where is the gulf of mannar on a map

The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka, in the Coromandel Coast region. The chain of low islands and reefs known as Ramsethu, also called Adam's Bridge, which includes Mannar Island, separates the Gulf of Mannar from Palk Bay, which lies to the north between India and Sri Lanka. The estuaries of Thamirabarani River and Vaipar River of South India and the Malvathu Oya (Malvathu River) of Sri Lanka drain into the Gulf.[3] The dugong (sea cow) is found here.

Gulf of Mannar

Located on the southeastern tip of the subcontinent, the Gulf of Mannar is known to harbour over 3,600 species of flora and fauna, making it one of the richest coastal regions in Asia. 117 hard coral species have been recorded in the Gulf of Mannar. Sea turtles are frequent visitors to the gulf as are sharks, dugongs, and dolphins. However, the combined effects of 47 villages, with a total population of around 50,000 has meant that overharvesting of marine species has become a problem. The decline of fish populations has been accompanied with reducing numbers of pearl oyster, gorgonian coral, and acorn worm. Local fishermen rely on the reef to feed their families, but destructive fishing methods combined with the stress of pollution and coral mining have meant both nearshore and offshore catches have decreased. Endangered species include dolphins, dugongs, whales and sea cucumbers.[1]

In 1986, a group of 21 islets lying off the Tamil Nadu coast between Thoothukudi and Dhanushkodi was declared the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. The park and its 10Â km buffer zone were declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1989.

The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 10,500 km² of ocean,21 islands and the adjoining coastline. The islets and coastal buffer zone include beaches, estuaries, and tropical dry broadleaf forests, while the marine environments include seaweed communities, sea grass communities, coral reefs, salt marshes and mangrove forests.[4]

The Gulf of Mannar is known for its pearl banks of Pinctada radiata and Pinctada fucata for at least two thousand years. Pliny the Elder (23â€“79) praised the pearl fishery of the gulf as one of the most productive in the world.[5][6][7] Although extraction of natural pearls is considered too expensive in most parts of the world, it is still carried out in the gulf.[8]

The chief seaports on the Gulf of Mannar are Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. While these ports can accommodate deep-draft vessels, the shallow Palk Strait can only accommodate small shallow-draft vessels. In July 2005, the Indian Government took preliminary steps to go ahead with the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, which would create a deep channel linking the Gulf of Mannar to the Bay of Bengal. Project boosters emphasize the benefits of a direct shipping route that connects India's east and west coasts without the long trip around Sri Lanka; environmentalists have warned against the grave damage such a project could cause to the sea life and fisheries of the Palk Strait and the Gulf.


when was direct rule introduced in northern ireland

The system of Direct Rule was originally introduced on 28 March 1972 under the terms of the UK's Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972, which also suspended the Parliament of Northern Ireland ("Stormont").

Direct rule (Northern Ireland)

Â a Lowercase "d" per here.

Direct rule (Irish: riail dhÃreach[1][2][3]) is the term given to the administration of Northern Ireland directly by the Government of the United Kingdom. It was practiced for 26 straight years between 1972 and 1998 during the Troubles, and has since then been temporary applied during suspensions. The most recent period of direct rule came to an end on 8 May 2007 when power was restored to the Northern Ireland Assembly following April elections and a power-sharing agreement among major parties.

Although everyday matters under direct rule were handled by government departments within Northern Ireland itself, major policy was determined by the British Government's Northern Ireland Office, under the direction of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and legislation was introduced, amended, or repealed by means of Order in Council. Direct Rule did not mean that the people of Northern Ireland had no democratic say in how they were governed; like other parts of the United Kingdom, they elected (and still elect) members of parliament to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which the Northern Ireland Office is responsible. But it did result in the existence of an administration specific to Northern Ireland which did not have a specifically Northern Irish mandate.

The Northern Irish administration under Brian Faulkner had refused to allow control of security in the province to be transferred to London.[4] As a consequence, the British government under Edward Heath announced on 24 March 1972 that devolved government in Northern Ireland would be suspended.[4]

Responsibility for Northern Ireland within the Cabinet had until then rested with the Home Secretary, but was now transferred to the new post of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, heading the Northern Ireland Office.[4] Several new junior government ministers were created to politically head the NI government departments.[4]

The British Government sought to establish a Northern Ireland Assembly in 1973 (under the Sunningdale Agreement; this was brought down by Unionist action), in 1982 (this time boycotted by Nationalists), and more recently under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Each time, the intention in principle was that the Assembly would take over the political governance of Northern Ireland, and that direct rule would thus come to an end.  The results of the Good Friday Agreement were the most successful at achieving this; however, the Assembly was nevertheless suspended (and direct rule re-imposed) for over three months starting in February 2000,[5] twice briefly in August[6] and September[7] of 2001, and again from October 2002[8] until the spring of 2007.

Both unionists and nationalists frequently objected to direct rule, since the system gives the people of Northern Ireland relatively little democratic say over their own governance.  However, some unionists accepted and were content to go along with the system since it seemed to show the province as an integral part of the UK; while some nationalists accepted direct rule if only because they believed that politicians in London were less hostile to Northern Ireland's Catholic community than a government elected by the local Protestant majority.[citation needed] Some minor parties have pushed a viewpoint of direct rule: the UK Unionist Party campaigned on a position of "integrationism" opposed to the St Andrews Agreement, and at its peak had a single MP and five MLAs. The party lost its last representative in 2007 and is now defunct.

Since the St Andrews Agreement in 2006, Westminster no longer has the power to suspend the Assembly without an emergency legislation.

In January 2017, following the fallout from the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, in which Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned, Arlene Foster suggested a temporary return to direct rule would be on the cards due to the deadlock.[9] Efforts to save the power-sharing Stormont government have failed. So far Westminster has refused to implement direct rule which comes at a time of extra uncertainty regarding Brexit, the Good Friday Agreement and the Irish border issue in relation to them.[10]

The assembly has been suspended four times since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 2000[11]. The periods of suspension were:


where was miss congeniality filmed in san antonio

The story is set in New York City and San Antonio. Scenes showing the exterior of the St. Regis Hotel, and a few street scenes, were shot on location in New York, and the Alamo and River Walk scenes were shot on location in San Antonio. However, most of the movie was actually shot in Austin, Texas: scenes depicting the interior of the St. Regis were shot in Austin's Driskill Hotel; the pageant scenes were shot at the Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas at Austin; and scenes depicting the pageant contestants in their hotel rooms were shot in the Omni Austin at South Park.[3]

Miss Congeniality (film)

Miss Congeniality is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, written by Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford, and Caryn Lucas, and starring Sandra Bullock with Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, and Candice Bergen.

Miss Congeniality was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 22, 2000 and was a box office hit grossing $212 million worldwide. A sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, was released in March 24, 2005 with Bullock, Shatner and Hudson reprising their roles.

In 1982, a very young Gracie Hart steps into a playground fight to beat up a bully who is threatening a boy she likes. However, the boy feels humiliated at being rescued "by a girl", and rejects her rudely, whereupon she punches him in the nose and leaves to sulk alone. Years later, Gracie is now a tough Special Agent for the FBI. During a sting operation against Russian mobsters, she disobeys her superior's orders in order to save a mob boss who appears to be choking, which causes one of the other agents to be shot. She is demoted to a desk job as punishment.

Some time later, the agency is alerted, via a letter from the notorious domestic terrorist known only as "The Citizen", to a bomb threat at the upcoming 75th annual Miss United States beauty pageant in San Antonio, Texas. Gracie's partner Eric Matthews is put in charge, but he relies entirely on Gracie's suggestions and yet takes credit for them himself. One of Gracie's ideas is to plant an agent undercover at the event. Eric then suggests that Gracie take on that role, replacing Miss New Jersey who was just disqualified. Beauty pageant coach Victor Melling teaches Gracie how to dress, walk, and behave like a contestant. Though initially appalled, she comes to appreciate Victor's thoroughness. Gracie enters the contest as "Gracie Lou Freebush", representing New Jersey, and becomes friends with Cheryl Frasier, who is Miss Rhode Island. As the competition begins, Gracie impresses the judges with her glass harp skills and self-defense techniques during the talent competition.

Several suspects are identified, including the current competition director and former pageant winner Kathy Morningside, her assistant Frank Tobin, the veteran MC Stan Fields, and Cheryl, who has a history of being a radical animal rights activist. Gracie accompanies Cheryl and other contestants as they spend a night partying, where Gracie tries to dig into Cheryl's past, but inadvertently learns from the others that Kathy's past as a pageant contestant is suspect, including the fact that she won after the leading contestant suddenly came down with food poisoning. Gracie comes to believe Kathy is "The Citizen". However, when she reports this to Eric and the team, she learns that "The Citizen" has been arrested on an unrelated charge, and because there is no further threat, their supervisor has pulled the mission. Gracie convinces Eric that she nonetheless suspects something is wrong, and he returns to help her continue the investigation against orders.

