title: Anton Fig

text: Fig was the drummer for the Paul Shaffer-led house band of David Letterman's late night television shows since 1986, when he debuted with "The World's Most Dangerous Band" on NBC's "Late Night with David Letterman". When Letterman's show moved to CBS in 1993 and became "Late Show with David Letterman", the band (and Fig) moved as well, adding a horn section and becoming known as the "CBS Orchestra".


title: Anton Fig

text: During this tenure, Fig and the rest of the band have played with scores of artists including Miles Davis, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, and Tony Bennett. Fig also played parts in several of the show's comic sketches, including the recurring gag, "Anton Fig's Guess The Expiration Date", in which Fig would be blindfolded and fed a perishable food product and attempt to guess the expiration date on the item solely from tasting it. The CBS Orchestra has also backed up a host of artists in other venues, such as Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Little Richard, and also B. B. King at the closing ceremonies of the summer 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. They also backed Al Green, Gloria Estefan, 'N Sync, and Eric Clapton for VH1's Save the Music concert at the White House.


title: Anton Fig

text: The World's Most Dangerous Band is also the house band for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, they were the backup band for The Concert for New York City where they performed with David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy, Macy Gray, and James Taylor.


title: Anton Fig

text: On occasions when Paul Shaffer has been absent from "The Late Show" or has guest-hosted, especially since the death of previous substitute bandleader Warren Zevon in 2003, Fig has filled in as bandleader.


title: Anton Fig

text: Some of the many recordings Fig has made include selections with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Gary Moore, Shanghai, Ace Frehley, Joan Armatrading, Rosanne Cash, Joe Cocker, John Phillips, Warren Zevon, Sebastian Bach, Oz Noy, Jed Davis, Joe Satriani, Paul Butterfield, Link Wray and Chris Spedding. He replaced Peter Criss on the Kiss albums "Dynasty" (1979) and "Unmasked" (1980), playing drums on all tracks for both albums (except Criss' song from "Dynasty", "Dirty Livin'"). Due to Kiss' management attempting to cover up any personnel problems within the band, Fig would not be credited until years later, and Criss appears in the video for "Shandi" off the "Unmasked" album.


title: Anton Fig

text: As a freelance drummer, Fig has also played live with Paul Simon, Booker T and the MG's, The Thompson Twins at Live Aid, and Jim Keltner for Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert celebration. In 1996, Fig released a drum instructional video and book titled "In the Groove" and "Late Night Drumming," respectively.


title: Anton Fig

text: In 2002, Fig completed his first solo record, "Figments". Produced and co-written by Fig, the record represents three years of work and includes - among others singers and musicians - Richie Havens, Brian Wilson, Ivan Neville, Sebastian Bach, Ace Frehley, Al Kooper, Chris Spedding, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Blondie Chaplin, Paul Shaffer, Chris Botti, Randy Brecker, and Richard Bona. In 2006, Fig worked with Blackmore's Night on "The Village Lanterne". In 2007, Fig worked with Joe Bonamassa on his "Sloe Gin" album, in 2009 on his "Ballad of John Henry" album, and in 2014 on "Different Shades of Blue". On 4 May 2009, Anton joined Joe Bonamassa's band for their debut appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where Eric Clapton made a guest appearance. A DVD capturing this performance was subsequently released. Fig was featured on Ace Frehley's album "Anomaly", released on 15 September 2009.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Kosovare Asllani (born 29 July 1989) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker or an attacking midfielder for Italian first division Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Nicknamed "Kosse", Asllani possesses great speed and technique in her game.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani began her club career with Vimmerby IF and has played in the Damallsvenskan for Linköpings FC and hometown club Kristianstads DFF. In the 2010 season she played in the United States, with Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). She returned to Sweden to play for Kristianstad, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and then back to Linköping. She currently plays for AC Milan.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani is of Kosovar-Albanian descent, born in Kristianstad to Kosovar parents who had migrated to Sweden. Asllani grew up playing both football and ice hockey, but chose to focus her talents on football. At the age of 15, Asllani started her career at second division team Vimmerby IF. During her time at Vimmerby, she scored 49 goals in 48 matches, establishing herself as a football prodigy. Former coach Cecilia Wilhelmsson praised Asllani's football technique and fitness. After receiving offers from many clubs, Asllani accepted a move to Damallsvenskan team Linköpings FC in 2007, where she made quick progress.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: During Asllani's first season, she generally came off the substitutes' bench early in the games to help her settle into the Damallsvenskan. During the following season, Asllani established herself as a regular starter and was an increasingly valuable member of the squad. In 2009, she helped Linköping win both the Svenska Cupen and the club's first ever Damallsvenskan title. On 4 December 2009 American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) club Chicago Red Stars confirmed that they had signed Asllani from Linköpings FC.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani spent a single season in the WPS. She was established as a fan's favourite and in the 7th week of the season, Asllani received the WPS Player of the Week award after Chicago Red Stars' defeat of FC Gold Pride. After her season with the Red Stars, Asllani returned to Sweden and Linköpings FC.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani's presence boosted Linköping, especially in the UEFA Women's Champions League. She scored goals against Sparta Praha and Arsenal. However, her season was disrupted by a thigh injury and she departed Linköping at the end of the campaign.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: In December 2011, she moved back to her hometown Kristianstad to play with Kristianstads DFF who had finished seventh in the previous year's Damallsvenskan.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: When Asllani had a month left on her contract with Kristianstads she was subject to a transfer bid from Paris Saint-Germain. Although the teams were in dispute over the size of the transfer fee, Asllani flew to Paris and signed a two-year contract in September 2012, after completing a medical. At PSG Asllani was presented to the media by sporting director Leonardo and player Zlatan Ibrahimović, who declared: "If you want to win you need a Swedish striker." Asllani scored 17 goals in her 19 appearances in the 2012–13 Division 1 Féminine, as PSG finished second in the table behind Lyon. On 4 January 2016, Asllani announced on her Instagram account that she had ended her contract with Paris Saint-Germain, where she had played for three-and-a-half years.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: On 22 January 2016, English FA WSL club Manchester City revealed that they had signed Asllani to a two-year contract.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: On 10 August 2017, it was announced a two and a half-year contract had been agreed for Asllani to return to Linköpings FC. She departed the club by mutual consent on 15 July 2019.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: After her departure from Linköpings FC, Asllani signs with CD Tacón/Real Madrid on 18 July 2019. Upon Real Madrid's purchase of their license, CD Tacón will operate as Real Madrid's women's team starting from 2020, making Asllani the first "Galáctica".


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani scored 5 goals in 17 league appearances for Tacón in the prematurely ended 2019–20 Primera Iberdrola season. After the rebrand of the team to Real Madrid CFF, she started the season explosively, scoring 8 goals in the first 8 league appearances despite playing in an unfamiliar out-and-out-striker role.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: In September 2008 Asllani made her debut for the Sweden national team against Romania, and in 2009 she was called up to represent Sweden in UEFA Women's Euro 2009. Asllani was an important member of the national team during the qualification rounds of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup but coach Thomas Dennerby controversially did not select her in the squad sent to Germany for the finals. Football pundits, including Pia Sundhage, the Swedish coach of the United States national team, expressed surprise at Asllani's omission.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani played for Sweden at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team won a silver medal. She only scored one goal during a penalty shootout against the United States in the quarterfinals, in which Sweden won the shootout 4–3 after being tied 1–1 during extra time.


