1.
Cowboy
–
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of special significance. A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle, in addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. There are also cattle handlers in many parts of the world, particularly South America and Australia. The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to Spain and the earliest European settlers of the Americas, over the centuries, differences in terrain, climate and the influence of cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures created several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the world, the cowboys equipment and techniques also adapted to some degree. The English word cowboy has an origin from several earlier terms that referred to both age and to cattle or cattle-tending work, the word cowboy appeared in the English language by 1725. It appears to be a direct English translation of vaquero, a Spanish word for an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback and it was derived from vaca, meaning cow, which came from the Latin word vacca. Another English word for a cowboy, buckaroo, is an anglicization of vaquero, originally, the term may have been intended literally—a boy who tends cows. By 1849 it had developed its sense as an adult cattle handler of the American West. Variations on the word cowboy appeared later, cowhand appeared in 1852, and cowpoke in 1881, originally restricted to the individuals who prodded cattle with long poles to load them onto railroad cars for shipping. Names for a cowboy in American English include buckaroo, cowpoke, cowhand, the word cowboy also had English language roots beyond simply being a translation from Spanish. Originally, the English word cowherd was used to describe a cattle herder, and often referred to a preadolescent or early adolescent boy and this word is very old in the English language, originating prior to the year 1000. In antiquity, herding of sheep, cattle and goats was often the job of minors, on western ranches today, the working cowboy is usually an adult. Responsibility for herding cattle or other livestock is no longer considered a job suitable for children or early adolescents. However, both boys and girls growing up in a ranch environment often learn to ride horses and perform basic ranch skills as soon as they are physically able, such youths, by their late teens, are often given responsibilities for cowboy work on the ranch. The term cowboy was used during the American Revolution to describe American fighters who opposed the movement for independence, in the same period, a number of guerilla bands operated in Westchester County, which marked the dividing line between the British and American forces. These groups were made up of local farmhands who would ambush convoys, there were two separate groups, the skinners fought for the pro-independence side, the cowboys supported the British
2.
Territorial evolution of the United States
–
The United States of America was created on July 4,1776, with the declaration of independence of thirteen British colonies. Since then, it has expanded across North America and the seas, growing from the thirteen states to fifty states. To see snapshots of torhe layout of the country at any given moment, Unorganized territory is not a name, it simply means that Congress has not passed an organic act for the territory or it does not otherwise have a name. In most situations, the purpose of unorganized territory was to act as land for Native American settlement, indeed, the last mainland unorganized territory was colloquially referred to as Indian Territory. All land ceded to the government without an official name is labeled as Unorganized territory. Wartime and post-war occupations by the United States of foreign territory are not noted unless they involved formal annexation. For example, the United States military occupied several countries in Central America and the Caribbean for many years during the Banana Wars, but, as there was no annexation, this is not noted. Wartime occupations of American territory are noted only when a replacement of the local government was involved. For example, during World War II, the Philippines had a separate government administering it, Islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act had varying amounts of control and claims from other countries. Though the United States and United Kingdom may have claimed the islands on paper, many were uninhabited and generally ignored once the guano miners left. The names given for guano islands are generally the names, as the islands had many names based on multiple sightings and claims. Descriptions of borders are of the versions described in official documents. The maps are of the changes to the United States in central North America, as defined by the United States, if an area is ambiguous or challenged but not actively pursued, it is noted in the table of changes but not shown in the main map. Due to the complexity, maps of the changes to the United States in the Pacific Ocean. Dates are given in local time and this only matters for some changes in the mid-Pacific. For example, Guam surrendered on the morning of December 10,1941, key to map colors Click on any map to view a larger version in Wikimedia Commons. Click on that Commons map to further enlarge map details, the Banco Convention of 1905 between the United States and Mexico allowed, in the event of sudden changes in the course of the Rio Grande, for the border to be altered to follow the new course. The sudden changes often created bancos, land left behind when curves in the river are cut off by erosion of the channel or are intentionally cut to re-align it
3.
Texas
–
Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
4.
New Mexico
–
New Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. It was admitted to the Union as the 47th state on January 6,1912 and it is usually considered one of the Mountain States. New Mexico is fifth by area, the 36th-most populous, inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before European exploration, New Mexico was colonized by the Spanish in 1598 Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain. Later, it was part of independent Mexico before becoming a U. S. territory and eventually a U. S. state as a result of the Mexican–American War. Among U. S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics, the major Native American nations in the state are Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache peoples. The demography and culture of the state are shaped by these strong Hispanic and Native American influences and its scarlet and gold colors are taken from the royal standards of Spain, along with the ancient sun symbol of the Zia, a Pueblo-related tribe. New Mexico, or Nuevo México in Spanish, is incorrectly believed to have taken its name from the nation of Mexico. The name simply stuck, even though the area had no connection to Mexico or the Mexica Indian tribes, Mexico, formerly a part of New Spain, adopted its name centuries later in 1821, after winning independence from Spanish rule. New Mexico was a part of the independent Mexican Empire and Federal Republic of Mexico for 27 years,1821 through 1848, New Mexico and Mexico developed as neighboring Spanish-speaking communities under Spanish rule, with relatively independent histories. The states total area is 121,412 square miles, the eastern border of New Mexico lies along 103° W longitude with the state of Oklahoma, and 2.2 miles west of 103° W longitude with Texas. On the southern border, Texas makes up the eastern two-thirds, while the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora make up the western third, the western border with Arizona runs along the 109°03 W longitude. The southwestern corner of the state is known as the Bootheel, the 37° N latitude parallel forms the northern boundary with Colorado. The states New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah come together at the Four Corners in the corner of New Mexico. New Mexico, although a state, has very little water. Its surface water area is about 250 square miles, the New Mexican landscape ranges from wide, rose-colored deserts to broken mesas to high, snow-capped peaks. Despite New Mexicos arid image, heavily forested mountain wildernesses cover a significant portion of the state, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost part of the Rocky Mountains, run roughly north-south along the east side of the Rio Grande in the rugged, pastoral north. The most important of New Mexicos rivers are the Rio Grande, Pecos, Canadian, San Juan, the Rio Grande is tied for the fourth-longest river in the United States. Tourists visiting these sites bring significant money to the state, other areas of geographical and scenic interest include Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and the Gila Wilderness in the southwest of the state
5.
Southern California
–
Southern California, often abbreviated as SoCal, is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises Californias 10 southernmost counties. The region is described as eight counties, based on demographics and economic ties, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara. The more extensive 10-county definition, which includes Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, is used and is based on historical political divisions. Southern California is an economic center for the state of California. The 8-county and 10-county definitions are not used for the greater Southern California Megaregion, the megaregions area is more expansive, extending east into Las Vegas, Nevada and south across the Mexican border into Tijuana.5 million people. With over 22 million people, Southern California contains roughly 60 percent of Californias population, located east of Southern California is the Colorado Desert and the Colorado River at the border with Arizona. The Mojave Desert is located at the border with the state of Nevada while towards the south is the Mexico–United States border, within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as three of the countrys largest metropolitan areas. With a population of 3,792,621, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of 1,307,402 is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation. The counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside are the five most populous in the state, the motion picture, television, and music industry are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood, a district within Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures, Universal, MGM, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers. Universal, Warner Brothers, and Sony also run major record companies, Southern California is also home to a large homegrown surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans, Volcom, Quiksilver, No Fear, RVCA, some of the worlds biggest action sports events, including the X Games, Boost Mobile Pro, and the U. S. Open of Surfing, are all held in Southern California. Southern California is also important to the world of yachting, the annual Transpacific Yacht Race, or Transpac, from Los Angeles to Hawaii, is one of yachtings premier events. The San Diego Yacht Club held the Americas Cup, the most prestigious prize in yachting, from 1988 to 1995, Southern California is home to many sports franchises and sports networks such as Fox Sports Net. Many locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its popular beaches, the desert city of Palm Springs is popular for its resort feel and nearby open spaces. Southern California is not a geographic designation and definitions of what constitutes Southern California vary. Geographically, Californias North-South midway point lies at exactly 37°958.23 latitude, around 11 miles south of San Jose, however, when the state is divided into two areas, the term Southern California usually refers to the 10 southernmost counties of the state
6.
Arizona
–
Arizona is a state in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the Western United States and the Mountain West states and it is the sixth largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It has borders with New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and Mexico, Arizonas border with Mexico is 389 miles long, on the northern border of the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. Arizona is the 48th state and last of the states to be admitted to the Union. Historically part of the territory of Alta California in New Spain, after being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase, Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Alpine, in addition to the Grand Canyon National Park, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments. To the European settlers, their pronunciation sounded like Arissona, the area is still known as alĭ ṣonak in the Oodham language. Another possible origin is the Basque phrase haritz ona, as there were numerous Basque sheepherders in the area, There is a misconception that the states name originated from the Spanish term Árida Zona. See also lists of counties, islands, rivers, lakes, state parks, national parks, Arizona is in the Southwestern United States as one of the Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state by area, ranked after New Mexico, of the states 113,998 square miles, approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, state trust land, Arizona is well known for its desert Basin and Range region in the states southern portions, which is rich in a landscape of xerophyte plants such as the cactus. This regions topography was shaped by volcanism, followed by the cooling-off. Its climate has hot summers and mild winters. The state is well known for its pine-covered north-central portion of the high country of the Colorado Plateau. Like other states of the Southwest United States, Arizona has an abundance of mountains, despite the states aridity, 27% of Arizona is forest, a percentage comparable to modern-day France or Germany. The worlds largest stand of pine trees is in Arizona
7.
Invention
–
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. The invention process is a process within an overall engineering and product development process and it may be an improvement upon a machine or product or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field, an inventor may be taking a big step in success or failure. A patent legally protects the property rights of the inventor. The rules and requirements for patenting an invention vary from country to country, another meaning of invention is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social behaviours adopted by people and passed on to others. The Institute for Social Inventions collected many such ideas in magazines, Invention is also an important component of artistic and design creativity. Inventions often extend the boundaries of knowledge, experience or capability. Brainstorming also can spark new ideas for an invention, collaborative creative processes are frequently used by engineers, designers, architects and scientists. Co-inventors are frequently named on patents, in addition, many inventors keep records of their working process - notebooks, photos, etc. including Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Evangelista Torricelli, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein. In the process of developing an invention, the idea may change. The invention may become simpler, more practical, it may expand, working on one invention can lead to others too. History shows that turning the concept of an invention into a device is not always swift or direct. Inventions may also more useful after time passes and other changes occur. For example, the became more useful once powered flight was a reality. Invention is often a creative process, an open and curious mind allows an inventor to see beyond what is known. Seeing a new possibility, connection, or relationship can spark an invention, inventive thinking frequently involves combining concepts or elements from different realms that would not normally be put together. Sometimes inventors disregard the boundaries between distinctly separate territories or fields, several concepts may be considered when thinking about invention
8.
