title: Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (season 1)

text: "" is an anime adaptation of a light novel series written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shinichirou Otsuka. The 25-episode series aired from April 4, 2016 to September 19, 2016, with an extended 50-minute first episode. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo. The series was simulcast by Crunchyroll. The first opening theme song was "Redo" by Konomi Suzuki, and the first ending theme was "STYX HELIX" and for episode 7 was "STRAIGHT BET", both sung by MYTH&ROID. The second opening theme song, titled "Paradisus-Paradoxum", is performed by MYTH&ROID, while the second ending theme song, titled "Stay Alive", is performed by Rie Takahashi; for episode 14 it was "theater D", sung by MYTH&ROID.


text: In January 2020 a "Director's Cut" of the first season was released. The original twenty-five episode season was reworked into thirteen extended 50-minute episodes for the cut, which included some altered scenes and additional footage.


title: Maura West

text: Maura West DeFreitas (born Maura Jo Snyder; April 27, 1972) is an American actress. She began her career in 1995, when she was cast Carly Tenney on the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns"; she remained with the soap until its series finale on September 17, 2010. West later went on to portray Diane Jenkins on "The Young and the Restless" from September 2010 to August 2011. In 2013, she was cast in the role of art dealer Ava Jerome on "General Hospital". She has been nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning three of them for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.


title: Maura West

text: West was born on April 27, 1972, in Springfield, Massachusetts, as the youngest of four children, with two brothers and a sister. Growing up in Ludlow, Massachusetts, West attended Boston University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.


title: Maura West

text: In 1995, West joined the cast of the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns" in the role of Carly Tenney. She held the role from April 11, 1995, to May 8, 1996. West later returned to the role on September 10, 1997, remaining on the series until its television finale on September 17, 2010. West has received a number of honors for her portrayal of Carly, including nominations for the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in 1996, for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress 1999 and 2000, for Favorite Couple in 2001, an award which she shared with costar Michael Park. She received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2001 and 2002. West also received three nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2004, 2008 and 2009; only winning twice, once in 2007 and in 2010. At the 32nd Daytime Emmy Awards, West and Park received a nomination for the Special Fan Award for Most Irresistible Combination.


title: Maura West

text: It was announced in August 2010 that West would join the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", as the third actress to portray Diane Jenkins. West began work in the role on September 1, 2010, and made her first appearance on the show on October 8, 2010. In May 2011, CBS Soaps Indepth confirmed West had been let go from the soap after only several months on-air.


title: Maura West

text: In April 2013, it was announced that West would join the ABC soap opera "General Hospital", in a top-secret role. On April 24, 2013, West was confirmed to have joined the cast in the newly created role of Ava Jerome, and first appeared on May 8. West's portrayal of Ava has been met with critical acclaim, having earned her a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, her first for her portrayal of Ava and sixth over-all in the category. She later won in the category on April 26, 2015.


title: Maura West

text: In 2014, West made her first feature film appearance in "Come Back to Me", which served as an adaption of the novel "The Resurrectionist".


title: Maura West

text: West has been married twice: to director Jonathan Knight from 1995 until their divorce in 1999, and to former "As the World Turns" costar Scott DeFreitas since January 22, 2000. West has five children from her two marriages. Her marriage to Knight gave her a son: Benjamin (born 1996). Meanwhile, she has four kids with DeFreitas: two sons Joseph (born 2000), Basil (born 2007), and two daughters Katherine (born 2002) and Birdie (born 2009). One of her children, Joe West, is a Broadway actor.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: The Sphinx water erosion hypothesis is a fringe claim, contending that the Great Sphinx of Giza and its enclosing walls eroded primarily due to ancient floods or rainfalls, attributing their creation to Plato's lost civilization of Atlantis over 11,500 years ago.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Egyptologists, geologists and others have rejected the water erosion hypothesis and the idea of an older Sphinx, pointing to archaeological, climatological and geological evidence to the contrary.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: In the 1950s, French mystic and alternative Egyptologist Schwaller de Lubicz speculated the body of the Sphinx to be eroded by deluges and that therefore the Sphinx must predate them, further claiming that ancient Egyptian knowledge originated from colonists or refugees of Plato's sunken continent of Atlantis.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: In 1979, Author and alternative Egyptologist John Anthony West, inspired by Schwaller's ideas, attributed the erosion to Nile floods between 15,000 and 10,000 BC. By denying the existence of any evidence for the development of Egyptian civilization prior to the first dynasty, West created room to inject the idea of a lost, advanced civilization of Atlanteans who created the Sphinx and passed on their knowledge to the dynastic Egyptians.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Ten years later, West sought the opinion of geologist Robert Schoch to validate his claims. In 1990 they traveled together to Egypt, visiting the Sphinx. The following year Schoch formulated and presented his version of the hypothesis, purposely avoiding the use of the word "Atlantis". He originally estimated the Sphinx to have been created before 5000 BC, later pushing his minimum estimate further back to 9700 BC, once again aligning it with Plato's lost civilization of Atlantis.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: The Sphinx is positioned north of the lower end of the causeway of Khafre that connects his Pyramid- and Valley Temple. It was created by carving it out of the bedrock, cutting blocks from around its body which were used to construct the Sphinx Temple immediately east of the Sphinx and north of the Valley Temple, aligned to it.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Evidence suggests that both the Sphinx and its temple were created only after Khafre's Valley Temple and causeway:


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Peter Lacovara, an Egyptologist and curator at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, assigns "some of the erosional features" on the enclosure walls to quarrying activities rather than weathering.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: The causeway connecting Khafre's Pyramid and Valley Temple is not oriented to the cardinal directions but runs slanted. The southern wall of the Sphinx enclosure respects this orientation.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Luminescence dating of the two temples gave dates for the middle to late third millennium BC, concurring with the chronological estimates for Khafre and the 4th dynasty and the radiocarbon dates for the pyramids of Giza. Some samples indicated New Kingdom intrusions into the temples. As such, the Dream Stele between the paws of the Sphinx might have been originally a door lintel of Khafre's valley or pyramid temple.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Several hieroglyphic inscriptions were found on the walls of the Khafre temples. as well as several statues of Khafre or fragments thereof.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Schoch argues that the casing was applied long after the core structure was built, stating that "granite facing [of the Sphinx and Valley Temple] is covering deeply weathered limestone [that was] slightly cut back and smoothed out [but not enough] to make the wall perfectly smooth". Lehner responded that the limestone wasn't deeply weathered, but that it was cut back irregularly to fit the harder granite facade to it, pointing to the Menkaure Pyramid Temple where the technique can be clearly seen.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Mark Lehner when asked about the possibility of an earlier civilization replied "Well, it's not impossible, but it has a very, very low level of probability, that there was an older civilization there." Other archaeologists who have made similar criticisms include Kenneth Feder. Feder wrote:


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Schoch argues that the Giza Plateau is "criss crossed with fractures or joints millions of years old" and that "fissures such as those on the Sphinx enclosure wall can only be produced by water, primarily precipitation, and do bear on the age of the Sphinx."


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Geoscientist Jørn Christiansen agrees that at least some of the erosion took place before the Sphinx was carved. Stating that water most likely seeped through natural fissures in the limestone before the Sphinx had been carved, causing the walls of the Sphinx enclosure to look like they were carved much earlier than they really were. As such, Christiansen determined that there was no geological evidence to suggest the Sphinx was carved earlier than any other monuments on the Giza plateau.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Hawass points to the poor quality of much of the Giza limestone as the basis for the significant erosion levels.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: After an investigation of the enclosure's geology, Schoch concluded that the most prominent weathering pattern was caused by prolonged and extensive rainfall, pointing to the well-developed undulating vertical profile on the enclosure walls. Further stating that "many the vertical and inclined solution features follow [preexisting] joints and faults in the bedrock", referencing the absence of such features on other rock surfaces in the Giza pyramid complex. Other geologists, such as Gauri, disagreed and argued for different erosion forces or a combination of such.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Schoch contends that because the last period of significant rainfall seemingly ended between the late fourth and early 3rd millennium BC, the Sphinx's construction must date to 5000 BC or earlier, However, new geoarchaeological evidence suggests the occurrence of heavy rainfalls until the end of the Old Kingdom, circa 2200 BC. Hawass criticizes that Schoch "never demonstrates why the rainfall over the last 4,500 years would not be sufficient to round off the corners", pointing to the many downpours at Giza over the past decades.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: A recent study by Rudolph Kuper and Stefan Kröpelin, of the University of Cologne suggest the change from a wet to an arid climate in the Sahara happened gradually with climate changes taking place on a north-to-south gradient. According to this study, arid conditions began in the Egyptian Sahara by 5300 BC. These desert conditions gradually extended to the south with Northern Sudan experiencing an arid climate circa 1500 BC. Egyptologist Mark Lehner believes this climate change may have been responsible for the severe weathering found on the Sphinx and other sites of the 4th Dynasty. After studying sediment samples in the Nile Valley, Judith Bunbury, a geologist at the University of Cambridge, concluded that climate change in the Giza region may have begun early in the Old Kingdom, with desert sands arriving in force late in the era.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Recently, Schoch pushed back his minimum estimate 5000 years further back, to around the end of the last ice age.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Due to the Sphinx lying closely above the Nile aquifer, capillary action moves water to the surface of the stone. During this process salt contained in the limestone is dissolved and drawn to the surface where it crystallises. The expanding crystals cause fine layers of surface limestone to flake off. It is accepted by Schoch "et al." that this mechanism is evident in many places on the Giza Plateau. One proponent of the haloclasty process is Dr James A. Harrell of the University of Toledo, who advocates that the deep erosion crevices were caused by the haloclasty process being driven by moisture in the sand that covered the carved rock for much of the time since it was exposed by quarrying. Lal Gauri "et al." also favour the haloclasty process to explain the erosion features, but have theorised that the weathering was driven by moisture deriving from atmospheric precipitation such as dew.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Analysis of the Sphinx's bedrock by the Getty Conservation Institute (1990–1992) concluded that "Continual salt crystallization, which has a destructive effect on the stone, would explain at least some of the deterioration of the Sphinx."


