Greek Civil War

Ashley Singer & Kate Chang

The Greek Civil war can be deemed a civil war because people from the same unified nation divide and fight against each other. Greece is divided into two sides; communists, those set on Greece having a communist government, and royalists, those who supported the Greek monarchy at the time. The two different opinions on government led to violence and bloodshed, a civil war.

Precursor Events

World War II

German troops occupied and controlled parts of the country. Greece held a main-line railway ran north from the Peloponnesus through Athens to Thessalonica, after which it branched to former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey. This rail line was an important means of supply for German forces in Crete and even North Africa during WWII. 550,000 Greeks were killed; the country lost “one in 14” of its population, compared to “1/77” in France and “1/125” in Britain. More than a third of the national wealth and over 400,000 homes were destroyed, as well as over half of the national roads system, 73% of the commercial navy, 66% of trucks, and 60% of large farm animals, and a large part of agricultural crops. Unemployment in the cities stood at 50% and inflation was rampant. It was estimated that Greece would need $3,172 million to reconstruct. Thus, Greece emerged from WWII in complete economic, social, and political disarray.

Political Tension

Politics played a main role in the relationship between the ELAS and EDES very early, and was precursor of what was to follow. Even if ELAS tended to be somewhat independent, preferring to defeat the Germans first and talk about politics later, a bitter confrontation developed between the EAM and EDES. Of course, with the time the Communists made sure that ELAS toed the party line more closely.

Communist Take over

Previously, the Greek government was controlled by Dictator Ioannis Metaxas who ruled Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. After his death, Greece is left powerless. Greece establishes a monarchy with King George II. He is, by implication, overthrown in a communist uprising in 1944.

White Terror

Occurred during 1945 - 1946; the persecution of EAM-ELAS members prior to the civil war. Organization X, a right-wing force, unleashed a terrorist campaign not only against the communists, but also against communist sympathizers, socialists, and centrists. 84,931 leftists and centrists were arrested, 31,632 were subjected to physical torture and 1,299 were executed. A British Parliamentary investigating team warned that “Greece is rapidly becoming a fascist state.”

The Greek civil war was fought over communism and power whereas the U.S. civil war was fought over slavery and states’ rights. A communist group in Greece breaks away to form a new government that, by implication, disowned the Greek King George II and his government. Royalists, those who are loyal to Greece and against communism fight back to preserve the monarchy.

The Government of Greece (Royalists)
Supported by: Great Britain, United States

EDES - National Republican Greek League (Led by Nikolaos Plastiras & Napoleon Zervas)
EKKA - National and Social Liberation

EOEA - National Groups of Greek Guerrillas
X - Organization X (commanded by Col. George Grivas) Waged a war of terror and counter-terror against the EAM and ELAS and their sympathisers

The Democratic Army of Greece (Communists)

Supported by: Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania

KKE - Communist Party of Greece (Led By George Siantos)

EAM - National Liberation Front

ELAS - National People’s Liberation Army (Led by commander Stephanos Saraphis)

  • DSE - Democratic Army of Greece (EAM/ELAS)

  • Renamed themselves in December 1946 and were completely controlled by the KKE

NOF - Pro-Yugoslav organization that sided with the EAM

Arms and Army

Neither side had a huge advantage but the Non-communists were supported by the greater military powers in the world, the British and the United States. The communists were also supported by other nations (but not as powerful) Yugoslavia, Albania, and Bulgaria. However, the communists built their headquarters in the mountains, making it harder for the royalists to try and take the communist capital.

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Resources and Technology

The communist side of the Greek Civil war controlled local resources. They had help from neighboring countries close by. The royalists’ allies were in northern Europe and halfway around the world. It took longer and it was more difficult for the royalists to receive resources from the aiding countries. However, the royalists had more men since they were supplied by the two greatest military powers in the world. Even backed with three nations, the communist would not have the greater amount resources.

The U.S. and Great Britain had aircraft, which were fairly new at the time, and other forms of transportation they could provide for the royalists. However, the communists strategically placed their headquarters in the mountains where vehicles would have trouble reaching. The communists used defensive technology by barricading themselves and using their uphill advantage to fight off any invaders.

