document_title: The Little Rascals (film)

question_text: who plays the ballet teacher in little rascals

root

text: The Little Rascals (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Spanky McFarland (Travis Tedford) is the president of the "He-Man Woman Haters Club" with many school-aged boys from around the neighborhood as members. Alfalfa Switzer (Bug Hall), Spanky's best friend, has been chosen to be the driver for the club's prize-winning go-kart, "The Blur", in the upcoming Soap Box Derby go-kart race. Unfortunately, Alfalfa is nowhere to be found.

tag: p

text: The boys go to find Alfalfa and they discover him in the company of his sweetheart Darla (Brittany Ashton Holmes), with whom he is forbidden to be in love because she is a girl and that is against club rules. Alfalfa invites Darla on a picnic, and to prove his devotion to her, he agrees to have the picnic inside the Clubhouse. Unbeknownst to Alfalfa, his fellow club members find out about his plans.

text: At the picnic, Alfalfa and Darla think they are alone, but the other club members secretly pull several silly pranks to sabotage their romantic date (whoopee cushion, cat litter in sandwiches, etc.). When they finally reveal themselves and demand to come inside the clubhouse, Alfalfa frantically tries to convince Darla to hide in the closet, which causes her to mistakenly believe that Alfalfa feels ashamed of her. In the frenzy, a candle flame gets out of control, ultimately causing the clubhouse to burn down.

text: Darla breaks up with Alfalfa and turns her attentions toward Waldo (Blake McIver Ewing), the new kid in town whose father (Donald Trump) is an oil tycoon. Because Alfalfa burned down the clubhouse and also fraternized with a girl, one of the members, Stymie (Kevin Jamal Woods), assigns him to guard the go-kart until the day of the race.

text: Alfalfa makes several attempts to woo back Darla, including sending her a fake love note. When that attempt fails, Spanky goes with him to formally break things off with Darla. They are initially turned from the door of her ballet school, but Spanky insists that they will wait for Darla to come out; Spanky gives Alfalfa a frog to play with while they wait. They are soon spotted by the neighborhood bullies Butch (Sam Saletta) and Woim (Blake Jeremy Collins), who chase them inside the building. To get away, the boys duck into a costume room and disguise themselves in ballet drag. They manage to evade the bullies, but when they attempt to enter another room to get out of their disguises, they are surprised to find the room filled with girls, including Darla, dressed in ballet outfits. The boys nervously pretend to be in the ballet recital that is about to take place, but Alfalfa almost gives them away when the frog he is still holding croaks. Just as they are about to back out of the room, the ballet mistress (Lea Thompson) enters and ushers them all on stage.

text: Spanky and Alfalfa awkwardly try to dance along but Alfalfa immediately begins squirming in discomfort, for the frog was in his tights. The recital quickly falls into chaos, and Alfalfa and Spanky run off of the stage and dispose of the frog.

text: The ballet mistress, furious that they ruined her recital, confronts them and throws them out immediately, Alfalfa in his underwear and Spanky still in drag. Butch and Woim are waiting for them outside the door, so Spanky distracts them while Alfalfa sneaks out. When Spanky loses his wig, the bullies give chase. Spanky manages to lose them, but they bump into Alfalfa, who is trying to run home in his underwear. They chase him into a mansion but are turned away by the butler. Alfalfa gets through and escapes out the back door, but is chased by a Doberman and he leaps into a pool and swims to the other side, but his underwear slips off just as he climbs out. As Alfalfa retrieves them, he discovers Darla and Waldo in a hot tub, laughing at him, to his embarrassment. The doberman then chases Alfalfa off the property.

text: At the carnival talent show the day before the race, Alfalfa once again tries to win Darla back, this time through song, being that Darla mentioned after she dumped him that the only thing she ever really missed about him was his voice. Waldo and Darla also entered the show in a duet. Alfalfa then requests the chance to perform for her and win her back. However, Waldo sabotages his attempts to serenade her by putting soap in his drinking water, causing him to burp out bubbles all throughout his song.

text: The boys try to fund-raise $450, the cost of the lumber needed to rebuild their clubhouse. The youngest club members, Buckwheat (Ross Elliot Bagley) and Porky (Zachary Mabry), have unwittingly come up with $500, not realizing that their method for earning the money was not exactly honest. Their school teacher, Miss Crabtree (Daryl Hannah), finds out about the scheme and confronts them, but Spanky convinces her to donate the money to be given as first prize in the go-kart derby.

text: As a result of Alfalfa's carelessness, "The Blur" is eventually stolen by Butch and Woim, so that now, in addition to having to rebuild the clubhouse, the boys need a new go-kart. They band together to build "Blur 2: The Sequel," and prior to race day, Spanky and Alfalfa (who previously had a falling out when the latter discovers the gang's "prank list") reconcile their friendship and decide to ride in the two-seat go-kart together. They hope to win the prize money and the trophy, which is to be presented to the winners by A.J. Ferguson (Reba McEntire).

text: Butch and Woim make several sneaky attempts to stop Alfalfa and Spanky from winning the race. Waldo and Darla are also in the go-kart race, but they're eventually annoyed with each other, and Waldo seemingly kicks Darla out from his car midway through the race. In a wild dash to the finish, and despite the many scrapes and crashes throughout the race, "The Blur 2" crosses the finish line ahead of the pack in a photo-finish between "The Blur" and "The Blur 2" literally by a hair, due to Alfalfa's pointy hairstyle. After the race, Butch and Woim are angry towards Alfalfa because he won the trophy and the prize money. They attempt to beat him up, but Alfalfa finally stands up for himself and punches Butch in the face, knocking him into a pool of pig slop. Woim then gets scared and jumps into the slop willingly.

text: Along with first prize, Alfalfa also wins back Darla, after it is revealed that it had been Darla who had kicked Waldo out of their car and finished the race alone because she found out that Waldo was responsible for the bubbles at the talent show. Spanky, meanwhile, is shocked at the trophy presentation when he finally meets his favorite driver, A.J. Ferguson, who turns out to be female. Spanky confesses to Darla that he and the boys pulled the pranks on her at their picnic lunch, not Alfalfa. After the club house is rebuilt, the boys collectively have a change of heart towards membership and they decide to welcome Darla as well as other girls into the club, adding a "Women Welcome" sign onto the front door.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Travis Tedford as Spanky McFarland, the president of "He-Man Women Hater's Club" and Alfalfa's best friend
Bug Hall as Alfalfa Switzer, Spanky's best friend and Darla's boyfriend
Brittany Ashton Holmes as Darla, Alfalfa's girlfriend
Kevin Jamal Woods as Stymie, the club's vice-president
Jordan Warkol (voice dubbed by E.G. Daily) as Froggy, a club member with a croaking voice and a love for amphibians
Zachary Mabry as Porky, one of the younger members of the club
Ross Elliot Bagley as Buckwheat, another one of the younger members of the club and Porky's best friend
Sam Saletta as Butch, the neighborhood bully
Blake Jeremy Collins as Woim, Butch's friend and sidekick
Blake McIver Ewing as Waldo, an obnoxious rich new kid who is very interested in Darla
Courtland Mead as Uh-huh – club "typographer", always answers "uh-huh"
Juliette Brewer as Mary Ann
Heather Karasek as Jane
Raven-Symoné as Stymie's girlfriend at the club
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as the twin girls at Darla's sleepover
Mel Brooks as Mr. Welling, the bank teller
Lea Thompson as Miss Roberts, Darla's ballet instructor
Daryl Hannah as Miss Crabtree, the gang's schoolteacher
Reba McEntire as A.J. Ferguson, "the best driver there is"
Whoopi Goldberg as Buckwheat's mother
Donald Trump as Waldo's father
Eric Edwards as Spanky's father
Dan Carton as Alfalfa's father
George Wendt as Lumber store guy
Alexandra Monroe King and Zoe Oakes as Darla's friends

tag: ul

text: Animals

text:
Petey american bulldog
Fifi doberman pinscher
Elmer white throathed white capuchin monkey

text: Production[edit]

text: Bill Thomas, Jr., son of the late Bill Thomas, who played the original Buckwheat, contacted the studio and was invited down to visit the set, but got the impression that the filmmakers did not want him or any of the surviving original cast members involved in any production capacity. The surviving cast members saw this as especially hurtful, in light of the fact that director Penelope Spheeris had previously made a point of including Buddy Ebsen, from the original Beverly Hillbillies, in her 1993 feature film adaptation of that series. Eugene Jackson, who played the original Pineapple from the silent Our Gang comedies, and tried unsuccessfully to contact the studio to be a part of production, stated, "It's real cold. They have no respect for the old-timers. At least they could have recognized some of the living legends surviving from the first films."[1] Filming took place from January 11, 1994 to April 6, 1994.[citation needed]

text: Release[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The film received mostly negative critical reviews upon its original release; it currently holds a 23% "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Despite the mostly negative reception, the film had scored a 70% audience rating and Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a thumbs up.

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Little Rascals earned $10 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend.[3][4] The film grossed a worldwide total of $67,308,282.

text: Repurposed scenes and situations[edit]

text: Many of the gags and subplots in the film were borrowed from the original Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts. These include:

text:
The scene in which Buckwheat and Porky are fishing and get their fishing lines tangled originates from a scene in the 1943 Our Gang short Three Smart Guys with Buckwheat, Froggy, and Mickey.
The He-Man Woman Haters Club originally appeared in the 1937 Our Gang short Hearts are Thumps; the club would return in the short Mail and Female the same year. The plots for both shorts were reused for the film. In addition, the scene where the gang ruins Alfalfa and Darla's lunch date, as well as the scene where bubbles come out of Alfalfa's mouth while he sings, were borrowed gags from Hearts are Thumps. Alfalfa sending Buckwheat and Porky to deliver a love note to Darla was borrowed from Mail and Female.
The "hi-sign" originally appeared in the 1935 Our Gang short Anniversary Trouble, and the animated 1979 special, The Little Rascals Christmas Special.
The children dressing up as fire fighters and attempting to put out a fire appeared in the Our Gang shorts Fire Fighters (1922), The Fourth Alarm (1926), and Hook and Ladder (1932). The gag in which Spanky (Travis Tedford) winds up on a flying water hose was originally used with Farina in The Fourth Alarm.
The gag involving Spanky and Stymie disguising as adults appeared in a handful of Our Gang shorts. Mickey Daniels and Johnny Downs attempted to dress up as Santa Claus with this gag in the 1926 short Good Cheer. Farina and Pleurisy tried this routine in the 1929 short Election Day. Stymie and Dickie Moore tried it in the 1933 short Fish Hooky, while Spanky and Alfalfa tried pulling it off in both the 1935 short Teacher's Beau and the 1936 short Two Too Young.
The scene in which Spanky and Alfalfa accidentally find themselves performing in a ballet recital was inspired by the plot of the 1937 short Rushin' Ballet. The costumes that the duo wear are exact replicas of the costumes that the original Spanky and Alfalfa wore in Rushin' Ballet. The gag in which Alfalfa gets a frog loose in his clothes was originally used in the 1937 short Framing Youth, where Spanky was trying to convince him he had a frog in his throat.
Alfalfa singing "The Barber of Seville" originated in Our Gang Follies of 1938.
The idea of the children building their own vehicle out of junk and scrap metal had been used in several Our Gang shorts, most notably the 1934 short Hi'-Neighbor!. The gag in which the kids' car causes several adults to leap into the air was also borrowed from Hi'-Neighbor!, and also appears in One Wild Ride (1925), Free Wheeling (1932), and Divot Diggers (1936).
Much of the Go-Cart race climax (including the gag in which the car belonging to Butch and Woim accidentally goes into reverse) was borrowed from the 1939 short Auto Antics. Material from Hi'-Neighbor and Three Men in a Tub (1938) is also present.


document_title: Nuclear power in Pakistan

question_text: when did nuclear power project start in pakistan

text: Nuclear power in Pakistan

text: History[edit]

text: Professor (and later Nobel laureate) Abdus Salam, as Science Advisor to the President, persuaded President Ayub Khan, to establish Pakistan's first commercial nuclear power reactor, near Karachi.[10][11]  Known as Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), the commercial power plant is a small 137 MWe CANDU reactor, a Canadian pressurized heavy water reactor.

text: PAEC's Parvez Butt, a nuclear engineer, was project-director. The KANUPP began its operations in 1972, and it was inaugurated by President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Munir Ahmad Khan as PAEC chairman.[12] The KANUPP which is under international safeguards is operated at reduced power. In 1969, France's Commissariat à l'énergie atomique and United Kingdom's British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) contracted with PAEC to provide plutonium and nuclear reprocessing plants in Pakistan. Per agreement, the PAEC engineers were the lead designers of the power plants and nuclear reprocessing facilities. While the BNFL and CEA provided the funds, technical assistance and nuclear materials. The work on projects did not start until 1972, and as a result of India's Operation Smiling Buddha — a surprise nuclear test in 1974 — the BNFL cancelled the projects with PAEC.[citation needed] In 1974, PARR-II Reactor were commissioned, and its project directors were Munir Ahmad Khan and Hafeez Qureshi. The PARR-II is an indigenous reactor that was built under the auspices of PAEC's engineers and scientists.

text: In 1977, due to pressure exerted by U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the CEA cancelled the projects with PAEC immediately. Without the assistance of United Kingdom and France, the PAEC engineers completed the plutonium nuclear reprocessing plant — New Labs — and the plutonium reactor — Khushab Nuclear Complex. Both power plants are commercial power plants  control by PAEC. In 1989, People's Republic of China signed an agreement with Pakistan to provide 300 MWe CHASNUPP-I power plant under the IAEA safeguards. In 1990, both France and Soviet Union considered the Pakistan's request to provide the commercial nuclear power plants under the IAEA safeguards.[13] But, after the American Ambassador to Pakistan's Robert Oakley expressed U.S. displeasure at the agreements between the Soviet Union and France, the contracts were cancelled.[14] By the 2000, China had expanded its contract with PAEC and is currently[when?] assisting in construction of  III, and IV power plants. II was completed in April 2011. Due to its growing electricity demands, the Pakistan Government ordered PAEC to set up nuclear power plants in the country. According to PAEC, the goal is to produce 8800 MW electricity by the 2030. Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani announced the Pakistan national energy policy in 2010 while the feasibility report was submitted in Prime Minister's Secretariat — the official residence of prime minister of Pakistan. The PAEC are currently planning to lead the construction of  KANUPP-II nuclear power plant — a 1100 MWe power plant — and the KANUPP-III — 1100 MWe. While the commercial plants will be indigenously built, the preliminary work is put on hold as of 2009. In 2010, the Nuclear Power Fuel Complex (PNPFC) — a nuclear reprocessing power plant — was commissioned. PAEC led the construction, designing, and maintenance of the facility, while China and IAEA provided funds to the facility. On 26 November 2013 prime minister Nawaz Sharif performed groundbreaking ceremony for two nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 2200 MW near Karachi.

text: Pakistan nuclear power reactors[edit]

text: As of today, only four commercial nuclear power plants are currently operating. The following list provides information about current and future commercial nuclear power plants.

text:
List of nuclear reactors in Pakistan [ view/edit ]

Name

UnitNo.

Reactor

Status

Capacity in MW

Construction start

Commercial operation

Closure

Type
Model
Net
Gross

Chashma
1
PWR
CNP-300
Operational
300
325
1 August 1993
15 September 2000

2
PWR
CNP-300
Operational
300
325
28 December 2005
18 May 2011

3
PWR
CNP-300
Operational
315
340
28 May 2011
15 October 2016

4
PWR
CNP-300
Operational
315
340
18 December 2011
1 July 2017

5
PWR
Hualong-1
Planned
1080
1150

Karachi
1
PHWR
CANDU-137 MW
Operational
90
100
1 August 1966
7 December 1972

2
PWR
Hualong-1
Under construction
1080
1150
23 May 2013
(2021)

3
PWR
Hualong-1
Under construction
1080
1150
21 August 2015
(2022)

tag: table

text: International co-operation[edit]

text: People's Republic of China[edit]

text: The People's Republic of China has been a strong vocal and avid supporter of Pakistan's nuclear power generation programme from the early on. The history of Chinese-Pakistan cooperation dates back to the 1970s when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, as prime minister, first visited China. The strong academic interaction between Chinese and Pakistan scientists was begun in the 1970s. In 1986, the scientists from KRL and military engineers of Pakistan Army Engineering Corps built a HEU enrichment plant in Hanzhong province of PRC, and provided technical assistance to China in weapon-grade centrifuge technology for Chinese nuclear weapons. From the 1980s to the present, China has contracted with Pakistan to use of civil and electricity purpose use of nuclear technology.

text: As of 1990 contract, the second commercial nuclear power plant is CHASNUPP-I in Punjab—a 325 MWe PWR—supplied by China's CNNC under IAEA safeguards. The main part of the plant was designed by Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI), based on Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. The commercial nuclear power plant began its operations May 2000. In 2005, China expanded its contract with Pakistan, and vowed to build more nuclear power plants in Pakistan. Construction of its twin, CHASNUPP-II, started in December 2005. It is reported to cost PkR 51.46 billion (US$860 million, with $350 million of this financed by China). In a meeting with IAEA, an IAEA safeguard agreement with PAEC and IAEA was signed in 2006, and the grid connection is expected in spring of 2011. The enriched fuel takes place in Pakistan's PNPFC facility, which is also under IAEA safeguards.

text: In 2005, both Pakistan government and the Chinese government adopted an Energy Security Plan, calling for a huge increase in generating capacity to more than 160,000 MWe by 2030. Pakistan Government plans for lifting nuclear capacity to 8800 MWe, 900 MWe of it by 2015 and a further 1500 MWe by 2020.[15]

text: Plans included four further Chinese reactors of 300 MWe each and seven of 1000 MWe, all PWR. There were tentative plans for China to build two 1000 MWe PWR units at Karachi as KANUPP II and III, but China then in 2007 deferred development of its CNP-1000 type which is the only one able to be exported. However, Last November 2012, China rolled out its new advanced 1000 MW pressurised water nuclear power reactor, ACPR-1000 at the Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen. This reactor was "independently" developed by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation with full IPR and made its debut at the 13th China Hi-Tech Fair, according to the official media. Since this reactor has been developed by China independently without the involvement of foreign suppliers, it is quite likely that China will export this reactor to Pakistan. PAEC is now currently preparing reports and planning to set up small but more commercial nuclear power plants indigenously.

text: In June 2008, the Pakistan Government announced plans to build commercial nuclear power plants III and IV commercial nuclear power plants at Chashma, Punjab Province, each with 320–340 MWe and costing PKR 129 billion, 80 billion of this from international sources, principally China.  A further agreement for China's help with the project was signed in October 2008, and given prominence as a counter to the US–India agreement shortly preceding it. Cost quoted then was US$1.7 billion, with a foreign loan component of $1.07 billion.

text: In March 2009, SNERDI announced that it was proceeding with design of CHASNUPP-III and IV, with China Zhongyuan Engineering as the general contractor. The PAEC said Beijing was financing 85% of the US$1.6 billion project. Contracts for CHASNUPP-I and II were signed in 1990 and 2000, before 2004 when China joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which maintains an embargo on sales of nuclear equipment to Pakistan, but there are questions about China's supply of Chasma-3 and 4. On 24 September 2010, China informed the IAEA that it will implement an agreement with Pakistan on the export of two nuclear reactors for Islamabad's Chashma nuclear complex. Beijing has said that the reactor deal is part of a 2003 agreement between the two countries, a claim many have questioned, though Germany has accepted.[16] These will be the third and fourth reactors at the complex. According to the Chinese communication to the IAEA, the reactors will be placed under international safeguards.[17] Concerns have been expressed over the lack the safety features incorporated into the Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 reactors, which are alleged to use a design which is not considered safe enough to build in China.[18]

text:
In March 2013, Pakistan and China agreed to build a 1000 MW CHASNUPP-5 at Chashma Nuclear Power Complex.[19]
In July 2013, it was announced that Pakistani officials were considering approval of KANUPP-2, a 1,000 megawatt reactor to be built with assistance from China.[20][21]

text: France[edit]

text: In May 2009, France agreed to cooperate with Pakistan on nuclear safety, which Pakistan's Foreign Minister called a 'significant development' related to the transfer of civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan. But later a spokesman for the French presidency was careful to rein in expectations, saying Mr Sarkozy had "confirmed France was ready, within the framework of its international agreements, to co-operate with Pakistan in the field of nuclear safety."[22] In October 2013, French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud said "my country is ready to consider the request for enhancing civil nuclear cooperation in line with international obligations."[23]

text: United States[edit]

text: In a U.S.–Pakistan strategic dialogue on 24 March 2010, Pakistan pressed for a civil nuclear cooperation deal similar to that with India.[24]  One analyst suggested that such a deal was unrealistic at present but might be possible in 10–15 years.[25]

text: Japan[edit]

text: In 2011, Dr. Irfan Yusuf Shami, the Director-General (Disarmament) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and Makyo Maya Gawa, the Director-General of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Department of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement for nuclear non-proliferation in Tokyo. Both countries agreed on maintaining stability in South Asia.[26]

text: In 2011, during the state visit of President Asif Zardari, Pakistan sought civil nuclear power cooperation with Japan, similarly to a previous deal between Japan and India. According to the Jang News group, the Japanese government refused the deal with Pakistan.[27] According to the Pakistan Media, the Pakistan officials were highly disappointed with Japanese denial. On the other hand, Japanese officials were left disappointed as Pakistan had denied the Japanese request to support Japan's candidacy for  permanent seat for the United Nations Security Council.

text: Fuel cycle[edit]

text: The government has set a target of producing 350 tonnes (U3O8)per year from 2015 to meet one third of anticipated requirements then. Low grade Ore is known in central Punjab Province at Bannu Basin and Suleman Range.

text: A small (15,000 SWU/yr) uranium centrifuge enrichment plant at Kahuta has been operated by the KRL since 1984 and does not have any apparent civil use. It was expanded threefold about 1991.  A newer plant is reported to be at Gadwal which is operated by PAEC. The plant is not under safeguards of IAEA.

text: In 2006, the PAEC announced that it was preparing to set up separate and purely civil conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication plants as a new US$1.2 billion Nuclear Power Fuel Complex which would be under IAEA safeguards and managed separately from existing facilities. At least the enrichment plant would be built at Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad, in the Punjab and have a 150,000 SWU/yr capacity in five years — about 2013, then be expanded in 150,000 SWU increments to be able to supply one third of the enrichment requirements for a planned 8800 MWe generating capacity by 2030.

text: Radioactive wastes management[edit]

text: The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is responsible for the radioactive waste management. From 1972, the PAEC has undertaken to establish the safety objectives, management, and radioactive waste management.[28] In 2004, the PNRA issued guidelines for the management of nuclear and radioactive waste management in nuclear and medical research centers under PAEC.[29] In 2010, the PNRA issued regulatory policy on radioactive waste materials, and Pakistan lawmakers presented the regulatory policy in Pakistan Parliament. The Parliament passed the PNRA regulatory policy unanimously, making it into laws.[30]

text: The PNRA proposed new Waste Management offices to control of the radiation and radioactive materials. The Waste Management Centres are proposed for Karachi, Rawalpindi, Nilore, Lahore and Chashma. Used fuel is currently stored at each reactor in pools. Longer-term dry storage at each site is proposed. The question of future reprocessing remains open. A National Repository for low- and intermediate-level wastes is due to be commissioned by 2015.

text: Nuclear reprocessing[edit]

text: The country also has operated one indigenous reprocessing plant, built by PAEC, which was known as the New Labs — outside PINSTECH, Nilore, near Islamabad.[31] The PAEC had contracted with British BNFL for a reprocessing facility which was cancelled in 1974. It was built under the leadership of Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan[32] The plant became functional in the early 1980s, and it is not under IAEA inspection. The second nuclear reprocessing plant was also started by PAEC under Munir Ahmad Khan, in 1976, at Chashma, under a contract agreement with France However, France cancelled the agreement for the said plant under US influence in August 1978 .[33] In 2006, the PAEC started work another nuclear fuel fabrication plant — Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex — located 175 kilometers south near Islamabad. An indigenous Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Complex at Kundian, known as Kundian Nuclear Fuel Complex (KNFC), already exists which was built by PAEC under Munir Ahmad Khan and completed by 1980. Kundian Nuclear Fuel Complex makes nuclear fuel for KANUPP. However, the 2006 PNPFC project is being financed by the joint Sino-Pak Nuclear Technology Consortium, and the PAEC is leading the designing and  construction of the plant. It will be under safeguards but KNFC is not under safeguards.[34] The Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex is under the IAEA safeguards and inspections as the IAEA also contributed in the mega project financially.

text: Radiation control[edit]

text: The PAEC's directorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NSRC) was responsible for the radiation and high radioactive material control in the country. However, in 2001, with the establishment of the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), the responsibilities were shifted to PNRA. In 2003, the responsibilities and agency's goals were expanded, as PNRA were given the status of an executive agency. The PNRA oversees reactor safety and security, reactor licensing and renewal, radioactive material safety, security and licensing, and spent fuel management (storage, security, recycling, and disposal).[35] The PNRA closely work with Chinese CNNC, and is frequently visited by Chinese staff as its technical advisers.

text: Nuclear accidents[edit]

text: On 18–19 October 2011, the KANUPP Karachi nuclear power plant imposed a seven-hour emergency after heavy water leaked from a feeder pipe to the reactor. The leakage took place during a routine maintenance shut down, and the emergency was lifted seven hours later, after the affected area was isolated.[36]

text: Industry and academic[edit]

text: The Pakistan Nuclear Society (PNS) is a scientific and educational society that has both industry and academic members.[37] The organization publishes large amount of scientific literature on nuclear technology on several journals. The PNS also allied itself with American Nuclear Society (ANS), European Nuclear Society (ENS),  Indian Nuclear Society (INS), Korean Nuclear Society (KNS), Chinese Nuclear Society (CNS), Hungarian Nuclear Society (HNS), and the  Spanish Nuclear Society (SNS).[38] The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission also published large sums of publication, and published a quarterly magazine — The Nucleus.[39] The PAEC's academic scientists and engineers also publishes the newsletter — The PakAtom — concerning on nuclear technology and lobbying for the commercial nuclear power plants.[40]

text: Academic research[edit]

text: The academic research on nuclear technology began in 1956, with the establishment of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. In 1965, United States provided a 10 MW research reactor – Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor-I (PARR) – to Pakistan. The PARR-Reactor consists of three research reactors with a single nuclear particle accelerator. The first reactor was supplied by the U.S. government in 1965 and it is operated by the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH). In 1969, the Center for Nuclear Studies was established, and it began its research in a small reactor that was provided by the PAEC. In 1989, the PAEC had built another small research reactor, known as Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor-II reactor. The PARR-II reactor is an indigenously built reactor by the PAEC, and is under IAEA safeguards since IAEA had funded this mega-project.

text: In 1986, another "multipurpose" heavy water reactor, a 50 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) near Khushab, was built. Known as Khushab-I, it went critical and started its operations in April 1998. The complex is evidently for producing weapons-grade plutonium, isotope production and nuclear reprocessing. A similar or possibly larger heavy water reactor has been under construction at Khushab since about 2002. Khushab is reported[by whom?] to be making demands upon the country's limited uranium resources. Reprocessing of weapon-grade material is reported[by whom?] to take place at Chashma Nuclear Complex, 80 km west.


document_title: Plessis

question_text: where does the name du plessis come from

text: Plessis

text: Plessis (Afrikaans: du Plessis) Plessy, and de Plessis are related surnames of French origin, and may refer to:

text: A plessis meant a fence made of interwoven branches in Old French.

text:
French people:

Cardinal Richelieu, French statesman and cardinal, born Armand-Jean du Plessis, Seigneur de Richelieu
Phillipe de Plessis, French knight and 13th Grand Master of the Knights Templar
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, French statesman
Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieu, French bishop
Jacques de Rougé du Plessis-Bellière, French general
Suzanne, Marquise du Plessis-Bellière, wife of Jacques and political opponent of Louis XIV
Marie Duplessis, French courtesan
Gilbert de Choiseul Duplessis Praslin, French bishop
Caesar, duc de Choiseul, Marshal of France, born Cæsar Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin
Philippe de Mornay, French Protestant writer, also known as Mornay Du Plessis
Thomas-Antoine de Mauduit du Plessis, a French officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War
Damien Plessis, French footballer
Guillaume Plessis, French footballer from Réunion

Afrikaners:

Jan du Plessis, British-South African businessman
Bismarck du Plessis and Jannie du Plessis, brothers and South African rugby players
Koos du Plessis, South African songwriter
Corné du Plessis, South African sprinter
Christian du Plessis, South African baritone
Alicia L. du Plessis, South African photographer
Faf du Plessis, a South African cricketer
Johannes du Plessis, a South African DRC missionary
David du Plessis, a South African Pentecostal minister
Tinus du Plessis, a Namibian rugby player
Joachim du Plessis, a South African Welfare representative & fundraiser

Others:

Jerry Duplessis, Haitian record producer
John de Plessis, 7th Earl of Warwick
Joseph-Octave Plessis, Canadian bishop
Homer Plessy, American litigant, plaintiff in the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision


document_title: Princess Zelda

question_text: who was the legend of zelda named after

question_tokens: who was the legend of zelda named after

text: Princess Zelda

text: Concept and design[edit]

text: According to Shigeru Miyamoto, co-creator of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda's name was inspired by that of Zelda Fitzgerald, an American novelist, dancer, and socialite, as well as the wife of fellow novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Miyamoto explains, "[Fitzgerald] was a famous and beautiful woman from all accounts, and I liked the sound of her name. So I took the liberty of using her name for the very first Zelda title."[4] Ben Reeves of Game Informer elaborated that the "name Zelda (alternately Selda or Segula) might not be used much anymore, but this old Yiddish name means 'blessed, happy, or lucky.'"[5]

text: As with Link, there are multiple incarnations of Princess Zelda in the series, who vary in age, appearance, and disposition. Zelda generally has blonde or brown hair and blue-gray eyes; she is often depicted wearing a royal gown and jewelry. She is associated with the goddesses Hylia and Nayru, as well as with the Triforce of Wisdom. Most iterations of Zelda also have psionic powers, such as teleportation (also known as "Farore's Wind" in the Super Smash Bros. series), telepathy, and precognition; for example, she can cast spells and create or undo barriers and seals. Her alter egos also have their own abilities.

text: During the development of Twilight Princess, illustrator Yusuke Nakano tried to portray Zelda "as if she's wondering about something". He drew illustrations of Zelda with feelings of "hopelessness and anxiousness" and tried to avoid associating her and Link with "gloom and doom".[6]

text: In Spirit Tracks, Zelda actively adventures alongside Link in spirit form, in sharp contrast to the damsel-in-distress role she fulfills in some earlier installments in the series.[7] Eiji Aonuma, the series' longtime manager and producer, explained that Zelda's stronger character in this game reflected the desires of fans and developers alike: A survey conducted in the United States signified consumers preferred more independent female characters, including Zelda's alter egos Sheik (from Ocarina of Time) and Tetra (from The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass).[7] Daiki Iwamoto, the director of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, also expressed an interest in making Zelda "a more integral part of the game" when development of the latter title began.[7]

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Video games[edit]

text: The Legend of Zelda[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Princess Zelda appears in most of The Legend of Zelda games, often as a central focus or as a supporting donor of Link's quests. To date[update], she has appeared directly in every game except Link's Awakening (1993), in which a look-alike named Marin appears; Majora's Mask (2000), in which she only appears in a flashback; and Tri Force Heroes (2015), in which a doppelgänger named Styla appears.

text: In her first appearance in the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), she is kidnapped by Ganon, the series' main antagonist, after she divides the Triforce of Wisdom and hides its pieces across the land (as explained in the game manual). She is eventually rescued by Link, and the two of them reunite their respective pieces of the Triforce.

text: Another incarnation appears in the sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987). This Zelda has been put into an eternal slumber until Link breaks the curse. According to the in-game legend, the elder Zelda has been under a curse so long that it is in her honour that the Hylian royal family maintains a tradition of naming all its princesses after her. This is the first game showing a relationship between the two, as they can be seen kissing at the end of the game.

text: Princess Zelda of A Link to the Past (1991) is one of seven maidens descended from the seven sages during the Imprisoning War. She is kidnapped and about to be sent to the Dark World, as the other maidens have been. On the night of her capture, she appears to Link telepathically, imploring him to help her. Though rescued by Link, she is eventually sent to the Dark World. She and the six other maidens, after being rescued, assist Link in breaking the seal on Ganon's tower so that the hero may confront the villain.

text: In Ocarina of Time (1998), Zelda first appears as a child. Suspicious of the Gerudo King Ganondorf, she charges Link with the task of collecting the three spiritual stones in order to break the seal on the door to the Sacred Realm, so as to obtain the Master Sword and use it against Ganondorf, as well as to obtain the triforce before he does. Just before Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, Ganondorf reveals his wicked intentions and Zelda must flee Hyrule Castle with her guardian Impa before he can capture either of them. Still in hiding seven years later, she poses as a young Sheikah named Sheik. In this disguise she offers Link advice and assistance throughout the remainder of his quest, until she finally reveals her true identity as Princess Zelda. Thus exposed, she is finally captured by Ganondorf. After Link rescues her, Zelda works with him to escape the collapsing Castle, guiding him and using her powers to open sealed gates. When Link defeats the resurrected Ganon, she and the other six sages are able to seal Ganon away in the Sacred Realm. After this, she sends Link back to his own time, seven years earlier. After the credits, we see young Link again approaching the princess in the Hyrule Castle courtyard. This child version of this incarnation appears briefly in Majora's Mask, although this is only a cameo appearance in a flashback as Link is remembering an earlier meeting between the two of them.

text: In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages (2001), the Princess, sensing danger in the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna, sends her handmaiden Impa to protect Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. In the full linked game, Zelda eventually comes to personally encourage the people of Holodrum or Labrynna (depending on what order the games are played) and to help defend against her growing sense of foreboding. She is quickly captured, and Link must rescue her. She thereafter spends time in and around Horon Village (Holodrum) or Lynna City (Labrynna) with Impa, until she is again captured, this time by Twinrova. They take the princess to a hidden realm, and it is revealed that they plan to sacrifice her in order to ignite the Flame of Despair and resurrect Ganon once again. Though they are partially successful, Link interrupts them before they can drain all of Zelda's life force, and so she lives. Link defeats both Twinrova and the incompletely resurrected Ganon, and peace is restored to the land. During the ending credits, Zelda is shown stargazing from a castle balcony, indicating that she returns to Hyrule after the events of the two games.

text: In Four Swords (2002), Princess Zelda takes Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary, which seals the evil sorcerer Vaati. Sensing that the seal's power is diminishing, she tries to inspect it, but is captured by Vaati himself, who had already escaped and takes her to his Palace of Winds to marry her. She is again rescued by Link with the power of the Four Sword.

text: The Zelda character in The Wind Waker (2002) is unaware of her royal identity, instead living as the pirate captain named Tetra. She first appears in the clutches of a giant bird called the Helmaroc King, though she struggles and is dropped at the top of Link's home island of Outset. She then agrees to take Link with her crew in order to help him rescue his younger sister Aryll, whom the Helmaroc King has subsequently captured. She later crosses paths with Link again while her crew is stealing bombs from Windfall Island, turning a blind eye to his spying on her and consenting for her crew to spend the night relaxing on Windfall, thus allowing Link to beat them to Jabun's Grotto. She also decides to help Link confront Ganon at the forbidden fortress, but they are unsuccessful in defeating him. At this point, Ganon discovers Tetra's true identity as the Princess Zelda, but is attacked by the dragon Valoo and two Rito warriors before he is able to capture her. Her true identity disclosed, it is determined safest for Zelda to stay in the ancient Hyrule Castle. She is protected there for a time, but Ganon eventually invades and takes her to his Tower, also in Ancient Hyrule. She then assists Link in his final battle against Ganon, using his bow to fire arrows of light. After Ganon's defeat, Tetra and Link set out with her crew to seek new lands. This incarnation is unique in that she continues to live by and identify with her non-royal persona rather than as Princess Zelda.

text: In Four Swords Adventures (2004), Zelda is once more kidnapped by Vaati. After Link rescues her, it is revealed that Ganon is behind the capture and breaking Vaati's seal. She and the four Links defeat Ganon and escape from Vaati's tower, and she later reunites the four of them.

text: In The Minish Cap (2004), Zelda is turned to stone by Vaati until Link reverses the spell.

text: Twilight Princess (2006) marks the first time the Princess Zelda is depicted as the reigning head of state, though she retains the title of princess. (Previously she had been the apparent daughter or heir to the reigning monarch, or at times her precise relation to the throne was unspecified.) Her throne has been surrendered, however, to the usurper Twilight King Zant at the opening of the game, in order to save her people from war with Zant's superior forces. She is imprisoned in a tower in Hyrule Castle, and is uniquely unaffected by the Twilight Realm's magic. It is here that she meets Link, transformed into a wolf by the Twilight Realm's power, and his companion Midna. She later gives up her power in order to heal the dying legitimate Twilight Princess, temporarily losing her physical form in the process. Towards the end of the game, she is possessed by Ganondorf and in turn purged by Midna. As Ganondorf charges Link and Zelda, the princess summons the Light Spirits of Hyrule, who grant her the Light Arrows to assist Link in part of his final battle, making this her third participation in a final battle.

text: During the events of Phantom Hourglass (2007), Tetra is turned to stone and kidnapped by a Ghost Ship during their search, and is again restored by Link's efforts.

text: Another incarnation appears in Spirit Tracks (2009), which is a sequel taking place one hundred years after Phantom Hourglass and thus this Zelda is the granddaughter of Tetra. She decides to accompany Link, a railroad engineer, to investigate the disappearance of the railroad tracks called "Spirit Tracks" that serve as chains locking up an evil force. She is attacked by Chancellor Cole, who hopes to utilize this evil, and her spirit is separated from her body, with Link being the only one who can see her. In her spirit form she is able to possess Phantom Knights in order to help Link restore the Spirit Tracks, though Link must also help clear her path by eliminating rats (due to her musophobia). Not counting the CD-i games, this ability marks the first time in the main The Legend of Zelda series that Zelda can be controlled. In her Spirit Tracks incarnation, she makes a reference to all the times her past incarnations have been a damsel in distress, saying that it was like a family tradition. This game is the second to show any kind of romantic relationship between her and Link, with them holding hands after the defeat of the final boss.

text: Though not a princess in Skyward Sword (2011), the first Zelda is the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia and the direct ancestor of the Hylian Royal Family. Zelda is a close childhood friend to Link who grew up with him in Skyloft, having feelings for him. Spirited away in a tornado conjured by the demon lord Ghirahim, Zelda meets the Sheikah Impa who serves as her protector while having her under the means of purifying herself to achieve her destiny. Revealed to be an incarnation of the deity known as Hylia, she is captured by Ghirahim as her life force can undo the seal on Demise. Luckily, Link saves Zelda's life as Demise is defeated. Soon after returning to Skyloft, Zelda admits to Link that she wishes to live on the surface and Link presumably stays with her.

text: In A Link Between Worlds (2013), Zelda entrusts the Pendant of Courage to Link when the sorcerer Yuga begins capturing descendants of the Seven Sages. After obtaining the remaining two pendants and drawing the Master Sword, Link pursues Yuga but is made to watch when he turns Zelda into a painting and casts her into the dying world of Lorule. Pursuing them to Lorule, Link is nearly destroyed by Yuga when he uses the Sages to revive Ganon and steal his Triforce of Power, but he is saved when Zelda's Lorule counterpart Princess Hilda binds Yuga. On Hilda's suggestion, Link rescues the Sages and is given the Triforce of Courage, then returns to Hilda only to see her taking Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom. She reveals that everything that had happened in Hyrule was intentionally designed to gather the Triforce so that Hilda can steal it and use its magic to restore Lorule (as their own Triforce was shattered long ago by Hilda's ancestors). Hilda orders Yuga to take Link's Triforce of Courage, but Yuga betrays Hilda and turns her into a painting alongside Zelda. After Yuga's death, Zelda and Hilda are returned to normal, but Hilda refuses to accept defeat until Link's own Lorule counterpart Ravio (who had been helping Link through his quest) convinces her that she has no right to rob Hyrule of its Triforce. Taking pity on Hilda, Zelda and Link use their Triforce to restore Lorule's own, allowing Hilda's kingdom to flourish once again.

text: In the backstory of Breath of the Wild (2017), Zelda tries to awaken her sacred power but has great difficulty in doing so. This is especially worrisome as Ganon's prophesied return is imminent; she is thus seen as a failure. She also neglects the training and rituals needed to awaken her power, instead preferring to research ancient Sheikah relics, much to her father's frustration. When Link was appointed as Zelda's personal knight, her insecurities in regards to her inability to awaken her powers came to the surface, resulting in her lashing out at him out of jealousy due to his apparent success in fulfilling his destiny. However, after Link saved Zelda's life, she realized that it was wrong of her to take her frustrations out on him, and tried to befriend him thereafter. Ganon returns and turns the Guardians and Divine Beasts, ancient Sheikah machinery originally used to defeat Ganon ten millennia previously, against the Hylians. As Link and Zelda flee the Guardians, Zelda finally awakens her sacred power when a Guardian attempts to kill Link. Link is then placed in stasis in the Shrine of Resurrection and Zelda uses her power to seal Ganon in Hyrule Castle. In the game's present, a century later, Zelda awakens Link so he can destroy Ganon before he breaks free of Hyrule Castle, as her seal is weakening. After Link defeats Ganon, Zelda states that she can no longer sense the spirit of the Master Sword, but says that "I can accept that," showing that she has come to accept her inadequacies. She also asks for Link's help to continue her research in order to restore the Hyrule kingdom to its former glory, and he accepts.

text: Spin-off games[edit]

text: Zelda is featured in the three CD-i games based on The Legend of Zelda series. In Link: The Faces of Evil (1993), she is kidnapped by Ganon again and has to be rescued. In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) and Zelda's Adventure (1994), Princess Zelda is the protagonist (both games involve Link's kidnapping). Although the games are noteworthy as the first time Zelda has been a playable character, the series is generally immensely criticized by fans and not recognized by Nintendo as canon.

text: Zelda is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors (2014). Her weapons include a rapier and the light arrows which have appeared in several previous Zelda games, as well as the Wind Waker, the titular conductor's baton from the series' entry. The Dominion Rod from Twilight Princess is also available as downloadable content for the Wii U game and in Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016) for the Nintendo 3DS. In addition to her Hyrule Warriors incarnation, Tetra and Toon Zelda (her incarnation from Spirit Tracks) appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends (and can be added to Hyrule Warriors as downloadable content). Tetra fights primarily wielding a Cutlass and water magic-infused pistol, though like Princess Zelda can use Light Arrows during certain attacks. Toon Zelda uses her ghostly form to possess a Phantom and fights wielding its sword and shield known as Phantom Arms. In addition to her Phantom, Toon Zelda can also leave it briefly during certain attacks to unleash the power of her spirit. Tetra can be unlocked through the latter part of main story of Hyrule Warriors Legends, while Toon Zelda appears as part of the "Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks" downloadable content.

text: Super Smash Bros.[edit]

text: The adult form of Zelda from Ocarina of Time also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001). She was first shown in the guise of Sheik, but it was later revealed that Sheik was one of two forms. These forms each have their own unique moves and can switch between them at will, effectively doubling her repertoire. In the game, both Zelda and Sheik are voiced by Jun Mizusawa. Zelda also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008).[8] Like Link, her character design is more subdued than in Super Smash Bros. Melee,[8] and is based on her appearance in Twilight Princess.[9] In an interview, Eiji Aonuma said that character models for Sheik, along with Ganondorf, were submitted for possible use in Brawl[10] and Sheik was confirmed as a returning character in Brawl, again as Zelda's alternate form, despite her Sheik form not appearing in Twilight Princess (though there was some concept art of her for the game which inspired Sheik's design in Brawl). An alternate color of Zelda with an appearance similar to that of Super Smash Bros. Melee is also available.[11] The Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda and Sheik return in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014), this time as separate characters with no ability to switch between them in mid-battle.[12]

text: Zelda's moveset focuses on powerful spells, and her special moves are based on the spells Link obtains from the Great Fairies in Ocarina of Time, Naryu's Love, Din's Fire, and Farore's Wind. When Zelda's Sheik transformation was taken away in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, her down special became the Phantom Slash, in which she summons a Phantom from the DS Zelda titles to attack the enemy (which has a pink tint to reference Zelda possessing it in Spirit Tracks). Both Zelda and Sheik have the same Final Smash, which is the light arrow from Twilight Princess, although there are a few differences depending on which character uses it. Zelda's arrow causes the foe to go diagonally up and Sheik's arrow causes the foe to go to the right or left side, depending of the foe's position.[13]

text: Other media[edit]

text: Television[edit]

text: A set of The Legend of Zelda cartoons aired on Fridays from 1989 to 1990 as a part of DiC's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. The series loosely followed the original NES Zelda, mixing settings and characters from that game with original creations. Zelda is depicted as a woman warrior with a fiery temper who wears more comfortable and practical garb than the Zelda from the game. In addition to running the kingdom part-time for her father, King Harkinian, she often accompanies Link on his adventures and is quite skilled with a bow. The series exemplifies a romantic relationship between the two protagonists. Link is always begging Zelda for a kiss; however, even when she agrees to indulge him, it never occurs. They are interrupted by monsters, or Spryte (a fairy princess with a crush on Link), or any number of unfortunate circumstances such as something making Zelda so mad she no longer wants to kiss Link. It is directly revealed by Ganon that Zelda was indeed in love with Link in one episode, and there is no doubt of their romantic relationship in this series. Thirteen of these cartoon episodes were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Zelda was voiced by Cyndy Preston in the TV series. In the show, she was wearing a purple sweater, a light blue shirt, pink leggings, and brown thigh-length boots.

