1.
Tacoma, Washington
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Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washingtons Puget Sound,32 miles southwest of Seattle,31 miles northeast of the capital, Olympia. The population was 198,397, according to the 2010 census, Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third largest in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of activity for the South Sound region. Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier, originally called Takhoma or Tahoma and it is locally known as the City of Destiny because the area was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century. The decision of the railroad was influenced by Tacomas neighboring deep-water harbor, by connecting the bay with the railroad, Tacomas motto became When rails meet sails. Today, Commencement Bay serves the Port of Tacoma, a center of trade on the Pacific Coast. Like most central cities, Tacoma suffered a decline in the mid-20th century as a result of suburbanization. Neighborhoods such as the 6th Avenue District have become revitalized, tacoma-Pierce County has been named one of the most livable areas in the United States. In 2006, Tacoma was listed as one of the most walkable cities in the country and that same year, the womens magazine Self named Tacoma the Most Sexually Healthy City in the United States. In contrast, Tacoma was also ranked as the most stressed-out city in the country in a 2004 survey, Tacoma gained notoriety in 1940 for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which earned the nickname Galloping Gertie. The city of Tacoma and surrounding areas were inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians, predominantly the Puyallup people, mcCarver, who named his project Tacoma City, derived from the indigenous name for the mountain. Tacoma was incorporated on November 12,1875, following the merger of Old Tacoma, the transcontinental link was effected in 1887, but the railroad built its depot on New Tacoma, two miles south of the Carr-McCarver development. The two communities together and joined. The population grew from 1,098 in 1880 to 36,006 in 1890, rudyard Kipling visited Tacoma in 1889 and said it was literally staggering under a boom of the boomiest. George Francis Train was a resident for a few years in the late 19th century, in 1890, he staged a global circumnavigation starting and ending in Tacoma to promote the city. A plaque in downtown Tacoma marks the start and finish line, in November 1885, white citizens led by then-mayor Jacob Weisbach expelled several hundred Chinese residents peacefully living in the city. The next day two Chinese settlements were burned to the ground, the discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898 led Tacomas prominence in the region to be eclipsed by the booming development of Seattle
2.
West Hollywood, California
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West Hollywood, occasionally referred to locally as WeHo, is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip, as of the 2010 census, its population was 34,399. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages in the United States, the citys irregular boundary is featured in its logo, it was largely formed from the unincorporated Los Angeles County area that had not become part of the surrounding cities. West Hollywood benefits from a dense, compact urban form with small lots, mixed land use. According to Walkscore, a website that ranks cities based on walkability, commercial corridors include the nightlife and dining focused on the Sunset Strip, along Santa Monica Boulevard, and the Avenues of Art & Design along Robertson, Melrose, and Beverly Boulevard. Major intersecting streets typically provide amenities within walking distance of adjacent neighborhoods, West Hollywood has a Subtropical-semi-arid climate with year-round warm weather. The record high temperature of 111 °F was recorded September 26,1963, snow is rare in West Hollywood, with the last accumulation occurring in 1949. Rainfall is sparse, and falls mainly during winter months, around 5,000 of the indigenous inhabitants from the Tongva Indian tribe canoed out to greet Juan Cabrillo. The Tongva tribe was a nation of hunter-gatherers known for their reverence of dance, by 1771, these native people had been severely ravaged by diseases brought in by the Europeans from across wide oceans. The Spanish mission system changed the name to Gabrielinos, in reference to the Mission de San Gabriel. The Gabrielinos are believed to have burned the pitch for fuel, by 1780, what became the Sunset Strip was the major connecting road for El Pueblo de Los Angeles, and all ranches westward to the Pacific Ocean. This land passed through the hands of owners during the next one hundred years. Most of this area was part of the Rancho La Brea, Sherman became the location of the railroads main shops, railroad yards, and car barns. Many working-class employees of the railroad settled in this town and it was during this time that the city began to earn its reputation as a loosely regulated, liquor-friendly place for eccentric people wary of government interference. Despite several annexation attempts, the town elected not to part of the City of Los Angeles. For many years, the area that is now the city of West Hollywood was an area in the midst of Los Angeles. Because gambling was illegal in the city of Los Angeles, but still legal in Los Angeles County and these businesses were immune from the sometimes heavy-handed law-enforcement of the L. A. Some people connected with movie-making were attracted to this area of the County
3.
The O.C.
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O. C. is an abbreviation of Orange County. The series centers on Ryan Atwood, a troubled but tough young man from a home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy. Ryan and his foster brother Seth, an awkward yet quick-witted teenager. Ryan and Seth spend much time navigating their relationships with girl-next-door Marissa Cooper, Seths childhood crush Summer Roberts, storylines deal with the culture clash between the idealistic Cohen family and the shallow, materialistic, and closed-minded community in which they reside. The series includes elements of postmodernism, and functions as a mixture of melodrama, the series premiered with high ratings and was one of the most popular new dramas of the 2003–2004 television season. It was widely referred to as a pop cultural phenomenon and received positive reception from critics. However, ratings declined as the show went on, the low ratings led to its cancellation in early 2007, even after an online petition that gained over 700,000 signatures. The O. C. has been broadcast in more than fifty countries worldwide, the series has also been released on DVD, as well as on iTunes. Season 1 focuses on Ryan Atwoods arrival in Newport Beach to live with Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, a major theme of the first season is the culture shock Ryan feels as he adjusts from a life of domestic abuse and poverty to living in a superficial high-class society. He quickly befriends and bonds with Seth Cohen, and begins to have a relationship with Marissa Cooper. Although coming from different backgrounds, Ryan soon discovers that he deals with similar issues to his new peers, such as self-identity conflict. The relationship between Ryan and Marissa flourishes when he supports her through her parents divorce, as the show progresses, Ryan takes a very protective role over Marissa, showing Ryan to be a much more stable, controlled person than originally portrayed. Meanwhile, Sandy Cohen frequently comes into conflict with Caleb Nichol, Kirstens father, the second season of The O. C. continues to follow the tumultuous romantic relationships between Ryan and Marissa, Seth and Summer, and Sandy and Kirsten. and evolve the characters. Ryans character begins to grow when he stands up to Lindsay and convinces her to him to contribute. They later become involved romantically, creating extreme complications and relational shifts amongst the now Cooper-Nichol family, the Bait Shop becomes a prominent social destination for the teenage characters. A number of recurring characters are introduced, such as D. J, Lindsay Gardner, Zach Stevens, and Alex Kelly, with whom the main characters form a variety of relationships. Ryans brother, Trey Atwood, gets out of jail and threatens to bring Ryans old life into his new one, Sandy and Kirsten also face new conflicts after drifting apart during the summer. Season 2 ends with Marissa shooting Trey after Ryan confronts him for attempting to sexually assault Marissa, Season 3 creates many dynamic changes with regards to relationships and power within the characters society
4.
CBS
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CBS is an American commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of CBS Corporation. The company is headquartered at the CBS Building in New York City with major facilities and operations in New York City. CBS is sometimes referred to as the Eye Network, in reference to the iconic logo. It has also called the Tiffany Network, alluding to the perceived high quality of CBS programming during the tenure of William S. Paley. It can also refer to some of CBSs first demonstrations of color television, the network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc. a collection of 16 radio stations that was purchased by Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System. Under Paleys guidance, CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States, in 1974, CBS dropped its former full name and became known simply as CBS, Inc. In 2000, CBS came under the control of Viacom, which was formed as a spin-off of CBS in 1971, CBS Corporation is controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements, which also controls the current Viacom. The television network has more than 240 owned-and-operated and affiliated stations throughout the United States. The origins of CBS date back to January 27,1927, Columbia Phonographic went on the air on September 18,1927, with a presentation by the Howard Barlow Orchestra from flagship station WOR in Newark, New Jersey, and fifteen affiliates. Operational costs were steep, particularly the payments to AT&T for use of its land lines, in early 1928 Judson sold the network to brothers Isaac and Leon Levy, owners of the networks Philadelphia affiliate WCAU, and their partner Jerome Louchenheim. With the record out of the picture, Paley quickly streamlined the corporate name to Columbia Broadcasting System. He believed in the power of advertising since his familys La Palina cigars had doubled their sales after young William convinced his elders to advertise on radio. By September 1928, Paley bought out the Louchenheim share of CBS, during Louchenheims brief regime, Columbia paid $410,000 to A. H. Grebes Atlantic Broadcasting Company for a small Brooklyn station, WABC, which would become the networks flagship station. WABC was quickly upgraded, and the relocated to 860 kHz. The physical plant was relocated also – to Steinway Hall on West 57th Street in Manhattan, by the turn of 1929, the network could boast to sponsors of having 47 affiliates. Paley moved right away to put his network on a financial footing. In the fall of 1928, he entered talks with Adolph Zukor of Paramount Pictures. The deal came to fruition in September 1929, Paramount acquired 49% of CBS in return for a block of its stock worth $3.8 million at the time
5.
