Fen

A fen is one of the main types of wetland, the others being grassy marshes, forested swamps, and peaty bogs. Along with bogs, fens are a kind of mire. Fens are usually fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. They are characterised by their water chemistry, which is pH neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients. They are usually dominated by grasses and sedges, and typically have brown mosses in general including Scorpidium or Drepanocladus. Fens frequently have a high diversity of other plant species including carnivorous plants such as Pinguicula. They may also occur along large lakes and rivers where seasonal changes in water level maintain wet soils with few woody plants. The distribution of individual species of fen plants is often closely connected to water regimes and nutrient concentrations.

Fens have a characteristic set of plant species, which sometimes provide the best indicators of environmental conditions. For example, fen indicator species in New York State include Carex flava, Cladium mariscoides, Potentilla fruticosa, Pogonia ophioglossoides and Parnassia glauca.

Fen (band)

Fen is a British black metal/post-rock band formed in 2006 from the Fens of East Anglia signed to the label Code666. Their Myspace page reports that they "draw the listener into a windswept and desolate landscape, bereft of hope". In 2006 they recorded the Ancient Sorrow EP (released on both CD and vinyl) and January 2009 saw the release of the first full length album The Malediction Fields under the CODE666 record label. In 2011 they released the second studio album Epoch (also CODE666 records), gaining positive reviews in leading magazines Metal Hammer (8/10) and Terrorizer magazine (7.5/10). The album was launched at the Bull & Gate venue in London with support from the old Corpse Road on 11 February 2011.

Fen have played at many festivals and with many other acts, including at the Infernal Damnation Festival, the Damnation Festival 2010 (alongside acts such as Sabbat and Lawnmower Deth) the Aurora Infernalis Festival in 2012 (alongside Primordial) and tours (including international dates) with Negura Bunget, Wodensthrone and Agalloch.

Fen (name)

Fen may be either a Chinese female given name or family name. As a given name, it is represented in simplified Chinese as 芬 (pinyin: Fēn).

Fen may also be a surname in countries other than China, such as Uzbekistan where it is represented in Cyrilic as Фен.

Fen or Fenna is also an unrelated Frisian name.

Fen as a given name

Fen is also a part of the names of several other notable people, including:

See also

Notes

Birth

Birth, also known as parturition, is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the fetus at a developmental stage when it is ready to feed and breathe. In some species the offspring is precocial and can move around almost immediately after birth but in others it is altricial and completely dependent on parenting. In marsupials, the fetus is born at a very immature stage after a short gestational period and develops further in its mother's pouch.

It is not only mammals that give birth. Some reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates carry their developing young inside them. Some of these are ovoviviparous, with the eggs being hatched inside the mother's body, and others are viviparous, with the embryo developing inside her body, as in mammals.

Birth in mammals

Large mammals, such as primates, cattle, horses, some antelopes, giraffes, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, elephants, seals, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, generally are pregnant with one offspring at a time; although, they may have twin or multiple births on occasion. In these large animals, the birth process is similar to that of a human though in most, the offspring is precocial. This means that it is born in a more advanced state than a human baby and is able to stand, walk and run (or swim in the case of an aquatic mammal) shortly after birth. In the case of whales, dolphins and porpoises, the single calf is normally born tail first which minimises the risk of drowning. The mother encourages the newborn calf to rise to the surface of the water to breathe.

Birth (disambiguation)

Birth is the process in animals by which an offspring is expelled from the body of its mother.

Birth may also refer to:

See also

Wonder Showzen

Wonder Showzen was an American sketch comedy television series that aired between 2005 and 2006 on MTV2. It was created by John Lee and Vernon Chatman of PFFR. The show is rated TV-MA.

The show's format is that of educational PBS children's television shows such as Sesame Street and The Electric Company (e.g. use of stock footage, puppetry, and clips of children being interviewed), parodying the format with adult-oriented content. In addition to general controversial comedy, it satirizes politics, religion, war, sex, and culture with black comedy.

Every episode begins with a disclaimer, which reads:

"Wonder Showzen contains offensive, despicable content that is too controversial and too awesome for actual children. The stark, ugly and profound truths Wonder Showzen exposes may be soul-crushing to the weak of spirit. If you allow a child to watch this show, you are a bad parent or guardian."

Development

Wonder Showzen was created by John Lee and Vernon Chatman and pitched to the USA Network in 2000, but after a few minutes of viewing, executives there quickly concluded it did not fit the network's programming style. However, Viacom was re-branding MTV2 and made Wonder Showzen part of its new programming lineup. It aired as part of Sic 'Em Fridays, along with Dirty Sanchez and Wildboyz. The pilot was named simply "Kids Show". The Wonder Showzen theme song is still 'Kids Show'. Reruns of the show also air on MTV and Comedy Central.