title: New York City

text: New York City started as a trading post created by colonists from the Dutch Republic in 1624 on Lower Manhattan; the post was named New Amsterdam in 1626. In 1664, the English controlled the city and the areas around it, and were renamed "New York" after King Charles II of England gave the lands to his brother, the Duke of York. New York was the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790, and has been the biggest U.S. city since 1790. The Statue of Liberty welcomed millions of immigrants as they came to the U.S. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it is a symbol of the U.S. and its ideals of liberty and peace. In the 21st century, New York has grew into a global hub of creativity and entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity. In 2019, New York was voted the best city in the world in a survey of over 30,000 people from 48 cities worldwide, because of its cultural diversity.


title: New York City

text: Many districts and landmarks in New York City are well known, including three of the world's ten most visited tourist places in 2013. A record 62.8 million tourists came to New York City in 2017. Times Square is the colorful area of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a famous area for the world's entertainment industry. Many of the city's landmarks, skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattan's real estate market is one of the most expensive in the world. New York has more Chinese people outside of China than anywhere in the world, with many Chinatowns across the city. The New York City Subway is the biggest single-operator rapid transit system worldwide, with rail stations. The city has over 120 colleges and universities, including Columbia University, New York University, Rockefeller University, and the City University of New York system, which is the biggest urban public university system in the United States. The world's two largest stock exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange, located on Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, and NASDAQ, headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, are both in Manhattan.


title: New York City

text: In 1664, the city was named after the Duke of York, who would become King James II of England. James's older brother, King Charles II, had chosen the Duke proprietor of the former territory of New Netherland, including the city of New Amsterdam, which England had recently taken from the Dutch.


title: New York City

text: The oldest part of the city, the island of Manhattan, still has its original Lenape name. Although Native people such as the Lenape and Canaries had lived there for many thousands of years, New York City was first explored by Europeans in the 1500s. Florentine explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano found the entrance to New York Harbor in the year 1524 he gived to this site the name of New Angoulême in the honor of Francois 1st. In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York Harbor while looking for the Northwest Passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company. Hudson's first mate said it was "a very good Harbour for all windes" and the river was "a mile broad" and "full of fish".


title: New York City

text: Juan Rodriguez (transliterated to Dutch as "Jan Rodrigues") was one of the first people associated with Europe to live there. He was a merchant from Santo Domingo. He was born in Santo Domingo of Portuguese and African descent, and he came to Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14. He trapped for pelts and traded with the local people as a representative of the Dutch. Broadway, from 159th Street to 218th Street in Upper Manhattan, is named Juan Rodriguez Way in his honor.


title: New York City

text: New York City was settled by Europeans from The Netherlands in 1624. The Dutch called the whole area of New York Netherland (New Netherland) and they named a fort and town on the south end of Brooklyn.


title: New York City

text: In 1626, the Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit, acting for the Dutch West India Company, bought the island of Manhattan from the "Canarsie", a small Lenape band. He paid "the value of 60 guilders" (about $900 in 2018). A false story says that Manhattan was bought for $24 worth of glass beads. 1626 was also the year the Dutch began to bring black slaves there.


title: New York City

text: After the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly. In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant started his job as the last Director-General of New Netherland. During this time, the number of people of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000.


title: New York City

text: Island New Amsterdam (New Amsterdam), after the capital city of the Netherlands, which was to become present-day New York. The English took over the colony in 1664 during the second Anglo-Dutch War. They changed the name to New York, to honor the Duke of York, who later became King James II of England and James VII of Scotland. The Dutch surrendered Nieuw Amsterdam without fighting.


title: New York City

text: By the time the English took New York, there were many other Dutch towns in what would become New York City, including Breukelen (Brooklyn), Vlissingen (Flushing), and Nieuw Haarlem (Harlem). There were already some English towns in the area also, such as Gravesend in Brooklyn and Newtown in Queens. Dutch, English and other people had been living together in New York for a long time.


title: New York City

text: New York became more important as a trading port while under British rule in the early 1700s. It also became a center of slavery as the British increased the slave trade and built a slave market in the city. 42% of households owned slaves by 1730, the highest percentage outside Charleston, South Carolina.


title: New York City

text: The 1735 trial and acquittal in Manhattan of John Peter Zenger, who had been accused of seditious libel after criticizing colonial governor William Cosby, helped to create the freedom of the press in North America. In 1754, Columbia University was created under charter by King George II; it was called King's College, and it was in Lower Manhattan.


title: New York City

text: New York quickly grew to become a large and important port city. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October 1765, as the Sons of Liberty. It organized in the city, and they skirmished over the next ten years with British troops stationed there. The important Battle of Long Island of the American Revolution was fought in Brooklyn in 1776; it was the biggest battle of the war. The Americans lost the battle. The British used the area as its headquarters for the war in North America.


title: New York City

text: New York was the capital of the United States under the Articles of Confederation from 1785 to 1788. When the US Constitution was made, it stayed as the capital from 1789 until 1790. In 1789, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was inaugurated; the first United States Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States each met for the first time, and the United States Bill of Rights was written, all at Federal Hall on Wall Street. By 1790, New York grew bigger than Philadelphia, so it become the biggest city in the United States. By the end of 1790, because of the Residence Act, Philadelphia became the new capital.


title: New York City

text: During the nineteenth century, New York City's population grew from ~60,000 to ~3.43 million. The number of black people in New York City reached more than 16,000 in 1840. Even though slavery and the slave trade were abolished in New York, the slave trade continued illegally for many years.


title: New York City

text: The Great Irish Famine brought a many Irish immigrants; more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, more than a quarter of the city's population. There was also many people from German provinces, and Germans made up another 25% of New York's population by 1860.


title: New York City

text: During the American Civil War, many white people in the city supported the Confederate States of America, and July 1863 they killed many black New Yorkers in a riot.


title: New York City

text: In 1898, the cities of New York and Brooklyn came together with the Bronx, Staten Island, and the western towns in Queens County to make Greater New York. This is the total area of the City of New York today. Around this time, many new immigrants came into New York City. They came in at Ellis Island, an island in New York's harbor near the Statue of Liberty. Many of them then moved to the Lower East Side neighborhood in Manhattan, which had over a million people living in just a few square miles.


title: New York City

text: Early in the twentieth century, with better transportation, more people moved to outer parts of the greater city, and many commuted to Manhattan. Many skyscrapers and other big buildings were put up to provide places to work.


title: New York City

text: In the 1970s, many jobs were lost due to industrial restructuring. This caused New York City to have economic problems and high crime rates. Though the financial industry grew, which greatly helped the city's economy in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into the beginning of the 1990s. By the mid 1990s, crime rates started to drop a lot due to different police strategies, better economic opportunities, gentrification, and new residents, both Americans and new immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Important new sectors, such as Silicon Alley, started in the city's economy. New York's population reached all-time highs in the 2000 census and then again in the 2010 census.


title: New York City

text: New York had most of the economic damage and biggest loss of human life from the September 11, 2001 attacks. Two of the four planes taken over that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, destroying them and killing 2,192 civilians, 343 firefighters, and 71 police officers. The North Tower became the tallest building ever to be destroyed anywhere.


title: New York City

text: Hurricane Sandy brought a destructive storm surge to New York City on the evening of October 29, 2012, flooding numerous streets, tunnels and subway lines in Lower Manhattan and other areas of the city and cutting off electricity in many parts of the city and its suburbs.


title: New York City

text: During the Wisconsin glaciation, 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was at the edge of a big ice sheet over deep. Erosion and the ice moving lead to the creation of what is now Long Island and Staten Island. It also left bedrock at a shallow depth, providing a solid foundation for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers.


title: New York City

text: New York City is located in the Northeastern United States, in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston. The city includes all of Manhattan Island and Staten Island, and the western end of Long Island. There are also many smaller islands.


title: New York City

text: Water divides several parts of the city. The Hudson River flows through the Hudson Valley into New York Bay. Between New York City and Troy, New York, the river is an estuary. The Hudson River separates the city from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Part of the Hudson River forms the border between Manhattan and the Bronx on one side, and the State of New Jersey on the other side. The East River forms the border between Manhattan on one side, and Brooklyn and Queens on the other side. The Harlem River forms the border between Manhattan and the Bronx (except for a small part of Manhattan that is on the mainland). Part of Long Island Sound separates the Bronx and Queens. Newtown Creek is part of the border between Brooklyn and Queens. Some parts of the city are very separate from the others because of water, such as Rockaway in Queens and City Island in the Bronx. A small piece of land in Manhattan is international territory and belongs to the United Nations Headquarters. The country of Somalia is the only country whose national flag copied the colors of the UN. The Bronx River, which flows through the Bronx and Westchester County, is the only entirely fresh water river in the city.


title: New York City

text: The city's total area is , including of land and of this is water. The tallest place in the city is Todt Hill on Staten Island. It is at above sea level, and it is the tallest place on the Eastern Seaboard that is south of Maine. The summit of the ridge is mostly woodland as part of the Staten Island Greenbelt.


title: New York City

text: The hallmark of New York city is its many skyscrapers, especially in Manhattan. In New York City there are about 5600 skyscrapers. 48 of them are over 200 metres tall, which is the highest number of skyscrapers in one area in the world.


title: New York City

text: Manhattan (New York County) is the geographically smallest and most densely populated borough. It has Central Park and most of the city's skyscrapers. It is sometimes locally known as "The City".


title: New York City

text: Brooklyn (Kings County), on the western end of Long Island, has the most people living in it than any other borough. Brooklyn is known for its cultural, social, and ethnic diversity, an independent art scene, unique neighborhoods, and unique architecture.


title: New York City

text: Queens (Queens County), on Long Island north and east of Brooklyn, is geographically the biggest borough and the most ethnically diverse county in the United States. It is also the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.


title: New York City

text: The Bronx (Bronx County) is New York City's northernmost borough. It is the only New York City borough with most of the land being on the mainland United States. The Yankee Stadium, the baseball park of the New York Yankees, and the biggest cooperatively owned housing complex in the United States, Co-op City, are in the Bronx. The Bronx Zoo, the world's largest metropolitan zoo, is also in the Bronx. It is big and has more than 6,000 animals. Rap and hip hop culture were created in the Bronx. Pelham Bay Park is the biggest park in New York City, at .


title: New York City

text: Staten Island (Richmond County) is the most suburban of the five boroughs. Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It is connected to Manhattan by way of the free Staten Island Ferry, a daily commuter ferry which has clear views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan. In central Staten Island, the Staten Island Greenbelt is about big, including of walking trails and one of the last untouched forests in the city.


title: New York City

text: Under the Köppen climate classification, New York City experiences a humid subtropical climate ("Cfa") that borders a humid continental climate ("Dfa"). The average temperature in January, the area's coldest month, is . However, temperatures in winter could for a few days be as low as and as high as . Summers are typically hot and humid with a July average of . New York City gets some snow in winter.


title: New York City

text: New York City currently has over 9 million people. Over 20 million people live in the New York metropolitan area including the city. The majority of the people in New York City belong to ethnic groups that are minorities in the US. New York City has had large numbers of immigrants for centuries. In the early 19th Century, they came from Ireland and Germany. Later in the 19th century, they came from Italy, Russia and Eastern Europe. Today, many are from Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia. Other ethnic groups living in New York City are Turks, Indians, Mexicans, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Caribbeans and Chinese. New York City has one of the largest Hispanic and Latino population in the United States.


title: New York City

text: New York City is a global hub of business and commerce, as a center for banking and finance, retailing, world trade, transportation, tourism, real estate, new media, traditional media, advertising, legal services, accountancy, insurance, theater, fashion, and the arts in the United States. The Port of New York and New Jersey is also a big part of the economy. It received a record cargo volume in 2017, over 6.7 million TEUs. New York City's unemployment rate fell to its record low of 4.0% in September 2018.


title: New York City

text: Many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in New York City, as are many multinational corporations. One out of ten private sector jobs in the city is with a foreign company. New York City has been ranked first among cities around the world in getting capital, business, and tourists. New York City's role as the top global center for the advertising industry can be seen with "Madison Avenue". The city's fashion industry has about 180,000 employees with $11 billion in annual wages.


title: New York City

text: Chocolate is New York City's biggest specialty-food export, with up to $234 million worth of exports each year. Entrepreneurs were creating a "Chocolate District" in Brooklyn , while Godiva, one of the world's biggest chocolatiers, continues to be headquartered in Manhattan.


title: New York City

text: New York City's most biggest economic part is the U.S. financial industry, also known as "Wall Street". The city's securities industry, which has 163,400 jobs in August 2013, continues to be the biggest part of the city's financial sector and an important economic part. In 2012, Walls Street made 5.0 percent of the city's private sector jobs, 8.5 percent ($3.8 billion) of its tax revenue, and 22 percent of the city's total wages, including an average salary of $360,700.


title: New York City

text: In Lower Manhattan, there is the New York Stock Exchange, on Wall Street, and the NASDAQ, at 165 Broadway, representing the world's biggest and second biggest stock exchanges, respectively. Investment banking fees on Wall Street totaled about $40 billion in 2012, while in 2013, senior New York City bank officers who manage risk and compliance functions earned as much as $324,000 every year. In fiscal year 2013–14, Wall Street's securities industry made 19% of New York State's tax revenue.


title: New York City

text: Many of the world's biggest media conglomerates are also in the city. Manhattan had more than 500 million square feet (46.5 million m) of office space in 2018, making it the biggest office market in the United States. Midtown Manhattan, with 400 million square feet (37.2 million m) in 2018, is the biggest central business area in the world.


title: New York City

text: New York is an important place for the American entertainment industry, with many movies, television series, books, and other media being set there. , New York City was the second biggest center for filmmaking and television production in the United States, making about 200 feature films every year, making about 130,000 jobs. The filmed entertainment industry has been growing in New York, providing nearly $9 billion to the New York City economy as of 2015. By amount, New York is the world leader in independent film production—one-third of all American independent films are created there. The Association of Independent Commercial Producers is also based in New York.


title: New York City

text: New York City is also an important place for the advertising, music, newspaper, digital media, and publishing industries, and it is the biggest media market in North America. Some of the city's media conglomerates and companies include Time Warner, the Thomson Reuters Corporation, the Associated Press, Bloomberg L.P., the News Corporation, The New York Times Company, NBCUniversal, the Hearst Corporation, AOL, and Viacom. Seven of the world's top eight global advertising agency networks have their headquarters in New York. Two of the top three record labels' headquarters are in New York: Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. Universal Music Group also has offices in New York.


title: New York City

text: More than 200 newspapers and 350 magazines have an office in the city, and the publishing industry has about 25,000 jobs. Two of the three national daily newspapers with the biggest circulations in the United States are published in New York: "The Wall Street Journal" and "The New York Times", which has won the most Pulitzer Prizes for journalism. Big tabloid newspapers in the city include "The New York Daily News", which was created in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson, and "The New York Post", created in 1801 by Alexander Hamilton. The city also has a many ethnic presses, with 270 newspapers and magazines published in more than 40 languages. "El Diario La Prensa" is New York's biggest Spanish-language daily newspaper, and it is the oldest in the United States. "The New York Amsterdam News", published in Harlem, is a big African American newspaper. "The Village Voice", historically the biggest alternative newspaper in the United States, announced in 2017 that it would end publication of its print version, and it will only publish online.


title: New York City

text: New York is also an important place for non-commercial educational media. The oldest public-access television channel in the United States is the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, created in 1971.


title: New York City

text: The New York City Public Schools system, managed by the New York City Department of Education, is the biggest public school system in the United States. It serves about 1.1 million students in more than 1,700 different primary and secondary schools.


title: New York City

text: The New York City Charter School Center helps the creation of new charter schools. There are about 900 additional private secular and religious schools in the city.


title: New York City

text: More than 600,000 students are enrolled in New York City's more than 120 colleges and universities, which is the most of any city in the United States and more than other major global cities such as London, and Tokyo. More than half a million are just in the City University of New York (CUNY) system , including both degree and professional programs. New York City's colleges and universities had also higher average scores than those two cities in 2019, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. New York City has many famous private universities such as Barnard College, Columbia University, Cooper Union, Fordham University, New York University, New York Institute of Technology, Rockefeller University, and Yeshiva University; many of these universities are ranked as some of the best universities in the world.


title: New York City

text: The mayor of New York is Eric Adams, a Democrat. The city also has a City Council that makes some local laws. Most laws in New York City are set by the state government in Albany.


title: New York City

text: Subway transportation is provided by the New York City Subway system, one of the biggest in the world. Pennsylvania Station, the busiest train station in the United States, is here.


title: New York City

text: John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is in the Queens borough of New York, is one of the busiest airports in the United States.


title: Lord's Prayer

text: The Lord's Prayer is the best known prayer in the Christian religion. It is also known as the Our Father (the first two words of the prayer) and Pater noster (which is Latin for "Our Father"). It was not until the Protestant Reformation that it was called the Lord's Prayer.


title: Lord's Prayer

text: The prayer is spoken in two places in the New Testament of the Bible (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4). Jesus' disciples asked him how they should pray. Jesus gave an example of how to pray to Father God.


title: Lord's Prayer

text: The Bible has been translated into English several times. Therefore, there are slightly different versions that are used. The traditional and one of the best-known versions is the translation from the Book of Common Prayer (1662):


title: Lord's Prayer

text: Luigi Cherubini, Martin Luther, Die Toten Hosen, Charles Gounod, Leoš Janáček, Franz Liszt, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Otto Nicolai, Bernardino Rizzi, Igor Stravinsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Leonard Bernstein (in Mass), Giuseppe Verdi and Leonardo Schiavo.


title: Pythagoras

text: Pythagoras of Samos was a famous Greek mathematician and philosopher ( ). He is known best for the proof of the important Pythagorean theorem, which is about right angle triangles. He started a group of mathematicians, called the Pythagoreans, who worshiped numbers and lived like monks. He had an influence on Plato.


title: Pythagoras

text: He had a great impact on mathematics , theory of music and astronomy. His theories are still used in mathematics today. He was one of the greatest thinkers of his time.


