Monday, December 31, 2007

Sir William Deane
Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE (born 4 January 1931), Australian judge and 22nd Governor-General of Australia, was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Catholic schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law. In addition, he also attended the Hague Academy of International Law. After graduation he worked in the federal Attorney-General's Department in Canberra, and travelled in Europe studying international law. He was called to the Sydney Bar in 1957, and also lectured in law at the University.
During this time Deane was active in the Catholic community and was interested in politics. In 1955 he was briefly a member of the Democratic Labor Party, a predominantly Catholic and anti-Communist breakaway from the Australian Labor Party. He soon became disillusioned with the party and played no further part in active politics, but he was strongly influenced by progressive Catholic doctrines of social justice and opposition to racial discrimination.
In 1977 Deane was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and in the same year he was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia and as President of the Australian Trade Practices Tribunal. In July 1982 he was appointed to the High Court of Australia, replacing Sir Ninian Stephen on his appointment as Governor-General. On the court he formed part of the majority that recognised native title in the landmark Mabo case of 1992.
In August 1995, Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating announced that the Queen had agreed to the appointment of Deane as Governor-General to succeed Bill Hayden. He retired from the High Court in November, and was sworn in as Governor-General on 16 February 1996 . Less than a month later, Keating's government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by John Howard. Deane and Howard found themselves in the most uncomfortable relationship between a Prime Minister and a Governor-General since Robert Menzies and Sir William McKell in 1949.
During his six-year term of office Deane became increasingly outspoken on social issues. While he never directly criticised the government, the tenor of his comments was clear to most observers. Conversely, Howard and his ministers were careful not to criticise Deane, but conservative press commentators and activists were less restrained. After Deane's term ended in 2001, Deane became openly critical of the Howard Government.
In 2001, Sir William Deane was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize "for his consistent support of vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians and his strong commitment to the cause of reconciliation."

Friday, December 28, 2007

Bus (disambiguation)
Besides designating the vehicle, bus may refer to:
A computer bus, see bus (computing)
An electrical bus
An enterprise service bus
The Airbus Aircraft Manufacturers
An abbreviation for the Bank of the United States
Jerome Bettis, a retired American football player nicknamed "The Bus"
Schelte J. Bus, an American astronomer
Bus, Pas-de-Calais, France
Bus-Saint-Rémy, France
An abbreviation for a business route of a highway

Thursday, December 27, 2007


In chemistry and biology, catalysis is the acceleration (increase in rate) of a chemical reaction by means of a substance, called a catalyst, which is itself not consumed by the overall reaction. The word is derived from the Greek noun κατάλυσις, related to the verb καταλύειν, meaning to annul or to untie or to pick up.
A catalyst provides an alternative route of reaction where the activation energy is lower than the original chemical reaction. Catalysts participate in reactions but are neither reactants nor products of the reaction they catalyze. An exception is the process of autocatalysis where the product of a reaction helps to accelerate the same reaction. They work by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction to occur, thus reducing the activation energy and increasing the reaction rate. More generally, one may at times call anything that accelerates a reaction, without itself being consumed or changed, a "catalyst" (for example, a "catalyst for political change").
A good example of a catalyst is in the disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide reacts to give water and oxygen gas by itself:
2 H2O2 → 2 H2O + O2
Usually, this reaction is slow. On the addition of manganese dioxide to a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide, an effervescence is observed, and much oxygen, detectable by a glowing splint, is evolved. The manganese dioxide may be recovered, and re-used indefinitely, thus it is a catalyst — it is not consumed by the reaction.
A promoter is an accelerator of catalysis, but not a catalyst by itself. An inhibitor inhibits the working of a catalyst.

Definitions

Main article: catalytic cycle Catalytic cycles
Catalysts work by providing an (alternative) mechanism involving a different transition state and lower activation energy. The effect of this is that more molecular collisions have the energy needed to reach the transition state. Hence, catalysts can perform reactions that, albeit thermodynamically feasible, would not run without the presence of a catalyst, or perform them much faster, more specific, or at lower temperatures. This can be observed on a Boltzmann distribution and energy profile diagram. This means that catalysts reduce the amount of energy needed to start a chemical reaction.
Catalysts cannot make energetically unfavorable reactions possible — they have no effect on the chemical equilibrium of a reaction because the rate of both the forward and the reverse reaction are equally affected (see also thermodynamics). The net free energy change of a reaction is the same whether a catalyst is used or not; the catalyst just makes it easier to activate.
The SI derived unit for measuring the catalytic activity of a catalyst is the katal, which is moles per second. The degree of activity of a catalyst can also be described by the turn over number (or TON) and the catalytic efficiency by the turn over frequency (TOF). The biochemical equivalent is the enzyme unit.

Catalysts and reaction energetics
Catalysts can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. Biocatalysts are often seen as a separate group.
Heterogeneous catalysts are present in different phases from the reactants (for example, a solid catalyst in a liquid reaction mixture), whereas homogeneous catalysts are in the same phase (for example, a dissolved catalyst in a liquid reaction mixture).