Communist Alliances: Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria

Non-communist Alliances: Great Britain, United States

  • The United State’s involvement included military affairs as well as economic aid. The United States began its involvement in order to address the overwhelming destruction of the war. In 1945, UNRRA, an international agency dominated by the U.S., began a mission in Greece and that “paved the way for the Truman doctrine.”

  • From the end of WWII to the outbreak of civil war in 1946, Greece was run by a slew of British backed Service Governments. The first major internal crisis occurred in December 1944 when British General Scobie decided to disband EDES and ELAS, causing an uprising. The Varkiza Agreement was signed between the Service Government and EAM-ELAS in January 1945, after which ELAS honored the deal to surrender arms to the state authorities. Civil war was temporarily averted, however, political life remained in complete disorder.

  • For the first time, during the elections of 1946, the government of the USA was directly involved in Greek affairs alongside Britain. Also in 1946, the U.S. began to transition from a focus on primarily economic aid to a military and political strategy

  • In February of 1947 by Britain had the intention of “pulling out” 40,000 troops from Greece, as well as other troops in Turkey

  • The most important cause of the shift in U.S. policy was a belief that the Soviet Union might be interested in pushing not only west, but most alarmingly in threatening the stability of the Northern Tier – Iran, Turkey and Greece. Domino theory: stopping communism in Greece, which was seen as a “buffer zone” protecting the Middle East, was essential in preventing the fall of the entire region of the Northern Tier to Soviet influence

The communist society was taken aback for the GCW was one of the first conflicts of the Cold War: Greece was the only place in Central, Balkan and Eastern Europe where communism attempted, but failed, to take power. The GCW potentially started a new conflict. The civil war left Greece in a greater economic crisis than the country suffered as a result of the German occupation. Of a population not much greater than seven million, well over 100,000, possibly close to 150,000, perished in the civil war. One million became homeless and 28,000 children “disappeared” (to become ardent communist fighters or taken abroad for their own safety).

This graph shows you the number of Greek deaths from World War II to the end of the Greek Civil War. By the end of World War II, Greece was already left economically unstable. To further their instability they fight a civil war and increase the damage left behind. The Civil War did not benefit their economy but made it worse. With an original estimated population of 7 million people, about 700,000 dead.

The Arts


As mentioned on the Neurology & Physiology page of this website, there is a vast range of possible swallowing deficits that can arise following a stroke. Furthermore, it has been shown that post-stroke dysphagia can occur in any stage of the swallowing process (Groher and Crary, 2010). For the purposes of this section, specific reference is not made to the various types of incoordination and impairment that can occur throughout the anatomical components of the swallow post-stroke. Rather, the assessment section focuses on the reported fact that patients with bilateral hemispheric stroke are twice as likely to aspirate than patients with unilateral stroke (Horner, Massey, and Brazer, 1990). Accordingly, this section discusses clinical and instrumental assessments in relation to detection of aspiration.
The high risk of aspiration in patients with bilateral hemispheric stroke requires a rigorous and methodical assessment that is both holistic and considerate of the patient's condition and background. This section of the website discusses:

As this website is focused on patients with bilateral hemispheric stroke within the acute phase of hospital care, it is possible that due to the patient's overall condition, an instrumental assessment may not be possible within the first week post-stroke. This does not reduce the importance of instrumental assessment - while the clinical assessment is upheld as a means of gathering valuable information about the patient's swallow and non-penetrative dysphagia, the instrumental assessment is highly regarded in terms of its accuracy in identifying aspiration. Furthermore, instrumental assessment allows the clinician to visualise the coordination and structure of certain swallowing anatomy, while the clinical assessment only allows the SLT to infer its integrity.
Ongoing assessment is also an important consideration as stroke patients' dysphagia can improve over time (Daniels and Huckabee, 2008). Post-acute reassessment allows the clinician to ensure that dysphagia intervention is effective and appropriate (Heckert, Komaroff and Barrett, 2009).


Photography Is So Easy With These Great Tips

Try out new ideas, and don’t shy away from taking original photos. A creative picture should showcase your own style and allow viewers to see the world in a certain way. Try to stay away from taking pictures that are described as ‘classic’. You can create great photos by using different angles and adding your creative touch.

Framing the subject in a photo is very important. Get rid of distracting elements by zooming into your focal point. This prevents clutter in your pictures, and multiple unwanted, unsightly focal points.

If you’re on a trip, it’s best to start capturing photos the moment you leave. You should keep your eyes peeled for interesting photos to take during your trip, no matter how photogenic you are expecting your destination to be. Document your travel. For example, there are many interesting things about an airport that makes it perfect for picture taking.

Pre-focus your camera before moving slightly, so your subject isn’t centered in the frame. Centering is generally expected and not that interesting in a photo. Take interesting pictures by making the subject off center.

Make your subject feel comfortable, especially if you don’t know them. Many people see photographers as a possible threat. Have a nice chat and make them feel comfortable with you, and then ask if it’s okay to photograph them. It’s up to you to help them understand they’re taking part in your art, and you’re not not trying to invade their privacy.

Though there are techniques that can help you be a better photographer, they are not secrets and can be learned easily. Do not stop taking pictures. With each image that you capture, you gain experience. You don’t need to feel you have to preserve every photo you take, especially with digital cameras being so prolific. You want to constantly experiment with new subjects and techniques, then judge and compare the results to see what worked best.

Setting deliberate limitations can spark your creativity. One way is to limit your shots for a whole day to subjects that express a single idea. Focus your shooting to one spot or room and shoot 100 varied photographs. These strict limits will force you to try new ideas and think creatively.

At one time or another, your picture results might have disappointed you. If you take the time and apply what you have learned from this article, you should never encounter that problem again. Use our tools and your pictures will be ones that you are proud of, displaying gorgeous memories to last more than a lifetime.

Professional Picture Tips And Tricks You Must Know

In the world of photography, good photos are ones that craftily showcase the subject matter. There are a number of tips professional photographers use. You will be able to take better pictures and have a better reputation as a photographer. Use these tips, and you’ll be able to create high-quality photos.

If your goal is to produce professional looking photos, you will have a much easier time if you purchase a professional-level camera. Think about getting a DSLR camera so you can take great pictures at an affordable price. Successful photographers pay close attention to the type and quality of the equipment they purchase, so it would behoove you to do the same.

When taking pictures of people, make sure that the background is slightly blurred. Having your background in full focus is bad; it will take away the focus from your subject. An easy way to do this is to make sure that there is a larger distance between the subject and the background.

Use your camera to capture every detail of your travels. Once you get home you will appreciate all the photos you have taken and relive the journey in your mind. Think about taking pictures of stores, coins, bus tickets or street signs for example.

Even if you don’t know your models, make sure they feel comfortable. Someone taking pictures can easily appear to pose a potential threat. Help your model to relax by keeping a friendly atmosphere, and the mood upbeat. Also, seek their permission before you start taking their picture. Help them understand that this is art, and not just a method of invading their privacy.

White is the worst color to be wearing in photographs, despite popular opinion to the contrary. Modern cameras are equipped with auto-focus. When the camera tries to auto-focus it looks at all the different shades of color in the field. White clothing usually looks washed out in these pictures.

Your Source Of Solid Ideas About Photography Can Be Found Below

Photography needs a good amount of training, as well as natural talent. This is not saying that you have to be born to be a photographer, just that you will need to keep an open mind and learn many different techniques until you find what works for you.

Creating photographs that stand up to the pros will require that you invest in a camera that has professional features. Think about getting a DSLR camera so you can take great pictures at an affordable price. The best photographers utilize these cameras and so must you.

When photographing landscapes, create a sense of depth. Put a person in the foreground to get the sense of scale of the surroundings. Setting a small aperture, no greater than f/8 with most consumer digital cameras or f/16 with a full-frame SLR, will provide sharpness to both the foreground and background.

