Conglomerate (company) A conglomerate is the combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate group , usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries . Often , a conglomerate is a multi-industry company . Conglomerates are often large and multinational .   Conglomerates were popular in the 1960s due to a combination of low interest rates and a repeating bear/bull market , which allowed the conglomerates to buy companies in leveraged buyouts , sometimes at temporarily deflated values . Famous examples from the 1960s include Ling-Temco-Vought , ITT Corporation , Litton Industries , Textron , Teledyne . Because of low interest on the loans , the overall return on investment of the conglomerate appeared to grow . Also , the conglomerate had a better ability to borrow in the money market , or capital market , than the smaller firm at their community bank .   For many years this was enough to make the company 's stock price rise , as companies were often valued largely on their return on investment . The aggressive nature of the conglomerators themselves was enough to make many investors , who saw a `` powerful '' and seemingly unstoppable force in business , buy their stock . High stock prices allowed them to raise more loans , based on the value of their stock , and thereby buy even more companies . This led to a chain reaction , which allowed them to grow very rapidly .   However , all of this growth was somewhat illusory and when interest rates rose to offset inflation , conglomerate profits fell . Investors noticed that the companies inside the conglomerate were growing no faster than before they were purchased , whereas the rationale for buying a company was that `` synergies '' would provide efficiency . By the late 1960s they were shunned by the market , and a major sell-off of their shares ensued . To keep the companies going , many conglomerates were forced to shed the industries they had recently purchased , and by the mid-1970s most had been reduced to shells . The conglomerate fad was subsequently replaced by newer ideas like focusing on a company 's core competency .   In other cases , conglomerates are formed for genuine interests of diversification rather than manipulation of paper return on investment . Companies with this orientation would only make acquisitions or start new branches in other sectors when they believed this would increase profitability or stability by sharing risks . Flush with cash during the 1980s , General Electric also moved into financing and financial services , which in 2005 accounted for about 45 % of the company 's net earnings . GE formerly owned a minority interest in NBCUniversal , which owns the NBC television network and several other cable networks . In some ways GE is the opposite of the `` typical '' 1960s conglomerate in that the company was not highly leveraged , and when interest rates went up they were able to turn this to their advantage . It was often less expensive to lease from GE than buy new equipment using loans . United Technologies has also proven to be a successful conglomerate .   With the spread of mutual funds ( especially index funds since 1976 ) , investors could more easily obtain diversification by owning a small slice of many companies in a fund rather than owning shares in a conglomerate . Another example of a successful conglomerate is Warren Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway , a holding company which used surplus capital from its insurance subsidiaries to invest in a variety of manufacturing and service businesses .


Googleplex The Googleplex is the corporate headquarters complex of Google , Inc. and its parent company Alphabet Inc. , located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View , Santa Clara County , California , United States , near San Jose .   The original complex , with 2,000,000  ft2 of office space , is the company 's second largest square footage assemblage of Google buildings . ( The largest single Google building is the 2,900,000  ft2 111 Eighth Avenue building in New York City , which Google bought in 2010 . ) Once the 1,100,000  ft2 Bay View addition went online in 2015 , the Googleplex became the largest collection of Google buildings with 3,100,000  ft2 of space .   `` Googleplex '' is a portmanteau of Google and complex ( meaning a complex of buildings ) and a reference to googolplex , the name given to the large number 10 ( 10100 ) , or 10googol .


René Descartes has argued for the Existence of God.

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 .


George Best George Best ( 22 May 1946 -- 25 November 2005 ) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team . In 1968 , he won the European Cup with Manchester United , and was named the European Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year . The Irish Football Association described him as the `` greatest player to ever pull on the green shirt of Northern Ireland '' .   Born and brought up in Belfast , Best began his club career in England with Manchester United , with the scout who had spotted his talent at the age of 15 sending a telegram to manager Matt Busby which read : `` I think I 've found you a genius . '' After making his debut for United aged 17 , he scored 179 goals from 470 appearances over 11 years , and was the club 's top goalscorer in the league for five consecutive seasons .   One of the greatest dribblers of all time , his playing style combined pace , skill , balance , feints , two-footedness , goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders . Best unexpectedly quit United in 1974 at age 27 , but returned to football for a number of clubs around the world in short spells , until retiring in 1984 , age 37 . In international football , he was capped 37 times and scored nine goals between 1964 and 1977 , although a combination of the team 's performance and his lack of fitness in 1982 meant that he never played in the finals of a European Championship or World Cup .   Best was one of the first celebrity footballers , earning the nickname `` El Beatle '' in 1966 , but his subsequent extravagant lifestyle led to various problems , most notably alcoholism , which he suffered from for the rest of his life . These issues affected him on and off the field , at times causing controversy . He said of his career : `` I spent a lot of money on booze , birds -LSB- women -RSB- and fast cars -- the rest I just squandered '' . After football , he spent some time as a football analyst , but his financial and health problems continued into his retirement . He died in 2005 , age 59 , due to complications from the immunosuppressive drugs he needed to take after a liver transplant in 2002 . Best was married twice , to two former models , Angie Best and then Alex Best . His son Calum Best was born in 1981 from his first marriage .   Before he died , Best was voted 8th in the World Soccer 100 greatest football players of the 20th century election in 1999 and was voted 16th in the IFFHS World Player of the Century election in 1999 . He was on the six man short list for the BBC 's Sports Personality of the Century in 1999 . Best was one of the inaugural 22 inductees into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 . In 2004 , he was voted 19th in the public UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll and was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players . Former Brazilian footballer Pelé stated , `` George Best was the greatest player in the world '' . Best was once quoted as saying , `` Pelé called me the greatest footballer in the world . That is the ultimate salute to my life . '' On what would have been his 60th birthday , Belfast City Airport was renamed the George Best Belfast City Airport . According to the BBC , Best was remembered by mourners at his public funeral held in Belfast as `` the beautiful boy '' -LSB- with a -RSB- `` beautiful game '' .   Mark Garnett and Richard Weight have explored the enduring appeal of George Best .  The British like their heroes to be tragic ones : possessed of enough glamour and talent for stardom to be lived vicariously through them ; yet flawed and vulnerable enough for the public not to be threatened by their success .


The Lion King The Lion King is a 1994 American animated epic musical film , produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It is the 32nd Disney animated feature film . The story takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa and was influenced by William Shakespeare 's Hamlet . The film was produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance . The Lion King was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff , produced by Don Hahn , and has a screenplay credited to Irene Mecchi , Jonathan Roberts , and Linda Woolverton . Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice , and original scores were written by Hans Zimmer . The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick , James Earl Jones , Jeremy Irons , Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Moira Kelly , Nathan Lane , Ernie Sabella , Rowan Atkinson , Robert Guillaume , Madge Sinclair , Whoopi Goldberg , Cheech Marin , and Jim Cummings .   The Lion King tells the story of Simba , a young lion who is to succeed his father , Mufasa , as King of the Pride Lands ; however , after Simba 's uncle Scar murders Mufasa , Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile . Upon maturation living with two wastrels , Simba is given some valuable perspective from his childhood friend , Nala , and his shaman , Rafiki , before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King .   Development of The Lion King began in 1988 during a meeting between Jeffrey Katzenberg , Roy E. Disney , and Peter Schneider while promoting Oliver & Company in Europe . Thomas Disch wrote a film treatment , and Woolverton developed the first scripts while George Scribner was signed on as director , being later joined by Allers . Production began in 1991 concurrently with Pocahontas , which wound up attracting most of Disney 's top animators . Some time after the staff traveled to Hell 's Gate National Park in Kenya to research on the film 's setting and animals , Scribner left production disagreeing with the decision to turn the film into a musical and was replaced by Minkoff . When Hahn joined the project , he was dissatisfied with the script and the story was promptly rewritten . Nearly 20 minutes of animation sequences were produced at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida . Computer animation was also used in several scenes , most notably in the wildebeest stampede sequence .   The Lion King was released on June 15 , 1994 , to a positive reaction from critics , who praised the film for its music , story , and animation ; it finished its theatrical run as the highest-grossing release of 1994 and the second highest-grossing film of all time . The Lion King garnered two Academy Awards for its achievement in music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy . The film has led to many derived works , such as a Broadway adaptation ; two direct-to-video follow-ups -- the sequel , The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride ( 1998 ) , and the prequel/parallel , The Lion King 1 1/2 ( 2004 ) -- ; two television series , Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard ; and a 3D re-release , in 2011 .   In 2016 , the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .   A CGI live-action remake of the film is scheduled for a July 19 , 2019 release in the United States .


