document_title: Woodstock (Peanuts)

question_text: what is the name of the bird with snoopy

text: Woodstock (Peanuts)

text: History[edit]

text: In the early 1960s, Snoopy began befriending birds when they started using his doghouse for various occasions: a rest stop during migrations, a nesting site, a community hall, or a place to play cards. None of these birds were ever given names, although they did, on occasion (e.g., July 10, 1962), use speech balloons, lettered in what would become the classic 'chicken scratch marks' of Woodstock's utterances. What set Woodstock apart from all these earlier birds was the fact that he attached himself to Snoopy and assumed the role of Snoopy's sidekick and assistant. There had been no recurring relationships between Snoopy and the earlier birds who visited the yard of the Browns, and Snoopy was as often as not more hostile than friendly toward those birds.

text: However, in the Peanuts daily comic strip on the March 3, 1966, a mother bird flew in while Snoopy was lying on top of his dog house. She chose Snoopy's stomach as a good place to make her nest, and Snoopy says "Why does this always happen to me?" She then lays two eggs and flies away, leaving Snoopy alone with the nest. Two babies hatch, and one of them becomes Woodstock. One year later, Woodstock arrives on Snoopy in the April 4, 1967 comic. Charles Schulz began to establish character traits for Snoopy's new friend by revealing that he could talk (more accurately that he could complain, in the form of repetitive sounds in word form—"gripe, gripe, gripe, gripe", "complain, complain, ..."), that, unlike normal birds, he didn't like to fly south every winter, and that his flying skills were not quite up to snuff. By the end of this four-strip sequence, Snoopy, in character as the World War I Flying Ace, learns that the bird is his new mechanic, Woodstock's first supporting role.

text: After this introduction, the unnamed Woodstock is seen with Snoopy on occasion, and other birds continue to appear as they had for years. But Woodstock is singled out as the bird who befriended Snoopy, in part by continuing references to him as the Flying Ace's mechanic (July 12, 1967; June 12–14, 1968). On June 14, 1968, 14 months after his first landing on Snoopy and after a second appearance as a supporting character for Snoopy (his wrist wrestling partner on April 25, 1968), the most important aspect of Woodstock's relationship with Snoopy is made clear: Snoopy first refers to this bird as his buddy. This identification was more than enough for readers to know, if they hadn't already figured it out, that this little bird, name or no name, had assumed the role of a regular character in the Peanuts cast.[5]

text: Schulz did not give him a name until June 22, 1970. Schulz acknowledged in several print and TV interviews in the mid-1970s that he took Woodstock’s name from the rock festival. (The festival’s logo shows a bird perched on a guitar.)

text: Character[edit]

text: Woodstock is a bird who quickly becomes Snoopy’s best friend. The only non-bird character who can understand Woodstock’s speech is Snoopy. When depicted in the comic strip, his speech is rendered almost entirely in "chicken scratch" marks, with Snoopy's either directly translating or allowing the reader to deduce Woodstock's meaning in the context of Snoopy's replies. Woodstock does make nonverbal noises such as yawns (November 23, 1972), laughter, sighs (November 22, 1972) and "Z"s or snores to indicate sleep. He also uses punctuation marks like "!" or "??" to indicate emotions. In the movies and television specials, the chicken scratches are rendered audibly as a staccato series of high-pitched honks and squawks by Snoopy's voice actor Bill Melendez. Woodstock often works as Snoopy's secretary (most notably when the latter was appointed "Head Beagle"), and caddies for him when he plays golf (usually with some difficulty). Woodstock also plays American football with Snoopy, usually attempting to catch the ball but, due to his size, he is simply hit by it; sometimes getting embedded into the ground a short distance. Woodstock also claims to have contact lenses (June 8, 1995).

text: Woodstock is a small but nice-hearted yellow bird. He resourcefully wins the river rafting race in Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown after all other contestants have been eliminated. He routinely takes Snoopy's gentle verbal digs and practical jokes in stride, though he does not hesitate to stand up to Snoopy if his friend goes too far. Once, he and Snoopy stopped speaking to each other because of Snoopy's practice of reading War and Peace one word per day. When told that Woodstock was being attacked by the cat next door, Snoopy immediately rushed to his aid, getting clobbered in the process (what the cat was attacking ended up being actually a yellow glove). He also hates being mistaken for the wrong species of bird (though we are never told what species he actually is), and he is reluctant to eat thrown bread crumbs because he doesn't want anyone to think he's on welfare, and when asked about his net income by Snoopy in his 'census-taker' persona, he replied "four worms a day". He's a whiz at playing trivia too, and almost always manages to stump Snoopy.

text: Woodstock is also a skilled whistler. In the TV special, She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, when Peppermint Patty's music for a skating competition fails to play due to a malfunction that cannot be repaired expediently, Woodstock steps up to the microphone and whistles a flawless O Mio Babbino Caro, to which Peppermint Patty performs her routine. He also whistles his part in the song "The Best of Buddies" (via an instrumental version entitled "Woodstock's Samba")[6][7] in the feature film Snoopy Come Home.

text: For all of Woodstock's acumen and talent, he is physically a very poor flyer, which has been a character trait since he first appeared. He flutters around in erratic fashion, often upside down, and frequently crashes into things. He usually manages to get where he wants to go as long as he doesn't have to fly too high. He is prone to beak-bleeds if he goes over 10 feet in the air. Despite his difficulty in flying as a bird, he is skilled in piloting Snoopy as a canine helicopter, or "whirlydog." When asked where he learned to pilot, Woodstock replied (speaking in his usual chicken scratches, but translated), "Nam." This gag appeared in the strip several times as well as in It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown.

text: During the winter, he relaxes by either skating or playing ice hockey on top of the birdbath, complete with his own Zamboni machine to keep the surface clean (except one year where Woodstock asks Snoopy to migrate with him, and the duo take the trip on foot). His one-goal throughout the comic is to track down his mother so he can send her a Mother's Day card.

text: In the TV special It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, Snoopy buys Woodstock a birdhouse to replace his nest after a cold early spring rain. At first, Woodstock refused to use it, so Snoopy forced the issue. Checking up later on Woodstock, Snoopy peers into the birdhouse to find Woodstock has converted it into a 1970s-style leisure room (complete with a quadraphonic stereo system) that appears much larger on the inside than from outside (much like Snoopy's own doghouse). Unfortunately, Snoopy gets his nose stuck in the door and demolishes the house, so he buys Woodstock a second birdhouse, which Woodstock accepts.

text: Woodstock and his fellow yellow birds (named Bill, Harriet, Olivier, Raymond, Fred, Roy, and Conrad) often join Snoopy for group activities, with Snoopy as the de facto leader. Most frequently they embark on Beagle Scout expeditions with Snoopy as scoutmaster - or as a patrol of the French Foreign Legion on their march for Fort Zinderneuf, led by Snoopy as their sergeant. They also have formed football and ice hockey teams (on one occasion a football team composed of Snoopy and the birds defeated a human football team led by Peppermint Patty). The birds and Snoopy occasionally are shown playing bridge. Although all but Raymond (who is darker) look alike, Snoopy seems to be able to tell them apart.

text: An important and recurring characteristic of Woodstock is his absurdly and hilariously high physical strength and endurance, considering he couldn’t weight more than about 50 grams. When playing hockey against Snoopy on his “home ice” (a frozen birdbath), he administers the beagle a severe body check that sends Snoopy fly away clear out of the birdbath. In another instance, Woodstock discovers a “strange creature” in his nest. Linus wants to investigate the nest and asks Snoopy to “give him a boost” so he can reach the tree’s lowest branch, which Snoopy does. The branch being still out of Linus’s reach, Woodstock gives Snoopy and Linus both a boost, holding them in the air at wings’ length, finally allowing Linus to climb the tree. Another strip has Snoopy once again try to determine what species Woodstock belongs to. Snoopy theorizes Woodstock might be an eagle. Since Snoopy has heard somewhere that eagles are capable of lifting a small child, he suggests Woodstock to try that with Linus. The bird successfully lifts Linus with his wings three inches in the air and holds him up. A last instance is when Snoopy, posing as a football coach, is angry at his player Woodstock for losing “the book with all our secret plays”, and orders the bird to run twenty thousand laps around the field as punishment. Woodstock fearfully complies.

text: Both Snoopy and Woodstock were voiced by Bill Melendez from 1972 to 2006.

text: Gender[edit]

text: Schulz originally considered the bird to be a female, but after the naming on June 22, 1970, it incidentally changed to be a male. As he explained in an interview in 1987:

text: "I had been reading the Life magazine article about the Woodstock Festival and I had the little bird in the strip. It was a she and she was Snoopy's secretary and I was doing secretary jokes quite often so then I thought Woodstock would be a good name for this bird and also, it will get the attention of these people that liked that kind of thing. Suddenly she was not a secretary; she became Woodstock, the boy. It just happened. But that's what's good about a comic strip—you can just do it."

text: Despite this, Woodstock was referred to as a male as early as the strip from June 12, 1968.[8]

text: In the Norwegian translation of Peanuts, the bird is named “Fredrikke”—a female name—and is always referred to as female. Finnish translation uses the name “Kaustinen”, without a specified gender and Spain translations uses the name "Emilio"—a male name.

text: Species[edit]

text: At one point Snoopy attempts to identify what type of bird Woodstock is with the aid of a field guide, asking Woodstock to attempt to imitate various birds: crow, American bittern, Carolina wren, rufous-sided towhee, yellow-billed cuckoo, Canada goose, warbler and mourning warbler. Snoopy finally gives up trying to figure it out, and says, "For all I know, you're a duck!" Woodstock then cries and Snoopy hugs him and apologizes.[9]

text: Woodstock is left-handed.