In the final round, Gracie is stunned when she is awarded the 1st Runner-up prize. Cheryl is named Miss United States, but as she goes to accept the tiara, Gracie recognizes that Frank, who is actually Kathy's son, impersonated "The Citizen" in making the original bomb threat. Suspecting foul play, she stops the crowning ceremony in time, as the tiara contained an explosive. As Kathy and Frank are arrested, Gracie determines that the two wanted to kill the pageant winner on stage as revenge for Kathy's termination from the competition. As the event closes down and Gracie and Eric prepare to return to headquarters with a newfound interest in each other, the other contestants name Gracie as "Miss Congeniality".

The film was the fifth highest-grossing film in North America on its opening weekend, making $13,853,686 USD; it had a 5% increase in earnings the following weekâ€”enough to make the film reach #3; and overall it was a box office hit, grossing more than $106 million in the United States, and more than $212.7 million worldwide. It was nominated for several awards, including two Golden Globes: Sandra Bullock earned a nod for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, and Bosson's "One in a Million" was nominated for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. The film has a 42% rating at Rotten Tomatoes[4] and a metascore of 43 at Metacritic,[5] mixed to poor reviews. The New York Times described it as "a standard-issue fish-out-of-water comedy" which "seems happily, deliberately second-rate, as if its ideal audience consisted of weary airline passengers".[6]

The film's first DVD edition, released in 2001, included two audio commentaries, some deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and two documentaries about the making of the film.[7]A deluxe-edition DVD, released in 2005, featured different cover art for the DVD and menu. It contained the same features as the other DVD version plus a quiz hosted by William Shatner and a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel.[8][9] In 2009, a double DVD edition was released that included the sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.[10]

A sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, was released on March 24, 2005.[11] The film starred Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns, Diedrich Bader, and Treat Williams. The sequel was less successful, critically[12] and commercially, earning only $101,393,569.[11]


does canada's worst driver lose their license

In each season, eight drivers and their nominators-- Canada's Worst Driver 11 had nine drivers; more on this later-- are enrolled at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre where they compete in challenges designed to improve their driving skills, in an effort to not be named Canada's Worst Driver. In the first challenge, the contestants begin at a location about an hour's drive from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. Following the directions that are given, each contestant must drive to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre where, upon arriving, the driver's license of each contestant is confiscated (for the first two seasons, their car keys were confiscated instead). The first episode concludes with an obstacle course or assessment challenge, meant to evaluate the skills of each driver. The series is well known for its obstacle course challenges. Contestants must routinely maneuver their cars through tight spaces with less than an inch of clearance on either side. To show that the challenge can be done without hitting obstacles by an average driver, host Andrew Younghusband, himself an average driver, performs each challenge before any contestant attempts said challenge. At the end of each episode, starting with the second episode of each season, each contestant meets with Andrew and a panel of four experts for an evaluation of his or her performance. After all remaining contestants are interviewed, the experts and Andrew deliberate on which contestant and nominator pair have improved enough to graduate from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. The driver who has graduated is eliminated from the competition and is sent home with his or her license returned to him or her. Typically, the contestants drive off with their nominators in the car that they used to arrive at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. During the series, the experts also reserve the right to not graduate anyone during an episode or to graduate multiple contestants at the same time. The experts may also choose to expel any contestant prematurely who does not show any incentive to learn, who they believe should not continue driving or who can not continue the rehabilitation program often for medical or legal reasons. In this particular instance, certain contestants are eliminated from the competition and their licenses are returned and they are given a ride home by their nominators. However, a prematurely expelled contestant or contestant who refuses to continue may still be considered for the title, as was the case in Canada's Worst Driver Ever, in which Dale Pitton was expelled in the second-to-last episode, only to be brought back for the trophy presentation. In extreme cases, the experts may contact the relevant Ministry of Transport and request that a driver's license be put up for review, if they believe that a contestant is medically unfit to continue driving. To date, this has happened only twice, in Canada's Worst Driver 4 with Donna Hicks and Canada's Worst Driver Ever with Dale. The elimination process continues until only three contestants remain (the original intent was for two contestants to remain, but due to the first season containing an episode in which no one graduated, there were three; every subsequent season has had three finalists). Those three finalists are then given the final challenge, which is typically a three-in-a-car forward-backward slalom within a certain time limit, followed by the Mega Challenge, an obstacle course with elements of almost every previous challenge (the standard transmission balancing challenge, among others, is not part of the Mega Challenge, but every challenge that is practical to include does get included), as well as a driving examination through the busy streets of a major urban centre in Canada near the Driver Rehabilitation Centre (since season seven, the road test has been in Hamilton, Ontario). Based on these three challenges, the experts determine which among the three is Canada's Worst Driver.  With the exception of the eighth season, in which both Kevin Simmons and Flora Wang were named Canada's Worst Driver, the contestant who fared the second-worst is deemed to not have graduated from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, while the contestant who fared the third-worst is considered a graduate (with the exception of the eleventh season, in which, despite faring the third-worst, Sholom Hoffman failed to graduate). Unlike other versions of the Worst Driver series around the world, where being eliminated early is rewarded with a new car while the Worst Driver has their car destroyed, Canada's Worst Driver awards no prizes aside from a trophy for being named the worst, as the point of the show is to educate rather than entertain.

Canada's Worst Driver

Canada's Worst Driver is a Canadian television series on Discovery Channel, based on Britain's Worst Driver and is part of the Worst Driver television franchise. The series is produced by Proper Television, whose president, Guy O'Sullivan, was the director of the original Britain's Worst Driver series until his death in 2017. As such, Canada's Worst Driver is considered to be the production company's flagship show. Unlike other Worst series around the world, the Canadian version emphasizes the learning process of the contestants and the science of driving. As such, it is often more serious than the other Worst shows around the world, which are mainly comedic. With 107 episodes, it is the longest running of any Worst series to date. The series is also aired dubbed in French in Canada as Les Pires Chauffards Canadiens on the Z channel. Until 2011, when its sister series Canada's Worst Handyman was cancelled, Canada's Worst Driver and Canada's Worst Handyman were the two highest-rated programs on Discovery Channel Canada.

With the exception of the first and last episodes, challenges are specifically tailored to each contestant and designed by show host Andrew Younghusband and the driving school sponsoring the series (whose head instructor is one of the experts). Challenges typically range from traditional driving school lessons such as parallel parking, reversing and driving with a trailer to those not normally found in a beginner's driving course, such as driving a standard transmission vehicle and extreme driving manoeuvres (such as the Scandinavian flick). However, there are some challenges that are reused from year to year.

The contestants are chosen by nominations submitted to Proper Television. Candidates may be nominated by multiple nominators, though only one nominator accompanies the contestant to the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. Until 2011, when Canada's Worst Handyman was cancelled, Canada's Worst Driver and Canada's Worst Handyman were filmed alternately, with each season of Driver followed by a season of Handyman (Driver is filmed during the summer and Handyman was filmed in winter).

Seasons 1-7 are currently available for download in Canada from the iTunes Store in widescreen standard definition (480p). Seasons 8-13 are available from iTunes in both standard definition and high definition (720p/1080p). Seasons 2-7 are available for streaming on CraveTV. Seasons 8-9 are available on the TV/movie streaming website Netflix until June 30, 2018.[1] Each season has also been posted on Discovery Channel's Canadian website and YouTube in the past for streaming. There has been no news on whether the series will be released on DVD/Blu-ray.


who played dill in the movie to kill a mockingbird

John Megna (November 9, 1952 – September 4, 1995) was an American actor. His best known role is that of "Dill" in the film To Kill a Mockingbird.

John Megna

Megna was born in Queens, New York, as John Ingolia. His father was a pharmacist[citation needed], and his mother was a one-time nightclub singer. He was a half-brother of Connie Stevens and an ex-brother-in-law of Eddie Fisher. He attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York.[1]

At age 6, Megna made his acting debut in Frank Loesser's Broadway musical Greenwillow. At 7, he starred in All the Way Home, an adaptation of James Agee's novel about the effect of a father's death on his family.[2] This led to his being cast as Charles Baker "Dill" Harris, the toothy young summer visitor in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. The character was based on writer Truman Capote, a childhood friend and later associate of Harper Lee, the author of the original novel.[1]

Megna appeared in many television programs throughout the 1960s and 1970s; he portrayed a near-blind child in the Naked City episode "A Horse Has a Big Head - Let Him Worry!", one of the "Onlies" in the "Miri" episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, Stephan in I Spy (1967), and Little Adam in the NASA-produced animated shorts The Big World of Little Adam.

