Ramrod

A ramrod is a metal or wooden device used with early firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly gunpowder). It is also commonly referred to as a "scouring stick". The ramrod was used with muzzle-loading weapons such as muskets and cannons, and was usually held in a notch underneath the barrel.

Bullets that did not fit snugly in the barrel were often secured in place by a wad of paper, but either way, ramming was necessary to place the bullet securely at the rear of the barrel. Ramming was also needed to tamp the powder so that it would explode properly instead of fizzle (this was a leading cause of misfires).

The ramrod could also be fitted with tools for various tasks such as cleaning the weapon, or retrieving a stuck bullet.

Early handguns were loaded a bit like muskets - powder was poured into each chamber of the cylinder, and a bullet was then squeezed in. Such handguns usually had a ramming mechanism built into the frame. The user pulled a lever underneath the barrel of the pistol, which pushed a rammer into the aligned chamber.

Propachlor

Propachlor (2-chloro-N-isopropylacetanilide) is an herbicide first marketed by Monsanto. It was registered for use in the United States during 1965.

The preparation acts on annual grasses and on some broadleaf plants and was briefly sold in the UK as a germination inhibitor under the name Murphy Covershield.

Between 1987 and 1996, about 2.1 million pounds of its active ingredient were used in the United States. 75% was applied to sorghum crops and 24% to maize.

Monsanto voluntarily discontinued its manufacture in 1998. It is currently listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory. In 2008, the European Commission issued a decision withdrawing its approval for use as of March 18, 2009, citing the presence of its metabolites in groundwater. Propachlor was added to California's Proposition 65 list as a carcinogen in 2001.

Current manufacturers

It is currently being produced by Makhteshim Agan Group and Shenzhen Qinfeng Pesticides Co., Ltd.

References

List of Marvel Comics characters: R

R. U. Reddy

R. U. Reddy (Winthrop Roan, Jr.) is a mutant and a member of the Thunderiders. He first appeared in Captain America #269 (May 1982), and was created by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck. Winthrop Roan, Jr. was the singer in a rock band known as Ruff Stuff. With Honcho and Wolf, he formed the professional motorcyclist team called Team America, which was eventually known as the Thunderiders. R.U. Reddy is a mutant who shares a mental link with the four other members of the Thunderiders. The five mutants can project their collective physical skills, strength, and knowledge into another person without diminishing their own abilities in any way.

Radion the Atomic Man

Radion the Atomic Man first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One #9 (May 1975), and was created by Steve Gerber, Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe. Exposure to radioactive isotopes caused Dr. Henri Sorel to mutate into an inhuman being who could generate blasts of nuclear energy, and warped his personality. The Puppet Master agreed to assist Radion in exchange for his help. Radion amplified the radiation in the Puppet Master's clay, enabling him to use Thor to attack the Fantastic Four. When Wundarr the Aquarian arrived to help, he absorbed Radion's powers, causing Radion to flee. Sorel then constructed a suit of armor to contain his energies and protect himself from reaching critical mass. He renamed himself the Ravager and traveled to London. He is also known as the Atom.

Charades

Charades (UK /ʃəˈrɑːdz/, US /ʃəˈreɪdz/), also called charade, is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by miming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to convey the meaning to another party.

In the United Kingdom, the game is traditionally played at Christmas and on New Year's Eve.

History

It was originally also used to indicate a riddle either in verse or prose, of which the listener must guess the meaning, often given syllable by syllable. In France and Italy the word 'charade' still refers to this kind of written linguistic riddle.

Charades has been made into a television show in the form of the Canadian Party Game and Acting Crazy; the British Give Us a Clue; the Australian The Celebrity Game; the American Play the Game, Movietown, RSVP, Pantomime Quiz and its revival Stump the Stars, Celebrity Charades, and Showoffs and its revival Body Language. Give Us a Clue has also been parodied in Sound Charades, played on the BBC Radio 4 panel game show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. The ISIHAC version, permits players to speak and so describe a scene (often a pun of the title word), which the opposing team has to guess.

Charades (film)

Charades (also known as Felons or First Degree) is a 1998 mystery/drama film. The film stars Erika Eleniak and C. Thomas Howell.

Film synopsis

Barry (Jack Scalia) works at the shipping department of a high-tech company called Technoworks. One day, he is invited to a barbecue at his boss's house (Wilder). At the party, the guests play a demented version of charades. Other strange things happen: the next door neighbor (James Russo) screams racial slurs over the fence, and the widow of the ex-owner of Technoworks arrives. As a result, we learn of a kidnapping scheme gone awry, a fight ensues, and the pieces of the puzzle start to come together to reveal who kidnapped and killed the former Technoworks boss, and why was Barry was invited to the party.

Cast

Release

The film was first released to video on December 17, 1998 in Iceland. The next year, the film premiered at the Austin Film Festival. On 1999, it was released to video on Germany and Japan.

A.K.A. (album)

A.K.A. (an acronym for Also Known As) is the eighth studio album by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on June 13, 2014, by Capitol Records. Lopez started working on the album in February 2013, after the end of her first worldwide tour, the Dance Again World Tour. Originally scheduled to be released in November 2013, Lopez postponed the album release to 2014. Undecided between Same Girl and A.K.A. as the album's title, Lopez eventually chose the latter as the title.

Initially, A.K.A. was to be executively produced by RedOne, with the producer claiming the album was going to mix many styles, having a blend of her previous musical background: urban pop, dance-pop and Latin. However, Cory Rooney and Benny Medina, her longtime collaborators, later became the album's executive producers, along with herself, bringing a more pop and R&B sound to the album. In early 2014, Lopez released two urban-infused tracks as the album's promotional singles: "Girls" and "Same Girl". Besides frequent contributor and personal friend Pitbull, the album also features collaborations with French Montana, T.I., Iggy Azalea, Rick Ross, Nas, Jack Mizrahi and Tyga.