query: Colombia's armed conflict has decreased from 2005 onward.

pos: Colombia Colombia ( k ) , is a sovereign state largely situated in the northwest of South America , with territories in Central America . Colombia shares a border to the northwest with Panama , to the east with Venezuela and Brazil and to the south with Ecuador and Peru . It shares its maritime limits with Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Honduras , Jamaica , Haiti and the Dominican Republic . It is a unitary , constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments . The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples , with as most advanced the Muisca , Quimbaya and the Tairona .   The Spanish set foot on Colombian soil for the first time in 1499 and in the first half of the 16th century initiated a period of conquest and colonization , ultimately creating the New Kingdom of Granada , with as capital Santafé de Bogotá . Independence from Spain was acquired in 1819 , but by 1830 the `` Gran Colombia '' Federation was dissolved . What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada . The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 . Since the 1960s , the country has suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict , which escalated in the 1990s but then decreased from 2005 onward . Colombia is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world , and thereby possesses a rich cultural heritage . The urban centres are mostly located in the highlands of the Andes mountains .   Colombian territory also encompasses Amazon rainforest , tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines . Ecologically , it is one of the world 's 17 megadiverse countries , and the most densely biodiverse of these per square kilometer . Colombia is a middle power and a regional actor with the fourth-largest economy in Latin America , is part of the CIVETS group of six leading emerging markets and is a member of the UN , the WTO , the OAS , the Pacific Alliance , and other international organizations . Colombia has a diversified economy with macroeconomic stability and favorable growth prospects in the long run .

neg: Peace Implementation Council The Peace Implementation Council ( PIC ) is an international body charged with implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina . The Council was established at an implementation conference held in London , United Kingdom on December 8 and 9 , 1995 , subsequent to the completion of the negotiations of the accord the preceding month . The Council is , in effect , the realization , through the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , of the international community 's governance of Bosnia and Herzegovina after signature of the Dayton Agreement . This international control over Bosnia and Herzegovina is to last until the country is deemed politically and democratically stable and self-sustainable .   The PIC comprises 55 countries and agencies that support the peace process in many different ways - by assisting it financially , providing troops for SFOR , or directly running operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina . There is also a fluctuating number of observers .   Since the London conference , the PIC has come together at the ministerial level another six times to review progress and define the goals of peace implementation for the coming period : in June 1996 in Florence , Italy ; in December 1996 for a second time in London ; in December 1997 in Bonn , Germany ; in December 1998 in Madrid , Spain , in May 2000 and February 2007 in Brussels , Belgium .   The PIC clarifies the responsibilities of the High Representative as the main implementing body of the civilian part of the Dayton Agreement , as set out in Annex 10 the Dayton Agreement . For example , the 1997 Bonn session provided the Office of the High Representative with the so-called `` Bonn authority '' to dismiss elected and non-elected officials who obstruct the implementation of the Dayton Agreement . The High Representative from 2006-2007 , Christian Schwarz-Schilling , used this power sparingly , to promote confidence in elected domestic government . This strategy was reversed by the new appointee to that post , Miroslav Lajčák , who imposed several decisions on his first day at work .

neg: Animal rights in Colombia Animal rights in Colombia refers to topics related to Animal rights in Colombia . The Colombian constitution does not recognize animal rights . Law 84 of 1989 stipulates a statute to protect animals , with the exception of bullfighting and cock fights , which are considered to be part of the Culture of Colombia .   Despite having a legislation against animal trafficking , Colombia is one of the major sources and routes for animal trafficking in the world . There are numerous non-governmental organizations working in Colombia on behalf of animal rights .

neg: Brazilian Armed Forces The Brazilian Armed Forces ( Forças Armadas Brasileiras , -LSB- ˈfoʁsɐz ɐʁˈmadɐz bɾaziˈlejɾɐs -RSB- ) is the unified military organization comprising the Brazilian Army ( including the Brazilian Army Aviation ) , the Brazilian Navy ( including the Brazilian Marine Corps and Brazilian Naval Aviation ) and the Brazilian Air Force .   Brazil 's armed forces are the third largest in the Americas , after the United States and Colombia , and the largest in Latin America by the level of military equipment , with 318,480 active-duty troops and officers . With no serious external or internal threats , the armed forces are searching for a new role . They are expanding their presence in the Amazon under the Northern Corridor ( Calha Norte ) program . In 1994 Brazilian troops joined United Nations ( UN ) peacekeeping forces in five countries . Brazilian soldiers have been in Haiti since 2004 leading the United Nations Stabilization Mission ( MINUSTAH ) .   The Brazilian military , especially the army , has become more involved in civic-action programs , education , health care , and constructing roads , bridges , and railroads across the nation . Although the 1988 constitution preserves the external and internal roles of the armed forces , it places the military under presidential authority . Thus , the new charter changed the manner in which the military could exercise its moderating power .

neg: Kidnappings in Colombia Kidnappings in Colombia refers to the practice of kidnapping in the Republic of Colombia . This criminal practice was first introduced in modern Colombian history during the early 1970s by the guerrilla movements and , later , also by criminal groups . With the release of Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt on July 2 , 2008 this practice gained worldwide notoriety .   Guerrilla groups like the M-19 , the FARC , ELN among others widely exploited this practice . To counter these paramilitary groups also adopted this method to intimidate adversaries . Drug cartels like the Medellín Cartel also used this practice to intimidate politicians who were trying to approve in congress an extradition treaty with the United States , and also used in drug cartel wars . Regular criminal organizations also kidnap and sell persons of interest to guerrilla groups .   Police in Colombia say the number of people kidnapped has fallen 92 % since 2000 . Common criminals are now the perpetrators of the overwhelming majority of kidnappings .

neg: Guatemalan Revolution The Guatemalan Revolution ( Revolución de Guatemala ) was the period in Guatemalan history between the popular uprising that overthrew dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944 and the United States-orchestrated coup d'état in 1954 that unseated President Jacobo Árbenz . It is also known as the Ten Years of Spring , highlighting the only years of representative democracy in Guatemala from 1930 until the end of the civil war in 1996 , and included a program of agrarian reform that was enormously influential across Latin America .   From the late 19th century until 1944 Guatemala was governed by a series of authoritarian rulers who sought to strengthen the economy by supporting the export of coffee . Between 1898 and 1920 , Manuel Estrada Cabrera granted significant concessions to the United Fruit Company , an American corporation that traded in tropical fruit , and dispossessed many indigenous people of their communal lands . Under Jorge Ubico , who ruled as a dictator between 1931 and 1944 , this process was intensified , with the institution of harsh labor regulations and a police state .   In June 1944 , a popular pro-democracy movement led by university students and labor organizations forced Ubico to resign . He appointed a three-person military junta to take his place , led by Federico Ponce Vaides . This junta continued Ubico 's oppressive policies , until it was toppled in a military coup led by Jacobo Árbenz in October 1944 , an event also known as the `` October Revolution '' . The coup leaders formed a junta which swiftly called for open elections . These elections were won in a landslide by Juan José Arévalo , a progressive professor of philosophy who had become the face of the popular movement . He implemented a moderate program of social reform , including a widely successful literacy campaign and a largely free election process , although illiterate women were not given the vote and communist parties were banned .   Following the end of Arévalo 's presidency in 1951 , Jacobo Árbenz was elected to the presidency in a landslide . The progressive military leader of 1944 continued Arévalo 's reforms , and began an ambitious land-reform program , known as Decree 900 . Under it , the uncultivated portions of large land-holdings were expropriated in return for compensation , and redistributed to poverty-stricken agricultural laborers . Approximately 500,000 people benefited from the decree . The majority of them were indigenous people , whose forebears had been dispossessed after the Spanish invasion . Árbenz ' policies ran afoul of the United Fruit Company , which lost some of its uncultivated land . The company lobbied the US government for Árbenz ' overthrow , and the State Department responded by engineering a coup under the pretext that Árbenz was a communist . Carlos Castillo Armas took power at the head of a military junta , provoking the Guatemalan Civil War . The war lasted from 1960 to 1996 , and saw the US-backed military commit genocide against the indigenous Maya peoples , and widespread human rights violations against civilians .