text: A slightly altered version of this cartoon Zelda (with messier hair and a slightly more revealing version of the same clothing) appeared in assorted episodes in the second season of Captain N: The Game Master. In this crossover, Zelda and Link befriend Kevin Keene and Princess Lana as they all attempt to restore peace to Hyrule. These appearances function as a follow-up to the original Zelda cartoon, although only containing elements from the second Zelda game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

text: Literature[edit]

text: Featuring characters and settings from the TV series, this comic by Valiant Comics ran for five issues. Although Zelda's feelings for Link are made quite clear, there is another element at play here: her duty to the Triforce, which must come before her own needs and desires. When Link is corrupted by the Triforce of Power in one story, this Zelda briefly possesses his Triforce of Courage, which will not reside with one who uses Power without Wisdom. This comic reflected characters and elements from both the original The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

text: Created as a serial comic for Nintendo Power magazine by acclaimed manga author Shotaro Ishinomori, and later collected in graphic novel form, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past tells an alternate version of the events from A Link to the Past. Zelda calls to Link and he must rescue her, first from Agahnim, and then from imprisonment at Turtle Rock in the Dark World. She is also instrumental in storming Ganon's floating castle and destroying him. Link and Zelda definitely develop a strong connection, but the relationship is ultimately portrayed as tragic. At the end of the story, Zelda has become queen, and Link is head of the Royal Guard and the Knights of Hyrule. This success is bittersweet, as their duties keep them apart, even though they were once so close, sharing an adventure and even coming together in dreams.

text: Manga[edit]

text: Stories from several Zelda games have also been converted to manga format in Japan; these publications greatly expand parts of each game's back-story.

text: Alter egos[edit]

text: Sheik[edit]

text: In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Zelda disguises herself as a surviving member of the Sheikah clan under the name of Sheik (シーク, Shīku). With voice muffled and face concealed, as well as wearing a form-fitting blue unitard with the red Sheikah eye in the center, Sheik is unrecognizable as Zelda.[14] Sheik plays the lyre and teaches Link new songs to help him on his quest. When Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game, she uses the Triforce of Wisdom and reverts to Zelda. It is revealed by the character's trophy in the North American translation of Super Smash Bros. Melee that Zelda used her magical skills to change her skin tone, hair length, eye color, and clothing; in the noncanonical officially licensed manga for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, following changing her appearance, Zelda orders Impa to seal her consciousness away for seven years, so that she may become Sheik and live incognito.[15] Sheik also returned in Hyrule Warriors, using a harp and shortsword in "her" attacks.

text: Sheik appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in which Zelda transforming into Sheik was one of her abilities. Sheik's design in Brawl is based on a model created for consideration in Twilight Princess.[13] Sheik returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as a separate character from Zelda.[16] Sheik also appears in Hyrule Warriors as a playable character, and plays an important role in the main story campaign.

text: Tetra[edit]

text: Tetra (テトラ, Tetora) is a young female pirate who, in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, causes Link to start his journey. Her mother died when she was young, so she became the leader of the group of pirates. Initially, she does not like Link, unimpressed by his sadness owing to the kidnapping of his sister. Later, however, she comes to respect Link, periodically helping him. Prior to finding out that Tetra's real name is Zelda and that she is the last heiress in the Hylian Royal Family bloodline, Tetra was unaware of her lineage and only knew the stories of the legend of the Hero of Time and the Master Sword. She wore a large piece of the Triforce of Wisdom around her neck as a necklace which when reunited with the piece held by her ancestor, the King of Hyrule, causes her to assume the form of the fair-skinned, blonde Princess Zelda. She eventually helps Link defeat Ganondorf prior to the Triforce's magic returning Tetra to her usual form as she and Link travel to find new land to begin Hyrule anew. However, during their journey, Tetra is taken by the Ghost Ship and turned to stone by Bellum before Link restores her to normal.

text: As revealed in Spirit Tracks, Tetra founded the land on which Hyrule was established; her descendant, the game's incarnation of Zelda, is the kingdom's ruler a century later. Tetra also appears in "Navi Trackers", a part of the Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, and appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors Legends, the 3DS port of Hyrule Warriors.[17]

text: Reception and legacy[edit]

text: The character was very well received by media and gamers alike. In 2009, she was voted the third greatest female character in the games on Nintendo systems by the Official Nintendo Magazine, which appreciated her as "a strong woman who, with her sword and bow and arrow, is capable of holding her own in a fight,"[18] and Chip ranked Princess Zelda as the third top "girl of gaming" in general.[19] The relationship between Zelda and Link topped ScrewAttack's 2012 list of top love affairs in gaming.[20] Complex placed Zelda and Sheik at the fourth and third places on their 2012 list of video game characters that deserve a spin-off,[21] they ranked her as the fifth greatest heroine in video game history in 2013 and ranked her at number five on the 2013 list of "old school" video game characters "who were style icons".[22][23] Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich listed her as one of 15 "kick-ass women" in video games in 2013, praising on how her portrayal developed from the mere princess who "got kidnapped, over and over again" in early games to "a wise-beyond-her-years youth into a major player in the battle for Hyrule" in Ocarina of Time.[24]

text: GameDaily listed her as one of the 50 "hottest video game women" in 2009, stating that while she did not start out as much, she became beautiful in later games.[25] In 2010, Wesley Yin-Poole of VideoGamer.com included her on his list of top ten "video game crushes", stating: "We love Peach and Kitana, but if we were stranded on a desert island and could only keep one video game princess for company, it would be Princess Zelda from the Legend of Zelda series - we've had the hots for Zelda's pointy ears for years, ever since her 8-bit days, in fact."[26] That same year, GameTrailers included her on their countdown of the top 10 "babes who are out of your league" at number four.[27]

text: Game Informer listed Sheik second on their 2011 list of the top ten disguises.[28] In 2014, Julia Cook of Paste ranked Princess Zelda from Four Swords as the third "best dressed lady" in video games.[29] The character is popular in cosplay community[30] and TF1 ranked her as 13th on their 2010 list of the sexiest video game characters to cosplay.[31]

text: The book Female Action Heroes described Zelda as "perhaps one of the most well-known princesses in video game history", though acknowledged that her role in the games was to serve as a "damsel in distress".[32] The book Players Unleashed! also criticized Zelda's role as a character to be constantly rescued, calling her an "iconically passive female trophy" that supported stereotypes of female characters within games.[33] The actor and comedian Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda Williams after Princess Zelda, due to being a fan of The Legend of Zelda series.[34]

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ Zeruda-Hime (ゼルダ姫) in Japanese

tag: ol


question_text: who decides who the speaker of the house is

text: Selection[edit]

text: The House of Representatives elects the Speaker of the House on the first day of every new Congress and in the event of the death, resignation or removal from the Chair of an incumbent Speaker.[8] The Clerk of the House of Representatives requests nominations: there are normally two, one from each major party (each party having previously met to decide on its nominee). The Clerk then calls the roll of the Representatives, each Representative indicating the surname of the candidate the Representative is supporting. Representatives are not restricted to voting for one of the nominated candidates and may vote for any person, even for someone who is not a member of the House at all. They may also abstain by voting "present".[9]

text: Although no rule exists, based on tradition and practice from the earliest days of the nation, to be elected speaker a candidate must receive an absolute majority of all votes cast for individuals, i.e. excluding those who abstain. If no candidate wins such a majority, then the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected. The last time repeated votes were required was in 1923, when the Speaker was elected on the ninth ballot.[9]

text: The new Speaker is then sworn in by the Dean of the United States House of Representatives, the chamber's longest-serving member.

text: In modern practice, the Speaker is chosen by the majority party from among its senior leaders either when a vacancy in the office arrives or when the majority party changes. Previous Speakers have been minority leaders (when the majority party changes, as they are already the House party leader, and as the minority leader are usually their party's nominee for Speaker), or majority leaders (upon departure of the current Speaker in the majority party), assuming that the party leadership hierarchy is followed. In the past, other candidates have included chairpersons of influential standing committees.

text: So far, the Democrats have always elevated their minority leader to the speakership upon reclaiming majority control of the House. However, Republicans have not always followed this leadership succession pattern. In 1919, Republicans bypassed James Robert Mann, R-IL, who had been Minority Leader for eight years, and elected a backbencher representative, Frederick H. Gillett, R-MA, to be Speaker. Mann had "angered many Republicans by objecting to their private bills on the floor," and was also a protégé of autocratic Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon (R-IL18) who had been Speaker from 1903 to 1911, and was still in the House.  Many members "suspected that he [Mann] would try to re-centralize power in his hands if elected Speaker."[10] More recently, although Robert H. Michel was Minority Leader in 1994 when the Republicans regained control of the House in the 1994 midterm elections, he had already announced his retirement and had little or no involvement in the campaign, including the "Contract with America", which was unveiled six weeks before Election Day. Michel opted not to seek re-election because he had been isolated in the caucus by Minority Whip Newt Gingrich and other younger and more aggressive Representatives.

text: It is expected that members of the House vote for their party's candidate. If they do not, they usually vote for someone else in their party or vote "present". Those who vote for the other party's candidate often face serious consequences, up to and including the loss of seniority. The last instance where a representative voted for the other party's candidate was in 2000, when Democrat Jim Traficant of Ohio voted for Republican Dennis Hastert. In response, the Democrats stripped him of his seniority and he lost all of his committee posts.

