title: Hackney, London

text: Hackney is served by six stations, including by the London Overground at Hackney Central railway station, and it is named after the central area of Hackney, as well as Hackney Downs. Central was open by the North London Railway opened as "Hackney" on 26 September 1850, to the east of Mare Street. It closed on 1 December 1870 and was replaced the same day by a station to the west of Mare Street, designed by Edwin Henry Horne and also named "Hackney". This station passed in due course to the London & North Western Railway and later on to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, which closed the entire North London Line east of Dalston Junction to passenger traffic in 1944. Downs was opened on 27 May 1872 when the Great Eastern Railway opened the first part of its new line from Enfield Town to Stoke Newington.


title: Hackney, London

text: A pedestrian link between Hackney Downs and Hackney Central stations was opened in 2015 by London Overground Rail Operations. Until Hackney Central's closure in 1944, a passenger connection had linked the two stations. However, when Hackney Central re-opened in 1985, the footway was not reinstated and passengers transferring between the two stations were obliged to leave one and walk along the street to the other until the link was rebuilt.


title: Hackney, London

text: Hackney Wick opened on 12 May 1980 by British Rail on the re-routed line which bypassed the site of the former Victoria Park station as part of the CrossTown Link line.


title: Hackney, London

text: In 1872, London Fields railway station was opened by the Great Eastern Railway. It closed in 1981 due to a fire, repairs were eventually carried out and the station reopened in 1986.


title: Hackney, London

text: In February 2006, a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) report called Horizon 2020 was commissioned, which suggested that the DLR be extended to Hackney Central from Bow Church via Old Ford and Homerton, taking over the old parts of the North London Line to link up with Poplar and Canary Wharf.


title: Hackney, London

text: Hackney is served by a large number of London Buses routes, 26, 30, 38, 55, 56, 106, 149, 236, 242, 253, 254, 276, 277, 388, 394, 339, 425 and 488 as well as the D6, and W15. Hackney is also served by the London night bus network with routes N26, N38, N55 and N253 all running in the area. Route N277 also serves here when the 277 route was withdrawn between Dalston and Highbury Corner and the N277 was retained.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Mickey Avalon (born Yeshe Perl; December 3, 1975) is an American rapper from Hollywood, California. His debut self-titled solo album was released Nov. 7, 2006 on Interscope/Shoot to Kill Records in association with MySpace Records. Frequent topics of Avalon's songs are his experiences with substance abuse and prostitution.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Avalon was raised in a Jewish family and had a turbulent childhood. His paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors who were imprisoned at Auschwitz. Though his father cleaned up his act and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous, he was struck and severely injured by a drunk driver leaving a meeting. At age 19, Avalon made the decision to take his father off life support, ending his life. During his late teens, Avalon briefly adhered to Orthodox Judaism in an effort to stay off the streets. Avalon continued as a sex worker and drug dealer until finding success in the music industry. By his early 20s, Avalon married, had a daughter, and moved to Portland, Oregon. While battling drug addiction, Avalon moved in with his sister (also a drug addict) with the hope that they could aid each other in recovery. During this time, his sister relapsed and died from a heroin overdose. Deciding that he wanted more out of life, Avalon moved back to Los Angeles to make a final attempt to clean up his act. It was shortly after this return to Southern California that Avalon met Simon Rex and began to gain recognition for his music.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Avalon has two younger half-brothers (who are identical twins). He has helped them relocate to the Los Angeles area and enter the music industry.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Mickey Avalon was the main investor in a series of self-named apartment complexes in Camarillo, California and Sunnyvale, California.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: The majority of Avalon's work has themes of hard drug use, particularly in reference to his consumption of heroin and crack cocaine, an unusual style in hip hop, where the artist more commonly refers to the sale of such substances. Another popular theme in Avalon's music is his seduction, and sexual encounters with women. This is coupled with his overtly sexualized image, often performing with heavy eye makeup and no shirt.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Upon moving to Los Angeles, he was befriended by ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex who encouraged Avalon to rap and collaborated with him. The two began passing out demos to Hollywood clubs and soon developed a following among fans of the Santa Cruz nightclub scene.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Upon entering the rap scene in 2000, Avalon first adopted the stage name, "The Relevant" and made his first appearance on Met Fly (who would later be known as Andre Legacy)'s album entitled "Wiggin' Out". In 2004, Avalon first collaborated with Existereo of the Shape Shifters's on the song "No Class." He later collaborated with Existereo again on: "Couple o'Shitbags & The Fly's That Go With 'em" (2005), "Wrong Side" (2006), "I Love Who" (2007).


title: Mickey Avalon

text: In November 2006, Mickey Avalon released his self-titled debut solo album. Released through Interscope/Shoot to Kill Records in association with MySpace Records, the album spawned the singles "Jane Fonda" and "Mr. Right". In January 2007, Avalon contributed lyrics and vocals on Unwritten Law's "Shoulda Known Better." That same year, he was featured in a Boost Mobile rap commercial with fellow rappers Jermaine Dupri and Young Jeezy.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: In 2011, after years of back and forth wrangling with Interscope, Mickey was released from his recording contract. He is currently signed to Suburban Noize Records. On March 12, 2012 he digitally released a 4-track EP entitled "On the Ave". His second solo album, "Loaded" was released on April 24, 2012.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: On October 1, 2013, Mickey Avalon released a 5 track EP titled I Get Even Even, and then later released a music video for the track Hollywood (feat. Paul Oakenfold).


title: Mickey Avalon

text: Three years later on November 25, 2016, he announced that his third album, "Teardrops on My Tombstone" would be available on Valentine's Day 2017.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: After Mickey became close friends with Simon Rex, they formed a rap group called the Dyslexic Speedreaders. The group included Mickey Avalon, Simon "Dirt Nasty" Rex, Andre Legacy, and Beardo as the four members. Andre Legacy was Avalon's friend since elementary school and Beardo was Avalon's friend from their work together in the modelling industry. In 2004, the Dyslexic Speedreaders released their first album which was entitled "Catching Up To Wilt". In 2007, the Dyslexic Speedreaders collaborated with the Living Legends and Luckiam on the song, "Nevermind." In 2008, the Dyslexic Speedreaders released the Shoot To Kill Mixtape. In 2009, Mickey Avalon released "What Do You Say?" which was also part of "The Hangover" soundtrack and featured Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy. However, Avalon announced through his Myspace page that this would be the last song that the Dyslexic Speedreaders would release.


title: Mickey Avalon

text: After years of friendship and musical collaborations, the group disbanded after Mickey had a dispute with the other members over unpaid loans. On November 7, 2010, Avalon announced on theFIVE10 Radio that he was leaving his label and that his relationship with Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy had been strained due to money issues. He told JC of theFIVE10 Radio that Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy never paid him back for all the money he had put into developing them and that was the reason they were not talking. He stated that there was still room for reconciliation by saying, "No one slept with anyone's chick." Dirt Nasty is reported to have responded to Avalon's comment, stating "Well I know that Avalon didn't sleep with ANY chicks, because everyone knows that he prefers dick."


title: Mickey Avalon

text: During his July 31, 2011 interview on Stefanie's Rock Show, Avalon stated that he briefly reunited with the Dyslexic Speedreaders for an unplanned one time performance. He attended the Roxy with his daughter while Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy were scheduled to perform that night. During the course of the show, Avalon accepted an invitation to perform on stage with his former bandmates. He said he is open to the possibility of future reunions. In November 2015, Mickey Avalon and Dirt Nasty officially reconciled by releasing a 5-song collaborative EP entitled "Married to the Game".


title: Mickey Avalon

text: In March 2007, Avalon was booed off the stage while opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in Oklahoma City. The next day, Red Hot Chili Peppers lead guitarist John Frusciante wrote a letter to the band's fans in Oklahoma City, accusing them of booing Avalon for personal issues, and having a lack of "regard for humanity."


title: Pink tax

text: The pink tax refers to the tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed toward men. This phenomenon is often attributed to gender-based price discrimination, whose name stems from the observation that many of the affected products are pink.


title: Pink tax

text: A 2015 study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs on the cost of being a female consumer concluded that women's products are typically more expensive than men's without reasonable cause. It concluded that products marketed specifically toward women cost on average 7% more than products marketed toward men. This discrepancy applies to apparel, toys, and healthcare products, among other things. In the toy sector, girls' toys cost on average 7% more than boys' toys. The study showed a side-by-side comparison of a Radio Flyer scooter where the red scooter costs $24.99 and a pink scooter, identical in all ways but color, costs $49. In children's apparel, girls' clothes were 4% more expensive than boys'. Women’s clothing was 8% more expensive than men’s clothing. The largest discrepancy came to personal care/hygiene products, where women's products cost 13% more than men's.


title: Pink tax

text: Other countries where the pink tax has been investigated include Argentina, France, Germany, the UK, Australia, and Italy. In the UK, women and girls were being charged on average 37 per cent more for toys, cosmetics and clothes than their male counterparts. The UK also faces the Pink Tax in school uniforms. Girls' school uniforms are 12 percent more expensive than boys' uniforms. This goes for both primary and secondary school-age children that must face this problem. In Singapore, a check by The Sunday Times on ten companies found that women pay more for some products and services, like dry cleaning and razors, offered by about half of these companies. Additionally, women in Singapore have to pay more premiums for Careshield Life, a national long-term care insurance scheme introduced by the government. In recent times Argentina women pay 12 percent more than men for the same products. In 2021 the gap was at 11 percent and it has now gone up in 2022 since then.


title: Pink tax

text: There are many reasons why the pink tax exists, including tariffs, product discrimination, and product differentiation. There are many suggested causes of this discrepancy, including price elasticity and the belief that women are more prepared than men to pay higher prices for their purchases. Other reports suggest that marketing targets women to pay higher prices as ethical consumers. Certain types of clothing, footwear, and gloves made for women and men are taxed at different levels when first entering the United States. While some tariffs are higher for men's clothing, others are higher for women's.


