Lyme disease Lyme disease , also known as Lyme borreliosis , is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type . The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness on the skin , known as erythema migrans , that begins at the site of a tick bite about a week after it has occurred . The rash is typically neither itchy nor painful . Approximately 25 -- 50 % of infected people do not develop a rash . Other early symptoms may include fever , headache and feeling tired . If untreated , symptoms may include loss of the ability to move one or both sides of the face , joint pains , severe headaches with neck stiffness , or heart palpitations , among others . Months to years later , repeated episodes of joint pain and swelling may occur . Occasionally , people develop shooting pains or tingling in their arms and legs . Despite appropriate treatment , about 10 to 20 % of people develop joint pains , memory problems , and feel tired for at least six months .   Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks of the Ixodes genus . Usually , the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours before the bacteria can spread . In North America , Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii are the cause . In Europe and Asia , the bacteria Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are also causes of the disease . The disease does not appear to be transmissible between people , by other animals , or through food . Diagnosis is based upon a combination of symptoms , history of tick exposure , and possibly testing for specific antibodies in the blood . Blood tests are often negative in the early stages of the disease . Testing of individual ticks is not typically useful .   Prevention includes efforts to prevent tick bites such as by wearing long pants and using DEET . Using pesticides to reduce tick numbers may also be effective . Ticks can be removed using tweezers . If the removed tick was full of blood , a single dose of doxycycline may be used to prevent development of infection , but is not generally recommended since development of infection is rare . If an infection develops , a number of antibiotics are effective , including doxycycline , amoxicillin , and cefuroxime . Treatment is usually for two or three weeks . Some people develop a fever and muscle and joint pains from treatment which may last for one or two days . In those who develop persistent symptoms , long-term antibiotic therapy has not been found to be useful .   Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere . It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States and 65,000 people a year in Europe . Infections are most common in the spring and early summer . Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme , Connecticut . It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis . The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer . Chronic symptoms are well described and are known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , although it is often called chronic Lyme disease . Some healthcare providers claim that it is due to ongoing infection ; however , this is not believed to be true . A previous vaccine is no longer available . Research is ongoing to develop new vaccines .


Liverpool F.C. was managed by Scottish football player and manager Bill Shankly.

Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club ( -LSB- ˈlɪvərpuːl -RSB- ) is a professional association football club based in Liverpool , Merseyside , England . They compete in the Premier League , the top tier of English football . The club has won 5 European Cups , 3 UEFA Cups , 3 UEFA Super Cups , 18 League titles , 7 FA Cups , a record 8 League Cups , and 15 FA Community Shields .   The club was founded in 1892 and joined the Football League the following year . The club has played at Anfield since its formation . Liverpool established itself as a major force in both English and European football during the 1970s and 1980s when Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to 11 League titles and seven European trophies . Under the management of Rafa Benítez and captained by Steven Gerrard Liverpool became European champion for the fifth time , winning the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final against Milan in spite of being 3 -- 0 down at half time .   Liverpool was the ninth highest-earning football club in the world for 2014 -- 15 , with an annual revenue of $ 391 million , and the world 's eighth most valuable football club in 2016 , valued at $ 1.55 billion . The club holds many long-standing rivalries , most notably the North West Derby against Manchester United and the Merseyside derby with Everton .   The club 's supporters have been involved in two major tragedies . The first was the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985 , where escaping fans were pressed against a collapsing wall in the Heysel Stadium , with 39 people -- mostly Italians and Juventus fans -- dying , after which English clubs were given a five-year ban from European competition . The second was the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 , where 96 Liverpool supporters died in a crush against perimeter fencing . The team changed from red shirts and white shorts to an all-red home strip in 1964 which has been used ever since . The club 's anthem is `` You 'll Never Walk Alone '' .


Bill Shankly William Shankly , OBE ( 2 September 1913 -- 29 September 1981 ) was a Scottish football player and manager , who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool .   Shankly came from a small Scottish mining community as one of five brothers who played football professionally . He played as a ball-winning right-half and was capped twelve times for Scotland , including seven wartime internationals . He spent one season at Carlisle United before spending the rest of his career at Preston North End , with whom he won the FA Cup in 1938 . His playing career was interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War . He became a manager after he retired from playing in 1949 , returning to Carlisle United . He later managed Grimsby Town , Workington and Huddersfield Town before moving to become Liverpool manager in December 1959 .   Shankly took charge of Liverpool when they were in the Second Division and rebuilt the team into a major force in English and European football . He led Liverpool to the Second Division Championship to gain promotion to the top-flight First Division in 1962 , before going on to win three First Division Championships , two FA Cups , four Charity Shields and one UEFA Cup . Shankly announced his surprise retirement from football a few weeks after Liverpool won the 1974 FA Cup Final , having managed the club for 15 years , and was succeeded by his long-time assistant Bob Paisley . He led the Liverpool team out for the last time at Wembley for the 1974 FA Charity Shield . He died seven years later at the age of 68 .


Sean Spicer claimed that the press had intentionally under-estimated the number of observers.

Sean Spicer Sean Michael Spicer ( born September 23 , 1971 ) is the current White House Press Secretary and former communications director for President Donald Trump . Spicer was communications director of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 , and its chief strategist from 2015 to 2017 .   As press secretary , Spicer has drawn criticism for making numerous false or controversial statements , as well as for displaying combative behavior with the press . The first such instance occurred on the day following Trump 's inauguration . Spicer repeated the claim that crowds at the ceremony were the largest ever at such an event and that the press had deliberately under-estimated the number of spectators . Trump aide Kellyanne Conway defended Spicer 's action by stating that he had presented what she called `` alternative facts '' regarding the inauguration 's attendance numbers . Some commentators have compared Spicer 's role in the Trump administration to the role played for Saddam Hussein by Information Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf , known in the United States as Baghdad Bob .   Spicer originally stated that the Trump inauguration was `` the most watched ever '' , but when that statement was debunked , he said that he had been referring not only to live attendees at the ceremony or those watching on TV , but also viewers who had watched the inauguration online . However , no conclusive figures are available for online viewers , so the claim is unverifiable .


Noam Chomsky was appointed to Harvard's Society of Fellows in 1951.

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky ( -LSB- æ ` vrɑːm _ ` noʊm_ˈtʃɒmski -RSB- ; born December 7 , 1928 ) is an American linguist , philosopher , cognitive scientist , historian , social critic , and political activist . Sometimes described as `` the father of modern linguistics '' , Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science . He is Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , where he has worked since 1955 , and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics , war , politics , and mass media . Ideologically , he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism .   Born to middle-class Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia , Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism from alternative bookstores in New York City . At the age of sixteen he began studies at the University of Pennsylvania , taking courses in linguistics , mathematics , and philosophy . From 1951 to 1955 he was appointed to Harvard University 's Society of Fellows , where he developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he was awarded his doctorate in 1955 . That year he began teaching at MIT , in 1957 emerging as a significant figure in the field of linguistics for his landmark work Syntactic Structures , which remodeled the scientific study of language , while from 1958 to 1959 he was a National Science Foundation fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study . He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the universal grammar theory , the generative grammar theory , the Chomsky hierarchy , and the minimalist program . Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of behaviorism , being particularly critical of the work of B. F. Skinner .   An outspoken opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War , which he saw as an act of American imperialism , in 1967 Chomsky attracted widespread public attention for his anti-war essay `` The Responsibility of Intellectuals '' . Associated with the New Left , he was arrested multiple times for his activism and placed on President Richard Nixon 's Enemies List . While expanding his work in linguistics over subsequent decades , he also became involved in the Linguistics Wars . In collaboration with Edward S. Herman , Chomsky later co-wrote an analysis articulating the propaganda model of media criticism , and worked to expose the Indonesian occupation of East Timor . However , his defense of unconditional freedom of speech -- including for Holocaust deniers -- generated significant controversy in the Faurisson affair of the early 1980s . Following his retirement from active teaching , he has continued his vocal political activism , including opposing the War on Terror and supporting the Occupy movement .   One of the most cited scholars in history , Chomsky has influenced a broad array of academic fields . He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences , contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind . In addition to his continued scholarly research , he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy , neoliberalism and contemporary state capitalism , the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict , and mainstream news media . His ideas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements , but have also drawn criticism , with some accusing Chomsky of anti-Americanism .


