Fulcrum (Chuck)

Fulcrum is the codename of a secret fictional hostile espionage organization on the television series Chuck. Fulcrum serves as the series' main antagonists up until the end of season two, though their specific goals beyond acquiring the Intersect have not yet been fully revealed.

History

Very little specific information has been revealed so far about the organization known as Fulcrum, although they have been in existence at least as early as 2003. They are a rogue faction within the US intelligence community, described as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) splinter faction but said to have people in every agency. They also have hired professional mercenaries and have contracted civilians when their skills are required. Fulcrum has been attempting to acquire the Intersect database, and attempted to turn Bryce Larkin and use him to acquire the computer.

Development

Fulcrum was introduced in the Season One episode "Chuck Versus the Nemesis." The organization remained a threat for the remainder of the season, most prominently in "Chuck Versus the Marlin." Josh Schwartz revealed in an interview with Sci Fi Magazine that season two would focus more specifically on Fulcrum and the main story arc. However while the organization has played an increasingly larger and more threatening role in the series, little definite information has been revealed on their structure. Chuck has been positively identified as the Intersect by at least three different agents but beyond being a person of interest, he has yet to be specifically targeted although Fulcrum operatives are familiar with him as "Agent Carmichael." Fulcrum's parent organization knows something is happening in the Buy More but believe that it is something unrelated to the Intersect, believing it to be a CIA substation.

Fulcrum (Anglican think tank)

Fulcrum is a Church of England think tank representing the Evangelical Centre of the church. Formed in 2002, Fulcrum aims to renew the moderate centre of the evangelical tradition in the Church of England. Fulcrum is normally viewed as representative of the open evangelical tradition within the Church of England.

History

Fulcrum was co-founded by Francis Bridger, Graham Kings and others in response to strong and extreme responses from some evangelical quarters of the Church of England to the appointment of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury. In 2003 the first official meeting of Fulcrum took place and the appointments of Chair, vice-chairs, administrator and theological advisor were made.

The equivalent organization in the Episcopal Church of the USA is Covenant, an organization which aims to renew the centre of the Christian tradition in North America and particularly within Anglicanism.

Purpose

A fulcrum is the point of balance in a pivot. Fulcrum chose this name because it seeks to renew the evangelical tradition at the centre of the Church of England. According to its website, "Fulcrum embraces an historic orthodoxy that is generous in spirit, confident in the contribution evangelicals can make to Anglicanism". In the current climate of uncertainty in the Anglican Communion, Fulcrum seeks to promote an unpolarised evangelicalism.

Fulcrum (Antarctica)

Fulcrum is a peaked nunatak rising to about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) at the north end of the Lever Nunataks in the Wilkniss Mountains of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The position of the nunatak suggests a fulcrum upon which the Lever Nunataks act. It was named by the New Zealand Geographic Board in 1994.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Fulcrum" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).

Coordinates: 78°2′S 161°7′E / 78.033°S 161.117°E / -78.033; 161.117

Fulcrum (drumming)

Fulcrum is a drumming term. Traditionally, the fulcrum is said to denote the part of a percussionist's grip that is the main lever for the drumstick/mallet to rotate. This is usually created by the thumb + index finger, the thumb + middle finger, or a combination of the index, middle, and thumb.

This definition of the fulcrum is only correct if the sticks/mallets pivot only about that exact point - usually they do not. To more accurately describe the mechanics of drumming one must define multiple fulcrums within a 'system of levers'.

Fulcrum and lever definitions

Fingers

If one consciously locks their wrist, elbow, and shoulder so that they remain stationary, the only degree of freedom left to move the stick is the finger lever. The fulcrum, or point of rotation, will be located approximately where the pad of the thumb meets the stick. The thumb acts as the fulcrum while the other 4 fingers can apply mechanical forces to the stick.

Wrist

If one then locks the fingers in place by placing a tight grip on the stick the only way to raise and lower the stick is by rotating the wrist. The point of rotation is now somewhere in the middle of the wrist.

Chuck (season 4)

The fourth season of Chuck was announced on May 13, 2010. Having initially ordered 13 episodes, NBC ordered an additional 11 on October 19, 2010 for a total of 24 episodes. Throughout the season, Chuck faced individual villains: Alexei Volkoff, head of Volkoff Industries, and Volkoff's daughter, Vivian McArthur.

Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak expressed a desire to continue the series past the fourth season as early as March 2011, when it was announced that the season finale would be titled "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger". The episode, as the title suggests, had a cliffhanger ending leading into the fifth and final season, which was ordered on May 13, 2011.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Chuck (season 1)

The first season of Chuck originally aired between September 24, 2007 and January 24, 2008. The season, cut short by the Writers' Strike, contains thirteen episodes. It introduced the series' main characters and established the general plot of the title character, Chuck Bartowski, having to adapt to his new life as a spy after the only remaining copy of the U.S. government's spy secrets are embedded into his brain. He is forced to juggle his responsibilities as a spy and the supervisor of a technical support team, called the "Nerd Herd", at his local Buy More store (a parody of Best Buy). Having become the most important asset of the U.S. government, Chuck is under the constant surveillance of his CIA handler, Sarah Walker, and NSA agent John Casey, who remind him that he cannot reveal his spy life to his sister Ellie, nor his best friend Morgan Grimes.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Chuck steak

Chuck steak is a cut of beef and is part of the sub primal cut known as the chuck. The typical chuck steak is a rectangular cut, about 1" thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones, and is often known as a "7-bone steak," as the shape of the shoulder bone in cross section resembles the numeral '7'. This cut is usually grilled or broiled; a thicker version is sold as a "7-bone roast" or "chuck roast" and is usually cooked with liquid as a pot roast.

The bone-in chuck steak or roast is one of the more economical cuts of beef. In the United Kingdom, this part is commonly referred to as "braising steak". It is particularly popular for use as ground beef, due to its richness of flavor and balance of meat and fat.

Variations

Other boneless chuck cuts include the chuck eye (boneless cuts from the center of the roll, sold as mock tender steak or chuck tender steak), chuck fillet (sold as chuck eye steak and chuck tender steak,) cross-rib roast (sold as cross-rib pot roast, English roast, or "the bread and butter cut"), top blade steak or chicken steak, under blade steak, shoulder steak and shoulder roast, and arm steak and arm roast. The average meat market cuts thick and thin chuck steaks (often sold as chuck steak or chuck steak family pack) from the neck and shoulder, but some markets also cut it from the center of the cross-rib portion. Short ribs are cut from the lip of the roll.