This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from January 12 through January 20, 2018. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
The Aberfan disaster(
nominated by
SchroCat) was the catastrophic collapse of a
National Coal Board (NCB)
collieryspoil tip in the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, on 21 October 1966. The tip slid down the mountain above the village at 9:15 am, killing 116 children and 28 adults as it engulfed the local
junior school and other buildings in the town. The collapse was caused by the build-up of water in the accumulated rock and
shale tip, which suddenly slid downhill in the form of
slurry. There were seven spoil tips on the slopes above Aberfan; tip seven—the one that slipped onto the village—was begun in 1958 and, at the time of the disaster, was 111 feet (34 m) high. In contravention of the NCB's official procedures, the tip was partly based on ground from which water springs emerged. After three weeks of heavy rain the tip was saturated and approximately 140,000 cubic yards (110,000 m3) of spoil slipped down the side of the hill and onto the Pantglas area of the village. The main building hit was Pantglas Junior School, where lessons had just begun; 5 teachers and 109 children were killed in the school. An official inquiry placed the blame squarely on the NCB. The organisation's chairman,
Lord Robens, was criticised for making misleading statements and for not providing clarity as to the NCB's knowledge of the presence of water springs on the hillside. The Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund (ADMF) was set up on the day of the disaster. It received nearly £1.75 million. The remaining tips were removed only after a lengthy fight by Aberfan residents. Many of the village's residents suffered medical problems, and half the surviving children have experienced
post-traumatic stress disorder at some time in their lives.
The black-shouldered kite(
nominated by
Cas liber) is a small
raptor found in open habitat throughout Australia. Measuring around 35 cm (14 in) in length with a wingspan of 80–100 cm (31–39 in), the adult black-shouldered kite has predominantly grey-white plumage and prominent black markings above its red eyes. The species forms monogamous pairs, breeding between August and January. The black-shouldered kite hunts in open grasslands, searching for its prey by hovering and systematically scanning the ground. It mainly eats small rodents, particularly the introduced house mouse, and has benefitted from the modification of the Australian landscape by agriculture. It is rated as
least concern on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature's
Red List of endangered species.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse(
nominated by
Freikorp) is a 2004
science fictionactionhorror film directed by
Alexander Witt and written by
Paul W. S. Anderson. It is the second installment in the
Resident Evil film series. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is set directly after the events of the first film, where Alice escaped from an underground facility overrun by
zombies. She now bands together with other survivors to escape the zombie outbreak which has spread to the fictional Raccoon City. While it received mostly negative reviews from critics who complained about the plot, Resident Evil: Apocalypse did receive praise for its action sequences. It is the lowest rated of the six films in the Resident Evil series on
Rotten Tomatoes, with an approval rating of 21%. Earning $129 million worldwide on a $45 million budget, it surpassed the box office gross of the original film. A sequel, Resident Evil: Extinction, was released in 2007.
Tommy Phillips(
nominated by
Kaiser matias) was a Canadian professional
ice hockeyleft winger. Like other players of his era, Phillips played for several teams and leagues. Most notable for his time with the
Kenora Thistles, Phillips also played with the
Montreal Hockey Club, the
Ottawa Hockey Club, the
Toronto Marlboros and the
Vancouver Millionaires. Over the course of his career Phillips participated in six
challenges for the
Stanley Cup, the championship trophy of hockey, winning twice: with the Montreal Hockey Club in
1903 and with the Kenora Thistles, which he
captained, in
January 1907. Following his playing career, Phillips worked in the
lumber industry until his death in 1923. One of the best defensive forwards of his era, Phillips was also known for his all-around skill, particularly his strong shot and endurance, and was considered, alongside
Frank McGee, one of the two best players in all of hockey. His younger brother,
Russell, also played for the Thistles and was a member of the team when they won the Stanley Cup. When the
Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 1945, Phillips was one of the original nine inductees.
The Shawshank Redemption(
nominated by
Darkwarriorblake) is a 1994 American
drama film written and directed by
Frank Darabont, based on the 1982
Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (
Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (
Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the
prison warden Samuel Norton (
Bob Gunton).
William Sadler,
Clancy Brown,
Gil Bellows, and
James Whitmore appear in supporting roles. While The Shawshank Redemption received positive reviews on its release, particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman, it was a box office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Even so, it went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven
Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box office gross to $58.3 million. Over 320,000 VHS copies were shipped throughout the United States, and based on its award nominations and word of mouth, it became one of the top rented films of 1995. The film is now considered to be one of the greatest films of the 1990s. As of 2017, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration, and naming the film as a favorite in various surveys. In 2015, the United States
Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the
National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The Breeders Tour 2014(
nominated by
Moisejp) comprised thirteen concerts in the central and western United States in September 2014. Between September 2 and September 17, the Breeders performed in eleven cities, among which were
St. Louis,
Denver,
Seattle,
Portland,
San Francisco, and
Las Vegas. Support bands the Funs and the Neptunas opened for them at five and six of these shows, respectively. The group then played at the Hollywood Bowl concert, and finished the tour on September 20 at the Goose Island 312 Urban Block Party event in
Chicago. As well as their new songs, they performed numerous selections from Last Splash and Pod (1990). The tour received good reviews from critics; appraisal included comments that the performances were rousing, and that the band was as good as—or better than—in its heyday.
The Winter War(
nominated by
Manelolo) was a military conflict between the
Soviet Union (USSR) and
Finland lasting three and a half months from 1939 to 1940. The war began with the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of
World War II, and ended with the
Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. The
League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the League.
The Hours of Mary of Burgundy(
nominated by
Ceoil) is a luxury
book of hours (a form of devotional book for lay-people) completed in
Flanders around 1477. It was probably commissioned for
Mary of Burgundy, then the wealthiest woman in Europe. Its production began
c. 1470, and includes miniatures by several artists, of which the foremost was the
unidentified but influential
illuminator known as the
Master of Mary of Burgundy, who provides the book with its most meticulously detailed illustrations and borders. Other miniatures, considered of an older tradition, were contributed by Simon Marmion, Willem Vrelant and Lieven van Lathem. The majority of the
calligraphy is attributed to Nicolas Spierinc, with whom the Master collaborated on other works and who may also have provided a number of illustrations.
Bats(
nominated by
LittleJerry &
Chiswick Chap &
Dunkleosteus77) are
mammals of the
order Chiroptera; with their forelimbs adapted as
wings, they are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained
flight. Bats are more manoeuvrable than
birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin
membrane or
patagium. The second largest order of mammals, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with about 1,240 species. Many bats are
insectivores, and most of the rest are
frugivores (fruit-eaters). A few species feed on animals other than insects; for example, the
vampire batsfeed on blood. Most bats are
nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges. Bats are present throughout the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They are important in their ecosystems for
pollinatingflowers and dispersing seeds; many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for these services.
Connecticut Tercentenary half dollar(
nominated by Wehwalt) is a
commemorativefifty-cent piece struck by the
United States Bureau of the Mint in 1935. The Connecticut Tercentenary Commission wanted a half dollar issued, with proceeds from its sale to further its projects. A bill passed through Congress without dissent and became law on June 21, 1935, when President
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it, providing for 25,000 half dollars. The
Philadelphia Mint initially coined 15,000 pieces, but when they quickly sold, the Connecticut commission ordered the 10,000 remaining in the authorization. These were soon exhausted as well. Kreis's design has generally been praised by
numismatic writers. The coins sold for $1, but have gained in value over the years and sell in the hundreds of dollars, depending on condition.
Planet of the Apes(
nominated by
Cúchullain) is an American
science fictionmedia franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. Based on the novel Planet of the Apes, the 1968 film adaptation, Planet of the Apes, was a critical and commercial hit, initiating a series of sequels, tie-ins, and derivative works.
Arthur P. Jacobs produced the first five Apes films through APJAC Productions for distributor
20th Century Fox; since his death in 1973, Fox has controlled the franchise. Four sequels followed the original film from 1970 to 1973. They did not approach the critical acclaim of the original, but were commercially successful, spawning two
television series in 1974 and 1975. was released in 2001. A
reboot film series commenced in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The films have grossed a total of over $2 billion worldwide, against a combined budget of $567.5 million. Along with further narratives in various media, franchise tie-ins include video games, toys, and planned theme park rides. Planet of the Apes has received particular attention among film critics for its treatment of
racial issues. Cinema and cultural analysts have also explored its
Cold War and
animal rights themes. The series has influenced subsequent films, media, and art, as well as popular culture and political discourse.
ZETA (fusion reactor)(
nominated by
Maury Markowitz) was a major experiment in the early history of
fusion power research. Based on the
pinch plasma confinement technique, and built at the
Atomic Energy Research Establishment in England, ZETA was larger and more powerful than any fusion machine in the world at that time. Its goal was to produce large numbers of fusion reactions, although it was not large enough to produce net energy. ZETA went into operation in August 1957 and by the end of the month it was giving off bursts of about a million
neutrons per pulse. Measurements suggested the fuel was reaching between 1 and 5 million
Kelvin, a temperature that would produce
nuclear fusion reactions, explaining the quantities of neutrons being seen. Early results were leaked to the press in September 1957, and the following January an extensive review was released. Front-page articles in newspapers around the world announced it as a breakthrough towards unlimited energy, a scientific advance for Britain greater than the recently launched
Sputnik had been for the
Soviet Union. In spite of ZETA's failure to achieve fusion, the device went on to have a long experimental lifetime and produced numerous important advances in the field. In one line of development, the use of
lasers to more accurately measure the temperature was developed on ZETA, and was later used to confirm the results of the Soviet
tokamak approach. In another, while examining ZETA test runs it was noticed that the plasma self-stabilised after the power was turned off. This has led to the modern
reversed field pinch concept. More generally, studies of the instabilities in ZETA have led to several important theoretical advances that form the basis of modern plasma theory.
Family Trade(
nominated by
Bcschneider53) is an American
reality television series broadcast by
Game Show Network (GSN). The show premiered on March 12, 2013, and continued to air new episodes until April 16, 2013. Filmed in
Middlebury, Vermont, the series chronicles the daily activities of G. Stone Motors, a
GMC and
Ford car dealership that employs the
barter system in selling its automobiles. The business is operated by its founder, Gardner Stone, his son and daughter, Todd and Darcy, and General Manager Travis Romano. The series features the shop's daily interaction with its customers, who bring in a variety of items that can be resold in order to receive a down payment on the vehicle they are leasing or purchasing. Commentary and narration are also often provided by the Stones during the episodes. Family Trade was a part of GSN's intent to broaden their programming landscape since the network had historically aired traditional
game shows in most of its programming. The series was given unfavorable reviews by critics, and its television ratings fell over time; Family Trade lost almost half of its audience between the series premiere and finale.
Anbe Sivam(
nominated by
Ssven2) is a 2003 Indian
Tamil-languagecomedy-drama film directed and co-produced by Sundar C. The film tells the story of an unexpected journey from Bhubaneswar to Chennai undertaken by two men of contrasting personalities, Nallasivam and Anbarasu. Produced on a budget of
₹120 million, Anbe Sivam takes on several themes, including
communism,
atheism, and
altruism, and depicts Haasan's views as a
humanist. The film was released on 15 January 2003 to positive reviews from critics, but
underperformed at the box office. Despite its failure, it gained recognition over the years through re-runs on television channels and is now regarded as a classic and a
cult film in
Tamil cinema.
Harry R. Truman(
nominated by
ceranthor) was a resident of the
U.S. state of
Washington who lived on
Mount St. Helens. The owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge at
Spirit Lake, at the foot of the mountain, he came to brief fame as a
folk hero in the months preceding the volcano's
1980 eruption after he stubbornly refused to leave his home despite evacuation orders. Truman was presumed to have been killed by a
pyroclastic flow that overtook his lodge and buried the site under 150 feet (46 m) of volcanic debris.
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers material promoted from January 12 through January 20, 2018. Text may be adapted from the respective articles and lists; see their page histories for attribution.
The Aberfan disaster(
nominated by
SchroCat) was the catastrophic collapse of a
National Coal Board (NCB)
collieryspoil tip in the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, on 21 October 1966. The tip slid down the mountain above the village at 9:15 am, killing 116 children and 28 adults as it engulfed the local
junior school and other buildings in the town. The collapse was caused by the build-up of water in the accumulated rock and
shale tip, which suddenly slid downhill in the form of
slurry. There were seven spoil tips on the slopes above Aberfan; tip seven—the one that slipped onto the village—was begun in 1958 and, at the time of the disaster, was 111 feet (34 m) high. In contravention of the NCB's official procedures, the tip was partly based on ground from which water springs emerged. After three weeks of heavy rain the tip was saturated and approximately 140,000 cubic yards (110,000 m3) of spoil slipped down the side of the hill and onto the Pantglas area of the village. The main building hit was Pantglas Junior School, where lessons had just begun; 5 teachers and 109 children were killed in the school. An official inquiry placed the blame squarely on the NCB. The organisation's chairman,
Lord Robens, was criticised for making misleading statements and for not providing clarity as to the NCB's knowledge of the presence of water springs on the hillside. The Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund (ADMF) was set up on the day of the disaster. It received nearly £1.75 million. The remaining tips were removed only after a lengthy fight by Aberfan residents. Many of the village's residents suffered medical problems, and half the surviving children have experienced
post-traumatic stress disorder at some time in their lives.
The black-shouldered kite(
nominated by
Cas liber) is a small
raptor found in open habitat throughout Australia. Measuring around 35 cm (14 in) in length with a wingspan of 80–100 cm (31–39 in), the adult black-shouldered kite has predominantly grey-white plumage and prominent black markings above its red eyes. The species forms monogamous pairs, breeding between August and January. The black-shouldered kite hunts in open grasslands, searching for its prey by hovering and systematically scanning the ground. It mainly eats small rodents, particularly the introduced house mouse, and has benefitted from the modification of the Australian landscape by agriculture. It is rated as
least concern on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature's
Red List of endangered species.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse(
nominated by
Freikorp) is a 2004
science fictionactionhorror film directed by
Alexander Witt and written by
Paul W. S. Anderson. It is the second installment in the
Resident Evil film series. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is set directly after the events of the first film, where Alice escaped from an underground facility overrun by
zombies. She now bands together with other survivors to escape the zombie outbreak which has spread to the fictional Raccoon City. While it received mostly negative reviews from critics who complained about the plot, Resident Evil: Apocalypse did receive praise for its action sequences. It is the lowest rated of the six films in the Resident Evil series on
Rotten Tomatoes, with an approval rating of 21%. Earning $129 million worldwide on a $45 million budget, it surpassed the box office gross of the original film. A sequel, Resident Evil: Extinction, was released in 2007.
Tommy Phillips(
nominated by
Kaiser matias) was a Canadian professional
ice hockeyleft winger. Like other players of his era, Phillips played for several teams and leagues. Most notable for his time with the
Kenora Thistles, Phillips also played with the
Montreal Hockey Club, the
Ottawa Hockey Club, the
Toronto Marlboros and the
Vancouver Millionaires. Over the course of his career Phillips participated in six
challenges for the
Stanley Cup, the championship trophy of hockey, winning twice: with the Montreal Hockey Club in
1903 and with the Kenora Thistles, which he
captained, in
January 1907. Following his playing career, Phillips worked in the
lumber industry until his death in 1923. One of the best defensive forwards of his era, Phillips was also known for his all-around skill, particularly his strong shot and endurance, and was considered, alongside
Frank McGee, one of the two best players in all of hockey. His younger brother,
Russell, also played for the Thistles and was a member of the team when they won the Stanley Cup. When the
Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 1945, Phillips was one of the original nine inductees.
The Shawshank Redemption(
nominated by
Darkwarriorblake) is a 1994 American
drama film written and directed by
Frank Darabont, based on the 1982
Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (
Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (
Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the
prison warden Samuel Norton (
Bob Gunton).
William Sadler,
Clancy Brown,
Gil Bellows, and
James Whitmore appear in supporting roles. While The Shawshank Redemption received positive reviews on its release, particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman, it was a box office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Even so, it went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven
Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box office gross to $58.3 million. Over 320,000 VHS copies were shipped throughout the United States, and based on its award nominations and word of mouth, it became one of the top rented films of 1995. The film is now considered to be one of the greatest films of the 1990s. As of 2017, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration, and naming the film as a favorite in various surveys. In 2015, the United States
Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the
National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The Breeders Tour 2014(
nominated by
Moisejp) comprised thirteen concerts in the central and western United States in September 2014. Between September 2 and September 17, the Breeders performed in eleven cities, among which were
St. Louis,
Denver,
Seattle,
Portland,
San Francisco, and
Las Vegas. Support bands the Funs and the Neptunas opened for them at five and six of these shows, respectively. The group then played at the Hollywood Bowl concert, and finished the tour on September 20 at the Goose Island 312 Urban Block Party event in
Chicago. As well as their new songs, they performed numerous selections from Last Splash and Pod (1990). The tour received good reviews from critics; appraisal included comments that the performances were rousing, and that the band was as good as—or better than—in its heyday.
The Winter War(
nominated by
Manelolo) was a military conflict between the
Soviet Union (USSR) and
Finland lasting three and a half months from 1939 to 1940. The war began with the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of
World War II, and ended with the
Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. The
League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the League.
The Hours of Mary of Burgundy(
nominated by
Ceoil) is a luxury
book of hours (a form of devotional book for lay-people) completed in
Flanders around 1477. It was probably commissioned for
Mary of Burgundy, then the wealthiest woman in Europe. Its production began
c. 1470, and includes miniatures by several artists, of which the foremost was the
unidentified but influential
illuminator known as the
Master of Mary of Burgundy, who provides the book with its most meticulously detailed illustrations and borders. Other miniatures, considered of an older tradition, were contributed by Simon Marmion, Willem Vrelant and Lieven van Lathem. The majority of the
calligraphy is attributed to Nicolas Spierinc, with whom the Master collaborated on other works and who may also have provided a number of illustrations.
Bats(
nominated by
LittleJerry &
Chiswick Chap &
Dunkleosteus77) are
mammals of the
order Chiroptera; with their forelimbs adapted as
wings, they are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained
flight. Bats are more manoeuvrable than
birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin
membrane or
patagium. The second largest order of mammals, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with about 1,240 species. Many bats are
insectivores, and most of the rest are
frugivores (fruit-eaters). A few species feed on animals other than insects; for example, the
vampire batsfeed on blood. Most bats are
nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges. Bats are present throughout the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They are important in their ecosystems for
pollinatingflowers and dispersing seeds; many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for these services.
Connecticut Tercentenary half dollar(
nominated by Wehwalt) is a
commemorativefifty-cent piece struck by the
United States Bureau of the Mint in 1935. The Connecticut Tercentenary Commission wanted a half dollar issued, with proceeds from its sale to further its projects. A bill passed through Congress without dissent and became law on June 21, 1935, when President
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it, providing for 25,000 half dollars. The
Philadelphia Mint initially coined 15,000 pieces, but when they quickly sold, the Connecticut commission ordered the 10,000 remaining in the authorization. These were soon exhausted as well. Kreis's design has generally been praised by
numismatic writers. The coins sold for $1, but have gained in value over the years and sell in the hundreds of dollars, depending on condition.
Planet of the Apes(
nominated by
Cúchullain) is an American
science fictionmedia franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. Based on the novel Planet of the Apes, the 1968 film adaptation, Planet of the Apes, was a critical and commercial hit, initiating a series of sequels, tie-ins, and derivative works.
Arthur P. Jacobs produced the first five Apes films through APJAC Productions for distributor
20th Century Fox; since his death in 1973, Fox has controlled the franchise. Four sequels followed the original film from 1970 to 1973. They did not approach the critical acclaim of the original, but were commercially successful, spawning two
television series in 1974 and 1975. was released in 2001. A
reboot film series commenced in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The films have grossed a total of over $2 billion worldwide, against a combined budget of $567.5 million. Along with further narratives in various media, franchise tie-ins include video games, toys, and planned theme park rides. Planet of the Apes has received particular attention among film critics for its treatment of
racial issues. Cinema and cultural analysts have also explored its
Cold War and
animal rights themes. The series has influenced subsequent films, media, and art, as well as popular culture and political discourse.
ZETA (fusion reactor)(
nominated by
Maury Markowitz) was a major experiment in the early history of
fusion power research. Based on the
pinch plasma confinement technique, and built at the
Atomic Energy Research Establishment in England, ZETA was larger and more powerful than any fusion machine in the world at that time. Its goal was to produce large numbers of fusion reactions, although it was not large enough to produce net energy. ZETA went into operation in August 1957 and by the end of the month it was giving off bursts of about a million
neutrons per pulse. Measurements suggested the fuel was reaching between 1 and 5 million
Kelvin, a temperature that would produce
nuclear fusion reactions, explaining the quantities of neutrons being seen. Early results were leaked to the press in September 1957, and the following January an extensive review was released. Front-page articles in newspapers around the world announced it as a breakthrough towards unlimited energy, a scientific advance for Britain greater than the recently launched
Sputnik had been for the
Soviet Union. In spite of ZETA's failure to achieve fusion, the device went on to have a long experimental lifetime and produced numerous important advances in the field. In one line of development, the use of
lasers to more accurately measure the temperature was developed on ZETA, and was later used to confirm the results of the Soviet
tokamak approach. In another, while examining ZETA test runs it was noticed that the plasma self-stabilised after the power was turned off. This has led to the modern
reversed field pinch concept. More generally, studies of the instabilities in ZETA have led to several important theoretical advances that form the basis of modern plasma theory.
Family Trade(
nominated by
Bcschneider53) is an American
reality television series broadcast by
Game Show Network (GSN). The show premiered on March 12, 2013, and continued to air new episodes until April 16, 2013. Filmed in
Middlebury, Vermont, the series chronicles the daily activities of G. Stone Motors, a
GMC and
Ford car dealership that employs the
barter system in selling its automobiles. The business is operated by its founder, Gardner Stone, his son and daughter, Todd and Darcy, and General Manager Travis Romano. The series features the shop's daily interaction with its customers, who bring in a variety of items that can be resold in order to receive a down payment on the vehicle they are leasing or purchasing. Commentary and narration are also often provided by the Stones during the episodes. Family Trade was a part of GSN's intent to broaden their programming landscape since the network had historically aired traditional
game shows in most of its programming. The series was given unfavorable reviews by critics, and its television ratings fell over time; Family Trade lost almost half of its audience between the series premiere and finale.
Anbe Sivam(
nominated by
Ssven2) is a 2003 Indian
Tamil-languagecomedy-drama film directed and co-produced by Sundar C. The film tells the story of an unexpected journey from Bhubaneswar to Chennai undertaken by two men of contrasting personalities, Nallasivam and Anbarasu. Produced on a budget of
₹120 million, Anbe Sivam takes on several themes, including
communism,
atheism, and
altruism, and depicts Haasan's views as a
humanist. The film was released on 15 January 2003 to positive reviews from critics, but
underperformed at the box office. Despite its failure, it gained recognition over the years through re-runs on television channels and is now regarded as a classic and a
cult film in
Tamil cinema.
Harry R. Truman(
nominated by
ceranthor) was a resident of the
U.S. state of
Washington who lived on
Mount St. Helens. The owner and caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge at
Spirit Lake, at the foot of the mountain, he came to brief fame as a
folk hero in the months preceding the volcano's
1980 eruption after he stubbornly refused to leave his home despite evacuation orders. Truman was presumed to have been killed by a
pyroclastic flow that overtook his lodge and buried the site under 150 feet (46 m) of volcanic debris.
Discuss this story