neg: Dirty War (Mexico) The Dirty War ( Guerra Sucia ) refers to the Mexican theater of the Cold War , an internal conflict between the Mexican PRI-ruled government , backed by the US , and left-wing student and guerrilla groups in the 1960s and 1970s under the presidencies of Luis Echeverría and José López Portillo . During the war , government forces carried out disappearances , estimated at 1,200 , systematic torture , and `` probable extrajudicial executions '' .   In Mexico the dirty war is a subject little known by the bulk of the population , this because the PRI has hidden or eliminated the information and was not written in the history books . The judicial investigation into State crimes against political movements was opened only until Vicente Fox 's term ( 2000-2006 ) , which created the Special Prosecutor 's Office for Social and Political Movements of the Past ( FEMOSPP ) . However , despite the fact that it has advanced in the knowledge of the historical facts , the FEMOSPP has not been able to arrive at finalize concrete legal responsibilities against which they have been indicated like main people in charge of the dirty war .

neg: Shining Path The Communist Party of Peru ( Spanish : Partido Comunista del Perú ) , more commonly known as the Shining Path ( Sendero Luminoso '' ) , is a communist militant group in Peru . When it first launched the internal conflict in Peru in 1980 , its stated goal was to replace the bourgeois democracy with `` New Democracy '' . The Shining Path believed that by establishing a dictatorship of the proletariat , inducing cultural revolution , and eventually sparking world revolution , they could arrive at pure communism . Their representatives said that existing socialist countries were revisionist , and they claimed to be the vanguard of the world communist movement . The Shining Path 's ideology and tactics have been influential among other Maoist insurgent groups , notably the Communist Party of Nepal ( Maoist ) and other Revolutionary Internationalist Movement-affiliated organizations .   Widely condemned for its brutality , including violence deployed against peasants , trade union organizers , popularly elected officials and the general civilian population , the Shining Path is classified by the Peruvian government , the U.S. , the European Union , and Canada as a terrorist organization .   Leader of the organization Abimael Guzmán stated that `` the triumph of the revolution will cost a million lives '' -- at a time when Peru 's population was only 19 million . To that end , the Shining Path attempted to eradicate elements of the political and social order , attacking community leaders , teachers and professors , and political leaders . The first case of `` popular justice '' was the assassination in December 1980 of Benigno Medina , a landowner . In January 1982 , two teachers were executed in front of their students . Several months later , 67 `` traitors '' were subjected to public execution . In addition , the Shining Path set about demolishing all government installations and infrastructure . In August 1982 , they destroyed the Center for Agricultural Research and Experimentation in Allpahaca and killed the animals .   Since the capture of its leader Abimael Guzmán in 1992 , the Shining Path has declined in activity . Similar to militant groups in Colombia , some factions of the Shining Path have functioned as a highly efficient cocaine-smuggling operation , with an ostensibly paternalistic relationship to villagers .

neg: Ministry of Justice and Law (Colombia) The Ministry of Justice and Law ( Ministerio de Justicia y Derecho ) , is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia responsible for the administration of law and justice , equivalent to the justice ministries of other countries .   In 2011 , President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón , as part of a wider justice reform and reshuffle of executive ministries , separated the Ministry of the Interior and Justice into two ministries as had been the case before their merger in 2002 as part of then-President Álvaro Uribe Vélez 's ministerial reform .   The Ministry of Justice and Law is a central-level entity , head of the Justice and Law Sector , which leads the development of public policy with regards to justice and the protection of rights , within the framework of a Legal Social and Democratic State . The Justice and Law sector , which leads , is made up of the following related bodies : • The Unidad de Servicios Penitenciarios y Carcelarios ( Prison and Penitentiary Services Unit ) USPC . • The Instituto Nacional Penitenciario y Carcelario ( National Prison and Penitentiary Unit ) INPEC • The Agencia Nacional para la Defensa Jurídica del Estado ( National Agency for Legal Defense of the State ) ANDJE . • La Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro ( Superintendency for Notaries and Registries ) SNR . • La Dirección Nacional de Estupefacientes ( National Narcotics Directorate ) DNE ( in liquidation ) .

neg: Clandestine Colombian Communist Party The Clandestine Colombian Communist Party ( in Spanish : Partido Comunista Clandestino Colombiano ) is an underground communist party in Colombia . It is politically linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( FARC ) , which founded the party in 2000 , although a de facto After FARC officially broke with the Colombian Communist Party ( CCP ) , a separate FARC-based party structure came into de facto existence during most of the 1990s , until the PCCC was officially founded in 2000 . The party 's founder and leader was FARC 's commander Guillermo León Sáenz , also known as `` Alfonso Cano '' , until he was killed in action in 2011 .

neg: List of countries by Fragile States Index This is a list of countries by order of appearance in the Fragile States Index ( formerly the Failed States Index ) of the United States think-tank Fund for Peace .   A fragile state has several attributes . Common indicators include a state whose central government is so weak or ineffective that it has little practical control over much of its territory ; non-provision of public services ; widespread corruption and criminality ; refugees and involuntary movement of populations ; and sharp economic decline . Since 2005 , the index has been published annually by the Fund for Peace and the magazine Foreign Policy . The list has been cited by journalists and academics in making broad comparative points about countries or regions .   This is the list for 2016 , with comparisons of each country 's current score to previous years ' indices .   The report uses 12 factors to determine the rating for each nation , including security threats , economic implosion , human rights violations and refugee flows .

neg: Colombian Civil War (1860–1862) The Colombian Civil War began on May 8 , 1860 , and lasted until November 1862 . It was an internal conflict between the newly formed conservative Granadine Confederation and a more liberal rebel force from the newly seceded region of Cauca , composed of dissatisfied politicians commanded by General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera , its former president . The Granadine Confederation , created a few years earlier in 1858 by Mariano Ospina Rodríguez , was defeated in the capital Bogotá , with Mosquera deposing the newly elected president Bartolomé Calvo on July 18 , 1861 . Forming a provisional government , with himself as president , Mosquera continued to pursue the conservative forces until their final defeat in 1862 . The resulting formation of the new United States of Colombia would have significant cultural and economic consequences for Colombia .

neg: New Democratic Force The New Democratic Force ( Nueva Fuerza Democrática ) is a conservative political party in Colombia .  At the last legislative elections , on 10 March 2002 , the party won as one of the many small parties parliamentary representation .   Category : Conservative parties in Colombia

neg: Senate of Colombia The Senate of the Republic of Colombia ( Senado de la República de Colombia ) is the upper house of the Congress of Colombia , with the lower house being the House of Representatives . The Senate has 102 members elected for concurrent ( non-rotating ) four-year terms .

