1.
Oakland, California
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Oakland /ˈoʊklənd/ is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1852, Oaklands territory covers what was once a mosaic of California coastal terrace prairie, oak woodland, and north coastal scrub. Its land served as a resource when its hillside oak and redwood timber were logged to build San Francisco. In the late 1860s, Oakland was selected as the terminal of the Transcontinental Railroad. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, many San Francisco citizens moved to Oakland, enlarging the citys population, increasing its housing stock and it continued to grow in the 20th century with its busy port, shipyards, and a thriving automobile manufacturing industry. Oakland is known for its sustainability practices, including a top-ranking for usage of electricity from renewable resources, in addition, due to a steady influx of immigrants during the 20th century, along with thousands of African-American war-industry workers who relocated from the Deep South during the 1940s. Oakland is the most ethnically diverse city in the country. The earliest known inhabitants were the Huchiun Indians, who lived there for thousands of years, the Huchiun belonged to a linguistic grouping later called the Ohlone. In Oakland, they were concentrated around Lake Merritt and Temescal Creek, in 1772, the area that later became Oakland was claimed, with the rest of California, by Spanish settlers for the King of Spain. In the early 19th century, the Spanish crown granted the East Bay area to Luis María Peralta for his Rancho San Antonio, the grant was confirmed by the successor Mexican republic upon its independence from Spain. Upon his death in 1842, Peralta divided his land among his four sons, Most of Oakland fell within the shares given to Antonio Maria and Vicente. The portion of the parcel that is now Oakland was called encinal—Spanish for oak grove—due to the oak forest that covered the area. In 1851, three men—Horace Carpentier, Edson Adams, and Andrew Moon—began developing what is now downtown Oakland, on May 4,1852, the Town of Oakland incorporated. Two years later, on March 25,1854, Oakland re-incorporated as the City of Oakland, with Horace Carpentier elected the first mayor, the city and its environs quickly grew with the railroads, becoming a major rail terminal in the late 1860s and 1870s. In 1868, the Central Pacific constructed the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point, a number of horsecar and cable car lines were constructed in Oakland during the latter half of the 19th century. The first electric streetcar set out from Oakland to Berkeley in 1891, at the time of incorporation, Oakland consisted of the territory that lay south of todays major intersection of San Pablo Avenue, Broadway, and Fourteenth Street. The city gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and the north, Oaklands rise to industrial prominence, and its subsequent need for a seaport, led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902. This resulted in the town of Alameda being made an island
2.
Saint Mary's College of California
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It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and administered by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the college was ranked tied for 9th in the U. S. News & World Reports Regional Universities rankings for 2017. St. Marys College began in 1863 as a college for boys established by the Most Rev. Joseph Alemany, a member of the Order of Preachers. Unhappy with the operation of the college, Archbishop Alemany applied for assistance from Rome. In 1889, the college moved east across San Francisco Bay to Oakland, the Oakland site is California Historical Landmark #676 and is marked by a commemorative plaque. The former San Francisco site is now the site of the St. Marys Park neighborhood, the college and high school sections separated not long after the move to Moraga and the high school is currently located in Albany. During World War II the college was used by the United States Navy for the training of pilots, former President Gerald Ford was briefly stationed at the school and served as a naval instructor. The navy erected many buildings, including the worlds largest indoor pool, Saint Marys continued to be a male-only school until 1970, when it became coeducational. Since then, more women have come to the college and by 2011, there are still roughly two dozen Christian Brothers living and working at the school, and the school presidents had always been Brothers until 2013. James A. Donahue, a committed and engaged Roman Catholic, there are four schools at Saint Marys, the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Science, the School of Economics and Business Administration, and the Kalmanovitz School of Education. Saint Marys College is an arts institution, and the majority of undergraduate students are in the School of Liberal Arts. However, the most popular major is Business Administration and this is followed by Psychology, Communication, Kinesiology, and Accounting. The average class size is 19, with a student faculty ratio of 13,1, 91% of classes are taught by full-time faculty, of which 95% hold the highest degree in their fields. There are 40 academic majors, with an option to create your own major, Most Saint Marys faculty are required to teach six courses per year. The school also has programs in fine arts, kinesiology, education, leadership. In addition to general education courses, students must take four Collegiate Seminar or Great Books courses. Although based on the programs at St. Johns College. There is also a course created for transfer students so that they can be just as prepared as their peers in the following seminar courses
3.
Tisch School of the Arts
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The New York University Tisch School of the Arts is a center of study in the performing and media arts. Founded on August 17,1965, Tisch is a ground for artists, scholars of the arts, filmmakers. The school merges the technical training of a school with the academic resources of a major research university to immerse students in their intended artistic disciplines. It is located at 721 Broadway in Manhattan, New York City, NYU has the most alumni working at Broadway theatre. Tisch School of the Arts was founded in order to provide training in theatre and film. The school created additional departments such as dance, theatre design, in recognition of the generosity of the Tisch family, the school was renamed Tisch School of the Arts. Tisch also offers a selection of classes to NYU students not enrolled in any of its programs through the Open Arts curriculum, the Graduate Acting Program offers a three-year MFA that equips acting students with the skills of a working career in theatre and/or film. The Department of the Dance offers training on the graduate and undergraduate level to students preparing for careers as dancers or choreographers, while taking full advantage of the liberal arts resources of the New York University and the cultural resources of the New York City. The Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program is an MFA program specially designed for the major collaborators in the creation of new theater and opera, composers, lyricists. NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program has gained a reputation for its selectivity. Zelda Fichandler became chair of the program in 1984 and stepped down in 2008, in May 2008, Mark Wing-Davey became chair. Graduate Acting alumni have gone on to achieve many acting accolades, faison Edi Gathegi Jordan Gelber,2000 Enver Gjokaj Matthew Gray Gubler Logan Marshall Green Christopher Guest,1971 Danai Gurira Michael C. Many of the faculty have their own independent of the dance department. The program strives to prepare students for the life of a dancer, preparing them by treating their third year students as a company. Students graduate in three years, hence the schedule which is accelerated in order for dancers to graduate earlier than their peers in other college dance programs. Because of brevity of the program, students attend a six-week summer course following their first. During these summer intensives, six different companies come in a week each and teach students their style of movement and this is an excellent way for students to be introduced to companies and have the chance to get noticed and get to know the different companies in an intimate setting. This is unique to the Tisch Dance Program, and is conducive to introducing dancers into the world of auditions
4.
Crossing Jordan
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Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24,2001, to May 16,2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M. D. a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the show used an ensemble cast approach that featured a group of Jordans co-workers and police detectives assigned to the various cases. Its roster of characters was created by Tim Kring, who also developed its core format. This element of the series was dropped when Howard left the series as a regular, however, there were instances of Jordan role-playing with other characters, such as Woody. After six seasons and 117 episodes on May 16,2007, a forensic pathologist in the Boston Medical Examiners Office, she solves crimes during the course of investigations. Jordan is emotionally scarred by her mothers murder when she was a child, at the end of the sixth and final season, Jordan told Detective Hoyt that she loved him. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Garret Macy, The Chief Medical Examiner and Jordans boss, Macy must deal with Jordans erratic behavior, as well as his confused family. He has a daughter, Abby, but is divorced from his wife. Garret has an affinity for jazz and he has been known to have had romantic entanglements with grief counselor Lily Lebowski, ADA Renee Walcott, Charlie Davis, and his one-time wife, Maggie Warner. Garret admitted to his drinking problem after finding out his daughter had become addicted to heroin upon dropping out of college and he is also allergic to strawberries and peanuts. In the beginning of six, with the cancellation of Lilys wedding. However, things may be complicated by Lilys unexpected pregnancy with her once-to-be husband, Bug has since taken it upon himself to make Lily move in with him and support her and the baby. In an episode called Post Hoc, near the end of the season, Bug disappears without a trace. Dr. Macy makes inquiries and learns that Bug is being held incommunicado by the Department of Homeland Security and he is finally released after an interrogation that apparently included waterboarding, and is left deeply shaken by the experience. Lily Lebowski, Lily begins the series as an intake secretary and she wins Garret over, but he breaks up with her to work things out with his ex-wife. During season two, Bug becomes interested in her and she earns a promotion to become the offices grief counselor, but resigns in season six after accepting her boyfriends marriage proposal. By the end of the series, she breaks up with the boyfriend and moves in with Bug, after finding out she was pregnant with her exs baby. Dr. Nigel Townsend, A wise-cracking British criminologist with a personal life, he claimed to like girls
5.
