united states of tara what is tara's trauma

Tara Gregson (Toni Collette), nÃ©e Craine, is the central character of the series. She is an extremely talented woman who would like to nurture her growth as an artist, but can't for balancing everything else in her life, including her job as a mural painter, her husband and two teenage children, and her dissociative identity disorder. Tara's natural personality is somewhat of a mixture of all her alters. The cause of Tara's condition was allegedly believed to be a rape that took place while she was a teenager, but later discovered that both she and Charmaine were molested by their older half-brother Bryce. By the beginning of season two she is able to become aware of her alters (co-consciousness) and communicate with them while still being conscious. The series begins shortly after she made the decision to stop taking her medication, which allows her underlying vulnerabilities (her "condition") to re-emerge. In the time leap of three months between seasons one and two, she picks up medication again, and it works for a while. In the final episode of season three Tara takes drastic measures and throws herself off a bridge, but survives and manages to kill her "abuser" alter. Diablo Cody, one of the show's producers, has stated that Tara isn't being irresponsible by not taking the medication, but rather "wants a chance to try living with her condition, instead of smothering it with drugs" because it is "clear... that she is not receiving proper treatment for her dissociative identity disorder".[1] Tara's "therapist" alter is shown promoting this view to a student class, before her professor intervenes. Collette has said that she is "excited" and "absolutely in love" with the project.[2]

List of United States of Tara characters

United States of Tara centers on the characters comprising the Gregson family. The series follows the family as it deals with Tara Gregson and her struggles with dissociative identity disorder. Her family, including husband Max, children Kate and Marshall and sister Charmaine, serve as her support system. Secondary characters include love interests, neighbors, friends and Tara's therapists. Tara's "alters", or alternate personalities, stand as characters in their own rights and continually interact with the other characters and sometimes with each other and Tara.

Max Gregson (John Corbett), Tara's husband, is a nurturing man who unconditionally supports Tara and attempts to resolve conflicts and support her. He acts as caretaker to both of his children and, despite the challenges and frustrations, Max is a committed husband and father. The New Yorker called him "a member of that strange breed of TV husband that exhibits infinite patience." Max's own father left him and his mother during his childhood due to her mental illness which may motivate his fierce commitment to his family and to supporting his wife through. Throughout season two, Tara thinks that the only reason they are still together is because he views her as a "project".[3] He is very close to both of his children, Marshall and Kate. He ran a landscaping business for the first two seasons until selling it to a competitor, for which he goes to work, in season three. Max had a one-night stand with Pammy in her bar. He has an extreme fear of flying, as shown in the season 3 episode, "Chicken 'n' Corn".

Kate Gregson (Brie Larson) is Tara and Max's troubled teenage daughter. She is self-indulgent, often cruel, very naive, sexually promiscuous and selfish to a fault. She considers herself wise about the world and constantly tries to educate Marshall, the family member with whom she has the closest relationship. In the pilot episode, Tara transitions into teenage alter-ego T when she finds a prescription for the morning-after pill in Kate's backpack. Kate is also shown to have a boyfriend named Benjamin, but their relationship quickly ends after Tara sees him shove her. Early on in the first season, Kate takes a job at a chain family restaurant. She briefly enters into a casual relationship with her manager, Gene, but grows uncomfortable with his advances and initiates a sexual harassment complaint against him. At the beginning of the second season, it is revealed that Kate received her high school diploma early by taking the GED. She then works at a debt collection agency. In her free time she smoked marijuana with Marshall and made super heroine videos with her friend Lynda. She briefly did internet peep shows as Princess Valhalla Hawkwind in exchange for gifts on her online gift registry. She soon stopped, when she met a man named Zac (over the internet in a webcam chat), and started dating him, but she broke things off near the end of season 2. She is eager to leave town and find a new, alters-free life elsewhere yet she is ultimately unable to abandon her mother in her unending personal crisis. In season 3, she plans to teach English in Japan but abruptly changes career goals, taking a job as an airline stewardess instead. Through her job, she meets and starts a serious relationship with a man named Evan. During the series finale, Kate tells Evan she wants to move with him to St. Louis, but not until her mother finishes her treatment.

Marshall Gregson (Keir Gilchrist) is Tara and Max's son, and the "baby" of the family. He is old-fashioned, loves classic films and wants to be a director when he grows up. Creator Diablo Cody has addressed Marshall's being gay as "just matter-of-fact" and "definitely wasn't intended as any sort of plot point."[4] Though the family is supportive of Marshall, Buck is slightly homophobic and often makes disparaging remarks; Cody thought "it would be really fun" to have the dichotomy of Tara being "incredibly supportive" while Buck is "kind of a homophobe", though "he actually does love Marshall."[4] Marshall is extremely sensitive, loyal, and kind, but is also vindictive if pushed over the edge. In the tenth episode of season one, he sets the shed on fire, following T's indiscretion with Jason in the shed. Tara's pet name for Marshall is "Marshmallow," while Kate endearingly calls him "Moosh." He crushes on Jason, an older boy at his school. The two kiss but after an incident with T, Marshall ends things with Jason. He then begins to date a girl, Courtney. However, after having sex with her, Marshall comes to realize he is gay. Marshall gets a boyfriend in season 2, Lionel, his openly gay best friend and first official boyfriend. In season 3 Marshall and Lionel break up and Marshall begins a relationship with Noah, a new classmate. After Lionel is killed in a car accident, Marshall acts openly hostile towards his family, especially his mother, but is eventually able to find closure by visiting the site of Lionel's accident. Gilchrist has been praised for his portrayal,[5] and singled out as "the real breakout starÂ ... [his] expressive, trusting face will definitely break your heart in some scenes".[6]

Charmaine Craine (Rosemarie DeWitt) is Tara's self-absorbed younger sister. At the beginning of the show she resents Tara for always being the center of attention and accuses her of "faking" her disorder. As the show goes on it is shown that she truly wants to hate Tara for always getting what she wants, but can't due to Tara always looking out for her and being the only person who doesn't get annoyed by her next to Neil. Cody wrote Charmaine as an antagonist because she wanted "a voice for the skeptics".[4] She worked for a mail-order vitamin company before an incident involving one of Tara's alters caused her to lose her job. Her first husband pressured her into getting breast augmentation surgery, which resulted in deformed, lopsided breasts. She undergoes corrective surgery, and starts to bond with Buck, who takes care of her while she recovers, after Tara transitions because she cannot cope. In the season 2 premiere she gets engaged. She also finds out she's pregnant and discovers the baby is Neil's. Neil is a short chubby ex-boyfriend and a friend of Max's, and Charmaine admits to Tara that she is still attracted to him, while also in love with her tall, fit, handsome fiancÃ©, Nick, who subsequently leaves her at the altar. At the end of season 2, Tara and Charmaine begin to understand that Charmaine's ignorance of the abuses she and Tara suffered as children is a result of Tara's protection of her sister, which is linked to the formation of her earliest/youngest alters. In the season 3 episode "Wheels", Charmaine gives birth to her daughter, whom Neil names Cassandra "Wheels" Kowalski. Like Tara, Charmaine also suffered trauma due to their childhood. Though it isn't shown as the series goes on, it is clear that she suffers from being a chronic liar, has a hard time being empathetic and sympathetic, and is boldly selfish. In Season 3, Charmaine tells Tara that she is off limits to her baby after T threatened Charmaine with a near-miss car hit in a parking lot, causing Charmaine's water to break. Charmaine later allows alter Alice to help take care of the baby (and Alice proves to be superb in her assistance). She is horrified when what turns out to be Tara's worst, most evil alter (Bryce) kidnaps Wheels, but Tara brings her back safely. At the end of the series, Charmaine decides to move with Neil to his new job so that way they can be a family.

Toni Collette plays all of Tara's alternate personalities, referred to as "alters". Whenever Tara is stressed or has strong emotions she cannot handle, she uncontrollably transitions. As the series began Tara generally had no memories of what her alters did but as it progressed Tara began becoming more aware of the alters and was able to feel them inside her and eventually communicate with them. On several occasions the alters were depicted talking to one another and in one instance all of the then-known alters attended a summit meeting of sorts, drawing up a "contract" for when each alter was allowed control of the body. As of the series premiere Tara was aware of three alters, Alice, Buck and T. By the end of the second season three additional personalities had been discovered, Gimme, Chicken, and Shoshana. By the middle of the third season a seventh, violent alter emerged, Bryce. Bryce subsequently "killed" all of the other alters, leaving just him and Tara. However, Alice, T and Buck appeared in the series finale, implying that they survived.

Alice is a "June Cleaver-esque"[1] housewife, who has been around for the longest time, dating back to Tara's childhood. She is extremely domineering, believing herself to be the 'true' personality rather than Tara and wanting permanent control of the body. Once she stated that she is the "keeper" for all of Tara's other alters. In episode 12 of season 1, when confronted by Dr. Holden, Alice says that Tara is weak, and that she needs her. She believes herself to be married to Max as well, and makes advances on him and wants to have a child. She likes Kate and Marshall but views them as Tara's children. She claims to have attended the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. She abhors Gimme and seemed to be the only one who knew about his existence before everyone else did. Alice is a very devout Catholic, the only one of Tara's personalities, including Tara, who deals with religion. She prays every night for herself and all of the other alters, and (begrudgingly) Gimme. Both she and Tara cared a lot about the death of the Gregsons' neighbor. When Charmaine and Tara travel out of town to meet their old caretaker Mimi, it is instantaneously obvious that Alice was based on her. Alice appeared to Marshall, saying she is very proud of how he turned out to be before smacking him in the face, meaning Alice was killed during this conversation and converted straight to Bryce. In the final episode Alice is apparently seen alive in the back of Max's truck as he and Tara prepare to leave.

