Brass (TV series) Brass was a British television comedy-drama , made by Granada Television for ITV and eventually Channel 4 .   Set mostly in Utterley , a fictional Lancashire mining town in the 1930s , Brass was a comedy satirising the working-class period dramas of the 1970s ( most significantly When the Boat Comes In ) and the American productions such as Dallas and Dynasty . Unusually for ITV comedies of the time , there was no laughter track and the humour deliberately kept extremely dry , using convoluted wordplay and subtle commentary on popular culture . Brass is northern English slang for `` money '' as well as for `` effrontery '' . The series also gleefully parodied the 1977 Granada TV dramatisation of Dickens ' Hard Times , which also starred Timothy West .   The series , created by John Stevenson and Julian Roach , was set around two feuding families -- the wealthy Hardacres and the poor , working-class Fairchilds -- who lived in a small terraced house rented from the Hardacre empire . The Hardacre family was headed by the ruthless self-made businessman Bradley ( Timothy West ) , who espoused Thatcherite rhetoric , while coming up with various harebrained schemes to make his businesses more efficient so he could sack workers and his alcoholic aristocratic wife Lady Patience ( Caroline Blakiston ) . The head of the Fairchilds was the stern `` Red '' Agnes ( Barbara Ewing ) , who spread militant socialist rhetoric around the Hardacre mine , mill and munitions factory and her doltish , forelock-tugging husband George ( Geoffrey Hinsliff ; Geoffrey Hutchings in the 1990 series ) , who is dominated by his wife and his boss . In a twist , Agnes was also Bradley Hardacre 's mistress .   Other characters in the series were the children of the families . The Fairchilds had two sons -- Jack ( Shaun Scott ) , a defiant miner and Matthew ( Gary Cady ) , a sensitive clerk who wrote very poor verse . The Hardacre children were Bentley ( deceased ; his memorial stone is featured in the first episode ) , nymphomaniac Isobel ( Gail Harrison ) , innocent budding feminist Charlotte ( Emily Morgan ) , ambitious heir to the Hardacre empire Austin ( Robert Reynolds ) ( Patrick Pearson in the 1990 series ) and Morris ( James Saxon ) , a gay Cambridge student with a fondness for teddy bears ( c.f. Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited ) . Bentley , Austin and Morris are named after British car manufacturers ; Jack and Matt were named after terms used in the game of bowls .   Not only were Bradley and Agnes lovers , with Bradley being most likely the father of Matthew but Isobel and Jack were also lovers and afterwards it was revealed that Charlotte was not Bradley 's daughter but the result of an affair between Lady Patience and the elderly Lord Mountfast , whom Isobel married . Charlotte married Matthew , to whom Morris Hardacre had at one time been attracted . To complicate matters even further Lady Patience also had a brief fling with Matthew Fairchild .   Despite his wealth and social connections , Bradley had been brought up in the Utterley Cottage workhouse and had made his money himself , obviously not legally or fairly .   Apart from the Hardacres and the Fairchilds the most significant other character was the Scottish idealist , Dr McDuff , played by David Ashton and satirising Dr Finlay of Dr Finlay 's Casebook .   Brass ran for two series on ITV , shown between 1982 and 1984 but was brought back for a third series in 1990 on Channel 4 , set in 1939 . This third series saw the Hardacres move to London and later to a country mansion called Yonderley but making frequent trips to Utterley or Swarfside , where the Hardacre business empire was still based . The Fairchilds had also moved to London as Agnes was now MP for Utterley .   Some scenes are set at Croydon Airport but were filmed at Barton Airport , whose distinctive control tower shows in the film . Some of the opening scenes are of Thorn St in Summerseat , Bury . Greater Manchester .   The series is available on DVD in the United Kingdom .


Seppuku Seppuku ( 切腹 , `` cutting -LSB- the -RSB- abdomen/belly '' , formal on reading of original Kanji ) , sometimes metathesized as harakiri ( 腹切り , `` abdomen/belly cutting '' ) which is a native Japanese kun reading , is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment . It was originally reserved for samurai . A samurai practice , seppuku was used either voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies ( and likely suffer torture ) or as a form of capital punishment for samurai who had committed serious offenses , or performed because they had brought shame to themselves . The ceremonial disembowelment , which is usually part of a more elaborate ritual and performed in front of spectators , consists of plunging a short blade , traditionally a tantō , into the abdomen and drawing the blade from left to right , slicing the abdomen open . If the cut , done with a movement , is done deep enough , it can cut the descending aorta , inducing a massive blood loss inside the abdomen , with a very fast death .


Black Panther (film) Black Panther is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name . Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , it is intended to be the eighteenth film installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film is directed by Ryan Coogler from a screenplay by himself and Joe Robert Cole , and stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther , alongside Michael B. Jordan , Lupita Nyong ` o , Danai Gurira , Martin Freeman , Daniel Kaluuya , Angela Bassett , Forest Whitaker , and Andy Serkis . In Black Panther , T'Challa returns home as king of Wakanda but finds his sovereignty challenged by a long-time adversary in a conflict that has global consequences .   Wesley Snipes first mentioned his intention to work on a Black Panther film in 1992 , with that project going through multiple iterations over the next decade but never coming to fruition . A Black Panther film was announced as one of the ten Marvel films that would be developed by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures in September 2005 , with Mark Bailey hired to write a script in January 2011 . Black Panther was officially announced in October 2014 , with Boseman appearing first in Captain America : Civil War . By the end of 2015 , Cole and Coogler had both joined the film , and additional cast members came on board beginning in May 2016 . Principal photography for the film took place from January to April 2017 , at EUE/Screen Gems Studios and Pinewood Atlanta Studios in the Atlanta metropolitan area , and Busan , South Korea .   Black Panther is set to be released in the United States on February 16 , 2018 , in IMAX .


Susan Sarandon received nominations for Off-Broadway plays.

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon ( -LSB- səˈrændən -RSB- née Tomalin ; born October 4 , 1946 ) is an American actress and activist . She is an Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner who is also known for her social and political activism for a variety of causes . She was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999 and received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006 .   Sarandon began her career in the 1970 film Joe , before appearing in the soap opera A World Apart ( 1970 -- 71 ) . In 1975 , she starred in the cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Atlantic City ( 1980 ) , Thelma & Louise ( 1991 ) , Lorenzo 's Oil ( 1992 ) , and The Client ( 1994 ) , before winning for Dead Man Walking ( 1995 ) . She has also won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Client , and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress for Dead Man Walking . Her other films include : Pretty Baby ( 1978 ) , The Hunger ( 1983 ) , The Witches of Eastwick ( 1987 ) , Bull Durham ( 1988 ) , White Palace ( 1990 ) , Little Women ( 1994 ) , Stepmom ( 1998 ) , Enchanted ( 2007 ) , The Lovely Bones ( 2009 ) , Tammy ( 2014 ) , and The Meddler ( 2015 ) .   She made her Broadway debut in An Evening with Richard Nixon in 1972 and went on to receive Drama Desk Award nominations for the Off-Broadway plays , A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking ( 1979 ) and Extremities ( 1982 ) . She returned to Broadway in the 2009 revival of Exit the King .   On television , she is a five-time Emmy Award nominee , including for her guest roles on the sitcoms Friends ( 2001 ) and Malcolm in the Middle ( 2002 ) , and the TV films Bernard and Doris ( 2007 ) and You Do n't Know Jack ( 2010 ) . In 2017 , Sarandon portrayed Bette Davis in the first season of FX 's anthology series Feud .


The American Broadcasting Company is often called ABC.

American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) is an American English language commercial broadcast television network that is owned by the Disney -- ABC Television Group , a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company . The network is headquartered on Columbus Avenue and West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City . There are additional major offices and production facilities elsewhere in New York City , as well as in Los Angeles and Burbank , California .   Since 2007 , when ABC Radio ( also known as Cumulus Media Networks ) was sold to Citadel Broadcasting , ABC has reduced its broadcasting operations almost exclusively to television . The fifth-oldest major broadcasting network in the world and the youngest of the Big Three television networks , ABC is often nicknamed as `` The Alphabet Network '' , as its initialism also represents the first three letters of the English alphabet , in order .   ABC originally launched on October 12 , 1943 , as a radio network , separated from and serving as the successor to the NBC Blue Network , which had been purchased by Edward J. Noble . It extended its operations to television in 1948 , following in the footsteps of established broadcast networks CBS and NBC . In the mid-1950s , ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres , a chain of movie theaters that formerly operated as a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures . Leonard Goldenson , who had been the head of UPT , made the new television network profitable by helping develop and greenlight many successful series . In the 1980s , after purchasing an 80 % interest in cable sports channel ESPN , the network 's corporate parent , American Broadcasting Companies , Inc. , merged with Capital Cities Communications , owner of several print publications , and television and radio stations . In 1996 , most of Capital Cities/ABC 's assets were purchased by The Walt Disney Company .   The television network has eight owned-and-operated and over 232 affiliated television stations throughout the United States and its territories . Most Canadians have access to at least one U.S.-based ABC affiliate , either over-the-air ( in areas located within proximity to the Canada -- United States border ) or through a cable , satellite or IPTV provider , although most ABC programs are subject to simultaneous substitution regulations imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that allow pay television providers to replace an American station 's signal with the feed of a Canadian broadcaster to protect domestic programming rights and advertising revenue . ABC News provides news and features content for select radio stations owned by Citadel Broadcasting , which purchased the ABC Radio properties in 2007 .