When going on a trip, start shooting photos the instant you depart. Once you arrive you may find plenty of times to take pictures, but photograph the journey too. Instead of only waiting until you reach your desired location, document your trip there. For example, an airport presents lots of engaging subjects for your photographs.

You are allowed to move around the subject to find an interesting shot. Experiment with taking a picture above and below your subject, as well as moving off to the side.

Use careful consideration when choosing the subject of your photograph. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are, or how great your equipment is, you need a great subject to photograph. Think about it for a bit then carefully choose objects that naturally inspire you. You can also look for someone to model and pose for you.

By now you realize that you can become a great photographer and enjoy a great career that you won’t find in other fields. Taking pictures is more than just pointing and clicking a camera, Photography is about taking the scenic beauty that is present all around and immortalizing it forever.


GAD 2297 - Graphic Art & Design Portfolio

The course focuses on helping students create an effective professional design portfolio and presentation of their work. Students will gain the opportunity to learn that the quality and personal style of a designer’s portfolio is crucial in starting out in the design industry. The entire creative audience will be addressed. Students will be guided through the essential steps in creating a portfolio that reflects their personal style, an often-overlooked aspect that employers cite as essential information. Coverage includes a unique plan for defining a student’s own “brand” or “image,” with practical suggestions for translating that personal vision into a cohesive “marketing program” that gets results. Based on a student's specific goals, emphasis will be placed on methods of effectively presenting his/her works.

IAI Codes - Illinois Articulation Initiative (If applicable)


Dodes'ka-den (1970)

After Red Beard Kurosawa was offered the chance to direct the Japanese half of the 20th Century Fox produced World War II epic Tora! Tora! Tora!.

After fears of Kurosawa going over budget and the filming schedule going too long, 20th Century Fox fired the director. Rumors of Kurosawa's mental stability were also cited as a reason for 20th Century Fox's decision to fire him.

After the drama of Tora! Tora! Tora!'s production, Kurosawa set out to re-invent himself in a way. The one hurtle that he needed to overcome was financial in nature.

Turning to fellow veteran Japanese directors Kon Ichikawa, Masaki Kobayashi and Keisuke Kinoshita, Kurosawa formed the production company called the Club of the Four Knights.

Dodes'ka-den would be the first and only film they would produce.

The production of Dodes'ka-den stands out for several reasons. Not only was it the first time Kurosawa utilized color film, but it was also his first film with a whole new group of actors.

Kurosawa also defied expectations and finished the film before schedule.

The film, however, was not a success. What followed was undoubtedly the darkest period of Kurosawa's life.

Of Kurosawa's films, Dodes'ka-den is probably the one most devoid of a traditional plot. The film is merely a few days in the lives of the inhabitants of a Japanese junkyard town.

Rokuchan, a mentally challenged boy, dreams of driving the local trolley. He plasters drawings he's made onto the walls of his home and rides his imaginary trolley into the main junkyard area chanting "Dodes'ka-den, Dodes'ka-den" (Clickety-clack).

There we meet a colorful cast of characters, literally. In the center of the town there are the gossiping women. On either side of them is a couple, content on living however they please, even if it means swapping husbands.

In a beat-up car a man and his son imagine their dream home.

An old man offers life lessons to those in need.

A bureaucrat with a nervous tic lives with his overbearing wife.

A young girl lives with her abusive uncle, toiling away working for two while her aunt is in the hospital and her uncle drinks all day.

All of these stories combine to present a sad, infuriating and sometimes even humorous picture of what life is like for the forgotten and poor people living in Japan.

Dodes'ka-den is certainly a departure from the usual Kurosawa film. The Kurosawa film it most resembles would be The Lower Depths. Dodes'ka-den, like The Lower Depths, is a film that is far more concerned with characters than a standard plot.

One might say nothing really happens in Dodes'ka-den. Indeed, we leave the characters seeing them much the same way as when we met them. Despite a couple tragic deaths, the film is merely a window into a few days in the lives of a junkyard town.

Kurosawa's films prior to Dodes'ka-den are rich in characterization. The characters leap off the screen and the actors who portray them often seem to become their characters by the end of the film.

