koro symptoms, such as fear of death, as in endemic countries. The incomplete forms of koro are regarded as the non-cultural forms, while the complete form with acute anxiety is the classical culture-bound type.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Local official records indicate genital retraction epidemics in Hainan Island and Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong, China, as early as the late nineteenth century. There were a series of epidemic outbursts in 1948, 1955, 1966, and 1974, whenever there was social tension or impending disaster, followed by the last widespread episode in 1984–1985 and a much smaller outbreak in 1987. The 1984–1985 epidemics lasted for over a year and affected over 3,000 people in 16 cities and provinces. A mental health campaign was conducted for the epidemic and since then no further episodes of the epidemic has occurred in China. Improvement in local economic conditions, associated with a better quality of life, is suggested to contribute to the fading of the episodic occurrences of koro.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: A koro epidemic struck Singapore in October 1967 for about ten days. Newspapers initially reported that some people developed koro after eating the meat of pigs inoculated with a vaccine for swine influenza. Rumours relating eating pork and koro spread after a further report of an inoculated pig dying from penile retraction. The cases reported amounted to 97 in a single hospital unit within one day, at five days after the original news report. Government and medical officials alleviated the outbreak only by public announcements over television and in the newspapers.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: An epidemic outbreak in November 1976 in Isan, Thailand caused at least 350 cases, most of them Thai and males. Popular opinion and news media echoed the affected individuals' projection of viewing the epidemic as caused by Vietnamese food and tobacco poisoning in a hideous assault against the Thai people. Another large-scale epidemic in Thailand occurred in 1982.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In 1982, a koro epidemic episode in Northeast India affected, in majority, poorly educated people from lower socio-economic strata. There was no evidence of significant premorbid or sexual psychopathology in most cases.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Mass Koro epidemic was reported in Labour Camps in Kochi, Kerala in South India during August and September 2010 among migrant labour population from North and North-east India. Reportedly, the epidemic spread to about 100 individuals in 3 labour Camps within 2 weeks.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Mass Koro epidemic was reported in the state of West Bengal, India from July to December of 2010, in the districts near southern part of India-Bangladesh border, affecting hundreds of people. It is called Disco Rog () meaning weird disease or Jhinjhinani Rog () meaning tingling disease, in that region. Even locals created some folk managements for this condition like partly submerging the patient in pond and pulling and holding her nipples or his genital. It is reported and published in many newspapers like Anandabazar Patrika at that time.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In the 1970s and early 1980s, newspapers reported incidents of genital shrinking in Western Nigeria. Since late 1996, a small-scale epidemic of genital shrinking was reported in West African nations. Affected individuals in the African outbreaks often interpreted the experience as genital theft, accusing someone with whom they had contact of "stealing" the organ and the spiritual essence, causing impotence. The perceived motive for theft was associated with local occult belief, the witchcraft of juju, to feed the spiritual agency or to hold the genital for ransom. Social representations about juju constitute consensual realities that propose both a means and motivation for genital-shrinking experience.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The epidemic began in Nigeria and Cameroon, and spread to Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal by 1997. Cases were reported in Cotonou, Benin where mobs attacked individuals accused of the penis theft and authorities ordered security forces to curb the violence, following the deaths of five people by vigilantes. Later reports of outbreak suggest a spread beyond West Africa, including the coverage of episodes in Khartoum, Sudan in September 2003; Banjul, Gambia in October 2003; and Kinshasa, DR Congo in 2008.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Comparing West African genital-shrinking epidemics with koro in Southeast Asia, the latter has symptoms centered on genital retraction (instead of shrinkage) and fear of death (which is absent in African cases). A study analyzing the West African epidemics from 1997 to 2003 concluded that rather than psychopathology, the episodes were product of normal psychological functioning in undisturbed individuals, who were influenced by the local cultural models or social representations.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In the late Middle Ages in Europe, it was believed that men could lose their penises through magical attacks by witches. The "Malleus Maleficarum", a fifteenth-century European manual for witchcraft investigations, relates stories of men claiming that their genitals had disappeared, being "hidden by the devil … so that they can be neither seen nor felt." They were said to have reappeared after the men had appeased the witches responsible. Witches were said to store the removed genitals in birds' nests or in boxes, where "they move themselves like living members and eat oats and corn".


title: Koro (medicine)

text: At least three publications of the 1880s, from US, Russia and England, reported genital retraction pathology, without using the Malay or Chinese term. Koro epidemics in China were first noticed in a French report in 1908 and descriptions of koro entered clinical books of western medicine in 1936. In the 1950s, koro is noted in nosological and diagnostic psychiatry.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Most of the ancient literature concerning koro was related to Chinese ethnic groups. For example, koro (in its Chinese term of "shuk yang", "shook yong" or "suo yang" (simplified Chinese: 缩阳; traditional Chinese: 縮陽)) is documented in the old medical book "New Collection of remedies of value" () which was published in Qing Dynasty. The book described the condition as "yin type of cold qi invasion" () which involved a sudden seizure during sexual intercourse with the penis retracting into the abdomen. It asserts that the patient will die if not treated with "heaty" drugs in time.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: Factors of cultural expectation in the genesis of koro can be built upon ideas of sex physiology in the traditional Chinese medicine, with free play of imagination which links fatality with genital retraction.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In the ancient Chinese medical book "Zhong Zang Jing" (), retraction of the penis with distension of the abdomen was described as a certain sign of death. The yin and yang theory proposes that an unbalanced loss of the yang humour produces genital shrinkage.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: In Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine, frequent ejaculation is regarded as detrimental to health, as semen is considered to be related to a man's vital energy, and hence excessive depletion of semen may lead to illness or death. Some authors believe that the idea of death caused by the semen depletion resembles the idea of death caused by genital disappearance, although such linkage between koro and Taoism, which influences Chinese medicine to some degree, is only speculative.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The popularity of Chinese folklore also plays a role. The novel about ghost stories "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" describes a fox spirit which can make people weak physically and sexually and shrink their tissues. Belief in koro being caused by the fox ghost among the southern Chinese has been reported.


title: Koro (medicine)

text: The earliest Western reference to the term "koro" is found in B.F. Matthes' "Dictionary of Buginese Language" (1874) of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The name could be derived from a river, its surrounding valley, and a local tribe of the same name which is located at northwestern sector of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The word is also used in Makassarese language, meaning "to shrink"; the full expression is "garring koro". Koro may also be derived from Malay term "Kura" which means "head of turtle" or "keruk" which means "to shrink". The term "shuk yang" (缩阳), adapted from Chinese, means "the shrinkage of penis". The term "koro" is also known as "rok loo" (genital shrinkage disease) in Thailand, "jinjinnia bemar" in Assam, India, and "lanuk e laso" by the Bogoba tribe in Philippines.


title: Musetta Vander

text: Musetta Vander (born Musetta van der Merwe; 26 May 1963) is a South African actress, model and dancer.


title: Musetta Vander

text: In 1991, Vander landed her first notable role, portraying Zander Tyler in seven episodes of the action-adventure TV series "Super Force".


title: Musetta Vander

text: In 1998, Vander starred as Lady Elara, one of the lead characters in the video game "Dune 2000". In 2002, Vander reprised her role for the sequel, "".


title: Musetta Vander

text: Vander appeared in commercials, including those for Lancôme, Sanyo, McDonald's, Diet Coke, Mercedes, Heineken and Skittles. She played Agent 24-7 for Prudential Real Estate.


title: Musetta Vander

text: 1999, Vander had a supporting role in Barry Sonnenfeld's film "Wild Wild West" portraying an assistant to Kenneth Branagh's character, Dr. Loveless.


title: Musetta Vander

text: 2000, Vander played a seductive Siren in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". That same year, she had a role in "The Cell" alongside Jennifer Lopez.


title: Musetta Vander

text: Vander appeared in television programming, primarily science fiction and fantasy series, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Stargate SG-1", "", "Babylon 5", "", and "". Later TV credits include guest appearances on "NCIS", "", and "Hawaii Five-0".


title: Musetta Vander

text: Vander played the lead character's wife in the comedy "Kicking & Screaming", and co-starred in "Say It in Russian". She played the lead female character in the thriller "Breaking Point". Vander can also be seen in the spoof/comedy "Transylmania".


title: Musetta Vander

text: Vander starred in a Christian movie called "Johnny", and played the step-mother of Gattlin Griffith in the horror movie "Under the Bed".