"Beautiful" has a message of self-empowerment.

Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) `` Beautiful '' is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) . It was released as the album 's second single on November 16 , 2002 . A pop and R&B ballad , `` Beautiful '' was written and produced by Linda Perry . Lyrically , it discusses inner beauty , as well as self-esteem and insecurity issues . Aguilera commented that she put `` her heart and her soul '' into the track , which she felt represented the theme of Stripped . The song was later re-recorded in an electronic style for her first greatest hits album Keeps Gettin ' Better : A Decade of Hits ( 2008 ) .   Upon its release , `` Beautiful '' received universal acclaim from music critics , who have ranked it among Aguilera 's strongest material . It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2004 ceremony . `` Beautiful '' was also a commercial success , topping the charts in Australia , Belgium , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand and the United Kingdom . The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States , where it was certified Gold for 500,000 units shipped . It was kept from the number one spot by `` Bump , Bump , Bump '' by B2K featuring P. Diddy .   `` Beautiful '' has been widely embraced as an anthem by the LGBT community for its message of self-empowerment and inner beauty . An accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund , and earned Aguilera a GLAAD Media Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people . In 2011 , UK LGBT rights organization Stonewall named `` Beautiful '' the most empowering song of the previous decade for gay , lesbian , and bisexual people . In 2009 , Rolling Stone and VH1 listed it as one of the best songs of the 2000s ( decade ) . The song is widely recognized as one of Aguilera 's signature songs and has been covered on numerous occasions and featured on several television shows .


The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has no favorable music soundtracks.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ( also released as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 : Rise of Electro in some markets ) is a 2014 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man . The film was directed by Marc Webb and was produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach . It is the fifth theatrical Spider-Man film produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Entertainment , and is the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man ( 2012 ) ; it is also the final film in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise . The studio hired James Vanderbilt to write the screenplay and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to rewrite it . The film stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man , Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy , Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin / Harry Osborn , Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter 's parents , and Sally Field as Aunt May , with the addition of a new cast including Paul Giamatti as Rhino / Aleksei Sytsevich and Jamie Foxx as Electro / Max Dillon .   Development of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began after the success of The Amazing Spider-Man . DeHaan , Giamatti , Jones , and Cooper were cast between December 2012 and February 2013 . Filming took place in New York City from February to June 2013 . The film was released in 2D , 3D , and IMAX 3D on May 2 , 2014 , in the United States with two international premieres being held between March 31 & April 10 , 2014 . The film received mixed reviews , and although it grossed $ 709 million worldwide and became the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2014 , it was the lowest-grossing film in the series . However , the film was declared a `` hit '' in the overseas markets with high openings and a wide cinematic release . The film subsequently won awards for its music composition and acting , notably one Nickelodeon Kids ' Choice Award and two ASCAP Awards .   The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was originally envisioned as the beginning of a shared fictional universe , which would have continued with two sequels and several spin-off films . Due to its performing below expectations , all subsequent installments were cancelled and a new iteration of the character , portrayed by Tom Holland , appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , beginning with the 2016 film Captain America : Civil War .


Ji Chang-wook Ji Chang-wook ( born on July 5 , 1987 ) is a South Korean actor . He rose to fame playing the leading role of Dong-hae in daily drama series Smile Again ( 2010-2011 ) , and has since starred in Warrior Baek Dong-soo ( 2011 ) , Empress Ki ( 2013-2014 ) , Healer ( 2014-2015 ) , The K2 ( 2016 ) , Suspicious Partner ( 2017 ) and the crime-action film Fabricated City ( 2017 ) .


Empathy is the capacity to understand what emotions another person is experiencing.

Empathy Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person 's frame of reference , i.e. , the capacity to place oneself in another 's position . There are many definitions for empathy that encompass a broad range of emotional states . Types of empathy include cognitive empathy , emotional empathy , and somatic empathy .


Omar Sharif Omar Sharif ( عمر الشريف , -LSB- ˈʕomɑɾ eʃʃɪˈɾiːf -RSB- ; born Michel Dimitri Chalhoub -LSB- - arzmiˈʃel dɪˈmitɾi ʃælˈhuːb -RSB- 10 April 193210 July 2015 ) was an Egyptian actor . He began his career in his native country in the 1950s , but is best known for his appearances in both British and American productions . His films included Lawrence of Arabia ( 1962 ) , Doctor Zhivago ( 1965 ) , and Funny Girl ( 1968 ) . He was nominated for an Academy Award . He won three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award .   Sharif , who spoke Arabic , English , Greek , French , Spanish , Portuguese and Italian fluently , was often cast as a foreigner of some sort . He bridled at travel restrictions imposed by the government of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser , leading to self-exile in Europe . The estrangement led to an amicable divorce from his wife , the iconic Egyptian actress Faten Hamama . He had converted to Islam in order to marry her . He was a lifelong horse racing enthusiast , and at one time ranked among the world 's top contract bridge players .


Neal Schon Neal Joseph Schon ( born February 27 , 1954 ) is an American rock guitarist , songwriter , and vocalist , best known for his work with the bands Journey and Bad English . He is Journey 's last original constant member , having participated in every album and tour to date . He was a member of the rock band Santana before forming Journey , and was also an original member of Hardline .   Schon was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on August 23 , 2013 . Schon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey on April 7 , 2017 .


New York New York is a state in the northeastern United States , and is the 27th-most extensive , fourth-most populous , and seventh-most densely populated U.S. state . New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut , Massachusetts , and Vermont to the east . The state has a maritime border in the Atlantic Ocean with Rhode Island , east of Long Island , as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the north and Ontario to the northwest . The state of New York , with an estimated 19.8 million residents in 2015 , is also referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City , the state 's most populous city and its economic hub .   With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015 , New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . The New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world . New York City is a global city , exerting a significant impact upon commerce , finance , media , art , fashion , research , technology , education , and entertainment , its fast pace defining the term New York minute . The home of the United Nations Headquarters , New York City is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , as well as the world 's most economically powerful city . New York City makes up over 40 % of the population of New York State . Two-thirds of the state 's population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area , and nearly 40 % lives on Long Island . Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York , future King James II of England . The next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo , Rochester , Yonkers , and Syracuse , while the state capital is Albany .   New York has a diverse geography . The southern part of the state consists of Long Island and several smaller associated islands , as well as New York City and the lower Hudson River Valley , most of which lie within the wider Atlantic Coastal Plain . The large region known as Upstate New York consists of several ranges of the wider Appalachian Mountains , including the Allegheny Plateau and Catskills along New York 's Southern Tier , and the Adirondack Mountains , Thousand Islands archipelago , and Saint Lawrence Seaway in the Northeastern lobe of the state . These more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys -- the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley , which forms the core of the Erie Canal . Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario and Lake Erie . Between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls . The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes , a popular vacation and tourist destination .   New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York . The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade and proselytizing . In 1609 , the region was claimed by Henry Hudson for the Dutch , who built Fort Nassau in 1614 at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers , where the present-day capital of Albany later developed . The Dutch soon also settled New Amsterdam and parts of the Hudson Valley , establishing the colony of New Netherland , a multicultural community from its earliest days and a center of trade and immigration . The British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664 . The borders of the British colony , the Province of New York , were similar to those of the present-day state .   Many landmarks in New York are well known to both international and domestic visitors , with New York State hosting four of the world 's ten most-visited tourist attractions in 2013 : Times Square , Central Park , Niagara Falls ( shared with Ontario ) , and Grand Central Terminal . New York is home to the Statue of Liberty , a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom , democracy , and opportunity . In the 21st century , New York has emerged as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship , social tolerance , and environmental sustainability . New York 's higher education network comprises approximately 200 colleges and universities , including Columbia University , Cornell University , New York University , and Rockefeller University , which have been ranked among the top 35 in the world .


Led Zeppelin II was only released in the United Kingdom.

Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin II is the eponymous second studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin , released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records . Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969 . The album 's production was credited to the band 's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page , and it also served as Led Zeppelin 's first album to utilise the recording techniques of the engineer Eddie Kramer . Incorporating several elements of blues and folk music , Led Zeppelin II exhibited the band 's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar riff-based sound . It has been described as the band 's heaviest album .   Led Zeppelin II was a commercial success , and was the band 's first album to reach number one on charts in the UK and the US . In 1970 , the album 's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package . On 15 November 1999 , the album was certified 12 × Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) for sales passing 12 million copies . Since its release , various writers and music critics have regularly cited Led Zeppelin II as one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time .


Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( -LSB- ˈbrænə -RSB- born 10 December 1960 ) is a Northern Irish actor , director , producer , and screenwriter originally from Belfast . Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ( RADA ) in London , and in 2015 succeeded Richard Attenborough as its President . He has directed or starred in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare 's plays , including Henry V ( 1989 ) ( for which he was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Director ) , Much Ado About Nothing ( 1993 ) , Othello ( 1995 ) , Hamlet ( 1996 ) ( for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay ) , Love 's Labour 's Lost ( 2000 ) , and As You Like It ( 2006 ) .   Branagh has also starred in numerous other films and television series including Fortunes of War ( 1987 ) , Woody Allen 's Celebrity ( 1998 ) , Wild Wild West ( 1999 ) , The Road to El Dorado ( 2000 ) , Conspiracy ( 2001 ) , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( 2002 ) , Warm Springs ( 2005 ) , Valkyrie ( 2008 ) , The Boat That Rocked ( 2009 ) , Wallander ( 2008 -- present ) , and My Week with Marilyn ( 2011 ) as Sir Laurence Olivier ( Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor ) . He has directed such notable films as Dead Again ( 1991 ) , in which he also starred , Swan Song ( 1992 ) ( Academy Award nominated for Best Live Action Short Film ) , Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein ( 1994 ) in which he also starred , The Magic Flute ( 2006 ) , Sleuth ( 2007 ) , the blockbuster superhero film Thor ( 2011 ) , the action thriller Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit ( 2014 ) in which he also co-stars , and Cinderella ( 2015 ) .   He also narrated the BBC documentary miniseries ' Walking with Dinosaurs ( starred in 1999 ) ( as well as The Ballad of Big Al ) , Walking with Beasts ( 2001 ) and Walking with Monsters ( 2005 ) . Branagh has been nominated for five Academy Awards , five Golden Globes , and has won three BAFTAs , and an Emmy . He was appointed a knight bachelor in the 2012 Birthday Honours and was knighted on 9 November 2012 .


Francis Ford Coppola produced Apocalypse Now.

Apocalypse Now Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film directed , produced and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola . It was co-written by John Milius with narration written by Michael Herr . It stars Marlon Brando , Robert Duvall , Martin Sheen , Frederic Forrest , Albert Hall , Sam Bottoms , Larry Fishburne , and Dennis Hopper . The screenplay , written by Milius , adapts the story of Joseph Conrad 's novella Heart of Darkness changing its setting from late 1800 's Congo to the Vietnam War . It draws from Herr 's Dispatches , and Werner Herzog 's Aguirre , the Wrath of God ( 1972 ) . The film revolves around Captain Benjamin L. Willard ( Sheen ) on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz , a renegade who is presumed insane .   The film has been noted for the problems encountered while making it , chronicled in the documentary Hearts of Darkness : A Filmmaker 's Apocalypse ( 1991 ) . These problems included Brando arriving on the set overweight and completely unprepared , expensive sets being destroyed by severe weather , and its lead actor ( Sheen ) having a breakdown , and suffering a near-fatal heart attack , while on location . Problems continued after production as the release was postponed several times while Coppola edited thousands of feet of film .   Apocalypse Now was released to universal acclaim . It was honored with the Palme d'Or at Cannes , nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Drama . It is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made . The film was ranked No. 14 in the British Film Institute 's Sight and Sound greatest films poll in 2012 . In 2000 , the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically or aesthetically significant '' .


Hannibal did not fight in the Second Punic War.

Hannibal Hannibal Barca ( Punic language : ð $ ð $ ð $ ð $ ð $ ð $ ð $ `` ð $ ' , Q-R-B L-A - ' - A-B-N-Ḥ ; 247 -- between 183 and 181 BC ) , was a Carthaginian general , considered one of the greatest military commanders in history . His father Hamilcar Barca was the leading Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War . His younger brothers were Mago and Hasdrubal , and he was brother-in-la   Hannibal lived during a period of great tension in the Mediterranean Basin , when the Roman Republic established its supremacy over other great powers such as ancient Carthage and the Greek kingdoms of Macedonia , Syracuse , and the Seleucid Empire . One of his most famous achievements was at the outbreak of the Second Punic War , when he marched an army which included war elephants from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into Italy . In his first few years in Italy , he won three dramatic victories -- the Trebia , Lake Trasimene , and Cannae , in which he distinguished himself for his ability to determine his and his opponent 's strengths and weaknesses , and to play the battle to his strengths and the enemy 's weaknesses -- and won over many allies of Rome . Hannibal occupied much of Italy for 15 years but was unable to march on Rome . An enemy counter-invasion of North Africa forced him to return to Carthage , where he was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama . Scipio had studied Hannibal 's tactics and brilliantly devised some of his own , and finally defeated Rome 's nemesis at Zama , having previously driven Hannibal 's brother Hasdrubal out of the Iberian Peninsula .   After the war , Hannibal successfully ran for the office of sufet . He enacted political and financial reforms to enable the payment of the war indemnity imposed by Rome ; however , Hannibal 's reforms were unpopular with members of the Carthaginian aristocracy and in Rome , and he fled into voluntary exile . During this time , he lived at the Seleucid court , where he acted as military advisor to Antiochus III the Great in his war against Rome . Antiochus met defeat at the Battle of Magnesia and was forced to accept Rome 's terms , and Hannibal fled again , making a stop in the Kingdom of Armenia . His flight ended in the court of Bithynia , where he achieved an outstanding naval victory against a fleet from Pergamon . He was afterwards betrayed to the Romans and committed suicide by poisoning himself .   Hannibal is often regarded as one of the greatest military strategists in history and one of the greatest generals of Mediterranean antiquity , together with Philip of Macedon , Alexander the Great , Julius Caesar , and Scipio Africanus . Plutarch states that Hannibal was questioned by Scipio as to who was the greatest general , and Hannibal replied either Alexander or Pyrrhus , then himself , or , according to another version of the event , Pyrrhus , Scipio , then himself . Military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge called Hannibal the `` father of strategy '' , because his greatest enemy , Rome , came to adopt elements of his military tactics in its own strategic arsenal . This praise has earned him a strong reputation in the modern world , and he was regarded as a great strategist by Napoleon and others .


Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for Best Screenplay at the 85th Academy Awards.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Beasts of the Southern Wild is a 2012 American drama film co-written , co-scored and directed by Benh Zeitlin . It was adapted by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar 's one-act play Juicy and Delicious . After playing at film festivals , it was released on June 27 , 2012 , in New York and Los Angeles , and later distribution was expanded .   The film was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards , in the categories Best Picture , Best Director ( Benh Zeitlin ) , Best Adapted Screenplay ( Lucy Alibar , Benh Zeitlin ) , and Best Actress ( Quvenzhané Wallis ) . At age 9 , Wallis became the youngest Best Actress nominee in history .


Michael Keaton won a Golden Globe Award.

Michael Keaton Michael John Douglas ( born September 5 , 1951 ) , known professionally as Michael Keaton , is an American actor , producer and director . He first rose to fame for his comedic film roles in Night Shift ( 1982 ) , Mr. Mom ( 1983 ) , Johnny Dangerously ( 1984 ) and Beetlejuice ( 1988 ) , and he earned further acclaim for his dramatic portrayal of the title character in Tim Burton 's Batman ( 1989 ) and Batman Returns ( 1992 ) .   Since then , he has appeared in a variety of films ranging from dramas and romantic comedies to thriller and action films ; such as Clean and Sober ( 1988 ) , The Dream Team ( 1989 ) , Pacific Heights ( 1990 ) , Much Ado About Nothing ( 1993 ) , My Life ( 1993 ) , The Paper ( 1994 ) , Multiplicity ( 1996 ) , Jackie Brown ( 1997 ) , Herbie : Fully Loaded ( 2005 ) , The Other Guys ( 2010 ) , Need for Speed ( 2014 ) , RoboCop ( 2014 ) , Spotlight ( 2015 ) and The Founder ( 2016 ) , and he has also provided voices for characters in animated films such as Cars ( 2006 ) , Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) and Minions ( 2015 ) . In 2017 , Keaton will play the role of Marvel Comics supervillain the Vulture in Spider-Man : Homecoming .   Keaton 's lead performance in Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) ( 2014 ) earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy , the Critics ' Choice Award for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy , and nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award , British Academy Film Award , and Academy Award for Best Actor . He previously received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in Live from Baghdad ( 2002 ) and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for The Company ( 2007 ) . Keaton was awarded a Career Achievement Award from both the Hollywood Film Festival and Zurich Film Festivals .   On January 18 , 2016 , he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France . He is also a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University . </span>


Earl Warren held the office of Chief Justice of the United States.

Warren Court The Warren Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States during the period when Earl Warren served as Chief Justice . Warren replaced the deceased Fred M. Vinson as Chief Justice in 1953 , and Warren remained in office until he retired in 1969 . Warren was succeeded as Chief Justice by Warren Burger .   Warren led a liberal majority that used judicial power in dramatic fashion , to the consternation of conservative opponents . The Warren Court expanded civil rights , civil liberties , judicial power , and the federal power in dramatic ways .   The court was both applauded and criticized for bringing an end to racial segregation in the United States , incorporating the Bill of Rights ( i.e. including it in the 14th Amendment Due Process clause ) , and ending officially sanctioned voluntary prayer in public schools . The period is recognized as the highest point in judicial power that has receded ever since , but with a substantial continuing impact .   Prominent members of the Court during the Warren era besides the Chief Justice included Justices William J. Brennan , Jr. , William O. Douglas , Hugo Black , Felix Frankfurter , and John Marshall Harlan II .