title: Pythagoras

text: Pythagoras was born in Samos, a little island off the western coast of Asia Minor. There is not much information about his life. It is said that he had a good childhood. Growing up with two or three brothers, he was well educated. He did not agree with the government and their schooling, so he moved to Crotone and set up his own cult (little society) of followers under his rule. His followers did not have any personal possessions, and they were all vegetarians. Pythagoras taught them all, and they had to obey strict rules.


title: Pythagoras

text: Some say he was the first person to use the term philosophy. Since he worked very closely with his group, the Pythagoreans, it is sometimes hard to tell his works from those of his followers.


title: Pythagoras

text: Religion was important to the Pythagoreans. They swore their oaths by "1+2+3+4" (which equals 10). They also believed the soul is immortal and goes through a cycle of rebirths until it can become pure. They believed that these souls were in both animal and plant life.


title: Pythagoras

text: Pythagoras' most important belief was that the physical world was mathematical and that numbers were the real reality.


title: Pythagoras

text: Pythagoras is most famous for his theorem to do with right triangles. He said that the length of the longest side of the right angled triangle called the hypotenuse (C) squared would equal the sum of the other sides squared. And so a² + b² = c² was born. There are many different proofs for this Pythagorean theorem.


title: Computer monitor

text: A computer monitor is an electronic device that shows pictures for computers. Monitors often look like smaller televisions. The main difference between a monitor and a television is that a monitor does not have a television tuner to change channels. Monitors often have higher display resolution than televisions. A high display resolution makes it easier to see smaller letters and fine graphics.


title: Ragnarök

text: In Norse mythology, Ragnarök which in Old Norse translates to "Doom of the Gods" is the battle at the end of the world. It is to be fought between the gods or Æsir, led by Odin; and the fire giants, the Jötnar and other monsters, led by Loki and Surtr. Not only will most of the gods, giants, and monsters die in this battle, but almost everything in the universe will be destroyed.


title: Ragnarök

text: Hoenir, Magni, Modi, Njord, Vidar, Vali, and the daughter of Sol are all stated to survive Ragnarok. All of the remaining Æsir then reunite at Ithavllir. Baldr and Hod return from the underworld - Baldr having been killed by Hod, and Hod by Vali, before Ragnarok. Hoenir either makes slots for divination or receives a wand for divination, depending on the translation. Vidar - who avenges Odin - and Vali are unharmed by Surtr's fire or the flood. Magni and Modi who will wield their father's (Thor) hammer, Mjolnir, will also live. Njord is stated to return to Vanaheim at "the doom of man", which has been interpreted as Ragnarok. Sol (who dies) gives birth to a daughter who will follow her path in the new world.


title: Ragnarök

text: There are some beings whose fate after Ragnarok is uncertain. Nidhhoggr is stated to fly with darkness under him and corpses on his back at the end of the Voluspa. This has been noted to not fit well with the theme of the last stanza, in which all of the old and bad has been burnt, and a new world with only good will rise of the waters. The last stanza has seen this interpreted differently, with some having Nidhoggr as the last remaining evil in the new world, and others stating that Nidhhoggr will rise one more time but then fall back to the ground, meaning evil has been defeated and all is good in the new world.


title: Ragnarök

text: Additionally, the dwarfs are stated to be in their "stone doors". This has been interpreted as meaning that the dwarfs are stuck in their mountain homes or structures, which are going to fall - but that they are unable to leave, as they will turn to stone if they do.


title: One-party state

text: A one-party system is a form of government where the country is ruled by a single political party, meaning only one political party exists and the forming of other political parties is forbidden.


title: One-party state

text: Some countries have many political parties that exist, but only one that can by law be in control. This is called a one-party dominant state. In this case opposition parties against the dominant ruling party are allowed, but have no real chance of gaining power. For example, in China all power is vested in the Communist Party of China. Other parties are allowed to exist only if they accept the leading role of the Communist Party


title: One-party state

text: The Soviet Union from 1922–1991, Nazi Germany from 1933–1945, Italy under Benito Mussolini from 1922–1943, and various Eastern Bloc states are some of the best-known examples of one-party states in history. Some one-party states are considered dictatorships and called a police state or a military dictatorship, if a secret police force or the military is used to keep a dictator in power through force.


title: One-party state

text: The one-party system is also a common trait of communist Marxist-Leninist and fascist political philosophies.


title: One-party state

text: Countries where other parties are legal, but none exists at present. Also, in some kingdoms a royal family actually rules the country with or without political parties. Kingdoms and Emirates in the Middle East are examples.


title: One-party state

text: Examples commonly cited include: United Russia (CP) in Russia, the New Azerbaijan Party in Azerbaijan, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey, Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Serbia, Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) in Montenegro, the People's Action Party (PAP) in Singapore, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the Ba'ath Party in the Syrian Arab Republic, Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea in Equatorial Guinea, Awami League in Bangladesh, the Belaya Rus in Belarus, PSUV in Venezuela, MPLA in Angola, the FRELIMO in Mozambique, the Colorado Party in Paraguay, the ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe, and the in Japan.


title: One-party state

text: In some countries which have this system, methods are used to suppress other parties, without actually banning them. In some cases state power is used directly and indirectly to prevent smaller parties getting more votes. This can include electoral fraud, gerrymandering or court decisions (which are controlled by the government). In many cases, opposition leaders and other figures are prevented from using the mass media at election time, and also they often are threatened, harassed, jailed and even killed. In other cases, apart from the government candidates, only candidates from smaller allied parties and "independent" candidates who are closely allied to the dominant ruling party, get an overwhelming advantage.


title: Water pollution

text: Water pollution is the pollution of bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, seas, the oceans, as well as groundwater. It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies of water, without treatment. Waste from homes, factories and other buildings get into the water bodies and as a result water gets contaminated.


title: Water pollution

text: Water pollution is a problem for the species and ecosystems there. It affects plants and organisms living in the water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the wider biological communities. The color is usually green or brown but normal water can be blue.


title: Water pollution

text: Agriculture is one of the major sources of water pollution. The fertilizers given to the crops for better growth are washed into rivers and lakes, which in turn pollutes the water.


title: Water pollution

text: There are many chemicals that are naturally found in these bodies of water. Today water may be polluted by nitrates, phosphates, oil, acid rain, and debris such as sediment, fallen logs and so on. When people and animals drink water from such rivers, the poisonous chemicals may affect them. Life in rivers are also affected, and humans who consume fish may also have health problems.


title: Computer mouse

text: A computer mouse is an input device that is used with a computer. Moving a mouse along a flat surface can move the cursor to different items on the screen.


title: Computer mouse

text: Today's mouse has two buttons, the left button and right button, with a scroll wheel in between the two. Many computer mice use wireless technology and have no wire.


title: Computer mouse

text: Today, this device is on almost every desktop computer. The main function is to move the mouse pointer on the screen. The mouse pointer can be used for many actions on the computer. Clicking or double clicking an icon, folder, or other object will open a document or start a program. Users can also move an icon, folder, or other object by clicking a mouse button and dragging the object with the mouse pointer. Pointing to an item on the screen means moving your mouse so the pointer appears to be touching the item. When you point to something, a small box often appears that describes the item.


title: Computer mouse

text: There are many types of mouse: Optical mouse, wireless mouse, mechanical mouse, trackball mouse. A computer mouse is a handheld hardware input device that controls a cursor in a GUI and can move and select text, icons, files, and folders. For desktop computers, the mouse is placed on a flat surface such as a mouse pad or a desk and is placed in front of your computer. The picture to the right is an example of a desktop computer mouse with two buttons and a wheel. The mouse was originally known as the X-Y position Indicator for a display system and was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963 while working at Xerox PARC. However, due to Alto's lack of success, the first widely used application of the mouse was with the Apple Lisa computer.


title: Computer mouse

text: In 1964 Douglas Engelbart (1925-2013), a researcher at Stanford Research Institute, wanted to find a way to make using computers easier. In those days, computers were large and expensive. Using them was very hard because everything had to be typed in on a keyboard. This command line interface is still used by some people, such as programmers, to get things done faster.


title: Computer mouse

text: After studying and designing for a long time, Engelbart succeeded in inventing an input device which he named 'XY index'. At first, it needed two hands to use, but it was changed so that only one hand was needed to use it. This model was more like the mouse that we use today, but was made up of a big ball that the user had to roll in different directions to move the cursor.


title: Computer mouse

text: The computer mouse began to be widely used when Xerox Palo Alto Research introduced a GUI in 1981, where the mouse was used to click things on the screen. This was also the case with the Macintosh operating system from Apple of Apple Inc when it came out in 1984, as well as Microsoft Windows. Windows became popular over the years, so over time computer mice became used with many computers.


title: Computer mouse

text: In 1991, the company Logitech invented the wireless mouse. Unlike a normal mouse, wireless mice were connected by radio signals. Newer wireless mice use Bluetooth or WiFi to connect wireless mice to computers.


title: Computer mouse

text: On most computers, the user can move the mouse to move the cursor in the same direction. To choose something that is on the screen, the user can move the cursor to it and "click" the left mouse button. The right button is used to open menus that are different depending on where the cursor is. The other mouse buttons can do different things, depending on the software. Most mice have two buttons to click.


