query: Ronin is an American spy film.

pos: Ronin (film) Ronin is a 1998 American spy action-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer , starring Robert De Niro , Jean Reno , Natascha McElhone , Stellan Skarsgård , Sean Bean , and Jonathan Pryce , and written by David Mamet ( under the pseudonym Richard Weisz ) from a screenplay by first-time writer John David Zeik .   The film centers on a team of hired ex-special operatives trying to steal a mysterious and heavily guarded briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances . The film is noted for its realistic car chases through Nice and Paris and its convoluted plot involving the briefcase as a MacGuffin .

neg: Takeo Kimura filmography The following is the filmography of Takeo Kimura , the Japanese art director , writer , and film director who has art-directed more than 200 films over a span of more than six decades and ranks among Japan 's best-known art directors . His training began with the Nikkatsu Company in 1941 , whose production division was merged into Daiei during the wartime industry reorganization , where he was promoted to art director in 1945 . His debut film as such was Umi no yobu koe ( 1945 ) . Nikkatsu re-opened its production studio in 1954 and Kimura moved there . He worked with several directors , including top action director Toshio Masuda on films such as Red Quay ( 1958 ) with top star Yujiro Ishihara and Gangster VIP ( 1968 ) starring Tetsuya Watari . However , his longest and most famous collaboration has been with director Seijun Suzuki , which began with The Bastard ( 1963 ) . Together they developed a bold , expressive style exemplified in Gate of Flesh ( 1964 ) and Tokyo Drifter ( 1966 ) . Suzuki often rewrote his scripts with Kimura , who was given his first screenwriting credit on The Flower and the Angry Waves ( 1964 ) . Kimura was also a part of Guryū Hachirō , the pen name of the writing group that formed around Suzuki in the mid-1960s and wrote Branded to Kill ( 1967 ) .   Kimura left Nikkatsu in 1973 to work freelance . He subsequently art-directed many films for director Kei Kumai over almost 20 years . This included Kumai 's best-known film Sandakan No. 8 ( 1974 ) , Love and Faith ( 1978 ) featuring Toshirō Mifune and The Sea Is Watching ( 2002 ) based on one of Akira Kurosawa 's final scripts . Kimura 's collaboration with director Kazuo Kuroki exceeded 20 years , including the Art Theatre Guild film Preparation for the Festival ( 1975 ) and The Face of Jizo ( 2004 ) . He worked with Suzuki on several more films , including Zigeunerweisen ( 1980 ) and Pistol Opera ( 2001 ) , a follow-up to Branded to Kill . Zigeunerweisen was voted best Japanese film of the 1980s by Japanese film critics . He art-directed on Fire Festival and Tampopo ( both 1985 ) , career highlights in the respective oeuvres of directors Mitsuo Yanagimachi and Juzo Itami . Kaizō Hayashi 's best remembered and debut film To Sleep so as to Dream ( 1986 ) marked the beginning of another long collaboration which also encompassed his Maiku Hama trilogy : The Most Terrible Time in My Life ( 1994 ) , Stairway to the Distant Past ( 1995 ) and The Trap ( 1996 ) .   At age 86 Kimura directed the first of four short films with Mugen Sasurai ( 2004 ) , which earned him the title for oldest directorial debut . The last was Matouqin Nocturne ( 2007 ) in which Suzuki appeared in a prominent role . Kimura then wrote and directed the feature-length film Dreaming Awake ( 2008 ) based on his own self-published novel . He was recognized by Guinness World Records for `` the oldest debut as a feature film director '' at age 90 . Suzuki again appeared in the film . Kimura himself acted in a couple small roles for other directors .

neg: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai is a 2011 Japanese 3D drama film directed by Takashi Miike . It was produced by Jeremy Thomas and Toshiaki Nakazawa , who previously teamed with Miike on 2010 's 13 Assassins . The film is a 3D remake of Masaki Kobayashi 's 1962 film Harakiri .   It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival , the first 3D film to do so . The Village Voice 's Michael Atkinson praised it describing it as `` a melodramatic deepening and a grisly doubling-down of Kobayashi 's great original . '' Composer and pop star Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote the original score .

neg: Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film Every year since its inception , the Japanese Academy has recognized an outstanding foreign film . The year that any given film is nominated is not based on the film 's domestic release date but rather on the date it is released in Japan . As delays of over four months are not uncommon , many films are nominated in Japan the following year after their release to the Japanese market ( i.e. Million Dollar Baby won the American Academy Award for Best Picture for films made in 2004 , but the Japanese award , based on its localized release date , is for 2005 ) . In fact , not one of the five films nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Picture had been released in Japan by February 15 , 2008 , the date of the Japan Academy Prize Ceremony . Although the 2007 recipient of this award , Letters from Iwo Jima , a film almost entirely in Japanese , would not seem to meet the qualification of a `` Foreign Language Film '' , the actual Japanese title of the award , 最優秀外国作品賞 makes no mention of language . It would be more accurately translated as `` Best Foreign Production '' .   2017 - Sully  The Martian  Zootopia  Star Wars : The Force Awakens  The Revenant  2016 - American Sniper  Kingsman : The Secret Service  Mad Max : Fury Road  Spectre  Whiplash  2015 - Frozen  Interstellar  Jersey Boys  Fury  Godzilla  2014 - Les Misérables  3 Idiots  Captain Phillips  Django Unchained  Gravity  2013 - The Intouchables  Argo  The Dark Knight Rises  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  Skyfall  2012 - The King 's Speech  Rise of the Planet of the Apes  Moneyball  The Social Network  Black Swan  2011 - Avatar  Inception  Toy Story 3  Invictus  The Hurt Locker  2010 - Gran Torino  Slumdog Millionaire  Changeling  The Wrestler  Red Cliff Part II  2009 - The Dark Knight  The Bucket List  No Country for Old Men  Lust , Caution  Red Cliff Part I  2008 - Letters from Iwo Jima  Dreamgirls  Babel  Hairspray  The Bourne Ultimatum  2007 - Flags of Our Fathers  Crash  Hotel Rwanda  Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest  The Da Vinci Code  2006 - Million Dollar Baby  Cinderella Man  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  The Phantom of the Opera  Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith  2005 - The Last Samurai  The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King  Mystic River  Seabiscuit  Troy  2004 - The Pianist  Chicago  The Hours  The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers  Yeopgijeogin geunyeo  2003 - Monster 's Ball  Gangs of New York  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets  I Am Sam  The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring  2002 - Billy Elliot  Artificial Intelligence : AI  Chocolat  Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone  Postmen in the Mountains  2001 - Dancer in the Dark  American Beauty  Gladiator  The Green Mile  Swiri  2000 - The Sixth Sense  Elizabeth  The Matrix  Shakespeare in Love  La Vita è bella  1999 - L.A. Confidential  Armageddon  As Good as It Gets  Good Will Hunting  Saving Private Ryan  1998 - Titanic The English Patient Shine Air Force One Seven Years in Tibet1997 - Il Postino Independence Day Mission : Impossible Se7en 12 Monkeys1996 - The Shawshank Redemption  Apollo 13  The Bridges of Madison County  Forrest Gump  Léon  1995 - Schindler 's List  The Piano  Pulp Fiction  Speed  True Lies  1994 - Jurassic Park  Cliffhanger  The Fugitive  Heaven & Earth  Unforgiven  1993 - JFK  The Lover  Basic Instinct  The Bodyguard  A League of Their Own  1992 - Dances with Wolves  Awakenings  Nikita  The Silence of the Lambs  Terminator 2 : Judgment Day  1991 - Field of Dreams  Die Hard 2  Ghost  Cinema Paradiso  Total Recall  1990 - Die Hard  Black Rain  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade  Major League  Rain Man  1989 - The Last Emperor  Fatal Attraction  Full Metal Jacket  Moonstruck  Wall Street  1988 - Platoon  Hannah and Her Sisters  Stand By Me  Top Gun  The Untouchables  1987 - Back to the Future  Aliens  A Chorus Line  The Color Purple  Out of Africa  1986 - Amadeus  The Cotton Club  The Killing Fields  A Passage to India  Witness  1985 - Once Upon a Time in America  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom  The Natural  The Right Stuff  Terms of Endearment  1984 - An Officer and a Gentleman  The Woman Next DoorFlashdanceGandhiSophie 's Choice1983 - E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialDas BootChariots of FireOn Golden PondRocky III1982 - Die BlechtrommelBeing ThereThe Elephant ManOrdinary PeopleLes Uns et les Autres1981 - Kramer vs. KramerAll That JazzApocalypse NowManhattanTess1980 - The Deer HunterThe Tree of Wooden ClogsBig WednesdayThe ChampThe Travelling Players1979 - Conversation PieceClose Encounters of the Third KindThe Goodbye GirlStar Wars Episode IV : A New HopeThe Turning Point1978 - RockyThe Fire WithinNetworkSlap ShotVoyage of the Damned ''

neg: Shogun Assassin Shogun Assassin , known in Japan as , is a jidaigeki film made for the British and American markets and released in 1980 . In 2006 it was restored and re-released on DVD in the United States by AnimEigo .   Shogun Assassin was edited and compiled from the first two films in the Lone Wolf and Cub series , using 12 minutes of the first film , Lone Wolf and Cub : Sword of Vengeance ( Kozure Ōkami : Kowokashi udekashi tsukamatsuru or Wolf with Child in Tow : Child and Expertise for Rent ) , and most of Lone Wolf and Cub : Baby Cart at the River Styx ( Kozure Ōkami : Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma or Wolf with Child in Tow : Perambulator of the River of Sanzu ) . Both were originally released in 1972 . There were six films in all in the series . These in turn were based on the long-running 1970s manga series , Lone Wolf and Cub , created by the writer Kazuo Koike and the artist Goseki Kojima .   The project was directed by Robert Houston and his partner David Weisman , a protégé of Andy Warhol and director of Ciao ! Manhattan ( 1972 ) . A fan of the original Kozure Ōkami films , Weisman had obtained the rights for $ 50,000 from the American office of Toho Studios . The film was distributed by Roger Corman 's New World Pictures to the grindhouse movie circuit in the United States , and then later as a video cassette from MCA/Universal Home Video . When released in the United Kingdom by the Vipco video tape label in 1983 , Shogun Assassin 's extreme violence almost caused it to be banned by the Home Office . Vipco played this for publicity in the cover art of their 2000 release on DVD , which was stamped `` Banned since 1983 ! '' The poster and title treatment was created by artist Jim Evans , Jim 's son Gibran Evans voiced the narrative as Diagoro .   The title character , Ogami Ittō , is played by Tomisaburo Wakayama , brother of the producer , Shintaro Katsu , who is known for playing Zatoichi in a series of 26 films starting in the 1960s . As a result , it has garnered a cult following .