Earl Warren Earl Warren ( March 19 , 1891 -- July 9 , 1974 ) was an American jurist and politician , who served as the 30th Governor of California ( 1943 -- 1953 ) and later the 14th Chief Justice of the United States ( 1953 -- 1969 ) .   He is best known for the liberal decisions of the so-called Warren Court , which outlawed segregation in public schools and transformed many areas of American law , especially regarding the rights of the accused , ending public school-sponsored prayers , and requiring `` one man -- one vote '' rules of apportionment of election districts . He made the Supreme Court a power center on a more even basis with Congress and the Presidency , especially through four landmark decisions : Brown v. Board of Education ( 1954 ) , Gideon v. Wainwright ( 1963 ) , Reynolds v. Sims ( 1964 ) , and Miranda v. Arizona ( 1966 ) .   Warren is the only person elected to three consecutive terms as Governor of California , and with those three elected terms he is second only to Jerry Brown for total gubernatorial wins in California . Before holding these positions , he was the District Attorney for Alameda County , California , and the Attorney General of California .   Warren was the nominee of the Republican Party for Vice President in 1948 , as the running mate of Thomas E. Dewey . He was appointed to chair what became known as the Warren Commission , which was formed to investigate the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy .


Alexandra Burke was on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008.

Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke ( born 25 August 1988 ) is a British singer-songwriter and voice actor . Burke rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008 , becoming one of the most successful winners of the series . She has been signed to Epic Records , RCA Records and Syco Music .   After winning The X Factor , Burke released the winner 's single `` Hallelujah '' , which became the European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours , selling 105,000 in one day , and became the top-selling single of 2008 in the UK and the UK 's Christmas 2008 number one . By January 2009 , the single had sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone , a first for a British female soloist . In 2009 , Burke released her debut album , Overcome , which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spawned four number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart -- `` Hallelujah '' , `` Bad Boys '' , `` All Night Long '' and `` Start Without You '' -- and the album became one of the most successful albums of that year in the UK . The singles released from the album earned her three BRIT Award nominations . The album saw the release of UK top 10 hit , `` Broken Heels '' and `` The Silence '' . `` Elephant '' was released as Burke 's comeback single in February 2012 , and `` Let It Go '' served as the second single and Burke 's second album , Heartbreak on Hold , was released in June 2012 .   In June 2014 , Burke replaced Beverley Knight in the lead role of Rachel Marron in the West End musical The Bodyguard , at the Adelphi Theatre , touring with the production in 2015 and 2016 . In 2016 , Burke commenced a 12-month residency in Sister Act The Musical , leading the cast as Deloris Van Cartier .


Mike Pence did not become a conservative radio talk show host.

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence ( born June 7 , 1959 ) is an American politician , lawyer , and the 48th and current Vice President of the United States . He previously served as the 50th Governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 .   Born and raised in Columbus , Indiana , Pence graduated from Hanover College and earned a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law before entering private practice . After losing two bids for a U.S. congressional seat in 1988 and 1990 , he became a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999 . Pence was elected to the United States Congress in 2000 and represented and in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 . He served as the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 2009 to 2011 . Pence positioned himself as a principled ideologue and supporter of the Tea Party movement , noting he was `` a Christian , a conservative , and a Republican , in that order . ''   Upon becoming Governor of Indiana in January 2013 , Pence initiated the largest tax cut in Indiana 's history , pushed for more funding for education initiatives , and continued to increase the state 's budget surplus . Pence signed bills intended to restrict abortions , including one that prohibited abortions if the reason for the procedure was the fetus 's race , gender , or disability . Pence stirred several high-profile controversies , including with his signature of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , for which he encountered fierce resistance from moderate members of his party , the business community , and LGBT advocates . He later signed an additional bill acting as an amendment intended to protect LGBT people .   On November 8 , 2016 , Pence was elected as Vice President , after he dropped out of his gubernatorial re-election campaign in July to become the vice presidential running mate for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump , who went on to win the presidential election .


James Blake (musician) has released at least two albums.

James Blake (musician) James Blake Litherland ( born 26 September 1988 ) , known as James Blake , is an English singer , songwriter , musician and record producer from London . He first received recognition in 2010 for a trio of dubstep-influenced EPs , and the following year his self-titled debut album was released in the United Kingdom to critical praise . His second studio album Overgrown was released in 2013 and was awarded the Mercury Prize . His third studio album The Colour in Anything was released in 2016 . Blake has also released remix work under the moniker Harmonimix .   Blake received his second Grammy Award nomination at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for Best New Artist . At the 2014 Brit Awards , Blake was nominated for the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist .


The Bourne Supremacy (film) The Bourne Supremacy is a 2004 American-German action spy thriller film starring Robert Ludlum 's Jason Bourne character . Though it takes the name of the second Bourne novel , its plot is entirely different . The film was directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay by Tony Gilroy . Universal Pictures released the film to theaters in the United States on July 23 , 2004 . It is the second in the Jason Bourne film series . It is preceded by The Bourne Identity ( 2002 ) and followed by The Bourne Ultimatum ( 2007 ) , The Bourne Legacy ( 2012 ) , and Jason Bourne ( 2016 ) .   The Bourne Supremacy continues the story of Jason Bourne , a former CIA assassin suffering from psychogenic amnesia . Bourne is portrayed by Matt Damon . The film focuses on his attempt to learn more of his past as he is once more enveloped in a conspiracy involving the CIA and Operation Treadstone . The film also stars Brian Cox as Ward Abbott , Joan Allen as Pamela Landy and Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons .


Fairy Tail is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima . It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 2 , 2006 , with the individual chapters collected and published into 61 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha as of May 17 , 2017 . The story follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel , a teenage who is a member of the popular wizards ' guild Fairy Tail , as he searches for the dragon Igneel .   The manga has been adapted into an anime series produced by A-1 Pictures , Dentsu Inc. , and Satelight , which began broadcasting in Japan on October 12 , 2009 . Additionally , A-1 Pictures has developed seven original video animations and two animated feature films . The series ended its initial run on March 30 , 2013 . A second series premiered on TV Tokyo on April 5 , 2014 , and ended on March 26 , 2016 .   Fairy Tail was originally licensed for an English language release in North America by Del Rey Manga , which began releasing the individual volumes on March 25 , 2008 and ended its licensing with the 12th volume release in September 2010 . In December 2010 , Kodansha Comics USA took over North American release of the series . The Southeast Asian network Animax Asia aired an English-language version of the anime for seven seasons from 2010 to 2015 . The anime has been licensed by Funimation for an English-language release in North America . As of February 2017 , Fairy Tail had 60 million copies in print .


Al Capone was prosecuted for tax evasion.

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( -LSB- æl_kəˈpoʊn -RSB- January 17 , 1899 -- January 25 , 1947 ) , sometimes known by the nickname Scarface , was an American gangster who attained fame during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit . His seven-year reign as crime boss ended when he was 33 years old .   Capone was born in Brooklyn in New York City to Italian immigrants . He was considered a Five Points Gang member who became a bouncer in organized crime premises such as brothels . In his early twenties , he moved to Chicago and became bodyguard and trusted factotum for Johnny Torrio , head of a criminal syndicate that illegally supplied alcohol -- the forerunner of the Outfit -- and that was politically protected through the Unione Siciliana . A conflict with the North Side Gang was instrumental in Capone 's rise and fall . Torrio went into retirement after North Side gunmen almost killed him , handing control to Capone . Capone expanded the bootlegging business through increasingly violent means , but his mutually profitable relationships with mayor William Hale Thompson and the city 's police meant that Capone seemed safe from law enforcement .   Capone apparently reveled in attention , such as the cheers from spectators when he appeared at ball games . He made donations to various charities and was viewed by many to be a `` modern-day Robin Hood '' . However , the Saint Valentine 's Day Massacre of gang rivals , resulting in the killing of seven men in broad daylight , damaged Chicago 's image -- as well as Capone 's -- leading influential citizens to demand governmental action and newspapers to dub him `` Public Enemy No. 1 '' .   The federal authorities became intent on jailing Capone , and they prosecuted him for tax evasion in 1931 , a federal crime and a novel strategy during the era . During the highly publicized case , the judge admitted as evidence Capone 's admissions of his income and unpaid taxes during prior ( and ultimately abortive ) negotiations to pay the government any back taxes he owed . Capone was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison . After conviction , he replaced his old defense team with experts in tax law , and his grounds for appeal were strengthened by a Supreme Court ruling , but his appeal ultimately failed .   He was already showing signs of syphilitic dementia early in his sentence , and he became increasingly debilitated before being released after eight years . On January 25 , 1947 , Capone died of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke .


Cry Freedom Cry Freedom is a 1987 British epic drama film directed by Richard Attenborough , set in late-1970s apartheid era South Africa . The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods . The film centres on the real-life events involving black activist Steve Biko and his friend Donald Woods , who initially finds him destructive , and attempts to understand his way of life . Denzel Washington stars as Biko , while actor Kevin Kline portrays Woods . Cry Freedom delves into the ideas of discrimination , political corruption , and the repercussions of violence .   The film was primarily shot on location in Zimbabwe and in Kenya due to political turmoil in South Africa at the time of production . As a film showing mostly in limited cinematic release , it was nominated for multiple awards , including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role , Best Original Score , and Best Original Song . It also won a number of awards including those from the Berlin International Film Festival and the British Academy Film Awards .   A joint collective effort to commit to the film 's production was made by Universal Pictures and Marble Arch Productions . It was commercially distributed by Universal Pictures cinematically , and by MCA Home Video for home media . Cry Freedom premiered in cinemas nationwide in the United States on 6 November 1987 grossing $ 5,899,797 in domestic ticket receipts . The film was at its widest release showing in 479 cinemas nationwide . It was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas .


Shia LaBeouf was in a Disney Channel show.

Shia LaBeouf Shia Saide LaBeouf ( -LSB- ˈʃaɪ.ə _ ləˈbʌf -RSB- born June 11 , 1986 ) is an American actor , performance artist , and filmmaker . He became known among younger audiences as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens , a role for which LaBeouf received a Young Artist Award nomination in 2001 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2003 . He made his film debut in Holes ( 2003 ) , based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar . In 2004 , he made his directorial debut with the short film Let 's Love Hate and later directed a short film titled Maniac ( 2011 ) , starring American rappers Cage and Kid Cudi .   In 2007 , LaBeouf starred in the commercially successful films Disturbia and Surf 's Up . The same year he was cast in Michael Bay 's science fiction film Transformers as Sam Witwicky , the main protagonist of the series . Despite mixed reviews , Transformers was a box office success and one of the highest-grossing films of 2007 . LaBeouf later appeared in its sequels Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen ( 2009 ) and Transformers : Dark of the Moon ( 2011 ) , both also box office successes . In 2008 , he played Henry `` Mutt Williams '' Jones III in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , the fourth film in the Indiana Jones franchise . His other films include Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps ( 2010 ) , Lawless ( 2012 ) , The Company You Keep ( 2012 ) , Nymphomaniac ( 2013 ) and Fury ( 2014 ) . Since 2014 , LaBeouf has pursued a variety of public performance art projects with LaBeouf , Rönkkö & Turner .


Jack Reacher (film) th : Jack Reacher ยอดคนสืบระห่ำ   Jack Reacher ( formerly called One Shot , or alternatively known as Jack Reacher : One Shot ) is a 2012 American action thriller film written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie , based on Lee Child 's 2005 novel One Shot . The film stars Tom Cruise as the title character , with Rosamund Pike , David Oyelowo , Richard Jenkins , Jai Courtney , Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall also starring . The film entered production in October 2011 , and concluded in January 2012 . It was filmed entirely on location in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . It received generally positive reviews and performed well at the box office .   The film was released in North America on December 21 . The musical score was composed by Joe Kraemer , performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony and recorded at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City , California . Cruise performed all of his own driving stunts during the film 's signature car chase sequence . Cruise reprised his role in the sequel , Jack Reacher : Never Go Back , based on the 2013 novel Never Go Back , which was released in October 2016 .


Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon , written by Michael Markowitz , John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein , based on a story by Markowitz . It stars Jason Bateman , Charlie Day , Jason Sudeikis , Jennifer Aniston , Colin Farrell , Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx . The plot follows three friends , played by Bateman , Day and Sudeikis , who decide to murder their respective overbearing , abusive bosses , portrayed by Spacey , Aniston and Farrell .   Markowitz 's script was bought by New Line Cinema in 2005 and the film spent six years in various states of pre-production , with a variety of actors attached to different roles . By 2010 , Goldstein and Daley had rewritten the script , and the film finally went into production .   The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 30 , 2011 , and was released on July 8 , 2011 . The film exceeded financial expectations , accruing over $ 28 million in the first three days , making it the number two film in the United States during its opening weekend , and going on to become the highest-grossing black comedy film of all-time in unadjusted dollars , breaking the record previously set by The War of the Roses in 1990 . The film grossed over $ 209 million worldwide by the end of its theatrical run .   The film received generally positive reviews , with critics praising the ensemble cast , and each lead being singled out for their performances across reviews . The plot received a more mixed response ; some reviewers felt that its dark , humorous premise was explored well , while others felt the jokes were racist , homophobic and misogynistic . A sequel , Horrible Bosses 2 , was released on November 26 , 2014 .


Cape Fear stars Robert De Niro and it is a film.

Cape Fear (1991 film) Cape Fear is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 film of the same name . It stars Robert De Niro , Nick Nolte , Jessica Lange , and Juliette Lewis , and features cameos from Gregory Peck , Robert Mitchum , and Martin Balsam , who all appeared in the original film . It was Peck 's final theatrical film . The film tells the story of a convicted rapist who , using mostly his newfound knowledge of the law and its numerous loopholes , seeks vengeance against a former public defender whom he blames for his 14-year imprisonment due to purposefully faulty defense tactics used during his trial .   Cape Fear marks the seventh of eight collaborations between Scorsese and De Niro , the others being Mean Streets ( 1973 ) , Taxi Driver ( 1976 ) , New York , New York ( 1977 ) , Raging Bull ( 1980 ) , The King of Comedy ( 1982 ) , Goodfellas ( 1990 ) and Casino ( 1995 ) . The film received positive reviews and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor ( De Niro ) and Best Supporting Actress ( Lewis ) .


A Song of Ice and Fire is by someone who was born Krzysztof Komeda.

A Song of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin . He began the first volume of the series , A Game of Thrones , in 1991 and had it published in 1996 . Martin , who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy , has published five out of a planned seven volumes . The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011 , A Dance with Dragons , took Martin five years to write . He is still writing the sixth novel , The Winds of Winter .   A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos . The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine , in the first novel , to thirty-one by the fifth . Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros , the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros , and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the deposed king 's exiled daughter , to assume the Iron Throne .   Martin 's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon . A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion , as well as its realism . An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader , and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured . Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire , questions concerning loyalty , pride , human sexuality , piety , and the morality of violence frequently arise .   As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases . Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas , a TV series , a comic book adaptation , and several card , board , and video games .


George R. R. Martin -RCB- -RCB-   George Raymond Richard Martin ( born George Raymond Martin ; September 20 , 1948 ) , often referred to as GRRM , is an American novelist and short-story writer in the fantasy , horror , and science fiction genres , screenwriter , and television producer . He is best known for his international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels , A Song of Ice and Fire , which was later adapted into the HBO dramatic series Game of Thrones .   Martin serves as the series ' co-executive producer , and also scripted four episodes of the series . In 2005 , Lev Grossman of Time called Martin `` the American Tolkien '' , and the magazine later named him one of the `` 2011 Time 100 '' , a list of the `` most influential people in the world . ''


Sunrise (company) is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise . It is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings . Its former name was Nippon Sunrise , and prior to that , Sunrise Studios . Its headquarters is located in Suginami , Tokyo .   Among Japan 's largest and most famous studios , Sunrise is renowned for several critically lauded and popular original anime series , such as Gundam , Cowboy Bebop , Space Runaway Ideon , Armored Trooper Votoms , Yoroiden Samurai Troopers , Future GPX Cyber Formula , Crush Gear Turbo , The Vision of Escaflowne , Love Live School Idol Project , Witch Hunter Robin , My-HiME , My-Otome , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion , Tiger & Bunny , Cross Ange : Rondo of Angel and Dragon , as well as its numerous adaptations of acclaimed light novels including Dirty Pair , Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Accel World , and manga such as City Hunter , InuYasha , Outlaw Star , Yakitate !! Japan , Planetes , Keroro Gunso , Gin Tama , Kekkaishi and several others .   Many of Sunrise 's original anime include similar themes , including mecha and masked identities accompanied with fluid animation . Because of the fluidity and high degree of details on much of their works , fans refer to their animation works as `` Sunrise Smooth '' .   Most of their works are mostly original titles created in-house by their creative staffs that went into a collective pseudonym called Hajime Yatate . They also previously operated a now defunct video game studio of their own named Sunrise Interactive . Sunrise also launched their own light novel publication titled Yatate Bunko Imprint on September 30 , 2016 aimed to publish new original titles and also to supplemment their already existing franchises with new materials .   Anime created by Sunrise that have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize are Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 and the first half of 1980 , Space Runaway Ideon in the second half of 1980 , Crusher Joe ( co-production with Studio Nue ) in 1983 , Dirty Pair in 1985 , Future GPX Cyber Formula in 1991 , Gundam SEED in 2002 , Gundam SEED Destiny in 2004 and 2005 , Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion in 2006 and 2007 and Code Geass R2 in 2008 , thus making Sunrise as the studio that won the most number of Animage Awards .


Dileep was one of the actors in C.I.D. Moosa.