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Haloclasty is rejected as an explanation for the vertical erosion features by Schoch because it does not explain all the visible evidence, namely that the water erosion features are not evenly distributed, being concentrated in those areas that would have been particularly exposed to running water, whereas the haloclasty process should have operated evenly on all exposed limestone surfaces.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Schoch states that wind erosion forms distinctive horizontal bands, whereas the water erosion features are clearly vertical.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Hawass stated that from the present-day rapid rate of erosion on the Member II surface of the Sphinx, that "[t]he eleven hundred years between Khafre and the first major restoration in the Eighteenth Dynasty, or even half this time, would have been more than enough to erode the Member II into the deep recesses behind Phase I restoration masonry".


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Schoch and West argued that other structures and surfaces on the Giza Plateau are made from the same band of limestone as the Sphinx enclosure, but do not show the same erosion as the walls of the Sphinx enclosure and that unspecified early dynastic mudbrick mastabas at Saqqara (close to Giza) have survived relatively undamaged, which lead them to conclude that no heavy rainfall has occurred in the region since the Early Dynastic Period.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Reader replied to this, stating that these structures "were built on an area of high ground and do not lie within any natural catchment. These tombs will not, therefore, have been exposed to any significant run-off." He concludes that "the fact that they are not significantly degraded, as Schoch has pointed out, demonstrates that rainfall itself has not been a significant agent of degradation in Egypt." Rainfall water run-off, however, has been a more significant factor. Reader cites evidence of flood water damage in another location to illustrate this.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Lehner responded that these tombs were protected from erosion by sand and debris for most of their history, asking Schoch and West to clarify which mastabas they were referring to exactly.


title: Sphinx water erosion hypothesis

text: Various authors, like Schoch and Temple, have asserted that the head of the Sphinx is too small for its body, concluding it was recarved. Lehner argued that the head is primarily too small in relation to the length of the body, suggesting that without elongating the body the builders wouldn't have been able to complete the latter part of the Sphinx, due to a large natural fissure that cuts through the bedrock.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) commonly just referred to as "squirrels." They include more than 100 arboreal species native to all continents except Antarctica and Oceania.


title: Tree squirrel

text: They do not form a single natural, or monophyletic, group; they are variously related to others in the squirrel family, including ground squirrels, flying squirrels, marmots, and chipmunks. The defining characteristic used to determine which species of Sciuridae are tree squirrels is dependent on their habitat rather than their physiology. Tree squirrels live mostly among trees, as opposed to those that live in burrows in the ground or among rocks. An exception is the flying squirrel that also makes its home in trees, but has a physiological distinction separating it from its tree squirrel cousins: special flaps of skin called patagia, acting as glider wings, which allow gliding flight.


title: Tree squirrel

text: The best known genus of tree squirrels is "Sciurus", which includes the eastern gray squirrel of North America (introduced to Great Britain in the 1870s), the red squirrel of Eurasia, and the North American fox squirrel, among many others. Many tree squirrel species have adapted to human-altered environments such as rural farms, suburban backyards and urban parks.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Current taxonomy, based on genetic data, splits the tree squirrels into several subfamilies. The following genera of the squirrel family are classified as tree squirrels.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Squirrels are generally inquisitive and persistent animals. In residential neighborhoods, they are notorious for tenaciously trying to circumvent obstacles in order to eat from bird feeders. Although they are expert climbers, and primarily arboreal, some species of squirrels also thrive in urban environments, where they have adapted to humans.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Squirrels are sometimes considered pests because of their propensity to chew on various edible and inedible objects, and their stubborn persistence in trying to get what they want. Their characteristic gnawing trait also aids in maintaining sharp teeth, and because their teeth grow continuously, prevents their over-growth. On occasion, squirrels will chew through plastic and even metal to get to food.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Tree squirrels may bury food in the ground for later retrieval. Squirrels use their keen sense of smell to search for buried food, but can dig numerous holes in the process. This may become an annoyance to gardeners with strict landscape requirements, especially when the garden contains edibles.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Homeowners in areas with a heavy squirrel population must be vigilant in keeping attics, basements, and sheds carefully sealed to prevent property damage caused by nesting squirrels. A squirrel nest is called a "drey".


title: Tree squirrel

text: Squirrels are a serious fire hazard when they break into buildings. They often treat exposed power cables as tree branches, and gnaw on the electrical insulation. The resulting exposed conductors can short out, causing a fire. For this reason alone, squirrel nests inside buildings cannot be safely ignored. A squirrel nest will also cause problems with noise, excreta, unpleasant odors, and eventual structural damage.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Some homeowners resort to more interesting ways of dealing with this problem, such as collecting and placing fur from pets such as domestic cats and dogs in attics. It is hoped that this fur would indicate to nesting squirrels that a potential predator roams, and will encourage evacuation. Odoriferous repellents, including mothballs and ammonia, are generally ineffective in expelling squirrels from buildings.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Once established in a nest, squirrels stubbornly ignore fake owls and scarecrows, along with bright flashing lights, loud noises, and ultrasonic or electromagnetic devices. However, squirrels must leave the nest to obtain food and water (usually daily, except in bad weather), affording an opportunity to trap them or exclude them from re-entering.


title: Tree squirrel

text: To discourage chewing on an object, it can be coated or covered with something to make it distasteful: for instance a soft cloth doused with chili pepper paste or powder. Capsaicin and Ro-pel are other forms of repellent. To remain effective, the coating must be reapplied regularly, especially if it is exposed to the weather. Poisoning squirrels can be problematic because of the risks to other animals or children in the building, and because the odor of a dead squirrel in an attic or wall cavity is very unpleasant and persistent.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Trapping is often necessary to remove squirrels from residential structures. Effective baits include fruit, peanut butter, nuts, seeds and vanilla extract.


title: Tree squirrel

text: An alternative method is to wait until squirrels have left in search of food, and then close up all their access openings, or to install one-way trap doors or a carefully angled pipe. Attempting to get rid of all squirrels in a neighborhood is generally a futile goal; the focus instead should be on physically excluding them from places where they can do damage. There are other humane techniques to remove squirrels from buildings, but removal is ineffective unless steps are taken to prevent them from immediately breaking in again.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Squirrels are often the cause of power outages. They can readily climb a power pole and crawl or run along a power cable. The animals will climb onto power transformers or capacitors looking for food, or a place to cache acorns. If they touch a high voltage conductor and a grounded portion of the enclosure at the same time, they are electrocuted, and often cause a short circuit that shuts down equipment. Squirrels have brought down the high-tech NASDAQ stock market twice and were responsible for a spate of power outages at the University of Alabama. To sharpen their teeth, squirrels will often chew on tree branches or even the occasional live power line. Rubber or plastic plates, or freely rotating sleeves ("squirrel guards") are sometimes used to discourage access to these facilities.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Squirrels cause economic losses to homeowners, nut growers, and forest managers in addition to damage to electric transmission lines. These losses include direct damage to property, repairs, lost revenue and public relations. While dollar costs of these losses are sometimes calculated for isolated incidents, there is no tracking system to determine the total extent of the losses.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In regions where squirrels are plentiful, tire-flattened roadkill is a common sight on roadways, especially in the spring and fall, when there is a fresh crop of young rodents. Motorists have caused serious accidents by attempting to swerve or stop to avoid a squirrel in the road. Evasive maneuvers are difficult since squirrels are much more agile and have much quicker reaction times than motorists in heavy vehicles; the majority of vehicular encounters end with no harm to either party.


title: Tree squirrel

text: An effort to mitigate these hazards to both squirrels and humans is the Nutty Narrows Bridge in Longview, Washington, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It provides a way for squirrels to cross a busy street safely.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Tree squirrels are a common type of urban wildlife. They can be trained to be hand-fed and will take as much food as is available because they cache the surplus. Squirrels living in parks and campuses in cities have learned that humans are typically a ready source of food.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Urban squirrels have learned to get a lot of food from generous or unknowingly 'careless' humans. Humans commonly offer various nuts and seeds; however, wildlife rehabilitators in the field have noted that neither raw nor roasted peanuts nor sunflower seeds are healthy for squirrels, because they are deficient in several essential nutrients. This type of deficiency has been found to cause metabolic bone disease, a somewhat common ailment found in malnourished squirrels.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In many areas of the U.S. squirrels are still hunted for food, as they were historically. Recipes calling for squirrel even appear in cookbooks, including "James Beard's American Cookery" and pre-1997 copies of "The Joy of Cooking". Squirrel meat can be substituted for rabbit or chicken in many recipes and was an ingredient in the original recipe for Brunswick stew, a popular dish in various parts of the Southern U.S. Other similar stews were also based on squirrel meat, including burgoo and Southern Illinois chowder.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Although squirrel meat is low in fat content, unlike most game meat it has been found by the American Heart Association to be high in cholesterol.


