Monthly Archives: June 2026

America at 250: The Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, and the Founding as Seen Through Modern Film.

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Feature Image: Freedom Bell at Union Station. “Freedom Bell at Union Station” by dbking is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Early Encounters with History and Film

I first saw 1776 on an eighth‑grade field trip, and it hit perfectly. The music, the narrative, and the historical framing made it both fun and instructive. The year before, I had toured Washington, D.C.—the White House, Congress, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the National Archives, Arlington, Georgetown, Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace in Staunton, and Jefferson’s Monticello. My American‑history pump was primed, and 1776 met me at full readiness.

Philadelphia as the Stage of Independence

Set between May and July 1776, 1776 dramatizes the political struggle inside the Second Continental Congress as John Adams pushes the colonies toward independence. The film’s setting mirrors the real geography of the Revolution’s political machinery. Carpenters’ Hall, built between 1770 and 1774, hosted the First Continental Congress, bringing together delegates such as John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry. The Second Continental Congress convened in Independence Hall beginning in May 1775.

Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia. The First Continental Congress met in Carpenters’ Hall precisely because it was not a royal space — a deliberate choice to avoid British‑controlled government buildings while delegates privately weighed trade boycotts and articulated colonial grievances. September 2001. Author’s photograph.

Abigail and John Adams exchanged more than 1,100 letters between 1762 and 1801, beginning in their courtship and continuing through John’s long absences in the Continental Congress and his diplomatic missions in Europe. Their correspondence essentially ended when John retired (from the U.S. presidency) in 1801 and the couple settled together in Quincy. Abigail died at 73 in 1818; John died at 90 on July 4, 1826—two centuries ago today. I’ve visited their graves at United First Parish Church in Quincy, along with all three Adams homesteads: the John Adams Birthplace (1681), the John Quincy Adams Birthplace (1717), Peacefield (the estate they purchased in 1788), and the Stone Library built in 1870 under J.Q. Adams’s will.

Author at Peacefield, July 1989. Purchased in 1787, Peacefield became the home and farm of John and Abigail Adams. It later housed their son John Quincy Adams and his wife Louisa Catherine, followed by their son Charles Francis Adams and his sons, historians Henry and Brooks Adams. Both John and Abigail died at Peacefield in Quincy, Massachusetts—Abigail on October 28, 1818, and John on July 4, 1826.

Abigail’s March–April 1776 letters blend political urgency with personal strain. She presses John toward independence, criticizes Virginia’s hierarchy and its contradictions on liberty, and pointedly demands legal protections for women—warning they will “foment a rebellion” if excluded. Her letters then turn to the epidemic sweeping Braintree, the pressure of household work, and her need for news from Congress. John’s reply is teasing but defensive, treating her call for women’s rights as one more uprising in a year already crowded with political unrest, insisting men will never surrender their “masculine systems” even though husbands are, in practice, “subjects” at home.

The musical 1776 draws heavily from these letters. “Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve / Till Then” captures their longing, their humor, and the shortages created by wartime separation. Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards lifted phrases directly from the correspondence, including Abigail’s complaints about scarce pins and John’s demands for saltpeter—details documented repeatedly in their late 1775 and early 1776 letters. Even the repeated sign off “Yours, yours, yours” comes straight from John’s actual closings.

“Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve / Till Then” near the beginning of the show pairs John Adams’s fast, exasperated critique of Congress with a quieter imagined exchange as he reads Abigail’s letter. The shift from political frustration to intimate connection mirrors the rhythm of their real correspondence: public crisis and private devotion intertwined in the founding of our country 250 years ago which we celebrate today.

