There is a series called Grey's Anatomy.

Meredith Grey Meredith Grey , M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey 's Anatomy , which airs on the American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) in the United States . The character was created by series ' producer Shonda Rhimes , and is portrayed by actress Ellen Pompeo . Meredith is the series ' protagonist , and was introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital ( later Seattle Grace-Mercy West , and afterwards Grey Sloan Memorial ) , eventually obtaining the position of a resident , and later the position of an attending , and in 2015 , attaining the Chief of General Surgery position . As the daughter of world-renowned surgeon Ellis Grey , Meredith struggles with the everyday life of being in a competitive profession , maintaining the relationship with her one-night stand and eventual husband Derek Shepherd ( deceased ) , her motherhood , and her friendships with her colleagues .   Meredith is the narrator of the show and serves as the focal point for most episodes . Pompeo 's connection with Patrick Dempsey ( Derek Shepherd ) is acclaimed as a high point of the series . Rhimes has characterized Meredith as not believing in good or bad , but instead doing what she thinks is right . Grey has been positively received by television critics , with Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times referring to her as `` the heroine of Grey 's Anatomy '' . News of Pompeo leaving arose when it was made clear that her contract ended after the eighth season , and whether or not she would return to the series after her contract expires has been the centre of media speculation ever since . In 2016 , Pompeo re-negotiated her contract and signed up for the thirteenth season of the show .   Pompeo 's performance has been well received throughout the show and the character has gained widespread popularity worldwide . Pompeo has been nominated for multiple awards for her portrayal of the character in the long running ABC medical drama including Satellite Award for Best Actress and multiple nominations at the People 's Choice Awards for Best Actress winning at 39th People 's Choice Awards in 2013 and again in 2015 at 41st People 's Choice Awards , Pompeo has also received a Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama Series nomination at the 64th Golden Globe Awards .


Grey's Anatomy Grey 's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series that premiered on American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) as a mid-season replacement on March 27 , 2005 . The series focuses on the fictional lives of surgical interns , residents and attending physicians , as they evolve into seasoned doctors while trying to maintain personal lives and relationships . The title is a play on Gray 's Anatomy , a human anatomy textbook by Henry Gray . The show 's premise originated with Shonda Rhimes , who serves as an executive producer , along with Betsy Beers , Mark Gordon , Krista Vernoff , Rob Corn , Mark Wilding , and Allan Heinberg . Although it is set in Seattle at the fictional Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital ( formerly Seattle Grace ) it is primarily filmed in Los Angeles , California . The show was originally titled Complications , a reference to the complicated medical procedures and personal lives of the characters .   The series was created to be racially diverse , utilizing a color-blind casting technique . It revolves around the title character , Dr. Meredith Grey , played by Ellen Pompeo . The original cast consisted of nine star-billed actors : Pompeo , Sandra Oh , Katherine Heigl , Justin Chambers , T. R. Knight , Chandra Wilson , James Pickens Jr. , Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey . The cast has undergone major changes through the show 's run , with many members leaving and being replaced by others . In its twelfth season , the show had a large ensemble of sixteen actors , including four from the original cast . On February 10 , 2017 , ABC renewed Grey 's Anatomy for a fourteenth season , which will premiere in the fall of 2017 .   Grey 's Anatomy , even in its thirteenth season , is ABC 's highest-rated drama ; although its ratings have fallen over the course of its run ( it was once among the overall top 10 shows in the United States ) , it is still one of the highest rated shows among the 18 -- 49 demographic , and the No. 3 drama on all of broadcast television . Grey 's Anatomy has been well received by critics throughout much of its run , and has been included in various critics 's year-end top ten lists . Since its inception , the show has been described by the media outlets as a television `` phenomenon '' or a `` juggernaut , '' owing to its longevity and dominant ratings . It is considered to have had a significant impact on popular culture and has received numerous awards , including the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Drama . It has received multiple Emmy nominations , including two for Outstanding Drama Series . In 2012 , Grey 's Anatomy was named the fifth-highest revenue earning show , in terms of advertising per half-hour . It is the longest running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC , and the second-longest scripted primetime ABC show ever .


Grey's Anatomy (season 13) The thirteenth season of the American television medical drama Grey 's Anatomy premiered on September 22 , 2016 , in the United States on the American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) , and consisted of 24 episodes . The season was ordered on March 3 , 2016 , along with ABC 's other shows . The season is produced by ABC Studios , in association with ShondaLand Production Company and The Mark Gordon Company ; the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes .   This season will be the first not to feature Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres since her introduction in the second season , following her departure at the conclusion of the previous season .   The season garnered 10.88 million viewers which was a decrease in viewership from the previous season but ranked # 19 which is two spots higher than the previous season . On February 10 , 2017 , ABC renewed Grey 's Anatomy for a fourteenth season .


As the World Turns is set in a state in the Midwestern region of the farm.

Illinois Illinois ( -LSB- ɪlᵻˈnɔɪ -RSB- ) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States , achieving statehood in 1818 . It is the 6th-most populous state and 25th-largest state in terms of land area , and is noted as a microcosm of the entire country . The word `` Illinois '' comes from a French rendering of a native Algonquin word . With Chicago in the northeast , small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois , and natural resources like coal , timber , and petroleum in the south , Illinois has a diverse economic base and is a major transportation hub . The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes , via the Saint Lawrence Seaway , to the Atlantic Ocean , as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River , via the Illinois Waterway . For decades , O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world 's busiest airports . Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics .   Although today the state 's largest population center is around Chicago in the northern part of the state , the state 's European population grew first in the west , with French Canadian colonists who settled along the Mississippi River in the 17th and 18th century , and gave the area the name , `` Pays des Illinois '' or Illinois Country a region that was known as part of New France . After the American Revolutionary War established the United States , American settlers began arriving crossing the Appalachians barrier range in the 1810s via the gaps of the Allegheny to boat building centers in Pittsburgh , from Cumberland , Maryland via the Cumberland Narrows pass to outfit in Brownsville , Pennsylvania , from North Carolina and Virginia via the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky and Tennessee , all on the Ohio River .   With the War of 1812 , the growth of Illinois slowed as both Native Americans and Canadian forces often raided the American Frontier . After the war 's end , the federal government re-established forts such as Fort Dearborn ( in 1816 -- now the site is within Chicago ) and army patrols west of the Mississippi diminished the threat from Amerindian raids , so settlers were able to move into all of Illinois from the eastern and southern emigrant trails .   Mineral finds and timber stands also had spurred immigration -- by the 1810s , the Eastern U.S. had exhausted most timber stands close to the established cities creating a hard felt first energy crisis by the late-1790s , and after 1818 , the industrial revolution was being fueled by new canals such as the Lehigh Canal feeding the furnaces of the rapidly industrializing east coast . Also in 1818 , Illinois achieved statehood and its growth , as yet untroubled by the speed of as yet unrefined railway technology , would be fueled by the new religion of industrialized forward thinking .   After construction of the Erie Canal with increasing traffic and trade through the Great Lakes , Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River , at one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan . John Deere 's invention of the self-scouring steel plow turned Illinois ' rich prairie into some of the world 's most productive and valuable farmlands , attracting new immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden . Railroads arose and matured in the 1840s , and soon carried immigrants to new homes in Illinois , as well as being a resource to ship their commodity crops out to markets . Railroads freed most of the land of Illinois and other mid-western states from the tyranny of water transport ; no longer was a location near a river or canal a need to ship bulk goods .   By 1900 , the growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted a new group of immigrants , from Eastern and Southern Europe . Illinois was an important manufacturing center during both world wars . The Great Migration from the South established a large community of African Americans in Chicago , who created the city 's famous jazz and blues cultures .   Three U.S. presidents have been elected while living in Illinois : Abraham Lincoln , Ulysses S. Grant , and most recently Barack Obama . Additionally , Ronald Reagan , whose political career was based in California , was the only U.S. president born and raised in Illinois . Today , Illinois honors Lincoln with its official state nickname `` The Land of Lincoln , '' which has been displayed on its license plates since 1954 . The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the state capital of Springfield , and the Barack Obama Presidential Center will be completed in Chicago by 2020 .