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Tina Watson was a 26-year-old American woman from Helena, Alabama, who died while scuba diving in Queensland, Australia, on 22 October 2003. Tina had been on her honeymoon with her new husband, fellow American Gabe Watson, who was initially charged by Queensland authorities with his wife's murder. Watson pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Evidence presented at the trial included Watson's differing accounts of what had happened on that day, of the couple's diving experience (or lack thereof), and of Tina's life insurance. While Watson was serving his term in Australia, authorities in Alabama flagged an intention to charge him with murder at a later date. After his release, he was deported to Alabama on the condition that he would not be sentenced to death if found guilty of murder. Watson was then put on trial, but on 23 February 2012, Judge Tommy Nail dismissed the murder case due to lack of evidence.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Christina Mae "Tina" Watson (birth name unknown) was born in West Germany on 13 February 1977, before relocating to the U.S. while still a baby. On 24 January 1980, she was legally adopted by Tommy and Cindy Thomas. They lived in Walker County, Alabama, with her younger sister before moving to Louisiana then Birmingham. David Gabriel "Gabe" Watson met Tina while they were students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and they began dating in January 2001.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Despite an earlier diagnosis of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Tina began diving lessons in January 2003, and earned her certification just before her wedding to Watson on 11 October 2003. Watson was purportedly a qualified certified rescue diver, with experience in the lake at Oak Mountain State Park. Watson had completed 55 dives by the time of their marriage, and Tina 5. The couple had planned a scuba trip in the Great Barrier Reef for their honeymoon, and flew to Sydney for a week before heading to Townsville. They chose to dive the popular yet difficult wreck of SS "Yongala", a passenger ship that sank in 1911, even though Watson had limited open ocean experience and Tina had never dived in the ocean or below 9 metres. The dive company had also offered an orientation and guided dive with a dive master, which the couple had refused.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: At around 10:30 am on 22 October, during an excursion from the dive boat "Spoilsport" to the site of "Yongala", Tina lost consciousness and sank to the bottom, below the water's surface within two minutes of beginning the dive. Watson claimed the currents were stronger than they expected and that he responded to a signal from Tina to return to the dive rope, where he noted a look of worry on her face before she accidentally knocked his mask and air regulator loose. When Watson recovered his sight, Tina was sinking too quickly for him to retrieve her and he quickly surfaced to get help. He also stated that an ear problem prevented him from diving deeper to help her and that there was nothing in his training as a rescue diver "about how to get somebody" in trouble to the surface.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Other divers nearby at the time, including Dr. Stanley Stutz, saw Watson engaged in an underwater "bear hug" with his "flailing" wife, after which he headed for the surface while Tina fell to the ocean floor. One diver, Gary Stempler, photographed Tina by chance while taking a picture of his own wife that showed Tina in the background. The photo showed her lying face-up on the ocean floor, something that did not come to light until a couple of weeks later when the pictures were developed. Watson climbed aboard the "Spoilsport" and alerted dive instructor Wade Singleton, who brought Tina to the surface after ten minutes underwater. She was taken aboard the adjacent dive boat "Jazz II", where a doctor tried to resuscitate her for 40 minutes while Watson remained on the "Spoilsport", but she was unable to be revived.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: The day following the death, Tina's autopsy was performed by Professor David Williams, consultant forensic pathologist to the Queensland Coroner. Williams found florid evidence of air embolism, but no degenerative disease. He gave the cause of death as drowning. Due to the unexpected nature of Tina's death and the implausible and conflicting statements given by Watson, the death was investigated by the State Coroner's office. A coronial inquiry was held, as is the usual practice in Australia. Watson had already left Australia by this point and declined to return, so did not testify during the inquest but gave evidence through his lawyers to the inquest and to the Queensland Police. During the inquest, prosecutors submitted evidence that Watson's story contradicted the record of his actions stored by his dive computer. They suggested the possibility that he turned off Tina's regulator and held her until she was unconscious, then turned the air back on and let her sink before surfacing himself. As evidence, they described the many painstaking re-enactments of various scenarios conducted by police divers. Tina's father claimed that Watson had asked Tina, shortly before their wedding, to increase her life insurance and make him the sole beneficiary.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: In March 2005, Watson launched legal action in Alabama's Jefferson County Circuit Court to recoup the cost of the couple's trip after the travel insurance company refused a payout. He was seeking $45,000 for the accidental death plus compensation for trip interruption, medical expenses, phone calls, taxi fares, fees for extra credit card statements and unspecified punitive damages for mental and emotional anguish. The action was dismissed in May 2008 at Watson's request on the grounds the Australian investigation into his wife's death caused him "to reasonably apprehend that he risks self-incrimination in this case". His Australian legal team believed "it was not in his best interest" to pursue the damages claim and his U.S.-based lawyer, Bob Austin, added that his client would not be voluntarily "going back to Australia."