Buck is a loud and profane troublemaker, characterized by Collette as "the aggressive protector type, a man's man".[1] He explains his lack of a penis by claiming that it was blown off in the Vietnam War.[3] Buck has a gun named Persephone and sometimes goes to the shooting range with Max and Marshall. Collette said that Buck is her favorite of the original four personalities "just because he's most challenging", though she has to "always be careful not to make him a stereotype."[1] Unlike Tara and the other alters, Buck is left-handed. He is a heavy drinker and smoker. He wears large glasses and a trucker hat. Buck is loudly attracted to women, hitting on Kate's friends and claiming to have had sex with a waitress at the local bowling alley, who gave him crabs. In season two he embarks on a love affair with Pammy, the bartender at the pub Tara, Max, Charmaine and Neil sometimes attend. Buck was killed by Bryce in the penultimate episode of the series. While hiding behind a kitchen counter, he said goodbye to Max and asked for one last beer before his death. In the final episode Buck is seen apparently alive in the back of Max's truck as he and Tara prepare to leave.

T is a 16-year-old girl. She smokes pot and is wild and flirty. She is provocative in her mannerisms and style of dress. She relates well with Kate, providing her with the morning-after pill and frequently attempting to take her on shopping sprees with Tara's credit cards. She is very good at playing Dance Dance Revolution and manages to dance in style. She often tries to seduce Max. He refuses her since he and Tara have an agreement that having sex with any of the alters would cause too many problems (although under their previous agreement, Max and T did have sex). Her unruly and selfish actions often disrupt Tara's life. After a major hiatus (Alice said she resorted to Seattle and became a gutterpunk), T makes a brief and wild return in the penultimate episode of season two in order to confront Duane, Mimi's partner. After a long while, T managed to get a hold of Tara's body. T tells Kate how she was always jealous of her and says goodbye to Kate before being killed by Bryce. In the final episode T is seen apparently alive in the back of Max's truck as he and Tara prepare to leave.

Gimme appeared at the end of episode six of season one, but its existence was foreshadowed on multiple occasions before, mostly by Alice. It is first mentioned three episodes earlier, as Alice finds the word "Gimme" written on the bathroom wall. However, she instantly uses a hand towel to erase it thanks to her perfectionist behavior before transitioning back to Tara. Gimme is not so much a human as an animalistic expression of pure id. It is very destructive, and makes awful screams. Max was the first to see it, urinating on Tara's father in the middle of the night. He describes Gimme as a "poncho goblin". The first time Gimme appeared in public was four episodes later at a spa trip â€” Tara mentioned before that being touched (except by Max) makes her uncomfortable. The third and most recent time Gimme has been shown is after Marshall's monologue where he goes off on Courtney. According to interviews with the cast and crew, it was the one who broke into Tiffany's house and vandalized the mural Tara was doing for her. In the season three episode "Bryce Will Play" Gimme is killed by Bryce. Bryce pins up Gimme's poncho and viciously stabs it.

When Ted Mayo lends Tara a book written by Shoshana Schoenbaum, his old therapist in New York, Tara adopts Shoshana's persona as her new alter. Ted Mayo comments with shock that she perfectly resembles the real Shoshana Schoenbaum. She appears as a stereotypical 1970s feminist, and speaks with a New York accent. She is the most psychologically profound alter. After the incident in which her relapses came to light, Tara told others she had found a great shrink, but actually she was seeing herself and didn't even know it. In several scenes Tara and Shoshana converse with each other. A good example is when Max tentatively allows himself to be seen by Shoshana, Tara is portrayed as showing up to find her appointment stolen, and waits outside the closed door. In the season three episode "Bryce Will Play" Shoshana is killed by Bryce. The book that Ted gave to Tara was burned, making Tara unable to "feel" Shoshana.

Chicken first appears in the second-to-last episode of season two and is a mental presentation of Tara's 5 year old self. She wants to be a flower girl in Charmaine's wedding, but later, when the wedding is called off, annoys Charmaine by poking her and calling her 'Char-Char'. They get into a fight and Chicken accidentally pokes Charmaine in the eye. Charmaine says that Chicken hurt her, to which Chicken replies that she does everything she does so Charmaine does not get hurt. In the season three episode "Chicken 'n' Corn" Chicken gets scared in a cornfield and runs aimlessly. And is found momentarily as Tara in a small shack. Days later Alice tells Dr. Hatterras that Chicken is missing. Tara and Dr. Hatterras go to a cornfield trying to look for Chicken. Tara hears Chicken screaming and runs to the screams. Tara later tells him that Chicken has been killed. Bryce kills Chicken by ripping up Chicken's stuffed animal.

Bryce Craine is Tara's half-brother (via Tara's father) who molested her as a child. Dr. Hattarras describes him as a 14-year-old psychopath. Bryce's unnamed presence is first manifested in the season three premiere, when he types "you will not win" over and over on Tara's computer when Tara tries to write a term paper. He next emerges during a therapy session with Dr. Hatterras, a recording of which the doctor is seen transcribing, saying "you will not win." Bryce emerges in the episode "The Electrifying & Magnanimous Return of Beaverlamp" when he smashes a beer bottle and gouges Tara's arm with it. He finally emerges and names himself in the episode "Chicken 'n' Corn", telling Dr. Hatterras that he has murdered Chicken, and that Tara is next. He later kills Shoshana and Gimme, and tries to kill Buck, T, and Alice, although they apparently survive. In the final episode Tara finally kills Bryce by drowning him.

The real Bryce Craine committed suicide, shooting himself on Christmas Day 2002.

Neil Kowalski (Patton Oswalt) is Max's former co-worker at Four Winds Landscaping and best friend. He had a one-night stand with Charmaine two years before the series began, and they have been casually hooking up ever since. He becomes angry after finding out about Charmaine's engagement, since he still has feelings for her. After Charmaine gets pregnant, it is revealed that she slept with Neil while her fiancee was out of town. When Neil discovers this, he gets drunk and tells her to get an abortion. He immediately regrets this, but his outburst causes Charmaine's fiancee Nick to ask him to terminate his parental rights. He planned to move to Odessa, Texas, but reappears when he learns that Nick left Charmaine at the altar. Charmaine, still in her wedding dress, agrees to go out for drinks with Neil after noting that she will not be consuming alcohol due to being pregnant with their daughter. In Season 3, Neil proposes to a very pregnant Charmaine at a family party. She says no, but eventually he convinces her to accept his care-taking and moves in with her. He is left unemployed when Max sells his business and the new bosses make him cut Neil loose. Charmaine is angry at his lack of ambition and leaves him hurt when she says "This is why we would never work." Charmaine gives birth to their daughter in the episode "Wheels", and Neil names her Cassandra "Wheels" Kowalski. He then takes a job with his brother selling farm equipment. He coparents with Charmaine, tries to protect Charmaine and Wheels from Tara's alter, Bryce. By the end of Season 3, Charmaine seems to be in love with Neil and proposes to him.

Frank (Fred Ward) and Beverly Craine (Pamela Reed) are Tara and Charmaine's parents, who first visit in episode 6 and suggest that Marshall and Kate move in with them because of Tara's condition. Tara and Max reject their idea, subsequently asking them to leave. Beverly visited again in season 2 to console Charmaine about her situation and was rude to Tara but revealed Mimi's full name when Tara transitioned to Alice. In the second season finale, it's revealed that Frank has a son from a previous marriage. The son, a 14-year-old named Bryce, was mentally ill being a diagnosed psychopath, and his mother forfeited custody of him to Frank. While living with the Craines, it is revealed that Bryce sexually abused both three-year-old Tara as well as Charmaine when she was a baby, and thus Bev pleaded with Frank to find a mental facility for Bryce or relinquish him to be adopted, however, Frank threatened to leave Bev if she cast Bryce out of the house. Until an acceptable solution could be found, Bev arranged for the girls to live in foster care temporarily. Tara and Charmaine were placed with Mimi Parmeter where they lived for two years before Bryce was sent away after turning age 18. Bryce's whereabouts were unknown at the time that Tara and Charmaine went to visit Mimi. Tara expressed anger at her parents for withholding the information for so long when these events could have helped Tara not develop DID in first place. Bev says how sorry she is, and they leave. Also in the season 2 finale it is revealed that Frank has Alzheimer's disease, which explains what everyone previously considered as partial insanity. During a visit in season three, Beverly tells Charmaine and Neil that Frank has been institutionalized because of his condition.

Nick Hurley (Matthew Del Negro) is an Environmental lawyer and Charmaine's boyfriend turned fiancÃ©. He is first mentioned in the season one episode "Snow", and later shown having dinner with Charmaine and Marshall in the season finale. In the second season opener, Nick and Charmaine's relationship has progressed significantly. After proposing to Charmaine and buying the Hubbard house, he is extremely happy about Charmaine's surprise pregnancy. When he finds out the baby isn't his, he agrees to stay with Charmaine when she explains that she does not want Neil involved in the child's life. He also demands that Neil terminates his rights. In the second season finale, Tara interferes with the wedding by the reappearance of her alter Chicken. Already offset at her infidelity and constant lying, he leaves Charmaine at the altar by explaining to their guests that he was someone who believed in signs, and that there were many signs that he and Charmaine do not belong together.

Jason Maurio (Andrew Lawrence) is Marshall's potential love interest and friend. Jason is the son of a local pastor. He is shown to be confused about his sexuality. In episode 9, when Marshall kisses him, Jason kisses him back. T lures Jason into the Gregson's backyard shed in episode 10, where she asks him if he likes boys or girls. Jason's response is the same to both: "maybe". Marshall discovers the pair kissing, prompting him to burn down the shed. In episode 11, Jason "breaks up" with Marshall because he thinks Marshall will never forgive him for making out with T. Kate later tries to make Marshall feel better by saying Jason is a "bi-curious church monkey" and claims that a relationship between Marshall and Jason will never work because Jason is only experimenting and will end up marrying a woman. Petula texts Marshall in episode 12 to say she saw Jason at Starbucks on a date with a female classmate.