Paul Bunyan
–
Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack in American folklore. His exploits revolve around the tales of his superhuman labors. The character originated in the tradition of North American loggers. Laughead in a 1916 promotional pamphlet for the Red River Lumber Company and he has been the subject of various literary compositions, musical pieces, commercial works, and theatrical productions. His likeness is displayed in several statues across North America, there are many hypotheses about the etymology of the name Paul Bunyan. Much of the focuses on a Franco-Canadian origin for the name. Phonetically Bunyan is similar to the Québécois expression bon yenne, the English surname Bunyan is derived from the same root as bunion in the Old French bugne, referring to a large lump or swelling. Several researchers have attempted to trace Paul Bunyan to the character of Bon Jean or Tit Jean of French Canadian folklore. Michael Edmonds states in his book Out of the Northwoods, The Many Lives of Paul Bunyan that Paul Bunyan stories circulated for at least thirty years before finding their way into print. In contrast to the lengthy narratives abundant in published material, Paul Bunyan stories when told in the lumbercamp bunkhouses were presented in short fragments, Some of these stories include motifs from older folktales, such as absurdly severe weather and fearsome critters. Parallels in early printings support the view that at least a handful of Bunyan stories hold a common origin in folklore. All four anecdotes are mirrored in J. E. Rockwells Some Lumberjack Myths six years later, macGillivrays account, somewhat extended, reappeared in The American Lumberman in 1910. The American Lumberman followed up with a few sporadic editorials, such as Paul Bunyans Oxen, In Paul Bunyans Cook Shanty, in all the articles, Paul Bunyan is praised as a logger of great physical strength and unrivaled skill. Laughead, an independent adman, was the first to utilize Paul Bunyan for commercial use in a series of campaigns for the Red River Lumber Company and his first endeavor was a pamphlet entitled Introducing Mr. Paul Bunyan of Westwood, California, but it did not prove effective. It was not until Tales about Paul Bunyan, Vol. II appeared that the campaign gained momentum, embellishing older exploits and adding some of his own, Laugheads revamped Paul Bunyan did not stay faithful to the original folktales. Among other things, Laughead gave the name Babe to the ox, increased Paul Bunyans height to impossible proportions. This has led to significant confusion regarding the validity of Paul Bunyan as a folkloric character. Nevertheless, the Laughead pamphlets are regarded as one of the most popular collections, often appearing in a single, unabridged volume entitled, the Red River ad campaign ingrained Paul Bunyan as a nationally recognized figure, and it also affirmed his massive marketing appeal
9.
John Henry (folklore)
–
John Henry is an African American folk hero. He is said to have worked as a steel-driving man—a man tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes for explosives to blast the rock in constructing a railroad tunnel. The story of John Henry is told in a folk song, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous stories, plays, books. Various locations, including Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginia, Lewis Tunnel in Virginia, the historical accuracy of many of the aspects of the John Henry legend is subject to debate. Several locations have been put forth for the tunnel on which John Henry died, Johnson, a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, investigated the legend of John Henry in the late 1920s. He concluded that John Henry was a person who worked on and died at the Chesapeake. The tunnel was built near Talcott, West Virginia, from 1870 to 1872, although most of these men had heard of but not seen the famous contest between John Henry and the steam drill, Johnson ultimately was able to find a man who said he had seen it. Talcott holds a festival named for Henry, and a statue. Nelson speculates that Henry, like many African Americans might have come to Virginia to work on the clean-up of the battlefields after the Civil War. Arrested and tried for burglary, he was among the many convicts released by the warden to work as leased labor on the C&O Railway. Nelson asserts that a steam drill race at the Big Bend Tunnel would have been impossible because railroad records do not indicate a steam drill being used there. Prison records for John William Henry stopped in 1873, suggesting that he was kept on the books until it was clear that he was not coming back and had died. There is another tradition that John Henrys famous race took place not in West Virginia, Professor Johnson in the late 1920s received letters saying that John Henry worked on the A. G. S. Based on documentation that corresponds with the account of C. C, spencer, who claimed in the 1920s to have witnessed the contest, Garst speculates that John Henry may have been a man named Henry who was born a slave to P. A. L. Dabney, the father of the engineer of that railroad. Garst and Nelson have debated the merits of their divergent research conclusions, other claims have been made over the years that place Henry and his contest in Kentucky or Jamaica. The tale of John Henry has been used as a symbol in many movements, including labor movements. Some songs, and some early folk historian research, conflate the songs about John Henry with those of John Hardy, the well-known narrative ballad of John Henry is usually sung in an upbeat tempo
10.
The Century Magazine
–
It was the successor of Scribners Monthly Magazine and ceased publication in 1930. The change of name brought no change in scope or policy, and Scribner’s Monthly. Dr. Holland was an editor who knew what the public wanted. From the first he secured well-known contributors of high rank, a Publisher’s Department, with A word to our readers, or A talk with our readers, though relegated to the advertising pages, continued the methods of the old-fashioned personal journalist. The Century has always given much space to illustrated articles on history, the Life of Lincoln by Nicolay and Hay, large parts of which appeared serially in the Century, was of higher grade. Stedman had, even in the days of Scribner’s Monthly, contributed articles on the American poets, without neglecting fiction, poetry, and other general literature the magazine has devoted rather more attention than has Harper’s to matters of timely, though not of temporary, interest. The magazine was successful during the 19th century, most notably for the aforementioned series of articles about the American Civil War. It included reminiscences of 230 participants from all ranks of the service on both sides of the conflict, upon Gilder’s death in 1909, Robert Underwood Johnson replaced him as editor. According to Arthur John, the later history was marked by sudden shifts in content, format. In 1929, due to competition from cheaper magazines and newspapers, The Century became a quarterly, at the time it folded, The Century had 20,000 subscribers, less than a tenth of its peak circulation of the late nineteenth century. Scribner’s Monthly Magazine, the periodical that became The Century in 1881, the noted critic and editor Frank Crowninshield briefly served as the magazines art editor. The tone and content of The Century changed over its long history and it began as an Evangelical Christian publication, but over time began to speak to a more general educated audience as it developed into the largest periodical in the country. Novelist and poet Josiah G. Holland was one of the three founders of Scribner’s Monthly and wrote regular editorials for the periodical, setting the tone for the magazines content. As Holland was deeply religious, Scribners to a great extent reflected the views, while hostile towards sectarianism within Protestantism, Scribners initially took a strong stand against both Catholicism and those who doubted the divinity of Christ. Less than one year later, the magazine attacked the skepticism of Henry David Thoreau, mormon polygamy was also a frequent target. At the same time, Scribner’s Monthly, being non-dogmatic in its Protestantism, by the end of the 1870s, however, Scribner’s had departed from its original Evangelical orientation. An April 1879 editorial declared all seekers of truth, whether believing Christians or not, to be allies, Catholics were said to have just as much to teach Protestants as Protestants had to teach Catholics. After the magazine became The Century in 1881, it continued to hold onto this secular outlook under Gilder, the break with the past was reflected in the magazine’s changing treatment of the question of evolution
11.
Richard Dorson
–
Richard Mercer Dorson was an American folklorist, author, professor, and director of the Folklore Institute at Indiana University. Dorson was born in New York City and he studied at the Phillips Exeter Academy from 1929 to 1933. He then went on to Harvard University where he earned his A. B. M. A. in history and he began teaching as an instructor of history at Harvard in 1943. While at Indiana University, he acted for some time as the editor of the Journal of Folklore Research. He taught at Indiana until his death, when the Indiana University Folklore Institute was established in 1963 Dorson became the first director, and in 1978 he became the first chairman of the Folklore Department. Dorson has been called the father of American folklore and the dominant force in the study of folklore and that study, according to Dorson, involved several roles, polemicist, critic, field collector, library scholar. Dorson also wrote that no subject of study in the United States today is more misunderstood than folklore, Dorson contributed two terms to the study of folklore that have gained common currency. The first is urban legend, meaning a story which never happened told for true. Dorson also coined the word fakelore in a debate with author James Stevens, dorsons fieldwork touched upon African-American folklore in Michigan, folklore of the Upper Peninsula, other regional folklore in the United States, the folklore of Japan, and other topics. Among other academic recognitions, Dorson was awarded the Library of Congress award in History of American Civilization in 1946, in 2003, Minnesota State University awarded him their Heritage Award posthumously. Dorsons papers are held at the Lilly Library of Indiana University, audio recordings from his fieldwork can be found at the Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University. In addition to his books, Dorson also edited the Folktales of the World series. Folklore and Fakelore, Essays toward a Discipline of Folk Studies
12.
Tex O'Reilly
–
Edward Sinnott Tex OReilly was an American soldier of fortune who is said to have fought in ten wars under many flags. Initially serving in the U. S. Army in the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War, as well as the Boxer Rebellion, he would claim to fight in Venezuela, Honduras and Nicaragua. He fought with Pancho Villa in Mexico and claimed to have fought in the Rif War with the Spanish Foreign Legion in North Africa and he became a writer, including as a reporter for the Associated Press. He wrote an autobiography, Roving and Fighting, and Lowell Thomas wrote Born to Raise Hell about him, the latter book has been reprinted and is distributed by The Long Riders Guild Press. OReilly, Edward S. Roving and Fighting, Adventures Under Four Flags, media related to Tex OReilly at Wikimedia Commons
13.