As the World Turns As the World Turns ( often referred to as ATWT ) is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2 , 1956 , to September 17 , 2010 . Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light . Running for 54 years , As the World Turns holds the second-longest continuous run of any daytime network soap opera on American television , surpassed only by Guiding Light . As the World Turns was produced for the first 43 years in Manhattan and in Brooklyn from 2000 until 2010 .   Set in the fictional town of Oakdale , Illinois , the show debuted on April 2 , 1956 , at 1:30 pm EST. . Prior to that date , all serials had been 15 minutes in length . As the World Turns and The Edge of Night , which premiered on the same day at 4:30 pm EST , were the first two to be 30 minutes in length from their premiere . At first , viewers did not respond to the new half-hour serial , but ratings picked up in its second year , eventually reaching the top spot in the daytime Nielsen ratings by fall 1958 . In 1959 , the show started a streak of weekly ratings wins that was not interrupted for over 12 years . The show switched to color on August 21 , 1967 , and expanded from a half-hour in length to one hour starting on December 1 , 1975 , when The Edge of Night moved to ABC . In the year-to-date ratings , As the World Turns was the most-watched daytime drama from 1958 until 1978 , with ten million viewers tuning in each day . At its height , core actors such as Helen Wagner , Don MacLaughlin , Don Hastings , and Eileen Fulton became nationally known . Three of these actors -- Wagner , Hastings , and Fulton -- are also the three longest serving actors in the history of American soap operas .   The show passed its 10,000 th episode on May 12 , 1995 , and celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 2 , 2006 . On September 18 , 2009 , As the World Turns became the last remaining Procter and Gamble-produced soap opera for CBS after Guiding Light aired its final episode on the network .   On December 8 , 2009 , CBS announced that it cancelled As the World Turns after almost 54 years due to low ratings . The show taped its final Procter and Gamble scenes for CBS on June 23 , 2010 , and with a dramatic storyline finale , its final episode on the network aired on September 17 , 2010 . On October 18 , 2010 , CBS replaced As the World Turns with a newly debuted talk show The Talk .


Intimacy (film) was unable to cast Mark Rylance.

Intimacy (film) Intimacy is a 2001 British film directed by Patrice Chéreau , starring Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox .   Intimacy is an international co-production among production companies in France , the U.K. , Germany , and Spain featuring a soundtrack of pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s . It was written by Chéreau with Anne-Louise Trividic , based on stories by Hanif Kureishi ( who also wrote a novel of the same title ) . This mainstream-defined film contains an unsimulated fellatio scene by Fox on Rylance . A French-dubbed version features voice actors Jean-Hugues Anglade and Nathalie Richard .   The film has been associated with the New French Extremity .


Scott Eastwood Scott Eastwood ( born Scott Clinton Reeves ; March 21 , 1986 ) is an American actor , model , and professional skydiver . He has appeared in the films Flags of Our Fathers ( 2006 ) , Gran Torino ( 2008 ) , Invictus ( 2009 ) , The Forger ( 2012 ) , Trouble with the Curve ( 2012 ) , Texas Chainsaw ( 2013 ) , Fury ( 2014 ) , The Perfect Wave ( 2014 ) , The Longest Ride ( 2015 ) , Mercury Plains ( 2016 ) , Suicide Squad ( 2016 ) , Snowden ( 2016 ) and The Fate of the Furious ( 2017 ) . He has also been the model for the fragrance Cool Water by Davidoff . He is the youngest son of Academy Award-winning actor-director Clint Eastwood and second youngest of Jacelyn Reeves .


Believe (Cher song) `` Believe '' is a song recorded by American singer-actress Cher . It is the title track from her twenty-second album of the same name ( 1998 ) , and was released as the lead single from the album on October 19 , 1998 by Warner Bros. . Records . It was written by Brian Higgins , Stuart McLennen , Paul Barry , Steven Torch , Matthew Gray and Timothy Powell , although Cher claimed later in a 2000 interview that she also wrote part , and was produced by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling . A considerable departure from Cher 's work at the time , `` Believe '' abandoned the singer 's then pop rock-based repertoire in favor of being more club-friendly , in order to engage a younger audience .   `` Believe '' is an upbeat dance-pop song . The song is one of the first commercial recordings to feature the audio processor software Auto-Tune as a vocal effect , used to produce the prominent altered effect on Cher 's vocals . This technique would eventually become known as the `` Cher effect '' . Lyrically , the song is about the personal empowerment and self-sufficiency after a painful break-up . Critically , `` Believe '' has been met with appreciation ever since its release ; reviewers have praised its production , catchiness and club-friendly nature , and listed it as one of the singer 's career highlights . The song was also nominated for two Grammy Awards ; for Record of the Year and Best Dance Recording , winning the latter .   Commercially , the song attained immense global success , reaching number one in almost every country it charted , including Australia , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Spain , France , Germany , Italy and the United States . It earned Cher a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest female solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart . It also became the highest-selling single by a solo female artist in the United Kingdom . `` Believe '' remains one of the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over 11 million copies worldwide .   The music video for `` Believe '' , directed by Nigel Dick , showed Cher in a nightclub performing the song in two different sequences : one in which she is seen performing the song on stage and the other as a supernatural being locked in a cage . Cher has performed the song in a number of live appearances , including in three of her concert tours , most recently the Dressed to Kill Tour in 2014 . It has been covered by a number of artists , and has been featured in several elements of popular culture . Scholars and academics noted the way in which Cher was able to re-invent herself and remain fresh and contemporary amidst the more teen pop-based music of the period . They also credited `` Believe '' as the song which restored the singer 's popularity and cemented her position as a pop culture icon .


The United States became the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare when they dropped atomic bombs on Japan during World War II.

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki At the order of President Harry S. Truman during the final stage of World War II , the United States dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 , 1945 , respectively . The United States had dropped the bombs with the consent of the United Kingdom as outlined in the Quebec Agreement . The two bombings , which killed at least 129,000 people , remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history .   In the final year of the war , the Allies prepared for what was anticipated to be a very costly invasion of the Japanese mainland . This was preceded by a U.S. conventional and firebombing campaign that destroyed 67 Japanese cities . The war in Europe had concluded when Nazi Germany signed its instrument of surrender on May 8 , 1945 . The Japanese , facing the same fate , refused to accept the Allies ' demands for unconditional surrender and the Pacific War continued . The Allies called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26 , 1945 -- the alternative being `` prompt and utter destruction '' . The Japanese response to this ultimatum was to ignore it .   By August 1945 , the Allies ' Manhattan Project had produced two types of atomic bombs , and the 509th Composite Group of the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) was equipped with the specialized Silverplate version of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress that could deliver them from Tinian in the Mariana Islands . Orders for atomic bombs to be used on four Japanese cities were issued on July 25 . On August 6 , the U.S. dropped a uranium gun-type ( Little Boy ) bomb on Hiroshima , and American President Harry S. Truman called for Japan 's surrender , warning it to `` expect a rain of ruin from the air , the like of which has never been seen on this earth . '' Three days later , on August 9 , a plutonium implosion-type ( Fat Man ) bomb was dropped on Nagasaki . Within the first two to four months following the bombings , the acute effects of the atomic bombings had killed 90,000 -- 146,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000 -- 80,000 in Nagasaki ; roughly half of the deaths in each city occurred on the first day . During the following months , large numbers died from the effect of burns , radiation sickness , and other injuries , compounded by illness and malnutrition . In both cities , most of the dead were civilians , although Hiroshima had a sizable military garrison .   Japan announced its surrender to the Allies on August 15 , six days after the bombing of Nagasaki and the Soviet Union 's declaration of war . On September 2 , the Japanese government signed the instrument of surrender , effectively ending World War II . The justification for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still debated to this day .


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


KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken , more commonly known by its initials KFC , is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken . Headquartered in Louisville , Kentucky , it is the world 's second-largest restaurant chain ( as measured by sales ) after McDonald 's , with almost 20,000 locations globally in 123 countries and territories . The chain is a subsidiary of Yum ! Brands , a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains .   KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders , an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin , Kentucky during the Great Depression . Sanders identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept , and the first `` Kentucky Fried Chicken '' franchise opened in Utah in 1952 . KFC popularized chicken in the fast food industry , diversifying the market by challenging the established dominance of the hamburger . By branding himself as `` Colonel Sanders '' , Harland became a prominent figure of American cultural history , and his image remains widely used in KFC advertising . However , the company 's rapid expansion overwhelmed the aging Sanders and he sold it to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey in 1964 .   KFC was one of the first American fast food chains to expand internationally , opening outlets in Canada , the United Kingdom , Mexico , and Jamaica by the mid-1960s . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s , it experienced mixed fortunes domestically , as it went through a series of changes in corporate ownership with little or no experience in the restaurant business . In the early-1970s , KFC was sold to the spirits distributor Heublein , which was taken over by the R.J. Reynolds food and tobacco conglomerate ; that company sold the chain to PepsiCo . The chain continued to expand overseas , however , and in 1987 , it became the first Western restaurant chain to open in China . It has since expanded rapidly in China , which is now the company 's single largest market . PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants , which later changed its name to Yum ! Brands .   KFC 's original product is pressure fried chicken pieces , seasoned with Sanders ' recipe of 11 herbs and spices . The constituents of the recipe represent a notable trade secret . Larger portions of fried chicken are served in a cardboard `` bucket '' , which has become a well known feature of the chain since it was first introduced by franchisee Pete Harman in 1957 . Since the early 1990s , KFC has expanded its menu to offer other chicken products such as chicken fillet burgers and wraps , as well as salads and side dishes , such as French fries and coleslaw , desserts , and soft drinks , the latter often supplied by PepsiCo . KFC is known for its slogans `` Finger Lickin ' Good '' , `` Nobody does chicken like KFC '' and `` So good '' .


The Wachowskis Lana Wachowski ( formerly Laurence `` Larry '' Wachowski , born June 21 , 1965 ) and Lilly Wachowski ( formerly Andrew Paul `` Andy '' Wachowski , born December 29 , 1967 ) are American film directors , screenwriters , and producers . They are siblings , and are both trans women . Collectively known as The Wachowskis and formerly as The Wachowski Brothers , the pair made their directing debut in 1996 with Bound , and reached fame with their second film The Matrix ( 1999 ) , a major box office success for which they won the Saturn Award for Best Director . They wrote and directed its two sequels : The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions ( both in 2003 ) , and were deeply involved in the writing and production of other works in the franchise .   Following the commercial success of The Matrix series , they wrote and produced the 2006 film V for Vendetta ( an adaptation of the comic of the same name by Alan Moore ) , and in 2008 released the film Speed Racer , which was a live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime series of the same name . Their next film , Cloud Atlas , based on the novel of the same name by David Mitchell and co-written and co-directed by Tom Tykwer , was released in 2012 . Their film Jupiter Ascending and the Netflix series Sense8 both debuted in 2015 .   The siblings have worked as a writing and directing unit throughout their professional film careers from Bound through the first season of Sense8 . Following her gender transition , Lilly Wachowski took a break from active writing and directing ; Lana worked on the second season of Sense8 without her .


Nina Simone was from Tryon, South Carolina.

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( -LSB- ˈniːnə_sᵻˈmoʊn -RSB- born Eunice Kathleen Waymon ; February 21 , 1933 -- April 21 , 2003 ) was an American singer , songwriter , pianist , arranger , and activist in the Civil Rights Movement . Simone employed a broad range of musical styles including classical , jazz , blues , folk , R&B , gospel , and pop .   Born in North Carolina , the sixth child of a preacher , Waymon aspired to be a concert pianist . With the help of a few supporters in her hometown of Tryon , North Carolina , she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York .   Waymon then applied for a scholarship to study at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia , where she was denied despite a well-received audition . Waymon became fully convinced this rejection had been entirely due to her race , a statement that has been a matter of controversy . Years later , two days before her death , the Curtis Institute of Music bestowed on her an honorary degree .   To make a living , Eunice Waymon changed her name to `` Nina Simone '' . The change related to her need to disguise herself from family members , having chosen to play `` the devil 's music '' or `` cocktail piano '' at a nightclub in Atlantic City . She was told in the nightclub that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment , and this effectively launched her career as a jazz vocalist .   Simone recorded more than 40 albums , mostly between 1958 , when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue , and 1974 . She had a hit in the United States in 1958 with `` I Loves You , Porgy '' .   Simone 's musical style fused gospel and pop with classical music , in particular Johann Sebastian Bach , and accompanied expressive , jazz-like singing in her contralto voice .


Jennifer Lawrence has starred in a biopic.

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence ( born August 15 , 1990 ) is an American actress . Since 2015 , Lawrence has been the highest-paid actress in the world , and her films have grossed over $ 5.5 billion worldwide . She appeared in Time 100 most influential people in the world in 2013 and Forbes Celebrity 100 the following year and in 2016 .   During her childhood , Lawrence performed in church plays and school musicals . When she was 14 , a talent scout spotted her in New York . She then moved to Los Angeles and began her acting career by playing guest roles in television shows . Her first major role came as a main cast member on the sitcom The Bill Engvall Show ( 2007 -- 2009 ) . Lawrence made her film debut with a supporting role in Garden Party ( 2008 ) , and had her breakthrough playing a poverty-stricken teenager in the independent drama Winter 's Bone ( 2010 ) . She achieved wider recognition for playing the mutant Mystique in X-Men : First Class ( 2011 ) , a role she reprised in later installments of the series .   Lawrence 's fame continued to grow with her starring role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series ( 2012 -- 2015 ) , which established her as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time . She went on to earn various accolades from her collaborations with director David O. Russell . Her performance as a depressed widow in the romance film Silver Linings Playbook ( 2012 ) received an Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the second youngest Best Actress Oscar winner . Lawrence subsequently won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing a troubled wife in the black comedy American Hustle ( 2013 ) . She also received Golden Globe Awards for her roles in both of these films and for playing the eponymous inventor in the biopic Joy ( 2015 ) .   Lawrence is known in the media for being a vocal advocate of feminism and gender equality , and is the founder of the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation through which she supports various charitable organizations .


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 .


Douglas Aircraft Company and McDonnell Aircraft are part of the history of McDonnell Douglas.

Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California . It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas , Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas . Douglas Aircraft Company largely operated as a division of McDonnell Douglas ( MD ) after the merger . MD later merged with Boeing in 1997 .


The Promise premiered on September 11, 1997.

The Promise (2016 film) The Promise is a 2016 American historical drama film directed by Terry George and starring Oscar Isaac , Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale , set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire . The film premiered on September 11 , 2016 , at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on April 21 , 2017 , by Open Road Films .   The Promise is about a love triangle that develops between Armenian medical student Mikael ( Isaac ) , an American journalist based in Paris named Chris ( Bale ) and an Armenian-born woman raised in France , Ana ( Le Bon ) , during the final years of the Ottoman Empire , and during the Armenian Genocide . The film was a box office bomb , grossing just $ 8 million against its $ 90 million budget , although the studio noted the main purpose of the film was to bring attention to the story , not make money .


Iron Man was distributed by Universal Studios.

Iron Man (2008 film) Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name , produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures . It is the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film was directed by Jon Favreau , with a screenplay by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway . It stars Robert Downey Jr. , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges , Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow . In Iron Man , Tony Stark , an industrialist and master engineer , builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero Iron Man .   The film had been in development since 1990 at Universal Pictures , 20th Century Fox , or New Line Cinema at various times , before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006 . Marvel put the project in production as its first self-financed film , with Paramount Pictures as its distributor . Favreau signed on as director , aiming for a naturalistic feel , and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California , rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero films set in New York City-esque environments . Filming began in March 2007 and concluded in June . During filming , the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action . Rubber and metal versions of the armors , created by Stan Winston 's company , were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character .   Iron Man premiered in Sydney on April 14 , 2008 , and was released in theaters on May 2 , 2008 . The film was a critical and commercial success , grossing over $ 585 million and garnering widespread critical acclaim . Downey 's performance as Tony Stark was particularly praised . The American Film Institute selected the film as one of the ten best of the year . It was also nominated for two Academy Awards for the Best Sound Editing and the Best Visual Effects . Two sequels , Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 , were released on May 7 , 2010 , and May 3 , 2013 , respectively .


Event management includes site selection and budgeting.

Event management Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of large scale events such as festivals , conferences , ceremonies , formal parties , concerts , or conventions . It involves studying the brand , identifying it 's target audience , devising the event concept , and coordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event .   The process of planning and coordinating the event is usually referred to as event planning and which can include budgeting , scheduling , site selection , acquiring necessary permits , coordinating transportation and parking , arranging for speakers or entertainers , arranging decor , event security , catering , coordinating with third party vendors , and emergency plans .   The events industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to business breakfast meetings . Many industries , charitable organizations , and interest groups hold events in order to market themselves , build business relationships , raise money , or celebrate achievement .


Welcome Back (film) features only American actors and actresses.

Welcome Back (film) Welcome Back is an Indian action comedy film directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala , released in 2015 . It is a sequel to Welcome and features an ensemble cast that includes Anil Kapoor , Nana Patekar , John Abraham , Shruti Haasan , Paresh Rawal , Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah . While Kapoor , Patekar and Rawal have reprised their roles from the 2007 film , Abraham and Hassan are new additions to the lead cast . Made on a budget of US$ 16 million , the film was largely shot in and around Dubai , United Arab Emirates . Welcome Back was released worldwide on 4 September 2015 .


Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor ( born 24 December 1956 ) is an Indian actor and producer who has appeared in many Bollywood films , as well as international films and television series . His career has spanned almost 40 years as an actor , and as a producer since 2005 . He has won many awards in his career , including two National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards in different acting categories .   Kapoor made his Hindi film cameo appearance with Umesh Mehra 's Hamare Tumhare ( 1979 ) in a small role . He made his first debut film and then starred as a lead actor in the 1980 Telugu film , Vamsa Vruksham directed by Bapu . He then made his Kannada film debut with Mani Ratnam 's Pallavi Anu Pallavi ( 1983 ) . He received his first Filmfare Award , in the Best Supporting Actor category , for his role in Yash Chopra 's Mashaal ( 1984 ) . Kapoor earned his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in N. Chandra 's Tezaab ( 1988 ) and later again for his performance in Indra Kumar 's Beta ( 1992 ) .   He has also starred in many other critically and commercially successful films : Meri Jung ( 1985 ) ; Karma ( 1986 ) ; Mr. India ( 1987 ) ; Virasat ( 1997 ) , for which he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor ; Taal ( 1999 ) , for which he won his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award ; Pukar ( 2000 ) , for which he won a National Film Award for Best Actor ; No Entry ( 2005 ) ; Dil Dhadakne Do ( 2015 ) for which he won his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award .   Kapoor 's first role in an international film was in Danny Boyle 's Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire , for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . His performance in the eighth season of the action series 24 generated rave reviews from the American press . Globally , Kapoor is one of the most recognised Indian actors .


Hansel and Gretel is also known as a fairy tale.

Hansel and Gretel `` Hansel and Gretel '' ( also known as Hansel and Grettel , Hansel and Grethel , or Little Brother and Little Sister ) ( -LSB- ˈhænsəl -RSB- or -LSB- ˈhɑːnsəl -RSB- and -LSB- ˈɡrɛtəl -RSB- Hänsel und Gretel -LSB- ˈhɛnzl̩ ʊnt ˈɡʁeːtl̩ -RSB- ) is a well-known fairy tale of German origin , recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 . Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery . The two children escape with their lives by outwitting her . The tale has been adapted to various media , most notably the opera Hänsel und Gretel ( 1893 ) by Engelbert Humperdinck . Under the Aarne -- Thompson classification system , `` Hansel and Gretel '' is classified under Class 327 .


Amazon Web Services was made up of more than 70 services.

Amazon Web Services Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) describes both a technology and a company . The company AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon.com and provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to both individuals , companies and governments , on a paid subscription basis with a free-tier option available for 12 months . The technology allows subscribers to have at their disposal full-fledged virtual cluster of computers , available 24/7/365 , through the internet . AWS ' version of virtual computers have most of the attributes of a real computer including hardware ( CPU ( s ) & GPU ( s ) for processing , local/RAM memory , hard-disk/SSD storage ) ; a choice of operating systems ; networking ; and pre-loaded application software such as web servers , databases , CRM ... nearly anything . Each AWS system also virtualizes its console I/O ( keyboard , display , and mouse ) , allowing AWS subscribers to connect to their AWS system using a modern browser . The browser acts as a window into the virtual computer , letting subscribers log-in , configure and use their virtual systems just as they would a real physical computer . They can choose to deploy their AWS systems to provide internet-based services for their own and their customers ' benefit .   The AWS technology is implemented at server farms throughout the world , and maintained by the Amazon subsidiary . Fees are based on a combination of usage , the hardware/OS/software / networking features chosen by the subscriber , required availability , redundancy , security , and service options . Based on what the subscriber needs and pays for , they can reserve a single virtual AWS computer , a cluster of virtual computers , a physical ( real ) computer dedicated for their exclusive use , or even a cluster of dedicated physical computers . As part of the subscription agreement , Amazon manages , upgrades , and provides industry-standard security to each subscriber 's system . AWS services operate from many global geographical regions including 6 in North America .   In 2016 , AWS comprised more than 70 services spanning a wide range including compute , storage , networking , database , analytics , application services , deployment , management , mobile , developer tools , and tools for the Internet of Things . The most popular include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud ( aka `` EC2 '' ) and Amazon Simple Storage Service ( aka `` S3 '' ) . Most services are not exposed directly to end users , but instead offer functionality through APIs for developers to use in their applications . Amazon Web Services ' offerings are accessed over HTTP , using the REST architectural style and SOAP protocol .   Amazon markets AWS to subscribers as a way of obtaining large scale computing capacity more quickly and cheaply than building an actual physical server farm . All services are billed based on usage , but each service measures usage in varying ways .


Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman ( born 12 October 1968 ) is an Australian actor , singer , and producer . Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in a variety of film genres . He is known for his long-running role as Wolverine in the X-Men film series , as well as for his lead roles in films such as the romantic-comedy fantasy Kate & Leopold ( 2001 ) , the action-horror film Van Helsing ( 2004 ) , the magic-themed drama The Prestige ( 2006 ) , the epic fantasy drama The Fountain ( 2006 ) , the epic historical romantic drama Australia ( 2008 ) , the film version of Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , and the thriller Prisoners ( 2013 ) . His work in Les Misérables earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in 2013 .   In Broadway theatre , Jackman won a Tony Award for his role in The Boy from Oz . A four-time host of the Tony Awards themselves , he won an Emmy Award for one of these appearances . Jackman also hosted the 81st Academy Awards on 22 February 2009 .


J. T. Walsh James Thomas Patrick `` J. T. '' Walsh ( September 28 , 1943 -- February 27 , 1998 ) was an American actor . He appeared in many well-known films , including Nixon , Hoffa , A Few Good Men , The Grifters , Backdraft , Miracle on 34th Street , Outbreak , Sling Blade , Breakdown , Pleasantville , The Negotiator , and Good Morning , Vietnam . According to Leonard Maltin , he was known for portraying `` quietly sinister white-collar sleazeballs '' in numerous films , and was described as `` everybody 's favorite scumbag '' by Playboy magazine .


A Few Good Men A Few Good Men is a 1992 American legal drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise , Jack Nicholson , and Demi Moore , with Kevin Bacon , Kevin Pollak , Wolfgang Bodison , James Marshall , J. T. Walsh and Kiefer Sutherland in supporting roles . It was adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin from his play of the same name but includes contributions by William Goldman . The film revolves around the court-martial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the tribulations of their lawyers as they prepare a case to defend their clients .


The Coen brothers were the winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Coen brothers Joel David Coen ( born November 29 , 1954 ) and Ethan Jesse Coen ( born September 21 , 1957 ) , collectively referred to as the Coen brothers , are American filmmakers . Their films span many genres and styles , which they frequently subvert or parody . Their best-reviewed works include Fargo ( 1996 ) , The Big Lebowski ( 1998 ) , No Country for Old Men ( 2007 ) , A Serious Man ( 2009 ) , True Grit ( 2010 ) , and Inside Llewyn Davis ( 2013 ) .   The brothers write , direct and produce their films jointly , although until The Ladykillers ( 2004 ) Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing . They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing editing credits under the alias Roderick Jaynes . They have been nominated for thirteen Academy Awards together , and individually for one award each , winning Best Original Screenplay for Fargo and Best Picture , Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country for Old Men . The duo also won the Palme d'Or for Barton Fink and were nominated for Fargo .   The Coen brothers have written a number of films they did not direct , including the biographical war drama Unbroken ( 2014 ) , the historical legal thriller Bridge of Spies ( 2015 ) , and lesser-known , commercially unsuccessful comedies such as Crimewave ( 1985 ) , The Naked Man ( 1998 ) and Gambit ( 2012 ) . Ethan is also a writer of short stories , theater and poetry .   The brothers 's films No Country for Old Men , A Serious Man and Inside Llewyn Davis have been ranked in the BBC 's 2016 poll of the greatest motion pictures since 2000 .


Buddhism has over 500 million followers.

Buddhism Buddhism ( -LSB- pronˈbʊdɪzəm -RSB- or -LSB- ˈbuːdɪzəm -RSB- ) is an Indian religion and dharma that encompasses a variety of traditions , beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to the Buddha . Buddhism originated in Ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE , from where it spread through much of Asia , whereafter it declined in India during the middle ages . Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars : Theravada ( Pali : `` The School of the Elders '' ) and Mahayana ( Sanskrit : `` The Great Vehicle '' ) . Buddhism is the world 's fourth-largest religion , with over 500 million followers or 7 % of the global population , known as Buddhists .   Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation , the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures , and especially their respective practices . Practices of Buddhism include taking refuge in the Buddha , the Dharma and the Sangha , study of scriptures , observance of moral precepts , renunciation of craving and attachment , the practice of meditation ( including calm and insight ) , the cultivation of wisdom , loving-kindness and compassion , the Mahayana practice of bodhicitta and the Vajrayana practices of generation stage and completion stage .   In Theravada the ultimate goal is the cessation of the kleshas and the attainment of the sublime state of Nirvana , achieved by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path ( also known as the Middle Way ) , thus escaping what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth . Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia .   Mahayana , which includes the traditions of Pure Land , Zen , Nichiren Buddhism , Shingon and Tiantai ( Tendai ) , is found throughout East Asia . Rather than Nirvana , Mahayana instead aspires to Buddhahood via the bodhisattva path , a state wherein one remains in the cycle of rebirth to help other beings reach awakening .   Vajrayana , a body of teachings attributed to Indian siddhas , may be viewed as a third branch or merely a part of Mahayana . Tibetan Buddhism , which preserves the Vajrayana teachings of eighth century India , is practiced in regions surrounding the Himalayas , Mongolia and Kalmykia . Tibetan Buddhism aspires to Buddhahood or rainbow body .


Tokyo Tokyo ( -LSB- toːkjoː -RSB- , -LSB- langˈtoʊki.oʊ -RSB- ) , officially Tokyo Metropolis , is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures . The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world . It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government . Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands . Formerly known as Edo , it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters . It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868 ; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo . Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former and the .   Tokyo is often referred to as a city , but is officially known and governed as a `` metropolitan prefecture '' , which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture , a characteristic unique to Tokyo . The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo ( each governed as an individual city ) , which cover the area that was the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the metropolitan prefecture in 1943 . The metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains . The population of the special wards is over 9 million people , with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million . The prefecture is part of the world 's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people and the world 's largest urban agglomeration economy . The city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies , the highest number of any city in the world . Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit . The city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV , Tokyo MX , TV Tokyo , TV Asahi , Nippon Television , NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System .   Tokyo ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index and fourth in the Global Cities Index . The city is considered an alpha + world city -- as listed by the GaWC 's 2008 inventory -- and in 2014 , Tokyo was ranked first in the `` Best overall experience '' category of TripAdvisor '' 's World City Survey ( the city also ranked first in the following categories : `` helpfulness of locals '' , `` nightlife '' , `` shopping '' , `` local public transportation '' and `` cleanliness of streets '' ) . In 2015 , Tokyo was ranked as the 11th most expensive city for expatriates , according to the Mercer consulting firm , and also the world 's 11th most expensive city , according to the Economist Intelligence Unit 's cost-of-living survey . In 2015 , Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle '' . The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world .  Tokyo ranked first in the world in the Safe Cities Index . The 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student . Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics , the 1979 G-7 summit , the 1986 G-7 summit , and the 1993 G-7 summit , and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics .


Demon Days Demon Days is the second studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz , released on 11 May 2005 in Japan and on 23 May internationally by Parlophone Records and in the United States by Virgin Records . The album features contributions from De La Soul , Neneh Cherry , Martina Topley-Bird , Roots Manuva , MF DOOM , Ike Turner , Bootie Brown of the Pharcyde , Shaun Ryder , Dennis Hopper , the London Community Gospel Choir , and a children 's choir . Albarn brought in Danger Mouse as producer .   Demon Days entered the UK charts at # 1 and the US charts at # 6 , outperforming the band 's eponymous 2001 debut album . The album has sold eight million copies worldwide . The album features the singles `` Feel Good Inc. '' , `` DARE '' , `` Dirty Harry '' , `` Kids with Guns '' , and `` El Mañana '' . As with their debut album , the release of Demon Days and its respective live performances were both accompanied by various multimedia . These included interactive features on the Gorillaz website , a total of four animated music videos , virtual interview sessions with the band and animatics for each song . Almost all of the visuals associated with the album were designed by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett as his design company , Zombie Flesh Eaters . Spin ranked Demon Days as the fourth-best album of 2005 , while Mojo ranked it at number eighteen on their year-end list and hailed the album as a `` genre-busting , contemporary pop milestone . '' NME placed it 98th on their list of 100 greatest albums of the decade . Uncut ranked it at 75 on their list of top 150 albums of the decade . Complex included it on their list of 100 Best Albums of the Complex Decade , placing it at number 43 . Spin later included it in their list of The 300 Best Albums of 1985 -- 2014 .


Dare (song) `` Dare '' ( styled as '' 挑戦 ( DARE ) '' ) is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz , taken as the second single from their second studio album , Demon Days . The track is lip synced by Noodle ( sung by Roses Gabor ) with backing vocals from 2D and features vocals by Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder . It peaked at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in September 2005 , becoming the band 's only UK No. 1 . In 2016 , vocals of the song were interpolated in Friction 's song `` Dare ( Hold It Down ) '' .


Ice hockey Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice , usually in a rink , in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent 's net to score points . The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical , with teams usually consisting of six players each : one goaltender , and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team .   Ice hockey is most popular in Canada , central and eastern Europe , Scandinavia , and the northern regions of the United States . Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada , where the modern version of the sport was created , and enjoys immense popularity ; alongside Canada , hockey is the most popular winter sport in Finland , Latvia , the Czech Republic , Sweden , Slovakia , Belarus and Switzerland . In North America , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's hockey and the most popular . The Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) is the highest league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe . The International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) is the formal governing body for international ice hockey , with the IIHF managing international tournaments and maintaining the IIHF World Ranking . Worldwide , there are ice hockey federations in 74 countries .   Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th century United Kingdom and elsewhere . These games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules were developed , such as `` shinny '' and `` ice polo '' . The contemporary sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada , most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor hockey game was played on March 3 , 1875 . Some characteristics of that game , such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck , have been retained to this day . Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s , and professional ice hockey originated around 1900 . The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy , was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the NHL . In the early 1900s , the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , the precursor of the IIHF and the sport was played for the first time in the Olympics in the Olympic Games of 1920 .   In international competitions , the national teams of six countries ( the `` Big Six '' ) predominate : Canada , Czech Republic , Finland , Russia , Sweden and the United States . Of the 69 medals awarded all-time in men 's competition at the Olympics , only six medals were not awarded to one of those countries . In the annual Ice Hockey World Championships , 177 of 201 medals have been awarded to the six nations . Teams outside the `` Big Six '' have won only five medals in either competition since 1953 : All 12 Women 's Olympic and 36 IIHF World Women 's Championships medals have been awarded to one of these six countries , and every gold medal in both competitions has been won by either the Canadian national team or the United States national team .   In Canada , the United States , and some European countries it is known simply as hockey ; the name `` ice hockey '' is used in places where `` hockey '' more often refers to field hockey , such as South America , Asia , Africa , Australasia , and some European countries . In Russia and Ukraine , where `` hockey '' can also refer to bandy , ice hockey is often called `` hockey with puck '' .


Steve Buscemi the film Trees Lounge's director.

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( -LSB- buːˈsɛmi -RSB- born December 13 , 1957 ) is an American actor and film director . Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films , including Parting Glances , New York Stories , Mystery Train , Reservoir Dogs , Desperado , Con Air , Armageddon , The Grey Zone , Ghost World , Big Fish , and The Sopranos . He is also known for his appearances in many films by the Coen brothers : Miller 's Crossing , Barton Fink , The Hudsucker Proxy , Fargo , and The Big Lebowski . Buscemi provides the voice of Randall Boggs in the Monsters , Inc. franchise .   From 2010 to 2014 , he portrayed Enoch `` Nucky '' Thompson in the critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire , which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards , a Golden Globe , and two nominations for an Emmy Award . He made his directorial debut in 1996 , with Trees Lounge , in which he also starred . Other works include Animal Factory ( 2000 ) , Lonesome Jim ( 2005 ) and Interview ( 2007 ) . He has also directed numerous episodes of TV shows , including Homicide : Life on the Street , The Sopranos , Oz , 30 Rock , and Nurse Jackie . He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning AOL On comedy talk-show Park Bench .


Leonardo da Vinci spent his childhood in a home awarded to him by Francis I of France.

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( -LSB- leoˈnardo di ˌsɛr ˈpjɛːro da ( v ) ˈvintʃi -RSB- ; 15 April 14522 May 1519 ) , more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo , was an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention , painting , sculpting , architecture , science , music , mathematics , engineering , literature , anatomy , geology , astronomy , botany , writing , history , and cartography . He has been variously called the father of palaeontology , ichnology , and architecture , and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time . Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute , helicopter and tank , he epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal .   Many historians and scholars regard Leonardo as the prime exemplar of the `` Universal Genius '' or `` Renaissance Man '' , an individual of `` unquenchable curiosity '' and `` feverishly inventive imagination '' . According to art historian Helen Gardner , the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent in recorded history , and `` his mind and personality seem to us superhuman , while the man himself mysterious and remote '' . Marco Rosci notes that while there is much speculation regarding his life and personality , his view of the world was logical rather than mysterious , and that the empirical methods he employed were unorthodox for his time .   Born out of wedlock to a notary , Piero da Vinci , and a peasant woman , Caterina , in Vinci in the region of Florence , Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter Andrea del Verrocchio . Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan . He later worked in Rome , Bologna and Venice , and he spent his last years in France at the home awarded to him by Francis I of France .   Leonardo was , and is , renowned primarily as a painter . Among his works , the Mona Lisa is the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time . Leonardo 's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon , being reproduced on items as varied as the euro coin , textbooks , and T-shirts . Perhaps fifteen of his paintings have survived.There are 15 significant artworks which are ascribed , either in whole or in large part , to Leonardo by most art historians . This number is made up principally of paintings on panel but includes a mural , a large drawing on paper and two works which are in the early stages of preparation . There are a number of other works that have also been variously attributed to Leonardo . Nevertheless , these few works , together with his notebooks , which contain drawings , scientific diagrams , and his thoughts on the nature of painting , compose a contribution to later generations of artists rivalled only by that of his contemporary , Michelangelo .   Leonardo is revered for his technological ingenuity . He conceptualised flying machines , a type of armoured fighting vehicle , concentrated solar power , an adding machine , and the double hull . Relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime , as the modern scientific approaches to metallurgy and engineering were only in their infancy during the Renaissance . Some of his smaller inventions , however , such as an automated bobbin winder and a machine for testing the tensile strength of wire , entered the world of manufacturing unheralded . A number of Leonardo 's most practical inventions are nowadays displayed as working models at the Museum of Vinci . He made substantial discoveries in anatomy , civil engineering , geology , optics , and hydrodynamics , but he did not publish his findings and they had no direct influence on later science .   Today , Leonardo is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived .


Year Zero (album) Year Zero is the fifth studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails , released on April 17 , 2007 by Interscope Records . Frontman Trent Reznor wrote the album 's music and lyrics while touring in support of the band 's previous album With Teeth ( 2005 ) . In contrast to the introspective style of songwriting Reznor used on previous albums , Year Zero is a concept album that criticizes contemporary policies of the United States government by presenting a dystopian vision of the year 2022 .   The album is part of a larger Year Zero project which includes a remix album , an alternate reality game and a potential television or film project . The Year Zero alternate reality game expanded upon the album 's fictional storyline by using media such as websites , pre-recorded phone messages , and murals . However , disputes arose between Reznor and Universal Music Group , the parent company of Interscope Records , over overseas pricing of the album . In October 2007 , Reznor announced that Nine Inch Nails had fulfilled its contractual commitments to Interscope , effectively ending the band 's relationship with the label ; thus Year Zero was the last Nine Inch Nails studio album released on the Interscope label .   Upon its release in April 2007 , Year Zero sold over 187,000 copies in its first week and reached number two on the US Billboard 200 chart . The album also received generally positive reviews , many of which were also favorable toward the accompanying alternate reality game . Year Zero spawned the singles `` Survivalism '' and `` Capital G '' .


Pregnancy symptoms include tender breasts.

Pregnancy Pregnancy , also known as gestation , is the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman . A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring , such as with twins . Pregnancy can occur by sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology . Childbirth typically occurs around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period ( LMP ) . This is just over nine lunar months , where each month is about 29 1/2 days . When measured from conception it is about 38 weeks . An embryo is the developing offspring during the first eight weeks following conception , after which , the term fetus is used until birth . Symptoms of early pregnancy may include missed periods , tender breasts , nausea and vomiting , hunger , and frequent urination . Pregnancy may be confirmed with a pregnancy test .   Pregnancy is typically divided into three trimesters . The first trimester is from week one through 12 and includes conception . Conception is when the sperm fertilizes the egg . The fertilized egg then travels down the fallopian tube and attaches to the inside of the uterus , where it begins to form the embryo and placenta . The first trimester carries the highest risk of miscarriage ( natural death of embryo or fetus ) . The second trimester is from week 13 through 28 . Around the middle of the second trimester , movement of the fetus may be felt . At 28 weeks , more than 90 % of babies can survive outside of the uterus if provided with high-quality medical care . The third trimester is from 29 weeks through 40 weeks .   Prenatal care improves pregnancy outcomes . Prenatal care may include taking extra folic acid , avoiding drugs and alcohol , regular exercise , blood tests , and regular physical examinations . Complications of pregnancy may include high blood pressure of pregnancy , gestational diabetes , iron-deficiency anemia , and severe nausea and vomiting among others . Term pregnancy is 37 to 41 weeks , with early term being 37 and 38 weeks , full term 39 and 40 weeks , and late term 41 weeks . After 41 weeks , it is known as post term . Babies born before 37 weeks are preterm and are at higher risk of health problems such as cerebral palsy . Delivery before 39 weeks by labor induction or caesarean section is not recommended unless required for other medical reasons .   About 213 million pregnancies occurred in 2012 , of which , 190 million were in the developing world and 23 million were in the developed world . The number of pregnancies in women ages 15 to 44 is 133 per 1,000 women . About 10 % to 15 % of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage . In 2013 , complications of pregnancy resulted in 293,000 deaths , down from 377,000 deaths in 1990 . Common causes include maternal bleeding , complications of abortion , high blood pressure of pregnancy , maternal sepsis , and obstructed labor . Globally , 40 % of pregnancies are unplanned . Half of unplanned pregnancies are aborted . Among unintended pregnancies in the United States , 60 % of the women used birth control to some extent during the month pregnancy occurred .


Michelle Obama gave a speech in Philadelphia.

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( born January 17 , 1964 ) is an American lawyer and writer who was First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 . She is married to the 44th President of the United States , Barack Obama , and is the first African-American First Lady . Raised on the South Side of Chicago , Illinois , Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School , and spent her early legal career working at the law firm Sidley Austin , where she met her husband . She subsequently worked as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and the Vice President for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center . Barack and Michelle married in 1992 and have two daughters .   Obama campaigned for her husband 's presidential bid throughout 2007 and 2008 , delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention . She returned to speak at the 2012 Democratic National Convention , and again during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , where she delivered a speech in support of the Democratic Presidential nominee , and fellow First Lady , Hillary Clinton .   As First Lady , Obama became a fashion icon , a role model for women , and an advocate for poverty awareness , nutrition , physical activity , and healthy eating .


Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina , also known as the Dayton Agreement , Dayton Accords , Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement , is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton , Ohio , United States , in November 1995 , and formally signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 . These accords put an end to the - year-long Bosnian War , one of the Yugoslav Wars .


Ad-Rock Adam Keefe Horovitz ( born October 31 , 1966 ) , better known as Ad-Rock or King Ad-Rock , is an American musician , guitarist , rapper , producer , and actor . He is best known as a member of the hip hop group the Beastie Boys . He is married to musician and feminist activist Kathleen Hanna .


Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna ( born November 12 , 1968 ) is an American singer , musician , artist , feminist activist , pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement , and punk zine writer . In the early-to mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band Bikini Kill , before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s . In 1998 , Hanna released a lo-fi solo album under the name Julie Ruin and since 2010 , has been working on a project called The Julie Ruin . A documentary film about Hanna was released in 2013 by director Sini Anderson , titled The Punk Singer , detailing Hanna 's life and career , as well as revealing her years-long battle with Lyme disease . Hanna is married to Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys .


In 2008, Conor McGregor began his mixed martial arts career.

Conor McGregor Conor Anthony McGregor ( Irish : Conchúr Antóin Mac Gréagóir ; born 14 July 1988 ) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) . He is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion , and former UFC Featherweight Champion . During his career , McGregor has competed as a featherweight , lightweight , and welterweight .   In 2008 , McGregor started his mixed martial arts ( MMA ) career and , in 2012 , he won both the Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Championships , holding both titles concurrently before vacating them to sign with the UFC . In 2015 , at UFC 194 , McGregor defeated José Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship via knockout thirteen seconds into the first round . This was the fastest victory in UFC title fight history . Upon defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205 , McGregor became the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously .   He is known for being the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA history , as well as his extravagant lifestyle and trash talking .