Types of catalysts

Main article: Heterogeneous catalysis Heterogeneous catalysts

Main article: Homogeneous catalysis Homogeneous catalysts

Main article: Biocatalysis Biocatalysts
In the context of electrochemistry, specifically in fuel cell engineering, various metal-rich catalysts are used to promote the efficiency of a half reaction that occurs within the fuel cell. One common type of fuel cell electrocatalyst is based upon tiny nanoparticles of platinum which adorn slightly larger carbon particles. When this type of platinum electrocatalyst is in contact with one of the electrodes in a fuel cell, it increases the rate of the redox half reaction in which oxygen gas is reduced to water (or hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide).

Electrocatalysts
Catalysis is of paramount importance in the chemical industry. The production of most industrially important chemicals involves catalysis. The earliest commercial processes are the Haber process for ammonia synthesis and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Research into catalysis is a major field in applied science, and involves many fields of chemistry, notably in organometallic chemistry, and physics. Catalysis is important in many aspects of environmental science, from the catalytic converter in automobiles to the causes of the ozone hole. Catalytic, rather than stoichiometric reactions are preferred in environmentally friendly green chemistry due to the reduced amount of waste generated.

Significance
Estimates are that 60% of all commercially produced chemical products involve catalysts at some stage in the process of their manufacture.
Manganese dioxide is used in the laboratory to prepare oxygen by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water.
Some of the most famous catalysts ever developed are:
Some examples of (famous) catalysts that perform specific transformations on functional groups:
These given examples show that different catalysts perform other transformations on the same functional groups, where the reaction would not run, run very slowly, or not run in a specific manner without the presence of the catalyst.
The most effective catalysts are usually transition metals or transition metal complexes.

Catalytic converters made from platinum and manganese break down some of the more harmful byproducts of automobile exhaust.
the Haber process for the synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen, where ordinary iron is used as a catalyst.
Transformations of olefinic groups:

  • the Ziegler-Natta catalyst used to mass produce polyethylene and polypropylene.
    the Grubbs' catalyst for olefin metathesis. Notable examples
    While transition metal catalysts are well established, a new trend is toward organocatalysis which use comparatively simple organic molecules as catalysts. While typically, catalyst loading is much higher than transition metal-based catalysts, the catalysts are usually commercially available in bulk, helping to reduce costs drastically. Organocatalysts of the "new generation" are competitive to traditional metal-containing catalysts and are owing to low product inhibion applicable in substoichiomertric quantities. The chemical character of organocatalysts offers new and attractive perspectives and advantages to synthetically working chemists.

    Catalyze Catalytic processes

    The journal Catalysts and Catalysed Reactions
    Autocatalysis
    Enzyme
    Enzyme catalysis
    Phase Boundary Catalysis
    SUMO enzymes

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Immigrants
City, Grønnehave (Green Gardens), North-West (Grøningen), Højstrup, Marienlyst, Nøjsomheden, Skotterup, Snekkersten, Sundparken, Vapnagård,

Helsingør In fiction

Helsingør municipality
Ålsgårde
Tourism in Denmark

Tuesday, December 25, 2007


Warner Music Group (WMG) is one of the four major record labels.
Warner Music Group also has a publishing arm, Warner/Chappell Music, which dates back to 1929, when Jack Warner, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., founded Music Publishers Holding Company ("MPHC") to acquire music copyrights as a means of providing inexpensive music for films. Amongst the historic compositions in which the publishing rights are controlled by WMG are the works of Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Its printed music operation, Warner Bros. Publications, was sold to Alfred Publishing on 2005-06-01.
WMG's roots in what became Time Warner date back to the founding of Warner Bros. Records as a division of the Warner Bros. movie studio in 1958. After Warner Bros. became Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967, it purchased Atlantic Records, now WMG's oldest label. When its successor Kinney National Company bought Elektra Records in 1970 and then became Warner Communications in 1972, it assembled the three labels into a group then known as WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic); that name was also used as a label outside the U.S. (WMG's current logo is the former Warner Communications logo). In 1987, it was announced that Warner Communications were to merge with Time Inc. to form Time Warner.
Time Warner sold the company in late 2003 to a group of investors led by Edgar Bronfman, Jr. for $2.6 billion. Time Warner was reportedly attempting to reduce its debt load. This spinoff was completed on February 27, 2004. In the 2004 transition to independent ownership, WMG hired record industry heavyweight Lyor Cohen from Universal Music Group to attempt to reduce cost and increase performance.
On May 5, 2006, WMG apparently rejected a buyout offer from EMI[1]. Then WMG offered to buy EMI and it also rejected the offer. The two companies are still in talks about a potential merger. The headquarters are located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. It is interesting to note that Time Warner may still have some ownership of Warner music because WMG does not license its trademarks from its former parent company.

Warner Music Group List of Warner labels

143 Records—founded in 1994 by David Foster.
Atlantic Records—founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson.
Bad Boy Records—founded in 1993 by Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Elektra Records—founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman.
Lava Records—founded in 1995 by Jason Flom
Roadrunner Records—founded in 1980 by Cees Wessels. Atlantic Records Group

Asylum Records—founded in 1971 by David Geffen.
East West Records—founded in 1955 (today serves as an umbrella label for various indie labels.)