neg: War of the Vicuñas and Basques The War of the Vicuñas and Basques ( Guerra de Vicuñas y Vascongados ) , or sometimes just Vicuña War , was an armed conflict in Alto Perú , present-day Bolivia , that lasted between June 1622 and March 1625 , fought between Basques and `` Vicuñas '' ( an informal term for non-Basque Spaniards in Alto Perú , a name obtained through the habit of wearing hats made of vicuña skins ) .   Competition over the control of the silver mines in Potosí , Lípez and Chichas surged in the early 17th century , pitting Basques and Vicuñas against each other . The Vicuñas had initially employed legal and political measures attempting to block the Basque attempts to monopolize control over the Cabildo ( municipal government ) of Potosí and the silver mining sector . However , these efforts did not yield results . Violent incidents began in 1615 , and escalated in 1622 following the assassination of a Basque of a street in Potosí .   The Vicuñas were led by Antonio Xeldres . The creole , Mestizo and indigenous populations largely sided with the Vicuñas . The Vicuñas themselves were not always unified , though , as they suffered from internal feuds between Andalusians on one hand and New Castillians and Extremadurans on the other ( the former group eventually withdrew from the rebellion ) .   The war pitted different sectors of the viceregal administration against each other , as some supported the Basque claims for hegemony whilst others had a conciliatory approach to the Vicuña rebels . Personalities involved in the conflict included the president and oidores of the Royal Audiencia of Charcas , treasury officials and the corregidor of Potosí and the visitador ( sent to the area in order to audit fiscal accounts ) .   The Vicuña rebels had killed 64 men by March 1624 . However , the Basque control over the city and the mines had not been broken . Basque leaders pleaded to the King of Spain , Philip IV , to intervene . The King in return ordered the Viceroy of Peru to act decisively against the Vicuñas . Between 1624 and 1625 , the viceregal authorities managed to capture several key Vicuña leaders , executing forty of them .   The war would last for three years . The war did not end in any decisive victory for any side , but rather as a result of mutual exhaustion . An agreement to end hostilities was reached . The marriage between the children of two of the leaders of the opposing camps , the son of the Basque leader Francisco Oyanume and the daughter of the Vicuña general Castillo , was part of the settlement of the conflict . In April 1625 , a royal decree was issued , pardoning all Vicuñas fighters except those having committed blood crimes . Some Vicuñas continued acts of banditry in the following years , but without the ethnic or political overtones as during the war with the Basques . Basque-Vicuña rivalry did , however , continue for a century .   On March 15 , 1626 , the ingenios of Potosí were destroyed by massive flooding . This event was interpreted as a divine punishment for the past violences .   Later histiography has sought to emphasize the socio-economic contradictions as catalysts for the war , framing it as class warfare .

neg: Economy of Costa Rica The economy of Costa Rica it is very stable and has evolved from an economy that depended solely on tourism , agriculture , to one more diverse , based on electronics exports , medical manufacturing and IT services .   According to a study conducted by ADEN Business School ( which included 18 other countries in the region ) , Costa Rica is the fourth most competitive country in Latin America in 2012 and is part of a block of countries rated as having a `` very good competitive level , with advances and developments in infrastructure , technology and macroeconomic stability '' . The nation scored a 71.8 out of 100 on a study which measured competitiveness based on 10 criteria . Compared to the 2011 rank , Costa Rica went up by one position ( from 5th to 4th ) .   The CIA World Factbook states that Costa Rica 's Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) per capita is US$ 12,900 ( 2013 est. ) ; the reported GDP summed in 2012 to US$ 45.1 bn with a population of 4,805,000 . The World Bank General Government Public Sector Debt ( PSDGG ) statistics showed a linear rise from US$ 8bn in 2009 to US$ 18bn in 2014 , which translates to a growth rate of 12 % . The Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos is charged with measuring other economic performance measures . Poverty has remained around 15-20 % for nearly 20 years , and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures .   According to the CIA World Factbook , foreign investors remain attracted by the country 's political stability and relatively high education levels , as well as the incentives offered in the free-trade zones . Costa Rica has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America . However , many business impediments remain such as high levels of bureaucracy , legal uncertainty due to overlapping and at times conflicting responsibilities between agencies , difficulty of enforcing contracts , and weak investor protection .  Inflation rose to 22.5 % in 1995 , dropped to 11.1 % in 1997 , 12 % in 1998 , 11 % in 1999 and 13 % in 2008 . Measures taken by the Central Bank have reduced inflation substantially to 4.3 % in 2009 , and a projected 5.8 % for 2010 . Curbing inflation , reducing the deficit , and improving public sector efficiency through an anti-corruption drive , remain key challenges to the government . Previous political resistance to privatization had stalled liberalization efforts . However , after the signing of CAFTA , Costa Rica is now open to competition with its Central American partners in its insurance and telecommunications markets .   Costa Rica 's economy emerged from recession in 1997 and has shown strong aggregate growth since then . After 6.2 % growth in 1997 , GDP grew a substantial 8.3 % in 1999 , led by exports . Costa Rica had a US$ 6.64 bn trade deficit in 2013 , on exports of US$ 11.48 bn and imports of US$ 18.13 bn . Hybrid electronic circuits was the leading durable export category in 2013 , followed by pineapple , banana , medical equipment , medical bioproducts , and coffee , juices , prosthetics , and surgery tools ; these categories added up to over 50 % of exports . Miscellaneous circuits including telephones and miscellaneous petroleum products added to just under 25 % of imports .   The strength in the nontraditional export and tourism sector is masking a relatively lackluster performance by traditional sectors , including agriculture . The central government deficit decreased to 3.2 % of GDP in 1999 , down from 3.3 % from the year before . On a consolidated basis , including Central Bank losses and parastatal enterprise profits , the public sector deficit was 2.3 % of GDP . Costa Rica had a formal line of credit with the World Bank valued at US$ 947M in April 2014 , of which US$ 645M had been accessed and US$ 600M remained outstanding .

neg: Revolutionary Independent Labour Movement The Revolutionary Independent Labour Movement ( Movimiento Obrero Independiente y Revolucionario ) , or MOIR , is a left-wing party in Colombia that was founded in 1970 . Francisco Mosquera was the founder and ideological leader of MOIR . In August 1994 he died , after which Hector Valencia became the Secretary General of the party . In 2008 Valencia died and the union leader Gustavo Triana , vice president of the country 's largest union ( Central Unitaria de Trabajadores - CUT ) , was elected Secretary General .   The MOIR describes itself as `` a political party of the working class . Its primary mission is to lead the proletarian class struggle in Colombia for its ultimate emancipation , establishment of socialism in Colombia and realize communism . Defend the people 's interests and the Colombian nation and its immediate objective is the New Democratic Revolution '' .   In the 2006 the MOIR united with other revolutionary and democratic movements in the Alternative Democratic Pole ( Polo Democrático Alternativo - PDA ) . The MOIR works with farmers in the `` National Association for Agricultural Salvation '' ( Asociación Nacional por la Salvación Agropecuaria ) , with students in the `` Colombian Student Organization '' ( Organización Colombiana de Estudiantes - OCE ) , with industrial workers ( with other movements Central Unitaria de Trabajadores - CUT ) , with consumers `` National League of public services users '' ( Liga Nacional de Usuarios de Servicios Públicos ) and intellectuals `` Center for Labor Studies '' ( Centros de Estudios para el Trabajo-CEDETRABAJO ) .   The youth wing of the party is called `` Patriotic Youth '' ( Juventud Patriotica - JUPA ) .   In the legislative elections of 2002 , the MOIR won a senate seat with a senator named Jorge Enrique Robledo . Later in the legislative elections in 2006 and 2010 , he was reelected senator , with a total of 80,969 and 165,339 votes respectively , the last time with the third largest vote in that election . The Colombian economic news magazine `` Portafolio '' considered Robledo the best senator of Colombia for his efforts in defense of agriculture , workers , education , health , national economics , users of public services , Colombian sovereignty and democracy .

neg: The World Development Report 2011 The 2011 World Development Report : Conflict , Security and Development ( WDR ) is a document by the World Bank on the challenges organised violence poses to the advancement of less developed countries . The report finds that over the last 30 years poverty has been reduced for most of the world 's population - but this is not the case for the estimated 1.5 billion people living in countries blighted by on-going conflict . Not one low income country suffering from on-going violence has achieved a single Millennium Development Goal . Once mass violence takes root in a society , it can take a generation or more to restore stability .   Organised violence as defined by the report includes civil and inter-state war as well as the violence resulting from criminal activity , especially drug and human trafficking . The WDR does not address interpersonal and domestic violence , though it acknowledges they are also relevant to development .   The report finds that overall mass conflict has become less prevalent over recent decades , with the average number of worldwide battle deaths dropping from 164,000 per year in the 1980s to only 42,000 in the 2000s . But the 1.5 billion living in conflict wracked states have not benefited from this trend . A new form of mass violence plagues their countries , with cycles of political violence alternating with periods where as many or more die from criminal activity .   Despite the difficulties in overcoming a legacy of conflict , violence or authoritarian rule , several countries have made impressive progress including Chile , Colombia , Ghana , Indonesia , Mozambique , South Africa and Timor-Leste . The report offers lessons drawn from these past successes . The World Bank stress that their report does not proscribe standard fixes suitable for all , and that efforts to resolve conflicts should be nationally led from within affected countries . Workable solutions will have to be tailored to each set of individual circumstance . Yet the WDR does find that previous successful efforts share many common features , which are reflected in the report 's WDR framework .