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: On 19 June 2008, the Coroner laid the following charge:That on the 22nd day of October 2003 at the site of the historical shipwreck "Yongala" forty-eight nautical miles south east from the port of Townsville in the state of Queensland, David Gabriel Watson murdered Christina Mae Watson.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: It was reported that the Coroner found "it was likely that Watson had killed his 26-year-old wife by turning off her air supply and holding her in an 'underwater bear hug' until she was dead"; the coroner, however, had made no such finding.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: After resisting extradition for six months, Watson travelled voluntarily from the U.S. to Australia in May 2009 to face trial. At the trial on 5 June 2009, he pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to, and was convicted of, manslaughter. Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell pointed out that over time Watson had given police sixteen different versions of what had happened to Tina and that none of those versions matched what the only eyewitness had seen. When Tina was brought to the surface, her regulator was still in her mouth, her tank still had air, and tests indicated no faults with her equipment. Campbell described Watson as an experienced diver trained in rescuing panicked divers, who had allowed his wife to sink to the ocean floor without making any serious attempt to retrieve her. Watson did not inflate Tina's buoyancy control device (BCD) or remove her weight belt, and had failed to fulfill his obligations as her "dive buddy" by not sharing his alternative air source. Watson was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, to be suspended after serving only twelve months.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Tina's family stated that Watson's twelve-month term was an embarrassment to Australia. The day following the trial, Alabama Attorney General Troy King lodged an appeal with the Queensland Supreme Court and also wrote to Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick. Fairfax Media reported that the letter was leaked to them and published part of it in their newspapers.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: "The decision to accept Mr Watson's plea of guilty to manslaughter was made after a careful and thorough examination of the admissible evidence, and was not taken lightly. Given the complex circumstantial nature of the case, Mr Watson's admission that he breached his duty to render assistance to his wife ultimately meant there was no reasonable prospect of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was guilty of murder." On 18 June 2009, Dick announced the state would appeal against the inadequacy of Watson's sentence.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: The appeal was heard by the Queensland Court of Appeals on 17 July 2009. The Crown asked the court to increase Watson's prison term to two and a half years. The defence argued that Watson had had a momentary lapse in judgment, had been accused of a crime he did not commit, and had voluntarily returned to Australia to co-operate with the court, and that the penalty imposed by the trial judge was fair and just. The findings on appeal were handed down on 18 September 2009. Two members allowed the prosecution's appeal, increasing Watson's period of incarceration by six months to a total of eighteen. One justice, by minority opinion, was in favour of dismissing the appeal.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Tina was buried in her native Pelham, Alabama. Her remains were exhumed in 2007 and moved to a different lot bought by Watson. After being informed by her family that flowers and gifts were repeatedly being vandalized or disappearing from the grave site, even when chained down, police surveillance videos showed Watson removing them with bolt cutters and throwing them in trash cans. Watson later said he removed them because they were "big, gaudy, plastic arrangements". Her grave was unmarked until 2009, when Watson provided a foot marker, prompting her father to request her body be returned for reburial. In 2011, the Probate Court removed Watson as administrator of Tina's estate and appointed her father, who also requested that her school and college pictures and yearbooks be returned. Watson appealed against the ruling and refused to provide the court with an inventory of Tina's possessions. Pending Watson's trial, the Alabama Circuit Court ordered him to stay away from the grave.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: In May 2010, King announced he had information not yet made public and wanted to try Watson for capital murder and kidnapping, asserting jurisdiction based on the theory that the alleged crime was planned in Alabama. King petitioned Australia for the evidence held by police, but was refused access until he gave an undertaking that the death penalty would not be imposed, as required under Australian law. This condition has been strongly criticised by King and Don Valeska, chief of the Attorney General's violent crime division, who stated: "If an Australian woman was killed here, we would immediately send the evidence there. We would not presume to tell the Australian authorities how to run their criminal justice system". In response to the announcement, Watson's parents came to the defence of their son, breaking their public silence on the case. Friends and family of Watson questioned whether he had any motive for the murder, noting that his affection for Tina had seemed genuine, there was no life insurance policy naming him as beneficiary, and he appeared to be emotionally devastated for an extended time following her death.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: In June 2010, King assured the Queensland Attorney-General he would not seek the death penalty if Watson was tried in the U.S. for his wife's death. In August 2010 it was announced Watson would be released in November and was likely to be deported to the US, where he faced being charged with murder. Valeska stated he would pursue an additional charge of kidnapping by deception. The case was placed before a grand jury in Birmingham, Alabama in October 2010.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Watson was released from prison on 10 November 2010. He was transferred to an immigration detention centre while his deportation was delayed. During this time, Australian authorities sought further written assurances from the US Attorney General that he would not face the death penalty in Alabama if convicted of murder. Under international human rights law, Australia could not deport Watson if he faced execution in his home country. On 25 November 2010 he was deported to the United States and immediately arrested.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Alabama prosecutors charged Watson with murder and kidnapping at the conclusion of his prison sentence in Australia after finding what they claimed was evidence he had plotted to kill his wife while still in the United States. A Birmingham grand jury indicted Watson on murder and kidnapping charges in October 2010. In July 2011, the Circuit Court set the trial date for 13 February 2012; Watson was released on a $100,000 bond.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Colin McKenzie, a key diving expert in the original investigation who had maintained that "a diver with Watson's training should have been able to bring Tina up", subsequently retracted much of his testimony after being provided with Tina and Watson's diver logs, certificates and medical histories, to which he had not previously had access. McKenzie claimed Watson should not have been allowed in the water and never as a dive buddy for his wife, who had no open water scuba experience. Tina had heart surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat two years earlier but on her dive application had stated that she had never had heart problems or surgery. Professor Michael "Mike" Bennett, a leading expert in dive medicine, stated that Tina was unfit to dive without clearance from a cardiologist. Watson had received his rescue certification, normally a four-day course, after completing a two-day course in an Alabama quarry. He had no rescue experience and little open water experience.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: According to McKenzie, "He had no hope of being competent, he could barely save himself [that day] let alone his wife; I don't believe he intended to kill her." Revelations that Watson needed help to don his diving equipment that day underscored that he was a "dangerous amateur" who showed "a complete lack of courage" when he abandoned his wife. The dive company had offered an orientation and guided dive with a dive master, which both Tina and Watson had refused. Company head Mike Ball said his people took Watson at his word, believing he was an experienced and certified rescue diver. The company later pleaded guilty to contravening safety standards (their code of conduct said both Watson and Tina must be supervised by at least a divemaster on the dive in question) and was fined $6,500, plus costs of $1,500.


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: Alabama judge Tommy Nail ruled that evidence of Watson's behaviour following Tina's death was inadmissible. Nail also blocked Tina's father from giving evidence regarding Watson's alleged attempts to increase Tina's life insurance. On 23 February 2012, Nail acquitted Watson for lack of evidence without the defence needing to present its case. Nail said that the state's evidence was "sorely lacking" and that the prosecution could not prove that Watson had any financial motive. Prosecutor Don Valeska said that this was the first time he had a trial end in a judge's acquittal in the 41 years he had been trying cases. Regarding the judge's decision, Thomas said, "It should have gone to the jury for them to decide."


title: Death of Tina Watson

text: A feature on the death of Tina Watson was broadcast in a 90-minute account that aired on "Dateline NBC" on 19 May 2008. An examination of Tina's death and Watson's subsequent trial and appeal was published by "The Age" on 17 July 2010. The author was Walkley Award winning investigative journalist, Peter Patrick. A feature on the death of Tina and her husband's Alabama acquittal was broadcast on an episode of the Australian "60 Minutes" on 25 March 2012. Lifetime produced a made-for-TV movie, "Fatal Honeymoon", based on the death of Tina Watson, starring Harvey Keitel, Billy Miller and . It premiered on 25 August 2012. Tina Watson's death was explored on "Casefile True Crime Podcast" (Case 51) which was published on 22 April 2017.


title: The Raccoons

text: The Raccoons is a Canadian animated television series that ran on CBC from November 11, 1985 to March 19, 1991 in Canada and on Disney Channel from July 4, 1985 to August 28, 1992 in the U.S., with three preceding television specials from its inception in 1980, and one direct-to-video special in 1984. The franchise was created by Kevin Gillis with the co-operation of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.


title: The Raccoons

text: The series revolves around Bert Raccoon and married couple Ralph and Melissa Raccoon, of whom Bert is a friend and roommate. The series mostly involved the trio's efforts against the industrialist forces of greedy aardvark millionaire Cyril Sneer, who regularly tries to destroy the forest for a quick buck. However, the Raccoons always save their forest from Cyril's schemes, with help from their forest friends including Schaeffer, a gentle Old English Sheepdog; Cedric, Cyril's college graduate son; and Sophia Tutu, Cedric's girlfriend. As the series progresses, Cyril becomes more of a sympathetic character, eventually becoming an antihero, becoming more responsible in his priorities and business practices.


title: The Raccoons

text: Originally, the story was set in a kind of hidden world in the Evergreen Forest where a small human family of a forest ranger and his children reside unaware of the struggles taking place out of sight. The second season had these human characters removed as the premise shifted to an unambiguous fantasy world of a sophisticated humanoid animal version of Canada with complex transportation systems, broadcasting media and heavy industry etc. In addition, Ralph's relatives become regular characters, especially his young nephew and niece, Bentley the insecure child technology prodigy and Lisa the statuesque athletic teenager who became an understated love interest for Bert.


title: The Raccoons

text: Unlike many other cartoons of its time, it handled action, humour, and romance in a fairly sophisticated manner, while remaining sufficiently uncomplicated for younger viewers. Lessons featured in the series mainly focused on environmentalism. It also covered other topics, including friendship and teamwork.