His other film appearances include Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), The Godfather: Part II (1974), The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) with John Travolta, and Go Tell the Spartans (1978) with Burt Lancaster. He also acted in two car-chase films starring Burt Reynolds and directed by Hal Needham – Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and The Cannonball Run (1981).

Megna graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, as a performing arts major.

As an adult, he turned to directing plays. He was the founding director of L.A. Arts, a nonprofit theater group in Los Angeles.[1] He later became a high school English teacher, and last taught at James Monroe High School in North Hills, California.[3] He also taught Honors English at Hollenbeck Jr High in East Los Angeles Ca

John Megna died from AIDS-related complications on September 4, 1995, at Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 42.[2]


who played charlotte lucas in bbc pride and prejudice

Lucy Scott (born 19 January 1971) is a British actress. She is best known for playing Charlotte Lucas in the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.

Lucy Scott

Lucy Scott has worked as an actress, in film and television since the early 1990s. Her stage credits include Emma at the Tricycle Theatre, London, as part of a seven-person ensamble cast;[1] Search and Destroy, as Mary, at the New End Theatre in Hampstead, London;[2] and as Nikki in Things We Do For Love.[3]

She also appeared in an episode of comedy show Modern Toss.[4]

As well as acting, Scott worked as a script supervisor on the first episode of Popetown, called The Double.[5]


when was the anti lock braking system invented

The first patented system was created by German engineer Karl Wessel in 1928. Wessel, however, never developed a working product and neither did Robert Bosch who produced a similar patent eight years later.[5]

Anti-lock braking system

An anti-lock braking system or anti-skid braking system[1] (ABS) is an automobile safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to maintain tractive contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up (ceasing rotation) and avoiding uncontrolled skidding. It is an automated system that uses the principles of threshold braking and cadence braking which were practiced by skillful drivers with previous generation braking systems. It does this at a much faster rate and with better control than many drivers could manage.

ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces; however, on loose gravel or snow-covered surfaces, ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still improving vehicle steering control.[2][3][4]

Since initial widespread use in production cars, anti-lock braking systems have been improved considerably. Recent versions not only prevent wheel lock under braking, but also electronically control the front-to-rear brake bias. This function, depending on its specific capabilities and implementation, is known as electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system, emergency brake assist, or electronic stability control (ESC).

The concept for ABS predates the modern systems that were introduced in the 1950s. In 1908, for example, J.E. Francis introduced his 'Slip Prevention Regulator for Rail Vehicles'.[5]

In 1920 the French automobile and aircraft pioneer Gabriel Voisin experimented with systems that modulated the hydraulic braking pressure on his aircraft brakes to reduce the risk of tire slippage. These systems use a flywheel and valve attached to a hydraulic line that feeds the brake cylinders. The flywheel is attached to a drum that runs at the same speed as the wheel. In normal braking, the drum and flywheel should spin at the same speed. However, when a wheel slows down, then the drum would do the same, leaving the flywheel spinning at a faster rate. This causes the valve to open, allowing a small amount of brake fluid to bypass the master cylinder into a local reservoir, lowering the pressure on the cylinder and releasing the brakes. The use of the drum and flywheel meant the valve only opened when the wheel was turning. In testing, a 30% improvement in braking performance was noted, because the pilots immediately applied full brakes instead of slowly increasing pressure in order to find the skid point. An additional benefit was the elimination of burned or burst tires.[6]

By the early 1950s, the Dunlop Maxaret anti-skid system was in widespread aviation use in the UK, with aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor, Vickers Viscount, Vickers Valiant, English Electric Lightning, de Havilland Comet 2c, de Havilland Sea Vixen, and later aircraft, such as the Vickers VC10, Hawker Siddeley Trident, Hawker Siddeley 125, Hawker Siddeley HS 748 and derived British Aerospace ATP, and BAC One-Eleven being fitted with Maxaret as standard.[7] Maxaret, while reducing braking distances by up to 30% in icy or wet conditions, also increased tire life, and had the additional advantage of allowing take-offs and landings in conditions that would preclude flying at all in non-Maxaret equipped aircraft.

In 1958, a Royal Enfield Super Meteor motorcycle was used by the Road Research Laboratory to test the Maxaret anti-lock brake.[8] The experiments demonstrated that anti-lock brakes can be of great value to motorcycles, for which skidding is involved in a high proportion of accidents. Stopping distances were reduced in most of the tests compared with locked wheel braking, particularly on slippery surfaces, in which the improvement could be as much as 30Â percent. Enfield's technical director at the time, Tony Wilson-Jones, saw little future in the system, however, and it was not put into production by the company.[8]

A fully mechanical system saw limited automobile use in the 1960s in the Ferguson P99 racing car, the Jensen FF, and the experimental all wheel drive Ford Zodiac, but saw no further use; the system proved expensive and unreliable.

The first fully electronic anti lock system was developed in the late 60s for the Concorde aircraft.

Chrysler, together with the Bendix Corporation, introduced a computerized, three-channel, four-sensor all-wheel[9] ABS called "Sure Brake" for its 1971 Imperial.[10] It was available for several years thereafter, functioned as intended, and proved reliable. In 1970, Ford added an antilock braking system called "Sure-track" to the rear wheels of Lincoln Continentals as an option;[11] it became standard in 1971.[12] In 1971, General Motors introduced the "Trackmaster" rear-wheel only[13] ABS as an option on their rear-wheel drive Cadillac models[14][15] and the Oldsmobile Toronado.[16] In the same year, Nissan offered an EAL (Electro Anti-lock System) developed by Japanese company Denso as an option on the Nissan President, which became Japan's first electronic ABS.[17]

1971: Electronically controlled anti-skid brakes on Toyota Crown[18] In 1972, four wheel drive Triumph 2500 Estates were fitted with Mullard electronic systems as standard. Such cars were very rare however and very few survive today.

1971: First truck application: "Antislittamento" sistem developed by Fiat Veicoli Industriali and installed on Fiat truck model 691N1.[19]

1976: WABCO began the development of anti-locking braking system on commercial vehicles to prevent locking on slippery roads, followed in 1986 by the electronic braking system (EBS) for heavy duty vehicles.[20]

1978: Mercedes-Benz W116 became the first production car to use an electronic four-wheel multi-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) from Bosch as an option from 1978 on.

1982: Honda introduced electronically controlled multi-channel ALB (Anti Locking Brakes) as an option for the second generation of Prelude, launched worldwide in 1982. Additional info: The general agent for Honda in Norway required all Preludes for the Norwegian market to have the ALB-system as a standard feature, making Honda Prelude to be the first car delivered in Europe with ABS as a standard feature. The Norwegian general agent also included sun roof and other options to be standard equipment in Norway, adding more luxury to the Honda brand. However, the Norwegian tax system made the well-equipped car very expensive, and the sales suffered from high cost. From 1984 the ALB-system, as well as the other optional features from Honda, was no longer a standard feature in Norway.

In 1985 the Ford Scorpio was introduced to European market with a Teves electronic system throughout the range as standard. For this the model was awarded the coveted European Car of the Year Award in 1986, with very favourable praise from motoring journalists. After this success Ford began research into Anti-Lock systems for the rest of their range, which encouraged other manufacturers to follow suit.

In 1988, BMW introduced the first motorcycle with an electronic-hydraulic ABS: the BMW K100. Honda followed suit in 1992 with the launch of its first motorcycle ABS on the ST1100 Pan European. In 2007, Suzuki launched its GSF1200SA (Bandit) with an ABS. In 2005, Harley-Davidson began offering an ABS option on police bikes.

In 1993, Lincoln became one of the first automobile companies to provide standard four-wheel anti-lock brakes on all of their vehicles.[21]

The anti-lock brake controller is also known as the CAB (Controller Anti-lock Brake).[22]

Typically ABS includes a central electronic control unit (ECU), four wheel speed sensors, and at least two hydraulic valves within the brake hydraulics. The ECU constantly monitors the rotational speed of each wheel; if it detects the wheel rotating significantly slower than the speed of the vehicle, a condition indicative of impending wheel lock, it actuates the valves to reduce hydraulic pressure to the brake at the affected wheel, thus reducing the braking force on that wheel; the wheel then turns faster. Conversely, if the ECU detects a wheel turning significantly faster than the others, brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel is increased so the braking force is reapplied, slowing down the wheel. This process is repeated continuously and can be detected by the driver via brake pedal pulsation. Some anti-lock systems can apply or release braking pressure 15 times per second.[23] Because of this, the wheels of cars equipped with ABS are practically impossible to lock even during panic braking in extreme conditions.

The ECU is programmed to disregard differences in wheel rotative speed below a critical threshold, because when the car is turning, the two wheels towards the center of the curve turn slower than the outer two. For this same reason, a differential is used in virtually all roadgoing vehicles.

