Abstract Theory

Abstract Theory is the debut solo album released by former Five member Abs. The album was released on 1 September 2003, peaking at No. 29 on the UK Albums Chart. The album failed to find success elsewhere, and resulted in Abs being dropped from his record label just months later. The album spawned five singles: "What You Got", "Stop Sign", "Shame", "7 Ways" and "Miss Perfect". The album received mixed to positive reviews from critics, comparing his material to that of his former band, Five.

Background

Abs began work on the album following Five's split in late 2001. He soon signed a record deal with Sony BMG, who had previously contracted Five on a three-album deal. The album's first single, "What You Got", was released in August 2002 to moderate success, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The album's second single, "Shame", was scheduled for release in November 2002, but was subsequently only released in Australia after the record company decided to market "Stop Sign" as the second British single. Arriving in May 2003, the song peaked at No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart. A third single, "Miss Perfect", was released on 25 August 2003, a week prior to the album's release, peaking at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. A fourth single, "7 Ways", was planned for release in November 2003, with a music video being released and several copies made available in stores from 10 November. However, the single was recalled on 11 November, and just three weeks later, Abs was dropped from his record label.

Shame (1988 film)

Shame is a 1988 Australian Film directed by Steve Jodrell and starring Deborra-Lee Furness as 'Asta', for which she won both the 1988 FCCA 'Best Actor' and Golden Space Needle 'Best Actress' awards; as well as the FCCA awarding 'Best Screenplay' to both Beverley Blankenship and Michael Brindley.

Synopsis

Tragic happenings result from conflict arising from the active feminism of Asta Cadell, a robust professional woman, after her motorbike breaks down in the fictitious township of Ginborak during a lone tour of outback Western Australia.

She gives support to a young girl, Lizzie, who has been gang raped by local youths; a crime compounded by the neurotically tolerant attitude adopted by the town's citizens, including the police sergeant and even her father, who blame the girl for the boys' behaviour

Asta is treated disrespectfully by men in the local pub. Directed to the town's mechanic, Tim Curtis, Asta stays with his family as a guest. Members of the family are visibly troubled and suffering from some sort of depressive condition.

Shame (Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow song)

"Shame" is a song written and recorded by English singers Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow for Williams's second greatest hits compilation album, In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010 (2010). Produced by Trevor Horn, it was released as the lead single from the album on 27 August 2010 in most countries worldwide and on 1 October in the United Kingdom. "Shame" marks the first time Williams and Barlow collaborated on a song together solely and the first time they worked together since Williams left Take That in 1995. It is a pop song with country and electro music influences; two reviewers noted that it contains an acoustic guitar part similar to the one of The Beatles' 1968 song, "Blackbird". The lyrical content of the single revolves around singers's broken relationship and fixing things up.

"Shame" received generally favourable reviews from music critics who praised the song's sound and the melodic and lyrical skills of the performers. It reached the top-ten in seven countries worldwide including Hungary, Netherlands, Italy and Denmark. In the singers's native United Kingdom, it peaked at number two on the singles chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments of over 200,000 copies in the country alone. The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Vaughan Arnell in Los Angeles and premiered on 26 August 2010. It features Williams and Barlow dancing and singing the song in a bar and fishing on a pond. Multiple critics linked the storyline and the pair's chemistry in the video to the 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain. To further promote "Shame", the pair performed it on multiple occasions including on the Help for Heroes concert and Strictly Come Dancing.

Dawn (Guitar Vader album)

Dawn is the fourth studio album by Japanese rock band Guitar Vader, released in 2003. The first track, "Satisfy," is notable for containing many lyrical references to "You Make It Easy" by Air.

Track listing

List of The Keys to the Kingdom characters

The Keys to the Kingdom is a fantasy-adventure book series, written by Garth Nix, started in 2003 with Mister Monday and ended with "Lord Sunday". The series follows the story of Arthur Penhaligon and his charge as the Rightful Heir of the Architect to claim the Seven Keys to the Kingdom and the seven demesnes of the House.

Heroes

Arthur Penhaligon

Arthur, a 12-year-old boy, has recently moved to a town and wants to fit into it. After suffering an asthma attack, he is saved by a mysterious metal object, called a Key, given by an even stranger character, Mister Monday, whose servants bring an incurable plague to Arthur's town. Arthur hurries to the House, a mysterious structure that only he can see. Shortly after arriving in the House, Arthur discovers the structure of the house is a complete universe and is informed of his duty to unseat the seven Trustees who run the House, claim their Keys, and rule all of Creation. Arthur cannot live an ordinary life unless he overthrows all of the Trustees, who are also known as the Morrow Days. To do this, however, he must use the Keys, which infect him with sorcery and make him a Denizen of the House; and whenever Denizens appear in the Secondary Realms (everything in Creation that is not in the House, including Earth), they are "inimical to mortal life", i.e. incredibly harmful to reality. This dilemma is a constant theme in the books: as Arthur does not wish to turn into a Denizen; he often resists using the Keys, and only does when it is absolutely necessary.

Al-Falaq

Sūrat al-Falaq (Arabic: سورة الفلق‎, "Dawn, Daybreak") is the 113th surah of the Qur'an. It is a brief five verse invocation, asking Allah for protection from the evil of Satan. This surah and the 114th (and last) surah in the Qur'an, an-Nas, are collectively referred to as al-Mu'awwidhatayn.

The word "al-Falaq" in the first verse, a generic term referring to the process of 'splitting', has been restricted in most translations to one particular type of splitting, namely 'daybreak' or 'dawn'.

Verse 4 refers to one of soothsayer techniques to partially tie a knot, utter a curse and spit into the knot and pull it tight. In the pre-Islamic period, soothsayers claimed the power to cause various illnesses. According to soothsayers the knot had to be found and untied before the curse could be lifted. This practice is condemned in verse 4.

This sura, along with the following sura, Sura 114, begins with 'I seek refuge', which is why both are referred to as al-Mu'awwidhatayn.

See also