text: Awards and honors[edit]

text: Schulz was a keen bridge player, and Peanuts occasionally included bridge references. In 1997, according to Alan Truscott, the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), awarded both Snoopy and Woodstock the honorary rank of Life Master, and Schulz was delighted.[10] According to the ACBL, only Snoopy was awarded the honor.[11]


document_title: Saturday Night Live (season 34)

question_text: who appeared on saturday night live when adele was the musical guest in 2008

root

text: Saturday Night Live (season 34)

text: History[edit]

text: This season consisted of 22 episodes rather than the usual 20, in an attempt to compensate for episodes lost during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. This made it the longest season since the show's second season. The season premiere date of September 13 was earlier than the premiere date for previous seasons, which typically have started during the final weekend of September or in early October.

tag: p

text: The show was nominated for many awards including Emmy Awards, a Peabody award and nomination for Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) Series at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2009.[1] After gaining so much media coverage and high seasonal ratings, rival sketch show Mad TV ended in 2009 after its fourteenth season due to low ratings and a dip in quality brought on by budget constraints and mediocre writing.[2]

text: Election[edit]

text: SNL received much media coverage for the show's take on the 2008 presidential election, causing ratings to increase rapidly. The season premiere opened with Tina Fey playing Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin (alongside a pregnant Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton) in a "non-partisan message on sexism".[3] The phrase "I can see Russia from my house!" was coined by Fey during this sketch.[4] The episode was the show's highest-rated season premiere since the 2001–02 season and is the second most-watched SNL episode ever.[citation needed] A month later, the show drew its highest ratings in over 14 years when the real Sarah Palin appeared. SNL had 17 million viewers during its first half-hour.[citation needed]

text: Cast[edit]

text: Before the start of the season the cast remained mostly unchanged except for the addition of Bobby Moynihan. Moynihan (like Casey Wilson in the previous season) came to SNL as a performer with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater;[5] in season 33, Moynihan and Wilson were among the group of Upright Citizens Brigade performers SNL auditioned mid-season while the show was looking for a new cast member to join after the writers' strike in early 2008. Moynihan did not make the cut in his season 33 audition, but instead ended up being invited back for another audition shortly before this season started. Wilson remained a featured player.

text: Midway through the season, cast member Amy Poehler went on maternity leave after giving birth to her son hours before the October 25, 2008 episode, hosted by Jon Hamm. Poehler returned on December 6, 2008 in the John Malkovich hosted episode and made her final appearance as a cast member the following week on the Hugh Laurie hosted episode on December 13, 2008. She announced that it would be her final show at the end of Weekend Update.

text: Shortly after Poehler went on maternity leave, the show added two new female cast members to fill the void. Michaela Watkins (of The Groundlings in Los Angeles) and Abby Elliott (daughter of former SNL cast member Chris Elliott) joined the show as featured players on November 15, 2008.[6] Watkins, like Moynihan, had originally auditioned in Season 33.[7]

text: This season would also be the last for longtime cast member Darrell Hammond, the last remaining cast member from the 1990s, who had been on the show for a record 14 seasons. Featured players Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson were both let go after this season.

text:
Repertory players

Fred Armisen
Will Forte
Bill Hader
Darrell Hammond
Seth Meyers
Amy Poehler (final episode: December 13, 2008)
Andy Samberg
Jason Sudeikis
Kenan Thompson
Kristen Wiig

Featured players

Abby Elliott (first episode: November 15, 2008)
Bobby Moynihan
Michaela Watkins (first episode: November 15, 2008)
Casey Wilson

tag: table

text: bold denotes Weekend Update anchor

text: Writers[edit]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Host(s)
Musical guest(s)
Original air date
Ratings/
Share

637
1
Michael Phelps
Lil Wayne
September 13, 2008 (2008-09-13)
7.4/18[11]

Tina Fey appears as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler appears as Hillary Clinton in A Nonpartisan Message from Governor Sarah Palin & Senator Hillary Clinton.
William Shatner and Michael Phelps' mother Debbie make cameo appearances in the opening monologue.
Jared Fogle cameos in "The Michael Phelps Diet" sketch.
Lil Wayne performs "Got Money" and "Lollipop".
Bobby Moynihan's first episode as a cast member.
At the end of the episode, before the goodnights, a dedication screen was put up for producer/agent Bernie Brillstein, who died a month before this episode aired. Brillstein helped in getting Saturday Night Live picked up as a TV series.
Senator Barack Obama was scheduled to make a second cameo appearance in this episode.[8] However, Obama canceled his appearance due to the results of Hurricane Ike.[9][10]

638
2
James Franco
Kings of Leon
September 20, 2008 (2008-09-20)
N/A

Cameron Diaz makes a guest appearance, reprising her role as Kiki Deamore in the recurring sketch "The Cougar Den".
Gossip Girl's Blake Lively makes a cameo appearance in the SNL Digital Short.[12]
Kumail Nanjiani appears during the "New York Times" sketch.
Kings of Leon perform "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody".

639
3
Anna Faris
Duffy
September 27, 2008 (2008-09-27)
6.0/15[13]

Tina Fey returned as Gov. Sarah Palin in the cold open being interviewed by Katie Couric, played by Amy Poehler.
Chris Parnell makes a guest appearance in a debate sketch as Jim Lehrer.
Duffy performs "Mercy" and "Stepping Stone".

640
4
Anne Hathaway
The Killers
October 4, 2008 (2008-10-04)
7.4/18[15]

Queen Latifah appeared as Gwen Ifill and Tina Fey returned as Sarah Palin in a parody of the Vice Presidential Debate, with Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden in the cold open.
The Killers performed "Human" and "Spaceman".
An edited version of the sketch parodying the economic bailout was posted on NBC.com, removing references to Herbert and Marion Sandler's (played by Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson, respectively) corrupt activities and removing the graphic labeling the couple as "people who should be shot." Lorne Michaels admitted he did not know the Sandlers were a real couple, and that he believed they were simply characters written for the sketch.[14] The Netflix version of this episode includes the scene with the Sandlers, but edited it to remove the "People Who Should Be Shot" lower-third and cut the part where Herbert Sandler thanks Barney Frank for letting them get away with what they did to Wachovia Bank.
Andy Samberg plays Mark Wahlberg in a sketch where Wahlberg talks to animals, which is referenced by Wahlberg in the following episode.

641
5
Josh Brolin
Adele
October 18, 2008 (2008-10-18)
10.7/24[16]

Tina Fey returned again as Sarah Palin, and was joined by Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and the real Sarah Palin making guest appearances in the cold opening. Wahlberg also appeared in a brief sketch making amends with Andy Samberg, referring to a sketch from the previous episode. Sarah Palin also appeared on "Weekend Update".
Oliver Stone makes a cameo in the opening monologue, impersonating George W. Bush.
Adele performs "Chasing Pavements" and "Cold Shoulder".
The New York Underground short film was directed by Noah Baumbach.

642
6
Jon Hamm
Coldplay
October 25, 2008 (2008-10-25)
7.1/18[17]

Coldplay performs "Viva La Vida", "Lost!", "Yellow", and "Lovers in Japan", which was cut off.
Co-stars Elisabeth Moss and John Slattery appeared in the "Ad Agency" sketch as their Mad Men characters Peggy Olson and Roger Sterling, respectively.
Amy Poehler did not appear due to giving birth hours before this episode aired; Seth Meyers anchored Update by himself, announcing at the beginning of the segment "Amy Poehler is not here tonight, because she's having a baby" to tremendous applause, then continuing with "tonight's other top stories."
Maya Rudolph appears as Michelle Obama in the Obama Variety Hour sketch, and performs a brief cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", replacing "I love you, baby" with "we love you, Amy", with Kenan Thompson at the end of Update, wishing Poehler the best during her maternity leave.

643
7
Ben Affleck
David Cook
November 1, 2008 (2008-11-01)
9.0/20[18]

John and Cindy McCain appear as themselves and Tina Fey makes an appearance as Sarah Palin in the cold opening. The episode aired only three days before the 2008 presidential election. McCain also appeared in "Weekend Update".
Seth Meyers anchored "Weekend Update" by himself.
David Cook performs "Light On" and "Declaration".
This episode marks the first appearance of Bill Hader's Stefon character, though he wouldn't be a Weekend Update character until next season's episode hosted by Gabourey Sidibe. Also, Kenan Thompson debuts his Grady Wilson character.

644
8
Paul Rudd
Beyoncé
November 15, 2008 (2008-11-15)
N/A

Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins' first episode as cast members.
Beyoncé performs "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies", and appeared in a sketch about a music video of the latter.
Justin Timberlake makes a cameo during Weekend Update and in the "Single Ladies" sketch as one of the three backup dancers.

645
9
Tim McGraw
Ludacris & T-Pain
November 22, 2008 (2008-11-22)
N/A

Ludacris and T-Pain perform "One More Drink" and "Chopped & Skrewed". Both Ludacris and T-Pain appear in the "Blizzard Man Replaces T-Pain" sketch.
Justin Timberlake was originally scheduled to be the host and musical guest for this episode, but he had to cancel at the last minute, as he explained in the previous episode.

646
10
John Malkovich
T.I.
December 6, 2008 (2008-12-06)
N/A

Amy Poehler returns as Hillary Clinton in the cold opening and co-anchored "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers after four weeks of being absent due to the birth of her son, Archie.
T.I. performs "Whatever You Like" and "Swing Ya Rag" with Swizz Beatz.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Molly Sims, and Justin Timberlake appear in the "Jizz in My Pants" digital short along with Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, and Andy Samberg.
During the production of this episode, James Franco was around the SNL set throughout the entire week, shooting a documentary feature. Franco wanted initially some footage for a class project of his, but after realizing just how much access he was granted to the set, he decided to make a full documentary on the entire process the cast and crew go through in order to prepare for an SNL episode.