title: Tree squirrel

text: For most of the history of the United Kingdom, squirrel has been a meat not commonly eaten, and even scorned by many. In the early 21st century however, wild squirrel has become a more popular meat to cook with, showing up in restaurants and shops more often in Britain as a fashionable alternative meat. Specifically, Britons are cooking with the invasive gray squirrel, which is praised for its low fat content and the fact that it comes from free range sources. Additionally, the novelty of a meat considered unusual or special has contributed to the spread of squirrel consumption. Due to the difficulty of a clean kill and other factors, the majority of squirrel eaten in the UK is acquired from professional hunters, trappers and gamekeepers.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Some Britons are eating gray squirrel as a direct attempt to help the native red squirrel, which has been dwindling since the 19th-century introduction of the gray squirrel, resulting in dramatic habitat loss for the indigenous red squirrels. This factor was marketed by a national "Save Our Squirrels" campaign that used the slogan, "Save a red, eat a grey!"


title: Tree squirrel

text: As with other wild game and fish species, the consumption of squirrels that have been exposed to high levels of pollution or toxic waste poses a health risk to humans. In 2007 in the northern New Jersey community of Ringwood, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services issued a warning to anyone who eats squirrel (especially children and those who are pregnant) to limit their consumption after a lead-contaminated squirrel was found near the Ringwood Mines Landfill. Toxic waste had been illegally dumped at this location for many years, before authorities cracked down on this practice in the 1980s.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In 1997, doctors in Kentucky published a paper in the "Lancet" that considered a possible association between the local tradition of consuming squirrel brains and five cases of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a rare but serious prion-based disorder. The authors posed this as a mere possibility, unconfirmed by either post-mortem analysis of the patients' brain tissue, or identification of a contagious prion agent in squirrels. Nonetheless, the "Lancet" article generated substantial media coverage, including articles in the New Yorker and New York Times. A 2015 case of CJD in a Pittsburgh man who had eaten squirrel brains played out similarly: the media seized on the patient's unconventional food choice, positing squirrel brains as the source of his disease. The doctor who made the initial report later clarified that he had not meant to assert the squirrel meat was the cause. Analysis of the patient's brain tissue ruled out the possibility of CJD acquired from food. As of 2018, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease had never been identified in squirrels, and the association between squirrel consumption and CJD remained speculative.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Red squirrels store nuts in a single stash (a midden) that tends to dry out, so the seeds don't take root.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Fox squirrels and gray squirrels bury nuts over a widespread area (scatterhoarding), and often forget them, resulting in new trees (mutualism).


title: Tree squirrel

text: In the "Ramayana", an ancient Sanskrit epic poem, a squirrel assists in constructing a bridge from India to Sri Lanka to help Rama rescue his wife Sita. Rama rewards the squirrel by stroking his back with his three middle fingers, thus giving the Indian palm squirrel the three white stripes that appear on its back. In Norse mythology, the squirrel Ratatoskr is a messenger who scurries up and down the trunk of the world-tree Yggdrasil, carrying malicious gossip and insults back and forth between the dragon Níðhöggr, who sits at the bottom of the tree gnawing on its roots, and the hawk Veðrfölnir, who sits at the top of the tree keeping watch. According to Richard W. Thorington, Jr. and Katie E. Ferrell, this legend may have originated from the red squirrel's habit of giving a "scolding alarm call in response to danger", which some Norsemen may have imagined as insults.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In Irish mythology, the goddess Medb is said to always have a bird perched on one shoulder and a squirrel on the other, serving as her messengers to the sky and the earth respectively. In Europe during the Middle Ages, squirrels were sometimes used in bestiaries as symbols of greed and avarice on account of their storing of nuts, but, in the nineteenth century, British natural history books often praised them as thrifty for this same reason. A myth told by the Ainu people of Japan holds that squirrels are the discarded sandals of the ancestral deity Aioina, possibly because squirrels move in spurts like footsteps. The "Kalevala", a Finnish epic poem collected in the nineteenth century but rooted in much older oral tradition, contains references to squirrels, including mention of a white squirrel being born of a virgin.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Literary references to squirrels include the works of Beatrix Potter, Brian Jacques' Redwall series (including Jess Squirrel and numerous other squirrels), Pattertwig in C. S. Lewis' "Prince Caspian", Michael Tod's Woodstock Saga of novels featuring squirrel communities in the style of "Watership Down", and the Starwife and her subjects from Robin Jarvis's Deptford novels. The title character in Miriam Young's 1964 children's book "Miss Suzy" is a squirrel.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Anthropomorphic red squirrels were used in British road safety campaigns between the 1950s and 1980s.


title: Tree squirrel

text: An episode of the radio program "This American Life" called "Squirrel Cop" describes the unintentionally humorous misadventure of a newly hired policeman in trying to remove a frantic squirrel from a homeowner's living room, which results in personal injury and a small fire. First aired in 1998, this episode turned out to be one of the most popular ones of the series, prompting rebroadcasts and a lead position on the two-CD compilation "".


title: Tree squirrel

text: One of the ways that squirrels affect human society is inspired by the fascination that people seem to have over local populations of white squirrels (often misidentified as being albino). This manifests itself by the creation of social group communities that form from a commonly shared interest in these rare animals. Other impacts on human society inspired by white squirrels include the creation of organizations that seek to protect them from human predation, and the use of the white squirrel image as a cultural icon.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Although these squirrels are commonly referred to as "albinos", most of them are likely non-albino squirrels that exhibit a rare white fur coloration known as leucism that is as a result of a recessive gene found within certain eastern gray squirrel ("Sciurus carolinensis") populations, and so technically they ought to be referred to as "white" squirrels, instead of "albino".


title: Tree squirrel

text: A project run by Untamed Science is seeking to report and document the occurrence of both white squirrels, albinos, and other piebald morphs. Users are encouraged to submit their sightings.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Olney, Illinois, known as the "White Squirrel Capital of the World", is home of the world's largest known white squirrel colony. These squirrels have the right of way on all streets in the town, with a $500 fine for hitting one. The Olney Police Department features the image of a white squirrel on its officers' uniform patches.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Along with Olney, there are four other towns in North America that avidly compete with each other to be the official "Home of the White Squirrel", namely: Marionville, Missouri; Brevard, North Carolina; Exeter, Ontario; and Kenton, Tennessee, each of which holds an annual white squirrel festival, among other things designed to promote their claim of "White Squirrel Capital".


title: Tree squirrel

text: A list of white squirrel sightings around the world is maintained by the White Squirrel Research Institute, a group based in Brevard, North Carolina.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Other towns that have reported white squirrel populations in North America (although not necessarily competing to be the "official" white squirrel capital) include Bowling Green, Kentucky; Columbia, Mississippi; DeForest, Wisconsin; Stratford, Connecticut; and some of the snowbelt cities in the Western, Central and Finger Lakes regions of New York State (Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca and Syracuse). The Trinity Bellwoods neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario is locally known for white squirrel sightings.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In addition to the various towns that boast of their white squirrel populations, a number of university campuses in North America have white squirrels. The University of Texas at Austin is home to a white squirrel population which has spurred the myth of the albino squirrel as a good luck charm. There are many versions of the tale; one of the more popular versions is if one spots the albino squirrel before an exam, they will ace it. The University of North Texas founded the Albino Squirrel Preservation Society in 2001, which has since acquired several "worldwide" chapters. In 2006, the University of North Texas held a student referendum to name their white squirrel as the university's secondary mascot, but the vote was narrowly defeated by the student body. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire has a significant white squirrel population both on the campus and in other areas of the city of Eau Claire. Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan is home to frequently sighted white squirrels that live on and around the campus. A Facebook group dedicated to these squirrels, called "I've Seen the Albino Squirrel of Michigan Tech", was created for people to post photographs and anecdotes of their encounters with the white squirrels, and includes some stories from Michigan Tech alumni that recall seeing white squirrels in Houghton dating back to the 1930s.


title: Tree squirrel

text: In Kentucky, the University of Louisville has established its own chapter of the Albino Squirrel Preservation Society, which maintains contact with its members and interested parties through a Facebook group by that name. The university has an open policy to give away a free t-shirt to anyone who takes a photograph of a white squirrel on campus grounds and brings it to the administration offices.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Other university campuses that have albino squirrel populations include Oberlin College in Ohio, Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky (which has had a population of albino squirrels since the 1960s), and Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Michael Stokes, a biology professor at Western Kentucky University, commented that the probable cause for the abundance of white squirrels on university campuses was because they were originally introduced by someone: "We're not sure how they got here, but I'll tell you how it usually happens...When you see them, especially around a college campus or parks, somebody brought them in because they thought it would be neat to have white squirrels around."


title: Tree squirrel

text: Albert Meier, another biology professor at Western Kentucky University, added that: "... white squirrels rarely survive in the wild because they can't easily hide. But on a college campus, they are less likely to be consumed by other animals."


title: Tree squirrel

text: A story in which a Nāga shapeshifts into a white or albino squirrel, is killed by a hunter, and is magically transformed into meat equal to 8,000 cartloads figures prominently in the folklore of rocket festival traditions and the origin of Nong Han Kumphawapi Lake in Northeast Thailand.


title: Tree squirrel

text: A decline of the red squirrel and the rise of the eastern gray squirrel, an introduced species from North America, has been widely remarked upon in British popular culture. It is mostly regarded as the invading grays driving out the native red species. Evidence also shows that gray squirrels are vectors of the squirrel parapoxvirus for which no vaccine is currently available, and which is deadly to red squirrels but does not seem to affect the non-native host.


title: Tree squirrel

text: Currently, the red squirrel's range has been reduced to the coniferous forests in Scotland, and in England's Formby, the Lake District, Brownsea Island, and the Isle of Wight. The majority of England's red squirrels are found in the county of Northumberland. Special measures are in place to contain and remove any infiltration of gray squirrels into these areas. Though the population has dramatically decreased, they remain listed on the IUCN Red List as Least Concern.


title: Tree squirrel

text: As of 2008, the eastern gray squirrel was regarded as vermin and it was illegal to release any into the wild; any caught could be releases only if one applied for and was granted a licence to do so. As of 2015, any caught in Scotland had to be humanely killed.