Gene Stuart (Nathan Corddry) is Kate's boss at the restaurant who is in his early 20's, and with whom Kate has a quite meaningless one-night stand. He becomes increasingly obsessed with her and wants more out of their relationship, despite her not feeling the same way. In episode 10, Kate files a sexual harassment claim against him, as he often makes inappropriate remarks and frequently finds excuses to touch the other teenage girls at the restaurant. In the Season 1 finale, he was fired, but continued his unwanted advances towards Kate, breaking into the Gregson home. He waits for Kate on the couch, and when she arrives he expresses his obsessive love for her. Fearing for her safety, Kate steals her mother's car, running into several small objects as she flees.

Petula (Hayley McFarland) is Marshall's best friend, who is dismissive of Marshall's interest in Jason and the Hell House.

Tiffany (Jessica St. Clair) is a woman who worked with Charmaine and who hired Tara to paint a mural. The mural is later defaced by one of the alters (Gimme), possibly because it felt that she was being disrespectful toward Tara and her DID by asking Tara to "show" her one of the alters. In response to the vandalism, Tiffany takes out a restraining order against Tara and has Charmaine fired.

Dr. Ocean (Valerie Mahaffey) is Tara's original therapist who ultimately directs Tara to a specialist.

Dr. Holden (Joel Gretsch) is Tara's therapist at a clinic specializing in DID.

Pammy (Joey Lauren Adams) is a female bartender with whom Buck has a sexual relationship. She is divorced and has two young daughters named Kammy and Kimmy. Tara (as Buck) is her first female-sexed partner. Pammy feels betrayed when Tara attempts to explain her multiple personalities to her, but later follows Tara to an ice rink where she professes her love for Buck over the public address system. In a later episode Max has a one-night stand with Pammy.

Courtney (Zosia Mamet) is Marshall's best friend. While Marshall is struggling with his sexual identity, the two date and have sex. Marshall feels very uncomfortable throughout the relationship, and feels burdened by her sexual desires, when in reality she is just as inexperienced as he. She also has plans for them as a couple and expects them to be married eventually. After seeing how controlling she is being, and with counsel from his friends, and accepting that he is gay in the first place, Marshall breaks up with Courtney, but he must say it multiple times before she finally gets it.

Ted Mayo (Michael Hitchcock) is one of Tara's gay neighbors, who befriends the family at the beginning of season 2. He gives Tara a book by his former therapist which later inspires her alter Shoshana Schoenbaum. He was Hany's partner until Hany binged on Adderall the night of Tara's art show. Hany left Ted the next day. Afterwards, Ted grows fond of the Gregson family and becomes their friend, taking part in most of their celebrations.

Hany (Sammy Sheik) is Ted Mayo's younger partner. He is a native of Egypt. After an Adderall binge, he leaves Ted.

Lionel Trane (Michael J. Willett) is an expressive and abrasive gay teen who starts the school's LGBT advocacy group. Marshall resents him at first because he is too over-the-top and seems to like drama and conflict, but over the course of season two, they become best friends, and eventually boyfriends. Marshall and Lionel break up but remain friends until Lionel is killed in an off-screen automobile accident.[7]

Lynda P. Frazier (Viola Davis) is an artist from whom Kate attempts to collect debts but instead befriends, having found particular fascination with Lynda's character "Princess Valhalla Hawkwind", which the pair make into an internet video series starring Kate. Tara also later befriends her, which inspires Tara to start devoting more personal time to art again. However, Lynda also encourages Tara's estrangement from her family, leading to an ugly argument between Tara and Max that causes Max to angrily cheat on her with Pammy. Kate ends up returning the PVH outfit to Lynda and makes it clear they will never see each other again.

Zach (Seth Gabel) is a rich 27-year-old who Kate meets on her website and ends up dating. He is constantly buying her expensive things, and has promised to buy her a condo so that way she can escape the craziness of her family. It was revealed that he is a Republican, which he "softens" by indicating that he voted for Ron Paul in the 2008 US Presidential Election. He further reveals that he does not believe in gay marriage which appalls her as she feels that it is an insult to her brother Marshall. For this and speaking negatively about Tara, Kate ejected him from Charmaine's incomplete wedding to Nick.

Dr. Jack Hattarras[8] (Eddie Izzard) appears in season three as Tara's psychology professor. He wrote a book about rehabilitating a patient that believed he was a kite. At first he is a DID skeptic, calling her a "delusional liar or an attention-seeking dramatist" in front of the class; however, after more observation he becomes fascinated with Tara as a subject, leading him to further explore the condition in hopes of writing a paper.[9] His work with Tara seems to be going well until his "kite" patient kills himself. In the episode "Bryce Will Play", Bryce tries to murder Dr. Hattarras by spiking his food with crab, to which he is deathly allergic. After this incident, his boss forces him to withdraw from Tara's life. During his final appearance, he admits that Tara has changed his views on DID and that he now believes in her disorder.

Noah Kane[10] (Aaron Christian Howles) is a classmate of Marshall and Lionel's. As an openly gay student,[11] he is introduced when Marshall and Lionel are assigned to work with him on a video project for their film-making class; much to Marshall's annoyance since he believes the teacher purposefully put all the gay kids in the same group. He later finds himself in the middle of their relationship when Lionel initiates a threesome with him and Marshall. When Lionel discovers that Marshall has developed romantic feelings for Noah, he ends their relationship, and Marshall and Noah become boyfriends. The couple collaborate on a short film together and win a place in a national film festival. Because of Lionel's death, the state of his and Marshall's relationship is left up in the air when the show ends.

Evan (Keir O'Donnell) is Kate's love interest in season three. They meet on a commuter plane trip on which Kate is working as a flight attendant. He is hesitant about dating her because he recently ended a bad marriage. His eight-year-old son from that marriage, Monty, takes an instant dislike to Kate. In the series finale, Evan tells Kate that he loves her and Kate tells him that she wants to move to St.Louis with him, but not until Tara finishes her treatment.

Sandi Gregson (Frances Conroy), Max's mother, appears in season three. She is described as being a recluse with a compulsive hoarding problem.[9] She admits to being difficult to live with and believes that her husband was right to have left her when he did, his only mistake being that he chose to leave his son, Max, behind. Marshall goes to live with her for a brief time after his altercation with the depraved alter Bryce Craine. She later returns home with him and attempts to convince Max to leave Tara, just as her husband left her.

Benjamin Lambert (Shiloh Fernandez), Kate's boyfriend during the pilot episode. He took Kate's virginity, and was given the nickname "Sex Robot". During an argument with Kate where he hits her, Tara intervenes by reminding Kate that she told her not to be pushed around by boys wearing ponytails, to which Benjamin replies, "They're samurai knots." Benjamin is targeted by Buck after Kate's ballet recital, and then beaten up by Buck and Marshall when Buck reveals Ben's previous actions towards the rest of the family. He is last shown in the episode "Revolution" where he crashes Kate and Marshall's house party, along with his new girlfriend.

Don Hubbard, who was only seen once in the show when Buck had taken over, lived next door to the Gregsons before shooting himself at the start of season 2. After his death, Max bought the house and renovated it. Tara feels very weird about Hubbard's story. Most of her relapses or memories take place in his house. Once she wakes up on his grave. In an open house, Alice came out and treated the event as Hubbard's funeral. When Lynda visits the Gregsons' house, she discovers a portrait of Hubbard that Tara (or one of the alters) painted, of which she has no memory. Shoshana's office is located in Hubbard's house. Just before her apparent death, Alice confesses that she loved Don.

Mimi (Kathleen Noone) served as Tara and Charmaine's foster mother when they were temporarily removed from the Craine home following Bryce's abuse of Taraâ€”a fact that neither Tara nor Charmaine was aware of until Tara began to dream of her. After asking their mother, who feigned ignorance, about Mimi, the two then sought Mimi out, hoping that she might be able to provide Tara with some answers and help her to understand the cause of her DID. Mimi is very similar to Tara's alter Alice in terms of appearance, style of clothing, tone of voice and manners.


where was the photo of the beatles crossing the road taken

EMI's Abbey Road Studios are located at the south-eastern end, at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood. The Beatles and many other famous popular music performers have recorded at this studio, and The Beatles named their last studio LP after this street. The album's cover photograph shows the four group members walking across the zebra crossing just outside the studio entrance. As a result of its association with The Beatles, since 1969 this part of Abbey Road has been featured on the London tourism circuit. In December 2010 the crossing was given Grade II Listed Building status by English Heritage despite its age not being contemporary to that era.[3]

Abbey Road, London

Abbey Road is a thoroughfare in the borough of Camden and the City of Westminster in London, running roughly northwest to southeast through St. John's Wood, near Lord's Cricket Ground. It is part of the B507 road. This road is best known for the Abbey Road Studios and the 1969 album, Abbey Road, by The Beatles.

The north-western end of Abbey Road begins in Kilburn, at the junction with Quex Road and West End Lane. The road was once a track leading to Kilburn Priory and its associated Abbey Farm, and was developed in the early 19th century.[2] It continues south-east for roughly a mile, crossing Belsize Road, Boundary Road, and Marlborough Place, ending at the junction of Grove End Road and Garden Road.

The Abbey National Building Society (now Santander UK) was founded in 1874 as The Abbey Road & St John's Wood Permanent Benefit Building Society in a Baptist church on Abbey Road.

The zebra crossing featured on the Beatles cover, as well as the crossing directly north of it, have become popular photo-opportunity areas, despite the road still being a busy thoroughfare for traffic. The Beatles album cover has been parodied many times over the years on the crossing.