Walt Disney
–
Walter Elias Walt Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons, as a film producer, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors, several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing and he took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy, with Ub Iwerks, Walt developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success, he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. As the studio grew, Disney became more adventurous, introducing synchronized sound, full-color three-strip Technicolor, feature-length cartoons, the results, seen in features such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Bambi, furthered the development of animated film. New animated and live-action films followed after World War II, including the critically successful Cinderella and Mary Poppins, in the 1950s, Disney expanded into the amusement park industry, and in 1955 he opened Disneyland. In 1965, he began development of theme park, Disney World, the heart of which was to be a new type of city. Disney was a smoker throughout his life, and died of lung cancer in December 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project were completed. Disney was a shy, self-deprecating and insecure man in private and he had high standards and high expectations of those with whom he worked. Although there have been accusations that he was racist or anti-semitic and his reputation changed in the years after his death, from a purveyor of homely patriotic values to a representative of American imperialism. Nevertheless, Disney is considered an icon, particularly in the United States. Walt Disney was born on December 5,1901, at 1249 Tripp Avenue and he was the fourth son of Elias Disney—born in the Province of Canada, to Irish parents—and Flora, an American of German and English descent. Aside from Disney, Elias and Calls sons were Herbert, Raymond and Roy, in 1906, when Disney was four, the family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri, where his uncle Robert had just purchased land. In Marceline, Disney developed his interest in drawing when he was paid to draw the horse of a neighborhood doctor. Elias was a subscriber to the Appeal to Reason newspaper, Disney also began to develop an ability to work with watercolors and crayons. He lived near the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line and he and his younger sister Ruth started school at the same time at the Park School in Marceline in late 1909. In 1911, the Disneys moved to Kansas City, Missouri, before long, he was spending more time at the Pfeiffers house than at home
14.
Melody Time
–
Melody Time is a 1948 film and the 10th theatrically released animated feature produced by Walt Disney. It was released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on May 27,1948, made up of several sequences set to popular music and folk music, the film is, like Make Mine Music before it, the popular music version of Fantasia. Melody Time, while not meeting the artistic accomplishments of Fantasia, was mildly successful and it is the fifth Disney package film following Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, and Fun and Fancy Free. Melody Time ended up being released a few earlier than planned. Melody Time is considered to be the last anthology feature made by the Walt Disney Animation Studios and these package features were little-known short-film compilations that Disney produced and released as feature films during World War II. While the shorts contrast in length, form, and style and this sets it apart from the similarly structured Fantasia, whose segments were set to classical music instead. As opposed to Fun and Fancy Free, whose story was bound to the tales of Bongo and Jack, Melody Time was the last film The Andrews Sisters took part in. They sang throughout the 10-minute segment known as Little Toot, Andrews Sisters member Maxine said, It was quite an experience. On the wall at the studio they had the story in picture form. Two songwriters played the score and Walt Disney explained it to us and it was a new thing for Disney. It was very exciting to work with Disney-he was such a gentleman, the two children who hear the story of Pecos Bill also appear together in Song of the South and So Dear to My Heart. Melody Time was the last feature film to include Donald Duck & José Carioca until the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the various taglines of the film were, For Your All-Time Good Time. 11 MUSICAL STARS. and Walt Disneys GREAT NEW MUSICAL COMEDY, collectible items for the film include books, figures, and posters. Feast for the eyes and ears wit and charm. a delightful Disney classic with something for everyone, rose Pelswick, in a 1948 review for The News-Sentinel, described the film as an adventure into the intriguing make-believe world people by Walk Disneys Cartoon characters. It also explains that with the voice of Buddy Clark doing the introductions, the. episodes include fantasy, folklore, South American rhythms, poetry. A1948 review by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it as a mixture of fantasy, abstraction, parable, music, color, the seven mini-musical stories are outlined below, This segment features Frances Langford singing the title song about two romantic young lovers in December. It was named Jenny and Joe, Joe shows off on the ice for his lover, Jenny, and near-tragedy and a timely rescue ensues. Like several other segments of these films, Once Upon a Wintertime was later released theatrically as an individual short
15.
Patrick Swayze
–
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. During his career he received three Golden Globe Award nominations and was named by People magazine as its Sexiest Man Alive in 1991. Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18,1952, in Houston, Texas, the child of Patsy Swayze, a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze. He had two brothers, actor Don and Sean Kyle, and two sisters, Vickie Lynn and Bambi. Swayze and his siblings were raised in their mothers Roman Catholic faith, during this time, he pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays. He played football for his school and was hoping to receive a football scholarship for college until a knee injury ended his career. He studied gymnastics at Coastal Carolina University for two years, in 1972, he moved to New York City to complete his formal dance training at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet schools. Swayze had a role in the television series M*A*S*H, in season 9 episode 18 Blood Brothers. His first professional appearance was as a dancer for Disney on Parade and he then starred as a replacement playing the role of Danny Zuko in the long-running Broadway production of Grease before his debut film role as Ace in Skatetown, U. S. A. Swayze became known to the industry after appearing in The Outsiders as the older brother of C. Thomas Howell. Also in 1983, Swayze played a U. S. M. C, trainer in Vietnam rescue film Uncommon Valor with Gene Hackman. The following year, Swayze, Howell, and Howells friend Darren Dalton reunited in Red Dawn, then in 1986, Lowe and his first major success was in the 1985 television miniseries North and South, which was set during the American Civil War. Swayzes breakthrough role came with his performance as dance instructor Johnny Castle in the film Dirty Dancing, alongside his Red Dawn co-star, the song became a top-10 hit and has been covered by other artists. After Dirty Dancing, Swayze found himself in great acting demand and appeared in several films and his biggest role came when he starred in Ghost with Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. In 1991, he starred alongside Youngblood castmate Keanu Reeves in another major hit, Point Break. For his contributions to the industry, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997. Swayze was seriously injured in 1998 while filming HBOs Letters from a Killer near Ione, California, both of his legs were broken, and he suffered four detached tendons in his shoulder. Filming was suspended for two months, and the aired in 1999
16.
Tall Tale (film)
–
Tall Tale, also known as Tall Tale, The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill is a 1995 American western adventure fantasy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. It stars Scott Glenn, Oliver Platt, Nick Stahl, Stephen Lang, Roger Aaron Brown, Jared Harris, with Catherine OHara as Calamity Jane, the film was written by Steven L. Bloom and Robert Rodat and was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Caravan Pictures. In 1905, Daniel Hackett, a farmer from the western town of Paradise Valley, is unhappy with his life as a farmer. His father, Jonas, likes to tell Daniel tall tales about Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, meanwhile, Paradise Valley is being coveted by a greedy developer, J. P. Stiles. Stiles attempts to convince farmers to sell their land to him. However, when Jonas refuses to hand up his deed, Stiles hunts him down and shoots him, with Jonas in critical condition and unable to farm, his land is put at risk. Upset, Daniel runs out to hide in his fathers boat, when Daniel awakes, he discovers that the boat had come untied and drifted downstream to the deserts of Texas. After a brief encounter with some thieves, Daniel is rescued by legendary cowboy Pecos Bill, the duo later team up with lumberjack Paul Bunyan, and strong African American ex-slave John Henry. When Stiles takes the deed, Daniel wakes up realizing it was just a dream and he ventures towards Stiles train who was about head out into the lands. Daniel confronts him, and they attempt to run him over, until John arrives, Daniel then finishes off the last pole killing Stiles and his men, and the crowd cheers for him. Daniel then returns to the farm and admits that the stories were true, Paul with his blue ox Babe, and John with his mule Cold Molasses, say goodbye to Daniel and disappear afterwards. Pecos leaves his horse, Widow-Maker to Daniel and twirls his lasso at a twister for his departure, filming was completed on December 16,1993. Tall Tale was released in theatres on March 24,1995, the film flopped domestically and worldwide, and did not make back its $32,000,000 budget. It made $3,046,181 in its opening weekend in the United States and it made $2,800,000 at the foreign box office, for a total worldwide gross of only $11,047,627. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and audience members. It currently has a 40% Rotten rating on review website Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 5. 5/10 based on 10 reviews. Official website Tall Tale at the Internet Movie Database Tall Tale at the TCM Movie Database Tall Tale at AllMovie Tall Tale at Box Office Mojo Tall Tale at Rotten Tomatoes
17.
William Rufus Shafter
–
William Rufus Shafter was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received Americas highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Shafter also played a prominent part as a general in the Spanish–American War. Fort Shafter, Hawaii, is named for him, as well as the city of Shafter, California, Shafter was born in Galesburg, Michigan on October 16,1835. He worked as a teacher and farmer in the preceding the Civil War. Shafter served as a 1st lieutenant the Union Armys 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the battles of Balls Bluff and he was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks and later received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the battle. He led a charge on the first day of the battle and was wounded towards the close of days fighting. In order to stay with his regiment he concealed his wounds, on August 22,1862 he was mustered out of the volunteer service but returned to the field as major in the 19th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was captured at the Battle of Thompsons Station and spent 3 months in a Confederate prison, in April 1864 after his release he was appointed colonel of the 17th Regiment of U. S. Colored Troops and led the regiment at the Battle of Nashville, by the end of the war, he had been promoted to brevet brigadier general of volunteers. He stayed in the army when the war ended. During his subsequent service in the Indian Wars, he received his Pecos Bill nickname and he led the 24th Infantry, another United States Colored Troops regiment, in campaigns against the Cheyenne, Comanche, Kickapoo and Kiowa Indians in Texas. While commander of Fort Davis, he started a controversial court-martial of second lieutenant Henry Flipper, in May 1897 he was appointed as a brigadier general. Just before the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Shafter was commander of the Department of California, Shafter was an unlikely candidate for command of the expedition to Cuba. He was aged 63, weighed over 300 pounds and suffered from gout, nevertheless, he received a promotion to Major General of Volunteers and command of the Fifth Army Corps being assembled in Tampa, Florida. One possible reason for his being given this command was his lack of political ambitions, Shafter appeared to maintain a very loose control over the expedition to Cuba from the beginning, commencing with a very disorganized landing at Daiquiri on the southern coast of Cuba. Confusion prevailed over landing priorities and the chain of command, during the disembarkation, Shafter sent forward Fifth Corps Cavalry Division under Joseph Wheeler to reconnoiter the road to Santiago de Cuba. In a complete disregard of orders, Wheeler brought on a fight which escalated into the Battle of Las Guasimas, Shafter apparently did not realize the battle was even underway nor did he say anything to Wheeler about it afterward. A plan was developed for the attack on Santiago
18.
