The Vltava is the longest river within the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník. It is referred to as the "Czech national river"; the Vltava river is 430.3 kilometres long and drains an area 28,090 square kilometres in size, over half of Bohemia and about a third of the Czech Republic's entire territory. As it runs through Prague, the river is crossed by 18 bridges and covers 31 kilometres within the city; the water from the river was used for drinking until 1912, when the Vinohrady Water Tower ceased pumping operations. It is, the source of drinking water in case of failures of or repairs to the water supply from the Želivka and Kárané sources; the Podolí water processing plant is on standby for such cases with the long section of the river upstream of the Podolí plant under the stricter, second degree of pollution prevention regulations. Several dams were built on it in the 1950s.

The Orlík Dam supports the largest reservoir on the Vltava by volume, while the Lipno Dam in the Bohemian Forest retains the largest reservoir by area. South of Prague the Štěchovice Reservoir is built over the site of the St John's Rapids; the river features numerous locks and weirs that help mitigate its flow from 1,172 metres in elevation at its source near the German border to 155 metres at its mouth in Mělník. The height difference from source to mouth is about 1,016 metres and the largest stream at the source is named Černý Potok or Teplá Vltava; the Vltava itself originates by a confluence of two streams, the Warm Vltava, longer, the Cold Vltava, sourcing in Bavaria. Along its course, Vltava receives many tributaries, the biggest being Otava and Berounka from the left and Lužnice and Sázava from the right side, its section around Český Krumlov is a popular destination for water tourism. Both the Czech name Vltava and the German name Moldau are believed to originate from the old Germanic words *wilt ahwa.

In the Annales Fuldenses it is called Fuldaha. In the Chronica Boemorum it is attested for the first time in Wlitaua; the Vltava basin has flooded multiple times throughout recorded history. Markers have been created along the banks denoting the water line for notable floods in 1784, 1845, 1890, 1940, the highest of all in 2002. In August of that year, the basin was affected by the 2002 European floods when the flooded river killed several people and caused massive damage and disruption along its length, including in Prague, it left the oldest bridge in Prague, Charles Bridge weakened, requiring years of work to repair. Prague was again flooded in 2013. Many locations within the Vltava and Elbe basins were left under water, including the Prague Zoo, but metal barriers were erected along the banks of the Vltava to help protect the historic city centre. Nine hydroelectric dams have been built on the Vltava to regulate the water flow and generate hydroelectric power. Beginning at the headwaters, these are: Lipno, Lipno II, Hněvkovice, Kořensko, Orlík, Kamýk, Slapy, Štěchovice and Vrané.

One of the best-known works of classical music by a Czech composer is Bedřich Smetana's Vltava called The Moldau in English. It is from the Romantic era of classical music and is a musical description of the river's course through Bohemia. A minor planet 2123 Vltava discovered in 1973 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh is named after the river. Smetana's symphonic poem inspired a song of the same name by Bertolt Brecht. An English version of it, by John Willett, features the lyrics Deep down in the Moldau the pebbles are shifting / In Prague three dead emperors moulder away. Moldavite Geographic data related to Vltava at OpenStreetMap

Defenders of the Earth is an American animated television series produced in 1985, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Mandrake's assistant Lothar—opposing Ming the Merciless in the year 2015. Supporting characters include their children Rick Gordon, L. J. Kshin, Jedda Walker; the show lasted for 65 episodes. The closing credits credit Rob Walsh and Tony Pastor for the main title music, Stan Lee for the lyrics; the series was shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel as part of Sci Fi Cartoon Quest. The plot begins with Flash Gordon and his son Rick escaping from Ming the Merciless, who has exhausted the natural resources of his home planet Mongo and desires to exploit Earth. Ming tries to brainwash Flash's wife Dale Arden, but she resists until death, whereafter her psyche is included in the Defenders' supercomputer Dynac X. Later and Mandrake organize the Defenders against Ming. Flash Gordon — Leader of the Defenders of the Earth: a space pilot and the father of Rick Gordon.

The Phantom — Essentially identical to Lee Falk's character, but differing from the original in that by chanting "By jungle law, the Ghost Who Walks calls forth the power of ten tigers", he momentarily receives superhuman strength. His real name is Kit Walker, his horse Hero and wolf Devil make brief appearances. The end credits describe this Phantom by saying "This is the 27th Phantom." Mandrake the Magician — A hypnotist and mystic capable of manipulating others' perceptions at will. He is portrayed as a secondary leader of the Defenders, sometimes the narrator of their decisions. Lothar — Mandrake's assistant and bodyguard, depicted as a powerful fighter, an able mechanic, a master tactician; the action figure's packaging describes Lothar as a "Caribbean Ninja". Richard "Rick" Gordon — Richard is an impulsive computer genius and the son of Flash Gordon. Rick, along with many of the other teenagers of the show, attended Central High located in Central City. Rick Gordon was intended to be Kit Walker, the son of the Phantom.

