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


Sue Bird Suzanne Brigit `` Sue '' Bird ( born October 16 , 1980 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women 's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) . Bird was the first overall pick of the 2002 WNBA Draft . She also played for multiple basketball teams outside of the United States .   In high school , she was the New York State Player of the Year , the New York Daily News Player of the Year , and a WBCA All-American . In her senior year at undefeated UConn in 2002 , she won the Wade Trophy and the Naismith Award as College Player of the Year . She finished her UConn career ranked first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage , second in assists and steals , and as a three-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation , while leading her team to a record of 114 -- 4 .   Bird has won two WNBA championships ( 2004 , 2010 ) , four Olympic gold medals , ( 2004 , 2008 , 2012 , 2016 ) , and led the WNBA in assists three times ( 2005 , 2009 , 2016 ) . She has also been selected to nine WNBA All-Star teams and seven All-WNBA teams . Bird is one of nine women to win an Olympic Gold Medal , an NCAA Championship , and a WNBA Championship . In 2011 , she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA 's Top 15 Players of All Time and was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20 as one of the league 's Top 20 Players of All Time .


Despicable Me's animation studio was acquired by a Russian animation film production company.

Illumination Entertainment Illumination Entertainment is an American animation film production company , founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 . It is owned by Meledandri and Universal Studios , a division of NBCUniversal , with Universal fully financing and owning all the films . The company is best known for being the creators of the Despicable Me franchise , its spin-off/prequel Minions and the films The Secret Life of Pets and Sing . The Minions , characters from the Despicable Me films , are the studio 's official mascots . Its films are co-produced and/or distributed by Universal Pictures .   The studio 's highest-grossing films are Minions ( 2015 ) , which has grossed $ 1.159 billion worldwide ; Despicable Me 2 ( 2013 ) , which has grossed $ 970.8 million worldwide ; and The Secret Life of Pets ( 2016 ) , which grossed $ 875.5 million worldwide .


Despicable Me Despicable Me is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9 , 2010 in the United States . It is the debut film of Illumination Entertainment . The film was animated by the French animation studio Mac Guff , which was later acquired by Illumination Entertainment . It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud as their feature debut film , with a story by Sergio Pablos . The film stars the voice of Steve Carell as Gru , a supervillain who adopts three girls ( voiced by Miranda Cosgrove , Dana Gaier , and Elsie Fisher ) from an orphanage ; and the voice of Jason Segel as Vector , a rival of Gru who steals the Great Pyramid of Giza . When Gru learns of Vector 's heist , he plans an even greater heist : to shrink and steal the Earth 's moon .   The film earned positive reviews from critics , and grossed over $ 543 million worldwide , against a budget of $ 69 million . It launched the Despicable Me franchise with a series of films , including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013 , and the prequel Minions released in 2015 featuring Gru 's Minions as the main characters . Another sequel , Despicable Me 3 , is scheduled for release in 2017 .


Michelle Williams is a Broadway actress.

Michelle Williams (singer) Tenitra Michelle Williams ( born July 23 , 1980 ) is an American recording artist , record producer , songwriter , and actress . Williams rose to fame in the 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny 's Child , one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 60 million records , of which more than 35 million copies sold with the trio lineup with Williams .  In 1999 , after the dismissals of group members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett , Williams was the oldest member to join the group , at the age of 20 . During their hiatus , she released her debut solo album Heart to Yours ( 2002 ) which topped the US gospel album chart and became the best-selling gospel release of the year . Also in 2002 , Billboard , named her the fifth Top Gospel Artist of the year and she received a MOBO Award for `` Best Gospel Act '' . and garnered her three Grammy nominations for her work on the album including for Best Gospel Album . Following this she released Do You Know ( 2004 ) which gained her a nomination for `` Best Gospel Act '' at the 2004 MOBO Awards .   After Destiny 's Child 's disbanded in 2004 , Williams released her first pop album , Unexpected ( 2008 ) , which spawned the internationally charting single `` We Break the Dawn '' and the US Dance number-one `` The Greatest '' . Her fourth studio album , Journey to Freedom ( 2014 ) , received positive reviews and became her highest-charting album in the US ; preceded by lead single `` If We Had Your Eyes '' which reached the US Adult R&B top 20 and the Soul Train-nominated `` Say Yes '' , which charted internationally and topped the US Hot Gospel Songs chart for seven weeks . Journey to Freedom was nominated for Outstanding Gospel Album ( Traditional or Contemporary ) at the 46th NAACP Image Awards and earned Williams four nominations at the 30th annual Stellar Awards , winning Music Video of the Year for `` Say Yes '' . In 2015 , Williams sang for U.S. President Barack Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House .   Williams has found success as a television , Broadway and West End theatre actress , gaining a nomination for `` Best Lead Female -- Equity '' in 2008 at the 18th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards . Making her acting debut on Broadway in Aida ( 2003 ) , she has since starred in the sitcom series Half & Half ( 2006 ) and the musical productions ; The Color Purple ( 2007 ) , Chicago ( 2009 -- 10 ) , What My Husband Does n't Know ( 2011 ) and Fela ! ( 2013 ) . Furthermore , she was a featured judge on MTV 's Top Pop Group , a contestant in series 8 of Strictly Come Dancing and co-stars alongside Deitrick Haddon in the Oxygen reality television series Fix My Choir . She has earned several awards and accolades including a Grammy Award and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with Destiny 's Child ; a solo MOBO Award and Stellar Award .


The Kitti's hog-nosed bat belongs to the Chiroptera genus.

Kitti's hog-nosed bat Kitti 's hog-nosed bat ( Craseonycteris thonglongyai ) , also known as the bumblebee bat , is a vulnerable species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae . It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Burma , where it occupies limestone caves along rivers .   Kitti 's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world 's smallest mammal . It has a reddish-brown or grey coat , with a distinctive pig-like snout . Colonies range greatly in size , with an average of 100 individuals per cave . The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn , foraging around nearby forest areas for insects . Females give birth annually to a single offspring .   Although the bat 's status in Burma is not well known , the Thai population is restricted to a single province and may be at risk for extinction . Its potential threats are primarily anthropogenic , and include habitat degradation and the disturbance of roosting sites .


The Walt Disney Company owns and operates A+E Networks.

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company , commonly known as Disney , is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate , headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank , California . It is the world 's second largest media conglomerate in terms of revenue , after Comcast . Disney was founded on October 16 , 1923 -- by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney -- as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio , and established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production , television , and theme parks . The company also operated under the names The Walt Disney Studio and then Walt Disney Productions . Taking on its current name in 1986 , it expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theater , radio , music , publishing , and online media .   In addition , Disney has since created corporate divisions in order to market more mature content than is typically associated with its flagship family-oriented brands . The company is best known for the products of its film studio , Walt Disney Studios , which is today one of the largest and best-known studios in American cinema . Disney 's other three main divisions are Walt Disney Parks and Resorts , Disney Media Networks , and Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media . Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network ; cable television networks such as Disney Channel , ESPN , A+E Networks , and Freeform ; publishing , merchandising , music , and theatre divisions ; and owns and licenses 14 theme parks around the world . The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6 , 1991 . Mickey Mouse , an early and well-known cartoon creation of the company , is a primary symbol and mascot for Disney .


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 .


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


Manchester City F.C. achieved Premier League status sometime in the early 2000s.

Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is a football club in Manchester , England . Founded in 1880 as St. Mark 's ( West Gorton ) , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894 . The club moved to the City of Manchester Stadium in 2003 , having played at Maine Road since 1923 .   The club 's most successful period was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when they won the League Championship , FA Cup , League Cup and European Cup Winners ' Cup under the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison . After losing the 1981 FA Cup Final , the club went through a period of decline , culminating in relegation to the third tier of English football for the only time in their history in 1998 . Having regained their Premier League status in the early 2000s , the club was purchased in 2008 by Abu Dhabi United Group and has become one of the wealthiest in the world . Since 2011 the club have won five major honours , including the Premier League in 2012 and 2014 .   By 2015 -- 16 , Manchester City had the fifth-highest revenue in the footballing world with an annual revenue of $ 463.5 million . In 2016 , Forbes magazine estimated they were the world 's sixth most valuable football club , worth $ 1.92 billion .


Lightning Point was filmed entirely in Mexico.

