The anime and manga series Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gasshu!! (金色のガッシュ!!?, lit. Golden Gash!!) for the manga and Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!! (金色のガッシュベル!!?, lit. Golden Gash Bell!!) for the anime, features an extensive cast created and illustrated by Makoto Raiku. The series takes place in Modern day Japan and follows a genius teenager named Kiyo Takamine and his Mamono (魔物?, lit. "demon", transliterated as Mamodo in the English adaption) Zatch Bell, a human-like being with supernatural powers.
After Raiku's "Newtown Heroes" series in the Shonen Sunday Super ended, Raiku looked at his old drafts he created in the past for an idea for his next series. One of his ideas was about a mercenary who used a giant sword to defeat enemies. After playing with that idea for three months, Raiku decided to abandon it and go with another idea. His next idea was a story where a middle school student, the prototype of Kiyo, finds an old toy that turns into a giant knight that combats evil. After taking this up with his agent, he was advised to use a cuter character to fight and thus, Zatch was created. After Raiku worked on the idea for a month, it was published. The reason Zatch uses lightning spells is because the "rai" in his name is the Japanese word for "lightning".
The Apollo was made by the Chicago Recording Scale Company, of Waukegan, Illinois, from 1906 to 1907. The only model by that manufacturer was a five-seater with a Roi-des-Belges body. Power came from a water-cooled four-cylinder engine by way of a three-speed transmission and shaft drive.
Stockholm Syndrome is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia as a collaboration between Dave Schools of Widespread Panic and Jerry Joseph of Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons. The two enlisted Los Angeles drummer Wally Ingram (Jackson Browne and Sheryl Crow), San Francisco guitarist Eric McFadden (who had previously worked with Keb' Mo', Primus, Les Claypool, and the P Funk All Stars), and German keyboardist Danny Dziuk. Dziuk however, has since been replaced on tour by Gov't Mule keyboardist Danny Louis.
Originally intended as a one-time studio side-project for the musicians, the band released an album in 2004, Holy Happy Hour, and then went on a nationwide tour in support of the album. The band has toured intermittently since then and on February 16, 2010 they released a live EP, "Stockholm Syndrome Live at Streetlight Records," which was recorded during an in-store performance at Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz in September 2009. The band has said that they have gotten another full-length album ready for release.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American franchise which spans several media and genres. It began in 1992 with the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, and was resurrected as the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997. The show's popularity caused it to spawn a multitude of Expanded Universe tie-in material such as comic books, novels, and video games, as well as a spin-off program entitled Angel. In 2007, four years after the television series' seventh and final season, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was officially continued in the comic book Season Eight. The following is a list of minor recurring characters who appear in the franchise.
(a.k.a. Saga Vasuki)
Amanda is a Potential Slayer who appears in Season Seven, played by Sarah Hagan. A Sunnydale High student and member of the swing choir, she first appears in the episode "Help" as part of the seemingly-random stream of students showing up at Buffy's guidance office. Amanda was sent to Buffy for beating up another student who was picking on her. In the later episode "Potential", it is revealed that Amanda is in fact a Potential Slayer, and she aptly slays a vampire who threatens her and Dawn. Afterwards, Amanda moves into the Summers' residence, where she trains and becomes friends with her fellow Potentials. In the final episode of the show, "Chosen", Amanda is activated as a Slayer along with the other Potentials and battles against an army of Turok-Han vampires. She is last seen falling to the ground dead after her neck was snapped by a Turok-Han. She was the first Potential to kill a vampire and the first one to kill a Turok-Han.
Sweet is the fourth studio album released by American country music artist Ken Mellons. Released in 2004, it contains the song "Paint Me a Birmingham", which was also recorded by Tracy Lawrence and released as a single. Mellons's rendition was also released shortly before Lawrence's. "Smack Dab" was previously recorded by George Jones on his 1998 album It Don't Get Any Better Than This.
Sweet, founded by Shannon Wentworth and Jen Rainen in April 2008, is a travel company, which sells eco-friendly vacation packages and tours to the lesbian community. Sweet's mission is to offer vacations that empower and motivate guests to achieve their personal, professional, and philanthropic goals. Sweet travelers or "Sweeties," have raised over $500,000 in cash and in-kind donations, planted 6,217 trees, removed 407 bags of trash from beaches, and revitalized five schools and parks. In furtherance of Sweet's efforts to help the environment, the company teamed up with CarbonFund.org to help reforest a large area along the Tensas River in Louisiana.
Entertainers who have performed at Sweet events include comediannes Suzanne Westenhoefer, Fortune Feimster, Bridget McManus, Jennie McNulty, Sandra Valls, Gloria Bigelow, as well as singers Jen Foster, Edie Carey, and more.