title: Kosovare Asllani

text: Asllani has a tattoo of a black double-headed eagle, symbolising Albania, on her ankle. She also has the words "Stay Strong" tattooed on the inside of her right biceps.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: The Flight of Dragons is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel "The Dragon and the George" (1976) by Gordon R. Dickson. It stars the voices of John Ritter, Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, and Harry Morgan. The film centers upon a quest undertaken to stop an evil wizard who plans to rule the world by dark magic. A major theme within the story is the question of whether science and magic can co-exist. This is told mostly through the experience of character Peter Dickinson, drawn from the 20th century into the magical realm.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Released direct to video in United Kingdom on August 17, 1982, it was aired as an ABC ""Saturday Night Movie"" on August 2, 1986, and released by Warner Brothers as a made-to-order DVD in the US on 17 November 2009 as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: In an age of medieval fantasy populated by fantastic creatures, the Green Wizard Carolinus, who presides over nature, notices that magic is fading from the world as humanity embraces logic and science instead. Summoning his three magical brothers, he proposes combining their powers to create a "last realm of magic" hidden from the rest of the world. The Blue Wizard Solarius, who commands the heavens and seas, and the Golden Wizard Lo Tae Zhao, whose realm is light and air, agree to the proposal. However, the Red Wizard Ommadon, master of black magic and the forces of evil, resolves instead to infect mankind with fear and greed, causing humans to use their science to destroy themselves.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Since the wizards are forbidden to fight among themselves, Carolinus proposes sending a group of heroes on a quest to steal Ommadon's crown, which is the source of his power. The party includes the knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe and Carolinus' young dragon companion Gorbash. Solarius gives them an enchanted shield which can deflect dark magic, and Lo Tae Zhao contributes a magic flute which lulls dragons to sleep. Requiring a leader, Carolinus consults the magical force of Antiquity, which directs him to look 1,000 years into the future to find a man of science descended from a legendary hero. In late 20th century Boston Carolinus locates Peter Dickinson, a former scientist turned board game designer who is obsessed with dragons. Carolinus brings Peter back through time and enlists him in the quest, and Peter becomes enamored of Carolinus' ward, Princess Melisande. Ommadon sends his dragon Bryagh to capture Peter, and an accident with one of Carolinus' spells while rescuing him causes Peter to merge with Gorbash, Peter's mind taking over the dragon's body.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Knowing nothing about being a dragon, Peter is mentored by Carolinus' elder dragon companion, Smrgol. The dichotomy of magic and science is explored when Smrgol teaches Peter how dragons fly and breathe fire, abilities which Peter is able to explain with scientific principles. As the quest progresses, the heroes survive an attack by the monstrous Sand Murks and are joined by the talking wolf Aragh, the archer Danielle, and the elf Giles. As the party nears Ommadon's realm, Danielle and Sir Orrin are captured by an ogre. Peter is nearly killed attempting to rescue them but is saved by Smrgol, who defeats the ogre at the cost of his own life. In the Red Wizard's realm the party faces the Worm of Sligoff, which Peter destroys by igniting the sulfuric acid it excretes. Ommadon casts a spell to induce hopelessness in the group, which Peter repels using Solarius' shield. Ommadon next sends numerous dragons to kill the heroes, but Giles plays Lo Tae Zhao's enchanted flute, lulling them and Peter to sleep. Bryagh remains awake and kills Giles, Aragh, and Danielle. Sir Orrin slays Bryagh, but dies from his wounds.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: When Ommadon appears on the battlefield, Peter manages to separate himself from Gorbash by recalling the principle of impenetrability. He is able to defeat Ommadon by countering the wizard's declarations of magic with explanations of science and logic, and denying the existence of magic. This destroys Ommadon, restores the other heroes to life, and allows the magical realm to take shape. Peter, having denied all magic, is separated forever from this realm, but not before awakening Melisande with a kiss and leaving her Ommadon's crown. Having fallen in love with Peter, Melisande begs Carolinus to allow her to join him. Back in 20th century Boston, Peter is selling the magic flute and shield to a pawnbroker when Melisande enters the shop carrying the crown, and the two embrace.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Filmsy.com said of the film, "Animated fantasy films geared for family viewing just aren’t made like this anymore... The voice acting in this movie is excellent, to say the least... Though the animation might seem a bit 'dated', it remains beautiful by 1982 standards". "The dialogue is surprisingly intelligent and may confuse some children but it is nice to see an animated film that will stimulate adult minds a little... The voice cast are all great and I can’t find a single fault with any of them", said blogcritic.org. The Unknown Movies said "There may not be a strong constant thread in "The Flight of Dragons", but all its moments of warmth, imagination, and interest combine to make magic."


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Colin Greenland reviewed "The Flight of Dragons" for "Imagine" magazine, and stated that "The Flight of Dragons is unsophisticated to say the least, but the Japanese animation includes some nice shimmering effects; and if, like Dickinson's, your best character is a dragon, then this is for you."


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Other reviews were less positive: "I'm sure fans of "The Flight of Dragons", sick of looking at crappy downloads or worn VHS copies, will be satisfied with what's here, but if you didn't grow up with this one, it's best left alone."


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: Various VHS editions of the film have been released since its debut in 1982. There was also a LaserDisc release from which some VHS copies were produced. The LaserDisc release was made by PolyGram Video in the United Kingdom, and there was also a Betamax release. In 1996, Warner Home Video released the film as part of the Warner Bros. Classic Tales VHS series, which is also available in Australia one year later. The Warner Archive Collection released the film on DVD on November 17, 2009. In December 2017, Warner Archive announced that they would be releasing the film on Blu-ray in 2018.


title: The Flight of Dragons

text: The original score was composed by Maury Laws. The film's theme song, also entitled "The Flight of Dragons", was written and composed by Jules Bass and Maury Laws, and performed by Don McLean. An official soundtrack was never released. However, Disney multi Emmy Award-winning film and television composer Carl Johnson did recreate several tracks from the animation for the live-action adaptation. Though the film was put on hiatus, 3 of the completed tracks were released online.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: Victoria Arlen (born September 26, 1994) is a current television personality for ESPN, as well as an actress, speaker, model, and former American paralympian swimmer.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: Victoria Arlen was born in New Hampshire, USA, on September 26, 1994, as one of triplets; she has two brothers. Her father enjoys playing hockey, and her brothers grew up playing it as well.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: Arlen, at the age of eleven, developed two rare conditions known as transverse myelitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. This was an extremely rare scenario, and Victoria quickly lost the ability to speak, eat, walk, and move. She slipped into a vegetative state from which recovery was thought unlikely. Arlen spent nearly four years "locked" inside her own body, completely aware of what was going on, just unable to move or communicate. Doctors believed there was little hope of survival, and recovery was unlikely.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: In 2010, at age 15, after almost four years, a medication eased the seizures and Arlen began to communicate. Arlen began re-learning how to speak, eat, and move.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: In June 2012, after a world record-breaking performance at the 2012 Summer Paralympics US swimming trials, Arlen qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics held in London, as a member of Team USA. In London, she won four medals: one gold and three silver.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: In 2013, she was deemed not disabled enough to compete in the Paralympics because she did not provide significant proof that she has a permanent disability.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: In April 2015, Arlen made the transition from professional athlete to sportscaster and joined ESPN as one of the youngest on-air talents hired by the company.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: By April 2016, she had learned to walk after spending nearly a decade paralyzed from the waist down. In 2017, she reported having no sensation in her legs.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: On September 6, 2017, Arlen was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the 25th season of "Dancing with the Stars". She was partnered with professional dancer, Valentin Chmerkovskiy. The couple managed to reach the semi-finals, but was ultimately eliminated and placed fifth in the competition.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: In 2020, Arlen became a co-host of "American Ninja Warrior Junior" for its second season, replacing Laurie Hernandez as the latter prepared for the 2020 Summer Olympics before it was postponed to 2021. She is one of the co-hosts of SportsNation (TV Show).


title: Victoria Arlen

text: BBC Outlook Weekend related her story in an interview with Harry Graham; Victoria Arlen described being able to hear what others said while she herself could not communicate in any way during her years of the worst phases of the diseases. Strangers were often negative in their assessment of her chance of survival, which words she heard. She described the support of her family as essential in every phase of the diseases and her recovery; they never gave up on her. After a doctor tried a medication that eased the seizures she endured, she gained her first ability to respond in communication with her mother. She had loved to swim before the diseases struck; her brothers took her to a pool to restart her in swimming, well before she could walk. She took up the challenge of swimming in the Paralympics in Summer of 2012, just over a year after her brothers first put her in a pool.


title: Victoria Arlen

text: Arlen is a Christian. She grew up as a Christian. When she was in her ‘locked-in’ state from her rare conditions, she would pray to God on a daily basis. Arlen spoke of one time when she made a promise to God in prayer for her recovery:


title: Betty Field

text: Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field. She began acting before she reached age 15, and went into stock theater immediately after graduating from high school. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.


title: Betty Field

text: Field began her acting career in 1934 on the London stage in Howard Lindsay's farce "She Loves Me Not". Following its run, she returned to the United States, and appeared in several stage successes, then made her film debut in 1939.


title: Betty Field

text: Field's Broadway credits include "Page Miss Glory" (1934), "Room Service" (1937), "Angel Island" (1937), "If I Were You" (1938), "What a Life" (1938), "The Primrose" (1939), "Ring Two" (1939), "Two on an Island" (1940), "Flight to the West" (1940), "A New Life" (1943), "The Voice of the Turtle" (1943), "Dream Girl" (1945), "The Rat Race" (1949), "Not for Children" (1951), "The Fourposter" (1951), "The Ladies of the Corridor" (1953), "Festival" (1955), "The Waltz of the Toreadors" (1958), "A Touch of the Poet" (1958), "A Loss of Roses" (1959), "Strange Interlude" (1963), "Where's Daddy?" (1966), and "All Over" (1971).


title: Betty Field

text: Her final stage performances were in three productions at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1971.


title: Betty Field

text: Field had to overcome obstacles early in her film career. A 1942 newspaper article reported:When Betty Field was first signed for pictures, conversation buzzed. "But she's not pretty," was the first objection. "And her mouth is too large."


title: Betty Field

text: Field's role as Mae, the sole female character, in "Of Mice and Men" (1939) established her as a dramatic actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1941 movie "The Shepherd of the Hills". Field played a supporting, yet significant role as Cassandra Tower in "Kings Row" (1942).


title: Betty Field

text: A life member of The Actors Studio, Field preferred performing on Broadway and appeared in Elmer Rice's "Dream Girl" and Jean Anouilh's "The Waltz of the Toreadors", but returned to Hollywood regularly, appearing in "Flesh and Fantasy" (1943), "The Southerner" (1945), as Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby" (1949) with Alan Ladd, "Picnic" (1955) with William Holden and Kim Novak, "Bus Stop" (1956) with Marilyn Monroe, "Peyton Place" (1957) (for which she was nominated for a Laurel Award), "Hound-Dog Man" (1959) with Carol Lynley and Stuart Whitman, "Butterfield 8" (1960) with Elizabeth Taylor, "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962) with Burt Lancaster, "7 Women" (1966) with Anne Bancroft and "How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life" (1968) with Dean Martin and Stella Stevens. Her final film role was in "Coogan's Bluff" with Clint Eastwood and Susan Clark in 1968.


title: Betty Field

text: She also appeared on television series such as Route 66, season 1, episode 3 The Swan Bed,"General Electric Theater", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Dr. Kildare", and many more. Field played Mary Aldrich on the radio in "The Aldrich Family".


title: Betty Field

text: Her first marriage to playwright Elmer Rice ended in divorce in May 1956. The couple had three children, John, Paul, and Judith. John became a lawyer, but he died in a swimming accident at age 40. Her second marriage to Edwin J. Lukas lasted from 1957 to 1967. Her third marriage to Raymond Olivere lasted from 1968 until her death in 1973.


title: Betty Field

text: Field died from a cerebral hemorrhage on September 13, 1973, at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts, aged 57. (Another source says she was 55.)


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (English: "Oral Fixation, Vol. 1") is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira. It was released on 3 June 2005 by Epic Records. After attaining international success in 2001 with her fifth studio album and first English record, "Laundry Service", Shakira wanted to release a fifth Spanish-language project as its followup. In the vein of her earlier work, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" is a Latin pop album. Shakira enlisted Rick Rubin as executive producer, also working with Gustavo Cerati, Lester Mendez, Luis Fernando Ochoa and Jose "Gocho" Torres.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: At its release "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented Shakira's evolution from her earlier work. The album debuted at number four on the US "Billboard" 200, with first-week sales of 157,000 copies. It set the record for the highest debut for a full-length Spanish-language album in the country. Internationally, the album topped the charts in Argentina, Germany, Mexico and Spain. "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" was the Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and the Album of the Year and the Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards. "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" became the highest selling Latin pop album of the decade in the United States and the second highest selling Latin album overall. As of May 2013, over five million copies of the album were sold worldwide and it is the eighth best-selling Latin album in the United States.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Four singles were released to promote the album. Although its lead single ("La Tortura") was the only track to reach the US "Billboard" Hot 100, the follow-up singles "No", "Día de Enero" and "Las de la Intuición" enjoyed moderate success on the Hot Latin Songs, Tropical Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts. In November 2005 Shakira supplemented the album with her second English-language record, "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2". The two were packaged together as a box set and released as "Oral Fixation, Vol. 1 & 2" in January 2007. The projects were promoted with the Oral Fixation Tour in 2006 and 2007, which visited the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. A performance in Miami, Florida was filmed and released as a live album in November 2007.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: After achieving international success in 2001 with her first English album, "Laundry Service", Shakira released a Spanish-language record as its followup (her first since 1998's "Dónde Están los Ladrones?"). Having co-written nearly sixty songs for the project, she decided to divide the release into two volumes and put herself "on the mission of selecting [her] favorite ones" to record. "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" contains all Spanish-language songs and "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" features all English-language tracks. Shakira initially said that the second volume would have a "completely new repertory of songs", although the completed album included two English translations of songs from the first record. It was reissued in 2006 as an expanded version with an additional translated recording and her future international-hit single, "Hips Don't Lie". When recording the albums, she worked with previous collaborators Lester Mendez and Luis Fernando Ochoa and new partners Gustavo Cerati and Jose "Gocho" Torres.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: For the album, Shakira wrote all the lyrics, and the majority of the music. "To start seeing people's first reactions, and how people start relating to these songs and appreciating every single piece of work I have done over the past two years, is the best reward an artist can have after so much hard work," says Shakira. "I will not lie to you; it was not a path of roses. It was painful at times to come up with two albums, to write more than 60 songs and to fight my own insecurities and doubts." While speaking about the difference about expressing herself in Spanish and English, Shakira told, "When I express myself in Spanish, I find elements that help me express an idea in perhaps a different way than when I do it in English. There are different aesthetics, but there is a certain style to the way I write my own songs, a particular way of describing feelings and emotions that I have developed over all these years making songs. I have gotten in touch with my own gift – I am sure, 10 years ago, I was not half as good as I can say I am today, and I am still not good enough. There is a long way to go."


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: The artwork for both "Oral Fixation" albums was inspired by Eve, the first woman; Shakira said she wanted "to attribute to Eve one more reason to bite the forbidden fruit, and that would be her oral fixation" and that "[she always felt] that [she has] been a very oral person. [It is her] biggest source of pleasure". The first volume's cover sees Shakira holding a baby girl in her arms; the artwork for the second album shows a nude Shakira (covered by tree branches), with the infant sitting in the tree. She stated that both covers alluded to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud's theory that infants begin discovering the world through their mouths during the oral stage of psychosexual development.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: For Jon Pareles of "The New York Times", "For obvious reasons, [the artwork for the second album is] eye-catching, as was the cover of the Spanish-language companion album, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1"".


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: On 23 January 2007, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" and "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" were released as a three-disc box set, titled "Oral Fixation, Vol. 1 & 2". Each record was on a separate disc, and was packaged with a DVD featuring music videos and live recordings of album tracks. The compilation peaked at numbers 13 and 27 on the "Billboard" Latin Pop Albums and Top Latin Albums charts.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" is a Latin pop album. The introductory track, "En Tus Pupilas" ("In Your Pupils"), incorporates folk music styles and its opening verse includes French-language lyrics. "La Pared" ("The Wall") has been compared stylistically to the 1980s duo Eurythmics. "La Tortura" ("The Torture") features Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz, with elements of Colombian cumbia music, dancehall and electronica. "Obtener un Sí" ("Obtain a Yes") is a bossa nova song with cha-cha-chá elements against an orchestral background. "Día Especial" ("Special Day") features Argentinean singer-songwriter Gustavo Cerati on guitar.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: The sixth track, "Escondite Inglés", has a new wave feel. "No" also features Cerati on guitar, using a simple melody to emphasize Shakira's vocals. "Las de la Intuición" ("The Ones with the Intuition") has synth-pop elements, while "Día de Enero" ("January Day") has been compared to Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade. "Lo Imprescindible" ("Bare Essentials") has German-language verses in which Shakira lyrically expresses "Come baby come. Don't ever leave me". The disc concludes with an acoustic version of "La Pared" and the Shaketon remix of "La Tortura".


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: "La Tortura" was released as the lead single from "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" on 12 April 2005. It features Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz, and was praised for its production and reggaeton influence. "La Tortura" was the only single from the album to chart on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 (peaking at number twenty-three), and reached number one on the "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs, Tropical Songs, and Latin Pop Airplay charts. The song set a record for the most weeks at number one, and additionally became the best-performing Latin single of the year. The track was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies and certified platinum for selling over 1 million mastertones . Internationally, "La Tortura" topped the Hungarian Rádiós Top 40 and the Spanish and Venezuelan singles charts. Its music video was directed by Michael Haussman, depicting a fictionally-romantic Shakira and Sanz.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: The follow-up singles were also successful. The second single, "No", features Argentinian singer-songwriter Gustavo Cerati and reached numbers two and eleven, respectively, on the "Billboard" Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts. The video was filmed in a black-and-white effect, and was directed by Jaume de Laiguana. After the release of "Don't Bother" as the lead single from "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" in late 2005, "Día de Enero" was the third single from "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1". It peaked at numbers seven and twenty-nine on the "Billboard" Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts, respectively. Like "No", its accompanying video was directed by de Laiguana. The clip refers to Shakira's then-boyfriend Antonio de la Rúa as she writes the letters "S y A" in a heart drawn in the sand.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Following the release of "Hips Don't Lie" and "Illegal" as the second and third singles from "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2", the fourth and final single from "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1", "Las De La Intuición", reached numbers eleven and thirty-one, respectively, on the "Billboard" Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts and number 1 in Spain. Its video shows Shakira in a purple wig. Shakira later recorded an English-language version of the song, titled "Pure Intuition".


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: To promote "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" and "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2", Shakira began her Oral Fixation Tour on 14 June 2006 at the Feria De Muestras in Zaragoza, Spain. With assistance from the Creative Artists Agency, she visited twenty-seven cities and performed forty-one shows across five continents. The tour was additionally sponsored by Spanish automobile manufacturer SEAT, with whom Shakira also collaborated to support her Pies Descalzos Foundation. The tour concluded on 9 July 2007 at the Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. It grossed over $42 million in North and Latin America, and $100 million worldwide. The set list consisted primarily of Spanish-language songs, and included singles from her earlier career.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: In November 2007 Epic Records released the "Oral Fixation Tour" live album on Blu-ray Disc, which was filmed during a December 2006 show in Miami, Florida. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave it a positive review, complimenting Shakira's vocals and dancing talent.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: At Metacritic (which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics) "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" received an average score of 79 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that "it's hard to wait for "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" to arrive", given the strength of the "commercial savvy and smart writing" displayed in the first volume. Matt Cibula of PopMatters shared a similar sentiment, adding that his excitement about "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" is a "massive understatement". "Entertainment Weekly"s Ernesto Lechner felt that Shakira "has found herself again" by "placing her operatic vocalizing at the service of Spanish poetry", adding that this was her strongest album to date.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: "The Guardian"s Dave Simpson noted that "the songs are catchy, with melodies good enough to tempt non-Spanish speakers to sing along". Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" described the album as "blissfully pan-American", elaborating that "for Shakira it's all pop, taut structures for volatile passion". Barry Walters of "Rolling Stone" said that executive producer Rick Rubin helped "restore Shakira's artistic integrity by keeping the industry at bay". Yahoo! Music's Tom Townsend praised Shakira for being "wide awake and, as they used to say in "Smash Hits", back, back, BACK!" "Paste"s Mark Kemp gave it a mixed review, saying that the record was "stronger overall than "Laundry Service" but not as warm as "Dónde Están los Ladrones?""