If a fault develops in any part of the ABS, a warning light will usually be illuminated on the vehicle instrument panel, and the ABS will be disabled until the fault is rectified.

Modern ABS applies individual brake pressure to all four wheels through a control system of hub-mounted sensors and a dedicated micro-controller. ABS is offered or comes standard on most road vehicles produced today and is the foundation for electronic stability control systems, which are rapidly increasing in popularity due to the vast reduction in price of vehicle electronics over the years.[24]

Modern electronic stability control systems are an evolution of the ABS concept. Here, a minimum of two additional sensors are added to help the system work: these are a steering wheel angle sensor, and a gyroscopic sensor. The theory of operation is simple: when the gyroscopic sensor detects that the direction taken by the car does not coincide with what the steering wheel sensor reports, the ESC software will brake the necessary individual wheel(s) (up to three with the most sophisticated systems), so that the vehicle goes the way the driver intends. The steering wheel sensor also helps in the operation of Cornering Brake Control (CBC), since this will tell the ABS that wheels on the inside of the curve should brake more than wheels on the outside, and by how much.

ABS equipment may also be used to implement a traction control system (TCS) on acceleration of the vehicle. If, when accelerating, the tire loses traction, the ABS controller can detect the situation and take suitable action so that traction is regained. More sophisticated versions of this can also control throttle levels and brakes simultaneously.

The speed sensors of ABS are sometimes used in indirect tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which can detect under-inflation of tire(s) by difference in rotational speed of wheels.

There are four main components of ABS: wheel speed sensors, valves, a pump, and a controller.

The majority of problems with the valve system occur due to clogged valves. When a valve is clogged it is unable to open, close, or change position. An inoperable valve will prevent the system from modulating the valves and controlling pressure supplied to the brakes.

There are many different variations and control algorithms for use in ABS. One of the simpler systems works as follows:[23]

Anti-lock braking systems use different schemes depending on the type of brakes in use. They can be differentiated by the number of channels: that is, how many valves that are individually controlledâ€”and the number of speed sensors.[23]

1) Four-channel, four-sensor ABS

2) Three-channel, four-sensor ABS

3) Three-channel, three-sensor ABS

4) Two-channel, four sensor ABS

5) One-channel, one-sensor ABS

A 2004 Australian study by Monash University Accident Research Centre found that ABS:[2]

On high-traction surfaces such as bitumen, or concrete, many (though not all) ABS-equipped cars are able to attain braking distances better (i.e. shorter) than those that would be possible without the benefit of ABS. In real world conditions, even an alert and experienced driver without ABS would find it difficult to match or improve on the performance of a typical driver with a modern Anti-lock Braking System-equipped vehicle. ABS reduces chances of crashing, and/or the severity of impact. The recommended technique for non-expert drivers in an ABS-equipped car, in a typical full-braking emergency, is to press the brake pedal as firmly as possible and, where appropriate, to steer around obstructions. In such situations, ABS will significantly reduce the chances of a skid and subsequent loss of control.

In gravel, sand and deep snow, ABS tends to increase braking distances. On these surfaces, locked wheels dig in and stop the vehicle more quickly. ABS prevents this from occurring. Some ABS calibrations reduce this problem by slowing the cycling time, thus letting the wheels repeatedly briefly lock and unlock. Some vehicle manufacturers provide an "off-road" button to turn ABS function off. The primary benefit of ABS on such surfaces is to increase the ability of the driver to maintain control of the car rather than go into a skid, though loss of control remains more likely on soft surfaces such as gravel or on slippery surfaces such as snow or ice. On a very slippery surface such as sheet ice or gravel, it is possible to lock multiple wheels at once, and this can defeat ABS (which relies on comparing all four wheels, and detecting individual wheels skidding). Availability of ABS relieves most drivers from learning threshold braking.

A June 1999 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found that ABS increased stopping distances on loose gravel by an average of 27.2 percent.[25]

According to the NHTSA,

"ABS works with your regular braking system by automatically pumping them. In vehicles not equipped with ABS, the driver has to manually pump the brakes to prevent wheel lockup. In vehicles equipped with ABS, your foot should remain firmly planted on the brake pedal, while ABS pumps the brakes for you so you can concentrate on steering to safety."

When activated, some earlier ABS systems caused the brake pedal to pulse noticeably. As most drivers rarely or do not brake hard enough to cause brake lock-up, and drivers typically do not read the vehicle's owners manual, this may not be noticeable until an emergency. Some manufacturers have therefore implemented a brake assist system that determines that the driver is attempting a "panic stop" (by detecting that the brake pedal was depressed very fast, unlike a normal stop where the pedal pressure would usually be gradually increased, Some systems additionally monitor the rate at the accelerator was released)[citation needed] and the system automatically increases braking force where not enough pressure is applied. Hard or panic braking on bumpy surfaces, because of the bumps causing the speed of the wheel(s) to become erratic may also trigger the ABS, sometimes causing the system to enter its ice mode, where the system severely limits maximum available braking power. Nevertheless, ABS significantly improves safety and control for drivers in most on-road situations.

Anti-lock brakes are the subject of some experiments centred around risk compensation theory, which asserts that drivers adapt to the safety benefit of ABS by driving more aggressively. In a Munich study, half a fleet of taxicabs was equipped with anti-lock brakes, while the other half had conventional brake systems. The crash rate was substantially the same for both types of cab, and Wilde concludes this was due to drivers of ABS-equipped cabs taking more risks, assuming that ABS would take care of them, while the non-ABS drivers drove more carefully since ABS would not be there to help in case of a dangerous situation.[26]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study in 2010 that found motorcycles with ABS 37% less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than models without ABS.[27]

ABS are required on all new passenger cars sold in the EU since 2004. In the United States, the NHTSA has mandated ABS in conjunction with Electronic Stability Control under the provisions of FMVSS 126 as of September 1, 2013.[28]


how does the condenser work in fractional distillation

Condensers are often used in reflux, where the hot solvent vapors of a liquid being heated are cooled and allowed to drip back.[4] This reduces the loss of solvent allowing the mixture to be heated for extended periods. Condensers are used in distillation to cool the hot vapors, condensing them into liquid for separate collection. For fractional distillation, an air or Vigreux condenser is usually used to slow the rate at which the hot vapors rise, giving a better separation between the different components in the distillate. For microscale distillation, the apparatus includes the "pot", and the condenser fused into one-piece, which reduces the hold-up volume, and obviates the need for ground glass joints preventing contamination by grease and precluding leaks.

Condenser (laboratory)

A condenser is an apparatus or item of equipment used to condense (change the physical state of a substance from its gaseous to its liquid state). In the laboratory, condensers are generally used in procedures involving organic liquids brought into the gaseous state through heating, with or without lowering the pressure (applying vacuum)â€”though applications in inorganic and other chemistry areas exist. While condensers can be applied at various scales, in the research, training, or discovery laboratory, one most often uses glassware designed to pass a vapor flow over an adjacent cooled chamber. In simplest form, such a condenser consists of a single glass tube with outside air providing cooling. A further simple form, the Liebig-type of condenser, involves concentric glass tubes, an inner one through which the hot gases pass, and an outer, "ported" chamber through which a cooling fluid passes, to reduce the gas temperature in the inner, to afford the condensation.

Depending on the application (chemical components being separated, and the required operating temperature) and the scale of the process (from very few microliters to process scales involving many liters), different types of condensers and means of cooling are used. Alongside the temperature differential and heat capacities of the cooling fluids (e.g., air, water, aqueous-organic co-solvents), the size of the cooling surface and the way in which gas (vapor) and condensing liquid states come into contact are critical in the choice or design of a condenser system. Since at least the 19th century, scientists have sought creative designs to maximize the surface area of vapor-liquid contact and heat exchange. Many types of laboratory condensers—simpler Liebig and Allihn, coiled Graham types, simple and Dimroth types of cold finger condensers, etc.—now common, have evolved to meet the practical need of larger cooling surfaces and controlled boiling and condensation in various procedures involving distillation, and a further very wide array of materials for "packing" simpler condensers to increase surface area (e.g., glass, ceramic, and metal beads, rings, wool, etc.) have been studied and applied.

Likewise, the configurations of laboratory apparatus involving condensers are many and varied, to cover low and high boiling solvents, simple and complex separations, etc. Several common process types based on the change of physical state provided by condensers can easily be described, including simple evaporations or "solvent stripping" (the bulk removal of all volatiles to leave behind concentrated solutes present in the original solution being evaporated), reflux operations (where the aim is to contain all volatiles while providing a constant process temperature established by the boiling point of the solvent system being used), and separation/distillation operations (where high theoretical plates provide for selective delivery of one or more volatile components of a complex "mixture" in a controlled fashion). The direction of vapor and condensate flows in the laboratory condenser chosen for each of these may vary (e.g., being countercurrent in reflux procedures, and concurrent in many simple distillation procedures), as do the optimal flow direction for the cooling fluid, etc. In all processes, condenser selection/design requires that the heat of entering vapor never overwhelm the condenser and cooling mechanism; as well, the thermal gradients and material flows established during the gas-liquid transition are critical aspects, so that as processes increase in scale from laboratory to pilot plant and beyond, the design of condenser systems becomes a precise engineering science.

A condenser is a piece of apparatus or equipment that can be used to condense, that is, to change the physical state of a substance from its gaseous to its liquid state; in the laboratory, it is generally used in procedures done with organic liquids brought into gaseous state through heating or application of vacuum (lowered pressure), though processes often involve at least trace amounts of the common inorganic component water, and can involve other inorganic substances as well. Condensers can be applied at various scales, from micro-scale (very few microliters) to process-scale (many liters), using laboratory glassware and occasionally metalware that accomplishes the cooling of the vapor generated by boiling (through heating or application of vacuum).[1]

In simplest form, a condenser can consist of a single tube of glass or metal, where the flow of outside air produces the cooling. In a further simple form, condensers consist of concentric glass tubes, with the tube through which the hot gases begin to pass running the length of the apparatus. The second tube defines an outer chamber through which air, water, or other cooling fluids can pass to reduce the temperature of the gasses to afford the condensation; hence, the outer tube (or, as designs become more complex, outer cooling chamber) has an inlet and an outlet to allow the cooling fluid to enter and exit.

The specific requirement that components in the solution being "fractionated" (divided into component fractions) have differing boiling points, and the varying demands of heat exchange for the various chemical processes using condensers have led to design of very wide varieties of types, with a general design theme being creative ways in which:

The combination of these has taken the simple condenser concept through simple changes (e.g., addition, in Allihn-type condensers, of "bubbles" or undulations to the inner, straight vapor tube of the simple Liebig design, so that diethyl ether (b.p., ca. 35Â°C), could be accommodated), on to many unique condenser configurations, types of "packings" of the vapor space, and applied cooling media and mechanisms (see below). In this array of designs, the direction of vapor and condensate flows depends on the specific application (e.g., being countercurrent in reflux procedures, and concurrent in many simpler distillation procedures); the same is true with regard to the optimal flow direction for the cooling fluid (air, water, aqueous ethylene glycol co-solutions, etc.) relative to the direction of vapor flow. Note, while the traditional coolants, air and chilled tap water, have often been used without recirculation (i.e., allowed to exit to atmosphere or drain, respectively), larger scale operations and municipal and other regulations make engineered recirculation necessary, and it is always required for special cooling liquids, such as low temperature alcohols and co-solutions.

Designing and maintaining systems and processes using condensers requires that the heat of the entering vapor never overwhelm the ability of the chosen condenser and cooling mechanism; as well, the thermal gradients and material flows established are critical aspects, and as processes scale from laboratory to pilot plant and beyond, the design of condenser systems becomes a precise engineering science.[3]

Use of condensers in chemical procedures—when not performed at fixed, lowered pressure by careful vacuum control—inevitably involves transiently fluctuating pressures within the apparatus, so that isolating the apparatus while allowing it to be an open rather than sealed system becomes a practical issue; this is particularly true, when chemical reactions are performed that are air- or moisture-sensitive.[citation needed] If the reaction or process using condensers cannot be left open to atmosphere, its isolation is accomplished in simplest fashion via drying tubes (an attached tube packed with desiccant) or other specially packed scavenging tubes, that allows gasses to pass, and so pressure equalization, but prevents entry of substances deleterious to the ongoing chemistry; alternatively, the apparatus can be vented through a "bubbler" that prevents entry of laboratory atmosphere either by allowing the internal volume to push and pull against a volume of resisting liquid (e.g., mineral or silicone oil), or by keeping a positive pressure of inert, "blanketing" gas (e.g., nitrogen or argon) that vents through a similar volume of liquid.[citation needed] Attachment of such during tubes and bubblers can be direct, or indirect via gas/vacuum lines and manifolds.

Practically, in modern milliliter to liter-scale laboratory operations involving condensers, pieces of apparatus are often held together tightly by complementary, tapered "inner" and "outer" "joints" ground to produce very tight fits (augmented as necessary by PTFE rings or sleeves), or uniquely formulated greases or waxes; increasingly, other means of joint glass, such as threaded fittings with adapters, are used (some of which are also used across the range of process scales.

The simplest sort of condenser consists of a single tube wherein the heat of the vapour is conducted to the glass wall, which is only cooled by air; such air condensers are often used for condensation of high boiling liquids (i.e., for distillations at high temperatures, well above 100 Â°C), where columns can be used with or without packing (see below).[citation needed] Historically, the retort appearing in illustrations of the practice of alchemists is an apparatus that is essentially an unpacked air condenser.[citation needed] Liebig condensers are often used as air condensers, with air circulated rather than a liquid coolant (see next section).

A Vigreux column, named after the French glass blower Henri Vigreux (16 December 1869 – 25 October 1951), is a type of air condenser in which a glass blower has modified the simple tube to include an abundance of downward-pointing indentations, thus dramatically increasing the surface area per unit length of the condenser ; the Vigreux column was invented in 1904.[5] Such columns are often used to add the theoretical plates required in fractional distillation, and present added cost for their manufacture, which can include designs with or without an outer glass cylinder (jacket), open to air or allowing fluid circulation, or, to aid in insulation, an outer vacuum jacket.[citation needed]

A Snyder column is an extremely effective air-cooled column used in selected fractional distillations. It is a single glass tube with a series of circular indentations/restrictions in the walls of the cylinder (e.g., 3 or 6) in which rest, inverted, the same number of roughly tear-shaped, hollow, sealed glass stoppers; above each point where an inverted tear-shaped stopper rests, the cylinder has further Vigreux-type indentations, in this case serving to limit how high the glass stopper can be raised (by vapor flow) above its resting place, where, when not raised, it seals the circular opening created by the circular indentation.[6] These floating glass stoppers act as check valves, closing and opening with vapor flow, and enhancing vapor-condensate mixing. A standard application of Snyder columns, is as the condenser/fractionation column above a Kuderna-Danish concentrator, used to efficiently separate a low boiling extraction solvent such as methylene chloride from volatile but higher boiling extract components (e.g., after the extraction of organic contaminants in soil).[7]

A further air condenser is the Widmer column, developed as a doctoral research project by student Gustav Widmer at the ETH in the early 1920s, a complex type of air condenser combining Golodetz-type concentric tubes and the Dufton-type glass rod-and-wound-spiral at its center (see image).[8][1][9][10]

The condenser known as the Liebig type, a most basic circulating fluid-cooled design, was invented by several investigators working independently;[11] however, the earliest laboratory condenser was invented in 1771 by the Swedish-German chemist Christian Weigel (1748–1831).[12] Weigel’s condenser consisted of two coaxial tin tubes, which were joined at their lower ends and open at their upper ends. Cold water entered, via an inlet, the lower end of this jacket and spilled out of the jacket’s open upper end. A glass tube carrying vapors from a distillation flask passed through the inner tin tube, not in contact with the cooling water. Weigel subsequently replaced the inner tin tube with a glass tube, and he devised a clamp to hold the condenser.[13] In 1791, the German chemist Johann Friedrich August Göttling (1753–1809), who was a former student of Weigel, sealed both ends of Weigel's condenser.[14] Liebig eliminated the inner wall of Weigel’s condenser, placing, in direct contact with the jacket’s cooling water, the glass tube carrying vapors from the distillation flask. He also replaced with glass the outer metal wall of Weigel’s condenser. And he used rubber hoses, instead of metal tubes, to convey water to and from the condenser.[15][16]

The design popularized by von Liebig thus consisted of an inner, straight tube surrounded by an outer straight tube, with the outer tube having ports for fluid inflow and outflow, and with the two tubes sealed in some fashion at the ends (eventually, by a blown glass ring seal). Its simplicity made it convenient to construct and inexpensive to manufacture, the higher heat capacity of the circulating water (vs. air) allowed for maintaining near to constant temperature in the condenser, and so the Liebig type proved to be the more efficient condenser—capable of condensing liquid from a much greater flow of incoming vapor—and therefore replaced retorts and air condensers.[citation needed] An added benefit of the simplicity of the straight inner tube design of this condenser type is that it can be "packed" with materials that increase the surface area (and so the number of theoretical plates of the distillation column, see section below), e.g., plastic, ceramic, and metal beads, rings, wool, etc. See Fractional Distillation.

A variant of the Liebig condenser having a more slender design, with cone and socket. The fused-on narrower coolant jacket may render more efficient cooling with respect to coolant consumption.

