Platinum

Platinum is a chemical element with symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, gray-white transition metal. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina, which is literally translated into "little silver".

Platinum is a member of the platinum group of elements and group 10 of the periodic table of elements. It has six naturally occurring isotopes. It is one of the rarer elements in Earth's crust with an average abundance of approximately 5 μg/kg. It occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits, mostly in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the world production. Because of its scarcity in Earth's crust, only a few hundred tonnes are produced annually, and given its important uses, it is highly valuable and is a major precious metal commodity.

Platinum is the least reactive metal. It has remarkable resistance to corrosion, even at high temperatures, and is therefore considered a noble metal. Consequently, platinum is often found chemically uncombined as native platinum. Because it occurs naturally in the alluvial sands of various rivers, it was first used by pre-Columbian South American natives to produce artifacts. It was referenced in European writings as early as 16th century, but it was not until Antonio de Ulloa published a report on a new metal of Colombian origin in 1748 that it became investigated by scientists.

Music recording sales certification

Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see List of music recording certifications).

Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after precious materials.

The number of sales or shipments required for these awards depends upon the population of the territory in which the recording is released. Typically, they are awarded only to international releases and are awarded individually for each country in which the album is sold. Different sales levels, some perhaps 10 times lower than others, may exist for different music media (for example: videos versus albums, singles, or downloads).

History

The original gold record awards were presented to artists by their own record companies to publicize their sales achievements. The first of these was awarded by RCA Victor to Glenn Miller in February 1942, celebrating the sale of 1.2 million copies of "Chattanooga Choo Choo". Another example of a company award is the gold record awarded to Elvis Presley in 1956 for one million units sold of his single "Don't Be Cruel". The first gold record for an LP was awarded by RCA Victor to Harry Belafonte in 1957 for the album Calypso (1956), the first album to sell over 1,000,000 copies in RCA's reckoning.

Dubai (yacht)

Dubai is the name of a yacht currently owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. This vessel is 162 metres (531 ft) long, is the third largest yacht in the world after Azzam and Eclipse. Including crew it can hold more than 115 Guests on it. Designed by Andrew Winch, with interior design by Platinum Yachts, it cost US$400 million. The construction was originally planned for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei before 1996 as a joint project between Blohm + Voss and Lurssen shipyards. Progess stopped until 2001 when the hull was acquired by Platinum Yachts for Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum. The yacht, previously named Platinum, Panhandle and Golden Star, was then renamed Dubai.

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House (1995 film)

House is a Canadian drama film, released in 1995. Written and directed by Laurie Lynd as an adaptation of Daniel MacIvor's one-man play House, the film stars MacIvor as Victor, an antisocial drifter with some hints of paranoid schizophrenia, who arrives in the town of Hope Springs and invites ten strangers into the local church to watch him perform a monologue about his struggles and disappointments in life.

The original play was performed solely by MacIvor. For the film, Lynd added several other actors, giving the audience members some moments of direct interaction and intercutting Victor's monologue with scenes which directly depict the stories he describes. The extended cast includes Anne Anglin, Ben Cardinal, Patricia Collins, Jerry Franken, Caroline Gillis, Kathryn Greenwood, Nicky Guadagni, Joan Heney, Rachel Luttrell, Stephen Ouimette, Simon Richards, Christofer Williamson and Jonathan Wilson.

The film premiered at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival in the Perspectives Canada series, before going into general release in 1996.

Babes in Toyland (band)

Babes in Toyland is an American punk rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland (lead vocals and guitar), with Lori Barbero (drums) and Michelle Leon (bass), who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.

Between 1989 and 1995, Babes in Toyland released three studio albums; Spanking Machine (1990), the commercially successful Fontanelle (1992), and Nemesisters (1995), before becoming inactive in 1997 and eventually disbanding in 2001. While the band was inspirational to some performers in the riot grrrl movement in the Pacific Northwest, Babes in Toyland never associated themselves with the movement.

In August 2014, Babes In Toyland announced that they would be reuniting.

History

Formation and early years (1987-1991)

Babes in Toyland formed in 1987, after frontwoman Kat Bjelland met drummer Lori Barbero at a friend's barbecue. Originally from Woodburn, Oregon and a former resident of San Francisco, Bjelland had moved to Minneapolis to form a band. Over the following months, Bjelland convinced Barbero to play drums and formed Babes in Toyland in winter 1987. In its initial formation in 1987, in addition to Bjelland and Barbero, the band included Kris Holetz on bass and singer Cindy Russell. It has been widely believed that, following the departures of Holetz and Russell, the band briefly recruited Bjelland's friend - and former bandmate of the band Pagan Babies - Courtney Love on bass. However, it is known that Love had lied to the press on multiple occasions about her involvement with the band. Love, who later went on to form the successful band Hole, only stood in Minneapolis a number of weeks before leaving as she was not in the band, but rather a roommate of Barbero's. She then stole money from the band and left Minneapolis. Bjelland, in an interview, once stated:

House (1986 film)

House is a 1986 comedy horror film directed by Steve Miner and starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll and Kay Lenz. It was followed by three sequels: House II: The Second Story, House III: The Horror Show and House IV.

Plot

Roger Cobb (William Katt), an author of horror novels, is a troubled man. He has recently separated from his wife (Kay Lenz); their only son has disappeared without a trace; and his favorite aunt (Susan French), has just died, an apparent suicide by hanging. On top of everything else, it has been more than a year since the release of his latest book and he is being pressured by his publisher to write another.

To the chagrin of his fans and publisher, Cobb plans a novel based on his experiences in Vietnam instead of another horror story. It is not so much that he is interested in the subject, it is more a way of purging himself of the horrors he experienced while there.

After his aunt's funeral, instead of selling her house, as recommended by the estate attorney, Cobb decides to live there for a while to try to write. Having spent a great deal of time in the house as a child, there are many of memories still there for him.

Muzik (disambiguation)

Muzik was a British music magazine.

Muzik may also refer to:

See also