Dileep (actor) Dileep ( born Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai , on 27 October 1968 ) is an Indian film actor , singer , impressionist , producer , and businessman . He 's best known for his slapstick comedy roles in Malayalam cinema and he is the Richest superstar and third highest paid actor of malayalm cinema . In a career spanning over a quarter-century , he has starred in more than 130 films .   Dileep began his film career in 1991 by assisting director Kamal . He attained popularity through his impressionist acts in stage shows and Comicola , a television comedy series aired on Asianet . His role as Dileep in Manathe Kottaram ( 1994 ) paved way to his acting career . Films such as Sallapam ( 1996 ) , Ee Puzhayum Kadannu ( 1997 ) , Punjabi House ( 1998 ) , Udayapuram Sulthan ( 1999 ) , and Chandranudikkunna Dikhil ( 1999 ) established his status as a prominent actor during the late-1990s .   After delivering back-to-back hits in the early-2000s with films such as Thenkasipattanam ( 2000 ) , Joker ( 2000 ) , Ee Parakkum Thalika ( 2001 ) , Ishtam ( 2001 ) , Mazhathullikkilukkam ( 2002 ) and Kalyanaraman ( 2002 ) , Dileep established himself as a bankable lead star in the Malayalam film industry with the blockbuster success of Meesa Madhavan ( 2002 ) . He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his role as Madhavan in Meesa Madhavan . He won his first Kerala State Film Award ( Special Jury ) for his performance as Vimal Kumar ( Kunjan ) in Kunjikoonan ( 2002 ) and later won the Best Actor Award for his performance as Mukkom Shajahan in the film Vellaripravinte Changathi ( 2011 ) .   Dileep ventured into production , and produced and starred in C.I.D. Moosa ( 2003 ) under the banner Graand Production . Kathavasheshan ( 2004 ) won Dileep the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film as a producer . In 2008 , under the banner of Graand Production , Dileep produced Twenty :20 by casting most of the mainstream actors of Malayalam cinema , which had become the highest grossing Malayalam film at that time . He produced the multi-starrer in order to raise funds for the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists ( AMMA ) .


Emma Stone Emily Jean `` Emma '' Stone ( born November 6 , 1988 ) is an American actress . One of the world 's highest-paid actresses in 2015 , Stone has received numerous accolades , including an Academy Award , a BAFTA Award , a Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards . She appeared in Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2013 and the Time 100 in 2017 , and is often described by the media as one of the most talented actresses of her generation .   Born and raised in Scottsdale , Arizona , Stone began acting as a child , in a theater production of The Wind in the Willows in 2000 . As a teenager , she relocated to Los Angeles with her mother , and made her television debut in VH1 's In Search of the New Partridge Family ( 2004 ) , a reality show that produced only an unsold pilot . After small television roles , she won a Young Hollywood Award for her film debut in Superbad ( 2007 ) , and received positive media attention for her role in Zombieland ( 2009 ) .   The 2010 teen comedy Easy A was Stone 's first starring role and earned her nominations for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress . This breakthrough was followed by a supporting role in the commercially successful romantic comedy Crazy , Stupid , Love ( 2011 ) , and then a co-starring role in the critically acclaimed drama The Help ( 2011 ) . Stone gained wider recognition for playing Gwen Stacy in the 2012 superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man , and its sequel in 2014 . She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of a recovering drug addict in the black comedy-drama Birdman ( 2014 ) . Her Broadway debut came in a revival of the musical Cabaret ( 2014 -- 2015 ) . Stone won an Academy Award , a BAFTA Award , and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for playing an aspiring actress in the highly successful musical film La La Land ( 2016 ) .


Neil Young plays the role of director and screenwriter.

Neil Young Neil Percival Young , ( born November 12 , 1945 ) , is a Canadian singer-songwriter , musician , producer , director and screenwriter . Young began performing in a group covering Shadows instrumentals in Canada in 1960 . In 1966 , after a brief stint with the Rick James-fronted Mynah Birds , he moved to Los Angeles , where he formed Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills , Richie Furay and others . Young had released two solo albums by the time he joined Crosby , Stills & Nash in 1969 , in addition to two as a member of Buffalo Springfield . From his early solo albums and those with his backing band Crazy Horse , Young has recorded a steady stream of studio and live albums , sometimes warring with his recording company along the way .   Young 's often distorted electric guitar work , deeply personal lyrics and signature tenor singing voice transcend his long career . Young also plays piano and harmonica on many albums which frequently combine folk , rock , blues and other musical styles . Known to rip up live set lists , Young often plays acoustic versions of songs in one show and electric versions in others . His gritty guitar work , especially with Crazy Horse , earned him the nickname `` Godfather of Grunge '' and led to his 1995 album Mirror Ball with Pearl Jam . More recently Young has been backed by Promise of the Real .   Young directed ( or co-directed ) films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey , including Journey Through the Past ( 1973 ) , Rust Never Sleeps ( 1979 ) , Human Highway ( 1982 ) , Greendale ( 2003 ) , and CSNY/D éjà Vu ( 2008 ) . He also contributed to the soundtracks of the films Philadelphia ( 1993 ) and Dead Man ( 1995 ) .   Young has received several Grammy and Juno awards . The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice : as a solo artist in 1995 and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield . In 2000 , Rolling Stone named Young the 34th greatest rock 'n roll artist .   He has lived in California since the 1960s but retains Canadian citizenship . He was awarded the Order of Manitoba on July 14 , 2006 , and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 30 , 2009 .


Tommy Lee Jones has had noteworthy starring roles.

Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones ( born September 15 , 1946 ) is an American actor and filmmaker . He has received four Academy Award nominations , winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive .   His other notable starring roles include former Texas Ranger Woodrow F. Call in the TV mini-series Lonesome Dove , Agent K in the Men in Black film series , Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men , the villain Two-Face in Batman Forever , terrorist William Strannix in Under Siege , a Texas Ranger in Man of the House , rancher Pete Perkins in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada , which he directed , Colonel Chester Phillips in Captain America : The First Avenger , CIA Director Robert Dewey in Jason Bourne and Warden Dwight McClusky in Natural Born Killers . Jones has also portrayed real-life figures such as businessman Howard Hughes , Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens , executed murderer Gary Gilmore , U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur , Oliver Lynn , husband of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner 's Daughter , and baseball great Ty Cobb .   Early in his career , Jones first gained recognition for his contract role as Dr. Mark Toland on the soap opera One Life to Live for six years .


Hayden Panettiere began acting on One Life to Live.

Hayden Panettiere Hayden Leslie Panettiere ( born August 21 , 1989 ) is an American actress , model , singer , and activist . She is known for her roles as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes ( 2006 -- 10 ) , Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical-drama series Nashville ( 2012 -- present ) and Kairi in the video game series Kingdom Hearts .   A native of New York City , she first appeared in a commercial at the age of 11 months . She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live ( 1994 -- 97 ) , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light ( 1996 -- 2000 ) , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in the Disney feature film Remember the Titans . Other notable roles include her portrayal of the title character in the true crime drama Amanda Knox : Murder on Trial in Italy and Kirby Reed in the slasher film Scream 4 . She received two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film , for her work on Nashville in 2012 and 2013 .


Mauritius achieved an Olympic host position in 1968.

Mauritius Mauritius ( -LSB- məˈrɪʃəs -RSB- or -LSB- məˈrɪʃiːəs -RSB- Maurice ) , officially the Republic of Mauritius ( République de Maurice ) , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2000 km off the southeast coast of the African continent . The country includes the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues -LSB- 560 km east of Mauritius -RSB- , and the outer islands ( Agaléga , St. Brandon and two disputed territories ) . The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands , along with nearby Réunion , a French overseas department . The area of the country is 2,040 km2 . The capital and largest city is Port Louis . Formerly a Dutch colony ( 1638 -- 1710 ) and a French colony ( 1715 -- 1810 ) , Mauritius became a British colonial possession in 1810 and remained so until 1968 , the year in which it attained independence . The government uses English as its main language .   The sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom ( UK ) . The UK excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory in 1965 , three years prior to Mauritian independence . The UK gradually depopulated the archipelago 's indigenous population and leased its biggest island , Diego Garcia , to the United States . Access to the archipelago is prohibited to casual tourists , the media , and its former inhabitants . Mauritius also claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island from France .   The people of Mauritius are multiethnic , multi-religious , multicultural and multilingual . The island 's government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system , and Mauritius is highly ranked for democracy and for economic and political freedom . Along with the other Mascarene Islands , Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna , with many species endemic to the island . The island is widely known as the only known home of the dodo , which , along with several other avian species , was made extinct by human activities relatively shortly after the island 's settlement . Mauritius is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the largest religion .


John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon , ( born John Winston Lennon ; 9 October 19408 December 1980 ) was an English guitarist , singer , and songwriter who co-founded the Beatles , the most commercially successful and musically influential band in the history of popular music . He and fellow member Paul McCartney formed a much-celebrated songwriting partnership .   Born and raised in Liverpool , Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager ; his first band , the Quarrymen , first became the Silver Beatles , and finally , evolved into the Beatles in 1960 . When the group disbanded in 1970 , Lennon embarked on a sporadic solo career that produced albums including John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine , and songs such as `` Give Peace a Chance '' , `` Working Class Hero '' , and `` Imagine '' . After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969 , he added `` Ono '' as one of his middle names . Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to raise his infant son Sean , but re-emerged with Ono in 1980 with the new album Double Fantasy . He was murdered three weeks after its release .   Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music , writing , drawings , on film and in interviews . Controversial through his political and peace activism , he moved to Manhattan in 1971 , where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon 's administration to deport him , while some of his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture .   By 2012 , Lennon 's solo album sales in the United States exceeded 14 million and , as writer , co-writer , or performer , he is responsible for 25 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart . In 2002 , a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth and , in 2008 , Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all time . He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 , and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice , in 1988 as a member of the Beatles and in 1994 as a solo artist .