Liev Schreiber Isaac Liev Schreiber ( -LSB- ˈliː.ɛv -RSB- born October 4 , 1967 ) , better known as Liev Schreiber , is an American actor , director , screenwriter , and producer . He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s , having appeared in several independent films , and later mainstream Hollywood films , including the Scream trilogy of horror films , Ransom ( 1996 ) , Phantoms ( 1998 ) , The Sum of All Fears ( 2002 ) , The Omen ( 2006 ) , X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) , Taking Woodstock ( 2009 ) , Salt ( 2010 ) , Goon ( 2011 ) , Pawn Sacrifice ( 2014 ) , and Spotlight ( 2015 ) .   Schreiber is also a respected stage actor , having performed in several Broadway productions . In 2005 , he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the play Glengarry Glen Ross . That year , he made his debut as a film director and writer with Everything Is Illuminated ( 2005 ) , based on the novel of the same name . Schreiber has had further success in the television world , notably portraying the eponymous protagonist of the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan ( 2013 -- present ) ; the role has earned him four Golden Globe Award nominations and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations . He also narrates the HBO series 24/7 , as well as various PBS programs .


My Bloody Valentine 3D stars Kerr Smith.

My Bloody Valentine 3D My Bloody Valentine 3D is a 2009 American slasher film . It is a reboot of the 1981 Canadian slasher film of the same name . The film was directed and edited by Patrick Lussier , and stars Jensen Ackles , Jaime King and Kerr Smith . The film had a 3D theatrical release ; it was released on January 16 , 2009 by Lionsgate to generally mixed reviews but nevertheless a box office success . It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 19 , 2009 .


Jesus Jesus ( -LSB- ˈdʒiːzəs -RSB- ; c. 4 BC -- c. AD 30/33 ) , also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ , was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity . Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah ( Christ ) prophesied in the Old Testament .   Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically , although the quest for the historical Jesus has produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely the biblical Jesus reflects the historical Jesus . Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently began his own ministry , preaching his message orally and often being referred to as `` rabbi '' . He was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities , and was crucified by the order of Pontius Pilate , the Roman prefect . Jesus debated fellow Jews on how to best follow God , performed healings , taught in parables and gathered followers . After his death , his followers believed he rose from the dead , and the community they formed eventually became the Christian Church .   His birth is celebrated annually on December 25 ( or various dates in January for some eastern churches ) as a holiday known as Christmas , his crucifixion is honored on Good Friday , and his resurrection is celebrated on Easter . The widely used calendar era `` AD '' , from the Latin anno Domini ( `` in the year of the Lord '' ) , and the alternative `` CE '' , are based on the approximate birth date of Jesus .   Christian doctrines include the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit , was born of a virgin named Mary , performed miracles , founded the Church , died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement , rose from the dead , and ascended into Heaven , whence he will return . Most Christians believe Jesus enables humans to be reconciled to God . The Nicene Creed asserts that Jesus will judge the living and the dead either before or after their bodily resurrection , an event tied to the Second Coming of Jesus in Christian eschatology . The great majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son , the second of three persons of a Divine Trinity . A minority of Christian denominations reject Trinitarianism , wholly or partly , as non-scriptural .   In Islam , Jesus ( commonly transliterated as ) is considered one of God 's important prophets and the Messiah . Muslims believe Jesus was a bringer of scripture and was born of a virgin but was not the Son of God . The Quran states that Jesus himself never claimed divinity . To most Muslims , Jesus was not crucified but was physically raised into Heaven by God .   Judaism rejects the belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah , arguing that he did not fulfill Messianic prophecies and asserting that his resurrection is a Christian legend .


Australia is a former newspaper of the British Empire.

Australia Australia ( -LSB- əˈstreɪliə -RSB- , -LSB- ɒ - -RSB- , -LSB- - ljə -RSB- ) , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands . It is the world 's sixth-largest country by total area . The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea , Indonesia and East Timor to the north ; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east ; and New Zealand to the south-east . Australia 's capital is Canberra , and its largest urban area is Sydney .   For about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century , Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians ,  who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups . After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606 , Australia 's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788 . The population grew steadily in subsequent decades , and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established . On 1 January 1901 , the six colonies federated , forming the Commonwealth of Australia . Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states and several territories . The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard .   Australia has the world 's 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income ( IMF ) . With the second-highest human development index globally , the country ranks highly in quality of life , health , education , economic freedom , and civil liberties and political rights . Australia is a member of the United Nations , G20 , Commonwealth of Nations , ANZUS , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , World Trade Organization , Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , and the Pacific Islands Forum .


The United States is the third-most populous country in the world.

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


There was an astronaut named Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong ( August 5 , 1930 -- August 25 , 2012 ) was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon . He was also an aerospace engineer , naval aviator , test pilot , and university professor . Before becoming an astronaut , Armstrong was an officer in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War . After the war , he earned his bachelor 's degree at Purdue University and served as a test pilot at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( NACA ) High-Speed Flight Station , where he logged over 900 flights . He later completed graduate studies at the University of Southern California .   A participant in the U.S. Air Force 's Man in Space Soonest and X-20 Dyna-Soar human spaceflight programs , Armstrong joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1962 . He made his first space flight as command pilot of Gemini 8 in March 1966 , becoming NASA 's first civilian astronaut to fly in space . He performed the first docking of two spacecraft , with pilot David Scott . This mission was aborted after Armstrong used some of his reentry control fuel to prevent a dangerous spin caused by a stuck thruster , in the first in-flight space emergency .   Armstrong 's second and last spaceflight was as commander of Apollo 11 , the first manned Moon landing mission in July 1969 . Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface and spent two and a half hours outside the spacecraft , while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the Command/Service Module . Along with Collins and Aldrin , Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon . President Jimmy Carter presented Armstrong the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978 . Armstrong and his former crewmates received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009 .   Armstrong died in Cincinnati , Ohio on August 25 , 2012 , at the age of 82 , after complications from coronary artery bypass surgery .


The OA The OA is an American mystery drama web television series with science fiction , supernatural , and fantasy elements , which debuted on Netflix on December 16 , 2016 . Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij , the series is their third collaboration . The series consists of eight episodes , all directed by Batmanglij , and is produced by Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content . In the series , Marling stars as a young woman named Prairie Johnson who resurfaces after having been missing for seven years . Prairie now calls herself `` The OA '' and can see , despite having been blind before her disappearance .   The OA received generally favorable critical reception . The series ' directing , visuals and acting were often singled out . Reviews also ranged from highly positive to highly negative , with several reviewers drawing both favorable and unfavorable comparisons with Stranger Things , another science fiction series that debuted on Netflix earlier in the year . On February 8 , 2017 , Netflix renewed the series for a second season .


Snooki & Jwoww was renewed for a fourth season.

Snooki & Jwoww Snooki & Jwoww ( sometimes rendered Snooki & JWOWW in print and online sources ) is an American reality television series on MTV starring Snooki and JWoww . It is the second of three spin-offs of Jersey Shore , on which both Polizzi and Farley previously gained fame as cast members . The series ran from June 21 , 2012 until February 4 , 2015 over four seasons . The series , which is executive produced by Jersey Shore producer SallyAnn Salsano of 495 Productions , is described by its stars as a modern-day Laverne & Shirley .   The first season focuses on Polizzi and Farley living together in a former firehouse in Jersey City , New Jersey , though Polizzi 's pregnancy , which was confirmed during filming of the first season , led to a change in episode content and tone that would distance it from the party-oriented antics of its parent show . Filming began on the first season February 25 , 2012 , and lasted five weeks . A second season was confirmed on August 3 , 2012 , and premiered on January 8 , 2013 . On April 25 , 2013 , MTV renewed the series for a third season , which premiered on October 22 , 2013 . On April 24 , 2014 , the series was renewed for the fourth and final season , which premiered on November 5 , 2014 , and concluded on February 4 , 2015 .


Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. ( known professionally as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures and abbreviated as SPE ) is an American entertainment company that produces , acquires and distributes filmed entertainment ( theatrical motion pictures , television programs and recorded videos ) through multiple platforms . It operates as a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc. , which is the parent company for both the music and motion picture businesses of Sony Corporation . Based in Culver City , California , it encompasses Sony 's motion picture , television production and distribution units . Its group sales in the fiscal year 2015 ( April 2015-March 2016 ) has been reported to be of $ 8.3 billion . Sony Pictures is one of Hollywood 's major film studios and a member of the Motion Picture Association of America .   Sony Pictures ' film franchises include The Karate Kid , Ghostbusters , Spider-Man , Men in Black , Underworld , Resident Evil , Robert Langdon , The Smurfs , and many more .


Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries , Inc. ( known as Columbia Pictures and Columbia , and formerly CBC Film Sales Corporation ) is an American film studio , production company and film distributor that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group , a division of Sony Entertainment 's Sony Pictures subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony .   What would eventually become Columbia Pictures , CBC Film Sales Corporation , was founded on June 19 , 1918 by Harry Cohn , his brother Jack Cohn , and Joe Brandt . It adopted the Columbia Pictures name in 1924 , and went public two years later . Its name is derived from `` Columbia '' , a national personification of the United States , which is used as the studio 's logo . In its early years , it was a minor player in Hollywood , but began to grow in the late 1920s , spurred by a successful association with director Frank Capra . With Capra and others , Columbia became one of the primary homes of the screwball comedy . In the 1930s , Columbia 's major contract stars were Jean Arthur and Cary Grant . In the 1940s , Rita Hayworth became the studio 's premier star and propelled their fortunes into the late 1950s . Rosalind Russell , Glenn Ford , and William Holden also became major stars at the studio .   It is one of the leading film studios in the world , and is a member of the `` Big Six '' major American film studios . It was one of the so-called `` Little Three '' among the eight major film studios of Hollywood 's Golden Age . Today , it has become the world 's fifth largest major film studio .


Spider-Man: Homecoming Spider-Man : Homecoming is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man . Co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios , and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing , it is intended to be the second reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise and the sixteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) . The film is directed by Jon Watts , with a screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers , and stars Tom Holland , Michael Keaton , Jon Favreau , Zendaya , Donald Glover , Tyne Daly , Marisa Tomei , and Robert Downey Jr. . In Spider-Man : Homecoming , Peter Parker tries to balance high school life with being the hero Spider-Man as he faces the Vulture .   In February 2015 , Marvel Studios and Sony reached a deal to share the character rights of Spider-Man , integrating the character into the established MCU . The following June , Holland was cast as the title character , while Watts was hired to direct , followed shortly after by the casting of Tomei and the hiring of Daley and Goldstein to write the script . In April 2016 , the film 's title was revealed , along with additional castings including Downey . Principal photography began in June 2016 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County , Georgia and continued in New York City before concluding in Berlin the following October . During filming , Watts , Christopher Ford , Chris McKenna , and Erik Sommers were revealed as additional screenwriters , and more cast members were confirmed .   Spider-Man : Homecoming is scheduled to have its premiere in New York City on June 28 , 2017 , and be released on July 7 , 2017 , in the United States in 3D , IMAX , and IMAX 3D . A sequel is scheduled to be released on July 5 , 2019 .


Marvel Studios Marvel Studios , LLC ( originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996 ) is an American motion picture studio based at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank , California and is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios , itself a wholly owned division of The Walt Disney Company , with film producer Kevin Feige serving as president . Previously , the studio was a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment until The Walt Disney Company reorganized the companies in August 2015 .   Dedicated to producing films based on Marvel Comics characters , the studio has been involved in three Marvel-character film franchises to have exceeded one billion dollars in North American revenue : the X-Men , Spider-Man , and Marvel Cinematic Universe multi-film franchises . X-Men and Spider-Man and other Marvel franchises are licensed out to 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures , respectively . Marvel Studios ' films are currently distributed theatrically by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures ; Paramount Pictures from 2008 to 2011 ; Universal Pictures for The Incredible Hulk ; and Columbia Pictures for Spider-Man : Homecoming scheduled for release on July 7 , 2017 .   Marvel Studios has released 15 films since 2008 within the Marvel Cinematic Universe , from Iron Man ( 2008 ) to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 ( 2017 ) . These films all share continuity with each other , along with the One-Shots produced by the studio and the television shows produced by Marvel Television .


American Pie is a film that is categorized exclusively as being drama.

American Pie (film) American Pie is a 1999 teen sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by brothers Paul and Chris Weitz , in their directorial film debut . It is the first film in the American Pie theatrical series . The film was a box-office hit and spawned three direct sequels : American Pie 2 ( 2001 ) , American Wedding ( 2003 ) , and American Reunion ( 2012 ) . The film concentrates on five best friends ( Jim , Kevin , Oz , Finch , and Stifler ) who attend East Great Falls High . With the exception of Stifler ( who has already lost his virginity ) , the guys make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation . The title is borrowed from the song of the same name and refers to a scene in the film , in which the protagonist is caught masturbating with a pie after being told that third base feels like `` warm apple pie '' . Writer Adam Herz has stated that the title also refers to the quest of losing one 's virginity in high school , which is as `` American as apple pie . ''   The film 's theme song is `` Laid '' by James , which is also the theme for the entire franchise .   In addition to the primary American Pie saga , there are four direct-to-DVD spin-off films bearing the title American Pie Presents : Band Camp ( 2005 ) , The Naked Mile ( 2006 ) , Beta House ( 2007 ) , and The Book of Love ( 2009 ) .   In response to the success of American Reunion , a fifth theatrical film , under the working title American Pie 5 was announced on August 4 , 2012 .


FC Barcelona was ranked second in the IFFHS Club World Ranking for 1997.

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona ( -LSB- fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə -RSB- ) , commonly known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a professional football club based in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain .   Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss , English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper , the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism , hence the motto `` Més que un club '' ( `` More than a club '' ) . Unlike many other football clubs , the supporters own and operate Barcelona . It is the second most valuable sports team in the world , worth $ 3.56 billion , and the world 's second richest football club in terms of revenue , with an annual turnover of $ 560.8 million . The official Barcelona anthem is the `` Cant del Barça '' , written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs .   Domestically , Barcelona has won 24 La Liga , 29 Copa del Rey , 12 Supercopa de España , 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies , as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions . In international club football , Barcelona has won twenty European and World titles -- four UEFA Champions League titles and one European Cup , a record four UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , a shared record five UEFA Super Cup , a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a record three FIFA Club World Cup . Barcelona was ranked first in the IFFHS Club World Ranking for 1997 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 and 2015 and currently occupies the third position on the UEFA club rankings . The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid ; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico .   Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world , and the club has the largest social media following in the world among sports teams . Barcelona players have won a record number of Ballon d'Or awards ( 11 ) , with recipients including Johan Cruyff , as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards ( 7 ) , with winners including Ronaldo , Romário and Ronaldinho . In 2010 , three players who came through the club 's youth academy ( Lionel Messi , Andrés Iniesta and Xavi ) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards , an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school .   Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division , along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid . In 2009 , Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga , Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League , and also became the first football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year , completing the sextuple in also winning the Spanish Super Cup , UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup . In 2011 , the club became European champions again and won five trophies . This Barcelona team , which won 14 trophies in just 4 years under Pep Guardiola , is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time . By winning their fifth Champions League trophy on 6 June 2015 , Barcelona became the first European club in history to achieve the continental treble twice .


Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender ( born 2 April 1977 ) is a German-born Irish actor . His feature film debut was in the fantasy war epic 300 ( 2007 ) as a Spartan warrior ; his earlier roles included various stage productions , as well as starring roles on television such as in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers ( 2001 ) and the Sky One fantasy drama Hex ( 2004 -- 05 ) . He first came to prominence for his role as IRA activist Bobby Sands in Hunger ( 2008 ) , for which he won a British Independent Film Award . Subsequent roles include in the independent film Fish Tank ( 2009 ) , as a Royal Marines lieutenant in Inglourious Basterds ( 2009 ) , as Edward Rochester in the 2011 film adaptation of Jane Eyre , as Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method ( 2011 ) , as a sentient android in Prometheus ( 2012 ) and its sequel , Alien : Covenant ( 2017 ) , and in the musical comedy-drama Frank ( 2014 ) as an eccentric musician loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom .   In 2011 , Fassbender debuted as the Marvel Comics antihero Magneto in X-Men : First Class , and went on to share the role with Ian McKellen in X-Men : Days of Future Past ( 2014 ) , and reprise it again in X-Men : Apocalypse ( 2016 ) . Also in 2011 , Fassbender 's performance as a sex addict in Shame earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards . In 2013 , his role as slave owner Edwin Epps in the slavery epic 12 Years a Slave was similarly praised , earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor . In 2013 , Fassbender appeared in another Ridley Scott film , The Counselor . In 2015 , he portrayed the title role in the Danny Boyle-directed biopic Steve Jobs ( 2015 ) , and played Macbeth in Justin Kurzel 's adaptation of William Shakespeare 's play . For the former , he has received Academy Award , BAFTA , Golden Globe and SAG nominations . In 2015 , he produced the western Slow West , in which he also starred .


The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 horror-thriller film.

The Silence of the Lambs (film) The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American horror-thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , and Scott Glenn . Adapted by Ted Tally from the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris , his second to feature the character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter ; a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer , the film was the second adaptation of a Harris novel featuring Lecter , preceded by the Michael Mann-directed Manhunter in 1986 . In the film , Clarice Starling , a young U.S. FBI trainee , seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter to apprehend another serial killer , known only as `` Buffalo Bill '' .   The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 14 , 1991 , and grossed $ 272.7 million worldwide against its $ 19 million budget . It was only the third film , the other two being It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest , to win Academy Awards in all the top five categories : Best Picture , Best Actor , Best Actress , Best Director , and Adapted Screenplay . It is also the first ( and so far only ) Best Picture winner widely considered to be a horror film , and only the third such film to be nominated in the category , after The Exorcist in 1973 and Jaws in 1975 . The film is considered `` culturally , historically or aesthetically '' significant by the U.S. Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry in 2011 . A sequel titled Hannibal was released in 2001 with Hopkins reprising his role , followed by two prequels : Red Dragon ( 2002 ) and Hannibal Rising ( 2007 ) .


Mexico Mexico ( México , -LSB- ˈme.xi.ko -RSB- , modern Nahuatl ) , officially the United Mexican States ( -LSB- Estados Unidos Mexicanos , links = no -RSB- , ) , is a federal republic in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost two million square kilometers ( over 760,000 sq mi ) , Mexico is the sixth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent nation in the world . With an estimated population of over 120 million , it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world while being the second most populous country in Latin America . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states and a federal district that is also its capital and most populous city . Other metropolises include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana and León .   Pre-Columbian Mexico was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations , such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . Three centuries later , this territory became Mexico following recognition in 1821 after the colony 's Mexican War of Independence . The tumultuous post-independence period was characterized by economic instability and many political changes . The Mexican -- American War ( 1846 -- 48 ) led to the territorial cession of the extensive northern territories to the United States . The Pastry War , the Franco-Mexican War , a civil war , two empires and a domestic dictatorship occurred through the 19th century . The dictatorship was overthrown in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 , which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country 's current political system .   Mexico has the fifteenth largest nominal GDP and the eleventh largest by purchasing power parity . The Mexican economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) partners , especially the United States . Mexico was the first Latin American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , joining in 1994 . It is classified as an upper-middle income country by the World Bank and a newly industrialized country by several analysts . By 2050 , Mexico could become the world 's fifth or seventh largest economy . The country is considered both a regional power and middle power , and is often identified as an emerging global power . Due to its rich culture and history , Mexico ranks first in the Americas and seventh in the world by number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Mexico is a megadiverse country , ranking fourth in the world by biodiversity . In 2016 it was the eighth most visited country in the world , with 35 million international arrivals . Mexico is a member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , the G8 +5 , the G20 , the Uniting for Consensus and the Pacific Alliance .


Klute Klute is a 1971 American neo-noir crime-thriller film directed and produced by Alan J. Pakula , written by Andy and Dave Lewis , and starring Jane Fonda , Donald Sutherland , Charles Cioffi , and Roy Scheider . It tells the story of a high-priced prostitute who assists a detective in solving a missing person case .   Klute is the first installment of what informally came to be known as Pakula 's `` paranoia trilogy '' . The other two films in the trilogy are The Parallax View ( 1974 ) and All the President 's Men ( 1976 ) .   The film includes a cameo appearance by Warhol superstars actress Candy Darling , and another by All in the Family costar Jean Stapleton . The music was composed by Michael Small .   Jane Fonda won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film .


Yeh Dillagi was the first of several films in which Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan acted together.

Yeh Dillagi Yeh Dillagi ( English : This Romance ) is a 1994 Bollywood romantic film , produced by Yash Chopra and directed by Naresh Malhotra under the banner of Yash Raj Films . It stars Akshay Kumar , Saif Ali Khan and Kajol . Karisma Kapoor has a special appearance . It was the sixth highest-grossing film of 1994 . Akshay Kumar was nominated as Best Actor and Kajol for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards . It is a remake of the 1954 American romantic comedy Sabrina , starring Audrey Hepburn and William Holden . This was the first of several films in which Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan acted together .


Viva La Bam Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that starred Bam Margera and his friends and family . The show was a spin-off from MTV 's Jackass , in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared . Each episode had a specific theme , mission , or challenge which was normally accomplished by performing pranks , skateboarding , and enlisting the help of friends , relations and experts . Although partly improvised , the show was supported by a greater degree of planning and organization .


Bam Margera Brandon Cole `` Bam '' Margera ( -LSB- mɑrˈdʒɛərə -RSB- or ; born September 28 , 1979 ) is an American professional skateboarder , stunt performer , and television personality . He came to prominence after appearing in MTV 's Jackass crew . He has since appeared in MTV 's Viva La Bam and Bam 's Unholy Union , all three Jackass movies , and Haggard and Minghags , both of which he co-wrote and directed .


Jackass (TV series) Jackass is an American reality series , originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002 , featuring people performing various dangerous , crude , self-injuring stunts and pranks . The show served as a launchpad for the television and acting careers of Johnny Knoxville , Bam Margera , and Steve-O , who previously had only minor acting roles .   Since 2001 , three Jackass films have been produced and released by MTV corporate sibling Paramount Pictures , continuing the franchise after its run on television . The show sparked several spin-offs including Viva La Bam , Wildboyz , Homewrecker , Dr. Steve-O , Nitro Circus , and Blastazoid .   The show placed # 68 on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list .


Billy Wilder Samuel `` Billy '' Wilder -LSB- ˈwaɪldər -RSB- -LSB- ˈvɪldɐ -RSB- ( June 22 , 1906March 27 , 2002 ) was an Austrian-born Jewish-American filmmaker , screenwriter , producer , artist , and journalist whose career spanned more than five decades . He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood 's golden age . With The Apartment , Wilder became the first person to win Academy Awards as producer , director , and screenwriter for the same film .   Wilder became a screenwriter in the late 1920s while living in Berlin . After the rise of the Nazi Party , he left for Paris , where he made his directorial debut . He moved to Hollywood in 1933 , and in 1939 he had a hit when he co-wrote the screenplay for the romantic comedy Ninotchka , starring Greta Garbo . Wilder established his directorial reputation with an adaption of James M. Cain 's Double Indemnity ( 1944 ) , a film noir . Wilder co-wrote the screenplay with crime novelist Raymond Chandler . Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend ( 1945 ) , about alcoholism . In 1950 , Wilder co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed Sunset Boulevard , as well as Stalag 17 in 1953 .   From the mid-1950s on , Wilder made mostly comedies . Among the classics Wilder created in this period are the farces The Seven Year Itch ( 1955 ) and Some Like It Hot ( 1959 ) , and satires such as The Apartment ( 1960 ) . He directed fourteen different actors in Oscar-nominated performances . Wilder was recognized with the American Film Institute ( AFI ) Life Achievement Award in 1986 . In 1988 , Wilder was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award . In 1993 , he was awarded the National Medal of Arts .