Auburn, Washington
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Auburn is a city in King County and additionally Pierce County, Washington, United States, with the majority of spatial land area within King County. The population was 70,180 at the 2010 United States Census, Auburn is a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area. Auburn is currently ranked the fourteenth largest city in the state of Washington, Auburn is bordered by the cities of Federal Way, Pacific, and Algona to the west, Sumner to the south, Kent to the north, and unincorporated King County to the east. The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation is in or near the city limits. At the time, the hotel in town was called the Slaughter House. In 1893, a group of settlers from Auburn, New York, moved to Slaughter. There are several locations in and around Auburn on the National, the city of Auburn, located 28 miles south of Seattle, Washington, was home to some of the earliest settlers in King County. Nestled in a river valley, Auburn has been both a farm community and a center of business and industry for more than 150 years. Auburn is located near the confluence of the Green and White rivers. The valley was originally the home of the Skopamish, Smalhkamish, the first white men in the region were explorers and traders who arrived in the 1830s. Settlers first came to the valley in the 1850s, in November, a military unit led by Lieutenant William Slaughter camped near what is now present-day Auburn. A new treaty was written which provided the establishment of the Muckleshoot reservation, the White River tribes collectively became known as the Muckleshoot tribe. White settlers, the Neely and Ballard families began returning to the area, in 1891, the town of Slaughter incorporated. Although many older citizens considered the name as a memorial. Within two years, the town was renamed Auburn, taken from the first line of Oliver Goldsmiths poem, The Deserted Village, Auburn had been a bustling center for hop farming until 1890 when the crops were destroyed by aphids. After that, the farms were mostly farms and berry farms. Nevertheless, flooding was still a problem for Auburn farmers up until the Howard A. Hanson Dam was opened in 1962, another impetus to Auburns growth was the railroad. The Northern Pacific Railways subsidiary the Northern Pacific and Puget Sound Shore Railroad opened a line from approximately Puyallup, Washington, through to Seattle, Washington, the Seattle-Tacoma Interurban line that allowed easy access to both cities starting in 1902
6.
Santa Monica College
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Santa Monica College is a two-year, public community college located in Santa Monica, California, United States. The UPN TV show The Parkers was based in this college from 1999 -2004, Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Santa Monica College is ranked number one among Californias junior colleges in transfers to the University of California, University of Southern California, the Santa Monica College Arts Mentor Program provides certain students in the fine and applied arts with graduate-level training by professionals in their specialized fields. The program was designed for individuals whose talents exceed the scope of the traditional curriculum at the College. Santa Monica College offers a variety of certificate programs, including accounting, fashion design, office information systems. The college also offers logistics and supply chain programs at AAS, Santa Monica College is also the home of KCRW, a leading public radio station, broadcasting throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area with an estimated 450,000 listeners. The station is the broadcast home of Morning Becomes Eclectic, in 2012 Santa Monica College received national attention due to a controversial plan to create a two-tier system of education in which more popular courses would be offered at higher costs. Protests at a meeting immediately following the plans proposal led to several students being pepper sprayed. A report on the event resulted in an officers dismissal, the report also faulted several members of the protest for provoking officers. Some people exclaimed We got pepper sprayed, on April 23,2013, a bomb threat caused the College Fair on campus to be evacuated. On May 4,2013, an SMC student, Tian Lu and this was the first time in the colleges 84-year history that a student committed suicide on campus. On May 16,2013, an SMC student threatened to shoot up the school, the threat turned out to be harmless, and the student was apprehended at the psychological services department. Several blocks northeast of campus, near the intersection of Pico and Cloverfield Boulevards, arriving at the southeast corner of the campus at 20th and Pearl Streets, he shot a passing driver, killing him, and critically injured his daughter, who later died. After leaving the vehicle, the gunman shot and killed a woman collecting recyclables outside the schools library. The suspect then entered the library, where he was said to have fired 70 rounds before he was shot by police. The school was locked down and police evacuated some students as they looked for a second suspect. Russ Holzhauer reported on scene about the state, No. The gunman was identified as John Samir Zawarhi,23
7.