neg: Community of Latin American and Caribbean States The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños , CELAC Comunidade de Estados Latino-Americanos e Caribenhos Communauté des États Latino-Américains et Caribéens Gemeenschap van Latijns-Amerikaanse en Caraïbische Staten ) is a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states thought out on February 23 , 2010 , at the Rio Group -- Caribbean Community Unity Summit , and created on December 3 , 2011 , in Caracas , Venezuela , with the signature of The Declaration of Caracas . It consists of 33 sovereign countries in the Americas representing roughly 600 million people . Due to the focus of the organization on Latin American and Caribbean countries , other countries and territories in the Americas , Canada and the United States , as well as the overseas territories in the Americas of France ( Overseas departments and territories of France ) , the Netherlands ( Dutch Caribbean ) , Denmark ( Greenland ) and the United Kingdom ( British Overseas Territories ) are not included .   CELAC is an example of a decade-long push for deeper integration within Latin America . CELAC was created to deepen Latin American integration and by some to reduce the significant influence of the United States on the politics and economics of Latin America . It is seen as an alternative to the Organization of American States ( OAS ) , the regional body that was founded by United States and 21 other Latin American nations originally as a countermeasure to potential Soviet influence in the region .   CELAC is the successor of the Rio Group and the Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development ( CALC ) . In July 2010 , CELAC selected President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and President of Chile Sebastián Piñera , as co-chairs of the forum to draft statutes for the organization .

neg: Citizens' Convergence The Citizens ' Convergence ( Convergencia Ciudadana ) is a progressive political party in Colombia .  At the last legislative elections , 10 March 2002 , the party won as one of the many small parties parliamentary representation . In the election of 2006 , the party won 8 out of 166 Deputies and 7 out of 100 senators . This party is now the National Integration Party ( Colombia ) .   Category : Progressive parties in Colombia

neg: Mediation of the Chadian Civil War (2005–10) Mediation of the Chadian-Sudanese conflict began shortly after the government of Chad declared an '' état de belligérance '' , or ` state of belligerency ' with Sudan . on December 23 , 2005 . The BBC translated `` belligérance '' as `` war '' .   The Chadian government called for the citizens of Chad to mobilize themselves against the `` common enemy '' , referring to militant members of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty and Platform for Change , Unity and Democracy ( SCUD ) rebel groups -- Chadian rebels , allegedly backed by the Sudanese government -- and Sudanese Janjaweed militiamen who have crossed over from Sudan while pursuing Fur refugees . The RDL denied they were receiving support from the Sudanese government . Between December 26 and December 28 RDL and SCUD joined with six other rebel groups to form the United Front for Democratic Change rebel alliance , led by Mohammed Nour .


query: Sam Walton founded store chains.

pos: Sam Walton Samuel Moore `` Sam '' Walton ( March 29 , 1918 -- April 5 , 1992 ) was an American businessman and entrepreneur best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam 's Club .

neg: Play It Again Sports Play It Again Sports is a chain of sporting goods stores selling new and gently used sporting goods franchised by Winmark . Minneapolis native Martha Morris started the store in 1983 , soon growing to several stores . Morris sold the chain to Winmark in 1988 and franchising began , growing to over 400 stores across the United States and 43 stores in Canada . All stores are independently owned and operated .

neg: Helen Walton Helen Robson Kemper Walton ( December 3 , 1919 -- April 19 , 2007 ) was the wife of Wal-Mart and Sam 's Club founder Sam Walton . At one point in her life , she was the richest American and the eleventh-richest woman in the world .

neg: SuperValu (United States) SuperValu , Inc. is an American retailing company . The corporation , headquartered in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie , Minnesota , has been in business for nearly a century . It is the fifth-largest food retailing company in the United States ( after Kroger and Albertsons ) , and ranks in the top 100 on the 2015 Fortune 500 list . Supermarket News ranked SuperValu # 1 in the 2008 `` Top Wholesalers for 2008 '' .   On June 2 , 2006 , Boise , Idaho-based Albertsons , Inc. and 1,124 of its stores were sold to SuperValu . The sale was approved by the shareholders of both SuperValu and Albertsons on May 30 , 2006 . In January 2013 , the company announced it was selling the Acme Markets , Shaw 's , and Jewel-Osco chains and their remaining Albertsons stores to Cerberus Capital Management for $ 100 million in cash with Cerberus assuming $ 3.2 billion in existing debt . SuperValu would keep its Cub , Farm Fresh , Shoppers Food & Pharmacy , Shop ` n Save and Hornbacher 's brands as well as its wholesale supply operation while the Acme , Shaw 's , Star Market , and Jewel-Osco stores were reunited with Albertsons . The deal closed March 21 , 2013 .

neg: Nordstrom Nordstrom , Inc. ( -LSB- ˈnɔrdstrəm -RSB- ) is an American chain of luxury department stores headquartered in Seattle , Washington . Founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin , the company began as a shoe retailer and expanded its inventory to include clothing , accessories , handbags , jewelry , cosmetics , and fragrances . Select Nordstrom stores also include wedding and home furnishings departments .   The company has 349 stores operating in 40 states , Puerto Rico and Canada , a number which includes 123 full-line stores and 215 Nordstrom Rack stores , five Trunk Club clubhouses , two Jeffrey boutiques and two clearance stores . Nordstrom also serves customers through nordstrom.com , nordstromrack.com , and its online private sale site , HauteLook .   Nordstrom , Inc. 's common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN .

neg: ShopRite ShopRite , Shoprite , Shop Rite or Shop-Rite may refer to :   Shoprite ( South Africa ) , the South African food distributor  Shoprite ( Isle of Man ) , the Isle of Man-based food retailer that once traded in the United Kingdom  ShopRite ( United States ) , the retailers ' cooperative ( co-op ) chain of supermarkets in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S.  ShopRite LPGA Classic , a women 's professional golf tournament in the United States , sponsored by the supermarket chain  Shop-Rite ( Canada ) , a Canadian catalogue store that operated from the 1970s to 1982  ShopRite ( Australia ) , a Union/Association retail discount store with over 160 000 members .

neg: The UPS Store The UPS Store network is the world 's largest franchisor of retail shipping , postal , printing and business service centers . Today , there are nearly 4,700 independently owned The UPS Store locations in the U.S. , Puerto Rico , and Canada . The UPS Store , Inc. , franchiser of The UPS Store brand , is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Parcel Service ( UPS ) . As of August 2014 , internal company web pages place the number of open UPS Stores to about 4300 .

neg: McRae's McRae 's was a mid-range regional department store chain founded and based in Jackson , Mississippi , with locations in Mississippi , Alabama , Louisiana , and Florida . The nameplate was in existence for more than a century .

neg: Home and Colonial Stores Home & Colonial Stores was once one of the United Kingdom 's largest retail chains . Its formation of a vast chain of retail stores in the late 1920s is seen as the first step in the development of a UK food retail market dominated by a small number of food multiples .

