Quadrant Model of Reality Book 15 Art and Food

Art Chapter

QMRThe Left Hand of God is a fantasy novel written by Paul Hoffman and first released in 2010. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 903 libraries.[1] It is the first book in a trilogy with the same name. The second book is The Last Four Things, published in 2011, and the third is The Beating of His Wings, published in 2013.[2][3]

QMRThe Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things is a painting that has traditionally been attributed to Hieronymus Bosch, completed around 1500 or later. Since 1898 its authenticity has been questioned several times. The painting is oil on wood panels and is presented in a series of circular images. Four small circles, detailing the four last things — "Death of the Sinner", "Judgment", "Hell" and "Glory" — surround a larger circle in which the seven deadly sins are depicted: wrath at the bottom, then (proceeding clockwise) envy, greed, gluttony, sloth, extravagance (later replaced with lust), and pride, in scenes from life rather than in allegorical representations of the sins.[1] At the centre of the large circle, which is said to represent the eye of God, is a "pupil" in which Christ can be seen emerging from his tomb. Below this image is the Latin inscription Cave Cave Deus Videt ("Beware, Beware, God Sees"). Above and below the central image are inscription in Latin of Deuteronomy 32:28-29, containing the lines "For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them", above, and "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" below.

QMRKenner Star Wars action figures

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Star Wars "Early Bird Certificate" toyline from a 1977 Kenner Products catalog

The Kenner toy company produced a line of Star Wars action figures based on characters in the original Star Wars movie trilogy. Over 100 unique action figures were produced and sold from 1978 to 1985, during which time over 300 million Star Wars action figures were sold.

The license for Star Wars action figures was offered in 1976 to the Mego Corporation, which was the leading company in action figures in the 1970s. Mego refused the offer and the license was subsequently picked up by Kenner, a subsidiary of General Mills.[1]

Although the original Star Wars film had been released in May 1977, Kenner was unprepared for the unprecedented response to the film and the high demand for toys. Unable to build sufficient stock in time for the lucrative Christmas market, they instead sold an "Early Bird Certificate Package" which included a certificate which could be mailed to Kenner and redeemed for four Star Wars action figures.[2] The box also contained a diorama display stand, some stickers, and a Star Wars fan club membership card.[3][4][5]

By the time the action figures were offered for direct sale in shops, the range had been augmented with a further eight figures, bringing the total number of figures in the initial release to twelve. These were supplemented later in 1978 with a number of vehicle and playset accessories, as well as the J.C. Penney exclusive Sonic controlled landspeeder and the Sears exclusive Cantina adventure playset which introduced four new figures.[6][7]

The four figures that were first brought out in the Sears Cantina set were released for individual sale with a further four figures later in 1978, bringing the total number of figures to 20. Demand for the action figures and accessories was such that Kenner continued to have difficulty fulfilling demand. Shortages of the toys in the lead up to Christmas 1978 led some to claim that Kenner were deliberately manipulating the market.[8] Sales of Kenner's Star Wars range in 1978 reached 40 million units, accounting for a revenue of $100 million.[9]

Ryan Merkle QMRFirst 4 Figures is an United Kingdom and Hong Kong based toy and model company. First 4 Figures produces merchandise statues of well-known licenses, such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Metroid and Sonic the Hedgehog.

QMRStraight flush[edit]

"Straight flush" redirects here. For the World War II bomber, see Straight Flush (B-29). For NATO designation of the Soviet radar, see 2K12 Kub.

8 of hearts7 of hearts6 of hearts5 of hearts4 of hearts

Defeats

6 of spades5 of spades4 of spades3 of spades2 of spades

Jack of clubs10 of clubs9 of clubs8 of clubs7 of clubs

Ties with

Jack of diamonds10 of diamonds9 of diamonds8 of diamonds7 of diamonds

Straight flush examples

A straight flush is a hand that contains five cards in sequence, all of the same suit, such as Q J 10 9 8 (a hand that meets the requirements of both a straight and a flush). Two such hands are compared by their card that is ranked highest. Aces can play high or low in straights and straight flushes: 5 4 3 2 A is a 5-high straight flush, also known as a "steel wheel".[2][3]

An ace-high straight flush such as A K Q J 10 is known as a royal flush, and is the highest-ranking standard poker hand. It is usually treated as a distinct hand in video poker. There are four possible royal flushes, one of each suit.

In five-card poker, there are 40 possible straight flushes, including the four royal flushes. The probability of being dealt a straight flush is \frac {4\cdot 10}{2{,}598{,}960} \approx 0.0015\%.

In seven-card poker such as Texas hold 'em, the frequency of straight flush is 41,584 (4,324 for royal flush and 37,260 for non-royal straight flush); the probability of straight flush is approximately 0.0311% (0.0032% for royal flush and 0.0279% for non-royal straight flush).[4][Note 3]

Painting Chapter

QMRIn Christian eschatology, the Four Last Things or four last things of man (Latin: quattuor novissima[1]) are Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, the four last stages of the soul in life and the afterlife.[2][3] They are often commended as a collective topic for pious meditation; Saint Philip Neri wrote, "Beginners in religion ought to exercise themselves principally in meditation on the Four Last Things."[4] Traditionally, the sermons preached on the four Sundays of Advent were on the Four Last Things.[5] The 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia states "The eschatological summary which speaks of the 'four last things' (death, judgment, heaven, and hell) is popular rather than scientific. For systematic treatment it is best to distinguish between (A) individual and (B) universal and cosmic eschatology".[6] Pope John Paul II wrote in 1984 that the "judgment" component encompasses both particular judgment and general judgment.[7] Numerous theologians and Christian apologists have written on the Four Last Things; published accounts include: Cordiale quattour novissimorum (15th century) attributed to Gerardus de Vliederhoven and to Denis le Chartreux ; translated into French by J. Mielot and thence into English as Cordiale, or Four Last Things by Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers in 1479[8] The Four Last Things (1522) by Thomas More; published posthumously The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven (1631) by Robert Bolton; published posthumously in 1639[9] The four last things : death, judgment, hell, heaven by Martin of Cochem[10] Four Last Things (1649) by William Sheppard, whose preface supported the Rump Parliament against the Presbyterians[11][12] Sinnliche Beschreibung der vier letzten Dinge ("A Sensuous Representation of the Four Last Things") (1675) by Angelus Silesius Four Last Things–Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell (1691) by William Bates[13] Myfyrdodau bucheddol ar y pedwar peth diweddaf ("Devout musings on the four last things") (1714) by John Morgan Thoughts upon the Four Last Things (1734) by Joseph Trapp[14] Four discourses on the four last things (1751) by Thomas Greene The Four Last Things (1960) by Harry Williams Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange's L'eternelle vie et la profondeur de l'ame (1947) has been published in English as Life Everlasting: A Theological Treatise on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell (1991); however, the sections are "Soul immensity in our present life", "Death and judgement", "Hell", "Purgatory", and "Heaven".[15] Artworks[edit] The Four Last Things are a common theme of artistic and literary works as well as theological works. Works about the Four Last Things Work Type Creator Year Notes Refs The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things Painting Hieronymus Bosch c.1500 Christ painting the Four Last Things in the Christian Heart Engraving Anton Wierix 1585 One of 18 copperplate engravings published as Cor Iesu amanti sacrum [16][17] "One Thing is Needful, or Serious Meditations upon the Four Last Things" Poem John Bunyan 1683 [18] "The Four Last Things" (German: Die vier letzten Dinge) Sculpture Anton Neu, based on ideas from the Asam brothers 1751 Stucco cartouches in the vestibule of Weltenburg Abbey chapel [19] "The Four Last Things" Sculpture Joseph Stammel c.1760 In Admont Abbey [20] "The Four Last Things" Oratorio Joseph Leopold Eybler 1810 German title Die vier letzten Dinge; HV 137 [21] "Die letzten Dinge" Oratorio Louis Spohr 1826 Cantata of the Last Things of Man Cantata Ladislav Vycpálek 1920–22 Czech title Kantáta o posledních věcech člověka [22] The Four Last Things Poetry collection Madeleva Wolff 1959 Poems with theological themes Unfinished Film Harry Everett Smith 1990s Intended as his masterwork "Die vier letzten Dinge (Quasi una Sinfonia da Requiem)" Symphony Horst Lohse 1996–97 For organ and orchestra

QMRTexture in painting is the look and feel of the canvas. It is based on the paint, and its application, or the addition of materials such as ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather and sand. The concept of 'painterliness' also has bearing on texture. The texture stimulates two different senses; sight and touch. There are four types of texture in art: actual texture, simulated texture, abstract texture, and invented texture.

QMRThe first boxes of Lucky Charms cereal contained marshmallows in the shapes of pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers. The lineup has changed occasionally, beginning with the introduction of blue diamonds in 1975. Purple horseshoes joined the roster in 1983, followed by red balloons in 1989, green trees 1991, rainbows in 1992, pots of gold in 1994, blue moons 1995, leprechaun hats in 1997 (temporarily replaced the green clovers), orange shooting stars and around the world charms in 1998 (added blue, green, yellow, purple, and red in 2011), a crystal ball in 2001, and an hourglass in 2008.[3] In 2013, 6 new rainbow swirl moons and 2 new rainbow charms were introduced. From the original four marshmallows, the permanent roster as of 2013 includes eight marshmallows.

QMRRegional cuisines and historical influences[edit] The art of vegetable carving is said to have originated in the Sukhothai Kingdom nearly 700 years ago[5] Kaeng phet pet yang, a legacy of the palace cuisine of Ayutthaya Chili peppers, originally from the Americas, were introduced to Thailand by the Portuguese and Spanish Thai cuisine is more accurately described as four regional cuisines, corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Central Thai cuisine of the flat and wet central rice-growing plains and of Bangkok, site of the former Thai kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, and the Dvaravati culture of the Mon people from before the arrival of Tai groups in the area. Isan or northeastern Thai cuisine of the more arid Khorat Plateau, similar in culture to Laos and also influenced by Khmer cuisine to its south, as evidenced by the temple ruins from the time of the Khmer Empire. Northern Thai cuisine of the verdant valleys and cool, forested mountains of the Thai highlands, once ruled by the former Lanna Kingdom and home to the majority of the ethnic groups of Thailand. Southern Thai cuisine of the Kra Isthmus which is bordered on two sides by tropical seas, with its many islands and including the ethnic Malay, former Sultanate of Pattani in the deep south.