  • Adeline Records
    Better Looking Records
    The Bevonshire Label
    Born & Bred Records
    Broken English
    Floodgate Records
    Liberty & Lament
    Montalban Hotel
    One Eleven Records
    Perfect Game Recording Co.
    Tent Show
    Triple Crown Records
    Volcom Entertainment
    We Put Out Records
    Rhymesayers Entertainment
    Eleven: A Music Company Independent Label Group

    Atco Records
    Rhino Records
    Rhino Home Video
    Warner Custom Products
    Warner Music Group Soundtracks
    WMG Film, Television & Commercial Licensing Rhino Entertainment Company

    Rykodisc Records
    Ryko Distribution
    Cordless Recordings Ryko Corporation

    Warner Bros. Records—launched by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1958.
    Blacksmith Records—founded by Talib Kweli in 2005.
    Maverick Records—founded by Freddy DeMann and Madonna in 1991.
    Nonesuch Records—founded by Jac Holzman in 1964.
    Reprise Records—founded by Frank Sinatra in 1960
    RuffNation Records
    Sire Records—founded by Seymour Stein in 1966.
    Word Entertainment

    • Squint Entertainment
      Word Label Group
      Word Records— founded by Jarrell McCracken in 1951
      Word Publishing
      Word Distribution
      Word Music Warner Bros. Records Inc.
      WEA International Inc. has divisions worldwide such as Australia, Japan and all over Europe. These branches are usually called Warner Music followed by the name of the country. Some labels have more than one record company for example the UK has Warner Bros. UK and Atlantic UK.

      Warner Music UK

      • Warner Bros. Records UK
        Atlantic Records UK
        London Records (originally the U.S. label for Decca)
        679 Recordings
        Warner Music Gallo Africa

        • Gallo Record Company—the largest South African record label
          1967 Ltd

          • Must Destroy Records (distribution)
            The Beats (labels deal)
            WSM (warner.esp) WEA International Inc.

            Chiyun Records
            Vice Records
            Lightyear Entertainment
            Sub Pop
            New Line Records
            Green label records
            SaraBellum Records
            VMG Recordings
            Teleprompt Records
            Rhymesayers Entertainment
            Alternative Distribution Alliance (a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records and Sub Pop)

Monday, December 24, 2007


Anatolia (Turkish: Anadolu; Greek: Ανατολία) is a geographic region with two related but distinctly different senses of meaning (in English-language usage) that are usually clear from the context.
The term refers to both the greater region, the peninsula of Southwest Asia often called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, and (somewhat incorrectly) the smaller upland region within, known more properly as the Anatolian Plateau (covered below). The peninsular region comprises the greater Asian part of the modern country of Turkey (96 %), as opposed to its European portion (known as Thrace or Rumelia) (4 %).

Etymology

Main article: History of AnatoliaAnatolians Geography
The Black Sea region has a steep, rocky coast with rivers that cascade through the gorges of the coastal ranges. The North Anatolian mountains are an interrupted chain of folded highlands that generally parallel the Black Sea coast. A few larger rivers, those cutting back through the Pontic Mountains (Turkish: Doğu Karadeniz Dağları), have tributaries that flow in broad, elevated basins. Rivers flow from the mountains toward the Black Sea trough in lengthy valleys.
Access inland from the coast is limited to a few narrow valleys because mountain ridges, with elevations of 1,525 to 1,800 metres (5,000 to 5,900 ft) in the west and 3,000 to 4,000 metres (10000 to 13000 ft) in the east in Kaçkar Mountains, form an almost unbroken wall separating the coast from the interior. The higher slopes facing southwest tend to be densely wet. Because of these natural conditions, the Black Sea coast historically has been isolated from Anatolia. The southern slopes—facing the Anatolian Plateau—are mostly unwooded, but the northern slopes contain dense growths of both deciduous and evergreen trees.
The narrow coastal plains of the Mediterranean region, separated from the Anatolian plateau by the Taurus Mountains, which reach elevations of 2,000 to 2,750 metres (6600 to 9000 ft), are cultivated intensively. Fertile soils and a warm climate make the Mediterranean coast ideal for growing citrus fruits, grapes, figs, bananas, various vegetables, barley, wheat, and, in irrigated areas, rice and cotton. The Çukurova in the east is a plain that is the most developed agricultural area of the Mediterranean region.
Stretching inland from the Aegean coastal plain, Central Anatolia occupies the area between the two zones of the folded mountains, extending east to the point where the two ranges converge. The plateau-like, semiarid highlands of Anatolia are considered the heartland of the country. The region varies in elevation from 600 to 1,200 metres (2000 to 4000 ft) from west to east. The two largest basins on the plateau are the Konya Ovası and the basin occupied by the large salt lake, Tuz Gölü. Both basins are characterized by inland drainage. Wooded areas are confined to the northwest and northeast of the plateau.

