Starfall (website)

Starfall is a children's website that teaches basic English reading and writing skills. The main demographic is preschoolers, and kindergarteners. Founded in 2002, the website teaches children how to read by using games and phonics. In May 2007, Starfall had 987,000 visitors, which was a 300% increase from the previous year. Methods used by the website are based on the research of G. Reid Lyon from the National Institutes of Health and Edward J. Kame'enui from the University of Oregon.

The website is free to use and does not use advertising to generate revenue. The cost of running it is instead covered by money from Blue Mountain Arts, as well as the money made from its workbook printouts.

History

Starfall was founded in 2002 by Stephen Schutz, his wife Susan Polis Schutz, and their son, Jared Schutz Polis. Starfall arose from Blue Mountain Arts, a publishing house in Boulder, Colorado founded by Stephen Schutz. Starfall received this name because the founders believed that the name "evoked wonder and delight". Stephen Schultz had trouble reading books when he was nine years old, so he decided to help young readers by creating this website.

Starfall (album)

Starfall is the third album released by the power metal band Dragonland, and the first not to deal with "The Dragonland Chronicles". The music for Starfall was mainly written between June 2003 and May 2004 after arriving home from their 2003 Japan tour. The song, "To the End of the World", from this album, was performed during that tour, before it was even recorded. A demo version of "As Madness Took Me" can be found on YouTube.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Dragonland, except where noted. 

Thematic Meanings

In a 2004 interview with Metal Rules, guitarist Olof Mörck talked to Anders Sandvall, and in the interview Mörck goes into detail about the "The Book of Shadows" trilogy and the story behind the songs:

JCB (song)

"JCB" (or "JCB Song") is the second single from Nizlopi's first album Half These Songs Are About You. It peaked at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in December 2005.

Lyrics

The song is a reminiscence of childhood, based on singer Luke Concannon's memories; it is sung from the point of view of a young boy, travelling with his father on his JCB digger, listening to Christy Moore's song 'Don't Forget Your Shovel'. The song's website refers to Luke's dyslexia swamp, the resulting bullying and characters, such as B. A. Baracus, Bruce Lee and Transformers, who would protect him against the bullies. The bypass mentioned in the song is the A46 as the band lived in Leamington Spa at the time and the A46 is known locally as "The Bypass". The single was originally released in the United Kingdom in June 2005, when it entered the charts at No. 160.

Following its release, the song gradually achieved a cult following on the Internet and at film festivals, in part due to the award-winning animated video by Laith Bahrani of Monkeehub. Mainstream coverage and airplay followed, and by 19 November, national newspapers were writing about the song's rise, and possible destiny as Christmas number one.

JCB

JCB may refer to:

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JCB (company)

J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited, universally known as JCB, is a British multinational corporation, with headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, manufacturing equipment for construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers (backhoes), excavators, tractors and diesel engines. It has 22 factories across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America; its products are sold in over 150 countries.

JCB was founded in 1945 by Joseph Cyril Bamford, after whom it is named; it continues to be owned by the Bamford family. In the UK and India, 'JCB' is often used colloquially as a generic description for mechanical diggers and excavators and now appears in the Oxford English Dictionary, although it is still held as a trademark.

History

20th century

JCB was founded by Joseph Cyril Bamford in October 1945 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. He rented a lock-up garage 3.7 by 4.6 m (12 by 15 ft). In it, using a welding set which he bought second-hand for £1 from English Electric, he made his first vehicle, a tipping trailer from war-surplus materials. The trailer's sides and floor were made from steel sheet that had been part of air-raid shelters. On the same day as his son Anthony was born, he sold the trailer at a nearby market for £45 (plus a part-exchanged farm cart) and at once made another trailer. At one time he made vehicles in Eckersley's coal yard in Uttoxeter. The first trailer and the welding set have been preserved: