2012 Iowa Renaissance Fair
The Jousting at the 2012 Iowa Renaissance Fair.
Street View on Google Maps
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Google Maps Playlist: | Check out the new experience of Street View on Google Maps. Learn the new ways to enter Street View, look at our full screen mode, navigate through driving directions, and more.
Street View is a feature of Google Maps that allows you to quickly and easily view and navigate high-resolution, 360 degree street level images of various cities around the world.
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Illinois | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Illinois
00:03:22 1 Etymology
00:04:52 2 History
00:05:01 2.1 Pre-European
00:07:50 2.2 European exploration and settlement prior to 1800
00:09:26 2.3 19th century
00:09:35 2.3.1 Prior to statehood
00:11:18 2.3.2 The State of Illinois prior to the Civil War
00:15:55 2.3.3 Civil War and after
00:17:14 2.4 20th century
00:20:06 3 Geography
00:20:27 3.1 Boundaries
00:21:27 3.2 Topography
00:22:17 3.3 Divisions
00:25:43 3.4 Climate
00:28:33 4 Demographics
00:32:47 4.1 Birth data
00:33:14 4.2 Urban areas
00:35:30 4.3 Languages
00:36:26 4.4 Religion
00:36:34 4.4.1 Christianity
00:37:27 4.4.1.1 Importance in the Latter Day Saint Movement
00:38:04 4.4.2 Other Abrahamic religious communities
00:39:09 4.4.3 Other religions
00:39:24 5 Economy
00:40:00 5.1 Taxes
00:41:09 5.2 Agriculture
00:42:49 5.3 Manufacturing
00:44:01 5.4 Services
00:44:43 5.5 Investments
00:45:20 5.6 Energy
00:45:44 5.6.1 Coal
00:47:39 5.6.2 Petroleum
00:48:25 5.6.3 Nuclear power
00:49:32 5.6.4 Wind power
00:51:04 5.6.5 Biofuels
00:51:55 6 Culture
00:52:03 6.1 Museums
00:53:47 6.2 Music
00:55:35 6.3 Movies
00:56:15 6.4 Sports
00:56:24 6.4.1 Major league sports
00:58:10 6.4.2 Other top-level professional sports
00:58:42 6.4.3 Minor league sports
01:00:05 6.4.4 College sports
01:02:37 6.4.5 Former Chicago sports franchises
01:02:47 6.4.5.1 Folded teams
01:05:16 6.4.5.2 Relocated teams
01:05:54 6.4.6 Professional sports teams outside Chicago
01:06:36 6.4.7 Motor racing
01:07:26 6.4.8 Golf
01:08:27 7 Parks and recreation
01:09:19 8 Law and government
01:11:15 9 Politics
01:11:24 9.1 Party balance
01:14:05 9.2 History of corruption
01:15:36 9.3 U.S. Presidential Elections
01:17:14 9.4 African-American U.S. senators
01:17:46 9.5 Political families
01:18:03 9.5.1 Stevensons
01:19:03 9.5.2 Daleys
01:19:42 10 Education
01:19:51 10.1 Illinois State Board of education
01:20:29 10.2 Primary and secondary schools
01:21:18 10.3 Colleges and universities
01:22:52 11 Infrastructure
01:23:01 11.1 Transportation
01:23:20 11.1.1 Airports
01:24:41 11.1.2 Rail
01:26:02 11.1.3 Interstate highway system
01:26:51 11.1.4 U.S. highway system
01:27:24 11.2 Gallery
01:27:32 12 Miscellaneous
01:28:04 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Illinois ( (listen) IL-ih-NOY) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is the 6th-most populous U.S. state and 25th-largest state in terms of land area, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire United States. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in northern and central Illinois, and natural resources such as coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base, and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports around the world from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois Waterway on the Illinois River. The Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Wabash River form parts of the boundaries of Illinois. For decades, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics.
The capital of Illinois is Springfield in central Illinois. Although today, the state's largest population center is in and around Chicago in the northeastern part of the state, the state's European population grew first in the west, with French who settled along the Mississippi River, and gave the area the name Illinois Country. After the American Revolutionary War established the United States, American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1780s via the Ohio River, and the population grew from south to north. In 1818, Illinois achieved statehood. After construction of the Erie Canal increased traffic and trade through the Great Lakes, Chicago was founded in the 1830s on th ...
Kansas City, Missouri | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:02:03 1 History
00:02:37 1.1 Exploration and settlement
00:05:55 1.2 American Civil War
00:07:32 1.3 Post-Civil War
00:09:10 1.4 Pendergast era
00:10:17 1.5 Post–World War II
00:12:31 1.6 21st century
00:12:40 1.6.1 Downtown Kansas City development
00:15:35 1.6.2 Transportation developments
00:17:46 2 Geography
00:18:55 2.1 Cityscape
00:19:13 2.1.1 Architecture
00:20:55 2.1.2 City Market
00:21:35 2.1.3 Downtown
00:23:34 2.2 Climate
00:26:46 3 Demographics
00:29:02 4 Economy
00:32:53 4.1 Headquarters
00:33:06 4.2 Top employers
00:33:23 5 Culture
00:33:32 5.1 Abbreviations and nicknames
00:34:35 5.2 Performing arts
00:36:41 5.3 Jazz
00:38:37 5.4 Irish culture
00:39:21 5.5 Casinos
00:40:17 5.6 Cuisine
00:43:10 5.7 Points of interest
00:43:22 5.8 Religion
00:44:10 5.9 Walt Disney in Kansas City
00:44:56 6 Sports
00:45:25 6.1 Professional football
00:46:00 6.2 Professional baseball
00:47:07 6.3 Professional soccer
00:47:50 6.4 College athletics
00:48:38 6.5 Professional rugby
00:49:04 6.6 Former teams
00:50:54 7 Parks and boulevards
00:53:17 8 Law and government
00:53:26 8.1 City government
00:55:01 8.2 National political conventions
00:55:36 8.3 Federal representation
00:56:19 8.4 Crime
00:58:35 9 Education
00:58:44 9.1 Colleges and universities
01:00:22 9.2 Primary and secondary schools
01:01:29 9.3 Libraries and archives
01:02:46 10 Media
01:02:54 10.1 Print media
01:03:59 10.2 Broadcast media
01:06:54 10.3 Film community
01:08:49 11 Infrastructure
01:09:25 11.1 Highways
01:10:22 11.2 Airports
01:11:02 11.3 Public transportation
01:11:34 11.3.1 KCATA- RideKC
01:12:07 11.3.1.1 RideKC Bus and MAX
01:13:06 11.3.1.2 RideKC Streetcar
01:14:07 11.3.1.3 RideKC Bridj
01:15:02 11.4 Walkability
01:15:53 11.5 Modal characteristics
01:16:51 12 Sister cities
01:17:03 13 Notable people
01:17:12 14 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.8414942618399823
Voice name: en-AU-Wavenet-D
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, bordering Johnson County and Wyandotte County in Kansas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had an estimated population of 488,943 in 2017, making it the 37th most-populous city in the United States and the most populated city of the Kansas City metropolitan area. It also has the fifth highest murder rate out of every city in the United States. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port east of its confluence with the Kansas River. It was named after the Kansa or Kaw people who had their significant populations in what is now the state of Kansas. On June 1, 1850, the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued and the name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish them soon after.
Sitting on Missouri's western boundary, with Downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, the historic city encompasses some 319.03 square miles (826.3 km2), making it the 23rd largest city by total area in the United States. Most of the city lies within Jackson County, but portions spill into Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. Along with Independence, one of its major suburbs, it serves as one of the two county seats of Jackson County. Other cities with a population of over 50,000 in the Kansas City metropolitan area include the Kansas cities of Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa and the Missouri cities of Lee's Summit and Blue Springs.
