document_title: Man on Fire (2004 film)

question_text: who played the mother in man on fire

question_tokens: who played the mother in man on fire

text: Man on Fire (2004 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 2003, burnt-out former CIA Special Activities Division operative and U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance officer John Creasy (Denzel Washington) visits his old comrade Paul Rayburn (Christopher Walken), who runs a security firm in Mexico. Because of the extremely high rate of kidnappings in Mexico City for ransoms, wealthy businessman Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony) hires Creasy through Rayburn to guard his nine-year-old daughter "Pita" (Dakota Fanning). However, Samuel is having financial problems and intends to keep Creasy on only long enough to satisfy the requirements to renew his kidnap and ransom insurance on Pita.

text: One night, while drinking heavily, Creasy tries to commit suicide with his pistol, but the cartridge fails to fire when he pulls the trigger. He calls Rayburn, who says that "a bullet always tells the truth." At first, Creasy distances himself from Pita, but soon becomes a surrogate father to the girl, allowing him to stop drinking and find purpose in life. Creasy and Pita begin to bond over Pita's swimming lessons, as Creasy helps Pita get better in her swim meets.

text: One day, as Creasy waits to escort Pita from a piano lesson, a group of gunmen try to kidnap her. As Pita leaves her lesson to meet with Creasy, Creasy fires a shot in the air and tells Pita to run. A gunfight ensues between Creasy and the kidnappers. Creasy kills four of the kidnappers, including two corrupt policemen, in a shoot out; however, Creasy is shot multiple times and collapses from his wounds, while the abductors escape with Pita. Creasy is hospitalized and arrested for the murders of the policeman and suspected in Pita's kidnapping, but is moved to a veterinary hospital by Miguel Manzano (Giancarlo Giannini), a senior agent of the Agencia Federal de Investigación (AFI), who suspects Creasy will be killed by rogue policemen in retaliation.

text: Meanwhile, the Ramos family agree to deliver a dead drop ransom of US$10 million per the instructions of "La Voz" ("The Voice") (Roberto Sosa), head of the kidnapping ring. Samuel's attorney Jordan Kalfus (Mickey Rourke) and police lieutenant Victor Fuentes (Jesús Ochoa) arrange for the ransom to be collected from Samuel's kidnapping insurance policy, then delivered to the kidnappers. The drop, however, is ambushed by members of "La Hermandad", a powerful crime syndicate composed of corrupt police officers, who steal the money and kill The Voice's nephew in the process. The Voice notifies the Ramoses that in retribution for this, Pita will now be lost to them forever. Pita's mother, Lisa Martin Ramos (Radha Mitchell), tries to negotiate directly with La Voz, but he informs her that it's too late. An angry Lisa demands everyone to leave her house, as Lisa and Samuel are resigned to Pita's fate.

text: While Creasy is recovering from the shootout, he hears from Rayburn that the ransom from Pita's kidnapping went south and Pita was killed as a result. Rayburn learns from Creasy's doctor that Creasy wounds are great and leaving now before he has healed will lead to Creasy's death. Creasy leaves the hospital anyway before fully recovering, and returns to the scene of the crime. Creasy also goes to the Ramos residence, and goes to Pita's room, looking for her notebook for any clues to lead him to the kidnappers. Lisa appears and Creasy swears to her that he will kill everyone involved in her daughter's abduction. Lisa quietly approves and Rayburn helps Creasy purchase multiple weapons, including black market firearms, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and explosives. Mariana Guerrero (Rachel Ticotin), a journalist investigating kidnappings, and Manzano also offer their support to aide Creasy.

text: Creasy one by one tracks down low-level operatives involved in various stages of the kidnapping, torturing each for information about other operatives, then killing them in brutal ways. Eventually, Creasy learns from Fuentes, who is revealed to be the "president" of "La Hermandad", that the bags they stole at the ransom drop contained only $2.5 million of actual currency while the rest was blank paper. Fuentes also reveals that Kalfus was in on the plan before Fuentes is killed by an explosive placed inside of him.

text: Creasy goes to the home of Kalfus to find him beheaded in his pool, and Creasy finds evidence of questionable financial dealings with Samuel, linking Samuel to the kidnapping. He confronts Samuel and Lisa for the truth behind the kidnapping. Samuel confesses to Creasy and Lisa that he agreed to Kalfus' plan to stage Pita's kidnapping, so he could pay off business debts he inherited from his father, keeping $5 million of the ransom for himself and splitting the rest between Kalfus and the kidnappers. He was told by Kalfus that Pita would be returned after the ransom was paid, but Fuentes, who had been promised a cut of the money by Kalfus, became greedy and betrayed him and Samuel in an attempt to take the entire ransom for himself. Samuel held Kalfus responsible for the botched drop and confesses to killing him after learning that Kalfus had known all along about Fuentes' corruption. Lisa demands that Creasy kill Samuel. Creasy instead leaves Samuel with a pistol and the misfired round, which Samuel uses to commits suicide.

text: Using the information provided by Creasy, The Voice's identity is revealed by Manzano to be Daniel Sánchez, who Mariana exposes on the front page of her newspaper. Creasy sneaks into the home of Sánchez's ex-wife and children, and is fatally shot by his brother Aurelio (Gero Camilo), whom Creasy then captures. Creasy finds out that he not only has The Voice's brother hostage, but his pregnant wife. Creasy calls Daniel Sánchez and threatens to kill all of his family unless he gives himself up (shooting Aurelio's fingers off with a shotgun as a warning while Sanchez listens on the phone), but Sánchez reveals that Pita is still alive, and offers her in exchange for Aurelio and Creasy. After Sanchez confirms Pita's identity (Creasy has him identify what Pita calls her teddy bear as proof), Creasy agrees to the demands. Creasy contacts Lisa to confirm that Pita is alive and to meet him at the exchange. He instructs her to hold the shotgun to Aurelio and to not let him go until Lisa has Pita. He surrenders himself to Sánchez' men, after Pita is released to him. After an embrace, Creasy instructs Pita to runs to her mother. Aurelio is then released and Creasy surrenders to the kidnappers as Lisa and Pita drive away. As Creasy drives off with the kidnappers, it is implied that Creasy, at peace with himself, succumbs to his wounds and dies. Daniel Sánchez is later shot and killed by Manzano during an AFI arrest raid.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Denzel Washington as John W. Creasy, mercenary, former CIA operative and Force Recon Marine officer
Dakota Fanning as Guadalupe "Lupita" Martin Ramos, "Pita"
Radha Mitchell as Lisa Martin Ramos. Lisa originates from Houston, Texas.[2] Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle described Lisa as an "American trophy wife with a Southern accent that seems to come and go."[3]
Marc Anthony as Samuel Ramos
Christopher Walken as Paul Rayburn, who runs a security firm in Mexico
Giancarlo Giannini as Miguel Manzano, director of the AFI. Tony Scott stated "Giancarlo loves women, as did this character."[4]
Rachel Ticotin as Mariana Garcia Guerrero, a reporter for the Diario Reforma
Jesús Ochoa as Victor Fuentes
Mickey Rourke as Jordan Kalfus, Samuel Ramos' lawyer. Kalfus and Samuel Ramos's father were best friends, and therefore Kalfus has a close relationship with Samuel. Mickey Rourke stated that Kalfus has "a responsibility to his father, to him, to look out for his well-being."[5] Therefore, Kalfus "[wants] to be there for him" when Ramos "gets his head underwater a little bit".[5]
Angelina Peláez as Sister Anna
Roberto Sosa as Daniel Rosas Sánchez,[6] "The Voice". He is based on a real kidnapper, Daniel Arizmendi López.[7]
Gero Camilo as Aurelio Sánchez. Based on Aurelio Arizmendi López, the brother of Daniel Arizmendi López.[8]
Mario Zaragoza as Jorge Ramirez

text: Production[edit]

text: Tony Scott, the director, tried to have a version of the film made in 1983, but since it would have been his second after The Hunger, Paul Davies, a journal article author, theorized that movie producers would have believed that Scott lacked the experience to direct it. At the time Italy was still a major center of kidnapping in the world. A version was made in 1987 with Scott Glenn. Michael Bay and Antoine Fuqua were considered to direct the remake until Arnon Milchan, the producer of the 1987 film, asked Scott if he was still interested in producing a version of Man on Fire, as Milchan still owned the rights to the series.[9]

text: 20th Century Fox wanted the film to be set in Italy.[9] An early draft of the script was set in Naples.[10] Scott argued that if the setting would be Italy, then the film would have to be a period piece, since by the 2000s kidnappings became a rare occurrence in Italy.[9] Mexico City became the setting of the 2004 film because Mexico City had a high kidnapping rate,[11] and due to other reasons.[9] As a result, the character Rika Balletto was renamed Lisa Martin Ramos, and Pinta Balletto was renamed Lupita "Pita" Ramos. Ettore Balletto became Samuel Ramos. Robert De Niro was originally offered the role of Creasy.[10] Prior to his death, Marlon Brando was the original choice to play Rayburn.[12]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Man On Fire opened in the U.S. on April 23, 2004 in 2,980 theaters and grossed $22,751,490 with an average of $7,634 and ranking #1 at the box office. The film's widest release was 2,986 theaters and it ended up earning $77,911,774 in North America and $52,381,940 internationally for a total of $130,293,714 worldwide, above its $70 million production budget.[13] The film was successful in the U.S. home video market, grossing more than $123 million in DVD and VHS rentals and sales in U.S.[14]

text: The film received mixed reviews from critics and has a rating of 39% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 161 reviews with an average rating of 5.2 out of 10. The consensus states "Man on Fire starts out well, but goes over the top in the violent second half."[15] The film also has a score of 47 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 36 reviews.[16]

text: Paul Davies, a journal article author, said that the critical reception to Man on Fire in the United States was "somewhat less than kind" because critics did not like the vigilantism that Creasy uses. Davies argues that "most critics missed" Creasy not taking "sadistic pleasure" in the killings since he kills to get information to get to all of the people involved in the kidnapping of Pita Ramos, and does not like harming innocent parties.[17]

text: A. J. Quinnell had a favorable reception to this adaptation, mainly because the film used many of the book's lines.[11] Quinnell said that usually screenwriters "like to leave their mark on the product."[18] Quinnell added that even though he usually dislikes film adaptations of books, the writers "did a good job with Man On Fire and I loved the chemistry between Creasy and the girl" and "When I first heard Denzel was playing the part of Creasy I missed a couple of heartbeats but he played the part brilliantly. The film is violent and if the anger is not portrayed properly, the result can be awful."[18] Kevin Freese of the Foreign Military Studies Office stated that "it appears that the allusion" of the fictional Sánchez brothers with the real Arizmendi brothers "escaped the comprehension of much of the audience."[7]

text: Remake[edit]

text: In 2005, a Hindi remake of the film by director Apoorva Lakhia, called Ek Ajnabee, was released.  It starred Amitabh Bachchan as John W. Creasy (renamed Suryaveer "Surya" Singh).[19]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The cut "Smiling", from the soundtrack composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, has been adopted as the theme of a number of television commercials for Omega Watches in 2012 to 2013. The Soundtrack contains 20 tracks, was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, and was released on July 27, 2004.[20]


document_title: Megingjörð

question_text: what's the name of thor's magic belt

question_tokens: what 's the name of thor 's magic belt

root

text: Megingjörð

text: In Norse mythology, the megingjörð (meaning "power-belt"[1] in Old Norse) is a belt worn by the god Thor. The Old Norse name megin means power or strength, and gjörð means belt.

tag: p

text: According to the Prose Edda, the belt is one of Thor's three main possessions, along with the hammer Mjölnir and the iron gloves Járngreipr. When worn, the belt is described as doubling Thor's already prodigious strength.

text: In verse 7 of the skaldic poem Þórsdrápa (Thorsdrapa, Lay of Thor) written by the 10th-century poet Eilífr Goðrúnarson, in the service of Jarl Hákon Sigurðarson, refers to Thor's power-belt.

text: The line; njótr njarðgjarðar, literally means "he who benefits from the mighty belt", referring to Thor's magical belt/girdle of strength/power, Megingjörð.

text: In Gylfaginning, which is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue, verse 45 refers to Thor's power-belt.

text: The line; Hann spennir sik megingjörðum, ok óx honum ásmegin, means "He girded himself with his belt of strength, and his divine strength grew". ("He" being Thor).

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ Orchard (1997:110)

tag: ol


document_title: Lucy Pevensie

question_text: how old is lucy in voyage of the dawn treader

text: Lucy Pevensie

text: Biography[edit]

text: Character[edit]

text: Lucy is the most sensitive and faithful out of all her siblings; which is why she is written as seeing Aslan across the gorge in Prince Caspian and her brothers and sister written as cynical and less inclined to go on blind faith. As a young child in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in a strange house without her mother about, she is also extremely vulnerable and is looking for security, wonder and something to believe in. She is teased mercilessly by Edmund about Narnia, being accused of playing "childish games". Once she knows he also has visited the land in the wardrobe and he still maintains that they were only playing a game, her anguish knows no bounds, as her faith in humanity and the security of her own beliefs about her own siblings are now also under threat.

text: Lucy loves animals, and makes friends with many creatures; and is devastated in Prince Caspian to discover that not only has Narnia been invaded by the Telmarines; but that they have suppressed the many creatures and divine and semi-divine beings that made Narnia the extraordinary place it was. Her heartfelt night-time roam through the woods, craving to see the tree spirits dance and share in their communion with nature and life once again is one of the very deep moments of love, hope and disappointment that we share with Lucy in her spiritual journey. Lucy also never stops believing in Narnia and is full of courage because of her faith; and is thus more adventurous than her sister Susan. Lucy has a great desire to help others, which is symbolized by the healing cordial that was given to her by Father Christmas for others in need and only with sparing use. The lesson from Aslan on the battlefield in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is to use this power impartially and not dwell on the needs of those she loves most.

text: Childhood[edit]

text: Lucy Pevensie was born in 1932, the fourth of four children. She grew up in London with her mother, father, eldest brother Peter, sister Susan, and brother Edmund. In 1940, the Blitz began, and Lucy and her siblings were evacuated from London for their safety, taking up a temporary residence in the country manor of an old man known as Professor Kirke.

text: The siblings discovered that due to magic, their fifteen years in Narnia had taken up no time at all in England, and they were again children in the Professor's house. They told only the professor of their adventure, and he in turn admitted that he, too, had been to Narnia. The children were slightly dismayed to be told that the wardrobe had sealed and would no longer carry them between the worlds. A year later, at the age of nine, Lucy set out for her first year at a girl's boarding school with Susan. While en route to school, all four children felt a peculiar tug, recognized as magic, and were within moments drawn back out of Earth.

text: In England again, Lucy spent her first year at boarding school. While there, she made several friends. In summer of 1942, she and Edmund were sent to stay with their Aunt and Uncle while their parents went away on a trip.

text: Afterwards, Lucy grew up fairly normally, eventually becoming one of the self-titled Seven Friends of Narnia, those who had been to the world of Narnia by magic. In 1949, Lucy, Edmund, and Peter were having dinner with Eustace, Jill Pole, Polly Plummer and Digory Kirke, reminiscing about their days in Narnia when a Narnian-dressed figure appeared to them as a specter. The figure did not speak, even when Peter demanded as High King that it do so. After the specter disappeared again, they all felt sure that something was dreadfully wrong in their beloved country, and they needed to find a way to get there on their own.

text: Remembering the magic rings capable of carrying humans from world to world, the seven set up a plan to get young Jill and Eustace to Narnia. While the rings were retrieved, Lucy and the others got on a train to take Eustace and Jill to school, intending to use the rings on the way. They never made it, as their train crashed on the way, killing all aboard. By all accounts, Lucy and the others died instantly as a result of the crash.

text: Golden Age of Narnia[edit]

text: The four-part reign lasted fifteen years, and was known as the Golden Age of Narnia. Lucy grew up to become a sweet and beloved queen, dubbed 'Queen Lucy the Valiant' by her people. Not only a lovely lady and an accomplished queen, she was also a fierce warrior, known to ride into battle in times of need. She remained close friends with Mr. Tumnus. In 1014, Narnia's ally of Archenland was under attack. Lucy rode with her brother King Edmund to wage battle for their defense, and helped to win the day. In 1015 NT, Mr. Tumnus brought the news that the magical White Stag had returned to Narnia. Lucy and her siblings set out on a hunt, in the course of which they got lost in the woods. Stumbling through the woods, they found themselves in England again, back on the other side of the magic wardrobe.

text: Prior story[edit]

text: Lucy was born in 1932 and is 8 years old when she appears in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. By The Last Battle, she is 17 years old.

text: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe[edit]

text: Lucy's siblings, Peter, Susan and Edmund, do not believe her about Narnia at first, but later they all find their way to Narnia.

text: In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy is the first of the Pevensies to enter Narnia through a magical wardrobe in the Professor's old house, into Narnia in the One Hundred Year Winter, under the rule of the White Witch, the evil self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia. There she meets Mr. Tumnus the Faun and, then later, the Beavers.

text: While traveling with Peter, Susan and Mr and Mrs Beaver Father Christmas gives them gifts; Lucy is given a vial with magical cordial that can heal almost any injury, and a small dagger with which to defend herself "at great need". Edmund, meanwhile, had tried to betray the Beavers and joined the White Witch; he had first met her and been seduced by promises of power after first entering the wardrobe when trying to follow Lucy on her second entry to Narnia.

text: She and her companions arrive at Aslan's camp, and later that night, she and Susan comfort Aslan as he walks to his death – although they don't know of his fate at the time. Both girls also witness his sacrifice. While their brothers are going to war, Lucy and her sister see Aslan come back to life and help him wake the creatures in the White Witch's castle, which the White Witch had turned to stone. They meet with their brothers at the end of the battle.

text: At Cair Paravel, she is crowned as Her Majesty Queen Lucy by Aslan to the throne as co-ruler of Narnia, this marking the fulfilling of the ancient prophecy and the end of the White Witch's reign. During her reign, the people name her Queen Lucy the Valiant. She and her siblings make a Golden Age in Narnia.

text: Late in the Golden Age, while hunting the white stag through Lantern Waste, she notices the lantern where she met Mr. Tumnus. She stops her siblings and they look and wonder what it is. Lucy, in a dreamy voice, says Spare Oom, Mr. Tumnus's phrase for the land from which they came 15 years earlier, and the children run through the wardrobe into England, where no time has passed and they are children again.

text: The Horse and His Boy[edit]

text: The events in The Horse and His Boy take place after the siblings are crowned, and before they return to England, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Queen Lucy is a young woman who rides to the aid of Archenland. She is described by Prince Corin as being more like a tomboy, unlike her sister, Queen Susan, who is a "proper lady". She helps King Lune to welcome Aravis to Anvard, and helps to get Aravis's room and clothes ready.

text: Prince Caspian[edit]

text: Lucy (who is now 9) travels to Narnia again with her three siblings in Prince Caspian. In that book, Lucy is the only one to see Aslan at first, and she has a terrible time convincing her brothers and sister as well as Trumpkin the dwarf that he had returned, echoing her trials early in the first book. However, Edmund believes her and backs her up, due to her being right about Narnia itself existing. Aslan tells her to try again, and says that she must follow him alone if they refuse to come with her. Lucy comments that Aslan has grown larger, but really she is the one that has grown.

text: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader[edit]

text: While Susan travels with Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie to America and Peter studies with Professor Digory Kirke, Lucy (age 11), Edmund and their cousin Eustace are drawn into Narnia through a magical painting in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This is very much Lucy's book, written largely from her point of view. However, at the end Aslan firmly tells her and Edmund that they have become, like Susan and Peter, too old to further experience the wonders of Narnia.

text: The Last Battle[edit]

text: In The Last Battle, she plays a minor part as she returns to Narnia again with her brothers, High King Peter and King Edmund, along with Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole, Polly Plummer, and Digory Kirke. There, she witnesses the destruction of Narnia and lives in the new Narnia created by Aslan. In the new Narnia, all the people and animals who lived in the previous Narnia during its existence return and join together. Lucy also meets her old friend Mr. Tumnus the Faun again, and Aslan tells her about a railway accident that occurs in England in which she, her brothers, her parents, Polly, Digory, Eustace and Jill die. She and Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund, Eustace and Jill stay in Aslan's homeland for eternity, however Susan goes back to living on Earth.

text: Afterlife[edit]

text: Lucy – along with Edmund, Peter, Digory, and Polly – are instantly transported to a great green field with fruit trees and a door that leads to nowhere, clothed in Narnian garb. Several people come in or out of the door, but most seem unable to see the fields or Lucy and her companions. After some time, Eustace, and then Jill, walk through the door, explaining that they had been to Narnia on the other side of it. Once everything in Narnia has been straightened out and many other Narnians had join them, the Friends of Narnia stand by as Aslan brings about the end of Old Narnia.

