The term college tuition refers to fees which students have to pay to colleges in the United States. Pay increases in the U.S. have caused chronic controversy since shortly after World War II. Except for its military academies, the U.S. national government does not directly support higher education. Instead it has offered programs of loans and grants, dating back to the Morrill Act during the U.S. Civil War and the “G.I. Bill” programs implemented after World War II. Developed countries whose national governments directly support higher education tend toward more moderate patterns of change in college tuitions and different forms of controversy.

Historical trends

The first chart compares standard undergraduate annual tuition and fees charged by major U.S. public, U.S. private and Canadian public 4-year college, showing both current U.S. dollars during the years from 1940 to 2000 and U.S. dollars adjusted to the year 2000 by using the U.S. Consumer Price Index series.

Tuition at the University of Toronto tracked close to inflation rates during the entire period.The University of Iowa had rapid increases in tuition during the 1950s and then tracked close to inflation rates since that time.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), among the most expensive of the private U.S. educational institutions throughout the 20th century,had continual large tuition increases, dipping slightly below inflation rates only during the World War II years.

Over the 60-year period charted, the inflation-adjusted, long term, annual increases in tuition at these institutions were 0.4 percent for the University of Toronto, 1.4 percent for the University of Iowa, and 2.1 percent for MIT.Other institutions in the same categories differ in details but not in general patterns.The results of the trends are that over the 60 years shown, adjusted for inflation, the tuition at the University of Iowa increased by a factor of 2.3 and that at MIT by a factor of 3.6, while tuition at the University of Toronto rose only about 30 percent.

Recent trends

This chart compares average undergraduate tuition and fees charged by about 600 U.S. public and 1,350 U.S. private, non-profit 4-year colleges during years from 1993 through 2004.[12], both unadjusted and adjusted to the year 2004 by using the U.S. Consumer Price Index series. Data were not available for years 1994, 1995 and 1999.

During the 11-year period charted, both public and private, nonprofit colleges regularly posted tuition increases well above inflation rates. Peak increases for private colleges were in 1997, after the U.S. economy began booming growth. Peak increases for public colleges were in 2003, after state budgets supporting most of them were crimped by a sharp economic recession. Over this period, annual, inflation-adjusted tuition increases at public colleges averaged 4.0 percent, while those at private, non-profit colleges averaged 3.5 percent. Cumulative results over this period are average public tuitions growing 53 percent above inflation, and average private, nonprofit tuitions growing 47 percent above inflation. As of 2004, private, nonprofit colleges cost on average 3.3 times as much as public colleges attended by residents of their states.

Hyperinflation of college costs

Hyperinflation refers to inflation in a particular economic sector that is substantially greater than inflation in general costs of living. Hyperinflation of medical costs in recent decades is well known. However hyperinflation of college tuition and fees exceeds that of medical costs.

The following graph shows the inflation rates of general costs of living (for urban consumers; the CPI-U), medical costs (medical costs component of the consumer price index (CPI)), and college and tuition and fees for private four-year colleges (from College Board data) from 1978 to 2008. All rates are computed relative to 1978.

“Excess inflation of college tuition illustrated”

Cost of living increased roughly 3-fold during this time; medical costs inflated roughly 6-fold; but college tuition and fees inflation approached 10-fold. Another way to say this is that whereas medical costs hyperinflated at twice the rate of cost-of-living, college tuition and fees hyperinflated at three times the rate of cost-of-living inflation. Thus, even after controlling for the effects of general inflation, 2008 college tuition and fees posed three times the burden as in 1978.

According to “College Board”, the average tuition price for a 4-year public college in 2008-2009 is now $6,585 compared to 2004 where the price was slightly above $5,000. The average price of in-state tuition vs out-of-state tuition for 2008-2009 was $6,585 for a in-state 4-year college to $17,452 for out-of-state 4 year college (collegeboard.com).

Economic and social concerns

Long term price trends make higher education an especially inflationary sector of the U.S. economy, with tuition increases in recent years sometimes outpacing even explosive health care sectors.These trends are the sources of continuing controversy in the United States over costs of higher education and their potential for limiting the country’s achievements in democracy, fairness and social justice.Today some companies offer tuition reimbursement to students.

Student loan debt

A closely related issue is the alarming increase in student borrowing to finance college education and resulting student loan debt. In the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), the median cumulative debt among graduating 4-year undergraduate students was $19,999; one quarter borrowed $30,526 or more, and one tenth borrowed $44,668 or more [Source: http://www.finaid.org/loans/]. Students are unaware that this is a relatively new phenomenon; a generation ago students could easily pay for public universities without loans simply by taking a part-time job. Students today are arguably an exploited minority, being taken economic advantage of because they lack the historical perspective to appreciate the inequity. In any case, strong questions must be raised about placing young adults, who ought to be seen as be agents of change and progress, into society already burdened with debt and enmeshed in the status quo. Students are often forced to take unsatisfactory jobs immediately after graduation to repay loan debts.

John Christopher “Johnny” Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician known for his portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Sam in Benny & Joon.

Depp rose to prominence in a lead role on the television series 21 Jump Street and quickly became regarded as a teen idol. Uncomfortable with that characterization, he turned his focus to film roles that he felt were right. He initially came to film prominence as the titular character of Edward Scissorhands, and later found box office success in roles such as Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and his role as the quirky Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

He has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in seven films, the most recent of which are Alice in Wonderland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Depp has garnered acclaim for his portrayals of real life figures such as Edward D. Wood, Jr., in Ed Wood, Joseph D. Pistone in Donnie Brasco and George Jung in Blow (2001). More recently, he portrayed legendary bank robber John Dillinger in Michael Mann’s 2009 film Public Enemies.

Films featuring Depp have grossed over $2.3 billion at the United States box office and over $4.8 billion worldwide.Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times, Screen Actors Guild Awards four times and Golden Globe Awards eight times, Depp won the Best Actor Awards from the Golden Globes for his role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and from the Screen Actors Guild for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Early life

Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, the son of Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, Sr., a civil engineer.He has one brother, Daniel who is a novelist, and two sisters, Christie (now his personal manager) and Debbie. Depp has German, Cherokee (mostly from a great-grandmother), and Irish ancestry.According to biographies, the Depp family originated with a French Huguenot, Pierre Deppe or Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700.[5] Depp stated he did not know the origin of his surname and joked about the name translating to “idiot” in German.The family moved frequently during Depp’s childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, Depp’s parents divorced. He engaged in self-harm as a child, due to the stress of dealing with family problems and his own insecurity. He has seven or eight scars from practicing self-harm. In a 1993 interview, he explained his self-injury by saying, “My body is a journal in a way. It’s like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist”.
1980s

Depp’s mother bought her son a guitar when he was 12, and Depp began playing in various garage bands. His first band was in honor of his girlfriend, Meredith. A year after his parents’ divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. As he once explained on Inside the Actors Studio, he attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. He played with The Kids, a band that enjoyed modest local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method. The group split before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels[9] and co-wrote their song “Mary”, which appeared on Rock City Angels’ debut for Geffen Records titled Young Man’s Blues.

On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, a makeup artist and sister of his band’s bass player and singer. During Depp’s marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a telemarketer for ink pens. Later, his wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. In 1985, Depp and Allison divorced. After his marriage ended, Depp dated and was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn (whom he met on the set of the 1985 short film Dummies).
1990s and 2000s

In 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York City hotel suite.[10] Since 1998, following a relationship with British supermodel Kate Moss, Depp has had a relationship with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate.He was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis.

The couple have two children. Daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp was born May 27, 1999, and son John “Jack” Christopher Depp III was born April 9, 2002.In 2007, his daughter recovered from a serious illness, an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay.[14] To thank Great Ormond Street Hospital, Depp visited the hospital in November 2007 dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit and spent 4 hours reading stories to the children. He later donated £1 million (about $2 million) to the hospital in early 2008.

Although Depp has not remarried, he has stated that having children has given him “real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything.”"You can’t plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny; kismet. All the math finally worked.” The family divides its time between their home in Meudon, located in the suburbs of Paris, Los Angeles, and their villa in Le Plan-de-la-Tour, a small town an hour and a half from Saint-Tropez, in the south of France.Depp also acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-de-la-Tour area in 2007.

Depp has 13 tattoos, many of them signifying important persons or events in his life. They include a Native American in profile and a ribbon reading “Wino Forever” (originally “Winona Forever”, altered after his breakup with Winona Ryder) on his right biceps, “Lily-Rose” (his daughter’s name) over his heart, “Betty Sue” (his mother’s name) on his left biceps, and a sparrow flying over water with the word “Jack” (his son’s name; the sparrow is flying towards him rather than away from him as it is in Pirates of the Caribbean) on his right forearm.

In 2003, Depp comments about the United States appeared in Germany’s Stern magazine, commenting that “America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeth - that can bite and hurt you, aggressive.”Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context, Stern stood by its story, as did CNN.com in its coverage of the interview. CNN added his remark that he would like his children “to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out.”The July 17, 2006 edition of Newsweek reprinted the “dumb puppy” quotation, verbatim, within the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that he says paint him as a “European wannabe”, saying that he just likes the anonymity of living in France and his simpler life there.

Career

Television

Depp starred in a lead role on the Fox TV television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. Depp accepted this role because he was not getting much work in the business and wanted to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Later in the season, Depp’s long time friend Sal Jenco joined the cast as a semi-co-star as the janitor named Blowfish. The series’ success turned Depp into a popular teen idol during the late 1980s. He found the teen-idol status irritating, noting that he felt “forced into the role of product”[22] and that it was “a very uncomfortable situation and I didn’t get a handle on it and it wasn’t on my terms at all.”[23] Depp promised himself that after his contract on the series expired, he would only appear in films that he felt were right for him.[22]
Film roles

Depp’s first major role was in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, playing the heroine’s boyfriend and one of Freddy’s victims. In 1986, he also appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone’s Platoon. Depp then left his teen idol image in 1990, playing the quirky title role in the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. The film’s success began a long association with Burton. Depp, an avid fan and long-time friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, played a version of Thompson (named Raoul Duke) in 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the writer’s pseudobiographical novel of the same name. Depp also accompanied Thompson as his road manager on one of the author’s last book tours.In 2006, Depp contributed a personal foreword to Gonzo by Hunter S. Thompson, a posthumous visual biography of the writer’s legacy published by ammobooks.com. A close friend of Thompson’s, Depp paid for most of Thompson’s memorial event, complete with fireworks and the shooting of Thompson’s ashes by a cannon, in Aspen, Colorado, where Thompson lived.

Depp with longer hair, mustache and goatee similar to the style used in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl film.

Depp’s film characters have been described by the press as “iconic loners,” and Depp has noted that this period of his career was full of “studio defined failures” and films that were “box office poison,” stating that he believes film studios never “understood” the films he appeared in and did not know how to market them properly.Depp has also said that he specifically chose to appear in films that he found personally interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office.