title: Computer mouse

text: Most mice also have the "scroll wheel"—a small wheel found between the two main mouse buttons. The user can move the wheel back and forth to "scroll" through things like a website or folder. "Scrolling" means moving the words or pictures up or down on the screen, so another part of the page comes into view. The wheel can also be pressed, to click it like another button.


title: Computer mouse

text: A mouse can also be connected to and used the same way with a laptop computer, but unlike a desktop computer, one does not have to be connected to use the laptop. This is because along with the keyboard, laptops have a built-in input device called a trackpad which does the same thing as a mouse. Similarly, tablet computers have a touchscreen as an input device, but some, like the Microsoft Surface and those that use Android, also work with mice.


title: Narendra Modi

text: Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician. He is the current Prime Minister of India serving since 2014. He was the 14th Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. Modi was elected Prime Minister of India in May 2014. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.


title: Narendra Modi

text: Narendra Modi was born into a Gujarati family in Vadnagar. As a child, he used to help his Father, who ran a tea stall at Vadnagar railway station. Later, he and his brother ran a tea stall of their own at a bus terminus.


title: Narendra Modi

text: In 1978, Modi received a B.A. degree in political science from School of Open Learning at University of Delhi, graduating with a third class. Five years later, in 1983, he received a Master of Arts degree in political science from Gujarat University, as an external distance learning student.


title: Narendra Modi

text: Modi led the BJP in the 2014 Indian general election which gave the party a majority in the Indian lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, the first time for any single party since 1984. He soon became Prime Minister of India.


title: Narendra Modi

text: PM Modi's administration has tried to raise foreign investment in the Indian economy and cut spending on healthcare and social welfare programmes. Moreover, The Modi government has also amendments to existing environmental and labour laws.


title: Narendra Modi

text: Following his party's victory in the 2019 Indian general election, introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act, which resulted in widespread protests across the country.


title: Narendra Modi

text: Modi was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001. Modi was elected to the legislative assembly soon after. His administration oversaw the 2002 Gujarat riots, and he was criticized on how he handled it initially which was his starting career as a chief minister .


title: Narendra Modi

text: As a Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has had high approval ratings. In early 2017, a survey from Pew Research Center showed Modi to be the most popular figure in Indian politics.


title: Narendra Modi

text: In 1968, he married Jashodaben. However, the couple has been separated. Narendra has a close relationship with his mother, Hiraben. He is a vegetarian.


title: Common Era

text: Common Era (CE; ) is a method used to identify a year. It means "a year in our time" (rather than a year a very long time ago). It is the system for recording dates used almost everywhere around the world today. It is in common use.


title: Common Era

text: CE is an alternative to the AD system used by Christians but the numbering is the same: the year 2022 CE is equally AD 2022 (but usually we just say "the year is 2022"). AD is an abbreviation of the . The CE method was created as an alternative to AD as not everyone is a Christian. However, the name Christian Era () is another name for Common Era.


title: Common Era

text: When writing about calendars, an era is span of dates, starting from a particular moment in time. In the case of both CE and AD, that start date is approximately the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Neither system uses a year zero (0): the year before 1 CE was 1 BCE.


title: Common Era

text: Before Common Era (BCE) is the system for the years "Before the Common Era". BCE uses the same numbering as BC (Before Christ). "CE" and "BCE" are placed after the year number. Thus we write "Right now our year is 2022 CE" or "Artaxerxes III of Persia was born in 425 BCE."


title: Common Era

text: Usage of Common Era notation began about 1615 among Christians in Europe, and has been growing among non-Christians and among Christians who desire to be sensitive to non-Christians.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: Peruvudaiyar Kovil is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, also called Rajarajesvaram temple or Peruvudaiyār Kōvil temple. It is located on the south side of Kaveri river in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as "Periya Kovil", "RajaRajeswara Temple" and "Rajarajeswaram". It is one of the largest temples in India. Peruvudaiyaar Kovil is an example of Tamil architecture from the Chola period. It was built by Tamil King Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD. The temple turned 1000 years old in 2010. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: The temple has fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The "vimanam" (temple tower) is high and is the tallest in the world. The "Kumbam" (the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 80 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock measuring about long and high at the entrance. The entire temple structure is made out of granite.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: The nearest sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu. the temple consists of nandi mandapa, a pillared potico and an assembly hall, all interconnected.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: A study in Oriental architecture or history is certainly incomplete without a mention of the Tanjore Brihadeeshwara Temple or the Tanjore Periya Kovil (Big Temple).


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: This imposing structure was built by Raja Raja Cholan and his sister Kundavai, both ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. It was constructed by the King at the height of the Chola reign to signify his power and strength. Here are a few facts not known about this Chola temple of Thanjavur:


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: a) The original name of the deity was Rajarajeshwar. It was the Marathas who gave it the name Brihadeeshwara or the Great Ishwara.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: b) The main temple is entirely built of granite. More than 130,000 tons of granite is said to have been used to build it.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: c) A long associated myth with this temple temple is that the shadow of the main structure does not fall on the ground. However, this has been proven wrong by scientists.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: f) The inspiration to build the temple came to Raja Raja Cholan during his visit to Sri Lanka and is a result of a dream he had.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: g) The temple has a portrait of Raja Raja Cholan paying obeisance to Lord Natarajar. This is undoubtedly, the first ever instance of a royal portrait.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: h) Inscriptions in the temple point towards Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as the chief architect of the temple. His successors survive to this day and practice the art of Vastu or Vastu Shastra.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: i) Depictions of nartakis or dancers showing eighty one of hundred and eight karanas (synchronised movements of hands and feet) in Bharata Natyam are carved here. These karanas are a part of karanas mentioned in the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni or Sage Bharata. There is also evidence that the temple was a platform for talented dancers to showcase their talent. These depictions are first of their kind.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: j) The inscriptions also mention the different kinds of jewels used in the period. Each of these jewels are mentioned in detail. A total of twenty three different types of pearls, eleven varieties of diamonds and rubies are mentioned in these inscriptions.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: k)The earliest design plan of the temple date back to 921 AD indicating this took multiple generations to complete.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: What astounds historians is that there was not a single granite quarry in about 100 km radius of the temple. This means that transporting these stones would have been a herculean task. But Raja Raja Cholan insisted on the use of these stones. All of these features make this Chola temple of Tanjore, a magnum opus of the Chola reign.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: Brihadeeswarar temple is one of the few temples that have Ashta-dikpaalakas (Guardians of the directions) idols. Chola frescoes adorn the wall of the temple and these frescoes depict Shiva in different poses. Brihadeeswarar temple is the first complete granite temple in the world. Around 60,000 tons of granite is said to be used to build the temple.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: Brihadeeswarar temple, also known as the Tanjore big temple expounds the number of alphabets in Tamil by the distance and height it is designed.


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: The height of Lord Shiva in the form of Lingam* inside the temple is 12 feet = The number of letters in Uyir Ezhuthu(12)


title: Brihadeshwara Temple

text: The distance between the Sivalingam and the Nandhi is 247 feet = The total number of Tamil letters present that includes Ayutha Ezhuthu(247)


title: Culture

text: Culture is a word for the 'way of life' of groups of people, meaning the way they do things. Different groups may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking and in what they do.


title: Culture

text: The concept of culture is very complicated, and the word has many meanings. The word 'culture' is most commonly used in three ways.


title: Culture

text: Most broadly, 'culture' includes all human phenomena which are not purely results of human genetics. The discipline which investigates cultures is called anthropology, though many other disciplines play a part.


title: Culture

text: Cultures are what make a country unique and interesting. Each country has different cultural activities and cultural rituals. Culture includes material goods, the things the people use and produce. Culture is also the beliefs and values of the people and the ways they think about and understand the world and their own lives.


title: Culture

text: Different countries have different cultures. For example, some older Japanese people wear kimonos, arrange flowers in vases, and have tea ceremonies. Some countries oppose some things in their culture, like discrimination or religion.


title: Culture

text: Culture can also vary within a region, society or sub group. A workplace may have a specific culture that sets it apart from similar workplaces. A region of a country may have a different culture than the rest of the country. For example, in a large country like China or Canada a region may have a distinctive way of talking, different types of music, and different types of dances.


title: Culture

text: Companies or other organizations (groups of people) can have a separate culture. Japanese manufacturing companies often have a different culture to Western companies; the workday starts with exercise, and the workers are very loyal to the company.


title: Culture

text: Companies in the high-technology sector often have a different culture than other companies. Software and computer companies sometimes allow employees to play games during the workday, or take time off work to relax, because these companies believe that this will help the workers to think better.


title: Culture

text: "Anthropology" is studying human beings and how they relate to each other. An "anthropologist" is a person who studies anthropology. Anthropologists study how culture shapes people and their lives. Cultures constantly change as people move and communicate with new groups of people.


title: Culture

text: For example, immigrants (people who move from one country to another) may keep some of their customs and traditions from their old country. By keeping their culture in this way, they bring pieces of their culture to a new place where others begin to experience it.


title: Urdu

text: Urdu, also known as Lashkari, or the Lashkari language (لشکری زبان) is the national language of Pakistan and a recognized regional language in India. It is an Indo-Aryan language, meaning it descends from Proto-Indo-Aryan, a language spoken northeast of the Caspian Sea in the third millennia BC.