neg: Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer plc ( also known as M&S ) is a major British multinational retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster , London . It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index .   It specialises in the selling of clothing , home products and luxury food products . M&S was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds . The company also began to sell branded goods like Kellogg 's Corn Flakes in November 2008 . M&S currently has 959 stores across the U.K including 615 that only sell food products .   In 1998 , the company became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over # 1 billion , although subsequently it went into a sudden slump , which took the company , its shareholders , who included hundreds of thousands of small investors , and nearly all retail analysts and business journalists , by surprise . In November 2009 , it was announced that Marc Bolland , formerly of Morrisons , would take over as chief executive from executive chairman Stuart Rose in early 2010 ; Rose remained in the role of non-executive chairman until he was replaced by Robert Swannell in January 2011 .   M&S have 852 stores throughout the UK , as well as many international stores ; 52 stores in India , 48 stores in Turkey , 37 in Russia , 27 in Greece , 17 in Ireland , 14 in France , 11 in Poland , 6 in Hungary and Finland and 5 in Spain .   In recent years its clothing sales have fallen whilst food sales have increased after the axing of `` St. Michael 's '' naming for their own brand .

neg: Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited Walton Hi-Tech Industry Limited ( WHIL ) , a conglomerate based in Dhaka , Bangladesh is the sister concern of WALTON Group and it is the manufacturing and assembly plant of Walton consumer goods and automobiles based in Chandra , Gazipur . It was established in 1977 and formed in present organogram on 2002 and construction completed in 2006 , beginning operations from 2008 . The total area of the factory is 2,160,000 square feet ( 201,000 m2 ) . 8000 technical professionals and staff work in this factory . There are several units inside the factory where various components of refrigerator , freezer , motorcycle , air-conditioners and their spare parts are designed , manufactured and assembled . Walton decided to manufacture its own compressor and engines for its refrigerators and motor cycles . The company aims to produce 3 million refrigerator compressors and 300,000 motorcycle engines . -LSB- 5 -RSB- Walton inaugurated its new refrigerator manufacturing factory on April 5 , 2013 . -LSB- 6 -RSB- . Walton is the first motorcycle manufacturer of Bangladesh with different models of 80 cc to 150 cc motorcycle . The company exports products in different countries of the world .

neg: U.S. Mills U.S. Mills is a packaged food products company specializing in natural , organic , and specialty cereals , cookies , and crackers . Their products are sold through supermarkets , wholesale grocers , and natural food distributors nationwide . Their brands include Uncle Sam Cereal , Erewhon , New Morning , Skinner 's Raisin Bran , and , formerly , Farina .

neg: Morleys Stores Morleys Stores is a group of eight department stores in Greater London , a business-to-business furniture supply subsidiary called Morley 's of Bicester Ltd and a department store & furniture centre called Camp Hopson of Newbury in Newbury , Berkshire . The group is named after the original store that opened in Brixton , south London as Morley & Lanceley . Note that the firm is unrelated to the London fast foods restaurant chain .   In the year to January 2014 group profit was # 5.6 million on turnover of # 90.6 million .

neg: Smith's Food and Drug Smith 's Food & Drug Centers , Inc. was founded in 1911 in Brigham City , Utah , United States by Lorenzo J. Smith . Now a subsidiary of The Kroger Company , it is a prominent regional supermarket chain operating in the Southwest , Northwest , and Tennessee . After completing a merger with Portland-based Fred Meyer in 1997 , Fred Meyer was in turn acquired by Cincinnati-based Kroger in 1999 , making Kroger the largest supermarket chain in the United States . Smith 's headquarters are in Salt Lake City .

neg: W. T. Grant W. T. Grant or Grants was a United States-based chain of mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant that operated from 1906 until 1976 . The stores were generally of the variety store format located in downtowns .

neg: Rowland Hussey Macy Rowland Hussey Macy , Sr. ( August 30 , 1822 -- March 29 , 1877 ) was an American businessman who founded the department store chain R.H. Macy and Company .

neg: King's Variety Store The family voted to close all the stores up as of Tuesday February 21st 2017   King 's Variety Store is a chain of discount stores founded in 1915 by M.H. King in Burley , Idaho . The retailer has 21 stores in Idaho , Montana , Nevada , Oregon , Utah , and Wyoming .   A typical King 's store ranges from 10000 sqft to 20000 sqft and carry a wide variety of value priced merchandise . Most King 's stores are located in smaller towns that only have a grocery store as its major retail store .   In February 2017 , King 's announced it will close all 19 of its stores .

neg: Food City (Canada) Food City or Food Town were Canadian supermarkets operated by the Toronto-based Oshawa Group . The stores were often paired with department store chain Towers .   A typical Food City store had :   Meats/Deli  Produce  Frozen goods  Canned goods   The stores employed a plastic numbered basket system at the checkout that would be placed onto rollers and/or a conveyor and then is loaded by staff at a drive-through . This system , which is becoming increasingly rare , is commonly referred to as parcel pickup or car order .   Smaller stores were re-branded as Food Town ; the Food City name disappeared after the sale of the parent company to Sobeys in 1998 . Many of the locations became Price Chopper stores , currently known as FreshCo .

neg: Doug McMillon Carl Douglas `` Doug '' McMillon ( born October 17 , 1966 ) is an American businessman and is the president and chief executive officer ( CEO ) of Wal-Mart Stores , Inc. . He sits on the retailer 's board of directors . Having first joined the company as a summer associate in high school , he became the company 's fifth CEO in 2014 . He previously led the company 's Sam 's Club division , from 2005 to 2009 , and Walmart International , from 2009 to 2013 .

neg: Distribution center A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building , often with refrigeration or air conditioning , which is stocked with products ( goods ) to be redistributed to retailers , to wholesalers , or directly to consumers . A distribution center is a principal part , the order processing element , of the entire order fulfillment process . Distribution centers are usually thought of as being demand driven . A distribution center can also be called a warehouse , a DC , a fulfillment center , a cross-dock facility , a bulk break center , and a package handling center . The name by which the distribution center is known is commonly based on the purpose of the operation . For example , a `` retail distribution center '' normally distributes goods to retail stores , an `` order fulfillment center '' commonly distributes goods directly to consumers , and a cross-dock facility stores little or no product but distributes goods to other destinations .   Distribution centers are the foundation of a supply network , as they allow a single location to stock a vast number of products . Some organizations operate both retail distribution and direct-to-consumer out of a single facility , sharing space , equipment , labor resources , and inventory as applicable .   A typical retail distribution network operates with centers set up throughout a commercial market , with each center serving a number of stores . Large distribution centers for companies such as Wal-Mart serve 50 -- 125 stores . Suppliers ship truckloads of products to the distribution center , which stores the product until needed by the retail location and ships the proper quantity .   Since a large retailer might sell tens of thousands of products from thousands of vendors , it would be impossibly inefficient to ship each product directly from each vendor to each store . Many retailers own and run their own distribution networks , while smaller retailers may outsource this function to dedicated logistics firms that coordinate the distribution of products for a number of companies . A distribution center can be co-located at a logistics center .

neg: Poundland Poundland is a British variety store chain founded in 1990 that sells most items in its stores for # 1 , stocking over 3,000 products and employing 18,000 staff . Like many of its rivals , Poundland operate a constantly rotating product line , including brand name and clearance items as well as many own brand . The first pilot store opened in December 1990 following numerous rejections by landlords who had reservations about allowing a single-price store to operate , fearing it could adversely affect the local competition . An estimated 7 million customers shopped in Poundland every week in 2016 , many being female shoppers in the C1 , C2 , D and E categories ( the working classes in a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom )   The retailer expanded into Europe during the latter half of 2011 , first opening a store in the Republic of Ireland and now operating a subsidiary chain of discount stores in mainland Europe under the name Dealz . Poundland acquired closest rival 99p Stores in 2015 , leaving Poundworld as their closest competitor , yet in 2016 the company was described as `` struggling '' after its acquisition of 99p Stores following a drop in share price of over 50 % , before being acquired in August 2016 by Steinhoff International for # 610m .


query: Stranger than Fiction is a comedy mask.