Depp’s status as a major star was solidified with the success of the 2003 Walt Disney Pictures film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,[26] for which his lead performance as the suave pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was highly praised. The performance was initially received negatively by the studio bosses who saw the film, but the character became popular with the movie-going public.[26] In 2006, Depp’s co-star from the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, Bill Nighy, described the role as probably being “one of the most popular performances of recent times.”[27] According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp was also considered to be one of the main reasons audiences wanted to see the movie.[28] The film’s director, Gore Verbinski, has said that Depp’s Jack Sparrow character closely resembles Depp’s own personality, although Depp himself said that he modelled the character after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.[29] Depp, who has noted that he was “surprised” and “touched” at the positive reception given to the film,[26] was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. In 2004, he was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, this time for playing Scottish author J. M. Barrie in the film Finding Neverland. Depp next starred as Willy Wonka in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was a major success at the box office.[29]

Depp returned to the character of Jack Sparrow for the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which opened on July 7, 2006 and grossed $135.5 million in the first three days of its U.S. release, breaking a box office record in reaching the highest weekend tally ever.[30] The next sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, At World’s End, was released May 24, 2007; Depp has mentioned his attachment to his Captain Jack Sparrow character, specifying that Sparrow is “definitely a big part of me”, and expressing his desire to portray the character in further sequels.[16] Depp voiced Sparrow in the video game, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.[31] Johnny Depp’s swashbuckling sword talents as developed for the character of Jack Sparrow, were highlighted in the documentary film Reclaiming The Blade. Within the film Swordmaster Bob Anderson shared his experiences working with Depp on the choreography. Anderson who also trained Errol Flynn, another famous Hollywood pirate, described in the film Depp’s ability as an actor to pick up the sword to be, “about as good as you can get.”[32]

Depp and Gore Verbinski were executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton’s film adaptation of the musical,[33] for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The traditional ceremony for the 65th Golden Globe Awards did not take place due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his “unwavering trust and support.”[34]

As a child, Depp was obsessed with Dark Shadows, a gothic-themed soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971. As a result, he accepted Warner Bros. proposal to make a film version of the show. In July 2007, a rights deal was struck with the estate of Dan Curtis, the show’s producer/director. Depp and Graham King will produce the movie with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Productions inc. until Curtis died in 2006. Depp will also appear in a film version of writer Hunter S. Thompson’s book, The Rum Diary,[24] portraying the main character Paul Kemp. Depp signed on to play one incarnation of the Heath Ledger character in the 2009 film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell. All three actors gave their salaries from the film to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.[35] In upcoming films, he will portray the Mad Hatter in Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Tonto in a future Lone Ranger film.[36] Disney Studios also announced that a fourth installment of the Pirates series is in development, in which Depp would reprise his Captain Jack Sparrow role.[36]
Collaboration with Tim Burton

Depp has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in seven films, beginning with his breakout role in Edward Scissorhands (1990), opposite Winona Ryder and Vincent Price. His next role with Burton was in the 1994 film, Ed Wood. Depp later said that “within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed.”[37] At the time, the actor was depressed about films and filmmaking. By accepting this part it gave him a “chance to stretch out and have some fun”, and working with Landau, “rejuvenated my love for acting”.[37]

Producer Scott Rudin once said, “Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies,”[38] although Burton personally disapproved of the comment. Depp, however agrees with Rudin’s statement. According to Depp, Edward Scissorhands represented Burton’s inability to communicate as a teenager. Ed Wood reflected Burton’s relationship with Vincent Price (very similar with Edward D. Wood, Jr. and Béla Lugosi).
Depp’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star received on November 19, 1999.

Depp’s next venture with Burton was the role of Ichabod Crane in the dark Sleepy Hollow (1999), opposite Christina Ricci. Sleepy Hollow showcased Ichabod’s feelings that reflects Burton’s battle with the Hollywood studio system.[39] For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone.[38] Depp stated, “I always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl.”[40]

Depp did not work with Burton again until the 2005 release of two films, the first of which was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Depp modeled the character’s hair on Anna Wintour.[41] The film was a box office success and received positive critical reaction,[42][43] although Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, initially opposed this version.[44] Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in July, followed by Corpse Bride, for which Depp voiced the character Victor Van Dort, in September.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) followed, bringing Depp his second major award win, the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy as well as his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Burton first gave him an original cast recording of the 1979 stage musical in 2000. Although not a fan of the genre, Depp grew to like the tale’s musical treatment, commenting “How many chances do you get at a musical about a serial killer?”[45] He cited Peter Lorre in Mad Love (1935) as his main influence for the role, and practiced the songs his character would perform while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.[46] Although he had performed in musical groups, Depp was initially unsure that he would be able to sustain Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics.[45] Depp recorded demos of himself in West Hollywood, working with Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals without a qualified voice coach.[45] In the DVD Reviews section, EW’s Chris Nashawaty gave the film an A-minus, stating, “Depp’s soaring voice makes you wonder what other tricks he’s been hiding… Watching Depp’s barber wield his razors… it’s hard not to be reminded of Edward Scissorhands frantically shaping hedges into animal topiaries 18 years ago… and all of the twisted beauty we would’ve missed out on had [Burton and Depp] never met.”[47]

He has referred to working with Burton as “coming home”, and he wrote the introduction to Burton on Burton, a book of interviews with the director, in which he called Burton “…a brother, a friend,…and [a] brave soul”.[48] The next Depp-Burton collaboration is Alice in Wonderland (2010). Depp plays the Mad Hatter alongside long time collaborator Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman.
Other interests
Music
Depp backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre on December 31, 2006

As a guitar player, Depp has recorded a solo album, played slide guitar on the Oasis song “Fade In-Out” (from Be Here Now, 1997), as well as on “Fade Away (Warchild Version)” (b-side of the “Don’t Go Away” single). He also played acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat and on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He is a friend of The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan, and performed on MacGowan’s first solo album. As well, he was a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. He has appeared in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ music video “Into the Great Wide Open”.
Winemaker and restaurateur

Depp and Paradis grow grapes and have wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.[19][49][50] Known for a fondness of French wines, among Depp’s favorites are the Bordeaux wines Château Calon-Ségur, Château Cheval-Blanc and Château Pétrus, and the Burgundy wine Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Interviewed in Madame Figaro, Depp stated, “With those wines, you reach nirvana”.[51] Along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall, Depp co-owns the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray, located near the Champs-Élysées.[52]
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp

Some of the awards that Depp has won include honors from the London Film Critics Circle (1996), Russian Guild of Film Critics (1998), Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) and a Golden Globe for Best Actor. At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, he won the award for “Best Villain” for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd and “Best Comedic Performance” for Jack Sparrow. Depp has been nominated for three Academy Awards, in 2004 for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in 2005 for Finding Neverland, and in 2008 for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Depp won his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in 2008.

Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Near East.It’s relatively fertile land and adequate rainfall in a moister climate helped sustain a stable population, a feature recognized by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy, who described Yemen as Eudaimon Arabia (better known in its Latin translation, Arabia Felix) meaning “fortunate Arabia” or Happy Arabia. Between the 12th century BCE and the 6th century CE, it was dominated by six successive civilizations which rivaled each other, or were allied with each other and controlled the lucrative spice trade: M’ain, Qataban, Hadhramaut, Awsan, Saba and Himyarite.Islam arrived in 630 CE, and Yemen became part of the Muslim realm.

The Yemeni desert regions (Rub’ al Khali and Sayhad) were the core settlements of the Nomadic Semites that would migrate to the North, settling Akkad, later penetrating Mesopotamia,eventually conquering Sumer by 2300 BCE, and assimilating the Amorites of Syria.

Some scholars[who?] believe that Yemen remains the only region in the world that is exclusively Semitic, meaning that Yemen historically did not have any non-Semitic speaking people. Yemeni Semites derived their Musnad script by the 12th - 8th centuries BCE, which explains why most historians will date all the ancient Yemeni kingdoms to the 12th - 8th centuries BCE.

Prehistory

Mesopotamia became Semitic by 2300 BCE; previously it was Sumerian. Syrian Amorites were under Sumerian influence before being assimilated by the Semites circa 2300 BCE. Coastal North Africa became Semitic by 800 BCE via the Phoenicians. Prior to that, it was Berber. The Horn of Africa’s first Semitic nation, Dʿmt, was a Yemeni settlement.

According to Arab tradition, the Semites of South Arabia integrated into Qahtan lineage 40 generations before the Qahtani Yemeni tribe of Jurhum adopted Ismail and 80 generations before Adnan was born, in the 23rd century BCE. After the fall of the Northern Semitic cultures, Qahtan revived the Semitic influence in the North through the famous Kahlan (Azd and Lakhm) and other Yemeni tribes migration into the North during the 3rd century CE after the first destruction of the Marib Dam..

The Qahtani Semites remained dominant in Yemen from 2300 BCE to 800 BCE, but little is known about this era because the Semites of the South were separated by the vast Arabian desert from Mesopotamian Semites and they lacked any type of script to record their history. However, it is known that they actively traded along the Red Sea coasts. This led to contact with the Phoenicians and from them, the Southern Semites adopted their writing script in 800 BCE and began recording their history.

The Tihama Semitic culture lasted from 1500-1200 BCE. During the late 2nd millennium BCE, a cultural Semitic complex arose in the Tihama region of Yemen and spread to northern Ethiopia and Eritrea (specifically the Tigray Region, central Eritrea, and coastal areas like Adulis). The Semites of Yemen began settling the Ethiopian highlands. These settlements would reach their climax by the 8th century BCE, eventually giving rise to the Dam’t and Aksum kingdoms.

Kingdoms

During the rule of the Sabaeans, 8th century BCE to 275 CE, trade and agriculture flourished generating much wealth and prosperity. The Sabaean kingdom is located in what is now the Aseer region in southwestern Yemen, and its capital, Ma’rib, is located near what is now Yemen’s modern capital, Sana’a.According to tradition, the eldest son of Noah, Shem, founded the city of Ma’rib.

During Sabaean rule, Yemen was called “Arabia Felix” by the Romans who were impressed by its wealth and prosperity. The success of the Kingdom was based on the cultivation and trade of spices and aromatics including frankincense and myrrh. These were exported to the Mediterranean, India, and Abyssinia where they were greatly prized by many cultures, using camels on routes through Arabia, and to India by sea.

During the 8th and 7th century BCE, there was a close contact of cultures between the Kingdom of Dʿmt in northern Ethiopia and Eritrea and Saba’. Though the civilization was indigenous and the royal inscriptions were written in a sort of proto-Ethiosemitic, there were also some Sabaean immigrants in the kingdom as evidenced by a few of the Dʿmt inscriptions.

Agriculture in Yemen thrived during this time due to an advanced irrigation system which consisted of large water tunnels in mountains, and dams. The most impressive dam, known as the dam of Ma’rib was built ca. 700 BCE, provided irrigation for about 25,000 acres (100 km2) of land and stood for over a millennium, finally collapsing in CE 570 after centuries of neglect.

The Sabaean kingdom, with its capital at Ma’rib where the remains of a large temple can still be seen, thrived for almost 14 centuries. Some have argued that this kingdom was the Sheba described in the Old Testament.

“Bronze man” found in Al Bayda’ (ancient Nashqum); 6th-5th century BCE. Louvre Museum.

The first known inscriptions of the Kingdom of Hadramaut are from the 8th century BCE. It was first referenced by an outside civilization in an Old Sabaic inscription of Karab’il Watar from the early 7th century BCE, in which the King of Hadramaut, Yada`’il, is mentioned as being one of his allies. When the Minaeans took control of the caravan routes in the 4th century BCE, however, Hadramaut became one of its confederates, probably because of commercial interests. It later became independent and was invaded by the growing kingdom of Himyar toward the end of the first century BC, but it was able to repel the attack. Hadramaut annexed Qataban in the second half of the 2nd century AD, reaching its greatest size. During this period, Hadramaut was continuously at war with Himyar and Saba’, and the Sabaean king Sha`irum Awtar was even able to take its capital, Shabwa, in 225. During this period the Kingdom of Aksum began to interfere in South Arabian affairs. King GDRT of Aksum acted by dispatching troops under his son, BYGT, sending them from the western coast to occupy Zafar, the Himyarite capital, as well as from the southern coast against Hadramaut as Sabaean allies. The kingdom of Hadramaut was eventually conquered by the Himyarite king Shammar Yuhar`ish around 300 CE, unifying all of the South Arabian kingdoms.