647
11
Hugh Laurie
Kanye West
December 13, 2008 (2008-12-13)
N/A

Amy Poehler's final episode as a castmember; she announces her departure at the end of Weekend Update, being interrupted at one point by Fred Armisen as New York governor David Paterson walking in front of the camera, having left shortly before; as Meyers and Poehler sign off Update, they share a long hug as the segment ends.
Maya Rudolph performs in a "Bronx Beat" sketch with Amy Poehler.
Kanye West performed "Love Lockdown" and a medley including "Heartless" and "Pinocchio Story".
Shortly after this broadcast, Paterson himself openly complained about Armisen's portrayal of him, stating that his impression was insensitive to the blind and visually impaired (Paterson would later appear with Armisen on the premiere episode of season 36)[19]

648
12
Neil Patrick Harris
Taylor Swift
January 10, 2009 (2009-01-10)
N/A

Liza Minnelli appears in the "Group Therapy" sketch.
Taylor Swift appears in a sketch as Annie, and performs "Love Story" and "Forever & Always".
Neil Patrick Harris appears in the "Save Broadway" sketch as Mark Cohen from RENT. Harris played the same character in the Los Angeles production of RENT in 1997. In the same sketch Fred Armisen, a former drummer for the Blue Man Group, plays the center blue man.

649
13
Rosario Dawson
Fleet Foxes
January 17, 2009 (2009-01-17)
N/A

Fleet Foxes performs "Mykonos" and "Blue Ridge Mountains".

650
14
Steve Martin
Jason Mraz
January 31, 2009 (2009-01-31)
N/A

Steve Martin (15th time as host) performed "Late for School" on his banjo from his new album "The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo" with Michael Daves, Craig Eastman, Brittany Haas, and Skip Ward.
Jason Mraz performs "I'm Yours" and "Lucky" with Colbie Caillat.
During the original broadcast Richard Dean Anderson who played MacGyver on the TV series reprised his role in three MacGruber Pepsi ads as a helper to MacGruber.

651
15
Bradley Cooper
TV on the Radio
February 7, 2009 (2009-02-07)
N/A

James Lipton makes a cameo during the monologue.
TV on the Radio performs "Golden Age" and "Dancing Choose".
The Lonely Island and T-Pain premiered "I'm on a Boat" from the Lonely Island's Incredibad album in the SNL Digital Short.
Drew Barrymore appears during the closing credits.

652
16
Alec Baldwin
Jonas Brothers
February 14, 2009 (2009-02-14)
N/A

Former castmember Dan Aykroyd appears as John Boehner in the cold opening.[20]
Jack McBrayer makes a guest appearance in the opening monologue.
Cameron Diaz once again reprises her role as Kiki Deamore in the recurring sketch "The Cougar Den".
The Jonas Brothers perform "Tonight" and "Video Girl". They also appeared in a sketch and an SNL Digital Short.[21]
Alec Baldwin's nieces make a cameo introducing the Jonas Brothers' second song.[22]

653
17
Dwayne Johnson
Ray LaMontagne
March 7, 2009 (2009-03-07)
N/A

Richard Dean Anderson returned as MacGyver for three more MacGruber shorts.
Ray LaMontagne performs "You Are the Best Thing" and "Trouble".
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel appeared as Irving Hillman and Jessica Rabbit in "Weekend Update".

654
18
Tracy Morgan
Kelly Clarkson
March 14, 2009 (2009-03-14)
N/A

Kelly Clarkson performs "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Do Not Hook Up".
Tina Fey and John Cena make cameo appearances in the cold open.
Tracy Morgan reprises his roles as Brian Fellow in Brian Fellow's Safari Planet and as Astronaut Jones.

655
19
Seth Rogen
Phoenix
April 4, 2009 (2009-04-04)
N/A

Phoenix performs "Lisztomania," "1901" and "Too Young", which was cut off.
Seth Rogen reprises his impression of Rowlf the Dog from his first appearance on SNL.
Rogen appears in the SNL Digital Short for the music video of The Lonely Island's "Like a Boss". Rogen replaced Akiva Schaffer's vocals; however, Akiva Schaffer did make an appearance as the gun dealer. Fellow Lonely Island member, Jorma Taccone also makes an appearance in the video delivering a harassment lawsuit to Andy Samberg.

656
20
Zac Efron
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
April 11, 2009 (2009-04-11)
5.1[23]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform "Zero" and "Maps".

657
21
Justin Timberlake
Ciara
May 9, 2009 (2009-05-09)
N/A

Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson made guest appearances during the Digital Short.
Ciara performs "Love Sex Magic" with Justin Timberlake and "Never Ever".
Jessica Biel introduces "Love Sex Magic".
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy cameoed on Weekend Update in a commentary on the theatrical release of Star Trek.
Jimmy Fallon reprised his role as Barry Gibb for another installment of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show".
Justin Timberlake (3rd time as host) won an Emmy for hosting this episode.[24]

658
22
Will Ferrell
Green Day
May 16, 2009 (2009-05-16)
N/A

Darrell Hammond, Michaela Watkins, and Casey Wilson's final episode as castmembers.
Green Day performs "Know Your Enemy", "21 Guns" and, in a cut performance, "East Jesus Nowhere", during which Will Ferrell played cowbell. The band also appears in "Goodnight Saigon".
Tom Hanks plays himself in "Celebrity Jeopardy!", and in "Goodnight Saigon".
Norm Macdonald appears in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" as Burt Reynolds, and in "Goodnight Saigon".
Amy Poehler returned to co-anchor Weekend Update, and she accompanied Will Ferrell on a triangle for "Goodnight Saigon".
Maya Rudolph reprised her character Glenda Goodwin in the funeral sketch and sang with Will Ferrell for "Goodnight Saigon".
Paul Rudd, Artie Lange, Elisabeth Moss, and Anne Hathaway also appear in "Goodnight Saigon".
Will Ferrell reprised his impersonations of George W. Bush, Alex Trebek, and Harry Caray.
This episode premiered the same night as the series finale of its rival sketch show MADtv. Coincidentally, Artie Lange cameoed on that episode.

text: Specials[edit]

text:
Title
Original air date
U.S. viewers
(millions)

"Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2008"
November 3, 2008 (2008-11-03)
N/A

A selection of sketches relating to the 2008 election.


document_title: Borobudur

question_text: where is the pyramid temple at borobudur located

question_tokens: where is the pyramid temple at borobudur located

text: Borobudur

text: Etymology[edit]

text: In Indonesian, ancient temples are referred to as candi; thus locals refer to "Borobudur Temple" as Candi Borobudur. The term candi also loosely describes ancient structures, for example gates and baths. The origins of the name Borobudur, however, are unclear,[12] although the original names of most ancient Indonesian temples are no longer known.[12] The name Borobudur was first written in Sir Thomas Raffles's book on Javan history.[13] Raffles wrote about a monument called Borobudur, but there are no older documents suggesting the same name.[12] The only old Javanese manuscript that hints the monument called Budur as a holy Buddhist sanctuary is Nagarakretagama, written by Mpu Prapanca, a Buddhist scholar of Majapahit court, in 1365.[14]

text: Most candi are named after a nearby village. If it followed Javanese language conventions and was named after the nearby village of Bore, the monument should have been named "BudurBoro". Raffles thought that Budur might correspond to the modern Javanese word Buda ("ancient")—i.e., "ancient Boro". He also suggested that the name might derive from boro, meaning "great" or "honourable" and Budur for Buddha.[12] However, another archaeologist suggests the second component of the name (Budur) comes from Javanese term bhudhara ("mountain").[15]

text: Another possible etymology suggests that Borobudur is a corrupted simplified local Javanese pronunciation of Biara Beduhur written in Sanskrit as Vihara Buddha Uhr. The term Buddha-Uhr could mean "the city of Buddhas", while another possible term Beduhur is probably an Old Javanese term, still survived today in Balinese vocabulary, which means "a high place", constructed from the stem word dhuhur or luhur (high). This suggests that Borobudur means vihara of Buddha located on a high place or on a hill.[16]

text: The construction and inauguration of a sacred Buddhist building—possibly a reference to Borobudur—was mentioned in two inscriptions, both discovered in Kedu, Temanggung Regency. The Karangtengah inscription, dated 824, mentioned a sacred building named Jinalaya (the realm of those who have conquered worldly desire and reached enlightenment), inaugurated by Pramodhawardhani, daughter of Samaratungga. The Tri Tepusan inscription, dated 842, is mentioned in the sima, the (tax-free) lands awarded by Çrī Kahulunnan (Pramodhawardhani) to ensure the funding and maintenance of a Kamūlān called Bhūmisambhāra.[17] Kamūlān is from the word mula, which means "the place of origin", a sacred building to honor the ancestors, probably those of the Sailendras. Casparis suggested that Bhūmi Sambhāra Bhudhāra, which in Sanskrit means "the mountain of combined virtues of the ten stages of Boddhisattvahood", was the original name of Borobudur.[18]

text: Location[edit]

text: The three temples[edit]

text: Approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Yogyakarta and 86 kilometres (53 mi) west of Surakarta, Borobudur is located in an elevated area between two twin volcanoes, Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi, and two rivers, the Progo and the Elo. According to local myth, the area known as Kedu Plain is a Javanese "sacred" place and has been dubbed "the garden of Java" due to its high agricultural fertility.[19] During the restoration in the early 20th century, it was discovered that three Buddhist temples in the region, Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut, are positioned along a straight line.[20] A ritual relationship between the three temples must have existed, although the exact ritual process is unknown.[14]

text: Ancient lake hypothesis[edit]

text: Speculation about a surrounding lake's existence was the subject of intense discussion among archaeologists in the 20th century. In 1931, a Dutch artist and scholar of Hindu and Buddhist architecture, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, developed a hypothesis that the Kedu Plain was once a lake and Borobudur initially represented a lotus flower floating on the lake.[15] It has been claimed that Borobudur was built on a bedrock hill, 265 m (869 ft) above sea level and 15 m (49 ft) above the floor of a dried-out paleolake.[21]

text: Dumarçay together with Professor Thanikaimoni took soil samples in 1974 and again in 1977 from trial trenches that had been dug into the hill, as well as from the plain immediately to the south. These samples were later analysed by Thanikaimoni, who examined their pollen and spore content to identify the type of vegetation that had grown in the area around the time of Borobudur's construction. They were unable to discover any pollen or spore samples that were characteristic of any vegetation known to grow in an aquatic environment such as a lake, pond or marsh. The area surrounding Borobudur appears to have been surrounded by agricultural land and palm trees at the time of the monument's construction, as is still the case today. Caesar Voûte and the geomorphologist Dr J.J. Nossin in 1985–86 field studies re-examined the Borobudur lake hypothesis and confirmed the absence of a lake around Borobudur at the time of its construction and active use as a sanctuary. These findings A New Perspective on Some Old Questions Pertaining to Borobudur were published in the 2005 UNESCO publication titled "The Restoration of Borobudur".