title: The Raccoons

text: The "Raccoons" franchise was originally conceived by Kevin Gillis in the 1970s, while appearing in shows like "Celebrity Cooks" and "Yes You Can". The initial idea for the show was created by Gillis and columnist Gary Dunford. They drew their inspiration for Ralph Raccoon from a dilemma that happened at a cottage in Ottawa. Dunford backed out, but Gillis took his idea to Ottawa lawyer Sheldon S. Wiseman, who saw a potential in Gillis' idea and put together a large group – animators, musicians, and writers, to create the first special to star the characters known as "The Christmas Raccoons". Production on the special began in 1979 and was completed in 1980, and the special was shown on the December of the same year on CBC Television. It was also shown in countries around the world, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The special was a huge hit and resulted in two sequel specials "The Raccoons on Ice" and "The Raccoons and the Lost Star" and a direct-to-video special, "". In 1981, US television networks CBS, NBC and ABC approached Sheldon Wiseman about producing a 13-episode "Raccoons" television series. In 1984, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Disney Channel began funding on the television series, which cost about $4.5 million to make. In the U.S., the show was run on The Disney Channel from July 4, 1985 until August 28, 1992. In Canada, it was shown on CBC on Monday evenings for the first season and was shown in a block consisting of "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Fraggle Rock" on Sundays for the next two seasons before moving to Wednesdays in its fourth, sharing an hour block with "The Beachcombers" and then eventually Tuesdays in its fifth and final season.


title: The Raccoons

text: The series had a new wave soundtrack including the theme song "Run with Us" by cast member Lisa Lougheed. Season 1 ended with a different version of the song, not sung by Lougheed. "Run with Us" was performed in season 1 by Stephen Lunt. In the first season, Canadian singer Luba performed several songs, several of which were later re-recorded by Lougheed for use in other seasons. There were also several other songs performed by other musicians such as Rita Coolidge and Rupert Holmes who performed songs for the first special, Leo Sayer and Coolidge again for the second, and John Schneider and Dottie West for the last television special. Three of the songs had replaced Schneider's vocals with Frank Floyd and Hank Martin. Rory Dodd, The Dior Bros. (actually Kevin Gillis and Jon Stroll under a pseudonym), and several other musicians also had songs performed, although somewhat rarely compared to the aforementioned people. According to Jon Stroll, Frank Floyd, the frontman of the 1970s R&B funk group The Writers, was originally selected to be the main male singer for the series. Instead, as backup singer Valerie Wilson suggested, they replaced Floyd at the last minute with Curtis King Jr.


title: The Raccoons

text: The earlier version of "Run with Us", like quite a few of the other songs from "The Raccoons", were never officially released. The songs from the first two specials were released on the album "Lake Freeze – The Raccoons Songtrack" in 1983. A soundtrack for the fourth special was released in 1984, but featured vocals from Frank Floyd and Hank Martin to replace John Schneider. Nine of the songs from the series featured on Lougheed's album "Evergreen Nights" (1987), though Lougheed only sang some of the songs (sometimes in duets), while some were sung by other artists (Curtis King Jr. and Stephen Lunt). The French version of "Run with Us", as well as most of Luba and Lisa Lougheed's songs, was performed by the Quebecois Canadian singer Jano Bergeron with "Run with Us" being renamed in French to "Viens Vers Nous".


title: The Raccoons

text: The instrumental music was composed by Kevin Gillis and Jon Stroll and performed largely by the National Arts Centre Orchestra from Ottawa, Canada. Most of the instrumental cues heard in the series were actually recorded for "The Raccoons and the Lost Star" and re-used. Only six of the instrumental tunes (two from "The Raccoons on Ice" and four from "The Raccoons and the Lost Star") have ever been released officially (they can be found on the "Lake Freeze" and "Let's Dance!" albums).


title: The Raccoons

text: From 1979 until 1985, Canadian animation studio Atkinson Film-Arts provided the animation for the four specials and first season of the series. In 1986, after producing the first 11 episodes, Hinton Animation Studios took over to animate the remaining seasons of the show (seasons 2–5).


title: The Raccoons

text: "The Raccoons" that ran on CBC from November 11, 1985 until March 19, 1991 in Canada. It was also shown in countries around the world, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom. In the US, the show ran on The Disney Channel from July 4, 1985 until August 28, 1992. In Canada, it was shown on CBC on Monday evenings for the first season and was shown in a block consisting of "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Fraggle Rock" on Sundays for the next two seasons before moving to Wednesdays in its fourth, sharing an hour block with "The Beachcombers" and then eventually Tuesdays in its fifth and final season. In the late 1990s, Trio, a US cable network then partially owned by the CBC, aired repeats of the show.


title: The Raccoons

text: Embassy Home Entertainment released the specials and Season 1 on home video from 1982 to 1987. Embassy also released the specials on Laserdisc, CED and Betamax formats. Other distributors, such as Catalyst and GoodTimes Home Entertainment released some specials and episodes on VHS.


title: The Raccoons

text: In the UK, Embassy Home Entertainment released the four Raccoons specials on VHS in the mid-1980s, before the distribution rights went to Channel 5 Video (a division of Polygram Video) in 1986. They re-released the four specials on video, as well as released another video called "The Raccoons Big Surprise" with two Season 1 episodes "Surprise Attack" and "Going It Alone" (Cat. No. CFV 05042). Then three videos with Season 2 episodes were released, the first two were by Picture Music International (PMI) that included "Double Play" and "The Sweet Smell of Success" on volume 1, released in 1988 and then "Blast from the Past" and "Power Trip" on volume 2, released in 1989. Then Video Collection International Ltd released a third tape which contained the episodes "Stop The Clock" and "The Artful Dodger" on 13 August 1990 (Cat No. VC1191). That same tape was re-released again by Video Collection International Ltd on 22 July 1991, as part of their "Children's Club" range (Cat No. KK0019).


title: The Raccoons

text: In 2003, Morningstar Entertainment released the show on DVD for the first time. Two 9-episode boxsets were released, each containing 3 discs that were also available separately. The discs were released without any region coding in NTSC format. The first set contained nine of the ten episodes from season 2 (omitting "Stop the Clock") and the second set contained the first nine episodes of season 3. The extras include character bios, a chance to create your own scene from "The Raccoons" and Raccoon-A-Roma DVD-ROM content, like QuickTime animated sequences. For this release, Len Carlson also reprised his role as Bert during menus and gave in-character commentary before and after episodes. Both sets are now out of print, and no North American DVD release has come out since then.


title: The Raccoons

text: A 2-disc Region 2 PAL DVD release of the complete series 1 was released on September 17, 2007 through Fabulous Films Ltd. The bonus features on set 1 were duplicated from the Canadian release, mainly the create a scene and Raccoon-A-Roma DVD ROM content. They later released a DVD entitled "Three Adventures With "The Raccoons"" on April 7, 2008. This DVD contained the first 3 episodes of Series 1 with no extras. Series 2 was released on April 20, 2009 by Fabulous Films Ltd. in another 2-disc set. DVD extras on the set include character model sheets and a documentary.


title: The Raccoons

text: In September 2009, MORE Entertainment released an 8-disc DVD set in Germany, containing all 60 episodes (7–8 per disc) and no extras. The language track is German only. Later in November 2013, MORE released a DVD featuring all four Raccoons specials. As with previous complete series set, the only language track is German.


title: The Raccoons

text: In December 2009, the first season of "The Raccoons" is released on iTunes in Canada. It was also released on iTunes in the United States in April 2010. The first two seasons were released on DVD to Netflix in the United States in early-2010 and in Canada on August 2011.


title: The Raccoons

text: "The Raccoons" was well received by critics. "The New York Times", in its review for their second TV special, said "the Raccoons are an adorable lot, supported nicely by an attractive production." "Variety" praised the third special, "The Raccoons and the Lost Star", calling it "a rollicking good adventure filled with space-age animation, high-tech gadgetry, lilting tunes, a lovable sheepdog, and the delightful Raccoons team."


