Flamingo

Flamingos or flamingoes/fləˈmɪŋɡoʊz/ are a type of wading bird in the genus Phoenicopterus, the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae. There are four flamingo species in the Americas and two species in the Old World.

Etymology

Flamingo comes from Spanish flamenco, "with the colour of flame", in turn coming from Provençal flamenc from flama "flame" and Germanic-like suffix -ing, with a possible influence of words like Fleming. A similar etymology has the Latinate Greek term Phoenicopterus (from Greek: φοινικόπτερος phoinikopteros), literally "blood red-feathered".

Taxonomy and systematics

Traditionally, the long-legged Ciconiiformes, probably a paraphyletic assemblage, have been considered the flamingos' closest relatives and the family was included in the order. Usually the ibises and spoonbills of the Threskiornithidae were considered their closest relatives within this order. Earlier genetic studies, such as those of Charles Sibley and colleagues, also supported this relationship. Relationships to the waterfowl were considered as well, especially as flamingos are parasitized by feather lice of the genus Anaticola, which are otherwise exclusively found on ducks and geese. The peculiar presbyornithids were used to argue for a close relationship between flamingos, waterfowl, and waders. A 2002 paper concluded they are waterfowl, but a 2014 comprehensive study of bird orders found that flamingos and grebes are not waterfowl, but rather are part of Columbea along with doves, sandgrouse, and mesites.

Flamingo (protein)

Flamingo is a member of the adhesion-GPCR family of proteins. Flamingo has sequence homology to cadherins and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Flamingo was originally identified as a Drosophila protein involved in planar cell polarity. Mammals have three flamingo homologs, CELSR1, CELSR2, CELSR3. In mice all three have distinct expression patterns in the brain.

Adhesion G protein coupled receptors

The adhesion-GPCR family has over thirty members in the human genome. The adhesion GPCRs are seven transmembrane helix proteins that have long N-terminal domains. For example, flamingo has EGF-like, Laminin G-like and Cadherin-like sequences in its N-terminal extracellular domain.

Axon fascicles

Mice that lack CELSR3 have altered bundeling of axons to form fascicles.

Function in dendrite morphology

In Drosophila, flamingo mutants were found to have abnormal dendrite branching, outgrowth and routing. Kimura et al. proposed that flamingo regulates dendrite branch elongation and prevents the dendritic trees of adjacent Drosophila sensory neurons from having overlap of dendritic arbors.

Flamingo (Brandon Flowers album)

Flamingo is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and the Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, released on September 3, 2010 by Island Records. It was recorded at Battle Born Studios, Winchester, Nevada, and Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, California. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.

Background

After a mysterious countdown on the Killers official website, Flowers confirmed on April 29, 2010 that he would be releasing a solo album entitled Flamingo. The album is named after Flamingo Road (in Brandon's hometown of Las Vegas), where many pivotal events in his life occurred: Sam's Town Casino is on Flamingo, his first job was at a golf course on that road, and he met his wife in a thrift store on the road as well.

Track "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" references the Las Vegas Boulevard ("The Strip"). Track "Was It Something I Said?" references Tropicana Avenue and a job at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas located on the Freemont Street Experience. Track "Magdalena" references a 50 mile pilgrimage from Nogales, Sonora to Magdalena, Sonora in Mexico.

Lexx

Lexx is a science fiction television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth.

The series is a Canadian and German co-production, with some additional funding from Britain's Channel 5. The Sci Fi Channel purchased the series from Salter Street Films and began airing versions of Season 2 episodes for United States' audience in January 2000.Lexx was co-produced by Salter Street Films, later absorbed by Alliance Atlantis. In Canada, Lexx aired on the Alliance Atlantis-owned Showcase network. The series was primarily filmed in Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) and Berlin (Germany), with additional filming on location in Iceland, Bangkok (Thailand), and Namibia.

Characters

The crew

The crew of the Lexx includes:

Bligg

Marco Bliggensdorfer better known as Bligg (born September 30, 1976 in Schwamendingen) is a rapper from Zurich, Switzerland. His albums 0816 and Bart Aber Herzlich reached #1 on the Swiss charts; four of his other albums have peaked in the top 20. In 1999 and 2000, he was part of a duo Bligg'n'Lexx with rapper and producer Lexx (real name Alex Storrer) releasing one album together.

Career

Beginnings

At age 16, Bligg began freestyling. In 1995, he released a limited EP, Zürislang Freistiil, which was the first opportunity to really hear him rap.

Bligg'n'Lexx

Three years later, Bliggensdorfer met Alex Storrer, a producer and rapper known as Lexx. Forming a hip hop duo, the two worked together on Chocolate, Cheese and Sounds. In 1999, they released their first single, called "Schnitzeljagd" under the name Bligg'n'Lexx. The single was remixed by DJ Cutmando, whom the pair met while on tour. Ever since then, DJ Cutmando has worked with Bligg.

In 2000, Bligg'n'Lexx collaborated with Pete Penicka to release the single "Du & Ich" from the Bligg'n'Lexx debut and only studio album Nahdisnah. The album received positive reviews and increased the group's popularity.