Covered wagon
–
The covered wagon was long the dominant form of transport in pre-industrial America. With roots in the heavy Conestoga wagon developed for the rough, undeveloped roads and paths of the colonial East, the covered wagon spread west with American migration. Heavily relied upon along such routes as the Great Wagon Road and the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, it carried settlers seeking land, gold. With its ubiquitous exposure in 20th century media, the covered wagon grew to become an icon of the American West, the fanciful nickname Prairie Schooner and romantic depiction in wagon trains only served to embellish the legend. In Colonial times the Conestoga wagon was popular for migration southward through the Great Appalachian Valley along the Great Wagon Road, after the American Revolution it was used to open up commerce to Pittsburgh and Ohio. The Conestoga, often in long trains, was the primary overland cargo vehicle over the Appalachian Mountains until the development of the railroad. The wagon was pulled by a team of up to eight horses or up to a dozen oxen, for this purpose, the Conestoga horse, a special breed of medium to heavy draft horses, was developed. Once breached, the terrain and fertile land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi was rapidly settled. Overland migrants typically fitted any sturdy wagon with five or six wooden or metal bows that arched high over the bed, over this was stretched canvas or similar sturdy cloth, creating the distinctive covered wagon silhouette. Covered wagons were used to transport cargo, as well as small children, elderly. Lacking suspensions, their rides were rough even over good ground, all, while covered wagons traveling short distances on good roads could be drawn by horses, those crossing the plains were usually pulled by a team of two or more pairs of oxen. These were driven by a teamster or drover, who walked at the side of the team and directed the oxen with verbal commands. Mules were also used, harnessed and controlled from the wagon with reins, one covered wagon generally carried the belongings of five people. A well-to-do family might have two or three, or a group of men traveling together might share one. While crossing the plains, emigrants banded together to form wagon trains for mutual assistance, because the wagon bed is narrow, many families would construct an “overjet” for additional space. An overjet is created by nailing boards or planks on top of the bed that extend out over the wheels. This would create space to place mattresses for sleeping on either sides of the bed, additional bows would be inserted to stretch the canvas to cover the overjet and keep the weather out. The area under the planks in the bed could be used for storage
19.
Pecos River
–
The Pecos River is a river that originates in eastern New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, NM. The river flows for 926 miles before reaching the Rio Grande near Del Rio and its drainage basin encompasses about 44,300 square miles. The name Pecos derives from the Keresan term for the Pecos Pueblo, the river played a large role in the exploration of Texas by the Spanish. In the latter half of the 19th century, West of the Pecos was a reference to the desolation of the Wild West. In the series narration, West of the Pecos is described as, virtually beyond the reach of the authorities, the railroads, then pushing their way west, attracted the most vicious characters in the country. It was said that all civilization and law stopped at the east bank of the Pecos and it took one man, a lone storekeeper who was sick of the lawlessness, to change all this. His name was Judge Roy Bean, New Mexico and Texas disputed water rights to the river until the U. S. government settled the dispute in 1949 with the Pecos River Compact. The Pecos River Settlement Agreement was signed between New Mexico and Texas in 2003, multiple dams have been built along the Pecos River. Santa Rosa Lake is 117 miles/188 km east of Albuquerque, Sumner Lake, formed by the 1939 Sumner Dam, is located between Santa Rosa and Fort Sumner, NM. Two dams are located north of Carlsbad, New Mexico, at Avalon Dam and Brantley Dam, Texas has also dammed the river at the Red Bluff Dam in the western part of that state to form the Red Bluff Reservoir. The portion of the reservoir extends into New Mexico forms the lowest point in that state. On June 6,1990,20.5 miles of the Pecos River—from its headwaters to the townsite of Tererro—received National Wild and it includes 13.5 miles designated wild and 7 miles designated recreational. The Pecos River Flume is an aqueduct carrying water over the Pecos River. Construction took place from 1889 to 1890 and was part of the Pecos River Reclamation Project and it was originally constructed of wood and spanned 145 feet. It carried water at a depth of 8 feet, in 1902, a flood destroyed the flume and it was subsequently rebuilt using concrete. In 1902, it was identified as the largest concrete aqueduct in the world
20.
Feral child
–
A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age where they have little or no experience of human care, behavior, or, crucially, of human language. Some feral children have been confined by people, and in cases this child abandonment was due to the parents’ rejection of a childs severe intellectual or physical impairment. Feral children may have experienced abuse or trauma before being abandoned or running away. Feral children are sometimes the subjects of folklore and legends, typically portrayed as having been raised by animals, Feral children lack the basic social skills that are normally learned in the process of enculturation. They often seem mentally impaired and have almost insurmountable trouble learning a human language, there is little scientific knowledge about feral children. One of the cases has supposedly been that of sisters Amala and Kamala. French surgeon Serge Aroles, however, has argued that the case was a fraud. Child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim states that Amala and Kamala were born mentally and physically disabled, yet other scientific studies of feral children exist, such as the case of Genie. Marina Chapman, who maintains she lived with weeper capuchin monkeys in the Colombian jungle from the age of four to about nine, unusually for feral children, she went on to marry, have children and live a largely unremarkable life with no persisting problems. The child lost his parents in the Ugandan Civil War at the age of three, when Milton Obotes looting and murdering soldiers raided their village, around 50 miles from Kampala. Robert then survived in the wild, presumably with vervet monkeys and this seven-year-old girl was named Baby Hospital by an Italian missionary who found her in Sierra Leone. She had apparently brought up by apes or monkeys. Baby Hospital was unable to stand upright and crawled instead of walking and she made the chattering noises of apes or monkeys. Baby Hospitals arms and hands were reported to be well developed and she resisted attempts to civilize her, and spent much of her time crying, a very unusual form of expression for feral children. A boy of five was found after spending about a year in the company of monkeys in Kwazulu-Natal. He was given the name Saturday after the day he was found, in 2005, at the age of around 17, he could still not talk, and still walked and jumped like a monkey. He never ate cooked food and refused to share or play with other children, john Ssebunya, Uganda, raised by monkeys for several years in the jungle. Bello, the Nigerian Chimp Boy about two years of age, raised by chimpanzees for a year and a half, unknown name Mowgli girl, Uttar Pradesh, India, January 2017
21.
Mearns coyote
–
The Mearns coyote is a subspecies of coyote native to the Southwestern United States. It is found in Nevada, Arizona, southern Utah, deserts of southeastern California, west of Rio Grande in New Mexico, the Mearns coyote is a small subspecies, with medium-sized ears, a small skull, and small teeth. The fur is richly and brightly colored, the fulvous tints are exceedingly bright, covering the hind and forelegs
22.
Dynamite
–
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht and it rapidly gained wide-scale use as a safer alternative to gun powder and nitroglycerin. Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel and was the first safely manageable explosive stronger than black powder, Nobel obtained patents for his invention in England on 7 May 1867, in Sweden on 19 October 1867. After its introduction, dynamite rapidly gained wide-scale use as an alternative to black powder. Nobel tightly controlled the patents, and unlicensed duplicating companies were shut down. However, a few American businessmen got around the patent by using a different formula. Nobel originally sold dynamite as Nobels Blasting Powder but decided to change the name to dynamite, from the Ancient Greek word δύναμις dýnamis, an industrialist, engineer, and inventor, Alfred Nobels father, Immanuel Nobel, built bridges and buildings in Stockholm. His construction work inspired him to new methods of blasting rock. Immanuels work with later on inspired Alfred to make explosives safer. Today dynamite is used in the mining, quarrying, construction. Dynamite is still the product of choice for trenching applications, Dynamite is occasionally used as an initiator or booster for AN and ANFO explosive charges. Nitroglycerin by itself is a strong explosive, but is extremely shock-sensitive, and degrades over time to even more unstable forms. Dynamite combines nitroglycerin with absorbents and stabilizers, rendering it safe to use, the original composition of dynamite consisted of three parts Explosive Oil, one part diatomaceous earth as the absorbent, and a small admixture of sodium carbonate antacid as the stabilizer. Diatomaceous earth is not usually used today as an absorbent medium and it has replaced by cheaper media like sawdust, wood pulp, flour. Other stabilizers like calcium carbonate or zinc oxide can be used in the place of sodium carbonate, sodium nitrate is added to the medium as an oxidizer that improves the dynamites brisance. Dynamite is usually sold in the form of cardboard cylinders about 20 cm long and about 3.2 cm in diameter, a stick of dynamite thus produced contains roughly 1 MJ of energy. Other sizes also exist, rated by either portion or by weight, Dynamite is usually rated by weight strength, usually from 20% to 60%. For example, 40% dynamite is composed of 40% nitroglycerin and 60% dope, the maximum shelf life of nitroglycerin-based dynamite is recommended as one year from the date of manufacture under good storage conditions
23.
North American cougar
–
The North American cougar, is the cougar subspecies once commonly found in eastern North America and still prevalent in the western half of the continent. Many extinct populations, such as the Wisconsin cougar, which was extirpated in 1925, are included in the subspecies. It was believed to be extirpated there in the early 1900s, cougars in Michigan were thought to have been killed off and extinct in the early 1900s. Today there is evidence to support that cougars could be on the rise in Mexico, some mainstream scientists believe that small relict populations may exist, especially in the Appalachian Mountains and eastern Canada. Recent scientific findings in hair traps in Fundy National Park in New Brunswick have confirmed the existence of at least three cougars in New Brunswick, the Ontario Puma Foundation estimates that there are currently 850 cougars in Ontario. Reported sightings of cougars in the eastern United States continue today, Wisconsin Genetic analysis of DNA from a cougar sighting in Wisconsin in 2008 indicated that a cougar was in Wisconsin and that it was not captive. It is speculated that the migrated from a native population in the Black Hills of South Dakota, however. It is also uncertain whether there are other, perhaps breeding, a second sighting was reported and tracks were documented in a nearby Wisconsin community. Unfortunately, a genetic analysis could not be done and a determination could not be made and this cougar later made its way south into the northern Chicago suburb of Wilmette. On June 3,2013, a sighting was made in Florence County. The cougar was photographed by a trail camera, and confirmed by DNR biologists in October,2013. Tennessee On September 26,2015, a sample was submitted by a hunter in Carroll County, Tennessee. Illinois On April 14,2008, a cougar triggered a flurry of reports before being cornered and killed in the Chicago neighborhood of Roscoe Village while officers tried to contain it. The cougar was the first sighted in the city limits of Chicago since the city was founded in 1833, on November 22,2013, a cougar was found on a farm near Morrison, Illinois in Whiteside County, Illinois. An Illinois Department of Natural Resource officer subsequently shot and killed the cougar after determining it posed a risk to the public. Connecticut In 2011, a cougar was sighted in Greenwich, Connecticut, while the origin of these animals is unknown, cougar experts believe some are captive animals that have been released or escaped. The Eastern Panther, A Question of Survival, toronto, Clarke, Irwin and Company,1972
24.
Lasso
–
A lasso, also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata, is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb, to lasso is to throw the loop of rope around something. Although the tool has several names, such terms are rarely employed by those who actually use it, nearly all cowboys simply call it a rope. To most cowboys, the use of other terms — especially lasso — identifies the user as a layman, a lasso is made from stiff rope so that the noose stays open when the lasso is thrown. It also allows the cowboy to easily open up the noose from horseback to release the cattle because the rope is stiff enough to be pushed a little, a high quality lasso is weighted for better handling. The lariat has a small reinforced loop at one end, called a honda or hondo, the honda can be formed by a honda knot, an eye splice, a seizing, rawhide, or a metal ring. The other end is sometimes tied simply in a small, tight, the reata is made of braided rawhide and is made in lengths from 50 ft to over 100 ft. Mexican maguey and cotton ropes are also used in the longer lengths. The lasso is used today in rodeos as part of the events, such as calf roping. It is also used on working ranches to capture cattle or other livestock when necessary. After catching the cattle, the lasso can be tied or wrapped around the horn, with the lasso around the horn, the cowboy can use his horse as the equivalent of a tow truck with a winch. Part of the culture of both the vaqueros of Mexico and the cowboys of the Western United States is a related skill now called trick roping. Will Rogers was a practitioner of trick roping and the natural horsemanship practitioner Buck Brannaman also got his start as a trick roper when he was a child. Huns are recorded as using lassos in battle to ensnare opponents prepared to defend themselves in combat around AD370. They were also used by Tatars and are used by the Sami people. In Mongolia, a variant of the lasso called an uurga is used, lassoes are also mentioned in The Greek History of Herodotus, seventh book. It is not the wont of this people to arms, either of bronze or steel, except only a dirk, but they use lassoes made of thongs plaited together. Such is the manner in which this people fight, and now their horsemen were drawn up with the Persians, bolas Hogtie The Lasso, A Rational Guide to Trick Roping by Carey Bunks Footage of multiple Lasso World Champions How to Handle a Rope - Champ Gives Lessons
25.
Tornado
–
A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that spins while in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour, are about 250 feet across, the most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour, are more than two miles in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles. Various types of tornadoes include the multiple vortex tornado, landspout and waterspout, waterspouts are characterized by a spiraling funnel-shaped wind current, connecting to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. They are generally classified as non-supercellular tornadoes that develop over bodies of water and these spiraling columns of air frequently develop in tropical areas close to the equator, and are less common at high latitudes. Other tornado-like phenomena that exist in nature include the gustnado, dust devil, fire whirls, downbursts are frequently confused with tornadoes, though their action is dissimilar. Tornadoes have been observed and documented on every continent except Antarctica, however, the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the Tornado Alley region of the United States, although they can occur nearly anywhere in North America. There are several scales for rating the strength of tornadoes, the Fujita scale rates tornadoes by damage caused and has been replaced in some countries by the updated Enhanced Fujita Scale. An F0 or EF0 tornado, the weakest category, damages trees, an F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest category, rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes, Doppler radar data, photogrammetry, and ground swirl patterns may also be analyzed to determine intensity and assign a rating. The word tornado is a form of the Spanish word tronada. This in turn was taken from the Latin tonare, meaning to thunder and it most likely reached its present form through a combination of the Spanish tronada and tornar, however, this may be a folk etymology. A tornado is also referred to as a twister, and is also sometimes referred to by the old-fashioned colloquial term cyclone. The term cyclone is used as a synonym for tornado in the often-aired 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the term twister is also used in that film, along with being the title of the 1996 tornado-related film Twister. A tornado is a rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud. For a vortex to be classified as a tornado, it must be in contact with both the ground and the cloud base. Scientists have not yet created a definition of the word, for example. Tornado refers to the vortex of wind, not the condensation cloud and this results in the formation of a visible funnel cloud or condensation funnel. There is some disagreement over the definition of cloud and condensation funnel
26.
Catfish
–
Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. There are armour-plated types and there are also naked types, neither having scales, despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbel. Members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull, Catfish are of considerable commercial importance, many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Many catfish are nocturnal, but others are crepuscular or diurnal, extant catfish species live inland or in coastal waters of every continent except Antarctica. Catfish have inhabited all continents at one time or another, Catfish are most diverse in tropical South America, Asia and Africa with one family native to North America and one family in Europe. More than half of all species live in the Americas. They are the only ostariophysans that have entered freshwater habitats in Madagascar, Australia and they are found in freshwater environments, though most inhabit shallow, running water. Representatives of at least eight families are hypogean with three families that are also troglobitic, one such species is Phreatobius cisternarum, known to live underground in phreatic habitats. Numerous species from the families Ariidae and Plotosidae, and a few species from among the Aspredinidae and Bagridae, are found in salt water. In the United States, catfish species may be known by a variety of names, such as mud cat, polliwogs. These nicknames are not standardized, so one area may call a bullhead catfish by the nickname chucklehead, while in state or region. Representatives of the genus Ictalurus have been introduced into European waters in the hope of obtaining a sporting, however, the European stock of American catfishes has not achieved the dimensions of these fish in their native waters, and have only increased the ecological pressure on native European fauna. Walking catfish have also introduced in the freshwaters of Florida. Flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, is also a North American pest on Atlantic slope drainages, pterygoplichthys species, released by aquarium fishkeepers, have also established feral populations in many warm waters around the world. In general, they are buoyant, which means that they will usually sink rather than float due to a reduced gas bladder. Catfish have a variety of shapes, though most have a cylindrical body with a flattened ventrum to allow for benthic feeding. A flattened head allows for digging through the substrate as well as serving as a hydrofoil
27.
Rio Grande
–
The Rio Grande is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in south-central Colorado in the United States, along the way, it forms part of the Mexico–United States border. According to the International Boundary and Water Commission, its length was 1,896 miles in the late 1980s. Depending on how it is measured, the Rio Grande is the fourth- or fifth-longest river system in North America. The river serves as part of the border between the U. S. state of Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León. A very short stretch of the river serves as part of the boundary between the U. S. states of Texas and New Mexico. Since the mid–20th century, heavy consumption of farms and cities along with many large diversion dams on the river has left only 20% of its natural discharge to flow to the Gulf. Near the rivers mouth, the heavily irrigated lower Rio Grande Valley is an important agricultural region, the Rio Grande is one of 19 Great Waters recognized by Americas Great Waters Coalition. The Rio Grandes watershed covers 182,200 square miles, many endorheic basins are situated within, or adjacent to, the Rio Grandes basin, and these are sometimes included in the river basins total area, increasing its size to about 336,000 square miles. The Rio Grande rises in the part of the Rio Grande National Forest in the U. S. state of Colorado. The river is formed by the joining of several streams at the base of Canby Mountain in the San Juan Mountains and it then continues on a southerly route through the desert cities of Albuquerque, and Las Cruces to El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. In the Albuquerque area, the river flows past a number of historic Pueblo villages, including Sandia Pueblo, below El Paso, it serves as part of the border between the United States and Mexico. The official river border measurement ranges from 889 miles to 1,248 miles, a major tributary, the Rio Conchos, enters at Ojinaga, Chihuahua, below El Paso, and supplies most of the water in the border segment. Other well-known tributaries include the Pecos and the smaller Devils, which join the Rio Grande on the site of Amistad Dam. Despite its name and length, the Rio Grande is not navigable by ocean-going ships, in New Mexico, the river flows through the Rio Grande rift from one sediment-filled basin to another, cutting canyons between the basins and supporting a fragile bosque ecosystem on its flood plain. From El Paso eastward, the flows through desert. Although irrigated agriculture exists throughout most of its stretch, it is extensive in the subtropical Lower Rio Grande Valley. The river ends in a small, sandy delta at the Gulf of Mexico, during portions of 2001 and 2002, the mouth of the Rio Grande was blocked by a sandbar
28.
Flag of Texas
–
The prominent single star on the Texas flag gives the flag itself the commonly-used name Lone Star Flag. The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence. The flag earned 8.13 out of 10 possible points, when Texas became the 28th state of the Union on December 29,1845, the national flag became the state flag. From 1879 until 1933 there was no state flag, although the Lone Star remained the de facto state flag. The actual designer of the flag is unknown, dr. Charles B. Stewart is credited with drawing the image used by the Third Congress when enacting the legislation adopting the flag, and Sen. William H. Wharton introduced the flag to Congress. The code also states that single star represents ALL of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, the lone star is, in fact, an older symbol predating the flag which was used to symbolize Texans solidarity in declaring independence from Mexico. It is still today as a symbol of Texas independent spirit. Though this rebellion ultimately failed it served as an inspiration to the later Texas Revolution, the pledge of allegiance to the state flag is as follows, The pledge was instituted by the Texas Legislature in 1933, and originally referred to the Texas flag of 1836. In 1965, the error was corrected by deleting the words of 1836, in 2007, the phrase one state under God was added. The addition of under God has been challenged in court, though an injunction was denied. S. Flag at the door, with the exception being if the flags are at half mast or if the POW/MIA flag is being flown with the U. S. flag. State law also requires that the flag be flown at or near any International Port of Entry. When displayed vertically, the blue stripe should be at top and, from the perspective of an observer, the white stripe should be to the left of the red stripe. During revolutionary eras of Texas history, during the Spanish Texas period, Mexican Texas period, and the times of the Texas Revolution, the Lone Star and Stripes/Ensign of the First Texas Navy/War Ensign flag was widely used by both Texan land and naval forces. This flag was simply the United States flag with a Lone star in the canton and this flag echoes an earlier design, carried by the forces of James Long in failed 1819 and 1821 attempts to separate Texas from Spanish control. This earlier flag was exactly the same, save for the canton having a red rather than blue. There is evidence that the Lone Star and Stripes was used at the battles of Goliad, the Alamo, although interim President David Burnet issued a decree making the Lone Star and Stripes the first official flag of the Republic of Texas, it never became the legal national flag. It did remain the naval flag of Texas until annexation, and was noted for being beneficial to our Navy, despite its unofficial status, the flag remained well known inside the region and internationally as the symbol of Texas
29.
