Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. Flowers may facilitate outcrossing (fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population) or allow selfing (fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower). Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization (parthenocarpy). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop. Flowers give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.

In addition to facilitating the reproduction of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.

Flower (video game)

Flower is a video game developed by Thatgamecompany and designed by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark, and announced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show. Flower was released in February 2009 on PlayStation 3, via the PlayStation Network. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game were developed by Bluepoint Games and released in November 2013. The game was intended as a "spiritual successor" to Flow, a previous title by Chen and Thatgamecompany. In Flower, the player controls the wind, blowing a flower petal through the air using the movement of the game controller. Flying close to flowers results in the player's petal being followed by other flower petals. Approaching flowers may also have side-effects on the game world, such as bringing vibrant color to previously dead fields or activating stationary windmills. The game features no text or dialogue, forming a narrative arc primarily through visual representation and emotional cues.

Flower was primarily intended to arouse positive emotions in the player, rather than to be a challenging and "fun" game. This focus was sparked by Chen, who felt that the primary purpose of entertainment products like video games was the feelings that they evoked in the audience, and that the emotional range of most games was very limited. The team viewed their efforts as creating a work of art, removing gameplay elements and mechanics that were not provoking the desired response in the players. The music, composed by Vincent Diamante, dynamically responds to the player's actions and corresponds with the emotional cues in the game. Flower was a critical success, to the surprise of the developers. Reviewers praised the game's music, visuals, and gameplay, calling it a unique and compelling emotional experience. It was named the "best independent game of 2009" at the Spike Video Game Awards, and won the "Casual Game of the Year" award by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Flower (Tomiko Van song)

"Flower" is Tomiko Van's debut single under the Avex Trax label. The single was released on June 7, 2006 in two formats.

Overview

"Flower" is former Do As Infinity lead singer Tomiko Van's debut single. Released in two versions, CD only and CD+DVD, there are two different covers for the single, though the covers have very little differences to them. The A-side song "Flower" was used as the TBS drama Oishii Proposal theme song, and a piano version of the song was used for the sound track of the drama. The B-side "Brave" was used as the ending theme song for PlayStation 2 game Sengoku Basara 2.

Unlike most of the songs on her debut album, "Flower" is an up-tempo pop song with a feeling of summer to it. The song features guitars, an instrument that was not as prominent in her debut album, and is reminiscent of songs that she would sing during her times in Do As Infinity.

Track listing

CD only format

Face (album)

Face is the debut album of Of Cabbages and Kings, released by Purge/Sound League in 1988.

Track listing

All music composed by Of Cabbages and Kings.

Personnel

Adapted from the Face liner notes.

Release history

References

Face (a cappella group)

Face are a Boulder, Colorado-based "all-vocal rock band," or a cappella group performing mostly rock music. National appearances and awards include one of the eight original groups on NBC's premiere season of "The Sing-Off" (2009), two-time Runner-Up and two-time National Audience Favorite at the National Finals of Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival (2005 and 2007), and Runner-Up for Favorite Pop/Rock Group from the Contemporary A Cappella Society's Community Awards (2007). Based in Boulder, Colorado, Face has also garnered numerous local awards including Best Local Band by The Denver Channel's A-List Awards (2013), Best Local Musician by Boulder Weekly's Best of Boulder Awards (2009) and third-place for Best Local Band by The Denver Channel's A-List Awards (2009).

History

The idea for Face grew out of a university a cappella experience. Both Ben Lunstad and Joseph DiMasi had formed and performed with undergraduate a cappella groups. They met in grad school in 2000 at the University of Colorado in Boulder while singing with CU's In The Buff. Deciding that In The Buff wasn't exactly what they were looking for, Ben and DiMasi co-founded the award-winning Extreme Measures.

Face (mining)

In mining, the face is the surface where the mining work is advancing. In surface mining it is commonly called pit face, in underground mining a common term is mine face.

Accordingly, face equipment is the mining equipment used immediately at the mine face used for removal and near-face transportation of the material: cutting machines, loaders, etc.

References

Moon

The Moon (in Greek: σελήνη Selene, in Latin: Luna) is Earth's only natural satellite. It is one of the largest natural satellites in the Solar System, and, among planetary satellites, the largest relative to the size of the planet it orbits (its primary). It is the second-densest satellite among those whose densities are known (after Jupiter's satellite Io).

The Moon is thought to have formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago, not long after Earth. There are several hypotheses for its origin; the most widely accepted explanation is that the Moon formed from the debris left over after a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia.

The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth, always showing the same face with its near side marked by dark volcanic maria that fill between the bright ancient crustal highlands and the prominent impact craters. It is the second-brightest regularly visible celestial object in Earth's sky after the Sun, as measured by illuminance on Earth's surface. Although it can appear a very bright white, its surface is actually dark, with a reflectance just slightly higher than that of worn asphalt. Its prominence in the sky and its regular cycle of phases have, since ancient times, made the Moon an important cultural influence on language, calendars, art, and mythology.