title: The Raccoons

text: The show was nominated for many awards, including a Gemini Award for "Best Sound" and "Best Writing", and won the Gemini for "Best Animated Series".


title: The Raccoons

text: In 1990, Bert and Lisa were named the mascots of the Canadian Olympic team. There were no Olympic Games that year.


title: The Raccoons

text: In 2017, series creator Kevin Gillis was working on a revival of the series. A pitch pilot with slightly redesigned characters was found on YouTube as an unlisted video on March 11, 2018, but the video was soon taken down by Big Jump Entertainment due to a copyright claim. On June 17 of the same year, Big Jump officially revealed the new designs for Bert, Ralph, Melissa, Cyril and Cedric on their website. The reboot is scheduled to premiere in the near future, beginning with a holiday special entitled ""When Raccoons Fly!"". An official Instagram account for the franchise was created in August 2021.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone else. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: There is also another level of dedicated or managed hosting commonly referred to as complex managed hosting. Complex Managed Hosting applies to both physical dedicated servers, Hybrid server and virtual servers, with many companies choosing a hybrid (combination of physical and virtual) hosting solution.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: There are many similarities between standard and complex managed hosting but the key difference is the level of administrative and engineering support that the customer pays for – owing to both the increased size and complexity of the infrastructure deployment. The provider steps in to take over most of the management, including security, memory, storage and IT support. The service is primarily proactive in nature. Server administration can usually be provided by the hosting company as an add-on service. In some cases a dedicated server can offer less overhead and a larger return on investment. Dedicated servers are hosted in data centers, often providing redundant power sources and HVAC systems. In contrast to colocation, the server hardware is owned by the provider and in some cases they will provide support for operating systems or applications.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Using a dedicated hosting service offers the benefits of high performance, security, email stability, and control. Due to the relatively high price of dedicated hosting, it is mostly used by websites that receive a large volume of traffic.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Availability, price and employee familiarity often determines which operating systems are offered on dedicated servers. Variations of Linux and Unix (open source operating systems) are often included at no charge to the customer. Commercial operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server, provided through a special program called Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement, or SPLA.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Red Hat Enterprise is a commercial version of Linux offered to hosting providers on a monthly fee basis. The monthly fee provides OS updates through the Red Hat Network using an application called Yum. Other operating systems are available from the open source community at no charge. These include CentOS, Fedora Core, Debian, and many other Linux distributions or BSD systems FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Support for any of these operating systems typically depends on the level of management offered with a particular dedicated server plan. Operating system support may include updates to the core system in order to acquire the latest security fixes, patches, and system-wide vulnerability resolutions. Updates to core operating systems include kernel upgrades, service packs, application updates, and security patches that keep the server secure and safe. Operating system updates and support relieves the burden of server management from the dedicated server owner.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Bandwidth refers to the data transfer rate or the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second) and is often represented in bits (of data) per second (bit/s).


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Line speed, billed on the 95th percentile, refers to the speed in which data flows from the server or device, measured every 5 minutes for the month, and dropping the top 5% of measurements that are highest, and basing the usage for the month on the next-highest measurement. This is similar to a median measurement, which can be thought of as a 50th percentile measurement (with 50% of measurements above, and 50% of measurements below), whereas this sets the cutoff at 95th percentile, with 5% of measurements above the value, and 95% of measurements below the value. This is also known as Burstable billing. Line speed is measured in bits per second (or kilobits per second, megabits per second or gigabits per second).


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Line speed, assessed every 5 minutes for the month and based on the next-highest measurement, is billed on the 95th percentile. This is comparable to median measurement, which is a 50th percentile measurement, whereas this places the cutoff at the 95th percentile, with 5% of measurements above the value and 95% of measurements below the value. A bit per second is the unit of measurement for line speed.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: The second bandwidth measurement is unmetered service where providers cap or control the "top line" speed for a server. Top line speed in unmetered bandwidth is the total Mbit/s allocated to the server and configured on the switch level. Unmetered bandwidth services usually incur an additional charge.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: The next type of bandwidth measurement is unmetered examine, which limits or controls a server's top-line rate. The total Mbit/s allocated to the server and configured on the switch level is the top line speed in unmetered bandwidth. Unmetered bandwidth services are frequently subject to a surcharge.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Some providers will calculate the Total Transfer, which is the measurement of actual data leaving and arriving, measured in bytes. Although it is typically the sum of all traffic into and out of the server, some providers measure only outbound traffic (traffic from the server to the internet).


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Some providers will calculate the Total Transfer, which measures actual data leaving and arriving in bytes, as assessed by some providers. Although most providers track all traffic entering and leaving the server, others also track outbound traffic.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: One of the reasons for choosing to outsource dedicated servers is the availability of high powered networks from multiple providers. As dedicated server providers utilize massive amounts of bandwidth, they are able to secure lower volume based pricing to include a multi-provider blend of bandwidth. To achieve the same type of network without a multi-provider blend of bandwidth, a large investment in core routers, long term contracts, and expensive monthly bills would need to be in place. The expenses needed to develop a network without a multi-provider blend of bandwidth does not make sense economically for hosting providers.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Many dedicated server providers include a service level agreement based on network up-time. Some dedicated server hosting providers offer a 100% up-time guarantee on their network. By securing multiple vendors for connectivity and using redundant hardware, providers are able to guarantee higher up-times; usually between 99-100% up-time if they are a higher quality provider. One aspect of higher quality providers is they are most likely to be multi-homed across multiple quality up-link providers, which in turn, provides significant redundancy in the event one goes down in addition to potentially improved routes to destinations.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Bandwidth consumption over the last several years has shifted from a per megabit usage model to a per gigabyte usage model. Bandwidth was traditionally measured inline speed access that included the ability to purchase needed megabits at a given monthly cost. As the shared hosting model developed, the trend towards gigabyte or total bytes transferred, replaced the megabit line speed model so dedicated server providers started offering per gigabyte.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: The availability of high-speed networks from numerous suppliers is one of the reasons for outsourcing dedicated servers. Dedicated server providers can get lower volume-based pricing to incorporate a multi-provider mix of bandwidth since they use enormous amounts of bandwidth. For hosting providers, the costs of developing a network without a multi-provider blend of bandwidth are prohibitively expensive. A substantial investment in core routers, long-term