The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 . With members John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr , they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era . Rooted in skiffle , beat and 1950s rock and roll , the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles , ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock , often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways . In 1963 their enormous popularity first emerged as `` Beatlemania '' , and as the group 's music grew in sophistication in subsequent years , led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney , they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s .   The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960 , with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player . The core of Lennon , McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers , including Pete Best , before asking Starr to join them in 1962 . Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act , and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings , greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit , `` Love Me Do '' , in late 1962 . They acquired the nickname `` the Fab Four '' as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year , and by early 1964 became international stars , leading the `` British Invasion '' of the United States pop market . From 1965 onwards , the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings , including the albums Rubber Soul ( 1965 ) , Revolver ( 1966 ) , Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band ( 1967 ) , The Beatles ( commonly known as the White Album , 1968 ) and Abbey Road ( 1969 ) . After their break-up in 1970 , they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths . McCartney and Starr , the surviving members , remain musically active . Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 , and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001 .   The Beatles are the best-selling band in history , with estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide . They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act . According to the RIAA , the Beatles are also the best-selling music artists in the United States , with 178 million certified units . In 2008 , the group topped Billboard magazine 's list of the all-time most successful `` Hot 100 '' artists ; , they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty . They have received ten Grammy Awards , an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards . The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 , and all four were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015 . They were also collectively included in Time magazine 's compilation of the twentieth century 's 100 most influential people .


A Perfect Circle is a country supergroup.

A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan . A Perfect Circle has released three albums : their debut Mer de Noms in 2000 , a follow up , Thirteenth Step in 2003 , and an album of cover songs titled Emotive in 2004 . Shortly after Emotives release , the band went into hiatus while Keenan returned to Tool and starting up solo work in the form of the band Puscifer , and Howerdel releasing a solo album , Keep Telling Myself It 's Alright , under the moniker Ashes Divide . Band activity was sporadic in the coming years ; the band reformed in 2010 , and played live shows on and off between 2010 and 2013 , but fell into inactivity after the release of their greatest hits album , Three Sixty , and a live album box set , A Perfect Circle Live : Featuring Stone and Echo in late 2013 . However , in 2017 , the band returned to touring and announced plans to record and release a fourth studio album under a new record label , BMG Rights Management , between late 2017 and early 2018 .   Prone to downtime due to Keenan 's other musical commitments , the band has featured a variety of musicians in the rest of the band 's role throughout its alternating periods of activity and inactivity . The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass , Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar , and Josh Freese on drums , though Primus drummer Tim Alexander had briefly stood in as a drummer prior to Freese in the band 's initial live shows prior to releasing any material . Band collaborator and producer Danny Lohner and Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White were also members for a short period in the early 2000s . The band 's current lineup features former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha , bassist Matt McJunkins , and drummer Jeff Friedl , the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and Ashes Divide projects . Despite the varied cast and numerous lineup changes , the stylistic content of the songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as music composer , and Keenan penning the lyrics and vocal melodies . The band 's studio albums have been generally well received critically and commercially , with their three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005 .


Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey ( -LSB- fraɪ -RSB- November 6 , 1948 -- January 18 , 2016 ) was an American singer , songwriter and actor , best known as a founding member of the rock band Eagles . Frey was the lead singer and frontman for the Eagles , roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley , with whom he wrote most of the Eagles ' material . Frey played guitar , piano , and keyboards . He sang lead vocals on songs such as `` Take It Easy '' , `` Peaceful Easy Feeling '' , `` Tequila Sunrise '' , `` Already Gone '' , `` Lyin ' Eyes '' , `` New Kid in Town '' , and `` Heartache Tonight '' .   After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980 , Frey embarked on a successful solo career . He released his debut album , No Fun Aloud , in 1982 and went on to record Top 40 hits `` The One You Love '' , `` Smuggler 's Blues '' , `` Sexy Girl '' , `` The Heat Is On '' , `` You Belong to the City '' , `` True Love '' , `` Soul Searchin ' '' and `` Livin ' Right '' . As a member of the Eagles , Frey won six Grammy Awards , and five American Music Awards . The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 , the first year they were nominated . Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles , Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 .


Sexy Girl (Glenn Frey song) `` Sexy Girl '' is a song by an American musician , singer and songwriter Glenn Frey . It was released as the lead single from his 1984 album The Allnighter .


Gustave Eiffel made important contributions to aerodynamics.

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( born Bönickhausen ; -LSB- ˈaɪfəl -RSB- -LSB- ɛfɛl -RSB- ; 15 December 1832 -- 27 December 1923 ) was a French civil engineer and architect . A graduate of École Centrale Paris , he made his name with various bridges for the French railway network , most famously the Garabit viaduct . He is best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower , built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris , and his contribution to building the Statue of Liberty in New York . After his retirement from engineering , Eiffel focused on research into meteorology and aerodynamics , and making significant contributions in both fields .


Page Hamilton Page Hamilton ( born May 18 , 1960 ) is an American guitarist , singer , songwriter and record producer , mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet . Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles , though he trained in jazz guitar and has substantial connections with avant-garde music and film soundtrack composition .


The National Security Agency has the responsibility of collecting information for intelligence purposes.

National Security Agency The National Security Agency ( NSA ) is a military intelligence organization and a constituent of the United States Department of Defense ( DOD ) . The NSA is responsible for global monitoring , collection , and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes , a discipline known as signals intelligence ( SIGINT ) . NSA is concurrently charged with protection of U.S. government communications and information systems against penetration and network warfare . Although many of NSA 's programs rely on `` passive '' electronic collection , the agency is authorized to accomplish its mission through active clandestine means , among which are physically bugging electronic systems and allegedly engaging in sabotage through subversive software . Moreover , NSA maintains physical presence in a large number of countries across the globe , where its Special Collection Service ( SCS ) inserts eavesdropping devices in difficult-to-reach places . SCS collection tactics allegedly encompass `` close surveillance , burglary , wiretapping , breaking and entering . ''   Unlike the Defense Intelligence Agency ( DIA ) and the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) , both of which specialize primarily in foreign human espionage , NSA does not unilaterally conduct human-source intelligence gathering , despite often being portrayed so in popular culture . Instead , NSA is entrusted with assistance to and coordination of SIGINT elements at other government organizations , which are prevented by law from engaging in such activities without the approval of the NSA via the Defense Secretary . As part of these streamlining responsibilities , the agency has a co-located organization called the Central Security Service ( CSS ) , which was created to facilitate cooperation between NSA and other U.S. military cryptanalysis components . Additionally , the NSA Director simultaneously serves as the Commander of the United States Cyber Command and as Chief of the Central Security Service .   Originating as a unit to decipher coded communications in World War II , it was officially formed as the NSA by President Harry S. Truman in 1952 . Since then , it has become one of the largest U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget , operating as part of the Department of Defense and simultaneously reporting to the Director of National Intelligence .   NSA surveillance has been a matter of political controversy on several occasions , such as its spying on anti-Vietnam-war leaders and economic espionage . In 2013 , the extent of some of the NSA 's secret surveillance programs was revealed to the public by Edward Snowden . According to the leaked documents , the NSA intercepts the communications of over a billion people worldwide , many of whom are United States citizens , and tracks the movement of hundreds of millions of people using cellphones . Internationally , research has pointed to the NSA 's ability to surveil the domestic Internet traffic of foreign countries through `` boomerang routing '' .


John II of Portugal was the CEO of Apple.

John II of Portugal John II ( Portuguese : João II , -LSB- ʒuˈɐ̃w̃ -RSB- ; 3 March 1455 -- 25 October 1495 ) , the Perfect Prince ( o Príncipe Perfeito ) , was the king of Portugal and the Algarves in 1477/1481 -- 1495 .   He is known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese throne , reinvigorating the Portuguese economy , and renewing his country 's exploration of Africa and the Orient .


Pacific Blue had 101 episodes in its five seasons.

Pacific Blue (TV series) Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles . The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network , from March 2 , 1996 to April 9 , 2000 , with a total of 101 episodes . Often compared as `` Baywatch on bikes '' , the series enjoyed a popular run among the network 's viewers , and was popular in France , Belgium , Israel , Sweden , Bulgaria , Norway , Spain , Russia , Austria , Germany , Italy , South America , Canada , Denmark , Poland and other foreign markets .


The Obama administration offered Sanjay Gupta the position of Surgeon General of the United States.