QMrNoodles[edit] Fresh ramen Most noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui (かん水?) (from kansui (鹹水?, salt water)) a type of alkaline mineral water, containing sodium carbonate and usually potassium carbonate, as well as sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid. The kansui is the distinguishing ingredient in ramen noodles, and originated in Inner Mongolia, where some lakes contained large amounts of these minerals and whose water is said to be perfect for making these noodles. Making noodles with kansui lends them a yellowish hue as well as a firm texture. Eggs may also be substituted for kansui. Some noodles are made with neither eggs nor kansui and should only be used for yakisoba as they have a weaker structure and are more prone to soaking up moisture and becoming extremely soft when served in soup. Ramen comes in various shapes and lengths. It may be thick, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled.

QMRFour Seas Ice Cream is an independent ice cream shop located in Centerville, Massachusetts. It is one of the three oldest ice cream shops in New England.[1] It has been the winner of many awards and citations over the years as the result of its flavors. In the past, it has been voted number seven on the list of Top 10 Ice Cream Parlors in the United States.[2]

QMRDuvalín, a nougat cream, usually include two to four flavors including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, caramel and hazelnut.

QMRSince its introduction, Runts has offered four different flavor assortments. In 1982, Runts were introduced with banana, cherry, strawberry, orange, and lime. In the late 1990s lime was replaced with watermelon and blue raspberry. In 2007 the flavor assortment was changed to a more tropical array. Watermelon, blue raspberry, and cherry were replaced with pineapple and mango. This tropical themed mix was short-lived, as 2 years later it changed again. In 2009 pineapple and mango were replaced with green apple and grape. Green apple reused the original cherry shape, and grape reused the mango shape. At the same time, the color of strawberry changed from pink to red.

QMRStarburst (originally known as Opal Fruits) is the brand name of a box-shaped, fruit-flavored soft taffy candy manufactured by The Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Starburst has many different varieties such as Tropical, Sour, FaveReds, Very Berry, Superfruit Flavor and Original. Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Marketing 3 Other varieties 4 Starburst flavors (past and present) 5 References 6 External links History[edit] The brand was introduced by Mars in the UK in 1960, named by Peter Pfeffer in a competition that won him £5, as Opal Fruits.[1] The four original flavors were strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime. In the 1970s Opal Fruits were well known for their advertising tag line "Opal Fruits - made to make your mouth water!" (slogan coined by Murray Walker[2]). The full advertising jingle was "Opal Fruits - made to make your mouth water - Fresh with the tang of citrus - 4 refreshing fruit flavours - orange, lemon, strawberry, lime - Opal Fruits - made to make your mouth water!" Opal Fruits were introduced in the United States in 1967[1] as Starburst. Originally, Starburst came in the same flavours as Opal Fruits and the first variant, "Sunshine Flavors", later renamed "Tropical Opal Fruits", was released thereafter. In Europe, lemon and lime were combined to become "Lemon and Lime" to make room for a Blackcurrant flavour. The brand name 'Opal Fruits' was phased out in the UK, followed by Ireland in 1998 in order to standardize the product in a globalised marketplace.[3] In 2008, the supermarket chain Asda revived the original Opal Fruits in the UK for a period of 12 weeks starting May 10, 2008.[4] On October 6, 2008, Mars acquired Wrigley, and transferred Mars' non-chocolate candy brands, including Starburst, to the Wrigley subsidiary.[5] The original flavours are now branded "Original Fruits", and Starburst now comes in several assortments: Limited Edition Retro Fruits, Tropical, Baja California, Sour, Strawberry Mix, Berries & Creme, Very Berry and Fruity Slushies. Among the additional flavors are Strawberry Lemonade Chill, Citrus Slush, Cherry Splash, Blue Raspberry Rush Kiwi, Banana, Plum, Blueberry, Passion Fruit, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry-Banana, Mango, Melon, Tropical Punch, Green Apple, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, Mixed Berries & Cream, Peaches & Cream, Orange Cream, and Strawberry & Cream. Europe also has the "Sour" assortment, which includes Apple, Cherry, Pineapple and Raspberry, as well as Strawberry Mix. As of early 2010 it was decided that Strawberry was the most popular flavor in the United Kingdom. Lime is also very popular within this demand. Starburst in the UK is vegan, its packaging and website clearly stating "Suitable for Vegetarians", and also does not contain any artificial colors or flavors.[6] In the U.S., Starburst contains non-vegetarian gelatin in its ingredients. The UK 'Opal Fruits' limited edition branding Lime Starburst made a comeback in 2007 as a limited-edition 'retro' flavour in packages of the 'Baja' version, while the range in the UK was further extended with a version named Starburst Choozers. These lozenge shaped chews have a liquid fruit juice centre, and come packaged with the tag line "The chews that ooze." Each packet contains three flavours; Orange & Mango, Raspberry & Orange, and Pineapple & Orange. The current slogan for Starburst is "Unexplainably Juicy".[7]

QMR1885 – "Neapolitan box" "You must have a Neapolitan box for this ice and fill it up in three or four layers with different coloured and flavoured ice creams (a water ice may be used with the custards); for instance, lemon, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio. Mould in the patent ice cave for about 1½ to 2 hours, turn it out, cut it in slices, and arrange neatly on the dish, on a napkin or dish-paper."[8]

QMRThe first Pop-Tarts came out in four different flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple currant

QMRFour Loko is a line of alcoholic beverages sold by Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Phusion operates as Drink Four Brewing Company.[1] Four Loko, the company's most popular beverage, debuted in the United States market in 2005 and is available in 48 states, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Honduras, and Europe.[2] The name "Four" is derived from the original drink's four main ingredients: alcohol, caffeine, taurine, and guarana. Four branded products have been the object of legal, ethical, and health concerns related to the company allegedly marketing them to the underaged and the danger of combining alcohol and caffeine.[1] After the beverage was banned in several states, a product reintroduction in December 2010 removed caffeine, taurine, and guarana as ingredients, and the malt beverage is no longer marketed as an energy drink.[3]

QMR Notable allegorical sculptures

The Four cardinal virtues, by Maximilian Colt, on the monument to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury in Bishop's Hatfield Church in the English county of Hertfordshire, before 1641.

The figures of the four continents and four arts and sciences surrounding the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, 1872.

Four statues, Industry, Science, Agriculture, and Literature, by J. Massey Rhind at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1905.

Ryan Merkle QMRFour Seasons is a mosaic by Marc Chagall that is located in Chase Tower Plaza in the Loop district of Chicago, Illinois. The mosaic was a gift to the City of Chicago by Frederick H. Prince (via the Prince Charitable Trusts); it is wrapped around four sides of a 70 feet (21 m) long, 14 feet (4.3 m) high, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide rectangular box, and was dedicated on September 27, 1974.[1] It was renovated in 1994 and a protective glass canopy was installed.[2]

The mosaic was the subject of a 1974 documentary film, The Gift: Four Seasons Mosaic of Marc Chagall, directed by Chuck Olin.[3]

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni it) is a cycle of four frescoes by Francesco Sozzi in the Palazzo Isnello, Palermo, Italy.

Ryan Merkle qMRFour Seasons[edit]

Spring, 1563 Louvre Museum,

Summer, 1572, Louvre Museum, Paris

Autumn, 1573, Louvre Museum, Paris

Winter, 1573, oil on canvas, Louvre Museum, Paris

Four elements[edit]

Air, ca. 1566, (copy), private collection

Fire, Oil on Wood, 1566, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria

Earth, possibly 1566, private collection, Austria

Water, 1566, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria

Four Seasons in One Head

Giuseppe's father, Biagio Arcimboldo, was an artist of Milan. Like his father, Giuseppe Arcimboldo started his career as a designer for stained glass and frescoes at local cathedrals when he was 21 years old.[1] He also married later on.

In 1562, he became court portraitist to Ferdinand I at the Habsburg court in Vienna, and later, to Maximilian II and his son Rudolf II at the court in Prague. He was also the court decorator and costume designer. Augustus, Elector of Saxony, who visited Vienna in 1570 and 1573, saw Arcimboldo's work and commissioned a copy of his "The Four Seasons" which incorporates his own monarchic symbols.

Ryan Merkle Arcimboldo died in Milan, where he had retired after leaving the Prague service. It was during this last phase of his career that he produced the composite portrait of Rudolph II (see above), as well as his self-portrait as the Four Seasons. His Italian contemporaries honored him with poetry and manuscripts celebrating his illustrious career.

Ryan Merkle Arcimboldo's art heritage is badly identified, especially it concerns his early works and pictures in traditional style. In total about 20 of his pictures remained, however there is lost much more, according to mentions of contemporaries and documents. His cycles "Four Elements" and "Seasons" which the artist repeated with little changes are most known. Paintings "The Librarian", "The Jurist (painting)|The Jurist", "The Cook", "Cupbearer" and some pictures blendes can be considered in the turned look.[14] Arcimboldo's works are stored in the state museums and private collections of Italy (including Uffizi Gallery), France (Louvre), Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden, the USA.

Ryan Merkle In work "Arcimboldo and archimboldesk" F. Legrand and F. Xu tried to reconstruct philosophical views of the artist. They came to a conclusion that the views represented a kind of Platonic pantheism. The key to reconstruction of Arcimboldo outlook seemed them in symbolics of court celebrations staged by the artist and in his allegorical series. According to Plato's dialogues "Timaeus", immemorial god created the Universe from chaos by a combination of four elements — fire, water, air and the earth, as defines all-encompassing unity shown by pictures.[21] In T. Dakosta Kauffman's works serious interpretation of heritage of Arcimboldo in the context of culture of the XVI century is carried out consistently. Kauffman in general was skeptical about attribution of works by Arcimboldo, and recognized as undoubted originals only four pictures, namely on what there was a signature of the artist. He based the interpretation on the text of the unpublished poem by J. Fonteo "The picture "Seasons" and "Four Elements" of the imperial artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo". According to Fonteo, allegorical cycles of Arcimboldo transfer idea of greatness of the emperor. Harmony with which fruits and animals are combined in the image of the human heads, symbolizes harmony of the empire under good board of Habsburgs. Images of seasons and elements are always presented to a profile, but thus "Winter" and "Water", "Spring" and "Air", "Summer" and "Fire", "Fall" and "Earth" are turned to each other. In each cycle symmetry is also observed: two heads surely look to the right, and two — to the left. Seasons alternate in an invariable order, symbolizing both constancy of the nature and eternity of board of the Habsburgs' house. The political symbolics also hints at it: at the image of "Air" there are Habsburg symbols — a peacock and an eagle, "Fire" is decorated with a chain of the Award of the Golden Fleece, a great master of which by tradition was a head of a reigning dynasty. However it is made of flints and shod steel. Guns also point to the aggressive beginning. The Habsburg symbolics is present in the picture "Earth", where the lion's skin designates a heraldic sign of Bohemia. Pearls and corals similar to cervine horns in "Water" hint at the same. [22

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons is a 1981 romantic comedy film written and directed by and starring Alan Alda, co-starring Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston and Bess Armstrong.