Background
Eastern Anatolia, where the Pontus and Taurus mountain ranges converge, is rugged country with higher elevations, a more severe climate, and greater precipitation than are found on the Anatolian Plateau. The region is known as the Anti-Taurus, and the average elevation of its peaks exceeds 3,000 m. Mount Ararat, at 5,137 metres (16854 ft) the highest point in Turkey, is located in the Anti-Taurus. Lake Van is situated in the mountains at an elevation of 1,546 metres (5072 ft). The headwaters of three major rivers arise in the Anti-Taurus: the east-flowing Aras, which empties into the Caspian Sea; the south-flowing Euphrates and Tigris join in Iraq before emptying into the Persian Gulf. Several small streams that empty into the Black Sea or landlocked Lake Van also originate in these mountains.
Southeast Anatolia lies south of the Anti-Taurus Mountains. It is a region of rolling hills and a broad plateau surface that extends into Syria. Elevations decrease gradually, from about 800 metres (2600 ft) in the north to about 500 metres (1600 ft) in the south. Traditionally, wheat and barley were the main crops of the region, but the inauguration of major new irrigation projects in the 1980s has led to greater agricultural diversity and development.

Eastern Anatolia
Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the interior of Turkey a continental climate with distinct seasons. The Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than are the coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of -30 °C to -40 °C (-22 °F to -40 °F) can occur in the mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the ground 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C (34 °F). Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F). Annual precipitation averages about 400 mm (15.7 inches), with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya Ovası and the Malatya Ovası, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300 mm (11.8 inches). May is generally the wettest month and July and August are the driest.

Ecoregions of Anatolia
The masculine given name Anatoly, common in Russia and Ukraine, and the Western European variant Anatole, common in France and other French-speaking countries, derive from "Anatolia".

Sunday, December 23, 2007

CKGB-FM
CKGB is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts an adult contemporary format at 99.3 FM in Timmins, Ontario. The station uses the on-air brand EZRock (pronounced "E-Zee Rock", not "E-Zed Rock".)
The station is owned by Rogers Communications.
The station was launched in late 1933 by young Northern Ontario media entrepreneur Roy Thomson, who would later become the owner of The Times of London. Thomson acquired the Timmins Daily Press in 1934, and the newspaper and radio station shared a building and ownership for many years. The station broadcast on AM from its inception, periodically changing frequencies until its last AM home at 750 in 1984, and adopting a country music format in 1990.
In 2001, the station moved to FM, retaining its legendary call letters as CKGB-FM but taking on the EZRock brand and adult contemporary format, giving the small Timmins radio market its first direct competition, as the Haliburton Broadcasting Group-owned CHMT had launched as adult contemporary/CHR hybrid Mix 93 just a few months before. Less than a year after EZRock's Timmins launch, CHMT flipped to fill the void in country radio as Moose FM.

Saturday, December 22, 2007


The creation of super regions in the Philippines is a proposed plan by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her sixth State of the Nation Address to group the selected regions/provinces by their economic strengths.

Super regions of the Philippines Composition

Ilocos Region
Cordillera Administrative Region
Cagayan Valley
Central Luzon

  • Aurora
    Nueva Ecija
    Tarlac
    Zambales Metro Luzon Urban Beltway

    MIMAROPA

    • Romblon
      Palawan
      Bicol Region
      Western Visayas
      Central Visayas
      Eastern Visayas
      Zamboanga Peninsula

      • Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte
        Northern Mindanao

        • Camiguin
          Caraga

          • Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte Central Philippines

            Zamboanga Peninsula
            Northern Mindanao
            Davao Region
            SOCCSKSARGEN
            Caraga
            Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao PCC/CC

            Regions of the Philippines
            Economy of the Philippines

Friday, December 21, 2007

Jeremy Miller
Jeremy James Miller (born October 21, 1976) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on Growing Pains and its two reunion movies. He also voiced Linus Van Pelt in Happy New Year, Charlie Brown along with Chad Allen.

Biography
Jeremy was born in West Covina, California, to James Miller and Sonja Morckel. He was cast in a few commercials, then a 1984 guest role in Punky Brewster before landing the role of Ben Seaver, the youngest son on Growing Pains.
He admits to having a "nervous breakdown" when he was ten years old.

Early life and career
At about age fourteen, Miller received numerous letters from an older male stalker during the run of the show. The stalker threatened to molest and kill Miller in his letters and even listed the date he planned to come to the set to carry out the fantasy. Miller knew nothing of the letters nor the stalker's intent. Miller was stunned to find out that the heightened security presence around the set during this time was orchestrated to protect him. In another letter, the stalker was bold enough to actually write down his home address. The FBI arrested the individual shortly thereafter near the Philadelphia area. He was later convicted and sent to prison for his actions.
Miller most recently was seen speaking in commercials for McDonald's "Dollar Menunaires" promotion. The commercials were shot in the style of the VH1 series Best Week Ever.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Gary Powers
Francis "Frank" Gary Powers (August 17, 1929August 1, 1977) Capt. USAF; was an American pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down while over the Soviet Union, thus causing the U-2 Crisis of 1960.
He was born in Jenkins, Kentucky and was raised in Pound, Virginia, on the Virginia-Kentucky border. After graduating from Milligan College in Eastern Tennessee, Gary was commissioned in the United States Air Force in 1950. Upon completing his training (52-H) he was assigned to the 468th Strategic Fighter Squadron at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia as an F-84 Thunderjet pilot. He was assigned to operations in the Korean War, but (according to his son) was recruited by the CIA because of his outstanding record in single engine jet aircraft, soon after recovering from an illness. He left the Air Force with the rank of captain in 1956, to join the CIA U-2 program.
U-2 pilots carried out espionage missions over hostile countries including the Soviet Union, systematically photographing military installations and other important intelligence targets. Powers' U-2, which was stationed at Badaber Air Base, near Peshawar in Pakistan, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile on May 1, 1960 over Sverdlovsk; he was convicted of espionage against the Soviet Union and sentenced to three years imprisonment and seven years of hard labor. However, on February 10, 1962, twenty-one months after his capture, he was exchanged along with American student Frederic Pryor in a spy swap for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel) at the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin, Germany.
On his return to the U.S., Powers was criticized for having failed to activate his aircraft's self-destruct charge to destroy the camera, photographic film, and related classified parts of his aircraft before capture. In addition, others criticized him for deciding not to use an optional CIA-issued suicide pin. This pin, which was concealed in a hollowed out silver dollar, could be used to avoid pain and suffering in case of torture. After being debriefed extensively by the CIA, Lockheed, and the USAF, on March 6, 1962 he appeared before a Senate Armed Services Select Committee hearing chaired by Senator Richard Russell and including Senators Prescott Bush and Barry Goldwater, Sr. During the proceeding it was determined that Powers followed orders, did not divulge any critical information to the Soviets, and conducted himself "as a fine young man under dangerous circumstances."
After his return, Powers worked for Lockheed as a test pilot from 1963 to 1970. In 1970, he co-wrote a book about the Incident, called Operation Overflight: A Memoir of the U-2 Incident. He died in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles on August 1, 1977, while working as a helicopter reporter for television station KNBC. The crash of his helicopter was apparently caused by a malfunctioning fuel gauge which had been repaired without his knowledge. Survived by his wife Sue, and two children Dee and Francis Gary Jr., he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1998, information was declassified revealing that Powers' fateful mission had actually been a joint USAF/CIA operation. In 2000, on the 40th anniversary of Powers being shot down, his family was finally presented with his posthumously awarded Prisoner of War Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross and National Defense Service Medal.
When asked how high he was flying on May 1, 1960, he would often reply, "not high enough."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Korean Liberation Army
The Korean Liberation Army was the armed force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and was created on September 17, 1941 in Chongqing, China. Its commandant was General Ji Cheong-cheon, with General Lee Bum Suk, a hero of the Battle of Cheongsanri and future prime minister of South Korea as the Chief of Staff.
The KLA brought together many Korean guerilla armies that proliferated in Northern Korea, Manchuria and mainland China during the 1920's. After the declaration of war by the Provisional Government against Japan and Germany on December 9, 1941, the units of the KLA participated on the allied side in the Chinese and Southeast Asian theatres. The Regulation regarding the activities of the Korean Liberation Army, imposed by the Chinese Nationalist Government upon the provisional government in 1941, placed the KLA under the supreme authority of the Commander-in-chief of the Chinese army. This regulation was repealed in 1944, after the provisional government had achieved improved financial standing and greater importance in the eyes of the Chinese government.
In 1943, socialist-aligned guerilla groups joined the KLA, and their leader, General Kim Wonbong, became the deputy commandant of the KLA. Its' numbers were continuously boosted by the influx of Koreans escaping from the Japanese army (into which some in mainland Korea had been impressed) and through the recruitment of Koreans living in China. From its humble beginnings with an officer corps of 30 men at its foundation in 1941, the KLA grew to a substantial force with almost a thousand in active service by the end of the war.
In 1945, the KLA was working in cooperation with the US Office of Strategic Services to train men for specialist military operations within Korea. The leading units were due to depart on August 20, with General Lee in command. However, the aspiration of the KLA to play a significant role in the liberation of Korea from Japanese occupation was not fulfilled, as Japan unconditionally surrendered to the allies on August 15. Three days later, a helicopter carrying twenty-odd members of the KLA landed in Seoul, only to be forced back by the Japanese military, which refused to surrender until USA military forces arrived.
The members of the KLA returned to Korea during late 1945 and 1946. Many of its' members, including Generals Ji and Lee, were to become part of the South Korean government, while General Kim contributed to the North Korean regime of Kim Il-sung, who himself claimed to have been a KLA commander.
There has been a movement in South Korea for years to change the National Armed Forces Day from October 1 to September 17, in honour of the foundation of the Korean Liberation Army in 1941.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Marshall Teague
1951 AAA Stock Car Driver of the Year
1952 & 1954 AAA National Stock Car Champion
inducted in the National Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1988)
inducted in the TRS/NASCAR Mechanics Hall of Fame (1989)
inducted in the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame (1991)
Marshall Teague (February 22, 1922 - February 11, 1959) was an American race car driver.
He was nicknamed by NASCAR fans as the "King of the Beach" for his performances at the Daytona Beach Road Course.
He walked into fellow Daytona Beach resident Smokey Yunick's "Best Damned Garage in Town", and launched Yunick's legendary NASCAR mechanic career.
Teague competed in 23 NASCAR Grand National (now Nextel Cup) races from 1949 to 1952, winning seven of them. Teague approached Hudson by traveling to Michigan and visiting the plant without an appointment; by the end of the visit Hudson virtually assured Teague of corporate support and cars; the relationship was formalized shortly after the visit. During the 1951 and 1952 seasons Teague was a member of the Hudson Motors team and driving what he called the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Teague was also instrumental in helping Hudson tune the I6 powered Hudson Hornet to its maximum stock capability. When combined with the cars light weight and low center of gravity, the Hornet allowed Teague and the other Hudson drivers to dominate stock car racing from 1951 through 1954, consistently beating out other drivers in cars powered by larger, more modern engines. Yunick and Teague won 27 of 34 events in major stock car events [1].
However, he left NASCAR in 1953 following a dispute with NASCAR founder William France Sr. and went to the AAA and USAC.