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: In North America, even though the largest Latin retail chain in the United States refused to sell the album, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" debuted at number four on the US "Billboard" 200, with first-week sales of 157,000 copies. It set a record for the highest debut of a full-length Spanish-language album in the country, both in sales and its chart position. Its "Billboard" 200 record lasted for 15 years, being surpassed by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny and his album "El Último Tour del Mundo", which debuted at number-one on the chart in December 2020. "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" topped the "Billboard" Top Latin Albums chart. It sold 77,000 copies in the second week, which is still higher than any other Spanish-language album. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold over 1,019,000 copies (as of October 2017) in the US, making it the eight bestselling Latin album in the country. It was later certified platinum eleven times by Latin standards, with shipments of over 1,100,000 copies. In 2009, "Billboard" named "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" as the best-selling Latin pop album of the 2000s. In Mexico, the album debuted at number one, and was later certified triple platinum for shipments of 300,000 copies.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: In South America, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" peaked at number one in Argentina, and was eventually recognized with triple-platinum certification. The album enjoyed similar success in Venezuela, selling over 34,613 copies. Consequently, it was certified platinum in the country. Furthermore, the record sold over 100,000 copies in Shakira's native Colombia, and was later recognized with triple-platinum certification. In Chile, it was certified platinum for shipping 15,000 copies.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: In Europe, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" achieved similar success. It debuted at number two on the Austrian albums chart, where it was certified platinum for shipments of 30,000 copies. The record peaked at numbers seven and fifteen, respectively, on the Belgian Walloon and Flanders album charts; it was certified gold for shipments of 25,000 copies. On the French albums chart the album reached number six, and was certified gold for shipments of 100,000 copies. It topped the German Media Control Charts, receiving a platinum certification for shipments of 200,000 copies. The record was certified gold in Greece for shipments of 10,000 copies. On the Hungarian albums chart it reached number six, receiving a platinum certification for shipments of 20,000 copies. The album peaked at number seven on the Dutch Top 40. The record topped the Spanish albums chart, receiving triple-platinum certification for shipments of 240,000 copies. After peaking at number two on the Swiss Hitparade, the album was certified platinum for shipments of 40,000 copies. As of May 2013, the record has sold over four million copies worldwide.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that releasing the Spanish-language "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" after the success of the English-language "Laundry Service" was a "sharp move", complimenting the album for demonstrating that Shakira "can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them". He described "La Tortura" as a "natural for American radio", and felt that the parent album generated anticipation for the upcoming "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2". Writing for PopMatters, Matt Cibula praised the album for its musical departure from "Laundry Service", applauding the integration of subtle samples across several songs as "great nods to the sounds of the 1980s". Dave Simpson of "The Guardian" compared Shakira to a "Latin American Madonna", describing her vocals as reminiscent of "Cher and Hazel O'Connor, produced by Julio Iglesias".


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" found Shakira's "smart or ambitious" image to be uncharacteristic of a sex symbol. He praised the versatility of her multilingual lyrics and her experimentation in a number of genres, citing the "multiplicity" in "the arrangements, in the mixed emotions of the lyrics, [and] in Shakira's mercurial voice". Writing for "Paste", Mark Kemp complimented Shakira for dispelling notions she is "the Latin Britney, the female Ricky Martin [and] the pretty pop tart who sings in Spanish and sounds like Alanis"; he compared the mix of musical elements in "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" to a Pop-Tart with a "rich and nutritious filling". Tom Townsend of Yahoo! Music called her "the greatest pop star we have", comparing her "consuming artistry" to that of Madonna and Prince. He credited the album for inspiring a revival of pop music, saying that the release proved that the genre "wasn't dead, just sleeping".


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: Shakira's international success was solidified with "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1"s strong commercial performance. After it debuted at number 4 on the US "Billboard" 200 and became the highest-debuting full-length Spanish album in the country, her label Epic Records called her "the biggest female crossover artist in the world". The album is her third-highest-charting release in the nation, behind "Laundry Service"s peak position at number 3 and "Shakira"s number 2 peak. According to "Billboard", it was the second best-selling Latin album of the decade in the US after "Barrio Fino" by Daddy Yankee.


title: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

text: At the 2005 "Billboard" Music Awards, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" was the Latin Pop Album of the Year. At the 2005 Mexican Oye! Awards, the album was the Pop Album of the Year by a Female Artist. At the 2005 Premios Shock awards ceremony, it received an award for "Album of the Year". In the same year, it was nominated in the category of "Me Muero Sin Ese CD" ("CD to Die For") at the 2005 Premios Juventud. The album was the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and was Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album and the Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2006. That year, at the 13th "Billboard" Latin Music Awards, the album was the best Latin Pop Album by a Female. It was the Pop Album of the Year at the 18th Lo Nuestro Awards. "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1" received an ALMA Award as Spanish Album of the Year. At the 2006 Groovevolt Music Awards, it was named Best Latin Album. At the Colombian Nuestra Tierra award ceremony, it was nominated Best Album of the Year which went to Fonseca for "Corazón".


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: Nancy O'Dell (born Nancy Evelyn Humphries; 1966) is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show "Entertainment Tonight" from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell was born in 1966 in Sumter, South Carolina, and moved to Myrtle Beach as an infant. She has one sister. After her 1984 graduation from the now-defunct Coastal Academy High School, she graduated with a "summa cum laude" bachelor's degree in marketing from Clemson University in 1990. At Clemson, O'Dell joined Kappa Kappa Gamma. She won the Miss South Carolina pageant in 1987 and represented the state at Miss America 1988, where she won a preliminary swimsuit award. In 1990, in the Miss South Carolina USA pageant, she finished first runner-up to Gina Tolleson, who became the first runner-up in Miss USA 1990 before winning Miss World that year.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell began her broadcasting career as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV in Charleston, South Carolina. While there, her reports on the lenient police approach to DUI cases led to a State Law Enforcement Division investigation that resulted in authorities issuing more stringent directive for such cases. She was honored by the Associated Press with the Best Report of the Year Award (all media, South Carolina). In 1993, she joined NBC's WTVJ in Miami, co-anchoring the 5:30 pm news with Jackie Nespral. O'Dell left that station in 1995 to move to Las Vegas. While there she worked as an entertainment reporter for the nationally syndicated tabloid show "A Current Affair" until the show ended in 1996.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell joined the entertainment news program "Access Hollywood" when the program debuted in 1996. In addition to her work as "Access Hollywood"s lead anchor, O'Dell contributed to NBC News' "Today" and "Dateline NBC". She covered such ceremonies as the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globe Awards, as well as co-hosting a number of pre-shows and arrivals for the Emmys and Golden Globes.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions in 2004 and 2005. She co-hosted the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on WNBC from 2004 to 2006. She co-hosted the Miss USA 2006 pageant with Drew Lachey, the Miss Universe 2006 pageant with Carlos Ponce, and the Miss USA 2007 pageant with Tim Vincent.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell appeared in minor roles in the television series "Charmed" (season 1 finale (1999) and season 5 premiere (2002). She guest starred in "The Simpsons" episode "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" (1999), voicing herself. She also portrayed herself in "Scream 2" (1997), "Scream 3" (2000), and "Scream 4" (2011) and served as host and consulting producer of the USA Network talent competition "Nashville Star" for its first two seasons.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: On January 13, 2008, after the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards were canceled as a result of the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, she co-hosted NBC's "65th Annual Golden Globe Awards Winners Special" with "Access Hollywood" co-anchor Billy Bush.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: In 2009, O'Dell hosted NBC's pre-show for the 66th Annual Golden Globes with Tiki Barber and Brooke Burke. She portrayed herself in the "Hannah Montana" season three episode "Cheat It". She also appeared on the Fox sitcom "Brothers", and in the same year she and Maria Menounos guest co-hosted "WWE Raw" on October 12. O'Dell was to participate in the eighth season of "Dancing with the Stars", paired with professional dancer Tony Dovolani, but had to withdraw before the season started after tearing her meniscus during training; her replacement was Melissa Rycroft. O'Dell underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair it on March 20, 2009.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell's departure from "Access Hollywood" was announced in December 2009. She left the show with two years left on her contract.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: On June 22, 2010, O'Dell hosted the "Nashville Rising" concert to provide flood relief for Nashville residents, after the floods in May of that year. She shared hosting duties with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: On January 3, 2011, O'Dell joined "Entertainment Tonight" as a special correspondent, and she succeeded Mary Hart as co-anchor after Hart left the show in May 2011. An avid scrapbooker, in 2010 O'Dell partnered with Creative Memories to release her first collection of scrapbooking supplies, the Hummingbird Collection, and her second book, "Full of Love: Mom-to-mom Advice for Enriching Families with Simple Photo Albums and Scrapbooking".


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: On August 2, 2019, O'Dell announced on-air that she would be leaving "Entertainment Tonight" after that day's broadcast. She also paid respects to her manager who recently died.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: O'Dell was married to Dr. Richard O'Dell from September 30, 1995, to November 4, 2004. In 2005, she married Keith Zubchevich. O'Dell gave birth to their daughter, Ashby Grace, in June 2007, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She said unexpected and surprising changes happened to her body during the pregnancy that prompted her to write a parenting book, "Full of Life". She is the Muscular Dystrophy Association's National ALS Ambassador. In September 2016, O'Dell filed for legal separation from Zubchevich and in November 2017, they filed for divorce.


title: Nancy O'Dell

text: In May 2013, O'Dell received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Clemson University. At the ceremony, she spoke to the graduates, encouraging them to never give up in pursuing their dreams: "I decided that I would rather fail doing something I enjoyed than be successful doing something that would just be a grind [...] my wish for all of you is that you will do the same. Be who you are because you'll always be right."


title: Fola Evans-Akingbola

text: Fola Evans-Akingbola() (born 26 September 1994) is a British actress. She played Maddie Bishop in the Freeform series "Siren".


title: Fola Evans-Akingbola

text: Evans-Akingbola was born in London, to an English anthropologist mother, Dr Gillian Evans, and Nigerian musician father Sola Akingbola (of the band Jamiroquai). She was raised in Bermondsey with her sister while educated in Dulwich. She received acting training at the National Youth Theatre and Identity School of Acting.


title: Fola Evans-Akingbola

text: Her first acting credits were for the BBC series "Youngers" and "Holby City". While appearing on a third BBC series, "Death in Paradise", Evans-Akingbola was cast in the popular HBO series "Game of Thrones" as the (unnamed) second wife of Khal Moro during series 6. For Netflix's "Black Mirror" (a continuation of the Channel 4 series that debuted in 2011), she appeared in a 2019 episode called "Striking Vipers" as Mariella, a younger Millennial woman dating Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who is the co-protagonist of the episode. Since 2018, she has been a main character on "Siren", playing marine biologist Madelyn Bishop. She has also directed, co-wrote, and produced a short film called "Grandma's 80th Surprise" and done voiceover work for "Assassin's Creed" video games.