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: contracts and expensive monthly payments would be required to build the same type of network without a multi-provider blend of bandwidth.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Many dedicated server providers are included in a service level agreement based on network uptime. Some dedicated server hosting companies promise that their network will be up and running at all times. Providers are able to guarantee higher up-times by obtaining numerous vendors for connectivity and deploying redundant hardware. Typically, 99-100 percent up-time if they are a higher grade service. Higher-quality providers are more likely to be multi-homed across numerous high-quality up-link providers, providing significant redundancy in the event one fails, as well as potentially better routes to destinations.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Traditionally, bandwidth was measured inline speed access, which included purchasing needed megabits for a set monthly fee. The gigabyte of total bytes transmitted model supplanted the megabit line speed model as the shared hosting prototype progressed, and so the dedicated server providers started to provide per gigabyte. The utilization of bandwidth has shifted from megabits to gigabytes in recent years.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Dedicated hosting services primarily differ from managed hosting services in that managed hosting services usually offer more support and other services. As such, managed hosting is targeted towards clients with less technical knowledge, whereas dedicated hosting services, or unmanaged hosting services, are suitable for web development and system administrator professionals.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: To date, no industry standards have been set to clearly define the management role of dedicated server providers. What this means is that each provider will use industry standard terms, but each provider will define them differently. For some dedicated server providers, fully managed is defined as having a web based control panel while other providers define it as having dedicated system engineers readily available to handle all server and network related functions of the dedicated server provider.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Dedicated hosting server providers define their level of management based on the services they provide. In comparison, fully managed could equal self managed from provider to provider.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Administrative maintenance of the operating system, often including upgrades, security patches, and sometimes even daemon updates are included. Differing levels of management may include adding users, domains, daemon configuration, or even custom programming.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Dedicated hosting server providers utilize extreme security measures to ensure the safety of data stored on their network of servers. Providers will often deploy various software programs for scanning systems and networks for obtrusive invaders, spammers, hackers, and other harmful problems such as Trojans, worms, and crashers (Sending multiple connections). Linux and Windows use different software for security protection.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Providers often bill for dedicated servers on a fixed monthly price to include specific software packages. Over the years, software vendors realized the significant market opportunity to bundle their software with dedicated servers. They have since started introducing pricing models that allow dedicated hosting providers the ability to purchase and resell software based on reduced monthly fees.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Microsoft offers software licenses through a program called the Service Provider License Agreement. The SPLA model provides use of Microsoft products through a monthly user or processor based fee. SPLA software includes the Windows Operating System, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SharePoint and shoutcast hosting, and many other server based products.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Other software applications available are specialized web hosting specific programs called control panels. Control panel software is an all-inclusive set of software applications, server applications, and automation tools that can be installed on a dedicated server. Control panels include integration into web servers, database applications, programming languages, application deployment, server administration tasks, and include the ability to automate tasks via a web based front end.


title: Dedicated hosting service

text: Many providers do not allow IRC (bots, clients or daemons). This is due to rogue IRC users triggering DDoS attacks against the provider, which may overwhelm their networks, lowering service quality for all customers.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: Aarti Chabria (born 21 November 1982) is an Indian actress and a former model who appears in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi and Kannada films.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: Actress Aarti Chabria started her career as a model in advertisements at the age of three years. Her first advertisement was a press ad for Farex. After which she continued modelling for more than 300 television commercials for Maggi Noodles, Pepsodent toothpaste, Clean & Clear face wash, Amul Frostick Ice cream, Krack cream, LML trendy scooter. Her recent TVC's are Kalyan Jewellers with "Amitabh Bachchan", "Nirma" Advance with "Hrithik Roshan", Goldie Masale with "Salman Khan" to name a few.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: She won the Miss India Worldwide 1999 pageant in November 1999 along with awards for the sub rounds where she was crowned Miss Photogenic and Miss Beautiful Face. After winning the pageant, she did music videos 'Nasha hi Nasha hai' for Sukhwinder Singh, 'Chaahat' for Harry Anand, 'Meri Madhubala' for Avdooth Gupte, 'Roothe hue ho kyo' for Adnan Sami.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: She made her acting debut in the Bollywood film, "Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai", which was released in 2002. Appreciated for her work opposite Akshay Kumar in "Awara Paagal Deewana", and having starred in movies like "Shootout at Lokhandwala", "Dus Tola" and 30 other films.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: Aarti also graduated in film direction from the New York Film Academy and later went on to produce and direct a 30 minute long-short film, Mumbai Varanasi Express which won many awards and was acquired by a Royal Stag Large Short Films. She currently directs TVC's and music videos under her production banner Rising Phoenix.


title: Aarti Chabria

text: Aarti is the founder of an online coaching platform Victorious Mind Power which hosts a range of programmes based on motivation architecture, spiritual strategy and creative mindset methods. She is the creator and host of a programme called The Perfect Soulmate Programme which helps people find their ideal life partner.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: The North American FJ-2 and FJ-3 Fury are a series of swept-wing carrier-capable fighters for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The FJ-2 resulted from an effort to navalize the North American F-86 Sabre operated by the United States Air Force. These aircraft feature folding wings, and a longer nose landing strut designed to increase angle of attack upon launch and to accommodate a longer oleo to absorb the shock of hard landings on an aircraft carrier deck.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: Although sharing a U.S. Navy designation with its distant predecessor, the straight-winged North American FJ-1 Fury, the FJ-2/-3 were completely different aircraft. (The later FJ-4 was again, a complete structural redesign of the FJ-3). The FJ-2 was one of the aircraft used to evaluate the first steam catapult on a US Navy aircraft-carrier.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: By 1951, the Navy's existing straight-wing fighters were inferior in performance to the swept-wing Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 then operating in the Korean War; the swept-wing fighters in the Navy's development pipeline, such as the Vought F7U Cutlass and Grumman F9F Cougar, were not yet ready for deployment.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: As an interim measure, the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics ordered a direct development of the swept-wing North American F-86E Sabres as the FJ-2. As the F-86 had not been designed to be carrier-capable, this involved some risk, but Navy pilots had observed that the F-86A actually had a lower landing speed than the Grumman F9F Panther. During carrier qualification trials the Navy informed Grumman that if the F9F-5 stall speed was not reduced by it would be removed from carrier operations at the same time that the FJ-2 was already making its debut into navy squadrons. North American's chief engineer at the time stated that the swept-wing Sabre had handling and stall characteristics at low speeds comparable to the best straight winged airplanes. The urgency behind the program was such that 300 (later reduced to 200) FJ-2 fighters were ordered before the prototypes had flown.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: The first prototype to fly was actually the third aircraft ordered: Designated XFJ-2B and first flown on 27 December 1951, it differed only from a standard F-86E-10 in its armament, having four Colt Mk 12 cannons instead of the six Colt-Browning M3 machine guns of the Sabre. The second and third aircraft to fly were designated XFJ-2 and lacked armament, but were modified to be carrier-capable. They had arrester hooks and longer nosewheel legs to increase angle of attack at take-off and landing, and catapult fittings. In August 1952 carrier trials were flown on , followed by carrier qualification trials on in October–December 1952. Results were less than satisfactory: Low-speed handling was poor, while the arrester hook and nose gear leg weren't strong enough.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: The first production aircraft flew on 22 November 1952. This FJ-2 incorporated further modifications for carrier operations: The track of the main landing gear was widened by eight inches, the outer wing panels folded upward, and the windscreen was modified to give the pilot a better view during approach. The FJ-2 also featured an all-moving "flying tail" without dihedral. Because of problems experienced during launches with steam catapults, a number of FJ-2 later received a stronger nosewheel strut. Outwardly, the FJ-2 was hard to distinguish from an F-86, apart from navy paint and the gun muzzles of the cannons. The engine was the General Electric J47-GE-2, a navalized version of the J47-GE-27 used in the F-86F. The naval modifications of the FJ-2 had increased weight by about over the F-86F, but had not succeeded in delivering a fully carrier-capable fighter. A decision had already been made to give it to land-based squadrons of the US Marine Corps.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: Construction was slowed due to demand for the F-86 in Korea; the FJ-2 was not produced in large numbers until after that conflict had concluded. Only seven aircraft had been delivered by the end of 1953, and it was January 1954 before the first aircraft was delivered to a Marine squadron, VMF-122. The Navy preferred the lighter F9F Cougar due to its superior slow-speed performance for carrier operations, and the 200 FJ-2 models built were delivered to the United States Marine Corps. The Marines did make several cruises aboard carriers and tried to solve the type's carrier handling problems, but the FJ-2 was never really satisfactory. In 1956, the FJ-2 already disappeared from front-line service, and reserve units retired it in 1957.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: Even while development of the FJ-2 was ongoing, the development was planned of a version powered by the Wright J65, a license-built version of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet. The Sapphire promised to deliver 28% more thrust than the J47, for little gain in weight. The new version was designated FJ-3, and an order for 389 aircraft was placed in March 1952.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: To test the new engine a single FJ-2, BuNo 131931, was modified, but the first true production FJ-3 flew on 3 July 1953. The only externally visible change required by the new engine was a deeper intake to accommodate the larger mass flow. Early FJ-3s had the same wing as the FJ-2, but from 1955 onwards the FJ-3 was built with a so-called "6-3" wing, with a leading edge that was extended at the root and at the tip. This modification, first introduced on the F-86F, enhanced maneuverability at the expense of a small increase in landing speed due to deletion of the leading edge slats. The version introduced on the FJ-3 was different from that fitted to the F-86F, as camber was applied to the underside of the leading edge to improve low-speed handling. On the FJ-3, the new wing leading edges also held extra fuel. From the 345th aircraft onwards, the wings were provided with four stations for external loads, up to on the inboard stations and on the outboard stations.


