The Man

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either passively, openly or via sabotage.

History

As a phrase meaning "the boss" it dates from at least 1918.

In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.

The use of this term was expanded to counterculture groups and their battles against authority, such as the Yippies, which, according to a May 19, 1969 article in U.S. News and World Report, had the "avowed aim ... to destroy 'The Man', their term for the present system of government". The term eventually found its way into humorous usage, such as in a December 1979 motorcycle ad from the magazine Easyriders which featured the tagline, "California residents: Add 6% sales tax for The Man."

Little 15

"Little 15" is a Depeche Mode single, released on 16 May 1988, and the fourth single from the album Music for the Masses.

The song was never intended to be a single; in fact, it barely made it onto the album, but a French record label wanted to release the song as a single, which became a popular import and a minor hit in the UK, reaching #60 on the UK Singles Chart (to date the second lowest UK singles placing for the band).

The song's title, as well as its status as a minor release, contributed to its special catalog number "LITTLE15". In this vein, it can be seen as a "little" release between BONG15 ("Behind the Wheel") and BONG16 ("Everything Counts [Live]"). Ironically, "Little 15" didn't chart in France, but finally was also released as a single in other countries becoming a success: in West Germany, where it hit #16, in Austria where it reached #25 and in Switzerland where it entered the Top 20 at #18.

There was no remix of the song at the time of release (the 12" and 7" versions were the same); however, there are two piano instrumental B-sides, both performed by Alan Wilder. The first is "Stjärna" (mislabelled "St. Jarna"), which is Swedish for 'star', written by Martin Gore. The 12" B-side also contains a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata #14." According to his website, Wilder did not intend for it to be a B-side, as he was merely performing it for fun, but Gore stealthily recorded it. Wilder did not perform the song perfectly (his error occurs near the end of the song).

Little Heroes

The Little Heroes were an Australian band formed in 1980 by founding mainstay Roger Hart (aka Roger Wells or Roger Hart-Wells, ex-Secret Police) on lead vocals and guitar. They released three studio albums, The Little Heroes (August 1981), Play by Numbers (August 1982) and Watch the World (September 1983). Their highest charting hit, "One Perfect Day", which was released in 1982, reached No. 12 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart. Their other charting singles are "Young Hearts" (1982), "Watch the World" and "Bon Voyage" (both 1983). They disbanded in June 1984.

History

In 1980 The Little Heroes were formed in Melbourne from the remnants of pub rockers, Secret Police. Secret Police had formed in 1978 with Roger Hart (aka Roger Wells or Roger Hart-Wells, ex-The Cruisers) as singer-songwriter and guitarist, Bruce Pumpa on drums, and Neil Walker on bass guitar. Walker died in 1979 from leukaemia and was replaced by John Taylor (ex-Soap, Llama, Hot Rocket and Uncle Bob's Band). They were soon joined by Andrew Callender on guitar and backing vocals, and Peter Linley on saxophone. The Secret Police did not issue any records, although they posthumously contributed "Emotion" and "Everybody Looks Lonely at Night" to Missing Link Records' various artists compilation album The Melbourne Club (1981). In 1980 Hart, Pumpa and Taylor joined with David Crosbie on keyboards to start an indie pop band, The Little Heroes.

Fire engine

A fire engine (also known in some territories as a fire apparatus, fire truck, or fire appliance) is a vehicle designed primarily for firefighting operations. In addition, many fire departments often employ their vehicles for various other uses including emergency medical services and rescue purposes. The terms "fire engine" and "fire truck" are often used interchangeably but in North America represent different types of vehicles.

The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters to an incident scene, providing water with which to fight a fire, and carrying other equipment needed by the firefighters. A typical modern vehicle will carry tools for a wide range of firefighting and rescue tasks, with common equipment including ladders, a self-contained breathing apparatus, ventilating equipment, first aid kits, and hydraulic rescue tools.

Many fire vehicles are based on standard vehicle models (although some parts may be upgraded to cope with the demands of the vehicle's usage). They are normally fitted with audible and visual warnings, as well as communication equipment such as a two-way radios and mobile computer technology.

15

Year 15 (XV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Flaccus (or, less frequently, year 768 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 15 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Roman Empire