Marshall Teague Indy 500 results
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Marshall Teague participated in 2 World Championship races. He started on the pole 0 times, won 0 races, set 0 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 0 times. He accumulated a total of 0 championship points.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Battle of Cajamarca
The Battle of Cajamarca was a surprise attack on the Inca royal entourage orchestrated by Francisco Pizarro. Sprung in the evening of November 16, 1532 in the great plaza of Cajamarca, the ambush, lasting no more than half an hour, achieved its singular goal of capturing Emperor Atahualpa.
The confrontation at Cajamarca was the culmination of a months-long contest of espionage, subterfuge, and diplomacy conducted by Pizarro and the Inca via their respective envoys. Atahualpa had received the invaders from a position of immense strength. Encamped along the heights of Cajamarca with legions of battle-tested troops fresh from their victories in the civil war against his half-brother Huascar, the Inca had little to fear from Pizarro's minute army, however extravagant its dress and weaponry. In a calculated show of goodwill, he had lured the adventurers deep into the heart of his mountain empire where any potential threat could be met with a show of force. The Spaniards arrived on November 15. Atahualpa, according to Spanish sources, planned to recruit a few of the conquistadores into his own service and to appropriate Spanish firearms and horses for his armies.
According to a book called History Of The Conquest Of Peru, written by 19th century author William H. Prescott, he recounts the Spanish invasion in the city plaza, any assault on the Inca armies overlooking the valley would have rightly seemed suicidal. Retreat was equally out of the question, because any gesture of weakness that might undermine their inflated display of potency would invite furious pursuit and the sealing of the mountain passes. Once the great stone fortresses dotting their route of escape were garrisoned, argued Pizarro, they would prove impenetrable. But to do nothing, he added, to dally in the fragile and fleeting safety of the Inca's good graces, was no better, since prolonged contact with the natives would erode the fears of Spanish supernaturality that kept them at bay.
Pizarro gathered his officers on the evening of November 15 and outlined a scheme that, in its audacity, recalled memories of Hernán Cortés' exploits in Mexico: he would capture the emperor from within the midst of his own armies. Since this could not realistically be accomplished in an open field, Pizarro invited the Inca to Cajamarca.
Atahualpa accepted this invitation, but, leading a procession of over eighty thousand men, advanced down the hillside only slowly the next day. Pizarro's fortunes changed dramatically in late afternoon when Atahualpa announced that the greater part of his host would set up camp outside the walls of the city. He requested that accommodations be provided only for himself and his retinue, which would forsake its weapons in a sign of amity and absolute confidence.
Having concealed themselves within the city, the Spaniards allowed the Incas to enter unopposed. An incident occurred when friar Vincente de Valverde approached the Inca and ordered him to renounce his pagan religion and to accept Catholicism as faith and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor as sovereign. Atahualpa was equally insulted and confused by the Spaniard's demands. Although Atahualpa likely had no intention of conceding to their demands, according to chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega he did attempt inquiry into the Spanish faith and their king, but Pizarro's men began to grow impatient.
At once, the Spaniards unleashed murderous gunfire at the vulnerable mass of Incas and surged forward in a concerted action. The effect was devastating: the shocked and largely unarmed Incas offered such feeble resistance that the battle has often been labeled a massacre. Contemporary accounts by members of Pizzaro's force explain how the Spanish forces used a cavalry charge against the Inca forces, who had never seen horses, in combination with gunfire from cover (the Inca forces also never having encountered guns before). Other factors in the Spaniard's favour were their steel swords, helmets and armour, against the Inca forces who had only leather armour and stone or wooden clubs and spears. In addition, the first target of the Spanish attack consisted of the Inca Emperor and all of the top commanders of the army; once these had been killed or captured the Inca forces were disorganised as the command structure of the army had been effectively decapitated.
At length, Pizarro captured and imprisoned the Inca at the so-called "Ransom Room", ending all attempts at resistance. Although years of fighting would continue as the Spaniards consolidated their conquests, the Inca Empire effectively fell with a single blow at Cajamarca.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1977. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the Deep Purple song), doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they reformed five years later, in 1987. Despite major personnel changes, they are still touring and recording as of 2007. Jake Burns, their lead singer, is the only member to have been with the band during all its incarnations, although in March 2006, original bass guitarist Ali McMordie rejoined them following the departure of Bruce Foxton after fifteen years.