In Dodes'ka-den this feeling is not so easily had. The audience is generally asked to sympathize and relate to the characters in most films, especially those of Kurosawa. We go with Watanabe as he deals with his cancer in Ikiru, we travel with two lowly peasants in The Hidden Fortress, and we seek revenge with Nishi in The Bad Sleep Well.

The issue with Dodes'ka-den is that Kurosawa tries to do too much. He spends so little time with each character that as soon as we begin to relate to one he jumps to the next.

Each character has their own story to tell. And despite the film's 140 minute run-time, we are treated to mere snippets of their lives.

This is but one flaw in an otherwise refreshingly new Kurosawa film.

If one expected to see some trepidation from Kurosawa's first venture into color film, Dodes'ka-den may come as a shock. The director dives into the colors as any natural painter like Kurosawa would.

The film is flooded with bright yellows, reds and blues. Kurosawa displays these colors in the bleakest of worlds.

Equally as impressive as his ability to adapt to shooting in color is the way in which he uses color itself to enhance the story.

The best example of this comes with the story of the man and his son thinking about their dream home.

They dream of a home with vibrant colors. As they speak of the images they want to create Kurosawa cuts to a model of their creation. Showing what characters are thinking about in their minds is a new technique from Kurosawa but it works remarkably well to put the audience in the place of the characters on screen.

As the film goes on the physical condition of the man and his son begins to deteriorate. At the end of the film their health is so bad that the two look like they are completely devoid of color. With their faces now the color of ash, Kurosawa is showing us the link between color and the human soul.

The most heartbreaking scene in the film occurs when the man's boy dies. In one final dream, the man grants his sons wish by creating a large swimming pool in his mind. Kurosawa zooms-out quickly and in an almost seamless transition the junkyard is transformed into a bright, colorful swimming pool.

Another strong example of meaning in Kurosawa's use of color occurs when Katsuko, the girl who works for her uncle, is lying on a bed of colorful flowers which she has made. It is a stunning portrait of innocence. The sense of vulnerability is also heightened by the high angle shot.

The innocence is soon destroyed when her drunk uncle comes in and rapes her. The imagery earlier in the scene makes the act that much more heinous.

The final scene contains one more flourish of color from Kurosawa. The camera pans around Rokuchan's home which is laden with drawings of trolleys. Kurosawa backlights the drawings so their colors come out through the glass.

Despite their living conditions he shows us that dreams are still alive and important.

Kurosawa often contrasts the colorful with the drab and gray. When characters are at their low points he will place them in a backdrop of gray.

Though he would work with color in all of his later films, it is with Dodes'ka-den that he utilizes the power of color to its fullest.

In The Lower Depths, the characters are keenly aware of their situation in life. They know they are the forgotten people and have little or no hope of ever getting out of their particular socio-economic status.

The characters in Dodes'ka-den are the same way. They get by the same way the characters in the earlier film do. Some drink, some laugh and others simply do nothing but waste away.

There is indeed a lot of humor in Dodes'ka-den. The man's nervous tic seems like something out of a Chaplin film and when the old man assists a burglar by giving him money, the humor in the otherwise tragic situation is brought out.

Most of the film is, however, quite depressing. The man who dreams up his house laments to his son about how the Japanese people used to be. One can't help but feel that Kurosawa himself is speaking through this man. He himself must have felt the same way and would probably often escape into dreams himself, a subject he would later explore in his semi-autobiographical film Dreams.

As in The Idiot, Kurosawa holds a strong amount of sympathy for the mentally challenged. Rokuchan, like Kameda, is a victim of the society in which he lives.

Rokuchan is arguably given the more sympathetic ending in Dodes'ka-den. He still has his dreams.

With Rokuchan Kurosawa employs another technique to get the audience to feel what he feels. When Rokuchan is operating his imaginary trolley, Kurosawa inserts into the soundtrack the sounds a real trolley would make.

Again, the effect works extremely well. The sound effects for the imaginary trolley and the images of the man's dreams of his home are really the only two examples of Kurosawa bringing the audience into the minds of the characters.