The ancient Kingdom of Awsan with a capital at Hagar Yahirr in the wadi Markha to the south of the wadi Bayhan is now marked by a tell or artificial mound, which is locally named Hagar Asfal. Once it was one of the most important small kingdoms of South Arabia. The city, which has its origin in 800 BC, seems to have been destroyed in the 7th century BCE by the king and mukarrib of Saba Karib’il Watar, according to a Sabaean text that reports the victory in terms that attest to its significance for the Sabaeans.
Bronze lion with a rider made by the Qatabanians circa 75-50 BCE.

Qataban, which lasted from the 4th century BCE to 200 CE, was one of the ancient Yemeni kingdoms which thrived in the Baihan valley. Like the other Southern Arabian kingdoms it gained great wealth from the trade of frankincense and myrrh incense which were burned at altars. The capital of Qataban was named Timna and was located on the trade route which passed through the other kingdoms of Hadramaut, Saba and Ma’in. The chief deity of the Qatabanians was Amm, or “Uncle” and the people called themselves the “children of Amm”.

Kingdom of Ma’in

During Minaean rule the capital was at Karna (now known as Sadah). Their other important city was Yathill (now known as Baraqish). Other parts of modern Yemen include Qataban and the coastal string of watering stations known as the Hadhramaut. Though Saba’ dominated in the earlier period of South Arabian history, Minaic inscriptions are of the same time period as the first Sabaic inscriptions. Note, however, that they pre-date the appearance of the Minaeans themselves, and, hence, are called now more appropriately as “Madhabic” rather than “Minaic”. The Minaean Kingdom was centered in northwestern Yemen, with most of its cities laying along the Wadi Madhab. Minaic inscriptions have been found far afield of the Kingdom of Ma’in, as far away as al-`Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia and even on the island of Delos and in Egypt. It was the first of the South Arabian kingdoms to end, and the Minaic language died around 100 CE.

Kingdom of Himyar

The Himyarites had united Southwestern Arabia, controlling the Red Sea as well as the coasts of the Gulf of Aden. From their capital city, the Himyarite Kings launched successful military campaigns, and had stretched its domain at times as far east as the Persian Gulf and as far north to the Arabian Desert.

During the 3rd century CE, the South Arabian kingdoms were in continuous conflict with one another. GDRT of Aksum began to interfere in South Arabian affairs, signing an alliance with Saba’, and a Himyarite text notes that Hadramaut and Qataban were also all allied against the kingdom. As a result of this, the Kingdom of Aksum was able to capture the Himyarite capital of Zafar in the first quarter of the 3rd century. However, the alliances did not last, and Sha`ir Awtar of Saba’ unexpectedly turned on Hadramaut, allying again with Aksum and taking its capital in 225. Himyar then allied with Saba’ and invaded the newly taken Aksumite territories, retaking Zafar, which had been under the control of GDRT’s son BYGT, and pushing Aksum back into the Tihama.

They established their capital at Zafar (now just a small village in the Ibb region) and gradually absorbed the Sabaean kingdom. They traded from the port of al-Muza on the Red Sea. Dhu Nuwas, a Himyarite king, changed the state religion to Judaism in the beginning of the 6th century and began to massacre the Christians. Outraged, Kaleb, the Christian King of Aksum with the encouragement of the Byzantine Emperor Justin I invaded and annexed Yemen. About fifty years later, Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan asked for help from the Persians, so the Persians sent all of their criminals as an army to Yemen. One way to help get rid of the criminals in jail, and help their new ally Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan.

Kingdom of Aksum

Around 517/8, a Jewish king called Yusuf Asar Yathar (also known as Dhu Nuwas) usurped the kingship of Himyar from Ma`adkarib Ya`fur. Interestingly, Pseudo-Zacharias of Mytilene (fl. late 6th century) says that Yusuf became king because the previous king had died in winter, when the Aksumites could not cross the Red Sea and appoint another king. Ma`adkarib Ya`fur’s long title puts its truthfulness in doubt, however.[14] Upon gaining power, Yusuf attacked the Aksumite garrison in Zafar, the Himyarite capital, killing many and destroying the church there.[15][16] The Christian King Kaleb of Axum learned of Dhu Nuwas’s persecutions of Christians and Aksumites, and, according to Procopius, was further encouraged by his ally and fellow Christian Justin I of Byzantium, who requested Aksum’s help to cut off silk supplies as part of his economic war against the Persians.

Kaleb sent a fleet across the Red Sea and was able to defeat Dhu Nuwas, who was killed in battle according to an inscription from Husn al-Ghurab, while later Arab tradition has him riding his horse into the sea.[18] Kaleb installed a native Himyarite viceroy, Sumyafa` Ashwa`, who ruled until 525, when he was deposed by the Aksumite general (or soldier and former slave[19]) Abraha with the support of disgruntled Ethiopian soldiers.[16][20] According to the later Arabic sources, Kaleb retaliated by sending a force of 3,000 men under a relative, but the troops defected and killed their leader, and a second attempt at reigning in the rebellious Abraha also failed.Later Ethiopian sources state that Kaleb abdicated to live out his years in a monastery and sent his crown to be hung in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. While uncertain, it seems to be supported by the die-links between his coins and those of his successor, Alla Amidas. An inscription of Sumyafa` Ashwa` also mentions two kings (nagaśt) of Aksum, indicating that the two may have co-ruled for a while before Kaleb abdicated in favor of Alla Amidas.

Procopius notes that Abraha later submitted to Kaleb’s successor, as supported by the former’s inscription in 543 stating Aksum before the territories directly under his control. During his reign, Abraha repaired the Marib Dam in 543, and received embassies from Persia and Byzantium, including a request to free some bishops who had been imprisoned at Nisbis (according to John of Epheseus’s Life of Simeon).[21][23] Abraha ruled until at least 547, sometime after which he was succeeded by his son, Aksum. Aksum (called “Yaksum” in Arabic sources) was perplexingly referred to as “of Ma’afir” (ḏū maʻāfir), the southwestern coast of Yemen, in Abraha’s Marib dam inscription, and was succeeded by his brother, Masruq. Aksumite control in Yemen ended in 570 with the invasion of the elder Sassanid general Vahriz who, according to later legends, famously killed Masruq with his well-aimed arrow.

Later Arabic sources also say that Abraha constructed a great Church called al-Qulays at Sana’a in order to divert pilgrimage from the Kaaba and have him die in the Year of the Elephant (570) after returning from a failed attack on Mecca (though he is thought to have died before this time).[19] The exact chronology of the early wars are uncertain, as a 525 inscription mentions the death of a King of Himyar, which could refer either to the Himyarite viceory of Aksum, Sumyafa` Ashwa`, or to Yusuf Asar Yathar. The later Arabic histories also mention a conflict between Abraha and another Aksumite general named Aryat occurring in 525 as leading to the rebellion.

Sassanid period

The Persian king Khosrau I, sent troops under the command of Vahriz, who helped Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan to drive the Ethiopian Aksumites out of Yemen. Southern Arabia became a Persian dominion under a Yemenite vassal and thus came within the sphere of influence of the Sassanid Empire. Later another army was sent to Yemen, and in 597/8 Southern Arabia became a province of the Sassanid Empire under a Persian satrap. It was a Persian province by name but after the Persians assassinated Dhi Yazan, Yemen divided into a number of autonomous kingdoms.

This development was a consequence of the expansionary policy pursued by the Sassanian king Khosrau II Parviz (590-628), whose aim was to secure Persian border areas such as Yemen. Following the death of Khosrau II in 628, then the Persian governor in Southern Arabia, Badhan, converted to Islam and Yemen followed the new religion.

Islamic history

The Age of the Caliphs

Islam came to Yemen around 630, during Muhammad’s lifetime. At that time the Persian governor Badhan was ruling. Thereafter Yemen was ruled as part of Arab-Islamic caliphates, and Yemen became a province in the Islamic empire.

Yemeni textiles, long recognized for their fine quality, maintained their reputation and were exported for use by the Abbasid elite, including the caliphs themselves. The products of Sana’a and Aden are especially important in the East-West textile trade.

The former North Yemen came under control of Imams of various dynasties usually of the Zaidi sect, who established a theocratic political structure that survived until modern times. In 897, a Zaidi ruler, Yahya al-Hadi ila’l Haqq, founded a line of Imams, whose Shiite dynasty survived until the second half of the 20th century.

Nevertheless, Yemen’s medieval history is a tangled chronicle of contesting local Imams. The Fatimids of Egypt helped the Isma’ilis maintain dominance in the 11th century. Saladin (Salah ad-Din) annexed Yemen in 1173. The Rasulid dynasty (Turkish in origin) ruled Yemen, with Zabid as its capital, from about 1230 to the 15th century. In 1516, the Mamluks of Egypt annexed Yemen; but in the following year, the Mamluk governor surrendered to the Ottomans, and Turkish armies subsequently overran the country. They were challenged by the Zaidi Imam, Qasim the Great (r.1597-1620), and were expelled from the interior around 1630. From then until the 19th century, the Ottomans retained control only of isolated coastal areas, while the highlands generally were ruled by the Zaidi Imams.

19th century

As the Zaidi Imamate collapsed in the 19th century due to internal division, the Ottomans moved south along the west coast of Arabia back into northern Yemen in the 1830s, and eventually even took San‘a’ making it the Yemeni district capital in 1872. The Ottomans were aided by the adoption of Crimean War modern weapons.

British interests in the area which would later become South Yemen, began to grow when in 1832, British East India Company forces captured the port of Aden, to provide a coaling station for ships en route to India. The British interest in reducing pirate attacks on British merchants lead to their creating a protectorate over the town of Aden in 1839, and adding the surrounding lands over the following years.The colony gained much political and strategic importance after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the increased traffic on the Red Sea route to India

The Ottomans and the British eventually established a de facto border between north and south Yemen, which was formalized in a treaty in 1904. However the interior boundaries were never clearly established. However the presence of the Ottomans, and to a lesser extent the British, allowed the Zaydi Imamate to rebuild against a common enemy. Guerrilla warfare and banditry erupted into the rebellion of the Zaydi tribes in 1905.

Starting in the latter decades of the 19th century and continuing into the 20th century, Britain signed agreements with local rulers of traditional polities that, together, became known as the Aden Protectorate. The area was divided into numerous sultanates, emirates, and sheikhdoms, and was divided for administrative purposes into the East Aden Protectorate and the West Aden Protectorate. The eastern protectorate consisted of the three Hadhramaut states (Qu’aiti State of Shihr and Mukalla, Kathiri State of Seiyun, Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra) with the remaining states comprising the west.

Modern history

Republic

Ottoman suzerainty was reestablished in northern Yemen in the late 19th century but its control was largely confined to cities, and the Zaidi imam’s rule over Upper Yemen was formally recognized. Turkish forces withdrew in 1918, and Imam Yahya Muhammad strengthened his control over northern Yemen creating the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.

Meanwhile, Aden was ruled as part of British India until 1937, when the city of Aden became the Colony of Aden, a crown colony in its own right. The Aden hinterland and Hadhramaut to the east formed the remainder of what would become South Yemen and were not administered directly by Aden but were tied to Britain by treaties of protection. Economic development was largely centred in Aden, and while the city flourished partly due to the discovery of crude oil on the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930s, the states of the Aden Protectorate stagnated.

Yemen became a member of the Arab League in 1945 and the United Nations in 1947.

Imam Yahya died during an unsuccessful coup attempt in 1948 and was succeeded by his son Ahmad. Ahmad bin Yahya’s reign was marked by growing repression, renewed friction with the United Kingdom over the British presence in the south, and growing pressures to support the Arab nationalist objectives of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser. He died in September 1962.