Boyz II Men is incapable of finding fame in the 1990s.

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , best known for emotional ballads and acappella harmonies . Formerly a quartet including bass Michael McCary , they are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman . During the 1990s , Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet . McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues and contractual agreements .   During the 1990s , Boyz II Men gained international success . This began with the release of the number one single `` End of the Road '' in 1992 , which reached the top of charts worldwide . `` End of the Road '' would set a new record for longevity , staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks , breaking the decades-old record held by Elvis Presley . Boyz II Men proceeded to break this record with the subsequent releases of `` I 'll Make Love to You '' and `` One Sweet Day '' ( with Mariah Carey ) , which , at fourteen and sixteen weeks respectively , each set new records for the total number of weeks at number one . `` I 'll Make Love to You '' also topped the charts in Australia ( for four weeks ) and garnered international success . As of 2016 , `` One Sweet Day '' still holds the all-time record with sixteen weeks at the top of the Hot 100 .   Consequently , Boyz II Men are top ranking members with regard to time spent at number one in Billboard history , ranking in the fourth spot with 50 weeks ( as of 2014 ) . Furthermore , when `` On Bended Knee '' took the number one spot away from `` I 'll Make Love to You '' , Boyz II Men became only the third artists ever ( after The Beatles and Presley ) to replace themselves at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 . Boyz II Men are among a select group of artists that have held at the number-one spot for at least 50 weeks cumulatively , placing them just fourth on that list behind Elvis Presley , The Beatles , and Mariah Carey . These achievements were enough to earn Boyz II Men recognition as Billboard magazine 's fourth most successful musical group of the 1990s .   Boyz II Men continue to perform worldwide , as a trio . Their most recent studio album , Collide , was released in 2014 .


Tyler, The Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma ( born March 6 , 1991 ) , better known by his stage name Tyler , The Creator , is an American rapper , record producer , and music video director . Born in Ladera Heights , California , he rose to prominence as the leader and co-founder of the alternative hip hop collective Odd Future and has rapped on and produced songs for nearly every Odd Future release . Okonma creates all the artwork for the group 's releases and designs the group 's clothing and other merchandise as well .   After releasing his debut album Goblin under XL Recordings , in April 2011 , he signed a joint venture deal for him and his label Odd Future Records , with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment . Following that he released his second studio album Wolf , which was met with generally positive reviews and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 selling 90,000 copies in its first week . He has his own clothing company , called Golf Wang , started in 2011 , and a carnival , named Camp Flog Gnaw , hosted annually since 2012 . He runs his own streaming service Golf Media ; it contains original scripted series from Tyler himself and Camp Flog Gnaw streams there yearly .


Punisher was born Francis Castiglione and is fictional.

Punisher The Punisher ( Francis `` Frank '' Castle ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru , with publisher Stan Lee green-lighting the name . The Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man # 129 ( cover-dated Feb. 1974 ) .   The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder , kidnapping , extortion , coercion , threats of violence , and torture in his war on crime . Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children , who were killed by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City 's Central Park , the Punisher wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of conventional war weaponry . His family 's killers were the first to be slain . A war veteran and a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper , Frank Castle ( born Francis Castiglione ) is a master of martial arts , stealth tactics , guerrilla warfare , and a wide variety of weapons .   The Punisher 's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him a novel character in mainstream American comic books in 1974 . By the late 1980s , he was part of a wave of psychologically troubled antiheroes and at the height of his popularity , was featured in four monthly publications , including The Punisher , The Punisher War Journal , The Punisher War Zone , and The Punisher Armory . Despite his violent actions and dark nature , the Punisher has enjoyed some mainstream success on television , making guest appearances on Spider-Man : The Animated Series , and The Super Hero Squad Show , where the depiction of his violent behavior was toned down for family viewers . In feature films , Dolph Lundgren portrayed the Punisher in 1989 , as did Thomas Jane in 2004 , and Ray Stevenson in 2008 . Jon Bernthal portrays the character in the second season of Marvel 's Daredevil as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Bernthal is set to reprise the role in The Punisher , his own self-titled series .


Emily Browning Emily Jane Browning ( born 7 December 1988 ) is an Australian actress and singer .   Browning made her film debut in the Australian television film The Echo of Thunder , subsequently , she played recurring roles in the Australian television shows Blue Heelers and Something in the Air . Her breakthrough role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship , which introduced her to a wider audience . In 2005 , Browning won the Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Violet Baudelaire in the film Lemony Snicket 's A Series of Unfortunate Events ( 2004 ) .   Browning is also known for her roles in the horror film The Uninvited ( 2009 ) , the action film Sucker Punch ( 2011 ) , and the independent drama Sleeping Beauty ( 2011 ) . She was named the Breakthrough Performer of The Year by Hamptons International Film Festival in 2011 for her role in Sleeping Beauty . Her other films include The Host ( 2013 ) , Pompeii ( 2014 ) and Legend ( 2015 ) .


Singapore Singapore ( -LSB- ˈsɪŋgəpɔr -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Singapore , sometimes referred to as the Lion City , the Garden City or the Little Red Dot , is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia . It lies one degree ( 137 km ) north of the equator , at the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia , with Indonesia 's Riau Islands to the south . Singapore 's territory consists of one main island along with 62 other islets . Since independence , extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23 % ( 130 km2 ) , and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora , parks and gardens .   Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore in 1819 as a trading post of the East India Company ; after its collapse and the eventual establishment of the British Raj , the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826 . During the Second World War , Singapore was occupied by Japan . It gained independence from the UK in 1963 by federating with other former British territories to form Malaysia , but separated two years later over ideological differences , becoming a sovereign nation in 1965 . After early years of turbulence , and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland , the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy , based on external trade and its workforce .   Singapore is a global commerce , finance and transport hub . Its standings include : the most `` technology-ready '' nation ( WEF ) , top International-meetings city ( UIA ) , city with `` best investment potential '' ( BERI ) , second-most competitive country , third-largest foreign exchange market , third-largest financial centre , third-largest oil refining and trading centre , and the second-busiest container port . The country has also been identified as a tax haven .   Singapore ranks 5th on the UN Human Development Index and the 3rd highest GDP per capita . It is ranked highly in education , healthcare , life expectancy , quality of life , personal safety , and housing . Although income inequality is high , 90 % of homes are owner-occupied . 38 % of Singapore 's 5.6 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals . There are four official languages : English ( common and first language ) , Malay , Mandarin , Tamil ; almost all Singaporeans are bilingual .   Singapore is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic , with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government . The People 's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959 . The dominance of the PAP , coupled with a low level of press freedom and restrictions on civil liberties and political rights , has led to Singapore being classified by some as a semi-authoritarian regime . One of the five founding members of the ASEAN , Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) Secretariat , and a member of the East Asia Summit , Non-Aligned Movement , and the Commonwealth of Nations .


Lionel Messi won awards by record voting margins.

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés `` Leo '' Messi ( -LSB- ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi -RSB- ; born 24 June 1987 ) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team . Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as the greatest of all time , Messi is the only player in history to win five FIFA Ballon d'Or awards , four of which he won consecutively , and the first to win three European Golden Shoes . He has won 29 trophies with Barcelona , including eight La Liga titles , four UEFA Champions League titles , and five Copas del Rey . Both a prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker , Messi holds the records for most official goals scored in La Liga ( 349 ) , a La Liga season ( 50 ) and a club football season in Europe ( 73 ) , as well as those for most assists made in La Liga ( 137 ) and the Copa América ( 11 ) . He has scored over 500 senior career goals for club and country .   Born and raised in central Argentina , Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child . At age 13 , he relocated to Spain to join Barcelona , who agreed to pay for his medical treatment . After a fast progression through Barcelona 's youth academy , Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004 . Despite being injury-prone during his early career , he established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years , finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award , a feat he repeated the following year . His first uninterrupted campaign came in the 2008 -- 09 season , during which he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football . At 22 years old , Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins .   Three successful seasons followed , with Messi winning three consecutive FIFA Ballons d'Or , including an unprecedented fourth . His personal best campaign to date was the 2011 -- 12 season , in which he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season , while establishing himself as Barcelona 's all-time top scorer in official competitions in March 2012 . He again struggled with injury during the following two seasons , twice finishing second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo , his perceived career rival . Messi regained his best form during the 2014 -- 15 campaign , breaking the all-time goalscoring records in both La Liga and the Champions League in November 2014 , and led Barcelona to a historic second treble .   An Argentine international , Messi is his country 's all-time leading goalscorer . At youth level , he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship , finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe , and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics . His style of play as a diminutive , left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona , who declared the teenager his successor . After making his senior debut in August 2005 , Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition , and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América , where he was named young player of the tournament . As the squad 's captain from August 2011 , he led Argentina to three consecutive finals : the 2014 World Cup , for which he won the Golden Ball , and the 2015 and 2016 Copas América .