The tin street sign on the corner of Grove End Road and Abbey Road is now mounted high on the building on the corner, to save the local council the expense of cleaning and replacing the sign, which was frequently defaced and stolen. The council repaints the wall next to the zebra crossing every three months to cover fans' graffiti.[4]

Abbey Road is also a ward of the City of Westminster. At the 2011 Census this ward had a population of 11,250.[5]


who does the voice for the show snapped

Actresses Laura San Giacomo and Ronnie Farer narrated the first and second seasons, respectively.[5][6] Sharon Martin took the role of narrator in its third season and has since acquired an additional credit as a supervising producer of the series.[1] In February 2018, Martin announced she would no longer narrate the series.[7]

Snapped

Snapped is an American true crime television series that airs on Oxygen. Snapped debuted on August 6, 2004, and is produced by Jupiter Entertainment.

This series depicts high profile or bizarre cases of women accused of murder. Each episode outlines whether the motivation for murder was revenge against a cheating husband or lover, a large insurance payoff, or the ending to years of abuse, with each murder's circumstances as unique as the women profiled.[2]

The series features non-fiction narratives of women who have committed murder or attempted murder or have been accused of committing or attempting to commit murder. Often the target is the individual's spouse. The program is edited in a documentary style, using a central voice-over narration by reporter Sharon Martin, as well as interviews with people in possession of first-hand knowledge of the case, including law-enforcement officials, lawyers, journalists, friends and family members of both the victims and the accused, and at times the criminals or victims themselves.

Snapped first aired on August 6, 2004, with the pilot episode, "Celeste Beard Johnson"[3] The series is currently in its nineteenth season of production at Jupiter Entertainment. [4][1]

It is by all accounts the longest-lived series on Oxygen, with its 22 defined seasons and fourteen years in production (and two spin-offs) outlasting the seventeen defined seasons and thirteen years of the second-longest series Bad Girls Club, and it (and the network's ubiquitous "Snapped Sundays" marathons) played a large role in Oxygen's change to a true crime programming direction in the summer of 2017.

Repeats of the series air on over-the-air broadcast television exclusively on the digital subchannel network Escape.

A complete list of Snapped episodes:[8]

On April 12, 2017, Oxygen announced that the series' 20th season would premiere on May 7, 2017.[10] All season 20 episodes adapted from:[11]

All season 21 episodes adapted from:[12]

All season 22 episodes adapted from:[13]

All season 23 episodes adapted from:[14]


difference between synchronous and asynchronous serial data transmission

Synchronous and asynchronous transmissions are two different methods of transmission synchronization. Synchronous transmissions are synchronized by an external clock, while asynchronous transmissions are synchronized by special signals along the transmission medium.

Comparison of synchronous and asynchronous signalling

Whenever an electronic device transmits digital (and sometimes analog) data to another, there must be a certain rhythm established between the two devices, i.e., the receiving device must have some way of, within the context of the fluctuating signal that it's receiving, determining where each unit of data begins and where it ends.

There are two ways to synchronize the two ends of the communication.

The synchronous signalling methods use two different signals. A pulse on one signal indicates when another bit of information is ready on the other signal.

The asynchronous signalling methods use only one signal. The receiver uses transitions on that signal to figure out the transmitter bit rate ("autobaud") and timing, and set a local clock to the proper timing, typically using a phase-locked loop (PLL) to synchronize with the transmission rate. A pulse from the local clock indicates when another bit is ready.

In synchronous communications, the stream of data to be transferred is encoded as fluctuating voltage levels in one wire (the 'DATA'), and a periodic pulse of voltage on a separate wire (called the "CLOCK" or "STROBE") which tells the receiver "the current DATA bit is 'valid' at this moment in time".

Practically all parallel communications protocols use synchronous transmission. For example, in a computer, address information is transmitted synchronouslyâ€”the address bits over the address bus, and the read or write'strobe's of the control bus.

A logical one is indicated when there are two transitions in the same time frame as a zero. In the Manchester coding a transition from low to high indicates a one and a transition from high to low indicates a zero. When there are successive ones or zeros, an opposite transition is required on the edge of the time frame to prepare for the next transition and signal.

The most common asynchronous signalling, asynchronous start-stop signalling, uses a near-constant 'bit' timing (+/- 5% local oscillator required at both end of the connection). Using this, the receiver detects the 'first' edge transition... (the START BIT), then waits 'half a bit duration' then reads A further delay of one 'whole bit duration' is executed before the next data bit is'read' - repeating for length of the whole serial word (typically 7/8-data bits). Finally an optional STOP bit is appended to identify the end of the data word.

The word structure used in typical asynchronous serial communications is START-DATA[0:7]-STOP[0:1] (followed by an optional PARITY bit). These formatting variables are specified when configuring the transmit and receive nodes before communications take place. The bit duration is determined from the nominated 'bit rate' in bps... 300, 1200, 9600, 19200, 115200 etc. The use of the word BAUD is not strictly correct in the modern application of serial channels.

Special level & timing conditions are detected to identify an open-circuit condition (BREAK)

The sync token might be a single pulse (a "start bit" as noted above), or it may be a more complicated syncword or self-synchronizing code such as HDLC or 8B/10B encoding.


is there such a thing as figgy pudding

Figgy pudding is a type of Christmas pudding which was originally made with figs.[1] It may be baked, steamed in the oven, boiled or fried.[2]

Figgy pudding

Figgy pudding dates back to 16th century England.[1] Its possible ancestors include savoury puddings, such as crustades, fygeye or figge (a potage of mashed figs thickened with bread), creme boiled (a kind of stirred custard), and sippets (croutons).[3] In any case, its methods and ingredients appear in diverse older recipes, for instance in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.[1]

Today, the term figgy pudding is popularised mainly by the Christmas carol "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," which includes the line, "Now bring us some figgy pudding".[4] A variety of nineteenth-century sources state that, in the West Country of England (from which the carol comes), "figgy pudding" referred to a raisin or plum pudding, not necessarily one containing figs.[5][6][7]


where was miss marple a caribbean mystery filmed 2013

The 1989 version is the only adaptation as of 2017 to actually be shot in the Caribbean (on location on the island of Barbados); the 1983 TV movie was shot in California, while the 2013 version was filmed in Cape Town.

A Caribbean Mystery

A Caribbean Mystery is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 16 November 1964[1] and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year.[2][3] The UK edition retailed at sixteen shillings (16/-)[1] and the US edition at $4.50.[3] It features the detective Miss Marple.

Two of the major characters reappear in the novel Nemesis, published in 1971 and the last novel to be written featuring Miss Marple. Jason Rafiel reappears posthumously, and his assistant Esther Walters assists Miss Marple in the early chapters of the subsequent story.

This story takes place at the Golden Palm resort on the Caribbean island of St HonorÃ©. Miss Marple's nephew has paid for her to holiday there after a bout of ill health - but she is bored. She is approached by Major Palgrave, a garrulous man avoided by the other guests due to his long-winded stories. She sits, half listening, until Major Palgrave tells a story about a man who got away with murder more than once. When Palgrave asks her if she wants to see a picture of a murderer, she listens intently - but after he fishes into his wallet for the photo, he suddenly changes the subject. Miss Marple looks up to see why and spots several people nearby.

The next day, when the maid Victoria finds Major Palgrave dead in his room, Miss Marple is convinced he was murdered. She asks Dr Graham to find the photo he mentioned, pretending it is of her nephew. Meanwhile, she interviews the others: Tim and Molly Kendall, owners of the hotel; the Prescotts, a clergyman and his sister; Mr Jason Rafiel, a tycoon with a weak heart and confined to a wheelchair; Jackson, his nurse/masseur/attendant/valet; Esther Walters, his secretary; the vivacious American Lucky Dyson and her husband, Greg; and Edward and Evelyn Hillingdon. On the beach, Miss Marple sees SeÃ±ora de Caspearo, a woman on holiday who says she remembers Major Palgrave because he had an evil eye. Miss Marple corrects her that he had a glass eye, but she still says that it was evil.

Victoria informs the Kendalls that she did not remember seeing the high blood pressure medication, Serenite, in Major Palgrave's room before, although it was found on his table after his death. That night, Victoria is found stabbed to death. Molly begins having nightmares. Miss Marple finds Jackson looking at Molly's cosmetics, who says that if belladonna were added to it, it would cause nightmares. The following night, Tim finds Molly unconscious on the floor, apparently having taken an overdose of sleeping pills. The police are involved, and the cook, Enrico, tells them he saw Molly holding a steak knife before going outside. Miss Marple asks the others if Major Palgrave told people about the photo. Others claim Palgrave said it was not a photo of a wife killer but a husband killer. Major Palgrave is exhumed and the autopsy reveals that he was poisoned.

At night, Tim wakes up to find his wife is missing. They find what seems to be her body in a creek, but it turns out to be Lucky; the two women resemble one another. Miss Marple wakes Mr Rafiel and they go to Tim and Molly Kendall's house. There they find Tim offering Molly some wine. Miss Marple tells Jackson to take the wine away. She shows it to Mr Rafiel, saying there is a deadly narcotic in it. She explains that Tim Kendall is the wife killer, recognised by Major Palgrave. Miss Marple had thought Palgrave saw the Hillingdons and the Dysons on his right as they were coming up the beach, but later realised that he had a glass eye so he could not have seen them. Tim and Molly were sitting on his left. Tim was planning to kill his wife, and so had to kill Major Palgrave when he recognised him. He also killed Victoria, who remembered the Serenite. Tim put belladonna in Molly's cosmetics to drive her to suicide. Tim had asked his wife to meet him by the creek, but Molly had been distracted by a vision due to the belladonna and wandered off. Tim saw Lucky and mistook her for Molly. He was about to poison Molly when Miss Marple came in.

Esther Walters suddenly insists that Tim isn't a killer. Tim shouts at her to keep quiet. He had been planning to marry Esther, after Molly's death, because he had heard that she was going to inherit a large sum of money from Jason Rafiel.

Jane Marple: An elderly spinster detective with an eye for detail and unexpected clues, with a mind like a sink.

Major Palgrave: An elderly, garrulous man with a glass eye who fatefully rambles about adventures (some real and some imagined).

Tim Kendal: A young man married to Molly Kendal, who marries her using false references and starts the hotel (where the story takes place) with her. He is discovered to be having an affair with Esther.