text: History[edit]

text: Construction[edit]

text: There are no known records of construction or the intended purpose of Borobudur.[22] The duration of construction has been estimated by comparison of carved reliefs on the temple's hidden foot and the inscriptions commonly used in royal charters during the 8th and 9th centuries. Borobudur was likely founded around 800 CE.[22] This corresponds to the period between 760 and 830 CE, the peak of the Sailendra dynasty rule of Mataram kingdom in central Java,[23] when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years with completion during the reign of Samaratungga in 825.[24][25]

text: There is uncertainty about Hindu and Buddhist rulers in Java around that time. The Sailendras were known as ardent followers of Buddhism, though stone inscriptions found at Sojomerto also suggest they may have been Hindus.[24] It was during this time that many Hindu and Buddhist monuments were built on the plains and mountains around the Kedu Plain. The Buddhist monuments, including Borobudur, were erected around the same period as the Hindu Shiva Prambanan temple compound. In 732 CE, the Shivaite King Sanjaya commissioned a Shivalinga sanctuary to be built on the Wukir hill, only 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Borobudur.[26]

text: Construction of Buddhist temples, including Borobudur, at that time was possible because Sanjaya's immediate successor, Rakai Panangkaran, granted his permission to the Buddhist followers to build such temples.[27] In fact, to show his respect, Panangkaran gave the village of Kalasan to the Buddhist community, as is written in the Kalasan Charter dated 778 CE.[27] This has led some archaeologists to believe that there was never serious conflict concerning religion in Java as it was possible for a Hindu king to patronize the establishment of a Buddhist monument; or for a Buddhist king to act likewise.[28] However, it is likely that there were two rival royal dynasties in Java at the time—the Buddhist Sailendra and the Saivite Sanjaya—in which the latter triumphed over their rival in the 856 battle on the Ratubaka plateau.[29] Similar confusion also exists regarding the Lara Jonggrang temple at the Prambanan complex, which was believed to have been erected by the victor Rakai Pikatan as the Sanjaya dynasty's reply to Borobudur,[29] but others suggest that there was a climate of peaceful coexistence where Sailendra involvement exists in Lara Jonggrang.[30]

text: Abandonment[edit]

text: Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind its abandonment remain a mystery. It is not known when active use of the monument and Buddhist pilgrimage to it ceased. Sometime between 928 and 1006, King Mpu Sindok moved the capital of the Medang Kingdom to the region of East Java after a series of volcanic eruptions; it is not certain whether this influenced the abandonment, but several sources mention this as the most likely period of abandonment.[7][21] The monument is mentioned vaguely as late as c. 1365, in Mpu Prapanca's Nagarakretagama, written during the Majapahit era and mentioning "the vihara in Budur".[31] Soekmono (1976) also mentions the popular belief that the temples were disbanded when the population converted to Islam in the 15th century.[7]

text: The monument was not forgotten completely, though folk stories gradually shifted from its past glory into more superstitious beliefs associated with bad luck and misery. Two old Javanese chronicles (babad) from the 18th century mention cases of bad luck associated with the monument. According to the Babad Tanah Jawi (or the History of Java), the monument was a fatal factor for Mas Dana, a rebel who revolted against Pakubuwono I, the king of Mataram in 1709.[7] It was mentioned that the "Redi Borobudur" hill was besieged and the insurgents were defeated and sentenced to death by the king. In the Babad Mataram (or the History of the Mataram Kingdom), the monument was associated with the misfortune of Prince Monconagoro, the crown prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate in 1757.[32] In spite of a taboo against visiting the monument, "he took what is written as the knight who was captured in a cage (a statue in one of the perforated stupas)". Upon returning to his palace, he fell ill and died one day later.

text: Rediscovery[edit]

text: Following its capture, Java was under British administration from 1811 to 1816. The appointed governor was Lieutenant Governor-General Thomas Stamford Raffles, who took great interest in the history of Java. He collected Javanese antiques and made notes through contacts with local inhabitants during his tour throughout the island. On an inspection tour to Semarang in 1814, he was informed about a big monument deep in a jungle near the village of Bumisegoro.[32] He was not able to make the discovery himself and sent H.C. Cornelius, a Dutch engineer, to investigate. In two months, Cornelius and his 200 men cut down trees, burned down vegetation and dug away the earth to reveal the monument. Due to the danger of collapse, he could not unearth all galleries. He reported his findings to Raffles, including various drawings. Although the discovery is only mentioned by a few sentences, Raffles has been credited with the monument's recovery, as one who had brought it to the world's attention.[13]

text: Hartmann, a Dutch administrator of the Kedu region, continued Cornelius's work, and in 1835, the whole complex was finally unearthed. His interest in Borobudur was more personal than official. Hartmann did not write any reports of his activities, in particular, the alleged story that he discovered the large statue of Buddha in the main stupa.[33] In 1842, Hartmann investigated the main dome, although what he discovered is unknown and the main stupa remains empty.

text: The Dutch East Indies government then commissioned F.C. Wilsen, a Dutch engineering official, who studied the monument and drew hundreds of relief sketches. J.F.G. Brumund was also appointed to make a detailed study of the monument, which was completed in 1859. The government intended to publish an article based on Brumund's study supplemented by Wilsen's drawings, but Brumund refused to cooperate. The government then commissioned another scholar, C. Leemans, who compiled a monograph based on Brumund's and Wilsen's sources. In 1873, the first monograph of the detailed study of Borobudur was published, followed by its French translation a year later.[33] The first photograph of the monument was taken in 1872 by a Dutch-Flemish engraver, Isidore van Kinsbergen.[34]

text: Appreciation of the site developed slowly, and it served for some time largely as a source of souvenirs and income for "souvenir hunters" and thieves. In 1882, the chief inspector of cultural artifacts recommended that Borobudur be entirely disassembled with the relocation of reliefs into museums due to the unstable condition of the monument.[34] As a result, the government appointed Groenveldt, an archaeologist, to undertake a thorough investigation of the site and to assess the actual condition of the complex; his report found that these fears were unjustified and recommended it be left intact.

text: Borobudur was considered as the source of souvenirs, and parts of its sculptures were looted, some even with colonial-government consent. In 1896 King Chulalongkorn of Siam visited Java and requested and was allowed to take home eight cartloads of sculptures taken from Borobudur. These include thirty pieces taken from a number of relief panels, five buddha images, two lions, one gargoyle, several kala motifs from the stairs and gateways, and a guardian statue (dvarapala). Several of these artifacts, most notably the lions, dvarapala, kala, makara and giant waterspouts are now on display in the Java Art room in The National Museum in Bangkok.[35]

text: Restoration[edit]

text: Borobudur attracted attention in 1885, when Yzerman, the Chairman of the Archaeological Society in Yogyakarta, made a discovery about the hidden foot.[36] Photographs that reveal reliefs on the hidden foot were made in 1890–1891.[37] The discovery led the Dutch East Indies government to take steps to safeguard the monument. In 1900, the government set up a commission consisting of three officials to assess the monument: Brandes, an art historian, Theodoor van Erp, a Dutch army engineer officer, and Van de Kamer, a construction engineer from the Department of Public Works.

text: In 1902, the commission submitted a threefold plan of proposal to the government. First, the immediate dangers should be avoided by resetting the corners, removing stones that endangered the adjacent parts, strengthening the first balustrades and restoring several niches, archways, stupas and the main dome. Second, after fencing off the courtyards, proper maintenance should be provided and drainage should be improved by restoring floors and spouts. Third, all loose stones should be removed, the monument cleared up to the first balustrades, disfigured stones removed and the main dome restored. The total cost was estimated at that time around 48,800 Dutch guilders.

text: The restoration then was carried out between 1907 and 1911, using the principles of anastylosis and led by Theodor van Erp.[38] The first seven months of restoration were occupied with excavating the grounds around the monument to find missing Buddha heads and panel stones. Van Erp dismantled and rebuilt the upper three circular platforms and stupas. Along the way, Van Erp discovered more things he could do to improve the monument; he submitted another proposal, which was approved with the additional cost of 34,600 guilders. At first glance, Borobudur had been restored to its old glory. Van Erp went further by carefully reconstructing the chhatra (three-tiered parasol) pinnacle on top of the main stupa. However, he later dismantled the chhatra, citing that there were not enough original stones used in reconstructing the pinnacle, which means that the original design of Borobudur's pinnacle is actually unknown. The dismantled chhatra now is stored in Karmawibhangga Museum, a few hundred meters north from Borobudur.