Alison Brie Alison Brie Franco ( née Schermerhorn born December 29 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Alison Brie , is an American actress and producer . She portrayed Annie Edison in the NBC/Yahoo ! sitcom Community ( 2009 -- 2015 ) and Trudy Campbell in the AMC drama Mad Men ( 2007 -- 2015 ) , and currently voices Diane Nguyen on the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman ( 2014 -- present ) . She has starred in several films , such as Scream 4 ( 2011 ) , The Five-Year Engagement ( 2012 ) , The Lego Movie ( 2014 ) , Get Hard ( 2015 ) , Sleeping with Other People ( 2015 ) , and How to Be Single ( 2016 ) .


Gianluigi Buffon was unanimously voted into the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2016.

Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi `` Gigi '' Buffon ( -LSB- ˈdʒiːdʒi bufˈfɔn -RSB- , Ufficiale OMRI ; born 28 January 1978 ) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper . He captains both Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team . He is widely regarded by players , pundits and managers to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time , and , by some , to be the greatest ever . Buffon is one of only eighteen players to have made at least 1,000 professional career appearances ; with 168 international caps , Buffon is also the most capped player in the history of the Italian national team , the joint fifth-most capped male international footballer of all time , alongside Iván Hurtado , and the most capped European international player ever . Buffon is known for his `` outstanding shot-stopping '' and for being `` a vocal organizer of the defence and a key dressing room personality '' . He is currently the most expensive goalkeeper in history , following his $ 53 million transfer from Parma to Juventus in 2001 . Buffon holds the record for the most clean sheets in Serie A , and with the Italy national team ; he also holds the record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in Serie A history : over 12 league matches , he went unbeaten for 974 consecutive minutes during the 2015 -- 16 season , as well as having achieved the most consecutive clean sheets ( 10 ) in Serie A in that same season .   At club level , Buffon 's professional career began with Parma in 1995 , where he made his Serie A debut , and was soon promoted to the role of starting goalkeeper , earning a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Italy ; during his time with the club , he won the Coppa Italia , the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana , all in 1999 . After joining Juventus in 2001 , Buffon immediately won Serie A titles in both of his first two seasons at the club , and established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position . After winning two more consecutive league titles in 2005 and 2006 , the club were later stripped of these titles and relegated due to their involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal . Despite rumours of his departure , Buffon remained with Juventus , contributing to the club 's Serie B title and promotion back to Serie A in 2007 . Following several trophyless seasons , Buffon later played a key role in Juventus ' resurgence , which saw the club win an Italian record of six consecutive league titles between 2011 and 2017 ; he also inherited the captain 's armband following the departure of Alessandro Del Piero in 2012 . In total , he has won eight Serie A titles , three Coppa Italia titles , and five Supercoppa Italiana titles with Juventus .   With the Italy national team , Buffon has been called up for an international record of five FIFA World Cup tournaments ( 1998 , 2002 , 2006 , 2010 , 2014 ) since making his debut in 1997 , featuring in four of them as Italy 's starting goalkeeper ( he was an unused substitute in 1998 ) . He was the starting goalkeeper of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup , which saw him keep a record five clean sheets , and concede only two goals , neither of which were in open play . He has also represented Italy at four European Championships , at the 1996 Olympics , and at two FIFA Confederations Cups , winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament .   Buffon has also won numerous , prestigious individual and team awards . He was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players in 2004 . He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record eleven times . Buffon was the winner of the 2006 Yashin Award following Italy 's World Cup victory , in which he was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament ; an honour which he also received after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 European Championships , and the final of the 2012 European Championships . Buffon is the only goalkeeper to have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year Award , which he won in 2003 after reaching the Champions League final ; he also won the award for best Goalkeeper that year , and was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003 , 2004 , 2006 and 2016 . In 2006 , Buffon was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and was elected to be part of the FIFPro World XI , an honour which he also achieved in 2007 . After reaching the 2015 Champions League final , he was named to the 2014 -- 15 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season , and placed fourth in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award . He has been named the IFFHS World 's Best Goalkeeper four times ( second only to Iker Casillas , with five awards ) and was also named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century , of the past 25 years , and of the decade , by the same organisation . In 2016 , he became the first goalkeeper ever to win the Golden Foot Award , which pertains to both personality and playing ability .


Above the Law is strictly a comedy film.

Above the Law (film) Above the Law ( also known as Nico ) is a 1988 American action film written , produced and directed by Andrew Davis , and also produced by and starring Steven Seagal in his film debut . The film co-stars Pam Grier , Sharon Stone , Daniel Faraldo and Henry Silva . This came about after a successful screen test , financed by Michael Ovitz , leading to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros. . The film was set and filmed on location in Chicago . The film was released in the United States on April 8 , 1988 .


Meryl Streep is an award losing actress.

Meryl Streep Mary Louise `` Meryl '' Streep ( born June 22 , 1949 ) is an American actress and philanthropist . Cited in the media as the `` best actress of her generation '' , -- a designation to which she objects -- Streep is particularly known for her versatility in her roles , transformation into the characters she plays , and her accent adaptation . Nominated for 20 Academy Awards , Streep has more nominations than any other actor , and is one of the six actors to have won three or more competitive Oscars for acting . Streep has also received 30 Golden Globe nominations , winning eight -- more nominations , and more competitive wins than any other actor .   Streep made her professional stage debut in Trelawny of the Wells in 1975 , and in 1976 received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton . She made her screen debut in the 1977 television film The Deadliest Season , and made her film debut later that same year in Julia . In 1978 , she won an Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Holocaust , and received her first Academy Award nomination for The Deer Hunter . She went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) , and Best Actress for Sophie 's Choice ( 1982 ) and The Iron Lady ( 2011 ) .   Streep 's other Oscar nominated roles were in The French Lieutenant 's Woman ( 1981 ) , Silkwood ( 1983 ) , Out of Africa ( 1985 ) , Ironweed ( 1987 ) , Evil Angels ( 1988 ) , Postcards from the Edge ( 1990 ) , The Bridges of Madison County ( 1995 ) , One True Thing ( 1998 ) , Music of the Heart ( 1999 ) , Adaptation ( 2002 ) , The Devil Wears Prada ( 2006 ) , Doubt ( 2008 ) , Julie & Julia ( 2009 ) , August : Osage County ( 2013 ) , Into the Woods ( 2014 ) and Florence Foster Jenkins ( 2016 ) . She returned to the stage for the first time in over 20 years in The Public Theater 's 2001 revival of The Seagull , won a second Emmy Award in 2004 for the HBO miniseries Angels in America ( 2003 ) , and starred in The Public Theater 's 2006 production of Mother Courage and Her Children .   Streep was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2004 , the Gala Tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2008 , and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2011 for her contribution to American culture through performing arts . President Barack Obama awarded her the 2010 National Medal of Arts and in 2014 the Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2003 , the government of France made her a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters . In 2017 , Streep was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award .


The Vampire Diaries is a television series.

The Vampire Diaries (season 1) The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural horror romance television series created by Kevin Williamson based on the novels of the same name by author L. J. Smith . It was officially picked up for the 2009 -- 10 season on May 19 , 2009 . It premiered on September 10 , 2009 , on The CW and received the highest ratings for a series premiere in the networks history scoring 4.91 million live viewers .   The series focuses on the fictional town of Mystic Falls , Virginia , that is charged with supernatural history . It follows Elena Gilbert portrayed by Nina Dobrev as she begins to get over her parents ' death and two vampire brothers , Stefan and Damon Salvatore , portrayed by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder , respectively . Kayla Ewell portrayed Vicki Donovan for the first seven episodes until her character was killed off . Matt Davis was later cast as a history teacher in a recurring role to fill the void . He was later upgraded to series regular status . The season concluded on May 13 , 2010 , comprising 22 episodes .


List of The Vampire Diaries characters The Vampire Diaries is an American fantasy-drama television series picked up by The CW for their fall 2009 schedule . It is adapted from L. J. Smith 's novel series of the same name by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec . The focal points of the show are the love triangle formed by series ' protagonist Elena Gilbert ( Dobrev ) and vampire brothers Stefan Salvatore ( Wesley ) and Damon Salvatore ( Somerhalder ) and the town 's supernatural history , involving Elena 's friends and relatives .