The 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners were a series of mass executions of political prisoners across Iran. The order for the executions was given by Ayatollah Khomeini and it was carried out by Iranian officials; starting on 19 July 1988 and continued for approximately five months. The majority of those who were killed were supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, but supporters of other leftist factions, including the Fedaian and the Tudeh Party of Iran (Communist Party), were also executed. The killings operated outside legislation and trials were not concerned with establishing the guilt or innocence of defendants. The massacres have been called "Iran’s greatest crime against humanity."


title: 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners

text: According to Amnesty International and other sources, "thousands of political dissidents were systematically subjected to enforced disappearance in Iranian detention facilities across the country and extrajudicially executed pursuant to an order issued by the Supreme Leader of Iran and implemented across prisons in the country. Many of those killed during this time were subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in the process." The killings have been described as a political purge without precedent in modern Iranian history, both in terms of scope and cover-up.


text: The exact number of prisoners who were executed remains a point of contention. After interviewing the relatives of dozens of prisoners, Amnesty International estimated that the number of prisoners who were executed ran into the thousands; and the then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini's deputy, Hussein-Ali Montazeri put the number of prisoners who were executed at between 2,800 and 3,800 in his memoirs, but according to other estimates, as many as 30,000 individuals were executed. Because the number of prisoners who were going to be executed was extremely large, the prisoners were loaded into forklift trucks in groups of six and hanged from cranes in half-hour intervals.


text: Great care was taken to conceal the killings, and the government of Iran currently denies their occurrence. Ayatollah Montazeri wrote to Ayatollah Khomeini saying "A large number of prisoners have been killed under torture by interrogators ... in some prisons of the Islamic Republic young girls are being raped ... As a result of unruly torture, many prisoners have become deaf or paralyzed or afflicted with chronic diseases." There were various motives for the executions of the victims, including that the victims were executed in retaliation for the 1988 attack on the western borders of Iran by the People's Mujahedin of Iran. However, this theory does not account for the fact that members of other leftist groups which never supported or took part in the Mujahedin's invasion were also targeted for execution. Survivors of the massacre have made numerous calls for redress and they have also called for the prosecution of those who perpetrated the massacre. Canada called the event a crime against humanity, and Italy made similar declarations for justice to be served.


text: In order to eliminate potential political oppositions, the Islamic Republic started coordinated extrajudicial killings in Iran. Following Operation Mersad, a military attack on Iranian forces by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) desiring to gather Iranian opposition at home and overthrow the Islamic Republic, a large number of prisoners from the MEK were executed along with many other individuals from other leftist opposition groups. Khomeini used the MEK's failed invasion as a pretext for the mass execution of thousands of MEK members "who remained steadfast in their support for the MEK" and other leftists in Iranian jails through a fatwa. The executions were carried out by several high-ranking members of Iran's current government.


text: In 2016, an audio recording was posted online of a high-level official meeting that took place in August 1988 between Hossein Ali Montazeri and the officials responsible for the mass killings in Tehran. In the recording, Hossein Ali Montazeri is heard saying that the ministry of intelligence used the MEK's armed incursion as a pretext to carry out the mass killings, which "had been under consideration for several years". Iranian authorities have dismissed the incident as "nothing but propaganda", presenting the executions as a lawful response to a small group of incarcerated individuals who had colluded with the MEK to support its 25 July 1988 incursion.


text: According to the US State Department, the "death commissions" responsible for the 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners started on 19 July (1988) and included the current head of the Iranian judiciary and current Minister of Justice. According to Amnesty International, "thousands of political dissidents were systematically subjected to enforced disappearance in Iranian detention facilities across the country and extrajudicially executed pursuant to an order issued by the Supreme Leader of Iran and implemented across prisons in the country. Many of those killed during this time were subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in the process."


text: Shortly before the executions commenced, Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issued "a secret but extraordinary order – some suspect a formal fatwa." This order led to the creation of "Special Commissions with instructions to execute members of People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran as "moharebs" (those who war against Allah) and leftists as "mortads" (apostates from Islam)."


text: As the treacherous Monafeqin [Mojahedin] do not believe in Islam and what they say is out of deception and hypocrisy, and


text: As they are collaborating with the Baathist Party of Iraq and spying for Saddam against our Muslim nation, and


text: As they are tied to the World Arrogance, and in light of their cowardly blows to the Islamic Republic since its inception,


text: It is decreed that those who are in prison throughout the country and remain steadfast in their support for the Monafeqin [Mojahedin] are waging war on God and are condemned to execution.


text: In Tehran the special commission for the executions had 16 members representing the various authorities of the Islamic government – Imam Khomeini himself, the president, the chief prosecutor, the Revolutionary Tribunals, the Ministries of Justice and Intelligence, and the administration of Evin and Gohar Dasht, the two prisons in the Tehran area from which the prisoners were eliminated. The chair of the commission was Ayatollah Morteza Eshraqi. His two special assistants were Hojatt al-Islam Hossein-Ali Nayyeri and Hojjat al-Islam Ali Mobasheri. The commission shuttled back and forth between Evin and Gohar Dasht prisons by helicopter. In the provinces similar commissions were established, but less is known about them.


text: Another description of the administration of the executions has it implemented by a "four-man commission, later known as the 'death committee'." Members were Hossein-Ali Nayyeri (who was then a judge), Morteza Eshraqi (then Tehran Prosecutor), Ebrahim Raisi (then Deputy Prosecutor General) and Mostafa Pourmohammadi (then the representative of the Intelligence Ministry in Evin Prison). Ebrahim Raisi went on to campaign for president of Iran in 2017 as a hard-line conservative where he was criticized for his role in the executions, before being elected as president on his second try in 2021.


text: Amnesty International identified and analyzed evidence that linked several Iranian officials to participating in the massacre. These included Alireza Avayi (tasked to participate in the so-called "death commission" of Dezful), Ebrahim Raisi (member of the "death commission" in Tehran), Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, and others.


text: The prisoners were not executed without any proceedings, but were "tried" on charges totally unrelated to the charges that had landed them in prison. They were interviewed by commissions with a set list of questions to see if they qualified as "moharebs" or "mortads" to the satisfaction of that commission. Many, if not most, of the prisoners were unaware of the true purpose of the questions, although later some were warned by the prison grapevine.


text: Some of the victims were killed because of their beliefs about religion – because they were atheists or because they were Muslims who followed different versions of Islam.


text: Some scholarly examinations of the massacre argue that the planning stages of the 1988 Massacre began months before the actual executions started. According to one report: "prison officials took the unusual step in late 1987 and early 1988 of re-questioning and separating all political prisoners according to party affiliation and length of sentence."


text: The actual execution process began in the early hours of 19 July 1988 with the isolation of the political prisoners from the outside world. According to Ervand Abrahamian, Iranian authorities suddenly isolated major prisons on 19 July, having its courts of law go on an unscheduled holiday to avoid relatives finding out about those imprisoned. Prison gates were closed, scheduled visits and telephone calls were canceled, letters, care packages, and even vital medicines from the outside were turned away. Relatives of prisoners were forbidden to congregate outside the prison gates.


text: Inside the prison, cell blocks were isolated from each other and cleared of radios and televisions. Places where prisoners gathered communally, such as lecture halls, workshops, infirmaries, were all closed down and inmates were confined to their cells. Prison guards and workers were ordered not to speak to prisoners. One prisoner constructed a homemade wireless set to listen to the radio news from the outside but found news broadcasters were saying nothing at all about the lockdown.


text: Prisoners were initially told that this was not a trial but a process for initiating a general amnesty and separating the Muslims from the non-Muslims. Prisoners were asked if they were willing to denounce the MEK before cameras, help the IRI hunt down MEK members, name secret sympathizers, identify phoney repenters, or go to the war front and walk through enemy mindfields. According to Abrahamian, the questions were designed to "tax to the utmost the victim's sense of decency, honor, and self-respect". The Mojahedin who gave unsatisfactory answers were promptly taken to a special room and later hanged in batches of six. At first this secrecy was effective. One survivor thought the purpose of his interview was to be released in time for the forthcoming peace celebrations.


text: Most of the prisoners executed were serving prison terms for peaceful protest activities (distributing opposition newspapers and leaflets, taking part in demonstrations, or collecting donations for political oppositions) or holding outlawed political views. The executions did not conform with existing legislation, took place without any proven "internationally recognized criminal offence", and have since been termed a "crime against humanity" by the standards of international law. Those executed included children.