Prakash Jha Prakash Jha ( born 27 February 1952 ) is an Indian film producer , actor , director and screenwriter , mostly known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul ( 1984 ) , Mrityudand ( 1997 ) , Gangaajal ( 2003 ) , Apaharan ( 2005 ) , including multistarrer hit movies Raajneeti ( 2010 ) , Aarakshan ( 2011 ) Chakravyuh ( 2012 ) , and Satyagraha ( 2013 ) . He is also the maker of National Film Award winning documentaries like , Faces After The Storm ( 1984 ) and Sonal ( 2002 ) .   Jha runs a production company , Prakash Jha Productions . Jha also owns the P&M Mall in Patna .


American Gods was developed by two Canadian screenwriters.

American Gods (TV series) American Gods is an American television series based on the novel of the same name , written by Neil Gaiman and originally published in 2001 . The television series was developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for the premium cable network Starz . Fuller and Green are the showrunners for the series . Gaiman serves as an executive producer along with Fuller , Green , Craig Cegielski , Stefanie Berk , and Thom Beers . The first episode premiered on the Starz network and through their streaming application on April 30 , 2017 . In May 2017 , the series was renewed for a second season .


Michael Green (writer) Michael Green is an American television , film and comic book writer .


Bryan Fuller Bryan Fuller ( born July 27 , 1969 ) is an American screenwriter and television producer . Fuller has worked exclusively as a writer/producer in television , creating a number of critically acclaimed television series , including Dead Like Me , Wonderfalls , Pushing Daisies , Hannibal , and American Gods .


Famous in Love Famous in Love is an American drama television series that premiered on Freeform on April 18 , 2017 , and is based on the novel of the same name by Rebecca Serle . The series stars Bella Thorne , Charlie DePew , Georgie Flores , Carter Jenkins , Niki Koss , Keith Powers , Pepi Sonuga , and Perrey Reeves .


Bella Thorne Annabella Avery Thorne ( born October 8 , 1997 ) is an American actress and singer . She played Ruthy Spivey in the television series My Own Worst Enemy , Tancy Henrickson in the fourth season of Big Love , and CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up . She also appeared as Hilary / `` Larry '' in Blended and as Celia in Alexander and the Terrible , Horrible , No Good , Very Bad Day . In 2015 , she played Madison in The Duff , Amanda in Perfect High and Hazel in Big Sky . Thorne currently stars as Paige on the Freeform series , '' Famous in Love .


Adam DeVine portrayed Andy Bailey on a sitcom.

Adam DeVine Adam Patrick DeVine ( born November 7 , 1983 ) is an American actor , comedian , singer , screenwriter and producer . He is a star and co-creator of the Comedy Central series Workaholics , as well as Adam DeVine 's House Party . Since 2013 , he has portrayed Andy Bailey , the boyfriend of Haley Dunphy , on the critically acclaimed hit ABC sitcom Modern Family .   He has voiced main characters on animated series Uncle Grandpa and Penn Zero : Part-Time HeroHe played the role of Bumper Allen in the musical films Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2 . His other film credits include the comedies Neighbors , The Intern , Ice Age : Collision Course , Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates '' .


Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 , also called cobalamin , is a water-soluble vitamin that has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system , and the formation of red blood cells . It is one of eight B vitamins . It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body , especially affecting DNA synthesis , fatty acid and amino acid metabolism . No fungi , plants , or animals ( including humans ) are capable of producing vitamin B12 . Only bacteria and archaea have the enzymes needed for its synthesis . Some substantial sources of B12 include animal products ( shellfish , meat ) , fortified food products , and dietary supplements . B12 is the largest and most structurally complicated vitamin and can be produced industrially only through bacterial fermentation synthesis , typically used to manufacture B12 for fortified foods and supplements .   Vitamin B12 consists of a class of chemically related compounds ( vitamers ) , all of which show pharmacological activity . It contains the biochemically rare element cobalt ( chemical symbol Co ) positioned in the center of a planar tetra-pyrrole ring called a corrin ring . The vitamer is produced by bacteria as hydroxocobalamin , but conversion between different forms of the vitamin occurs in the body after consumption .   Vitamin B12 was discovered as a result of its relationship to the disease pernicious anemia , an autoimmune disease in which parietal cells of the stomach responsible for secreting intrinsic factor are destroyed ; these cells are also responsible for secreting acid in the stomach . Because intrinsic factor is crucial for the normal absorption of B12 , its lack in the presence of pernicious anemia causes a vitamin B12 deficiency . Many other subtler kinds of vitamin B12 deficiency and their biochemical effects have since been elucidated . Due to impairment of vitamin B12 absorption during aging , people over age 60 are at risk of deficiency .


The Sopranos had seven executive producers.

The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase . The story revolves around the fictional character , New Jersey-based Italian American mobster Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) . The series portrays the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and his criminal organization . These are often highlighted during his therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) . The series features Tony 's family members , mafia colleagues and rivals , in prominent roles and story arcs , most notably his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ) and protégé Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ) .   After the pilot was ordered in 1997 , the show premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10 , 1999 , and ran its six seasons with 86 episodes to June 10 , 2007 . The series then went through syndication and has been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally . The Sopranos was produced by HBO , Chase Films , and Brad Grey Television . It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios , New York City , and on location in New Jersey . The executive producers throughout the show 's run were David Chase , Brad Grey , Robin Green , Mitchell Burgess , Ilene S. Landress , Terence Winter , and Matthew Weiner .   The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time . The series also won a multitude of awards , including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons , 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards . A staple of 2000s American popular culture , the series has been the subject of critical analysis , controversy , and parody . It has spawned books , a video game , high-charting soundtrack albums , and a large amount of assorted merchandise . Several members of the show 's cast and crew who were previously largely unknown to the public have had successful careers after The Sopranos . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time , while TV Guide ranked it the best television series of all time .


Pornhub is in competition with the Internet.

Pornhub Pornhub is a pornographic video sharing website and the largest pornography site on the Internet . Pornhub was launched in Montreal , providing professional and amateur photography since 2007 . Pornhub also has offices and servers in San Francisco , Houston , New Orleans and London . In March 2010 , Pornhub was bought by Manwin ( now known as MindGeek ) , which owns numerous other pornographic websites .


Alicia Silverstone starred in a film directed by Amy Heckering.

Alicia Silverstone Alicia Silverstone ( -LSB- æˈliːsiə_ˈsɪlvəstoʊn -RSB- born October 4 , 1976 ) is an American actress , producer , author , and activist . She made her film debut in The Crush ( 1993 ) , earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance , and gained further prominence as a teen idol when she appeared at the age of 16 in the music video for Aerosmith 's `` Cryin ' '' . She starred in the comedy hit Clueless ( 1995 ) , which earned her a multimillion-dollar deal with Columbia Pictures , and in the big-budget film Batman & Robin ( 1997 ) , playing Batgirl . She has continued to act in film and television and on stage . For her role in the short-lived drama comedy Miss Match ( 2003 ) , Silverstone received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress -- Television Series Musical or Comedy . A vegan , Silverstone has endorsed PETA activities and has published two nutrition books .


Clueless (film) Clueless is a 1995 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling . It stars Alicia Silverstone , Stacey Dash , Paul Rudd and Brittany Murphy , and was produced by Scott Rudin and Robert Lawrence . It is loosely based on Jane Austen 's 1815 novel Emma , updating the setting to modern Beverly Hills . Elements of the plot were also originally drawn from Shakespeare 's Titus Andronicus , but were later omitted due to lack of continuity .   The film grossed $ 56 million in the United States , received generally positive reviews from critics , and has developed a cult following . The film was followed by a spin-off television sitcom and series of books .


December 18 is the date of death of Joseph Barbera.