Lightning Point Lightning Point is an Australian television teen drama set in the modern day with fantasy elements . It was filmed on location at the Gold Coast in 2011 . The half-hour series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff for Network Ten in association with Nickelodeon and German public broadcaster ZDF . It was re-broadcast on Network Ten in Australia on 22 June 2012 , and again on the same network from 5 July 2014 .   The series premiered on TeenNick in the United States under its international title of Alien Surf Girls on 29 May 2012 , and aired on Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom from 23 July 2012 also as Alien Surf Girls .   It was announced by co-star Jessica Green that the series will not return for a second season .


Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast is a coastal city in the Australian state of Queensland , approximately 66 km south-southeast of the state capital Brisbane and immediately north of the border with New South Wales . With a census-estimated 2016 population of 638,090 , The Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia , making it the largest non-capital city , and the second-largest city in Queensland .   The first settlement in what is now South East Queensland was as a penal colony at Redcliffe . The Gold Coast region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach . The hinterland 's red cedar supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century . Later in 1875 , Southport was surveyed and established and grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for wealthy Brisbane residents .   The Gold Coast region grew significantly after the establishment of the Surfers Paradise hotel in the late 1920s . The area boomed in the 1980s as a leading tourist destination and in 1994 , the City of Gold Coast local government area was expanded to encompass the majority of Gold Coast 's metropolitan area , becoming the second most populous local government area in Australia after the City of Brisbane .   Today it is a major tourist destination with its sunny subtropical climate and has become widely known for its surfing beaches , high-rise dominated skyline , theme parks , nightlife , and rainforest hinterland . It is also the major film production hub for Queensland . Gold Coast will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games .


Radioactive (Imagine Dragons song) `` Radioactive '' is a song by American rock band Imagine Dragons for their major-label debut EP Continued Silence and later on their debut studio album , Night Visions ( 2012 ) , as the opening track . `` Radioactive '' was first sent to modern rock radio on October 29 , 2012 , and released to contemporary radio on April 9 , 2013 . Musically , `` Radioactive '' is an electronic rock and alternative rock song with elements of dubstep and contains cryptic lyrics about apocalyptic and revolutionist themes .   The song received positive reviews from critics , who praised the production , lyrics , and vocals , calling it a highlight on the album . Due to heavy rotation on various commercials and trailers , the song became a sleeper hit , peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the band 's first top 10 single as well as being the third best selling song in that country . It also broke the record for slowest ascension to the top 5 in chart history and currently holds the record for most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100 at 87 weeks . The song has also reached number one in Sweden and in the top 20 in several countries including Australia , Canada , New Zealand and the United Kingdom , becoming Imagine Dragons ' most successful single to date . It has since been certified ten times platinum in the USA , making it the one of the best selling singles of all time .   `` Radioactive '' received two Grammy Awards nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance , winning the latter . This was Imagine Dragons ' first time being nominated . During the broadcast , they presented a remix of the song with their Interscope label-mate , rapper Kendrick Lamar . The remix was later released for purchase on iTunes .


Night Visions Night Visions is the debut studio album by American rock band Imagine Dragons . It was released on September 4 , 2012 , through KIDinaKORNER and Interscope Records . The extended track was released on February 12 , 2013 , adding three more songs . Recorded between 2010 and 2012 , the album was primarily produced by the band themselves , as well as English hip-hop producer Alex da Kid and Brandon Darner from the American indie rock group The Envy Corps . It was mastered by Joe LaPorta . According to frontman Dan Reynolds , the album took three years to finish , with six of the album 's tracks being previously released on multiple EPs . Musically , Night Visions exhibits influences of folk , hip hop and pop .   The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics upon release . However it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States , selling more than 83,000 copies within its first week where it has since been certified double Platinum . It also peaked at the summit of the Billboard Alternative Albums and Rock Albums charts , as well as in the top ten albums in Australia , Austria , Canada , Germany , Ireland , Mexico , Netherlands , New Zealand , Norway , Portugal , Sweden , Switzerland , and United Kingdom . Night Visions appeared in the Billboard 200 top 10 in 2012 , 2013 , and 2014 . The album became the fourth best-selling album of 2013 in the US . It was nominated for the Juno Award for International Album of the Year ( 2014 ) and won the Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Album ( 2014 ) .


Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American rock band from Las Vegas , Nevada , consisting of lead vocalist Dan Reynolds , lead guitarist Wayne Sermon , bassist Ben McKee , and drummer Daniel Platzman . The band first gained exposure in 2012 with the releases of their debut studio album Night Visions and its first single `` It 's Time '' . Billboard placed them at the top of their `` Year In Rock '' rankings for 2013 , and named them their `` Breakthrough Band of 2013 '' . Rolling Stone named their single `` Radioactive '' from Night Visions the `` biggest rock hit of the year '' , and MTV called them `` the year 's biggest breakout band '' . Night Visions peaked at number two on the weekly US Billboard 200 chart and the UK Albums Chart . The band 's second studio album Smoke + Mirrors was released in 2015 , and reached number one in the US , Canada and the UK .   Imagine Dragons has won two American Music Awards for Favorite Alternative Artist , a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance , five Billboard Music Awards , and a World Music Award . In May 2014 , the band was nominated for a total of fourteen different Billboard Music Awards , including Top Artist of the Year and a Milestone Award , which recognizes innovation and creativity of artists across different genres . As of January 2017 , Imagine Dragons have sold 9 million albums and 27 million singles worldwide .


Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( -LSB- ˈdɛmi_loʊ-ˈvɑːtoʊ -RSB- or ; born August 20 , 1992 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and actress . After making her debut as a child actress in Barney & Friends , Lovato rose to prominence in 2008 when she starred in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and released her debut single `` This Is Me '' which peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 . The success of the film and its soundtrack resulted in a recording contract with Hollywood Records . Her debut album , Do n't Forget ( 2008 ) , debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 . The following year , Lovato was cast as the titular character of the television series Sonny with a Chance and she released her sophomore album , Here We Go Again , which became her first one to top the Billboard 200 chart .   After the release of additional television films and their soundtracks in 2010 , including Camp Rock 2 : The Final Jam , Lovato 's personal issues put her career on a hiatus and led to the discontinuation of Sonny with a Chance after a second season . She entered a treatment center in November 2010 to seek help for addictions , an eating disorder , and self-harm . While there , she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder . Work on her third studio album , Unbroken ( 2011 ) , began after she successfully completed treatment . The album addresses several of her difficulties . Its lead single , `` Skyscraper '' , became Lovato 's second top 10 entry in the US , while its second single , `` Give Your Heart a Break '' , was certified triple platinum in the country . Lovato was a judge and mentor on the American version of The X Factor in 2012 and 2013 . Her third album , Demi ( 2013 ) , opened with first-week sales of 110,000 copies . The lead single from her eponymous album , `` Heart Attack '' , became her third top 10 in the US and the album spawned three more singles . While promoting the project , Lovato released a book titled Staying Strong : 365 Days a Year ( 2013 ) . She also returned to acting as a recurring character in Glee , and released a memoir in 2014 . Lovato 's fifth album , Confident ( 2015 ) , reached number two on the Billboard 200 . Its lead single `` Cool for the Summer '' was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . All five of Lovato 's albums have received a gold certification in the US .   Musically , Lovato is considered a pop , pop rock , and R&B artist . Lovato has received a considerable number of accolades , including an MTV Video Music Award , 13 Teen Choice Awards , five People 's Choice Awards , an ALMA Award , a Latin American Music Award and a Grammy Award nomination . In 2013 , Maxim ranked her 26th on its Hot 100 list and Billboard ranked her second on its Social 50 Artists of the Year list . Outside the entertainment industry , Lovato has been involved with several social and environmental causes since the launch of her career . In May 2013 , she was cited for her dedication as a mentor to teens and young adults with mental health challenges at a National Children 's Mental Health Awareness Day hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Washington , D.C. . She has also become an advocate for the LGBT community , and women 's rights . In 2014 , she was announced as the Grand Marshal for LA Pride week , and that same year she became the face for Human Rights Campaign 's Americans for Marriage Equality Campaign . In April 2016 , Lovato was honored with the GLAAD Vanguard Award for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people .


Albert Einstein is the discoverer of the law of photoelectric effect.

