David and Abigail by Antonio Molinari.

Abigail (Hebrew: אֲבִיגַיִל / אֲבִיגָיִל, Modern Avigáyil Tiberian ʾĂḇîḡáyil / ʾĂḇîḡāyil ; "her Father's joy" or "fountain of joy", spelt Abigal in 2 Samuel 3:3) was the wife of Nabal; she became a wife of David after Nabal's death (1 Samuel 25). She became the mother of one of David's sons, who is listed in the Book of Chronicles under the name Daniel,^[1] in the Masoretic Text of the Books of Samuel as Chileab,^[2] and in the Septuagint text of 2 Samuel 3:3 as Δαλουια, Dalouia.^[3] Levenson and Halpern suggest that Abigail may, in fact, also be the same person as Abigail, mother of Amasa.^[4]

Prudent Abigail by Juan Antonio Escalante.

Biblical history[link]

In the passage from 1 Samuel, Nabal demonstrates ingratitude towards David, and Abigail attempts to placate David in order to stop him taking revenge. She gives him food, and speaks to him, urging him not to "have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed" (verse 31, NIV) and reminding him that God will make him a "lasting dynasty" (verse 28). Jon Levenson calls this an "undeniable adumbration" of Nathan's prophecy in 2 Samuel 7.^[5] Alice Bach notes that Abigail pronounces a "crucial prophecy,"^[6] and the Talmud regards her as one of the Tanakh's seven female prophets.^[7] Levenson, however, suggests that she "senses the drift of history" from intelligence rather than from special revelation.^[5]

After Abigail reveals to Nabal what she has done, "YHWH struck Nabal and he died," (v.38), after which David married her.

The text explicitly describes Abigail as "intelligent and beautiful" (1 Samuel 25:3, NIV, also in the JPS Tanakh). The Talmud amplifies this idea, mentioning her as being one of the "four women of surpassing beauty in the world."^[8] In terms of her moral character, Abraham Kuyper argues that Abigail's conduct indicates "a most appealing character and unwavering faith,"^[9] but Alice Bach regards her as subversive.^[10]

Generic use[link]

Abigail's self-styling as a handmaid^[11] led to Abigail being the traditional term for a waiting-woman, for example as the waiting gentlewoman in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady, published in 1616. Jonathan Swift and Henry Fielding use Abigail in this generic sense, as does Charlotte Brontë. Anthony Trollope makes two references to the abigail (all lower case) in The Eustace Diamonds, at the beginning of Chapter 42. William Rose Benet notes the notoriety of Abigail Hill, better known as "Mrs Masham", a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne.^[12]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David and Abigail

In art[link]

Abigail is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented in one of the 999 tiles of the Heritage Floor.^[13][14]

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Chicago, Judy. The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation. London: Merrell (2007). ISBN 1-85894-370-1

John B (born John Bryn Williams, 1977, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England) is an English DJ and electronic music producer. He is widely recognised for his eccentric clothing and wild hair and his production of several cutting edge drum and bass tracks.

John B ranked #76 in DJ Magazine 's 2010 Top 100 DJs annual poll, announced on 27 October 2010.^[1]

Biography[link]

Williams started producing music around the age of 14,^[2] and now is the head of drum and bass record label Beta Recordings, together with its more specialist^[3] drum and bass sub-labels Nu Electro,^[4] Tangent, and Chihuahua. He also has releases on Formation Records, Metalheadz and Planet Mu.

Williams was ranked 1st drum and bass DJ on the 2009 DJMag's top 100.^[5] and #92 on the DJ List as of October 3, 2009.^[6]

He attended Durham University.

Style[link]

While his trademark sound has evolved through the years, it generally involves female vocals and trance-like synths (a style which has been dubbed "trance and bass", "trancestep" and "futurestep" by listeners). His most recent concentration is an 1980s electroclash influenced fusion of electro and drum and bass, which was dubbed 'electrostep'. At first (around early 2002), this style seemed odd and comical to some in the drum and bass community.^[7] However, this move has given John the ability to carry his style of drum and bass forward. He has dabbled in darkstep, jazzstep and various other styles in his time. When he DJs, he is known to spin both drum and bass and electrohouse, sometimes with other genres such as disco and rock, in the same sets.