text: Then Aslan gave a great roar and began to lead all the remaining Narnians. All run after him up the field, realizing that this is not Narnia, but that the real Narnia and the afterlife of the world they had known. They all run until they reach Cair Paravel, and meet all of their old friends from all of their adventures in the Shadowlands.

text: Lucy is not quite so happy in the New Narnia as Aslan meant her to be, however. She explains that she is dissatisfied because they (the English Narnians) are so afraid of being sent home. Aslan explains that there had been a train accident back in England, and that in their world, the children are all dead. He explains further that the Real Narnia is his country, and a Narnian equivalent of heaven. Lucy is permitted to live forever with her siblings in the Real Narnia.

text: Portrayals[edit]

text:
In the 1980s BBC serial, Lucy is portrayed by English actress Sophie Wilcox.
In Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia films, Lucy is portrayed by English actress Georgie Henley as a child and Rachael Henley (her older sister) as an adult.

tag: ul

text: Other appearances[edit]

text: Although reviews of The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles issue 0 indicated that Alice, Wendy Darling and Dorothy Gale shared their dorm with Susan Pevensie, a recent review of the now-released issue 1 indicates many fans are believing this is actually meant to be Lucy, and not Susan.

text: She is spoofed in the 2007 film Epic Movie.


document_title: Winchester Mystery House

question_text: when did the winchester house open to the public

text: Winchester Mystery House

text: Inspiration[edit]

text: After her husband's death from tuberculosis in 1881, Sarah Winchester inherited more than $20.5 million (equivalent to $520 million in 2017). She also received nearly fifty percent ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, giving her an income of roughly $1,000 per day, equivalent to $25,000 a day in 2017. These inheritances gave her a tremendous amount of wealth which she used to fund the ongoing construction.[5]

text: Tabloids from the time said that, at some point after her infant daughter died of an illness known as marasmus, a children’s disease in which the body wastes away, and her husband died of pulmonary tuberculosis, a Boston medium[6] told her (while supposedly channeling her late husband) that she should leave her home in New Haven and travel West, where she must continuously build a home for herself and the spirits of people who had fallen victim to Winchester rifles.[7] Winchester left New Haven and headed for California. Though it is possible she was simply seeking a change of location and a hobby during her lengthy depression, other sources say that Winchester came to believe her family and fortune were haunted by ghosts, and that only by moving West and continuously building them a house could she appease these spirits.[7][8]

text: In 1884 she purchased an unfinished farmhouse in the Santa Clara Valley and began building her mansion. Carpenters were hired and worked on the house day and night until it became a seven-story mansion. She did not use an architect and added on to the building in a haphazard fashion, so the home contains numerous oddities such as doors and stairs that go nowhere, windows overlooking other rooms and stairs with odd-sized risers. Many accounts attribute these oddities to her belief in ghosts.[9]

text:
Before the 1906 earthquake, the house had been seven stories high, but today it is only four stories. The house is predominantly made of redwood, as Mrs. Winchester preferred the wood; however, she disliked the look of it. She therefore demanded that a faux grain and stain be applied. This is why almost all the wood in the home is covered. Approximately 20,500 U.S. gallons (78,000 L) of paint were required to paint the house. The home itself is built using a floating foundation that is believed to have saved it from total collapse in the 1906 earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. This type of construction allows the home to shift freely, as it is not completely attached to its brick base. There are roughly 161 rooms, including 40 bedrooms, 2 ballrooms (one completed and one unfinished) as well as 47 fireplaces, over 10,000 panes of glass, 17 chimneys (with evidence of two others), two basements and three elevators. Winchester's property was about 162 acres (66 ha) at one time, but the estate has since been reduced to 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) – the minimum necessary to contain the house and nearby outbuildings. It has gold and silver chandeliers, hand-inlaid parquet floors and trim, and a vast array of colors and materials. Due to Mrs. Winchester's debilitating arthritis, special "easy riser" stairways were installed as a replacement for her original steep construction. This allowed her to move about her home freely as she was only able to raise her feet a few inches high. There was only one working toilet for Winchester, but all other restrooms were decoys to confuse spirits. This is also the reason why she slept in a different room each night.[10]
The home's conveniences were rare at the time of its construction. These included steam and forced-air heating, modern indoor toilets and plumbing, push-button gas lights, and Mrs. Winchester's personal (and only) hot shower from indoor plumbing. There are also three elevators, including an Otis electric and one of which was powered by a rare horizontal hydraulic elevator piston. (Most elevator pistons are vertical to save space, but Winchester preferred the improved functionality of the horizontal configuration.)

text: Mrs. Winchester never skimped on the many adornments that she believed contributed to its architectural beauty. Many of the stained glass windows were created by the Tiffany Company. Some were designed specifically for her, and others by her, including a "spider web" window that featured her favorite web design and the repetition of the number thirteen, another of her preoccupations. This window was never installed, but exists in the so-called "$25,000 storage room" - so named because its contents were originally appraised at a value of $25,000. The value today is inestimable, but $25,000 would be equivalent to $366,000 in 2017. A second window was designed by Tiffany himself, so that when sunlight strikes the prismatic crystals a rainbow is cast across the room. The window was installed in an interior wall in a room with no light exposure, preventing the effect from being seen.[11]

text: When Winchester died, all of her possessions (apart from the house) were bequeathed to her niece and personal secretary. Her niece then took everything she wanted and sold the rest in a private auction. It supposedly took six trucks working eight hours a day for six weeks to remove all of the furniture from the home, an account disputed by Winchester's biographer.[12] Mrs. Winchester made no mention of the mansion in her will, and appraisers considered the house worthless due to damage caused by the earthquake, the unfinished design and the impractical nature of its construction. It was sold at auction to a local investor for over $135,000, and subsequently leased for 10 years to John and Mayme Brown,[13] who eventually purchased the house. In February 1923, five months after Winchester's death, the house was opened to the public, with Mayme Brown serving as the first tour guide.[14]

text: Today the home is owned by Winchester Investments LLC,[15] a privately held company representing the descendants of John and Mayme Brown.[13] The home retains unique touches that reflect Mrs. Winchester's beliefs and her reported preoccupation with warding off malevolent spirits. These spirits are said to have directly inspired her as to the way the house should be built. The number thirteen and spider web motifs, which carried spiritual significance for her, occur throughout the house.[16]

text: In the early 1990s the Winchester property had parapsychologist, anomalist and paranormal investigator Christopher Chacon conduct an investigation (30-day monitoring) of the reported "haunt phenomena" on the property.[17]

text: In 2016, it was announced that another room was found: an attic space that contains a pump organ, Victorian couch, dress form, sewing machine and paintings. This room was made available for viewing by the public.[18]

text: In 2017, the Winchester Mystery House debuted their first new daytime tour in 20 years, the "Explore More Tour". This tour takes guests through rooms never before opened to the public, and explores the rooms left unfinished at the time of Sarah Winchester's death.[19]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text:
The house is the primary setting for Michaela Roessner's 1993 science fiction novel Vanishing Point, in which it becomes the home of a squatter community following the disappearance of most of the human race.[20]
The Winchester house is the setting of a subplot in the 1997 Tim Powers fantasy novel Earthquake Weather.[21]
For the 2012 episode of MythBusters "Smell of Fear", the build team visited the Winchester Mystery House to look around and later watch "one of the scariest movies of all time" (the title of which wasn't revealed) on a television that they set up in the grand ballroom, then gather their sweat samples for testing.[22] (This clip was not seen in full on the American version of the episode.) Later on the "Aftershow" about the episode, Kari Byron revealed that after she first visited the Mystery House as a Brownie it had given her nightmares, and that the house was "still creepy".[23]
Ghost Adventures[24] and Ghost Brothers[25] filmed episodes in 2016 related to the house and its spiritual encounters.
Sarah Winchester, Phantom Opera, is a 24-minute film by French film maker Bertrand Bernello, which had its North American premiere at the 54th New York Film Festival, October 2016. It is an imaginative narrative of Sarah Winchester's life with emphasis on the Mystery House.[26][27]
In 2017, filming took place on the property for the film Winchester, featuring Helen Mirren as Sarah Winchester.[28] The film was released on February 2, 2018.[29]

text: Gallery[edit]

text:
Woodwork surrounding fireplace

Music room

Dark wood paneling of walls and ceiling

One of many instruments

Sitting area

Sitting room

Skylights

Stairwell

Small pipe organ

Clothes wringer


document_title: Master cylinder

question_text: where is the master cylinder located in a car

text: Master cylinder

text: This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: In automotive engineering, the master cylinder is a control device that converts force (commonly from a driver's foot) into hydraulic pressure.  This device controls slave cylinders located at the other end of the hydraulic system.

text: As piston(s) move along the bore of the master cylinder, this movement is transferred through the hydraulic fluid, to result in a movement of the slave cylinder(s). The hydraulic pressure created by moving a piston (inside the bore of the master cylinder) toward the slave cylinder(s) compresses the fluid evenly, but by varying the comparative surface area of the master cylinder and each slave cylinder, one can vary the amount of force and displacement applied to each slave cylinder, relative to the amount of force and displacement applied to the master cylinder.[1]

text: Vehicle applications[edit]

text: The most common vehicle uses of master cylinders are in brake and clutch systems. In brake systems, the operated devices are cylinders inside brake calipers and/or drum brakes; these cylinders may be called wheel cylinders or slave cylinders, and they push the brake pads towards a surface that rotates with the wheel (this surface is typically either a drum, or a disc, a.k.a. a rotor) until the stationary brake pad(s) create friction against that rotating surface (typically the rotating surface is metal or ceramic/carbon, for their ability to withstand heat and friction without wearing-down rapidly). In the clutch system, the device which the master cylinder operates is called the slave cylinder; it moves the throw out bearing until the high-friction material on the transmission's clutch disengages from the engine's metal (or ceramic/carbon) flywheel. For hydraulic brakes or clutches alike, flexible high-pressure hoses or inflexible hard-walled metal tubing may be used; but the flexible variety of tubing is needed for at least a short length adjacent to each wheel, whenever the wheel can move relative to the car's chassis (this is the case on any car with steering and other suspension movements; some drag racers and go-karts have no rear suspension, as the rear axle is welded to the chassis, and some antique cars also have no rear suspension movement).[2]

text: A reservoir above each master cylinder supplies the master cylinder with enough brake fluid to avoid air from entering the master cylinder (even the typical clutch uses brake fluid, but it may also be referred to as "clutch fluid" in a clutch applr). Each piston in a master cylinder operates a brake circuit, and for modern light trucks and passenger cars, usually a brake circuit leads to a brake caliper or shoe on only two of the vehicle's wheels, and the other brake circuit provides brake pressure to slow down and stop the other two wheels. This is done in a diagonally split hydraulic system. If there is a hydraulic failure in the brake lines served  by the master cylinder's secondary piston both pistons will move forward when the brakes are applied, but there is nothing  to resist piston travel except the secondary piston spring. This lets the primary piston build up only a small amount of pressure until the secondary piston bottoms in the cylinder bore. Then the primary piston will build enough hydraulic pressure to operate the brakes served by this half of the system. In case of a hydraulic failure in the brake system served by the primary piston, the primary piston will move forward when the brakes are applied but will not build up hydraulic pressure. In this case very little force is transferred to the secondary piston through the primary piston spring until the piston extension screw comes in contact with the secondary piston. Then, pushrod force is transmitted directly to the secondary piston and enough pressure is built up to operate its brakes. Usually the 2 systems are split into left front and right rear comprising one system and right front and left rear comprising the other system. For safety, this is done so that usually only two wheels lose their braking ability at the same time and that both sides of the car have at least one braking system working and both ends of the car have at least one system working. With only 1 system working there is longer stopping distances and repairs should be done before driving again.[3][4][5][6]


document_title: Chief secretary (India)

question_text: chief secretary of a state is chief of

question_tokens: chief secretary of a state is chief of

text: Chief secretary (India)

text: History[edit]

text: The salary of Chief Secretary of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Punjab and Burma was fixed and was same to Joint Secretary to Government of India during the British Raj.[a] As per Warrant or Precedence of 1905,[a] Secretary to Government of India was listed together with Joint Secretary to Government of India and was ranked above the rank of Chief Secretary.[a]

text: States[edit]

text: Chief Secretaries are members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) who are the administrative head of state governments.[4] A Chief Secretary functions as the central point of interdepartmental coordination at the departmental level and is classified as being in the Apex Grade.[4][5] Chief Secretary is considered to be the Chief Executive of the state government and considered to be 'a linchpin' in the administration.[4][6][7][8] Chief Secretary of the state also acts as the ex-officio Chairman of the State Civil Service Board, which recommends transfer/postings of officers of All India Services and State Civil Services in the state.[4][9][10][11][12][13][14]

text: Traditionally, the most senior IAS officer within a state is chosen as the Chief Secretary;[15][16][17][18][19][20] however, there are exceptions.[21][22][23][24][25]

text: Chief Secretaries are assisted by Additional Chief Secretaries or Special Chief Secretaries, depending on the state, and Principal Secretaries, who are the administrative heads of departments they are assigned to.

text: Chief Secretaries are chosen by the state's Chief Minister.[26][27][28][29][30] State Chief Secretaries are IAS officers generally equivalent in rank to a Secretary to Government of India and are placed 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.[31][32]

text: The post of Chief Secretary of a State Government is equivalent to Vice Chief of the Army Staff/Commanders and officers in the rank of full General and its equivalents in the Indian Armed Forces, and are listed as such in the Order of Precedence.[31][32]

text: List of current Chief Secretaries in the States of India[edit]

text:
Chief Secretaries of States[33]
hide

S.No.

State

Capital

Chief Secretary

Batch

1

Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati

Dinesh Kumar, IAS

1983

2

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar

Satya Gopal, IAS

1984

3

Assam

Dispur

T Y Das, IAS

1982

4

Bihar

Patna

Deepak Kumar, IAS

1984

5

Chhattisgarh

Raipur

Ajay Singh, IAS

1983

6

Goa

Panaji

Dharmendra Sharma, IAS

1988

7

Gujarat

Gandhinagar

J. N. Singh, IAS

1983

8

Haryana

Chandigarh

D. S. Dhesi, IAS

1982

9

Himachal Pradesh

Shimla

B.K. Agarwal, IAS

1985

10

Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar (May-Oct) and Jammu (Nov-Apr)

B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, IAS

1986

11

Jharkhand

Ranchi

Sudhir Tripathi, IAS

1985

12

Karnataka

Bengaluru

T M Vijay Bhaskar, IAS

1983

13

Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram

Tom Jose, IAS

1984

14

Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal

Basant Pratap Singh, IAS

1984

15

Maharashtra

Mumbai

Dinesh Kumar Jain., IAS

1983

16

Manipur

Imphal

Rajani Ranjan Rashmi, IAS

1983

17

Meghalaya

Shillong

Yeshi Tsering, IAS

1983

18

Mizoram

Aizawl

Arvind Ray, IAS

1984

19

Nagaland

Kohima

Pankaj Kumar, IAS

1987

20

Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Aditya Prasad Padhi, IAS

1983

21

Punjab

Chandigarh

Karan A. Singh, IAS

1984

22

Rajasthan

Jaipur

D B Gupta, IAS

1982

23

Sikkim

Gangtok

A. K. Srivastava, IAS

1984

24

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

Girija Vaidyanathan, IAS

1981

25

Telangana

Hyderabad

Shailendra Kumar Joshi, IAS

1984

26

Tripura

Agartala

Sanjeev Ranjan, IAS

1985

27

Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow

Dr. Anup Chandra Pandey, IAS

1984

28

Uttarakhand

Dehradun

Utpal Kumar Singh, IAS[34]

1986

29

West Bengal

Kolkata

Malay Kumar Dev, IAS

1985

text: Union territories[edit]

text: In the union territories, which are governed by Administrators, Chief Secretaries are absent. In these territories an Adviser to the Administrator is appointed by the Union Government. However, the union territories of Delhi and Puducherry, which have been granted partial statehood, do have Chief Secretaries. In Delhi and Puducherry, the Chief Minister chooses the Chief Secretary and is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.[6]

text: Chief Secretaries and Advisers to Administrators of Union Territories, in general, are junior in rank compared to the Chief Secretaries of States. The office bearers generally are of the rank Joint Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents. However, in NCT of Delhi and UT of Chandigarh, the topmost civil servant is either of the ranks of Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents or Additional Secretary to Government of India and its equivalents.

text: List of current Chief Secretaries/Administrators/Advisor to Administrators of Union territories of India[edit]

text:
Chief Secretaries/Advisor to Administrators of Union Territories[33]
hide

S. no

Union territory

Capital

Chief Secretary/Advisor to Administrator

Batch

1

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Port Blair

Anindo Majumdar, IAS

1985

2

Chandigarh

Chandigarh

Parimal Rai, IAS

1985

3

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Silvassa

Praful Khoda Patel

-

4

Daman and Diu

Daman

Praful Khoda Patel

-

5

Lakshadweep

Kavaratti

Farooq Khan

-

6

National Capital Territory of Delhi

Delhi

Anshu Prakash, IAS

1986

7

Puducherry

Pondicherry

Manoj Kumar Parida, IAS

1986


document_title: Antarctic Circle

question_text: name the ocean which is located within antarctic circle

text: Antarctic Circle

text: Midnight sun and polar night[edit]

text: The Antarctic Circle is the northernmost latitude in the Southern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously above or partially below the horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Antarctic Circle the sun is visible at local midnight, and at least once it is partially obscured at local noon.[3]

text: Directly on the Antarctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the December and June solstices, respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages, and because the sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun may be seen on the night of the southern summer solstice up to about 50 minutes (′) (90 km (56 mi)) north of the Antarctic Circle; similarly, on the day of the southern winter solstice, part of the sun may be seen up to about 50′ south of the Antarctic Circle. That is true at sea level; those limits increase with elevation above sea level, although in mountainous regions there is often no direct view of the true horizon. Mirages on the Antarctic continent tend to be even more spectacular than in Arctic regions, creating, for example, a series of apparent sunsets and sunrises while in reality the sun remains under the horizon.

text: Human habitation[edit]

text: There is no permanent human population south of the Antarctic Circle, but there are several research stations in Antarctica operated by various nations that are inhabited by teams of scientists who rotate on a seasonal basis. In previous centuries some semi-permanent whaling stations were established on the continent, and some whalers would live there for a year or more. At least three children have been born in Antarctica, albeit in stations north of the Antarctic Circle.

text: Geography[edit]

text:
[show]Map all coordinates using OSM
Map all coordinates using Google

Export all coordinates as KML

Export all coordinates as GPX

Map all microformatted coordinates

Place data as RDF

text: The Antarctic Circle is roughly 17,662 kilometres (10,975 mi) long.[4] The area south of the Circle is about 20,000,000 km2 (7,700,000 sq mi) and covers roughly 4% of Earth's surface.[5] The continent of Antarctica covers much of the area within the Antarctic Circle.

text: Sites along the Circle[edit]

text: Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Antarctic Circle passes through:

text:
Co-ordinates
Country, territory or sea
Notes

66°34′S 0°0′E / 66.567°S 0.000°E / -66.567; 0.000 (Prime Meridian)
Southern Ocean
North of Queen Maud Land and Enderby Land

66°34′S 50°32′E / 66.567°S 50.533°E / -66.567; 50.533 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Enderby Land
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 57°19′E / 66.567°S 57.317°E / -66.567; 57.317 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean
North of the Amery Ice Shelf

66°34′S 82°6′E / 66.567°S 82.100°E / -66.567; 82.100 (Antarctica)
Antarctica
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 89°14′E / 66.567°S 89.233°E / -66.567; 89.233 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean

66°34′S 91°29′E / 66.567°S 91.483°E / -66.567; 91.483 (Antarctica)
Antarctica
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 92°21′E / 66.567°S 92.350°E / -66.567; 92.350 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean

66°34′S 93°52′E / 66.567°S 93.867°E / -66.567; 93.867 (Antarctica)
Antarctica
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 107°45′E / 66.567°S 107.750°E / -66.567; 107.750 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean
Vincennes Bay

66°34′S 110°12′E / 66.567°S 110.200°E / -66.567; 110.200 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Wilkes Land
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 116°35′E / 66.567°S 116.583°E / -66.567; 116.583 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean

66°34′S 121°31′E / 66.567°S 121.517°E / -66.567; 121.517 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Wilkes Land
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 127°9′E / 66.567°S 127.150°E / -66.567; 127.150 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean

66°34′S 129°38′E / 66.567°S 129.633°E / -66.567; 129.633 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Wilkes Land
Territory claimed by  Australia

66°34′S 136°0′E / 66.567°S 136.000°E / -66.567; 136.000 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Adélie Land
Territory claimed by  France

66°34′S 138°56′E / 66.567°S 138.933°E / -66.567; 138.933 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean

66°34′S 162°44′E / 66.567°S 162.733°E / -66.567; 162.733
Balleny Islands – Borradaile Island
Territory claimed by  New Zealand

66°34′S 162°45′E / 66.567°S 162.750°E / -66.567; 162.750 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean
Passing just north of Adelaide Island (claimed by  Argentina,  Chile and  United Kingdom)

66°34′S 65°44′W / 66.567°S 65.733°W / -66.567; -65.733 (Antarctica)
Antarctica – Antarctic Peninsula, Graham Land and Larsen Ice Shelf
Territory claimed by  Argentina,  Chile and  United Kingdom

66°34′S 60°21′W / 66.567°S 60.350°W / -66.567; -60.350 (Southern Ocean)
Southern Ocean
Passing through the Weddell Sea and into an unnamed part of the ocean


document_title: Allstate

question_text: in what year did allstate go public when sears sells 19.8 percent of the company

text: Allstate

text: History[edit]

text: In 1925, Sears held a national contest to decide the name of a new brand of car tires. After over two million name submissions, "Allstate" was chosen as the winner; the trademark was adopted the very next year. The tires' success in both the catalog and retail stores prompted Sears Chairman General Robert E. Wood to praise the Allstate tire's contribution to Sears' retail store success.[1]

text: The idea for Allstate Insurance Company came during a bridge game on a commuter train in 1930, when insurance broker Carl L. Odell proposed to Wood, his neighbor, the idea of selling auto insurance by direct mail. The idea appealed to Wood, and he passed the proposal to the Sears board of directors, which approved it. Allstate Insurance Company, named after Sears’ tire brand, went into business on April 17, 1931, offering auto insurance by direct mail and through the Sears catalog.[8] This was in line with one of the objectives of a company to sell automobile insurance in the same manner as Sears sold its merchandise.[9]

text: Lessing J. Rosenwald was Allstate's first board chairman, and Odell was named vice president and secretary.[10]

text: In 1933, at the Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago, Allstate’s Richard E. Roskam sold insurance at a booth in the Sears pavilion. In 1934, Allstate opened its first permanent sales office in a Chicago Sears store.[11]

text: In 1941, only about a quarter of U.S. drivers had auto liability insurance. This led to the state of New York passing a law which established the financial responsibility of drivers for damage or injuries resulting from auto mishaps. That law inspired legislation in other states, and by the mid-1950s nearly every state had some sort of financial responsibility law on its books.[8]

text: In 1949 the Allstate Headquarters Building was completed at 3245 W. Arthington Street in Chicago.[12] The mid-rise building is currently vacant (as of 2013) and in danger of demolition. The building is noted for its early post-war mid-rise construction. This location was vacated at some point when the company relocated in the post-war years.

text: The company’s "You're in Good Hands with Allstate" slogan was created in 1950 by Allstate’s general sales manager Davis W. Ellis. At the end of the decade, it was used in the company's first network television advertising campaign, which featured actor Ed Reimers.[10]

text: Allstate added products throughout the 1950s, including fire insurance in 1954 and homeowners and life insurance in 1957. Allstate began selling insurance to Canadians in 1953. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada was incorporated in 1964.[8] (In 1952 and 1953, Sears also sold an automobile called Allstate.)

text: In 1967, the company's home office was moved from Skokie to Northbrook, Illinois. Allstate continued to sell additional types of insurance to customers throughout the decade, including worker's compensation insurance in 1964, surety bonds in 1966, inland-marine coverage in 1967 and a business package policy in 1969.[10]

text: The brand itself expanded in the 1950s and 1960s and could be found on a variety of products like fire extinguishers and motor scooters. In 1952, an Allstate car was produced, but it was a flop; it was pulled from stores by 1953. The Allstate brand was eventually limited to insurance, tires, and car batteries by the late 1960s before becoming insurance-only in the mid-1970s.[1] In 1991, the company went public[4] before becoming completely independent in 1995.[1]

text: In 1984, Neighborhood Office Agent program was introduced to make agents more accessible to customers.[citation needed]

text: In 1985, Allstate began to move agents out of Sears stores and locate agents in neighborhood offices. In June 1993, 19.8 percent of Allstate became public through a stock offering. Allstate became completely independent in June 1995, when Sears spun off the remaining 80 percent stake in the company, distributing 350.5 million shares of Allstate stock to its stockholders.[8]

text: In 1993, Allstate went public when Sears sold 19.8% of the company.[13] At the time, it was the largest IPO to date.

text: In 1996, their website www.allstate.com was launched.[citation needed]

text: In 1999, Allstate unveiled a new business model that created a single contract for exclusive, independent agents selling Allstate insurance. It also created a network of call centers.[citation needed]

text: In 1999, Allstate purchased the personal lines division of CNA Financial[14] and subsequently renamed it to Encompass Insurance Company which is written by independent insurance agents, as opposed to the direct writing that constitutes the core part of its business.[15]

text: In 2003, actor Dennis Haysbert became Allstate’s spokesman, using the tagline "That’s Allstate’s stand."[16]

text: In 2010, actor Dean Winters became a part of Allstate’s campaign "Mayhem" “personifying the pitfalls, like collisions and storm damage, that can befall drivers”.

text: In 2012 Allstate Solutions Private Limited (also called Allstate India) was inaugurated in Bangalore which is a technology and operations centre to provides software development and business process outsourcing services to its US parent.[17] Allstate's Bangalore operation is focused on the areas of business intelligence, analytics, testing and mobility.

text: Corporate leadership[edit]

text: The people in this section are members of corporate leadership.[18]

text: CEOs[edit]

text: Since going public in 1993:

text:
Thomas J. Wilson (2007–present)
Edward Liddy (1999–2006)
Jerry D. Choate (1995–1999)
Wayne E. Hedien (1993–1994)

text: Current leadership[edit]

text:
Thomas J Wilson - Chairman, CEO, The Allstate Corporation
Matthew Winter - President, The Allstate Corporation and CEO, Allstate Life Insurance
Don Civgin - President, Emerging Business
Thomas Clarkson - President, Allstate West Territory, Allstate Personal Lines
Mary Jane Fortin - President, Allstate Life and Retirement
Suren Gupta - Executive VP Allstate Technology & Strategic Ventures
Harriet Harty - Executive VP, Human Resources
Guy Hill - Executive VP, Product Integration & Management
Susan Lees - Executive VP, General Counsel, Secretary
Katherine Mabe - Executive VP, Allstate Brand Distribution
David Prendergast - President, Allstate East Territory
Glenn Shapiro - Executive VP, Claims
Steven E. Shebik - Executive VP, CFO, Interim Chief Investment Officer
Steven P. Sorenson - Executive VP, Product Operations

text: Advertising[edit]

text: "Good hands"[edit]

text: Allstate's slogan "You're in good hands" was created in the 1950s by Allstate Insurance Company's sales executive, Davis W. Ellis based on a similar phrase he used to reassure his wife about a doctor caring for their child. It has been the slogan ever since 1950. Allstate also referred to themselves as the Good Hands People.

text: In the 1960s and 1970s, TV, print and radio advertising featured Allstate’s spokesman, Ed Reimers. Reimers was often shown making the cupped-hand gesture. For 22 years, he remained the spokesman.[19]

text: A study in 2000 by Northwestern University's Medill Graduate Department of Integrated Marketing Communications found that the Allstate slogan "You're in good hands" ranked as the most recognizable in America.[20]

text: "Allstate’s stand"[edit]

text: Beginning in 2003, as policy growth slowed, Allstate’s television commercials used spokesman Dennis Haysbert. The ads were intended to carry the message that Allstate's service was superior to that from low-cost providers Geico and Progressive.[21] Haysbert appeared in more than 250 commercials between 2003 and 2016.

text: Mayhem[edit]

text: Beginning in 2010, Allstate used Dean Winters as "Mayhem", mean to personify the hazards drivers face. The ads conclude with Haysbert asking "Are You In Good Hands?"[22]

text: Social media[edit]

text: In January 2011, Allstate released The Lines,[23] a multi-episode TV drama web series starring actors Teresa Cesario, Kyle Sandgate-Blix, Jackson Schultz, Bridgette Pechman, Chase Maser, and Corey Doyle cast as High-School seniors. The series, filmed in the style of a television drama, depicts the cast in common situations facing teens with respect to driving (Texting while driving in particular). The series appears aimed at promoting interest and support in favor of responsible teen driving and road-safety in general. The Lines spans a total of 8 episodes, each 6–8 minutes in length. Allstate and other large corporations are attracted to the rapid growth of social media for use in their advertising campaigns.

text: Organization[edit]

text: Allstate Corporation owns and operates 18 companies around the United States, Canada and India.[24]

text: Based in San Francisco, California:

text: Esurance, Inc.

text: Based in Northbrook, Illinois:

text:
Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company
Allstate Insurance Company
Allstate Indemnity Company
Allstate Life Insurance Company
Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company
Encompass Insurance Company

text: Based in Bridgewater, New Jersey:

text:
Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company
Allstate New Jersey Property and Casualty Insurance Company

text: Based in Hauppauge, New York:

text: Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York

text: Based in St. Petersburg, Florida:

text:
Castle Key Insurance Company
Castle Key Indemnity Company

text: Based in Irving, Texas:

text:
Allstate County Mutual Insurance Company
Allstate Texas Lloyd's

text: Based in Jacksonville, Florida:

text: American Heritage Life Insurance Company

text: Based in Markham, Ontario:

text: Allstate Insurance Company of Canada[25]

text: Based in Bangalore, India:

text: Allstate Solutions Private Limited

text: Based in Pune, India:

text: Allstate Solutions Private Limited

text: Sponsorship[edit]

text: Allstate Arena[edit]

text: Allstate holds naming rights to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, near the company's headquarters.

text: College football[edit]

text: Allstate sponsors branded field goal nets at over 67 colleges and universities. For each field goal and extra point kicked, Allstate donates into collegiate general scholarship funds. To date, those donations exceed $2.9 million. Allstate also sponsors branded nets during field goals and extra points at over 20 college bowl games, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship Game.

text: Additionally, Allstate is a partner of the Southeastern Conference and its 20 sports, including football.[26]

text: Sugar Bowl[edit]

text: Since 2007, Allstate has been the title sponsor of the Sugar Bowl, one of the four games that make up the Bowl Championship Series. The game is played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is also the home of the New Orleans Saints. Allstate is also a sponsor of the New Orleans Saints.

text: The 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played on January 9, 2012 and broadcast on ESPN.

text: Allstate Wrigleyville Classic[edit]

text: The Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini played a collegiate football game at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010. It was the first football game at Wrigley Field since 1970 and the first collegiate football game at Wrigley Field since 1938 when DePaul University played its regular games at Wrigley. Allstate title sponsored this game.[27]

text: Allstate AFCA Good Works Team[edit]

text: Allstate advertises through the American Football Coaches Association "Good Works Team" in which local Allstate agents surprise players with trophies in key Allstate marketing regions.

text: Soccer[edit]

text: In 2007, Allstate became a sponsor of the Mexico National Team, and in 2011 partnered with Major League Soccer and the United States Soccer Federation.[28]

text: NASCAR[edit]

text: Allstate was a sponsor of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from 2005-2009 – the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late summer.[29] Driver Kasey Kahne was featured in advertisements.

text: Products available[edit]

text: Allstate is the largest publicly traded property casualty insurance company in the US.[30] Products include:

text: Insurance products[edit]

text: Asset protection: auto insurance, homeowners insurance, condominium, renters, scheduled personal property, business umbrella, commercial auto, commercial inland marine, small business owner, customizer and business package policy, landlord package, manufactured home, mobile home, motor home, motorcycle, boat, personal umbrella, comprehensive personal liability, recreational vehicle, off-road vehicle, motor club, loan protection and flood protection.

text: Wealth transfer[edit]

text: Estate planning products, business succession planning products, fixed survivorship life, and variable survivorship life family protection insurance, term life, universal life, variable universal life, long-term care and supplemental health

text: Financial products[edit]

text: Asset management and accumulation, life insurance and retirement

text: Environmental record[edit]

text: Allstate has a Sustainability Leadership Team composed of officers and senior staff from all areas of the company. The team focuses on sustainability efforts from a company-wide perspective — including environmental initiatives that embed “green” programs and processes throughout their operations.[31]

text: Criticism[edit]

text: In July 2008, the American Association for Justice ranked Allstate No. 1 among nation's worst insurers. This ranking was given because: “While Allstate publicly touts its ‘good hands’ approach, it has instead privately instructed its agents to employ a ‘boxing gloves’ strategy against its policyholders,” said American Association for Justice CEO Jon Haber. They've since revamped their approach.[32] Allstate criticized the report, with a spokesman noting that "The personal injury lawyers behind this report provide no support for their statements other than decade old recycled allegations that have been shown to be without merit in courts of law." [33] In 2009 Allstate successfully fought to obtain Federal government TARP fund eligibility only to decline it once they obtained eligibility.[34]

text: Auto insurance claims[edit]

text: An investigative report in February 2007 by CNN found that major car insurance companies, like Allstate, are increasingly fighting auto insurance claims from those who incurred injuries by their insured members.[35] Allstate currently commands 18% of the auto insurance market in the United States.[36]

text: Homeowners claims[edit]

text: The PBS television program Now,[37] in conjunction with Bloomberg Markets magazine, did an exposé regarding Allstate and other major insurers' homeowners insurance policies.

text: Catastrophe exposure management[edit]

text: Allstate has stated intentions of reducing its exposure in hurricane-prone Florida. In November 2006, Allstate did not renew 120,000 policies that were expiring at that time. Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet passed a 90-day emergency order to temporarily prevent insurance companies from nonrenewing policies.[38] On February 20, 2007, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty clarified the order, stating that insurance companies can nonrenew policies if they satisfy certain conditions, including filing new, lower rates with the state and give customers 100 days’ notice.[39]

text: From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves[edit]

text: This is the title of a book written by David Berardinelli, JD;, Michael Freeman, PhD, DC, MPH; and Aaron DeShaw, DC, JD with a foreword by Eugene R. Anderson.[40]

text: The book relates profit-boosting strategies that consulting firm McKinsey & Company presented to Allstate to maximize profits and diminish the amount of money sent to clients who put in a claim. McKinsey specializes in redesigning product delivery systems for Fortune 100 companies (including controversial clients such as Enron) to maximize profits. McKinsey’s recommendation to Allstate, according to Berardinelli, was to low-ball claims so that desperate customers in dire straits would be more likely to accept a settlement offer while Allstate continued to make a profit and collect interest on the insurance payment. Allstate would offer its "good hands" in the way of a low-ball claim and, if the customer did not accept, to get out "boxing gloves." [41]

text: The book was reviewed by Business Week magazine.[42] According to that article, Allstate responded to Berardinelli's allegations by claiming that Berardinelli's allegations were "unfounded and unproven." Rather than trying to cheat customers, the company stated that its major goal was to benefit policyholders by identifying "exaggerated and fraudulent claims" and that its "processes are absolutely sound . . . to investigate, evaluate, and promptly resolve each claim fairly, based on the merits."[42]

text: Court decisions on the issues debated by Berardinelli and Allstate have gone both ways. According to the Business Week article, as of 2006, "Courts and regulators in a number of states, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, have forced Allstate to halt or change its practice of handing out a controversial 'Do I Need an Attorney?' form to people involved in accidents." On the other hand, the article also states that "Although plaintiffs have had piecemeal success in bad-faith cases against Allstate, the insurer points to seven court rulings that have rejected attacks on CCPR. Last December a Montana state court noted that while CCPR practices may be illegal 'if misapplied in a particular case, they nevertheless are neutral with no manifestly illegal purpose.'" While many of the cost-reduction strategies McKinsey recommended at Allstate remain in place, some have been reined in following legal and regulatory challenges in several states.[42]

text: Use of Colossus[edit]

text: Many criticisms leveled against Allstate (and other insurers), including Barardinelli's book, involved the use of a software program called "Colossus" to process claims. In 2010, Allstate paid a $10 million fine to settle a lawsuit brought by 41 states concerning inconsistencies in the manner in which Colossus was used. It also agreed to standardize its use of the software. However, “it is important to note that we found no systemic underpayment of bodily injury claims,” New York Insurance Superintendent James J. Wrynn said in a press release.[43]


document_title: Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

question_text: when did nigeria become a member of oic

question_tokens: when did nigeria become a member of oic

text: Member states[edit]

text:
Continent

Africa
Asia
Europe
South America
Transcontinental

text:
Member state
Joined
Population
Area (km²)
Languages
Notes

 Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul
A 1969
A 7007255001000000000♠25,500,100 [1]
A 7005652230000000000♠652,230
A Dari
Pashto

[hide]Further details

Suspended 1980 - March 1989.

 Algeria – People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Capital: Algiers
A 1969
A 7007387000000000000♠38,700,000 [1]
A 7006238174100000000♠2,381,741
A Arabic
Tamazight

 Chad – Republic of Chad
Capital: N'Djamena
A 1969
A 7007132110000000000♠13,211,000 [1]
A 7006128400000000000♠1,284,000
A Arabic
French

 Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
A 1969
A 7007867481000000000♠86,748,100 [1]
A 7006100245000000000♠1,002,450
A Arabic

[hide]Further details

Suspended May 1979 - March 1984 after signing a peace treaty with Israel.[2]

 Guinea – Republic of Guinea [note 1]
Capital: Conakry
A 1969
A 7007108242000000000♠10,824,200 [1]
A 7005245857000000000♠245,857
A French

 Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
Capital: Jakarta
A 1969
A 7008252164800000000♠252,164,800 [1]
A 7006190456900000000♠1,904,569
A Bahasa Indonesia

[hide]Further details

Indonesia has five provinces with official special autonomy status: Aceh, Jakarta SCR, Yogyakarta SR, Papua, and West Papua.

 Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
Capital: Tehran
A 1969
A 7007775570000000000♠77,557,000 [1]
A 7006164819500000000♠1,648,195
A Persian

 Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Capital: Amman
A 1969
A 7006660296000000000♠6,602,960 [1]
A 7004893420000000000♠89,342
A Arabic

 Kuwait – State of Kuwait
Capital: Kuwait City
A 1969
A 7006306585000000000♠3,065,850 [1]
A 7004178180000000000♠17,818
A Arabic

 Lebanon – Lebanese Republic
Capital: Beirut
A 1969
A 7006496600000000000♠4,966,000 [1]
A 7004104520000000000♠10,452
A Arabic

 Libya – State of Libya
Capital: Tripoli
A 1969
A 7006625300000000000♠6,253,000 [1]
A 7006175954000000000♠1,759,540
A Arabic

 Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
A 1969
A 7007301800000000000♠30,180,000 [1]
A 7005330803000000000♠330,803
A Bahasa Malaysia

[hide]Further details

Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories.

 Mali – Republic of Mali
Capital: Bamako
A 1969
A 7007157680000000000♠15,768,000 [1]
A 7006124019200000000♠1,240,192
A French

[hide]Further details

Mali is a republic constituted by 8 regions.

 Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Capital: Nouakchott
A 1969
A 7006346104100000000♠3,461,041 [1]
A 7006103070000000000♠1,030,700
A Arabic

 Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
Capital: Rabat
A 1969
A 7007333094000000000♠33,309,400 [1]
A 7005446550000000000♠446,550
A Arabic
Tamazight

[hide]Further details

Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara and controls most of it, which is disputed by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

 Niger – Republic of Niger
Capital: Niamey
A 1969
A 7007171387070000000♠17,138,707 [1]
A 7006126700000000000♠1,267,000
A French

 Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad
A 1969
A 7008207774520000000♠207,774,520 [1]
A 7005881912000000000♠881,912
A Urdu
Punjabi
English

[hide]Further details

Pakistan is a federation of four provinces, 1 capital territory, and tribal regions. Pakistan disputes Indian sovereignty over Kashmir. It exercises control over some areas, but does not explicitly claim any part of it,[3][4] instead regarding it as a disputed territory.[5][6] The portions that it controls are divided into two polities, administered separately from Pakistan proper:[note 2]

 Azad Kashmir
 Gilgit–Baltistan

 Palestine – State of Palestine [7]
Capital: Jerusalem (claims), Ramallah (administrative), Gaza City (administrative)
A 1969[8]
A 7006442054900000000♠4,420,549 [1]
A 7003622000000000000♠6,220
A Arabic

[hide]Further details

The declared State of Palestine has received diplomatic recognition from 136 states.[9] The proclaimed state has no agreed territorial borders, or effective control on much of the territory that it proclaimed.[10] The Palestinian National Authority is an interim administrative body formed as a result of the Oslo Accords that exercises limited autonomous jurisdiction within the Palestinian territories. In foreign relations, Palestine is represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The State of Palestine is a member state of UNESCO,[11] and an observer state in the UN.

 Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh
A 1969
A 7007299942720000000♠29,994,272 [1]
A 7006214969000000000♠2,149,690
A Arabic

 Senegal – Republic of Senegal
Capital: Dakar
A 1969
A 7007128736010000000♠12,873,601 [1]
A 7005196722000000000♠196,722
A French

 Somalia – Federal Republic of Somalia
Capital: Mogadishu
A 1969
A 7007108060000000000♠10,806,000 [1]
A 7005637657000000000♠637,657
A Arabic
Somali

[hide]Further details

Following the adoption of the Provisional Federal Constitution in August 2012, Somalia is a federation, the Federal Republic of Somalia, which is divided into several Federal Member States.[12]

 Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
Capital: Khartoum
A 1969
A 7007372894060000000♠37,289,406 [1]
A 7006188606800000000♠1,886,068
A Arabic
English

[hide]Further details

Sudan is a federation of 17 states. Disputes Abyei and Kafia Kingi with South Sudan.

 Tunisia – Republic of Tunisia
Capital: Tunis
A 1969
A 7007108865000000000♠10,886,500 [1]
A 7005163610000000000♠163,610
A Arabic

 Turkey – Republic of Turkey
Capital: Ankara
A 1969
A 7007766678640000000♠76,667,864 [1]
A 7005783562000000000♠783,562
A Turkish

[hide]Further details

Transcontinental country in Europe and Asia, classified as West Asian countries by the United Nations Statistics Division:  Turkey

 Yemen – Republic of Yemen
Capital: Sana'a
A 1969
A 7007252350000000000♠25,235,000 [1]
A 7005527968000000000♠527,968
A Arabic

[hide]Further details

Joined separately as  North Yemen and  South Yemen. Both unified in 1990.

 Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
Capital: Manama
A 1970
A 7006123457100000000♠1,234,571 [1]
A 7002765000000000000♠765
A Arabic

 Oman – Sultanate of Oman
Capital: Muscat
A 1970
A 7006402000000000000♠4,020,000 [1]
A 7005309500000000000♠309,500
A Arabic

 Qatar – State of Qatar
Capital: Doha
A 1970
A 7006217403500000000♠2,174,035 [1]
A 7004115860000000000♠11,586
A Arabic

 Syria – Syrian Arab Republic
Capital: Damascus
A 1970
A 7007219870000000000♠21,987,000 [1]
A 7005185180000000000♠185,180
A Arabic

[hide]Further details

The Syrian National Coalition, which is recognized as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people by 20 UN members, has established an interim government to rule rebel controlled territory during the Syrian civil war.
Syria has one self-declared autonomous region:

 Syrian Kurdistan

Suspended in August 2012 during the Syrian civil war.[13]

 United Arab Emirates
Capital: Abu Dhabi
A 1971
A 7006944600000000000♠9,446,000 [1]
A 7004836000000000000♠83,600
A Arabic

[hide]Further details

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates.

 Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
Capital: Freetown
A 1972
A 7006619028000000000♠6,190,280 [1]
A 7004717400000000000♠71,740
A English

 Bangladesh – People's Republic of Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka
A 1974
A 7008156569000000000♠156,569,000 [1]
A 7005147570000000000♠147,570
A Bengali

 Gabon – Gabonese Republic
Capital: Libreville
A 1974
A 7006171100000000000♠1,711,000 [1]
A 7005267668000000000♠267,668
A French

Gambia  Gambia, The – Republic of the Gambia
Capital: Banjul
A 1974
A 7006188245000000000♠1,882,450 [1]
A 7004112950000000000♠11,295
A English

 Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Capital: Bissau
A 1974
A 7006174600000000000♠1,746,000 [1]
A 7004361250000000000♠36,125
A Portuguese

 Uganda – Republic of Uganda
Capital: Kampala
A 1974
A 7007353570000000000♠35,357,000 [1]
A 7005241550000000000♠241,550
A English
Swahili

 Burkina Faso [note 3]
Capital: Ouagadougou
A 1975
A 7007181055700000000♠18,105,570 [1]
A 7005241550000000000♠241,550
A French

 Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
Capital: Yaoundé
A 1975
A 7007353570000000000♠35,357,000 [1]
A 7005241550000000000♠241,550
A French
English

 Comoros – Union of the Comoros
Capital: Moroni
A 1976
A 7005743798000000000♠743,798 [1]
A 7003186200000000000♠1,862
A Comorian
French
Arabic

[hide]Further details

Comoros is a federation of 3 islands.[note 4][14]

 Iraq – Republic of Iraq
Capital: Baghdad
A 1976
A 7007360045520000000♠36,004,552 [1]
A 7005438317000000000♠438,317
A Arabic
Kurdish

[hide]Further details

Iraq is a federation [15] of 18 governorates, three of which make up the autonomous:

 Iraqi Kurdistan.

 Maldives – Republic of Maldives
Capital: Malé
A 1976
A 7005317280000000000♠317,280 [1]
A 7002300000000000000♠300
A Dhivehi

 Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
Capital: Djibouti
A 1978
A 7005886000000000000♠886,000 [1]
A 7004232000000000000♠23,200
A Arabic
French

 Benin – Republic of Benin [note 5]
Capital: Porto-Novo
A 1982
A 7006998806800000000♠9,988,068 [1]
A 7005112622000000000♠112,622
A French

 Brunei – Negara Brunei Darussalam
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
A 1984
A 7005393162000000000♠393,162 [1]
A 7003576500000000000♠5,765
A Malay

[hide]Further details

Brunei is a nation constituted by 4 districts.

 Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
Capital: Abuja
A 1986
A 7008178517000000000♠178,517,000 [1]
A 7005923768000000000♠923,768
A English

[hide]Further details

Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal territory.

 Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan
Capital: Baku
A 1991
A 7006947710000000000♠9,477,100 [1]
A 7004866000000000000♠86,600
A Azerbaijani

[hide]Further details

Azerbaijan contains two autonomous regions, Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh (Dağlıq Qarabağ).[note 6]
Transcontinental country in Europe and Asia, classified as West Asian countries by the United Nations Statistics Division:  Azerbaijan

 Albania – Republic of Albania
Capital: Tirana
A 1992
A 7006282197700000000♠2,821,977 [1]
A 7004287480000000000♠28,748
A Albanian

[hide]Further details

Albania is a republic constituted by 12 counties.

 Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic
Capital: Bishkek
A 1992
A 7006577657000000000♠5,776,570 [1]
A 7005199951000000000♠199,951
A Kyrgyz
Russian

 Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
Capital: Dushanbe
A 1992
A 7006816000000000000♠8,160,000 [1]
A 7005143100000000000♠143,100
A Tajiki

[hide]Further details

Tajikistan contains 1 autonomous region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province.

 Turkmenistan
Capital: Ashgabat
A 1992
A 7006530700000000000♠5,307,000 [1]
A 7005488100000000000♠488,100
A Turkmen

 Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
Capital: Maputo
A 1994
A 7007237007150000000♠23,700,715 [1]
A 7005801590000000000♠801,590
A Portuguese

 Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan
Capital: Astana
A 1995
A 7007172440000000000♠17,244,000 [1]
A 7006272490000000000♠2,724,900
A Kazakh
Russian

[hide]Further details

Transcontinental country in Europe and Asia, classified as West Asian countries by the United Nations Statistics Division:  Kazakhstan

 Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan
Capital: Tashkent
A 1995
A 7007304928000000000♠30,492,800 [1]
A 7005447400000000000♠447,400
A Uzbek

[hide]Further details

Uzbekistan contains 1 autonomous region:

 Karakalpakstan.

 Suriname – Republic of Suriname
Capital: Paramaribo
A 1996
A 7005534189000000000♠534,189 [1]
A 7005163820000000000♠163,820
A Dutch

 Togo – Togolese Republic
Capital: Lomé
A 1997
A 7006699300000000000♠6,993,000 [1]
A 7004567850000000000♠56,785
A French

 Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Capital: Georgetown
A 1998
A 7005784894000000000♠784,894 [1]
A 7005214969000000000♠214,969
A English

 Ivory Coast – Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Capital: Yamoussoukro
A 2001
A 7007232020000000000♠23,202,000 [1]
A 7005322463000000000♠322,463
A French

text: Observer states[edit]

text:
Member state
Joined
Population
Area (km²)
Languages
Notes

 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Capital: Sarajevo
A 1994
A 7006379162200000000♠3,791,622 [1]
A 7004512090000000000♠51,209
A Bosnian
Serbian
Croatian

[hide]Further details

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a federation of two constituent units:

 Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Republika Srpska

and Brčko District, a self-governing administrative unit.[note 7]
Was given an invitation in 2013 by the OIC to join as a full member.[16]

 Central African Republic
Capital: Bangui
A 1997
A 7006470900000000000♠4,709,000 [1]
A 7005622984000000000♠622,984
A French

 Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Capital: Nicosia
A 1979 [17]
A 7005294906000000000♠294,906 [1]
A 7003335500000000000♠3,355
A Turkish

[hide]Further details

Recognised only by Turkey. Under the name "Turkish Cypriot State", it is an observer state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Northern Cyprus is claimed in whole by the Republic of Cyprus.[18]

Designation changed in 2004[19]
Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates requested at September 2014's summit of the OIC in New York that the Turkish Cypriot State not be referred to in the meeting conclusions.[20][21][22]
OIC SG received the president and foreign minister of Northern Cyprus.[23][24]
In 2017, Northern Cyprus was represented with its official name "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" for the first time at an OIC conference in Saudi Arabia.[25][26]

 Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
Capital: Bangkok
A 1998
A 7007644567000000000♠64,456,700 [1]
A 7005513120000000000♠513,120
A Thai

[hide]Further details

Thailand is a kingdom constituted by 76 provinces.

 Russia – Russian Federation
Capital: Moscow
A 2005
A 7008146048500000000♠146,048,500 [1]
A 7007171252420000000♠17,125,242
A Russian

[hide]Further details

Russia is officially a federation of 85 federal subjects (republics, oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs, federal cities, and an autonomous oblast).[note 8]
Russia effectively administers Crimea as two federal subjects:

 Republic of Crimea
 Sevastopol

The Treaty on Accession of the Republic of Crimea to Russia was signed between representatives of the Republic of Crimea (including Sevastopol, with which the rest of Crimea briefly unified) and the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014 to lay out terms for the immediate admission of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia and part of the Russian Federation. It was ratified by the Federal Assembly by March 21.
Transcontinental countries in Europe and Asia, classified as Eastern European countries by the United Nations Statistics Division:  Russia

text: Withdrawn[edit]

text:
Suspended or withdrawn state
Joined
Notes

 Zanzibar
1993
Withdrew August 1993

text: Observer organisations and communities[edit]

text:
Organisation or community
Joined
Notes

 Moro National Liberation Front
1977
Blocking membership of the Philippines

text: Observer Islamic institutions[edit]

text:
Islamic institution
Joined
Notes

Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States
2000

Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation
2005

text: Observer international organisations[edit]

text:
Organisation
Joined
Notes

League of Arab States
1975

United Nations
1976

Non-Aligned Movement
1977

African Union
1977

Economic Cooperation Organisation
1995

text: Membership attempts[edit]

text:
Belarus - Requested observer status in 2010.[27][28]
 Brazil - Requested observer status in 2011.[29]
 Central African Republic - Requested full membership in 2002.[27][30]
 China - Requested observer status in 2012.[31]
 Democratic Republic of Congo - Requested observer status in 2008[32] and full membership in 2011.[28]
 India - India, which has the world's second largest Muslim population, had shown an interest in joining the OIC as a member state at the time of its formation.[33] However, it was opposed by Pakistan. India has never since made a formal application to join OIC as an observer or as a member state.[34] While India's potential candidacy is supported by some OIC members,[35] Pakistan's strong opposition and threat to boycott the OIC has effectively led to India's inclusion in the OIC being blocked. The Pakistan Foreign Office has argued that India's inclusion in OIC would violate the rules of the OIC, which require that an aspirant state should not have an ongoing conflict with a member state.[36]
 Kenya - Requested full membership in 2011.[28]
 Liberia - Requested full membership in November 2016.[37]
 Mauritius - Requested full membership in 2002.[27][30]
   Nepal - Requested observer status in 2008.[32]
 Philippines - Requested observer status in 2008.[32] The Philippine government has made attempts to join the OIC, but this is opposed by the Moro National Liberation Front, an OIC observer located in the Philippines. The MNLF claims that Philippine membership is unnecessary[citation needed]. In 2009, the country's bid received stronger support and has been advocated by Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.[38][39][40][41]
 Serbia - Requested observer status in 2008.[32]
 South Africa - Requested observer status in 2002.[32]
 Sri Lanka - Requested observer status in 2008.[32]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ Also known as Guinea-Conakry.
Jump up ^ Sovereignty over Kashmir is disputed between India and Pakistan; smaller parts are disputed by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. Kashmir is divided between India, Pakistan and the PRC. See the List of territorial disputes.
Jump up ^ Also known as Burkina; formerly referred to as Upper Volta, its official name until 1984.
Jump up ^ More information on more or less federal structures can be found at a List of federations.
Jump up ^ Formerly referred to as Dahomey, its official name until 1975.
Jump up ^ In Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto state has been established.
Jump up ^ For more information about the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, see Dayton Agreement and the text of The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina Archived 2015-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. (14 December 1995). Office of the High Representative. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
Jump up ^ Several of the federal subjects are ethnic republics.


document_title: Bake Off: The Professionals

question_text: who won great british bake off the professionals

text: Bake Off: The Professionals

text: Format[edit]

text: The series is a competition between teams of professional pastry chefs from high-end hotels and restaurants, as well as supermarkets, armed forces and other companies and organisations. The competition aims to find the finest pastry chefs in the country, who can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and can create desserts that have "stunning visual impact, phenomenal flavour, and texture."[1] Teams of pastry chefs are chosen for the competition, with three pastry chefs in each team in the first two series, one of them the team captain. In the third In the heats, teams of duo competed.  the three teams are given two challenges and are awarded marks from the three judges for each of their creations, the team with the best total score after both challenges is guaranteed a place in the semifinal. The team with the highest total score throughout the whole of the heats is also guaranteed a place within the semifinal.[2]

text: The format changed between the first and second series. The first series started with 15 teams, three teams in each of the five heats, with the winning team each episode guaranteed a place in the semifinals, with one additional wild card from the heats. Three teams were selected from the two semifinals to compete in the final.  The second series started with ten teams separated into two groups of five, with one team eliminated each episode over two sets of three heats before the semifinal.[3] The two winners from the two semifinal then compete in the final.  The third series started with twelve teams, in two groups of six, again with one team eliminated in three sets of heats.[9] The remaining six teams, three from each group, then competed for a place in the quarterfinal, followed by the semifinal, leaving three teams in the final.

text: Series overview[edit]

text:
Series

Episodes

Premiere

Final

Winning team

Runners-up

1

8

29 March 2016

17 May 2016

Squires Kitchen Cookery School

London Hilton Park Lane

Boulangerie Jade

2

9

4 April 2017

31 May 2017

Military Chefs

Cocorico Patisserie

3

10

6 May 2018

8 July 2018

London Hilton Park Lane

Sweet Art Lab

Resorts World Birmingham

text: Series 1[edit]

text: The first series of the competition was filmed at Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire,[10] It was presented by Tom Kerridge, and the competition was judged by Benoit Blin, Cherish Finden and Claire Clark.[2]

text: There were fifteen teams of pastry chefs in the first round. The team from Marks & Spencer, British Armed Forces, London's Boulangerie Jade, London Hilton on Park Lane, and Leed's Lauden Chocolate winning their respective heats to reach the semifinal, while Squires Kitchen Cookery School from Surrey also went through as the best scoring runners-up. The Squires Kitchen and Hilton teams won their semifinals, with Boulangerie Jade chosen for the third spot in the final. The competition was won by the team from Squires Kitchen led by Mark Tilling with his former pupils Helen Vass and Samantha Rain.[11]

text: Series 2[edit]

text: The second series was filmed at Firle Place, East Sussex. It was presented by Angus Deayton, with Blin and Finden as the two returning judges.

text: Ten teams competed in this series, some of whom also competed in the first series. The final was between a returning team, the Military Chefs, and a team from Cocorico Patisserie of Cardiff.[12] The competition was won by the Military Chefs with Liam Grime the team captain and two other RAF chefs, Ian Mark and Chris Morrell.[7]

text: Series 3[edit]

text: The third series was moved to Channel 4 and retitled Bake Off: The Professionals, with Tom Allen and Liam Charles as presenters.[13] Blin and Finden returned as judges.[14] Twelve teams competed in this series. The final was between three pairs: Emmanuel Bonneau and returning contestant Sam Leatherby from London Hilton on Park Lane, Darryl Collins and Bharat Chandegra from Resorts World in Birmingham and Hideko Kawa and Theo Beauchet, representing Sweet Art Lab in London. The competition was won by Emmanuel and Sam from London Hilton on Park Lane.[8]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Early reviews were largely negative, with many reviewers comparing it unfavourably to The Great British Bake Off, suggesting that it had lost the crucial elements that made the original Bake Off a success.[15] Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph complained that the new show "bore no resemblance to it whatsoever, thus seemed to be merely piggybacking cynically on the Bake-Off “brand". He also found two of the judges' accents as well as the scoring system "impenetrable", the baking "bafflingly scientific" and the teams not "terribly likeable".  He concluded that Creme de la Creme "was nice but dull", and that as "a Bake-Off spin-off, it was a soggy-bottomed disaster. "[16] Many of the viewing public concurred with the assessments of the critics and found the show lacking the "charm, fun and warmth" of the original.[17] Chitra Ramaswamy of The Guardian thought that when the professional version of Bake Off gets serious means that "it gets silly", and he "found the format convoluted, which telly like this should never be."[18] Gabriel Tate of The Times found the show a to be a "bloodless, uninvolving affair at once frenetically busy and yawningly free of incident, full of astounding technical proficiency and jawdropping invention, but devoid of passion and identity."[19]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: The following ratings are from BARB.[20]

text: Series 1[edit]

text:
Episodeno.
Airdate
Viewers(millions)
BBC Twoweekly ranking

1
29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
4.63
2

2
5 April 2016 (2016-04-05)
4.09
2

3
12 April 2016 (2016-04-12)
4.15
2

4
19 April 2016 (2016-04-19)
3.81
2

5
26 April 2016 (2016-04-26)
3.59
2

6
3 May 2016 (2016-05-03)
3.59
1

7
10 May 2016 (2016-05-10)
3.39
1

8
17 May 2016 (2016-05-17)
3.68
1

text: Series 2[edit]

text:
Episodeno.
Airdate
Viewers(millions)
BBC Twoweekly ranking

1
4 April 2017 (2017-04-04)
2.66
4

2
11 April 2017 (2017-04-11)
2.85
3

3
18 April 2017 (2017-04-18)
2.60
3

4
25 April 2017 (2017-04-25)
2.66
1

5
2 May 2017 (2017-05-02)
2.70
3

6
9 May 2017 (2017-05-09)
2.49
3

7
16 May 2017 (2017-05-16)
2.66
3

8
24 May 2017 (2017-05-24)
2.22
6

9
31 May 2017 (2017-05-31)
2.35
6

text: Series 3[edit]

text: Viewing figures for Channel 4 are total numbers including +1.

text:
Episodeno.
Airdate
Viewers(millions)
Channel 4weekly ranking

1
6 May 2018 (2018-05-06)
2.21
4

2
13 May 2018 (2018-05-13)
2.19
3

3
20 May 2018 (2018-05-20)
2.29
2

4
27 May 2018 (2018-05-27)
2.13
4

5
3 June 2018 (2018-06-03)
1.52
7

6
10 June 2018 (2018-06-10)
1.92
3

7
17 June 2018 (2018-06-17)
1.84
4

8
24 June 2018 (2018-06-24)
1.83
4

9
1 July 2018 (2018-07-01)
1.59
5

10
8 July 2018 (2018-07-08)
2.17
3