The city is composed of several neighborhoods, including the River Market District in the north, the 18th and Vine District in the east, and the Country Club Plaza in the south. Kansas City is known for its long tradition of jazz music and culture, for its cuisine (including its distinctive style of barbecue), and its craft breweries.
Cuisine of Kansas City | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Cuisine of Kansas City
00:01:45 1 History
00:02:20 1.1 Exploration and settlement
00:05:32 1.2 American Civil War
00:07:09 1.3 Post-Civil War
00:08:43 1.4 Pendergast era
00:09:50 1.5 Post–World War II
00:12:01 1.6 21st century
00:12:10 1.6.1 Downtown Kansas City development
00:15:02 1.6.2 Transportation developments
00:17:11 2 Geography
00:18:21 2.1 Cityscape
00:18:39 2.1.1 Architecture
00:20:20 2.1.2 City Market
00:20:59 2.1.3 Downtown
00:22:57 2.2 Climate
00:26:06 3 Demographics
00:28:20 4 Economy
00:32:09 4.1 Headquarters
00:32:22 4.2 Top employers
00:32:40 5 Culture
00:32:49 5.1 Abbreviations and nicknames
00:33:51 5.2 Performing arts
00:35:55 5.3 Jazz
00:37:50 5.4 Irish culture
00:38:34 5.5 Casinos
00:39:29 5.6 Cuisine
00:42:19 5.7 Points of interest
00:42:32 5.8 Religion
00:43:19 5.9 Walt Disney in Kansas City
00:44:05 6 Sports
00:44:34 6.1 Professional football
00:45:09 6.2 Professional baseball
00:46:14 6.3 Professional soccer
00:46:57 6.4 College athletics
00:47:43 6.5 Professional rugby
00:48:10 6.6 Former teams
00:49:57 7 Parks and boulevards
00:52:18 8 Law and government
00:52:27 8.1 City government
00:54:01 8.2 National political conventions
00:54:36 8.3 Federal representation
00:55:19 8.4 Crime
00:57:33 9 Education
00:57:42 9.1 Colleges and universities
00:59:17 9.2 Primary and secondary schools
01:00:23 9.3 Libraries and archives
01:01:40 10 Media
01:01:49 10.1 Print media
01:02:53 10.2 Broadcast media
01:05:50 10.3 Film community
01:07:42 11 Infrastructure
01:08:18 11.1 Highways
01:09:14 11.2 Airports
01:09:54 11.3 Public transportation
01:10:26 11.3.1 KCATA- RideKC
01:10:59 11.3.1.1 RideKC Bus and MAX
01:11:57 11.3.1.2 RideKC Streetcar
01:12:56 11.3.1.3 RideKC Bridj
01:13:46 11.4 Walkability
01:14:37 11.5 Modal characteristics
01:15:35 12 Sister cities
01:15:47 13 Notable people
01:15:57 14 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had an estimated population of 488,943 in 2017, making it the 37th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which straddles the Kansas–Missouri state line. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port at its confluence with the Kansas River coming in from the west. On June 1, 1850 the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued and the name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish them soon after.
Sitting on Missouri's western boundary, with Downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, the modern city encompasses some 319.03 square miles (826.3 km2), making it the 23rd largest city by total area in the United States. Most of the city lies within Jackson County, but portions spill into Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. Along with Independence, one of its major suburbs, it serves as one of the two county seats of Jackson County. Other major suburbs include the Missouri cities of Blue Springs and Lee's Summit and the Kansas cities of Lawrence, Overland Park, Olathe, and Kansas City.
The city is composed of several neighborhoods, including the River Market District in the north, the 18th and Vine District in the east, and the Country Club Plaza in the south. Kansas City is known for its long tradition of jazz music and culture, for its cuisine (including its distinctive style of barbecue), and its craft breweries.
