Ounce

An ounce (abbreviated oz; apothecary symbol: ℥) is a unit of mass used in some systems of measurement.

Whilst various definitions have been used throughout history, two remain in common use: the avoirdupois ounce equal to approximately 28.3 g and the troy ounce of about 31.1 g. The avoirdupois ounce is widely used as part of the United States customary and British imperial systems, but the troy ounce is now only commonly used for the mass of precious metals such as gold.

Etymology

Ounce derives from Latin uncia, a unit that was one twelfth (¹⁄₁₂) of the Roman pound (libra). Ounce was borrowed twice: first into Old English as ynsan or yndsan from an unattested Vulgar Latin form with ts for c before i (palatalization) and second into Middle English through Anglo-Norman and Middle French (unce, once, ounce). The abbreviation oz came later from the cognate Italian word onza (now spelled oncia).

Inch comes from the same Latin word, but differs because it was borrowed into Old English and underwent i-mutation or umlaut (u → y) and palatalization (k → ch).

Tower

A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.

Towers are specifically distinguished from "buildings" in that they are not built to be habitable but to serve other functions. The principal function is the use of their height to enable various functions to be achieved including: visibility of other features attached to the tower such clock towers; as part of a larger structure or device to increase the visibility of the surroundings as in a fortified building such as a castle; or as a structural feature as an integral part of a bridge.

Towers can be stand alone structures or be supported by adjacent buildings or can be a feature on top of a large structure or building.

History

Towers have been used by mankind since prehistoric times. The oldest known may be the circular stone tower in walls of Neolithic Jericho (8000 BC). Some of the earliest towers were ziggurats, which existed in Sumerian architecture since the 4th millennium BC. The most famous ziggurats include the Sumerian Ziggurat of Ur, built the 3rd millennium BC, and the Etemenanki, one of the most famous examples of Babylonian architecture. The latter was built in Babylon during the 2nd millennium BC and was considered the tallest tower of the ancient world.

No Pocky for Kitty

No Pocky for Kitty is Superchunk's second studio album. It was recorded April 21-23, 1991, at the Chicago Recording Company by Steve Albini and released on Matador Records in 1991, and reissued by Merge Records in 1999.

Albini is not credited in the liner notes, which read "Produced with eyes closed by Laura, who sat in the right chair." The reference is to Laura Ballance, the group's bassist.

Pocky is a popular Japanese snack food.

Track listing

B-Sides include "Fishing", "Cool", "The Breadman", "It's So Hard to Fall in Love", "Brand New Love", and "I Believe in Fate".

External links

Tower (album)

Tower is the twenty-fifth album by the Finnish experimental rock band Circle. It was recorded in collaboration with Mika Rintala, who appears here under the alias Verde.

Members of Circle have been regular guests on Rintala's albums as Verde, often released on Jussi Lehtisalo's Ektro Records imprint. Here Rintala repays the favour on a collection of six keyboard-led instrumentals, occasionally reminiscent of Bitches Brew era Miles Davis. The tracks' names are the surname of a member of the group, including the sound engineer Tuomas Laurila, with the first letter replaced by a G.

Track listing

Personnel

Snow leopard

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia syn. Uncia uncia) is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because, as of 2003, the size of the global population was estimated at 4,080–6,590 adults, of which fewer than 2,500 individuals may reproduce in the wild.

Drawing from the latest available data, the Global Snow Leopard and Eco-System Protection Program (GSLEP) uses an estimate of between 3,920 and 6,390 individuals in the wild.

Snow leopards inhabit alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft). In the northern range countries, they also occur at lower elevations.

Taxonomically, the snow leopard was classified as Uncia uncia since the early 1930s. Based on genotyping studies, the cat has been considered a member of the genus Panthera since 2008. Two subspecies have been attributed, but genetic differences between the two have not been settled.

The snow leopard is the National Heritage Animal of Afghanistan and Pakistan.