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland `` Joe '' Barbera ( -LSB- bɑrˈbɛrə -RSB- or -LSB- ˈbɑrbərə -RSB- ; -LSB- barˈbɛːra -RSB- ; March 24 , 1911 -- December 18 , 2006 ) was an American animator , director , producer , storyboard artist , and cartoon artist , whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the 20th century .   Through his young adult years , Barbera lived , attended college , and began his career in New York City . After working odd jobs and as a banker , Barbera joined Van Beuren Studios in 1932 and subsequently Terrytoons in 1936 . In 1937 , he moved to California and while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) , Barbera met William Hanna . The two men began a collaboration that was at first best known for producing Tom and Jerry and live action/animated hybrid films . In 1957 , after MGM dissolved their animation department , they co-founded Hanna-Barbera , which became the most successful television animation studio in the business , producing programs such as The Flintstones , Yogi Bear , Scooby-Doo , Top Cat , The Smurfs , Huckleberry Hound and The Jetsons . In 1967 , Hanna-Barbera was sold to Taft Broadcasting for $ 12 million , but Hanna and Barbera remained heads of the company until 1991 . At that time , the studio was sold to Turner Broadcasting System , which in turn was merged with Time Warner , owners of Warner Bros. , in 1996 ; Hanna and Barbera stayed on as advisors .   Hanna and Barbera won seven Academy Awards and eight Emmy Awards . Their cartoon shows have become cultural icons , and their cartoon characters have appeared in other media such as films , books , and toys . Hanna-Barbera 's shows had a worldwide audience of over 300 million people in the 1960s and have been translated into more than 20 languages .


Joy is a film that is categorized as comedy.

Joy (film) Joy is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film , written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano , about whom the story is loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire .   Joy received a theatrical release on December 25 , 2015 , distributed by 20th Century Fox . It received mixed reviews from critics , who praised Lawrence 's performance but criticized the writing and pace of the film . Lawrence received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance . Joy was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy , among other accolades .


Afghanistan Afghanistan ( -LSB- æfˈɡænᵻstæn -RSB- Pashto/Dari : , Afġānistān ) , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of 33 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast . Its territory covers 652,000 km2 , making it the 41st largest country in the world .   Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era , and the country 's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia . Through the ages the land has been home to various peoples and witnessed numerous military campaigns , notably by Alexander the Great , Mauryas , Muslim Arabs , Mongols , British , Soviet , and in the modern era by Western powers . The land also served as the source from which the Kushans , Hephthalites , Samanids , Saffarids , Ghaznavids , Ghorids , Khiljis , Mughals , Hotaks , Durranis , and others have risen to form major empires .   The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century . In the late 19th century , Afghanistan became a buffer state in the `` Great Game '' between British India and the Russian Empire . Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 , King Amanullah unsuccessfully attempted to modernize the country . It remained peaceful during Zahir Shah 's forty years of monarchy . A series of coups in the 1970s was followed by a series of civil wars that devastated much of Afghanistan and continues to this day .   Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic with Islam as an official state religion . It is a member of the United Nations , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Group of 77 , the Economic Cooperation Organization , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The country 's economy is ranked 108th in the world with the GDP of $ 64.08 billion .


Barbara Bain Barbara Bain ( born September 13 , 1931 ) is an American film and television actress . She is known for co-starring in the original Mission : Impossible television series in the 1960s as Cinnamon Carter .


Ozzy Osbourne John Michael `` Ozzy '' Osbourne ( born 3 December 1948 ) is an English singer , songwriter , and actor . He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath . He was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and went on to have a successful solo career , releasing 11 studio albums , the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the US . Osbourne has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions , recording the album 13 in 2013 . His longevity and success have earned him the informal title of `` Godfather of Heavy Metal '' .   Osbourne 's total album sales from his years in Black Sabbath , combined with his solo work , is over 100 million . As a member of Black Sabbath , he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of the band . Possessing a distinctive singing voice and as a native of Birmingham , Osbourne is known for his strong Brummie accent -- he has a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in his hometown as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame . At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards , he received the Global Icon Award . In the early 2000s , Osbourne became a reality television star , appearing as himself in the MTV reality show The Osbournes , alongside wife and manager Sharon and two of their three children , Kelly and Jack . Osbourne appeared with son Jack in the 2016 worldwide travelogue docuseries Ozzy & Jack 's World Detour .


Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine ( born Shirley MacLean Beaty ; April 24 , 1934 ) is an American film , television and theater actress , singer , dancer , activist and author . An Academy Award winner , MacLaine received the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 2012 , and received the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts in 2013 . She is known for her New Age beliefs , and has an interest in spirituality and reincarnation . She has written a series of autobiographical works that describe these beliefs , document her world travels , and describe her Hollywood career .   A six-time Academy Award nominee , MacLaine received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature for The Other Half of the Sky : A China Memoir ( 1975 ) , and Best Actress nominations for Some Came Running ( 1958 ) , The Apartment ( 1960 ) , Irma la Douce ( 1963 ) , and The Turning Point ( 1977 ) , before winning Best Actress for Terms of Endearment ( 1983 ) . She twice won the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress , for Ask Any Girl ( 1959 ) , and The Apartment ( 1960 ) ; and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special for the 1976 TV special , Gypsy In My Soul . She has also won five competitive Golden Globe Awards and received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 1998 ceremony .


New Age The New Age is a term applied to a range of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices that developed in Western nations during the 1970s . Precise scholarly definitions of the New Age differ in their emphasis , largely as a result of its highly eclectic structure . Although analytically often considered to be religious , those involved in it typically prefer the designation of `` spiritual '' and rarely use the term `` New Age '' themselves . Many scholars of the subject refer to it as the New Age movement , although others contest this term and suggest that it is better seen as a milieu or zeitgeist .   As a form of Western esotericism , the New Age drew heavily upon a number of older esoteric traditions , in particular those that emerged from the occultist current that developed in the eighteenth century . Such prominent occult influences include the work of Emanuel Swedenborg and Franz Mesmer , as well as the ideas of Spiritualism , New Thought , and Theosophy . A number of mid-twentieth century influences , such as the UFO religions of the 1950s , the Counterculture of the 1960s , and the Human Potential Movement , also exerted a strong influence on the early development of the New Age . Although the exact origins of the phenomenon remain contested , it is agreed that it developed in the 1970s , at which time it was centred largely in the United Kingdom . It expanded and grew largely in the 1980s and 1990s , in particular within the United States . By the start of the 21st century , the term `` New Age '' was increasingly rejected within this milieu , with some scholars arguing that the New Age phenomenon had ended .   Despite its highly eclectic nature , a number of beliefs commonly found within the New Age have been identified . Theologically , the New Age typically adopts a belief in a holistic form of divinity which imbues all of the universe , including human beings themselves . There is thus a strong emphasis on the spiritual authority of the self . This is accompanied by a common belief in a wide variety of semi-divine non-human entities , such as angels and masters , with whom humans can communicate , particularly through the form of channeling . Typically viewing human history as being divided into a series of distinct ages , a common New Age belief is that whereas once humanity lived in an age of great technological advancement and spiritual wisdom , it has entered a period of spiritual degeneracy , which will be remedied through the establishment of a coming Age of Aquarius , from which the milieu gets its name . There is also a strong focus on healing , particularly using forms of alternative medicine , and an emphasis on a `` New Age science '' which seeks to unite science and spirituality .   Those involved in the New Age have been primarily from middle and upper-middle-class backgrounds . The degree to which New Agers are involved in the milieu varied considerably , from those who adopted a number of New Age ideas and practices to those who fully embraced and dedicated their lives to it . The New Age has generated criticism from established Christian organisations as well as modern Pagan and indigenous communities . From the 1990s onward , the New Age became the subject of research by academic scholars of religious studies .


Keith Urban sang the single "Sweet Thing," from the album Defying Gravity.

Sweet Thing (Keith Urban song) `` Sweet Thing '' is a song co-written and recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban . It was released on 3 November 2008 as the first single from his 2009 album Defying Gravity . It made its debut on the Hot Country Songs charts at number 30 , becoming Urban 's nineteenth Top 40 country hit , and on the chart week of 14 March 2009 , it became his tenth number 1 single . This song also went on to win his third win for 2010 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2010 . This is Keith 's first Top 40 hit on the Pop chart since Once in a Lifetime in 2006 and first Top 30 hit on the Pop chart since You 'll Think of Me in 2004 . The song was written by Urban and Monty Powell .


Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( born 26 October 1967 ) is a New Zealand-born Australian country musician . In 1991 , he released a self-titled debut album and charted four singles in Australia before moving to the United States the following year . He found work as a session guitarist before starting a band known as The Ranch , which recorded one studio album on Capitol Nashville and charted two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart .   Still signed to Capitol , Urban made his solo American debut in 1999 with a second eponymous album . Certified platinum in the US , it produced his first number one on Hot Country Songs with `` But for the Grace of God '' . `` Somebody Like You '' , the first single from his second Capitol album , Golden Road ( 2002 ) , was named by Billboard as the biggest country hit of the 2000s decade . The album 's fourth single , `` You 'll Think of Me '' , earned him his first Grammy . 2004 's Be Here , his third American album , produced three more number 1 singles and became his highest-selling album , earning 4 × Platinum certification . Love , Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing was released in 2006 , containing `` Once in a Lifetime '' as well as his second Grammy song , `` Stupid Boy '' . A greatest hits package entitled Greatest Hits : 18 Kids followed in late 2007 . Defying Gravity and Get Closer were released on 31 March 2009 and 16 November 2010 , respectively . In September 2013 , he released a brand new album titled Fuse , which produced four more number ones on the Country Airplay chart , two of which are duets -- one with Miranda Lambert and the other with Eric Church . A new single , entitled `` John Cougar , John Deere , John 3:16 '' , was released in June 2015 as the lead-off single to his eighth American studio album Ripcord . The album later produced the Country Airplay number one hits '' Break on Me '' , `` Wasted Time '' and `` Blue Ai n't Your Color '' , with the latter also becoming Urban 's longest reigning number one on the Hot Country Songs chart spending twelve weeks at number one .   Urban has released a total of nine studio albums ( one of which was released only in the United Kingdom ) , as well as one album with The Ranch . He has charted 37 singles on the US Hot Country Songs , 18 of which went to number one , counting a duet with Brad Paisley and the 2008 single `` You Look Good in My Shirt '' , which he previously recorded on Golden Road . Those also include his third Grammy Award-winning single `` Sweet Thing '' from his album Defying Gravity .   Urban is also known for his roles as a coach on the Australian version of the singing competition The Voice and as a judge on American Idol . Since 2006 , he has been married to actress Nicole Kidman . In October 2013 , Urban introduced his own signature line of guitars and accessories .


Kurt Angle lost all TNA World Heavyweight Championships.

Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle ( born December 9 , 1968 ) is an American professional wrestler , actor , and retired amateur wrestler . He is currently signed to WWE , performing as the on-screen general manager for the Raw brand . While a student at Clarion University of Pennsylvania , Angle won numerous accolades , including being a two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion . After graduating college , Angle won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships . He then won a freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics . Angle is one of four people to complete an amateur wrestling Grand Slam ( junior nationals , NCAA , World Championships , Olympics ) . In 2006 , he was named by USA Wrestling as the greatest shoot wrestler ever and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time . He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 for his amateur accomplishments .   Angle made his first appearance at a professional wrestling event in 1996 , with his in-ring debut in 1999 . He signed a long-term contract with the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF , now WWE ) that same year , and participated in his first televised storyline in March 1999 . After months of unaired matches , Angle made his official debut in November and received his first major push in the company in February 2000 , when he held the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship simultaneously . Four months later , he won the King of the Ring tournament , and not long after he began pursuing the WWF Championship , which he won in October ; this capped off a rookie year which is considered by many to be the greatest in professional wrestling history . Throughout his tenure in the WWF/WWE , Angle was a six-time world champion ( four reigns as WWF/WWE Champion , one as WCW Champion , and one as WWE 's World Heavyweight Champion ) , a one-time United States Champion , one-time Intercontinental Champion , one-time European Champion , one-time Hardcore Champion , and one-time WWE Tag Team Champion . He is the tenth Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Grand Slam Champion ( achieving this accolade twice under both the original and current format ) in WWE history . On March 31 2017 , Angle was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame , becoming the third active wrestler to be inducted , after Ric Flair and Sting .   After leaving WWE in 2006 , Angle joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA , now Impact Wrestling ) where he became a record six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion ( and the inaugural titleholder ) , a two-time TNA World Tag Team Champion , and a one-time TNA X Division Champion . He is the second Triple Crown winner in TNA history and the only one to hold all the required titles at once . Angle is also a two-time King of the Mountain . As part of TNA , he made appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling ( NJPW ) and the Inoki Genome Federation ( IGF ) , holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship once . In 2013 , Angle was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame ( he is the second wrestler -- after Sting -- to be inducted into both the WWE and TNA halls of fame ) .   Between WWF/WWE , Japan , and TNA , Angle has won 13 world championships and 21 total championships . He is the only professional wrestler in history to have won the WWE Championship , WWE 's World Heavyweight Championship , the WCW Championship , the TNA World Heavyweight Championship , and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship . Angle is also the only person to have been King of the Mountain and King of the Ring . He has headlined numerous pay-per-view events for both WWF/WWE and TNA throughout his career , including the flagship event for both promotions : WrestleMania in WWE , and Bound for Glory in TNA . In 2004 , the Wrestling Observer Newsletter inducted Angle into its Hall of Fame , and later named him `` Wrestler of the Decade '' for the 2000s . He is considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time ; ESPN journalist and former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman described Angle as `` the greatest I 've ever seen in the ring '' .


William Shakespeare was an English philosopher.

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( -LSB- ˈʃeɪkspɪə -RSB- 26 April 1564 ( baptised ) -- 23 April 1616 ) was an English : poet , : playwright , and actor , widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world 's pre-eminent dramatist . He is often called England 's national poet , and the `` Bard of Avon '' . His extant works , including collaborations , consist of approximately 38 plays , 154 sonnets , two long narrative poems , and a few other verses , some of uncertain authorship . His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright .   Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon , Warwickshire . At the age of 18 , he married Anne Hathaway , with whom he had three children : Susanna , and twins Hamnet and Judith . Sometime between 1585 and 1592 , he began a successful career in London as an actor , writer , and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain 's Men , later known as the King 's Men . He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 , at age 49 , where he died three years later . Few records of Shakespeare 's private life survive , which has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance , sexuality , and religious beliefs and whether the works attributed to him were written by others .   Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613 . His early plays were primarily comedies and histories , which are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres . He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608 , including Hamlet , Othello , King Lear , and Macbeth , considered some of the finest works in the English language . In his last phase , he wrote tragicomedies , also known as romances , and collaborated with other playwrights .   Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime . In 1623 , however , John Heminges and Henry Condell , two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare , published a more definitive text known as the First Folio , a posthumous collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare 's . It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson , in which Shakespeare is hailed , presciently , as `` not of an age , but for all time '' .   In the 20th and 21st centuries , his works have been repeatedly adapted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance . His plays remain highly popular and are constantly studied , performed , and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world .


Cloud Atlas was only released in IMAX cinemas.

Cloud Atlas (film) Cloud Atlas is a 2012 German-American science fiction film written and directed by The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer . Adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name by David Mitchell , the film has multiple plots set across six different eras , which Mitchell described as `` a sort of pointillist mosaic . '' The official synopsis describes it as `` an exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past , present and future , as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero , and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution . '' Tom Hanks , Halle Berry , and Jim Broadbent lead an ensemble cast .   The film was produced by Grant Hill , Stefan Arndt , the Wachowskis , and Tykwer . During four years of development , the project met difficulties securing financial support ; it was eventually produced with a $ 102 million budget provided by independent sources , making it one of the most expensive independent films of all time . Production began in September 2011 at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg , Germany .   It premiered on 8 September 2012 at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival and was released on 26 October 2012 in conventional and IMAX cinemas . It polarized critics , and has been included on various Best Film and Worst Film lists . It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for Tykwer ( who co-scored the film ) , Johnny Klimek , and Reinhold Heil . It received several nominations at the Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film , winning for Best Editing and Best Make-up .


Arnold Vinick Arnold Vinick is a fictional character on the television series The West Wing played by Alan Alda . The role earned Alda the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 .