title: David Lascher

text: David Scott Lascher (born April 27, 1972) is an American actor best known for his roles in "Blossom", "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", and the Nickelodeon show "Hey Dude".


title: David Lascher

text: Lascher was born in Scarsdale, New York to a psychotherapist mother and a lawyer father. He attended Scarsdale High School and has three sisters: Alexandra, Carly, and Lauren.


title: David Lascher

text: Lascher is best known for playing the lovable troublemaker Ted McGriff on Nickelodeon's comedy "Hey Dude" in the early 1990s. He went on to play Vinnie Bonitardi, the boyfriend of Blossom Russo, on the NBC sitcom "Blossom" from 1992-1993. On "Sabrina The Teenage Witch", played Sabrina's love interest Josh, a coffee shop manager and later a photographer. On May 23, 2006, Lascher appeared on the NBC chat program "Last Call with Carson Daly" as a Ryan Seacrest clone in a parody of that evening's "American Idol" finale.


title: David Lascher

text: In 2014 Lascher co-wrote and produced the film "Sister" with Todd Camhe, which Lascher also directed. "Sister" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Conciergerie () () is a former courthouse and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, below the Palais de Justice. It was originally part of the former royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, which also included the Sainte-Chapelle. Two large medieval halls remain from the royal palace. During the French Revolution, 2,780 prisoners, including Marie-Antoinette, were imprisoned, tried and sentenced at the Conciergerie, then sent to different sites to be executed by the guillotine. It is now a national monument and museum.


title: Conciergerie

text: In the 1st-3rd century AD, the Ile de la Cité became part of the Gallo-Roman city of Lutetia, on the opposite bank of the Seine. The island was surrounded by a wall, and a fortress of the Roman governor was built at the west end of the island. The Merovingian king Clovis installed his capital there, on the site of the Roman fortress. from 508 until his death in 511. The Carolingian monarchs moved their capital out of the city, but at the end of the 10th century, under Hugh Capet, Paris became the capital of the Kingdom of the Franks. He constructed a large new fortified residence, the Palais de la Cité, on the same site.


title: Conciergerie

text: From the 11th to the 14th century, the palace was enlarged and embellished, and gained in importance in the administration of the Kingdom. Before he departed on the Crusades, Philip II of France delegated his legal authority the Curia Regis, which had regular assemblies, called Parlements, in the Hall of the King, to dispense justice.He moved the royal archives to the building, giving it even greater importance, and named a Concierge, or custodian, to oversee the administration of the palace, which gave the building its name. Philip II created the towered facade on the Seine river side and the great hall. The great hall, with its two side-by-side naves, was used for royal ceremonies and judicial sessions. At one end was an immense table of black marble from Germany,decorated with fleurs-de-lis emblems. A piece of the table is now displayed on the wall of the lower hall. The hall was also decorated with polychrome wooden statues of the Kings of France. The "Grand Chronicles of France" by Jehan de Jandun described "A new palace, a marvellous and costly work, the most beautiful that France has ever seen." The only surviving portions of the great hall are the Hall of the Men-at-arms and the Hall of the Guards below.


title: Conciergerie

text: Philip IV continued the rebuilding between 1285 and 1314. The Grand Hall was built, replacing a smaller earlier hall. The Grand Chamber became the official seat of the Parliament; and he added the silver tower and the Tower of Caesar.


title: Conciergerie

text: Under Charles V (1364–80),the role of the building changed. He decided to move his residence to the Louvre Palace, and the Hotel Saint-Pol. The concierge of the old palace was given greater authority over lower and middle courts. Prison cells were gradually added to the lower parts of the building, and it became known as the "Conciergerie". Its prisoners were a mixture of common criminals and political prisoners. In common with other prisons of the time, the treatment of prisoners was dependent on their wealth, status and associates. Wealthy or influential prisoners usually got their own cells with a bed, desk and materials for reading and writing. Less-well-off prisoners could afford to pay for simply furnished cells known as "pistoles", which would be equipped with a rough bed and perhaps a table. The poorest would be confined to dark, damp, vermin-infested cells known as "oubliettes" (literally "forgotten places"). In keeping with the name, they were left to live or die in conditions that were ideal for the plague and other infectious diseases, which were rife in the unsanitary conditions of the prison.


title: Conciergerie

text: Without the king as a permanent resident, the buildings underwent many changes to fit its judicial and prison role. Louis XII had the Chamber des Comptes reconstructed, and redecorated the Grand Chamber, used by the Parliament of Paris. A flood of the Seine in the winter of 1689-1690 caused important damage to the lower building, while a fire in 1737 destroyed the Chamber des Comptes. It was rebuilt by Jacques Gabriel. Another fire within the palace in 1776 caused even greater damage, reaching the chamber of the King, the gallery of merchants, and the main tower. The reconstruction following the 1776 fire added new cells to the ground level of the Conciergerie, and replaced the 12th century oratory with the present Chapel.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Palais de la Cité and the Conciergerie played a central role in the French Revolution. On May 5, 1788, The Parliament of Paris, meeting in the Great Hall in 1788, refused to accept the King's order to turn over two of its members for questioning and refused to leave the building. As the Revolution unfolded, The Parliament itself soon became unpopular. It was dismissed in 1790 by the new Constituent Assembly, and the gates of the Palais de la Cité were locked.


title: Conciergerie

text: The first Paris Commune and Sans Culottes seized the Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792, and took charge of the government and the Conciergerie. During the September Massacres, the Communard militants entered the city's prisons and in four days killed more than 1300 prisoners, including priests and others suspected of being upper class or hostile to the revolution. The victims included a large group executed in the Women's Courtyard of the Conciergerie on September 2–3, 1792.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Revolutionary Tribunal was created on March 10, 1793, by the more radical Montagnard faction over the opposition of the more moderate Girondins. The Tribunal met in the Grand Chamber of Palace, on the upper floor between the Silver and Caesar towers. It was renamed the "Hall of Liberty." Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville, a Montagnard, was named public prosecutor, and installed his office and residence next to the Chamber. In September 1793, the Terror intensified. The National Convention, controlled by the Montagnards, enacted the Law of Suspects on September 17, 1793. This act declared that anyone considered a counter-revolutionary or enemy of the republic was guilty of treason and, thus, condemned to death. The Tribunal had five judges and twelve selected jury members. Trials were public and rapid, and attracted large crowds. Verdicts could not be appealed. The number of monthly executions grew from eleven a month to before the Law of Suspects to one hundred twenty-four a month.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Queen, Marie-Antoinette, was arrested on August 3, 1792, and first held in the Temple Prison with her family. The King was tried between December 3 and December 26, 1792, and executed 21 January 1793. The Queen was transferred from the Temple to the Conciergerie on the night of August 1–2, 1793. She was confined in a single-bed cell on the ground floor overlooking the Women's Courtyard. She was not allowed any writing instruments, and was continually watched by two gendarmes. After several unsuccessful plots to free her were discovered, she was transferred to a different cell, where the current memorial chapel is located, and held there for forty-four days. She was questioned in her cell on October 12, and was charged with three crimes: collusion with Austria, excessive expenditure, and opposing the Revolution. Another charge, having incestuous relations with her son, was added during the trial. Her trial began on October 14, 1793, in the former Great Hall of the Palace. She had two court-appointed lawyers, but they were only allowed less than a day to prepare their case. The trial lasted for two days, in which forty-one witnesses testified. The trial concluded on 16 October 1793; she was, as expected, sentenced to death, and taken in a cart later that day to the guillotine, set up on Place de la Revolution, now Place de la Concorde.


title: Conciergerie

text: During the period of 1793–94, at the height of the Terror, the prison held some six hundred prisoners. Most prisoners were transferred to the Conciergerie from other prisons, and spent only a few days before their trial and sentencing, or at most a few weeks. Political and criminal prisoners were mixed together. Poorer prisoners were confined in collective cells on the lowest level, with straw-covered floors. These prisoners were called "Pailleaux", or "Straw sleepers." Others were confined a square cell six feet wide and six feet long, with a narrow barred window. A small number of wealthier prisoners were able to bribe guards to have cells with two folding beds. These prisoners could send and receive mail, have their clothes washed, and sometime have visitors. These prisoners were called "Pistoliers," because they bribed the guards with pistole coins. However, these privileges ceased as the prison became more crowded and the Terror reached its peak.


title: Conciergerie

text: In the spring of 1794, the tribunal began judging the moderate revolutionary leaders, including Danton and Camille Desmoulins. In May they tried and sentenced Madame Elizabeth, sister of Louis XVI, "For belonging to the Family of the Tyrant." On June 10, 1794, the court procedure was modified to allow speedier trials; witnesses were no longer needed, and the definition of "suspect" was enlarged. By the end of June, an average of thirty-eight persons a day were being tried, sentenced, and sent to the guillotine. Between 1793 and 1795, two-thirds of prisoners tried were sentenced to death. At the peak of the Reign of Terror, four out of five prisoners were sentenced to death,


title: Conciergerie

text: By the end of July 1794, the more moderate revolutionaries, fearing their own safety, turned against Robespierre and the other radical leaders. On July 27, a majority of the Convention voted for the arrest of Robespierre. Robespierre tried to commit suicide, was wounded, and was taken to the Conciergerie, where he was given the former cell of Marie Antoinette. On July 28 he was condemned to death by the Tribunal and guillotined on the Place de la Revolution.


title: Conciergerie

text: In August, the head of the tribunal, Fouquier-Tinville, was arrested and tried. He argued that "the execution of the laws, justice and humanity were always my sole rules of conduct", but he was confined for nine months in the Conciergerie, and went to the guillotine on May 7, 1795. The tribunal was abolished on May 31, 1795. In seven hundred eighty days, the tribunal had sentenced and executed 2,780 prisoners.


title: Conciergerie

text: The early revolutionary period continued the prison's tradition of interning prisoners based on wealth, such that wealthier prisoners could rent a bed for 27 livres 12 sous for the first month, 22 livres 10 sous for subsequent months. Even when the price was decreased to 15 livres, the commanders of the prison made a fortune; as the Terror escalated, a prisoner could pay for a bed and be executed a few days later, freeing the bed for a new inmate who would then pay as well. One memoirist termed the Conciergerie "the most lucrative furnished lodgings in Paris". For most prisoners, the cramped cells were infested with rats, and the stench of urine permeated every room. As the Terror reached its peak, the special privileges for wealthy prisoners were largely reduced and ceased.


title: Conciergerie

text: The prisoners, except those locked in the dungeons, were allowed to walk about the prisoners' gallery from 8 a.m. to an hour before sunset. Roll call was always a tortuous proceeding because many of the jailers were illiterate and it could take hours for them to confirm that all of the prisoners were accounted for. A principal jailer, who sat by the door, determined whether visitors would be allowed inside the prison. His decision depended more on his mood than any set proceedings. He was also in charge of resolving disputes between jailers and their charges.


title: Conciergerie

text: Each evening, the prisoners gathered in the courtyard outside the Tour Bonbec to hear the reading of the list of prisoners who would be tried the following day. Once prisoners were tried and sentenced, they were taken to Salle de la Toilette, where their personal belongings were confiscated. They were put onto carts in the May Courtyard and taken to guillotines at sites throughout Paris. Some of the prisoners held at the Conciergerie were the poet André Chénier, Charlotte Corday, Madame Élisabeth, Madame du Barry, and the 21 Girondins, a group of moderate deputies, arrested and executed in the early beginning of the Reign of Terror.


title: Conciergerie

text: After the Restoration of the Bourbons in 1814 (and again in 1815, after the Hundred Days reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Conciergerie returned to its role as a courthouse and prison. Its prisoners included Marshal Ney, one of Napoleon's Generals, who was sentenced there for breaking an oath to King Louis XVIII and joining Napoleon's army at Waterloo; Georges Cadoudal, leader the Chouannerie Breton royalist uprising. and the anarchist Ravachol. Later prisoners included the future Napoleon III, who was tried there in 1840 after a failed attempt to seize power, and sentenced to prison for life in the prison of Ham, from which he escaped.


title: Conciergerie

text: Beginning in 1812, the palace and portions of the Conciergerie were restored and rebuilt by architect A.M. Peyrle. His additions included the memorial chapel to Marie-Antoinette in the Conciergerie. In 1847, work began on an enlarged Palace of Justice, with a new Court of Summary Jurisdiction placed between the Silver Tower and the Tour Bombec. In 1862 the Conciergerie was granted the status of an historical monument, though it still continued to be used as a prison. Between 1847 and 1871 the architects Joseph Louis Duc and Étienne Thédore Dommey built a new facade for the Ministry of Justice, facing the Boulevard du Palais; built a new building for the Correctional Police; reconstructed the historic Salle des Pas-Perdus and restored the clock tower, and built a new building next to the Conciergerie for the Cour de Cassation. At the same time they went to work restoring the medieval halls of the Conciergerie, and in 1870 raised the height of the clock tower. Their work was interrupted by the uprising of the Paris Commune in 1871. In the final days of the Commune, the Communards set fire to the new Palais de Justice, badly damaging the interiors. Restoration and Reconstruction lasted for another twenty years. The Palace was finally completed with the finishing of the Tribunal Correctionnel between 1904 and 1914. Some sections of the Conciergerie were opened to tourist visits in 1914. The Prison continued to function until 1934, when it was definitively closed.


title: Conciergerie

text: The four medieval towers of the north facade, along the Quai de l'Horloge between the Cour de Cassation and the Boulevard du Palais, are the most prominent exterior vestiges of the old Conciergerie.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Tour Bonbec is a circular tower with battlements and a conical slate roof located at the west end of the Conciergerie, next to the Cour de Cassation. It is the oldest of the towers, constructed in the 13th century under Louis IX. It was originally one level shorter than the other towers, but in the 19th century, under Napoleon III, it was raised to its present height and form. The name of the tower comes from "Bon Bec," a slang word for a "Good talker". It is reference to the torture chamber, which during the Reign of Terror was located in this tower; it referred to those prisoners who spoke freely under torture.


title: Conciergerie

text: The gateway on the north is flanked by two circular towers with conical roofs, but without battlements. The Caesar Tower, on the left facing the building, is named in honor of the Roman Emperors, particularly Julius Caesar who visited the island during the Gallic Wars to meet with the leaders of the Gallic tribes, and the later Emperors and Roman governors who lived on the island. The two towers were constructed in the early 14th century by Philippe IV. Later in the 14th century, the lower portions of the towers were connected to the prison of the Conciergerie, and were used as dungeons until the French Revolution. The Silver Tower on the right was used to store part of the royal treasury. After the court moved to Versailles, The upper parts of the two towers were attached to the Grand Chamber of the Parliament, and were used to store the civil and criminal registries of the Kingdom. In 1793–94, at the height of the Terror, the chief prosecutor of the Revolutionary Tribunal, Antoine Fouquier-Tinville, had his offices in the two towers, close to the courtroom of the Tribunal.


title: Conciergerie

text: The most recent tower is the Tour de l'Horloge, or clock tower, at the corner of the Boulevard du Palais and the Quai de l'Horloge. It was completed by Jean II of France, and finished in 1350. It is the tallest tower of the Conciergerie, five levels high, with battlements and a lantern tower at the top; it served as both a watchtower and clock tower. The clock was installed during the reign of Charles VI of France, and was the first public clock in Paris. In 1585 King Henri III of France embellished the clock with a new face, set on a blue background with gold Fleurs-de-lis, and framed by statues of law and justice by sculptor Germain Pilon. The decoration was vandalised during the Revolution, and the large bell in the lantern, which was rung to celebrate major events, was taken out and melted down. The tower had been restored several times, most recently in 2012.


title: Conciergerie

text: The current facades were built later than the towers. The North facade between the towers was built in the 19th century in Gothic Revival style. The eastern section, around the entrance, was built during the Bourbon Restoration in the early 19th century, while the western section was built by Joseph-Louis Duc and Étienne Théodore Dommey in the second half of the 19th century, under Emperor Louis Napoleon. They were almost completed in 1871, when the Paris Commune took charge of the city. The Commune set the building on fire in the last days of the Commune, badly damaging the interiors, but it was rebuilt in the late 19th century.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Hall of the Men-at-Arms {Salle des Gens d'Armes) was built in early 14th century by Philip IV on the ground floor. Its great size (originally 68 meters (233 feet) long, now 61.2 meters (200 feet), 28 meters (92 feet) wide, and 8.7 meters (29 feet) high to the vault, makes it the largest non-religious Gothic hall in Europe. It served as a dining room and gathering place for the armed guards and servants attached to the palace, who numbered between one and two thousand persons. During the reign of Philip IV parts of the hall were sometimes used for the meetings of special commissions appointed by the King to investigate problems in the royal institutions in the French provinces. These parts would be separated from the rest of the hall by partitions or tapestries during the meetings.


title: Conciergerie

text: The hall particularly provided staff and services for the Great Hall, located directly above it on the first floor. The lower hall was connected with upper hall by spiral staircases; part of one stairway is still in place. The hall was divided into four naves by a row of massive pillars in the center, flanked by two rows of cylindrical columns. Heat was provided by four large fireplaces around the hall. Thanks to the support of the columns and pillars, the hall originally had large windows, which were mostly sealed off in the 17th century when the Galerie Dauphine was built, though traces of them are still visible on the south wall.


title: Conciergerie

text: In 1364, when Charles V left the palace, the hall was modified for its new prison functions. the last bay on the west was raised in height and separated by bars from the rest of the hall. This became the "Rue de Paris", the secure route to the prison cells, named after "Monsieur de Paris", the nickname of the city's executioner.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Hall of the Guards (Salle des Gardes) was built by Philip IV at the same time as the Hall of the Men-at-Arms, in the early 14th century. It is on the north or the old palace, between the Tower of Caesar and Silver Tower and the Seine, and the private garden of the King on the west. It was first occupied by The Royal Guard, and later was used as the antechamber of the Parliament, which was located directly above. It is smaller than the Hall of the Men-art-Arms, 21.8 meters long, 11.7 meters wide, and 8.3 meters high. The rib-vaulted vaulted roof, supported by three massive pillars, divides it into two naves. Like the hall of the Men-at-Arms, it was connected with the room above by a spiral stairway.


title: Conciergerie

text: When King Charles V moved the royal residence from the City Palace to the Louvre, the Hall of the Guards was converted into a prison. It was divided into dungeons for destitute prisoners. called "pailleux" or "Straw-sleepers", who were fed with only bread and water, and slept on the floor. It was usually overcrowded, with prisoners sometimes required to sleep in shifts. From 1780 onwards, male prisoners were able to get some exercise in the neighbouring courtyard. During the Reign of Terror, the Hall was used to confine prisoners before their trials in the courtroom of the Revolutionary Tribunal, in the hall above. The cells became so crowded that a second level, built of wood and accessed by ladders, was put into place. The Hall was restored in the 19th century by architect Antoine Marie Peyrle, who added some decorative details, including sculpture on the capitals of the columns.


title: Conciergerie

text: The kitchen pavilion was added in about 1353, shortly after the other large halls. Placed in the northwest corner, it was set slightly apart from the rest of the building, to reduce the risk of fire. It was originally installed on two levels, with the food of the royal family and guests prepared on the upper level, and for the staff on the lower level. When the King was in residence, meals were prepared in a large hearth on the upper floor, or prepared in the lower kitchen and taken upstairs on an outside ramp, no longer in existence. The kitchen originally had eight large windows, but all but two were walled up after it became a prison. Sometimes both the upper and lower kitchens were employed for an event, such as the Banquet of the Three Kings on 6 January 1378, held by Charles V to welcome his uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and his cousin Wenceslaus, King of the Romans. The upstairs and downstairs kitchens worked together to prepare a banquet of three courses with ten dishes in each course, served in the Grand Hall to the royal guests and to eight hundred German and French knights.


title: Conciergerie

text: The upper level of the Conciergerie was considerably rebuilt in the 19th and 20th century. Nearly all of the original cells, including that of Marie-Antoinette, were demolished and replaced with new rooms. After the prison was closed and became a museum, some of the new rooms were turned into galleries. In 1989 three rooms were recreated to depict the administrative function of the prison. The first is the cell-like office of the registrar who received the incoming prisoners, enter their names into a large book, and take their belongings. This office was originally located on the ground floor, near the Cour du Mai, the main entrance of prison, where prisoners arrived. Prisoners were then taken to their cells along the Prisoner's Corridor, which extended the length of the building. Next to the recreated registrar's office is a recreation of the office of the Concierge, the warden of the prison. The third recreated room is the Grooming Room, where prisoners were taken on the day of their execution. They undressed and put on a special collarless tunic, and their hair was cut to make easier the passage of the guillotine blade through their neck.


title: Conciergerie

text: In addition to these rooms, the corridor has three recreations of prison cells, and four rooms displaying objects and documents illustrating the history of the building and the major events of Revolution.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Hall of Names has walls covered with the names of more than four thousand persons who were tried and sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal. Most of the prisoners came from middle or lower class, though twenty percent were from the former nobility and clergy. Between spring 1793 and 1794, nearly half the prisoners tried by the Tribunal left the prison alive, but that number dropped to only twenty percent between spring 1793 and 1794, the period of the Great Terror. Visitors can use a touch screen to consult the biographies of fifty famous prisoners executed during the Terror.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Prisoner's Chapel was rebuilt in 1776, after a fire that destroyed the earlier oratory. It is little changed from the time of the Revolution. The altar, confessional and the large crucifix date to the 18th century. Women could attend the services seated separately on the upper level, behind bars. Black curtains behind the altar cover the entrance to thermal memorial chapel dedicated to Marie Antoinette. The chapel was probably used as a cell during the Terror, when the prison was particularly overcrowded.


title: Conciergerie

text: The original cell of Marie-Antoinette was destroyed after the restoration of the monarchy and was replaced in 1815 by the Memorial Chapel, dedicated to her, on the site of her cell. It was commissioned by Louis XVIII, brother of the executed Louis XVI, It contains a marble monument dedicated to the Queen, with "The Queen's Testament", and three paintings of the Queen depicting her imprisonment. The only light in the chapel comes from a single stained glass window, and the black faux-marble walls are marked with stone teardrops.


title: Conciergerie

text: The Women's courtyard, where Marie-Antoinette and other women prisoners were allowed to exercise, is little changed from the time of the Revolution. The arcades, garden, stone table, and fountain where prisoners could wash their garments, date from that period. At the back of the garden, in the northeast corner, is a small triangular area separated from the women's courtyard by a gate. This area belonged to the men's prison, and was probably used for the secure transfer of prisoners.


title: Rohit Suchanti

text: Rohit Suchanti is an Indian television actor who portrayed Ramakant Modi in "Saath Nibhana Saathiya", Ratan Singh in "Rishta Likhenge Hum Naya" and participated in "Bigg Boss 12". He currently plays the lead role of Rishi Oberoi in Ekta Kapoor's "Bhagya Lakshmi" on Zee TV.


title: Rohit Suchanti

text: Rohit Suchanti made his debut in television by acting in several episodic roles,he played the role of Dhruv in "Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya 4" on 2014. In 2015, he got role of Rohit Agrawal in "Warrior High" and Vikram in "Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya 5". He played the role of Abhay in "Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya 7" in 2016.


title: Rohit Suchanti

text: In early 2017, he played Ramakant (Ricky) Modi in "Saath Nibhaana Saathiya" on Star Plus. Then he played Jai in ALTBalaji's "Class of 2017". In September 2017, he joined "Rishta Likhenge Hum Naya" playing Ratan Maan Singh on Sony TV. In October 2018, he joined "Bigg Boss 12" as the second wildcard entry. In 2019, he played Anshuman Sharma in Zee TV's "Dil Yeh Ziddi Hai".


title: Rohit Suchanti

text: Currently, Suchanti is playing the role of Rishi Oberoi in the show titled "Bhagya Lakshmi" opposite Aishwarya Khare.


title: Friend Request

text: Friend Request (released internationally as Unfriend) is a 2016 English-language German supernatural psychological horror film directed by Simon Verhoeven. The film was released in Germany on January 7, 2016 and received generally unfavourable reviews from critics.


title: Friend Request

text: Laura Woodson is a popular campus student with over 800 friends on Facebook. She lives with Olivia Mathison, Isabelle, and Gustavo Garcia, Isabelle's boyfriend. She is close friends with Kobe and is dating Tyler McCormick.


title: Friend Request

text: Laura receives a friend request from her classmate Marina Mills. Noticing she has no friends, she accepts and the two begin a relationship as friends, but she is uncomfortable with Marina's obsessive behavior and sees that her Facebook profile is full of negative posts. Marina wants to attend Laura's birthday dinner but Laura lies and says only she and Tyler are going out. That night, Marina sees pictures of Laura and her friends on Facebook, and angrily confronts her the next day. During their quarrel, Laura accidentally reveals Marina's bald spot, a result of hair pulling disorder. She then unfriends Marina on Facebook.


title: Friend Request

text: The next morning, it is announced that Marina committed suicide. Laura feels responsible but tries to forget about it until Marina uploads a video showing her burning a sketch of Laura before hanging herself. The video is somehow posted on Laura's own page and she is unable to remove it or delete her account. Marina adds Gustavo as a friend. He is then terrorized by a demonic spirit and has his face smashed by an invisible entity. Isabelle discovers him and is sent to the hospital. A video of Gustavo's apparent suicide is posted on Laura's page, damaging her reputation even further.


title: Friend Request

text: Laura and Kobe break into Marina's dorm room and find an old class photograph from an orphanage. Laura visits the orphanage and discovers Marina's real last name is Nedifar, and she was tormented by two boys when she was younger. The boys were murdered, with their faces mutilated and swarmed by black wasps, the same way Gustavo died. Her mother had been part of a commune, rumored to be a demonic cult, until someone set it on fire. Her mother, then pregnant, was horribly burned and rendered brain dead, so doctors performed a C-section to deliver Marina. Kobe does research on black mirrors, which they keep seeing, and learns that they were mostly used by witches.


title: Friend Request

text: Isabelle becomes Marina's next victim. A video of her killing herself is posted on Laura's page. Olivia is attacked and, after being possessed, killed herself. Laura and Kobe go in search of the place where Marina committed suicide to destroy the black mirror she died in front of, as that is what she used to become an evil spirit to torment Laura. Kobe, realizing he is the next victim, becomes deranged, and stabs Laura, hoping to kill her and save himself.


title: Friend Request

text: She escapes and learns that Marina killed herself in a nearby factory. Tyler finds Laura, but Kobe kills him. After Laura reaches the dead end, Kobe gets killed by the swarm of wasps. Laura finally found Marina's burned corpse and, after staring at her laptop, the corpse lunges at her.


title: Friend Request

text: In the epilogue, Laura, dressed in the hoodie, looks at a few girls the same way that Marina looked at Laura in the beginning.


title: Friend Request

text: Originally titled "Unknown Error", the film was later renamed to "Friend Request" internationally, to avoid confusion with the 2014 film "Unfriended". In Germany, the film is titled "Unfriend", since "Unfriended" was released as "Unknown User" in Germany.


title: Friend Request

text: The film was shot in Cape Town at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Though the film was produced by German director Simon Verhoeven and German production companies, the largely English-speaking cast required the film to be shot in English. Filming ended in March 2014.


title: Friend Request

text: The film was released in Germany on 7 January 2016, 20 April 2016 in the United Kingdom and in the United States on 22 September 2017.


title: Friend Request

text: "Friend Request" grossed $3.7 million in the United States and Canada and $7.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $11.3 million, against a production budget of $9.9 million.


title: Friend Request

text: In North America, the film was released alongside "" and "The Lego Ninjago Movie", and was initially projected to gross around $5 million from 2,569 theatres in its opening weekend. However, after grossing just $750,000 on its first day, weekend projections were lowered to $1.5–2 million. It ended up grossing $2 million, finishing 7th at the box office, and passing "Victor Frankenstein" for the lowest opening gross for a film playing in over 2,500 theatres.