title: North American FJ-2/-3 Fury

text: Deliveries began in September 1954, and the FJ-3 joined the fleet in May 1955. An FJ-3 was the first fighter to land aboard the new supercarrier in 1956. Problems were encountered with the J65 engine, including failures of its lubrication system under the acceleration of launch or during manoeuvres, and failures of the turbine blades. Nevertheless, the Navy was more satisfied with the FJ-3 than it had been with the FJ-2, and in March 1954 ordered an additional 149 aircraft. Because of its more powerful engine, the FJ-3 was superior to most models of the F-86, except the F-86H. A total of 538 FJ-3s were built. Of these 194 were modified to FJ-3Ms with the ability to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Some FJ-3s were later modified to control Regulus missiles (KDU-1), and Grumman F9F-6K Cougar target drones. In 1956 the Navy retro-fitted all its FJ-3s with probe-and-drogue air refueling equipment, a long probe being fitted under the left wing.


title: Semen collection

text: Semen collection refers to the process of obtaining semen from human males or other animals with the use of various methods, for the purposes of artificial insemination, or medical study (usually in fertility clinics). Semen can be collected via masturbation (e. g., from stallions and canids), prostate massage, artificial vagina, penile vibratory stimulation (vibroejaculation) and electroejaculation. Semen can be collected from endangered species for cryopreservation of genetic resources.


title: Semen collection

text: The best specimen is produced when a short period of 3–5 days of abstinence is observed. More prolonged period does not yield better results.


title: Semen collection

text: For semen collection from stallions, the most common method used is an artificial vagina; after collecting semen, it is tested, diluted, then stored according to the intended use. Semen can be either liquid or frozen. There are many kinds of preservatives used in dilution with semen - most contain energy and antibiotics for liquid, and protection from freezing for frozen semen. Many studies are ongoing to improve preservation, increase liquid semen storage time, and reduce or remove bacteria from semen.


title: Semen collection

text: In order to collect semen from a male dog, an artificial vagina is prepared, which is a conical thin latex sleeve ending in a sterile collection tube. The inside of the latex sleeve is lightly lubricated. The male is allowed to sniff a female in estrus. Experienced studs cooperate readily in the process. New studs often require encouragement in the form of manual stimulation, also known as "manual ejaculation". Generally the male will mount the female, and the collector quickly directs the dog's penis into the latex sleeve. The male ejaculates and the semen is collected in the tube. The semen is then drawn up into a long thin pipette. Prior to ejaculation, the penis is massaged inside its sheath. It is then extruded from its sheath, and the collector massages the dog's erect penis near the base of the bulbus glandis using the thumb and index finger. The dog begins pelvic thrusting movements at the onset of ejaculation.


title: North South University

text: North South University (, also known as NSU) is a private university based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its business school is the first Bangladeshi university to receive American accreditation from the ACBSP in 2015.


title: North South University

text: The university's campus is located at Bashundhara Residential Area in Dhaka. It is one of the largest private universities in Bangladesh, in terms of student population. The foundation of the campus was laid on 30 January 2003 by Begum Khaleda Zia. Classes started in the permanent campus from 9 June 2009.


title: North South University

text: This campus can serve up to 12,000 students with amenities and facilities. It contains six buildings with three basements on seven acres of land having 1,250,000 square feet of floorspace.


title: North South University

text: The NSU library has over floor area on the southeastern side of the campus. It is the first fully automated university library in Bangladesh using its own library management software, which supports RFID system, web-based online circulation system, full-text e-books and online journal article repository services. The library can accommodate over 1,200 students in its reading rooms. On average 2,000 students use the library every day.


title: North South University

text: As of August 2014, the library holds 49,500 books, 50,000 online books, 6,000 bound journals (Foreign and local) and magazines, 1,890 CD-ROM databases and books, 226 DVD and videos, 159 audio-cassettes, and other resources.


title: North South University

text: The School of Business and Economics (SBE) at North South University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It is the first Business school in Bangladesh to receive American accreditation. SBE of NSU secured the Global Rank of 401–450 in Business and Management Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2020. The School of Business and Economics (SBE) consists of four departments.


title: North South University

text: The School of Engineering & Physical Sciences (SEPS) intends to be a center of excellence in innovation and technological entrepreneurship by building a knowledge and skill based learning environment for students in the field of engineering, architecture and physical sciences with adequate technical competency, social responsibility, communication skill and ethical standard.


title: North South University

text: The NSU Global Health Institute (NGHI) at NSU was established NGHI for discovery and competency development of human welfare aiming to build strengthen the emerging field of global health response and leadership.


title: North South University

text: The NSU Genome Research Institute (NGRI) at NSU was established on 14 May 2017, for discovery and competency development of human welfare aiming to build strengthen the emerging field of genomic research field leadership, which is the first genomic research institute in Bangladesh


title: North South University

text: The Confucius Institute at NSU was established in February 2006, the only language institute in Bangladesh which offers Chinese-language only education.


title: North South University

text: The North South University-Student Counseling Center (NSU-SCC) is a support system for the students of the University and addresses their emotional well-being. It serves as a primary mental health care unit, and as such it offers taking therapy and advice for further referrals. It has no jurisdiction over the academic and administrative affairs of the University.


title: North South University

text: The Career and Placement Center (CPC) is a comprehensive career management support platform for NSU students.


title: North South University

text: Center for Infrastructure Research and Services (CIRS, NSU) can offer access to the University’s state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and facilities to companies of all sizes for a wide range of testing and analysis services. The services which it offers reflect the breadth and depth of the University’s research capabilities, from independent testing services to collaborative prototype generation. The center has expert technicians, servicemen, and staff under the direct supervision of faculty members to carry out the tests and analysis. CIRS undertakes research, testing, and consultation work in the field of engineering, construction management, and environmental issues as required by the private, government, or autonomous bodies.


title: North South University

text: There is a strong need at the NSU business research community for a platform focusing on building, storing, investigating, analyzing, and learning through research activities on business and economic phenomena in Bangladesh and the world. Based on these overarching needs, a new Center for Business Research was established.


title: North South University

text: published by the higher education information service provider Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The ranking indicates how well students from a university can gain a foothold on the global job market. In 2019, NSU was amongst the top 2 in Bangladesh, and one of the top 500 universities on an international scale. The university ranked 301–350 in the "Asian University Rankings" published by QS World University Rankings. It is also ranked 1st among the private universities and 4th among all the universities in research output on the Bangladesh University Ranking 2019.


title: North South University

text: The department of electrical and computer engineering of NSU ranked 551–600 in the QS World University Rankings 2020 in "Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS)". NSU has proudly alleviated its position to the range of 291–300, and is the only private University in Bangladesh to be featured in the Top 300 and thereby, becoming the best private university in the country.


title: North South University

text: UGC had suggested measures to curb the involvement by student attendance tracking, online monitoring by guardians and student participation in social activities.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Colombian cuisine is a compound of the culinary traditions of the six main regions within Colombia (Pacific, Amazonian, Andean, Orinoco, Caribbean, and Insular). Colombian cuisine varies regionally and is particularly influenced by Indigenous Colombian, Spanish, and African cuisines, with slight Arab influence in some regions. Furthermore, being one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, Colombia has one of the widest variety of available ingredients depending on the region.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Colombian food is a unique blend of indigenous and European traditions with a strong Afro-Caribbean influence. The two largest indigenous groups prior to European conquest were the Tairona, who lived along the Caribbean coast, and the Muisca, who lived in the highlands to the South. Arepas, made from ground corn, are one of the oldest cooked dishes in Colombian cuisine. It is believed that the name derives from the word for corn in the Chibcha languages.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Among the most representative appetizers and soups are patacones (fried green plantains), sancocho de gallina (chicken soup with root vegetables), ajiaco (potato and corn soup), and buñuelos (Christmas season deep fried dough balls).