neg: Rōnin (student) In Japan , a is a student who has graduated from middle school or high school but has failed to enter a school at the next level , and consequently is studying outside of the school system for entrance in a future year . Rōnin may study at a yobikō .

neg: Saturday Night Live Samurai In the early years of Saturday Night Live , John Belushi portrayed an archetypal samurai -- he had a dedicated concept of honor , spoke only ( mock ) Japanese , and wielded a katana . Sketches featuring the character showed him in different occupations that would not be expected for a samurai . He always performed his tasks perfectly , despite scaring his clients quite a few times . The character was modeled after Toshiro Mifune 's character in Akira Kurosawa 's Yojimbo .   Samurai Futaba would probably not have become a recurring character if not for Buck Henry 's insistence that there be a second sketch featuring him when he first hosted on January 17 , 1976 . It is perhaps due to these origins that it became standard practice on SNL to feature a Samurai sketch every time Henry hosted , until the time Belushi left the cast . Except for `` Samurai BMOC '' , each time Henry would play the same character , Mr. Dantley .   In issue # 74 of Marvel Team-Up ( cover dated October , 1978 ) , Belushi ( in character as Samurai Futaba ) dueled the Marvel Comics supervillain Silver Samurai . In the story , the Silver Samurai sought to recover a ring containing a teleportation device that had inadvertently come into Belushi 's possession . The Samurai also appears briefly in issue # 54 of The Sandman .

neg: Alien (film) Alien is a 1979 British-American science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott , and starring Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton , John Hurt , Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto . The film 's title refers to a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature that stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship . Dan O'Bannon wrote the screenplay from a story he wrote with Ronald Shusett , drawing influence from previous works of science fiction and horror . The film was produced by Gordon Carroll , David Giler and Walter Hill through their Brandywine Productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox . Giler and Hill made revisions and additions to the script . Shusett was executive producer . The eponymous Alien and its accompanying elements were designed by Swiss artist H. R. Giger , while concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss designed the human aspects of the film . Alien launched the Alien franchise and is chronologically the first of the main series , with the prequel series set in an earlier timeframe .   Alien received both critical acclaim and box office success , receiving an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects , Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film , Best Direction for Scott , and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright , and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation , along with numerous other award nominations . It has remained highly praised in subsequent decades , being considered one of the greatest films of all time . In 2002 , the film was deemed `` culturally , historically or aesthetically significant '' by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry . In 2008 , it was ranked as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre by the American Film Institute , and as the 33rd greatest film of all time by Empire magazine .   The success of Alien spawned a media franchise of novels , comic books , video games , and toys . It also launched Weaver 's acting career by providing her with her first lead role , and the story of her character Ellen Ripley 's encounters with the Alien creatures became the thematic thread that ran through the sequels Aliens ( 1986 ) , Alien 3 ( 1992 ) and Alien : Resurrection ( 1997 ) . , a crossover with the Predator franchise produced the Alien vs. Predator series , which includes Alien vs. Predator ( 2004 ) and Aliens vs. Predator : Requiem ( 2007 ) , and also a prequel series of films , which includes Prometheus ( 2012 ) and Alien : Covenant ( 2017 ) .

neg: Special reconnaissance This article is a subset article under Human Intelligence . For a complete hierarchical list of articles , see the intelligence cycle management hierarchy .   Special reconnaissance ( SR ) is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel , usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations , who operate behind enemy lines , avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy . As a role , SR is distinct from commando operations , but both are often carried out by the same units . The SR role frequently includes covert direction of air and missile attacks , in areas deep behind enemy lines , placement of remotely monitored sensors and preparations for other special forces . Like other special forces , SR units may also carry out direct action ( DA ) and unconventional warfare ( UW ) , including guerrilla operations .   SR was recognized as a key special operations capability by a former US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry : `` Special Reconnaissance is the conduct of environmental reconnaissance , target acquisition , area assessment , post-strike assessment , emplacement and recovery of sensors , or support of Human Intelligence ( HUMINT ) and Signals Intelligence ( SIGINT ) operations . ''   In international law , SR is not regarded as espionage if combatants are in proper uniforms , regardless of formation , according to the Hague Convention of 1907 , or the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 . However , some countries do not honor these legal protections , as was the case with the Nazi `` Commando Orders '' of World War II , which were held to be illegal at the Nuremberg Trials .   In intelligence terms , SR is a human intelligence ( HUMINT ) collection discipline . Its operational control is likely to be inside a compartmented cell of the HUMINT , or possibly the operations , staff functions . Since such personnel are trained for intelligence collection as well as other missions , they will usually maintain clandestine communications to the HUMINT organization and will be systematically prepared for debriefing . They operate significantly farther than the most forward friendly scouting and surveillance units ; they may be tens to hundreds of miles deeper .

neg: Skyfall Skyfall is the 23rd James Bond film produced by Eon Productions and released in 2012 . It features Daniel Craig in his third performance as James Bond , and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva , the film 's villain . It was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis , Robert Wade and John Logan , and features an Academy Award-winning theme , sung by Adele . It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) and Columbia Pictures .   The story centres on Bond investigating an attack on MI6 ; the attack is part of a plot by former MI6 agent Raoul Silva to humiliate , discredit and kill M as revenge against her for betraying him . The film sees the return of two recurring characters to the series after an absence of two films : Q , played by Ben Whishaw , and Moneypenny , played by Naomie Harris . Skyfall is the last film of the series for Judi Dench , who played M , a role that she had played in the previous six films . The position is subsequently filled by Ralph Fiennes ' character , Gareth Mallory , though Dench would make a brief appearance in the next Bond film , Spectre .   Mendes was approached to direct the film after the release of Quantum of Solace in 2008 . Development was suspended when MGM encountered financial troubles and did not resume until December 2010 ; during this time , Mendes remained attached to the project as a consultant . The original screenwriter , Peter Morgan , left the project during the suspension . When production resumed , Logan , Purvis , and Wade continued writing what became the final version of the script . Filming began in November 2011 and primarily took place in the United Kingdom , with smaller portions shot in China and Turkey .   Skyfall premiered in London at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 October 2012 and was released in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2012 and the United States on 9 November 2012 . It was the first James Bond film to be screened in IMAX venues , although it was not filmed with IMAX cameras . The film 's release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the series , which began with Dr. No in 1962 . Skyfall was positively received by critics , being praised for its performances -- particularly those of Craig , Bardem and Dench -- writing and script , cinematography , Mendes ' direction , Thomas Newman 's score , and the action scenes . It was the 14th film to gross over $ 1 billion worldwide , and the first Bond film to do so . It became the seventh-highest-grossing film at the time , the highest-grossing film in the UK , the highest-grossing film in the series , the highest-grossing film worldwide for both Sony Pictures and MGM , and the second-highest-grossing film of 2012 . The film won several accolades , including two BAFTA Awards , two Academy Awards and two Grammys .

neg: Redacted (film) Redacted is a 2007 American war film written and directed by Brian De Palma . It is a fictional dramatization , loosely based on the 2006 Mahmudiyah killings in Mahmoudiyah , Iraq , when U.S. Army soldiers raped an Iraqi girl and murdered her along with her family . This film , which is a companion to an earlier film by De Palma , 1989 's Casualties of War , was shot in Jordan .   Redacted premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival , where it earned a Silver Lion `` best director '' award . It was also shown at the Toronto International Film Festival , the New York Film Festival and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema . The film opened in Spain , and in fifteen theaters in limited release in the United States on November 16 , 2007 . The film received mixed reactions from critics and a poor financial response in its limited U.S. release .

neg: The Ninja Mission The Ninja Mission is a 1984 Swedish action film directed by Mats Helge , starring the Polish actors Krzysztof Kolberger and Hanna Bieniuszewicz . All other roles are played by largely unknown Swedish and British actors .