title: Pink tax

text: According to The Washington Post article women are more likely to spend more money on improving their appearance, because not doing so is associated with the risk of losing revenue. Some studies showed that attractive people tend to earn higher salaries, receive higher grades in school, receive shorter prison sentences, and are more likely to be hired and promoted in the workplace. This factor is not relevant for men.


title: Pink tax

text: Some people argue that product differentiation can account for a portion of the difference between the prices of men's goods and women's goods. Products like the Radio Flyer scooter may cost more due to the cost of slightly changing the product. For example, a pink scooter may cost more than a red scooter because it is more expensive to paint a scooter pink than red, assuming such a large difference for this reason of production would be because the red scooters are the larger production, and pink scooters are in the minority. However, there has never been any evidence presented, for example, that pink paint costs more than red paint or blue paint, thereby creating cost differentials in color-coded items geared toward different genders. The Pink Tax also arises in services like haircuts or dry cleaning. Likewise, in dry cleaning, some people argue that men's clothing tends to be more uniform while women's clothing tends to have a lot of variabilities which can make it harder to clean. They also argue that pressing machines, normally made for men's clothing, are more difficult to use on women's clothes, which results in the dry-cleaners resorting to hand-pressing the clothing.


title: Pink tax

text: The reason those who campaign against the pink tax claim it to be so problematic is that higher prices for goods and services arise from gender alone, with no underlying economic justification such as higher costs of production in goods. Women's and men's razors are essentially the same, and distinguishing between them is simply a marketing strategy. Marketers have found that women are charged more for items and services than men, meaning that they generally have to pay higher prices for goods than men do. Other examples of marketers acting on price discrimination are student or senior discounts, allowing people who are more sensitive to price to pay less in order to gain their business. Airline ticket prices in advance compared to last-minute prices are another example. People who have a greater need to buy a product are often willing to pay much more, leading to price discrimination. Women are often subjected to this in the tampon and sanitary napkin market creating a marginalized group among women who are "period poor".


title: Pink tax

text: Criticism of the pink tax includes the principle that the idea robs women of agency and choice by suggesting that women are so easily brainwashed by marketing that they are prevented from choosing the lesser-priced but otherwise "identical" male-marketed alternative. Instead, critics have attributed the pricing disparity to market forces, and stated that if women continue to buy a more expensive pink razor, it is because they see some utility or additional aesthetic that they are willing to pay for. Substantive differences in price may indicate differences in the marketability of different products. Critics argue that although seemingly identical products and services may be differently priced, the emotional experiences and perceived value are different.


title: Pink tax

text: A more recent study pointed out methodological flaws in the influential 2015 study from the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs: "First, the products considered in the report account for less than 6% of category sales and were not selected at random. Second, while the sample was constructed by subjectively pairing men’s and women’s products, we find that most pairs in the sample differ in their ingredients." They argue that a systematic analysis of the evidence reveals when comparing products made by the same company with the same leading ingredients, men's products were more expensive in 3 out of 5 categories. "These findings do not support the existence of a systematic price premium for women’s products."


title: Pink tax

text: Activists and politicians argue that the economic impact of the pink tax is that women have less purchasing power, especially paired with the gender-based pay gap. Wage gaps and pension gaps already put women at a disadvantage when it comes to purchasing power. Women currently make a statistical average 89 cents for every $1 a man earns in the United States, meaning women statistically, on average, have less income to spend on goods and services. This alone gives men more money and, ultimately, more buying power. The pink tax further contributes to the economic inequality between men and women. It is also argued that paying more for goods and services marketed to women while women earn less than men means men hold the majority of the purchasing power in the economy. Taxes on feminine hygiene products that men don't need further contribute to this discrepancy.


title: Pink tax

text: Representative Jackie Speier was a member of the California State Senate from 1998-2006. In 2008, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's 14th Electoral District, and is still the incumbent. Speier, a Democrat, is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. She also speaks out for equal rights and LGBTQ rights, and involves herself in many related organizations.


title: Pink tax

text: On July 8, 2016, Speier introduced H.R. 5686, Pink Tax Repeal Act, to the House floor. The overall intention of the Pink Tax Repeal Act is to end gender-based price discrimination. She was the bill's primary sponsor. This was widely considered an early version of the bill.


title: Pink tax

text: On April 10, 2018, Speier introduced a revised version of the Pink Tax Repeal Act, H.R.5464. The 115th Congress (2017-2019) was expected to review the 2018 version. Skopos Labs, a technology company that predicts risks and opportunities, gave the bill a 1% chance of being enacted. The Pink Tax Repeal Act would mandate that any comparable products that are marketed toward men and women must be priced equally. Additionally, this bill was meant to target public policy as well as gendered marketing initiatives. A 2015 study done on U.S. tariff rates found that on average, even tariffs paid for women’s goods are higher than those for men. Even average imported clothing taxes for men were 11.9% compared to 15.1% for women. These discrepancies were also included in the bill. Although Speier said she did not expect the bill to pass, she tried to push forward the conversation about gender-based price discrimination.


title: Pink tax

text: The effects of increasing women representation are substantial. A 10% gain in seat share decreases the pink tax by approximately 0.44%.


title: Pink tax

text: In June 2021, Speier reintroduced the Pink Tax Repeal Act, a bipartisan bill that pursues to end gender discrimination in the pricing of goods and services.


title: Pink tax

text: While in the California State Assembly, Speier introduced Assembly Bill No. 1088, also known as the Gender Tax Repeal Act, in 1995. It was similar to the Pink Tax Repeal Act, except it focused on gender-based price discrimination in services. The bill stated that businesses such as tailors, barbers, hair stylists, dry cleaners and laundries would not be permitted to discriminate for "standard services" due to a person's gender or the gender the clothing is intended for, without a valid, prominently placed written justification. The bill passed in 2001 and remains in effect. The Equal Gender Pricing Bill was proposed in 2016 aimed at consumer goods, specifically prohibiting businesses from gender biased pricing. The main opposition argument was that a bill proposed on goods would lead to litigation, especially since the process of identifying gendered pricing remains ambiguous and subjective.


title: Pink tax

text: Democratic California State Sen. Ben Hueso of San Diego proposed a new version of the Gender Tax Repeal Act, SB-899, in 2016, but withdrew the bill after pushback from the California Retailers Association. It would have banned businesses in California from charging customers different prices for similar goods on the basis of gender.


title: Pink tax

text: Jennifer Boysko, a Democrat of the Virginia House of Delegates, in 2018 submitted HB 24, which would exempt menstrual supplies from sales and use taxes, in response to the Tampon Tax in Virginia.


title: Pink tax

text: In Scotland Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament Monica Lennon campaigned to end period poverty since 2016. She introduced a Bill for an Act of the Scottish Parliament, the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill to make provision for free period products for anyone who needs them in 2019.


title: Pink tax

text: An Early Day Motion directly citing the Pink tax was raised in the UK parliament by Scottish Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine in 2020 to highlight MPs concerns that women and girls pay more for basic products (including toiletries, clothes, and haircuts) than men do. Jardine proposed The Gender-Based Pricing (Prohibition) Bill . Jardine highlights that in the UK "women on average pay £200 more annually than men for the same every-day consumer goods and services" and that in some cases the only difference is the color of the item.


title: Pink tax

text: In the United States, there is no specialized tax on tampons or similar menstrual products. In states where sales taxes are collected, tampons and other menstrual products are taxed in much the same way as most other non-exempt items (such as toilet paper and toothpaste). There has been a recent push to carve out a special tax-exempt status for tampons and other menstrual products, and the tax on such items may be referred to as a type of pink tax called a ""tampon tax"". As of 2020, 30 states collect sales tax from tampons. Women leading the movement against the tampon tax are calling the tax a form of "regulatory discrimination", saying that menstruation is out of their control and that the government should not tax something that is imminent for approximately half the population. Similarly, this puts an even greater strain onto poverty-stricken households and results in a large percentage of women and young girls being unable to afford them. For instance, in a 2015 Scotland study, it was discovered that "45% of girls" had used "toilet paper, socks and newspaper to replace menstrual products" because they were unable to afford them.


title: Pink tax

text: Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom have voted on legislation to create special tax exemptions for tampons, but none have become laws, until January 2019, when Australia made the decision to remove their tax on feminine products.


title: Pink tax

text: Scotland made period products free for all in 2020 and established a legal duty on local authorities to ensure that free items such as tampons and sanitary pads are available to "anyone who needs them". The rest of the UK followed suit in 2021.


title: Pink tax

text: India has recently scrapped their tampon tax. Kenya has removed the tampon tax and is now providing menstrual products to school-aged girls. Colombia also abolished their tax on feminine hygiene products in November 2018 to help further push for gender equality. Germany's feminine products previously had a luxury tax, though at the start of 2020, they lowered the tax from 19% to the normal 7%.


title: Pink tax

text: In November 2019, the largest sales tax protest took place against the 33 US states still implementing the tampon tax.


title: Pink tax

text: Recent developments in technology, big data, and online consumerism research have found potential gender biased IT algorithms. A research study published in 2020 done at the University of Bamberg, Germany investigated gender specific differences in recommender systems in fashion. This study concluded that there were significant differences in price recommendations depending on which gender was being targeted, an online reflection of gender-based price discrimination. Overall, product recommendations for women generally show a 5% higher premium compared to male counterparts. Further research is being pursued on digital gender-based price discrimination.


title: Pink tax

text: In recent news coming from the United States, New York state made into law the first prohibition on the pink tax, which went into effect in September 2020. Followed by California which has also introduced similar legislation.


title: Pink tax

text: Opposition to the Pink Tax Repeal Act came from retailers and manufacturers of women's products and clothing. The main argument is that the Pink Tax Repeal Act would be difficult to enforce and lawsuits would follow. The difference between men's and women's products is not always easy to see, they argue, so removing the pink tax would be subjective. They also alleged that the bill was unfriendly to domestic manufacturing jobs and that lowering the prices for women's products could lead to employee layoffs.


title: Pink tax

text: Republican opposition for a recall of the tampon tax in Virginia argued that tax discrimination against products for women needed to be sorted out by changing the general tax code. They added that they supported the elimination of sales taxes overall.


title: Pink tax

text: As a charity campaign for the political organization EMILY's List (a political action committee which supports the election of Democratic women who are in favor of abortion rights), the satirical card game "Cards Against Humanity" parodied the pink tax with a "For Her" edition of its base set, which had pink packaging and was $5 more expensive.


title: Pink tax

text: The consumer goods giant, Procter & Gamble, planned to take over the women's razor startup company Billie that provides women razors at a comparable price to men. However, the Federal Trade commission filed a complaint against the acquisition, claiming that it eliminates market competition.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: The Tick is an American animated television series adaptation of the New England Comics satirical superhero the Tick. The series aired for three seasons from 1994 to 1996 on the Fox network's Fox Kids block, which introduced the character to a mainstream audience. "The Tick" has been syndicated by various networks, further increasing the show's cult following, and has been released on both VHS and DVD. A live-action series aired in 2001, with Amazon launching a second live-action series in 2016.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: "The Tick" was also shown on Teletoon in Canada as part of its "Toonaholics Anonymous" block in 2001 and on Jetix in the United States. The show was aired in the UK on BBC2 at various time slots between 1995 and 1996.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: Ownership of the series passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide. The series is not available on Disney+. In the United States, the series is currently available on Hulu.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: The Tick is a superhero who underwent the tryouts at the National Super Institute in Reno, Nevada where superheroes who pass will be assigned to the best cities to protect from crime. Upon passing the tryouts, he is assigned to The City where he befriends a former accountant named Arthur whom he takes on as a sidekick.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: With the aid of Die Fledermaus, American Maid, Sewer Urchin, and other superheroes, the Tick and Arthur protect The City from bad guys like Chairface Chippendale, Breadmaster, El Seed, the Terror, and others who would harm it.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: While still in college, Tick creator Ben Edlund was producing his independent comic book series "The Tick" based on the character. He was eventually approached by Kiscom, a small, New Jersey-based toy licensing and design company. Kiscom wanted to merchandise the Tick. Major TV networks and studios were reluctant to take on an animated series based on the absurd character. Kiscom stayed in touch with Edlund and finally Sunbow Entertainment, the small, New York-based animation company that created "The Transformers", "", and "", paired him up with writer Richard Liebmann-Smith. Neither had any experience in animation or television, but for two months they worked vigorously on the first episode of "The Tick". Neither man held high esteem for their final script, and their feelings were validated when FOX turned down the first pitch. They were given one more chance to refine it in five days. Over one weekend, they worked "instinctively" with little sleep and ended up satisfying FOX. Edlund later reflected, "We kind of defined in one weekend exactly where the show went for that first season, which was cool."


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: While some darker characters and sexual innuendo seen in the comic series would be removed for its animated counterpart, Sunbow's "Tick" series would hold to its satirical roots. Writing duties were also given to Christopher McCulloch who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the "Tick" comic book series. They would much later work together on McCulloch's Adult Swim series, "The Venture Bros.". Edlund, a co-producer of "The Tick", remained very hands-on during production, causing delays. According to Edlund:


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: "The Tick" finally premiered on September 10, 1994 and was a success. Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season. However, he admitted "That's essentially good as far as I'm concerned; although, I would be much more wealthy at this point. That failure, to me, makes "The Tick" a much more sincere proposal."


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: Rather than being an asylum escapee, as portrayed in the "Tick" comic book series, the animated version of the Tick crashes a superhero convention to win the "protectorship" of The City. With its emphasis on superhero parody, "The Tick" became a Saturday morning staple during the Fox Kids block. Its title character was voiced by Townsend Coleman and his sidekick, Arthur, by Micky Dolenz for Season 1. Rob Paulsen took over the latter role for Seasons 2 and 3. The series also features exclusive allies to the Tick like Die Fledermaus, a shallow, self-absorbed Batman parody; Sewer Urchin, a sea urchin-themed Aquaman parody who resembles Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man"; and American Maid, a more noble superheroine featuring aspects of Wonder Woman and Captain America.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: The show's opening theme, written by Doug Katsaros, who also composed the scores for every episode, consists of big band music and campy scat singing. A typical episode plot would have the Tick battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day. The Tick then declares an absurd moral regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was initially aimed primarily at children, it features an absurdist style that appeals to an older audience as well.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: After three seasons, "The Tick" final episode aired November 24, 1996. The following year, FOX began talks with Sunbow Entertainment about producing a prime time "Tick" special, but this never came to fruition. Comedy Central syndicated "The Tick" during this time and subsequently helped make it a cult hit with adults. In May 2000, the pilot episode for a live action series of "The Tick" was completed. FOX attempted to capitalize on the growing adult fan base by introducing this new incarnation in November 2001, but the series could not match the success of its animated predecessor.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: In June 2005, Toon Disney began airing "The Tick" along with other former FOX animated series like "". It would also occasionally air on ABC Family as part of the Jetix cartoon block.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: The first two episodes of "The Tick", as well as Season 3's "The Tick vs Arthur," were released on VHS in 1995 and 1998 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment though the Fox Kids Video label.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: On August 29, 2006, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season of "The Tick" on DVD as "The Tick vs. Season One". This collection contains only 12 of the 13 episodes. On May 31, 2006, Disney released the following statement regarding the missing episode: "Due to licensing problems, episode #11 ("The Tick vs. The Mole Men") is not included. However, we hope to include it in future DVD releases of "The Tick"". The UK edition of the first season, released the following year, presented all 13 episodes.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: The second season of "The Tick", titled "The Tick vs. Season Two", was released on August 7, 2007. This DVD release is not the complete set, however, as it is missing the episode "Alone Together." This episode features Omnipotus, a parody of Galactus (though earlier episodes used similar comic book parodies, and are available on the DVD releases). In the August 6, 2006 entry of his blog, Christopher McCulloch, the writer for all of the omitted episodes, states that he does not know the reason for the exclusion of episode #11 from the Season 1 DVD. The UK edition contains all 13 season 2 episodes.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: In the UK, Liberation Entertainment Ltd. released all three seasons, complete with no missing episodes and all presented uncut and unedited.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: During its original run, "The Tick" was nominated for several Annie Awards as well as Emmys and, in 1995, won two of the former. In March 2008, "Wizard" magazine ranked "The Tick" #16 on its Top 100 Greatest Cartoons. In January 2009, IGN ranked "The Tick" #6 on its Top 100 Animated Series list. IGN went on to regard it "the first great lampooning of the superhero genre" and compared the series to Mel Brooks and Monty Python. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Tick has an aggregate score of 100% based on 8 critic reviews.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: While the "Tick" comic book series included some extras, such as trading cards, merchandising of "The Tick" increased dramatically with the launch of the animated series. Action figures, pogs, T-shirts, hats, party favors, costumes, and a board game were representative. In addition, many fast food restaurant chains such as Carl's Jr. and Taco Bell offered "Tick"-related give-aways.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: Fox Interactive also published a beat 'em up Tick-based video game and released it on the Super NES and Sega Genesis. The game was criticized for having very long stages with large amounts of enemies and a nonsensical ending.


title: The Tick (1994 TV series)

text: In 1997, the year following the series' end, Greg Hyland's "The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice!" was published as a tie-in with the series.


title: ZiL

text: OJSC AMO ZiL, known fully as the Public Joint-Stock Company – Likhachov Plant () and more commonly called ZiL (, was a major Russian automobile, truck, military vehicle, and heavy equipment manufacturer that was based in Moscow, Russia.


title: ZiL

text: The last ZiL vehicle was assembled in 2012. The company continues to exist only as real-estate development site, on which a new urban district will be built by the LSR Group construction company.


title: ZiL

text: The factory was founded on 2 August 1916 as the Moscow Automotive Society or AMO (). The factory was completed in 1917, just before the Revolution, and was built south of Moscow near Moscow River in Tjufeleva grove. It was a modern building with the latest in American equipment and was designed to employ 6,000 workers. The plans were to produce Fiat F-15 1.5-ton trucks under license. Because of the October Revolution and the subsequent Russian Civil War, it took until 1 November 1924 to produce the first vehicle which was shown at a parade on 7 November, the AMO-F-15. Nevertheless, the factory still managed to assemble trucks bought from Italy in 1917–1919. On April 30, 1923 the factory was named after an Italian communist Pietro Ferrero, but in 1925 was renamed to First National Automobile Factory (Russian: 1-й Государственный автомобильный завод). 2 years later in 1927 Ivan Likhachov was appointed as a head of the factory, a person whose name the factory bears from 1956. In April 1929, it was agreed on to expand the plant to build Autocar 2.5-ton truck models.


title: ZiL

text: In 1929—1931, the factory was re-equipped and expanded with the help of the American A.J. Brandt Co., and changed its name to Automotive Factory No. 2 Zavod Imeni Stalina (ZIS or ZiS). After Nikita Khrushchev denounced the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin in 1956, the name was changed again to Zavod imeni Likhachyova, after its former director Ivan Alekseevich Likhachov.


title: ZiL

text: ZiL lanes—road lanes dedicated to vehicles carrying top Soviet officials—were named after the car. The ZiL limousines were the official car that carried the Soviet heads of state, and many Soviet Union allied leaders, to summits or in parades. The limousines were flown to international summits as, for example, in 1987 and 1990 to Washington, D.C. for President Mikhail Gorbachev's official state visits.