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( -LSB- ˈaɪnstaɪn -RSB- -LSB- ˈalbɛɐ̯t ˈaɪnʃtaɪn -RSB- ; 14 March 1879 -- 18 April 1955 ) was a German-born theoretical physicist . He developed the theory of relativity , one of the two pillars of modern physics ( alongside quantum mechanics ) . Einstein 's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science . Einstein is best known by the general public for his mass -- energy equivalence formula ( which has been dubbed `` the world 's most famous equation '' ) . He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics `` for his services to theoretical physics , and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect '' , a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory .   Near the beginning of his career , Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field . This led him to develop his special theory of relativity during his time at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern ( 1902 -- 1909 ) , Switzerland . He realized , however , that the principle of relativity could also be extended to gravitational fields , and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 , he published a paper on general relativity . He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory , which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules . He also investigated the thermal properties of light which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light . In 1917 , Einstein applied the general theory of relativity to model the large-scale structure of the universe .   Between 1895 and 1914 he lived in Switzerland ( except for one year in Prague , 1911 -- 12 ) , where he received his academic diploma from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zürich ( later the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule , ETH ) in 1900 . He later taught there at the same institute as a professor of theoretical physics between 1912 and 1914 before he left for Berlin . In 1901 , after being stateless for more than five years , Einstein acquired Swiss citizenship , which he kept for the rest of his life . In 1905 , Einstein was awarded a PhD by the University of Zürich . The same year , his annus mirabilis ( miracle year ) , he published four groundbreaking papers , which were to bring him to the notice of the academic world , at the age of 26 .   He was visiting the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and , being Jewish , did not go back to Germany , where he had been a professor at the Berlin Academy of Sciences . He settled in the United States , becoming an American citizen in 1940 . On the eve of World War II , he endorsed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt alerting him to the potential development of `` extremely powerful bombs of a new type '' and recommending that the U.S. begin similar research . This eventually led to what would become the Manhattan Project . Einstein supported defending the Allied forces , but generally denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon . Later , with the British philosopher Bertrand Russell , Einstein signed the Russell -- Einstein Manifesto , which highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons . Einstein was affiliated with the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton , New Jersey , until his death in 1955 .   Einstein published more than 300 scientific papers along with over 150 non-scientific works . Einstein 's intellectual achievements and originality have made the word `` Einstein '' synonymous with `` genius '' .


Tardigrades can only live in the deep sea.

Tardigrade Tardigrades ( -LSB- ˈtɑrdᵻˌgreɪd -RSB- also known as water bears , space bears , or moss piglets ) are water-dwelling , eight-legged , segmented micro-animals . They were first discovered by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773 . The name Tardigrada ( meaning `` slow stepper '' ) was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani . They have been found everywhere from mountaintops to the deep sea , mud volcanoes , and from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic .   Tardigrades are one of the most resilient animals known : they can survive extreme conditions that would be rapidly fatal to nearly all other known life forms . They can withstand temperature ranges from 1 K ( close to absolute zero ) to about 420 K for several minutes , pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches , ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human , and the vacuum of outer space . They can go without food or water for more than 30 years , drying out to the point where they are 3 % or less water , only to rehydrate , forage , and reproduce . Tardigrades living in harsh conditions undergo an annual process of cyclomorphosis .   They are not considered extremophilic because they are not adapted to exploit these conditions . This means that their chances of dying increase the longer they are exposed to the extreme environments , whereas true extremophiles thrive in a physically or geochemically extreme environment that would harm most other organisms .   Usually , tardigrades are about 0.5 mm long when they are fully grown . They are short and plump with four pairs of legs , each with four to eight claws also known as `` disks '' . The first three pairs of legs are directed ventrolaterally and are the primary means of locomotion , while the fourth pair is directed posteriorly on the terminal segment of the trunk and is used primarily for grasping the substrate . Tardigrades are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells , algae , and small invertebrates . When collected , they may be viewed under a very low-power microscope , making them accessible to students and amateur scientists .   Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada , part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa . It is an ancient group , with fossils dating from 530 million years ago , in the Cambrian period . About 1,150 species of tardigrades have been described . Tardigrades can be found throughout the world , from the Himalayas ( above 6000 m ) , to the deep sea ( below 4000 m ) and from the polar regions to the equator .


USS Constitution duties did not include defeating Barbary pirates.

USS Constitution USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled , three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy , named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America . She is the world 's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat . Constitution was launched in 1797 , one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed . Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the young Navy 's capital ships , and so Constitution and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period . Constitution was built in the North End of Boston , Massachusetts at Edmund Hartt 's shipyard . Her first duties with the newly formed U.S. Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War .   Constitution is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom , when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships : , , , , and . The battle with Guerriere earned her the nickname of `` Old Ironsides '' and public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping . She continued to serve as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons , and circled the world in the 1840s . During the American Civil War , she served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy . She carried American artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878 .   Constitution was retired from active service in 1881 , and served as a receiving ship until designated a museum ship in 1907 . In 1934 , she completed a three-year , 90-port tour of the nation . Constitution sailed under her own power for her 200th birthday in 1997 , and again in August 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her victory over Guerriere .   Constitutions stated mission today is to promote understanding of the Navy 's role in war and peace through educational outreach , historical demonstration , and active participation in public events as part of the Naval History & Heritage Command . As a fully commissioned U.S. Navy ship , her crew of 60 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies , educational programs , and special events while keeping Constitution open to visitors year round and providing free tours . The officers and crew are all active-duty U.S. Navy personnel and the assignment is considered to be special duty in the U.S. Navy . Traditionally , command of the vessel is assigned to a Navy commander . She is usually berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard , at one end of Boston 's Freedom Trail . In May 2015 , Constitution entered Dry Dock 1 to begin a three-year restoration program .


Joey Graceffa is anything but a producer.

Joey Graceffa Joseph Michael `` Joey '' Graceffa ( -LSB- grəˈsɛfə -RSB- born May 16 , 1991 ) is an American YouTube personality , actor , author , producer , and singer . He has two active YouTube channels , both of which are named after him . One of them is for vlogging and the other is used for video gaming content . They both have a combined total of more than 1.6 billion views . His other YouTube channel , which he no longer uses , called WinterSpringPro , has 60 million views ( as of May 2017 ) . He was a contestant on 22nd and 24th seasons of The Amazing Race and has appeared in short films ( as web films ) and short web television series on YouTube and its subscription-only service YouTube Red .


Nineteen Eighty-Four is dystopian science-fiction.

Nineteen Eighty-Four Nineteen Eighty-Four , often published as 1984 , is a dystopian novel published in 1949 by English author George Orwell .  The novel is set in Airstrip One ( formerly known as Great Britain ) , a province of the superstate Oceania in a world of perpetual war , omnipresent government surveillance , and public manipulation . The superstate and its residents are dictated to by a political regime euphemistically named English Socialism , shortened to `` Ingsoc '' in Newspeak , the government 's invented language . The superstate is under the control of the privileged elite of the Inner Party , a party and government that persecutes individualism and independent thinking as `` thoughtcrime '' , which is enforced by the `` Thought Police '' .   The tyranny is ostensibly overseen by Big Brother , the Party leader who enjoys an intense cult of personality , but who may not even exist . The Party `` seeks power entirely for its own sake . It is not interested in the good of others ; it is interested solely in power . '' The protagonist of the novel , Winston Smith , is a member of the Outer Party , who works for the Ministry of Truth ( or Minitrue in Newspeak ) , which is responsible for propaganda and historical revisionism . His job is to rewrite past newspaper articles , so that the historical record always supports the party line . The instructions that the workers receive portray the corrections as fixing misquotations and never as what they really are : forgeries and falsifications . A large part of the Ministry also actively destroys all documents that have not been edited and do not contain the revisions ; in this way , no proof exists that the government is lying . Smith is a diligent and skillful worker but secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion against Big Brother . The heroine of the novel , Julia , is based on Orwell 's second wife , Sonia Orwell .   As literary political fiction and dystopian science-fiction , Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic novel in content , plot and style . Many of its terms and concepts , such as Big Brother , doublethink , thoughtcrime , Newspeak , Room 101 , telescreen , 2 + 2 = 5 , and memory hole , have entered into common use since its publication in 1949 . Nineteen Eighty-Four popularised the adjective Orwellian , which describes official deception , secret surveillance , and manipulation of recorded history by a totalitarian or authoritarian state . In 2005 , the novel was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005 . It was awarded a place on both lists of Modern Library 100 Best Novels , reaching number 13 on the editor 's list , and 6 on the readers ' list . In 2003 , the novel was listed at number 8 on the BBC 's survey The Big Read .


Medina became the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire.

Medina Medina ( -LSB- məˈdiːnə -RSB- المدينة المنورة , , `` the radiant city '' ; or المدينة , ( -LSB- almaˈdiːna -RSB- ) , `` the city '' ) , also transliterated as Madīnah , is a city in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia that is also the capital of the Al Madinah Region . The city contains al-Masjid an-Nabawi ( `` the Prophet 's Mosque '' ) , which is the burial place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , and is the second-holiest city in Islam after Mecca .   Medina was Muhammad 's destination after his Hijrah from Mecca , and became the capital of a rapidly increasing Muslim Empire , first under Muhammad 's leadership , and then under Ali . It served as the power base of Islam in its first century where the early Muslim community developed . Medina is home to the three oldest mosques , namely the Quba Mosque , al-Masjid an-Nabawi , and Masjid al-Qiblatayn ( `` the mosque of the two qiblas '' ) . Muslims believe that the chronologically final surahs of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad in Medina , and are called Medinan surahs in contrast to the earlier Meccan surahs .   Just like Mecca , the city is closed to anyone who is considered a non-Muslim , including members of the Ahmadiyya movement ( however , not the entire city is closed ) by the national government .


Gayathri Raguram was in a film that failed to be directed by Sakthi Chidambaram.

Charlie Chaplin (film) Charlie Chaplin is a 2002 Tamil comedy film directed by Sakthi Chidambaram , starring Prabhu Ganesan and Prabhu Deva . The film 's commercial success led to remakes into Hindi ( No Entry ) , Telugu ( Pellam Oorelithe ) , Malayalam ( Happy Husbands ) , Kannada ( Kalla Malla Sulla ) , Marathi ( No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey ) and in Bengali ( Kelor Kirti . Prabhu won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his performance in the film .   It is the first Indian movie to be remade in six Indian languages . It is also the second Indian movie to be remade in six languages after Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana . Only other Indian movie to be remade in six languages is Shutter .


Gayathri Raguram Gayathri Raguram is an Indian film actress and choreographer who works in south Indian language films . Daughter of noted dancer , Raguram , she began acting in the 2002 film Charlie Chaplin and later started working as choreographers in films .


Bilirubin Bilirubin ( formerly referred to as haematoidin and discovered by Rudolf Virchow in 1847 ) is a yellow compound that occurs in the normal catabolic pathway that breaks down heme in vertebrates . This catabolism is a necessary process in the body 's clearance of waste products that arise from the destruction of aged red blood cells . First the hemoglobin gets stripped of the heme molecule which thereafter passes through various processes of porphyrin catabolism , depending on the part of the body in which the breakdown occurs . For example , the molecules excreted in the urine differ from those in the feces . The production of biliverdin from heme is the first major step in the catabolic pathway , after which the enzyme biliverdin reductase performs the second step , producing bilirubin from biliverdin .   Bilirubin is excreted in bile and urine , and elevated levels may indicate certain diseases . It is responsible for the yellow color of bruises and the yellow discoloration in jaundice . Its subsequent breakdown products , such as stercobilin , cause the brown color of feces . A different breakdown product , urobilin , is the main component of the straw-yellow color in urine .   It has also been found in plants .


Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s . The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations ; in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s . It was the longest , deepest , and most widespread depression of the 20th century . In the 21st century , the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the world 's economy can decline .   The depression originated in the United States , after a major fall in stock prices that began around September 4 , 1929 , and became worldwide news with the stock market crash of October 29 , 1929 ( known as Black Tuesday ) . Between 1929 and 1932 , worldwide GDP fell by an estimated 15 % . By comparison , worldwide GDP fell by less than 1 % from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession . Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s . However , in many countries , the negative effects of the Great Depression lasted until the beginning of World War II .   The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries both rich and poor . Personal income , tax revenue , profits and prices dropped , while international trade plunged by more than 50 % . Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25 % and in some countries rose as high as 33 % .   Cities all around the world were hit hard , especially those dependent on heavy industry . Construction was virtually halted in many countries . Farming communities and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by about 60 % . Facing plummeting demand with few alternative sources of jobs , areas dependent on primary sector industries such as mining and logging suffered the most .


Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson ( born April 29 , 1933 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter , author , poet , actor , and activist . The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie ( 1973 ) , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger ( 1975 ) and Stardust ( 1978 ) , made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music . He was one of the main figures of outlaw country , a subgenre of country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound . Nelson has acted in over 30 films , co-authored several books , and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana .   Born during the Great Depression , and raised by his grandparents , Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten . During high school , he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player . After graduating from high school in 1950 , he joined the Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems . After his return , Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music . During this time , he worked as a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky-tonks . Nelson moved to Vancouver , Washington , where he wrote `` Family Bible '' and recorded the song `` Lumberjack '' in 1956 . In 1958 , he moved to Houston , Texas , after signing a contract with D Records . He sang at the Esquire Ballroom weekly and he worked as a disk jockey . During that time , he wrote songs that would become country standards , including `` Funny How Time Slips Away '' , `` Hello Walls '' , `` Pretty Paper '' , and `` Crazy '' . In 1960 he moved to Nashville , Tennessee , and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price 's band as a bassist . In 1962 , he recorded his first album , ... And Then I Wrote . Due to this success , Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year . After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s , Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin , Texas . The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return from retirement , performing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters .   In 1973 , after signing with Atlantic Records , Nelson turned to outlaw country , including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages . In 1975 , he switched to Columbia Records , where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger . The same year , he recorded another outlaw country album , Wanted ! The Outlaws , along with Waylon Jennings , Jessi Colter , and Tompall Glaser . During the mid-1980s , while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like `` On the Road Again '' , `` To All the Girls I 've Loved Before '' , and `` Pancho and Lefty '' , he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen , along with fellow singers Johnny Cash , Waylon Jennings , and Kris Kristofferson .   In 1990 , Nelson 's assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service , which claimed that he owed . The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated by weak investments he had made during the 1980s . In 1992 , Nelson released The IRS Tapes : Who 'll Buy My Memories ? ; the profits of the double album -- destined to the IRS -- and the auction of Nelson 's assets cleared his debt . During the 1990s and 2000s , Nelson continued touring extensively , and released albums every year . Reviews ranged from positive to mixed . He explored genres such as reggae , blues , jazz , and folk . Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman , followed by other appearances in movies and on television . Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ( NORML ) , which is in favor of marijuana legalization . On the environmental front , Nelson owns the bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel , which is made from vegetable oil . Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the Advisory Board of the Texas Music Project , the official music charity of the state of Texas .


Michael Winterbottom has yet to work with Paul Popplewell.

Michael Winterbottom Not to be confused with the classical scholar Michael Winterbottom ( academic ) .   Michael Winterbottom ( born 29 March 1961 ) is an English filmmaker . He began his career working in British television before moving into features . Three of his films -- Welcome to Sarajevo , Wonderland and 24 Hour Party People -- have competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival .  Winterbottom often works with the same actors ; many faces can be seen in several of his films , including Shirley Henderson , Paul Popplewell , John Simm , Steve Coogan , Rob Brydon , Raymond Waring and Kieran O'Brien .


24 (2016 film) 24 is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science fiction thriller film written and directed by Vikram Kumar . Based on the concept of time-travel , the film stars actor Suriya in triple roles , with actresses Samantha Ruth Prabhu , Nithya Menen and Saranya Ponvannan in lead roles .   The development dates back to 2009 , where the film was to feature actors Vikram and Ileana D'Cruz in lead roles . However , in February 2010 , the project was dropped due to difference in opinions between director , producer and actor , facing rejection of the refined script . In August 2014 , Suriya agreed to produce and act in the film , with principal photography commencing in Mumbai in April 2015 , continuing in Nasik , Goregaon and Pune . The second phase of filming was done in Poland by end-September 2015 . Filming was completed in Chennai by November 2015 .   Produced by 2D Entertainment , the film has cinematography by S. Tirru . The soundtrack and film score are composed by A. R. Rahman , with lyrics by Vairamuthu and Madhan Karky . The film along with the dubbed Telugu version having the same title was released on 6 May 2016 . It is also dubbed in Hindi as Time Story .   The film won two awards at the 64th National Film Awards Best Cinematography and Best Production Design .