It comes as no surprise that these characters are really the only ones that a strong connection is felt with. And because their screen time is so limited, the other characters in the film seem to be merely fillers in an otherwise tragic and interesting story.

Apart from the color photography the camerawork is not so different from his previous films. The one major difference is the inclusion of the zoom lens, something never before seen in a Kurosawa film.

The camera explores more space than the previous theater-like Lower Depths, but in each house Kurosawa seldom moves the camera in favor of showcasing the acting.

Despite its lack of a strong plot or action, the characters in Dodes'ka-den are its most endearing quality. Although it is not Kurosawa's strongest work, it is still an excellent example of how the director worked with characterization.

These characters, like those of his other films, seem incredibly real. Because of the verisimilitude in the film, the tragic message does get through.

Life goes on, Kurosawa tells us, but even in lives like these people still have their dreams.


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Black Holes: Eternal Prisons No More

Black Holes: Eternal Prisons No More
The famed physicist spoke to a packed house at Bovard Auditorium.

Celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking delivered an inspiring speech to a full house at Bovard Auditorium on March 10.

Warner said that Hawking has contributed greatly to popularizing science with his book A Brief History of Time, which sold 10 million copies and focused on black holes and the big bang theory. With a lifetime spent studying cosmology and black holes, Hawking’s scientific prowess also has played a part in prime-time shows such as Futurama and The Simpsons.

Hawking’s lecture focused on black holes, a term coined by American physicist John Wheeler. Hawking discussed the history of black holes, which began in 1783 with British physicist John Michell, who suggested that there might be “dark stars” whose gravity is strong enough to trap light and prevent the star from being seen from far away.

Americans Albert Michelson and Edward Morley proved that the speed of light is invariant and does not depend on where it comes from. Therefore, Michell’s notion of a dark star is not entirely correct. Next, Albert Einstein weighed in with his theory of relativity where space and time are no longer independent entities but rather different directions in a four-dimensional space-time.

From outside a black hole, you cannot tell what is inside. Hawking humorously noted that one can throw television sets, diamond rings or your worst enemy into a black hole. All the hole remembers is the total mass and the state of rotation.

Hawking outlined how black holes seem to conflict with one of the fundamental ideas of science, namely determinism. That is, given enough detail about the state of the universe at present, one can predict the future and reconstruct the past. The fact that black holes can absorb matter and then emit something completely different means that black holes appear to undermine determinism. However, Hawking believes he has found a resolution in the ideas of Richard Feynman, who believes that quantum theory involves looking at all possible alternative histories.

This perspective also supports the idea that if you fall into a black hole, you may come out in another universe. If there is a large hole and if it is rotating, you may pass through it and into another universe. As a result, you would not come back to this universe.

Warner and his colleagues selected questions from students to ask Hawking following his talk. One question posed: “Stephen, why are you so cool?”

Black Holes: Eternal Prisons No More

Top stories on USC News


There are two ways of visiting the CIVIMA Museum:

a) Unguided visit: no previous booking required. The Museum can be visited within its opening hours, buying an entrance ticket.

b) Guided tour: Previous booking required

The CIVIMA Museum (Centro de Interpretación Viñas de Manilva) has the following exhibitions rooms:

Audiovisual room: Screening of a documentary about the Project and Manilva town.

Viticulture room: Space dedicated to the description, through images and items, of the history of viticulture in Manilva, the different vines, morphology of the plant, traditional labors and equipment used.

Oenology room: Exhibition space dedicated to explaining how we produce wine, comparing the difference between traditional and modern systems.

Grape harvest room and Grape harvest celebrations: We can view the traditional cane "sombrajo", the place where the grapes where processed before taking them to the market. Photographs of different times relating to the celebrations and traditions of the viticulture. Description and use of the raisin dryers, to produce raisins and grapes for the production of sweet wines.

CIVIMA has a room dedicated to temporary cultural exhibitions, where local artists can exhibit their paintings, photographs, ceramic, arts & crafts works or any other cultural activity. It also holds well-known itinerant exhibitions.