Words at War: Combined Operations / They Call It Pacific / The Last Days of Sevastopol
The Siege of Sevastopol took place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The campaign was fought by the Axis powers of Germany, Romania and Italy against the Soviet Union for control of Sevastopol, a port in Crimea on the Black Sea. On 22 June 1941 the Axis invaded the Soviet Union under Operation Barbarossa. The Axis land forces reached Crimea in the autumn, 1941, and overran the area. The only objective not in Axis hands was Sevastopol. Several attempts were made to secure the city in October and November 1941. A major attack was planned for late November, but bad weather and heavy rains delayed the Axis attack until 17 December 1941. Under the command of Erich von Manstein, the Axis forces were unable to capture Sevastopol in the first stage of operations. The Soviets launched an amphibious landing on the Crimean peninsula at Kerch in December 1941, to relieve the siege and force the Axis to divert forces to defend their gains. The operation saved Sevastopol for the time being, but the landing was checked and repulsed in May 1942.
At Sevastopol the Axis opted to conduct a siege until the summer, 1942, at which point they attacked the encircled Soviet forces by land, sea and air. On 2 June 1942, the Axis began their operation, codenamed Störfang (Sturgeon Catch). The Soviet Red Army and Black Sea Fleet held out for weeks under intense Axis bombardment. The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) played a vital part in the siege. The Luftwaffe made up for a shortage of Axis artillery, providing highly effective aerial bombardment in support of the ground forces. Finally, on the 4 July 1942, the remaining Soviet forces surrendered and the Axis seized the port. Both sides had suffered considerable losses during the siege.
With the Soviet forces neutralised, the Axis refocused their attention on the major summer campaign of that year, Operation Blue and the advance to the Caucasus oil fields.
You Bet Your Life: Secret Word - Car / Clock / Name
Julius Henry Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 -- August 19, 1977) was an American comedian and film and television star. He is known as a master of quick wit and widely considered one of the best comedians of the modern era. His rapid-fire, often impromptu delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers and imitators. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born. He also had a successful solo career, most notably as the host of the radio and television game show You Bet Your Life. His distinctive appearance, carried over from his days in vaudeville, included quirks such as an exaggerated stooped posture, glasses, cigar, and a thick greasepaint mustache and eyebrows. These exaggerated features resulted in the creation of one of the world's most ubiquitous and recognizable novelty disguises, known as Groucho glasses, a one-piece mask consisting of horn-rimmed glasses, large plastic nose, bushy eyebrows and mustache.
Groucho Marx was, and is, the most recognizable and well-known of the Marx Brothers. Groucho-like characters and references have appeared in popular culture both during and after his life, some aimed at audiences who may never have seen a Marx Brothers movie. Groucho's trademark eye glasses, nose, mustache, and cigar have become icons of comedy—glasses with fake noses and mustaches (referred to as Groucho glasses, nose-glasses, and other names) are sold by novelty and costume shops around the world.
Nat Perrin, close friend of Groucho Marx and writer of several Marx Brothers films, inspired John Astin's portrayal of Gomez Addams on the 1960s TV series The Addams Family with similarly thick mustache, eyebrows, sardonic remarks, backward logic, and ever-present cigar (pulled from his breast pocket already lit).
Alan Alda often vamped in the manner of Groucho on M*A*S*H. In one episode, Yankee Doodle Doctor, Hawkeye and Trapper put on a Marx Brothers act at the 4077, with Hawkeye playing Groucho and Trapper playing Harpo. In three other episodes, a character appeared who was named Captain Calvin Spalding (played by Loudon Wainwright III). Groucho's character in Animal Crackers was Captain Geoffrey T. Spaulding.
On many occasions, on the 1970s television sitcom All In The Family, Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner), would briefly imitate Groucho Marx and his mannerisms.
Two albums by British rock band Queen, A Night at the Opera (1975) and A Day at the Races (1976), are named after Marx Brothers films. In March 1977, Groucho invited Queen to visit him in his Los Angeles home; there they performed '39 a capella. A long-running ad campaign for Vlasic Pickles features an animated stork that imitates Groucho's mannerisms and voice. On the famous Hollywood Sign in California, one of the Os is dedicated to Groucho. Alice Cooper contributed over $27,000 to remodel the sign, in memory of his friend.