Vampire
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A vampire is a being from folklore who subsists by feeding on the life essence of the living. In European folklore, vampires were undead beings that often visited loved ones and they wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, markedly different from todays gaunt, pale vampire which dates from the early 19th century. This increased level of vampire superstition in Europe led to mass hysteria and in some cases resulted in corpses actually being staked and people being accused of vampirism. In modern times, however, the vampire is generally held to be a fictitious entity, porphyria was also linked with legends of vampirism in 1985 and received much media exposure, but has since been largely discredited. However, it is Bram Stokers 1897 novel Dracula which is remembered as the vampire novel. The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century, with books, films, the vampire has since become a dominant figure in the horror genre. Vampires had already discussed in French and German literature. After Austria gained control of northern Serbia and Oltenia with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, officials noted the practice of exhuming bodies. These reports, prepared between 1725 and 1732, received widespread publicity, among the proposed proto-Slavic forms are *ǫpyrь and *ǫpirь. Another, less widespread theory, is that the Slavic languages have borrowed the word from a Turkic term for witch. Czech linguist Václav Machek proposes Slovak verb vrepiť sa, or its hypothetical anagram vperiť sa as an etymological background, and thus translates upír as someone who thrusts, bites. An early use of the Old Russian word is in the anti-pagan treatise Word of Saint Grigoriy, dated variously to the 11th–13th centuries, the notion of vampirism has existed for millennia. Cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Ancient Greeks, and Romans had tales of demons and spirits which are considered precursors to modern vampires. In most cases, vampires are revenants of evil beings, suicide victims, or witches, belief in such legends became so pervasive that in some areas it caused mass hysteria and even public executions of people believed to be vampires. It is difficult to make a single, definitive description of the folkloric vampire, vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance, and ruddy, purplish, or dark in colour, these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood. Indeed, blood was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin and its left eye was often open. It would be clad in the linen shroud it was buried in, and its teeth, hair, although vampires were generally described as undead, some folktales spoke of them as living beings. The causes of vampiric generation were many and varied in original folklore, in Slavic and Chinese traditions, any corpse that was jumped over by an animal, particularly a dog or a cat, was feared to become one of the undead
8.
Robert Pattinson
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Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, producer, model, and musician. Pattinson started his career by playing Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Twilight brought Pattinson worldwide fame, and established him among the highest paid, in 2009, he portrayed Salvador Dalí in Little Ashes. That same year, a film, Robsessed, about the actors fame. He appeared as a young man in Remember Me and also starred in a romantic drama. His performance as a tough, cold-hearted and calculating billionaire in David Cronenbergs Cosmopolis, Pattinson started his career as a model at the age of 12. In 2013 Dior Homme signed him as the face of their Fragrances, in 2016, he also became the first brand ambassador of their Menswear collection. Pattinson composes and plays his own music and he has sang songs for Twilight film series and the 2008 independent comedy-drama film How to Be. He became ambassador of the latter in 2015 to help raise awareness of it. He is also a member of International Medical Corps and has promoted and shared details about cancer through PSAs to raise awareness about the disease and his father, Richard, imported vintage cars from the United States, and his mother, Clare, worked for a modelling agency. Pattinson has two sisters, Victoria and singer Elizabeth Lizzy Pattinson. Growing up in Barnes, London, he attended Tower House School until he was 12 and he became involved in amateur theatre at the Barnes Theatre Company. He auditioned and was cast in a role in Guys. He next auditioned for Thornton Wilders Our Town, and was cast as George Gibbs and he also appeared in Anything Goes and Macbeth. He caught the attention of an agent in a production of Tess of the dUrbervilles. In May 2005, he was scheduled to appear in the UK premiere of The Woman Before at the Royal Court Theatre, later that year he played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. For this role he was named that years British Star of Tomorrow by The Times and had more than once been hailed as the next Jude Law. In 2006, Pattinson appeared in The Haunted Airman a psychological thriller, aired on BBC Four on 31 October, the Stage praised his performance by saying that played the airman of the title with a perfect combination of youthful terror and world weary cynicism
9.
Leighton Meester
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Leighton Marissa Meester is an American actress, singer-songwriter and model. She is mostly known for her role as Blair Waldorf in the drama series Gossip Girl. She has also appeared in the films Killer Movie, Country Strong, The Roommate, Monte Carlo, The Oranges, Meester made her Broadway debut in Of Mice and Men. In addition to acting, Meester has also ventured into music, in 2009, she featured on Cobra Starships Good Girls Go Bad which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and released her first single Somebody to Love under Universal Republic. Her second single Your Loves a Drug was released in 2011, Meester has also recorded songs for various soundtracks. Her debut album, Heartstrings, was released in 2014. She has also modeled, having been the face of such as Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences. Meester was born in Florida to Constance and Douglas Meester, and lived most of her life in New York City and her ancestry includes German, Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. Her father works for a company and her mother is a writer. At the time of her birth, her mother was serving time in a prison for her involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the United States. She has a brother, Alexander, who is eight years younger, in 2009, Meester joked, Look, I couldve turned out a lot worse. In 2011, Meester sued her mother for alleged financial misconduct, Meester grew up in Marco Island, Florida, where she participated in productions at a local playhouse. When she was 11 years old, Meester and her mother moved to New York City and she also booked commercials for Tamagotchi and Clearasil, and modelled for Limited Too alongside Amanda Seyfried. Meester made her acting debut as a murder victims friend on an episode of Law & Order. At 14, Meester moved to Los Angeles, wanting more stable work and she then transferred to a small private school and graduated a year early. She then appeared in Tarzan, which ran for eight episodes. Meester started to book guest roles in series such as Crossing Jordan,8 Simple Rules, 7th Heaven, Veronica Mars,24. In 2005, she was cast in a role on the series Surface as Savannah Barnett
10.
Cher
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Cher is an American singer and actress. Commonly referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she is described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song I Got You Babe reached number one on the American and she began her solo career simultaneously, releasing in 1966 her first million-seller song, Bang Bang. She became a personality in the 1970s with her shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run. She emerged as a trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows. While working on television, she established herself as a solo artist with the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves, Half-Breed, and Dark Lady. After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, Cher launched a comeback in 1979 with the disco-oriented album Take Me Home and earned $300,000 a week for her 1980–82 residency show in Las Vegas. In 1982, Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and starred in the film adaptation of the same title. She subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performances in such as Silkwood, Mask. She then revived her career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher, Heart of Stone. She reached a new peak in 1998 with the album Believe. It also features the use of Auto-Tune, also known as the Cher effect. Her 2002–2005 Living Proof, The Farewell Tour became one of the concert tours of all time. In 2008, she signed a $180 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years, after seven years of absence, she returned to film in the 2010 musical Burlesque. Chers first studio album in 12 years, Closer to the Truth, Cher has won a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a special CFDA Fashion Award, among several other honors. Throughout her career, she has sold 100 million records worldwide and she is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each decade from the 1960s to the 2010s. Outside of her music and acting, she is noted for her views, philanthropic endeavors and social activism, including LGBT rights. Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, on May 20,1946, Chers father was rarely home when she was an infant, and her parents divorced when Cher was ten months old
11.