title: Urdu

text: It is spoken as a lingua franca by most people in Pakistan. It is also spoken in some parts of India like the states of Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. With some exceptions words are similar to spoken Hindi. When written, it is written completely different from Hindi. That is why speakers of Hindi and Urdu can have a conversation with one another, but may not be able to read or write one of these two scripts.


title: Urdu

text: What is today most commonly known as "Urdu" is believed to have been born in the 11th century AD in Lahore and its surroundings when the Ghaznavid Empire entered the subcontinent and ruled over Punjab, the land of five rivers.


title: Urdu

text: The Ghaznavids, although racially Turkic, spoke Persian as their main language. When conquering Punjab or Hind with Lahore as its capital, they came into contact with the local population who spoke an Indo-Aryan language which began to adopt Persian words into their language. This local language was also the ancestor of modern standard Punjabi.


title: Urdu

text: The contacts between Persian and the native language of Punjab began to form a new language and that became known as 'Lashkari Zaban' or language of the battalions.


title: Urdu

text: This new language also known as Hindavi became the common language of the locals and the ruling Ghaznavids in the region. By the twelfth century AD, the Ghaznavids pushed further east into the subcontinent and brought this language to Delhi where it became influenced by the local language, Khariboli.


title: Urdu

text: From Delhi it spread across much of the northern subcontinent and became the common language of communication. It continued to be influenced by Khariboli and spread to cities like Lucknow and Hyderabad Daccan. It was also given new names and titles through the centuries.


title: Urdu

text: Native poets in these cities and most of the region contributed to its development and added many Persian and Chagatai words to it. They also indirectly added Arabic words which Persian already contained.


title: Urdu

text: The Mughal Empire was another Muslim Empire of Turkic origin and spoke Chagatai natively and Persian as their other language, although they were not ethnically Persian or racially Iranic.


title: Urdu

text: During this time the language commonly became known as the "Zaban-i-Ordu" or language of the Royal Camp.


title: Urdu

text: By the very late eighteenth century AD, the poet Ghulam Mashafi is believed to have given it the name "Urdu" which was shortened from "Zaban-i-Urdu."


title: Urdu

text: The word is from Chagatai, the native language of the Mughals and belonged to the Eastern Turkic subfamily of languages. Chagatai was closely related to today's Uzbek and Uyghur and distantly related to today's Turkish because all of them belonged to the same Turkic family of languages.


title: Urdu

text: Also during the Mughal Empire, what commonly became known as Urdu was a court language in a number of major South Asian cities, including Delhi, Amristsar, Lucknow and Lahore.


title: Urdu

text: By the time of the British Empire, it also became known as "Hindustani" or the language of Hindustan, the land of the Indus. It continued to serve as a court language in the same cities.


title: Urdu

text: By the end of British rule and the independence of Pakistan, it was selected as the national language for the people of the country because they spoke different languages and dialects.


title: Urdu

text: In India it became the national language but went by the name Hindi and was written in the Devanagari script. It also used a lesser amount of Arabic, Persian and Chagatai words and instead Sanskrit words were adopted in their place.


title: Urdu

text: Today it is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan in terms of total speakers and a registered language in 22 Indian states.


title: Urdu

text: The letters in Urdu are derived from the Persian/Farsi alphabet, which is derived from the Arabic alphabet. The additional letters that are found in Urdu include ٹ ,ڈ ,ڑ (ṫ, ḋ, ṙ). To make the alphabet more enriched two letters were created for sounds ه (h) and ی (y). By adding these letters to the existing Persian letters the Urdu alphabet became more suitable for the people of Pakistan and for some people of North India who primarily use nastaliq script. Both are also Indo-Iranic languages descending from Proto-Indo-Iranic, but deriving from separate subbranches, Iranic and Indo-Aryan respectively.


title: Urdu

text: Urdu is written right to left like Farsi (Persian) script. Urdu is also written in the Nasta’ liq style of Persian Calligraphy. Nastaliq style is a cursive script invented by Mīr ʿAlī of Tabrīz, a very famous calligrapher during the Timurid period (1402–1502). Both belong to the Indo-Iranic language subfamily.


title: Urdu

text: Urdu in its less formalized register has been called a "rekhta" (ریختہ, ), meaning "rough mixture". The more formal register of Urdu is sometimes called "zabān-e-Urdu-e-mo'alla" (زبان اردو معلہ ), the "Language of Camp."


title: Urdu

text: In local translation, it is called "Lashkari Zabān" ( []) meaning "language of battalions" or "battalion language." This can be shortened to "Lashkari".


title: Urdu

text: The etymology of the word used in the Urdu language for the most part decides how nice or well done your speech is. For example, Urdu speakers would distinguish between پانی "pānī" and آب "āb", both meaning "water" for example, or between آدمی "ādmi" and مرد "mard", meaning "man." The first word is ad derivative from Adam (آدم) Arabic mean from Adam and it can be used for both man and woman in place of human being. Second word مرد "mard" refers to a gender or can be used for manly hood as well.


title: Urdu

text: If a word is of Persian or Arabic origin, the level of speech is thought to be more formal. If Persian or Arabic grammar constructs, such as the izafat, are used in Urdu, the level of speech is also thought more formal and correct. If a word is inherited from Chagatai, the level of speech is thought more colloquial and personal.


title: Urdu

text: Urdu is supposed to be a well formed language; many of words are used in it to show respect and politeness. This emphasis on politeness, which comes from the vocabulary, is known as Aadab ( Courteous ) and to sometimes as takalluf (Formal) in Urdu. These words are mostly used when addressing elders, or people with whom one is not met yet. Just like "French Vous and Tu. Upon studying French and other forms of Language similar formal language construct are present. The whole grammatical layout appears to be almost identical to French language structure. The rules to form sentences and structuring them are identical"


title: Urdu

text: Two very respected poets who are not only celebrated in the South Asian subcontinent but are famous in many other communities worldwide are Mirza Ghalib and Sir Dr Muhammed Iqbal.


title: Urdu

text: Iqbal (1877-1938) was a poet, and an active politician. He focused his poetry on bringing out the plight of the suffering Muslim community of British India. In his poetry he very boldly highlighted the missing virtues and values in the morally corrupt Indian society. Despite much opposition in the beginning, he ended up leaving a huge impact. He is also called the “Poet of the East” and the “Poet of Islam”. His work is displayed in the following verse;


title: Urdu

text: Iqbal is considered by many an inspirational poet. He played a large role in the Pakistan Movement, with many claiming that he was the one to imagine and initiate it.


title: Urdu

text: Assalam O Alaikum = Peace be upon you (It basically means hello, and it is a common greeting used in Islamic countries or among Muslims in general)


title: Urdu

text: Hindi, also historically known as Hindui (हिंदुई), is a language spoken primarily in India which replaced Farsi, Chagatai and Arabic terminology with Sanskrit. Grammatically they are the same, which is why Hindi and Urdu speakers are able to have a somewhat easy conversation with each other.


title: Urdu

text: Urdu has a majority of its vocabulary words and phrases borrowed from Persian, Chagatai and Arabic, languages spoken in Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, many countries of the Middle East and in Afghanistan etc. Urdu's written script is also in the exact alphabets and scripts of Persian-Arabic and Chagatai. That is why, they are able to read and write easily in Arabic and Persian.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The Ten Commandments are a set of rules or laws. The Bible says that God gave them to the people of Israel. The commandments exist in different versions. One version can be found in the Book of Exodus of the Bible. Another version can be found in the Book of Deuteronomy. In the Book of Exodus, the mountain where they were given is called Mount Sinai, the Book of Deuteronomy talks about Mount Horeb (the same Mt. Horeb where God called Moses from the burning bush, Exodus 3:1-3). Both are probably different names for the same mountain. The laws were written on stone tablets. These laws are important for Judaism and Christianity. Countries which follow those religions often have some of the commandments as part of their Civil laws.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Sometimes these rules are also called Decalogue (from Greek, can be translated as "ten statements"). The name decalogue first occurs in the Septuagint. The Israelites received the commandments after they had left Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III. There are different texts talking about the commandments. Most of them are in the Bible: The Book of Exodus, Chapter 20 and the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 5. The Qu'ran mentions the tablets but does not list exactly the same commandments. For instance Quran 17:23-39 began with worshipping God alone and honouring your parents.


title: Ten Commandments

text: 5 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who "are" here today, all of us who "are" alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. "He" said:


title: Ten Commandments

text: These commandments are translated from ancient Hebrew to Basic English, so the exact words chosen may not mean to us exactly what they meant to the Hebrews. There are a variety of interpretations of these commandments:


title: Ten Commandments

text: The Roman Catholics understanding of the commandment to not make "any image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above" means that "likenesses" may be built and used, as long as the object is not worshipped as an idol.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The Eastern Orthodox Church has a very similar position. Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that the incarnation of an invisible God as a visible human, Jesus, makes it alright to use flat images in worship (see Iconoclasm).


