Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it may refer to the sum of money involved.
In an early German law, a similar concept was called weregild.
When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French rançon from Latin redemptio = "buying back": compare "redemption".
In Judaism ransom is called kofer-nefesh (Hebrew: כפר נפש). Among other uses, the word was applied to the poll tax of a half shekel to be paid by every male above twenty years at the census.
Ransom cases
Julius Caesar was captured by pirates near the island of Pharmacusa, and held until someone paid 50 talents to free him.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, ransom became an important custom of chivalric warfare. An important knight, especially nobility or royalty, was worth a significant sum of money if captured, but nothing if he was killed. For this reason, the practice of ransom contributed to the development of heraldry, which allowed knights to advertise their identities, and by implication their ransom value, and made them less likely to be killed out of hand. Examples include Richard the Lion Heart and Bertrand du Guesclin.
Ransom (Cleary novel)
Ransom was a 1973 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary, the third to feature his detective hero Scobie Malone. Cleary also wrote The Sundowners and The High Commissioner. The novel was published by Fontana Press on November 3, 1975.
Plot
Scobie is on honeymoon in New York with his new wife Lisa, who he first met during the time of The High Commissioner. Lisa goes to visit the dentist at the same time as Sylvia Forte, wife of the mayor of New York, Michael Forte. They are in the lift together when anarchists kidnap Sylvia, grabbing Lisa as well. The anarchists, led by Carole Cox and Abel Simmons, demand the release of five of their compatriots from prison, where they have been gaoled for detonating a bomb that killed two policemen.
Malone wants Forte to give the kidnappers what they want but he is reluctant to give in as he has been running on a law and order platform for the mayoral elections, which are being held the next day. A mysterious man, Frank Padua, offers to help Forte but he refuses because of Padua's reputed links to the Mafia. Malone, accompanied by Detective Jefferson, goes to see Padua and forces him with threats to reveal who he is working for – Mafia leader Don Auguste Giuffre. Giuffre, who is keen to see the Italian Forte win the election, gives Malone and Jefferson some valuable clues that help them figure out the identity of the head kidnapper. They realise Carole is from a wealthy family and is the sister of one of the imprisoned bombers; she is also seeking revenge for the death of her husband in a student demonstration.
FEAT (album)
FEAT (pronounced "F-E-A-T") is the first studio album by Chicago-based record production duo The Hood Internet. It was released on Decon on October 2, 2012. The album features guest appearances from A.C. Newman, Cadence Weapon, and Class Actress, among others. Music videos were created for "Won't Fuck Us Over", "One for the Record Books", and "More Fun".
The remix album, FEAT Remixes, was released on December 18, 2012.
Reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 54% based on 6 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Track listing
References
External links
Crime
In ordinary language, the term crime denotes an unlawful act punishable by a state. The term "crime" does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law. One proposed definition is that a crime or offence (or criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to some individual or individuals but also to a community, society or the state ("a public wrong"). Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law.
The notion that acts such as murder, rape and theft are to be prohibited exists worldwide. What precisely is a criminal offence is defined by criminal law of each country. While many have a catalogue of crimes called the criminal code, in some common law countries no such comprehensive statute exists.
The state (government) has the power to severely restrict one's liberty for committing a crime. In modern societies, there are procedures to which investigations and trials must adhere. If found guilty, an offender may be sentenced to a form of reparation such as a community sentence, or, depending on the nature of their offence, to undergo imprisonment, life imprisonment or, in some jurisdictions, execution.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalises crimes, their detection, criminals, and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as historical fiction or science fiction, but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has multiple sub-genres, including detective fiction (such as the whodunit), courtroom drama, hard-boiled fiction and legal thrillers. Suspense and mystery are key elements that are nearly ubiquitous to the genre.
In Italy people commonly call a story about detectives or crimes giallo (English: yellow), because books of crime fiction have usually had a yellow cover since the 1930s.
History of crime fiction
The earliest known crime fiction is Thomas Skinner Sturr's anonymous Richmond, or stories in the life of a Bow Street officer (1827); the earliest full-length novel in the genre is The Rector of Veilbye by the Danish author Steen Steensen Blicher, published in 1829. Better known are the earlier dark works of Edgar Allan Poe (e.g., "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (1842), and "The Purloined Letter" (1844)). Wilkie Collins' epistolary novel The Woman in White was published in 1860, while The Moonstone (1868) is often thought to be his masterpiece. French author Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq (1868) laid the groundwork for the methodical, scientifically minded detective. The evolution of locked room mysteries was one of the landmarks in the history of crime fiction. The Sherlock Holmes mysteries of Arthur Conan Doyle are said to have been singularly responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. A precursor was Paul Féval, whose series Les Habits Noirs (1862–67) features Scotland Yard detectives and criminal conspiracies. The best-selling crime novel of the nineteenth century was Fergus Hume's The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886), set in Melbourne, Australia.
Heaven (Jay Z song)
"Heaven" is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z from his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013) featuring American recording artist Justin Timberlake. The song was written by Jay-Z, The-Dream, members of R.E.M., Adrian Younge, Timbaland, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon while the production was handled by the latter two. During the song, Jay-Z touches on subjects of religious allegory and an interrogation of organized religion. The song has since peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
Background
On "Heaven", Jay-Z questions the meaning of religion and once again shoots down rumors that he is part of the secret organization Illuminati. He explained the song in a promotional video for Samsung saying,
The song indulges in religious allegory, and is one of the few songs on Magna Carta Holy Grail that touch upon existential and spiritual themes. Throughout the song he ponders faith, superstition and free thinking.
The songs features Jay-Z rapping a lyric of rock band, R.E.M.'s 1991 single "Losing My Religion". Following the album's release, former frontman of R.E.M. Michael Stipe told NME that he's "thrilled" and it was a "great honor", that Jay-Z included the lyrics in one of his songs.
Heaven (Los Lonely Boys song)
"Heaven" is the title of a popular song from 2004 by the American Tejano/Chicano rock band Los Lonely Boys. The song was written by brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, who comprise the foundation of the band, and it appears on their multi-platinum self-titled album.
Reception
Released as a single in mid-2004, "Heaven" reached the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at 16 in August. Later that year, the song began a sixteen week run at number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in October. It was also a minor hit at country radio, where it peaked at number 46.
AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek describes the song as "infectious" and draws comparisons to the music of Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Lobos. He states that "Heaven" is "a single in the old sense of the word: killer hook, easy groove, a slippery but unmistakable bridge with a beautiful vocal to boot -- all coming in under four minutes."
Awards
The success of "Heaven" led to two Grammy Award nominations and one win for the band at the 47th Grammy Awards, held in early 2005. The song won in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo group, while Los Lonely Boys were nominated in the category Best New Artist, losing out to Maroon 5.