San Francisco San Francisco ( initials SF ) ( -LSB- sæn_frənˈsɪskoʊ -RSB- , Spanish for Saint Francis ; Spanish : -LSB- san franˈsisko -RSB- ) , officially the City and County of San Francisco , is the cultural , commercial , and financial center of Northern California . Located at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula , San Francisco is about 47.9 sqmi in area , making it the smallest county -- and the only consolidated city-county -- within the state of California . With a density of about 18,581 people per square mile ( 7,174 people per km2 ) , San Francisco is the most densely settled large city ( population greater than 200,000 ) in California and the second-most densely populated major city in the United States after New York City . San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in California , after Los Angeles , San Diego , and San Jose , and the 13th-most populous city in the United States -- with a census-estimated 2016 population of 870,887 . The city and its surrounding areas are known as the San Francisco Bay Area , and are a part of the larger OMB-designated San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland combined statistical area , the fifth most populous in the nation with an estimated population of 8.7 million .   San Francisco was founded on June 29 , 1776 , when colonists from Spain established Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate and Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away , all named for St. Francis of Assisi . The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth , making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time . San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856 .  After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire , San Francisco was quickly rebuilt , hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later . In World War II , San Francisco was a major port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater . It then became the birthplace of the United Nations in 1945 . After the war , the confluence of returning servicemen , massive immigration , liberalizing attitudes , along with the rise of the `` hippie '' counterculture , the Sexual Revolution , the Peace Movement growing from opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War , and other factors led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement , cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism in the United States . Politically , the city votes strongly along liberal Democratic Party lines .   A popular tourist destination , San Francisco is known for its cool summers , fog , steep rolling hills , eclectic mix of architecture , and landmarks , including the Golden Gate Bridge , cable cars , the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary , Fisherman 's Wharf , and its Chinatown district . San Francisco is also the headquarters of five major banking institutions and various other companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. , Gap Inc. , Salesforce.com , Dropbox , Reddit , Square , Inc. , Dolby , Airbnb , Weebly , Pacific Gas and Electric Company , Yelp , Pinterest , Twitter , Uber , Lyft , Mozilla , Wikimedia Foundation , Craigslist and Weather Underground . It has several nicknames , including `` The City by the Bay '' , `` Fog City '' , `` San Fran '' , and `` Frisco '' , as well as older ones like `` The City that Knows How '' , `` Baghdad by the Bay '' , `` The Paris of the West '' , or simply `` The City '' . , San Francisco is ranked high on world liveability rankings .


Costa Rica Costa Rica ( -LSB- kɒstə_ˈriːkə -RSB- -LSB- ˈkosta ˈrika -RSB- ; literally meaning `` Rich Coast '' ) , officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( República de Costa Rica ) , is a country in Central America , bordered by Nicaragua to the north , Panama to the southeast , the Pacific Ocean to the west , the Caribbean Sea to the east , and Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island . It has a population of around 4.5 million , of whom nearly a quarter live in the metropolitan area of the capital and largest city , San José .   Costa Rica was sparsely inhabited by indigenous people before coming under Spanish rule in the 16th century . It remained a peripheral colony of the empire until independence as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire , followed by membership in the United Provinces of Central America , from which it formally declared sovereignty in 1847 . Since then , Costa Rica has remained among the most stable , prosperous , and progressive nations in Latin America . Following a brief civil war , it permanently abolished its army in 1949 , becoming one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army . Costa Rica is an observing member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie ( OIF ) .   The country has consistently performed favourably in the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , placing 69th in the world , among the highest of any Latin American nation . It has also been cited by the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) as having attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels , with a better record on human development and inequality than the median of the region . Its rapidly developing economy , once heavily dependent on agriculture , has diversified to include sectors such as finance , pharmaceuticals , and ecotourism .   Costa Rica is known for its progressive environmental policies , being the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria established to measure environmental sustainability . It was ranked 42nd in the world , and third in the Americas , in the 2016 Environmental Performance Index , was twice ranked the best performing country in the New Economics Foundation 's ( NEF ) Happy Planet Index , which measures environmental sustainability , and was identified by the NEF as the greenest country in the world in 2009 . Costa Rica officially plans to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021 . In 2012 , it became the first country in the Americas to ban recreational hunting .


Middle power In international relations , a middle power is a sovereign state that is not a superpower nor a great power , but still has large or moderate influence and international recognition . The concept of the `` middle power '' dates back to the origins of the European state system . In the late 16th century , Italian political thinker Giovanni Botero divided the world into three types of states -- grandissime ( empires ) , mezano ( middle powers ) and piccoli ( small powers ) . According to Botero , a mezano or middle power '' ... has sufficient strength and authority to stand on its own without the need of help from others . ''


Departments of Colombia Colombia is a unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments ( Spanish : departamentos , sing . departamento ) and a Capital District ( Distrito Capital ) . Each department has a Governor ( gobernador ) and a Department Assembly ( Asamblea Departamental ) , elected by popular vote for a four-year period . The governor can not be re-elected in consecutive periods . Departments are country subdivisions and are granted a certain degree of autonomy .   Departments are formed by a grouping of municipalities ( municipios , sing . municipio ) . Municipal government is headed by mayor ( alcalde ) and administered by a Municipal Council ( concejo municipal ) , both of which are elected for four-year periods .


Brazil Brazil ( listen ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . As the world 's fifth-largest country by both area and population , it is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7491 km It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3 % of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection .   Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves . Independence was achieved in 1822 with the creation of the Empire of Brazil , a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system . The ratification of the first constitution in 1824 led to the formation of a bicameral legislature , now called the National Congress . The country became a presidential republic in 1889 following a military coup d'état . An authoritarian military junta came to power in 1964 and ruled until 1985 , after which civilian governance resumed . Brazil 's current constitution , formulated in 1988 , defines it as a democratic federal republic . The federation is composed of the union of the Federal District , the 26 states , and the 5,570 municipalities .   Brazil 's economy is the world 's both eighth-largest by nominal GDP and eighth-largest by GDP ( PPP ) . A member of the BRICS group , Brazil until 2010 had one of the world 's fastest growing major economies , with its economic reforms giving the country new international recognition and influence . Brazil 's national development bank plays an important role for the country 's economic growth . Brazil is a founding member of the United Nations , the G20 , BRICS , Unasul , Mercosul , Organization of American States , Organization of Ibero-American States , and the CPLP . Brazil is a regional power in Latin America and a middle power in international affairs , with some analysts identifying it as an emerging global power . One of the world 's major breadbaskets , Brazil has been the largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years .


Ecuador Ecuador ( -LSB- ˈɛkwədɔːr -RSB- , -LSB- ekwaˈðor -RSB- ) ( Ikwadur ) , officially the Republic of Ecuador ( -LSB- República del Ecuador , -RSB- , which literally translates as `` Republic of the Equator '' ; Ikwadur Ripuwlika ) , is a representative democratic republic in northwestern South America , bordered by Colombia on the north , Peru on the east and south , and the Pacific Ocean to the west . Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific , about 1000 km west of the mainland .   What is now Ecuador was home to a variety of Amerindian groups that were gradually incorporated into the Inca Empire during the 15th century . The territory was colonized by Spain during the 16th century , achieving independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia , from which it emerged as its own sovereign state in 1830 . The legacy of both empires is reflected in Ecuador 's ethnically diverse population , with most of its 15.2 million people being mestizos , followed by large minorities of European , Amerindian , and African descendants .   Spanish is the official language and is spoken by a majority of the population , though 13 Amerindian languages are also recognized , including Quichua and Shuar . The capital city is Quito , while the largest city is Guayaquil . In reflection of the country 's rich cultural heritage , the historical center of Quito was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 . Cuenca , the third-largest city , was also declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 as an outstanding example of a planned , inland Spanish-style colonial city in the Americas .   Ecuador has a developing economy that is highly dependent on commodities , namely petroleum and agricultural products . The country is classified as a medium-income country . Ecuador is a democratic presidential republic . The new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature , or ecosystem rights . Ecuador is also known for its rich ecology , hosting many endemic plants and animals , such as those of the Galápagos Islands . It is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world .


Republic A republic ( -LSB- res publica , links = yes -RSB- ) is a form of government in which the country is considered a `` public matter '' -- not the private concern or property of the rulers -- and where offices of state are elected or appointed , rather than inherited . It is a government where the head of state is not a monarch .   In American English , the definition of a republic can also refer specifically to a government in which elected individuals represent the citizen body , known elsewhere as a representative democracy ( a democratic republic ) , and exercise power according to the rule of law ( a constitutional republic ) .   , 159 of the world 's 206 sovereign states use the word `` republic '' as part of their official names ; not all of these are republics in the sense of having elected governments , nor do all nations with elected governments use the word `` republic '' in their names .   Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their ideology , composition , and practicality . In the classical and medieval period of Europe , many states were fashioned on the Roman Republic , which referred to the governance of the city of Rome , between it having kings and emperors . The Italian medieval and Renaissance political tradition , today referred to as `` civic humanism '' , is sometimes considered to derive directly from Roman republicans such as Sallust and Tacitus . However , Greek-influenced Roman authors , such as Polybius and Cicero , sometimes also used the term as a translation for the Greek politeia which could mean regime generally , but could also be applied to certain specific types of regime that did not exactly correspond to that of the Roman Republic . Republics were not equated with classical democracies such as Athens , but had a democratic aspect .   Republics became more common in the Western world starting in the late 18th century , eventually displacing absolute monarchy as the most common form of government in Europe . In modern republics , the executive is legitimized both by a constitution and by popular suffrage . In his work , `` The Spirit of the Laws '' , Montesquieu classified both democracies , where all the people have a share in rule , and aristocracies , where only some of the people rule , as republican forms of government .   Most often a republic is a single sovereign state , but there are also sub-sovereign state entities that are referred to as republics , or that have governments that are described as ` republican ' in nature . For instance , Article IV of the United States Constitution `` guarantee -LSB- s -RSB- to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government '' . In contrast , the Soviet Union was constitutionally described as a `` federal multinational state '' , composed of 15 republics , two of which -- Ukraine and Belarus -- had their own seats at the United Nations .


Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( República Dominicana -LSB- reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana -RSB- ) is a sovereign state occupying the eastern five-eighths of the island of Hispaniola , in the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region . The western three-eighths of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti , making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands , along with Saint Martin , that are shared by two countries . The Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation by area ( after Cuba ) at 48445 km2 , and 3rd by population with approximately 10 million people , of which approximately three million live in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo , the capital city .   Christopher Columbus landed on the Western part of Hispaniola , in what is now Haiti , on December 6 , 1492 . The island became the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World . The Dominican people declared independence in November 1821 but were forcefully annexed by their more powerful neighbor Haiti in February 1822 . After the 1844 victory in the Dominican War of Independence against Haitian rule the country fell again under Spanish colonial rule until the Dominican War of Restoration of 1865 .   The Dominican Republic experienced mostly internal strife ( Second Republic ) until 1916 . A United States occupation lasted eight years between 1916 and 1924 , and a subsequent calm and prosperous six-year period under Horacio Vásquez Lajara was followed by the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina until 1961 . A civil war in 1965 , the country 's most recent , was ended by another U.S. military occupation and was followed by the authoritarian rule of Joaquín Balaguer from 1966 to 1978 . Since then , the Dominican Republic has moved toward representative democracy and has been led by Leonel Fernández for most of the time since 1996 . Danilo Medina , the Dominican Republic 's current president , succeeded Fernandez in 2012 , winning 51 % of the electoral vote over his opponent , ex-president Hipólito Mejía .   The Dominican Republic has the ninth-largest economy in Latin America and is the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region . Though long known for agriculture and mining , the economy is now dominated by services . Over the last two decades , the Dominican Republic have been standing out as one of the fastest-growing economies in the Americas -- with an average real GDP growth rate of 5.4 % between 1992 and 2014 . GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 reached 7.3 and 7.0 % , respectively , the highest in the Western Hemisphere . In the first half of 2016 the Dominican economy grew 7.4 % continuing its trend of rapid economic growth .   Recent growth has been driven by construction , manufacturing and tourism . Private consumption has been strong , as a result of low inflation ( under 1 % on average in 2015 ) , job creation , as well as high level of remittances . The Dominican Republic has a stock market , Bolsa de Valores de la Republica Dominicana ( BVRD ) . and advanced telecommunication system and transportation infrastructure . Nevertheless , unemployment , government corruption , and inconsistent electric service remain major Dominican problems . The country also has `` marked income inequality . '' International migration affects the Dominican Republic greatly , as it receives and sends large flows of migrants . Mass illegal Haitian immigration and the integration of Dominicans of Haitian descent are major issues . A large Dominican diaspora exists , mostly in the United States , contributes to development , sending billions of dollars to Dominican families in remittances .   The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean . The year-round golf courses are major attractions . A geographically diverse nation , the Dominican Republic is home to both the Caribbean 's tallest mountain peak , Pico Duarte , as the Caribbean 's largest lake and point of lowest elevation , Lake Enriquillo . The island has an average temperature of 26 ° C and great climatic and biological diversity . The country is also the site of the first cathedral , castle , monastery , and fortress built in all of the Americas , located in Santo Domingo 's Colonial Zone , a World Heritage Site . Music and sport are of great importance in the Dominican culture , with Merengue and Bachata as the national dance and music , and baseball as the favorite sport .


Colombia Colombia ( k ) , is a sovereign state largely situated in the northwest of South America , with territories in Central America . Colombia shares a border to the northwest with Panama , to the east with Venezuela and Brazil and to the south with Ecuador and Peru . It shares its maritime limits with Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Honduras , Jamaica , Haiti and the Dominican Republic . It is a unitary , constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments . The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples , with as most advanced the Muisca , Quimbaya and the Tairona .   The Spanish set foot on Colombian soil for the first time in 1499 and in the first half of the 16th century initiated a period of conquest and colonization , ultimately creating the New Kingdom of Granada , with as capital Santafé de Bogotá . Independence from Spain was acquired in 1819 , but by 1830 the `` Gran Colombia '' Federation was dissolved . What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada . The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 . Since the 1960s , the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict , which escalated in the 1990s but then decreased from 2005 onward . Colombia is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world , and thereby possesses a rich cultural heritage . The urban centres are mostly located in the highlands of the Andes mountains .   Colombian territory also encompasses Amazon rainforest , tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines . Ecologically , it is one of the world 's 17 megadiverse countries , and the most densely biodiverse of these per square kilometer . Colombia is a middle power and a regional actor with the fourth-largest economy in Latin America , is part of the CIVETS group of six leading emerging markets and is a member of the UN , the WTO , the OAS , the Pacific Alliance , and other international organizations . Colombia has a diversified economy with macroeconomic stability and favorable growth prospects in the long run .


Greyson Chance Greyson Michael Chance ( born August 16 , 1997 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and pianist . His April 2010 performance of Lady Gaga 's `` Paparazzi '' at a sixth-grade music festival went viral on YouTube , gaining widespread attention and over 59 million views as of May 2017 , as well as an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show shortly afterward . Two of his original compositions , `` Stars '' and `` Broken Hearts '' , gained over six and eight million views respectively on his YouTube channel . His debut single , `` Waiting Outside the Lines '' , was released in October 2010 . Chance 's debut album , Hold On 'Til the Night , was released on August 2 , 2011 .   Chance released his second EP , Somewhere Over My Head , on May 13 , 2016 . The lead single , `` Afterlife '' , was released in October 2015 , followed by `` Hit and Run '' and `` Back On the Wall '' in February and April 2016 respectively .


Kajal Aggarwal starred as the female lead in four films.

Kajal Aggarwal Kajal Aggarwal ( born 19 June 1985 ) is an Indian film actress and model . One of the most popular Indian celebrities , she has established a career in the Telugu and Tamil film industries and has been nominated for four Filmfare Awards South . In addition to acting , Kajal participates in stage shows and is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products .   Aggarwal made her acting debut with the 2004 Bollywood film Kyun ! Ho Gaya Na ... and had her first Telugu film release in 2007 Lakshmi Kalyanam . In the same year , she starred in the box office hit Chandamama , which earned her recognition . The 2009 historical fiction Telugu film Magadheera marked a turning point in her career , earning her critical acclaim . It ranks among the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time and fetched her Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies including Filmfare .   She subsequently rose to prominence by starring in several critical and commercially successful Telugu films like Darling ( 2010 ) , Brindavanam ( 2010 ) , Mr. Perfect ( 2011 ) , Businessman ( 2012 ) , Naayak ( 2013 ) , Baadshah ( 2013 ) , Govindudu Andarivadele ( 2014 ) , Temper ( 2015 ) , Khaidi No. 150 ( 2017 ) and established herself as one of the leading and highest-paid actresses in Tollywood . Kajal gained further recognition by featuring as the female lead in the high-profile Tamil projects Naan Mahaan Alla ( 2010 ) , Maattrraan ( 2012 ) , Thuppakki ( 2012 ) , Jilla ( 2014 ) , and emerged as a leading actress in Tamil cinema as well . She made a comeback to Bollywood with Singham ( 2011 ) which was a blockbuster , while another film Special 26 '' ( 2013 ) was also declared a box-office success .


Seppuku is defined as cutting the belly.

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 .


The Handmaid's Tale is a 1986 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood.

The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid 's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood . Set in a near-future New England , in a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the United States government , the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence . The novel 's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales , which comprises a series of connected stories ( `` The Merchant 's Tale '' , `` The Parson 's Tale '' , etc. ) .   The Handmaid 's Tale won the 1985 Governor General 's Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987 ; it was also nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award , the 1986 Booker Prize , and the 1987 Prometheus Award . The book has been adapted into a film ( 1990 ) , an opera ( 2000 ) , a TV series ( 2017 ) , and other media .


Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin ( -LSB- ˈpeɪlᵻn -RSB- née Heath ; born February 11 , 1964 ) is an American politician , commentator , and author who served as the ninth Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009 . As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election alongside presidential nominee , Arizona Senator John McCain , she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major political party and the first Republican woman selected as a vice presidential candidate . Also , her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies .   She was elected to the Wasilla city council in 1992 and became mayor of Wasilla in 1996 . In 2003 , after an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor , she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission , responsible for overseeing the state 's oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency . She was the youngest person and the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska .   Since her resignation as Governor , she has endorsed and campaigned for the Tea Party movement as well as several candidates in multiple election cycles , prominently including Donald Trump for President in 2016 . From 2010 to 2015 , she provided political commentary for Fox News . On April 3 , 2014 , Palin premiered her TV show , Amazing America with Sarah Palin , on the Sportsman Channel , which ran until February 12 , 2015 . On July 27 , 2014 , Palin launched the online news network called the Sarah Palin Channel , which was closed on July 4 , 2015 .


Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth ( born 11 August 1983 ) is an Australian actor . He is known for playing Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away ( 2004-07 ) and Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011 . Hemsworth has also appeared in the science fiction action film Star Trek ( 2009 ) , the thriller adventure A Perfect Getaway ( 2009 ) , the horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods ( 2012 ) , the dark-fantasy action film Snow White and the Huntsman ( 2012 ) , the war film Red Dawn ( 2012 ) , and the biographical sports drama film Rush ( 2013 ) .   In 2015 , he starred in the action thriller film Blackhat , had a comedic role in the fifth installment of National Lampoon 's Vacation series , Vacation , and headlined the biographical thriller film In the Heart of the Sea . The following year , Hemsworth had a supporting role in Sony 's reboot of Ghostbusters . Hemsworth will reprise his role as George Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek sequel .


Blackhat (film) Blackhat is a 2015 American action thriller mystery film co-written , co-produced and directed by Michael Mann . The film stars Chris Hemsworth , Tang Wei , Viola Davis , Holt McCallany , and Wang Leehom . The film premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on January 8 , 2015 , and was released in theaters on January 16 . Blackhat was a box office bomb , earning only $ 19.7 million at the box office against a budget of $ 70 million . While the movie received generally mixed-to-negative reviews , with criticisms focused on casting and pace , some critics found brilliance in the film , enough to place the film in some critics ' year-end lists .


Two-thirds of the world population is accounted for by the G20.

G20 The G20 ( or G-20 or Group of Twenty ) is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies . It was founded in 1999 with the aim of studying , reviewing , and promoting high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability . It seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization . The G20 heads of government or heads of state have periodically conferred at summits since their initial meeting in 2008 , and the group also hosts separate meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors .   The members include 19 individual countries and along with the European Union ( EU ) . The EU is represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank . Collectively , the G20 economies account for around 85 % of the gross world product ( GWP ) , 80 % of world trade ( or , if excluding EU intra-trade , 75 % ) , and two-thirds of the world population .   With the G20 growing in stature after its inaugural leaders ' summit in 2008 , its leaders announced on 25 September 2009 that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations . Since its inception , the G20 's membership policies have been criticized by numerous intellectuals , and its summits have been a focus for major protests by anti-globalists , nationalists and others .   The heads of the G20 nations met semi-annually at G20 summits between 2009 and 2010 . Since the November 2011 Cannes summit , all G20 summits have been held annually .


Toronto Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario . With a population of 2,731,571 , it is the fourth most populous city in North America after Mexico City , New York City , and Los Angeles . Toronto is the centre of the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ) , the most populous metropolitan area in Canada , and anchors the Golden Horseshoe , a heavily urbanized region that is home to 9.2 million people , or over 26 % of the population of Canada . A global city , Toronto is an international centre of business , finance , arts , and culture , and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world .   Aboriginal peoples have inhabited the area now known as Toronto for thousands of years . The city itself is situated on the southern terminus of an ancient Aboriginal trail leading north to Lake Simcoe , used by the Wyandot , Iroquois , and the Mississauga . Permanent European settlement began in the 1790s , after the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787 , when the Mississaugas surrendered the area to the British Crown . The British established the town of York , and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada . During the War of 1812 , the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by U.S. troops . York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834 , and became the capital of the province of Ontario during Canadian Confederation in 1867 . The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities at various times in its history to its current area of 630.2 km2 .   Located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario , Toronto is situated on a broad sloping plateau intersected by an extensive network of rivers , deep ravines , and urban forest , with 140 independently unique and clearly defined official neighbourhoods making up the city . The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada , with nearly 50 % of residents belonging to a visible minority population group , and over 200 distinct ethnic origins represented among its inhabitants . While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language , there are over 160 different languages spoken in the city .   Toronto is a prominent centre for music , theatre , motion picture production , and television production , and is home to the headquarters of Canada 's major national broadcast networks and media outlets . Its varied cultural institutions , which include numerous museums and galleries , festivals and public events , entertainment districts , national historic sites , and sports activities , attract over 25 million tourists each year . Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings , in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere , the CN Tower . As Canada 's commercial capital , the city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange , the headquarters of Canada 's five largest banks , and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations . Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology , design , financial services , life sciences , education , arts , fashion , business services , environmental innovation , food services , and tourism .


Thiokol was interested in entities that propel rockets.

Thiokol Thiokol ( variously Thiokol Chemical Corporation , Morton-Thiokol Inc. , Cordant Technologies Inc. , Thiokol Propulsion , AIC Group , ATK Thiokol ; finally ATK Launch Systems Group before becoming part of Orbital ATK ) was an American corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals , and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems . Its name is a portmanteau of the Greek words for sulfur ( θειον `` theion '' ) and glue ( κολλα `` kolla '' ) , an allusion to the company 's initial product , Thiokol polymer .   The Thiokol Chemical Company was founded in 1929 . Its initial business was a range of synthetic rubber and polymer sealants , and Thiokol was a major supplier of liquid polymer sealants during World War II . When scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that Thiokol 's polymers made ideal binders for solid rocket fuels , Thiokol moved into the new field , opening laboratories at Elkton , Maryland , and later production facilities at Elkton and at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville , Alabama . Huntsville produced the XM33 Pollux , TX-18 Falcon , and TX-135 Nike-Zeus systems . It closed in 1996 . In the mid-1950s the company bought extensive lands in Utah for its rocket test range , and in 1986 was found at fault for the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the deaths of its astronauts . Thiokol continues to have major operations in the state , at Magna and Promontory ( manufacture of the Space Shuttle 's solid rocket motors ) , and its current headquarters at Brigham City . the company employed over 15,000 people worldwide and records annual sales of around .


Shah dynasty The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Gorkha until 1768 and of the Kingdom of Nepal from 1768 to 28 May 2008 .