neg: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a 1944 American war film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It is based on the true story of the Doolittle Raid , America 's first retaliatory air strike against Japan four months after the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor .   Mervyn LeRoy directed Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Sam Zimbalist produced the film . The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo was based on the 1943 book of the same name , written by Captain Ted W. Lawson , a pilot who participated in the raid . In both the book and the film , Lawson gives an eyewitness account of the training , the mission , and the aftermath as experienced by his crew and others who flew the mission on April 18 , 1942 . Lawson piloted `` The Ruptured Duck '' , the seventh of 16 B-25s to take off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet aka , `` Shangri-La . ''   Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo stars Van Johnson as Lawson , Phyllis Thaxter as his wife Ellen , Robert Walker as Corporal David Thatcher , Robert Mitchum as Lieutenant Bob Gray and Spencer Tracy as Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle , the man who planned and led the raid . The film is noted for its accurate depiction of the historical details of the raid , as well as its use of actual wartime footage of the bombers in some flying scenes .

neg: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy fiction television series broadcast on NBC . It follows secret agents , played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum , who work for a secret international counter-espionage and law enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. Originally , co-creator Sam Rolfe wanted to leave the meaning of U.N.C.L.E. ambiguous so it could refer to either `` Uncle Sam '' or the United Nations . Concerns by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 's ( MGM ) legal department about using `` U.N. '' for commercial purposes resulted in the producers ' clarification that U.N.C.L.E. was an acronym for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement . Each episode had an `` acknowledgement '' to the U.N.C.L.E. in the end titles .   The series premiered on September 22 , 1964 and discontinued its run on January 15 , 1968 .

neg: Rikyu (film) is Hiroshi Teshigahara 's film about the 16th century master of the Japanese tea ceremony , Sen no Rikyū . The film focuses on the late stages of life of Rikyū , during the highly turbulent Sengoku period of feudal Japan . It starts near the end of Oda Nobunaga 's reign , with Rikyū serving as tea master to Nobunaga , and continues into the Momoyama Period . Rikyū is portrayed as a man thoroughly dedicated to aesthetics and perfection , especially in relation to the art of tea . While serving as tea master to the new ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi , Rikyū finds himself in a uniquely privileged position , with constant access to the powerful feudal lord and the theoretical ability to influence policy , yet he studiously avoids deep involvement in politics while attempting to focus his full attention to the study and teachings of the way of tea . To the extent that he expresses himself , he does so diplomatically , in a way to avoid disrupting the harmony of his relationship with Hideyoshi . Yet , as society is changed violently and radically around him , also finding himself the focus of jealousy and misdirected suspicions , Rikyū ultimately can not avoid confronting larger social issues . He is compelled to express an opinion on Hideyoshi 's military plans . This one breach of his studied isolation from world affairs leads quickly to tragic consequences .   Director Teshigahara , himself a master and teacher of the Japanese traditional art of ikebana , brings the viewer into appreciation and deep sympathy for Rikyu 's aesthetic idealism and his careful diplomatic efforts to avoid excessive entanglement in political affairs . The film itself is very studied in its aestheticism , and very expressive of the shocking force of life intruding into the guarded hermetic space of the artist/idealist .