title: Friend Request

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 17% based on 77 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Friend Request"s attempts to update old-school teen horror for the digital age do not, sadly, include memorable characters, fresh scares, or novel storytelling twists." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 31 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Friend Request

text: Frank Scheck of "The Hollywood Reporter" praised the film for being "visually stylish and imaginative" but criticised it for becoming less interesting as the film went on. Jessica Kiang of "Variety" was impressed by the practical effects, but criticised the way the film had little to do with the "technology that it ostensibly exists to critique". Ally Wybrew of "Empire" gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising Debnam-Carey, who "[stood] out [amongst] otherwise mediocre performances" in contrast to the poorly written character of Marina. Wybrew went on to criticise the clunky lines, overenthusiastic score, and the protracted final act.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Thin-film interference is a natural phenomenon in which light waves reflected by the upper and lower boundaries of a thin film interfere with one another, either enhancing or reducing the reflected light. When the thickness of the film is an odd multiple of one quarter-wavelength of the light on it, the reflected waves from both surfaces interfere to cancel each other. Since the wave cannot be reflected, it is completely transmitted instead. When the thickness is a multiple of a half-wavelength of the light, the two reflected waves reinforce each other, increasing the reflection and reducing the transmission. Thus when white light, which consists of a range of wavelengths, is incident on the film, certain wavelengths (colors) are intensified while others are attenuated. Thin-film interference explains the multiple colors seen in light reflected from soap bubbles and oil films on water. It is also the mechanism behind the action of antireflection coatings used on glasses and camera lenses. If the thickness of the film is much larger than the coherence length of the incident light, then the interference pattern will be washed out due to the linewidth of the light source.


title: Thin-film interference

text: The true thickness of the film depends on both its refractive index and on the angle of incidence of the light. The speed of light is slower in a higher-index medium; thus a film is manufactured in proportion to the wavelength as it passes through the film. At a normal angle of incidence, the thickness will typically be a quarter or half multiple of the center wavelength, but at an oblique angle of incidence, the thickness will be equal to the cosine of the angle at the quarter or half-wavelength positions, which accounts for the changing colors as the viewing angle changes. (For any certain thickness, the color will shift from a shorter to a longer wavelength as the angle changes from normal to oblique.) This constructive/destructive interference produces narrow reflection/transmission bandwidths, so the observed colors are rarely separate wavelengths, such as produced by a diffraction grating or prism, but a mixture of various wavelengths absent of others in the spectrum. Therefore, the colors observed are rarely those of the rainbow, but browns, golds, turquoises, teals, bright blues, purples, and magentas. Studying the light reflected or transmitted by a thin film can reveal information about the thickness of the film or the effective refractive index of the film medium. Thin films have many commercial applications including anti-reflection coatings, mirrors, and optical filters.


title: Thin-film interference

text: In optics, a thin film is a layer of material with thickness in the sub-nanometer to micron range. As light strikes the surface of a film, it is either transmitted or reflected at the upper surface. Light that is transmitted reaches the bottom surface and may once again be transmitted or reflected. The Fresnel equations provide a quantitative description of how much of the light will be transmitted or reflected at an interface. The light reflected from the upper and lower surfaces will interfere. The degree of constructive or destructive interference between the two light waves depends on the difference in their phase. This difference in turn depends on the thickness of the film layer, the refractive index of the film, and the angle of incidence of the original wave on the film. Additionally, a phase shift of 180° or formula_1 radians may be introduced upon reflection at a boundary depending on the refractive indices of the materials on either side of the boundary. This phase shift occurs if the refractive index of the medium the light is travelling through is less than the refractive index of the material it is striking. In other words, if formula_2 and the light is travelling from material 1 to material 2, then a phase shift occurs upon reflection. The pattern of light that results from this interference can appear either as light and dark bands or as colorful bands depending upon the source of the incident light.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Consider light incident on a thin film and reflected by both the upper and lower boundaries. The optical path difference (OPD) of the reflected light must be calculated in order to determine the condition for interference. Referring to the ray diagram above, the OPD between the two waves is the following:


title: Thin-film interference

text: Interference will be constructive if the optical path difference is equal to an integer multiple of the wavelength of light, formula_8.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Where incident light is monochromatic in nature, interference patterns appear as light and dark bands. Light bands correspond to regions at which constructive interference is occurring between the reflected waves and dark bands correspond to destructive interference regions. As the thickness of the film varies from one location to another, the interference may change from constructive to destructive. A good example of this phenomenon, termed "Newton's rings," demonstrates the interference pattern that results when light is reflected from a spherical surface adjacent to a flat surface. Concentric rings are observed when the surface is illuminated with monochromatic light. This phenomenon is used with optical flats to measure the shape and flatness of surfaces.


title: Thin-film interference

text: If the incident light is broadband, or white, such as light from the sun, interference patterns appear as colorful bands. Different wavelengths of light create constructive interference for different film thicknesses. Different regions of the film appear in different colors depending on the local film thickness.


title: Thin-film interference

text: The figures show two incident light beams (A and B). Each beam produces a reflected beam (dashed). The reflections of interest are beam A’s reflection off of the lower surface and beam B’s reflection off of the upper surface. These reflected beams combine to produce a resultant beam (C). If the reflected beams are in phase (as in the first figure) the resultant beam is relatively strong. If, on the other hand, the reflected beams have opposite phase, the resulting beam is attenuated (as in the second figure).


title: Thin-film interference

text: The phase relationship of the two reflected beams depends on the relationship between the wavelength of beam A in the film, and the film's thickness. If the total distance beam A travels in the film is an integer multiple of the wavelength of the beam in the film, then the two reflected beams are in phase and constructively interfere (as depicted in the first figure). If the distance traveled by beam A is an odd integer multiple of the half wavelength of light in the film, the beams destructively interfere (as in the second figure). Thus, the film shown in these figures reflects more strongly at the wavelength of the light beam in the first figure, and less strongly at that of the beam in the second figure.


title: Thin-film interference

text: The type of interference that occurs when light is reflected from a thin film is dependent upon the wavelength and angle of the incident light, the thickness of the film, the refractive indices of the material on either side of the film, and the index of the film medium. Various possible film configurations and the related equations are explained in more detail in the examples below.


title: Thin-film interference

text: In the case of a soap bubble, light travels through air and strikes a soap film. The air has a refractive index of 1 (formula_10) and the film has an index that is larger than 1 (formula_11). The reflection that occurs at the upper boundary of the film (the air-film boundary) will introduce a 180° phase shift in the reflected wave because the refractive index of the air is less than the index of the film (formula_12). Light that is transmitted at the upper air-film interface will continue to the lower film-air interface where it can be reflected or transmitted. The reflection that occurs at this boundary will not change the phase of the reflected wave because formula_13. The condition for interference for a soap bubble is the following:


title: Thin-film interference

text: Where formula_16 is the film thickness, formula_17 is the refractive index of the film, formula_18 is the angle of incidence of the wave on the lower boundary, formula_19 is an integer, and formula_8 is the wavelength of light.


title: Thin-film interference

text: In the case of a thin oil film, a layer of oil sits on top of a layer of water. The oil may have an index of refraction near 1.5 and the water has an index of 1.33. As in the case of the soap bubble, the materials on either side of the oil film (air and water) both have refractive indices that are less than the index of the film. formula_21. There will be a phase shift upon reflection from the upper boundary because formula_22 but no shift upon reflection from the lower boundary because formula_23. The equations for interference will be the same.


title: Thin-film interference

text: An anti-reflection coating eliminates reflected light and maximizes transmitted light in an optical system. A film is designed such that reflected light produces destructive interference and transmitted light produces constructive interference for a given wavelength of light. In the simplest implementation of such a coating, the film is created so that its optical thickness formula_26 is a quarter-wavelength of the incident light and its refractive index is greater than the index of air and less than the index of glass.


title: Thin-film interference

text: A 180° phase shift will be induced upon reflection at both the top and bottom interfaces of the film because formula_29 and formula_30. The equations for interference of the reflected light are:


title: Thin-film interference

text: If the optical thickness formula_26 is equal to a quarter-wavelength of the incident light and if the light strikes the film at normal incidence formula_34, the reflected waves will be completely out of phase and will destructively interfere. Further reduction in reflection is possible by adding more layers, each designed to match a specific wavelength of light.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Structural coloration due to thin-film layers is common in the natural world. The wings of many insects act as thin films because of their minimal thickness. This is clearly visible in the wings of many flies and wasps. In butterflies, the thin-film optics are visible when the wing itself is not covered by pigmented wing scales, which is the case in the blue wing spots of the "Aglais io" butterfly. The glossy appearance of buttercup flowers is also due to a thin film as well as the shiny breast feathers of the bird of paradise.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Thin films are used commercially in anti-reflection coatings, mirrors, and optical filters. They can be engineered to control the amount of light reflected or transmitted at a surface for a given wavelength. A Fabry–Pérot etalon takes advantage of thin film interference to selectively choose which wavelengths of light are allowed to transmit through the device. These films are created through deposition processes in which material is added to a substrate in a controlled manner. Methods include chemical vapor deposition and various physical vapor deposition techniques.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Thin films are also found in nature. Many animals have a layer of tissue behind the retina, the Tapetum lucidum, that aids in light collecting. The effects of thin-film interference can also be seen in oil slicks and soap bubbles. The reflectance spectrum of a thin-film features distinct oscillations and the extrema of the spectrum can be used to calculate the thickness of the thin-film.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Ellipsometry is a technique that is often used to measure properties of thin films. In a typical ellipsometry experiment polarized light is reflected off a film surface and is measured by a detector. The complex reflectance ratio, formula_35, of the system is measured. A model analysis in then conducted in which this information is used to determine film layer thicknesses and refractive indices.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Dual polarisation interferometry is an emerging technique for measuring refractive index and thickness of molecular scale thin films and how these change when stimulated.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Iridescence caused by thin-film interference is a commonly observed phenomenon in nature, being found in a variety of plants and animals. One of the first known studies of this phenomenon was conducted by Robert Hooke in 1665. In "Micrographia", Hooke postulated that the iridescence in peacock feathers was caused by thin, alternating layers of plate and air. In 1704, Isaac Newton stated in his book, "Opticks", that the iridescence in a peacock feather was due to the fact that the transparent layers in the feather were so thin. In 1801, Thomas Young provided the first explanation of constructive and destructive interference. Young's contribution went largely unnoticed until the work of Augustin Fresnel, who helped to establish the wave theory of light in 1816. However, very little explanation could be made of the iridescence until the 1870s, when James Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz helped to explain the electromagnetic nature of light. After the invention of the Fabry–Perot interferometer, in 1899, the mechanisms of thin-film interference could be demonstrated on a larger scale.