Bustle
–
A bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a womans dress, occurring predominantly in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles were worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, heavy fabric tended to pull the back of a skirt down and flatten it. Thus, a womans petticoated or crinolined skirt would lose its shape during everyday wear, the word bustle has become synonymous with the fashion to which the bustle was integral. As the fashion for crinolines wore on, their shape changed, instead of the large bell-like silhouette previously in vogue, they began to flatten out at the front and sides, creating more fullness at the back of the skirts. One type of crinoline, the crinolette, created a very similar to the one produced by a bustle. Fullness of some sort was considered necessary to make the waist look smaller. The bustle was worn in different shapes for most of the 1870s and 1880s, in the early stages of the fashion for the bustle, the fullness to the back of the skirts was carried quite low and often fanned out to create a train. The transition from the voluminous crinoline enhanced skirts of the 1850s and 1860s can be seen in the loops and gathers of fabric, the fashion for large bustles ended in 1889. The bustle had completely disappeared by 1905, as the corset of the early 20th century was now successful in shaping the body to protrude behind. The bustle was a typically Victorian fashion, a notable comparison is with the exaggerated images of the South African woman known as Hottentot Venus exhibited throughout Europe in the first part of the 19th century. Bustles and bustle gowns are worn in contemporary society. Notable exceptions occur in the realm of couture, bridal fashion. A dress in the style may be worn as a costume. For example, in 1993 Eiko Ishioka won an Academy Award for her designs from Bram Stokers Dracula. The film features several extravagant bustle gowns created for female leads Winona Ryder and its positioning on the vehicle resembling the similar placement of the bustle as used on the dress item. 1870s in fashion 1880s in fashion Corset Crinoline Victorian fashion Media related to Bustle at Wikimedia Commons
30.
Robin Williams
–
Robin McLaurin Williams was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Starting as a comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. After rising to fame as Mork in Mork & Mindy, Williams established a career in both comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills, Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Birdcage, Night at the Museum, and Worlds Greatest Dad. Williams won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as teacher Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting and he also received two Emmy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards throughout his career. On August 11,2014, Williams committed suicide by hanging at his home in Paradise Cay and his wife attributed his suicide to his struggle with Lewy body dementia. Robin McLaurin Williams was born at St. Lukes Hospital in Chicago and his father Robert Fitzgerald Williams was a senior executive in Ford Motor Companys Lincoln-Mercury Division. His mother Laurie McLaurin was a model from Jackson, Mississippi. Her paternal great-grandfather was Mississippi senator and governor Anselm J. McLaurin, Williams had two elder half-brothers named Robert and McLaurin. He had English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, German, while his mother was a practitioner of Christian Science, Williams was raised in the Episcopal Church, where his father belonged. Williams wrote a list, Top Ten Reasons to be an Episcopalian, during a TV interview on Inside the Actors Studio in 2001, Williams credited his mother as being an important early influence for his sense of humor. He also said that he tried to make her laugh to gain attention, Williams attended public elementary school in Lake Forest at Gorton Elementary School and middle school at Deer Path Junior High School. He described himself as a quiet and shy child who did not overcome his shyness until he became involved with his school drama department. His friends recall him as being very funny, in late 1963, when Williams was twelve, his father was transferred to Detroit. The family lived in a 40-room farmhouse on 20 acres in suburban Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and he excelled in school, where he was on the schools soccer team and wrestling team, and was elected as class president. As his father traveled frequently for work and his also worked, Williams was attended to by the familys maid. When Williams was 16, his father took early retirement and the moved to Tiburon. Following their move, Williams attended Redwood High School in nearby Larkspur, at the time of his graduation in 1969, he was voted Most Likely Not to Succeed and Funniest by his classmates
31.
Audiobook
–
An audiobook is a recording of a text being read. A reading of the text is noted as unabridged, while readings of a reduced version. Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to an extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the age of videocassettes, DVDs, compact discs and it was not until the 1980s that the medium began to attract book retailers, and then book retailers started displaying audiobooks on bookshelves rather than in separate displays. In 1994, the Audio Publishers Association established the term audiobook as the industry standard, Spoken word recordings first became possible with the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877. Phonographic books were one of the original applications envisioned by Edison which would speak to people without effort on their part. The initial words spoken into the phonograph were Edisons recital of Mary Had a Little Lamb, one early listener complained that he would need a wheelbarrow to carry around talking books recorded on discs with such limited storage capacity. By the 1930s close-grooved records increased to 20 minutes making possible longer narrative, the first test recordings in 1932 included a chapter from Helen Kellers Midstream and Edgar Allan Poes The Raven. The organization received approval for exemption from copyright and free postal distribution of talking books. M. Delafield, Cora Jarrett, Rudyard Kipling, John Masefield, Macdonald mobilized the women of the Auxiliary under the motto Education is a right, not a privilege. In 1952, Macdonald established recording studios in seven cities across the United States. Caedmon Records was a pioneer in the business, it was the first company dedicated to selling spoken work recordings to the public and has been called the seed of the audiobook industry. Caedmon was formed in New York in 1952 by college graduates Barbara Holdridge and their first release was a collection of poems by Dylan Thomas as read by the author. The original 1952 recording was a selection for the 2008 United States National Recording Registry, Listening Library was also a pioneering company, it was one of the first to distribute childrens audiobooks to schools, libraries and other special markets, including VA hospitals. It was founded by Anthony Ditlow and his wife in 1955 in their Red Bank, New Jersey home, like Caedemon, Listening Library and Spoken Arts benefited from the new technology of LPs, but also increased governmental funding for schools and libraries beginning in the 1950s and 60s. Cassette tapes were invented in 1963 and a few libraries, such as the Library of Congress, however, during the 1970s, a number of technological innovations allowed the cassette tape wider usage in libraries and also spawned the creation of new commercial audiobook market. In the early 1970s, instructional recordings were among the first commercial products sold on cassette, there were 8 companies distributing materials on cassette with titles such as Managing and Selling Companies and Executive Seminar in Sound on a series of 60-minute cassettes. His company, the Maryland-based Recorded Books, followed the model of Books on Tape but with higher quality studio recordings, Recorded Books and Chivers Audio Books were the first to develop integrated production teams and to work with professional actors
32.
Ry Cooder
–
Ryland Peter Ry Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, and record producer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States. Cooders solo work has been eclectic, encompassing many genres and he briefly formed a band named Little Village. He produced the Buena Vista Social Club album, which became a worldwide hit, Wim Wenders directed the documentary film of the same name, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000. Cooder was ranked eighth on Rolling Stone magazines 2003 list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, a 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at number 32. Cooder was born in Los Angeles, California, to father Bill Cooder and he grew up in Santa Monica, California, and graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1964. During the 1960s, he briefly attended Reed College in Portland and he began playing the guitar when he was three years old. He has had an eye since he was four, when he accidentally stuck a knife in his left eye. As a young man Cooder performed as part of a trio with Bill Monroe and Doc Watson. The trio was not a success, but Cooder applied banjo tunings, at a vital warm-up performance at the Mt. He later claimed he had seen a girl in the turn into a fish. This aborted any opportunity of success at Monterey, as Cooder immediately decided he could no longer work with Van Vliet. Cooder also played with Randy Newman, including on 12 Songs, Van Dyke Parks worked with Newman and Cooder during the 1960s. Parks arranged Cooders One Meatball according to Parks 1984 interview by Bob Claster, during this period, Cooder joined with Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and longtime Rolling Stones sideman Nicky Hopkins to record Jamming with Edward. Cooder also played guitar for the 1970 film soundtrack Performance. The 1975 compilation album Metamorphosis features an uncredited Cooder contribution on Bill Wymans Downtown Suzie, Ry Cooder also collaborated with Lowell George of Little Feat, playing slide guitar on the original version of Willin. Throughout the 1970s, Cooder released a series of Warner Bros, Cooder explored bygone musical genres and found old-time recordings which he then personalized and updated. Thus, on his album, Into the Purple Valley, he chose unusual instrumentations and arrangements of blues, gospel, calypso
33.
Windham Hill Records
–
Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s, the label was purchased by BMG through a series of buyouts from 1992 through 1996 and is currently a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment after BMGs subsequent merger in 2008. Private Music, also a subsidiary of BMG, has issued some back-catalog releases under the Windham Hill Records imprint, since the Sony merger in 2007, Windham Hill has released no new material but reissues albums and compilations as part of Sonys Legacy Recordings brand. In 1975, William Ackerman was a college dropout who played guitar on the Stanford University campus. Friends asked him to record his music for them on cassette. They chipped in so he could make an album, The Search for the Turtles Navel and he gave copies to radio stations, which attracted an audience as well as California record store owners, and his albums began to sell. He founded the label with his then-girlfriend Anne Robinson in 1976, Ackerman invited like-minded musicians to the label, including Alex De Grassi, his cousin and an acoustic guitarist who became one of Windham Hills best sellers. Ackerman began recording friends and fellow Bay Area musicians, and Robinson would market, Windham Hill produced music that was difficult to define, with elements of classical, folk, and jazz, nearly all of it instrumental, acoustic, and mellow. California-based Tower Records stores gave Windham Hill its own section, Billboard magazine called the music soft jazz in 1983, but later listed the label as new age. The roster included acoustic guitarists Michael Hedges, David Cullen, John Doan, the labels albums topped the New Age and Contemporary Jazz charts in Billboard magazine. Albums of solo piano by George Winston crossed over into the Pop, seven albums by Winston have been certified Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The staff concentrated on the quality of recording and pressing, Anne Robinson, a student of design, produced covers that were minimal, with a centered photograph of nature surrounded by a large white area. The albums were packaged in plastic rather than tight cellophane. Windham Hills music was distributed by A&M Records until PolyGram purchased A&M in 1989, when A&M was purchased, Ackerman and Robinson began considering selling Windham Hill to a media conglomerate. When BMG took over distribution from A&M in 1989, they began negotiations to purchase Windham Hill from its two principal shareholders, Ackerman sold his half of the company to BMG in 1992 and Anne Robinson sold her half in 1996. BMG relocated the Windham Hill office to Los Angeles and began distributing Windham Hill through RCA Records, BMG merged other music labels that they purchased into Windham Hill, forming the Windham Hill Group. In doing so, artists such as Yanni and Vangelis joined the label, jim Brickman was the last artist signed to the label pre-buyout and he was the last artist to leave Windham Hill in 2006, joining Savoy Records. George Winston, who founded his own Dancing Cat Records in the early 1980s, BMG negotiated a distribution arrangement with Dancing Cat and Winston moved to RCA Victor until 2009, and Sony Classical thereafter
34.