Encouraged by the rhetoric of President Nasser of Egypt against British colonial rule in the Middle East, pressure for the British to leave South Yemen grew. Following Nasser’s creation of the United Arab Republic, attempts to incorporate Yemen in turn threatened Aden and the Protectorate. To counter this, the British attempted to unite the various states under its protection and, on 11 February 1959, six of the West Aden Protectorate states formed the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South to which nine other states were subsequently added.

1960s

Shortly after assuming power in 1962, Ahmad’s son, the Crown Prince Muhammad al-Badr was deposed by revolutionary forces, who took control of Sanaa and created the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR). Egypt assisted the YAR with troops and supplies to combat forces loyal to the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia and Jordan supported Badr’s royalist forces to oppose the newly formed republic starting the North Yemen Civil War. Conflict continued periodically until 1967 when Egyptian troops were withdrawn.

During the 1960s, the British sought to incorporate all of the Aden Protectorate territories into the Federation. On 18 January 1963, the Colony of Aden was incorporated against the wishes of much of the city’s populace as the State of Aden and the Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia. Several more states subsequently joined the Federation and the remaining states that declined to join, mainly in Hadhramaut, formed the Protectorate of South Arabia.

In 1963 fighting between Egyptian forces and British-led Saudi-financed guerrillas in the Yemen Arab Republic spread to South Arabia with the formation of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who hoped to force the British out of South Arabia. Hostilities started with a grenade attack by the NLF against the British High Commissioner on 10 December 1963, killing one person and injuring fifty, and a state of emergency was declared, becoming known as the Aden Emergency.

In January 1964, the British moved into the Radfan hills in the border region to confront Egyptian-backed guerrillas, later reinforced by the NLF. By October they had largely been suppressed, and the NLF switched to grenade attacks against off-duty military personnel and police officers elsewhere in the Aden Colony.

In 1964, the new British government under Harold Wilson announced their intention to hand over power to the Federation of South Arabia in 1968, but that the British military would remain. In 1964, there were around 280 guerrilla attacks and over 500 in 1965. In 1966 the British Government announced that all British forces would be withdrawn at independence. In response, the security situation deteriorated with the creation of the socialist Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) which started to attack the NLF in a bid for power, as well as attacking the British.

In January 1967, there were mass riots by NLF and FLOSY supporters in the old Arab quarter of Aden town, which continued until mid February, despite the intervention of British troops. During the period there were many attacks on the troops, and an Aden Airlines Douglas DC-3 plane was destroyed in the air with no survivors. At the same time, the members of FLOSY and the NLF were also killing each other in large numbers.

The temporary closure of the Suez Canal in 1967 effectively negated the last reason that British had kept hold of the colonies in Yemen, and, in the face of uncontrollable violence, they began to withdraw.

On 20 June 1967, there was a mutiny in the Federation of South Arabia Army, which also spread to the police. Order was restored by the British, mainly due to the efforts of the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, under the command of Lt-Col. Colin Campbell Mitchell.

Nevertheless, deadly guerrilla attacks particularly by the NLF soon resumed against British forces once again, with the British being defeated and driven from Aden by the end of November 1967, earlier than had been planned by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and without an agreement on the succeeding governance. Their enemies, the NLF, managed to seize power, with Aden itself under NLF control. The Royal Marines, who had been the first British troops to occupy Aden in 1839, were the last to leave. The Federation of South Arabia collapsed and Southern Yemen became independent as the People’s Republic of South Yemen. The NLF, with the support of the army, attained total control of the new state after defeating the FLOSY and the states of the former Federation in a drawn out campaign of terror.

Most of the opposing leaders reconciled by 1968, in the aftermath of a final royalist siege of San’a’. In 1970, Saudi Arabia recognized the Yemen Arab Republic and a ceasefire was effected.

A radical (Marxist) wing of the NLF gained power in South Yemen in June, 1969.
1970s

The NLF changed the name of South Yemen on 1 December 1970 to the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). In the PDRY, all political parties were amalgamated into the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), which became the only legal party. The PDRY established close ties with the Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, Cuba, and radical Palestinians.

The major communist powers assisted in the building of the PDRY’s armed forces. Strong support from Moscow resulted in Soviet naval forces gaining access to naval facilities in South Yemen.

Unlike East and West Germany, the two Yemens remained relatively friendly, though relations were often strained. In 1972 it was declared unification would eventually occur.

However, these plans were put on hold in 1979, and war was only prevented by an Arab League intervention. The goal of unity was reaffirmed by the northern and southern heads of state during a summit meeting in Kuwait in March 1979.

What the PDRY government failed to tell the YAR government was that it wished to be the dominant power in any unification, and left wing rebels in North Yemen began to receive extensive funding and arms from South Yemen.
1980s
Further information: Yemenite reunification

In 1980, PDRY president Abdul Fattah Ismail resigned and went into exile. His successor, Ali Nasir Muhammad, took a less interventionist stance toward both North Yemen and neighbouring Oman. On January 13, 1986, a violent struggle began in Aden between Ali Nasir’s supporters and supporters of the returned Ismail, who wanted power back. Fighting lasted for more than a month and resulted in thousands of casualties, Ali Nasir’s ouster, and Ismail’s death. Some 60,000 people, including the deposed Ali Nasir, fled to the YAR.

Efforts toward unification proceeded from 1988. See also: Aden, Aden Protectorate, Federation of South Arabia, Hadhramaut, and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen

Although the governments of the PDRY and the YAR declared that they approved a future union in 1972, little progress was made toward unification, and relations were often strained.

In May 1988, the YAR and PDRY governments came to an understanding that considerably reduced tensions including agreement to renew discussions concerning unification, to establish a joint oil exploration area along their undefined border, to demilitarize the border, and to allow Yemenis unrestricted border passage on the basis of only a national identification card.

In November 1989, the leaders of the YAR (Ali Abdullah Saleh) and the PDRY (Ali Salim al-Baidh) agreed on a draft unity constitution originally drawn up in 1981.
1990s

The Republic of Yemen (ROY) was declared on 22 May 1990 with Saleh becoming President and al-Baidh Vice President. For the first time in centuries, much of Greater Yemen was politically united. A 30-month transitional period for completing the unification of the two political and economic systems was set. A presidential council was jointly elected by the 26-member YAR advisory council and the 17-member PDRY presidium. The presidential council appointed a Prime Minister, who formed a Cabinet. There was also a 301-seat provisional unified parliament, consisting of 159 members from the north, 111 members from the south, and 31 independent members appointed by the chairman of the council.

A unity constitution was agreed upon in May 1990 and ratified by the populace in May 1991. It affirmed Yemen’s commitment to free elections, a multiparty political system, the right to own private property, equality under the law, and respect of basic human rights. Parliamentary elections were held on 27 April 1993. International groups assisted in the organization of the elections and observed actual balloting. The resulting Parliament included 143 GPC, 69 YSP, 63 Islaah (Yemeni grouping for reform, a party composed of various tribal and religious groups), six Baathis, three Nasserists, two Al Haq, and 15 independents. The head of Islaah, Paramount Hashid Sheik Abdallah Bin Husayn Al-Ahmar, is the speaker of Parliament.

Islaah was invited into the ruling coalition, and the presidential council was altered to include one Islaah member. Conflicts within the coalition resulted in the self-imposed exile of Vice President Ali Salim Al-Bidh to Aden beginning in August 1993 and a deterioration in the general security situation as political rivals settled scores and tribal elements took advantage of the unsettled situation.
1994 Civil War
Main article: 1994 civil war in Yemen

Haydar Abu Bakr Al-Attas, the former PDRY Prime Minister continued to serve as the ROY Prime Minister, but his government was ineffective due to political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge and accord in Amman, Jordan on 20 February 1994. Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994.

Almost all of the actual fighting in the 1994 civil war occurred in the southern part of the country despite air and missile attacks against cities and major installations in the north. Southerners sought support from neighboring states and received billions of dollars of equipment and financial assistance, mostly from Saudi Arabia, which felt threatened by a united Yemen. The United States strongly supported Yemeni unity, but repeatedly called for a cease-fire and a return to the negotiating table. Various attempts, including by a UN special envoy, were unsuccessful to effect a cease-fire.

Southern leaders declared secession and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Yemen (DRY) on 21 May 1994, but the DRY was not recognized by the international community. Ali Nasir Muhammad supporters greatly assisted military operations against the secessionists and Aden was captured on 7 July 1994. Other resistance quickly collapsed and thousands of southern leaders and military went into exile. Early during the fighting, President Ali Abdallah Salih announced a general amnesty which applied to everyone except a list of 16 persons. Most southerners returned to Yemen after a short exile.

An armed opposition was announced from Saudi Arabia, but no significant incidents within Yemen materialized. The government prepared legal cases against four southern leaders–Ali Salim al-Baidh, Haydar Abu Bakr Al-Attas, Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri, and Salih Munassar Al-Siyali — for misappropriation of official funds. Others on the list of 16 were told informally they could return to take advantage of the amnesty, but most remained outside Yemen. Although many of Ali Nasir Muhammad’s followers were appointed to senior governmental positions (including Vice President, Chief of Staff, and Governor of Aden), Ali Nasir Muhammad himself remained abroad in Syria.

In the aftermath of the civil war, YSP leaders within Yemen reorganized the party and elected a new politburo in July 1994. However, the party remained disheartened and without its former influence. Islaah held a party convention in September 1994. The GPC did the same in June 1995.

In 1994, amendments to the unity constitution eliminated the presidential council. President Ali Abdallah Salih was elected by Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. The constitution provides that henceforth the President will be elected by popular vote from at least two candidates selected by the legislature. Yemen held its first direct presidential elections in September 1999, electing President Ali Abdallah Salih to a 5-year term in what were generally considered free and fair elections. Yemen held its second multiparty parliamentary elections in April 1997.
2000s

Constitutional amendments adopted in the summer of 2000 extended the presidential term by 2 years, thus moving the next presidential elections to 2006. The amendments also extended the parliamentary term of office to a 6-year term, thus moving elections for these seats to 2003. On 20 February 2001, a new constitutional amendment created a bicameral legislature, the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen, consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote).

In the 2000s the government has been fighting rebel groups such as the one led by Hussein al-Houthi’s Zaydi movement Shabab al-Mu’mineen, “The Young Believers”. (See Sa’dah conflict.)

The Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a working class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family[1], which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989-1990).

Since its debut on December 17, 1989 the show has broadcast 450 episodes and the twenty-first season began airing on September 27, 2009.[2] The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 26 and July 27, 2007, and grossed US$527 million worldwide.

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 25 Primetime Emmy Awards, 26 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award. Time magazine’s December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century’s best television series, and on January 14, 2000 the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest running American primetime entertainment series. Homer’s exclamatory catchphrase “D’oh!” has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.

Origins

Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks’s office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life’s work, he chose another approach and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family.He named the characters after his own family members, substituting “Bart” for his own name.

The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.

The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Groening submitted only basic sketches to the animators and assumed that the figures would be cleaned up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the characters in the initial short episodes.One of the earliest jobs of the Klasky Csupo company was creating animated sequences for the The Tracey Ullman Show which led to the start of The Simpsons.The animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo, with Wesley Archer, David Silverman, and Bill Kopp being animators for the first season.Georgie Peluse was the colorist and the person who decided to make the characters yellow.

In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show’s content.Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called “the mainstream trash” that they were watching.The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989 with “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, a Christmas special.”Some Enchanted Evening” was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990, as the last episode of the first season, because of animation problems.In 1992, Tracey Ullman filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming that her show was the source of the series’ success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons-a claim rejected by the courts.

Production

Executive producers

Matt Groening and James L. Brooks have served as executive producers during the show’s entire history, and also function as creative consultants. Sam Simon, described by former Simpsons director Brad Bird as “the unsung hero” of the show,served as creative supervisor for the first four seasons. He was constantly at odds with Groening, Brooks and Gracie Films and left in 1993.Before leaving, he negotiated a deal that sees him receive a share of the profits every year, and an executive producer credit despite not having worked on the show since 1993.A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show’s production for an entire season.

Writing

Al Jean (left) is the current executive producer of the show and David Mirkin (right) is a former executive producer and has been a part of the writing staff since 1994.

The first team of writers, assebled by Sam Simon, consisted of John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, George Meyer, Jeff Martin, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky.[18] Newer Simpsons’ writing teams typically consist of sixteen writers who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December.The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.Until 2004,the leader of these sessions was George Meyer, who had developed the show since Season One. According to long-time writer Jon Vitti, Meyer usually invented the best lines in a given episode, even though other writers may receive script credits. Each episode takes six months to produce so the show rarely comments on current events. However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl.
Part of the writing staff of The Simpsons in 1992. Back row, left to right: Mike Mendel, Colin ABV Lewis (partial), Jeff Goldstein, Al Jean (partial), Conan O’Brien, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Mike Reiss, Ken Tsumara, George Meyer, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti (partial), CJ Gibson and David M. Stern. Front row, left to right: Dee Capelli, Lona Williams and unknown.

Credited with sixty episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons’ staff.One of the best-known former writers is Conan O’Brien, who contributed to several episodes in the early 1990s before replacing David Letterman as host of the talk show Late Night.[24] English comedian Ricky Gervais wrote the episode “Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife”, becoming the first celebrity to both write and guest star in an episode.Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, writers of the film Superbad, wrote the episode “Homer the Whopper”, with Rogen voicing a character in it.

At the end of 2007 the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with the rest of the Writers Guild of America, East. The show’s writers had joined the guild in 1998.

Voice actors

The Simpsons has six main cast members. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble and other adult, male characters.Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma, as well as several minor characters.Castellaneta and Kavner had been a part of The Tracey Ullman Show cast and were given the parts so that new actors would not be needed. Nancy Cartwright performs the voices of Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum and other children.Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high.Smith was given the role of Lisa instead.Nancy Cartwright originally intended to audition for Lisa, but upon arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the “middle child” and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as “devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever”.Matt Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot.Cartwright is the only one of the six main Simpsons cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. There are two male actors who do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople; Hank Azaria, who has been a part of the Simpsons regular voice cast since the second season, voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum and Apu, and Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, and Dr. Hibbert.[28] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. However, Shearer was nominated for the award in 2009.

With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode “Old Money”, because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters’ voices.

Up until 1998, the six main actors were paid $30,000 per episode. In 1998 they were involved in a pay dispute with Fox. The company threatened to replace them with new actors, even going as far as preparing for casting of new voices. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action.However, the issue was soon resolved and, from 1998 to 2004, they were paid $125,000 per episode. The show’s revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, and in April 2004 the main cast stopped appearing for script readings, demanding they be paid $360,000 per episode. The strike was resolved a month laterand their salaries were increased to something between $250,000[44] and $360,000 per episode.In 2008, production for the twentieth season was put on hold due to new contract negotiations with the voice actors, who wanted a “healthy bump” in salary to an amount close to $500,000 per episode.The dispute was soon resolved, and the actors’ salary was raised to $400,000 per episode.

Homer, Grampa, Barney, Krusty, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Hans Moleman and many others Marge, Patty and Selma Bart, Nelson, Ralph, Todd Flanders, others Lisa Moe, Chief Wiggum, Apu, Comic Book Guy, Carl, Cletus, Professor Frink, Dr. Nick and many others Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders, Rev. Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny, Principal Skinner, Otto, Rainier Wolfcastle and many others

In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters.[28] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell’s characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, but does not voice any recurring characters.[47] Repeat “special guest” cast members include Albert Brooks, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Joe Mantegna, and Kelsey Grammer.

Episodes will quite often feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, athletes, authors, bands, musicians and scientists. In the earlier seasons, most of the guest stars voiced characters, but eventually more started appearing as themselves. Tony Bennett was the first guest star to appear as himself, appearing briefly in the season two episode “Dancin’ Homer”.The Simpsons holds the world record for “Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series”.

The show has been dubbed into several other languages, including Japanese, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. It is also one of the few programs dubbed in both French and Quebec French.The Simpsons has been broadcast in Arabic, but due to Islamic customs, numerous aspects of the show have been changed. For example, Homer drinks soda instead of beer and eats Egyptian beef sausages instead of hot dogs. Because of such changes, the Arabized version of the series met with a negative reaction from the life-long Simpsons fans in the area.

Animation

Several different U.S. and international studios animate The Simpsons. Throughout the run of the animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.With the debut of the series, because of an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to several international studios, located in South Korea.These are AKOM,Anivision,Rough Draft Studios,U.S. Animation, Inc.,and Toonzone Entertainment.Artists at the U.S. animation studio, Film Roman, draw storyboards, design new characters, backgrounds, props and draw character and background layouts, which in turn become animatics to be screened for the writers at Gracie Films for any changes to be made before the work is shipped overseas. The overseas studios then draw the inbetweens, ink and paint, and render the animation to tape before it is shipped back to the United States to be delivered to Fox three to four months later.

For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In 1992, the show’s production company, Gracie Films, switched domestic production to Film Roman, who continue to animate the show as of 2009. In Season 14, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.The first episode to experiment with digital coloring was “Radioactive Man” in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during production of the Season 12 episode “Tennis the Menace,” but Gracie Films delayed the regular use of digital ink and paint until two seasons later. The already completed “Tennis the Menace” was broadcast as made.

The series began high-definition production in Season 20; the first episode, “Take My Life, Please”, aired February 15, 2009. The move to HDTV included a new opening sequence. Matt Groening called it a complicated change because it affected the timing and composition of animation.

Characters

The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.

The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional “Middle American” town of Springfield.Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart, a ten-year-old troublemaker; Lisa, a precocious eight-year-old activist; and Maggie, a baby who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. The family owns a dog, Santa’s Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball V, renamed Snowball II in “I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot”. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age and still appear just as they did at the end of the 1980s. Although the family is dysfunctional, many episodes examine their relationships and bonds with each other and they are often shown to care about one another.

The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV.

Setting

The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield in an unknown and impossible-to-determine U.S. state. The show is intentionally evasive in regard to Springfield’s location.The name “Springfield” is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states.springfield’s geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up.

Themes

The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy, or sitcom, as its premise. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town.[64] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons’ scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment.Through Bart and Lisa’s days at Springfield Elementary School, the show’s writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media channels-from kids’ television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.

Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias.Al Jean admitted in an interview that “We [the show] are of liberal bent.”The writers often evince an appreciation for liberal ideals, but the show makes jokes across the political spectrum.The show portrays government and large corporations as callous entities that take advantage of the common worker.Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In The Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent.Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.

Hallmarks
Opening sequence

Elongated couch gags, such as one featuring a large stage show, have been used to fill time in shorter episodes.

The Simpsons’ opening sequence is one of the show’s most memorable hallmarks. Most episodes open with the camera zooming through the show’s title towards the town of Springfield. The camera then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, the Simpsons settle down on their couch to watch television. The opening was created by David Silverman, the first task he did when production began on the show.[78] The series’ distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[79]

One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that three of the segments change from episode to episode: Bart writes different things on the school chalkboard,[78] Lisa plays different solos on her saxophone, and different gags accompany the family as they enter their living room to sit on the couch.[80] On February 15, 2009, a new opening credit sequence was introduced to accompany the switch to HDTV. The sequence had all of the features of the original opening, but added numerous details and characters.[81]
Halloween episodes
Bart introducing a segment of “Treehouse of Horror IV” in the manner of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery.
Main article: Treehouse of Horror (series)

The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. “Treehouse of Horror” first broadcast in 1990 as part of season two and established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode.[82] These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres.[83] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween due to Fox’s current contract with Major League Baseball’s World Series.[84]
Humor

The show’s humor turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show.[85] Such references, for example, come from movies, television, music, literature, science, and history.[85] The animators also regularly add jokes or sight gags into the show’s background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere.[86] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show.[86] Kristin Thompson argues that The Simpsons uses a “…flurry of cultural references, intentionally inconsistent characterization, and considerable self-reflexivity about television conventions and the status of the programme as a television show.”[87]

One of Bart’s early hallmarks were his prank calls to Moe’s Tavern owner Moe Szyslak in which Bart calls Moe and asks for a gag name. Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but rapidly realizes it is a prank call and angrily threatens Bart. These calls were based on a series of prank calls known as the Tube Bar recordings. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner Louis “Red” Deutsch, whose often profane responses inspired Moe’s violent side.[88] As the series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe’s angry response, so the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season.[89][90] The Simpsons also often includes self-referential humor.[91] The most common form is jokes about Fox Broadcasting.[92] For example, an episode that aired in December 2004 included a scene where a Fox News van drove down the street while displaying a large “Bush Cheney 2004″ banner and playing Queen’s “We Are the Champions”, in reference to the 2004 presidential election.[93]

The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each.[94] Notable expressions include Homer’s annoyed grunt “D’oh!”, Mr. Burns’ “Excellent…” and Nelson Muntz’s “Ha-ha!”. Some of Bart’s catchphrases, such as “¡Ay, caramba!”, “Don’t have a cow, man!” and “Eat my shorts!” appeared on t-shirts in the show’s early days.[95] However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising. The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons. The episode “Bart Gets Famous” mocks catchphrase-based humor, as Bart achieves fame on the Krusty the Clown Show solely for saying “I didn’t do it.”[96]
Influences on culture
Idioms

A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered popular vernacular.[97] Mark Liberman, director of the Linguistic Data Consortium, remarked, “The Simpsons has apparently taken over from Shakespeare and the Bible as our culture’s greatest source of idioms, catchphrases and sundry other textual allusions.”[98] The most famous catchphrase is Homer’s annoyed grunt: “D’oh!” So ubiquitous is the expression that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, but without the apostrophe.[99] Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone. The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise, and it went on to become the well-known exclamation in the television series.[100]

Groundskeeper Willie’s description of the French as “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” was used by National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg in 2003, after France’s opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. The phrase quickly spread to other journalists.[101] “Cromulent”, a word used in “Lisa the Iconoclast” has since appeared in the Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English.[102] “Kwyjibo”, a fake Scrabble word invented by Bart in “Bart the Genius”, was used as one of the aliases of the creator of the Melissa worm.[103] “I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords”, was used by Kent Brockman in “Deep Space Homer” and has become a common variety of phrase.[104] Variants of Brockman’s utterance are used to express mock submission, usually for the purpose of humor.[105] It has been used in media, such as New Scientist magazine.[106] The dismissive term “Meh”, believed to be popularized by the show,[107] entered the Collins English Dictionary in 2008.[108]
Television

The Simpsons was the first successful animated program in prime time since Wait Till Your Father Gets Home in the 1970s.[109] During most of the 1980s, pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for children, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception.[7] The use of Korean animation studios for tweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series.[7] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama, and The Critic.[7] “The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years”, said Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. “As far as I’m concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways-you could classify it as-a wholly new medium.”[110] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode “Simpsons Already Did It”.[111]

The Simpsons has also influenced live-action shows like Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons, due to its lack of laugh track unlike many other sitcoms.[112][113] Malcolm in the Middle featured the use of sight gags and did not use a laugh track unlike most sitcoms. Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track.[114]
Reception and achievements
Early success

The Simpsons was the Fox network’s first television series to rank among a season’s top 30 highest-rated shows.[115] While later seasons would focus on Homer, Bart was the lead character in most of the first three seasons. In 1990, Bart quickly became one of the most popular characters on television in what was termed “Bartmania”.[116][117][118][119] He became the most prevalent Simpsons character on memorabilia, such as T-shirts. In the early 1990s, millions of T-shirts featuring Bart were sold;[120] as many as one million were sold on some days.[121] Believing Bart to be a bad role model, several American public schools banned T-shirts featuring Bart next to captions such as “I’m Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?” and “Underachiever (’And proud of it, man!’)”.[122][123][124] The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated $2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[122] Because of his popularity, Bart was often the most promoted member of the Simpson family in advertisements for the show, even for episodes in which he was not involved in the main plot.[125]

Due to the show’s success, over the summer of 1990 the Fox Network decided to switch The Simpsons’ timeslot so that it would move from 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday night to the same time on Thursday, where it would compete with The Cosby Show on NBC, the number one show at the time.[126][127] Through the summer, several news outlets published stories about the supposed “Bill vs. Bart” rivalry.[121][126] “Bart Gets an F” (season two, 1990) was the first episode to air against The Cosby Show, and it received a lower Nielsen Rating, tying for eighth behind The Cosby Show, which had an 18.5 rating. The rating is based on the number of household televisions that were tuned into the show, but Nielsen Media Research estimated that 33.6 million viewers watched the episode, making it the number one show in terms of actual viewers that week. At the time, it was the most watched episode in the history of the Fox Network,[128] and it is still the highest rated episode in the history of The Simpsons.[129]

The Simpsons has been praised by many critics, being described as “the most irreverent and unapologetic show on the air.”[130] In a 1990 review of the show, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly described it as “the American family at its most complicated, drawn as simple cartoons. It’s this neat paradox that makes millions of people turn away from the three big networks on Sunday nights to concentrate on The Simpsons.”[131] Tucker would also describe the show as a “pop-cultural phenomenon, a prime-time cartoon show that appeals to the entire family.”[132]
Run length achievements

On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” as the longest-running prime-time animated series in the United States. In 2004, The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running sitcom (animated or live action) in the United States.[133] In 2009, The Simpsons surpassed The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’s record of 435 episodes and is now recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest running sitcom.[134] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes.[135] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season.[136] In May 2007, The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, other animated series have surpassed The Simpsons.[137] For example, the Japanese anime series Sazae-san has close to 2,000 episodes to its credit.[137]

The year 2007 marked the twentieth anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. As of the twenty-first season (2009-2010), The Simpsons is the longest-running American primetime, scripted television series, having surpassed Gunsmoke . However, Gunsmoke’s episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its approximate 29th season, under normal programming schedules.[133][138]

In 2009, Fox will hold a year-long celebration of the show titled “Best. 20 Years. Ever.” to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the premiere of The Simpsons. It will end January 14, 2010, twenty years after “Bart the Genius” aired. One of the first parts of the celebration is the “Unleash Your Yellow” contest in which entrants must design a poster for the show.[139] On February 26, 2009, Fox announced that it had renewed the show and ordered two additional seasons, which would take the series through its twenty-second season.[140]
Awards

The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 25 Primetime Emmy Awards,[50] 26 Annie Awards[141] and a Peabody Award.[142] In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century’s greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century’s best television series.[143] In that same issue, Time included Bart Simpson in the Time 100, the publication’s list of the century’s 100 most influential people.[144] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. On January 14, 2000, the Simpsons were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[145] Also in 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted “The Simpsons” at the top of two polls: 2001’s 100 Greatest Kids’ TV shows,[146] and 2005’s 100 Greatest Cartoons,[147] with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001’s 100 Greatest TV Characters.[148] Homer would also place ninth on Entertainment Weekly’s list of the “50 Greatest TV icons”.[149] In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time;[150] in 2007 it was included in TIME’s list of the “100 Best TV Shows of All Time”;[151] in 2008 the show was placed in first on Entertainment Weekly’s “Top 100 Shows of the Past 25 Years”;[152] and Empire named it the greatest TV show of all time.
Criticism and controversy

Bart’s rebellious nature, which frequently resulted in no punishment for his misbehavior, led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children.[154][155] In schools, educators claimed that Bart was a “threat to learning” because of his “underachiever and proud of it” attitude and negative attitude regarding his education.[156] Others described him as “egotistical, aggressive and mean-spirited”.[157] In a 1991 interview, Bill Cosby described Bart as a bad role model for children, calling him “angry, confused, frustrated”. In response, Matt Groening said, “That sums up Bart, all right. Most people are in a struggle to be normal he thinks normal is very boring, and does things that others just wished they dare do.”[158] On January 27, 1992, then-President George H. W. Bush said, “We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.”[122] The writers rushed out a tongue-in-cheek reply in the form of a short segment which aired three days later before a rerun of “Stark Raving Dad” in which Bart replied, “Hey, we’re just like the Waltons. We’re praying for an end to the Depression, too.”

Various episodes of the show have generated controversy. The Simpsons visited Australia in “Bart vs. Australia” (season six, 1995) and Brazil in “Blame it on Lisa” (season 13, 2002) and both episodes generated controversy and negative reaction in the visited countries.[161] In the latter case, Rio de Janeiro’s tourist board-who claimed that the city was portrayed as having rampant street crime, kidnappings, slums, and monkey and rat infestations-went so far as to threaten Fox with legal action.[162] Matt Groening was a fierce and vocal critic of the episode “A Star Is Burns” (season six, 1995) which featured a crossover with The Critic. He felt that it was just an advertisement for The Critic, and that people would incorrectly associate the show with him. When he was unsuccessful in getting the episode pulled, he had his name removed from the credits and went public with his concerns, openly criticizing James L. Brooks and saying the episode “violates the Simpsons’ universe.” In response, Brooks said “I am furious with Matt, […] he’s allowed his opinion, but airing this publicly in the press is going too far. […] his behavior right now is rotten.”[163][164] “The Principal and the Pauper” (season nine, 1997) is one of the most controversial episodes of The Simpsons. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that Principal Seymour Skinner, a recurring character since the first season, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by Matt Groening and by Harry Shearer, who provides the voice of Principal Skinner. In a 2001 interview, Shearer recalled that after reading the script, he told the writers, “That’s so wrong. You’re taking something that an audience has built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we’ve done before with other characters. It’s so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it’s disrespectful to the audience.”
Criticism of declining quality

Critics’ reviews of early Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence.[10][166] In the late 1990s, around the airing of season ten, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show “tired”.[167] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics.[168][169] Author Douglas Coupland described claims of declining quality in the series as “hogwash”, saying “The Simpsons hasn’t fumbled the ball in fourteen years, it’s hardly likely to fumble it now.”[170] Mike Scully, who was show runner during seasons nine through twelve, has been the subject of criticism.[171][172] Chris Suellentrop of Slate wrote “under Scully’s tenure, The Simpsons became, well, a cartoon. […] Episodes that once would have ended with Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge’s neck. The show’s still funny, but it hasn’t been touching in years.”[171] When asked in 2007 how the series’ longevity is sustained, Scully replied, “Lower your quality standards. Once you’ve done that you can go on forever.”

In 2003, to celebrate the show’s 300th episode “Barting Over”, USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-ten episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite, and a top-15 list by The Simpsons’ own writers.The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997’s “Homer’s Phobia”; the Simpsons’ writers most recent choice was 2000’s “Behind the Laughter”. In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show’s declining quality: “I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so Season Four looks very good to me now.In response, Dan Castellaneta stated “I don’t agree, […] I think Harry’s issue is that the show isn’t as grounded as it was in the first three or four seasons, that it’s gotten crazy or a little more madcap. I think it organically changes to stay fresh.”

The Simpsons managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. While the first season enjoyed an average of 13.4 million viewers per episode in the U.S.,[115] the nineteenth season had an average of 7.7 million viewers.[178] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, “I honestly don’t see any end in sight. I think it’s possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome… but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it’s ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven’t done before. So creatively there’s no reason to quit.”

Other media

Numerous Simpson-related comic books have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.The first comic strips based on The Simpsons appeared in 1991 in the magazine Simpsons Illustrated, which was a companion magazine to the show. The comic strips were popular and a one-shot comic book titled Simpsons Comics and Stories, containing four different stories, was released in 1993 for the fans.[182] The book was a success and due to this, the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, and his companions Bill Morrison, Mike Rote, Steve Vance and Cindy Vance created the publishing company Bongo Comics.[182] Issues of Simpsons Comics, Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror and Bart Simpson have been collected and reprinted in trade paperbacks in the United States by HarperCollins.

Film

A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.

20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman produced The Simpsons Movie, an animated film that was released on July 27, 2007.[186] The film was directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers comprising Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham.Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded.[186] There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode “Kamp Krusty” was suitable for a film, but he encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length.For a long time, difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project.

Music
Collections of original music featured in the series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield, Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons and The Simpsons: Testify.[188] Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The album The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released in September 1990 and was a success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200[189] and becoming certified 2x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The first single from the album was the pop rap song “Do the Bartman”, performed by Nancy Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by Michael Jackson, although he did not receive any credit.

The Simpsons Ride

The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida, which officially opened May 15, 2008

In 2007, it was officially announced that The Simpsons Ride, a simulator ride, would be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.[192] It officially opened May 15, 2008 in Florida[193] and May 19, 2008 in Hollywood.[194] In the ride, patrons are introduced to a cartoon theme park called Krustyland built by Krusty the Clown. However, Sideshow Bob is loose from prison to get revenge on Krusty and the Simpson family. It features more than 24 regular characters from The Simpsons and features the voices of the regular cast members, as well as Pamela Hayden, Russi Taylor and Kelsey Grammer. Harry Shearer decided not to participate in the ride, so none of his characters have vocal parts.

Video games

The video game industry was very quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. Some of the early games include Konami’s arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment’s The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one that was available briefly after the first season, and another that is still available for purchase.

Merchandise
The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandizing industry.[122] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!. Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released. Many official or unofficial Simpsons books such as episode guides have been published. Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it was later overtaken by the first season of Chappelle’s Show.In particular, seasons one through twelve have been released on DVD in the U.S. (Region 1), Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4) with more seasons expected to be released in the future.

In 2003, about 500 companies around the world were licensed to use Simpsons characters in their advertising.[201] As a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold The Simpsons related products. These included “Buzz Cola”, “Krusty-O” cereal, Pink doughnuts with sprinkles, and “Squishees”.

On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled a series of five 44 cent stamps featuring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, to commemorate the show’s twentieth anniversary.[203] The Simpsons is the first television series still in production to receive this recognition.[204][205] The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009.[206] Approximately one billion will be printed.

A blue moon is a Full Moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years (7 times in the 19-year Metonic cycle), there is an extra full moon. The extra moon is called a “blue moon.” Different definitions place the “extra” moon at different times.

* In calculating the dates for Lent and Easter, the Clergy identify the Lent Moon. It is thought that historically when the moon’s timing was too early, they named an earlier moon as a “betrayer moon” (belewe moon), thus the Lent moon came at its expected time.
* Folklore gave each moon a name according to its time of year. A moon which came too early had no folk name - and was called a blue moon - bringing the correct seasonal timings for future moons.
* The Farmers’ Almanac defined blue moon as an extra full moon that occurred in a season; one season was normally three full moons. If a season had four full moons, then the third full moon was named a blue moon.
* Recent popular usage defined a blue moon as the second full moon in a calendar month, stemming from an interpretation error made in 1946 that was discovered in 1999.For example, December 31, 2009 was a blue moon according to this usage.

Early English and Christian usage

The earliest recorded English usage of the term “blue moon” was in a 1528 pamphlet violently attacking the English clergy,entitled “Rede Me and Be Not Wrothe” (Read me and be not angry): “Yf they say the mone is belewe / We must believe that it is true” [If they say the moon is blue, we must believe that it is true].