Early years
In the second half of 1978, they toured with the Tom Robinson Band, and in 1979, they released their first album, Inflammable Material. This inspired their move to London, which led to the departure of Brian Falloon and Colin McClelland (who along with Gordon Ogilvie had been joint manager of the band up until that point). Inflammable Material was the first album released on Rough Trade records, and the first independent album to chart in the UK.
Jim Reilly became their drummer in time for the "Gotta Gettaway" single, and played in the Rock Against Racism tour.

Inflammable Material
In mid-1979, Stiff Little Fingers signed to Chrysalis Records, and in 1980 released their second album, Nobody's Heroes. 1981's Go For It followed. Soon after the Go For It tour, Jim Reilly left the band. His place was taken by Brian 'Dolphin' Taylor, who Jake remembered from Taylor's days with the Tom Robinson Band.

Breakup
In 1982 came a 4 song EP called £1.10 or Less and then their fourth studio album, Now Then... (although their fifth album, as they had released a live LP, Hanx, between Nobody's Heroes and Go For It). By this time they had diversified musically, and Now Then had an almost pop feel about it in places. This led some of their more hard core punk fans to feel alienated, and in the face of low sales and concert attendances, they broke up in 1983, when Burns said: "Our last LP Now Then was to my mind the best album we have made. But it is also unfortunately the best I think we will ever make. So I have decided to call it a day." The band later revealed the original split had been somewhat acrimonious, with bandmembers apparently having fistfights rather than talking through their differences.

Now Then
They reformed in 1987; according to Burns, because they were "skint and wanted to make a bit of cash to get back to Ireland for Christmas". They released some live albums and did short tours towards the end of the 1980s, and by 1990 were thinking of reforming permanently.

Reformation
Ali McMordie decided he could not commit the time to tour full-time or record, and so left, being replaced by Bruce Foxton (previously bass guitarist in The Jam) in time to record 1991's Flags and Emblems. In Britain, the single from this album, "Beirut Moon", was withdrawn from sale on the first day of release , and the trio of Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton and Dolphin Taylor continued for the next four years, joined on live shows by either Dave Sharp or Ian McCallum.

Flags and Emblems
In 1994 they released Get a Life in the UK, releasing it in the U.S. in 1996. By the end of 1996 Taylor left due to family commitments. Burns called in Steve Grantley who had played drums for Jake Burns and the Big Wheel in the late 1980s.

Get A Life
The trio of Burns, Foxton and Grantley recorded 1997's Tinderbox album, with help from Ian McCallum who joined as a full time member for 1999's and best of all...Hope Street . This same line-up recorded 2003's Guitar and Drum.

Tinderbox - Guitar and Drum
On January 18, 2006, the following announcement appeared on the SLF Website. Bruce Foxton has announced that he is to leave Stiff Little Fingers with immediate effect. After 15 years of writing, recording and touring with SLF Bruce says it is time to move on and concentrate on other projects. "The situation is amicable" says Foxton. "I have enjoyed my time with Jake, Ian and Steve and will miss them. Naturally I wish them all continued success and hope to catch up with the boys during their spring tour."
Obviously, we as well wish Bruce every success in everything he goes on to do in the future. He has been a fantastic asset to the band and we'll miss him as well.
Jake, Steve, Ian.
On January 23, 2006, it was announced that original bass guitarist Ali McMordie was to rejoin the band for the duration of their upcoming March tour. The tour was a success, with many fans writing into SLF's message board saying how much they enjoyed it, and how fired up the band seemed to be. After much discussion regarding the status of McMordie within the band after the tour, on 21 April 2006, Burns posted the following on the message board.
"For the time being Mr. McMordie is happy to continue as long as his busy schedule allows. It may be that occasionally we have to bring on a "substitute", if he is up to his eyes and we need to do something, but hopefully we can avoid that.
Cheers,
Jake."

Lineup change
On March 9, 2007, Jake Burns announced that Stiff Little Fingers would be recording a new album which would hopefully be completed by the end of 2007. They have previewed a track from the new album, "Liars Club", at live concerts. The track is named after a bar Jake drove past on his way home whilst listening to a press report about Tony Blair, George Bush & the Iraq War.