In 1982, Gabe Kaplan portrayed Marx in the film Groucho, in a one-man stage production. He also imitated Marx occasionally on his previous TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.
Actor Frank Ferrante has performed as Groucho Marx on stage for more than two decades. He continues to tour under rights granted by the Marx family in a one-man show entitled An Evening With Groucho in theaters throughout the United States and Canada with piano accompanist Jim Furmston. In the late 1980s Ferrante starred as Groucho in the off-Broadway and London show Groucho: A Life in Revue penned by Groucho's son Arthur. Ferrante portrayed the comedian from age 15 to 85. The show was later filmed for PBS in 2001. Woody Allen's 1996 musical Everyone Says I Love You, in addition to being named for one of Groucho's signature songs, ends with a Groucho-themed New Year's Eve party in Paris, which some of the stars, including Allen and Goldie Hawn, attend in full Groucho costume. The highlight of the scene is an ensemble song-and-dance performance of Hooray for Captain Spaulding—done entirely in French.
In the last of the Tintin comics, Tintin and the Picaros, a balloon shaped like the face of Groucho could be seen in the Annual Carnival.
In the Italian horror comic Dylan Dog, the protagonist's sidekick is a Groucho impersonator whose character became his permanent personality.
The BBC remade the radio sitcom Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel, with contemporary actors playing the parts of the original cast. The series was repeated on digital radio station BBC7. Scottish playwright Louise Oliver wrote a play named Waiting For Groucho about Chico and Harpo waiting for Groucho to turn up for the filming of their last project together. This was performed by Glasgow theatre company Rhymes with Purple Productions at the Edinburgh Fringe and in Glasgow and Hamilton in 2007-08. Groucho was played by Scottish actor Frodo McDaniel.
Omaha, Nebraska | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Omaha, Nebraska
00:05:23 1 History
00:07:22 1.1 Pioneer Omaha
00:09:34 1.2 19th century
00:13:22 1.3 20th century
00:20:48 1.4 21st century
00:23:36 2 Geography
00:26:46 2.1 Neighborhoods
00:28:34 2.2 Landmark preservation
00:30:06 2.3 Climate
00:31:49 3 Demographics
00:31:58 3.1 2010 census
00:34:21 3.2 2000 census
00:36:08 3.3 People
00:43:07 3.4 Latinos in Omaha
00:43:17 4 Economy
00:44:58 4.1 Top employers
00:45:12 4.2 Tourism
00:46:37 5 Culture
00:48:05 5.1 Henry Doorly Zoo
00:48:41 5.2 Old Market
00:50:16 5.3 Music
00:53:18 5.4 Popular culture
00:55:56 6 Sports and recreation
00:59:09 6.1 Recreation
01:00:32 7 Government and politics
01:03:20 7.1 Crime
01:05:37 8 Education
01:08:21 9 Media
01:09:48 10 Infrastructure
01:11:42 10.1 Transportation
01:15:55 11 Notable people
01:16:04 12 Sister cities
01:16:33 13 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Omaha ( OH-mə-hah) is the largest city in the state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 10 miles (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, which includes Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. According to the 2010 census, Omaha's population was 408,958, having increased to 466,893 as of the 2017 estimate. This makes Omaha the nation's 40th-largest city. Including its suburbs, Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2013, with an estimated population of 895,151 residing in eight counties. The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, Nebraska-IA Combined Statistical Area is 931,667, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 estimate. Nearly 1.3 million people reside within the Greater Omaha area, comprising a 50 miles (80 kilometers) radius of Downtown Omaha, the city's center.
Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry earned the city its nickname, the Gateway to the West. Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the World's Fair, dubbed the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. During the 19th century, Omaha's central location in the United States spurred the city to become an important national transportation hub. Throughout the rest of the 19th century, the transportation and jobbing sectors were important in the city, along with its railroads and breweries. In the 20th century, the Omaha Stockyards, once the world's largest, and its meatpacking plants gained international prominence.