Richard Tyler (The 4400)
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Richard Tyler is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400. One of the first 4400s to be shown, Richard is Lily Tylers husband, born in 1922 in St. Louis, Missouri, and disappeared on May 11,1951, Richard joined the U. S. Air Force and piloted their fighter jets in the Korean War. When his fellow officers and friends discovered he was having an affair with a woman, Lily Bonham. When they left Richard alone, he was abducted and this happened on May 11,1951. While he was in the future, Richards DNA was extracted and put into another abducted person, Lily Moore, after his return Richard meets a woman named Lily Moore in quarantine. He is struck by her resemblance to Lily Bonham, and it becomes apparent that this Lily is the granddaughter of his lost love. The two strike up a friendship that turns to romance after Lily finds that her own husband has remarried following her abduction. When Lily finds she is pregnant, the two look for a place to live together and raise the baby, after the 4400s are vilified and attacked, in part due to Barbara Yates scare-mongering, Richard and Lily move into Jordan Colliers estate for the 4400. Richard works as a security officer, and helps prevent further attacks, realizing that Collier wants to destroy them as a couple they prepare to leave. He attempts to stop them, claiming that the baby is the keystone to the future, the unborn baby inflicts severe damage on Collier, and Richard and Lily flee to an abandoned log cabin, where they are happy for several months. At the close of the season Lily enters labour, having gone into hiding from Collier, Richard, Lily and Isabelle have also missed several NTAC check-ups and are labelled as fugitives. It is during their time on the run that Isabelle exhibits paranormal abilities, Lily and Richards relationship is put under severe strain by their fugitive status- when Isabelle enables Lily to steal money, Richard is horrified by the immoral act. Richard is finally taken into custody, and Jordan Collier uses his wealth to meet with Richard before NTAC is notified and he offers Richards family sanctuary in the new 4400 Center, even suggesting that he meet with baby Isabelle again to prove himself. Isabelle accepts Collier and heals him of the damage she had inflicted on him. The family move to the center, where Collier uses his lawyers to persuade NTAC to leave them alone, when Collier is assassinated Shawn Farrell takes over the center. In response Dennis Ryland begins detaining the 4400, and Richard, the promicin inhibitor scandal is eventually exposed, proving Richards suspicions of the governments motives were well-founded. After the crisis is resolved, Shawn retakes his place as the centers leader, however, the removal of the promicin inhibitor has a marked affect, all the 4400 begin to develop abilities, and Richard is stunned to discover he has telekinesis. Richard is horrified to discover his wife aged by fifty years, when Dr Burkhoff believes that the only way to save Lilys life would be for Isabelle to die, Richard cannot and will not choose between the two
6.
Science-fiction
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Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a literature of ideas. Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a range of subgenres and themes. Author and editor Damon Knight summed up the difficulty, saying science fiction is what we point to when we say it, a definition echoed by author Mark C. Glassy, who argues that the definition of science fiction is like the definition of pornography, you do not know what it is, in 1970 or 1971William Atheling Jr. According to science fiction writer Robert A, rod Serlings definition is fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible, Science fiction is largely based on writing rationally about alternative possible worlds or futures. Science fiction elements include, A time setting in the future, in alternative timelines, a spatial setting or scenes in outer space, on other worlds, or on subterranean earth. Characters that include aliens, mutants, androids, or humanoid robots, futuristic or plausible technology such as ray guns, teleportation machines, and humanoid computers. Scientific principles that are new or that contradict accepted physical laws, for time travel, wormholes. New and different political or social systems, e. g. utopian, dystopian, post-scarcity, paranormal abilities such as mind control, telepathy, telekinesis Other universes or dimensions and travel between them. A product of the budding Age of Reason and the development of science itself. Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan considered Keplers work the first science fiction story and it depicts a journey to the Moon and how the Earths motion is seen from there. Later, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story about a flight to the moon, more examples appeared throughout the 19th century. Wells The War of the Worlds describes an invasion of late Victorian England by Martians using tripod fighting machines equipped with advanced weaponry and it is a seminal depiction of an alien invasion of Earth. In the late 19th century, the scientific romance was used in Britain to describe much of this fiction. This produced additional offshoots, such as the 1884 novella Flatland, the term would continue to be used into the early 20th century for writers such as Olaf Stapledon. In the early 20th century, pulp magazines helped develop a new generation of mainly American SF writers, influenced by Hugo Gernsback, the founder of Amazing Stories magazine. In 1912 Edgar Rice Burroughs published A Princess of Mars, the first of his series of Barsoom novels, situated on Mars
7.
The 4400
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The 4400 is a science fiction television series produced by CBS Paramount Network Television in association with BSkyB, Renegade 83, and American Zoetrope for USA Network. The show was created and written by Scott Peters and René Echevarria, the series ran for four seasons from 2004 until its cancellation in 2007. In the pilot episode, a ball of light deposits a group of exactly 4400 people in the Cascade Range foothills near Mount Rainier. Each of the 4400 had disappeared at various times starting from 1936 in a beam of white light, none of the 4400 have aged from the time of their disappearance. Confused and disoriented, they remember nothing between the time of their disappearance and their return, the season during which each actor has been included in the main cast are marked in green. When a starring actor also has appeared as a guest star during other seasons, gray square means the actor doesnt appear in that season at all. ° Older Lily °° Baby Isabelle The National Threat Assessment Command, dennis Ryland is the head of NTAC. Ryland assigns Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris as the team to investigate the 4400. In season 2, Ryland goes to Washington and is replaced by Nina Jarvis, in Season 4 Meghan Doyle takes over as the head of NTAC. Many of the returnees have trouble getting their lives back on track after being gone from the world for years, more significantly, a small number of the returnees begin to manifest paranormal abilities, such as telekinesis, telepathy and precognition, as well as other gifts. For example, in the pilot, Shawn Farrell manifests an ability to heal the broken neck of a dead bird, in addition, one of the 4400, Lily Moore, has become pregnant between her disappearance and return. By the second season, it is revealed that all 4400 have a fictional neurotransmitter, promicin, in their brains, which gives them their powers. The government, afraid of what this group would do with such power, had secretly been dosing all of the 4400 with a promicin inhibitor, which had worked on most. One of the side effects is a potentially fatal immune deficiency. The inhibitor is ultimately removed from the 4400 by a dose of promicin extracted by Kevin Burkhoff from the blood of the infant Isabelle, at the beginning of the third season, the Nova Group, a terrorist faction made up of 4400s, emerges. Originally formed as a group in the aftermath of the promicin-inhibitor scandal. During the third and fourth season, it is revealed only a certain faction from the future wants to see history changed. Another faction, which prefers the status quo, opposes the 4400, and has sent their own operatives, including Isabelle Tyler, the exact motives of both factions have not yet been revealed
8.