There is a not-for-profit association called the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Nashville Songwriters Association International The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 ( c ) not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways : through legislative advocacy , through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting , and through teaching about the music industry , and how to best position a song for success within it . They own the Bluebird Cafe .   HISTORY OF NSAI   As songwriters know , sometimes the best ideas appear during lunch , and that was the case more than 40 years ago with songwriters Eddie Miller , Buddy Mize and Bill Brock . In 1967 , over lunch at Ireland 's Restaurant in Nashville , the three came up with an idea to build a community : a songwriters association .   That kernel of an idea , planted and nurtured four decades ago , took root and has since grown into the 4,500 + member Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) , which today promotes awareness of songwriters ' cultural contributions ( through events such as Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival ) , champions the legal rights of professional songwriters and helps develop the abilities of aspiring songwriters .   But such growth and prosperity did n't occur overnight . Back in the late ` 60s , Nashville 's songwriting community consisted of only a few dozen writers who received little credit for their achievements and whose royalty compensation was small , largely because of an antiquated copyright law . Additionally , outside of the performing rights societies ASCAP , BMI and SESAC , songwriter recognition was virtually non-existent .   Then , one November day in 1967 , Miller ( a 1975 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and founding member of the Academy of Country Music in California ) encouraged fellow songwriters Mize and Brock to begin an association for writers in Nashville . Mize and Brock loved the idea , and all three set out to make it happen .   Within a month , Eddie , Buddy and Bill were conducting the group 's first organizational meeting at the Old Professional 's Club on Music Row . The meeting attracted some 40 songwriters , including Liz & Casey Anderson ( `` The Fugitive '' ) , Felice & Boudleaux Bryant ( `` Wake Up Little Susie '' ) , Kris Kristofferson ( `` Me And Bobby McGee '' ) and Marijohn Wilkin ( `` One Day At A Time '' ) . Those 40 -- more than half the songwriters in town at that time -- became the founding membership of NSAI and began spending countless hours around Marijohn 's kitchen table brainstorming , discussing and refining ideas .   Within a year , the Nashville Songwriters Association was chartered by the state of Tennessee as a not-for-profit trade association , and from that moment , NSAI would go on to make a difference for all songwriters by helping to revise antiquated copyright laws and to establish new intellectual property protection in the digital age , by establishing a network of over 90 songwriter workshops to provide local instruction at home and abroad , and by conducting more than a half dozen educational conferences and awards shows each year .   And though based in Nashville , NSAI represents all musical genres and includes songwriters from across the United States and overseas . NSAI provides a haven for both proven and undiscovered writers -- to get a cup of coffee , to make a phone call or just to receive a word of advice or consolation . To quote NSAI 's motto : `` IT ALL BEGINS WITH A SONG '' -- and , sometimes , it all begins over lunch .   About   The Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) is the world 's largest not-for-profit songwriters trade association . Established in 1967 , the membership of more than 5,000 active and pro members spans the United States and six other countries . NSAI is dedicated to protecting the rights of and serving aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music .   Mission Statement   The Nashville Songwriters Association International ( NSAI ) consists of a body of creative minds , including songwriters from all genres of music , professional and amateur , who are committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting , and to educate , elevate , and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large .   The association was founded in the 1970s , with former singer-songwriter Lorene Mann as a co-founder .   Songwriters Caucus -- NSAI established Songwriters Caucuses in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate . In Congress , a `` caucus '' is a group of like-minded lawmakers who share a philosophical pre-disposition to support an issue .   When NSAI has an issue before Congress , we now have caucus members who will help us by co-sponsoring legislation , allowing songwriters to testify , and using the power of their offices and the media to represent the songwriter view .   FEDERAL COURT CASES   Eldred vs. Ashcroft -- NSAI filed an `` amicus brief '' with the United States Supreme Court in a case that determined how long you and your heirs will own your copyrights . NSAI was the only songwriter organization to meet with the Justice Department attorneys , arguing the case on behalf of copyright owners . NSAI songwriter and Constitutional scholar Peter McCann researched the diaries of founding father James Madison . Madison authored Section 1 , Article 8 of the United States Constitution that says : `` Congress may grant , for a ` limited time ' , to authors and composers ... '' At issue was the definition of `` limited time . '' McCann found that Madison intended for his own diaries to be published after his death by his family , FOR PROFIT ! This compelling argument influlenced the Supreme Court 's decision in favor of copyright owners and their heirs .


Harvey Kurtzman was a cartooning teacher.

Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman ( -LSB- ˈkɜrtsmən -RSB- October 3 , 1924 -- February 21 , 1993 ) was an American cartoonist and editor . His best-known work includes writing and editing the parodic comic book Mad from 1952 until 1956 , and writing the Little Annie Fanny strips in Playboy from 1962 until 1988 . His work is noted for its satire and parody of popular culture , social critique , and attention to detail . Kurtzman 's working method has been likened to that of an auteur , and he expected those who illustrated his stories to follow his layouts strictly .   Kurtzman began to work on the New Trend line of comic books at EC Comics ' in 1950 . He wrote and edited the Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat war comic books , where he also drew many of the carefully researched stories , before he created his most-remembered comic book , Mad , in 1952 . Kurtzman scripted the stories and had them drawn by top EC cartoonists , most frequently Will Elder , Wally Wood , and Jack Davis ; the early Mad was noted for its social critique and parodies of pop culture . The comic book switched to a magazine format in 1955 , and Kurtzman left it in 1956 over a dispute with EC 's owner William Gaines over financial control . Following his departure , he did a variety of cartooning work , including editing the short-lived Trump and the self-published Humbug . In 1959 , he produced the first book-length work of original comics , the adult-oriented , satirical Jungle Book . He edited the low-budget Help ! from 1960 to 1965 , a humor magazine which featured work by future Monty Python member Terry Gilliam and the earliest work of underground cartoonists such as Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton . He brought Help ! to an end after the success of the risqué Playboy feature Little Annie Fanny began to take up his time . While Annie Fanny provided much of his income for the rest of his career , he continued to produce an eclectic body of work , including screenwriting the animated Mad Monster Party ? in 1967 and directing , writing and designing several shorts for Sesame Street in 1969 .   From 1973 , Kurtzman taught cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York . His work gained greater recognition toward the end of his life , and he oversaw deluxe reprintings of much of his work . The Harvey Award was named in Kurtzman 's honor in 1988 . He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1989 , and his work earned five positions on The Comics Journals Top 100 Comics of the 20th Century .


Fergie (singer) Fergie Duhamel ( -LSB- ˈfɜːrɡi_dəˈmɛl -RSB- ) ( born Stacy Ann Ferguson ; March 27 , 1975 ) is an American singer , songwriter and actress . She was the female vocalist for the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas from 2002 until 2017 , with whom she had achieved chart success worldwide . Her debut solo album The Dutchess ( 2006 ) was a major commercial success on the charts and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` London Bridge '' , `` Glamorous '' and `` Big Girls Do n't Cry '' .   Ferguson was a member of the children 's television series Kids Incorporated and the girl group Wild Orchid . In 2001 , she left the group and in the subsequent year began to team up with The Black Eyed Peas . With The Black Eyed Peas , she enjoyed a series of hits and albums before she released her solo debut album in September 2006 to success . The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed further success with the release of their third album with Ferguson , The E.N.D. ( 2009 ) ; they attained their first string of Billboard Hot 100 number one songs . She began touring in 2009/2010 with her group and she launched her debut fragrance , Outspoken , under Avon in May 2010 and has since released three more fragrances .   She continued success with The Black Eyed Peas and they released the album The Beginning ( 2010 ) , which featured three singles , including two number one songs . As Ferguson 's five solo singles and six singles with The Black Eyed Peas have reached two million downloads in the United States , Ferguson was the artist with the most two-million sellers by the beginning of 2011 .