neg: List of Japanese spies, 1930–45 This is a list of Japanese spies including leaders and commanders of the Japanese Secret Intelligence Services ( Kempeitai ) in the period 1930 to 1945 ' .   The Emperor of Japan ( Tenno ) was constitutionally the supreme commander of the Japanese Secret Services as a branch of the Imperial Armed forces .  Yakichiro Suma -- Japan 's Ambassador in Spain , Chief of the Japanese spy network code named `` TO '' . Friend of Foreign Ministers Ramon Suñer ( General Franco 's brother-in-law ) and Count Gomez Jordana . He collected information from Afghanistan , Russia , Iran , and India .  Morito Morishima -- Japanese ambassador in Portugal .  Hiroshi Ōshima -- Japanese ambassador in Germany , close friends with Admiral Canaris , chief of Germany 's intelligence organization ( Abwehr '' ) and Italy 's Military Intelligence Bureau . Oshima then relayed TO to Tokyo along with messages coordinating policies and operations between the three Axis powers .  Yoshio Muto -- spy operating in San Francisco .  Toshio Miyazaki -- Japanese Navy agent who recruited the American Harry Thomas Thompson as a secret agent in San Diego .  Yuchi Tonogawa -- a Japanese Army agent disguised as a farm worker in Brazil , also a member of a local secret web in Brazil .  A Japanese army captain disguised himself as a chef for a prominent Brazilian family until detected by Brazilian security services .  Jakuji Ochi -- a Japanese Navy agent , disguised as a woodworker in Panama , also chief of a local secret web in Las Perlas Archipelago . Also in Panama were a Japanese family of fishermen who were a supposed part of this web .  Prince Higashikuni -- on a secret mission commissioned by Tenno , arranged a secret meeting in Baden-Baden ( Germany ) during 1921 , with `` Three Raven '' ( a secret military thinking group ) to organize the next underground commission of `` Eleven Reliable Mens '' who gave orders to prepare the future conquest lines of Japanese forces .  Prince Chichibu -- with Hirohito 's orders , arrived in Manchuria for an underground reconnaissance mission in accordance with secret plans of the Japanese intervention there .  Ryonosuke Seita -- chief of a local spy web in Brisbane , Australia . Possibly linked to Pedro de Ygual , Spanish Consul in Australia and a known General Franco supporter .  Akashi Motojiro -- Black Dragon member and Agent specialized in Siberia and North Asia . Knowledgeable about China , Manchuria , Siberia and established contacts throughout the Muslim world . These Muslim contacts would be maintained through the Second World War , both as operatives in their areas and as a hedge against Soviet aggression . Akashi eventually established networks through Europe too , that served the Black Dragons . The Black Dragons also formed close contact and even alliances with Buddhist sects throughout Asia .  Japanese Official Radio , Radio Tokyo , sent its foreign transmissions , with some cover messages to Japanese Doho agents outside Japan .  Hiraya Amane -- secret agent in Hankow , China . Wrote Zhong-guo Bi-mi She-hui Shi , the first true history of the Triads and other secret societies ; this book was a special intelligence handbook . Hiraya also organized Tung Wen College in Shanghai that trained future agents for espionage in China . The Tung Wen would continue to operate until the end of World War II , training agents for operations throughout Asia .  Marcelle Tao Kitazawa -- agent in Australia , linked with Seita , who led a spy web in New Caledonia .  Agent Umeda -- local agent in North Queensland , Australia .  Kinoaki Matsuo -- member of the ultra-nationalist Black Dragon secret society , and an officer in Japanese Intelligence .  Mitsuru Toyama -- chief of Black Dragon Society , an active agent linked with Japanese Secret Service and Japanese outside agents .  Shūmei Ōkawa -- ultra-nationalist , agent instructor , and an agent in China and North Asia .  Yoshio Kodama -- Japanese gangster and Yakuza chief , he set up a massive network of Manchurian spies and informants spread across China .  Hideki Tojo -- the Chief of the Japanese Army , Prime Minister and chief of the Kodoha Party ; for a period chief of Kwantung Army and Kempeitai Intelligence service in Manchukuo . He also maintained during his military life direct control of the Japanese Secret Services ( apart from the Emperor 's command of such services ) and received information first through his direct link with the Black Dragon Society and his own intelligence work with the Japanese Army during the conflict .  Kōki Hirota -- former Foreign Minister and head of the Black Dragons ( also guided intelligence services in the group ) , discussed the advantages and consequences of a conflict with the United States with War Minister Hideki Tōjō . In a conference on August 26 , 1941 at a session of the Black Dragon Society HQ in Tokyo , the War Minister ordered preparation to be made to wage a total war against the armed forces of the United States . December 1941 or February 1942 , were considered adequate time for this operation . Tojo said he `` will start the war with America , and after sixty days he will reshuffle the cabinet and become a great dictator '' , at same time if analyzed the last dates provided from Japanese secret agents about Soviet Far East and European colonies in Southeast Asia , in relation to this operation .  Previously in World War II on the Chinese mainland , Black Dragon posed one five column , so-called `` China Wave-Men '' . They undertook some secret operations at favour of such group . Similar operations with revolutionaries were established from 1906 to the 1940s , targeting India , Indonesia and the Philippines amongst others . The Black Dragons began establishing subsidiary groups to support these regional actions .  Kenjiro Hayashide -- second secretary in Japanese Embassy in Hsinking , Diplomatic Adviser to the Kangde Emperor and underground secret agent , author of `` Epochal voyage to Nippon '' , a publication edited by the Intelligence agency in General Affairs State Council of Manchukuo .  Michitarō Komatsubara -- intelligence chief in Harbin for some time .  Kingoro Hashimoto -- served in the secret service in Manchukuo for a period  Sadao Araki -- undertook some secret actions in his service in the Siberian Japanese expeditionary force period  Wellington Koo -- as member of Lytton Commission during his diplomatic mission in Manchukuo , reported the frequent watching of suspicious Japanese , Chinese , Korean and White Russian employees in the Hotel Moderne , Harbin . Similarly Amleto Vespa as a Manchu/Japanese forced secret agent , confirmed the presence of such secret agents in these period in places where stay mentioned diplomatic commission in country .  Kanji Ishiwara -- undertook undercover actions and espionage in Manchukuo  Kenji Doihara -- member of the Japanese intelligence service in Manchukuo , making some secret actions there and on the Chinese mainland  Noboyushi Obata ( Shinryo ) -- chief of secret unit in Harbin  Masaiko Amakazu -- secret agent in Manchukuo , chief of the Manchukuo Film Association  A Japanese undercover agent , disguised as a `` Housekeeper '' watching constantly at Puyi in the imperial palace and writing periodical reports to superiors of Japanese Secret Services in Manchukuo about intimate details of Kangde Emperor .  Theorically in Manchukuo , Kangde Emperor held the command of Manchu Secret Services and received their information . But in reality these units and their sections stayed under the control of Kempeitai and Kwantung Army  Amleto Vespa -- Italian forced secret agent of Japanese and Manchu secret service for some time  In Manchukuo -- Japanese and Manchu local secret services used some Chinese , Mongol , Buriats , Korean , and White Russians as secret agents and saboteurs , for watching enemies  Lo-Chen-Yu -- a local manchu servant with delictive links , also a secret agent  Seishirō Itagaki -- member of Japanese intelligence service with duties in Manchukuo and Korea  Yasunori Yoshioka -- Japanese Intelligence member with missions in Manchukuo  A Prince -- unknown identity , chief and secret agent in Japanese Secret Service in Manchukuo . Was possibly Prince Takeda  Konoto Daisaku -- Japanese agent with orders in Manchukuo  Major Giga -- Japanese agent and saboteur in Manchukuo  Hisao Watari -- Agent of Japanese Intelligence service in Manchukuo  Kwantung Army -- poses the Asano Division and `` Mongol Army '' special units , conformed by White Russians the first and Mongols the second . Imperial forces projected use such units in secret missions and sabotages during eventual invasion to SovietSiberia , Outer Mongolia and Russian Far East .  Takayoshi Tanaka -- another Japanese agent with missions in the north and central Chinese mainland  Kanji Tsuneoka -- the real power in Mengchiang , led the central academy ( intelligence school ) in Kalgan and undertook some secret operations in the area . Directed the Mongol department of Kwantung Army in the land , native saboteurs and secret agent units .  Yoshiko Kawashima -- Manchu princess , and Japanese secret agent with orders on Chinese mainland  Pince Su -- Another Mongol Japanese agent in inner Mongolia  Nataoke Sato -- Japanese Ambassador in Moscow , undertook some secret missions for the Axis Powers efforts during Eastern front battles .  Jinzo Nomoto -- intelligence officer sent by a unit of the Imperial Japanese Army to Tibet and Sinkiang . He worked in Manchukuo and was a member of Mongolian section in Kwantung Army , later sent to mentioned territories .  Ma Chung-ying -- Local Uguir server , undertook some secret actions for the Japanese in this land .  Trebitsch Lincoln -- Hungarian  Kanyei Chuyo -- a chief of Japanese Navy Secret services . Directed the 8th Section `` Yashika '' . Between this unit stay the `` Australian Section '' ( `` Tokyo Gimusho '' ) linked with Japanese Naval Intelligence Staff under command of Imperial Navy General Staff . The office had orders to researching any affairs of the British Empire in Southeast Asia and Pacific Area .  Kinoaki Matsuo -- Foreign Affairs Ministry , also intelligence officer when serving as liaison between the Japanese Foreign Office and the Imperial Admiralty  Mineo Ōsumi -- nobility member and member of the Supreme War Council of Japan . He undertook some secret missions in central and southern China under the orders of the Japanese Navy .  Officer Maruyama -- underground unit , in Censorship department between the Tokkō Intelligence service , in Tokyo , Japan . He watched any information sent to outside by foreign journalists from the Japanese capital .  Japanese Secret Services -- used some foreign persons as inside agents for watching suspicious persons in Japan . Between theirs stayed one American with residence in Japan , one Hungarian agent in the service of the Japanese Army and one Euroasiatic Agent at service in Japanese Navy and intelligence office in Foreign Affairs Ministry . Such units along with Western and East Asian agents are used by Japanese Secret services and Army and Navy during Pacific War in East Asia , Australia and Pacific territories .  These intelligence services also used Doho or dokuku jin -- ( nikkei ) cultural groups since 1920s to Pacific War as alternative secret agents . These were Japanese citizens with foreign nationality , with loyalty to Tenno and nation ; they lived around the world .  Tatsuki Fuji -- Editor of Singapore Herald . Himself an agent in Malaysia .  Shinozaki Mamoru -- Japanese diplomat , arrested for espionage in previous days to arriving Imperial forces at country .  Japanese Army -- special forces agents , Susuhiko Mizuno , Sergeant Morita , Sergeant Furuhashi , Lance Corporal Kazuo Ito 6 sailors and 5 Timorese decoys , undertook some secret missions from Koepang , Timor island , to disembark in Western Australia , during January 19 , 1944 . They were members of the Matsu Kikan ( Pine Tree ) Secret Agency , led by Captain Masayoshi Yamamoto with HQ in Ambon ( Dutch Indies ) , under command of 19th Army . This group traveled aboard Hiyoshi Maru ; managed by Staff Sergeant Auonuma and Officer Hachiro Akai . They arrived at Cartier Island escorted by Kawasaki Ki-48 `` Lilly '' light bomber of 7th Air division from Kendari finally arriving at Browse Island . The same group observed nearby areas too . On January 20 , 1944 , this unit returned to Timor .  Certain Australian sources mentioned one Japanese secret mission to Mornington Island , in the Gulf of Carpentaria during January 1944 . Watchers inform about one black large ship , landing on the island on January 15 , 1944 .  The Black Dragon Society , the Kaigun Kyokai ( Navy League ) , or the Hoirusha Kai ( Military Service Man 's League ) , and other similar societies . These Japanese secret groups were well known to the Naval Intelligence Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation your existence and your some subversive actions in United States , at favour of Japanese cause along some elements of Doho communities in country .  Other overseas Japanese agents of Black Dragon Society , were the so-called `` Soshi '' ( Brave Knights ) . At the same time referring to superior commander how the `` Darkside Emperor '' mentioned agents since firsts 1940s period , was operating worldwide , as far away as North America , South America and Morocco in North Africa . They formed covert ties with the Nazis .  German Lt. Col. Fritz von Petersdorf , Assist and German Military Attaché in Tokyo , received some information from Japanese Intelligence Services , in accord with Axis Powers alliance agreements . Such information was related to military strength , transportation , reserves , troop dispositions , and movements of Soviet Far East units sent to the West European front ( Barbarossa Operation ) , as well the data concerning the war industry in the Soviet Union . This report was supported by Admiral Wenneker , the German naval attaché , under German official Ambassador Eugen Ott in the Japanese capital .  Hiroshi Akita -- Chief of German Section of Japanese Military Intelligence in this period .  Japanese Army -- sent a secret mission to Germany via Siberia , starting from Tokyo on March 1 , 1943 . This operation was led by Major General Okamoto , who had been Chief of the Second Bureau ( Intelligence ) at the time of the outbreak of the Pacific War . His staff consisted of Colonel Kotani , Navy officer Captain Onoda , and Mr.Yosano , Foreign Office Chancellor . Objectives of the mission were to investigate German ability to carry on the war ; and to clarify Japan 's real situation to the Germans . A third objective ( concerning the arrangement of a separate peace between Germany and the Soviet Union ) was eliminated just prior to the departure of the mission . The Okamoto Mission reported its findings in a cable dated July 5 . Many reservations were attached to the report , which concluded that German national power was lower than had been foreseen by the mission before it left Japan . Germany would accordingly encounter many difficulties in emerging triumphant without first overcoming the critical problems which were fast approaching : Shortage of manpower , lowering of industrial war potential , insufficiency of liquid fuel , etc. .  On October 15 , 1943 , IGHQ incorporated its Second Bureau 's 16th Section ( German and Italian Intelligence ) into the 5th Section ( U.S.S.R. intelligence ) . Just at time that the German Army was failing in its early summer offensive against Orel . The Soviet Army , on the other hand , had seized the operational initiative . The feeling of the Japanese Army High Command was therefore somewhat inclining to pessimism vis-a vis Germany . The Japanese Army committed a great error by placing excessive confidence in Germany . After the Allies had successfully established a Second Front in northern France ( June 1944 ) and an attempt had soon afterwards been made to assassinate Hitler ( July 20 plot , 1944 ) - only then did the Japanese Army Intelligence Services and High Command eventually conclude that Germany possessed scant prospects for victory .  Patrick Heenan , July 1910-February 13 , 1942 was a Captain in the British Indian Army , who was convicted of treason , after spying for Japanese military intelligence during the Malayan campaign of World War II . Heenan was reportedly killed in a summary execution , during the Battle of Singapore . It is also alleged that these events were suppressed by British Commonwealth military censors .  William Forbes-Sempill , 19th Lord Sempill , a British peer and record-breaking air pioneer who passed secret information to the Imperial Japanese military before the Second World War .  Velvalee Dickinson  John Semer Farnsworth

neg: Film series A film series ( also referred to as a film franchise ) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe , or are marketed as a series .   Sometimes the work is conceived from the beginning as a multiple-film work , for example the Three Colours series , but in most cases the success of the original film inspires further films to be made . Individual sequels are relatively common , but are not always successful enough to spawn further installments .   The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest grossing film series in unadjusted US Dollar figures surpassing the Harry Potter , Star Wars , James Bond , and Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings series . However , `` Star Wars '' has the highest when adjusted for inflation .

neg: Partisan film Partisan film ( Partizanski film ) is the name for a subgenre of war films , made in FPR/SFR Yugoslavia during the 1960s , 1970s and 1980s . In the broadest sense , main characteristics of partisan films are that they are set in Yugoslavia during World War II and have partisans as main protagonists , while antagonists are Axis forces and their collaborators .