David Fincher
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David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American director and producer, notably for films, television series, and music videos. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the fantasy drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and his films Zodiac and The Social Network are ranked in BBCs 2016 poll of the greatest motion pictures since 2000. Howard died of cancer in April 2003, Fincher knew from a young age he wanted to go into filmmaking. When Fincher was two old, the family moved to San Anselmo, California, where filmmaker George Lucas was one of his neighbors. Fincher moved to Ashland, Oregon in his teens, where he graduated from Ashland High School, inspired by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Fincher began making movies at age eight with an 8mm camera. Fincher was employed at Korty Films as a production assistant and he moved up the ranks and became a visual effects producer, working on the animated Twice Upon a Time. He was hired by Industrial Light & Magic in 1983 as an assistant cameraman and matte photographer, and worked on Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones, in 1984, he left ILM to direct a commercial for the American Cancer Society that depicted a fetus smoking a cigarette. This quickly brought Fincher to the attention of producers in Los Angeles, though he would continue to direct spots for Levis, Converse, Nike, Pepsi, Revlon, Sony, Coca-Cola, Chanel, and other companies, Fincher began to focus on music videos. Set on a career, Fincher co-founded video-production company Propaganda Films and started off directing music videos. After directing several music videos, Finchers feature debut was Alien 3, while it received an Oscar nomination for visual effects, the film was not well received by critics or moviegoers. Fincher became involved with disputes with 20th Century Fox over script. In Directors Cut, Picturing Hollywood in the 21st Century, he blames the producers for not putting the necessary trust in him. He stated in an interview with The Guardian in 2009, No one hated it more than me, to this day, no one hates it more than me. After this, he retreated back into the world of commercial, the film, based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, told the story of two detectives tracking down a serial killer who bases his killings on the seven deadly sins. The film grossed more than $100 million domestically, after the success of Seven, Fincher went on to film The Game. The story focused on a closed-off San Francisco businessman who receives a gift from his younger brother. The film had middling box-office returns despite being well received by critics, Fight Club is a screen adaptation of Chuck Palahniuks 1996 novel about an insomniac office worker who opens up a club devoted exclusively to bare knuckle fighting for men
9.
Romance film
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Romance films make the romantic love story or the search for strong and pure love and romance the main plot focus. Occasionally, romance lovers face obstacles such as finances, physical illness, various forms of discrimination, as in all quite strong, deep, and close romantic relationships, tensions of day-to-day life, temptations, and differences in compatibility enter into the plots of romantic films. In romantic television series, the development of romantic relationships may play out over many episodes. Historical romance - A romantic story with a period setting and this includes films such as Gone with the Wind, Doctor Zhivago and Titanic. Romantic drama usually revolves around an obstacle which prevents deep and true love between two people. Music is often employed to indicate the mood, creating an atmosphere of greater insulation for the couple. The conclusion of a romantic drama typically does not indicate whether a final union between the two main characters will occur. Chick flick is a term associated with romance films as many are targeted to a female audience. As such, the terms cannot be used interchangeably, films of this genre include Dirty Dancing, The Notebook, Dear John, A Walk to Remember, and Romeo + Juliet. Romantic comedies are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as true love is able to surmount most obstacles. Humour in such films tends to be of a verbal, low-key variety or situational, films within this genre include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Moonstruck, As Good as It Gets, Somethings Gotta Give, It Happened One Night, When Harry Met Sally. Romantic fantasies describe fantasy stories using many of the elements and conventions of the romance genre, romantic action comedies are films that blend romantic comedy and action. Examples include Killers, Knight and Day, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, This Means War, romantic thriller is a genre of film which has a storyline combining elements of the romance film and the thriller genre. Some examples of romantic thriller films are The Adjustment Bureau, The Phantom of the Opera, The Tourist, The Bodyguard, Unfaithful, and Wicker Park
10.
Fantasy
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Fantasy is a fiction genre set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Most fantasy uses magic or other elements as a main plot element, theme. Magic and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds, in popular culture, the fantasy genre is predominantly of the medievalist form. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy works by many writers, artists, filmmakers. Fantasy is studied in a number of disciplines including English and other studies, cultural studies, comparative literature, history. The identifying trait of fantasy is the reliance on imagination to create narrative elements that do not have to rely on history or nature to be coherent. This differs from realistic fiction in that whereas realistic fiction has to attend to the history and natural laws of reality, an author applies his or her imagination to come up with characters, plots, and settings that are impossible in reality. Fantasy has often compared with science fiction and horror because they are the major categories of speculative fiction. Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by the plausibility of the narrative elements, a science fiction narrative is unlikely, though seeming possible through logical scientific and/or technological extrapolation, whereas fantasy narratives do not need to be scientifically possible. The imagined elements of fantasy do not need an explanation to be narratively functional. Authors have to rely on the suspension of disbelief, an acceptance of the unbelievable or impossible for the sake of enjoyment. Despite both genres heavy reliance on the supernatural, fantasy and horror are distinguishable, horror primarily evokes fear through the protagonists weaknesses or inability to deal with the antagonists. Beginning perhaps with the earliest written documents, mythic and other elements that would come to define fantasy. MacDonald was an influence on both J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. The other major fantasy author of this era was William Morris, lord Dunsany established the genres popularity in both the novel and the short story form. Many popular mainstream authors also began to write fantasy at this time, including H. Rider Haggard, Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Indeed, juvenile fantasy was considered more acceptable than fantasy intended for adults, nathaniel Hawthorne wrote fantasy in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, intended for children, though works for adults only verged on fantasy. Political and social trends can affect a societys reception towards fantasy, in the early 20th century, the New Culture Movements enthusiasm for Westernization and science in China compelled them to condemn the fantastical shenmo genre of traditional Chinese literature
11.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)
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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by David Fincher. The storyline by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film stars Brad Pitt as a man who ages in reverse, the film was released in North America on December 25,2008 to positive reviews. In August 2005, elderly Daisy Fuller is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital as Hurricane Katrina approaches, she asks her daughter, Caroline, to read aloud from the diary of Benjamin Button. From the reading, it is revealed that on the evening of November 11,1918, the babys mother died after giving birth, and the father, Thomas Button, abandons the infant on the porch of a nursing home. Queenie and Mr. Tizzy Weathers, workers at the home, find the baby. Benjamin learns to walk in 1925, he declares it a miracle, on Thanksgiving 1930, Benjamin meets seven-year-old Daisy, whose grandmother lives in the nursing home. He and Daisy become good friends, later, he accepts work on a tugboat captained by Mike Clark. Benjamin also meets Thomas Button, who does not reveal that he is Benjamins father, in Autumn 1936, Benjamin leaves New Orleans for a long-term work engagement with the tugboat crew, Daisy later is accepted into a dance company in New York City under choreographer George Balanchine. In 1941, Benjamin is in Murmansk, where he begins having an affair with Elizabeth Abbott and that December, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, thrusting the United States into World War II. Mike volunteers the boat for the U. S. Navy, during a patrol, the tugboat finds a sunken U. S. transport and the bodies of many American troops. A German submarine surfaces, Mike steers the tugboat full speed towards it while a German gunner fires on the tugboat, killing most of the crew, the tugboat rams the submarine, causing it to explode, sinking both vessels. Benjamin and another crewman are rescued by U. S. Navy ships the next day, in May 1945, Benjamin returns to New Orleans and reunites with Queenie. A few weeks later, he reunites with Daisy, they go out for dinner, upon failing to seduce him afterward, she departs. Benjamin later reunites with Thomas Button, who, terminally ill, reveals he is Benjamins father and wills Benjamin his button company, in 1947, Benjamin visits Daisy in New York unannounced but departs upon seeing that she has fallen in love with someone else. In 1954, Daisys dancing career ends when her leg is crushed in an accident in Paris. When Benjamin visits her, Daisy is amazed by his youthful appearance, in spring 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin. Now of comparable physical age, they fall in love and go sailing together and they return to learn that Queenie has died, then move in together
12.