Macaulay Culkin acted in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Carson Culkin ( born August 26 , 1980 ) is an American actor . He became famous as a child actor for his role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy Home Alone ( 1990 ) and its sequel Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York ( 1992 ) . He is also known for his roles in Uncle Buck ( 1989 ) , My Girl ( 1991 ) , The Good Son ( 1993 ) , The Pagemaster ( 1994 ) , Richie Rich ( 1994 ) , Party Monster ( 2003 ) , and the music video for Michael Jackson 's `` Black or White '' . At the height of his fame , he was regarded as the most successful child actor since Shirley Temple . Culkin ranked at number two on VH1 's list of the `` 100 Greatest Kid-Stars '' and E! 's list of the `` 50 Greatest Child Stars '' .


The Boeing 707 was only built until 1979.

Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is a mid-sized , long-range , narrow-body , four-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes from 1958 to 1979 . Its name is commonly pronounced as `` seven oh seven '' . Versions of the aircraft have a capacity from 140 to 219 passengers and a range of 2500 to .   Developed as Boeing 's first jet airliner , the 707 is a swept-wing design with podded engines . Although it was not the first jetliner in service , the 707 was the first to be commercially successful . Dominating passenger air transport in the 1960s and remaining common through the 1970s , the 707 is generally credited with ushering in the Jet Age . It established Boeing as one of the largest manufacturers of passenger aircraft , and led to the later series of airliners with `` 7x7 '' designations . The later 720 , 727 , 737 , and 757 share elements of the 707 's fuselage design .   The 707 was developed from the Boeing 367-80 , a prototype jet first flown in 1954 . A larger fuselage cross-section and other modifications resulted in the initial-production 707-120 , powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojet engines , which first flew on December 20 , 1957 . Pan American World Airways began regular 707 service on October 26 , 1958 . Later derivatives included the shortened long-range 707-138 and the stretched 707-320 , both of which entered service in 1959 . A smaller short-range variant , the 720 , was introduced in 1960 . The 707-420 , a version of the stretched 707 with Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans , debuted in 1960 , while Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbofans debuted on the 707-120B and 707-320B models in 1961 and 1962 , respectively .   The 707 has been used on domestic , transcontinental , and transatlantic flights , and for cargo and military applications . A convertible passenger-freighter model , the 707-320C , entered service in 1963 , and passenger 707s have been modified to freighter configurations . Military derivatives include the E-3 Sentry airborne reconnaissance aircraft and the C-137 Stratoliner VIP transports . Boeing produced and delivered 1,011 airliners including the smaller 720 series ; over 800 military versions were also produced . Ten Boeing 707s were in commercial service in July 2013 .


Legion (Marvel Comics) Legion ( David Charles Haller ) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . He is the mutant son of Professor Charles Xavier and Gabrielle Haller . Legion takes the role of an antihero and has a severe mental illness including a form of dissociative identity disorder in which each of his alternate personas controls one of his many superpowers .   Legion stars in his own TV series of the same name where he is portrayed by Dan Stevens .


Electric blues is incorporated into Rock music.

Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as `` rock and roll '' in the United States in the early 1950s , and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later , particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States . It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll , a style which drew heavily on the African-American genres of blues and rhythm and blues , and from country music . Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk , and incorporated influences from jazz , classical and other musical styles . Musically , rock has centered on the electric guitar , usually as part of a rock group with electric bass and drums and one or more singers . Typically , rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form , but the genre has become extremely diverse . Like pop music , lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political .   By the late 1960s `` classic rock '' period , a number of distinct rock music subgenres had emerged , including hybrids like blues rock , folk rock , country rock , raga rock , and jazz-rock , many of which contributed to the development of psychedelic rock , which was influenced by the countercultural psychedelic and hippie scene . New genres that emerged included progressive rock , which extended the artistic elements ; glam rock , which highlighted showmanship and visual style ; and the diverse and enduring subgenre of heavy metal , which emphasized volume , power , and speed . In the second half of the 1970s , punk rock reacted by producing stripped-down , energetic social and political critiques . Punk was an influence in the 1980s on new wave , post-punk and eventually alternative rock . From the 1990s alternative rock began to dominate rock music and break into the mainstream in the form of grunge , Britpop , and indie rock . Further fusion subgenres have since emerged , including pop punk , rap rock , and rap metal , as well as conscious attempts to revisit rock 's history , including the garage rock/post-punk and synth-pop revivals at the beginning of the 2000s ( decade ) .   Rock music has also embodied and served as the vehicle for cultural and social movements , leading to major subcultures including mods and rockers in the UK and the hippie counterculture that spread out from San Francisco in the US in the 1960s . Similarly , 1970s punk culture spawned the goth and emo subcultures . Inheriting the folk tradition of the protest song , rock music has been associated with political activism as well as changes in social attitudes to race , sex and drug use , and is often seen as an expression of youth revolt against adult consumerism and conformity .


Hugh Jackman was in the film Les Misérables singing and dancing.

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


Grand Theft Auto V was only released for sixth generation consoles.

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 ( PS3 ) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment . It is the successor to PlayStation 2 , and is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles . It was first released on November 11 , 2006 , in Japan , November 17 , 2006 , in North America , and March 23 , 2007 , in Europe and Australia . The PlayStation 3 mainly competes against consoles such as Microsoft 's Xbox 360 and Nintendo 's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles .   The console was first officially announced at E3 2005 , and was released at the end of 2006 . It was the first console to use Blu-ray Disc as its primary storage medium . The console was the first PlayStation to integrate social gaming services , including being the first to introduce Sony 's social gaming service , PlayStation Network , and its remote connectivity with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita , being able to remote control the console from the devices . In September 2009 , the Slim model of the PlayStation 3 was released . It no longer provided the hardware ability to run PS2 games . It was lighter and thinner than the original version , and featured a redesigned logo and marketing design , as well as a minor start-up change in software . A Super Slim variation was then released in late 2012 , further refining and redesigning the console .   The system had a slow start in the market but managed to recover , particularly after the introduction of the Slim model . As of March 2016 , PlayStation 3 has sold 85 million units worldwide , putting it about on par with Xbox 360 , but behind the Wii . Its successor , the PlayStation 4 , was released later in November 2013 . On September 29 , 2015 , Sony confirmed that sales of the PlayStation 3 were to be discontinued in New Zealand , but the system remains in production in other markets . In March 2017 , the official site for PlayStation 3 in Japan was updated to state that it would be discontinued soon .   On 29 May 2017 , the PlayStation 3 was discontinued in Japan , as of 2015 , the PS3 is getting discontinued in certain parts of the world .  The PlayStation 3 will be discontinued worldwide soon .


Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games . It was released on 17 September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 , on 18 November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One , and on 14 April 2015 for Microsoft Windows . It is the first main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series since 2008 's Grand Theft Auto IV . Set within the fictional state of San Andreas , based on Southern California , the single-player story follows three criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency . The open world design lets players freely roam San Andreas ' open countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos , based on Los Angeles .   The game is played from either a first-person or third-person view and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle . Players control the three lead protagonists throughout single-player and switch between them both during and outside of missions . The story is centred on the heist sequences , and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay . A `` wanted '' system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes . Grand Theft Auto Online , the online multiplayer mode , lets up to 30 players explore the open world and engage in cooperative or competitive game matches .   Development began soon after Grand Theft Auto IV 's release and was shared between many of Rockstar 's studios worldwide . The development team drew influence from many of their previous projects such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 , and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors . Much of the development work constituted the open world 's creation , and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team . The game 's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years .   Extensively marketed and widely anticipated , the game broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history , earning US $ 800 million in its first day and US $ 1 billion in its first three days . It received widespread critical acclaim , with praise directed at its multiple protagonist design , open world , presentation and gameplay . However , it caused controversies related to its depiction of women and a mission featuring torture during a hostage interrogation . Considered one of seventh generation console gaming 's most significant titles and among the best games ever made , it won year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications . It has shipped over 80 million copies and is one of the best-selling video games of all time .


The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom that was created by Matt Groening.

Matt Groening Matthew Abraham `` Matt '' Groening ( -LSB- ˈɡreɪnɪŋ -RSB- ; born February 15 , 1954 ) is an American cartoonist , writer , producer , animator , and voice actor . He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell ( 1977 -- 2012 ) and the television series The Simpsons ( 1989 -- present ) and Futurama ( 1999 -- 2003 , 2008 -- 2013 ) . The Simpsons has gone on to become the longest-running U.S. primetime-television series in history , as well as the longest-running animated series and sitcom .   Groening made his first professional cartoon sale of Life in Hell to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978 . At its peak , the cartoon was carried in 250 weekly newspapers . Life in Hell caught the attention of James L. Brooks . In 1985 , Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation for the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show . Originally , Brooks wanted Groening to adapt his Life in Hell characters for the show . Fearing the loss of ownership rights , Groening decided to create something new and came up with a cartoon family , the Simpson family , and named the members after his own parents and sisters -- while Bart was an anagram of the word brat . The shorts would be spun off into their own series The Simpsons , which has since aired episodes . In 1997 , Groening and former Simpsons writer David X. Cohen developed Futurama , an animated series about life in the year 3000 , which premiered in 1999 , running for four years on Fox , then picked up by Comedy Central for additional seasons .   Groening has won 12 Primetime Emmy Awards , ten for The Simpsons and two for Futurama as well as a British Comedy Award for `` outstanding contribution to comedy '' in 2004 . In 2002 , he won the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award for his work on Life in Hell . He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14 , 2012 .


The Simpsons The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company . The series is a satirical depiction of working-class life epitomized by the Simpson family , which consists of Homer , Marge , Bart , Lisa , and Maggie . The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture , society , television , and the human condition .   The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks . Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family , substituting Bart for his own name . The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19 , 1987 . After a three-season run , the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became an early hit for Fox , becoming the network 's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season ( 1989 -- 90 ) .   Since its debut on December 17 , 1989 , episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast . Its 28th season began on September 25 , 2016 . It is the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American animated program , and , in 2009 , it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American scripted primetime television series . The Simpsons Movie , a feature-length film , was released in theaters worldwide on July 27 , 2007 , and grossed over $ 527 million . On November 4 , 2016 , the series was renewed for a twenty-ninth and thirtieth season of 22 episodes each , extending the show to 2019 .   The Simpsons received widespread critical acclaim throughout its first nine seasons , which are generally considered its `` Golden Age '' . Time named it the 20th century 's best television series , and Erik Adams of The A.V. Club named it `` television 's crowning achievement regardless of format '' . On January 14 , 2000 , the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series , including 31 Primetime Emmy Awards , 30 Annie Awards , and a Peabody Award . Homer 's exclamatory catchphrase `` D'oh ! '' has been adopted into the English language , while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms . Despite this , the show has also been criticized for what many perceive as a decline in quality over the years .


Paul Wesley appeared in an American drama television series.

Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec , based on the popular book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith . The series premiered on The CW on September 10 , 2009 and concluded on March 10 , 2017 , airing 171 episodes over eight seasons .   The pilot episode attracted the largest audience for The CW of any series premiere since the network began in 2006 . The first season averaged 3.60 million viewers . It was the most-watched series on the network before being supplanted by Arrow . The show has received numerous award nominations , winning four People 's Choice Award and many Teen Choice Awards .   On April 26 , 2013 , The CW officially announced that the spin-off The Originals , which focuses on the Original family of vampires , had been ordered to series , and the show began airing during the 2013 -- 14 American television season .   On April 6 , 2015 , lead actress Nina Dobrev confirmed via Instagram that she and co-star Michael Trevino ( who plays Tyler Lockwood ) would be leaving the show after its sixth season . Dobrev returned to record a voiceover for the seventh-season finale . Trevino appeared as a guest star in season seven and returned for season 8 . On March 11 , 2016 , The CW renewed the series for an eighth season , but on July 23 , 2016 , announced that the eighth season , which would have 16 episodes , would be the show 's last . The final season began airing on October 21 , 2016 .


Ramona Marquez Ramona Marquez ( born 24 February 2001 ) is a British child actress from London , best known for her role as Karen Brockman in the BBC One sitcom Outnumbered .


Radiohead signed to EMI in 1991 after their successful debut album.

Radiohead Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Abingdon , Oxfordshire , formed in 1985 . The band consists of Thom Yorke ( lead vocals , guitar , piano , keyboards ) , Jonny Greenwood ( lead guitar , keyboards , other instruments ) , Ed O'Brien ( guitar , backing vocals ) , Colin Greenwood ( bass ) , and Phil Selway ( drums , percussion , backing vocals ) . They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994 .   After signing to EMI in 1991 , Radiohead released their debut single `` Creep '' in 1992 . It became a worldwide hit after the release of their debut album , Pablo Honey ( 1993 ) . Their popularity and critical standing rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album , The Bends ( 1995 ) . Radiohead 's third album , OK Computer ( 1997 ) , propelled them to international fame ; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation , it is often acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s and one of the best albums in popular music . The group 's next albums Kid A ( 2000 ) and Amnesiac ( 2001 ) , recorded simultaneously , marked a dramatic change in style , incorporating influences from experimental electronic music , 20th-century classical music , krautrock , and jazz . Despite initially dividing listeners , Kid A was later named the best album of the decade by Rolling Stone , Pitchfork and the Times .   Radiohead 's sixth album , Hail to the Thief ( 2003 ) , mixed rock and electronic music with lyrics inspired by the War on Terror , and was the band 's final album for EMI . Their subsequent releases have pioneered alternative release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent . Radiohead self-released their seventh album , In Rainbows ( 2007 ) , as a download for which customers could set their own price , to critical and chart success . Their eighth album , The King of Limbs ( 2011 ) , an exploration of rhythm , was developed using extensive looping and sampling . Their ninth album , A Moon Shaped Pool ( 2016 ) , prominently featured Jonny Greenwood 's orchestral arrangements .   Radiohead have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide . Their work places highly in both listener polls and critics ' lists of the best music of the 1990s and 2000s . In 2005 , they were ranked 73rd in Rolling Stone 's list of `` The Greatest Artists of All Time '' ; Jonny Greenwood ( 48th ) and O'Brien ( 59th ) were both included in Rolling Stones list of greatest guitarists , and Yorke ( 66th ) in their list of greatest singers . In 2009 , Rolling Stone readers voted the group the second-best artist of the 2000s .


Marvel Girl is an alias that Jean Grey is known under.