text: If the Speaker's party loses control of the House in an election, and if the Speaker and Majority Leader both remain in the leadership hierarchy, they would become the Minority Leader and Minority Whip, respectively. As the minority party has historically had one less leadership position after losing the Speaker's chair, there may be a contest for the remaining leadership positions; upon losing control of the House after the 2010 election, the Democrats created the position of Assistant Democratic Leader in order to prevent such a contest. Most Speakers whose party has lost control of the House have not returned to the party leadership (Tom Foley lost his seat, Dennis Hastert returned to the backbenches and resigned from the House in late 2007). However, Speakers Joseph William Martin, Jr. and Sam Rayburn did seek the post of Minority Leader in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Nancy Pelosi is the most recent example of an outgoing Speaker who was elected Minority Leader, after the Democrats lost control of the House in the 2010 elections.

text: History[edit]

text: The first Speaker was Frederick Muhlenberg:  he was elected as a Pro-Administration candidate to the 1st Congress, an Anti-Administration candidate to the 2nd and 3rd Congresses, and a Republican candidate to the 4th Congress,[11] according to the Biographical Directory of Congress, though Oswald Seidensticker wrote that he was elected as a Federalist for the first four Congresses.[12]

text: The position of Speaker started to gain its partisan role and its power in legislative development under Henry Clay (1811–1814, 1815–1820, and 1823–1825).[13] In contrast to many of his predecessors, Clay participated in several debates, and used his influence to procure the passage of measures he supported—for instance, the declaration of the War of 1812, and various laws relating to Clay's "American System" economic plan. Furthermore, when no candidate received an Electoral College majority in the 1824 presidential election causing the President to be elected by the House, Speaker Clay threw his support to John Quincy Adams instead of Andrew Jackson, thereby ensuring Adams' victory. Following Clay's retirement in 1825, the power of the speakership once again began to decline, despite speakership elections becoming increasingly bitter. As the Civil War approached, several sectional factions nominated their own candidates, often making it difficult for any candidate to attain a majority. In 1855 and again in 1859, for example, the contest for Speaker lasted for two months before the House achieved a result. During this time, Speakers tended to have very short tenures. For example, from 1839 to 1863 there were eleven Speakers, only one of whom served for more than one term. To date, James K. Polk is the only Speaker of the House later elected President of the United States.

text: Towards the end of the 19th century, the office of Speaker began to develop into a very powerful one. At the time, one of the most important sources of the Speaker's power was his position as Chairman of the Committee on Rules, which, after the reorganization of the committee system in 1880, became one of the most powerful standing committees of the House. Furthermore, several Speakers became leading figures in their political parties; examples include Democrats Samuel J. Randall, John Griffin Carlisle, and Charles F. Crisp, and Republicans James G. Blaine, Thomas Brackett Reed, and Joseph Gurney Cannon.

text: The power of the Speaker was greatly augmented during the tenure of the Republican Thomas Brackett Reed (1889–1891, 1895–1899). "Czar Reed", as he was called by his opponents,[14] sought to end the obstruction of bills by the minority, in particular by countering the tactic known as the "disappearing quorum".[15] By refusing to vote on a motion, the minority could ensure that a quorum would not be achieved, and that the result would be invalid. Reed, however, declared that members who were in the chamber but refused to vote would still count for the purposes of determining a quorum. Through these and other rulings, Reed ensured that the Democrats could not block the Republican agenda.

text: The speakership reached its apogee during the term of Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon (1903–1911). Cannon exercised extraordinary control over the legislative process. He determined the agenda of the House, appointed the members of all committees, chose committee chairmen, headed the Rules Committee, and determined which committee heard each bill. He vigorously used his powers to ensure that Republican proposals were passed by the House. In 1910, however, Democrats and several dissatisfied Republicans joined together to strip Cannon of many of his powers, including the ability to name committee members and his chairmanship of the Rules Committee.[16] Fifteen years later, Speaker Nicholas Longworth restored much, but not all, of the lost influence of the position.

text: One of the most influential Speakers in history was Democrat Sam Rayburn.[17] Rayburn was the longest-serving Speaker in history, holding office from 1940 to 1947, 1949 to 1953, and 1955 to 1961. He helped shape many bills, working quietly in the background with House committees. He also helped ensure the passage of several domestic measures and foreign assistance programs advocated by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Rayburn's successor, Democrat John W. McCormack (served 1962–1971), was a somewhat less influential speaker, particularly because of dissent from younger members of the Democratic Party. During the mid-1970s, the power of the speakership once again grew under Democrat Carl Albert. The Committee on Rules ceased to be a semi-independent panel, as it had been since 1910. Instead, it once again became an arm of the party leadership. Moreover, in 1975, the Speaker was granted the authority to appoint a majority of the members of the Rules Committee. Meanwhile, the power of committee chairmen was curtailed, further increasing the relative influence of the Speaker.

text: Albert's successor, Democrat Tip O'Neill, was a prominent Speaker because of his public opposition to the policies of President Ronald Reagan. O'Neill is the longest continually serving Speaker, from 1977 through 1987. He challenged Reagan on domestic programs and on defense expenditures. Republicans made O'Neill the target of their election campaigns in 1980 and 1982 but Democrats managed to retain their majorities in both years.

text: The roles of the parties reversed in 1994 when, after spending forty years in the minority, the Republicans regained control of the House with the "Contract with America", an idea spearheaded by Minority Whip Newt Gingrich. Speaker Gingrich would regularly clash with Democratic President Bill Clinton, leading to the United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996, in which Clinton was largely seen to have prevailed. Gingrich's hold on the leadership was weakened significantly by that and several other controversies, and he faced a caucus revolt in 1997. After the Republicans lost House seats in 1998 (although retaining a majority) he did not stand for a third term as Speaker. His successor, Dennis Hastert, had been chosen as a compromise candidate, since the other Republicans in the leadership were more controversial. Hastert played a much less prominent role than other contemporary Speakers, being overshadowed by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and President George W. Bush. The Republicans came out of the 2000 elections with a further reduced majority but made small gains in 2002 and 2004. The periods of 2001–2002 and 2003–2007 were the first times since 1953–1955 that there was single-party Republican leadership in Washington, interrupted from 2001–2003 as Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont left the Republican Party to become independent and caucused with Senate Democrats to give them a 51-49 majority.

text: In the 2006 midterm elections, the Democrats won a majority in the House. Nancy Pelosi became Speaker when the 110th Congress convened on January 4, 2007, making her the first female to hold the office. With the election of Barack Obama as President and Democratic gains in both houses of Congress, Pelosi became the first Speaker since Tom Foley to hold the office during single-party Democratic leadership in Washington.[18] During the 111th Congress, Pelosi was the driving force behind several of Obama's major initiatives that proved controversial, and the Republicans campaigned against the Democrats' legislation by staging a "Fire Pelosi" bus tour[19] and regained control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections. House Minority Leader John Boehner was elected as Speaker.[20]

text: Notable elections[edit]

text:
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text: Historically, there have been several controversial elections to the speakership, such as the contest of 1839. In that case, even though the 26th United States Congress convened on December 2, the House could not begin the speakership election until December 14 because of an election dispute in New Jersey known as the "Broad Seal War". Two rival delegations, one Whig and the other Democrat, had been certified as elected by different branches of the New Jersey government. The problem was compounded by the fact that the result of the dispute would determine whether the Whigs or the Democrats held the majority. Neither party agreed to permit a speakership election with the opposite party's delegation participating. Finally, it was agreed to exclude both delegations from the election and a Speaker was finally chosen on December 17.

text: Another, more prolonged fight occurred in 1855 in the 34th United States Congress. The old Whig Party had collapsed but no single party had emerged to replace it. Candidates opposing the Democrats had run under a bewildering variety of labels, including Whig, Republican, American (Know Nothing), and simply "Opposition". By the time Congress actually met in December 1855, most of the northerners were concentrated together as Republicans, while most of the southerners and a few northerners used the American or Know Nothing label. Opponents of the Democrats held a majority in House, with the party makeup of the 234 Representatives being 83 Democrats, 108 Republicans, and 43 Know Nothings (primarily southern oppositionists). The Democratic minority nominated William Alexander Richardson of Illinois as Speaker, but because of sectional distrust, the various oppositionists were unable to agree on a single candidate for Speaker. The Republicans supported Nathaniel Prentiss Banks of Massachusetts, who had been elected as a Know Nothing but was now largely identified with the Republicans. The southern Know Nothings supported first Humphrey Marshall of Kentucky, and then Henry M. Fuller of Pennsylvania. The voting went on for almost two months with no candidate able to secure a majority, until it was finally agreed to elect the Speaker by plurality vote, and Banks was elected.[22] The House found itself in a similar dilemma when the 36th Congress met in December 1859. Although the Republicans held a plurality, the Republican candidate, John Sherman, was unacceptable to southern oppositionists due to his anti-slavery views, and once again the House was unable to elect a Speaker for several months. After Democrats allied with southern oppositionists to nearly elect the North Carolina oppositionist William N. H. Smith, Sherman finally withdrew in favor of compromise candidate William Pennington of New Jersey, a former Whig of unclear partisan loyalties, who was finally elected Speaker at the end of January 1860.[23]

text: The last speakership elections in which the House had to vote more than once occurred in the 65th and 72nd United States Congress. In 1917, neither the Republican nor the Democratic candidate could attain a majority because three members of the Progressive Party and other individual members of other parties voted for their own party. The Republicans had a plurality in the House but James "Champ" Clark remained Speaker of the House because of the support of the Progressive Party members. In 1931, both the Republicans and the Democrats had 217 members with the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party having one member who served as the deciding vote. The Farmer-Labor Party eventually voted for the Democrats' candidate for Speaker, John Nance Garner, who later became Vice President under Franklin Roosevelt.