Molly Kendal: Tim Kendal's pretty young wife who starts the hotel (where the story takes place) with him. She eventually believes she has fallen mentally ill and confides it to Evelyn, although her symptoms are actually the result of being poisoned.

Jason Rafiel: A cantankerous old man with a large fortune and an unexpectedly kind spirit, who takes a shine to Miss Marple.

Esther Walters: Jason Rafiel's secretary, (the widow of a drunkard) with a child in England. She strangely seems to prefer keeping herself homely instead of getting herself up 'like a houri'.

Victoria: A St HonorÃ© native, she is the one to discover Major Palgrave's death and the mysterious bottle of Serenite. She is in an illegitimate, consummate relationship.

Greg Dyson: A nature lover. Now married to Lucky, he was married to a woman who was killed by Lucky with the help of Edward.

Lucky Dyson: An attractive American woman married to Greg. She had plotted to kill his ex-wife, along with Edward, whom she tricked and seduced.

Edward Hillingdon: The husband of Evelyn and an avid nature lover. He has children at a boarding school and drifts apart from his wife because he does not love her.

Evelyn Hillingdon: A woman who does not love her husband Edward but puts up with him in public to put on an appearance both for their public image and for their children.

SeÃ±ora de Caspearo: A Hispanic woman on holiday who opposes ugliness and, therefore Major Palgrave and Jason Rafiel.

Miss Prescott: An elderly woman who enjoys gossiping and has come on holiday with her brother, Canon Prescott.

Canon Prescott: Miss Prescott's brother, a member of the clergy, who opposes to his sister's gossiping.

Dr Graham: The St HonorÃ© doctor, an elderly man who treats Miss Marple, who pretends to be ill.

Jackson: Mr Rafiel's valet/masseur/attendant who (by admission to Miss Marple) worked at a cosmetic company. He is thought of as generally thieving and undesirable.

After lukewarm reviews of her two previous novels, Francis Iles (Anthony Berkeley Cox) felt that the writer was back on form in his review in The Guardian's issue of 11 December 1964: "Mrs Agatha Christie has done it again. In A Caribbean Mystery she tells the reader explicitly what is going to happen; and yet when it does, nine out of ten will be taken completely by surprise – as I was. How does she do it? For the rest, it is Miss Marple this time who is in charge of the story; and all one can guess is that the setting is a Caribbean island."[4]

Maurice Richardson in The Observer of 15 November 1964 began, "A most encouraging return to somewhere very near her best unputdownable form.... Suspicion nicely distributed among guests, many of them raffish adulterers. Not very hard to guess, but quite suspenseful. Good varied characterisation including a particularly excellent octogenarian tycoon."[5] Towards the end of the year, Richardson again commented on the book in a special Books of the Year: A Personal Choice column when he said, "Agatha Christie makes one of those gratifying veteran's comebacks."[6]

The Daily Mirror of 21 November 1964 wrote: "Not quite at the top of her form. A Miss Marples (sic) story which addicts won't find as unsolvable as usual."[7]

Robert Barnard: "In the tradition of all those package-tour mysteries written by indigent crime writers who have to capitalize on their meagre holidays. Nothing much of interest, but useful for illustrating the 'fluffification' of Miss Marple. Reuses a ploy from Appointment with Death."[8]

"There is no more cunning player of the murder game than Agatha Christie." — Sunday Times[9]

"Throws off the false clues and misleading events as only a master of the art can do." New York Times[when?][9]

The novel is dedicated to John Cruikshank Rose, "with happy memories of my visit to the West Indies". Christie and her husband Max Mallowan became friends with John Rose in 1928 at the archaeological site at Ur. He was the architectural draftsman and when Max was in charge of the dig at Arpachiyah, Syria in 1932, he hired Rose to be his draftsman. Rose was Scottish, and as Christie described him, "a beautiful draughtsman, with a quiet way of talking, and a gentle humour that I found irresistible."[citation needed]

The millionaire Jason Rafiel appears again, posthumously, in the novel Nemesis where he sends Miss Marple on a case specifically because of her success in solving the events related in A Caribbean Mystery.[citation needed]

A 1983 US TV movie adaptation starred Helen Hayes as Miss Marple and Barnard Hughes as Mr Rafiel. The New York Times says that Miss Marple has "a carload of suspects" to figure out why her friend was killed, in this film that first aired 22 October 1983.[10] The screenplay was credited to Sue Grafton, later a mystery writer, and Steve Humphrey.[11]

A BBC TV adaptation starring Joan Hickson was shown in 1989 as part of the series Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, with Donald Pleasence co-starring as Mr Rafiel. Few changes were made from the novel: the Prescotts and Señora de Caspearo were omitted, Miss Marple holidayed on Barbados rather than the fictional island of "St Honoré" (interestingly the name Honoré reappears as the fictional main town in the BBC series Death in Paradise that began airing in 2011), and the blood pressure medication was renamed Tetrauwolfide. The production was made and aired after the production of Nemesis, leading to some viewer confusion. In the earlier production, the part of Jason Rafiel was portrayed by Frank Gatliff, rather than Donald Pleasence.

In 2013, the book was adapted for the sixth series of ITV's Agatha Christie's Marple, starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple and co-starring Antony Sher as Jason Rafiel, Oliver Ford Davies as Major Palgrave, and Robert Webb and Charity Wakefield as the Kendalls. The characters are much the same as in the novel, and the location is the same. At the end, Tim tries to shoot Molly rather than poison her, but the bullets of the gun have been removed.[citation needed] Like some of the other episodes in the previous series includes a character named for a real person. In this instance it is spy novelist Ian Fleming who makes the acquaintance of Miss Marple and is struggling with writer's block, trying to come up with the name of his hero for his spy story. Just then James Bond (Charlie Higson) appears on the platform to deliver a speech, and introduces himself as "My name is Bond, James Bond", which ultimately interests Fleming causing him to write.

Just as with the Joan Hickson versions, Nemesis was filmed prior to A Caribbean Mystery. There are some continuity issues: in the 2009 version of Nemesis, Jason Rafiel is a German writer, but in A Caribbean Mystery, he is an English chemical manufacturer. Miss Marple does not refer to herself as Nemesis at any time in this story, despite herself and Mr Rafiel associating the name with her in Nemesis. Just like in the Joan Hickson versions, Mr Rafiel is portrayed by different actors: Antony Sher portrays him here, but in Nemesis, he makes voice appearances by Herbert Lom (who previously appeared in the 2004 version of The Murder at the Vicarage as Monsieur Dufosse).

The novel was serialised in the Star Weekly Novel, a Toronto newspaper supplement, in two abridged instalments from 16 to 23 January 1965, with each issue containing an uncredited cover illustration.


staphylococcus is the only causative agent of conjunctivitis

Common bacteria responsible for non-acute bacterial conjunctivitis are Staphylococcus, Streptococcus,[5] and Haemophilus. Less commonly chlamydia may be the cause.[6]

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid.[3] It makes the eye appear pink or reddish.[1] There may also be pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness.[1] The affected eye may have increased tears or be "stuck shut" in the morning.[1] Swelling of the white part of the eye, may also occur.[1] Itching is more common in cases due to allergies.[2] Conjunctivitis can affect one or both eyes.[1]

The most common infectious causes are viral followed by bacterial.[2] The viral infection may occur along with other symptoms of a common cold.[1] Both viral and bacterial cases are easily spread between people.[1] Allergies to pollen or animal hair are also a common cause.[2] Diagnosis is often based on signs and symptoms.[1] Occasionally a sample of the discharge is sent for culture.[1]

Prevention is partly by handwashing.[1] Treatment depends on the underlying cause.[1] In the majority of viral cases, there is no specific treatment.[2] Most cases due to a bacterial infection will also resolve without treatment; however, antibiotics can shorten the illness.[1][2] People who wear contact lenses and those whose infection is caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia should be treated.[2] Allergic cases can be treated with antihistamines or mast cell inhibitor drops.[2]

About 3 to 6 million people get conjunctivitis each year in the United States.[1][2] In adults viral causes are more common, while in children bacterial causes are more common.[2] Typically people get better in one or two weeks.[1][2] If there is visual loss, significant pain, sensitivity to light, signs of herpes, or if symptoms do not improve after a week, further diagnosis and treatment may be required.[2] Conjunctivitis in a newborn, known as neonatal conjunctivitis, may also require specific treatment.[1]

Red eye, swelling of the conjunctiva  and watering of the eyes are symptoms common to all forms of conjunctivitis. However, the pupils should be normally reactive, and the visual acuity normal.

Conjunctivitis is identified by irritation and redness of the conjunctiva. Except in obvious pyogenic or toxic/chemical conjunctivitis, a slit lamp (biomicroscope) is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Examination of the eyelid conjunctiva is usually more diagnostic than examination of the scleral conjunctiva.

Viral conjunctivitis is often associated with an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a common cold, or a sore throat. Its symptoms include excessive watering and itching. The infection usually begins in one eye, but may spread easily to the other eye.

Viral conjunctivitis manifests as a fine, diffuse pinkness of the conjunctiva, which is easily mistaken for a ciliary infection of the iris (iritis), but there are usually corroborative signs on microscopy, particularly numerous lymphoid follicles on the tarsal conjunctiva, and sometimes a punctate keratitis.

Allergic conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva due to allergy.[4] The specific allergens may differ among patients.

Symptoms result from the release of histamine and other active substances by mast cells, and consist of redness (mainly due to vasodilation of the peripheral small blood vessels), swelling of the conjunctiva, itching, and increased production of tears.

Bacterial conjunctivitis causes the rapid onset of conjunctival redness, swelling of the eyelid, and a sticky discharge.  Typically, symptoms develop first in one eye, but may spread to the other eye within 2â€“5 days.  Conjunctivitis due to common pus-producing bacteria causes marked grittiness or irritation and a stringy, opaque, greyish or yellowish discharge that may cause the lids to stick together, especially after sleep.  Severe crusting of the infected eye and the surrounding skin may also occur.  The gritty or scratchy feeling is sometimes localized enough that patients may insist that they have a foreign body in the eye.

Bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis or Moraxella can cause a non-exudative but persistent conjunctivitis without much redness.  Bacterial conjunctivitis may cause the production of membranes or pseudomembranes that cover the conjunctiva.  Pseudomembranes consist of a combination of inflammatory cells and exudates and adhere loosely to the conjunctiva, while true membranes are more tightly adherent and cannot be easily peeled away.  Cases of bacterial conjunctivitis that involve the production of membranes or pseudomembranes are associated with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Î²-hemolytic streptococci, and Corynebacterium diphtheriae.  C. diphtheriae causes membrane formation in conjunctiva of non-immunized children.[7]

Chemical eye injury may result when an acidic or alkali substance gets in the eye.[8] Alkali burns are typically worse than acidic burns.[9] Mild burns will produce conjunctivitis, while more severe burns may cause the cornea to turn white.[9] Litmus paper may be used to test for chemical causes.[8] When a chemical cause has been confirmed, the eye or eyes should be flushed until the pH is in the range 6â€”8.[9] Anaesthetic eye drops can be used to decrease the pain.[9]

Irritant or toxic conjunctivitis is primarily marked by redness. If due to a chemical splash, it is often present in only the lower conjunctival sac.  With some chemicals, above all with caustic alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, there may be necrosis of the conjunctiva marked by a deceptively white eye due to vascular closure, followed by sloughing off of the dead epithelium. A slit lamp examination is likely to show evidence of anterior uveitis.

Inclusion conjunctivitis of the newborn (ICN) is a conjunctivitis that may be caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, and may lead to acute, purulent conjunctivitis.[10] However, it is usually self-healing.[10]

Infective conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by a virus.[11] Bacterial infections, allergies, other irritants, and dryness are also common causes. Both bacterial and viral infections are contagious, passing from person to person or spread through contaminated objects or water.

Adenoviruses are the most common cause of viral conjunctivitis (adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis).[12] Herpetic keratoconjunctivitis, caused by herpes simplex viruses, can be serious and requires treatment with acyclovir. Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is a highly contagious disease caused by one of two enteroviruses, Enterovirus 70 and Coxsackievirus A24. These were first identified in an outbreak in Ghana in 1969, and have spread worldwide since then, causing several epidemics.[13]

The most common causes of acute bacterial conjunctivitis are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae.[12] Though very rare, hyperacute cases are usually caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis.  Chronic cases of bacterial conjunctivitis are those lasting longer than 3 weeks, and are typically caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella lacunata, or gram-negative enteric flora.

Conjunctivitis may also be caused by allergens such as pollen, perfumes, cosmetics, smoke,[14] dust mites, Balsam of Peru,[15] or eye drops.[16]

Conjunctivitis is part of the triad of reactive arthritis, which is thought to be caused by autoimmune cross-reactivity following certain bacterial infections. Reactive arthritis is highly associated with HLA-B27. Conjunctivitis is associated with the autoimmune disease relapsing polychondritis.[17][18]

Cultures are not often taken or needed as most cases resolve either with time or typical antibiotics.  If bacterial conjunctivitis is suspected but there is no response to topical antibiotics, swabs for bacterial culture should be taken and tested. Viral culture may be appropriate in epidemic case clusters.

A patch test is used to identify the causative allergen in allergic conjunctivitis.[19]

Although conjunctival scrapes for cytology can be useful in detecting chlamydial and fungal infections, allergy, and dysplasia, they are rarely done because of the cost and the general dearth of laboratory staff experienced in handling ocular specimens.  Conjunctival incisional biopsy is occasionally done when granulomatous diseases (e.g., sarcoidosis) or dysplasia are suspected.

Conjunctivitis may be classified either by cause or by extent of the inflamed area.

Neonatal conjunctivitis is often grouped separately from bacterial conjunctivitis because it is caused by different bacteria than the more common cases of bacterial conjunctivitis.

Blepharoconjunctivitis is the dual combination of conjunctivitis with blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids).

Keratoconjunctivitis is the combination of conjunctivitis and keratitis (corneal inflammation).

Blepharokeratoconjunctivitis is the combination of conjunctivitis with blepharitis and keratitis. It is clinically defined by changes of the lid margin, meibomian gland dysfunction, redness of the eye, conjunctival chemosis and inflammation of the cornea.[20]

There are more serious conditions that can present with a red eye such as infectious keratitis, angle-closure glaucoma, or iritis. These conditions require the urgent attention of an ophthalmologist. Signs of such conditions include decreased vision, significantly increased sensitivity to light, inability to keep eye open, a pupil that does not respond to light, or a severe headache with nausea.[21] Fluctuating blurring is common, due to tearing and mucoid discharge.  Mild photophobia is common.  However, if any of these symptoms are prominent, it is important to consider other diseases such as glaucoma, uveitis, keratitis and even meningitis or carotico-cavernous fistula.

A more comprehensive differential diagnosis for the red or painful eye includes:[21]

The most effective prevention is good hygiene, especially avoiding rubbing the eyes with infected hands. Vaccination against adenovirus, Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus, and Neisseria meningitidis is also effective.[22]

Povidone-iodine eye solution has been found to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis.[23] It is becoming more commonly used globally because of its low cost.[23]

Conjunctivitis resolves in 65% of cases without treatment, within two to five days. The prescription of antibiotics is not necessary in most cases.[24]

Viral conjunctivitis usually resolves on its own and does not require any specific treatment.[11] Antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine) or mast cell stabilizers (e.g., cromolyn) may be used to help with the symptoms.[11] Povidone-iodine has been suggested as a treatment, but as of 2008, evidence to support it was poor.[25]

For allergic conjunctivitis, cool water poured over the face with the head inclined downward constricts capillaries, and artificial tears sometimes relieve discomfort in mild cases. In more severe cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and antihistamines may be prescribed. Persistent allergic conjunctivitis may also require topical steroid drops.

Bacterial conjunctivitis usually resolves without treatment.[11] Topical antibiotics may be needed only if no improvement is observed after three days.[26] No serious effects were noted either with or without treatment.[27] Because antibiotics do speed healing in bacterial conjunctivitis, their use may be considered.[27]

Antibiotics are also recommended for those who wear contact lenses, are immunocompromised, have disease which is thought to be due to chlamydia or gonorrhea, have a fair bit of pain, or have copious discharge.[11] Gonorrheal or chlamydial infections require both oral and topical antibiotics.[11]

The choice of antibiotic will vary, based on the strain or suspected strain of bacteria causing the infection. Fluoroquinolones, sodium sulfacetamide, or trimethoprim/polymyxin may be used, typically for 7â€“10 days.[12]  Cases of meningococcal conjunctivitis can also be treated with systemic penicillin, as long as the strain is sensitive to penicillin.

When investigated as a treatment, povidone-iodine ophthalmic solution has also been observed to have some effectiveness against bacterial and chlamydial conjunctivitis, with a possible role suggested in locations where topical antibiotics are unavailable or costly.[28]

Conjunctivitis due to chemicals is treated via irrigation with Ringer's lactate or saline solution. Chemical injuries, particularly alkali burns, are medical emergencies, as they can lead to severe scarring and intraocular damage. People with chemically-induced conjunctivitis should not touch their eyes in order to avoid spreading the chemical.

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye disease.[29]

An adenovirus was first isolated by Rowe et al. in 1953. Two years later Jawetz et al. published on epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.[30]:437 "Madras eye" is a colloquial term that has been used in India for the disease.


where is herbert hoover high school in wv

Herbert Hoover High School is a public high school in Clendenin, West Virginia, United States. It was formed by consolidation in 1963. It serves the northeastern part of Kanawha County, West Virginia.

Herbert Hoover High School (West Virginia)

During the 2016 West Virginia flood the school building was damaged beyond repair on June 23, 2016 when the Elk River put 7 feet of water into the school. On July 21, 2016 the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the building a total loss and the Kanawha County School Board began expedited plans for a new building. The new building is expected to be open by the 2018–19 school year. For the 2016–17 school year, student will share space via a split schedule with Elkview Middle School, with each group attending school for four-and-one-half hours per day with reading and homework assignments. A temporary campus of modified mobile home-type units known as "modulars" will then be constructed on the middle school's football field and a normal schedule will be resumed. FEMA will provide the modulars and will fund approximately 75 to 80% of the cost of the new building.[1]

The school's nickname is the Huskies. The following sports are offered at Herbert Hoover:[2]

The school's athletic equipment was mostly destroyed in the flood. Several major college coaches, including Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban, both of whom were born in the state, have donated and led fundraising to ensure the students will have athletic and other extra curricular opportunities for the new school year. Rival schools have also sharing equipment and facilities.


who plays kim rollins on law and order svu

Lindsay Pulsipher (born May 6, 1982) is an American actress.[1] She has had several roles in film and television, and is known for her series regular role as Rose Lawrence on A&E Network's The Beast (2009). She joined the third season of HBO's True Blood (2010), playing were-panther Crystal Norris and love interest to Jason Stackhouse.[2][3]

Lindsay Pulsipher

Lindsay Pulsipher was born and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, with five siblings,[4] and was inspired to be an actor by her mother, a theater actress. As she puts it, "I used to make either my little sister or my best friend act out these plays with me. I was doing that from the time I can remember. It was always something I enjoyed doing". She was influenced by Julie Christie and Audrey Hepburn who showed her "a whole new world as far as acting goes".[1]

Pulsipher's parents were Latter-Day Saints but in her own words, "I went to church as a kid. I quit going fairly early, so I'm not Mormon anymore".[5]