Discography[link]

• Visions (1997)
• Catalyst (1999)
• Future Reference (2001)
• Brainstorm (2002)
• In:transit (2004)
• American Girls (2004)
• Electrostep (2006)
• To Russia With Love (2008)
• Light Speed (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• John B Official Homepage
• John B Podcast
• Beta Recordings' Website
• John B on Myspace
• John B discography at Discogs
• John B at rolldabeats

Abigail Loraine Hensel and Brittany Lee Hensel (born March 7, 1990) are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning that they are conjoined twins of whom each has a separate head, but whose bodies are joined. They are highly symmetric, giving the appearance of having just a single body with little variation from normal proportion. In fact, several vital organs are doubled up, each twin having a separate heart, stomach, spine and spinal cord.

Each twin controls her half of their body, operating one of the arms and one of the legs. This means that as infants, the initial learning of physical processes that required bodily coordination, such as clapping, crawling, and walking required the cooperation of both children. While each is able to eat and write separately and simultaneously, activities such as running and swimming must be coordinated and alternate symmetrically. Other activities as diverse as brushing hair and driving a car require that each twin perform a sequence of quite separate actions that coordinate with the other.

Despite the curiosity that their condition has generated, the Hensel twins have managed to live private lives with relatively little press attention. At the age of 16, they gave an interview on The Learning Channel on December 17, 2006, in which they discussed aspects of their daily lives and plans for the future.

Background[link]

Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born in Carver County, Minnesota, the daughters of Patty, a registered nurse, and Mike Hensel, a carpenter and landscaper. The twins have a younger brother named Dakota, or Koty for short, a younger sister named Morgan, and a dog named Sadie. They were raised in New Germany and attended Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota.

Physiology[link]

The Hensel twins have a single body with separate heads and necks, a chest that is wider than normal, two arms and two legs. At birth, they had a rudimentary arm attached to a shoulder blade at the back. The arm was removed, leaving the shoulder blade.

Abigail's head tilts laterally outward about 5 degrees to the right, while Brittany's head tilts laterally at about 15 degrees to the left, causing Brittany to appear shorter. At age 12, they underwent surgery at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare to correct scoliosis and to expand their chest cavity to prevent future difficulties with breathing.^[1]

Each of the twins manages one side of their conjoined body. The sense of touch of each is restricted to her body half; this shades off at the midsagittal plane such that there is a small amount of overlap at the midline. They are effective in cooperatively using their limbs when both hands or both legs are required. By coordinating their efforts, they are able to walk, run, swim and ride a bicycle normally—all tasks that they learned at a normal speed. Together, they can type on a computer keyboard at a normal speed and drive a car.

Organ distribution[link]

Abigail and Brittany have individual organs in the upper part of their body, while most of the organs located at or below the level of the navel are shared, the exception being the spinal cord.^[2]

• 2 heads
• 2 spines merging at the coccyx and joined at the thorax by sections of ribs. Surgery was employed to correct scoliosis.
• 2 completely separate spinal cords
• 2 arms (originally 3, but rudimentary central arm was surgically removed, leaving central shoulder blade in place)
• 1 broad ribcage with 2 highly fused sternums and traces of bridging ribs. Surgery was employed to expand the pleural cavities.
• 2 breasts
• 2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
• 4 lungs with the medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe; three pleural cavities
• 1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, slight central defect
• 2 stomachs
• 2 gallbladders
• 1 liver, enlarged and elongated right lobe
• Y-shaped small intestine, which experiences a slightly spastic double peristalsis at the juncture
• 1 large intestine with one colon
• 3 kidneys: 2 left, 1 right
• 1 bladder
• 1 set of reproductive organs
• 2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
• 1 slightly broad pelvis
• 2 legs

Separation[link]

Upon their birth, their parents rejected the option to attempt surgical separation after hearing from doctors that it was not likely that both girls would survive the operation. As the girls grew and learned to walk and develop other skills, the parents confirmed their decision against separation, arguing that the quality of life for the surviving twin or twins living separately would be less than their quality of life as conjoined beings.^[3]

Adulthood[link]

The Hensel twins both successfully passed their drivers license exams, both the written and driving tests. They had to take the tests twice, once for each twin. Abby controls the pedals, radio, heat, defogger, and other devices located to the right of the driver's seat, while Brittany controls the turn signal and lights; together, they control the steering wheel.

They both graduated from high school in 2008. They began college at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

In conversation, the twins are clearly distinct persons, with distinct likes and dislikes. Their preferences in food, clothing color, etc., differ. Some of their clothes are altered by their seamstress so that they have two separate necklines in order to emphasize their individuality. They will usually have separate meals, but sometimes will share a single meal for the sake of convenience (e.g., each takes a bite of the same hamburger). Abigail is better at mathematics, and Brittany is better at writing. For tasks such as responding to e-mail, they type and respond as one, anticipating each other's feelings with little verbal communication between them. In such cases as the latter, their choice of grammatical person is to use the first person singular out of habit when they agree, but when their responses do differ, they use their names in the third person singular.

There is some concern about their ability to have continued good health, because only four known sets of conjoined twins who share an undivided torso and two legs have ever survived into adulthood, and most have congenital heart defects or other organ anomalies. None have shown up in the Hensels' case. They have so far had no desire to make themselves available for any medical studies. They intend to make a rather limited number of media appearances in the future, primarily just to appease the world's curiosity and to reduce the number of people who might otherwise be taken aback by their unusual body configuration. They intensely dislike being stared at or photographed by strangers while going about their private lives.^[4] In the interviews made for Discovery Channel in 2006, the girls, then 16, said that they hoped to date, get married, and have children. They also stated that they hoped that by providing some information about themselves, they would be able to lead otherwise fairly typical social lives as together, they continue to make new friends.^[4][5]

Media appearances[link]

In April 2006, they appeared in Joined for Life, a TV documentary produced by Advanced Medical and distributed on the Discovery Health Channel. They also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8 and April 29, 1996. In April 1996, the twins were featured on the cover of Life under the caption "One Body, Two Souls", and their daily lifestyle was depicted in the corresponding article entitled "The Hensels' Summer". Life followed up with another story in September 1998. In 2003, an updated story of them at age 11 (filmed in 2001) was published in Time and again in Life. They appeared in a follow-up documentary on The Learning Channel on December 17, 2006, filmed around the time of their 16th birthday, in which they discuss dealing with puberty and getting their driver's licenses. In the summer of 2006, they had a vacation in Texas at the home of a family whose dicephalus twin girls had died at a few hours old.^{[3][6][7][8][9][10]}

Filmography[link]

Documentaries and other television appearances include:

References[link]

External links[link]

• Abby Hensel at the Internet Movie Database
• Britty Hensel at the Internet Movie Database

Abigail Breslin
Breslin at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party
Born	Abigail Kathleen Breslin (1996-04-14) April 14, 1996 (age 16) New York, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2002–present

Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Breslin appeared in her first commercial when she was only three years old, and in her first film, Signs, at the age of five.^[1] Her subsequent films include Little Miss Sunshine, Nim's Island, Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland and Rango.

Personal life[link]

Breslin was born in New York City, the daughter of Kim, who manages her career, and Michael, a telecommunications expert, computer programmer, and consultant.^[2][3][4][5] Breslin has two older brothers, Ryan and Spencer, who are also actors. Breslin lives in New York with her family, which her maternal grandparents have described as "very close-knit".^[4][5] She is named after First Lady of the United States Abigail Adams.^[6]

Career[link]

Breslin's career began at the age of three, when she appeared in a Toys "R" Us commercial.^[7] Her first film role was in the 2002 science fiction thriller Signs, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, where she played Bo Hess, the daughter of the main character, Graham Hess (Mel Gibson). Signs garnered mostly positive reviews^[8] and was a box office success, grossing $408 million worldwide.^[9] Breslin's performance in the film was praised by critics.^[10][11] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote that both she and co-star Rory Culkin gave "terrifically natural, nuanced performances".^[12] In 2004, she appeared in the film Raising Helen where she and her brother Spencer played siblings. The film received mostly negative reviews.^[13] Breslin also had a small role in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. In the independent film Keane, she played Kira Bedik, a young girl who reminds the mentally disturbed protagonist William Keane (Damian Lewis) of his abducted daughter. Keane had a limited theatrical release and grossed only $394,390 worldwide^[14] but it received positive reviews and Breslin's performance was praised by critics.^[15][16] Meghan Keane of The New York Sun wrote that "the scenes between Mr. Lewis and the charmingly fragile Kira, winningly played by Ms. Breslin, bring a captivating humanity to the film".^[17]

Breslin's breakthrough role was in the 2006 comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine, where she played Olive Hoover, a beauty pageant contestant, the youngest in a dysfunctional family on a road trip. She was cast at the age of six, years before filming was started.^[18] Her co-stars, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin, both mentioned that they were "astounded by her seriousness of purpose during shooting".^[19] Little Miss Sunshine was a critical^[20] and commercial success, grossing $100 million worldwide.^[21] Breslin's performance was highly praised;^[22][23][24] Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote that "If Olive had been played by any other little girl, she would not have affected us as mightily as it did."^[25] Breslin received nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the fourth youngest actress to be nominated in that category.^[26] Her co-star, Alan Arkin, did not want her to win the award, specifying that he thought that she has "had enough attention" and "needs to have a childhood".^[27]