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Representative snacks and breads are pandebono, arepas (corn cakes), aborrajados (fried sweet plantains with cheese), torta de choclo, empanadas and almojábanas.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Representative main courses are bandeja paisa, lechona tolimense, tamales, and fish dishes such as arroz de lisa, especially in coastal regions where suero, costeño cheese, kibbeh and carimañolas are also eaten.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Representative side dishes are papas criollas al horno (roasted Andean potatoes), papas chorreadas (potatoes with messy cheese), and arroz con coco (coconut rice). Organic food is a current trend in big cities, although in general the country's fruits and vegetables are very natural and fresh.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Representative desserts are natillas, torta Maria Luisa, bocadillo made of guayaba (guava jelly), cocadas (coconut balls), casquitos de guayaba (candied guava peels), torta de natas, obleas, flan de arequipe, roscón, milhoja, and the tres leches cake (sponge cake soaked in 3 types of milk).


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Typical sauces are hogao, a tomato onion sauce, and ají, a spicy raw cilantro-based sauce used as a condiment for many dishes and sides.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Some representative beverages are coffee (Tinto), champús, cholado, lulada, avena colombiana, sugarcane juice, aguapanela, hot chocolate, and fresh fruit juices (often made with sugar and water or milk).


title: Colombian cuisine

text: There are a large variety of dishes that take into account the differences in regional climates. For example:


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Piqueteaderos are rustic eateries that serve a variety of fried foods and specialties in platters to share. Offerings can even include huesos cerdos (pig bones) and tarta de seso (brain pie), as well as fried dishes, morcilla, corn on the cob, and other foods common to Colombia.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Fruit and juice stands are found across Colombia, particularly on the Caribbean coast. Being a tropical country, Colombia produces a large variety of fruits, such as:


title: Colombian cuisine

text: Colombia is home to numerous tropical fruits that are rarely found elsewhere. Several varieties of banana include a very small, sweet version. Other Colombian fruits include zapote ("Quararibea cordata"), nispero ("Manilkara zapota") lulo ("Solanum quitoense"), uchuva ("Physalis peruviana"), papayuela ("Vasconcellea pubescens"), passion fruit, borojó ("Borojoa patinoi"), curuba ("Passiflora tarminiana"), mamoncillo ("Melicoccus bijugatus"), guanábana ("Annona muricata"), guava ("Psidium guajava"), tomate de arbol (tamarillo), noni ("Morinda citrifolia"). More widespread fruit varieties grown in Colombia include mango, apple, pear, blackberry, and strawberry.


title: Colombian cuisine

text: On a per capita basis, Colombia is one of the world's largest consumers of fruit juices, consuming on average more than three quarters of a serving each day.


title: Bernicia

text: Bernicia (; ) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England.


title: Bernicia

text: The Anglian territory of Bernicia was approximately equivalent to the modern English counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Durham, as well as the Scottish counties of Berwickshire and East Lothian, stretching from the Forth to the Tees. In the early 7th century, it merged with its southern neighbour, Deira, to form the kingdom of Northumbria, and its borders subsequently expanded considerably.


title: Bernicia

text: Bernicia occurs in Old Welsh poetry as "Bryneich" or "Brynaich" and in the 9th-century "Historia Brittonum", (§ 61) as "Berneich" or "Birneich". This was most likely the name of the native Brittonic kingdom , whose name was then adopted by the Anglian settlers who rendered it in Old English as "Bernice" or "Beornice" . The counter hypothesis suggesting these names represent a Brythonic adaption of an earlier English form is considered less probable .


title: Bernicia

text: Local linguistic evidence suggests continued political activity in the area before the arrival of the Angles. Important Anglian centres in Bernicia bear names of British origin, or are known by British names elsewhere: Bamburgh is called "Din Guaire" in the "Historia Brittonum"; Dunbar (where Saint Wilfrid was once imprisoned) represents "Dinbaer"; and the name of Coldingham is given by Bede as "Coludi urbs" ("town of Colud"), where "Colud" seems to represent the British form, possibly for the hill-fort of St Abb's Head.


title: Bernicia

text: Analysis of a potential derivation has not produced a consensus. The most commonly cited etymology gives the meaning as "Land of the Mountain Passes" or "Land of the Gaps" (tentatively proposed by Kenneth H. Jackson). An earlier derivation from the tribal name of the Brigantes has been dismissed as linguistically unsound. In 1997 John T. Koch suggested the conflation of a probable primary form *"Bernech" with the native form *"Brïγent" for the old "civitas Brigantum" as a result of Anglian expansion in that territory during the 7th century.


title: Bernicia

text: The Brythonic kingdom of the area was formed from what had once been the southern lands of the Votadini, possibly as part of the division of a supposed 'great northern realm' of Coel Hen in c. AD 420. This northern realm is referred to by Welsh scholars as "Yr Hen Ogledd" or, literally, "The Old North". The kingdom may have been ruled from the site that later became the English Bamburgh, which certainly features in Welsh sources as "Din Guardi". Near this high-status residence lay the island of Lindisfarne (formerly known, in Welsh, as "Ynys Metcaut"), which became the seat of the Bernician bishops. It is unknown when the Angles finally conquered the whole region, but around 604 is likely.


title: Bernicia

text: There are several Old Welsh pedigrees of princely "Men of the North" ("Gwŷr y Gogledd") that may represent the kings of the British kingdom in the area, which may have been called "Bryneich". John Morris surmised that the line of a certain Morcant Bulc referred to these monarchs, chiefly because he identified this man as the murderer of Urien Rheged who was, at the time, besieging Lindisfarne.


title: Bernicia

text: Some of the Angles of Bernicia () may have been employed as mercenaries along Hadrian's Wall during the late Roman period. Others are thought to have migrated north (by sea) from Deira ( or "Dere") in the early 6th century. The first Anglian king in the historical record is Ida, who is said to have obtained the throne and the kingdom about 547. His sons spent many years fighting a united force from the surrounding Brythonic kingdoms until their alliance collapsed into civil war.


title: Bernicia

text: Ida's grandson, Æthelfrith (Æðelfriþ), united Deira with his own kingdom by force around the year 604. He ruled the two kingdoms (united as Northumbria) until he was defeated and killed by Rædwald of East Anglia (who had given refuge to Edwin, son of Ælle, king of Deira) around the year 616. Edwin then became king. The early part of Edwin's reign was possibly spent fighting enemies from the Brythonic exiles of the old British kingdom, operating out of Gododdin. After this, it is said that on Easter Day 627 that Edwin converted to Christianity in return for Elmet (a Cumbric-speaking kingdom that once existed in the modern-day West Riding of Yorkshire, near Leeds), joining the kingdom of Northumbria; which drew him into direct conflict with Wales proper.