Mowgli
–
Mowgli /ˈmaʊɡli/ is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book stories. In the stories, the name Mowgli is said to mean frog, Kipling made up the name, and it does not mean frog in any language other than the language of the forest. He asks him to join the forestry service, muller also offers Mowgli to join the service, to which Mowgli agrees. Later, Gisborne learns the reason for Mowglis almost superhuman talents, Mowgli marries the daughter of Gisbornes butler, Abdul Gafur. By the end of the story, Mowgli has a son and is back to living with his wolf brothers, Kipling then proceeded to write the stories of Mowglis childhood in detail. Shere Khan the tiger demands that they give him the baby, Mowgli grows up with the pack, hunting with his brother wolves. In the pack, Mowgli learns he is able to stare down any wolf, Baloo the bear, teacher of wolves, has the thankless task of educating Mowgli in The Law of the Jungle. Shere Khan continues to regard Mowgli as fair game, but eventually Mowgli finds a weapon he can use against the tiger — fire. After driving off Shere Khan, Mowgli goes to a village where he is adopted by Messua and her husband. It is uncertain if Mowgli is actually the returned Nathoo, although it is stated in Tiger, Tiger. that the tiger who carried off Messuas son was lame, just as Shere Khan is lame. Messua would like to believe that her son has returned, however she herself realises that this is unlikely. While herding buffalo for the village, Mowgli learns that the tiger is still planning to kill him, the tiger dies, and Mowgli sets to skin him. Seeing this, Buldeo, a hunter, goads the villagers into persecuting Mowgli. Mowgli runs back to the jungle with Shere Khans hide but soon learns that Buldeo and he rescues them and sends elephants, water buffaloes, and other animals to trample the village and its fields to the ground. In later stories in The Second Jungle Book, Mowgli finds and then discards an ancient treasure, with the aid of Kaa the python, he leads the wolves in a war against the Dhole. Rudyard Kipling adapted the Mowgli stories for The Jungle Play in 1899, the manuscript was lost for almost a century. It was finally published in form in 2000. Only six years after the first publication of The Jungle Book, Mowgli has been cited as a major influence on Edgar Rice Burroughs who created and developed the character Tarzan
35.
The Jungle Book
–
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by English author Rudyard Kipling. The stories are fables, using animals in a manner to give moral lessons. A principal character is the boy or man-cub Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves, other characters include Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear. The book has been adapted many times for film and other media, the stories were first published in magazines in 1893–94. The original publications contain illustrations, some by the authors father, Rudyard Kipling was born in India and spent the first six years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India and these stories were written when Kipling lived in Naulakha, the home he built in Dummerston, Vermont, in the United States. The tales in the book are fables, using animals in a manner to teach moral lessons. The verses of The Law of the Jungle, for example, lay down rules for the safety of individuals, families, Kipling put in them nearly everything he knew or heard or dreamed about the Indian jungle. Other readers have interpreted the work as allegories of the politics, a letter written and signed by Rudyard Kipling in 1895 was put up for auction in 2013 by Andrusier. In fact, it is possible that I have helped myself promiscuously. The book is arranged with a story in each chapter, each story is followed by a poem that serves as an epigram. The Jungle Book came to be used as a book by the Cub Scouts. Akela, the wolf in The Jungle Book, has become a senior figure in the movement. In 1962, it received the Hugo Award for Best Novel, neil Gaimans The Graveyard Book is inspired by The Jungle Book. It follows a boy who is found and brought up by the dead in a cemetery. It has many scenes that can be linked back to Kipling. Mr. Gaiman has spoken in detail about this on his website. The infant Superman, like Mowgli, is raised by wolves, Bagheera, Akela, and Shere Khan make appearances
36.
Big Joe Mufferaw
–
Big Joe Mufferaw was a French Canadian folk hero from the Ottawa Valley, perhaps best known today as the hero of a song by Stompin Tom Connors. Like Paul Bunyan, he made his living chopping down trees, the name is also sometimes spelled Muffero, Muffera, Muffraw, and Montferrand. The last spelling, Montferrand, is his actual french name, anglophones who had trouble with it used one of the other spellings. In one story, Big Joe was in a Montreal bar, after Big Joe beat the major, he bellowed, Any more insults for the Canadians. Some Mufferaw tales take place in the northeast United States, a real strongman, a logger in the Ottawa Valley timber trade by the name of Joseph Montferrand lived from 1802 to 1864. French Canadian writer Benjamin Sulte told this story in a 1975 book. He also is the subject of a chapter in Joan Finnegans 1981 book Giants of the Ottawa Valley, bernie Bedore of Arnprior also wrote several books recounting Joes adventures. A statue of Joe Mufferaw was erected outside of the Mattawa Museum in Mattawa, Ontario and it was carved by local carving artist Peter Cianafrani, and was his last statue before he died later in the spring. A plaque commemorating his name sits at the base of the statue, heritage Perspectives – Big Joe Mufferaw Bibliography
37.
Gargantua
–
The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais, which tells of the adventures of two giants, Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. The text is written in an amusing, extravagant, and satirical vein, and features much crudity, scatological humor, according to Rabelais, the philosophy of his giant Pantagruel, Pantagruelism, is rooted in a certain gaiety of mind pickled in the scorn of fortuitous things. Rabelais had studied Ancient Greek and he applied it in inventing hundreds of new words in the text, wordplay and risqué humor abound in his writing. Although different editions divide the work into a number of tomes. The original title of the work was Pantagruel roy des dipsodes restitué à son naturel avec ses faictz et prouesses espoventables, Pantagruel was a sequel to an anonymous book entitled The Great Chronicles of the Great and Enormous Giant Gargantua. This early Gargantua text enjoyed great popularity, despite its poor construction. At the beginning of book, Gargantuas wife dies giving birth to Pantagruel. Rabelais gives a catalog of his reading, mostly humorously-titled books, together with a group of friends, they intoxicate an army of invading giants, burn their camp, and drown survivors in urine. Epistemon, decapitated in the fray, recovers when Panurge sews his head back to his body and he reports that souls in hell are poorly paid and work bad jobs, but thats the extent of their torments. Another battle is missed by the narrator, who is exploring the civilization in Pantagruels mouth at the time, after the success of Pantagruel, Rabelais revisited and revised his source material. He produced a narrative of the life and acts of Pantagruels father in The Very Horrific Life of Great Gargantua, Father of Pantagruel. This volume begins with the birth of Gargantua after an 11-month pregnancy. The labor is so difficult, his mother threatens to castrate his father, the giant Gargantua emerges at his mothers left ear, calling for ale, while 17,913 cows were required for the provision of his daily milk. His first garment featured a codpiece whose exiture, outjecting or outstanding, was of the length of a yard, its contents providing so much delight that his three nurses squabble over claims to it. After some indifferent education at home, he is sent to Paris where the crowds so annoy him that he drowns thousands of them in a flood of urine. He steals the bells of St. Anthony, but gives them back after a sophist makes ludicrously self-centered appeals for their return, while he studies diligently in Paris, the neighboring Lord Picrocholes bakers are insulted and attacked by Grandgousiers shepards. A massive retaliatory strike against Grandgousiers lands is finally halted at Seville by the merciless Friar John, Grandgousier sues for peace, but Picrochole arrogantly rebuffs him. Gargantua and Friar John rally the troops and they win a battle, drive Picrochole back to his city
38.
Johnny Kaw
–
Johnny Kaw is a mythical Kansas settler and the subject of a number of Paul Bunyan-esque tall tales about the settling of the territory. The legend of Johnny Kaw was created in 1955 by George Filinger, elmer Tomasch of the Kansas State University Art Department provided ink drawings to illustrate the stories and the book. Fiilingers stories related how Johnny Kaw created the Kansas landscape, geography, Kaw was said to have dug the Kansas River Valley, planted wheat, invented sunflowers, and grown giant potatoes. Kaw even controlled the weather, lopping the funnels off tornadoes and his pets were the mascots for the two state universities, a wildcat and a jayhawk, who enjoyed a good fight. The Dust Bowl was said to be a result of their fights, filingers book was not republished after 1969, but Kansas author Jerri Garretson released a childrens picture book about Johnny Kaw in 1997. Her book was illustrated by another KSU art instructor, Diane A. Dollar, a color edition of the book was published in September 2011 and the original B&W version was included in the 2008 anthology, Kansas Tall Tales. A 25-foot-tall statue of Johnny Kaw holding a scythe stands in the city park in Manhattan and it was constructed in 1966 at a cost of $7,000. All materials and labor were donated, and contributions were made by citizens who hoped that the statue would establish Johnny Kaw as a local legend. The statue is constructed of concrete over a steel beam framework, the design was intended to withstand wind and weather and be easy to maintain. The statue was featured in a Zippy the Pinhead comic strip on September 17,2005, fakelore Novelty architecture Johnny Kaw Statue website Gallery of Huge Beings Jerri Garretson bio web page Diane A
39.
Mike Fink
–
Mike Fink, called king of the keelboaters, was a semi-legendary brawler and river boatman who exemplified the tough and hard-drinking men who ran keelboats up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Mike Fink was born at Fort Pitt in present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, even as a teenager, he was an unbeatable marksman, and he earned the name Bangall among militiamen at Fort Pitt. When the Indian wars of the region ended, in the early 1790s, Fink, like many other scouts, instead, he drifted into the transport business on the Ohio and Mississippi—and quickly picked up a new nickname, the Snapping Turtle. When he began his career in navigation, he became notorious and his 180-pound frame stretched 63″ in height, and the muscles required to force a keelboat upstream would have made him a formidable opponent to most. He and his friends were supposed to have amused themselves by shooting cups of whiskey from each others heads. Hauled into court, he pointed out to a judge that his victim would never have been able to wear a fashionable boot if a good Samaritan, namely himself, had not intervened on the mans behalf. Besides imagined feats making part of the legend of Mike Fink, Mike Fink signed up as one of Ashleys Hundred and formed a part of the band that built Fort Henry. If this man had been the one born at Fort Pitt about 1770, he would have been, such an advanced age, in that group of teenage boys, would have been remarked on. Hugh Glass, the man who survived a grizzly bear mauling, was called Old Hugh. No journal mentions Finks advanced age, so it may have been a younger Mike Fink who joined the expedition of the Ashley Rocky Mountain Fur Company, Davy Crockett is supposed to have described him as half horse and half alligator. Fink wore a red feather in his cap, to signal his defeat of every man, up. Henry Howes Historical Collections of Ohio contained an 1806 interview with Capt, John Fink, who said that Mike Fink was a relative. When I was a lad, John told me, about ten years of age, our family lived four miles up river from Wheeling, Mike laid up his boat near us, though he generally had two boats. This was his last trip, and he went away to the far West, the country here was getting too civilized, and he was disgusted with progress. In the management of his business Mike Fink was a rigid disciplinarian and he always had his woman along with him, and would allow no other man to speak with her. She was sometimes a subject for his skill in marksmanship with the rifle. He would have her hold on the top of her head a tin cup filled with whiskey, another of his feats was to have her hold it between her knees, as in a vise, and then shoot. If it was indeed he who joined Ashleys Hundred, Fink died in the Rocky Mountains in 1823, some say it was a drunken argument over what he always called a chère amie—a romantic interest
40.