Predators (film)
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The Predator film series is a science fiction horror film franchise based on a race of fictional extraterrestrials created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the started in 1987 with the film Predator. Related to the franchise are the Alien vs. Predator films, Predator was John McTiernans second studio film as director. The studio hired screenplay writer Shane Black to not only play a role in the film. Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the creature, the idea being that the physical action star would use his martial arts skills to make the creature an agile. Eventually, Van Damme was removed from the film and replaced by the actor, the predator creatures design is credited to special effects artist Stan Winston. While flying to Japan with Aliens director James Cameron, Winston, Cameron saw what he was drawing and said, I always wanted to see something with mandibles. Winston then included them in his designs, Schwarzenegger recommended Winston after his experience working on The Terminator. The films creature was designed with a long neck, a dog-like head. This design was abandoned when it became apparent that the locations would make shooting the complex design too difficult. Originally, the studio contracted the makeup effects for the alien from Richard Edlunds Boss Film Creature Shop, the design did not work in the jungle locations. After six weeks of shooting in the jungles of Palenque, Mexico and this took eight months and then filming resumed for five weeks. The sound of the creature was provided by Peter Cullen, despite his resolution not to voice any more monsters following injuries to his throat sustained during the ADR of King Kong, his agent convinced him to audition. The bubbling sound was inspired by a mixture of the visual of the creature, r/Greenberg Associates created the films optical effects, including the creatures ability to become invisible, its thermal vision point-of-view, its glowing blood, and the electric spark effects. The invisibility effect was achieved by having someone in a red suit the size of the creature. The take was then repeated without the actors using a 30% wider lens on the camera, when the two takes were combined optically, a vague outline of the alien could be seen with the background scenery bending around its shape. For the thermal vision, infrared film could not be used because it did not register in the range of body temperature wavelengths, the glowing blood was achieved by green liquid from chem-lite sticks used by campers. The electrical sparks were rotoscoped animation using white paper pin registered on portable light tables to black-and-white prints of the film frames, the drawings were composited by the optical crew for the finished effects
13.
The Place Beyond the Pines
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The Place Beyond the Pines is a 2012 American crime drama film directed by Derek Cianfrance and written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. It stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Emory Cohen and Dane DeHaan, with Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Bruce Greenwood, Harris Yulin, the film reunites Cianfrance and Gosling, who worked together on 2010s Blue Valentine. The film was scored by Mike Patton and also featured previously written music by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, the title is the English meaning of the city of Schenectady, New York, which is derived loosely from a Mohawk word for place beyond the pine plains. In 1997, Luke Glanton is a locally well-known motorcycle stuntman working in an act for state fairs. During a fair in Schenectady, New York, Luke reunites with his ex-lover Romina Gutierrez and he asks her out on a date, but she declines, as she has become involved with another man named Kofi Kancam. Luke later discovers that Romina has a son that he fathered. Luke does not want their son to grow up knowing who his father was, as he himself suffered the same fate. Luke quits his job to support Romina and their son, and he turns to a local auto repair shop owner, Robin Van Der Hook, for part-time employment as he repeatedly attempts to insert himself into his sons life. Earning little, Luke asks Robin for more money so he can contribute to his sons care, Robin reveals he was once a bank robber and offers to partner with Luke in hitting several local banks. They perform a few successful heists, in which Luke performs the robbery then uses his motorbike as a getaway vehicle, Luke uses his share of the money to win back Rominas trust and visits her and his son more often. Kofi objects to Lukes presence and the two get into a fight at Kofis house, resulting in Lukes arrest after he hits Kofi in the head with a pair of pliers, Romina files a restraining order against Luke, vowing that he will never see his son again. After Robin bails him out of jail, Luke insists on resuming their bank robberies, Luke attempts to rob a bank alone and is pursued by police. He seeks refuge in a house, chased on foot by rookie police officer Avery Cross, Luke retreats until he is cornered upstairs and calls Romina. Just before Avery confronts him, Luke asks Romina not to tell their child about who he was, Avery enters the room and accidentally fires his gun, hitting Luke in the stomach. Luke fires back, hitting Avery in the leg before falling out of the window. Upon being questioned about the shooting, Avery reluctantly states that Luke fired first and he later attempts to return the money to Romina, but she rejects his offer. Avery eventually tries to turn the money in to the chief of police, who rebuffs him, following the advice of his father, a retired judge, Avery tape records a fellow officer asking him to illegally remove cocaine from the evidence locker Avery is supervising. Avery uses the recording to expose the practices in the police department
14.
The Hunger Games (film series)
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The Hunger Games film series consists of four science fiction dystopian adventure films based on The Hunger Games trilogy of novels, by the American author Suzanne Collins. Gary Ross directed the first film, while Francis Lawrence directed the three films. The first three films set records at the box office, the Hunger Games set records for the opening day and the biggest opening weekend for a non-sequel film. The Hunger Games, Catching Fire set the record for biggest opening weekend in the month of November, the Hunger Games, Mockingjay – Part 1 had the largest opening day and weekend of 2014. The Hunger Games is the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time, following the release of Suzanne Collins novel The Hunger Games, on September 14,2008, Hollywood film studios began looking to adapt the book into film. In March 2009, Color Force, an independent studio founded by producer Nina Jacobson, Jacobson then sought out production company Lionsgate to help her produce the film. Collins was also attached to adapt the novel, she began the first draft after completing the novel in the series. The search for a director began in 2010 with three directors in the running, David Slade, Sam Mendes, and Gary Ross, Ross was ultimately chosen to direct. By the time Collins had finished the script, Ross decided to go through the script with Collins, in October 2010, scripts were sent to the actors, and casting occurred between March and May 2011. The first role cast was of the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, as many as 30 actresses were in talks to play the part, with Jennifer Lawrence, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Chloë Grace Moretz being mentioned most. The role was given to Lawrence, the roles of Peeta Mellark, Katniss fellow tribute, and Gale Hawthorne, her best friend, began casting later that month. Top contenders for Peeta included Josh Hutcherson, Alexander Ludwig, Hunter Parrish, Evan Peters, contenders for Gale included Robbie Amell, Liam Hemsworth, David Henrie, and Drew Roy. On April 4, it was reported that Hemsworth had been cast as Gale, filming for the franchise began on May 23,2011 and finished on June 20,2014. Suzanne Collins and Louise Rosner acted as producers on the first two films. Other executive producers of the first film include Robin Bissell and Shantal Feghali, co-producers are Diana Alvarez, Martin Cohen, Louis Phillips, Bryan Unkeless, and Aldric Laauli Porter. Color Force and Lionsgate collaborated on all four films, Gary Ross directed the first film, and despite initially stating otherwise on April 10,2012, Lionsgate announced that Ross would not return to direct the sequel. Suzanne Collins began adapting the first book to film after she finished writing Mockingjay, Collins had experience in writing screenplays after writing Cliffords Puppy Days and other childrens television shows. When Gary Ross was announced as director for the film in 2010, he began to work with Collins, the script was large and resulted in a two-hour and 20 minute film
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Netflix
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Netflix is an American entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph on August 29,1997, in Scotts Valley, California. It specializes in and provides streaming media and video-on-demand online and DVD by mail, in 2013, Netflix expanded into film and television production, as well as online distribution. As of 2017 the company has its headquarters in Los Gatos, Netflixs initial business model included DVD sales and rental, although Hastings jettisoned DVD sales about a year after Netflixs founding to focus on the DVD rental by mail business. In 2007, Netflix expanded its business with the introduction of streaming media, while retaining the DVD, Netflix entered the content-production industry in 2013, debuting its first series, House of Cards. It has greatly expanded the production of film and television series since then, offering Netflix Original content through its online library of films. Netflix released an estimated 126 original series or films in 2016, in January 2017, Netflix reported having over 93 million subscribers worldwide, including more than 49 million in the United States. Netflix was founded on August 29,1997, in Scotts Valley, California, by Marc Randolph, Randolph worked as marketing director for Hastings company, Pure Atria Corporation. Randolph was a co-founder of MicroWarehouse, a mail order company. Hastings, a computer scientist and mathematician, sold Pure Atria to Rational Software Corporation in 1997 for $700 million in what was then the richest acquisition in Silicon Valley history. Hastings, Randolphs mother and Integrity QA founder Steve Kahn invested $2.5 million in cash for Netflix. Randolph admired the fledgling e-commerce company Amazon and wanted to find a category of portable items to sell over the internet using a similar model. He and Hastings considered and rejected VHS tapes as too expensive to stock and too delicate to ship. When they heard about DVDs, which were available in only a few markets in 1997, when the disc arrived intact, they decided to take on the $16 billion home video sales and rental industry. Netflix introduced the monthly subscription concept in September 1999, and then dropped the model in early 2000. Since that time, the company has built its reputation on the model of flat-fee unlimited rentals without due dates, late fees, shipping and handling fees. In 2000, Netflix offered to be acquired by Blockbuster for $50 million, Netflix initiated an initial public offering on May 29,2002, selling 5.5 million shares of common stock at the price of US$15.00 per share. On June 14,2002, the company sold an additional 825,000 shares of stock at the same price. After incurring substantial losses during its first few years, Netflix posted its first profit during fiscal year 2003, in 2005,35,000 different films were available, and Netflix shipped 1 million DVDs out every day
16.