Matthew Weier O'Phinney:
On Deprecating ServiceLocatorAware
Apr 27, 2016 @ 11:16:51

In this post to his site Matthew Weier O'Phinney talks about a change in the Zend Framework ZendMVC package to deprecate the ServiceLocatorAware interface and some of the unexpected backlash of it.

He shares some of the "constructive" feedback they received when they made the change, most importantly asking for a justification for the change. He then goes through their thinking behind the change, some of its original intent and how it allowed for "dependency hiding" in its use. He gets into some detailed code examples for this last point, some of the errors that could happen as a result and other issues (like no type safety and the brittleness of using a service locator).

tagged: deprecation servicelocatoraware interface zendframework zendframework3

Link: https://mwop.net/blog/2016-04-26-on-locators.html


Shere Khan is one of the many versions of the eponymous character in the short story collection, The Jungle Book, written by the late Rudyard Kipling, and the main antagonist of the anime series Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli, and is quite faithful and authoritative to the literary version, except for some minor differences.

He is a recalcitrant and dangerous tiger who violates many laws of the Jungle, including eating humans and cows and over-hunting. He has to his service hyenas and monkeys (and his right arm is the most trusted hyena Tabaqui) and is also the one who pushed the path of the evil Grizzle, a wolf once part of the Seeonee Wolf Pack.

He also appears as the boss of Alba.

Shere Khan is also fearless and indomitable of most things, except that he is a pyrophobe (or one who fears fire), he is frightened by guns and he withdraws when it comes to an elephant named Hathi.

His loathing for humans is part of a history that goes back to his first ancestor's encounter with one. The injury on his right, hind leg is dealt by Alexander in a fight.

Later, other injuries he would receive include: A piercing being made in his forehead after Mowgli attacks him with a long, narrow, sharp-edged rock; the wound over his left eye being made. Again by Mowgli, slashing it with a blade in requital for slashing Mowgli's left thigh and harming one of his new human friends/future family members, leaving the tiger disfigured.

In the last showdown, Mowgli defeats and slays Shere Khan by stabbing him in one of his sides.

           The Jungle Book Villains

The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo: Buldeo
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story: Shere Khan | Tabaqui

Jungle Cubs: Cain | Mahra | Arthur & Cecil | Dholes


Warriors G Curry gets vote from dad's replacement

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dell Curry may not have been able to vote for his son as the NBA's rookie of the year, but his replacement did.

Curry, the Charlotte Bobcats TV analyst, had his vote revoked by the NBA because his son, Stephen of the Golden State Warriors, is considered a front-runner for the award along with Tyreke Evans of Sacramento.

The elder Curry said he turned in his ballot Tuesday with his son as rookie of the year. After the vote was voided, the ballot was transferred to Bobcats radio play-by-play announcer Scott Lauer. He said on Wednesday he voted for Curry.

Dell Curry claimed his choice wasn't simply based on family. Stephen Curry is averaging 17.2 points, second for rookies Evans' 20.1. Curry leads all rookies with 5.9 assists.


Edith Varian Cockroft, American (1881 - 1962)

A painter in the modernist styles of her era, Edith Cockcroft was heavily influenced by Henri Matisse with whom she studied in Paris in 1898. She was born in Brooklyn to wealthy parents and lived in Allendale, New Jersey.

In 1898, she went to France where she spent much time in the art colonies of Pont Aven and Concarneau. She exhibited in Paris at the Salon de la Society Nationale des Beaux Arts and the Salon d'Automme. "There is probably no truth to the often repeated story that she was a mistress to Paul Gaughin for, by 1898, he had traveled to the South Seas for the last time."

She married as a teen ager and lived with her husband in New York City and then in Sloatsburg, New York. Her husband, Charles Weyand, was a stock broker who lost much money during the Depression, so she supported them with the making of pottery, jewelry and with fabric designs.

Artist's Gallery


“There are so many reasons why we can’t be, indeed, we’re not sure why we should be. We don’t know why we should be artists, but we have many reasons why we can’t be. Why do people instantly resist the idea of associating themselves with art? Perhaps you think art is for the greatly gifted or for the thoroughly and professionally trained. And some of you may think you’ve strayed too far from art. Well you might have, but I don’t think so. This is the theme of my talk today. We are all born artists.”