After appearing in several roles from 2000 to 2003 in the television series, Touched by an Angel, filmed in her hometown of Salt Lake City, and after starring in a couple of indie films, Pulsipher moved to Los Angeles to pursue a lifelong dream of a career in acting.[1]

She was given several guest starring roles in popular television series including House, M.D., CSI: NY (Crime Scene Investigation: New York) and NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and eventually received a regular role with Patrick Swayze in The Beast (2009). She took the role of Crystal Norris beginning with the third season of the True Blood (2010). She has starred in two features directed by Calvin Reeder: The Oregonian (2011), and The Rambler (2013), and most recently, she guest-starred as Kim Rollins, Amanda Rollins' troubled sister on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Pulsipher was confirmed as the replacement for Hilary Duff as Bonnie Parker in the remake of The Bonnie and Clyde Story, but she was later replaced with English actress Holliday Grainger.[6]

"...I'm a very visual person. When I'm reading a script or if I'm preparing for a scene I really like to create the story in a visual sense. I take myself out of the character completely and almost watch the character as a spectator, if that makes sense. I'm observing the character as a third person. So I don't make it too personal so that she's her own person. I read it like I do a novel. When you read a book you create this image in your head of what these people are doing and the story in your head is more of a visual thing. I guess that I do that with scripts, too. I almost look at it as a spectator as opposed to being right in it. I know that sounds cheesy but then I feel like I can then learn from watching it if that makes sense".[7]


how many soul eater manga books are there

The manga initially began as three separate one-shots serialized between June 24, 2003 and November 26, 2003 in two manga magazines published by Square Enix. The first one-shot was published in the summer 2003 special edition of Gangan Powered,[3] the second following in the autumn 2003 special edition of the same magazine,[4] and the third serialized in Gangan Wing. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan magazine on May 12, 2004. The first tankōbon was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan; as of December 12, 2013, 25 volumes have been released.[5]

List of Soul Eater chapters

Soul Eater is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Atsushi Okubo.[1] The series follows the adventures of three students at a school called the Death Weapon Meister Academy (or DWMA for short), known as meisters, who use demon weapon companions with human and weapon forms. These meisters, Maka Albarn, Black Star, and Death the Kid, seek to turn their weapons, Soul Eater, Tsubaki, and the Thompson sisters respectively, into "death scythes" for Lord Death, the Grim Reaper and head of the DWMA, by having their weapons consume the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch.[2]

The series is published in English by Yen Press, and is serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus manga anthology magazine. The first issue of Yen Plus was released on July 29, 2008.[6] An anime adaptation of the manga, produced by Bones and Aniplex, aired on TV Tokyo between April 7, 2008 and March 30, 2009 and contained 51 episodes.[7][8]


what is the work of bni in ghana

The Bureau of National Investigations is the internal intelligence agency of Ghana.[1] Bureau of National Investigations |BNI is an integral part of the National Security Council which oversees matters of the counterintelligence and internal security of Ghana.[1] The Bureau of National Investigations |BNI has investigative jurisdiction to arrest or detain and interrogate over a wide range of criminal offenses.[1]

Bureau of National Investigations

Among the duties of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) are dealing with organized crime and financial crime, espionage, sabotage, terrorism, hijacking, piracy, drug trafficking and providing intelligence to counter threats to Ghana's national security[1] and also perform such other functions as may be directed by the President or the Council.[2] The Bureau of National Investigations |BNI is legally a creature of, The Security and Intelligence Agencies Act (Act 526) 1996, having been continued in existence by Section 10 of that Act.[1] The BNI has undisclosed offices in all the ten regions of Ghana.[1]

The Bureau of National Investigations |BNI, previously known as the "Special Branch," is a counterintelligence and internal security agency, composed of civilian personnel whose role is to establish close surveillance over opponents of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of Ghana.[3] The Bureau of National Investigations |BNI has power to interrogate and detain people whom they suspect of subversion "without trial indefinitely, on grounds of national security of the Republic of Ghana. The |BNI has overriding statutory authority over other security services


what is the difference between an altar and a communion table

The use of a simple table, generally built of wood, instead of an altar made of stone reflects these churches' rejection of the suggestion of sacrifice in the rite: they believe that the Passion of Jesus Christ was a perfect sacrifice for sins made once for all (Hebrews 9:25-10:4).

Communion table

Communion table or Lord's table are terms used by many Protestant churches—particularly from Reformed, Baptist and low church Anglican and Methodist bodies—for the table used for preparation of Holy Communion (a sacrament also called the Eucharist). These churches do not use the term "altar" because they do not see Communion as sacrificial in any way.[1]

Many Protestant churches that choose not to use the term "altar" may still have an "altar call", in which visitors wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward to the front of the church.[2][3][4]

Having or not having a Communion table was a subject of dispute within Scottish Presbyterianism in the 17th century, with the Independents opposing its use.[5]

The United Methodist Church states that the term "altar" is often used but the correct (traditional) terms are "Lord's table" and "Communion table" for the table upon which the elements are placed during Holy Communion.[6] High church Methodists may use the term "altar" exclusively, copying the Anglican usage.

The table may be very simple, adorned perhaps with only a linen cloth, or with an open Bible or some receptacle to collect an offering. In modern use many Protestants adorn their tables with candles, though the use of candles was historically rejected among most Protestants. Some Communion tables often bear the inscription Do This in Remembrance of Me from the Last Supper (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24), indicating the belief in Holy Communion being a memorial rather than a sacrifice, or the words Holy, Holy, Holy as a recollection of the union between the whole of creation in worship.

Such a table may be temporary, being moved into place when there is a Communion Service, but generally holds a permanent (or semi-permanent) position of some prominence in the worship space. Instead of a high altar, the sanctuary may be dominated only by a large, centralized pulpit,[7] or there may be no pulpit as in old Quaker meeting houses.[8][9] Some bring in a Communion table when needed.[10]

For example, St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral in Sydney does not have a prominent Communion table.[11][12] The strongly Evangelical church leadership decided that the table should be placed in a more forward position in the chancel and that it should be easily portable in order that it might be removed when not required for Holy Communion, to clear a space for presentations and musical performances.


what is in the tower bridge of london

The bridge consists of two bridge towers tied together at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal tension forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers. The vertical components of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. Before its restoration in the 2010s, the bridge's colour scheme dated from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Its colours were subsequently restored to blue and white.[1][2]

Tower Bridge

Coordinates: 51°30′20″N 0°04′32″W / 51.50556°N 0.07556°W / 51.50556; -0.07556

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London built between 1886 and 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London, resulting in it sometimes being confused with London Bridge, situated some 0.5 mi (0.80 km) upstream. Tower Bridge is one of five London bridges now owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. It is the only one of the Trust's bridges not to connect the City of London directly to the Southwark bank, as its northern landfall is in Tower Hamlets.

The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, for which an admission charge is made. The nearest London Underground tube stations are Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines and Bermondsey on the Jubilee line, and the nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway.[3] The nearest National Rail stations are at Fenchurch Street and London Bridge.

In the second half of the 19th century, an advertisement in the East End of London led to a hiring for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge at street level could not be built because it would cut off access by sailing ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London.

A Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in 1877, chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman, to find a solution to the river crossing problem. It opened the design of the crossing to public competition.[citation needed] Over 50 designs were submitted, including one from civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Bazalgette's design was rejected because of a lack of sufficient headroom, and design was not approved until 1884, when it was decided to build a bascule bridge. Sir John Wolfe Barry was appointed engineer with Sir Horace Jones as architect[4] (who was also one of the judges).[5] An Act of Parliament was passed in 1885 authorising the bridge's construction. It specified the opening span must give a clear width of 200 feet (61 m) and a headroom of 135 feet (41 m). Construction had to be in a Gothic style.[4]

Barry designed a bascule bridge with two bridge towers built on piers. The central span was split into two equal bascules or leaves, which could be raised to allow river traffic to pass. The two side-spans were suspension bridges, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways.[4]

Construction started in 1886 and took eight years with five major contractors – Sir John Jackson (foundations), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H.H. Bartlett, and Sir William Arrol & Co.[6] – and employed 432 construction workers. E W Crutwell was the resident engineer for the construction.[7]

Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete,[5] were sunk into the riverbed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways.[5] This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance.

Jones died in 1886 and George D. Stevenson took over the project.[5] Stevenson replaced Jones's original brick façade with the more ornate Victorian Gothic style, which makes the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonise the bridge with the nearby Tower of London.[7] The total cost of construction was £1,184,000[7] (equivalent to £122 million in 2015).[8]

The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).[9]

The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horselydown Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.[7] Until the bridge was opened, the Tower Subway – 400 m to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was among the world's earliest underground ("tube") railways, but it closed after just three months and was re-opened as a pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, there being no toll to pay to use it. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.[10]

The high-level open air walkways between the towers gained an unpleasant reputation as a haunt for prostitutes and pickpockets; as they were only accessible by stairs they were seldom used by regular pedestrians, and were closed in 1910.[citation needed]

During the Second World War and as a precaution against the existing engines being damaged by enemy action, a third engine was installed in 1942: a 150 hp horizontal cross-compound engine, built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd. at their Elswick works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was fitted with a flywheel having a 9-foot (2.7 m) diameter and weighing 9 tons, and was governed to a speed of 30 rpm. The engine became redundant when the rest of the system was modernised in 1974, and was donated to the Forncett Industrial Steam Museum by the Corporation of the City of London.[11]

In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House, with the original final pinions driven by modern hydraulic motors and gearing. In 1982, the Tower Bridge Exhibition opened, housed in the bridge's twin towers, the long-closed high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. The latter still house the original steam engines and some of the original hydraulic machinery.[12][13][14]

A computer system was installed in 2000 to control the raising and lowering of the bascules remotely. It proved unreliable, resulting in the bridge being stuck in the open or closed positions on several occasions during 2005 until its sensors were replaced.[15]