House of Cards (U.S. TV series)
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House of Cards is an American political drama web television series created by Beau Willimon. It is an adaptation of the BBCs mini-series of the name and is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs. The thirteen episode first season premiered on February 1,2013, thirteen episode seasons followed on February 14,2014, February 27,2015 and March 4,2016. Netflix announced a season due for release on May 30,2017. Willimon has stated plans for the shows future are decided after each season. House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a Democrat from South Carolinas 5th congressional district and House Majority Whip. After being passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, he initiates a plan to get himself into a position of greater power, aided by his wife. The series deals primarily with themes of pragmatism, manipulation. House of Cards has received reviews and several award nominations. It is the first original online-only web television series to receive major Emmy nominations, the show also earned eight Golden Globe Award nominations, with Wright winning for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2014 and Spacey winning for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2015. However, Underwood soon learns that he is no longer being considered for the position, Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez tells Underwood that the president wants him to promote his agenda in Congress and will not honor their agreement. Inwardly seething, Underwood quickly gains control of his anger and hides his disappointment to present himself as a lieutenant to the president. In reality, Underwood begins a plan behind the presidents back. Franks wife Claire runs an NGO, the Clean Water Initiative, using the charity to cultivate her own power and influence, yet its ultimate purpose remains unknown. Despite the success of the operation, Claire seeks to expand its scope to the international stage and they both work with Remy Danton, a corporate lobbyist and former Underwood staffer, to secure funds for their operations and further their influence. Underwood begins a highly intricate plan to obtain a cabinet position, meanwhile, he manipulates Peter Russo, a troubled alcoholic and congressman from Pennsylvania, into helping him undermine Walkers pick for Secretary of State, Senator Michael Kern. Underwood eventually has Kern replaced with his own choice, Senator Catherine Durant, Underwood also uses Russo in a plot to end a teachers strike and pass an education bill, which improves Underwoods standing with President Walker. Because the new Vice President is the governor of Pennsylvania
17.
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
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The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered a performance in a supporting role while working within the film industry. At the 9th Academy Awards ceremony held in 1937, Walter Brennan was the first winner of award for his role in Come. Initially, winners in both supporting acting categories were awarded instead of statuettes. Beginning with the 16th ceremony held in 1944, however, winners received full-sized statuettes, currently, nominees are determined by single transferable vote within the actors branch of AMPAS, winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the Academy. Since its inception, the award has given to 72 actors. Brennan has received the most awards in this category with three awards, Brennan, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Arthur Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, and Claude Rains were nominated on four occasions, more than any other actor. As of the 2017 ceremony, Mahershala Ali is the most recent winner in category for his role as Juan in Moonlight. In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to the year of release in Los Angeles County. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-1-55002-574-3. org The Academy Awards Database Oscar. com Complete Downloadable List of Academy Award Nominees
18.
Muslim
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A Muslim is someone who follows or practices Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion. Muslims consider the Quran, their book, to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophet. They also follow the teachings and practices of Muhammad as recorded in traditional accounts, Muslim is an Arabic word meaning one who submits. Most Muslims will accept anyone who has publicly pronounced Shahadah as a Muslim, the shahadah states, There is no god but the God and Muhammad is the last messenger of the God. The testimony authorized by God in the Quran that can found in Surah 3,18 states, There is no god except God, which in Arabic, is the exact testimony which God Himself utters, as well as the angels and those who possess knowledge utter. The word muslim is the active participle of the verb of which islām is a verbal noun, based on the triliteral S-L-M to be whole. A female adherent is a muslima, the plural form in Arabic is muslimūn or muslimīn, and its feminine equivalent is muslimāt. The Arabic form muslimun is the stem IV participle of the triliteral S-L-M, the ordinary word in English is Muslim. It is sometimes transliterated as Moslem, which is an older spelling, the word Mosalman is a common equivalent for Muslim used in Central Asia. Until at least the mid-1960s, many English-language writers used the term Mohammedans or Mahometans, although such terms were not necessarily intended to be pejorative, Muslims argue that the terms are offensive because they allegedly imply that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God. Other obsolete terms include Muslimite and Muslimist, musulmán/Mosalmán is a synonym for Muslim and is modified from Arabic. In English it was sometimes spelled Mussulman and has become archaic in usage, the Muslim philosopher Ibn Arabi said, A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God. Islam means making ones religion and faith Gods alone. The Quran states that men were Muslims because they submitted to God, preached His message and upheld His values. Thus, in Surah 3,52 of the Quran, Jesus disciples tell him, We believe in God, and you be our witness that we are Muslims. In Muslim belief, before the Quran, God had given the Tawrat to Moses, the Zabur to David and the Injil to Jesus, who are all considered important Muslim prophets. The most populous Muslim-majority country is Indonesia, home to 12. 7% of the worlds Muslims, followed by Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Egypt. About 20% of the worlds Muslims lives in the Middle East and North Africa, Sizable minorities are found in India, China, Russia, Ethiopia. The country with the highest proportion of self-described Muslims as a proportion of its population is Morocco
19.
