Aria

An aria ([ˈaË?rja]; Italian: air; plural: arie [ˈaË?rje], or arias in common usage, diminutive form arietta [aˈrjetta]) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term became used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without orchestral accompaniment, normally part of a larger work. The typical context for arias is opera, but vocal arias also feature in oratorios and cantatas, sharing features of the operatic arias of their periods.

Origins of the term

The term, which derives from the Greek and Latin 'aer' (air) first appeared in relation to music in the 14th century when it simply signified a manner or style of singing or playing. By the end of the 16th century, the term 'aria' refers to an instrumental form (cf. Santino Garsi da Parma lute works, 'Aria del Gran Duca' ). By the early 16th century it was in common use as meaning a simple setting of strophic poetry; melodic madrigals, free of complex polyphony, were known as madrigale arioso.

Aria Resort and Casino

Aria Resort and Casino is a luxury resort and casino, part of the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development. At 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m²) and 600 ft (180 m) in height, it is the largest and tallest structure at CityCenter.

The resort's 61 and 51-story towers contain an American Automobile Association five diamond hotel with 4,004 guest rooms and suites, 16 restaurants, 10 bars and nightclubs, and a casino with 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m²) of gaming space. It also has a 215,000 sq ft (20,000 m²) pool area with 50 cabanas, an 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m²) salon and spa, a 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m²) convention center and a 1,800-seat theater which is hosting Zarkana by Cirque du Soleil.

Among the most notable aspects of Aria is its incorporation of technology in the exterior and interior design of the hotel, specifically for the reduction of energy consumption. It is the largest hotel in the world to have earned LEED Gold certification. On account of its smart rooms which automatically adjust curtains, turn off unused lights and electronics, and regulate the temperature when a guest enters or leaves a room, Aria was described in Popular Mechanics as possibly "the most technologically advanced hotel ever built".

Aria (comics)

Aria is a comic book metaseries published by Image Comics, written by Brian Holguin and drawn by Jay Anacleto. Its central concept is that 'mythic beings exist in the modern world,' a premise seen in numerous works of dark contemporary fantasy. There have been several Aria miniseries written over the course of 1999–2003, which have been collected in trade paperbacks.

Aria (1999)

The story opens in a New York bookshop, specializing in the esoteric. The shopowner, a sardonic young woman named Kildare, over the course of a day deals with a woman who found a sword in her flat, two goths who want to drink absinthe, and a man looking for a bargain-basement love potion. After work, she goes back to her flat, where she is greeted by a talking mirror and a fishtank full of tiny merpeople...

She goes to a club which caters to an unusual clientele, where it becomes apparent that the woman is a Fae noble. She meets a man named Pug, later revealed to be a dwarf, and the bartender Dion, who is none other than the Greek god Dionysus. On the way home, she is attacked by a group of shadowy creatures.

Mirror (dinghy)

The Mirror is a very popular sailing dinghy, with more than 70,000 built.

The Mirror was named after the Daily Mirror, a UK newspaper with a largely working class distribution. The Mirror was from the start promoted as an affordable boat, and as a design it has done a great deal to make dinghy sailing accessible to a wide audience. Although most popular in the UK, Mirrors are also sailed in other countries, notably Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States.

Design

The Mirror was designed by Jack Holt and TV do-it-yourself expert Barry Bucknell in 1962. It employed a novel construction method where sheets of marine plywood are held together with copper stitching and fibreglass tape. This is called tack and tape or stitch and glue construction. Buoyancy is provided by four independent integral chambers rather than by bags. It was originally designed to be built with simple tools and little experience, and this meant that the design was quite simple. For example, the characteristic 'pram' front reduces the need for the more complicated curved wooden panels and joinery needed for a pointed bow, and a daggerboard is used instead of a hinged centreboard. The result is a robust, versatile and fairly light boat that can be easily maintained and repaired, and can also be launched into the water very quickly from storage or transport. Although most experienced sailors would carry a paddle rather than oars, if necessary it rows well. If the transom is strengthened, an outboard motor can be used for propulsion.

Mirrors (Blue Öyster Cult album)

Mirrors is the sixth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1979. Mirrors is the first Blue Öyster Cult album not produced by long-time producer and manager Sandy Pearlman. The album is notable for a collaboration with British fantasy/science-fiction author Michael Moorcock who co-wrote a song based on his novel The Fireclown. "The Great Sun Jester" is the first of several Moorcock co-writing credits with the band.

After the success of 1976's Platinum Agents of Fortune, 1977's Gold Spectres and 1978's Platinum live effort Some Enchanted Evening, the fact that Mirrors struggled to reach Gold status was disappointing to band and label alike. According to interviews with the band and the production staff, the intent for this album was to make a high charting and glossy production; however the backlash felt from this attempt was a reason for their future pairing with Martin Birch, and their attempt to return to a darker sound.

"In Thee" was written by Allen Lanier. It went in to the chart at No. 74. A live version is featured on their 1998 album Heaven Forbid, it features two acoustic guitars and was a popular "in concert" moment from this era. The line "Jim says some destinies should not be delivered" references the Jim Carroll Band song "Day and Night."

Demi Lovato

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (/ˈdÉ›mi loʊˈvÉ‘Ë?toÊŠ/ DEM-ee loh-VAH-toh or lÉ™-VAH-toh) (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and model who made her debut as a child actress in Barney & Friends. In 2008, Lovato rose to prominence in the Disney Channel television film Camp Rock and signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Musically, Lovato is considered a pop and pop rock. She released her debut album, Don't Forget, that September; it debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 530,000 copies. In 2009, Lovato received her own television series, Sonny with a Chance. Her second album, Here We Go Again, was released that July and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and it has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 650,000 copies. Its title track became her first single to break the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 15, and was certified platinum.