Independence Hall. Both historic sites sit within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia about 5 minutes apart on foot. In addition to the simple need for more space, by the time the Second Congress assembled, Lexington and Concord had already changed the stakes. The delegates were no longer a protest body; they were forced to operate as an emerging wartime government, making a formal legislative setting like the State House the appropriate venue. “Independence Hall” by michaelrighi is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Independence Debate

By late spring 1776, the question of independence could no longer be deferred. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams urged Richard Henry Lee to introduce a resolution severing ties with Britain and its mercantile system “that cheat and rob the colonies.” John Dickinson led the opposition, arguing independence was reckless. When Adams believed he had the votes, Dickinson countered with a motion requiring unanimity. The vote tied, and John Hancock unexpectedly sided with Dickinson. Adams and Franklin responded by proposing that Congress draft a Declaration before taking the final vote, shaping the political terrain and buying time.

Drafting the Declaration

On June 11, Congress appointed the Committee of Five—Adams, Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson drafted the Declaration in a rented room on High Street during a brutal heat wave. Adams wrote that the air felt like “the fierce Breath of a hot oven.” Horseflies swarmed the city out of its livery stables, biting delegates through stockings both wool and silk. Only in early July did the weather break; Jefferson recorded 68°F on the morning of July 4 and 76°F that afternoon.

War in Crisis

While Jefferson wrote, the war deteriorated. The failed invasion of Canada left the Continental Army retreating in disorder, ravaged by smallpox. Washington braced for a massive British fleet assembling off New York—the largest amphibious assault in British history. Inside Congress, delegates debated how to reinforce the army, secure gunpowder, procure ships, and recruit soldiers. Bounties rose from $4 to $10 to $20 across 1776, but payment came in Continental paper money, which rapidly inflated. By 1779, the currency was nearly worthless. Casualties in the Revolutionary War were severe: nearly 7,000 killed in combat, 9,000 wounded, roughly 19,000 dead from disease, and another12,000 who perished from horrific conditions and disease as prisoners of war aboard British prison ships.

Scaled to today’s United States population of roughly 343 million—up from about 2.5 million in 1776—the Revolutionary War casualty figures would rise by a factor of about 137. In modern‑day terms, the war’s human toll would equal nearly 960,000 killed in combat, about 1.23 million wounded, roughly 2.6 million dead from disease, and approximately 1.64 million prisoners of war who died, compared with the original totals of 7,000 killed, 9,000 wounded, 19,000 dead from disease, and 12,000 POW deaths.

The Musical and Its Moment

The film’s musical centerpiece, “The Egg,” performed by Ken Howard, Howard Da Silva, and William Daniels, captures the moment when Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson commit themselves to the Declaration. Sherman Edwards—who wrote the show’s book, music, and lyrics—had been a successful pop songwriter before deciding to create “the great American musical.” 1776 opened on Broadway in March 1969, ran for 1,217 performances, won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and brought much of its original cast into the 1972 film.

Slavery and the Declaration’s Deleted Passage

The show does not avoid the era’s darker realities. Jefferson’s original draft included a forceful denunciation of slavery, describing King George as having “waged cruel war against human nature itself.” Congress removed the passage to preserve unity. Jefferson’s use of “Men” explicitly recognized the humanity of enslaved people—an acknowledgment absent from the final Declaration. Jefferson remained a lifelong slaveholder, yet he pursued legislation against the transatlantic trade, including Virginia’s 1778 ban and the 1807 federal prohibition he signed as president.

The July 2 Vote

The vote for independence on July 2 could not be delayed. British forces were landing on Staten Island that very day. Any hesitation would signal weakness to the colonies—and to British intelligence. Delaware’s vote depended on Caesar Rodney’s overnight ride; had he missed the session, the colony’s vote would have been discarded. Congress needed a clear, unanimous decision.

Crisis and Recovery

By December 1776, Washington’s army had shrunk by nearly 90 percent. British forces had captured Manhattan, taken thousands of prisoners, and seized artillery and ammunition. Thomas Paine, serving in the army, wrote The American Crisis, beginning with the line: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Washington wrote more soberly: “Our affairs are in a very bad way . . . the game is pretty near up.” His crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night reversed the momentum, but only barely.