Cleveland, Ohio
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Cleveland is a city in the U. S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the states second most populous county. The city proper has a population of 388,072, making Cleveland the 51st largest city in the United States, Greater Cleveland ranked as the 32nd largest metropolitan area in the United States, with 2,055,612 people in 2016. The city is the center of the Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, the city is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border. Clevelands economy has diversified sectors that include manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, Cleveland is also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Residents of Cleveland are called Clevelanders, Cleveland has many nicknames, the oldest of which in contemporary use being The Forest City. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for what would become the downtown area, centered on Public Square, before returning home. The first settler in Cleaveland was Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River, the Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23,1814. In spite of the swampy lowlands and harsh winters, its waterfront location proved to be an advantage. The area began rapid growth after the 1832 completion of the Ohio, growth continued with added railroad links. Cleveland incorporated as a city in 1836, in 1836, the city, then located only on the eastern banks of the Cuyahoga River, nearly erupted into open warfare with neighboring Ohio City over a bridge connecting the two. Ohio City remained an independent municipality until its annexation by Cleveland in 1854, the citys prime geographic location as a transportation hub on the Great Lakes has played an important role in its development as a commercial center. Cleveland serves as a point for iron ore shipped from Minnesota. In 1870, John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in Cleveland, other manufacturers located in Cleveland produced steam-powered cars, which included White and Gaeth, as well as the electric car company Baker. Because of the significant growth, Cleveland was known as the Sixth City during this period, by 1920, due in large part to the citys economic prosperity, Cleveland became the nations fifth largest city. The city counted Progressive Era politicians such as the populist Mayor Tom L. Johnson among its leaders, many prominent Clevelanders from this era are buried in the historic Lake View Cemetery, including President James A. Garfield, and John D. Rockefeller. In commemoration of the centennial of Clevelands incorporation as a city, conceived as a way to energize a city after the Great Depression, it drew four million visitors in its first season, and seven million by the end of its second and final season in September 1937. The exposition was housed on grounds that are now used by the Great Lakes Science Center, following World War II, the city experienced a prosperous economy. In sports, the Indians won the 1948 World Series, the hockey Barons became champions of the American Hockey League, as a result, along with track and boxing champions produced, Cleveland was dubbed City of Champions in sports at this time
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Oakland
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Oakland /ˈoʊklənd/ is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1852, Oaklands territory covers what was once a mosaic of California coastal terrace prairie, oak woodland, and north coastal scrub. Its land served as a resource when its hillside oak and redwood timber were logged to build San Francisco. In the late 1860s, Oakland was selected as the terminal of the Transcontinental Railroad. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, many San Francisco citizens moved to Oakland, enlarging the citys population, increasing its housing stock and it continued to grow in the 20th century with its busy port, shipyards, and a thriving automobile manufacturing industry. Oakland is known for its sustainability practices, including a top-ranking for usage of electricity from renewable resources, in addition, due to a steady influx of immigrants during the 20th century, along with thousands of African-American war-industry workers who relocated from the Deep South during the 1940s. Oakland is the most ethnically diverse city in the country. The earliest known inhabitants were the Huchiun Indians, who lived there for thousands of years, the Huchiun belonged to a linguistic grouping later called the Ohlone. In Oakland, they were concentrated around Lake Merritt and Temescal Creek, in 1772, the area that later became Oakland was claimed, with the rest of California, by Spanish settlers for the King of Spain. In the early 19th century, the Spanish crown granted the East Bay area to Luis María Peralta for his Rancho San Antonio, the grant was confirmed by the successor Mexican republic upon its independence from Spain. Upon his death in 1842, Peralta divided his land among his four sons, Most of Oakland fell within the shares given to Antonio Maria and Vicente. The portion of the parcel that is now Oakland was called encinal—Spanish for oak grove—due to the oak forest that covered the area. In 1851, three men—Horace Carpentier, Edson Adams, and Andrew Moon—began developing what is now downtown Oakland, on May 4,1852, the Town of Oakland incorporated. Two years later, on March 25,1854, Oakland re-incorporated as the City of Oakland, with Horace Carpentier elected the first mayor, the city and its environs quickly grew with the railroads, becoming a major rail terminal in the late 1860s and 1870s. In 1868, the Central Pacific constructed the Oakland Long Wharf at Oakland Point, a number of horsecar and cable car lines were constructed in Oakland during the latter half of the 19th century. The first electric streetcar set out from Oakland to Berkeley in 1891, at the time of incorporation, Oakland consisted of the territory that lay south of todays major intersection of San Pablo Avenue, Broadway, and Fourteenth Street. The city gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and the north, Oaklands rise to industrial prominence, and its subsequent need for a seaport, led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902. This resulted in the town of Alameda being made an island
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Christian
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A Christian is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christian derives from the Koine Greek word Christós, a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term mashiach, while there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term Christian is also used as an adjective to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a sense all that is noble, and good. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, there were 2.2 billion Christians around the world in 2010, by 2050, the Christian population is expected to exceed 3 billion. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey Christianity will remain the worlds largest religion in 2050, about half of all Christians worldwide are Catholic, while more than a third are Protestant. Orthodox communions comprise 12% of the worlds Christians, other Christian groups make up the remainder. Christians make up the majority of the population in 158 countries and territories,280 million Christian live as a minority. In the Greek Septuagint, christos was used to translate the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ, in other European languages, equivalent words to Christian are likewise derived from the Greek, such as Chrétien in French and Cristiano in Spanish. The second mention of the term follows in Acts 26,28, where Herod Agrippa II replied to Paul the Apostle, Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. The third and final New Testament reference to the term is in 1 Peter 4,16, which believers, Yet if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. The city of Antioch, where someone gave them the name Christians, had a reputation for coming up with such nicknames, in the Annals he relates that by vulgar appellation commonly called Christians and identifies Christians as Neros scapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome. Another term for Christians which appears in the New Testament is Nazarenes which is used by the Jewish lawyer Tertullus in Acts 24, the Hebrew equivalent of Nazarenes, Notzrim, occurs in the Babylonian Talmud, and is still the modern Israeli Hebrew term for Christian. A wide range of beliefs and practices is found across the world among those who call themselves Christian, denominations and sects disagree on a common definition of Christianity. Most Baptists and fundamentalists, for example, would not acknowledge Mormonism or Christian Science as Christian, in fact, the nearly 77 percent of Americans who self-identify as Christian are a diverse pluribus of Christianities that are far from any collective unity. The identification of Jesus as the Messiah is not accepted by Judaism, the term for a Christian in Hebrew is נוּצְרי, a Talmudic term originally derived from the fact that Jesus came from the Galilean village of Nazareth, today in northern Israel. Adherents of Messianic Judaism are referred to in modern Hebrew as יְהוּדִים מָשִׁיחַיים, the term Nasara rose to prominence in July 2014, after the Fall of Mosul to the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The nun or ن— the first letter of Nasara—was spray-painted on the property of Christians ejected from the city, where there is a distinction, Nasrani refers to people from a Christian culture and Masihi is used by Christians themselves for those with a religious faith in Jesus. In some countries Nasrani tends to be used generically for non-Muslim Western foreigners, another Arabic word sometimes used for Christians, particularly in a political context, is Ṣalībī from ṣalīb which refers to Crusaders and has negative connotations
22.
Islam
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Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one and incomparable God and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God. It is the worlds second-largest religion and the major religion in the world, with over 1.7 billion followers or 23% of the global population. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, and unique, and He has guided mankind through revealed scriptures, natural signs, and a line of prophets sealed by Muhammad. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, viewed by Muslims as the word of God. Muslims believe that Islam is the original, complete and universal version of a faith that was revealed many times before through prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses. As for the Quran, Muslims consider it to be the unaltered, certain religious rites and customs are observed by the Muslims in their family and social life, while social responsibilities to parents, relatives, and neighbors have also been defined. Besides, the Quran and the sunnah of Muhammad prescribe a comprehensive body of moral guidelines for Muslims to be followed in their personal, social, political, Islam began in the early 7th century. Originating in Mecca, it spread in the Arabian Peninsula. The expansion of the Muslim world involved various caliphates and empires, traders, most Muslims are of one of two denominations, Sunni or Shia. Islam is the dominant religion in the Middle East, North Africa, sizable Muslim communities are also found in Horn of Africa, Europe, China, Russia, Mainland Southeast Asia, Philippines, Northern Borneo, Caucasus and the Americas. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world, Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of wholeness, submission, safeness and peace. In a religious context it means voluntary submission to God, Islām is the verbal noun of Form IV of the root, and means submission or surrender. Muslim, the word for an adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the verb form. The word sometimes has connotations in its various occurrences in the Quran. In some verses, there is stress on the quality of Islam as a state, Whomsoever God desires to guide. Other verses connect Islām and dīn, Today, I have perfected your religion for you, I have completed My blessing upon you, still others describe Islam as an action of returning to God—more than just a verbal affirmation of faith. In the Hadith of Gabriel, islām is presented as one part of a triad that also includes imān, Islam was historically called Muhammadanism in Anglophone societies. This term has fallen out of use and is said to be offensive because it suggests that a human being rather than God is central to Muslims religion
23.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
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Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded in Punjab, British India, near the end of the 19th century. He claimed to have been appointed as the Mujaddid of Islam. The adherents of the Ahmadiyya movement are referred to as Ahmadi Muslims or simply Ahmadis, Ahmadiyya adherents believe that Ahmad appeared in the likeness of Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice, and peace. Thus, Ahmadis view themselves as leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the movement on 23 March 1889. The Ahmadis have a strong tradition and were among the earliest Muslim communities to arrive in Britain. Currently, the community is led by its Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the population is almost entirely contained in the single, highly organized and united movement. In this sense there is one major branch. Some Ahmadiyya-specific beliefs have been thought of as opposed to contemporary mainstream Islamic thought since the movements birth, many Muslims consider Ahmadi Muslims as either kafirs or heretics. In a manifesto dated 4 November 1900, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad explained that the name did not refer to himself but to Ahmad, the alternative name of Muhammad. According to Ahmad, these names refer to two aspects or phases of Islam, and in later times it was the latter aspect that commanded greater attention. He also called it the Ahmadiyya madhab, And it is permissible that this also be referred to as ‘Muslims of the Aḥmadī way. Ahmadi beliefs are more aligned with the Sunni tradition, than they are with the Shia tradition, such as The Five Pillars of Islam and The Six articles of Islamic Faith. Likewise, Ahmadis accept the Quran as their text, face the Kaaba during prayer, practice the Sunnah. These are the central beliefs constituting Ahmadi Muslim thought, the distinguishing feature of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is their belief in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, as prophesied by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Through the proclamation of truth and by putting an end to conflicts, I should bring about peace. I am called upon to demonstrate spirituality which lies buried under egoistic darkness and it is for me to demonstrate by practice, and not by words alone, the Divine powers which penetrate into a human being and are manifested through prayer or attention. All this will be accomplished, not through my power, but through the power of the Almighty God, Who is the God of heaven and he believed that his message had special relevance for the Western world, which, he believed, had descended into materialism. The message which the founders of these religions brought was, therefore, essentially the same as that of Islam, the completion and consummation of the development of religion came about with the advent of Muhammad
24.
St. Mary's College of California
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It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and administered by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the college was ranked tied for 9th in the U. S. News & World Reports Regional Universities rankings for 2017. St. Marys College began in 1863 as a college for boys established by the Most Rev. Joseph Alemany, a member of the Order of Preachers. Unhappy with the operation of the college, Archbishop Alemany applied for assistance from Rome. In 1889, the college moved east across San Francisco Bay to Oakland, the Oakland site is California Historical Landmark #676 and is marked by a commemorative plaque. The former San Francisco site is now the site of the St. Marys Park neighborhood, the college and high school sections separated not long after the move to Moraga and the high school is currently located in Albany. During World War II the college was used by the United States Navy for the training of pilots, former President Gerald Ford was briefly stationed at the school and served as a naval instructor. The navy erected many buildings, including the worlds largest indoor pool, Saint Marys continued to be a male-only school until 1970, when it became coeducational. Since then, more women have come to the college and by 2011, there are still roughly two dozen Christian Brothers living and working at the school, and the school presidents had always been Brothers until 2013. James A. Donahue, a committed and engaged Roman Catholic, there are four schools at Saint Marys, the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Science, the School of Economics and Business Administration, and the Kalmanovitz School of Education. Saint Marys College is an arts institution, and the majority of undergraduate students are in the School of Liberal Arts. However, the most popular major is Business Administration and this is followed by Psychology, Communication, Kinesiology, and Accounting. The average class size is 19, with a student faculty ratio of 13,1, 91% of classes are taught by full-time faculty, of which 95% hold the highest degree in their fields. There are 40 academic majors, with an option to create your own major, Most Saint Marys faculty are required to teach six courses per year. The school also has programs in fine arts, kinesiology, education, leadership. In addition to general education courses, students must take four Collegiate Seminar or Great Books courses. Although based on the programs at St. Johns College. There is also a course created for transfer students so that they can be just as prepared as their peers in the following seminar courses
25.
California Shakespeare Theater
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California Shakespeare Theater is a regional theater located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Its performance space, the Lt. G. H, Bruns III Memorial Amphitheater, is located in Orinda, while the administrative offices, rehearsal hall, costume and prop shop are located in Berkeley. And The Tempest in John Hinkle Park in Berkeley and it was founded by a group of amateurs who wanted the enjoyment and experience of acting and production, no one was paid, and the plays were free. After that, the changed to the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival. Dakin Matthews was Artistic Director from 1983–1987, with Michael Addison taking over as A. D. in 1987, in 1991, the festival built its current performance venue, the 545-seat Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in the Orinda hills, and changed its name to California Shakespeare Festival. In 1995, actor Joe Vincent took over the artistic direction. In 2000, Jonathan Moscone was appointed its Artistic Director, in 2003, the company officially changed its name to California Shakespeare Theater. In 2009, Susie Falk was named Managing Director, following the departure of Debbie Chinn, in late 2009, Moscone was chosen by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation as the inaugural recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award. The award was created to recognize an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through his singular creativity, in 2015, Jonathan Moscone stepped down as Artistic Director after 15 years. His final production was Charles Ludhams The Mystery of Irma Vep in August/September of the same year, eric Ting was chosen as its new Artistic Director joining in the fall of 2015. T. Nelson, and actors, Annette Bening, Stephen Barker Turner, in 1979, Berkeley Shakespeare Festival began Summer with Shakespeare programs, six-week camps for ages 14–18, culminating with a performance in the John Hinkel Park amphitheater. The camps have continued, in one form or another, to this day, in 2009, the camps were offered to ages 8–18 in two- and five-week increments, with locations in Lafayette, Oakland, Orinda, and El Cerrito. Participants study acting, physical comedy, stage combat, movement, improvisation, and text, also offered was an introduction to classical drama in both its literary and theatrical aspects. Fall and spring classes for youth and adults were offered as recently as spring of 2009, California Shakespeare Theater also presents Student Discovery Matinees, afternoon performances of Shakespeare productions for school groups that include pre-show activities geared toward youth. In 2001, they began teaching pre- and post–show workshops wherein Cal Shakes teaching artists visit classrooms in order to enrich, in 2007, Cal Shakes received the first of several grants from the NEAs Shakespeare in American Communities initiative to expand its residency program and Student Discovery Matinee activities. The theater now offers classroom residencies, afterschool programs, and home school programs throughout the Bay Area, in 2003, Cal Shakes launched New Works/New Communities with the aim of engaging marginalized communities while creating new works of theater based on the classics. The two-year process included interviews with former drug lords and Shakespearean scholars, writing workshops in schools, juvenile halls, and churches and it culminated in a sold-out, eight-week run of the play directed by Moscone at Intersection for the Arts. The Oakland Tech students then performed their production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2010
26.
