Vampire Knight

# Vampire Knight

## Abstract

Vampire Knight (Japanese: ヴァンパイア 騎士 （ ナイト ）, Hepburn: Vanpaia Naito) is a Japanese manga series written by Matsuri Hino. It was serialized in Hakusensha 's shōjo manga magazine LaLa from 2004 to 2013, with its chapters collected in nineteen tankōbon volumes. The manga series is licensed in English by Viz Media, which has released all nineteen volumes. The English adaptation was serialized in Viz Media's Shojo Beat manga magazine from 2006 to 2009.

The story takes place in the prestigious Cross Academy, which is home to two distinct classes: The Day class, which applies to only humans, and the Night Class, which applies to only vampires, of which the day class is unaware. Much of the plot revolves around Yuki Cross, the headmaster's adopted daughter, as she is being drawn into a conflict concerning the overall coexistence between humans and vampires and the twisted reality concerning her childhood friend Zero Kiryuu, who, despite having a hatred for vampires, is revealed to be slowly turning into one of their kind.

Two drama CDs were created for the series, as well as a twenty-six episode anime adaptation based on the first two sagas. Produced by Studio Deen, the anime series' first season aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between April and July 2008. The second season, aired on the same station from October to December 2008. The anime adaptation was licensed for release in North America by Viz Media.

## Plot

Yuki's earliest memory is of a stormy night in winter, where she was attacked by a rogue vampire and rescued by Kaname Kuran, a Pureblood vampire. Ten years later, Yuki is the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, Kaien Cross, and has become a guardian of the vampire race, protecting her childhood crush, Kaname, from discovery as he leads a group of vampires at the elite boarding school.

At her side is Zero Kiryu, a childhood friend whose hatred for the creatures that destroyed everything he held dear leaves him determined never to trust them. This coexisting arrangement seems all well and good, but have the vampires truly renounced their murderous ways, or is there a darker truth behind their actions? In this world of secrets, nothing is as it seems. The price of misplaced trust may even be worse than death. Should Yuki truly find out what was in her past, is the truth going to hurt her worse than not knowing?

## Media

### Manga

Written and illustrated by Matsuri Hino, Vampire Knight was serialized in Hakusensha 's shōjo manga magazine LaLa from November 24, 2005, to May 24, 2013. The individual chapters were collected and published in nineteen tankōbon volumes, released from July 10, 2005, to November 5, 2013.

In North America, the manga was licensed for English release by Viz Media. The series ran in the publisher's Shojo Beat manga anthology from the July 2006 issue until the July 2009 issue; the magazine's final issue. The nineteen volumes were released from January 2, 2007, to October 14, 2014. In Australia and New Zealand the manga was licensed by Madman Entertainment.

#### Sequel

Since the manga's conclusion, Hino began releasing a series of special chapters, which take place after the end of the final volume. On November 8, 2013, Hino released the first special chapter titled "Life" (命, Inochi) in LaLa Fantasy, which was licensed and released digitally by Viz Media on December 9, 2014. Following chapters were released in LaLa DX. The second special chapter, titled "I Love You" (あなたのことが好きです, Anata no Koto ga Sukidesu), was released on February 10, 2015. On December 10, 2015, the third special chapter, titled "Love's Desire" (愛の望み, Ai no Nozomi), was released. On February 10, 2016, the fourth and final special chapter, "Between Death and Heaven" (命の終わりと天国の間, Inochi no owari to tengoku no aida), was released. The chapters were collected as the first volume of a sequel manga Vampire Knight: Memories, released on June 3, 2016. Vampire Knight: Memories itself officially launched in LaLa DX on June 10, 2016. Nine volumes have been published as of October 2023. The series is also licensed for English release by Viz Media.

### Anime

Vampire Knight was adapted into a thirteen episode anime television series by Studio Deen, which was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 8 to July 1, 2008. A second thirteen-episode season, Vampire Knight Guilty, was broadcast from October 7 to December 30, 2008.

The series uses four pieces of theme music. The opening themes of both the first and second season are performed by the duo On/Off, with "Futatsu no Kodō to Akai Tsumi" (ふたつの鼓動と赤い罪) as the opening for the first season, and "Rinne Rondo" (輪廻 -ロンド-, Rinne) as the opening for the second one. Kanon Wakeshima performs the first season ending theme, "Still Doll", and also the second season's ending theme "Suna no Oshiro" (砂のお城). The soundtrack is composed by Takefumi Haketa and consists of 30 tracks (including the opening theme and ending theme).

In North America, the series was licensed by Viz Media. In the UK, the first volume was officially released on DVD via Manga Entertainment on November 22, 2010. In Australia, ABC3 aired the series in 2011.

### Light novels

Three light novels created by Matsuri Hino and Ayuna Fujisaki were published in Japan by Hakusensha in 2008 (the first two novels) and 2013 (the third), respectively. The novels feature side-stories that use the characters of the manga, but are not specifically based on chapters from the series. The first novel, Vampire Knight: Ice Blue Sin (ヴァンパイア騎士 憂氷の罪, Vanpaia Naito: Aisu Burū no Tsumi), was published on April 5, 2008. The first story within the novel looks at an incident that occurred at Cross Academy in the year preceding Yuki's arrival about a Day Class student named Fuka Kisaragi, while the second story details an incident that occurred while Zero was still in training to be a vampire hunter alongside Kaito Takamiya, another boy training under Toga Yagari to be a vampire hunter.