Hiawatha
–
Hiawatha was a pre-colonial Native American leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. Depending on the version of the narrative, he was a leader of the Onondaga, or the Mohawk, according to some versions, he was born an Onondaga, but adopted into the Mohawk. Hiawatha was a follower of the Great Peacemaker, a Huron prophet and spiritual leader who proposed the unification of the Iroquois peoples, the Great Peacemaker was a compelling spiritual presence, but was impeded in evangelizing his prophecy by foreign affiliation and a severe speech impediment. The Tuscarora nation joined the Confederacy in 1722 to become the Sixth Nation, in attempting to date the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha, focus has come to an incident related to the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy, their lifework. One rendition of the oral history eventually written down by scholars involves a division among the Seneca nation, a violent confrontation began and was suddenly stopped when the sun darkened, and it seemed like night. Scholars have successively studied the possibilities of this being a solar eclipse since 1902 when William Canfield wrote Legends of the Iroquois, since Canfields first mention, and the majority view, scholars have supported the 1451 AD date for the plausible solar eclipse mention. Some argue it is an insufficient fit for the description and favor 1142 AD while a few question the whole idea, by 2007/8 reviews considered an 1142 AD eclipse as clearly possible even if most still supported 1451 AD as the safe choice. The Hiawatha Belt is made of 6,574 wampum beads –38 rows by 173 columns and has 892 white and 5,682 purple beads, the purple represents the sky or universe that surrounds us, while the white represents purity and Good Mind. The white open squares are connected by a band that has no beginning or end, representing all time now. The band, however, does not cross through the center of each nation, meaning that each nation is supported and unified by a common bond and that each is separate in its own identity and domain. The open center also signifies the idea of a fort protected on all sides, the tree figure signifies the Onondaga Nation, capital of the League and home to the central council fire. It was on the shores of Onondaga Lake where the message of peace was planted, from this tree, four white roots sprouted, carrying the message of unity and peace to the four directions. The Hiawatha Belt has been dated to the mid-18th century, near its center, it contains a bead made of colonial lead glass. It is believed the design is as old as the league itself, the Hiawatha Belt forms the basis of the flag of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, created in the 1980s. It is the device in the design on the reverse of the U. S.2010 Native American dollar. It is also included in the logo of the Hamilton Nationals, in 1950, plans for a film about the historical Hiawatha by Monogram Pictures were scrapped. The reason given was that Hiawathas peacemaker role could be seen as communist propaganda, a film was released in 1997 based on the Longfellow poem. It was a joint production of the U. S. and Canada, filmed in Ontario, the 26. 66-mile Hiawatha bike trail in northern Idaho and Montana is over a former railroad right-of-way on old bridges and through old tunnels
41.
Joe Magarac
–
Joe Magarac is a pseudo-legendary American folk hero. Magarac first appeared in print in a 1931 Scribners Magazine article by Owen Francis, as the story goes, he was a sort of patron saint for steel workers. He lived at Mrs. Horkeys boarding house and was made of steel. But he allowed her to marry her true love Pete Pussick and he would appear out of nowhere at critical moments to protect the steel workers. One story goes that he showed up to stop the falling of a 50-ton crucible and his fate is debated as well. While one version of the states that he melted himself down in a Bessemer furnace for material to build a new mill. The second version suggests that he is waiting at an abandoned mill, Joe Magarac stories were told in other industrial cities of the Midwest as well, though his home was always Pittsburgh. In Racine, Wisconsin, he was described as a Czech to children in Bohemian families and he was the ideal role model for parents to present to children who would likely follow them into factory work. He was strong, brave, and self-sacrificing, and he worked with the strength of a hundred men, whos gonna make the steel for that track. Pittsburghs local amusement park, Kennywood, had a depiction of Joe Magarac as a scene for the Olde Kennywood Railroad. During the slow moving, historic and culturally entertaining ride, Joe Magarac was depicted with a steel beam. In 2009, the statue was donated to US Steel Corporation and has since been re-erected at the entrance to the companys Edgar Thomson Works, a large statue of Joe Magarac pouring molten steel is a prominent landmark in the city of Steelport in Saints Row, The Third. The statue is also highlighted in Saints Row IV as a weapon which the player uses to fight a giant energy drink mascot, fakelore Students accounts and illustrations of the story Amazon page with Joe Magarac streaming audio
42.
Fionn mac Cumhaill
–
Fionn mac Cumhaill, sometimes transcribed in English as MacCool or MacCoul, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers the Fianna, form the Fenian Cycle, much of it narrated in the voice of Fionns son, Fionn means blond, fair, white, or bright. The name Fionn is related to the Welsh name Gwyn, as in the mythological figure Gwyn ap Nudd, and to the continental Celtic Vindos, the 19th-century Irish revolutionary organisation known as the Fenian Brotherhood took its name from these legends. The Scottish form of his name, Fingal /ˈfɪŋɡəl/, comes from a retelling of the legends in epic form by the 18th-century poet James Macpherson, most of Fionns early adventures are recounted in the narrative The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn. He was the son of Cumhall, leader of the Fianna, Cumhall abducted Muirne after her father refused him her hand, so Tadg appealed to the High King, Conn of the Hundred Battles, who outlawed Cumhall. The Battle of Cnucha was fought between Conn and Cumhall, and Cumhall was killed by Goll mac Morna, who took leadership of the Fianna. Fionn Mac Cumhaill was said to be originally from Ballyfin, in Laois, the direct translation of Ballyfin from Irish to English is town of Fionn. In Fiacals house Muirne gave birth to a son, whom she called Deimne. Muirne left the boy in the care of Bodhmall and a woman, Liath Luachra. The young Fionn met the leprechaun-like druid and poet Finn Eces, or Finnegas, near the river Boyne, eventually the old man caught it, and told the boy to cook it for him. While cooking it Deimne burned his thumb, and instinctively put his thumb in his mouth and this imbued him with the salmons wisdom, and when Finn Eces saw that he had gained wisdom, he gave young Fionn the whole salmon to eat. Fionn then knew how to revenge against Goll, and in subsequent stories was able to call on the knowledge of the salmon by putting his thumb to the tooth that had first tasted the salmon. The story of Fionn and the salmon of knowledge and the Welsh tale of Gwion Bach are similar, Fionn arrived at Tara, armed with his fathers crane-skin bag of magical weapons. He kept himself awake by touching the point of his magically red-hot spear to his forehead, the pain kept Fionn awake, allowing him to pursue and kill Aillen with the same spear. After that his heritage was recognised and he was given command of the Fianna, Goll willingly stepped aside, Fionn demanded compensation for his fathers death from Tadg, threatening war or single combat against him if he refused. Tadg offered him his home, the hill of Allen, as compensation, Fionn met his most famous wife, Sadhbh, when he was out hunting. She had been turned into a deer by a druid, Fear Doirich, Fionns hounds, Bran and Sceólang, born of a human enchanted into the form of a hound, recognised her as human, and Fionn brought her home. She transformed back into a woman the moment she set foot on Fionns land and she and Fionn married and she was soon pregnant
43.
Davy Crockett
–
David Davy Crockett was a 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is commonly referred to in culture by the epithet King of the Wild Frontier. He represented Tennessee in the U. S. House of Representatives, Crockett grew up in East Tennessee, where he gained a reputation for hunting and storytelling. After being made a colonel in the militia of Lawrence County, Tennessee, in 1825, Crockett was elected to the U. S. Congress, where he vehemently opposed many of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, most notably the Indian Removal Act. Crocketts opposition to Jacksons policies led to his defeat in the 1831 elections and he won again in 1833, then narrowly lost in 1835, prompting his angry departure to Texas shortly thereafter. In early 1836, Crockett took part in the Texas Revolution and was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in March, Crockett became famous in his own lifetime for larger-than-life exploits popularized by stage plays and almanacs. After his death, he continued to be credited with acts of mythical proportion and these led in the 20th century to television and movie portrayals, and he became one of the best-known American folk heroes. The Crocketts were of Irish, English, Scottish, and French-Huguenot ancestry, antoine married Louise de Saix and immigrated to Ireland with her, changing the family name to Crockett. Their son Joseph Louis was born in Ireland and married Sarah Stewart, Joseph and Sarah immigrated to New York, where their son William David was born in 1709. William and Elizabeths son David was born in Pennsylvania and married Elizabeth Hedge and they were the parents of William, David Jr. Robert, Alexander, James, Joseph and John, the father of David Crockett who died at the Alamo. John was born c.1753 in Frederick County, Virginia, the family moved to Tryon County, North Carolina c. In 1776, the moved to northeast Tennessee, in the area now known as Hawkins County. John was one of the Overmountain Men who fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain during the American Revolutionary War. While John was away as a volunteer in 1777, David and Elizabeth were killed at their home near todays Rogersville by Creeks. Johns brother Joseph was wounded in the skirmish and his brother James was taken prisoner and held for seventeen years. John married Rebecca Hawkins in 1780, when their son David was born August 17,1786, they named him after Johns father. David was born in what is now Greene County, Tennessee, close to the Nolichucky River, John continually struggled to make ends meet, and in 1792, the Crocketts moved to a tract of land on Lick Creek. Selling that tract of land in 1794, John moved the family to Cove Creek, a flood destroyed the gristmill and the Crockett homestead