text: Due to the limited budget, the restoration had been primarily focused on cleaning the sculptures, and Van Erp did not solve the drainage problem. Within fifteen years, the gallery walls were sagging, and the reliefs showed signs of new cracks and deterioration.[38] Van Erp used concrete from which alkali salts and calcium hydroxide leached and were transported into the rest of the construction. This caused some problems, so that a further thorough renovation was urgently needed.

text: Small restorations have been performed since then, but not sufficient for complete protection. During World War II and Indonesian National Revolution in 1945 to 1949, Borobudur restoration efforts were halted. The monument suffered further from the weather and drainage problems, which caused the earth core inside the temple to expand, pushing the stone structure and tilting the walls. By 1950s some parts of Borobudur were facing imminent danger of collapsing. In 1965, Indonesia asked the UNESCO for advice on ways to counteract the problem of weathering at Borobudur and other monuments. In 1968 Professor Soekmono, then head of the Archeological Service of Indonesia, launched his "Save Borobudur" campaign, in an effort to organize a massive restoration project.[39]

text: In the late 1960s, the Indonesian government had requested from the international community a major renovation to protect the monument. In 1973, a master plan to restore Borobudur was created.[40] Through an Agreement concerning the Voluntary Contributions to be Given for the Execution of the Project to Preserve Borobudur (Paris, 29 January 1973), 5 countries agreed to contribute to the restoration: Australia (AUD $200,000), Belgium (BEF fr.250,000), Cyprus (CYP £100,000), France (USD $77,500) and Germany (DEM DM 2,000,000).[41] The Indonesian government and UNESCO then undertook the complete overhaul of the monument in a big restoration project between 1975 and 1982.[38] In 1975, the actual work began. Over one million stones were dismantled and removed during the restoration, and set aside like pieces of a massive jig-saw puzzle to be individually identified, catalogued, cleaned and treated for preservation. Borobudur became a testing ground for new conservation techniques, including new procedures to battle the microorganisms attacking the stone.[39] The foundation was stabilized, and all 1,460 panels were cleaned. The restoration involved the dismantling of the five square platforms and the improvement of drainage by embedding water channels into the monument. Both impermeable and filter layers were added. This colossal project involved around 600 people to restore the monument and cost a total of US$6,901,243.[42]

text: After the renovation was finished, UNESCO listed Borobudur as a World Heritage Site in 1991.[3] It is listed under Cultural criteria (i) "to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius", (ii) "to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design", and (vi) "to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance".[3]

text: Contemporary events[edit]

text: Religious ceremony[edit]

text: Following the major 1973 renovation funded by UNESCO,[40] Borobudur is once again used as a place of worship and pilgrimage. Once a year, during the full moon in May or June, Buddhists in Indonesia observe Vesak (Indonesian: Waisak) day commemorating the birth, death, and the time when Siddhārtha Gautama attained the highest wisdom to become the Buddha Shakyamuni. Vesak is an official national holiday in Indonesia,[43] and the ceremony is centered at the three Buddhist temples by walking from Mendut to Pawon and ending at Borobudur.[44]

text: Tourism[edit]

text: The monument is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. In 1974, 260,000 tourists, of whom 36,000 were foreigners, visited the monument.[10] The figure climbed to 2.5 million visitors annually (80% were domestic tourists) in the mid-1990s, before the country's economic crisis.[11] Tourism development, however, has been criticized for not including the local community, giving rise to occasional conflicts.[10] In 2003, residents and small businesses around Borobudur organized several meetings and poetry protests, objecting to a provincial government plan to build a three-storey mall complex, dubbed the "Java World".[45]

text: International tourism awards were given to Borobudur archaeological park, such as PATA Grand Pacific Award 2004, PATA Gold Award Winner 2011, and PATA Gold Award Winner 2012. In June 2012, Borobudur was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest Buddhist archaeological site.[46]

text: Conservation[edit]

text: UNESCO identified three specific areas of concern under the present state of conservation: (i) vandalism by visitors; (ii) soil erosion in the south-eastern part of the site; and (iii) analysis and restoration of missing elements.[47] The soft soil, the numerous earthquakes and heavy rains lead to the destabilization of the structure. Earthquakes are by far the most important contributing factors, since not only do stones fall down and arches crumble, but the earth itself can move in waves, further destroying the structure.[47] The increasing popularity of the stupa brings in many visitors, most of whom are from Indonesia. Despite warning signs on all levels not to touch anything, the regular transmission of warnings over loudspeakers and the presence of guards, vandalism on reliefs and statues is a common occurrence and problem, leading to further deterioration. As of 2009, there is no system in place to limit the number of visitors allowed per day or to introduce mandatory guided tours only.[47]

text: In August 2014, the Conservation Authority of Borobudur reported some severe abrasion of the stone stairs caused by the scraping of visitors' footwear. The conservation authority planned to install wooden stairs to cover and protect the original stone stairs, just like those installed in Angkor Wat.[48]

text: Rehabilitation[edit]

text: Borobudur was heavily affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi in October and November 2010. Volcanic ash from Merapi fell on the temple complex, which is approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) west-southwest of the crater. A layer of ash up to 2.5 centimetres (1 in)[49] thick fell on the temple statues during the eruption of 3–5 November, also killing nearby vegetation, with experts fearing that the acidic ash might damage the historic site. The temple complex was closed from 5 to 9 November to clean up the ashfall.[50][51]

text: UNESCO donated US$3 million as a part of the costs towards the rehabilitation of Borobudur after Mount Merapi's 2010 eruption.[52] More than 55,000 stone blocks comprising the temple's structure were dismantled to restore the drainage system, which had been clogged by slurry after the rain. The restoration was finished in November.[53]

text: In January 2012, two German stone-conservation experts spent ten days at the site analyzing the temples and making recommendations to ensure their long-term preservation.[54] In June, Germany agreed to contribute $130,000 to UNESCO for the second phase of rehabilitation, in which six experts in stone conservation, microbiology, structural engineering and chemical engineering would spend a week in Borobudur in June, then return for another visit in September or October. These missions would launch the preservation activities recommended in the January report and would include capacity building activities to enhance the preservation capabilities of governmental staff and young conservation experts.[55]

text: On 14 February 2014, major tourist attractions in Yogyakarta and Central Java, including Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, were closed to visitors, after being severely affected by the volcanic ash from the eruption of Kelud volcano in East Java, located around 200 kilometers east from Yogyakarta. Workers covered the iconic stupas and statues of Borobudur temple to protect the structure from volcanic ash. The Kelud volcano erupted on 13 February 2014 with an explosion heard as far away as Yogyakarta.[56]

text: Security threats[edit]

text: On 21 January 1985, nine stupas were badly damaged by nine bombs.[57][58] In 1991, a blind Muslim preacher, Husein Ali Al Habsyie, was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding a series of bombings in the mid-1980s, including the temple attack.[59] Two other members of the Islamic extremist group that carried out the bombings were each sentenced to 20 years in 1986, and another man received a 13-year prison term.

text: On 27 May 2006, an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck the south coast of Central Java. The event caused severe damage around the region and casualties to the nearby city of Yogyakarta, but Borobudur remained intact.[60]

text: In August 2014, Indonesian police and security forces tightened the security in and around Borobudur temple compound, as a precaution to a threat posted on social media by a self-proclaimed Indonesian branch of ISIS, citing that the terrorists planned to destroy Borobudur and other statues in Indonesia.[61] The security improvements included the repair and increased deployment of CCTV monitors and the implementation of a night patrol in and around the temple compound. The jihadist group follows a strict interpretation of Islam that condemns any anthropomorphic representations such as sculptures as idolatry.

text: Visitor overload problem[edit]

text: The high volume of visitors ascending the Borobudur's narrow stairs, has caused a severe wear out on the stone of the stairs, eroding the stones surface and made them thinner and smoother. Overall, Borobudur has 2,033 surfaces of stone stairs, spread over four cardinal directions; including the west side, the east, south and north. There are around 1,028 surfaces of them, or about 49.15 percent are severely worn out.[62]

text: To avoid further wear of stairs' stones, since November 2014, two main sections of Borobudur stairs — the eastern (ascending route) and northern (descending route) sides — are covered with wooden structures. The similar technique has been applied in Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Egyptian Pyramids.[62] In March 2015, Borobudur Conservation Center proposed further to seal the stairs with rubber cover.[63] Proposals have also been made that visitors be issued special sandals.[64]

text: Architecture[edit]

text: The archaeological excavation into Borobudur during reconstruction suggests that adherents of Hinduism or a pre-Indic faith had already begun to erect a large structure on Borobudur's hill before the site was appropriated by Buddhists. The foundations are unlike any Hindu or Buddhist shrine structures, and therefore, the initial structure is considered more indigenous Javanese than Hindu or Buddhist.[65]

text: Design[edit]

text: Borobudur is built as a single large stupa and, when viewed from above, takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind.[66] The original foundation is a square, approximately 118 metres (387 ft) on each side. It has nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular.[67] The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

text: The design of Borobudur took the form of a step pyramid. Previously, the prehistoric Austronesian megalithic culture in Indonesia had constructed several earth mounds and stone step pyramid structures called punden berundak as discovered in Pangguyangan site near Cisolok[68] and in Cipari near Kuningan.[69] The construction of stone pyramids is based on native beliefs that mountains and high places are the abode of ancestral spirits or hyangs. [70] The punden berundak step pyramid is the basic design in Borobudur,[71] believed to be the continuation of older megalithic tradition incorporated with Mahayana Buddhist ideas and symbolism.[72]