pos: Stranger than Fiction (2006 film) Stranger than Fiction is a 2006 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Marc Forster , produced by Lindsay Doran , and written by Zach Helm . The film stars Will Ferrell , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Dustin Hoffman , Queen Latifah , and Emma Thompson . The main plot follows Harold Crick ( portrayed by Ferrell ) , a nondescript white-collar worker who begins hearing a disembodied voice narrating his life as it happens -- seemingly the text of a novel in which it is stated that he will soon die -- and he frantically seeks to somehow prevent that ending . The film was shot on location in Chicago , and has been praised for its innovative , intelligent story and fine performances . Ferrell , who came to prominence playing brash comedic parts , garnered particular attention for offering a restrained performance in his first starring dramatic role .

neg: Duet Acting Duet Acting ( often shortened to `` Duet '' or abbreviated as `` DA '' in tournament schedules and results ) is an event in competitive high school forensics . Similar to Duo Interpretation , Duet Acting varies in two major respects : first , Duet is not an official National Forensic League event although some state organizations , such as the Texas Forensic Association , the Louisiana High School Speech League , and ( formerly ) the Ohio High School Speech League practice the event . Secondly , unlike Duo , in which the actors are not permitted to make eye contact with each other or touch each other , Duet incorporates an element of acting . Cuttings must be made from scripts .   Duet Acting involves two people , two chairs , and ( in some jurisdictions ) a table ; the furniture is supplied in each room of competition . Time limits vary , but generally each acting pair performs an eight - to twelve-minute scene , typically using only two characters . Occasionally the performers change roles , but can only play one character per scene in the manner of dramatic or humorous interpretation . The pieces may be either serious or funny , and the extensive use of movement is permitted ( i.e. , interaction between both characters , as well as with the table and chairs ) . Duet Acting has been removed from the Ohio High School Speech League .   Category : Debating

neg: Prop comedy Prop comedy is a comedy genre in which performers use humorous objects , or conventional objects in humorous ways . The stages and films term `` prop '' , an abbreviation of `` property '' , refers to any object an actor handles in the course of a performance . Though some form of prop comedy has likely existed as long as there have been comedians , the genre reached its zenith in the vaudeville era . The vaudeville team Olsen and Johnson used prop comedy extensively in their long running Broadway revue Hellzapoppin .   A prop comic is a comedian who uses prop comedy . Prop comics are sometimes looked down upon by other comedians , and the term is sometimes used derisively . However , some , such as Tommy Cooper , rose to critical acclaim as their props revolved around a gimmick ( such as Cooper 's magic ) and the comedian 's character around that gimmick .

neg: Roger (American Dad!) Roger Smith ( born Wogir ) is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom American Dad ! , voiced by Seth MacFarlane . The character was created and designed by Seth MacFarlane . Roger is a centuries-old grey space alien living with the Smith family , around whom the show revolves . Having lived on Earth since 1947 , at the age of 1600 , Roger came to live with the Smiths after rescuing main character Stan Smith at Area 51 four years prior to the beginning of the series .   Roger began the series as a sensitive pushover who is often taken advantage of , cheated , and ridiculed . Over time , the character has become increasingly cruel , selfish , devious , and depraved , although the Smith family are curiously oblivious to his nature . In early episodes of the show , Roger is disallowed from leaving the Smith house in order to conceal his being an alien . This restriction is soon abandoned and Roger begins adopting disguises and fictitious personas in order to have a life outside the house .   Roger 's personas have become a major plot device , with his myriad alter egos frequently being the subject or facilitator of an episode 's main story or subplot . This also helps to amplify his pansexuality and androgynous nature , which varies dependent on the plot situation and persona he has adopted . Aside from catalyzing the plot or subplot with his various personas , and despite his increasingly evident self-interest , he often serves to counsel the show 's main characters , by humorously affirming or bluntly disregarding their opinions .   When voicing the character , MacFarlane speaks in a swish accent intended to resemble Paul Lynde ( who played Uncle Arthur in Bewitched ) . In 2014 , Roger was voted `` Gayest Cartoon Character of All Time '' in a first-ever March Madness style competition held by Logo TV .

neg: Paraspace The term ` paraspace ' comes from Samuel R. Delany , a ` space ' existing parallel to normal or ordinary space . According to Delany , the para-space is an alternate space that ` exists parallel to the normal space of the diegesis -- a rhetorically heightened  `` other realm ''' ( Bukatman 1993 : 157 ) . Bukatman ( 1993 : 157 ) says `` Cyberspace is clearly a '' paraspace ' . '   `` Delany connects cyberpunk to the mysterious lunar artifact of Algis Budrys ' Rogue Moon and early evocations of outer space , all of which use inflated rhetoric to differentiate `` paraspace '' from mundane dimensions '' Samuel Review Essay .   Paraspace is defined by Barry Malzberg as `` the condition of hyperspace -LSB- that -RSB- is itself insane '' ( as cited by Bukatman , 1993 : 157 ) .   Michael Fisch ( 2004 : 371 , citing Murakami , 2002 : 157 ) comments `` While the para-space is often inaugurated through cognition it is always a ` materially manifested ' and ` linguistically intensified ' space in which ` conflicts that begin in ordinary space are resolved ' ''  ( Murakami 2002 : 157 ) .   Implications   Walter Benjamin ( 1936/1968 ) declare the end of storytelling because of its incapacity to relate traumatic experiences , such as warfare , shell shock in World War I . As work lost its spaces to practice not just storytelling , but storylistening , the skills of interpretation of experience atrophied .   Paraspace is the hyperspace gone insane ( Malzberg , The worker flesh-body is displaced by the corporate ad-inventions , set on the global stage of `` technoorganic reconstructions of the flesh '' ( Bukatman , 1993 : 19 ) .   Walter Benjamin ( 1936 ) declared that the art of storytelling is coming to an end . We can no longer tell a tale of trauma properly . We can no longer exchange our experiences of trauma of war ( PTSD ) , economic collapse sending millions into homelessness , including veterans of the recent wars , the ubiquitousness of sweatshops , and so on . Of relevance to paraspace , the lost art of storytelling has an accumulated effect ( Fisch , 2004 : p. 365 ) ; it gets worth with cyber-real . / When the ` real ' pokes through the cyberspace , it gets quickly displaced by obfuscation . Our ` real ' in hyperspace is not closer to Lacanian Real ( FIsch , p. 372 ) .   Paraspace is invisible , yet has material consequences ( Bukatman , 1992 ) .   Benjamin , W. ( 1936/1968 ) Illuminations , New York : Harcourt Brace & World .   Bukatman , S. ( 1992 ) . Amidst These Fields of Data : Allegory , Rhetoric , and the Paraspace . Critique : Studies in Contemporary Fiction , 33 ( 3 ) , 199-219 .   Bukatman , S. ( 1993 ) Terminal Identity : The Virtual Subject in Postmodern Science Fiction , Durham ,  NC : Duke University Press .   Delany , Samuel R. ( 1988 ) . Some real mothers : An interview with Samuel R. Delany by Takayuki Tatsumi . '' Science Fiction Eye , 1 , # 3 : 5-11 .   Fisch , M. ( 2004 , October ) . In search of the real : technology , shock and language in Murakami Haruki 's Sputnik Sweetheart . In Japan Forum ( Vol . 16 , No. 3 , pp. 361 -- 383 ) . Taylor & Francis .   Murakami , H. ( 2002 ) Sputnik Sweetheart , trans . P. Gabriel , New York : Vintage International .

neg: In Masks Outrageous and Austere In Masks Outrageous and Austere is the final , full-length play of Tennessee Williams , written perhaps as early as 1970 , but chiefly between 1978 and the fall of 1982 . The play 's literary roots for characters and situations can be found in Williams ' 1945 short story `` Tent Worms '' . The play title is taken from a line in Elinor Wylie 's poem `` Now Let No Charitable Hope . ''   The play follows what Williams described as a `` nightmarish '' , `` extremely funny , '' and `` bizarre as hell '' story involving the kidnapping of the rich southerner Babe Foxworth by a nefarious corporation .   The play finally received its world premiere in New York City in April 2012 , directed by David Schweizer and starring Shirley Knight as Babe .