neg: Donnie Brasco (film) Donnie Brasco is a 1997 American crime drama film directed by Mike Newell , and starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp . Michael Madsen , Bruno Kirby , James Russo , and Anne Heche appeared in supporting roles .   The film is based on the true story of Joseph D. Pistone ( Depp ) , an FBI undercover agent who infiltrated the Mafia Bonanno crime family in New York City during the 1970s , under the alias Donnie Brasco , a.k.a. `` The Jewel Man '' . Brasco maneuvers his way into the confidence of an aging hit-man , Lefty Ruggiero ( Pacino ) , who vouches for him . As Donnie moves deeper into the Mafia , he realizes that not only is he crossing the line between federal agent and criminal , but also leading his friend Lefty to an almost certain death .   It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay . The adaptation of the book by Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley was by screenwriter Paul Attanasio . The film was a box office success , earning $ 124.9 million against a $ 35 million budget , and receiving critical acclaim .

neg: The Night Letter The Night Letter is a 1978 book by Paul Spike , with a double-layered structure : an anti-Nazi spy thriller on the background of the early part of the Second World War , and an exposure of cynical and machiavellian maneuverings in the American corridors of power .   The book belongs to the subgenre of secret history -- i.e. with a plot in which real historical figures play a substantial part , doing things which are the author 's invention but which supposedly ( for reasons given in the plot ) remained secret and did not come to the knowledge of the public .   In the book , a British doctor meets in 1936 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt , who is unaware that the doctor is a Nazi sympathizer . The visitor manages to secretly photograph the President in a compromising position with his secretary , Missy LeHand ( whom historians widely assume to have been indeed Roosevelt 's mistress ) .   By 1940 , senior Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich possesses the picture and intends to use the photo for blackmail and prevent Roosevelt from running for a third term -- in the hope that whoever gets elected instead would be more likely to keep the US out of the Second World War .   The President must recover the photo before the Democratic Party Convention which is about to nominate him . What makes the situation more difficult is that Roosevelt also needs to bypass the FBI -- for apprehension that should the photo fall into the hands of J. Edgar Hoover , the FBI Director might use it for his own brand of blackmail . Instead , Roosevelt employs former FBI Agent Jackson , who had left the Bureau under a cloud and incurred Hoover 's personal enmity , and who is completely loyal to the President .   The bulk of the book follows Jackson 's chase after the photo , starting from Paris at the very eve of its fall to the Wehrmacht and concluding with a cataclysmic confrontation at a secret Michigan base of the `` Silver Shirts '' -- a murderous , power-mad American Fascist militia ( which truly existed , though not necessarily doing all that the book describes it as doing ) . The chase ends with a mixed result -- the Nazi agents have been killed or captured , but the negative did fall into the hands of the FBI who caught the scent of what was going on .   The book ends on a cynical note : Hoover meets the President at the White House , claims to have destroyed the negatives ( which is manifestly untrue ) and proceeds to imperiously demand the sacking of Jackson -- obviously he is under the impression that he now holds Roosevelt 's fate in his hand . Upon being shown this , the President presents a photo of his own , showing Hoover in a compromising position with a handsome young FBI agent . Roosevelt and Hoover would henceforth be tied to each other , `` like convicts in chain gang '' , each able to destroy the other but only at the cost of his own destruction .   Category :1978 books  Category : Corruption  Category : Secret histories  Category : Thriller novels


query: Mark Cuban is a person who invests.

pos: Mark Cuban Mark Cuban ( born July 31 , 1958 ) is an American businessman , investor , author , television personality , and philanthropist . He is the owner of the NBA 's Dallas Mavericks , co-owner of 2929 Entertainment and chairman of the AXS TV . He is also one of the main `` shark '' investors on the ABC reality television series , Shark Tank . In 2011 , Cuban wrote an e-book , How to Win at the Sport of Business , in which he chronicles his life experiences in business and sports .

neg: Cuban migration to Miami Cuban immigration has greatly characterized modern Miami , creating what is known as `` Cuban Miami . '' However , Miami reflects global trends as well , such as the growing trends of multiculturalism and multiracialism ; this reflects the way in which international politics shape local communities .  Essentially , the coexistence of growth and internationalization within Miami has perpetuated an ethnically driven social polarization . The growing number of Cubans in Miami have remained loyal to their cultural norms , mores , customs , language , and religious affiliations . The transnational force of immigration defines Miami as a growing metropolis , and the 20th century Cuban influx has greatly affected Miami 's growth .   As of 2012 , there were 1.2 million Cubans in Greater Miami . As of that year , about 400,000 had arrived after 1980 .

neg: Collateralized mortgage obligation A collateralized mortgage obligation ( CMO ) is a type of complex debt security that repackages and directs the payments of principal and interest from a collateral pool to different types and maturities of securities , thereby meeting investor needs . CMOs were first created in 1983 by the investment banks Salomon Brothers and First Boston for the U.S. mortgage liquidity provider Freddie Mac . ( The Salomon Brothers team was led by Gordon Taylor . The First Boston team was led by Dexter Senft ) .   Legally , a CMO is a debt security issued by an abstraction -- a special purpose entity -- and is not a debt owed by the institution creating and operating the entity . The entity is the legal owner of a set of mortgages , called a pool . Investors in a CMO buy bonds issued by the entity , and they receive payments from the income generated by the mortgages according to a defined set of rules . With regard to terminology , the mortgages themselves are termed collateral , ` classes ' refers to groups of mortgages issued to borrowers of roughly similar credit worthiness , tranches are specified fractions or slices , metaphorically speaking , of a pool of mortgages and the income they produce that are combined into an individual security , while the structure is the set of rules that dictates how the income received from the collateral will be distributed . The legal entity , collateral , and structure are collectively referred to as the deal . Unlike traditional mortgage pass-through securities , CMOs feature different payment streams and risks , depending on investor preferences . For tax purposes , CMOs are generally structured as Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits , which avoid the potential for `` double-taxation '' .   Investors in CMOs include banks , hedge funds , insurance companies , pension funds , mutual funds , government agencies , and most recently central banks . This article focuses primarily on CMO bonds as traded in the United States of America .   The term `` collateralized mortgage obligation '' technically refers to a security issued by specific type of legal entity dealing in residential mortgages , but investors also frequently refer to deals put together using other types of entities such as real estate mortgage investment conduits as CMOs .

neg: Concentrated stock Concentrated stock is an equity making up a substantial part ( usually , more than 30 % ) of the investor 's portfolio . The major risk associated with such a portfolio is a lack of diversification ; concentrated stock makes a large portion of the investor 's wealth dependent on the performance of one particular stock . The reasons for keeping a concentrated stock may be restrictions for sale ( see restricted stock ) , emotional attachment , donation , inheritance , stock options , and the selling of businesses .

neg: Helms–Burton Act The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity ( Libertad ) Act of 1996 ( Helms -- Burton Act , , , ) is a United States federal law which strengthens and continues the United States embargo against Cuba . The act extended the territorial application of the initial embargo to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba , and penalized foreign companies allegedly `` trafficking '' in property formerly owned by U.S. citizens but confiscated by Cuba after the Cuban revolution . The act also covers property formerly owned by Cubans who have since become U.S. citizens .   The Act is named for its original sponsors , Senator Jesse Helms , Republican of North Carolina , and Representative Dan Burton , Republican of Indiana .   The law was passed by the 104th United States Congress on March 6 , 1996 and enacted into law by the 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton on March 12 , 1996 . The bill , which had been tabled in late 1995 after Senator Helms was unable to overcome several Democratic filibusters , was reintroduced prompted by an episode that happened a month earlier . On February 24 , 1996 , Cuban fighter jets shot down two private planes operated by a Miami-based humanitarian international Search and Rescue support group called Brothers to the Rescue ( Hermanos al Rescate ) , which had been on a search and locate mission over international waters . Whether they were shot down over Cuban territory or international airspace is a matter of debate .

neg: American depositary receipt An American depositary receipt ( ADR , and sometimes spelled depository ) is a negotiable security that represents securities of a non-U.S. company that trades in the U.S. financial markets .   Shares of many non-U.S. companies trade on U.S. stock exchanges through ADRs , which are denominated and pay dividends in U.S. dollars and may be traded like regular shares of stock . ADRs are also traded during U.S. trading hours , through U.S. broker-dealers . They simplify investing in foreign securities by having the depositary bank `` manage all custody , currency and local taxes issues '' .   The first ADR was introduced by J.P. Morgan in 1927 for the British retailer Selfridges on the New York Curb Exchange , the American Stock Exchange 's precursor .   They are the domestic equivalent of a global depository receipt ( GDR ) . Securities of a foreign company that are represented by an ADR are called American depositary shares ( ADSs ) .

neg: Chartered mark In the USA , a chartered mark is a trademark or service mark which is given special statutory protection separate from the usual registration of trade marks and service marks . A chartered mark , in effect , is a type of trademark/servicemark in which the organization is granted the mark `` by charter '' , i.e. by express grant of the legislature . When an organization is granted a chartered mark , no one else may use the same mark at all for any purpose . ( There are possible exceptions for organizations using the same or a similar mark before it was chartered . )   Examples of chartered marks in the United States include FDIC for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ; Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA , respectively ; and Olympic for the United States Olympic Committee .   Category : Trademark law

neg: Foreign exchange hedge A foreign exchange hedge ( also called a FOREX hedge ) is a method used by companies to eliminate or `` hedge '' their foreign exchange risk resulting from transactions in foreign currencies ( see foreign exchange derivative ) . This is done using either the cash flow hedge or the fair value method . The accounting rules for this are addressed by both the International Financial Reporting Standards ( IFRS ) and by the US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ( US GAAP ) as well as other national accounting standards .   A foreign exchange hedge transfers the foreign exchange risk from the trading or investing company to a business that carries the risk , such as a bank . There is cost to the company for setting up a hedge . By setting up a hedge , the company also forgoes any profit if the movement in the exchange rate would be favourable to it .