title: Ten Commandments

text: Most other Christians allow statues of religious figures, provided there is no "veneration" of them. They are not commonly found in Protestant Churches, but may be found nearby or in Museums. Historical figures or busts may be used for educational purposes. Stained glass windows may contain depictions of honored historical or Biblical persons.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Judaism in its various forms usually takes a position somewhere between the Protestant view and that of Islam. Synagogues would not have any statues in them. Images of God are forbidden anywhere.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Islam forbids any images whatsoever of Allah (God) or persons, including Mohammad. That is why their buildings are generally decorated with calligraphy but never depictions of living beings.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Many languages have expressions of anger or dismay that include the word "God". In addition, many times people "swear to God" to try to convince others they are telling the truth. Another offense might be to say that "God told me" to do something when He didn't. The actual name of God in the Old Testament was YHWH, sometimes pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah. Pious Jews refrain from using this name or even the word God, for which they substitute G_d. This is to avoid using God's name in a way that might break this commandment.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Jews honor the Sabbath "(Shabbat)" from sundown on Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night, the seventh day of the week on the Jewish calendar.


title: Ten Commandments

text: In the New Testament Jesus did things that made the Sabbath command different from the other nine. Jesus seemed to reduce its demands, unlike some other commandments where he made them stronger. Jesus was often criticized for healing on the Sabbath or doing other things. He said that "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath". Doing good on the Sabbath seemed to be praised and practiced by Jesus. In that way he disobeyed some of the strict interpretations that had become common in His day.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Most Christians honor the Sabbath on Sunday to remember the Resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week on the Jewish calendar.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Some conservative Christians are "Sabbatarians" (most of these follow the Reformed traditions). Sabbatarians think the first day of the week or "Lord's Day" is the new Sabbath, because the 4th commandment has never been removed. They also say that the Sabbath law was given when the world was made. It came before the ten commandments were given.


title: Ten Commandments

text: Others believe that the Sabbath remains as a day of rest on Saturday, while Sunday as a day of worship, in reference to Acts 20:7: the disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread and to hear the preaching of the apostle Paul. Also, Jesus appeared to his followers on the "first day of the week" while they were in hiding.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The Seventh-day Adventist Church, and some others, believe that the custom of meeting for worship on Sunday originated in paganism, specifically Sol Invictus and Mithraism (in which sun god worship took place on Sunday). Instead, Adventists keep Saturday as the Sabbath as a memorial to God's work of creation believing that none of the Ten Commandments can ever be destroyed. Seventh-day Sabbatarians claim that the seventh day Sabbath was kept by the majority of Christian groups until the 2nd and 3rd century, but because of opposition to Judaism after the Jewish-Roman wars, the original custom was gradually replaced by Sunday as the day of worship.


title: Ten Commandments

text: To "be false to the married relation", called adultery, is when a married person has sexual relations with a person other than his or her spouse. Having sex outside of marriage is fornication and is also sin. It is condemned in other places in the Bible, but not specifically in the Ten Commandments. Jesus taught his audience that the outward act of adultery does not happen apart from sins of the heart: "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” In The New Testament Jesus says "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."


title: Ten Commandments

text: There are different translations of this commandment; the Hebrew words are translated either as "thou shalt not kill" or "thou shalt not murder". Older Protestant translations of the Bible, those based on the Vulgate and Roman Catholic translations usually translate it "Thou shalt not kill". The Catholic Church believes that endangerment of human life or safety is a mortal sin that breaks The Fifth Commandment. Furthermore, the Catholic Church does not believe in a difference between murder and manslaughter the way the law does. With the exceptions of killing in self-defense (a form of manslaughter in many nations' laws) and killing in war, the Catholic Church believes all other forms of killing or attempting to kill violate The Fifth Commandment. Unsafe driving could also lead to unintentional killing. Jewish and newer Protestant versions tend to use "You shall not murder". There are different opinions as to which translation is more faithful to the original.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The many examples in the Old Testament of killing sanctioned by God, are quoted in defense of the view that "murder" is more accurate. Furthermore, the Hebrew word for "kill" is "" - ""harog"", while the Hebrew word for "murder" is "" - ""retzach"", which is found in the Ten Commandments "" - ""lo tirtzach"".


title: Ten Commandments

text: Many theologians (such as German Old Testament scholar A. Alt: "Das Verbot des Diebstahls im Dekalog" (1953)) suggest that commandment "you shall not steal" was originally intended against stealing people—abductions and slavery. This would be the same as the Jewish interpretation of the statement as "you shall not kidnap" (e.g. as stated by Rashi). Civil laws in most countries list many types of stealing. These include burglary, embezzlement, looting, robbery, shoplifting or fraud. The penalties depend on the value of the thing stolen, and if violence was used to take it.


title: Ten Commandments

text: In some places stealing horses brought a death penalty. That is because it could cause danger or even death to the horse's owner who could no longer do necessary travel. Poaching is the illegal killing of wild animals. Especially in modern times, money is often stolen by trickery or keeping false bank or debt records. In the 21st century this can be done using computers. This is called "White-collar crime".


title: Ten Commandments

text: Some societies have attempted to say that no property is "private" but everything belongs to the whole society. If this were ever put in practice, it would make stealing impossible, but it has not been fully practiced anywhere.


title: Ten Commandments

text: To "give false witness" would include lying in court which is called perjury. Telling false gossip which harms someone is similar. Some think this commandment includes all lying. It is to knowingly give any false statement. Others allow a white lie. Some Jewish teachers said that not all lying is false witness (perjury). They say that lying is sometimes "permissible or even commendable". This would include changing the truth to be modest or to avoid harm to someone. Saint Augustine believed that some lies could be pardoned, and that there were in fact occasions when lying would be the right thing to do. He says that lies which hurt nobody and benefit someone may be forgiven. These need to used with great caution, however.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The Bible does not number the commandments. Different religious groups have numbered them in different ways. The Jews, followed by Christian Protestants, end the first commandment with "You are to have no other gods but me." as above. Catholics and Lutherans end the first commandment at "I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws." and separate in their last two commandments the desire for a man's wife from the desire for other things he owns.


title: Ten Commandments

text: The commandments passage in Exodus has more than ten important statements, there are 14 or 15 in all. While the Bible itself gives the count as "10", using the Hebrew phrase "ʻaseret had'varim"—translated as "the 10 words", "statements" or "things", this phrase does not appear in the passages usually presented as being "the Ten Commandments". Various religions divide the commandments differently. The table below shows those differences.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: Roe v. Wade was a 1973 landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that ruled that a state law that banned abortion was unconstitutional. The decision said that a woman's right to privacy extended to the fetus that she was carrying. The court viewed that during the first trimester, an abortion was no more dangerous than carrying the fetus to full term. The 7-2 decision was supported by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and six other Justices and was opposed by Justices William Rehnquist and Byron White.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The decision divided the United States and is still controversial. People became divided into pro-life and pro-choice groups. Pro-life supporters argue that the unborn baby has the same right to life as other people and that the government should intervene to protect it. Pro-choice supporters believe that the unborn baby is not the same as a person, that the woman has the right to choose what she wants to do with her body and that the government should not intervene.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: "Roe v. Wade" was limited by a later decision, "Webster v. Reproductive Health Services" (1989), which allowed the regulation of abortion in some cases. Several states have considered laws banning abortions altogether.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: In May 2022, a leaked draft of the Supreme Court's decision to overrule "Roe v. Wade" was published. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned "Roe v. Wade".


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The case began in 1970 in Texas as a challenge against a law banning any kind of abortion unless the mother's life was in danger. A pregnant Texas woman, Norma McCorvey (alias Jane Roe), brought a lawsuit against Henry Wade, Dallas County District Attorney, in a Texas federal court.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: Claiming to be a single woman and pregnant, McCorvey wanted to terminate her pregnancy. She wanted it to be done safely by a doctor but said that she could not afford to travel outside Texas. She could not get a legal abortion in Texas because her life was not in danger. Her lawsuit claimed that the Texas law violated her right to privacy, which was protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Roe added that she sued "on behalf of herself and all other women" in the same situation.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The case slowly made its way to the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile, McCorvey had her baby and placed it for adoption.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: In a 7-2 decision, the court held that a woman's right to an abortion was protected by her right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision allowed a woman to decide whether or not to have an abortion during the first trimester. That affected the laws of 46 states.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the majority opinion: "We... acknowledge our awareness of the sensitive and emotional nature of the abortion controversy, of the vigorous opposing views, even among physicians, and of the deep and seemingly absolute convictions that the subject inspires."


