Tierra

Astronomy

Computing and games

Film

Music

See also

Tierra (computer simulation)

Tierra is a computer simulation developed by ecologist Thomas S. Ray in the early 1990s in which computer programs compete for time (central processing unit (CPU) time) and space (access to main memory). In this context, the computer programs in Tierra are considered to be evolvable and can mutate, self-replicate and recombine. Tierra's virtual machine is written in C. It operates on a custom instruction set designed to facilitate code changes and reordering, including features such as jump to template (as opposed to the relative or absolute jumps common to most instruction sets).

Simulations

The basic Tierra model has been used to experimentally explore in silico the basic processes of evolutionary and ecological dynamics. Processes such as the dynamics of punctuated equilibrium, host-parasite co-evolution and density-dependent natural selection are amenable to investigation within the Tierra framework. A notable difference between Tierra and more conventional models of evolutionary computation, such as genetic algorithms, is that there is no explicit, or exogenous fitness function built into the model. Often in such models there is the notion of a function being "optimized"; in the case of Tierra, the fitness function is endogenous: there is simply survival and death.

Tierra (band)

Tierra is a Latin R&B band, originally from Los Angeles, California, that was first established in the 1970s by former El Chicano members Steve Salas (vocals) and his brother Rudy Salas (guitar). The other original members were Bobby Navarrete (reeds), Joey Guerra (keyboards), Steve Falomir (bass guitar), and Philip Madayag (drums) and Andre Baeza (percussion). Their biggest hit was the 1980 remake of The Intruders' 1967 hit "Together", written by Gamble & Huff, which reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #9 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Background

Tierra has the distinction of being the first Latino band to have four songs on the national chart with two of them in the Top 100 at the same time.

Around 1973, Rudy and Steve Salas formed Tierra and their self-titled debut album was recorded. By the mid-1970s the band consisted of the Salas brothers, Rudy Villa on reeds, Kenny Romain on drums and latin-percussion, Conrad Lazano on bass, Aaron Ballesteros on drums and vocals, Alfred Rubaclava on bass and Leon Bisquera on keyboards. Around that time they recorded the album Stranded for the Salsoul records label.

Margarita

The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). Although it has become acceptable to serve a margarita in a wide variety of glass types, ranging from cocktail and wine glasses to pint glasses and even large schooners, the drink is traditionally served in the eponymous margarita glass, a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe somewhat resembling an inverted sombrero.

Variations

The IBA (IBA Official list of Cocktails) standard is 7:4:3, that is, 50% tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime juice.

Flavored liqueurs

Besides Cointreau, other orange-flavored liqueurs that might be used include Grand Marnier, Gran Gala, other brands of triple sec, or blue curaçao (yielding the blue margarita). In the Grenadines, some bars use Union Jake's Starfruit Liqueur instead of triple sec. When sweeter fruit juices or freshly puréed fruits are added to the margarita, the orange-flavored liqueur is often reduced or eliminated entirely. In addition to orange-flavored liqueurs, secondary liqueurs may occasionally be added to a cocktail, including melon-flavored or black raspberry-flavored. Other flavors include pineapple and watermelon

Margarita, Álava

Margarita is a village in Álava, Basque Country, Spain.

Coordinates: 42°51′N 2°45′W / 42.850°N 2.750°W / 42.850; -2.750

Margarita (Master and Margarita)

Margarita (Russian: Маргар́ита) is a fictional character from the novel The Master and Margarita by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov.

Description

In the novel, Margarita Nikolayevna is 30 years old. She is a very pretty muscovite, strong and resolute. She is a housewife, residing in downtown Moscow and married to a rich and famous military engineer, whom she doesn't love and has no children with. She lives in a large apartment and has help (Natasha, who later becomes a witch). She falls in love with a writer who she called Master (an honorary rather than domination nickname), joins Woland's entourage and performs the role of the Queen and host of the Satan's Ball, until she finally leaves the world as a witch together with Master to the place of their last refuge.

Most Bulgakov scholars believe that the main prototype for Margarita was Elena Bulgakova, the third and last wife of the writer, whom he called "My Margarita. The love between the two main characters is described in the novel as follows: "Love leaped out in front of us like a murderer in an alley leaping out of nowhere, and struck us both at once. As lightning strikes, as a Finnish knife strikes! She, by the way, insisted afterwards that it wasn't so, that we had, of course, loved each other for a long, long time, without knowing each other...".