Nepal fi     Nepal ( -LSB- Nepālhelp = no -RSB- -RCB- -RCB- -LSB- neˈpal -RSB- ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia . Nepal is divided into 7 provinces and 75 districts and 744 local units including 4 metropolises , 13 sub-metropolises , 246 municipal councils and 481 villages . It has a population of 26.4 million and is the 93rd largest country by area . Bordering China in the north and India in the south , east , and west , it is the largest sovereign Himalayan state . Nepal does not border Bangladesh , which is located within only 27 km ( 17 mi ) of its southeastern tip . Neither does it border Bhutan due to the Indian state of Sikkim being located in between . Nepal has a diverse geography , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills , and eight of the world 's ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on Earth . Kathmandu is the nation 's capital and largest city . It is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language .   The territory of Nepal has a recorded history since the Neolithic age . The name `` Nepal '' is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age , the era which founded Hinduism , the predominant religion of the country . In the middle of the first millennium BCE , Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism , was born in southern Nepal . Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet . The Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal became known as Nepal proper because of its complex urban civilisation . It was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala . The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley 's traders . The cosmopolitan region developed distinct traditional art and architecture . By the 18th century , the Gorkha Kingdom achieved the unification of Nepal . The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire , under its Rana dynasty of premiers . The country was never colonised but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and Colonial India . In the 20th century , Nepal ended its isolation and forged strong ties with regional powers . Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 , but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs in 1960 and 2005 . The Nepalese Civil War resulted in the proclamation of a republic in 2008 , ending the reign of the world 's last Hindu monarchy .   Modern Nepal is a federal secular parliamentary republic . It has seven states . Nepal is a developing nation , ranking 144th on the Human Development Index ( HDI ) in 2016 . The country struggles with the transition from a monarchy to a republic . It also suffers from high levels of hunger and poverty . Despite these challenges , Nepal is making steady progress , with the government declaring its commitment to elevate the nation from least developed country status by 2022 . Nepal also has a vast potential to generate hydropower for export .   Nepal 's foreign relations expanded after the Anglo-Nepal Treaty of 1923 , which was recognised by the League of Nations . After a Soviet veto in 1949 , Nepal was admitted to the United Nations in 1955 . Friendship treaties were signed with the Dominion of India in 1950 and the People 's Republic of China in 1960 . Nepal hosts the permanent secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC ) , of which it is a founding member . Nepal is also a member of the Non Aligned Movement and the Bay of Bengal Initiative . The military of Nepal is the fifth largest in South Asia and is notable for its Gurkha history , particularly during the world wars , and has been a significant contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations .


All the Way (film) All the Way is a 2016 American HBO biographical TV drama film based on events of the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson , directed by Jay Roach and adapted by Robert Schenkkan from his play with the same title . The film stars Bryan Cranston , who reprises his role as Johnson from the play 's 2014 Broadway production , opposite Melissa Leo as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson ; Anthony Mackie as Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King , Jr. ; and Frank Langella as US Senator Richard Russell Jr. , from Georgia .   The film was broadcast on HBO on May 21 , 2016 . The film was well received by critics , with Cranston 's portrayal of Johnson garnering praise . It has been nominated for a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies , Miniseries and Specials , with Cranston also nominated for Individual Achievement in Drama for his work on the film . It got nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards , including Outstanding Television Movie as well as acting nominations for Cranston and Leo .


Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston ( born March 7 , 1956 ) is an American actor , voice actor , screenwriter , director and producer . He is best known for portraying Walter White on the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad , Hal on the Fox comedy series Malcolm in the Middle , and Dr. Tim Whatley in five episodes of the NBC comedy series Seinfeld .   For Breaking Bad , Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times ( 2008 -- 2010 , 2014 ) , including three consecutive wins ( the second time in television history after Bill Cosby in I Spy during the 1960s ) . After becoming one of the producers of Breaking Bad in 2011 , he also won the award for Outstanding Drama Series twice .   Cranston was also nominated three times for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Malcolm in the Middle . His role in Breaking Bad also earned him five Golden Globe nominations and one win in 2014 , nine Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations with four wins , and six Satellite Awards nominations with four wins . In June 2014 , he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All the Way on Broadway . He reprised his role in the television film of the same name , which debuted on HBO in May 2016 . For the film Trumbo ( 2015 ) , he received widespread acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor .   Cranston has directed episodes of various television series , including seven episodes of Malcolm in the Middle , three episodes of Breaking Bad , two episodes of Modern Family and one episode of The Office . He has also appeared in several acclaimed films such as Saving Private Ryan ( 1998 ) , Little Miss Sunshine ( 2006 ) , Drive ( 2011 ) , Argo ( 2012 ) and Godzilla ( 2014 ) . In 2015 , Cranston , together with David Shore , executive produced and wrote the story for the Amazon Studios original crime drama Sneaky Pete , the pilot episode of which aired on August 7 , 2015 .


Trumbo (2015 film) Trumbo is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Jay Roach and written by John McNamara . The film stars Bryan Cranston , Diane Lane , Helen Mirren , Louis C.K. , Elle Fanning , John Goodman and Michael Stuhlbarg . The film follows the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and is based on the biography Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Alexander Cook .   The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12 , 2015 , and was released on November 6 , 2015 , by Bleecker Street . The film received generally positive reviews , with lead actor Bryan Cranston nominated for several awards , including the Academy Award for Best Actor , but has also been criticized for historical inaccuracies and misportrayals of people and events .


Woody Harrelson had his breakout role in 1985.

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy `` Woody '' Harrelson ( born July 23 , 1961 ) is an American actor , activist and playwright . He is a two-time Academy Award nominee and has won one Emmy Award out of seven nominations . His breakout role came in 1985 , joining the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd , for which he earned five Emmy Award nominations ( one win ) . Some notable film characters include basketball hustler Billy Hoyle in White Men Ca n't Jump , one-handed bowler Roy Munson in Kingpin , Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games film series , Pepper Lewis in The Cowboy Way , Tallahassee in Zombieland , serial killer Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers , magazine publisher Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt , country singer Dusty in A Prairie Home Companion , and magician/mentalist Merritt McKinney in Now You See Me . He will be portraying the Colonel in War for the Planet of the Apes .   For The People vs. Larry Flynt and The Messenger , Harrelson earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor , respectively . In 2014 , he starred as Detective Martin Hart in the first season of the HBO crime drama True Detective with Matthew McConaughey , which earned him and McConaughey nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series .


Thor: The Dark World received some positive and some negative reviews.

Thor: The Dark World Thor : The Dark World is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Thor , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It is the sequel to 2011 's Thor and the eighth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film was directed by Alan Taylor , with a screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely . It stars Chris Hemsworth , Natalie Portman , Tom Hiddleston , Anthony Hopkins , Stellan Skarsgård , Idris Elba , Christopher Eccleston , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Kat Dennings , Ray Stevenson , Zachary Levi , Tadanobu Asano , Jaimie Alexander , and Rene Russo . In Thor : The Dark World , Thor teams up with Loki to save the Nine Realms from the Dark Elves led by the vengeful Malekith , who intends to plunge the universe into darkness .   Development of Thor : The Dark World began in April 2011 , when producer Kevin Feige announced plans for a sequel to follow the crossover film The Avengers . In July 2011 , Kenneth Branagh , the director of Thor , withdrew from the project . Brian Kirk and Patty Jenkins were considered to direct the film before Taylor was hired in January 2012 . The supporting cast filled out in August 2012 , with the hiring of Eccleston , Dennings , and Akinnuoye-Agbaje . Principal photography began in September 2012 in Surrey , England with filming continuing in Iceland and London , before wrapping up in December 2012 . Thor : The Dark World was converted to 3D in post-production .   Thor : The Dark World premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on October 22 , 2013 . It was released internationally on October 30 , 2013 , and on November 8 , 2013 , in the United States . The film received mixed reviews , but was a commercial success , grossing over $ 644 million worldwide . A third film , Thor : Ragnarok , is set for release on November 3 , 2017 .


Charles Dickens was born in February 1812.

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens ( -LSB- ˈdɪkᵻnz -RSB- 7 February 1812 -- 9 June 1870 ) was an English writer and social critic . He created some of the world 's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era . His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime , and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius . His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity .   Born in Portsmouth , Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors ' prison . Despite his lack of formal education , he edited a weekly journal for 20 years , wrote 15 novels , five novellas , hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles , lectured and performed extensively , was an indefatigable letter writer , and campaigned vigorously for children 's rights , education , and other social reforms .   Dickens 's literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers . Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity , famous for his humour , satire , and keen observation of character and society . His novels , most published in monthly or weekly instalments , pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction , which became the dominant Victorian mode for novel publication . The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audience 's reaction , and he often modified his plot and character development based on such feedback . For example , when his wife 's chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities , Dickens improved the character with positive features . His plots were carefully constructed , and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives . Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in ha ` pennies to have each new monthly episode read to them , opening up and inspiring a new class of readers .   Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age . His 1843 novella , A Christmas Carol , remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre . Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted , and , like many of his novels , evoke images of early Victorian London . His 1859 novel , A Tale of Two Cities , set in London and Paris , is his best-known work of historical fiction . Dickens has been praised by fellow writers -- from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton -- for his realism , comedy , prose style , unique characterisations , and social criticism . On the other hand , Oscar Wilde , Henry James , and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth , loose writing , and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism . The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings , such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters .