 | Stress Relief Indian Railways Doctors, New Delhi The Indian Railway system is the second biggest employer in the world. For 2 years running, for the first time, it is running at a profit.rail minister A plan for a rail system in India was first put forward in 1832, but no further steps were taken for more than a decade. In 1844, the Governor-General of India Lord Hardinge allowed private entrepreneurs to set up a rail system in India. Two new railway companies were created and the East India Company was asked to assist them. Interest from investors in the UK led to the rapid creation of a rail system over the next few years. The first train in India became operational on 22 December 1851, and was used for the hauling of construction material in Roorkee. A year and a half later, on 16 April 1853, the first passenger train service was inaugurated between Bori Bunder, Bombay and Thane. Covering a distance of 34 km (21 miles), it was hauled by three locomotives, Sahib, Sindh and Sultan. This was the formal birth of railways in India. A view of the Burdwan Railway Station in 1855 A view of the Burdwan Railway Station in 1855 The British government encouraged new railway companies backed by private investors under a scheme that would guarantee an annual return of five percent during the initial years of operation. Once established, the company would be transferred to the government, with the original company retaining operational control. By 1875, about £95 million were invested by British companies in Indian guaranteed railways.[4] The route mileage of this network was about 14,500 km (9,000 miles) by 1880, mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay (Mumbai), Madras (Chennai) and Calcutta ( Kolkata). By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railway. Extent of Great Indian Peninsular Railway network in 1870. The GIPR was one of the largest rail companies at that time. Extent of Great Indian Peninsular Railway network in 1870. The GIPR was one of the largest rail companies at that time. Soon various independent kingdoms built their own rail systems and the network spread to the regions that became the modern-day states of Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. A Railway Board was constituted in 1901, but decision-making power was retained by the Viceroy, Lord Curzon. The Railway Board operated under aegis of the Department of Commerce and Industry and had three members: a government railway official serving as chairman, a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a tidy profit. In 1907, almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government. The following year, the first electric locomotive appeared. With the arrival of the First World War, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India. By the end of the First World War, the railways had suffered immensely and were in a poor state. The government took over the management of the Railways and removed the link between the financing of the Railways and other governmental revenues in 1920, a practice that continues to date with a separate railway budget. As Vivek Narnolia puts in, The Second World War severely crippled the railways as rolling stock was diverted to the Middle East, and the railway workshops were converted into munitions workshops. At the time of independence in 1947, about 40 per cent of the railways then went to the newly independent republic of Pakistan.[2] A total of forty-two separate railway systems, including thirty-two lines owned by the former Indian princely states, were amalgamated as a single unit which was christened as the Indian Railways. The existing rail networks were abandoned in favour of zones in 1951 and a total of six zones came into being in 1952. As the economy of India improved, almost all railway production units were indigenised. By 1985, steam locomotives were phased out in favour of diesel and electric locomotives. The entire railway reservation system was streamlined with computerisation in 1995. Indian Railways is one of the largest employers in the world. Very few corporate entities, public or private, have a larger workforce. TRCF Dr Anand anandjee Laloo Yadav |
 | Eating Global Vancouver - Green Lettuce Restaurant This film is the first in a series of short films created about "Eating Global Vancouver" by students taught by Prof. Henry Yu of the History Department at the University of British Columbia, with help from award-winning filmmaker Karin Lee, and initially shown at the Asian Library at UBC as part of Asian Heritage Month in May 2006. Using restaurants as the focus for exploring the complex interactions of Vancouver and its migrant populations, this series uses food to examine how we come together as a global city. Green Lettuce, a restaurant run by an ethnic Chinese family from India, serves Chinese food in Vancouver as Chinese restaurants would in Bombay or Calcutta, attracting a loyal following of Indian immigrant customers who find a unique reminder of home. This film series grew out of one of our most popular classroom projects, in which students form groups and choose to research one of the myriad of restaurants that make Vancouver such a wonderful city for eating. Creating websites that feature interviews with the families (almost invariably global migrants to Vancouver) who run the restaurant, as well as in depth explorations of the restaurants themselves as sites of community interaction, our students combine ethnography with historical research in the Vancouver archives to create a rich portrait of each restaurant as a microcosm of Global Vancouver. Revealing the history of the restaurant's location through Vancouver history and the changing demographics of its neighborhood, these research projects lead us to see in a new light the restaurants at which we eat. Visit the INSTRCC website at http://www.instrcc.ubc.ca |
 | Walmart Coupons http://www.EscapeTheCycle.com Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, it was incorporated on October 31, 1969, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. It is the largest private employer in the world and the fourth largest utility or commercial employer, trailing the British National Health Service, and the Indian Railways. Wal-Mart is the largest grocery retailer in the United States, with an estimated 20% of the retail grocery and consumables business, as well as the largest toy seller in the U.S. It also owns and operates the North American company, Sam's Club. It operates in Mexico as Walmex, in the UK as ASDA, and in Japan as Seiyu. It has wholly-owned operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the UK. Wal-Mart's investments outside North America have had mixed results: its operations in South America and China are highly successful, while it was forced to pull out of Germany when its venture there was unsuccessful. Wal-Mart has been criticized by some community groups, women's rights groups, grassroots organizations, and labor unions, specifically for its extensive foreign product sourcing, low rates of employee health insurance enrollment, resistance to union representation, and alleged sexism. Incorporation and growth The company was incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. on October 31, 1969. In 1970, it opened its home office and first distribution center in Bentonville, Arkansas. It had 38 stores operating with 1,500 employees and sales of $44.2 million. It began trading stock as a publicly-held company on October 1, 1972, and was soon listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The first stock split occurred in May 1971 at a market price of $47. By this time, Wal-Mart was operating in five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma; it entered Tennessee in 1973 and Kentucky and Mississippi in 1974. As it moved into Texas in 1975, there were 125 stores with 7,500 employees and total sales of $340.3 million. Logo used from 1992-2008During the 1980s, Wal-Mart continued to grow rapidly, and by its 25th anniversary in 1987 there were 1,198 stores with sales of $15.9 billion and 200,000 associates. This year also marked the completion of the company's satellite network, a $24 million investment linking all operating units of the company with its Bentonville office via two-way voice and data transmission and one-way video communication. At the time, it was the largest private satellite network, allowing the corporate office to track inventory and sales and to instantly communicate to stores. In 1988, Sam Walton stepped down as CEO and was replaced by David Glass. Walton remained as Chairman of the Board, and the company also rearranged other people in senior positions. Inside a Wal-Mart Supercenter in MexicoIn 1988, the first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in Washington, Missouri. Thanks to its superstores, it surpassed Toys "R" Us in toy sales in the late 1990s. The company also opened overseas stores, entering South America in 1995 with stores in Argentina and Brazil; and Europe in 1999, buying ASDA in the UK for $10 billion. In 1998, Wal-Mart introduced the "Neighborhood Market" concept with three stores in Arkansas. By 2005, estimates indicate that the company controlled about 20% of the retail grocery and consumables business. In 2000, H. Lee Scott became President and CEO, and Wal-Mart's sales increased to $165 billion. In 2002, it was listed for the first time as America's largest corporation on the Fortune 500 list, with revenues of $219.8 billion and profits of $6.7 billion. It has remained there every year, except for 2006. In 2005, Wal-Mart had $312.4 billion in sales, more than 6,200 facilities around the world—including 3,800 stores in the United States and 2,800 elsewhere, employing more than 1.6 million "associates" worldwide. Its U.S. presence grew so rapidly that only small pockets of the country remained further than 60 miles (100 km) from the nearest Wal-Mart. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart |
 | Continuing Negotiations: First Nations and the State http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/keys/webtours/tourID/VQ_P2_12_EN "Continuing Negotiations: First Nations and the State" William R. Morrison, University of Northern British Columbia During the 19th century, the nation of Canada was formed. As its population grew and land was needed for agriculture and settlement, the First Nations were persuaded or compelled to move onto "reserves." The Indian Act, passed in 1876, put all First Nations under the control of a government department and outlawed traditional practices. Denied full citizenship, the First Nations were in fact then wards of the state. Aussi disponible en français: http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/fr/clefs/circuits/tourID/VQ_P2_12_FR © McCord Museum, 2003 |