Ryan Merkle qMRFour Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian international luxury, five-star hotel management company.[2] Travel + Leisure magazine and Zagat Survey rank the hotel chain's 98 properties among the top luxury hotels worldwide.[3][4] Readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine have voted the company's Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai, Thailand as among the top ten hotels in the world for three consecutive years.[5] The company has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune every year since the survey's inception in 1998, ranking #47 in 2015,[6] and is lauded for having one of the lowest employee turnover rates in the hospitality industry.[7][8]

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons Arena is a multi-purpose indoor sports and exhibition arena located in the city of Great Falls, Montana, in the United States. Constructed in 1979, it served primarily as an ice rink until 2005. The failure of the practice rink's refrigeration system in 2003 and the management's decision to close the main rink in 2006 led to the facility's reconfiguration as an indoor sports and exhibition space. As of May 2011 it is the largest exhibition, music, and sports venue in the city.

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a 2,071-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located at the southeast corner of University Avenue and Queen Street West, across from Osgoode Hall. The land on which it is located was a gift from the Government of Ontario. It is the home of the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and the National Ballet of Canada.

Ryan Merkle QMRFour Seasons Health Care is an independent British provider of health and social care services. It owns The Huntercombe Group, a provider of inpatient mental healthcare and brain injury rehabilitation. Four Seasons, as it is today, was created by buying out smaller chains of care homes and rebranding them, as evidenced by the takeovers of Tamaris (formerly Quality Care Homes) and Bettercare.

Ryan Merkle QMRFour Seasons Town Centre is a three-story shopping mall in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1974, it was the first enclosed shopping center in Greensboro. Currently it is anchored by Dillard's and J. C. Penney and it is the only indoor shopping mall within Greensboro's city limits; however, nearby Friendly Center, an outdoor shopping plaza, has many of the same tenants. Four Seasons today is managed by General Growth Properties. The shopping mall is located at the I-40 interchange with Gate City Boulevard (formerly High Point Road), southwest of downtown.

Music Chapter

QMRFlower's first published musical work was Four Musical Illustrations of the Waverley Novels in 1831, setting to music several of Sir Walter Scott's romantic songs.[4] She later wrote music for works by her sister, including her hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee", which formed part of a collection by Fox called Hymns and Anthems.[4]

QMRCurtis Giovanni Flowers is an African-American man who has been tried six times in the state of Mississippi, United States, for murder in the July 16, 1996, shooting deaths of four people inside Tardy Furniture store in downtown Winona. On June 18, 2010, his sixth trial jury convicted him of the 1996 murders of an ex-employer and three workers. Two earlier trials ended as mistrials; three trials ended as convictions that were later overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court

QMRMahjong, also spelled majiang, mah jongg, and numerous other variants, is a game that originated in China. It is commonly played by four players (with some three-player variations found in South Korea and Japan). The game and its regional variants are widely played throughout Eastern and South Eastern Asia and have a small following in Western countries. Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and calculation and involves a degree of chance. The game is played with a set of 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations use a different number of tiles. In most variations, each player begins by receiving 13 tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the 14th drawn tile to form four groups (melds) and a pair (head). There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, how a piece is stolen from another player and thus melded, the use of simples (numbered tiles) and honors (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. However, there are many regional variations in the rules; in addition, the scoring system and the minimum hand necessary to win varies significantly based on the local rules being used.

QMRThe choral arrangement of four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) has since become common in Western music.[7

Ryan Merkle QMRString Quartet in Four Parts is a string quartet by John Cage, composed in 1950. It is one of the last works Cage wrote that is not entirely aleatoric. Like Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano (1946–48) and the ballet The Seasons (1947), this work explores ideas from Indian philosophy.

Ryan Merkle General information[edit]

Cage began writing the quartet in 1949 in Paris. Prior to beginning to work on the piece, he told his parents that he wanted to compose a work which would praise silence without actually using it; after completing the first movement he was so fascinated with the new way to work that he wrote in a letter: "This piece is like the opening of another door; the possibilities implied are unlimited."[1] The piece was completed in 1950 in New York City and dedicated to Lou Harrison. It was premièred on August 12 the same year at the Black Mountain College.

The String Quartet in Four Parts is based partly on the Indian view of the seasons, in which the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn and winter—are associated each with a particular force–those of creation, preservation, destruction and quiescense. The parts and their corresponding seasons are as follows:[1]

Quietly Flowing Along – Summer

Slowly Rocking – Autumn

Nearly Stationary – Winter

Quodlibet – Spring

The general quietness and flatness of sound in the quartet may be an expression of tranquility, the uniting emotion of the nine permanent emotions of the Rasa aesthetic, which Cage explored earlier in Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano. Another aspect of composition which Cage used earlier was the use of counterpoint: the third movement uses a canon for a single melodic line, which repeats itself going backward, in a slightly rhythmically altered form, to the beginning.[2] Cage composed canons from his earliest works, such as the Three Easy Pieces of 1933 and Solo with obbligato accompaniment of two voices in canon of 1934.

To compose the quartet Cage used a new technique, which consisted of dealing with fixed sonorities, or chords. He called those 'gamuts', and each gamut was created independently of all others. After producing a fixed amount of gamuts, scored for each player in an unchanging way,[3] a succession of them could be used to create a melody with harmonic background. Because at any particular point a gamut would be selected only for containing the note necessary for the melody, the resulting harmony would serve no purpose and any sense of progression, which was alien to Cage, would be eliminated. Since 1946 Cage's interest was in composing music to "sober and quiet the mind, thus rendering it susceptible to divine influences", rather than music to express feelings and ideas,[4] and he would later give up control over music altogether by using chance operations, but already in the String Quartet in Four Parts "the inclusion of traditional harmonies was a matter of taste, from which a conscious control was absent."[5]

This composition and a lost early string quartet from 1936 are the only quartets Cage wrote that were explicitly labelled as such. Only three more works were composed for the same ensemble: Thirty pieces for String Quartet of 1983, Music for Four of 1987–88 and Four of 1989.

Ryan Merkle QMRBarbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or baritone, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. Occasional passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

Barbershop music is generally performed by either a barbershop quartet, a group of four singers with one on each vocal part, or a barbershop chorus, which closely resembles a choir with the notable exception of the genre of music. Female barbershop quartets are often referred to as "Sweet Adelines quartets", while male barbershop quartets are generally simply referred to as "Barbershop quartets".

Ryan Merkle Quartets[edit]

Main article: Barbershop quartet

A barbershop quartet is an ensemble of four people who sing a cappella in the exacting barbershop music genre.

In North America most male barbershop quartet singers belong to the Barbershop Harmony Society,[citation needed] while most female barbershop quartet singers are in either Sweet Adelines International or Harmony, Inc.[citation needed] Similar organizations have sprung up in many other countries.

Most barbershop quartet singers also choose to sing in a chorus.[citation needed]

The Haydn Quartet, an early 1900s quartet also known as the Edison Quartet

American Quartet, recorded in the first quarter of the 20th century

The Buffalo Bills, 1950 International Quartet Champions, appeared in stage and screen productions of The Music Man, frequently appeared on Arthur Godfrey's radio show

The Suntones, 1961 International Quartet Champions, were regulars on The Jackie Gleason Show in the 1960s and introduced many contemporary songs into their performances.

The Dapper Dans of Disneyland, regularly appearing at Disneyland and Disney World, as The Be Sharps in Season 5, Episode 1 of The Simpsons, and as the Singing Busts in Disney's 2003 Haunted Mansion movie

The Singing Senators, a quartet of U.S. Senators

Nightlife, the 1996 International Champion Quartet of the S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. Inc. from Los Angeles

Ringmasters, a Swedish quartet that became the first BHS International Champion Quartet from outside the U.S. in 2012.

Vocal Spectrum won the BHS International Championship for quartets in 2006. The group is known for its tight ringing harmonies and wide range of tones.

Ryan Merkle Historical origins[edit]

"In recent years, new insights and greater clarity have been acquired, which include aesthetic issues relating to sound, some answers to questions of race, gender, and other social factors shaping the genre, and exploration of the ideology surrounding the so-called revival around 1940. Still, the debate about the origins of this genre seems to be widely unsettled. The current models that chart the birth of barbershop harmony are diverse and often contradictory with regard to categories such as race, gender, regional context, social environment, amateur or professional, impromptu or composed-arranged, and highbrow or lowbrow."[4]

One model, e.g., suggests the following scenario as likely: In the last half of the 19th century, U.S. barbershops often served as community centers, where most men would gather. Barbershop quartets originated with African American men socializing in barbershops; they would harmonize while waiting their turn, vocalizing in spirituals, folk songs and popular songs. This generated a new style, consisting of unaccompanied, four-part, close-harmony singing. Later, white minstrel singers adopted the style, and in the early days of the recording industry their performances were recorded and sold. Early standards included songs such as "Shine On, Harvest Moon", "Hello, Ma Baby", and "Sweet Adeline". Barbershop music was very popular between 1900 and 1919 but gradually faded into obscurity in the 1920s. Barbershop harmonies remain in evidence in the a cappella music of the black church.[5][6][7] The iconic barbershop quartets are typically dressed in bright colors, boaters and vertical stripe vests, though costuming and attire can vary.[8]

Other researchers argue, e.g., that today's barbershop music is an invented tradition related to several musical features popular around 1900 including quartet singing[9] and the use of the barbershop chord[10][11] but effectively created during the 1940s in the ranks of the Barbershop Harmony Society whilst creating a system of singing contests and its contest rules.[11][12][13]

Ryan Merkle Choruses[edit]

A barbershop chorus sings a cappella music in the barbershop style. Most barbershop choruses belong to a larger association of practitioners such as the Barbershop Harmony Society, Sweet Adelines International or Harmony, Inc.[citation needed]

In the Barbershop Harmony Society, a chorus is the main performing aspect of each chapter. Choruses may have as few as 12 or as many as 150 members singing. Choruses normally sing with a director, as distinct from quartets. It is not uncommon for a new quartet to form within a chorus, or for an established quartet affiliated with a given chorus to lose a member (to death, retirement, or relocation) and recruit a replacement from the ranks of the chorus. Choruses can also provide "spare parts" to temporarily replace a quartet member who is ill or temporarily out of town.

Unlike a quartet, a chorus need not have equal numbers singing each voice part. The ideal balance in a chorus is about 40% bass, 30% lead, 20% baritone and 10% tenor singers.