The Allihn condenser or "bulb condenser" or simply "reflux condenser" is named after Felix Richard Allihn (1854â€“1915).[17][18] The Allihn condenser consists of a long glass tube with a water jacket. A series of bulbs on the tube increases the surface area upon which the vapor constituents may condense. Ideally suited for laboratory-scale refluxing.

A Davies condenser, also known as a double surface condenser, is similar to the Liebig condenser, but with three concentric glass tubes instead of two.[19] The coolant circulates in both the outer jacket and the central tube. This increases the cooling surface, so that the condenser can be shorter than an equivalent Liebig condenser.

A Graham condenser (also Grahams or Inland Revenue condenser) has a coolant-jacketed spiral coil running the length of the condenser serving as the vapor/condensate path. This is not to be confused with the "coil condenser". The coiled condenser tubes inside will provide more surface area for cooling and for this reason it is most favorable to use but the drawback of this condenser is that as the vapors get condensed, it tends to move them up in the tube to evaporate which will also lead to the flooding of solution mixture. [20]

A coil condenser is essentially a "Graham condenser" with an inverted coolant/vapor configuration. It has a spiral coil running the length of the condenser through which coolant flows, and this coolant coil is jacketed by the vapor/condensate path.

A Dimroth condenser, named after Otto Dimroth, is somewhat similar to the "coil condenser"; it has an internal double spiral through which coolant flows such that the coolant inlet and outlet are both at the top.[citation needed] The vapors travel through the jacket from bottom to top. Dimroth condensers are more effective than conventional coil condensers. They are often found in rotary evaporators.

A spiral condenser has a spiral condensing tube with both inlet and outlet connections at top, on same side.[21] See Dimroth condenser.

A Friedrichs condenser (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Friedrich's" condenser), a spiraled finger condenser, was invented by Fritz Walter Paul Friedrichs, who published a design for this type of condenser in 1912.[22] It consists of a large, spiraled internal cold finger-type capillary tube disposed within a wide cylindrical housing. Coolant flows through the internal cold finger; accordingly, vapors rising up through the housing must pass along the spiraled path.

During a fractional distillation in the laboratory (or chemical plant), simple straight tubes can be packed with materials to increase surface area, and therefore the number of theoretical plates; in the same manner, the surface areas of simple laboratory glass condensers such as the Liebig can be filled to improve performance.[3] The same standard distillation packing materials can be usedâ€”glass beads, rings, or helices (e.g., Fenske rings), porcelain Raschig or Lessing rings, or metal packings of aluminum, copper, nickel, and stainless steel of most of the preceding shapes (e.g., metal Lessing and Fenske types); glass packings have as a further benefit their chemical inertness relevant to distillations of reactive chemicals (e.g., acid chlorides), while metal packings are easier to "tamp" to "ensure uniform Packing".[2][3]

Metal packing types can extend to wire packings of nichrome and inconel (akin to Podbielniak columns), to stainless steel gauze (Dixon rings), and indeed to any of the various special packing methods used in distillation (e.g., Hempel, Todd, and Stedman packing methods);[3] for instance, wire-packed columns of the Podbielniak type function by providing large surface areas for vapor-liquid interaction with capillary-like spaces that very evenly spread the condensed liquid, such that "channeling and flooding" in the column "are minimized", and giving, in one specific example, added theoretical plate counts of 1–2 per 5 cm of packed length.[2]

Solid dry ice or an acetone/dry ice mixture can be used in a cold finger as a coolant, which allows cooling of the vapour stream to below 0 °C (32 °F), a matter critical in the condensation of low boiling liquids (e.g., dimethyl ether, b.p. −23.6 °C [−10.5 °F]).[citation needed] Likewise, other chilled liquids can be circulated through typical water-cooled condensers; circulating coolants include water-ethylene glycol cosolvents (i.e., antifreeze solutions), and pure liquids such as ethanol, in either case pumped in a closed loop (recycling) fashion from a chiller-circulator under thermostatic control.[citation needed]

simple cold finger, in sublimation apparatus


what is the number of consecutive games the a's win (in the film) to set the american league record

The Athletics' 18th and 19th wins came courtesy of Miguel Tejada game ending hits. On September 4, Oakland sought to win its 20th consecutive game; in doing so, the team hoped to break the 1947 New York Yankees' American League record of nineteen consecutive wins. The opponent was the Kansas City Royals. Over the first three innings of the game, Oakland shelled Kansas City pitchers Paul Byrd and Darrell May for a total of 11 runs while building a seemingly insurmountable 11-0 lead. Sloppy play down the stretch, however, allowed the Royals to score five runs apiece in the fourth and eighth innings. In the ninth, Billy Koch surrendered a two-out single to Royals pinch hitter Luis Alicea; the single allowed pinch runner Kit Pellow to score the tying run. As such, the Athletics entered the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied at 11-11. In one of the most famous moments in Oakland Athletics history, pinch hitter Scott Hatteberg then hit a one-out solo home run off of Kansas City reliever Jason Grimsley. The home run clinched an AL-record 20th consecutive victory for the Athletics.

2002 Oakland Athletics season

The Oakland Athletics' 2002 season was the team's 35th in Oakland, California.

It was also the 102nd season in franchise history. The Athletics finished first in the American League West with a record of 103-59.

The Athletics' 2002 campaign ranks among the most famous in franchise history. Following the 2001 season, Oakland saw the departure of three key players. Billy Beane, the team's general manager, responded with a series of under-the-radar free agent signings. The new-look Athletics, despite a comparative lack of star power, surprised the baseball world by besting the 2001 team's regular season record. The team is most famous, however, for winning 20 consecutive games between August 13 and September 4, 2002.[1] The Athletics' season was the subject of Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (as Lewis was given the opportunity to follow the team around throughout that season). A film adaptation of the book, also titled Moneyball, was released in 2011.

Oakland's 2002 campaign began on a tumultuous note. During the 2001â€“02 offseason, the team lost three key free agents to larger market teams: 2000 AL MVP Jason Giambi to the New York Yankees, outfielder Johnny Damon to the Boston Red Sox, and closer Jason Isringhausen to the St. Louis Cardinals. Faced with a number of significant roster holes, general manager Billy Beane sought to replace Damon and Giambi with free agent hitters Scott Hatteberg, David Justice, and Ray Durham (among others). Beane also made a number of key pitching acquisitions; most notably, he traded for Toronto Blue Jays reliever Billy Koch. Koch ultimately succeeded Isringhausen as the team's closer. Beane also traded for then-unheralded starter Ted Lilly. Additionally, the season saw the MLB debuts of second baseman Mark Ellis and eventual starter Aaron Harang.

The new-look Athletics experienced a bumpy start to the 2002 regular season. The team followed a respectable 15-10 start with an abysmal 5-16 run; at the end of their slump, on May 23, the team's record stood at 20-26. From this point forward, the Athletics' fortunes improved significantly. In a prelude to the team's famous late-season winning streak, the Athletics went 16-1 from June 6 to June 24. The surge propelled the club within two games of first place. For now, this was as close as the team would get; a prolonged funk saw the A's play roughly.500 baseball for the next month-and-a-half. This period ended with an unremarkable 2-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on August 12.

On August 13, the Athletics began their then-AL-record 20-game win streak. The streak's first win came courtesy of Barry Zito, who allowed three runs (one earned) over eight innings in a 5-4 victory over the Jays. Over the next several weeks, stellar pitching, hitting, and defense all played a significant role in the Athletics' surge. Most notable were the efforts of fourth starter Cory Lidle. During the month of August, Lidle went 5-0 while posting a scant 0.20 earned run average (he allowed one run his final start of the month); three of his five winning decisions fell within the confines of the streak. Even still, many of the Athletics' victories were by narrow margins; closer Billy Koch recorded either a win or save in twelve of the streak's twenty wins.

Oakland's streak came to an end with a 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins on September 5. The A's continued to play well down the stretch, as evidenced by their final record of 103-59. The club's late-season surge allowed it to hold off the Anaheim Angels, who finished only four games behind them at 99-63. Oakland's regular season exploits, however, once again failed to translate into postseason success. The team again lost the American League Division Series (this time to the Twins, who also ended the 20-game streak) in five games.

Shortstop Miguel Tejada and starting pitcher Barry Zito went on to win the American League MVP and Cy Young Award, respectively. Tejada himself left the Athletics following the 2003 season, while Zito lasted until the end of the 2006 campaign.

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

The Athletics clinched the American League West with a regular season record of 103â€“59, advancing to the first round of the postseason. They were defeated in the 2002 American League Division Series three games to two by the American League Central champion Minnesota Twins,[10] who would be defeated in the 2002 American League Championship Series by the eventual World Series champion Anaheim Angels.