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The dissenting opinion was written by Justice William Rehnquist, who disagreed with the majority decision for several reasons.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The basis for the "right to privacy" is a judicial interpretation that can be traced from an earlier case "Griswold v. Connecticut" (1965). In that landmark case, the Supreme Court ruled that a Connecticut law against the use of contraceptives violated the right to privacy, as found in the Constitution. However, the right to privacy is not directly mentioned in the Constitution. The Supreme Court decided that the right to privacy is implied by several amendments. In 1923, the court interpreted the "liberty" guarantee in the Fourteenth Amendment as a broad right to privacy. Justice William O. Douglas stated the guarantees of the right to privacy had penumbras (implied rights) "formed by emanations (a flowing) from those guarantees that help give them life and substance."


title: Roe v. Wade

text: In its decision, the court used the three-trimester framework of pregnancy. During the first trimester, an abortion was safer for the mother than childbirth. The reasoning was that the decision of whether to get an abortion at that stage should be left up to the mother to decide. Any law that interfered with abortions in the first trimester would be presumed to be unconstitutional. During the second trimester, laws could regulate abortion only to protect the health of the mother. During the third trimester, the unborn child was viable and so could live on its own, outside the mother's womb. Then, laws could restrict or prohibit abortions unless it was necessary to preserve the mother's health. That doctrine stood until 1992, when "Planned Parenthood v. Casey" had the court now base the legality of an abortion no longer on trimesters but on fetal viability.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: The case, Docket Number 19-1392,Dobbs, "State Health Officer of the Mississippi Department of Health, et al. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organizatione et al." started being argued on December 1, 2021.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: On May 2, 2022, "Politico" was given a leaked initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito suggesting that the Supreme Court is and will overturn "Roe" and "Casey" in a pending final decision on "Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization". The leak also renewed calls on the US Senate to pass legislation already passed by the House of Representatives to codify the rights created by "Roe" before the "Dobbs" decision is formally published.


title: Roe v. Wade

text: On June 24, 2022, "Roe v. Wade" was formally struck down by the Supreme Court. The opinion officially released was almost identical to the leaked version on May 2, 2022. Because Chief Justice Roberts "concurring in judgment," the outcome has been put as 5-4 or 6-3 (technically, it is 6-3) and either way effectively overturned "Roe v. Wade". The following are the opinions:


title: Roe v. Wade

text: Concurring in judgment (in agreement with the outcome of the situation but with different thoughts as to why from the majority).


title: Roe v. Wade

text: During a speech at the White House, given shortly after the opinion was released, US President Joe Biden stated in part:


title: Roe v. Wade

text: US Vice President Kamala Harris stated in a pre-scheduled briefing about the future of women's maternity care had to reverse course and she stated in her briefing:


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation is when a person touches their own sex organs to have pleasure. It often results in an orgasm.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbating may be done alone, but can also be done with another person. This is called "mutual masturbation". Vibrators and dildos can be used to make masturbation easier or feel better, but it is often done with just a person's hand. Studies have shown that many people masturbate regularly.


title: Masturbation

text: The female sex organ most sensitive to touch is the clitoris. Therefore, female masturbation almost always involves stimulating the clitoris, either by hand or with a vibrator. Many women also enjoy the feeling of fingers or a sex toy in the vagina, but this is a secondary sensation that is not necessary for orgasm, and that rarely results in orgasm on its own. Some women find stimulation of the front vaginal wall particularly pleasurable. The anus is rich in nerve endings and is also sometimes stimulated during masturbation, as are the nipples.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation is usually continued until orgasm. Some women may have problems reaching an orgasm, especially when they are young, and have little experience masturbating.


title: Masturbation

text: Some women experience "multiple orgasms" - several orgasms in a row without loss of arousal. It should be noted, however, that women who are not capable of multiple orgasms report as much orgasmic satisfaction as women who are multi-orgasmic.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation for males is the act of stimulating the penis manually to provide self-pleasure. For older teens and adults, masturbation usually ends in what is called an ejaculation (the release of liquid called semen which contains sperm cells). This ejaculation is usually accompanied by a powerful, pleasurable feeling called an orgasm. Most boys start masturbating between the age of 12 and 15.


title: Masturbation

text: There are many ways in which a male can choose to masturbate. The most common of these techniques is using the hand. A man simply wraps his hand or two or three fingers around the shaft of his penis (in erection) and moves his hand up and down. Sometimes a lubricant is used to create a softer sensation. As the sensation increases in intensity, the rate of hand movement generally quickens until orgasm occurs. Orgasm is a very pleasurable feeling which results in semen being ejaculated from the penis. Mostly Circumcised Men use Lube for Masturbating.


title: Masturbation

text: Men may also rub and touch other sensitive areas of the body such as the scrotum (the place where the testicles are located). Due to the placement of the prostate gland, another method (though much more of a social taboo) involves inserting an object, like one's hand or a sex toy, into the anus to rub against the prostate. This causes a sensation of pleasure through the male's body, and has been stated to cause orgasms more pleasurable than those caused by simply rubbing the shaft.


title: Masturbation

text: If and how often people masturbate depends on many things. One of the things it depends on is hormone levels. Hormones cause sexual arousal. Other things that the frequency of masturbation depend on sexual habits. Sexual habits are sexual activities that people do because they are used to doing them. Other people of the same age or standing - called peers - can also influence this frequency. General health is another of the many factors. The general attitude towards masturbation is formed by culture. Medical causes have also been associated with masturbation.


title: Masturbation

text: "Forty-eight female college students were asked to complete a sexual attitudes questionnaire in which a frequency of masturbation scale was embedded. Twenty-four of the women (the experimental group) then individually viewed an explicit modeling film involving female masturbation. One month later, all subjects again completed the same questionnaire. Subjects in the experimental group also completed a questionnaire evaluating aspects of the film. Results indicated that the experimental group reported a significant increase in the average monthly frequency of masturbation, as compared to the control group. This same group, however, reported that the film had no effect on sexual attitudes or behavior."


title: Masturbation

text: A 2004 survey by Toronto magazine "NOW" was answered by an unspecified number of thousands. The results show that an overwhelming majority of the males — 81% — began masturbating between the ages of 12 and 15. Among females, the same figure was a more modest majority of 55%. (Note that surveys on sexual practices are prone to "self-selection bias".) It is not uncommon, however, to begin much earlier, and this is more frequent among females: 18% had begun by the time they turned 12, and 6% already by the time they turned 10. Being the main outlet of child sexuality, masturbation has been observed in very young children. In the book "Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America", by Strong, Devault and Sayad, the authors point out, "A baby boy may laugh in his crib while playing with his erect penis (although he does not ejaculate). Baby girls sometimes move their bodies rhythmically, almost violently, appearing to experience orgasm."


title: Masturbation

text: A 2004 magazine survey in Canada found that 43% started masturbating when they were about 12–13 years old. When boys start masturbating, wet dreams often stop since semen is taken out from his body regularly.


title: Masturbation

text: According to a Canadian survey of "Now" magazine readers, (cited above), the frequency of masturbation declines after the age of 17. However, most males masturbate daily, or even more frequently, well into their 20s and sometimes far beyond. This decline is more drastic among females, and more gradual among males. While females aged 13–17 masturbated almost once a day on average (and almost as often as their male peers), adult women only masturbated 8–9 times a month, compared to the 18–22 among men. It is also apparent that masturbation frequency declines with age. Adolescent youths report being able to masturbate to ejaculation six or more times per day, though some men in older middle age report being hard pressed to ejaculate even once per day. The survey does not give a full demographic breakdown of respondents, however, and the sexual history of respondents to this poll, who are readers of an urban Toronto lifestyle magazine, may not extend to the general population.


title: Masturbation

text: It appears that females are less likely to masturbate while in a heterosexual relationship than men. Both sexes occasionally engage in this activity, however, even when in sexually active relationships. Popular belief asserts that individuals of either sex who are not in sexually active relationships tend to masturbate more frequently than those who are; however, much of the time this is not true as masturbation alone or with a partner is often a feature of a relationship. Contrary to conventional wisdom, several studies actually reveal a positive correlation between the frequency of masturbation and the frequency of intercourse as well as the number of sex partners. One study reported a significantly higher rate of masturbation in gay men and women who were in a relationship.


title: Masturbation

text: The Catholic church says masturbation is a 'gravely disordered action'. Among men masturbation may be seen as a sign of weakness. There are slang terms for it that are used as insults.


title: Masturbation

text: The Sambia tribe of New Guinea has rites of passage surrounding manhood. They include frequent ejaculation by fellatio. Semen is valued. Masturbation is seen as a waste of semen. Because of this, it is frowned upon but frequent ejaculation is encouraged. The capacity and need to ejaculate is nurtured for years. This is done from an early age through fellatio. This allows the semen to be consumed rather than wasted. Semen is ingested for strength. It is considered in the same line as mothers' milk.


title: Masturbation

text: Other cultures have rites of passage into manhood that end in the first ejaculation of a male. This is often by the hands of a tribal elder. In some tribes such as the Agta in the Philippines, stimulation of the genitals is encouraged from an early age. At puberty, the young male is then paired off with a "wise elder" or "witch doctor". This person uses masturbation to build his ability to ejaculate in preparation for a ceremony. The ceremony ends in a public ejaculation before a celebration. The ejaculate is saved in a wad of animal skin and worn later to help conceive children. In this and other tribes, the measure of manhood is actually associated more with the amount of ejaculate than penis size. Frequent ejaculation through masturbation from an early age fosters frequent ejaculation well into adulthood.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation marathons have occurred in the U.S. and UK. These events provide a supportive environment where masturbation can be performed openly.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation may increase fertility during sexual intercourse. In females, it can regulate the conditions of the vagina, cervix and the uterus. This can either increase or decrease the chance of conception. Whether the chance is increased or decreased depends on the timing of the masturbation. This timing is a subconscious decision. If she has intercourse with more than one male, it favors the chances of one or the other male's sperm reaching her egg.


title: Masturbation

text: Female masturbation can also protect against cervical infections. It does this by increasing the acidity of the cervical mucus and by moving debris out of the cervix.