Filling the gap between the chorus and the quartet is what is known as a VLQ or Very Large Quartet, in which more than four singers perform together, with two or more voices on some or all of the four parts. A VLQ possesses greater flexibility than a standard quartet, since they can perform even with one or more singers missing, as long as all four parts are covered. Like a normal quartet, a VLQ usually performs without a director.

BHS[edit]

The Vocal Majority, based in Dallas, TX twelve-time International Chorus Champions

The Masters of Harmony, eight-time International Chorus Champions. Based in Los Angeles County, California.

The Louisville Thoroughbreds, seven-time International Chorus Champions from Louisville, Kentucky.

The Alexandria Harmonizers, based in Alexandria, VA. four-time International Chorus Champions.

The Ambassadors of Harmony, 2004, 2009 and 2012 International Chorus Champions. Based in St. Charles, Missouri.

Chorus of the Chesapeake, two-time International Champion chorus, based in the Baltimore, MD area.

The Westminster Chorus, a youth barbershop chorus in California started by young members of the Masters of Harmony are International Chorus Champions of 2007, 2010 and 2015.

The Toronto Northern Lights, 2013 International Chorus Champions, five-time International Chorus Silver Medalists. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Alliance, 2003 and 2004 International Chorus Medalists. Based in Columbus, Ohio.

Southern Gateway Chorus, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has earned 22 medals (including two gold) while competing since 1963 in International contests.

The Great Northern Union, based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, consistent Top Ten finisher and nine-time International Chorus Medalists.

Pacific Coast Harmony, based in La Jolla, CA, small Far Western District chorus that competed internationally in 2005, 2006, and 2012.

Brothers in Harmony Top ten finisher 2010, 2013

Voices of Gotham, based in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, are the 2011 Mid-Atlantic District Champions.

Ryan Merkle QMRMagick, Liber ABA, Book 4 is widely considered to be the magnum opus of 20th-century occultist Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema. It is a lengthy treatise on Magick, his system of Western occult practice, synthesised from many sources, including Eastern Yoga, Hermeticism, medieval grimoires, contemporary magical theories from writers like Eliphas Levi and Helena Blavatsky, and his own original contributions. It consists of four parts: Mysticism, Magick (Elementary Theory), Magick in Theory and Practice, and ΘΕΛΗΜΑ—the Law (The Equinox of The Gods). It also includes numerous appendices presenting many rituals and explicatory papers.

In November 1911, Crowley carried out a ritual during which he reports being commanded to write Book 4 by a discarnate entity named "Abuldiz" (sometimes spelled "Ab-ul-diz") in Crowley's incomplete record of the working, which came around the time that Liber Legis was ready to be published in The Equinox Vol VII. The working was published in The Equinox Vol. VIII of Vol I. The writing of Book 4 was duly accomplished with the aid of his seer Soror Virakam (Mary Desti)[1] at a villa in Posillipo near Naples, Italy, and was published in the winter of 1912–1913 in The Equinox Vol. VIII of Vol I. Abuldiz appeared in Mary Desti's visions (as Crowley's seer) as an old man with a long white beard, wearing a ring which contained a white feather. Abuldiz communicated that there was a book to be given to Fra. P. (Frater Perdurabo = Crowley). The name of the book was Aba, and its number 4. Another being called Jezel was also in the room where the visions of Abuldiz were seen - he was described as a black-headed 'Turk' or 'Egyptian' wearing a "tarbush" (Fez) and a red sash; one of his hands was covered with crocodile skin. (Crowley comments in the text that Soror Virakam recognized the human counterparty of Jezel as Elias Pasha, the father of Veli Bey, a Turkish man whom man Mary Desti married after she divorced Preston Sturges).

Liber ABA refers to this work being a part of Crowley's system of magical works known as libri (Latin for 'books'). In most systems such as gematria where letters are given numerical value, ABA adds up to 4, a number which represents the Four Elements, Stability and so on (thus the name Book 4).

Much of the book was dictated by Crowley to his principal A∴A∴ students of the time, who would also ask questions to get clarification. The principal collaborators were Soror Virakam (Mary Desti or D'Este 1871-1966; mother of Preston Sturges and companion of Isadora Duncan), Leila Waddell (1880-1932; also known as Laylah and Soror Agatha), and Soror Rhodon (Mary Butts, 1890-1937), all of whom were given coauthorship credit. The book was also dedicated to Soror Ouarda (Rose Edith Crowley, 1874-1932); Frater Per Ardua (Maj.-Gen. John Frederick Charles Fuller, 1878-1966); Soror Alostrael (Leah Hirsig, 1883-1951) and Frater Volo Intelligere (Gerald Yorke, 1901-1983).

Contents[edit]

Part I: Mysticism[edit]

Part I is titled "Mysticism" with the sub-title "Meditation: The way of attainment of genius or Godhead considered as a development of the human brain." The section is essentially Crowley's system of yoga, which is designed to still the mind and enable single-pointed concentration. When developing his basic yogic program, Crowley borrowed heavily from many other yogis, such as Patanjali and Yajnavalkya, keeping their fundamental techniques while jettisoning much of the attendant moral dogma.

Yoga, as Crowley interprets it in this section, involves several key components. The first is Asana, which is the assumption (after eventual success) of any easy, steady and comfortable posture. Next is Pranayama, which is the control of breath, and Mantra yoga, which is the use of mantras. Yama and Niyama are the adopted moral or behavioural codes (of the adept's choosing) that will be least likely to excite the mind. Pratyahara is the stilling of the thoughts so that the mind becomes quiet. Dharana is the beginning of concentration, usually on a single shape, like a triangle, which eventually leads to Dhyana, the loss of distinction between object and subject, which can be described as the annihilation of the ego (or sense of a separate self). The final stage is Samādhi—Union with the All.

Part II: Magick (Elementary Theory)[edit]

Part II, "Magick (Elemental Theory)," deals with the accessories of ceremonial magick in detail. Subjects include: the temple, the magick circle, the altar, the scourge, dagger, and chain, the holy oil, the wand, cup, sword, pentacle, lamp, crown, robe, book, bell, lamen, and the Magick Fire (including the crucible and incense). This section also includes an "Interlude", which is a humorous exposition on the magical interpretations of popular nursery rhymes, such as Old Mother Hubbard and Little Bo Peep.

Part III: Magick in Theory and Practice[edit]

Part III is titled "Magick in Theory and Practice", and is perhaps the most influential section within Book 4. In this part, magick (with the terminal -k) is defined in Crowley's now famous "Introduction", which is the source of many well-known statements, such as

"Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will."

"Magick is the method of science and the aim of religion."

"Every intentional act is a Magical act."

"Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action."

"Magick is merely to be and to do."

It contains many influential essays on various magical formulae, such as Tetragrammaton, Thelema, Agape, AUMGN, and iao. The section also addresses fundamental magical theorems, essential components of ritual, and general practices (e.g. banishing, consecration, invocation, divination, etc.).

Ryan Merkle Part IV: ΘΕΛΗΜΑ—the Law[edit]

Part IV is titled "ΘΕΛΗΜΑ (Thelema)—the Law." This section deals with The Book of the Law, including the book itself, a brief biography of Crowley, the events leading up to its reception, and the conditions of the three days of its writing. This part is Crowley's 1936 book Equinox of the Gods only edited under a different name.

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons is a ballet made by New York City Ballet ballet master Jerome Robbins to excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani (1855), I Lombardi (1843), and Il Trovatore (1853). The premiere took place on 18 January 1979 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with scenery and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.

Ryan Merkle QMRFour Seasons is an EP by Kaddisfly, released on Sub City Records in 2006 as a preview of their upcoming record, Set Sail the Prairie. The EP contains one song from each of the four seasons on the full length record, in addition to a b-side entitled Games.

Ryan Merkle QMRFour Seasons is a jazz album recorded by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio in 1990 and released on the Nippon Crown record label. It is not to be confused with the 1996 Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra (BMG) recording, Four Seasons of Morita Village.

Ryan Merkle QMR4 Out of 5 Doctors was a Washington D.C. based power pop band. They released an eponymous LP in 1980 produced by Alan Winstanley, and a second LP in 1982 ("Second Opinion", produced by Jeff Glixman, producer for Black Sabbath in the 1980s).[1] The Doctors toured the United States extensively, and were involved in several early 1980s films. In the summer of 2008, after a 17-year | hiatus, 4 Out of 5 Doctors reunited for a sold-out show at the Jammin Java club in Vienna, Virginia, and performed at the 2008 Wammie Awards at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on February 15, 2009. [2]

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Doctors (alternatively The Drs as seen on logo bugs and background graphics)[3] is an American syndicated talk show airing daily in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Ireland, Sweden and Finland. It debuted on September 8, 2008.[4][5] The hour-long daytime program is produced by Phil McGraw and his son Jay McGraw and is distributed domestically and globally by CBS Television Distribution. The series is a spin-off of Dr. Phil and is the first talk show to be a third generation talk show spin-off, as Dr. Phil itself spun off of The Oprah Winfrey Show.[6]

During the holiday break at the end of 2011, Michaels left the show to return to The Biggest Loser, with Walsh also departing the series and returning it to the original four-doctor format for the 2012 season.

Dance Chapter

Literature Chapter

QMRBoys Over Flowers (Hangul: 꽃보다 남자; hanja: 꽃보다男子) is a 2009 South Korean television series starring Ku Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong (of SS501), Kim Bum, Kim Joon (of T-Max) and Kim So-eun. It aired on KBS2 from January 5 to March 31, 2009 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:50 for 25 episodes.[1] It is based on Japanese shōjo manga series Boys Over Flowers (花より男子 Hana Yori Dango?) written by Yoko Kamio. The series is the fifth television adaptation of the manga following the Taiwanese Meteor Garden and its sequel Meteor Garden II, and the Japanese Hana Yori Dango and its sequel Hana Yori Dango Returns. It spins the modern-day Cinderella tale of a poor, but spunky schoolgirl at an exclusive academy who attracts the interest of the four ultra-rich and ultra-handsome princes of the school known as F4.[2]

QMRFebruary One: The Story of the Greensboro Four is a 2003 documentary film by Rebecca Cerese and Steven Channing. Nationally broadcast on Independent Lens on PBS, it tells the story of The Greensboro Four, four young college freshman, Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Ezell Blair, Jr. now Jibreel Khazan, who staged a sit-in at Woolworth's in 1960 to protest segregation practices. Based largely on first hand accounts and rare archival footage, the documentary film February One documents one volatile winter in Greensboro that not only challenged public accommodation customs and laws in North Carolina, but served as one of the blueprints for the nonviolent civil rights protests that occurred across the South and the nation throughout the 1960s. It won an award of excellence at the Global Peace Film Festival in 2004, Best Documentary Film at the Carolina Film and Video Festival, and the Human Rights Award at the RiverRun Film Festival. The documentary has also played at the King Center in Atlanta, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the National Archives in Washington, DC among other places.