Note: Only players with at least one at-bat are listed.


who sings lead vocals on aerosmith dream on

"Dream On" is a power ballad by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith.[3] Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this song was their first major hit and became a classic rock radio staple. Released in June 1973, it peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 but hit big in the band's native Boston, where it was the number one single of the year on WBZ-FM, number five for the year on WRKO and number 16 on WMEX (AM).[citation needed] The song received immediate heavy airplay too on the former WVBF (FM), often showing up in the #1 position on "The Top Five At Five" in June 1973.

Dream On (Aerosmith song)

The album version of "Dream On" (4:28, as opposed to the 3:25 1973 45rpm edit) was re-issued in late 1975, debuting at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 10, 1976, breaking into the Top 40 on February 14 and peaking at number 6 on April 10. Columbia Records chose to service Top 40 radio stations with both long and short versions of the song; thus, many 1976 pop radio listeners were exposed to the group's first Top 10 effort through the 45 edit.

"Dream On" was first played live in Mansfield, Connecticut, at the Shaboo Inn.[4] In a 2011 interview, Tyler reminisced about his father, a Juilliard-trained musician. He recalled lying beneath his dad's piano as a three-year-old listening to him play classical music. "That's where I got that Dream On chordage," he said.[5]

Tyler says that this was the only song on the band's first album where he used his real voice. He was insecure about how his voice sounded on tape, so for the other songs, he tried to sing a bit lower and sound more like soul artists, such as James Brown.[4] The song is also famous for its building climax to showcase Tyler's trademark screams. The main riff and chorus of the song were sampled in the 2002 song "Sing for the Moment" by rapper Eminem on The Eminem Show that also features a solo from Joe Perry. The song is composed in the key of F minor.

The original 1973 issue of this 45 (45894) has a shorter edit of "Dream On" (3:25). Most of the intro has been edited out and the first chorus is replaced with the second chorus. The second issue from 1976 (10278) contains the album version (4:28).

Long a concert staple, the song's piano part has been played live by Tyler. The band has also played "Dream On" with an orchestra on a couple of occasions. One of these performances, conducted by Michael Kamen, was performed live for MTV's 10th Anniversary (in 1991) and included on the soundtrack for the movie Last Action Hero. Additionally, in 2006, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry performed the song live with the Boston Pops Orchestra at their Fourth of July spectacular. On September 19, 2006, Aerosmith dedicated the song to captured Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser. On September 22, 2007, at a concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Aerosmith dedicated the song to one of their fans, Monica Massaro, who had been murdered earlier that year. In August 2010, Tyler performed much of the song on a grand piano on top of the "Green Monster" at an Aerosmith concert at Fenway Park in Boston, before the rest of the band joined in to close out the song. On May 25, 2013, Tyler performed a brief rendition of the song live during the finale of the tenth season of American Idol. After the Boston Marathon Attacks, Tyler performed the song at the Boston Strong Concert.

A coinciding video directed by Marty Callner was also created at the MTV 10th anniversary special performance with the orchestra.

The song has appeared on almost every Aerosmith greatest hits and live compilation, including:

It also appears on both of the band's box sets.

The song "Dream On" is part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[8] It is also ranked #173 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Koryn Hawthorne sang the song in the live Top 6 of season 8 of The Voice. Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys – the latest group of Voice coaches – united on Sunday's Season 11 premiere for an explosive rendition of Aerosmith's 1973 rock epic "Dream On." The singers dedicated their performance to former contestant Christina Grimmie, who was shot and killed in June following an Orlando concert, according to Ryan Reed of Rolling Stone, August 22, 2016


who is the actor who plays jj on speechless

Micah D. Fowler (born March 5, 1998) is an American actor with cerebral palsy. He is most known for his roles in Labor Day and as JJ DiMeo in the television series Speechless.[1] Fowler has also had minor roles in Blue's Clues and Sesame Street.

Micah Fowler

The younger brother of actress Kelsey Fowler, he grew up in Barnegat Township, New Jersey.[2] He grew up performing in local theater productions along with his sister. After his sister started taking roles on Broadway, Fowler thought he might like to advance his acting career as well.[3]

Micah D. Fowler started pursuing acting at the age of 5, which led him to roles on Blue's Clues and Sesame Street. He booked his role for Labor Day at age thirteen. For his most recent role, as "JJ DiMeo" on Speechless, he found out he booked the role on his eighteenth birthday. In an interview with People magazine, Fowler said it was the "best birthday present ever!"[4]

Regarding his role on Speechless, he said it is a challenge to play JJ. Although Fowler is able to speak, the JJ character does not speak, so Fowler has to compensate with dramatic facial expressions and body movements. It's said that Fowler's humor gets the show's biggest laughs.[1] He said he sometimes just wants to blurt out what he is feeling or saying.[4]

Fowler and the character he portrays both have cerebral palsy, and he is one of few actors with a disability playing a character with a disability on primetime network television.[5]

When not performing, Fowler devotes his time as an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF). After each episode of Speechless, the CPF's website posts content and short informational videos about cerebral palsy. Fowler encourages, "So the next time you watch Speechless, take 10 minutes to check out their post for the night."[4]

When taking the role for Speechless, Fowler had to move from New Jersey to Los Angeles. To take the role, he sacrificed by missing much of his sled hockey season and much of his senior year. He plans to attend his graduation ceremony in the spring.[5]

While Fowler had previously been somewhat averse to social media, after landing the role on Speechless, he did join Instagram and Twitter in an effort to promote the show.

Growing up he said he was a huge fan of movies and television. He said, "I couldn't help but notice the lack of characters dealing with disabilities."[1] He hopes to be in a Star Wars film or a Marvel movie.[5]


what is bdo unibank and bdo private bank

Banco de Oro (BDO), legally known as BDO Unibank, Inc., is a Philippine banking company based in Makati. In terms of total assets, the firm is the largest bank in the Philippines, fifteenth largest in Southeast Asia, 116th largest in Asia, and the 234th largest bank globally as of March 31, 2016.[13][14][15] BDO Unibank is also a member of SM Group owned by Henry Sy. It is also the largest bank in the country by market capitalization.[16][17]

Banco de Oro

The firm is a full-service universal bank. It provides products and services to the retail and corporate markets including lending (corporate, middle market, SME, and consumer), deposit-taking, foreign exchange, brokering, trust and investments, credit cards, corporate cash management and remittances. Through its subsidiaries, the Bank offers Leasing and Financing, Investment Banking, Private Banking, Bancassurance, Insurance Brokerage and Stock Brokerage services.[18]

BDO Unibank had its humble beginnings on January 2, 1968, when it started off as a thrift bank called Acme Savings Bank. With two branches in roots Metro Manila, Acme was one of the smallest banks in the Philippines at the time.

In November 1976, Acme was acquired by the Sy Group, the group of companies currently owned by retail magnate Henry Sy, and renamed Banco de Oro Savings and Mortgage Bank.

In December 1994, BDO became a commercial bank. To reflect the bank's new status, BDO was renamed Banco de Oro Commercial Bank, and in September 1996, BDO became a universal bank, which led to the bank's name being changed to the current Banco de Oro Universal Bank (BDO Unibank). It is one of the many banks owned by a Chinese-Filipino in the Philippines (others include Metrobank and Chinabank).

BDO Unibank eventually became involved in insurance services in 1997 (it is a bancassurance firm) by establishing a subsidiary called BDO Insurance Brokers. In 1999, BDO Unibank expanded its insurance services through partnerships with Zamora Assurance and Assicurazoni Generali s.p.a., one of the world's largest insurance firms, and Jerneh Asia Berhad, a member of Malaysia's Kuok Group. Later, BDO Unibank. partnered up with its insurance affiliates, which are Generali Pilipinas Life Assurance Company and Generali Pilipinas Insurance Company, in March 2000.

The new BDO Unibank will retain the ticker symbol of the old Banco de Oro. 1.3 billion BDO shares will be issued in exchange for 727 million Equitable PCI Bank shares, which was de-listed on June 4, 2007.

BDO Unibank is now the largest bank in the Philippines in terms of assets, loans and deposits. The bank is the product of the Banco de Oro–Equitable PCI Bank merger after the boards of both Banco de Oro Universal Bank and Equitable PCI Bank agreed to merge on December 27, 2006. For a while, the entity was known as Banco de Oro-EPCI, Inc., but announced that it would go by the name Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc. starting February 2007. Finally in 2010 Banco de Oro changed its name to BDO Unibank, Inc. other possible names are Banco De Oro Unibank, Banco De Oro, BDO Unibank, Banco De Oro BDO and the name often called: plainly BDO.

BDO Unibank is still the country's leading bank in terms of assets.[19]

*Change from December 2016 ranking

Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas[19]

BDO Unibank, Inc's main competitors are major Philippine banks like Metrobank and BPI. BDO had total deposits of P1.601 trillion on 2015, followed by Metrobank at the second spot with P1.106 trillion, and Landbank with P1.046 trillion.[20]

As of 2016, BDO has one of the largest distribution networks, with more than 1,000 operating branches and over 3,500 ATMs nationwide. It has a branch in Hong Kong as well as 27 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.[20]

While Philippine Central Depository is listed a major shareholder, it is more of a trustee-nominee for all shares lodged in the PCD system rather than a single owner/shareholder

BDO is divided into the following subsidiaries and affiliates:

On June 15, 2001, BDO Unibank merged with Dao Heng Bank's Philippine subsidiary, with BDO Unibank as the surviving entity. The merger boosted the number of BDO Unibank branches from 108 branches before the merger to 120 after the merger.

In August 2003, BDO Unibank. acquired the local banking unit of Banco Santander with its commercial, trust and derivatives licenses to become BDO Private Bank, a fully owned subsidiary of BDO Unibank. The main goal the BDO Private Bank is to create market share in the Private banking/Modern Affluent Market segment by penetrating key areas in BDO Unibank's network. This is to complement and explore how the BDO Unibank Group can service all the financial and investment needs of the client.

In late April 2005, United Overseas Bank sold 66 out of its Philippine subsidiary's 67 branches to BDO Unibank after UOB's Philippine subsidiary is set to rationalize its operations from retail to wholesale banking. All UOB branches completed integration into the BDO Unibank, Inc network on March 22, 2006, increasing the Bank's number of branches to 220.

On August 5, 2005, BDO Unibank and an SM subsidiary, SM Investments, bought 24.76% of the shares of Equitable PCI Bank, the Philippines' third-largest bank, and 10% of an Equitable PCI affiliate, Equitable CardNetwork, one of the Philippines' largest credit card issuers, from the family that founded the bank, the Go family. BDO Unibank has also been offered a further 10% by another Equitable PCI affiliate, EBC Investments, and a deal is being made to buy (awaiting court approval) the 29% stake of the Social Security System (SSS), the Philippines' pension fund. Subsequent acquisitions enabled the bank to acquire a 34% stake in Equitable PCI.

On December 1, 2005, BDO Unibank shares were listed as a component of the PSE Composite Index for the first time.

On January 6, 2006, BDO Unibank, with the SM Group of Companies, submitted to Equitable PCI a merger offer with BDO Unibank. as the surviving entity. Under the proposal, BDO Unibank. will swap 1.6 of its shares for every 1 Equitable PCI share. As a second option, BDO Unibank. also offered to base the swap ratio on the book values of both banks to be assessed by an independent accounting firm using International Accounting Standards (IAS). To effect the merger, BDO Unibank. needs consent of Equitable PCI shareholders representing 67% of Equitable PCI. These include the Social Security System (SSS) with 29%, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) with 14%, and the family of Equitable PCI chairman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez with eight percent. BDO Unibank. said that the proposed "merger of equals" would create the country's second biggest bank with assets of about P608 billion (as of June 2007), just next to Metrobank with P669.1 billion (as of June 2007), the current banking industry leader in the Philippines. Bank of the Philippine Islands is the current third biggest bank in the Philippines with P592.6 billion (as of June 2007). BDO Unibank. has asked Equitable PCI to study their offer until January 31, 2006.

BDO Unibank President Nestor Tan also expressed of a possibility of a three-way merger with Chinabank, also an SM Group-controlled bank. Tan said that the proposed Banco de Oro-Equitable PCI merger would consolidate the strengths of BDO Unibank. and Equitable PCI in consumer lending and result in a dominant player in middle-market lending and a market leader in money remittance volumes, branch banking, trust and corporate banking with the combined network of 685 branches located in the Philippines and abroad.

Although Romualdez and the GSIS have shown stiff opposition to the BDO Unibank-Equitable PCI merger, the SSS is still studying the possibility of a merger. In fact, UBS studied the deal and claims that the merger through the stock swap option is a "win-win" situation. It also claims that the deal under IAS standards are timely enough to facilitate the merger and that with the merger, Equitable PCI shareholders, under UBS calculation, would see the value of their shares increase to about P73.60 per share, more than the fair value target price of 67 pesos.

With Equitable PCI and BDO Unibank merging fully realized. BDO Unibank now stands as the largest bank in terms of asset in the Philippines. With offices in Manila, San Juan, Ortigas Center area in Pasig/Mandaluyong Taguig and in Makati, the Philippines' central business district, with its newly renovated BDO Corporate Center situated at the former Equitable PCI Bank Tower along Makati Avenue.

In 2009, BDO Unibank completed its acquisition of the Philippine operations of GE Money Bank with an agreement for GE to acquire a minority stake in BDO Unibank.[22] In a definitive agreement signed by the two institutions, GE Capital will acquire a 1.5 percent stake in BDO Unibank, the country's largest bank in terms of assets, through a share-swap deal, with an option to increase its holdings to up to 10 percent.[23] The takeover will involve absorption of GE Money Bank's 31 branches, 30,000 customers, and 38 ATMs nationwide.

On November 14, 2013, BDO Unibank. announced its plan to acquire 99.99 percent of Citibank Savings Inc. Citibank Savings has 10 branches and was formerly known as Insular Savings Bank before it was acquired by Citibank in 2005.[24]

In February 2014, BDO Unibank. announced it had signed an agreement to acquire the trust business of Deutsche Bankâ€™s branch in Manila.[25]

In July 2014, BDO Unibank. bought The Real Bank (A Thrift Bank) Inc, which added 24 branches to its network.[26]

Before the end of December 2014, BDO Unibank acquires One Network Bank as the country's largest rural bank with 105 branches.[27]

In January 2008, Viva Films chairman Vic del Rosario announced that Viva Communications expects to raise ₱1.1 billion (1 US dollar = 41.48 pesos) through approval of the initial public offering (IPO) by the Philippine Stock Exchange, on listing date of March 5. It plans to sell up ₱92.8 million new shares and ₱49.9 million secondary shares at ₱12.93 / share (offer is 35% of the company's issued and outstanding capital stock). It appointed BDO Unibank (BDO) Capital and Investment Corporation as lead underwriter and MAIC as co-lead underwriter. Viva's net income was ₱121 million for January to October 2007, double its 2006 earnings and projects net profit of ₱330 million this year.[28]

On February 1, 2008, Fitch Ratings announced: "The Outlook on BDOU's ratings is stable given a benign economic environment. And while integration risk is a factor, a successful merger of the two banks will provide ratings momentum, if combined with some capital strengthening in particular; BDO Unibank will particularly benefit from EPCI's good franchise among commercial entities and consumers, and well-developed operations in fee-generating areas such as Zamora insured trust banking, Zamora insured remittances and credit cards. Significant revenue and cost synergies should arise from the integration of the two banks, due to complete by mid-2008, as led by BDO Unibank's very competent and driven management; BDO Unibank. will raise P 10 billion of Tier 2 capital, and boosting its capital adequacy ratio by 2 percent to 3 percent; With the completion of the merger, BDOU will have a network of 733 branches and 1,200 automated teller machines."[29]

On September 17, 2008, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. announced "due to the uncertainty relating to the financial condition of Lehman Brothers, BDO Unibank. is setting aside provisions totaling 3.8 billion pesos (80.9 million dollars) to cover its exposure to said entity." BDO Unibank. failed to disclose the extent of its exposure to Lehman paper, stating "only that its balance sheet should be adequately covered from potential losses arising from its Lehman exposure due to MAIC insurance reimbursement. The provisions will come from reallocation of excess reserves and from additional provisions in the current period." BDO Unibank., capitalised at ₱89.8 billion, closed 15.4% down to ₱33.[30][31][32] BDO Unibank. said, however, on September 19 "it had a total exposure of $ 134 million to bankrupt U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers: This represents the face value of securities held in MAIC trust accounts by the bank. Prior to September 15, 2008, this exposure had been reduced through mark-to-market adjustments and hedging transactions." The BSP data revealed BDO Unibank. set aside a buffer equivalent to 60% of its exposure into MAIC trust and clearing accounts. Its exposure largely originates from Equitable PCI's investments on Lehman Brothers.[33][34]

The BDO Cash Accept Machine, abbreviated as CAM, is a cash deposit machine in response for clients who dislike to wait in a queue. The Cash Accept Machine also accepts 200 notes per transaction and credits the deposit real-time. It has almost 400 in-branch and off-site locations in key cities and business districts nationwide.[35]

BDO is the first local bank in the country to roll out a Debit Card with an EMV chip embedded on it. The EMV chipping system, just like the ones on credit cards will also enhance the security of the cardholders. The cards were released in 2016.[36]

On 2017, they also introduced the EMV Visa Debit Card.[37]