text: The monument's three divisions symbolize the three "realms" of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kamadhatu (the world of desires), Rupadhatu (the world of forms), and finally Arupadhatu (the formless world). Ordinary sentient beings live out their lives on the lowest level, the realm of desire. Those who have burnt out all desire for continued existence leave the world of desire and live in the world on the level of form alone: they see forms but are not drawn to them. Finally, full Buddhas go beyond even form and experience reality at its purest, most fundamental level, the formless ocean of nirvana.[73] The liberation from the cycle of Saṃsāra where the enlightened soul had no longer attached to worldly form corresponds to the concept of Śūnyatā, the complete voidness or the nonexistence of the self. Kāmadhātu is represented by the base, Rupadhatu by the five square platforms (the body), and Arupadhatu by the three circular platforms and the large topmost stupa. The architectural features between the three stages have metaphorical differences. For instance, square and detailed decorations in the Rupadhatu disappear into plain circular platforms in the Arupadhatu to represent how the world of forms—where men are still attached with forms and names—changes into the world of the formless.[74]

text: Congregational worship in Borobudur is performed in a walking pilgrimage. Pilgrims are guided by the system of staircases and corridors ascending to the top platform. Each platform represents one stage of enlightenment. The path that guides pilgrims was designed to symbolize Buddhist cosmology.[75]

text: In 1885, a hidden structure under the base was accidentally discovered.[36] The "hidden footing" contains reliefs, 160 of which are narratives describing the real Kāmadhātu. The remaining reliefs are panels with short inscriptions that apparently provide instructions for the sculptors, illustrating the scenes to be carved.[76] The real base is hidden by an encasement base, the purpose of which remains a mystery. It was first thought that the real base had to be covered to prevent a disastrous subsidence of the monument into the hill.[76] There is another theory that the encasement base was added because the original hidden footing was incorrectly designed, according to Vastu Shastra, the Indian ancient book about architecture and town planning.[36] Regardless of why it was commissioned, the encasement base was built with detailed and meticulous design and with aesthetic and religious consideration.

text: Building structure[edit]

text: Approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of andesite stones were taken from neighbouring stone quarries to build the monument.[77] The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar. Knobs, indentations and dovetails were used to form joints between stones. The roof of stupas, niches and arched gateways were constructed in corbelling method. Reliefs were created in situ after the building had been completed.

text: The monument is equipped with a good drainage system to cater to the area's high stormwater run-off. To prevent flooding, 100 spouts are installed at each corner, each with a unique carved gargoyle in the shape of a giant or makara.

text: Borobudur differs markedly from the general design of other structures built for this purpose. Instead of being built on a flat surface, Borobudur is built on a natural hill. However, construction technique is similar to other temples in Java. Without the inner spaces seen in other temples, and with a general design similar to the shape of pyramid, Borobudur was first thought more likely to have served as a stupa, instead of a temple.[77] A stupa is intended as a shrine for the Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as devotional symbols of Buddhism. A temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of worship. The meticulous complexity of the monument's design suggests that Borobudur is in fact a temple.

text: Little is known about Gunadharma, the architect of the complex.[78] His name is recounted from Javanese folk tales rather than from written inscriptions.

text: The basic unit of measurement used during construction was the tala, defined as the length of a human face from the forehead's hairline to the tip of the chin or the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the middle finger when both fingers are stretched at their maximum distance.[79] The unit is thus relative from one individual to the next, but the monument has exact measurements. A survey conducted in 1977 revealed frequent findings of a ratio of 4:6:9 around the monument. The architect had used the formula to lay out the precise dimensions of the fractal and self-similar geometry in Borobudur's design.[79][80] This ratio is also found in the designs of Pawon and Mendut, nearby Buddhist temples. Archeologists have conjectured that the 4:6:9 ratio and the tala have calendrical, astronomical and cosmological significance, as is the case with the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.[78]

text: The main structure can be divided into three components: base, body, and top.[78] The base is 123 m × 123 m (404 ft × 404 ft) in size with 4 metres (13 ft) walls.[77] The body is composed of five square platforms, each of diminishing height. The first terrace is set back 7 metres (23 ft) from the edge of the base. Each subsequent terrace is set back 2 metres (6.6 ft), leaving a narrow corridor at each stage. The top consists of three circular platforms, with each stage supporting a row of perforated stupas, arranged in concentric circles. There is one main dome at the center, the top of which is the highest point of the monument, 35 metres (115 ft) above ground level. Stairways at the center of each of the four sides give access to the top, with a number of arched gates overlooked by 32 lion statues. The gates are adorned with Kala's head carved on top of each and Makaras projecting from each side. This Kala-Makara motif is commonly found on the gates of Javanese temples. The main entrance is on the eastern side, the location of the first narrative reliefs. Stairways on the slopes of the hill also link the monument to the low-lying plain.

text: Reliefs[edit]

text: Borobudur is constructed in such a way that it reveals various levels of terraces, showing intricate architecture that goes from being heavily ornamented with bas-reliefs to being plain in Arupadhatu circular terraces.[81] The first four terrace walls are showcases for bas-relief sculptures. These are exquisite, considered to be the most elegant and graceful in the ancient Buddhist world.[82]

text: The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java, from the courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village. It also depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also native vernacular architecture. People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier, soldier, servant, commoners, priest and hermit. The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual beings in Buddhist beliefs such as asuras, gods, bodhisattvas, kinnaras, gandharvas and apsaras. The images depicted on bas-relief often served as reference for historians to research for certain subjects, such as the study of architecture, weaponry, economy, fashion, and also mode of transportation of 8th-century Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the famous renderings of an 8th-century Southeast Asian double outrigger ship is Borobudur Ship.[83] Today, the actual-size replica of Borobudur Ship that had sailed from Indonesia to Africa in 2004 is displayed in the Samudra Raksa Museum, located a few hundred meters north of Borobudur.[84]

text: The Borobudur reliefs also pay close attention to Indian aesthetic discipline, such as pose and gesture that contain certain meanings and aesthetic value. The reliefs of noblemen, and noble women, kings, or divine beings such as apsaras, taras and boddhisattvas are usually portrayed in tribhanga pose, the three-bend pose on neck, hips, and knee, with one leg resting and one upholding the body weight. This position is considered as the most graceful pose, such as the figure of Surasundari holding a lotus.[85]

text: During Borobudur excavation, archeologists discovered colour pigments of blue, red, green, black, as well as bits of gold foil, and concluded that the monument that we see today — a dark gray mass of volcanic stone, lacking in colour — was probably once coated with varjalepa white plaster and then painted with bright colors, serving perhaps as a beacon of Buddhist teaching.[86] The same vajralepa plaster can also be found in Sari, Kalasan and Sewu temples. It is likely that the bas-reliefs of Borobudur was originally quite colourful, before centuries of torrential tropical rainfalls peeled-off the colour pigments.

text:
Narrative Panels Distribution[87]

section
location
story
#panels

hidden foot
wall
Karmavibhangga
160

first gallery
main wall
Lalitavistara
120

Jataka/Avadana
120

balustrade
Jataka/Avadana
372

Jataka/Avadana
128

second gallery
balustrade
Jataka/Avadana
100

main wall
Gandavyuha
128

third gallery
main wall
Gandavyuha
88

balustrade
Gandavyuha
88

fourth gallery
main wall
Gandavyuha
84

balustrade
Gandavyuha
72

Total
1,460

text: Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft), and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms (Rupadhatu).[87]

text: The narrative panels, which tell the story of Sudhana and Manohara,[88] are grouped into 11 series that encircle the monument with a total length of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The hidden foot contains the first series with 160 narrative panels, and the remaining 10 series are distributed throughout walls and balustrades in four galleries starting from the eastern entrance stairway to the left. Narrative panels on the wall read from right to left, while those on the balustrade read from left to right. This conforms with pradaksina, the ritual of circumambulation performed by pilgrims who move in a clockwise direction while keeping the sanctuary to their right.[89]

text: The hidden foot depicts the workings of karmic law. The walls of the first gallery have two superimposed series of reliefs; each consists of 120 panels. The upper part depicts the biography of the Buddha, while the lower part of the wall and also the balustrades in the first and the second galleries tell the story of the Buddha's former lives.[87] The remaining panels are devoted to Sudhana's further wandering about his search, terminated by his attainment of the Perfect Wisdom.

text: The law of karma (Karmavibhangga)[edit]

text: The 160 hidden panels do not form a continuous story, but each panel provides one complete illustration of cause and effect.[87] There are depictions of blameworthy activities, from gossip to murder, with their corresponding punishments. There are also praiseworthy activities, that include charity and pilgrimage to sanctuaries, and their subsequent rewards. The pains of hell and the pleasure of heaven are also illustrated. There are scenes of daily life, complete with the full panorama of samsara (the endless cycle of birth and death). The encasement base of the Borobudur temple was dissembled to reveal the hidden foot, and the reliefs were photographed by Casijan Chepas in 1890. It is these photographs that are displayed in Borobudur Museum (Karmawibhangga Museum), located just several hundred meters north of the temple. During the restoration, the foot encasement was reinstalled, covering the Karmawibhangga reliefs. Today, only the southeast corner of the hidden foot is revealed and visible for visitors.

text: The story of Prince Siddhartha and the birth of Buddha (Lalitavistara)[edit]

text: The story starts with the descent of the Lord Buddha from the Tushita heaven and ends with his first sermon in the Deer Park near Benares.[89] The relief shows the birth of the Buddha as Prince Siddhartha, son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya of Kapilavastu (in present-day Nepal).

text: The story is preceded by 27 panels showing various preparations, in the heavens and on the earth, to welcome the final incarnation of the Bodhisattva.[89] Before descending from Tushita heaven, the Bodhisattva entrusted his crown to his successor, the future Buddha Maitreya. He descended on earth in the shape of white elephants with six tusks, penetrated to Queen Maya's right womb. Queen Maya had a dream of this event, which was interpreted that his son would become either a sovereign or a Buddha.