The second novel, Vampire Knight: Noir's Trap (ヴァンパイア騎士 凝黒の罠, Vanpaia Naito: Nowāru no Wana), was published on October 3, 2008. The story focuses on two minor characters, Nadeshiko Shindo and Kasumi Kageyama, from the manga, following their respective unrequited love at Cross Academy, as well as detailing a case that happened when Akatsuki Kain and Ruka Souen go to visit Senri Shiki and Rima Toya's modeling studio.

The third novel, Vampire Knight: Fleeting Dreams (ヴァンパイア騎士ト 煌銀の夢, Vanpaia Naito: Flail no Yume), was released in 2014, featuring side-stories about Rido Kuran, Sara Shirabuki, and Yuki's and Zero's activities during the timeskip. The third novel is the only novel thus far to have been licensed by Viz Media and released in North America.

### Other media

A drama CD, titled LaLa Kirameki Drama CD (LaLa キラメキ★ドラマCD), which features audio dramas for five LaLa titles, including Vampire Knight, was included with the magazine's September 2005 issue, released on July 23 of that same year. Three drama CDs based on the series have been produced: Midnight CD-Pack; Moonlight CD-Pack; and Pureblood CD-Pack.

Vampire Knight DS (ヴァンパイア騎士 DS, Vanpaia Naito Dīesu) is a Japanese dating simulator based on the series that was released by D3 Publisher in Japan in January 2009.

In November 2008, the official Vampire Knight, titled Vampire Knight Fanbook: Cross (ヴァンパイア騎士 ファンブックX, Vanpaia Naito Fanbukku Kurosu), was published in Japan. In addition to providing additional information about the series characters and story, it includes images and details from Hino's storyboard. The fanbook has been licensed by Viz Media and was released on October 19, 2010.

An 94-page artbook, titled The Art of Vampire Knight: Matsuri Hino Illustrations (樋野まつりイラストレーションズ―ヴァンパイア騎士―), was released on July 5, 2010. The artwork included one original double page spread and a compilation of 111 previously released Vampire Knight color artworks. It was licensed by Viz Media and released on September 6, 2011.

A musical adaptation was announced and staged at the Hakuhinkan Theater in Tokyo from January 21–25, 2015. Another musical took place July 1–5, 2015.


The General (1998 film)

# The General (1998 film)

## Abstract

The General is an Irish crime film written and directed by John Boorman about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill, who undertook several daring heists in the early 1980s and attracted the attention of the Garda Síochána, Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998. Brendan Gleeson plays Cahill, Adrian Dunbar plays his friend Noel Curley, and Jon Voight plays Inspector Ned Kenny.

## Plot

The story of Dubliner Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies but came into conflict with members of his gang and attracted attention from the police and the IRA, and whose dealings with the UVF ultimately led to his downfall.

## Cast

- Brendan Gleeson as Martin Cahill

- Adrian Dunbar as Noel Curley

- Sean McGinley as Gary

- Maria Doyle Kennedy as Frances

- Angeline Ball as Tina

- Jon Voight as Inspector Ned Kenny

- Eanna MacLiam as Jimmy

- Tom Murphy as Willie Byrne

- Paul Hickey as Anthony

- Tommy O'Neill as Paddy

- John O'Toole as Shea

- Ciarán Fitzgerald as Tommy

- Ned Dennehy as Gay

- Vinny Murphy as Harry (as Vinnie Murphy)

- Roxanna Williams as Orla

## Production

The film is based on the book of the same name by Irish journalist Paul Williams, who is "Special Correspondent" for the Irish Independent. The director, John Boorman was one of Cahill's burglary victims. This event is dramatised in a scene in which Cahill breaks into a home, stealing a gold record and pilfering a watch from the wrist of a sleeping woman. The gold record, which Cahill later breaks in disgust after discovering it is not made of gold, was awarded for the score of Deliverance, Boorman's best-known film.

Filming was at various locations around Dublin, including South Lotts and Ranelagh. Although shot in colour, the theatrical release of the film was presented in black-and-white for artistic reasons, while an alternate version of the desaturated original colour print was subsequently made available for television broadcast and home video. Asked why he chose to depict Cahill's life in black-and-white, Boorman said

I love black-and-white, and since I was making the film independently — I borrowed the money from the bank — there was no one to tell me I couldn't. If I had made for a studio, they wouldn't let me do that. The other reason, the main reason, was because it was about recent events and people who were still alive. I wanted to give it a little distance. Black-and-white gives you that sort of parallel world. Also, it's very close to the condition of dreaming, to the unconscious. I wanted it to have this mythic level because I felt this character was an archetype. All throughout history, you find this rebel, this violent, funny, brilliant kind of character. I wanted to make that kind of connection, and black-and-white film helps. Up until the middle to late '60s, it was a choice to film in black-and-white or color. But then television became so vital to a film's finance, and television won't show black-and-white. So that killed it off, really.

## Reception

The General holds an approval rating of 82% based on 49 reviews on website Rotten Tomatoes.

The film grossed £1.6 million in the UK and Ireland, the second highest-grossing Irish film of the year, behind The Butcher Boy. In the United States and Canada it grossed $1.2 million for a worldwide estimated total of $3.8 million.

The film garnered multiple awards for Gleeson's performance and Boorman's directing, with some critics speculating the former would earn an Academy Award nomination. Boorman won the award for Best Director at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Though Gleeson was not nominated for an Oscar, his performance was awarded by the Boston Society of Film Critics, the London Film Critics' Circle, and the Irish Film and Television Academy.


The Gingerbread Man (film)

# The Gingerbread Man (film)

## Abstract

The Gingerbread Man is a 1998 American legal thriller film directed by Robert Altman and based on a discarded John Grisham manuscript. The film stars Kenneth Branagh, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah, Famke Janssen, and Robert Duvall.

## Plot

Rick Magruder (Kenneth Branagh) is a divorced lawyer with a reputation for underhanded dealings and protecting criminals. After another successful trial, Magruder celebrates at a party hosted by his firm, becoming increasingly drunk. As he stumbles out of the party, he has a chance meeting with a woman named Mallory Doss (Embeth Davidtz), a waitress at the party who seems to have lost her car. Rick drives the woman to her home, where her car has been already parked, seemingly by her father, Dixon Doss (Robert Duvall). Rick and Mallory walk into the house arguing about her abusive father. Mallory carelessly undresses in front of him, after which they spend the night together.

The next day, Mallory asks him to file suit against her father because of his dangerous behavior. Having started a relationship with Mallory, Rick agrees and is successful in having Dixon put on trial thanks to favors from his staff, including his investigator, Clyde Pell (Robert Downey, Jr.). Mallory's ex-husband, Pete Randle (Tom Berenger) also takes the stand, to testify about his former father-in-law's erratic behavior. Dixon appeals to the judge, claiming that the charges against him are fabricated and exaggerated, but the judge sentences him to a mental institution. Upon being taken away, Dixon attempts to attack Magruder, vowing revenge. With her father institutionalized, Magruder and Mallory continue their relationship, but not long after, Dixon is able to escape from the institution. Scared of retaliation, Magruder assigns Pell to guard Mallory while he attempts to gain support from the police to apprehend Dixon. The police are unhelpful, even after Dixon and his friends set Mallory's car on fire, due to the many cases Magruder has won against them.

A short time later, Magruder receives an unmarked letter containing pictures of his children with their faces cut out of them. Worried for his children, he takes them out of school, despite not having full custody of his children and needing his wife's permission to take them. Despite the objections of the teachers, Magruder escapes with his children, calling his wife (Famke Janssen) to assure her that he is doing it only for their safety. During the call, Magruder's children are apparently taken by Dixon's crew, and he is forced to rendezvous with Mallory so that she can lead him to her father's house. After they arrive, Magruder forces Dixon into a standoff where the older man is killed with a shot through the throat. Dixon's men seemingly escape with Magruder's children, and he is forced to give chase. However, upon catching them, his children are not with them, having been turned into the police office hours earlier.

In the aftermath, Magruder is charged with murder and is threatened with disbarment. Realizing that he has been set up, Magruder has Clyde look into Mallory's background, suspicious that she might have something to gain from her father's death. The search reveals that Dixon's land is worth millions, and on top of that, Mallory had never actually divorced Pete Randle. With no will found, Mallory, and by relation, Randle, are granted ownership of Dixon's estate. Suspicious of Randle, Clyde and Magruder track the man down. Clyde is killed by Randle, and Magruder is forced into a desperate struggle in the middle of a violent hurricane. While the two grapple with one another, Mallory arrives and shoots Randle in the back with a flare gun. Her husband falls into the flood waters below, dead. Mallory claims that she had no idea about her husband's plans, but Magruder is still suspicious. He removes another flare from her flare gun, and when he returns it to her, she attempts to kill Magruder with it. Realizing that Mallory and Randle were working together, Magruder signals the police, who arrest Mallory. As the film concludes, Magruder decides not to fight the charges against him, accepting a plea deal that involves community service. In the courtroom, he spies Mallory being led away in handcuffs, who gives him a knowing look.

## Cast

- Kenneth Branagh as Rick Magruder

- Embeth Davidtz as Mallory Doss

- Robert Downey Jr. as Clyde Pell

- Tom Berenger as Pete Randle

- Daryl Hannah as Lois Harlan

- Robert Duvall as Dixon Doss

- Famke Janssen as Leeanne Magruder

- Jesse James as Jeff Magruder

- Mae Whitman as Libby Magruder

- Wilbur Fitzgerald as Judge Russo

## Production

The film was based on an original story by John Grisham that was subsequently adapted into screenplay form. Kenneth Branagh liked the story and agreed to do the film but only if a highly regarded director signed on as well. In July 1996, it was announced that Luis Mandoki was to direct the film, with Annette Bening in the female lead, and it was to have been filmed in Memphis, Tennessee. However, when Bening fell pregnant, she had to drop out, with Mandoki departing shortly afterwards. Branagh went to work on The Proposition while the producers looked for another director. John Dahl was offered the film before the producers settled on Robert Altman. Altman wanted to work with Branagh but only, as he told him, "If we can fool the audience by not making you the hero, by making you flawed."

Once Altman came on board, he heavily re-worked the script, giving credit to the pseudonymous Al Hayes. Altman said in an interview, "I just wanted to change the elements of these kinds of stories as much as I could and then I wanted to stay out of the courtroom." Altman changed the setting to Savannah, Georgia, and added the threat of a hurricane throughout the movie. For the look of the film, Altman was inspired by The Night of the Hunter.

Principal photography would occur during early 1997. In addition to Two Girls and a Guy, which was also shot in the early months of 1997, the film was Robert Downey Jr. 's first acting role after a 1996 drug arrest. It has been said that Downey Jr. "didn't even read the script" when he accepted the role.

## Release

The Gingerbread Man was intended to open in the fall of 1997 but was delayed after an audience test screening reportedly went poorly. Polygram Films brought in an outsider to re-edit the movie without informing Altman, and claimed that his version "lacked tension and suffered from an inappropriate music score". At one point, the publicized squabble between the studio and the filmmaker got so bad that he wanted his name taken off the film. According to Branagh, the film previewed well but not up to the expectations of the studio. He said in an interview: "There's this enormous pressure to wrap everything up neatly and to resist things that stray from formula. Anything that suggests complexity in a character makes them unsympathetic in the eyes of some people, and they see that as a great crime." Polygram backed down when their version tested worse than Altman's in a preview. The studio was upset that Altman had completely rewritten Grisham's script so that it was more critical about lawyers.

Years later, Ray Pride interviewed Altman about the post-production debacle and he replied, "Well, it's criminal, their treatment of that film. There was a vindictive order from the guy who was running, he was so pissed off with me, he literally told them, 'I want that movie killed.' We're talking to lawyers, but it's almost impossible to win a lawsuit. You can't prove what a film could have done. They were just pissed off because it didn't test the way they wanted it to with the teenagers, y'know, in those malls."

## Reception

In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle wrote, "If it weren't for Altman's touches, The Gingerbread Man would be a mediocre thriller. Even with them, it can't be more than a top-notch genre film, but top-notch is top-notch." Jay Carr of The Boston Globe said that the film "is fun junk...We're talking claptrap here, but it's more enjoyable than it has any business being, thanks to director Robert Altman and star Kenneth Branagh." In his review for The Independent, Boyd Tonkin wrote, "It does not sprawl or wander as the Altman of old would have. Neither does it ever really catch alight. This is a waterlogged venture in more ways than one." Roger Ebert, giving the film three stars, labeled the film as "all atmospheric, quirky, and entertaining." The film holds a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 47 reviews.


Great Torrington

# Great Torrington

## Abstract

Great Torrington (often abbreviated to Torrington, though the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a market town in Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below, with the lower-lying parts of the town prone to occasional flooding. Torrington is in the centre of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by Henry Williamson in his novel Tarka the Otter in 1927. Great Torrington has one of the most active volunteering communities in the United Kingdom.

In July 2019, Great Torrington was reported to be the healthiest place to live in Britain. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that the area had low levels of pollution, good access to green space and health services, along with few retail outlets.

## History

There were Iron Age and medieval castles and forts in Torrington, located on the Castle Hill.

Great Torrington had strategic significance in the English Civil War. In the Battle of Torrington (1646), the Parliamentarians, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, swept into the town and defeated Lord Hopton 's forces. This marked the end of Royalist resistance in the West Country. Today the town is recognised as an important heritage centre for the history of the 17th century, and its people can often be seen dressed in costume for historical re-enactments, festivals and celebrations. An interactive Civil War Experience, "Torrington 1646", marks the town's historically important role.The Torrington jail was not big enough for more than one man so the Royalists kept all the Parliamentarian prisoners in the church. Then 70 barrels of gunpowder exploded and killed everyone held captive and many of their captors. Great Torrington Town Hall, a neoclassical style building, was completed in 1861.

### Railway

The branch line from Barnstaple to Bideford was extended to Great Torrington in July 1872 by the London and South Western Railway, which built a railway station and locomotive depot in the town. The station was always named 'Torrington', not 'Great Torrington'.

The locomotive depot was closed in 1959 and the line was closed to passenger traffic as part of the Beeching Axe. It was closed to goods traffic in 1984. At the site of the old station there is still in 2015 a pub named The Puffing Billy. A few small sections of track remain, but most has been removed and replaced with a combined foot and cycle path as part of the Tarka Trail. The Tarka Trail continues to Bideford, Barnstaple and on to Braunton in one direction, and to Meeth in the other, making 32 miles (51 km) of traffic free trail.

## Descent of the manor

The manor of Great Torrington was granted by Queen Mary to James Basset (1526–1558), MP, a younger son of Sir John Bassett (1462 – 31 Jan 1529) of Umberleigh. James's son Philip Bassett sold it to Sir John Fortescue (c. 1531 –1607) of Ponsbourne, near Hatfield, Hertfordshire, the eldest son of Sir Adrian Fortescue (1476–1539), descended from Richard Fortescue, younger brother of Henry Fortescue (fl. 1426), Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland and of Sir John Fortescue (ca. 1394–1480), Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. Denys Rolle (1614–1638) of nearby Stevenstone in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, acquired the lordship of the manor of Great Torrington from his descendant Sir William Fortescue. Denys Rolle (1614–1638) founded the Bluecoat School in Torrington The fountain and clock in the square were given in 1870 by Mark Rolle (1835–1907) A number of family portraits were given to the town by the heirs of Mark Rolle, some of which remain on display in the Great Torrington Town Hall, some of the more valuable ones having been sold, including a portrait of John Rolle Walter (c.1714–1779) by Pompeo Batoni.

## Torrington Common

Torrington Common is an area of common land which surrounds the town on all but the eastern side. The common is administered by a body called "The Commons Conservators". The Common covers 365 acres (148 ha) and has over 20 miles (32 kilometres) of public rights of way. The landscape features a variety of habitats, flora and fauna.

### History of the common

An "area of waste called the Common" was donated to the town in 1194 by the feudal baron of Great Torrington. In 1889, the rights to this land were transferred by an act of parliament to an elected "Committee of Conservators". The bill was subject of a local poll, as the document now at Devon Record Office evidences:

Poll of inhabitants on "A Bill for Vesting the Management of Great Torrington Common, Castle Hill Common and other lands in the Borough of Great Torrington in the County of Devon in a Body of Conservators and to settle questions between the Commoners of Great Torrington and the Owners of the Rolle Estate and for other purposes".

The Rolle Estate was the largest landowner in Devon, having been built up by the Rolle family of Stevenstone. Since 2 October 1889 the Conservators have met regularly to fulfil their remit to manage the land. Early activity was mainly concerned with control over the grazing and quarrying of the common, but since 1980 grazing has stopped and instead various techniques have taken its place to prevent the common from reverting to scrub and woodland. There has been building development on the commons which some locals oppose.

### Features of the common

- Taddiport Bridge and Rothern Bridge: Prior to the opening of the Town Mills Bridge, these were the only local crossings of the River Torridge.

- Rolle Road: This is the site of the Rolle Canal which opened in 1827 to help transport clay, lime and other commodities between the boats on the tidal river at Landcross and the lime kilns, clay pits and farms around Torrington. It ran through common land, but was closed in 1871. Later, it was filled in to create a toll road across the Common.

- Waterloo Monument: A stone obelisk erected in 1818 by "the ladies of Great Torrington" to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.

## Visitor attractions

Attractions in Great Torrington include:

- Dartington Crystal, Factory, Visitors Centre, Glass Shop and Restaurant of Dartington Crystal – the biggest employer in the town and the only major working glass factory in the UK

- Rosemoor Garden, a collection of gardens, woodlands and parkland owned by the Royal Horticultural Society

- The Victorian Torrington Pannier Market with a glass roof, restored in 1999

- Great Torrington Heritage Museum, located next to the Pannier Market

- St Michael and All Angels, a Church of England parish church whose churchyard includes a mound said to contain the remains of 60 Civil War Royalist prisoners

- The Plough Arts Centre, a small theatre, cinema and gallery

- Great Torrington also has a selection of pubs selling food and a selection of real ales. These include The Torridge Inn, The Black Horse, Torrington Arms, Cavalier, Globe and Royal Exchange. Torrington had a small brewery called Clearwater Brewery with its "Cavalier" and "1646" brands.

## Employment

Torrington has long been a factory town. In the nineteenth century it was a centre of the glove making industry. The major employer today is Dartington Crystal, but the shops in the town centre also provide a source of employment. Most of the shops are locally owned; however, there are branches of The Co-operative Food, Lidl, Spar and Lloyds Pharmacy. Large factories have deserted the town in recent years including the meat factory after a fire, and the milk factory which also caught fire has moved its production elsewhere. Various converted and purpose-built care homes in the town also provide a significant source of employment.

In 2006, Tesco sought to open a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m) store in the town; however, this was opposed by many locals and the planning application was rejected.

## Sports and culture

Local radio is provided by The Voice, a station based in nearby Barnstaple that broadcasts across North Devon on FM and DAB. Most of the content on the station is locally produced.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the nearby Huntshaw Cross TV transmitter situated north east of the town.

BBC Local Radio station that broadcast to the town is BBC Radio Devon on 94.8 FM.

The regional radio station Heart West can be received in the town on FM and DAB. The station is a part of the Heart network and broadcasts across the South West of England. Most of the shows broadcast are national shows from the Heart London studios, rather than region-specific ones. Region-specific content includes the weekday Drivetime show produced in Bristol, and local advertising.

The local newspaper is the North Devon Journal also based in Barnstaple. The Western Morning News is a regional paper widely available. Most households receive a copy of the North Devon Gazette every week. The Crier is the community newsletter and diary delivered free to most households in the town and surrounding area for ten months of the year.

Torrington's football teams are Torrington F.C. and Torridgeside A.F.C. There are also rugby, netball, tennis and swimming teams. Torrington nine-hole Golf Course is 1.2 miles (2 km) northwest of the town centre. Great Torrington Bowling Club, established in 1645, is the third oldest bowling club in England.

Great Torrington is twinned with the French port town of Roscoff, situated in northern Brittany. Roscoff is served by the Brittany Ferries service from Plymouth and is a popular destination for school trips from the area.

## Transport

Torrington is served by 43 local bus services mostly operated by Stagecoach South West. Some only operate one way and a number are weekly only service.

Belle Vue Airfield is a single runway airfield about 2.5 miles northeast of Great Torrington in North Devon, England. It is for private aviation only, operating restricted flying hours and is frequented by Microlight and hang-gliding clubs. The 580-metre (1,902-foot) runway is grass.

Exeter Airport 35 miles (56 km) away operates scheduled flights from Shannon Airport, Eire and the Channel Islands.

The nearest ferry port is Plymouth 40 miles (64 km) away, at which Brittany Ferries offer a regular service from Roscoff in Brittany.There is a summertime-only ferry service based at Bideford Harbour (7 miles away) to and from Lundy Island.

Torrington has no direct train services; Umberleigh (8 miles away) is served by the Tarka Line from Exeter St David's. Bus connections are available to and from Barnstaple station (11 miles away).

## Notable people

- Thomas Fowler (1777–1843), inventor

- Elizabeth Johnson (1721–1800), pamphleteer

- William Johnson Cory (1823–1892), educator and poet

- William Keble Martin (1877–1969), reverend, botanist and author

- William Sandford (1841–1932), pioneer of the Australian iron and steel industry.


2024 in Brazilian football

# 2024 in Brazilian football

## Abstract

The following article presents a summary of the 2024 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which will be the 123rd season of competitive football in the country.

## Campeonato Brasileiro Série A

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A started on 13 April 2024 and will end on 8 December 2024.

- Athletico Paranaense

- Atlético Goianiense

- Atlético Mineiro

- Bahia

- Botafogo

- Corinthians

- Criciúma

- Cruzeiro

- Cuiabá

- Flamengo

- Fluminense

- Fortaleza

- Grêmio

- Internacional

- Juventude

- Palmeiras

- Red Bull Bragantino

- São Paulo

- Vasco da Gama

- Vitória

## Campeonato Brasileiro Série B

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B started on 19 April 2024 and will end on 26 November 2024.

- Amazonas

- América Mineiro

- Avaí

- Botafogo (SP)

- Brusque

- Ceará

- Chapecoense

- Coritiba

- CRB

- Goiás

- Guarani

- Ituano

- Mirassol

- Novorizontino

- Operário Ferroviário

- Paysandu

- Ponte Preta

- Santos

- Sport

- Vila Nova

## Campeonato Brasileiro Série C

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C started on 20 April 2024 and will end on 20 October 2024.

- ABC

- Aparecidense

- Athletic

- Botafogo (PB)

- Caxias

- Confiança

- CSA

- Ferroviária

- Ferroviário

- Figueirense

- Floresta

- Londrina

- Náutico

- Remo

- Sampaio Corrêa

- São Bernardo

- São José (RS)

- Tombense

- Volta Redonda

- Ypiranga (RS)

### Relegation

The four worst placed teams, São José (RS), Ferroviário, Aparecidense and Sampaio Corrêa, were relegated to the following year's fourth level.

## Campeonato Brasileiro Série D

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D started on 27 April 2024 and will end on 29 September 2024.

- Água Santa

- Águia de Marabá

- Altos

- América de Natal

- Anápolis

- ASA

- Atlético Cearense

- Audax Rio

- Avenida

- Barra

- Brasil de Pelotas

- Brasiliense

- Cametá

- Capital

- Cianorte

- Concórdia

- Costa Rica

- CRAC

- CSE

- Democrata SL

- FC Cascavel

- Fluminense (PI)

- Hercílio Luz

- Humaitá

- Iguatu

- Inter de Limeira

- Ipatinga

- Iporá

- Itabaiana

- Itabuna

- Jacuipense

- Juazeirense

- Manauara

- Manaus

- Maracanã

- Maranhão

- Maringá

- Mixto

- Moto Club

- Nova Iguaçu

- Novo Hamburgo

- Patrocinense

- Petrolina

- Porto Velho

- Portuguesa (RJ)

- Potiguar de Mossoró

- Pouso Alegre

- Princesa do Solimões

- Real Brasília

- Real Noroeste

- Retrô

- Rio Branco

- River

- Santa Cruz de Natal

- Santo André

- São José

- São Raimundo

- Sergipe

- Serra

- Sousa

- Tocantinópolis

- Trem

- Treze

- União Rondonópolis

Villa Nova and Democrata GV declined to participate in the Série D. The berths were awarded to Patrocinense and Caldense. Patrocinense accepted but Caldense refused to participate and were replaced by Democrata SL.

The Campeonato Brasileiro Série D final will be played between Retrô and Anápolis.

### Promotion

The four best placed teams, Anápolis, Retrô, Itabaiana and Maringá, were promoted to the following year's third level.

## Super cup

### Supercopa Rei

The 2024 Supercopa Rei was played on 4 February 2024 between Palmeiras and São Paulo.

São Paulo won the super cup after defeating Palmeiras.

## Domestic cups

### Copa do Brasil

The 2024 Copa do Brasil started on 20 February 2024 and will end on 10 November 2024.

### Copa do Nordeste

The competition featured 16 clubs from the Northeastern region. It started on 3 February 2024 and ended on 9 June 2024. The Copa do Nordeste final was played between Fortaleza and CRB.

Fortaleza won the cup after defeating CRB.

### Copa Verde

The competition featured 24 clubs from the North and Central-West regions, including two teams from Espírito Santo. It started on 22 February 2024 and ended on 29 May 2024. The Copa Verde final was played between Paysandu and Vila Nova.

Paysandu won the cup after defeating Vila Nova.

## National team

The following table lists all the games played by the Brazilian national team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2024.

### Friendlies

### 2024 Copa América

### 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

## Women's football

### Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 started on 15 March 2024 and will end on 22 September 2024.

- América Mineiro

- Atlético Mineiro

- Avaí

- Botafogo

- Corinthians

- Cruzeiro

- Ferroviária

- Flamengo / Marinha

- Fluminense

- Grêmio

- Internacional

- Palmeiras

- Real Brasília

- Red Bull Bragantino

- Santos

- São Paulo

The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 final will be played between Corinthians and São Paulo.

#### Relegation

The four worst placed teams, Atlético Mineiro, Avaí, Santos and Botafogo, were relegated to the following year's second level.

### Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2 started on 13 April 2024 and ended on 4 August 2024.

- 3B da Amazônia

- Athletico Paranaense

- Bahia

- Doce Mel

- Fortaleza

- JC

- Juventude

- Minas / ICESP

- Mixto

- Recanto

- Remo

- São José

- Sport

- AD Taubaté

- UDA

- VF4

CBF excluded Real Ariquemes from all national competitions due to regularization issues. They were replaced by Recanto Ceará declined to participate in the Série A2. CBF awarded their berth to Uberlândia but they refused to participate and were replaced by Doce Mel.

The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2 final was played between Bahia and 3B da Amazônia.

Bahia won the league after defeating 3B da Amazônia.

#### Promotion

The four best placed teams, Sport, 3B da Amazônia, Bahia and Juventude, were promoted to the following year's first level.

#### Relegation

The four worst placed teams, Recanto, Doce Mel, VF4 and UDA, were relegated to the following year's third level.

### Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A3

The 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A3 started on 13 April 2024 and ended on 27 July 2024.

- Ação

- Acauã

- Aliança

- Atlético Acreano

- Botafogo (PB)

- Brasil de Farroupilha

- Confiança

- Coritiba

- CRESSPOM

- ESMAC

- Fluminense (SC)

- IAPE

- Mixto (PB)

- Nacional VRB

- Náutico

- Operário

- Paraíso

- Paysandu

- Pinda

- Porto Velho

- R4

- Realidade Jovem

- Rio Negro

- Sobradinho

- Tarumã

- Tiradentes

- União

- Vasco da Gama

- Vila Nova / UNIVERSO

- Vila Nova (ES)

- Vitória

- Ypiranga (AP)

The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A3 final was played between Vasco da Gama and Paysandu.

Vasco da Gama won the league after defeating Paysandu.

#### Promotion

The four best placed teams, Vitória, Ação, Paysandu and Vasco da Gama, were promoted to the following year's second level.

### Super cup

#### Supercopa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino

The competition featured 8 clubs chosen between the top-twelve 2023 Série A1 and the top-four 2023 Série A2, with only one team for state. It started on 9 February 2024 and ended on 18 February 2024. The Supercopa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino final was played between Cruzeiro and Corinthians.

Corinthians won the super cup after defeating Cruzeiro.

### National team

The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil women's national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 2024.

The Brazil women's national football team competed in the following competitions in 2024:

#### Friendlies

#### 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup

#### 2024 SheBelieves Cup

#### 2024 Summer Olympics


The Glass Jungle

# The Glass Jungle

## Abstract

The Glass Jungle is a 1988 action film directed by Joseph Merhi and distributed by Troma Entertainment. Set on the streets of Los Angeles, the film follows a female detective as she races against time to find the murderer of several prostitutes.


The God Who Wasn't There

# The God Who Wasn't There

## Abstract

The God Who Wasn't There is a 2005 independent documentary written and directed by Brian Flemming. The documentary questions the existence of Jesus, examining evidence that supports the Christ myth theory against the existence of a historical Jesus, as well as other aspects of Christianity.

## Overview

### Christ myth theory

Most of the film is a presentation of the argument for the Christ myth theory. Flemming and those he interviews in the film make these claims:

- The history of Christianity, especially the doctrine of the earliest Christians, is consistent with Jesus having been a mythical character, with historical details only added on later.

- The Pauline epistles, which were written before the Gospels, show no awareness on the part of the author that Jesus had recently lived. Paul mentions only the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension, presenting them occurring in a mythic realm rather than an earthly one.

- The death-resurrection-ascension sequence was common in earlier mythologies and religions, suggesting that the Jesus character was inspired by similar forebears, divorced from any tangible experience on Earth.

- Other details of the Jesus biography offered in the Gospels have precedent in earlier writings of Judaism: for example, the Massacre of the Innocents appears directly inspired by a nearly identical story in the Book of Exodus.

### Other criticisms of Christianity

Besides defending the Jesus myth hypothesis, the film criticizes some other aspects of Christianity:

- Flemming argues that moderate Christianity makes even less sense than a fundamentalist interpretation of Christian doctrine, asserting that the Bible contains many messages incompatible with toleration of non-Christians who reject Jesus as the Savior of Christian doctrine and must therefore be regarded by Christians as damned.

- Flemming sees God's demand that people believe in him or be damned as essentially mind control. He interprets Mark 3: 29 and similar passages as damning anyone who doubts the existence of the Holy Spirit. He is appalled by the notion that Jesus will forgive murder, theft, and any other sin but not this type of disbelief.

- Because Jesus knows people's innermost thoughts, and that therefore one must police one's thoughts to avoid any doubt, Flemming summarizes this idea with the statement that the greatest sin in fundamentalist Christianity is "to think."

- Flemming asserts that Christians have historically been obsessed with blood sacrifice, and illustrates this viewpoint by pointing out that Mel Gibson 's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, which contains very few scenes that do not feature graphic violence or suffering, was more financially successful than any previous film about Jesus.

- The film references poll results indicating that 44% of Americans believe, to some degree, that Jesus will come back to Earth in their lifetime, and that this sort of thinking is not conducive to long-term governmental policies.

## Interviews and commentary

Several notable personalities make appearances in the documentary:

- Scott Butcher is the creator of the Rapture Letters.com website.

- Richard Carrier is an atheist activist and scholarly writer on the Christ Myth Theory, who holds a PhD in ancient history from Columbia University.

- Alan Dundes was an anthropologist and folklorist. Until his death shortly after being interviewed for the documentary, he was Professor of Folklore and Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.

- Sam Harris neuroscientist, philosopher, and author of The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape.

- Barbara Mikkelson and David P. Mikkelson are the founders of Snopes.com.

- Robert M. Price is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Council for Secular Humanism 's Center for Inquiry Institute.

- Ronald Sipus, principal of Village Christian School, which Brian Flemming attended as a youth. Sipus walked out of the interview, accusing Flemming of misrepresenting himself and his reasons for the interview.

The following only appear on the DVD's commentary track:

- Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and science writer who has argued for atheism, such as in his book The God Delusion.

- Earl Doherty is a contemporary advocate of the Jesus Myth theory and author of The Jesus Puzzle.

- The Raving Theist is a lawyer and former atheist blogger, who has since converted to Christianity.

Among the Christians shown in the film were attendees at a Billy Graham Crusade event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on November 18, 2004.

## Reception

### Critical reviews

A reviewer for Impose Magazine wrote that the film "poses some serious questions" and said, "if nothing else, this film should be recognized as an important addition to the study of Gibson's masterwork. Film scholars should take note. This is an idiosyncratic film that weaves the arc of Flemming's transition from a religious life to a non-religious life into the larger questions surrounding the dilemma of a 'belief in God.' It's a bold undertaking and he pulls it off."

Jason Buchanan, in a New York Times review summary, thought that the documentary "attempts to do for religion what Morgan Spurlock 's Super Size Me did for the fast-food industry" with a "bold quest to seek answers to the difficult questions that few are willing to pose... From the ignorance of many contemporary Christians as to the origin of their religion to the striking similarities between Jesus Christ and the deities worshipped by ancient pagan cults and the Christian obsession with blood and violence, this faith-shaking documentary explores the many mysteries of the Christian faith as never before."

### Responses and controversy

In Christian Communications Worldwide Susan Verstraete offers four criticisms of Brian Flemming's arguments.

First, the comparison of Galileo's difficulties with the Catholic Church with arguments about the existence of Jesus are a non sequitur. "t’s like saying that because your dentist isn’t an expert on small engine repair, your family doctor probably can’t diagnose chickenpox."

Second, to assert that "Christianity" is responsible for things like the " Spanish Inquisition, Charles Manson, David Koresh and other unbalanced, psychotic people who claimed to be doing God’s will" is a hasty generalization — "an inference about all Christians on the basis of a poorly selected sample."

Third, Flemming exaggerates the gap between the traditional date of Jesus' death and the composition of the Gospels, and picks and chooses elements from various mythologies to "prove that Jesus was a compilation of 'dying and rising god' myths."

Fourth, she says that Flemming argues " Paul never believed that Jesus was a physical human being" because he "never quotes Jesus or talks about Jesus’ early life." In reply she says "Paul’s letters are not meant to introduce Christ to a new audience, and so understandably don’t reiterate the stories of the Gospels," and in addition she cites verses from the Epistles that do reference the humanity of Jesus.

## Blasphemy Challenge

In December 2006, the atheist organization Rational Response Squad announced it would give free DVDs of the film to the first 1,001 people who participated in the Blasphemy Challenge, an Internet-based project encouraging atheists to declare themselves publicly.


Argon people

# Argon people

## Abstract

The Argon people are a community in the Indian union territory of Ladakh.


Aposthia

# Aposthia

## Abstract

Aposthia is a rare congenital condition in humans, in which the foreskin of the penis is missing.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, E. S. Talbot claimed that aposthia among Jews was evidence for the now-discredited Lamarckian theory of evolution. In his work The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Charles Darwin also mentioned cases of "born circumcised" babies as "conclusive evidence" for the now-discredited blending inheritance.

It is likely that the cases he described were actually hypospadias, a condition in which the urinary meatus is on the underside of the penis.

## Aposthia in Judaism

The Midrash of Ki-Tetze claims that Moses was born aposthic. Other sources that Jacob, his son Gad and King David were also born aposthic.The book Abot De-Rabbi Natan (The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan) contains a list of persons from the Israelite Scriptures that were "born circumcised":Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the wicked Balaam, Samuel, David, Jeremiah and Zerubbabel. Jewish law requires males born without a foreskin or who lost their foreskin through means other than a formal circumcision ceremony (brit milah ברית מילה) to have a drop of blood (hatafat-dam, הטפת דם) let from the penis at the point where the foreskin would have been (or was) attached. The Talmud (Shabbat 135A) records a discussion of whether the importance of this letting of blood supersedes Shabbat, on which only a boy who was born the previous Shabbat can be circumcised. If a regular circumcision is delayed, there is no disagreement that this may not be performed on Shabbat. However, in the case of aposthia, there are two schools of thought.

R. Elazar Hakappar said that the school of Shamai and Hillel do not differ as to a boy that is born without a foreskin. Both agree that the blood of the covenant must be drawn from the glans. The school of Shamai, however, contends that this may be done on the Sabbath, while the other holds that the Sabbath must not be desecrated on that account.

David Levy, former Israeli Foreign Minister and member of Knesset, was born aposthic. Arye Avneri 's authorized 1983 biography of Levy notes this:

When David Levy was born... his mother Sima noticed at once that he was different from other baby boys. He had been born already circumcised, for the foreskin was entirely missing.

The rabbis in Rabat proclaimed that this foretold that Levy would grow up to be a "leader of Israel", even though the State was not founded until Levy was 11, in 1948. This proclamation was not necessarily prophetic of the founding of Israel, for "Israel" is a term that can be used to refer to "the Jewish people".

## Aposthia in literature

Lazarus Long, principal protagonist in several of Robert Heinlein 's novels, was born aposthic.