text: Human rights organizations say that the number of those executed remains a point of contention. Prisoners were charged with "moharebeh" or "waging war on God" and those who said to be affiliated with the MEK, including children as young as 13 years old, were hanged from cranes by Ayatollah Khomeini's direct orders. The Iranian government accused those investigating the executions of "disclosing state secrets" and threatening national security". According to Amnesty International, "there has also been an ongoing campaign by the Islamic Republic to demonize victims, distort facts, and repress family survivors and human rights defenders. In 2019, Maryam Rajavi, released a book named "Crime Against Humanity". The book is about the 1988 massacres of political prisoners in Iran, listing the location of 36 Iranian mass graves and explaining that about 30,000 people were executed, with the majority being MEK members.


text: After 27 August, the commission turned its attention to the leftist prisoners, such as members of the Tudeh, Majority Fedayi, Minority Fedayi, other Fedayi, Kumaleh, Rah-e Kargar, Peykar. These were also assured they were in no danger and asked:


text: Prisoners were told that authorities were asking them these questions because they planned to separate practicing Muslims from non-practicing ones. However, the real reason was to determine whether the prisoners qualified as apostates from Islam, in which case they would join the "moharebs" in the gallows.


text: Some prisoners saved from execution by answering the questions properly returned to their cells and passed along what the commission was asking. A leftist prisoner who had once attended a seminary realised the theological significance of the questions, and sent morse code messages to other cells, warning of the dangers, by knocking on the prison walls. The questioners wanted to know if prisoners' fathers prayed, fasted, and read the Qur'an because the sons of devout men could be called apostates. If they had not been raised in proper Muslim homes first and "exposed to true Islam," they could not be apostates. Another wrong answer was refusing to reply on the grounds of 'privacy', a response which was often taken as an admission of apostasy.


text: All this was a surprise to the prisoners, with one commenting: "In previous years, they wanted us to confess to spying. In 1988, they wanted us to convert to Islam." It also meant there was no correlation between the length of sentence being served and the likelihood of death. The first leftist to go before the commission were those with short sentences, some even completed. These had no warning of what was in store and many died.


text: Mojahedin women were given equal treatment with Mojahedin men, almost all hanged as 'armed enemies of Allah'. However, for apostasy the punishment for women was different and lighter than that for men. Since according to the commission's interpretation of Islamic law, women were not fully responsible for their actions, "disobedient women – including apostates – could be given discretionary punishments to mend their ways and obey male superiors."


text: Leftist women—even those raised as practicing Muslims—were given another 'opportunity' to recant their 'apostasy.' "After the investigation, leftist women began to receive five lashes every day -- one for each of the five daily prayers missed that day, half the punishment meted out to the men. After a while, many agreed to pray, but some went on hunger strike, refusing even water. One died after 22 days and 550 lashes, and the authorities certified her death as suicide because it was 'she who had made the decision not to pray.'"


text: According to Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, executed prisoner's families were told that they would not be permitted to hold a funeral or mourn publicly for one year. After that time, if their conduct was deemed acceptable by the authorities, they would be told the place of burial. The justification given to these families for the execution of their loved ones was that the prisoner's name had appeared on notes pinned to PMOI members killed in the Mersad attack whose bodies had been recovered by Iranian Islamic officials. The notes listing the PMOI's supporters' in prison so the prisoners had been guilty of aiding the attack. Ebadi complained that aside from being improbable, this did not explain why the prisoners had not received a trial for the charge of giving support to the enemy. In 2009, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center commissioned Geoffrey Robertson QC to write a legal opinion based on evidence and witness testimonies gathered by the center. Robertson's final report accused Tehran of continuing to deny relatives of the victims their right to know where their loved ones are buried.


text: One anonymous ex-prisoner places the death toll in the 'thousands.' Another eyewitness estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals were killed – 1,000 of them were leftists and the rest of them were Mojahedin. Yet another estimate it in the 'thousands', with as many as 1,500 killed at Gohar Dasht prison alone. A recent study using scattered information from the provinces places the figure at 12,000. Amnesty International estimates that the national total is more than 2,500 and describes the vast majority of the victims as 'prisoners of conscience' as they had not been charged with actual deeds or plans of deeds against the state.


text: It is extremely difficult to estimate an accurate death toll because many of the killings were carried out in remote Kurdish and Baluchi cities. It could be as high as 30,000 according to figures which were provided by Iranian defectors. In the aftermath of the 2009 uprisings in Iran, Mohammad Nurizad, a defector from the Iranian regime stated that over 33,000 people were massacred within 2–3 months in the summer of 1988. It is estimated that most of those who were executed were either high school or college students or fresh graduates, and over 10% of them were women. According to Christina Lamb, writing in "The Telegraph": "Secret documents smuggled out of Iran reveal that, because of the large numbers of necks to be broken, prisoners were loaded onto forklift trucks in groups of six and hanged from cranes in half-hourly intervals."


text: On 30 August 2017, the United Nations Human Rights Council highlighted the 1988 massacre and distributed a written statement by three non-governmental organizations titled, "The 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners in Iran: Time for the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence" The statement points to the following: In 1988, the government of Iran massacred 30,000 political prisoners. The executions took place based on a fatwa by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Three-member commissions known as a 'Death Commission' were formed across Iran sending political prisoners who refused to abandon their beliefs to execution. The victims were buried in secret mass graves. The perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity.


text: Another joint written statement by five NGOs with consultative status with the United Nations was circulated during the UN Human Rights Council in February 2018 urged "UN to launch fact-finding mission to investigate Iran's 1988 massacre in order to end impunity and prevent the same fate for detained protesters."


text: On 4 December 2018 Amnesty International asked the government of Iran to bring to light what happened to the political detainees in the country. Amnesty asked the United Nations to set up an investigation group to find the facts of crimes against humanity in Iran.


text: In November 2019, Sweden arrested Hamid Nouri, accused of being an assistant prosecutor during the massacres and playing a key role during the mass executions. UN Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard stated that Nouri's arrest was the first time that someone was held responsible for the mass killings. His trial, initially scheduled to begin in June 2021, began August 2021.


text: According to an indictment, Noury is accused of "torturing prisoners and subjecting them to inhumane conditions". In July 2022 he was sentenced to life in prison.


text: One of the consequences of the killings was the resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri as the heir-designate to Ayatollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader of Iran.


text: Prior to the killings, Montazeri "had taken issue with the diehard cleric on a number of subjects – the trial of Mehdi Hashemi, the anti-hoarding campaign ..." When he heard of the killings Montazeri rushed off three public letters – two to Khomeini, one to the Special Commission – denouncing the executions "in no uncertain terms." Montazeri also wrote to Khomeini saying "at least order to spare women who have children ... the execution of several thousand prisoners in a few days will not reflect positively and will not be mistake-free".


text: He also took the Special Commission "to task for violating Islam by executing repenters and minor offenders who in a proper court of law would have received a mere reprimand." Montazeri warned Khomeini: "The execution of several thousand prisoners in a few days will not have positive repercussions and will not be mistake-free."


text: Montazeri was asked to resign, with Khomeini maintaining he had always been doubtful of Montazeri's competence and that 'I expressed reservations when the Assembly of Experts first appointed you.'" But the Assembly of Experts had insisted on naming Montazeri the future Supreme Leader.


text: The regime published letters between the two Ayatollahs but "the selection dealt only with the Hashemi affair and scrupulously avoided the mass executions – thus observing the official line that these executions never took place."


text: On 9 August 2016, a website run by followers of Montazeri published an audio recording from a meeting he held on 15 August 1988 with the special judicial tribunal (Tehran Prosecutor Morteza Eshraghi, Judge Hossein-Ali Nayeri, Deputy Prosecutor General Ebrahim Raeesi and MOIS representative in Evin Mostafa Pourmohammadi). One can hear Montazeri condemning the mass executions. The Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) had the recording taken down the day after its release.


text: According to Human Rights Watch, the tape had been released by Ayatollah Montazeri's son, Ahmed Montazeri. After the release of the audiotape, Iran's Special Court of Clergy charged Ahmed Montazeri with "spreading propaganda against the system" and "revealing plans, secrets or decisions regarding the state’s domestic or foreign policies… in a manner amounting to espionage." He was later sentenced to 21 years in prison, but the sentence was suspended.


text: Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who was speaking in the administrative council meeting in the city of Khorram-Abad in Lorestan province, on 28 August 2016 said: "We are proud we have implemented God's order about Mojahedin (PMOI or MEK)." In 2017 Ali Khamenei defended the executions, stating that those killed were "terrorists" and "hypocrites".


text: The Iranian government accused those who were investigating the killings of "disclosing state secrets" and "threatening national security". According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic has engaged in an ongoing campaign to demonize victims, distort facts, silence family members of victims, silence survivors and silence human rights defenders.


text: Officials implicated in the massacre have subsequently enjoyed promotions. Public awareness about the massacres and widespread condemnation have "compelled the Islamic Republic to engage in a damage-containment propaganda exercise."


text: One complaint which was made against the mass killings was that almost all of the prisoners who were executed had been arrested for relatively minor offenses, since those who had been charged with committing serious crimes had already been executed. The 1988 killings resembled the 'disappearances' of prisoners in 20th-century Latin America.


text: The "Islamic Revolutionary Courts" have been criticized "for holding unfair, secret summary trials without any semblance of due process and in violation of international human rights standards".


text: According to Kaveh Shahrooz, "it is baffling that two of the world's most powerful human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have simply never written full reports on a crime as widespread as the 1988 extermination campaign."