title: ZiL

text: ZiL had a history of exporting trucks to Cuba, a trade resumed in the early 21st century. The ZiL factory is portrayed in a 2014 documentary, "The Last Limousine".


title: ZiL

text: After the final ZiL limousine was built in 2012, the Moscow factory administration stopped truck production and the company was declared bankrupt in 2013. ZiL still exists as a legal entity, but produces no vehicles. In 2014 it was announced that the factory site will be turned into a residential development. Most factory buildings were dismantled in 2015.


title: ZiL

text: The factory's equipment and other automotive assets were auctioned off to a new company, "MSTs6 AMO ZIL". It employs 47 staff, mostly former ZiL workers. The company took part in the Moscow International Automobile Salon 2016.


title: ZiL

text: After the building of "MSTs6 AMO ZIL" was demolished in 2020, it was believed that the company ceased to exist. However, it was reported in 2021 that MSTs6 continued to operate. Its staff and equipment were moved to the Moscow Oblast.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: "Crazy" is a power ballad performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Desmond Child. It was the final single from their massively successful 1993 album "Get a Grip", released in May 1994. "Crazy" peaked at number 17 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, number three in Canada, and number one in Iceland for two weeks. In Finland and the United Kingdom, it was released as a double-A side with "Blind Man", reaching number eight in the former country and number 23 in the latter.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: The song is set in A major, and follows the time signature. It was written earlier, around the same time as "Angel," but the band felt it had to "spread out their ballads to retain their rock image."


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: The video for the song was directed by Marty Callner and received heavy rotation on MTV. It was one of the most requested videos of 1994. It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone in the band's videos, and was the career debut of Steven's then 16-year-old daughter, Liv Tyler. The decision to cast Liv in the video for "Crazy" was based on the video's creators having seen her in a Pantene commercial. "I understand why people might have a problem with "[the video's content]"," she remarked. "But I have no problem with it, and Steven has no problem with it. And if other people have a problem with it, it's their problem."


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: The film-like video depicts Silverstone and Tyler as schoolgirls who skip class and run away, driving off in a 1993 black Ford Mustang GT convertible in a manner similar to the 1991 film "Thelma & Louise". The two use their good looks to take advantage of a service station clerk and, needing money, enter an amateur pole-dancing competition. The video is edited to show the similarities in stage moves of Steven Tyler and daughter Liv. The girls win the dance competition, then spend the night in a motel. They continue their joyride the following day, where they encounter a young, sweaty and shirtless farmer (played by model Dean Kelly) aboard a tractor tilling land in the countryside. They persuade him to join them in their journey, where they all go skinny dipping in a lake. The girls take off with his clothes and leave him behind at the lake. Naked, he chases after them, and rejoins them in the convertible. The final seconds of the video show the word "Crazy" spelled out in cursive in the cropland by the still-running tractor as the farmer runs towards it and the girls drive off.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: Jason London makes a short cameo at the end in a tag scene, reprising his character from the "Amazing" video.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: A longer director's cut of the video appears on the compilation "Big Ones You Can Look At". This version features a few more provocative clips, and a longer, more risque version of the pole-dancing competition scene. It also removes the scene in which the girls abandon the farmer after skinny-dipping with him. Both versions of the video include an extra reprise of the chorus which is not included on the album and radio versions.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: The song earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1994. This was the band's second Grammy win for "Get a Grip" and third overall.


title: Crazy (Aerosmith song)

text: The song appeared on several compilations including "Big Ones", "A Little South of Sanity", "O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" and "". Despite bringing much success for the band in the mid-1990s, Aerosmith rarely performed it on tour until it was added to international shows on their 2007 World Tour due to overwhelming demand from fans. It was covered in "Glee" by Jacob Artist and Melissa Benoist, mashed up with Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy".


title: Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018 film)

text: Srinivasa Kalyanam () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language romantic family drama produced by Dil Raju on Sri Venkateswara Creations banner and directed by Satish Vegesna. The film stars Nithin, Raashi Khanna, and Nandita Swetha, with music composed by Mickey J. Meyer. The film released on 9 August 2018. The film was a huge commercial failure, with losses over 14Cr.


title: Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018 film)

text: Srinivas "Vasu" (Nithin) is a traditional guy who believes that marriage is the greatest festival in life and not just an event, but a beautiful moment. He lives away from his family. His cousin Padmavathi "Paddu" (Nandita Swetha) is in love with him and decides to propose to him on the day he arrives. Vasu works as an architect in Chandigarh and meets Sridevi "Sri" (Raashi Khanna), who does several petty jobs for a living. They both eventually fall in love with each other. After the marriage of their friend Priya, they both realize that they are meant for each other, and Vasu proposes to Sri. Sri is a rich girl who lives a normal life as suggested by her father, R. K. (Prakash Raj), to understand people before taking part in his business. R. K. believes that marriage is an event in one's life and is not worth wasting a lot of time. Vasu informs R. K. about his love and asks for his permission. Both families meet and agree on their marriage, much to Paddu's disappointment. However, R. K. asks Vasu to sign the premarital agreement before he marries Sri, which he does. He then asks R. K. to promise to be present in everything that has to be done by the bride's father. Vasu changes the views of R. K. about traditional marriages through his words and actions. On the wedding day, Sri's sister Kavya (Poonam Kaur) finds the agreement papers, while Paddu confesses her love to Vasu, who says that he always treated her as a friend, and even though he had not fell for Sri, he would never accept her love. On the altar, Vasu feels it wrong to keep the secret of the agreement and apologizes to his family until Kavya arrives with the agreement. Then, R. K. speaks about how Vasu changed him and tears the papers. Sri forgives Vasu, and both happily get married. In the end credits, it is told that many people's lives changed due to their wedding, including Kavya who reconciles with her husband Siddhu, from whom she wanted to divorce.


title: Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018 film)

text: The film was released on 9 August 2018. The film was dubbed and released in Hindi with the same name in 2019 and in Tamil as "Kalyana Vaibhogam".


title: Paul Arizin

text: Paul Joseph Arizin (April 9, 1928 – December 12, 2006), nicknamed "Pitchin' Paul", was an American basketball player who spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. He retired with the third highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history, and was named to the NBA's 25th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams. He was a high-scoring forward at Villanova University before being drafted by the Warriors of the fledgling NBA.


title: Paul Arizin

text: Born in Philadelphia to French immigrants, Arizin did not play basketball at La Salle College High School, failing to make the team in his only tryout as a senior. Arizin graduated just a year before another Basketball Hall of Famer, Tom Gola, entered La Salle College High School as a freshman.


title: Paul Arizin

text: During his freshman year at Villanova, Arizin played CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) basketball in Philadelphia. Late in that season, Al Severance, then the Villanova varsity basketball coach, attended one of Arizin's CYO games. Afterwards, Severance approached Arizin and asked him if he would like to go to Villanova, to which Arizin answered: "I already go to Villanova."


title: Paul Arizin

text: Arizin made the team in 1947, his sophomore year, and played for three years. In 1950 he was named the collegiate basketball player of the year after leading the nation with 25.3 points per game. During a game on , Arizin scored 85 points against the Naval Air Materials Center roster. Arizin also scored at least 100 points in a game while playing for Villanova, but the game is not recognized by the NCAA because the opponent was a junior college.


title: Paul Arizin

text: After being selected by the Warriors with their first pick in the 1950 NBA draft, Arizin averaged 17.2 points per game in his rookie season and was named NBA Rookie of the Year — a designation not currently sanctioned by the NBA for the 1950–51 season. He became one of the greatest NBA players of the 1950s, leading the league in scoring during the 1951–52 and 1956–57 seasons and leading in field goal percentage in 1951–52. Arizin sat out the 1952–53 and 1953–54 NBA seasons while serving in the Marines during the Korean War.


title: Paul Arizin

text: Arizin became famous for his line-drive jump shots, and teamed with center Neil Johnston to form the best offensive one-two punch in the NBA at the time, leading the Warriors to the 1956 NBA title. He also played with scoring star Joe Fulks early in his career, and with Philadelphia legends Tom Gola and Wilt Chamberlain toward the end of his career in the early 1960s. Arizin chose to retire from the NBA rather than move with the Warriors to San Francisco. At the time of his retirement, no player had retired from the game with a higher scoring average (21.9 points per game) in his final season. This record would stand until Bob Pettit's retirement in 1965 following a season in which he averaged 22.5 PPG.


title: Paul Arizin

text: Arizin played in a total of 10 NBA All-Star Games (he was the 1952 NBA All-Star Game MVP) and was named to the All-NBA First-Team in 1952, 1956, and 1957.


title: Paul Arizin

text: After retiring from the NBA, Arizin played for three seasons with the Camden Bullets of the Eastern Professional Basketball League, who won the 1964 title. Averaging over 20 points per game each season, he was named the EBL MVP in 1963, was named to the EBL All-Star First Team in 1963 and 1964 and to the EBL All-Star Second Team in 1965.


title: Paul Arizin

text: Arizin was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, and was selected to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. In October 2021, Arizin was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Arizin died in his sleep at age 78 on December 12, 2006, in Springfield, Pennsylvania.


title: Things to Come

text: Things to Come (also known in promotional material as H. G. Wells' Things to Come) is a 1936 British black-and-white science fiction film from United Artists, produced by Alexander Korda, directed by William Cameron Menzies, and written by H. G. Wells. The film stars Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott, Cedric Hardwicke, Maurice Braddell, Derrick De Marney, and Ann Todd.