Some interpret this “blue moon” as relating to absurdities and impossibilities,and a similar moon-related adage was first recorded in the following year: “They would make men beleue … that þe Moone is made of grene chese” [They would make men believe … that the moon is made of green cheese].

An alternative interpretation uses the other Old English meaning of belewe (which can mean “blue” or “betrayer”).The church was responsible for the calendar and used the complex computus to calculate the important date of Easter, which is based on the full moon. Lent falls before Easter, starting at the beginning of the Lent moon cycle (late winter moon). The next moon is the egg moon (early spring moon), and Easter usually falls on the first Sunday after the full egg moon. Every one to three years, the Lent and egg moons would come too early. The clergy would have to tell people whether the moon was the Lent moon or a false one, which they may have called a “betrayer moon”.
Visibly blue moon

The most literal meaning of blue moon is when the moon (not necessarily a full moon) appears to a casual observer to be unusually bluish, which is a rare event. The effect can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, as has happened after forest fires in Sweden and Canada in 1950 and, notably, after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused the moon to appear blue for nearly two years. The particles in the atmosphere have to be about one micrometer in diameter; under these circumstances, long-wavelength light, which appears red to a viewer, is scattered out of the line of sight and short-wavelength light, which appears blue to a viewer, is selectively transmitted into a viewer’s eyes.

Folklore

Historically, moons were given folk names, twelve each year, to help people to prepare for different times of the year and the related weather and crop needs. Names varied with locality and culture, often with descriptive names such as harvest moon, growing moon, snow moon, and egg moon. Most years have 12 moons (giving 12 names), but in the years with thirteen full moons the monthly “seasons” would be expected to come too early - for example, hens would not recommence laying their eggs by the fourth full moon since it was still too cold - so the early moon was named a “blue moon”. This then re-aligned the rest of the year’s moons and “seasons”.

The origin of the term “blue moon” is steeped in folklore, and its meaning has changed and acquired new nuances over time. Some folktales say that when there is a full blue moon, the moon had a face and talked to those in its light.
Farmers’ Almanac blue moons

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Maine Farmers’ Almanac listed blue moon dates for farmers. These correspond to the third full moon in a quarter of the year when there were four full moons (normally a quarter year has three full moons). Names are given to each moon in a season: For example, the first moon of summer is called the early summer moon, the second is called the midsummer moon, and the last is called the late summer moon. When a season has four moons the third is called the blue moon so that the last can continue to be called the late moon.

The division of the year into quarters starts with the nominal vernal equinox on or around March 21.[6] This is close to the astronomical season but follows the Christian computus used for calculations of Easter, which places each equinox evenly between the summer and winter solstices to calculate seasons rather than using the actual equinox.

Some naming conventions keep the moon’s seasonal name for its entire cycle, from its appearance as a new moon through the full moon to the next new moon. In this convention a blue moon starts with a new moon and continues until the next new moon starts the late season moon.

To calculate the moon names for the seasons using the appearance of the new moon:

1. Locate the new moons that are nearest to the solstices and equinoxes. These are the early season moons. Mark the new moons as follows: nearest December 21 - the early winter moon; nearest March 20 - the early spring moon; nearest June 20 - the early summer moon; nearest September 22 - the early fall moon. Note: This makes the full moon of that season about two weeks later, always after the 20th or 21st of the month.
2. Locate the new moons following the early season moons marked above. Mark them as the mid season moons. For example, the new moon that follows the early winter moon is marked as the midwinter moon.
3. Locate the new moons before the early season moons marked in step 1. Mark them as the late season moons of the previous season. For example, the new moon that precedes the early winter moon is the late fall moon.
4. Locate all new moons that have not been marked either early, mid, or late moons. These are the blue moons.

Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere. Adjust the above instructions for your location.

For the year 2010, these are the dates of the moons in the northern hemisphere using UTC calculations. These dates use the actual solstices and not the artificial solstices that give each season an equal number of days.

1. 2009 December 16 - January 14 = Early Winter moon
2. January 15 - February 13 = Mid Winter moon
3. February 14 - March 14 = Late Winter moon
4. March 15 - April 13 = Early Spring moon
5. April 14 - May 13 = Mid Spring moon
6. May 14 - June 11 = Late Spring moon
7. June 12 - July 10 = Early Summer moon
8. July 11 - August 9 = Mid Summer moon
9. August 10 - September 7 = Late Summer moon
10. September 8 - October 6 = Early Fall moon
11. October 7 - November 5 = Mid Fall moon
12. November 6 - December 4 = Blue moon
13. December 5 - 2011 January 3 = Late Fall moon

Sky and Telescope calendrical misinterpretation

The March 1946 Sky and Telescope article “Once in a Blue Moon” by James Hugh Pruett misinterpreted the 1937 Maine Farmers’ Almanac. “Seven times in 19 years there were - and still are - 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.” Widespread adoption of the definition of a “blue moon” as the second full moon in a month followed its use on the popular radio program StarDate on January 31, 1980.

Blue moons between 2009 and 2016

The following blue moons will occur between 2009 and 2016. These dates use UTC as the timezone; months will vary with different timezones.
Seasonal

Using the Farmers’ Almanac definition of blue moon (meaning the third full moon in a season of four full moons), blue moons occur:

* November 21, 2010
* August 21, 2013
* May 21, 2016

Calendar

Two full moons in one month:

* 2009: December 2; December 31 (combined with a partial lunar eclipse in some parts of the world)
* 2012: August 2, August 31
* 2015: July 2, July 31

Note that, unlike the astronomical seasonal definition, these dates are dependent on the Gregorian calendar and time zones. The full moon at 2009-12-31 19:13 UTC occurs early the next day in eastern countries (Australia and most of Asia), where the calendar blue moon will not occur until late January 2010.

The 97th Grey Cup was played to decide the champion for the 2009 CFL season on November 29, 2009 in McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta.[1] The Montreal Alouettes came from behind to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 28-27. The game MVP was awarded to Avon Cobourne. The most valuable Canadian award was awarded to Ben Cahoon.

History

This was the fourth Grey Cup to be held in Calgary; the others were the 63rd Grey Cup (1975), 81st Grey Cup (1993), and 88th Grey Cup (2000). The game featured the Western Conference Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Eastern Conference Champion Montreal Alouettes. It was the first time ever that these two teams played each other for the Grey Cup.

Tickets

The prices for tickets ranged from $195 to $370 for the general public. Stampeders season ticket holders were eligible for a reduced charge with prices between $119 and $295.The game sold out in August 2009.

Events

On September 21, 2009, the Calgary Grey Cup committee announced the 97th Grey Cup would feature the return of an official Grey Cup parade and named Elisha Cuthbert as the grand marshal of the parade on November 13.On October 12 it was announced Blue Rodeo will be the halftime show. The week festivities will also include the ENMAX Street Festival and Stage on Stephen Avenue, the Calgary Herald Olympic Plaza Family Fan Fest, the Molson Canadian Quick Six Saloon at the Telus Convention Centre, the Scotiabank Grey Cup Gala Dinner and Contest at the Pengrowth Saddledome featuring the Great Big Sea, and the McMahon Stadium Pre-Game Party with live entertainment featuring Econoline Crush.

Game Summary

Montreal Alouettes (28) - TDs, Jamel Richardson, Avon Cobourne, Ben Cahoon; FGs Damon Duval (2); 2-point cons., Kerry Carter; cons., Duval (1); singles, Duval (1).

Saskatchewan Roughriders (27) - TDs, Andy Fantuz, Darian Durant; FGs Luca Congi (4); cons., Congi (1); singles, Louie Sakoda (1).

First Quarter
SSK - FG Congi 40-yard field goal (8:03)
SSK - TD Fantuz 8-yard pass from Durant (13:43) (Congi convert)
Second Quarter
MTL - FG Duval 28-yard field goal (2:23)
SSK - FG Congi 44-yard field goal (13:28)
SSK - Single Sakoda 85-yard kickoff, Taylor conceded in endzone (13:34)
SSK - FG Congi 9-yard field goal (15:00)
Third Quarter
MTL - TD Richardson 8-yard pass from Calvillo (7:13) (Duval convert)
SSK - FG Congi 23-yard field goal (14:09)
Fourth Quarter
MTL - Single Duval 52-yard punt went through the end zone (1:42)
SSK - TD Durant 16-yard run (4:28) (Congi convert)
MTL - TD Cobourne 3-yard run (8:14) (2-point convert, Carter 5-yard pass from Calvillo)
MTL - TD Cahoon 11-yard pass from Calvillo (13:15)
MTL - FG Duval 33-yard field goal (15:00)

2009 CFL playoffs
Division Semi-finals
East Semi-Final

Date and time: Sunday, November 15, 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Venue: Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton, Ontario
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT Total
BC Lions 3 13 7 4 7 34
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 3 3 10 11 0 27

The BC Lions became the second West Division team to win in the East Semi-Finals by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 34-27 in overtime to play against the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final.

Former Tiger-Cat quarterback, Casey Printers threw for 360 yards, rushed for a touchdown, and threw the winning eight-yard TD toss to Ian Smart in overtime that sealed the win in his return to Hamilton.

Hamilton came into the game as one of the CFL’s hottest teams having won three straight whereas the Lions finished the regular season losing three straight and got the crossover playoff berth only after the Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 39-17 to clinch second in the East and eliminate Winnipeg from post-season contention.

Printers was masterful in leading the Lions on two long scoring marches from inside their 10-yard line that not only resulted in 10 points for the Lions, but prevented the Tiger-Cats from getting the ball in good field position and kept Hamilton’s defence on the turf for long stretches. Printers was also very effective throwing the ball away whenever he came under pressure from the Tiger-Cat defence, despite being sacked four times.

The biggest question in this game was the Tiger-Cats decision to not exploit the biggest weakness in the Lions’ defence. B.C. came into the game having the CFL’s worst run defence, averaging 138 yards per game. However, the Tiger-Cats just ran the ball seven times for 35 yards. Hamilton running back, DeAndra’ Cobb, who ran for 267 yards in the two regular-season games the teams played (Hamilton won both) had just six carries for 33 yards in regulation.

Still, Hamilton eventually tied the game at 16-16 after trailing 16-6 at halftime on quarterback, Kevin Glenn’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Dave Stala, who made an amazing diving catch at 9:05 of the third quarter. It came after Hamilton had to settle for a Nick Setta field goal at 4:24 after a Chris Thompson fumble recovery and return to the Lions’ 20-yard line.

But the BC Lions would counter with Rolly Lambala’s one-yard touchdown run at 12:14, which was set up by a 34-yard pass interference call on Hamilton’s Jykine Bradley. Then Printers took the Lions on an 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a 33-yard Paul McCallum field goal that put the visitors ahead 26-16 at 3:05 of the fourth quarter.

Although B.C. led 27-16 with five minutes left, Hamilton booted a field goal with 2:13 remaining that got them within reach and on their next possession Dave Stala pulled in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Hamilton quarterback, Kevin Glenn for his second touchdown reception. After the touchdown, the Tiger-Cats scored on their two-point conversion to tie the game when Kevin Glenn again threw a pass to wide-open receiver, Marquay McDaniel in the end zone to send it to overtime.

After pulling off a last minute miracle to tie the game, Hamilton fans became overjoyed as it seems that momentum has switched to their home team after coming back from an 11-point deficit with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, however, it was not to be.

Before overtime, Hamilton won the coin toss and elected for the BC Lions to have first possession of the football, which turned out to be a costly decision. On their first possession, Casey Printers and the Lions offence on two plays scored the winning touchdown when Printers tossed the ball to Ian Smart to go ahead 34-27.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had the chance to tie the game in overtime, but they were shut down by the BC Lion defence who proved to be the difference in the extra minutes of play following the B.C. touchdown.