text: While Queen Maya felt that it was the time to give birth, she went to the Lumbini park outside the Kapilavastu city. She stood under a plaksa tree, holding one branch with her right hand, and she gave birth to a son, Prince Siddhartha. The story on the panels continues until the prince becomes the Buddha.

text: The stories of Buddha's previous life (Jataka) and other legendary persons (Avadana)[edit]

text: Jatakas are stories about the Buddha before he was born as Prince Siddhartha.[90] They are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear in them as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates.[91] Avadanas are similar to jatakas, but the main figure is not the Bodhisattva himself. The saintly deeds in avadanas are attributed to other legendary persons. Jatakas and avadanas are treated in one and the same series in the reliefs of Borobudur.

text: The first twenty lower panels in the first gallery on the wall depict the Sudhanakumaravadana, or the saintly deeds of Sudhana. The first 135 upper panels in the same gallery on the balustrades are devoted to the 34 legends of the Jatakamala.[92] The remaining 237 panels depict stories from other sources, as do the lower series and panels in the second gallery. Some jatakas are depicted twice, for example the story of King Sibhi (Rama's forefather).

text: Sudhana's search for the ultimate truth (Gandavyuha)[edit]

text: Gandavyuha is the story told in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra about Sudhana's tireless wandering in search of the Highest Perfect Wisdom. It covers two galleries (third and fourth) and also half of the second gallery, comprising in total of 460 panels.[93] The principal figure of the story, the youth Sudhana, son of an extremely rich merchant, appears on the 16th panel. The preceding 15 panels form a prologue to the story of the miracles during Buddha's samadhi in the Garden of Jeta at Sravasti.

text: During his search, Sudhana visited no fewer than thirty teachers, but none of them had satisfied him completely. He was then instructed by Manjusri to meet the monk Megasri, where he was given the first doctrine. As his journey continues, Sudhana meets (in the following order) Supratisthita, the physician Megha (Spirit of Knowledge), the banker Muktaka, the monk Saradhvaja, the upasika Asa (Spirit of Supreme Enlightenment), Bhismottaranirghosa, the Brahmin Jayosmayatna, Princess Maitrayani, the monk Sudarsana, a boy called Indriyesvara, the upasika Prabhuta, the banker Ratnachuda, King Anala, the god Siva Mahadeva, Queen Maya, Bodhisattva Maitreya and then back to Manjusri. Each meeting has given Sudhana a specific doctrine, knowledge and wisdom. These meetings are shown in the third gallery.

text: After the last meeting with Manjusri, Sudhana went to the residence of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, depicted in the fourth gallery. The entire series of the fourth gallery is devoted to the teaching of Samantabhadra. The narrative panels finally end with Sudhana's achievement of the Supreme Knowledge and the Ultimate Truth.[94]

text: Buddha statues[edit]

text: Apart from the story of the Buddhist cosmology carved in stone, Borobudur has many statues of various Buddhas. The cross-legged statues are seated in a lotus position and distributed on the five square platforms (the Rupadhatu level), as well as on the top platform (the Arupadhatu level).

text: The Buddha statues are in niches at the Rupadhatu level, arranged in rows on the outer sides of the balustrades, the number of statues decreasing as platforms progressively diminish to the upper level. The first balustrades have 104 niches, the second 104, the third 88, the fourth 72 and the fifth 64. In total, there are 432 Buddha statues at the Rupadhatu level.[4] At the Arupadhatu level (or the three circular platforms), Buddha statues are placed inside perforated stupas. The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, which adds up to 72 stupas.[4] Of the original 504 Buddha statues, over 300 are damaged (mostly headless), and 43 are missing. Since the monument's discovery, heads have been acquired as collector's items, mostly by Western museums.[95] Some of these Buddha heads are now displayed in numbers of museums, such as the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam and The British Museum in London.[96]

text: At first glance, all the Buddha statues appear similar, but there is a subtle difference between them in the mudras, or the position of the hands. There are five groups of mudra: North, East, South, West and Zenith, which represent the five cardinal compass points according to Mahayana. The first four balustrades have the first four mudras: North, East, South and West, of which the Buddha statues that face one compass direction have the corresponding mudra. Buddha statues at the fifth balustrades and inside the 72 stupas on the top platform have the same mudra: Zenith. Each mudra represents one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas; each has its own symbolism.[97]

text: Following the order of Pradakshina (clockwise circumumbulation) starting from the East, the mudras of the Borobudur buddha statues are:

text:
Statue
Mudra
Symbolic meaning
Dhyani Buddha
Cardinal Point
Location of the Statue

Bhumisparsa mudra
Calling the Earth to witness
Aksobhya
East
Rupadhatu niches on the first four eastern balustrades

Vara mudra
Benevolence, alms giving
Ratnasambhava
South
Rupadhatu niches on the first four southern balustrades

Dhyana mudra
Concentration and meditation
Amitabha
West
Rupadhatu niches on the first four western balustrades

Abhaya mudra
Courage, fearlessness
Amoghasiddhi
North
Rupadhatu niches on the first four northern balustrades

Vitarka mudra
Reasoning and virtue
Vairochana
Zenith
Rupadhatu niches in all directions on the fifth (uppermost) balustrade

Dharmachakra mudra
Turning the Wheel of dharma (law)
Vairochana
Zenith
Arupadhatu in 72 perforated stupas on three rounded platforms

text: Legacy[edit]

text: The aesthetic and technical mastery of Borobudur, and also its sheer size, has evoked the sense of grandeur and pride for Indonesians. Just like Angkor Wat for Cambodian, Borobudur has become a powerful symbol for Indonesia — to testify for its past greatness. Sukarno made a point of showing the site to foreign dignitaries. The Suharto regime — realized its important symbolic and economic meanings — diligently embarked on a massive project to restore the monument with the help from UNESCO. Many museums in Indonesia contain a scale model replica of Borobudur. The monument has become almost an icon, grouped with the wayang puppet play and gamelan music into a vague classical Javanese past from which Indonesians are to draw inspiration.[98]

text: Several archaeological relics taken from Borobudur or its replica have been displayed in some museums in Indonesia and abroad. Other than Karmawibhangga Museum within Borobudur temple ground, some museums boast to host relics of Borobudur, such as Indonesian National Museum in Jakarta, Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, British Museum in London, and Thai National Museum in Bangkok. Louvre museum in Paris, Malaysian National Museum in Kuala Lumpur, and Museum of World Religions in Taipei also displayed the replica of Borobudur.[86] The monument has drawn global attention to the classical Buddhist civilization of ancient Java.

text: The rediscovery and reconstruction of Borobudur has been hailed by Indonesian Buddhist as the sign of the Buddhist revival in Indonesia. In 1934, Narada Thera, a missionary monk from Sri Lanka, visited Indonesia for the first time as part of his journey to spread the Dharma in Southeast Asia. This opportunity was used by a few local Buddhists to revive Buddhism in Indonesia. A bodhi tree planting ceremony was held in Southeastern side of Borobudur on 10 March 1934 under the blessing of Narada Thera, and some Upasakas were ordained as monks.[99] Once a year, thousands of Buddhist from Indonesia and neighboring countries flock to Borobudur to commemorate national Vesak ceremony.[100]

text: The emblem of Central Java province and Magelang Regency bears the image of Borobudur. It has become the symbol of Central Java, and also Indonesia on a wider scale. Borobudur has become the name of several establishments, such as Borobudur University, Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta, and several Indonesian restaurants abroad. Borobudur has been featured in Rupiah banknote, stamps, numbers of books, publications, documentaries and Indonesian tourism promotion materials. The monument has become one of the main tourism attraction in Indonesia, vital for generating local economy in the region surrounding the temple. The tourism sector of the city of Yogyakarta for example, flourish partly because of its proximity to Borobudur and Prambanan temples.

text: Gallery[edit]

text: Gallery of reliefs[edit]

text:
Relief panel of a ship at Borobudur.

Musicians performing a musical ensemble, probably the early form of gamelan.

The Apsara of Borobudur.

The scene of King and Queen with their subjects.

One relief on a corridor wall.

A weapon, probably the early form of keris.

A detailed carved relief stone.

Tara holding a Chamara

Surasundari holding a lotus

Close up of a relief

Great Departure from Lalitavistara

tag: ul

text: Gallery of Borobudur[edit]

text:
World Heritage inscription of Borobudur Temple

The procedures signage for visiting Borobudur Temple

The inscription of Borobudur restoration in 1973 by the former Indonesian president Soeharto

The scattered parts of Borobudur Temple at Karmawibhangga Museum. People still can't locate their original positions.

A Buddha statue inside a stupa


document_title: Diet drink

question_text: when did the first diet soda come out

question_tokens: when did the first diet soda come out

text: Diet drink

text: History[edit]

text: The beginning of the diet drink or refreshment era was in 1952, when Kirsch Bottling in Brooklyn, New York launched a sugar-free ginger ale called No-Cal.[1] It was designed for diabetics, not dieters, and distribution remained local. Royal Crown Cola placed an announcement in an Atlanta newspaper in 1958 announcing a diet product, Diet Rite. In 1962, Dr Pepper released a diet(etic) version of its soft drink, although it sold slowly due to the misconception that it was meant solely for diabetic consumption. In 1963, The Coca-Cola Company joined the diet soft drink market with Tab, which proved to be a huge success. Tab was originally sweetened with cyclamates and saccharin.

text: Tab, Diet Rite, and Fresca (a grapefruit-flavored drink introduced by Coca-Cola) were the only brand-name diet refreshments on the market until Pepsi released Patio Diet Cola in 1963 and renamed Diet Pepsi the following year. Diet 7 Up was released in 1963 under the name Like. It was discontinued in 1969 due to the US government ban of cyclamate sweetener. After reformulation, it was reintroduced as Diet 7 Up in 1970.[2] It was renamed Sugar Free 7 Up in 1973 then back to Diet 7 Up in 1979. Coca-Cola countered by releasing Diet Coke in 1982. After the release of Diet Coke, Tab took a backseat on the Coca-Cola production lines; Diet Coke could be more easily identified by consumers as associated with Coca-Cola than Tab. Additionally, a study was released claiming that saccharin was a possible carcinogen, leading to Coca-Cola's decision to decrease production of Tab. Prompted by the rising popularity of soft drinks, in the mid-1980s some of those in the alcohol industry began to follow their lead with some beer companies putting sugar-free beer on the market.

text: By the early 1990s, a wide array of companies had their own diet refreshments on supermarket shelves. Tab made a comeback during the late 1990s, after new studies demonstrated that saccharin is not an important factor in the risk of cancer. Nevertheless, The Coca-Cola Company has maintained its 1984 reformulation, replacing some of the saccharin in Tab with NutraSweet.

text: By 2002, some beverage companies had diversified to include such flavors as vanilla and lemon among their products, and diet drinks were soon being produced with those flavors as well (see Diet Vanilla Coke, Diet Pepsi Vanilla). By 2004, several alcohol companies had released sugar-free or "diet" alcoholic products too.[1]

text: Sweetening[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. (August 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Multiple artificial sweeteners can be used to give diet soft drinks a sweet taste without sugar. Sometimes two sweeteners are used in the same beverage. Opinion is mixed as to the taste of these beverages: some think they lack the taste of their sugar-sweetened counterparts, while others think the taste is similar. Some also note an unusual non-sugary aftertaste.[citation needed] Some[who?] feel the opposite—that diet drinks have no aftertaste and that drinks sweetened by high fructose corn syrup have a gritty, over-sweet aftertaste[citation needed].

text: Aspartame[edit]

text: Aspartame, commonly known by the brand name NutraSweet, is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. The 1982 introduction of aspartame-sweetened Diet Coke accelerated this trend. Today, at least in the United States, "diet" is nearly synonymous with the use of aspartame in beverages.

text: Cyclamates[edit]

text: The first artificial sweeteners used in diet soft drinks were cyclamates (often synergistically with saccharin). While many say these cyclamate-sweetened beverages had a more pleasant taste than the diet drinks that followed them, the Food and Drug Administration banned cyclamates in the United States in 1970 on evidence that they caused cancer in lab rats. Cyclamates are still used in many countries outside of the United States.

text: Saccharin[edit]

text: Once cyclamates were banned, American producers turned to saccharin. When used by itself, saccharin was often criticized for having a bitter taste and "chemical" aftertaste. Some products, such as Coca-Cola's Tab, attempted to rectify this by adding a small amount of sugar. In 1977, the FDA was petitioned to ban saccharin, too, as a carcinogen, but a moratorium was placed on the ban until studies were conducted. The ban was lifted in 1991, but by that time, virtually all diet soft drink production had shifted to using aspartame. Perhaps the most notable holdout is Tab, which also uses some aspartame in its formula.

text: Sucralose and acesulfame potassium; "sugar-free" soft drinks[edit]

text: Recently, two other sweeteners have been used with increasing frequency: sucralose (marketed as Splenda) and acesulfame potassium ("Sunett" or "Ace K"). The K in "Ace K" represents the chemical symbol for potassium. Acesulfame potassium is usually combined with aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin rather than alone and its use is particularly common among smaller beverage producers (e.g. Big Red). Diet Rite is the non-aspartame diet soft drink brand with the highest sales today; it uses a combination of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

text: Advocates say drinks employing these sweeteners have a more natural sugar-like taste than those made just with aspartame, and do not have a strong aftertaste. The newer aspartame-free drinks can also be safely consumed by phenylketonurics, because they do not contain phenylalanine. Critics say the taste is not better, merely different, or note that the long-term health risks of all or certain artificial sweeteners is unclear.

text: The widespread, though not universal, agreement that the newest formulations taste much more "normal" (sugar-like) than the older diet soft drinks have prompted some producers, such as Jones Soda, to abandon the "diet" label entirely in favor of "sugar-free", implying that the taste is good enough to drink even when not trying to lose weight. (This idea was first floated by Diet Coke in 1984, with the tagline, "Just For the Taste of It.")

text: In 2005, The Coca-Cola Company announced it would produce a sucralose-containing formulation of Diet Coke known as Diet Coke with Splenda, but that it would continue to produce the aspartame version as well. There were also rumors that a sugar-free version of Coca-Cola Classic, also sweetened with sucralose, was being formulated as well. This formulation was eventually called Coca-Cola Zero, though it is sweetened with aspartame in conjunction with acesulfame potassium.

text: Stevia[edit]

text: Initially launched in Argentina in 2013, Coca-Cola Life is made with a mix of stevia and sugar as its sweeteners. Pepsi has also released a variant of their cola sweetened with stevia and sugar, called Pepsi Next.

text: Amount of artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks[edit]

text: The table below displays milligrams of sweetener in an 8-ounce serving of bottled or canned soft drink as provided by the manufacturers. To determine the amount in a 12-ounce can, multiply these numbers by 1.5. Fountain drinks may contain different sweeteners or different amounts of the same sweeteners.[3][4]

text:
Beverage
Saccharin (mg)
Aspartame (mg)
Acesulfame K (mg)
Sucralose (mg)
Phosphoric Acid (mg)

Diet Coke
0

125
125

30
30

0

43
43

Diet Coke, caffeine free
0

125
125

0

0

0

Diet Coke with Splenda
0

0

0

40
40

0

Coke Zero
0

58
58

31
31

38
38

28
28

Diet Pepsi[4]
0

111
111

7
7

0

0

Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi[4]
0

118
118

0

0

0

Diet Pepsi Lime[4]
0

83
83

21
21

0

0

Diet Pepsi Vanilla[4]
0

83
83

21
21

0

0

Pepsi One[4]
0

0

30
30

40
40

0

Pepsi Max[4]
0

77
77

20
20

0

0

Pepsi Next[4]
0

0

7
7

17
17

0

Diet Dr. Pepper
0

123
123

0

0

0

Diet Mountain Dew
0

57
57

18
18

18
18

0

Sprite Zero
0

50
50

34
34

0

0

Fresca
0

50
50

34
34

0

0

Tab
64
64

19
19

0

0

0

Barq's Diet Root Beer
0

66
66

41
41

0

0

text: Health concerns[edit]

text: Many consumers are concerned about possible health effects of sugar substitutes and caffeine overuse.[5][6] The effectiveness of diet soft drinks as a weight loss tool has also been called into question.

text: Changing the food energy intake from one food will not necessarily change a person's overall food energy intake or cause a person to lose weight. One study[7] at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, reported by Sharon Fowler at the ADA annual meeting, actually suggested the opposite, where consumption of diet drinks correlated with weight gain. While Fowler did suggest that the undelivered expected calories from diet drinks may stimulate the appetite, the correlation does not prove that consumption of diet drinks caused the weight gain. The ADA has yet to issue an updated policy concerning diet drinks.

text: In an independent study by researchers with the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, consumption of any kind of soft drink correlated with increased incidence of metabolic syndrome. Of the 9,000 males and females studied, these drinkers were at 48% higher risk for metabolic syndrome, which involves weight gain and elevated blood sugar. No significant difference in these findings was observed between sugary and diet soft drinks. The researchers surmised that diet drinkers were less likely to consume healthy foods, and that drinking diet beverages flavored with artificial sweeteners more than likely increases cravings for sugar-flavored sweets.[8]

text: Another study was conducted "of 263,925 adults aged 51–70, individuals who drank soda were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with depression over a period of 10 years" It was also stated that "The link was stronger for diet soda than regular soda".[9]

text: Nomenclature[edit]

text: In countries outside of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, the term "light" is often used instead of "diet"; sometimes, even in countries that do not speak English, the word "light" in English is used (e.g., "Coca-Cola Light" in Spain).[10] The formulation of these is slightly different than the "diet"-named versions and thus the taste is slightly different.

text: Reduced-calorie drinks[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. (August 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: In an effort to profit on the surging popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, Coca-Cola and Pepsico both released reduced-calorie versions of their flagship colas in 2004. The products contain approximately half the sugar of the regular versions. The Pepsi variant, Pepsi Edge, is sweetened with sucralose and corn syrup. The sweetening of the Coca-Cola variant, Coca-Cola C2, is a combination of corn syrup, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Pepsi discontinued Edge in 2005, citing lackluster sales. Coca-Cola soon followed suit. Pepsi then released Pepsi Max in 2012.

text: Half of the sugar of a can of regular cola still exceeds the daily sugar allowance of some popular low-carbohydrate diets. It is possible that these soft drinks were targeted to so-called "carb-conscious consumers", who are paying attention to their carbohydrate intake but not trying to drastically reduce it.

text: Consumption[edit]

text: According to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics, about one-fifth of the US population ages 2 years and over consumed diet drinks on a given day in 2009‒2010, and 11% consumed 16 fluid oz. of diet drinks or more. Overall, the percentage consuming diet drinks was higher among females compared with males. The percentage consuming diet drinks was similar for females and males at all ages except among 12- to 19-year-olds, where a higher percentage of females than males consumed diet drinks. A higher percentage of non-Hispanic white people consumed diet drinks compared with non-Hispanic black and Hispanic people. The study included calorie-free and low-calorie versions of soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and carbonated water.[11]

text: Regulation[edit]

text: Diet soda is defined in US law as a food of minimal nutritional value.[12]