David Carradine David Carradine ( born John Arthur Carradine ; December 8 , 1936 -- June 3 , 2009 ) was an American actor and martial artist . He was known for his leading role as a peace-loving Shaolin monk , Kwai Chang Caine , in the 1970s television series Kung Fu . He was also known for playing Frankenstein in the original Death Race movie and Bill in both Kill Bill films .   He was a member of an acting family that began with his father , John Carradine . Carradine 's acting career , which included major and minor roles on stage and television , and in cinema , spanned over four decades . A prolific `` B '' movie actor , he appeared in more than 100 feature films in career spanning over sixty years . He was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards , for projects such as the television series Kung Fu ( 1972 -- 1975 ) , the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory ( 1976 ) and the miniseries North and South ( 1985 ) . His final nomination came in the category of Best Supporting Actor for portraying the titular character in Quentin Tarantino 's Kill Bill : Volume 2 ( 2004 ) .   Films that featured Carradine continued to be released after his death . These posthumous credits were from a variety of genres including action , documentaries , drama , horror , martial arts , science fiction , and westerns . In addition to his acting career , Carradine was a director and musician . Moreover , influenced by his most popular acting role , he studied martial arts .   He was sometimes arrested and prosecuted for a variety of offenses , which often involved substance abuse . He died on June 3 , 2009 , in a hotel room in Bangkok , Thailand from auto-erotic asphyxiation .


Bound for Glory (film) Bound for Glory is a 1976 American film directed by Hal Ashby and loosely adapted by Robert Getchell from Woody Guthrie 's 1943 autobiography Bound for Glory . The film stars David Carradine as folk singer Woody Guthrie and Ronny Cox , Melinda Dillon , Gail Strickland , John Lehne , Ji-Tu Cumbuka and Randy Quaid .   Bound for Glory was the first motion picture in which inventor/operator Garrett Brown used his new Steadicam for filming moving scenes . Director of Photography Haskell Wexler won an Oscar for Best Cinematography ( 1976 ) .   All of the main events and characters , except for Guthrie and his first wife , Mary , are entirely fictional . The film ends with Guthrie singing his most famous song , `` God Blessed America '' ( subsequently retitled `` This Land Is Your Land '' ) , on his way to New York , but , in fact , the song was composed in New York in 1940 and forgotten by him until five years later .


Frank (Amy Winehouse album) Frank is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse , released on 20 October 2003 by Island Records . Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse , Salaam Remi , Gordon `` Commissioner Gordon '' Williams , Jimmy Hogarth and Matt Rowe . Its title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse 's lyrics on the album , as well as one of her influences , Frank Sinatra .   Upon its release , Frank received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades , including an Ivor Novello Award . The album has sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom and has been certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry ( BPI ) .


The Free State of Prussia replaced the Kingdom of Prussia in the 20th century.

Prussia Prussia was a historical state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg , and centred on the region of Prussia . For centuries , the House of nocat = y ruled Prussia , successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organised and effective army . Prussia , with its capital in Königsberg and from 1701 in Berlin , shaped the history of Germany . In 1871 , German states united to create the German Empire under Prussian leadership . In November 1918 , the monarchies were abolished and the nobility lost its political power during the German Revolution of 1918 -- 19 . The Kingdom of Prussia was thus abolished in favour of a republic -- the Free State of Prussia , a state of Germany from 1918 until 1933 . From 1933 , Prussia lost its independence as a result of the Prussian coup , when the Nazi regime was successfully establishing its Gleichschaltung laws in pursuit of a unitary state . With the end of the Nazi regime , the division of Germany into allied-occupation zones and the separation of its territories east of the -LSB- Oder -- Neisse , nocat = y -RSB- line , which were incorporated into Poland and the Soviet Union , the State of Prussia ceased to exist de facto in 1945 . Prussia existed de jure until its formal liquidation by the Allied Control Council Enactment No. 46 of 25 February 1947 .   The name Prussia derives from the Old Prussians . In the 13th century , the Teutonic Knights -- an organized Catholic medieval military order of German crusaders -- conquered the lands inhabited by them . In 1308 , the Teutonic Knights conquered the region of Pomerelia with Gdańsk ( Danzig ) . Their monastic state was mostly Germanised through immigration from central and western Germany and in the south , it was Polonised by settlers from Masovia . The Second Peace of Thorn ( 1466 ) split Prussia into the western Royal Prussia , a province of Poland , and the eastern part , from 1525 called the Duchy of Prussia , a fief of the Crown of Poland up to 1657 . The union of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 led to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701 .   Prussia entered the ranks of the great powers shortly after becoming a kingdom , and exercised most influence in the 18th and 19th centuries . During the 18th century it had a major say in many international affairs under the reign of Frederick the Great . During the 19th century , Chancellor Otto von Bismarck united the German principalities into a `` Lesser Germany '' which excluded the Austrian Empire .   At the Congress of Vienna ( 1814 -- 15 ) , which redrew the map of Europe following Napoleon 's defeat , Prussia acquired a large section of north western Germany , including the coal-rich Ruhr . The country then grew rapidly in influence economically and politically , and became the core of the North German Confederation in 1867 , and then of the German Empire in 1871 . The Kingdom of Prussia was now so large and so dominant in the new Germany that -LSB- Junker ( Prussia ) , Junker -RSB- s and other Prussian élites identified more and more as Germans and less as Prussians .   The Kingdom ended in 1918 . In the Weimar Republic , the state of Prussia lost nearly all of its legal and political importance following the 1932 coup led by Franz von Papen . East Prussia lost all of its German population after 1945 , as Poland and the Soviet Union absorbed its territory and expelled most of its inhabitants .   The term Prussian has often been used , especially outside of Germany , to emphasise the professionalism , aggressiveness , militarism and conservatism of the Junker class of landed aristocrats in the East who dominated first Prussia and then the German Empire .


Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun , orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days . It has the longest rotation period ( 243 days ) of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets . It has no natural satellites . It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty . It is the second-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon , reaching an apparent magnitude of − 4.6 , bright enough to cast shadows at night and , though rare , occasionally be visible in broad daylight . Because Venus orbits within Earth 's orbit it is an inferior planet and never appears to venture far from the Sun ; its maximum angular distance from the Sun ( elongation ) is 47.8 ° .   Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth 's `` sister planet '' because of their similar size , mass , proximity to the Sun , and bulk composition . It is radically different from Earth in other respects . It has the densest atmosphere of the four terrestrial planets , consisting of more than 96 % carbon dioxide . The atmospheric pressure at the planet 's surface is 92 times that of Earth , or roughly the pressure found 900 m underwater on Earth . Venus is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System , with a mean surface temperature of 735 K , even though Mercury is closer to the Sun . Venus is shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid , preventing its surface from being seen from space in visible light . It may have had water oceans in the past , but these would have vaporized as the temperature rose due to a runaway greenhouse effect . The water has probably photodissociated , and the free hydrogen has been swept into interplanetary space by the solar wind because of the lack of a planetary magnetic field . Venus 's surface is a dry desertscape interspersed with slab-like rocks and is periodically resurfaced by volcanism .   As one of the brightest objects in the sky , Venus has been a major fixture in human culture for as long as records have existed . It has been made sacred to gods of many cultures , and has been a prime inspiration for writers and poets as the `` morning star '' and `` evening star '' . Venus was the first planet to have its motions plotted across the sky , as early as the second millennium BC .   As the closest planet to Earth , Venus has been a prime target for early interplanetary exploration . It was the first planet beyond Earth visited by a spacecraft ( Mariner 2 in 1962 ) , and the first to be successfully landed on ( by Venera 7 in 1970 ) . Venus 's thick clouds render observation of its surface impossible in visible light , and the first detailed maps did not emerge until the arrival of the Magellan orbiter in 1991 . Plans have been proposed for rovers or more complex missions , but they are hindered by Venus 's hostile surface conditions .


Laurence Fishburne was in a movie in 2016.

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III ( born July 30 , 1961 ) is an American actor , playwright , director and producer , best known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy , Jason `` Furious '' Styles in the 1991 drama film Boyz n the Hood and Tyrone `` Mr. Clean '' Miller in the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now .   Fishburne became the first African American to portray Othello in a motion picture by a major studio when he appeared in Oliver Parker 's 1995 film adaptation of the Shakespeare play . For his portrayal of Ike Turner in What 's Love Got to Do With It , he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor . He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Two Trains Running ( 1992 ) , and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in TriBeCa ( 1993 ) .   Fishburne starred in several cult classics , including Deep Cover and King of New York . From 2008 to 2011 , he starred as Dr. Raymond Langston on the CBS crime drama CSI : Crime Scene Investigation and from 2013 to 2015 starred as Special Agent Jack Crawford on the NBC thriller series Hannibal . In 2013 , he portrayed Perry White in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot Man of Steel and in 2016 reprised his role in Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice .


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


Ghost in the Shell (video game) is a cyberpunk-themed third-person shooter video game developed by Exact and Production I.G for the PlayStation . A part of the larger Ghost in the Shell media franchise , it utilizes the same English voice cast as the feature film of the same name , although the two do not share a story continuity . The game was first released in July 1997 , along with soundtrack albums , an artbook and a guidebook .   The game 's story and art design were written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow , the author of the original manga . Ghost in the Shells plot revolves around a recruit of Public Security Section 9 as he investigates and combats the Human Liberation Front . The player controls a Fuchikoma , a robotic fighting vehicle capable of traversing walls and ceilings .   The game received mainly positive reviews . It was praised for its graphics , animation , music and unusual wall-climbing mechanics , as well as living up to the name of the series . However , it received criticism for its tedious and repetitive gameplay and low difficulty . Fifteen years after its release , Game Informer listed Ghost in the Shell as one of the best manga and anime-based games .


Emmanuel Adebayor was on the Togo national football team for three years.

Emmanuel Adebayor Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor ( -LSB- ɛmanɥɛl adəbɛjɔʁ -RSB- ; born 26 February 1984 ) is a Togolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir . He previously played for English clubs Arsenal , Manchester City , Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace , as well as French sides Metz and Monaco and Spanish team Real Madrid . He was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008 .   Adebayor represented the Togo national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany , the country 's debut , and to date only , appearance at the World Cup . In January 2010 , Adebayor was one of the players involved when the Togo team 's bus came under gunfire on the way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola , after which he retired from national team duty . In 2013 , he returned to the Togo team for the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa , where he helped them to qualify for the quarter-finals . He is currently Togo 's all-time top goalscorer with 31 goals .


Indonesia Indonesia ( -LSB- ɪndəˈniːʒə -RSB- or -LSB- ˌɪndoʊˈniːziə -RSB- ; Indonesian : -LSB- ɪndonesia -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Indonesia ( -LSB- rɛpublik ɪndonesia -RSB- ) , is a unitary sovereign state and transcontinental country located mainly in Southeast Asia with some territories in Oceania . Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans , it is the world 's largest island country , with more than seventeen thousand islands . At 1,904,569 km2 , Indonesia is the world 's 14th-largest country in terms of land area and world 's 7th-largest country in terms of combined sea and land area . It has an estimated population of over 260 million people and is the world 's fourth most populous country , the most populous Austronesian nation , as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country . The world 's most populous island , Java , contains more than half of the country 's population .   Indonesia 's republican form of government includes an elected legislature and president . Indonesia has 34 provinces , of which five have Special Administrative status . Its capital and country 's most populous city is Jakarta , which is also the most populous city in Southeast Asia and the second in Asia . The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea , East Timor , and the eastern part of Malaysia . Other neighbouring countries include Singapore , Vietnam , the Philippines , Australia , Palau , and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . Despite its large population and densely populated regions , Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world 's second highest level of biodiversity . The country has abundant natural resources like oil and natural gas , tin , copper and gold . Agriculture mainly produces rice , palm oil , tea , coffee , cacao , medicinal plants , spices and rubber . Indonesia 's major trading partners are Japan , United States , China and the surrounding countries of Singapore , Malaysia and Australia .   The Indonesian archipelago has been an important region for trade since at least the 7th century , when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India . Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural , religious and political models from the early centuries CE , and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished . Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources . Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought the now-dominant Islam , while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery . Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism starting from Amboina and Batavia , and eventually all of the archipelago including Timor and Western New Guinea , at times interrupted by Portuguese , French and British rule , Indonesia secured its independence after World War II .   Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups , with the largest -- and politically dominant -- ethnic group being the Javanese . The population is unevenly spread throughout the islands within a variety of habitats and levels of development , ranging from the megalopolis of Jakarta to uncontacted tribes in the east . A shared identity has developed , defined by a national language , ethnic diversity , religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population , and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it . Indonesia 's national motto , `` Bhinneka Tunggal Ika '' ( `` Unity in Diversity '' literally , `` many , yet one '' ) , articulates the diversity that shapes the country . Indonesia 's economy is the world 's 16th largest by nominal GDP and the 8th largest by GDP at PPP , the largest in Southeast Asia , and is considered an emerging market and newly industrialised country . Indonesia has been a member of the United Nations since 1950 . Indonesia was an organizer of the Bandung Conference and was the founder of Non-Aligned Movement ; and also the founding member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations , Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , East Asia Summit , and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . Indonesia is a member of the G20 major economies and World Trade Organization .


Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in The New Yorker magazine.

Time (magazine) Time is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City . It was founded in 1923 and for decades was dominated by Henry Luce , who built a highly profitable stable of magazines .   A European edition ( Time Europe , formerly known as Time Atlantic ) is published in London and also covers the Middle East , Africa and , since 2003 , Latin America . An Asian edition ( Time Asia ) is based in Hong Kong . The South Pacific edition , which covers Australia , New Zealand and the Pacific Islands , is based in Sydney , Australia . In December 2008 , Time discontinued publishing a Canadian advertiser edition .   Time has the world 's largest circulation for a weekly news magazine , and has a readership of 26 million , 20 million of which are based in the United States .   As of 2012 , it had a circulation of 3.3 million making it the eleventh most circulated magazine in the United States reception room circuit , and the second most circulated weekly behind People . As of 2015 , its circulation was 3,036,602 .   Richard Stengel was the managing editor from May 2006 to October 2013 , when he joined the U.S. State Department . Nancy Gibbs has been the managing editor since October 2013 .


Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch CBE ( born 19 July 1976 ) is an English actor who has performed in film , television , theatre and radio . He is the son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham . Cumberbatch graduated from the University of Manchester and continued his training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , obtaining a Master of Arts in Classical Acting . He first performed at the Open Air Theatre , Regent 's Park in Shakespearean productions and made his West End debut portraying George Tesman in Richard Eyre 's revival of Hedda Gabler in 2005 . Since then he has starred in the Royal National Theatre productions After the Dance ( 2010 ) and Frankenstein ( 2011 ) . In 2015 , he played William Shakespeare 's Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre .   Cumberbatch 's television work includes appearances in Silent Witness ( 2002 ) and Fortysomething ( 2003 ) before playing Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking in 2004 . He has starred as Sherlock Holmes in the series Sherlock since 2010 . He has also headlined Tom Stoppard 's adaptation of Parade 's End ( 2012 ) and The Hollow Crown : The Wars of the Roses ( 2016 ) . In film , he has starred in Amazing Grace ( 2006 ) as William Pitt the Younger , Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) as Khan , 12 Years a Slave ( 2013 ) as William Prince Ford , The Fifth Estate ( 2013 ) as Julian Assange and The Imitation Game ( 2014 ) as Alan Turing . From 2012 to 2014 , through voice and motion capture , he played the characters of Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit film series . Cumberbatch portrays the Marvel Comics character Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in the film Doctor Strange ( 2016 ) .   Cumberbatch has received numerous awards and nominations for acting including three Laurence Olivier Award nominations , winning Best Actor in a Play for Frankenstein . He has also received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations , winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sherlock . His performance in The Imitation Game earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In addition , he has received six BAFTA nominations , five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations among others . In 2014 , Time magazine included him in its annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He was appointed a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2015 for his services to the performing arts and to charity .


Bedazzled (2000 film) was directed by a Russian.

Bedazzled (2000 film) Bedazzled is a 2000 fantasy-comedy film remake of the 1967 film of the same name , originally written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore , which was itself a comic retelling of the Faust legend . The film was directed by Harold Ramis and stars Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley .


Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis ( November 21 , 1944 -- February 24 , 2014 ) was an American actor , director , writer , and comedian . His best-known film acting roles were as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters ( 1984 ) and Ghostbusters II ( 1989 ) and Russell Ziskey in Stripes ( 1981 ) ; he also co-wrote those films . As a director , his films include the comedies Caddyshack ( 1980 ) , National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) , Groundhog Day ( 1993 ) , and Analyze This ( 1999 ) . Ramis was the original head writer of the television series SCTV , on which he also performed , as well as a co-writer of Groundhog Day and National Lampoon 's Animal House ( 1978 ) . His final film that he wrote , produced , directed and acted in was the critical and commercial failure Year one ( 2009 ) .   Ramis ' films influenced subsequent generations of comedians and comedy writers . Filmmakers including Jay Roach , Jake Kasdan , Adam Sandler , and Peter and Bobby Farrelly have cited his films as among their favorites . He won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for Groundhog Day .