L. J. — Short for'Lothar Jr.', L. J. is the street-wise martial arts-expert son of Lothar, Rick's best friend. When in one episode, the Defenders locate a crystal which shows them their greatest desires, L. J.'s is to defeat the antagonist'Octon'. Jedda Walker — Jedda is the daughter of the Phantom and displays telepathic and limited extrasensory powers expressed by communication with her black panther Kisa. There is little-or-no mention of her mother, though in one episode she is the reluctant stepdaughter of Queen Hadea; some installments imply a relationship with Rick Gordon. Jedda Walker was intended to be Jedda Gordon, daughter of Flash Gordon. Kshin — Kshin is an orphaned boy adopted by Mandrake and trained as his apprentice, his origins are revealed in the late season episode "The adoption of Kshin", where it is shown he was a young street orphan found by Mandrake after a gang of boys tried using him as a distraction in a failed pick-pocketing attempt. He is accompanied by the extraterrestrial "Zuffy" found by Rick Gordon on the planet Mongo.

Dynac X — Dynac X is the central computer of the Defenders' Headquarters, whose operating system is stated to contain the psyche of Flash Gordon's wife. Though she is never addressed by name in the series, the comic book adaptation of the first two episodes identifies the slain "Mrs. Gordon" as Dale Arden. Diane Pershing is the only performer from the Filmation cartoon. Ming the Merciless — A warlord or supervillain bent on exploiting Earth's natural resources, based on'Ice Station Earth'; this version is made more grotesque than his traditional appearance to avoid racial stereotyping. No in James Bond Jr. in that all three characters received green skin and pointed ears. Prince Kro-Tan — Ming the Merciless' son. Princess Castra — Ming the Merciless' daughter. Octon — Octon is an octopus-like artificial intelligence, equivalent to an'evil version' of Dynac X, which advises Ming the Merciless of methods to conquer the Earth or defeat the Defenders, his name is derived from that of an opponent of Mandrake's in the latter's eponymous comic strip, wherein it identifies a crime lord known as the'Cobra'.

Garax — Garax is the leader of Ming's mechanical soldiers, the Ice Robots. He is the only one of these to recur, the only given any distinction from the others, who are slain en masse by the Defenders. Mongor — Mongor is a giant serpent-like pet of Ming the Merciless. Kurt Walker — Aliased "N'Dama the Weather Demon", Kurt is the older brother of the Phantom; when competing in a trial with Kit for the right to become the next Phantom, Kurt won but was passed-over in favor of Kit due his father knowing that he had lied and cheated, as well as abandoning his brother after causing a rock fall that had injured him. This results in him being disinherited by their father, the contempt he has for Kit. Kurt is created for the series and has never appeared elsewhere; the Sky Band — A coalition of raiders depicted in the Phantom comics. Queen Hadea — Hadea is the

Along the Cherry Lane is a memoir written by Milton Okun, published on June 13, 2011. It is co-written by Okun’s son-in-law, Richard Sparks. Along the Cherry Lane chronicles Okun's career from working as a music teacher for New York City public schools, to being a distinguished music producer, he is best known for producing some of the biggest folk acts of the 60s and 70s before launching his own publishing company, Cherry Lane. Okun is known for transforming an awkward folk trio into one of the most popular music groups of all time, he has worked with some of the most prominent names in music, such as John Denver, Harry Belafonte and Plácido Domingo. Along the Cherry Lane is told in stories rich with music history and light-hearted details of run-ins with television network titans and music stars such as Elvis Presley; this story of an extraordinary and inspiring man allows readers a look into the past and the ability to see into the world and inner-workings of the music industry. The musical heritage is narrated by Okun himself as well as those who have been a part of his fascinating life in music.

Okun explains his passion for music education and brilliantly details behind-the-scenes stories of his publishing and production work with some of music's greatest acts. The diversity of musical talent Okun has worked with make this a wonderful read and offers a great look into the life of one of the most influential music producers in history. On Saturday, June 11, 2011, a book release party was held at Craig Krull Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. Milton Okun was joined by his co-author and son-in-law, Richard Sparks, in signing books and greeting fans. Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation Language: English ISBN 978-1423499497 Placido Domingo congratulates Milton Okun on his book Along The Cherry Lane on YouTube Press Release: Legendary Music Producer, Milt Okun, Pens His Memoir: Along the Cherry Lane Press Release: Family and Fans Celebrated the Career of Music Legend Milt Okun at the Launch of His Memoir, Along the Cherry Lane What is That Book About Review BookHounds Review Along The Cherry Lane on Amazon

The 2016 Segunda División B play-offs are the final playoffs for promotion from 2015–16 Segunda División B to the 2016–17 Segunda División. The four first placed teams in each one of the four qualify for the promotion playoffs and the four last placed teams in Segunda División are relegated to Segunda División B, it decides the teams which placed 16th to be relegated to the 2016–17 Tercera División. The four group winners have the opportunity to promote directly and become the overall Segunda División B champion; the four group winners will be drawn into a two-legged series where the two winners will be promoted to the Segunda División and will enter into the final for the Segunda División B champion. The two losing semifinalists will enter the playoff round for the last two promotion spots; the four group runners-up will be drawn against one of the three fourth-placed teams outside their group while the four third-placed teams will be drawn against each other in a two-legged series. The six winners will advance with the two losing semifinalists to determine the four teams that will enter the last two-legged series for the last two promotion spots.