In April 2008 it was announced that the bridge would undergo a 'facelift' costing £4 million, and taking four years to complete. The work entailed stripping off the existing paint down to bare metal and repainting in blue and white.[1][2] Each section was enshrouded in scaffolding and plastic sheeting to prevent the old paint falling into the Thames and causing pollution. Starting in mid-2008, contractors worked on a quarter of the bridge at a time to minimise disruption, but some road closures were inevitable. It is intended that the completed work will stand for 25 years.[16]

The renovation of the walkway interior was completed in mid-2009. Within the walkways a versatile new lighting system has been installed, designed by Eleni Shiarlis, for when the walkways are in use for exhibitions or functions. The new system provides for both feature and atmospheric lighting, the latter using bespoke RGB LED luminaires, designed to be concealed within the bridge superstructure and fixed without the need for drilling (these requirements as a result of the bridge's Grade I status).[17]

The renovation of the four suspension chains was completed in March 2010 using a state-of-the-art coating system requiring up to six different layers of 'paint'.[18]

The bridge featured in publicity for the 2012 Summer Olympics being held in London. In June 2012 a set of Olympic rings was suspended from the bridge to mark one month to go until the start of the games. The rings cost £259,817 to make, measured 25 by 11.5 metres (82 by 38 ft) and weighed 13 tonnes (14 short tons).[19]

On 8 July 2012, the west walkway was transformed into a 200-foot-long (61 m) Live Music Sculpture by the British composer Samuel Bordoli. 30 classical musicians were arranged along the length of the bridge 138 feet (42 m) above the Thames behind the Olympic rings. The sound travelled backwards and forwards along the walkway, echoing the structure of the bridge.[20][21]

Following the Olympics, the rings were removed from Tower Bridge and replaced by the emblem of the Paralympic Games for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[22]

Tower Bridge was closed to all road traffic for almost three months in late 2016 (1 October to 30 December).[23] This was to allow structural maintenance work to take place. The work included:

During this time the bridge was still open to water borne traffic as required by Act of Parliament. The bridge was open to pedestrians for all but three weekends, where a free ferry service was in operation.

The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes.

The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide.[7]

The main bridge deck carries two lanes of road traffic between two low-level pedestrian walkways across both suspension spans and the opening bascule section of the bridge, with the walkways separated from the roadway by fences. The roadway passes through each of the two towers, whereas the low-level walkways pass around the outside of the towers.

One of the chimneys on the bridge, which are often confused as lamp posts, connects up to an old fireplace in a guardroom of the Tower of London. It is long-disused.[24]

The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in several hydraulic accumulators.[25] The system was designed and installed by Hamilton Owen Rendel[26] while working for Sir W. G. Armstrong Mitchell & Company of Newcastle upon Tyne. Water, at a pressure of 750 psi (5.2 MPa), was pumped into the accumulators by two 360 hp (270 kW) horizontal twin-tandem compound stationary steam engines, fitted with Meyer expansion slide valves. Each engine drove a force pump from its piston tail rod. The accumulators each comprise a 20-inch (51 cm) ram on which sits a very heavy weight to maintain the desired pressure.

The entire hydraulic system along with the gas lighting system was installed by William Sugg & Co Ltd., the well known Westminster gas engineers. The gas lighting was initially by open flame burners within the lanterns but soon after was updated to the later incandescent system.[27]

In 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system, designed by BHA Cromwell House.[12] The only components of the original system still in use are the final pinions, which engage with the racks fitted to the bascules. These are driven by modern hydraulic motors and gearing, using oil rather than water as the hydraulic fluid.[13] Some of the original hydraulic machinery has been retained, although it is no longer in use. It is open to the public and forms the basis for the bridge's museum, which resides in the old engine rooms on the south side of the bridge. The museum includes the steam engines, two of the accumulators and one of the hydraulic engines that moved the bascules, along with other related artefacts.

To control the passage of river traffic through the bridge, a number of different rules and signals were employed. Daytime control was provided by red semaphore signals, mounted on small control cabins on either end of both bridge piers. At night, coloured lights were used, in either direction, on both piers: two red lights to show that the bridge was closed, and two green to show that it was open. In foggy weather, a gong was sounded as well.[7]

Vessels passing through the bridge had to display signals too: by day, a black ball at least 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter was to be mounted high up where it could be seen; by night, two red lights in the same position. Foggy weather required repeated blasts from the ship's steam whistle. If a black ball was suspended from the middle of each walkway (or a red light at night) this indicated that the bridge could not be opened. These signals were repeated about 1,000 yards (910 m) downstream, at Cherry Garden Pier, where boats needing to pass through the bridge had to hoist their signals/lights and sound their horn, as appropriate, to alert the Bridge Master.[7]

Some of the control mechanism for the signalling equipment has been preserved and may be seen working in the bridge's museum.

Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames: it is crossed by over 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists and pedestrians) every day.[15] The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone. (Drivers do not incur a charge by crossing the bridge.)

To maintain the integrity of the structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed a 20-mile-per-hour (32Â km/h) speed restriction, and an 18 tonnes (20 short tons) weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, using a number plate recognition system to send fixed penalty charges to speeding drivers.[29]

A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. Induction loops and piezoelectric sensors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles of each vehicle.[29]

The bascules are raised around 1000 times a year.[30] River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge, and opening times are published in advance on the bridge's website.[31] There is no charge for vessels to open the bridge.

When needing to be raised for the passage of a vessel the bascules are only raised to an angle sufficient for the vessel to safely pass under the bridge, except in the case of a vessel with the Monarch on board in which case they are raised fully no matter the size of the vessel.[citation needed]

The Tower Bridge Exhibition is a display housed in the bridge's twin towers, the high-level walkways and the Victorian engine rooms. It uses films, photos and interactive displays to explain why and how Tower Bridge was built. Visitors can access the original steam engines that once powered the bridge bascules, housed in a building close to the south end of the bridge.[14]

The exhibition charges an admission fee. Entrance is from the west side of the bridge deck to the northern tower, from where visitors ascend to level 4 by lift before crossing the high-level walkways to the southern tower. In the towers and walkways is an exhibition on the history of the bridge. The walkways also provide views over the city, the Tower of London and the Pool of London, and include a glass-floored section. From the south tower, visitors can visit the engine rooms, with the original steam engines, which are situated in a separate building beside the southern approach to the bridge.[32]

Although the bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure", wrote Henry Heathcote Statham,[33] while Frank Brangwyn stated that "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river".[34]

Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series Britain's Best Buildings.[35]

Tower Bridge is often mistaken for London Bridge,[36] the next bridge upstream. A popular urban legend is that in 1968, Robert P. McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge that was later shipped to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, believed that he was in fact buying Tower Bridge. This was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the vendor of the bridge.[37]

A partial replica of Tower Bridge has been built in the city of Suzhou in China. The replica differs from the original in having no lifting mechanism and having four separate towers.[38]

On 10 August 1912 Francis McClean flew between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short Brothers S.33 floatplane.[39][40]

In December 1952, the bridge opened while a number 78 double-decker bus was crossing from the south bank. At that time, the gateman would ring a warning bell and close the gates when the bridge was clear before the watchman ordered the raising of the bridge. The process failed while a relief watchman was on duty. The bus was near the edge of the south bascule when it started to rise; driver Albert Gunter made a split-second decision to accelerate, clearing a 3-foot (0.91 m) gap to drop 6 feet (1.8 m) onto the north bascule, which had not yet started to rise. There were no serious injuries.[41][42] Gunter was given £10 (equivalent to £260 in 2015[8]) by the City Corporation to honour his act of bravery.[43]

The Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident occurred on 5 April 1968 when a Royal Air Force Hawker Hunter FGA.9 jet fighter from No. 1 Squadron, flown by Flt Lt Alan Pollock, flew through Tower Bridge. Unimpressed that senior staff were not going to celebrate the RAF's 50th birthday with a fly-past, Pollock decided to do something himself. Without authorisation, Pollock flew the Hunter at low altitude down the Thames, past the Houses of Parliament, and continued on toward Tower Bridge. He flew the Hunter beneath the bridge's walkway, remarking afterwards that it was an afterthought when he saw the bridge looming ahead of him. Pollock was placed under arrest upon landing, and discharged from the RAF on medical grounds without the chance to defend himself at a court martial.[44][45]

In the summer of 1973, a single-engined Beagle Pup was twice flown under the pedestrian walkway of Tower Bridge by 29-year-old stockbroker's clerk Paul Martin. Martin was on bail following accusations of stockmarket fraud. He then "buzzed" buildings in The City, before flying north towards the Lake District where he died when his aircraft crashed some two hours later.[46]

In May 1997,[47] the motorcade of United States President Bill Clinton was divided by the opening of the bridge. The Thames sailing barge Gladys, on her way to a gathering at St Katharine Docks, arrived on schedule and the bridge was opened for her. Returning from a Thames-side lunch at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Clinton was less punctual and arrived just as the bridge was rising. The bridge opening split the motorcade in two, much to the consternation of security staff. A spokesman for Tower Bridge is quoted as saying: "We tried to contact the American Embassy, but they wouldn't answer the phone."[48]

On 19 August 1999, Jef Smith, a Freeman of the City of London, drove a flock of two sheep across the bridge. He was exercising a claimed ancient permission, granted as a right to Freemen, to make a point about the powers of older citizens and the way in which their rights were being eroded.[49]

Before dawn on 31 October 2003, David Crick, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner, climbed a 100-foot (30Â m) tower crane near Tower Bridge at the start of a six-day protest dressed as Spider-Man.[50] Fearing for his safety, and that of motorists should he fall, police cordoned off the area, closing the bridge and surrounding roads and causing widespread traffic congestion across the City and east London. The Metropolitan Police were later criticised for maintaining the closure for five days when this was not strictly necessary in the eyes of some citizens.[51][52]

On 11 May 2009, six people were trapped and injured after a lift fell 10 feet (3Â m) inside the north tower.[53]