text: In 1997, several Republican congressional leaders tried to force Speaker Newt Gingrich to resign. However, Gingrich refused since that would have required a new election for Speaker, which could have led to Democrats along with dissenting Republicans voting for Democrat Dick Gephardt (then Minority Leader) as Speaker. After the 1998 midterm elections where the Republicans lost seats, Gingrich did not stand for re-election. The next two figures in the House Republican leadership hierarchy, Majority Leader Richard Armey and Majority Whip Tom DeLay, chose not to run for the office. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Bob Livingston, declared his bid for the speakership, which was unopposed, making him Speaker-designate. It was then revealed, by Livingston himself, who had been publicly critical of President Bill Clinton's perjury during his sexual harassment trial, that he had engaged in an extramarital affair. He opted to resign from the House, despite being urged to stay on by House Democratic leader Gephardt. Subsequently, chief deputy whip Dennis Hastert was selected as Speaker. The Republicans retained their majorities in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections.

text: The Democrats won a majority of seats in the 2006 midterm elections. On November 16, 2006, Nancy Pelosi, who was then Minority Leader, was selected as Speaker-designate by House Democrats.[24] When the 110th Congress convened on January 4, 2007, she was elected as the 52nd Speaker by a vote of 233-202, becoming the first woman elected Speaker of the House.[25] Pelosi remained Speaker through the 111th Congress. For the 112th Congress, Republican John Boehner was unanimously designated Speaker-designate by House Republicans and was elected the 53rd Speaker of the House. As a show of dissent, nineteen Democratic representatives voted for Democrats other than Pelosi, who had been chosen as House Minority Leader and the Democrats' candidate for Speaker.

text: Partisan role[edit]

text: The Constitution does not spell out the political role of the Speaker. As the office has developed historically, however, it has taken on a clearly partisan cast, very different from the speakership of most Westminster-style legislatures, such as the Speaker of the British House of Commons, which is meant to be scrupulously non-partisan. The Speaker in the United States, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives, outranking the Majority Leader. However, despite having the right to vote, the Speaker usually does not participate in debate and rarely votes.

text: The Speaker is responsible for ensuring that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party. In pursuing this goal, the Speaker may use their power to determine when each bill reaches the floor. They also chair the majority party's steering committee in the House. While the Speaker is the functioning head of the House majority party, the same is not true of the President pro tempore of the Senate, whose office is primarily ceremonial and honorary.

text: When the Speaker and the President belong to the same party, the Speaker tends to play the role in a more ceremonial light, as seen when Dennis Hastert played a very low-key role during the presidency of fellow Republican George W. Bush. Nevertheless, there are times when the Speaker plays a much larger role if the President is a fellow member of their party, and thus, the Speaker is tasked with pushing through the agenda of the majority party, often at the expense of the minority opposition. This can be seen, most of all, in the speakership of Democratic-Republican Henry Clay, who personally ensured the presidential victory of fellow Democratic-Republican John Quincy Adams. Democrat Sam Rayburn was a key player in the passing of New Deal legislation under the presidency of fellow Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon (under Theodore Roosevelt) was particularly infamous for his marginalization of the minority Democrats and centralizing of authority to the speakership. In more recent times, Speaker Nancy Pelosi played a role in continuing the push for health care reform during the presidency of fellow Democrat Barack Obama.[26] The Republicans campaigned against Pelosi and the Democrats' legislation with their "Fire Pelosi" bus tour.[19]

text: On the other hand, when the Speaker and the President belong to opposite parties, the public role and influence of the Speaker tend to increase. As the highest-ranking member of the opposition party (and de facto Leader of the Opposition), the Speaker is normally the chief public opponent of the President's agenda. In this scenario, the Speaker is known for undercutting the President's agenda by blocking measures by the minority party or rejecting bills by the Senate. One famous instance came in the form of Thomas Brackett Reed (under Grover Cleveland), a Speaker notorious for his successful attempt to force the Democrats to vote on measures where the Republicans had clear majorities, which ensured that Cleveland's Democrats were in no position to challenge the Republicans in the House. Joseph Cannon was particularly unique in that he led the conservative "Old Guard" wing of the Republican Party, while his President – Theodore Roosevelt – was of the more progressive clique, and more than just marginalizing the Democrats, Cannon used his power to punish the dissidents in his party and obstruct the progressive wing of the Republican Party.

text: More modern examples include Tip O'Neill, who was a vocal opponent of President Ronald Reagan's economic and defense policies; Newt Gingrich, who fought a bitter battle with President Bill Clinton for control of domestic policy; Nancy Pelosi, who argued with President George W. Bush over the Iraq War;[20] and John Boehner, who clashed with President Barack Obama over budget issues and health care.[27]

text: Presiding officer[edit]

text: As presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the Speaker holds a variety of powers over the House and is ceremonially the highest-ranking legislative official in the US government.[28] The Speaker may delegate his powers to a member of the House to act as Speaker pro tempore and preside over the House in the Speaker's absence; when this has occurred the delegation has always been to a member of the same party.[29] During important debates, the Speaker pro tempore is ordinarily a senior member of the majority party who may be chosen for his skill in presiding. At other times, more junior members may be assigned to preside to give them experience with the rules and procedures of the House. The Speaker may also designate, with approval of the House, a Speaker pro tempore for special purposes, such as designating a Representative whose district is near Washington, D.C. to sign enrolled bills during long recesses.

text: Under the Rules of the House, the Speaker, "as soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker and whenever appropriate thereafter," must deliver to the Clerk of the House a confidential list of Members who are designated to act as Speaker in the case of a vacancy or physical inability of the Speaker to perform their duties.[30]

text: On the floor of the House, the presiding officer is always addressed as "Mister Speaker" or "Madam Speaker," even if it is a Speaker pro tempore, and not the Speaker themselves. When the House resolves itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker designates a member to preside over the Committee as the Chairman, who is addressed as "Mister Chairman" or "Madam Chairwoman." To speak, members must seek the presiding officer's recognition. The presiding officer also rules on all points of order but such rulings may be appealed to the whole House. The Speaker is responsible for maintaining decorum in the House and may order the Sergeant-at-Arms to enforce House rules.

text: The Speaker's powers and duties extend beyond presiding in the chamber. In particular, the Speaker has great influence over the committee process. The Speaker selects nine of the thirteen members of the powerful Committee on Rules, subject to the approval of the entire majority party. The leadership of the minority party chooses the remaining four members. Furthermore, the Speaker appoints all members of select committees and conference committees. Moreover, when a bill is introduced, the Speaker determines which committee will consider it. As a member of the House, the Speaker is entitled to participate in debate and to vote but, by custom, only does so in exceptional circumstances. Ordinarily, the Speaker votes only when the Speaker's vote would be decisive or on matters of great importance, such as constitutional amendments or major legislation.[31]

text: Other functions[edit]

text: Because joint sessions and joint meetings of Congress are held in the House chamber, the Speaker presides over joint sessions to hear addresses by the President, and joint meetings to hear addresses from foreign leaders or other invited guests. However, the Twelfth Amendment and 3 U.S.C. § 15 require that the President of the Senate preside over joint sessions of Congress assembled to count electoral votes and to certify the results of a presidential election.

text: The Speaker is also responsible for overseeing the officers of the House: the Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chaplain. The Speaker can dismiss any of these officers. The Speaker appoints the House Historian and the General Counsel and, jointly with the Majority and Minority Leaders, appoints the House Inspector General.

text: The Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, immediately after the Vice President, under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. The Speaker is followed in the line of succession by the President pro tempore of the Senate and by the heads of federal executive departments.

text: To date, the implementation of the Presidential Succession Act has never been necessary and no Speaker has ever acted as President. Implementation of the law almost became necessary in 1973 after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. At the time, many believed that President Richard Nixon would resign because of the Watergate scandal, allowing Speaker Carl Albert to succeed to the Presidency. However, before he resigned, Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as Vice President in accordance with the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Nevertheless, the United States government takes the Speaker's place in the line of succession seriously enough that, for example, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Speakers used military jets to fly back and forth to their districts and for other travel until Speaker Boehner discontinued the practice in 2011. The Speaker of the House is one of the officers to whom declarations of presidential inability or ability to resume the Presidency must be addressed under the Twenty-fifth Amendment.

text: Most recent election for speaker[edit]

text:
Candidate

Votes

%

✓ Paul Ryan (R)

239

55.2%

Nancy Pelosi (D)

189

43.6%

Tim Ryan (D)

2

0.5%

Jim Cooper (D)

1

0.2%

John Lewis (D)

1

0.2%

Dan Webster (R)

1

0.2%

Total

433

Not voting

2

Vacant

0

text: To be elected as Speaker, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of all votes cast for individuals, excluding those who abstain.[32] The most recent election for the post of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives took place on January 3, 2017, during the opening day of the 115th United States Congress. The incumbent speaker, Paul Ryan, was re-elected.