neg: Guggenheim Partners Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory financial services firm that engages in investment banking , capital markets services , investment management , investment advisory , and insurance services . The firm is headquartered in New York City and Chicago with 2,300 staff located in 20 cities throughout the United States , Europe , and Asia . It has more than $ 260 billion of assets under management . The firm 's CEO is Mark Walter . It has six Managing Partners who are key executives , and with a Senior Leadership Team of 17 other executives , oversee the Firm 's businesses . It was founded by Peter Lawson-Johnston II , Solomon R. Guggenheim 's great-grandson .

neg: LatinFinance LatinFinance ( written as single word , with an upper-case L and F ) is a provider of financial markets intelligence on Latin America and the Caribbean . It publishes a magazine LatinFinance and an early morning daily news alert , the LatinFinance Daily Brief , and runs a data intensive web-site and a series of networking events comprising discursive conferences and educational seminars . LatinFinance also organizes private round-tables focused on narrower more specialist topics , meetings with senior members of the governments of Latin America or the Caribbean , and capital introduction events for issuers from the region and investors in inter alia New York , Boston , London , Zurich , Abu Dhabi , Hong Kong , Mumbai and Beijing .   Founded in 1988 and published from New York and Miami , with a network of correspondents across Latin America and the Caribbean , LatinFinance has covered banking and capital markets in the region for over 25 years . It is primarily focused on debt , equity , structured finance , syndicated lending and multilateral financing , and on the practical application of these products in finance and/or investment by sovereign , sub-sovereign , financial and corporate issuers and portfolio , private equity and hedge fund investors . It also covers secondary trading , tracks people-moves within the financial markets of Latin America and the Caribbean , explores legal issues impacting those markets , and examines the business of banking and the role of banking technology within the region .

neg: Cuban packages The Cuban packages ( 1972 ) was a Chilean smuggling scandal , involving President Salvador Allende , his Minister of the Interior , Hernán del Canto and the Director of the Civil Police Eduardo Paredes . It was cited by the authors of the Chamber of Deputies ' Declaration of the Breakdown of Chile 's Democracy as one of the instances of government officials ' illegality .   The packages turned out to have contained automatic weapons , grenades and ammunition destined to form a small `` revolutionary '' army in Chile . These specific packages were just the tip of the iceberg of a constant smuggling of weapons from Cuba that were delivered regularly twice a week via Cubana de Aviación , hidden inside the diplomatic pouches .

neg: Money creation Money creation ( also known as credit creation ) is the process by which the money supply of a country or a monetary region ( such as the Eurozone ) is increased . A central bank may introduce new money into the economy ( termed `` expansionary monetary policy '' , or by detractors `` printing money '' ) by purchasing financial assets or lending money to financial institutions . However , in most countries today , most of the money supply is in the form of bank deposits , which is created by private banks in a fractional reserve banking system . Bank lending increases the amount of broad money beyond the amount of base money originally created by the central bank . Reserve requirements , capital adequacy ratios , and other policies of the central bank influence this process .   Central banks monitor the amount of money in the economy by measuring monetary aggregates such as M2 . The effect of monetary policy on the money supply is indicated by comparing these measurements on various dates . For example , in the United States , money supply measured as M2 grew from $ 6.407 trillion in January 2005 , to $ 8.319 trillion in January 2009 .

neg: Bias ratio The bias ratio is an indicator used in finance to analyze the returns of investment portfolios , and in performing due diligence .   The bias ratio is a concrete metric that detects valuation bias or deliberate price manipulation of portfolio assets by a manager of a hedge fund , mutual fund or similar investment vehicle , without requiring disclosure ( transparency ) of the actual holdings . This metric measures abnormalities in the distribution of returns that indicate the presence of bias in subjective pricing . The formulation of the Bias Ratio stems from an insight into the behavior of asset managers as they address the expectations of investors with the valuation of assets that determine their performance .   The bias ratio measures how far the returns from an investment portfolio -- e.g. one managed by a hedge fund -- are from an unbiased distribution . Thus the bias ratio of a pure equity index will usually be close to 1 . However , if a fund smooths its returns using subjective pricing of illiquid assets the bias ratio will be higher . As such , it can help identify the presence of illiquid securities where they are not expected .   The bias ratio was first defined by Adil Abdulali , a risk manager at the investment firm Protégé Partners . The Concepts behind the Bias Ratio were formulated between 2001 and 2003 and privately used to screen money managers . The first public discussions on the subject took place in 2004 at New York University 's Courant Institute and in 2006 at Columbia University . In 2006 , the Bias Ratio was published in a letter to Investors and made available to the public by Riskdata , a risk management solution provider , that included it in its standard suite of analytics .   The Bias Ratio has since been used by a number of Risk Management professionals to spot suspicious funds that subsequently turned out to be frauds . The most spectacular example of this was reported in the Financial Times on 22 January 2009 titled `` Bias ratio seen to unmask Madoff '' !

neg: Cuban art Cuban art is an exceptionally diverse cultural blend of African , South American , European and North American elements , reflecting the diverse demographic makeup of the island . Cuban artists embraced European modernism , and the early part of the 20th century saw a growth in Cuban vanguardist movements , which were characterized by the mixing of modern artistic genres . Some of the more celebrated 20th-century Cuban artists include Amelia Peláez ( 1896 -- 1968 ) , best known for a series of mural projects , and painter Wifredo Lam ( Dec 8,1902 -- September 11 , 1982 ) , who created a highly personal version of modern primitivism . The Cuban born painter Federico Beltran Masses ( 1885-1949 ) , was renowned as a colourist whose seductive portrayals of women sometimes made overt references to the tropical settings of his childhood .   Better known internationally is the work of photographer Alberto Korda , whose photographs following the early days of the Cuban Revolution included a picture of Che Guevara which was to become one of the most recognizable images of the 20th century .   There is a flourishing street art movement influenced by Latin American artists José Guadalupe Posada and the muralist Diego Rivera .   After the Cuban Revolution of 1959 , some artists felt it was in their best interests to leave Cuba and produce their art , while others stayed behind , either happy or merely content to be creating art in Cuba , which was sponsored by the government . Because it was state sponsored , an implied censorship occurred , since artists would n't want to make art that was against the revolutionary movement as that was the source of their funding . It was during the 1980s in which art began to reflect true uninfluenced expression . The `` rebirth '' of expression in Cuban art was greatly affected by the emergence of a new generation of Cuban , which did not remember the revolution directly .   In 1981 Cubans saw the introduction of `` Volumen Uno '' , a series of one man exhibitions featuring contemporary Cuban artists . Three years later , the introduction of the `` Havana Bienal '' assisted in the further progression of the liberation of art and free speech therein .

neg: Norwegian Cuba Association The Norwegian Cuba Association ( Cubaforeningen i Norge , Asociación de amistad Noruego-Cubana ) is a Norwegian advocacy group .   Established on 17 April 1964 as Norsk-Cubansk Forening , its purpose is to `` further the friendship between Norway and Cuba '' and to spread information about the `` real Cuba '' . It publishes the magazine Cuba Nytt , and arranges for groups known as `` brigades '' to travel to Cuba .   It condemns the United States embargo against Cuba , demands the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles and the release of the Cuban 5 , and supports a campaign to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Fidel Castro . Harboring several viewpoints that do not directly pertain to Cuba , the organization supports the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela , opposes the Colombian Uribe government as well as the Iraq War , and calls for a boycott of Israel through membership in the network Boikott Israel .

neg: Zhou Zhengyi Zhou Zhengyi ( ; born 23 April 1961 , in Yangpu District , Shanghai ; Known in Hong Kong as Chau Ching Ngai ) is a prominent businessman and property developer from Shanghai , China . Zhou profited handsomely from Shanghai 's real estate boom in the late 1990s to early 2000s , and was once described as the 11th richest man in China , with personal assets totalling US$ 320 million . In November 2007 , Zhou was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for stock manipulation and fraud . He is on the `` Most Wanted '' list of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong .

neg: Selling away Selling away in the U.S. securities brokerage industry is the inappropriate practice of an investment professional ( such as a registered representative , stockbroker , or financial adviser ) who sells , or solicits the sale of , securities not held or offered by the brokerage firm with which he is associated ( affiliated ) . An example of the term expressed in a sentence is , `` The broker was selling investments away from the firm . '' Brokers marketing securities must have obtained the appropriate securities licenses for various types of investments . Brokers in the U.S. may be `` associated '' with only one Brokerage firm and they obtain such licenses or `` series '' by passing standardized Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ( FINRA ) exams such as the Series 6 or Series 7 exam . See List of Securities Examinations for types of securities licenses in the U.S.   More specifically , selling away describes the situation where the transaction or securities in question are not approved for sale by the firm , they are not on the firm 's approved product list . The approved product list identifies the types of securities and investments that are approved for brokers to sell after the securities have been subjected to the brokerage firm 's due diligence process which includes receiving the necessary risk and compliance department reviews and approvals , and so forth .   Selling away often involves investment securities that are in the form of a private placement or other non-public investment , though not always . Sometimes a transaction may not be an obvious or apparent ` investment ' or security . Selling away may not always be deliberate or intentional or with even intent to deceive an investor , but in many cases , the broker knew what he or she was doing . Selling away is often associated with a broker 's other ( `` outside '' ) business activities ( those other businesses or activities that a broker conducts outside or separate from his/her securities brokerage activities . )   Selling away situations result from a broker 's desire to not pass up on earning a commission on an investment his client is willing to buy , and further , to not have to share any of the commission with his/her associated firm . Selling away schemes are particularly dangerous for investors because they usually end up becoming victims of theft , securities fraud , or some other loss related to the investment . These schemes also often involve the sale of promissory notes which are essentially loan investments wherein the borrower promises to pay investors high interest rates in exchange for the loan amount from the investor . Once the investor ( client ) pays the money , the borrower sooner or later stops ( or never begins ) paying interest payments and the client 's investment vanishes .