New York University
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New York University is a private nonprofit research university based in New York City. Founded in 1831, NYU is considered one of the worlds most influential research universities, University rankings compiled by Times Higher Education, U. S. News & World Report, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities all rank NYU amongst the top 32 universities in the world. NYU is a part of the creativity, energy and vibrancy that is Manhattan, located with its core in Greenwich Village. Among its faculty and alumni are 37 Nobel Laureates, over 30 Pulitzer Prize winners, over 30 Academy Award winners, alumni include heads of state, royalty, eminent mathematicians, inventors, media figures, Olympic medalists, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and astronauts. NYU alumni are among the wealthiest in the world, according to The Princeton Review, NYU is consistently considered by students and parents as a Top Dream College. Albert Gallatin, Secretary of Treasury under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, declared his intention to establish in this immense, a system of rational and practical education fitting and graciously opened to all. A three-day-long literary and scientific convention held in City Hall in 1830 and these New Yorkers believed the city needed a university designed for young men who would be admitted based upon merit rather than birthright or social class. On April 18,1831, an institution was established, with the support of a group of prominent New York City residents from the merchants, bankers. Albert Gallatin was elected as the institutions first president, the university has been popularly known as New York University since its inception and was officially renamed New York University in 1896. In 1832, NYU held its first classes in rented rooms of four-story Clinton Hall, in 1835, the School of Law, NYUs first professional school, was established. American Chemical Society was founded in 1876 at NYU and it became one of the nations largest universities, with an enrollment of 9,300 in 1917. NYU had its Washington Square campus since its founding, the university purchased a campus at University Heights in the Bronx because of overcrowding on the old campus. NYU also had a desire to follow New York Citys development further uptown, NYUs move to the Bronx occurred in 1894, spearheaded by the efforts of Chancellor Henry Mitchell MacCracken. The University Heights campus was far more spacious than its predecessor was, as a result, most of the universitys operations along with the undergraduate College of Arts and Science and School of Engineering were housed there. NYUs administrative operations were moved to the new campus, but the schools of the university remained at Washington Square. In 1914, Washington Square College was founded as the undergraduate college of NYU. In 1935, NYU opened the Nassau College-Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead and this extension would later become a fully independent Hofstra University. In 1950, NYU was elected to the Association of American Universities, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, financial crisis gripped the New York City government and the troubles spread to the citys institutions, including NYU
27.
HBO
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Home Box Office is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by Time Warner through its respective flagship company Home Box Office, Inc. HBO is the oldest and longest continuously operating pay television service in the United States, in 2014, HBO had an adjusted operating income of US$1.79 billion, compared to the US$1.68 billion it accrued in 2013. HBO has 49 million subscribers in the United States and 130 million worldwide as of 2016, the network provides seven 24-hour multiplex channels, including HBO Comedy, HBO Latino, HBO Signature and HBO Family. It launched the streaming service HBO Now in April 2015, and has over 2 million subscribers in the United States as of February 2017. In addition to its U. S. subscriber base, HBO distributes content in at least 151 countries, HBO subscribers generally pay for an extra tier of service that includes other cable- and satellite-exclusive channels even before paying for the channel itself. Cable providers can require the use of a converter box – usually digital – in order to receive HBO, many HBO programs have been syndicated to other networks and broadcast television stations, and a number of HBO-produced series and films have been released on DVD. The new system, which Dolan named Sterling Information Services, became the first urban underground cable system in the United States. In that same year, Time-Life, Inc. purchased a 20% stake in Dolans company, in the summer of 1971, while on a family vacation in France, Charles Dolan began to think of ideas to make Sterling Manhattan profitable. He came up with the concept for a television service. Dolan later presented his idea to Time-Life management, though satellite distribution seemed only a distant possibility at the time, he persuaded Time-Life to back him on the project. To gauge whether consumers would be interested in subscribing to a pay television service, in a meeting of Dolan and some Time-Life executives who were working on the project, various other names were discussed for the new service. Home Box Office launched on November 8,1972, however, HBOs launch came without fanfare in the press, as it was not covered by any local or national media outlets. Home Box Office distributed its first sports event immediately after the film, Four months later in February 1973, Home Box Office aired its first television special, the Pennsylvania Polka Festival. Home Box Office would use a network of relay towers to distribute its programming to cable systems throughout its service area. Sterling Manhattan Cable continued to lose money because the company had only a small base of 20,000 customers in Manhattan. Time-Life dropped the Sterling name and the company was renamed Manhattan Cable Television under Time-Lifes control in March 1973, Gerald Levin, who had been with Home Box Office since it began operations as its vice president of programming, replaced Dolan as the companys president and chief executive officer. In September 1973, Time-Life, Inc. completed its acquisition of the pay service. HBO would eventually increase its fortunes within two years, by April 1975, the service had around 100,000 subscribers in Pennsylvania and New York state, in 1974, they settled on using a geostationary communications satellite to transmit HBO to cable providers throughout the United States
28.
Cats in Islam
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The domestic cat is a revered animal in Islam. Admired for its cleanliness as well as for being loved by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Cats have been venerated in the Near East since antiquity, a tradition adopted by Islam, albeit in a much modified form. According to many hadiths, Mohammad prohibited the persecution and killing of cats. Muhammad purportedly allowed a cat to give birth on his cloak, and cut off the sleeve of his prayer robe rather than wake his favourite cat, a female named Muezza, one of Muhammads companions was known as Abu Hurairah for his attachment to cats. Abu Hurairah claimed that he had heard Muhammad declare that a woman went to Hell for starving a female kitten and not providing her with any water, according to legend, Abu Hurairahs cat saved Muhammad from a snake. In gratitude, Muhammad stroked the cats back and forehead, thus blessing all cats with the righting reflex, the stripes some cats have on their foreheads are believed to mark the touch of Muhammads fingers. The American poet and travel author Bayard Taylor was astonished when he discovered a Syrian hospital where cats roamed freely, the institution, in which domestic felines were sheltered and nourished, was funded by a waqf, along with caretakers wages, veterinary care and cat food. Aside from protecting granaries and food stores from pests, cats were valued by the paper-based Arab-Islamic cultures for preying on mice that destroyed books, for that reason, cats are often depicted in paintings alongside Islamic scholars and bibliophiles. The medieval Egyptian zoologist Al-Damiri wrote that the first cat was created when God caused a lion to sneeze, in Islamic tradition, cats are admired for their cleanliness. They are thought to be clean, unlike dogs, and are thus allowed to enter homes and even mosques. Food sampled by cats is considered halal and water from which cats have drunk is permitted for wudu, furthermore, there is a widespread belief among Muslims that cats seek out people who are praying. Muslim scholars are divided on the issue of neutering animals, most, however, maintain that neutering cats is allowed if there is some benefit in neutering the cat and if that will not cause its death. But if the cats are cats and are not causing a nuisance. Animals in Islam Cats in ancient Egypt Human interaction with cats History of the Cat in Islam
29.
Nas
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Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas /ˈnɑːz/, is an American rapper, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He is also an entrepreneur through his own label, he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and is the owner of a Fila sneaker store. He is currently signed to Mass Appeal Records and his musical career began in 1991 as featured artist on Main Sources Live at the Barbeque. His debut album Illmatic received universal acclaim from critics and the hip hop community and is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Nas follow-up It Was Written debuted at one on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a publicized feud with rapper Jay Z. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006. In 2010, he released Distant Relatives, an album with reggae artist Damian Marley. His eleventh studio album, Life Is Good was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Nas is often named as one of the greatest hip hop artists. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, in 2012, The Source ranked him number two on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. In 2013, Nas was ranked fourth on MTVs Hottest MCs in the Game list. About. com ranked him first on their list of the 50 Greatest MCs of All Time in 2014, nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born September 14,1973, in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Olu Dara, is a jazz and blues musician and his mother, Fannie Ann Jones, was a Postal Service worker from North Carolina. He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari Fret who is best known as Jungle and his father took his name Olu Dara from the Yoruba people. His African DNA indicates he has roots in countries with high Yoruba populations Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana – as well as Mali, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Senegal. His matrilineal DNA haplogroup is of African origin, found among the Yoruba and he also found that his Y-DNA traces directly back to Scandinavia, through which he is a descendant of the Vikings. As a young child, Nas and his family relocated to the Queensbridge Houses in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens and his neighbor, Willy Ill Will Graham, influenced Nass interest in hip hop by playing him records. His parents divorced in 1985, and he dropped out of school after the eighth grade and he educated himself about African culture through the Five Percent Nation and the Nuwaubian Nation
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