Emmanuel Arceneaux was the top Lion receiver on the day, pulling in six receptions for total of 120 yards, while Paul McCallum was good on all four of his field goal attempts, the longest a 43-yarder. B.C. generated 445 yards in total offence to Hamilton’s 440, while the Tiger-Cats picked up 437 aerial yards and Nick Setta was also good on all his four field goal attempts.

The Lions now head to Montreal to play against the Alouettes at the Big “O” for a chance to advance to the Grey Cup.

West Semi-Final

Date and time: Sunday, November 15, 2:30 PM Mountain Standard Time
Venue: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, Alberta
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Edmonton Eskimos 0 7 7 7 21
Calgary Stampeders 0 9 7 8 24

The defending Grey Cup champions, the Calgary Stampeders outlasted the Edmonton Eskimos, 24-21 Sunday and will play the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Division Final who defeated the Stampeders 30-14 in week 18 to earn the post-season bye.

The Stampeders opened the post-season the way it ended the regular season in Regina where they had three second-half drives and where within 20 yards of the end zone, but were only able produce just two field goals. In the opening half, the Stampeders again squandered three chances to score touchdowns from inside the red zone and settled for three Sandro DeAngelis field goals. Three of those Stampeders drives in the second quarter ended with Calgary quarterback, Henry Burris either shedding the ball under pressure or throwing an incompletion, which brought DeAngelis out onto the field.

On the other side, the Edmonton Eskimos were also unable to score a touchdown in the red zone as Stampeder cornerback, Brandon Browner stopped Edmonton’s running back Arkee Whitlock twice from within five yards early in the second quarter to prevent a touchdown. The Eskimos would depend on their kicker, Noel Prefontaine to kick for two field goals and a last minute single point for all of Edmonton’s first half points.

With both team’s inability to score a touchdown during the first two quarters of play, Calgary only had a slim 9-7 lead into halftime.

However, in the third quarter, Henry Burris was able to throw a nine-yard touchdown pass to receiver Arjei Franklin to take a 16-7 lead at 5:25 of the third quarter, capping an eight-play, 57-yard drive. However, Edmonton’s Skyler Green would counter Calgary’s touchdown score with a 93-yard touchdown return on the ensuing Calgary kickoff.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Stampeders only led by two points leading only 16-14, before Calgary punter Burke Dales kicked a 67-yard single 19 seconds in to give Calgary a three-point lead. Then at 2:52 of the fourth quarter, Henry Burris threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Romby Bryant to increase their lead to 24-14.

Although the Edmonton Eskimos seemed to be out of it, the Stampeders gave them a chance after they were penalized for 35 yards, including two roughing the passer calls on Calgary’s Charleston Hughes, which contributed to the Eskimos second touchdown at 7:44 of the fourth quarter when quarterback, Ricky Ray rushed in for the 1-yard score and trailed 24-21.

However, Edmonton’s chances to get within field goal range to tie the game with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter would be stopped, after taking two costly holding penalties that would keep them in their end of the field and were forced to punt the ball away, after Calgary’s defensive tackle, DeVone Claybrooks sacked Ricky Ray for a 10-yard loss, which forced Edmonton to rely on their defence to get the ball back. However, the Edmonton defence were unable to stop the Calgary offence who simply played out the clock to eventually win the Battle of Alberta match-up.

With the win, the Calgary Stampeders ended a three-game losing streak against the Edmonton Eskimos in divisional semi-final games dating back to 2005 and went 4-1 against the Eskimos this season. They will now play the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium for a chance to advance to the Grey Cup and play in front of their home fans in Calgary.

Henry Burris would rush for 63 yards and completed 19 passes on 32 attempts for 264 yards and threw for two touchdown passes, while his counterpart, Ricky Ray was 18-for-30 and 162 yards, but no TDs. While Stampeders running back, Joffrey Reynolds, the West Division nominee for the league’s most outstanding player, rushed for 127 yards, which is the fourth-highest in a Stampeder playoff game.

Division Finals

East Final

Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
BC Lions 3 8 7 0 18
Montreal Alouettes 17 14 14 11 56

The Montreal Alouettes had a dominant 15-3 season while the BC Lions was only 8-10, but the East final was widely seen as a toss-up due to the strong form of BC quarterback, Casey Printers after joining the Lions in September and because of the Alouettes previous struggles against their rival from Vancouver. However, the Alouettes set a franchise playoff record by scoring 56 points and dominated the BC Lions throughout the game.

The game turned only seven minutes in the first quarter, after each team exchanged field goals, BC running back, Martell Mallett fumbled the ball on the Lions’ 22 that was eventually recovered by Montreal’s Shea Emry. On the next play, Montreal quarterback, Anthony Calvillo found wide receiver, Jamel Richardson all alone in the end zone and threw his first touchdown pass of the game to give the Alouettes a 10-3 lead. On their next offensive possession, the BC Lions would turn the ball over again, when Casey Printers threw an interception to Montreal’s Billy Parker, who would return the ball for 45 yards, which eventually set up a four yard touchdown pass by Calvillo to Kerry Watkins for a 17-3, Alouettes lead to end the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, BC defensive end, Lavar Glover missed his opportunity to tackle Kerry Watkins, which led to a 91 yard return that would set up a seven-yard TD toss by Calvillo to Richardson for a 24-3, Alouettes lead. The Lions would score their first touchdown of the game when Casey Printers threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver, Paris Jackson that was started when Montreal’s Larry Taylor uncharacteristically dropped a punt return, which was recovered by Lions’ safety Tad Crawford deep into the Alouettes side of the field. However, the Alouettes offence came right back when Anthony Calvillo threw his fourth touchdown of the game to wide receiver, Brian Bratton to give the Alouettes a comfortable 31-10 lead. Before the end of the second half, BC kicker Paul McCallum punted the ball into the endzone to give BC an extra point, although the Lions’ were trailing by 20 points into halftime.

At 4:54 into the third quarter, Lions’ wide receiver and kick returner, Ryan Grice-Mullen returned a 106-yard punt return to score a BC touchdown to cut the Montreal lead to 13, and broke the previous playoff record of 103-yards by Eskimos’ legend Henry “Gizmo” Williams, which was set back in 1992. Momentum could have switched for the Lions at that point, however, Grice-Mullen’s touchdown return would eventually be the last time that BC could muster any further offence and scoring in the game.

West Final

Date and time: Sunday, November 22, 3:30 PM Central Standard Time
Venue: Mosaic Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan

NEW YORK - President Barack Obama says he expects unemployment will be a “big problem” for at least another year.

Speaking during taping of “The Late Show” with David Letterman, Obama called the $787 billion economic stimulus program that Congress enacted earlier this year a “tourniquet” that stopped the economic bleeding. Without that spending, he said another 1.5 million jobs, or more, would have been lost.

But Obama said it’s going to take time for the economy to become whole again. As he put it, “Unemployment is going to be a big problem for at least another year.” The nation’s unemployment rate hit 9.7 percent in August. Most economists expect it to top 10 percent next year.

Obama said he’s confident the economy will come back stronger than ever.

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — A Wells Fargo & Co. executive who oversees foreclosed properties hosted parties and spent long summer weekends in a $12 million Malibu beach house, moving into the home just after it had been surrendered to Wells Fargo to satisfy debts, neighbors said.

The previous owners of the beachfront home in Malibu Colony — a densely built stretch of luxury homes that has been a favorite of celebrities over the years — were financially devastated in Bernard Madoff’s massive fraud scheme, real estate agent Irene Dazzan-Palmer said.

The couple signed the property over to Wells Fargo last spring, and the bank subsequently denied requests to show the house to prospective buyers, Dazzan-Palmer said.

Residents in the gated community told the Los Angeles Times that a woman they believe was Cheronda Guyton took up occupancy at the home in May. Residents said they obtained Guyton’s name from the community’s guards, who had issued her a homeowner’s parking pass.

Residents also wrote down the license plate number of a 2007 Volvo sport-utility vehicle they say was parked in the home’s garage. A check of state motor vehicle license plates by the Times found the vehicle was registered to Guyton.

Guyton is a Wells Fargo senior vice president responsible for foreclosed commercial properties, resident Phillip Roman said.

“It’s outrageous to take over a property like that, not make it available and then put someone from the bank in it,” said Roman, who lives a few homes away from the property.

Residents said Guyton, along with her husband and two children, often hosted guests at the home, including a large party the last weekend of August. Malibu Colony is about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

Wells Fargo said in a written statement that it would conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations by neighbors, but said it wouldn’t “discuss specific team member situations/issues for privacy reasons.”

Guyton’s home number is unlisted, and attempts to reach her at her Los Angeles office after work hours were unsuccessful.

The bank’s agreement with the prior owner required it to keep the home — a 3,800-square-foot, two-story structure built in the early 1990s — off the market for a period of time, Wells Fargo said in the statement. The bank said it planned to list the property for sale soon.

Move over Anne Geddes - there’s a new baby photographer in town. Tracy Raver was on the “Today” show Friday morning to talk about her unique way of photographing newborns. Searches on the shutterbug promptly shot through the roof.

The photos (many of which you can see in the video below) are of sleeping babies that seem to be posing for the camera. Raver explained that getting babies into cute poses is easier than one might think. A full belly and a warm room will do wonders for making a baby sleepy. And once those eyelids shut, it’s pretty simple to pose the baby.

In the interview with Meredith Vieira, Raver said that she strives for photos that show babies curled up, as if they were in their mother’s womb. In addition to taking photos for clients, Ms. Raver also instructs other photographers on how to keep babies asleep and calm enough to take photos. And while most babies respond to the same tricks, Raver explained that little girls tend to be feistier than boys.

As for the searches, it appears that the “Today” show interview will do wonders for Raver’s business. Queries on her name and “tracy raver photography” both posted triple-digit gains.

We assume many parents will be inspired by the interview to photograph their own babies. Parents should act quickly - according to Raver, after the baby is a month old, it gets a lot more difficult.

You can watch the interview below.

Some people have found Kurt Cobain’s posthumous appearance in Guitar Hero 5 a little unsettling — including his widow, Courtney Love.

In a Twitter tirade for the ages, the former Hole frontwoman announced plans to sue Guitar Hero 5 publisher Activision over the way her late husband was represented in the game, reports The Guardian.

“For the record this Guitar Hero [expletive] is breach of contract on a Bullys part and there will be a proper addressing of this and retraction,” she posted on her Twitter account. “WE are going to sue the [expletive] out of ACtivision we being the Trust the Estate the LLC the various LLCs Cobain Enterprises.”
Courtney Love

Uhhhh…You go girl!

Cobain appears as one of five exclusive in-game artists in Guitar Hero 5, joining the likes of Carlos Santana and Johnny Cash as playable characters.

In particular, Love is incensed over the look of Cobain’s avatar, which can be used by gamers to play non-Nirvana songs with Cobain lip-synching along. Love insisted she “never signed off on the avatar, let alone this [expletive] feature” and that “there’s been four breaches of a very strict contract.”

However, according to Activision vice president Tim Riley, working with Love was smooth and easy.

“Courtney supplied us with photos and videos,” he told The Guardian. “She picked the wardrobe and hairstyle, which turned out to be the ‘Teen Spirit’ look, then we went back and forth over changes - some subtle, some not so subtle.”

But Love simply doesn’t agree. From her Twitter feed:

“We have NOTHING to do with this it was presented to me and oi said “show me a better avataR” TO DRAG MY HEELS., never did i intend on allowing GUITARHERO for me or for Kurt i am NOT yoko [expletive] Ono no ofense to her, but i am a different person entirely and this is insane.