Today, Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: mega-conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway; one of the world's largest construction companies, Kiewit Corporation; insurance and financial firm Mutual of Omaha; and the United States' largest railroad operator, Union Pacific Corporation. Berkshire Hathaway is headed by local investor Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, according to a decade's worth of Forbes Magazine rankings, some of which have ranked him as high as No. 1. Omaha is also the home to five Fortune 1000 headquarters: Green Plains Renewable Energy, TD Ameritrade, Valmont Industries, Werner Enterprises, and West Corporation. Also headquartered in Omaha are First National Bank of Omaha, the largest privately held bank in the United States; three of the nation's largest 10 architecture/engineering firms: DLR Group, HDR, Inc., and Leo A Daly; the Gallup Organization, of Gallup Poll fame; and its riverfront Gallup University. Enron began in Omaha as Northern Natural Gas in 1930, before taking over a smaller Houston company in 1985 to form InterNorth, which Kenneth Lay moved permanently to Houston, in 1987. First Data, another Fortune 500 company, was founded in Omaha in 1971 and headquartered there until the late 90's. ConAgra Brand ...
Auburn Coach Wife Kristi Malzahn Agrees with Match & eHarmony: Men are Jerks
My advice is this: Settle! That's right. Don't worry about passion or intense connection. Don't nix a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling Bravo! in movie theaters. Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go. Based on my observations, in fact, settling will probably make you happier in the long run, since many of those who marry with great expectations become more disillusioned with each passing year. (It's hard to maintain that level of zing when the conversation morphs into discussions about who's changing the diapers or balancing the checkbook.)
Obviously, I wasn't always an advocate of settling. In fact, it took not settling to make me realize that settling is the better option, and even though settling is a rampant phenomenon, talking about it in a positive light makes people profoundly uncomfortable. Whenever I make the case for settling, people look at me with creased brows of disapproval or frowns of disappointment, the way a child might look at an older sibling who just informed her that Jerry's Kids aren't going to walk, even if you send them money. It's not only politically incorrect to get behind settling, it's downright un-American. Our culture tells us to keep our eyes on the prize (while our mothers, who know better, tell us not to be so picky), and the theme of holding out for true love (whatever that is—look at the divorce rate) permeates our collective mentality.
Even situation comedies, starting in the 1970s with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and going all the way to Friends, feature endearing single women in the dating trenches, and there's supposed to be something romantic and even heroic about their search for true love. Of course, the crucial difference is that, whereas the earlier series begins after Mary has been jilted by her fiancé, the more modern-day Friends opens as Rachel Green leaves her nice-guy orthodontist fiancé at the altar simply because she isn't feeling it. But either way, in episode after episode, as both women continue to be unlucky in love, settling starts to look pretty darn appealing. Mary is supposed to be contentedly independent and fulfilled by her newsroom family, but in fact her life seems lonely. Are we to assume that at the end of the series, Mary, by then in her late 30s, found her soul mate after the lights in the newsroom went out and her work family was disbanded? If her experience was anything like mine or that of my single friends, it's unlikely.
And while Rachel and her supposed soul mate, Ross, finally get together (for the umpteenth time) in the finale of Friends, do we feel confident that she'll be happier with Ross than she would have been had she settled down with Barry, the orthodontist, 10 years earlier? She and Ross have passion but have never had long-term stability, and the fireworks she experiences with him but not with Barry might actually turn out to be a liability, given how many times their relationship has already gone up in flames. It's equally questionable whether Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, who cheated on her kindhearted and generous boyfriend, Aidan, only to end up with the more exciting but self-absorbed Mr. Big, will be better off in the framework of marriage and family. (Some time after the breakup, when Carrie ran into Aidan on the street, he was carrying his infant in a Baby Björn. Can anyone imagine Mr. Big walking around with a Björn?)