title: Things to Come

text: H. G. Wells conceived his treatment as "a new story" meant to display the "social and political forces and possibilities" that he had outlined in his 1933 book "The Shape of Things to Come", a work he considered less a novel than a "discussion" in fictional form that presented itself as the notes of a 22nd-century diplomat. The film was also influenced by previous works, including his 1897 story "A Story of the Days to Come" and his 1931 work on society and economics, "The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind". The cultural historian Christopher Frayling called "Things to Come" "a landmark in cinematic design".


title: Things to Come

text: In 1940, businessman John Cabal, living in the city of Everytown in southern England, cannot enjoy Christmas Day as the news speaks of possible war. His guest, Harding, shares his worries, while another friend, the over-optimistic Pippa Passworthy, believes that it will not come to pass, and if it does, it will accelerate technological progress. An aerial bombing raid on the city that night results in general mobilisation and then global war with the unnamed enemy.


title: Things to Come

text: Months later, Cabal, now a Royal Air Force airman piloting a Hawker Fury, shoots down an enemy aircraft dropping poison gas on the British countryside. He lands and pulls the badly injured enemy pilot from the wreckage. As they dwell on the madness of war, they put on their gas masks, as the gas drifts in their direction. When a young girl runs towards them, the wounded pilot insists that she take his mask, choosing to accept death to save her life. Cabal takes the girl to his aeroplane, pausing to leave the doomed man a pistol. The pilot dwells on the irony that he may have gassed the child's family and yet he has sacrificed his own life in order to save her. A gunshot is heard.


title: Things to Come

text: The war continues into the 1960s, long enough for the people of the world to have forgotten why they are fighting. Humanity has entered a new dark age. Every city in the world in ruins, the economy has been devastated by hyperinflation, and there is little technology left apart from the weapons of war. By 1966, the enemy's armies and navies have been defeated, but their greatly depleted air force survives. A pestilence known as "wandering sickness" is inflicted by aerial bombing and causes its victims to walk around aimlessly in a zombie-like state before dying. Dr. Harding and his daughter struggle to find a cure, but with little equipment, it is hopeless. The plague kills half of humanity and extinguishes the last vestiges of government.


title: Things to Come

text: By 1970, the warlord Rudolf, known as the "Boss", has become the chieftain of what is left of Everytown and eradicated the pestilence by shooting the infected. He has started yet another war, this time against the "hill people" of the Floss Valley to obtain coal and shale to render into oil for his ragtag collection of prewar biplanes.


title: Things to Come

text: On May Day that year, a sleek new monoplane lands in Everytown, startling the inhabitants who have not seen a new aircraft in many years. The pilot, a now elderly John Cabal, emerges and proclaims that the last surviving band of engineers and mechanics known as "World Communications" have formed a civilisation called "Wings Over the World". They are based in Basra, Iraq and have outlawed war and are rebuilding civilisation throughout the Near East and the Mediterranean. Cabal considers the Boss and his band of warlords to be brigands, but offers them the opportunity to join them in rebuilding the world. The Boss immediately rejects the offer and takes Cabal prisoner, forcing him to work for his mechanic Gordon, who struggles to keep the Boss's obsolete biplanes airworthy. Gordon takes an Avro 504K up for a supposed test flight, but in reality it is a ploy to alert World Communications.


title: Things to Come

text: Gigantic flying wing aircraft arrive over Everytown and saturate its population with a "knockout gas" called "Gas of Peace". The Boss orders his meager air force to attack, but the aged biplanes inflict no damage. The people awaken shortly thereafter to find themselves under the control of Wings Over the World and the Boss dead from a fatal allergic reaction to the gas. Cabal observes, "Dead, and his old world dead with him ... and a new world beginning ... And now for the rule of the Airmen and a new life for mankind".


title: Things to Come

text: A long visual montage follows, showing decades of technological progress, beginning with Cabal explaining plans for global consolidation by Wings Over the World. By 2036, a stable mankind is now living in modern underground cities, including the new Everytown, and civilisation is at last devoted to peace and scientific progress.


title: Things to Come

text: All is not well, however. The sculptor Theotocopulos incites the populace to demand a "rest" from all the rush of progress, symbolised by the coming first crewed flight around the Moon. The modern-day Luddites are opposed by Oswald Cabal, the head of the governing council and grandson of John Cabal. Oswald Cabal's daughter Catherine and Maurice Passworthy insist on crewing the projectile. A large, flowing mob forms and rushes to destroy the immense space gun, used to propel the spaceship toward the Moon. Their action forces Cabal to launch it ahead of schedule.


title: Things to Come

text: Later, after the projectile is just a tiny light in the immense night sky, Oswald Cabal delivers a philosophical monologue about what is to come for mankind to his troubled and questioning friend, Raymond Passworthy, the father of Maurice. He speaks passionately for progress and humanity's unending quest for knowledge and advancement as it begins the journey out into immensity of space to conquer the stars and beyond. He concludes with the pointed rhetorical questions, "All the universe or nothingness? Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be? ..."


title: Things to Come

text: Theotocopulos's scenes were originally shot with Ernest Thesiger. Wells found his performance to be unsatisfactory, so he was replaced with Cedric Hardwicke and the footage reshot.


title: Things to Come

text: Terry-Thomas, who would become known for his comic acting, has an uncredited appearance as an extra in the film, playing a "man of the future." It was his seventh film appearance.


title: Things to Come

text: Margaretta Scott is credited with the dual role of Roxana Black and Rowena Cabal, but the latter character does not appear in the longest surviving cut of the film.


title: Things to Come

text: "Things to Come" sets out a future history from 1940 to 2036. In the screenplay, or "treatment" that Wells published in 1935, before the film was released, the story ends in "A.D. 2054".


title: Things to Come

text: Wells is sometimes incorrectly assumed to have had a degree of control over the project that was unprecedented for a screenwriter. Posters and the main title bill the film as "H. G. Wells' Things to Come", with "an Alexander Korda production" appearing in smaller type. In fact, Wells ultimately had no control over the finished product, with the result that many scenes, although shot, were either truncated or not included in the finished film. The rough-cut reputedly ran to 130 minutes; the version submitted to the British Board of Film Censors was 117m 13s; it was released as 108m 40s (later cut to 98m 06s) in the UK, and 96m 24s in the United States (see below for later versions). Wells's script (or "film treatment") and selected production notes were published in book form in 1935 and reprinted in 1940 and 1975. An academic edition annotated by Leon Stover was published in 2007. The script contains many scenes that were either never filmed or no longer exist, although the extant footage also includes scenes not in the published script (e.g. the Boss's victory banquet after the capture of the colliery).


title: Things to Come

text: Wells originally wanted the music to be recorded in advance, and have the film constructed around the music, but this would have impeded editing, and so the score, by Arthur Bliss, was fitted to the film afterwards in a more conventional way. A concert suite drawn from the film has remained popular; as of 2015, numerous recordings of it were still in print.


title: Things to Come

text: After filming had already begun, the Hungarian abstract artist and experimental filmmaker László Moholy-Nagy was commissioned to produce some of the effects sequences for the re-building of Everytown. Moholy-Nagy's approach was partly to treat it as an abstract light show, but only some 90 seconds of material was used, e.g. a protective-suited figure behind corrugated glass. In the autumn of 1975 a researcher found a further four sequences which had been discarded.


title: Things to Come

text: The art design in the film is by Vincent Korda, brother of the producer. The futuristic city of Everytown in the film is based on London: a facsimile of St Paul's Cathedral can be seen in the background.


title: Things to Come

text: "Things to Come" was voted the ninth best British film of 1936 by "Film Weekly"s readers. It was the 16th most popular film at the British box office in 1935–36. In 2005, it was nominated for the AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores, a list of the top 25 film scores unveiled by the American Film Institute.


title: Things to Come

text: Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 93%, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 7.46/10. The site's consensus read:, "Eerily prescient in its presentation of a dystopian future, "Things to Come"'s special effects may be somewhat dated, but its potent ideas haven't aged at all."


title: Things to Come

text: Writing for "The Spectator" in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a mixed review. Although he made it clear that "a third of the film is magnificent", he felt that the second third (as the world of tomorrow reverts to barbarism and anarchy) seemed implausible, and began to lose interest with the introduction of the "Great Conspiracy" (an international force of airmen bent on restoring Earth's former glory) in the last third of the film. The optimism and idealism comes off as naive for him.


title: Things to Come

text: Science fiction historian Gary Westfahl has stated, ""Things to Come" qualifies as the first true masterpiece of science fiction cinema, and those who complain about its awkward pace and uninvolving characters are not understanding Wells's message, which is that the lives and actions of individuals are unimportant when compared to the progress and destiny of the entire human race". He also considered that "the film's episodic structure and grand ambitions make it the greatest ancestor of Stanley Kubrick's """.


title: Things to Come

text: Indeed, during early development of what would become "2001", co-writer Arthur C. Clarke had Kubrick watch "Things to Come" as an example of a grounded science fiction film; Kubrick, however, disliked it. After seeing "2001", Frederik Pohl complained in a 1968 "Galaxy" editorial:


title: Things to Come

text: The rough cut of the film was 130 minutes in length, while the version submitted for classification by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) was 117m 13s. By the time of the 21 February 1936 UK premiere and initial release, this had been reduced to 108m 41s, while the American print premiered on 18 April 1936 was further cut to 96m 31s. By late 1936, a 98m 07s print was in circulation in the UK, and a 76m 07s print was resubmitted for classification by the BBFC and was passed – after further cuts – at 72m 13s for a reissue in 1943 by Exclusive Films, a film distribution company co-founded by William Hinds.


title: Things to Come

text: The 96m 31s American print was cut down to 93m 19s by the removal of three sections of footage for a reissue by British Lion Films in 1948, and subsequently to 92m 44s by the removal of one more segment. A continuity script exists for a version of approximately 106m 04s, which contains all the material in the 96m 31s and 92m 44s versions, plus a number of other sequences. It is not known if a version of this duration was actually in circulation at any time, or if it was simply an intermediate stage between the premiere and release versions.


