document_title: American middle class

question_text: what is the income level for lower middle class

text: American middle class

text: History[edit]

text: Scholars have a variety of technical measures of who is middle-class. By contrast public opinion has a variety of implicit measures. The definitions seem to stretch quite a great deal depending on the political cause that is being invoked or defended, as one commentator noted:

text: Well, it depends on whom you ask. Everyone wants to believe they are middle class. For people on the bottom and the top of the wage scale the phrase connotes a certain Regular Joe cachet. But this eagerness to be part of the group has led the definition to be stretched like a bungee cord - used to defend/attack/describe everything from the Earned Income Tax Credit to the estate tax.[9]

text: Sub-divisions[edit]

text: The middle class by one definition consists of an upper middle class, made up of professionals distinguished by exceptionally high educational attainment as well as high economic security; and a lower middle class, consisting of semi-professionals. While the groups overlap, differences between those at the center of both groups are considerable.

text: The lower middle class has lower educational attainment, considerably less workplace autonomy, and lower incomes than the upper middle class. With the emergence of a two-tier labor market, the economic benefits and life chances of upper middle class professionals have grown considerably compared to those of the lower middle class.[2][5]

text: The lower middle class needs two income earners in order to sustain a comfortable standard of living, while many upper middle class households can maintain a similar standard of living with just one income earner.[10][11]

text: The professional/managerial middle class[edit]

text: The "professional class", also called the "upper middle class," consists mostly of highly educated white collar salaried professionals, whose work is largely self-directed. In 2005, these household incomes commonly exceed $100,000 per year.[2][5][12] Class members typically hold graduate degrees, with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class.[2][13]

text: These professionals typically conceptualize, create, consult, and supervise. As a result, upper middle class employees enjoy great autonomy in the work place and are more satisfied with their careers than non-professional middle class individuals. In terms of financial wealth income, the professional middle class fits in the top third, but seldom reach the top 5% of American society.[14] According to sociologists such as Dennis Gilbert, James Henslin, Joseph Hickey, and William Thompson, the upper middle class constitutes 15% of the population.[2]

text: The upper middle class has grown... and its composition has changed. Increasingly salaried managers and professionals have replaced individual business owners and independent professionals. The key to the success of the upper-middle-class is the growing importance of educational certification... its lifestyles and opinions are becoming increasingly normative for the whole society. It is in fact a porous class, open to people... who earn the right credentials.

text: Values and mannerisms are difficult to pinpoint for a group encompassing millions of persons. Naturally, any large group of people will feature social diversity to some extent. However, some generalizations can be made using education and income as class defining criteria. William Thompson and Joseph Hickey noted that upper middle class individuals have a more direct and confident manner of speech.[2] In her 1989 publication Effects of Social Class and Interactive Setting on Maternal Speech, Erica Hoff-Ginsberg found that among her surveyed subjects, "upper-middle class mothers talked more per unit of time and sustained longer interactions with children". She also found that the speech of upper middle-class mothers differs "in its functional, discourse, and lexico-syntactic properties", from those in the working class.[16]

text: Upper middle-class manners tend to require individuals to engage in conversational discourse with rather distant associates and to abstain from sharing excessive personal information. This contradicts working-class speech patterns, which often include frequent mentions of one's personal life.[17] Further research also suggests that working-class parents emphasize conformity, traditional gender roles, and the adherence to external standards in their children, such as being neat and clean and "[believing] in strict leadership".[18] This contrasted with professional-class households, where gender roles were more egalitarian and loosely defined. Upper middle class children were largely taught to adhere to internal standards, with curiosity, individuality, self-direction, and openness to new ideas being emphasized.[15]

text: While a recent Gallup survey showed mass affluent households to be conservative on economic issues while liberal on social issues, the upper middle class seems to be relatively politically polarized. In the 2006 mid-term elections both Democrats and Republicans received over 40% of the vote from those with advanced degrees and those in households with six figure incomes. While households with incomes exceeding $100,000 tend to favor Republicans slightly, they are also the only income demographic where Ralph Nader won more than 1% of the vote. Among those with graduate degrees, a smaller group than those with six figure incomes, the majority tends to vote Democratic[19] with roughly 1% having voted for Nader in 2004.[20]

text: Lower middle class[edit]

text: The lower middle class is the second most populous according to both Gilbert's as well as Thompson & Hickey's models, constituting roughly one third of the population, the same percentage as the working class. However, according to James M. Henslin, who also divides the middle class into two sub-groups, the lower middle class is the most populous, constituting 34% of the population.[4] In all three class models the lower middle class is said to consist of "semi-professionals" and lower level white collar employees. An adaptation by sociologists Brian K. William, Stacy C. Sawyer, and Carl M. Wahlstrom of Dennis Gilbert's class model gave the following description of the lower middle class:[4]

text: The lower middle class... these are people in technical and lower-level management positions who work for those in the upper middle class as lower managers, craftspeople, and the like. They enjoy a reasonably comfortable standard of living, although it is constantly threatened by taxes and inflation. Generally, they have a Bachelor's and sometimes Master's college degree.

text: Taking into account the percentages provided in the six-class model by Gilbert, as well as the model of Thompson and Hickey, one can apply U.S. Census Bureau statistics regarding income. According to these class models the lower middle class is located roughly between the 52nd and 84th percentile of society. In terms of personal income distribution in 2005, that would mean gross annual personal incomes from about $32,500 to $60,000.[21]

text: As 42% of all households, and the majority of those in the top 40%, had two income earners, household income figures would be significantly higher, ranging from roughly $50,000 to $100,000 in 2005.[14] In terms of educational attainment, 27% of persons had a Bachelor's degree or higher.

text: Working class majority[edit]

text: Seen from a sociological perspective based on class-cleavages, the majority of Americans can be described as members of the working class.[22]

text: The use of the term "working class" is applicable if the position of individuals, households and families in relation to the production of goods and services is the main determinant of social class. Class distinctions are seen in the distribution of individuals within society whose influence and importance differ. The nature of a person's work and the associated degrees of influence, responsibility, and complexity determine a person's social class. The higher the degree of influence and responsibility a person has or the more complex the work, the higher his or her status in society.[23]

text: As qualified personnel become scarce for relatively important, responsible, and complex occupations income increases, following the economic theory of scarcity resulting in value. According to this approach, occupation becomes more essential in determining class than income.[23] Whereas professionals tend to create, conceptualize, consult and instruct, most Americans do not enjoy a high degree of independence in their work, as they merely follow set instructions.[8][22]

text: Definitions of the working class are confusing. Defined in terms of income, they may be split into middle-middle or statistical middle class in order to speak to issues of class structure. Class models such as Dennis Gilbert or Thompson and Hickey estimate that roughly 53% of Americans are members of the working or lower classes.[2][15]

text: Factors such as nature of work and lack of influence within their jobs leads some theorists to the conclusion that most Americans are working class. They have data that shows the majority of workers are not paid to share their ideas. These workers are closely supervised and do not enjoy independence in their jobs. Also, they are not paid to think. For example: The median annual earnings of salaried dentists were $136,960 in May 2006, indicating a high degree of scarcity for qualified personnel. The opinions and thoughts of dentists, much like those of other professionals, are sought after by their organizations and clients. The dentist creates a diagnosis, consults the patient, and conceptualizes a treatment.[24] In 2009, Dental assistants made roughly $14.40 an hour, about $32,000 annually. Unlike dentists, dental assistants do not have much influence over the treatment of patients.[25] They carry out routine procedures and follow the dentists' instructions. Here we see that a dental assistant being classified as working class. Similar relationships can be observed in other occupations.

text: Weberian definition[edit]

text: Some modern theories of political economy consider a large middle class to be a beneficial, stabilizing influence on society, because it has neither the possibly explosive revolutionary tendencies of the lower class, nor the absolutist tendencies of an entrenched upper class. Most sociological definitions of middle class follow Max Weber. Here the middle class is defined as consisting of professionals or business owners who share a culture of domesticity and sub-urbanity and a level of relative security against social crisis, in the form of socially desired skill or wealth. Thus the theory on the middle class by Max Weber can be cited as one that supports the notion of the middle class being composed of a quasi-elite of professionals and managers, who are largely immune to economic downturns and trends such as out-sourcing which affect the statistical middle class.[11]

text: Income[edit]

text: Many social scientists including economist Michael Zweig and sociologist Dennis Gilbert contend that middle class persons usually have above median incomes. As social classes lack clear boundaries and overlap there are no definite income thresholds as for what is considered middle class. In 2004, sociologist Leonard Beeghley identifies a male making $57,000 and a female making $40,000 with a combined households income of $97,000 as a typical middle-class family.[26] In 2005, sociologists William Thompson and Joseph Hickey estimate an income range of roughly $35,000 to $75,000 for the lower middle class and $100,000 or more for the upper middle class.

text:
Median income levels

Households
Persons, age 25 or older with earnings
Household income by race or ethnicity

All households
Dual earner
households
Per household
member
Males
Females
Both sexes
Asian
Non-Hispanic White
Hispanic
(of any race)
Black

$46,326
$67,348
$23,535
$39,403
$26,507
$32,140
$57,518
$48,977
$34,241
$30,134

text:
Median personal income by educational attainment

Measure
Some High School
High school graduate
Some college
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree or higher
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Professional degree
Doctorate degree

Persons, age 25+ w/ earnings
$20,321
$26,505
$31,054
$35,009
$49,303
$43,143
$52,390
$82,473
$70,853

Male, age 25+ w/ earnings
$24,192
$32,085
$39,150
$42,382
$60,493
$52,265
$67,123
$100,000
$78,324

Female, age 25+ w/ earnings
$15,073
$21,117
$25,185
$29,510
$40,483
$36,532
$45,730
$66,055
$54,666

Persons, age 25+, employed full-time
$25,039
$31,539
$37,135
$40,588
$56,078
$50,944
$61,273
$100,000
$79,401

Household
$22,718
$36,835
$45,854
$51,970
$73,446
$68,728
$78,541
$100,000
$96,830

text:
Household income distribution

Bottom 10%
Bottom 20%
Bottom 25%
Middle 33%
Middle 20%
Top 25%
Top 20%
Top 5%
Top 1.5%
Top 1%

$0 to $10,500
$0 to $18,500
$0 to $22,500
$30,000 to $62,500
$35,000 to $55,000
$77,500 and up
$92,000 and up
$167,000 and up
$250,000 and up
$350,000 and up

Source: US Census Bureau, 2006; income statistics for the year 2005

text: Education and income[edit]

text: Educational attainment is one of the most prominent determinants of class status. As educational attainment represents expertise, which is a necessary component of the capitalist market system, its ownership may be seen as the ownership of one of the factors of production.[12] In other words, those with advanced degrees already own one of the essential buttresses of the economy: expertise. Additionally educational attainment is basis for occupational selection. Those with higher educational attainment tend to be positioned in occupations with greater autonomy, influence over the organizational process, and better financial compensation.

text: While economic compensation is merely the result of scarcity, educational attainment may be related to that very economic principle as well. The attainment of a graduate degree represents the acquisition of expertise (a factor of production) that in itself may be scarce; thus leading to better financial compensation for the owner.[12] As stated above, the upper middle class features a strong reliance on educational attainment (the ownership of expertise) for much of its social and economic well-being.[8][27] The following chart further explains the strong correlation between educational attainment and personal as well as household income.[13]

text:
Criteria
Overall
Less than 9th grade
High school drop-out
High school graduate
Some college
Associate degree
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree or more
Master's degree
Professional degree
Doctoral degree

Median individual income
Male, age 25+
$33,517
$15,461
$18,990
$28,763
$35,073
$39,015
$50,916
$55,751
$61,698
$88,530
$73,853

Female, age 25+
$19,679
$9,296
$10,786
$15,962
$21,007
$24,808
$31,309
$35,125
$41,334
$48,536
$53,003

Median household income
$45,016
$18,787
$22,718
$36,835
$45,854
$51,970
$68,728
$73,446
$78,541
$100,000
$96,830

text: SOURCE: US Census Bureau, 2003[13]

text: Household income controversy[edit]

text: Income is one of a household's attributes most commonly used to determine its class status. Yet, income may not always accurately reflect a household's position within society or the economy.[23] Unlike personal income, household income does not reflect occupational achievement as much as it measures the number of income earners. Sociologist Dennis Gilbert acknowledges that a working-class household with two income earners may out-earn a single-income upper-middle-class household, as the number of income earners has evolved into one of the most important variables in determining household income. For example, according to the US Department of Labor, two registered nurses could quite easily command a household income of $126,000 in 2006,[28] while the median income for a lawyer was $94,930.[29]

text: Furthermore, household income fails to recognize household size. For example, a single attorney, earning $95,000, may have a higher standard of living than a family of four with an income of $120,000. Yet household income is still a commonly used class indicator, as household members share the same economic fate and class position.[15]

text: The parade [of income earners with height representing income] suggest that [the] relationship between the distribution of income and the class structure is... blurred in the middle...we saw dual-income working class marchers looking down on single-income upper-middle-class marchers. In sum, the class structures as we have defined it...does not exactly match the distribution of household income.

text: Influence[edit]

text: The influence of the middle class depends on which theory one utilizes. If the middle class is defined as a modern bourgeoisie, the "middle class" has great influence. If middle class is used in a manner that includes all persons who are at neither extreme of the social strata, it might still be influential, as such definition may include the "professional middle class", which is then commonly referred to as the "upper middle class". Despite the fact that the professional (upper) middle class is a privileged minority, it is the perhaps the most influential class in the United States.[8]

text: Most ideas that find their way into the cultural mainstream... are crafted by a relative elite: people who are well educated, reasonably well-paid, and who overlap, socially and through family ties, with at least the middling levels of the business community—in short, the professional middle class.

text: Several reasons can be cited as to why the professional middle class is so influential. One is that journalists, commentators, writers, professors, economists, and political scientists, who are essential in shaping public opinion, are almost exclusively members of the professional middle class. Considering the overwhelming presence of professional middle-class persons in post secondary education, another essential instrument in regards to shaping public opinion, it should come as no surprise that the lifestyle exclusive to this quasi-elite has become indicative of the American mainstream itself. In addition to setting trends, the professional middle class also holds occupations which include managerial duties, meaning that middle-class professionals spend much of their work-life directing others and conceptualizing the workday for the average worker.[8]

text: Yet another reason is the economic clout generated by this class. In 2005 according to U.S. Census statistics, the top third of society, excluding the top 5%, controlled the largest share of income in the United States.[14] Although some in the statistical middle class (for example, police officers and fire fighters in the more affluent suburbs in the San Francisco Bay Area) may have lifestyles as comfortable as those found among the ranks of the professional middle class, only few have the same degree of autonomy and influence over society as those in the professional middle class.[8] Other white-collar members of the statistical middle class may not only be unable to afford the middle-class lifestyle[10] but also lack the influence found in the professional middle class.[30]

text: Typical occupations[edit]

text: Note that according to the many different ways of sub-dividing the middle class, some of the occupations indicative of the professional middle class might be categorized as upper-middle or lower-middle.

text: As mentioned above, typical occupations for members of the middle class are those identified as being part of "the professions" and often include managerial duties as well, with all being white collar. There is great diversity among the occupations found among those living the middle-class lifestyle, and the appropriateness of some occupations being placed here will depend on each individual's personal outlook. The following is a list of occupations one might expect to find among this class: Accountants, Tenured Professors (Post-secondary educators), Physicians, Engineers, Lawyers, commissioned Military Officers, Architects, Journalists, Mid-level corporate managers, Writers, Economists, Political Scientists, Urban planners, Financial managers, High school teachers, Registered Nurses (RNs), Pharmacists and Analysts, etc...[8][31]

text: Autonomy is often seen as one of the greatest measurements of a person's class status. Even though some working class employees might also enjoy largely self-directed work, large degrees of autonomy in the work place, as well as influence over the organizational process, which are commonly the results of obtained expertise, these can still be seen as hallmarks of upper-middle-class or professional-middle-class professions.[12]

text: As for the lower middle class, other less prestigious occupations, many sales positions, entry-level management, secretaries, etc., would be included.[32] In addition to professionals whose work is largely self-directed and includes managerial duties, many other less privileged members of the statistical middle class would find themselves in semi-independent to independent white collar positions. Many of those in the statistical middle class might work in what are called the professional support fields. These fields include occupations such as dental hygienists, and other professional and sales support.

text: Consumption[edit]

text: The American middle class, at least those living the lifestyle, has become known around the world for conspicuous consumption. To this day, the professional middle class in the United States holds the world record for having the largest homes, most appliances, and most automobiles. In 2005, the average new home had a square footage of 2,434 square feet (roughly 226 square meters) with 58% of these homes having ceilings with heights in excess of nine feet on the first floor. As new homes only represent a small portion of the housing stock in the US, with most suburban homes having been built in the 1970s when the average square footage was 1,600,[33] it is fair to assume that these large new suburban homes will be inhabited by members of the professional middle class.

text: Overall, many social critics and intellectuals, most of whom are members of the professional middle class themselves, have commented on the extravagant consumption habits of the professional middle class. It is also often pointed out that the suburban lifestyle of the American professional middle class is a major reason for its record consumption. The increasing materialism, even among such a highly educated class, is also often claimed to be connected to the notion of rugged individualism which gained popularity among the ranks of the professional middle class in the 1970s and 1980s.[8][31]

text: Academic models[edit]

text:
Academic class models

Dennis Gilbert, 2002
William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, 2005
Leonard Beeghley, 2004

Class
Typical characteristics
Class
Typical characteristics
Class
Typical characteristics

Capitalist class (1%)
Top-level executives, high-rung politicians, heirs. Ivy League education common.
Upper class (1%)
Top-level executives, celebrities, heirs; income of $500,000+ common. Ivy league education common.
The super-rich (0.9%)
Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $350,000; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common.

Upper middle class[1] (15%)
Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees), most commonly salaried, professionals and middle management with large work autonomy.
Upper middle class[1] (15%)
Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees) professionals & managers with household incomes varying from the high 5-figure range to commonly above $100,000.
The rich (5%)
Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees.

Middle class (plurality/
majority?; ca. 46%)
College-educated workers with considerably higher-than-average incomes and compensation; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical.

Lower middle class (30%)
Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white-collar.
Lower middle class (32%)
Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education.

Working class (30%)
Clerical and most blue-collar workers whose work is highly routinized. Standard of living varies depending on number of income earners, but is commonly just adequate. High school education.

Working class (32%)
Clerical, pink- and blue-collar workers with often low job security; common household incomes range from $16,000 to $30,000. High school education.
Working class
(ca. 40–45%)
Blue-collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education.

Working poor (13%)
Service, low-rung clerical and some blue-collar workers. High economic insecurity and risk of poverty. Some high school education.

Lower class (ca. 14–20%)
Those who occupy poorly-paid positions or rely on government transfers. Some high school education.

Underclass (12%)
Those with limited or no participation in the labor force. Reliant on government transfers. Some high school education.
The poor (ca. 12%)
Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education.

References: Gilbert, D. (2002) The American Class Structure: In An Age of Growing Inequality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, ISBN 0534541100. (see also Gilbert Model);

Thompson, W. & Hickey, J. (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon; Beeghley, L. (2004). The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.

1 The upper middle class may also be referred to as "Professional class" Ehrenreich, B. (1989). The Inner Life of the Middle Class. NY, NY: Harper-Collins.

text: Middle-class squeeze[edit]

text: Struggle for reemployment: downsizing and outsourcing[edit]

text: When middle-class workers lose their jobs, they tend to be rehired but for a lower rate of pay. More often than not, people seek out temporary employment to make ends meet. About 4 percent of workforce, 11.4 million workers, a year are temporary workers. Journalist[34] Barbara Ehrenreich, found that people went from solid middle-class jobs to minimum-wage employment.

text: According to[35] Christopher B. Doob, outsourcing is companies' subcontracting of services to other companies instead of continuing to provide those services themselves. This takes away from jobs offered in the United States and makes it more difficult to maintain and get jobs. Outsourcing raises the unemployment rate, and while outsourcing has been steadily increasing since the 1990s, data on the subject is limited by the power elite. Companies like[36] Apple and[37] Nike outsource jobs overseas so they can have cheaper labor to make their products and keep from raising prices in the States.

text: The deliberate reduction of permanent employees in an effort to provide an organization more efficient operations and to cut costs. Large firms like IBM, AT&T, and GM are reducing their heavily middle class workforce by 10 to 20 percent because of the advancement of technology and the closing of work facilities. Downsizing has grown significantly in the States due to the rising debt has forced companies to downsize so they can remain open. According to Doob, between 2005 and 2007, 3.6 million workers with three or more years on the job lost their positions because of company closings, moves, insufficient work, or the elimination of their positions.

text: Increased inequality[edit]

text: Changes as to inequality and poverty have not always been in the same direction. Poverty rates increased early in the 1980s until late in the 1990s when they started to go back down. Since 2000, the percent of all people living in poverty has risen from 11.3% to 15.1% in 2010.This statistical measure of the poverty rate takes into account only a household's current year's income, while ignoring the actual net worth of the household.[38][39]

text: Up to 2008[edit]

text: Income data indicate that the middle class, including the upper middle class, have seen far slower income growth than the top 1% since 1980.[41][42] While its income increased as fast as that of the rich in the years following World War II, it has since experienced far slower income gains than the top. According to economist Janet Yellen "the growth [in real income] was heavily concentrated at the very tip of the top, that is, the top 1 percent".[42] Between 1979 and 2005, the mean after-tax income of the top 1% increased by an inflation adjusted 176% versus 69% for the top 20% overall. The fourth quintile saw its mean net income increase by 29%, the middle income quintile by 21%, the second quintile by 17% and the bottom quintile by 6%, respectively.[40]

text: The share of gross annual household income of the top 1% has increased to 19.4%, the largest share since the late 1920s.[43][44][45] As the U.S. is home to a progressive tax structure the share of net-income received by the top 1% is smaller, and the share of the middle class consequently larger, than their shares of gross pre-tax income. In 2004, the top percentile's share of net income was 14%, 27.8% less than its share of gross income, but nonetheless nearly twice as large as in 1979, when it was clocked at 7.5%.[40]

text: The reduced size of the share of aggregate share of income, both before and after tax, of the middle class has been attributed to the reduced bargaining power of wage earning employees, caused by the decline of unions; a lessening of government redistribution;[46] and technological changes which have created opportunities for certain people to accumulate far greater relative wealth very quickly (including larger markets due to globalization and Information Age technologies allowing faster and wider distribution of work product).

text: In 2006 households that earn between $25,000 and $75,000 represent approximately the middle half of the income distribution tables provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Over the past two decades, the number of households in those brackets decreased by 3.9%, from 48.2% to 44.3%. During the same time period, the number of households with incomes below $25,000 decreased 3.5%, from 28.7% to 25.2%, while the number of households with incomes above $75,000 increased over 7%, from 23.2% to 30.4%.[38] A possible explanation for the increase in the higher earnings categories is that more households now have two wage earners.[47] However, a closer analysis reveals all of the 7% increase can be found in households who earn over $100,000.[38]

text: A study by Brookings Institution in June 2006 revealed that Middle-income neighborhoods as a proportion of all metropolitan neighborhoods declined from 58 percent in 1970 to 41 percent in 2000. As housing costs increase, the middle class is squeezed and forced to live in less desirable areas making upward mobility more difficult. Safety, school systems, and even jobs are all linked to neighborhood types.[48]

text: The statistics used to track the share of income going to the top 1% have been criticized by Alan Reynolds. He points out that the Tax Reform Act of 1986 changed the way that income is defined on tax returns, which is the primary source of data utilized to compile income shares.[49] Among these changes includes the fact that beginning in the 1980s, many C-Corporations switched to S-Corporations, which changed the way that their income is reported on income tax returns. S-Corporations report all income on the individual income tax returns of the owners, while C-Corporations file a separate tax return and corporate profits are not allocated to any individuals. Prior to 1986, approximately one fourth of all American corporations were S-Corporations, but by 1997 this share had risen to more than half. In addition, by 2001 S-Corporations were responsible for about 25% of before-tax profits.[50]

text: This shift to S-Corporations means that income previously not included on personal income tax returns appeared there during this change, as S-Corporation investors directly pay taxes on corporate profit regardless of whether it is distributed or not. Furthermore, Reynolds points out in the same literature that tax-deferred savings accounts grew substantially from the 1980s onward, so that investment income to these accounts was not included as personal income in the years which it accrued. The CBO noted that at the end of 2002, $10.1 trillion was in tax-deferred retirement plans, and that $9 trillion of that was taxable upon withdrawal.[51] These numbers amount to potentially large amounts of investment income to middle-class families that are no longer reported on tax returns each year, but were reported prior to the widespread growth of tax-deferred retirement plans.

text: Panel data that track the same individuals over time are much more informative than statistical categories that do not correspond to specific people. The Treasury did a study in 2007 that tracked the same individual taxpayers over the age of 25 from 1996 to 2005 and found differing results from what the graph above shows.[52] The results showed that during those years, half of taxpayers moved to a different income quintile, with half of those in the bottom quintile moving to a higher one. About 60% of taxpayers in the top 1% in 1996 no longer stayed in that category by 2005.

text: On an absolute scale, the lowest incomes saw the greatest gains in percentage terms and the highest incomes actually declined. Half of those in the bottom 20% in 1996 saw their income at least double during these years, and the median income of the top 1996 top 1% declined by 25.8%. The reason that the results are so inconsistent with household income statistics is that household statistics do not track the same people over time; it is important to specify how many of the households in the top 1% in a given year were still there when looking at that category years later and gauging income gains.

text: 2008 and after[edit]

text: After the financial crisis of 2007–08, inequality between social classes has further increased. As William Lazonick puts it:


document_title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film)

question_text: who plays rodrick in the first diary of a wimpy kid

root

text: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: The film starts with Rodrick waking up his brother Greg, saying it is time for school. However, Rodrick tricks Greg, as it is already night. After the title sequence, Greg attends his first day at middle school and discovers the ups and downs, such as the missing stall doors in the boys' bathroom and the difficulties of obtaining a seat during lunch break. During P.E. lessons, he and his best friend Rowley escape from a game of Gladiator and learn about the Cheese Touch - a rotten piece of cheese on the basketball court that makes anyone who touches it an outcast. Greg also meets Angie, a girl who isolates herself from the other girls to survive. Greg states his intention of becoming the most popular student in school.

tag: p

text: At the end of the day, Rowley unintentionally embarrasses both boys by asking Greg if he wants to come over and "play". Greg looks through Rodrick's yearbook at home and Rodrick catches them, threatening to kill Greg. The next day, Greg signs up for wrestling to become popular but suffers humiliating losses against both Fregley, a weird outcast, and Patty Farrell, Greg's arch-enemy from elementary school. On Halloween, the two boys encounter teenagers while trick or treating, and they are drenched with water. When Greg threatens to call the cops, the teenagers chase them to his Grandma's house. Some time later on, Greg makes it an effort to make Rowley popular by changing his style of clothing and looks, and how he wears a backpack.

text: The boys join Safety Patrol in an effort to become popular, and they try out for a contest that offers a student a chance to become the new cartoonist for the school paper. After Greg accidentally breaks Rowley's arm during a game the boys played, Rowley becomes extremely popular, and wins the contest. Greg becomes jealous of him. At Safety Patrol, Greg panicks when he encounters a truck identical to the teenagers' from Halloween, and hides the kids in a construction zone. He is spotted by a neighbour who mistakes him for Rowley. To his own bewilderment, Rowley is banned from the Patrol, but Greg eventually confesses to Rowley; Rowley accuses Greg of being selfish and ends their friendship. Rowley makes friends with Collin who replaces Greg as Rowley's new best friend.

text: Greg decides to pursue popularity without Rowley by joining the school play. At tryouts, Greg's soprano voice earns him the role of Dorothy Gale; however, Patty threatens the teacher into casting her instead. Greg signs up as a tree, hoping to throw apples on Patty during the play, but during rehearsal, the trees are told they won't throw apples but sing a song instead. At the performance, Greg refuses to sing as Rodrick is videotaping the performance, and begins throwing apples, ending the play in chaos. Rodrick is grounded for leaving his adult magazines out in the open where their baby brother Manny is able to find, but Greg fails to reconcile with Rowley.

text: One day at school, Rowley and Greg confront each other. Patty and the other kids force Greg and Rowley to fight; however, neither of them are good at fighting. The Halloween teenagers arrive at the scene and force the school to flee, but catch Rowley and Greg. They force Rowley to eat the cheese before the P.E. teacher forces them to flee. When the other kids notice that the Cheese has been moved from its original location and has been bitten, Greg covers up for Rowley by saying he ate it. This mends their friendship but makes Greg an outcast, as he is thought to have the Cheese Touch.

text: When the yearbooks are published, he and Rowley make the Class Favorites page as "Cutest Friends."

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley.
Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Greg's childish best friend.
Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Greg's older brother.
Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Greg's father.
Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Greg's mother.
Chloe Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, a seventh grader at Greg's school who is a reporter for the school paper.
Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta, Greg's friend.
Grayson Russell as Fregley, one Greg's weird classmates.
Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, Greg's arch-enemy.
Alex Ferris as Collin Lee, Rowley's substitute best friend during his fight with Greg.
Andrew McNee as Coach Malone, Greg's gym teacher.
Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's little brother.
Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton, Greg's acting teacher.

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: Filming of Diary of a Wimpy Kid was in Vancouver and wrapped up on October 16, 2009.

text: The official trailer for Wimpy Kid was released virally on January 21, 2010 and was shown in theaters with Tooth Fairy.[8] A poster for the film was released shortly after. Another trailer was shown with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.[9]

text: The official Facebook account for Wimpy Kid had uploaded three clips from the film, as of March 1, 2010.[10] In the United Kingdom and Ireland the film was released in cinemas on August 25, 2010.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The soundtrack was released on CD by La La Land Records with the score composed by Theodore Shapiro, containing 34 tracks.

text: Distribution[edit]

text: Tie-in book[edit]

text: A tie-in book, written by Kinney, called The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary was published on March 16, 2010, by Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books). It includes film stills, storyboards, preliminary concept drawings, and also behind the scenes information to humorously chronicle the making of the film. It also includes some new illustrations.[11][12]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 3, 2010. The Blu-ray Version features six pages from Rowley's diary, Diary of an Awesome, Friendly Kid.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 101 reviews, gives the film an approval rating of 53%. The consensus given is: "Unlike its bestselling source material, Diary of a Wimpy Kid fails to place a likable protagonist at the center of its middle-school humor – and its underlying message is drowned out as a result."[13] It also holds a "mixed or average" rating of 56 at Metacritic, based on 26 reviews.[14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[15] Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing "It's nimble, bright and funny. It doesn't dumb down. It doesn't patronize. It knows something about human nature."[16] Glenn Whipp of the Associated Press was less positive, saying, "In transferring the clean, precise humor of Kinney's illustrations and prose to the big-screen, the material loses just a bit of its charm."[17] At the Movies host David Stratton gave the film one star while co-host Margaret Pomeranz gave it half a star. Stratton called the film "tiresome" and said there was "nothing remotely interesting in Thor Freudenthal's direction or the screenplay." Pomeranz disliked the character of Greg Heffley, saying "I really thought he was unpleasant. I did not want to spend time with him. I could not wait for the end of this film."[18]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film opened in second place at the weekend box office grossing $22.1 million, behind Alice in Wonderland.[19]

text: Despite a lack of distinctive marketing, Diary of a Wimpy Kid drew a decent crowd, opening to $22.1 million on approximately 3,400 screens at 3,077 sites, notably beating out the heavily hyped The Bounty Hunter. It was the biggest start ever for a non-animated, non-fantasy children's book adaptation. Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed more in its first three days than other film adaptions to children's novels like How to Eat Fried Worms and Hoot grossed in their entire runs.[19] The film grossed $64,003,625 in North America and $11,696,873 in other territories for a worldwide total of $75,700,498.[20]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient(s)
Result
Ref.

2011
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award
Favorite Movie
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Nominated

2011
Young Artist Award
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
Zachary Gordon
Nominated
[21]

Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor
Robert Capron
Nominated

Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor
Alex Ferris
Nominated

Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress
Laine MacNeil
Nominated

Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast
Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Chloë Grace Moretz, Laine MacNeil, Grayson Russell, Karan Brar, and Alex Ferris
Nominated

tag: table

text: Sequels[edit]

text: Three sequels were released in 2011, 2012 and 2017 respectively. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules was released on March 25, 2011. It was based on the second book in the series, Rodrick Rules. Zachary Gordon reprised his role in the film. The film received a 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was released in August 3, 2012 and is based on The Last Straw and Dog Days, including scenes from both books. A film based on The Long Haul was released in May 2017.


document_title: Valrico, Florida

question_text: where is valrico florida located in the state of florida

text: Valrico, Florida

text: History[edit]

text: Before the Civil War, the area was known as "Long Pond" and consisted of several cotton plantations. It was renamed "Valrico", meaning "rich valley" in Spanish, in the 1880s when William G. Tousey, a philosophy professor from Tufts College, purchased property in the area. In 1890, an influx of immigrants arrived, following the construction of the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad through the area.

text: When the railroad was completed, Tousey began building up the community with retail stores, streets, and a bank. In 1895, a major freeze halted these developments, and the population began to dwindle. Nonetheless, the town continued to press on, with a schoolhouse being completed in 1896. The population continued to fall drastically, from 100 people in 1893 to only 50 in 1911.

text: This setback did not deter local landowners from pushing forward with the town's development. Between 1910-1914 Judge Hamner, Governor Van Sant, D. Humbird, W.H., S.C. Phipps and W.F. Miller started an improvement project along Hopewell Road, later designated SR 60. W.F. Miller, serving as president of the Valrico Improvement Association, raised $3,500 to erect the Valrico Civic Center, now known as the James McCabe Theatre. The area's first general store was opened by Lovett Brandon in 1912.

text: Valrico once again suffered a major blow during the stock market crash of 1929, which saw nearly every business in the town shut down. Not until the mid-1950s did the town begin to see growth again, primarily due to the connection of SR 60 to Tampa's Adamo Drive, placing Valrico right along a major Florida thoroughfare.[4]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Valrico is located in east-central Hillsborough County at 27°56′27″N 82°14′33″W / 27.94083°N 82.24250°W / 27.94083; -82.24250 (27.940774, -82.242551).[5] It is bordered to the west by Brandon, to the southwest by Bloomingdale, and to the south by FishHawk. Via State Road 60, it is 14 miles (23 km) east of Tampa and 26 miles (42 km) west of Bartow. It is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Plant City.

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the Valrico CDP has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.8 km2), of which 13.8 square miles (35.8 km2) are land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km2), or 2.92%, are water.[3]

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
Historical population

Census
Pop.

%±

2000
6,582

—

2010
35,545

440.0%

source:[6]

text: As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 6,582 people, 2,632 households, and 1,826 families residing in the community. The population density was 1,176.9 people per square mile (454.6/km²). There were 2,831 housing units at an average density of 506.2/sq mi (195.5/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 89.32% White, 3.21% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 3.57% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.82% of the population.

text: There were 2,632 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.

text: In the community, the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

text: The median income for a household in the community was $98,700 and the median income for a family was $105,475. About 3.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

text: Education[edit]

text: Public high schools[edit]

text:
Bloomingdale High School
Durant High School
Newsome High School

text: Public middle schools[edit]

text:
Barrington Middle School
Mulrennan Middle School
Randall Middle School

text: Public elementary schools[edit]

text:
Alafia Elementary School
Buckhorn Elementary School
Cimino Elementary School
Lithia Springs Elementary
Nelson Elementary School
Valrico Elementary School

text: Private schools[edit]

text:
Bell Shoals Baptist Academy PK-8
F.I.S.H.(Home Schoolers)
Foundation Christian Academy PK-12
Grace Christian School K-12
Interactive Education Academy K-12
Trinity Christian Academy 2-12


document_title: One Piece

question_text: when did one piece air on cartoon network

text: One Piece

text: Synopsis

text: Premise

text: The series focuses on Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who, inspired by his childhood idol and powerful pirate "Red Haired" Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue Sea to find the famed treasure One Piece and proclaim himself the King of the Pirates. In an effort to organize his own crew, the Straw Hat Pirates (麦わら海賊団篇, Mugiwara Kaizoku-danhen), Luffy rescues and befriends a swordsman named Roronoa Zoro, and they head off in search of the One Piece. They are joined in their journey by Nami, a navigator and thief; Usopp, a sniper and a liar; and Sanji, a womanizing chef. They acquire a ship named the Going Merry and engage in confrontations with notorious pirates of the East Blue. As Luffy and his crew set out on their adventures, others join the crew later in the series, including the doctor and anthropomorphized reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, the archaeologist and former assassin Nico Robin, the cyborg shipwright Franky, the skeletal musician Brook, and the fishman helmsman Jimbei, and they also acquire a new ship named Thousand Sunny.

text: Setting

text: The world of One Piece is populated by humans and many other races such as "fishmen" (a race of fish/human hybrids, similar to mermen and mermaids), dwarves, Minkmen (a race of humanoid animals), and giants. It is covered by two vast oceans, which are divided by a massive mountain range called the Red Line (赤い土の大陸 (レッドライン), Reddo Rain), which is also the only continent in the world.[2] The Grand Line (偉大なる航路 (グランドライン), Gurando Rain), a sea that runs perpendicular to the Red Line, further divides them into four seas: North Blue (北の海 (ノースブルー), Nōsu Burū), East Blue (東の海 (イーストブルー), Īsuto Burū), West Blue (西の海 (ウェストブルー), Uesuto Burū) and South Blue (南の海 (サウスブルー), Sausu Burū).[3] Surrounding the Grand Line are two regions called Calm Belts (凪の帯 (カームベルト), kāmu beruto), similar to horse latitudes, which experience almost no wind or ocean currents and are the breeding ground for huge sea creatures called sea kings (海王類, kaiōrui, lit. "sea kings"). Because of this, the calm belts are very effective barriers for those trying to enter the Grand Line.[4] However, navy ships, members of an intergovernmental organization known as the World Government, are able to use a sea-prism stone (海楼石, kairōseki) to mask their presence from the sea kings and can simply pass through the calm belts. All other ships are forced to take a more dangerous route, going through a mountain at the first intersection of the Grand Line and the Red Line, a canal system known as Reverse Mountain (リヴァース・マウンテン, Rivāsu Maunten).[5] Sea water from each of the four seas runs up that mountain and merges at the top to flow down a fifth canal and into the first half of the Grand Line.[6] The second half of the Grand Line, beyond the second intersection with the Red Line, is known as the New World (新世界, Shin Sekai).[7]

text: The currents and weather of the Grand Line's open sea are extremely unpredictable, whereas in the vicinity of islands the climate is stable.[8] The magnetic fields within the Grand Line cause normal compasses to malfunction, making it even more difficult to navigate,[9] and instead a special compass called a Log Pose (記録指針 (ログポース), Rogu Pōsu) must be used.[10] The Log Pose functions by locking on to one island's magnetic field and then locking on to another island's magnetic field.[11] The time for it to set depends on the island.[12] This process can be bypassed by obtaining an Eternal Pose (永久指針 (エターナルポース), Etānaru Pōsu), a Log Pose variation that is permanently set to a specific island and never changes.[13]

text: The world of One Piece includes anachronisms, such as the Transponder Snails (電伝虫, Den-Den Mushi), snail-like animals that can be attached to electric equipment and function as rotary phones,[14] fax machines,[14] surveillance cameras,[15] and similar devices.[15] Dials (貝 (ダイアル), daiaru), the shells of certain sky-dwelling animals, can be used to store kinetic energy, wind, sound, images, heat, and the like and have various applications.[16]

text: Devil Fruits

text: A Devil Fruit (悪魔の実, Akuma no Mi) is a type of fruit that, when eaten, grants a power to the eater.[17] A person may only eat one Devil Fruit during their lifetime, as eating a second devil fruit will swiftly end their life.[18]  There are three categories of Devil Fruits;[19] Zoan (動物系 (ゾオン), Zoon, "animal type") fruits allow the user to fully or partially transform into a specific animal. As well as real-life animals, some Zoan fruits allow the user to transform into mythical creatures.[20] Logia (自然系 (ロギア), Rogia, "nature type") fruits give control over, and allow the user "to change their living body structure into the powers of nature".[19] Paramecia (超人系 (パラミシア), Paramishia, "superhuman type") is a category of fruits that give the user superhuman abilities.[21] Devil Fruits are said to be incarnations of the sea devil himself, and as a result, Devil Fruit users cannot swim in sea water, as "they are hated by the sea".[22] Sea-prism stone also has this effect. When even partially submerged in sea water, they lose all their strength and coordination, although some abilities remain. For example, Luffy is still  able to stretch after being totally submerged. Moving water, such as rain or waves, does not have this effect. When a Devil Fruit user dies, the powers reincarnate into a new Devil Fruit. For unknown reasons, Devil Fruit users can't eat a second Devil Fruit because it would cause their bodies to burst, although Blackbeard managed to get a second Devil Fruit power through a unknown method. Devil Fruit powers can be in a stage called "Awakened", where the user can turn anything around them, besides their own bodies, into what their Devil Fruit power is.[23]

text: Haki

text: Haki (覇気, lit. "Ambition") is a latent ability that every living being in the world of One Piece possesses; very few manage to awaken it, and even fewer master it. There are three varieties of Haki: Color of Observation or Mantra (見聞色の覇気, Kenbunshoku no Haki) allows one to sense the presence of other beings and to have a form of limited precognition. (This is a great advantage in combat because the user can foresee his opponent's attacks). Color of Armament (武装色の覇気, Busōshoku no Haki) allows one to envelop body parts and even inanimate forms with a force akin to an invisible armor that possesses defensive and offensive properties. It also allows one to inflict harm upon Devil Fruit users. The rare Color of the Conquering King (覇王色の覇気, Haōshoku no Haki) is an ability that, unlike the other two Haki, only a few gifted people have. (If a person is not gifted, then no matter how much they train they will never be able to use it). The Color of the Conquering King enables one to overpower the will of the weak-willed. It can be used to mind-control or even render the victim unconscious. Note that strong willed people can withstand, or even completely ignore, the effects of this Haki, even if they do not possess this ability themselves. This Haki can also have physical impacts, such as causing tremors and destruction to the user's surrounding area. It is shown that when it is used too much Haki will stop working for certain periods of time, so it can't be in use constantly.[24]

text: Production

text: While working as an assistant to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Oda began writing One Piece in 1996.[25] It started as two one-shot stories entitled Romance Dawn[25]—which would later be used as the title for One Piece's first chapter and volume. They both featured the character of Luffy, and included elements that would appear later in the main series. The first of these short stories was published in August 1996 in Akamaru Jump and later in One Piece Red. The second was published in the 41st issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1996, and reprinted in 1998 in Oda's short story collection, Wanted!.[26]

text: Oda revealed that he originally planned One Piece to last five years, and that he had already planned the ending. However, he found it would take longer than he had expected.[27] Oda stated that the ending would be what he had decided in the beginning; he is committed to seeing it through.[28]

text: When creating a Devil Fruit, Oda thinks of something that would fulfill a human desire; he added that he does not see why he would draw a Devil Fruit unless the fruit's appearance would entice one to eat it.[29] The names of many special attacks, as well as other concepts in the manga, consist of a form of punning in which phrases written in kanji are paired with an idiosyncratic reading. The names of Luffy, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, and Franky's techniques are often mixed with other languages, and the names of several of Zoro's sword techniques are designed as jokes; some of them look fearsome when read by sight but sound like kinds of food when read aloud. For example, Zoro's signature move is Onigiri, which is written as demon cut but is pronounced the same as rice ball in Japanese. Eisaku Inoue, the animation director, has said that the creators did not use these kanji readings in the anime since they "might have cut down the laughs by about half".[30] Nevertheless, Konosuke Uda, the director, said that he believes that the creators "made the anime pretty close to the manga".[30]

text: Oda was "sensitive" about how his work would be translated.[31] In many instances, the English version of the One Piece manga uses one onomatopoeia for multiple onomatopoeia used in the Japanese version. For instance, "saaa" (the sound of light rain, close to a mist) and "zaaa" (the sound of pouring rain) are both translated as "fshhhhhhh".[32] Unlike other manga artists, Oda draws everything that moves himself to create a consistent look while leaving his staff to draw the backgrounds based on sketches he has drawn.[33]

text: When a reader asked Oda who Nami is in love with, he answered that there will not likely be any references to romance, since he believes the series' intended demographic is not interested.[34]

text: Media

text: Manga

text: Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has been serialized in the manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 22, 1997.[35] The chapters have been collected into tankōbon volumes by Shueisha since December 24, 1997.[36] In total, there are 912 chapters and 89 tankōbon volumes.[37] Oda teamed up with Akira Toriyama to create a single crossover of One Piece and Toriyama's Dragon Ball. Entitled Cross Epoch, the one-shot was published in the December 25, 2006, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump and the April 2011 issue of the English Shonen Jump.[38] Oda collaborated with Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, author of Toriko, for a crossover one-shot of their series titled Taste of the Devil Fruit (実食! 悪魔の実!!, Jitsushoku! Akuma no Mi!!, lit. "The True Food! Devil Fruit!!"),[39] which ran in the April 4, 2011, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. The spinoff series One Piece Party (ワンピースパーティー, Wan Pīsu Pātī), written by Ei Andō in a super deformed art style, began serialization in the January 2015 issue of Saikyō Jump.[40]

text: The One Piece manga was licensed for an English language release by Viz Media, who published it via chapters in the manga anthology Shonen Jump, since the magazine's launch in November 2002, and in bound volumes since June 30, 2003.[41][42][43] In 2009, Viz announced the release of five volumes per month during the first half of 2010 to catch up with the serialization in Japan.[44] Following the discontinuation of the print Shonen Jump, Viz began releasing One Piece chapterwise in its digital successor Weekly Shonen Jump on January 30, 2012.[45] In the United Kingdom, the volumes were published by Gollancz Manga, starting in March 2006,[46] until Viz Media took it over after the fourteenth volume.[47][48] In Australia and New Zealand, the English volumes have been distributed by Madman Entertainment since November 10, 2008.[49]

text: In Poland, Japonica Polonica Fantastica is publishing the manga,[50] Glénat in France,[51] Panini Comics in Mexico,[52] LARP Editores and later by Ivrea in Argentina,[53][54] Planeta de Libros in Spain,[55] and Edizioni Star Comics in Italy.[56]

text: Festival films and original video animation

text: One Piece: Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack! was produced by Production I.G for the 1998 Jump Super Anime Tour and was directed by Gorō Taniguchi.[57] Luffy, Nami, and Zoro are attacked by a sea monster that destroys their boat and separates them. Luffy is found on an island beach, where he saves a little girl, Medaka, from two pirates. All the villagers, including Medaka's father have been abducted by Ganzack and his crew and forced into labor. After hearing that Ganzack also stole all the food, Luffy and Zoro rush out to retrieve it. As they fight the pirates, one of them kidnaps Medaka. A fight starts between Luffy and Ganzack, ending with Luffy's capture. Meanwhile, Zoro is forced to give up after a threat is made to kill all the villagers. They rise up against Ganzack, and while the islanders and pirates fight, Nami unlocks the three captives. Ganzack defeats the rebellion and reveals his armored battleship. The Straw Hat Pirates are forced to fight Ganzack once more to prevent him from destroying the island.

text: A second film, One Piece: Romance Dawn Story, was produced by Toei Animation in July 2008 for the Jump Super Anime Tour. It is 34 minutes in length and based on the first version of Romance Dawn.[58][26] It includes the Straw Hat Pirates up to Brook and their second ship, the Thousand Sunny. In search for food for his crew, Luffy arrives at a port after defeating a pirate named Crescent Moon Gally on the way. There he meets a girl named Silk, who was abandoned by attacking pirates as a baby and raised by the mayor. Her upbringing causes her to value the town as her "treasure". The villagers mistake Luffy for Gally and capture him just as the real Gally returns. Gally throws Luffy in the water and plans to destroy the town, but Silk saves him and Luffy pursues Gally. His crew arrives to help him, and with their help he recovers the treasure for the town, acquires food, and destroys Gally's ship.

text: The film was later released as a triple feature DVD with Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! and Tegami Bachi: Light and Blue Night, that was available only though a mail-in offer exclusively to Japanese residents.[59]

text: The One Piece Film Strong World: Episode 0 original video animation adapts the manga's special "Chapter 0", which shows how things were before and after the death of Roger. It received a limited release of three thousand DVDs as a collaboration with the House Foods brand.[60]

text: Anime series

text: Toei Animation produces an anime television series based on the One Piece manga. The series, which premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on October 20, 1999, has aired more than 800 episodes, and has been exported to various countries around the world.[61] Two cross-over episodes with the anime adaptation of Toriko were aired. The first of these, which was also the first episode of Toriko, aired on April 3, 2011.[62] A second special, which also crossed over with Dragon Ball Z, aired on April 7, 2013.[63]

text: On June 8, 2004, 4Kids Entertainment acquired the license for distribution of One Piece in North America.[64] 4Kids contracted Viz Media to handle home video distribution. 4Kids' in-house musicians wrote a new background score and theme song nicknamed "Pirate Rap". 4Kids' dub mandated edits for content and length, which reduced the first 143 episodes into 104.[65] Initially, 4Kids originally created an English version of the first opening theme, "We Are!"[66] It premiered in the United States on September 18, 2004, in first-run syndication on the Fox network as part of the weekend programming block Fox Box, and later aired on Cartoon Network on their weekday afternoon programming block Toonami in April 2005. Production was halted in 2006 after episode 143/104.[67][68] Viz also ceased its home video release of the series after volume 11. On July 22, 2010, an interview with Anime News Network and Mark Kirk, senior vice-president of digital media for 4Kids Entertainment, revealed that 4Kids acquired One Piece as part of a package deal with other anime, and that the company did not screen the series before licensing it. However, once 4Kids realized One Piece was not appropriate for their intended demographic, the company decided to edit it into a more child-oriented series until they had an opportunity to legally drop the license. Kirk said the experience of producing One Piece "ruined the company's reputation". Since then, 4Kids established a stricter set of guidelines, checks, and balances to determine which anime the company acquires.[69]

text: On April 13, 2007, Funimation licensed the series and started production on an English-language release of One Piece.[70] In an interview with voice actor Christopher Sabat, he stated that Funimation had been interested in acquiring One Piece from the very beginning, and produced a "test episode," in which Sabat portrayed the character of Helmeppo and Eric Vale played the part of the main character, Monkey D. Luffy. (They would later go on to provide the English voices for Roronoa Zoro and Sanji, respectively.)[71] After resuming production of the renewed English dub, which featured less censorship because of fewer restrictions on cable programming, Funimation released its first uncut, bilingual DVD box set containing 13 episodes on May 27, 2008.[72] Similarly sized sets followed with fourteen sets released.[73] The Funimation-dubbed episodes premiered on Cartoon Network on September 29, 2007 and aired until its removal on March 22, 2008.[74] On October 28, 2011, Funimation posted a press release on their official website confirming the acquisition of episodes 206–263, and the aspect ratio, beginning with episode 207, would be changed to the 16:9 widescreen format.[75] On May 18, 2013, the uncut series began airing on Adult Swim's revived Toonami late-night programming block from episode 207 onward.[76] One Piece was removed from the Toonami block after March 18, 2017.[77]

text: In May 2009, Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Fuji Television announced they would simulcast stream the series within an hour of the weekly Japanese broadcast at no charge.[78] Originally scheduled to begin on May 30, 2009, with episode 403, a lack of security resulted in a leak of the episode, and Funimation delayed the offer until episode 415 on August 29, 2009.[79][80][81]

text: On February 12, 2013, it was announced that Manga Entertainment would start releasing the Funimation dub of One Piece in the United Kingdom in a DVD box set format.[82] Crunchyroll began simulcasting the series on November 2, 2013, for the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.[83]

text: Theatrical films

text: Thirteen animated theatrical films based on the One Piece series have been released in Japan. The films are typically released in March in accordance with the spring vacation of Japanese schools.[84] The films feature self-contained, completely original plots, or alternate retellings of story arcs with animation of a higher quality than what the weekly anime allows. The first three films were typically double features paired up with other anime films, and were thus, usually an hour or less in length. The films themselves offer contradictions in both chronology and design that make them incompatible with a single continuity. Funimation has licensed the eighth, tenth, and twelfth films for release in North America, and these films have received in-house dubs by the company.[85][86]

text: Video games

text: The One Piece franchise has been adapted into multiple video games published by subsidiaries of Bandai and later as part of Bandai Namco Entertainment. The games have been released on a variety of video game, handheld consoles, and mobile devices. The video games feature role-playing games, and fighting games, such as the titles of the Grand Battle! meta-series. The series debuted in Japan on July 19, 2000, with From TV Animation - One Piece: Become the Pirate King!.[87] Over forty games have been produced based on the franchise.[88] Additionally, One Piece characters and settings have appeared in various Shonen Jump crossover games, such as Battle Stadium D.O.N, Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and J-Stars Victory VS.

text: Music

text: Music soundtracks have been released that are based on songs that premiered in the series. Kohei Tanaka and Shiro Hamaguchi composed the score for One Piece.[61] Various theme songs and character songs were released on a total of 49 singles. Eight compilation albums and seventeen soundtrack CDs have been released featuring songs and themes that were introduced in the series.

text: Light novels

text: A series of light novels was published based on the first festival film, certain episodes of the anime television series, and all but the first feature film. They feature artwork by Oda and are written by Tatsuya Hamasaki. The first of these novels, One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak! was released on June 3, 1999.[89] One Piece: Logue Town Chapter followed on July 17, 2000, as an adaptation of the anime television series' Logue Town story arc.[90] The first feature film to be adapted was Clockwork Island Adventure on March 19, 2001.[91] On December 25, 2001, saw the publication of the second, and so far last, light novel adaptation of an anime television series arc in One Piece: Thousand-year Dragon Legend.[92] The adaptation of Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals was released on March 22, 2002, and that of Dead End Adventure on March 10, 2003.[93][94] Curse of the Sacred Sword followed on March 22, 2004, and Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island on March 14, 2005.[95][96] The light novel of The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle was released on March 6, 2006, and that of The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta on March 7, 2007.[97][98] The newest novel adapts Episodes of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Cherry Blossom and was released on February 25, 2008.[99]

text: Art and guidebooks

text: Five art books and five guidebooks for the One Piece series have been released. The first art book, One Piece: Color Walk 1, released June 2001,[100] was also released in English by Viz Media on November 8, 2005.[101] A second art book, One Piece: Color Walk 2, was released on November 4, 2003;[102] and One Piece: Color Walk 3 – Lion the third art book, was released January 5, 2006.[103] The fourth art book, subtitled Eagle, was released on March 4, 2010, [104] and One Piece: Shark, the fifth art book, was released on December 3, 2010.[105]

text: The first guidebook One Piece: Red – Grand Characters was released on March 2, 2002.[106] The second, One Piece: Blue – Grand Data File, followed on August 2, 2002.[107] The third guidebook, One Piece: Yellow – Grand Elements, was released on April 4, 2007,[108] and the fourth, One Piece: Green – Secret Pieces, followed on November 4, 2010.[109] An anime guidebook, One Piece: Rainbow!, was released on May 1, 2007, and covers the first eight years of the TV anime.[110]

text: Theme park and other establishments

text: The Baratie restaurant, modeled after the restaurant of the same name in the manga, opened in June 2013 at the Fuji Television headquarters.[111] An indoor theme park located inside the Tokyo Tower called the Tokyo One Piece Tower, which includes the Mugiwara Cafe, opened on March 13, 2015.[112]

text: Other media

text: Other One Piece media include a trading card game by Bandai called One Piece CCG and a drama CD centering on the character of Nefertari Vivi released by Avex Trax on December 26, 2002.[113][114] A Hello Kitty-inspired Chopper was used for several pieces of merchandise as a collaboration between One Piece and Hello Kitty.[115] A kabuki play inspired by One Piece ran at Tokyo's Shinbashi Enbujō throughout October and November 2015.[116]

text: One Piece is the first-ever manga series to hold a "Dome Tour", in which events were held from March 25 to 27 at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, and from April 27 to May 1 at the Tokyo Dome.[117] In 2014, the first One Piece exhibition in Korea was held at the War Memorial of Korea,[118] and the second exhibition in Hongik Daehango Art Center.[119] In 2015, a One Piece trompe-l'œil exhibition was held at the Hong Kong 3D Museum.[120][121]

text: Live-action series

text:
One PieceBased on
One Pieceby Eiichiro OdaCountry of origin
United StatesOriginal language(s)
EnglishProductionExecutive producer(s)
Marty AdelsteinEiichiro OdaBecky ClementsProduction company(s)
Tomorrow StudiosShueisha

text: On July 21, 2017, Weekly Shōnen Jump editor-in-chief Hiroyuki Nakano announced that Tomorrow Studios (a partnership between Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios) and Shueisha would commence production of an American live-action television adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga series as part of the series' 20th anniversary celebrations.[122][123] Eiichiro Oda will serve as executive producer for the series alongside Tomorrow Studios CEO Adelstein and Becky Clements.[123] The series will reportedly begin with the East Blue arc.[124]

text: Reception

text: Manga

text: One Piece is the best-selling manga series in history; it sold 100 million collected tankōbon volumes by February 2005, over 200 million by February 2011,[125] over 365 million copies sold in Japan and 440 million copies  in circulation worldwide as of May 2018.[126] According to Oricon, One Piece has been the best-selling manga series every year since 2008 when the company began its chart,[127] and it became the best-selling manga for the tenth consecutive year in 2017.[128] Due to promotions for the Strong World film, all 56 volumes of the manga released at the time charted on Oricon's list of the top 200 manga for the week of December 7–13, 2009.[129] Up until February 2012, One Piece had grossed at least ¥112,126,800,000 ($1,404,220,000) in manga sales revenue.[130]

text: Additionally, individual volumes of One Piece have broken publishing and sales records in Japan. In 2009, Volume 56 had the highest initial print run of any manga: 2.85 million copies.[131] Volume 57's print run of 3 million copies in 2010 was the highest first print for any book of any subject in Japan—a record that was broken several times by subsequent volumes and currently held by Volume 67's 4.05 million initial printing in 2012.[132] Volume 60 was the first book to sell over two million copies in its opening week on Oricon book rankings,[133][134] and later became the first book to sell over three million copies since the chart began in 2008.[135]

text: One Piece has also sold well in North America, charting on Publishers Weekly's list of bestselling comics for April/May 2007 and numerous times on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list.[136][137][138] On ICv2's list of Top 25 Manga Properties Fall 2008 for North America, which is compiled by interviews with retailers and distributors, Nielsen BookScan's Top 20 Lists of graphic novels and ICv2's own analysis of information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, One Piece came in 15th place.[139] It rose to second place on their Top 25 Manga Properties Q3 2010 list.[140]

text: Allen Divers of Anime News Network comments in 2003 that the art style One Piece employs "initially seems very cartoonish with much of the character designs showing more North American influence than that from its Japanese origins". Adding that the "artwork and settings come across as timeless in their presentation". He also notes that the influence of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) shines through in Oda's style of writing with its "huge epic battles punctuated by a lot of humor" and that, in One Piece, he "manages to share a rich tale without getting bogged down by overly complicated plots".[141] Rebecca Silverman of the same site stated that one of the series' strengths is to "blend action, humor, and heavy fare together" and praised the art, but stated that the panels could get too crowded for easy reading.[142] The website activeAnime describes the artwork in One Piece as "wonderfully quirky and full of expression".[143] Splashcomics comments that Oda's "pleasantly bright and dynamic" (German: "angenehm hell und dynamisch") art style suits the story's "funny and exciting" (German: "witzigen und ... spannenden") atmosphere.[144]

text: EX Media lauds Oda's art for its "crispy" monochrome pictures, "great use of subtle shade changes" on color pages, "sometimes exquisite" use of angles, and for its consistency.[145] Shaenon K. Garrity, who at some point edited the series for English Shonen Jump, said that, while doing so, her amazement over Oda's craft grew steadily. She states that "he has a natural, playful mastery of the often restrictive weekly-manga format," notes that "interesting things [are] going on deep in the narrative structure," and recommends "sticking through to the later volumes to see just how crazy and Peter Max-y the art gets".[146] Mania Entertainment writer Jarred Pine comments that "One Piece is a fun adventure story, with an ensemble cast that is continuing to develop, with great action and character drama." He praised Oda's artwork as "imaginative and creative" and comments that "Oda's imagination just oozes all of the panels  [sic]". He also notes that "Oda's panel work [...] features a lot of interesting perspectives and direction, especially during the explosive action sequences which are always a blast," though he complains that the panels can sometimes get "a little chaotic".[147]

text: Anime

text: The anime adaptations have also been very well-received. The first episode of the anime adaptation earned a viewer ratings percentage of 12.4, behind Pokémon and ahead of Ojamajo Doremi.[148] As of 2017, One Piece is among the top 10 anime in viewer ratings every week in Japan.[149][150] On several occasions the One Piece anime has topped Japan's DVD sales.[151][152]

text: In a review of the second DVD release of 4Kids Entertainment's dub, Todd Douglass, Jr. of DVD Talk called its adaptation a "shabby treatment" resulting in an "arguably less enjoyable rendition". Douglass said that the 4Kids original opening was "a crappy rap song" and that the removal of whole scenes leaves a "feeling that something is missing". He later went on to say that "Fans of the 'real' One Piece will want to skip picking [...] up [4Kids Entertainment's One Piece DVDs] until an uncut release is announced", and also stated that "kids may get into this version because it's what they have seen on TV".[153] Margaret Veira of activeAnime praised the TV series' "great" animation, stating that "It gives life and stays true to the style and characters of the manga." She notes the fight scenes in particular have "a lot of energy to them".[154] Patrick King of Animefringe comments that the art style of One Piece is "very distinctive and fresh".[155]

text: In a review of the first Funimation DVD release for Mania Entertainment, Bryce Coulter comments that One Piece is "not your typical pirate adventure" and that mixed with "the right amount of random fun along with a shonen style storyline" it becomes "an appealing and fun romp".[156] In a review of Funimation's second DVD release for Mania Entertainment, Bryce Coulter comments that "You can tell that they are giving One Piece the attention that was neglected by 4Kids" and that "One Piece is a great tale of high-seas fun that will leave you wanting more!"[157]

text: In Indonesia, Global TV was reprimanded by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for airing the anime television series. Nina Armando, member of the KPI and a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, said the show should not be aired at times when children are likely to watch.[158]

text: Awards and accolades

text: Manga

text: The One Piece manga was a finalist for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize three times in a row from 2000 to 2002,[159][160][161] with the highest number of fan nominations in the first two years.[162] The German translation of its 44th volume won the Sondermann audience award in the international manga category, a yearly comic award given in seven categories by the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Frankfurter Rundschau, Spiegel Online and Comicforum, at the Fair's Comics Centre in 2005.[163][164] In a 2008 poll by Oricon, Japanese teenagers voted it the most interesting manga.[165] The manga was nominated for Favorite Manga Series in Nickelodeon Magazine's 2009 Comics Awards.[166] In 2012, One Piece won the 41st Japan Cartoonists Association Award Grand Prize, alongside Kimuchi Yokoyama's Nekodarake Nice.[167] Da Vinci magazine named One Piece number three on their list of 2013's top manga, which was voted on 4,619 professional book reviewers, bookstore employees, and Da Vinci readers.[168] On June 15, 2015, it was announced that Eiichiro Oda and One Piece had set the Guinness World Record for "The most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author" with 320,866,000 copies printed worldwide as of December 2014.[169]

text: Anime

text: The first opening of the One Piece anime television series, "We Are!", won the Animation Kobe Theme Song Award of the year 2000.[170] In February 2001, One Piece placed 9th among anime television series in Japan.[171] In 2001, the readers of Animage, a popular Japanese anime magazine, voted the anime television series in 5th place of The Readers' Picks for the Anime that should be remembered in the 21st Century.[172] In June 2002, Animage readers voted One Piece to be the 16th best new anime of the year 2001,[173] and gave it another 16th place in 2004 in the category Favorite Anime Series.[174] In a 2005 web poll by Japanese television network TV Asahi One Piece was voted 6th most popular animated TV series.[175] Before the poll, Asahi TV broadcast another list based on a nationwide survey in which One Piece placed 4th among teenagers.[176] In 2006, it was elected 32nd of the Top 100 Japanese anime by TV Asahi and 21st by its viewers.[177][178] Funimation's first DVD release of the series "One Piece: Season 1 First Voyage" was nominated for the Fifth Annual TV DVD Awards.[179]


document_title: USS Gerald R. Ford

question_text: where was the uss gerald ford ship built

text: USS Gerald R. Ford

text: Naming[edit]

text: In 2006, while Gerald Ford was still alive, Senator John Warner of Virginia proposed to amend a 2007 defense-spending bill to declare that CVN-78 "shall be named the USS Gerald Ford."[18] The final version signed by President George W. Bush on 17 October 2006[19] declared only that it "is the sense of Congress that ... CVN-78 should be named the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford."[20] Since such "sense of" language is typically non-binding and does not carry the force of law, the Navy was not required to name the ship after Ford.[21]

text: On 3 January 2007, former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that the aircraft carrier would be named after Ford during a eulogy for President Ford at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids, Michigan.[22] Rumsfeld indicated that he had personally told Ford of the honor during a visit to his home in Rancho Mirage a few weeks before Ford's death. This makes the aircraft carrier one of the few U.S. ships named after a living person. Later in the day, the Navy confirmed that the aircraft carrier would indeed be named after the former President.[23] On 16 January 2007, Navy Secretary Donald Winter officially named CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford. Ford's daughter Susan Ford Bales was named the ship's sponsor. The announcements were made at a Pentagon ceremony attended by Vice President Dick Cheney, Senators Warner (R-VA) and Levin (D-MI), Major General Guy C. Swan III, Bales, Ford's other three children, and others.[24]

text: The USS America Carrier Veterans Association (CVA) had pushed to name the ship USS America. The CVA is an association of sailors who served aboard USS America (CV-66). The carrier was decommissioned in 1996 and scuttled in the Atlantic, as part of a damage test of large deck aircraft carriers in 2005,[25] and LHA-6 was named America.

text: History[edit]

text: Construction[edit]

text: On 10 September 2008, the U.S. Navy signed a $5.1 billion contract with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, to design and construct the carrier. Northrop had begun advance construction of the carrier under a $2.7 billion contract in 2005. The carrier was constructed at the Huntington Ingalls (formerly Northrop Grumman) Newport News Shipbuilding facilities in Newport News, Virginia, which employs 19,000 workers.[16]

text: The keel of the new warship was ceremonially laid on 14 November 2009 in Dry Dock 12[26] by Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales. In a speech to the assembled shipworkers and DoD officials, Bales said: "Dad met the staggering challenges of restoring trust in the presidency and healing the nation's wounds after Watergate in the only way he knew how—with complete honesty and integrity. And that is the legacy we remember this morning."[27]

text: In August 2011, the carrier was reported to be "structurally halfway complete".[28] In April 2012, it was said to be 75 percent complete.[29] On 24 May 2012, the important milestone of completing the vessel up to the waterline was reached when the critical lower bow was lifted into place.[30] This was the 390th of the nearly 500 lifts of the integral modular components (from which the vessel is assembled) that the ship's construction required. On 8 October 2012, the carrier reached over 88 percent of the complete structural construction. Huntington Ingalls reported (in an 8 Nov. 2012 press release) that they have "Reached 87 percent structural completion of CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford".[31] By 19 December 2012, construction had reached 90 percent structural completion. "Of the nearly 500 total structural lifts needed to complete the ship, 446 have been accomplished."[32]

text: The island was originally scheduled to land in 2012.[33] However, the island landing and ceremony actually took place on 26 January 2013.[33]

text: On 9 April 2013, the flight deck of the carrier was completed following the addition of the ship's upper bow section, bringing the ship to 96 percent structural completion.[34]

text: On 7 May 2013, the last of 162 superlifts was put in place, bringing the ship to 100 percent structural completion.[35] Remaining work that needed to be done included hull painting, shafting work, completion of electrical systems, mooring equipment, installation of radar arrays, and flooding of the dry dock.[36]

text: On 11 July 2013, a time capsule was welded into a small room just above the floor, continuing a long Navy tradition. The time capsule holds items chosen by President Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, and includes sandstone from the White House, Navy coins, and aviator wings from its first commanding officer.[37]

text: The ship was originally scheduled for launch in July 2013 and delivery in 2015.[28] Production delays meant that the launch had to be delayed until 11 October 2013 and the naming ceremony until 9 November 2013,[38] with delivery in February 2016.[39]

text: On 3 October 2013, Gerald R. Ford had four 30-ton, 21 ft (6.4 m)-diameter bronze propellers installed. The installation of the propellers required more than 10 months of work to install the underwater shafting.[40]

text: On 11 October 2013, the ship's drydock was flooded for the first time in order to test various seawater-based systems.[41] Her launch date was set to be on the same day as her naming ceremony on 9 November 2013.[42]

text: On 9 November 2013, the ship was christened by Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, with a bottle of American sparkling wine.[5][43][44]

text: As of 2013, construction costs were estimated at $12.8 billion, 22% over the 2008 budget, plus $4.7 billion in research and development costs. Because of budget difficulties, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, warned there might be a two-year delay beyond 2016 in completing Gerald R. Ford.[45] The GAO reported that the price cap would be met by the Navy accepting an incomplete ship for that cost.[46]

text: On 23 September 2015, the Navy announced that several weeks of testing delays would likely slip the delivery date into April or May 2016. In addition, construction was 93% complete as of September 2015.[47]

text: In July 2016, a memo was obtained by CNN from Michael Gilmore, the US Department of Defense's Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation indicating that problems with four major flight systems would further delay combat readiness of the ship.[48] The ship was not expected to be delivered until November 2016 and these issues were suggested to further delay that goal. Construction of the ship was described as 98% complete, with 88% of testing finished.

text: Performance improvements[edit]

text: Gerald R. Ford is intended to be the first of a class of aircraft carriers that offer significant performance improvements over the previous Nimitz class. Gerald R. Ford is equipped with an AN/SPY-3 active electronically scanned array multi-function radar, and an island that is shorter in length and 20 feet (6.1 m) taller than that of the Nimitz class; it is set 140 feet (43 m) further aft and 3 feet (0.91 m) closer to the edge of the ship. Replacing traditional steam catapults, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) will launch all carrier aircraft. This innovation eliminates the traditional requirement to generate and store steam, freeing up considerable area below-deck. With the EMALS, Gerald R. Ford can accomplish 25% more aircraft launches per day than the Nimitz class and requires 25% fewer crew members. The Navy estimates it will save $4 billion in operating costs over a 50-year lifespan.[49] According to an Associated Press story:

text:
“
‘She is truly a technological marvel,' Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said in a webcast ceremony at the Newport News, Va., shipyard where Gerald R. Ford is being built. 'She will carry unmanned aircraft, joint strike fighters, and she will deploy lasers.’[50]
”

text: These performance enhancements were problematic in Pentagon tests, but final software fixes for some of the problems were delayed until after the ship’s Post Shakedown Availability in 2019.[51][52][53]

text: Operational and major system testing[edit]

text: In January 2014, the annual Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report recorded that critical ship systems in lab and test environments (including the EMALS, Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), Dual Band Radar, and weapons elevators) were not reliable enough and needed more testing and improvements. Radar and weapons elevator test data were also below expectations. The Navy implemented a rigorous testing program to ensure performance issues would be resolved before the systems were installed on the aircraft carrier.

text: Major problems with the main turbine generators were found in June 2016.[54] The fix, requiring design changes, was installed and was verified during acceptance trials in May 2017.[55]

text: The Initial Operational Test & Evaluation milestone was achieved in April 2017.[56]

text: On 8 April 2017, Gerald R. Ford got underway under her own power for the first time as she headed to sea for builder's trials.[57][58] She completed the trials and returned to port at Naval Station Norfolk on 14 April 2017.[59]

text: On 24 May 2017, she got underway for acceptance trials and completed them on 26 May 2017.[60][6]

text: Delivery[edit]

text: On 31 May 2017, Newport News Shipbuilding delivered Gerald R. Ford to the U.S. Navy and her status was changed to Special, in service.[6][11] Gerald R. Ford was formally commissioned into the United States Navy on 22 July 2017.[7] She is expected to be deployed around 2020, after further extensive testing.[10][17]

text: On 28 July 2017, Lt. Cmdr. Jamie "Coach" Struck of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) performed the first arrested landing and catapult launch from Gerald R. Ford in an F/A-18F Super Hornet.[53][61][62]


document_title: Four Strong Winds

question_text: who sang four strong winds with neil young

text: Four Strong Winds

text: Ian and Sylvia and original history[edit]

text: The song was a hit in Canada, making the top ten of the single charts there in October 1963.[2]

text: In the United States, the song did not have the same initial chart success. Ian and Sylvia's single version (released on Vanguard 35021) entered the Cashbox magazine "Looking Ahead" chart in September 1963. It was then recorded by The Brothers Four in a version that "bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963.[3] Subsequently, it was released by Ian and Sylvia on an album of the same name released in the U.S. in April 1964.[4] It was released in a country arrangement by Bobby Bare in 1964, and became a number three hit on the U.S. country singles chart in early 1965.

text: It also become a big hit in Norway in 1966 in a Norwegian version: "Mot ukjent sted" by The Vanguards and a big hit in Sweden in 1967 in a Swedish version: "Mot okänt land" recorded by The Hep Stars.

text: Other versions[edit]

text: The song has been recorded by many artists, including:  Hank Snow, The Seekers, Judy Collins, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, The Searchers, Bruce & Terry, John Denver, The Kingston Trio, Trini Lopez, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare,  Chad and Jeremy, The Wolfe Tones, The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Joan Baez, Vanity Fare, Glenn Yarborough, Harry Belafonte, Tony Rice, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, Hep Stars, Sarah McLachlan, David Wiffen, Les Contretemps Schooner Fare, and David Houston (in 1965 on "Sings Twelve Great Country Hits").

text: Neil Young recorded the song for his 1978 album Comes a Time, with harmony vocals from Nicolette Larson, and on The Band's The Last Waltz.  It has received significant airplay over album oriented rock and classic rock radio stations and has become part of Young's concert repertoire, including featured performances during Young's yearly appearances at Farm Aid benefit concerts[5][6].

text: Another version of Swedish translation, Mot okänt land  appears on 2016 album Vid Grinden by Georga

text: Canadian legacy[edit]

text: The song is performed on the last night of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival each year.

text: Ian and Sylvia sang the song together at the 50th anniversary of the Mariposa Folk Festival on July 11, 2010, in Orillia, Ontario.  On April 5, 2013, a recording of the song by Ian Tyson was played during the funeral of former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, as the honour guard brought his urn into the Jack Singer Concert Hall.[7]

text: The song is also referenced in A Prayer for Owen Meany, the 1989 novel by John Irving that deals with Americans living near or across the Canada–United States border. The narrator remembers how the main character, Owen, loved to hear that song as sung by the character of Hester.