New Album

Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Brian Falloon - drums
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Ali McMordie - bass guitar, vocals
Brian Falloon - drums
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Ali McMordie - bass guitar, vocals
Jim Reilly - drums
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Ali McMordie - bass guitar, vocals
Dolphin Taylor - drums, vocals
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Ali McMordie - bass guitar, vocals
Dolphin Taylor - drums, vocals
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Henry Cluney - guitar, vocals
Bruce Foxton - bass guitar, vocals
Dolphin Taylor - drums, vocals
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Bruce Foxton - bass guitar, vocals
Dolphin Taylor - drums, vocals
Dave Sharp - guitar (live only, not an official band member)
Ian McCallum - guitar {live only, not an official band member)
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Bruce Foxton - bass guitar, vocals
Steve Grantley - drums, vocals
Dave Sharp - guitar (live only, not an official band member)
Ian McCallum - guitar {live only, not an official band member)
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Ian McCallum - guitar, vocals
Bruce Foxton - bass guitar, vocals
Steve Grantley - drums, vocals
Jake Burns - vocals, guitar
Ian McCallum - guitar, vocals
Ali McMordie - bass guitar, vocals
Steve Grantley - drums, vocals Personnel

Discography

"Suspect Device", 1978
"Alternative Ulster", 1978
"Gotta Gettaway", 1979
"Straw Dogs", 1979
"At the Edge", 1980
"Nobody's Hero", 1980
"Back to Front", 1980
"Just Fade Away", 1981
"Silver Lining", 1981
£1.10 Or Less EP ("Listen"/"That's When Your Blood Bumps"/"Sad-Eyed People"/"Two Guitars Clash"), 1982
"Talkback", 1982
"Bits of Kids", 1982
"Price of Admission", 1982
"Beirut Moon", 1991
"Get a Life", 1994
"Guitar and Drum", 2004 Studio albums
They also made the music for the game Pro Pinball: Timeshock! (1997)

The Christmas Album, (1979)
Broken Fingers/Live In Aberdeen, 1979
Hanx, (1980)
All the Best, 1983
Live and Loud, (1988)
No Sleep 'Til Belfast, 1988
Greatest Hits Live, 1988
See You Up There, (1989)
Alternative Chartbusters, (1991)
Fly The Flags, (1994) (or 1991 depending on source)
Tin Soldiers, (2000)
The Radio One Sessions, (2003)
Fifteen and Counting... Live at the Barrowland 17th March 2006
Live In Aberdeen 1979, 2007)

Saturday, December 15, 2007


Gourock (Guireag in Scottish Gaelic -- pimple shaped or rounded) is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde. Its principal function today, however, is as a popular residential area, extending contiguously from Greenock, with a railway terminus and ferry services across the Clyde.

Areas of Gourock
Sunset view from Lyle Hill
The Waverley in front of the old Bay Hotel
Caledonian MacBrayne ferries at the pierhead
Granny Kempock
Greengrocer's shop in Kempock Street
Baker's shop in Kempock Street
Outdoor heated pool
Gourock Ashton Front promenade

Friday, December 14, 2007


The National Socialist Program, also referred to as the 25-point program or 25-point plan was developed to formulate the party policies of, first, the Austrian German Workers Party (or DAP) and was copied later by Adolf Hitler's Nazi party. It is an amalgamation of demands that would be typically associated with various different (and antagonistic) political trends. It was first developed in Vienna, at a German Workers Party congress, and was brought to Munich by Rudolf Jung, who was expelled from Czechoslovakia. The National Socialist program also contained a number of points that supported democracy and even called for wider democratic rights. These, like much of the program, lost their importance as the Party evolved, and were ignored by the Nazis after they rose to power.
Background: At the time this program was written, Czechoslovakia and Austria did not exist as separate countries. They both existed under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The programs of the Sudetenland and Austrian National Socialists developed under the Habsburg monarchy and in one single country at the time. Different German Worker parties developed in Vienna, Aussig, and Eger. Hitler and the other leaders that would later play a major role in Nazi Germany were not involved in the creation of the original National Socialist programs, a fact which explains the differences between these programs and the actions of the German Nazi Party.

Matsue, Shimane Austrian Party Platform
The 25 point Program of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) was proclaimed by Adolf Hitler at a large party gathering in Munich on February 25, 1920 when the group was still known as the German Workers Party. The party kept the program when it changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party in April 1920 and it remained the official party program throughout the party's existence - though many of the demands listed in it were not carried out after the NSDAP eventually came to power. The program was adapted from Rudolf Jung's Austro-Bohemian program by Anton Drexler, Adolf Hitler, Gottfried Feder and Dietrich Eckart. Unlike the Austrian program, the NSDAP program makes no claims of being "liberal" or democratic, nor does it express an opposition to "reaction" or to aristocracy. However, it endorses democratic institutions such as the central parliament of Germany, and makes no mention of wishing to abolish democracy - on the contrary, by demanding that only Germans be allowed to vote, it implicitly assumes that voting would still take place under a NSDAP government. This is one of the several areas where real Nazi practice diverged from Nazi demands.
Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn argues that ten of the twenty-five points are pro-labor, claiming that "the program championed the right to employment and called for the institution of profit sharing, confiscation of war profits, prosecution of userers and profiteers, nationalization of trusts, communalization of department stores, extension of the old-age pension system, creation of a national education program of all classes, prohibition of child labor, and an end to the dominance of investment capital."

National Socialist Program The full text of the 25 point program