In all the playoff series, the lower-ranked club will play at home first. Whenever there is a tie in position, a draw will determine the club to play at home first; the draw was held in Las Rozas. The draw was held in Las Rozas; the draw was held in Las Rozas. As there were only two third qualified teams and two four qualified teams from the same groups, there was no need to make a draw for the two finals; the draw was held in Las Rozas. The losers of this tournament will be relegated to the 2016-17 Tercera División

The Sarcophagus of Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa is the life-size sarcophagus of an Etruscan noblewoman dating from between 150–140 BC. Since 1887, it has been part of the British Museum's collection; the brightly painted sarcophagus of the Etruscan aristocratic woman Seianti was discovered in 1886 at Poggio Cantarello near Chiusi in Tuscany and was subsequently sold, along with its contents, to the British Museum. A similar sarcophagus is in the collections of the National Archaeological Museum in Florence. Known as the Sarchophagus of Larthia Seianti, the two women were from the same dynastic family in ancient Chiusi; the sarcophagus is a masterpiece of Etruscan artwork. The deceased woman's name is inscribed in Etruscan along the base of the chest, she must have belonged to one of the richest families of Chiusi, as Seianti is dressed sumptuously for the occasion, wearing an ornate gown and cloak, with complicated drapery falling sinuously over her body, adorned with a tiara, bracelets and a necklace.

Seianti has been depicted as a mature lady, who gestures to adjust her veil, realistically revealing parts of her body in the process. She holds a mirror in her other hand, gazing into the distance. Scientific analysis of the bones and teeth that were deposited in the chest indicated that Seianti died at about 50–55 years of age; the rather idealised face of the deceased woman depicted on the sarcophagus, typical of Etruscan art at the time, can be compared with an accurate and less flattering reconstruction of her face in the museum, based on the features of the deceased woman's skull. Sarcophagus of the Spouses J. Swaddling and J Prag, Seianti Hanunia Tlesnasa; the Story of an Etruscan Noblewoman L. Burn, The British Museum Book of Greek and Roman Art J. Prag and R. Neave, Making faces: using forensic a O. Brendel, Etruscan art, Pelican History of Art E. Macnamara, Everyday life of the Etruscans E. Macnamara, The Etruscans

The Lemano was an international express train linking Milan with Geneva. The train is named after Lake Geneva, the north shore of, followed by the train over the lake's entire length. Introduced in 1958, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express service until 1982, thereafter a two-class express train; the third Italian Trans Europ Express service, TEE Lemano, entered service in June 1958, one year after the start of the TEE network. The Italian TEE diesel multiple units of type ALn 442-448 weren't available in time for the launch of the TEE network on 2 June 1957, none of the three planned Italian TEE services started at that time; the departure in Milan was just after nine in the morning, arriving just after lunch in Geneva, around 1:30 p.m. The return service left Geneva before dinner at 5:29 p.m. arriving in Milan around 9:40 p.m. This schedule was designed to allow a traveller to have lunch and dinner while riding along the shores of Lake Geneva and attend a meeting in Geneva during the afternoon.

This timetable remained until 1 July 1961. This Paris – Milan service used the Simplon railway as well, in order to avoid two TEE trains running at nearly the same time from Lausanne to Milan, Lemano's departure from Geneva was postponed to 7:40 p.m. This alteration was not appreciated by the customers because it made the scheduled arrival time in Milan late in the evening, just before midnight. After two years it was decided to depart from Geneva at 1:30 p.m.. Returning business travellers could ride from Geneva to Lausanne after the meeting and board the TEE Cisalpin to Milan calling at around 6 p.m. On 28 May 1972, the DMUs were replaced by Gran Conforto coaches built by FIAT and hauled by electric locomotives. Despite attempts to improve the schedule, passenger numbers never reached a level as high as in the first three years, the Lemano was downgraded to a two-class InterCity service, on 23 May 1982. On 22 January 1984, the TGV-service Lausanne – Paris started, the Paris – Milan services were split in two.

The TGVs ran between Paris and Lausanne, connecting InterCity trains using the same names ran between Lausanne and Milan. One of these split services was named Lemano. After the introduction of the EuroCity network, on 31 May 1987, the names remained unchanged. In 1989, the rolling stock on the Lausanne – Milan portion was replaced by Swiss RABe quadruple-voltage trainsets, which on were replaced by Italian ETR470 tilting trains