text: While Amnesty International's report "Iran: Violations of Human Rights 1987-1990" which was published in 1990 devotes a few pages to the massacre, the human rights organization has never written a full report on the killings. The Amnesty International report states:


text: The political executions took place in many prisons in all parts of Iran, often far from where the armed incursion took place. Most of the executions were of political prisoners, including an unknown number of prisoners of conscience, who had already served a number of years in prison. They could have played no part in the armed incursion, and they were in no position to take part in spying or terrorist activities. Many of the dead had been tried and sentenced to prison terms during the early 1980s, many for non-violent offences such as distributing newspapers and leaflets, taking part in demonstrations or collecting funds for prisoners' families. Many of the dead had been students in their teens or early twenties at the time of their arrest. The majority of those killed were supporters of the PMOI, but hundreds of members and supporters of other political groups, including various factions of the PFOI, the Tudeh Party, the KDPI, Rah-e Kargar and others, were also among the execution victims.


text: Similarly, Human Rights Watch devotes a mere handful of pages to the massacre in a background report concerning President Ahmadinejad's cabinet picks.


text: Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the executions as "deliberate and systematic ... extrajudicial killings," and condemned them as crimes against humanity. HRW also accused Mustafa Pour-Mohammadi, Iran's Interior Minister from 2005 to 2008, of direct involvement in the killings.


text: UN judge and human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC urged the UN Security Council to set up a special court, along the lines of the International Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, to try the men who were involved "for one of the worst single human rights atrocities since the Second World War."


text: A 2018 research by Amnesty International found that Ruhollah Khomeini had ordered the torture and execution of thousands of political prisoners through a secret fatwa. In 2016, an audio recording was posted online of a high-level official meeting that took place in August 1988 between Hossein Ali Montazeri and the officials responsible for the mass killings in Tehran. In the recording, Hossein Ali Montazeri is heard saying that the ministry of intelligence used the MEK's armed incursion as a pretext to carry out the mass killings, which "had been under consideration for several years."


text: Scholars disagree over why the prisoners were killed. Ali Akbar Mahdi believes the intense overcrowding of Iranian prisons and the July 1988 Mojahedin Operation Mersad offensive "had much to do" with the massacre. Ervand Abrahamian believes the "regime's internal dynamics" were responsible – the need for "a glue" to hold "together his disparate followers" and a "bloodbath" to "purge" moderates like Montazeri and prevent any future "détente with the West" from destroying his legacy. In particular the killings destroyed any ties, or possibility of ties, between populists in the Khomeini movement on the one hand, and non-Khomeiniist Islamist and secular leftists on the other. Khomeini had been concerned that "some of his followers had toyed with the dangerous notion of working with the Tudeh Party to incorporate more radical clauses into the Labor Law as well as into the Land Reform Law" earlier.


text: In 2012, the families of the victims, along with the survivors of the mass executions initiated an international Commission, the Iran Tribunal, in order to investigate the mass killing of Iran's political prisoners. "Iran Tribunal" is aiming to hold Iran's government accountable on charges of crimes against humanity. The first session of court hearing was organized in London and the second one at The Hague Peace Palace.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Server-side scripting is a technique used in web development which involves employing scripts on a web server which produces a response customized for each user's (client's) request to the website. The alternative is for the web server itself to deliver a static web page. Scripts can be written in any of a number of server-side scripting languages that are available (see below). Server-side scripting is distinguished from client-side scripting where embedded scripts, such as JavaScript, are run client-side in a web browser, but both techniques are often used together.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Server-side scripting is often used to provide a customized interface for the user. These scripts may assemble client characteristics for use in customizing the response based on those characteristics, the user's requirements, access rights, etc. Server-side scripting also enables the website owner to hide the source code that generates the interface, whereas, with client-side scripting, the user has access to all the code received by the client. A downside to the use of server-side scripting is that the client needs to make further requests over the network to the server in order to show new information to the user via the web browser. These requests can slow down the experience for the user, place more load on the server, and prevent the use of the application when the user is disconnected from the server.


title: Server-side scripting

text: When the server serves data in a commonly used manner, for example, according to the HTTP or FTP protocols, users may have their choice of a number of client programs (most modern web browsers can request and receive data using both of those protocols). In the case of more specialized applications, programmers may write their own server, client, and communications protocol, that can only be used with one another.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Programs that run on a user's local computer without ever sending or receiving data over a network are not considered clients, and so the operations of such programs would not be considered client-side operations.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Netscape introduced an implementation of JavaScript for server-side scripting with Netscape Enterprise Server, first released in December, 1994 (soon after releasing JavaScript for browsers).


title: Server-side scripting

text: Server-side scripting was later used in early 1995 by Fred DuFrense while developing the first website for Boston, MA television station WCVB. The technology is described in US patent 5835712. The patent was issued in 1998 and is now owned by Open Invention Network (OIN). In 2010 OIN named Fred DuFresne a "Distinguished Inventor" for his work on server-side scripting.


title: Server-side scripting

text: In the earlier days of the web, server-side scripting was almost exclusively performed by using a combination of C programs, Perl scripts, and shell scripts using the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). Those scripts were executed by the operating system, and the results were served back by the webserver. Many modern web servers can directly execute on-line scripting languages such as ASP, JSP, Perl, PHP and Ruby either by the web server itself or via extension modules (e.g. mod_perl or mod_php) to the webserver. For example, WebDNA includes its own embedded database system. Either form of scripting (i.e., CGI or direct execution) can be used to build up complex multi-page sites, but direct execution usually results in less overhead because of the lower number of calls to external interpreters.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Dynamic websites sometimes use custom web application servers, such as Glassfish, Plack and Python's "Base HTTP Server" library, although some may not consider this to be server-side scripting. When using dynamic web-based scripting techniques, developers must have a keen understanding of the logical, temporal, and physical separation between the client and the server. For a user's action to trigger the execution of server-side code, for example, a developer working with classic ASP must explicitly cause the user's browser to make a request back to the webserver.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Server-side scripts are completely processed by the servers instead of clients. When clients request a page containing server-side scripts, the application server processes the scripts and returns an HTML page to the client.


title: Server-side scripting

text: In the beginning of the web, content was generated purely on the back end. After the big adoption of front end single-page applications, a new approach was introduced to generate the HTML using the client application, but on the back end. Examples of frameworks that use SSR are Next.js, Nuxt.js and Nest.js. They use React.js, Vue.js, and Angular, respectively, to generate the content of the server.


title: Server-side scripting

text: Another similar to SSR technique of generating content for a website is using Server-side generation. This technique use application that create static html pages and then those files are send to the server. File generation can happen on completely different computer for example using continuous delivery. Example of SSG tools are Jekyll, Gatsby or Eleventy. Those sites are often hosted on Netlify or GitHub pages. GitHub also supports Jekyll projects where it automatically build the site when changes are added to git.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The 2014 Extreme Rules was the sixth annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on May 4, 2014, at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and was the first Extreme Rules event to air on the WWE Network, which launched in February. The concept of Extreme Rules is that the event features various hardcore-based matches.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: Eight professional wrestling matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. Only three matches, including the pre-show match, were contested under a hardcore stipulation. In the main event, Daniel Bryan defeated Kane in an Extreme Rules match to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In another prominent match, The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns) defeated the reunited Evolution (Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista) in a six-man tag team match.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The event received 108,000 buys (excluding WWE Network views), down from the previous year's 231,000 buys.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: Extreme Rules is an annual gimmick pay-per-view (PPV) produced by WWE since 2009. The concept of the show is that the event features various matches that are contested under hardcore rules and generally features one Extreme Rules match. The defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, which WWE acquired in 2003, originally used the "extreme rules" term to describe the regulations for all of its matches; WWE adopted the term and has since used it in place of "hardcore match" or "hardcore rules". The 2014 Extreme Rules event was the sixth event under the Extreme Rules chronology. It took place on May 4, 2014, at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In addition to traditional PPV, it was also the first Extreme Rules to air on WWE's online streaming service, the WWE Network, which launched in February.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The card consisted of eight matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers. Storylines between the characters played out on WWE's primary television programs, "Monday Night Raw" and "SmackDown".