Sanjay Gupta Sanjay Gupta ( -LSB- ˈsɑːndʒeɪ_ˈɡuːptə -RSB- ; born October 23 , 1969 ) is an American neurosurgeon and media reporter . He serves as associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta , Georgia , and as assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine .   A media personality on health-related issues , he is best known as CNN 's multiple Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent , hosting the network 's weekend health program Sanjay Gupta , M.D. , and making frequent appearances on their American Morning , Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360 ° programs . His reports from Charity Hospital , New Orleans , Louisiana , in the wake of Hurricane Katrina led to him winning a 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast . Additionally , Gupta publishes a column in Time magazine and is a special correspondent for CBS News . His books Chasing Life and Cheating Death were New York Times and national bestsellers . His latest book , Monday Mornings , a novel , was released in March 2012 and became an instant New York Times bestseller . It was adapted as a 2013 television series with David E. Kelley and Gupta serving as executive producers .   From 1997 to 1998 , he served as one of fifteen White House Fellows , primarily as an advisor to Hillary Clinton . In January 2009 , it was reported that Gupta was offered the position of Surgeon General of the United States in the Obama administration , but he withdrew his name from consideration . In January 2011 , he was named `` one of the 10 most influential celebrities '' by Forbes magazine .


Southport is 14.8 miles southwest of Preston.

Southport Southport ( -LSB- ˈsaʊθpɔrt -RSB- ) is a large seaside town in Merseyside , England . At the 2001 census , it had a population of 90,336 , making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England .   Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary . The town is 16.7 mi north of Liverpool and 14.8 mi southwest of Preston .   Historically part of Lancashire , the town was founded in 1792 when William Sutton , an innkeeper from Churchtown , built a bathing house at what now is the south end of Lord Street . At that time , the area , known as South Hawes , was sparsely populated and dominated by sand dunes . At the turn of the 19th century , the area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The rapid growth of Southport largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era . Town attractions include Southport Pier with its Southport Pier Tramway , the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street , an elegant tree-lined shopping street , once home of Napoleon III of France .   Extensive sand dunes stretch for several miles between Birkdale and Woodvale to the south of the town . The Ainsdale sand dunes have been designated as a national nature reserve and a Ramsar site . Local fauna include the Natterjack toad and the Sand lizard . The town contains examples of Victorian architecture and town planning , on Lord Street and elsewhere . A particular feature of the town is the extensive tree planting . This was one of the conditions required by the Hesketh family when they made land available for development in the 19th century . Hesketh Park at the northern end of the town is named after them , having been built on land donated by Rev. Charles Hesketh .   Southport today is still one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK . It hosts various events , including an annual air show on and over the beach , and the largest independent flower show in the UK , in Victoria Park . The town is at the centre of England 's Golf Coast and has hosted the Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club .


During the Cold War, the United States was a power in the Western Bloc.

United States The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. ) or America , is a constitutional federal republic composed of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions .  Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico . The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America , bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west . The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean . The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea . Nine time zones are covered . The geography , climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse .   At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) and with over 324 million people , the United States is the world 's third - or fourth-largest country by total area , third-largest by land area , and the third-most populous . It is one of the world 's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations , and is home to the world 's largest immigrant population . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the largest city is New York City ; nine other major metropolitan areas -- each with at least 4.5 million inhabitants and the largest having more than 13 million people -- are Los Angeles , Chicago , Dallas , Houston , Philadelphia , Miami , Atlanta , Boston , and San Francisco .   Paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies following the Seven Years ' War led to the American Revolution , which began in 1775 . On July 4 , 1776 , during the course of the American Revolutionary War , the colonies unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence . The war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain , representing the first successful war of independence against a European power . The current constitution was adopted in 1788 , after the Articles of Confederation , adopted in 1781 , were felt to have provided inadequate federal powers . The first ten amendments , collectively named the Bill of Rights , were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties .   The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century , displacing Native American tribes , acquiring new territories , and gradually admitting new states until it spanned the continent by 1848 . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the end of legal slavery in the country . By the end of that century , the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean , and its economy , driven in large part by the Industrial Revolution , began to soar . The Spanish -- American War and confirmed the country 's status as a global military power . The United States emerged from as a global superpower , the first country to develop nuclear weapons , the only country to use them in warfare , and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council . The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the world 's sole superpower . The U.S. is a founding member of the United Nations , World Bank , International Monetary Fund , Organization of American States ( OAS ) , and other international organizations .   The United States is a highly developed country , with the world 's largest economy by nominal GDP and second-largest economy by PPP . Though its population is only 4.3 % of the world total , Americans hold nearly 40 % of the total wealth in the world . The United States ranks among the highest in several measures of socioeconomic performance , including average wage , human development , per capita GDP , and productivity per person . While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial , characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy , the manufacturing sector remains the second-largest in the world . Accounting for approximately a quarter of global GDP and a third of global military spending , the United States is the world 's foremost economic and military power . The United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally , and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations .


Cold War The Cold War was a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc ( the Soviet Union and its satellite states ) and powers in the Western Bloc ( the United States , its NATO allies and others ) . Historians do not fully agree on the dates , but a common timeframe is the period between 1947 , the year the Truman Doctrine ( a U.S. foreign policy pledging to aid nations threatened by Soviet expansionism ) was announced , and 1991 , the year the Soviet Union collapsed .   The term `` cold '' is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides involved in the conflict , although there were major regional wars , known as proxy wars , supported by the two sides . The Cold War split the temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany , leaving the Soviet Union and the United States as two superpowers with profound economic and political differences . The USSR was a Marxist -- Leninist state led by its Communist Party of the Soviet Union , who in turn were led by a leader , with different titles over time , and a small committee called the Politburo . The Party controlled the press , the military , the economy and many organization . It also controlled the other states in the Eastern Bloc , and funded Communist parties around the world , sometimes in competition with Communist China , particularly following the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s . In opposition stood the West , staunchly democratic and capitalist with a free press and independent organizations . A small neutral bloc arose with the Non-Aligned Movement ; it sought good relations with both sides . The two superpowers never engaged directly in full-scale armed combat , but they were heavily armed in preparation for a possible all-out nuclear world war . Each side had a nuclear strategy that discouraged an attack by the other side , on the basis that such an attack would lead to the total destruction of the attacker : the doctrine of mutually assured destruction ( MAD ) . Aside from the development of the two sides ' nuclear arsenals , and their deployment of conventional military forces , the struggle for dominance was expressed via proxy wars around the globe , psychological warfare , massive propaganda campaigns and espionage , rivalry at sports events , and technological competitions such as the Space Race .   The first phase of the Cold War began in the first two years after the end of the Second World War in 1945 . The USSR consolidated its control over the states of the Eastern Bloc , while the United States began a strategy of global containment to challenge Soviet power , extending military and financial aid to the countries of Western Europe ( for example , supporting the anti-communist side in the Greek Civil War ) and creating the NATO alliance . The Berlin Blockade ( 1948 -- 49 ) was the first major crisis of the Cold War . With the victory of the communist side in the Chinese Civil War and the outbreak of the Korean War ( 1950 -- 53 ) , the conflict expanded . The USSR and USA competed for influence in Latin America , and the decolonizing states of Africa and Asia . Meanwhile , the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was stopped by the Soviets . The expansion and escalation sparked more crises , such as the Suez Crisis ( 1956 ) , the Berlin Crisis of 1961 , and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 . Following the Cuban Missile Crisis , a new phase began that saw the Sino-Soviet split complicate relations within the communist sphere , while US allies , particularly France , demonstrated greater independence of action . The USSR crushed the 1968 Prague Spring liberalization program in Czechoslovakia , and the Vietnam War ( 1955 -- 75 ) ended with the defeat of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam , prompting further adjustments .   By the 1970s , both sides had become interested in making accommodations in order to create a more stable and predictable international system , inaugurating a period of détente that saw Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and the US opening relations with the People 's Republic of China as a strategic counterweight to the Soviet Union . Détente collapsed at the end of the decade with the beginning of the Soviet -- Afghan War in 1979 . The early 1980s were another period of elevated tension , with the Soviet downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 ( 1983 ) , and the `` Able Archer '' NATO military exercises ( 1983 ) . The United States increased diplomatic , military , and economic pressures on the Soviet Union , at a time when the communist state was already suffering from economic stagnation . In the mid-1980s , the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the liberalizing reforms of perestroika ( `` reorganization '' , 1987 ) and glasnost ( `` openness '' , c. 1985 ) and ended Soviet involvement in Afghanistan . Pressures for national independence grew stronger in Eastern Europe , especially Poland . Gorbachev meanwhile refused to use Soviet troops to bolster the faltering Warsaw Pact regimes as had occurred in the past . The result in 1989 was a wave of revolutions that peacefully ( with the exception of the Romanian Revolution ) overthrew all of the communist regimes of Central and Eastern Europe . The Communist Party of the Soviet Union itself lost control and was banned following an abortive coup attempt in August 1991 . This in turn led to the formal dissolution of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse of communist regimes in other countries such as Mongolia , Cambodia and South Yemen . The United States remained as the world 's only superpower .   The Cold War and its events have left a significant legacy . It is often referred to in popular culture , especially in media featuring themes of espionage ( e.g. the internationally successful James Bond movie franchise ) and the threat of nuclear warfare .