In 1993, a portion of the lunch counter was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution.[20] The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina, contains four chairs from the Woolworth counter along with photos of the original four protesters, a timeline of the events, and headlines from the media.[citation needed] The street south of the site was renamed February One Place, in commemoration of the date of the first Greensboro sit-in.[21]

The Greensboro Four: (left to right) David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr., and Joseph McNeil.

The February One monument and sculpture stands on North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University's campus and is dedicated to the actions taken by the Greensboro Four that helped spark the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

QMRDays before the Woolworth sit-ins, the Greensboro Four (as they would soon be collectively known) were debating on which way would be the best to get the media's attention. The quartet consisted of Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr.. and David Richmond (activist), all four had a few things in common: they were young black college students attending North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.[6] Also, the four men were inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. and his practices in non-violent protests, lastly, they sought to change the racist and discriminatory policies at the local Woolworth in their town of Greensboro, North Carolina. Each of the four men dreamed that one day people would no longer be discriminated against for something as simple as the color of their skin. And with that in mind, they devised a plan. The plan was simplistic, yet nonetheless effective: the four men would occupy seats at the local Woolworth, ask to be served, and when they were inevitably denied service, they would not leave. They would repeat this process day in and day out for as long as it would take. Their thinking was that, if they could disrupt the working hours and the customers enough, the damage to Woolworth profits would cause them to desegregate out of necessity (to keep the business afloat).[6] Events at Woolworth[edit] The protests took place at this Woolworth five-and-dime store. On February 1, 1960, at 4:30pm four black students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat down at the lunch counter inside the Woolworth store at 132 South Elm Street in Greensboro, North Carolina.[2] The men, later known as the A&T Four or the Greensboro Four, went to Woolworth's Store, bought toothpaste and other products from a desegregated counter at the store with no problems, and then were refused service from the segregated lunch counter when they each asked for a cup of coffee, at the same store.[1][7][8] Following store policy, the lunch counter staff refused to serve the black men at the "whites only" counter and store manager Clarence Harris asked them to leave.[9] However, the four freshman stayed until the store closed that night.

QMR4 the People is a 2004 Malayalam film directed by Jayaraj. It is the first of a trilogy of films, followed by By the People and ending with Of The People. Bharath, Gopika, Benny Dayal, Kishore, PadmaKumar, Narain, and Pranathi played the lead roles. It was later re-shot with minor alterations in Tamil as 4 Students and remade in Telugu as Yuvasena- 4 the people. The music of the film was trendsetting and most of the songs were chartbusters. The film was an unexpected critical and commercial success and recorded as Blockbuster at the box-office after comparison with its budget and gross. The film send a vibe across Kerala.

In 1983, Little was named "Master Clown" by the Ringling organization, only the fourth clown ever to be so named (after Otto Griebling, Bobby Kaye, and Lou Jacobs – Little's mentor).[8][12] Little was the last person ever to have been awarded the title, and was the last surviving Master Clown at the time of his death.[13]

QMRGlen "Frosty" Little (December 5, 1925 – October 26, 2010) was a circus clown who served with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for over 20 years. He was one of only four clowns ever to have been given the title "Master Clown" by the Ringling organization.[1][2][3]

QMR"Send in the Clowns" is a song written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night. It is a ballad from Act II in which the character Desirée reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life. Among other things, she looks back on an affair years earlier with the lawyer Fredrik. Meeting him after so long, she finds that he is now in an unconsummated marriage with a much younger woman. Desirée proposes marriage to rescue him from this situation, but he declines, citing his dedication to his bride. Reacting to his rejection, Desirée sings this song. The song is later reprised as a coda after Fredrik's young wife runs away with his son, and Fredrik is finally free to accept Desirée's offer.[1] Sondheim wrote the song specifically for the actress Glynis Johns, who created the role of Desirée on Broadway. The song is structured with four verses and a bridge, and uses a complex compound meter. It became Sondheim's most popular song after Frank Sinatra recorded it in 1973 and Judy Collins' version charted in 1975 and 1977. Subsequently, Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Bassey, Judi Dench, Grace Jones, Barbra Streisand, Zarah Leander, Tiger Lillies, Joyce Castle, Ray Conniff, Glenn Close, Cher, Bryn Terfel, Plácido Domingo and many other artists recorded the song and it has become a jazz standard.

QMR4 Clowns is a 1970 documentary compilation film written and directed by Robert Youngson that studies the golden age of comedy through a compilation of rare silent film footage of the works of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase and Buster Keaton.[1] This was the last feature film project of producer/director/writer Robert Youngson.[2][3][4][5]

QMRPalystes castaneus, showing sparassid pattern of eyes in two rows of four- four sacs other spider

QMRAhupuaʻa is an old Hawaiʻi term for a large traditional socioeconomic, geologic, and climatic subdivision of land (comparable to the tapere in the Southern Cook Islands). Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Ahupuaʻa today 3 References 4 External links History[edit] The traditional subdivision system has four hierarchical levels: mokupuni (whole island) moku (largest subdivisions of an island) ahupuaʻa ʻili (two or three per ahupuaʻa, but Kahoolawe for example had eight ʻili)

Vision[edit] The visual fields of a jumping spider Jumping spider's eight eyes The eight eyes of a Telamonia dimidiata located near the front Marpissa muscosa, female Jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes; three secondary pairs that are fixed and a principal pair that is movable. The fourth is always different

QMRThe jumping spider family (Salticidae) contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species,[1] making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species.[2] Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Although they normally move unobtrusively and fairly slowly, most species are capable of very agile jumps, notably when hunting, but sometimes in response to sudden threats or crossing long gaps. Both their book lungs and the tracheal system are well-developed, and they use both systems (bimodal breathing). Jumping spiders are generally recognized by their eye pattern. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes with one pair being their particularly large anterior median eyes.

QMRThe Blotched snake Elaphe sauromates (Pallas, 1814), (previously Elaphe quatuorlineata sauromates), a member of the Colubrinae subfamily of the family Colubridae, is a nonvenomous snake found in Eastern Europe. It grows up to 260 cm (8' 6") in length but the medium is 120 to 160 cm. It is one of the largest European snakes. The species has been of cultural and historical significance for its role in ancient Greek and Roman mythology and derived symbolism.

QMRElaphe quatuorlineata (common names: four-lined snake, Bulgarian ratsnake[3]) is a member of the family Colubridae.[4] The four-lined snake is a non-venomous species and one of the largest in the Colubridae

QMROld English[edit]

The first page of the Beowulf manuscript

Main article: Old English

The dialects spoken by the Germanic settlers developed into a language that would come to be called Anglo-Saxon, or now more commonly Old English.[4] It displaced the indigenous Brittonic Celtic (and the Latin of the former Roman rulers) in most of the areas of Britain that later formed the Kingdom of England, while Celtic languages remained in most of Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, although large numbers of compound Celtic-Germanic placenames survive, hinting at early language mixing.[5] Old English continued to exhibit local variation, the remnants of which continue to be found in dialects of Modern English.[4] The four main dialects were Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish and West Saxon; the last of these formed the basis for the literary standard of the later Old English period, although the dominant forms of Middle and Modern English would develop mainly from Mercian.

Ryan Merkle QMRMercian was a language spoken in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia (roughly speaking the Midlands of England an area in which four kingdoms had been united under one monarchy). Together with Northumbrian, it was one of the two Anglian dialects. The other two dialects of Old English were Kentish and West Saxon.[1] Each of those dialects was associated with an independent kingdom on the island. Of these, all of Northumbria and most of Mercia were overrun by the Vikings during the 9th century. Part of Mercia and all of Kent were successfully defended but were then integrated into Wessex. Because of the centralisation of power and the Viking invasions, there is little or no written evidence for the development of non-Wessex dialects after Alfred's unification, until the Middle English period.[

Ryan Merkle QMRKentish was a southern dialect of Old English spoken in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Kent. It was one of four dialect-groups of Old English, the other three being Mercian, Northumbrian (known collectively as the Anglian dialects), and West Saxon.

The dialect was spoken in what is now the modern-day county of Kent, Surrey, southern Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by the Jutes.

Ryan Merkle QMRWest Saxon was one of four distinct dialects of Old English. The three others were Kentish, Mercian and Northumbrian (the latter two were similar and are known as the Anglian dialects). West Saxon was the language of the kingdom of Wessex, and was the basis for successive widely used literary forms of Old English: the Early West Saxon of Alfred the Great's time, and the Late West Saxon of the late 10th and 11th centuries.

Ryan Merkle QMRDialects[edit]

"Her swutelað seo gecwydrædnes ðe"

Old English inscription over the arch of the south porticus in the 10th-century St Mary's parish church, Breamore, Hampshire

Old English should not be regarded as a single monolithic entity, just as Modern English is also not monolithic. It emerged over time out of the many dialects and languages of the colonising tribes, and it is perhaps only towards the later Anglo-Saxon period that these can be considered to have constituted a single national language.[6] Even then, Old English continued to exhibit much local and regional variation, remnants of which remain in Modern English dialects.[7]

The four main dialectal forms of Old English were Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish, and West Saxon.[8] Mercian and Northumbrian are together referred to as Anglian. In terms of geography the Northumbrian region lay north of the Humber River; the Mercian lay north of the Thames and South of the Humber River; West Saxon lay south and southwest of the Thames; and the smallest, Kentish region lay southeast of the Thames, a small corner of England. The Kentish region, settled by the Jutes from Jutland, has the scantiest literary remains.[3]

Each of these four dialects was associated with an independent kingdom on the island. Of these, Northumbria south of the Tyne, and most of Mercia, were overrun by the Vikings during the 9th century. The portion of Mercia that was successfully defended, and all of Kent, were then integrated into Wessex under Alfred the Great. From that time on, the West Saxon dialect (then in the form now known as Early West Saxon) became standardised as the language of government, and as the basis for the many works of literature and religious materials produced or translated from Latin in that period.

Ryan Merkle QMRMany sequences abolished[edit]

In the Missal of Pius V (1570) the number of sequences for the entire Roman Rite was reduced to four: Victimae paschali laudes (11th century) for Easter, Veni Sancte Spiritus for Pentecost (12th century), Lauda Sion Salvatorem (c.1264) for Corpus Christi, and Dies Irae (13th century) for All Souls and in Masses for the Dead. In 1727, the 13th century Stabat Mater for Our Lady of Sorrows was added to this list.[5] In 1970 the Dies Irae was removed from the Requiem Mass of the revised, new Roman Missal and was transferred to the Liturgy of the Hours to be sung ad libitum in the week before the beginning of Advent.[6] The Christmas sequence "Laetabundus," not present in the Roman Missal, is found in the Dominican Missal. This sequence is permitted for the Third Mass of Christmas, the Epiphany, and Candlemas.