A Thousand Suns A Thousand Suns is the fourth studio album by American rock band Linkin Park . It was released on September 8 , 2010 , by Warner Bros. . Records . The album was written by the band and was produced by Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin , who worked together to produce the band 's previous studio album Minutes to Midnight ( 2007 ) . Recording sessions for A Thousand Suns took place at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood , California from 2008 until early 2010 .   A Thousand Suns is a multi-concept album dealing with human fears such as nuclear warfare . The band has said the album is a drastic departure from their previous work ; they experimented on different and new sounds . Shinoda told MTV the album references numerous social issues and blends human ideas with technology . The title is a reference to Hindu Sanskrit scripture , a line of which was first popularized in 1945 by J. Robert Oppenheimer , who described the atomic bomb as being `` as bright as a thousand suns '' . It also appears in a line from the first single of the album , `` The Catalyst '' .   `` The Catalyst '' was sent to radio and released to digital music retailers on August 2 , 2010 . `` The Catalyst '' peaked at the Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts . Three more singles were released to promote the album : `` Waiting for the End '' , `` Burning in the Skies '' and `` Iridescent '' . `` The Catalyst '' and `` Waiting for the End '' were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . Linkin Park promoted the album through the A Thousand Suns World Tour from October 2010 to September 2011 .   Upon release , the album polarized critics and fans . The band 's fanbase divided over their new sound , splitting them into `` love-it versus hate-it groups '' according to one reviewer . Despite this , the album has been a commercial success , debuting at number one on over ten charts . It was certified gold by the RIAA in February 2011 . By June 2014 , it had sold over 960,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan .


Richmond, Virginia is in the United States.

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( -LSB- ˈrɪtʃmənd -RSB- ) is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States . It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) and the Greater Richmond Region . It was incorporated in 1742 , and has been an independent city since 1871 .   As of the 2010 census , the population was 204,214 ; in 2016 , the population was estimated to be 223,170 , the fourth-most populous city in Virginia . The Richmond Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,260,029 , the third-most populous metro in the state .   Richmond is located at the fall line of the James River , 44 mi west of Williamsburg , 66 mi east of Charlottesville , and 98 mi south of Washington , D.C. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties , the city is located at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 , and encircled by Interstate 295 and Virginia State Route 288 . Major suburbs include Midlothian to the southwest , Glen Allen to the north and west , Short Pump to the west and Mechanicsville to the northeast .   The site of Richmond had been an important village of the Powhatan Confederacy , and was briefly settled by English colonists from Jamestown in 1609 , and in 1610 -- 1611 . The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737 . It became the capital of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780 . During the Revolutionary War period , several notable events occurred in the city , including Patrick Henry 's `` Give me liberty or give me death '' speech in 1775 at St. John 's Church , and the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson . During the American Civil War , Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America . The city entered the 20th century with one of the world 's first successful electric streetcar systems . The Jackson Ward neighborhood is a national hub of African-American commerce and culture .   Richmond 's economy is primarily driven by law , finance , and government , with federal , state , and local governmental agencies , as well as notable legal and banking firms , located in the downtown area . The city is home to both the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit , one of 13 United States courts of appeals , and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond , one of 12 Federal Reserve Banks . Dominion Resources and MeadWestvaco , Fortune 500 companies , are headquartered in the city , with others in the metropolitan area .


Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent `` Tobey '' Maguire ( born June 27 , 1975 ) is an American actor and producer . He began his career in the late 1980s . His first appearance in a feature film was a non-speaking part in The Wizard ( 1989 ) . He is known for playing the title character in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man film trilogy ( 2002 , 2004 , and 2007 ) , as well as for his roles in Pleasantville ( 1998 ) , The Cider House Rules ( 1999 ) , Wonder Boys ( 2000 ) , Seabiscuit ( 2003 ) , The Good German ( 2006 ) , Brothers ( 2009 ) , and The Great Gatsby ( 2013 ) .   He was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Awards , and received two Saturn Awards , including one for Best Actor . In 2012 he established his own production company , Material Pictures , and co-produced Good People that same year . In 2014 he produced and starred as Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice .


Sofia Coppola directed a film based on a book.

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola ( -LSB- ˈkoʊpələ -RSB- ; born May 14 , 1971 ) is an American screenwriter , director , producer and actress . Her father is director , producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola . In 2003 , she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama Lost in Translation , and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director . In 2010 , with the drama Somewhere , she became the first American woman ( and fourth American filmmaker ) to win the Golden Lion , the top prize at the Venice Film Festival .   In 2017 , Coppola directed The Beguiled , a remake of the 1971 Western film of the same name , starring Nicole Kidman , Elle Fanning and Kirsten Dunst . The film premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival , where Coppola became the second woman ( and the first American woman ) in the festival 's history to win the Best Director award .


The Beguiled (2017 film) The Beguiled is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola , based on the novel The Beguiled ( originally published as A Painted Devil ) by Thomas P. Cullinan . It stars Colin Farrell , Nicole Kidman , Kirsten Dunst , and Elle Fanning . A film of the same name , also based on Cullinan 's book , was released in 1971 .   It premiered on May 24 , 2017 and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival , where Coppola won the Best Director award , becoming only the second woman to do so . The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 23 , 2017 .


The Golden Girls had Rue McClanahan in its cast.

The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that originally aired on NBC from September 14 , 1985 , to May 9 , 1992 , with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning over seven seasons . The show stars Beatrice Arthur , Betty White , Rue McClanahan , and Estelle Getty , as four older women who share a home in Miami , Florida . It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions , in association with Touchstone Television , and Paul Junger Witt , Tony Thomas , and Harris served as the original executive producers .   The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run and won several awards , including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice . It also won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy . Each of the four stars received an Emmy Award ( from multiple nominations during the series ' run ) , making it one of only three sitcoms in the award 's history to achieve this . The series also ranked among the top-10 highest-rated programs for six of its seven seasons . In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Golden Girls number 54 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time . In 2014 , the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 69 in their list of the `` 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time '' .


The Existence of God has been opposed by Thomas Aquinas.

Existence of God The existence of God is a subject of debate in the philosophy of religion , popular culture , and philosophy .   A wide variety of arguments for and against the existence of God can be categorized as metaphysical , logical , empirical , or subjective . In philosophical terms , the question of the existence of God involves the disciplines of epistemology ( the nature and scope of knowledge ) and ontology ( study of the nature of being , existence , or reality ) and the theory of value ( since some definitions of God include `` perfection '' ) .   The Western tradition of philosophical discussion of the existence of God began with Plato and Aristotle , who made arguments that would now be categorized as cosmological . Other arguments for the existence of God have been proposed by St. Anselm , who formulated the first ontological argument ; Ibn Rushd ( Averroes ) and Thomas Aquinas , who presented their own versions of the cosmological argument ( the kalam argument and the first way , respectively ) ; René Descartes , who said that the existence of a benevolent God is logically necessary for the evidence of the senses to be meaningful ; and Immanuel Kant , who argued that the existence of God can be deduced from the existence of good . Philosophers who have provided arguments against the existence of God include the aforementioned Kant , David Hume , Friedrich Nietzsche and Bertrand Russell . In modern culture , the question of God 's existence has been discussed by scientists such as Stephen Hawking , Francis Collins , Lawrence M. Krauss , Richard Dawkins and John Lennox , as well as philosophers including Richard Swinburne , Alvin Plantinga , William Lane Craig , Rebecca Goldstein , A. C. Grayling , Daniel Dennett , Edward Feser , David Bentley Hart and Sam Harris .   Scientists follow the scientific method , within which theories must be verifiable by physical experiment . On that basis , the question regarding the existence of God , for which evidence can not be tested , definitionally lies outside the purview of modern science . The Catholic Church maintains that knowledge of the existence of God is the `` natural light of human reason '' . Fideists acknowledge that belief in the existence of God may not be amenable to demonstration or refutation , but rests on faith alone . Atheism views arguments for the existence of God as insufficient , mistaken or weighing less in comparison to arguments against . Other religions , such as Buddhism , do not concern themselves with the existence of gods at all , while religions such as Jainism reject the possibility of a creator deity .