Although Jennifer Hudson won the Oscar, Breslin co-presented with actor Jaden Smith at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007.^{[citation needed]} Breslin was part of the Disney Year of a Million Dreams celebration. Annie Leibovitz photographed her as Fira from Disney Fairies with Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio.^[28] On October 27, 2007, Breslin made her stage debut in the play Right You Are (If You Think You Are) in New York City at the Guggenheim Museum starring in an ensemble cast alongside Cate Blanchett, Dianne Wiest, Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard.^[29] In 2007, Breslin was ranked #8 in Forbes Magazine's list of "Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars", having earned $1.5 million in 2006.^[30]

Breslin at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

Breslin next appeared in the 2007 romantic comedy No Reservations, playing the niece of master chef Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The film garnered mostly negative reviews^[31] but was successful commercially, grossing $92 million worldwide.^[32] Roger Ebert wrote that Breslin "has the stuff to emerge as a three-dimensional kid, if she weren't employed so resolutely as a pawn."^[33] Also in 2007, she starred in another romantic comedy, Definitely, Maybe, in which her character is the daughter of a recently divorced father (Ryan Reynolds).^[34] Definitely, Maybe received generally favorable reviews,^[35] with Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer writing that Breslin is "alarmingly cute – but she backs the cuteness up with serious acting instinct".^[36]

In 2008, Breslin starred with Jodie Foster in the film Nim's Island as Nim Rusoe, a young girl who lives on a remote tropical island.^[37] Nim's Island received mixed reviews^[38] but was successful financially, grossing $100 million worldwide.^[39] Also in 2008, Breslin appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl as the title character. The film was based on the American Girl line of dolls, books, and accessories of which Breslin is a fan.^[40] Kit Kittredge: An American Girl garnered favorable reviews^[41] and grossed $17 million at the box office.^[42] Breslin's performance in the film was praised by critics;^[43][44][45] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal wrote that she "carries the event-stuffed story with unflagging grace".^[46]

In 2009, Breslin appeared in My Sister's Keeper, where she played the role of Anna Fitzgerald, a young girl who was conceived to be a donor for her sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. Elle and Dakota Fanning were slated to play the roles of Anna and Kate respectively;^[47] however, Dakota refused to shave her head for the role, so she and Elle were replaced by Sofia Vassilieva and Breslin.^[48] My Sister's Keeper received mixed reviews^[49] but was a financial success, grossing $95 million worldwide.^[50] James Berardinelli wrote that Breslin and Vassilieva "display a natural bond one might expect from sisters, and there's no hint of artifice or overacting in either performance".^[51] Also in 2009, Breslin appeared in the horror comedy Zombieland as Little Rock.^[52] Director Ruben Fleischer said that "the dream was always to get Abigail Breslin" for the role.^[53] The film received positive reviews^[54] and was successful at the box office, grossing $102 million worldwide.^[55]

With previews beginning in February 2010, she made her Broadway theatre debut as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker at the Circle in the Square Theatre.^[56] Breslin has said that she was honored to play Keller,^[57] who is one of her "biggest heroes".^[58] The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, an advocacy group for blind and deaf actors criticized the play's producers for not casting a deaf or blind actor in the role. Lead producer David Richenthal defended the decision, stating that he needed a well-known actress: "It’s simply naïve to think that in this day and age, you’ll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show or on the potential for an unknown actress to give a breakthrough performance."^[59] Vision-impaired actress Kyra Siegel was cast as Breslin's understudy.^[60] Breslin's performance was praised by critics;^[61][62][63] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that she "well portrays Helen's feral rebelliousness in the play's early sections and is deeply touching as her character's bond with her teacher grows".^[64] Ticket sales for the play, however, were considered disappointing, and the show closed in April 2010.^[65][66]

In September 2009, Breslin filmed in Des Moines, Iowa, playing the title character in the film Janie Jones:^[67] a 13-year old girl who is abandoned by her former-groupie mother (Elisabeth Shue), and informs Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), a fading rock star, that she is his daughter.^[68] The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.^[68] In 2011, Breslin voiced Priscilla, a cactus mouse in the animated comedy Rango,^[69] and appeared in the romantic comedy New Year's Eve.

In December 2011, it was confirmed that she will appear in the film adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel, Ender's Game.^[70]

Music career[link]

Breslin recently started a rock band called "CABB" with her friend Cassidy Reiff.^[71]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]