In the following Tedx Talk, celebrated Korean auther Young-ha Kim  invokes the world’s greatest artists to urge you to unleash your inner child — the artist who wanted to play forever. He asks, “why do we ever stop playing and creating?” In this playful speech he reminds us the importance of fighting the resistance and the inner voices that emerge when one is engaging in artistic work, as well as the importance of play and fun when being creative. Most importantly he states that the time to start is now!

“What should we do now?Let’s be artists, right now. Right away. How? Just do it!”


CrateDB Combines SQL-based Queries And Extreme Scalability For Machine Data Analytics today announces the general availability of CrateDB, an open source SQL-database platform that specializes in storing and analyzing machine data and related applications. CrateDB features a distributed SQL query engine that empowers users to run complex queries in real-time without the diminution of performance specific to “first generation SQL databases”, as noted in a press release. The platform also boasts columnar field caches and enhanced versatility with respect to SQL-based queries on machine data. For example, CrateDB delivers the capability to create outer joins as well as run queries on structured and unstructured data, perform time series analysis and leverage advanced database search functionality. In addition, CrateDB features extreme scalability marked by automated sharding and data redistribution that optimizes data performance and availability in correspondence with the volume of data stored within the platform. Importantly, CrateDB allows organizations to take advantage of SQL-oriented skills and tools to expedite its integration and adoption. As such, the platform represents a SQL-based alternative to NoSQL machine data solutions such as Splunk and Cassandra that empowers organizations to collect and analyze massive volumes of machine data in real-time in conjunction with the platform’s enhanced querying versatility and scalability. Available under an Apache 2.0 license, CrateDB marks the emergence of another key player in the machine data analytics space that promises to disrupt the landscape of machine data analytics platforms, particularly given the nexus of its advanced SQL-based querying functionality and extreme scalability. Organizations with resources versed primarily in SQL will lean toward CrateDB given the richness of its distributed SQL querying engine and ability to query data in real-time without resorting to an ancillary data warehousing option to append to their machine data analytics infrastructure.

b. Create new data design of NoSQL database

MongoDB Reveals Details Of Connector To SQL-Compliant Business Intelligence And Data Visualization Platforms

MongoDB today announced details of a technology that connects MongoDB to business intelligence and data visualization platforms such as Tableau, Business Objects, Cognos and Microsoft Excel. By rendering data stored in MongoDB compatible with SQL-compliant data analysis tools, the connector allows developers to leverage the rich querying ability of SQL to derive actionable business intelligence from MongoDB-based data. MongoDB customers can now directly take advantage of MongoDB’s connector to transform data from MongoDB’s JSON, nested format into the tabular format required of SQL-compliant tools, whereas previously, organizations interested in obtaining business intelligence on MongoDB-based data typically resorted to third party analytics and visualization platforms such as Jaspersoft, Pentaho and Informatica. By giving customers access to a richer, deeper connection between data aggregated in MongoDB and platforms such as Tableau and Business Objects, customers no longer need to consider transforming MongoDB-based data into a relational database prior to performing advanced analytical queries.

At this year’s MongoDB World conference, Tableau and MongoDB leveraged data from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to illustrate the likelihood that conference attendees would return home on time. The release of the connector is symptomatic of a broader, industry-wide trend toward deeper integration between NoSQL and SQL as evinced, for example, by the recent integration between Couchbase and Metanautix. Given the contemporary interest in real-time analytics on streaming Big Data, the obvious question raised by the tightened integration between MongoDB and SQL-compliant platforms concerns the degree to which BI platforms such as Tableau will be able to perform real-time queries on streaming data aggregated in MongoDB. Meanwhile, the release of the MongoDB connector illustrates the enduring popularity of SQL as a framework for querying heterogeneous datasets as exemplified by the way in which the convergence of SQL and NoSQL stands to complement the robust ecosystem of SQL on Hadoop platforms such as Lingual, Apache Hive, Pivotal HAWQ and Cloudera Impala.