Christina Aguilera
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Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. Born in Staten Island, New York and raised in Rochester and Wexford, Pennsylvania, she appeared on the television series Star Search, after recording Reflection, the theme for Disneys 1998 film Mulan, Aguilera signed with RCA Records. She rose to prominence with her 1999 self-titled debut album spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, Genie in a Bottle, What a Girl Wants. The following year, Aguilera released two albums, the Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo and the holiday album My Kind of Christmas. She assumed creative control for her studio album, Stripped, which produced Dirrty, Beautiful. Aguileras fifth studio album, Back to Basics, debuted at one on the album charts of ten countries and spawned the tracks Aint No Other Man. In 2010, Aguilera released her studio album Bionic and starred in the film Burlesque. The following year, she debuted as a coach on the reality television series The Voice. Her seventh studio album, Lotus, was released in 2012, Aguilera has also been featured on several successful collaborations during her career, including Lady Marmalade, Moves like Jagger, and Say Something. Aguilera has been recognized as a pop icon and earned the title Pop Princess in her early years and her work has earned her five Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has sold over 17.9 million albums in the United States as of 2014 and 50 million albums worldwide as of 2015. In 2009, she ranked at number 58 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, thereby becoming the youngest and the only artist under 30 to be named. Billboard recognized her as the 20th most successful artist of the 2000s, aside from her work in the entertainment industry, Aguilera is involved in charitable activities through human rights, world issues, and her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme. Christina María Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York, on December 18,1980, to Shelly Loraine, a musician, and Fausto Xavier Aguilera and her father is Ecuadorian, while her mother has German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch ancestry. Her family moved frequently because of her fathers service, and lived in places including New Jersey, Texas, New York. Aguilera and her mother alleged that her father was physically and emotionally abusive, claims which he denied, Aguilera used music as a form of escape from her turbulent household. Following her parents divorce when she was six years old, Aguilera, her younger sister Rachel, after several years of being estranged, Aguilera expressed interest in reconciling with her father in 2012. Growing up, Aguilera, known locally as the girl with the big voice, aspired to be a singer, singing in local talent shows
12.
Krav Maga
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Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and its extreme efficiency and brutal counter-attacks. In the late 1940s, following his migration to Israel, he began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the IDF. From the outset, the concept of Krav Maga was to take the most simple and practical techniques of other fighting styles. Techniques from Jiu-jitsu were introduced by IDF instructor Eli Avikzar, Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing aggression, and simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers. Krav Maga has been used by the Israel Defense Forces special forces units, security apparatus, closely related variations have been developed and adopted by Israeli law enforcement and intelligence organizations. There are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally such as the British SAS, the name in Hebrew can be translated as contact combat. The root word krav means combat and maga means contact, Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes finishing a fight as quickly and aggressively as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, students learn to defend against all variety of attacks and are taught to counter in the quickest and most efficient way. Using simple and easily repeatable strikes and it may also cover ways to deal with physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible. Imre Lichtenfeld was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Bratislava, Lichtenfeld became active in a wide range of sports, including gymnastics, wrestling, and boxing. In 1928, Lichtenfeld won the Slovak Youth Wrestling Championship, and that same year, he also won the national boxing championship and an international gymnastics championship. During the ensuing decade, Imis athletic activities focused mainly on wrestling, in the mid-1930s, anti-Semitic riots began to threaten the Jews of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. It was then that he started to re-evaluate his ideas about fighting and started developing the skills and techniques that would eventually become Krav Maga. Having become a thorn in the side of the equally anti-Semitic local authorities, Lichtenfeld left his home, with his family and friends in 1940, after making his way to Israel, Lichtenfeld joined Israel’s pre-state Haganah paramilitary organization to protect Jewish refugees from Arabs. In 1944 Lichtenfeld began training fighters in his areas of expertise, physical fitness, swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, during this period, Lichtenfeld trained several elite units of the Haganah including Palmach and the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers. In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was formed, Lichtenfeld became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and he served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Self-defense was not a new concept, since nearly all martial arts had developed some form of techniques in their quest for tournament or sport dominance