 | Tiger Poaching Tiger Poaching at Kanha National Park (Headline -- Woman voice) Tiger Poaching tried at Kanha National Park. Anchor: Like everyday this morning also Indian and Foreign tourists were moving around at Kanha National Park. This national park has one of the largest tiger populations in the country and so it is also under constant eyes of poachers. Even after orders passed by Supreme Court (for stricter security) and steps taken by Tiger task force poachers are busy with their work. (Byte: John Wooley, British Tourist) "Yesterday morning we met three Englishmen (Hindi) who were very unhappy and showed us some photographs, but, their tour operator was not cooperating, (English) Camera shot of this injured tiger. (Byte: Mary Lumensis, American Tourist) "We were very upset to learn about yesterday's incident of attempted tiger poaching and I will write / send email to officials here after going back to America". (Voice Over 1): One tiger got stuck in poachers trap but due to his good luck a foreign tourist saw him and immediately informed the forest officials. Tiger was caught, tranquilized, treated and again left in the forest but he is not safe due to injury. (Byte : Navneet Maheshwari, Wild life activist) :Certainly it will not be possible to save the tiger if it is badly injured until and unless full support is given and food requirements are taken care off. (Voice Over 2): To save themselves from further humility the forest department went down to the extent of destroying the photographs taken by foreign tourist and now no officer is ready to comment on this. (Hidden camera Byte : R. Chaturvedi, Deputy Ranger) When you all go in with us only than you will feel our hardship and understand how we save animals and run around the forest for this. (Sanjeev Choudhary, Correspondent) "Whatever our Hon'ble Prime Minister do to save Tigers but it remains a fact that Tigers are not safe even in National Parks. Again one tiger has been tried to be poached inside thick forests of Kanha National Park." Sanjeev Choudhary from Kanha national Park for NDTV, India. |
 | Patiala - famous 4 Peg, Parande, Jutti and Pange. Shehar patiale De munde muchh futt gabru ne sohne. Burrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Patiala pronunciation (help·info) (Punjabi: ਪਟਿਆਲਾ) is a city in the Punjab state of India. Patiala district is one of the erstwhile princely cities of Punjab. Located in the south-eastern part of the state, it lies between 29°49' and 30°47' north latitude, 75°58' and 76°54' east longitude. It is the administrative headquarters of Patiala District, and was the capital of the premier princely state in the former Punjab Province of British India, headed by the Sidhu dynasty. Patiala is famous for its pagri (traditional headgear), paranda (tasselled tag for braiding hair), peg (Patiala Peg - a double or large peg of whiskey), and Jutti (traditional Punjabi footwear). Any serving of alcohol which is double than the normal serving, or unusually large, is referred to as the Patiala Peg. This term is understood in most parts of India. There are multiple stories behind this epithet, most related to the opulent and hedonistic lifestyle of one of the maharajas of Patiala - Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, who was a heavy drinker. Patiala is home town of many eminent personalities like cricketers Navjot Sidhu, Mohinder Amarnath, Reetinder Sodhi, Bollywood Stars Jimmy Shregill, Om Puri, Punjabi Singers Gurdas Mann & Harbhajan Mann, Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal & Sq Ldr Rakesh Sharma, the first and only Indian till date in space. Gates of Patiala Walled City * Darshani gate - Main entrance of Qila Mubarak * Lahouri gate * Nabha gate * Samana gate * Sirhindi gate * Sheranwala gate * Safabadi gate * Sunami gate * Top Khana Gate Education The first printing press of Patiala called "Munshi Nawal Kishore Printing Press" was established in 1870s. Since then Patiala has emerged as a center for Punjabi language. Punjab State Government 'languages department' is headquartered in Patiala city near 'Sheranwala Gate'. Higher education # Mohindra College Est. 1875. # National Defence University of India (Proposed) # Punjabi University Est. 1962. # Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology Established 1956. # Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law [4] # Multani Mal Modi College, Lower Mall est. 1967. # Bikram College of Commerce, Patiala. # Government Medical College, Patiala. # Khalsa College, Patiala Reputed Schools * Sun Flower Model High School, Tripuri, Patiala. * Modern Senior Secondary School Patiala. * St.Peter's Academy Patiala. * Our Lady of Fatima Convent High School Patiala. * Yadavindra Public School Patiala Est. 1948. * Pheel Khana, Patiala Est. 1955. * Play Ways High School Patiala. * Senior Model School, Civil Lines Patiala Est. 1956. * D.A.V Public School, 22 No. Phatak Patiala. * New Daffodils Public School Patiala. * Budha Dal Public School, Lower Mall, Patiala * Modern Senior Secondary School, Patiala. * Kendriya Vidyalaya, Patiala. * Spring Dale Public School, Patiala. n 1763 Baba Ala Singh laid the foundation of the Patiala fort known as Qila Mubarak, around which the present city of Patiala developed. Patiala city has many playgrounds, including Polo Ground on Lower Mall Road; which houses an indoor stadium. Other sports facilities include Yadavindra Sports Stadium for athletics, Rink Hall for roller skating, and National Institute of Sports, Patiala. Punjabi University has its own sprawling sports grounds, including a velodrome. Patiala is seat of many important administrative offices of Punjab state, including Punjab State Electricity Board, Punjab Public Service Commission, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Excise and Taxation Commissioner Office, Chief Engineer PWD (B & R), Punjab Languages Department, and State Bank of Patiala. |
 | WW II : RARE COLOR FILM : SAIPAN AND MARIANAS http://protectacow.typepad.com/prabhupada/ 740524r2.rom Conversations Prabhupada: No, it is going on. In India I know. They are selling sugar at two annas, four annas a pound, or seer, outside, and India, it is four rupees. What is this nonsense? This is going on. They want to import some war materials or something else, therefore they want export exchange. So they are sacrificing the convenience of the local people for export exchange. These things are going on. These politicians, they create an atmo... Therefore I say the head of the state, they must be clean. But they are all motivated. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. Generally politician has got a particular motive behind him. And when he cannot pull on they declare war. That Pakistan. Pakistan, since the beginning of Pakistan they could not make any economic condition very sound. But when the people are too much agitated, they declare war with India. The whole attention is... And they have been educated in such a way that India is their strongest enemy. Anything Indian, they dislike in Pakistan. So this is going on by the politicians. They are creating situation because they are not honest, they are not clean. And a clean man cannot become politician. Mr. Lloyd George said that "consistency by the politician is the qualification of an ass." There cannot be any consistency amongst the politicians. So that is the defect, that the politicians are the heads, the leaders of the society, and they are in disagreement. Everyone has got his own ideal, and the fight is going on, and the poor man in the state, they are suffering. Just like in India they partitioned, Pakistan and Hindustan. It was arranged by the leaders, Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru. Especially Jinnah. The people are suffering. And the Britishers made partition in such a way that they will remain continually in war because everyone wants the necessities of life. The foodstuff is in Pakistan, and the industry is in India. So the Pakistan will suffer for want of industry, and India will suffer for want of food. This is British plan for partition. They had no business to divide the country, but they wanted to do it as a parting kick, that "You want independence. You will have independence, but you will remain perpetually in war." That was British policy. None of them are benefiting. Occasionally they are fighting and losing so much money and men, that's all, a political game. Similarly, Germany is divided. Ireland is divided. This is going on. People are fighting, fighting, fighting. Leaders should be so sober and honest that the people should live peacefully, without any anxiety, without any want. That is the duty of the leaders to see. Perpetually they are in want, in scarcity, not in peace of mind, full of anxieties. In India especially, we see, the economy is so unsteady. The money value is decreasing every day. Nobody knows what will be tomorrow. Rice is selling today at two rupees kilo, tomorrow, three rupees, next day, four rupees. Where is the income is coming? Therefore there is strike, railway strike. So this is the mismanagement. They cannot guarantee. At least in England I have seen that... Or why the England? In America also, the people are happy in this: they have got enough foodstuff, no scarcity. You see? India is in always scarcity. Goods are there. It is hoarded by somebody else. He will not let loose. He will not... Many goods are there, sufficient. The government stock. The government stock because the black marketeer, they have got some arrangement. So many things are going I don't wish to discuss. It is due to unclean politicians, unclean head of the department. Things are so mismanaged, and people are suffering. |
 | LTTE -"Voice of the Nation" Bala ANNA - TAMIL EELAM LOST HIM Tamil Eelam's voice aka "Voice of the Nation" has gone to long sleep now. Dr. Anton Balasingam. What is Tamil Eelam? Tamil Eelam is a de facto state in Indian Ocean. It is located below the Tamil Nadu state of India and in the North East of Sri Lanka. The state of Tamil Eelam has been established by the people living there under the right of self determination given by International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights , Article 1, to which Sri Lanka is a signatory. The proposed size of the independent nation of Tamil Eelam is 19,509 km². This makes Tamil Eelam the 153 largest country/independent territory in the world. There are a total of 232 country/independent territories in the world. Tamil Eelam would be larger than East Timor at 14,874 km², which is the newest formed country in the world. East Timor gained independence after 24 years of Indonesia occupation on May 20, 2002. Why did Tamils in Sri Lanka want Tamil Eelam? Sri Lanka, which was renamed in Sinhala in 1972, had been called as Ceylon by British during colonial times. Before 1833, the Tamil people were under different administration. They had their own kingdoms, culture and language which are very different from those of Sinhalese until 1505. The first colonial invasion took place in 1505. British brought Tamils and Sinhalese under one administration in 1833 and called this new colony as Ceylon. When the British left in 1948, the 20% Tamils were left with 80% Sinhalese within a unitary country where the decisions were taken by democratic parliament system. Under this system, racially polarised Sinhalese and Tamils were ruled by the constant majority of Sinhalese against the democratic wishes of Tamils as Tamils were the constant minority. Who is the leader of Tamil Eelam? Vellupillai Pirabakaran, the leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is the present National Leader of Tamil Eelam. His supported by a council of commanders who establish policy on everything from law and order to economic. The policy of the LTTE is that this is an interim solution until democratic elections can be held. Is Tamil Eelam a communist idea? No. Tamil Eelam is the home land of highly religious Hindu, Christian and Islamic Tamil speaking people. Tamils of Tamil Eelam are from the ancient times, known for their trade and commerce. Tamil Eelam will be a democratic country once it become independent. Tamil Eelam is expected to be a socialist state. Just like the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. What is the present state of Tamil Eelam? Presently, some Northern and Eastern parts of Tamil Eelam are under the Tamil Eelam administration. Although a war is going on, Tamil Eelam administration functions very effectively to achieve self reliance and self sufficiency. There are forty eight essential items were banned by Sri Lankan authorities to the de facto state of Tamil Eelam. Some of them are now allowed by the new government with the expectation that the people of Tamil Eelam would give up their right to chose their political status freely. Is there religious freedom in Tamil Eelam? Not only religious freedom, but the people are encouraged to follow their own religion by Tamil Eelam administration even under the severe war conditions and economic ban. The Christian, mainly Catholic and Hindu religious leaders are always provided all the support needed for their religious freedom. Islam, however, is not being practiced presently, as the Muslims have been asked to leave the Tamil Eelam territory until the independence of Tamil Eelam. The Muslims supported the aggressive Sri Lankan Sinhala and Muslim Military against the freedom of Tamil Eelam. Can any one travel to Tamil Eelam? Yes. Like in any other countries, for Tamil Eelam also the immigration and emigration laws are applicable at the borders. Since a war is going on for the independence, several additional restrictions are imposed on travellers for national security reasons and for the security of the life of travellers. What are the Islands of Sri Lanka? Included in the traditional homeland of the Tamil in Sri Lanka are a series of seven islands off the northern coast. These islands are: • Kayts • Mandaitivu • Eluvaitivu • Paraittivu • Analaitivu • Nainativu • Punkudutivu • Delft • Mannar What are some of the natural resources in Tamil Eelam? Ilmenite, Rutile, and Zircon Sri Lanka's north-east Pulmoddai coastline consists of mineral-rich sand. The 60 to 70 percent heavy minerals concentration of ilmenite, rutile and zircon are considered on of the best in the world. The main deposit consists of around 60 percent ilmenite, eight percent rutile and 8-10 percent zircon. Ilmenite, a black, heavy, metallic oxide mineral, is the major source of titanium, a metal valued for its high strength and light weight. Titanium's strength is such that it can withstand very high temperatures and is non-corrosive. Titanium is used in the construction high-performance military aircraft and rockets, space capsule skins, armour plate, aircraft firewalls, jet engine components, landing gears, submarines, and engine parts (as an alloy). Rutile, on the other hand, is mainly used in the titanium metal industry and in welding rods. Zircon is in demand in the ceramic industry for high quality glazing, foundries, and electrical items. Since September 1997, there has been little attempt to mine this mineral wealth. Production stopped after the Tiger attack sank a Lanka Mineral Sands cargo ship loaded with ilmenite anchored one kilometre off the beach. Pulmoddai is considered one of the best mineral sites in the world, with a heavy mineral content of 60 to 70 percent compared to beach deposits in Australia, a big producer, where the concentration is only five percent. Surveys commissioned by Lanka Mineral Sands indicate that the heavy minerals actually come from the island's interior, after being washed down by rivers such as the Mahaweli, Sri Lanka's longest river. New surveys, both onshore and offshore, estimate there are more than 12 million tonnes of heavy minerals in Pulmoddai and other nearby untapped areas, all on the east coast. They estimate that the reserves could last 25 to 30 years at the rate it was mined in the past. The state-run company's earning capacity reflects the wealth of this area: it was earning around 300 million rupees (about 3.3 million U.S. dollars) annually during its peak. So much so that until the Tigers struck in 1997, Lanka Mineral Sands, which pays royalty to the government for the mining rights, was the most profitable venture among state companies. Salt Prior to 1990 Elephant Pass and Kurunchativu located 10km apart had the largest salterns in the northeast with a combined area of 100 acres, and produced more than 85,000 metric tons of salt a year. The salt production in this area was sufficient in 1990 to meet all of Sri Lanka's needs and for export to other countries such as Singapore from Kurikattuvan harbor. The British monopolized all salt production in Sri Lanka under their control in 1938 with the establishment of the Salt Department in the wake of the 'Salt Satyagraha' by Mahatma Gandhi in India. The Salt Department was made the National Salt Corporation in 1966. All salterns in Sri Lanka were under the corporation before 1990. The salt production stopped in 1990 to 2000 when the Sri Lankan Army Elephant Pass garrison removed timber lining the edges of salt pans were removed by the SLA for military purposes. What are some Quotes on Eelam? 'I was once asked by an Englishman connected with the British Refugee Council: 'You say Tamil Eelam, but where are the boundaries of this Tamil Eelam that you talk about? Show me.' I was taken aback by the directness of the question. I thought for a while, searching for an appropriate response. Then I replied: 'Take a map of the island. Take a paint brush and paint all the areas where Sri Lanka has bombed and launched artillery attacks during these past several years. When you have finished, the painted area that you see - that is Tamil Eelam.''' - Sathasivam Krishnakumar (Col Kittu) Zurich, on Maha Veerar Naal, in November 1990 |
 | Réunion National Anthem Réunion (French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 km (130 miles) south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas départements of France. Like the other overseas departments, Réunion is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic with the same status as those situated on the European mainland. Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union, and thus the currency used is the euro. In fact, due to its location in a time zone to the east of Europe, Réunion was the first region in the world to use the euro, and the first ever purchase using the euro occurred at 12.01 a.m., when the former mayor of Saint-Denis René-Paul Victoria bought a bag of lychees at a market. Arab sailors formerly called the island Adna Al Maghribain ("Western Island"). The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit, finding it uninhabited in 1513, and naming it Santa Apollonia, after Saint Apollonia. The island was then occupied by France and administered from Port Louis, Mauritius. Although the French flag was hoisted by François Cauche in 1638, Santa Apollonia was officially claimed by Jacques Pronis of France in 1642, when he deported a dozen French mutineers to the island from Madagascar. The convicts were returned to France several years later, and in 1649, the island was named Île Bourbon after the royal house. "Réunion" was the name given to the island in 1793 by a decree of the Convention with the fall of the House of Bourbon in France, and the name commemorates the union of revolutionaries from Marseille with the National Guard in Paris, which took place on August 10, 1792. In 1801, the island was renamed "Île Bonaparte," after Napoleon Bonaparte. The island was taken by the British navy led by Commodore Josias Rowley in 1810, who used the old name of "Bourbon". When it was restored to France by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the island retained the name of "Bourbon" until 1848, when the fall of the restored Bourbons during the revolutions during that year meant that the island became "Réunion" once again. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Indians gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route. Réunion became a département d'outre-mer (overseas department) of France on March 19, 1946. Its département code is 974. Between 15 and 16 March 1952, Cilaos at the centre of Réunion received 1,869.9 mm (73.6 in) of rainfall. This is the greatest 24-hour precipitation total ever recorded on earth. The island also holds the record for most rainfall in 72 hours, 3,929 mm (154.7 in) at Commerson's Crater in March, 2007. In 2005 and 2006 Réunion was hit by a crippling epidemic of chikungunya, a disease spread by mosquitoes. According to the BBC News, 255,000 people on Réunion had contracted the disease as of 26 April 2006.[3] The disease also spread to Madagascar[4] and to mainland France through airline travel. The disease led to more than 200 deaths on Réunion. The French government under Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin sent an emergency aid package worth 36 million euros ($42.8M U.S. dollars) and deployed approximately five hundred French troops in an effort to eradicate mosquitoes. Chikungunya means "that which bends" in the Makonde language of the Tanzania/Mozambique border region where it was first identified. It can cause dehydration, extreme pain and high fevers and in some rare cases can be fatal. There is no known cure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9union |
 | Banksy's pink elephant provokes anger by http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/ An exhibition by headline-grabbing UK artist Banksy has been criticised for including a live painted elephant. The animal, called Tai, was covered in pink and gold paint and placed in a mocked-up house to represent how world poverty is widely ignored. Officials from the Los Angeles Animal Services Department told the Associated Press they would never again issue permits for such a "frivolous" purpose. The elephant's owner said the dye was non-toxic and welfare was paramount. Ed Boks, head of Animal Services in Los Angeles, said: "I think it sends a very wrong message that abusing animals is not only OK, it's an art form. "We find it no longer acceptable to dye baby chicks at Easter, but it's OK to dye an elephant." Secret identity Mr Boks said he tried to withdraw permits for the elephant on grounds of public safety last Friday, but found the three-day exhibition would be over before they took effect. "Permits will not be issued for such frivolous abuse of animals in the future," he said. Tai's owner, Kari Johnson, denied that the 38-year-old Indian elephant had suffered as a result of the paint job. She said: "Tai has done many, many movies. She's used to make-up." The British graffiti artist's Barely Legal exhibition, which took place in a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, finished on Sunday. The artist was not available to discuss the California show, which focused on global poverty and injustice. by Banksy supporters website: http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/ |
 | LTTE - TAMIL EELAM'S VIDEO CLIP -EVER SEEN THIS PLACE? NICE. TAMIL EELAM - NInaivil Oru Neruppu-Tamil Eelam NINAI VIRUKIRATHA TAMIL MAKKALAE. THIS IS OUR LAND. THIS IS OUR SEA. THIS IS OUR VILLAGE. WHERE IS IT NOW. What is Tamil Eelam? Tamil Eelam is a de facto state in Indian Ocean. It is located below the Tamil Nadu state of India and in the North East of Sri Lanka. The state of Tamil Eelam has been established by the people living there under the right of self determination given by International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights , Article 1, to which Sri Lanka is a signatory. The proposed size of the independent nation of Tamil Eelam is 19,509 km². This makes Tamil Eelam the 153 largest country/independent territory in the world. There are a total of 232 country/independent territories in the world. Tamil Eelam would be larger than East Timor at 14,874 km², which is the newest formed country in the world. East Timor gained independence after 24 years of Indonesia occupation on May 20, 2002. Why did Tamils in Sri Lanka want Tamil Eelam? Sri Lanka, which was renamed in Sinhala in 1972, had been called as Ceylon by British during colonial times. Before 1833, the Tamil people were under different administration. They had their own kingdoms, culture and language which are very different from those of Sinhalese until 1505. The first colonial invasion took place in 1505. British brought Tamils and Sinhalese under one administration in 1833 and called this new colony as Ceylon. When the British left in 1948, the 20% Tamils were left with 80% Sinhalese within a unitary country where the decisions were taken by democratic parliament system. Under this system, racially polarised Sinhalese and Tamils were ruled by the constant majority of Sinhalese against the democratic wishes of Tamils as Tamils were the constant minority. Who is the leader of Tamil Eelam? Vellupillai Pirabakaran, the leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is the present National Leader of Tamil Eelam. His supported by a council of commanders who establish policy on everything from law and order to economic. The policy of the LTTE is that this is an interim solution until democratic elections can be held. Is Tamil Eelam a communist idea? No. Tamil Eelam is the home land of highly religious Hindu, Christian and Islamic Tamil speaking people. Tamils of Tamil Eelam are from the ancient times, known for their trade and commerce. Tamil Eelam will be a democratic country once it become independent. Tamil Eelam is expected to be a socialist state. Just like the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. What is the present state of Tamil Eelam? Presently, some Northern and Eastern parts of Tamil Eelam are under the Tamil Eelam administration. Although a war is going on, Tamil Eelam administration functions very effectively to achieve self reliance and self sufficiency. There are forty eight essential items were banned by Sri Lankan authorities to the de facto state of Tamil Eelam. Some of them are now allowed by the new government with the expectation that the people of Tamil Eelam would give up their right to chose their political status freely. Is there religious freedom in Tamil Eelam? Not only religious freedom, but the people are encouraged to follow their own religion by Tamil Eelam administration even under the severe war conditions and economic ban. The Christian, mainly Catholic and Hindu religious leaders are always provided all the support needed for their religious freedom. Islam, however, is not being practiced presently, as the Muslims have been asked to leave the Tamil Eelam territory until the independence of Tamil Eelam. The Muslims supported the aggressive Sri Lankan Sinhala and Muslim Military against the freedom of Tamil Eelam. Can any one travel to Tamil Eelam? Yes. Like in any other countries, for Tamil Eelam also the immigration and emigration laws are applicable at the borders. Since a war is going on for the independence, several additional restrictions are imposed on travellers for national security reasons and for the security of the life of travellers. What are the Islands of Sri Lanka? Included in the traditional homeland of the Tamil in Sri Lanka are a series of seven islands off the northern coast. These islands are: • Kayts • Mandaitivu • Eluvaitivu • Paraittivu • Analaitivu • Nainativu • Punkudutivu • Delft • Mannar What are some of the natural resources in Tamil Eelam? Ilmenite, Rutile, and Zircon Sri Lanka's north-east Pulmoddai coastline consists of mineral-rich sand. The 60 to 70 percent heavy minerals concentration of ilmenite, rutile and zircon are considered on of the best in the world. The main deposit consists of around 60 percent ilmenite, eight percent rutile and 8-10 percent zircon. Ilmenite, a black, heavy, metallic oxide mineral, is the major source of titanium, a metal valued for its high strength and light weight. Titanium's strength is such that it can withstand very high temperatures and is non-corrosive. Titanium is used in the construction high-performance military aircraft and rockets, space capsule skins, armour plate, aircraft firewalls, jet engine components, landing gears, submarines, and engine parts (as an alloy). Rutile, on the other hand, is mainly used in the titanium metal industry and in welding rods. Zircon is in demand in the ceramic industry for high quality glazing, foundries, and electrical items. Since September 1997, there has been little attempt to mine this mineral wealth. Production stopped after the Tiger attack sank a Lanka Mineral Sands cargo ship loaded with ilmenite anchored one kilometre off the beach. Pulmoddai is considered one of the best mineral sites in the world, with a heavy mineral content of 60 to 70 percent compared to beach deposits in Australia, a big producer, where the concentration is only five percent. Surveys commissioned by Lanka Mineral Sands indicate that the heavy minerals actually come from the island's interior, after being washed down by rivers such as the Mahaweli, Sri Lanka's longest river. New surveys, both onshore and offshore, estimate there are more than 12 million tonnes of heavy minerals in Pulmoddai and other nearby untapped areas, all on the east coast. They estimate that the reserves could last 25 to 30 years at the rate it was mined in the past. The state-run company's earning capacity reflects the wealth of this area: it was earning around 300 million rupees (about 3.3 million U.S. dollars) annually during its peak. So much so that until the Tigers struck in 1997, Lanka Mineral Sands, which pays royalty to the government for the mining rights, was the most profitable venture among state companies. Salt Prior to 1990 Elephant Pass and Kurunchativu located 10km apart had the largest salterns in the northeast with a combined area of 100 acres, and produced more than 85,000 metric tons of salt a year. The salt production in this area was sufficient in 1990 to meet all of Sri Lanka's needs and for export to other countries such as Singapore from Kurikattuvan harbor. The British monopolized all salt production in Sri Lanka under their control in 1938 with the establishment of the Salt Department in the wake of the 'Salt Satyagraha' by Mahatma Gandhi in India. The Salt Department was made the National Salt Corporation in 1966. All salterns in Sri Lanka were under the corporation before 1990. The salt production stopped in 1990 to 2000 when the Sri Lankan Army Elephant Pass garrison removed timber lining the edges of salt pans were removed by the SLA for military purposes. What are some Quotes on Eelam? 'I was once asked by an Englishman connected with the British Refugee Council: 'You say Tamil Eelam, but where are the boundaries of this Tamil Eelam that you talk about? Show me.' I was taken aback by the directness of the question. I thought for a while, searching for an appropriate response. Then I replied: 'Take a map of the island. Take a paint brush and paint all the areas where Sri Lanka has bombed and launched artillery attacks during these past several years. When you have finished, the painted area that you see - that is Tamil Eelam.''' - Sathasivam Krishnakumar (Col Kittu) Zurich, on Maha Veerar Naal, in November 1990 |
 | Beatles The Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon Beatles Soundtrack (partials) 0:00 - 0:13 Twist & Shout 0:14 - 0:29 I Feel Fine 0:29 - 0:41 We Can Work It Out 0:41 - 0:54 I Wanna Hold Your Hand 0:54 - 1:10 Love Me Do 1:10 - 1:21 She Loves You 1:21 - 1:39 Yes It Is 1:40 - 1:55 I Will 1:56 - 2:20 All My Loving 2:20 - 2:44 Birthday 2:45 - 3:10 Lucy in the Sky 3:10 - 3:26 Sgt. Pepper 3:26 - 3:42 I Am the Walrus 3:42 - 3:57 Magical Mystery Tour 3:57 - 4:13 Yes it Is (again) 4:13 - 4:24 She Loves You (again) 4:24 - 4:44 Ticket to Ride 4:44 - 5:05 Paperback Writer 5:05 - 5:30 Hey Jude 5:30 - 5:52 Get Back 5:53 - 6:02 I need help here, no idea what this one is 6:02 - 6:29 Ob La Di Ob La Da [ above is courtesy of HappyDaze01. Thx HaDz01"!] Origin Liverpool, England Rock/Pop - Years active 1960--1970 Parlophone, Capitol, Apple, Vee-Jay, Polydor, Swan, Tollie Related to Tony Sheridan, The Quarrymen, The Plastic Ono Band, The Dirty Mac, Wings, Traveling Wilburys, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr All-Starr Band, Billy Preston Members - Ever to Date John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison Ringo Starr Former members Stuart Sutcliffe Pete Best The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in the history of popular music. The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States of America, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, which certified them as the highest selling band of all time based on American sales of singles and albums. In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries: their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion discs and tapes worldwide. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s,[2] and their influence on pop culture can still be felt today. The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s. 1957--1960: Formation The Quarrymen In March 1957, John Lennon formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen whilst attending Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool.[6] Lennon and the Quarrymen met guitarist Paul McCartney at the Woolton Garden Fête held at St. Peter's Church on 6 July 1957.[7] On 6 February 1958, the young guitarist George Harrison was invited to watch the group (who played under a variety of names) at Wilson Hall, Garston, Liverpool.[8] McCartney had become acquainted with Harrison on the morning school bus ride to the Liverpool Institute, as they both lived in Speke. At McCartney's insistence, Harrison joined the Quarrymen as lead guitarist[9] after a rehearsal in March 1958, overcoming Lennon's initial reluctance because of Harrison's young age.[10] Members continually joined and left the lineup during that period, and in January 1960 Lennon's art school friend Stuart Sutcliffe joined on bass.[11] Lennon and McCartney both played rhythm guitar and the group had a high turnover of drummers. The Quarrymen went through a progression of names — "Johnny and the Moondogs", "Long John and the Beatles", "the Silver Beetles" (derived from Larry Parnes' suggestion of "Long John and the Silver Beetles") — before settling on "The Beatles". There are many theories as to the origin of the name and its unusual spelling. It is usually credited to Lennon, who said that the name was a combination word-play on the insects "beetles" (as a reference to Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets) and the word "beat". Cynthia Lennon suggests that Lennon came up with the name Beatles at a "brainstorming session over a beer-soaked table in the Renshaw Hall bar."[12] Lennon, who was well known for giving multiple versions of the same story joked in a 1961 Mersey Beat magazine article that "It came in a vision — a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, 'From this day on you are Beatles with an A'".[13] During an interview in 2001, Paul McCartney took credit for the peculiar spelling of the name, saying that "John had the idea of calling us the Beetles, I said, 'how about the Beatles; you know, like the beat of the drum?' At the time, everyone was stoned enough to find it hilarious. It's funny how history is made." [14] In May 1960 The Beatles toured northeast Scotland as a back-up band with singer Johnny Gentle.[15] They met Gentle an hour before their first gig, and McCartney referred to the tour as a great experience for the band.[16] For the tour the often drummerless group secured the services of Tommy Moore, who was considerably older than the others.[17] Soon after the tour, however, feeling the age gap was too great Moore left the band and went back to work in a bottling factory as a fork-lift truck driver.[18] Norman Chapman was the band's next drummer, but was called up for National Service in a few weeks. His departure posed a significant problem as the group's unofficial manager, Allan Williams, had arranged for them to perform in clubs on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg, Germany.[19] 1960--1970: The Beatles Hamburg On 15 August 1960, McCartney invited Pete Best to become the group's permanent drummer. He had watched Best play with the Blackjacks[20] in the Casbah Club, owned by Pete's mother, Mona Best. This was a cellar club in West Derby, Liverpool, where The Beatles had played and often visited.[21] In the documentary The Compleat Beatles, Williams said that Best "played not too cleverly, but passable." The Beatles started playing in Hamburg at the Indra and Kaiserkeller bars. They were required to play six or seven hours a night, seven nights a week. Shortly after they began performing at a new venue, the "Top Ten Club",[22] Harrison was deported for having lied to the German authorities about his age.[23] A week later, having started a small fire at their living quarters while vacating it for more luxurious rooms, McCartney and Best were arrested, charged with arson, and deported.[24] Lennon followed the others to Liverpool in mid-December. The reunited Beatles played their first engagement on 17 December 1960 at the Casbah Club and returned to Hamburg in April 1961. Whilst playing at the Top Ten Club they were recruited by singer Tony Sheridan to act as his backing band on a series of recordings for the German Polydor Records label,[25] produced by famed bandleader Bert Kaempfert.[19] Kaempfert signed the group to its own Polydor contract at the first session on 22 June 1961. On 31 October Polydor released the recording "My Bonnie (Mein Herz ist bei dir nur)", which appeared on the German charts under the name "Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers", a generic name used for whoever happened to be in Sheridan's backup band.[26] In addition to the legend that this record led to the group's eventual meeting with Brian Epstein, it also resulted in their first mention in the American press. Around the beginning of 1962, Cashbox mentioned "My Bonnie" as the debut of a "new rock and roll team, Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers". A few copies were also pressed under the Decca label for U.S. disc jockeys, as American Decca had a distribution deal with Polydor parent Deutsche Grammophon.[27] (This was ironic, considering that by this time the then-unaffiliated British Decca had turned down the group's attempt to gain a recording contract.) When the group returned to Liverpool, Sutcliffe stayed on in Hamburg with his new German fiancee Astrid Kirchherr, [28] and McCartney took over bass duties.[29] Their third stay in Hamburg was from 13 April to 31 May 1962, when they opened The Star Club.[19] Upon their arrival they were informed of Sutcliffe's death from a brain haemorrhage.[30] Epstein took over as the group's manager in January 1962 and led The Beatles' quest for a British recording contract. Epstein had been manager of the record department at North End Music Store (NEMS), an offshoot of his family's furniture store. He played on the status of NEMS as a major record dealer to gain access to producers and recording company executives. In a now-famous exchange, Decca Records A&R executive Dick Rowe turned Epstein down flat, informing him that "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein."[31] While Epstein was negotiating with Decca, he also approached EMI marketing executive Ron White.[32] White (who was not himself a record producer) in turn contacted EMI producers Norrie Paramor, Walter Ridley, and Norman Newell, all of whom declined to record The Beatles.[33] White did not approach EMI's fourth staff producer — George Martin — who was on holiday at the time.[34] Record contract After failing to impress Decca Records, Epstein went to the HMV store on Oxford Street in London to transfer the Decca tapes to discs. There, recording engineer Jim Foy referred him to Sid Coleman, who ran EMI's publishing arm. When Coleman heard the demo tapes he suggested taking the tapes to George Martin, who, Coleman explained, "does comedy records" and headed the Parlophone label at EMI. Epstein eventually met with Martin, who signed the group to EMI on a one-year renewable contract and scheduled their first recording session on 6 June at EMI's Abbey Road studios in north London.[35] Martin had not been particularly impressed by the band's demo recordings,[36] but he instantly liked them as people when he met them. He concluded that they had raw musical talent, but said (in later interviews) that what made the difference for him was their wit and humour.[37] Martin did have a problem with Pete Best, [36] whom he criticised for not being able to keep time. He privately suggested to Epstein that the band use another drummer in the studio. Best was good-looking and popular with the group's fans, but the three founding members had become increasingly unhappy with his drumming and his personality.[citation needed] There was speculation by some that Best's popularity[38] with fans was another source of friction. In addition, Epstein had become exasperated with his refusal to adopt the distinctive hairstyle as part of their unified look. Best also had missed a number of engagements because of illness. The three founding members enlisted Epstein to dismiss Best - which he did on 16 August 1962.[39] They asked Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey), the drummer for one of the top Merseybeat groups, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, to join the band, as Starr had performed occasionally with The Beatles in Hamburg.[40] The first recordings of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr together were made as early as 15 October 1960, in a series of demonstration records privately recorded in Hamburg while acting as the backing group for singer Lu Walters.[41] Starr played on The Beatles' second EMI recording session on 4 September 1962, but Martin hired session drummer Andy White for their next session on 11 September.[42] Their recording contract paid them one penny for each single sold, which was split amongst the four Beatles — one farthing per group member.[43] This royalty rate was further reduced for singles sold outside the UK, on which they received half of one penny (again split between the whole band) per single. Martin said later that it was a "pretty awful" contract.[43] Their publishing contract with Dick James Music (DJM) was also standard for the time: songwriters received the statutory minimum of 50% of the gross monies received, with the publisher retaining the other 50%.[citation needed] The Beatles' first EMI session on 6 June did not yield any releasable recordings but the September sessions produced a minor UK hit, "Love Me Do", which peaked on the charts at number 17.[44] ("Love Me Do" reached the top of the U.S. singles chart over 18 months later in May 1964.) On 26 November they recorded their second single "Please Please Me", which reached no. 2 in the official UK charts and no. 1 in the NME chart. Three months later they recorded their first album (also titled Please Please Me). The band's first televised performance was on the People and Places programme transmitted live from Manchester by Granada Television on 17 October 1962.[45] As The Beatles' fame spread, the frenzied adulation of the group, predominantly from teenage female fans, was dubbed 'Beatlemania'. In November 1963 The Beatles appeared on the Royal Variety Performance and were photographed with Marlene Dietrich, who also appeared on the show.[citation needed] America Although the band experienced huge popularity in the UK record charts from early 1963, EMI's American operation, Capitol Records, declined to issue the singles "Please Please Me" and "From Me to You (their first official no. 1 hit in the UK)".[46] Vee-Jay Records, a small Chicago label, issued the singles as part of a deal for the rights to another performer's masters. Art Roberts, music director of Chicago powerhouse radio station WLS, placed "Please Please Me" into radio rotation in late February 1963 making it the first time a Beatles record was heard on American radio. Vee-Jay's rights to The Beatles were later cancelled for non-payment of royalties.[47] In August 1963, Philadelphia-based Swan Records released "She Loves You", which also failed to receive airplay. A testing of the song on Dick Clark's TV show American Bandstand produced laughter from American teenagers when they saw the group's distinctive hairstyles. New York disc jockey Murray the K featured "She Loves You" on his '1010 WINS record revue' show in January.[48] In early November 1963, Brian Epstein persuaded Ed Sullivan to present The Beatles on three editions of his show in February, and parlayed this guaranteed exposure into a record deal with Capitol Records. Capitol committed to a mid-January release for "I Want to Hold Your Hand",[49] On 7 December 1963 a clip of The Beatles was shown on the CBS Evening News (the story originally had been scheduled to air on 22 November and was aired on the CBS Morning News but was pre-empted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy). The clip inspired a teenage girl in Washington, D.C. to request a Beatles song on a local radio station. The station secured an imported copy of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" — forcing Capitol Records to release the song ahead of schedule on 26 December. Several New York radio stations — first WMCA, then WINS (AM) and WABC — began playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on its release day. The Beatlemania that had started in Washington was duplicated in New York and quickly spread to other markets. The record sold one million copies in just ten days, and by 16 January, Cashbox magazine had certified the record number one (in the edition marked 23 January). On 3 January 1964 a film of The Beatles performing "She Loves You" was aired on the late-night Jack Paar Show. Beatlemania crosses the Atlantic On 7 February 1964, a crowd of four thousand fans at Heathrow Airport waved to The Beatles as they took off for their first trip to America as a group.[51] They were accompanied by photographers, journalists (including Maureen Cleave) and Phil Spector, who had booked himself on the same flight.[52] The pilot had radioed ahead, and as they prepared to land said, "Tell the boys there's a big crowd waiting for them." Kennedy International Airport had never experienced such a crowd, estimated at about 3,000 screaming fans.[53] After a press conference (where they first met Murray the K) they were put into limousines and driven to New York. On the way McCartney turned on a radio and listened to a running commentary: "They [The Beatles] have just left the airport and are coming to New York City..."[54] After reaching the Plaza Hotel, they were besieged by fans and reporters. Harrison had a temperature of 102 the next day and was ordered to stay in bed, so Neil Aspinall replaced him for the first television rehearsal.[55] Their first live American television appearance was on the The Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964. The next morning practically every newspaper wrote that The Beatles were nothing more than a "fad", and "could not carry a tune across the Atlantic".[56] Their first American concert appearance was at Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. on 11 February.[57] After The Beatles' huge success in 1964, Vee-Jay Records and Swan Records took advantage of their previously secured rights to The Beatles' early recordings and reissued the songs, all of which reached the top ten the second time around. (MGM and Atco also secured rights to The Beatles' early Tony Sheridan-era recordings and had minor hits with "My Bonnie" and "Ain't She Sweet", the latter featuring John Lennon on lead vocal.) In addition to Introducing... The Beatles, which was essentially The Beatles' debut British album with some minor alterations, Vee-Jay also issued an unusual LP called The Beatles Vs The Four Seasons. This 2-LP set paired Introducing... The Beatles and The Golden Hits Of The Four Seasons, another successful act that Vee-Jay had under contract, in a 'contest' (the back cover featured a 'score card'). Another unusual release was the Hear The Beatles Tell All album, which consisted of two lengthy interviews with Los Angeles radio disc jockeys (side one was titled "Dave Hull interviews John Lennon," while side two was titled "Jim Steck interviews John, Paul, George, Ringo"). No Beatles music was included on this interview album, which turned out to be the only Vee Jay Beatles album Capitol Records could not reclaim. The Vee-Jay/Swan-issued recordings eventually ended up with Capitol, who issued most of the Vee-Jay material on the American-only Capitol release The Early Beatles, with three songs left off this final US version of the album. ("I Saw Her Standing There" was issued as the American B-side of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and also appeared on the Capitol Records album Meet The Beatles. "Misery" and "There's a Place" were issued as a Capitol "Starline" reissue single in 1964, and reappeared on the 1980 Rarities compilation album.) The early Vee-Jay and Swan Beatles records command a high price on the record collectors' market, and all have been copiously bootlegged.[58] The Swan tracks ("She Loves You" and "I'll Get You") were issued on the Capitol LP The Beatles' Second Album. (Swan also issued the German-language version of "She Loves You," called "Sie Liebt Dich." This song later appeared (in stereo) on Capitol's US version of the Rarities compilation album.) In mid-1964 the band undertook their first appearances outside of Europe and North America. They toured Australia and New Zealand without Ringo Starr, who was ill and temporarily replaced by session drummer Jimmy Nicol. In Adelaide they were greeted by over 300,000 people who turned out at Adelaide Town Hall.[59] In June 1965, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appointed the four Beatles Members of the Order of the British Empire, MBE. The band members were nominated by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (who also was the M.P. for Huyton, Liverpool).[60] The appointment — at that time primarily bestowed upon military veterans and civic leaders — sparked some conservative MBE recipients to return their insignia in protest.[61] The first two were returned on 14 June, before The Beatles received theirs on 26 October 1965.[62] On 15 August that year, The Beatles performed the first stadium concert in the history of rock, playing at Shea Stadium in New York to a crowd of 55,600.[63] Their sixth album, Rubber Soul, was released in early December 1965. It was hailed as a major leap forward in the maturity and complexity of the band's music.[64] Backlash and controversy In July 1966, when The Beatles toured the Philippines, they unintentionally snubbed the nation's first lady, Imelda Marcos, who had expected the group to attend a breakfast reception at the Presidential Palace.[65] When presented with the invitation, Brian Epstein politely declined on behalf of the group, as it had never been the group's policy to accept such "official" invitations.[66] The group soon found that the Marcos regime was unaccustomed to accepting "no" for an answer. After the 'snub' was broadcast on Philippine television and radio, all of The Beatles' police protection disappeared. The group and their entourage had to make their way to Manila airport on their own. At the airport, roadie Mal Evans was beaten and kicked, and the band members were pushed and jostled about by a hostile crowd.[67] Once the group boarded the plane, Epstein and Evans were ordered off, and Evans said, "Tell my wife that I love her."[68] Epstein was forced to give back all the money that the band had earned while they were there before being allowed back on the plane.[69] Almost as soon as they returned from the Philippines, an earlier comment by Lennon made in March that year launched a backlash against The Beatles from religious and social conservatives in the United States. In an interview with British reporter Maureen Cleave,[70] Lennon had offered his opinion that Christianity was dying and that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus now."[71] Afterwards, a radio station in Birmingham, Alabama, ran a story on burning Beatles records, in what was considered to be a joke. However, many people affiliated with rural churches in the American South started taking the suggestion seriously. Towns across the United States and South Africa started to burn Beatles records in protest. Attempting to make light of the incident, McCartney said, "They've got to buy them before they can burn them." Under tremendous pressure from the American media, Lennon apologised for his remarks at a press conference in Chicago on August 11, the eve of the first performance of what turned out to be their final tour.[72] The group's two-year series of Capitol compilations also took a strange twist in the United States when one of their publicity shots, used for a Yesterday and Today album and a poster promoting the UK release of "Paperback Writer", created an uproar, as it featured the band draped in meat and plastic dolls. Thousands of these copies had to be withdrawn. Years later, the cover shot was linked with the group's interest in German expressionism.[72] Elvis Presley disapproved of The Beatles's anti-war activism and open use of drugs, later asking President Nixon to ban all four members of the group from entering the United States. Peter Guralnick writes, "The Beatles, Elvis said, [...] had been a focal point for anti-Americanism. They had come to this country, made their money, then gone back to England where they fomented anti-American feeling."[73] Guralnick adds, "Presley indicated that he is of the opinion that The Beatles laid the groundwork for many of the problems we are having with young people by their filthy unkempt appearances and suggestive music while entertaining in this country during the early and middle 1960s."[74] Despite Elvis' remarks, Lennon still had some positive feeling towards him: "Before Elvis, there was nothing."[75] The studio years The Beatles at their last concert, Candlestick Park.In April 1966, the group began recording what would be their most ambitious album to date, Revolver. During the recording sessions for the album, tape looping and early sampling were introduced in a complex mix of ballad, R&B, soul and world music. The Beatles performed their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on 29 August 1966.[72] McCartney asked Tony Barrow to tape the event, but the 30-minute tape he used ran out halfway through the last song. The concert lasted a little under 35 minutes.[76] From then on, The Beatles concentrated on recording. Less than seven months after recording Revolver, The Beatles returned to Abbey Road Studios on 24 November 1966 to begin the 129-day recording sessions for their eighth album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, released on 1 June 1967. On 25 June 1967, The Beatles became the first band globally transmitted on television—before an estimated 400 million people worldwide. The band appeared in a segment within the first-ever worldwide TV satellite hook-up, a show titled Our World. The Beatles were transmitted live from Abbey Road Studios, and their new song "All You Need Is Love" was recorded live during the show. The band's business affairs began to unravel after manager Brian Epstein died of an accidental prescription drug overdose on 27 August 1967 at the age of 32. At the end of 1967, they received their first major negative press in the UK with disparaging reviews of their surrealistic TV film Magical Mystery Tour.[77] Part of the criticism arose because colour was an integral part of the film, but in 1967 few viewers in the UK had colour televisions. The film's soundtrack, which features one of The Beatles' few instrumental tracks ("Flying"), was released in the United Kingdom as a double EP, and in the United States as a full LP (the LP is now the official version). The group spent the early part of 1968 in Rishikesh, Uttar Pradesh, India, studying transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.[78] Upon their return, Lennon and McCartney went to New York to announce the formation of Apple Corps. The middle of 1968 saw the band busy recording the double album The Beatles, popularly known as The White Album because of its plain white cover. These sessions saw deep divisions opening within the band, with Starr temporarily walking out. The band carried on, with McCartney recording the drums on the songs "Martha My Dear", "Wild Honey Pie", "Dear Prudence" and "Back in the USSR". Among the other causes of dissension were that Lennon's new girlfriend, Yoko Ono, was at his side through almost all of the sessions, and that the others felt that McCartney was becoming too dominating.[79] Internal divisions within the band had been a small but growing problem during their early years; most notably, this was reflected in the difficulty that George Harrison experienced in getting his own songs onto Beatles albums. On the business side, McCartney wanted Lee Eastman, the father of his then-girlfriend Linda Eastman, to manage The Beatles, but the other members wanted New York manager Allen Klein. All past Beatles' decisions had been unanimous, but this time the four could not agree. Lennon, Harrison and Starr felt the Eastmans would put McCartney's interests before those of the group. In 1971 it was discovered that Klein, who had been appointed manager, had stolen £5 million from The Beatles' holdings. Years later, during the Anthology interviews, McCartney said of this time, "Looking back, I can understand why they would feel that he [Lee Eastman] was biased against them." Their final live performance was on the rooftop of the Apple building in Savile Row, London, on 30 January 1969, the next-to-last day of the difficult Get Back sessions. Most of the performance was filmed and later included in the film Let It Be. While the band was playing, the local police were called because of complaints about the noise. Although the group was simply asked to end their performance, the band members later remarked in the Anthology video that they were disappointed they were not arrested — pointing out that the police hauling the band members off in handcuffs would have been "an appropriate ending" for the film. The Beatles recorded their final album, Abbey Road, in the summer of 1969. The completion of the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" for the album on 20 August was the last time all four Beatles were together in the same studio. Their final new song was Harrison's "I Me Mine", recorded 3 January 1970 and released on the Let It Be album. It was recorded without Lennon, who was in Denmark when the song was recorded.[80] Breakup John Lennon announced his departure to the rest of the group on 20 September 1969 but agreed that no announcement was to be publicly made until a number of legal matters were resolved. In March 1970 the Get Back session tapes were given to American producer Phil Spector, who had produced Lennon's solo single "Instant Karma!". Spector's "Wall of Sound" production values went against the original intent of the record, which had been to record a stripped-down live performance. McCartney was deeply dissatisfied with Spector's treatment of "The Long and Winding Road", and unsuccessfully attempted to halt release of Spector's version of the song. McCartney publicly announced the break-up on 10 April 1970, a week before releasing his first solo album, McCartney. Pre-release copies included a press release with a self-written interview explaining the end of The Beatles and his hopes for the future.[81] On 8 May 1970, the Spector-produced version of Get Back was released as Let It Be, followed by the documentary film of the same name. The Beatles' partnership was finally dissolved in 1975.[82] 1970--present: After The Beatles Ringo Starr, 1968 Shortly before and after the official dissolution of the group, all four Beatles released solo albums, including Lennon's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, McCartney's McCartney, Starr's Sentimental Journey, and Harrison's All Things Must Pass. Some of their albums featured contributions by other former Beatles; Starr's Ringo (1973) was the only one to include compositions and performances by all four, albeit on separate songs. Other than an unreleased jam session in 1974 (later bootlegged as A Toot and a Snore in '74), Lennon and McCartney never recorded together again. In the wake of the expiration in 1975 of The Beatles' contract with EMI-Capitol, the American Capitol label, rushing to cash in on its vast Beatles holdings and freed from the group's creative control, released five LPs: Rock 'n' Roll Music (a compilation of their more uptempo numbers), The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (containing portions of two unreleased shows at the Hollywood Bowl), Love Songs (a compilation of their slower numbers), Rarities (a compilation of tracks that either had never been released in the U.S. or had gone out of print), and Reel Music (a compilation of songs from their films). There was also a non-Capitol-EMI release of a show from the group's early days at the Star Club in Hamburg captured on a poor-quality tape. Of all these post-breakup LPs, only the Hollywood Bowl LP had the approval of the group members. Upon the American release of the original British CDs in 1986, these post-breakup Capitol American compilation LPs were deleted from the Capitol catalogue. John Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on 8 December 1980 in New York City. Shortly afterward, in 1981, the three surviving Beatles reunited to record "All Those Years Ago", released as a George Harrison solo single. Its original lyrics had been rewritten as a tribute to Lennon. The BBC has a large collection of Beatles recordings, mostly comprising original studio sessions from 1963 to 1968. Much of this material formed the basis for a 1988 radio documentary series The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes. In 1989, many outtakes from The Beatles sessions appeared on the radio series The Lost Lennon Tapes. Later, in 1994, the best of the BBC sessions were given an official EMI release on Live at the BBC. In 1988 The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a group (not as individual performers) during their first year of eligibility.[83] On the night of their induction, Harrison and Starr appeared to accept their award along with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and his two sons. McCartney stayed away, issuing a press release citing "unresolved difficulties" with Harrison, Starr, and Lennon's estate. Solo Beatles later inducted were Lennon in 1994, McCartney in 1999 and Harrison in 2004. Collage of the various covers of the Anthology seriesIn February 1994, the three surviving Beatles reunited to produce and record additional music for a few of Lennon's home recordings. "Free as a Bird" premiered as part of The Beatles Anthology series of television documentaries and was released as a single in December 1995, with "Real Love" following in March 1996. These songs were also included in the three Anthology collections of CDs released in 1995 and 1996, each of which consisted of two CDs of never-before-released Beatles material. Klaus Voormann, who had known The Beatles since their Hamburg days and had previously illustrated the Revolver album cover, directed the Anthology cover concept. 450,000 copies of Anthology 1 were sold on its first day of release. In 2000, a compilation album named 1 was released, containing almost every number-one single released by the band from 1962 to 1970. The collection sold 3.6 million copies in its first week (selling 3 copies a second) and more than 12 million in three weeks worldwide. The collection also reached number one in the United States and 33 other countries and had sold 25 million copies by 2005 (about the ninth best selling album of all time). George Harrison during this time showed his socio-political consciousness and earned respect for his contribution for arranging the Concert For Bangladesh in New York in August 1971 along with sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. Harrison died of lung cancer on 29 November 2001. More recently, in 2006, George Martin and his son Giles Martin remixed original Beatles recordings to create a soundtrack to accompany Cirque du Soleil's theatrical production Love. Musical evolution The Beatles' constant demands to create new sounds on every new recording, combined with George Martin's arranging abilities and the studio expertise of EMI staff engineers such as Norman Smith, Ken Townshend and Geoff Emerick, all played significant parts in the innovative sounds of the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). The Beatles continued to absorb influences long after their initial success, often finding new musical and lyrical avenues by listening to their contemporaries. Among those influences were Bob Dylan, who influenced songs such as "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)".[84] Other contemporary influences included the Byrds and the Beach Boys, whose album Pet Sounds was a favourite of McCartney's.[85] Along with studio tricks such as sound effects, unconventional microphone placements, tape loops, double tracking and vari-speed recording, The Beatles began to augment their recordings with instruments that were unconventional for rock music at the time. These included string and brass ensembles as well as Indian instruments such as the sitar as in Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) and the swarmandel as in Strawberry Fields Forever. They also used early electronic instruments such as the Mellotron, with which McCartney supplied the flute voices on the intro to "Strawberry Fields Forever", and the ondioline, an electronic keyboard that created the unusual oboe-like sound on "Baby You're a Rich Man". Beginning with the use of a string quartet (arranged by George Martin with input from McCartney) on "Yesterday" in 1965, The Beatles pioneered a modern form of art song, exemplified by the double-quartet string arrangement on "Eleanor Rigby" (1966), "Here, There and Everywhere" (1966) and "She's Leaving Home" (1967). A televised performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 directly inspired McCartney's use of a piccolo trumpet on the arrangement of "Penny Lane". The Beatles moved towards psychedelia with "Rain" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" from 1966, and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "I Am the Walrus" from 1967. Influence on popular culture Lifestyle The Beatles' lifestyles were greatly altered by their success and the income they earned. The availability of the first oral contraceptive and illegal drugs changed many people's opinions — including The Beatles' — about life, marriage, and sexual relationships.[86] Recreational drug use In Hamburg, The Beatles used "prellies" (Preludin) both recreationally and to maintain their energy through all-night performances.[87] McCartney would usually take one, but Lennon would often take four or five.[87] Bob Dylan introduced them to cannabis during a 1964 visit to New York.[88] McCartney remembered them all getting "very high" and giggling.[89] The Beatles occasionally smoked a spliff in the car on the way to the studio during the filming of Help!, which often made them forget their lines.[90] In April 1965, Lennon and Harrison were introduced to LSD by an acquaintance, dentist John Riley.[91] Lennon in particular became an avid "tripper", claiming in a 1970 interview in Rolling Stone to have taken LSD hundreds of times. McCartney was more reluctant to try the drug, but finally did so in 1966 and was the first Beatle to talk about it in the press. The Beatles added their names to an advertisement in The Times, on 24 July 1967, which asked for the legalisation of cannabis, the release of all prisoners imprisoned because of possession, and research into marijuana's medical uses. The advertisement was sponsored by a group called Soma, and was signed by 65 people, including Brian Epstein, Graham Greene, R.D. Laing, 15 doctors, and two MPs.[92] On a sailing trip to Greece, in 1967, the whole band sat around on the boat and took acid.[93] Meditation On 24 August 1967, The Beatles met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the London Hilton, and a few days later went to Bangor, in North Wales, to attend a weekend 'initiation' conference.[94] There, the Maharishi gave each of them a mantra.[95] Their time in early 1968 at the Maharishi's ashram in India was highly productive from a musical standpoint, as practically all of the songs that would later be recorded for The White Album and Abbey Road were composed there by Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison.[78] Discography Further information: List of Beatles songs by singer, The Beatles record sales, worldwide charts, The Beatles bootlegs, and List of Beatles hit singles Official CD catalogue In 1987, EMI released all 12 of The Beatles' studio albums — as originally released in the UK — on CD worldwide. (North American releases were on EMI's American subsidiary Capitol Records). It was a considered decision by Apple Corps to standardise The Beatles catalogue throughout the world. Because there were tracks that had been released in the UK on singles and EPs that had not been released on the original UK albums, in order for all their recordings to be available on CD it was necessary to create three further CDs that would contain the missing tracks. One CD was of a 1967 US compilation album that featured the 6-track 1967 UK EP Magical Mystery Tour and the various singles released in that year. The other two CDs were new compilations that gathered together all the other singles, EP tracks and recordings from 1962--1970 that had not been issued on the original British studio albums. Magical Mystery Tour - 8 August 1987[96] Past Masters, Volume One - 7 March 1988 Past Masters, Volume Two - 7 March 1988 According to EMI and the Guinness Book of Records, The Beatles have sold in excess of one billion units (1,010,000,000, including cassettes, records, CDs and bootlegs). Beginning in 2004, the US album configurations were released as a series of box sets from Capitol Records (The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 & Volume 2); these included both stereo and mono versions based on the mixes that were prepared for vinyl at the time of their original 1960s releases. Song catalogue In 1963 Lennon and McCartney agreed to assign their song publishing rights to Northern Songs, a company created by music publisher Dick James. The company was administered by James' own company Dick James Music. Northern Songs went public in 1965, with Lennon and McCartney each holding 15% of the company's shares whilst Dick James and the company's chairman, Charles Silver, held a controlling 37.5%. In 1969, following a failed attempt by Lennon and McCartney to buy the company, James and Silver sold Northern Songs to British TV company Associated TeleVision (ATV), from which Lennon and McCartney received stock. In 1985, after a short period in which the parent company was owned by Australian business magnate Robert Holmes à Court, ATV Music was sold to Michael Jackson for a reported $47 million (trumping a joint bid by McCartney and Yoko Ono), including the publishing rights to over 200 songs composed by Lennon and McCartney. A decade later Jackson and Sony merged its music publishing businesses. Since 1995, Jackson and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have jointly owned most of the Lennon-McCartney songs recorded by The Beatles. Sony later reported that Jackson had used his share of their co-owned Beatles' catalogue as collateral for a loan from the music company. Meanwhile, Lennon's estate and McCartney still receive their respective songwriter shares of the royalties. (Despite his ownership of most of the Lennon-McCartney publishing, Jackson has only recorded one Lennon-McCartney composition himself, "Come Together" which was featured in his film Moonwalker.) Although the Jackson-Sony catalogue includes most of The Beatles' greatest hits, four of their earliest songs had been published by one of EMI's publishing companies prior to Lennon and McCartney signing with Dick James — and McCartney later succeeded in personally acquiring the publishing rights to "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "P.S. I Love You" and "Ask Me Why" from EMI. Harrison and Starr did not renew their songwriting contracts with Northern Songs in 1968, signing with Apple Publishing instead. Harrison later created Harrisongs, his own company which still owns the rights to his post-1967 songs such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Something". Starr also created his own company, called Startling Music. It holds the rights to his two post-1967 songs recorded by The Beatles, "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden". The future of The Beatles catalogue The Beatles are but a few of the major artists (aside from Led Zeppelin and Garth Brooks) who have not to date allowed their entire recorded catalogue to be available through major online music services (iTunes, Napster, etc.). This may be due to the massive royalty fees demanded by the group. As a result, The Beatles' music (both officially and unofficially released) has been made available through illegal music search engines such as eMule and BearShare, and have apparently raised the ire of the entire music industry. However, sure signs that official online distributions may be coming is the fact that the video for Tomorrow Never Knows/Within You Without You (the remix from their album Love) is currently being distributed (as of June, 2007) via Napster, and many Internet radio networks (such as Pandora Internet Radio and Live365.com) are allowing Beatles songs to be broadcasted over the world wide web. There has been talk of negotiations to make such an official online distribution schedule possible. Officials at Apple Corps have hinted at this, as they have confirmed that the entire Beatles catalog has been digitally remastered for online distribution. On film Main article: The Beatles on film The Beatles appeared in several films, all of which featured associated soundtrack albums. The band played themselves in two films directed by Richard Lester, A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). The group produced and starred in the hour-long television movie Magical Mystery Tour (1967), while the documentary Let It Be (released 1970) followed the recording sessions for the Get Back project in early 1969. In addition, the psychedelic animated film Yellow Submarine (1968) followed the adventures of a cartoon version of the band; the members did not provide their own voices, appearing only in a brief live-action epilogue. Other projects Anthology Main article: The Beatles Anthology Love Main article: Love (Cirque du Soleil) Instrumentation Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Epiphone, Gibson, Fender, and C.F. Martin & Company guitars Höfner, Fender and Rickenbacker basses Vox, Fender, and Selmer amplifiers Premier and Ludwig drums Zildjian cymbals Steinway, and Blüthner pianos Hammond, Vox and Lowrey electric organs Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Hohner Pianet electric pianos Moog Modular synthesiser Mellotron Polyphonic Keyboard Neumann, AKG, and STC microphones Bill Stoll Stollco video tampa fl |
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