title: Masturbation

text: The function of masturbation in males is to flush out old sperm with low motility from the male's genital tract. The next ejaculate contains more fresh sperm, which has higher chances of achieving conception during intercourse. If more than one male is having intercourse with a female, the sperm with the highest motility will compete more effectively.


title: Masturbation

text: The physical effect of masturbation and having an orgasm or ejaculating is heightened arousal while epinephrine courses through the body, producing dopamine also known as the happy chemical, shallow breath and post-climactic euphoria.


title: Masturbation

text: It is held in many mental health circles that masturbation can relieve depression, stress and lead to a higher sense of self-worth. Masturbation can also be particularly useful in relationships where one partner wants more sex than the other — in which case masturbation provides a balancing effect and thus a more harmonious relationship.


title: Masturbation

text: Mutual masturbation, the act by which two or more partners stimulate themselves in the presence of each other, allows a couple to reveal the map to their pleasure centers. Witnessing a partner masturbate is an educational activity to find out the method a partner uses to please themself, allowing each partner to learn exactly how the other enjoys being touched.


title: Masturbation

text: In 2003, an Australian research team led by Graham Giles of The Cancer Council Australia concluded that frequent masturbation by males appears to help prevent the development of prostate cancer.


title: Masturbation

text: A study published in 1997 found an inverse association between death from coronary heart disease and frequency of orgasm even given the risk that myocardial ischaemia and myocardial infarction can be triggered by sexual activity. Excerpt: "The association between frequency or orgasm and all cause mortality was also examined using the midpoint of each response category recoded as number of orgasms per year. The age adjusted odds ratio for an increase of 100 orgasms per year was 0.64 (0.44 to 0.95)". That is, a difference between any two subjects appeared when one subject ejaculated at around two or more times per week than the other. Assuming a broad range average of between 3-5 ejaculations per week for a healthy males, this would mean 5-7 ejaculations per week. This is consistent with an article on the benefits against prostate cancer However, the article notes that "The question of causation is complex... several explanations are possible".


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation is also seen as a sexual technique that protects individuals from the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Support for such a view, and for making it part of the American sex education curriculum, led to the dismissal of US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders during the Clinton administration. A 2011 study from the Indiana University supports the assertion. After taking age and partner status into account, the study showed that sexually active boys who masturbated regularly were eight times more likely to have used a condom during their last intercourse than other boys. This positive outcome has been observed in other studies and has been the basis of public health policy in Great Britain promoting masturbation.


title: Masturbation

text: Some people actually consider masturbation as a cardiovascular workout. Masturbation makes most people feel good and can sometimes replace sexual intercourse when one cannot find a partner. It can also prepare one for sexual intercourse.


title: Masturbation

text: A small study has shown that a test group which only had intercourse experienced, as a whole, lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those who had intercourse but also had masturbated for one or more days.


title: Masturbation

text: Objects inserted into the vagina or anus should be clean and should not be able to scratch or break. Care should be taken not to fully insert anything into the anus — any object used should have a flared or flanged base; otherwise, medical help may be needed to get it out. Modern dildos and anal plugs are designed with this feature.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbation involving both a man and a woman (see "mutual masturbation") can result in pregnancy only if semen contacts the vulva. Masturbation with a partner can also theoretically result in transmission of sexually transmitted diseases by contact with bodily fluids.


title: Masturbation

text: A man whose penis has suffered a blunt trauma or injury during intercourse may rarely sustain a penile fracture or suffer from Peyronie's disease. Phimosis is "a contracted foreskin (that) may cause trouble by hurting when an attempt is made to pull the foreskin back". In these cases, any energetic manipulation of the penis can be problematic.


title: Masturbation

text: Lawrence I. Sank observed that masturbating prone (lying face downward) could be responsible for sexual problems in some men, including anorgasmia and erectile dysfunction, as observed in four men he examined. He coined the term "traumatic masturbatory syndrome" to describe this theory. As of 2007, no follow-up research has been conducted and the idea is not familiar or widely-held within the medical community. Some sources, however, give credence to the idea. One sex therapist condemned masturbation by rubbing against a pillow or mattress and Lipsith et al. suggest that masturbation could play a part in male psychogenic sexual dysfunction (MPSD), citing Sank as their authority. MPSD is a difficulty in reaching orgasm during intercourse, and developing a dependence on masturbation.


title: Masturbation

text: Masturbating frequently presents no physical, mental or emotional risk in itself, but masturbation can be used to relieve boredom or stress. In either case, as with any "nervous habit", it is more helpful to consider the causes of the boredom or of the stress, rather than try to repress the behavior itself, in this case masturbation.


title: Masturbation

text: There is some discussion between professionals and other interested parties as to the existence or validity of sexual addictions. Nevertheless, there are lists of warning signs such as when sexual activity affects a person's ability to function in everyday life, or is placing them at risk, for example, of pursuing illegal or destructive activities. Very frequent and compulsive masturbation may be seen as a sign of sexual addiction.


title: Masturbation

text: Immanuel Kant considered masturbation a violation of one's duty to one's self and an unnatural act, stating it was against natural law. Sigmund Freud regarded masturbation as unhealthy. Margaret Sanger frequently stated that masturbation was unwise.


title: Masturbation

text: Not only humans masturbate, animals do too. The following animals have been seen masturbating: dogs, several kinds of monkeys and apes, cows, horses, whales, bats, and sheep. Even birds and reptiles masturbate (turtles, for example). In this case, this does not only affect animals that were domesticated, and live in captivity, but also includes wild animals, of both sexes.


title: Masturbation

text: Techniques used vary: Manual stimulation using hands, paws, feet, or tail is common, but autofellatio also occurs: Animals rub their penis against the belly, or against other objects. Some species have been known to make tools that help them masturbate. Some species have shown to ejaculate spontaneously, without being stimulated first. Certain species are known to also stimulate other erogenous zones, such as the nipples, or the antlers in deer. Female mammals often masturbate by stimulating the clitoris, which is present in all mammal species.


title: Queen (band)

text: Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970. They are among the most commercially successful bands in history, selling over 300 million records worldwide. The original lineup consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (lead guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar).


title: Queen (band)

text: Freddie Mercury died of an AIDS-related bronchopneumonia on November 24, 1991 aged 45. In 1997 John Deacon retired to spend more time with his family. The other two former members toured with Paul Rodgers from 2005 to 2009. In December 2018 it was announced Queen & Lambert will bring its Rhapsody Tour to The Forum in 2019. Three of their biggest hits were "Bohemian Rhapsody”, "We Will Rock You", and "We Are the Champions".


title: Queen (band)

text: With his friend Tim Staffell, Brian May started a band called 1984 in the mid-1960s. The band broke up after a little bit and then May decided to make another band and teamed up with two other college students named Tim Staffell and Roger Taylor. They called themselves "Smile" with Roger Taylor on drums and vocals, Tim Staffell on vocals and bass and Brian May on guitar and vocals. They did a few hits such as "April Lady". Tim Staffell became friends with another college student, Farrokh Bulsara (to be later known as Freddie Mercury) and Farrokh became a big fan of Smile and encouraged them a lot. Later on, Tim left Smile to join Humpy Bongs and Farrokh Bulsara subsequently joined the band on vocals and piano in 1970. Then Farrokh came up with the name Queen, so they changed it from "Smile" to "Queen". They then started auditions for a new bassist. They were going through several bassists during this time and none of them stuck, only lasting for about a few minutes. None of the auditioners managed to suit the place of the new bassist, but finally in 1971, they settled on John Deacon. Queen's first album was released in 1973 and it was called "Queen" with songs such as "Seven Seas of Rhye" and "Liar". Farrokh Bulsara changed his name to Freddie Mercury after the lyrics "Mother Mercury, look what they've done to me" in "My Fairy King". Brian May has a degree in astrophysics.


title: Christianity

text: Christianity is the largest world religion by number of followers (around 2.4 billion). Members of the religion are called Christians. Christians generally believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. It is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, meaning it has only one God. It has its roots in Judaism. It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus.


title: Christianity

text: To most of the people of his time, Jesus was a preacher, teacher, healer, and prophet from ancient Judea. However, his disciples believed him to be much more than that: they believed that Jesus was God's one and only son who was sent down to Earth to die on a cross for their sins.


title: Christianity

text: The man said to be his father, Joseph, was a carpenter. Jesus was executed by being nailed to a cross (or crucified) under Pontius Pilate, the local Roman governor at the time. His life and followers are written about in the New Testament, part of the Bible. Christians consider the Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament, as sacred. The Gospels or "The Good News" are the first four books of the New Testament and are about the life of Jesus, his death, and him rising from the dead.


title: Christianity

text: God created the world. Jesus is the name of God the Son. Christians believe Him to be the Son of God. They believe that He was the human son of the Virgin Mary and the divine Son of God. They believe he suffered and died to free humans from their sin and was later raised from the dead. He then went up into Heaven. At the end of time, Jesus will come back to Earth to judge all mankind, both alive and dead, giving everlasting life to those who believe in him. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God on the Earth that spoke through prophets.


title: Christianity

text: The prophets foretold in the Old Testament of Jesus as the Savior. Christians think of Jesus Christ as a teacher, a role model, and someone who revealed who the Christian God was.