Ryan Merkle QMrThe four canonical bases[edit]

Main article: Nucleotide

The canonical structure of DNA has four bases: thymine (T), adenine (A), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). DNA sequencing is the determination of the physical order of these bases in a molecule of DNA. However, there are many other bases that may be present in a molecule. In some viruses (specifically, bacteriophage), cytosine may be replaced by hydroxy methyl or hydroxy methyl glucose cytosine.[3] In mammalian DNA, variant bases with methyl groups or phosphosulfate may be found.[4][5] Depending on the sequencing technique, a particular modification may or may not be detected, e.g., the 5mC (5 methyl cytosine) common in humans may or may not be detected.[6]

QMRThe Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second of four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 stories starring the fictional detective.

The story is set in 1888.[1] The Sign of the Four has a complex plot involving service in East India Company, India, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a stolen treasure, and a secret pact among four convicts ("the Four" of the title) and two corrupt prison guards. It presents the detective's drug habit and humanizes him in a way that had not been done in the preceding novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887). It also introduces Doctor Watson's future wife, Mary Morstan.

A Study in Scarlet is one of only four full-length novels in the original canon. The novel was followed by The Sign of the Four, published in 1890. A Study in Scarlet was the first work of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an investigative tool.[3

The Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is loosely based on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915. The first book edition was copyrighted in 1914, and it was first published by George H. Doran Company in New York on 27 February 1915, and illustrated by Arthur I. Keller.[1]

Cinema Chapter

QMRThe Four Golden Flowers was a TV theme song musical performance group in the early 1970s. They are one of the first all-girl modern music group in Hong Kong. They are mostly notable for performing on the show Enjoy Yourself Tonight. Legacy[edit] Many famous Hong Kong actresses were in this group. The Four Golden Flowers produced Lydia Shum (Fei-Fei), who died on February 26, 2008 because of liver cancer. The group also produced "The Big Sister" Liza Wang, who played an important part in the growth of Hong Kong's entertainment industry.

Ryan Merkle QMR Whats my lineThe host (called the moderator at that time) was veteran radio and television newsman John Daly. Clifton Fadiman,[10][11] Eamonn Andrews, and Bennett Cerf[12] substituted on the four occasions Daly was unavailable.

The show featured a panel of four celebrities who questioned the contestants. On the initial program of February 2, 1950, the panel was former New Jersey governor Harold Hoffman, columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, poet Louis Untermeyer, and psychiatrist Richard Hoffmann. For the majority of the show’s run the panel consisted of Kilgallen, Random House publisher and co-founder Bennett Cerf, actress Arlene Francis and a fourth guest panelist.

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Horses of Saint Mark, also known as the Triumphal Quadriga, is a set of bronze statues of four horses, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga (a four-horse carriage used for chariot racing) The horses were placed on the facade, on the loggia above the porch, of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, northern Italy after the sack of Constantinople in 1204. They remained there until looted by Napoleon in 1797 but were returned in 1815. The sculptures have been removed from the facade and placed in the interior of St. Mark's for conservation purposes, with replicas in their position on the loggia.

Ryan Merkle History[edit]

It is certain that the horses, along with the quadriga with which they were depicted were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople; they may be the "four gilt horses that stand above the Hippodrome" that "came from the island of Chios under Theodosius II" mentioned in the 8th- or early 9th-century Parastaseis syntomoi chronikai.[3] They were still there in 1204, when they were looted by Venetian forces as part of the sack of the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the Fourth Crusade. The collars on the four horses were added in 1204 to obscure where the animals heads had been severed to allow them to be transported from Constantinople to Venice.[4] Shortly after the Fourth Crusade, Doge Enrico Dandolo sent the horses to Venice, where they were installed on the terrace of the façade of St. Mark's Basilica in 1254. Petrarch admired them there.[5]

In 1797, Napoleon had the horses forcibly removed from the basilica and carried off to Paris, where they were used in the design of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel together with a quadriga.

In 1815 the horses were returned to Venice by Captain Dumaresq. He had fought at the Battle of Waterloo and was with the allied forces in Paris where he was selected, by the Emperor of Austria, to take the horses down from the Arc de Triomphe and return them to their original place at St Mark's in Venice. For the skillful manner in which he performed this work the Emperor gave him a gold snuff box with his initials in diamonds on the lid.[6]

Conservation-restoration of the Horses of Saint Mark.

The horses remained in place over St. Marks until the early 1980s, when the ongoing damage from growing air pollution forced their replacement with exact copies. Since then, the originals have been on display just inside the basilica.

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Four Seasons are a set of four stone allegorical putti, each representing a traditional, temperate season. These are a part of the outdoor sculpture collection of the historic Oldfields estate, located on the campus of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1][2][3][4][5]

Description[edit]

The four sculptures are similar in size, color, and sculptural style. Each is carved from a single block of white stone. Each figure stands on a small, square base and is structurally supported by a carved tree stump. On the underside of each base is carved the word “ITALY”. In their current placement the sculptures are elevated to eye level on matching tall, narrow, rectangular stone bases constructed in three pieces and held together via mortise and tenon. The sculptures differ in that each is shown with a traditional iconographic indicator of the depicted season.

Spring, to which the IMA assigned accession number LH2001.238, is distinguished by the presence of flower blossoms. The putto stands with his left leg forward, supporting on his left hip a woven basket filled with blossoms. His right hand holds a cluster of large buds. The figure is clad in a cloth wrapped around his waist and rolled at the upper edge for support, and on his head he wears an anadem (wreath) of blossoms.

Summer, accession number LH2001.236, is identified with wheat. This putto stands in a rather dynamic contrapposto, weight on his straightened left leg, swinging his laden arms out to his left side. With both hands he is holding a sheaf of harvested wheat. His head is turned slightly to his right. The figure is clad in a synthesis or draped cloth clasped over the left shoulder and belted around the waist, and he wears a thin cloth headband around his curls that is knotted in back.

Autumn, accession number LH2001.239, shows the fruits of the season and a goblet. The putto stands in a slight contrapposto, weight on his proper right leg, and his head turned to his left. His arms reach out in front of his belly. In his proper right hand he holds a goblet, and his left hand holds a cluster of grapes. He is clad in a robe tied over the right shoulder and twisted along the upper edge across the chest. It is belted around the waist. He wears a wreath of grapevine in his curls. Behind him, to the proper right of the tree stump, is a basket of fruit.

Winter, accession number LH2001.237, bears no produce. In this sculpture a putto stands with his weight on his straightened left leg and his right leg bent and crossed in front of the left, the ball of the right foot resting on a rock. His upper body leans right and his arms are crossed, right over left. The right hand grasps the left upper arm, and the left hand clutches the two ends of a cloth wrapped around the boy from waist to knee. The figure looks to his left. Unlike the other sculptures in this set, LH2001.237’s curly locks are unadorned.[5]

Ryan Merkle Context[edit]

The Four Seasons are an ancient decorative motif. Usually each season is represented as an allegorical figure bearing traditional iconographic symbols. The Romans typically represented the seasons as voluptuous goddesses known as the Horae. This imagery carried over into neoclassical art and later and became especially popular as garden sculpture. Putti (re-popularized in the Renaissance) became common allegorical figures and often took over the role of the Horae, as here. This change in preference may have occurred because putti are more innocuous than the sexualized goddesses of antiquity.

Iconography[edit]

Spring is shown with profuse flowers because it is the season when most flowering plants blossom.

Summer holds a sheaf of wheat and wears a cloth headband to illustrate the labor and product of the wheat harvest, which is done in the summer. Wheat can either be planted in the winter ("winter wheat") or the spring ("spring wheat"), to be harvested at the beginning or very end of summer, respectively.

Autumn is the season in which most fruits become ripe. Since grapes are harvested in the fall, wine is also made in the fall. This is alluded to by the goblet.

Winter is shown without produce and striving to warm himself because the temperate winter is cold and rather barren.[

Ryan Merkle QMRPliny the Elder records five bronze statues of Amazons in the Artemision of Ephesus.[1] He explains the existence of such a quantity of sculptures on the same theme in the same place by describing a 5th-century BC competition between the artists Polyclitus, Phidias, Kresilas, "Kydon"[2] and Phradmon; thus:

“ The most celebrated of these artists, though born at different epochs, have joined in a trial of skill in the Amazons which they have respectively made. When these statues were dedicated in the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, it was agreed, in order to ascertain which was the best, that it should be left to the judgment of the artists themselves who were then present: upon which, it was evident that that was the best, which all the artists agreed in considering as the next best to his own. Accordingly, the first rank was assigned to Polycletus, the second to Phidias, the third to Cresilas, the fourth to Cydon, and the fifth to Phradmon.[3] ”

This anecdote encouraged the much-discussed identifications of four known types of Roman marble copies of the wounded Amazon with sculptors of lost originals that may be dated to 430 BC on stylistic grounds. These types, each well represented by numerous Roman copies and heads, are identified with three of Pliny's five sculptors; a type derived from Phradmon has not been identified. Of these, however, only the identification of the Mattei type as deriving from Phidias's original is undisputed. The assignment of the Sciarra-type as deriving from Polyclitus's original and Sosicles-type as deriving from Kresilas's original (or vice versa), on the other hand, is unestablished, although having been discussed since 1897. The German scholar R. Bolnach has written a thorough form-analysis for the Sciarra/Polycletus and Sosikles/Kresilas pairings.

Dietrich von Bothmer dismissed the Plinian anecdote as an etiological embroidery[4] invented to account for the five statues of wounded Amazons of varying styles. Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway presented her doubts ("it is difficult to see why all five Amazons were set up if only one 'won' and became the object of the dedication"), noting Pliny's awareness of the discrepancies in age of the sculptors;[5] she presented an alternative, cumulative origin, building on fifth century prototypes, added to by Phradmon, whom she identifies as a fourth-century sculptor, and supplemented by later classicizing models.[6]

Types[edit]

The usual designations of the statues, following Adolf Furtwängler, group them under the headings the Lansdowne type, the Capitoline type, the Mattei type and the single example known as the Villa Doria Pamphilj type.[7] A fifth type was excavated at the theater of Ephesus in 1898 but did not enter the discussion until the 1950s.

