Irvine Welsh is a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. His novel Trainspotting was made into a film of the same name. His work is characterised by a raw Scots dialect and brutal depiction of Edinburgh life. He has also written plays and screenplays, and directed several short films.
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes. Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibises, but those families have been moved to other orders.
A Daim bar is a Swedish candy bar made from crunchy almond caramel covered in milk chocolate.
A kaftan or caftan is a variant of the robe or tunic, and has been worn in a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years. In Russian usage, kaftan instead refers to a style of men's long suit with tight sleeves. Used by many Middle Eastern ethnic groups, the kaftan is ancient Mesopotamian in origin. It may be made of wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton, and may be worn with a sash.
Mule is a style of shoe that has no back or constraint around the foot's heel. Mules have a history going as back as Ancient Rome, even though they were not popularly worn until sixteenth century Europe. There, mules were bedroom slippers and not worn out in public. Throughout the centuries mules have changed in style and purpose. They are no longer just boudoir shoes and are now worn any day and any occasion. In addition to Western examples, mules come from additional cultures like Turkey and Egypt. Across cultures and time frames, mules appear in popular culture from famous paintings to iconic celebrity shoes.
Freia is a Norwegian chocolate sweets manufacturing company. The company is famous for Freia Melkesjokolade and Kvikk Lunsj and Marabou, as well as for other candy and dessert products.
Leptoptilos is a genus of very large tropical storks, also known as the adjutant bird. The name means thin (lepto) feather (ptilos). Two species are resident breeders in southern Asia, and the marabou stork is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The greater adjutant is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the lesser adjutant of Asia and the marabou stork of Africa. Once found widely across southern Asia, mainly in India but extending east to Borneo, the greater adjutant is now restricted to a much smaller range with only three breeding populations; two in India, with the largest colony in Assam, some 400 around Bhagalpur; and another breeding population in Cambodia. They disperse widely after the breeding season. This large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch. During the day, they soar in thermals along with vultures with whom they share the habit of scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal; however, they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates. The English name is derived from their stiff "military" gait when walking on the ground. Large numbers once lived in Asia, but have declined greatly, possibly due to improved sanitation, to the point of being endangered. The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a thousand individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially common in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as the "Calcutta adjutant". Known locally as hargila and considered to be unclean birds, they were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use of their meat in folk medicine. Valued as scavengers, they were once depicted in the logo of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
The Aku, Krio, or Creole are a minority ethnic group of Gambia with roots among the Sierra Leone Creole people.
Curly Wurly is a brand of chocolate bar manufactured by Cadbury UK and sold in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Malaysia, U.A.E and the United Kingdom. It was launched in the UK in 1970. Its shape resembles three flattened, intertwined serpentine strings. The bar is made of chocolate-coated caramel.
Johan Throne Holst, was a Norwegian industrialist and politician for the Liberal Left Party. He was the founder of Marabou and CEO of Freia, now owned and operated by Mondelez International.
Twist is a bite-sized confectionery produced by Freia, primarily for the Scandinavian market. Twist is sold in bags, and each bag contains a variety of pieces, mostly consisting of chocolates with some sort of filling in the center. New pieces are added and old ones discontinued frequently. Only two pieces, Lakris (licorice) and Cocos, have existed since the product was launched. The name Twist refers to the way each piece is wrapped.
The history of Italian fashion is a chronological record of the events and people that impacted and evolved Italian fashion into what it is today. From the Middle Ages, Italian fashion has been popular internationally, with cities in Italy producing textiles like velvet, silk, and wool. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Italian fashion for both men and women was extravagant and expensive, but the fashion industry declined during the industrialization of Italy. Many modern Italian fashion brands were founded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and in the 1950s and 1960s, Italian fashion regained popularity worldwide. While many clients of Italian fashion designers are celebrities, Italian fashion brands also focus on ready-to-wear clothes.
Zambezia is a 2012 English-language South African 3D computer-animated adventure film. The film was directed by Wayne Thornley, written by Andrew Cook, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Anthony Silverston, and starring the voices of Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Samuel L. Jackson with supporting roles done by Jim Cummings, Richard E. Grant, Jenifer Lewis, Jamal Mixon, and David Shaughnessy. It is the first film produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and distributed by Cinema Management Group and Sony Pictures in English territories.
Henning Throne-Holst was a Norwegian born, Swedish industrialist.
Mulatto is a term in Haiti that is historically linked to Haitians who are born to one white parent and one black parent, or to two mulatto parents. Contemporary usage of the term in Haiti is also applied to the bourgeoisie, pertaining to high social and economic stature.
Marabou describes a certain type of down feather trimming. Although it takes its name from the marabou stork whose undertail down once provided the feathers, white turkey feathers have been used as a substitute. The advantage of marabou is that it takes dye well, making it a very versatile trimming for dress, and makes an effective substitute for fur. While marabou has been widely used as a fashion trimming since the late 19th century, it is also often used in fly tying for making up the lures ('flies') used for fly fishing.