Jean Grey Jean Grey-Summers ( born Jean Elaine Grey ) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl , Phoenix , and Dark Phoenix . Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby , the character first appeared in The X-Men # 1 ( September 1963 ) .   Jean Grey is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants , who are born with superhuman abilities . She was born with telepathic and telekinetic powers . Her powers first manifested when she saw her childhood friend being hit by a car . She is a caring , nurturing figure , but she also has to deal with being an Omega-level mutant and the physical manifestation of the cosmic Phoenix Force . Jean Grey experienced a transformation into the Phoenix in the X-Men storyline `` The Dark Phoenix Saga '' . She has faced death numerous times in the history of the series . Her first death was under her guise as Marvel Girl , when she died and was `` reborn '' as Phoenix in `` The Dark Phoenix Saga '' . This transformation led to her second death , which was suicide , though not her last .   She is an important figure in the lives of other Marvel Universe characters , mostly the X-Men , including her husband Cyclops , her mentor and father figure Charles Xavier , her unrequited love interest Wolverine , her best friend and sister-like figure Storm , and her genetic children Rachel Summers , X-Man , Cable , and Stryfe .   The character was present for much of the X-Men 's history , and she was featured in all three X-Men animated series and several video games . She is a playable character in X-Men Legends ( 2004 ) , X-Men Legends II : Rise of Apocalypse ( 2005 ) , Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 ( 2009 ) , Marvel vs Capcom 3 : Fate of Two Worlds ( 2011 ) , Marvel Heroes ( 2013 ) , and Lego Marvel Super Heroes ( 2013 ) , and appeared as a non-playable in the first Marvel : Ultimate Alliance .   Famke Janssen portrayed the character in five installments of the X-Men films . Sophie Turner portrays a younger version in the 2016 film X-Men : Apocalypse .   In 2006 , IGN rated Jean Grey 6th on their list of top 25 X-Men from the past forty years , and in 2011 , IGN ranked her 13th in the `` Top 100 Comic Book Heroes '' . Her Dark Phoenix persona was ranked 9th in IGN 's `` Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time '' list , the highest rank for a female character .


Alexander Lukashenko is president of a landlocked country and he has been criticized for human rights abuses.

Belarus Belarus ( -LSB- bɛləˈruːs -RSB- Беларусь , Belaruś or Bełaruś , -LSB- bʲɛlaˈrusʲ -RSB- ; -LSB- Беларусь , Belarusʹ , bʲɪlɐˈrusʲ -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Belarus , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40 % of its 207600 km2 is forested . Its strongest economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire .   In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish -- Soviet War of 1919 -- 1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .   The parliament of the republic declared the sovereignty of Belarus on 1990 , and during the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Belarus declared independence on 1991 . Alexander Lukashenko has served as the country 's president since 1994 . Belarus has been labeled `` Europe 's last dictatorship '' by some Western journalists , on account of Lukashenko 's self-described authoritarian style of government . Lukashenko continued a number of Soviet-era policies , such as state ownership of large sections of the economy . Elections under Lukashenko 's rule have been widely criticized as unfair by the international community ; and according to many countries and organizations , political opposition has been violently suppressed . Belarus 's Democracy Index rating was the lowest in Europe until 2014 ( when it was passed by Russia ) , the country is labelled as `` not free '' by Freedom House , as `` repressed '' in the Index of Economic Freedom , and is rated as by far the worst country for press freedom in Europe in the 2013 -- 14 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders , which ranks Belarus 157th out of 180 nations .   In 2000 Belarus and Russia signed a treaty for greater cooperation , with some hints of forming a Union State . Over 70 % of Belarus 's population of 9.49 million resides in urban areas . More than 80 % of the population is ethnic Belarusian , with sizable minorities of Russians , Poles and Ukrainians . Since a referendum in 1995 , the country has had two official languages : Belarusian and Russian . The Constitution of Belarus does not declare any official religion , although the primary religion in the country is Eastern Orthodox Christianity . The second most widespread religion , Roman Catholicism , has a much smaller following ; nevertheless , Belarus celebrates both Orthodox and Catholic versions of Christmas and Easter as national holidays . Belarus is the only European country to retain capital punishment in both law and practice .


Alexander Lukashenko Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko ( Алякса́ндр Рыго́равіч Лукашэ́нка , Aliaksandr Ryhoravič Lukašenka , Алекса́ндр Григо́рьевич Лукаше́нко born 30 August 1954 ) is the President of Belarus , in office since 20 July 1994 . Before his career as a politician , Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm and spent time with the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army . He was the only deputy to vote against the independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union .   Lukashenko opposed Western-backed `` shock therapy '' during the post-Soviet transition . He has retained Soviet-era policies , such as continued state ownership of key industries , despite objections from Western governments . Observers also contend that Lukashenko presides over a regime steeped in Soviet nostalgia . Belarus has been labeled `` Europe 's last dictatorship '' by some Western journalists , on account of Lukashenko 's self-described authoritarian style of government . Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials are also the subject of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States for human rights violations off and on since 2006 .


John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( -LSB- ˈmeɪ.ɚ -RSB- born October 16 , 1977 ) is an American singer-songwriter , guitarist , and producer . He was born in Bridgeport , Connecticut , and raised in nearby Fairfield . He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston , but disenrolled and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with Clay Cook . Together , they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters . After their split , Mayer continued to play local clubs -- refining his skills and gaining a following . After his appearance at the 2001 South by Southwest Festival , he was signed to Aware Records , and then Columbia Records , which released his first EP , Inside Wants Out . His following two full-length albums -- Room for Squares ( 2001 ) and Heavier Things ( 2003 ) -- did well commercially , achieving multi-platinum status . In 2003 , he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single `` Your Body Is a Wonderland '' .   Though Mayer started his career mainly performing acoustic rock , he began moving towards the blues genre that had originally influenced him as a musician . By 2005 , he was collaborating with blues artists such as B. B. King , Buddy Guy , and Eric Clapton . Forming the John Mayer Trio , he released a live album in 2005 called Try ! , and his third studio album Continuum in 2006 . Both albums received wide critical acclaim , and Continuum earned Mayer a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album . He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for `` Waiting on the World to Change '' . That album was followed by Battle Studies in 2009 , a return to pop , with a number-one grossing tour .   After having several controversial incidents with the media , Mayer withdrew from public life in 2010 and began work on a follow-up album , called Born and Raised , that would draw inspiration from the 1970s pop music of Laurel Canyon . However , the discovery of a granuloma on his vocal cords delayed the release of the album until May 2012 , and ultimately forced him to cancel the planned tour . Even so , the album enjoyed a generally favorable reception , though was less commercially successful than his previous work . After extensive treatments for his vocal problems -- and a two-year hiatus -- Mayer began performing as a singer again in January 2013 , and that year released the album , Paradise Valley . The album is named for where he lives in Montana and features country music influences . By 2014 , he had sold a total of over 20 million albums worldwide . After developing an interest in the Grateful Dead and connecting with Bob Weir , Mayer formed Dead & Company with three former Grateful Dead musicians . After two well-received tours in the fall of 2015 and summer of 2016 , the band has already committed to another tour for the summer of 2017 .   Mayer 's secondary career pursuits extend to television hosting , comedy , and writing ; he has authored columns for magazines such as Esquire . He supports various causes and has performed at charity benefits . He is a watch aficionado ( with a collection he values in the `` tens of millions '' of dollars ) , and has been on the jury at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève . He currently lives in Montana . His latest song is `` Love on the Weekend '' .


The non-dualistic sub-tradition of Vedanta is called Advaita Vedanta.

Advaita Vedanta Advaita Vedanta ( IAST , ; अद्वैत वेदान्त , literally , not-two ) is a school of Hindu philosophy and religious practice , and one of the classic Indian paths to spiritual realization . The term Advaita refers to its idea that the soul ( true Self , Atman ) is the same as the highest metaphysical Reality ( Brahman ) . The followers of this school are known as Advaita Vedantins , or just Advaitins , and they seek spiritual liberation through acquiring vidyā ( knowledge ) of one 's true identity as Atman , and the identity of Atman and Brahman .   Advaita Vedanta traces its roots in the oldest Upanishads . It relies on three textual sources called the Prasthanatrayi . It gives `` a unifying interpretation of the whole body of Upanishads '' , the Brahma Sutras , and the Bhagavad Gita . Advaita Vedanta is the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta , which is one of the six orthodox ( āstika ) Hindu philosophies . Though its roots trace back to the 1st millennium BCE , the most prominent exponent of the Advaita Vedanta is considered by the tradition to be 8th century scholar Adi Shankara .   Advaita Vedanta emphasizes Jivanmukti , the idea that moksha ( freedom , liberation ) is achievable in this life in contrast to Indian philosophies that emphasize Videhamukti , or moksha after death . The school uses concepts such as Brahman , Atman , Maya , Avidya , meditation and others that are found in major Indian religious traditions , but interprets them in its own way for its theories of moksha . Advaita Vedanta is one of the most studied and most influential schools of classical Indian thought . Many scholars describe it as a form of monism , others describe the Advaita philosophy as non-dualistic .   Advaita influenced and was influenced by various traditions and texts of Hindu philosophies such as Samkhya , Yoga , Nyaya , other sub-schools of Vedanta , Vaishnavism , Shaivism , the Puranas , the Agamas , other sub-schools of Vedanta , as well as social movements such as the Bhakti movement . Beyond Hinduism , Advaita Vedanta interacted and developed with the other traditions of India such as Jainism and Buddhism . Advaita Vedanta texts espouse a spectrum of views from idealism , including illusionism , to realist or nearly realist positions expressed in the early works of Shankara . In modern times , its views appear in various Neo-Vedanta movements . It has been termed as the paradigmatic example of Hindu spirituality .