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: Fresh off his win at WrestleMania, John Cena continued to feud with Bray Wyatt of The Wyatt Family. Cena called Wyatt out for his inability to physically defend himself and his cryptic messages without Luke Harper and Erick Rowan by his side. To make Wyatt prove himself, Cena challenged him to a steel cage match, which Wyatt accepted. On the April 28, 2014 episode of "Raw", Cena entered the steel cage to address Wyatt's evil message saying that it has begun to spread amongst the audience, only to be greeted by Wyatt and a children's choir singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" with many Wyatt Family supporters singing along. As the children surrounded the ring, the lights went out before coming back on, with the children now wearing sheep masks as Wyatt laughed maniacally with a child on his lap.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On "Raw" the day after WrestleMania XXX, Triple H forced Daniel Bryan to defend his newly won WWE World Heavyweight Championship against him. However, Triple H's former bodyguards, The Shield, turned on him and attacked him, resulting in a no contest. As a result, Triple H reformed Evolution with Batista and Randy Orton and attacked The Shield the following week on "Raw." On the April 18 edition of "SmackDown", Triple H scheduled a six-man tag team match between Evolution and The Shield for Extreme Rules. On the Raw before Extreme Rules, Ric Flair, once part of Evolution, came out only to give his endorsement to the Shield, acknowledging them as the future of the WWE.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On the April 7 edition of "Raw", AJ Lee was bragging about having defended her title against 13 other divas at WrestleMania XXX when NXT Women's Champion Paige came out to congratulate AJ on her title defense. AJ then slapped Paige and challenged her to a match for AJ's Divas Championship. The match itself was dominated by AJ until Paige escaped AJ's submission move, the "Black Widow," and hit one of her finishing moves, the "Paige Turner," to win her first WWE Divas Championship. On the April 15 episode of "WWE Main Event", AJ's bodyguard, Tamina Snuka, won a battle royal to become number one contender to Paige's title, allowing her to wrestle Paige for the championship at Extreme Rules.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On the "Raw" after WrestleMania XXX, Cesaro replaced his manager Zeb Colter with Paul Heyman. This started a rivalry between Heyman and Colter, and by extension between Cesaro and his former tag team partner, Jack Swagger, who was still managed by Colter. Both wrestlers were entered into the tournament to determine Big E's challenger. Prior to Cesaro's semi-final match against Rob Van Dam, Van Dam badmouthed Heyman and advised Cesaro to stay away from him. Van Dam beat Cesaro via count-out after interference from Swagger and Colter. The following week on "Raw", Colter approached Van Dam and suggested that he and Swagger team up to take on a common enemy in Heyman, but Van Dam declined. Van Dam later lost the tournament final to Bad News Barrett after interference from Cesaro; Swagger then appeared, attacked Cesaro and attempted to attack Van Dam before being fought off. This set up a triple-threat match between Cesaro, Swagger and Van Dam at Extreme Rules.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On the April 21 episode of "Raw," Bryan and Brie Bella were getting ready to celebrate their marriage when Stephanie McMahon came out and scheduled Bryan to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Kane at Extreme Rules. Kane then came out from the audience and attacked Bryan, giving him three Tombstone Piledrivers – the first on the floor, the second on the steel steps, and the third on the broadcast table, resulting in Bryan being stretchered out of the arena. One week later, during Brie Bella's match with Paige, Kane came up through a hole from underneath the ring and attempted to pull Brie down with him but she got away.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: Alexander Rusev made his main roster debut on April 7 and scored victories over various superstars, including R-Truth and Xavier Woods. He also attacked both competitors after their respective matches. This set up a 2-on-1 Handicap match with Rusev against R-Truth and Woods at the pay-per-view.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On May 2 edition of "SmackDown", El Torito and Hornswoggle signed the contract for a "WeeLC match" - a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match featuring midget wrestlers, with reduced size tables, ladders, and chairs than a normal such match, for the Kickoff pre-show.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On the April 14 edition of "Raw", a tournament was designed to determine who would challenge Big E for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at the event. The bracket is as listed below:


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The English commentators were Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and John "Bradshaw" Layfield while there were also Spanish and German commentators ringside. Lilian Garcia and Justin Roberts were ring announcers. The Kickoff pre-show was hosted by a panel of Booker T, Alex Riley, Josh Mathews and Sheamus.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: During the Extreme Rules Kickoff pre-show, El Torito faced Hornswoggle in a "WeeLC match," a special midget version of a TLC match (as 'wee' is a synonym for 'small' widely used in Scotland)"." The referee, ring announcer, timekeeper and commentators were midget versions of regular personnel. Torito picked up the victory after a Springboard Seated Senton through a table.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The actual pay-per-view opened with a Triple threat elimination match between Cesaro, Jack Swagger and Rob Van Dam. Van Dam pinned Swagger after a Five Star Frog Splash to eliminate Swagger. In the climax, Van Dam performed a Van Daminator into a trash can on Cesaro and attempted a Five Star Frog Splash but Cesaro avoided, causing Van Dam to crash into the trash can. Cesaro performed a Neutralizer onto the trash can on Van Dam to win the match.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: After that, Alexander Rusev took on R-Truth and Xavier Woods in a 2-on-1 Handicap match. Before the match, Rusev attacked Woods, thus taking Woods out of the match. Rusev forced R-Truth to submit to the Accolade to win the match.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: In the next match, Big E defended his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Bad News Barrett. The match ended when Barrett performed a Bull Hammer on Big E to win the title.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: In the fourth match, The Shield faced Evolution. During the match, Triple H Pedigreed Reigns and Batista pinned Reigns for a near-fall. Orton RKO'd Reigns but Rollins broke up a pinfall by Batista at a two count. Ambrose ran across the announce tables and leapt onto Triple H and Orton. Triple H, Orton, Ambrose and Rollins fought into the arena stands, where Triple H and Orton caused Ambrose to fall down a set of stairs. Triple H and Orton attacked Ambrose until Rollins dove off a balcony onto Triple H and Orton. The ending saw Batista perform a Spinebuster on Reigns and attempt a Batista Bomb on Reigns but Reigns countered and performed a Superman Punch on Batista. Reigns performed a Spear on Batista for the win.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: The fifth match was a Steel cage match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt. During the match, Harper attacked Cena atop the cage, resulting in Harper falling into the cage. Cena performed a Super Attitude Adjustment on Wyatt but Harper broke up the pinfall. Rowan attacked Cena atop the cage but Cena pulled Rowan's beard, causing Rowan to collide with the cage. In the end, Cena performed a Diving Leg Drop Bulldog on Harper and attempted to escape through the door but the arena lights went off. When the arena lights turned on, a demonic child appeared, singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". Wyatt performed Sister Abigail on Cena and escaped through the door to win the match.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: In the penultimate match, Paige defended her WWE Divas Championship against Tamina Snuka. In the end, Tamina attempted a Superkick but Paige countered and forced Tamina to submit to the PTO, retaining the title.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: In the main event, Daniel Bryan defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Kane in an Extreme Rules match. During the match, Bryan and Kane fought backstage, where Bryan attacked Kane with a snow shovel. Bryan placed Kane on a forklift and drove the forklift into the arena, where Bryan performed a Diving Headbutt off the forklift on Kane for a near-fall. Kane performed a Chokeslam on Bryan for a near-fall. Kane attempted a Tombstone Piledriver onto a chair on Bryan but Bryan countered into a DDT on the chair for a near-fall. Bryan applied the Yes Lock using a kendo stick but Kane escaped the hold. Bryan attempted a Suicide Dive on Kane but Kane countered and performed a Chokeslam on Bryan through an announce table. Kane retrieved a table and set the table on fire using lighter fluid but Bryan pulled the ring ropes, causing Kane to fall through the table. Bryan performed a Running Knee on Kane to retain the title.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: At the start of "Raw" after Extreme Rules, Dean Ambrose was forced to defend his United States Championship in a 20-man Battle royal. Ambrose made it to the end with Sheamus, Sheamus eliminated Ambrose to win his second United States Championship, ending Ambrose's reign at 351 days. The Shield then fought The Wyatt Family later in the night; just as things turned in The Shield's favor, Evolution came out and distracted The Shield, allowing The Wyatt Family to win the match. Evolution then assaulted The Shield, and humiliated them by performing The Shield's signature Triple Powerbomb to Roman Reigns. This led to The Shield challenging Evolution to a rematch at Payback, which they accepted. The match was made a No Holds Barred Elimination match.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: Cena's feud with Wyatt continued with a Last Man Standing match being set up for Payback. At the pay-per-view, Cena defeated Wyatt to win the match and end their feud.


title: Extreme Rules (2014)

text: On the May 12 episode of "Raw", Daniel Bryan announced that he would undergo neck surgery, and would be absent from WWE for an unspecified amount of time. That same night, Stephanie McMahon called Bryan to the ring, before Kane dragged him out into the entrance before being loaded onto a stretcher by medical personnel. On May 15, Bryan underwent successful neck surgery, with a cervical foraminotomy to decompress the nerve root having been performed. On the May 19 edition of "Raw", Stephanie McMahon gave Bryan an ultimatum to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship the following week on "Raw". Bryan replied next week on "Raw" that he wouldn't surrender it. McMahon then retaliated saying that she would give until Payback to surrender the title. If he didn't surrender, his wife Brie Bella will be fired. At Payback, Brie would let Bryan keep the championship by quitting WWE, and finalized it by slapping McMahon across the face.


title: Isaac Albéniz

text: Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his contemporaries and younger composers. He is best known for his piano works based on Spanish folk music idioms. Isaac Albéniz was close to the Generation of '98.


title: Isaac Albéniz

text: Transcriptions of many of his pieces, such as "Asturias (Leyenda)", "Granada", "Sevilla", "Cadiz", "Córdoba", "Cataluña", "Mallorca", and Tango in D, are important pieces for classical guitar, though he never composed for the guitar. The personal papers of Albéniz are preserved in, among other institutions, the Library of Catalonia.


title: Isaac Albéniz

text: Born in Camprodon, province of Girona, to Ángel Albéniz (a customs official) and his wife, Maria de los Dolores Pascual, Albéniz was a child prodigy who first performed at the age of four. At age seven, after apparently taking lessons from Antoine François Marmontel, he passed the entrance examination for piano at the Conservatoire de Paris, but he was refused admission because he was believed to be too young. By the time he had reached 12, he had made many attempts to run away from home.


title: Isaac Albéniz

text: His concert career began at the age of nine when his father toured both Isaac and his sister, Clementina, throughout northern Spain. A popular myth is that at the age of twelve Albéniz stowed away in a ship bound for Buenos Aires. He then found himself in Cuba, then in the United States, giving concerts in New York and San Francisco and then travelled to Liverpool, London and Leipzig. By age 15, he had already given concerts worldwide. This story is not entirely false, Albéniz did travel the world as a performer; however, he was accompanied by his father, who as a customs agent was required to travel frequently. This can be attested by comparing Isaac's concert dates with his father's travel itinerary.