All five types show a standing female with a similar head and face, and (as with the Venus Genetrix) are clothed in a peplos that has fallen from one or both shoulders to leave her bare-breasted. Their differences are most obvious when the three sculptures, or casts therof, are displayed together, as at the Casts Gallery at the Cambridge Classics Faculty.[8] The pose, with one arm resting on the head, is comparable to that of the Apollo Lykeios.

Mattei Amazon, Vatican Museum

Wounded Amazon, "Lansdowne type", said to be after Polyclitus (Cast in Pushkin Museum)

Amazon Mattei type[edit]

The prototype was discovered in 1770, as a marble Roman copy of a bronze original, and came into the Mattei collection. 2.11m high, and of the Augustan era, this type is derived from Phidias's original.[9] It is now on display in the Gallerie delle Statue of the Pio-Clementine Museum in the Vatican.[10] The figure looks down, with her right arm parrying and her left arm by her side with a quiver under it, though both arms, the head, and the left shoulder are all restorations. Another copy of this type is at the Capitoline Museum.[11]

Amazon Sciarra type[edit]

1.94 m high, this copy dates to the era of Tiberius and is derived from Polyclitus's or Kresilas's original. It was found in Rome in 1868 in the Gardens of Sallust, and is now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen,[12] The figure is resting her left arm on a column and her right hand behind her head, with her face leaning to one side. Her nose, right arm from the deltoid muscle downwards, the left forearm below the elbow, both hands, and the right foot and ankle have all been restored since discovery.

Amazon "Capitoline" or Sosicles type[edit]

Wounded Amazon, Roman copy signed by Sosikles

This type is known principally from the 2.02 m high 2nd century AD marble copy (signed by Sosicles), deriving from Polyclitus's or Kresilas's original.[13] It was discovered in 1733, went into the collection of Cardinal Giuseppe Albani, and is now in the Capitoline Museums, Rome (Room 33). The figure has her left arm across her body below her breasts, and her right hand raised and open-palmed, as she looks down towards the wound in her right-hand side. She wears a baldric. The tip of nose, lower lip, left forearm, and hand with drapery have been restored since discovery.[6]

It was (before and after Sosicles's time) copied as a complete statue, as a bust or as a herm, both in stone in the same size as the original and in miniature in bronze.

Lansdowne Amazon[edit]

A possible fourth is the Lansdowne Amazon, said to have been found in Tor Colombara by Gavin Hamilton, though it may be a variant on the Sciarra-type. Later at Lansdowne House, it is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[14] Half of the nose, the right arm from middle of the biceps to wrist, the tip of the thumb, and other details have been restored since discovery.[15]

Ryan Merkle The fourth is different

Ryan Merkle Villa Doria Pamphilj Amazon[edit]

Adolf Furtwängler attributed a much-restored Wounded Amazon at the Villa Doria Pamphilj, Rome, to the Ephesus group, an attribution that was challenged in 1951 by C.P. Sestieri,[16] who identified the sculpture instead as a classicising Roman work, and a representation of Diana.[17] Dietrich von Bothmer's systematic study omitted the Dori-Pamphilj sculpture as insecurely identified and too much restored, while H. von Steuben in W. Helbig, Führer durch die öffentlichen Sammlungen klassischer Altertümer in Rom, (Tübingen) 4th ed. identifies it as an eclectic classicizing work modelled on the Lansdowne Wounded Amazon.

Ephesus Amazon[edit]

A fifth Amazon type was unearthed at the theatre of Ephesus in 1898 but languished unpublished.[18]

Ryan Merkle qMRFigure Four started in 1996 and are currently signed to Solid State Records. The band is currently on hiatus, as two of its members are now in the full-time touring hardcore punk band, Comeback Kid, and one of its members is now in a band, Grave Maker. They played a few isolated shows throughout 2006.

FF Bassist Bailey played bass for Endless Fight in 2005, Shattered Realm in 2006 the Cancer Bats in 2007 and filled in for Too Pure To Die on the latest tours.

The Belgian webzine RMP printed the rumour on the 14th of January (2011) that they were going to perform. Figure Four performed at Rain Fest in Seattle, Washington on May 28, 2011.

Regarding the band's stance on the controversy surrounding whether or not Figure Four is still a Christian band, vocalist Andrew Neufeld had this to say at Rain Fest 2011: "It's been a while, but we haven't broke up, but the last time we played was 2006. I realized something this week; I've been involved in Figure Four for half of my life--literally...and we're definitely in different places than we were when we started this band, and we have different ideas and different beliefs, and we've moved on and we've grown older..."

Ryan Merkle QMRA figure-four is a grappling joint-lock that resembles the number "4". A keylock or toe hold can be referred to as a figure-four hold, when it involves a figure-four formation with the legs or arms. If the figure-four involves grabbing the wrists with both hands, it is sometimes called a double wrist lock. A figure-four hold done with the legs around the neck and (usually) arm of an opponent is often called a triangle choke, and is a common submission in mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Prior to this, this form was in Japanese martial arts, where it is known as Sankaku-Jime. The wrestling move figure 4 leg lock was made famous by WWE Hall of Famer Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair.

Ryan Merkle QMRThe Voice began airing on April 26, 2011, as a spring TV season program. The show proved to be a hit for NBC and was subsequently expanded into the fall cycle when season three premiered on September 10, 2012. The series employs a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances.

Ryan Merkle America's Got Talent The original judging panel consisted of David Hasselhoff, Brandy Norwood, and Piers Morgan. Sharon Osbourne replaced Norwood in season two (2007), and Howie Mandel replaced Hasselhoff in season five (2010). Howard Stern joined the panel in season seven (2012) as a replacement for Morgan. Mel B replaced Osbourne in season eight (2013), while Heidi Klum joined as a fourth judge. Stern left after season ten (2015); Simon Cowell replaced Stern for season eleven (2016).[4] Regis Philbin was the original host (season one), followed by Jerry Springer for two seasons (2007–08), and Nick Cannon has hosted since season four (2009).

Ryan Merkle QMRO Ses Türkiye is a Turkish reality singing competition and local version of The Voice first broadcast as The Voice of Holland. It started on October 10, 2011. Its first season was held in February 19, 2012 on Show TV. The second season starts on Autumn 2012 on Star TV. O Ses Türkiye presented by Acun Ilıcali (since 2011) and Alp Kırşan (since 2013).

One of the important premises of the show is the quality of the singing talent. Four coaches, themselves popular performing artists, train the talents in their group and occasionally perform with them. Talents are selected in blind auditions, where the coaches cannot see, but only hear the auditioner.

QMRThe Voice of Italy is a reality singing competition and Italian version of the international syndication The Voice based on the reality singing competition launched in the Netherlands, created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. The inaugural season was in 2013 with the first episode airing on Rai 2 on March 7, 2013. The show is also broadcast via radio on Radio Rai and RTL 102.5.

It was hosted by the TV actor Fabio Troiano and the four judges were Raffaella Carrà, Noemi, Piero Pelù and Riccardo Cocciante. The winner of the series was Elhaida Dani from Team Cocciante. The program was renewed for a second season with the first episode broadcast on 12 March 2014 with Federico Russo hosting the show. Three of the judges returned; Carrà, Pelù and Noemi, however Riccardo Cocciante was replaced by J-Ax. Sister Cristina Scuccia triumphed in the 2014 final for Team J-Ax. The nun, Suor Cristina Scuccia, recited the prayer 'Our Father' on stage after winning.[1] On the third season, Raffaella Carrà was replaced by Roby & Francesco Facchinetti as judge, while Fabio Curto was the winner.

QMRBritain's Got Talent (often shortened to BGT) is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent franchise. The show is a Thames production (formerly Talkback Thames) distributed by FremantleMedia and is produced in association with Syco TV. The show is broadcast on ITV and its sister show Britain's Got More Talent is broadcast on ITV2. Anyone of any age with some sort of talent can audition for the show. Acts compete against each other in order to gain the audience support while trying to win the title of "The winner of Britain's Got Talent''. The original judging panel consisted of the show's creator Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. Kelly Brook was brought in as a fourth judge in series 3, but was axed after one audition site. Morgan did not return for series 5 and Cowell was only present during the live shows, while David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre joined the panel. Alesha Dixon and David Walliams joined the panel in series 6 as replacements for McIntyre and Hasselhoff.

QMRCategories[edit]

Unlike Pop Idol, The X Factor has no upper-age limit, groups can apply, and contestants are also split into categories. Cowell said, "We're trying to create a different competition. Hopefully we're going to be able to appeal to somebody over the age of 35 who keeps saying to me 'there aren't any artists I like in the competition'. It's amazing, but we haven't catered for older record buyers who want to buy into the new Cliff Richard or whatever."[2]

For series 1–3 the competition was split into three categories: 16–24s (solo acts aged 16–24), Over 25s (solo acts aged 25 and over) and Groups (including duos). In series 4–5, the minimum age was lowered to 14, creating a 14–24 age group. With the addition of a fourth judge in series 4, this was split into separate male and female sections, making four categories in all: "Boys" (14–24 males), "Girls" (14–24 females), Over 25s and Groups.

QMRThe "Fifth Circuit Four" (or simply "The Four") were four judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit who, during the late 1950s, became known for a series of decisions (which continued into the late 1960s) crucial in advancing the civil rights of African Americans; in this they were opposed by fellow Fifth Circuit judge Ben Cameron, a strong advocate of states' rights. At that time, the Fifth Circuit included not only Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas (the limits of its jurisdiction since October 1, 1981), but also Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Panama Canal Zone.

"The Four" were Chief Judge Elbert Tuttle and his three colleagues John Minor Wisdom, John Robert Brown, and Richard Rives. All but Rives were liberal Republicans; Rives was a Democrat and, according to Jack Bass, an intimate of Supreme Court justice Hugo Black.

Quote[edit]

"The Constitution is both color blind and color conscious. To avoid conflict with the equal protection clause, a classification that denies a benefit, causes harm, or imposes a burden must not be based on race. In that sense the Constitution is color blind. But the Constitution is color conscious to prevent discrimination being perpetuated and to undo the effects of past discrimination. The criterion is the relevancy of color to a legitimate government purpose."

- Judge John Minor Wisdom, writing for the majority in U.S. v. Jefferson County Board of Education, 1967.

QMRThe Voice of China (Chinese: 中国好声音; pinyin: Zhōngguó Hǎo Shēngyīn) is a Chinese reality talent show that premiered on 13 July 2012 on Zhejiang Television channel of the ZRTG network sponsored by Jiaduobao. Program recording was done at East China Normal University in Shanghai.

The four judges / coaches choose teams of contestants through a blind audition process. Each judge has the length of the auditioner's performance to decide if he or she wants that singer on his or her team. If two or more judges want the same singer (as happens frequently), the singer has the final choice of coach.

Each team of singers is mentored and developed by its respective coach. In the second stage, called the battle phase, coaches have two of their team members battle against each other directly by singing the same song together, with the coach choosing which team member to advance from each of individual "battles" into the first live round. Within that first live round, the surviving four acts from each team again compete head-to-head, with public votes determining the best of four acts from each team that will advance to the final eight, while the coach chooses which of the remaining three acts comprises the other performer remaining on the team.

In the final phase, the remaining contestants compete against each other in live broadcasts. The audience and the coaches have equal say in deciding who moves on to the final 4 phase. With one contestant remaining for each coach, the four contestants will compete against each other in the final round with the outcome decided solely by public vote. However, in Season 4, there may be multiple contestants for a coach to enter the Grand Final, or may be no contestants for the respective coaches.

Ryan Merkle QMR The Voice UK is a British television talent show created by John de Mol and based on the concept The Voice of Holland. It began airing on BBC One on 24 March 2012. There are five different stages to the show: producers' auditions, blind auditions, battle phase, knockouts, and live shows. The winner receives £100,000 and a record deal with Universal Republic. There have been four winners to date: Leanne Mitchell, Andrea Begley, Jermain Jackman and Stevie McCrorie.

Promotion[edit]The Voice UK is a British television talent show created by John de Mol and based on the concept The Voice of Holland. It began airing on BBC One on 24 March 2012. There are five different stages to the show: producers' auditions, blind auditions, battle phase, knockouts, and live shows. The winner receives £100,000 and a record deal with Universal Republic. There have been four winners to date: Leanne Mitchell, Andrea Begley, Jermain Jackman and Stevie McCrorie.

The first promotional item the BBC released was a video on the official website. It read, "Four of the biggest names in music are looking for incredible singing talent to compete for the title of The Voice UK. Only the most unique and distinctive voices will make it to the filmed auditions and get to sing for our celebrity coaches".[29] To promote the show, all four coaches went to Central London launch event, which took place at Soho Hotel on 24 February 2012.[30] Daily Mirror's Jo Usmar commented on the promotion of the show, stating that the trailer will "get you juices flowing".[31] A further trailer was released on 9 March, featuring footage from the show, "including interviews with the panel, a first look at some contestants and bickering between the coaches".[22]

Ryan Merkle QMR4 Devils (also known as Four Devils) is a lost[1][2] 1928 American silent drama film directed by German film director F. W. Murnau and starring Janet Gaynor.

QMR

The Dark Judges are recurring villains in the Judge Dredd science fiction comic strip in the UK comic 2000 AD. They also appear in the 2003 computer game Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" (Phobia and Nausea), to their ranks. Former Judge Kraken was also a Dark Judge for a brief time during the Necropolis story.

History[edit]

The Dark Judges were originally a group of four lawkeepers from a parallel dimension. They were led by Judge Death, who had determined that all crime was committed by the living - thus, by his logic, all life was a crime. The other three were slavishly devoted to him and his philosophy, and the four went around killing people on whatever justification they could find (Judge Fire sentenced a whole school to death for noise pollution). The society of the parallel universe they inhabited placed very little value on human life and many inhabitants were sadistic and violent, but even by the standards of their people the Dark Judges were vicious.

Things changed when Death encountered Phobia and Nausea (the future Sisters of Death) in a cave. The Sisters were death cultists and mass murderers with supernatural powers, and Death fell in love; the three of them committed acts on victims that he admitted sickened even him. With their help, he and his acolytes were able to become undead beings, thus being 'pure' to judge without hypocrisy. The Sisters would themselves become ethereal beings with hideous magical powers. The Dark Judges subsequently murdered the entire population of their world.

Dimension-travelling visitors chanced upon the now 'Deadworld' and found the Dark Judges. After 'judging' (i.e., killing) them and taking their dimension jumping warp devices, Judge Death travelled to Mega-City One, against the opinions of his colleagues, in order to 'dispense justice'. Death was eventually defeated by the combined efforts of Judges Dredd and Anderson, his body having been destroyed, and his spirit form held inside Judge Anderson, herself encased in the miracle plastic Boing on display in the Justice Department's Hall of Heroes.

Having sensed Death's peril, his comrades Fear, Fire and Mortis crossed the dimension warp to rescue him. Released from imprisonment and with a new body created, the four Dark Judges continued their 'judgement' upon Mega-City One claiming thousands of victims. Dredd and Anderson intervened, and pursued the Dark Judges back to Deadworld using a Dimension Jump Globe liberated from the Dark Judges. There, the spirits of the Dark Judges' millions of victims flowed through Anderson and seemingly extinguished their spirits forever.

However, the Dark Judges were not destroyed but merely weakened, and four years later, Judge Anderson was duped into returning to Deadworld, where she was forced to resurrect them. Armed with teleporter technologies, the four returned to Mega-City One, leaving Anderson for dead. Anderson survived, however, and used the dimension warp technology against the Dark Judges, consigning them to limbo, the void between dimensions. This is where they were to remain for the next few years.

Following Judge Dredd's resignation and his replacement by the ex-Judge Kraken (recounted in the Judge Dredd stories Tale of the Dead Man and Countdown to Necropolis respectively), the sisters of Death - Phobia and Nausea - used their powers to influence Kraken and rescue the Dark Judges from Limbo. With the Mega-City One judge force under their control, the Dark Judges created Necropolis - the city of the dead, killing 60 million citizens. Judges Dredd, Anderson and Chief Judge McGruder, together with a handful of cadet judges, returned via The Undercity to defeat them - returning the Sisters of Death to Deadworld, imprisoning Fear, Fire and Mortis within secure containment, and executing Kraken, who had become a fifth Dark Judge.

Judge Death eluded capture by hiding in the burial pits of the Cursed Earth and departed for another dimension, but was eventually captured by Dredd with the aid of Batman (see Judgement on Gotham). Judge Death would escape several other times, with the most significant being when the Joker (see below) dimension-jumped to Mega-City One and freed the four prisoners when they were being transferred to a more secure prison. They entered a sealed hedonist community and slaughtered their way through it before Dredd, Anderson, and Batman could stop them again.

In 2124, Death was released again - after a series of child murders to bring out Anderson, he beat her into a coma so she couldn't track him, infected her with the supernatural Half-Life virus, and escaped into the Cursed Earth. He then went on a killing spree and searched for weapons of mass destruction, finally taking out Las Vegas before seemingly being destroyed by the angry ghosts of his victims. However, the Sisters of Death - now with three extra members - attacked again in 2127, striking blocks with poltergeist activity and plagues before Psi-Division drove them back; and during Death's time in the Cursed Earth, he created another undead killer named Mordechai to carry on after him.

In 2134, during a major Soviet-backed attack on Mega-City One, Soviet sleeper agent Judge Haldane used a forged warrant to enter the Dark Judge containment vault and open the containment vessels. He stole the imprisoned Fear, Fire, and Mortis, and with another sleeper agent he gave the Dark Judges physical form again. (They promptly killed the agents, to Haldane's horror.)[1] They were later captured by genius serial killer PJ Maybe.[2]

Later Death was freed from Hell by the Sisters of Death.[3] He entered the home of PJ Maybe and rescued his brothers. They escaped from Earth on a spaceship, the Mayflower, and killed most of the passengers and crew. They were pursued by Dredd and Anderson, who managed to defeat them and left them stranded in space.[4]

Character details[edit]

The Dark Judges are undead, and as such, cannot be conventionally killed. Their true forms are incorporeal spirits that must inhabit corpses in order to cause physical harm. This involves obtaining recently deceased cadavers, which are subsequently processed by machinery that produces "dead fluids." These fluids bring the corpses to "full ripeness," prefatory for the spirits to inhabit and animate. The incarnate Dark Judges are emaciated, zombie-like humanoids with sharp claws that frequently serve for them to injure their victims. All four speak with a hiss.

Once incarnated, the Dark Judges don uniforms (or "robes of office") which reflect their identities. The uniforms are variants of the traditional judge uniforms, with specific modifications based upon the judges' personalities.

Judge Death wears a helmet similar to that of a traditional Judge, with a modified visor resembling a portcullis. His mouth is pulled into a rictus. In place of the Judges' eagle-shaped shoulder pauldrons, Death sports a pterodactyl on his right shoulder; his left shoulder and elbow pads are festooned with bones. His jacket is fastened with crude stitches rather than a zipper, and his badge and belt buckle are each shaped like a human skull with extended fangs, the latter is also adorned with bat wings. Death most often kills his victims by reaching directly into their chests (in an intangible state) and squeezing their hearts until they burst, without ever breaking the skin.

"Gaze into the fist of Dredd!" - artwork by Brian Bolland

Judge Fear is an imposing figure who wears a black great helm accented with large, bat-like wings. When passing judgement, he opens his helmet's faceplate and frightens the accused to death with whatever lies within, whilst reciting his catch phrase, "Gaze into the face of Fear!" The actual face under the helmet has only been revealed twice: once as a mass of eyeballs,[5] and on another occasion as several grotesque mandibles.[6] No explanation has been given as to whether these monstrosities are indicative of Fear's physical face, or if they are simply manifestations of his victims' fears. Fear sports an assortment of tools on his belt, notably miniature bear traps, which he is known to throw at his enemies in order to immobilize them; and an enormous padlock which he uses to secure his victims' potential exit routes. His belt buckle is a shrunken head. In "Die laughing" the shrunken head was revealed to be an explosive weapon, similar in effect to a hand grenade, when Judge Fear used it in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Batman. He wears a heavy black cape with large, bear trap shoulder pauldrons. In Progs. 421 and 423, Judge Fear is seen to exhibit powers similar to Judge Death's "phasing" ability, thrusting his hands through victims' bodies.

Judge Fire is immersed head-to-toe in ethereal flame. He wears no helmet, and instead has a human skull for a head. He wields a flame-spewing trident. He earned the name "Judge Fire" when he was still alive, after he burned down a school for violating noise regulations.

Judge Mortis is in a perpetual state of disintegration, and his touch can cause spontaneous decay at a rapid rate. His head is a sheep skull and he has a bony tail. His uniform's right shoulder pauldron is a bird skeleton, and his left shoulder is protected by a perforated mantle. His badge is a stylized sheep skull with his name emblazoned in wood. Like Fire and Fear, Mortis spent his early years as a rookie Judge at Law School, Deadworld's equivalent to Mega-City One's Academy of Law, and graduated after Sidney De'ath. He developed an admiration for Sidney's methods and beliefs, and shares his comrades' zeal for passing arbitrary death sentences. He is sometimes employed by Judge Death to prepare the Dark Judges' host bodies.