Liang

Liang may refer to:

Chinese history

Liang Patti

Liang (born October 23, 1980 in Wuhan, China) is a Chinese American acrobat. She spent her childhood and teen years touring extensively worldwide with her hometown Chinese acrobatic troupe, Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe. She was awarded 2 gold medals for excellence in international acrobatic competition in Paris and her native China.

Career

After moving to the United States in 1998, Liang began performing in her own one woman show, Liang Acrobatic & Comedy Show. She toured the states with her on stage partner Bill Patti as the MC and comedian.

Liang gained national exposure in 2000 when she was cast in a Justin Timberlake "N'SYNC" video. That video was shown on HBO as part of "N'SYNC'S live concert from New York's Madison Square Garden. Liang was also featured in 2003 on Fox TV's 30 Seconds to Fame where she placed third in the competition. She also was asked to appear on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon where she performed and was saluted as a young star of tomorrow in 2004. Liang has made guests appearances on the syndicated Daily Buzz TV show (2004), Sabado Gigante on Univision (2006) and on NBC's Today Show (2007).

Liang (surname)

Liang (Romanization used in China, Chinese: 梁) is a surname common in East Asia. Meaning "a beam", "a bridge", or "an elevation", or "a mast", the surname is often transliterated as Leung (in Hong Kong) or Leong (in Macau, Malaysia, and Singapore) according to its Cantonese pronunciation, or Neo / Nio / Niu (Hokkien, Teochew, Hainan). To Chinese Indonesians, it is known as Liang or Nio. It is also common in Korea, where it is pronounced Yang 양 . In Vietnam, it's pronounced as Lương.

History

The first Liang was Liang Kang Hou who was the ruler of the State of Liang, in what is now Shaanxi Province in the northwestern part of China. The State of Liang existed during the Zhou Dynasty of 1027 BC to 221 BC. The descendants of Liang Kang Hou retained the name Liang as their surname in memory of the Liang state when it was annexed by the neighboring State of Qin in 641 BC.

During the Eastern Han period, a time when the Han Dynasty was in chaos and decline, a power struggle ensued between three rival groups, the powerful eunuchs, the cliques of officials and the consort families of which the Liang was one. This was largely because, starting in 88 AD, minors were placed on the throne and hence effective control of the Dynasty was in the hands of Regents. There were three successive empresses starting with Liang Na, Liang Ji and Liang Mengnu.

Richard

The Germanic first or given name Richard derives from German, French, and English "ric" (ruler, leader, king) and "hard" (strong, brave), and it therefore means "powerful leader". Nicknames include "Dick", "Dickie", "Rich", "Richie", "Rick", "Ricky", "Rickey", and others.

"Richard" is a common name in many Germanic languages, including English, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, and Dutch. It can also be used as a French, Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian name.

People named Richard

Rulers and aristocrats

Richard (first abbot of Fountains)

Richard (died 1139) was an English Benedictine and Cistercian, the first abbot of Fountains.

Life

He was prior of St Mary's Abbey, York. In 1132 he found that the sacristan Richard (died 1143) and six other brothers of the house had entered into a bond that they would strive after a stricter life and, if possible, join the Cistercian order, established in England about three years earlier. Richard, who had the good opinion of Thurstan, the Archbishop of York, joined the new movement.

Difficulties arose with the abbot of St Mary's, Geoffrey. He called in monks from Marmoutier then in York, and others, and denounced Richard and his friends. The Archbishop visited the abbey with several of his chapter and other attendants on 9 October, and the abbot refusing to admit his attendants, who were secular clerks, there was a quarrel. In the end Thurstan left with Richard and the other twelve monks of his party, empty-handed. On 26 December he established the new community at what would become Fountains, at Skeldale near Ripon, and gave them the site and some land at in the neighbourhood. Richard was chosen abbot, and he and his monks built themselves huts round a great elm. When the winter was over they sent a messenger to Bernard of Clairvaux, asking to be received into the Cistercian order. He sent them a monk from Clairvaux to instruct them in the rule, and wrote a letter to Richard.

List of recurring The Simpsons characters

The Simpsons includes a large array of supporting characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, fictional characters within the show, and even animals. The writers originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokes or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and have subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television.

Agnes Skinner

Agnes Skinner (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is the mother of Principal Skinner and first appeared in the first season episode "The Crepes of Wrath" as an old woman who embarrassingly calls her son "Spanky". However, as episodes progressed, the character turned bitter. She is very controlling of her son and often treats him as if he is a child. She hates Edna Krabappel due to her son's feelings for the other woman. Agnes has married four times. Several Springfield residents (including the Simpsons) are afraid of her. When "the real Seymour Skinner" arrives in Springfield, Agnes ends up rejecting him in part because he stands up to her, but also because unlike Skinner/Tamzarian, her biological son is independent and doesn't need her anymore, while Skinner immediately reverts to a good-for-nothing without her.