neg: Private equity firm A private equity firm is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of startup or operating companies through a variety of loosely affiliated investment strategies including leveraged buyout , venture capital , and growth capital . Often described as a financial sponsor , each firm will raise funds that will be invested in accordance with one or more specific investment strategies .   Typically , a private equity firm will raise pools of capital , or private equity funds that supply the equity contributions for these transactions . Private equity firms will receive a periodic management fee as well as a share in the profits earned ( carried interest ) from each private equity fund managed .   Private equity firms , with their investors , will acquire a controlling or substantial minority position in a company and then look to maximize the value of that investment . Private equity firms generally receive a return on their investments through one of the following avenues :  an initial public offering ( IPO ) -- shares of the company are offered to the public , typically providing a partial immediate realization to the financial sponsor as well as a public market into which it can later sell additional shares ;  a merger or acquisition -- the company is sold for either cash or shares in another company ;  a recapitalization -- cash is distributed to the shareholders ( in this case the financial sponsor ) and its private equity funds either from cash flow generated by the company or through raising debt or other securities to fund the distribution .   Private equity firms characteristically make longer-hold investments in target industry sectors or specific investment areas where they have expertise . Private equity firms and investment funds should not be confused with hedge fund firms which typically make shorter-term investments in securities and other more liquid assets within an industry sector but with less direct influence or control over the operations of a specific company . Where private equity firms take on operational roles to manage risks and achieve growth through long term investments , hedge funds more frequently act as short-term traders of securities betting on both the up and down sides of a business or of an industry sector 's financial health .

neg: Capital Group Companies Capital Group is an American financial services company , it ranks among the world 's oldest and largest investment management organizations , with $ 1.39 trillion in assets under management . Founded in Los Angeles , California in 1931 , it is privately held and has offices around the globe in the Americas , Asia , Australia and Europe .   Capital offers a range of products , including more than 40 mutual funds through its subsidiary , American Funds , as well as separately managed accounts ( or collective investment trusts ) , private equity , investment services for high net worth investors in the U.S. , and a range of other offerings for institutional clients and individual investors globally .

neg: Bloomberg L.P. Bloomberg L.P. is a privately held financial software , data , and media company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan , New York City . Bloomberg L.P. was founded by Michael Bloomberg in 1981 with the help of Thomas Secunda , Duncan MacMillan , Charles Zegar , and a 30 % ownership investment by Merrill Lynch .   Bloomberg L.P. provides financial software tools such as an analytics and equity trading platform , data services , and news to financial companies and organizations through the Bloomberg Terminal ( via its Bloomberg Professional Service ) , its core revenue-generating product . Bloomberg L.P. also includes a wire service ( Bloomberg News ) , a global television network ( Bloomberg Television ) , digital websites , a radio station ( WBBR ) , subscription-only newsletters , and three magazines : Bloomberg Businessweek , Bloomberg Markets , and Bloomberg Pursuits . In 2014 , Bloomberg L.P. launched Bloomberg Politics , a multiplatform media property that merged the company 's political news teams , and has recruited two veteran political journalists , Mark Halperin and John Heilemann , to run it .

neg: La Década Perdida `` La Década Perdida '' ( `` The Lost Decade '' ) is a designation to the financial period of crisis in Latin America during the 1980s ( and for some well into the subsequent decade ) . Sometimes the term is used in exclusive reference to Mexico .   After the petroleum boom previous to the government of Mexican president José López Portillo ( from 1976 to 1982 ) , the Mexican government began to rely heavily on export barrels to support the financial needs in the country . These exports were mainly directed towards the United States , mainly due to the petroleum crisis of 1973 , taking advantage of the high prices these barrels garnered .   When the market finally settled , thus reducing the high prices per barrel , the financial stability of the country was endangered . Diversification of income would have prevented the problem , but due to the inability of other production sectors to make up for the reduced profit , Mexico had to inflate the currency to by then historic levels . The Mexican peso would then be devaluated by almost 500 % . Given these circumstances , López Portillo nationalized all financial institutions in 1982 , during his last public address to the nation by saying : `` Defenderé el peso como un perro '' ( `` I 'll defend the peso like a dog '' ) .   During the next period , president Miguel de la Madrid tried to bring back foreign investment and new trade agreements , culminating with Mexico 's admission to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ( GATT ) on January 1986 and also his proposed `` Economic Solidarity Pact '' in 1987 , which finally put inflation under control , which averaged 100 % until that time .


query: Warm Leatherette was released by Island Records and it came out in 1980.

pos: Warm Leatherette (album) Warm Leatherette is the fourth studio album by Grace Jones , released on 9 May 1980 by Island Records . The album features contributions from the reggae production duo Sly and Robbie and is a departure from Jones ' earlier disco sound , moving towards a new wave-reggae direction .

neg: Felsted Records Felsted Records was the name of two record labels . The UK version began as a subsidiary of Decca Records in July 1954 , with music mainly in the jazz and dance band genres and recordings leased from the French Blue Star , Riviera and Classique labels . The label took its name from the village where Sir Edward Lewis , the head of UK Decca , lived . The British label 's only release of note was `` Smokie '' , the first single by Bill Black 's Combo , Black having been Elvis Presley 's bassist , licensed from Hi Records .   Late in 1957 , Felsted Records US opened operating from London Records ' office in New York and was marketed as a pop label . Releases included Kathy Linden 's `` Billy '' and `` Goodbye Jimmy , Goodbye '' ; Jimmy Wisner 's 1961 instrumental `` Asia Minor '' , credited to `` Kokomo , his Piano and Orchestra , on the London label in the UK ; and the Flares ' 1961 release `` Foot Stompin ' Part 1 '' , which hit # 20 on the Black Singles chart and # 25 on the Billboard Hot 100   In 1958 Felsted was reinstated in the UK leasing US material contracted through its US office . Neither label had much commercial success ; the UK label was closed in 1964 and its roster transferred to London Records .

neg: Pork Recordings Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull , East Yorkshire , England , that specialises in electronica , mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles .   Formed in the early 1990s by David `` Porky '' Brennand and Steve Cobby , its most significant artists included Fila Brazillia , Baby Mammoth , Bullitnuts and most recently Leggo Beast .   Brennand also records with Steel Tiger Records as The Cutler ; a collaboration with Steve Cobby .

neg: The Good, The Bad & The 4-Skins The Good , The Bad & The 4-Skins is the first album by English punk rock/Oi ! band , The 4-Skins . Released in June 1982 on Secret Records , the album topped the UK independent and punk charts , and entered the Top 100 of the UK Albums Chart .   Side A of the original LP contained studio recordings , and Side B featured live versions of several previously released songs . The album was later combined with follow-up release , A Fistful Of...4-Skins ( omitting the track `` One Law for Them '' due to space limitations ) and released on a single CD by Link Records in 1987 as A Few 4-Skins More , Vol .1 .   Despite being The 4-Skins ' debut LP , it was in fact recorded by the third stable line-up of the band , with bassist Hoxton Tom McCourt being the sole member of the original 1979 line-up . However , the group 's original drummer ( and manager at that point ) , Gary Hitchcock wrote and performed vocals on the album 's 2 Tone-style ska punk lead track .

neg: Suburban Lawns (album) Suburban Lawns is the sole studio album by American band Suburban Lawns , released in 1981 by I.R.S. Records .

neg: Soul Syndrome Soul Syndrome is the 53rd studio album by American musician James Brown . The album was released in 1980 , by TK Records .

neg: Hard Times for Lovers Hard Times For Lovers is an album by Judy Collins , released on Elektra Records in 1979 .   Collins ' first album of new material since Bread and Roses in 1976 , some extra publicity was earned as a result of the back cover of the Francesco Scavullo-photographed sleeve art , depicting most of a nude Collins as seen from the back . The album was still something of a commercial disappointment , however , peaking at # 54 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts .

neg: Lady T (album) Lady T is the second studio album by American singer Teena Marie , released by Motown 's Gordy label on February 14 , 1980 .

neg: Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron , and based in Chalk Farm , London .   Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records , and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases , along with Juicy Lucy , Richard Barnes and Colosseum . Other subsequent acts included Osibisa , Paladin , Goldie , Manfred Mann 's Earth Band ( another Vertigo refugee ) , the Real Kids , Sally Oldfield , Motörhead , the Damned , Girlschool , Bronz and Hawkwind .   Original manufacturing and distribution was through Island Records , moving to EMI in 1977 and then onto Polydor Records in 1980 . The label folded in financial difficulty in 1986 , with the catalogue being sold to Ray Richards ' Legacy Records . It subsequently passed to Castle Communications plc. .

neg: Warm Love `` Warm Love '' is a hit song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison .   The song was included on his 1973 album Hard Nose the Highway . It was a Top Forty single hit when released in April 1973 . Jackie De Shannon sang back-up vocals .

neg: Frontier Records Frontier Records is an independent record label , started in 1980 in Sun Valley , Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher , a former employee of Bomp ! Records , and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways .   Frontier Records first found success with the release of the Circle Jerks album Group Sex . The label went on to put out records by such bands as Suicidal Tendencies , American Music Club , Heatmiser , Redd Kross , Thin White Rope , T.S.O.L. , Christian Death , and the Young Fresh Fellows , among others .   On November 7 , 2010 , Frontier Records hosted a party for their 30th anniversary at the Echoplex in Los Angeles which featured a reunion by seminal punk band Middle Class , their first performance in nearly 30 years . The Adolescents , Rikk Agnew , T.S.O.L. , the Avengers , and the Flyboys also performed .

neg: Nightclubbing (Grace Jones album) Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones , released on 11 May 1981 by Island Records . Recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Island Records ' president Chris Blackwell , as well as a team of session musicians rooted by rhythm section Sly & Robbie , the album marked her second foray into a new wave style that blends a variety of genres , including reggae , art pop , dub , synthpop and funk . The album comprises a mixture of cover versions from artists including Bill Withers , Iggy Pop and Ástor Piazzolla , and original songs , three of which were co-written by Jones .   The album received positive reviews upon its release and continues to be praised by critics , with reviewers commending the singer 's unique sound and organic fusion of genres . The album entered in the top 10 in five countries , and became Jones ' highest-ranking record on the US Billboard mainstream albums and R&B charts . Six singles were released from the album , including the hits `` Pull Up to the Bumper '' and `` I 've Seen That Face Before ( Libertango ) '' .   Critics and scholars have noted the album 's influence on popular music , especially how its unique sound has been emulated by both pop and alternative acts , and how the persona Jones adopted - deeply influenced by art and fashion - has had an enduring influence in modern female pop singers . Around the time of the album 's release , she adopted her characteristic androgynous look which would become popular in fashion . Nightclubbing is now widely considered Jones ' best studio album and the record that cemented her pop icon status .

neg: E=MC² (Mariah Carey album) E = MC ² is the eleventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey . It was released in the United States on April 15 , 2008 by Island Records . The singer began recording the album in 2007 in Anguilla , after writing and composing most of its material during and after her 2006 Adventures of Mimi Tour . Carey worked with several notable songwriters and producers during the course of the project , including Jermaine Dupri , Bryan-Michael Cox , Stargate , The-Dream , Tricky Stewart , Scott Storch and Danja .   The album revealed a more personal side of the singer , illustrated in its declarative theme of emancipation from her previous marriage , and from her personal and professional setbacks . Although it shared similar vocal production as well as an inclination to her signature pop and R&B ballads , the album also encompassed a variety of dance-oriented and uptempo styles . It was meant to be a continuation , or a second part of her tenth studio album , The Emancipation of Mimi ( 2005 ) . Carey collaborated with a number of artists on the album , including T-Pain , Damian Marley and Young Jeezy . Though considered by critics very similar to the formula its predecessor had been built on , E = MC ² included other genres she had never explored , such as reggae , and her continued recording of gospel-influenced hymns .   E = MC ² was generally well received by music critics , with many complimenting the record 's broad genre influences , and musical and production styles . Some critics , however , felt that the album was too similar to The Emancipation of Mimi , and did n't offer anything new from the formula . The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 463,000 copies ; the highest first-week sales of Carey 's career . It opened inside the top-five on the albums chart in Australia , Canada , Switzerland and the United Kingdom . The album achieved worldwide sales of over 2.5 million copies .   Four singles were commission in promotion of the album . The album 's lead single , `` Touch My Body '' , became Carey 's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100 , making her the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history , surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley . Additionally , it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart , tying Presley for most weeks at number one . It achieved strong worldwide charting , peaking within the top five of the singles charts in Italy , Japan , New Zealand , Switzerland and the United Kingdom . `` Bye Bye '' served as the album 's second release . Although hailed by critics , and expected to have achieved large commercial success , the song stalled at number nineteen on the Hot 100 , and managed to chart weakly internationally . Both the third and fourth singles , `` I 'll Be Lovin ' U Long Time '' and `` I Stay in Love '' failed to garner success in any prominent music market .

neg: Rock and Roll Diary: 1967–1980 Rock and Roll Diary : 1967 -- 1980 was released by Arista Records in 1980 as a double album split between tracks by the Velvet Underground and tracks by Lou Reed , attempting to demonstrate the arc of his songwriting over the first fifteen years of his career . The versions of `` Heroin '' and `` Femme Fatale '' are from the 1974 Velvet Underground live album 1969 : The Velvet Underground Live . `` Coney Island Baby '' comes from the Live : Take No Prisoners album . The liner notes for the album were written by Ellen Willis .

neg: Bearsville Records Bearsville Records was founded in 1970 by Albert Grossman . Artists included Todd Rundgren , Elizabeth Barraclough , Foghat , Halfnelson/Sparks , Bobby Charles , Randy VanWarmer , Paul Butterfield 's Better Days , Lazarus , Jesse Winchester , and NRBQ . The label closed in 1984 , two years before Grossman 's death .   Bearsville 's initial distributor was Ampex Records . From 1972 until its folding , the label was distributed by Warner Bros. . Records in North America and most other territories . In the UK it was distributed by Warner until 1979 , and then Island until 1981 ; its last few British releases were licensed to independent labels Avatar and Lamborghini . Rhino Records currently distributes the Bearsville catalog .   Many of the artists on the roster recorded at Grossman 's Bearsville Studios .

neg: Where Are All the Nice Girls? Where Are All the Nice Girls ? is the debut studio album by English band Any Trouble , released in 1980 by Stiff Records .   The album was produced by John Wood and the band gained significant visibility after featuring on a Melody Maker front cover and in a very positive article by Allan Jones .

neg: Bobo Ashanti (album) Bobo Ashanti is the tenth studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Sizzla . It was released on Greensleeves Records on August 31 , 2000 . The album , written by Sizzla and produced by Philip `` Fatis '' Burrell , peaked at # 6 on the Billboard top reggae album charts and takes up themes of the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafari movement .

neg: Working Class Dog Working Class Dog is the fifth studio album on by Australian rock musician Rick Springfield , released by RCA Records in 1981 . The album was certified Platinum in America and eventually sold over three million US copies . It produced Springfield 's biggest career hit with the # 1 million-selling smash , `` Jessie 's Girl '' . Springfield was awarded the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance , Male .   The album was re-released on CD in 2006 as a `` 25th anniversary edition '' with three bonus tracks .   `` Love Is Alright Tonite '' was used to comedic effect in the film Wet Hot American Summer .

neg: Eastern Wind Eastern Wind is singer/songwriter Chris de Burgh 's fifth studio album , released in 1980 .

neg: Olivia Records Olivia Records was a collective founded in 1973 to record and market women 's music . Olivia , named after the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school , was the brainchild of ten lesbian-feminists ( the Furies Collective and Radicalesbians ) living in Washington , D.C. who wanted to create a feminist organization with an economic base .   Olivia was co-founded by Judy Dlugacz .   In 1973 , the collective put out a 45 with Meg Christian on one side and Cris Williamson on the other . Yoko Ono responded and said that she wanted to do a side project with Olivia , but the collective politely declined . Without making themselves dependent on any high-profile person , they made $ 12,000 with that 45 , enough to put out singer Meg Christian 's first record , and soon after , Williamson 's groundbreaking album The Changer and the Changed .   Sandy Stone was Olivia 's sound engineer from ca. 1974-1978 , recording and mixing all Olivia product during this period . She resigned as the controversy over her working for a lesbian-identified enterprise increased because she was a transgender woman . The debate continued in Janice Raymond 's book The Transsexual Empire , which devoted a chapter to criticism of `` the transsexually constructed lesbian-feminist '' .   In 1977 , after repeated criticism by Anita Bryant , Olivia put out Lesbian Concentrate , a collection of songs and poetry with part of the proceeds going to benefit the Lesbian Mothers National Defense Fund . Included on the 13 track LP is Meg Christian 's `` Ode To A Gym Teacher '' and Sue Fink 's `` Leaping Lesbians '' .   Olivia moved first to Los Angeles to stay on top of the burgeoning music scene and then to Oakland . The remaining five women of the collective , who had been pooling their money and even living together for the previous seven years , began to disperse . Olivia stopped putting out new records and instead performed a series of 15th anniversary concerts in 1988 . The two concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City were the largest grossing concerts at that venue in its history . Yet , The New York Times barely mentioned the show .   Even though Olivia Records released world music and salsa records , they were most successful with acoustic solo acts , although sometimes they failed to identify mainstream talent . In 1985 , singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge , then a struggling Los Angeles artist , sent her demo to Olivia , but was ultimately rejected . Etheridge went on to become one of the most popular female performers of the 1990s and arguably the most successful lesbian musician of all time . She saved the rejection letter , signed by `` the women of Olivia , '' which was featured in Intimate Portrait , the Lifetime Television documentary of her life .   Unable to reinvent themselves for the changing musical landscape for women , from riot grrl to Lilith Fair to Ani Difranco , Olivia could no longer sustain itself as a record label .   Olivia Records founded Olivia , the lesbian cruise line , in 1988 .

neg: The Island (Benchley novel) The Island is a novel by Peter Benchley , published in 1979 by Doubleday & Co. .