Vedanta Vedanta ( IAST , , Sanskrit : वेदांत ) or Uttara Mīmāṃsā is one of the six orthodox ( āstika ) schools of Hindu philosophy . Vedanta literally means `` end of the Vedas '' , reflecting ideas that emerged from the speculations and philosophies contained in the Upanishads . It does not stand for one comprehensive or unifying doctrine . Rather it is an umbrella term for many sub-traditions , ranging from dualism to non-dualism , all of which developed on the basis of a common textual connection called the Prasthanatrayi . The Prasthanatrayi is a collective term for the Principal Upanishads , the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita .   All Vedanta schools , in their deliberations , concern themselves with the following three categories but differ in their views regarding the concept and the relations between them : Brahman -- the ultimate metaphysical reality , Ātman / Jivātman -- the individual soul or self , and Prakriti -- the empirical world , ever-changing physical universe , body and matter .   Some of the better known sub-traditions of Vedanta include Advaita ( non-dualism ) , Vishishtadvaita ( qualified non-dualism ) , and Dvaita ( dualism ) . Most other Vedantic sub-traditions are subsumed under the term Bhedabheda ( difference and non-difference ) . Over time , Vedanta adopted ideas from other orthodox ( āstika ) schools like Yoga and Nyaya , and , through this syncretism , became the most prominent school of Hinduism . Many extant forms of Vaishnavism , Shaivism and Shaktism have been significantly shaped and influenced by the doctrines of different schools of Vedanta . The Vedanta school has had a historic and central influence on Hinduism .


Flash Thompson bullies his classmate Peter Parker.

Flash Thompson Corporal Eugene `` Flash '' Thompson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . He is a star high school football player who mercilessly bullies his high school classmate Peter Parker but greatly admires Spider-Man , an irony in which the superhero takes some gratification , though he and Peter become close friends in college . After graduation , he joins the United States Army and is haunted by his combat experiences , leading to alcoholism . After losing both of his legs in the Iraq War , he was bound to the Venom Symbiote as Agent Venom , a superhero and the first to control the organism .   The character has appeared in several other media adaptations , usually in his earlier bullying incarnation . In film , he is portrayed by Joe Manganiello in Spider-Man , Chris Zylka in The Amazing Spider-Man , and Tony Revolori in Spider-Man : Homecoming .


The Americas is the origin place of Machu Picchu.

Peru Peru , is a country in western South America . It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia , in the east by Brazil , in the southeast by Bolivia , in the south by Chile , and in the west by the Pacific Ocean . Peru is an extremely biodiverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west to the peaks of the Andes mountains vertically extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river .   Peruvian territory was home to ancient cultures spanning from the Norte Chico civilization in Caral ( one of the oldest in the world with settlements as old as 3200 BC ) to the Inca Empire , the largest state in Pre-Columbian America . The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty with its capital in Lima , which included most of its South American colonies . Ideas of political autonomy later spread throughout Spanish America and Peru gained its independence , which was formally proclaimed in 1821 after the occupation by military campaigns of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar and only after the battle of Ayacucho , three years after proclamation , Peru ensured its independence . After achieving independence , the country remained in recession and kept a low military profile until an economic rise based on the extraction of raw and maritime materials struck the country , which ended shortly before the war of the Pacific . Subsequently , the country has undergone changes in government from oligarchic to democratic systems . Peru has gone through periods of political unrest and internal conflict as well as periods of stability and economic upswing .   Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions . It is a developing country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 25.8 percent . Its main economic activities include mining , manufacturing , agriculture and fishing .   The Peruvian population , estimated at 31.2 million in 2015 , is multiethnic , including Amerindians , Europeans , Africans and Asians . The main spoken language is Spanish , although a significant number of Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages . This mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide diversity of expressions in fields such as art , cuisine , literature , and music .   __ TOC __


Machu Picchu Machu Picchu ( -LSB- ˈmatʃu ˈpitʃu -RSB- ) ( Machu Pikchu -LSB- ˈmɑtʃu ˈpixtʃu -RSB- ) is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2430 m above sea level . It is located in the Cusco Region , Urubamba Province , Machupicchu District in Peru , above the Sacred Valley , which is 80 km northwest of Cuzco and through which the Urubamba River flows .   Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti ( 1438 -- 1472 ) . Often mistakenly referred to as the `` Lost City of the Incas '' ( a title more accurately applied to Vilcabamba ) , it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization . The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest . Although known locally , it was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911 .   Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style , with polished dry-stone walls . Its three primary structures are the Inti Watana , the Temple of the Sun , and the Room of the Three Windows . Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of how they originally appeared . By 1976 , thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored and restoration continues .   Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 . In 2007 , Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll .


To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960 . It was immediately successful , winning the Pulitzer Prize , and has become a classic of modern American literature . The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee 's observations of her family , her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville , Alabama , in 1936 , when she was 10 years old .   The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor , despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality . The narrator 's father , Atticus Finch , has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers . One critic explains the novel 's impact by writing , `` In the twentieth century , To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America , and its protagonist , Atticus Finch , the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism . ''   As a Southern Gothic novel and a Bildungsroman , the primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence . Scholars have noted that Lee also addresses issues of class , courage , compassion , and gender roles in the American Deep South . The book is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice . Despite its themes , To Kill a Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms , often challenged for its use of racial epithets .   Reaction to the novel varied widely upon publication . Despite the number of copies sold and its widespread use in education , literary analysis of it is sparse . Author Mary McDonough Murphy , who collected individual impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird by several authors and public figures , calls the book `` an astonishing phenomenon '' . In 2006 , British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one `` every adult should read before they die '' . It was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan , with a screenplay by Horton Foote . Since 1990 , a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper Lee 's hometown .   To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee 's only published book until Go Set a Watchman , an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird , was published on July 14 , 2015 . Lee continued to respond to her work 's impact until her death in February 2016 , although she had refused any personal publicity for herself or the novel since 1964 .


Home Alone Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus . The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister , a boy who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation . Kevin initially relishes being home alone , but soon has to contend with two would-be burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern . The film also features Catherine O'Hara and John Heard as Kevin 's parents .   Culkin was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Musical or Comedy . After its release , Home Alone became the highest-grossing live action comedy film of all time in the United States , and also held the record worldwide until it was overtaken by The Hangover Part II in 2011 . It is the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time at the North American box office ( when adjusted for inflation ) . Home Alone has spawned a successful film franchise with four sequels , including the 1992 film Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York , the only Home Alone sequel to have the original cast reprising their roles .


Diary of the Dead Diary of the Dead is a 2007 horror film by George A. Romero . Although independently produced , it was distributed theatrically by Dimension Films and was released in cinemas on February 15 , 2008 and on DVD by The Weinstein Company and Genius Entertainment on May 20 , 2008 .   Diary of the Dead is the fifth film in Romero 's Dead series of zombie films . It is not a direct sequel to previous films in the series , but occurs within the same universe of the original trilogy according to Romero .


Caracazo The Caracazo , or sacudón , is the name given to the wave of protests , riots , looting , shootings and massacres that began on 27 February 1989 in Venezuela 's capital , Caracas , and the surrounding towns . The weeklong clashes resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people , thousands by some accounts , mostly at the hands of security forces and the military . The riots and the protests began mainly in response to the government 's economic reforms and the resulting increase in the price of gasoline and transportation .