title: Things to Come

text: For many years, the principal surviving version of the film was the 92m 44s print (in countries using PAL or SECAM video systems, it runs to 89m exactly). From at least the late-1970s until 2007, this was the only version "officially" available from the rights holders in the UK.


title: Things to Come

text: In the United States, although the 92m 44s version was most prevalent, a version was also in circulation that included the four pieces of footage that were in the 96m 31s print, but not the 92m 44s version, although due to other cuts, actually ran shorter than the latter.


title: Things to Come

text: A cut version of the 92m 44s print was digitally restored and colourised by Legend Films, under the supervision of Ray Harryhausen (who had no connection with the making of the film) and released on DVD in the United States in early 2007.


title: Things to Come

text: In May 2007, Network DVD in the UK released a digitally restored copy of the 96m 31s version, the longest version remaining of the film. The two-disc set also contains a "Virtual Extended Version" with most of the missing and unfilmed parts represented by production photographs and script extracts. In 2011 Network released an updated and expanded version of this edition on Blu-ray in HD.


title: Things to Come

text: The Criterion Collection released the 96m 31s print on DVD and Blu-ray in North America on 18 June 2013. This includes the unused Moholy-Nagy footage as an extra.


title: Things to Come

text: Although the film lapsed into the public domain in the US in 1964 due to non-renewal, copyright remained in force in the UK, the European Union, and elsewhere. In the UK, copyright for films as "dramatic works" subsists for seventy years after the end of the year of release, or the death of either the director, the writer (or author of original story), or the composer of original music, whichever is the latest. As the composer, Arthur Bliss, did not die until 1975, copyright will not expire until after 31 December 2045. The current copyright holder is ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., while the longest surviving original nitrate print is held by the BFI National Archive, a copy of the 96m 31s print donated by London Films to the newly formed National Film Library in March 1936.


title: Things to Come

text: The film came back into copyright in the US in 1996 under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), which, among other measures, amended US copyright law to reinstate copyright on films of non-US origin if they were still in copyright in their country of origin. The URAA was subsequently challenged in "Golan v. Gonzales", initially unsuccessfully, later with partial success, but the challenge was ultimately defeated in "Golan v. Holder" and a new principle established that international agreements could indeed restore copyright to works which had previously come into the public domain.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: Nine Muses (, often stylized as 9Muses) was a South Korean girl group formed by Star Empire Entertainment in 2010 with an admission and graduation concept. The group consists of total of fourteen former members: Jaekyung, Bini, Rana, Lee Sem, Sera, Eunji, Euaerin, Minha, Hyuna, Sungah, Gyeongree, Hyemi, Sojin, and Keumjo.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: Following an unsuccessful debut with the single "No Playboy," the group's line-up changed with the release of the comeback single, "Figaro", which reached the Top 100 Billboard Charts. Then the group's single, "News", and its EP, "Sweet Rendezvous", both earned a peak popularity position of six, and with additional new members the group came back with follow-up albums "Wild", "Dolls", "Prima Donna" and their digital single "Glue" which ranked at number four and nine.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: After a year-long hiatus in 2014, the group came back with a new line-up on its 2015 album "Drama" that January. Later releases included "9Muses S/S Edition" and "Lost". The group disbanded in February 2019 following the contract expirations of three former members, Sojin, Hyemi and Keumjo.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: On April 8, 2009, Star Empire Entertainment announced its plan to create a girl group called Nine Muses on the Mnet reality show, "Children of the Empire". According to Star Empire CEO Shin Ju-hak, the group's line-up would rotate and its members would be active in fields including singing, acting and modeling. Through the show, Rana, Sera, Eunji, Lee Sem, Euarin, Jaekyung, Bini, Minha and Hyemi were chosen to be members of Nine Muses. They released their first song "Give Me," a duet with Seo In-young for the soundtrack to "Prosector Princess", on April 7, 2010.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: Nine Muses officially debuted on August 12, 2010 with the single album "Let's Have a Party." Its lead single, "No Playboy", was written and produced by Rainstone and Park Jin-young. The album debuted at number 18 on the Gaon Album Chart, while "No Playboy" peaked at number 56 on the Gaon Digital Chart.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In October, Jaekyung left the group to concentrate on her modeling career and was replaced by Hyuna prior to promotions for the group's second single, "Ladies". In December, Nine Muses won a Top Ten Singers Award at the Korean Culture Entertainment Awards. Later that month, the group performed in Japan for the first time, alongside boyband , at the Seoul Train: Nine Muses & Friends concert in Tokyo.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In February 2011, Star Empire announced that members Bini and Rana had left the group to focus on acting and modeling while Euaerin had left the group to focus on her studies. However, Euaerin ultimately re-joined the group, which released the digital single "Figaro" as a seven-piece group on August 18, 2011.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: Following the addition of new member Gyeongree, the group released the single, "News," on January 11, 2012. The song was produced by Sweetune, who was also behind their "Figaro" single. On March 8, 2012, Nine Muses released their first extended play, "Sweet Rendezvous", with the lead single "Ticket". The extended play debuted at number 6 on the Gaon Album Chart. The group featured in a documentary called "9 Muses of Star Empire" released in 2012 that chronicling their debut period.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In January 2013, Star Empire announced the addition of new member Sungah, reporting that the group would soon be making a comeback with nine members for the first time since 2010. Nine Muses released their second single album, "Dolls", with a lead single of the same name, on January 24, 2013. The single, which marked the group's fourth collaboration with producer team Sweetune, was the group's highest charting single to date, peaking at number 17 on the Gaon Digital Chart. The group followed up on that success with the release of their second extended play, "Wild", including a title track of the same name, on May 9, 2013. The extended play debuted at number 4 on the Gaon Album Chart, while the single peaked at number 22 on the Gaon Digital Chart.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: On October 13, 2013, Nine Muses released their first studio album "Prima Donna" with lead single "Gun". The group released digital single "Glue" and its music video on December 4, 2013.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In January 2014, it was announced that Lee Sem and Eunji had left the group following the expiration of their contracts. The agency released a statement saying that they would continue with the remaining seven members, with possible new members added. In June, it was revealed that Sera's contract was not renewed and she would be leaving the group to focus on solo activities and establish her own agency. While the company said the group would release new music in August after the addition of a new member, it instead debuted the project group Nasty Nasty on September 3. The group, which released the single "Knock," was composed of Gyeongree, 's Kevin and singer Sojin.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In January 2015, Star Empire announced the addition of Nasty Nasty member Sojin and new member Keumjo to Nine Muses. On January 23, 2015, the now-eight-member group released their third extended play "Drama", including the lead single of the same name. The song peaked at number 13 on the Gaon Digital Chart.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: In July 2015, the group released their fourth mini-album "9Muses S/S Edition" with the title track "Hurt Locker". Nine Muses' fifth mini album "Lost" was released on November 24, 2015.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: The group held their first concert "Muse in the City" on February 19, 2016 at Wapop Hall in Seoul Children's Grand Park and also held two fan meets in China. On June 7, 2016, it was confirmed that Minha and Euaerin would be leaving the group at the end of the first week in June after they both decided not to renew their contracts with the company; the agency later confirmed that those former members would continue on to do solo activities. Minha later became an actress and Euaerin went back to modeling and other projects. Nine Muses later formed a four-member subgroup, Nine Muses A (an abbreviation for Nine Muses Amuse), which was composed of Gyeongree, Hyemi, Sojin, and Keumjo for a summer comeback. On October 4, 2016, it was revealed that Hyuna wouldn't renew her contract at the end of month and she'd be withdrawing the group after six years. Nine Muses remained as a four-member group due to Sungah taking hiatus to pursue her work as a disk jockey.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: The group released their sixth extended play "Muses Diary Part. 2: Identity" on June 19, 2017. It was the second release of the "Muses Diary" series from their debut album under Nine Muses A. It charted on Gaon Album Charts at number 5 and at number 15 on Billboard. The extended play contained six tracks, with the lead single being "Remember". Their comeback showcase was held at the YES24 Muv Hall on the same day as the album's release. Nine Muses held second concert "Re:Mine" on July 29, 2017 at the Bluesquare Samsung Card Hall located in Yongsan. On August 3, 2017, a repackaged version of "Muses Diary Part. 2: Identity", titled "Muses Diary Part. 3: Love City", was released. The reissue contained of four tracks from "Muses Diary Part. 2: Identity" and two new songs including the title track "Love City".


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: On February 10, 2019, it was announced that the group had disbanded nine years after debuting due to the expiration of Sojin, Keumjo and Hyemi’s contracts and two of the members graduating. Prior to their disbandment, the group concluded activities with the release of their final digital single titled "Remember" on February 14 and held a fan meeting with the same title on February 24.