Adams, Franklin, and the Diplomatic Front in France

A Young Nation Meets Old‑World Diplomacy

John Adams did not speak French, the dominant diplomatic language of the era. Benjamin Franklin was nearly thirty years older than Adams, while France’s new king, Louis XVI, was only twenty‑one. At his coronation, Marie Antoinette—just twenty—remarked, “God help us, for we reign too young.”

France Enters the Global Conflict

By late 1777, American finances were collapsing, and Philadelphia had fallen to the British. Many Americans believed trade ties with France were insufficient; military assistance was essential. The American victory at Saratoga convinced France to intervene. This decision launched the Anglo‑French (Bourbon) War, a global conflict (1778–1783) fought from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, overlapping almost entirely with the American Revolution.

Adams Arrives in France

Adams’s first diplomatic mission to France in 1778 produced little. He was largely ignored at Versailles. At forty‑two, he had been chosen partly for his vigor, while Franklin—now in his seventies—was seen as charming but indulgent. In one dramatized exchange, Louis XVI asks Franklin whether his fame in Paris comes from “science or the ladies,” to which Franklin replies, “Day and night, I am hard at work.”

A Fractured American Delegation

America’s other minister, Arthur Lee, was anti‑slavery but ineffective. Franklin and Lee led the delegation, while Adams worked behind the scenes. By late 1778, Congress promoted Franklin to minister plenipotentiary, leaving Adams sidelined and eventually sent home.

Adams Returns, Learns French, and Grows Frustrated

Adams returned to Paris in 1779 and this time learned French. After Lee was recalled, Adams joined Franklin in leading negotiations. But Adams believed the alliance had stalled. He wrote that the French intended “to keep their hands above our chin to prevent us from drowning—but not to lift our heads out of water.”

Confrontation with Vergennes

In March 1780, France’s foreign minister, Vergennes, summoned Adams to discuss American currency deflation. Adams instead aired grievances about French military inaction. The French had sent soldiers but few warships, diverting naval power to protect Caribbean interests. Adams insisted France must fully commit to the alliance. Vergennes bristled and declared he would deal only with Franklin going forward. Adams left France empty‑handed for the second time.

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: General Washington’s Winter Encampment and Headquarters, 1777-1778.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army encamped at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778. The stone house built between 1757 and 1773 by the family of Isaac Potts served as General George Washington’s headquarters.

Retreat After Brandywine and Collapse of Supply Lines

After Washington’s defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, the Second Continental Congress fled Philadelphia, and Washington withdrew his force of roughly 12,000 soldiers to the strategically chosen high ground at Valley Forge, only a day’s march from the city. This third winter encampment quickly became defined by collapsing supply lines. On December 23, 1777, Washington wrote the President of Congress, then meeting 90 miles away in York, Pennsylvania, reporting that his officers had barely suppressed a “dangerous mutiny” driven by shortages of food, clothing, and basic provisions.

Washington’s Headquarters, Valley Forge Historical Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. June 2001. Author’s photograph.

Human Cost of the Winter

Washington understood the consequences of these conditions: malnutrition, exposure, and disease would kill about 2,000 soldiers—more than fifteen percent of the army—over the course of the winter. He warned Congress that “unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place in that [supply] line, this Army must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three things, Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can.”

Congressional Intervention and Administrative Reform

The crisis marked a low point for the Continental Army, but Washington’s blunt communications forced action. A congressional delegation visited Valley Forge in late January 1778, and in March Congress created the office of Quartermaster General, appointing Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene to stabilize the army’s supply system—an administrative reform that proved vital to the war effort.

Washington’s First Inauguration, April 30, 1789: A Dramatized Moment in World History

This sequence is a dramatization of the first presidential inauguration from John Adams (2008). David Morse appears as Washington, while Paul Giamatti portrays the title character, anchoring the scene in the political and symbolic weight of the early republic.