title: Thin-film interference

text: In much of the early work, scientists tried to explain iridescence, in animals like peacocks and scarab beetles, as some form of surface color, such as a dye or pigment that might alter the light when reflected from different angles. In 1919, Lord Rayleigh proposed that the bright, changing colors were not caused by dyes or pigments, but by microscopic structures, which he termed "structural colors." In 1923, C. W. Mason noted that the barbules in the peacock feather were made from very thin layers. Some of these layers were colored while others were transparent. He noticed that pressing the barbule would shift the color toward the blue, while swelling it with a chemical would shift it toward the red. He also found that bleaching the pigments from the feathers did not remove the iridescence. This helped to dispel the surface color theory and reinforce the structural color theory.


title: Thin-film interference

text: In 1925, Ernest Merritt, in his paper "A Spectrophotometric Study of Certain Cases of Structural Color", first described the process of thin-film interference as an explanation for the iridescence. The first examination of iridescent feathers by an electron microscope occurred in 1939, revealing complex thin-film structures, while an examination of the morpho butterfly, in 1942, revealed an extremely tiny array of thin-film structures on the nanometer scale.


title: Thin-film interference

text: The first production of thin-film coatings occurred quite by accident. In 1817, Joseph Fraunhofer discovered that, by tarnishing glass with nitric acid, he could reduce the reflections on the surface. In 1819, after watching a layer of alcohol evaporate from a sheet of glass, Fraunhofer noted that colors appeared just before the liquid evaporated completely, deducing that any thin film of transparent material will produce colors.


title: Thin-film interference

text: Little advancement was made in thin-film coating technology until 1936, when John Strong began evaporating fluorite in order to make anti-reflection coatings on glass. During the 1930s, improvements in vacuum pumps made vacuum deposition methods, like sputtering, possible. In 1939, Walter H. Geffcken created the first interference filters using dielectric coatings.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Ambati Thirupathi Rayudu (born 23 September 1985) is an Indian cricketer who currently captains the Baroda cricket team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy championship. He played over 300 limited overs matches for the India national cricket team between 2013 and 2019 and is a right-handed middle-order batsman, who occasionally keeps wicket and bowls right-arm off breaks. He plays for Hyderabad in domestic cricket, and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Rayudu began his first-class career with Hyderabad in 2002 at the age of 16 and, by the following year, was playing for India A. He captained the India Under-19 team at the 2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and was expected to break into the senior team. Disputes with players and state association, followed by signing up with the "rebel" Indian Cricket League, led to him being ignored for national team selection. He returned to domestic cricket in 2009 by accepting BCCI's amnesty offer and terminating his ICL contract. After strong performances for Baroda in domestic cricket and Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he was named in the Indian squad for the first time in 2012. He eventually made his international debut in July 2013, in an ODI against Zimbabwe.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Rayudu was born on 23 September 1985 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. His father Sambasiva Rao worked at the archives department. Rayudu has said in an interview that his father was his inspiration to take up cricket and put him into a coaching camp when he was in third grade. Rayudu's father took him to the cricket academy of former Hyderabad cricketer Vijay Paul in 1992. Paul recalls, "Rayudu’s father used to ferry him around on his scooter to the cricket camps and various matches." According to Abdul Azeem, “Rao used to stand about 50 meters away and watch Rayudu practice day-in and day-out."


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Rayudu began his career playing for Hyderabad youth teams in the late-90s, playing at the Under-16 and Under-19 levels. He appeared for India Under-15s at the ACC Under-15 Trophy in 2000, finishing as the leading run-scorer of the tournament and winning man of the match in the final against Pakistan. Prolific run-scoring at age group levels saw him getting elevated to the senior team squad of Hyderabad. He made his first-class debut for Hyderabad in January 2002, at the age of 16, during the 2001–02 Ranji Trophy. Batting at 4, he scored 33 in that match, his only first-class appearance of the season. Later that year, he was made captain of India Under-17s and also made appearances for India Under-19s. On India Under-19 tour of England, his maiden Under-19 assignment, Rayudu batted as an opener and made a total of 291 runs from 3 innings and finished as the highest run-getter of the series which India swept 3–0. His best efforts of the series came in the third ODI in which he scored a 169-ball 177 to single-handedly take his team to the target of 304 from a precarious position of 137 for 6.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Rayudu appeared in all matches for Hyderabad in the 2002–03 Ranji Trophy and amassed a total of 698 runs at an average of 69.80 to finish third on the leading run-scorers list. During the tournament, playing only his third Ranji game, Rayudu scored 210 and 159 not out against Andhra in the same match and "pressed his claims for an India cap". He became the youngest player in the history of Ranji Trophy to score a double century and a century in the same match.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: In 2003, Rayudu played extensively for India A on its West Indies and England tours. He averaged 87 on the England tour following which experts opined that he is "sure to play for India in the near future". "ESPNcricinfo" wrote about the 17-year-old: "Touted as the next big hope for Indian middle-order batting, Rayudu has had the critics gushing about his scintillating strokeplay and his composure under pressure." However he had a disappointing stint with India Seniors at the Challenger Trophy in September 2003, where his perceived weakness against the short ball was exploited. He then failed to make an impression in the Emerging Players Tournament after which he played four matches in the following Ranji season with an average of over 54. He captained India Under-19s to the title at the Asia Under-19 tournament, with an unbeaten fifty in the final.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Rayudu captained the Indian team at the 2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh where India finished as semifinalists. He averaged 24.83 with the bat at the tournament and was banned for the semifinal against Pakistan for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in the previous match. He struck an unbeaten century for India A against Kenya at Nairobi later that year. He averaged just 11.93 from 7 matches in the 2004–05 Ranji Trophy, but struck 3 fifties in 4 matches in the Ranji One-Day Trophy.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Due to differences with the then Hyderabad coach Rajesh Yadav, Rayudu switched to Andhra for the 2005–06 season. He averaged 35 in the Ranji Trophy that season and made headlines when he was attacked by Hyderabad player Arjun Yadav with stumps after Yadav was dismissed during the Andhra-Hyderabad match. Rayudu returned to Hyderabad the following season after Vivek Jaisimha took over as the team's coach. Rayudu could play only three Ranji matches that season as he suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action. In one of the three matches he scored 62 and 110 not out, against Rajasthan. Upon returning from injury, he averaged 21 in the 2006–07 Ranji One-Day Trophy.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Midway through 2007, the "rebel" Indian Cricket League (ICL) was formed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which opposed the league, declared that players and officials affiliating with the ICL will be banned from Indian domestic cricket. In August 2007, it was reported that Rayudu and six other players from Hyderabad had already signed up for the ICL. In an interview in November 2007, Rayudu backed his decision to play in the ICL by remarking, "I didn't want to play ten years of domestic cricket and feel that I have not played any international-quality opposition." He added that it was a chance "to play against quality opposition for three years and it will also be telecast on TV. People will hopefully see me perform. And I want to perform for my own personal satisfaction." He played for Hyderabad Heroes and ICL India in the ICL from 2007 to 2008.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: In 2009, the BCCI granted amnesty to 79 Indian players in the ICL, including Rayudu, allowing them to come back to Indian domestic cricket. Rayudu returned to play for Hyderabad and said he wanted to "concentrate on domestic cricket and push for the IPL." Rayudu averaged 43 from 7 matches in the 2009–10 Ranji Trophy, and 50 from 5 matches in the 2009–10 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In early 2010, he was signed up by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2010 Indian Premier League.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: Before the 2010–11 season, Rayudu decided to play for Baroda after Hyderabad got relegated to the Plate Division of Ranji Trophy, with Hyderabad coach Venkatapathy Raju saying "it was done in bad taste". At the Ranji Trophy that season, Rayudu finished as Baroda's leading run-getter with 566 runs in 9 matches at an average of 56.60 including an unbeaten double hundred and three half-centuries, while the team finished runners-up. At the 2011–12 Ranji Trophy, he averaged 48.75 with two centuries. He was then recalled to the India A squad on its New Zealand tour and scored 105 and 26 not out against New Zealand A at Lincoln. He was also included in the 30 probables for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 but failed to make it to the final 15-man squad.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: In December 2012, the newly formed selection panel, chaired by Sandeep Patil who was also previously associated with the ICL, picked Rayudu as the replacement player for the injured Manoj Tiwary for the T20I series against England. However, Rayudu did not feature in the playing eleven in either of the two matches. In the 2012–13 Ranji Trophy season, Rayudu scored 666 runs at an average of 60.54 with a hundred and seven fifties. He played for Rest of India in the 2013 Irani Cup against Mumbai and scored 51 and 156*. He was the top-scorer in the 2012–13 Deodhar Trophy final where his innings of 78* helped West Zone chase down the target of 290 against North Zone.


title: Ambati Rayudu

text: During the West Indies tri-series in July 2013, Rayudu was named the replacement for Mahendra Singh Dhoni who was ruled out of the series due to an injury, but did not appear in any of the matches. Rayudu was then selected in a second string Indian squad for the tour of Zimbabwe later that month. He made his international debut in the first ODI of the series, on 24 July 2013, and was crucial in setting up an Indian win. He made 63* and in partnership with his captain, Virat Kohli, who made a century, helped India win. He became the 12th Indian batsman to score a half-century on ODI debut.