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: Prior to their debut, Nine Muses were marketed as a group of "model dolls" in reference to the members' tall and slim physiques, and the fact that several members had previously worked as models. The label was used to describe the group throughout their career. Nine Muses was best known for their "sexy" image, and was especially popular among military servicemen in South Korea, earning the group the nickname "military president" ().


title: Nine Muses (group)

text: While the group experienced modest success, they failed to achieve top-tier popularity. South Korean media dubbed Nine Muses a "nadallen" () group, alongside peers Dal Shabet and Rainbow, for having "all of the conditions for success" but none of the luck of more popular groups.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: The Rule of Three (also Three-fold Law or Law of Return) is a religious tenet held by some Wiccans, Neo-Pagans and occultists. It states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times. Some subscribe to a variant of this law in which return is not necessarily threefold.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: According to occult author/researcher John Coughlin, the Law posits "a literal reward or punishment tied to one's actions, particularly when it comes to working magic". The law is not a universal article of faith among Wiccans, and "there are many Wiccans, experienced and new alike, who view the Law of Return as an over-elaboration on the Wiccan Rede." Some Wiccans believe that it is a modern innovation based on Christian morality.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: The Rule of Three has been compared by Karl Lembke to other ethics of reciprocity, such as the concept of karma in Dharmic religions and the Golden Rule.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: The Rule of Three has a possible prototype in a piece of Wiccan liturgy which first appeared in print in Gerald Gardner's 1949 novel "High Magic's Aid":


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: However, The Threefold Law as an actual "law", was an interpretation of Wiccan ideas and ritual, first publicised by noted witch Raymond Buckland, in his books on Wicca. Prior to this, Wiccan ideas of reciprocal ethics were far less defined and more often interpreted as a kind of general karma.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: Raymond Buckland made a reference to an ethical threefold law in a 1968 article for "Beyond" magazine. The Rule of Three later features within a poem of 26 couplets titled "Rede of the Wiccae", published by Lady Gwen Thompson in 1975 in "Green Egg" vol. 8, no. 69 and attributed to her grandmother Adriana Porter. The threefold rule is referenced often by the Wiccans of the Clan Mackenzie in the S.M. Stirling Emberverse novels.


title: Rule of Three (Wicca)

text: This rule was described by the Dutch metal band Nemesea, in the song "Threefold Law", from the album "Mana".


title: Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)

text: "Dirty Laundry" is a song written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar, from Henley's debut solo album "I Can't Stand Still", released in 1982. The song hit number 1 on the "Billboard" Top Album Tracks chart in October 1982, prior to being issued as a 45 rpm single. Lyrically, the song describes mass media sensationalism.


title: Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)

text: Released as the second single from "I Can't Stand Still", it spent three weeks at number 3 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in early 1983. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in March 1983, representing sales of a million copies in the United States.


title: Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)

text: The song is about the callousness of TV news reporting as well as the tabloidization of all news. Henley sings from the standpoint of a news anchorman who "could have been an actor, but I wound up here". The song's theme is that TV news coverage focuses too much on negative and sensationalist news; in particular, deaths, disasters, and scandals, with little regard to the consequences or for what is important ("We all know that crap is king"). The song was inspired by the intrusive press coverage surrounding the deaths of John Belushi and Natalie Wood, and Henley's own arrest in 1980 when he was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of marijuana, cocaine, and Quaaludes after paramedics treated a 16-year-old female who was suffering from drug intoxication at his Los Angeles home.


title: Dirty Laundry (Don Henley song)

text: Among the musicians on the record were Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh, two of Henley's bandmates of the Eagles. Walsh performs the first guitar solo, followed by Steve Lukather of the band Toto; the guitar basic tracks are played by Danny Kortchmar who also helped Henley compose this song. The sleeve notes also mention musicians George Gruel, Roger Linn and Steve Porcaro.


title: Britannicus

text: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus (12 February AD 41 – 11 February AD 55), usually called Britannicus, was the son of Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. For a time he was considered his father's heir, but that changed after his mother's downfall in 48, when it was revealed she had engaged in a bigamous marriage without Claudius' knowledge. The next year, his father married Agrippina the Younger, Claudius' fourth and final marriage. Their marriage was followed by the adoption of Agrippina's son, Lucius Domitius, whose name became Nero as a result. His step-brother would later be married to Britannicus' sister Octavia, and soon eclipsed him as Claudius' heir. Following his father's death in October 54, Nero became emperor. The sudden death of Britannicus shortly before his fourteenth birthday is reported by all extant sources as being the result of poisoning on Nero's orders – as Claudius' biological son, he represented a threat to Nero's claim to the throne.


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus' name at birth was Tiberius Claudius Germanicus. The "agnomen", his first surname Germanicus, was first awarded to his paternal grandfather Drusus the Elder after his death in 9 BC to commemorate his victories over the Germanic tribes. Accordingly, Drusus' sons (Claudius and Germanicus) inherited the name and passed it to their sons as well. Britannicus was given to his father in AD 43 following his conquest of Britain. Claudius never used it himself and gave the name to his son instead, and his full name became: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus. He came to be known by his new name which seems to have replaced "Germanicus" altogether.


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus was born on or about 12 February 41 in Rome, to Emperor Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. As such, he was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, specifically of the "gens Claudia". Britannicus' father had been reigning for less than a month, and his position was boosted greatly by the birth of an heir. To mark the birth, the emperor issued sestertii with the obverse "Spes Augusta" – the hope of the imperial family.


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus had four siblings: a half-brother, Claudius Drusus, by Claudius' first wife (Plautia Urgulanilla) who died at the age of 3 or 4; a half-sister, Antonia, by Claudius' second wife (Aelia Paetina); a sister by the same mother named Octavia; and an adoptive brother, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (the future emperor Nero), who was adopted in AD 49 and renamed Nero Claudius Caesar as a result.


title: Britannicus

text: Two years later, in 43, Claudius was granted the honorific "Britannicus" by the senate as a reward for his conquest of Britain. The emperor never used the name himself, but allowed his son to inherit it. This is the name by which the boy became known to posterity. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, a Roman historian writing from the late first century, says that Claudius adored Britannicus, carrying him around at public events, and "would wish him happy auspices, joined by the applauding throng."


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus was tutored by Sosibius, who was a close associate of Publius Suillius Rufus and a friend of his mother. He was educated alongside Titus Vespasianus, the future emperor of Rome. They were brought up together and taught similar subjects by the same tutors.


title: Britannicus

text: In 47, Sosibius gave Claudius a reminder of the power and wealth which threatened the Emperor's throne. His tutor then, as part of his mother's contrivances, told the emperor of Decimus Valerius Asiaticus's involvement in the murder of Caligula and of his growing popularity in Rome. Sosibius went on, saying Asiaticus meant to rally Roman legions in Germany against the throne. Asiaticus was apprehended immediately, and brought to Rome in chains. Sullius successfully pursued charges against other equestrians in the Senate. According to Cassius Dio, Asiaticus was put to death as a favor to Messalina for his property (the Gardens of Lucullus).


title: Britannicus

text: It was later voted by the Senate that Sosibius be given a million sesterces for giving Britannicus the benefit of his teachings and Claudius that of his counsel (i.e. for his involvement in the case against Asiaticus).


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus took part in the celebrations of Rome's 800th anniversary (in the year 48). It was the sixth ever "Ludi Saeculares" ("Secular Games") and sixty-four years since the last one held in the summer of 17 BC by Augustus. Britannicus' father was there, as was Lucius Domitius and his mother Agrippina, the last two surviving descendants of Germanicus. Claudius watched the young nobility, including Britannicus and Domitius, enact the Battle of Troy in the circus. Tacitus says Domitius was greeted with more enthusiasm than Britannicus.


title: Britannicus

text: The games were seen as the introduction of Agrippina and Domitius to public life, and Britannicus' mother Messalina must have been aware of this and envious of Agrippina. Tacitus writes that Messalina was too busy engaging in an "insane" affair to plot the destruction of Agrippina. He says:


title: Britannicus

text: The affair continued into the next year. It was then that the affair between Messalina and Silius took a new turn. Silius, who had no children of his own, proposed to marry Messalina on condition that she allow him to adopt Britannicus. The plan was to overthrow Claudius and rule together as regents of Britannicus. She acquiesced and waited for Claudius to leave Rome before performing the sacrifice and entering the bigamous marriage. The illegal union was made known to Claudius by Callistus and Narcissus, freedmen in his service. Claudius had Messalina, Silius, and others who knew of the affair put to death. Messalina was given a knife to kill herself with, though a tribune of the Praetorian Guard had to force it through her neck. Images and statues of Silius and his associates were ordered to be destroyed.


title: Britannicus

text: The fall of Silius and Messalina opened the way for Agrippina the Younger to become his father's fourth wife. His father claimed to be uninterested in another marriage, but it was not long until he remarried. Unlike his uncle Germanicus, his father had never been adopted into the "Julii". Claudius thought marrying his niece would bring his family closer to that of Augustus, as Agrippina and Domitius were the last living descendants of Germanicus. So, in 49, despite a marriage between uncle and niece being incestuous under Roman law, his father remarried. Agrippina guided Claudius even more easily than Messalina, and as a daughter of Germanicus and a descendant of Augustus, she became very popular among soldiers and the people. In short, Agrippina's rise to power was due to the emperor's obedience to her and her excellent bloodline and strong political connections.


title: Britannicus

text: Thanks to a strong mother like Agrippina, an ambitious, experienced and charismatic woman, who was powerful and eloquent at court, the rise of Nero was both fast and unstoppable. In 49, during the term of consul-elect Mammius Pollio (March–June), Domitius was betrothed to his sister Octavia and thus became his equal in rank. Tacitus suggests this move had the support of those who feared the vengeance of Britannicus against those who wronged his mother.


title: Britannicus

text: Through the insistence of Pallas, his father was convinced to adopt Domitius as his son. Claudius was convinced to do as Augustus had done in adopting Gaius and Lucius Caesar, and as Tiberius had done in adopting Germanicus despite having a son already. It was in February 50 that his father passed a law adopting Domitius into the "Claudii" and naming him Nero, and Domitius became "Nero Claudius Caesar". Nero and Britannicus then became joint-heirs to the emperor, and Agrippina was then given the honorable and high-ranking title of "Augusta".


title: Britannicus

text: In AD 51, his brother Nero assumed the "toga virilis" despite not yet being 14. The Senate also decided then that Nero should hold the consulship during his twentieth year (AD 56) and, as consul-elect, that he should enjoy "imperium proconsulare" ("proconsular authority") beyond the limits of Rome with the title of "princeps iuventutis" ("prince of the youth of Rome"). The progress of Nero seems to have followed in the footsteps of Gaius and Lucius Caesar. To mark the occasion, a donative was given to the soldiery of Rome, and presents to the people. His step-brother's status, along with that of Agrippina, is echoed on contemporary coinage.