neg: Character (arts) A character ( sometimes known as a fictional character ) is a person or other being in a narrative work of art ( such as a novel , play , television series , or film ) . The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person , in which case the distinction of a `` fictional '' versus `` real '' character may be made . Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ , the English word dates from the Restoration , although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749 . From this , the sense of `` a part played by an actor '' developed . Character , particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema , involves `` the illusion of being a human person . '' In literature , characters guide readers through their stories , helping them to understand plots and ponder themes . Since the end of the 18th century , the phrase `` in character '' has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor . Since the 19th century , the art of creating characters , as practiced by actors or writers , has been called characterisation .   A character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type . Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised . The characters in Henrik Ibsen 's Hedda Gabler ( 1891 ) and August Strindberg 's Miss Julie ( 1888 ) , for example , are representative of specific positions in the social relations of class and gender , such that the conflicts between the characters reveal ideological conflicts .   The study of a character requires an analysis of its relations with all of the other characters in the work . The individual status of a character is defined through the network of oppositions ( proairetic , pragmatic , linguistic , proxemic ) that it forms with the other characters . The relation between characters and the action of the story shifts historically , often miming shifts in society and its ideas about human individuality , self-determination , and the social order .

neg: Punch line A punch line ( `` punch-line '' or punchline ) concludes a joke ; it is intended to make people laugh . It is the third and final part of the typical joke structure . It follows the introductory framing of the joke and the narrative which sets up for the punch line .   In a broader sense punch line can also refer to the unexpected and funny conclusion of any performance , situation or story .

neg: Poisoned candy myths Poisoned candy myths are urban legends about malevolent strangers hiding poisons or sharp objects such as razor blades , needles , or broken glass in candy and distributing the candy in order to harm random children , especially during Halloween trick-or-treating . These stories serve as modern cautionary tales to children and parents . These stories repeat two themes that are common in urban legends : danger to children and contamination of food .   No cases of strangers killing or permanently injuring children this way have been proven . Commonly , the story appears in the media when a young child dies suddenly after Halloween . Medical investigations into the actual cause of death have always shown that these children did not die from eating candy given to them by strangers . However , in rare cases , adult family members have spread this story in an effort to cover up murder or accidental deaths . In other incidents , a child who has been told about poisoned candy places a dangerous object or substance in a pile of candy and pretends that it was the work of a stranger . This behavior is called the copycat effect .   Folklorists , scholars , and law enforcement experts say that these stories have been `` thoroughly debunked '' .

neg: Procedural drama A procedural drama is a genre of television programming which focuses on how crimes are solved or some other aspect of a law enforcement agency , legislative body , or court of law . Some dramas include a lab or conference room with high-tech or state-of-the-art equipment where the main characters meet to work out the problem . Shows usually have an episodic format that does not require the viewer to have seen previous episodes . Episodes typically have a self-contained , also referred to as stand-alone , plot that is introduced and resolved within the same episode .   The procedural format is popular around the world . In 2011 , the director of a TV consultancy said , `` The continuing trend is for procedurals because they use a predictable structure . '' Due to their stand-alone episodic nature , they are more accessible to new viewers than serials . Self-contained episodes also make it easier for viewers to return to a show if they have missed some episodes . In general , procedural dramas can usually be re-run with little concern for episode order .   Procedurals are often criticized for being formulaic . Procedurals are also generally less character-driven than serialized shows . However , some procedurals have more character emphasis than is typical of the format . Some may occasionally feature a storyline stretching over several episodes .   A popular variant is the police procedural .

neg: Aurealis Award for best young adult novel The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works to `` recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction , fantasy , horror writers '' . To qualify , a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year ; the presentation ceremony is held the following year . It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people .   Since their creation in 1995 , awards have been given in various categories of speculative fiction . Categories currently include science fiction , fantasy , horror , speculative young adult fiction -- with separate awards for novels and short fiction -- collections , anthologies , illustrative works or graphic novels , children 's books , and an award for excellence in speculative fiction . The awards have attracted the attention of publishers by setting down a benchmark in science fiction and fantasy . The continued sponsorship by publishers such as HarperCollins and Orbit has added weight to the honour of the award .   The results are decided by a panel of judges from a list of submitted nominees ; the long-list of nominees is reduced to a short-list of finalists . Ties can occur if the panel decides that both entries show equal merit , however they are encouraged to choose a single winner . The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award 's management team .   This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best young-adult novel category , as well as novels that have been highly commended . Three people have won the award twice -- Isobelle Carmody , Garth Nix and Scott Westerfeld . Westerfeld holds the record for most nominations with eight , and Rory Barnes has the most nominations without winning , having been a losing finalist five times .

neg: Just for Laughs: Gags Just for Laughs : Gags ( in French , Juste pour rire : Gags ) is a Canadian silent comedy/hidden camera reality television show that is under the Just for Laughs brand . It is based on the similar American series Candid Camera .  The series is also on YouTube .  In December 26 , 2000 , JFL : Gags began airing on French Canadian network Canal D . In the following years , the show was picked up by TVA , CBC and The Comedy Network in Canada , BBC1 in the UK , TF1 in France and ABC and Telemundo in the United States ; the Canadian version ( unlike the ones produced for ABC ) aired in the United States in first-run syndication starting in the fall of 2015 and ended in February 2016 .   The series uses a hidden camera format , playing pranks on unsuspecting subjects while hidden cameras capture the subjects ' responses ; each episode presents multiple gags . While some segments have included brief dialogue , most do not contain any sound or dialogue ; the audio is replaced with sound effects , a laugh track , and public domain music . Most segments are filmed in Quebec City , Montreal and Vancouver , while some have been filmed in Mexico . British and Asian versions have been produced in the UK and Singapore , respectively . In 2011 the show spawned a spinoff , Just Kidding , which consists exclusively of kids playing pranks on adults .   With its silent format and no translation required , Just for Laughs : Gags has been purchased for use in over 100 countries throughout the world as well as in airports and by airlines . Reactions to the gags range from `` inane '' to cross-culturally funny . The same distributors also distribute Surprise Sur Prise , a similar show .   In March 2011 , Just for Laughs Gags entered into a partnership with Montreal-based , entertainment site , Videobash.com and now have their own devoted channel there . ( No video has been posted as of this writing . )

neg: Legal fiction A legal fiction is a fact assumed or created by courts which is then used in order to apply a legal rule . Typically , a legal fiction allows the court to ignore a fact that would prevent it from exercising its jurisdiction , by simply assuming that the fact is different . This is the case with the Bill of Middlesex where the Court of King 's Bench could only exercise jurisdiction over cases which took place in the historic English county of Middlesex . To allow the Court , which was the central court of the land , to take jurisdiction over other cases , parties began to plead that , along with the other facts , there had also been a trespass which occurred in Middlesex . This allowed the King 's Bench to rule on the whole of the case .   Legal fictions are different from legal presumptions which assume a certain state of facts until the opposite is proved , such as the presumption of legitimacy . They are different from hypothetical examples , such as the ` reasonable person ' which serve as tools for the court to express its reasoning . They are also different from legal principles which create a legal state of affairs that is different from the underlying facts , such as corporate personhood although these are sometimes wrongly called legal fictions .   The term `` legal fiction '' is not usually used in a pejorative way , and has been likened to scaffolding around a building under construction .