George Washington was sworn in by New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Livingston (portrayed here by Alex Draper). Livingston was on the Committee of Five tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence. Washington took the oath on Thursday, April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, which served as the nation’s capital at the time. It was a moment of global significance—the formal launch of the American presidency and the constitutional republic.

In 1790, the capital moved to Philadelphia, where Washington’s second inauguration took place on March 4, 1793, inside the Senate chamber of Congress Hall. Philadelphia remained the national capital until 1800, when the government relocated permanently to Washington, D.C.

Adams and Jefferson: A Final Chapter

Jefferson’s narrow victory in 1800 made Adams the first one‑term president and sent him home to Quincy, resentful after years of partisan attacks. Their correspondence resumed only in 1812, beginning with Adams’s New Year’s greeting. They wrote steadily until July 4, 1826—the day both men died, fifty years after the Declaration.

Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776, J.L.G. Ferris, 1921, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond, Virginia. Part of the famous America Series, this iconic painting depicts Franklin, Adams and Jefferson congregated at a table inside Jefferson’s Philadelphia lodgings to carefully review and revise the draft he delivered to Congress on June 28, 1776. Public Domain.

This explanatory article may be periodically updated.

Marilyn Monroe at 100: Brief Career, Long-Lasting Legacy.

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FEATURE image: Marilyn Monroe by Jock Carroll, June, 1952. In 1952, Canadian journalist‑photographer Jock Carroll spent two weeks documenting 26‑year‑old Marilyn Monroe in Niagara Falls as she filmed Niagara. Assigned by Weekend Magazine, he captured candid moments that revealed the rising star behind the role. They connected quickly, leading to a series of informal sessions—most notably the General Brock hotel shoot, where she practiced smoking for a part, and their on‑location wanderings along the river, where he photographed her among surprised tourists. The best images resurfaced in 1996 in Falling for Marilyn: The Lost Niagara Collection, now central to Niagara‑era Monroe archives. “Marilyn Monroe by Jock Carroll, June, 1952” by thefoxling is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Marilyn Monroe would have turned 100 today on June 1, 2026. Nearly 65 years after her sudden death in August 1962, the world is marking her centenary with global film retrospectives, documentaries, and art exhibitions. From her roots as a vulnerable foster child to her rise as a towering Hollywood icon, Monroe transformed herself into a master of her own image, a savvy business pioneer, and an enduring symbol of resilience.

Biographical Overview: The Making of an Icon

Early Life and Adversity

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, Monroe endured a turbulent and marginalized childhood. After her mother was institutionalized with schizophrenia, Monroe became a ward of the state, spending her youth moving between orphanages and foster care. She married a neighbor shortly after her 16th birthday. In 1945, while working at a defense factory, she left her job to begin a successful modeling career, establishing the essential grit that would fuel her future Hollywood ascent.

“marilyn monroe” by Gerard Stolk (vers l’automne) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Defying the Hollywood Playbook

Monroe trained rigorously to transition into acting, debuting in minor film roles by the late 1940s. Though long reduced to a “bombshell” caricature by the studio system, Monroe was an ambitious, self-constructed artist who deeply understood the camera. She systematically fought studio heads for creative control. In December 1955, she negotiated a landmark seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox, securing a premium salary of $100,000 per movie alongside the rare right to approve her own directors, cinematographers, and projects.

Monroe and sultry star Jane Russell shared the screen just once, in Howard Hawks’s 1953 musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Monroe played Lorelei Lee, the bubbly, gold‑digging showgirl, while Russell anchored the film as Dorothy Shaw, her sharp‑witted, fiercely loyal best friend. Their chemistry—playful, balanced, and effortless—became one of the film’s signatures. Their partnership spilled into real‑world Hollywood lore as well: the two famously pressed their handprints and footprints side by side in the cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, sealing their brief but iconic collaboration in movie history. “Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell at Chinese Theater 2” by Los Angeles Times is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Independent Artistry and Business Innovation

Monroe became a feminist pioneer in a repressive era by founding her own independent venture, Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP), in November 1954. This allowed her to step away from repetitive studio typecasting and pursue serious method acting in New York. Beyond her glamorous exterior, Monroe was highly intellectual—passionately studying literature, politics, and psychoanalysis. She used her immense platform for philanthropy and championed other artists, famously giving designer Bob Mackie his early career break.

Marilyn reading Irish modernist novelist James Joyce. Marilyn Monroe deliberately built the on‑screen persona Hollywood demanded of her, yet she just as deliberately complicated it. She played the “dumb blonde” roles magnificently, but she also worked against that stereotype by allowing herself to be photographed reading, studying, and thinking—images that quietly challenged the industry’s narrow expectations. In reality, she was a deeply intellectual woman who used books to self‑educate, sharpen her craft, and carve out a private inner life away from public scrutiny. Reading became both a refuge and a tool: a way to grow, to escape, and to become a more serious, disciplined actor than the roles she was offered ever suggested. “Marilyn Monroe Reading James Joyce” by I, Puzzled is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Enduring Legacy

Following three marriages—including high-profile unions with baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller— On August 5, 1962, Monroe was found dead from a drug overdose at age 36. The tragedy occurred in the 12305 Fifth Helena Drive home in Brentwood she had purchased just six months earlier. The modest 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival for which she paid $77,500 was the very first piece of residential real estate that Monroe purchased completely on her own, using her own money, and with her name solely on the deed.

Marilyn Monroe’s three marriages chart her rise from a guarded teenager to a woman searching for emotional and intellectual grounding. At sixteen she wed James Dougherty, a protective but conventional match that dissolved once her career began to take shape. Her whirlwind union with Joe DiMaggio burned bright and fast, undone by his jealousy even as he later became a loyal presence who honored her memory for years. Her longest marriage, to Arthur Miller, reflected her desire to be taken seriously, yet it strained under personal losses and the pressures of fame and creative collaboration. “Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller” by Alexander Sasha Dejan is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Officially ruled a “probable suicide,” her tragic passing sparked international headlines and enduring conspiracy theories. Today, her boundary-pushing legacy continues to inspire modern art, from Andy Warhol’s classic “Marilyn Diptych” silkscreens to William Travilla’s historic wardrobe installations at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The well‑known photographs Jock Carroll took of Marilyn Monroe relaxing and reading the script of the film Niagara in bed were shot in Room 801 of the General Brock Hotel—now the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls—in Ontario, Canada. It was taken in June 1952 during her 1952 stay for the filming of Niagara. “Marilyn Monroe by Jock Carroll, June, 1952” by thefoxling is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The publicity shots for the iconic “flying skirt” scene in The Seven Year Itch (1955) are arguably the most famous promotional images in Hollywood history, born from a calculated publicity stunt that created a massive public spectacle and ended Marilyn Monroe’s second marriage. Brainstormed by photographer Sam Shaw and featuring an ivory white halter-neck dress by William Travilla, the sequence was filmed at 1:00 AM on September 15, 1954, outside Manhattan’s Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theater. A raucous crowd of over 1,500 onlookers and 100 photographers swarmed the intersection as a subway grate blower sent Monroe’s skirt flying through 14 takes, generating deafening cheers that completely ruined the audio and forced a studio reshoot weeks later in Los Angeles. “Marilyn Monroe Lexington Subway Image” by MTAPhotos is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

While the event cemented Monroe as the ultimate American sex symbol, her traditional husband, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, grew furious watching the crowd ogle her undergarments, sparking a bitter fight that night at the St. Regis Hotel that led directly to their divorce after just nine months of marriage. “marilyn monroe and joe dimaggio” by lopesFamily is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

MARILYN MONROE: Selected Filmography and Synopsis

During her 15-year movie career, Monroe starred in some of the most enduring features of the 20th century. Key highlights of her cinematic legacy include:

Dangerous Years (1947) – Monroe makes her official film debut playing a brief role as a waitress.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – A critical breakthrough role directed by John Huston, featuring Monroe as a corrupt lawyer’s mistress.