title: Britannicus

text: By contrast, Britannicus was progressively isolated. At the games of the circus Nero appeared in triumphal robes while Britannicus was still dressed as a boy. Tacitus says their clothing at the games affected the expectations of the people: with Nero in a general's clothing, and Britannicus in the dress of boyhood. He was not due for the toga until 12 February AD 55. He and his supporters were seen as a potential problem for Nero. Agrippina replaced his tutors with her own nominees, having convinced Claudius to order their executions, including the execution of Sosibius. Not just his tutors, but the two prefects of the Praetorian Guard, Lusius Geta and Rufius Crispinus, were replaced as well. They were thought to be sympathetic to the cause of Britannicus and his mother, as Tacitus reports: it would have been risky to surround Nero with any but those loyal to Claudius and Agrippina. His step-mother had them replaced with Sextus Afranius Burrus who was a good soldier, but knew to whom he owed his allegiance.


title: Britannicus

text: Nero's career progressed steadily: he gave speeches in AD 51 and 52. The speech in 51 thanked the emperor for honours given to him, and that of 52 was a vow for the safe recovery of the emperor from illness. It was in 53 that Nero married Britannicus' sister Octavia, who first had to be legally transferred to another family to obviate charges of incest. By this time it became clear that Nero was the unambiguous designate. His step-brother became more politically active following his marriage to Octavia: he exempted the people of Ilium from all public burdens arguing that Rome was descended from Troy through Aeneas (the founder of the Julian line), procured funds for the colony of Bononia (modern Bologna, Italy) which had been devastated by fire, and the people of Rhodes had their freedom restored.


title: Britannicus

text: Meanwhile, Britannicus himself was kept in reserve in case Nero died, with deaths of princes being recent (such as Tiberius Gemellus). Though Nero was clearly the heir-designate, he was not named "princeps designate" to avoid hurting both Republican sentiment and the Augustan compromise of a principate that lay between monarchy and magistracy.


title: Britannicus

text: Suetonius reports that Claudius wished Rome to have a "real Caesar", and Britannicus enjoyed support from Claudius' loyal and influential freedman, Narcissus. There are possible signs of support for Britannicus seen on coins from Moesia and North Africa, placing Britannicus' head and title on the obverse side. Claudius became aware of his wife's actions and began preparing for the end of her power. His father wished to bestow upon him the toga, and to declare Britannicus as his heir. According to Suetonius, when Claudius mentioned his intention to give Britannicus the toga of manhood he said, "That the Roman people may at last have a genuine Caesar."


title: Britannicus

text: The actions Claudius took to preserve his rule in the short-term were not easily undone as Britannicus approached manhood. In late 54, Britannicus was within 6 months of reaching manhood by Roman tradition, and had matured early. According to the historian Suetonius, Claudius began to mention divorcing Agrippina and dismissing Nero now that he was no longer needed. Despite his many conflicts with Agrippina and demanding her ouster, Agrippina was still administering the empire as the very powerful and influential daughter of Germanicus and Roman Empress. Claudius commended both his son and adopted son to the Senate as equals in his last Senate address. Suetonius reports that Claudius now admonished his son to grow up quickly, implying that everything would be righted when he assumed the toga virilis.


title: Britannicus

text: On 13 October 54, Claudius died, either by natural causes or poison. In the accounts of his death by poison, Agrippina, aware of Claudius' intentions of placing Britannicus on the throne, had a well-known poisoner, Locusta, infuse mushrooms with poison that were fed to the emperor.


title: Britannicus

text: There were those who preferred Britannicus over Nero, such as Claudius' freedman Narcissus. Unfortunately for his cause, Narcissus was away in Campania when the emperor was poisoned, while Britannicus and his sisters, Octavia and Antonia, were kept out of sight in their rooms by Agrippina. Consequently, none could challenge Nero's succession. If one thought that Britannicus' claim should take precedence, the response was that Nero too was the son of Claudius, with Agrippina linking him back to Augustus. It didn't help that many were convinced that Britannicus was no longer in the line of succession, a direct effect of the propaganda against him by Agrippina. Nero spoke the eulogy at the emperor's funeral and took sole power. Claudius' new will, which either granted joint-rule to Britannicus and Nero or just Britannicus, was suppressed by the new emperor's men in the senate.


title: Britannicus

text: Immediately following the death of Claudius, Agrippina set upon removing those she had seen as a threat. Marcus Junius Silanus, proconsul of Asia whose brother Lucius had been eliminated by her as well, was poisoned for no other reason than that he had been the great-great-grandson of Augustus. Claudius' freedman Narcissus, Britannicus' champion according to Tacitus, had been driven to suicide after a harsh imprisonment. In Tacitus XIII, this was carried out by Agrippina against the wishes of Nero.


title: Britannicus

text: Before Nero's consulship in 55, Nero forbade the persecution of a Julius Densus, an equestrian whose partiality for Britannicus had been construed as a crime.


title: Britannicus

text: During his consulship, Nero had become more independent from his mother's influence. He began a relationship with a slave girl, and removed Pallas, a favorite of Agrippina, from his post as secretary of the treasury. In response, Agrippina threatened to champion the cause of Britannicus to keep her son in line. In the account of Tacitus, Agrippina says to Nero:


title: Britannicus

text: Tacitus recounts Nero's numerous attempts to publicly undermine Britannicus' image. In one such attempt, during the feast of Saturn (the Saturnalia), he and Nero were playing a game among a group of their friends, and Nero chose Britannicus to sing a song with the expectation that Britannicus would embarrass himself. Britannicus however, not only avoided humiliation, but also generated sympathy amongst the guests, after singing a poem telling the tale of how he had been cast aside in favour of Nero. The young emperor immediately began plotting his step-brother's assassination.


title: Britannicus

text: According to Suetonius, Nero moved against Britannicus, employing the same poisoner, Locusta, who had been hired to murder his father, Claudius. The first dose failed, and Nero decided to throw caution to the wind. In the account of Suetonius, he had Locusta brought to his room to mix a faster acting poison before his very eyes. After many tests on kids, there was a mixture that killed an animal instantly. Being pleased, Nero had the concoction brought immediately to the dining room.


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus was poisoned at a dinner party attended by his sister, Octavia, Agrippina, and several other notables. Tacitus' account of the event is as follows: Britannicus was given a hot drink, which was tested by a food taster, and when he asked for it to be cooled, the poison was added to it with the cold water. The substance was instantly effective, and he "lost alike both voice and breath." Nero claimed to those present that Britannicus was merely experiencing an epileptic seizure, and that he had been affected by the condition since childhood. He died sometime between December 54 and 11 February 55, the day before his 14th birthday when he was to assume manhood, just four months after his father's death. For her service, the emperor had Locusta rewarded with large estates, and even sent her pupils.


title: Britannicus

text: Britannicus was cremated and his ashes placed with those of his father in the Mausoleum of Augustus. Nero held his funeral the very next day in the rain and gave no eulogy, saying it was "a tradition in the case of untimely deaths not to oppress the public with eulogies and processions." Dio says that Nero had the corpse covered in gypsum to cover the effects of the poison on the skin. While he was being carried through the Forum, the rain had uncovered the body making plain to all who could see that he had been poisoned. Author and historian Beacham considers Dio's account to be "theatrical".


title: Britannicus

text: Given his and Nero's relationship, it was not surprising when Britannicus died just before his fourteenth birthday. Britannicus criticized Nero's singing voice, and referred to his adoptive brother by his original name of Lucius Domitius. In favoring Nero, Claudius sealed the fate of his son, and perhaps his own. Ominously for Agrippina, Seneca and Burrus did not complain: either they had been bought off, or regarded Britannicus' death as inevitable given his relationship with Nero. Instead, they concentrated on growing their influence with Nero.


title: Britannicus

text: According to Suetonius, Britannicus was good friends with the future Emperor Titus, whose father Vespasian had commanded legions in Britain. As part of the Flavians' attempts to link themselves with the Julio-Claudians, Titus claimed that he had been seated with Britannicus on the night he was killed. He even claimed to have tasted the poison, which resulted in a serious and long illness. Titus would go on to erect a gold statue of his childhood friend, and issue coins in his memory.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: In anatomy, the atlas (C1) is the most superior (first) cervical vertebra of the spine and is located in the neck. It is named for Atlas of Greek mythology because, just as Atlas supported the globe, it supports the entire head.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The atlas is the topmost vertebra and, with the axis (the vertebra below it), forms the joint connecting the skull and spine. The atlas and axis are specialized to allow a greater range of motion than normal vertebrae. They are responsible for the nodding and rotation movements of the head.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The atlanto-occipital joint allows the head to nod up and down on the vertebral column. The dens acts as a pivot that allows the atlas and attached head to rotate on the axis, side to side.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The atlas's chief peculiarity is that it has no body. It is ring-like and consists of an anterior and a posterior arch and two lateral masses.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The anterior arch forms about one-fifth of the ring: its anterior surface is convex, and presents at its center the anterior tubercle for the attachment of the "Longus colli" muscles and the anterior longitudinal ligament; posteriorly it is concave, and marked by a smooth, oval or circular facet ("fovea dentis"), for articulation with the odontoid process (dens) of the axis.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The upper and lower borders respectively give attachment to the anterior atlantooccipital membrane and the anterior atlantoaxial ligament; the former connects it with the occipital bone above, and the latter with the axis below.


title: Atlas (anatomy)

text: The posterior arch forms about two-fifths of the circumference of the ring: it ends behind in the posterior tubercle, which is the rudiment of a spinous process and gives origin to the "Recti capitis posteriores minores" and the ligamentum nuchae. The diminutive size of this process prevents any interference with the movements between the atlas and the skull.