neg: Bahtinov mask The Bahtinov mask is a device used to focus small astronomical telescopes accurately .  It was invented by Russian amateur astrophotographer Pavel Bahtinov in 2005 ( http://www.astronomy.ru/forum/index.php/topic,10421.0.html ) . Accurate focusing of telescopes and astrographs is particularly of concern to those involved in astrophotography .   The telescope is pointed at a bright star , and a mask is placed in front of the telescope 's objective ( e.g. primary mirror ) .   The mask consists of three separate grids , positioned in such a way that the grids produce three angled diffraction spikes at the focal plane of the instrument for each bright image element . As the instrument 's focus is changed , the central spike appears to move from one side of the star to the other . In reality , all three spikes move , but the central spike moves in the opposite direction to the two spikes forming the `` X '' . Optimal focus is achieved when the middle spike is centered between the other two spikes .   Small deviations from optimal focus are easily visible . For astrophotography , a digital image can be analyzed by software to locate the alignment of the spikes to sub-pixel resolution .   The direction of this displacement indicates the direction of the necessary focus correction . Rotating the mask through 180 ° will reverse the direction of spike movement , so it is easier to use if placed on the telescope with consistent orientation . The mask must be removed after accurate focus is achieved .   A very bright star and very dark sky are required to produce clearly visible diffraction spikes .   In the example below , the central pattern shows good focus . The central spike is noticeably displaced from the central position in the left and right images .

neg: Less Than Zero (song) `` Less Than Zero '' is the eighth track on Elvis Costello 's debut album My Aim Is True , and the first Costello single that Stiff Records released .   The song expressed Costello 's anger after seeing former British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley interviewed on television attempting to deny his racist past . In the liner notes to the Rhino edition of the album , Costello writes :   The song therefore fits in with a number of others on early Costello albums that deal with themes of fascism and totalitarianism , which also include `` Night Rally '' from This Year 's Model and `` Goon Squad '' from Armed Forces . In this case , a racist and totalitarian movement is seen in terms of sub rosa teenage sex : `` Turn up the TV ... Even your mother wo n't detect it/So your father wo n't know . ''   Allmusic critic Mark Deming describes the melody as `` slow , slinky -LSB- and -RSB- sinister . '' Deming also suggests that the melody shows some reggae influences , even though the rhythm does not incorporate reggae syncopations . Deming describes the song as `` controversial , audacious , and highly effective '' as well as `` a truly remarkable debut . ''   On his first visit to the United States , Costello found that American audiences did n't understand the song , writing in his 2015 autobiography , Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink , `` I 'm not sure if anyone in Cleveland has ever heard of Oswald Mosley or gave a damn about him when we played `` Less Than Zero '' that night . It was just some rock and roll music with a fashionable-sounding title '' . Later , he substantially rewrote the lyrics to refer to Lee Harvey Oswald . This was a reference to the common misconception among American fans that this was the `` Mr. Oswald '' referred to in the original lyrics . This version is usually referred to as the `` Dallas version '' and is available as a bonus track on the My Aim is True reissue , and a live version can be found on Live at the El Mocambo .   The song later provided US author Bret Easton Ellis with the title of his debut novel .   The song was also involved in Costello 's infamous performance on Saturday Night Live on 17 December 1977 . Following pressure from his record company to play the song on the show , Costello began to play the song , but he stopped after only a few bars , saying that `` there 's no reason to do this song here . '' He then launched into an unannounced performance of `` Radio Radio '' , a song he had promised not to play . As a result , he was banned from the show until 1989 . In 2015 , Costello wrote of having seen the Saturday Night Live appearance as an opportunity equivalent to The Beatles ' first live US television performance on -LSB- -LSB- The Ed Sullivan Show -RSB- : '' -LSB- ... -RSB- Columbia insisted that the second song should be `` Less Than Zero '' . The song had already proven to be obscure to many American ears and if this was supposed to be our I Want to Hold Your Hand moment , I thought the song was too low-key '' . He had then come up with the plan to switch songs , inspired by a live performance on the BBC 's The Lulu Show in 1969 in which Jimi Hendrix had scrapped a performance of Hey Joe after a few bars to instead play an impromptu tribute to Cream , who had broken up just days before .   `` Less Than Zero '' appears on the first Stiff Records compilation ; A Bunch of Stiff Records , whilst the B-side , `` Radio Sweetheart '' , appears on their second ; Hits Greatest Stiffs .

neg: Truth Stranger Than Fiction Truth Stranger Than Fiction is a 1915 drama film featuring Harry Carey .

neg: Mask of Sanity (novel) The Mask of Sanity is an American novel by Jacob M. Appel . It was published by The Permanent Press in 2017 . The novel was a finalist for the Faulkner-Wisdom Prize and the runner up for Killer Nashville 's Claymore Award .

neg: Martian language Martian language is the nickname of unconventional representation of Chinese characters online . `` Martian '' describes that which seems strange to local culture . The term was popularised by a line from the 2001 Hong Kong comedy Shaolin Soccer , in which Sing ( Stephen Chow ) tells Mui ( Zhao Wei ) : `` Go back to Mars , the Earth is so dangerous . ''   In the 2006 General Scholastic Ability Test of Taiwan , students were asked to interpret symbols and phrases written in `` Martian language '' , and the controversies which followed forced the testing center to abandon the practice in future exams .   In 2007 , Martian language began to catch on in mainland China . The first adopters of Martian language mainly consisted of Post-90s netizens . They use it in their nicknames , short messages , and chat rooms in order to demonstrate personality differences . Later , they found that their teachers and parents could hardly figure out their new language , which quickly became their secret code to communicate with each other .   The Martian language became so popular in cyberspace that even some pieces of software were created to translate between Chinese and Martian language .   Chinese online bloggers followed up the trend to use Martian language , because they found that their blog posts written in the new language can easily pass Internet censorship engines , which are currently based on text-matching techniques .

neg: Suicide (wrestling) Suicide is a professional wrestling persona , used by multiple professional wrestlers . Suicide first appeared as a fictional character from the video game TNA Impact ! . In December 2008 , the Suicide character was introduced on television as a real-life wrestler in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( now Impact Wrestling ) . Originally portrayed by Frankie Kazarian , Christopher Daniels held the role for a time in early 2009 and went on to win the X Division Championship . In June 2010 , Kiyoshi became the third man to use the gimmick . In October 2010 , the gimmick was dropped , but made a brief return in January 2011 , once again being portrayed by Christopher Daniels , before being dropped once again in April 2011 . Suicide returned to television in May 2013 portrayed by T.J. Perkins . Austin Aries wrestled under the Suicide gimmick for one day and won the TNA X Division Championship on the episode of Impact Wrestling which aired on June 27 , 2013 . Suicide was `` revealed '' to be TJ Perkins on the June 30 , 2013 , episode of Impact Wrestling . His ring name was changed to Manik , using a slightly altered version of the Suicide ring-gear , with new music . Perkins remains the only man to have wrestled under the Manik persona . The Suicide persona returned in July 2016 for TNA One Night Only X-Travaganza 2016 , portrayed by Jonathan Gresham . In March 2017 , Caleb Konley became the most recent wrestler behind the mask .

neg: Thank You Mask Man Thank You Mask Man is an animated short film based upon a comedy routine by Lenny Bruce involving The Lone Ranger and Tonto . The film was produced by John Magnuson , and directed by Jeff Hale .

neg: The Comedy The Comedy is a 2012 drama film directed and co-written by Rick Alverson , and starring Tim Heidecker . Supporting actors include Eric Wareheim ( Tim and Eric ) , James Murphy ( LCD Soundsystem ) , and Gregg Turkington ( better known as Neil Hamburger ) . The film was premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and screened within such festivals as Maryland Film Festival 2012 . The film was distributed by Tribeca Film and was slated for theatrical release on November 9 , 2012 and nationwide On Demand starting October 24 , 2012 .   Despite the title and use of comedians as actors , Sundance festival chief programmer Trevor Groth says that the film is not a comedy , but instead `` a provocation , a critique of a culture based at its core around irony and sarcasm and about ultimately how hollow that is . ''   The first ten minutes of the film was purposely leaked onto various torrent websites with an anti-piracy statement at the end of the video . The resulting publicity made the actual film the most pirated independent film of the year .