All About Eve (1950) – Monroe earns critical attention as the sharp Miss Caswell in this prestigious, award-winning drama.

Niagara (1953) – A dramatic film noir shot in vivid color and CinemaScope that established her early box office magnetism.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – A massive $5.3 million musical comedy hit where Monroe plays gold-digging showgirl Lorelei Lee. The film cemented her superstardom and featured her effortless, iconic performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) – A highly successful $8 million CinemaScope comedy showcasing her sharp, voluptuous comic timing.

The Seven Year Itch (1955) – A definitive $4.5 million cultural high point directed by Billy Wilder. It features the legendary, internationally sensation scene of Monroe’s white dress billowing over a Manhattan subway grate.

Bus Stop (1956) – A nuanced, critically acclaimed dramatic performance directed by Joshua Logan that pulled in $4.25 million.

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) – A notable independent project produced under her own studio banner, Warner Brothers distribution.

Some Like It Hot (1959) – A legendary United Artists comedy displaying her “effervescent melancholy” and earning her major awards.

The Misfits (1961) – A dramatic John Huston production that served as Monroe’s final completed feature film, released just one year before her death.

The Sanctuary of a Global Pilgrimage

Marilyn Monroe lives on in the hearts of her worldwide admirers with a radiance that outlasts fame itself, proving that her vulnerability and warmth reach far deeper than her silver‑screen glamour. Decades after her passing, she is remembered not as a distant studio creation, but as a profoundly human figure—someone whose longing for love, acceptance, and artistic freedom makes her feel like an intimate friend to millions. It is this emotional closeness, this sense of truly knowing her, that has transformed her resting place into one of the most cherished pilgrimage sites in contemporary culture.

Tucked quietly behind tall glass towers in a bustling commercial district, Marilyn’s final sanctuary rests at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, less than three miles from her Brentwood home where her life ended. In the Corridor of Memories, her pink marble crypt—Crypt 24—stands out unmistakably. For decades, visitors have pressed lipstick‑stained kisses onto the stone, leaving a soft crimson patina that no amount of polishing can erase. Fresh flowers, handwritten letters, poems, photographs, and small tokens of devotion gather there in a constant, ever‑renewing tribute.

“Marilyn Monroe Grave” by Arthur Dark is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Global Anniversary Gatherings

Each year, especially on June 1 and August 5, the small cemetery becomes a living shrine. Admirers travel from every corner of the world to honor her—some dressed in lovingly recreated versions of her iconic looks, others carrying stories of how she shaped their lives. Together, they ensure that her light, so often misunderstood in life, never dims in memory.

A Monument to the Love She Was Denied

In the end, Marilyn’s gravesite has become what Hollywood never fully allowed her to receive: a place of unconditional affection. It is a sanctuary where strangers become companions in shared devotion, where her memory is tended with gentleness, and where the world continues to offer her the love, protection, and dignity she longed for. Her resting place is not merely a crypt—it is a living testament to the enduring bond between a woman and the millions who still feel her presence.

In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the moment Dorothy and Lady Beekman place a diamond tiara onto Lorelei’s head encapsulates the film’s core themes of performance, glamour, and female camaraderie. This striking gesture visually echoes Lorelei’s famous philosophy that diamonds, crowns, and adornments are far more than mere accessories; they are essential tools for survival, security, and self-definition in a man’s world. Shared alongside actress Norma Varden, this playful interaction highlights Lorelei’s delightful, self-aware charm as she masterfully navigates and subverts the extravagant spectacle of mid-century femininity. “Marilyn Monroe” by afevrier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.